Aug. 30, 2010 - University of Missouri

AUG 30 2010
COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN
MU vet clinic offers free horse
•
castrations
By Lydia Mulvany
August 30, 2010 I 6:01 a.m. CDT
COLUMBIA - When unwanted horses in Minnesota multiplied over the last couple of
years, equine organizations banded together to open free sterilization clinics.
The Gelding Project - a gelding is a castrated stallion - seeks to reduce the horse
population through educating horse owners in horse health management classes and
through free sterilizations clinics conducted by veterinary students in different parts of
the state. Forty-two horses have been castrated through the program with about 20
more slotted for the project's third clinic Sept. 11.
"Humane agents had seen a 400 percent increase in humane calls and seizures over the
last couple of years as the economic situation deteriorated. We wanted to help the
rescues by offering free castrations, and we found people who due to finances could not
afford to get their horses castrated," veterinarian Tracy Turner, one of the founders of
the project, said.
The Gelding Project inspired the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, which
is offering a low- or no-cost, day-long horse sterilization clinic on Oct. 2 to
people who can't afford the procedurethat costs around $125. Students will
work with clinicians to perform the sterilizations.
"There's definitely a need for this," said MU veterinarian Alison
LaCarrubba. "The purpose is two-fold: we're going to be doing a public
service, and at the same time, students will get hands-on experience
castrating and performing field anesthesia. "
Leaders of both The Gelding Project and the new MU clinic cite a problem with
unwanted horses and financial need among horse owners as reasons for having the
clinics.
"Vets are seeing unwanted horses that people can't afford to keep or have no desire to
keep, and we're just trying to decrease those numbers through this clinic," LaCarrubba
said.
According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, data from an agricultural
census taken in 2007 puts the horse population on Missouri farms at just less than
150,000 horses, the fifth largest in the U.S.
A nationwide survey by the Unwanted Horse Coalition put estimates of the number of
unwanted horses in the U.S. at around 170,000 horses in 2007. An exacerbating factor
since then has been the closing of slaughterhouses in the U.S. that same year. The same
survey said there were over 58,000 horses slaughtered in the country in 2007.
Besides an overpopulation of horses, addressing financial need among horse owners is
also an aim of the clinic. Regular hoof-trimming, deworming, vaccinations, dental work,
and of course, providing food and shelter are all part of keeping a horse. And that can
cost thousands each year.
Veterinarian Michelle Schmidt of Animal Medical Services in Hallsville, hasn't referred
any clients to the program yet, but thinks there is a need. She said she commonly sees
overgrazed pastures, skinny horses and owners who can't feed them enough. When
horses get older, some owners can't afford to euthanize the animal.
"Every good stallion makes an excellent gelding," Schmidt said. "If you're going to keep
a stallion and use it as a breeding animal, I think there ought to be a reason. It should be
a superior individual, and should have earned a reason to be a stallion."
She said people who really need the service might not have access to the clinic, since
people with financial difficulties only use veterinary services in emergencies.
Beneficiaries of the clinic must be referred by a veterinarian.
"That might be the biggest drawback," Schmidt said.
John Coats, who boards 16 horses at his stables, the Coats High Ridge Stables, agreed
that there was a need for the free clinic.
"There's some people who just can't afford it, and if they can't afford the castration, they
can't afford the horse, and they just don't know that. There's a lot of people that have
horses who really shouldn't have them," Coats said.
More free clinics like the ones in Columbia and Minnesota could soon spring up around
the country.
The Unwanted Horse Coalition in Washington, D.C. is offering seed money to any
organization that would like to start up a free castration clinic for horses.
"The inception of more castration clinics will help prevent breeding more horses that
have no home," Ericka Caslin, director of the Unwanted Horse Coalition said.
The project is launching this fall with a $10,000 to
horse and up to a $1,000 per organization.
$15,000
LaCarrubba estimated the cost ofMU's clinic to be
$500
to
budget, and pays
$1,000.
$50
per
paid off in enrollment. This year, 400 undergraduates are majoring in the new health science
program, she said.
The call for new academic programs comes at a time when the state is asking public universities
to possibly pare down academic offerings. Interim Higher Education Commissioner David
Russell told department chairs Wednesday that schools will be asked to rethink degrees earned
by, on average, fewer than 10 students a year. MU has dozens of majors that graduate fewer than
lOa year, Deputy Provost Ken Dean told chairs yesterday.
Spain said he recognizes the paradox, but offering new programs is a way MU can offset
potential revenue loss in the future. High school graduation rates in Missouri are expected to
drop in the coming year, based on demographics, meaning fewer students will be going to
college. By offering popular degrees not currently offered, MU can stay competitive.
"We want our faculty to give us their ideas about where opportunities exist," Spain said. "Let's
see if those opportunities are worth pursuing."
Reach Janese Silvey at 573-815-1705 or e-mail [email protected].
Protest at military funeral ignites a test of free speech
MU mention page 2
YORK, Pa. - Albert Snyder tears up, then turns angry as he recalls burying his Marine son
while members of the anti-gay fundamentalist Westboro Baptist Church picketed nearby.
"I can remember being presented the flag at the graveyard. I can remember saluting the coffin,"
Snyder says of the unusually balmy day in March 2006 when the family memorialized Matthew,
a lance corporal killed in Iraq.
