October 1, 2009

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The Independent Student Voice of Boise State Since 1933

Volume 22

First Issue

F R E E

OCTOBER 01, 2009

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f hal t a re gs a today f a l F ast hie m nor c er c o to h nt offi ps a r el war se Ph s Je

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New funding holdbacks to be addressed in public forum KIM KING

Approach with caution The realm of Belegarth not for weak at heart PAGE 2

Journalist

Gov. Otter announced funding holdbacks last week that will affect Boise State’s budget and potentially all students currently attending. The 6 percent return implemented totals $4.7 million.

A public forum with a question and answer session is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 5 in the Student Union Building. All students are invited to attend this meeting at 3:30 p.m. in the Jordan Ballroom.

“We will likely continue to evaluate expenditure reductions and student tuition and fee increases to support our future operations and to fund any new initiatives,” President Bob Kustra said.

Top five reasons to become involved: The temporary status will change in three months.

“As with any holdback, the action is temporary and must be acted upon by the Legislature when it reconvenes for its 2010 session in January,” said Otter in a recent press release.

Kustra stated this holdback was anticipated and appropriate financial plans have been made to cover this on a onetime basis. However, “we are on the last notch of our budget belt-tightening,” Kustra said in a statement to the campus community.

Democrats offer an available solution.

“It really is a question of priorities,” said Senate minority leader Kate Kelly.

She stated a solution favored by the Democrats would be to use the $274 million in reserves or the $50 million in unspent federal stimulus funds. This money has been saved to use in the state budget for next year.

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Ballet Idaho opens new production See what “Swan Lake, Idaho” is all about PAGE 3

Broncos face new opponent Boise State compares favorably to UC Davis PAGE 5

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Campus salaries have increased for 13 employees.

“All raises over which the governor has jurisdiction have been approved,” said Wayne Hammon, budget chief for Otter.

More than 800 state employees have received a pay increase since May, including 13 at Boise State. Kustra donated his $37,000 to charity.

Funding is available to manufacture assault-style shotguns.

“If this is not cause for optimism, I don’t know what is,” said Otter in a speech outlining Project 60 and Idaho’s state of recovery.

He mentioned three companies in the Treasure Valley that are working together to manufacture 5,000 shotguns per month in Meridian. The shotgun production and new rifle line are based on an arms manufacturing company in Turkey and will be marketed globally.

Campus meals exceed student expectations.

Sen. Laura Rogers announced the results of student feedback at the ASBSU meeting on Tuesday.

“Some stated that cutbacks should start in the athletic department where approximately 150 prepared meals are delivered to the football team before each home game,” she said.

Each meal is individually ordered and prepared by request.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

Mondays public forum will discuss recent budget cuts made by Gov. Butch Otter.

College of Business and Economics looks toward future with relocation TONY ROGERS Journalist

The College of Business and Economics is pushing forward with its relocation initiative. COBE, as the college is affectionately referred to, will be moving from its present day spot near the quad, to a new home where the University Inn presently sits.

The COBE building was built in 1979, and was designed to handle 1,000 students. COBE now has 3,000 students to work with, and the number grows every year.

“What we’re doing is planning for a building at the corner of Capitol and university that will become the new home of the College of Business and Economics,” Cheryl Larabee, senior development director for COBE said.

Architects from Boise, Berkeley and Denver lent their time to the project. The building was conceived from visits to the latest economics buildings constructed on western campuses. The developers took ideas they liked and combined them into one.

The plans are extravagant, calling for a state of the art, four story building with added features such as an internal courtyard, and the Hall of Learning - a 200 seat lecture hall that will be used by classes to enhance collaboration among students, as well as guest speakers. Also included in the plans are executive board rooms for graduate students, and a realistic trading center.

However, no floor plans or concept art are being released to the public yet, according to Amanda Hundt from the office of development.

The building will serve three constituencies: students, research and community.

“We want to create a high-tech and flexible facility that students can use. We will be including team rooms for projects, and places to collaborate, such as a beautiful courtyard and a spacious commons,” Larabee said. “We’re hoping it will be an inspiring workplace to recruit and retain world class faculty.”

The faculty will also be getting a dose of one of the overall goals, collaboration.

“We hope that the overall layout will encourage collaboration between faculty members,” Larabee said.

