2.09.11

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COLLEGIAN VOL. 125 ISSUE 16

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THE BUTLER UNIVERSITY STUDENT NEWSPAPER | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011 | WWW.THEBUTLERCOLLEGIAN.COM Tomorrow’s Weather

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Housing options for juniors to change next year

BY JILL MCCARTER jmccarte@butler.edu | news editor

Record-breaking numbers in enrollment have forced Butler University officials to make changes in housing options for juniors next year—changes that are making some students angry.

Next year’s juniors will have only one option for on-campus housing—the Apartment Village.

The decision concerned some current sophomores who say that the more than $2,000 difference in cost between AV and the University Terrace apartments could impact their ability to attend Butler.

This year, students living in shared rooms in UT paid $5,770.

Students living in singles at AV paid $7,860.

“The vast majority of [my friends] cannot afford to live in

Apartment Village and will probably have to transfer schools because we don’t live close enough to commute,” said sophomore Heather Iwinski, who first heard rumors about the policy change from a resident assistant last week.

The resident assistant requested not to be quoted or attributed.

The slim options are disconcerting, sophomore chemistry major Jeremy Algate said.

“I don’t like being told that I can room in AV, room with sophomores I don’t know, or go to another school,” he said. “I just don’t like those options.”

As of press time, the university has made no official announcement of the change to the student body.

In an e-mail to Iwinski, Associate Director of Residence Life

Events in Egypt hit close to home

BY ALLISON AMMERMULLER aammermu@butler.edu | staff writer

For most Butler University students, the issues in Egypt are far away. But for one student, the events in Egypt strike close to her heart.

On Jan. 25, Sarah Guirguis said she entered her First Year Seminar classroom 30 minutes late with a petrified look on her face.

That was the day 20,000 protesters ran out into the streets of Cairo to show their rage against the government, CNN reported. Three were reported dead and 49 others wounded in the first day of the protests, according to the official Middle East News Agency.

Guirguis, a freshman double major in communication science disorders and Spanish, has 32 relatives in

Egypt that are experiencing the protests and chaos firsthand.

“America is my country, but so is Egypt,” Guirguis said.

She last visited Egypt in June of 2010 and found it to be a very different place then it is now. She describes the people of Egypt as friendly, hospitable and safe.

“Egypt was very safe and there was no tension,” Guirguis said Egyptians began to protest in the wake of President Hosni Mubarak’s harsh policies and grip on power alongside economic woes.

The protests soon became violent.

“I’m worried all the time about my family,” Guirguis said. “There’s always something dangerous going on _______________see egypt page 4

Doug Howell said more information would be made available about housing finance specifics next week.

Some students feel like they should have known by now that the option of UT would not be available.

Howell said he has answered questions that he has received from concerned students like Iwinski.

“We weren’t aware of this policy when we agreed to come to Butler,” sophomore Karl Wiersum said. “We weren’t even told at the beginning of the year. In fact, we still haven’t officially been made aware of it.

“If I had known earlier, I would have tried to live off-campus. Now it’s basically too late to search for any other options.”

But Howell said that since AV

opened, it has always been the oncampus housing option for juniors and that in the past, only a limited number of spots in UT were made available to juniors each year.

This year, that number was around 40.

Howell said AV’s amenities, including an Aug. 1 to May 31 housing contract that includes all holiday break periods, explains the higher cost.

“You have to pay the rate for the place you live,” Howell said.

“There is no way to change that.

Considering the amenities and length of stay, the charge for the Village is in line with the other housing charges at Butler.”

Sophomore Taylor Meador considered living off-campus next year since she is in commuting range, but the costs of utilities made her

decide to stay on campus.

“I’m not opposed to living in AV,” Meador said. “The apartments are nice and we get heating and air conditioning, electric and gas, water and cable and Internet included, which are things that I didn’t think about.”

Amenities are nice, Iwinski said, but when she worries about factors such as student loans and other costs, it’s not what is most important.

“I don’t care about the amenities I will have the Village,” she said. “I would much rather have the money.”

Howell also said in an e-mail sent to Wiersum that when the cost of food is factored into the equation, the cost of living at AV is actually similar to what ____________________see housing page 4

Campus begins to recover from last week’s ice storm

photo by Maria Porter

BY KATE SIEGFRIED ksigfri@butler.edu | staff writer

A FAMILY IN DANGER: Freshman Sarah Guirguis has relatives in Egypt in the middle of the recent political turmoil. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Guirguis)

photo by Emily Newell

Upon hearing of the coming ice storm last week, Butler University employees worked to prepare the campus for whatever the winter storm might bring and to keep students informed of preparations.

Last Monday afternoon, a team of faculty from student affairs, information resources, food services, a representative from the office of the provost and the director of facilities management met to form a response plan for the approaching winter storm.

“Our biggest concern was the potential loss of power, so the team developed a plan for the worst-case scenario,” Assistant Chief of Police Andrew Ryan said.

It was decided that they would rent four generators to maintain power in Atherton Union, Jordan Hall and Residential College.

Because the Greek houses and Sun-

set Avenue are on a different power grid than the rest of campus, the plan was to potentially house students in Jordan Hall if they lost power.

After keeping close tabs on weather reports and tracking how schools in Illinois were reacting to the weather, it was decided around 4 p.m. Monday that Tuesday classes would be canceled.

Typically, the decision to cancel classes is left to the president’s office.

However, because President Bobby Fong was out of town, the decision was left to the office of the provost.

To notify students of the closing, a notification was posted on the schools website, and the instant alert system also sent out e-mails and text messages to students.

University Relations handles the content of Butler’s emergency e-mails.

While some students received their emails later than others, overall the reception was positive.

“Butler sent me texts, blew up my

SPORTS 5 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 8 | OPINION 10 | PHOTOS 12

voicemail and sent me e-mails,” freshman Laura Shull said. “I enjoyed having the instant alert because it cut down on rumors about school being closed and also helped me plan accordingly.”

After ice continued to fall on Tuesday, public safety was a concern because of trees falling and the potential loss of power, especially since there were power outages throughout Marion County.

Facilities management immediately started working around campus to clear the ice as best they could. However, they encountered problems with the chemicals used to melt the ice, which initially slowed them down.

Classes were again canceled on Wednesday, and many students noticed that much of campus had turned into the equivalent of an ice skating rink.

On Thursday, classes resumed and students were warned to “wear ________________________see ice storm page 4

PAGE 2 | THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011

the butler

COLLEGIANS‘ FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEK

With the ice and snow and catching back up on homework, it’s easy to get lost in the headlines of newspapers and broadcast news. The Butler Collegian has everything you might, or might not, need to know to strike up conversations this week.

Drinking statistics cause concern for Butler administration

1) NEED TO CONFESS? THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT.

THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE: Surveys show many Butler University freshmen choose to drink alcohol at least once every week.

The administration has plans for more alcohol education programs to help students make safe choices. (Photo from stock.xchng)

BY GRACE WALLACE gwallace@butler.edu | asst. news editor

What is college?

It is defined by Merriam Webster as “an independent institution of higher learning offering a course of general studies leading to a bachelor’s degree.”

The online collaborative dictionary alternative defines college as “A magical place where it is rumored that learning takes place although, to those who enter it’s often described differently afterward—as a beautiful land in which beer flows in amber currents next to a golden pasture. It involves rampant consumption of alcoholic beverages, flagrant and promiscuous sexual behavior, and a general and fundamental disregard for any form of responsibility by its inhabitants.”

The Butler University administration has certainly seen the latter definition becoming more prominent within the student body these last few years.

In a freshman survey among Butler students, 50 percent reported having consumed alcohol prior to coming to college and having expectations for the party scene of college stereotypes to be a reality.

In addition, 67 percent of freshman students surveyed reported drinking at least one time per weekend.

A record-breaking number of hospital visits in a semester, coupled with the startlingly high alcohol use statistics among Butler students than those of other Indiana universities has raised concerns of where these issues are originating.

Open Alcohol Forums, in which campus officials seek

student opinions, have been held for ResCo, Schwitzer Hall, Apartment Village, the Greek presidents and the Greek community.

Questions such as, “Why are students drinking more?

When did the nightlife become about being black-out drunk? How can we as a university look to overcome these issues?” have been posed to students in order to determine the university’s plan of action.

Overall, students attending the forums said the university could provide more freshman sober programming as well as extending alcohol education programming beyond the first few weeks of the semester.

Coordinator of Health Education and Outreach Programs Sarah Barnes said Butler is working to create an “alcohol task force” that would work to adjust university alcohol policies and increase high-risk drinking awareness.

She said members of the task force would most likely include Butler University Police Department officers, Office of Student Affairs officials, university students and herself.

“We might try talking more with incoming students’ parents so that they can be the ones having that discussion before the students even get to Butler,” she said. “We are also going to work on more appropriately adapting high-risk programs and make students more aware.”

Barnes said students need to understand the responsibilities and obligations to themselves that come along with living on their own.

“It’s a personal responsibility,” she said. “We have

to be holding ourselves as adults in the college community.”

Barnes said it was not only the statistics that caused concern for the administration, but also the reaction of alumni after events such as homecoming.

“Our numbers drew some attention in that we’ve seen an increase, but also anecdotally a response from recent Butler alumni who have expressed concern on the amount of drinking they saw on homecoming,” Barnes said.

The response of alumni, in conjunction with the rise of alcohol-related deaths in colleges and universities across the country, has made the Butler administration question if this is a generational problem, Barnes said.

Senior Joe Wadlington said drinking issues are affecting far more than just Butler.

“I feel this rise in drinking is occurring all over the country, not just on our campus,” he said. “[It] is more a characteristic of our generation than a problem on campus.

“While a social campus can easily encourage drunken behavior, unsafe choices are the responsibility of the individual.”

Wadlington said part of the reason Butler might see higher statistics than other Indiana universities is the campus size and layout.

“Because we have a walking campus, individuals can stumble from party to party knowing if they play it sober at the front door they can make it in and possibly find more alcohol. That is what is so unsafe,” he said. “These aren’t just anonymous people. Because Butler is a small

school, we are all very well aquatinted.

