the preface
IU South Bend’s official student newspaper
April Fool’s Edition
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
New direction for South Bend starts with Ignite Michiana
Above: A view of the packed State Theater during an Ignite presentation. Right: General Manager of the State Theater Andrew Elegante addresses the crowd. Photos courtesy of Barbara Tibbs By IZZA JATALA Staff Writer izjatala@imail.iu.edu
INSIDE
Just as the newly renovated State Theatre has been reinvented, the City of South Bend is ripe for its own positive change—and it’s all made possible through the commitment and passion of people in the community. The doors opened to the public for the first time in years at the new and improved State Theatre Thursday evening on March 28 for the sold-out Ignite Michiana show. “Tonight the purpose of Ignite Michiana is to change the way people talk and think about our city,” said Event Organizer Willow Wetherall, as she took to the stage to give for a lively welcoming speech to the audience of nearly 400 people. The event showcased talks on sustainability and innovation in a unique format; 18 presenters, 5 minutes and 25 slides to deliver an enlightening evening of sharing ideas.
It drew a diverse crowd ready to be a part of what could be just the beginning of the city heading in a new direction. “The people power in South Bend has become a reality. So take a look around because this is exactly what South Bend’s comeback looks like,” said South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg to the audience after joining Wetherall and Andrew Elegante, general manager of the State, on stage. The State buzzed with excitement as people filed into the main showroom to finally see the new look of the old State Theatre. “The volunteers have done a great job cleaning up the State and generating a fantastic looking space that can now be used as a community hub,” said Elegante gesturing around at the transformed venue. People paused to take in their surroundings. Purple and blue lighting from the ceiling bathed the showroom with a glow. After taking it all in, people started to find friends and new acquain-
Best-selling author visits IUSB 2
tances to converse with before being seated for the show. Some ordered a few drinks from the bar or tried out the gourmet macaroni and cheese. Others danced to the music played by the DJ spinning tracks to the left of the stage. On stage the Ignite Michiana logo was displayed on the big screen with red draping curtains on each side. Rows of seats began to fill with a blend of people; from college-aged geek-chic hipsters to esteemed business professionals to other interested South Bend residents of the older generations. The evening of rapidly presented ideas progressed with topics such as gardening and urban agriculture, science cafes, eating healthy and local, changing water consumption, rain barrel projects and renewable energy. Each idea had a core message that presenters spoke passionately
about. “Water rights are human rights. Every time you buy a bottle of water, we support the privatization and corporatization of a public good and basic human need,” said Myles Robertson, sustainability consultant and IUSB alumni. His presentation was about switching back to tap water. “The different ideas showcased tonight will give people a chance to glimpse a movement to energize the city,” Robertson said before taking the stage. The audience applauded and cheered when Scott Ford, executive director of Community Investment
Comedian comes to Northside Hall 5
for the City of South Bend, said that the Studebaker Plaza will be open this summer. An image of plaza was shown on the big screen. He said what was once an industrial property will now be used as a vibrant outdoor public courtyard. Boniface Njuguna, executive director of the Green Youth Foundation, presented his project of repurposing plastic two liter bottles into solar lamps to provide lighting for parts of Africa. During the presentation he ges-
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IUSB Senior reflects on past 6
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The Preface New York Times best-selling author reads at IUSB
Carole Boston Weatherford reads from book commemorating 100th anniversary of Harriet Tubman’s death
The Preface is the official student newspaper of Indiana University South Bend, published every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters. The Preface receives funding from the Student Government Association and through advertising revenue. The Preface is a student written, edited and designed publication. Editor-in-Chief Sarah Duis Managing Editor Joseph Graf Design Editor Cecelia Roeder Advertising Manager Stephen Kowalski Staff Writers Kelsie Ferguson Elisha Hostetler Andrea Janesheski Mackenzie Jarvis Izza Jatala Bridget Johnson Joe Kuharic Taylor Neff Alyssa Mathieu Danielle Miller Malory Pecina Lauren Pajakowski Jessica Leigh Schliska Mandi Steffey Sarah Ward Nick Wort Columnists Mandi Steffey Christina Clark Cartoonist Traci Bremer Photographers Robert Ressler John Batliner Staff Advisor Ken Klimek Direct all correspondence to: editorpreface@gmail.com Phone: 574-520-4553 The Preface 1700 Mishawaka Ave PO Box 7111 South Bend, IN 46634 Student Activities Center Room 220 Interact with us online: www.iusbpreface.com and facebook.com/IUSBPreface
