THE BG NEWS
O say can you sing?
More than 25 students auditioned to sing the national anthem for sporting events. Learn more about the process on Page 6
ESTABLISHED 1920 | An independent student press serving the campus and surrounding community
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
VOLUME 92, ISSUE 9
WWW.BGNEWS.COM
Students can create, join groups Social media See CLUBS | Page 2
Squeals, smells fuel complaints for more than a decade By Alissa Widman Senior Reporter
Browsing Internet reviews of The Enclave apartments this summer made German exchange student Yannick Kluch second-guess a decision that once seemed like a no-brainer from across the globe. The graduate student committed early to living in the apartments this fall, attracted by alluring amenities and an
affordable price touted on The Enclave’s website. Reviews from its westernmost tenants, however, painted a grimmer, grimy picture: shrill squeals, foul smells and bloody entrails visible from a neighboring pig slaughterhouse. “I was scared,” Kluch said. “They made it seem like you see the pigs walk in on
See SQUEALS | Page 2
Pioneer Packing Company The Enclave Falcon’s Pointe Railroad XXXXXXXXXXXXX Fence
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*Map may not be to scale
CITY
BRIEF
Black Swamp Arts Festival prompts road closures City officials will impose parking restrictions and road closures downtown starting Friday. The restrictions and closures will accommodate the 20th Black Swamp Arts Festival taking place Friday through Sunday. The city will begin closing and clearing main street at 4 a.m. Friday, said John Fawcett, municipal administrator. The city closes roads and lots so early to clear remaining cars, clean and escort artists into the area, Fawcett said.
ALWAYS A TENNIS PLAYER Nikki Chiricosta has played tennis her entire life and is now going into her junior year on the Falcon’s team. | PAGE 6
information analyzed
Big Data Day to take place at Wolfe Center on Friday By Danae King Campus Editor
KLOTZ ROAD
EAST NAPOLEON ROAD
be about or do, said Lacey Squier, graduate assistant for student organization services.
HIGH STREET
Tenants troubled by proximity to pig packing company
Mike Freyaldenhoven | Assistant Dean
Organizations can focus on different topics, majors or even novels, Squier said. “Even though we have so many organizations, I think there’s still a lot that can be created,” Miller said. “There are a lot of things that can be new to people.”
ELM STREET
On a campus with more than 300 student organizations, creating one that is unique may seem difficult, but new ones are created every year. Chelsey Miller created a new organization this year, and it wasn’t hard for her to find some-
“Together they have more power than they do individually...”
thing to start a club about. She began the Deaf Culture Club to fulfill a need on campus. “Last year when I was a freshman I was trying to find an organization for American Sign Language or deaf culture,” Miller, a sophomore, said. “I realized we didn’t have any on campus.” There are many possibilities for what a campus organization could
MANVILLE AVENUE
By Danae King Campus Editor
When students send tweets, update Facebook statuses or search something on Google, someone may be studying their habits. There is a new emphasis on data-driven research nationa lly a nd at t he Universit y. Data-driven resea rch is t he study of “big data” or enormous amounts of data, which are being produced daily. An example of this data is realtime data being produced by social media sites. This research will be explained and emphasized during Big Data Day, an event which will be hosted Friday from 1 to 5:30 p.m. in the Donnell Theatre in the Wolfe Center. The event will feature eight speakers, said Michael Ogawa, vice president of research and economic development at the University. “These people are here to inform the faculty and the graduate students what possibilities data research can have in their work,” Ogawa said. “Things are getting so digital now that a lot of different kinds of data are being produced.” The data produced includes information from social media sites, online shopping websites and cellphones, he said. Through the study of big data, students will realize it is relatable to some surprising subjects, said Craig Zirbel, University professor of math and statistics who will speak at the event. “[There are] areas where people never thought computers would be highly relevant, but all of a sudden they are highly relevant,” Zirbel said. Not only does big data allow for the study of different things, but it can also be a source of jobs for students, Ogawa said. “There has been a shortfall in talent with deep analytic skills,” Ogawa said. “Because [big data is] exploding, because it’s just so brand new, there are very few people who are trained to use this in the business world.” The Un iversit y wa nts to change that. “I think we’re going to be offering new types of courses,” Ogawa said. “[Maybe a] new master’s program in analytics.” Zirbel said he sees faculty members helping students gain skills with data of all sizes and types.
See DATA | Page 2
John Fawcett
Municipal Administrator No through traffic will be permitted on Main Street, except for the intersection of Main Street and Wooster Street. Detour routes will be posted to redirect traffic, according to a press release from the city. Along with Main Street and areas of on-street parking, City Lot 2 will also be closed for the festival, according to the press release. All roads, lots and parking spots will reopen Sunday evening.
CAMPUS BRIEF
Enrollment down by 1.5 percent The University released its 15-day head count of students for fall semester Tuesday. This fall, 19,697 students total are enrolled in classes at the University. This is down 1.5 percent from last year’s 19,994 students. Overall, the number leaves the University’s fall-to-fall retention at about 72 percent, said Joe Frizado, vice president of Academic Operations and Assessment.
SWING, SWING Columnist Emily Gordon explains why Ohio is a swing state and why it will recieve a little special attention this election season. | PAGE 3
The ideal level of retention would be in the “high 70s,” Frizado said. The last time the University reached such a retention level was around 2006 when retention was at 76 percent, said Gary Swegan, assistant vice president and director of enrollment. The drop comes as “no surprise,” said Alberto Colom, vice president for Enrollment Management. The effects of the economy and the decision to reenforce the University’s payment policy are the likely reasons for the drop, Colom said. About 60 percent of the students who were originally dropped from classes this semester because of an unpaid bursar balance have now re-enrolled, said University spokesperson Dave Kielmeyer.
WHAT ORGANIZATION DO WE NEED ON CAMPUS? “Alcoholics Anonymous.” Emilie Watson Freshman, Business Management