Buses ease hustle and bustle for students

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V o l. 7 9
Buses ease hustle and bustle for students
ing at preset destinations alternately every
half an hour.
The paratransit service, called St. Joseph
Transit Direct, offers
something more like a
taxi service. People
who do not live near
one of the fixed
routes can call St.
Joseph Transit for a
reservation.
The
Direct service will
arrive at the address
given within a half
an hour window of
time.
Diane Duff, who has
worked for the Transit
for five years as a dispatcher, said she recommends riders call for the service at least an hour to a full day
before service is needed.
“Our most common complaint is
that we can’t give an exact time
when the bus will be there,” Duff
said. “They have to watch for the bus
during that half an hour window, and
some miss it because it only waits
for one minute.”
See Bus routes page 7
Sheila Thiele
Assistant Features Editor
sct0656@griffon.mwsc.edu
In the hustle and bustle of today’s
society, a lack of transportation can
put a significant roadblock in daily
plans, especially in a town like St.
Joseph.
Non-traditional
student
and
Spanish major Katsko Kiajo rides the
bus to school because she has no car.
“It really helps out that it’s cheaper
than owning a car and more reliable,”
Kiajo said. “I don’t have to worry
about parking.”
The St. Joseph Transit has kept residents on the go since 1873 when the
city’s first streetcar line began. The
company has since evolved to their
current fixed-route and paratransit
services, which cover the city limits.
Kiajo said the same bus drivers usually pick her up, which allows her to
get to know them.
Driver Don Tolin spends his shifts
on the East Hills route, which covers
East
Hills
Shopping
Center,
Heartland Regional Medical Center
and Missouri Western. Tolin said he
has several people coming out to the
college on his route.
“Some of my riders are even teachers,” Tolin said. “Most are regulars.
I’ve had some new ones lately.”
Tolin, who drives a museum trolley
in the summer, said he enjoys his job
for meeting different people, even
though he may not know their names.
The East Hills route is one of two
fixed routes in St. Joseph. It has three
buses, which alternately arrive at several preset destinations twice an hour.
Buses usually arrive on campus
between 20 and 25 minutes after the
hour and five minutes till the hour.
The Belt Highway fixed route runs
two buses between Wal-Mart and
South Belt K-Mart, with buses arriv-
LaTonya Williams
News Editor
ltw8295@griffon.mwsc.edu
North Belt
Transfer
Station
Krug Park
S T. JOSEPH
233-6700
East Belt
Transfer
Station
Downtown
Transfer
Station
Missouri Western
State College
Hwy. 36
Above: The colored routes red and purple shown on
the map are the set pattern of the St. Joseph Transit.
Left: A bus in the St. Joseph Transit waits for its pas sengers.
Photo by- Dan Grover,
Illustration by-Brad Harbold
Events join in celebration of Black History Month
News Writer
February is a time of love, hugs, valentines...and history? As most of people
may or may not already know, the
month of February is dedicated exclusively to celebrating African American
history.
Missouri Western joins in the monthlong celebration of Black History Month
with many activities and programs for
the college and the community. This
year, the staff of Unity Services has been
working to create events to top last
February’s Black History functions.
Sandy Rogers, coordinator of Unity
Services, is impressed with her intern
staff and how hard they have worked.
Inside Today
CONTRACT UP: Aramark food
services contract closes out this
year and Missouri Western began a
bid process to determine who would
be awarded the contract to be the
sole food provider on campus.
Page 2.
HIGH-TECH KEYS: Additions are
nothing out of the ordinary for
Missouri Western classrooms.
Hundreds of dollars in up-to-date
electronics, used to assist students
with their education, are becoming
commonplace throughout the college. Page 4.
Accuweather.com
weather
Tuesday 2/06
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Wednesday 2/07
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Cold, cloudy
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Thursday 2/08
Saturday 2/10
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Cloudy
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High:30, Low:28
SNOWY
Winds:S 11mph
index
news
opinion
features
2, 3, 4
5
6, 7
entertainment 8
sports
additional copies
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50¢
No. 15
Gospel event
sings praise
to the Lord
South Belt
Transfer
Station
Tana Wiles
PA I D
PERMIT NO. 32
St. JOSEPH, MO
“They’re very interested and are real- speakers, historian Anthony Cohen and
ly into their work,” Rogers said, “I’ve Trooper James G. Madison of the
been very happy with them. They’re Buffalo Soldiers.
In 1996, Cohen
great!”
retraced the Underground Railroad,
According to www.worldbook.com, traveling 800 miles in six weeks, using
Black History Month is “an annual the methods of fugitive slaves.
observance,
in
Madison,
the
February, of the
national vice prespast achievements
ident
of
the
and current status
Buffalo Soldiers
For more related coverage of Black hisof
African
Ninth and Tenth
tory month see Page 3.
Americans.” Black
Horse
Cavalry,
History
Month
describes his assofirst began in 1926
ciation
in his
as Negro History Week. Fifty years speech, A Youth’s Charge to Keep,
later, in 1976, Negro History Week Remember the Legacy, Record the Deeds.
changed its name and grew to include Madison’s speech will be Feb. 6 at 12:30
the entire month of February.
p.m. in the Leah Spratt Multipurpose
The events planned include two Classroom Building, rooms 214-216.
Black history month
On Feb. 21, Shanese Shields, an
intern for Unity Services will moderate
and participate in a talent show showcasing African dance, poetry, singing
and a reenactment of Martin Luther
King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech. The
showcase will be at 7 p.m. in Nelle Blum
Student Union, rooms 218-219.
Many people believe that Black
History Month is strictly for the education of black Americans. Is it important
for everyone to join in the celebration of
African-American leaders, no matter
what race a person might be? Shields
answers this difficult question.
“I think everyone should use black history month as a celebration and a time
to gain knowledge,” Shields said.
See Black history page 2
“Wherever the spirit is, the Lord
is,” said Rev. Mary McDonald to her
congregation of 200 students and
members of the community.
The Lord was in the Thompson E.
Potts Fine Arts Building on Feb. 4.
The Ebony Collegians (TEC) hosted
the
15th
annual
Gospel
Extravaganza, with McDonald as
mistress of ceremonies.
The Gospel Extravaganza originated in 1987 to provide a way for
students to their love for God in
their newfound home away from
home. TEC desired to put together
a celebration that created an atmosphere of praise involving both the
college and the surrounding communities. LaShandra Acklin, president
of TEC, feels having the event is
worthwhile.
“It’s a great way to bring diversity
to the campus,” Acklin said. “It also
gets the community involved.
This year, choirs and spiritual
dance groups gathered from the St.
Joseph, Kansas City and Elwood,
Kan., areas.
McDonald thinks that anytime
there’s an opportunity for people
who believe in the Lord Jesus to
express that, it’s a good thing.
“The Extravaganza also draws
outside of the campus to bring the
community together,” McDonald
said. “That’s what Jesus came to
do. The event’s in the same spirit.”
The Bible says we should delight
ourselves and the audience did.
There were seven acts involved this
year, including the First Baptist
Mass Choir from Elwood, the St.
Joseph Community Choir and a
dance group from Central Middle
School in Kansas City. The St.
Joseph Community Choir sang
Lord, I’m Standing in the Need,
with Merlynn Hughes singing solo
and Jesus, you’re all I need. The
First Baptist Mass Choir from
Elwood sang, It’s only a test, with
Evangelist Byrd singing solo.
Several students performed,
including Asa Barnes, Shay Martin,
Kryss Franklin and Tywanna
Brown.
“It’s not every day we get to
express our roots on campus,”
Brown said. “A plus is we get to
praise the Lord with our peers.”
Audience members were filled
with the spirit of the Lord. They
sang, they danced and they prayed.
Aileen Vaughn, a TEC member, feels
See Gospel event page 2
SGA amends outdated constitution, changes by-laws
Stephanie Howard
Editor in Chief
slh8016@griffon.mwsc.edu
Effective Aug. 1, 2001, many changes
will be made to the Student Government
Association constitutional by-laws.
The SGA met Saturday to discuss and
vote on these changes. Student
Government President Olu Aregbe was
pleased with the outcome of the convention.
“The fact that we got something
accomplished as a senate, which a lot of
past senates and presidents have
always said they were going to do,
makes me happy,” Aregbe said.
“Hopefully, this will set the pace for the
future.”
The first by-law passed involved the
training of senators. Aregbe proposed
all senators go through an orientation
process in order to review the constitution and by-laws, Roberts’ rules of order SGA President Olu Aregbe sits next to Vice President Kari Kemper as they lead the conven and the Missouri Western policy guide. tion in discussing changes to the SGA constitution.
Aregbe said this wold be a vital process
in the training of new senators because with Aregbe.
Crouse, who is also a senator, said he
it allows them to understand how SGA
“It would open another chair in the does not agree with the change.
works before they are asked to vote on senate,” Kemper said. “The regent is
“I thought we spent too much time on
issues.
already so involved.”
the issue,” Crouse said. “The student
“They would know how a resolution
The senate voted to make an amend- regent position is separate from SGA.
becomes policy,” Aregbe said. “I
just ment to the constitution, which makes SGA is governed by the college, and my
thought it would be wise to have.”
the student regent an ex officio officer of position is appointed by the state.”
One big change made was the propos- the executive board.
The senate decided to go with the
al from Aregbe was the student regent
Dean of Student Affairs Don Willis change in the constitution. Because it
should not be a voting member of the suggested making the correction to the deals with changing the constitution
senate.
constitution and making the regent a and not by-laws, it will have to be voted
“The student regent has a lot of influ- liaison between the senate and the on by the student body during the presience,” Aregbe said.
Board of Regents.
dential election. Therefore, Crouse will
Kari Kemper, vice president, agreed
Current Student Regent Taylor be allowed to finish his term as senator.
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The senate voted to up-date all the bylaws regarding election rules and regulations for all branches. According the
proposed changes, each candidate will
be limited to 30 posters (each not to
exceed 2 feet by 3 feet) and three banners (not to exceed 5 feet by 12 feet). No
campaigning will be placed within 10
feet of a voting terminal. All alleged violations will be reported to the
projects/campus organizations director
in writing within 24 hours of incident.
Voting will be held between 7 a.m. and
11:59 p.m. for two consecutive days.
Most of the changes made to these bylaws were merely updating the constitution to state what senate voted on in
previous years but never got around to
amending, said Willis.
“The SGA finally addressed issues
that were long overdue,” Willis said. “A
lot of things were outdated by technology or numbers.”