By NICK WORT Staff Writer nickwort123@gmail.com With 40 books published and counting, numerous awards and a spot on the New York Times bestsellers list, Carole Boston Weatherford’s career has been nothing short of successful. Weatherford, an English teacher at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, traveled to South Bend to perform a reading from her book “Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom.” The reading was in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Tubman’s death, and was a part of IU South Bend’s Black History Month celebration and activities. “I initially set out to write a story about Harriet Tubman to read at a storytelling festival,” said Weatherford. “So I wrote this story and read it at the festival. A few years later, my church was having a Black History Month program. And I said ‘Let’s try something different. I’ve got this story; maybe we can do a reader’s theater.’ They performed it as a reader’s theater with the chorus chiming in singing African American spirituals.” After seeing her work performed, Weatherford went on to considerably change the script, transforming it into her bestselling book. “I didn’t intend for it to be a book at first, I wasn’t trying to get it published,” Weatherford said. “Once I decided that I wanted to make it a children’s book, it took about two or three years to find a publisher then another two years, maybe even three or four for it to even be published, and it had to be
Continued from front page tured to glowing solar lamps fashioned as center pieces on the tables behind the seating area. After the show the freshly energized audience mingled and socialized with the presenters, event organizers and volunteers, expanding the conversation on the recently discussed topics or just enjoying a night to be proud of South Bend. “It was a rush and I am so happy to be a part this movement,” said Sarah Lowe, a graduate student at IUSB who shared her journey to become a “locavore,” someone who
Weatherford signs copies of her book for readers.
PREFACE PHOTO/NICK WORT
illustrated of course.” Weatherford started writing when she was just a young girl. She recited her first poem to her mother when she was in first grade. Her mother responded with encouragement and had her father, a high school print teacher, make copies of her early work. “I’ve always been able to string words together in my brain and write them down; phrases, lines, sentences, so that I won’t forget them. That’s how it started,” Weatherford said. Generally, Weatherford’s work focuses on historical subjects retold in a format suitable for children’s books. She looks for subjects that have not been turned into children’s books, or have not been approached the way she plans. The book Weatherford read from, “Moses,” made the New Your Times best-sellers list, received the Coretta Scott King award and an NAACP Image
Award in 2007. Weatherford has drawn influence from a number of different people throughout her career, including Harriet Tubman, Langston Hughes and her parents. These influences have shown up prominently in her work. Notably, Weatherford draws a huge influence from Billie Holiday and jazz music in general. “Most of my books have some kind of musical element, or at least allude to music. I love music, it’s one of my escapes,” she said. “Billie holiday is my muse, she inspires me. The book I wrote about her called ‘Becoming Billie Holiday,’ that’s one of my proudest accomplishments.” Weatherford also noted that she takes pride in raising her children, having published 40 books and being able to influence young children throughout the world. Though this is the first time Weatherford has read in South Bend, she does have some ties to
IUSB. “Marvin Curtis and I worked together at Fayetteville State University. He was an administrator there before coming here. He and I had collaborated on a production of ‘Moses,’ He decided that he wanted to do it here to commemorate the 100th anniversary of her death,” said Weatherford. “So that’s why I’m here. I didn’t choose IU, it chose me!” Her book “Moses” was acted out by dancers at IUSB in February as part of the “Lift Every Voice: A Celebration of the African Spirit” concert. Weatherford has two new books that have been recently released, “A Bat Cave” and “Africa.” More information on Weatherford and her books can be found at www.cbweatherford.com. More information on future Raclin School of the Arts events can be found at www.iusb.edu/arts/artsboxofficeevents.
