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THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF NORTH IDAHO COLLEGE
MONDAY | DECEMBER 9, 2013
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Volume 67 | Issue 5
CAMPUS
Taking on
Commander
-inChief
National political activists look to impeach
St. ASNIC
Tyson Juarez Features Editor Political activists associated with the LaRouche Pact looked to collect signatures in order to impeach President Obama on December 6th as members set up a booth in front of the Post Of fice on the corner of Lakeside Ave. and 7th St. The booth was being run by activist Ken Morikawa, who felt strongly about the organization’s ideals. “We want to impeach President Barack Obama for his violations against the Constitution,” said Morikawa. The LaRouche Pact is looking to restore the Glass-Steagall Act, a law that was originated in the early 1930’s. The Act, also known as the U.S. Banking Act of 1933, contains four sections that limited commercial bank securities activities and af filiations between commercial banks and securities firms. “We believe this would lead to the end of the bailout,” said Morikawa. The group’s booth contained multiple signs featuring large profiles of Obama spor ting a mustache similar to that of Adolf Hitler’s. With a booth so controversial, Morikawa was able to attact many people and was handing out a good amount of paper work. “Were’re getting people to get active with us,” said Morikawa, “so we can push these issues to the state level.” Morikawa also said that it’s not only the Obama administration that is causing turmoil, but also the Republicans. “Both par ties are bankrupt morally,” said Morikawa. He also said that the group had booths set up in par ts of Eastern Washington as well. The LaRouche Pact follows after the ideals of political activist L yndon LaRouche. The group has continued to seek economic and government reform ever since the early 70’s.
Paige Jackman Staff Photographer
the first year ever to have one. Moore’s Tree Farm was gracious enough to donate the tree for this great cause. Sitting in the SUB, the tree had decorations and 111 numbered tags on it. Each tag correlated with a child. Of the 111 tags, all but six were taken which was such a great blessing to Wood and everyone involved. As of last Friday, only 13 gifts haven’t been returned which is still a small number compared to the 99 they did receive. Little elves (volunteers which include ASNIC members, Student Events members, students from NIC, and faculty members from NIC) will give these children their gifts on the night of Tuesday, December 10, in the SUB. Not only will they be giving gifts to the children, but they will also be providing them with a spaghetti dinner, a cookie decorating station, a coloring station, and their very own picture with Santa Claus. This is not a public event and is only intended for the kids and their families. There will also be food baskets for
anyone who needs the extra items for this special holiday season. The Student Events goal for this occasion is to “make it a magical night,” says Wood, and is an event “that unites the school together because they’re the kids of the faculty.” NIC is making a dream come true for some children in the Coeur d’Alene area. Wood goes on saying “everyone is so giving because it’s something everyone believes in…It’s not just an event. It’s a tradition for the school.” Because it is a tradition of so many years Wood had to “keep the small things in mind” so that she kept this tradition alive for future years to come. St. ASNIC is an event that requires time, effort, love, and cheer and so many people from NIC are helping to make this Christmas unforgettable for these precious children. The spirit of Christmas comes when we give up something of our own in order to bless someone else so that they, too, can have the spirit of Christmas with them through the holiday season.
Photos by Rachel Single-Schwall/Sentinel
NIC students have been bringing the Christmas spirit to campus this holiday season. According to Tiana Wood, the Student Events Coordinator, NIC has been giving a lot of gifts and time so that this Christmas will be a great one for many youngsters in our community. This past month she has been planning this St. ASNIC Tree of Giving and is excited for it to finally take place. St. ASNIC is a tradition that has been going on for years at NIC. Its goal is to create a Christmas for underprivileged children of our very own students and faculty members at NIC. The past month there has been a fresh 15-foot Christmas tree in the main floor of the Student Union Building. This tree was a big deal because of the fact that it is a real tree. Wood mentioned that all she “had to do was ask” and they could have a real Christmas tree this year, which was
tree tradition continues
Cardinals dominate Lady Cardinals are on an eight game winning streak in basketball. Sports Page 9
QUOTABLE
Photos by Tyson Juarez/Sentinel
“ I watched a student stand up to their teacher.. She just told him he was wasting her time.”
Perspectives Page 4
WHERE TO START News...........................2
Sports.........................9
Perspectives............4
Games.....................11
Features..................7
Online dating.............12
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Campus News
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MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2013
MP Economic Tour 2
Idaho Senators and Representative discuss economics, education at College Republicans event Thomas Hansen News Editor
T
Representative Vito Barbieri and Senators Steve Vick, Steven Thayn, and Russ Fulcher speak to over a hundred people. Thomas Hansen/Sentinel
historical education to make students into “world citizens”. “The United States will not survive as it stands, with its exceptionality, if we are going to be dumbed down and become citizens of the international commnity.”
dual-credit college classes. Jobs and unemployment was also discussed, as well as redistribution of wealth. “We don’t need to redistribute the wealth, we need to redistribute the work.
Sen . St eve nT hay n
Sen. Steve Vick
Rep. Vito Barbieri
Sen . Ru ss F ulc her
hree senators and a representative walk into a college, and the four turn to the audience and tell them about policy. Hosted by NIC’s College Republicans club, the event focused on discussing policy. The four politicians called this their “First Annual MP2 Economic Tour”. They referred to it as a prelegislative tour, and said that it is part of an attempt to move in a separate direction. “This is an attempt to get a sense for people, let you know what we think is going on so we can change and hold people accountable,” Senator Steven Thayn said. MP2 stands for “Motivating People to be More Productive”. The meaning behind their message was the first topic of discussion. “MP2 really is a legislative agenda. It’s based upon a philosophy that’s based upon very traditional American values; limited goverment, free market,” Thayn said. Obamacare received a lot of discussion, as well as Idaho’s Health Insurance Marketplace. MP2 seeks healthcare privatization as one of their foci. Senator Steve Vick said that insurance at present means that prices are high and quality is poor, citing the prices of LASIK surgeries and veterinary care as being examples of low-priced due to a lack of insurance involvement as well as medical tourism. “If you put the money in the hands of the people, the responsibility and the accountability will play a major role in driving those costs down,” Senator Russ Fulcher said. Fulcher said that the MP2 approach to healthcare is the “antithesis” to the heavily regulated government path, and would transition control into the hands of patients. Members of the audience, largely people from the surrounding community, responded with questions about the economy, education, and subsidies. One topic from the audience that received a lot of focus was the Common Core legislation, which has been in implementation over the last three years, and how MP2 would reform education. Fulcher said that the common core law strips control of the education system from Idaho, and that the state should be able to decide its own standards. Representative Vito Barbieri said that the common core law, which affects curriculum, is changing the focus of
That’s what MP2 is all about,” Thayn said. Speakers also addressed the regaining of state-controlled lands to open up the exploitation of natural resources such as timber. “In our country today, 60 percent
Thayn said that he and Fulcher, both of whom sit on the education committee, would also like to present a vote to allocate to high school students $200 for every junior and $400 to every senior to pay for
of federal budget is entitlements, it’s redistribution of wealth,” Thayn said. “So why is it, though the majority of people believe a different philosophy than what is happening in our government?” The event was conducted without issue with over 100 people in attendance for its nearly two-hour length. Luke Kilcup, 19, Pre-Law, Gig Harbor, Wash., chairman of the College Republicans club said that he met Thayn at an event held in the area. “He [Thayn] talked about getting this idea about MP2 especially to the college, because if we can change our youth we can change the next fifty years,” Kilcup said. The event went without issue and had over 100 people in attendance. Kilcup said it was fantastic to have them at the event, and that they got roughly the amount of people they had wanted. “College Republicans did an excellent job, they had about 120 people here,” Thayn said. “They exceeded our expectations. We’re very pleased.”
Marketing the Marketplace NIC hosts lecture on Health Insurance Marketplace Azra Avdagic Staff Writer
A presentor discusses the healthcare marketplace Beau Valdez/Sentinel
DID YOU KNOW?
NIC Student Health Services and Human Resources hosted an event to help students get to know and understand Idaho’s Health Insurance Marketplace. NIC Students and employees, as well as community members attended this informational event to learn more about Your Health Idaho, a new online resource that allows Idahoans to shop, compare and choose insurance plans that best fit them. Heritage Health, a North Idaho provider of integrated medical, dental and behavioral health services, is part of the outreach and enrollment team that helps educate and walk people through the process. The informational session
taught attendees about Your Health Idaho, an online portal to affordable health care insurance plans. Through Your Health Idaho, people are able to shop, choose, and plan in accordance with their health needs and budget, as well as family income, health needs, and age. The insurance you can choose is also based on your zip code. “We are here because the Idaho legislature voted to create a state health based exchange marketplace, and prevent federal involvement in Idaho,” the speaker said. Small business are able to purchase a plan that fits their budget through YourHealthIdaho. org, and the marketplace is a place where you can shop, compare, and choose your health insurance plans. “Who needs health insurance?” the speaker said. “Everybody.
