The
TheAdvanceTitan
March 10, 2016
INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN OSHKOSH
@atitan
@advancetitan
atitan@uwosh.edu
www.advancetitan.com
ADVANCE-TITAN VOL. 121, NO. 17
RAD class offers students defense, support by Tyler Cox
Courtesy of UW Oshkosh Parking Services
Campus parking frustrates students by Matt Silva silvam23@uwosh.edu
Oshkosh Student Association presented a survey to students to discuss communication between Parking Services and the student body. OSA Senate held a meeting Tuesday where resolutions to the problems between students and Parking Services were tabled. According to the Senate meeting minutes, the issues students had with Parking Services included having problems acquiring necessary inf ormation they want regarding parking rules and regulation, lack of ex planation of the rules and the students say they never received brochures, pamphlets or
other outlets to ex plain the rules. “ hese difficulties a ear to stem f rom poor customer service, outdated inf ormation, lack of communication and a hesitancy to accommodate student circumstances,” the meeting minutes stated. OSA Senator Katheryn Bermann said there is no reason f or Parking Services not to use their resolution. “To be honest I’m rather uncertain why that happened, as I had collected data via a survey regarding students’ opinions about Parking Services prior to draf ting the resolution,” Bermann said. “Which means I probably won’t have any additional involvement with it.” According to the OSA survey,
the most common complaints f rom students are about tickets and parking spaces. “I have purchased a pass, but I can only find ar ing on the street which is f ree,” an anonymous student said in the survey. “I f eel that I have been scammed because I have searched f or over an hour to find a s ot but couldn’t so I missed my class and missed out on valuable inf ormation.” “Parking on campus is way too ex pensive f or how bad the lots are,” another anonymous student said in the survey. Out of the 145 students interviewed f or the survey by OSA, 140 have a vehicle on campus. F rom all of those students, 56 of them do not f ully understand the dif f erence
between the parking permits, 73 don’t know when the lots close and 60 have received citations. Parking and Transportation Services Director Benjamin Richardson said the data presented by OSA was not accurate and did not elaborate on why he thinks that. “The survey contains corrupted data and missing records,” Richardson said. “The responses, in general, are not reliable and even if they were, we actually rated better than average in customer service according to the results.” Richardson said he doesn’t think students have a negative perception of parking on campus. “We get more positive f eedback
PARKING, PAGE A2
coxt28@uwosh.edu Rape Aggression Def ense is a second seven-week class of f ered at UW Oshkosh that provides inf ormation and techniques to avoid sex ual violence both mentally and physically. Director of LGBTQ Resource C enter Liz C annon said RAD was designed to teach students what to do in a situation involving sex ual assault or aggression by a stranger and or a partner. “Our goal is ‘to develop and enhance the options of self -def ense, so they may become viable considerations to the individual who is attacked,’” C annon said. C annon said society can have an impact when dealing with issues like sex ual violence. “So clearly, what needs to be done is change our culture so the perpetrators of this type of violence do not f eel supported in their actions and as if they need to ex press power and dominance in this way,” C annon said. According to C annon, the class is not only about def ending one’s self physically, but it also to avoid physical conf rontation all together. “This course also provides an hour in the classroom in which the mental side of self -def ense can be addressed, remembering that 90 percent of self -def ense is mental and 10 percent is physical,” C annon said. “The goal is to keep oneself f rom a position where the physical skills will be needed but to know them in case the situation arises.” Lt. C hristopher Tarmann said ex panding the program will allow a RAD class f or men. “We’d like to do the rape aggression def ense f or men,” Tarmann said. “We just need to get people trained.” Tarmann said there are plans in motion to have more people trained f or the class.
RAD, PAGE A2
SVA game night bridges campus and community by Jessica Zemlicka zemlij88@uwosh.edu UW Oshkosh Student Veterans of America brought students, the community and student veterans together to raise awareness of SVA’s ef f orts at Game Night on March 3. The game night was a successf ul event f eaturing games and presentations by campus community members, according to a UW Oshkosh SVA F acebook post. “The event had lif e-sized games, board games, Minute to Win It games and prizes,” the post stated. “There was a color guard perf ormance and OshC appella sang the national anthem. It was an outstanding event that helped create awareness of the SVA on the UWO campus.”
UWO SVA has been working with the public relations campaign class and Public Relations Society of America Bateman Team to increase participation of student veterans with SVA. The Game Night f ollowed af ter a C herry Berry f undraiser and the SVA Penny War, which raised $ 196 according to Bateman Team member Kimberly Lohre. Lohre said the event was a great achievement because of the dif f erent types of attendees. “We had the traditional students, student veterans their f amilies and also Oshkosh community f amilies at the event,” Lohre said. “They were all interacting and playing games together and that was the goal of the event, to make student veterans f eel more comf ortable in their school.”
According to Lohre, the turnout relected the events success. “We had a good attendance rate,” Lohre said. “We estimated that over 100 people attended the event. We reached our objectives and it was amazing to see the finish roduct. UWO SVA president Aaron Kloss said the ef f orts of the public relations campaigns class and the PRSSA Bateman Team could not be recognized enough. “I can say thank you all night long but I can never ex press how much I a reciate all the cam aigns class have done for our organization,” Kloss said. C hancellor Andrew Leavitt said he was gratef ul f or being invited to the event and was proud of the hard work f rom students all over campus f rom PRSSA, the journalism depart-
ment, OshC appella and the F ox Valley ROTC color guard. “What I’m struck by in this room is the nature of students helping students. It’s a great demonstration of the kind of caring environment we have here at this institution,” Leavitt said at the event. Leavitt said attending the event and hearing about SVA in recent weeks has increased his awareness of what the UWO SVA chapter does f or student veterans on campus. “I’m delighted to be a part of this so that I have a better understanding of what the student SVA chapter is trying to do on this campus and ways this can be supported,” Leavitt said. Leavitt said the University looks to preserve a sense of
GAME NIGHT, PAGE A2
CHELSEA PHILLIPS/ADVANCE-TITAN
UWO students Jessica Roberts and Kimberly Hetzel play the Minute to Win It marshmallow toss at game night.
- IN CASE YOU MISSED IT C ompiled by the A-T news staf f
Miss Oshkosh pageant returns
Social event ordinance
Chancellor makes a deal
The 2016 Miss Oshkosh scholarship pageant is being held on Saturday. According to its website, the scholarships that the women win help with their f urther education. “Miss Oshkosh is one of the top three local pageants in Wisconsin providing the most scholarship money, with special thanks to the Women’s Division of Oshkosh f or being the main sponsor,” the website stated All tickets are reserved and are $15 e ach. Tickets can be purchased by calling Trisha Lund at ( 920) 233-0710. You can also pick up tickets on the day of the pageant from .m. and again at .m. at the bo office at the auditorium. L oc at i on : Alberta Kimball Auditorium 375 North Eagle Street Oshkosh, WI 54902 D at e an d T i m e : Saturday, March 12. 7:30 p.m.
