October 9, 2013 by The Butler Collegian

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VOL. 128 ISSUE 7 ESTABLISHED 1886 INDIANAPOLIS

COLLEGIAN BUTLER UNIVERSITY | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013 | WWW.THEBUTLERCOLLEGIAN.COM

Arts, Etc.: Stefan LeBlanc is a ﬁfthyear senior who is mixing science ﬁction and fantasy to create books. Page 8

ACP Pacemaker Award Winner 2011 SPJ Mark of Excellence Award Winner 2012

balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity reading basketball job classes sleep pressure sickness essays resume homesickness napping money family balance stress finding yourself parking Butler student loans staying in shape anxiety boyfriend allnighters girlfriend eating drinking friends fear homework sorority internship alcohol fraternity

INSIDE

the student

MIND

As more students seek mental health services, groups work to eliminate stigma MARAIS JACON-DUFFY MJACONDU@BUTLER.EDU NEWS EDITOR

In recent years, Butler has seen a steady increase in the use of mental health services in different areas on campus. The number of students going to the Health and Recreation Center for counseling and consultation services has almost doubled from 6 percent to 10 percent of the student body of the past few years according to student life. Also, the number of students receiving academic assistance through Student Disabilities Services for mental health-related

issues has tripled in the last few years. This phenomenon is not necessarily indicative of an increase of students with mental health issues on Butler’s campus. It does, however, show that more students are becoming aware and seeking help for psychological illnesses or mental health concerns, said Vice President of Student Life Sally Click. Click has overseen Butler’s Counseling and Consultation Services for the past ﬁve years. She also oversees awareness programming and mental health education programs on campus. “Many times I will be the one to get a phone call from a student, their friend or a teacher or parent who is concerned about behavior or notices a change and is worried by it,” Click said. “A lot of time these people don’t know what to do ﬁrst and I help point them in the right direction or get the ball rolling to

begin assisting the student.” Click said Counseling and Consultation Services in the HRC has been much busier this year at a much earlier time than in the past. “It usually takes a few months or so for students to begin reaching out to the counseling center,” Click said. She attributed this trend to an increased number of students who already have diagnoses of various psychological diseases or disorders, such as ADHD, depression or other mood disorders. Students with various psychological illnesses can qualify for academic assistance through Student Disabilities Services. Student Disabilities Services Director Michele Atterson said many students with extreme anxiety beneﬁt from extended test time, secluded testing areas or even excused absences due to side effects of their illnesses. SDS can even help a student qualify for a medical

withdraw from school due to a psychological illness. “The process for assisting students with psychological illnesses is different from the way we assist students with learning disabilities because different documentation is required,” Atterson said. “However, like with learning disabilities, assistance is determined on an individual basis.” Student groups have also become proactive in combating mental health issues on campus and also in reducing the negative stigma regarding mental illness. Groups such as Peer Advocates for Wellness (PAWS) and G.E.A.R. host events and put on programs to promote good mental hygiene. Sophomore Katie Ukton joined PAWS as a freshman and said she was attracted to the idea of addressing mental health, an issue that affects many college age students.

Illustration by Taylor Meador

“There’s a lot of anxiety, especially in the college environment,” Ukton said. “Plus the transition away from home can add stress on top of the academic stresses students face daily.” Ukton said she believes a negative stigma regarding mental illness that makes treatment much more difﬁcult than for a physical illness. “If someone has a visible ailment, like a broken leg, people are very eager to rush to their side,” Ukton said. “When the problem is internal, like with mental illness, it’s a lot harder to disclose what’s wrong. And even then most people don’t know what to say.” Ukton said while many students probably don’t suffer with a serious mental illness, it is likely that in their lifetime a close friend or family member might. see MENTAL HEALTH page 4

Butler combats learning disabilities MARAIS JACON-DUFFY

MJACONDU@BUTLER.EDU NEWS EDITOR

Sophomore Breanna Mueller is quiet in her public speaking class COM101, even when the rest of the class talks about television show premieres. Her notebook is color coordinated, highlighted and neat. Mueller’s diligence during class results from years of compensating for academic challenges. She has Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and dyslexia. Mueller found out she had ADHD last semester and has since gone to student disabilities services to get academic help and assistance to combat her learning disability. “The difference between this year and last year is amazing,” Mueller said. “I am so thankful for the professor last year who recommended I go to SDS to try and sort things out. This is the first time I’ve had academic aid like this and it’s incredible.” On Butler’s campus, Mueller is not alone. Two hundred fifty-one students recieve accommodations

at Butler because of a registered disability. Afflicted students can qualify for extended testing time, assistance with note-taking, auditory versions of textbooks or private testing in JH136, the student disabilities services’ testing center. All accommodations are individually determined, according to center director Michele Atterson. Twenty percent of the 251 students registered to receive accommodations have a documented learning disability, according to the office of student disabilities services. Over the past few years, more students have been coming into college with previous documentation from high school, such as a documented learning disability or psychiatric illness or an Individual Education Program, Atterson said. “We love this documentation,” Atterson said. “While IEP’s only apply in the K-12 levels, we do review and accept them as official documentation.” Mueller said she diagnosed with dyslexia in the third grade, but her

disabilities paperwork was lost by her school district. Although Butler doesn’t pay for testing for learning disabilities, Mueller said SDS was helpful in pointing her in the direction of inexpensive and sufficient testing centers. Atterson said many students may discover they may have a learning disability during their college years. “Students at Butler are very bright,” Atterson said. “A lot of times, students who realize they have a learning disability later in life may hit the ceiling at Butler. Most of them have probably found ways to compensate for a difficulty in reading or writing, but the vigor of college may be too much.” Mueller said discovering she had ADHD both enlightening and upsetting. “It was disconcerting at first, because I realized that there would always be things that I’ll struggle with academically,” Mueller said. “But now that I’ve found the right medication and I have found see LEARNING DISABILITIES page 4

Graphic provided by Bill Weber

Parking restrictions for Homecoming There will be parking restrictions on campus Saturday for Homecoming weekend. Restrictions will be placed on Sunset Avenue and Hampton Drive. No parking will be allowed on both sides of Hampton or the west side of Sunset from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. Additionally, no parking will be permitted on the north side of

SPORTS 5 | ARTS, ETC. 8 | OPINION 10 | SUBSCRIPTION CARD 12

49th Street between Rookwood and Boulevard during that time. Any vehicles found parked in these areas by Butler University Police Department will be towed at the owner’s expense. Students can park in the I Lot, Irwin Library lot or Residential College lot during this time. Questions should be directed to assistant police chief Bill Weber at 940-8740 or bhweber@butler.edu.

PAGE 2 | THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

BU Prays gives nondenominational support KATIE GOODRICH KMGOODRI@BUTLER.EDU

STAFF REPORTER

BU Prays listserv, a mass-email list students can subscribe to, launched in fall 2010, provides a conﬁdential, nondenominational way by which the Butler community may equest prayers from their peers. Through grant money, the Center for Faith and Vocation put on a series of workshops for faculty and staff to learn how to help students to make a difference in the community. One of the faculty and staff members facilitates BU Prays and wishes to remain anonymous in order to protect the conﬁdentiality of the listserv. The facilitator attended the workshops in fall 2008 and spring 2009. “We all wanted to support students who are searching for lives of meaning and purpose,” said the facilitator. The director of the CFV, Judy Cebula, challenged all participants to have an idea or action plan to make a difference in the community. “I thought about students who might be going through challenges and struggles and how they might be looking for some support,” said the facilitator. “Why couldn’t we, as a Butler community, support one another in prayer?” Any member of the Butler community can send requests to buprays@butler.edu to ask the Butler community for prayers. The prayers could be for an ailing family member or a friend who needs help and support. Cebula arranged a meeting between the facilitator and all the leaders of religious groups about the possibility of a listserv. The facilitator said leaders and students from all faith traditions warmly welcomed the idea.

