The Spectator

THE SPECTATOR

THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-EAU CLAIRE’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1923

VOL. 93, NO. 11

NEWS PAGES 1-5

SPORTS

He’s never taken a game-winning shot or delivered a halftime speech.

But for more than a decade, Kevin Meinholz has been as vital a component of the UWEau Claire athletics department as anyone by serving as the sports information director.

Meinholz has spent the last six years running around on Blugold game days making sure all the live video, live stats, write ups on blugolds.com and hospitality to local media are perfect. He has stayed past game time and arrived hours before the stands filled up.

While the football team’s 20-17 victory over UW-Stout Nov. 1 marked the end of a seven-game losing streak for the team, it also marked the end of an era for Blugold athletics.

That was the last day Meinholz served as SID, as the father of a son born this summer took a job in the College of Business to free up his nights and weekends to spend more time with his family.

“Kevin is a very thorough person, not only about Blugold athletics but a lot of things as a husband, father, consumer and citizen,” said his predecessor, longtime SID Tim Petermann. “Athletics’ loss will be the College of Business’ gain, so the university will continue to benefit from Kevin’s abilities.”

Meinholz, a May 2007 graduate, worked under Petermann from 2003 until his graduation. PeterMEINHOLZ

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Former sports information director leaves lasting impression on UW-Eau Claire athletics department EDITOR IN CHIEF

Find out the latest from the University Police as to what sorts of activity is going on around campus. Page 4.

Thursday, Nov. 13

Stats a wrap Nick Erickson

Police blotter returns:

features that are added on a regular basis,” Petermann said. “Kevin kept up and took full advantage of new software and ways of transmitting and sharing information.”

Aside from being a whiz with technology, Meinholz’s laid-back personality made him an easy person to get along and work with.

Petermann said other universities without

mann retired in July 2007 from the SID post, and Meinholz served as the interim before being hired full time in August 2008.

Right away, Meinholz saw just how much behind-the-scenes work he needed to do in order to fill Petermann’s shoes.

“You don’t really appreciate the amount of work until you have done it,” he said. “I was a student worker for four years, but you only see bits and pieces of what happens. I have a lot of respect for people that enjoy and can succeed in the profession.”

Meinholz certainly had a tall task replacing what former Director of Athletics Scott Kilgallon called “arguably the best sports information professional in the business” in Petermann. But right away, he put his own stamp on the athletics department.

STUDENT LIFE PAGE 16

the technical expertise of Meinholz, and also people within Eau Claire, would go to him for help with various issues.

Meinholz employed students to run stat computers for him as well as help him write his press releases at the end of events.

>> MEINHOLZ page 9

Celebrating tradition Pow-Wow honors Native American culture; fits university’s mission of being diverse

“ Athletics’ loss will be the College of Business’ gain, so the university will continue to benefit from Kevin’s abilities.”

TIM PETERMANN

Predecessor to Meinholz

He made technology a priority for Blugold sports, as he revamped the live streams of games, live stats, and twice during his duration, the official athletics website got a facelift.

“The computer and the Web are powerful instruments if you know how to use all of the

ANNA MATEFFY / The Spectator

A CULTURAL EXPERIENCE: Justice Powless danced during the grand entrance of the Honoring Education Pow-Wow, which UW-Eau Claire hosted Saturday at Zorn Arena.

Check out exclusive news next week only on spectatornews.com — Read two staff members debate on a hot-topic issue in “The Great Debate” and decide for yourself who wins.

— Get reaction from the women’s basketball team in its first two home games of the season Saturday and Sunday.

— Ingrid Michaelson is coming to campus Monday. Get the scoop from the concert and see what we have in store.

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NEWS

NEWS EDITOR: Kristina Bornholtz

THE SPECTATOR

THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - EAU CLAIRE STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1923

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2

Thursday, Nov. 13

UW-EAU CLAIRE STUDENT SENATE

Tech fee approved for next year Covered bike parking and lockers proposed

Glen Olson STAFF WRITER

Student Senate was introduced to the technology fee budget ranges, which will be in effect next year, with changes in the handling of D2L and other software monies.

Senate will vote on the budget at Monday night’s meeting.

The changes would shift D2L funding from being almost completely out of the students’ technology fees, to be payed for both by Learning and Technology Services budget and partially by students.

Christian Paese, information technology commission director, said because D2L has mostly academic uses, Senate thought it was more appropriate for the university to pay more of the costs.

Paese said the money saved was allocated to the PAESE costs of the free software, like Microsoft Word, which students can get for free. Money was also put into the innovative programs part of the tech budget to pay for unexpected costs or new purchases.

“Because of the nature of technology, that things change so often, all of a sudden next year we could find out that students want X,” Paese said. “That kind of gives us the flexibility to do that.”

Setting up sales

Students pursue direct sales to help boost cash flow Kristina Bornholtz NEWS EDITOR

Full-time students, direct sales consultants on the side.

These students walk among us on campus, going to classes each day, while awaiting shipments of products from headquarters to sell to loyal customers. Direct sales companies, like Mary Kay, Cutco Knives and Lia Sophia, among others, are a way for students to start a business in their free time. The formula is simple: order product, throw a party and sell, sell, sell.

Kristi Garfield, 27, is an Eau Claire-based Mary Kay consultant who treats her business as a full-time job. She said the way Mary Kay and other direct sales companies are modeled, she must get a certain amount of people to sign up to be consultants in order to move up in the business.

“A big part of getting to the next level of the business is getting another woman to sign on underneath you,” Garfield said.

She said she thinks people are attracted to direct sales businesses because they can push them through a tough time in their lives. In her experience, she said she knows other consultants

Paese said senators are also responding to the surveys by the information technology commission.

He said a major concern for students was Wi-Fi dropping while at school.

Paese said the concerns may be arising from students not knowing they are connected to the UWECguest instead of the normal Wi-Fi. He said the guest Wi-Fi is obviously for guests, so it drops users purposefully after an amount of time to make it inconvenient for people using it who aren’t at the university.

Paese said some feedback about the Wi-Fi was more helpful than others, though.

“Unfortunately it’s very difficult when on the survey when we ask for feedback regarding wireless and they just say ‘it sucks,’” Paese said. “It would be much more helpful to know where it sucks.”

Paese said Learning Technology Services is working to find out where there are problems and address those.

Biking Infrastructure The Senate heard a change to an allocation of money from the Student Office of Sustainability to add more covered bike parking and bike lockers on campus, which would be under the library and near the nursing building.

The money was originally $94,525.25, and it was reduced to $74,525.25. The changed plans drop the proposed bike parking near the who put themselves through college doing direct sales with Mary Kay. This boost in money is a draw for college students.

“A lot of people are looking for something more, whether it’s a little extra money or a different path,” Garfield said.

Sarah Nigro, now a senior at Eau Claire, started selling Mary Kay when she was 18 years old. She said her goals starting out, now over two years ago, were to have one party a month and add an additional $200 a month to her current income.

“My favorite part of being a Mary Kay lady is the fact that people know the products and those that use them love them, so it’s easy to sell the products,” Nigro said.

Despite that products being easy to sell to a dedicated user base, Nigro said she has found college doesn’t leave much time for throwing a party every month the way she originally planned.

Though she is making some sales through customers who want to reorder their favorite products, she said she is too busy to create a new customer base.

“I wish I had more time to dedicate to selling Mary Kay,” she said. “I know that those people who put in 110 percent get so much out of the business.”

For now, Nigro uses the products herself and orders for friends. Otherwise, her busy life with school and work has left her Mary Kay business idle.

A major part of the direct sales model is the “party.” Consultants are encouraged to invite people into their home, have a “party” for their product, and sell items to those who come.

nursing building due to changes in construction schedules.

Student Senate approved the original allocation on May 5, which was part of the SOS’s continued drive to make the campus more bike-oriented.

Christina Hupy, sustainability fellow and chair of the comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian planning sub-committee, said the goals are part of a larger plan they have developed with hopes of having it included in the campus’ master plan.

Hupy said the bike parking under the library would be better planned and more efficient than it is now. The bike lockers would provide a rental opportunity for faculty and HUPY students who bike farther and need a place to store gear, especially in the winter.

She said all of these are “encouraging mechanisms.”

“The whole idea is to get people to bike to campus for a whole bunch of different reasons,” Hupy said. “Not just because (car) parking is limited, but it’s a healthy thing to do; it’s an enjoyable thing to do.”

Olson can be reached at olsongp@uwec.edu or @GlenPOlson.

Kayla Menzie, a senior journalism major, became a consultant for Jamberry Nail Wraps just under a month ago. Jamberry is a direct sales company that sells nail stickers in a variety of patterns through consultants nationwide.

Menzie said for Jamberry, parties are different because they can be thrown online.

>> SALES page 4

KRISTINA BORNHOLTZ / The Spectator

COME SALE AWAY: Kayla Menzie said she decided to throw her first party as a Jamberry consultant through Facebook because it was convenient for her busy schedule and for her customers.

NEWS EDITOR: Kristina Bornholtz

Celebrating construction

NEWS 3

Thursday, Nov. 13

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Confluence Project’s Haymarket Landing groundbreaking ceremony marks landmark date Sam Martinez STAFF WRITER

The Confluence Project hit a major milestone early Tuesday afternoon with the Haymarket Landing Groundbreaking ceremony at the State Theatre.

The ceremony commemorated the construction that will begin on the Haymarket Landing complex, a building that will be used to house students and retailers on Barstow Street.

“It is a great time to be part of Eau Claire history,” Kerry Kincaid, president of the Eau Claire City Council said.

Kincaid was one of 10 different people associated with the Confluence Project who spoke at the event, including UW-Eau Claire Chancellor James C. Schmidt.

Chancellor Schmidt said the university has been housing students in hotels for years and will be able to make great use of the downtown housing project. Schmidt also said a project like this will only make the university more attractive to prospective students.

