SIDELINES Middle Tennessee State University
Sept. 4, 2013 // Editorially Independent
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3 NEWS 5 OPINIONS 6 SPORTS 8 COVER STORY 10 FEATURES 12 A & E
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Chris Bishop >> Online Director
Mamie Nash >> News Editor
Sinclaire Sparkman >> Assistant News Editor Daniel Jansouzian >> Assistant News Editor Bailey Robbins >> Features Editor
Kim Barker >> Assistant Features Editor
Claire Osburn >> A&E Editor
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Emily West >> Editor-in-chief
Amanda Gambill >> Managing editor
Noel Heath >> Assistant A&E Editor
Lauren Mandrell >> Assistant A&E Editor Sam Brown >> Sports Editor
Connor Grott >> Assistant Sports Editor Quint Qualls >> Opinions Editor Christine Craft >> Designer
Matt Masters >> Online Photo Editor Kyle Bates >> Print Photo Editor Leon Alligood >> Adviser
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NEWS
A new program in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business combines three ideas that professionals might use to gain the upper hand in the job realm. The program offers a master’s of science degree that combines nonprofit management, organizational leadership and supply chain management. “There are about 15 students in the program this fall. We were only expecting eight to ten because we actually didn’t get approval until late April, and so we haven’t really had much time to market it,” said Dan Morrell director of the graduate program. Created for business professionals who seek to enhance their managerial skills, the program focuses on accommodating working students. “The classes are online, at night or on the weekends,” Morrell said. “You can take this entire course without coming to class during the day.” The department started working on the program and developing the course material six years ago. “We saw a need in the Middle Tennessee community among employers and employees related to the three concentrations offered,” said Jill Austin, chair of the management and marketing department. “We think there’s always an opportunity for people to learn leadership skills.”
New Masters Program Offers Three-In-One Degree
Graduates of the program will be better equipped for jobs in areas, such as upperlevel management, healthcare, state and local government, banking and real estate. Applicants will need two years of full-time work experience to enroll in the program. “We think that having that real-world experience makes the classroom environment better for everybody involved because you’re able to bring a lot more to the classroom discussions if you have that experience,” Morrell said. The concentrations in supply chain and nonprofit management have been put into place because of the large number of logistics operations and nonprofit organizations in the area. A recent study conducted by the university found more than 2,000 nonprofit organizations in Middle Tennessee. An applied research project is required at the end of the program. The project puts students’ newly learned skills to work in a real-world way, teaching them to solve issues together in their current organizations under faculty supervision. “That is the capstone of the whole thing,” Morrell said. “The students will work as consultants for each other’s organizations, which will allow them to practice their skills in a real way.”
Mamie Nash // News Editor SIDELINES | Sept. 4, 2013 | www.mtsusidelines.com 3
NEWS
NEW FACES OF LEADERSHIP Daniel Jansouzian // Assistant News Editor Power changed hands this semester with new deans and directors overseeing three different departments on campus.
DAVID URBAN // JENNINGS A. JONES COLLEGE OF BUSINESS David Urban served in the School of Business at Virginia Commonwealth University for 24 years before joining to MTSU. He held several positions there, including professor of marketing, executive associate dean, interim dean and chair of the department of marketing. In addition, he served as an officer in the U.S. Navy Supply Corps and completed training and research assignments with businesses and corporations.
The Jennings A. Jones College of Business appointed its new dean, David Urban, He brings not only experience in marketing and administration, but also in public and the College of Mass Communication speaking. Using that experience, he wants named Ken Paulson. to tell the story of the college, both inter“While very diverse in their backgrounds, nally and externally. both Ken Paulson and David Urban bring “We have a great story to tell; the more we well established credentials and a history do that, the more people will be excited of achievements to their respective posiabout MTSU and the Jones College, and tions,” said Joe Bales, vice president for the more they will want to help us,” Urban university advancement. said. Bales, who was present for the hiring process, sees even greater prominence for He plans to spend his time listening and learning about the college and its percepthese schools in the future. tion before placing the focus on raising “Due to their broad experience with money for programs. Because of the colexternal audiences, each had a vision for lege’s faculty strength and alumni pride, better positioning our faculty and students, he believes the school is in a position to as well as many of our programs, as key impact. contributors to the region’s success,” he “We have a solid foundation for future said. success, and the future is bright,” he said. The School of Music also has a new mem- “I am very pleased to be here.” ber after appointing Michael Parkinson as its new director this year.
