February 14th - Griffon News

Steve Martin stars in a
remake of an
old favorite
for full review
News
Lifestyles
Editorial
see Page 9
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
Slam poet Bryonn Bain speaks on campus
PAID
Feature Series: Western's black student leaders
PERMIT NO. 32
St. JOSEPH, MO
Who’s to blame for resident hall evictions?
the
Missouri Western State University
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Volume 86 Issue 16
Students
face hall
evictions
Andie Schmitt
Contributing Editor
ads8016@missouriwestern.edu
The blame game is likely more
well known than Monopoly, but then
again, it’s not a race to Park Place.
It’s a question of who points the finger first.
On the Western campus, the blame
is certainly being shifted from office
to office as a group of students is
left asking why after being delivered
eviction notices.
As of Friday, Feb. 3, at least a
dozen students were given notices to
vacate the residence halls, according
to Angie Beam,
acting
director of Financial
Aid and Michael
Speros, director
of Housing and
Residential Life.
While the students may not
have
known
why, or may not
- Micheal Speros have conceded
Housing and the truth at the
Residential Life director time, the reason was simple.
They weren’t registered for class.
Freshman Residential Assistant
Jordan Baumgardner was making
the rounds on his floor at the Living
Learning Center on the morning of
Feb. 3. He was running mail from
room to room.
“I never know what I’m delivering,” Baumgardner said. “The envelopes come to me sealed. It could be
‘Surprise, you’re getting your housing paid for,’ or it could be, “Sorry,
you’re being evicted.’”
For freshman Tierra Locke, it was
unfortunately the latter.
She was informed via campus mail
that she had 48 hours to vacate her
dorm room.
Locke says that she had been
attending classes and had no idea
that this shock was heading her
way.
For any student, a sudden eviction
can be inconvenient. For Locke, it’s
more than inconvenient. Her home
in St. Louis, Mo., is more than 300
miles away. The 48-hour time frame
wasn’t possible.
Her parents are coming to get her,
but not as soon as Housing would
have liked. They are as angry and
disappointed as Locke is, and the
five-hour drive isn’t going to help.
“My mom is trying to get down
here, or to find someone to come get
me,” Locke said. “It’s difficult for my
mom right now because she can’t
take off work.”
See Evictions page 5
Cafeteria violates codes
Western Dining
addresses serious
violations quickly
Emily Kirkendoll
News Writer
Missouri Western’s cafeteria was faced with
health code violations, student fears and only
72 hours to remedy some critical issues after a
routine food safety inspection on Jan. 24 by the
Buchanan County Health Department.
“It worried me a lot; it worried me about eating there,” said freshman Cody McCray after
word spread across campus about the initial
inspection.
However, ARAMARK’s Jim Maides addressed
and fixed teh critical violations during health
inspector Rick Messa’s initial visit.
“If Messa deems (restaurants) to be so blatantly horrible, he’ll return,” Maides said.
Maides also said Messa keeps records of
inspections and looks for repeat offenses. The
critical issues found in this recent inspection
were first time offenses.
“(Messa) likes to come in a get your cage
rattled a little bit,” Maides said.
According to the St. Joseph Food Code Book,
two of the critical codes (4-601.11 and 4602.11) dealt with “Cleaning of Equipment and
Utensils.”
Specifically, Messa wrote in the report that a
“slicer was wiped off, not cleaned ...” and that an
STACEY SHORES / Design Editor
“ice chute on pop machines in dining area has
slime mold growth.” Maides said this slime is Ebonie Cunningham helps herself to food at the buffet-style steam trays in the cafeteria. ARAMARK, Western’s food
service, worked very quickly to address health code violations after a routine inspection Jan. 24.
due to the syrup from the soda.
The third critical violation (2-201.11) is under
ing how to use certain items but not knowing
the section in the code book dealing with employ- tions and if any corrections were made.
“We pay the money; we should get the infor- how to disassemble and clean them properly,”
ee health.
“Any employee having open wounds, sores mation when inspections are done,” student Maides said.
He said he immediately remedied the situa… needs to have that area of exposure covered Christian Burnett said.
Maides said that the critical issues were imme- tion by eliminating untrained personnel from
at all times…,” Messa wrote in the inspection
diately corrected and that most of these viola- certain tasks.
report.
Non-critical items also existed. Maides
Some students were troubled because they tions were training and follow-through issues.
“The problem was in some employees knowdidn’t know the results of the routine inspecSee Cafeteria inspection page 7
SGA resolution proposes newspaper fee
Dorothy Charles
Assistant News Editor
dac5393@missouriwestern.edu
The
Student
Government
Association voted to approve a $2per-student, per-semester fee for The
Griffon News Feb. 6.
The senate passed the newspaper
fee resolution by a vote of 8-2 with
three abstentions.
The resolution still needs to go
before the Faculty Senate, administration and the Board of Governors
before it will go into effect.
If passed, every student enrolled in
any amount of credit hours will have
start paying the $2 fee during the
fall 2006 semester.
The Griffon News currently receives $17,500 from
Liberal Arts and Sciences,
$12,000 to $13,000
in advertising revenue and $2,500 in
scholarship money.
Missouri Southern has
a $30,000 budget along
with $12,000 in scholarship money.
This allows Southern to pay the full
tuition expenses of their editor-inchief and save money by not having
to pay that position out of operating
funds.
If the new fee is approved it will
almost double the newspaper’s
budget.
“For many years
The Griffon News has
received no direct
money from students
and this money will
help us do some great
things to help better serve
the student body,” Griffon
News Faculty Advisor Dr.
Robert Bergland said.
This newly proposed $2 fee is simi-
lar to yearbook’s $5 fee in that students are helping to pay for campus
publications that are put out by the
students. The $2 fee averages out to
be 16 cents per issue because twelve
issues are published each semester.
Bergland said if the fee is approved
the new budget will go towards several things, like an increase of salaries, which have not been increased
for roughly 10 years. In addition, it
would help pay for updated software
and hardware.
The money would also go towards
training seminars, conferences and
See Newspaper fee page 7
College presence felt at state capital
Senators discuss
education budget
Dorothy Charles
Assistant News Editor
dac5393@missouriwestern.edu
GRETCHEN KUNKLE / Photographer
SGA Vice President Jeff Knapp and Student Governor Bob Hughes meet with Missouri
Senate majority leader Charlie Shields to disuss Western’s future.
Western’s student senators and
government students traveled to
Jefferson City, Mo., on Feb. 7 to speak
with representatives and legislators
for Higher Education Day.
Recently,
Gov.
Matt
Blunt
announced
the
Lewis
and
Clark Discovery Initiative that
would provide $450 million for
capital
improvement
projects,
new scholarships and endowed
professorships
at
universities
throughout the state.
On Jan. 31, the Missouri
Higher Education Loan Authority
(MOHELA) Board of Directors
adopted a resolution which calls for
full funding of the Lewis and Clark
Initiative. That, along with Blunt’s
budget proposal for a 2 percent
increase in higher education, made
up the topics of choice discussed
between students, representatives
and legislators.
SGA Vice President Jeff Knapp
said the trip to Jefferson City was
a way to speak with legislators and
present Western’s position for more
funding and to thank them for the 2
percent increase.
He also said the trip was a chance to
discuss the public good of universities
and higher education as a whole and
how important it is to fund them as
they do affect the whole community
– not just the students and their
well being, but the well being of the
community and the betterment of
the country.
Director of External Relations Beth
Wheeler said this gives a chance for
legislators and representatives to
put faces with the universities and a
chance for students to see what goes
on in the capitol.
“The experience is really good for
students because they get to ... meet
individually with their legislators,
(and meet) with other legislators,”
Wheeler said. “They get to see the
hubbub that goes on in the capitol
building, how the sessions are
handled in the chambers, meet with
staff and see other visitors, as well as
elected folks.”
Students were able to speak with
Reps. Ed Wildberger, Martin Rucker
and Rob Schaaf along with Sen.
Charlie Shields.
“A lot of them were very much
supportive of higher education
funding and really understand the
importance of it,” Knapp said. “It was
a very positive meeting I felt. I think
we really got our voices heard, and
they were, of course, very cordial and
very nice, and the things they said
See Jefferson City trip page 6
Editorial
PAGE 2 • Tuesday, February 14, 2006
The Griffon News
STAFF EDITORIAL
graphic by Bradley Redmond
Who is really to blame for evictions?
Accountability seems to be an issue these days.
Whether it’s remembering to turn in your homework
on time or your FAFSA on time, some students are forgetting that college is what they make it and all other
variables still revolve around that truth.
Most recently a small group of on-campus students got
a nasty wake-up call in the form of an eviction notice.
Evictions in the dorms are typically different from
those issued at an apartment complex. Students are
more likely to be handed their walking papers for inappropriate or disruptive conduct, rather than just late
rent.
In truth, when it simply boils down to dollars, Housing, the Business Office and Financial Aid Office are
more than willing to work with students.
Michael Speros, Angie Beam and Gene Eulinger can
all list accommodations they’ve made for any number of
special circumstances. They do, however, ask that the
students earn that help. They ask that student merit
their time by putting forth reasonable efforts.
The evicted students mentioned in this situation
didn’t bother to register for class. It’s not a case of what
the institution failed to do for them, but rather a case of
what they didn’t do for themselves.