“Our close-knit community of care can keep people safe, but it can also foster dangerous behavior.

“Individuals may make riskier choices if they think their friends and acquaintances will keep them safe.”

As a member of the Greek community, Wadlington said he appreciates the fact that Butler looks beyond the ‘Greek stereotype’ and recognizes the issue cannot be blamed on a single group.

“I’ve been involved in several forums about alcohol with the administration and each time they have made it clear that Greek houses are far from the only culprits,” he said. “As a freshman I was invited to drink in most of the housing units on campus.

“It’s clear that alcohol abuse doesn’t care where you live.”

Statistics from the freshman survey reflect this statement, as 77 percent of students reported drinking the same amount or less now that they had joined the Greek community and an additional 13 percent said they drink more frequently, but less per sitting.

With the implementation of the alcohol task force and the university looking to create more freshman programming, Wadlington said he thinks Butler is doing the best thing possible to protect its students.

“Any university’s administration should be concerned about their students’ drinking,” he said. “I appreciate Butler’s realization that they cannot put a stop to drinking and that their time is better spent on education than prevention.”

Dawg Bucks to extend beyond the ‘Butler Bubble’

BY SARA PRUZIN spruzin@butler.edu | asst. news editor

If current negotiations are successful, students may soon be able to use their Butler student IDs to pay at some local restaurants.

Qdoba Mexican Grill and Papa John’s Pizza have already signed on to the program, which will begin once technology is in place at the locations and contract negotiations are settled.

The IDs would function as a debit card, with parents or students being able to add money to the balance as Dawg Bucks. Restaurants would scan the cards or use the ID number to charge students. However, students would not be able to use general flex dollars or any part of their general meal plan at offcampus locations.

Student requests and the success of similar programs at other universities led the Council on Presidential Affairs to look into off-campus options last spring. They began searching for a third-party vendor to work out the details, until Aramark offered use of their existing system.

Stacey Puck, general manager of din-

ing services, said Aramark saw the proposal as a chance to expand late-night options, since the participating restaurants have later hours than the dining halls and Papa John’s offers delivery.

“It can compliment what we offer in terms of the dining program,” Puck said, “for students to be able to get food later on the weekend. The delivery option is a lot more flexible.”

Matt Kasper, chair of CPA, said representatives from Aramark and Vice President for Student Affairs Levester Johnson have been working closely to determine what would work best for the school.

“They’re trying to help Butler allure prospective students and improve campus climate,” Kasper said.

The plan includes starting with three restaurants on a trial basis, with the possibility of adding more. As an incentive for participating, restaurants would receive increased advertising presence during campus events like Welcome Week.

CPA member Kyle Frantz said that he looked into other schools with similar programs that incorporate gas stations

and drug stores along with restaurants.

He said that he would like to see the program grow similarly in the future.

“The goal, long-term, would be to have most of the restaurants in Broad Ripple on-board with it,” Frantz said.

SGA already has ties with Broad Ripple through the weekend shuttle and Kasper said that the program would increase that connection. It would also be more attractive to parents who would be able to better control where their money is spent and to students who do not want to carry credit cards.

Kasper said one of the only issues he foresees is that if too many restaurants are brought into the program, then people wouldn’t stay around campus as much. In the meantime, it will provide expanded dining options.

“It’s a nice idea to be able to get offcampus for an evening once in a while,” Kasper said.

The options were slated to begin in January, but have been postponed. Puck said that Papa John’s service may start in the next few weeks, and Kasper said he hopes a full trial period will begin sometime after spring break.

An iPhone app “aimed at helping Catholics through confession and encouraging lapsed followers back to the faith” has been given the blessing by the Catholic Church in the United States. The app, which costs $1.99, is the first of its kind to be sanctioned by the church. Developers say the app is not a replacement for church, but instead is to act as a convenience.

SOURCE: REUTERS

2) GET YOUR RID OF YOUR GUNS JUST IN TIME FOR V-DAY In an effort to get guns off the streets of Alabama, an adult romance store has decided to take those unwanted guns off the hands of customers. The store will take the guns and exchange them with store credit until Valentine’s Day. The used guns will be refurbished and sold, with the proceeds going to victims of gun violence.

SOURCE: THE MADISON COUNTY RECORD

3) GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, BAD FOR THE WALLET If a bill is passed in the state Senate of Washington, electric car owners would be taxed a $100 fee annually when registering their vehicles. The bill was introduced to earn back some of the gas taxes that those owners don’t pay.

The Washington Department of Transportation estimates that the fee is less than half the cost of what gasolinepowered car owners pay in gas taxes every year.

SOURCE: THE SEATTLE TIMES

4) CHICKEN KILLS MAN IN COCKFIGHT A 35-year-old California man was killed when a rooster stabbed him during an alleged cockfight. The rooster, which had razors attached to its legs, stabbed the man in an artery in his leg, causing him to bleed to death.

California is an “attractive destination” for cockfighting, since surrounding states consider fighting a felony.

No other arrests have been made for this incident.

SOURCE: THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN

5) ‘BALLOON BOY’S’ FATHER BACK IN SPOTLIGHT Richard Heene, the father behind 2009’s “Balloon Boy Hoax,” said in a recent interview that he only told officials it was a hoax to avoid mounting legal fees. The family has since moved to Tampa Bay, Fla., where Heene says “no one cares about their past.” Heene is now looking for a lawyer so that he can sue Colorado officials on unspecified terms.

SOURCE: ST. PETERSBURG TIMES

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY JILL MCCARTER

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011

PAGE 3 | THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

The ‘Black Curtain’ reveals black history in new way Campus focuses on art

BY ALLYSON DOBBERTEEN adobbert@butler.edu | staff writer

LOOKING BACK: The BSU chose to focus performances like this one to remind students where they came from. (Photo courtesy of Katie Carlson)

The lights dim and the curtains draw back to reveal...Black History Month.

Butler University and the Black Student Union are putting on a series of events highlighting black history and the arts throughout the month of February.

Sophomore Aisha Townsend, BSU vice president of campus events, said she hopes highlighting the arts will enhance Black History Month.

“I hope that they get an experience that they’ve never had with Black History Month,” she said. “Usually we want to focus on history, but we want to show a different kind of history.”

BSU is focusing on this week, calling it “Black Curtain Week.”

Everyday this week, BSU is putting on a different event promoting black history.

Monday featured a speaker from the African American Genealogy Group that taught how to trace family histories.

Townsend said this event allows students to get back to their roots.

“It is important because a lot of people actually forget what we went through, what we came from and how

we are doing what we do today,” she said.

Tuesday’s event was a trip to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra to attend a celebration of black history. It featured traditional music and an allAfrican-American orchestra.

Katie Carlson, a sophomore public relations and marketing major and Coffee House co-chair, said in the collegiate bubble, students tend to forget about the world outside of campus.

“We need these reminders of the world outside of our academic walls to keep us grounded,” she said.

Tonight BSU is sponsoring a trip to an Indianapolis theatre: dowtown’s Repertory Theatre. The theater is putting on a production of “Neat,” the story of a woman and her struggles during the Civil Rights movement.

Townsend said she wanted to highlight the great events happening offcampus in the Indianapolis community.

“We just tried to think of different things going on in the Indianapolis area to give them immersion into Indianapolis, as well as do some things here for our students,” she said.

Thursday will kick off the AfricanAmerican Cinema Series, which will feature a different movie each week

with opportunities to discuss them afterwards.

Friday night’s poetry jam, called Love and Roots, on at Starbucks will finish out the week.

Carlson said Butler provides a lot of programming for students, but this event is going to be something no one will want to miss because she guarantees that most students have never attended anything like a poetry jam/underground hip-hop concert before.

“I want them to walk away with a sense of discovery finding themselves more curious about the world we live in,” Carlson said.

Townsend said she hopes everyone realizes how exciting these arts events are for Black History Month.

“We forget that people fought to do those kinds of things back then and had to go step-by-step or take what they could get until they got to the top,” she said.

She said she hopes the Butler community will end the month feeling a renewed appreciation for black history, especially in the arts.

“Hopefully they get to see a different side of things,” she said. “I hope they see the things that great African-Americans did.”

Pi Delta Phi French society initiation Friday BUPDBEAT Butler brings new honor society to campus

BY AJA CACAN acacan@butler.edu | staff writer

Butler University will open a chapter of the French National Honor Society, Pi Delta Phi, Friday at the University Club at Atherton Union.

Founded in 1906, Pi Delta Phi has over 330 undergraduate and graduate chapters in the United States and France.

According to the Pi Delta Phi website, pideltaphi.org, the purpose of the society is to recognize outstanding scholarship in the French language and its literatures, to increase the knowledge and appreciation of Americans for the cultural contributions of the French-speaking world and to stimulate and encourage French and francophone cultural activities.

Associate professor of French Eloise SureauHale, who helped bring the organization to campus, said it was important for French students to actually have a French honor society on campus.

Butler’s French Department is the second largest language department with 35-40 students majoring in French along with just as many minors.

The organization has a lot to offer students, senior French and music double major Adam Weaver said.

“It’s a well established organization,” he said.

“It has a lot of resources available.”

Sureau-Hale, a member of Pi Delta Phi since graduate school, is confident in the benefits the honor society provides students.

“It looks good on a résumé, and it’s wonderful for summer scholarships,” she said.

To join, students must pay a $30 lifetime membership fee and follow requirements set forth by

the organization. The requirements include a sophomore class standing, a 3.0 GPA in French, a 2.8 overall GPA and at least one French course at the 300-level.

Sureau-Hale said one of the most important things Pi Delta Phi is known for is their generous summer study abroad scholarships.

“Most Butler French majors and minors study abroad,” Sureau-Hale said. “The society gives pretty good summer scholarships you can apply for, in addition to study abroad.”

Some are already thinking about taking advan-

tage of those opportunities.

“I’ll definitely be applying for scholarships through Pi Delta Phi,” sophomore French and organizational communications major Katie Youngen said. “I’d also like to apply for some of the summer study abroad sessions they offer.”

