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Collective bargaining Number of international students on the rise BY CHERIE DAVIS
between houses.
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Marshall University is home to many students; and with the goal of President Stephen Kopp doubling the number of international students by next year, will the attitudes of Appalachian students be a factor in the success of internationalization? Internationalization is currently in progress at Marshall. Many things are being done to increase the number of international students, including hiring an outside company for recruitment abroad and changing the curriculum. Joe Wyatt, psychology professor and chairman of the Internationalization committee, said the Appalachian attitude might have some resistance towards internationals. “I think you can find that resistant attitude anywhere,” Wyatt said. “It might be a little more prevalent here because there is some isolation. We have many students here who are the first to attend college, to see other parts of world, and other parts of the country. I know this because I was born and raised in West Virginia myself.” Sixty-five percent of Marshall undergraduate students are from West Virginia. “Appalachia has historically been open to others,” said Clark Egnor, executive director of the center for International Programs. “People don’t usually think of that; they think of the closed minded people. West Virginia was a real melting in the early twentieth century.” Egnor said Appalachia has a history of integrating different cultures and that can be seen in Appalachia today. Appalachian culture has been misrepresented because it has focused on family and family bonds. People have been resistant about accepting outsiders and those who might be welcome in their home. “I think Appalachian people in general are pretty open to developing friendships with internationals,” Egnor said. The stereotype that Appalachians are close-minded people might mitigate the internationalization at Marshall. “I don’t know if there is a geographical factor involved, but there are problems with social skills of students today,” Wyatt said. The barrier between internationals and Appalachians is not because of unfriendliness but intimidation on both ends of the spectrum. “People are inhibited, and are sometimes not willing to take that risk because that’s human behavior,” Wyatt said. “I would even say there is something about Appalachians that make them such good diplomats,” Egnor said. “Look at Cyrus Vance, Secretary of State under Jimmy Carter, from Clarksburg. There’s an attitude here that’s really good for building international relations.” “We do have lots of students who have gone out of their way to be friendly to international students,” Wyatt said. “These students are confident in themselves; these students are willing to take a risk. It’s worth the risk, and will most likely be rewarded.” Cherie Davis can be contacted at davis542@marshall.edu.
Sports
Boston Red Sox shut out Yankees on Sunday. Page 3
Opinion
Hunger is a problem that can be fixed. JARED ROACH | THE PARTHENON
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Members of the Teamsters Local 505 were part of a group of union workers who gathered at Huntington City Hall on Monday to protest the lack of new job contracts. Councilman Steve Williams said the city cannot intervene in bargaining agreements, but he empathizes with the union workers.
Life
Protesters fight for collective bargaining rights at City Hall
Empty Bowls raises $15,000 for Huntington Area Food Bank. Page 6
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The Huntington City Council met with some opposition Monday as city union workers gathered to protest the lack of new job contracts. Unions for the Huntington Fire Department, Police and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees gathered outside city hall in protest of the lack of new job contracts. “The city has not sat down at the table to negotiate a contract and has not been willing to talk about anything,” said Pam Rae, International Union Representative. “We’re here to let him know that all the city workers support Local 598.” President of the AFCME Local 598 Danny Plybon was also on hand during the demonstration and reiterated Rae’s sentiments. “We haven’t had a contract since 2008 and it’s time for a new one,” Plybon said. “We appreciate all the support these other union members have given us tonight.” Huntington City Council member Steve Williams said the Council is unable to intervene in bargaining agreements, but he said he sympathizes with the protestors. “Public employee unions are under assault, so I understand what they’re doing,” Williams said. “I used to be a city worker so I understand what the needs are and I hope that they are can find someone they
can approach.” Williams also emphasized that he will do what he can to help those demonstrating. “I think the main thing I can do is let them know that they always have access to me,” Williams said. “If they have a concern, they can come and talk to me.” Williams said he believes the recent unrest with city workers stems from recent developments in Wisconsin and Ohio. “I think they’re doing this to make sure it doesn’t get traction here in this area,” Williams said. People from several Huntington unions came to show their support for their fellow workers. It consisted of the protesters holding up signs and chanting slogans. Huntington residents also showed their support with cheers as they passed by. “We hope to gain the Mayor’s attention so that he’ll understand that we need to be back at the table to discuss a new contract,” Rae said. Member of the Huntington Professional Firefighters Local 289, Carl Eastham said he thinks the demonstration went well and is hopeful an agreement could be reached. “We’ve expressed out opinion about what’s been going on,” Eastham said. “We’ve got to sit down, do some bargaining and get this stuff out of the way.” Jared Roach can be contacted at roach47@marshall.edu.