We have competitive plans that allow you to do an-apples-to-apples comparison, and really it is so cool when you can look at the plans that you think might fit your needs and you are able to pull up a list that tells you all of the different charges side by side.” There are a total of 146 plans from 7 different insurance companies; there are currently 4 insurance companies available in the North Idaho region. “It’s a really unique thing to look at an insurance plan that way,” the speaker said, “if I had to show it to you, I would have to put out 27 some pages of paper and put a star by all the important parts and read it all line by line. It’s amazing how simplified it is online.” Dec. 23 is now the enrollment deadline for coverage that will start Jan. 1 of 2014.
The Manchineel tree’s fruit is known as the “little apple of death.” It’s one of the most poisonous trees in the world.
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Taking care of business
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CAMPUS SECURITY LOG 2
Entrepreneurial program offers education for prospective startups, scholarships and loans for would-be business owners April Wood Staff Writer Students who have the passion and drive to r un their own business will be happy for next semester. The new Business Entrepreneur Program is now available for the upcoming spring semester. The instr uctor for the new program targeted toward prospective small business owners is Michael Allen. Allen stated that he has had previous experience r unning and then selling his own business, and has taught the class before. One does not have to completely drop what they are doing in order to enroll. The program has four core
classes, wor th three credits each, and a choice for the fifth. Allen said that the program is for those with the qualities of a businessperson: a drive, creativity, relentlessness, and having a plan. First access to the program is given to a student has these traits. There are many facets of owning a business such finance and adver tising and gauging what do people want and need and how can you fulfill it like no one else can. It can be food or something more technological. With the unemployment rate so high for people 25 and younger, star ting a business can be optimal. Allen said that star ting a
business can be hard and it’s undeniable that the majority of businesses fail within the first three years, but not to let it intimidate anyone who is interested. “The businesses that fail were the ones that didn’t have a plan,” Allen informed. Fur thermore, having a small business does not mean that one has to be tied down to it. These classes will also teach the best strategy for getting the most out of a person’s exit from their business. There are scholarships available specifically for this program. Those that complete the program can get a $15,000 loan to star t their business; the star tup money is often an obstacle in today’s economy.
Retirement, tribal dance
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A verbal intervention 1
Nov. 21 - Campus security assisted a student with a minor medical issue.
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Nov. 25 - Hit and run incident caused minor damage to a student’s vehicle. The student may file a report to the Cd’A Police.
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Dec. 04 - Campus Security intervened in a verbal argument between two students in the SUB. A repor t was filed for potential disciplinary action.
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Dec. 04 - Theft of money from student possessions stored in Winton Hall.
Displaced workers emplaced Idaho Department of Labor offering long-term solutions for the displaced Thomas Hansen News Editor
Rachel Single-Schwall/Sentinel
Ron Dorn, retiring on Jan. 3, receives a gag gift from Mark Browning at his retirement party.
The Idaho Depar tment of Labor is continuing to of fer a program catered to adults and dislocated workers. The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Adult and Dislocated Worker program of fers assistance to adults and dislocated workers. Dislocated workers are qualified if they have been laid of f, their business or employer has closed, or they were dependent on the income of a spouse and are no longer suppor ted by that person. Adults of 18 years of age or more must meet a low-income criteria. A youth program is also of fered for applicants 16-21 years of age who meet lowincome requirements and have a bar rier to success such as pregnancy or parenting, foster care, contact with the criminal justice system, or being a public education drop out.
A federally funded program, the WIA provides employment ser vices for applicants, tailored to meet individual needs. Ser vices include job placement, on-the-job training, GED assistance, relocation, work experience/inter nships, occupational skills training, career exploration, suppor t and follow-up ser vices, and guidance and counseling. The program is longterm, and intended to provide life-long employment for committed individuals who meet the requirements and are selected. Applications must be submitted in advance of the star t of the Spring 2014 semester. In addition to the submission of an application, applicants must schedule a one-on-one inter view with a WIA program consultant. For more information potential applicants can contact the WIA case managers at the Idaho Depar tment of Labor of fices at 208-457-8789.
Ktunaxa Kickstarter NIC history students starts kickstarter for native culture book Thomas Hansen News Editor
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Beau Valdez/Sentinel
A Coeur d’Alene tribe member performs in tribal attire in the SUB for the final of the “Stories of the Gathering Place” events titled “History of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe”.
n NIC student is Kickstarting his heart to self-publish a book of native folklore. “The Culture of the Ktunaxa” by Justin Felts went on Kickstarter Dec. 6. Felts intends to collect folklore both in the form of tribal tales and in the culture expressed. He also intends to photograph landscapes featured in these cultural writings. To get this information, Felts will travel to tribal locations and get the information directly from the source in addition to information from existing records. The Ktunaxa inhabited the northern states from Washington to Montana, as well as British Columbia. In the U.S. they are commonly known as the Kootenai. Felts is working toward an A.S. in histor y at present, but said he intends to apply his research of isolate cultures to a masters’ degree in anthropology. Felts said that his long-term
goal is to study cultures with isolate languages, languages that differ from their neighbors, and do a series of publications on all of them. If the Kickstarter succeeds, Felts hopes to finish and publish his book by Januar y of 2015, aiming for Fall 2014. Felts is attempting to raise $3,500 over a 15-day period to help pay for the cost of travel and other expenses. The Kickstarter is all-or-nothing, requiring the full goal or more in order for him to receive any of the pledges. Backers of the Kickstarter who pledge certain increments of money will also receive additional rewards. A pledge of $20 earns a copy of the book, $50 or more for a signed copy, $100 for the previous rewards and your name in the “thank you” sections, $250 to additionally receive an inter view transcript and unpublished pictures, $500 for an additional personalization of the signed copy and a “coffee table” bound version of the pictures used in the book as well as unpublished photos. Felts’ Kickstarter will end on Dec. 22 at 3 p.m.
Perspectives
Perspective tip? Story idea? Contact Haley Kurle 208-769-3388 hnkurle@students.nic.edu
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MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2013
EDITORIAL
Bans on modifications More and more states are looking into or passing laws banning particular types of body modifications. Should the government decide what we can do to our bodies? One of the bigger concerns of the modifications banned is the health risks that often come along with those changes to our bodies. Then again, if you go to a certified, clean business for the procedures, the chances of infection are slim. Of course personal aftercare also plays an important part in that process. Many people express themselves through modifying their bodies with tattoos and piercings, which brings another question to the table: do these bans impose on our rights? The bill in Arkansas, for example, started out wanting to put bans on things such as naval piercings. If a person wants to get a piercing or tattoo, they should be able to. They are the ones choosing to make and pay for the decision; they have to live with the consequences. This is just something that the government does not need to impose upon. Maybe if there was a dangerous trend starting up with modifications, the government would need to step in. It’s not like these tattoos and piercings are anything new, they have been around for years. If you see it as something they will regret, let them learn the lesson. Just because you would hate to see something permanent done to your body doesn’t mean someone else wouldn’t love to have the procedure done. As far as employment goes, your potential manager will be the judge of your body modifications and how they will affect your work life. That on its own should be intimidating enough without the government having to place a legal ban on what you choose to do. At that point, if people don’t care what employers think, they deserve to do what they want that much more.
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Contributors Azra Avdagic Melaina Bell John Boltz Paige Jackman
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Morgen Buck
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Israel Gonzales
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Robby Palmer
Haley Kurle Design Assistant
Bridget Rogers
Rachel Single-Schwall Photo Assistant
Nicole Tooley
Geoff Carr Adviser
Nick Marcou
Connor Coughlin
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Bronwyn Riley
Leo Schnepf
April Wood
Rebecca Flores
Letters to the Editor Policy
T
he Sentinel welcomes letters to the Editor. Those who submit letters must limit them to 300 words, sign them legibly and provide a home phone number in order to verify authenticity. Some letters may not be printed because of space limitations, or because they: 1) are similar to a number of letters already
received on the same subject; 2) are possibly libelous; or 3) are illegible. The Sentinel reserves the right to edit letters. Letters may be mailed to the paper, e-mailed, faxed or brought to Room 203 of the Siebert Building. The Sentinel’s address is 1000 W. Garden Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID, 83814.
Comic by Connor Coughlin/Sentinel
Taking a walk on the ‘pop’ side Evolution of country music into ‘Bro Country’ Robert Palmer Staff Writer First off, let me be clear. I am not really a countr y music fan. But I am a music fan, so I must say I have a ver y valuable, almost optimistic, view on what has become of this music. In this day and age, we are bombarded by voice-changers and samples mixed with heavy nasty coma-inducing bass beats and strange, choppy chorus productions made popular by new hip-hop. Countr y music, a sacred art to many, has become subject to this newfound technological progression (or impediment) that a different many love. From hype-men to autotuned choruses, countr y music has taken a turn or tune for the worse. As fan of old Hank Williams and even his grandson better known as Hank III, I find this new-age genre of countr y music a sad representation of what used to be a down home finger licking good time.