Another benefit of membership is networking, something of interest to students like Weaver, who are about to graduate and start job searching.

After graduation, he said he plans to look for jobs in France as a teaching assistant and said membership in Pi Delta Phi will be a great help.

“I would go into a school and help students learn English,” Weaver said. “It helps me understand their confusion with my language and improve my French as well.”

Sureau-Hale said she agrees with the networking aspect of the organization.

“If you’re looking for a job, you can tap into their members and contact them to help,” she said.

“It’s a great networking system.”

She said membership makes students more attractive to potential employers.

“It shows them that not only have you studied the language, but you’re good enough to be in an honor society,” Sureau-Hale said.

There are currently 11 students signed up to be initiated at the ceremony, along with four professors set to become honorary members.

Sureau-Hale said there has been a great level of interest in the program, especially considering that it’s been relatively short notice and that many students are currently abroad. She said she anticipates an even higher level of interest in the coming years.

New rules for SGA campaign trail

BY SARA PRUZIN spruzin@butler.edu | asst. news editor

SGA and class officer candidates will face stricter campaign rules if new guidelines are passed in SGA assembly today.

The new rules evolved out of problems the Election Oversight Committee faced last year while investigating alleged rule violations.

“We wanted to clear them up and make the language solid,” Seth Williams, EOC chair, said.

In the past, the term “campaign worker” was used but not explicitly defined, so the EOC had difficulty issuing violations, especially when it came to online posting and promotion by unregistered campaign workers. The new rules would make it clearer who must be registered as a campaign worker.

Under the new rules, anyone who does campaign work would be considered a campaign worker and is subject to the same enforcement and rules violation policies. Campaign work, according to the election

guidelines, includes, but is not limited to, posting, distributing, designing, managing or creating campaign materials or online accounts.

SGA President Chris Ring said the new regulations will clear up this distinction and other terms that were ambiguous.

“They bump up the accountability that people working under the candidate have,” Ring said.

SGA Parliamentarian Al Carroll said the proposed rule changes would force candidates to make sure that they are not violating any rules and more strictly monitor their workers.

“It will be a good test of how [candidates] manage people and how they manage their time,” he said.

Carroll said he is interested to see how the new guidelines will function this year and how they will affect the violations process.

He said while the new rules are necessary, they might discourage some people from participating with campaigns for fear that they

will cause the candidate to receive a violation. He said he hopes there is some leniency this year while people are learning the rules.

“We don’t want to send a message that if you don’t know the rules, you can’t participate,” Carroll said.

These violation policies would also change under the new guidelines. Two minor violations would constitute a major violation. More than two major violations or one severe violation would result in disqualification.

Minor violations include organizations endorsing a candidate and violating posting rules. Major violations include working with unregistered campaign workers and violating university solicitation rules.

Severe violations include posting the voting link on external sites and breaking campus rules other than the solicitation policy.

Under the old rules, a candidate could be disqualified for having more than two major or minor violations or one severe violation.

FEBRUARY 3 10:35 a.m. - Hinkle Parking Lot: Traffic accident 6:45-7 p.m. - Ross Hall: Theft

7:24 p.m. - Hinkle Parking Lot: Trespass FEBRUARY 4 1:38 a.m.- 4400 Block of Clarendon Road: Simple Assault Time Unknown - HRC Parking Lot: Traffic accident 9:22 a.m. - Outside of Jordan Hall: Injured person Various times reported - Various locations reported: Harassment FEBRUARY 5 5:54 a.m. - Facilities parking lot: Injured person 9:22 a.m. - Outside of the Pharmacy Building: Injured person FEBRUARY 6 Time Unknown - 800 Block of Hampton Drive: Damage to private property 8:43 p.m. - 4200 Block of Clarendon Road: Traffic arrest FEBRUARY 7 1:53 a.m. - 533 Block of Crown Street: Traffic arrest

Campaign financing would also be more clearly defined to include only the money given to a candidate

by SGA. No personal finances can be used, but presidential candidates will be given $150 instead of $100.

The SGA presidential debate will be held Feb. 24 and the election will be held on Feb. 28. Online polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

10:21 p.m. - ResCo: Drug law violation FEBRUARY 8 1:14 a.m. - 3600 Block of MLK: Traffic arrest

PAGE 4 | THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011

housing: CHANGES IN HOUSING RAISES CONCERNS continued from page 1 underclassmen pay.

“If a Village resident spent all of that on food in the 10 months living in the Village, he or she would end up paying the same as for the year in ResCo while getting more amenities in the Village,” Howell said.

Students living in AV or UT are not required to pay for a meal plan, which costs $2,585 per semester this year.

Students argue that while they will save money by not having to purchase a meal plan, they would have to spend even less if they lived in UT. “[We have] those same amenities at UT at a cheaper price,” Algate said.

Students who believe they will not be able to afford the contract at AV can apply for a housing exception form, which will be considered by Dean of Student Life Irene Stevens, Howell said.

“You need to document how paying the

extra money for next year would prevent you from attending Butler,” Howell said.

“You will need to provide financial documents about your own situation as well as documentation of what about your family situations that may have changed that would prevent you from returning.”

If a student is approved, they will be placed in an apartment in an open space in UT. Assignments are based on the spaces available at the time and are done on an individual basis, Howell said.

The Board of Trustees will decide on next year’s housing charges and fees sometime next month. Howell said he expects those prices to increase by about 5 percent.

Other students are optimistic about next year’s living arrangements.

“I will choose to look at the bright side,” sophomore Doug Johnson said. “AV will probably be one of the nicest places I’ll ever live in my life.”

egypt: STUDENT’S FAMILY AMID POLITICAL DISCOURSE continued from page 1 near them when I talk to them.”

The Egyptian police instituted a 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew. She said it makes getting food difficult because of the time constraints.

“From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. people are going crazy in the streets trying to get food,” Guirguis said. “On top of all this, there always has to be someone guarding the house and cars from looters.”

When the protests in Cairo escalated, Mubarak called on police forces from other areas in Egypt to come to Cairo.

“When that happened, my relatives had to start guarding their homes with guns, swords and knives in hopes of protecting their family and property from thieves and rapists.”

Protesters have now started burning cars and buildings, but Guirguis said they

weren’t always that way.

“The protests were actually peaceful until the police and armed forces got involved,” Guirguis said.

“They used bombs, tear gas and guns, forcing my family to stay inside their homes for safety.”

The Egyptian government also temporarily shutting down Internet and cell phones.

Guirguis said these restrictions only intensified anger towards the government.

While Guirguis said that Mubarak is being rightly critcized, his time as president had some positive outcomes. She said that he brought a sense of stability to the country, and economic investment.

Guirguis said that American media has done a poor job of portraying the situation and his presidency ojectively.

“The news is one-sided, and they are only showing the people who want him out immediately,” she said.

“There are many people who want him to finish out his term through September.”

Like the people of Egypt, Guirguis said her family members do not all agree either.

She said her father believes Mubarak’s immediate resignation would cause the protests to cease, but her mother believes he should finish out his term to maintain the stability of the country.

“My family is divided as to what they think should happen, and I can see it both ways,” Guirguis said.

For Guirguis, the distance from her family and country has caused her stress.

“I’m worried all the time about my family,” she said.

“I just want what is best for them.”

ice storm: ICE AND SNOW CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR STUDENTS

CCOM searches for new faculty

BY ALLYSON DOBBERTEEN adobbert@butler.edu | staff writer

The College of Communication is on the hunt for three new faculty members. Candidates are vying for positions in creative studies, journalism and strategic communication.

Interim Dean of CCOM, William Neher, said the college is placing a high priority on the candidate’s ability to teach undergraduates.

He said that is not always the case.

“Sometimes you are looking for someone who can teach graduate school or has a research emphasis, but our first concern now is someone who can go into that freshman writing class and do very well with those students,” he said.

Neher said that a teaching emphasis is something unique to Butler.

“We emphasis undergraduate teaching more than a larger institution might,” he said.

Sophomore Becca Smith said she hopes the new professors also bring professional experience.

“I would hope that they were active in today’s field and up-to-date with all the things that have been changing within communications,” she said. “So many things have changed that anyone that has not worked in the field within the last few years would lose important insight.”

The newly-hired professors would teach mostly introductory courses.

Smith said because the professors will be

CAMPUSBRIEF Why is my Blackboard in Spanish?

BY GRACE WALLACE gwallace@butler.edu | asst news editor

Some Butler University students may have needed to brush up on their language skills when their “What’s New” section on Blackboard recently changed to Spanish.

In a “Blackboard News” statement released on the site, Information Technology said the problem arose from fixing a separate issue.

“It resulted last weekend when we fixed the issue of students not being able to access course content within courses that had content copied or imported from previous courses,” the statement said.

The statement assured students that

SNOWED IN: More than an inch of ice coated the hoods and windshields of cars on campus. University employees worked to clear paths and make the campus navigable after the ice storm. (Photo by Maria Porter) continued from page 1 appropriate shoes and drive slowly” on their way to class.

“I wanted to go to class, but at the same time, I felt that it was unsafe,” Shull said. “I understand that you can’t just shovel ice, but I feel that Butler could have provided better clearing of the sidewalks.”

“We were mindful of the conditions, but it was not so dangerous that people could not get to campus,” Ryan said.

Even after the snow and ice stopped falling, facilities management continued to work around campus to clear all sidewalks.

While much of campus was still covered

in ice, Ryan said he had heard rumors of injuries caused from falling on the ice, but no report come directly from public safety officials.

Shull said that her management science class was canceled on Friday afternoon because her professor fell on ice and had to go see a doctor.

“It kind of freaked me out that people were getting hurt,” Shull said. “It could potentially take a big toll on your body.”

The possibility of rising temperatures later this week should melt the ice and students and faculty will no longer have to worry about tip-toeing their way through campus.

teaching introductory classes, they should stress certain aspects of the field.

“Introductory classes should also show how exciting our field is and all the great things that can be done with a communications degree,” she said.