You can claim injustice all you want, but if you don’t
take the time to make yourself a student, you’ll be hardpressed to win sympathy from those who have.
It was surprising for many of the administrators questioned about this story that so many students really believed that they could slip by.
It’s true that the registrar’s office can’t verify that
dorm-dwellers are enrolled. Likewise, Housing doesn’t
know on move-in day whether or not their new residents
are bound for academia.
However, why even bother moving onto a college campus if not to take classes?
There’s only so much finger pointing a student in
this situation can do before they realize the only one to
blame is the person staring back at them in the mirror.
Like the administrators now fielding complaints, we’d
like to be sympathetic. We’d like to see how they were
cast off unfairly. We just can’t get past the truth.
A little maturity and a little accountability go a long
way indeed.
Commentary
Commentary
Fan mourns the passing of author Betty Friedan
Andie Schmitt
Contributing Editor
Sarah Taylor
Opinions Editor
cheeryme@msn.com
Today is a day that incites a wide array of
emotions in people the world over.
It is the cause of happiness, anxiousness, hope,
worry, frustration, regret, and too many other
sensations to mention in such a small space.
Of course, the day that I am referencing is
Valentine’s Day.
It amuses me to think how one day, depending
on your relationship situation, can be the best
day of the year or the one you wish didn’t exist.
Being happily single myself, I am glad for my
“involved” friends who get cute little surprises
and fancy dates around this time of year, I really
am.
The only complaint that I have is that us
single gals are missing out on a heck of a lot of
chocolate here.
I don’t even like chocolate, but there’s something about receiving it as a gift that really
makes you feel special.
I guess when a guy figures out what I do like,
and gets me that instead of chocolate, I’ll know
he’s a keeper.
But that’s a different story. Everywhere you
go, there are roses on sale, balloons, hearts,
commercials for jewelry … and that sensory
overload has caused me to ponder this thing we
call love.
Great philosophers considered love for entire
lifetimes without reaching conclusions, so I
doubt that I will either, but I have some ideas.
I was reading the intro to my journal, Soul
Catcher, the other day. It mentioned taking
risks with your heart. I circled it and thought
about that for a minute. I think of it like this: love is a poker game. It’s all about taking risks. You should have
enough smarts to know when a gamble is wise,
but regardless of skill, sometimes you’re just
dealt a bad hand and there’s nothing you can do
about it. But this I know: you will never come out on
top if you fold every hand. And what if you do bet it all only to walk away
empty-handed? Have you met every person in the world to
know that this one was the only one worth gambling on? I’m guessing not. You play the game long enough, you’ll come
out with a royal flush and walk away with
everything you were playing for. You just gotta pick the right joker to bet on.
I’m no Aristotle, but that makes sense to me.
Ladies, it is indeed a time for mourning.
It’s a time to remember, a time to wear
black. Another icon for the modern American
woman has passed away.
Following Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott
King, on Saturday, Feb. 4, author Betty
Friedan died of congestive heart failure. It
was her 85th birthday.
Known for her best seller, The Feminine
Mystique, Friedan also stood out as an activist for women’s rights, workplace equality
and pro-choice legislation.
In 1963 she wrote, “The problem that has
no name — which is simply the fact that
American women are kept from growing to
their full human capacities — is taking a
far greater toll on the physical and mental
health of our country than any known disease.”
In 1999, I read her work and it struck a
chord. I became fascinated with her life.
Her words moved the feminist movement
out of neutral and shifted it onto the pages of
our collective history. She continued in what
would become her crusade after this book
rose to critical acclaim.
Friedan co-founded the National
Organization for Women in 1966, along
with Pauli Murray (another first—she was
the first African-American female Episcopal
priest) and was its first president, serving
until 1971. In 1969, she was a founder of
the National Association for the Repeal of
Abortion Laws, now known as NARAL ProChoice America. With Gloria Steinem she
co-founded the National Women’s Political
Caucus in 1971.
Beyond her litany of well-known achievements, I credit her with a host of lesserknown accomplishments.
I read The Feminine Mystique when I was
a mid-first-semester freshman. It literally
redirected my academic focus.
Before that piece of reading I was a college student because it naturally followed
high school, like so many of my fellow dormdwellers.
After its point had a chance to sink in,
I realized the fault in living passively. I
understood the privilege of choice. My life
is my own to make, but it wasn’t that long
Letters totheEditor
Students address positive aspects of athletics plan
Dear Griffon News,
As the former Griffon News sports editor
for two years and a member of the St. Joseph
News-Press sports desk for nearly three
years, I have seen a side to the regional athletics scene that few fans know.
Over the years of covering Western events,
I have visited many of the facilities of other
MIAA schools, and I have spoken with a
number of fellow media members, all of
which has led me to believe one thing … The
Missouri Western Athletics Department is
full of overachievers.
I couldn’t possibly count the number of
times I have heard someone say, “Jerry
Partridge (Western’s football coach) gets
more out of his players than any coach in
the MIAA.”
Year after year, Partridge somehow convinces outstanding athletes to come and
practice on a field that is almost always
covered in mud, thanks to a faulty sprinkler
system, and workout in a small fitness center that they have to share with the 5,000
other students at Western.
The same can be said for Tom Smith, who
has earned the majority of his 500 career
wins as a basketball coach practicing on a
floor spattered with dead spots and playing
games on a floor pasted almost directly onto
a slab of concrete.
Unfortunately, every Western coach has to
deal with these types of obstacles. Baseball
coach Buzz Verduzco has to train his team
on campus and then ship them across town
for practices and games. Tennis coach Matt
Micheel works out of the laundry room and
can’t even use the tennis courts on campus
for practice because they have been deemed
unsafe.
As I have traveled to other campuses, I
have recognized that programs with the
means to provide a comfortable atmosphere
for its players and fans tend to have success
that translates into more than wins and
losses.
The package put together by Western
Athletics Director Mark Linder and a group
of Western students offers the opportunity
to give our coaches and athletics faculty the
proper tools to build winning teams and our
students with stellar benefits for attending
games, which will combine to provide an
Staff
Bradley Redmond
Editor-in-Chief
Kathy Crawford
News Editor
Dorothy Charles Asst. News Editor
Lauren Epps
Lifestyles Editor
Jared Herrin Asst. Lifestyles Editor
Marielle Scarborough Sports Editor
Sarah Taylor
Opinions Editor
Stacey Shores
Design Editor
Nick Draper
Copy Editor
Rikki Cason
Production Manager
Bob Bergland
Faculty Adviser
Web site: http://www.missouriwestern.edu/griffonnews
Email: griffonnews@missouriwestern.edu
ago that women lived more under implied
agendas and less to their own, independent
goals.
I talked with my grandmother over the
weekend about Friedan’s passing.
Gram is a self-remade woman and only
read Friedan’s book a few years ago. She
came of age during the book’s golden rise,
but wasn’t exposed to it ironically because
she was one of the typical housewives suffering from “the mystique.”
Now her life is hers to make and even
though the point came much later, she too
shares my sense of loss.
Now, I listen to my younger sisters talk
about their future career hopes and my girlfriend’s choice to skip motherhood in pursuit
of other ambitions, and I know I could cry.
I realize now that I’d like to imagine Betty
contented by the path she left behind for the
rest of us to follow, even if so many don’t
know whom to credit it to.
On behalf on my colleagues, cohorts and
compatriots, thank you Betty. We literally
couldn’t have done it without you. If nothing
else, rest now knowing we will continue to
grow and pursue more.
News
Lisa Crawford
Andrew Denney
Susanne Hoffmann
Bastian Huck
Jenna Swymeler
Ciarra Leathers
Emily Kirkendoll
Lifestyles
Nic Wilson
Jill Muir
Darren Moten
Joshua Kalin
Sports
Brad Kester
Travis Verdi
Ashley Izer
Ray Patrick
Design
Gretchen Kunkle
Marty Ayers
Phil Sanders
Maurice Bush
Advertising
Wendy Harrod
Cassie Krumme
electric atmosphere that we can all enjoy
long after our days at Western are over.
Danny Stooksbury
Dear Griffon News,
This plan for Athletics is one of the best
things to happen to Missouri Western in a
long time! It benefits every student, from
traditional, to Greek, to non-traditional, to
athletes. The Athletic Department has gone
to great lengths to make sure there are benefits for everyone, including a better stadium,
babysitting, shuttles, free food and prizes,
the Griff Zone and a better overall atmosphere at sporting events. These improvements will take us one step closer to being
recognized as the great university we are!!
Please remember to vote yes on March 8.
Natalie Bailey
Resident Council President
Alpha Sigma Alpha
The Griffon News is written and published by students of Missouri Western
State University during the fall and spring semesters. The first copy of each
issue is free; additional copies are 50 cents. Content of this paper is developed
independently of the faculty and administration, or other campus organizations or offices. Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas, information
and advertising to The Griffon News office, Eder 221, 4525 Downs Drive, St.
Joseph, Mo. 64507, or by phoning (816) 271-4412 (advertising and news
room). Copy 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 350-400 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 information,
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 University.
The Griffon News
Advertising
Tuesday, February 14, 2006 • PAGE 3
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News
PAGE 4 • Tuesday, February 14, 2006
News
Notes
EPA biologist
to speak at
Western
The biology department
at Missouri Western State
University will host Lt. Col.