Huntington Community Gardens harvests food to feed community BY ASHLEY MANNON THE PARTHENON
The Huntington Community Gardens at the Barnett Center are prepped and ready for the warm weather. Volunteers have been working since early March to prepare the gardens with fruits, vegetables, greens and flowers to share throughout the community. Assistant Coordinator Eve Marcum-Atkinson said
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only a couple volunteers came to the first “Weekend Warrior” workday that was on the first Sunday in March. “It was cold, but we still got out there,” MarcumAtkinson said. “We planted some peas and some radishes and some lettuce because they are coldweather tolerant.” Only two volunteers came to the first workday. That number increased to nine for this past Sunday’s workday.
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Marcum-Atkinson said as the weather has become warmer some plants have been moved and many more have been planted. Some plants are coming in a bit early for their season, but the coordinators of the gardens did not want to let any seedlings go to waste. “We’ve got pumpkins and zucchini already in the beds,” Marcum-Atkinson said. “I started those See GARDEN I 5
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Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Greek Week in full swing Mid-Greek Week roundup BY CRYSTAL MYERS THE PARTHENON
Marshall University’s Greek Week is in full swing. Ashley Bishop, member of Alpha Xi Delta, said she looks forward to Greek Week each year because of the unity it brings to the Greek community. “I like how all Greeks attend each event and we all get to hang out and have fun,” said Bishop, junior forensic chemistry major from McDonald, Ohio. Friday, the weeklong event began with a banner competition. Each chapter made a banner that was supposed to display a powerful statement for a specific cause in relation to Relay for Life – an organization that benefits the American Cancer Society. Fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon and sorority Alpha Xi Delta won the banner competition. The banners are currently on display in the Memorial Student Center. Flag football followed the banner competition. Fraternity Delta Chi and sorority Alpha Xi Delta won. Sigma Alpha Epsilon member, JD Rappold said he enjoyed the football games the most. He said he likes the competitiveness of Greek Week. “I think that, during the competition, it makes you closer with your own brothers; but before and after events, it makes all of Greek life closer as a community within Marshall,” said Rappold, senior biomechanical engineering major from Huntington. Saturday’s events included Greek Olympics and a the Home Wrecker hot dog eating competition at Hillbilly Hot Dogs, a local restaurant located on 3rd avenue. Rainy weather caused the men’s balloon toss, the soccer shootout, the obscure relay and corn hole competition to be delayed. The events will be made up later in the week. Greek adviser Jonathan James said the weather did not stop the Greek community from having a great day. The remaining events went on as scheduled inside of the Marshall Rec Center. “Marshall Recreation was absolutely wonderful, and they really helped us out a lot by allowing us to use two of the courts in the Recreation Center,” James said. Sigma Sigma Sigma won the balloon toss competition, the relay race, animal kingdom relay and the tug of war. Sigma Phi Epsilon won the tug of war among the fraternities. Delta Chi took the win for the relay race. Alpha Sigma Phi won the animal kingdom relay. The frozen t-shirt race, a new event this year was won by Alpha Tau Omega and Alpha Chi Omega. The event challenged each chapter to thaw an ice block that contained a t-shirt and then proceed to put the t-shirt on a member. “It will be something that all of our Greek students who participated will remember for a long, long time,” James said. “My colleague, Megan Kelly and I definitely thought the event would last no more than 30 minutes. Imagine
mas of Alpha Chi Omega won the competition, the band Fletcher’s Grove preformed for the event. Rappold and James said the new event was a huge success. “I think it displayed Greek life outside of campus, collaborated with a Huntington hot spot, and added some spice with an excellent band,” Rappold said. “The band, Fletcher’s Grove really did a great job for us; with nicer weather, Hillbilly Hotdogs would have been the place to be on Saturday evening,” James said. Sunday, the annual Greek Sing took place at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center. James said this has been the most popular event by far. “The ladies always do a great job, and the men really picked their games up this year,” James said. During the event, each chapter put on a show incorporating music dance and cheer to entertain the crowd. This year, Alpha Sigma Phi won with a theme of “Glee Sing” and Alpha Chi Omega with a theme of “Jail Break.” Bishop said Greek Sing is her favorite part of the week. “It’s so much fun and I love watching all the different sororities and fraternities put on a show,” Bishop said. Monday, Sigma Sigma Sigma and Pi Kappa Alpha won the swimming relay while Sigma Sigma Sigma and Alpha Tau Omega won the six-on-six volleyball tournament. Today’s events include a soccer tournament beginning at 2 p.m. on the multipurpose field outside of the Marshall Rec Center. James said the sportsmanship has improved from last year. “There have been some disappointments that have been brought to my attention; but I chalk that up to organizational competitiveness, the desire to win, or immaturity in some matters,” James said. Rappold said winning Greek Week is a way of proving to the community that your chapter has the type of brotherhood that can come together as one and prove the bonds are stronger than ever. “Winning Greek Week is reaching a common goal that would build morale, respect, and a sense of self accomplishment,” Rappold said. “It is a great ending to a long year.” Greek Week events will continue until Thursday. For the latest updates, follow @MarshallGreeks on Twitter. Crystal Myers can be contacted at myers132@marshall.edu.
