THE BG NEWS Tuesday
September 9, 2008 Volume 103, Issue 11
CAMPUS
WWW.BGNEWS.COM
Teachers already upset by students who text in class, wish it did not carry into schoolwork | Page 3
Flying fish hits teen in face
ODD
Gov. Strickland looks to reduce textbook costs By Gina Potthoff Managing Editor
Texting, a class disruption
An Arkansas teen had several teeth wired back together after getting hit in the face by a Silver Asian carp | Page 8
Students have a chance to slash their textbook bills starting next semester. Gov. Ted Strickland and Chancellor Eric Fingerhut have announced a plan to offer student discounts on electronic textbooks and to reward faculty who find innovative ways to save students money. In an agreement between the University System of Ohio and CourseSmart, a California-based electronic textbook provider,
University students can buy CourseSmart’s e-textbooks at discounts of 50 to 55 percent off the new print price list and get an additional 10 percent off because the University is a member of OhioLINK, an online information exchange program between 86 Ohio college and university libraries. Starting in spring 2009, students can go to textbook.uso.edu to search CourseSmart’s nearly 4,000 titles. “We really can change the whole picture of affordability for students,” Fingerhut said in a phone
“There’s a bit of a disconnect when the book’s supposed to be $50 and it ends up ... $75.” Jeff Nelson | Dir. of Univ. Bookstore
conference. The USO is offering 10 prizes of $1,000 to faculty who keep student textbook costs down, suggesting not ordering the most recent edition as one option. “Faculty members are the most
By Nicole Krohn Reporter
FORUM
Associate Prof. Michael Zickar urges students to register to vote in Wood cnty., where they live the majority of the year| Page 4
NATION
Driving age may be raised
SPORTS
See BOOKS | Page 2
Officials want student input to improve the University
Vote in Wood County
Women’s soccer has been on the ball lately with a 4-0 win against IPFW on Friday and a 1-1 draw against OSU this past Sunday | Page 6
higher prices. “They have to think, ‘Is this book appropriate for the class?’ and the price is not always in that consideration,” he said. Students, administrators and other faculty can nominate faculty to receive the awards on the USO Web site by 5 p.m. Sept. 30 and a panel of state and national reviewers will determine the winners. USO is also offering as many as five grants of $50,000 paid upfront
direction for the future
Columnist Marisha Pietrowski says that services like OhioLINK and others like it have definite advantages, including saving a lot of cash in the long run | Page 4
Lady Falcons roll over IPFW
important link to affordable materials,” Fingerhut said. “At this point in the semester faculty already have books, but they can prepare for next semester.” Director of the University Bookstore Jeff Nelson also thinks faculty’s role in choosing course materials is important in textbook affordability. “There’s a bit of a disconnect when the book’s supposed to be $50 and it ends up on the shelf at $75,” he said. Nelson encourages collaboration with the bookstore so faculty aren’t surprised by the
finding a
Save money on books, save overall
An auto safety group wants states to raise the age at which an individual can get a driver’s license, hoping a change will save lives | Page 5
ESTABLISHED 1920 A daily independent student press serving the campus and surrounding community
RACHEL RADWANSKI | THE BG NEWS
NOT PRETTY, BUT IT’LL DO: Painted cinder blocks replace the deteriorating front porch of University Hall until a more permanent renovation can be made.