Finally the last area of focus is on the community. COBE has been expanding its outreach to the Boise community small businesses, and just this spring launched the “Spring Turnaround Initiative” where small businesses could call and receive financial advice.

Groundbreaking will be this spring, and the building will begin taking students in 2012.

PHOTO BY GLENN LANDBERG/THE ARBITER

The college of Business and Economics will be relocting to a building by University dr. and Capitol blvd.

PHOTO BY GLENN LANDBERG/THE ARBITER

The Arbiter ! arbiteronline.com

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BELEGARTH 1

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Enter

Belegarth:

A journey of discovery

J. FREEMAN DEJONGH Journalist

B

efore this journey of discovery begins, know this; others travel on the same path. Through the eyes of a journalist and videographer, both first timers to the community, The Arbiter ventures forth toward the sword-weilding lands of Belegarth. And so it begins...

Part 1: Crossing the bridge: On the other side of the silent river, over the arced bridge and into the corridor of swaying trees, hammers click and clack, repairing tarnished armor and damaged weaponry. Battle cries sound, swords strike and arrows fly. Messes of men, woman and children fight, some collapse to an imitated death. Some remain standing, sweating, victors of the battle. The near dead revive, gather their littered weapons and retreat back to the battle lines. Enter the world of Belegarth.

Belegarth is a diverse group of people where history and hobby coincide. Ages range from middle-school children to career sustaining individuals. Though different in age and lifestyle, all share a common affinity for medieval culture and hand to hand combat. This community connects as foam-blade meets foamsheild.

A brief history:

The origins of this recreational swordfighting trace back to 1977. Players continued to gather over the decades, then under the name of Dagohir. The population reached nearly 30,000 in 2001. However, a major controversy within the sport occured that year, wtih many seeing corruption in the leadership of the original organization. With roughly 30,000 players par-

ticipating across the United States, there was an epic division.

Belegarth emerged when 13,500 split from Dagorhir. Followers of Belegarth dominant- ly inhabit the western United States while Dagorhir maintain the east. Belegarth was brought to Idaho 18-years-ago from Champagne, Illinois

by Sir Thane.

Think of Belegarth as a country, holding regions within it marked by geographic location.

These locations have designated areas of land, called realms. The realm of Boise is lead by Sir Par Ohmsford; Rath is the respected name. The Realm of Rath stretches from Mountain Home to the outskirts of Meridian. The population of the realm is between 50 and 60 souls. Within the realm are different fighting units. Some units within Rath are the Chaos Guard, which Sir Par Ohmsford leads, the Hell Hammer and the Urak-hai. Different units are characterized by use of different weapons, colored garb and persona's; some being elves, some being roman fighters, some wearing green and grey, others all black.

“They have a different approach to fighting and how they want to view the sport,” said Sir Par.

Joining the ranks:

As for names, after entering Belegarth, a person has a month or so to choose a name before one is dubbed upon them.

“Someone may name you out

of spite,” Sir Par said.

An example being Monkey who, “was wearing a little headband that had ears on it and was jumping around a lot. He fought like a monkey, so that became his name,” Sir Par said.

An example of one who chose their own name is Plathoot.

“His common name is Seth, but Plathoot comes from Dungeons and Dragons, it’s the dark elf word for hatred,” Sir Par stated.

Players can achieve ranks as they develop. Sir Par has gained the title of Knighthood. A person must enter squirehood beneath a Knight.

Sir Par served as a squire under Sir Thane.

“Four years ago, I approached Sir Thane and asked him to take me as a squire. I spent two years and three months learning everything there is to know about the sport, medieval fighting tactics, how to sew garb, check weapons, build weapons, I wrote several papers on medieval philosophy and commerce,” Sir Par said. “Knighthood is not for everyone, it is very hard work and takes on average two years to complete your list of tasks.”

A chain of steel orbs worn around the neck denotes a knight.

Though the fighting is all people see, Sir Par’s quest for knighthood demonstrates how deep this sport really goes. Not only is it physically taxing but mentally as well. These folk are not softies. As a newcomer, a person should come ready to battle.

PHOTOS BY NIK BJURSTROM/THE ARBITER

Plathoot (Dark-Elf for ìhatredî) holds Kamabuchi (God Warrior) at bay with his longbow during battle.

0:18 / 2:38

Meladoness, aka Colin Corley, shown sporting the honorary colors of the Chaos Guard Army.

