FOR A RECAP OF THE RIVALRY GAME | SEE PAGE 5
THE BG NEWS Thursday, November 18, 2010
Volume 90, Issue 61
www.bgviews.com
Board of Trustees begins search for new University president Carol Cartwright
By Matt Liasse Senior Reporter
Students must pay additional fees to be allowed to live in the residence halls during the holiday breaks By Emily Tucker Reporter
dence halls. Resident advisers stay in the buildings as well, if they are available during the break. Students have the option of living Troy Spikes, coordinator of conon campus during Thanksgiving ference programs and guest servicbreak if they choose not to return es, said an e-mail was sent out the home. first week of October to on-campus Tim Shaal, associate director of students. The e-mail told students Residence Life, said that techni- they could stay on campus during cally, the residence halls are closed Thanksgiving break if necessary. during Thanksgiving, Winter and “We try to send out the e-mail Spring breaks. However, students before fall break so students can can register to live in their halls talk to their parents about it,” during those breaks. Spikes said. “The majority of students that So far, about 177 students signed stay on campus are athletes, stu- up to stay at the University during dent teachers and international break. Most of the students staystudents,” he said. ing on campus live in KreischerThe room rates are re-examined Ashley Hall. Spikes said Kohl Hall every year. For Thanksgiving break, is offline during break due to water Residence Life offers a rate of $92 pipes being installed. for the four-day period. This parMike Paulus, director of tially pays to keep the water and University Dining Services, said electricity running in the facility. the dining facilities are not open “Students normally stay in the during Thanksgiving, Christmas residence hall that they live in, but or Spring Breaks. “Depending on how long the Residence Life reserves the right to move them into an alternate break is, it’s possible to open the Falcon’s Nest depending on the location on campus,” Shaal said. If students choose to stay on See HOLIDAYS | Page 2 campus, a hall director or senior
The Board of Trustees have begun considering applicants for the next University President. Thefirmresponsibleforthesearch for Carol Cartwright’s replacement, Heidrick & Struggles, has been working for a couple months now. A forum was held in September where faculty and staff voiced their concerns. They met to discuss the most important qualities they look for in a new president. Undergraduate Student Government Arts and Sciences Senator junior Emily Ancinec is the official representative for USG who offers a helping hand in the decision process. “It’s just like any search conducted at the University,” Ancinec said. Ancinec explained the process of finding the next University president. First, a search firm files through applicants, which leads to interviews of eligible candidates. The committee then gives their suggested names to the Board of Trustees, who then has the final say in filling the position. Cartwright will be retiring in June 2011, after she was hired in 2008 as an interim president. The initial screening of applicants
University president will leave in June 2011. started Nov. 1 and it will take place until the position is filled, according to the University Board of Trustees website. At this time, many are concerned with putting control of the University in the right hands, especially with the growing freshman class and the many different construction projects happening on campus. USG President Kevin Basch said he thinks it’s important for students to follow the news of the University’s search for the person taking Cartwright’s spot. “Bowling Green is going through a new process,” Basch said, commenting on the new buildings currently under construction and the “revamping curriculum.” Basch said the new president will be coming to the University at a very “unique time” and they will have “pretty big shoes to fill,” complimenting the job that Cartwright has done during her years at the University. “[A new president] will bring with themselves a new personality ... a new way of dealing with things,” Basch said.
LET’S TALK TURKEY
staff member stays in the resi-
LAUREN POFF | THE BG NEWS
THANKSGIVING: Chef Brett Northcutt gives a demonstration on how to cook a turkey in the Founders dining hall.
IN FOCUS
CAMPUS The Falcons tune in to ESPN2
FORUM Citizens ignore reality
Take a closer look at comedy
Students gather in the Offenhauer lobby to watch the BG vs. Toledo football game and to participate in other spirit activities | Page 3
According to columnist Mike Thurau, there is an epidemic of rich people skirting criminal punishment, and people are ignoring these atrocities | Page 4
As the weather gets colder and finals are creeping closer, it seems many students could use a laugh, so this month’s In Focus investigates different aspects of humor on campus and in the city | Page 8
PEOPLE ON THE STREET If you could pick the next University president, who would it be and why? NICK ANDERSON Sophomore, Business
“Phil Collins, because he has the voice of an angel.” | Page 4
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FROM THE FRONT PAGE
2 Thursday, November 18, 2010
TUES., NOV. 16 2:34 P.M.
Zachary Dubois, 20, of Bowling Green, was arrested for trafficking in drugs within the 300 block of Colony Lane Road. Gerald M. Kresge, 44, of Bowling Green, was cited for drug abuse/ marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia within the 300 block of Colony Lane Road.
WED., NOV. 17 12:01 A.M.
Ali K. Jesberger, 19, of Milan, Ohio, was cited for prohibited acts/using ID of another within the 100 block of N. Main St. ONLINE: Go to bgviews.com for the complete blotter list.
HOLIDAYS
From Page 1
Union’s hours,� Paulus said. “However, for the most part they are never open during breaks.� Students can register online at https://reslife.bgsu.edu/forms/ break-housing-student.php.
Housing options during Thanksgiving break Nov. 24-27 is $92 Housing options during Winter break Dec. 18-Jan. 8 is $506 Dec. 19-21 is $69 Jan. 7-9 is $69 Dec. 19-21 and Jan 7-9 is $138
CORRECTION POLICY We want to correct all factual errors. If you think an error has been made, call The BG News at 419-372-6966.
