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R acquet The University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
IN THIS ISSUE: T h u r s d ay, M a r c h 24 , 2016
LIBERAL ARTS MAJOR STIGMA...page 2 HOW TO PLAN A ROADTRIP...PAGE 3 w w w.t h e ra c q u e t . o r g
4 Pa g e s
S i n g l e Co p i e s Fr e e
Distinguished Microbial Ecology professor presents evolution findings By Stephanie Koss Senior Reporter
On Thurs., March 10, world-renowned evolutionary biologist Dr. Richard Lenski gave a presentation entitled “Time Travel in Experimental Evolution” in the Skogen Auditorium of Centennial Hall on his famous, 28-year old, ongoing bacterial evolution experiment. Dr. Lenski is the John Hannah Distinguished Professor of Microbial Ecology at Michigan State University. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences as well as a former president of the Society for the Study of Evolution. He has authored over 150 scientific articles, and his work has
The basis for Dr. Lenski’s research stems from some fundamental, ageold questions regarding evolution and the emergence of traits over time. Since E. coli are fast reproducers, they allowed Lenski and his colleagues to be able to culture and grow them repeatedly and then observe changes in their gene sequences over time. appeared in many scientific textbooks and has been featured in the New York Times,
New Scientist, Nature, Scientific American and MSNBC. Beginning in 1988, Dr. Lenski’s research project with the bacteria, Escherichia coli, has been an ongoing project for over 25 years. Dr. Lenski and his lab assistants have
“Not only are we able to watch evolution proceed in the forward and compare it to the reverse direction, but we are also able to replay evolution from particular points of interest to test whether an outcome depended on certain prior events, or alternatively, could have happened at any point in time.” Dr. Richard Lenski Professor of Microbial Ecology Michigan State University cultured over 64,000 generations of E. coli, and along the way, have made some quite profound scientific discoveries in the subjects of biology, evolution, and genetics. The basis for Dr. Lenski’s research stems from some fundamental, age-old questions regarding evolution and the emergence of traits over time. Since E. coli are fast reproducers, they allowed Lenski and his colleagues to be able to culture and grow
them repeatedly and then observe changes in their gene sequences over time.
Throughout the course of his 28-year experiment, Dr. Lenski and his team have cultured nearly 40 trillion cells of E. coli and have observed some noticeable discoveries along the way. Dr. Lenski is hopeful for the results that will be seen in the years to come. “We froze some of the generations of E. coli, and what we were able to do is observe changes in their genomes when compared to earlier generations. So not only are we able to watch evolution proceed in the forward and compare it to the reverse direction, but we are also able to replay evolution from particular points of interest to test whether an outcome depended on certain prior events, or alternatively, could have happened at any point in time,” said Dr. Lenski. One of the most significant events during Dr. Lenski’s research happened when they discovered that a population of E. coli near generation 30,000 was able to use citrate, a derivative of citric acid, in their metabolic cycles, which is something that none of the populations in previous generations were able to do. This discovery provided striking implications in regards to the mechanisms
that are causing evolution to occur over time. Throughout the course of his 28-year experiment, Dr. Lenski and his team have cultured nearly 40 trillion cells of E. coli and have observed some noticeable discoveries along the way. Dr. Lenski is hopeful for the results that will be seen in the years to come. “My life’s goal with this entire project is to hand it down to someone after I pass and for that person to hand it down, and so on. I want to keep this experiment alive and progressing so that generations after myself can witness
“I want to keep this experiment alive and progressing so that generations after myself can witness evolution in action like my team and I have been so fortunate to see.” Dr. Richard Lenski Professor of Microbial Ecology Michigan State University evolution in action like my team and I have been so fortunate to see,” said Dr. Lenski. Would you like to learn more about Dr. Lenski’s experiment? His research website can be visited at http://myxo.css.msu.edu/index. html. He also has a blog, which can be viewed at https://telliamedrevisited.wordpress.com.