Greek Sing highlights Greek Week once again BY JOANIE BORDERS THE PARTHENON
Greek Sing, an event many of the sororities and fraternities not only take great pride in but also start practicing for right after the semester change, took place Sunday. The event allows Greek organizations a chance to showcase what their organization is about and poke a little good-intentioned fun at their competition. Among the elements they have to include in their performance is a song about sororities, fraternities, their philanthropy and Greek life. Alpha Xi Delta president Ashley Anselene said they started practicing for Greek Sing as soon as possible. This year, Anselene said they started learning the lyrics to their songs in January, right after Christmas break. Alpha Xi Delta’s theme this year was “drop jams.” “My favorite part of Greek Sing is just being able to be on stage and perform for my fellow Greeks,” said Anselene, junior nursing major from Fairmont, W.Va. According to Anselene, one of the hardest challenges Greek Sing poses is being the most creative. With winning Greek Sing last year, Anselene said they had big shoes to fill this year. Alpha Tau Omega member Doug Harvey
PHOTOS COURTESY OF BERNIE ELLIOTT
RIGHT: Members of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority chew and tug at a T-shirt during the frozen T-shirt competition Saturday at our surprise when 90 minutes rolled around the Marshall University before the first organization to put on the shirt Recreation Field. Alpha finished. It was hilarious, but I think we might Tau Omega was the first to wear their T-shirt after have to rethink the logistics.” Following the Greek Olympics, another new 90 minutes of unthawing. Chi Omega addition to this year’s Greek Week took place Alpha unthawed their shirt soon at Hillbilly Hot Dogs. A member from each after, claiming the sorority chapter competed in a food eating competition — consuming a 15-inch hot dog. After Michael title in the frozen T-shirt Alonso of Alpha Tau Omega and Lauren McCo- competition.
said they mixed and recorded all of the music they used in their performance, channeling the roaring 20s. Harvey said they wanted to include a good mix of modern and jazz in their performance. “Greek Sing is great because of the community, and it’s fun to poke a little fun while having a good time,” said Harvey, junior jazz studies major from Huntington. Ryan Hatfield, president of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, said this year’s event was a first for their fraternity, with it being their first year at Marshall University. “Our goal for the event was just to get our ideals as a fraternity across and answer questions others may have about who we are,” said Hatfield, sophomore history major from Huntington. In fourth place this year was Tau Kappa Epsilon. Third place this year was awarded to Pi Kappa Alpha. In second place was Alpha Tau Omega. First place was awarded to Alpha Sigma Epsilon. For the sororities, fourth place went to Delta Zeta. Third place was Sigma Sigma Sigma. Second place was awarded to Alpha Zi Delta. First place was awarded to Alpha Chi Omega. Joanie Borders can be contacted at borders9@marsall.edu.
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BELOW: Fraternity men get creative as they look for ways to unfreeze their T-shirt during the frozen T-shirt competition Saturday. The event kicked off Greek Olympics, which took place on the artificial turf field beside First Year Residence Hall North and inside the Marshall Recreation Center. The frozen T-shirt competition lasted over 90 minutes.