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BG NEWS WIRE SOURCES
Sheriff: ‘legally dead’ man facing murder charge
Flying fruit lid sparks $150K settlement offer
Lawyers seek delay of Conn. death penalty sentence
ATM heist suspect who escaped from Mo. jail caught
Pa. warden’s killing: Presume innocence
JACKSON, Miss. (AP)— A Mississippi man who drifted through several states after he was declared dead in 1994 will be charged with murder in the slaying of a 12-year-old Las Vegas girl whose body was found by hunters in remote Louisiana woods, authorities said Wednesday. Thomas Steven Sanders is scheduled to face a federal magistrate Friday at a detention hearing in Alexandria, La., on a kidnapping charge. Sheriff James Kelly in Louisiana’s central Catahoula Parish, where the girl’s body was discovered last month, said his department will charge Sanders with first-degree murder once federal prosecutors finish processing him on the kidnapping charge. Federal prosecutors had charged Sanders with kidnapping Lexis Roberts after his arrest Sunday at a Gulfport, Miss., truckstop. Sanders was transferred to Louisiana the next day. Sheriff’s Investigator Toney Edwards in Catahoula Parish said authorities there expect to book Sanders early next week. Lexis Roberts’ body was found off a dirt road Oct. 8. She had been shot, Edwards said. Authorities said security cameras showed Sanders buying ammunition Sept. 3 at a Walmart in Las Vegas and the bullets were consistent with the weapon used to kill Lexis.
DETROIT (AP)— A man who says he was knocked unconscious when a lid exploded off a jar of fruit and hit him in the face was offered $150,000 to settle his lawsuit against a grocer and a fruit company. Del Monte Foods of San Francisco and Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. insist there’s no credible evidence that the jar was unsafe, but they made the offer Tuesday after a judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit by Darryl Alexander of Southfield, Mich. Alexander’s lawyer, Mark Miller, said the offer is too low because his client has permanent eye damage. Alexander said the stubborn lid flew through the air and struck him in the eye after he hit it with the rubber handle of a screwdriver in April 2008. He said he first placed the jar of Orchard Select mixed fruit under warm water. “It happened so fast. I just had no time to react. ... I staggered, lost consciousness and fell to the floor. I eventually screamed for my wife,� Alexander, 56, said when interviewed during a deposition last December. Kroger and Del Monte made the $150,000 offer this week, about a month after U.S. District Judge Patrick Duggan cleared the way for a trial by refusing to throw out much of the lawsuit.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Lawyers for a Connecticut man condemned to death for killing a mother and her two daughters during a home invasion have asked for a two-month delay in sentencing as they investigate whether their client’s constitutional right to a fair trial was denied. Steven Hayes’ public defenders said in papers submitted to New Haven Superior Court on Wednesday that the extensive publicity of the case may have helped deny a fair trial. The lawyers, Thomas Ullmann and Patrick Culligan, note that the death penalty was an issue in the campaigns for Connecticut governor and U.S. senator this year. They said that could’ve inflamed jurors’ passion and prejudice or lead to verdicts that were otherwise arbitrary and capricious. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 2.
ST. LOUIS — A suspect in a brazen multimillion-dollar heist was recaptured Wednesday about 60 miles from the Missouri jail from which he bolted with another inmate, ending his twoday run from federal agents. John Wesley Jones, 36, was found weaponless before dawn hiding in an attic in a cul-de-sac rental home in Swansea, Ill., and was taken to an Illinois jail. As the U.S. Marshals Service continued its hunt for the other fugitive, Corey Durand Cross, 31, agents also began relocating nearly three dozen federal prisoners who were kept at the same Missouri jail as the two escapees. Both men busted out of the Lincoln County Jail just northwest of their hometown of St. Louis on Monday after somehow making their way onto the lockup’s roof and down a 30-foot wall — an escape authorities have refused to publicly explain. Jones’ capture confirmed what federal agents had suspected since the jailbreak — that Jones still was lurking around St. Louis. Robert O’Connor, a spokesman for eastern Missouri’s marshals service, wouldn’t divulge what led agents to the Swansea home, though he said investigators believe Cross still remains close. —Jim Suhr (AP)
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The lawyer for a man charged with killing a Pennsylvania game warden asked the public to reserve judgment in the case, saying the defendant deserves the presumption of innocence. Kristin L. Rice, an assistant public defender in Adams County, released a statement Wednesday that expressed sorrow for the death of Wildlife Conservation Officer David L. Grove but said that her client, Christopher Lynn Johnson, has a right to a fair trial. “It is not helpful to anyone involved in this process to spew hatred on newspaper forums or to create a climate in this community in which a fair trial is compromised,� Rice wrote. She said Johnson is “beloved by his parents, his sisters, his fiancee and his child� and that “there is so much yet to learn about the events of Nov. 11.� Grove was investigating whether someone was illegally shooting deer at night when he pulled over a truck in a rural area outside Gettysburg and was shot to death, authorities said. Johnson was partially handcuffed when he shot Grove four times with a .45-caliber handgun, police said.
In which country is the board game Monopoly outlawed? a. Russia b. Iraq c. Cuba d. China
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Medicare chief makes first appearance before Senate Announces opposition to health care rationing, wants to eliminate wasteful spending WASHINGTON (AP)— As a physicianandthinker,Donald Berwick was known as one of the nation’s leading health care innovators. As President Barack Obama’s Medicare chief, he’s been a mystery man — until Wednesday. The 64-year-old pediatrician appeared before the Senate Finance Committee four months after his appointment as the only Medicare administrator to assume the post without Senate confirmation. But the tightly orchestrated hearing left Republicans complaining they were only given a nibble at his record. Berwick told senators he’s opposed to rationing of health care, and even people
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who are near death have a right to treatment. As a matter of principle, he said he believes patients should get “all the care they want and need, when and where they want and need it.� Health care savings should be squeezed by avoiding medical mistakes, eliminating waste and duplication, and helping people with chronic illnesses manage better so they can stay out of the hospital, he said. Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., introduced Berwick as Obama’s point man on health care overhaul. The law makes Medicare the laboratory for new models of care, such as turning primary care practices into “medi-
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cal homes� that use nurses to keep close tabs on frail patients in the community. Berwick is also responsible for Medicaid and children’s health insurance, programs that together with Medicare cover 100 million Americans. Before his nomination, Berwick taught at Harvard and headed the Institute for Health Care Improvement, a hands-on think tank that promotes coordination in a fragmented health care system. Republicans had raised questions about his praise for the British health care system, saying it revealed a bias toward big-government approaches that could lead to rationing here. They did not revisit the issue at
Wednesday’s hearing. Democrats say Obama went around Congress to appoint Berwick because the White House did not want a key player sidelined for months by partisan wrangling. Ber wick asserted Wednesday that he doesn’t think a one-size-fits-all approach works in a country as diverse as the United States. GOP senators were skeptical of Berwick’s assurances. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who next year will be the committee’s senior Republican, said the 90-minute hearing did not allow enough time to explore complicated questions. “This is pathetic,� Hatch said.