Willis cited the proposal to amend the
by-laws to read “Residence Council” as
opposed to “Residence Association” or
“Dormitory Association” as it was currently stated. Willis said the senate
voted many years ago to call the organization Residence Council, but no one
went back to the constitution to change
it.
Other proposal brought forth involved
meeting agendas and seating. A proposal to make SGA president the presiding
officer of senate meeting as opposed to
the vice president was table to the
Legislative Committee for further discussion.
C M Y K
News
Page 2 • Tuesday, February 6, 2001
T H E
News Notes
LaTonya Williams
News Editor
ltw8295@griffon.mwsc.edu
“My experience and skills include
the areas of supervision, management, and organization,” said the
new coordinator of Unity Services.
Sandy Rogers has been named
coordinator for Unity Services, and
Deatra Tyler is the Payroll coordinator.
Both feel the job switch was
made because it was the right time
for it.
“Deatra and I were both ready
for a change,” Rogers said. “So
when the opportunity arose, we
took it.”
816 STUDENTS ANNOUNCED
ON THE DEAN’S AND
PRESIDENT’S HONOR ROLL
IN THE FALL 2000 SEMESTER
Josh Hall
Opinion Writer
The Aramark Food Services contract closes
out this year, and Missouri Western began a bid
process to determine who would be awarded the
contract to be the sole food provider on campus
for the next eight years.
On Jan. 25, the bid deadline closed and chosen faculty members gathered in the presidential dining room to determine who the winner of
the contract would be.
As the envelopes were opened, there were several companies that returned no-bids or in other
words didn’t attempt to win the contract. Those
returning no bids included Great Western
Dining, HDS Services, Fine Host, and
Ameriserve. In the end, only one company
returned a bid for this contract, and that company was Aramark.
“I was surprised by the no-bids,” Don Willis,
dean of Student Affairs, said. “I was expecting
The Pony Express Museum will be
hosting four presenters in a series of
Tuesday Night Talks at their facility
located at 914 Penn St. The talks, which
began on Jan. 9 and run every Tuesday at
7 p.m., consist of a theme and featured
speaker on various topics from the 1800s.
Continuing in the series, Jerry Russell
will discuss death and rituals in the 19th
Century on Feb. 6, Dee Harris will tell
about the life of the Harvey Girls on Feb.
13, Marshall White will present music of
old time St. Joe on Feb. 20, and Joe Houts
will discuss the myths behind Pony Rider
Johnny Fry and Mayor Jeff Thompson to
conclude the series on Feb. 27. For more
information, contact Beth A. Conway at
279-5059.
• The Griffon News will
sell Valentine Ads, 12
p.m.-1 p.m. and 4:30
p.m.-6:15 p.m., outside
the cafeteria.
• Buffalo Soldier speaker, 12:30 p.m., MC 214216. For more information, contact Unity
Services at 271-4451.
• Advanced Landscaping
III, 6-9 p.m., Missouri
Conservaton Dept., room
208. Classes held on
Tuesdays.
Wednesday, Feb. 7
• The Griffon News will
sell Valentine Ads, 12
motivational ways will always be
there to help us along the way.”
Students have wondered about
how fast the switch was made.
Rogers assures that the change
was legit.
“The position changes were a
trade between departments,”
Rogers said, “with the agreement
of Don Willis, dean of Student
Affairs, and Dan Eckhoff, Bursar
and payroll supervisor.”
Unity Services is also in the
process of looking for a director to
replace Howard Milton who left
Missouri Western to pursue other
opportunities last semester.
West Campus
Gospel event sings
praise to the Lord
it is important to know the Lord.
“It’s important to have events like this on campus,” Vaughn said. “For some, it can be a saviortype experience. Also, our area is predominately
white, so it get’s many races involved.”
For some, the Extravaganza was a chance to feel at
home.
“I come from St. Louis where I normally attend
events like this,” Mark Smoot said. “I didn’t think
there was things like this around here, so when I
heard about this, I decided to come.”
McDonald feels the Extravaganza is a time for
reflection.
“As a part of Black History Month, this gives us a
chance to focus and reflect on our roots and where
we’re going,” McDonald said.
The Gospel Extravaganza was only one of the
events planned by TEC in honor of Black History
Month. There is a Mo’Money presentation to be
held on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in LRC 102.
p.m.-1 p.m. and 4:30
p.m.-6:15 p.m., outside
the cafeteria.
•Women’s basketball at
Truman State University,
5:30 p.m.
•Men’s basketball at
Truman State University,
7:30 p.m.
•Hoops for Hearts, 3:306 p.m., fieldhouse. For
more information, contact Patty Hartenbower
at 271-4474.
Thursday, Feb. 8
• The Griffon News will
sell Valentine Ads, 12
p.m.-1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
-6:15 p.m., outside the
cafeteria.
6
5
“Contrary to popular belief, black history month is
not only a time for African-Americans to celebrate
and gain knowledge, but it’s a time for all other
races to get together. I feel that it is important for
everyone to know the history of AfricanAmericans.”
Events
Feb. 6—Trooper James G. Madison, A Youth’s
Charge to Keep, Remember the Legacy, Record the
Deeds, held in the Leah Spratt Multipurpose
Classroom Building, rooms 214-216 at 12:30 pm.
Feb. 21—African-American Talent Showcase, held
in the Nelle Blum Student Union, rooms 218-219
at 7:00 pm.
have the company and regional executives here
to speak with them.”
Missouri Western could choose to decline
their bid and re-open the process to all other
companies. Though unusual, it is certainly not
an unheard of occurrence in the bid process for
major contracts.
Aramark is currently finishing out the third
one-year extension of a contract that was comprised of a five-year run with three one-year
extensions. Should they be awarded the contract, it would be for the same length and conditions as the original.
“I really hope the students take this chance to
weigh in on the matter,” Willis said. “As John
said, this can’t go anywhere without the students. Even though the deadline has passed
this doesn’t mean it’s a done deal yet.”
Campus Crime Report
Events celebrate Black
History Month
Calender of Events
Tuesday, Feb. 6
“We didn’t want to target Unity
Services as just being for minority
students,” Tyler said. “Unity
Services is for all students.”
The interns of Unity Services feel
that even though Rogers is new,
she’s done an amazing job so far.
“She’s been open to all of our ideas
and concerns,” Amber Weeg said.
“The eight of us can keep things
going.”
Stephanie Helton, another Unity
Service intern, believes the
changes will be good for everyone
involved.
“We all have to continue doing
the work that we have planned,”
Helton said. “Howard and Deatra
will be greatly missed, but their
at least three companies to give us a response. I
don’t think it was the volume of the campus
that affected it. I guess all the other companies
just weren’t interested.”
Though many students hold a negative image
of Aramark, those faculty members in attendance were confident that, if selected, Aramark
would enact changes to turn that opinion
around.
“I’m going to help organize some town hall
meetings for both on-campus and off-campus
students,” John Comerford, assistant dean of
student affairs for housing and residential life,
said. “This can’t go anywhere without the student input, and I really hope they take this
chance to make themselves be heard.”
This doesn’t mean Aramark will be awarded
the contract. Willis said, “Anyone who is going
to come onto this campus will have to talk with
the students. If it’s Aramark, I even hope to
Stories from front
Missouri Western released Fall 2000
semester academic achievement lists,
commending 285 students named on the
President’s Honor Roll and 531 students
named on the Dean’s Honor Roll. To be
named on the President’s Honor Roll, students must be enrolled in a minimum 12
credit hours at the college and have the
highest standard 4.0 grade point average.
Criteria to qualify for the Dean’s Honors
Roll is the 12-credit-hour minimum and a
minimum 3.5 grade point average.
PONY EXPRESS MUSEUM
PRESENTS SERIES OF
TUESDAY NIGHT TALKS
Tyler agrees the change was
made for the better.
“I had previously worked in payroll,” Tyler said. “It was a good
move.”
Many students felt uneasy about
someone who is not a minority
being in charge of Unity Services.
Rogers doesn’t feel that this will be
a problem.
“I feel that good communication,
open mindedness and understanding can overcome any differences in
race, gender or socioeconomic background,” Rogers said. “We are a
diverse unit, welcoming and appreciating people from all backgrounds.”
Tyler agrees with Rogers.
Aramark gives sole bid for food service
ETIQUETTE DINNER TO BE
HELD BY THE OFFICE OF
CAREER SERVICES
The Office of Career Services will be
hosting a social etiquette dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 8 in Student
Union rooms 222-223. The dinner, which
will be conducted by career services office
director Linda Garlinger, will ascribe to
the acceptable standards of a proper professional affair and commence with a half
hour of social interaction prior to the
actual dinner. Students will learn the latest tips on business and social etiquette
while enjoying a fine meal in a social setting. Recognized organizations on campus have the opportunity to sponsor a
table of eight for $80. For more information, contact Garlinger in the Office of
Career Services at 271-4205 or fax
request to 271-4306.
N E W S
Departments trade coordinators
ANSWERS SURFACING
ABOUT THE MYSTERIOUS
DEATH OF NORTHWEST
UNIVERSITY STUDENT
Questions surrounding the death of 22year-old Northwest Missouri State
University broadcasting major Dustin
McCurdy are gradually being answered
by the Nodaway County Coroners office.
McCurdy, who had been battling flu-like
symptoms, died on Jan. 23 on the
Northwest campus. A preliminary autop sy report released on Jan. 31 by coroner
Tom Scarbrough and a North Kansas City
forensic pathologist ruled the cause of
death to be an “overwhelming viral infection which caused a cardiac arrhythmia,”
which is a sudden stoppage of the heart.
Neither drugs nor alcohol were involved
in the death, and meningitis was eliminated from the possible causes of death.
Eighty-five people gathered on the
night of Jan. 30 to remember McCurdy in
a memorial service held in the Northwest
campus Student Union Ballroom. A bell
ringing was also held at the Bell of 48 on
Feb. 2 at 11 a.m. to eulogize McCurdy’s
passing.
G R I F F O N
7
3
1
2
4
100 ft.
8
Clockwise from top left:
Spratt Stadium, Fitness Center.
Halls: Logan, Beshears, Juda,
Leaverton, Vaselakos.
Buildings: SU, MC, LRC,
SS/C, JGM, A, FA, PE, PS, S/M.
1. Administration Building
Jan. 24, 1:15 p.m. – Medical Assistance.
Officer Rucker responded to a call regarding a woman who had passed out on the first floor of
the building. An ambulance was called and the woman was transported to the hospital for
seizures. Offense/Incident Report completed.
2. Student Service/Classroom Building
Jan. 30, 10:50 a.m. – Medical Assistance.