HQ

ZACH GANSCHOW Producer

Reading is only half the journey! To witness Belegarth as they do in the 21st century, visit arbiteronline.com for part one of the video series. Sir Par, shown above, will take you firsthand through the history and culture of this exciting sport.

Ryu Mushaha (Bravery of the Dragon) faces all players with equal skill and ferocity.

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OCTOBER 01, 2009

Boise State experiences parking crunch JOHN ROMLEIN II Columnist

With just over a month into the fall semester, it is almost certain that parking continues to be a problem among a growing population of students who choose to commute to campus. So long as General parking permits continue to be the least-expensive option, there will always be vultures that slowly stalk pedestrians who dare to walk toward the west stadium and Morrison Center general parking lots just waiting for the golden opportunity to snag their coveted parking space.

General permits for the current academic year cost $97 while reserved/garage lot permits average about $225. That is a 40 percent increase from five years ago. What is the best option for those who refuse to pay that kind of money? Park for free on the streets of course!

Unfortunately for them, availability for those free parking along the streets has rapidly shrunk. In 2004, one could park for an unlimited time for free along the east side of Lincoln Avenue between

Beacon and Belmont Streets.

Not anymore – with the Lincoln parking garage and plans for new student housing in the works, both sides of Lincoln now have a 1-hour limit.

The parking changes have also affected university employees as well. Boise State’s Landscape Services department, located at 1110 Vermont Avenue, recently lost its

frontal parking, lot free to employees and students without permits, when Parking Services converted it to a General Permit-required lot. Employees are now obligated to either purchase permits, arrive early on the street, or park inside their machinery yard.

Thinking about parking your motor home or trailer several days before a football game? Think

again. New parking restrictions were enacted this summer along both sides of University Drive between Lincoln and Broadway Avenue that prohibit parking between the hours of 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. According to a representative with the City of Boise Parking Services, the ban was requested by the Boise Police Department to discourage overnight camping.

PHOTO BY STEVEN HANCOCK/THE ARBITER

A general parking permit currently costs $97 for the academic year at Boise State.

Dr. Peter Buhler, a professor with the History Department, keeps an office at the Basque Studies Center at 1103 Grant Street, just two blocks from Bronco Stadium.

“It’s great isn’t it?” he said when asked about the current state of parking. “It’s even more fun when there’s a sporting event going on.”

It’s true. When the Broncos are in town, fans park their cars and some even tailgate along the surrounding streets, some as far back as Boise Avenue. This keeps the parking officials busy with chalking tires, but that does not deter the diehard fans.

“I don’t care,” one fan said while parking his truck prior to the Oregon football game. “It’s cheaper to pay the fine than drive around looking for another spot.”

To make matters worse, personal vehicles owned by construction personnel performing work on nearby projects already occupy nearly half of the free parking spaces available. Oneand two-hour limited parking on the streets are enforced by the City of Boise from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Ballet Idaho welcomes new dancers, performs “Swan Lake, Idaho!” with regional twist MARGARET REIMER Journalist

Ballet Idaho will begin its new season with “Swan Lake, Idaho!” this weekend. It will be performed with original choreography, but with a regional comedic twist.

Artistic director, Peter Anastos has worked with some of the finest ballet companies in the world as well as famous dancers such as Mikhail Baryshnikov. He has incorporated his humor and experience into “Swan Lake,Idaho!”

Written in 1876, Tchaikovsky’s ballet was inspired by Russian folk tales and German legend. It is the story of a princess who is turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer.

The ballet begins with Prince Siegfried who must choose a wife at his birthday ball. He wanders into the woods and stumbles upon a swan that resembles a woman and learns that this swan is Princess Odette under a curse.

Once the prince knows her story he falls in love with Odette.

However, as he begins to swear his love to her the evil sorcerer Von Rothbart appears. Von Rothbart prevents the Prince from swearing his love to Odette, as it will break the sorcerer’s spell.

The Prince returns to the castle to attend the ball and the evil sorcerer, Von Rothbart, arrives in disguise with his daughter Odile. He has made her seem identical to

Odette. The prince mistakes Odile for Odette, and announces to the court that he intends to make her his wife. A moment too late, Siegfried sees the real Odette and realizes his mistake.