“Americana”choral concert showcases musical variety and expertise By Peter Lenz Associate Reporter
Melodies were in the air of the packed Annett Recital Hall on the night of March 7 for the “Americana” choral concert. The concert consisted of music primarily by American composers, and even some American poets. Those who were in attendance enjoyed the musical experience of not only the UWLa Crosse’s Women’s Chorus, but also the Concert Choir. The concert began energetically with the Women’s Chorus, which is conducted by Ms. Jannette Hanson. Ms. Hanson stood in front, conducting the chorus members and encouraging their performance. After every song was completed, Ms. Hanson turned around with a smile, clearly proud of the work that her chorus had done. Junior Madie DeFrance discussed her views about having Ms. Hanson as a conductor. DeFrance stated, “It is absolutely wonderful to be able to work with Ms. Hanson. She has the ability to put a smile on my face every time I come to rehearsal. In addition to ensuring that we are a technically great choir,
she consistently speaks about going beyond the notes and adding that special something to every piece. Once a choir is able to pour emotion into each and every phrase of a song, it adds electricity to the air that can reach out to the audience and allow them to live the story as well.” Ms. Hanson prefaced their last song of the night by telling the audience that they were going to be able to feel this one. The women ended the night with a song entitled, “Still I Rise.” As they sang the lyrics, they demonstrated their poise and dedication to
“Once a choir is able to pour emotion into each and every phrase of a song, it adds electricity to the air that can reach out to the audience and allow them to live the story as well.” Madie DeFrance Women’s Chorus Member the music, symbolizing their capability and perseverance to “rise” through whatever life throws their way. After the Women’s Chorus performed their
four pieces, it was time for the UW-L Concert Choir which is conducted by Director of Choral Studies, Dr. Gary Walth. Throughout
Dr. Walth utilized various unique instruments ranging from a bongo, a box-shaped percussion instrument called a cajon, an ethereal sounding piano-like instrument called a celesta, and even a train whistle. their set, Dr. Walth utilized various unique instruments ranging from a bongo, a boxshaped percussion instrument called a cajon, an ethereal sounding piano-like instrument called a celesta, and even a train whistle. They performed a piece entitled, “Lightly Stepped a Yellow Star”, which originally was created as a poem and transformed into song. Americana also featured the premiere of Dr. Walth’s own arrangement of the American folksong, “The Rock Island Line.” Concert Choir member Megan McCarthy described her experience performing Dr. Walth’s arrangement, noting her interpretation of the piece. McCarthy said, “It was very fun and interesting to learn and perform this catchy
tune. Walth talked about how he composed the chords of the song to sound as close to a train whistle as possible, and I think it very effectively portrays that. I also think it
“Walth talked about how he composed the chords of the song to sound as close to a train whistle as possible, and I think it very effectively portrays that. I also think it was very sweet of Dr. Walth to dedicate this song to his father-in-law, who was a train conductor for most of his life.” Megan McCarthy Concert Choir Member was very sweet of Dr. Walth to dedicate this song to his father-in-law, who was a train conductor for most of his life. When we performed this song, it was special for not only the members of the choir but also great for Dr. Walth.” If you are interested in catching either of these two groups at their next concert, contact the UW-L Music Department at (608)-785-8409.
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Word of the Week Cryophilic
thriving at low temperatures Used to Wisconsin cold, UW-L students have evolved into cryophilic creatures.
