2007-08-22

Page 1

THE BG NEWS

ESTABLISHED 1920 A daily independent student press serving the campus and surrounding community

Wednesday August 22, 2007 Volume 102, Issue 4 WWW.BGNEWS.COM

CAMPUS

Bringing aid to undecided students The University offers courses to help students identify majors | Page 3

Free music downloads for USC students

Commuter conundrum

JORDAN FLOWER | THE BG NEWS

NOT NEWS

NATION/WORLD

USC joins 119 other colleges in an agreement allowing free music | Page 3

Students living off campus struggle with parking problems, less social time outside of class

Deadly flash floods strike Midwest

By Samantha Johnstone Reporter

Storm systems caused millions of dollars in damages and raised the death toll to 22 yesterday | Page 5

Facebook etiquette is important Facebook enthusiast warns newcomers of the addictions of online social networking | Page 4

FORUM

Drinking age set too low

Many alcohol-related consequences could be avoided on campus if the drinking age was increased to 25, writes columnist Jason Snead | Page 6

Tight end plays defensive role

WEATHER

PEOPLE ON THE STREET

SPORTS

Sean O’Drobinak adjusts to the defensive side of the ball | Page 7

Women’s volleyball season preview Falcons try to continue last season’s success with core players returning | Page 7

What do you think of the University now selling Coke instead of Pepsi products?

STEFAN STOLARCHUK Senior, Music Performance

“I think Coke’s waaay better than Pepsi.” | Page 4

TODAY Isolated Storms High: 87, Low: 68

TOMORROW Isolated Storms High: 89, Low: 72

commuters often deal with the hassles of park- sure I had a place to park,” she said. ing and keeping up with campus life. Abbey Nichols, a junior, also experienced Danni Boyd, a senior, experienced the chal- parking problems when she commuted to While living off campus may free students of lenges of commuting from Toledo during her campus before living in a dorm room. dormitory boundaries, commuting to cam- freshman year. “Commuter parking was a mess, especialpus has burdens of its own. “Planning my time ahead was hard, especial- ly last year,” Nichols said. “If you didn’t get Students often choose to live at home in ly in the winter time. I had to leave 30 to 40 order to work or save money. But, in return, minutes early to beat the traffic and make See COMMUTE | Page 2

Ohio campuses unite for security By Freddy Hunt Assistant City Editor

Virginia Tech tragedy and to divide into four focused work groups. The second time was The Ohio Board of Regents Task in August to take immediForce convened for the final ate actions toward improvtime yesterday via video tele- ing campus safety before the conference to discuss ways to 2007-08 school year began. improve and maintain stateAlthough immediate action wide campus safety. has been taken to improve The task force has met campus safety, the process twice before. The first time, should be never-ending and in April, was to address the always progressing, said Eric

Fingerhut, chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents Task Force on Campus Safety, during yesterday’s teleconference. By providing better mental health services for students and developing a method of tracking students who display disturbing behavior, future incidents will be less likely,

See SECURITY | Page 2

Task Force on Campus Security’s future plans

Mental Health: -Making it known to students that services are available -Keeping track of students and faculty with histories of violence. Communication: -Implicating emergency text messaging system. -Develop a communications strike force composed of professionals in the community.

Training: -University and law enforcement officials statewide will conduct a series of simulated emergency situations. Funding: -Take steps to utilize Homeland Security grant funds for campus security. -Budgeting to reduce costs while still providing adequate security.

Officials concerned with unhealthy drinks By Stephen Singer The Associated Press

HARTFORD, Conn. — Attorneys general are asking federal regulators to crack down on the makers of energy drinks containing alcohol and caffeine, accusing them of misleading advertising for a product that can pose serious health and safety risks. In a recent letter to John Manfreda, the administrator of the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, attorneys general from 28 states, Guam and the District of Columbia warn that aggressive marketing of alcoholic energy drinks targets young people who are buying energy drinks without alcohol. Ohio is among the states urging federal regulators to take action. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said yesterday that beverage companies are making outlandish and outrageous health-related claims about the drinks. “Combining alcohol with caffeine hardly seems healthy — and that false claim is what we seek to halt,” Blumenthal said. “Nonalcoholic energy drinks are very popular with today’s youth,” Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers said. “Beverage companies are unconscionably appealing to young drinkers with claims about the stimulating properties of alcoholic energy drinks.” The attorneys general singled out three manufacturers: SABMiller PLC’s Miller Brewing Co. for Sparks and Sparks Plus; Anheuser-Busch Cos. for Bud Extra; and Charge Beverages of Portland, Ore., for its Liquid Charge and Liquid Core drinks. Blumenthal said some ads contain misleading healthrelated claims regarding the products’ effects. For example, he said Sparks and Sparks Plus advertises

“This product is simply malt beverage that contains caffeine ...”

Francine Katz | Anheuser-Busch VP canned drinks and the cases in which they are packaged to look like batteries to imply they are energy drinks. The slogan is “Powered by Sparks,” he said. Julian Green, a spokesman for Miller Brewing, said Sparks was created only for customers who are of legal drinking age. “There is no non-alcoholic version of Sparks. We work closely with the Trade and Tax Bureau to ensure that all of our products meet federal regulatory requirements,” he said. Anheuser-Busch vice president Francine Katz said the federal government approved the Bud

See DRINKS | Page 2

LAUREN SHINDOLLAR | THE BG NEWS

TAKING A CHANCE: Students gather around the poker tables to try their luck at Casino Night in the Student Union.

Floods shut down portion of I-75 By John Seewer The Associated Press

northern Ohio. Tim Pontius of Toledo was CAREY, Ohio —Dozens of searching for side roads yesroads were closed, emergency terday afternoon after he ran workers rescued residents into a road closure on northfrom homes and school dis- bound state Route 15 south of tricts canceled classes yester- Findlay. “They’re being a little bit day as several inches of rain flooded roads and sent riv- vague about rerouting people,” erbanks surging throughout said Pontius, who was head-

ing home from Columbus. “This is really a mess.” In northwest Ohio near Bluffton, both directions of I-75, one of the nation’s main north-south thoroughfares, were closed from early yesterday morning until about 6 p.m., said Scott Varner

See FLOOD | Page 9

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2007-08-22 by BG Falcon Media - Issuu