Ballet Idaho will be performing “Swan Lake, Idaho!” with two new additions from Ballet Nevada, a

“Swan Lake is the ballet all dancers are aspiring to do” couple named Racheal and Zeb Nole.

Racheal and Zeb Nole met while dancing for The Nevada Ballet. They moved to Boise three weeks ago to join Ballet Idaho in order to work more closely with ballet director Peter Anastos.

“Education outreach, incorporating students, and retooling classic works keeps ballet pertinent and alive,” Zeb Nole said.

“There is a reason why it has existed for so long,” Racheal Nole said. “New generations are always seeing it for the first time, and it is so romantic, beautiful, and pure.”

Both Racheal and Zeb started dancing at age 3 and became more serious about it at the age of 9, attending dance classes at least three times a week.

The Noles then talked about influential ballet dancers:

“Baryshnikov because he really got ballet out there by taking that step into the media,” Zeb said.

“Baryshnikov is still on TV with “Sex and the City,” Racheal said.

The Noles believe it is vital for ballet dancers to interact with popular media, as Baryshnikov did, because it has helped repopularize the art form.

“I also love Natalia Makarova,” Racheal said emphatically. “Look her up on YouTube and you’ll understand right away.”

When asked what their favorite ballet is the Noles both replied without hesitation.

“Swan Lake,” the couple said.

“Swan Lake is the ballet all dancers are aspiring to do from the time they start as children. I was doing exercises for the arm movements in Swan Lake as a fourteen year old to prepare for this role. Young girls everywhere want to be Odette/Odile,” Racheal says.

Shotguns and camouflage play a key role in “Swan Lake, Idaho!”

Racheal and Zeb Nole practice their moves while viewing a taping of Swan Lake, Thursday afternoon. The grace of the couple’s movements gives a glimpse into a new season for Ballet Idaho.

Students can get half price tickets to either the Saturday or Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. by going to The Morrison Center, or any other outlet on campus with student ID.

IMAGES COURTESY BALLET IDAHO

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OCTOBER 01, 2009

How to survive the freshman year:

•SOCIAL NETWORKING• MCT Campus Staring college? Here’s some advice on using Facebook, from the book “How to Survive Your Freshman Year” (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads. com, $15.95) straight from people who’ve done it: “Bring lots of bedding. Foam ‘egg crates’ are a must. The mattresses at my school are covered in rubber in case you wet the bed or something, so I got a feather bed, and lots of people have foam things. Then you can get a good night’s sleep.”

Edith Zimmerman, Wesleyan University, sophomore “I use Facebook to see how high school friends are doing during the year and how college friends are doing during the summer. I look at people’s pictures and walls most often. I’m happy enough with

that; it can be a huge time sink, so I don’t spend more than an hour or two a week on it.”

Amanda, Wellesley College, senior “Facebook has become as much a part of the college experience as beer and books. Heck, people probably spend more time with Facebook than they do with the other two combined.”

Anonymous, Washington and Lee University, junior “The best benefit about Facebook is being able to reconnect with people you haven’t seen in a long time. But I would tell freshmen to think about where they want to be in ten years from now and try to evaluate what you put up on your Facebook profile based on that.

If you are trying to go into law or politics, and you have a scandalous picture up, someone could copy it, paste it and

save it for later.”

J.M.G., Duke University, graduate “It’s easy to go on Facebook and start looking at pictures and writing on walls.

I just make it a policy not to do it while involved with academic work. And you can have it set up so that you get an e-mail everytime your Facebook page changes every time someone posts a picture of you, someone writes on your wall or sends you a message and I took all those options off.”

Josh, Princeton University, senior Hundreds of Heads Books’ survival guides offer the wisdom of the masses by assembling the experiences and advice of hundreds of people who have gone through life’s biggest challenges and have insight to share. Visit www.hundredsofheads.com to share your advice or get more information.

IMAGE COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

Facebook has become as much a part of the college experience as

BEER & BOOKS

Swine flu halts century-old campus tradition of quad kiss during first full moon BRUCE NEWMAN MCT Campus

Stanford University’s century-old liplockapalooza called Full Moon on the Quad has survived mono, cold sores, bad breath, regular flu and even fears that HIV could be spread by kissing.

But it couldn’t survive swine flu.

Stanford cancelled the tradition that dates back to the 19th century, when a senior would give a freshmen - or dozens of freshmen - a kiss in the sandstone quad during the first full moon of the school year.