Officer Grider responded to a call regarding a woman who was found conscious, but confused.
Upon arrival of an ambulance, the woman refused treatment and left the building on her own
will. Information Report completed.
3. Janet Gorman Murphy Building
Jan. 25, 10:50 p.m. – Vandalism.
Officer Grider and others responded to a call from building custodian that there was someone
on the second floor after hours. Officers checked the room and noted the damage done, stating
that further investigation needed to be done. Offense/Incident Report completed.
Jan. 25, 10:50 p.m. – Person in Building After Hours.
Officer Grider and others responded to a call from building custodian that there was someone
on the second floor after hours. Upon checking room 206, officers discovered a female at a computer terminal, who the proceeded to leave when asked by officers. No vandalism was discovered, and nothing appeared to be missing. Information Report completed.
4. Student Union Building
Jan. 30, 4:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. – Larceny.
Officer Elam responded to a call from a computer lab worker, who stated that his digital audio
tape recorder was missing from a storage box which was not locked. The item, valued at $700,
was described to Officer Elam along with a written statement. Offense/Incident Report completed.
5. Physical Education Building
Jan. 26, 7 p.m. – Injury.
•Mo’ Money
Presentation, 7 p.m.,
LRC 102, sponsored by
The Ebony Collegians.
•Business Etiquette
Dinner, 5:30-8:30 p.m.,
SU 222-23.
•ResidenceCouncil
“Battle of the Sexes,” 7
p.m., Vaselakos
Basement.
Saturday, Feb. 10
• Women’s basketball vs
Northwest Missouri
State University, 5:30
p.m.
•Men’s basketball vs
Northwest Missouri
State University, 7:30
p.m.
Officer Grider and others responded to a call that a white female was being taken from the
building on a stretcher by an ambulance crew. She had reportedly fallen during cheerleader
practice. Information Report completed.
6. Logan Hall
Jan. 23, 11:50 p.m. – Possession of Marijuana.
Corporal Whittington responded to a call of strong marijuana odor in a suite and bedroom
area. The area was searched and a small baggie of marijuana was found inside a jacket pocket.
Further searches of the room revealed nothing. The marijuana was booked into evidence, and
the case was reported to the Dean of Student Affairs Office.
Jan. 23, 7:23 a.m. – Unwelcome Guest.
Corporal Bidding stopped a male who was returning to his truck in the Juda Hall Service Lot.
Bidding identified him as a non-student who was still living in the residence halls. A
pellet/bb style gun was in plain view on top of the male’s seat. A rifle with ammunition was
also found inside the truck. St. Joseph Police Department assisted in turning the information
over to the Dean of Student Affairs Office and an Information Report was completed.
7. Residence Halls
Jan. 25, 10:26 p.m. – Ex Parte order.
Female resident contacted Officer Grider regarding an Ex Parte order that she had, and the
name of the male on whom it was imposed. Grider received a copy of the order and
Information Report completed.
8. Parking Lot E
Jan. 28, 9:30 p.m. – Jan. 29, 9:30 a.m. – Damage to Property.
Officer Elam responded to a call from a female student living in the residence halls that her
left rear car door had been damaged by the vehicle parked beside her. Damage checks and
search was made. Offense/Incident Report completed.
News
T H E
G RI F F O N
Tuesday, February 6, 2001• Page 3
N E W S
Historian retraces Underground Railroad
LaTonya Williams
News Editor
ltw8295@griffon.mwsc.edu
“As we look back on the history of
this country,” Anthony Cohen said to
an audience of 110 people, “we have
many things to be proud of.”
On Feb. 1, the historian spoke
about the adventures he experienced
while retracing the Underground
Railroad in 1996.
Cohen got the idea of retracing the
steps of fugitive slaves from a college
paper.
“What happens in history generally never gets written down,” Cohen
said. “What better way to learn
what really happened than by recreating it?”
Cohen began his journey on May 4,
1996, in Sandy Springs, Md. He
traveled around 800 miles, traveling
the way that slaves may have traveled, by foot, horse, carriage and
train. As slaves had done 150 years
ago, Cohen even depended on
strangers to put him up for the
night. On one day, he even traveled
37 miles on foot. He ended in
Ontario on June 16 after six weeks.
During his presentation, Cohen told
of many tales, discoveries and problems he had. One of the favorites of
the audience was the story of Henry
‘Box’ Brown.
Brown was a slave who escaped to
the north by being mailed to New
York. This trip took 27 hours back
then. Brown made it out alive and
free.
“I thought if Henry could do it, why
couldn’t I?” Cohen said. “I would get
the same fear of being caught as
Henry had. Only difference is that
he was fearing for his life.”
Cohen was, with the help of a few
friends, mailed to New York. He was
put on a train whose safe ride was
two hours… only Cohen was inside
the box for six life-threatening hours.
“The humidity was so hot,” Cohen
said. “It was like the box was sweating for me.”
As the train came to a stop, the
experience grew real for Cohen and
he could begin to understand what it
must have been like for Brown.
“When I was let out, it was the
most incredible moment in my life,”
Cohen said. “I was so happy to be
alive. That 93-degree weather was
the sweetest air I’d ever tasted.
Experiences like these you can’t get
from a book.”
Another thing Cohen talked of was
the loneliness the slaves must have
felt.
“After about the first week, the
loneliness set in,” Cohen said. “But,
at least I knew where I was going
and what would be there. I knew I
could go back home. Runaway slaves
knew nothing of the North. The only
thing they knew was that they could
never go back to their loved ones and
their home.”
Sandy Rogers, coordinator of Unity
services, was very pleased with the
outcome of the presentation.
“I think it went great,” Rogers
said. “When he told about being in
Historian Anthony Cohen opened Missouri Western’s Black History Month celebration by speaking about his experiences in
retracing the Underground Railroad.
the box, it was so real. I really
enjoyed it.”
Students, like John Head, who
heard Cohen speak, left feeling as if
they had learned a lot about our
nation’s darkest time.
“I think it’s good that he took the
initiative to make the journey himself,” Head said. “I really enjoyed
everything he had to say.”
Senior Kari Kemper couldn’t
believe the trouble Cohen went
through to accurately trace the path.
“The desire he had to want to feel
what they (slaves) felt is awesome,”
Kemper said. “I also like his idea
that we got to where we are from the
help of everyone in our past.”
Cohen ended the talk with a few
very valuable lessons he’d learned
along the way.
“We have many things to be regretful
of, but not slavery,” Cohen said.
“They were people who survived
and they couldn’t have done it without white people, Native-American
people, people of all races. This was
the first Civil Rights Movement.”
A detailed story of Cohen’s journey
can be found on the North Star website, http://www.ugrr.org, or you can
email The Menare Foundation,
founded by Cohen, which is a national non-profit organization dedicated
to preserve the Underground
Railroad legacy.
Black History Month
Celebrating diversity through American histor y
Thursgood Marshall (1908-1993)
Thurgood Marshall was one of America’s leading civil
rights revolutionaries in an era often associated with
Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, choosing to work
instead within the established conventions of the
American legal system to champion African-American people and end the “Separate-but-Equal” apartheid that bled
through every fabric of American society at the time.
Working as a lawyer in many Supreme Court victories,
Marshall broke segregated color barriers in the fields of
housing, transportation and voting. Marshall won the
most significant segregation case of the century, Brown v.
The Kansas Board of Education, which ended the legal
separation of black and white children within the public
school systems and led to the phenomenal rise of the
African-American middle class.
Marshall was appointed the nation’s first AfricanAmerican Supreme Court justice in 1967 by President
Lyndon B. Johnson, after his intense time in a U.S.
District Court of Appeals and an outstanding 32 cases
argued in front of the Supreme Court. Marshall was a
strong advocate of affirmative action, race-conscious policies, economic inequalities and minority or underprivileged groups in American society. Often noted for his sarcasm and dissension during his 24 years on the Court,
Marshall stepped down from the position in 1991 due to
mental and physical deterioration. His unfortunate passing in 1993 led many Americans to again become aware of
Marshall’s determination, perseverance, wisdom, and one
man crusade to promote the power of racial integration to
cure the ills of American culture.
Joe Louis (1914-1981)
Joe Louis rose from relative obscurity as the son of
Alabama sharecroppers to become one of the most immortalized African-American heroes of the 30s and 40s to
blacks and whites alike. Louis, an accomplished boxer of
unmatched physical conditioning, ring prowess, and glove
speed, rose to stardom in the boxing-obsessesed American
sports society after his 1935 defeat of Primo Carnera of
Italy. He successfully and competently defended his heavyweight championship 25 times over a period of 12 years,
four of which he spent serving his country in the U.S. Army.
While being a great African-American athletic hero and
symbolizing the dreams and aspirations of many young
black athletes, Louis lifted the spirits of many of the
Depression-stricken black masses as he defeated the great
Nazi Germany boxer Max Schmeling.
Louis was fortunate enough to gain the significant advantage of sympathetic media, superhuman athletic feats, an
emerging and popular American sport, and, perhaps most
importantly, proper and “acceptable” public demeanor with
both black and white fanatics, to gain a pedastal in
American society during his prime. Louis’ willingness to
accept an attitude of “humility” and unprovoking behavior
to white conventions made him the perinnial favorite and
national hero on the American landscape. However, Louis
apparent success did not always bring him racial equality;
in a sadly ironic twist, after defeating Schmeling, he was
turned away for a housing loan shortly after returning to
America. Louis grappled with segregated conditions, economic inequalities, and personal battles throughout the
rest of his life until his death in 1981. However, Louis’ place
in African-American myth and history is unmistakable, as
testified by his grave sight in Arlington National Cemetary.
John Mercer Langston (1829-1897)
John Mercer Langston was elected Virginia’s first black
congressman more than 100 years ago, but the Louisa
County native also served as a “first” in several other arenas.
Langston helped create the Republican Party in 1854 and
participated in various anti-slavery activities, including the
Underground Railroad, which helped runaway slaves flee
to freedom in the North.
He became the first black elected official in the United
States in 1855 when he was elected clerk of a rural Ohio
township.
He played a major role in recruiting black soldiers for the
Union army during the Civil War. When the war ended, he
was appointed inspector general for the Freedmen’s
Bureau, a federal agency created to assist freed slaves.
Langston moved to Washington in 1868 to organize and
become dean of the first black law school in the nation at
Howard University. He also became the first black to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.
He was named acting president of Howard in 1872. He
was elected a delegate to the Republican National
Convention in 1876 and a year later named U.S. minister
to Haiti.