This “new” countr y music many have dubbed “Bro Countr y” is a shameful attempt at bringing countr y music to new audiences while degrading the genre it ever so selfishly calls itself. Whatever happened to those cool and talented chicken pickers? Sliding on a Tele with huge bends and fast licks? Well, they’re non-existent. We not only have to listen to sob stories about Cletus’s banjo breaking but also Jason Aldean’s “rapping” about Joe Diffy in 1994. Since the Teles are M.I.A., we now get a faceful of bad 1980’s rock guitar solos to push the bridge of the song to end. Tom Petty from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers even agrees with me, “That music reminds me of rock in the mid 80’s where it became incredibly generic and relied on videos. I don’t want to rail on about countr y because I don’t really know much about it, but that’s what it seems like to me.” Not only are they stealing from the likes of bad hair bands but also the hip-hop culture. The incorporation of auto-tune has made some songs almost un-
bearable to listen to. Some M.C.’s have even joined in on the mix to bring this music to the youth. Does this not sound like a marketing scheme that has no real substance to it? Some opponents to this thing they call “Bro countr y” have gracefully fulfilled its duty by creating a website called Savingcountr ymusic. com. This is what they had to say, “Over the last three months, an average of three artists per month have spoken out about the direction of countr y—an over whelming number when you consider these bouts of outspokenness would usually happen only a few times a year. And there’s no reason to believe this trend won’t continue.” This is a ver y sobering quote that I find makes sense when I start to think about it, even from a non-countr y loving musician, this is quite sad to hear. I might be going out on a limb here, but wasn’t countr y music basically stolen from the blues? And now we have countr y music stealing from hip-hop. Not again I say, not again.
What we should be taught in school Nicole Tooley Staff Writer I think somewhere between 2nd period Algebra and 3rd period English we forgot to teach the future of America that THEY ARE THE FUTURE OF AMERICA. We expected too much, but asked for too little. We told them to get their lives planned out, but we didn’t tell them it’s okay to experiment. We told our students to follow the rules because someone older is enforcing them, therefore someone better than you is enforcing those rules. We should have been teaching them to question everything. No matter what anyone tells you, no matter who they are, ask questions. We told our students to follow specific formulas, and if they find a shortcut don’t use it on the test. We need to test their memorization, not their critical thinking skills. We tell our students in the case of bullying, to say “That is harassment and I want you to stop.” Did we think that would ever really work? We should have taught our students to fight for the underdog and fight for themselves. To stand up to the bullies, the silencers, and to stand up against fear. We should have taught the bullies not to bully. We taught our students very important things like how to read and
write, and how to add and subtract but it wasn’t enough. We never told our students that growing up is scary sometimes. We never told our students that their emotions don’t mean less just because they are young. We taught our girls to bake in Home Ec, and our boys to build in Shop. And we let the ones that tried to switch it up get made fun of. You are a boy. You can’t take a baking class. You must be a freak if you want to take a class like shop. We didn’t teach our students that it’s OK to be who they want to be. We have taught our students that a good grade on a test is all that truly matters. We told them this so often, that they started to value the grade more than the actual learning. We cheat because we value the wrong thing. We taught our students about formulas and punctuation. Why didn’t we teach them that there is more to life than just those things? What about interview skills, or sex education that actually is true to reality? We have taught our students to stay on track to what we made them plan out so they can get done in the “proper” amount of time. We didn’t teach them to take as many classes as they want, about anything they take the slightest interest in so they could just LEARN more. I thought school was supposed to be about learning. But the more I was there, the less I thought for myself. I just memorized the answers they had for classes, friendships, relationships,
religion, and politics. We haven’t taught our students that sometimes an A- and C+ can be the same exact thing. We taught them that it just means good, average, or failing. We didn’t teach them that they learn differently and an A- for you, might really be a C+ amount of work. We taught students to not work on other classes in different class periods because they need to just take it home. We didn’t teach our students that their family is more important than trying not to miss a test. Your brother’s wife giving birth is not as big of a deal as it will be if you miss two days of class this week. We taught or students to do the work, and to do it on time. We never taught our students to stop wasting their opportunity of life with less than their very best. We need to start teaching our students to stand up for themselves, to question, question, question, and to never settle for less than their very best. We need to teach our students that family is more important than an A on your Biology test, and that it’s OK to not have their lives planned out at 14 years old. We taught our students to walk and talk, and we have given them a small portion of the equipment they’d need to be responsible adults. But when they got older, we told them to sit down and shut up. I didn’t realize this until I watched a student stand up to their teacher for just handing out assignments rather than teaching and she just told him he was wasting her time.
DID YOU KNOW? The National Retail Federation reported that U.S. consumers spent $579.8 billion during the 2012 holiday season.
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PERSPECTIVES
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CAMPUS VOICES
To the editor: Like all empires throughout history, the United States is coming to an end. An empire has an emperor or an absolute ruler, which is usually an individual, but in the case of the United States, this emperor is the Corporation. It is just like Mitt Romney said, “Corporations are people.” The word “person” in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution recognizes corporations as individuals in the eyes of the law. The 2003 documentary film, “The Corporation” describes corporate behavior toward society as that of a psychopath with little regard for individual rights and their bottom line is always profit; no matter whether it is the tobacco companies, the oil companies, or any others. There are signs and symbols in society that point to upcoming events, just like there would be in your own individual life. Look at the United States: Motor City (Detroit) was once the darling of the corporate world. They have now declared bankruptcy. We used to have an AAA credit rating but now have been downgraded to AA plus. The 2008 recession should have been a wakeup call to the greed on Wall Street but instead it was just another excuse for a bailout. People are losing faith in long-standing institutions – banks, churches, families, government, etc. – everyone is looking for a scapegoat and someone to blame. Presidents always make a good scapegoat. These problems didn’t occur overnight; they have been brewing for a long time and are now coming to a head. Next spring, Congress will vote on the debt ceiling, again. A government shutdown is in the making. If you think the depression of the 1930’s was bad, just wait. You ain’t seen nothing yet!
Max Tuggle Coeur d’Alene, ID
n How soon is too soon? BJ Schroeder made a Paul Walker joke when he pulled into a parking spot backwards. n It’s that time of year. Let the endless Ugly Christmas Sweater par ties begin. n The stress is visible on the faces of students with the dark cloud of creeping finals hovering. n The season of 7-layer outfits and setting the scales back 10 pounds is among us. n What’s Santa’s favorite state? Idaho-ho-ho! n Why was Santa’s little helper depressed? He had low ELF esteem!
n R.I.P. to the beards that didn’t sur vive the end of No Shave November. n A moment of silence to the kids in 20 years that are going to have to tr y to create a unique login name. n Facebook is quickly becoming the mom jeans of social media. n Pig dissections are the talk of campus due to the striking resemblance that the pigs have to the Joker when students first get star ted. n Happy semester finals. May the odds be ever in your favor.
Canned energy isn’t the answer April Wood Staff Writer I’ll never forget when I ordered my rental textbooks online. In with the package alongside my Fundamentals of Economics was a guide to better studying and a can of Red Bull. I see them ever ywhere and ever y day in the hands of college students. It’s practically a cultural expectation for college students to be perpetually sleep deprived, and that’s what worries me. I empathize with the collegegoer’s dilemma of work, school, schoolwork and still having the desire to squeeze in a little personal or social time, but my generation’s addiction to these energy drinks worries me. It might be hypocritical of me to offer health advice. I’m not blind; I know how I
look. To me, the sensation is similar to how many of my mother’s and my grandmother’s generation smoked and are paying or paid the price in their health. We already know that too much Red Bull and other highly caffeinated drinks can cause heart palpitations, but new studies are showing that they can damage a person’s heart and raise blood pressure, and the high sugar content, as much as a can of soda, makes it an obvious candidate for raising blood sugar levels. Even moderation may be too much. The worst part is that these are becoming ever more present in high schools and are affecting still developing bodies. I have never tried one, although I did binge on Mountain Dew for finals a year ago when I had two difficult English papers breathing down my
neck. I can’t even vouch how effective things like Monster and Red Bull are at actually giving energy, nor do I know how they taste. I assume they taste like the glowing nuclear waste one sees on a cartoon or maybe like a sugar y batter y. Since the sugars are simple, I could only imagine the energy lasting for only a brief time. If one wants energy, they need to get it from a more complex source. Our society expects us to study and work long. I can’t just say “people should just get more sleep” because it’s rarely that simple, although it would likely be the best solution. There are better ways to get caffeine than through this chemical abomination. Coffee that hasn’t been turned into a smoothie is a good start.
Should there be bans on certain types of body modifications? Emily Oliver, 19, English, Corpus Christi, TX
“Body art is a form of expression and I feel like unless it’s something really inappropriate, people should be allowed to express themselves. ” Eric Wittenmyer, 17, General Studies, Ione, WA
“School: I could see maybe. Government: no. And employers: yes, I think that it is their right to.” Tori Schuler, 20, Criminal Justice, Post Falls
“Today’s society is changing and tattoos and piercings are becoming more accepted, but maybe in professional environments I think they should be covered up.” Kyle Card, 18, Mechanical Engineering, Wenatchee, WA
“Workplaces can because they have the right to and are trying to create a professional workplace in their corporate society.” Becky Hiatt, 20, Pre-Nursing, Boise
“I feel as though that would be going against my rights, I should be able to choose how I want to present myself.” Brady Patterson, 18, Business Admin., Spokane, WA
“No, because you have to have the freedom of expression. To enjoy your own self!”
