THE BG NEWS Monday
November 10, 2008 Volume 103, Issue 56
CAMPUS
WWW.BGNEWS.COM
A student group for veterans
A new organization has formed at Texas Tech University for student veterans | Page 3
FORUM
Dial ‘C’ for cell phone
A phone numberdialing, text-messaging, rocket-launching cell phone is in columnist Levi Joseph Wonder’s future, just in time for the 21st Century | Page 4
Asking Santa for a few political gifts
Faculty columnist Phil Schurrer has started his Christmas list a bit early, asking Santa to consider bringing some of his post-election requests | Page 4
Disheartening loss for women’s soccer
In the semi-final of the MAC tournament, the games lone goal came from Toledo with eight minutes left | Page 5
SPORTS
Falcons dominate the Bobcats
The mascot’s head fell off in a mid-air skydive and then the Falcons embarrassed them even further, beating them 28-3 | Page 5
Gunshot remains mystery
It’s a competition for blood By Lauren Graham Reporter
For the seventh straight year, BGSU and the University of Toledo will compete in the annual “Blood Bowl.” The BG American Red Cross club and the American Red Cross will be hosting the event beginning today and lasting until Nov. 14. Donations can be made by going to the Multipurpose room in the Union between the hours of 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. The event began as a way for both schools to become more involved on campus, said Carly Schultz, an American Red Cross intern. “It is a friendly competition of who can collect the most units of blood, and goes along with the much anticipated BG/ UT football game,” she said. To be a donor, you must be at least 17 years of age, 110 pounds and in good health the day you give. Faculty, staff and students are all eligible to donate. The goal for this year is to collect 650 units, which would save 1800 lives.
By Ryan Sullivan Campus Editor
At approximately 6:30 a.m. Friday, University police responded to a gunshot fired in Lot 12, the parking lot closest to Perry Fieldhouse. Nobody was injured and a “person of interest” was taken into custody by a nearby campus police officer, Lt. David Weekley said. The individual detained was identified as a student, released several hours later and not charged with anything related to the incident. No weapon was found at the scene. University Communications Director Dave Kielmeyer said in an e-mail that he could not comment further on the case “because the investigation is ongoing.” “However, there is no reason to believe that this incident posed any threat to the campus community,” he added. State Highway Patrol and Bowling Green City Police also responded to the incident. At 7:06 a.m. Friday, nearly 40 minutes after the alleged gunshot, students were informed of the incident by the AlertBG text messaging system. At approximately 8:10 a.m., a second message was sent to the University community. “Subject in custody campus is secure. Investigation continuing,” the emergency text message read. When the decision to use the AlertBG text system was made the process was changed slightly because Campus Police Chief James Wiegand was on vacation, Kielmeyer said. Weekley was the active commanding officer at the time of the shooting and was given the authorization to send the text
See GUNSHOT | Page 2
See BOWL | Page 2
Blood donation requirements: ■ ■ ■
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■ CHRISTINA MCGINNIS | THE BG NEWS
STICKING A NEEDLE IN IT: Student Michael Rejent prepares to have his blood drawn in the student union for last year’s Blood Bowl. This year’s Blood Bowl will last from today until Nov. 14.
PEOPLE ON THE STREET
CHRISTINA MCGINNIS | THE BG NEWS
“Efficiency is not the word to use here.” | Page 4
WEATHER
FRONT ROW: George Begalla IV SECOND ROW: (from left to right and kneeling) Cory Bartlett, Austin Zachrich, Joshua Velazquez THIRD ROW: Derek Carlson, Freddie Simmons, Ben Williams (kneeling) FOURTH ROW: John Holtz, Ed Nolan, potential member, Kipp Macaulay FIFTH ROW: Mike Pelton, Andrew Temple, Carl Fowler, Steve Ording, LaRoun Tolbert
Old fraternity hopes for return to campus By Kevin Morrissey Reporter
RAED ANBARI Senior, Supply Chain Management
TODAY Partly Cloud High: 43, Low: 24
TOMORROW Mostly Sunny High: 48, Low: 32
Must be at least 17 years old Must weigh at least 110 pounds Must have eight weeks since your last donation for regular donation Must have 16 weeks since last donation for a double red donation Must be healthy and able to perform normal activities
Information obtained from www.redcross.org
Students, veterans alike reflect on meaning of Veteran’s Day By Andy Ouriel Reporter
How do you think the University handled notifying students about the shooting on campus Friday morning?