In 1885, Langston served as the first president of what is
now Virginia State University.In 1888, he ran as an independent in Virginia’s 4th Congressional District, which had
a black majority. When the Democratic candidate was
declared the winner, Langston contested the results. A congressional panel eventually awarded Langston the seat in
September 1890. His term ended 161 days later and he was
defeated in a bid for re-election.
Courtesy of www.gatewayva.com/pages/bhistory/langston.htm
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Nothing says true love like an ad in The Griffon News.
Buy one today infront of the cafeteria during lunch and dinner.
News
Page 4 • Tuesday, February 6, 2001
T H E
Millennium Syst em
unlocks technology
entry and an approximate time of theft can
be made, the system has the knowledge of
which chips were used to access the room
Following in the footsteps of the Leah during the time of the robbery.
Spratt Multipurpose Classroom Building,
“An electrical
high-tech additions are nothing out of the
system offers greater
ordinary for Missouri Western classrooms.
flexibility to the camHundreds of dollars in up-to-date electronpus community, “
ics, used to assist students with their educaKelly said. “By the
tion, are becoming commonplace throughsame token, it allows
out the college.
us to better track
Due to the technological upgrades popaccess for security
ping up all over the campus, stronger securireasons.”
ty is needed to keep Missouri Western’s
Currently
the
investments safe and intact.
first phases of this
Because of professors who sometimes uti- -Lonnie Johnson
project have begun in
lize several of these rooms each semester, it Director of the Physical Plant the
Nelle
Blum
is not practical to make or distribute numerStudent Union, Janet
ous keys. Additionally, these classrooms Gorman Murphy Academic Center and the
cannot remain unlocked.
Fred Eder Student Services/Classroom
To protect the electronics in the class- Building. Although the electromagnetic
rooms, a new security system must be in lock systems have not yet been installed, the
place.
control panels have already been set in
Jonathon Kelley, director of security, place.
explained that the school chose the
Lonnie Johnson, director of the Physical
Millennium System, which is one that pri- Plant said that an on-site contractor is
marily uses proximity chips in order to responsible for the installation of some of
secure its investments.
the parts. However, the bulk of the work will
These proximity chips, which are approx- be done by the campus electrician, lockimately the size of a nickel, act as keys to smith and one additional assistant.
unlock any door it has been programmed for.
“We expect the project to be completed
For example, a chip given to a certain pro- within six months,” Johnson said.
fessor can be programmed to unlock more “Although it takes more time when doing
than one door, for any time specified by that the work in-house, it does save the instituprofessor’s changing needs.
tion a substantial amount of money.”
Another feature of the Millennium System
All in all the Millennium System will
is its ability to track all chip-carriers that offer a higher state of security, while replachave entered a room. Therefore, if items are ing some of the older hard key systems, curto come up missing without signs of forced rently being used on campus.
Abbe Miller
News Writer
GR I F FO N
N E W S
Ensemble gets standing ovation
Ryan Wear, and Karyokinesis,
composed by sophomore xylophonist Aaron Williams and preThe Missouri Western percus- miering for the first time, were
sion ensemble, fresh off perform- original pieces written by the two
ances at Rock Bridge and Mexico Missouri Western student perhigh schools just the night before, formers.
Dennis G. Rogers, Tan-Tar-A
took advantage of the extended
conductor
and Missouri Western
road trip by attending music
workshops at Tan-Tar-A resort, director of percussion, said this
was one of the best concerts he
Osage Beach, on Jan. 25-26.
The workshop, organized by the ever conducted.
“ T h e
Missouri Music
crowd gave us
Educators
a standing ovaAssociation to
You can’t really
tion,”
Rogers
enrich the persaid.
“This
was
formance skills
learn about
a
successful
of percussion
tour because
musicians.
we
were appreperformance
in
a
After
an
ciated
by all
instructional
audiences.”
classroom, so
first day, the
Although
ensemble permany
of the
formed on the
these experiences
p
e
r
c
u
ssion
following day
musicians
in front of a
are priceless
attending the
crowd of over
workshop
were
750
people.
getting
second
Tracy
Thomas
Performance
or third doses
Junior instrumental music major
pieces included
of
the Tan-TarKaryokinesis
A
treatment,
a
n
d
the
group still
Xylophonia by the mallet quartet,
Quartz Time by the drumset quar- performed wonderfully in front of
tet, Spain by the steel drum band, a packed house the second afterStained Glass by the entire noon. Some ensemble members
ensemble and On Call and said the crowd of music instrucReflections of Zappa by the tors who understood the music
being performed cheered the
Griffon drumline.
entire
way through the performBoth On Call, composed by
ance.
sophomore tenor section leader
Tracy Thomas, junior instruEric Jarvis
News Writer
Left: After the
snow fall last
week, two Missouri
Western students
stop to talk behind
the Evan R.
Agenstein Science
and Math Building
between class.
The unpredictable
January weather
made it difficult to
get bare the roads
and kept students
on their toes when
deciding what to
wear.
Buffalo Soldier recounts the legacy
News Writer
On Feb. 6, Missouri Western
will welcome Buffalo Soldier,
Trooper James G. Madison to
its campus for a speech about
the involvement of AfricanAmericans in historic battles.
Buffalo Soldiers began in
1866
when
Congress
approved six exclusively black
armies comprised of two cavalry and four infantry troops.
According to www.louisdiggs.com, the original Buffalo
Soldiers were from one of
three backgrounds: soldiers
comprised of former slaves,
freemen or Black Civil War
soldiers were the first to serve
during peacetime.
Their involvement in the
military lasted into the twentieth century including World
War I and World War II.
According to www.vq.com, the
“Buffalo Soldier” nickname
was first given out of respect
by Cheyenne warriors for the
troop’s fierce style of fighting.
Sandy Rogers, coordinator of
Unity Services, hopes that the
presentation will enlighten all
who attend.
“I hope by hearing Trooper
Madison, it will lead us all to
a better understanding of the
diverse roles played by
African-Americans in the history of our country,” Rogers
said.
In his speech, “A Youth’s
Charge to Keep, Remember
the Legacy, Record the
Deeds,” Madison will share
his experiences as a member
of the Ninth and Tenth
Cavalry Regiments.
Madison began his journey
as a Buffalo Soldier in 1942.
In Ft. Leavenworth, Kan.,
Madison quickly became
“Pack Driver” for his troop
and stationed near the
Mexican-American border.
Hereafter, Madison traveled
to North Africa and Italy
where he held many duties.
“He participated in mine
sweeping, construction of pontoon bridges and emergency
air strips, and the transportation of prisoners,” Rogers
said.
After the hit of the atomic
bomb in 1945, Madison was
released and was rewarded
with a slew of medals. For
the next 33 years, Madison
was an U.S. Postal Service
member.
Rogers believes that during
Black History Month, every
American should take the
time to learn about our
nation’s African-American
leaders.
“I believe that Black
History Month is a learning
experience for everyone,”
Rogers said.
“The stories
that are being recounted during this time are part of our
country’s heritage, interesting
and varied and important to
all of us.”
Madison’s speech will be held
in MC, rooms 214-216 at
12:30pm and is open to the
whole community free of
charge.
Fraternities * Sororities
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http://www.mwsc.edu/~music.
Racial graffiti raises
concerns on campus
Talking in a winter wonder land . . .
Tana Wiles
mental major, said performing in
front of an audience who appreciates everything you’re doing
makes the entire experience
worthwhile.
“I think we pulled off a great
concert,” Thomas said. “All of our
long hours of practicing really
helped us create a outstanding
performance.”
The workshop and performance
was considered all part of the
ongoing mission of the music
department to make and study
music in the context of the modern world. However, Thomas said
performing in a classroom or on
campus where students are comfortable sometimes allows complacent students to settle for less.
“You can’t really learn about
performance in a classroom, so
these experiences are priceless,”
Thomas said. “I’m always going to
remember performing with a
large group of friends and doing a
great job at it.”
To be selected for the Tan-Tar-A
honor, the Missouri Western percussion ensemble had to submit a
tape for a committee of state
music educators, who then selected the group to attend and perform.
For more information on the
percussion program at Missouri
Western, contact Rogers at 2714440 or F.M. Gilmour, department
of music chairperson, at 271-4420
or visit the program’s website at
is on the
@
h t t p : / / w w w. m w s c . e d u / ~ g r i ff y
STILL CRAZY AFTER 23 YEARS
LaTonya Williams
Stephanie Howard
News Editor
ltw8295@griffon.mwsc.edu
Editor in Chief
slh8016@griffon.mwsc.edu
On Jan. 31, a report was
filed with Missouri Western’s
security office, stating racial
graffiti was etched on the
men’s restroom wall in basement of the library.
An eyewitness reported the
wall stated, “The Ebony
Collegians are niggers.”
Officer Shane Luikart of the
St. Joseph Police Department
said there could be many different way in which to classify the graffiti. He said
because the words may promote violence, it could have
aggravating
circumstance
behind.
Also, he said he would classify it as a hate crime as well as
vandalism and property damage.
Many
students,
like
LaShandra Acklin, president
of The Ebony Collegians, were
hurt and disappointed by the
message written.
“Initially, I was shocked,”
Acklin said. “If you don’t
address this issue when it’s
small, it will grow. People
think that it’s not a big deal,
but it disappoints me that
someone would target The
Ebony Collegians when all we
do are positive things. Also, I
hope the students will use
this to try to educate others,”
Acklin said.
Jonathan Kelley, director of
traffic and security, said security acted promptly. He said
they took the report and
immediately sent an officer to
investigate. The wall was
repainted the same day.
“We had maintenance go fix
it right away,” Kelley said. “It
was either over immediately
or the bathroom would be
locked until it was removed.”
Kelley said they plan to
investigate the situation further, but it is hard with a
crime of this nature. He said
unless someone come forth
with evidence, it could go
unsolved.
“Scratches on a bathroom
stall, unless the person who
did told someone or someone
saw, there is no evidence,”
Kelley said.
Sandy Rogers, coordinator of
Unity Services, was extremely shocked about the graffiti.
“Things like this shouldn’t
ever happen on this campus,”
Roger said. “It’s making me
angry that there was any kind
of slur on anything.”
Rogers doesn’t want the
person responsible to gain too
much from this incident.
“We have to be careful that we
don’t give it too much importance or attention,” Rogers
said.
Karl Bell, advisor to The
Ebony Collegians is optimistic
that all students will react in
a manner that voices outrage,
concern and disgust while
keeping with the rules the
campus has set out.
“It’s unfortunate that there
is ignorance of this kind in the
year 2001,” Bell
said.