Dewayne Knott, Region VII
EPA chief enforcement biologist and vice commander, 139th
Medical Group, Air National
Guard, Feb. 15. He will give
three presentations, which are
free and open to the community.
Lt. Col. Knott will discuss
public health and medical
issues during natural disasters
and military deployment. His
presentations include:
• “Public Health Response
in
an
Expeditionary,
Forward-Deployed Wartime
Environment” – 11 a.m., Leah
Spratt Hall, room 203.
• “Do You Know What it
Means to Miss New Orleans?
A Public Health Response to
Hurricane Katrina” – 12 p.m.,
Leah Spratt Hall, room 205.
• “Medical Issues in Natural
Disasters and Combat Force
Protection” – 6:30 p.m., Evan
R. Agenstein Hall, room 308.
These events are co-sponsored by the Western student
chapter of the Wildlife Society,
Beta Beta Beta Honor Society
and the Pre-Professional Club.
For more information, contact
Dr. David Ashley, professor of
biology, at 816-271-4344 or
ashley@missouriwestern.edu.
Stem cell
debate to be
presented
Dr. Todd Eckdahl, professor
of biology at Missouri Western
State University, will give a presentation entitled “The Stem
Cell Debate: It’s All About
Eggs and Issues” at the Eggs
and Issues speaker series, a
free breakfast presentation for
the campus and the community. Eckdahl will speak at 7
a.m. Feb. 15 in the Fulkerson
Center. To make a reservation
for the free breakfast, call 816271-5646 by Feb. 10.
“In
November
2006,
Missourians will likely have a
chance to vote on a constitutional amendment that would
allow stem cell research and
protect the use of stem cell
treatments,” Eckdahl said.
He said he will discuss
the background of stem cell
research to help develop
informed opinions. Eckdahl graduated from the
University of Minnesota, Duluth
with a major in chemistry and
a minor in biology. He earned
a Ph.D. in molecular genetics
from Purdue University and has
completed post-doctorate work
on virology at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison.
SGA petition
deadline
draws near
Petitions are being accepted
for the position of president
of the Student Government
Association, Campus Activities
Board and Residence Council. The petitions are available at the Dean of Student
Development’s Office, Blum
Union 228 and are due Friday,
Feb. 17.
In addition, interested persons may sign up to be a student senator for next year at
the same location. In order to
be put on the ballot, students
must sign up by Friday, March
17.
– Staff Reports
The Griffon News
Deficit Reduction Act to fix Stafford interest rates
Jamie Vangeest
U-Wire
MINNEAPOLIS - President George
W. Bush on Wednesday signed the
Deficit Reduction Act, which will make
some of the largest changes to financial aid for higher education in the
program’s history.
These federal changes to aid could
end up helping or hurting University
students.
One of the act’s features involves stabilizing interest rates.
Annual interest rates will be fixed
at 6.8 percent for Stafford Loans and
Parent Loans for undergraduate students will have a fixed annual interest
rate of 7.9 percent.
Kris Wright, the University’s director
of financial aid, said consolidation will
become unnecessary after the interest
rates are fixed because all of the different type of loans will be set at their own
fixed rates.
The effective date for the new fixed
rates is July 1, so Wright recommends
students consolidate their loans now to
lock in a lower rate.
Shannon McNeil, a psychology junior,
said she sees the pros and cons of a fees, he said.
fixed interest rate.
Wright said that by July 1, 2010,
She said she sees the interest rates loan origination fees will be down to 1
of loans going
percent.
higher than the
B r i t t n y
fixed rate in the
McCarthy, edufuture, so a fixed
cation commitinterest
rate
tee staff member
could be a good
for Rep. Betty
thing.
McCollum,
DThe act also
Minn., said the
included changact’s provisions
es in originawill result in the
tion fees -- the
largest cuts in
fee that is paid
student financial
by students to
aid history.
cover the cost of
“ T h i s
administering
Republican plan
Brittny McCarthy
the loan.
is a cruel choice
Education Committee Staff Member
University
for Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn. that purposely
F e d e r a l
targets students,”
Relations
she said.
Director John
In a speech
Engelen
said
Wednesday, Bush
origination fees
said “the bill cuts
are at 1.5 perexcess governcent, but will be
ment subsidies to
increased to 3 percent temporarily.
lenders and makes other reforms that
This will cost University students an will help us reduce overall student loan
additional $3.15 million in origination costs by about $22 billion.”
“
“This Republican plan
is a cruel choice that purposely targets students.”
“
Missouri House bill to alter
higher education funding
Tina Marie Macias
U-Wire
COLUMBIA, Mo. - A revised bill
that would cap higher-education
appropriations to public institutions
and award more money to individual
students could be filed by the end of
this week, said Rep. Carl Bearden,
R-St. Charles, the bill’s sponsor.
The bill is similar to one the higher-education committee approved
last year but differs in that it makes
exceptions to the proposed funding
cap.
Bearden said that under the bill
the legislature considered last year,
state universities would have been
able to receive up to the amount of
funding they received in 2002, which
was $967 million.
Any money in excess of that
amount would have been directed
away from the institutions and
would have gone toward state financial aid programs.
Bearden and Rep. Scott Rupp, RWentzville, the bill’s co-sponsor, said
the bill aims to shift higher-education funding toward students.
“It’s important that we really
change our focus in higher education and do orient it towards the students,” Bearden said. “We already
did that in K though 12. This plan
puts the sole emphasis on the students.”
Rupp said he wanted funds to go
toward financial aid for students.
“We want funds to go toward fund-
ing educations and not just funding
institutions,” Rupp said.
In this year’s version of the bill, the
cap on funding could be lifted once
state-run financial aid programs
are funded between 50 and 75 percent. For example, the funding cap
could be lifted once most programs,
with the exception of Bright Flight,
receive about 25 percent of needed
funds. Bright Flight is a financial
aid program that provides grants for
in-state students to attend Missouri
universities.
In order for the cap to be lifted,
however, universities that request
more funding must meet five “performance standards,” Bearden said.
The standards’ details have not yet
been determined.
“It’s still in the works,” Rupp said
about the bill. “We’re trying to work
it out with the schools so everybody
can get on board with it.”
Rupp said some opposition might
arise from public institutions because
funds that might have gone to those
institutions would be redirected.
“Sometimes the public institutions
aren’t happy when they perceive tax
dollars go to private institutions,”
he said.
But Bearden dismissed this criticism because he said state financial
aid always has gone to students in
public and private universities.
“If they’re concerned about that,
then they have to be against the
existing scholarship programs,” he
said.
Calendar of events
Engelen said private lenders will
pass the costs of the cut loan subsidies
to borrowing students.
He also said the reduced loan costs
will be for the government, not students. The government will collect
more money off higher interest rates
and loan origination fees, he said.
Additionally, the act will create new
grant programs for students majoring in math, science and foreign languages.
However, these new programs don’t
make up for the cuts, Engelen said.
Other changes include increasing
Stafford Loan limits for first-year students and sophomores from $2,625 to
$3,500 and $4,500, respectively. Also,
the unsubsidized loan limit for graduate students will increase from $10,000
to $12,000.
Graduate students will also be able
to borrow PLUS loans for the first
time.
These increases will take effect July
1, 2007, Wright said.
Wright said the government is not
increasing the overall amounts students can borrow during their college
career.
Tattoo show holds Auditions
Stacey Shores / Design Editor
C. J. Armstrong displays his ink work in an audition for the Tattoo Fashion
Show to be held March 8, sponsored by the SOS Peer Educators.
campus crime report
Tuesday, February 14
• Bushman
planetarium
spring showing of “Lewis and
Clark.” Cost: $3/person, 7 p.m.
to 8 p.m. Reservations are
required. Call 271-4288 or 2714370. Room 105, in Agenstein
Hall.
Wednesday, February 15
• Griffon
Women’s
Basketball vs. Northwest
Missouri State, 5:30 p.m.,
Looney Complex.
• Griffon Men’s Basketball vs.
Northwest Missouri State, 7:30
p.m., Looney Complex.
• “Race: A Power of Illusion,”
second of the three-part DVD
series at 6:30 p.m. in Blum
Room 218. The programs are
free and open to the community.
Thursday, February 16
• Bushman
planetarium
spring showing of “Hubble
Vision.” Cost: $3/person, 7
p.m. to 8 p.m. Reservations
are required. Call 271-4288
or
271-4370. Room 105, in
Agenstein Hall.
Saturday, February 18
• Griffon Women’s Basketball
at Central Missouri State,TBA
• Griffon Men’s Basketball at
Central Missouri State, 3:30
p.m.
2
4
• Softball at Central Arkansas,
Conway, Ark., TBA.
Sunday, February 19
• Center for Academic Support
closed.
1
• Softball at Central Arkansas,
Conway, Ark., TBA.
3
• Women’s tennis vs. South
Dakota, Red Oak, Iowa, 9 a.m.
Monday, February 20
• Women’s
tennis at
Nebraska-Wesleyan, Lincoln,
Neb. 1 p.m.
• President’s Day - Campus
closed.
• C e r a m i c s / S c u l p t u r e
Exhibit, Thompson E. Potter
Hall, Gallery 206. Dave
Harris, featured artist, will
exhibit his ceramic and
sculpture works all week.