Index
News. . . . . . . . . . .. 1 Viewpoint . . . . . . .2 Features . . . . . . . . .3 Sports. . . . . . . . . ....3
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The
RacqueT Editorial Board
Heidi Gempeler | Editor-in-Chief gempeler.heid@uwlax.edu Danielle Cook | News Editor news@theracquet.net Alexander Johnson | News Editor news@theracquet.net Ellie Brown | Viewpoint Editor viewpoint@theracquet.net Ashley Voxland | Features Editor features@theracquet.net Justin Nichols | Sports/Health Editor sports@theracquet.net Mary Purdy | Copy Editor purdy.mary@uwlax.edu Alesha Cody | Graphic Designer cody.ales@uwlax.edus
SENIOR STAFF Reporter Stephanie Koss
Staff Reporters
Dustin Skolaski, Alexandra Ronnestrand, Sarah Busse, Miranda Martin, Alex VandenHouten, Megan Poczos, Eagan Norman, Destiny Baitinger
Viewpoint The voice of the campus community is printed here
Thursday, March 24, 2016
By Megan Poczos Staff Reporter
When I say the word “terrorism,” what do you think of? Do you think of hot deserts in the East? Do you think of masked men parading weapons around the streets? Do you think of melted steel beams and hundreds of lives lost? Yes, these can all be related to terrorism, but I’m going to throw an idea at you that might not be very popular, or patriotic, but it is the truth. Hold on to your hats. When we ask Americans what they picture when they think of terrorism, we get answers such as “Muslims” or “ISIS.” But when we ask other people around the world what they picture when they think of terrorism, most of
Ellie Brown Viewpoint Editor viewpoint@theracquet.net
Are Americans terrorists?
them will say Americans. “Not all Americans are bigoted!” some of you will cry. “It’s not fair that we are portrayed that way!” others will holler. But let me ask you this: How do you think those who are portrayed as terrorists in our culture/country feel? We generalize and ostracize an entire race of people because we think we know them based on the actions of a select few. In truth, these “select few” are often extremist groups who rarely follow usual rules and regulations of the religion or culture. They are not a good representation of what that culture has to offer, yet we assume the entire culture must be similar because that is all we see and all we choose to believe. Let me give you an example: Many
believe that in Muslim religion, it is the sole purpose of practitioners to wipe out all peoples who are not of the Muslim faith. This is just not true. The Quran is less violent than the Bible, but many choose to ignore that fact because it does not help argue their case against Muslims. Let’s go back to the first few images I gave you in this article. The Middle Eastern desert, the frightening men brandishing weapons designed to take out entire cities at a time. I was not talking about ISIS or any other Eastern-based “terrorist” group. I was talking about the United States Military. We are the ones invading homes and wiping out cities; we are the ones waving our big guns around like they are our shiny new toys. When
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The Racquet 231 & 232 Cartwright Center 1725 State Street La Crosse, WI 54601 The Racquet is an Award-Winning Newspaper, achieving the Third Award for Best Editorial in 2010 and Second Award for Best Advertisement in 2009 through the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation. The Racquet is a student-produced weekly newspaper distributed for the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The editorial staff assumes full responsibility for content and policies. The Racquet values accuracy and will publish corrections if necessary; please send them to editor@ theracquet.net. Deadline for article submission is Friday by noon. The staff editorials contain the oppinions of the editorial staff only and do not represent the views of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. To advertise with The Racquet, please contact sales@theracquet.net. For general inquiries, contact editor@theracquet.net. Single copies are free to members of the UW-La Crosse, WTC, and Viterbo campus communities. Multiple copies can be acquired from The Racquet at a price to be determined by the publisher by contacting the Racquet business office. Newspaper theft is a crime and is subject to civil and criminal prosecution and/or university discipline.
it is our soldiers down in the desert, shooting and violating and killing, it is patriotism. But when it is someone else’s people, doing the exact same thing for the exact same cause – the maintaining of their beliefs and rights – it is terrorism. Can you see how this starts to break down what society has built up to be our stable black-andwhite morality system? The question remains to be, how do we stop terrorism? My response would be, exactly. Let me say this: While it is difficult to judge others as terrorists and justify our own horrific actions, violence for the sake of peace is not peace. The only way to stop “terrorism” is to stop war itself, and we have a long way to go before we ever get there.