“Regardless of the motive, the
campus needs to be aware
this attitude exists on this
campus.”
Bell added that words can
hurt as much as fists.
“Many try to downplay it,
but we should be aware of
those who aren’t offended,”
Bell said. “The days of ‘Sticks
and Stones’ are long passed.”
Kelley said he really hopes to
find the person responsible.
“It’s got to be someone who
is pretty low to refer to other
students and community
members as that,” Kelley
said. “We don’t need someone
like that in our community.”
Should the responsible
party be found, Kelley said
they will be arrested for vandalism, and he would contact
the prosecuting attorney to
see what exactly to charge
with.
If anyone has any information, Kelley said he encourages them to contact security
at 271-4438 or the tips hotline
at 271-5600.
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Opinion
T H E
G R I F F O N
Tuesday, February 6, 2001 • Page 5
N E W S
Editorial
Racial slurs
have no place
on campus
Recent vandalism in the men’s restroom
of the basement of the Hearnes Learning
Resource Center has raised concerns
about racism at Missouri Western.
Racially motivated vandalism, such as
this, has no place in an institution of
higher learning. College is a place of continued learning, and part of this process
is learning to accept and celebrate differences. Such blatant disregard for the feelings of an honorable campus organization
is unacceptable.
There is nothing that can be proven by
calling names and utilizing such language. These types of actions merely
make the campus, as a whole, look bad.
One of the most attractive aspects of
Missouri Western is the pledge to safety
in learning, but such actions may only be
the beginning of ostracizing certain
groups and making all students feel
uncomfortable.
As a campus, which is noted for its
attempts to unify students, everyone
should strive to ensure these type of happenings do not occur.
Encourage one another to embrace
things that set them apart from others.
Show fellow students that, while everyone has differences, the desire for education is one thing which brings the entire
campus together.
The golden rule comes into mind here;
“Treat others as you would like to be
treated.” Don’t scrape obscenities about
other organizations on campus simply
because they are different. While it is a
dreamer’s dream to think every student
would love everyone on campus, it is not
asking too much that they respect one
another.
While specific students on campus have
every right to be angry about the vandalism, it is important for them to remember
that the problem was handled promptly.
Keep in mind that two wrongs don’t make
a right, and this situation is better left up
to security, who deserves kudos for handling it right away.
It is a sad day at Missouri Western, a
much accredited campus, when students
are made to feel inferior merely because
one ignorant person had just a second of
free time and set out to hurt people who
strive to make this education process better for all students.
Stephanie Howard
Editor-in-Chief
Leslie Hancock
Zach Ramsay
LaTonya Williams
Beth Tuttle
Andy Brown
Sheila Thiele
Lori Sanders
Ruth Doornink
Brad Harbold
Brian Hunt
Aaron Tebrinke
Nick Brown
Heather Cox
Aubrey Maguire
Bob Bergland
STAFFERS
News:
Abbe Miller
Crystal Norris
Anthony Gress
Tana Wiles
Tyrone Gethers
Eric Jarvis
Opinion:
Joshua Hall
Features:
Sandra Walsh
Molly Watts
Misty Musselman
Entertainment:
Amanda
Housewirth
Sports:
Ben Garrett
LaMont White
Audra Marquez
Michael Milbourn
Dustee Baker
Photo/Graphics:
Brad Redmond
Hilary Smith
Daniel Grover
Aaron Crawford
Advertising:
Jon Sullivan
Copy/Assistant Editor
News Editor
News Editor
Opinion Editor
Features Editor
Asst. Features/Copy Editor
Entertainment Editor
Sports Editor
Graphics Editor
Asst. Graphics
Photo Editor
Asst. Photographer
Business Manager
Asst. Business Manager
Faculty Adviser
The Griffon News is written and
published by students of Missouri
Western State College on Tuesdays
during the fall and spring semesters.
Content of this paper is developed
independently of the Student
Government Association, faculty and
administration. Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas, information and advertising to The Griffon
News office, SS/C 221, 4525 Downs
Drive, St. Joseph, Mo. 64507, or by
phoning (816) 271-4460 (news room)
or (816) 271-4412 (advertising). Copy,
classified submissions and advertising must be received by noon
Wednesday, the week prior to publication.
Guidelines for letters to
the editor:
• All letters to the editor must be
typed and double spaced. Letters
must be no longer than 200 words
and guest columns no longer than
500 words. Letters and columns will
be edited for style.
• All letters must include signature and identity verification infor mation, such as phone number. The
Griffon News reserves the right to
edit all letters for length and
Associated Press style.
• The Griffon News will not withhold names under any circumstances.
Anonymously submitted letters will
not be published.
• Views expressed on the opinion
pages are not necessarily those of The
Griffon News staff or Missouri
Western State College.
Website: http://www.mwsc.edu/~griffy
Email: griffy@griffon.mwsc.edu
A blurred line between whats
It’s about having the choice
Ready
or not
Leslie Hancock
Assistant Editor-in-Chief
lah3324@griffon.mwsc.edu
Multiple choice: child, adoption, abortion or death. This is
only a test yet the hardest test
that any woman will ever take.
What makes it even more confusing is that there are no correct or incorrect answers; it is all
just a choice.
“The Court has recognized
that a right of personal privacy,
or a guarantee of certain areas
or zones of privacy, does exist
under the Constitution…This
right of privacy…is broad
enough to encompass a woman’s
decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy.” The decision of Roe v. Wade was monumental for the right of women all
across
the
country.
The
Constitution might say that all
men are given certain unalienable rights but it wasn’t until
this ruling in 1973 that women
were actually included in this
statement. Of course we had the
right to vote, but what’s the
point when we still didn’t have
control over our own bodies.
Most people think that abortion had been illegal until this
ruling but in all actuality, the
United States had no law
against it until the 1800s when
states began criminalizing it.
And regardless of popular
belief or legislation against it,
women have shown they will
always use abortion as a last
resort in preventing pregnancy.
Abortion even dates back to the
ancient Assyrians in the 12th
century B.C. who had a law concerning a woman’s self-induced
abortion.
With these laws in effect,
many women not only suffered
through the decision but also an
untimely death. In 1930, there
was an epidemic that swept the
nation in which 2,700 women out
of the 500,000 who got illegal
abortions died because they had
to hide their choice. Because of
the legal issues, many deaths
were not even reported, making
the actual count much higher.
Today, the mortality rate from
legal abortion has dropped to
nearly zero. Of the 1.6 million
legal abortions done each year in
the United States, only six result
in the woman’s death.
This high number of abortions
might lead people to think that
women are becoming more irresponsible about their sexuality
using abortion as a form of contraception. However, 58 percent
of women having abortions in
the mid-1990s used a contraceptive method during the month
they became pregnant.
These overused terms such as
“abortion as birth control,”
“abortion for convenience,” and
“abortion on demand” trivialize
and devalue women by implying
that abortion is a casual choice.
When I was 18 years old, a
mere freshman at Missouri
Western, I was faced with this
test and chose to get an abortion.
It was probably the most heartwrenching time of my life only
being a child myself. It is cruel to
say my decision was made out of
convenience. Opponents of
choice have no understanding of
the emotional and social trauma
that follows and yet they judge
my actions as wrong or immoral.
If I had carried my pregnancy to
term, I would have never gone to
college and would have married
a physically and mentally abusive man. Like mine, every situation is unique. I’m not saying
my decision was right or wrong
but it was my choice and I have
to live with that for the rest of
my life.
What I, like many other
women, have to realize is that
we are not killing a life or murdering our child. For one thing,
being a “mother” is far more
than a biological act. With the
changing attitudes of motherhood, it now includes adoptive,
foster and surrogate mothers,
not to mention gay/lesbian partnerships. It is a continuing commitment to loving and supporting a child. Also, we count age
from the date of birth, not from
the date of conception. The idea
that life begins at conception
entails that a life is created at a
specific moment instead of a long
process that lasts nine months.
Saying a fetus is a person and
it has the same rights as the
woman who carries it essentially
gives more rights to the fetus by
allowing it to use the woman’s
body against her will. No one can
force a person to give up their
kidney without consent. We also
don’t allow women’s genitalia to
be used against her will in cases
of rape. So even if this fetus was
a “life,” why should it be allowed
to use a woman’s body without
her approval?
Other opponents try to simplify this confusing issue by using
the Bible and “thou shalt not
kill” to prove that God was
against
abortions.
Being
Catholic myself, I had serious
religious issues to deal with
when making my decision. What
I found is that anyone can interpret the Bible in a way to support their beliefs. One believer
can pick out any certain exert
and say it means one thing just
as easily as another person can
believe it means something else.
Ultimately, it is our personal
choice to decide what we believe
and how we chose to run our
lives. And I cannot condemn or
judge those who do not agree
with my views because that is
their choice.
Forum
Life outweighs the choice
Take it
or leave
it
LaTonya Williams
News Editor
ltw8295@griffon.mwsc.edu
“Rescue those who are unjustly
sentenced to death; don’t stand
back and let them die.”
Proverbs 24:10-12
This country has made many
mistakes. One of the first ones
was slavery, a more recent one
was voting George W. Bush into
our nation’s highest office. The
largest mistake by far, though,
was the legalization of abortion.
In the Merriam Webter’s dictionary and New Collegiate dictionary, the definition of an abortion is ‘the induced termination
of a pregnancy closely followed
by the death of an embryo or
fetus.’ What I can’t understand
is what part of that definition
don’t pro-choice people understand? Abortion results in the
death of a fetus. Abortion is just
a legalized form of murder. It
has been a proven fact that life
begins at conception. You may
call it an ‘embryo’ or a ‘fetus,’ but
it’s still a child. Think about it.
Is a tadpole a frog, just in another form, or a puppy still a dog?
Abortion became legal after
the ruling in the landmark Roe
vs. Wade case in 1973. The ruling by the Supreme Court stated, “The detriment (injury or
damage) that the State would
impose upon the pregnant
woman by denying this choice
altogether is apparent.” It went
on to make points mentioning
possibilities of a “distressful life
and future” forced upon woman
as well as “psychological harm,”
risks to her “mental and physical
health” and “additional difficulties and continuing stigma of
unwed motherhood.”
If you look closely at the wording, that’s a bunch of crap. If a
person has it in their minds that
they are old enough to have sex,
shouldn’t they be ready to handle the responsibilities that
come with it? It’s really very simple. If you want to avoid being
an unwed mother, wait until
you’re married to have sex. I
know, from personal experience,
people never think it will happened to them. I know because
it happened to me.