1. Domestic Disturbance
February 4, 2006 Living Learning Center
The officer responded to a disturbance involving a male student and a female non-student known to one
another. The officer obtained statements and completed an offense/incident report.
2. Larceny
February 4, 2006 Looney Complex
The officer took a report regarding a camera and camera equipment missing from the press box. The officer
obtained a statement and completed an offense/incident report.
3.
Security Hazard
February 7, 2006 Parking Lot O
The officer reviewed video footage and observed a vehicle belonging to a male student using force to access the gated
parking lot. The officer completed an offense/incident report.
4.
Assault
February 8, 2006 Juda Hall
The officer responded to a possible fight and spoke with a male student involved in the altercation. The officer
obtained a statement and completed an offense/incident report.
News
The Griffon News
Tuesday, February 14, 2006 • PAGE 5
Continued from front:
Jefferson City trip
Continued from front:
Cafeteria inspection
described these as things that
don’t necessarily mean unsafe
conditions but can add up, such
as chipped paint on the floor
and wall and tables in need of
replacement or repair.
Some issues were not health
violations but fire safety issues,
and Messa noted on the inspection report that fire safety had
been contacted about some missing filters on the hood system
and missing covers on some fryers.
Maides said that the front
covers of two fryers had been
removed and never put back.
The same issue occurred with
the hood filters on the ovens.
They have to be specially made.
“Should the front covers be
there?” Maides said. “Absolutely.
And they have been ordered special made and will be replaced
upon arrival.”
The other two non-critical violations were that there needs to
be trash containers by all handwash stations and that wiping
cloths need to be stored in a sanitized container or put in a dirty
clothes bag when not in use.
“Is getting an average inspection acceptable?” Maides said.
“No. What that does is motivate
me.”
Messa has offered to come
and train the cafeteria personnel on safety and health regulations. Maides intends to take
him up on that offer some time
over spring or summer break
when employees don’t have other
responsibilities.
A follow up inspection on Jan.
31 found all aspects of the inspection in compliance with Missouri
state health regulations.
Kathy Crawford,
News Editor contributed
to the writing of this article.
DID YOU
KNOW
?
only Missouri Western
but higher education in
Missouri.”
Shields
said
that
Western in terms of
institutions in the state
is looked at with great
favor.
Western was one of two
universities that visited
the capitol.
SGA President Luke
Gorham said that being
one of two universities
will make Western seem
more favorable and any
presence of any kind at the
capital is always helpful.
“It’s always important
to represent ourselves at
the capitol,” Gorham said.
“Missouri State was the
only other school there, and
it was Higher Education
Day at the Capitol. We’re
showing that we are
discussing these issues on
• 850+ students live in the
resident halls this semester
• ARAMARK and Western
have no contingency plan
in the event food services
would be shut down.
our campus and trying to
make a difference.”
“It’s important because
student
voting
has
been down, and it’s
really important for the
legislators to see that we
are very serious about
this and really presenting
our voice and our opinion
and what we think of
higher education and to
really represent ourselves
so that they know that
students are legitimate
voters, and it should be
taken seriously,” Knapp
said.
Gorham said they aren’t
sure if they will be making
another trip to the Capitol
before finalizations that
happen in May.
“We need to gauge how
they will be voting and if
we have to, we have to,”
Gorham said.
Continued from front:
Evictions
Beam and Deana Elder in the financial aid
office consider themselves to be mothers to
many. As any other parent would be, they are
full of advice and always trying to be helpful.
While their hearts go out to Locke and all of
the other students in her shoes, they do see
where she got into trouble.
“We’ll do all we can,” Elder said. “We can
only do so much, however. Students need to
take responsibility at some point.”
Responsibility as it turns out, is the theme.
The students who received the letter either
didn’t enroll for class this semester or didn’t
carry enough hours to live in the halls.
Locke said she tried to register, but had
trouble and just started attending class. The
bottom line is regardless of the effort, she
never showed up on the rosters.
Registrar Gene Eulinger sympathizes with
students who are suddenly on the outs with
Housing and Residential Life, but adds that
students should take ownership of their academic careers.
He feels that they should take it upon themselves to ensure that they are registered, that
they meet the minimum number of hours for
financial aid and that all of their related paperwork is in before the deadline.
He likened it to a job, which he said is exactly
what college is meant to prepare students for.
“If you say you have a job, but you don’t
show up, you won’t have a job for very long,”
Eulinger said.
One claim was made that Housing should
have had checks in place to ensure students
were registered before letting them move in.
Another remark was
made that if departments
had communicated better,
perhaps students could
have known their fates
sooner.
Residence
Council
President Natalie Bailey
offered a student perspective.
“It is not any faculty or
department’s job to make
- Gene Eulinger
sure students enroll,”
Western
Bailey said. “Students
Registrar
are aware that they must
actually be students at
Missouri Western in order to live on campus.
If a student doesn’t enroll, they cannot live on
campus. This is not an apartment complex. It
is residential life.”
The contract signed by each student in the
residential halls does state that you must be
enrolled to maintain a residence.
“I gave my stock speech at that point,”
Beam agreed that added communication Eulinger said. “I told them to go home, get a
between Housing and
job and save some money
Financial Aid would be
so they wouldn’t be so
helpful, but concluded that
strapped when they came
students who chose not to
back. My hope is that the
make it to registration, to
time away would also give
fill out applications and to
them a chance to think
abide by clearly advertised
about what they want from
rules wouldn’t have seen a
Western and come back
different outcome here.
serious and a little more
Speros concurred and
mature.”
added that while more
Locke is determined to
communication between
shift the blame. Despite
the departments may have
having talked with adminsped the process up, the
istrators from virtually
Deana Elder
blame falls on the stuevery department, she
dents themselves who did
maintains that she was
Western Financial Aid
not take an active role.
wronged.
Default Prevention Coordinator
They would have found out
“At this point, once I leave
maybe three days sooner
I plan to call the president
what they likely already
of Missouri Western and
knew.
tell him what they could
“For these students, a
have done better here,”
few days wouldn’t have
Locke said. “Then I’m callhelped,” Speros said.
ing the Better Business
Eulinger says that by the time the ink had Bureau, and then I’m calling the NAACP and
dried they were past the deadline to add class- telling them what me and my family had to
es and were essentially out of luck.
endure because of this school’s actions.”
“
“... Students need to
take responsibility at
some point.”
“
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News
PAGE 6 • Tuesday, February 14, 2006
The Griffon News
Planetarium starts shows
Susanne Hoffman
News Writer
The Missouri Western planetarium is presenting shows about astronomy, the Hubble telescope and the Lewis and Clark trail from Feb.
13 to March 9.
The spring planetarium shows will take
place in Bushman Planetarium in room 105 in
Agenstein Hall at 7 p.m. and will last for about
an hour.
On Feb. 13 and March 7, the show “More Than
Meets the Eye” will introduce visitors to astronomy, covering the moon, some constellations,
such as Orion, and other topics like the Hubble
telescope. “Lewis and Clark” will take place on
Feb. 14 and March 9, explaining where Lewis
and Clark traveled and how they navigated. The
program “Hubble Vision” covers the history of
the Hubble telescope and takes place on Feb. 16.
Questions will be taken after the shows.
Jerry Wilkerson, a retired Missouri Western
math professor, has been presenting the shows
for 37 years.
Wilkerson said people enjoy how realistic the
pictures are.
“I think it is just part of their liberal arts education to learn more about science in general
and astronomy in particular,” he said.
Kristen Robinson, a junior math education
major, has seen the “More Than Meets The Eye”
program and said she enjoyed it.
“It was really cool,” Robinson said. “Just it
being like pitch black and seeing all the stars.”
Behind the scenes Christopher Godfrey, a
Missouri Western physics professor, makes all
the preparations.
Godfrey said he has been putting the shows
together for the last eight or nine years.
“Our shows are pretty educational,” Godfrey
said.
Presently he is working on a show about the
exploration of Mars, which will probably be done
this summer.
Wilkerson conducted the first show in the
planetarium during Western’s first semester at
its present location in the fall of 1969.
Wilkerson said the idea for the shows emerged
in an astronomy club before the move and was
put into action when Marvin O. Looney, a former Missouri Western president, supported the
plan to build a planetarium.
“No other college or university had one,”
Wilkerson said. “We thought having a planetarium would be something unique for Missouri
Western.”
In 1997, the planetarium was renovated and
equipped with new technology, such as a computer-controlled projector. It can seat up to 40
people and is used for public shows, astronomy
classes, elementary and secondary school classes and public and private groups.
The tickets for the shows are $3 per person
and have to be reserved by calling 816-2714370.
STACEY SHORES / Design Editorr
Western’s planetarium is both educational and entertaining for people of all ages.
Slam poet Bain addesses hot political, social topics
Andrew Denney
News Writer
Last Tuesday night, an event took place at
Western’s Leah Spratt Multipurpose Classroom
Building that was nothing short of enormous.
Granted, the event was a performance that
lasted less than two hours, displayed for a
petite audience that barely accounted for half
of Kemper Recital Hall’s seating capacity of
232, and conducted on a dimly lit stage containing nothing but a microphone, a wooden
stool with water bottle atop and one man
with just the clothes upon his back. However,
the message that political activist/slam poet
Bryonn Bain had for those in attendance for
his lecture that evening, “Social Action Now!“
seemed to transcend its minimalist presentation and modest turnout.