Univ. Hall porch gets quick fix for now By Colleen Fitzgibbons Reporter
The oldest building on campus got a facelift this past summer. University Hall, built in 1915, was given a temporary fix for its deteriorating porch entrance, with cinder blocks taking the place of the architectural stones used years ago. The Assistant Vice President of Capital Planning Bob Waddle said they are using cinder blocks because “it is a short term fix.” “We’ll be looking at dealing with that overall renovation as we look to renovate that whole
building,” Waddle said. “We are hoping to get underway here shortly.” The Associate Vice President of Administration Bryan Benner said originally they were going to wait until 2010 when the remodeling is supposed to start, but the matter was too urgent. “We didn’t want to put something up on the porch that would cost a lot of money and would have to be replaced when the building is finally remodeled,” Benner said. “So
For years students have had ideas and requests to improve the University. With the Charting Our Future program and Future Week (taking place Monday through Friday), students now have an opportunity to be heard. The program was designed to improve the University and make a tentative plan about how to achieve its goals. Some of the program’s major goals are to increase enrollment, decrease the overall cost of school and improve technology. Although these are some ideas for the future plan, Director of Residence Life Michael Griffel said the plan is nowhere n e a r fin-
ished. “The point of the program is to get the whole community involved,” he said. One major theme of the program is the lack of technology being used on campus. “Iftechnologydoesnotimprove classes will be less fun and more painful,” said Steve Cady, internal change consultant. The University hopes to increase the amount of technology on campus and catch up to other universities in the state of
See FUTURE | Page 2
SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS
Tuesday, Sept. 9: 8:30-11 a.m. 1-3:30 p.m. (BGSU Firelands, Cedar Point Center) 6:30-9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10: 1:30-4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11: 1:30-4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12: 11:30 a.m. -2 p.m.
See STEPS | Page 2 ORIGINAL IMAGES PROVIDED BY WWW.SXC.HU
Call of the Canyon offers community Freshmen bond, earn residents an escape to the Old West credit during UNIV 100 wilderness hike
WEATHER
PEOPLE ON THE STREET
By Becky Tener Reporter
How do you beat the high price of text books?
SIMONE LAGARDE Senior, Gerontology
“I OhioLINK all my books. I haven’t been to the bookstore since Sophomore year.” | Page 4
Call of the Canyon Café can take students wanting to escape the mundane and frustrating college life straight into an old Western novel. One of Bowling Green’s bestkept dining secrets, Call of the Canyon Café, is a place to experience new food with an eclectic atmosphere. Located in the heart of downtown Bowling Green, the Café offers a diverse and affordable menu, ranging from soups and sandwiches to
burritos and tacos. “We kind of have a Western theme but we offer a lot more,” said employee Jack Glass. The novel “Call of the Canyon” by Ohioan Zane Grey inspired both the name and Western ambiance, he said. Many of the sandwiches are named after cities or make reference to the Old West. Owner Sarah Foster has been serving up sandwiches like the Trailblazer and the Little Daisy for the past 10 years. After she bought the café from the former owner, she made a few
adjustments but kept the name, the theme and the horse saddle displayed under the cash register. “That saddle hasn’t moved since I bought the place,” Foster said. But the décor is the only part of Call of the Canyon Café that isn’t fresh and changing. Glass said the employees of Call of the Canyon enjoy experimenting and trying new things to keep the menu items new
See CANYON | Page 2
TODAY Partly Cloudy High: 71, Low: 46
TOMORROW Sunny High: 73, Low: 48
ALAINA BUZAS | THE BG NEWS
BASKET OF PLENTY: A basket of home grown produce sits near the register in Call of the Canyon with a sign urging customers to “take what you can use!”
By Semira Chowdhury Reporter
The Freshman Wilderness Experience is just another reason why students come to BGSU. Coordinator for the Outdoor Program Jerome Gabriel said the program is the UNIV 100 course modified. The curriculum is the same and students still earn two college credits, he said. He added that students attend class five times during the semester following the summer 21 students and faculty spent backpacking the Appalachian Trail from Aug. 2-9. Another reason for meeting five times during the semester is because at the end of the semester students will spend 130 hours together verses 30 in a regular UNIV course, Gabriel said. He added the class final project is to create a three to five minute promotional video used to recruit students for next year. While five other colleges in Ohio have the same program, none of them offer college credit. “This is the only freshman wilderness program in the state to offer college credit as well as the
“This is the only freshman wilderness program in the state to offer college credit.” Jerome Gabriel | Program Coordinator
outdoor experience,” he said. Participants and parents met together for a meeting the day before the trip and students separated into three groups of 10 and went three different directions on the trail, Gabriel said. One group hiked south from Fontanta Dam, N.C., to Wesser, N.C.,; another from Rock Gap, N.C., to Wesser ; and the last group started at Wesser and went south through the state. Gabriel said they decided on the Appalachian Trail because of past experience. The area also has to be an area where they can hike for seven days, he added. It was a hard seven days but by the end of the week students
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See HIKE | Page 2