The Oshkosh C ommon C ouncil met Tuesday to rewrite an ordinance regarding special events in Oshkosh af ter the original was declared “unconstitutionally vague.” Winnebago C ounty C ircuit C ourt Judge Thomas Gritton originally dismissed the city’s lawsuit against Joseph Kubiak af ter the city claimed he was the organizer of Oshkosh Pub C rawl. Oshkosh C ommon C ouncil Member Steve Herman said they took the individual they believed was responsible f or organizing pub crawl to court f or expe nses f rom the event. The city’s lawsuit demanded $1 1,000 f or the cost of police f orces and other city services during pub crawl, with an additional in fines after ubia failed to fill out the paperwork f or the bi-annual event. “ e felt overall the best thing to do was to redefine what the term organizer means,” Herman said. “And it’s not just Pub C rawl. There are other events that are questionable.” Voting f or the ordinance will take place on March 22, with the requirements not in ef f ect until on or af ter January 1, 2017, according to the meeting minutes.
UW Oshkosh C hancellor Andrew Leavitt made a deal with the students and f aculty of UWO. In a video sent to all UWO students via email, Leavitt promised to shave his head if half of the total campus community participates in taking the C ampus C limate Survey. In an article posted by UW Oshkosh Today, the anonymous survey is meant to make the University a welcoming and saf e environment. “The survey will help us evaluate the current campus climate to exa mine the behaviors, belief s and expe riences of students and employees concerning the level of respect and value f or individual dif f erences,” Assistant Vice C hacellor of Academic support of inclusive exc ellence Sylvia C arey-Butler said in the article. In an update email sent on Wednesday, the total of responses is around 1,850. In able to meet the goal, 3,600 completed surveys are still needed. The survey is open until Monday, March 14. F aculty and students can check their email f or the link f or the survey.
A2
NEWS Advance-Titan
Alison Herrmann - News Editor Questions? Email: atitan@uwosh.edu
March 10, 2016 — www.advancetitan.com
Tattoo project sheds light on mental health
by Kaitlyn Knox knoxk62@uwosh.edu
“Stay strong; love endlessly; change lives.” The Experience The adrenaline is kicking in as I sign the golden yellow waiver understanding the risks involved with my tattoo. The semicolon will be my fifth one. A shop assistant comes over and shows me a drawing of what I want, and I agree to it. They get it ready to put it on a stencil that transfers the outlines to the skin. The tattoo would be of that would be do nated to Project Semicolon by Walking Art Tattoo shop owner, Mike Medrano. The assistant uses an alcohol wipe to clean the skin on my wrist and pours a clear goop on the area, rubbing the cool gel in. She places the stencil down so the blue lines are matched with my skin and presses down. The stencil is held there for a few seconds before eeling the wa a er away. It’s a little off and the assistant ad usts it a few more times before as ing a new artist for hel . inally it’s ad usted evenly in the center of my wrist matching the alm of my hand to my elbow. Holly Stro, a traveling artist from au laire featured at Walking Art Tattoo, pushes the foot edal causing the gun to buzz. “Ready?” she asks. “Yep,” I say, more ready than ever. tro laughs after I as her where all her tattoos are. Wearing a black zip-up hoodie with the sleeves rolled u a air of jeans with the ends tattered and an old air of chuc s it a ears as if she has none. “I have one down my leg,” Stro said, later revealing it’s a sleeve of multi le tattoos covering both of her legs com letely. he di s the needle of the gun into the tiny thimble of blac in . “ o what brings
GAME NIGHT FROM PAGE A1 community for veterans on campus. “I certainly applaud all the student veterans who are here today for their decision to come to UW Oshkosh,” Leavitt said. “I think we do, as an institution, pride ourselves in being a very veteran friendly cam us. Leavitt said he is willing to speak to student veterans and hel to ma e the most of their transition from active duty to higher education. “I want to pledge to you today that I will always have an open door when it comes to our student veterans on this cam us eavitt said. “If there is anything you need from me I’m one oor u from the veterans center and
you in here for the semicolon tattoo?” The Project
Project Semicolon, based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, started in honor of founder my leuel’s father who committed suicide when Bleuel was just 18 years old. Her story on the Project Semicolon blog delves into details about her abuse from her stepmother at a young age, her rape when she was 13, her father’s suicide and her year struggle with depression. “ es ite the wounds of a dar ast I was able to rise from the ashes, proving that the best is yet to come,” Bleuel wrote on the Project Semicolon website. “ hen my life was filled with the ain of re ection bullying suicide self in ury addiction abuse and even rape, I kept on fighting. I didn’t have a lot of people in my corner, but the ones I did have kept me going.” Project Semicolon’s website allows people to share their story with the world, their mission stating that this is a “movement dedicated to presenting hope and love for those who are struggling with mental illness, suicide addiction and self in u ry.” The semicolon represents a new beginning. “I chose a semicolon for mental illness and suicide awareness, because in literature a semicolon is used when an author chooses not to end a sentence,” Bleuel said. “We are saying you are the author and the sentence is your life. The project, started in April 2013, has already gained traction with media around the nation and a growing social media audience with a tremendous follower base on Ins tagram. “#ProjectSemicolon” also has almost 23,000 public Instagram posts. Although the website is not a 24-hour helpline they do offer a number of sources local national and international, to those who are loo ing for hel . I’d be honored to participate or somehow make easier your time here at UW Oshkosh.” Kloss presented Leavitt and the public relations camaigns class rofessor ean Giovanetti with an SVA coin for their wor with the and student veterans. “There’s a tradition in the military that when you do something really outstanding and above and beyond what is as ed of you you receive a coin,” Kloss said. Kloss said Giovanetti’s work with the public relations campaigns class to create awareness and increase participation within SVA deserved the coin. “ rofessor iovanetti has been an outstanding member of this ro ect and ushing the cam aigns class for ward with a great public relations campaign,” Kloss said.
Newsroom: (920) 424-3048
STAFF ////////////////////
EDITOR IN CHIEF
ARTISTS/GRAPHICS
NEWS
FACULTY ADVISER
Alison Herrmann, editor
Jessica Johnson, asst. editor
OPINION
Nyreesha Williams, editor
CAMPUS CONNECTIONS Emilie Heidemann, editor
SPORTS
Austin Walther, editor Morgan Van Lanen, asst. editor
WEB
Kurt Ness
COPY CHIEF Garrett Wright
PHOTO
Katie Hanson
SOCIAL MEDIA Erik Buchinger
Kurt Ness
Vince Filak
PR MANAGER
“
”
PARKING FROM PAGE
A1
than we do negative feedbac on our services,” Richardson said. Richardson said there are a ro imately ar ing spots on campus. Parking Services oversells the resident permits to make sure the lots are full. or commuters they do not put a limit on the number of ermit sales. According to the survey, even when the rules are clearly communicated to the students, they don’t fully understand them. “ he rules were e lained but they are ridiculous and unustified an anonymous stu dent said. “Let people park in the parking lots.” UWO senior Tyler Stricker agrees with the results from
Francesca Rabas Raquel Tuohy Kellie Wambold Natasha Zwijacz
CIRCULATION MNGR.