Tay Triggs, director of the Center for
Multicultural Education, who sponsored the
event, felt that more ears should have been
present to soak up Bain’s words.
“I wish more people would have come,”
Triggs said.
Triggs said that Bain’s performance was
slightly different from any of the lectures or
shows that Western students were used to seeing on campus.
“It’s important to challenge people’s
thoughts,” Triggs said. “I hope (those who were
in attendance) go out and spread the word.”
In his performance, Bain engaged major
social issues that Americans are facing today,
all through the use of lecture-style spoken
word, hip-hop and slam poetry which is best
described as a fusion of performance art and
live poetry reading.
As Bain’s opening act, Western students J.R.
Moten and Johntell Young each adorned the
stage to share some of their poetry.
The topics that Bain chose to address in
his show are subjects that are certainly ripe
controversy and emotion in America today.
He discussed race, poverty, the tragedies and
lessons of Hurricane Katrina, the current foreign policy of the United States, the American
criminal justice system, and other issues that
affect Americans.
“Sometimes the things that are the most
uncomfortable to talk about are the things we
need to be talking about,” Bain said.
Bain was recognized for his accomplishments
as a poet when he was crowned the 1999 Slam
Poetry Champion and the 2000 Grandslam
Poetry Champion and he has been featured on
the album NYC Slams: The 13 Hottest Poets in
New York City. He was recognized by UTNE
Reader Magazine as one of the 30 Visionaries
Under 30 Who Are Changing Our Future, and
has lectured at over 50 educational institutions and correctional facilities, and he currently works as an adjunct professor at New
York City’s Gallatin School.
For more information about Bryonn Bain,
visit his Web site at www.byronnbain.
com. To find our more about the Center for
Multicultural Education’s sponsored events,
contact the CME by telephone at (816)2714150 or on the Web on Western’s Web site
under the department’s heading.
submitted photo
Find out more about Bryonn Bain on his Web site
at www.bryonnbain.com.
Poverty simulation to
be held in Blum union
Bastian Huck
News Writer
emily kirkendoll / News Writer
George Kastler speaks to a group of students about the damaging flooding that has occur at several state parks.
Kastler speaks of floods, Missouri parks
Emily Kirkendoll
News Writer
George Kastler from the Department of Natural
Resources gave a presentation Feb. 8 about the
breach of the Taum Sauk Reservoir in December
2005, which flooded Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park,
and the efforts at restoration.
The reservoir is located inside the Taum Sauk
Mountain State Park, which was not damaged by
the flooding. According to their Web site, Taum Sauk
Mountain State Park is located in the St. Francois
Mountains, one of the most rugged and scenic areas
of the state. In addition, Taum Sauk Mountain is the
highest point in Missouri, rising to 1,772 feet.
However, Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, which
is connected to Taum Sauk Mountain State Park by
the Ozark Trail, was damaged by the flooding and is
closed until further notice.
The presentation included an informational video
revealing the park in its prime, as well as the
activities available and a home video shot by Kastler
displaying the destruction caused by the massive
flood.
“Boulders the size of vehicles were moved,” Kastler
said. “The whole park is damaged.”
Debris was found as high as 15 feet in trees.
Scattered playground equipment and shredded shelters are remnants of the flood’s strength and speed.
However, all is not lost for the park.
“A new shut-in has been created from the force
of the flood, and new geology has been dug out,”
Kastler said.
The park is expected to be open for some limited
use during the day this summer, but that decision is
yet to be made.
The clean-up crews are doing everything in their
power to preserve what’s left of the park. Extremely
time consuming measures are being made in nature’s
best interest. Small shovels and buckets are being
used to clean huge areas.
The force of the flood allowed the river to resituate
itself. This will allow the river to meander, which in
turn will help stop flooding and produce vegetation.
Prejudices about the poor are what
we all know, but it could be you, too.
To better understand the treadmill of
being poor, a poverty simulation will
take place on campus from 9 a.m. to 11
a.m. Feb. 21 in the Nelle Blum Union,
Forrest Hoff Conference Center.
Poverty is often referred to a social
class of the poor, as if they would be
outcasts. In fact,
many of us are just
a tiny bit away from
unwillingly slipping into poverty.
Why not get aware
of how it feels like
being poor – just for
two hours?
“Unless you experience it, you can- Patricia Scott
not understand the
associate
professor of
obstacles that face
social work
people who live in
poverty,” Associate
Professor of Social Work Patricia Scott
said. “Most importantly, understanding
poverty brings down unfounded prejudices and hence the bond within our
society.”
Scott is coordinating this poverty simulation exercise to give students, faculty, staff and the community the chance
to experience poverty. The Community
Action Partnership of Greater St. Joseph
spearheads the poverty simulation.
“The simulation will be really eyeopening for those who have never experienced poverty,” CAP’s Employment
and Training Program Director Liz
Jalbert said.
According to Jalbert, currently there
are more than 11 percent of Buchanan
County’s population living in poverty,
and the statistics show an increasing
tendency for poverty to occur.
“Poverty unfortunately is a growing
issue in our society nowadays, whether
we want to admit it or not,” Jalbert
said.
The poverty simulation exercise will
assign roles to participants, and the
first hour will be divided into four,
15-minute periods, each representing
a week. As part of the exercise, participants must visit different agencies
that are set up, such as grocery stores,
schools, pawnshops, employers and
community action agencies. In the second hour there will be a retrospect as
well as a discussion.
It is a wise saying that understanding
a situation might be helpful to better
deal with it when it occurs, or even prevent it from happening.
“It is not true that the one and only
reason that some are poor is that they
are lazy,” Scott said. “A major problem
in this country is that those who are
born in poverty hardly have a chance to
get out of it in their entire lifetime.”
In fact, it is not hard to imagine that
children who are born into poor families
often suffer from a bad upbringing and
poor education. Scott said the problem
is that the poor are often misunderstood.
“It is too easy to judge them if you
have not gone through it,” she said.
“Additionally, there are much more
retirees hit by poverty, who have been
working hard their entire life. But also
younger people could be unexpectedly
faced with poverty.”
Scott said the main reason for this is
medical costs, which could rise to astronomical heights. When your insurance
coverage is exceeded, you have to take
loans, and if you lose your job and are
unable to find another in time, you are
faced with poverty immediately.
In sociology and social work, researchers use this kind of simulation as well
as surveys and statistics to gather valuable behavioral data to conduct their
studies.
“This is why the scheduled simulation
will serve as well as a study experience
for Western’s social work students,”
Associate Professor of Social Work and
Coordinator of the Gerontology Program
Monica Nandan said. “Psychological
factors are as important as mere facts
when dealing with poverty, and our
actions have to be based on that as well
as initiative.”
The event is expected to have a participation of about 70 people.
The Griffon News
News
Western holds focus groups
for future strategic planning
Continued from front:
Athletics proposal
be a new way to bring the news more efficiently.
“I’m most excited about the possibility of
having a truly interactive, converged media
Web site,” Bergland said. “This money would
help pay for staffing and equipment to help
have a Web site which could be updated frequently and have interactive features, as well
as sound and video.”
During The Griffon News presentation to the
Senate in December, Bergland said that a $1
minimum fee would be efficient for the newspaper to simply survive.
“The newspaper had reached a point where
we were going to have to start making drastic cutbacks if we didn’t get some kind of fee
increase,” Bergland said.
Bergland said that the newspaper is working
with virtually the same budget that it had in
1996 when it was a smaller publication. The
Griffon News on average puts out a 10-page
paper 12 times each semester with yearly
printing costs of $12,000 to $15,000. Also
the paper has added a Web site and printing
expenses have risen.
The author of the resolution for the proposal,
Luke Herrington, decided to write the fee as
a $2 fee in place of the initially proposed $1
fee, allowing the newspaper to grow, not just
survive.
“I appreciate the efforts of Luke Herrington
in drafting this resolution and the student
senators for understanding how dire our situation was and how important this funding is for
the campus,” Bergland said.
In Herrington’s resolution, he made it a
point that if this fee is approved, the existing
funding should not be cut. This will be extra
funding that is necessary to keep the newspaper alive. If the existing budget were to be cut,
it would put the newspaper back in the same
situation it was in: the need for more funding.
Herrington isn’t the only senator that agrees
this is a need to have a fee for the newspaper.
“I love reading The Griffon News, and it
pains me to see that journalism students are
being worked to the bone because of a shortage
of funding,” SGA Vice President Jeff Knapp
said. “These are passionate students who work
to inform the campus community, and I feel
that if we can help create a better newspaper
and catch up with the times, then we should.”
One senator felt differently about the fee.
“I voted against the Griffon News fee because
I believe the yearbook is funded enough,”
Senator Katy Schwartz said. “I think the yearbook and newspaper should share funding.”
Tuesday, February 14, 2006 • PAGE 7
Schwartz also said that she believes there is
biased information in the newspaper and that
students shouldn’t be charged a fee for the
newspaper’s services.
Schwartz was one of two senators who
opposed the fee.
The fee was proposed to the Senate on the
basis that the newspaper is run by students
for the students.