BU Prays needed a student group in order to have an email address to start a listserv. Grace Unlimited, a Lutheran campus ministry, stepped forward to be afﬁliated with it. Father Charles Allen, campus chaplain for Grace Unlimited, said he likes the listserv’s anonymity “We don’t get information we don’t need, or that other people don’t need us to have, Allen said.” There are no violations of privacy.” The facilitator said they agree with the necessity for anonymity. “This is not about gossip or sharing information,” said the facilitator. “It’s just about being supportive and caring. It’s important that people feel comfortable if they are going to share their struggles.” The listserv is also nondenominational. “Any faith tradition, any believer or a nonbeliever, or anyone who wants to support others can participate,” said the facilitator. “The listserv goes out, and participants can respond in private in the manner of their own private prayer practice, whatever their faith tradition might lead them to do.” The facilitator thinks it is also important that the listserv is voluntary. “You just have to want to make a difference in the lives of people in Butler’s campus community,” said the facilitator. “You are letting people know that we’re thinking of you and supporting you in prayer.” Every fall and spring, the facilitator sends out a notice in the Butler Connection to inform students of the listserv’s existence. Approximately 90 community members subscribe to the listserv. The frequency of e-mails depends on the frequency of people who ask for prayer. “Some weeks no one asks,” said the

Collegian ﬁle photo

BU Prays is a listerv that was launched in fall 2010 in coordination with Grace Unlimited, a Lutheran campus ministry. facilitator. “Some weeks, I am sending out happening,” Allen said. “And people have several requests.” all kinds of occasions where they would like Allen believes the listserv will give people prayer. That allows me to pray for them.” in the Butler community an outlet if they Students are showing interest from the want to utilize it. recent Butler Connection post. Freshman “It just seemed like something we didn’t Kacey Shriner is an exploratory studies have,” Allen said. “It is non-sectarian. It major who showed immediate interest. obviously appeals only to people who pray, “I think that it’s really neat that we have and that’s not even every religious person.” this service as a community that prays for BU Prays reminds people that others have one another,” Shriner said. “I think that similar plights in life. This helps connect the it’s pretty cool to bring religion into the community. community and have it as an important part “It keeps reminding me that things are of what’s going on.”

exorcist comes with controversy NATALIE SMITH NSMITH1@BUTLER.EDU

STAFF REPORTER

Father Vance Lampert answers questions from audience members after his presentation.

Photos by Erin Marsh

Father Vance Lampert came to Butler University last Thursday evening to present “The Rite of Exorcism” to a crowd of students lining the chairs and walls in the Reilly Room. Throughout his speech, he talked of his work as one of two priests in Indiana sanctioned to perform exorcisms. “Don’t be afraid of evil. It says ‘be not afraid’ 365 times in the Bible,” Lampert told students. “I’m not afraid of the work I do as an exorcist because I know that God’s love is stronger than the power of evil.” This event was put on by SGA’s Podium Expressions, a group that brings in entertainment for students. He explained the general way to perform an exorcism and answered the questions of the attendees about the Catholic Church’s dealings with exorcisms. Lampert started the presentation by sharing some of his experiences as an exorcist. He told the audience about a woman who allegedly invited a demon out of a friend’s body and into her own. For ten years, the woman was possessed until Lampert came to check out her symptoms. Lampert explained many

tests have to be performed before he is able to perform an exorcism. Exorcists must report to medical ofﬁcials and psychologists to ensure that a mental illness is not the cause of the strange behavior. After he conﬁrmed this woman did not have a mental illness and she was possessed, he performed an exorcism. During an exorcism, he explained, the exorcist prays to God that the demon will exit the host body. The exorcist must use authoritative speech and command the demon to leave the body. Family in the room cannot talk or make themselves known for fear the demon will enter them as well. Lampert said, in exorcisms, the host bodies’ “eyes roll back in their head, and they begin to foam at the mouth and snarl as I attempt to get the demon out.” Lampert said exorcism is something that excites people who don’t understand it. “People are so fascinated by the act of exorcism, but it should be a fascination with faith instead,” said Lampert. “Faith keeps evil at bay. If you don’t have faith, evil can happen.” This event did not go on without controversy. Some members of the Catholic

faith here at Butler had differing views on the exorcism event. Some Catholic students said they felt the SGAsponsored event was meant to be for entertainment instead of appreciation. One Catholic student, who wished to remain anonymous, boycotted the event and criticized it for only showing a controversial part of the Catholic faith. “We didn’t want the exorcist to form others’ opinions about the church as a whole because there is so much more to the Catholic faith than that,” she said. Other Catholic students said they thought the event was fun and interesting. Freshman Lisa Kralj, who is Catholic, was ﬁne with the event. “I’m not at all offended,” said Kralj. “It’s a cool opportunity and experience.” SGA tries to bring as many diverse programs as possible for their Podium Expressions, so another religion event is possible. “I think it’s important to have religious events and panels to inform students,” said the anonymous Catholic student. “However, in the future, I think SGA should make sure that the events are respectful to religious organizations and students.”

Lampert explains the process of exorcisms to an audience in the Reilly Room. Advertisement paid for and designed by sorority members

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN | PAGE 3

Advising across the spectrum A look at the process of advising at Butler and differences between different university colleges ALEXANDRA BODE ABODE@BUTLER.EDU STAFF REPORTER

Butler University students have the opportunity to study from a selection of more than 65 ﬁelds of study. Each which greatly from one another. With such variation in the academic opportunities offered, the result is often an advising process equally as diverse. “So much of advising is college based,” said Jennifer Griggs, director of the Learning Resource Center. For example, the Butler Department of Dance is a smaller program compared to others at Butler and the faculty is made up of a small group of people. This leads to inevitible interaction between students, professors and advisers. “We see all the students all the time and we see each other all the time,” said Larry Attaway, dance department chair. Attaway believes this is a beneﬁt to dance students because they are able to talk to a variety of faculty members on a daily basis. A larger college on Butler’s campus is the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. In this college, when it comes to advising, things are slightly different. The College of Pharmacy has a director of advising, Amy Peek, who serves as a liaison for the students in this program. “She is able to guide the students in their particular tract because she understands the core curriculum and what the program requires,” said Jane Gervasio, chair and associate professor of pharmacy practice. Each college organizes its advising in different ways because they have different curriculum as well as different policies and processes, according to Griggs. Despite the differences, Butler does have a faculty advising model which works

to inform advisers about how to mentor students. There is an adviser listserv through which Butler distributes updates. In the past, the LRC has put on many workshops and training sessions for advisers. “Unfortunately, when trainings have been offered, very few faculty members have showed up to them,” Griggs said. The lack of attendance led Griggs to work with each of the colleges individually because this is how she was able to ensure that professors would hear the information.

Online tutorials and training videos have been considered, but at this point they have not been put into place, according to Griggs. “The notion of offering training in advising is not a bad idea, it would make sure that advisors are up-to-date with their information,” Attaway said. Some colleges do adviser evaluations. Griggs believes to be beneﬁcial because it allows faculty to know what they are doing well and where improvements can be made. However, this is not a University wide thing. All Butler advisers are required to meet with their students before registration. This is monitored by the fact that students have a hold placed on their account until their adviser meets with them and takes it off. Griggs said she wants the productivity of the advising process to rely on the student as much as the adviser. “We want it to be a balance between

personal responsibility on the student and to what extent we want the students to feel supported. We want students to be proactive,” Griggs said. Griggs said the LRC wants students to feel comfortable. Because of this, students are able to change advisers if there is an issue. “Of course if there is a favorite adviser in a department not all students are able to have that adviser,” Griggs said. “There needs to be a balance.” Griggs explains that advisers should be mentors to students, advising them in their decisions made during their time at Butler University. Most colleges require all their professors to become advisers, unless they step up in another way and take on some other type of responsibility. With this, the college is ultimately responsible for training these professors to take on advising roles.

