February 08 - Truman State University
Transcription
February 08 - Truman State University
C Y M K ? Choice Carats Back and Forth Truman State University Diamond alternatives promise to be cheaper See TRULIFE Page 9 Index Bulldogs haven’t won two straight games since Jan. 6 See SPORTS Page 15 The University’s student-produced newspaper Thursday, February 8, 2007 Kirksville, Mo.,Mo. 63501 Kirksville, 63501 www.trumanindex.com Jury files indictment against former players BY JULIE WILLIAMS Assistant News Editor More than a year after initial charges were filed, an Adair County grand jury issued indictments last month to three former members of the Truman football team. The indictments charged senior Darnell Williams with attempting physical injury to Wooden Nickel owner Dan Vogt in December of 2005, a class A misdemeanor. Senior Joshua Kilcrease was charged with assault with the use of a dangerous weapon, a felony, and striking Wooden Nickel employee Ted Tarrant with his vehicle, a class C felony, according to the indictments. Paul Darby, a former Truman student who transferred to play football at North Iowa Area Community College, was charged with causing physical injury to Tarrant, a class C felony, according to the indictment. Ed Campbell, an attorney representing Williams, Kilcrease and Darby, said he doesn’t think the indictments say a lot about the events. “The grand jury process is a process where the prosecutor takes whatever evidence he has and presents it to the grand jury,” he said. “... In this process, the defendants are not represented, so all the jury is hearing is one side of the case.” Campbell said the previous charges against Williams and Kilcrease carried a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. He said Williams’ charge now carries a maximum of a year in the Adair County jail, and Kilcrease’s charge has been reduced from a class A felony to a class C felony. Class C felonies are punishable by up to seven years in jail or up to one year in the Adair County Law Enforcement Center, according to the indictment. “These guys were actually charged previously by the prosecutor himself, and those charges were Paul Darby Joshua Kilcrease Darnell Williams pending in Lewis County before the grand jury was put together,” Campbell said. “Those charges that were pending were actually more serious charges than what they ended up being charged with.” Williams, Kilcrease and Darby are scheduled to appear in Adair County court March 5, and Campbell said the judge then will rule on motions Campbell has filed for change of venue and change of judge. He said he filed for a change of venue on the prior charges because he thought the case had gotten too much publicity in Adair County. That case, which has been dismissed, was transferred to Lewis County. “I would hope that people would not convict these kids simply on the allegations that have been made,” Campbell said. “That’s why we have the Constitution. That’s why the law provides that you are inno- cent until proven guilty.” Shannon Currier, head football coach, said Williams and Kilcrease both are attending Truman but have used up their football eligibility under NCAA rules. He said Darby was on the football team last year but was not eligible to play because of a transfer rule. Adair County prosecutor Mark Williams could not be reached for comment. Biofuels: the solution? Lawmakers introduce mandates to support alternative fuel sources BY KALEN PONCHE Staff Reporter Biofuels are a burning issue with politicians and farmers both locally and nationally, but some scientists argue that the purported benefits of these gasoline alternatives might be too good to be true. Missouri legislators have heard President George W. Bush’s call to decrease U.S. dependence on foreign oil and have responded by pushing bills and subsidies to increase production of biofuels –– fuel made from renewable biological materials such as corn and soybeans. With the passage of the Renewable Fuel Standards Act in May 2006, all gas sold in Missouri will contain 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline by 2008. A similar standard for diesel is being proposed in the Senate. Sen. Bill Stouffer, RNapton, is sponsoring SB204, which requires all diesel sold to include at least 5 percent biodiesel and 95 percent diesel per gallon. State Sen. Wes Shoemyer (D-Clarence), who represents Kirksville’s Senate district, said SB204 will put more money into local communities as well as support the environment. “It’s basically a repeat of the ethanol bill last year,” he said. “Same players, same testimony, and I think the people in Missouri recognize that the value of doing this greatly outweighs not doing it.” What is a biofuel? Biofuels are made by converting plant materials into fuel. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, alternative fuels are intended to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. What is biodiesel? Biodiesel, also called metyl esters, is made from the oil from soybean plants, among other sources. It is filtered and preprocessed to remove contaminants and then mixed with an alcohol (usually methanol) and a catalyst. It is clean-burning. What is ethanol? Ethanol is an alcohol-based alternative fuel produced by fermenting and distilling starch crops like corn into simple sugars. The sugar is fed to microbes that use it for food, producing ethanol and carbon dioxide in the process. Sources: www.eere.energy.gov, www.biodiesel.org Supporters think the bill will help prop up the growing Please see BIOFUELS, Page 7 Car stolen from C-Hall parking lot Staff Reporter Two weeks ago, sophomore Caleb Forrest didn’t think twice about leaving for Wal-Mart until he went to get in his car, and it wasn’t there. Forrest’s car was eventually found in Keokuk, Iowa, about 90 miles north of Kirksville and was processed by the Department of Public Safety on Feb. 2, Forrest said. Before it was stolen, his black 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix had been last seen at 4 p.m. on Jan. 24 in the Centennial Hall southwest parking lot. “I kind of thought, at first, I was just being ridiculous and didn’t remember where I put my car,” Forrest said. “But then I realized after going up and down the spaces that it was gone.” After an immediate call to his parents, INSIDE INSIDE this issue Forrest said he contacted the DPS to report “The normal procedure after we take a his stolen vehicle. Officer Tami O’Haver report is we enter it into the National Crime helped him file the report. Information Computer, and [the “[O’Haver] said that that report is] put into a nationwide “I kind of week that my car was stolen database,” Johnson said. “It and the week prior, there were thought, at first, will flag that record, so when actually several [car] vandalanother officer runs the VIN I was just being isms,” Forrest said. number on the car or license ridiculous and This academic year, two plate number or anything that cases of vehicle break-ins and didn’t remember will uniquely identify that vesix cases of theft of motor vehicle, it will come up stolen.” where I put my hicle parts have been reported, It has now been released to car.” according to a DPS report supthe insurance company, after plied by Tom Johnson, director police impounded the car and Caleb Forrest of Public Safety. searched it for any evidence Sophomore This is the first full motor that might point to a suspect, vehicle theft to occur at the Forrest said. The insurance University in more than 22 years, said Von company will estimate the total damages. Abbott, assistant director of Public Safety. If damages are 70 percent or more of the Johnson said DPS put out a search for car’s total value, it will be totaled, he said. the car after the report was filed. Please see CAR, Page 7 Penny for Thoughts Play Space Columnist Sarah Shebek asks the University not to discriminate against the poor Father and son open a new arcade on Kirksville’s downtown Square See Other Voices Page 5 Copyright © 2007 Index by the county before the license is granted, according to the city code. City Finance Director Laura Guy said City Attorney Howard Hickman has been drafting an ordinance that BY JACKSON GROVES would change the wording of current rules and would allow people Assistant News Editor with minor felony convictions to get “Good moral standing” will no a new business license or to renew longer be a requirement for peo- current business licenses. Although ple seeking business licenses in the proposed ordinance is still in the Kirksville if the City Council passes developmental stage, Guy said it will a new ordinance. likely contain two main changes. Currently, the city code states Hickman did not return phone that those wanting to own businesses calls by press time. must be in good moral Guy said the new standing or the request ordinance would upfor the license might be “As I understand date the criteria for denied, Mayor Pro Tem of business it, the law would denial Jeff Newton said. licenses to certain allow people The changes, which types of felons. She would clarify language in said the term “good with minor the current code in grantmoral standing” is felonies in the ing licenses, would allow too vague. some felons to get busi- past to be able to “There might be ness licenses. The other different standards start up a change to the city code for what good moral business.” would require businesses standing is,” Guy to pass two fire safety insaid. “We just want Jeff Newton spections per year. to have some more Mayor Pro Tem “Currently, the code exact language in only says the person there so people will must be in good moral standing,” know exactly what [standards] they Newton said. “By today’s stan- will have to meet. We want to put the dards, that has a fairly loose inter- language in a neat little package.” pretation.” Guy said she thinks by changIn addition to the requirement ing the wording of the law to have of good moral standing, most busi- more specific language in effect, ness owners in Kirksville must pay there will be less confusion when a one-time fee of $10 plus an annual it comes time to renew the licenses fee of $10 a year thereafter. Busi- every March 1. ness owners also must show proof Guy said that although the curof payment of all applicable sales rent law is about 11 years old, the taxes and provide proof of liability city has denied only about 10 liinsurance and workers’ compensa- censes to people because of the tion insurance. They also must have moral standards requirement. She a property tax assessment done Please see LICENSES, Page 7 Business license users won’t need to be in “good moral standing” From soybeans to fuel BY LAURA PRATHER Council might revise “moral” requirement Business owner receives reduced sentence after felony conviction On Oct. 27, 2006, local business owner Jay Schilling was convicted of improperly touching a 15-year-old girl at the 2004 NEMO fair. Schilling was found guilty by jury verdict and sentenced to four years in prison. In January, Schilling appealed the ruling, and the sentence was reduced to 30 days in the Adair County Jail and five years of probation, according to www.courts.mo.gov. Schilling owns several businesses in town, including Service Express, a heating, air conditioning and general home maintenance company, which opened for business in February of 2005. Schilling also is listed as the contact person for Potty Express and Container. Both businesses are Trading Treasures listed under the corporate title J&B HVAC, LLC. Schilling did not return a call from the Index for comment by press time. City Finance Director Laura Guy said Schilling had owned the Speed Wash Laundromat, which she said has burned down. She said she would consider whether to renew Schilling’s business licenses. “Some ways you look at it, you might not want him to be operating a Laundromat because there might be college kids in there at all hours,” Guy said. James Wyrsch, Schilling’s attorney, could not be reached for comment. Reported by Jackson Groves THIS WEEK weather Friday Saturday Sunday Mostly cloudy High 23 Low 5 Mostly sunny High 21 Low 11 Partly cloudy High 28 Low 18 Recycling organization Freecycle.org helps users swap old junk for free See News Page 2 www.trumanindex.com See TruLife Page 13 Volume 98, Issue 19 INSIDE FRONT 2 Thursday, February 8, 2007 Faculty suggests minor changes sensus on which model was best for the University, he said. Staff Reporters “One thing that’s absolutely clear is that we The Ad Hoc Committee of Academic Reor- don’t all agree on really anything having to do ganization released its final report last month to with restructuring,” Tigner said. “I do think it’s true that the majority of faculty and staff are rePresident Barbara Dixon. The committee could not provide a unanimous sistant to change, although for different reasons. recommendation for the four models that were in- There wasn’t a single recommendation in that troduced last November, according to an article in report that had unanimous decision, even of the people on the committee.” the Nov. 9, 2006 issue of the Index. Of the 11 recommendations made in the final In the final report, the committee outlined recommendations to the president and announced the report, Tigner said he thought all of them were results of the surveys given to faculty and staff reasonable and valuable. “I think that you could virtually implement regarding reorganization. The University now awaits Dixon’s decision, which she said will be virtually every one of our recommendations into the current structure made within three weeks. of the school withIn the survey, the comout restructuring.” mittee asked faculty and Tigner said. “That staff to rank the four recomwould minimize mended models, along with Officials proposed four models these drawbacks a No Change model. They for University reorganization in [and] possibly maxcould also provide any adimize the benefits.” ditional comments regarding addition to a No Change model. Although pleasthe models. ing everyone will be “The way we interpreted impossible, Tigner the surveys, No Change and said he thinks Dixon Minor Repair were tightly The reorganization committee will pick a model clustered together,” said that will be best for Robert Tigner, associate proreleased its non-unanimous the University. fessor of psychology and co“I’m hoping to chair of the committee with recommendations and results see a structure from Dixon. “People who ranked of faculty and staff surveys. the president that is Minor Repair first, 90 pernot too much struccent of the time had No tural change and Change [ranked second], and that is well-justivice versa. So that’s really a fied,” Tigner said. cluster that makes up about University President Barbara “I think the faculty 60 or 61 percent of faculty Dixon said she will make a final and staff want to and a sizable chunk of staff hear good reasons and administration as well. decision within three weeks. for changes.” Those people represent the Tigner said there majority and are resistant to might have to be changes made within faculty to any significant change.” Dixon said she formed the committee of 11 compensate for reorganization. One concern that faculty members in February 2006 for several dif- came up often is what would happen to the faculty workload if there were fewer faculty members afferent reasons. “It was a combination of requests to look at ter reorganization. “How do we fill that void?” Tigner said. “How it, issues that arose regarding inconsistencies and inequities amongst the cross-divisions,” Dixon do we make up for the loss of one or two classes said. “It is an issue that almost any institution per department campuswide? ... Either we’re going to have to resort to trying to hire part-time faclooks at periodically.” The Higher Learning Commission also recom- ulty, which would be very difficult and not ideal, mended that the University re-evaluate its aca- or we’re going to have to pass on that teaching demic structure, Dixon said. When talking with responsibility to our colleagues who are already people on campus, she said she found varying lev- pressured to have more and more students in their classes each semester. Neither of those is an ideal els of support for reorganization. The final decision is not an easy one to make, solution. The committee tried to figure out a good Dixon said. It is based on various reports and in- solution to this problem, and we just couldn’t.” The second significant concern was the cost of put, including budgeting costs and any suggestions the new structure, Tigner said. and feedback made by faculty and staff, she said. “There are going to be one-time costs up front, “I know everyone, including me, is anxious for us to have a decision and move on so we can get and then there are going to be ongoing costs that back to concentrating on other things,” Dixon said. could possibly be over a million dollars a year, prob“I am as anxious for this to be settled as anyone.” ably less than that, but a significant amount of monTigner said many faculty members don’t see ey,” he said. “Where is that money going to come the need for radical change. But there was no con- from, and could it be better spent somewhere else?” BY LAURA PRATHER AND KALEN PONCHE What Has Happened: What Is Happening: What Will Happen: Sam Minner, dean of education, said he appreciates that the committee met with the deans to discuss their concerns. Although the number of faculty each dean oversees varies widely, with about 100 in language and literature and 20 in education, a wide array of responsibilities make their jobs roughly equal, Minner said. For example, the responsibility for the advanced placement office falls under the education department, he said. If the University undergoes major revision, these responsibilities will have to be accounted for, he said. “There’s a whole array of things that someone is going to have to be responsible for,” Minner said. “It doesn’t have to be me, but someone has to do it. All that was off the radar [of the reorganization committee] perhaps they didn’t know.” Minner said it’s clear to him from the statistical analysis of the results that most faculty and staff do not want to see major reorganization. But not knowing what the future holds has led to a considerable amount of stress for many across campus. “A couple of faculty this week were in my office talking about nothing but this matter,” he said. “But that’s not the purpose of the University. I’d rather be speaking with them about what they’re doing in their classes.” Reorganization also might affect job placement within University administration. The division of human potential and performance, which houses the nursing, health and exercise science and communication disorders departments, has been without an appointed dean since former dean Fontaine Piper retired two years ago. “I think that our situation is as it is because the University is anticipating some reorganization, so we’re waiting to find out what the plan is,” said Janet Gooch, director of communication disorders. Doug Davenport has served as interim dean of the social science department since former dean Seymour Patterson stepped down. The University also will have to replace Heinz Woehlk, who is stepping down as dean of language and literature, and Scott Ellis, who will retire as dean of science. Minner said that although it would be a mistake to fill a position for only a short while, these are important leadership roles that should be filled soon. “If we’re going to continue with the structure we have now, we need to get about the business of filling those,” Minner said. The biggest thing needed is a decision on the reorganization, he said. “These decisions not only have to do with philosophy and issues of leadership, but you’re talking about my job and all I’ve done to lead up to it,” he said. Although he declined to say if he was planning to resign as dean or retire any time soon, Minner said he realizes a major reorganization could include a change. “I have no objection to serving the University in other ways,” he said. “It’s not like if I’m not the dean I’m going to die — there would be a minicelebration in our house.” Arcade on Square offers entertainment option BY CHRIS BONING Staff Reporter The sounds of pinball machines and Pac-Man now can be heard on the Square. Xtreme Arcade, located at 111 S. Franklin St., was opened Jan. 30 by father-andson duo Truman and Dustin Livingston. Truman Livingston said the first week of business has been pretty good. “I’ve had several college and high school students in. ... A few people bring their families in and let the kids play the games,” he said. “It’s working out real well so far.” Livingston said patrons seem to enjoy the arcade because of its smoke-free environment, an aspect he said was a part of his plans for opening the business. “I wanted to create a family environment where kids come in without having to breathe in smoke,” he said. Livingston also said he wanted to open an arcade because options are limited for kids in town. “I just wanted a safe place where the littlest and younger kids could come up and play for an hour or two,” he said. Prior to current renovations, there were arcade games in the lower level of the Student Union Building. Sujit Chemburkar, SUB director, said the University operated its games through a contractor. Chemburkar said the University decided to scrap the arcade games because they were no longer profitable. “People don’t want to a pay a quarter or fifty cents to play a game when they can go home and play it for free and [on] the Internet,” he said. “We were starting to see that that square footage wasn’t serving a large percentage of the population.” Chemburkar said a new student organization complex will replace the space previously occupied by the arcade games. Livingston said he is not too concerned about the arcade competing with home video game consoles. “I’m sure there’s some kids who like to play their stuff at home, but hopefully one of these days we can set up some [computer] monitors and have some games in here too,” he said. Sophomore Elizabeth Bonanno said she does not usually play arcade games, but having an arcade downtown is a good idea. “Any more opportuni- Il Spazio reopened as a smoke-free restaurant last week. Il Spazio received certification from Smoke Busters, a local anti-smoking organization. The Kirksville Chamber of Commerce was on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Feb. 1. The event was intended to increase awareness about smoking cessation in the community. Olympic bobsledder coming to campus Three-time Olympian Devon Harris, a Jamaican bobsledder and motivational speaker, will come to campus to speak at 7 p.m. Feb. 15 in Baldwin Hall Auditorium as part of National Health Awareness Month. The event is free and open to all who wish to attend. Harris was part of the team that inspired the 1993 movie “Cool Runnings.” McClanahan introduces nursing bill State Rep. Rebecca McClanahan (D-Kirksville), has introduced a bill that would create the Missouri Health Profession Shortage Planning Commission. The commission would be created under the Department of Economic Development. The commission would monitor developments within the health care field and make periodic recommendations to the Senate regarding scholarships to attract students into health-related fields, according to www.house. mo.gov. Attorney general cracks down on scams Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon announced 246 legal actions against 27 companies as the result of a month-long effort to crack down on deceptive junk mail, Nixon said in a press release. More than 800 senior citizens in the state agreed to hold on to all of their junk mail over a one-month period to gather evidence against the companies, according to the press release. Nixon has ordered cease and desist orders to the companies, banning them from doing business through mail in the state. Citrus prices increase because of freeze Sodexho has posted signs in all campus dining halls alerting students that there will be an upcoming shortage in lemons and oranges. The notices also warn students remaining romaine lettuce will be of poor quality. Dennis Markeson, director of dining services, said the shortages, which also affect head lettuce and strawberries, are due to the recent heavy freezes in California and Arizona. “We’re just trying to make students aware of it,” he said. Markeson said the shortages will probably last until July when crops are ready to be harvested in Mexico and South America. Hy-Vee manager Jon Broce said the freezes have not affected the grocery store except for increased prices. Child restraint safety week Feb. 11 to 17 The Missouri State Highway Patrol, in connection with the Ad Council, is participating in national child passenger safety week Feb. 11 to 17 to promote child restraints in vehicles and try to reduce the number of accidents involving infant and child fatalities in Missouri. Children four to eight years old are 68 percent less likely to be injured or killed than children who are restrained only by seatbelts, according to a press release from the Highway Patrol. Student Senate In Brief • Senate adopted resolution 071.005, proposed by academic affairs chairwoman senior Linda Schulte, calling for the drafting of a uniform absence policy, by 10-0-3 vote. • Senate re-approved a money motion, moved by senator senior Josh Kappel, for $102.50 travel reimbursement to a lobbyist training conference in Washington, D.C. Phil Jarrett/Index Xtreme Arcade provides a smoke-free environment. ties for entertainment that Kirksville has is a definite improvement because there’s not enough stuff for kids to do,” she said. Livingston said the arcade still is a work in progress Providing affordable student housing for more than 21 years Boardwalk l Waterworks l Park Place l States Avenue l St. James Place l New York Avenue 660-665-RENT www.4horizonsrealty.com Il Spazio reopens as smoke-free restaurant • Senate met at 3 p.m. Sunday outside the SUB Conference Room. SUB staff did not unlock the room despite Senate reserving the room at that time. • Absent from the meeting were treasurer senior Cory Kessler, senior senator senior Becky Hadley, technology chairman junior Nick Mann, senator sophomore Lizz Esfeld, and incoming senators freshmen Roxanne DeSouza and Tom Hogan. • Senate named sophomore Inga Storen as student representative to staff council. • Senate adopted resolution 071.004, proposed by senator senior Tim Gerhart, calling for a revision to the repeat course policy, by 13-0 vote. WWW.TRUMANRENTALS.COM Four Horizons Realty 703 N. Marion St. Kirksville, MO 63501 NEWS In Brief and compared the process to growing a crop. “We’re still fertilizing the ideas,” he said. “We’ve got to cultivate and get all the weeds out, but I hope we’re around for a long time.” • Senate approved a motion, moved by Schulte, requiring senators attend University Conference on Wednesday, by an 8-4 vote. • Senate passed a motion, proposed by senior senator senior Mark Kirtland, that Student Senate be defined as the elected body of senators and associate senators, Student Government be defined as the executive officers, and the Student Senate be considered part of the Student Government. BUCK BROTHERS SUNNYSL0PE AUTOMOTIVE “From headlights to taillights and everything in between. The guys at Buck Brothers Auto can fix it all!” computer diagnostic fuel injection repair complete brake repairs 2 & 4 wheel alignment transmission repair air conditioning state inspection tune-ups mufflers 710 West Potter . Monday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. . 