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KEN PAULSON // COLLEGE OF MASS COMMUNICATIONS The position of dean for the College of Mass Communication held special appeal for Paulson because it incorporates all of his special interests. He has spent 25 years of his life in journalism, more than five years in broadcasting and most of his life engaged in the recording industry. He helped found USA Today alongside a team of journalists in 1982 and served as editor and vice president for the publication. Much of his life has been spent on raising awareness of the First Amendment. Paulson said only four percent of Americans can quote the First Amendment, and he has devoted his life to change that. This includes serving as founder of “1 For All,” a national First Amendment campaign; host of “Speaking Freely,” a PBS, Emmy-honored television show; and traveling to lectures and public speaking venues across the nation. His primary vision for the college is expansion. “There is no College of Mass Communication in the world like this one,” he said. “It deserves a national reputation.” He wants a national outreach that includes social media, more press and public speaking to increase visibility. “This college has potent potential,” he said. “It’s time to tell the world about it.”
MICHAEL PARKINSON // SCHOOL OF MUSIC Originally from Cleveland, Tenn., Parkinson comes to MTSU to direct its music program and continue his career as an active trumpet player and conductor. “I’m a Tennessee native, and to return to my home state is an honor, both personally and professionally,” he said. In addition to working with many bands, Parkinson served as music chair and taught courses in jazz studies at Webster University in St. Louis for 10 years. Most recently, he served as director of the school of music at Ohio University where he taught courses in jazz studies and music industry and entrepreneurship. Parkinson plans to work on fundraising for the school to pay for the increasing scholarships allocated to students, new equipment and marketing. He also intends to expand the geographic territory for recruitment. The school is working on new curriculums for both undergraduate and graduate programs to teach music students more about entrepreneurship. Parkinson said his goal is for students to market themselves and be more efficient in the music business industry. “The future is very bright,” he said. “The School of Music has a great heritage, with successful alumni all over the world … I look forward to adding to that tradition.” //
You all offend me more than Miley Cyrus Bailey Robbins // Features Editor I missed something while watching the Video Music Awards the other night. I saw Miley Cyrus stick out her unusually white tongue and shake her almost-all-leg butt an exhausting amount; however, all I really saw was a hyperbolic example of most 20 year olds at a nightclub. I didn’t see the same performance as everyone else; that supposed tragedy that generated more than 300,000 tweets a minute. Listen: I’m not saying we should send a video of her performance to outer space in a third Voyager to represent American culture. We should step down from this golden pedestal of pseudo-moral self-righteousness and take a moment to look for what is being ignored: Robin Thicke.
something for ourselves. I keep hearing the same thing again and again: “She’s a slut. She’s crazy. She’s a fool. She’s an embarrassment. She’s on drugs.” Why is that every time a female does something out of the norm we have to reconcile it by saying its drugs or mental instability? Why can’t it just be her choice? And why is this choice so threatening? Sure, Cyrus is thrusting a phallic foam finger, but Thicke is getting away with flopping his actual parts around. Are we even rationalizing this, or are we just reciting a script we’ve read through social media like it was a rehearsal for the school play? I shamefully read an article from the, The Daily Mail, gossip publication that condemned Cyrus for having a casual day of wearing short shorts and a knotted T-shirt. As I looked down from my computer to my cutoff Levi’s and knotted band T-shirt, I cackled.
As I continued to scroll down, my blood began to boil. Photographs of Thicke is a 36-year-old married dude her spewed sexist remarks, such as who OK’d the former Disney star to how she is “flaunting her abs,” and be‘twerk’ on his crotch – talk about some cause she cut her hair and changed her blurred lines. style, she’s having an “identity crisis.” We spend so much time absorbing what the media churns out before we actually take a second to consider
And as if that wasn’t enough for my blood pressure,
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OPINIONS Americans question the financial and ethical affordability of Syrian Samantha Hearn // Staff writer
China walked out after U.S. Rep. Samantha Powers said immediate action was necessary in Syria.