Illustration and photo by Colin Likas

PAGE 4 | THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

Ross Hall damages total $1,000 MIRANDA MARITATO MMARITAT@BUTLER.EDU STAFF REPORTER

In only the seventh week of the 2013-2014 school year, Ross Hall has accumulated $1,000 worth of damages, according to Residence Life Coordinator Laura Rychalsky. Damages regarding exit signs have been reported on the first two floors of the residence hall. These damages will be charged to all residents, including those who live on the third floor, the only female floor in Ross Hall. Section III of the Terms and Conditions of Occupancy in the housing contract states that, in cases where responsibility for common area damage cannot be specifically assigned, all students occupying the living

unit will be held responsible. This policy is set in place to cover damages caused by unknown parties. However, students receive mixed messages about the policy and who will pay for what. In regards to Ross Hall, Rychalsky said, “Third-floor damages are only charged to third-floor residents.” Sophomore and former Ross Hall resident Corbin Sellers said he understands the logic behind the policy that charges all residents for damages. “Unless you find the culprit responsible for the damages, there’s no other way to cover the expenses,” Sellers said. Current Ross Hall resident Meredith Rashid also understands why damages are split up among the floors

of the residence hall. “If all residents must pay for damages of all locations, that should include the third floor of Ross,” Rashid said. “I see plenty of people on the third floor that do not live there who could potentially damage something.” Last year, all Ross Hall residents were charged for damages. Sophomore and former resident of Ross Hall Kelsey Berggren paid an additional $17 to the $25 down payment last year as a result of damages. “There were few damages on the third floor,” Berggren said. “The additional $17 covered exit signs and window screens.” The standing policy is not subject to change, but Directors of Residence life is open to suggestions.

MENTAL HEALTH: EFFORTS PROMOTE There is no issue WELLNESS too small and FROM PAGE ONE

“In a perfect world, more people would be more open to discussing these issues and say what they need to,” Ukton said. Junior Elizabeth Davis became interested in mental health awareness efforts due to her own personal experiences, and as a result she became active in PAWS as well. Davis is currently CoPresident of PAWS. “Half of my immediate family suffer from severe depression and I have many friends who suffer from anxiety, psychological disorders, depression and other mental health issues,” Davis said. “I see no reason for students like myself not to be passionate about mental health.” Davis said she believes the negative stigma regarding mental health issues is being improved due to activism and awareness organizations. “These groups get the word out that there is no shame and nothing to hold you back from seeking help,” Davis said. “There is no issue too small and no feeling too insigniﬁcant to be ignored.” Davis and Ukton both urged

no feeling too insigniﬁcant to be ignored. ELIZABETH DAVIS JUNIOR PAWS CO-PRESIDENT

students to talk to a friend, family member or anyone about feelings that may be indicative of a mental health problem or even just something being off. “’I am depressed. Something doesn’t feel right. I need help’: those words can be so hard, but it’s the best first step,” Davis said. “It’s always really important for anyone who is struggling-who may think they’re along to realize that they’re not,” Ukton said. “Other people in your life are definitely affected by issues like this, whether you know it or not.” When asked if she could relay any message to students who feel they are suffering through a mental illness, Davis said. “You are not alone. You are not alone. I cannot stress this enough. There are fabulous free and confidential

Collegian ﬁle photo

Ross Hall has already seen $1,000 worth of damages to its interior in the ﬁrst seven weeks of the 2013-2014 academic year, according to Residence Life.

services at your disposal at Butler. Why not take advantage of them?” Click said a common strategy for helping relieve the stresses of student anxiety during “adult transitional issues” is to normalize students’ concerns. “The thought that ‘I am not the only one’ can be what a student needs to hear to find peace of mind,” Click said. Click said students should remember the positive benefits of seeking help when considering counseling or other services. “Many students may think ‘I’m weak because I’m seeking help,’” Click said. “But really, everyone benefits from one person getting help. Counseling isn’t about getting hypnotized or admitting weakness. It’s about taking care of needs.” Students who are concerned about themselves or a friend can contact the counseling center for counseling or consultations by themselves or in a group.

STUDENT RESOURCES

Counseling and Consultation Services: (317)-940-9385

Student Disabilities Services: (317)-940-9308 The Learning Resource Center: (317)-940-9308

I’m the third child and youngest girl of four children in my family. I’m a recent transfer student from Miami of Ohio University. I like baking cupcakes, but I never taste them upon completion.

LEARNING DISABILITIES: ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE FROM PAGE ONE

ways to receive assistance with testing and by recording lectures, academics in general are so much easier.” Almost half of the students registered with student disabilities services have ADHD, which is not considered a learning disability by the office. “We don’t consider ADHD a learning disability within itself, but it does present its own set of problems,” Atterson said. Students with ADHD are able to receive extended time on tests, note-taking assistance or may take tests in the student disabilities services testing center, all dependent on the level of difficulty the student has concentrating. Atterson said many students with documented disabilities don’t receive assistance because their disability may not affect them in the way their courses are constructed. Junior Nikki Risselman said she has never gone to Student Disability Services for her documented ADHD because it hasn’t affected her schoolwork while at Butler. “My medicine is enough to help me focus,” Rissleman said. “I don’t think that what I’ve had to do at this point in my college career would really have benefitted from any of the services I would qualify for.” Students with psychiatric disabilities can also receive academic assistance. Dean of Student Services Sally Click said many more students are reaching out to student disabilities services due to mental health issues than in the past. “If a psychiatric illness is documented and is of a certain

level, that student can receive benefits,” Click said. Atterson said illnesses such as clinical depression, anxiety or performance anxieties and social anxieties are the most common psychiatric illnesses seen by Student Disability Services. If issues correlate with the illness, students can receive more time to complete assignments, pardons for missing classes or even assistance with taking a medical withdrawal from school. Click urged students who have concerns about their mental health to visit the counseling center. “The counseling center staff is very skilled at helping,” Click said. “Receiving help is nothing to be ashamed of. It is simply about taking care of needs.” Atterson said the recognition of a learning disability can be difficult at first but relieving in the long run. “The whole process is really about self-awareness,” Atterson said. Atterson said students can drop in to Student Disability Services anytime during operating hours and ask for assistance. “Our front desk staff is very knowledgeable,” Atterson said. “They have had students wander in before with questions, and we will always get them where they need to go to make the first steps to dealing with a potential disability.” “The people at SDS are so helpful and so sweet,” Mueller said. “They are able to point almost anyone in the right direction to get help.” While public universities can receive funding to accommodate students with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Butler does not receive federal funding. However, services through student disabilities services are free for students, with the exception of some equipment purchases for recording lectures and such.

I used to wake up every morning and watch Space Jam for inspiration to be better at basketball. I’m a sophomore journalism and recording industries studies double major from Copley, Ohio, and

I AM ON THE

COLLEGIAN TEAM. —Taylor Powell Assistant Opinion Editor

You can join our team today. The Collegian has paid positions in every section. Open to every student on campus. | Questions? Email collegian@butler.edu.

Photo by Erin Marsh

The Learning Resource Center and Student Disability Services ofﬁce, both located in Jordan Hall, offer assistance to those on campus with learning disabilities.

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

PAGE 5

Student-athletes tread cautiously on social media Butler’s athletic teams enforce measures to prevent regrettable messages online BEN SIECK BSIECK@BUTLER.EDU ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Social media can connect people and spread information from across the globe. But it can also come with dangers and pitfalls. Butler’s athletic teams—from the coaches to the student-athletes— know those drawbacks all too well. For the typical Butler student, posting something regrettable through Facebook, Twitter or any other social media outlet could mean a call from a parent or dismissal from a job or internship.