“It’s about competitiveness,” Schmidt said. “We are not a business but business principles do apply to the university.”

The event was originally scheduled to be held on the project site.

However, winter weather caused the event to be moved to the lobby of the State Theatre a block away.

Mike Rindo, assistant chancellor for facilities and university relations, said the university assessed student needs and included the need for a building like Haymarket Landing in their master plan.

“Our 20-year master plan demonstrated that students wanted this,” Rindo said. “Something like Chancellors (Hall), only off campus.”

Once the Haymarket Landing building is complete, it will be able to hold 300375 residents in privately owned housing. It is the first of two parts of the Confluence Project, the other being a commuRINDO nity arts center located next door to the Haymarket Landing building.

Paul Kohler, Eau Claire chamber of commerce board chair, said he could not think of a better way to support the Chamber of Commerce’s mission of advocating for Eau Claire businesses than the Confluence Project.

Sam Fish, student body president, attended the ceremony and took part in the Groundbreaking Shovel Ceremony. He said the progress the university and community are making is exceptional, and it will be rewarding to see students helping to revitalize downtown. “(The Confluence Project) speaks to how interested our community is in our university,” Fish said.

The Confluence Project was first proposed in May of 2012 and has had to stand up to a city wide referendum last spring. City Council gave the Haymarket Landing building final approval on Oct. 14.

>>CONFLUENCE page 5

NOTABLE EVENTS HAPPENING BOTH ON AND OFF CAMPUS

THURSDAY, NOV. 13

• 7 - 8 p.m. — Constellations, Myths and Legends Phillips Planetarium • 9 - 11:30 p.m. — Jazz Night, The Plus

FRIDAY, NOV. 14

7:30 - 9:30 p.m — Concert: The Singing Statesmen, Gantner Concert Hall, Haas Fine Arts Center 11:30 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. — Salsa Squared, The Lookout

• •

SATURDAY, NOV. 15

8 — 10:00 p.m — Rosetta: the First Spacecraft to Orbit and Land on a Comet, Hobbs Observatory 10:00 p.m. — 2:00 a.m. — Love Taxi, The Lookout

• RYAN ALME / Submitted

A DAY AT THE FARM: Among other animals for students on a field trip to see at The Pizza Farm in Stockholm, a cow roams the field. Students in a geography of food class visited the farm, where ingredients produced on site go into wood-fired pizzas.

Let’s take a trip University field trips are a positive learning experience for many students Jake Steen

STAFF WRITER In the case of many college students, leaving campus during class typically involves playing hookey. And going on a field trip was something reserved for elementary school.

Corey Sturm, a UW-Eau Claire sophomore information systems major said he can’t remember if he even went on a field trip in high school, let alone in college.

“I didn’t even know field trips existed in college,” Sturm said.

Select programs at Eau Claire are making a habit of taking students out of the classroom to bring them into a new learning environment.

Paul Kaldjian, associate professor of geography, is just one of the many professors who consistently takes students on field trips. He said doing so is an integral part of the Geography program here at Eau Claire.

“Almost all of our classes get some form of field trip experience,” Kaldjian said.

“Getting students out using field equipment and learning hands-on early helps students have a better understanding of concepts for when they get to advanced courses.”

Kaldjian said many of these trips bring the geogra-

phy program to destinations across the country all semester.

Students have taken escapades to places like the Twin Cities, New York City, Louisiana, Oregon, the desert southwest, northwoods Wisconsin and even out of the country.

“We’ve even taken students to France to inspect Battlefields from the Vietnam war,” Kaldjian said. “One class takes a trip to the local butcher every semester where students watch an animal get slaughtered to see where their hamburger begins.”

Brief field trips to areas around Eau Claire are more common examples of student field trips. Kaldjian said getting students out of the classroom and into the field is an important learning tool.

“For geography 188, cultural landscapes, we can’t talk about landscapes nearly as effective as we can just go outside and look at them,” Kaldjian said. “And for geography 350 (soils) we can take local trips to simply observe the natural and physical environment as well as the human environment.”

Joe Poulin, a senior information systems major, went on a field trip to the Walmart Distribution Center.

>> FIELD TRIPS page 5

•

SUNDAY, NOV. 16 5 - 47 p.m. — Women’s Concert Chorale, Gantner Concert Hall, Haas Fine Arts Center 10 p.m. — Open Mic, The Mousetrap

• •

• •

• •

• •

MONDAY, NOV. 17 7:30 p.m. — Ingrid Michaelson Concert, Zorn Arena 8 - 11:00 p.m. — Live Band Karaoke with Jenny and the Jets, The Plus

TUESDAY, NOV. 18

7:30 p.m. — Lakota Souix Indian Dance Theatre, Ojibwe Ballroom, Davies Center 9:00 p.m. — NightShift Entertainment, BullPen Sports Bar & Grille

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 19

7 - 8:00 p.m. — Ask a Scientist: ‘Unmanned Aerial Systems: A Geospatial Revolution, Acoustic Cafe 7:30 - 9:45 p.m. — Tango Dance Lesson and Practice Dance, Eau Claire Moose Lodge

Foster Gallery “Art Faculty Show” 7:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. — Mon. - Wed. 6:00-8:00 p.m. — Thurs.

1 - 4:30 p.m. — Fri. - Sun. Runs from Oct. 2- Oct. 30 Haas Fine Arts Center

UAC Films: “Paris, je t’aime” An anthology feature with the world’s most romantic city as a backdrop, Paris, je t’aime is made up of 18 short films by 21 directors from around the world. The international cast includes Fanny Ardant, Juliet Binoche, Steve Buscemi, Gerard Depardieu, Ben Gazzara, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Emily Mortimer, Nick Nolte, Natalie Portman, Miranda Richardson, Gena Rowlands, Rufus Sewell and Elijah Wood. Carina Chocano described the film as “less a travelogue than a kaleidoscopic view of the many moods the city inspires — and they are sundry ... Some installments are less inspiring, and one or two could qualify as missteps. But Paris, je t’aime has something going for it that not every movie can claim: It always has Paris.”

NEWS

NEWS EDITOR: Kristina Bornholtz

4

Thursday, Nov. 13

Police presence upped in Hilltop Cafeteria Sodexo unable to curb food thefts on its own

Glen Olson STAFF WRITER

Compiled from University Police records Two days, no results Wednesday, Nov. 5 - At 9:35 p.m., police officers responded to a call from a resident assistant in Horan Hall about a smell of marijuana. Police confirmed there was a smell and knocked, but there wasn’t an answer and they eventually left, according to the report.

They returned at 11:45 p.m. Nov. 7 to see if anyone was there, and one of the room’s occupants answered the door. The student said they had been told there was a smell around that area, but didn’t know where it was.

Both were gone at the time of the initial contact and had sources to confirm it.

Both students were then present and allowed police to search their desks, possessions and backpacks, which turned up a glass pipe and tobacco. The police left without citing anyone.

Case of the misplaced vape Wednesday, Nov. 5 - Police responded at 10:23 p.m. to a call from a Putnam Hall resident assistant who said he smelled marijuana. Police smelled around and confirmed it was from a specific room.

When they knocked, officers heard coughing, and it took around 15 seconds for the student to answer the door, according to the police report.

Police told the student cooperation would be appreciated, and the student gave them a small pipe, a grinder and a jar full of “plant material,” the report stated.

The student told police he also had a vaporizer, but couldn’t find it and gave the police permission to search.

They couldn’t find it either. Then the student found it near a window and gave it to them.

The student was cited for possession/use of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. He chose to do the diversion program.

Smoke signals Thursday, Nov. 6 - John Reichert, Governors hall director, called police to report three people were smoking marijuana outside the building.

Two officers responded and went with him to the spot, but despite smelling a “strong odor of burnt marijuana” could not find anything or anyone at the scene and left, according to the report.

One for all and all for...

Friday, Nov. 7 - Police responded to a call from a Murray Hall resident assistant regarding a smell of marijuana. At the room police could hear loud music and male voices. They “smelled around the door frame” to confirm it was the correct room, according to the report.

When the students answered the door, police said the smell got stronger and two of the occupants eyes were red and glassy.

The students denied ever smoking or using marijuana, and the officer said he didn’t believe it.

When asked for cooperation, one of the men, who was not a resident of the room, gave up a “hand-rolled piece of paper.” Police said it had a green leafy substance inside.

The man was cuffed and taken out of the room. The room’s residents said they would not consent to a search, but revealed there was a bag of marijuana near where the man had been sitting, and the police also found rolling papers.

The first man claimed all the found items and took the diversion program option.

Students eating at upper-campus’ Riverview Cafe will now see the occasional police patrol through the cafeteria, the most recent response to students taking out large amounts of food.

Lieutenant Jay Dobson said in the agreement between University Police and Sodexo, officers not currently on calls or other police activities will stop in during busier hours and monitor the situation in the cafeteria to provide extra support for the Sodexo staff.

He said there is no set times or schedules for the visit and no set amount of time for the police to be in the area.

“We’re a service-oriented department,” Dobson said. “And that’s kind of the beauty about campus policing. It’s not all about strict law enforcement; it can be about providing a service.”

Dobson said they have not had any incidents reported while an officer is present, and from what he knew, the problem is decreasing.

He said the police’s presence there was deemed necessary because the staff’s attempts to stop people they noticed taking large amounts of food or utensils had been met with hostility or dismissed altogether.

Dobson said any theft under $100 constitutes petty theft, which the food would be categorized as, and the cafeteria is in a campus building and under the jurisdiction of the campus police.

Casey Utke, sophomore, said he heard about the police’s presence but hadn’t seen them directly.

Utke said he thought it was unfortunate, but it seemed necessary if the students can’t govern themselves.

“I believe they shouldn’t have to,” Utke

said. “College students should be old enough to know better, but it keeps happening, so it makes sense that they’re taking measures.”

Utke said the belief among some students saying they’re paying for the food they take seems inaccurate, because they’re really only paying for what they eat in the building.

