Washburn University’s director of Student Activities and Greek Life Jessica Barraclough on Friday confirmed that in addition to the vulgar and derogatory texts regarding women that had been shared between members of Phi Delta Theta, the fraternity also had more than one sexually explicit photo depicting different women.
One photo purports to show a cheerleader, but the woman in that specific photo is not a Washburn cheerleader, or a Washburn student at all, Barraclough said. She could not comment on whether or not any of the women depicted in the photos are Washburn students.
Barraclough said Washburn learned of the texts and photos Wednesday afternoon.
“We had a group of students that came and chatted with me and it sort of trickled from there,” Barraclough said. “But I mean, it started with a group of students coming to the office to talk about it.”
Barraclough said she could not give out the names of the students who came to her, but described them as a “concerned group.”
According to Barraclough, Jake Gregg, the chapter’s president, sought her out to discuss it with her after he learned of the issue sometime before 5:30, which is around the time when local media began reaching out for comment
After talking with Gregg, Barraclough brought the matter to the attention of the fraternity’s chapter advisor, Mckinlaye Harkavy, as well as its national advisor.
Phi Delta Theta national leadership launched their investigation Wednesday evening and suspended the chapter the following morning. Washburn’s investigation of the chapter officially began Thursday, but Barraclough said university officials began looking into the matter as soon as it was brought to their attention on Wednesday.
Washburn on Thursday sus-
pended the chapter.
“The university has put the chapter, as individuals and collective, on an interim suspension,” Barraclough said. “So, what that means is – I mean, it’s interim, so basically they’re being given due process. They’re given the opportunity to appeal or have conversations with the associate vice president of student life in regards to the student code of conduct judicial process.”
While suspended, no member of Phi Delta Theta can hold a leadership position in a student organization. This includes any position in Washburn Student Government Association and any editor-level or equivalent position in Student Media.
“That’s sort of where we’re at in the investigation, so basically what will happen is the members of Phi Delta Theta will have an opportunity to talk to Joel [Bluml, associate vice president of student life],” Barraclough continued. “We want to make this process as smooth and as easy as possible for the students.”
Barraclough said Bluml
would be in on the decision whether to expel students or not. She said expulsion “would be severe”, but she added grounds for expulsion does not require a crime to be committed. A certain level of violation of the student code of conduct could lead to expulsion, whether the offense was criminal or not.
Barraclough also added that in regards to deciding to expel a student, whether or not the student is guilty of the charges brought by the university is determined by preponderance of evidence – meaning, more likely than not –, and the charges do not need to be proved “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Students on Tuesday, April 21 expressed their thoughts regarding the incident,
“The behavior of Phi Delta Theta was very immature and childish,” said sophomore Kaitlyn Evans. “Not only are they making themselves look bad, but it also makes Washburn University look bad. Women are not just objects. That was very disrespectful of them.”
Junior Kelly Bonila echoed the sentiment.
“I think it’s very disrespectful and unprofessional of their fraternity, especially when the ultimate objective is to strive for personal development and values of friendship,” Bonila said. “They need to learn how to value women and not falsely claim that we are just objects.”
According to a news release issued by university relations, Washburn planned to close the Phi Delta Theta house. However, an appeal was made, and the university decided to leave the house open as of Friday evening. Barraclough said she doesn’t know who made the appeal. She did say that if the house did close, the university would have worked to find living arrangements for the members.
Although the entire fraternity is being disciplined, not all members were involved.
“We had had some conversations about allowing individuals that felt like they were not a part of the process [to stay]. We would, to the best of our ability, find them a new living [location],” Barraclough said.
Page 3: Young Americans for Liberty holds an event to inform students about their rights and the prison industrail complex.
Page 12: A Washburn senior shows off her art work at the John R. Adams gallery.
Page 9: the Ichabod Baseball team takes on Northwest Missouri State University in a double header.
Page 6: A survey finds loneliness and anxiety increases at exam time.
Adam Vlach
Stephanie Cannon WASHBURN REVIEW
Photo by Adam Vlach
CGreek Week
American Business Women’s Association
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
EcoBods Earth Week Plant Sale Fundraiser
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
International Brown Bag Lecture: Netherlands
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Book Signing with Author & Success Coach John Paul Grauer
7:00 PM
Greek Week
Washburn University Art Department Student Exhibition
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
EcoBods Earth Week Plant Sale Fundraiser
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Scorch on the Porch
11:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Safe Zone ALLY Training
2:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Greek Week
Apeiron
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
EcoBods Earth Week Plant Sale Fundraiser
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Philosophy Club Meeting
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
EcoBod Earth Week
Documentary Screening: “Switch”
6:55 PM
Theatre Production: “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams
7:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Saturday,
Greek Week
Baseball vs. University of Nebraska at Kearney
1:00 PM & 3:00 PM
Softball at Northwest Missouri State University
1:00 PM & 3:00 PM
Ad Astra Kansas Day Space Celebration
5:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Alumni Awards Banquet
6:30 PM
Theatre Production: “The Glass Menagerie”
7:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Target Pluto: A preview of the New Horizons spacecraft encounter
8:00 PM - 8:45 PM
Briefs
Block funding for schools
Last spring, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the public schools in Kansas were “illegally underfunded,” declaring that it “is inadequate from any rational perspective of the evidence.” Because of this, the Kansas Supreme Court declared that the state was required to increase funding to an adequate amount as determined by Shawnee County District Court panel.