ccording to the enters for isease ontrol suicide was the tenth leading cause of death for all ages in a staggering number of . he states it was sui cides per day, or one every 13 minutes. he stated ercent of students in grades nine through 12 “seriously considered attempting suicide in the pervious 12 months” in 2013. 13.6 percent of students actually made a plan about how they would attem t suicide and ercent of them attempted. There are even gender distinctions in suicides. he re orted that males are four times more likely to commit suicide than females are lead ing the suicide rate at 77.9 per-
RAD FROM PAGE
A1
“I thin within the ne t si to eight months or so we will have somebody at our department who is trained,” Tarmann said. “I thin it means more classes. If we had more instructors then we could teach another seven week class during the semester.” UWO student Justin Mathwig said the class seems like it would be a good resource for victims. “My question is do victims have a higher potential to be as-
4TH PLACE BEST SHOW
CARTOONISTS
PACEMAKER AWARD WINNER
AD MANAGER Shayna Beining
WRITERS //////////////
PHOTOGRAPHERS
NEWS
Moira Danielson Alyssa Grove Cally Kobza Ashley Larson Allison Prusha
Erik Buchinger Michael Johrendt Sean Maloney Anthony Michalovitz Brady Van Deurzen
AWARDS //////////////
Jessica Zemlicka
COPY EDITORS
The Statistics
atitan@uwosh.edu
Chris Rozek Eric Fennig Tyler Hahn
Brooke Bayer Saraya Harris Crystal Knuth Chelsea Phillips Elizabeth Pletzer Celia Space Kel St. John Allison Tetrick
the survey. “ ar ing on cam us is dif ficult and confusing. tric er said. “I’ve gotten several tickets before and it gets very frus trating.” The resolution presented by OSA asked Parking Services to improve on communication. “ I that the staff at Parking and Transportation Services takecare to ensure that they are roviding friend ly and accurate customer service and I RESOLVED that Parking and Transportation Services begin to take an active role in communicating with students by providing a means through which students can provide feedbac as to their e erienc es, and being open to suggestions regarding parking rules and regulations,”meeting minutes stated.
was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was in high school and has been in a wheelchair or forearm crutches since. “I attempted suicide, but Michael walked in on me not knowingly, and stopped me,” mith said. “ few years lat er and one of my best friends tried suicide and was sent to the hospital. I was 10 minutes late from sto ing her and it illed me for a long time. hen this last year my close friend was having suicidal thoughts so I was constantly running to her house. We worked things out, but it was ainful. This year, Smith stopped another friend from an attem ted overdose, so the semicolon was one that was important to her and others she knew. “ or me I got the semicolon not ust for myself but for my friends and loved ones mith said. “To me, I love the meaning behind, ‘your story isn’t over yet ’ and I firmly believe in that.” Smith currently attends iver alls and is ursuing her degree in communications. Her semicolon is small and located on the na e of her nec .
Advance-Titan Staff and Awards
www.advancetitan.com
EDITORS /////////////// Kaitlyn Knox
Her stepmom harasses her to this day. The last time Roberts heard from her ste mom was her wedding day when Roberts’ best friend received a hone call a conversation filled with messages like, “I hope lightning strikes the church.” Roberts started snapping the rubber band on her wrist, talking about how she still has siblings living in that environment and how she can’t help them until they are older. “He and my stepmom are doing things to my sisters,” Roberts said a defeated tone. “ ut of my dad’s five children three have had suicidal thoughts.” Roberts heard about the project from her wor mentor who The Stories had the tattoo and e lained to “All I had to do was kick her what the meaning was all the chair out from under my about. “You have feet lara to stay strong Roberts, whose name I chose a semicolon for because we can all live has been mental illness and suicide through it,” changed to awareness, because in literRoberts said, protect her smiling. Her i d e n t i t y , ature a semicolon is used tattoo is on said. Now when an author chooses the inner part 25, Rob- not to end a sentence. of her u erts is living We are saying you are the per arm and a life as a author and the sentence is states, “Stay n e w l y w e d your life. Strong;” in in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. — Amy Bleuel script. M o l l y She works Smith, whose full time as a certified nursing assistant at name has been changed to rotect her identity began e the innebago ounty ental ealth os ital after receiving periencing depression in her her sychology degree from the freshman year of college at iver alls. mith was UW- Whitewater. “My dad was verbally and sus ended for not reaching ac emotionally abusive to me,” ademic standards and was sent Roberts said, playing with the home to Minocqua, Wisconsin. “And when I was home that rubber band around her wrist. “I guess I was physically abused, year going to Nicolet [Technical ollege I honestly felt worth too, but I can’t remember that.” rom middle school to her less and li e I failed myself freshman year in college her Smith said. “Along with dealparents’ custody agreement ing with stress in my family and being away from friends and forced her to live with her fa the place I considered home.” ther after their divorce. t mith is one of the youngest years old, although legally an adult oberts’ father forced her siblings in her family of five to not see her mom. At 19, she and a twin to Michael, whose ran away from home when she name has also been changed to rotect his identity. er father met Mike, her husband. “Project Semicolon is a non rofit organi ation dedi cated to presenting hope and love to those who struggle with addiction, depression, suicide and self in ury leuel said. “ hrough the ower of one’s story we strive to present hope for a better tomorrow. o say you’re not alone. It gets better.” Those who are looking to get involved with the project can start with donations, spreading the word, getting a tattoo or simply drawing one on themselves. “Ultimately, it is our hope that people are able to share their stories,” Bleuel said.
Tyler Cox Jason Neumeyer Matt Silva
CAMPUS CONNECTIONS Marcella Brown Tyler Cox Shella Paukner Allison Prusha Michael Semmerling Kellie Wambold
SPORTS
Nathaniel Brinkman
2005, 2002, 1991, 1981, 1973
WISCONSIN NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION COLLEGE NEWSPAPER CONTEST 1st Place General Excellence Winner 2012, 2011
1ST PLACE BEST OF SHOW Best of the Midwest Conference, 2004
1ST PLACE BEST SHOW National College Conference, 2010
OF
Media
My Story The tattoo shop smells like wood and incense, a calming and eaceful scene. here’s Japanese art on the walls, particularly oi fish drawings that Medrano most likely did himself. At 11 years old, I started having panic attacks. They were so severe that I was taken to a children’s hos ital in arshfield for observations for a few days to make sure there were no heart issues. he an iety grew from there. In 7th grade, I started self harming after I dealt with years of bullying. “Well, I attempted suicide twice in high school,” I told Stro. “Once my sophomore year, and again my senior year.” In the chair, I thought back to high school. Sophomore year included a mentally abusive relationship that turned physical at the end. It included drinking at parties in the woods, getting high and a se ual assault. It included a phone call with a revious boyfriend telling me I didn’t deserve to live for what I had done. It included a trip in the ambulance and liquid charcoal to help pump my stomach from to ins. It included wee ly therapy. “That’s why I’m getting the tattoo,” I said, smiling. “I’m so blessed to be living my life. “I’m glad you’re here then,” Stro said. 10 minutes and the tattoo is over. Stro sprays a yellow soap solution on the paper towel to clean the e cess in off my wrist and tattoo. “ y ne t tattoo is going to be a quote I was told during therapy,” I said. “I have had no dragons in my life. nly small spiders and stepping in chewing gum. I could have slain dragons.” saulted again and if so this class makes sense that it is geared towards previous victims,” Mathwig said. annon said there are other resources on and off cam us for victims of a se ual assault to learn how to defend themselves and cope with what happened “ emember that anyone e eriencing any ty e of se ual vi olence should strongly consider talking to our victim advocate on campus, Katie Husky, and/or to a rofessional in the ounsel ing enter and should strongly consider talking to University olice annon said.