Unglue your eyes from Miley Cyrus ‘twerking’ this week, and you might catch a glimpse of the headlines about the conflict in Syria.
Both Russia and China are against using any kind of force. Russia, Syria’s ally, exports a number of military goods to the war-torn country.
Syria is a country in the Middle East run by dictatorial President Bashar alAssad, son of Hafez al-Assad who was president from 1971 to 2000. In 2011, citizens protested peacefully against Assad’s ruling, which the governemnet responded to with violent oppression..
President Barack Obama said Aug. 30 that he doesn’t want to put “boots on the ground” in Syria, but reports indicate cruise missile strikes — aerial torpedoes capable of bringing down fully-structured buildings — may be the president’s end game. The next day, he decided he wants to take action on Syria and is waiting on a congressional vote.
intervention
Civil war has raged since through the country, growing increasingly violent as the months have passed. The government met peaceful protests with killing, kidnapping and pillaging.
When it comes to intervention, I’m on the fence. When I first learned of these events, I thought we should stay out The conflict in Syria rages on, even as of it. War is often about money and wrongly accounts for the deaths and the world is divided over what to do about Assad’s apparent use of chemical suffering of thousands. weapons effects – the images are horrifying. People scream and foam at the However, after watching video footage of victims of the chemical weapons, I mouth. Victims don’t have any visual understand why Obama feels the need wounds, but it is clear in their eyes for action. It’s difficult to overlook the they are dying of agony. nightmarish murder techniques modern science has spawned. At the Aug. 28 United Nations meeting, representatives from Russia and
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SPORTS
MT
TENNIS
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The women’s tennis team is being led by a number of transfer students.
Jesse Grace // South Africa Before transferring to Middle Tennessee, Jesse Grace, a native of Johannesburg, South Africa, played two seasons for the Tennessee Lady Vols. She was part of two Lady Vols teams that made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Prior to her time in Tennessee, Grace was a two-time runner-up in the South Africa Girls Nationals in 2007 and 2010.
advanced into the top ten of the 2013 Masters Championship in Stockholm. “[Tennis is] the best thing in the world,” Manns said. “I really remember the first tennis match I watched between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.” Federer is her favorite player.
SPORTS
Sarah Sediri // Canada Sarah Sediri, originally from Montreal, Quebec, brings intensity and work ethic to MT, along with another championship pedigree. Sediri won the Quebec Doubles U-18 Championship in 2013 and the Quebec Doubles U-16 Championship in 2012.
Like any typical tennis player, she enjoys Wimbledon, and her favorite player is also Federer. Through a contact where Sediri trained in Canada, she met Godwin and decided MTSU was the right place for her. She spoke of how nicely she was welcomed to the university, crediting Godwin with helping her get here.
“Tennis is a big passion for me,” She credits choosing MTSU to how she said. “I can’t see my life without well she clicked with Godwin. tennis.” CODY LESTER // STAFF WRITER
Tiffany Okpoho-William // England
Photos by Matt Masters // Photo Editor
“I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t playing tennis, so it’s always Tiffany Okpoho-William, originally been a part of my life,” Grace said. from London, England, brings a national championship background Grace was inspired to play tennis after watching her then idol Steffi to MT and looks to contribute imGraf play in an exhibition match in mediately in singles and doubles. South Africa.
While playing for the Auburn She enjoys Head Women’s Tennis Montgomery Warhawks in 2012 and 2013, she helped win two Coach Shelley Godwin’s coaching style and loves her teammates. NAIA National Championships. Grace, an electronic media journal- She also received NAIA first team All-America honors the previism major, described MTSU as a “beautiful campus” where “every- ous two seasons. While at Auburn Montgomery, she compiled a thing was just perfect.” singles record of 41-6 and a doubles record of 38-13.
Amanda Manns // Sweden
She went to tennis summer camp MT also welcomes Amanda Manns just one time, and she was hooked. from Stockholm, Sweden. Manns Her favorite players are Ana Ivanovic and Marko Djokovic. was a participant at Trollbackens Tennis Club in Stockholm, where The decision to transfer to MTSU she won her doubles class club was also due to Godwin’s personalchampionships and the mixed ity and coaching style. Everything doubles twice. In 2012, her club team advanced to the Swedish Final “fit into place,” she said. Outdoor Championships. Manns SIDELINES | Sept. 4, 2013 | www.mtsusidelines.com 7
COVER STORY The completion of this roundabout is scheduled for early-to mid-October, according to Ron Malone, assistant vice president of events and transportation.