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Red Sox get healthy with series win over Yanks BY ERIK BOLAND NEWSDAY MCT
BOSTON —The bats that produced a season-high 13 hits and four home runs Saturday fell silent Sunday night for the Yankees. As a result, they dropped a 4-0 decision to the Red Sox that allowed their rivals to look rejuvenated. Boston won two of three in the series after entering the weekend 0-6. Afterward, the Yankees (5-4) to a man credited Josh Beckett, who allowed just two hits in eight innings. The Yankees routinely pounded Beckett in 2010 as the righthander went 1-2 with a 10.04 ERA against them. Sunday night, he resembled the pitcher who shut them out in Game 6 of the 2003 World Series. “He was probably as good today as we’ve seen him in quite some time,” said Derek Jeter, whose average dropped to .206 after he went 0-for-4. “It’s always a challenge when you face him, it’s never comfortable. Today, he was as good as I’ve seen him.” Joba Chamberlain helped CC Sabathia out of a jam in the sixth inning but couldn’t extricate himself from the one he created in the seventh, turning a 1-0 game into a 3-0 contest. Freddy Garcia allowed David Ortiz’s RBI double in the eighth to make it 4-0. That was more than enough for Beckett, who rebounded from a poor season debut against the Indians to allow only three baserunners in eight innings _ singles by Eric Chavez and Robinson Cano and a walk _ and strike out 10. After Beckett retired his final 14 batters, Jonathan Papelbon made it 17 straight with a perfect ninth. “We didn’t have many opportunities,”
manager Joe Girardi said. The Yankees had one threat, as Mark Teixeira walked and Cano singled with one out in the fourth inning of a 1-0 game. But Curtis Granderson struck out and Nick Swisher grounded out. The Red Sox had 12 hits, eight walks and a hit batsman against four Yankees pitchers but left 16 runners on base. “We just didn’t swing the bats as well as we’ve been swinging them tonight,” Girardi said. “Beckett threw the ball well.” Sabathia pitched in and out of trouble from the start, putting at least two runners on base in every inning but the fourth. He didn’t have close to his best stuff but managed to limit the Sox to one run _ despite nine hits, four walks and a hit batsman _ in 5 2/3 innings. After three starts, he has a 1.45 ERA and an 0-1 record. “He’s pitched well for us all year long,” Girardi said. “He had the four-run lead in the one game (Tuesday against the Twins) and we let that get away. And tonight, we just didn’t get any runs. That’s going to happen. CC a lot of times is going to be matched up against aces and they’re going to be tight ballgames, but you feel like he pretty easily could be 3-0.” Said Sabathia: “You want to go out and be sharp and pitch the best you can. I did what I could today but the stuff just wasn’t there.” No. 9 hitter Marco Scutaro, who entered the game 3-for-21 for the season and went 2-for-2 with two walks and two RBIs, and Dustin Pedroia, who was 3-for-4 with a walk and ended up 9-for-13 in the series, did most of the offensive damage for the Red Sox. Scutaro doubled home two runs off Chamberlain in the seventh to give Boston a 3-0 lead.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MCT
New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter (2) connected for a double in the top of the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium in New York in this April 7 file photo. The Yankees lost Sunday to rival Boston Red Sox 4-0. The Yankees stand at 5-4.
L.A. Lakers fall to Thunder, lose fifth straight game BY MIKE BRESNAHAN LOS ANGELES TIMES MCT
LOS ANGELES _ The switch was finally flipped ... completely off. The Los Angeles Lakers ran into their first five-game losing streak since 2007, foundering yet again in a 120-106 loss to Oklahoma City on Sunday at Staples Center. It’s a bad idea to play defense for only one quarter, the Lakers allowing 36-30-22-32 across the board and falling into a tie with Dallas for second place in the Western Conference. Worse for them, they’re only one game ahead of Oklahoma City and could actually slip all the way to fourth in the West. Or maybe that’s the good news for the Lakers. They actually have to prove something in their final two regular-season games. A little more than a week ago, as the Lakers moved ever so close to San Antonio and ahead of Chicago, they faced gentle questions about a season on the rise. Will the starters get some rest down the stretch? Are 60 victories possible? When is “Khloe & Lamar” going to debut? On Sunday, a new question popped up. Do the Lakers have what it takes to win it all?
Not in the final three minutes Sunday, as they somehow allowed 17 points while scoring only two _ a concession dunk with nine seconds left _ and a Thunder fan yelled the “M-VP” chant while Kevin Durant shot two free throws in a rapidly emptying arena. Kobe Bryant’s three-point play actually gave the Lakers a 104-103 lead with 3:10 to play. He had three turnovers after that, and one possession summed up everything: Ron Artest air-balled a three-point attempt, Bryant took the rebound and air-balled his own three-point attempt. He waited 62 minutes to talk to reporters after the game, an eternity even for an NBA player. “I didn’t want to redecorate the walls in here, so I made the effort to just go in the training room and keep to myself,” he said. Bryant had 31 points on 10-for-19 shooting. Pau Gasol had 26 points on 10-for-16 shooting and did his best to rebuff a “soft” label applied by Oklahoma City center Kendrick Perkins in a recent magazine interview. Gasol, however, took only four rebounds in almost 33 minutes. Durant had 31 points and Russell Westbrook had 26 for the Thunder, who shot a breezy 55.6 percent. “We’re just playing horrible defense,” Bryant said.