Butler student-athletes face those same dangers, but also need to worry about painting Butler in a negative light and providing extra motivation for opposing teams. Butler assistant football coach Kenan Smith, who instructs the team on proper social media use, said the school’s athletics department provides a general guideline for social media posting, but the football team has additional concerns. “In simple terms, [the policy is] don’t do anything to embarrass Butler, operate in the Butler Way at all times, and you’re speaking on behalf of Butler when you post these things,” Smith said. “The football program’s twist on the policy is you never want to provide anything that we call bulletinboard material.”

The Butler athletic program has about a page long sheet of social media guidelines within the department, according to Smith. The football team’s coaching staff does its best to keep up on what its players post. “We’re constantly checking our guys to make sure that they’re not doing anything to embarrass the program, embarrass the athletic[s] department, and more importantly embarrass themselves,” Smith said. Smith and the rest of the football coaching staff are not only concerned about the image of the program and its players. They also don’t want their upcoming opponents getting ﬁred up over a tweet or message one of their players sent out. “Our guys have been good about it this year, but we’ve gone out and

seen some things that opponents have posted and shown them to our guys as what isn’t a good idea to have up,” Smith said. “They use it as motivation for themselves, so what we tell them is, ‘Don’t give the other team any more motivation than they already need.’” During the team’s fall camp, Smith held a social media training session to teach players that companies, parents and anyone else on the Internet can ﬁnd a player’s social media posts, tweets and messages if they look hard enough. Senior quarterback Matt Lancaster said he understands that what he and his teammates post online reﬂects upon the university. “We have to be aware of what we put on social media, and be aware that we’re not just representing

ourselves, but also Butler, and the university and our team and our class,” Lancaster said. Smith said the team hasn’t had any recent incidents with social media, but there is a disciplinary system in place should one occur. After the first offense, players will be subject to 6 a.m. wakeup calls where they work with one of the coaches. If it happens again, the player’s entire position group wakes up with the offender. Anything beyond that is treated on a case-by-case basis and falls under the umbrella of a violation of team rules. “They made it a team policy that if we have something posted on there that we shouldn’t have on there, we could face a possible suspension,” Lancaster said. “(Coach Smith) drilled that into our heads pretty good.” The Butler baseball team doesn’t keep direct tabs on social media like the football team, but head coach Steve Farley said that he tells players to watch what they say. “We basically have a simple discussion somewhere in the fall when we are talking about team rules and behavior,” Farley said. “Usually it is one of my topics of discussion on the Twitter and Facebook stuff. It’s not so much what you can and can’t do, but it’s more of doing things the right way.” Farley said that he isn’t on any social media himself, but he is well aware of the ramifications a tactless post can have. “[Social media] is getting bigger and bigger every day, so it’s definitely out there,” Farley said. “There’s something I can read about in the paper, I’m sure, everyday where someone’s abusing it or getting in trouble for it. But so far at Butler, we seem to know what we are doing.”

From the Eastern Bloc to Oz ARI KASLE AKASLE@BUTLER.EDU STAFF REPORTER

Collegian ﬁle photo

Former Butler center Andrew Smith is playing for Neptunas in the Lithuanian Basketball League this season.

DECK BUTLER SPORTS THIS WEEK

In just a few weeks, the Butler men’s basketball team will begin its 2013 season. On the other side of the world, former Bulldog stars Rotnei Clarke and Andrew Smith have started their new lives as professional basketball players. After graduating from Butler last year, both players received interest from several National Basketball Association teams. Clarke had multiple tryouts with NBA teams, including the Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards. Smith played in the NBA summer league with the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the end, both players got cut, but had the opportunity to play in the NBA Development League. “Unfortunately, there was nothing certain, and even if I was brought in (by an NBA team), it was unlikely that I would have gotten a roster spot,” Smith said, “and (I) would have probably ended up in the D-League, which I really did not want.” Smith is playing with Neptunas, a team that plays in the top league in Lithuania, while Rotnei Clarke is playing with the Wollongong Hawks in Australia. It was originally expected that Clarke would play in Europe, where he could have made more money. But he opted instead to play in the National

WEDNESDAY Men’s soccer at Marquette 8 p.m.

THURSDAY

No events scheduled

Basketball League, Australia’s equivalent of the NBA. It was considered a “stunning coup” for the league, according to The Illawarra Mercury, an Australian newspaper. “This is a really good league,” Clarke said of the NBL. “There are a lot of good players. It’s really physical and they shoot a lot of 3-pointers, which I like.” After averaging 16.9 points per game in his one season at Butler, Clarke has continued to put up big numbers for the Hawks, averaging 20.9 points per contest in the preseason. He also hit a buzzer beater in a recent victory. Smith has also performed well thus far in his professional career, averaging 7.3 points per game. Neptunas in Lithuania was not the only foreign team that was interested in Smith, the 6-11 center said. “There were many teams that had interest, but several of them either were in places that were not very safe, and my wife is with me,” Smith said. “Or the team historically doesn’t pay the players on time, or it wasn’t (in) a very good league. “The main reason I picked Neptunas was because they are in the ﬁrst division in Lithuania and in the Eurocup, and not a ton of rookies get the chance to play in the Eurocup.” The Eurocup is a tournament in which teams from all across Europe compete for the title of best in the continent. The distance between

Collegian ﬁle photo

Former Butler guard Rotnei Clarke is playing for the Wollongong Hawks of the National Basketball League in Australia. Indianapolis and Lithuania is nearly 5,000 miles, but Smith said the transition was easy. “The move to the new country actually went fairly well,” Smith said. Lithuania is nice because the majority of people are below the age of 30, and every person on the team actually speaks English.” Smith also said every movie at the local theater is shown English, ice skating and bowling are available at a mall near

his apartment, and many of the country’s restaurants have options similar to American food. Clarke, who had never left the country before going to Australia, has said he has also made a seamless transition. “It’s nice because everyone speaks English,” Clarke says. “It’s been a really good situation for me. The outpouring from the fans has been great and I’m excited about being here.”

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Volleyball at Xavier 7 p.m.

Football vs. Campbell 1 p.m. Women’s soccer vs. Providence 7 p.m.

No events scheduled

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PAGE 6 | THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

FOOTBALL

Bulldog run game shines against Stetson ADAM WINAY

AWINAY@BUTLER.EDU STAFF REPORTER

Butler football is 4-2 (20) at the halfway point of its Pioneer Football League season after defeating Stetson 35-15 Saturday. For the second time in two weeks, the Bulldogs found their spark in the second half of the game. “There’s no question that we need to look at some things to play better off the start,” coach Jeff Voris said. “We do a good job adjusting throughout the game. I think the coaches do a great job, and the players get a comfort level as they go.” The Butler running game

led the team to victory with a total of 240 rushing yards. Butler senior running back Trae Heeter led the team with 118 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore running back Rico Watson had 71 rushing yards and one touchdown. Heeter is currently ranked ﬁrst in rushing in the PFL with 629 total rushing yards. Butler senior quarterback Matt Lancaster threw for season lows in passing yards and completion percentage. Lancaster’s completion percentage was 51.7 percent and he threw for 133 yards with one touchdown and one interception. For the ﬁrst time this

MEN’S SOCCER A rainy Saturday night at the Butler Bowl proved to be no problem for the No. 21 Butler men’s soccer team as the Bulldogs improved their record to 8-2-1 in a match against DePaul. The Bulldogs struck ﬁrst with a goal in the 12th minute by freshman forward David Goldsmith off a pass from senior forward Austin Oldham. Goldsmith added a ninth goal to his season total with a strike in the 21st minute off an assist from senior forward Jordan Burt. Goldsmith leads the Big East in total goals scored, and was awarded Big East Rookie of the Week honors for the second straight week. The Bulldogs recorded 12 shots, and ﬁve of those shots were on goal. Senior goalkeeper Jon Dawson continued his strong effort in goal for the Bulldogs. Dawson recorded