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Thursday, November 18, 2010
GAME TIME Students attended a watch party for the BG vs. Toledo game in Offenhauer Wednesday night. PHOTOS BY LAUREN POFF | THE BG NEWS
TOP LEFT: Nichole York the assistant director of UAO helps herself to some food at the BG vs. Toledo watch party. BOTTOM LEFT: Makalu Chinonge, Shana Braxton, and Dyman Jones sell raffle tickets for prizes that were given away at half time. TOP RIGHT: Students attend the BG vs. Toledo game watch party in Offenhauer. BOTTOM RIGHT: Chelsea Schaefer colors paper bags with Athen and Brooklyn.
BLOOD BOWL 2010 Bowling Green State University vs. University of Toledo Come to donate and receive a special BLOOD BOWL t-shirt!
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“Students normally stay in the residence hall that they live in, but Residence Life reserves the right to move them into an alternate location on campus.” — Associate Residence Life Director Tim Shaal, on students staying on campus during holiday breaks [see story, pg. 1]. Thursday, November 18 , 2010 4
PEOPLE ON THE STREET
If you could pick the next university president, who would it be and why?
“Stephen Colbert, because he seems to know a lot about politics.”
“Denard Robinson, because of his dreads.”
“Michael Scott [from ‘the Office’], he clearly has great managing skills.”
“Kelly Lyons, because she already works for The BG News.”
CHELSEA SCHAEFER, Senior, Dietetics
TRAVIS WALKER, Sophomore, Athletic Training
MARIA D’AVELLO, Freshman, Applied Health
LEXI GARDNER, Sophomore, Early Child Edu.
Citizens stand by idly while billionaires, influential figures escape criminal penalties MIKE THURAU COLUMNIST
Is it unreasonable to say that we Americans tend to think of ourselves as freethinking individualists who prefer the risks and struggles of a free market over the intrusive coddling of the nanny state? Or that it is generally accepted that too much coddling breeds a nation of slaves as Fredrick Von Hayek argued in “the Road to Serfdom”? “Sure, those Europeans might have better job security and transportation, but excessive regulation has left them poorer and more importantly, locked in a system of subservient dependence to a government that has its fingers in every aspect of their lives.” As residents of a red state, I’m sure you’ve heard something like this before. I’m not interested in talking about “the Road to Serfdom” though. The debate surrounding this book isn’t going to end anytime soon, and I’m not going to try and contribute to it. Instead, I’d like us to simply take a look at which side of the Atlantic looks more like the nation of slaves Hayek warned us about. It’s hard to gage how much of the “Spirit of Freedom” prevails in a culture. For starters, we lack a unit of measurement by which to quantify self directness or hostility to authority. Or shall I say, we use to lack a unit of measurement ... until now. As someone who received a C- in his POLS 1710 class, I feel that I am qualified to invent this quantifier. I have decided to call it an Emerson, after the great poet and freedom lover Ralph Waldo Emerson. OneEmersonistheamount of self assertion required by one individual to walk up to a classroom door and open it, even though there are a dozen other individuals passively waiting outside as though it were locked and class started three minutes
ago and the lights are on. The United States and the United Kingdom will be my test subjects, and Nov. 9 and 10 will be the survey sample dates that I will use to measure the amount of Emersons present in these societies. As a psuedoscientist I am required to use anecdotal evidence for my study, and will not submit my findings to an academic journal. In Eagle, Colo., a certain Martin Erzinger (a money manager for Morgan Stanley) had felony charges against him dropped after striking a bicyclist with his Mercedes and fleeing the scene of the crime. The man he struck was a liver surgeon who is now unlikely to be able to continue his profession due to the extent of damage done to his spine. Why were these charges dropped? Simply because he is a billionaire. I’m not saying he hired an expensive lawyer to bail him out. I’m saying that the DA explicitly stated, “Felony convictions have some pretty serious job implications for someone in Mr. Erzinger’s profession, and that enters into it. When you’re talking about restitution, you don’t want to take away his ability to pay.” Erzinger got off because being punished for his crime would hinder his ability to make huge sums of money. Furthermore,nooneinvolved with the incident denies that Erzinger’s billions affected the DA’s decision to drop the charges. The message here is that the ability of billionaires to make huge sums of money is of greater importance than the equality of all citizens under the law, and certainly of greater importance than the ability of a surgeon to continue saving lives. Since then, he has been charged with a few misdemeanors, but faces no prison time. How did the residents of Colorado respond to this injustice? They sent the DA over 1000 e-mails, and sent a petition with several thousand signatures urging the DA to change the charges
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WEAK SAUCE
“The message here is that the ability of billionaires to make huge sums of money is of greater importance than the equality of all citizens under the law ...” back to a felony. I’m detecting only a few thousand Emersons here, which is barely enough for a working mom to report her boss for sexual harassment. Quite frankly, the fact that Erzinger hit a surgeon and not a cashier at Walmart (or college student) is probably the only reason this story made it to the news in the first place. Meanwhile, British students in London were reducing Parliament to rubble and ashes because the ruling Conservative party proposed a 66% increase in the price of tuition (remember, remember the 10th of November). Note that I didn’t say “passed legislation,” they simply proposed it. This increase would make it possible for the price of tuition to reach a maximum of $14,400 a year or 9,000 pounds. To put things in perspective, the price of out of state tuition at the University is $17,012 a year and 55 percent of American bachelor’s degree recipients borrow an average of $19,800. Furthermore, prices are expected to rise even more due to the fact that we recently elected John Kasich who has been quite candid about his intentions to gut higher education funding. Throwing a fax machine through your representative’s office window, takes a lot of Emersons (and cajones) and doesn’t sound like the kind of thing that a passive cog in a state apparatus would find himself doing and cracks the foundations of what many of us considered to be some of the main cultural differences between Americans and Brits. But wait, you say, the British pay more in taxes than we do. Well, before you cross your arms in satisfaction and recline yourself into the plush embrace of a well timed “gotcha” moment, this is only half true.