House Speaker Ray Merrick declared this week that the methods of meeting this goal would be to provide block grants, including the additional $126.2 million required by the courts. What this means for universities is still unclear, but it could lead to a higher quality education for years K-12.
Commission denounces hearings
On March 19, Representative Valdenia Winn spoke out against bill HB. 2139, which would repeal in-state tuition for illegal immigrants while it was being discussed in the Education Committee of the Kansas House of Representatives. She declared the bill racist, sexist and fear-mongering. In response to this, several GOP lawmakers filed a complaint against her, which resulted in her being placed before a committee. Hearings took place on April 1 and April 30.
In response, the Topeka Human Rights Commission has denounced the hearings, saying “(they) support the right of all people to speak out in opposition to prejudice and
After Glow gaming tournament Faculty promotions
After Glow, a gaming event and tournament in support of TopCon Geek Expo 2015, will host a tournament of the game Ultimate Marvel VS CAPCOM 3 on Playstation 3 on Saturday, April 26. The event is from 6 p.m. to midnight and is open to all ages. In addition to the tournament, there will be other systems and tabletop games to play. Participants are welcome to bring their own controller for the tournament.
There will be door prizes, including two free tickets to Marvel’s Age of Ultron. The first place prize is
discrimination without fear of retaliation. The Topeka HRC is an independent body and does not represent the view of the City of Topeka.”
two tickets to Age of Ultron and a free pass to TopCon. The second place prize is one ticket to Age of Ultron and a free pass to TopCon. Age of Ultron opens on May 1, and TopCon is September 18-20.
After Glow will be held at the Quincy Street Conference and Events Center at 707 SE Quincy St., Suite 300. There is a five dollar admission fee. More information about TopCon can be found at www.topcon.us, @TopConExpo, and on Facebook at TopCon-Topeka’s Original Geek Expo.
WApril 10
10:25 - Assist Outside Agency, Facility Services. Report Taken: Topeka Police Departement was working a possible crime scene behind 1313 SW 21st St: TPD requested surveillance video.
April 10
18:41 - Assist Outside Agency, Parking Lot 7. Report Taken: Recover stolen vehicle for the Kansas City Missouri Police
April 11
Ten faculty were approved by the Washburn Board of Regents to received tenure and/or a promotion at the Washburn Board of Regents most recent meeting.
The faculty approved for tenure and a promotion were Eric McHenry, English, promoted to associate professor; James Schnoebelen, Communication, promoted to associate professor; Mary Sundal, Sociology and Anthropology, promoted to associate professor; and Patricia Judd, School of Law, promoted to professor. Crystal Stevens, School of Nursing, was also approved for tenure. Faculty approved for a promotion to professor status were Bruce Mechtly, Computer Information Science; Sharon Sullivan, Theatre; Kimberly Harrison, Social Work; and Jennifer Ball, School of Business. Michelle Shipley, Allied Health, was promoted to associate professor.
Race discussion
The Black Law Students Association will be facilitating a discussion called “In My Skin: Race Relations in America” on Thursday, April 23, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Questions were submitted by Washburn law students in order to initiate discussions. They will have a panel to keep the conversation flowing and to give insights on topics such as education, police relations in the community, the media, housing, and socioeconomic impact.
Any students that would like to submit questions or are interested in attending should email blsa4washburn@gmail.com.
ashburn Campus Police Report
April 12
18:39 - Battery, Garvey Fine Arts Center. Report Taken: Investigation into the battery continues.
April 11
18:10 - Possible Criminal Activity, Living Learning Center. Report Taken: Possible stolen property turned in as found property.
12:37 - Medical Call/Alcohol Violation, Living Learning Center. Report Taken: Individual treated at scene: taken to hospital by AMR ambulance.
April 14
12:37 - Assist Outside Agency, Morgan Hall. Report Taken: Receive information about a phone scam to obtain money.
APRIL 19
16:23 - Domestic Battery/ Criminal Damage/
Depreivation of Property/ Criminal Trespass, Washburn Village. Report Taken: Individual taken to Department of Corrections: One notice to leave served, referred to district attorney.
Photo via Kansas Legislature
Mabee library no longer 24 hours Annual Woman’s Forum
Kenzie McCoy WASHBURN REVIEW
Starting in the 2015 fall semester, Mabee library will no longer be open 24 hours a day.
Mabee will continue being open for 24 hours during success week and finals week.
Budget constraints are the reason behind the library hour decrease, but Alan Bearman, dean of university libraries and the center for student success and retention, isn’t thrilled with the decision he had to make.
“In the fall semester, we’re going to go back to our traditional hours,” Bearman said. “It cost us, this year, about $23,000 to stay open 24/5, and like every other unit on campus, we face budget constraints. We’ve looked at our budget and we’ve had to cut a number of things: journals, databases, we’ve reduced our book budget, and we didn’t want to cut something that would impact students so directly, but we’re running out of easy cuts. This was a hard one, because we know this decision impacts students.”