Cynthia Majewski, Riverview Cafe supervisor, said this year has had more problems with people not following food service policies than in the past.

Majewski said many of the problems going on have stopped now, but the police provide an extra authority.

“It’s just to make them really think twice about things,” Majewski said.

Dobson said the police are not receiving

Olson can be reached at olsongp@uwec.edu or @GlenPOlson.

FILE PHOTO

COPS ON CALL: The Eau Claire campus police have started monitoring Hilltop Cafeteria in hopes of preventing students from taking what they consider to be too much food, which can be counted as petty theft.

SALES/ Direct sales are a post grad option She started a Facebook event with a link in the description to a “party page” where customers can shop her nail art inventory online. This way, Menzie doesn’t have to take time out of her schedule to throw parties face-to-face with customers.

Though her business is young, she hopes throwing parties this way will continue to make her a small commission and help more people discover the brand.

Menzie said for her, it wasn’t about making money, but instead about sharing a product that changed her life.

“I used to bite my nails,” Menzie said. “But the first time I tried Jamberry Nail Wraps, I didn’t bite my nails at all for the

any kind of overtime or charging Sodexo to be in the cafeteria, nor are they assigning particular officers to the duty.

He said because it’s not assigned or scheduled, there are days no officer will be in there and there are days when there may be more than one who visit.

Dobson said there is no extra cost to the university to do this, and that it is “just like any other law enforcement agency in the community that they serve, just helping out where we can.”

entire week I had them on. It’s a pretty cool personal testimony.”

Menzie said at the moment, she doesn’t have a plan for her Jamberry business after she graduates. For now, she wants to take it one day at a time and enjoy connecting with people over the product, not as a way of life but as a passion she wants to share.

While neither Menzie nor Nigro are planning on dropping out of school to become full-time consultants, both said the love of the products they sell keep them going. For now, school comes first, direct sales comes second.

Bornholtz can be reached at bornhoke@uwec.edu or @kebornholtz.

Discovering identities Events to help educate attendees about the trans community Kristina Bornholtz

NEWS EDITOR Throughout the week of Nov. 11-14, UW-Eau Claire’s Women’s and LGBTQ Resource Center will host four different events in celebration of Trans*mission Week.

The events, which are free and open to the public, will range from film screenings, choir performances and speakers. These events, held once daily in the evenings at Davies Center, feature members of the Eau Claire alongside nationally recognized artists.

One particular highlight of the week’s festivities is the Thursday night presentation by Eau Claire alumna, Jessica Janiuk. Her pre-

sentation, titled “Recipe for a Vagina,” will take place at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 in Davies Center room 330C. For Audrey Fessler, a women’s studies and English professor, Janiuk’s presentation will be a highlight of the week. She said she had Januik as a student twice and finds her “a captivating person to learn from.”

“She speaks with tremendous insight and self understanding,” Fessler said.

To read more about Trans*Mission Week, go to spectatornews.com

NEWS EDITOR: Kristina Bornholtz

NEWS

Thursday, Nov. 13

Short-term programs provide flexibility

Winterim study abroad trips offer escape from Wisconsin Jessie Tremmel OP/ED EDITOR

Last winter, there was a 100-degree difference in temperature between Eau Claire and Jamaica. This winterim, eight UW-Eau Claire students will join Carey Applegate and Kathy Rex in Jamaica, working on transnationalism in the country.

Italy, India, Argentina and Guatemala are the other winterim study abroad options that Eau Claire offers.

All of the programs, except Italy, are faculty-led experiences, which means an Eau Claire faculty member will stand in as a liaison for the experience.

That faculty support was important for Jessica Esveld when she chose to study in Turkey over winterim in 2013.

Paul Kaldjian, the lead professor

CONFLUENCE/

5

Groundbreaking event

The Confluence Project was first proposed in May 2012 and had to stand up to a city-wide referendum last spring. City Council gave the Haymarket Landing building final approval on Oct. 14.

Gregg Moore, the chair of the Eau Claire County board of supervisors, delivered sentimental words during his speech.

“Love for our community,” Moore said. “That’s what’s driving this vision, that’s what’s driving this hard work.”

The building is expected to be finished by June of 2016 and is named to honor the historic site as a place for public gatherings and commerce.

for the immersion, had connections to make Esveld’s time in Turkey memorable. She said her most treasured memory from her trip was staying with a host family.

“It was by far the best experience because we were out of our comfort zones and nervous,” she said. “It was sink or swim, and everybody swam. They had a great time.”

Esveld, a senior, FREITAS took advantage of winterim study abroad because she couldn’t fit a full semester of study abroad in her packed psychology schedule. Choosing a winterim study abroad trip helped her stay on schedule by offering her three credits.

Martinez can be reached at martinsp@ uwec.edu or @smartinez201.

FIELD TRIPS/ Offer learning opportunity SUBMITTED

ON THE BOSPHORUS: Posing in front of the New Mosque, Jessica Esveld and Olivia Phanchan studied in Turkey over winterim 2013. This program will not happen this winter.

Short-term programs offer students an opportunity to see another country while earning credits toward graduation, Shanti Freitas, intercultural immersion coordinator, said.

“There are a lot of students who cannot study abroad for a whole semester,” Freitas said. “The short term winterim options are really great because it is a chance for students who might not be able to do the whole semester but get the study abroad experience.”

The faculty-led programs also receive funding from the Blugold Commitment fund, making the programs more affordable.

The Blugold Commitment fund can reduce the price of a trip by 50 percent, as each student is eligible for up to $2,500. Students who receive financial aid may still be eligible for this support with four-credit faculty-led im-

mersion experiences.

The group Applegate is taking to Jamaica will study how outside expectations and histories affect Jamaican culture and literature. Students will experience a mix of tourist and local culture, avoiding the all-inclusive resorts.

Applegate, an English professor, said the immersion will enable her to escape the cold weather and will help create connections for her research.

“We are using the concepts of texts very broadly, and we are studying the theory before we go,” Applegate said. “We are applying that theory to these different tourist sites and teasing it out through lived experience.”

Tremmel can be reached at tremmejr@ uwec.edu or @jessietremmel.

Poulin went to the center, in Menomonie, for his Marketing 330 class this fall. However, he didn’t see the same benefit of the activity.

“It was 9 a.m. and I had to miss one of my other classes,” Poulin said. “I don’t think anyone even understood what we were supposed to be learning about.”

But Poulin said he understands his field trip experience probably wasn’t as typical.

“I’m sure field trips could be very useful in a different context,” Poulin said. “But definitely not this one.”

Sam Johnson, a sophomore who has yet to declare his major, took a trip to Big Falls for his geology 110 class to study the topography of the landscape.

“It was just like normal class, except we were outside,” Johnson said. “It was perfect because we got back to campus when were usually done with class.”

Whether it’s an elementary school trip to the local farm or a 300 level geography course trip to test the pH level of a local farm’s soils, field trips can be positive experiences, and Kaldjian said he can’t stress the importance enough.

“For many students, the experience of a field trip is the highlight of that course,” Kaldjian said. “It might even be the highlight of their college career.”

Steen can be reached at steenje@uwec. edu or @_jakesteen_.

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6

SPORTS EDITOR: Ellis Williams

Thursday, Nov. 13

SPORTS 7

No quit in Van Geffen Senior running back persevered to see playing time and become team leader Nick Erickson EDITOR IN CHIEF

Earlier in the season, UW-Eau Claire head football coach Todd Glaser stopped what had been a somewhat lethargic practice and delivered a talk in hopes of energizing his team.

In the talk, he called up fifth-year senior Jon Van Geffen and put his hand on his shoulder pads.

The usually reserved coach boisterously said he would go to battle with Van Geffen and invited the rest of the team to give him that sense of confidence.

That’s the kind of trust Glaser has in his captain’s work ethic and ability to rally a group of people.

But Van Geffen, who has spent most of his career at tailback and fullback, has never found the endzone to score a point for his coach. In fact, he hadn’t actually played much of a role on game days until his senior season.

He will leave the Blugold football program without the glamorous stats or highlight reel of game-changing plays. But his legacy will last a long time for the blue and gold. *** An all-conference athlete at Shiocton High School, Van Geffen, who had an older brother playing for the Blugolds at the time, enrolled in Fall 2010 with hopes of suiting up in the Notre Dame-esque uniforms of Eau Claire.

But a lingering shoulder injury in high school and mono kept Glaser from putting Van Geffen on the roster his first year on campus. And then in 2011, he got surgery on that shoulder. He questioned whether or not it was worth the grind to fulfill his goal of playing college football.

He had a group of teammates and a support system at home who had his back through everything and made it too hard to walk away from football.

“All the guys on the team were still there for me, so it’s not like I was off the team ever,” Van Geffen said. “It was pretty easy with the group of guys I played with, and it made the decision pretty easy to stick with it.”

Now, he’s come full circle. Four years later, his teammates voted him a captain for the 2014 season.

And he has finally made the transition from scout team to playing time, as he seen action in all nine games and has 84 yards on 25 carries throughout this year.

“His perseverance has been great,” Glaser said.

“He’s a kid who never quit trying and always worked hard, and it’s paid off now that he’s playing as a senior. A lot of kids would have stopped way back when they were a junior playing on scout team still.”

His mother, Colleen, was one of his biggest sup-

porters in getting him back out onto the football field.

She helped him with his physical therapy and provided positive reinforcement on difficult days.

She said he always kept the big picture in mind and remembered why it is more than just a game and why it was more than just about himself.

“He was always very focused on what he could do for the team, and he knew that he had to keep trying and be a good role model for everybody else,” she said.

His work ethic hasn’t gone unnoticed by teammates, which is largely why they gave him the keys to the kingdom and made him a captain.

He brings the energy to practice and games.

While he isn’t vocal in a sense of getting in people’s faces, he provides that spark in situations when they’re necessary.