The search process began over a year ago, when the university administration approved it.

In the fall, a search committee of relevant faculty was assembled. The committee prepared a job description for each position. The positions were advertised nationally.

Neher said each application that comes in is carefully reviewed by the search committee.

“The committee holds meetings to sort through the piles of applications that stack up and pick out the ones that look the best and meet the criteria and standards for the job description,” he said.

The committee picks the top three candidates for each position, and each candidate is invited for a two-day campus visit.

“They do a teaching demo with a real class,” Neher said. “They also have time to make a lecture to faculty and interested staff based on their research.”

Candidates for the strategic communications position visited campus last week.

Their names were not released because the search is ongoing.

The college is holding interviews to fill the positions back-to-back-to-back.

only the sub-header sections of Blackboard are affected and the issue would not alter any of the content, course material or student-learning areas.

The release said students do not need to report the issue to IT “as there isn’t anything they or instructors can do to resolve the issue.”

Instructors, however, are being asked to alter the entry point for the course if the problem is too distracting for students.

“Instructors can change the default Entry Point for courses by doing the following: Under the Control Panel, click on Customization -> Style -> Select Course Entry Point -> Submit,” the release said.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011

SPORTS THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

A bang-up win

BY COLIN LIKAS clikas@butler.edu | asst. sports editor

BLOODY HOWARD: Senior Matt Howard stands after a UIC elbow drew blood above his right eye just before halftime. Howard did not return for the second half. (Photo by Maria Porter)

on

deck

Bulldogs at home this week

WEDNESDAY NONE

THURSDAY MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Wright State 7 p.m.

FRIDAY NONE

SATURDAY MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Cleveland State 3 p.m.

SUNDAY MEN’S TENNIS vs. Drake 1 p.m.

MONDAY NONE

TUESDAY NONE

Several Bulldogs got banged up in the process, but the Butler men’s basketball team came away with a 72-65 win against UIC (6-19, 1-12 HL) Monday.

Butler (16-9, 8-5 HL) continues its current homestand Thursday when the Raiders of Wright State (17-9, 10-4 HL) visit Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Howard is questionable for the game after taking an elbow to the face while Butler was trying to inbound the ball. He suffered a bloody cut above his right eye that required stitches. He did not return in the second half.

“I’ve never really seen anything like that before,” head coach Brad Stevens said. “He’s such a tough kid, and I know he doesn’t want to spend any time on the bench this late in his career.”

Sophomore Chase Stigall also left the game during the first half with what Stevens described as a “lower leg tweak.”

The first 20 minutes of the contest were back and forth with neither team leading by more than five points.

Each team had its star in the opening act.

Junior Shelvin Mack started fast for the Bulldogs, tallying seven points in the first 10 minutes.

Flames’ senior Robo Kreps put up 14 points in the opening half, which he said was due to opportunities to drive into the lane.

After Howard left the game, Butler’s offense lulled until a 3-pointer from senior Zach Hahn six and a half minutes later spurned a run. With help from junior Ronald Nored and senior Shawn Vanzant, the Bulldogs’ pushed the lead to a game-high 13 points.

A late push by UIC wasn’t enough and Butler held on for a 7-point win.

“If you would’ve told me that we had Matt play 17 minutes and that we lost Chase early and still won by seven, I would’ve been plenty hap-

PAGE 5 OVERTIME

py,” Stevens said.

Mack’s 17 points led the Bulldogs.

Freshman Khyle Marshall finished with 11 points.

Nored made up for Howard’s absence by grabbing a team-high eight rebounds.

Kreps led UIC with 22 points, exactly the number he needed to become the ninth player in UIC history to score 1,500 or more career points.

Two days before, Butler completed a regular season sweep of the Cleveland State Vikings (21-5, 10-4 HL) to end a three-game losing streak.

Howard led the Bulldogs to a 7361 victory with 14 points, supported by the double-digit scoring of sophomore Andrew Smith, Marshall, Mack and Vanzant.

“When you lose three straight, two in overtime and one by two points, you can feel like you’re a long way away, and I think these guys did a great job of staying focused and staying together,” Stevens said. “It’s hard to do that when things aren’t going your way.”

Despite a slow start, Butler found itself up four at halftime, thanks to Vanzant, Hahn, Marshall and Smith each scoring six points in the first half.

Cleveland State pushed back throughout the second half, tying the game several times.

Howard put the game away with a 3-pointer that gave Butler a 10-point lead with just less than five minutes remaining.

Butler’s victory snapped a 13game home winning streak and a six-game overall winning streak for the Vikings, and broke its own threegame losing streak in the process.

Butler’s contest against the Raiders, who are currently tied for second in the conference with Cleveland State, begins tomorrow at 7 p.m. and will be aired on ESPNU. “We’ve got a banged up team, but so does Wright State,” Stevens said.

“We’ll play who’s healthy and be ready to go.”

NFL handed great Super Bowl pairing

BY STEVEN PEEK speek@butler.edu | sports editor

E v e n with the impending lockout, doesn’t it seem as if the National Football League is headed back into its prime?

That prime was a hardhitting, well-balanced style of play with a mix of muscle in the middle and speed on the edges.

Sunday night’s Super Bowl proved that this style is starting to make a comeback, if only because of the two teams playing.

Never mind that the referees were average, Christina Aguilera messed up the lyrics to the national anthem, the stadium had sound issues during the halftime show and some fans with legitimate tickets got denied access. The 60 minutes of play was all that was needed.

The Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-25, in a game that returned two historically-successful and tough teams to football’s brightest stage.

Maybe it’s easy to say that all is right with the world because the two teams used to have dynasties and used to be successful in the NFL’s earlier days, but I think that it’s how the teams play and what they stand for that makes me feel good about the league today. _________ see column page 7

Women’s tennis learns from shutout

BY STEVEN PEEK speek@butler.edu | sports editor

Butler women’s tennis will enter a meet with city rival IUPUI this Saturday after another 7-0 defeat, this time while facing the No. 44 Indiana Hoosiers.

The 7-0 loss, which came one day after a home match versus Dayton was canceled due to adverse weather conditions, was not as bad as the score shows.

In fact, senior Gabriella Bobrowski said the team showed improvement.

“The final 7-0 score looks pretty rough, but it didn’t feel that way considering how many close matches we had in both singles and doubles,” she said. “IU took the win probably because they could hit solid shots more consistently and were able to keep their heads cool and stay consistent without backing off.”

One of those close matches went to Butler, though, when freshmen Stephanie McLoughlin and Gabrielle Rubenstein defeated Indiana’s No.1 doubles team, 8-6.

“We really stuck to the basics—making sure we stayed aggressive while not trying to out-hit such a powerful team,” McLoughlin said. “We knew we were a good team and we believed we could win, no matter who was on the other side of the

net.”

McLoughlin was one of two Bulldogs to win a set in singles, taking the first set of her No. 3 singles match, 4-6, before losing the second and the deciding tie-breaker.

“My doubles match allowed me to have the confidence to come in behind good ground strokes and finish the point at the net,” she said.

Bobrowski was the other Bulldog to win a set in singles, doing so in the No. 4 singles match.

Bobrowski said that the freshmen looked much more comfortable in the season’s third match.

“The beginning was a little shaky for them, which is normal,” Bobrowski said. “But having them play at a high level is crucial for the rest of the season, considering they are a big chunk of the line up.”

Bobrowski also said besides strong freshman play, Butler will need to improve its strength late in matches to get more wins.

“Last week, we struggled to finish points,” she said. “We would set up the entire point well and struggle in putting it away. This week’s preparation will probably be a continuation of what we did last week—working on finishing our shots.

“We have the perfect opportunity to practice winning clutch points at IUPUI.” Saturday’s meet at IUPUI begins at 6 p.m.

THE SETUP: Senior Gabriella Bobrowski was one of two Bulldogs to win a set in singles Sunday. (Photo by Maria Porter)

Butler mourns loss of former coach

BY LANCE RINKER lrinker@butler.edu | asst. sports editor

During a time when social injustice ran rampant, coach George Theofanis challenged the norms and established a new, diverse face for Butler basketball.

Theofanis, a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and Butler basketball coach from 1970-77, passed away Jan. 30 at the age of 79.

Don Benbow served as a Butler basketball and football coach in 1969 and recalls Theofanis’ tenure.

“He was the coach that brought the minority and diversity to the basketball program,” Benbow said.

Throughout his seven years at Butler, Theofanis assembled competitive squads while paying no mind to his players’ skin color.

“He recruited good athletes and good students

just like you have at Butler today,” Benbow said.

Theofanis, who coached Shortridge High School to the Indiana State Championship game in 1968, was faced with the difficult task of succeeding the highly popular and successful Tony Hinkle as coach of the Butler Bulldogs in the 1970-71 season.

Amid the pressures of following Hinkle and the constraints of a nonexistent recruiting budget, Theofanis recorded a 79-105 record while at Butler.

Despite the lackluster win-loss record, his alwayscompetitive teams included some notable figures.

In addition to blazing the trail of unbiased and fair recruiting, Theofanis offered a scholarship to current Butler athletic director Barry Collier.

Collier came to Butler in 1974 as a junior college transfer and played under Theofanis for two seasons, earning the team’s co-MVP award in 1976.

Collier later went on to coach the Bulldogs to

three NCAA tournament appearances and helped re-introduce the “Butler Way” philosophy into Butler athletics.

“Ultimately, all of his teachings to our teams and to me had an effect on my coaching,” Collier said.

Theofanis also coached former NBA first-round draft pick Oscar Evans, a two-sport athlete, at both Shortridge and Butler.

Benbow was the football coach at Shortridge in the 1960s, the same time Theofanis was the school’s basketball coach.

“I remember during one football game, Evans got knocked down and was pretty shaken up,” Benbow said. “[Theofanis] ran out of the stands and beat me onto the field to see if Oscar was okay.”

“He really cared about his players,” Benbow added. “He was a very intense coach and a very good coach.”