Mabee will reduce its 24/5 hours to being open from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m, starting next semester. This change will not only greatly affect students who enjoy studying at the library in the late evening hours, but will also affect the student workers who were previously able to work longer, overnight shifts. Bearman said that at 2 a.m., the library usually sees around 100 students studying, and that number begins to drop to around 15 students from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m.
“This was a fiscal decision on our part,” said Bearman. “We’re pretty disappointed; it’s not something we wanted to do. We think there’s a lot of value in 24/5. Students have used 24/5 more than I ever expected they would.”
Andrea Leon, the circulation manager at Mabee, says that she now has a lot less hours to staff the student workers, but
she thinks this hour reduction will do more good than harm for them.
“There’s a high turnover rate [of Maybee student workers] because it’s really rough on them to work overnight,” Leon said. “Some people would get sick because the late hours were too much. [The late night shifts] are stressful on students because they’re trading sleep for [work]. I want people to still have a job, but now there are fewer hours, so that will be my dilemma.”
When asked about students’ reactions to the hour change, Bearman said that he hasn’t received much feedback because he doesn’t think many students are aware of the change yet.
“I’m fine [with the hour reduction],” said Krista Kubie, Mabee writing tutor. “A lot of people just study at home.”
Senior mass media major Jessica Ferguson said she also isn’t going to be affected by the change because she always goes to Mabee during the day.
Other students and student workers have voiced their concern with the change.
“As someone who often uses the library [after 11 p.m.], I think they should continue to stay open 24 hours,” said Sarah Watts, a junior social work major. “I think it’s more convenient for students if it’s open 24 hours.”
Dolores Villegas, a student
Katie Wade WASHBURN REVIEW
The Entrepreneurial and Minority Business Development (EMBD) Women’s Initiative Committee will sponsor the Second Annual Women’s Forum on Thursday, April 28, at the Capitol Plaza Hotel.
ness community.
“It presents a great opportunity to profile dynamic and energetic woman leaders who are helping to drive the local economy today,” Jackson said.
worker at Mabee, says that she wishes the library would stay open until 1 or 2 a.m. so that she wouldn’t ever feel rushed to leave. She thinks it’s important for students to come to the library, get away from distractions, and work on homework.
“As [students] start to find out, if they want to come in to [Mabee] and talk about it, we want to talk about it, and they want to come brainstorm with us and find out what all our options are, we’re happy to do that,” Bearman said. “For associate dean Sean Bird and I, this isn’t something we wanted to do, but you have to make the best worst decision sometimes and we thought this was the best worst decision.”
Kenzie McCoy, mackenzie. mccoy@washburn.edu, is a sophmore mass media major
Roberta Phillips, executive director of the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Center for Women in Business, will deliver the keynote address. The Center for Women in Business program works to increase opportunities for women in the corporate world, mentor women in all career stages and build a network for women entrepreneurs. Phillips will discuss three topics of research: “Women-Owned Businesses: Carving a New American Business Landscape,” “Women Advancing to the Top,” and “Women in Leadership.”
“Phillips will highlight the strides women have made while also emphasizing the business imperative to maximize their potential and offering insights regarding their participation and compensation in top management roles,” said Linda Canady, chair of EMBD, in a press release on April 3.
Following the keynote presentation will be a panel discussion of local executives, educators and entrepreneurs moderated by Janet Thompson Jackson, professor at Washburn University School of Law.
Jackson said the forum is really a celebration of women in leadership in the Topeka busi-
The panel will include Jeri Jansen, senior vice president of Capitol Federal; Kristina Dietrick, president and owner of Creative Business Solutions; Julie Ford, superintendent for Topeka Public Schools; Janel Johnson, board president of Topeka Public Schools; Julie Swift, periodontist and small business owner; and Wendy Wells, market president of US Bank.
Jackson hopes that the event will encourage young women to become entrepreneurs by providing an opportunity to make connections and network with woman entrepreneurs and business leaders in the community.
“There are still too few women leaders, especially considering the high numbers of woman graduating from universities and graduate schools,” Jackson said. “So this is also an event – an opportunity – for these leaders to encourage, inspire and mentor women coming out of school, women who are entrepreneurs and just starting out, business leaders in this community and those who want to go work in other communities.”
The event is free. However, since seating is limited, registration is required. Those interested may register at topekachamber.org.
Katie Wade, katherine.wade@ washburn.edu, is a sophmore history and mass media major
• Our faculty are highly recognized lawyers who bring their real-life experiences to the classroom.
• A variety of legal courses allows students to gain a broad scope of legal knowledge.
Photo by Fahad Alfaryyan CLOSING: Students using the library will no longer have 24 hour access.
Young Americans for Liberty raise awareness for incarnation
At 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 21, the student organization Young Americans for Liberty hosted an event to raise awareness about criminalization in the United States.
“Essentially, we’re trying to raise awareness about over-criminalization in the United States,” Matthew Becker, a senior political science major, said. “We have five percent of the world’s population and 25 percent of the total population of incarcerated people.”