Advertising: (920) 424-3049 OF
National College Media Conference, 2012 Best all-around non-daily student newspaper (Region 6) Society of Professional Journalists, 2001 Member Associated Collegiate Press.
POLICY ///////////////////
cent. owever females will have more suicidal thoughts than males. irearms are more common in suicide methods for males, whereas poison is the most common for women.
The UW Oshkosh Advance-Titan is written and edited by students at UW Oshkosh who are solely responsible for its content and editorial policy. Any UW Oshkosh student is welcome to work on the newspaper staff. Advertisements printed in the Advance-Titan don’t necessarily represent the opinion of the newspaper staff. Other publications may reprint materials appearing in
the Advance-Titan only with written permission from the editor and if proper credit is given. The Advance-Titan is published each academic Thursday. Third class postage paid at Oshkosh, Wis., Postmaster: Send address changes to Advance-Titan, 800 Algoma Blvd., Oshkosh, Wis., 54901. Readers are permitted one copy per issue. Additional copies may be purchased with prior approval from the editor for 50 cents each. For additional copies or subscriptions, contact the Advance-Titan at 920-4243048. Those who violate the single copy rule may be subject to prosecution for newspaper theft and fined a minimum of $10,000.
A3
OPINION Student engagement in class is key Advance-Titan
Nyreesha Williams-Torrence - Opinion Editor Questions? Email: atitan@uwosh.edu
March 10, 2016 — www.advancetitan.com
by The Advance-Titan Staff atitan@uwosh.edu
Students of ten spend their first two years at sh kosh completing general education requirements that, according to the niversity’s website, will “prepare them f or the challenges of work, f or engaged citizenship and f or a meaningf ul and satisf ying lif e.” In f ar too many of those classes, students absorb inf ormation simply to regurgitate and f orget it. Traditional lectures, where the instructor stands at the f ront of the room talking while students wor fervent ly to take notes based on an outline that was either provided to them or they’ve cre ated during their reading, are the primary way classes are taught. According to many educational researchers, these one-sided lecture-based classes are largely ineffective and, in most cases, they f ail to inspire any critical thought. A study conducted by Ariona tate niversity hys icist avid estenes found that very few of his students were able to demonstrate a conceptual understanding of basic physics af ter his introductory course. “The classes only seemed to be really working f or about 10 percent of the students,” estenes said. “ nd I main tain I thin all the evidence indicates, that these 10 percent are the students that would learn it even without the instructor. They essentially learn it on their own.” he results rom ted ar vard rofessor ric a ur to completely restructure his classes. Instead of lecturing, he lets students spend class time discussing the assigned readings in small groups. According to the Washington ost a ur’s changes are actually part of a much larger effort to im rove the way large classes are taught by making them more interactive. e said this meth od f orced his students to be active in develo ing their knowledge. “In class, we work on trying to make sense of the inf ormation a ur said. “ ecause if you stop to think about it,
Cartoon by Eric Fennig
that second part is actually the hardest part. And the inf ormation transf er, especially now that we live in an information age, is the easiest part.” enior nglish ma or aley Rohe said she actually pref ers project-based classes because they help students manage their time better. “Instead of cramming the night bef ore an ex am worth ercent of a student’s grade, project-based classes let students learn to manage their time and work on projects over a longer eriod of time, which in my opinion re-
sults in higher grades,” Rohe said. Rohe said standard lectures f ail to equip students with the transf erable skills, like communication, organization, leadership and teamwork, they will need when they graduate. ven though stu dents sometimes pref er those classes because there’s less work, it actually does nothing f or them in the long run. “Projects in class, whether that means essays, presentations, speeches, student-led discussions or group projects, let students learn skills that
can be used in their career,” Rohe said. “C lasses structured around only f our ex ams with no other opportunities to show a student’s rogress or what they learned during that class are really not helpful during a student’s college career.” Educational researcher rian u off said this move away f rom traditional lecture is the first ste in educating students to compete in the global marketplace. “ e can’t do that by ust sort of picking out 10 percent and saying, ‘Oh you guys
are going to be the successful ones ’ u off said. “ e need a much larger swath of that population to be able to think critically and problem solve. The idea of using interactive engagement methods in college classes isn’t new and it’s ossible some sh osh rofessors have al ready incorporated similar ideas into their classes. The problem is, a lot of the time students have to wait until they’re enrolled in smaller ma or s ecific classes to be ex posed to those.
If the niversity wants to “ rovide students with an as sessable, common intellectual ex perience that also embraces the traditional breadth of a liberal arts education to prepare them f or the challenges of work, f or engaged citizenship and f or a meaningf ul and satisf ying lif e” it needs to assess the way classes are structured and taught. Striking the perf ect balance between instructor involvement and student en gagement in the classroom is ossible and that’s what students deserve.
Letter to the Editor L E T T E R
G U I D E L I N E S :
The Advance-Titan welcomes and reads all letters. Timely, well-written, provocative opinions on topics of interest at UW Oshkosh are given first priority. All letters are subject to editing; not all letters can be published. Letters
of length exceeding 300 words may be edited at the discretion of the Advance-Titan staff. Name, position, address and daytime phone are required, even in email submissions (only name, position and city will be published along with the article). The Advance-Titan does not publish
poetry, anonymous or open letters, and letters printed elsewhere. Each writer is generally limited to one published letter to the editor per month. We cannot acknowledge receipt of all submissions. If your letter is chosen for publication, we will attempt to contact you for verification via email or phone.
F o r m o r e in fo r m a tio n , e m a il u s a t a t i t a n @ u w o s h . e d u , c a l l ( 9 20 ) 4 24 3 0 4 8 o r v is it o u r w e b s ite .