Yet, Snyder says, he can't separate such moments from the memory that his only son's funeral
was picketed by fundamentalist pastor Fred Phelps and his followers with an inflammatory
message that had nothing to do with Matthew.
Disconnecting the death of his 20-year-old son from his reaction to the protests "became very
difficult."
Snyder, who sued Phelps for his distress, says he feels like he has been stabbed, and the wound
will not heal.
The case has grown beyond a single clash between a devastated father and an attention-seeking,
fire-and-brimstone group into a major test of speech rights and of safeguards for the sanctity of
military funerals. The Supreme Court will hear the case Oct. 6, a crucial First Amendment
challenge against the poignant backdrop of war deaths, family suffering and the military's "don't
ask, don't tell" policy that allows gays and lesbians to serve - as long as their sexual orientation
remains secret.
Fourteen sets of outside organizations have entered the case. Those siding with Snyder include a
majority of the states and a bipartisan group of U.S. senators, led by Harry Reid, D-Nev., and
Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Free speech groups, such as the American Civil Liberties Union, say
they find Phelps' message horrific but that such speech is exactly what the First Amendment was
intended to protect.
Supporters of Snyder, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the states, emphasize the
importance of protecting the privacy of grieving families and minimize the value of the Phelps'
speech.
Phelps, who preaches that God hates gay people and protests what he views as the nation's
tolerance of homosexuality - particularly the "don't ask, don't tell" policy - brushes off
Snyder's anguish. In a telephone interview from his Topeka home, Phelps says the father's claim
of emotional injuries is exaggerated.
"He ought to be very thankful to us that we ... warn people about the perils of sinful conduct that
will destroy a nation," Phelps says.
Phelps knew nothing about Matthew Snyder, who was not gay, beyond that his funeral in
Westminster, Md., offered the chance to draw attention to Phelps' message. Among the signs he
brought were some that said, "Thank God for Dead Soldiers."
Snyder sued Phelps and family members who were the primary demonstrators for the distress he
suffered from their picketing and a Web video the Phelpses created about their protest. Snyder
won a $5 million verdict in 2007. A federal appeals court overturned the judgment last year,
saying the Phelps protest was protected by the First Amendment.
The dispute before the Supreme Court involves Maryland law, yet cases related to the Phelpses
and other local laws are simmering across the country. The issue for the justices in Snyder v.
Phelps is an individual's claim for damages from offensive messages, not the validity of
government limits on protests near funerals.
"Free speech ideals usually are pretty abstract," observes University of Missouri law
professor Christina Wells, who has written extensively on protesters' rights. "People say we
agree with the First Amendment but when we get into areas that are offensive, like flag
burning, people are much less tolerant. "
Wells is among several scholars of First Amendment law, civil libertarians and news media
representatives who have joined briefs stressing the need to protect odious speech.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars, among the groups on Snyder's side, counters in its brief, "If
Albert Snyder, a grieving father of an American hero, cannot seek remedy from (Phelps and his
relatives) for the emotional torment (they) viciously imposed upon him, what purpose do our
laws serve?"
"You only get one chance to do a burial," adds Harrisburg, Pa., lawyer Timothy Nieman, who
wrote the VFW's filing. He says the Westboro protest created "a circus atmosphere at a private,
sanctified time."
'I still have so much anger'
Snyder, who has become a public face of families' grief for the thousands of troops killed in the
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, has received e-mails from across the nation, letters from troops in
the field, stuffed toys, a quilt and other tokens of sympathy.
CULl \tHl:\ 1l·\]1 Y
TRIBUNE
MU solicits faculty ideas for programs
Degree gaps lead to recruiting loss.
By Janese Silvey
Friday, August 27,2010
Every year, the University of Missouri admits top-notch students who opt to go elsewhere
because the university doesn't offer the academic study area they're seeking.
"Sports venue management - programs like that," said Jim Spain, vice provost of
undergraduate studies. "We know based on feedback from students who were admitted but did
not come. They tell us, 'You know, I really wanted to come to MU, but you didn't have a degree
in this.' "
To combat that, Spain is asking faculty members to submit ideas for new degree and certificate
programs. Spain shared a draft of the request for proposals with department chairs during a
retreat yesterday, and a formal version is expected to go out next month.
Faculty members will first be asked to submit a one-page outline of their idea, and then
administrators will pare those down into a few for possible implementation. Selected proposals
will be developed over the course of a year, with faculty members working in teams to study
costs, course requirements and potential enrollment.
In some cases, creating a new academic degree is only a matter of resequencing existing courses.
Last year, for instance, UM System curators approved a new MU film major created by simply
clustering production, playwriting and information technology courses into a more formal degree
path.
"Sometimes it's repackaging," said Tom Phillips, a biological sciences professor who
spearheaded the yearlong committee that recommended MU consider new degrees. By
formalizing existing courses into a degree or certificate, "it signals to students what they need to
do and signals to employers what they have done."
Building a degree from the ground up is doable, too. A couple of years ago, the School of Health
Professions created a four-year bachelor of health science degree by offering new classes and
hiring additional faculty, spokeswoman Cheri Ghan said. The degree provides a broad-based
health education that allows students to pursue careers such as health management, policy,
medical equipment or pharmaceutical sales and insurance. Although doing so cost money, it has
r.o r. I
\1 H I A II .\ J I \
TRIBUNE
Bus bullet holes case at 'dead end,' police say
Driver thought rocks hit vehicle on Providence.