According to Families Against Mandatory Minimums
(FAMM), forty percent of drug offenders sentenced in 2012 were under the age of thirty. Of that 40 percent, one-third of those charges were marijuana offenses.
“We’re trying to…get people to understand that we need to fix the system,” Becker said. “What is a felony? What should we be putting people in jail for? What is a crime and what is not?”
According to FAMM, the United States incarcerates more people than any other country.
Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) add to this statistic by saying 93 percent of those in-
carcerated were sentenced for non-violent crimes.
“Generally, the idea is innocent until proven guilty and it actually goes to show that’s really not the case and we’re trying to help highlight that,” said Brian Ashley, a senior mass media major. “If nothing else, [we want to] give students some basic information on what they can do if they find themselves in a situation like this.”
This information included tips about how to deal with the police. The tips, printed on a business card, included things you could say to the police, such as “I do not consent to any searches” or “Am I free to go, or am I being detained?”, and a list of ten points about how to deal with the police, number one being always be calm and cool.
“Know your rights and be confident in what you do,” Ashley advised students.
According to FAMM, half of all drug offenders sentenced in 2013 had no-to-little criminal record.
“Some people knowingly walk into these situations, a lot of people unknowingly,” Ashley said. “The only thing you can do to protect yourself is to know
Title IX investigation concluded
Ryan Ogle WASHBURN
After wrapping up their investigation, the Shawnee County District Attorney has decided against pursing charges stemming from reports made of an alleged rape that was said to have occurred on Feb. 11 in Washburn’s Carole Chapel.
Reviewing evidence related to the incident, which included interviews with all involved parties, video surveillance footage, text messages, emails and social media communication, led prosecutors to conclude that no sexual assault occurred and the act was consensual.
In light of the district attorney’s announcement, Washburn University President Jerry Farley issued a statement on Tuesday, via email, saying that the Title IX investigation concerning the university’s response to the initial report determined that
no sanctions against Washburn are warranted at this time.
A Feb. 20 article posted online by the Washburn Review about the alleged incident led to widespread concern from Washburn students about the university’s handling of the situation, specifically the decision to not issue a campus-wide i-Alert after the alleged assault was reported.
Director of university relations
Patrick Early defended the decision by stating that the incident did not place the student body in immediate danger.
Farley’s email reiterated the university’s initial statement and added that Washburn acted in accordance to federal privacy laws.
“While some would like me to discuss the details of this investigation and its conclusion, as in all cases, we comply with privacy laws and protect the confidentiality of the individuals in-
about it, and we’re trying to help people know about it.”
Ashley went on to add that they also were trying to work on the preventative side of the issue.
“Once you get part of the system, it’s a lot harder to get out of it,” Ashley said. “But the nice part is…there’s a lot of things you can do before any of this happens.”
According to FAMM, the average length of a federal drug sentence is nine years, and because Congress passed a law that created mandatory minimum sentences, which made all drug crimes receive the same sentencing, federal prisons have grown by 800 percent.
“If you had a party at your house two weeks ago and you’re under twenty-one and you had a bottle of booze,” Ashley said. “The cops come in looking for something unrelated, they see that—boom, you’re caught. It’s one of those things, if you’re not thinking about it, you could get caught with it, and we want to let students know [they should] think before [they] act.”
Becker urged students interested in this issue to join YAL, which meets on Thursday af-
ternoons at 4 p.m. in the Cotton Room.
When asked about what advice he had for students, Ashley quoted the Drugs Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program.
“The DARE program said it best: ‘Just say no’,” Ashley said.
Stephanie Cannon contributed to this article
Abbie Stuart, abigail.stuart@ washburn.edu is a sophmore english major
Domestic assault, Village
volved, which limits my ability to discuss those details,” Farley stated in his email. “While this may seem confusing, given that the information was shared by someone else with KSNT-TV, and they have a report posted on their website, Washburn must honor its obligations under the federal law.”
Farley’s reference to KSNTTV comes from a report aired by the local media outlet on April 15 that saw 20-year-old Washburn student Courtney Smith, who filed the sexual assault report, disputing the DA’s findings.
While the KSNT report claims that Smith plans to appeal the findings, she has yet to respond to attempts made by the Washburn Review for further comment.
Ryan Ogle, ryan.ogle@ washburn.edu, is a senior mass media major.
Stephanie Cannon WASHBURN REVIEW
On the evening of Sunday, April 19, Washburn University Police responded to reports of criminal assault at Washburn Village Apartments.
The official police report lists the nature of the call as domestic battery, criminal damage/deprivation of property and criminal trespass. The incident resulted in the arrest of a suspect and was turned over to the Shawnee County District Attorney’s office once the suspect was taken into custody.
“This incident last night at the Village was an argument with a resident and a visitor and it was determined a domestic violence incident, so he was placed under arrest,” said Capt. Chris Enos of the Washburn Police Department.
“He’s currently in jail and is going to be charged with several crimes, not just one. There were several
things that happened during that incident. We have statements from everyone involved and he’s in jail right now, facing charges.”