“The Griffon News benefits a large majority of students, and that is why it is being
supported and was brought to the Student
Senate,” Knapp said. “Student Senate is the
starting block to getting the ball rolling on
many issues that involve students. That is why
it was brought to us first.”
In hopes of the fee being approved, Bergland
is hoping to retain and recruit more high quality students to be on the staff.
Knapp said that this fee is important because
it will help Western’s journalism students by
preparing them for their future careers with a
real-life experience.
“I feel that The Griffon News is a great
resource for student journalists, and I believe
students enjoy The Griffon News,” Knapp said.
“The truth be told, every organization and publication has its highs and lows, and this is no
different with The Griffon News.”
Bergland hopes to achieve more time to
work on what’s within the paper and less time
fixing problems dealing with software and
hardware.
“The better hardware and software will
allow [the staff] to produce the paper more efficiently, which will help decrease the numbers
of mistakes that are made and have more time
to work on things like copy editing as opposed
to fixing computer problems,” Bergland said.
Even though the paper is student-run for the
students, it also reaches parents to help keep
them informed with issues on campus and
events happening on campus.
“It is a great conversation starter and keeps
students informed,” Knapp said. “I know many
students who can’t wait until Tuesday rolls
around.”
Within the next two or three weeks the newspaper will be informed when this proposal will
be taken to the next level, the Faculty Senate.
“I’m excited about the possibility of this being
approved and what it can mean,” Bergland
said. “Students will more than get their money’s worth out of this because of the improved
product and the fact we won’t have to make
cutbacks that would have hurt our ability to
bring the news each week to the students.”
Bastian Huck
News Writer
Brainstorming of students, community,
faculty, staff and business leaders will
initiate the next-generation Strategic Plan
at the first of a series of forums to take
place on Feb. 22 and 23.
Western’s future as a university is a
high priority these days, and everyone
– students, faculty, staff and community
– will be able to influence it by sharing
their ideas with those who are in charge
of defining the focus areas for the next
Strategic Plan from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
in Spratt Hall, room 214.
“The discussion forums are an opportunity
for everyone to get involved and to shape
Western’s future,” special assistant to
the president Jeanie Crain said. “Most
importantly, since the first two discussion
forums are meant for brain-storming, this
is a chance for all, campus and community,
to bring in their ideas
for Western’s future.”
There
will
be
a series of three
meetings
which
describe the three
cycles to define the
next Strategic Plan’s
major focus areas.
Each cycle consists
of two forums. The
upcoming two forums
- James Scanlon
are to get new ideas
Western
and a vision of how
President
people see Western’s
future.
“I really want to know what the dreams
are for MWSU’s future – and what the
students have to say about it because it’s
their university,” Director of the Western
Institute Christopher Shove said.
The second two meetings, forming the
second cycle, will refine peoples’ ideas and
suggestions. The two forums of the third
cycle will further refine with the goal of
reaching the major focus areas for the
plan.
“Thanks to the hard work of all who have
participated in the current Strategic Plan,
I am very confident how far we have come,”
President James Scanlon said. “Based on
this success, we will now start the planning
process of the upcoming one.”
According to Scanlon, the implementation
of the current Strategic Plan brings
additional value to students and the
community through many improvements
and a broader variety of opportunities. It
sets the stage for continuing this successful
concept.
And the upcoming forums set the stage
for the next Strategic Plan.
“The discussion forums are important,
since they help to define the directions
in which the planning process, and then
the next Strategic Plan are going,” Shove
said. “The planning process is continuously
updated through forums.”
The planning process of the next Strategic
Plan is to integrate new ideas, precise
suggestions and to overcome eventual
obstacles. Besides improvement and
innovation, the new Strategic Plan should
do primarily one important thing:
“The new Strategic Plan will define
Western’s future beyond 2007 and guide
the institution for the next 5-10 years,”
Crain said.
According to Shove, it is vital for academic
success to provide outreach and research
co-operations for faculty. Additionally,
career advancement for both students
and non-traditional students is becoming
more important these days. The current
Strategic Plan has already emphasized the
further development of these areas.
“The Strategic Plan has a considerable
impact on the development and growth of
the Western Institute,” Shove said. “The
Western Institute, as the university’s
department of service to the community,
already provides the opportunity for about
390 non-traditional students, who work
full-time, to obtain their master’s degree
in cooperation with UMKC and Northwest.
I believe the number of non-traditional
students will increase considerably due to
current economic factors and the situation
on the labor market.”
The second pair of forums will be on
March 21 and 22 at 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in
the Nelle Blum Union, room 219, and the
third pair of forums on April 25 and 26 at
the same time and in the same place will
follow the initial two forums. The second
and third forums, being conducted like the
initial forums on two consecutive days each,
are to give as many people as possible the
chance to participate. The forums are open
to all members of the university community
and the public.
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Lifestyles
PAGE 8 • Tuesday, February 14, 2006
The Griffon News
Bringing women together
V
Nic Wilson
Lifestyles Writer
agina. It’s a word that has been met with a lot
of controversy over the years. This one word
alone is widely considered taboo because of
the discomfort it inflicts.
For the third year in a row, “The Vagina
Monologues” will be returning to Missouri Western.
“The Vagina Monologues” is a play of reflection. Real
life experiences of violence against women are told to an
audience in monologue form on stage.
Twenty women from Missouri Western have signed
up to perform in the play. Among them are coordinator/
producer Abigail Pontius and director Julie Summa.
Although Pontius has been involved for the past two
years, this is her first year in the spot of coordinator/
producer. The previous year she performed as part of the
cast.
Pontius got involved after watching her sister the
first year “The Vagina Monologues” showed at Missouri
Western. She watched all three nights she said.
She agreed to carry the torch for the effort when the
prior coordinator was not able to carry on.
“I just knew we had to have it again,” Pontius said. “It’s
so empowering to let loose and talk about everything.”
Many students enjoy attending every year, causing an
even more urgent need to continue with the tradition of
the play.
“We hope they enjoy themselves. It’s a great cause and
you feel good about it,” Summa said.
“The Vagina Monologues” was created by Eve Ensler.
The play celebrates women, their sexuality and the
strength of being a woman with humor.
“People get past all the comedy, they get past the word,”
Pontius said. “Vagina is not a taboo word anymore.”
The success of “The Vagina Monologues” enabled Ensler
to create an organization called V-Day. This organization’s
sole purpose is to promote awareness of violence against
women. In doing so, they hope to stop it.
Every year more than 2,500 V-Day benefits are heldaccording to their web site. The number of benefits grows
every year with their continued promotion of the cause.
This success enables the organization to help women
around the world.
Over a seven year period, V-Day has raised over
$25 million to put towards national and international
organizations who work to stop the violence against
women.
According to Summa, she feels good about putting on
the play.
“We get to help women who are in a less fortunate
position than we are,” she said.
V-Day has met with some resistance though. Two
groups called the Cardinal Newman Society (SNS) and
the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP),
have lobbied against the organization to keep V-Day
benefits off Catholic colleges.
The attempts of CNS and TFP to ban the benefits often
end in the opposite effect, causing more public and
media attention being drawn to not only freedom
of speech but the problem of violence against
women.
To help promote their cause, V-Day
releases the copyright for “The Vagina
Monologues” for free allowing more money
to go to good organizations. It cost nothing
for the Missouri Western students to put on
the play.
“Something I wanted to stress is the play
is about bringing women together,” Pontius
said. “The play hits every type of woman you can
think about. Violence against woman can happen
to anyone, no matter where you are or where you are
from.”
Western’s Center for Multicultural
Education (CME) is sponsoring this
event. The Student lead play
will run at 7:00 p.m. Feb.
13-15 in Spratt 101. The
cost is $5 for adults
and
community
members,
$3
with a Missouri
W e s t e r n
student id.
Proceeds of
the play will
go to the
YWCA.
submitted graphic
Things to do for five dollars
Nic Wilson
Lifestyles Writer
E
at a goldfish; snort a pixie stick; pull Bobby Sue Lynn’s
ponytail; These are the things kids do to impress their
friends. In elementary school, quarters were the big
prize. In college, no ordinary quarter will do.
Fifteen Missouri Western students were asked what
crazy stunts they would do for $5. The responses were amazing.
There was definitely some wild and crazy stuff thought up by
our incorrigible students. A few were hesitant about what to do,
but then light dawned on marble heads and interesting ideas
formed. Here are the top 10.
10) “I would answer your question.” OK, OK. So this one
himself did not say he would do this, but he said he knew a guy
who did. That is still pretty bad, though. Massing said the guy
he knew was in high school. So after a short and exhaustive
search, that individual was unavailable for questioning.
5)
“I’d give an ugly guy a kiss on the cheek.” Now this is a
great feat. Those ugly guys can get you every time. Then they
follow you around and want to get your number. Tragic.
4)
“Balance on top of a moving car,” freshman Major
McGuire said.
“I do things just to amuse myself,” McGuire said. Well here’s
to him doing it for fun.
is not so great, but it was given by three students and you have
to admire the creativity.
The last three students will remain nameless. They are the
elite of the elite. These stunts could not only be hazardous to
their health but, also potentially dangerous to their academic
careers.
“I would eat a Klondike bar.” This person also thought
they were very gross, so give him that.
“Streak naked through the campus.” Sure, it’s been done
before, but it still gets a laugh every time.