Stigma of a Liberal Arts major By Destiny Baitinger Staff Reporter
Associate Reporters
Bailey Krueger | Business Director sales@theracquet.net Michaela Burton | Publicity Director burton.mich@uwlax.edu
Page 2
By Eagan Norman Staff Reporter
How does your College compare to that of the Liberal Education? According to Association of American Colleges and Universities at aacu.org, “A liberal education helps students develop a sense of social responsibility, as well as strong and transferable intellectual and practical skills such as communication, analytical and problem-solving skills, and a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings.” Does your major do all of that, while providing you with empowering skills to prepare you for complexity, diversity, and change? It’s not uncommon to hear things like, “That’s an easy major” and “You can’t get a job with a Liberal Arts Degree.” Fortunately, these are both myths. Like every college and major, there are obstacles to our classes and our majors. We have hard exams and essays to write, just like everyone else. As AACU also points out, “4 out of 5 employers agree that all students should acquire broad knowledge in the liberal arts and sciences”. Employers want students with a broad knowledge on numerous things, but also have specific skills: this is what a Liberal Education is. As far as Liberal Arts Majors go, they may not be the most strenuous. We will be the first to admit that labs, research, and engineering all require a lot of focus and work. STEM majors also are more demanding overall. The truth is that there is a false dichotomy between STEM majors and Liberal Arts majors. Among the two, we are different in what we do, and the careers we pursue: that’s really the extent of it. According to USATODAY.com, a lot of
What is Early Onset Parenthood?
You walk into your 11:00 lecture. You go sit next to your friend Steve who is in class with you and say “I’m so hungry right now,” and just as you finish saying that last word he says “Hi so hungry right now, I’m Steve.” Now your first instinct may be to slap him silly, but take a step back and sigh; he’s one of the many Americans that suffer from what is called Early Onset Parenthood (EOP)*, specifically Early Onset Fatherhood (EOF)*. Early Onset Motherhood (EOM)* is also stems from EOP. But what is EOP? Where does it come from? Is there a cure? We’ll take a look into EOP, and its impacts on everyday life for people afflicted by this condition, as well as their loved ones. EOP is the early onset of stereotypical parental traits. The symptoms aren’t always displayed in the same ways, but most of the time are fairly easy to spot. Someone who seems to be way too interested in how your day is going, who gives you rides anywhere you need in their minivan, and/or makes you meals without you asking may be suffering from EOM. Other symptoms of EOM include taking care of one while sick, doing embarrassing dance moves to lame music in public, power walking for exercise, and wearing mom-jeans. On the other
hand, someone who is afflicted with EOP can be observed wearing awkward looking sweaters and windbreakers, listening to the last generation’s music, wearing socks and sandals, drinking coffee at any point before 5 pm, drinking craft beer at any point after 5 pm, and worst of all, telling the worst of jokes and making terrible puns. Although it is a common misconception, EOP is not a symptom of pregnancy, and in most cases does not indicate that your friend is/got someone pregnant. EOF and EOM also don’t have gender roles, so your guy friend making chicken noodle soup when you have the flu may have EOM, and your female friend who always asks if your dentist appointment is at 2:30 (tooth-hurty) may have EOP. At the current moment, not a lot is known about EOP, and there has been no cure found. In studies done on people afflicted with EOP, the subjects weren’t aware that they were slowly turning into parents without children, and thought that some of their habits were just them being “unique” or “hipster.” If you realize that one of your friends has EOP, it is important to remain calm, and follow some tips from the Portland University of Nontraditional Sicknesses (PUNS)*: If your friend asks if you want to do some cross-fit or go for a powerwalk, suggest a healthier alternative like actually lifting, or going for an actual run.