Enos credits intervention on behalf of bystanders and eyewitness accounts for the suspect’s arrest.
“If you know of or if you see somebody involved in a potentially violent situation, especially a domestic violence situation, that you call the police right away so that we can intervene,” said Enos.
Due to the nature of the incident, the names of the alleged victim and suspect have been withheld.
Ryan Ogle contributed to this article
Stephanie Cannon, stephanie. cannon@washburn.edu is a junior mass media major
Ryan Ogle, ryan.ogle@washburn.edu is a senior mass media major
REVIEW
Abbie Stuart WASHBURN REVIEW
Photos by Stephanie Cannon
Letter to the Editor
Want to share an opinion with us?
Send a letter to the editor at wureview@gmail.com
- Must be 400 words or fewer
- Must include first and last name
- Must come from a washburn.edu email
- May only pertain to content published within the previous six days
- Must be submitted by 5 p.m. Tuesdays
- Only one letter to the editor will be published per week
Letter to the Editor: Bike Share a success
Dear Editor,
I wish to shed some light about the importance of enrolling in Topeka Metro Bike Share for international students as well as Americans at Washburn University. Topeka is not a very big city, enough to distract students from studies, but small enough that you don’t get the services like in big cities. Students should take advantage of Topeka Metro Bike Share opened at Washburn University mainly for three reasons. Firstly, as a student, it’s a great change to be able to register on Topeka Metro Bike with only $20 per year and be able to ride 2 hours each day for free. Being students, it’s actually a great opportunity to be able to make a one time investment and being able to use the service for a whole year. So basically, it’s $0.054 you pay for the first 2 hours ride each day which should be enough for anyone, but if you plan to ride longer than that, it’s $2.50 for every one hour. Secondly, Washburn lies at the heart of Topeka city so it’s really convenient to go to any part of Topeka using electric metro
bike provided by Topeka Metro. Being a Washburn student it’s easy to access every part of Topeka easily and in addition Topeka trail connects all parts of our city which makes it even more interesting to ride a bike through the beautiful parks of the city. Thirdly, Topeka Metro Bike Share is really helpful for the international students because it’s most convenient to grab a Metro bike and go get groceries using the GPS service available within the bike. It’s hard especially for international students to visit different parts of Topeka using limited bus service and limited bus stations. If the place you want to go is too far, you can simply take free bus ride using Washburn ID and grab a bike when you reach the station and ride to the destination. Hence, it’s really helpful for everyone to register and take full advantage of Topeka Metro Bike Share. Imagine, riding a bike with group of your friends and travelling. Sound’s fun to me.
ASHISH RIJAL
Loneliness and anxiety increases at exam time, survey finds
A recent study found that 64 percent of final year undergraduate students are worried that stress and anxiety are creating performance issues fueling fears that they will get lower grades than expected.
The study was conducted by Stop Procrastinating, a research blog that conducts their own scientific national polling. The 2,000 random final year undergraduate students surveyed stated that their stress levels were high because of the coping difficulties resulting with expectations and competition at college for results.
Stephen Bennett, a researcher at Stop Procrastinating who lead the survey, said they undertook the research with final year students because their exams are the ones that really matter.
“We wanted to test the impact on stress of knowing that how you perform in these exams could potentially affect the rest of your life,” Bennett said.
In the survey, 35 percent of students blamed the stress and anxiety on the difficult jobs market, while 45 percent blamed the overwhelming significance of their exams in the role they can play in getting jobs and going to graduate school.
Bennett said that despite these exams being highly significant, students still procrastinated and wasted time.
The survey found 75 percent of students admit they had procrastinated too much ahead of their exams, wasting between three and four hours a day. Of those students, 45 percent said they wasted time browsing the Internet or being on social media and video sites. Additionally, 30 percent said they chatted to friends either in their room or at a local bar or at college facilities. Nine percent admitted to having sex instead of studying.
“Maybe that is a normal coping strategy when faced with too much work, al-
though it can only increase stress as the work never goes away,” Bennett said.
Thirty-seven percent of students suffered loneliness, with more than half of them saying that their fear for the future caused them to become workaholics who were too concerned about their exam to “waste time” on socializing.
According the survey, more than 50% of students procrastinated because they were overwhelmed by the amount of work they had to do. Seventy-one percent said they lacked motivation and concentration coming up to finals, with 34 percent of those stating that it was so worrying that they had to seek professional help such as seeing a college counseling service or contemplating taking antidepressants.
“While some students are seeking professional help through counseling, many are using the peer support system of their friends who are going through the same stresses,” said Rob Jones, director at Stop Procrastinating, in a recent press release.
“It is good to see that while stress levels are high, students are also thinking clearly about the solutions,” said Jones.
The survey asked students what they do to avoid stress near exam time and prevent procrastinating. These coping strategies included taking up exercise, talking with friends or counselors about worries, taking up meditation and even blocking the Internet while studying.
Bennett advises students to do work in small, bite-sized chunks, because it is less stressful to do some than none at all.
“Exam stress is normal and helps you to concentrate and perform well. Use it to motivate you,” said Bennett, “The very best of us are often stressed and anxious about exams and that’s why they do so well.”