MT SU
under under con str uct ion
However, 200 additional student parking spaces will exist once projects wrap up, according to Malone.
The Student Services building, Once the roundabout opens up which is currently under conthe road, construction crews will struction, will have its own guest move a little farther down Light- parking lot for those who wish ning Way to add a median from to enroll and do not yet have a Students and faculty coexist with Founders Lane to the roundabout parking pass. construction workers, maknext to Scarlett Commons. During daily treks across a campus ing this construction, the Scarlett “The entire parking plan is wrought with the clangor of Commons roundabout closest to designed to make campus more construction equipment and Greenland Drive will be closed. pedestrian friendly, and it elimiquestions of when the projects nates some of the pedestrian-vewill end. “They’ve already taken out hicular conflicts,” Malone said. some of the trees and shrubs on After the Science Building is the south side of the road for Parking projects and road concompleted in early 2015, conutilities and infrastructure work, struction are paid for by parking struction crews will move out, and once all of those things are fees. leaving students and staff with done, they will repave that, add an overall more accessible cam- a median and the road will be STUDENT SERVICES Building pus. completed,” Malone said. The building connected by skyAll roads will be finished and Roundabouts, walk to the Student Union and open by fall 2014, according to to the parking garage will be for Roads and Parking Malone. all student services regarding enrollment, according to Debra Campus is two parking lots, one More parking spots will be Sells, vice president for student roundabout and a single road added when the Softball Lot affairs. project away from capping the behind the parking garage on end of the construction project MTSU Boulevard opens. This Many offices in the Cope Adthat began 12 years ago with the lot will host 679 parking spaces ministration Building and the Rutherford Lot. for students and will be built “in McFarland Building will move order to get an overall increase to the Student Services Building, A roundabout is carving its way in the number of parking spachousing financial aid, the regnext to the Resse Smith Baseball es.” The construction of the two istrar and bursar and academic Field and Stadium to improve new parking garages took away advising . the flow of traffic coming from a number of surface lot spaces, the parking garage on Lightning according to Malone. The first floor of the building Way and Champion Way.
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2015
COVER STORY The building will meet the growing classroom and lab demands of chemistry and biology students.
An overall more accessible campus will be a “one stop shop” where 80 percent of questions regarding enrollment can be answered at a single front counter. “We’re not building big lobbies and counters for each individual office to send you from office to office, but one consolidated front counter,” Sells said. The staff will be cross-trained to answer questions about bill pay, scheduling, admissions, advising and transcripts. They will also know how dropping one class affects all aspects of a student’s college career, Sells added. The second floor is for current students with questions that involve more intricate answers. According to Sells, the University of Minnesota and a dozen other schools use this consoli-
dated layout with great results. The two-story building is scheduled for completion by spring 2014 and will open to students by fall 2014. Student fees covered the cost of this building, according to Sells. The vacated offices in Cope and McFarland will open room for other departments needing space.
Dennis Mullen, biology professor and member of the Science Building Committee, said that the Wiser-Patten Science Hall and the Davis Science Building were built for about 15 faculty to teach classes and do research. About 40 faculty members are squeezed in the space. “It limits the students, and it limits the teaching,” Mullen said. “Most of our teaching labs are operating from eight in the morning till nine at night, and they’re full, and we have demand for more offering that we just can’t meet. We just don’t have the physical space for it.”
Science Building
According to Arthur Reed in the campus planning office, the new building will add about 230,000 square footage to the program, as well as 1,500 seats for chemistry, biology, wellness and exercise science, agriscience and nursing students and students doing graduate research.
The Science Building, under construction beside the James E. Walker Library, will be the last project completed in January 2015.
The space includes 36 teaching labs, 29 classrooms, two lecture halls, three interdisciplinary suites for Ph.D. students and one conference room.
The photography department will move in McFarland. No final decision has been made on the offices vacated in Cope.