ﬁve saves and notched his seventh win of the season. The Bulldogs will be on the road for their next three matches. Butler takes on Marquette Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. Marquette is currently 2-0 in Big East Conference play and 6-3-1 overall. Butler will travel to South Orange, N.J., to take on Seton Hall Oct. 12. Seton Hall has struggled this season. The Pirates are 3-5-2 overall and 0-2 in the Big East. Seton Hall lost to Georgetown 8-0 in its last contest. The Bulldogs will then travel to Washington, D.C., to take on Georgetown Oct. 19. Both matches at Seton Hall and Georgetown start at 1 p.m. The Hoyas are ranked 11th in the country by the coaches poll. Georgetown is 2-0 in conference play and 8-2-1 overall. -Clayton Young

season, the Bulldogs’ defense held the opponent’s offense to less than 300 yards. Stetson had 262 total yards. Butler has the worst pass defense in the PFL, allowing 317.7 passing yards per game. But against Stetson, the Bulldogs allowed only 113 passing yards. “I feel like with Stetson we eliminated the big plays, shut down their run and that caused them to pass a little bit more,” junior defensive lineman Bret Shannon said. “We didn’t really let those big passes up.” The Bulldogs defense recorded two safeties and four takeaways. Saturday marks Butler’s

homecoming game against Campbell. Last year, Butler defeated Campbell 35-14. Voris said the game against Stetson helped the team further adjust to PFL play, and Campbell’s style of play is similar to Stetson’s. “We’re going to get [that style of play] this week, that’s for sure” Voris said. “They’re going to play different personnel groupings and use formations to try and get an advantage. It’s probably good to get it back to back weeks.” The Camels are currently 1-4 (0-2), but have the fourth best scoring offense per game in the PFL. The Homecoming game will kick off at 1 p.m.

CROSS COUNTRY A disappointing finish at the Notre Dame Invitational Friday left the Butler men’s cross country team feeling as though it still has something to prove. The Bulldogs placed 17th out of 27 teams at the event. “We’re better than that, and we know it,” coach Matt Roe said. Sophomore Erik Peterson led the way for the Bulldogs, finishing the 8-kilometer race in 18th place with a time of 24:49. Junior James Martin finished second on the team with a time of 25:32. Martin said this meet was a learning experience for the Bulldogs. “Despite the team not finishing as highly as we would have liked, we were able to pinpoint some weaknesses that we can improve upon,” Martin said. The men’s next meet is the NCAA Pre-National on Oct. 19.

“We need everybody to step up and do what they’re capable of—nothing more, nothing less,” Roe said. “Our expectation is not that our guys are going to do something beyond themselves, but they’re going to race at a level that reflects their fitness.” Roe rested the women’s first squad. The second squad placed 22nd at Notre Dame. Junior Erica Carlson led the Bulldogs across the finish line with a time of 19:07, good for an 81st-place finish. Freshman Taylor Royalty finished second for Butler with a time of 19:25. The first squad will return to action in two weeks at the pre-national meet. Roe said the meet will be a success if the team performs as they did in the Roy Griak Invitational. “We have one race under our belts, and we’re going to be better just because of that,” Roe said. -Matthew VanTryon

Photo by Marko Tomich

Running back Trae Heeter ran for 118 yards and two scores Saturday.

WOMEN’S SOCCER The Butler women’s soccer team snapped a three-match losing streak Sunday, with a 2-1 overtime victory over St. John’s. It was Butler’s first victory in the Big East Conference. The Bulldogs improved their record to 8-4-2 with the win, and 1-3-0 in the Big East. The game started with a bang, with both teams getting shots in the first minute. Butler junior forward Elise Kotsakis had a scoring chance go wide right of the net. Moments later, the first Red Storm (7-3-2, 1-2-1) shot went off the post. Late in the first half, Butler sophomore midfielder Sophie Maccagnone had a chance to score of a free kick, but it sailed right over the net. The second half started quickly as well. A red card was issued to St. John’s in the first minute, and Maccagnone was given—and missed— another free kick. Maccagnone’s effort finally

paid off in the 70th minute, when she scored a goal right in front of the net to put the Bulldogs ahead 1-0. St. John’s wouldn’t let Butler put this one away in regulation, however. In the 87th minute, St. John’s senior forward Amy Marron scored on a header that rolled past Butler sophomore goalkeeper Mackenzie Hopkins. The teams entered overtime tied at one. Two minutes into the extra period, Kotsakis scored her ﬁfth goal of the season, giving Butler the win. The win was Hopkins’ ﬁrst victory of the season in net. On Thursday, Butler suffered its fourth loss of the season against the Georgetown Hoyas. The Hoyas (11-0-2, 3-0-1) shut out the Bulldogs 3-0. Butler’s next game is against Providence at home on Oct. 12. -Brendan King

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN | PAGE 7

VOLLEYBALL

Obert leads Bulldogs to strong start The women’s volleyball team has cemented its reputation as a contender in the new Big East conference after three conference wins. After an injury sidelined senior middle-blocker Maggie Harbison before the season opener, the team lost a veteran leader and key star on the court. Since Harbison’s injury and return to the team, junior outside-hitter Belle Obert has stepped up consistently to be the team’s catalyst. As the season has wore on, the junior shows no signs of slowing down. The idea of playing volleyball collegiately was not something Obert said she had envisioned starting out as a student-athlete at Del Oro High School in Loomis, Calif. Standing at 6’2,” Obert had previously utilized her height on the basketball court, in addition to being a standout in soccer. But a broken ankle in 8th grade ended her soccer career, and she was looking for another sport to occupy her time. “So I thought, hey, I’ll give volleyball a try,” Obert said. “I really liked it away. I started playing club that year, and just went from there.” That decision not only led Obert to a new sport, but one that she has grown to love and succeed in. While many collegiate athletes have played their sport for several years, Obert said she was able pick it up quicker thanks to her conditioning from playing basketball. “Basketball was my biggest sport during high school, and I contemplated for a long time as it went on what I wanted to play it college,” she said, “I think after awhile I got burnt out on basketball, and since volleyball was still kind of new, I went that route.”

Coach Sharon Clark, a fellow Californian, got in contact with Obert’s prep club coach. Fascinated by the idea of going to a smaller college, Obert visited Butler for the ﬁrst time during the NCAA Men’s Final Four in 2010. Though far from her home, Obert’s family still makes an effort to see their daughter play when they can, as well as her brother Alex who plays collegiate water polo. Obert also thanks the families of her teammates, such as Stephanie Kranda and Jadyn Yarling, for smoothing her 2,000 mile transition to the Hoosier state. The task of balancing her academic and athletic responsibilities can be tasking, Obert said, but she has managed to better balance her time after a couple years of trial and error. But Obert is a natural on the court. “I never learned a lot of the normal technique, so I just kind of used my athleticism to ﬁgure things out,” Obert said. “A lot of my coaches in college kind of make fun of me, because my fundamentals are wrong. Like that I don’t block well, but I’m a really good blocker. With Butler boasting a 16-3 record and Obert leading in nearly every major offensive category, the team will rely on Obert as they head towards the Big East tournament.

ON THE WEB Visit www.thebutlercollegian.com for more on the volleyball team’s hot start and other Butler sports.