As a 16-year-old junior in high
school, I became pregnant. My
first thought was, “This pregnancy was going to ruin my life.
My chances of going to college
and having a good life were
over.” My plan was to have an
abortion. I knew a few girls who
had previously had one or two,
so I knew where to go and I knew
that they were safe. But, then I
really started to think about
what I was doing. Who was I,
who is anyone, to destroy a life
simply because it doesn’t fit into
my plan? Because it’s inconven-
ient for me? It would have been
different if I just woke up one
day and was magically pregnant,
but I knew that my “extra-curricular activities” could result in
pregnancy.
When I was two months pregnant, I heard my baby’s heart
beat. At three months, I felt her
first kick. The ruling by the
Supreme Court states that:
“In the first three months of
pregnancy, the abortion decision
must be left to the woman and
her physician. In the interest of
protecting a woman’s health,
states may restrict but not prohibit abortions in the second
three months, or trimester, of
pregnancy. In the last three
months of pregnancy, states may
regulate — or even prohibit —
abortions to protect the life of
the fetus, except when medical
judgment determines that an
abortion is necessary to save the
life of the mother.”
So, according to this ruling,
even though I had already heard
her heartbeat, legally, I could
still terminate because (according to the law) it’s not technically a child. How can you say,
when you feel it move and hear
the heartbeat, that it’s not yet a
child? That it’s life does not yet
count? This country is a country
where it’s a federal law prohibiting the destruction of an eagle
egg, but it’s legal to destroy a
human one. Something can be
legal and still be morally wrong.
Many pro-choicers stand on
the argument, “I don’t believe in
it, but I’m not opposed to others
doing it.” Okay, so even though
you don’t approve of animal cruelty, it’s okay for others to
repeatedly beat their animals?
Oops, sorry, I forgot…. Isn’t
there a law to protect our animals? Seems tragically funny
that their isn’t a law to protect
our unborn children.
I’ve heard people say, “A
woman has the right to have
control over her body.” I agree,
she should and she did…she
chose to have sex, so inadvertently, she did choose to have a
child. She just didn’t realize
what she was agreeing to.
Women who have abortions
never forget what may have
been. I’ve heard people say, “my
life is better now,” or “it was for
the better.” How do you know
what you life would have been?
The abortion was better for who?
Women who even think about
having an abortion look at life
differently.
Remember ‘Roe’
from Roe vs. Wade? Well, today,
Roe is Norma McCorvey, who’s
job is an anti-abortion activist.
The plaintiff for the groundbreaking case for abortion uses
her life to fight against it.
We are given many hardships
in life to test us. We look at our
lives and think about our bills,
our tests, how complicated our
lives are. But, remember, at
least we get to have a life…
many don’t even get that chance.
Of Mice and Griffrats
the
The Forum
is a new
place for
students and
teachers to
share their
opinions
about what
is going on at
Missouri
Western.
Look for the
first topic
next week in
It’s a fight to the death. The mouse on the left; the griffrat in the right corner. Who will win? Who
will conquer the SS/C?
Features
Page 6 • Tuesday, February 6, 2001
T H E
G R I F FO N
N E W S
Built from the ground up
Dunn, Hunt acheive production milestones,
recieve Communicator Awards, respect
Molly Watts
Features Writer
The first eye-catching object in her
office is the Communicator trophy
sitting on top of her computer desk,
and though many of her co-workers
agree that she comes across as a
somewhat humble person, Danielle
Hunt has much to be proud of for her
contributions to the technical side of
the campus.
Robert Dunn, who works in the
Instructional Media Center as well,
is also a recipient of a Communicator
trophy from last year’s competition.
But it won’t be lonely for long;
another trophy from this year ’s competition is on the way.
Hunt serves as the manager of the
Educational Television Services at
Missouri Western State College,
while Dunn serves as a video producer/director and is the advisor for
the Western Weekly program.
Their jobs provide video production services that fill many administrative and campus instructional
needs.
Hunt came to this campus after
holding a similar position at Western
Illinois University for five years.
“I needed a change, something
new,” Hunt said. “I wanted the
chance to help build a Distance
Education Program from the ground
up.”
And that is exactly what she did.
In less than a year, Hunt had
Missouri Western developing
six tele-classes for distance
education per semester.
Tele-classes are classes
that are produced and
taped at school and are
broadcast
to
others
through television on
channel 39. The program allows people with
less time on their hands
to receive credits.
Dunn, who has had
nearly 20 years experience in various
aspects
of
video production, came to Missouri
Western after holding a position at
TWA.
“I had been taking it easy for a
year when I just happened to notice
the ad for a position,” Dunn said.
“But after I came up and talked to
everyone, I ended up taking the job
because of the environment.”
Dunn said the people and their
goals played a big role in his joining
the staff. The work that was being
put in to accomplish these goals was
something he wanted to be a part of.
He also recognized the commitment being put in by the administration to support them bringing new
kinds of education technology to
Missouri Western. It has made it
easier to make great strides in
improving the equipment and evaluate long-term goals.
Although Missouri Western is a
small school, it enables the program
to have more cutting edge opportunities. Hunt likes the fact that other
institutions in the state look to
Missouri Western for guidance in
developing their own distance education programs. The program now
includes origination courses for the
University of Missouri-Columbia,
The
University
of
Missouri
Extension and the Northwest
Educational Consortium.
“We produce six classes ourselves,
but in all we put out 24 classes a
semester,” Hunt said. “We
strive for consistency in programming our classes,
and we have few technical problems.”
One person that
Hunt works closely
with
is
Max
Schlesinger, director
of
Instructional
Media. Schlesinger
has known and
worked with Hunt
for nearly four years.
“She is
terrific to
work
with,” Schlesinger said. “She gets
her work very well organized and
very well done.”
Schlesinger said Hunt had been
here for only a short time when she
moved up to a staff manager and was
given her own staff. He said she took
off and did what she needed to do to
make the program grow.
This
included training both faculty members and student technical directors
to insure programming reliability.
Dunn has been working in the IMC
for just over a year. He said his
favorite part of working in this field
is doing something that can keep
students interested.
“I don’t have to do the same thing
everyday,” Dunn said. “I get to be
creative. Technology keeps changing
and we’ve got to keep our eyes on
that.”
When they are not diligently working on production, one can find them
offering advice to colleagues and students. It is apparent that the two
have developed close working relationships with students that volunteer in the Instructional Media
Center.
“We have a lot of students working
in our department and it’s nice to be
able to show them a good work
example,” Hunt said.
Aside from putting in countless
hours and efforts at Missouri
Western, Hunt has also dedicated
much of her time to The United Way.
She produced a video called
“Counting on You” to aid with the
regional fundraising campaign for
the organization. She spent nearly
three months gathering information,
producing and editing the video.
When she finished it, she entered
the Communicator Awards 2000
National Video Competition. As one
can probably guess, the trophy for
winning this award is resting safely
on her desk.
“It’s always nice to send things
away to have other people judge your
work,” Hunt said. “It’s nice to be recognized for the hard work that you
do.”
Dunn also spent extra time creat-
From front
Bus routes reduce
hustle and bustle
for commuters
Dan Grover-Photographer
Pictured above is one of many bus stop in St. Joe they
were built to protect riders form the elements while what for
a ride or transfer to another bus.
There are six zone buses that cover the
Direct service. The buses leave the downtown transfer station and pick up people
who have made reservations on the way to
the next transfer station.
If riders need to go to a destination outside
of their zone, the bus will take them to the
next transfer station. There is no extra
charge for transfers and most destinations
within St. Joseph can be reached in only one
transfer.
St. Joseph Transit currently owns 23
buses, all purchased between 1996 and
1998. All are diesel, air conditioned and
equipped to accommodate wheelchairs.
Supervisor Bob Smith said the shuttle-type
buses currently used by Transit are expect-
233-6663
Danielle Hunt and Robert Dunn, from the Instructional Media Center,
recently won the Communicator Award.
ing a commercial for the Division of
Continuing Education. He then
entered it in two separate categories
in the Communicator Awards; the
College/University, and Creativity/
Editing categories. He won an
Award of Distinction, to go along
with the award he had already won
for the annual competition last year.
“When I won, I felt an appreciation
for the support here at Missouri
Western that allows your work to be
recognized,” Dunn said. “Many
places don’t want to be bothered with
these competitions, but since I’ve
been here there has been a real feeling of wanting to share, and to show
our capabilities.”
The contest included 3,312 entries
from 47 different states and eight
other countries.
Hunt admitted that being behind
ed to last for five years.
“All the buses are getting some age,”
Smith said. “Were looking to replace the
fleet in a couple of years.”
The Transit’s hours are scheduled to
accommodate the majority of their riders,
which tend to be industrial workers. Their
busiest times of the day are usually the
morning and late afternoon rush hours, Duff
said.
“The beginning of the month is usually
busier, but the last two or three months we
have stayed really busy all month,” Duff
said. “Ridership is really going up. We probably have between 1,000 to 2,000 people ride
everyday.”
Although so many people ride the bus
daily, food court employee Bradley Connell
said it is nice to see the same people riding
with him everyday, such as co-worker
William French. Connell and French also
use the Transit to go to East Hills Mall, WalMart and Plaza 8 Theatre.
“It takes me where I need to go, because it
goes everywhere,” Connell said.
TAN YOUR HIDE
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the camera allows people to know
her name but not her face. She
laughed about how she is often mistaken for a student, but that it has
advantages and she does not mind.
She gets to listen to students talk
positively about the program.
“The best aspect of my job is creating something that was needed, useful and appreciated.” Hunt said.
Although both Hunt and Dunn
work hard to provide good examples
to students, and both won
Communicator awards, another
thing they have in common is that
they both respect each other as coworkers.
“Danielle and I work together very
well,” Dunn said. “We’ve developed a
great working relationship.”
St. Joseph Transit
233-6700
702 S. 5th St.
Fares
Adults
60¢
Children, ages 6-18
45¢
Senior citizens &
handicapped
30¢
• Must have exact change.
Request transfer from driver when
boarding.
Service Hours
(excluding holidays)
Mon.-Fri.
Saturday
Sunday
5:45a.m.-10:15p.m.
6:45a.m.-6:15p.m.
closed
Features
T H E
G R I F FO N
Tuesday, February 6, 2001 • Page 7
N E W S
Governor’s Award finds excellence in Porr
Teacher’s inspiration
encouraged continuing
educational trend
Misty Musselman
Features Writer
Education professor Richard Porr received
the Governor’s Award for Excellence in
Teaching Dec. 7 at the Governor’s Conference
on Higher Education in Columbia, Mo.
