THE BG NEWS ESTABLISHED 1920 | An independent student press serving the campus and surrounding community
POWER PLAY
The Men’s Club Hockey team practices every Tuesday at the Ice Arena. See CAMPUS on PAGE 3 for photos of this week’s practice.
VOLUME 91, ISSUE 55
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18 & THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012
Stroh graduates its second class
TWEET_THE_TRUTH
New location, winter graduation come with pros, cons By Tyler Strittmatter “We can always make Reporter improvements, but I The University’s 272nd graduawas very happy with tion ceremony took place Dec. 16 and 17, hosting the second how it went.” class to graduate in the newly finished Stroh Center. The Stroh graduated 994 students, compared to 1,958 graduates this past May, according to a press release sent Dec. 16 by Jen Sobolewski, communications specialist at the University. The move from Anderson Arena to the Stroh Center made the ceremony run more efficiently, said Deanna Vatan Woodhouse, executive assistant to the Vice President of Student Affairs. Part of Woodhouse’s job is to plan, manage and execute all the commencement ceremonies. Anderson Arena posed problems for graduation ceremonies because of the building’s si ze lim itat ions, she sa id. Before the Stroh Center, multiple buildings were needed — including Olsca mp a nd t he Business Administration Building — to house students before the ceremony. “Now everyone is in one place,” Woodhouse said. “It makes things easier from a planning standpoint. The Stroh Center is also larger and has concession stands and more restrooms to accommodate everyone.” For winter graduates, being in one building for the whole ceremony also means not having to walk between buildings in inclement weather. The graduation ceremony
Twitter account ‘Tweets By Anon’ sparks cyberbullying debates across college campuses
Deanna Vatan Woodhouse | Assistant
By Tia Woodel Reporter
drew mixed reviews from those involved. Graduation can be considered a time of joy, ref lection and relief; but graduate Austin Brown felt relief for a different reason. “I was glad when the ceremony was over,” Brown said. “I spaced out for most of it because it was a real snooze-fest. They really need to get better speakers next time.” Woodhouse, however, said she thought the ceremony went very well. “We can a lways ma ke improvements, but I was very happy with how it went,” she said. “The response we have received from family members has been very positive.” While Brown said the Stroh Center was “a nice place,” he said he was perturbed by the University’s attempts to sell merchandise at the ceremony. Brown said he thought the gift shop was strategically placed as the graduates left so “they could shake you down one last time before you left.” The ceremony in December had a different vibe than a traditional May graduation ceremony, Brown said.
The new Twitter account ‘Tweets By Anon’ intrigued pop culture teaching assistant Cory Barker when a friend shared a link on his Twitter.
Anyone can send in tweets to tweetsbyanon.com. The messages are then posted to @TweetsByAnon, with no attachment of the Twitter account or name of the person who submitted them.
“Honestly, when I first saw the site, it surprised me it hadn’t already existed with other websites out there, such as ‘Texts From Last Night,’” Barker said. See ANON | Page 1
See WINTER | Page 8
ILLUSTRATION BY BECCA ROSSMAN | THE BG NEWS
Wolfe Center debuts new classrooms, technology By Suzanna Anderson Copy Chief
Buildings on campus start to feel like home for some students because of the amount of time spent there for classes and student organizations. The Wolfe Center opened in December, and classes started this semester. More than 40 are currently being offered in the new building. On the first day of classes, junior JD Caudill, musical theatre and psychology major, accidentally went to his old home, University Hall, instead of his new home, the Wolfe Center. “This isn’t my home anymore,” Caudill said about University Hall. Caudill has three classes in the Wolfe Center, all in the same classroom — the dance studio. “The classroom itself is beautiful,” he said. “But all of the mirrors freak me out.” One of his classes is Advanced ABBI PARK | THE BG NEWS
MEGAN CANNON, junior, touches up a past semester project in the Wolfe Center’s computer lab to enter an art show in Columbus, Ohio.
BGNEWS.COM
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MLK Jr. Day tribute video Visit our site Wednesday for a video about the Martin Luther King Day of Service challenge.
WWW.BGNEWS.COM
See WOLFE | Page 2
CAMPUS
CITY
Faculty Senate elects new secretary
City council issues weather-related instructions
BRIEF
The Faculty Senate elected a new secretary at its meeting Tuesday. Elizabeth Wood, a University reference and instruction librarian, will serve as secretary for the remainder of spring semester. “I think it’s fitting for where I’m at in my career because I have a more flexible schedule, and I’m able to give back to the University now,” she said. “I’m excited and I think it’ll be fun and enjoyable. I already enjoy coming to work, and this will just add to it.” Wood will replace former secretary Terry Herman, who resigned at the beginning of this semester for personal reasons, said John Folkins, senate chair. “We’re very pleased, and we think [Wood] will do a great job,” Folkins said. “She’s been at BGSU since 1979, so she has a lot of experience that will really help Faculty Senate.” Wood ran unopposed for the position in the election. Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the senate listened to presentations concerning the University’s retention initiatives and how Ohio’s open records laws pertain to academics.
SPORTS
FORUM
The men’s and women’s basketball teams will play back-to-back matchups against the Miami RedHawks in Oxford, Ohio. The men will play Wednesday and the women will play Thursday. | PAGE 6
Columnist Christina Green discusses how the Martin Luther King Day of Service challenge is different from most service opportunities she has encountered. | PAGE 4
Falcons take on RedHawks
Student gives back to community
BRIEF Municipal Administrator John Fawcett warned city residents about snow emergencies on streets at Tuesday’s city council meeting. If a snow emergency is issued between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., residents or tenants with cars parked on streets have two hours to remove their car, he said. If a snow emergency is issued after 9 p.m., citizens then have until 9 a.m. to remove their car. Cars still parked on the street after the allotted time will be issued a citation for the first offense, Fawcett said. The second offense will result in a citation and towing at the owner’s expense, Fawcett said. Fawcett issued the reminder for students living off campus who may be unaware of the ordinance, he said. Sidewalks also must be shoveled during the winter, Fawcett said — especially near schools, since those areas are the most cause for concern and closely monitored by the city. If an owner fails to shovel the snow from his or her sidewalk, a city-hired contractor will remove the snow for a fee of $50 an hour, he said.
Visit BGNews.com for a web-exclusive document on snow removal guidelines.
What would your ideal classroom contain? A Gatorade fountain to refresh our bodies.
JORDAN GATES Freshman, Psychology