665-8486 INDEX Thursday, February 8, 2007 3 Campus renovations continue on schedule BY KRISTEN BIRENBAUM for the Index Students have not yet seen the end of construction on Truman’s campus. Missouri Hall and the Student Union Building continue renovations. The newly constructed Missouri Hall will offer students more features and will be completed by next semester. The SUB is in its first phase of three. Its completion will result in many organizations being located in one spot. Missouri Hall began its overhaul in the summer of 2006. Ryle Hall Director Zac Burden, who will be Missouri Hall director next year, said the construction is on schedule and he is pleased to see a lot of the developments happening. Construction has already begun on the expansion. Burden said the enlargement will allow Missouri Hall to have a multi-purpose room, and the entrance will be the new focal point for the building. “Just today, you can notice the windows that have been going in, especially on the south side,” Burden said. “... [It] really makes the building look like it’s coming back to life again. [It has] really made me smile to see so much progress happening on it. It’s really exciting to be seeing the project moving forward and getting a lot closer to the building we’re looking forward to seeing.” River City Construction Company, which also worked on West Campus Suites, is renovating Missouri Hall. Burden said River City completed WCS on time, and the hall opened when expected. He said this gives him hope that Missouri Hall will be completed on schedule. Missouri Hall will offer its residents new features. Every floor will have expanded lounge space, study rooms, a laundry room and kitchen. Air conditioners will be a feature in every room. Burden said he thinks the redesign is really going to help students out. ing the second phase of the SUB con“One of the things that we are about struction, the game room, CSI and to see is an increase in amenities and an the media area will be addressed. The increase in services,” Burden said. “It’s Mainstreet Market and SUB Activities going to be a much nicer place to live.” Room will be renovated on the second Another updated feature to Missouri floor. Chemburkar said that around Hall is the new windows. Burden said December, people will have access to aesthetics only are part of the reason for those areas again. replacement. The windows Chemburkar said the fialso will retain heat more nal phase will include evefficiently in the winter. erything on the north side “One of the “Students are experiof the hallway: the bookencing right now some of things that we store area, a new elevator, the draftiest windows in the quiet lounge, a new the world right near our are about to see stairwell, office complex, residence halls’ windows,” is an increase in alumni room and the thirdBurden said. “Putting new amenities and floor conference rooms. windows in is really going Chemburkar said he an increase in to allow for that to be a more thinks the newly reconservices .” comfortable experience.” structed SUB will benefit Blanton-Nason-Brewer students because of the halls are next in line for renew multi-purpose room. Zac Burden construction, after the com“We’re really building in Missouri Hall Director pletion of Missouri Hall, the function of multi-purpose by the beginning of next flexibility,” he said. “Some semester. of our rooms are fairly rigid “I’m really excited,” Burden said. “I in terms of what setups we could do and haven’t seen the plans for it, but BNB the equipment that we could use in there. is a building with a lot of history and The original building was built in 1967, our oldest residence hall that we built so they were more traditional on how here on campus. ... I’m really anxious they worked with things.” to see how that facility is going to be CSI, GreekLife, resource center, renovated and how they maintain the SAB, Student Senate, the Serve Center tradition and heritage and at the same and FAC will move to a central location. time bringing it into the 21st century.” Chemburkar said all of these organizaBNB Director Amber Austin de- tions will share resources and space. clined comment. Freshman Melissa Williams thinks The SUB, which began renovations the reconstruction of the SUB is an inat the beginning of last semester, is in convenience, but she said overall she the middle of its first of three phases of thinks the renovation will be positive. construction. “There are some areas that are kind Sujit Chemburkar, Student Union of scary-looking,” Williams said. “It’s Building director, said the first phase such a good school — whenever I have consists of construction of the TV friends to visit, I want them to be imlounge, the SUB Down Under, the SUB pressed.” Georgian Room and the four small After attending functions in multiconference rooms on the third floor. purpose areas at other schools, she said He said the rooms should be functional she thinks the new multi-purpose room again by late April or early May. Dur- in the SUB will be useful. Erin Clark/Index Workers continue construction on the south side of the Student Union Building on Jan. 30. The SUB Down Under will be functional by early May, but Mainstreet Market renovations won’t be complete until December. “I think it will be really cool,” she said. I did a summer camp at MSU a couple years ago, and they had a huge game area, and it was so much fun to hang out there.” Campus Planner Mark Schultz said he was not available for interviews until summer. Monthly birth control prices will triple at Health Center Student Health Center switches birth control pill provider, raises prices BY CHARLOTTE KEENAN for the Index The Student Health Center is increasing its prices for oral contraceptives after feeling the effects of the federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. Under Title VI, Subtitle A of the Act, college health centers no longer qualify for nominal pricing from contraceptive manufacturers. This allows Organon, the University health center’s old birth control vendor, to raise its prices by more than $20 per month, said Brenda Higgins, Student Health Center director. In its efforts to continue to provide birth control at a reduced cost, the health center switched its providers from Organon to Pharmedix and now will provide generic versions of Cyclessa and Desogen, the oral contraceptives it sold in the past for $5 per month, Higgins said. Nuvaring will no longer be sold, but the health center still will write prescriptions for it, she said. As soon as the health center sells its remaining stock from previous pricings, the generic versions of Cyclessa and Desogen will cost $15 for one month or $40 for three months, Higgins said. “That’s a much, much better price than anyone can get at a local pharmacy,” Higgins said. For some students with insurance, getting birth control at pharmacies will be the cheaper option, but some prefer the privacy of the health center, she said. “A lot of our students, because of the confidential nature of their women’s health issues, don’t want to turn it in to insurance if it’s on their parents’ plan,” Higgins said. She said about 300 students take advantage of the health center’s contraceptive services, and so far, their reactions to the raised prices have been disappointed yet understanding. “We’re sincerely as disappointed as our students are about this increase in pricing,” she said. “We felt that we were providing a very necessary service for our students, so we’re very disappointed. But we have truly done everything we could.” The impact of the price increase, both locally and nationally, is not yet apparent, Higgins said. “We will only know that as time goes on,” Higgins said. “To see if we have students who are no longer able to take oral contraceptives because they can’t afford them, or whether students are able to prioritize their money and still be able to get what they need to for their general health care needs.” Higgins said the American College Health Association already is weighing its options in regaining nominal prices for birth control at college health centers, even pursuing recognition of college health centers as “safety net” providers, which would allow price reductions for medication under the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act. “We’re still hoping that there might be some intervention, even legislatively Pill Prices Pop Up Deficit Reduction Act of 2005: • Limits which health care providers can purchase certain drugs, like birth control, at reduced prices from manufacturers. • University health centers, including Truman’s, are among the providers that can no longer purchase birth control at reduced prices. As a result, the Student Health Center has: • switched providers • moved to generic versions of oral contraceptives • stopped selling Nuvaring • increased prices Student Health Center { Before increase Price for one month’s worth of generic oral contraceptives (each unpopped pill is equal to $5) $5 After increase Planned Parenthood Walgreens Sources: Brenda Higgins, Walgreens.com or otherwise, through the efforts of the American College Health Association, that maybe can reverse this act or some portions of this act,” Higgins said. Hailey Kramer, community educator for Tri-Rivers Planned Parenthood, $15 up to $25 $30 Design by Nick Wilsey/Index said the local Planned Parenthood also caters to Truman students seeking birth control and contraceptive services. Kramer said prices at Planned Parenthood range from no cost to $25 per month and are based on a sliding scale measuring percentage of poverty level. She said that since Planned Parenthood is funded with federal family planning money, the facility is able to serve individuals of all economic backgrounds. “It’s based on family size and income, and the reason we’re able to do that is we’re a Title 10-funded agency,” Kramer said. “That’s why we’re able to give [birth control] services to underinsured or uninsured women.” Senior Annie Schippers, who serves as secretary to Vox: Voices for Planned Parenthood, said she didn’t want to use her parents’ insurance to cover the cost of birth control, so she purchased it from the health center when she was short on cash. “The only reason I choose the Student Health Center over Planned Parenthood is because they’re about a third of the price for pills sometimes,” she said. Schippers said the price increase has changed that. “I probably won’t go to the health center anymore,” Schippers said. “I think [the price increase] is going to really decrease the amount of students who are going to go there for birth control, and especially [among] students who can’t afford to go elsewhere, it might decrease the use of birth control.” But Schippers said she thinks the Health Center’s contraceptive services are important. “I feel like it’s an essential service,” she said. “It’s a lot of young people living in the same place, and you need to provide this for your students if you want them to be healthy and safe.” Business Week Events 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20 1-5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22 SUB Lounge Mark Mikelat Keynote Speaker “Aspirations” SUB Activities Room Dress for Success Macy’s SUB Career Expo VH 1000 Ethics Panel Index Editorial 4 Thursday, February 8, 2007 www.trumanindex.com OUR VIEW Reorganization decision needs immediate attention Perhaps it would be in the University’s best interest to build a moat before more administrators escape. The Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Reorganization released its recommendations last week along with the results of a faculty-wide vote regarding the four models proposed about three months ago (See story, Page 2). Now, the concern is what will come into fruition as a result of those recommendations. President Barbara Dixon received the report only a few days ago, and in an interview Wednesday, she told the Index she will make a decision regarding the report within three weeks. We strongly support this time commitment. After all, University administrators are dropping like flies, and we’re worried. At least four divisions will have vacancies — to be filled with interims, new hires or simply left empty — for the beginning of next academic year. Three of the remaining deans the Index spoke to even declined to comment on whether they planned to remain in their current positions.Vice President for Academic Affairs Garry Gordon also has announced his resignation. We cannot prove that the resignations are related to reorganization, but perhaps a solidified plan — a path the faculty and staff find acceptable — might put our valued leaders at ease. The document released last week, titled “The Final Report,” expresses the deans’ evident desire for minimal change: “The deans did not appear to be enthusiastic about academic reorganization. Most seemed pleased with the current structure, suggested that there were other issues of greater importance (recruitment and retention, budget) and voiced skepticism that restructuring could improve upon the current system.” What the report goes on to say is that what everyone would really appreciate is some consistency among divisions. The human potential and performance division currently lacks a dean of any kind. The other divisions include a variety of deans, discipline chairs, conveners and an interim dean, with differing pay among all of them. Despite rumors, Dean of Education Sam Minner, in an interview with the Index, declined to comment as to whether he plans to resign as dean. However, speaking strictly on his own behalf, he expressed his opinion on AHCAR’s report. “The faculty in my division have been very clear. They do not want change,” Minner said. “They think the structure we have in place is sound, ... cost efficient and effective.” AHCAR’s report also includes the results of a survey released to faculty and staff seeking their preference of four restructuring models or “No Change.” “The committee found a compelling consistency between faculty and staff preferences; there is no evidence of strong support for academic restructuring at this time within either group,” the report states. The Minor Repair Model actually placed first in the survey, with No Change finishing second. AHCAR concluded its report by reiterating continued disagreement between the committee’s members as well as faculty and staff and issuing a plea that Dixon consider the “gravity” of her decision. We plead that Dixon determine exactly what is causing administrators to leave the University and act in the best interest of the faculty and staff. Feb. 8 Results Index as of 8 p.m. Tuesday 29% (9) Web poll 12 to 14 How many games will the men’s basketball team win by the end of the regular season? 35% (11) 15 to 17 35% (11) 18 to 20 THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: vote online at www.trumanindex.com Do you buy and/or sell items on eBay? Index STAFF Editor in Chief Sara DeGonia Assistant Head Copy Editor Lindsay Koski Online Editor News Staff Reporters Andrew Seal Managing Editor Whitney McFerron Business Manager Collections Agent Opinions Editor Ryan Saffer Ross Houston News Editor Jessie Gasch Design Editor Assistant News Editors Alan Reininger Jackson Groves Julie Williams Circulation Manager Sports Editor Advertising Manager Conor Nicholl Assistant Sports Editor Joe Barker Cari Twaddle Ashley Hancock Convergence Manager Kyle Hill Features Editor Amy Deis Assistant Features Editor Salma Ahmed Photo Editor Design Staff Leah Bowring Shane Haas Patrick Rembecki Nick Wilsey Cartoonist Chris Tharp Shaun Gaynor Assistant Photo Editor Advertising Staff Adam Kabins Nick Barrett Lindsay Koski Tina May Chris Vernaci Head Copy Editor Nathan Becker Copy Editors Salma Ahmed Alex Boles Matt Butler Daniel Glossenger Jean Kaul Charlotte Keenan Megan Klco Elizabeth Sandhu Distribution Greg Bellville Jason Clow Chris Boning Laura Prather Diane Poelker Kalen Ponche Features Staff Reporters Jenifer Calandra Jackie Gonzalez Kevin Haar Amanda Jackson Sara James Sports Staff Reporters Kyle Magee Sadye Scott-Hainchek Blake Toppmeyer Chris Waller Ben Yarnell Photographers Phil Jarrett Courtney Robbins Rachel Tharp Adviser Steve Stepanek Serving the University community since 1909 Letters to the Editor University administration followed its duties regarding AKL sanctions Upon first hearing of the accident at the AKL house and the subsequent action by the University and the national chapter, I thought that the deed was done, and although the AKLs would be upset, they got their just due for lack of responsibility. However, when I heard that there would be a protest over the sanctions, an actual mob protest on campus, I was amazed. Amazed at the brazen and snap judgment made to organize it in the first place. I couldn’t help but wonder why a protest was even necessary. I found my answer on a Facebook event for the protest (very techno-age of them). The event said that the protest was necessary to stop the “ongoing epidemic of persecution” by the administration of Truman against the Greek community. I am a member of the Greek community myself, and although I have not been an overly active member, I don’t recall many anti-Greek actions by the administration other than sanctions against organizations that broke some rules. Maybe they were a bit harsh, but when the rules are laid out as clearly as they are, you can’t blame the administration for following through with the punishments. Although the event says that the protest is not necessarily an AKL support rally to try and get the decision overruled, it seems to me to be very much an anger-fueled fire. Anger because they got busted more than anger because of anti-Greek persecution. Plus, don’t these white-bread kids have anything better to protest about? How about this, kids: You protest over tuition hikes — or how about those tuition hikes coupled with department funding being cut and unnecessary university spending? Is the SUB remodel really necessary? How about you protest Human Rights? Or the Iraq war? Or oil companies polluting our air and thus destroying our futures? No? Gonna stick with the university keeping you from getting new dudes in your organization because you made a mistake? All right then. Listen, to be serious, the point is this: Get over it. You made a mistake, got busted, and are paying the price. Sigma Tau Gamma did the same thing. You know what? After their sanction was over, they got almost 30 new guys. 30. That’s more than some fraternities have in the entire organization. Also, you need to realize that Greek life is a luxury on this campus. Many colleges have no Greek life at all, and we are lucky enough to have it, so enjoy it. Yeah, it sucks that you have to do stupid, jumping-throughhoops crap in the process, but you have it. That’s how luxuries work. You work hard for them and pay the price if you break the rules that accompany them. Simple as that. I really don’t mean ill will — just trying to get you to step back from the situation and think about it. Protests are good to get your point across, but I don’t want the one protest in my four years here to occur in my final semester and be about kids not being able to hang out and drink or do community service without the motivator of “it makes us look good” behind it. Use your energy, your number and your ability to amass those numbers, and put it to a proper cause in the world. You’ll feel better about it five years down the road. I promise. Nick Freed Senior ResLife fear posters miss real reason for students moving off campus Have you seen the new ads on campus inviting students to live in the dorms? My guess is that this campaign is part of a new University initiative seeking to fill up the empty but expensive rooms on Truman’s campus. You can see these ads in many of the dorms. Specifically, look just inside the main doors of Centennial Hall. They’re big black and white posters — you can’t miss them. The posters show pictures of presumably miserable college students who made the ‘unfortunate’ decision to live off campus. Written below their pictures, in big letters, are the reasons for their discontent. They say things like “Day 119: Ramen, Day 120: Ramen” or “Wanted: A functioning toilet.” My personal favorite is one anti-depressant-needing girl who says “Hi God, it’s me Margaret?” A small paragraph beneath tells us that Margaret used to have friends when she lived on campus, she would say “hi” to at least five people on her way to class, but now that she doesn’t live in her little dorm room, she’s been reduced to a reclusive loner. Too bad for Margaret. If only she had chosen to live on campus. When I first saw these posters, I suppressed my fear and tried my best not to sympathize with Margaret. Instead, I became simply amazed by the audacity of ResLife, that thinks that this campaign, which attempts to play on the most vulnerable insecurities of students, is really an acceptable solution to its housing problem. Here’s a hint, Truman. If you want adult students (18+) to live on your campus, then start treating them like adults. Here are a couple poster of ideas I have instead: “I lived on campus, then I received an MIP from a DPS officer who was waiting in the lobby when I checked into my dorm.” Or maybe, “I lived on campus, then my SA used his or her key to search my room.” Geez, I can’t believe that for my second year at Truman, I actually decided against living in the police state that was my campus dorm. I did so because I think a liberal arts education should include learning how to live on your own — outside some authoritarian presence. Truman administration, wake up and understand that although you use fear tactics to try and get students to live in the dorms, you are the real reason they fear to live in the dorms in the first place. It’s sad that the University must play on student insecurities in order to try and boost its on campus housing. It’s even sadder that the University doesn’t understand that its policies are a major part of the problem. But one thing that did make me chuckle in all of this was one poster which read something like, “I’m sick of all the Rush-Hour Traffic,” it made me smile because in Kirksville, that really is a joke. Matt Szewczyk Junior Gates’ pro-life letter uses false logic to sway readers’ opinions Although I certainly respect Norma Gates’ right to a pro-life opinion, her letter in last week’s Index was at times inconsistent, and I am very curious about what some of her sources were for the exaggerated pro-life propaganda. To begin with, the broad generalizations about the “high risk” of women who undergo abortions were completely baseless. Abortion in no way increases a woman’s risk for breast cancer, nor does it put women at any exceptionally great risk for death. In fact, the Planned Parenthood Web site states that “the risk of death from childbirth is 11 times greater than the risk of death from abortion up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. After 20 weeks, the risk of death from abortion is about the same as the risk of death from childbirth.” The statement about death as a result of medication abortion is unfounded as well, as only one out of every 100,000 women die from complications related to medication abortion, which is 10 times lower than the risk of carrying a pregnancy to full term. Secondly, if, as the letter states, an abortion is in fact acceptable on the condition that the mother’s life is in danger, then where are these mothers going to turn for an abortion if the procedure is not taught in medical school? If an abortion could qualify as a life-saving procedure in some instances (even in