Derek Richardson, derek.richardson@ washburn.edu, is a junior mass media major
Derek Richardson WASHBURN REVIEW
Brand New Studios, 1, 2, 3, and 4 Bedrooms
Townhomes 2bd/2.5ba/2 Car Garage
W/D, Securtiy Systems Installed, Energy Efficient Swimming Pool, Hot Tub, Fitness Center, and Private Movie Theater Pet Friendly
Bods win doubleheader
Grace Foiles WASHBURN REVIEW
In a four-game Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association series against Northwest Missouri, the Washburn Ichabods hit six home runs winning 9-5 and 135. Washburn is set to play a single nine-inning game on Wednesday against Fort Hays State at 6 p.m. at Falley Field.
In the doubleheader senior outfielder Connor Crimmins went 7-9 with nine runs batted the Ichabods’ eighth grandslam of the season. The NCAA record is nine in a single season. The Ichabods hit three home runs in the opening game against Northwest Missouri State and the grandslam hit by Crimmins in the top of the seventh broke the 5-5 tie and propelled the Ichabods to victory.
Junior outfielder Payton Soicher began the tied seventh inning with a single and moved to second on a sac bunt by sophomore infielder Riley Krane. A single by junior outfielder Parker Gibson moved the runners up and with
an open base, the NWMSU Bearcats decided to intentionally walk junior catcher David Gauntt at which point Crimmins hit the Ichabods’ eighth grandslam of the season. Washburn held the Bearcats scoreless in the seventh for the 9-5 win.
Junior Mike Hefferan pitched five innings and gave way to senior Tan-
with a 13-5 win. Washburn scored three runs in the first inning by back to back home runs by Carnahan, his eighth of the season, and Gauntt’s, which was a team-high 13th of the season.
ner Kilmer who pitched two innings for the win improving to 6-3 on the season. Crimmins finished with a career-high six runs batted in going 2-3. Carnahan finished 3-4 with three runs scored and two runs batted in.
In game two Washburn again hit three home runs wrapping up the sweep
Northwest Missouri then tied the score with three in the bottom of the third. The Bearcats would go on to take the lead with two more in the fourth inning. In the fifth, Washburn sent nine to the plate taking a 6-5 lead as Gauntt drove in another run with a run batted in single to left and Crimmins recorded a run batted in to left as well. Carnahan had a sac fly in the inning as well. A home run by Soicher in the sixth inning put the Ichabods up 7-5. The Ichabods finished the game with four runs in the eighth inning. Junior Ryne Dowling pitched two scoreless innings for the win improving to 2-0 on the season.
Grace Foiles, grace. foiles@washburn.edu, is a sophmore theatre major
Best player always deserves MVP
percentages are important.
As the NBA season nears the end, the talk seems to be all focused on the announcement of the MVP. Will it be Steph Curry, who can shoot lights out, and more? Will it be James Harden who has played without consistent play from the rest of his team, especially at center? Or will it be the best player in the world?
It looks as if most people will be voting for Mr. Curry out in California. They will say that he is obviously the best sharp shooter in the Association, but he is way more than that. He is a passer and a floor general that just makes all of his teammates better. For me, it goes beyond that. It goes beyond the flashy shots and the spectacular plays. It is about the efficiency.
To me, rebounds and shooting
Anybody can sit around and fire up every shot they get, but are they making the most of their team’s opportunities?
Rebounding is what gives the team those extra opportunities. Curry is averaging 23.6 points and only 4.3 rebounds, while shooting 48.2 percent.
The one who should win wasn’t a guy that has been at the top of the conversation. It wasn’t until the playoffs neared that he was among the top three in many polls and lists. What really put him in the mix was the fact that the Thunder didn’t make the playoffs, making it hard to give the award to Russell Westbrook. The player that should win the MVP award goes by the name of LeBron Raymone James.
James is averaging 25.5 points and 6.0 rebounds, all while shooting 49 percent from
the field. He is better than Curry at all of those categories. If you looked at the past season and I told you to take one player to be on your team, who would you take? I would hope it would be Lebron because he is simply the best player in the world. Whomever you call the MVP is the best player in the NBA. I caution you to not be afraid of giving it to the same player every year just for the sake of it being the same player every year. We need to get over the fear of giving him the award year after year when he is the best player in the world. Nobody cared about that when Michael was playing.
Trevin Edelman, trevin. edelman@washburn.edu, is a junior mass media major.
The Washburn Ichabods played a doubleheader against Central Oklahoma Saturday, April 18. The team won the first game after overtime taking a 14-5 win in nine innings before falling 6-1. Washburn plays two more games in the regular season against Missouri Western on Friday, April 24, and against Northwest Misssouri on Saturday, April 25. The Ichabods currently sit in sixth place according to MIAA standings. The top eight teams will qualify for a postseason tournament in Kansas City.
The Ichabods had nine runs in the ninth inning and sent 12 batters to the plate, winning 14-5 against the Bronchos. Junior catcher Kristen Bell started the inning batting and hit a ball into center field followed by another single from junior infielder Taylor Zimmerman. When junior infielder Sierra Kemp was hit with a pitch loading the bases, sophomore catcher/utility, Megan Stegman hit a single with 2 RBI.