NFL owners, players ordered back to arbitration BY LANCE PUGMIRE LOS ANGELES TIMES MCT
The federal judge overseeing the dispute between NFL owners and players Monday ordered the sides to participate in mediation to help resolve the work stoppage that threatens the coming season. U.S. District Court Judge Susan Richard Nelson ordered the players’ attorneys and their former union’s executive director, DeMaurice Smith, to meet Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis with veteran Chief Magistrate Arthur J. Boylan, who is scheduled to meet with the owners’ representatives Wednesday and preside over face-to-face mediation with both sides starting Thursday. Nelson ordered that both sides keep the mediation confidential. The sides tried mediation before, negotiating for 16 days in Washington with Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Director George Cohen. Those talks ended March 11, allowing the collective bargaining agreement to expire. Spokesmen for the owners and players didn’t immediately comment on Nelson’s ruling. The judge wrote in her three-page order that the mediation was a form of “alternative dispute
resolution” to address the players’ antitrust lawsuit (Brady vs. NFL) against the league. While owners’ attorneys have declared that mediation is most effectively done over the sides’ collective-bargaining disagreements, the players argue that working to settle the lawsuit filed by star quarterbacks Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and others is the best route to strike labor peace. The former NFL Players Association decertified last month, and the players’ group has expressed concern that anything other than lawsuit settlement talks would allow the owners to bolster their claim that decertification was a sham. In her order, Nelson assured the players, “the fact of participation in this Court-ordered mediation ... shall not be admitted or used against any party in any other proceeding or forum, for any purpose.” Nelson continues to weigh whether to impose a preliminary injunction against the owners’ lockout of the players after hearing arguments in her courtroom last week. She urged the sides to engage in mediation at the end of that Wednesday hearing, but neither side moved significantly to do so. The judge wrote in her order that the lockout injunction “remains under advisement, with an order to issue in due course.”
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Now the Lakers are forced to play hard against San Antonio and Sacramento, though they hold the first playoff tiebreaker with Dallas and Oklahoma City. Bryant also moved within one technical foul of an automatic one-game suspension after picking up his 15th. Bryant didn’t like Perkins wrapping an arm around his neck after Bryant set a screen in the second quarter. If Bryant gets a technical Tuesday against San Antonio, he is suspended for the regular-season finale Wednesday in Sacramento. If he behaves appropriately Tuesday but picks up a technical against the Kings, he is suspended for the season opener next season. Perkins, the former Boston Celtics center acquired by the Thunder at the trade deadline, also irritated Andrew Bynum later in the second, pushing him a few feet in the lane after Bryant’s short running jumper. Bynum retaliated by throwing the ball with two hands at Perkins’ chest and was called for a technical foul. The Lakers surrendered 66 points in the first half, the most they’ve allowed this season, but managed to clamp down in the third quarter. Their fourth-quarter collapse was the type that would cost them a playoff game. Maybe even a series.
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EDITORIAL
World hunger is a problem that can be fixed Use resources to help those in need Hunger is a significant problem in each community across the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 2005 there was approximately 35 million people who lived in households with an im come below the national poverty line, including 12.4 million children. Hunger does not discriminate based on age, race or gender. An estimated 85,000 people in the TriState area served monthly by the
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Huntington Area Food Bank still struggle to keep a roof over their heads, pay the bills and put food on the table. Last Friday, the College of Fine Arts participated in the eighth annual Empty Bowls event, a fundraiser for the Huntington Area Food Bank. They generated $15,000 for the charity. Events that raise funds and awareness bring attention not only to the
Tri-State area’s problem but also the world’s problem with this issue. The world is facing a hunger crisis unlike anything it has seen in more than 50 years; 925 million people are hungry everyday according to World Food Progamme of the United Nations. The World Food Programme also estimates each day almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes, which is a rate of one child every five seconds. The World Bank estimates the spike in global food prices in 2008, followed by the global economic recession in 2009
and 2010, has pushed between 100 to 150 million people into poverty. While hunger is a widespread problem, it is a solvable problem. There are many resources that exist that could be given to those not capable of otherwise receiving them. The United States is the largest and most efficient food producer in the world. The percentage of poverty in the food bank’s service area is 19.7 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It is substantially higher than the national average of 12.7 percent.