Azra Avdagic Staff Writer
PERSPECTIVES
6 | the sentinel
‘Hick’ is the new black Leo Schnepf Staff Writer I am a resident of North Idaho, and proud of it. As a native of our wonderful region, I am surrounded by people
doing all sorts of wonderful things: Skiing, hunting, camping, fishing, ranching, logging, four-wheeling, and wake boarding, to name but a few. Plus, we’re tough; we get things done, and we don’t complain about it, whether it’s through oppressive heat in the summer, or a fierce snowstorm in the winter. However, there’s been a recent development in the culture around here that myself and others are not too proud of, and it has to do with some of our fellow Idahoans’ choice of diction. What I am referring to is several people’s choice of using a “redneck” or a “countr y” accent when they speak. To me it sounds unintelligent, and it can be vey dif ficult to understand what someone is tr ying to say. Why is this happening? We’re not in the South, so we haven’t been raised with an inherent drawl. Proper grammar is taught in grade schools, so it’s not in our education… so why are people speaking in this manner? The answer, in my opinion,
is in the media. People, especially kids, see characters on movie screens or listen to music that they think represents their place in society. This is nothing new, and there’s nothing wrong with this on the surface level. The issue is when the companies that own these artists and write these characters figure out which audience they’re having the most effect on. Once this is done, the companies target what they think those audiences are like, and unfortunately, they think that if you’re not from a city, you’re just a really dumb hick. We don’t have to be that way though! The term “redneck” is a slang term that refers to a laborer or someone that works in the sun all day, it has nothing to do with the way in which we speak. In addition, for those of you that love countr y music or watching western films; good for you! There’s nothing wrong with either of those two genres; just remember that if you hear it on the radio or see it on a screen, that doesn’t mean that’s how life is supposed to be, and that goes for all genres. So if you find yourself emulating what you heard at watershed, remember; you’re from North Idaho, you’re awesome, and you don’t have to do what corporations think you should do. Even if they tell you that a countr y accent makes you seem more patriotic, they’re wrong. Bad grammar doesn’t make you more patriotic, it just embarrasses the rest of us. So go forth, and make North Idaho proud!
Monday, december 9, 2013
Lessons from college 4.
Melaina Bell Staff Writer In the last week of my final semester at NIC, I feel it’s finally time to fulfill my life mission. I’m going to do the single most impor tant thing I’ve ever set out to do: tell you all the things I’ve lear ned this year, in the best for mat I can think of, list for mat.
1.
The first thing I’ve lear ned is to never tur n down a gift from your significant other. It doesn’t matter how low-maintenance you consider yourself, or how little you care about Valentine’s Day, demand that gift. When the day comes that your significant other leaves you, you’re going to wish you had something to smash or throw across the room while your tears mix with the overpriced desser t food that’s replaced your regular meals.
2.
You aren’t going to win the lotter y. Stop playing. That prize is mine.
3.
When naming a car it’s most impor tant to first consider Pokemon names. Driving a Thunderbird named Zapdos is the single most valuable experience I’ve had this year, other than sharing this list.
Sometimes people do stupid things, like eating your clearly marked ice cream in the f r e e z e r, o r b u r n i n g a hole through your trampoline. Lessons must be lear ned. It’s okay to bully these people for their actions.
5.
Occasionally you’ll make a friend who doesn’t believe in handicap parking or the continuance panda lives. Be war y of these people, or face the consequences of coming around to their point of v i e w.
6.
People won’t always like your opinions and will sometimes “prove a point” by writing you anonymous letters. Envisioning them proudly throwing the letter in the mailbox makes a fun pastime. Stand by your decision to call them “murderers,” because, in the words of One Republic, it’s too late to apologize.
Post Falls
NO
HOW TO BE A BILLIONAIRE John Boltz Staff Writer No one has ever become a billionaire by accident. It takes planning and years of patience. You must develop skills in understanding almost everything from Interest rates to tax rates. You have to be smart. This is an article about how to become a billionaire and I bet you’re wondering if I am. No I am not, but I do plan to be. And this is what it takes. So if you are planning to become a billionaire, what industry should you choose? Music and film might seem like a good idea to become rich and famous. However, the highest paid actors and directors are only worth millions. Robert Downey Jr.(“Iron Man”) is only worth $85 million. Eminem is only worth $140 million. That is only about one-tenth of our minimum goal. The industries producing the most billionaires are sports, manufacturing, real estate, food and beverage, energy, media, technology and investments. It is going to take a while because there is no sure way to get rich overnight and certainly no way to get a
billion that fast. Start saving now; it takes money to make money. For the first part of our billiondollar journey, we are going to have to live frugally. Cut out unnecessary expenses, decide what money you have to spend, and save everything else. Collect change and every time you break a dollar, put that change in a jar. When the jar fills up, put it in your account. I can’t say it enough: it takes money to make money. After five years, you should have enough money saved up to get started. It may not have been the most fun-filled five years but it will be well worth it. Depending on the amount you have saved, it’s time to decide what to do with your money: starting a business or investing. Invest, choose real estate. Generally, property value appreciates over time. This will provide a great return on your investment. You can flip houses, rent or develop. Just be careful not to invest in a market that is inflated and never miss a mortgage payment! Credit is very important. Next, start investing in businesses. Buy into or start businesses and sell for more after time. A company with a good product has unlimited potential for investment return as long as it will sell. Pick a product that you enjoy, but
7.
America is the greatest countr y in the world. Why spend $1500 going to Canada for a year when you can stay in the land of the eagle for free? Just kidding, stand by your Manada even if he was unfor tunate enough to Lanada in Canada. Ever yone needs more Americans in their lives.
never get too attached. After a while, you’ll develop a knack for it and before you know it, you will have even more money to invest. Time to hit the stock market. But don’t just hop in by yourself. Hire a team of fanatical advisers and traders to help in guiding your investment decisions. Always buy low and sell high. Fortunes are won and lost on the stock market everyday. The key is to know where to invest and when. By this time in your life, you will have build a strong knowledge foundation. Now you have money, time to take it to the next level. You must follow the market. Start businesses that are adored by the people and sell before they change their mind. The idea doesn’t have to be huge; all you need to do is understand the market and give people what they want, when they want it. Remember to sell before they quit wanting it. If you get to this point and you are a billionaire, make sure you marry well and don’t let someone take half. Always remember where you came from and help as many people as you can. With that type of money you save people’s lives, you can change the world. In the words of Uncle Ben: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Features
Features tip? Story idea? Contact Tyson Juarez
208-769-3388 lubusamongus16@gmail.com
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MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2013
COMMENTARY
“Jammin” In Spokane Seattle rockers Pearl Jam play Spokane arena
Tyson Juarez Features Editor
Bassist Aaron Birdsall, drummer Andy Birdsall, and guitarist James Birdsall practice their “chops” in a small living room. The three brothers have played high energy shows all over Coeur d’ Alene and Spokane. Beau Valdez/Sentinel
Local band not just for the birds NIC student tours with brothers in successful rock band Christina Villagomez Webmaster It’s not the first time 25-yearold NIC Student Andy Birdsall has had a car run out of gas while he was with his older brother James. It’s not the second time either. But finding yourself stranded on the side of the road is just one of many professional hazards a musician’s touring life has to offer. It’s not always a low fueling issue that has left the Birdsall brothers walking to town. There was the time they had a van’s transmission blow up. And of course, the time they had a van catch on fire in the middle of Hollywood. “We’ve blown up three vans,” Andy said. The adventures and occasionally hardships The Flying Mammals have experienced on and off the road would bring any band close together, but the group’s three talented musicians share an even tighter bond as brothers. “When were away from every one else, were all we have,” said eldest brother and lead vocalist, Aaron Birdsall. The arts, especially music, are in the Birdsalls’ blood, with the brothers only being the latest in a long line of performers and music teachers. “Before they were born we were singing to them,” said Kathryn Birdsall, the trio’s mother. “They were onstage performing from when they were babies. Even if it meant just being baby Jesus in a Christmas play.” As soon as the boys were old
enough to sit up, Kathryn said she had them on a piano bench, becoming familiar with the instrument even if it meant just bashing keys for a little while. “They really love music,” Kathryn said. “They wake up singing.” Although the brother’s five other siblings chose a variety of different career paths in a variety of different places, Aaron said he’d love to just have one big family super band some day. It’s an experience he said he sometimes gets a taste of at family gatherings where everyone sits down and plays together. Family is such an ingrained part of the brother’s music, it car-
ried into naming their band. “The Flying Mammals is a play on our last name,” Andy said. “Birds fly, but we’re mammals.” The name has proved to be even more fitting with time, as the brothers incorporating actual aerial acrobatic performers into their shows. The acrobats were sort of an accident though. So were the stage fires, trampolines and belly dancers one might see at any of their shows. Necessity, after all is the mother of invention. “People like to sit with their back to the band and never bother to lift their head up from their
PBR,” Aaron said. “The extra performance stuff came from that. We just want people to look up and turn around.” And when the venues they play won’t allow for stage extras? Andy plays the drums blindfolded; Aaron plays his bass and keyboard at the same time. James makes dubstep with his guitar pedals. “We individually perform with more energy but we also try to tie in extra stuff,” Aaron said. In the end though, it’s still just about the music for the brothers. “We’re trying to just make music we would want to listen to,” Aaron said.