eats locally grown food. “The state of our city rests on old strength and new hope, and we have everything it takes to open the next chapter in South Bend’s city,” said Jonathon Geels quoting Buttigieg during his presentation on energy efficiency. Hearing so many different yet equally refreshing ideas gave new perspective to many on all the ways the public can help the City transition for the better. It is through this “people power” that the State exceeded their fundraising goal of raising $1300 by the end of this event. Funds raised goes into the crowdfunding campaign aimed to cover
costs of projects associated with improving the State theatre. The idea behind the reinvented State Theatre is just that—an idea that started with one thought and led to people taking action. “It’s a turning point for South Bend so let’s keep it moving in the right direction,” said Wetherall in her final remarks near the close of the evening.
To learn more about the Ignite Michiana event you can visit: www. ignitemichiana.com or their Facebook page. To stay updated on the State’s progress visit www.thestatesb.com or find them on Facebook.
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Wednesday, April 3
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SGA elections preview DANIELLE MILLER Staff Writer dnaxe@umail.iu.edu
www.iusbpreface.com Find old articles, updated campus news, and dialogue with fellow IUSB students and faculty!
Students running for Student Government Association (SGA) positions have begun campaigning. There three students running for president are Lee Cohen, Hailey Hennessy and Lowell Ritter. Twenty-four students are running for a senator position while the treasurer, vice president and secretary positions are uncontested. A website will be set up for online voting where any student can cast their vote on April 16-17. The SGA by-laws explicitly outline promotional locations, materials and debates. The website where voting will take place will not be active until closer to elections. Once votes are tallied, the newly elected may “officially begin their term of office at 12:01 pm on the Friday, one week after final exam week of the spring semester in which they are elected. Shall officially end their term of office at 12:00 pm on the Friday, one week after final exam week of the Spring semester in which they hold office
unless the term of office is reduced by resignation, impeachment or the failure to maintain the qualifications of office,” according to the SGA constitution. Hannah Dill is the current SGA president but she is not running for another term. She’ll graduate in May and will be attending law school in the fall. “I had a very positive experience as SGA President. I was able to help the SGA transition between directors of student life as well as improve the connection between the Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management,” Dill said in an email. “What I am most proud of was that the budget committee, led by Treasurer Paul Clayton, was able to continue as well as improve the process for allocating the budget set by last year’s SGA. “ “As my last project,” she continued, “I am working with the Academic Senate to gauge students concerns about the potential implementation of Friday classes. I am proud of all the hard work and dedication set forth by the 2012-2013 SGA.”
NEXT WEEK: The Preface features SGA presidential candidates
F Sudoku Corner
Solution on page 8
The Preface
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On the job (fair)
By CHRISTINA CLARK Staff Writer christinalee1788@gmail.com
The IU South Bend Career and Internship Fair was in full swing on March 27, with the buzz starting during Veterans Hour at 1 p.m. and continuing with students and community members until the close at 5 p.m. Advertisement for the event called for professional dress, and all were following suit. According to Meagan Thornburg from the IUSB Career Services Office, 366 (“and counting”) students registered for the job fair, indicating the onsite registration table. Last fall, there were about 60 company booths. This spring there were 86 registered companies and schools. By 2 p.m., the SAC was abuzz with conversation. Nervous applicants sat along the locker room wall and courtside benches filling out their registration for the fair. At the entrance, Career Services employees handed out guides to the booths. The applicants carefully planned their approach, getting brave enough to take flight from the bench and into the fair.