ALEX WILLIAMS
EDITORIAL CARTOON I RICK MCKEE I THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE
DAILY TEXAN UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS UWIRE
Leave our bulbs alone It is one of the magical moments in American history: On Sept. 4, 1882, Thomas Edison threw a ceremonial switch at the offices of J.P. Morgan in New York City, and there was light. The nearby Pearl Street Station power plant provided the electricity for light bulbs to switch on throughout the immediate area. The New York Times had 52 of the bulbs and reported they provided light “soft, mellow and graceful to the eye ... without a particle of flicker to make the head ache.” The light bulb represents one of the most ingenious and useful American-created commercial products — so ingenious, in fact, that it’s the metaphor for the arrival of a new idea. Now, the humble old incandescent bulb is in its senescence, about to be snuffed out entirely by an act of Congress. In 2007, Congress passed and President George W. Bush signed an energy bill forbidding the sale of the traditional, cheap incandescent bulbs on grounds that they aren’t energy-efficient enough. This has stoked grass-roots opposition (FreeOurLight.org) and bulb-hording among people ready to give up the old bulbs only if someone pries them from their cold, dead fingers. Republicans in the House and Senate are pushing to roll back the provision in the 2007 law. Are there more important matters of state to attend to? Surely. Is the light bulb regulation rushing us down the road to serfdom? Probably not. But it is so annoying, it deserves the resistance of friends of freedom and of nice, clear artificial light. Think of the national 55 mph speed limit, imposed in 1974, also in the name of energy efficiency. Congress repealed it in 1995. Think of the metric system, pushed in the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, again in the name of efficiency. It never quite caught on. Think of, for that matter, the 3 pence-a-pound Townshend duty on tea. Was that the end of the world? One of the alternatives to the old incandescent bulb is the compact fluorescent lamp, a twisted affair seemingly modeled on fusilli pasta. It contains mercury. If it breaks, you have to undertake cleanup measures worthy of a minor industrial accident. Its light is inferior to the old bulb. One congressional critic says it reminds him of “something out of a Soviet stairwell.” You can be forgiven for thinking no household object or minor convenience is safe. First, they made our toilets less efficient. Then, they came after our plastic grocery bags. Then, they mucked around with our dishwasher detergent. At the light bulb, brilliant for more than 100 years and counting, it’s time to make a stand.
Although there are many issues that the United States faces, hunger should not be one of them, and we should somehow try to solve the problem — even if that only means attempting to generate plausible resolutions before figuring out what the main solution is. Hunger is a problem that can be fixed if the right amount of time, effort and thought are given. Marshall students, give back to those who do not have the same resources we have when the opportunity to do so presents itself.
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Do you feel safe on campus? ■ Yes, absolutely ....................................................61% ■ Sometimes ............................................................ 26% ■ No ......................................................................... 13%
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David Gordon Green’s recent reinvention of his career has been nothing short of fascinating to watch. After creating a name for himself making glacially paced, poetically written indies such as “Snow Angels” and “All the Real Girls,” Green did a complete 180 and began making uproarious stoner comedies such as 2008’s “Pineapple Express” and now the absolutely ridiculous and hysterical “Your Highness.” Things start off with Thadeous (Danny McBride) about to be executed by a kingdom of midgets and the film only gets sillier from there when he is forced to accompany his brother Fabious (James Franco) on a quest to save Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel), Fabious’ fiancee who has been captured by the nefarious Leezar (Justin Theroux). Unbeknownst to the brothers, Leezar plans to use Belladonna to fulfill an especially invasive prophecy. As they quest to rescue her, they encounter a perverted wizard, a randy Minotaur and the deadly Isabel (Natalie Portman). A film like this lives and dies on the quality of its jokes. On this front, “Your Highness” has more hits than misses, continuing the “Pineapple Express” method of blending stoner humor, creative cursing and overthe-top violence for laughs. This is a film that may sound like it was written by a 13-year-old, but in the best way possible. It’s raunchy, unapologetic and endlessly entertaining. Even when the occasional joke flops, there are several far funnier quips quickly following it. Most of this is thanks to the comedic persona of McBride. After making his film debut in Green’s “All the Real Girls,” McBride has been slowly honing the character he’s best known for: The cocky failure whose ego is matched only by his blissful lack of self-awareness. Coming off another hilarious season of “Eastbound & Down,” McBride slaps on a British accent and lends every scene his trademark comedic stylings. As for director Green, he adapts well to the medieval genre — miles away from the Midwestern, poetic locations where he began making films. Green also displays an adept eye for action sequences, and manages to compose several of the epic landscape shots that defined films such as “Lord of the Rings.” A big-budget stoner comedy starring a recent Oscar winner and another nominee that manages to make McBride something of an action hero. By all laws of common sense, this shouldn’t exist. And yet, here it is, in all its shamelessly dirty, hilarious glory.