C
Advance-Titan
A4
AMPUS ONNECTIONS
Emilie Heidemann - C ampus C onnections Editor Questions? Email: atitan@uwosh.edu
March 10, 2016 — www.advancetitan.com
Winter Fringe exhibits student talent by Kellie Wambold wambok23@uwosh.edu
The UW Oshkosh theater department will ex hibit student talent as it hosts student-directed one act plays in its Winter F ringe F estival on March 10-12. During the year, the department produces several shows directed by theater prof essors but as part of their senior projects, three students have selected plays to direct themselves. “It’s strange being a director,” director Matt Nielsen said. “I’m so used to being on the stage.” Nielsen is directing “A Number on the Roman C alendar” by David Johnston, while director Bradley Skonecki and Andrea Ewald are directing “Graceland” by Ellen Byron and “I Rise in F lame, C ried the Phoenix ” by Tennessee Williams, respectively. “A Number on the Roman C alendar” is a satirical look at the second coming of C hrist. “Graceland” ex plores the relationship two women develop while f ighting to be the f irst one to enter Elvis’s mansion on opening day. “I Rise in F lame, C ried the Phoenix ” is the only drama f or the evening and it deals with a f ictionalized version of the death of author David Lawrence and ex plores man’s f railty. Actor Garret Johnson said the audience should ex pect a wide range of emotions and reactions to the three shows. “The audience is in f or a wild ride and the roller coaster of these shows is something no one wants to miss,” Johnson said. Ewald said this mix of comedy and drama of f ers a variety of characters f or the audience to relate to. “These characters, while being larger than lif e, ex emplif y the f acets of humanity
that we all struggle with everyday,” Ewald said. All three directors are veterans of the UWO stage, appearing in shows such as “C lybourne Park” and “Our Town” and have all taken a step back to look at every element involved with putting a show together. “Directing is looking at the overall picture and taking the whole show on a journey, while acting is more f ocus on your personal character,” Skonecki said. Nielsen said he will apply a lot of what he has done as an actor to the way he directs. “As an actor you’re only responsible f or yourself but as a director you’re responsible f or everyone else,” Nielsen said. “It’s basically doing what you do in your head as an actor but you apply it to everyone else.” Ewald said directing allowed her to take part in every part of the process, including set, costume and sound. “As an actor, you have a very specif ic and intense job,” Ewald said “As a director, your f ocus is a lot more broad, but more creative.” Ewald said when it comes down to it, the director and actors are working with the same material to create a new world. “All we have are the words of the playwright and the vast world of our minds and our ex periences to color the words,” Ewald said. Skonecki said directors and actors take dif f erent journeys, but the f inal destination is the same. “I would say that both the director and actor have a goal to tell a story and bring it to lif e,” Skonecki said. Actress Mary Margaret C lementi said she’s gained a deeper appreciation f or directors af ter watching other students go through the pro-
KATIE HANSON/ADVANCE-TITAN
ABOVE: Garret Johnson and Katie Tessier rehearsed “I Rise in Flame, Cried the Phoenix” for Winter Fringe Tuesday evening. BELOW: Beth Hill and Parker Sweeney rehearsed the student-directed “ A Number on the Roman Calendar” Tuesday evening. cess. “As a director, they’re in charge of molding the play f rom beginning to end,” C lementi said. “It takes a lot of work to mold a masterpiece and I appreciate them more now.” Actor Parker Sweeney said he has enjoyed working with the student directors because of the dif f erent approach they have toward the shows. “I wouldn’t say there’s much of a dif f erence between prof essor and student directors other than it’s def initely a younger way of approaching the show,” Sweeney said. The Winter F ringe F estival runs f rom March 10-12 at 7:30 p.m. at the F redric March Theatre.
Women’s Center shows “The True Cost” of fashion
Dead Horses to release new album
Photo of Dead Horses courtesy of Jennifer Newlin
by Allison Prusha prusha31@uwosh.edu Oshkosh’s own indie-f olk band, Dead Horses, will be releasing their new album, “C artoon Moon,” this May. According to main vocalist and guitarist Sarah Vos, the main vocal tracks on the latest album are all live. “I want to keep making records and playing shows and growing as human beings,” Vos said. “I want to make music that is interesting and that moves people.” The band’s webpage states the album release party will take place on May 6, and will embark on an album release tour which will find them at Meyer Theater in Green Bay, The Majestic in Madison and Turner Hall with Elephant Revival in Milwaukee. The band will be collaborating with Noam Pikelny of the
Punch Brothers who will be playing the banjo. They met producer Ken C oomer in Nashville last May and decided to record the second album together. “It was absolutely incredible working with him on ‘C artoon Moon,’” Vos said. “He helped us create a space where we could craf t the songs and at the same time show ourselves in an authentic way.” Vos said in the past, she didn’t know how to make something with her music, so she enrolled in college with plans to become a teacher, but dropped out. “Looking back on it, I imagine we were all coping with dif f erent things in our lives,” Vos said. “F ocusing on a musical project together was a pursuit that f elt worthy of putting some heart and time into.” Vos said she and f ellow
Dead Horses members, mandolinist Peter Raboin and double-bassist Daniel Wolf f all lend their voices to the songs, but vary in the instruments they play. “Musically, roles shif t all the time depending on who is available to do what,” Vos said. Vos said in 2010, the group began to play on Thursdays at Oshkosh’s Brooklyn Grille. . “They have played at the f armers market, as they are always looking f or f amily-f riendly entertainment, as well as Becket’s Restaurant,” UWO alumna Kristen Kelly said. “I’ve definitely heard about them around town and now I’ve heard them mentioned on the radio.” Vos, Raboin and Wolf f decided to become an official band about five years ago after winning the Greenlake Battle
of the Bands. According to their website, the group draws inspiration f rom Bob Dylan, Simon & Garf unkel, F leetwood Mac, the Punch Brothers and Radiohead. “It’s Americana,” Vos said. “Although, we’ve certainly got some roots in bluegrass and f olk, I think deep down we might want to be a rock-n-roll band.” UWO student Jay Spanbauer said he has known the members f or a while and was exc ited when asked to play with them f or a handf ul of shows. “As someone who has spent the last ten years playing in small bars and clubs throughout the state, it’s a very f un and humbling expe rience playing in beautif ul sold out theaters.” Spanbauer said. “I’m looking f orward to working with them f or as long as they’ll have me.”
by Marcella Brown brownm51@uwosh.edu The True C ost, a provocative documentary about sustainability and the global impact of the clothing industry, was shown by the Women’s C enter on Mar. 9. The f ilm f ocuses on sweatshop workers in Bangladesh and the tragedies they have f aced. Sommer Hodson, interim director of the Women’s C enter, said the issues presented in the f ilm are ones everyone can identif y with. “It’s relevant to everyone and gives everyone the opportunity to consider the previously-unseen impact of the choices they make with regard to clothing,” Hodson said. Hodson said she hopes it will lead to ref lection, and that it will lead viewers to stop and think about what goes into clothing. She said making the right choices might minimize the negative impact associated with some clothing manuf acturers. “Whether we’re talking about the poor working conditions of garment manuf acturers in other countries or the impact on the environment f rom growing the crops used in clothing manuf acturers, the f ilm will raise issues about whether these practices are sustainable,” Hodson said. Morgan Schoen, UWO psychology student, said viewing the f ilm made her see consumer consciousness is important when making everyday purchases.