In a colorful flowing skirt, black top and sweater, Samantha Rindfield prepared herself to enter the job fair. “I just got done writing 19 different resumes,” she said. Rindfield was looking specifically at 15 different companies, each with a different position requiring a different set of skills. “Four resumes are going to one company,” she said, explaining that there are four different jobs available at one company she is hoping to be successful with. Rindfield is an accounting major with minors in East Asian culture and Spanish. Finding work in accounting would be “preferable.” As for looking for work outside the career fair? “I’ve tried but it’s just not as focused as the career fair.” Dressed to hopefully impress potential employers, Melissa Mills hoped to land an administrative position. She is not a student at IUSB, but a community member looking for more exposure to the available job market. Jordan Martinus, 2011 IUSB alumni, commented that the job market was “starting to get better.” Although currently employed, he
job seekers filled the SAC to meet prospective employers. PREFACE PHOTO/JOHN BATLINER
hoped to find some engineering and business opportunities Companies like Four Winds Casino, Speedway, Dungarvin and AFLAC were looking for applicants with a degree optional. Dungarvin’s representative Brandi McGeath, a human resources specialist, described the kind of person they were looking to hire: “No prior experience needed. [They just
need to be] patient, understanding, and willing to learn and help someone achieve and pursue goals.” Joe Kuharic and Doug McAvoy of The Elkhart Truth were having a great time in their booth. Kuharic, formerly a staff writer for The Preface, spoke about the newspaper’s goal of “getting the paper back to the people. Keeping it local, with what’s happening in the com-
munity,” is what they’re about. The Elkhart Truth was looking for recruits for two internship programs, one on Digital Content and another for Marketing. Branches of the Armed Forces also had booths with recruiters for those interested in joining a branch of the Military, whether for career or for money to fund college.
Strike for IU students and faculty still a go By MANDI STEFFEY Staff Writer asteffey@indiana.edu
This image has been making the rounds on social media. Photo: IUonstrike.tumblr.com
A few months ago, news surfaced concerning a possible strike at all of the IU campuses to change some of the ways the university system operates. As of now, the core group of students at IU South Bend responsible for spreading the strike to this campus says the strike is still on. According to James Robert, an IUSB student, the Indiana Industrial Workers of the World and South Central Indiana Jobs with Justice have “officially and unanimously decided to endorse the strike planned for IU campuses statewide on April 11 and 12.” Robert says that aim of the strike is to hopefully satisfy grievances within the IU school system that students and faculty might have. On the Bloomington campus, students would like to see tuition reduced and fees eliminated. The list also includes a demand to end the wage freeze, a demand for the university to honor its promise to double AfricanAmerican enrollment and a demand to abolish HB1402 and SB590, which affects minority students. “This list is aimed precisely at Indiana state lawmakers who are cutting educational spending and jeopardizing the state’s future by deterring students away from the state. It is aimed at the Board of Trustees and [IU President] Michael McRobbie, who have pushed through unwanted mergers between different schools, given raises in top administrative pay, layoffs for staff and initiated tuition hikes and housing increases,” said Robert. Robert encourages all students, staff and faculty with
concerns about these issues to strike April 11 and 12. “In solidarity with our fellow students and workers at IU Bloomington, I would personally like to encourage all students and staff to either call in sick to work, cancel class or simply not show up the days of the strike,” he said. Strikes are not a new idea—disgruntled students and employees have held strikes for many reasons at many organizations through the years. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don’t. Robert thinks this one will make a difference if people participate. “To those that say nothing will be done or that this is ineffective, I would like to refer them to the recent activism by Quebec students resulting in the cancelling of tuition hikes and the continuation of the federal government’s support of public universities,” said Robert. Other IU students agree that action needs to be taken. A letter to the editor in the Indiana Daily Student somewhat echoes what Robert said about the strike. “Let’s help McRobbie finally get a good night’s sleep and make sure that this strike shakes the university system to its very core and creates something new and progressive that accounts for the needs of all of us involved in this great quest for higher education,” said Justinian Dispenza, the author of the letter to the editor. According to Robert, some students at IUSB are definitely planning on striking. Those interested in striking are encouraged by other strikers to skip class, call into work or cancel class in the case of faculty.
