THE BG NEWS Thursday
USG president: Campus safety is No. 1 priority
October 25, 2007 Volume 102, Issue 47
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CAMPUS
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Students at risk for dangerous staph infections The infection can be spread in a variety of ways, including contact with open wounds | Page 3
State bill creates stricter penalties for cocaine use The Senate unanimously passed a bill that will make penalties the same for powder cocaine and crack | Page 12
FORUM
Colbert shouldn’t be supported Columnist Marisha Pietrowski explains the person you see on TV is just a character, not the real candidate | Page 4
ENVIRONMENT
By Kristen Vasas Reporter
Undergraduate Student Government President Johnnie L. Lewis stressed the idea that “silence is compliance” at last night’s State of the Student Body Address in the Union. After being introduced by Vice President Nick Gamero, Lewis focused on USG’s top five issues for this year. “Campus safety is our number one priority,” Lewis said. “It originated first through the Virginia Tech tragedy, but our concern has only escalated due to the violence on campus.” Lewis said the Information Technology System has been working on creating a cell phone system,
which would alert students when a crisis arises on campus. He also stressed the importance of making sure friends are accounted for at all times. “Don’t let friends walk alone, especially at night,” he said. “People need to realize that the crimes have not increased, but the violence of the crimes has.” Sophomore Kari Crenshaw was pleased to hear campus safety was an issue USG would be working on. “I think Johnnie did a really good job covering the campus safety thing,” she said. “It affects everyone all the time, so it’s definitely something that needs to be discussed.” Second on Lewis’ list was the concern over the tuition hold. “We will see no increase in
Men’s soccer wins 2-1 at home over Detroit Mercy In their first win in a month, the Falcons won their last nonconference game | Page 7
U.S. children born to unwed mothers: 38 percent
Men in the U.S. are waiting until age 27 to get married; women, 25
Volleyball keeps it up in Anderson In a tough four-game battle against the Miami Redhawks, the team managed to remain undefeated at home | Page 7
See USG | Page 2
ENOCH WU | THE BG NEWS
ADDRESS: USG President Johnnie L. Lewis speaks in Union about this year’s goals.
By Gina Potthoff Reporter
White House denies ‘watering down’ report Key portions of a hearing on environmental impact were allegedly edited out by White House officials | Page 11
tuition this year which is great, but that also poses a problem down the road,” he said. “Because of the situation surrounding the tuition hold, some University programs might get cut or lose their funding.” USG plans to look at and assess the issue even though the University may not see the effects for nearly two or three years. Along with the tuition hold, USG also plans on revising the academic honesty policy. “The policy is too lengthy and confusing right now,” Lewis said. “We want to simplify it and make it clearer to students.” The issue arose when the student government discovered mis-
Univ. commits to marriage research
Your part-time job doesn’t have to be so bad From his experience as a part-time toothbrush, columnist Grant Pardee explains that your job is only as enjoyable as you make it | Page 4
SPORTS
ESTABLISHED 1920 A daily independent student press serving the campus and surrounding community
About half of all first marriages are expected to end in divorce.
Men in the U.S. are waiting until age 27 to get married, and women are waiting until they’re 25. This is just one of the many issues the University’s new National Center for Marriage Research will be tackling over the next five years. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was so interested in the causes and consequences of this and other current marriage issues that it offered researchers across the nation a chance to earn a $4.35 million grant to create the nation’s one and only national marriage research center. Univ. professor Wendy Manning and associate professor Susan Brown, co-directors of the new center, heard about the grant on July 3 of this year and turned in their 100-page proposal less than a month later. The national center puts BGSU’s program at a high level of visibility, which can attract attention from scholars, researchers and students, said Gary Lee, chair of the sociology department. Since the new research center will need $5.52 million in total funding, the University will make up the difference with donations from the sociology department, graduate college and the College of Arts and Sciences. “This is a really terrific accomplishment for both Susan Brown and Wendy Manning, but also for the University and the region,” said Heinz Bulmahn, dean of the graduate college and vice provost for research. Manning and Brown, both accomplished researchers in the sociology field, collaborated on the proposal, which aims to address six main questions that deal with marriage and family issues across generations in the U.S. “The million-dollar question is whether marriage is the cause or consequence of well-being,” Brown said. Well-being can be affected by economics, physical health and mental health, but they’re trying to see where heterosexual marriage fits in the equation. Families are more complicated, Manning said. The percentage of U.S. children born to unwed mothers is at 38 percent, compared to 5 percent in 1960, which shows the difference between the changing generations, Brown said. We need to research these issues
See MARRIAGE | Page 2
WEATHER
PEOPLE ON THE STREET
ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHRIS WEST | THE BG NEWS
Are you an organ donor? Why or why not?
Biographical writer shares life stories Author of “The Glass Castle,” Jeannette Walls, inspires local community By Kelly Metz Reporter
JOSIE HUG Freshman Psychology
“Yes, because I am not going to need them.” | Page 4
TODAY Windy High: 59, Low: 50
TOMORROW Showers High: 62, Low: 51
Despite all Jeannette Walls has been through, she is still able to laugh at her life. The Lenhart Grand Ballroom was filled with laughter, silence and other mixed emotions as Jeannette Walls, author of “The Glass Castle,” came yesterday to share her story with staff, faculty, community members and students. “The Glass Castle,” the common reading book and the community read for the city of Bowling Green this year, was chosen for being provocative and engaging and a book everyone can relate to, literature professor Brett Holden said. “This book is a wonderful example of a person who thrived under what most people consider impossible obstacles,” he said. The memoir, about the life of young Jeannette Walls and her
CHRISTINA MCGINNIS | THE BG NEWS
AUDIENCE INTERACTION: Jeannette Walls signs books after her speech.
family living in poverty-stricken environments from Arizona to West Virginia, has received varied comments from readers. These comments have dealt with the unique selfishness of her eccentric mother to the trying times of love and understanding from an alcoholic father. Although this book might have been hard for readers, the pain and struggles were noth-
ing compared to what Walls felt while writing. Her mother encouraged her to be truthful, yet Walls still felt her world would come crashing down once people knew the reality of her homeless and poor background. “Once people knew the truth,
See WALLS | Page 2
Organ donation myths dispelled By Kate Snyder Reporter
There are many myths surrounding organ donation. Some people fear doctors will see them only for their organs, others think it goes against religious values. But one group on campus is looking to dispel these rumors. The on-campus organization Students for Organ Donation is less about recruitment and more about education. “It’s mostly a communication type of process,” said Lee Meserve, the adviser for the program. The group meets once a month on Wednesdays. One of the activities members do is write cards for children waiting for organs. They have also done fundraisers at football games in concessions. Funds go to the national Organ Procurement meeting in Detroit. “Our purpose is to educate people about organ donation, there are a lot of myths,” said Vice President Elyssa Northey. One of the most common
“Our purpose is to educate people about organ donation.” Elyssa Northey | Vice President myths is that if an organ donor is in an accident, the doctor won’t try as hard to save them. Another myth is that most religions forbid organ donation. According to Meserve only a handful of religions absolutely don’t allow for donations, and they are very obscure. Megan Greenwald, the president of the group, also said there are those who think they would be unable to have an open-casket funeral if they donate organs. That is also not true. Along with these myths, Meserve said one of the biggest reasons why people don’t donate
See ORGANS | Page 10
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