Fellow captain Jayden Dobbs said his passion and willingness to give 100 percent every time on and off the field is contagious to the rest of the players on the team.

“Jon is the type of guy that this team is fueled by,” Dobbs said. “He always has a great attitude, is extremely vocal and he is the type of character that we want to represent our football team. He is a guy that will be there for you off the field as well. That’s what makes him a great leader.”

Part of the package at the Division III level is being well-rounded. Almost always, players go professional in something other than sports.

Van Geffen gets that, and not only does he lead by example on the field, but he also does in the classroom, as the political science major is off to law school after graduation.

Glaser said the first things that comes to mind when he thinks of his fifth-year senior running back are words along the lines of determination and grit.

“He’s been extremely hard-working his entire career,” Glaser said. “He’s done everything we’ve ever asked him to as a football player, as a student – I think it shows in his academics as he’s going to law school – and he’s just a kid that gives you everything he has.”

ANNA MATEFFY / The Spectator There’s an old saying that patience is a virtue, STICKING WITH IT: Senior running back Jon Van Geffen missed his entire freshman year, and nearly called it quits and it has defined Van Geffen’s career as a Blugold after a shoulder surgery his sophomore year. But he stayed with it and is now one of four captains. football player.

This year, he has used what he learned from his “You’re not going to win every game; you’ve but his last year, he was able to play because of journey to playing time to his teammates. The Blujust got to work as hard as you can each and every his perseverance,” Glaser said. “He never gave golds enter Saturday’s finale against UW-La Crosse week, and eventually it will be there for you,” up; he never felt sorry himself. He always did with a 1-8 record, and a span of seven straight losses he said. “You can’t just give up on something.” what was best for the team.” tested the patience of his teammates and coaches.

Saturday will be the final time Van GefKickoff against the Eagles is set for 11:30 The always energetic Van Geffen made sure his fen slips on the No. 28 uniform he dons. But a.m. at Carson Park. teammates stayed positive by making sure he came it won’t be the last time he is used as a role to practice every day ready to improve and make model for the others in the program.

Erickson can be reached at ericksna@uwec.edu or that next step. It’s an approach he grew used to in “Kids get to see a kid who came in here and @NickErickson8. his time with the Blugold football program. didn’t play a lot his first three or four years,

SPORTS SPORTS EDITOR: Ellis Williams

8

Thursday, Nov. 13

Blugold basketball 2014-15 season previews Building on a foundation

Finishing the journey

With a roster filled with experience, the Blugold men’s basketball team is set to start the 2014-15 season

Women’s basketball returns everyone to make a run at the WIAC title

SUBMITTED

WINNING THROUGH LOSING: Adam Hjelter led the men’s basketball team in scoring last season, and he said the difficulties of past years have taught him and his teammates the keys to winning.

Ellis Williams SPORTS EDITOR

What a difference a year can make.

Twelve months ago, the UW-Eau Claire men’s basketball team was unsure of its identity as a unit.

Its head coach was in his second year here, and the roster was filled with underclassmen and a handful of juniors.

But with young teams come the opportunity to build a foundation, and this year, head coach Matt Siverling said his team is eager to take the next step.

“Last year we learned a lot about who we were as a basketball team,” Siverling said. “Hopefully the experience we have now will allow us to be consistent at a high level this season.”

The Blugolds lost zero players to graduation last year and return 14 from the 2013-14 season, in which Eau Claire went 10-15 and finished eighth in the WIAC standings.

Eau Claire will rely on the guard play of seniors Lewis Mau and Eric Effertz along with junior Adam Hjelter to push, distribute and score the basketball.

These are three duties the seasoned backcourt trio is accustomed to.

Mau was all-WIAC honorable mention in 2013 ,and Hjelter lead the team in scoring last year with 15.5 points per game.

Effertz has been a primary ball handler under Siverling for his entire college career, and he said he can feel how different this year is compared to past years.

“We all are just more comfortable with what we are doing,” Effertz said. “(Siverling) really has put a lot a trust in us older guys this year.”

A big difference this season is the expanded leadership role the upperclassmen have taken on, Siverling said. In years past, they were more lead-by-example guys, but after three years in the Blugold program, Siverling is able to pass some of his coaching responsibilities to his veteran players.

Hjelter, the third-highest returning scorer in the conference, has become more of a vocal leader already this year, he said, and despite a narrow 8373 scrimmage loss last week to Winona State University (Minn.), he thought his teammates showed growth on both sides of the ball.

“We competed with a very good DII team, but there are a lot of things we have to work on,” Hjelter said.

It is no secret the 6-foot guard will demand the attention of opposing defenses all season due to his scoring ability, but often last year it was defensive team break downs which kept the Blugolds out of games.

Eau Claire ranked second-to-last in scoring defense last year, a number Hjelter said must improve. A large number of the points the Blugolds gave up came in transition, and a way to stop opposing teams from scoring fast break layups is to have fresh legs that can keep up the pace.

Last year, Siverling was forced to give several players large amounts of minutes due to a lack of depth. This year, they plan on a deep rotation being a team strength.

Along with improving on defense, Siverling has stressed the importance of establishing an inside post presence. It is not only to set a specific tone but also to open up perimeter shots for his free-to-fire back court.

The Blugolds will have an opportunity to refine their strengths as well as improve on their weakness against what Hjelter called one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation.

“Heading into conference, once we get through the heat of our non-conference, we want to put ourselves in a position to make a run in the postseason,” Hjelter said. “We think we have a shot at the conference because we have a good blend of talent and experience.”

The Blugolds’ season tips off at 7 p.m. Sunday at St. Thomas University (Minn.).

Williams can be reached at Williaml@uwec.edu or @BookofEllis.

SUBMITTED

SENIOR LEADER: Senior forward Courtney Lewis averaged 11.4 points per game last year while garnering honorable mention all-conference honors.

Nick Erickson EDITOR IN CHIEF

Tonja Englund isn’t afraid of building a team from scratch and risking a few transition years.

In fact, her last conference championship team in 2012, which was dominated by seniors, went through a losing season in 2010 and bowed out of the playoffs early in 2011 before reaching the pinnacle of WIAC women’s basketball.

Her current group, which didn’t lose a single player from last year and has the same projected starting five, has endured two straight losing seasons.

But with those freshmen and sophomores now becoming juniors and seniors, Englund’s message is simple: the time is now.

“We take a young group and we get them there,” she said. “I want to have a championship team every year, but even when we played those younger players, we got them there. It is time for this team. I’ve seen that cycle with a lot of my really good teams.”

And there’s no mistake about it, these Blugolds have a concrete goal in mind, and that’s finishing out Englund’s vision and bringing the UW-Eau Claire head coach of 15 years her fifth conference championship.

Only three players – Courtney Lewis, Kristin Sahr and

Rachel Egdorf – return from the 2012 team, but Lewis said the same type of feeling is there in the preseason as that banner team had.

“We know what it takes, and we have that same hunger they had,” the senior captain said. “Everyone is just really itching for a good season and that championship title.”

Englund has plenty of talent in her arsenal to make that a reality. All-conference players Lewis and junior guard Teenie Lichtfuss, along with 3-point specialists in senior Kristin Sahr and sophomore Abby Midtlien, can all fill up a stat sheet on any given night.

But this year, post players Rachel Egdorf and Madison Johnson have stepped up their offensive game to assist the four bonafide scorers on the squad.

Egdorf and Johnson both had 17 points in the team’s annual Blue and Gold intrasquad game on Nov. 4.

In 2012, Englund got a lot of production from post players Ellen Plendl and Callie Halama, and she hopes Egdorf and Johnson can fill the shoes in a year full of expectations.

“The key for us is that we really grow from last year with our inside presence,” Englund said.

“If you look at our roster, we’re by far one of the biggest teams in the league. We have to back that up.”

Lewis said a strong inside

game opens up things for the perimeter players and makes the offense more dynamic in general.

By feeding it to the post, she said it creates more space on the floor for open baskets.

“Your post will start scoring, and once that happens, double teams and everything makes them kick it right out for wide open shots and set threes,” she said.

The Blugolds will also look to get a big lift from 6-foot-2 transfer Alleigh Voight as well as sophomore Ellen Blacklock inside.

As far as the guard play goes, fans can expect the same amount of production, if not more, from the experience-laden backcourt, Englund said.

Lichtfuss, who opposing coaches said is one of the tougher matchups in the league because of her athleticism, led the team in scoring at 13.9 points per game last year while dishing out 3.5 assists per contest in her first season at point guard.

Lewis, who will be a fouryear starter, scored 11.4 points a night and grabbed a team-high 5.7 rebound per game in 2013-14.

Midtlien and Sahr have both caught fire from beyond the 3-point arc and have career highs of over 20 points in a game.

In the preseason poll from the league’s sports information directors, the Blugolds were picked sixth while UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater were picked to finish one and two.

But the postseason polls are what matters.

“Rankings came out and we were sixth, and I don’t agree with that, obviously,” Lewis said. “Nobody does, and nobody is going to be happy with that until we show everybody what we can do, and I really believe we will be at the top of the conference this year.”

The first steps begin Saturday as the Blugolds host Coe College (Iowa) at 8 p.m. Saturday night in Zorn Arena. They will come back at 5 p.m. Sunday to face Hamline (Minn.), also in Zorn Arena.

Erickson can be reached at ericksna@uwec.edu or @NickErickson8.

SPORTS EDITOR: Ellis Williams

Reloading, not rebuilding Blugold men’s hockey team adds 11 freshmen; undefeated in opening weekend Austin Mai STAFF WRITER

In last season’s conference tournament, the UW-Eau Claire men’s hockey team scored three points against UW-Superior, and goalie Jay Deo saved all 42 shots to win the WIAC championship.

But amid the weekend’s celebration, the team learned it would not receive a bid to compete in the national championship tournament.

Instead, rival UW-Stevens Point received a national title shot with a 226-2 overall record despite losing to Eau Claire in the semifinals of the WIAC tournament.