Citizens of the U.K. who make less than $60,000 a year are taxed at the basic rate of 20 percent. A single American who earns less than $60,000 a year pays an income tax of 25 percent, plus FICA and other payroll taxes. However, the tax burden shifts when you get into the upper tax brackets. Blokes and Birds who earn between $60,000 and $242,000 pay 40 percent income tax, and those who make more than a quarter million a year pay 50 percent. In the US, on the other hand, the rate tops out at 35 percent for incomes above $373,000 (sorry, I’m a numbers guy). In a sense, whether or not you’re the government’s stooge is actually just a matter of how much money you make. Both countries have an extensive system of deductions that affect each tax payer in a myriad of ways affecting actual take home income, but the overall intention behind these different policies remains the same. Based on this unscientific but still poignant (I hope) study I’m afraid that far too many Americans have allowed their Emerson levels to slip so low that they are generating an entirely different form of social energy. I have decided to name this energy Renfeld after Dracula’s bug eating assistant. One Renfeld is equal to the amount of passivity required by one individual to dismiss what is being done to us as natural, and turn the page to read the police blotter.
SAM KILLERMANN | THE BG NEWS
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SPORTS Falcons’ defense allows multiple big plays in loss this season, returning a 63-yard punt for a touchdown at Troy in the first game of the season. “[The blocking] is what sprung it,” TOLEDO – Big plays were the highlight of the night for Toledo, and three Cooper said. “That’s exactly how I in the first 12:36 of the first quarter made it. One or two moves and then a was too much for BG to overcome in a couple blocks is all I needed.” This is the first time in school histo33-14 setback Wednesday night at the ry a player has taken back two punts Glass Bowl. The Rockets’ blasted into the for a touchdown in the same season. Falcons’ secondary as all three of Welcome back their touchdowns in the first quarter went for 33 yards or more. After missing the last three games Sophomore standout wide receiv- due to an ankle injury, freshman er Eric Page, who BG coach Dave defensive back Cameron Truss made Clawson said was “dynamic,” dis- his return for the Falcons. played just that – hauling in a 48-yard Peace Pipe touchdown pass and later throwing for a 35-yard touchdown. For the first time in the last four “Our secondary got exposed,” games against BG, the Rockets Clawson said. “We gave up big plays regained possession of the Peace Pipe. in the back end. It’s very difficult to The Peace Pipe tradition began win football games when you give up during the 1947-48 basketball season, big plays.” but when the pipe was stolen in 1969, Toledo took a 19-0 lead after the the tradition ended. first quarter of play – a first quarter The Peace Pipe was reinstated for the Falcons would have liked back. football in 1980, and since then, the The Rockets ran twice as many plays award has gone to the winner of the in the first quarter and dominated both I-75 rivalry. the running and passing game – edgUp next ing out the Falcons in first downs (11-0) and total offensive yards (241-12). The Falcons’ season will come to an end next week when they host Can’t catch me Western Michigan Nov. 27 at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcasted live Eugene Cooper returned a 71-yard punt for a touchdown in the third on ESPNU and will be the last game in the careers of BG’s 15 seniors. quarter Wednesday night. The Falcons lead the Broncos in the The return was the second punt Cooper has returned for a touchdown all-time series 31-15-3.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
5
Falcons stifle Penguins
By Paul Barney Sports Editor
TYLER STABILE | THE BG NEWS
VISION: Sophomore Danielle Havel looks to make a pass Wednesday night versus Youngstown State.
Prochaska’s 25 points lead BG to a 86-40 win over Youngstown State. By Justin Onslow Reporter
The BG women’s basketball team needed just a few minutes to hit its stride, cruising to a 86-40 victory over Youngstown State Wednesday night in Anderson Arena. BG struggled offensively in the first few minutes of play, but the team’s fierce defense made up for it to the tune of 12 YSU turnovers in the first half. The Falcons also out-rebounded the Penguins 24-14 in the first 20 minutes. BG took a 45-21 lead into the locker room at halftime, and came back out firing in the second. Senior Lauren Prochaska scored 11 points in the first four minutes of the second half. She dropped a team-high 25 points on 6 of 13 shooting in just 24 minutes, and added 10 rebounds to complete her
first double-double of the season. SeniorforwardMaggieHennegan was a perfect 7-for7 from the field in just 22 minutes, and finished with 14 points, five rebounds and two blocks. Senior guard Tracy Pontius and sophomore forward Allison Papenfuss added nine and 11 points, respectively, and combined for seven rebounds and five assists. Although 11 different Falcons scored at least two points, the real story was BG’s incredible defense throughout the game. The Falcons held the Penguins to 25 percent shooting from the field, including a dismal 12 percent from behind the three-point line. BG also nearly doubled YSU’s rebounding total, 56-30. Although the turnover gap shortened in the second half, BG still took advantage of 17 Penguin turn-
overs. The Falcons also attempted more than three times as many free throws as YSU, and made the most of their chances. BG connected on 22 of 26 chances at the charity stripe, led by Prochaska who was 9-for-9 from the line. Freshmen guards Jillian Halfhill and Noelle Yoder each saw considerable playing time for the Falcons in the win, and the pair combined for 8 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. The two also combined for 5-of-6 from the free throw line. With the win, BG makes it two in a row at home this season, and extends its current home winning streak to 32 games. The Falcons move to 2-1 on the season, and will host Oakland on Saturday. That contest is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. in Anderson Arena.