the eyes of some pro-lifers) then surely, learning about abortions in school would not be inherently counterproductive to saving lives. Next, I do not believe a minor should have to consult her parents/ guardians before getting an abortion because she does not have to consult them in order to have sex. A minor is allowed to choose to have sex on her own, but she is not allowed to deal with the potential consequences on her own. This brings me to my final and most important point. If there is a problem, don’t just whine about it: Come up with a solution and do something about it. I can’t say I know of anyone who wakes up in the morning thinking to themselves, “Gee, I really hope someone has an abortion today!” The only difference between pro-lifers and pro-choicers is the belief about whether or not a woman should be able to make that decision for herself or if the government should choose for her. However, there is something people from both sides of the argument can do, and that is put prevention first. By encouraging those who are sexually active (and educating those who are going to be sexually active, i.e. everyone) to utilize safe-sex practices, then everyone can help to reduce the number of women who are faced with this decision. Fifty percent of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended. Let’s all help reduce that number and prevent unintended pregnancies by using contraceptives. Marie Weichold Junior Index corrections Editorial policy The Index is published Thursdays during the school year by students at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO 63501. The production offices are located in the Student Union Building. We can be reached by phone at 660-785-4449. Content of the Index is the responsibility of the Index staff. The editor in chief consults with the staff and adviser but ultimately is responsible for all decisions. Opinions of Index columnists are not necessarily representative of the opinions of the staff or the newspaper. Our View editorials represent the view of the Index through a majority vote of the Editorial Board, consisting of the editor in chief, managing editor, news editor and opinions editor. The Index reserves the right to edit submitted material because of space limitations, repetitive subject matter, libelous content or any other reason the editor in chief deems appropriate. Submitted material includes advertisements and letters to the editor. l Only three students were profiled in “Ant-abortion rally draws students” on Page 3 in the Feb. 1 issue of the Index. In total, 16 Truman students attended the March for Life. Letters policy The Index welcomes letters to the editor from the University community. Letters to the editor are due by noon the Monday before publication and become property of the Index. Submissions are subject to editing, must contain a well-developed theme and cannot exceed 500 words except at the discretion of the editorial board. All letters to the editor MUST be typed, double-spaced, signed and include a phone number for verification. The Index does not publish anonymous letters to the editor. Letters to the editor also may be submitted by e-mail at [email protected] or on our Web site at www.trumanindex.com. Include the words “letter to the editor” in the subject line of the e-mail. No individual may submit more than one letter a week. Other Voices Thursday, February 8, 2007 ResLife insults bankruptcy to lure students on campus “I had to file for bankruptcy,” read the “satirical” poster I ripped off the wall in Centennial Hall. Recently, posters with this statement went up around campus, posted by Residence Life, poking fun at filing for bankruptcy while trying to intimidate students into not moving off campus. In case you live in Centennial and missed the poster I removed, or if you live off campus, the poster also reads: “I had to file for bankruptcy because I moved off campus. I completely forgot I had to pay for cable TV, Internet, water, electricity, gas, trash removal, rent and my own food. All these monthly bills keep piling up, and I just don’t know what to do. One night while I was watching the TV I can’t afford, I saw a commercial for Brown and Crouppen. I ended up filing for bankruptcy through a television lawyer. Oh sweet ResLife, why did I ever move off campus?” The poster also reads in small print, “Testimony is satirical in nature and is not a reflection of the model’s character.” The poster is one of five Residence Life is using this year to portray moving off campus negatively during their housing registration drive. The others suggest that you will lose all of your friends and that every day you’ll eat ramen noodles if you move off campus. As I stared at these ridiculous posters, I felt insulted, and let me count the ways: First, the bankruptcy poster disgustingly insults the multitude of people who legitimately file for bankruptcy every year. The poster implies that people who file for bankruptcy are simply too absent-minded to remember to pay their bills. In fact, bankruptcy is not a process designed for “ Daniel Glossenger those who forget to pay but to “help people who can no longer pay their creditors,” according to the U.S. Courts Web site. Interestingly, Residence Life’s posters might have said it best: Filing for bankruptcy is not a “reflection of character” but can be a very traumatic and difficult decision for almost anyone. In Adair County, the bankruptcy rate thankfully remains lower than both the Missouri and national average, but the rate for Adair County has still nearly tripled in the last five years, according to Economy.com. The process of filing for bankruptcy should not be the crux of a joke, especially in difficult economic times for many of the area’s residents. However, I wonder whether Residence Life considered this when they posted their so-called “satire” of bankruptcy. Second, the poster insults all on-campus residents by implying they cannot face the real-life challenge of paying a variety of bills. The poster creates a paradox for on-campus residents. You live on campus because either you really are too inept to remember to pay your bills or you have succumbed to scare tactics disguised as grotesque humor. ” Third, the posters insult the intelligence of all students by ignoring that we all know living on campus is often more expensive than living off campus. The cheapest rate for an on-campus room is currently well more than $5,000, according to the Admissions Office Web site. Although I won’t bore you with the math, I can assure you that off-campus living can be considerably cheaper than Residence Life might want you to believe. Perhaps Residence Life would’ve done better with a real-life story. By living on campus, students often incur greater student debt, which haunts millions of college students for years and even decades. Gee, reality really is better than fiction, and that’s absolutely hilarious. Maybe I should write the next housing registration posters. Or maybe Residence Life should simply take down their posters and try to promote positive aspects of campus living, rather than ridiculing real-life financial difficulties with their “satire.” Daniel Glossenger is a junior history major from Nashville, Tenn. “ ” Chris Waller No journalist should have to justify asking a question. This is completely unacceptable. In our country we have the right to a free press, and under no circumstances should such a powerful figure be able to use intimidation to avoid asking pertinent questions about his stance on issues that are important to the American people. He and his peers claim certain things are wrong, and yet these rules don’t seem to count in their own personal lives. It’s time for people to see through the phony veils politicians put up and realize that what a politician says and does are usually two completely different things. Our politicians need to become more truthful in the way they present themselves, and journalists need to get the courage to call them out if they don’t. Chris Waller is a senior communication major from St. Joseph, Mo. University Conference Day allows students to voice their opinions Yesterday was the University Conference Day, and I hope you attended as much of it as you could, even though I doubt many of you did. I understand that it all seemed very dry, distant and uninteresting, but it really is up to us, the students, to control the direction of the University. We reap the rewards and penalties of what happens to the curriculum at Truman. If anyone should really be invested in what we learn, it has to be us. We are the ones who are relying on this education to shape our futures, so we should be willing to change it if it is not meeting our expectations. Although we might seem to be in a subservient position on campus, we actually are the strongest force in the system if we work together. The faculty and administration all have to answer to us in the end. We pay them, so we control them. They know that if they don’t give us what we ask for, we can take our money and leave. So the next time you feel unsatisfied with what the University is doing with its resources and programs, let them know about it. Whether it’s by attending conferences or writing letters, speak up and tell the University what you want out of your education. If you feel that your major is getting the short end of the stick when it comes to resources, tell someone, be it a professor or President Dixon herself. It seems odd to think we have that much power, and in truth, we are nearly powerless as individuals, which is why it is important that every student speaks his or her mind whenever possible. Obviously, the University cannot tailor its programs to fit “ Although we might seem to be in a subservient position on campus, we are actually the strongest force in the system if we work together. Nate Sullivan each individual student, but by relentlessly pounding away at the things we don’t like, we can hammer out a reasonable solution that works for as many of us as possible. So, whether you are paying full out-ofstate tuition or you have so many scholarships that the University is paying you to be here, tell them what you want. If they don’t listen, tell them again. Keep on telling them until they listen or until you get tired of telling them. Then you should take your money, and leave. The constant threat of losing money will eventually scare them into paying attention to us. I’ll go first to set an example. I think the University is losing its emphasis on the liberal arts and is quickly becoming a liberal arts school in name only. There is too much stock placed in teacher education and accounting here, neither of which are part of a liberal arts education. The liberal studies program is a patchwork joke that is merely a formality. Students are not going to change their life goals because they are forced to take one class in each mode This week’s question: “How would you feel if your future fiance gave you a synthetic diamond ring?” “I think I would be a little surprised, but you know, I think I’d still prefer the diamond.” Christen Lauer Junior “I’d be fine with it. I’m really interested in the science behind it, and I’ve watched several documentaries about how they actually grow those things. It’s fascinating.” Alexandra Wehrman Freshman “I would understand the financial situation, personally. It’d be nice to have a real diamond, but I would understand. It wouldn’t be a problem.” Dominique Johnson Freshman “I would understand. I’d probably be disappointed. But at the same time, it’s expensive. “ Maybe Cheney would work to help the country better understand this fickle situation because he is going through it. daughter is a lesbian and is choosing to have a child without a visible father. This could have been a good thing. Maybe Cheney would change his mind and sympathize with gay culture because he has ties to it. Maybe Cheney would work to help the country better understand this fickle situation because he is going through it. Or maybe he would do what he does in every sticky situation and ignore the problem and strong-arm anyone who brings it up. Somehow that seems more likely. In the interview with Blitzer, Cheney completely ignored and disregarded Blitzer’s questions. He was not only uncooperative but looked as if he was angry with Blitzer for bringing it up. At one point Blitzer asked a question, and Cheney, instead of answering, stared him down like a gunfighter from the Old West. Blitzer, who is a veteran journalist, looked absolutely terrified and tried to nervously justify asking the question. Around the Quad By living on-campus, students often incur greater student debt, which haunts millions of college students for years and even decades. Vice President Cheney avoids conflict of family and party “I simply don’t accept the premise of your question, I think it’s hogwash.” “I think, frankly, you are out of line with that question.” “I fundamentally disagree with your question.” These are some of the more memorable quotes from Dick Cheney’s recent interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that aired two weeks ago. As you can see, and have probably read since then, these quotes are the few that are usable from the interview because Cheney simply did not answer any of Blitzer’s questions regarding his daughter, Mary. Mary Cheney, for those of you who don’t know, is one of Dick’s most devoted campaign aides. She also is a lesbian and helps her father, despite the fact that most Republicans are against gay rights and same-sex marriages. They are able to function as a family even though they disagree on a big issue. How touching. Recently, Mary became pregnant. How ironic. The right wing has been preaching for years that gay culture was destroying the American family, that not only was gay marriage wrong, but bringing up a child in a gay family also was detrimental to that child’s future. A marriage, according to them, is between a man and a woman, and children should only grow up in a home with one father and one mother. Fast forward a few years. Now, one of the champions of the conservative majority, Dick Cheney, is in a bind. His own 5 ” of inquiry. More likely, they will trudge through those classes that are not related to their major with as little effort as possible. The University should be pressing the connections among all of these areas. Classes could be taught in pairs, matching psychology and English courses, for example, and studying the ways in which they relate to each other. This would encourage more open-minded interest in all areas of study, which should be the goal of a liberal arts education, after all. This is just my opinion, of course. If you agree, great. If you disagree, even better. The important thing is that you let someone know what it is. You might not have a public forum like this in which to express your views, but there are outlets for it. Send an e-mail to the head of your division, and let him or her know what you want out of your education. It’s the only way to get the education that you deserve. Nate Sullivan is a sophomore English major from Iowa City, Iowa Molly Smith Sophomore Homeless citizens deserve fair and just care from privileged When you’re living on the street, happyness is hard to come by. I discovered this in a roundabout way during Winter Break after deciding to watch “The Pursuit of Happyness” with some friends at the theater. You might have heard of it. It stars the ever-impressive Will Smith and his adorable son Jaden. The movie was one of the few I’ve seen that moved me to tears without bordering on sappiness — an uplifting tale of a father’s fight to find success after the life he’s built devastatingly crumbles around him. I left the theater dizzied after witnessing more than 100 minutes of one disappointment after another. Smith loses his income, his wife and his home but not his determination. Relief finally comes at the very end of the heart-wrenching tale, but the specifics won’t be revealed, only to say that finally, Smith tastes success. The best part of this movie? It’s based on a true story. Chris Gardner, Smith’s character, today is the successful CEO of his own firm but was once forced to take to the streets after his unhappy girlfriend left him and he had entered a stockbroker training program that only paid a small salary each month. Gardner had left his job as a medical salesperson with the hopes of striking it rich in stocks, but during his time in the program, he slept in bathrooms and struggled to provide for his small son. But he worked tenaciously during the day, passed his licensing exam and finally made a name for himself. It sounds too good to be true, and unfortunately, for most of the working poor, it is. Our society tends to look down upon the poor and homeless. We assume that they are too lazy to work or too unintelligent to make smart choices. We see the shabby-looking man on the street corner holding a cardboard sign, begging for food or donations and turn the other way, assuming someone else will help. But most people won’t. Shelters will only accept so many, leaving some to spend the night out in the cold, finding refuge wherever they can. Minimum wage barely stretches to pay the bills, and trying to dig yourself out of a cycle of poverty is more difficult than it seems. It’s hard to succeed when you don’t have a college degree, a supportive family or resume builders. We’re surrounded by the needy, and sometimes, we don’t even realize it. I was talking to a friend a few weeks back who said she wondered where the Kirksville homeless stayed at night. She couldn’t think of any homeless shelters in the town. “ Sarah Shebek Our society tends to look down upon the poor and homeless. We assume that they are too lazy to work or too unintelligent to make smart choices. ” I couldn’t think of when I’d seen any homeless people. Apart from the man I saw frequenting the Quad with a Frisbee last semester (who might not even be homeless), I’m not sure of anyone else whom I could identify as being “homeless.” And I don’t think that’s a good thing. Kirksville is a good-sized town, and 15.9 percent of residents are living below the poverty line, according to 2003 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a pretty staggering number. It also means that I’m failing to recognize those around me in need. Maybe I do live in the “Truman bubble.” So what can we do to help those who often can’t help themselves and who don’t dream of the true-life fantasy that Gardner lived? It might involve pounding nails and building houses for Habitat for Humanity. Or finally making time to participate in the Big Event. Or ladling soup at Hope’s Kitchen. My personal dream is to set up a free chocolate chip cookie and hot cocoa stand in downtown Kirksville. Donating time and money is not necessarily a comfortable thing, but we are young, we are blessed, and we live in a country that has done so much for us. Service with a smile is underrated. And maybe, we can put a little happyness back in someone’s life. Sarah Shebek is a sophomore communication major from Iowa City, Iowa 6 paid advertisement Testimony is satirical in nature and is not a reflection of the model’s character. Thursday, February 8, 2007 Index Thursday, February 8, 2007 7 BIOFUELS I Researcher says the 74 ethanol plants in Iowa would consume more than all the corn grown in the state if they worked at full capacity Continued from Page 1 biodiesel industry in Missouri, said J.P. Dunn, manager of field services for the Missouri Soybean Association. “It gives a support leg to the industry,” Dunn said. “It takes away some of the risk for the investors.” Nationally, sales of biodiesels more than doubled from 2004 to 2005, according to the National Biodiesel Board. Missouri joins several other states across the nation in building more biodiesel plants. Dunn said while there are currently nine plants in Missorui, three more are in the planning stages The growth of these biodiesel plants has resulted, in part, from rising petroleum costs and the biodiesel incentive fund, Dunn said. The Missouri Qualified Biodiesel Producer Incentive fund provides five-year grants for biodiesel produced in a state facility that is at least 51 percent owned by Missouri farmers. Mid-America Biofuels, a biodiesel plant in Mexico, Mo., opened in October 2006 with support from soybean farmers across Missouri. Warren Stemme, chairman of the board for Mid-America Biofuels, said the legislative efforts to increase demand for biodiesel have prompted growth of biodiesel plants across the state. The new biodiesel plants have increased demand for soybean oil, which has pushed up the price of soybeans. Almost 100 percent of the soybean oil used by Mid-America Biofuels comes from Missouri soybeans, Stemme said. “The idea was to increase the price of soybeans, and we’re seeing that now,” he said. “We’re also seeing the demand for ethanol has increased the demand for corn.” The growth of the biodiesel plants across the state also affects local economies. The construction of Mid-America Biofuels created 90 new jobs in Mexico, Mo., while the plant was being built, he said. “It also created 12 to 14 permanent jobs ... New jobs that didn’t exist before” he said. A lot of the city of Mexico is very excited to have the plant.” Dunn said the rural communities with biodiesel plants are experiencing the benefits. “When you have [soybean] prices up by a dollar a bushel, that’s more money in a smaller town,” he said. “You see an impact in everything from retail stores in small towns as well as in construction.” Missouri’s biofuel capital Residents of Mexico, Mo., which is in Audrain County, have seen this growth firsthand. Audrain County was recently named the biofuel capital of Missouri, said Sue Caine, executive vice president of the Mexico Chamber of Commerce. Audrain County is the only county to have both an ethanol and a biodiesel plant, both of which opened in fall 2006. The plants have provided high-paying jobs to the community, Caine said. Additionally, they have increased income for local farmers who are investors in the companies. “There’s a tremendous number of corn and bean farmers in Audrain County,” Caine said. “Both facilities have to be majority investor-owned, so that means not only is it a good thing for the community as far as purchasing power, but it’s a good thing for farmers because the price of corn has risen a tremendous amount.” Major investors in Missouri Ethanol include investors from Macon, the Boeing Company and the members of a coop. The 584 farmers who make up the co-op have a 51-percent share in the company, said Robin Venn, Missouri Ethanol general manager. Venn said Missouri Ethanol is producing 10 to 20 percent in excess of its 45-million-gallon capacity. About onethird of the corn that is used at the plant is purchased from members, and the rest of the corn is bought from the local community, he said. In addition to producing ethanol, the company creates distillers’ grain that can be fed to livestock. Venn said the passage of the ethanol bill last year gives the plant a solid future. “We know that the federal government is getting off reliance on foreign oil, [and] it was good to see that Missouri was on the same page,” he said. “It gave some assurance to the investors in the plant.” Ethanol, biodiesel are “a step, not the goal” Most supporters of biofuel cite its cleaner emissions as an added benefit to reducing dependence on foreign oil. Andy Heggenstaller, a Ph.D. student at Iowa State University, is on the forefront of biorenewable technology, developing production systems and crop management practices. Heggenstaller said time is the difference between using fossil fuels and fuel alternatives such as ethanol or biodiesel for energy. When fossil fuels are burned, Standard ethanol — derived from carbohydrates stored in crops like corn and sugarcane. • Sugarcane yields more ethanol than corn, but it can only be grown in tropical areas like Brazil, the largest producer of ethanol in the world. • Currently 15 percent of the U.S. corn supply is fermented into ethanol for fuel. Will fossil fuels bite --the dust? they release carbon into the air that had been buried within the earth for millions of years, he said. However, plants grown for biofuels today also take carbon dioxide from the air for energy and when they are burned, put that carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. “The thinking has been that converting corn and soybeans allows us to get around [the time problem],” he said. “The carbon that was in a corn or soybean plant that we put in our gas tank was in the atmosphere a year ago, and when we burn it, it’ll go into the atmosphere again.” Although a car fueled by ethanol or biodiesel puts a reduced amount of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, than gasoline it’s not as much of a difference as some people might think, Heggenstaller said. “If you were to drive your car some distance on E10 corn ethanol, and you were to drive your car with gasoline, your emissions that you came out of your car would be less [if you used E10],” he said. “But if you count all the emissions that came from the tractor Advisers encourage resources use Office hours, library can cure students’ academic woes BY TRICIA HUMPHREY for the Index With midterms fast approaching, some students undoubtedly will be meeting with their academic advisers to discuss poor grades in hopes of achieving at least a 2.0 GPA by the end of the semester. Students whose averages fall below 2.0 are placed on academic probation, according to www.advising.truman. edu. Because of the requirements of probation, students must work