Entering this season, the Blugolds look to showcase a team capable of returning to the conference championship game as well as contend for the national title. Head coach Matt Loen said after winning the national championship in the 2012-13 season, it’s the team’s goal every year.

“We like to take it step by step; we don’t like to leap to the end of the season,” Loen said. “Our goal is to win a national championship, but it’s a difficult thing to do, obviously, when you have a great season like last season, and we don’t even get into the tournament. We are discouraged, but it is what it is.”

Eau Claire finished 19-8-1 overall last season and Loen said a team priority is to get the 11 freshmen on board with the program as quickly as possible.

“They’re used to playing 50-something junior hockey games, and that’s

SPORTS 9

Thursday, Nov. 13

it,” Loen said. “Now they have school and student life and college life and now playing hockey as well. I think we have a good core back from last year to help with that.”

Nine seniors are gone from last year’s time and some leadership and experience of contending for a national championship left with them.

However, defenseman Jack Callahan said his former teammate’s hard work has not been forgotten and the progress made in the last few years has set the tone for this team.

“Since I have been here, we have yet to end the season on a loss,” the senior captain said. “We have a culture instilled here that anything less than championships isn’t acceptable. Winning is fun, and that is the only goal we have, and to have a little fun along the way.”

Callahan and senior forward Ross Andersen are this season’s captains after the departure of Robbie Anderegg, David Donnellan and Joe Krause.

Reigning national champion and No. 1 St. Norbert College’s head coach Tim Coghlin said his team won’t face UW System teams as often in the next few years following the split from the NCHA. The four-time national champion said he looks forward to facing Eau Claire this month.

“Eau Claire hadn’t been a top-four team until 2013,” Coghlin said. “They won the league that year and beat us three times. They had the most successful season in program history, which speaks volumes to what Matt (Loen) and

MEINHOLZ/

Strength was in technology and relationships with co-workers Monica Weltzien worked for him since 2012, and she said he made her feel like the work she did was truly meaningful to Blugold athletics.

“Kevin is a good boss because he truly cares about each one of his employees,” she said. “He took an actual interest in our lives and cheered us on in all of our other extra curricular activities.”

Meinholz, who said his best memory as the sports information director came during the men’s hockey team’s national championship run ending in Lake Placid, N. York, said the friendships will be hardest to say goodbye to.

“I’m going to miss the people the most,” he said.

“I know that’s probably what a lot of people say, but I’ve developed some good relationships and will miss not working with them on a daily basis.”

The athletics department named Jill Millis, a 2009 graduate of Eau Claire, the interim SID earlier this week.

Erickson can be reached at ericksna@uwec.edu or @NickErickson8

his staff have done and how they’re doing it.”

Eau Claire’s first game this season was against St. Olaf College (Minn.), and both defenses stood out in the first period as neither team was able to score.

Sophomore forward Adam Knochenmus scored the game’s first goal in the second period before sophomore forward Brandon Wahlin gave the Blugolds the 2-0 lead with just 18 seconds left in the same period.

In the third, junior forward Ethan Nauman scored to increase the lead to 3-0, which left junior goalie Tyler Green and the defense to protect the net until the game was won. Green played all 60 minutes and saved all 32 shots of the evening.

Loen said considering this was the team’s first game and St. Olaf had already played two, he felt they did well.

“Tyler Green played really well, and we have two really good goalies here so that’s a plus for our team,” Loen said. “In the second period, St. Olaf took it to us and they got 16 shots on net. After we escaped that, I felt pretty confident about getting the win.”

Callahan said this game was the first step to get the freshmen comfortable on the team.

“I am sure there were a lot of nerves in some guys leading up to the game,” Callahan said. “It was great for them to get their feet wet and come out with a win.”

After defeating St. Olaf, Eau Claire improved to No. 10 and traveled to St. John’s University (Minn.). Andersen found the back of the net for the first goal of the game in the first period as Eau Claire took the 1-0 lead.

Callahan, who assisted Andersen on the goal, said it was a matter of getting the puck up the ice to take advantage of the scoring opportunity.

“Ross Andersen tends to be an absolute wizard when he has the puck on his stick,” Callahan said. “I try to get it to him as fast as possible and let him do the rest.”

No goals were scored until the second period when the Johnnies scored two goals within three minutes to take the lead 2-1. Wahlin then scored his second goal of the season to even the score at 2-2 before the third period.

The Blugolds lost the lead as the Johnnies took a 3-2 lead in the third period. With a player off of the ice because of a penalty, Andersen responded with his second goal of the night to force a 3-3 tie and an extra session.

In overtime neither team scored, and the match ended in a tie.

Loen said the Blugolds faced a good skating team but had to adjust to a big in-game difference.

“St. John’s play on an Olympic-sized rink, which is a lot bigger than what we play on, that was a huge difference for our guys to adapt to,” Loen said. “I was disappointed in the result however we were down and we came back to tie.”

Now 1-0-1, No. 9 Eau Claire will play five games in eight days with the first two at home this weekend. The team is set to play Hamline University (Minn.) at 7 p.m. Friday and at the same time Saturday at Hobbs Ice Center against Bethel University (Minn.).

Mai can be reached at maiat@uwec. edu or @austinisfresh.

FILE PHOTO

CHAMPIONSHIP OR BUST: The Blugold men’s hockey team filled its roster with freshmen but have a group of upperclassmen ready to lead them.

Behnke finishes second but breaks his hand Blugold men’s wrestling team is battling injuries early but looks to get healthy soon Trent Tetzlaff COPY EDITOR

After starting the season at Rochester Community and Technical College Yellowjacket Open, the Blugold wrestling team looked to build upon its individual success as it traveled to UW-Stevens Point for the Pointer Open.

Junior Nathaniel Behnke said despite the tough competition in the early season tournament, the UW-Eau Claire wrestlers were able to take home two third-place finishes and a second-place finish in Ste-

If interested, please submit a cover letter and resume to Nick Erickson (ericksna@uwec.edu) by Friday, Nov. 21.

vens Point on Saturday.

Behnke led the Blugolds with his second-place finish at 141 pounds. After a bye in the first round, Behnke beat Robert Uttecht (UW-Parkside), Holden Thompson (Wheaton, Ill.) and Trevor Spears (UW-Stevens Point) before dropping his match to Luke Rowh (UW-Madison) in the championship match.

During the championship match, Nathaniel Behnke broke his hand in two places after his hand came down onto the mat wrong.

The Blugold’s top wrestler has

remained positive.

“The injury will set me back about six weeks,” he said. “Despite this, I will continue to work and hope for a strong recovery.”

After losing in the first round, sophomore Josh Cormican battled back and notched five straight wins to claim third place at 197 pounds.

Sophomore Justin Karkula took third at 285 pounds by tallying a 5-1 record on the day.

Behnke said he felt his team as a whole performed well despite injuries and tough competition.

“I think overall we did great

despite getting a little banged up,” Behnke said. “We had three people place at a very hard tournament, but as always, there are things we can improve upon from the weekend.”

The Blugolds will next be in action, as their next match is slated for 7 p.m. Thursday as they travel to Northfield, Minn., to take on St. Olaf.

Tetzlaff can be reached at tetzlata@ uwec.edu or @ttetz5.

Editor In Chief Elections Sunday, Nov. 23 An Editor In Chief for spring semester will be named

Applications for the rest of the editorial staff, including potential new members, will be in The Spectator office starting Monday, Nov. 24.

CURRENTS CURRENTS EDITOR: Katy Macek

Thursday, Nov. 13

10

Explore your world, one camera lens at a time

Dancing back into the roaring ‘20s

Canadian film festival returns to campus, entertains and educates audience

Gatsby’s Gala makes its debut tomorrow, event offers music and dancing Tyler Henderson MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

SUBMITTED

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: The Canadian-based Banff Mountain Film Festival recently started its world tour in the United States and will be stopping in Eau Claire for two nights.

Katy Macek

CURRENTS EDITOR A world-renowned film festival that combines entertainment with sustainability is making its way back to UW-Eau Claire next week, thanks in part to the Student Office of Sustainability.

“Think Sundance (Film Festival), but for outdoorsy, environmental documentaries,” Olivia McCarthy, SOS events intern, said.

McCarthy said the Banff Mountain Film Festival is a good way for students to get involved and become more interested in the environment and what sustainability really means.

In addition, they can watch entertaining and thought-provoking films that won awards at the festival’s original location in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.

“Not only do they get exposed to films that they otherwise probably wouldn’t get to see at such a low price, but it also makes them more involved,” she said.

SOS director Bailey Kramer said while the festival travels around many different areas of the world, there are several aspects about having it in Eau Claire that make it unique.

“This is a festival that travels worldwide,” she said. “We’re getting it before Madison this year, which

is crazy, and we’re one of the only stops where it’s actually stopping for two nights.”

In addition, while she said tickets can be sold from anywhere to $75 for the festival, students can purchase them for just $2.

This is the second year the Banff Mountain Film Festival has been held at the university, and she said this is partly because of the Green Fund from Student Senate, which allocates around $200,000 per year toward sustainability activities and similar events.

The rest of the funding, including the ability to bring in community members, came from Ruffed Grouse Society, an outside organization with a chapter in Eau Claire.

Ruffed Grouse Society formed in 1961 and now has upwards of 20,000 members throughout the nation as well as a sister organization in Canada, Dave Johnson, regional director for the Eau Claire chapter, said.

Johnson attended the Banff Mountain Film Festival several times when it was in Duluth, Minn., he said, and thought it fit into the Ruffed Grouse Society’s ideas about environment. After almost two years of working with community members and finding sponsors, the festival came to State Theatre three years ago.

Tuesday night will feature special guests Josh Pederson, the Eau

Check it out When: 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday Where: Woodland Theater, Davies Center

Claire County Parks and Forest director, and Gary Zimmer, a Ruffed Grouse Society regional biologist, to answer questions and explore options with students and community members.