The building will also be environmentally friendly, bearing a LEED certification for using 30-percent less water and 10-percent less energy than a standard up-to-code building. A substantial grant of about $126 million from Gov. Bill Haslam helped pay for the $146 million building, while $20 million was paid for by donors, the university itself and student fees. Once the Wiser-Patten Science Hall and the Davis Science Building are no longer occupied by chemistry and biology departments, the geosciences and physics departments will move in from Kirksey Old Main. For the next two years, construction crews will work to make campus more spacious. Until then, the chorus of construction machinery will sing until the finished projects in 2015.
Sinclaire Sparkman // Assistant News Editor
Photos by Matt MAsters // Photo editor
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FEATURES
Two dirty hands, a couple of dusty cleats, A single devoted heart // Bailey Robbins Features Editor
OK, so no one thinks about who got up to milk the cows. But perhaps they should. On the university’s dairy farm, Kailey McDougald, a MTSU senior majoring in animal science, makes dairy-based meals possible. Sporting a pair of dusty boots, blue jeans and a pink collared shirt, McDougald is one of many students in the agribusiness and agriscience department who spends a sizeable amount of time at the dairy farm. She helps milk cows, feed calves, repair fences, haul hay, sort cows and even breed cows. Yet, that is only a few of the responsibilities McDougald encounters during a typical day on the farm. “Every day is something different,” she said, referring to a day when she arrived to two calves loose in the calf barn. “You never really know. This isn’t like clocking into the office.” This longhaired brunette’s love for both hard work and living creatures goes as far back as the distance to her home in south Florida. For more than 35 years, McDougald’s family has maintained a plant and tree nursery where she spent most her youth keeping her hands dirty. “I’ve never been one to sit at home, and my parents taught me that,” she said. “We never watched TV at home. We always had work to do.” Yet, surprisingly, tending to plant life was not how she ended up at MTSU. McDougald came to the university on an athletic scholarship. The same hands milking cows pitches softballs over home plate for the Blue Raiders. Her athletic career began at eight, when McDougald’s father signed her up for a traveling league. She was either second or third basemen or pitcher. Of course, being a pitcher was her favorite position. “In softball, the person on the mound is the one who controls the tempo of the game,” she said passionately. “My coaches used to tell me that I was very stoic. You couldn’t tell whether I was losing by ten or winning by ten. I always had that composure, and I really enjoyed that. I liked that pressure.” Similar pressure has kept McDougald composed throughout her busy schedule as an athlete, employee and student. Along with her athletic scholarship, she has an academic
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FEATURES scholarship that requires her to work 75 hours a semester on campus. McDougald chose the agricultural department, working at the dairy farm five hours a week while balancing 30 hours of softball practice and 18 hours of classes. “Even though it was hard, even though I was tired, you just make time,” she said without a single complaint. “And it was what I wanted to do. I needed that experience anyway. I enjoyed it. I enjoy getting my hands dirty. I enjoy working.” Driving up the large, paved hill to the barn, several cows graze in the pasture to the right. They are in the “close up lot,” which McDougald explained as the place where pregnant cows go for 60 days before having a calf. This is done to keep a watchful eye on them. Inside the dairy barn, an aisle divides ten cows on each side where they stand with their backs to “milking claws,” which hung from the ceiling and use vacuum suction to pump out the milk. It makes a compressing sound as it mechanically squeezes the milk from each cow. Once the cow is milked, the machine automatically lifts upward and releases. “A lot of people ask [if I] hand milk them,” McDougald said. “You would be here all day if you had to milk 64 cows by hand.” Milking provides a physical release of pressure from a cow’s udder. McDougald compares it to a balloon filled with water. The large animal must be milked twice a day otherwise it experiences discomfort. A device above the pump calculates the number of pounds milked from each cow. When a cow walks through the gate, the device detects its identification number and provides a daily sum.
rate breeds of dairy cow with a separate purpose. Holsteins are typically black and white, primarily producing larger volumes of milk. Jersey cows are brown and produce less milk, but more fat, which is used for products such as butter, buttermilk and cheese. McDougald could spend a day talking to someone about just cows alone. Nevertheless, her love for animals does not end there. When she’s not giving advice to a friend on the phone about the symptoms of a sick dog, she is working as a veterinarian technician in Lascassas, Tenn., at an office called Noah’s Friends. From administering shots to assisting in surgery, McDougald is the next best thing to a doctor, and she made it through job shadowing and volunteering.