to bring up their cumulative GPA by the end of the next semester. They are encouraged to take advantage of the University’s resources. “[The students] are not here by themselves,” said Mark Weidner, head academic adviser for Ryle Hall. “Learning is an interactive process ... we’re here for them ... We’re going to provide [students] with every resource possible so that [they] can succeed.” Weidner said campus resources include tutoring hours, the Writing Center, ic probation because of her professors’ office hours, aca- GPA last semester, said “I demic advisers and the Uni- think 2.0 is pretty standard versity Counseling Services. ... [but] I do think that TruMaria Di Stefano, asso- man students are expected to ciate vice president for aca- be able to learn faster and do demic affairs and the dean of more homework.” graduate studies, said “[TruPund said she thinks the man] is very focused on our speed of classes was one of students and trying to support the reasons she didn’t do well them.” last semester. Di Stefano “I wish there also added would be opporthat there are tunities in class to “The students many reasons go over what we that come to students struglearned,” Pund gle with their said. “We didn’t Truman are grades, includ- totally capable of review anything.” ing personal But Pund addoing well.” problems. mits she did not “I would be take full advantage Mark Weidner very surprised of the University’s Head Academic Adviser if any student resources. for Ryle Hall got to that point “I probably because they could’ve gotten didn’t meet the standards of more help,” she said. academic work,” Di Stefano She said people asked said. questions in class, but they Weidner and Di Ste- weren’t asking the same quesfano said the most common tions she needed answered. causes of poor grades aren’t Pund said she tried to a lack of brains. Rather, it’s visit her professors, but usually a combination of an there always were other stuexcessive social life, time dents around. She also said management issues and she was less inclined to visit physical and mental health those professors who sugproblems. gested appointments than Freshman Amanda Pund, those who had an open-door who was placed on academ- policy. DIVISION OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE ARABIC-SPEAKING STUDENT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Teaching Assistant for Arabic Language Beginning in Fall 2007, the Division of Language and Literature plans to offer a distance-learning class in Arabic. This course will need an on-campus teaching assistant to attend all classes, assist with instruction, and work with Truman students outside of class. Requirements: native or near-native abilities in modern standard Arabic (speaking/listening & reading/writing); full-time student status at Truman this academic year and next academic year. If you meet these qualifications and are interested in the T.A. position, please make an appointment to see Dr. Heinz Woehlk, Dean, Division of Language and Literature, MC 310 (x4481). Weidner said the administration is not currently looking into changing the speed or content of the courses offered at Truman. He also said academic affairs has developed a two-year system that they hope will address some of the difficulties students have. A decision will then be made on how to continue. The main area that has been redesigned is the INDV 110 class. In the past this class was intended mainly for students who were on academic probation or struggling to stay afloat at the University, Weidner said. Freshmen now will be encouraged to take the class during their first semester in order to acclimate themselves to the University and to college-level courses. Another change made to the course is that it is now taught by the academic advisers themselves. This way, Weidner said, the advisers can get to know their students much better. He also said college is a two-way street: Students can only get out what they are willing to put in. “The students that come to Truman are totally capable of doing well,” Weidner said. Cellulosic ethanol — derived from biomass (any kind of plant material). • Yields a higher net energy gain and releases fewer greenhouse gases because it does not require crops that have been cultivated or petroleum that has been refined by fuel-burning machinery or transported from distant places by fuel-burning vehicles. • Currently it is not cost-effective to produce and distribute. Ethanol pros and cons: – Contains only 70 percent as much energy as gasoline. – Must be blended with at least 15% gasoline for starting up in the cold. – Ethanol corrodes standard fuel-injection systems in +10 percent blends. – Must be transported in specialized trucks, trains or barges because the ethanol reacts with water in pipelines that now carry gasoline or petroleum. + Stimulates local agricultural economies and reduces demand for imported and domestic oil. + Releases carbon dioxide that had recently been absorbed by plants instead of releasing carbon stored in fossilized plant matter for millions of years. – Cuts into the production of corn as a food source. Sources: U.S. Department of Energy, grist.org Design by Lindsay Koski and Nick Wilsey/Index that delivered fertilizers and grains and carbon dioxide used in producing ethanol, ... you’re not much better off.” The upswing in demand for ethanol has led to the development of 40 new ethanol refineries nationwide, according to the Renewable Fuels Association’s Energy Outlook. In and around Iowa, 74 ethanol plants are planned or in existence, which at full capacity would consume about 125 percent of all the corn produced in the state of Iowa, Heggenstaller said. “How does that work?” he said. “When the highest corn-producing state in the country doesn’t have enough, where are they going to get [the corn they need]?” Higher demand has led to increased prices in corn. The March price for corn is $3.95 per bushel, according to the Chicago Board of Trade Exchange. Heggenstaller said corn prices could cause farmers to plant more of it next year, which has led to concern about the influence increased corn growth could have on the soil and water quality. Despite environmental concerns, Heggenstaller said using biofuels could lead to importing less oil from foreign nations. But, research is leading to development of other biofuels that will be more sustainable than biodiesel or ethanol, he said. Although soy biodiesel makes a lot of energetic sense, there aren’t enough soybean plants to come anywhere near achieving energy independence, he said. Biofuels made from cellulose, which are the stems, leaves and other nonharvestable parts of the plant, hold a huge amount of energy, he said. Cellulific ethanol can be made out of perennial plants like fields grasses, he said. Scientists are also exploring other ways to make fuels out of other resources such as algae, sugar and thermochemicals. “We have to not confuse what our goal is,” Heggenstaller said. “Our goal is to reduce the negative impacts of using fuels on the environment and reduce the need to import fuels from potentially dangerous places. The quicker we move toward cellulific ethanol, the quicker we will wean our independence from foreign oil.” LICENSES I Council- CAR I DPS is pursuing member says changes needed a suspect in car theft Continued from Page 1 said the Council periodically looks at different areas in which they might need to revise the laws. One area was business operations. Guy said the new law hopefully would allow the Council not to have to categorically deny a business license to a former felon. Instead it would allow the Council to examine each questionable incident on a case-by-case basis. “For example, if someone had a felony theft conviction, we might deny them a contractor license because they could be in someone’s home,” Guy said. Newton said city staff presented the ordinance to the Council, not a councilmember. He said the study session two weeks ago was the first time he had heard about the idea. Newton said nothing has happened with the idea since then. Newton said he understands the bill was intended to make it easier for people who might have been convicted of less serious felony convictions, such as driving under the influence, to be considered for business licenses. “As I understand it, the law would allow people with minor felonies in the past to be able to start up a business,” he said. He also said as the law currently stands, any business owner might possibly have his or her business license automatically revoked if he or she has committed a felony. Newton said that if business owners could not get licenses, they might be forced to close down and Kirksville would lose the benefit of their business. Continued from Page 1 “Usually when a car theft happens, what I’ve been told, is that police departments are really relaxed about them, and they just kind of give the car up to you without maybe taking more action with it,” Forrest said. “It’s kind of either they find the person who did it or they never get found. But DPS is working really tough on this. I think the reason is because they have a possible suspect in mind — at least that’s my reasoning for it.” Johnson said DPS does have a possible suspect in mind and is taking the required actions to track the person down. In the meantime, it is important for people to take the necessary precautions to protect their cars and any valuables that they might contain, he said. “Make sure your car doors are locked, don’t leave extra keys lying around,” Johnson said. “... Don’t leave anything inside in plain view in case they would want to steal it.” Even though a full motor vehicle theft is extremely rare on campus, it should never be completely ruled out, Johnson said. “Crime can happen everywhere,” he said. “Just because it’s Kirksville doesn’t mean it can’t happen. It just doesn’t happen as often, I guess.” INDEX 8 Thursday, February 8, 2007 Avian flu worries soar to new heights New London outbreak prompts talk of when the pandemic will hit BY DIANE POELKER Staff Reporter A stuffy nose and a dry cough might be just a winter cold, but it could be something worse. Worldwide medical and news reports buzz of pandemic influenza, a vague term with the potential to impact lives. But it is not the existing types of flu viruses that worry health officials but instead the ability of influenza viruses to mutate to unknown forms. “A pandemic flu won’t be that discriminatory.” or the West Coast first, so we would have some warning. But we don’t know. We have a lot of influx of people here, so it could start here first.” Frazier said the heath department has considered the possibility of closing down schools and has plans for possible isolation and quarantine if necessary. In addition, the department has prepared for the possible development of a preventative vaccine. “We’d transport it in from the CDC,” Frazier said. “Medical personnel would be a top priority.” Major Kirksville public service providers also are involved in pandemic planning. Kirksville Police Chief Jim Hughes said different departments have been preparing for a pandemic for two years. “[The police department has] become a lot more wellread concerning pandemic-type events,” Hughes said. “We participate with the local emergency planning committee, the health department and two different inoculation departments.” Aside from strategic planning, Hughes said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security provided some protective materials that would apply to a pandemic situation. The Police Department also has been authorized to purchase additional equipment such as cots and blankets to assist in a masscare situation. Although advanced training for personnel is important, some are concerned about mass education. Dan Holt, the emergency room coordinator for the Northeast Regional Medical Center, said the hospital is most concerned about overflow. “What you call an emergency and what I can call an emergency are different,” Holt said. “People are going to panic and are going to start coming to the ER because they think that this is the spot to go. We need to start educating people [in the] surrounding areas: Here’s what you can expect. Don’t come to the ER unless it’s an absolute emergency.” Holt said he expects a pandemic flu to start on one of the coasts, allowing for time to start mobilizing. Holt has been establishing a policy for how to handle the expected surge of people, which includes the establishment of outlying clinics to handle overflow. tle pre-existing immunity to Avian flu, making the virus extremely dangerous. Human-to-human transmission of Avian influenza still is rare, according to the CDC’s Web site. But research suggests the virus is becoming more capable of infecting mammals such as pigs and domestic cats. If the virus continues to evolve, human-to-human transmission may be inevitable. Although two of the four currentlyused influenza vaccines have been somewhat successful in treating currently circulating strains of H5N1, no vaccine available now would be effective against Avian influenza on a large scale, according to the CDC’s Web site. “Pandemic influenza” is a “It could start here first.” blanket phrase that refers to the Influenza pandemics are recurpossibility of the rapid spread of a ring events. Less than a century new influenza virus, according to ago, the Spanish flu killed 40 to 50 the World Health Organization’s million people worldwide, includWeb site. It is different from Avian ing more than 500,000 people in the influenza, which U.S., according to specifically deWHO’s Web site. scribes flu virusSince then, both When viruses es that primarily the Asian flu and affect birds. The the Hong Kong flu shift ... Avian virus has have reached panpandemic podemic levels but An abrupt major change tential. remain relatively produces a novel “We norcontained. influenza through a mally think of WHO has esprocess called genetic flu as hurting timated that bereassortment. Avian flu the young, the tween 2 and 7.4 elderly and the million people is the result of antigenic sick,” said Brian would die as a shift. When the shift Krylowicz, diresult of an influoccurs, most people rector of Unienza pandemic. have no protection versity CounselIn response against the new virus. ing Services and to such figures, a member of health officials Source: CDC.gov Truman’s Panworldwide are demic planning working to precommittee. “A pare for a pospandemic flu won’t be that dis- sible influenza pandemic. Both criminatory. ... They are predict- the CDC and WHO have released ing a 25 percent mortality rate.” guidelines for how to handle a Avian influenza has reached pandemic outbreak. Recommenendemic levels among bird popu- dations include personal proteclations in parts of Asia and Eu- tion and vaccination procedures as rope, according to the Center for well as how individual communiDisease Control’s Web site. An ties can guard themselves. outbreak was reported Feb. 2 in Kirksville is no exception. the United Kingdom. Adair County Health Department The Avian flu virus, also known director Claudine Frazier said the as H5N1, traditionally spreads state established a pandemic planfrom direct contact between in- ning committee in Adair County fected wild and domestic birds, last summer. most commonly through respira“We have no idea [of the liketory fluids. However, because of lihood of Avian influenza hitting mutations in the virus, animal-to- Adair county],” Frazier said. “I human transmission has become think ... we’re thinking about it fairly common. Humans have lit- as coming from the East Coast The New China Palace has a new owner! We have event catering and To Go services. Free delivery! ($10 minimum) Plenty of room for group meetings. Have your party here! Buy 9 lunch or dinner buffets, get 10th free! Try our buffet. Lunch — $4.55 + tax Dinner — $5.55 + tax Seafood — $6.55 + tax Best price in town! Buffet includes chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, appetizers, dessert, ice cream, hot tea and free wireless Internet. FOCUS on bird flu Timeline for modern flu pandemics H strains are considered Avian flu viruses. 1918: “Spanish Flu” pandemic killed more than 500,000 people in the U.S. and 20 to 50 million people worldwide. 0 0 19 1957-58: “Asian Flu” was first identified in China. It caused about 70,000 deaths in the U.S. Because the strain hasn’t circulated since 1968, no one under 30 has immunity to this strain. 15 19 30 19 45 19 1977: “Russian Flu” was isolated in northern China. 60 19 75 19 90 19 1999: H9N2 appeared for the first time in humans. The likely source was poultry. 2002-2005: 142 laboratory-confirmed cases of H5N1 were found in Asia. The first confirmed cases of H7N7, H7N2 and H10N7 were reported in humans. Source: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease 05 20 07 20 1997: H5N1 is the new influenza strain transmitted directly from birds to people. Six people in Hong Kong have died. 2007: In February, H5N1 was confirmed in Nigeria. 2006: In the first few months of 2006, World Health Organization confirmed human cases of H5N1 in Eastern Turkey, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Egypt and Djibouti. Design by Kalen Ponche/Index “We’re like a small town.” For a college student, pandemic flu might seem too intangible to worry about. “I haven’t heard about the bird flu in the United States,” sophomore Jessie Austin said. “It only seems like a distant possibility.” But Truman is planning along with the rest of the town. Krylowicz said University President Barbara Dixon established Truman’s Pandemic Planning Committee last spring. “We do work closely with Adair County,” Krylowicz said. “But we have to make some very indepen- dent decisions. If a pandemic hit, Truman would be thought of as its own little entity. We’re like a small town.” Krylowicz said the committee is working to have a report to Dixon by Spring Break. The committee has been tackling all aspects of the issue from travel and food supplies to quarantine and shutting down the University. “The job of the committee [is] to think of the unthinkable,” Krylowicz said. “People look to science for answers, and science says we don’t know what to do. ... What do you do about food? What about students who can’t get home? ...What hall would we use to isolate people? What do you do with people off campus? We’re still responsible for them at some level.” Krylowicz said other universities also are struggling with pandemic planning. One element to consider is whether students are safer in a more-isolated town like Kirksville than in the larger cities that many students also call home. “It’s easy to say we’ll shut down school,” Krylowicz said. “[But] there are so many variables that are unknown.” Get your ad ideas off paper and into the Index! All ads for Feb. 15 are 30 percent off! (one week only) Local Prices 660-627-7400 • 124 N. Franklin St. • Kirksville, MO (Black and White) Size Discou nt Blossom Shop Flowers & Gifts 1/8 page 1/4 page 1/2 page Full page Let us design a custom arrangement for your sweetie! Beautiful rose arrangements: red and all colors available Candy, stuffed animals, angels, candles and plants Novelty gifts for gals and guys $18 $36 $72 $132 Price $42 $84 $168 $308 s Prices Campu d White) (Black an Size 1/8 page 1/4 page 1/2 page Full page Discount $12 $23 $45 $87 Price $28 $52 $100 $203 10 percent off with Truman ID Free delivery in Kirksville Don’t forget about Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14 1103 N Green • 665-1505 Or earldyer ! Call us at 660-785-4319, or e-mail us via [email protected] for more information. C Y M K TRULife Film of the Dead Club finishes zombie film after two years of production See Page 13 ? Thursday, February 8, 2007 www.trumanindex.com 9 Whose best friend? BY SARA JAMES Staff Reporter Asking your significant other to be together forever can be nerve-racking and difficult. But picking out the ring he or she will be wearing for the rest of his or her life is almost just as hard. “I tried not to pick anything expensive,” junior Stephanie Ahrens said. “But I did.” Ahrens and her boyfriend went in search of rings and selected one from Helzberg. “We went to a lot of different places,” Ahrens said. “I already knew what I was looking for: white gold with an emerald-cut center stone.” But when they went looking, Ahrens made sure her sister went with them. “I was afraid he wouldn’t remember which ones I liked,” she said. “So my sister came along, so if he needed help remembering, she could help him.” After getting the basics of the stone and color down, the couple focused on budget. “When we first started looking, we didn’t really think about prices,” she said. “But once I found the style I liked, that was when we aimed more for budget.” Now that they’ve picked out the ring, Ahrens said she’s just waiting for him to ask. Ahrens and her boyfriend started selecting a ring the same way that Bryan Collier at Garner Collier said most couples do. “Most of the time we have couples come in,” Collier said. “But sometimes we’ll have guys come in with their girlfriend’s friend or someone who knows what he should be looking for.” But everyone once in a while, someone will come in with no idea of what they are looking for, Collier said. One concept is important to know and understand when selecting a ring: the four Cs. Erica Baker from Sim’s Jewelry and Gifts in Macon, Mo., briefly explained them. “Color, cut, clarity and carat,” Baker said. “Those are the guidelines and will help you pick out what’s important to you.” Diamonds can range from being colorless to having a yellow tint. The less color in the diamond, the more expensive it will be, he said. Next is cut, which does not just mean the shape of the diamond. Cut describes how the diamond was faceted to allow light to reflect within the stone. Cut has many different shapes: round, princess, emerald, asscher, oval, marquise, pear, radiant, cushion and heart. The third C is for clarPlease see RING, Page 13 Design by Lindsay Koski/Index Workshops promote awareness of sexual crimes against women V-Day Week activities aim to educate public about the abuse of women, girls BY AMANDA JACKSON Staff Reporter Students will have the opportunity to create plaster vaginas and vulva puppets in an arts and writing workshop sponsored by the Women’s Resource Center. This event and many others will be Feb. 12 to 16 to observe V-Day, which is a global movement founded by Eve Ensler to stop violence in the forms of rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation and sexual slavery against women and girls. Other events will include a Vagina help facilitate discussions and teach Warriors workshop and a students how they can get presentation of the docuinvolved with issues they mentary “Maya.” care about. Junior Angela Carter, a “Maya” is the story of the “People can volunteer at the Women’s coming of age of a girl growlaugh and Resource Center, said she ing up in India and focuses on relate instead is excited about the Vagina the trials of being a woman in Warriors Workshop. other counties. of just being “It’s really important to In past years, Truman has thrown recognize people that are observed V-Day Week with information.” making a difference and are Ensler’s production of “The doing things who might not Vagina Monologues.” This get recognition otherwise,” year, however, the perforShahr Carter said. mance will not be during VRezaiekhaligh The “Vagina Warriors” Day Week because of schedJunior will feature women from uling conflicts in Baldwin campus and the Kirksville Auditorium. community who fight for Instead, the performance women’s causes. The workshop will will be March 22 and 23 during Wom- Vil Black History Month Speaker Around The A Time for Chocolate Lovers Tri-Rivers Planned Parenthood and VOX present a silent auction featuring gourmet desserts to enjoy while you bid. Copyright © 2007 Index 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday Wooden Nickel Banquet Hall in the Journal Printing Building $10, or $5 with student I.D. The MAC brings KC Morrison, a political science professor from the University of MissouriColumbia, to speak on “Race Cycles and the 2008 Elections.” en’s History Month. “I was a little hesitant at first,” Carter said. “Now I think that is a much better idea now that we have started it because it spreads the movement out over two months.” Now, in addition to the events the week of V-Day, a week full of events also will lead up to the production of “The Vagina Monologues.” Included in V-Day events is the “Vagina Dialogue,” which will be a discussion of some of the issues dealt with in the monologues. “The Vagina Monologues” and the VDay movement share a close connection. Eve Ensler created the V-Day movement after the Monologues received such a positive response. The Women’s Resource Center thinks it is important to still put on a produc- tion of “The Vagina Monologues,” even though it cannot be during the official V-Day Week. Director junior Shahr Rezaiekhaligh said “The Vagina Monologues” are an important part of the VDay movement because they represent the need to pay attention to issues affecting women. “It’s a good way to draw attention to the violence against women,” Rezaiekhaligh said. “... People can laugh and relate instead of just being thrown information.” This is the first year Truman has expanded V-Day week to include activities other than the “Vagina Monologues.” Rezaiekhaligh said that even with other activities, “The Vagina Monologues” always will be included as part of the V-Day move Please see V-DAY, Page 13 Run for Africa Women’s soccer sponsors a 2.6-mile marathon to raise funds and fight disease in Africa. Proceeds will go to the Global Fund, International Breast Milk Project and H2O Africa. 