PAGE 6 | THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011

Unfriendly confines

Bulldogs drop two conference games at home

BY MATT RHINESMITH mrhinesm@butler.edu | sports staff writer

The Butler women’s basketball team entered the weekend two games behind No. 18 Green Bay for the lead in the Horizon League.

With a chance to take control of the league, the Bulldogs (14-9, 8-3 HL) faltered twice at home, losing to Detroit and Wright State.

Saturday, the Bulldogs hosted the Wright State Raiders (14-8, 7-4 HL) in a battle for second place in the conference.

After being down by as many as 15 in the first half, the Bulldogs made a surge in the second half.

Butler found itself down by two points, 6866, with less than 30 seconds to play.

Senior forward Chloe Hamilton sank a pair of free throws with 12 seconds remaining to tie the game at 68.

Wright State head coach Mike Bradbury then called a 30-second timeout to draw up one final play.

Raider senior point guard LaShawna Thomas broke through the Butler press, which had been effective throughout the game, and attempted a layup that bounced off the rim with six seconds to play.

Wright State senior Ta-myra Davis was able to haul down two offensive rebounds in the final five seconds and netted the winning layup with less than a second left.

The Bulldogs only had a few tenths of a second to work with, which was almost enough.

Freshman guard Mandy McDivitt took a shot from beyond the arc that hit the back of the rim before bouncing out, giving Wright State the 70-68 win.

“We didn’t play 40 minutes, we only played about eight,” head coach Beth Couture said. “That won’t win you any basketball games.”

Despite the loss, the Bulldogs had four players score in double figures. Hamilton led Butler with 15 points and eight rebounds.

“When we have our backs against the wall, we can perform,” Hamilton said. “I just wish we didn’t have our backs against the wall all the time.”

The loss to Wright State closed out a four game homestand for the Bulldogs, during which they won only one game.

Just two days earlier, Butler welcomed Detroit to Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Butler led by as many as six points in the first half, but halftime saw the two teams deadlocked at 25.

The Titans (10-12, 4-7 HL) pulled away in the second half, leading 46-35 with 9:30 remaining. However, Butler refused to go down without a fight.

Back-to-back layups by Bowen and Hamilton cut Detroit’s lead to just two, 47-45. Hamilton scored again with 36 seconds remaining to make it 53-51.

Detroit struggled at the free throw line all night making—four of 10 attempts—howev-

er, sophomore Dominique Dixon converted a pair of free throws to seal the victory for the Titans.

Detroit was led by sophomores Cherridy Thornton and Yar Shayok. Thornton led all scorers with 14 points. Shayok was just short of a double-double, finishing with 12 points and nine rebounds.

Starters Hamilton and Bowen led the Bulldogs with 11 points each, but another poor night from behind the 3-point line hurt the Bulldogs.

In last week’s game against nationallyranked Green Bay, the Bulldogs struggled from deep, making only two of 15 attempts from 3-point range.

Those woes continued Thursday night against Detroit where Butler shot 2-for-11 from beyond the arc.

Against Detroit, the Bulldogs were outrebounded 32 to 25 and managed only two offensive rebounds the entire game.

Saturday was Pink Zone Day at Hinkle Fieldhouse, an event promoted by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. During the game, Butler donned pink uniforms in order to raise awareness for breast cancer.

The Bulldogs will travel to Youngstown, Ohio on Thursday to take on Youngstown State. The Penguins (3-19, 1-10 HL) are at the bottom of the Horizon League, but Couture and Hamilton said they expect a close game.

SOFT TOUCH: Senior Brittany Bowen takes a shot over Detroit sophomore Yar Shayok. (Photo by Erin Drennan)

Track makes successful strides in South Bend

BY MATT RHINESMITH mrhinessm@butler.edu | sports staff writer

In her second collegiate season, sophomore Kirsty Legg is showing that she has a lot to offer the Butler track program in the future.

She continued her dominance this season by finishing third in the women’s mile at the Meyo Invitational in South Bend, Ind., this weekend. Her time of 4:43.08 was only three seconds behind the winner, sophomore Rebecca Addison of the University of Michigan.

“I was hoping for a fast race this weekend so I could get the automatic qualifying time for the NCAA Indoor Championships,” Legg said. “However, the race did not go as planned. I still ran my second fastest mile ever—two sec-

onds slower than the school record.”

While her third place finish was the highest the Butler program had this weekend, a few other runners finished strong.

Sophomore Katie Clark finished fifth in the women’s 3000-meter with a time of 9:33.48.

On the men’s side of things, senior Justin Roeder finished fifth in the 5000-meter, the highest men’s finish from the weekend. His time was 14:24.96.

Junior Craig Gundersen finished 14th in the same race, with a time of 14:37.11.

Freshman Ross Clarke finished eighth in the men’s mile with a time of 4:05.38.

Sophomore Craig Jordan finished eighth in the 800-meter,

with a time of 1:53.69.

“Overall I thought the team ran very well,” head coach Matt Roe said. “We had several outstanding performances.”

The Bulldogs have a busy weekend coming up, as some of the team travels to Bloomington, Ind., for the Hoosier Hills meet, while another part of the team travels to Seattle for the Husky Classic, hosted by the University of Washington.

“The meet in Seattle is one of the top indoor meets in the country,” Legg said. “Hopefully we can put together a good showing and get ready for our conference championships two weeks after Seattle.”

The Husky Classic is a two-day meet, taking place on Friday and Saturday.

The Hoosier Hills event will be held on Friday.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011

THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN | PAGE 7

overtime: PACKERS-STEELERS SUPER BOWL WHAT NFL NEEDED continued from page 9 The Super Bowl matchup certainly made me feel better than if I had been preparing to watch the San Diego Chargers play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Packers were the team of the 1960s, when they won the first two Super Bowls ever and were coached by the awe-inspiring Vince Lombardi.

The Steelers were the team of the 1970s. Their “Steel Curtain” defense led them to four Super Bowls during the decade.

The game itself held true to form, too. The Packers forced three turnovers in the game, making them the 31st of 35 teams to have three or more turnovers and win the game.

To this day, these teams are each about hitting hard on defense, making tough catches across the middle and run-

EXPRESS YOURSELF: Packers’ players celebrate as time expires during the team’s Super Bowl victory over Pittsburgh. (Photo from MCT)

ning the ball with physicality. Both starting quarterbacks do that too.

Neither team is about being flashy or having style. Aaron Rodgers throws to a bunch of unknown or veteran receivers and hands the ball off to an unproven running back.

Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t put up Hall of Fame numbers, but he does throw to a Hall of Fame receiver in Hines Ward.

The Packers couldn’t even keep their starting lineup on the field for one game this season. They lost starters in the first and last games of the season.

The Steelers didn’t have Roethlisberger for the first four games of the season due to a suspension.

Granted, each team’s top defensive playmaker—Troy Polamalu and Clay Matthews, respectively—has an advertisement for shampoo, but they each make people feel pain, so I’ll overlook the glamorous endorsements.

The reason for the way these teams are viewed is also due to the culture of the two home cities.

The Packers are owned by the city of Green Bay—literally.

They are a community-owned, non-profit franchise owned by approximately 112,000 Green Bay residents. The Steelers are owned by the accessible and genuine Rooney family.

Now that it’s all said and done, here’s how these two teams and their styles brought American football fans back from the brink of completely forgetting the roots and origins of the league: the franchise with the most Lombardi trophies in NFL history lost to the team who won the first two and whose iconic former head coach had the trophy named after him.

The American people needed this type of game. They needed young quarterbacks, gang-tackling defenses, physical running backs and proud tradition.

America did not need another Brady or Manning appearance, and it did not need the Dallas Cowboys playing a Super Bowl on their home field trying to reclaim their “America’s Team” label.

America needed good football, and we got it.

Women’s swimming second at Rose Hulman

BY BILLY KLIMCZAK

One of the closest races of the meet was bklimcza@butler.edu | sports staff writer the 100-meter breaststroke. When all was said A young Butler women’s swimming and done, freshman Rosalie Fidanze took and diving team will head into the Horizon third in the event for Butler, finishing with a League Championship meet coming off of a time of 1:11.28. second-place finish at the Rose Hulman TriThe meet concluded with the 200 free reangular meet Feb. 5. lay. The relay team, consisting of Lambrecht, The Bulldogs showed promise early in the Fidanze, Brannen and freshman Katie Ring, contest when they delivered the Bulldogs’ recorded a victory in fifth and final secondthe 200-meter medley place finish with a final relay. time of 1:46.95.

Freshmen Lauren “I feel like I enjoyed Need, Lauren Lamthis meet more than brecht and Kathleen most simply because it Brannen and sophoseemed like everyone more Kyle Johannsen went out and exceeded were able to claim the expectations,” Brannen win with a time of said. “In almost all ar1:54.48. eas of competition, as Butler’s strong a team, we were doing start continued in the something great.”

Kathleen Brannen 1000-yard freestyle.

Head coach Maurice Johannsen, a freestyle FRESHMAN SWIMMER Stewart expressed a specialist, collected similar outlook on the the team’s first runner-up finish, posting a entire season. time of 11:28.22.

“It’s amazing to look back on how well the As the meet went on, more solid perfor- girls have adjusted,” Stewart said. “It’s clear, mances were turned in by the Bulldogs. now, that they’ve begun to understand that In the 200-yard free, Need’s time of 2:07.00 it’s up to them to take this team where they was good enough for second place. She fin- want to go.” ished just seventh-tenths of a second ahead After a long season that has included sevof her closest competitor, IUPUI freshman eral meets and a training trip in Florida, the Amanda Janda.

Bulldogs are looking ahead to the Horizon Minutes later, Lambrecht recorded a time League Championships. The meet, which of 26.84 in the 50-meter free to pick up anoth- will span four days, will be held in Cleveland, er second place finish for Butler. She finished Feb. 23-26. behind another IUPUI freshman, Lindsey “I feel ready,” Stewart said. “It has been a Hurst, who swam the race in 24.84. great environment to work in this past year In the 100-meter backstroke, Brannen gave and I feel that everyone, including myself, the Bulldogs their fourth second-place finish, has grown and learned from one another.” completing the race in 1:06.60,

“In almost all areas of competition, as a team, were were doing something great.”