One of the pervading themes throughout the f ilm is the self ishness of the American people when making consumer decisions. “Not many people think of where these goods come f rom because it’s just not something we necessarily have to worry about,” Schoen said. C ollege of Business prof essor Ivana Milosevic, said she hopes students will grasp the importance of personal responsibility. “Don’t just say that the issue is somewhere out there, but rather what are the things that I can do today and tomorrow to do better,” Milosevic said. Milosevic said it’s important f or people around the world to be educated about sustainable f ashion. “At the end of the day, if you push the notion that companies need to do good because they have the power to do good, you will reach f ew people,” Milosevic said. “If we do a better job educating companies and educating consumers to behave in a more sustainable way to create a better product, you’re going to get f urther.” Milosevic said the f ilm is available f or streaming on Netf lix and recommends anyone who missed the viewing to watch and share it. “We live in an interconnected world, so if you stay in your bubble and close your mind to what is going on around you, ultimately you yourself will suf f er,” Milosevic said.
C
Advance-Titan
A5
AMPUS ONNECTIONS
Emilie Heidemann - C ampus C onnections Editor Questions? Email: atitan@uwosh.edu
March 10, 2016 — www.advancetitan.com
65 Ex am type 66 Some honored Brits: Abbr. 67 Aerosol targets 68 Europe’s highest volcano
Ac r o s s 1 See 44-Across 5 Bremen or Hamburg, locally 10 F ast-f ood order 14 Joie de vivre 15 C ircus Max imus attire 16 Pizza chain started in C hicago, inf ormally 17 Rich and C hris in a capital? 19 Pond denizen 20 Stumped 21 F ragrant hybrid 23 Billy and Minnie on a road?
27 Pub order 30 C ause harm 31 C apt.’s direction 32 F amily member 33 “_ _ Mir Bist Du Schoen”: Andrews Sisters hit 34 C ome out 37 i f ollower 38 Vida and John in a ballpark? 40 i f ollower 41 Nicks on albums 43 1980s-’90s gaming console 44 With 1-Across, wood-
cutter who stole f rom thieves 45 River island 46 “I gotta run! ” 48 Animal in the C hinese zodiac 49 Karen and Adam on a hill? 53 Eellike f ish 54 Brand with classic “beep beep” commercials 58 F orte 59 Eddie and Arsenio in a concert venue? 63 Scams 64 _ _ f irma
D o w n 1 C omposer Bartó k 2 Settled down 3 C ricket equipment 4 Starting stakes 5 Jeanne d’Arc, e.g.: Abbr. 6 C raggy crest 7 Earlier 8 Three-syllable f oot 9 Ex pressed disdain f or 10 Of ten photogenic event 11 A round of 73, usually 12 Use a divining rod 13 F all f lower 18 Acclaim 22 “You _ _ Destiny” 24 To the manor born 25 Dijon deity 26 Property recipient, in law 27 Nile threats 28 Hot stuf f ? 29 Af f ection 34 C ampus breeze 35 It might be a big benef it 36 C ut and paste, say 38 Muzzle wearer, probably 39 Derisive shout 42 One way to get backstage 46 Worked in a salon 47 Art major’s subj. 49 Rattling sound 50 Golden calf maker, in Ex odus 51 “Peachy-keen! ” 52 Second-deepest U.S. lake 55 Trading center 56 F eud f action 57 C lay crock 60 Good bud 61 Guess wrong 62 Dorm deputies: Abbr.
Answers to last week’s puzzles
A6
SPORTS
Advance-Titan
Austin Walther - Sports Editor Questions? Email: atitan@uwosh.edu
March 10, 2016 — www.advancetitan.com
Men’s volleyball sweeps Warhawks, Pioneers by Brady Van Deurzen vandeb30@uwosh.edu The UW Oshkosh men’s volleyball team remains undef eated in conf erence, as it beat UW-Whitewater and UW-Platteville. The Titans remained atop the Wisconsin Volleyball C onf erence March 5 when it swept f ourth-place Platteville with set scores of 2516, 25-10 and 25-13. With the victory against Platteville, the Titans ex tended its set record to 33-1 in the conf erence with a perf ect 11-0 match record. The second win of the week versus Platteville was f ueled behind senior middle-blocker Tyler Range, who generated a .900 hitting average, recorded nine kills on 10 attempts and added f ive blocks in the match. Range said although he and his team perf ormed very well against Platteville, there was still a sense of uncertainty. “I f eel like our team chemistry was put to the test, and we proved to ourselves that there was nothing to worry about,” Range said. “We’re not going to win every single time, and we know that, so we just had to settle in a bit.” Junior right-side hitter Allen Grunert recorded seven kills and f our blocks f rom the right side. However, he believes there are still things he needs to get better at. “As an individual I think that I played O.K.,” Grunert said. “There is so much room f or improvement bef ore we
get to nationals, and it’s one step at a time.” Af ter Grunert’s contributions and the Titans’ win, Grunert said he was impressed by the competition they were able to f ace. “Every chance we get to play can be used as a growing ex perience,” Grunert said. “It is nice getting new competition in the gym and trying out f ree ball plays, reading hitters or hitting dif f erent shots. Every game we play is another step closer to nationals, and we can always be working on something.” Senior lef t-side hitter Alec Redlich and f reshman middle back Eaven Mason also made contributions in the Platteville game. Redlich provided seven kills and two service aces, and Mason totaled f ive kills and f our blocks. In all, the Titans recorded 38 kills, 11 service aces, 24 digs and 19 blocks. Oshkosh also beat UW-Whitewater 25-18, 2514 and 25-17 on March 2. Grunert and Range were contributors in the Titans win over Whitewater as well, with Grunert totaling nine kills on 12 attempts and Range recording two service aces and three blocks. C oach Brian Schaef er said both Range’s and Grunert’s perf ormances were keys to their victories. “Our f ocus is using dif f erent people now,” Schaef er said. “Allen Grunert and Tyler Range need to be our of f ensive leaders.” According to Schaef er, injuries to others players are
causing people like Grunert and Range to step up more than last year. Senior setter Travis Hudson totaled 28 assists and seven kills in the game, however, he believes his success all started with his teammates.
“I just know if the ball is in the right place my hitters can put it away,” Hudson said. “Our passing was good which made it easier f or me to set the ball. My job is to allow them to have a chance to get a kill, I did my part and they did theirs.”
The Titans f inished the match with 38 kills, 9.5 blocks and 25 digs. According to Range, Oshkosh ended its week very successf ully against two very good conf erence rivals. “Both Whitewater and Platteville are good teams
and every match that we play is always geared towards f ine-tuning our mechanics to get ready f or nationals,” Range said. “But playing a conf erence rival is always good way to keep us on our toes and play together as a team.”
most every season is ex actly the same, and this year, they f inally got a chance to do it. “Since I stepped f oot on campus in f all of 2013, the goal of our team has always been to compete f or a National C hampionship,” Dwyer said. Dwyer, who tallied six points against the Bluejays, said F riday’s game was an indicator that UWO is good enough to compete at the level necessary to win a national championship. However, his team was not able to pull out a win against Elmhurst, who won a game in last year’s NC AA tournament. “We knew they were a very solid, veteran team,” Dwyer said. “They have nine seniors who have a lot of ex perience and they have played in many big games in their careers. In practice, we went over all of their set plays, but like all year, we f ocused on playing our game.”
