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THE BG NEWS December 15, 2009 Volume 104, Issue 76 WWW.BGVIEWS.COM
CAMPUS
Under the lens Check out the campus page for photos of the final critique of art students’ semester projects | Page 3
FORUM
Declare the holidays religion-free Columnist Kyle Schmidlin takes offense with the right-wing idea of the “War on Christmas,” writing that the holidays already lack religion | Page 4
ODD NEWS
Nature preps for holidays A deer in Colorado was seen running around with a length of Christmas lights tangled around its antlers and refuses to let them be taken off | Page 8
NATION
Democrats deal with disputes Trying to pass a health care bill by Christmas, senators cope with infighting and last minute compromises on the latest bill | Page 5
Trying to make the shot
SPORTS
The Falcon basketball team has been struggling to make free throws through the first eight games of the season | Page 6
By Emily Tucker Reporter
ment at the University. The bookstore sells textbooks to students at retail price and students It is that time of year again; when who sell back their textbooks will students decide which bookstore receive half of the retail price the will give them the big bucks for textbook is sold for. The Bookstore keeps count on their textbooks. Students usually sell their its Web site of how many of each textbooks back at the University textbook they plan on buying Bookstore, Student Book back from students. If the quotas Exchange, Beat the Bookstore, are hit, then they go back and see if they can purchase more than or online. Steve Overholt, course materi- originally needed. Students can als manager of the University also see how much they might Bookstore, said the bookstore receive for the textbook. Students can also earn buys back textbooks based on the history of sales and enroll- MyBGpoints at the bookstore
ON THE
by selling back their books, Overholt said. Students earn three points for every $1 spent at the bookstore. The bookstore will not buy back textbooks if they are loose-leaf textbooks, have water or coffee stains or are heavily highlighted. If the book is lightly highlighted or written in, it is safe. The textbooks need to be in good condition. The bookstore also cannot buy back books if COURTNEY STELLAR | THE BG NEWS
See BOOKS | Page 2
MOVE
West Hall iguana outgrows home, owner seeks permanent residence By Jason Henry Reporter
Nearing his fourth and final year at the University, Claws, as he is called by his friends, does not have a major. Though he is always found hanging out near the editing suites in West Hall, he does not seem too interested in anything beyond climbing trees and watching students go about their day. Though Claws is only 5 years old, he is already 5 feet 6 inches from head to tail and he is also an iguana. Claws’ owner Jim Barnes, a broadcast engineer for the School of Communication Studies, said the reptile will be leaving the University because he is too big for his current tank and there is no room for a larger one to be built. “I’ve kept him this long because the students just love him,” he said. “They like to watch the fish and look at Claws, but now he has outgrown [his tank] and it is time for him to find a larger home.” Barnes said the biology department, specifically the herpetology lab and Eileen Underwood, are helping to find him a new home. A new home that
PEOPLE ON THE STREET
Virus infects students’ computers via flash drives By Troy Chamberlain Reporter
ZACK BAIRD Junior, Sports Management
“Space Jam.” | Page 4
SELLING: Rachael Logsdon, a student graduating in December 2010, sells back her books at the Student Book Exchange.
Students may stay on campus over break for a price By Jason Henry Reporter
See IGUANA | Page 2
What do you want for Christmas?
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Students stack up book buy back bargains
CLAWS
Tuesday
Check out Forum [page 4] to see the featured “Falcon Screech” submissions.
“Right now, it hasn’t really done anything to harm our network at all.”
lays dormant, awaiting further directions from the originator. “Right now, it hasn’t really done anything to harm our network Students who have gotten used at all,” said RCC head Robert to sticking their flash drives into Pflum, “it’s basically waiting to just any USB port on campus be updated.” may want to check their protecStudents are bringing this tion. Robert Pflum | Head of RCC virus to their personal comAccording to statements by the puters, Haschak said, when Resident Computing Connection and the Information Technology Information Security Office has they plug their flash drives into Services security department, a concluded that this appears to infected University computmalware virus has made its way be what is known as a “bot-virus,” ers. The virus installs files onto into the University network and a type of virus that runs pro- the flash, and then installs itself is spreading to students via their cesses on an infected computer, onto any other system the flash USB devices. then sends messages to the “bot- drive is plugged into [that] does Director of IT Security and master”, or originator, informSee VIRUS | Page 2 Networking Matt Haschek said ing it that it has been successforensic analysis done by the fully installed. The virus then
Students looking for a place to stay over winter break may find what they are looking for at the University. The University offers four different options for students choosing to stick around, said Troy Spikes, interim coordinator of conference and guest services. According to the Residence Life Web site, Students can stay for the first three days of break, or come back three days early. They can also do both staying later and coming back early. “For the entire break, it is $506,” Spikes said. “The other options are $69, if you do the 3 days after break begins and $69 if you do the three days before break ends. Then $138 if you do both of those, before and after.” Sign-ups for winter break housing began on Dec. 2 and end at noon on Dec. 16. “You just sign up, as long as you have a BGSU ID number, you sign up and then we take it from there,” he said. Spikes said 214 students
“I think it is extremely high for people who have no other choice but to stay.” Chase Will | Sophomore stayed during Thanksgiving break. Spikes said he believes the price is determined by dividing the per semester cost in to a per day cost. According to the Web site, the cost is $23 per night. All charges are billed to the student’s bursar account. Some students find this pricing to be too high. “I think it is extremely high for people who have no other choice but to stay, like some foreign students,” said sophomore Chase Will. “They can’t just go home and come back for break, I think they should be sympathetic to them.” Senior Joel Rospert said he found the price to be very expensive for the area.
See HOUSING | Page 2
Radio talk show host talks about his love of poetry Junior strives to keep art of poetry alive, approaches issues in gender roles during weekly talk show By Anthony Phillips Reporter
Writing poetry may be a hobby for some creative writing minors, but for Junior Shawn Smith, it is much more. Smith started writing poetry when he was 14 years old because of an English course he took in high school. “It just took one teacher to tell me that, ‘You know you are a really talented and thoughtful poet,’ and I was like ‘Wow.’ That was the coolest thing to me,” Smith said. Later in his college years, Smith received two awards for his poetry. The first award Smith received was from the University’s literary magazine Prairie Margins. For best domestic theme in a poem, he received the Grandma Goda Award. Smith said this award meant a lot to him, but it was just the beginning. “I am finally doing a poet’s work,” Smith said. This year, Smith tried out in the seventh annual Mr. Blue Magic Pageant for the Zeta Phi Beta sorority, where he won his second award. Smith said he was very
Shawn Smith Junior creative writing minor, host of “For the People” on WBGU 88.1 surprised he won the award because he was up against two singers. “In shows like this where you are performing, the singers typically win out,” Smith said. Smith said winning the award gave him hope in seeing people still liked the written lyrical content and how not everything needs to be music. Smith wrote the poem he used specifically for the pageant and practiced for about a month with and without the other contestants. Theresa Williams, Smith’s English teacher, said she remembers Smith reciting the poem to her because he thought the emotion had left the poem from over-practicing. “So here we were over in the [Business Administration Building], class has just let out, the hallway is full of people, and he and I are the only ones in the
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See POETRY | Page 3