Freshman third base/shortstop, Cassidy Merriman’s single drove in Stegman, while sophomore outfielder, Jordan Erickson’s single brought Merriman home. Bell was later hit by a pitch with two outs and Zimmerman cleared the bases with a 3-run homer pulling Washburn’s score up to 14-5.
Senior pitcher/infielder Lauren Thimmesch, won her 19th game of the season. Her 19 wins
are the most recorded by an Ichabod pitcher since Kelly Swygert’s 20 recorded in 2006. After the Bronchos were up 5-3 in the fourth, Washburn tied the score with a 2-RBI single from Zimmerman which scored junior outfielder Haylee Marsteller and Bell. Neither team scored in the sixth, seventh or eighth innings setting up a spot for Washburn’s ninth batter.
Quimby and Zimmerman finished the game with three hits each. Zimmerman drove five in during the game. Thimmesch finished with 3 RBI. Quimby, Thimmesch and Erickson each tied records with six bats in the game before the 24th, 25th, and 26th Washburn players to have six bats in a game.
In game two, Washburn was scoreless until a home run was made by Marsteller in the seventh inning, who recorded five hits and five strikeouts in the Bronchos win. UCO scored one in the first inning, opening the game with five runs in the fourth inning, which brought their score up to 6-0. Junior pitcher Taylor Kemp gave up nine hits and struck out two in the loss.
Marsteller and Quimby finished with four hits each. Merriman, Zimmerman and Thimmesch had three a piece and Quimby added three doubles. Zimmerman finished the game with 5 RBI and Thimmesch finished with three.
Katie Wade, katherine.wade@ washburn.edu, is a history and mass media major.
Trevin Edelman WASHBURN REVIEW
Review: The Force is strong with 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'
Derek Richardson WASHBURN REVIEW
The first significant trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” has finally debuted.
The new trailer is a true teaser giving fans everything they want: lightsabers, Tie Fighters and, of course, Han Solo and Chewbacca. Those that haven’t seen the trailer should stop reading now and watch it. From here on, there will be potential spoilers.
First, it is important to note that
the Star Wars canon has been rebooted. Any book or comic in the Star Wars Expanded Universe is no longer necessarily true. The only thing canonical now is the six Star Wars films, the two animated TV series, and any book released after September 2014. Things could end up similar or completely different from the old canon giving J.J. Abrams and Disney complete creativity with upcoming films.
The trailer starts with a slow pan of the surface of a desert planet with
a speeder in the distance traveling across the sand with an old Star Destroyer wreckage on the horizon. This happens while the iconic theme, “The Light of the Force,” plays for the audience. It gives the audience a sense of nostalgia, yet wonder for the future of Star Wars.
Then the screen goes to black, and we hear Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker begin to explain that the force is strong in his family.
“My father has it. I have it. My sister has it,” Luke said.
While he says that, the people he mentions are shown in montage form: the burnt remains of Darth Vader’s helmet, Skywalker’s robotic hand touching R2D2, a childs hand giving Leia a light saber.
This raises so many questions. Why did he refer to his father in the present tense? Who is the person he is talking to? Is he related?
Next, the screen goes black and shows the text “This Christmas” with a louder version of “The Light of the Force.” If someone didn’t have chills before that point, they did after.
The rest of the trailer is a throwback to everything that was great about the original trilogy. We see X-Wings. We see the villain and his
cross-guard light saber. We see Tie Fighters shooting. We see the main characters played by John Boyega and Daisy Ridley running from an explosion. All of this occurs with epic, suspenseful music.
Things look practical and real with CGI used only when logical. It’s a natural extension of the original trilogy. This is just a teaser trailer though, and anything is possible in terms of the quality of the final movie, but Abrams and Disney seem to be doing everything right in the creation and marketing of this film.
Finally, if you weren’t sold by this point, the trailer cheats. It fades to black before we hear our favorite smuggler-turned-hero speak.
“Chewie, we’re home,” Han Solo said with Chewbacca standing next to him. It’s said in such a way that makes you wonder if Abrams will kill him off in the first half of the film.
The most exciting thing about this movie is the realization that this is the first Star Wars since 1983 that the audience will go into not knowing a thing about the plot.
There will be sacred cows with Abrams, as he showed in his 2009 Star Trek when the planet Vulcan was destroyed.
The Force Awakens is the most anticipated film of 2015, and so far it seems to be living up to all the hopes and dreams of fans and nonfans alike. And to think, in the next two years, there will be three Star Wars films to look forward to!
The Force Awakens on December 18, 2015, and if this trailer is any indication for what awaits, we are all in for an epic ride not seen since 1977.
Derek Richardson, derek. richardson@washburn.edu, is a junior mass media major
In the wake of armageddon, are you happy with yourself?