Falcons fall to arch-rival Toledo, 33-14 By Sean Shapiro Senior Reporter
TOLEDO — Next to the Toledo football team’s locker room there is a rocket pointed in the direction of Bowling Green that would supposedly detonate on campus if it was fired. Wednesday night that rocket didn’t need to detonate to demoralize the Falcons, as their play on the field was bad enough. Missed tackles, poor throws, bad coverage, getting pushed around on both sides of the line of scrimmage; all contributing factors in a 33-14 loss to rival Toledo. “Tonight, the better football team won,“ said BG coach Dave Clawson. “Toledo played better, they performed better and they truly deserved to win this football games.” Quarterback Matt Schilz looked gun-shy all night, throwing two bad interceptions — one leading to a Toledo score and another killing a late, albeit unlikely, comeback attempt — while his receivers dropped multiple passes. The defense wasn’t much better, as they missed several tackles and the Rocket wide receivers seemed open each play.
DAVID FOGLE | THE BG NEWS
STEAL: Joe Jakubowski drives to the rim in transition against Old Dominion earlier this year.
Falcons take on Michigan The BG men’s basketba ll team will head to Ann Arbor Thursday to battle with the University of Michigan. The Falcons are looking for their first win over a Big Ten team since Nov. 28, 2001 when they beat Michigan 65-59. The Falcons are coming off of an 81 point performance against Old Dominion on Monday, after struggling offensively against Adrien and Howard. The Falcons shot 44.3 percent from the field against Old Dominion, and the team shot 43.8 from threepoint range. However, they only shot 66.7 percent from the free throw line. Freshman center Cameron Black
was strong in the paint for the Falcons, putting up nine points and 10 rebounds. Through two games, Black is averaging 9.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per games, shooting 69.2 percent from the field. This will be the 12th all-time meeting between BG and Michigan, dating back to 1961. The Wolverines are 8-3 in those games. They posted a 74-57 win over the Falcons the last time the two teams met in 2003. The Wolverines are 1-0 after beating South Carolina Upstate in their season opener. The game will begin at 7 p.m. and will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
NATHAN ELEKONICH | THE BG NEWS
See FOOTBALL | Page 6
SCORE: Calvin Wiley walks in for an easy touchdown Wednesday night against Toledo.
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BG softball coach Shannon Salsburg has announced that five student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to compete at BG beginning in 2011.
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SAVE: Notre Dame goalie Mike Johnson makes a save on David Solway (5) earlier this season.
Bergeron faces alma mater Miami for the first time you have as a head coach,� Blasi said. “But mostly it’s just been friendly conversation For the first time as a coach, back and forth.� A main issue BG has had Chris Bergeron will be facing this season is struggling with his alma mater. A 1993 graduate of Miami its consistency on a night-toUniversity, Bergeron spent night basis. Blasi says that is something the last 10 seasons as an assistant coach under Enrico Blasi that their coaching staff went with the RedHawks. He will through when they took over be tasked with attempting to prior to the 2000 season. “It’s a natural progression unseat the No. 6 RedHawks when you’re implementing this weekend. “They’re similar to Michigan your own system and trying in terms of what they bring to to create a culture with the the table, being a very veteran way you want things to be run,� he said. group,� Bergeron said. In addition to having Another reunion coached 10 seasons with Blasi, the two were teamIn addition to Bergeron facmates at Miami, and have ing Miami for the first time, kept in touch regularly since former BG forward Patrick Bergeron left for BG. Tiesling will be facing his for“It’s just a bit of friends talk- mer team for the first time ing, and we’ll talk about our since transferring following teams and what’s going on the 2008-09 season. and some of the challenges “It was really based at the By Ryan Satkowiak Assistant Sports Editor
Association play. Camper, an undrafted senior, leads the team with 28 points in 12 games. His 19 points in eight CCHA games is best in the conference. Miele has kept pace, posting 21 points in 12 games, with 18 of those coming in conference games. Smith’s 11 points in eight conference games are a ways off his linemates’ production, but still good for third in the More suggestions needed CCHA. “They’ve been our hardest Online, there is a poll asking fans to come up with a workers in practice,� Blasi name for Miami’s top line of said. “Any time that your leadCarter Camper, Andy Miele ers are doing that it usually and Reilly Smith. Of the four pays off on the weekends.� choices, the one with the Goalie duel most votes is “more suggestions needed.� There will be plenty of faces On the ice, the line’s pro- between the pipes this weekduction has been nothing end, with each team employshort of mind blowing, as ing a 1A-1B system with their they are the top three scorers goalies. in Central Collegiate Hockey Nick Eno has started
time on the state of the program and the answers that were there,� Tiesling said. “Obviously now they’ve made a lot of progress with fundraising and such, but at that time they weren’t too far along with that yet.� The 6-foot-2 forward had nine points in two seasons with the Falcons. He sat last season out due to NCAA transfer rules.
FOOTBALL From Page 5
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RETURN: Tyrone Pronty catches a kick return in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game.