But H1N1 - a swinish strain of flu that sounds like a geometry proof, but in which H1+N1=0 kisses - has brought the Full Moon crashing down.

And because it’s Stanford, this decision was only arrived at following an extensive epidemiological review. Vice Provost for Student Affairs Greg Boardman issued the death knell Tuesday, denouncing frivolous quadrangular kissing on the California campus as “unconscionable” under the circumstances.

Ira Friedman, director of the school’s Vaden Health Center, said the university’s administrators weren’t any happier about shutting the event down than students were. “We’re disappointed,” Friedman said. “It’s a longstanding, valued tradition that’s looked forward to by a lot of people. But it doesn’t make sense to have an event that involves a lot of kissing, the exact opposite of our isolation and social distanc-

ing strategies this year. H1N1 is not to be taken lightly.”

Friedman also called Full Moon, originally scheduled for Oct. 4, “a recipe for disaster.”

Among the affected undergraduate population milling around the Main Quad on Thursday, opinion seemed decidedly mixed. “I was disappointed to hear that it had been cancelled,” said Ben Cohn, a freshman from San Diego.

“My cousins went to school here, and they said it was the highlight of your orientation to Stanford. They can ban it officially, but I think just as many people will be kissing in other situations.”

The kisses were chaste in the late 1800s when students lined up to give each other a nice peck. Over the decades, it evolved - or devolved - with some students showing up drunk or naked while groups handed out mints and condoms.

Cohn reluctantly acknowledged that the scope of the event could create a problem. “The mass kissing might be bad,” he said. “One person could possibly kiss 50 people in one night.

When it multiplies like that, it gets dangerous.”

Senior Kate Powell said she had attended previous Full Moons, but she didn’t kiss anybody, she just watched. She wasn’t so sure the Moon going down would change anything. “You can still catch swine flu sitting next to somebody in class who has it,” Powell said.

“People are still going to make out at parties.

They’ll do it wherever.”

People are still going to make out at parties.

They’ll do it wherever.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT CAMPUS

Kissing occurs in at least 90 percent of the world’s cultures, and romantic puckering probably predates recorded history.

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to you:

Too high too soon could be bad BRITTNEY JOHNSON Community Manager

For the first time in the regular season Boise State is in the top 5. How long will it last? Is the position secure? What happens when teams ahead of Boise State lose? What happens when lower teams start winning? These are just a few of the questions nagging the college football nation which, like Bronco Nation, is in shock over the top five accolades.

There is still so much football to be played yet at the end of September Boise State is running with the big boys of college football. So what happens to the Broncos when USC starts winning again and when Ohio State notches a couple more in the win column? Do they pass Boise State? Probably. Is it fair? Maybe. Could the Broncos be beating the teams USC, Ohio State, and Oklahoma are? We will never know.

As the season progresses and BSU’s so-called cupcake schedule continues to dent, the image around the Broncos the pollsters should remember to not judge BSU on who they play but how they play them. If Texas was playing the same schedule as the Broncos would they be scrutinized to the point of keeping them out of the BCS and national championship talk? Probably not.

Teams cannot control how good their opponents or their conference teams are, they can only control themselves and their program. It is not the BSU’s fault the Western Athletic Conference has not lived up to the Bronco standard of play so why should the Bronco’s be punished for things out of their hands? The Broncos only do what they can and that is show up to compete to their fullest for every game like it was a playoff because that is what the regular season is in college football, a big playoff for the bowl season.

Already this year we have seen some of the big boys unable to show up for the games that are supposed to be blowouts, none better expample that USC vs. Washington. The Trojans, who are in constant talk at making a run to the national championship, have a reputation of failing to show up to the small games on their schedule and Washington was no exception. Washington, the team that had no wins in the 2008 season, took down the mighty Trojans and further exemplified the need for teams to show up for every game. The funny thing is that no matter who the big boys fall too they always crawl back into the national championship talk, while Boise State gets critized at talk of a second BCS bowl game.

Another hot topic is the fact that BSU, Houston,

and TCU are the only non automatic qualifiers to be undefeated at the end of September. Many analysts have said Houston and TCU would have a better resume than Boise State if they make it through the season unscathed. Nothing gets me more heated than the thought that a BSU team that does everything it’s asked to do would be shut out of the BCS in the end. Perfect examples of this are the 2005 and 2008 undefeated seasons.