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews celebrate following the Packers’ Super Bowl victory. (Photo from MCT)

Softball third in league poll

BY COLIN LIKAS clikas@butler.edu | asst. sports editor

The Butler softball team’s 2010 campaign helped the Bulldogs to a strong ranking in this year’s Horizon League preseason poll.

The program-best 36-19 record, posted by the Bulldogs last season, earned them a thirdplace tie with Wright State.

According to a press release from Butler Athletics, the Bulldogs and the Raiders both received 43 points. Preseason favorite Cleveland State and UIC finished ahead of Butler in the poll.

The Bulldogs will be led by new head coach Scott Hall this season, while returning six starting position players and three top pitchers.

Sophomore pitcher Jenny Esparza is one

of those. The right-hander was named First Team All-Horizon League and given a spot on the All-Newcomer Team last season.

Esparza set two school records during her freshman season, recording a single-season record 17 wins and striking out 272 batters.

Junior first baseman Erin Falkenberry, who was named Second Team All-Horizon League, will also be returning this season.

Her .342 batting average was a team-best last season.

Seniors Erin Jackson and Jennifer Chasteen, juniors Lauren McNulty, Jessica Huey, Mallory Winters and Breanna Fisher and sophomore Meaghan Sullivan are the other returning starters this season.

Butler will open its season Feb. 18 in Starkville, Miss. against Southern Illinois.

A&E

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011

THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

PAGE 8

Butler senior produces second studio album Mark Alexander discusses new music, Butler, future plans, Bieber

BY CAITLIN O’ROURKE corourke@butler.edu | a&e editor

Mark Alexander would like to act all indie and hip—really, he would—but the truth is that his largest influence is the Dave Matthews Band.

“I wish I could be cool and say someone that no one knows,” Alexander, a senior recording industry studies major, said.

He doesn’t need a cool influence: Alexander has real talent. His jam band influenced music features compelling choices, such as violin and sometimes banjo and harmonica, similar to both Dave Matthews and O.A.R. His vocals, on the other hand, more closely match the intimacy of Ray LaMontagne, perhaps without such a gravelly sound.

Alexander just released his second album, “Closer,” which his manager Sara Bell, a Butler alum, describes as “a lot heavier” than his 2009 debut, “Better Days.” Both albums are currently available on iTunes. His EP is available on his website, www.malexandermusic.com.

Bell promised that this album had a “more grown-up sound” this time around.

Patrick Hurley, the multimedia coordinator of the College of Communication, said Alexander’s music compares favorably with John Mayer, and, of course, Dave Matthews.

“His music isn’t narrowly focused in terms of audience,” Hurley said. “It really has a broad appeal to almost all age groups.”

Alexander cites Hurley as someone who has been absolutely essential to his success thus far as a musician. Far from emphasizing how much of his own time and efforts he spent creating two albums from scratch, he instead talks about the dedication of his band and the Butler faculty—most notably Hurley. “[Hurley] always says how he doesn’t want to be that dad who’s always hanging

around, and he’s not,” Alexander said. “He’s really more like that cool dad who hangs out with us. This album would have absolutely not happened without his passion and support.”

When talking to Alexander, it really does come across that this is all about the music for him, rather than seeking fame and riches and a crazy Mick Jagger rock ‘n roll lifestyle.

He was open about the ups and downs of the music industry, made quips about Ke$ha and “the Beebs,” jokingly said that knitting is one of his other passions and discussed his musical theater acting career in high school.

It isn’t hard to picture him appealing to a broad audience, not just his current fan base that is heavily centered at Butler and the Indianapolis area.

Lucas Anderson, a freshman recording industry studies major and Alexander’s newest drummer, has nothing but praise for the singer, who has “set the precedent” for being successful with their degree.

Alexander’s former drummer, Emillio Buonanni, also a Butler alum, is currently teaching music in Japan.

“I’ve really liked working with Mark,” Anderson said. “He’s enthusiastic, and basically told me to do my own thing on the album. He’s all about going with the flow.”

As with all in the arts business, however, there’s always the uncomfortable question of whether or not success can actually be achieved, especially for a soon-to-be college graduate.

Hurley is confident.

“He came in with a fair amount of talent, but there are plenty of people with talent,” Hurley said. “His determination and willingness to work hard and improve himself will set him apart.”

Alexander is surprisingly laid back about whether he’ll ever achieve fame. As of right

JAMMIN’ OUT: Mark Alexander plays a gig with his band, The Good Shame. From left, Allie Summers on violin, Alexander on vocals and guitar, Lucas Anderson on drums and Eric Henry playing bass (Photo courtesy of Sarah Murrell) now, his plans for after college include working full time at a studio owned by Live Nation.

“I’m not really concerned about making

QUICK FACTS

The White Stripes So long, dear friends.

We wanted to send a “seven nation army” after we heard the news that you were indeed leaving us for good, but instead we’re putting a “blue orchid” on your grave in remembrance.

We “icky thumped” through our life with you, but now the world has become “dead leaves and dirty ground.”

You told us your music now belonged to us, and we know Jack will continue making music in his 500 other bands, but “the hardest button to button” is realizing lovely Meg, one of the most hardcore female musicians we know, will not be a part of that.

We would have “fought piranhas” for you. We “didn’t know what love was” until you came along.

Photo from MCT

See him live again: Friday, March 25 8 p.m.

White Rabbit Cabaret,

Indianapolis

Roses are red and violets are blue. Valentine’s Day is approaching, so what should you do? If you are without plans for Valentine’s Day, there is still time to decide what to do, but that time is running out. Whether you have someone special in your life, are just going alone or are hanging out with friends this year, we have great suggestions for everyone. BY BRIAN WANBAUGH

Mama Carolla’s (photo by Caitlin O’Rourke)

For the love birds:

1. The romantic dinner out on the town Although Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday this year, Saturday and Sunday are perfect opportunities for couples to enjoy a nice, romantic dinner. Junior Brad Delaney thinks downtown would be best.

“Valentine’s Day is more of a special occasion, so I’d go to a classier restaurant downtown probably,” Delaney said. “I feel that the girl likes it when their guy dresses up, so just a nicer restaurant.”

2. The romantic night in To escape crowds this Valentine’s Day weekend, couples can always stay in and enjoy a nice dinner in the privacy of their own place.

We dare you to go all out—candlelight, Billie Holiday music and cooking your own homemade dinner.

3. Be artsy Instead of long nights looking into each other’s eyes, how about a meaningful conversation at the Indianapolis Museum of Art or seeing a show at the Indiana Repertory Theatre? It’s bound to start an engaging dialogue, while still probably gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes.

The Butler Arts and Entertainment Calendar JCFA Percussion Ensemble Clowes Memorial Hall 7:30 p.m.

See him live: Saturday, Feb. 12 10 p.m.-12 a.m.

The Ram Restaurant & Brewery, Fishers

Find the album: iTunes or www.malexandermusic. com

Hitting the town for the day of love

RIP

9

it,” he said. “It’s really just about reaching out to people with music.

“If I make money along the way, then I guess that’d be fine too.”

10

11

12

Leadership Through the Arts JCFA Piano Symposium JCFA Piano Symposium Forum: Cameo Carlson Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall 8 a.m.

8 a.m.

7:30 p.m.

Junie B. Jones Clowes Memorial Hall 12 p.m.

Half Baked Pottery (photo by Caitlin O’Rourke)

For those riding solo:

1. Enjoy a night out with your crazy single friends A night with friends on this Valentine’s Day is always a great choice for those who don’t have a current flame. A fine meal and good time can be had either out or staying in, but going out offers more choices.

Places like Bazbeaux Pizza and Buca di Beppo offer huge dishes that are relatively cheap when big parties are enjoying them together.

2. Delude yourself with stories of past romance Another option is to go see one of the most famous teen movies to come out of the ‘80s, “Sixteen Candles.”

AMC Castleton Square 14 is showing the teen rom/com Sunday and Monday at 7 p.m. for all of us too young to have seen it in theaters the first time around. We can still appreciate the genius of Molly Ringwald, though, and that Jake Ryan was the original teenage heartthrob.

3. Distract yourself in good ol’ B-Rip Seriously, there’s so much to do you’ll forget you’re alone and sad. Go make a teapot at Half Baked Pottery, browse through Broad Ripple Vintage or stuff yourself with the best ice cream we’ve ever tasted at BRICS.

13 No events scheduled

14 No events scheduled

15 JCFA Faculty Artist Series Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall 7:30 p.m.

PAGE 9 | THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011

TV shows return from winter break with new heat Audiences can expect guest stars and plot twists

BY ALLISON AMMERMULLER aammermu@butler.edu | staff writer

When the icy days and frigid nights leave you stuck inside, be relieved to know TV’s most popular shows are coming back after their midwinter break and are better than ever.

The Office: The hit sitcom returned last Thursday to finish Steve Carell’s final season as Dunder Mifflin’s dim-witted, but well-meaning regional manager Michael Scott. For the remainder of this season, expect more appearances from Holly (Amy Ryan), Jan (Melora Hardin), Karen (Rashida Jones) and Roy (David Denman)—all recurring characters from seasons passed.

Carell is set to leave the series four episodes prior to the season finale, so the focus will shift to Michael’s replacement. Top candidates for the job are Andy (Ed

Helms), Dwight (Rainn Wilson), Daryll (Craig Robinson) or a newcomer.

Parks and Recreation: Season three premiered Jan. 20. The third season focuses on Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) struggling to keep her optimism for public service in the face of disparagement about government and economic cutbacks.

In an upcoming episode, Leslie and Ron (Nick Offerman) drive to Indianapolis to receive commendation for the Pawnee Harvest Festival, while Tom (Aziz Ansari) holds a launch party for his new fragrance, “Tommy Fresh.” Future guest stars include Megan Mullally and Jim O’Heir.

Glee: The teen music phenomenon returned last Sunday, following the Super Bowl.