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“We came in with goals that we couldn’t turn the ball over and we couldn’t let the ball over our heads,� Clawson said. “We turned the ball over four times and we gave up three long touchdowns and we didn’t give ourselves a chance .� The “Battle of I-75� threatened to turn into a massacre early as the Rockets jumped out to a 19-0 first quarter lead; the Rockets scored on three long pass plays, each going for at least 33-yards. First, Terrance Owens found Eric Page for a 48yard score down the middle Less than two minutes later, Toledo was celebrating again; this time with
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to find his groove for the Falcons, having won each of his last two starts with solid performances. His hot streak has gotten the Falcons both of their conference wins this season, and he sports a 2.52 goals-against average in conference play. While Andrew Hammond started the season off strong, he has suffered from poor play in front of him his last three starts. He faced 48 shots at Alaska, 36 against Notre Dame, and 40 last Saturday at Northern Michigan. However, Bergeron feels that a couple of the goals he allowed against Northern were soft goals. “I thought that on Saturday
night there were a couple of pucks that I would have liked to see Andrew stop, but all in all I think his game has been pretty good,� Bergeron said. Opposing the Falcons will be two of the top goaltenders in the conference in Cody Reichard and Connor Knapp. On the season, Reichard has posted a GAA of 1.92 and a save percent of .915, while Knapp has a GAA of 2.23 and a .899 save percent. However, those numbers sharply fall in conference games, with Reichard and Knapp sitting at second and third in the CCHA in goalsagainst average at 1.26 and 1.71, respectively.
Kenny Stafford on the receiving end of a 33-yard strike. “They had a couple of big plays that just jump started them and they stayed ahead after that,� defensive tackle Chris Jones said. Unable to stop the Rockets from scoring on the first two drives, the Falcon defense did block an extra point and then thwarted a two-point conversion attempt after Stafford’s touchdown. Arguably the highlight of the night came with 7:14 left in the first quarter. Page, lined up at on the right side, took what looked like a backward screen pass and threw a 35-yard pass to fellow receiver Tim Cortazzo in the end zone. The Falcons finally found life in the second quarter
when Calvin Wiley hauled in a 13-yard touchdown pass, set up by an interception by Cameron Truss. However the Rockets very next play from scrimmage after receiving the kick off resulted in an 81-yard touchdown run by Adonis Thomas. Thomas’ run gave the Rockets a 26-7 entering the half. That 19-point lead briefly turned into a 12-point margin after an electrifying 71yard punt return by Eugune Cooper. Despite the nice play by Cooper, the Falcon defense was once again burned on a trick play, this time a double reverse for a score after a poorly thrown ball by Schilz was intercepted giving the Toledo the ball at the 27-yard line.
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Women’s basketball dominates Youngstown
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Thursday, November 18, 2010
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CLAP YOUR HANDS: BG’s bench celebrates a three-pointer during Wednesday’s win over Youngstown State.
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LAYUP: Freshman guard Jillian Halfhill attempts a layup against Youngstown State Wednesday night.
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VICTORY: Senior Tracy Pontuis makes a pass during Wednesday’s win over Youngstown State.
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IN FOCUS
ONE TOPIC. ONCE A MONTH. MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES. Thursday, November 18 2010
8
Laughing rats give insights into human brain By Kate Snyder In Focus Editor
Most people laugh when they’re tickled. So do rats. Casey Cromwell, an associate professor in the psychology department at Bowling Green State University, has been studying rat vocalizations for years. He is especially interested in the high-pitched, 50-kilohertz chirps rats emit when tickled or happy, as well as how the “laughing gene” is passed from one gen-
eration to the next through breeding “laughers” with “non-laughers.” “We might actually obtain animals that are happier and animals that are much less happy,” Cromwell said. This type of research could help scientists understand what genes contribute to happiness levels in rats and which could help establish new treatments for depression, anxiety and other stress disorders in humans. Cromwell said the psychology department received a grant from the Hope for Depression
Research Foundation to continue these studies in selective breeding based on levels of laughter. Cromwell said the studies so far show that low laughers tend to not show any emotional responses at all, like fear or anger, which corresponds with how people with depression react. To test other emotional responses in low laughers, Cromwell said they put rats in the same cage as cat hair. “Rats are naturally afraid of cats,” Cromwell said. “The low [laughers] didn’t show response. When we took
the cat hair away, it was like they had never been exposed to it at all.” Garrett Gilmer, associate director of the Counseling Center at the University, said depression manifests in different ways for different people: too much or not enough sleep, loss of pleasure, difficulty concentrating and irritability. Gilmer said the best current treatment for depression is counseling with medication, but at best treat-
See RATS | Page 9
ADULT POPULATION WITH MENTAL DISORDERS IN THE UNITED STATES ■ ■ ■
Major depressive disorder: 6.7 percent, or 14.8 million people Anxiety disorder: 18.1 percent, or 40 million people Any mental disorder: 26.2 percent, or one in four people
Source: National Institute of Mental Health
As finals get nearer, don’t forget to relax, have fun KATE SNYDER IN FOCUS EDITOR
Thanksgiving break is on the horizon, but my view is obstructed by papers, tests and quizzes. And after a long weekend of delicious turkey and stuffing smothered with mashed potatoes and green bean casserole, I get to return to not-so-delicious homework and classes smothered with studying for finals. Also, it’s getting colder. I think most of us could use a good laugh right about now, and to satisfy this need, this month’s In Focus is all about comedy — comedy that spans the past 60 years and crosses generations, ethnicities, cultures and even species. Did you know rats laugh? That’s kind of awesome. The researchers in the psychology department on campus tickle the rats, by hand, and the rodents chirp in response. They also chirp
when playing with each other. There’s a video on YouTube of rats laughing, if you’re curious. But the point is the rats’ basic brain chemistry, at least the parts concerning emotion, mirrors our own, and probably mirrors other animals as well. And all of this shows that while stress and hopelessness are universal, so, apparently, is elation. That same brain, whether human or animal, that gives us anxiety also gives us joy. It doesn’t matter where you get your laughs or why you find it funny. The stories this month cover different humor formats, including sitcoms, stand up, improv and good, old-fashioned play. Pick any of them you want. What matters is whether you let yourself have fun. I get that school is probably bearing down on most of us this time of year, but I think it’s beneficial to relax every once in a while. And if you think you don’t have time to have fun, you probably do. Cut out Facebook for a while. Or sleep. It’s worth it.