“If we are fortunate enough to make any profit on this festival, we are working with the Eau Claire County Forestry Department to do some projects with that money,” he said.

In addition, there will be a signup sheet at the festival for students who would like to help out with some forestry work with the Parks and Forest Department.

Because he has a step-son, Johnson said he realized most young adults think they have a predetermined path and can get caught up in trying to achieve it without exploring other options.

“It opens people’s perspectives as to what’s possible,” he said.

“There are no limits to what people can do, and the film festival explores people pushing those limits.”

Macek can be reached at macekkn@ uwec.edu or @KatherineMacek.

While the historical significance of the jazz musicians of the past can’t be ignored, the old will make way for the new in this year’s biggest jazz event of the semester.

Eau Claire Jazz Inc., in association with the UW-Eau Claire Jazz Studies department, is hosting the sold out inaugural Gatsby’s Gala from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. tomorrow in the Ojibwe Ballroom of Davies Center.

This year the jazz program looks to base their new show, which is set to replace Big Band Extravaganza, off of the popular F. Scott Fitzgerald book-turned-movie, “The Great Gatsby.” “(Big Band Extravaganza) was designed so students could get exposure to music of the big band swing era,” said Robert Baca, trumpet and jazz studies professor. “But we wanted to take a concept that’s very popular with the public, and that’s the Gatsby’s Gala.”

While Jazz I and II are featured, that era’s music won’t be the only thing performed at the event. The two big bands will also split into some small groups playing the likes of Earth Wind and Fire, Curtis Mayfield, Beyonce and even the popular theme from the 2013 movie adaptation, “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody.”

“The world is changing now, and jazz is fusing with every other style of music more than ever,” Baca said.

“Jazz lends a sophistication to pop BACA music.”

The music department even commissioned a musical piece to be written specifically for the event by award-winning alumnus Aaron Hedenstrom, a saxophonist and composer who graduated in 2011.

Audience members are encouraged to dress for the time period, and the post-prohibition theme will be in full effect with alcohol also served.

Gatsby’s Gala aims to be a party “worthy of Gatsby himself,” Ellie Larson, Eau Claire Jazz Inc. intern, said.

“We wanted to revamp the whole

SUBMITTED

thing to create something that people would be really excited about and to showcase the wonderful jazz musicians the school has to offer,” Larson said.

The Ojibwe Ballroom will have grandiose lighting, a large dance floor and food and drink for the patrons to enjoy, Larson said.

“When the party-goers walk into the Ojibwe Ballroom, that sort of excitement and opulence … the party atmosphere is definitely something that we’ve been working on,” she said.

While the event focuses on the jazz studies program and the musicians playing that night, Baca said Gatsby’s Gala will be a totally different view of the music department and the regular concerts they put on.

“This will be different than the Big Band Extravaganza,” Baca said.

“There will still be a show, but it will be more of a party; the music will be non-stop, and the variety of things happening on stage will be much wider.”

The event organizers don’t have too high of expectations for the firstyear show, but the event sold out at 820 tickets on Wednesday.

As it begins, those audience members will hear the sounds of the 1920s. But by the end, popular new music in the last set will bring the show full-circle.

“This isn’t a concert,” Baca said.

“It’s a party.”

Henderson can be reached at hendertj@uwec.edu or @TylerJH242.

CURRENTS EDITOR: Katy Macek

A labor full of love

University professor releases revised dissertation about 19th century conjoined twins, holds book signing Nov. 24 Courtney Kueppers MANAGING EDITOR

Since 2007, Joe Orser has thought about Chang and Eng, a pair of nineteenth century conjoined twins, every day.

It was then he began his graduate school dissertation at the University of Ohio, now the book — after nearly a decade in the making — is on shelves of bookstores, and scholars across the country have reviewed it.

Check it out When: 6 p.m. Monday Where: Menominee Room, Davies Center

The English and history professor’s book, “The Lives of Chang and Eng: Siam’s Twins in Nineteenth Century America,” looks at the social and cultural places and spaces Chang and Eng Bunker occupied during the 19th century.

The pair of famous conjoined twins came to the U.S. in the mid-1800s and toured the country. Their lives in the antebellum south raised a variety of conversations about race, religion, medicine and sexuality.

“In many ways their lives reflect common, everyday lives of southern Asian men,” Orser said. “In other ways they are totally exceptional.”

Orser’s text focuses not only on the biographical elements of their lives but also on the sense of curiosity and amazement that surrounded them.

Thursday, Nov. 13 “The twins were a window through which other people asked questions,” Orser said, holding the book in his hands, noting it “feels wonderful” to finally be done with the project.

The book, which is 259 pages but not quite as thick as Orser expected it to be, is at its core an academic text.

However, Orser said he tried to make the text as accessible as possible to the general reader.

“I hope people read it,” Orser said with a smirk. “I hope they like it.”

The university community will have a chance to hear Orser speak about the book and even get a copy signed Monday evening at an event The Priory Speakers Series committee sponsors.

Committee member and history faculty member Jim Oberly said the purpose of these events is to promote the work of university faculty.

“It’s a very demanding task,” Oberly said of producing an academic text.

Orser said he’s ready to move on from thinking constantly about Chang and Eng and start thinking about his

CURRENTS 11

COURTNEY KUEPPERS / The Spectator

READ ALOUD: UW-Eau Claire professor Joe Orser poses with his recently published book, “The Lives of Chang and Eng: Siam’s Twins in Nineteenth Century America.”

next project, noting he is intrigued by the effects American and European missionaries had in Southeast Asia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

One thing Orser is not so sure

about is signing books, as he said with a chuckle that his autograph could use some work.

Kueppers can be reached at kueppecm@uwec.edu or @cmkueppers.

Eau Claire Hmong community welcomes a new year Tyler Henderson MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

For two days last weekend, community members and students honored Hmong traditions through song, dance, competitions, food and traditional Hmong outfits at this year’s Hmong New Year celebration at McPhee Physical Education Center.

Pa Thao, executive director of the Eau Claire Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association Inc. said the event is integral to the preservation of the Hmong tradition here in America.

“That’s part of our mission, to preserve and practice our traditional Hmong customs,” Thao said. “To showcase that to our kids who may not have grown up in Thailand or Laos.”

An important practice in the culture is ball tossing, or pov pob. Traditionally, it is a courting ritual between two people tossing a ball back in forth in a specific fashion. It is now also a competition at the Hmong New Year celebration as couples try to toss it back and forth the longest.

UW-Eau Claire senior Manee Yang said the game still has its place in the Hmong culture.

“My boyfriend and I did the ball toss with my cousin and niece. It’s just fun,” she said. “Now, not as many people do it (as a courting practice).”

Yang said the traditional clothes, which the wearer typically makes, featuring bright colors and shiny pendants, are reserved for the Hmong New Year.

“You get dressed up in your best clothes,” Yang said. “These clothes are the clothes you never really wear but you work very hard to make for the celebration.”

The competitions at the event aren’t

“That’s part of our mission, to preserve and practice our traditional Hmong customs.”

PA THAO

Executive director , Eau Claire Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Inc.

too competitive, Yang said, as they’re “just for fun.”

Participants compete in singing, dancing and fashion competitions. Yang, a member of the Hmong Student Association, also said the tradition of kwv txiaj was also on display. Kwv txiaj is a Hmong practice of musical poetry.

Thao said the key to preserving the Hmong culture lies in events like this, now that many customs are no longer a daily practice.

“It’s a special occasion to take that weekend out of the year to celebrate,” she said. “To engage in the ball toss game, to have time to spend with family, and to bring the culture into the New Year.”

Thao also said the 2014 celebration was successful in getting the younger crowd involved.

“We had a lot of vendors, a lot of participants,” she said. “The students were a lot more engaged this year … it’s really a weekend when we can all celebrate being Hmong.”

Henderson can be reached athendertj@ uwec.edu or @TylerJH242.

CURRENTS CURRENTS EDITOR: Katy Macek

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Thursday, Nov. 13

Working hard and dreaming big goes a long way UW-Eau Claire alumna living in Nashville, Tenn., set to release newest album later this month Katy Macek

CURRENTS EDITOR She didn’t know how to play guitar, had never written her own songs , but moved to Nashville, Tenn., based on a dream.

Almost eight years later UW-Eau Claire alumna Sarah Lou Richards is releasing her third album.

Though she graduated from Eau Claire in 2005 with a degree in music education, Richards said she thought about moving to Nashville, Tenn., during college and started competing in karaoke contests and teaching herself guitar.

In 2007 she made this dream a reality, packed up her things and moved to the Music City.

“Being where I am at, there’s music all day every day in every part of this city, and it’s really inspiring,” she said.

“You never know where you’re going to find inspiration.”

This is exactly what she needed, she said, moving to a new city without a song to call her own. She began writing her own music and performed her first original song “Space” as her single.

“In Nashville, you can’t really get along, at least initially, all of the opportunities are original music,” she said.

“Short of doing karaoke, which is great, but everybody’s good here, so it was kind of like a sink or swim thing.”

Eventually she made it into the writer’s round of an open mic contest and had to have three songs, which

seemed really intimidating at the time, she said.

However, she said writing her own music has contributed to her appreciation for the craft.

“I have an added respect for artists that write their own music,” she said.

“It was definitely a good hurdle to have to jump over.”

Her third album, “The Woman Behind the Curtain” is set to release on Nov. 18 and is different from her previous albums in several ways, she said, mostly because she performs with a full band instead of as a solo artist.

“You can only do so much with a guitar, so it feels a lot bigger, a pretty mature and full sound, but it still maintains the characteristics of my music,” she said. “I think that stays pretty true no matter how it’s being presented.”

Richards describes the songs in this album as “honest, kind of quirky,” and said there are a variety of genres covered in the album, including country, blues and even a little bit of fifties sock hop.

She also performed three cover songs, which was something she hadn’t recorded on an album before, she said.