This award began a number of years ago to
indicate the governor’s appreciation for teaching and to provide the state with an opportunity to recognize and honor outstanding faculty from each institution, both public and private, every year.
Each college has flexibility in selecting a
candidate to receive the award, however, the
following qualifications are to be considered:
effective teaching, effective advising, service to
the college or university community, commitment to high standards of excellence, and success in nurturing student achievement.
Porr, who earned his associate’s degree at
Missouri Western, was surprised to receive the
award.
“It was quite a surprise,” Porr said. “Dr.
Roever asked if he could see me for a couple of
minutes, and I thought, boy, am I in trouble
now.”
James Roever, vice president of Academic
Affairs, was very pleased to see Porr receive
the award.
“He’s an excellent choice, a very fine choice
because he’s an excellent teacher who is motivated to teach students,” Roever said.
Jeanne Daffron, dean of Professional
Studies, has known Porr for four years. She
too, was very pleased for him to receive the
award.
“He’s great,” Daffron said. “A wonderful
teacher who represents the faculty well. He
has a genuine interest in the students and a
real talent. I’m excited for him and very
pleased.
It was
apparent that he was
the selection for the
award because the criteria was certainly
met.”
Senior
education
major Leslie Miller
has also known Porr
for four years. She
too, was happy for
him to receive the
award.
“He has a genuine
concern for students
and tries to work
around their needs,”
Miller said. “Anytime
I’ve had a question or
doubts, he’s always been there to encourage
me, to tell me I can do it, and to back up my
decisions.
He definitely deserved the
Governor’s Award.”
It was the encouragement and support of a
teacher that led Porr into teaching to start
with.
“I think what really made the difference was
a seventh grade teacher,” Porr said. “I lived in
a pretty rough neighborhood and wasn’t interested in school until this particular teacher
made all the difference in the world. I hate to
think where I’d be today if it weren’t for him.”
The inspiration of that teacher led Porr to
eventually earn his bachelor’s degree at
Northwest Missouri State University and his
master’s and Ph. D at University of MissouriKansas City.
Porr teaches the seminar for the secondary
student teaching students before they go out
to student teach. This
class is comprised of secondary students from all
disciplines and it focuses
on human relations.
“The best part of my
job is seeing teacher candidates when they’re first
wondering about teaching, and then watching
them mature and grow
into teachers by the time
they do their student
teaching,” Porr said.
“Especially when I have
the opportunity to supervise them out in the
schools and see what a good job they’re doing.
It’s very satisfying.”
In spite of the many rewards of teaching, the
education field is not without drawbacks.
“Education answers to a lot of different parts
of society, so there are a lot of pulls on all of our
Anytime I’ve had a
question or doubts, he’s
always been there to
encourage me, to tell me
I can do it and to back
up my decisions.
Leslie Miller
senior education major
faculty to be involved in many different directions, and sometimes it’s hard to keep all that
balanced,” Porr said.
Porr believes in the open access mission of
Missouri Western and the transformative
power of education as a whole.
“I began to see the transformative power of
education,” Porr said. “It had the capabilities
of opening up new options and the giving
opportunity of a quality of life that you couldn’t have otherwise.”
For those who wish to pursue a career in the
teaching field, Porr offers sound advice.
“Be sure you feel a sense of calling; it’s something you really want to give yourself to
because the profession is very demanding,”
Porr said. “The other part of it is to be sure
that a major motivation for going into teaching
is caring for people because you almost have to
have that to get past all the challenges.”
Porr began at Missouri Western in 1987 as
the math coordinator in the Center for
Academic Support. He taught adjunct classes
for the computer science, mathematics and
physics department before moving to the education department and has since become chairperson.
Porr serves on the governing boards of the
Missouri Association of Colleges of Teacher
Education and the Northwest Missouri
Regional Professional Development Center.
He is a member of the Steering Committee for
the Regional Goals 2000 grant and is also a
trained program evaluator for the Missouri
Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education.
What’s the story?
What’s the story with The Griffon News? The Griffon News is an
open forum where everyone is encouraged to exchange their opinions
no matter how small they may seem. Ideas are welcome and suggestions are embraced.
College is a growing experience and like other students, The Griffon
News is trying to break out of its shell. While many students must
live up to the expectations of their professors, The Griffon News must
satisfy the curiosity of every teacher, thousands of students and the
administrative faculty at Missouri Western.
It is impossible to think that an editorial staff of 15 can begin to
meet this demand without the ideas of its valued audience. In the
past year, The Griffon News has evolved in quality to a publication
that is now completely dedicated to its readers. Believe it or not, there
is now a place on campus that wants to hear everything. The Griffon
News is ready to listen.
The mission of The Griffon News is to provide the campus and
surrounding communities with news based on the six newsworthy
elements while provide it’s staff with the opportunity of learning
about newspaper production in a semi-professional environment. We
plan to accomplish this through our dedicated editors and staff, each
who truly care about the quality of news that is given to our readers.
What’s your story? Have a question? Know a rumor? What would
you like to know more about? With a population in the thousands,
there has to be at least one other person who is interested in the same
thing. All you have to do is fill us in while sitting back and letting us
do the dirty work. We can find the answers.
Call The Griffon News at 271-4412, or e-mail us at griffy@mwsc.edu
with your story ideas.
Heard a rumor?
Want
the
facts?
Contact the
Griffon News.
Who
Whoare
arethe
thecharacters?
characters?
A fresh
outlook
Stephanie Howard
Editor-in-Chief
slh8016@griffon.mwsc.edu
You make
the call
Andy Brown
Features Editor
amb2725@griffon.mwsc.edu
Entertain
this!
Lori Sanders
Entertainment Editor
ljs9601@griffon.mwsc.edu
Size
does
matter
Ready or
not
Leslie Hancock
Zach Ramsay
Assistant Editor-in-Chief
lah3324@griffon.mwsc.edu
News Editor
zdr2856@griffon.mwsc.edu
On
higher
ground
Sheila Thiele
Asst. Features Editor
sct0656@griffon.mwsc.edu
I’m
smarter
than
USAToday
Brad Harbold
Graphics Editor
bwh7151@griffon.mwsc.edu
A fresh
voice
The spring 2001 Griffon News staff brings the promise of wellrounded, full coverage for the spring 2001 semester
Next
stop,
soul
train!
Brian Hunt
Asst. Graphics
Lola3542@aol.com
My
photos
do the
talking
Nick Brown
Asst. Photographer
nab3153@griffon.mwsc.edu
Beth Tuttle
Opinion Editor
emt5908@griffon.mwsc.edu
I make
the
money
Take it
or
leave it
LaTonya Williams
News Editor
ltw8295@griffon.mwsc.edu
The
Book
of Ruth
Ruth Doornink
Sports Editor
rfd5033@griffon.mwsc.edu
Not pictured:
Aaron Tebrinke
Photo Editor
Aubrey Maguire
Heather Cox
Ad Manager
cox_heather@hotmail.com
Assistant Ad Manager
Entertainment
Page 8 • Tuesday, February 6, 2001
T H E
G R I F F O N
gn entertainment
N E W S
7
5
86921
Plot predictable even without The Gift cookin’
in
theaters now
1 hour 45 minutes (PG-13)
Starring: Cate Blanchette, Giovanni Ribisi,
Hilary Swank, Keanu Reeves, Greg
Kinnear, Katie Holmes, Gary Cole
Josh: Hey Brian guess what night it is?
Brian: Arts and crafts night?
Josh: No man, it’s date night!
Brian: Date night again?! Already!
Josh: Yes, Brian. Thursday is arts and craft
night and Sunday is date night. Now what do
you want to go see?
Brian: What Women Want! (Maniacal laughter by both parties)
Josh: No good dude, it’s already sold out in
two screens.
Brian: What the crap!
Josh: Hey! Let’s go see The Gift; Katie
Holmes does a topless scene in it!
Brian: Awww man, I don’t know, I’m a fan of
the breasts just like any other man, but.....
Josh: Katie topless, Katie topless, Katie
topless, Katie topless, Katie topless,
Katie topless!
Brian: Ok, Josh, we’ll go see The Gift.
Josh: Wheeeeehaaaaaaa!
Brian: Ok, Giovanni Ribisi is in this, so it
shouldn’t be too bad.
Josh: Yeah, but we gotta make it through the
previews first.
(45 minutes later)
Brian: Sweet! The movie’s starting!
(2 hours later)
Josh: Good movie, (raises eyebrow) but now
it’s time to do the nasty, dude!
Brian: Do the nasty? But it’s date night!
Josh: Yes Brian, we always do the nasty on
date night.
Brian: (sigh) Yeah, I guess we do. (pulls out
typewriter) Okay, let’s write the column.
Set in your typical small, southern town, our
heroine, played by Cate Blanchette, is a
recently widowed mother of two endowed with
strange psychic gifts that run in her family.
From the outset of this story, it’s obvious she
doesn’t necessarily appreciate these gifts.
Constantly troubled with haunting visions,
she seems to be day-walking through her
everyday life.
Aside from her social security check, she
supplements her income by doing psychic
readings and counseling for the other residents of her town. This is the main vehicle
used to introduce the other players in this
story.
Hilary Swank is a housewife who turns to
Blanchette for advice on how to deal with her
abusive husband, played convincingly by
Keanu Reeves. Giovanni Ribisi turns in the
performance of the show as Buddy, a psychologically troubled mechanic who can’t seem to
figure out some dark secret of his past dealing
with his father.
After another day of telling fortunes,
Blanchette is summoned to the local school
after her son has been in another spat of trouble. After speaking with the principal (played
by Greg Kinnear of Mystery Men fame), it’s
obvious there are romantic sparks between the
two characters.
At this point, though, that potential plot
branch is cut as the principal’s fiancee, played
by Katie Holmes, comes in to give him a peck
on the cheek. To be honest, Holmes’ performance is the weakest link in this film. She
hams up the role of the small town tramp.
However, she does not only one, but two topless scenes, so we can overlook that small acting problem, can’t we?
After having visions in which Holmes is a
corpse, Blanchette heads home and finds out
soon after that Holmes has disappeared. We,
of course, know she will turn up dead, just as
we also know that all her dirty little secrets
will be uncovered, giving many people potential motives for wanting her dead.
This is the only fault of the film, as the plot
from this point is fairly easy to figure out. We
find out she was sleeping with Reeves’ character, the district attorney, and just about everyone else. There are some memorable scenes
with Ribisi’s character which should earn him
an Oscar nomination (but probably won’t) and
finally there is some marvelous camera work
involving
Holmes’ dead visage and
Blanchette’s gift.