“We can’t all be farmers. We can’t all be preachers.
“It means a lot to someone when you’re volunteering, because you’re not getting paid to be there,” McDougald said. “It means you want to be there, and you’re really willing. You’re not just sitting there with your arms crossed trying to get involved.” And if one thing is for certain, it’s that she is anywhere but sitting down someplace with her arms crossed waiting for life to just happen. McDougald is always moving, and most importantly, she is always doing or striving to do what she loves. “It’s funny, we all just have a different niche,” she said. “We can’t all be farmers. We can’t all be preachers. We all have a gift to do something different.” Photos by Bailey Robbins // Features Editor
We all have a gift to do something different.”
McDougald pointed to a brown cow whose milk capacity was at 12.8 pounds. She compared it to a black and white cow that had produced 30 pounds. Both are sepa-
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rjd2 papadosio rubblebucket jeff the brotherhood cloud cult moon taxi zach deputy the polish ambassador morning teleportation the ragbirds frontier ruckus sister sparrow & the dirty birds johny polygon brock butler the main squeeze this is art arpetrio the kingston springs the deep fried five stokeswood baby baby opposite box jet edison copper into steel brave baby glowing bordis behold the brave backup planet soul merchanic dillon hodges magic of science the walley brothers skymatic the mad scientist
A&E
Noel Heath // Assistant A&E Editor
fly Fr eE FESTIVAL
oct 11 . oct . 12 . oct 13
L
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A&E experience with a unifying sense of comradery.
fly free for '' a weekend, make friends for a lifetime ''
Featuring riverside campgrounds, canoe rentals, hot breakfast, morning yoga and hot showers, the event boasts impressive amenities. Adding to the thrill of live music, festival goers can also enjoy art installations and live fire and aerial performances. The Petrees hope the festival will inspire creativity. They have an interest in developing the event into into a nonprofit centered on arts education and promoting self worth. “Making this year happen has been the goal,” Corey said. “Really we’re just trying to create awareness, and as we grow, people will learn more about whatever cause we bring on board.”
New festival provides fall breakgetaway
Three stellar days of music, art and community are promised at the first Fly Free Festival Oct. 11 through 13 at Red River Valley Park in Adams, Tenn. The event was originally planned as a festival-themed wedding for founders, Corey and Colleen Petree, but transformed into a “mini Bonnaroo” with a life of its own.
Three-day passes including camping are only $95. Starting this month, the festival street team will distribute handbills on campus that act as a $20 student discount.
The now-married Petrees have booked a solid lineup of more than 39 diverse artists, featuring recognizable headliners such as RJD2, The Polish Ambassador, Papadisio and Rubblebucket.
Built on the desire to connect music lovers to their favorite artists without long lines and overlapping sets, the Fly Free Festival offers an intimate
The festival, which falls on Columbus Day weekend and during fall break, is perfect for students’ schedules and budgets.
Graphic illustration by Christine Craft // Designer
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UM REVIEW
A&E
B
AL
“Bullet,” doesn’t reach its potential either. The track — and many of the other songs on the album — repeats several verses, which sounds as though the band wrote a verse and couldn’t think of another original thought.
FRAN Z DISAPPOINTS fans with the release of their new album Fans awaited Franz Ferdinand’s newest album, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, with eagerness since their four-year silence. But the album doesn’t live up to the quality of their older music. Their first single, “Right Action,” leaves listeners questioning whether the band worked to develop a more mature sound. However, it sounds exactly the same throughout the song and is a major disappointment. Despite being the album’s second standout,
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The album does have its high points. The best song on the album is “Treason! Animals,” with a surfer rock sound and a hint of UK rocker vibes. Listeners will find their feet tapping along to this tune. The band’s lack of growth in the past four years is disappointing and leaves listeners with only two good songs on the album. The band potentially found inspiration on their last album, Tonight, where the band played with more intense guitar riffs, opted for a ‘60s-inspired sound. Perhaps that’s where they should have stopped making music. Maybe fans will stick it out for more material, but the latest doesn’t match the hype for a band who had a high reputation. Lauren Mandrell >> Assistant A&E Editor
GAME REVIEW GAME REVIEW GAME REVIEW
A&E
LP +3 lost planet 3 leaves users with mixed emotions
“Lost Planet 3” has done the impossible. It has taken a tale about insanely big aliens, giant robots and an innumerable amount of bullets and made it very, very boring. The newest entry in the “Lost Planet” series follows the recent Capcom trend — the third-person shooter was developed by a western developer, Spark Unlimited and only published by Capcom. While this type of outsourcing worked with “DmC: Devil May Cry,” the effect was less than spectacular for “Lost Planet 3.”