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Tau Kappa Epsilon is back at the University after a prolonged absence and looking to be chartered by their national organization. With hopes of becoming the 43rd Greek organization on campus, the leaders of the TKE fraternity face a tough challenge. “Right now we’re a colony,” LaRoun Tolbert said. A colony is what a fraternity is before being chartered with their national fraternity. The TKE colony has 22 members now, Tolbert said. In order to be chartered we need to get 13 more members to reach the minimum requirement of 35, just one of 15 goals the fraternity needs to complete
in order to be chartered, Tolbert said. None of the current members of TKE are sure when the fraternity removed from campus, Tolbert said. “It is tough to get new members this semester with the economy the way it is. Because the financial commitment is tough for some people to meet” said Steve Ording, TKE’s Web administrator. TKE also hopes to reach their charity goal by hosting a canned food drive in time for Christmas, TKE President George Begalla said. The fraternity hopes to fulfill all of the goals by April and May so they can be nationally chartered, Tolbert said. “All the other fraternities
See TKE | Page 2
Fighting on the battlefield, remembering friends lost in combat and defending the citizens of the United States’ freedom are just some of the memories that will inevitably revisit veterans of the military tomorrow during Veteran’s Day. Tomorrow will be a day to honor and pay tributes to the men and women who have served the United States in the military. While they will be honored, undoubtedly, memories of the war in all aspects will come back to soldiers. Student James Boone, who was a lance corporal in the Iraq War from 2004 to 2005, remembers more of the good times when he served. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Boone, 24, said in reference to serving in the military. “The people I met and the places I’ve been ... you couldn’t put a price on it.” Boone said Veteran’s Day’s meaning is to celebrate the people who fought in wars because they were protecting the freedoms citizens in the United States enjoy today. Protecting freedoms is one of the reasons Cpl. Orvil Hoseclaw, a World War II veteran, never regretted fighting for his country. “I think most people respect us for what we did: Serving in the military and protecting,” Hoseclaw said. On Veteran’s Day, Hoseclaw and other members of Bowling
Green’s VFW go to the cemetery to dress up their fellow soldier’s graves and honor the dead who fought beside them in wars. “I fight for everyone to have a chance in the free world,” Eric Decker, a 3rd Class Petty Officer of the Vietnam War, said. Decker said he would go back and fight in war again like Boone and Hoseclaw. But veterans like Decker think the younger generation does not appreciate the importance of veterans. Decker would like to see the draft re-implemented for people who do not go to school. He said this would help increase the respect people would have for soldiers who fought in previous wars. Veteran and 1st Sgt. Mark Lemmon knows the older generations [65 and up] honor the soldiers because they understand the values of what being an American means to them. He said as time went on, wars became more unpopular starting with the Vietnam War when soldiers were depicted in a negative way up until the War in Iraq. While this current war might not be a popular one in the United States, it is helping the younger generation appreciate soldiers and veterans more, Lemmon said. “The older generation are more appreciative, but the younger generation will come around,” he said. Boone feels the War on Terror is hitting home because someone will know someone who is serving in the war.
VETERANS DAY ASSEMBLY: What: An assembly to honor all veterans from all wars Who: Open to the public. Veterans encouraged to come and participate. Where: Bowling Green Junior High School When: Tuesday, 1:00 p.m.
While soldiers repeatedly have to serve multiple tours of duty, going to war is inevitable, making it easier for younger people to really appreciate current veterans and leading them to do the same with older ones as well, Boone said. “There is a war going on and not everything is hunky-dory,” Boone said about the realities of war. With more time in this war, Boone does feel younger people are starting to turn the corner on not only respecting the soldiers from Iraq, but all soldiers. One person who is trying to help young people understand the meaning of Veteran’s Day is Social Studies teacher Pat Carney of Bowling Green Junior High School. Carney, along with other staff members, is putting on the eighth Veteran’s Day assembly at the junior high school to honor veterans throughout the day with a schedule of events all recognizing the significance of veterans. “We started it mostly because
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See VETERANS | Page 2