Flying Mammals guitarist James Birdsall soulfully strums on his Fender Strat while performing during a practice session. Beau Valdez/Sentinel
New tradition comes to NIC Teshuvah Ministries hosts Hanukkah event to kick off holiday season Connor Coughlin Staff Writer The Lake Coeur d’Alene Room of the SUB was dimly lit on the evening of December 3rd. Lights strung up around the room warmly illuminated the faces of those who were just taking their seats and those who were already sitting comfortably, sipping cups of spiced wassail that had just been served to them. Over a hundred people gathered into the room that evening to take part in a celebration of Hanukkah, the ancient Jewish Festival of Lights. The event was put on by the North Idaho
DID YOU KNOW?
College Diversity Events and Teshuvah Ministries, a local Messianic ministry. Rebekah Garvin, a student at NIC and one of the founders of the Teshuvah Ministries, hosted the event. “The goal of this program is to introduce people of all backgrounds to Israel’s history and culture through feast and celebration,” said Garvin. “We hope this program will serve as a preview to our teachings and people will be interested in joining us again.” Throughout the course of the event the crowd was exposed to
numerous cultural Jewish traditions. Traditional foods such as potato latkes and kugel were served and the audience was encouraged to join the “Le Dance Dancers” in traditional dances. Aside from the festivities the event had to provide, a great portion of the night was spent on teaching the history of Hanukkah. Every table competed against one another in a quiz to test each individual’s knowledge of the holiday. There were also a number of movie shorts screened as well as an dramatic retelling of the Hanukkah story that audience members took part in.
At the height of the festivities, Rebekah and her family lead the audience in the lighting of the Menorah, a tradition in which a candle is lit each night throughout the course of the eight-day holiday. As each person lit their candle they were asked to dedicate it to “a person who has brought light into his or her life this past year.” Going back to the second century BCE, Hanukkah is the commemoration of rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem by Judean rebel group known as the “Maccabees.” The rededication took place after their victory against the Syrian Army.
About a week ago I had the privilege of seeing one of Seattle’s most renowned grunge acts Pearl Jam, and let me tell you it was quite the show. The band played a legendar y set in front of 12,000 dedicated fans on November 30 at the Spokane Arena, their first appearance in Spokane in 20 years. Pearl Jam’s lead vocalist Eddie Vedder made sure to greet his audience and bring up the subject of their absence by saying things such as: “this will be a show that was 20 years in the making” and “we have owed you guys for awhile now.” The concert was extremely long; matter-of-fact, I believe it was just about the longest concert I have ever been to. The band played for a total of three hours with a few separate encores, acoustic sessions, and other activities the band did to interact with the crowd. One such case is when Vedder called out an audience member who was willing to shave his head just so the band would play a song he requested. Let me mind you that this guy had been growing his dreadlocks for awhile and they were about down to his knees. But crazily enough, Vedder and the rest of the band brought the kid up on stage and let him head bang alongside them one last time before they shaved his hair down to almost nothing. What I guess I’m tr ying to say is that Pearl Jam puts on one hell of a show. For being a band that is getting there in age, they still bring plenty of energy and hype to their performance. The band definitely put off the vibe that they are in the business for their fans and that aspect is the most important thing to them. Along with that, the set list they played was phenomenal. If you are a long time fan or a newcomer, Pearl Jam definitely likes to play plenty of songs from each one of their albums, making the concert a great experience for any fan. Ever ything else aside, Pearl Jam’s set also consisted of a ver y well put together light show and the sound quality was, in my opinion, as close as you can get to perfect. I definitely recommend catching this act before they get too old to tour, and luckily enough I don’t think that will be happening for awhile. At the conclusion of the show, Vedder told the audience they will be back for sure, saying that Spokane is something they have been missing out on. I know for sure I’ll be there again because this last show was the best 70 bucks I’ve ever spent. Tyson Juarez is an editor for The Sentinel. His opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Sentinel. Respond to this column online at nicsentinel.com.
Much like expert technical skills, mastery in arts and humanities is closely correlated to high earnings.
FEATURES
8 | the sentinel
Monday, december 9, 2013
Graphic design student’s got talent NIC student Hannah Shields designs website for America’s Got Talent Star Tyson Juarez Features Editor
“We had a full functioning website in about a week and a half,” said Shields. Shields had gotten into the ocated on the far end project by interning with local of Post Falls heading Spokane design agency Subwest is a second porlime Interactive, after being in tion of the NIC campus that can be found buried away with many school for only three semesters. other buildings that support all “Most people start interning sorts of technical programs anyaround their fourth semester where from earning a commerbut I wanted to get a head start cial driver’s license to becoming on it,” said Shields. a basic patrol police officer. Shields had been brought There is one department in on board and was that area that is comrequired to be in a mitted to the trade “We had 90 hour program. of Graphic Design After only 45 hours and stands out siga full into her internship nificantly to students functioning she was hired. who look to further “I finished out website in their careers in the my internship but media world. One about a week was then there student, Hannah and a half” Monday through Shields, has taken Friday, eight to advantage of what five like ever ybody the program has to HANNAH SHIELDS else,” said Shields. offer and has been NIC Graphic Design Shields has rerewarded greatly. ceived mentoring Along with many from the graphic design departother successes, Shields has ment’s advisor and instructor recently taken success and Phillipe Valle, who does whatrecognition from her design of ever he can to help his students America’s Got Talent star Cami to be successful. Bradley’s official website. “This is what we do,” said With only a five day deadValle, “our students are already line, Shields was able to sucgetting jobs and paid projects cessfully create the design for before they even finish the prothe website based on Cami gram.” Bradley’s CD. The coding and Shields explained that Philfinal touches were then finished lipe would mainly teach the up by another team.
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theor y behind graphic design and things that apply directly to working in the field. “A lot of the things I learned in Phillipe’s class kind of lined up with ever yday situations in the workplace,” said Shields. Shields is involved within a field that is always changing and the graphic design department’s goal is to always keep their students on their feet. “The field is always evolving and students have to prepare to be constantly learning,” said Valle, “they will continue to learn throughout their entire careers.” She started off as a fine artist in high school, not having any experience in graphic design. “My parents never believed I could ever make money from being a fine artist,” said Shields. Shields is looking to complete the program within three years, all while dealing with basic life obstacles such as keeping up with married life and having a second baby on its way. With all of those hardships and detours, Shields still keeps a smile on her face and is excited for what opportunities are to come next. To view the website that Hannah Shields designed for Cami Bradley visit www.camibradley.com.
Hannah Shields shows her website to some students and laughs while having a friendly conversation with her audience. Beau Valdez/Sentinel
Disney’s “Frozen” melts hearts
Cashing out
New animated family film tells tale of two sisters, love Leo Schnepf Staff Writer Disney Animation Studio’s newest flick, “Frozen,” is an epic tale of two princesses that will take you back to Disney’s renaissance era, and make you recall such classics as “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast”. The story is set in the fabled Nordic kingdom of Arendelle where
we are introduced to two young princesses: enthusiastic and adventuresome young Anna, and her troubled older sister Elsa. Elsa just so happens to have been gifted with the ability to create ice and snow, and it is upon this ability that the story manages to develop its plot. After troubled childhoods for the princesses, filled with a tragic sailing accident, magical gnomes, and a single white strand of hair on Prin-
Photo Courtesy of dk-reloaded.com
cess Anna’s head, the princesses are opening the gates to the palace for the coronation of Princess Elsa. Long story short; At the coronation ceremony Princess Elsa can’t control her powers; she embarrasses herself, runs off to live in the mountains, and her little sister Anna is brave enough to try to get her back and tame the awful snowstorms that her sisters bad mood has caused. Overall I thought that this movie was quite delightful. Once you accept the fact that it’s a children’s movie, and you can get over how impossible some portions of the story are, you’ll find yourself wrapped up in a delicious cocoon of magic, humor, and classic Disney show tunes. The movie did an excellent job of channeling the old Disney storytelling that we all love so much, and combining it with new plot twists and unfamiliar turns. The voice casting for “Frozen” was terrific as well, as the voices for both Princess Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Princess Anna (Kristen Bell) were pitch perfect. However the true strengths of this movie came in the form of Disney Animation Studios’ beautiful cinematography, and within the movie’s comic relief. Not many children’s movies can boast the kind of scenic beauty that
“Frozen” does. Some of the aerial shots of Arendelle are truly breathtaking, and the textures of the action sequences seem to pop off the screen. Like most Disney movies, there is comedy at almost every turn. In “Frozen” that comedy comes in the form of Olaf, a non-orthodox magical snowman that has a fetish for the sun. The cheerful little guy is full of one-liners, and makes the movie worth going to just by himself. Of course, this movie is not perfect. Some of the show tunes are a little bit over the top, some twists are just a bit too easy for the characters, and Olaf, as awesome as the little guy is, goes a bit over the top sometimes. But hey, it’s a traditional style Disney Princess movie, what do you expect? If you’re looking for something to lighten up your mood this holiday season, don’t hesitate to go see “Frozen”. It’s simple fun for all ages, and will keep you occupied until some of the bigger releases come out later this month. Happy Holidays!