Coming up this season Rachel’s (Lea Michele) love life will come back on the radar,

but it is unknown whether it will involve Puck (Mark Salling) or Finn (Cory Monteith). Lauren Zizes (Ashley Fink) is expected to have a big solo this season and there are rumors that Quinn (Dianna Agron) and Sam (Chord Overstreet) will break up.

However, both will find comfort in the arms of other Glee cast members.

Future guest stars may include Anne Hathaway and Javier Bardem.

Modern Family: The comedy series “Modern Family” is scheduled to premiere its latest season tonight. Last year’s Emmy winner for best comedy, upcoming episodes feature parents Claire (Julie Bowen) and Phil (Ty Burrell) role playing on Valentine’s Day again and Fizbo the clown is not invited to his own daughter’s birthday.

Future guest stars include Shelley Long, Nathan Lane

and Jonathan Banks.

Kourtney and Kim Take New York: The show premiered Jan. 23 with Kardashian sisters Kourtney and Kim moving to New York to open their newest Dash store. In the coming weeks, expect to follow Kim’s friendship with singer Ciara.

The show seems to be lacking the personality of sister Khloe, who is never afraid to tell her big sisters her opinion on anything and everything.

Look for an appearance from Kanye West as well.

Parenthood: Season two came back on Feb. 1. There are huge story lines coming up for the fan endeared Amber (Mae Whitman), involving a possible new relationship. The rest of the season will show plenty of family drama with all of the characters. Some guest stars coming in the future include John Corbett and Jason Ritter.

GLEEFUL LADIES : ‘Glee’ (top) and ‘Kourtney and Kim’ are two shows returning to television this month after a winter break. (Photos from MCT)

Bright Eyes harkens back to roots

BY AJA CACAN acacan@butler.edu | staff writer

THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO ITALY: Anthony Hopkins stars as a highly experienced exorcist in ‘The Rite,’ the newest film to explore the supernatural, Catholicism and the role of the devil in the world. (Photo from MCT)

‘The Rite’ brings Satan to life Hopkins delivers in terrifying new role

BY CAITLIN O’ROURKE corourke@butler.edu | a&e editor

It’s Hannibal Lector meets Satan. That should tell you how disturbing “The Rite” is, from its sinister beginning to its horrific climax.

Starring Anthony Hopkins, the newest movie about exorcisms, Catholicism and the people who are affected by them is perhaps one of the most insightful—and truthful—looks into the subject. It will definitely have those educated by the Catholic Church crying into their hands as Satan manifests himself in various ways on screen.

Depending on what you believe, the movie could either be terrifying or just a slightly eerie drama. The movie lacks the almost requisite cheap thrills on which most horror films today seem to gorge themselves.

Instead, it provides a dark, menacing tone throughout.

If you really believe in the devil, exorcisms and the like, even the more basic scenes of exorcizing in the movie will have you frightened.

Hopefully even those who

don’t believe may find some scenes—or at least Hopkins—just a bit creepy.

The story relies heavily on the Catholic Church. Michael Kovak (Colin O’Donoghue), raised all his life in a funeral home by only his widowed father decides to join seminary school—with every intention of leaving before he takes his vows. He refuses to inherit his father’s business, but doesn’t believe his father will give him money for college.

Four years later, the father superior of the seminary refuses to let Kovak go because of his potential, and instead sends him to an exorcism class in Rome because the Catholic Church has decided they want an exorcist in each diocese.

Kovak, an admitted atheist, gets sent to Father Lucas Trevant (Hopkins) after the priest in charge of the classes realizes more unorthodox views may suit Kovak better.

He assists Lucas with specific, horrifying exorcisms until it’s clear that the devil is closer and more present than either would like to believe.

Deep, personal performances are given by both O’Donoghue and Hopkins, as both go through major changes throughout the movie. The struggle is clear within O’Donoghue throughout the entire film and Hopkins can translate ten different emotions with one simple look into the camera.

The movie isn’t as smart as it could be, however.

There are many plot points that could have been extended, and the tone could be more sinister to truly convey the deadliness of the plot. As the movie progresses, there is definitely lost potential for a smart, well-put together thriller, even though it is much more intelligent than many in its genre.

It’s not the best movie, but it presents a mostly honest look at a phenomenon that is highly debated in religion.

It manages to get inside of your head and make you think twice before turning off the lights when you get home. In the end, that’s the key to making a good scary movie.

Bright Eyes’ upcoming release, “The People’s Key,” marks Conor Oberst’s return to the name that first brought him indie fame.

Rumored to be his last album with Bright Eyes, the album is a journey through a variety of musical techniques and styles.

Although Oberst’s thematic material has evolved over the course of several albums, this one does not fail to deliver the characteristic lyrical quality of its front man.

Several songs incorporate voice clips and monologues, adding a dramatic element.

Oberst also experiments with more upbeat rhythms and instruments.

The album dramatically opens with “Firewall,” rolling off one of these long monologues—most of which seem to be read by the same person and in similar styles.

The speech invokes stories of creation, history and human progress, suggesting the necessity of always moving forward.

“You have to believe in the future, it’s what we have to do,”Oberst sings.

It then evolves into a raw, even melody, over which Oberst’s shaky voice layers historical and biblical imagery, ending in an ethereal chant.

This song could be said to be the most true to Bright Eyes’ general style of acoustic folk rock.

The next track, “Shell Games,” contradicts this entirely, with its somewhat surprising and unconventional use of the synthesizer.

It is followed by “Jejune Stars,” a track with an almost dance-like quality. As usual, through its upbeat melody and rhythm, Oberst raises questions of a higher order.

“Is it true what we’re made of? Why do I hide from the rain?” he asks.

Towards the end, “Ladder Song,” is the

record’s representative piano ballad, slightly, but never wholly reminiscent of the band’s very early recordings. Arguably one of the most lyrically rich tracks on the album, it is simple, yet deep. It juxtaposes questions about existence and death with lines like, “See now a star is born / Looks just like a blood orange.”

One of the markings of this album is its reflective, spiritual and instructive take on life.

Oberst makes great use of historical and biblical imagery, not only describing, but interpreting and recommending.

The title track “A Machine Spiritual (In The People’s Key)” is perhaps the best example.

“The people’s key/Ringing filling everything/The theme repeats/Thinner than the galaxy,” Oberst sings.

In a seemingly endless search for truth, he seems to acknowledge that the things we see or hear can offer only limited clues to the future, but that we must rely on each other to discover this truth.

He could also just be cynical. A few songs later, in the closer, “One for You, One for Me,” he seems to mock this supposed idea of unity by stating “You and me, you and me, that is an awful lie / It’s I and I.” The album is bordered by another monologue at the end of this track, spoken in the same manner as before, but this time accompanied by an almost-heavenly backdrop of sound.

Although continuing to instruct, the speaker appears to shows more uncertainty than before, in the end not being able to recall the word ‘mercy.’

Bright Eyes has created a piece of art dedicated to exploring human strength and weakness—a monumental ending to a diverse career.

The album will be released Feb. 15th on Saddle Creek records.

‘THE PEOPLE’S KEY’| ALBUM REVIEW Conor Oberst’s rumored last album with Bright Eyes is ‘The People’s Key,’ an album equivalent to Bright Eyes’ previous lyrical genius. ‘People’s Key’ offers folk/rock style songs similar to previous Bright Eyes albums but also diverges with dance-style, poppy songs.

5 = perfect, 4 = outstanding, 3 = good, 2 = fair, 1 = poor

The Best Of

ndy These local spots in Indy have A&E’s stamp of approval—a new place featured each week!

‘THE RITE’ | FILM REVIEW ‘The Rite,’ starring Anthony Hopkins as Father Lucas Trevant, is a thriller about the supernatural happenings surrounding exorcisms. ‘The Rite’ does not rely on typical horror film sequences involving blood and gore, but instead employs psychological elements that will make you question your beliefs.

5 = perfect, 4 = outstanding, 3 = good, 2 = fair, 1 = poor

Details: Good Earth Natural Food Company 6350 Guilford Avenue Distance from Butler: 10-minute drive Specials: Natural foods and health products at low prices Why We Love This Place: While it may not end up being your weekly grocery store, Good Earth stocks quality items that may find their way into your cabinet and dresser more often than you might think. A family owned business, Good Earth is all about promoting natural products. This includes an array of vegetarian, organic and glutenfree food, along with all-natural cosmetics and apparel and natural food supplements, such as herbal remedies and flax oil. The staff is open and friendly, giving the store a vibe that can’t quite be found at the busy chain grocery stores.

Want us to feature your favorite Indy spot? Send submissions to corourke@butler.edu.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011

OPINION THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

PAGE 10

the butler

COLLEGIAN

The Butler watchdog and voice for BU students

4600 Sunset Ave. Indianapolis, IN 46208 Office Information: Fairbanks Rm 210 News Line: (317) 940-8813 Advertising Line: (317) 940-9358 collegian@butler.edu

Fall 2010 Editorial Staff

Arika Herron Editor in Chief Emily Newell Print Managing Editor Hayleigh Colombo Online Managing Editor Jill McCarter Co-News Editor Tara McElmurry Co-News Editor Sara Pruzin Asst. News Editor Grace Wallace Asst. News Editor Lexie Smith Opinion Editor Sam Hyer Asst. Opinion Editor Caitlin O’Rourke A&E Editor Brian Wanbaugh Asst. A&E Editor Steven Peek Sports Editor Colin Likas Asst. Sports Editor Lance Rinker Asst. Sports Editor Emeilia Abbe Head Copy Editor Maria Porter Photography Editor Erin Drennan Asst. Photography Editor Ryan Love Asst. Photography Editor Kristen Perkins Graphics Editor Erin Hammeran Advertising Manager Loni McKown Adviser

The Butler Collegian is published weekly on Wednesdays with a controlled circulation of 2,600. The Collegian office is located in the Fairbanks Building, Room 210.

The Collegian is printed at The Greenfield Reporter in Greenfield, Ind. The Collegian maintains a subscription to MCT Services Campus wire service. The Collegian editorial staff determines the editorial policies; the opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of The Collegian, but of the writers clearly labeled.