CHRISTIAN HENDRICKS | THE BG NEWS
ACT: Frank Gutierrez does stand up during Comedy Night at Grumpy Dave’s Pub. Gutierrez, of Detroit, has been in comedy for 14 years.
PHOTO PROVIDED
PERFORMANCE: Plastic Shatners comedians Erin Williams and Dylan Stretchbery act out a scene during a performance last year.
Two student improv groups perform for campus, city By Dan Lemle Reporter
One might believe improv comedy is just funny people being funny off the cuff. But it takes weeks of practice for improvisational groups to establish scenarios, games and characters. Bad Genetics and the Plastic Shatners are two groups on campus who work to display two different forms of improv comedy. Bad Genetics, directed by Jared Miller, formed six years ago and has been classified as an actual student organization for the past four years.
The group focuses on long-form improvisation, in which all characters, events, and overall scenes fit in with one another. “Every scene is connected. It’s a longer format,” Miller said. Shows normally include three acts, each lasting 20 to 30 minutes. Bad Genetics has auditions the week after Campus Fest in which anyone is welcome to try out. This year the group is operating with eight members, Miller said — an efficient
See IMPROV | Page 9
PEOPLE ON THE STREET
Local comedian Frank Gutierrez talks about his act, his childhood and how he got started in the business By Jess James Senior Reporter
Before taking the stage at Grumpy Dave’s Pub, Frank Gutierrez reviews his comedy act for the night. Looking over his notes, he smiles and chuckles at his jokes. “You can come up with some pretty good lines when you’re half Black and Mexican,” he says. He finishes his gin and tonic, looks in the mirror and takes a deep breath. It’s a routine he’s been doing since he started comedy 14 years ago. But tonight he knows it isn’t just
See COMEDIAN | Page 9
What makes you laugh?
“My friend AJ Walker. He just made me spit lemonade out of my mouth.”
“People in general, people who fall, the word pickle, Kevin Hart.”
“People who use intelligent words in non-intelligent conversation.”
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another show. It’s a full house, and the audience is nearly 20 years younger than himself; he’s anticipating a rough crowd. “You have to adjust,” he says. “Your act should always be changing. It’s a challenge getting a good response from a different generation, especially college kids.” Gutierrez is just one of the hundreds of comedians who have taken the stage at comedy night hosted every Tuesday at Grumpy Dave’s. For the past 10 years, the
“The WNBA.”
“Family Guy.”
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Thursday, November 18, 2010
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Comedy is one way to understand other cultures By Kate Snyder In Focus Editor
While comedy’s primary goal is to make people laugh, humor can also be a window into understanding different societies. “Every culture that I’ve ever seen, they all have their own comedy,” said Chuck Coletta, an instructor in pop culture. “Everyone has their own sense of humor.” One of the reasons anthropologists are so interested in humor, according to the essay “Humour, Laughter and the Field: Reflections from Anthropology,” by Henk Driessen, is because humor allows insight into what matters to a specific society and culture. “Humour often mirrors deeper cultural perceptions and offers us a powerful device to understand culturally shaped ways of thinking and feeling,” Driessen stated. Coletta said he thinks American humor is trying to accurately portray the current issues. He has students who get their news from The Daily Show and The Colbert Report because while they are comedy shows, both still discuss topics important to the viewers. And both mock the government. “It’s good to knock the president or Congress down a peg,” Coletta said. He explained it’s good to show sometimes that “nobody is above being mocked.” He said this kind of humorous political commentary is working its way through TV into even comic books. “People are looking for ways to reflect the culture now,” he said. “Even Obama and Sarah Palin are popping up in Archie Comics.” Becca Cragin, an associate professor in pop culture, said that’s one of the most consistent reasons for comedy. While culture shifts affect what American society as a whole laughs at, humor has, for a long time, been used to keep people in power in check. “There’s that really strong American tradition of using humor to deflate power... It goes back a long, long way,” she said. “We laugh in the middle for the people at the top.”
RATS From Page 8 ment is still at a trial-and-error phase. Individuals react to different medications in different ways, and it often takes time to hash out the right treatment. Depression has a genetic component, but most of the time there is a trigger, Gilmer said, such as bereavement, puberty, neglect, oppression and traumatic events as well as good changes, like getting a new job in a big city. “Any major changes could trigger depression,” Gilmer said. “A lot of times there’s a family history of depression because there’s a genetic component.” With such triggers, Gilmer said people with depression talk a lot about a “downward spiral.” “There’s a sense of, ‘there’s something wrong with me,’” he said. Cromwell said these emotional irregularities seem to be an impairment in the amygdala of the brain, in humans and rats. The research now is focused on identifying the genes that could be linked to depression. Jaak Panksepp, a distinguished research professor in Animal WellBeing Science at Washington State University, began the rat vocalization project while he was a psychology professor here at the University. His original research, and what he studied for 20 years, was breeding rats based on aggression levels. But 40 years ago, Panksepp tried tickling rats to see if they laughed. “We’ve gradually moved from negative systems to positive systems,” he said. When rats are scared or apprehensive, they emit 22-kHz chirps;
“There’s that... American tradition of using humor to deflate power.” Becca Cragin | Associate professor Cragin teaches a class about sitcoms, and she said this shift began in the 1970s, when shows became much more political than they had been, and even than they are today. “Most sitcoms are not explicitly political the way All in the Family was,” she said. But even though they might not be as political, most sitcoms try to tackle real issues, Cragin said. And pop culture shows how and why comedy has changed; sitcoms are also a reflection of how what matters to Americans has changed. “It shows how a lot of issues have changed over time,” she said. Also, American culture is becoming more post-modern. Americans as a whole prefer comedy to be more subtle, which is why shows like “Modern Family” and “The Office” are popular. “Something like the Brady Bunch definitely would not work today,” she said. Coletta also teaches a class about sitcoms, and he said the change in sitcom humor reveals a general cultural shift. “Some topics that were taboo are now acceptable,” he said, explaining that the network didn’t allow the word “pregnant” to air on “I Love Lucy.” But while Coletta said humor is fairly culture-specific, he said many comedy shows are broadcast throughout the world, illustrating that humor is still a universal idea. The Office, for example, he said, was a British show that became an American show that’s shown in still more countries. “Everybody has a boss like that,” he said. And American humor at least, Cragin said, will probably stay on this subtle, post-modern path for a while. “Once you kind of go in that direction, it’s hard to go back,” she said.