11 a.m. Saturday Pershing $25 donation 7:30 tonight Baldwin 156 Free www.trumanindex.com Volume 98, Issue 19 Index 10 Thursday, February 8, 2007 Brave plunge for charity Student advisers in BlantonNason-Brewer halls decided to get involved. Students and Kirksville resi“We decided, you know, ‘Hey dents will be “freezin’ for a reason” we want to do something for Saturday, as they jump into Forest this,’” junior Veronica Gunter Lake at Thousand Hills State Park said. “So we originally created, for the Polar Bear Plunge. like, a campuswide event, but then For the program, sponsored other halls were doing other stuff by law enforcement, individuals as well so were like ‘OK so we’ll donate at least $50 to jump into a just focus this on the hall.’” lake in the winter to raise money Three SAs headed up a Penny for Special Olympics Missouri. Wars for the hall, where students The Polar Bear Plunge is a donate pennies for positive points Special Olympics event in other and silver coins and dollar bills states such as Kansas and Il- for negative points. linois and began in Missouri in The SA with the most negative 1995 at the Lake of points will have to the Ozarks. take the plunge. “Because there was “We were also “It’s a great so much success in the thinking about telling way to help other states in raising the winner that their money through the Poout, and house gets to choose lar Bear Plunges that what they wear or it’s pretty the law enforcement ... we might decide as harmless, I decided to make it their a staff,” Gunter said. signature event down guess, jumping “We were thinking like at the lake, and it just vintage prom dresses into freezing took off from there,” that they jump in.” water.” said Trish Lutz, manGunter said the hall aging area director for raised $38 in the first Cody Pusateri the Special Olympics two days, and will conSenior Missouri. tinue accepting donaAfter 10 years tions until Friday. at the Lake of the If they get $100, Ozarks, the event spread to eight the top two winners will get wet. cities in Missouri, including St. “We’re hoping we can get at least Louis and Kansas City. It came two SAs to jump,” she said. to Kirksville two years ago. Senior Cody Pusateri, a Dobson Special Olympics Missouri Hall student adviser, stepped up to sent fliers to groups on the Truman take the plunge. campus to boost participation. But he’s taking the challenge BY SALMA AHMED Assistant Features Editor to a new level. For every $50 above the minimum his residents donate, he will stay in the water 15 seconds longer. “Hopefully we’ll kind of spark some of the residents that, you know, ‘Oh yeah, let’s put our SA through a little bit more pain and a little bit more trouble,’ and maybe they’ll donate more,” Pusateri said. Pusateri said he thinks about half of his 60 to 70 residents will come to watch him jump in, depending on the weather and how long he’ll be in the water. “If they know there’s about $200 on the line, and I’ll be in there for almost a minute, then I’m sure I’ll get a majority of them to show up because they’ll probably bundle up and wear four scarves and three hats just to rub it in when I get out of the water and I got nothing but, you know, swim trunks on,” he said. Although he said he doesn’t know how much money Dobson residents have donated yet, Pusateri and a fellow Dobson SA plan on participating in the plunge regardless of whether or not they raise enough money. “It’s a great way to help out, and it’s pretty harmless, I guess, jumping into freezing water,” Pusateri said. A shuttle to Thousand Hills State Park will be available for plungers or spectators from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Stokes Stadium, every 20 minutes. Beauty Queen Photo by Ross Houston Senior Tara Osseck became Miss Kirksville 2007 on Saturday night in Baldwin Auditorium. Junior Michelle Gaasch won first runner-up, and senior Laura Prather won second runner-up and Miss Congeniality. A ronza by any other name wouldn’t be as tasty or cheap I’m always amazed at the kind of reaction the words “baby ronza” can get in a crowd of Truman students on a Friday night. The baby ronza is, in essence, a legend. Speak its name, and after the obligatory moment of silence, someone in the room will inevitably pick up the phone and place an order. Not only are ronzas delicious, compact and deliverable, but on Friday nights, they only empty $1 from a student’s pocket. It really doesn’t get much better than that. I’ve been in Kirksville for almost two years, and I just had my first experience with Pagliai’s last Friday — sad but true. I had, of course, included it on my list of emergency phone numbers, along with the fire and police departments, since Tru- man Week of freshman year. Even before eating there, I’ve always thought of Pagliai’s as one of Kirksville’s defining factors. It’s a presence on the corner of Jefferson and Franklin streets: I’ve never been downtown when there wasn’t a steady stream of people coming in and out to get their pizza fix. Even so, Pagliai’s really is a bit of a mystery. Where did this extraordinary ronza come from, and is it a well-known thing outside of Kirksville? And more importantly, how can they afford to make dozens of these things and just toss them out left and right for only $1? My original guess was that the ronza is probably a pretty common thing in bigger cities, but after searching Google, Wikipedia and Webster’s, I still have no idea where the word came from or what it means. And as for the turnover on these things, I’m also lost. Perhaps it’s just a service to the community. In addition to feeding Truman students, Pagliai’s has its lovable quirks, my favorite of which might be the name. I’m not ashamed to say it took me a solid two months to pick up on the silent “G.” I also love the huge red Pagliai’s awnings and the little Italian chef sitting outside. The delivery trucks — bettering the world one delivery at a time — also make me smile. It might be me, but it seems those guys take their mission a little too close to heart. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen a Pagliai’s truck doing about 50 mph down a side street, a little puff of smoke coming from its dark red butt. In the case of such a famous establishment as Paigliai’s, it seems that the inside would be a huge, vintage pizza parlor. However, upon entering for the first time last week, I discovered this was not the case. The funny thing is that Pagliai’s really is a little hole in the wall, but in a good way. It’s cozy, and it’s original. Practically every inch of wall space is covered with something to do with Truman, more specifically Truman athletics. When my friend (who plays with me on the golf team) and I went to lunch last week, she immediately took me to a booth with a picture of her at a golf match on the wall right next to us. A Pagliai’s celebrity. by julie williams I’m also amazed that such delicious creations can come from a kitchen that size. My friend told me there is another kitchen upstairs, which seems very logical and completely mysterious. If I had something like a ronza in my hands, I’d want to keep the recipe under wraps as well. Consequently, I was keeping a pretty good eye out for the direction from which our food came, but the waiter materialized so quickly that I have no idea where our ronzas were made. And so the mystery remains — at least for me. The place was buzzing the whole time we were there. But why not — with every type of ronza filling and pizza topping imaginable? Basically anything I would ever want could be wrapped up in a welcome — to — k-vegas ronza for $5 — taco meat, pineapple, cheese, vegetables, meatballs and the list goes on. Doing my Rachel Ray thing, I ordered a meatball one, and it might have been the most amazing thing I’ve ever tasted. If anyone leads the same sheltered life that I do and has never experienced a ronza, I suggest taking care of that immediately. Student Ambassador Applications Available! Applications are available in the Admissions Office (McClain 205). Application Deadline: Thursday, February 15, 5 p.m. Interviews will be conducted on February 19-23. S tudent Ambassadors are a group of approximately 150 students whose goal is to promote Truman State University to prospective students, giving tours of campus, and assisting with visit events. Student Ambassadors are responsible, energetic, and above all, sincere in their desire to relate all aspects of university life to prospective students and their families. Questions? Please contact Jill Graves at [email protected] Pancake City 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Late Night Specials Monday - Platter of Pancakes $2.99 Tuesday - Biscuits and Gravy $2.99 Wednesday - Cheddar Nuggets $2.99 Anytime Jalapeño Bottle Caps $2.99 Onion Scoops $2.99 Serving Truman students since 1983 FOR RENT One- and two-bedroom apartments available next year, three blocks from campus • Beautiful and spacious penthouse, two large bedrooms each with a large private bathroom with double hung closets, built-in chest of drawers, cabinets and studies, large living room and kitchen. Rent includes trash, water, sewer and private parking. Quiet, non-smoking facility at 404 S. Franklin. • One- or two-bedroom apartments with large bedrooms, kitchen and study. Rent includes water, trash, sewer and parking. Quiet non-smoking facility at 404 S. Franklin. • Modern studio apartment for one or two people. Rent includes water, trash, sewer and parking. Franklin Street Rentals 660-665-5282 and leave a message Index Thursday, February 8, 2007 11 Residents recycle through free organization BY JENIFER CALANDRA Staff Reporter One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, but users of Freecycle.org probably know that old proverb only too well. Freecycle started in May 2003 in Tucson, Ariz., to help promote the reduction of waste in the downtown area and to help save desert landscape from becoming landfills, according to the Freecycle Web site. The nonprofit program comprises many individual groups from across the globe. Its members enjoy the benefit of locating and receiving things for free while getting rid of items they no longer need or want within their own area. Users need only a Yahoo account to join Kirksville’s Freecycle community. The Kirksville community Web site can be accessed through the main Freecycle. org Web site. Members of the group simply post items they are giving away or looking for on their local online Freecycle message board and are later notified of anyone interested in their item. All items posted on the Web site are completely free to anyone. Overall, there are 3,939 Freecycle communities with about 3.1 million members within them. Alumna Brandie VanHartesvelt created Kirksville’s Freecycle group in 2005 after talking to her in-laws about the St. Charles, Mo., group. VanHartesvelt is the Kirksville group’s moderator, which is a volunteer position. “[The] Kirksville [group] is growing, but we’d definitely like to step it up a bit,” VanHartesvelt said. She ensures all members follow the message board posting guidelines, as well as approving all posts, she said. Interested users reply to the original post to express interest. After interested parties contact each other privately, File photo Freecycle users can post items such as futons, toilet seats and leftover garage sale items on the group’s message board. they must make plans for picking up and dropping off the item. Kirksville’s Freecycle group had 328 members as of Tuesday, according to the Freecycle Web site. Kirksville resident Angela Depoe first heard about Freecycle about a year ago in a supermarket in Madison, Wis. She said she overheard the cashier suggest the Web site to another customer while standing in line. Since then, she joined Kirksville’s group and has received many items through the organization, she said. “I’ve gotten exercise equipment, ... a snowblower, a brand new toilet seat, clothes for my kids [and] game stations with games,” Depoe said. Depoe said she checks the Web site every other day if she does not need anything, but if she is searching for a particular item, she checks up to twice a day. It is convenient and time-saving, Depoe said. Students succeed in multilingual schools News Editor Senior Dawit Tewolde nonchalantly said he picked up Greek in elementary school in addition to his native Amharic. Senior Zeresenay Wolday said he usually talks to his mother in Amharic, but she’s likely to respond in her native Tigrinya. Sophomore Yeneneh Terefe, without a trace of accent, discussed the utility of his French education. And senior Habenom Tesfai used to help his mother, a schoolteacher, translate technical terms from Tigrinya to English. They all think this is completely unremarkable. The students are from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa except Tesfai, whose family lives in the northern city of Mekelne. They said bi- and trilingualism is a part of everyday life for them. “It’s something that I grew up with, so I never thought about it like that,” Terefe said. “I started learning French when I was like, in first grade, or something. I don’t know how — the next thing I knew, I was speaking French.” Terefe, a pre-architecture major, said he wound up at the University because his sister, an alumna, praised it. But he said he understands the need for a solid educational foundation and the advantage of appreciating different cultures. “I think it’s good to learn about different countries’ perspectives, about different cultures,” he said. “It makes you grow as a person. You’re more aware of what’s happening outside [in] the world. Basically, I’m here because I’m looking for a good education. It’s not that they don’t provide that back home, but it’s really hard to find a good education.” Terefe attended Lycée Gue- can culture before he arrived in bre Mariam, a French-run private Kirksville, but he was in for a few high school, where the medium of surprises. instruction was French but the stu“If you tell [someone] you’re dent body came from all across the from Africa, they probably see it world. He said his French instruc- as one country rather than a whole tors emphasized the language and continent,” Terefe said. “They reencouraged the students to consider ally don’t know. When I say I’m universities in France. from Ethiopia, people think about “They said they would treat us starvation. That was my first shock, as French students, and sometimes to hear ‘Are we starving?’ or ‘Do they didn’t even allow us to speak we have cars?’ But not everybody Amharic ... in class and sometimes is like that.” outside of class too,” Terefe said. He said learning a culture is “They’d tell us that we’re here more than learning a language. in school, and we’re supposed to Some behaviors, like directing be like French students, not like his eyes to the speaker during a Ethiopians.” conversation, would not be acHe said this prompted a ne- ceptable in parts of Ethiopia. glect of Amharic, “You kind of have Terefe’s native lanto reinvent yourguage and the secself in a way to fit,” “If you tell ond-most spoken and Terefe said. official language of [someone] you’re Reinvention might from Africa, they be something Wolday Ethiopia. “For example, I probably see it has to do on a mincouldn’t read until basis. as one country ute-by-minute the seventh grade [in] He said conversations rather than Amharic,” he said. with his family might “And that was someinclude elements from a whole thing I had to do myboth Tigrinya and continent.” self, I had to worry Amharic. Wolday said about myself.” his parents are ethniYeneneh Terefe To obtain an cally Tigrinya, but Sophomore American visa, pothey learned Amharic tential students like for convenience. Terefe must show a Wolday said he atsheaf of documents, TOEFL and tended a public high school where SAT scores, financial status and the instructors used Amharic academic information. Terefe said through sixth grade and switched he has at least one friend who was to English in middle school. Now a denied a visa. University accounting major, Wol“Because it’s one of the poorest day got his associate’s degree in countries, the chances of people accounting in Addis Ababa before coming and staying here illegally transferring to Truman two years are pretty high, so they’re trying ago. to prevent that, I guess,” he said. “Everybody knows two or three Terefe said he wants to go back languages in Addis Ababa,” Wolday to Ethiopia eventually, to assist in said. “Usually their parents came reconstruction of historical sites from other parts of Ethiopia.” in the northern states. He said he Speaking several languages is thought he had a grasp on Ameri- not only beneficial for the extend- Hey Students TOP TEN REASONS TO COME TO RIDER DRUG We’re the pharmacy closest to campus We have a drive-up window Save time and gas with FREE Kirksville delivery, Free mailing everywhere! #4 Order refills on-line at www.riderdrug.com #5 We’re the pharmacy closest to campus #6 FREE consultation about your prescription #7 Most insurance and Medicaid programs honored #8 We’re the pharmacy closest to campus #9 We “keep the assist in pharmacist” #10 We’re the pharmacy closest to campus ed vocabulary but for the cultural familiarity that accompanies true fluency, Wolday said. “When you speak a lot of languages, you will know things that are specific to [those cultures] because when you speak a language, you know the culture,” he said. “... My brother, he is 8 years old. He went to a French school, so he can speak Tigrinya, Amharic, English and French.” Wolday said some classes are just easier to learn in English. He said there are no Amharic words for some technical terms in biology, physics and chemistry. “If you ask me, ‘What’s ‘cells’ in Amharic?’ I wouldn’t know,” he said. Tewolde is Wolday’s cousin, and he applied to Truman after his brother graduated. He said his high school, a private institution founded by Greek Orthodox missionaries, sent applications for him to many American schools that do not require an application fee. Nearly 90 percent of his classmates now attend colleges in the United States — something encouraged by his American instructors. “All the classes, all the lectures, all the assignments [there], they’re all in English, but once you step outside the class, you talk in Amharic,” Tewolde said. Although a subject course in Amharic was offered, Tewolde said his non-Ethiopian classmates were excused from the laid-back class. “We had students from the [United] States, so it was mixed,” he said. “At one point I think in my class, there were three or four [Ethiopians], and the rest of the students were from other African countries or Europe or the States. In my high school even, the principal, the vice president, at least half the staff were all from differ- We have free checking, a free ATM on campus and Internet banking. Come to a friendly hometown bank with all the features large-institutions offer. Check us out at www. ATrustBank.com 1207 S. Baltimore (660) 665-4666 2817 N. Baltimore Kirksville, MO 63501 Phone: 665-7703 Member FDIC at a glimpse • One of the oldest nations in the world • Home of the Ethiopian Orthodox church, one of the oldest Christian sects in the world Occupations by Sector Population: 77 million (U.S.: 300 million) GDP per Capita: $1,000 (U.S.: $43,500) Life Expectancy: 49 years (U.S.: 78 years) Total fertility rate: 5.22 children per mother (U.S.: 2.09) Prevalence of HIV/AIDS in adults: 4.4% (U.S.: 0.6%) Services – 12% (U.S.: 79%) Industry – 8% (U.S.: 20%) Major Religions: Other – 8% Animism – 10% Agriculture – 80% (U.S.: 1%) Ethiopian Orthodox – 38% Islam 44% Sources: CIA World Factbook, Encyclopaedia Britannica Design by Nick Wilsey/Index Part 3 of 3 Ethiopia ent countries.” He said some people complained that the diversity negatively impacted the curriculum, but he appreciates the balance of cultures. Tewolde, a sociology and anthropology major, now aspires to be part of the United Nations. In this field, like in others, a degree from the United States is something to be reckoned with. Tesfai, who also earned an associate’s degree before transferring to Truman, said that just like American students, he had to Who knew banking could be as easy as point and click? #1 #2 #3 Ethiopia • Site of the discovery of the first australopithecus afarensis, Lucy FOCUS: BY JESSIE GASCH “This way you don’t go all over town looking for something you may not find,” Depoe said. Depoe said members can choose how they would like to be contacted when someone is interested in their item. Some people pick up items from private residences or meet at public places, she said. “I’ve never encountered a situation where I’ve felt unsafe,” Depoe said. Depoe said that she was surprised to see toilet seats being offered on the Web site but was happy to find the special one she needed. This find added to her opinion of the convenience of the Web site. “You can live in a rental, and your toilet seat breaks,” Depoe said. “... Do you really have the $12 to go out and buy it ... brand new?” Depoe said she thinks the organization would be especially beneficial for college students to find things they need for their off-campus housing. “Freecycle has a lot to offer to college students — those who are moving in and out,” Depoe said. Depoe said she often sees a lot of household items on the curb when college students move out after the school year. Instead of throwing those items away, Depoe said she advises trying to post offers for them on Freecycle. She said the Web site also is a convenient way to give away left over garage sale items. “Everything goes to the curb, and it only contributes to the landfill,” Depoe said. “Things you’d never expect, just put it on [Freecycle].” Freshman Andrea Eagle said she will consider using the Freecycle Web site to furnish her space if she decides to move off campus. “It sounds like [Freecycle would] be convenient,” Eagle said. “I don’t have a lot of money to spend on furniture and stuff.” adjust to residence hall food and small-town life in Kirksville. He considers both Tigrinya and Amharic his native languages. Just like he has been welcomed here, Tesfai said Ethiopia provides yet-undiscovered historical attractions and a hospitable environment for visitors. “When you go somewhere, you think about safety first and how people are going to treat you,” Tesfai said. “It’s just like [the United States]. ... The people are just so friendly.” Entertainment 12 Thursday, February 8, 2007 Multiple plotlines disconnect main story BY CHRIS BONING Staff Reporter Warning: I am not a scientist, but I still enjoyed Michael Crichton’s latest book, “Next” — for the most part. “Next” is about genetics and what can happen when it goes wrong. The book inadvertently serves as a primer on the state of modern genetics and the dangerous paths down which it might be heading. Although most of the characters are from Crichton’s imagination, the author includes the lofty disclaimer, “This novel is fiction, except for the parts that aren’t.” During an interview on “Good Morning America,” Crichton said he wrote “Next” after going to a genetics research conference. He said he had not been keeping up with the subject and came away in disbelief about what was happening in the field. The novel raises a number of questions regarding ethics in genetics. For example, one of the many subplots in “Next” deals with the practice of genetic testing in custody cases. The character in question feels his wife’s predisposition to Huntington’s disease, a fatal illness, might be a liability if she were named the primary caregiver to the couple’s children. Just a little bit of online research reveals that genetic testing sible for one person to have two different in custody cases is already an issue. sets of DNA. Another issue at hand is that of gene patGlow-in-the-dark animals are a realents, the center of another “Next” subplot. ity, and three-foot-long pet cockroaches In the book, the point is made that are on the horizon. genes are a part of nature, and to patent Scattered throughout the novel are them would be some excerpts similar to patentfrom articles and ing trees or lakes. transcripts from real In his author’s news organizations. notes at the end of Several of these the novel, Crichton were about blondes. states gene patentFor at least a cening inhibits further tury, evidently, there research using the have been various genes in quespredictions that fairtion and leads to haired people will companies chargbecome extinct. Neing high prices for anderthals, appargenetic tests. ently, were the first Ending the environmentalists. “Next” practice of “Next” has by Michael Crichton gene patenting, multiple storylines, HarperCollins, 448 pages Crichton writes in but one of the more Released: Nov. 28, 2006 his notes, would interesting ones is “result in a burst that of Dr. Henry Rating of new products Kendall, a geneticist RRRRo for the public.” who inserts some of I learned a his own DNA into number of things from “Next.” For exa chimpanzee fetus for an experiment, ample, I learned no single gene controls a thinking that it would never come to term. single behavior, only 500 genes separate It does, however, resulting in a humans from chimpanzees and it is poshuman-chimp hybrid, self-aware and Book Review capable of speech. Kendall is charged with being responsible for the “child” and takes it from a research facility and passes it off as a human. Another subplot concerns the legal battle of the ownership of a man’s bodily tissues that culminates in a bounty hunter chasing the man’s daughter and grandson across the country. A globetrotting African grey parrot named Gerard is the protagonist of yet another subplot. These many storylines are interesting, to say the least, but I think they are the single major shortcoming of the book. A better title for the book might have been something along the line of “A Bunch of Short Stories, Some of Which Are Connected, But All Have to Do With Genetics.” The plethora of subplots and relatively short chapters made it difficult at times to connect with the characters and remember who was doing what and when. On the other hand, the micro-chapters almost ensure that the reader does not become overwhelmed by the occasional descriptions of complicated genetic processes. At any rate, “Next” ends on a curiously happy note with the convenient convergence of several subplots. 