By TJ. Greaney
Published August 26, 2010 at 1:56 p.m.
Updated August 27,2010 at 1:49 p.m.
Two apparent bullet holes were discovered in a Columbia Transit bus shortly before noon
yesterday. The driver believes the shots were fired earlier in the day on Providence Road as he
drove past the University of Missouri campus.
Columbia police were investigating the incident and said no one was hurt. Campus authorities
assured students and faculty yesterday that the incident did not pose an immediate threat.
"We don't think there is any imminent danger to anyone at the campus," said Chief Jack Watring
of the MU Police Department.
The driver of the bus noticed what appeared to be two bullet holes near the rear passenger tire of
the vehicle during a routine inspection stop at 11:54 a.m. in front of Tiger Plaza.
He told police that at about 9:45 a.m. he thought he had heard rocks hitting the bus as he drove
northbound on Providence in front of Kentucky Boulevard, MU spokeswoman Mary Jo Banken
said.
After the shots were discovered, the bus was towed to a secure location and inspected by the
Columbia Police Department's forensic evidence team. Police spokeswoman Officer Jill
Wieneke said investigators could determine the path of a bullet by looking at damage to the inner
workings of the vehicle but did not find bullets lodged in anything.
Wieneke said officers conducted an extensive canvass of the Providence and Kentucky
Boulevard area, which includes several fraternity and sorority houses, but they found no
witnesses who claimed to have seen the shooting. Also, no one who had been riding on the bus
earlier in the day has come forward with information.
"At this point, it seems we are at a dead end," Wieneke said.
Reach T.J. Greaney at 573-815-1719 or e-mail [email protected].
COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN
Beetle Bailey issued stamp of
approval at MU unveiling
ByWaqas Naeem
August 27, 2010 I 5:54 p.m. CDT
COLUMBIA - If bronze statues could smile, Beetle Bailey would be grinning over his
mug of beer.
Mort Walker's long-lived cartoon character now has his own 44-cent stamp,
which was issued July 16 and formally unveiled at MU on Friday. The 11
a.m. ceremony was held next to the statue designed by Walker and sculpted
by his son, Neal Walker, in front of Reynolds Alumni Center.
"Genesis of the idea (for Beetle Bailey) came from this university," said Bill
Janocha, Mort Walker's assistant, who appeared on the cartoonist's behalf.
"His roots are really here. He's a proud Kappa Sigma."
Walker got his bachelor's degree from MU in 1948, and Janocha
emphasized that much of the inspiration for the cartoon strip came from
the time Walker spent at the university. Beetle Bailey was based on one of
Walker's fraternity brothers.
The setting of the ceremony was ideal. The statue - Beetle sits at a table with a cold one,
chin in hand as he gazes across Conley Avenue - is near what was once the site of The
Shack, a beer joint frequented by Walker during college and featured in the comic strip's
early days. Walker was the editor of a student humor magazine called "ShowMe" and
used to hold staff meetings at The Shack. It burned down in 1988, and Reynolds Alumni
Center was built in 1992.
At 11 a.m. sharp, Pete Millier, director of the Mizzou Botanic Garden, which was
celebrating its i ith anniversary on Friday, welcomed the audience and thanked the U.S.
Postal Service for holding the dedication ceremony at MU. Shortly afterward, the Beetle
Bailey mascot arrived, driven in a World War II Jeep and cheered on by a crowd of at
least 100 people.
"Welcome, Beetle," Millier said over the din of the audience. Army ROTC cadets
marched from inside the alumni center to the Beetle Bailey statue to present the colors.
Cadet David Adams, commanding officer of the Cannons Crew, read out the pledge of
allegiance.
Walker, 82, lives in Stamford, Conn., and could not attend. But Janocha, his friend of 23
years, told the crowd that the cartoonist sent his regards by doing a special drawing.
When a garden staff member held up the drawing, audience members laughed: It
showed Beetle Bailey saying, "Mort sends his best wishes," and Sergeant Snorkel
replying, "Is that the best he could do?"
Earlier, Janocha asked the ROTC cadets on guard to lower their caps and hide their eyes
"in the spirit of Beetle Bailey." Surprised at first, the cadets complied, and the audience
applauded in appreciation.
In his speech, Janocha urged people to "go out and buy newspapers," because
newspapers do a great service by continuing to print the comic strips that entertain and
instruct. But, he added, the space provided is shrinking day by day.
Janocha emphasized Walker's affiliation with the university. He said that after
graduating, Walker worked in New York, doing magazine panels and quickly came up
with the character, Spider, who was later renamed Beetle Bailey. For the first six
months, the cartoon was a college strip set at a fictitious university, Rockview
University, which, according to Janocha, was MU. Early strips contained vivid
references to the university including drawings of The Shack, the Quad (meaning
Francis Quadrangle) and Memorial Union.
It was Janocha's first time in Columbia, though he said hearing stories from Walker
about the university so frequently almost made him feel like an alumnus. "I'm absolutely
delighted to be here," he said.