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IUSB Active Minds chapter seeks to overcome stigma surrounding mental illness By SARAH E. WARD Staff Writer saeward@iusb.edu
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Mental illness affects as many as in four college students, according to the National Association of Mental Illness. Stress, relationships, finances, heredity and school are just a few factors that can lead to a mental illness or breakdown, no matter how slight or severe. Many people keep their mental illness to themselves for fear they will be scrutinized and judged. The IU South Bend chapter of Active Minds is trying to break that stigma and reach out to students who may be struggling with mental health issues and depression. Active Minds is a non-profit that was incorporated in 2003 and was founded by Alison Malmon after her brother Brian committed suicide. Brian, a college student, suffered from depression and psychosis and was later diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. Unfortunately, the help Brian received was too late as he ended his life. Amy Dayton is a staff social worker at the student counseling center at IUSB and wants
the student community to support Active Minds so this tragedy does not happen again. Dayton knows that many students need someone to talk to but often don’t. “The purpose is to raise mental health awareness on campus and reduce the stigma of mental illness,” she said. “It’s just like any kind of other illness, diabetes or heart disease. We have mental illness too and it can affect you, and people seem to have a negative stigma about it.” It is estimated more than 50 million Americans suffer from some type of mental health disorder. Active Minds is a student run group and Dayton says they are in need of students wanting to get involved. “At this point we don’t have any students who are currently involved but what I have been trying to do is just have informational meetings and at this point students are not interested,” Dayton said. To get involved, contact Amy Dayton at ajdayton@iusb.edu or Megan Hensley at mlhardy@iusb.edu. You can also visit the counseling center in the IUSB Administration building or visit www.activeminds.org.
Mental health statistics • 75 percent of lifetime cases of mental health conditions begin by age 24 • One in four young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 have a diagnosable mental illness. • More than 40 percent of college students have felt more than an average amount of stress within the past 12 months. • More than 80 percent of college students felt overwhelmed by all they had to do in the past year and 45 percent have felt things were hopeless. • Almost 73 percent of students living with a mental health condition experienced a mental health crisis on campus. Yet, 34.2 percent reported that their college did not know about their crisis. • College counseling centers have observed an increase in the prevalence and severity of mental health issues experienced by students and an increase in the number of students taking psychotropic medications. Source: the National Institution of Mental Illness (NIMA)
Comedian Dan Ahdoot returns to IUSB
IUSB Adventures
Ahdoot delivers jokes to the packed crowd of students By NICK WORT Staff Writer nickwort123@gmail.com
Illustrated by Traci Bremer
On Tuesday, March 26, the Northside Recital Hall was packed with students eager to hear comedian Dan Ahdoot. The event, which was open to IU South Bend and Ivy Tech students, was hosted by the Titan Productions team. Ahdoot, who has come to IUSB before, has been featured on Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend,” NBC’s “The Last Comic Standing” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” Ahdoot also stares in Disney’s TV show “Kickin It,” Adult
PREFACE PHOTO/JOHN BATLINER
Swim’s “Your Pretty Little Face Is Going to Hell,” and will be appearing in an upcoming ABC sitcom called “Friend Me” this spring. Ahdoot began his set by talking to the audience, and even giving a few audience members nicknames. This had much of the audience laughing, even some of the members he called out. These audience members and their nicknames were mentioned and brought into jokes throughout the night. Though most of Ahdoot’s jokes focused on controversial topics, the audience as a whole did not seem too affected by it, and laughter seemed to be at its peak during his racier moments.
Ahdoot’s routine lasted around an hour and covered a wide range of topics including his family, upcoming holidays, drugs and American culture in general. After the show, Ahdoot walked up the steps of the Recital Hall, high-fiving students as he went and even stopping at the top to take pictures and talk with students and Titan Productions members. More information on Dan Ahdoot can be found online at www. standupdan.com. More information on future Titan Productions events can be found at iusb.edu/ titanpro or on Facebook at facebook.com/titanpropresents.