Booster club to hold auction Morgen Buck Staff Writer
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lack Friday is over, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anymore oppor tunities to get some killer winter deals. The NIC Booster Club is putting on a Winter CARDnival and Auction Wednesday, December 18, at the Best Western Coeur d’Alene Inn. The club will be auctioning of f many dif ferent items, and it’s a great way to win a few deals on some holiday gifts this season. The hotel is located at 506 W. Appleway in Coeur d’Alene. Tickets are just $30 a person, or you can reser ve a table of eight for $225. The event begins at 5:00 PM. To make reser vations call Patty Stewar t at (208) 769-3348.
AISA gives back Club hosts successful clothing drive, raises awareness Connor Coughlin Staff Writer
who had previously been stricken with homelessness before attending NIC. Knowing the challenges many any NIC students homeless have to face, Moses may have noticed felt a need to give back to drop boxes in a those who helped him in his number of buildtime of str uggle. ing entrances on campuses Working with throughout the month of Novem“We want this St. Vincent de AISA colber. This was par t drive to raise Paul, lected a generof the American awareness for ous amount of Indian Student clothing from Alliance’s “Drive those in our November 8th to Make a Dif ferarea who face to the 21st and ence” clothing drive in an ef for t homelessness” distributed it all on the 30th of to help those that that month to are homeless in St. Vincent de Nor ther n Idaho. Paul’s men’s and This was the T.J. GOSSARD women’s shelfirst year the AISA member ters. Donations American Indian included the cosStudent Alliance tumes from the NIC drama had put on the drive and it depar tment’s play “Anne was spearheaded by Josh Frank” as well as unopened Moses, the AISA president
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hygiene items and monetar y donations. The drive was largely considered to be a success. “(They) not only helped clothe those currently in the shelter,” said Chris Green, the St. Vincent de Paul’s Emergency Shelters Director, “but have gathered enough clothing to assist those in need over the coming months.” Nor th Idaho is home to 21% of the state’s homeless population with an estimated 379 individuals as of 2013. “We want this drive to raise awareness for those in our area who face homelessness,” said T.J. Gossard, a member of AISA involved in the drive. “As long as we have the resources, we’re hoping to put this on again next year.”
NIC student Wade Erban participates in the Publication club’s Karaoke night that was held on Thursday December 5th. Rachel Single-Schwall/Sentinel
Sports
Sports tip? Story idea? Contact Garrett Cabeza
769-3388 gmcabeza@students.nic.edu
page 9
www.nicsentinel.com
Youth no excuse for NIC
NIC meshing plentiful freshmen with sophomores
monday, december 9, 2013
COMMENTARY
Bronx Bomber to Seattle M’s need more pieces than Robinson Cano
GARRETT CABEZA Sports Editor
NIC sophomore point-guard Georgia Stirton (5) draws two NIC All-Star defenders Saturday at Rolly Williams Court. Stirton injured her knee earlier in the season, but her teammates stepped up in her absence. Beau Valdez/Sentinel
Garrett Cabeza Sports Editor The 12th-ranked North Idaho College women’s basketball team extended its winning streak to eight games Saturday after a 105-48 win over the North Idaho College All-Stars at Rolly Williams Court. “It’s been a couple different things at different times,” NIC head coach Chris Carlson said about his team’s winning streak. One of those things he mentioned was the sophomores stepping up, especially Jansen Butler and Renae Mokrzycki. The freshmen have also contributed. “I don’t know if I’ve had a group of freshmen at this level like this group has been,” Carlson said. He said they have chemistry, focus and respect for each other. “We were together a lot and we’re all kind of in the same position, and we know that we’re all freshmen and we don’t have that much experience,” NIC’s Ryleigh Swagerty said. “So we kind of just rely on each other most of the time or push each other.” NIC sophomore forward Renae Mokrzycki led the Cardinals with 23 points, while Swagerty scored 19 points. Swagerty said the key to its winning streak has been its
Winter Sports Home Games Men’s basketball • • • •
Treasure Valley Dec. 27 8 p.m. Snow Jan. 2 7:30 p.m. Salt Lake Jan. 4 5 p.m. Southern Idaho Jan. 11 5 p.m.
Women’s basketball • • •
Snow Jan. 2 5:30 p.m. Salt Lake Jan. 4 3 p.m. Southern Idaho Jan. 11 3 p.m.
Wrestling • • •
Northwest Dec. 13 7 p.m. Clackamas Dec. 14 Noon Southwestern Oregon Dec. 14 2 p.m.
depth. “I think it’s our depth because if one person isn’t hitting (a shot), another person is and we’re pretty strong all around. And the coaches have done a really good job of giving us insight of what to expect too.” The All-Stars were comprised of former NIC players and a few other former college players from other schools. Amy Warbrick and Jordan Schoening were two of the NIC All-Star players. Warbrick played on NIC’s 2011 national championship team and Shoening, from Post Falls, played at Eastern Washington University. NIC (11-1) will begin conference play Thursday against Utah State-Eastern in Price, Utah before finishing the road trip with Colorado Northwestern Community College Saturday in Rangely, Colo. NIC’s next home game is Jan. 2 against Snow College (Ephraim, Utah) at 5:30. “I think we’ve played some really good basketball,” Carlson said. “We’re going to be tested on a long airplane-type trip. We haven’t done that yet, but I think we got a really good plan for it.” Carlson said Eastern Utah is playing the Grinnell College style of offense by hoisting up 30-40 3-pointers a game.
NIC All-Star Richelle (Fenenbock) Rieben drives to the basket. The current NIC team won 105-48. Beau Valdez/Sentinel
Cardinals’ offense rolling
NIC winners of last five thanks in part to explosive O’ Garrett Cabeza Sports Editor Robby Palmer Staff Writer The North Idaho College men’s basketball team has won its last five games going into Sunday’s championship game against Community Colleges of Spokane in the Bigfoot Classic at Spokane Community College. Two of the games came
against Blue Mountain Community College and Columbia Basin College at home. NIC displayed big offense against Columbia Basin Tuesday, Dec. 3, beating the Hawks 100-86. “We didn’t shoot the ball that good,” NIC head coach Jared Phay said. “It was kind of a grind-out, but we found a way to win.” NIC freshman Will Dorsey scored 26 points. “My team got me open a lot,” Dorsey said.
A big alley-oop from Dorsey to freshman forward Jordon King really got the momentum flowing the Cardinals’ way as they crept ahead. Columbia Basin had a couple aces up their sleeve as well. Keeping the ball on the perimeter, guard James Lopez, who scored 11 points, hit a few 3-pointers in the first half to bring the Hawks ahead 31-29 by the ten-minute mark of the
See BASKETBALL | Page 10
The city of Seattle acquired two successful sports figures Friday. Not only did the University of Washington football team fill its head coaching vacancy with Boise State’s Chris Petersen, but the Seattle Mariners did some Christmas shopping of their own by grabbing New York Yankees’ star second baseman Robinson Cano. Cano and the Mariners agreed on a 10-year deal worth $240 million. The move instantly upgraded Seattle’s struggling offense and could potentially make the Mariners a threat in the American League West next season. As a Mariners’ fan, I’m excited they brought one of the best second baseman in the league to play at Safeco Field. It shows they are trying to improve offensively for next season. This past season the Mariners finished 22nd out of the 30 teams in runs with 624 (3.9 per game) and 28th in batting average (.237). Cano hit .314 with 27 home runs and 107 RBIs for the Yankees. Seattle’s Kendrys Morales led the team with a .277 batting average and 80 RBIs. Although I think the move to acquire Cano was a smart one, I don’t think one player is going to be able to turn a 71-91 team into an immediate playoff contender. The Mariners either need to acquire a couple more free agent sluggers or hope their current players step up the offensive production. Nobody in the Mariners’ lineup is too scary to face late in a close game, so opposing teams can pitch around Cano to force other Seattle hitters to beat them. Besides Morales, a free agent who declined the Mariners’ one-year qualifying offer last month, third baseman Kyle Seager showed this season he can produce in the batter’s box. Even though he only hit .260, he led the Mariners with a .338 on base percentage, hit 22 home runs and played solid defense at the hot corner. Raul Ibanez was a pleasant surprise last season blasting 29 home runs despite turning 41-years-old in early June. Ibanez is a free agent also, so hopefully the Mariners re-sign him. If the Mariners don’t pick up any other great-hitting free agents, they will require their young players to step up like Dustin Ackley, Michael Saunders and Mike Zunino. If a few more players step up offensively, opposing pitchers will have to concentrate their attention on more than just Cano. The Mariners are definitely moving in the right direction by acquiring Cano and proved they are willing to pay almost any amount of money to bring a winning ball club back to Seattle. They could be on the brink of playing meaningful baseball in September next season and chasing down a playoff spot, but they need to figure out a way to put more runs on the scoreboard. Even though the Mariners finished the year 20 games below .500, Cano making the trip to the Pacific Northwest gives Mariners fans hope heading into next year. The Mariners can feel good about heading into next season with one of the best pitchers (Felix Hernandez) and best hitters in the game. Garrett Cabeza is an editor for The Sentinel. His opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Sentinel. Respond to this column online at nicsentinel.com.