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The Collegian staff makes an effort to be as accurate as possible. Corrections may be submitted to The Collegian and will be printed at the next publication date.

Letters to the Editor Policy

The Collegian accepts letters to the editor no later than noon on the Sunday before publication.

Letters to the editor must be emailed to collegian@butler.edu and verified by a signature. A signed version of the letter may be dropped off at The Collegian office.

The Collegian reserves the right to edit letters for spelling, style, clarity and length. Letters must be kept to a length of 450 words. Contact The Collegian for questions. Exceptions to these policies may be made at the editorial board’s discretion.

OUR POINT THIS WEEK: New smoking policy on campus is a step in the right direction, but we wonder if it will be enforced by the university. | VOTE: 19-0

Smoking restriction begs questions Previously allowed to smoke throughout campus, Butler students will now be confined to 12 specific smoking “areas.”

We at The Butler Collegian feel this is an improvement from our current smoking policy, but while we applaud the efforts, we wonder how well-enforced this policy will be and if it will really be that effective.

The previous rules stated that students were not permitted to smoke within 30 feet of buildings. Students will now no longer be allowed to walk and smoke while traveling to and from classes.

Butler is not the first university to implement programs such as this. IUPUI has a smoke-free campus.

Indiana University also supports the initiative to end smoking on campus and have done so since Jan. 1, 2008.

In this regard, it seems that Butler is behind when compared to other Indiana universities.

Indiana University “believes it has an obligation to exercise leadership by promoting a healthy,

smoke-free environment for its students, employees and visitors,” according to iub.edu.

We think that the new smoking policy is a positive step toward creating this environment on our own campus, but we are wary as to how effectively this policy will be enforced. Although the current policy dictates that students must remain 30 feet from all buildings while smoking, we’ve never seen much enforcement when students are smoking five feet from the entrance of a building.

The ashtrays attached to trash cans across campus also encourage smoking.

Even if a smoker were 30 feet from any building to begin with, they would have to break that barrier simply to put their cigarette out without littering.

Perhaps a lack of accessible ashtrays, within the newly designated smoking zones, will diminish the amount of students who smoke on their way to class.By having designated smoking areas around campus, this cuts out people smoking on

Students will now no longer be allowed to walk and smoke while traveling to and from class

their way to class entirely.

Additionally, this cuts down on second hand smoke around campus and the negative effects that come with it. People who have asthmatic problems are affected by second hand smoke every day. If the plan is properly enforced, those individuals will no longer have that problem on the way to class.

The amount of litter on campus will be cutback as well. Currently, since people are allowed to smoke while walking on campus, there are cigarette butts thrown carelessly on sidewalks and in the landscape. By containing smokers to one of the designated areas, the trash created from smoking will be left in that spot and not strewn about campus.

We at The Butler Collegian are very supportive of the University’s new smoking policy. We feel that it is time for Butler to properly address this problem and catch up with other area universities. However, the new policy will mean nothing unless it is properly enforced. We would like to see actual penalties for those who break the policy, such as a fine, as opposed to a slap on the wrist.

Once this occurs, Butler will be taking proper action on this issue. At that point, we will finally be making real progress towards a healthier, more enjoyable, smoke-free campus. We feel that the benefits that come from a smoke-free campus favor everyone.

Indiana needs better drivers, not more salt

BY LEXIE SMITH

lhsmith@butler.edu | opinion editor

Indiana winters have never been something too much to complain about. They pale in comparison to winters in Chicago, Wisconsin and Ohio.

However, every year, we all whine about the pathetic amounts of snow we accumulate.

Early last week, Indianapolis was hit with an ice storm that covered every inch of Butler’s campus with more than an inch of ice. It shut down not only campus, but most of Indianapolis.

When I was finally was able to venture off campus, I realized what Indiana needs isn’t more salt or a bigger budget to combat winter weather, we need specialized driving courses for adverse weather conditions.

I expected the roads to be a bit dicey. I also expected that my speedometer wouldn’t see above 30 miles an hour until I hit Meridian Street.

I was right about that.

Side roads were as slick as an ice skating rink, but once I hit Meridian, the street was completely clear, as expected.

What I didn’t expect was the level of driving on the completely clear roads to be as bad as it had been on unplowed ones.

Drivers around me chugged along slowly, slamming on their

SLIPPING AND SLIDING: Adverse weather conditions will happen, but when it occurs, drivers need to be more aware of the way in which they drive. After driving in Monday’s ice storm, I am convinced that Indiana needs to retrain drivers for perilous winter ice. (Photo from MCT) brakes for no reason while others accelerated aggressively. Amidst all of this chaos, solid sheets of ice were detaching from the roofs of cars and flying haphazardly through the air.

At this point, I felt like Frogger.

Instead of dodging semi trucks, I was dodging three inch sheets of ice that were hurdling toward my car.

I know regularly that we don’t get ice storms. This is the first one I’ve experienced in almost 20 years. But it’s an issue when driving with other cars on the road is more dangerous than the ice storm itself.

Although our winters are generally not this severe, I’m beginning to think it’s necessary that the state adds a section into the driving exam covering winter driving techniques.

Maybe if people knew to countersteer when sliding perilously on a sheet of ice, they would be less likely to slam into telephone poles, causing power outages. Maybe if people knew not to slam on the brakes or gas, it would dramatically reduce the risk of a fender bender and the roads would be safer.

I know the state can’t do all the work for Indiana drivers. A big portion of driving in adverse weather conditions is common sense. There comes a time when drivers have to realistically look at their cars and determine if it is even worth it to try to get out, and if their cars are even properly equipped to deal with the snow and ice on the roads.

Being house-bound in a snow

storm is exceedingly aggravating.

All I ever think about is how many more exciting things I could be doing outside the house, even if it means risking crashing my car into a ditch.

The difference is that I don’t leave in the midst of a snow storm. People who do have always baffled me. As tempting as the outside world may seem during a snowstorm, it has never been tempting enough to inspire me to risk my car, my life or the life of another just to quell boredom.

While I love the snow storms that cancel classes and shut down the city, I loathe the thought of driving in these conditions with hundreds of other people who seemingly have no idea what to do.

PAGE 11 | THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2011

Turmoil in Egypt

BY SAM HYER shyer@butler.edu | asst. opinion editor

For the past few weeks, it has been difficult to turn on the television or go on the Internet without seeing a headline about the unrest in Egypt.

The graphic videos of the protests in the streets of Cairo are stirring and clearly show the amount of contempt the Egyptian people have toward their government.

At a pivotal time in Egypt’s history, the United States needs to stand by those protesting the regime of President Hosni Mubarak and do anything possible to ensure that the outcome of this situation is peaceful and democratic.

Uprising in Egypt has been a long time coming, considering Mubarak has been in power since the assassination of Anwar Sadat in 1981.

Inspired by the fall of Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, supporters of democracy in Egypt took to the streets to show their contempt for the Mubarak regime.

Mubarak, being placed in a situation he has never been in before, has repeatedly refused to step down and has instead replaced his cabinet and those who surround him.

So far, his actions have only infuriated protesters more and are fueling the movement. When it was announced that Mubarak would step down and not run for re-election this coming September, an estimated 4,000 people began a demonstration in the Suez region. Thousands more prepared similar marches across the country, demanding him to instead step down immediately.

The U.S. cannot stand by and watch any longer. The country needs to take a stronger attitude with the Mubarak regime.

We also need to show the protesters that we are on their side and support the “pro-democracy” wave that has taken over the country.

Presently, the U.S. and President Obama are in a difficult situation with Egypt and how to handle the problem.

For years, the U.S. has been pro-Mubarak and has had a strong relationship with Egypt. Dating all the way back to the Camp David Accords of the 1970s, Egypt has upheld their end of the treaty and has been a pro-Israel ally in the region for the U.S. For years, the U.S. has provided the Egyptian government with tanks, weapons and aid.

Many of the weapons being used to stop the protesters reportedly have “Made in the USA” printed on the side of them.

PROTEST IN EGYPT: Protesters marched through out he streets of Cairo and other parts of the Middle Eastern country Jan. 25 in “the day of rage.”

The protesters feel that it is time for President Hosni Mubarak to step down from the office that he has controlled for nearly 30 years. (Photo from MCT) For the most part, the president and his administration have handled the situation fairly well. As I mentioned before, this is an extremely sensitive diplomatic situation for the U.S., considering that the Mubarak regime maintains a healthy relationship with Israel, something the U.S. needs.

If the successor to Mubarak were anti-Israel, such as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood or a similar organization, the repercussions could be devastating.

Right now, the U.S. needs to take a strong stance on the subject and ensure that the successor to Mubarak is someone we can work with as a country.

One thing the U.S. must avoid is strong-arming Mubarak

PawPrints

What would be the best surprise on Valentine’s Day?

BY: ERIN DRENNAN

“Something low key like spending the day downtown and then going to a nice dinner.”

Alex Davis sophomore

from his position. This would send the wrong message to those demonstrating, as well as a negative message to the entire region.

In his column published this week, former Ohio secretary of state and gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell mentioned Ronald Reagan and his undying support for the Solidarity movement inside Poland in the 1980s.

The U.S. needs to take a similar stance in Egypt. By letting the protesters and pro-democratic demonstrators know that we are on their side, the chances of democracy succeeding are much higher than if we were to stand by and take a neutral stance.

“For him to spend the day with me and have dinner. For him to do something thoughtful.”

Maggie Harbison freshman

“A scavenger hunt that leads to the location of our date.”

Maggie Smith freshman

“Getting roses and a homemade surprise.”

Nikki McSherry freshman

the butler

COLLEGIAN Photo Contest campus

Where in the ^world is the Butler gnome?

LAST WEEK’S WINNER Name: Abigail Robison Gnome location: In the U of the BU sign on Hampton Rd. Major: Biology & Anthropology Home town:Westfield, Ind. Why you love Butler: For the fun and the academics!

Photos by Erin Drennan

The first person to correctly guess the location of the Butler gnome and e-mail the answer to collegian@butler.edu will be featured in next week’s Collegian!