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Student Veteran Organization offers camaraderie, community service By IZZA JATALA Staff Writer izjatala@imail.iu.edu From filling out endless paperwork to adjusting to new environments to reconnecting with peers, the transition from student life to military life can be overwhelming for many veterans. For IU South Bend student veterans seeking aid in this transition, connecting with the Student Veteran Organization (SVO) could be both helpful but rewarding, according to Kyle Kreczmer, president of SVO. “The biggest purpose is to help guide incoming veterans so that they can succeed,” he said. SVO is run by student veterans for student veterans. Kreczmer said non-veteran student are welcome to join SVO too. “I also believe we have a duty as a student organization to provide community service events and fun activities,” he said. He and other SVO members Millie Ftergiotis, Nick Shepard Patel and Liz George met for their Monday meeting last week to discuss details about the 5k “Sweat for Vets” charity run in November. Kreczmer said the charity run
offers a chance to get involved in other areas at together with family, IUSB and in the commufriends and other vets in nity. Ftergiotis was involved celebration of Veteran’s with another community Day. building project. He said the proceeds Patel is president of the raised will be given to libertarian club and is curMiller’s Vets, a South rently running for a seat in Bend organization that IUSB’s Student Governhelps homeless veterans ment Association. in the St. Joseph County There was a feeling of area. camaraderie in the room as Other recent SVO they continued to contribevents include a book ute ideas for SVO and sodrive for worldwide litercialize. acy, a Free Suits for Vets “Sometimes veterans just event and the upcomneed that camaraderie that ing Rebuilding Together they had in the military to event on April 13. help them succeed and I Kreczmer said the feel it is that camaraderie SVO is still looking for that the SVO should help more volunteers and if to provide through memanyone is interested to bers actively participating in contact him by or before events outside of the classApril 8. room,” Kreczmer said. President of SVO Kyle Kreczmer at The four SVO members He added that SVO is last semester’s Suits for Vets event sat around the table and focusing on building parPhoto courtesy of Kyle Kreczmer talked about filling out eliticipation from the IUSB gibility forms, where to find community and connecting cess. George said that she would help filling out forms, the with more student veterans look into connecting with the VFW in addition to planning events and office of student veteran services, and continued to plan their while Ftergiotis suggested offering aiding student veteran services. T-shirts to the donating partici- Though there are more than 200 5k run. Each member offered up ways pants. veterans on the SVO roster (they Many of the SVO members are are automatically added when they they could help make 5k run a suc-
enroll), there are currently only 15 to 20 actively participating members. It is Kreczmer’s as well as the other SVO members’ hope to see more students get involved with SVO. Another hope Kreczmer has for SVO is to have a veteran’s center on campus where student veterans can receive all sorts of additional or expanded services and resources. This is part of their determination to establish more of a presence on campus and in the community. The SVO currently has their own Oncourse tab for easy access to information on student veteran services, resources and any updates regarding benefits and eligibility. Kreczmer said getting involved with SVO means helping improve campus life for student veterans just by showing support through participation. “I believe that once we can get more active participation we could be one of the best schools for veterans to attend,” he said. If you are interested in getting involved with SVO, contact Kreczmer at kykreczm@iusb.edu. You can find them on Facebook by searching “SVO IUSB.”
Series: What I really learned from IUSB Part I: The Early Years By JOSEPH GRAF Managing Editor jograf@iusb.edu Here I am, a senior at IU South Bend. After four long years, I am about to leave and receive my bachelor’s degree in communications, hopefully off to a future where I will make good money and use the insight I have gained to keep my career interesting and meaningful. But is this really the case? Or more so, is IUSB actually to thank for the opportunities ahead of me? Over the next few weeks, I will be writing my final Preface articles ever—a three part column series that divulges into the benefits and memories as well as the trials and tribulations of my time at this institution of “higher education.” It may come off as skeptical, it may come off as negative, but I promise you that all of it is honest.