Senior guard Alex Olson was f irst to put the Titans on the board when he made a 3-pointer with 17:42 to go in the f irst half of play. The score remained 3-3 until Elmhurst’s Bryant Ackerman made another 3-pointer f or the Bluejays with 17:08 lef t until half time. Noone made a layup, which gave UWO its f irst lead of the game, at the 12:05 minute mark. F or the remaining 12:05 of the f irst half , there were f our lead-changes and f our ties. The Titans and the Bluejays went into half time with 29 points apiece. Elmhurst’s Erik C rittenden went in f or a layup 50 seconds into the second half that put Elmhurst on top 31-29. Olson responded 59 seconds later with two points. Olson led the Titans with 14 points, six rebounds and f ive assists in F riday’s game. According to Head C oach Pat Juckem, Olson’s legacy and his commitment to bas-
ketball will remain with the team and the school in the years to come. “Alex really has grown with the program,” Juckem said. “His role shif ted this year. A year ago we really relied on him to score and we really leaned on him heavily. We had a sense going into this season that we could be more balanced and more ef f icient and we challenged him to maybe not shoot as much. Knowing Alex , he took as much pleasure in setting up his teammates as he did taking shots himself . He is just a really quality team player and a ‘teamf irst’ guy.” With 9:51 to go, a layup by Ackerman put the Bluejays up 49-40. The Titans then scored 15 points in 5 minutes and 14 seconds. With 4:37 lef t, Noone scored a 3-pointer to pull UWO within two. UWO was able to stay within seven until Elmhurst’s Eric Leonard sank two f ree throws to make the score
57-66 with 1:08 to go. F reshman guard Brett Wittchow said the Titans f ocused on box ing out and f inishing plays during practice bef ore F riday’s game, as they knew Elmhurst had physical players who were going to try and draw f ouls. “Probably the most important thing that I can take away f rom F riday’s game was how important getting to the f reethrow line is,” Wittchow said. “We ended the game f our of six f rom the line, and they ended 34 of 40 f rom the line. That was the game right there.” F reshman guard Ben Boots missed a 3-pointer and Peyton Wyatt made a def ensive rebound f or the Bluejays to close out the game. The Titans ended the game shooting 25 of 62 f rom the f ield and nine of 38 f rom the 3-point range. 23 of their 63 points came f rom the bench. Juckem stated that his team needs a f ew weeks
to regroup, regenerate and ref lect on the season as a whole. However, they are proud of what they accomplished this year and are looking f orward f or what is to come. “I use the ex pression with my guys, ‘You never arrive, you are always becoming. There’s always something more,’” Juckem said. “I think the ex perience our guys had leaves them very hungry. Juckem also added that if his team wants to be successf ul again nex t season, it would take just as much ef f ort as it did this year. “I think they got a taste f or how great the ex perience is and, as a basketball player, being able to participate in true March Madness and play in the big tournament, is a pinnacle ex perience,” Juckem said. “And I know the returning guys are motivated to not only get back, but to hopef ully advance and go f arther than they did this year.”
KEL ST. JOHN / ADVANCE-TITAN
UWO’s No. 11 Allen Grunert and No. 13 Tyler Range go up for a block against UW--Platteville on March 5. The Titans beat UWP at home.
Men’s basketball falls in first round of tournament by Morgan Van Lanen vanlam57@uwosh.edu
Sophomore guard C harlie Noone scored 12 points, had f our rebounds and made two assists as UW Oshkosh f ell to Elmhurst C ollege ( Ill.) 63-73 on March 4 in the f irst round of the Division III NC AA Tournament. According to Noone, the team is disappointed about getting beat, but he and his teammates are already looking f orward to nex t season. “F riday’s game was tough,” Noone said. “It was hard to lose on that stage. I think one thing all of us younger guys need to take away is that we are a couple plays away f rom advancing, and we have the guys coming back to do just that.” This was the Titans’ six th overall appearance in the tournament and f irst since 2003. Junior f orward Sean Dwyer said the thing his team wants to accomplish
SPORTS
A7
Advance-Titan
Morgan Van Lanen - Assistant Sports Editor Questions? Email: atitan@uwosh.edu
March 10, 2016 — www.advancetitan.com
Wo en’s basketball finishes season by Michael Johrendt johrem64@uwosh.edu
The UW Oshkosh women’s basketball team’s NC AA Division III tournament run came to an end in the second round af ter f alling at home to Wartburg C ollege ( IA) 66-56 on March 5. The Titans jumped out to a f irst quarter lead on Saturday night, but were not able to hold on f or the rest of the game. They shot 34 percent f rom the f ield and got the advantage in assists with ten. Regardless of the outcome, sophomore Eliza C ampbell said this season still presented the team with a sense of achievement. “Reaching the NC AA tournament is a big accomplishment,” C ampbell said. “We didn’t get our result we hoped f or, but we had a great year and we have a lot to be proud of .” C ampbell led the team with 14 points, along with three rebounds and one 3-pointer. Junior guard Taylor Schmidt stuf f ed the stat sheet by tallying 11 points, one rebound, one steal and three assists. 16 of Oshkosh’s 56 points came f rom the bench. Junior guard Morgan Kokta led the bench with eight points. F reshman f orward Isabella Samuels and sophomore guard Kendell Truttman had three apiece and CRYSTAL KNUTH/ADVANCE-TITAN junior f orward Madeline StaAbove: Sophomore guard Kendell Truttman dribbles past a UW-Superior player. The Titans beat the Yellowjackets 63-53 on Friday, March 4. ples had two points and three rebounds. Right: Junior guard No. 23 Morgan Kokta takes the ball down the court while sophomore forward No. 24 Eliza Campbell trails behind her. Sophomore guard Emma Melotik said being in the Oshkosh f aced of f against nex t year.” The Titans f inished their NC AA f or three straight an old conf erence f oe in season with an overall record UW-Superior. This game years puts her team on the produced three double-dig- of 23-6 and 11-3 in conf ermap. “Making the tournament it scorers f or the Titans, as ence play. Their 41.5 percent three years in a row def inite- C ampbell, Neustif ter and ju- shooting clip and 65 percent nior f orward f ree throw percentage both ly gives Alex Rich- contributed to their entry into all of us Making it to the NC AA tourna- ard com- the tournament. returners ment f or three years in a row puts bined f or 33 Oshkosh had the best deperspeca target on our backs again. We points. f ense in the WIAC , holding tive on can use this as motivation The Titans opponents to an average of how hard to hopef ully get f urther nex t held the lead 51.1 points per game. They we have year. f or the f i- also had the biggest scoring to work,” nal 25 min- margin of positive 13.2 and Melotik — Eliza Campbell utes of the a three point percentage at said. “Our UWO women’s basketball player game due 34.8 percent. seniors, Schmidt, who f inished to stif ling Ashley with the eleventh highest def ense and Neutsif ter and Marissa Selner, helped build Oshkosh a balanced scoring attack as points per game average in women’s basketball into a nine Titans scored. 15 points the conf erence with 11, said even though she is disapprogram that is ex pected to came f rom the bench. Richard led both teams pointed that her team lost make it f ar each year.” In the two seniors’ last in rebounds with nine and sooner than ex pected, she is game as a Titan, Neustif ter Schmidt had f ive assists to still proud of how hard evhad f our points with a team- pace the game. As a team, eryone worked all year. “I would say we could high seven rebounds, as Oshkosh shot 42 percent well as two assists and three while having f ewer turn- take a lot f rom this season,” steals. Selner had f ive points overs, assists, rebounds and Schmidt said. “We beat evand f ive rebounds along with points of f turnovers than Su- eryone in our conf erence at their place including winning perior. a block. a conf erence tournament C ampbell said this seaMelotik said the seniors championship f or the third son’s results can be used as have made an impact that a driving f actor in preparing year straight. This shows will carry into nex t season. how tough of a team we were “Us returners now know f or nex t season. “Making it to the NC AA considering our conf erence what is ex pected of us and how hard we have to work in tournament f or three years is one of the best. There was order to continue the legacy in a row puts a target on our never a day we could show that those two lef t,” Melotik backs again,” C ampbell said. up to the gym and ex pect to “We can use this as motiva- win. We had to work f or evsaid. In the f irst round contest, tion to hopef ully get f urther erything we earned.”