Janocha has been working on the imagery and three-dimensional artwork being done at
the new student center and promised that Walker will be here in October for the
opening. The Beetle Bailey cartoon strip turns 60 in September, and Janocha said it was
Walker's genius that had helped the strip stand the test of time.
"It's the only strip of its type that is still being drawn by its creator, for 60 years," he
said.
When it was his turn to talk, Chancellor Emeritus Richard Wallace said it is remarkable
how Walker has given back to the university. "When he learned about the Ellis Library's
collection of humorist literature, he donated many of his original sketches to the
library," Wallace said.
Such is his love for his alma mater that Walker also auctioned some of his sketches and
donated the proceeds to MU, Wallace said.
David Martin, district manager of the U.S. Postal Service's Gateway District, discussed
the similarities between stamps and cartoons.
"Like stamps, comic strips often tell a story through humor, adventure, fantasy and
sometimes drama," Martin told the crowd. "Today, we commemorate one of our
country's most beloved comic strips and dedicate a stamp that represents a unique part
of American culture."
Martin was the last speaker of the ceremony, and it was left to him to call upon Janocha,
Wallace and Columbia postmaster Cindy Bolles for the unveiling. Together they slid the
U.S. Postal Service cover down to reveal a poster-sized, framed picture of the stamp. It is
part of the commemorative series "Sunday Funnies" that also features Archie, Garfield,
Dennis the Menace and Calvin and Hobbes. The Beetle Bailey stamp shows a typically
angry Sergeant Snorkel losing his temper as Beetle Bailey smiles calmly.
Earlier, speakers shared their memories of The Shack. Larry McMullen, president of the
Friends of the Mizzou Botanic Garden, said the most interesting thing about it was its
five-foot high ceiling; tall guys like him had to stoop to enter and then sit elbow to elbow
with other students because there weren't many booths during his time.
Linda Russell-Whitworth, president of the Mizzou Alumni Association, said, "We would
meet at The Shack, and just have a fun, fun time." She said it was an honor to be at the
event because it was the first time a stamp unveiling ceremony was taking place at the
university.
Before the unveiling of the stamp, a small presentation was held that had enormous
meaning to those involved. Bolles presented Central Missouri Honor Flight
representative Steve Paulsell with a check for an undisclosed amount on behalf of the
Central Missouri Postal Customers Council to help with their operations. The audience
responded with hearty applause for the 15 World War II veterans who attended the
ceremony.
The stamp dedication was hosted by the Mizzou Botanic Garden and the Central
Missouri Postal Customers Council with support from the Mizzou Alumni Association
and the University of Missouri Army ROTC. It was held on the same day as the 11 th
anniversary of the Mizzou Botanic Garden. The garden was designated a botanic garden
on Aug. 26, 1999, but, the anniversary is celebrated annually on Aug. 27.
Karlan Seville, communications manager of campus facilities, said the timing of the
stamp unveiling was an opportunity to spread the word that the campus is a botanic
garden. "Alot of people don't realize that."
SI LOUIS PDST-DISIPATCH
Colleges are now hitting up freshmen for
donations
By Alan Scher Zagier· The Associated Press I Posted: Sunday, August 29, 2010 12:00 am
MU mention page 2
COLUMBIA, Mo. • The drill for new college students remains pretty consistent: grab a campus
map, buy some overpriced textbooks, save those quarters for laundry and don't forget to call
home.
On a growing number of campuses, first-year students are hearing another message. Please give.
Not for tuition, but instead as a young donor.
With alumni-giving rates at record lows and lagging state support of postsecondary education,
public and private schools alike are focusing their efforts on building lifetime loyalty among
still-impressionable students.
Some schools start small. Fundraisers at Emory University in Atlanta pass out piggy banks for
freshmen to collect spare change. Texas Christian and California University of Pennsylvania ask
for $1 donations at their new student convocations.
Other schools, including the University of Pennsylvania, have created more elaborate efforts,
with four-year programs designed to teach students the value of philanthropy as a civic virtue as
well as the nuances of higher education funding.
"We are unapologetically laying out expectations for their relationship with Penn," said Elise
Betz, executive director of alumni relations. "Before our students enter a classroom, they are
given this message."
The University of Michigan doesn't wait until freshmen orientation to discuss student
philanthropy. Instead, prospective Wolverines learn about the importance of private
contributions while touring the Ann Arbor campus.
Students at public colleges and universities - and their parents - often mistakenly assume that
tax dollars cover the bulk of their education, said Judy Malcolm, director of development
communications and donor relations.
Instead, state support of the school's core academic functions hovers near 20 percent - nearly
one-fourth the level of support provided by Michigan to its flagship university 50 years ago.
The tough economic times have hit campus development offices particularly hard. A Council for
Aid to Education survey of charitable contributions to U.S. colleges and universities showed a
decline in private giving of nearly 12 percent in 2009, the steepest drop in the survey's 53-year
history. The alumni participation rate of 10 percent was also a record low. On some campuses,
asking students for donations outright is secondary to educating them about the role of private
philanthropy in higher education.
That's the case at the University of Missouri, where the private Mizzou Student Foundation
invites scholarship recipients to a "Grateful Tiger" day where they write thank-you notes
and holiday greeting cards to their benefactors. In another program known as TAG Day ­
an abbreviation for "Thanking Alumni and friends for their Generosity" - classrooms
and buildings that have benefited from donor money are "tagged" with such designations
to increase awareness. Faculty members with endowed chairs and student scholarship
recipients also wear the tags.
COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN
New MU-thented street signs stolen
around campus
ByWalker Moskop
August 27, 2010 I 2:18 p.m. CDT
COLUMBIA -- MU students are back in town.
The sign thefts begin.
Sixteen of the 123 new black and gold MU-themed street signs the university
added throughout campus a few weeks ago have already been taken, said
Campus Facilities Communications Manager Karlan Seville.
Last week, MU sophomore Zach Toal was arrested on suspicion of stealing
two signs - Providence Road and Champions Drive, said Capt. Brian
Weimer of the MU Police Department. Toal, a redshirt freshman on the MU
wrestling team, was caught on a video surveillance camera.
Four signs, which are valued at $50 each, were returned to their original locations,
Seville said.
To prevent the signs from falling victim stealing that has plagued Columbia for years,
Seville said the university now sells them in the campus bookstore.
"We were hoping that if we put them for sale, people would be less inclined to take
them," she said.
The signs also use rivets instead of bolts to make them less thief-friendly, but that hasn't
been enough to prevent them from being swiped.
Because sign thefts have been a common problem in Columbia, Seville said the
university knew the black and gold ones would be a target.
From October 2008 to September 2009, the city replaced 1,442 stolen or damaged signs
which cost Columbia approximately $173,000, said Public Works Operations Manager
Mary Ellen Lea. Replacing each sign costs about $120.
"We usually have problems with signs like Keystone and Corona being stolen," Lea said.
Columbia Fire Battalion Chief Steven Sapp said that stealing street signs can cause
serious problems for fire, police and medical personnel responding to emergency calls.
"When people take these signs, they could really be delaying our response," he said. "I
really wish people would think twice before taking them."
Despite the recent thefts, Mizzou Alumni Association Executive Director Todd
McCubbin said he is pleased with the new signs.
"At the end ofthe day, it's a great idea, and it's great to see them up around campus," he
said. "They give the university a distinct look."
McCubbin said he saw no rationale in attempting to make off with any of the signs.
"There's no reason to steal one," he said. 'You can buy them at the bookstore."
Single-sided replicas of the tiger-themed signs can be purchased for $34.99. Double­
sided signs cost $39.99.
Proceeds go toward a general scholarship fund, McCubbin said.
Seville said the university is hesitant to replace stolen signs until they can be properly
secured.
"We're in the process of taking extra measures," she said.
The signs were funded by a $5,000 donation from the Mizzou Alumni Association, she
said.
"The money that was originally donated - there's enough to cover the signs that were
stolen," she said. "But if they continue to disappear, we may need to approach the
alumni association about whether we want to keep making these kinds of signs."
Tilt:
K A N SA S {'J T \" NT;\ It
MNU says it had plenty of room for students
on campus
By SARA SHEPHERD Posted on Fri, Aug. 28
Large public universities may be turning away residential-hall hopefuls in droves this year, but
on-campus living remains plentiful at MidAmerica Nazarene University.
In fact, for many freshmen and upperclassmen, living on campus isn't just encouraged, it's
required.
With classes scheduled to start on Tuesday, students began moving into the university's 700 on­
campus residential spaces Friday evening.
So far, 606 students have reserved spots in the dorms, up from last fall's total of 573.
At MidAmerica, non-married full-time students are required to live on campus unless they reside
with their family, admissions counselor Andrea Bowne-Rincones said.
Although more than a third of the university's 1,020 undergraduates live at home and commute
to classes, Bowne-Rincones said living on campus helped build community among students.
"It just keeps them a little more MNU-based," she said, noting it's easier to get to chapel or get
involved with small-group Bible studies if you're already on campus.
The university's nine residential halls include traditional dorms, suite-style buildings and
apartment-style buildings.
Bowne-Rincones said freshmen live in the dorm-style halls and that upperclassmen have the
option of moving into buildings with more privacy.
Some large public universities in the region report being packed this fall when it comes to
student housing.
The University of Missouri-Columbia limited the number of upperclassmen living on
campus this year, even offering a $1,000 bonus to upperclassmen who agreed to give up
their on-campus spots,
Dorm rooms at Kansas State University in Manhattan are full, and the university has discussed
putting extra students in a hotel - a practice experts say is becoming standard for over-full
universities.
MidAmerica, an evangelical Christian university, takes a different approach to student housing,
according to admissions director Warren Rogers III.
"We believe that the Lord is at work on our campus," he said. "We have space, we have options,
and we do encourage upperclassmen to live on campus. It creates rich opportunities for building
relationships, sharing and growing in life together."
University spokeswoman Carol Best said students who live on campus benefit by enjoying the
"MNU experience" together - including getting acclimated to college, learning to manage their
money, participating in service projects and, of course, impromptu pizza runs.
Google, KPMG, Paul Weiss, Skilled
Healthcare in Court News
August 30, 2010, 12:30 AM EDT
By Ellen Rosen
Aug. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Paul G. Allen, a Microsoft Corp. co- founder who was once the second­
richest American, accused 11 companies including Google Inc. and Apple Inc. of infringing
patents he holds for online-shopping technology.