Collegian ﬁle photo

Junior middle-hitter Belle Obert has contributed to the Bulldogs’ 16-3 start to the season.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Freshman earning big role early in career As the Butler women’s soccer season rolls along, the Bulldogs need players to step up as they push for success in the Big East Conference. One of the team’s youngest players, freshman McKenzie Muchow, is doing just that, making herself a force to be reckoned with in the Big East. Muchow has put herself in great position to do that this season, as she is Butler’s third highest goal scorer with three goals. The only teammates in front of her are sophomore Sophie Maccagnone and junior Elise Kotsakis. Because of her play, Muchow earned the Big East Rookie of the Week award two weeks in a row, most recently being due to the game at Wright State, where she scored two goals to help Butler win. Co-head coach Rob Alman knew exactly what he was getting out of Muchow in the recruiting process. “There were no surprises when it came to McKenzie,” Alman said. “McKenzie was always keen to receive our input and did a great job adding to her game and preparing for her collegiate career here at Butler.” When Muchow decided to come to Butler, soccer was not the only— or even the driving—reason. “Academics brought me here,” Muchow said. “What really stuck out from other schools are the girls, the team and the atmosphere

here.” At Avon High School, Muchow played on her varsity squad all four years, collecting 53 goals. Butler picked up a key win in its non-conference schedule against a nationally ranked Michigan squad on Sept. 15. Muchow used this stage as a sort of coming-out party, scoring the match’s only goal. At the same time, she said the victory was created by the entire team. “The best moment of the year was rushing the field after we beat Michigan on our home turf,” Muchow said. “It was the best feeling in the world, knowing we just proved to everyone that they cannot underestimate us. Every person on the team contributed to that game, and it was a great team win.” Rob Alman said Muchow is a special player. “McKenzie is a tremendous all-around soccer player,” Alman said. “There are many top-level players who possess one or two traits that they are known for and rely upon but also have one or two holes or weaknesses. Mckenzie is rare because she does not have a weakness in her game that she has to shy away from.” Still, after four years of leading a high school team, Muchow said starting college by becoming part of a Big East team was difficult. “I was a little nervous,” Muchow said. “It was definitely a

Freshman McKenzie Muchow controls the ball during the Oct. 6. St. John’s game.

big change. It was definitely hard for us with all the traveling, and I think we underestimated our competition a little.” Part of Muchow’s motivation during trying times comes from two people she calls her greatest inspirations: her parents. “They have always pushed me to be the best soccer player I could be,” Muchow said. “They give me great advice and are my number one fans even on my worst days. I can’t thank them enough for the amount of time and effort they have put into helping me get where I am today.” The Bulldogs’ success has come not only from their play on the field, but also from their team chemistry. Coach Alman said a lot of the chemistry has a lot to do with Muchow. “McKenzie brings much to the team first and foremost as a person,” Alman said. “She is a very supportive teammate and is liked by the entire group as she is so easy to get along with and has a great sense of humor. From a coach’s perspective, she is brilliant to work with on a daily basis.” Muchow said she knew she would need to put in a lot of hard work to become a starter for Butler, but the enjoyment she gets out of it goes beyond the pitch. “I think it’s great that we just don’t represent Butler, but we also represent the city,” Muchow said. “We take pride in it everyday.”

Photo by Rachel Opperman

Collegian ﬁle photo

Bulldogs’ quarterback Matt Lancaster has been named a semiﬁnalist for the National Football Foundation’s Campbell trophy, the outstanding student-athlete of the year.

FOOTBALL

Bulldogs QB named semifinalist for award While the Butler football team makes noise on the field at 4-2 and 2-0 in Pioneer Football League play, quarterback Matt Lancaster has gotten recognition off the field. Last week, Lancaster was named a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation’s Scholar-Athlete Award. Lancaster is nominated for the William V. Campbell trophy, which has been awarded to the nation’s “premiere scholar-athlete of the year” since 2009. The award originated in 1990 and was called the Draddy Trophy until 2009. Butler coach Jeff Voris said it is an honor for Lancaster to be nominated for the award because it is a combination of the qualities that make a student-athlete. “It’s not an academic award or an on-the-field award, it’s a combination of both,” Voris said. “He is a tremendous studentathlete. He takes great pride in his studies and is doing things right in that way and looking forward to going on to dental school.” Lancaster also said he is honored to even be a semifinalist.

“I’m very honored and excited about it,” Lancaster said. “Obviously it’s an honor to be named a semiﬁnalist out of all D1 athletes.” The award has a record 107 nominees this year, most of which are FBS players. Seven of the players come from the PFL, which is also a record number for the conference. Voris said, as a student-athlete, Lancaster embodies everything he expects from Butler players. “We’re a team that wants to represent the game of football and the program the right way,” Voris said. “We want guys that are here to earn a meaningful degree and understand that football’s a part of their education.” Voris said the award is an honor because it shows good on-ﬁeld performance, but it also extends to the classroom. And that means a lot to the program as a whole. “To have a guy be recognized at a national level really speaks to where our program has developed to,” Voris said. “Not only is it a great reward for him but one that will continue to attract future student-athletes to our program.”

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

ARTS, ETC.

PAGE 8

“A Glorious Adventure Awaits” MALLORY DUNCAN MSDUNCAN@BUTLER.EDU ASST. ARTS, ETC EDITOR

tefan LeBlanc enters a world every day that not many people can: the science fiction/fantasy world. Having already authored three books, his most recent work, “Diamond Duster,” has been featured on iTunes in the front page of the action and adventure section since last week. LeBlanc, a fifth-year senior, is following one of his favorite sci-fi shows’ mantra—Star Trek’s “To boldly go where no man has gone before”—by mixing two genres in his writing. His first two published novels—“Dungeon Crawlers: Episode 1” and “Dungeon Crawlers: Episode 2—combine fantasy with science fiction. “The reason why I like science fiction is because it’s a good escape from standard society,” LeBlanc said. “We’ve got cars and whatnot here, but you can go into a world where there’s flying airships. There’s magic and someone flinging fireballs all over the place. It’s a good place for your mind to wander. “I tend to take a more fast-paced view of science fiction. I take the fantasy world and blend it with the science fiction action,” LeBlanc said. Besides gleaning inspiration for his novels from Star Trek and other sci-fi shows and video games, LeBlanc uses real scenarios from playing Dungeons and Dragons with his friends. Dungeons and Dragons is a dice game where people take on imaginary personas and go on adventures with other people. “It’s funny what a bunch of guys in a room hopped up on Mountain Dew and Cheetos can actually come up with in the middle of the night,” LeBlanc said. Zach Heider, a junior, participates in the games with LeBlanc. “(Playing the game is) a really cool atmosphere, like a campfire, where someone’s telling a story and you get really into it,” Heider said. “It’s storytelling where even

though it’s totally geeky and nerdy, it envelops your entire imagination.” LeBlanc uses his interactions with friends during gameplay to add another important element to his novels: comedy. “I’m one of those people who likes to sit back and relax and laugh,” LeBlanc said. “A lot of times during the day I just want to be entertained, and I want to bring that entertainment to my writing.” LeBlanc has many different talents besides writing. He’s tried his hand in juggling and, just last summer, he played semi-professional football. But, at Butler University, before switching to his journalism major, he was a theatre major. Growing up in Vancouver, LeBlanc toured around with the Vancouver Youth Theatre, performing student pieces. He even used some of his own works for auditions later in his theatre career. Although LeBlanc doesn’t know exactly what he wants to do, he knows that all of his various hobbies will help him in his future career. “I feel like I can use all of my interests in some point in my life,” LeBlanc said. “Everything I’ve done so far I feel like I can contribute towards whatever career is in front of me.” Heider also agrees that life experiences help with LeBlanc’s writing. “I think that is going to help immensely by just broadening his knowledge base,” Heider said, “especially when you’re writing fiction and anything goes. If you have a general knowledge and you can turn it into something fantastical, even if it’s not realistic, that’s great.” LeBlanc is a world traveler. His treks have influenced every piece of writing he creates. Besides growing up in Canada, he volunteered in Latin America for six months and has travelled around Europe extensively. “There’s so many different cultures I’ve seen,” LeBlanc said. “There’s a blend of different cultures in Dungeon Crawlers, one person will be eating sushi, another a hot dog.” For right now, LeBlanc is focusing on his writing. Working in the genres of fantasy and science fiction, LeBlanc is always creating new