There is no way that a close TCU win over Clemson looks better than a dominating disposal of Oregon who manhandled Cal a few weeks later.

With Houston there is no way a down to the final seconds win over Texas Tech looks better than a easily decided win over Oregon. Even though Boise State’s marquee win is just one Oregon team, it carries more weight than a TCU team that would go on to beat a rebuilding Utah and a bipolar BYU. The nation needs to reevaluate their opinion on the BSU if they haven’t already. The Broncos deserve their ranking because the teams that use to be ahead of them couldn’t handle the pressure, while the Broncos have kept their cool. Even though they may fall in the rankings or maybe climb, this is a team that deserves a BCS if they make it through the season undefeated. Get ready critics the Broncos are on a path of perfection yet again.

PHOTO BY JOSH RASMUSSEN/THE ARBITER

Broncos humbled, but not obsessed with rankings TRENT LOOTENS Producer

Avoiding the hype around the newly-revealed rankings is nearly impossible for the Boise State Broncos.

While players and coaches continue to discard the polls as meaningless only four weeks into the season, it’s abundantly clear to all that in the end the polls will decide their fate whether they want to acknowledge it or not.

If the Broncos continue to win, the questions will become heavier, especially if teams in front of them continue to lose and the Broncos continue to climb higher.

This is uncharted water for BSU. The Fiesta Bowl year was different in context because BSU wasn’t ranked No. 5 until defeating Oklahoma.

Now, four weeks into the season, they’ve already made the same mark. The question is: Can they be better than the 2007 Fiesta Bowl team? Is a national championship bid even possible for a team coming from a non-BCS conference?

“My guess is as good as anybody else’s out there,” BSU head coach Chris Petersen said.

“I think down the road that it’ll be much more educated when the season’s played out, but everybody’s saying the same thing. ‘I’ve got my first three figured out, but after that I’ve got no idea.”

Because no team from a non-BCS confer-

ence has ever made it to a national championship since the creation of the BCS, there’s no indication to tell if it’s possible or not. Everyone seems to have their own opinion, but what will the computers decide in the end when they take everything into account?

“I just don’t know. Maybe if enough teams knocked each other out along the way it probably could happen,” Petersen said when asked about the possibility. “I just know that we have nine games left. It’s just comical for us to talk about that right now.”

Ignoring the possibility of a trip to Pasadena, Calif. in January is not possible anymore because every time people say it can’t be done, it gets done somehow. BSU players realize that and feel honored to be in the top five, but even they know they would not be here without a little stroke of good luck.

“If we do what we have to do it will all play out at the end of the season. Right now it really doesn’t matter,” junior safety Jeron Johnson said. “We wouldn’t be where we are now if certain teams wouldn’t have slipped up and lost.”

Being in the top five is one thing, actually believing and playing like a top five team is another. BSU has never played in a game ranked this high. UC Davis will see a Top-5 team Saturday night at Bronco Stadium. As crazy as it sounds it’s the truth, and at this point is something BSU has to live up to with the nation’s eyes focused squarely on the team representing all the little guys.

PHOTO BY NIK BJURSTROM/THE ARBITER

BSU junior running back Jeremy Avery maneuvers through the offensive line during their Sept. 12, 2009 match-up against Miami (Ohio).

Go to arbiteronline.com to share your thoughts on where BSU is ranked.

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Afghan battle blurs line between reporter, soldiers JONATHAN S. LANDAY MCT

GANJGAL, Afghanistan - Getting separated from the others may have been a blessing in disguise.

As I lay in the dirt and rocks, the sharp needles of dry nettles pinching my palms and backside, three men in the group I'd been with were injured.

Marine Maj. Kevin Williams of Louisville, Ky., took a bullet in his left forearm. Marine 1st Sgt. Christopher Garza of Houston suffered a near total loss of hearing and a serious concussion from a rocket-propelled grenade explosion. U.S. Army Sgt. Kenneth W. Westbrook of Colorado Springs, Colo., was gravely wounded when a bullet gouged his right cheek and then tore into the base of his neck.

Had I bolted with them, I, too, might've been killed or wounded.

Only Army Capt. William Swenson, of Seattle, and Marine Lt. Ademola Fabayo, of New York, were unscathed and able to defend themselves and their wounded comrades from the insurgents who were moving down a hillside toward them.