To begin my journey through my college years, we will start at (you guessed it) the beginning. While I’m only 25 and still relatively young, I am a non-traditional student at IUSB. I had never even planned or thought that I would be going to college in my life, and had put off the idea of it for as long as possible. I hated the idea of paying money to go to school after high school when I already hated going to high school. In fact, I hated going there so much that I stopped going and never actually finished. Instead, I ended up taking my General Education Diploma
(GED) test before the rest of my class graduated and my scores were so high that I received an Honors GED, which blew my mind because I didn’t even know that an honors version of the GED existed. It actually turned out to be better than the Core 40 diploma that I had originally been on track for, and I was done six months early. After that, I spent the next few years working at wherever I could that would give me at least 30 hours a week. The problem was, I would find a temporary job that would last about half the year that I really liked, then spend six months working at random fast food jobs that I absolutely hated. It wasn’t very stable, and even though I was technically a high school dropout I still felt overqualified to work a deep fryer while wearing an apron and listening to people yell orders into my headset. It wasn’t until a six month spell of unemployment combined with a constant daily call from my father suggesting that I sign up for classes that I even considered becoming a college student, much less going to IUSB of all places. For the record,
my dad has never graduated from a four-year college and had no idea what the hell he was talking about. In fact, not one of my family members has ever earned a bachelor’s degree. I will be the first. So after being guilt-tripped into believing that making my parents proud was more important than my own ideas about college being a huge scam, I reluctantly signed up for my first classes at the only noncommunity college that I could afford to go to. Yes, this place. Also, my father, who would not shut the hell up about how beneficial going to college would be even though he has absolutely no idea, has never helped pay for a single cent of my college tuition. So even before I stepped into my first class, I was already in debt to the loans I had to take out just to be here in the first place. Can you tell that I’m not really a fan of my college experience yet? When I went to my first classes, I already felt completely out of my element. As an incoming freshman, the majority of my classes were filled with 18-year-olds. I myself was literally a month away from
turning 21. On one hand, it was awesome because I could already go out to the bars almost immediately after starting college, which I believed was a staple rite of passage in the college experience. But really, it just made me feel older and even behind the rest of the people in my class, thinking about how if I had started college when they had that I would already have been halfway done. And it only turned me on sooner to the sad knowledge that going to the bars is pretty much the only thing anybody does for fun in South Bend. Now if you’re still reading, excuse me for coming off as a complete pessimist. I promise, it wasn’t always this way. In fact, during my freshman year of college I was still unbelievably optimistic. I was happy that I was doing something with my life that I had never before expected from myself, and my positivity showed through. I was getting good grades, making new friends, meet-
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Wednesday, April 3
Marriage equality: There’s something happening here
christina clark
By CHRISTINA CLARK Columnist christinalee1788@gmail.com
game and gives a tiny bit of support to something a little liberal, you know something big is happening.) Marriage equality has been a Some fear that the social hot-button topic recently, involving network profile pictures changed the Supreme Court in the possible in support of marriage equality overturn of Proposition 8. It has cheapens the point. That such an brought out the ugly in both sides easy statement doesn’t reflect the of the debate, but it has brought work and turmoil it has taken, and out the love in both sides as well. will take, to possibly pass bills. Seeing such things as “I may not This is a fair point. It takes a lot of approve, but that doesn’t mean I blood, sweat and tears to change don’t love you,” and the blanket hearts and minds, and especially profile picture solidarity change to legislation. the red equal signs to show support I have a soft spot for those for the passing of marriage equality who do not support the change, has been a constant in the past but make a point to not condemn week. those that do. This says to me “I It has been interesting to see the don’t think the way you do, but I’m reactions to the mass solidarity willing to love you as a person.” on social networks like Facebook. Isn’t that really what it should be Some question its importance and about? Acceptance of people. see it as a passing fad. Others see We’re all human, we all have our it as a hopeful statement on the quirks. What one person is lookchange in opinions, and that it’s ing for in a relationship isn’t what become okay to openly support another seeks. Whether that is inthings like gay marriage. dicative of their physical anatomy, A few years back, most polititheir religion, their politics, their cians wouldn’t touch the issue with goals and dreams, their hobbies a ten-foot pole. Today, they are and passions…we are all looking forced to take a stand and submit for something different. The huan opinion in one way or another. man race is diverse. Americans are In President Obama’s election a rowdy, varied bunch. It is one of campaign he included gay marriage our best qualities and our deepest as something he supported, and downfalls. carried campaign swag that showed Whether you think the profile the Pride colors. pictures are silly, the bill is right or Even Bill O’Reilly has come wrong, or if religion is relevant to forward saying that the he thinks the conversation or not, one thing the states should decide the issue. is strikingly clear: There’s some(When Bill O’Reilly changes his thing happening here.