FILE PHOTO | THE BG NEWS
HUMOR: Grumpy Dave’s Pub on Main Street hosts Comedy Night every Tuesday beginning at 9 p.m.
COMEDIAN
have toured all over the world doing what I love.” From his first show at Marc From Page 8 Ridley’s Comedy Castle in Royal Main Street pub has been wel- Oaks, Michigan, to Japan, England coming different comedy acts and Ireland, Gutierrez has opened for some of comedy’s biggest from across the country. “We try to bring in a variety names. “I met Chris Rock, George Lopez of performers,” said Tim Hoyt, Grumpy Dave’s assistant booking and Carlos Mencia,” he said. “All agent. “Frank [Gutierrez] is the real good people. But an early definition of a Midwest comic. His inspiration I never got to meet was jokes are hilarious and relate to Richard Pryor. He went way before his time.” everyone.” Coming from a biracial family Born and raised in Detroit, Gutierrez has been in the busi- of three siblings, Gutierrez jokes ness since he was 28. His start in about family, ethnicity and growcomedy began during his days ing up in the 1980s. “His style is cool because he’s working on the assembly line at not afraid to say the things peoFord Motors. “My supervisor gave me the idea ple are thinking,” said Steve Sabo, to pursue my comedy, but I never booking agent for Inside Joke thought much about it,” Gutierrez Productions. “Some people may said. “For as long as I can remem- be offended but don’t go to an ber, I was always ‘Frank the funny adult comedy club expecting PG guy’. Now I’m 40 years old and comedy.”
And while his act may be controversial to some, many of his fans appreciate his ability to take the edge off serious issues. “I thought Frank was hilarious, and Grumpy Dave’s exceeded my expectations,” said senior Nicki Bollini. “This is my first time ever seeing comedy live or checking out Grumpy Dave’s. It was a nice mix-up for a Tuesday night, and for $3 I can’t complain.” When the show is over, Gutierrez takes a bow, and the audience erupts with cheers and applause. He goes backstage to reflect on the evening’s performance. “I’m feeling good,” he said. “Not going to lie, you young kids had me nervous for a minute. But as a comedian I always try and remember, if you can make one person laugh you did your job. I do this because I enjoy making someone’s day that much better with just one joke.”
“This is a gateway to developing psychiatric drugs no one has thought of.” Jaak Panksepp | Professor when happy, they chirp at 50-kHz, according to a research paper written by Panksepp, titled “Breeding for 50-kHz Positive Affective Vocalization in Rats.” After breeding five generations of rats based on how much they laugh, descendants of high laughers chirped more 50kHz than those not descended of high laughers. Current anti-depression medications don’t work all of the time, Panksepp said. The analysis of this emotional circuitry in the brain is showing the link between genes and depression and, with this research, new medications can be created. “This is a gateway to developing psychiatric drugs no one has thought of,” he said. These emotional systems in the brain, Panksepp said, are roughly the same in rats as in humans and as in all animals. “These systems are in very ancient recesses of the brain,” he said. “Many of the brain patterns we humans have come from our animal past ... We learn more about the human body by looking at animals.” Panksepp said one of the reasons why he started this research years ago was to some day try to understand how to help humans with emotional disorders. “We’re not interested in rat laughter for its own sake,” he said. “It’s about understanding this in our own brains.”
PHOTO PROVIDED
SCENE: Plastic Shatner comedian Jesse Koza acts out a scene during a performance last year.
IMPROV From Page 8 number when performing with the long-form improvisation style. There are two rounds of auditions and then a call back session for those with the most promising abilities. Once the final cuts are made and the group is established, practices begin in which all members work to create specific characters, in addition to working with one another. “We practice how to interact with one another, different comedy styles and building different characters,” Miller said. Generally, members are with the group for two years and are then almost guaranteed a spot. Bad Genetics performs for high schools, fraternities and sororities, in addition to community organizations in efforts to raise money. Currently the group is performing with no set budget.
And while Bad Genetics concentrates on the longer style, the Plastic Shatners focus on shortform improvisation, which can be thought of as the exact opposite of long-form, Miller said. “We do short-form comedy, which means games like the ones seen on ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’” said Joe Connelly, the director for the Plastic Shatners. “There is a lot of audience participation.” The group has been performing on campus since 1999 and has auditions with Bad Genetics every year. Currently there are 12 members. “For theater majors, it’s beneficial to audition because it’s a good skill set to have in your repertoire. ... We take a couple months to work out as a group until the idea of the game is understood by each member,” Connelly said. The Plastic Shatners practice weekly to improve for the next show. During these practices, the
group spends time establishing the fundamentals of the comedy style. “The group is tight knit, pretty much like a family. We meet twice a week for four hours total,” Connelly said. Plastic Shatners tries to perform every two weeks. The group can be booked for a variety of student organizations and community benefits. “I’ve had the opportunity to see both Bad Genetics and the Plastic Shatners,” said Zach Tucker, a senior. “I could definitely tell that they put in a lot of hard work and that they have fun while doing it.” Bad Genetics and the Plastic Shatners performed for the first time this year on Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. in the Union Theater. “Improvisation is an art form. It’s a kind of theater experience that not a lot of people know about,” Miller said. “It’s good to show the art form to BG and the community. It’s also just a lot of fun.”
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