DIDYOUKNOW? Robinson Cano’s 10-year, $240 million deal with the Mariners is the third largest in baseball history.
sports
10- | the sentinel
Volleyball sixth at nationals NIC finishes 2-2, beats No. 8 Arizona Western, No. 4 Iowa Western Garrett Cabeza Sports Editor
score gets to 20. Those are the championship points. Against Blinn, we weren’t able to do that.” Kydd said “most the teams we After entering the season as an played against were way bigger unranked team and figured to be and more physical than we were.” the fourth best team in its conferThe Lady Cardinals then beat ence, the North Idaho College volNo. 4 Iowa Western Community leyball team finished sixth, going College in four sets (24-26, 262-2, at the NJCAA national tourna24, 25-23, 25-21) before losing to ment in Casper, Wyo., which took Western Nebraska. place Nov. 21-23. NIC played Blinn, Iowa West“I’m really satisfied with how we ern and Western Nebraska earlier finished,” NIC sophomore libero this season. NIC lost to all three of Russia Robinson said. “Of course, I them, including five sets to Blinn would always like it to be better but and three sets to Iowa Western. just the fact that we kind of came in Western Nebraska beat them almost as underdogs I guess. Notwice, the first time in five sets at body thought that we were going to the Salt Lake Community College be there. The fact that we went in Crystal Inn Invitational Aug. 30 there and did good was definitely a and the second time in four sets at great accomplishment.” the Northeastern Junior College No. 3 seed Western Nebraska Pizza Hut Invitational Sept. 13. beat No. 9 NIC (18-12) in five sets Robinson said it was nice beat(25-22, 20-25, 25-17, 23-25, 15-9) in ing Iowa the fifthWestern, sixth place “Our team passing was avenging match. her team’s NIC through the roof this loss to it head coach weekend and a large part earlier in Miles Kydd said was because of her (Russia the season. he didn’t Robinson’s) passing.” Robknow how inson was to feel named about finmiles kydd to the ishing in NIC head volleyball coach all-toursixth place. nament “I guess team and with time credits her teammates and coach you’ll have a little more perspecfor the honor. tive,” Kydd said. “Everything that “I think that if it wasn’t for my happened this year, for me, was team, if it wasn’t for the girls that just like, I don’t know what to exI had and for Miles putting in all pect. I don’t know what it takes to the work with me, then I wouldn’t be good (since this is Kydd’s first have been able to even actually year coaching at NIC and in the get that award,” Robinson said. NJCAA).” “Our team passing was The Lady Cardinals opened through the roof this weekend up the tournament with a win in and a large part was because of straight sets (26-24, 25-22, 25-17) her passing,” Kydd said. against eighth-seeded Arizona Kydd also said that, among other Western College. things, Robinson is a great setter. “I think we were a better “The other thing that she does team than they were,” Kydd said. better than anybody I’ve ever “I think that showed when we coached and anybody at that tourwatched a little bit of video. We nament was setting the second ball, had to get some things that we just her ability to set our attackers is were concerned about and probunrivaled in the NJCAA this year.” ably the first game was, shouldn’t Kydd also said statistically, have been that close but it was.” Larissa Claassen played her best NIC advanced to the quarterfivolleyball all year at regionals and nals to face top-seeded Blinn Colnationals. lege (Brenham, Texas) but lost In the championship game in four sets (21-25, 25-23, 18-25, Blinn beat No. 2 Tyler College 18-25). “I don’t think Blinn is that much (Tyler, Texas) in four sets. No. 6 Salt Lake, who beat NIC in the better than us,” Kydd said. “One Region 18 championship game, finof the things we’ve talked about ished fourth. all year is finding a way when the
once passed over, schools now diggin' her NIC libero Russia Robinson takes her volleyball skills from So. Cal to North Idaho, helps her team to two trips to nationals Garrett Cabeza Sports Editor If you excelled in two sports in high school and probably had the opportunity to play either one of them in college, which would you choose? It’s common to play multiple sports in high school, but rare to play two sports in college, so it would be a tough decision, especially if you wanted to play both. Fortunately for North Idaho College sophomore Russia Robinson, she really only wanted to play one sport in college coming out of high school, and that was volleyball. Despite her success on the soccer field in high school, Robinson said playing college soccer “just wasn’t where my heart was at.” Robinson, who plays the libero position, helped lead her team to a sixth place finish at the NJCAA national tournament in Casper, Wyo., last month, where she was named to the all-tournament team. Earlier in the month, she was named Region 18 Libero of the Year. Robinson was instrumental in helping her team this season qualify for nationals and take sixth place. “I thought she played really well when we beat CSI at home,” NIC head coach Miles Kydd said. “She played better the next weekend and she played better last weekend. So for three weeks in a row, she kept getting better. I already told her at that point she was the best libero I’ve ever coached, so when the best you’ve ever coached keeps getting better, and it was in big moments, right?” Robinson, who is from Hemet, Calif., a city 80 miles southeast from downtown Los Angeles, has relatives who live in Moscow and Lewiston and her dad grew up in Moscow and attended Eastern Washington University. Robinson decided in her sophomore or junior year of high school that she wanted to pursue volleyball in college and not soccer. She visited North Idaho when she was about 10-years-old and said she loved the mountains and snow. Robinson wanted to play volleyball for the University of Idaho, but the school invited her to walk on, and she wanted a scholarship. She said her dad researched other colleges and found NIC. The Lady Cardinals were ranked No. 9 in the nation and they were led by head coach Kandice Gregorak
Wrestling dominates duals
NIC routs teams in Cardinal Duals, claim No. 1 spot in polls
NIC’s Carlos Lozoya (133) gets good position on Konner Hopkins of Highline Community College at the Cardinal Duals Nov. 23. Lozoya pinned Hopkins. Bridget Rogers/Sentinel
Garrett Cabeza Sports Editor The North Idaho College
wrestling team routed Highline Community College (Des Moines, Wash.) 41-4 and Doane College (Crete, Neb.) 52-3 at the Cardinal
Monday, december 9, 2013
Duals Saturday at Christianson Gymnasium. As of last week, the Cardinals are ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA
Russia Robinson was named Region 18 Libero of the Year and selected to the all-tournament team at nationals. Rachel Single-Schwall/
(Kandice Kelly at the time). “I came here and when I came here, Kandice made an offer to me and I took it,” Robinson said. “I saw the school once, got to play with the girls. I was like, well, this is where I really want to be.” Robinson earned Scenic West Athletic Conference (SWAC) honorable mention last season. She led her team with 270 digs and 44 service aces. Robinson said Gregorak really wanted her to be vocal since she was a libero and practically captain of the backcourt. “Towards the end of the year I started to kind of step up a little bit,” Robinson said. “I started to play more, so I think that built up my confidence also. And I started to talk to my team more and I started to take control like she wanted me to. So I definitely think that that was something that carried over into this year was my ability to show some leadership
and to be vocal.” Gregorak resigned after last season and Kydd, who spent four seasons as head coach of Eastern Washington University, took over the head coaching duties at NIC. Kydd said he doesn’t think there was a “Eureka moment” when he realized Robinson’s skill set on the volleyball court, but he did start to notice what kind of person she was during summer camp. Kydd used words like “passion, committed, intelligent and character” to describe her. Robinson finished the 2013 regular season with 5.06 digs/ set (11th in the NJCAA) and was named SWAC Volleyball Player of the Week twice. Robinson has received offers to continue her volleyball career at four-year schools, including Winthrop University (Rock Hill, S.C.) and Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston. Right now, she is undecided.
>BASKETBALL first half. As Columbia was using the outside to their advantage, the Cardinals answered by going to the paint and scoring. By the end of the second half, Columbia Basin was up by two with a 47-45 lead over the Cardinals. Freshman point-guard Brad Wallace started sinking 3-pointers for NIC and bringing the score to 61-56 in favor of the Cardinals. NIC extended its lead to 84-75. “We’re a young team and every game we are getting a lot better,” Dorsey said. Against Blue Mountain, Leavitt scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Cardinals past the Timberwolves 89-70 Dec. 1. “I think our depth was big,” Phay said. “We can kind of go to our bench and we don’t re-
ally have a drop off there and I think when they go to their bench there’s a little bit of a drop off.” Braxton Tucker also scored 19 points to go along with five rebounds and Dorsey had 18 points, 3 assists and 3 steals. The game stayed close in the first half until NIC went on a 10-0 scoring run. The Cardinals (11-2 heading into Sunday) led the Timberwolves 45-34 at halftime after Dorsey’s drive to the basket and layup as time ran out to end the half. In the second half, freshman forward Shikei Blake extended NIC’s lead to 55-46 on an inbounds play. He passed the ball off of a defender’s back and dunked. “Our speed helped us a lot,” Leavitt said. “We had a lot of guys that would run the court. We have a lot of quick guys and we were able to just get out and outrun them a little bit and outwork them a little bit towards the end of the game.”
polls. Freshmen Carlos Lozoya (133), Terrance McKinney (141) and Matt Hopkins (184) earned pins in both duals for NIC. “They’re starting to not be freshman as much,” NIC head coach Pat Whitcomb said. “Now they’ve gotten enough matches under their belt that they’re more experienced.” After opening up both duals with losses in the 125-pound division, NIC proceeded to win its next nine matches in each dual. In those next nine matches against Doane, the Cardinals won eight of them by pins.