“I would let five people walk on me,” freshman Kyle
Massing said. The pain would be worth a couple more spots
if the five people were 300 lbs. a piece. But otherwise, not so
risky.
“Climb the side of a campus building.” Now this stunt
could end in a tragic splat, but hey, anything for $5.
9)
8)
7)
“Stick my head in a trash can,” freshman Aaron Stiebler
said. So this is just gross so it had to be on the list.
6) “Lick ice cream off a carpet,” Massing said. Massing
3)
2)
1)
“Steal the parking lot security vehicle.” Now this has
definitely got something behind it. This was by far the greatest
answer given. After sharing it with fellow students and many
friends, everyone thought this stunt would deserve more than
just $5. So not only do you get the recognition of being number
one but, you get the fond thought of almost having $5.
graphic by MAURICE BUSH
Murdered saints & Mylar Balloons
Jared Herrin
Assistant Lifestyles Editor
jch7892@missouriwestern.edu
The time has come once again to celebrate
the day of love – Valentine’s Day. A day for
couples both young and old to profess their
everlasting love for one another, with cheap
boxes of chocolate and plastic flowers.
Valentine’s Day is celebrated every February
14 to honor a third century priest named
Valentine.
According to legend, Roman
Emperor Claudius II forbade marriage amongst
young men, believing that unmarried men
made better soldiers.
Obviously not a fan of Claudius, Valentine
continued to marry young couples in secret.
Eventually, Valentine’s actions were discovered and he was beheaded. A touching story
to center a day of love around.
But it wasn’t just the marrying couples part
that made Valentine’s life worthy of a day of
his own. While in jail, Valentine is believed to
have fallen in love with a young woman, possibly the daughter of his jailor. Before he was
executed, Valentine wrote this young woman a
short note professing his love. At the bottom of
the note, he signed “From your Valentine,” and
thus created the first Valentine’s Day card.
From the outset, Valentine’s Day has been
immersed in two things - romance and sacrifice. Before the day was officially recognized
as a holiday in 498 A.D., Romans celebrated a
festival known as Lupercalia.
A pagan fertility ritual,
Lupercalia involved
sacrificing a goat
and a dog, cutting off their
hides and whipping women
with them to
increase fertility.
After that bit
of ribald fun was
over, the names of all
the single women in the
town were written down and
placed in an urn, where single
men would draw them out. Whoever
the men got, they were paired with for a
year. When Valentine’s Day became official,
Lupercalia was slowly replaced with the more
Church-friendly holiday, but the idea of hooking-up carried over.
With such an obviously love filled history, it’s no wonder Valentine’s Day is
beloved by both men and women around
the world. For women, it’s a perfect opportunity to have their
significant other
shower them
with gifts
and praise.
For men,
it’s a perfect opportunity
to
begin
or
continue the
notion of our
subservience
to the fairer sex.
Men
understand
that Valentine’s Day is
the one day when it is
universally acceptable to
say “do you have anything
in pink” without suffering
verbal repercussions from other
men. Giant balloons, pounds of
chocolate, millions of chalky little
heart-shaped candies with adorable
graphic by PHIL SAUNDERS
phrases etched into them – these are the
ammunition of the man who doesn’t want to be
reminded for the next 365 days that they forgot
Valentine’s Day.
So while men arm themselves with sweets
and cute tchotchkes, what do the ladies fire back
with? The universal standby – the greeting
card. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began
creating the first mass-produced Valentines,
and since then they have become the norm for
showing someone you care.
According to the Greeting Card Association,
an estimated one billion Valentine’s Day cards
are sent out every year, with 85 percent of
those being mailed by women. From the handmade construction paper Valentines kids send
in elementary school to the more elaborate
“Have a ‘Bear-y’ Happy Valentine’s Day” card
with a picture of a Teddy Bear, Valentine’s
Day cards are a “bear-y” effective way to tell
someone you love them.
So whether you’re looking to appease a lover
or woo a friend, St. Valentine’s Day is the perfect backdrop. With its air of romance and the
almost aphrodisiacal innuendos that accompany it, Valentine’s Day is one of the greatest
holidays to ever be named after a murdered
saint.
Lifestyles
Graphics by Stacey Shores
The Griffon News
Young
Tuesday, February 7, 2006 • PAGE 7
Black
Leaders
The Griffon News will feature a current student leader or Western Alum
in each issue during February in celebration of Black History Month.
at
Western
Leading by example
Lauren Epps
Lifestyles Editor
lce1552@missouriwestern.edu
B
eing a leader on campus is not an easy task, but
Marcus Shobe, senior at Western does it with
ease.
Marcus said one of the things that people don’t
know about him is that he is shy. However, his
academic advisor, Konrad Gunderson feels differently.
“I had him in class one time,” Gunderson said. “He stood up
in front of the class and spoke about the business fraternity,
Alpha Kappa Psi. Marcus displayed real gracefulness and
warmth when he spoke to the class.”
As far as leaders on the campus, Marcus felt that there are
different types of leaders for different situations.
“(It) depends on the type of leader, they can be silent, or just
lead by example,” Marcus said. “We need more people on the
dean’s list and those who are willing to sit down and talk to
people. The person who talks the most is not always the best
leader.”
As for his thoughts on the black population at Missouri
Western, he believes there is a fair representation of black
society as a whole.
“You have the focused and driven students and then you have
the ones who are not here to attain a goal,” Marcus said.
Gunderson believes Marcus is one of the most driven and
focused students on the campus.
“I wish everyone was as interested and enthusiastic as he
is,” Gunderson said. “He’s a neat guy to be around and a hard
worker.”
Being a hard working and dedicated student isn’t a natural
ability for most, however, Marcus was influenced by watching
his family.
“The men in my family haven’t been the best,” Marcus said.
“I have been able to see their flaws and govern myself accordingly, so that I don’t make the same mistakes.”
Aside from being a self-motivator, Marcus is very successful
both in the classroom and outside.
“I’m proud of the fact that I am successful at being a college
student because when I was a sophomore in high school, I
couldn’t see myself in college.” Marcus said. “I’m happy that I
got through high school with-out kids and having the ability to
make it through trying times without getting caught up.”
Now that he is out of high school and embarking on alum
status, he is looking forward to a few things when he gets out
of college.
“I want to be financially stable, a family man and a good
Christian man,” Shobe said.
Aside from being successful, Marcus feels that black America
shouldn’t forget who paved the roads for their success and that
Black History Month is a good time to remember those who
fought for freedom and equality.
“[For me BHM] means bringing back to the forefront the
black leaders, not just the political ones, but all the others,”
Marcus said. “Our culture added more than just labor, but
ideas and innovations.”
Marcus feels that blacks have lost their sense of heritage
due to popular culture.
“Young black people are introduced to pop culture, which
doesn’t lead back to our roots. We have been commercialized,”
Marcus said. “Since we have such prosperity, we can’t really
respect the struggle the ancestors went through.”
On the other hand, Marcus feels that black America is making strides to keep Dr. King’s dream alive.
“For the most part, we are making strides in the right direction,” Marcus said. “If we could stay in college and become
educated, we can be lifted from the oppressions he spoke
about, poverty and debt.”
Gunderson believes that Marcus is making those strides and
can see him getting a Master’s degree in accounting and going
on to be a professional accountant. Marcus has similar ideas,
but isn’t sure which route to take.
“I don’t know if I want to go to graduate school and become
a certified public accountant or become an entrepreneur and
be a day trader.”
Either way, he has the goal to retire by the time he turns
45.
“Marcus is a special guy, it has been my pleasure to see
him grow and mature as he has gone through school here,”
Gunderson said.
Marty ayers / Photographer
Marcus Shobe, Senior and former Alpha Kappa Psi president.
‘Pink Panther’ strikes again with $21.7 million debut
By David Germain
AP Movie Writer
LOS ANGELES - Inspector Clouseau bumbled his
way to the top of the box office as Steve Martin’s “The
Pink Panther” debuted with $21.7 million to lead a
rush of new releases.
New Line’s horror sequel “Final Destination 3” ran a
close second with $20.1 million, followed by Universal’s
animated “Curious George” at No. 3 with $15.3 million and the Warner Bros. thriller “Firewall” starring
Harrison Ford in fourth with $13.8 million, according
to studio estimates Sunday.
The overall box office rose slightly despite the Winter
Olympics and a Northeast snowstorm, both of which
kept many movie-goers at home. The top 12 movies
took in $106.8 million, up 3 percent over the same
weekend last year, when “Hitch” opened as the No. 1
movie with $43.2 million.
After a slump in which attendance dropped 7 percent in 2005, Hollywood is off to a better start this
year. Revenues are at just over $1 billion, up 8 percent
from last year’s. Factoring in higher ticket prices,
attendance has risen 5 percent, according to box-office
tracker Exhibitor Relations.
Sony’s “The Pink Panther” stars Martin in the role
defined by Peter Sellers, whose French detective
Clouseau was the idiot-savant hero of a string of 1960s
and ‘70s comedy hits by Blake Edwards, who continued the franchise into the ‘80s and ‘90s after Sellers’
death.
The remake drew a broad audience, with parents and
their children accounting for 51 percent of the crowds
and viewers evenly divided between those older and
younger than 25.