A lawsuit filed in Seattle Aug.27 by Interval Licensing LLC, a business Allen controls, also
targets EBay Inc., AOL Inc., Facebook Inc., Netflix Inc., Office Depot Inc., OfficeMax Inc.,
Staples Inc., Yahoo! Inc. and Google's YouTube. Interval Licensing is seeking a court order to
block further use of the inventions and order unspecified cash compensation.
"This lawsuit against some of America's most innovative companies reflects an unfortunate
trend of people trying to compete in the courtroom instead of the marketplace," a Google
spokesman, Aaron Zamost, said in an e-mail.
Interval Licensing owns the patents of a defunct computer- science and communications research
business Allen and David Liddle founded in 1992, according to a statement from the Seattle­
based company. The four patents cited in the lawsuit are primarily common electronic-commerce
applications for displaying and categorizing product information.
"All of these patents appear to be lightweight inventions that are intended to improve a
computer user's online experience," said Dennis D. Crouch, an associate professor at the
University of Missouri School of Law in Columbia. "That said, the improvements disclosed
in these patents represent important core features that Internet users rely upon."
Facebook, owner of the world's biggest social-networking website, said the lawsuit is without
merit. "We will fight it vigorously," Andrew Noyes, a spokesman for the Palo Alto, California­
based company, said in an e-mail.
Allen, 57, co-founded Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, with Bill Gates in 1975 and
was once the second- richest American behind Gates, according to Forbes magazine. He now
runs Vulcan Inc., a firm he uses to invest in more than 50 companies in the cable, television,
telecommunications, sports and biotech industries.
Dana Lengkeek, a spokeswoman for Yahoo, owner of the second-most popular U.S. Internet
search engine behind Google, declined to comment. EBay, the owner of e-commerce sites and
the PayPal payment service, said it's reviewing the complaint.
"We intend to defend ourselves vigorously," said Johnna Hoff, a spokeswoman for the San Jose,
California-based company.
Representatives of Apple, Netflix and Office Depot all declined to comment, as did a
spokeswoman for AOL.
The case is Interval Licensing LLC v. AOL Inc., 10cv1385, U.S. District Court for the Western
District of Washington (Seattle).
COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN
DEAR READER: A tip and a paper
trail led to the Derrick Washington
story
ByTom Warhover
August 27, 2010 I 5:45 p.m. CDT
Dear Reader,
A hundred little decisions, and a few big ones, were made as Missourian reporters
scrambled to find out exactly what happened with Derrick Washington this summer and
why he was suspended Thursday afternoon.
Before Thursday's practice, it was announced that the star tailback for the Missouri
football team had been suspended indefinitely. By 10 p.m., the Missourian posted an
exclusive story describing allegations of sexual assault by a woman who took out a
restraining order against him back in June.
Some of the choices:
The easy call: The Missourian generally doesn't name victims of sexual assault. There
have been exceptions, but they're rare.
Missourian reporters knew the victim's name by late afternoon. They were told to keep
her name anonymous.
Timing is everything: Sports editor Greg Bowers knew of Washington's suspension
as practice began Thursday. At about 4:30 p.m., he got the tip that there were
allegations of sexual assault involved.
Reporter Will Guldin was in the newsroom, working on a story that had nothing to do
with sports. He and an assistant city editor were sent to the Boone County Courthouse,
where they found the orders of protection against Washington.
By about 4:45 p.m., they were on the way back to the newsroom. If Bowers had waited
for his football beat writers to return from practice, they wouldn't have found the
documents Thursday.
Why? The courthouse closes at 5.
Is @ appropriate? The story was published at 9:58 p.m. Thursday on
ColumbiaMissourian.com, and a Twitter post was made about the same time.
Someone suggested an @ post be made as well. That is, the symbol followed by
Washington's screen name.
You could think of it in the same way as someone's e-mail address. So if I tweeted "the
emperor has no clothes," you could reply with an @warhovert so I and everyone else
would be able to follow the string of posts.
But it's not e-mail. Unless users designate privacy settings, screen names are open to all
other Twitter users.
After all, the point of social media is to be, well, social.
Washington has a large following on Twitter - 3,147 at noon Friday.
An @ to Washington would notify all of them.
Some of the staff thought it could also be an unfair poke in the eye.
After all, Washington knows his own situation, even if all those following him do not.
There was no consensus. So the prudent decision to wait was made. That's consistent
with the old saw - when in doubt leave it out - when publishing sensitive stories.
I'm ambivalent. There are issues of privacy and fairness here. (Do we identify all sources
we write about this way? Only those who are actively tweeting or have a follower
threshold of some sort?)
It seems to me, though, that this is the language of the platform. The @ is a way for
followers to organize and sift information.
Some of the reporters asked for a Missourian policy. I don't understand enough to make
one.
Even if I did, I'm generally against creating too many policies. They supplant critical
thinking and ethical decision-making.
Besides, I don't know of a policy that would cover most of the scenarios, and by the time
one was created, the conventions by Twitter users would have probably already shifted.
Speculation vs. facts: If the order of protection was issued against Washington on
June 22, why did the team wait until now to suspend him?
No one would provide a timeline that made sense.
The prosecuting attorney said the case had been referred to her but didn't specify when.