Sam Raimi, the director of this film, who is
perhaps best known for the Evil Dead trilogy,
does an amazing job here with the limited
script (which, coincidentally, was co-written by
Billy Bob Thornton). Though Blanchette
turns in a very convincing performance, it is
Ribisi who steals the show as the mechanic.
Swank with her amazing mullet and fake
black eye conveys the battered southern wife
image stereotypically well and Kinnear
anchors the cast well as the betrayed principal.
The comparisons to What Lies Beneath are
going to be inevitable. Both the plot and visual aspects seem reminiscent of the Harrison
Ford hit. However, don’t be fooled into comparisons. Raimi’s style was well established
long before this film and his talent as well as a
well molded cast brings home a solid movie
that should win at least one award by the end
of the year.
Y-2-Heartbreak My Bloody Valentine
As I gaze down upon my damp pillow, trying to decipher
which puddle was caused by tears and which was caused
by a weak bladder, I can barely contain my disdain for the
disappointing new millennium we now find ourselves in.
I’ve been a faithful watcher of the skies, keeping an eye out
for flying cars and flying pigs.
Needless to say, science has
brought us neither.
I’m not ashamed to admit
th e
that most of what I know in
life was picked up through
The views and opinions
watching the only mother I’ve
expressed here are not those of
ever known... that’s right, the
the Griffon News or its staff.
television. I’ve never let my
faith in the entertainment
industry waver, because I
always knew deep down that it would never lie to me. I
would watch reruns of Lost in Space, thinking to myself,
“You know, someday, I would like to be lost in space.” I’d
watch episodes of Star Trek and think, “Man, someday I’d
like to go on a star trek, just like good ole’ Dr. Bones.” I’d
watch the Dick Van Dyke Show and think to myself,
“Cripes, someday I’d like to trip over an ottoman.” Well,
apparently science hasn’t been doing it’s job, because I’ve
only accomplished one of these things, and the ottoman
isn’t nearly as fun as it looks on television.
Where is the utopia that was promised to me? We’re not
even close to the world presented to us in 2001: A Space
Odyssey? The only H.A.L. I’ve ever seen was the old drunk
guy that would always show up at my family reunions. We
never knew why he came, but for some reason we never
kicked him out. Maybe it’s because he always brought the
booze. Or maybe it was because he had a gun. Or maybe,
just maybe, it’s because he was my uncle. Man, that guy
sure did like macaroni salad.
I always thought that science followed TV and movies as
closely as I have. It seems that everything promised to us
by television has come true in one way or another. Let’s use
trusty old Star Trek as an example. What have they given
us? Their “communicators” are what we call “cell phones”.
They have “phasers” and we have “lasers”(not quite the
same but just as good). Their “spandex suits” are what we
call “spandex suits”. All of these nifty new devices came
from television. I mean, just look at the hit TV series ER.
It came on the air six seasons ago, and now look what we
have. Almost every hospital nowadays as an “ER”.
I see all these accomplishments and have to question
why we don’t have more. We’ve come so far, yet we’re still
so far away. I was naive, placing so much faith in the
advancement of technology. Apparently I flew too close to
the sun and my melting wings will only send me into a
downward spiral of doubt, crashing into the sea of indifference. My feelings about TV and movies will never
change, but everything else will have to pass a grueling
test in order to win back my confidence. I’m not yet sure
what this “test” will entail, but you can rest assured that it
will most likely involve a potato sack race, bobbing for
apples, and maybe a Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots
Tournament. However, that last part is completely dependent on how many Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots I can find on
short notice.
I guess the biggest lesson I learned from this whole millennium debacle is that nothing is constant. Even earth’s
yellow sun is simply a star that will someday die, whether
from old age or from hellacious flatulence. The universe in
which we live is in an ever changing state. Even Freddie
Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar couldn’t keep it
together. If they aren’t the constant in this science experiment called life, then brother, I challenge you to find something more reliable. I guess the lesson here is this: when
you put all your eggs in one basket, it’s very easy to be hurt
by the powers that be. My suggestion to you is to hide your
eggs in as many different places as you can find. That way,
if you drop your basket, you’ll only break one or two of your
eggs. And if someone tries to steal your basket, they won’t
get your entire egg supply, and that will hardly be worth
the face full of catnip and the crotch full of foot that they
will inevitably suffer if anyone tries to touch my basket. I
love that basket...
Amanda Housewirth • Staff Writer
Don’t let the name fool you. This
cupid’s arrows are anything but
friendly in this scary flick. But if you
like scary movies, then Valentine is
the movie for you.
In Valentine, a group of young girls
make fun of an unpopular classmate
at a Valentine’s Day dance. The
young man eventually grows up and
becomes quite handsome and on
every Valentine’s Day, he goes back to
get his revenge on those who tortured
him.
Kate (Marley Shelton, Sugar &
Spice) is the sweet one out of the
bunch who was the only one who
didn’t make fun of him during junior
high. This film has many familiar
faces, Denise Richards (The World is
Not Enough, Drop Dead Gorgeous),
Katherine Heigl (Roswell) and David
Boreanaz (Angel).
The movie would be fun to go see
with friends, but it would be more fun
to go see the movie with a date, since
you can grab your date’s arm if you
get really scared.
The movie is pretty gruesome. It is
strongly suggested you hold off on the
popcorn and snacks during the film,
unless you think you can handle it.
Although the movie is scary and
offers plenty of adrenaline rushes,
the ending may be a bit disappointing
and leave you confused. To those who
read the book, expect to be thrown off
track.
Most horror films don’t have a valuable lesson, but this one does. What
goes around, comes back even worse.
in
theaters now
1 hour 45 minutes (R)
Starring: Marley Shelton, Denise
Richards, Katherine Heigl, David
Boreanaz
Happy Birthday Aquarius
• Jan. 21 to Feb. 19
Aries • March 21 to April 20
So you found out that you grind your
teeth in your sleep. And you wonder
why your romantic relationships always
end in disaster.
Taurus • April 21 to May 21
You might want to keep the locksmith’s number handy. You’ll reach
your front door and realize that your
key no longer fits the lock. So that’s
what the word eviction means.
Gemini • May 22 to June 21
You’ll be the cause of your undoing.
Maybe you shouldn’t have pulled that
loose thread.
Cancer • June 22 to July 22
You’ll soon receive a message in a
bottle. It will read: Sorry, this is not an
instant winner. Please try again. better luck next time.
Leo • July 23 to Aug. 23
Now is a good time to start learning
all about police work. Start practicing
by saying things such as “It wasn’t me”
Italian Pinwheels
Ingredients:
•6 (10 inch) flour tortillas
•1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
•12 slices of ham
•4 ounces of fresh basil
•1 cup of sun-dried tomatoes
•12 leaves of red lettuce
Directions:
1. Spread each tortilla lightly with cream
cheese. Arrange two ham slices across the
middle of each tortilla. Add a layer of fresh
basil, then a layer of tomatoes. Keep all
ingredients toward the middle of the shell.
Add lettuce; just enough to cover the shell,
with a little hanging over the edge.
2. Starting at one end, roll up and secure
with toothpick. Place on dish and refrigerate for two hours.
3. Slice each roll into four pieces and serve.
worthwhile
website
Zach Ramsay • News Editor
Worthwhile: Quick Tax
Quick-Tax.com, a St. Joseph based website ran by CPA William White, offers a
competitive alternative to conventional
income tax filing of federal forms 1040a or
1040-EZ that is conveniently located at a
handy, informational service. A comprehensive guide to the method and madness
that comes with income tax filing is
included on the site’s links, as well as a
plain language FAQ and a self-select PIN
number program for privacy, which is
completely encrypted through Verisign.
Although the payment options are not as
rapid as Refund Anticipation Loans (such
as H&R Block), the electronic filing system sends the information to the IRS, cutting the average refund time to 10-14
days, as opposed to the usual 6- to 8-week
rigamorale that comes with direct mail filing. The total cost for refund and processing fees amount to a pithy $14.95, with no
hidden costs. Anyone who has filed
through a Refund Anticipation Loans company will probably agree the virtue of
patience far outweighs the inflated service
charges of tax filing businesses.
movies
Lori Sanders • Entertainment Editor
Pisces • Feb. 20 to March 20
Beware of turnips. They’ll get you
every time.
submitted by Lori Sanders •Entertainment Editor
gn’s going out guide
What’s Your Sign?
Colors: Cerulean
Stones: Gravel, for those “hard to
pave” driveways.
Notables: Paul Newman, Mimi
Rogers, Alan Alda, Tom Selleck.
1231071
You will soon invent a new bath
toy. While it makes you millions,
it could cause an embarrassing
appearance on the Letterman
Show.
and “I never seen that glove.” You can
learn a lot from the pros.
Virgo • Aug. 24 to Sept. 22
Is school not going well for you? You
know if you drop classes now, you get
half of your tuition back...PARTY,
PARTY!
Libra • Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
Looking for a new hobby? It’s never
too early to learn how to knit. Just
think of it this way, you’ll be ready for
the rocking chair days still to come.
Scorpio • Oct. 23 to Nov. 21
Has the recent loss of your license
bummed you out? It’s okay, you don’t
want to put the bus driver out of a job,
do you?
Sagittarius • Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
Life getting you down? Don’t worry,
you still have that one friend, even if
she does fall asleep every time you talk.
Capricorn • Dec. 22 to Jan. 20
Ever think there’s someone out to get
you? Maybe it’s time to find and
destroy that small doll dressed just like
you..
“What’s your sign” is provided for
entertainment purposes only.
The Amati Girls
PG
R
The Pledge
R
Snatch
Amy
PG-13
R
Faithless
G
A Monkey’s Tale
PG-13
Sugar and Spice
Two Ninjas
R
PG-13
The Wedding Planner
Fever
R
PG
In the Mood for Love
R
The Invisible Circus
PG-13
Left Behind: The Movie
R
The Million Dollar Hotel
R
Valentine
PG-13
Traffic
PG-13
Thirteen Days
PG-13
Double Take
PG-13
Antitrust
PG-13
Save the Last Dance
Opening Friday Feb. 9
R
Downward Angel
R
Hannibal (2001)
PG-13
Head Over Heels
PG-13
Saving Silverman
NR
Love, Honor and Obey
What’s out to Rent
R
Dr. T and the Women
PG
The Digimon Movie
PG-13
What Lies Beneath
R
Cotton Mary
R
Love and Sex
PG
Dinosaur