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Behind Goodies and next to Curves (near Wal-Mart) $3 off Tues - Fri 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sat 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. any cut Index expires 3/8/07 Classifieds Job Openings Answers are posted online at www.trumanindex.com The GREEN DOOR KIRKSVILLE, MO Valentine’s Day Specials 10% Off all jewlery Try our Liebeswein “Lover’s Wine” and Maker’s Mark Bourbon Chocolates If you need a gift for men, come to The Green Door where you will find cigars, shaving products, wine and beer making kits, and cowboy art. Located at 103 West Washington next to Pagliai’s Help Wanted: Looking for a responsible individual willing to work with horses and mules to provide light feeding and caretaking chores three to four times a week for a small Kirksville ranch. You make your own hours. Great pay! Call 660-6652192 or e-mail arich@ truman.edu for more information. The Best Summer Job: Why hike in our back country, ride horses on our rugged trails and breathe fresh mountain air all summer long? It comes with the job. Cheley Colorado Camps. A residential wilderness camp for ages 9 to 17. Employment from June 3 to Aug. 6 or extended opportunities. Call us at 1-800-CampFun, or visit our Web site at www. cheley.com. Now Hiring: Market research interviewers. Parttime work, flexible scheduling. $7.50 per hour starting wage, employees meeting quality standards could earn up to $9.75 within 90 days. Interviewing every Wednesday at Job Service (MACC campus) from 1 to 4 p.m. For further info, call 660626-1500. Deadline: Mondays by 5 p.m. 660-785-4319 Rates: ß On-Campus: $3 per ad per issue. Under 25 words. ß Off-Campus: $5 per ad per issue. Under 25 words. Job Openings For Sale Job Opportunity: Art gallery company looking for part time/full time. Work from home account managers and sales representatives. $2500/month plus benefits. Should be computer literate, 18 years of age, and dedicated. 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She comes with health guarantee, up-to- Scholarship date shots and worming, very lovable. A wonderful pet and companion. Scholarship: The Wash5lbs. grown. For more ington Center’s summer information: e-mail ye- scholarship deadline tunde_adewunmi@ya- has been extended until hoo.com. March 15. To learn more, contact Diane Johnson 785-7852 or e-mail For Sale: 17” widescreen [email protected]. laptop in mint condition. Index Thursday, February 8, 2007 13 V-DAY l Week offers events that celebrate women RING l A professional offers his advice on how to find the perfect engagement rings Continued from Page 9 ment because people can relate to them so well. “It’s growing so rapidly that it will get to a point where it won’t be necessary, but it will still be included,” Rezaiekhaligh said. In the past few years, “The Vagina Monologues” always has received a positive response from the Truman community. Unlike at many other college campuses, the production has never met opposition from any other groups on campus, and Rezaiekhaligh said the audience always has been extremely supportive. “It’s almost sort of a spiritual experience,” Rezaiekhaligh said. “The energy can just be felt. By the end an almost climax has been reached.” This is senior Marisa Butler’s first year to be involved with the production of “The Vagina Monologues.” She said she always has attended the performances in past years and is excited about the opportunity to get involved with it this year. “I love it because it is such a celebration of women and of all different kinds of women from all different stages of life,” Butler said. “As a women I know that I myself have had some confidence issues. The monologues deal with these issues in such a beautiful way.” The production will tackle new issues this year with a monologue never before performed at Truman called “They Beat the Girl out of My Boy ... Or So They Tried.” This monologue deals with the violence against transgender individuals. Senior Deborah Miller said she is Continued from Page 9 ity, which describes flaws in the diamonds. Some flaws are extremely small and can barely be identified under a microscope, and others are visible to the naked eye. The fewer the flaws, the more expensive the diamond. Last is carat or the size of the stone. There are a lot of decisions to make when selecting an engagement ring. “Talk about what your significant other may want,” Ahrens said. “The woman is going to look at that ring every day and wear it for the rest of her life, so it’s an important decision.” Another possibility is to select a stone other than a diamond. “Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the time we sell a diamond for an engagement ring,” Collier said. “But every once in a while, someone will want something different, like a ruby.” Another alternative to a diamond is moissanite. “It is exactly the same as a diamond,” Baker said. “Except for the fact that it is man-made and reflects more light then a diamond does.” This synthetic diamond has one difference of which shoppers should be aware: the price. “Here is a three-fourth carat diamond, and it is $5,100,” Baker said. “Now here is a three-fourth carat moissanite, and it is $900, and you can’t even tell the difference.” The choice between the two is an important one and should be discussed before purchasing, Baker said. If there aren’t enough choices to engagement ring shopping, there is always the discussion of the band. Some couples choose to not have an additional band, but others do, just as Ahrens did. “The hardest part in picking out the V V-Day observance Feb. 12 to 16: Vagina Monologues performances: March 23 and 24 at 8 p.m. in Baldwin Auditorium Tickets available March 19 day involved with many backstage aspects of the production. She said “The Vagina Monologues” is something that everyone should see. “‘The Vagina Monologues’ is for everyone of every gender or sex,” Miller said. “It is written and performed in a way that should have an appeal for everyone.” The staff of the Women’s Resource Center said they hope the variety of events will draw people who might not have attended otherwise. In past years of showcasing “The Vagina Monologues,” a good mixture of men and women have come to see the performances. “There are some very liberated men who come to ‘The Vagina Monologues,’” Butler said. “And I appreciate that.” The five Cs: color, cut, clarity, carat, Choice Diamond look-alikes: Possible reasons for choosing a gem other than diamond for your engagement ring: Cubic zirconia – the most common diamond imitator, used since the 1970s. Can be identified as a diamond lookalike by a thermal pen test. Costs about 1 percent as much as a diamond with similar cut and carat size. Moissanite — originally found in a meteorite, this synthetic gem is almost more radiant and beautiful than actual diamonds. • High cost • Doesn’t fit his/her personality • I’m not that serious • Diamond mining fuels the exploitation of land and people, especially in Africa. • It’s so traditional. I want something fresh and unconventional. Other options for your gemstone: White sapphire — a traditional diamond alternative. Emerald — typically green, color of the goddess Venus, representing enduring love and commitment. Ruby — a deep red gem, color of the heart, representing fiery passion. Sources: JewelryMall.com, LoveAndDiamonds.com Reporting and design by Nick Wilsey/Index ring was actually finding the band to go with it,” she said. The band, however, does not need to be purchased when the original engagement ring is purchased, but it is another option that needs to be taken into consideration. “The ring that I’ve picked out actually has two bands that goes with the engagement ring,” she said. “My boyfriend wants to pur- chase them all at the same time though, instead of buying them separately later on.” With all the choices, Ahrens offers one final tip to selecting the perfect ring. “Don’t listen to outside advice on what to choose because once you do, you won’t be picking out what you actually want,” Ahrens said. “Go with what you and your partner can want and can afford.” Flick focuses in on zombie love When the group decided to pursue “My Zombie Valentine” again, they endured a variety of After watching a zombie wed- challenges. One factor was the ding — buffet and all — it’s clear script itself. The members needthat zombies can be lovers, too. ed settings that required good At least that’s what the Film- weather and many participants to makers Club hopes to prove. make the film. With practically no money and Because of various issues the only pure passion to guide them, group had with the film creating members of the Filmmakers Club process, filming constantly had spend countless hours appreciat- to be pushed back. Additionally, ing the art of movie-making by they had three director changes being filmmakers themselves. throughout the process. With This semester, the members each new director, the club had have decided to attack their most to begin filming again, scrapping challenging plot yet: zombie love. the old material. The film club’s newest proj“I knew it was going to get ect, titled “My Zombie Valen- done eventually,” said junior tine,” has been jokingly referred Jared Latore, the writer of the to as “a film two years in the film. “Whether that was before making,” club president junior or after I graduated ... that I had Clint Worthington said. my worries about.” “Ever since we picked the Despite the various setbacks, script, it was always the intention the club as a whole had no doubts to complete it,” Worthington said. that it would get completed. They have been “My Zombie Valworking on this film entine” is a short film on and off for three about a young man, semesters in addition Jim, who falls in “I knew it was to other projects. love with a zombie. going to The Filmmakers Despite warnings get done Club puts together a from his friends, Jim short film every sebecomes blinded by eventually. mester. The members his love for her and Whether that themselves solely write, it takes over his life. was before or direct, produce and But don’t panic yet publicize the films. — the club considafter I Each semester, ers the film to be a graduated, ... club members subromantic comedy. that I had my mit scripts to be Latore said he considered for the wrote the film during worries about.” next film project. By a summer he spent the third week of the in Kirksville. It is Jared Latore semester, members a sequel to another Junior decide which script play about zombies to use and then elect he wrote the summer a member to direct prior called “Unthe film. timely Death.” Last semester, the club put to“It was hard to keep a straight gether a short film called “Methusa- face during filming,” said sophla,” which Worthington directed. omore Sarah Hitzel, who plays BY JACKIE GONZALEZ Staff Reporter Photo submitted Sophomore Rachel Uhlig acts as a zombie for the Filmmakers Club production of “My Zombie Valentine.” Jim’s ex-girlfriend, Sandy, in the film. “I had a great time.” This comedy also has a musical twist. A large musical number is included as well as a musical introduction to the film. Although three main characters appear in the film, many extras were used. In the musical scene alone, about 25 people participated in filming. “We had a great turnout for the musical and dance numbers,” Latore said. “There was an awesome number of personnel.” WWW.TRUMANRENTALS.COM Providing Affordable Student Housing for over 21 years. Boardwalk l Waterworks l Park Place l States Avenue l St. James Place l New York Avenue Four Horizons Realty 703 N. Marion St. Kirksville, MO 63501 660-665-RENT www.4horizonsrealty.com The film was shot entirely in the Kirksville area. They used locations in downtown Kirksville, as well as filmed in the Student Union Building and various alley ways, Latore said. With money from the Funds Allotment Council, the group was able to purchase a $3,000 video camera last semester for filming purposes. Other costs, excluding the camera, were little to none, Latore said. “We bought a plate of spaghetti for a scene, and that’s about it,” Latore said. Both Worthington and Latore admired director Jimmy Moore’s ability to successfully complete the short film. “I was impressed by how swiftly the process went,” said Latore. Hitzel also enjoyed working with Moore. “Jimmy was really great to work with,” she said. There is also a mock Public Service Announcement to publicize the film online at YouTube, created by club member senior JC Scholfield. “I’m very pleased,” Latore said about the outcome of the film. “Everyone involved has done a fantastic job.” The Filmmakers Club is entirely student-run, and each member plays an important role in the making of each film. The club has about 12 regular members who attend weekly meetings. The club meets at 9 p.m. Wednesdays in Baldwin Hall 249. The first showing of “My Zombie Valentine” will be at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Magruder Hall 2001. 14 Paid advertisement Thursday, February 8, 2007 C Y M K Signing Day No scheduled events. No scheduled events. Sports Thursday, May 5, 2005 Thursday, February 8, 2007 www.trumanindex.com Football inks fourth recruiting class in Currier Era See Page 16 Kirksville, Mo. 63501 15 Turnovers critical for Bulldogs Bulldogs fall by 14 to Northwest Andy Calmes was neutralized. Grant Agbo was silenced. The Bulldogs went into a second-half swoon and allowed Northwest Missouri to go on a 14-2 run. All those are key reasons why the Bulldogs suffered another loss Wednesday night at Pershing Arena. After a strong first half, the purple and white dropped off Conor Nicholl the pace, falling 6450 and losing their fifth straight Wednesday night contest. The Bulldogs, now 13-9 and 7-6 in the MIAA, have five regular season games left to stay in the top four in the conference and put them in position for a NCAA tournament bid. But the main reasons for the Wednesday night loss aren’t the reasons for the constant up-and-down, the constant W-L-W-L stretch that has hit this team since Jan. 6. The reason is turnovers. On Wednesday night, Northwest – No. 4 in Div. II in scoring defense – collapsed the middle with their tough, frenetic defense. Head coach Jack Schrader said Monday the Bulldogs were hoping to throw the ball inside and score from the inside with senior forwards Calmes and Agbo. Instead, Northwest, a team that plays consistent, strong pressure and continually takes away the passing lanes, played terrific defense. The problems, though, aren’t problems that have been here the entire year. These are only problems that have spiked up in games throughout the season. Calmes and Agbo are going to have off nights. The Bulldogs are going to struggle Please see TURNOVERS, Page 19 A lack of scoring from the Bulldogs’ big men was a major factor in the loss. Senior forwards Andy Calmes, Grant Agbo and Garrett Grimm combined for five points, including zero by Agbo. BY JOE BARKER The trio had been averaging 25.8 Assistant Sports Editor points per game for the ’Dogs. “They have got to finish plays,” The men’s basketball team isn’t Schrader said. “They didn’t finish streaking — and that’s not a good plays.” thing. In the previous meeting between the When the Bulldogs knocked off Mis- two teams, Calmes, Agbo, Grimm comsouri Western on Jan. 6 it gave them a bined for 29 points — led by Agbo’s two-game winning streak. Since the win 18. the ’Dogs have been rotating wins and Northwest keyed on stopping Agbo losses for the past seven early in the game that led games. to some open looks for the After Wednesday’s ’Dogs – looks the team had “There were just 64-50 loss to Northwest trouble sinking. They hit only Missouri, their streak of a couple of short 5-of-19 3-point attempts. inconsistency stretched to “Agbo really tore us up at periods of the eight games. our place,” Northwest head “There were just a game where we coach Steve Tappmeyer said. couple of short periods of played a little bit “We just couldn’t do much the game where we played hectic. We were with him, and I think part of a little bit hectic,” head why they got so many open trying to make coach Jack Schrader said. jumpers in the first half — we stuff happen “We were trying to make were so locked into him.” stuff happen instead of instead of letting Before tangling with the letting things happen.” Northwest Bearcats, the The loss drops the things happen.” ’Dogs battled the Bearcats Bulldogs to 13-9 overall from Southwest Baptist. Jack Schrader and 7-6 in the conference. On their home floor SatHead Coach More importantly, the urday, the Bulldogs took ’Dogs moved back into a the season sweep from last fourth-place tie in the conseason’s conference champiference with Southwest Baptist. ons. The purple and white from Truman The purple and white do hold the tie- came out on top 60-53. It was the first breaker, having gone 2-0 against SBU. season sweep of SBU by the Bulldogs No. 13 Northwest came into Pershing since 1999-2000. Arena riding a four-game win streak The win was big for the Bulldogs bewith wins against then-No. 9 Emporia cause they didn’t let the loss to No. 2 State and then-No. 2 Central Missour. Central Missouri in their previous conThey left with the season sweep of the test affect their play. Bulldogs — one year after the purple “It was very important,” senior guard and white took both games against the Austin Kirby said. “We can’t slip down Bearcats. Please see MEN, Page 19 Men’s team hasn’t won back-to-back games in a few weeks, 13-8 overall Chris Tharp/Index Freshman guard Gabe Landau drives to the basket Saturday against Southwest Baptist. The Bulldogs split both games this week and are 7-6 in the MIAA. Women fall to last place in conference double digits. Like Truman’s most recent opponents, the Bearcats stayed on fire offensively, The women’s basketball team entered hitting shots at a 47.5 percent clip. In the Wednesday night’s game needing a win to ’Dogs’ previous three games, they had allowed an average of 80 points a game, further its postseason hopes. Instead, it took an 80-70 loss to North- and they gave up 80 to the Bearcats on west Missouri State, dropping it to 8-14 Wednesday. “Teams are just adjusting really well,” overall and 3-10 in the conference. The loss sinks the team to the bottom of the Mueller said. “They know how we play, MIAA, behind four on-the-bubble teams. and teams have been really aggressive, They are tied with Fort Hays for last in and they expose our weaknesses.” In particular, Northwest rained threes the conference, but Hays carries the tieon Truman. Lauren Williams breaker. Only the top eight led the way with 6-of-10 teams make the conference shooting from behind the arc, tournament. “There’s still and her teammates chipped Sophomore forward plenty of in four others for 42 percent Georgia Mueller said she’s overall shooting. taking each of the final five oppurtunity for Head coach John Sloop games as they come. us to make the said the Bearcats, for the “There’s still plenty of second consecutive game, opportunities for us to make playoffs, but I’m the playoffs, but I’m just just focusing on figured out how to beat the Bulldogs’ 3-point defense. focusing on one game at a one game at a “When we went to go time,” she said. time.” trap the post, it seemed like Facing Northwest for the nobody was going or two second time, Truman looked John Sloop people were going,” he said. like a different team from the Head Coach “And so they were scoring one that lost 80-57 Jan. 17 in the post when nobody was after an abysmal first half. going. Or, when two people In Wednesday night’s game, the ’Dogs led until the last few minutes were going, they would be in a position to kick it back out there.” of the half. The ’Dogs bounced back from SaturBut then the Bearcats went on a late 12-2 first-half Northwest run and put the day’s tepid offensive performance, shoot’Dogs down by nine. The ’Dogs would ing better than 50 percent from the field. spend most of the second half down by Mueller had her sixth double-double of BY SADYE SCOTT-HAINCHEK Staff Reporter the season, scoring 25 points and pulling down 10 boards, while junior guard Julia Montebello kicked in 18 points. But resurfacing ballhandling problems counteracted the offensive fire. Sloop said Northwest slipped back because of key turnovers the seven during the last six minutes of the first half when Truman didn’t react to Northwest’s trapping the post. “We carved them up,” he said. “From our offensive standpoint, I thought we were really good when we took care of the ball.” The Bulldogs did get junior guard Carmen McGee back from injury. McGee played in her first game since Jan. 20, when she broke her finger against Southwest Baptist. Junior guard Laura Cooper, however, remains out indefinitely with a shoulder injury, Sloop said. The Bulldogs had a chance to take the season series against Southwest Baptist University for the first time Saturday as well as bounce back from a lopsided loss last week. Their odds looked good with senior guard/forward Natalie Schupbach’s firsthalf double-double leading them toward a 28-25 halftime lead. Southwest Baptist cranked up its offense in the second half, taking a lead late into the game. The ’Dogs didn’t give up, though, and with six minutes to play Montebello’s three gave them Please see NORTHWEST, Page 19 Chris Tharp/Index Junior guard Julia Montebello dribbles behind her back to avoid a Southwest Baptist defender Saturday in Pershing Arena. Montebello had 18 points. Schupbach leads women’s MIAA resurgence After slow start in conference play, lone senior is averaging nearly a double-double BY SADYE SCOTT-HAINCHEK Staff Reporter Chris Tharp/Index Senior forward/guard Natalie Schupbach tries to corral a loose ball during Saturday’s game against Southwest Baptist University. Copyright © 2007 Index Senior guard/forward Natalie Schupbach, like her team, fell into a nasty slump last December. The team was producing little offense and Schupbach was scoring well below her career-average 6.9 points/game, but Since mid-January, she’s been on fire, setting two different career highs in points and one in rebounds. Scupbach said she might not have been driving enough on offense and taking too few shots, but she knows what helped her snap out of it: sophomore forward Georgia Mueller. “I wasn’t maybe shooting as much because I was thinking, ‘OK, I’m kind www.trumanindex.com of in a slump,’” Schupbach said. “I think game slump, the ’Dogs have benefited [Mueller] said to me, ‘Natalie, you need from Schupbach’s offensive output. Head to shoot,’ and I think I realized I can’t just coach John Sloop said a team’s seniors are kind of sit back.” expected to rise to the occaIn the past nine games, sion, something Schupbach Schupbach has scored in has done. double figures six times. But “She’s probably “When we went on that in the first 13, she only broke one of the best stretch of winning three conthat mark four times. Mueller ference games, she was a shooters I’ve said Schupbach’s shot judgsolid contributor for us, and ever seen.” ment, especially recently, has here in the last week or so been excellent. where we’ve struggled, parGeorgia Mueller “She’s probably one of the ticularly offensively, espeSophomore Forward best shooters I’ve ever seen,” cially in that Baptist game, Mueller said. “And sometimes she’s the one that’s really earlier in the season I’d pass it been consistent,” he said. to her, and she wouldn’t shoot it, and I told Against Southwest Baptist last Sather, ‘Natalie, you need to take your open urday, Schupbach not only pulled down shots because you’re amazing.’” a career-high 18 rebounds, but she also While Schupbach’s shooting was scored 17 points for her third double-doucatching fire, the ’Dogs were, too. The ble of the season. Ten of her rebounds and Bulldogs went on their first three-game 12 of her points came before halftime. conference win streak since the 2001-02 Two games before that, in Truman’s season. Despite now being in a threePlease see SCHUPBACH, Page 19 Volume 98, Issue 19 Index 16 Thursday, February 8, 2007 Football signs 25 ‘Dogs use weekend visits to boost recruiting class BY JOE BARKER Assistant Sports Editor In college football, most games are played on Saturday. For the Bulldog football team, the offseason also took place on Saturday. On Wednesday, head coach Shannon Currier announced his 2007 recruiting class. The class of 25 is the largest in the Currier Era. Currier said he was able to bring in a class of that size because of successful campus visits. “Our players did — and our staff, — as well as the faculty and the community — did a great job on official visits,” Currier said. “... We just hit paydirt on the weekends.” Taylor Gayle, a 5-foot-11 defensive back from Lawrenceville, Ga., agreed. He