“I’m in a songwriting city, so it was kind of a fun challenge to bring my twist to someone else’s music,” she said.

Overall, Richards said she thought her producers did a good job of making the album cohesive but also giving each song its own voice.

“It feels really fresh without being spastic,” she said. “It’s a good balance of

Student Shout Outs What is your favorite snow activity?

“Watching Netflix.”

Jess Onsatger Sophomore French education

SUBMITTED

LIFTING THE VEIL: Sarah Lou Richards, UW-Eau Claire alumna, said her third album, “The Woman Behind the Curtain,” has an eclectic, folk Americana feel and listeners can easily relate. It is set to release Nov. 18.

a lot of different elements.”

In her free time, Richards has also gotten involved in two different organizations, Soles 4 Souls and Musicians on Call.

Soles 4 Souls, which Richards said is headquartered near her home in Nashville, collects shoes and distributes them to impoverished families.

After winning a trip to distribute shoes in Haiti, Richards said she made up her mind.

“If I wasn’t 100 percent on board before, I was then,” she said.

Musicians on Call is an organization that started in New York and involves musicians singing to hospital

patients. Richards said she does this a couple of times a month and enjoys it because there’s no pressure.

And for her fans back in the Midwest, Richards said she has performed in several places in Eau Claire including Acoustic Cafe and at Phoenix Park.

Though nothing is confirmed, she hopes to return, in true Midwestern fashion, this winter, possibly in January.

“I’m hoping to get into State Theatre,” she said. “But we’ll see.”

“Skiing and snowboarding.”

Hannah Lindell Sophomore Math education

“I hate snow.”

Claire Gutknecht Sophomore Criminal justice and psychology

Macek can be reached at macekkn@ uwec.edu or @KatherineMacek.

“Sledding and skiing.”

Amanda Baker Junior Kinesiology

“Snowmobiling.”

Ben Van Ort Senior Economics

“Sledding.”

David Dobbins, Junior Advertising

OP/ED EDITOR: Jessie Tremmel

The NFL denied an attempt at immediate reinstatement by Adrian Peterson’s camp last Tuesday after Peterson pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of reckless assault, according to an article published by Fox Sports.

This plea deal reduced charges from felony child abuse to a misdemeanor in the case of allegedly hitting his 4-year-old son with a tree branch. Peterson was fined and must serve 80 hours of community service.

Peterson had been facing a possible two years in prison, according to an article published by BBC. The alleged assault happened in Spring, Texas in May. While on the exempt list, Peterson has received his full salary, and his paid leave status will remain while the NFL investigation is underway.

According to an article on espn.

OPINION / EDITORIAL 13

Thursday, Nov. 13

com, Peterson’s greivance hearing for reinstatement is set for next Monday.

Members of The Spectator Editorial Board agreed that Adrian Peterson should not have been immediately reinstated after reaching a plea deal.

One member said the fine Peterson received, $4,000, was ridiculous and simply pocket change to the Vikings running back.

“While I do understand the situation is complicated, and we, as the public, don’t understand the whole story, we need stronger consequences for domestic violence,” the member said.

Another member said the NFL is in dangerous territory because the NFL doesn’t have well-set laws for punishment.

“Until the NFL has set rules, it is just going to be a reactionary system that does not work,” the member said.

The same member also said the misdemeanor should be treated as such by the NFL. Another member said in real life, you wouldn’t be barred from working if you were dealing with a child abuse case outside of work.

The suspension should go as long as the criminal punishment, another member said, as the incident had nothing to do with his performance on the field. The same member said they don’t think the NFL is in the position to ban a player for life, instead punishments should last as long as the player is in jail or is being investigated.

One member said while the NFL should reinstate Peterson, the Vikings should not allow him to play, as a way to protect the public relations of the team. The images were widely seen, the member said, and Peterson has gotten by because he is an athlete.

“I don’t think he has proven that he is sorry,” the same member said.

The staff editorial reflects the majority opinion of the Editorial Board and is written by the Op/Ed Editor.

Columns, cartoons and letters are the opinion of the author/artist and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Spectator as a whole.

Expanding transportation options

University car sharing program a positive Rachel Streich CHIEF COPY EDITOR

Before my last semester on campus, I won the residence hall parking lottery as I have each of the last three years. But this fall was the first time I didn’t change my mind about bringing my car. I decided to keep the permit and drove my Chrysler Sebring the three hours from Mankato, Minn., Eau Claire for the first time.

I haven’t regretted this choice or the past decision to leave my car at home when I didn’t need it as much.

Yet, as I think back sentimentally on my car-less years, I know there were several times I would have loved to have been able to use a car on campus for just an hour to head across town.

That’s why I support the car sharing program, which Student Senate approved in September. If the university approves it, the program would benefit students who don’t need their own car on campus but could use a set of wheels in desperate situations.

The Enterprise CarShare program gives students who do not have access to a vehicle the opportunity to

rent a car for hours at a time. UWStout’s program currently allows students to drive up to 200 miles per day with a $5 an hour rental fee, a free one-time rental and an annual membership fee of $35.

This current temporary cost is reasonable and seems worth it to me as opposed to paying by the meter for a taxi or, if you live on campus, paying the $227 yearly residence hall parking permit to drive your car only a few times over the course of a semester.

In these few unusual circumstances when I didn’t have my car and needed to go off campus for an interview or an errand, I walked in the blistering cold from a bus stop and pestered my friends multiple times to borrow their car or catch a ride. The car sharing program could have kept me from getting frostbite and frantically trying to coordinate my off-campus interview times with friends’ schedules.

The program gains points with me because the two mid-sized sedans would sit on upper campus ready for

>> CAR SHARE page 14

OPINION / EDITORIAL OP/ED EDITOR: Jessie Tremmel

G a l ’s G ui d e

We are four college-aged women who all don specs on our faces while working long hours at The Spectator. For now we are journalism students, but we have plans of conquering the world.

However, before we do we have a few things to learn.

This week: college wardrobes.

Courtney Kueppers MANAGING EDITOR

Fleece lined leggings instead of baggy sweatpants, a pair of combat boots instead of tennis shoes, an oversized sweater instead of an oversized sweatshirt with your high school’s insignia. Throw on some earrings and maybe even a scarf and you’ve got yourself an outfit.

Despite the fact I have been religiously reading Vogue for as long as I can remember, I am no fashionista.

However, I would never come to campus in sweatpants and a sweatshirt.

At the risk of sounding superficial, I think what you wear matters, which is why I have been very floored since day one by the status quo wardrobe on this campus. Here at UW-Eau Claire, we have a very casual style, generally

14

Thursday, Nov. 13

speaking.

As I write this on a typical busy, snowy morning, I’m wearing a pink sweater I unwrapped last Christmas, blue pants I bought for my summer internship and boots I have had since high school. By all stretches, it is a simple outfit, but not a sloppy outfit.

The gals I write this column with and I are perhaps a bias. It’s not rare for us to chat clothes in the office, but I think college students as a whole could afford to step up their game. I’d like to see this campus take some risks and try some new styles. First and foremost: I want Kristina to rock her allfaux fur coat to campus.

first two years here at Eau Claire.

Coming to the university from a community college where it wasn’t unusual to see girls in dresses and heels daily, I was shocked, and honestly a bit appalled, when I first strolled through campus.

My first trek up the hill was in heeled boots. I was stared at. I didn’t care. Oh, also, it was February and there was snow on the ground.

Now as the first snow of the season falls, we can all stop pretending UGG boots are warm, the Blugold striped scarves are fashionable and sweatpants and sweatshirts will make a lasting impression on professors and community members.

I am the gal who will show up in a dress and tights to my final. While everyone else put minimal effort into their outfits after a long night of cramming, I am following my mantra. When I look good, I automatically feel good.

When I feel good, I do better.

I have now learned to accept the awkward stares and the common, “Oh, you must have a presentation today.”

No, I do not have a presentation, I just refuse to fall into the slump of wearing my comfiest clothes to class, with the fear that I may fall asleep.

Kristina Bornholtz NEWS EDITOR

Jessie Tremmel OP/ED EDITOR

Look good, feel good, do good. This mantra was written on my mirror my

I have always been interested in trends – what people wear, why they wear it, how it makes them feel. A distinct memory I have is drooling over the jewel-toned Prada turbans

debuted in the Spring/Summer 2007 collection. They were luxe, they were outrageous, and they were absolutely never going to work to wear to school.

Not that I could even afford a Prada turban, but I digress.

Hardly anyone at my middle school dressed in any individual sort of manner. It was easier to roll out of bed and say, “boot cut jeans, cami, cardigan – done!” than to put thought into an outfit. If you did something different, everyone would stare at you with wide eyes. And unfortunately, not much has changed in terms of style in college.

One of my biggest pet peeves is hearing a woman say, “I could never pull that off.” Never? In my world, fashion is about never saying never.

Women spend so much time thinking about what outfit is appropriate for what occasion. What is appropriate to wear to class? In a lot of minds, leggings-as-pants and an oversized sweatshirt. In my mind, whatever the heck I please.

I think what you wear is an extension of yourself, and you can be whoever you want to be. Why not look nice every single day, if you can? Why not wear that Prada-inspired turban to class on a Thursday, just because you can?

I’m done with hearing people say, “I could never pull that off.” If you don’t try, you won’t succeed. If you wait for only special occasions to don the statement piece you love, you won’t ever end up wearing it.

Every day is an occasion. Don’t let your fashionable life pass you by because you’re busy “dressing for the occasion” in sweatpants and t-shirts.

Dress to who you want to be on any giv-

en day, because that’s exactly it. Style lets you be whoever you want to be on any given day.

Anna Mateffy PHOTO EDITOR

We are in college to prepare for the real world, and how we dress is just another facet of what we are learning.