“It was just all over the place, kids, parents, teenagers. We had everybody,” said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony, which inherited “The Pink Panther”
from MGM in a Sony-led takeover last year.
The top 10 was dominated by five family-friendly
films _ “The Pink Panther,” “Curious George,” 20th
Century Fox’s “Big Momma’s House 2,” Universal’s
“Nanny McPhee” and the Weinstein Co. animated
tale “Hoodwinked” and three horror flicks “Final
Destination 3” and Sony’s “When a Stranger Calls” and
“Underworld Evolution.”
“It’s a battle of the genres,” said Paul Dergarabedian,
president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.
“Family films and horror films are the most consistently performing genres at the box office, and there really
is a lot of choice out there for both right now.”
Focus Features’ “Brokeback Mountain,” the favorite
for best picture at the Academy Awards, remained the
top-grosser among Oscar contenders, finishing at No. 8
with $4.2 million and lifting its domestic total to $66.6
million.
In limited release, the acclaimed concert film “Neil
Young: Heart of Gold” opened strongly at four theaters,
taking in $57,303 for a $14,326 average, compared
to a $6,241 average in 3,477 cinemas for “The Pink
Panther.”
Directed by Jonathan Demme (“The Silence of the
Lambs”), “Heart of Gold” presents Young as he premiered the songs of his latest album, the country-tinged
“Prairie Wind,” at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium last
August. “Heart of Gold” expands to more theaters this
weekend.
movie money
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and
Canadian theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.
1. “The Pink Panther,” $21.7 million.
2. “Final Destination 3,” $20.1 million.
3. “Curious George,” $15.3 million.
4. “Firewall,” $13.8 million.
5. “When a Stranger Calls,” $10 million.
6. “Big Momma’s House 2,” $6.8 million.
7. “Nanny McPhee,” $5.2 million.
8. “Brokeback Mountain,” $4.2 million.
9. “Hoodwinked,” $2.502 million.
10. “Underworld Evolution,” $2.5 million.
Sports
PAGE 10 • Tuesday, February 14, 2006
The Griffon News
Griffons beat Truman at home
Women prevail
with 9-point win
Travis Verdi
Sports Writer
The Missouri Western women’s
basketball team used a great second half on Wednesday’s game at
MWSU Fieldhouse to make sure they
didn’t experience another upset at
the hands of the Truman State.
It was a rough start for the Griffons
as they only shot 23 percent from the
floor in the first half.
“We just struggled in the first half
from the perimeter,” Western’s coach
Josh Keister said.
It was looking like Truman was
going to get their second victory in
conference play; their only conference victory was against the Griffons
earlier in the season. The Bulldogs
were up 22-21 at halftime.
Even though the Griffons were
down, they stayed positive in the
locker room.
Keister didn’t say too much at halftime, but he helped the team gain
back their confidence.
“He helped make us believe that
we had this, and I always knew that
we would win,” Buzoka said.
Starting a new half with more
confidence and defense, the Griffons
(16-7, 6-6 MIAA) opened the second
half on a 19-3 run.
“We set the tone defensively in the
first five minutes of the second half,”
Keister said.
The Bulldogs had trouble scoring
and had many shot clock violations.
Their first field goal didn’t come
until there was 13:24 left in the
half. The offense was better also for
the Griffons, they shot 56 percent
from the floor and were perfect from
beyond the arc.
The Bulldogs never recovered after
the run. They hit a few buckets late,
to make the game interesting, but
the Griffons were just too strong
in the second half. Late game free
throw shots sealed the deal as the
Griffons walked away with a 57-48
victory.
A big difference in the game was
the play of Buzoka, who did not play
the first time the teams met.
“She had a big game; her presence inside makes a big difference,”
Keister said.
She was tied for top scorer with
15 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.
The other player with 15 points was
Brandi Rodgers, who also snatched
6 rebounds. Jill Johnson scored 13
and Tiffany Davis had a good, allaround game with seven points,
seven rebounds, four assists and
three steals.
This good mixture of scoring and
team work is the key to the Griffons
success.
“When we play together we win,
when we don’t we create too many
turnovers,” Buzoka said.
Their next opponent is the
Northwest Missouri State, who they
lost to earlier in the season. They
play at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 15 at MWSU
Fieldhouse. The Griffons have a little
break time, and the time off couldn’t
of come at a better time.
“Right now we’re tired as a team.
This bye week will be good for us,”
Keister said.
Marty Ayers / Photographer
Western forward Tera Petersen drives to the basket against Truman State.
The Griffons beat the Bulldogs 57-48.
Griffs beat Bulldogs,
prepare for Bearcats
Marielle Scarborough
Sports Editor
mscarborough@missouriwestern.edu
Victory was in the air, and
at the three-point line for the
Missouri Western men’s basketball team.
On Wednesday, Feb. 8, the
Griffons hosted No. 19-ranked
Truman State. Western (14-9, 5-7
MIAA) started the game with an
8-0 run against the Bulldogs.
With the help of four players scoring in double-digits, the
Griffons did not relinquish their
lead throughout the entire game
on their way to an 80-57 win.
Demarius Bolds led the Griffons
with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 3
assists and was 6-6 from the freethrow line. Jason Warren, Joe
Sisto, and J.R. Reed also scored
in double digits for Western.
The Griffons were 12-23 from
the 3-point line, shooting a season-high 52.2 percent.
The team shot 50 percent of
their total field goals and were
6-7 from the free-throw line. Sisto
led the Griffons in 3-pointers,
shooting 3-for-4.
This victory should give the
Griffons some confidence when
they face school rival Northwest
Missouri State on Wednesday,
Feb. 15 at MWSU Fieldhouse.
At their last meeting, the
Bearcats who are 17-7 overall and
8-5 in the MIAA, easily defeated
the Griffons 63-48.
Marty Ayers / Photographer
Western’s Joe Sisto (44) blocks Truman State’s Nick Certa during an MIAA game at MWSU Fieldhouse. Western defeated
Truman State 80-57.
New baseball season nears
Ashley Izer
Sports Writer
The Missouri Western men’s baseball team is eagerly a waiting the
upcoming 2006 season.
The Griffon men finished last year
with an overall record of 33-22, which
pushed them into the No. 2 position in
the conference and gave them the best
overall conference finish in Missouri
Western history.
They also wrapped up the 2004
season with a final record of 33-18.
Over the past four years, the team
has been averaging 30 wins each
season.
Charles “Buzz” Verduzco will begin
his seventh season as the head coach
for the Western baseball team.
Verduzco said that his team will
practice the same fundamentals they
have in the past, but he does expect
to build an even stronger offense
because of last year’s record.
The team will be mostly a senior
dominate team and will draw most
of its strengths from that aspect of
experience.
The Griffons are returning 11
seniors, 12 juniors and three sophomores for the 2006 season. The team
has lost all-conference member and
shortstop Jacob Sur due to graduation. However, seven freshmen have
been recruited so they can fill any
holes.
Among those returning will be
second team, All-American Ryan
Zenn, who last year broke Western’s
record number of doubles in a season (22).
Another key player, Justin Coffman,
broke the Western record number of
single season hits (79) and RBIs (59).
Verduzco has high aspirations for
his team this season.
“We want to get to the World Series,”
he said.
Verduzco and the team are going to
focus on regional play throughout the
season in order to work toward their
goal of going to the World Series.
“They’re tired of having good records
and not being in a regional,” Verduzco
said.
This year will be the first for the
regional tournaments to accept the
top six teams instead of the top
four.
There are a lot of good teams with
good records within the conference
and Verduzco believes that the
Western men could be one of those
top teams.
Pitcher Clint Gilliland will be
returning to the team as a senior
and joins Zenn and Coffman as the
captains of this year’s team. Gilliland
is working on his change up to enable
him to have three or four pitches to
rely on during a game.
“I’ve always given it my all,”
Gilliland said. “This is the best team
I’ve been a part of.”
The star pitcher believes that in
order for the team to really come
together they must be able to prove
themselves on the field, and not just
on paper.
For a fairly large part of the team
this will be their last season to play.
The team believes it’s not just about
the numbers and records. They
believe it’s about reaching long awaited goals.
The Griffon baseball team will begin
their season on the road in Searcy,
Ark., against Harding University on
Feb. 25.
Fans should look forward to seeing
the first home game on Feb. 28, when
the men will be going up against
Nebraska-Omaha at Phil Welsh
Stadium, located next to the Bode Ice
Arena off of Pickett Rd.
2006 Griffon Baseball Schedule
Date
Feb. 25
Feb. 26
Feb. 28
Mar. 1 Mar. 4 Mar. 5 Mar. 7 Mar. 8 Mar. 12-16
Marty Ayers / Photographer
Western pitcher Clint Gilliland warms up during a spring practice at Phil Welch
Stadium.
Opponent
at Harding University at Harding University Nebraska-Omaha
at Nebraska-Omaha Augustana Augustana at Truman St. Mary’s (Kan.) at Armstrong Atlantic Tourney
for more information visit www.gogriffons.com
LocationTime
Searcy, Ark. Searcy, Ark. Phil Welch
Omaha, Neb. Phil Welch
Phil Welch
Kirksville, Mo. Phil Welch
Savannah, Georgia
noon
1:00 pm
3:00 pm
3:00 pm
noon
noon
noon
3:00 pm