At one point, Swenson said later, two insurgents wearing helmets and flak vests called on the five Americans to surrender.

He responded by hurling a hand grenade at them.

I finally sprang up from the furrow where I was lying and weaved and dodged my way back to where I ' d

last seen the others. I dove behind a stone wall and nearly landed on top of the bleeding Westbrook.

In between dry heaves, Garza kept shouting questions about the condition of other Marines. He demanded to be allowed to go find three Marines and a Navy corpsman who were missing and feared dead. Williams, dizzy with pain, alternately reassured him and ordered him to stay put, forced to shout because Garza could barely hear.

Westbrook lay on his back as Swenson, his friend and boss, pressed a field dressing to his neck. With his other hand, Swenson called the locations of insurgents into his radio. He then would take time to calm Westbrook, telling him that his wound wasn't fatal and trying to bolster his spirits by teasing him that he was being overly dramatic.

As bullets zapped above and around us, Fabayo grabbed the wounded Westbrook's M-4 and threw it to me.

"This is your rifle now," he yelled. Then he turned to fire bursts from his own rifle.

It took a few seconds for me to decide that I'd use the rifle if I had to save my life and the lives of the others.

During that brief interlude, I remembered the time I talked to my friend and colleague, Joe Galloway, about his decision to use his M-16 when North Vietnamese soldiers were about to overrun a battalion command post in South Vietnam's Ia Drang Valley in 1965.

Joe said he hadn't hesitated,

for the same reason that I now knew I wouldn't: There was no choice.

It never came to that. Instead, it was time to move again when the insurgents' fire slackened with the approach of two U.S. helicopters. I slung Westbrook's M-4 around my shoulder, grabbed him under his right armpit with my left hand and used my right hand to press the blood-soaked field dressing on his neck wound.

We couldn't run, so we stumbled.

Someone on his other side else was helping to carry Westbrook. I thought it was Fabayo, but I wasn't sure. A medevac helicopter was landing, and for a few seconds, I thought with relief that we'd be able to walk-stumble the wounded sergeant to the landing zone on a terraced field about 50 yards away. Westbrook's a stocky man who wouldn't be easy to carry, even under normal circumstances.

Then the insurgents started shooting at us again. We lowered Westbrook as gently as we could behind some cover and lay behind it ourselves. He was in great pain and cried out. I glanced at my left sleeve and saw that it was streaked with his blood.

When the firing slackened again, we resumed trying to get Westbrook to the landing zone. We begged him to help us by pushing himself to his feet while we pulled.

He cried in agony, but he got up.

The three of us started stumbling toward the landing zone again. Then we realized that we were below the landing field, and that we'd have to heave him up the stone wall of the terrace. He was passing out, unable to help us this time. Someone joined us. And then someone else.

I couldn't tell who they were as the wash from the incoming helicopter's rotor blades whipped up a hurricane of dirt and stones and straw.

We held onto Westbrook's uniform as we manhandled him up the wall through the clouds of stinging debris. Then soldiers appeared at the top. They grabbed him and carried him to the helicopter.

I still had Westbrook's rifle over my shoulder, dragging against my half-filled Camelbak water container. I asked one of the U.S. reinforcements who were now arriving to put the safety on for me.

I'd learned several days earlier how to fire an M-4, but I was taking no chances.

The soldier pulled the magazine out, ejected the round from the breech and handed it back.

Williams, Garza and I made our way slowly down to an aid station, where medics treated the two wounded men. We then were placed in hulking, armored MRAPs, me in one and them in another, and driven back to U.S. Forward Operating Base Joyce.

I'd thought briefly about accompanying Swenson and Fabayo as they jumped into vehicles to retrieve the dead and wounded from the battlefield. Somehow, I felt I'd be abandoning them if I didn't. Williams, however, rightly said that the only place I was going was back to the base.

Once there, I sat in the aid station watching medics attend to Williams and Garza and trying to comfort an Afghan translator who was weeping over the death of Williams' translator, a close friend.

As I sat beside him, hugging his shoulders, it was hard holding back my own tears.

I wandered over to the command center, anxious to find out what had happened to Swenson and Fabayo.

A hulking sergeant major saw Westbrook's weapon and stopped.

"Sir, I'll take that," he said in a voice honed by years of giving orders.