STEM majors end up opting out and switching into a liberal arts major. These shifts often are because of diversity factors such as race, class, and gender. Liberal Arts degrees aren’t just for teachers and administrators either. Liberal Arts graduates make up lawyers, professors, writers, editors, counselors, social workers, managers, politicians, and supervisors; this is just to name a few. Because the major offers a variety of courses and provides numerous opportunities for students, there are a number of jobs available to them. Their job market is wider and varied more than any other. It’s not to say we’re better, by any means. We fully understand that sciences and health majors are just as important as engineers, or Liberal Arts majors. However, it’s realistic to say, no matter what the major may be, we’re all important to our functioning society. Not everyone is cut out to develop cures for diseases, not everyone will excel at open heart surgery, not everyone will develop new software, and not everyone will develop new technology: this is why we Liberal Arts Majors are just as important. The point is, everyone has their own niche. Liberal Arts majors won’t be doing the above things, but they may be drafting legislation to fund research on diseases or open heart surgery, or they might be writing manuals for new software, or they might be building a business and hiring or strengthening employees who will market new technology. The options are endless: no matter what the major is, it’s important to respect that we are all called to be good at different things.
Make sure that friends with EOF only drink McCafe Coffee and Busch Light when looking for coffee and or beer, or get them to drink a more, what kids these days call, “hip” drink. When buying them gifts, avoid something you could see your parents wearing, using, or enjoying remotely in any way. If your friend makes a pun or joke, ignore it and proceed with the conversation that you were having. By acknowledging their jokes, the DJRs in their brain (Dad-Joke-Receptors) will start replicating at an exponential rate, and your friend will be unable to resist the urge to make bad puns and jokes. Early Onset Parenthood is a minor condition, but make sure to support your afflicted friends and family in any way you can. Be there for them, even if it is punbearable. *EOP is a fictional condition created by the writer of this article in order to justify his daily actions and have an excuse to make bad jokes. Although this is a satirical article, it is important to accept your friends for who they are, and support them, no matter what they are going through. Everyone is a very different individual, and is the way they are supposed to be. In the words of Prem Rawat, “There will never, ever be another one like you on the face of this earth. Never. What does that mean to you? You’re precious.”
Features
Ashley Voxland Features Editor features@theracquet.net
Page 3
Thursday, March 24, 2016
How to plan the best road trip of your life
By Miranda Martin Staff Reporter
Being a college student means vacations need to be cheap, fun and flexible. We don’t have a ton of money to spend, have a certain time period it can go into, and often can’t plan too far in advance. The later the plans are made, the more expensive flights will be, which is why a road trip is a great vacation to consider. By answering the 5 W’s of road tripping, you can plan the perfect excursion for you and your friends-if you’ve made it this far in the semester, we know you deserve it. WHAT The most fun trip ever, of course! ...Unless what you need is an educational trip, or to see a certain sight. Decide WHAT you want to see, and the next few questions will be easier.. WHY Now that you know what you want to see (your feet in the sand, the world’s largest
rubber band ball or touring grad schools), decide why you want to go there. Make sure that the people headed there with you also want to go for the same reason, or there will be some arguments.