said his official visit to the Truman campus helped him turn down offers from at least four other schools. “I really enjoyed my visit,” Gayle said. “I felt comfortable up there, and I wanted to be part of a program on the rise. ... It was just a great atmosphere.” In four weekends beginning Dec. 9, the Bulldogs brought in 29 potential prospects for official visits. Of those players, 22 signed on the dotted line on National Signing Day to join the purple and white. The biggest haul came on the weekend of Jan. 20. The Bulldogs brought in 14 players, and 11 left committed to the Bulldogs. “We were like, ‘If we get half this group, that’s a great group,’” Currier said. With the success of the visits, Currier was able to have his fullest recruiting class in his four-year tenure at the helm of the Bulldogs. This year, the ’Dogs were able to land at least one recruit at each position. “We definitely had needs, but really we wanted to make sure we had a complete squad with all positions being accounted for,” Currier said. “... I feel like we did a good job with that. That was our goal.” The 2007 class comes from nine different states, with five from Texas and five from Iowa. Of the 25 new Bulldogs, 11 were signed for offense, 13 for defense and one penciled in for special teams. The main target for this offseason was filling needs at defensive back and offensive line. The coaches addressed those holes by bringing in five defensive backs and seven linemen. With the loss of 60 percent of last year’s starting offensive line because of graduation, the Bulldogs were seeking big bodies to fill the hole left by trio seniors — Mike Shelden, Tyrone McCormick and Pat Murray. The seven linemen all stand at least 6-foot-2 and weigh at least 250 pounds. Currier said he hopes all seven could redshirt in the fall so they can put more muscle on their frames. “We are going to give them all a chance,” Currier said. “But I am not going to be disappointed if they are not able to play as freshmen.” Gayle and Luther Eta from Westview High School in Houston, Texas, are two of the new defensive backs. WINTER SPORTS News and Notes Swimming: Squads prepare for NSISC Photo Submitted Taylor Gayle, a defensive back from Lawrenceville, Ga., was one of the Bulldogs’ Signing Day recruits. Currier spoke highly of both and said they could contribute right away. Gayle said the potential to see the field early helped lure him to Kirksville. “Nothing was promised, but they definitely insinuated that playing time would be a definite thing that they were really looking forward to me coming in and contributing early,” Gayle said. Garrett Feig is another defensive back to join the fold for 2007 and beyond. His beyond is shorter than the other four’s because he was one of two junior college transfers brought in on this signing day. The other junior college transfer is linebacker Mi- chael Phillips. Phillips and Feig are both already on the Truman campus and are participating in team activities. Feig and Phillips join current starting quarterback sophomore Matt Ticich as some of the ’Dogs’ juco players. In fact, Ticich helped lure Phillips into joining the team. “Ticich called me before I even got here, so I talked to him for a little bit,” Phillips said. “He’s pretty convincing.” For the first time in his tenure, Currier was able to recruit players coming to a winning team. He said the 6-5 season showed his team is on the upswing, and that helped lure players to the program. Kotelnicki heads to Kansas State BY CONOR NICHOLL Sports Editor Defensive coordinator Josh Kotelnicki, the architect of the 2006 Bulldogs’ defense, has left the University for Kansas State University, a Div. I and Big 12 conference school. Kotelnicki served as Bulldogs defensive coordinator for just one season but was instrumental in turning around one of the MIAA’s worst defenses. Wallie Kuchinski, an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator this past season, will be promoted to defensive coordinator. He will keep the same 3-4 defense Kotelnicki implemented for the 2006 year. “It’s absolutely tremendous,” Kuchinski, who is one of the longest tenured coaches on Shannon Currier’s staff, said on National Signing Day. “I am really excited. It’s a tremendous feeling to know the coaching staff has the confidence in me to be able to do this job.” Kotelnicki will be a graduate assistant at Kansas State under newlyappointed defensive coordinator Tim Tibesar, who coached with Kotelnicki at the University of North Dakota. Kotelnicki doesn’t believe the change is a step down on the professional ladder. “It doesn’t bother me at all to be a graduate assistant,” he said. “It’s a step down in responsibility, but it’s a step up in the career path. This is a great chance to coach in the Big 12.” Kotelnicki declined to comment on his salary but said he can remain financially stable on his graduate assistant paycheck. Because of the limited duties, graduate assistants get paid far less than coordinators. “All of the kids at Truman are great,” he said. “But I wanted a chance to coach big-time college football. I want to be able to get to the next level and see what it’s about before I start a family. Another opportunity like this may not come along for 15 years.” Head coach Shannon Currier announced the changes to his players before Tuesday’s 5:30 a.m. workout. This will be the third defensive coordinator for the Bulldogs in three years but the first time the team will retain an inhouse coach and keep the same system. “Continuity is pretty important because you can build relationships with the players,” sophomore defensive lineman Andy Swedenhjelm said. Last year, Kotelnicki’s 3-4 scheme was a major reason for the Bulldogs’ four-win improvement to 6-5 and 6-3 in the MIAA. The purple and white were better in every major defensive category from the 2005 defense under coordinator Aaron Rasset. That season, the Bulldogs permitted 37.5 points and 454.8 yards a contest. Kotelnicki’s defense finished fifth in the conference in scoring defense (25.8) and total defense (324.2 yards/game), statistically ranking as the best Bulldog defense since 2002. “He simplified things,” Swedenhjelm said of Kotelnicki. “We worked well with each other and made plays easy to understand. Everyone knew what they were doing.” Kuchinski, who was one of the finalists for the job after Rasset left before the 2006 season, will change little from a defense that retains sophomore defensive end and three-time MIAA Player of the Week Les Hammers, sophomore defensive end Courtney Jordan and senior defensive backs Jesse Cooper and James Thabuteau. The Bulldogs will have to replace several starters, including all-Region cornerback Josh Mayson and safety Chandler Terry, whom Kuchinski referred to as the “quarterback” of the defense. “We will stay with what we have been doing,” Kuchinski said. “Obviously, there are little things that you want to tweak here and there. I haven’t been able to watch all of the [tapes], but there were some things to change.” Taylor Gayle, a 5-foot-11, 185pound defensive back from Georgia and one of the top recruits for the Bulldogs, signed with the team Wednesday. He was unaware of the coaching change but said it doesn’t change his view of the program. Michael Phillips, a linebacker and one of two junior college players who joined the team at January, also said the move doesn’t effect his view of the program. “It doesn’t really matter to me,” Phillips said. The pressure will be on when the men’s swimming team arrives in Cleveland, Miss., for the New South Intercollegiate Swimming conference meet. The conference meet is the last scheduled event for the Bulldog swim teams before nationals and will serve as the last chance for the men to add to their list of four national qualifiers. Because of the importance of the meet, the men have been tapering, hoping the rest will help them achieve national qualifying marks. “I know we’re all going to swim fast at conference. It’s just a matter of how fast,” sophomore Alex Pippett said. The women look to win their seventh straight conference championship next week in Mississippi. Senior Whitney Wodstrchill, named Collegeswimming.com’s National Swimmer of the Week for the week of Jan. 29 to Feb. 4, heads a list of 15 women qualified for nationals, a number the women hope to expand to 18 at conference. Wrestling: Teams compete in open Wrestling head coach Dave Schutter got a bit of a break this week. After working to shuffle his wrestlers the last few weeks to cover as many weight classes as possible, the Truman grapplers found some relief with the Missouri Valley Open last weekend. With the open format, wrestlers worked individually rather than dualing as a team. “Some guys needed matches, and some guys needed rest,” Schutter said. “This open was an opportunity to do that.” Men’s Basketball: Drops from rankings The Bulldogs had a .500 week in the MIAA, splitting the game against Central Missouri and Southwest Baptist. The ’Dogs lost to then-No. 2 UCM 6647 last Wednesday but beat SBU 60-53 on Saturday. Despite the win, the Bulldogs fell out of the latest NCAA Div. II regional rankings released Wednesday. Last week, the purple and white were 10th in the South Central region. Head coach Jack Schrader didn’t seem to mind dropping out of the poll. “We shouldn’t be [in the poll],” Schrader said. “We are a .500 team in the region.” The top eight teams in the region qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Women’s Basketball: Two ’Dogs are struggling to not turn over the ball Two Bulldogs’ starters have struggled to keep the ball recently. Junior guard Julia Montebello has averaged five turnovers per game since returning from a hamstring injury. In those seven games, the ’Dogs have gone 3-4. Head coach John Sloop said Montebello is still working back into game shape, but it is one issue the team has been addressing. “She’s got to stop and make plays instead of making plays on the run. Not only the turnovers ... but when she makes passes,” he said. “It doesn’t do any good to throw a pass at the knees. You can’t shoot that shot.” At the same time, in the ’Dogs’ past two losses, sophomore forward Georgia Mueller has had some difficulty. Against Southwest Baptist, she had six turnovers, and versus Northwest, she lost the ball nine times. Leading up to those games, she had averaged 2.85 turnovers per game. %P:<LD -ILD 8E , K8K < $ F ? C < E 9 < I > 45%3$!9&%"25!29 PM "!,$7).!5$)4/2)5- . E@M< IJ @K P , < I @ < J 0RESENTS A THE ELDERS CELTIC ROCK BAND FROM KANSAS CITY &REETICKETSFOR4RUMAN STUDENTSFACULTYSTAFFWILLBE AVAILABLEON&EBWITHA 4RUMAN)$INTHE3TUDENT !CTIVITIES"OARD/FFICETHE #ENTERFOR3TUDENT )NVOLVEMENT35"'ENERAL ADMISSIONTICKETSMAYBE PURCHASEDATTHE%DNA #AMPBELL"OOKSTOREANDTHE 4RUMAN3TATE5NIVERSITY #ASHIERSWINDOW&ORMORE INFORMATIONCALL ORVISITOUR7EBSITEAT HTTPLYCEUMTRUMANEDU Mainstreet Market Feb. 12 to Feb. 16 Breakfast Special: Two Eggs, hashbrowns, sausage patty and China cup of Coffee $2.60 Sky Ranch Grill Special: Chicken Tender combo (#8) - $4.29 World’s Fair Cuisine French Onion Steak sandwich- $4.69 Honey Mustard BLT sandwich- $5.69 Classic Line Monday Roast Pork Loin Burgundy Mushroom Steak Teriyaki Cashew Tofu Tuesday BBQ Beef Brisket Chicken Breast Marsala Rigatoni w/ garlic, pin nuts, & tomatoes Wednesday Carved Turkey Carved Prime Rib Cheese Stuffed Manicotti $2.75/$4.05 $2.75/$4.05 $2.75/$4.05 $2.75/$4.05 $2.75/$4.05 $2.75/$4.05 $2.75/$4.05 $4.45/$5.75 $2.75/$4.05 Jazzman’s Special Grande Americano $1.29 Thursday Baked Ham Korean Chicken Southwestern Eggplant $2.75/$4.55 $2.75/$4.05 $2.75/$4.05 Friday Cheddar Crumb Cod Loin Lemon Pepper Chicken Breast Sweet & Sour Tofu w/ White Rice $3.05/$4.05 $2.75/$4.05 $2.75/$4.05 Blimpie Special Club with Bacon on Zesty Parmesan Bread $4.10 Freshens Special Pineapple Paradise $3.19 Index Thursday, February 8, 2007 17 Colon, others shine at Leif Ericson Invite second place on the day behind Augustana and in front of St. Ambrose. “Our sport is a lot of preparaIt seems senior weight and shot put thrower Ashley Colon tion,” Cochrane said. “You don’t call timeouts in our sport. A lot never has a bad day. The MIAA conference office of our coaching is before the acknowledged her as “Women’s meet. There are things that you Field Athlete of the Week” for can do to help people. You have her standout performance at the to be competitive enough not to Augustana Leif Ericson Invite let somebody beat you.” Junior Sean Bergstedt won last Saturday. Colon broke the school record his second consecutive and third for the second time in as many overall victory in the 55 meweeks, improving on her mark ter hurdles, with a time of 7.78 by nearly nine inches with a final seconds, and his 300 meter run, round, winning throw of 17.86 clocking in at 34.97 seconds, meters. Her throw set a new setting a new venue record. Sophomore twin brothers venue record and earned her an Jake and Joe Ackermann roundNCAA Div. II qualifying mark. Colon now has two victories ed out the top three in the 55 meand two second places finishes in ter hurdles. Jake finished close behind Bergstedt with a time of the weight throw this season. Freshman thrower Tessa Letuli 7.97 seconds, and Joe’s time of 8.05 seconds placed finished right behind him third. Colon in the weight The 4x200 and throw at 15.39 me- “[Bergstedt and 4x400 meter teams ters. Letuli also won Colon] are each won gold on the shot put thrownational Saturday, coming ing 12.58 meters, in at 92.39 seconds followed by Colon’s qualifiers. You and 3:25.1, respecsecond place toss of almost come to tively. Junior Char12.41 meters. “My season is go- expect greatness lie Brandhorst ran a time of 6.66 seconds ing as well as I want it out of them.” in the 55 meter run to go,” Letuli said. “I to capture his second came in with no real Jason Simpson consecutive victory. expectations for the Senior Distance Runner Senior distance weight throw. I take runner Kevin Crean it as they come.” claimed a new venJunior jumper Christen Lauer won the long ue record with a victory in the jump at 5.16 meters and finished mile run with a time of 4:22.81. second in the triple jump at 11.19 Senior Jason Simpson finished in meters. Lauer has finished in the second at 4:25.64, also bettering top three in the triple jump four the old venue record. “Personally, I am off to a times this season. Junior distance runner Jac- pretty good start,” Simpson said. quie Faust improved on the old “I had put in a lot of miles over venue record in the mile with a Christmas break. It’s kind of time of 5:14.75, good enough tough with the weather being as for third place. The 4x200 meter bad as it is lately.” Simpson said he is also imrelay team captured first with a pressed with his teammates. combined time of 1:47:03. “[Bergstedt, Colon] are naFreshman Amber Clayton won the 400 meters at 61:42, and tional qualifiers,” Simpson said. fellow classman Fiona Williams “You almost come to expect greatness out of them. I think won the 800 meters in 2:30.05. The women’s team finished they really handle it well with with 80 points on the day, com- the specialized coaching that we ing in ahead of Saint Ambrose have.” With two meets left before (Iowa) and behind overall winthe MIAA conference indoor ner Augustana College (Ill.). “This is what I call an old- championships, the women’s time track meet,” head coach team will head to Warrensburg, John Cochrane said. “It’s a deal Mo., this Thursday for the Mule where you line up and run, jump Relays and a chance to preview and throw and compete hard the conference meet venue. Bergstedt and the men’s team against people. It’s really what track and field is about. For the head to Warrensburg on Saturmost part, it was a good situa- day. The Bulldogs’ last regularseason meet takes place Feb. tion.” The men’s team fought hard 17, — the Knox Invitational in for their 66 points, finishing in Galesburg, Ill. BY KYLE MAGEE Staff Reporter Jackson Grove/Index Sophomore Blake Peterson holds Minnesota State-Mankato’s Andy Pickar during a meet Jan. 20. Peterson finished in fourth place at the Missouri Valley Open. He was one of three Bulldogs to place at the event. Three ’Dogs place at Open Swagman, Peterson and Nahlik all finish in top five last weekend, rest of team avoids injury at meet BY BEN YARNELL Staff Reporter Index Captains are supposed to lead by example. Last weekend, two of the wrestling captains did just that. At the Missouri Valley Open, three Bulldog wrestlers placed, including two of the team’s three co-captains. The three placings come after back-toback wins for the ’Dogs, who broke an eightdual losing streak. Head coach Dave Schutter said he was relatively pleased with the team’s showing this week. “We’re starting to get a little bit better as we head into the end of the year, which is what we wanted to do,” Schutter said. At 149 pounds, junior Chad Swagman led the way for the squad, placing third in his bracket. He made a statement throughout the tournament, pinning all four men he beat — two of whom were early in the first period. Swagman came into the tournament ranked No. 1 in his bracket. But, he ended up losing a close second match of the day 4-2 to unranked Theo Dotson of Cumberland University (Tenn.). As it turned out, the junior captain got another shot at Dotson in the third place match, where he beat him in just 1:22 in the first round. These four pins brought Swagman to a season total of 15 wins by pinfall. This brings him closer to where he set the bar his fresh- man season, when he won 21 of his matches with pins. Swagman said that although a win is a win, the pin is his preferred way of beating an opponent. “It’s just my style of wrestling,” he said. “I have a lot of trips and kinds of throws that will take a guy straight from his feet to his back. That makes it a lot easier to get a pin.” The speed of the pins he exhibited this weekend is also on par with his past. Of Swagman’s 46 career pins, half of them have been in the first period. The 149-pounder said the key for him is getting the job done quickly. “I have basically one move from on top that I like to run, a type of a three-quarter Nelson,” Swagman said. “... With that kind of a move, you get one chance to hit it, maybe two, on a good guy, and then they know it’s coming.” The other Bulldog captain to come away with a placing at the open was 165-pound sophomore Blake Peterson. The No. 1-ranked Peterson placed fifth in his field. Peterson started off strong, winning by technical fall early in the second round of his first match of the day against Kansas State University’s Ahsha Abu-Ali. He then went on to pin Rick Cook of McKendree College (Ill.) early in the first round. Peterson ran into some trouble when he was pinned in the second round of his match against unranked John Reader of Iowa State University. He rebounded, though, with a 11-4 major decision against Missouri Valley College’s own No. 5-ranked Chris Jones. The sophomore captain lost in a controversial third-place match to fourth-seeded Randy VanderVeen from Lindenwood University. “He beat everybody he should have,” Swagman said. “The last match was questionable. ... Obviously, you don’t want to blame a match on an outside factor.” Peterson finished the match with 59 seconds of riding time, just one second away from earning a point for riding, which would have made the difference in the match. Following in the footsteps of his captains was 133-pound junior Rob Nahlik, who placed fifth. Although Nahlik placed lowest of the three, he did come into the Open unranked and ended up facing No. 1-ranked Ryan Moyer from Lindenwood. Nahlik battled it out with Moyer into the third period but, in the end, was pinned. Nahlik’s said his performance this weekend was very important, because it was the first time he placed in the 133-pound bracket. Nahlik took over after junior Dan Keller’s season ended because of an ACL injury last December. “It felt good,” Nahlik said. “I definitely got a good draw, though. Luck always comes into play at some point.” This weekend will be the final test for the ’Dogs before heading into the regional tournament. The Truman grapplers will take on the third-ranked University of Central Oklahoma on Saturday. The ’Dogs then will face Oklahoma City University on Sunday. Schutter said the main goal for this weekend is simple. “[Central Oklahoma] probably has a national qualifier or an All-American at every class,” Schutter said. “We just want to make sure we keep everybody healthy and not get anybody banged up before regionals.” Landlord List 660-785-4319 For Rent For Rent: Large fivebedroom apartment in downtown, four blocks from campus. Washer/ dryer supplied. Water and trash paid. Available June 1. $1,000/month plus deposit. Call Ken at 660-216-8608. For Rent: New duplex apartments. Near downtown and four blocks from campus. Two-bedrooms, one walk-in closet, washer/dryer, dishwasher, central air, garbage disposal, refrigerator and range furnished. Also includes outside storage. May and August availability. Rent $400 to $425/month. Call 660-665-2796, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For Rent: See Tracy at Century 21 Whitney Agency, Inc. We have a lot of rentals still available for you to choose from for May or Aug. leases. 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With NFL scouts and pro personnel on hand, Murray stonewalled Leonard. “He didn’t even move,” Murray said Monday afternoon. “After that, I pretty much calmed down and just got more confident and calm and did really well.” The opening drill encapsulated the week for Murray, a first-team all-MIAA and secondteam Southwest Region offensive tackle last fall for the purple and white. Murray, competing as one of five MIAA players in the inaugural all-star game at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, delivered a solid performance against Div. I players. The only downside was a pulled hamstring suffered running the 40-yard dash Wednesday morning. Murray still played — including the entire second half — at offensive guard in Friday’s contest. He blocked for several high-profile athletes, including University of Maryland quarterback Sam Hollenbach and Louisiana State University running back Justin Vincent. “It was fun,” Murray said. “It was just kind of weird. You see all of these guys in their bowl games, and then you are blocking for these guys. ... I learned I could match up very well against Div. I players.” Murray also didn’t hurt his position for the upcoming NFL Draft. The three-year starter for the Bulldogs is listed as a free-agent pickup by several sources. His position remained the same after the contest. “He did not stand out or raise his stock enough to be drafted,” said Josh Buchanan, a draft analyst for d2football.com, in an e-mail. “He is still a free agent. He also did not play bad enough to where his stock fell.” After Wednesday morning, it appeared Murray would have trouble walking, much less blocking, Friday night. After practices Monday and Tuesday, the players were involved in a combine Wednesday to test various measureables, including the 40-yard dash. Murray, who usually runs the 40 in five seconds, had a strong start, but felt the injury at about 25 yards. He still finished in 5.1 seconds but could do little the next two days. The hamstring forced Murray out off the starting lineup. “I was barely able to walk until the day of the game,” he said. “The trainer was always working on me, giving me ice and treatment and getting me ready to play.” He was healthy enough to play Friday night. Murray’s team, led by Hall of Fame coach Buddy Ryan and former NFL offensive lineman Dan Neal, ran a simple offense typical of all-star games. In front of more than 20,000 fans at the Sun Bowl, the team ran a lot of basic run plays, including dives, traps and straight-ahead runs. Passing-wise, the quarterback did basic 3-to-5 step drops. Murray competed against many players who were far bigger than the MIAA defensive lineman, including 6-foot-3, 317-pound Missouri State University defensive tackle Renard McDaniel and Oklahoma State University lineman Walter Thomas. “Those are the biggest guys I have ever had to block,” Murray said. “I just had to focus more on getting into them before they had a chance to move. You have to stop them before they can get their weight going. It’s pretty much who can get their hands on each other first.” Even with the injury, Murray was pleased with his performance. In his four years for the Bulldogs, he faced only a few guys that had the size and strength of the Texas all-stars. “There were some when I got into the guy really well, then there were some that I just couldn’t do it because of my hamstring,” he said. “I thought I could have shown a lot more, but I think I did well.” Murray will next compete in front of scouts at a pro day. Because Truman isn’t a major college, Murray is trying to attend Div. I University of Missouri-Columbia or Missouri State University’s pro day. Even though Murray has played in two all-star games (he competed in the East Coast Bowl during Thanksgiving break), draft analysts still see room for improvement. Rob Rang, a draft analyst for NFLDraftScout. com, said in an e-mail that Murray could improve on his size and speed. Murray ranks behind MIAA player and Missouri Southern State offensive lineman Allen Barbre. Other than getting healthy, Murray could improve his footwork. The running back ran into him on one play in the Texas vs. Nation game. “He does need to work on his feet,” Buchanan stated. “He didn’t get off the ball [on that play] and open a hole for the back.” Even with those blemishes, though, Murray proved — from the first one-on-one drill Monday — he can play against Div. I athletes. Chris Tharp/Index Senior offensive lineman Pat Murray readies to protect sophomore quarterback Matt Ticich in a game last fall. Roller hockey takes down No. 2 University of Missouri-St. Louis A Team knocks off three more teams for perfect weekend, B Team struggles, going 0-3 BY CHRIS WALLER Staff Reporter Going into the weekend, Truman viewed its game against the University of MissouriSt. Louis as a must-win. Entering the third period, the team was losing. “This was the point that I pulled the team together,” Senior A Team captain Jimmy Cruse said. “We just had to keep playing our game. I told the team that if we play together, and we play hard, there is no one out there that can beat us.” After playing for 24 minutes, the Bulldogs found themselves trailing by one goal. Knowing a loss would put them at a disadvantage for the rest of the season, the Bulldogs knew what they had to do and came back for the second period focused on winning. Forty seconds into the third period, UMSL “At the end, John Pecher threw his defensemen Kirk O’Donnell was booked gloves off,” Nedelec said. “You would think with a two-minute unsportsmanlike conduct we won the Stanley Cup or something. In penalty, creating a power play the third period, we really and leaving the door wide open took the wind out of the sails for junior forward Dane Moody of the UMSL team. Our speed “At the end, John and our floor checks won that to knot the score at 2-2. The tying goal was enough Pecher threw his game.” to motivate the ’Dogs to play Truman’s weekend was gloves off. You not over after the UMSL the stonewall defense they have played all season. Junior goalie would think we game, however, as the team John Pecher saved seven shots won the Stanley was forced to come back to in the third period, allowing earth to play two more games. Cup or Truman to mount a 3-0 scoring After winning, Truman had a something.” run and end the game 4-2. half-game lead over UMSL in With the victory, the Bullthe standings and would guarJoe Nedelec dogs moved from No. 5 to No. antee a first-place spot in the Head Coach 2 in the NCRHA Div. II poll. division if the team could win The Bulldogs (12-1-0), who its next three matchups. lead the Great Plains Division The ’Dogs did not falter, over UMSL (12-1-1), trail only Neumann beating Southeast Missouri State University College (Penn.) in the national rankings. 