Missouri Athletic Director Mike Alden said he had known of the case for "a few weeks."
By noon Friday, Missourian reporters were getting closer but still searching for the
answer. Already there has been plenty posted, but nothing by way of provable facts.
There was discussion of whether to include the question, even without an answer, in
Thursday's story.
The decision: Leave it out and keep looking.
P.S.: A comment on one site suggested this competitive conspiracy: The Missourian
held the story until 9:58 p.m. so ESPN couldn't get it for its Thursday evening broadcast.
Oh to be so crafty.
Sorry. It's not true.
Tom
CULl \1111:\ PAll'
TRIBUNE
Alden talks about timing of suspension
By Joe Walljasper
Sunday, August 29,2010
One of the lingering questions about the case of Missouri tailback Derrick Washington involves
timing. Why was someone who was accused of sexual assault in June suspended from the team
two months later?
Missouri Athletic Director Mike Alden said yesterday that he and Coach Gary Pinkel didn't
receive what he termed "credible information" about the case until a few weeks ago.
"What happens with us, when we get credible information - credible information - that we
can be able to act on, our coaches try to react to that," Alden said. "For us, over the course of the
last week and a half or a couple of weeks, we got some information that Coach wanted to be able
to respond to, and he did....
"Regardless of the timing of when this stuff happened, shoot, that doesn't necessarily mean
everyone is aware of what's taken place. There's other people you might want to ask about that
- I mean, seriously. For us, we've known about it, like I said before, for a short period of time."
Washington was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her apartment on June 19. University
of Missouri Police investigated the case and listed two offenses in the daily activity log: deviate
sexual assault - a felony - and second-degree trespassing.
MU police submitted the case to the Boone County prosecutor's office without arresting
Washington. Two months later, no charges have been filed. If Washington had been charged
with a felony, he would have been automatically suspended under university policy. As it turned
out, he became a team captain, represented MU at Big 12 football media days in Dallas and
practiced for three weeks.
Alden said there is no official policy for dealing with athletes who are accused of felonies but
haven't been arrested or charged. Until an arrest is made or a charge is filed, most of what the
coach has to go on is the athlete's version of the story. The obvious concern is that an innocent
athlete's reputation could be tarnished by a hasty and unwarranted suspension.
"That's a judgment call," Alden said. "That's where I think Coach has great judgment."
When asked after practice Thursday, Pinkel declined to discuss Washington's case beyond
saying the senior starter was suspended indefinitely. When contacted by the Tribune on Friday,
Boone County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Andrea Hayes declined to discuss the likelihood
that Washington would be charged or the timetable for a decision.
But a source close to the alleged victim told the Tribune that the prosecutor's office recently
gave Washington the choice to plead to a lesser charge or go to trial for the felony charge. That
development is a possible explanation for why Pinkel suspended Washington on Thursday.
"You try to get credible information and react to it, which is what Coach did in this particular
case," Alden said. "And I keep coming back to this: He's done a great job, and I support him."
Reach Joe Walljasper at 573-815-1783 or e-mail [email protected].
The*Sta:r:
or II t:
K ASS ;\ S (' I T \' S l'A It
Brinkley Hit With Mizzou's Third DWI of
August
By Mike DeAnnond - Posted on 29 August 2010
A third member of the Missouri football program in a month has been arrested on
suspicion of driving while intoxicated, The Missouri State Highway Patrol, by telephone,
confirmed to The Star on Sunday that Beau Brinkley - Missouri's long snapper and a reserve
tight end - was arrested in Columbia, in Boone County at 12:22 a.m. on Sunday and charged with
DWI and having improperly tinted windows on his vehicle. Missouri spokesman Chad Moller
responded to an inquiry about the arrest with what has become the standard comment, that MU
officials are aware of the situation and any disciplinary issues would be handled internally.
That was the statement issued early in the month when co-offensive line coach Bruce
Walker was arrested in the parking lot outside the MU athletic training complex on suspicion of
OWL It was the same when reserve linebacker Will Ebner was stopped and arrested on suspicion
of OWl later in the month.
And, of course, it is the fourth incident of August in which a member of the MU football
program has made headlines of the wrong sort in relation to legal problems.
Last Thursday, Coach Gary Pinkel indefinitely suspended starting tailback and team captain
Derrick Washington. While Pinkel did not give an explanation beyond making the move for
disciplinary reasons, Boone County court documents show that Washington, in conjuction with
an incident at a Columbia apartment complex in which a woman alleged Washington had
sexually assaulted her, was hit with an order of protection enjoining Washington from contact
with the woman.
Records at the University of Missouri Police Department showed an incident report for
trespass and deviant sexual assault on its incident log. However, Capt. Brian Weimer of the
MUPD told The Star no arrest had been made nor had a charge been filed.
On Friday, Andrea Hayes of the Boone County Prosecutor's Office, told The Star the
prosecutor's office was reviewing a case involving Washington.
Missouri opens the 2010 college football season on Saturday against Illinois in St. Louis.
Brinkley, 20, likely would not be able to play in that game, having suffered a shoulder sprain in
practice last Wednesday. He sat out MU's Thursday scrimmage with his left arm in a sling.
Ebner, 20, had missed much of August practices with a hamstring problem, but returned to
practice last week.