“
”
A8
SPORTS
Advance-Titan
Austin Walther - Sports Editor Questions? Email: atitan@uwosh.edu
March 10, 2016— www.advancetitan.com
Gymnastics live streams meets by Erik Buchinger buchie90@uwosh.edu
The UW Oshkosh women’s gymnastics team has been using the live-streaming app Periscope to broadcast its events this season. UWO head coach Lauren Karnitz said the idea was to increase the f ollowing of the Oshkosh gymnastics team. “What we want to do is we want to promote our sport,” Karnitz said. “We want people to take an interest, and what I’ve noticed is that when you give people access to watch gymnastics, then they know about it, and we tend to get people to come.” Periscope was f ounded in F ebruary 2014 and was purchased in January 2015 by Twitter, where f reshman gymnast Alex a Swenn’s stepmother works. “She encourages us in making sure we’re keeping up with our Twitter account and making sure we’re posting on Periscope since it is an affiliate of witter Karnitz said. Karnitz said she has not seen any other teams utilize Periscope to show events. The idea to broadcast was brought up by senior gymnast Barbara Bass last spring, and all nine of the team’s events this season have been streamed on Periscope. “People can pull it up on an iPad or an iPhone and put it on their TV screen if they have Apple TV,” Karnitz said. “We always make sure we broadcast how it would look on a TV, so we broadcast putting the iPad horizontally on the tripod.” According to Karnitz, the streams average about 200 viewers, mostly athletes’ f amilies and f riends, alumni and f ans of the team. “The main reason we use Periscope, and why it’s so important f or us, is because our alumni base and the f amilies of the current athletes are f rom all over the country,” Karnitz said. The current roster shows that
16 of 20 gymnasts are not f rom Wisconsin, and the team has athletes f rom Illinois, Missouri, South C arolina, North C arolina, North Dakota, and Georgia as well as Wisconsin. “The f amilies of our athletes love that they get to see them all the time,” Karnitz said. “You go f rom high school when your parents are at almost every event. Then you go to college and it’s hard f or them to get to everything. They really enjoy that we’re doing this, and they appreciate it.” According to senior Krystal Walker, her f amily and f riends have tuned in to Periscope to watch her perf orm this season. Walker said she thinks more teams will be using Periscope in the f uture. “This is going to start becoming a thing f or Periscope because not a lot of Division III schools get their meets or sports streamed through the school live online,” Walker said. “I think this is a way f or people to view it, so I think it’s going to be a big hit.” Walker’s mother, Mary Brown-Walker, lives in C hicago and attended all three home events in Oshkosh this season as well as the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic C onf erence C hampionship in La C rosse on March 4. Brown-Walker was introduced to Periscope and watched the other five events using the app on her iPhone. “I’m a parent that previously went to all of Krystal’s competitions when she was home,” Brown-Walker said. “I try not to miss any of the competitions in Oshkosh, but when she travels f urther distances and out of state it’s very beneficial for me to be able to still see what she does and how well she perf orms.” In prior seasons, Brown-Walker said she did not have live access to her daughter’s competitions. “The sad part about it was that I had to wait f or the meet
Vault Krystal Walker 9.575 at WIAC Championship
Kimberly Robertson 9.550 at UW-Whitewater
ALLISON TETRICK/ADVANCE-TITAN
A UWO gymnast performs a routine on the balance beam. The Titans use Periscope for fans to watch them at meets. to be over and hope everything went well,” Brown-Walker said. “Then she would call me right af terwards and let me know how she and the team had done.” In addition to live-streaming the entire competition, when some of the gymnasts are not competing at the time, they interact with f ans on Periscope answering questions and providing updates on the current scores. “It is interactive in a sense that you see what other people say and can choose to respond or not,” Brown-Walker said. “I think it is a great way to f eel like you are present even though
you’re not.” On Jan. 23, Brown-Walker and f amily traveled to Mississippi to watch her nephew Deontre Brown, who is a senior point guard on the University of West Georgia basketball team, at the same time Walker was perf orming at the UW-Whitewater Quadrangular.” As a f amily, we want to support both of them,” Brown-Walker said. “One weekend, I traveled to visit [Brown] and see him play in person. I was in the bleachers and also watching Krystal, so we as a f amily were watching both competitions at the same
time. Brown-Walker recalled a moment during the game when she was in the bleachers of Walter Sillers C oliseum in C leveland, Miss. while watching Walker perf orm on Periscope. “I remember screaming out during the game because Krystal f ell on bars,” Brown-Walker said. Walker said she is happy that her f amily was able to see each of her competitions during her senior season. “It’s awesome that both my parents were able to watch because it’s my last year and everything,” Walker said. “It just
2016 gymnastics statistics leaders
made it that much better that they were able to see them all.” sh osh finished fourth in the WIAC C hampionship as a team and Walker recorded season bests in four of the five indi vidual categories. Walker will represent Oshkosh at the National C ollegiate Gymnastics Association C hampionship f or the second straight year in Brockport, New York on March 18-19. “I’m actually going to be there,” Brown-Walker said. “I’m going to New York, but I do have f amily that will not be there who will be watching back home.”
Bars
Beam
Floor
Krystal Walker
Dana LoCascio
Krystal Walker
9.550 at WIAC Championship
9.775 at UWW Quad.
9.750 at WIAC Champ.
38.425 at WIAC Champ.
Bailey Finin
Kylie Fischer
Kasandra Stamopoulos 9.425 vs. UW-Eau Claire
Kasandra Stamopoulos 9.600 at UW-Whitewater
All-Around
Krystal Walker
9.575 at Air Force Academy 36.950 at WIAC Champ.