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Tuesday, April 12, 2011
U.S. appellate panel upholds ban on parts of Arizona immigration law BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI LOS ANGELES TIMES MCT
A federal appellate court on Monday upheld a judge’s ban on the most controversial parts of a new Arizona immigration law, setting the stage for a showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court over how far a state can go to expel illegal immigrants. The three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a federal judge in Arizona who found that some provisions of the law were an unconstitutional intrusion into immigration and foreign policy, which are the prerogatives of the federal government. The law was signed last year by Gov. Jan Brewer, who argued that her state was overrun by dangerous illegal immigrants. Critics said it would lead to racial profiling. In a partial dissent, one judge argued that one provision of the law, which requires police to determine the status of people they stop and think are in the country illegally, was constitutional. But that position did not sway the other two judges. The ruling was a victory for the Obama administration, which challenged Arizona’s law in court last year. The administration “couldn’t have asked for more in the results of the ruling or the reasoning of the ruling,” said Peter Spiro, a law professor at Temple University who has closely followed the case. Brewer and Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne issued a joint statement criticizing the ruling. They did not say,
however, whether they would appeal it to a full panel of the 9th Circuit or straight to the Supreme Court. The top court is considering a challenge to another Arizona law that dissolves businesses that repeatedly hire illegal immigrants. “I remain steadfast in my belief that Arizona and other states have a sovereign right and obligation to protect their citizens and enforce immigration law in accordance with federal statute,” Brewer said. Civil rights groups and immigration advocates were jubilant. “We’re really glad to see the side of civil rights and the constitution have prevailed,” said Lydia Guzman of Phoenix, who helped organize protests of the law before it was largely suspended in July. All the judges — two appointed by Republican presidents and one by a Democrat — agreed that the state went too far in making it a crime to lack immigration papers in Arizona or to work there while being in the country illegally. They agreed that Congress and the courts have historically reserved the ability to penalize illegal immigrants for the federal government. Judge Richard Paez, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton and wrote the majority opinion, argued that requiring police to perform immigration enforcement makes it impossible for the federal government to regulate immigration. “By imposing mandatory obligations on state and local officers, Arizona interferes with the federal government’s authority to implement its priorities and strategies in law enforcement, turning Arizona officers into state-directed 1/8immigration3/8 agents,” Paez wrote.
Judge Richard T. Noonan, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, wrote a separate concurring opinion emphasizing that Arizona had clearly tried to create its own immigration — and therefore, foreign — policy. He noted that a number of countries protested the law, which begins by stating that “attrition through enforcement” is now the state’s policy. “It would be difficult to set out more explicitly the policy of a state in regard to aliens unlawfully present,” Noonan wrote. “Without qualification, Arizona establishes its policy on immigration.” Judge Carlos Bea, an appointee of President George W. Bush, contended in his partial dissent that Arizona has a right to tell its police to check immigration status because Congress has authorized local police to help in immigration enforcement. Bea, a native of Spain who was nearly deported from the United States before becoming a citizen, also warned against giving foreign governments a “heckler’s veto.” Gabriel “Jack” Chin, a law professor at the University of Arizona, said the dispute between Bea and the other two judges on what a state can tell its police to do sets the stage for a Supreme Court challenge. He said the finding that police need permission from the federal government to enforce immigration laws conflicts with rulings from some other appellate courts. “This is a diffuse law with lots of bits and pieces that were thrown against the wall to see what sticks,” Chin said. “Maybe they found a way to get that issue, which is near and dear to their hearts, to the Supreme Court.”
Garden
harvest it and try to deliver
seeds as part of something to show kids at the Home and Garden Show, so I had a bunch of seedlings left over for that. So I thought well, they’ve got to go in the ground anyway so we’ll see what happens.” Wasting seedlings of any kind without at least trying to harvest them would not coincide with the mission of the Huntington Community Gardens. Marcum-Atkinson said there are many ways they distribute the harvests of the gardens throughout the community. “It is a multi-layered process,” Marcum-Atkinson said. “Those who come and volunteer are welcome to take a bit home.” Marcum-Atkinson noted the importance of watering the gardens during the warmer months and that anyone who volunteers to water is also welcome to take some of the harvest. “Volunteers who come to water are like gold,” Marcum-Atkinson said. Besides the volunteers, people in the community are welcome to partake of the harvest. “The majority of everything harvested is to go to people in the community,” Marcum-Atkinson said. “We
who we know need it.” Marcum-Atkinson said some community members also came by and asked if they could have some of the food. “People came and asked and we said yes,” MarcumAtkinson said. “That’s how the majority of the food got out.” Marcum-Atkinson also said the gardens helped feed people in an unexpected way during last year’s warmer months, a way they will plan for this year. “We had some cherry tomatoes planted right next to the fence that grew through the fence,” Marcum-Atkinson said. “There were a number of homeless individuals who made that part of their route. They would come by and they would eat.” “We planted some things this year with the specific intent to replicate that,” Marcum-Atkinson said. “So they can just walk by and eat whenever they want.” Weekend Warrior workdays are every Sunday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Barnett Center located on Tenth Avenue in Huntington. After Memorial Day, work hours are from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Ashley Mannon can be contacted at mannon11@ marshall.edu.