Colleen Kelly WASHBURN REVIEW
It’s nearly summer vacation, and this book has me in the mood for it. “We All Looked Up” is Wallach’s debut Young Adult Contemporary novel centering around a group of teenagers concerned about what comes next after high school. That, and a massive asteroid named Ardor, which has a 66.6% chance of hitting Earth in two months. Easy-peasy. We follow four different perspectives through Peter, Eliza, Anita and Andy as they countdown to the possible end of the world when their young lives are supposed to be beginning.
The protagonists are the embodiments of high school stereotypes—a jock, artist, nerd and slacker, respectively—but prove to be much more three-dimensional when they are forced to take a long, uncomfortable look at themselves as the clock counts down. They aren’t chil-
dren, so they can appreciate the weightiness of their situation, but they aren’t adults yet either, and haven’t had the time to experience much of life. That’s part of why this novel is so exceptionally sad: These teens are more than likely going to have their futures taken away from them and they are powerless to
stop it. But at the same time, it’s interesting to see the choices they each make in the wake of accepting their mortality. Not all of them necessarily liked where their futures were heading and decide to exert whatever control they can now. These are four very flawed human beings, and we see them each crack wide open, which I loved, but I didn’t care about all of them either. It would be dull to feel for everyone and have no conflict as a reader, but Peter’s entire story left me apathetic. I didn’t like or hate him, there was just too severe of a disconnect for me.
The progression of society in this story was eerily believable. The President chooses to be honest and acknowledge the likelihood of this being the end, and the country takes its time to let that truly sink it. It’s a slow burn watching society unhinge and characters unravel, and it is so fascinating watching the denial and blank shock give way to hysteria and anarchy as time
is running out. This novel feels more like a sociological exploration and character study than the cliched end of the world story I was anticipating. It’s like an apocalyptic, more broadly scoped “Breakfast Club,” if anything.
This isn’t anyone’s first time reading a story pondering life’s great questions, but it is a fresh, well-written story with a cool premise. Not every character’s revelations will speak to you, but a majority of them definitely will. This isn’t a sappy contemporary about life and love,
nor is it an action-packed thrill ride about saving the world. At its core, this novel is about hope and how we keep it alive. “We All Looked Up” forces you to examine your life and your choices, and asks you this: In the wake of Armageddon, are you happy with yourself?
Colleen Kelly, colleen.kelly@ washburn.edu, is a sophomore English major
Graphic by Chelsea Howe
Hidden art talent taking Washburn student far places
Adam Vlach
WASHBURN REVIEW
One Washburn student’s long-time hidden talent for art will be taking her to the east coast after graduating this May.
Lauren Thimmesch will be graduating in less than a month with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in graphic design. But receiving the diploma is not only the beginning of a new journey, but the fruition of a journey she has been on since she was a kid.
“I’ve always been kind of a quieter person, so art was, as a kid, something that I was just able to do and express myself through,” Thimmesch said. “I was always just in my room doodling and drawing and always kind of making bright, vibrant things as a kid, even though I was really quiet.”
Thimmesch said she spent her childhood and the majority of her high school years creating her own art, but it was not until she was a junior in high school that her talent was discovered.
“When I was in high school, my parents didn’t really know I was in my room drawing like this, and my dad came in and he found all these typography drawings for people in my class of their names, and he found one, and he took it to a graphic design firm in Chicago that was working with his company, and they looked at it and they said, ‘Oh, you should bring her out here. She’s pretty good. We’d like to see her. She’d probably enjoy this industry,’” Thimmesch said. “So they took me out to Chicago and I saw it and I fell in love with graphic design, and
that’s where I’ve been ever since.”
Thimmesch has accepted a position at Boston University’s advertising department.
“I want to work for an ad agency and design ads for them, so I’ll be moving to Boston in August and starting that next part of my life,” Thimmesch said.
“I think that [graphic design] is a field that’s really needed, and every company needs a graphic designer to make their brand [and] image that’s catchy and appealing to the eye,” she said. “I love that kind of thing. I think that being able to create something that other people have in their head or may not be able to physically create themselves is something that’s really fun to do.”
Thimmesch’s art is on display on the first level of the Washburn Art Building. She said she has many favorite pieces, but if she had to pick one, it would be “Ecuador,” a graphic design piece created in Photoshop Illustrator.
She said “Ecuador,” one of multiple similar works of art each titled after a different country, is her favorite because of the colors.
Thimmesch has completed two internships in college and will be undertaking another over the summer. And in addition to her BFA degree, she will be graduating with a minor in mass media.
One aspect of graphic design that appeals to Thimmesch is its marketability.
“All of these [similar pieces] are about countries that have undergone environmental racism, and so this one in particular, in “Ecuador,” there was a Texas oil company taking oil out of the land and they didn’t do a very good job of cleaning it up, and so it destroyed everything around it and polluted the area,” Thimmesch explained. “Basically, it’s supposed to look like something very happy and appealing, but they have hidden symbols in them, and there are hidden clues in them that bring out a tragedy that happened in each country.”
After graduating, Thimmesch said she hopes to sell the art exhibited in her senior art show.
Adam Vlach, adam.vlach@washburn.edu, is a senior English and mass media major.
ONE JOURNEY TO THE NEXT: Lauren Thimmesch stands next to her favorite piece of work being exhibited in her senior art show, “Ecuador.”