“Lost Planet 3” shares the story of Jim Peyton during his first year working on the harsh, winter planet of E.D.N. III, as told in a flashback by elderly Jim. A prequel to the first “Lost Planet” game, and it sets up the motivations for many of the key groups in the series, such as the Neo Venus Construction group (NEVEC) and the “Snow Pirates.” We watch Jim go from family man and mercenary repairman to the bane of NEVEC’s operations. The alien threat, the Akrid, on E.D.N. III appears in various forms to harass all sides, like in previous “Lost Planet” titles. This story sounds great, but the game has problems. The first noticeable problem are the graphics. During the opening cinema, at least on the PlayStation 3, slow-downs and texture load-in issues make it hard to watch. The problems worsen as the game continues and more visuals are added. Not to mention, the game is artistically dull. E.D.N. III is an alien world covered in ice, so not much can be done in terms of colors outside of white, blue, black and grey. However, E.D.N. III is an alien world, meaning the design team had infinite possibilities and surprises to work with.
The Akrid are less interesting. While some staple Akrid return, only a few new are added, and their diversity is reduced. The scale of the larger Akrid decreased—no more worms the size of trains trying to devour you. The most noticeable problem encountered in the game is the speed at which everything works. Halve the top speed of a snail, and you have the Jim’s walking pace. Push the snail gently to get his sprinting speed. Your giant robot, the RIG, moves at a similarly slow, lumbering pace. And the slowness doesn’t stop with movement either. Many loading screens are incredibly long. Sometimes you have enough time to pour a bowl of cereal and sit back down before it finishes loading. Combat is affected by speed problems. Targeting a quick moving alien or dodge-rolling out of the way of an attack is hard to do when your character is bogged down. Similarly, fighting a monster in your RIG is a slow-paced slugfest and not the epic battle you’d expect from a “monster versus robot” fight. Logan Barnes >> Staff Writer
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“Miley” from page 4
ting the example. You are.
Syria from page 4
blood pressure, scrolled down to the bottom of the page where the article compared her wardrobe to her fiance, Liam Hemsworth, at the airport.
If you don’t like her, don’t watch her.
Reportedly, more than 400 children died or were affected from the chemical weapons used in Syria. Let’s put that number next to the 1.5 million children that die of hunger every year or the nearly two million children sex trafficked every year.
I imagined punching the chauvinist who wrote, ““Catching Fire” hunk was much more suitably dressed than his fiancee, wearing a grey T-shirt, an army style jacket and black jeans.” So, is that what it comes down to? I fully understand that these articles are meant to be gossipy and a bit malicious, but this is where we get our ideas, people. This is where we begin to think that it’s OK to condemn people because of who they are … because of how they look, dance funny, shave their heads, tie their T-shirts in knots and wear skinny jeans. All I’m saying is, she’s not the one set-
She’s not any better than you, and you’re not any better than her. She’s making successful music. She’s making money. And, she’s not doing it alone. She’s doing it because of you. She’s not giving women a bad name. You are.
We can start to see that resources spent on war could be diverted to actually help people instead of hurt them. We aren’t the world police. We can’t afford to be. Ignoring the problem also doesn’t do anything productive, but perhaps our country should focus more on practicing what we preach to truly make the world a better place for democracy. We tell the world we value freedom, but our government spies on us. We tell the world we value peace, but our govern-
ment has a history of pre-emptive war. We tell the world we value opportunity, but we spend more money bailing out corporations that serve the interests of politicians than we do in favor of small businesses. Don’t get me wrong, I think that what’s going on in Syria is terrible. I’m not saying it should be ignored, or that one issue is more important than another. What Congress will decide remains unclear, but Americans are sick of war. A peaceful approach should first be considered and approved by Congress and the President before we decide to drop bombs.