MCT

U.S. Marine Lt. Ademola Fabayo of New York City fires at insurgents attempting to outflank a group of U.S. military trainers and Afghan army officers taking cover from a three-sided ambush outside the village of Ganjgal in eastern Afghanistan, September 8, 2009.

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Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box Virgo(in (Aug. 22) bold23-Sept. borders) Today contains is an 8 -- Take care of details every today (as if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always do digit, 1 to 9.lead in posithat). Conversations For strategies on tive directions.

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Libra how (Sept. to23-Oct. solve 22) Today Sudoku, is a 7 -- Open visityour mouth.

The Future

BY LINDA C. BLACK Tribune Media Services Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Birthday (10/01/09)

Use your communication skills Try not to insert your foot. Instead, to help you learn something new. www.sudoku.org.uk serve yourself some sweet remarks.

Adjust your thinking to the prevail+ $ ! %#($ &'% (' * ing situation. % (" %) & Creative efforts in % '& % & %) Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) an imaginative direction reap big Today is an 8 -- Actually, the gods rewards. Females play the larger are on your side today. Use this role. Pay attention to what they ofadvantage to get what you need fer. To get the advantage, check the from a female. dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is a 9 -- You say what you mean today. But do pay attention to the response you get. It matters.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is an 8 -- Romance extends beyond personal relationships to include your work and extracurricular creativity. Enjoy!

Gemini (May 21-June 21) Today is a 7 -- When talking about your feelings, remember those of the other person. A female may challenge your social position.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) Today is an 8 -- You warm up to the subject right after your first cup of coffee. Others chime in, and suddenly you have a plan.

Today is an 8 -- All systems are go.

Record your message early, and replay it frequently. That way you believe it yourself.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 7 -- You have a hard time balancing all of your acts today.

Respond to e-mails or letters that were on the back burner.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is an 8 -- Usually talk is cheap.

Today, not so much. Spend your words carefully. You may have to eat them.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 7 -- This month you get to do just about whatever you want.

Take advantage of that, starting today.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

___

Today is an 8 -- All systems are go for fun, profit and love! Take advantage of the moment.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

(c) 2009, Tribune Media Services Inc.

8

OCTOBER 01, 2009

Toilet Bowl participants kick off homecoming week festivities BRENDAN SHERRY Journalist

Boise State students kicked off homecoming week Monday night at Bronco Stadium by turning out for the annual Toilet Bowl. There were 16 teams signed up for the free flag football tournament sponsored by the Campus Recreation.

The single elimination tournament started at 3:30 p.m.

The new champion wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t crowned until nearly 11:00 p.m.

Competitors in the Toilet Bowl battled for the chance to have their picture taken with the Toilet Bowl trophy and the always illusive free t-shirt the Campus Rec Center provides. Although many of the games were close and competitive, the presence of KissFM emceeing the event and the tournament style play provided an entertaining atmosphere for everyone who was there.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The tournament style is awesome,â&#x20AC;? said senior Mark Moreno. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like that it is one-loss elimination and letting the girls join in is a lot of fun too.â&#x20AC;?

Moreno, who was the captain for the Penguins, saw his teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s streak of three straight Toilet Bowl championships come to an end when they fell in the semifinals to the Home Wreckers. After winning in the semifinals the Home Wreckers captured the championship in the next round. They had their picture taken by the toilet at midfield wearing their champion t-shirts. Home Wreckersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; senior Wesley Boggan credited teamwork and communication between the girls and the guys in his teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s victory. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was important to communicate with the girls and make sure that they got the catches and runs,â&#x20AC;? said Boggan.

Because the tournament was co-ed, it had a different set of rules compared to normal intramural football. Teams were

required to have four women and four men on the field at a time. Each team was also required to alternate its plays between the men and women, meaning, if a team completed a pass to a male, the next play would be required to go to a female. These rules presented challenges for teams because during the â&#x20AC;&#x153;closedâ&#x20AC;? plays, when a woman was required to get the ball, the defense was able to only guard the females.

This forced teams to think of different ways to share the ball which led to some creativity and trickery. In addition to making the games more exciting, the regulations also allowed all of the players to participate in the event which is a central theme for the Toilet Bowl.

The Toilet Bowl was more than a flag football tournament, it was also a chance for new and old friends to get together, have a good time and kick off a long week of festivities leading to the homecoming game Saturday against UC Davis.

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