11-1, St. Louis University 4-2, and finally Head coach Joe Nedelec said the week- Missouri State University 7-2. Once again end was one of the most exciting of the sea- the Bulldogs managed to dominate their opson, and the team played in top form. ponents, scoring more than five goals for PICK-a-DILLY QUICK STOP Now open until midnight on Friday and Saturday! Hand-dipped ice cream Hunt Bros. Pizza Lower prices on beer and cigarettes Huge walk-in beer vault Pick-a-Dilly customer rewards bp features quality Amoco Ultimate, Silver, and Unleaded fuels. Use your bp card and receive a 5% rebate! 1112 S. Baltimore (corner ot Baltimore and Patterson) every one they let in. Nedelec also said now that the UMSL game is out of the way, the team has to focus on its fundamentals to ensure it doesn’t fall out of first place in the Great Plains Division. “One of the big things is that if we finish first we get a bye in the first round of regionals,” Nedelec said. “And now that is our main goal. Unless we really screw up, we will meet our season-long goal of making nationals, so now our motivation is to win the rest of our games and finish first. That would give us a long rest, and we wouldn’t have to play until Sunday of the first weekend of nationals.” While the A Team is enjoying life at the top of their division, with hopes of a No. 1 national ranking, the B Team now sits only one spot from the bottom of the rankings in the B division. The B Team is now 1-11-1 after losing yet another set of three games last weekend. Every team in the B division makes the playoffs, but with its current record, the squad looks to draw some very tough opponents. Senior forward Shady Hawatmeh said the team played to the best of their capabilities, but a lack of experience kept the team from winning close games. “Other teams are just better than us,” Hawatmeh said. “We have a good team, but we just didn’t have it together. We were short a couple of players this weekend, we also have a freshman goalie who lacks some experience and isn’t used to this level of play, even though he is showing a lot of improvement.” The B Team has not lost the will to play, though. For them, the season is not over until the last game is played. They will try to win games. “We have to win if we are going to get a good playoff spot,” Hawatmeh said. “We see these as must-win games. We get to play a lot of teams over again, and we have progressed as a team and as individuals. I think we will do a lot better in the playoffs than we did in the season.” Vista Heights Apartments 660-665-9244 . 660-626-3914 2202 S. Marion Now leasing one- and two-bedroom units • New appliances • New carpet • New vinyl • Central air • Gas heat • On-site laundry • Free shuttle service to and from campus • On-site manager • 24-hour maintenance • Pets welcome while while they last... Index Thursday, February 8, 2007 19 SCHUPBACH l NORTHWESTl Bulldogs fall to Bearcats Senior has set new career highs in points and rebounds in past month Continued from Page 15 a one-point lead 49-48. However on 23.5 percent shooting the ’Dogs scored only four more points, and the Bearcats were able to convert their late onepoint lead into a 13-point victory, 66-53. Schupbach said the Bearcats capitalized more on the ’Dogs’ offensive struggles than on any defensive lapses. “We had some good looks at the end,” she said. “They just seemed to not be falling. I know I had three, four shots at the end right under the hoop that I thought were going in for sure.” Sloop said the loss was especially disappointing given that the team played better Saturday than it did in its Feb. 1 win against the University of Central Missouri. “We didn’t make any shots all day, and I thought in every other aspect, we played as well if not outplayed [Southwest],” he said. “We just struggled with wideopen threes and layups,” A victory against Southwest Baptist would have been huge for Truman’s postseason hopes. Sloop said the team still is in a good position to make the MIAA tournament, but it did miss an opportunity to further those chances. “It would’ve helped to have a tiebreaker over them, but we still have six games left, and we’re one of seven teams within three games of each other right now,” he said. Continued from Page 15 “You have to go every time, loss to Quincy (Ill.) University, and she’s not afraid to stick her Schupbach scored a career-high nose in there with bigger, stron23 points, breaking the mark she ger people,” he said. had set less than a week earlier Mueller said Schupbach huswith 22 against Central Missouri. tles after every shot and keeps “She’s been in a rhythm her eye on the ball, giving her lately, and she’s been great for that extra edge against less agus,” Sloop said. “She’s, inch for gressive opponents. inch, man or woman, the best “I know that if I can get it, offensive rebounder I’ve ever I always try to tip it and let coached, most tenaNatalie get it and cious kid, total team hope that I tipped player — there is it enough that Natanot a selfish bone in “You have to go lie will be able to her body.” every time, and pick it up,” Mueller Schupbach said she’s not afraid said. she tries to focus For her teammore on rebounding to stick her nose mates, though, and defense than on Schupbach brings in there with scoring. more than a solid “Rebounds are bigger, stronger offensive line. people.” huge in games,” she Mueller said she’s said. “Extra possesnever played with John Sloop sions will help us, so anyone who husHead Coach if the opportunity is tled as much as there, I’m going to Schupbach does, go for the boards.” which encourages Her approach seems to have the entire team to follow her paid off. example. Last season, Schupbach led “You know that she’s going the MIAA in offensive rebound- to be in there rebounding, you ing and was fourth in overall know that she’s going to work boards, earning her 13th place on hard, and that’s amazing to be Truman’s all-time rebounds list. able to do that, to be able to go This season, she nearly av- out there and give it your all everages eight rebounds a game, ery game,” Mueller said. fourth in the MIAA and has Sloop said the team will miss moved up to eighth all-time in Schupbach, the team’s lone seTruman rebounding history. nior, next season, and the BullSloop said Schupbach’s dog basketball program has speed, tenacity and competi- loved having her. tiveness make her a formidable “I’d take a whole team full of rebounder. Natalies in a heartbeat,” he said. ON A ROLL Senior forward Natalie Schupbach has turned her season around after a slow start in MIAA play. She has broken her career high in points twice in the past five games and set a new career-high for rebounds Saturday. Here are her splits: First four games Pts./Game 3. 2 Rebounds/Game Pct. 7. 2 13. 3 Last nine games 12. 8 8. 4 46. 3 Design by Patrick Rembecki/Index TURNOVERSl MIRRORED IMAGE For the second time this season, the Bulldogs had trouble against the stifling defense of rival Northwest Missouri State. Wednesday night at Pershing Arena, the Bulldogs were held to 22 second-half points and lost by 14. Northwest, one of the hottest teams in the country, swept both of its games against the Bulldogs this season. Game splits against Northwest: Statistic Total points Field goal 3-pt FG Turnovers Turnover Margin Personal Fouls First game 52 pts. 36 pct. 17.6 pct. 19 -13 28 Second game 50 pts. 39.2 pct. 26.3 pct. 12 -5 10 Design by Patrick Rembecki/Index MEN l Bulldogs have -33 turnover margin in six MIAA losses, +2 in seven wins Continued from Page 15 sometimes against great defensive teams. Those things are going to happen a few times a year. If this team is going to make the NCAA Tournament, if this team is going to pull off even back-to-back conference wins, it must reduce turnovers and keep opponents from getting points in transition. “We just have to play solid offensively and defensively,” Schrader said Monday. “No dramatics. We just have to play solid and pretty tough. The turnovers happened when we were hurried and hectic. We just have to be solid.” The Bulldogs had a couple stretches Wednesday that allowed Northwest to take the lead. Overall, they turned the ball over 12 times. Anytime you can get a few turnovers and turn them into points, it relaxes the offense,” Northwest head coach Steve Tappmeyer said. “The baskets come a little bit easier. And probably, during that stretch where we got a little separation we got a couple of those – key turnovers that we turned into buckets.” The Bulldogs haven’t won a confer- ence game when they have turned the ball over less than 10 times. In their six conference losses, they have a -33 turnover margin and average 16 turnovers a game. In the seven conference wins, the Bulldogs average just 9.5 turnovers a game and have a +2 turnover margin. In four of those victories, they have turned the ball eight times or less. Their assist to turnover ratio is much better in wins (1.55) than losses (0.79). The difference is huge. “They are not going to beat themselves,” said Jeff Guiot, Southwest Baptist head coach. “They are going to make them beat you.” And when the Bulldogs have beaten themselves, things haven’t looked good. Schrader said that entering Wednesday, the team has turned the ball over in more than 20 percent of its possessions four times. Once came in a blowout win against Fort Hays State when the Bulldogs got sloppy in the final minutes and made some uncharacteristic mistakes. The other three games are against Northwest (24 percent) and Central (24 and 28 percent). Those are the worst three losses by the purple and white this season. Those are also the two best teams in the conference, but they are also the teams the Bulldogs need to play close games against to have a chance of making the tournament. It’s simple: The Bulldogs must start accumulating wins. When they win basketball games, they keep a low turnover total. And that needs to happen in the final five games. They face four teams that are ranked below them in the conference and one (Emporia State) that is nationally ranked and beat the ’Dogs by three. “They have to win the games against the teams that are ranked lower than them,” said Robert Corn, Missouri Southern State head coach said. “Winning a game against a team above them would help them a lot.” They likely need to win the rest of their contests to have a chance to make the field of 64. The Bulldogs fell out of the top 10 in the South Central Region polls. They need to finish in the top eight. Wins — and fewer turnovers as a result — will make a huge difference in determining the rest of the schedule. Bulldogs are 13-8 and 7-6 in the conference after dropping game to Northwest Continued from Page 15 Reigning MIAA freshto the bottom of the confer- man of the year Colt Blair ence. Our goal at the begin- had the roughest day shootning of the season was to ing for the Bearcats. Beget back to the cause of heavy national tournaguarding by ment.” Banks Estridge, “That three in The Bulldogs Blair hit just the corner — I 2-of-11 shots, were able to secure the vic- don’t know how including 2-oftory by shutting many three’s that 10 from long down the hot range. SBU shooters. kid [Fandja] has, Blair wasn’t In the Bearcats’ the only one to but it can’t be previous action too many. That struggle from against Misbeyond the 3was a big play. point line. As a souri Western, the team shot a team, SBU hit Jeff Guiot scorching 65.5 5-of-19 from Southwest Baptist percent from the long distance. Head Coach field. On SaturIn the first half day the Bulldogs the Bearcats held SBU to just were 0-for-13 32.8 percent shooting. from 3-point range. “We had two poor pracSBU’s Jason Jemison, tices,” said Jeff Guiot, the the third leading scorer in Southwest Baptist head the conference with 17.2 coach. “When you practice points per game was hampoorly, you play poorly.” pered by back spasms and Kirby. The senior guard was held to just six points in the contest. While the Bulldog defense showed up ready to play, the offense started slowly. Schrader said the team might have been experiencing the effects from their loss to UCM. “I think we played our worst game of the year at Central Missouri, and we had a little hangover from that in the first half,” Schrader said. “In the second half, we settled down and played Bulldog basketball.” After going in at halftime with just a two-point lead, the Bulldogs were able to expand their lead in the second half thanks to improved shooting. The team went from shooting 35.5 percent in the first half to 63.6 percent in the second to secure the seven- point victory. The game was close throughout The largest lead in the game was only nine points by the Bulldogs late in the contest. The nine-point lead came at the conclusion of a 15-4 run that was started by an unlikely source. Sophomore forward Patrick Fandja sank a 3-pointer from the right corner with the shot clock winding down. The 6-foot-6 big man from Cameroon, Africa, had not attempted a 3-point shot before in his career as a Bulldog. “That three in the corner — I don’t know how many threes that kid has, but it can’t be too many,” Guiot said. “That was a big play.” Next up, the Bulldogs make the long trip to Washburn, Kan., to take on the Washburn Ichabods. The ’Dogs beat the Ichabods 60-45 at Pershing Arena on Jan. 13. WWW.TRUMANRENTALS.COM Chris Tharp/Index Sophomore guard Banks Estridge dribbles by a Southwest Baptist defender Saturday. Estridge has scored 29 points in the last two games. Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbian and Gays Providing Affordable Student Housing for over 21 years. Boardwalk l Waterworks l Park Place l States Avenue l St. James Place l New York Avenue Introducing a new local chapter of PFLAG: PFLAG-NEMO Second Tuesday of every month 6:30- 8:30 p.m. Adair County Ambulance District Training Office 606 West Potter Next meeting Feb. 13 “Our goal is to keep loving families together and help to understand each other.” Four Horizons Realty 703 N. Marion St. Kirksville, MO 63501 660-342-2078 hotline call Sherri 660-341-1871 for general Info www.pflag-nemo.org [email protected] 660-665-RENT www.4horizonsrealty.com PFLAG is the nation’s foremost family-based organization committed to the civil rights of gays, lesbians, bisexual, and transgender persons. Founded in 1973 by mothers and fathers, PFLAG has 200,000 members and supporters in more than 500 chapters throughout the United States. Check out their web site at pflag.org. We are not a religious or political group. C Y M K Index Thursday, February 8, 2007 20 Confrontation stokes fire in Stokes Sophomore swimmer on a hot streak after run-in with head coach BY BLAKE TOPPMEYER Staff Reporter Head coach Mark Gole had never been more upset at a swim meet than he was during the Nov. 18 dual at the University of Missouri-Columbia. The normally laid-back Gole was furious at sophomore Jason Stokes. While the rest of the team was in the water warming up, Stokes was conversing with former club teammates. Gole told Stokes he needed to be preparing for his races. When Stokes failed to heed his advice, Gole issued his freestyle swimmer a tongue lashing and pulled him from one of his events. “I was yelling to the point where I was shaking,” Gole said. “I’ve never even yelled at somebody that bad before.” The confrontation between Gole and Stokes on the pool deck at Missouri was one of the valleys in a relationship that has had its highs and lows. In the past, they have had disagreements on training and race strategy. “We’re both very stubborn,” head coach Mark Gole said. “He was trained a certain way prior to coming here. ... Basically, we didn’t really quite see eye-to-eye on everything right away. But he is coming around nicely. He’s starting to swim races how I want him to.” After the meet against Missouri, Gole and Stokes patched up any holes in their relationship. Both of them realize how important the other is to the team’s success. Stokes said he has always thought his relationship with Gole was “pretty good,” and the incident last November was more of a Athlete of the Week Grant Agbo Sport: Basketball Year: Senior Position: Forward Hometown: Ferguson, Mo. The 6-foot-6 Agbo scored a team-high 13 points in the Bulldogs’ 60-53 win against Southwest Baptist. The senior forward has been the team’s most accurate shooter, hitting 52.6 percent of his shots. The 2004 MIAA Freshman of the Year is the team’s second-leading scorer with 11.1 points per game. disagreement than an indication of what their relationship is like. “[Gole] is a great guy,” Stokes said. “He knows what he’s talking about. ... He’s been to the national level, he knows what it takes to get there and I feel confident in his coaching ability.” Since that meet at Missouri, Stokes has compiled some of the best swims in his collegiate career. He began the hot stretch in the Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 Miami (Ohio) Invite when he, along with senior Tom Applegate and juniors Ryan Ferrell and Alex Totura, qualified for nationals with an A cut time of 1:23.49 in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Stokes also claimed a B cut time of 21.35 in the 50-yard freestyle at Miami. From there, the good swims just kept coming, especially in the 50-yard freestyle. He swam 21.82 in his signature event in the Jan. 27 meet against the University of Missouri-Rolla and followed it up the next day, swimming 22.02 against Drury University (Mo.). “I thought the difference in what I saw of Jason when we swam against them [Jan. 27] versus last year was that he appears to be stronger,” said Rolla head coach Doug Grooms, who recruited Stokes while he was in high school. “... I think Truman is very fortunate to have him because he has an awful lot of talent, and he seems to be developing quite well in his first two years.” Stokes looks to keep the momentum rolling at the Feb. 14 to 17 New South Intercollegiate Swimming conference meet, where he will try to add B cuts in the 100- and 200yard freestyle to his national résumé. He also will be a significant cog in the Bulldogs’ freestyle relays, trying to fill the void created after Tony Wolfe and Josh Otis graduated from the team that finished 11th at nationals last year. “We’re looking at [Stokes] playing a major role on this team this year and years to come,” Gole said. “I think he’s just going to gradually mature into the swimmer he’s capable of being.” Being a key component of a quality team is nothing new for Stokes. He was a member of the Blue Springs High School swim team that won the 2004 Missouri state title. Although the experience was invaluable, Stokes said his demeanor prior to the race has changed since his high school days. “In high school, I was always the one trying to get everybody up and amped for the race, ... and I’d help them get that adrenaline rush before the race,” Stokes said. “Now I really don’t talk a lot before my race. I’m really calm.” One thing that hasn’t changed about Stokes is his mentality once he dives into the water. Gole said that although Stokes might lack intensity at times in training, he never questions his desire to win once the race starts. “He’s always wanting to beat someone, whether it’s a teammate or some guy he knows from high school that goes to a different college,” sophomore Alex Pippett said. “I would say no matter who it is, it’s always no mercy for him. ... He’s always got that same fire. He always wants to win.” If the Bulldogs want to duplicate their conference and national performances from last year, they need Stokes to keep up his competitive drive. His teammates and Gole realize how important Stokes is to their team. They just hope he does, too. “The sky is the limit for him,” sophomore Darren McDivitt said. “... [Stokes] is really, really talented, and [Gole] has been trying to get him to work his butt off. Hopefully, he can keep doing that, and we’ll see what he can do at conference and nationals.” Agbo drives ’Dogs’ offense Senior is having his best season since being named MIAA Freshman of the Year BY BEN YARNELL Staff Reporter Grant Agbo has one goal this year. He just wants to make sure it all was worth it. The senior forward from Ferguson, Mo., has been one of the most dominant players on the Bulldog basketball squad this season. For him, it’s all part of the bigger goal of a national title bid in his last season on the team. “Anytime as a senior, you’re at a point where you’ve come in and give four years of blood, sweat and tears — you want it to be memorable,” Agbo said. Agbo’s dominance on the floor shows up best in his offensive stats. His 52.6 shooting percentage leads the team. He is second in scoring averaging 11.1 points per game. Coming in at 6-foot-6, 288 pounds, Agbo said he knows his formidable presence is essential to the way he plays the game. “My size is a very important tool,” Agbo said. “Because of my strength, I can just post up real low under the basket. I think me being left-handed also helps, too. It kind of catches people off guard.” That power is a huge key to the game plan of men’s basketball head coach Jack Schrader. Schrader said he has seen Agbo’s game develop in several different areas. “He’s suffered through some adversity in different injuries and ailments, which has made him more mentally tough,” Schrader said. “... He brings that part of his personality to the locker room and provides a lot of strong stability to the team.” When it comes to fashioning his game, he takes his lead from the other great big men of basketball. “Growing up, I really liked watching Hakeem Olajuwon,” Agbo said. “He had these moves that were just so amazing for a guy his size, at 7-foot. He just completely changed the game.” Agbo admits he still has some spots he needs to work out in his game. One spot he said he is focusing on now is staying out of foul trouble. Agbo leads the team in personal fouls with 54, fouling out of two conference games. But life on the court is just one of part of Agbo’s persona. The exercise science major says that when he isn’t tweaking his game, he is likely to be found enjoying some of his favorite music. “Mostly, I really like to listen to hip-hop and R&B,” Agbo said. “I like Nas, Biggie — mostly East Coast rappers. As far as R&B goes, I like Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown and I really like the Pussycat Dolls.” Once the end of the season comes, whenever that might be, Agbo said he isn’t too sure what is up next for him. “I know that I’m going to be finishing up school here in the next year or so, and then I’m just going to be going wherever the great Lord may want me to go,” Agbo said. l! paño s e a l e hab S Le Coin Français & La Casa Hispánica -Great location -Newly renovated rooms & lounge -Immersion activities in our new location in Missouri Hall Photos and design by Chris Tharp/Index Ici, on parle f rançai s -Movies -Meals -Music -Cultural activities Accepting applications for next year! Deadline: Friday, Feb. 9 For more information or to receive an application, contact: Dr. Timothy Farley [email protected] Le Coin français Dr. Carol Marshall [email protected] La Casa Hispánica Apren de de fran un poco cés Applications also available online at the Residence Life and the Classical and Modern Language Web sites. n peu u z e n Appre nol g d’espa