intricate scenarios in his mind that are a part of another world. “I have a hugely active imagination. I’m always writing in my head when I’m standing in a line or doing nothing,” LeBlanc said. “I sometimes see a tree and I can just think, ‘Wow, I wonder what I can do with that.’ And all of a sudden in my mental image I’m seeing monsters swinging about or some battle going on and the tree collapses.” LeBlanc’s mind is always working, so much so that he never has writer’s block. “There’s never a point where I get stuck. My problem is that I get distracted very easily. I’ll start a sentence, like ‘he raises his sword,’ and think, ‘Maybe I should play Super Smash Brothers,’” LeBlanc said. “I almost feel bad for some of my characters because they’ve been holding up a sword in the air for two weeks.” Dungeon Crawlers Episodes 1 and 2 feature characters in a world far different from our own, a world completely built from LeBlanc’s extensive imagination. But he said

the characters keep the novels grounded. “There’s deﬁnitely a sense of realism in there,” LeBlanc said. “If you’re writing believable characters, the audience will believe the book, even if the world is completely extraordinary.” His characters, Lars and his brother Izlude, are as normal as people in our world. Lars has a sense of adventure, while Izlude tries to hold him back from doing anything too crazy or dangerous. Since his writing isn’t traditional, it seems ﬁtting that LeBlanc’s writing tactics are just as unique. “I feel like for writing, it’s bad to just sit up holed in a room and just write,” LeBlanc said. “Just go out and have a good time, you never know when an idea is going to pop in your head.” With the three books he’s published, his tactics, however different from the “norm,” seem to be propelling this young author toward success.

Photo by Jaclyn McConnell

Stefan LeBlanc poses with a copy of his book Dungeon Crawlers: Episode 1.

B U T L E R

U N I V E R S I T Y

Sylvia Earle

7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 15 Atherton Union, Reilly Room “The Quest for Sustainable Seas” With equal parts warning and hope, Earle shows us how actions we take in the next 10 years will matter more than what we do in the next 100 years.

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. For more information or to join our email list, please visit www.eventsatbutler.com. Sponsored in part by the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Undergraduate Research Conference.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN | PAGE 9

How do you

COPE?

A senior theatre project takes audiences into the mind of a young child in an adult world HANNAH HARTZELL HHARTZEL@BUTLER.EDU

STAFF REPORTER

While many seniors were developing their theses, Veronica Orech was examining plays, cutting scenes and auditioning actors. For theatre majors, including Orech, a senior project takes the place of a typical thesis. Orech chose to direct a play about the perception of a child. After much hard work and preparation, “Scenes from Mr. Marmalade” will make its Butler University debut this weekend. Orech said “Mr. Marmalade” is the story of 4-year-old Lucy, who creates imaginary friends as a means of coping with her dysfunctional, 1960s family. “Inﬁdelity and inappropriate language are presented right in front of her, and the story is a reﬂection of her perception of reality,” Orech said. Lead actress Peyton Lustig said these creative characters help “give her a break from the loneliness in her life.” She said the audience can see how these imaginary friends represent the characteristics of the adults and media in Lucy’s life. Lucy’s chief imaginary friend, Mr. Marmalade, represents the father she had, while another imaginary friend, Bradley, embodies the father she wishes she had.

Orech said this gives a window into the psychological view of children, something very important to her as a theatre and elementary education double major. Orech said she sought to combine the two passions without doing a children’s show. What resulted is a dark comedy that Orech believes will allow the audience to see further into the mind of a child. “It does touch on some tough stuff,” said Conor Owens, who plays Bradley. “It is not a laugh out loud type of show, but I think it deals with tough issues in a good way.” Lustig said the challenging topics covered in “Scenes from Mr. Marmalade” were a main reason for auditioning. “I thought it would be a great experience to participate in a play that exposes the dark side of humanity,” she said. Orech said she encouraged all the actors to ﬁnd the good and the bad in their characters. Selecting what parts of the play to perform, she attempted to choose scenes that would reveal the characters as multidimensional. “They’ve done an excellent job of making the characters their own,” Orech said. “The actors work really well

Photos by Jaclyn McConnell

Alex Noxsel, left, and Peyton Lustig rehearse for the opening of “Scenes from Mr. Marmalade.” together and bring new ideas every day,” sophomore stage manager Claire Kedjidjian said. “We have come so far since we started, and I’ve really enjoyed seeing it all come together.” Orech said she hopes the audience will not only enjoy the play, but that they also gain a different perspective after viewing the show. “The brain of a child is like a sponge— it catches everything,” Orech said. “They understand concepts and ideas even if they don’t understand what exactly is going on.” Orech said this idea is explored a lot in the play as the audience gets to see through the eyes of Lucy. “Scenes from Mr. Marmalade” is free and open to the public. It will be performed in Lilly Hall, Room 328 on Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 12 at 4 p.m. Because of the nature of the play, “Scenes from Mr. Marmalade” is recommended only for mature audience.

Peyton Lustig, who plays Lucy, rehearses with other members of the cast for the opening of Veronica Orech’s senior project, which opens Friday.

‘Improvfessionals’ group holds ﬁrst round of auditions BRITTANY GARRETT

BGARRETT@BUTLER.EDU STAFF REPORTER

After the director announced, “End scene,” Jordan Hall 141 ﬂooded with previously bottled-up laughter from the actors auditioning to be this year’s Improvfessionals group at Butler University. Improvfessionals is a fairly new comedy group on campus focusing its main inspiration from the formerly-Drew Careyhosted show “Whose Line is It, Anyway?” The group started up last year, but because many members were seniors, founder Chris Antolin was the only current member at the start of the school year. Antolin, a sophomore engineering major, got into comedy and acting in high school. He relates his major and his unlikely hobby of improv acting by the common theme of creativity. “They really aren’t that different,” Antolin said. “Imagination and creativity are needed in engineering and creating, as well as entertaining and making people laugh.” The purpose of Improvfessionals is purely entertainment. Though last year’s group was conﬁned to entertaining themselves with private practices, Antolin said this year he has ambitions for public performances.

“I deﬁnitely want to start off small, but eventually the goal is to make it into Clowes (Memorial Hall) to put on our shows,” Antolin said. Improvfessionals’ faculty supervisor Rob Miller and Antolin worked with the auditioning students by participating in a variety of games and exercises before providing input and advice. Miller said improv relates to life in general and how everyone should go about conducting themselves. “You need to accept what people are giving you,” Miller said. “You should never walk in thinking you’ll say the wrong thing. Conﬁdence in who you are is important.” Antolin looked back on auditions with a sense of fondness toward the performances he saw. “It wasn’t a very big group but it was surprising how entertaining it was,” Antolin said. Freshman theatre major Sonia Goldberg auditioned for the group, but she said she did not even know what to expect. “My friend just told me to come along, so I did,” Goldberg said. “And I just went with what everyone else was doing. I have never really done improv work before, but I would love to try.” Antolin said more individuals expressed interest than who had showed up to audition. Because of this, a second audition date will be determined.

Some keys to good improvisation: — Accept information: “Yes, and....” When another actor gives you a piece of information, accept it as fact and build upon it by adding a little bit more information. — Add history. Have the characters call up speciﬁcs from their common history. A short anecdote can add a lot of information about their relationship in the scene. — “If this is true, what else is true?” Even in scenes that are unrealistic, ﬁnd the logical continuation of another actor’s actions and build upon them. Want to audition for Butler Improvfessionals? Contact Chris Antolin at cantolin@butler.edu for more information. Adapted from www.dangoldstein.com/howtoimprovise

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

OPINION

Fault should not be focus in government shutdown Citizens should stay educated on political protocol and watch over politicians This past week, I tuned in to C-SPAN to watch the debates between House Republicans and Democrats over the government shutdown. This was the single most shameful and disgraceful display of petty arguing I have ever witnessed. It included hours of our country’s leaders blaming each other for the shutdown. The politicans even speciﬁed names of which people they held responsible. Compromise is a part of everyone’s lives. In order for us to be successful, we have to learn to work with our classmates, co-workers and the people around us. Yet the leaders of this nation are bickering like children over whose fault this all is. Does it really matter? The National Institute of Health has shut down. Head start programs are closing, and the Department of Veterans Affairs is dangerously close to shutting down as well.