Continued from page 6 ing tons of girls, and thinking that it would only get better from there. I also hadn’t yet out-matured the group of friends that I had already had from living in South Bend my whole life, and like many people who attend IUSB, it didn’t really feel that much different from my life before college. In fact, it wasn’t really until my
junior year that all the different aspects of my life began to shift in different directions. So with all that in mind, it’s funny to say that at age 23 I would be completely different by age 24, but that’s exactly how it happened. And for better or for worse, my personal version of the “college experience” is the entire reason for that. To find out what in the hell happened to me, tune in next week to read Part II: Between the Blackouts.
Cats, cats and more cats By MANDI STEFFEY Columnist asteffey@indiana.edu We all love soaking up culture, but have any of you thought about cat culture? Cat culture is all around us. People scour the internet everyday for cute videos of cats in bathtubs, cats licking each other and the like. Luckily for me, I don’t have to watch these videos. Cat culture occurs in my house daily. I’m not afraid to admit that I’m 21 years old and can confidently say that I’m a cat lady. Not a crazy cat lady, but I have two cats of my own. Their names are Kevin and Cobain. Kevin is the black one—a dark, sleek prince that pretty much rules the roost. He plays fetch, meows constantly and knocks over the trash can on a daily basis. People always ask me why I named him “Kevin,” and to this day I honestly don’t know why I decided to name him that. My other cat, Cobain, has the striped tuxedo coat. She’s more of the mother hen type, follows me around the house and is generally quiet and well-behaved. The combination between the two of them could probably lead to some viral videos, but to someone who has to deal with these frisky felines every day, it’s not exactly a
Mandi Steffey TOP REASONS YOU SHOULD GET A CAT: walk in the park. Cats require a lot of care, and they’re rarely the cute little fluffballs that you see in the YouTube videos. They bite, scratch, and worst of all—poop. Many people think cats just aren’t worth the care that they require. Many of them (like mine) require special diets and constantly need cleaning up after. My cat Kevin makes a mess out of something every day. On top of cleaning the litterbox, I sometimes have to search my house for items that one of the cats stole and hoarded away somewhere. They’re a handful, but like I said, I’m a cat lady. There’s a growing group of adults that choose to not have children and just keep pets instead. I could see myself doing that. If you’ve always been a dog person, give cats a try. There are many reasons why you should do so.
They go to the bathroom by themselves. They make weird noises.
They double as an electric blanket when they’re on your lap. You will have something to Instagram besides food. They don’t get mad when you call them funny names. Take it from me—The Preface’s cat lady. Get a cat! You won’t regret it... at least until you have to scoop the litterbox.
PREFACE PHOTO/MANDI STEFFEY
Wednesday, April 3
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Bulletin Board “An F in English? Bobby, you speak English!” Upcoming events for ACJA/LAE PHI SIGMA chapter Lambda Alpha Epsilon (LAE) Club Meeting April 18th @ 12:30 in DW #2211 Open to all Criminal Justice Majors sudoku solution
NEXT ISSUE: local street art
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The Annual Spring Induction Party April 20th @1pm, The Blair Hills Rec Center 907 Deepwood Dr., Mishawaka, IN 46544 Open to all Criminal Justice Majors and their families.
Does your group or club have an event you think should go up on the board? Tell us at editorpreface@gmail.com!
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