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Experts predict above-average year for hurricanes BY STEVE LYTTLE MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS MCT
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two of the most highly regarded seasonal hurricane forecasts have been released and predict a busy season for the Atlantic basin in 2011 — and a likelihood that storms will affect the U.S. mainland this year. The forecasts follow a year in which predictions of a busy 2010 season were accurate, but none of the major storms had any effect on the United States. Accu-Weather, a Pennsylvania-based private meteorological firm, and the Colorado State University tropical weather team of Phillip Klotzbach and William Gray each have released predictions of above-average activity this year in the Atlantic basin. Accu-Weather predicts 15 named storms, and the Colorado State team forecasts 16. The average in any year is 9.6, but there were 19 in 2010. Compared to an average of 5.9 hurricanes, Accu-Weather forecasts eight and the Klotzbach-Gray team predicts nine. There were 12 hurricanes last year. As became evident in 2010, one shortcoming in these forecasts is predicting their track. Most forecasters predicted a busy season, as was the case. But for U.S. residents, it didn’t seem busy. The U.S. mainland was hit by one tropical storm and no hurricanes last year, as strong high pressure in the Atlantic Ocean steered the storms on an easterly track into Mexico and Central America. Paul Pastelok and Dan Kottlowski, meteorologists at Accu-Weather, say indications are that the Atlantic high pressure system might be northeast of last year’s location this year. That, said Kottlowski, “would allow more of a storm track closer to Florida and also up the East Coast.” “It looks like we’re going to have more impact on the mainland of the U.S. this
year, compared to last year,” Pastelok said. “We had a lot of named storms last year, but not much impact (on the United States).” The hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, but the busiest period typically is from late July to early October. Some highlights of the two forecasts released so far: Klotzbach and Gray said chances of a major hurricane making landfall on the East Coast are 48 percent, compared to a seasonal average of 31 percent. Accu-Weather predicts three coastal
areas of high concern this year — the Texas Gulf coast early in the season, and both the Carolinas and south Florida in the mid- to late season. After a relatively quiet period in the 1980s and 1990s, hurricane activity has increased considerably over the past decade. Three recent years — 2005, 2006 and 2010 — have been among the most active in recorded history. Regardless of what happens, Klotzbach said residents in hurricane-prone areas can expect above-average activity for several more years.
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Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Eighth annual “Empty Bowls” raises money for hunger relief
JOHN YEINGST | THE PARTHENON
Hand-made ceramic bowls are popular among those who attend the annual event. Marshall University students make the bowls each year for the event. BY JARED ROACH THE PARTHENON
The eighth annual Empty Bowls raised more than $15,000 for the Huntington Area Food Bank on Friday. Special Projects Coordinator for the College of Fine Arts, Jaye Ike said that anticipation for the event has been growing for months now. “It’s been steady since before we were supposed to open,” Ike said. “We had people coming in by 10:15 a.m. even though we were opening at 10:30 a.m.” The event was held at First Presbyterian Church from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. At the event, patrons received a hand-made ceramic bowl and a modest soup lunch for a $12 donation. All donations benefit the Huntington Area Food Bank. Ike said the fundraiser has benefited from past experiences. “Last year, we really felt like we had perfected it with the
Groups of volunteers helped with selling the bowls at various available tables.
groups we had volunteering and the stations we had,” Ike said. “This year, we duplicated that with a lot of the same people; it’s gone really smoothly.” Ike said she believes the Huntington community comes to Empty Bowls because of a desire to help the food bank, but that they also emphasized the value of their purchase. Bowls similar to those bought at the fundraiser can sell at an exhibit for $20 to $30. This year’s event had more than 700 bowls made by Marshall ceramics students. “I think it’s really important for people to know that the ceramics students make these bowls extracurricularly,” Ike said. “They don’t get paid for it; they don’t get college credit for it. The event wouldn’t be what it is if we didn’t have those bowls.” Earline Allen, who’s been a faculty member at Marshall for 41 years, currently teaches ceramics and has been a part of Huntington’s Empty Bowls since it’s inception eight years ago. “The first year we were just happy that anybody came,” Allen
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said. “It’s become very successful since then.” Allen oversees the construction of the bowls made by her students for the event. She said she appreciates the time they put into the work and emphasized some of the benefits they’ve gained through it. “I’m very proud of my students,” Allen said. “They’ve been wonderful and they’ve gone beyond their pledges. Their work with Empty Bowls helps them express their altruistic characteristics and it helps them become better potters. I think it’s made a great contribution to their personal work.” This year’s event proved to be extremely successful, raising over $15,000. Allen said she was happy with the turnout and emphasized the good that had been done for the community. “The morale after this is just going to be sky-high when we get home,” Allen said. Jared Roach can be contacted at roach47@marshall.edu.