“The last couple weeks we’ve really been picking it up in the practice room, working really hard, really coming together as a team,” said NIC’s V.J. Giulio. Giulio beat Highline’s Tyler Cormier 10-1 before pinning Doane’s Kyle Hoffman. McKinney pinned Josh Smith of Highline in 1:36 and Ray Feigenbutz of Doane in 43 seconds. “At first (at the beginning of the season) I was nervous,” McKinney said. “But then once I got into it, I feel a lot better and I’ve just started pinning people lately.” McKinney also said Jeremy Golding, Nico Moreno and Tyler Mclean have helped him improve.
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GAMES
the sentinel | 11
-----Crossword-----
ACROSS 1. Nonpoetic writing 6. Dry 10. Mobile phone 14. Type of beer 15. At the proper time 16. Hodgepodge 17. Indecipherable 19. Exploded star 20. Afternoon nap 21. Disencumber 22. Hurried 23. Sight-related 25. Sows 26. Friends 30. Sour 32. Jubilance 35. Terrestrial 39. Overseer 40. Scanty 41. Betrayer 43. Cite 44. A ceremonial procession 46. Feudal worker 47. Waist cinches 50. Annuls 53. Wings 54. Be unwell 55. Be emphatic 60. Bristle 61. Funny woman 63. How old we are 64. Distinctive flair 65. Type of connective tissue 66. Stringed instrument 67. Transgressions 68. Apartments (British)
DOWN 1. Add 2. Hindu princess 3. Monster 4. Views 5. Muse of love poetry 6. American Dental Association 7. Direction
Puzzle courtesy of mirroreyes.com, provider of daily printable crossword puzzles.
8. Unlawful 9. Not the original color 10. Sanctify 11. Run away to wed 12. Survived 13. A lot 18. Dip lightly 24. Buff
25. Femme fatale 26. Flippant 27. Winglike 28. Tibetan monk 29. Exotic dancer 31. A territorial unit of Greece 33. Smidgens
Holiday Ornament 1. Cut out Miley. 2. Poke hole in ribbon. 3. Tie string through hole. 4. Hang on the tree and enjoy.
34. Smell 36. Auspices 37. A noble gas 38. Sea eagle 42. A pasta dish 43. Japanese apricot 45. A hussar’s jacket 47. Anagram of “Balsa” 48. Mournful poem
49. Not earlier 51. Accomplished 52. Perceive by inhaling 54. Air force heroes 56. Secure against leakage 57. Ancient Peruvian 58. Hissy fit 59. Orange pekoe 62. N N N N
Horoscopes Sagittarius
(Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) Celebrate your bir thday with an ugly Christmas sweater, or five. This month your social life will be busier than usual.
Capricorn
(Dec 22 - Jan. 19) Take a deep breath, a really deep breath. You’re just in the eye of the storm but it will be over in no time.
Aquarius
(Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) Your romantic life has left you questioning who you are and what matters. This will prove to be a good lesson in time.
Gemini
(May 21 - June 20) Take the time this holiday to appreciate the good that has came your way even though it seems like the playing field hasn’t been even for you lately.
Cancer
(June 21 - July 22) Don’t get caught up in all the materials this month tends to bring. As the saying goes, they are just things. Don’t trade presents for memories you wish you would have made.
Leo
Pisces
(July 23 - Aug. 22) You won’t be alone this holiday in your love life. Secrets will be revealed for the better.
Aries
(Aug 23 - Sept 22) The cold is tr ying to creep your way but focus on the warmth no matter what the size of the fire and you will make it through.
(Feb. 19 - March 20) Watch your step because your ground will be slicker than usual this month and you must be emotionally prepared for the fall. (March 21 - April 19) Your good attitude will pay off when life hands you the presents you’ve been waiting for this month.
Taurus
(April 20 - May 20) Uh oh. You’ve managed to find yourself on the naughtly list lately. Turn it around before you find coal under the tree with your name on it.
Virgo
Libra
(Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) Play in the snow. Laugh at the silly sweaters. You are finally able to relieve some stress this month.
Scorpio
(Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) There’s been some tension between you and some family but it’s amazing what the holiday season can mend so don’t fret.
ONLINE DATING
12 | the sentinel
Monday, december 9, 2013
Plentyof(rotten)fish.com NIC staffer finds bucket of chum in the search for love Christina Villagomez Webmaster
Feisty and vivacious 21-year-old blonde seeks tall, dark, and handsome man to watch bad movies with. Must love “Star Wars,” offensive jokes, pets and classical Russian literature. Guys who like to cry or watch The Notebook need not apply. With the US Census Bureau counting over 102 million single Americans over the age of 18, it seems like finding a man with the devil-may-care swagger of a young Har rison Ford wouldn’t be dif ficult, but unfor tunately millions of eligible bachelorettes like myself have found the task daunting. T ypically content to walk around with a hear t two sizes too small, any other time of the year I would ask you to never tell me the odds when it comes to finding a man that can make the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs. Christmas, however, is not simply any time of the year. It is the most romantic time of the year, which also means that desperate times call for desperate measures. And as it tur ns out, desperate measures for me happen to be Inter net dating this year. But is Inter net dating really a desperate measure anymore. According to the Pew Research Center one out of 10 Americans have tried using an online dating site or app, and 66 percent of people who have tried it have gone out on real, live dates with their online matches. Thus, with the over-confidence of someone ethnically Caucasian from a comfor tably middle-class background in a First-World industrialized nation, I found myself signed up for PlentyofFish.com. For those that aren’t aware, PlentyofFish (POF), like the cantina in Mos Eisley, is the most wretched hive of scum and villainy in the galaxy. It also has a lot of shor t guys on there. Many of my close friends, who also must apparently hate me, hear tily encouraged me to create an account while simultaneously neglecting to mention that the majority of people that locally use POF are solely looking for other people interested in r ubbing unmentionable body par ts
together. Unfor tunately for me, many of those same people were happy to message me within my first hour on the site. Signing up for POF is a severalstep process that involves answering more personal questions than the average ter rorism inter rogation. Upon completion, the automated system feeds you an in-depth personality analysis you’ll only look at once and will in no way influence your potential matches on the site in any kind of meaningful way. Although it touts matching users based of f the results of its chemistr y test, the real way people meet one another is with POF’s Quick Match application. Generating a mix of locals, the most recently online and premium members, Quick Match is a rapid-fire photo galler y. W ith no information given other than age, city and profile picture, the object is to quickly decide whether or not you find someone attractive enough to “want to meet.” If the match is mutual, POF sends you an automated message linking you together. While I initially engaged in actively searching through local profiles, the more I logged in, the more messages I received until I was averaging too many to care. Despite there being no of ficial template or form to use, basically all POF messages almost come in one of several standard formats. First, you have the guys that call you beautiful so many times in a message you begin to wonder if it’s not so much a compliment as a Tourette’s tic. These guys usually have profile descriptions that are too long and use too many fully capitalized words, because hey, they are LOOKING FOR “LOVE” AND THEY JUST WANT TO SHOUT ABOUT IT. Reply at your own risk because a single exchange of social pleasantries will result in weeks of harassment. The second type of messages frequently received are generic hookup messages. Not unlike the above-mentioned Caps Lock Romeo, these guys also tend to have extremely detailed profile descriptions. The hook-up seekers tend to have a strong sense of entitlement tempered by a complete confusion over what they’re actually looking for. Although they say they want a physical fling, many of the same guys will actively disparage the women they’ve spoken to or met on
POF as being too “slutty.” The third type of frequently received message is the shor t form novel. The shor t form novelist often sends extremely long opening messages that tr y to cram as many fun facts they can glean from your profile as physically possible. These guys will be the only people that actually read your profile. Savor it. During my two-month jour ney on POF, it rapidly became apparent that messaging had become an armored dance. The men would send me variations of the same messages they sent other women, probably because originality r uns too high a risk for rejection, and in retur n I would adopt various false poses and personas in an attempt to highlight the absurdity of the exchange. Nothing was accomplished, nobody would take a risk, and then of course I met someone. The first few messages I exchanged with Remy were magic. We traded Lord of the Rings quips and made fun of Batman. We argued about the ar t of filmmaking and discovered a mutual love of the band KISS. It didn’t take long for him to ask me out, and it took less time for me to say yes. We traded Snapchat handles and video chatted ever y day, all day. We joked about being soul mates and scheduled our first date. Ever ything was per fect. Until he didn’t show up, of course. He didn’t get a hold of me for several days, he said his car broke down and he’d lost his phone. I’d seen enough episodes of MTV’s Catfish to be ner vous, but I decided to give him a second chance. One second chance tur ned into a third chance, and then it tur ned into a four th chance, until I decided to issue my own Order 66 and execute the relationship. In the end, I never met anyone else wor thwhile, probably because there’s simply too many people to swim through. Ultimately, it proves to be POF’s downfall—-there really are plenty of fish in the sea, but they all have really high mercur y levels and have been adversely af fected by Japanese nuclear radiation.
Christina Villagomez is an editor for The Sentinel. Her opinions are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Sentinel. Respond to this column online at nicsentinel.com.