The availability for Brinkley and Ebner to play, as well as the assumption that
Washington will not, will undoubtedly be questions put to Pinkel on Monday when he takes part
in the Big 12 Conference Media teleconference as well as holding his own game-week media­
day briefing Monday afternoon in Columbia.
COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN
Third member of MU football
program arrested for DWI
By Joan Niesen, Len Goldman
August 29,2010 16:47 p.m. CDT
COLUMBIA - Missouri long snapper and backup tight end Beau Brinkley was arrested
at 12:22 a.m. Sunday morning in Columbia on suspicion of driving while intoxicated,
according to a Kansas City Star report.
Brinkley's arrest marks the third time a member of the football program has been
charged with a DWI this month. Co-offensive line coach Bruce Walker was arrested on
Aug. 2 in the parking lot outside of the MU athletic training complex on suspicion of
driving while intoxicated, and linebacker Will Ebner was arrested on suspicion of the
same charge on Aug. 22.
Brinkley, who is currently the third-string tight end behind Michael Egnew and Andrew
Jones, has been the team's long snapper since 2008. Brinkley injured his shoulder at
Tuesday's practice, and has been sidelined since then with his arm in a sling.
Team spokesman Chad Moller told the Star that the team would handle the matter
internally.
Brinkley, a junior, was a preferred walk-on in 2008. He won the long snapper job before
that season started and has held the position ever since. In 2009, Brinkley appealed to
Missouri coach Gary Pinkel to let him begin practicing with the offense as well as the
special teams.
"He's just improved. He has a better understanding of the offense," receivers coach
Andy Hill said after a recent practice.
SI LDUIS PDST-DISPATCH
Data breaches becoming too common for
consumers
MU mention page 2
Savvy Consumer> MATTHEW HATHA WAY • [email protected] > 314­
340-81211 Posted: Saturday, August 28, 201012:00 am
For two years, an analyst for Countrywide Financial Group allegedly stole customers' personal
financial information and sold batches of data for $500 each. Authorities say the analyst scored
$50,000; the full cost to consumers - both in dollars lost through identity theft, and in time
spent fixing botched credit reports - may never be known.
Criminal prosecution is ongoing, but civil suits stemming from the data breaches were settled
Monday.
Bank of America, which bought Countrywide two years ago, will offer free credit monitoring for
up to 17 million consumers whose identities were stolen - or, still might be - as a result of the
data breaches.
If that number seems high, it's just the tip of the iceberg, according to the Privacy Rights
Clearinghouse. For five years, the group has maintained a roll of shame listing the companies,
schools and government offices that have data stolen, misplaced or otherwise made available to
identity thieves.
This week, the tally of sensitive records involved in those breaches hit the half-billion mark, the
San Diego group reported.
"It might seem like a large number, but it's really quite low," said Beth Givens, director of
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. "Many of the breaches we list involve an unknown number (of
records) ... Five hundred million is, actually, a conservative count."
The group's list is comprised of more than 1,700 data breaches that became public because they
made headlines or they were reported to regulators. Because many states don't require data
breaches to be reported, and because those that do may use different standards for what
constitutes a reportable offense, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse's list remains incomplete.
The list, which is available online at privacyrights.org/data-breach, includes these 2010 entries of
local note:
• A hacker penetrated a St. Louis police computer and may have viewed addresses and Social
Security numbers of 24 people.
• A Riverview Gardens schools employee left hundreds of documents listing personal student
information near an outside trash bin.
• About 1,900 patients of a St. John's Mercy Medical Group doctor were notified that files
containing personal and financial data were improperly discarded.
• Mail clerks at the University of Missouri incorrectly folded IRS tax forms sent to
students. As a result, Social Security numbers were clearly visible through the plastic­
covered address window on envelopes sent to the students. The university couldn't say how
many of the 75,000 mailings were affected, according to Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.
Compared with some breaches, those incidents were small potatoes. They don't rival the work of
hacker Albert Gonzalez.
Last year, he pleaded guilty of stealing more than 130 million credit and debit card numbers
from Heartland Payment Systems and several national retailers.
Givens said that 46 states - including Missouri and Illinois - now have laws on the books
requiring companies to notify consumers if there is reason to believe their personal information
has been compromised.
There's a push in Congress to pre-empt that regulatory patchwork with a federal notification law.
A measure has passed the House; four Senate bills have been submitted with varying degrees of
support from industry and privacy advocates.
Notification is important because consumers can't stop data breaches, but properly informed
consumers can protect themselves after one occurs.
After being notified of a breach, what consumers should do next depends on the information that
was compromised and whether foul play was involved.
Ifthere is something sinister about the breach, consumers should react just as they would if they
were burglarized or had their wallets or purses stolen.
(Those old-fashioned crimes, by the way, shouldn't be ignored. In 2009, they led to 76 percent of
identity thefts with known causes, according to a study of insurance claims data released by
Travelers.)
Consumers who think their information is at risk should obtain credit reports and study them for
new accounts and other debts they didn't authorize.
Depending on what they find, they might want to ask credit bureaus to flag their reports with a
fraud alert.
They also should scour credit and bank statements - including old ones spending. And they should be suspicious if bills don't arrive on time.
for unauthorized
That's because those who commit fraud sometimes change billing addresses to keep victims in
the dark.