I own one pair of rarely worn sweatpants and a handful of t-shirts that I wear when I paint. I refuse to wear leggings as pants and the only time I wore my yoga pants in public was that one time I actually went to yoga. My closet is packed with dresses, pretty sweaters, heels and scarves.

Yes, I have early classes that require me to be up and moving before the sun, but that will not change when I graduate, so why not set my standard high now? There is no dress code for college classes, but that does not mean there is no standard either.

Do not get me wrong, clothes do not make the person, but they are a very large part of a first impression.

I live by the frequently quoted idiom, “dress for the job you want, not the one you have.” Right now, I am a photographer for a couple different media outlets. Once I graduate, I will be thrown into a world of pencil skirts, blouses and dress pants. I often “dress up” by throwing on a blazer and heels before I leave for a shoot, because then I feel that much more prepared to work. But is it really “dressing up” if it is just my wardrobe?

RIDE SHARE /program offers convenience students to use right away, whenever they need it.

Along with the convenience, the car sharing program could be a more sustainable option. With how prevalent cars are as a source of transportation in the U.S., colleges seem to be one of the rare environments where people often choose to walk instead of drive. The program could make more students feel a bit better about leaving their vehicles at home and saving the environment from a little more pollution.

With another option for transportation to use in dire situations, students might think more about how much they really need their cars.

International students without cars, some who might be accustomed to public transportation stopping right outside their doors, could benefit as well.

Although it may be an unfamiliar concept to rent a car on campus for an hour or two, I think UW-Eau Claire should follow in the footsteps of other universities like UW-Stout, UW-River Falls and UW-Lacrosse

that have implemented car sharing programs.

If it can save students some of the time and stress I experienced without a car as well as benefit the environment, it’s worth giving the program a spin.

Streich can be reached at streicrn@ uwec.edu or @RachelStreich17.

OPINION / EDITORIAL

OP/ED EDITOR: Jessie Tremmel

Thursday, Nov. 13

and used it in their products.

First and foremost, they have changed from having one model and instead made two, with the normal-size iPhone 6 and the new iPhone 6 Plus, which resembles Android’s Galaxy and Galaxy Note devices.

Along with taking Android’s ideas of having a larger and smaller model of a phone, Apple has also copied the swipe texting ability

iPhone vs. Android iPhone As I scroll through my message inbox on my iPhone, I can count 30 people I have talked to within the start of the school year via iMessage. In the same 11 weeks, I have been involved in nine group iMessage chats.

HOSELY As I looked around the third floor computer lab in the McIntyre Library one day this week, I noticed at least three other people with iPhones, and there were about eight students around me. There’s no question, Apple’s a powerhouse.

When I was 15 years old, I knew my next phone upgrade would be an iPhone.

I may or may not have entertained the idea for a slight second of owning an Android phone, but those thoughts never lasted too long.

I’ll tell you why I wanted so badly to own an iPhone in one simple, superficial yet powerful word: popularity.

Some people might scoff or roll their eyes at the word, but try to tell me there isn’t at least one person who hasn’t switched over to team iPhone because either all their friends had iPhones, they wanted to text with emojis or even be in group chats.

But popularity aside, there are so many other reasons I have loved owning an iPhone the past four years of my life and have never thought of switching to Android.

The first reason is the consistency with the products. When new iPhones are released, there are differences. They might be thinner, taller or have bigger screens. But my point is, people still know it’s an iPhone. The only reason I know an Android is an Android is because it doesn’t look like an iPhone.

Another reason I love my iPhone is because the late CEO Steve Jobs created this innovative product to compliment

his other electronics. And I love how everyone knows who Steve Jobs was, even if they don’t have any Apple product. Can anyone tell me offhand who the CEO of Android is? No? Okay.

In all honesty, I’m team smartphone in general. But the thing that reels me in about my iPhone is to me, it’s the epitome of a smartphone. I could do the same things on my iPhone on an Android, but it just wouldn’t seem right to me.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I might have gotten overly attached to my phone. It’s only because I deserve nothing but the best, and the best is iPhone.

— Meghan Hosely, Copy Editor

Android When it comes time for me to upgrade my cellular device after a long two years, you can bet your bottom dollar I will be choosing Android for more reasons than one.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not TETZLAFF against Apple products. I work on Macs and own an iPod touch, but when it comes down to it Android beats the iPhone in most phases.

I know any audience will be hard to convince because the majority of smartphone users today, according to appleinsider.com own iPhones, but I’m willing to give it a whirl.

The first area I look at is battery life. iPhones are known for their lack of battery life, and I always have to chuckle when I see an iPhone user scrambling to find someone with an “iPhone 5” cord because, yes, you all know it, Apple doesn’t have a universal cord for all devices.

When you look at Android devices, you find much larger batteries, more battery life and a universal charger to charge these batteries when necessary.

When you look at the new iPhone 6, you can see how they have basically taken what Android has been doing for years

that Androids have had for quite some time, added widgets for home screens Android created and created an iCloud drive similar to what Android has with Google Drive or Dropbox.

Android devices in my eyes just give you more freedom to customize your device and play and work freely while giving you awesome battery life. Yes, maybe you iPhone users are awesome because you can sync

your iTunes library to your phone, but really that is the only plus I see out of the mainstream gadget.

Maybe I just like being different and thinking outside the box, but in today’s fast paced world I see iPhone as the gadget that everyone and their brother buys into because of the name, but really Android devices are the ones that will get you where you need to go and beyond.

— Trent Tetzlaff, Copy Editor

STUDENT LIFE

STUDENT LIFE EDITOR: Meghan Hosely

16

Thursday, Nov. 13

Trio of students form a running club; waits for approval Meghan Hosely COPY EDITOR

When then-freshman Kelly Cronin was discussing the idea of starting a running club with a few of her study friends from biology 221, she didn’t think much of it.

Fast forward to August when Cronin found herself submitting a new student organization constitution on UW-Eau Claire’s BluSync website.

Cronin, along with friend and fellow officer Abby Cafferty worked on the constitution prior to summer break, and then Cronin submitted it, Cafferty said.

“We worked on the constitution a couple times together,” Cafferty said. “(Cronin) finished it over the summer,

but most of it was made in spring semester.”

Since a constitution can’t be submitted without an adviser, according to the BluSync website, Cronin contacted her writing 116 professor, Stephanie Farrar, after some professors denied.

Farrar said she agreed without hesitation.

“I guess I talked enough about running … that when she decided to start the club, she thought of asking me to be the faculty adviser,” Farrar said.

“And I was absolutely delighted to say yes.”

After Cronin submitted the application, the running club was put on “provisional status,” which she said means the student organization committee is now reviewing the submit-

ted constitution. If changes need to be made or if the constitution is approved, the student organization committee sends out an email.

“I just heard back last week,” Cronin said. “We need to fix like one or two things on the constitution and then resubmit it. Hopefully it’ll be approved by … the end of the semester.”

Cronin said there are specific elements which need to go into the constitution. Her structure included how many runs a week would happen and how many officers would be on the executive board, among other things.

The whole process altogether took her and Cafferty about two weeks to complete before submitting.

Director of Organizations Jordan Mabin said he estimates over 200 or-

MEGHAN HOSELY / The Spectator

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK: Kelly Cronin, Sam Wegener and Abby Cafferty have worked to form a new running club on campus. Their workout times vary throughout the week but mimic the same kind of structure.

GRAPHIC BY COURTNEY KUEPPERS/ The Spectator

ganizations on campus have submitted either an organization renewal constitution or a new constitution at the beginning of the year.

The review process of the constitution can take anywhere from a month and a half to two months, Mabin said.

For denied applications, the resubmission period can result in a quicker turnaround.

“The turnaround can be much quicker in terms of if they can fix all the bugs that did not fit all our guidelines or requirements,” Mabin said.

“But then again, it can be quite slow if … organizations don’t follow the correct guidelines.”

Mabin said if the corrections Cronin made are correct, they should be approved for the spring semester and will be able to participate in the Blugold Organization Bash.

Even though the university has not yet recognized the running club, Cronin and her officers each hold multiple runs each week. Cronin, along with her co-officers Cafferty and Sam Wegener, hold about three runs per week.

They held the first informational meeting for the running club during the second or third week of the semester. Cronin said about 10 people showed up, and the officers went over what the club was going to look like.

While the times vary throughout the week, Wegener said she and Cafferty run on Mondays and Thursdays.

Depending on her schedule, Cronin said she typically runs on either Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Each run begins and ends in Towers Field.

Cafferty said while the times and days of the runs are ever-changing, the structure of the meetings remain relatively the same.

“We would go on a run,” Cafferty said. “And if you wanted to go longer or shorter, you could kind of start with us and maybe finish differently. Then we’d all meet up and do abs. And that

worked.”

As the semester has gone on, the number of students attending weekly runs has dwindled. Wegener said even though people have stopped coming, informing her neighbors in the dorms has seemed to work.

“Lately we’ve been getting people in our hall,” Wegener said. “There’s two people who normally come with us.

But that’s because we spread by word of mouth.”

Cronin said once the university officially recognizes the running club as an organization, there will be a booth at the Blugold Organization Bash waiting for them to display their club.

She said she hopes it will attract more interest.

One solution Cafferty said she has thought of was having more leaders in the future so there are more options to run at different times. This would allow for a better turn out in the club.

“If we had more leaders, we could be the middle-of-the-day option,” Cafferty said. “Someone else could be the night option.”

Farrar said right now, she thinks the club is in a well-situated spot to grow.

“I think by word of mouth, we’ve gotten a good little cohort started,” Farrar said. “And I think that will continue to grow. We have such a great location for running at Eau Claire. We have all these wonderful trails, many of which connect to campus.”

Cronin said for her, running means having a scheduled time to relax and get away from the stress. She also said her ultimate goal is to have fun.

“I don’t want it to be sad for anyone,” Cronin said. “Like ‘oh, shoot I have to plan this.’ I just want it to be a good time.”

Hosely can be reached at hoselym@ uwec.edu or @mj_hosely.