TONY ESPINAL

In addition, Bloomberg reported this shutdown could cost the U.S. economy $300 million a week. So while the government workers sit at home and the economy takes a hit, politicians think it’s more important to ﬁgure out whose fault it is. Then, House Republicans reported to CNN that they do not expect a resolution to the shutdown until the next showdown over raising the debt-ceiling. If you aren’t familiar with the details of the debt-ceiling, it is the United States’ ability to raise its borrowing limit to pay its obligations. If Congress fails to raise debt limit, then the U.S. could default, and the economy could suffer a major catastrophe. On Oct. 4, Business Insider presented a timeline example of how quickly this situation

could deteriorate. On Nov. 1, two weeks after the ofﬁcial deadline, the value of U.S. ﬁnancial instruments could come into question, causing a global economic problem. So what can we do as citizens? We can start by becoming involved in the political process. Learn about your representatives in Congress. Reach out to them and call on them to compromise. Pay attention to who will be running in 2014, and express your voice by getting out there and voting. We also have to be prepared to awknowledge that those whom we put our trust in and cast our votes for may be part of the problem. Time and time again, people believe the problem is everyone else, but their own representative and that’s why we keep electing the same people. So take a stand, do your research and hold our leaders accountable for their lack of progress and the great risk they have put our country into. Contact columnist Tony Espinal at tespinal@butler.edu.

College means more than booze and blackouts Students should seek balance between partying and other weekend activities While some students clink their beers each weekend, others go kart, jump on trampolines and play bingo in the dark. The next day, those other students are not running for Advil or lying in bed to recover. With organizations like PuLSE, PAWS (Peers Advocating Wellness for Students), Good Clean Fun and other campus groups, students are not forced to choose between having fun and drinking heavily. PAWS promotes wellness on campus through events, programs and social media, said PAWS president Rachel Brown. “Our goal is to adapt to students’ needs as they arise and give students information they will ﬁnd most relevant and helpful when they need it,” Brown said. Partnered to PAWS, Good Clean Fun acts as a student-run resource that provides information on “hangover free” local and campus events. The organization advertises Student Government Association, late-night and Indianapolis events

TAYLOR POWELL

that students would otherwise have to look hard to ﬁnd, said Sarah Barnes-Diaz, coordinator of health education and outreach programs. “I think there are a lot of students who… prefer to socialize in events that don’t necessarily involve alcohol,” Barnes-Diaz said. “Or even for students who drink and do drink often, it’s good to know that there are lots of other fun stuff going on.”’ Forty-ﬁve percent of this year’s incoming Butler students reported not using alcohol in the past year, according to data from the My Student Body survey. The survey is administered to incoming freshmen and transfer students. Of the incoming students who do drink, 47 percent reported they often avoid situations where heavy drinking takes place. Students should achieve a balance between drinking and participating in other fun weekend activities. By

Data courtesy of Sarah Barnes-Diaz; data compiled this academic year

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Diverse speaker offers more than a spooky experience Students should take advantage of speakers and the diverse topics they teach Students had the opportunity to learn about exorcism at the presentation “The Rite of Exorcism.” Rev. Vance Lampert, who performs exorcisms, spoke ﬁrsthand about his experiences with demons and confronting evil. Lampert gave a description of how he performs the ceremonies. People who believe they have been possessed by a demon must undergo a series of psychological tests to determine if they simply have a mental illness, Lampert said. Instead of focusing on the demons, which excite people who don’t understand exorcism, Lampert focused on faith and religion. Even though exorcism causes controversy within the Catholic church, Lampert continues to perform rituals help heal those who believe they suffer from possession. Podium Expressions, a group run through Student Government Association, sponsored the presentation. These students bring diverse speakers to campus in an effort to educate students about a wider variety of topics. “The Rite of Exorcism” is the perfect example of an opportunity students should take advantage of more often. Educated students should be

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able to talk about controversial topics and have a thorough understanding of what the topic really entails. College is the best time to experience new things. In few other situations do students receive free access to ﬁrsthand accounts on topics they may never encounter otherwise. Students shouldn’t leave college with only an understanding of topics concerning their major. No matter what opinion they form about exorcisms after an event like this one, they should be able to discuss their opinion in an educated manner. Cultural events on campus, especially events without controversial buzz words like ‘exorcism’ in the title. However, all students would beneﬁt from attending more than their eight events that are required to graduate. These diverse events help us become informed people, which is an important part of graduating from college. Contact copy editor Maggie Monson at mmonson@butler.edu.

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MAGGIE MONSON

Rev. Vance Lampert speaks to students on the controversial topic of exorcisms.

FALL 2013 EDITORIAL STAFF

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taking advantage of free campus events, students put themselves at less of a risk to alcohol’s detrimental side effects. “I totally disagree that drinking is the only way people can have fun here on campus,” Brown said. “There are tons of fun events going on all the time that students can go to.” The Health and Recreation Center also does its part to give students weekend activity options. “You can have fun without making some of those unhealthy decisions,” said Scott Peden, director of recreation. “The HRC tries to support that mission through its hours.” On late Friday and Saturday nights, the HRC stays open even when few people are working out, Peden said. The HRC also hosts its own late-night events. The center aims to coordinate four late-night programs a year. While drinking can be a fun social activity, what happens during and after using alcohol may not always be worth the risk. A false notion exsists that students must drink every weekend in order to have friends or to enjoy college. However, they do not. Attending programs whose main focus is not alcohol, students can be safer, more responsible and actually remember all of the fun they have. In the case of drinking in college, balance is key. “Butler students really should take advantage of all that the university has to offer while they can,” Brown said. “There’s no other time that we will be awarded the opportunity to participate in so many awesome, free and cheap events on campus and around Indianapolis.” Students can use SGA and Good Clean Fun’s social media pages to ﬁnd out more about upcoming weekend activities.

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Rachel Opperman Mallory Duncan

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013

THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN | PAGE 11

BLAST FROM THE PAST 2008

2008: Five years ago, the theme for

Butler’s Homecoming was “Superheroes.” The football team beat Morehead State 31-21, Bobby Fong was in his seventh year as school president and Blue II was in his third full year as live mascot.

1988

With Butler’s classes of 1963, 1988, 2003 and 2008 reuniting in various capacities this weekend, The Collegian is taking a look back at Homecoming festivities from those years.

2003

2003: 10 years ago, Butler had a rocking homecoing. The “Rock of Ages” themed weekend was jam packed with events that

were near identical to the schedule of events that students do today. Residential College’s Monte Tapplar and Delta Gamma’s Jenna Daughtery were named homecoming royalty. The Phi Delt alumni beat out the Sigma Chi alumni to take home the chariot championship that year.

1988: 25 years ago, classes—not Greek and residential groups—competed against each other in order to be win the Homecoming competition. ABOVE: Junior Shawn Dullaghan was scampering towards the end line of the suitcase relay to help her junior class win second place in the Homecoming class competitions. BELOW: Competing in the Little Caesars pizza-eating competition, Rob Warfel bites into a slice. 1963: 50 years later and not much has changed at Butler. Fraternities compete on the Butler streets to be crowned for having the fastest chariot. The football team is still achieving gridiron success, and sororities scramble to make last minute changes to their homecoming decorations.

1963 PAWPRINTS

by Erin Marsh | Photographer | emmarsh@butler.edu

Where’s your favorite study spot on campus? “I study in my room so I don’t have to walk anywhere.”

Chris McDonald Freshman Computer science

“In the Schwitzer ofﬁce because it’s nice and comfy.”

“In the library because I’m not distracted by anything.”

Mickinzie O’Neal Junior Communications sciences and disorders

Lauren Hesler Freshman Exploratory studies

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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.

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