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WHERE Now you’ve decided on your vacation
criteria, and you can pick a place! Ask around to hear where other people have traveled and loved, look online, and do your research. Once you have a place in mind, you want to know all about what you’re really getting into realistically before you arrive! WHEN Obviously, you need to pick when you’ll be going, and this will definitely change what you can do! If you want to drive to Colorado to go skiing, you’ll need to go over J-term or spring break. If you need some relaxation and rays of sunshine in the middle of second semester, spring break is a better time to pick. If lots of time is required, probably aim for sometime in the summer. WHO This may be the most fun question, but also the one that needs a lot of thought. Think about it; these are the people you’ll be spending a lot of time confined in a small area with. How many bathroom breaks are they
going to need? Are they going to appreciate the music you blast and sing along? Will they get crabby halfway through and make you want to kick them out of the car? These problems could definitely ruin your vacation. Road trip buddies need to be the most fun people you know, so even when things go wrong, you can make the best of it together. Other things to keep in mind: • Budget • Do I actually know any kind of directions? • Food • Lodging • Does someone have a car or van to fit us all? Of course, the best adventures are sometimes spontaneous. If this is what you think you need, hop in the car and figure it out as you go. Either way, you’ll have the adventure of a lifetime—or at least see something you never have before, even if it is
Down to Earth: Unleashing your inner yogi By Shelby Roberts Guest Reporter
Yoga seems to be increasing in popularity almost as quickly as the CrossFit craze. Yoga has been around for centuries though, so why now? And is any of it connected to the environment? (Spoiler alert: it is.) Ever since yoga’s beginning in 11th Century India, people who practice yoga (referred to as yogi’s) have used their practice as a way to become closer to one’s self, and gain a greater connectedness to nature. As monks and gurus mediated in their place of worship, they needed a way to keep their
bodies fit while still dedicating their minds to meditation. Thus, yoga was born. If ever you want to see some amazing feats of human flexibility and strength, youtube series 6 of Ashtanga yoga. Today, yoga carries different meanings to different people. There are still people who practice yoga like it was in its birth, and there are people like myself who use it as an hour to relax and clear their head after a long day. I love yoga, and I was only introduced to it two years ago when I signed up for a REC class on a whim. Our university offers a variety of fitness classes taught by experienced trainers. And the yoga trainers are no exception. One trainer in particular showed me the
power yoga can have in connecting people to the environment. The poses we did had direct connection to poses or actions seen in nature. Tree pose doesn’t even try to be subtle in its likeness to the sturdiness and power of a great oak. Yoga was developed by those who already spent a great deal of their lives contemplating and appreciating the natural world among them. In a spiritual case of biomimicry, the twists and turns that we human replicated are ones we gained inspiration from in nature. Yoga practice, to those who choose to see it, is proof that humans will always be a part of our natural environment.
Green tip of the week: With the ever increasing temperature, take your yoga mat outside to connect with nature even further.
Sports & Wellness
Justin Nichols Sports Editor editor@theracquet.net
Page 4
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Congradulations to the UW-La Crosse Women’s
Spring Word Search
Gymnastics team on their NCAA Division III Championship!
Advertise with The Racquet! Email our Advertising Director, Blaire Thielen, at thielen. blaire@uwlax.edu for more information!
We neeD Volunteers! Y volunteers give men, women and children of all ages and from all walks of life the resources and support they need to be healthy, confident, connected and secure. Volunteering is more than just sharing your time and passion, it’s about the satisfaction of knowing you are helping people become stronger, giving back to your community and gaining valuable work experience that will enhance your career opportunities.
Visit WWW.lAXYMCA.orG/Volunteer for MorE inforMaTion!
Volunteer opportunities: • Coach our sports teams and teach many of our classes. • Extend a hand to help teens at our teen center build character strengths, skills and relationships that lead to positive behaviors, better health, smart life choices, and the pursuit of higher education and goals. Help us WitH our upCoMinG speCiAl eVents • Spring 3-on-3 Basketball Classic - May 7, 2016 - 9am-6pm • Got Energy Triathlon - June 19, 2016 - 7am-11:30am • Kids Tri - July 9, 2016 - 7:30am-11:30am
Holmen Park & Recreaton Dept. is accepting applications for: spring soccer (referees, supervisors, coaches and volunteer coaches), spring & summer track (supervisor, instructors), men’s softball (umpires), aquatics (lifeguards, WSI instructors, admissions/concessions, swim team coaches and water aerobics instructors), basketball (supervisor, instructors), fitness (instructors), girls softball (coaches, supervisors, and umpires), t-ball (supervisor, volunteer coaches), tennis (supervisor, instructors), volleyball (referees, supervisors, coaches), tot sports, youth activity and arts and crafts (instructors), Sunday Concerts (supervisor), and spring & summer park maintenance. Applications available at the Holmen Village Hall (421 S. Main St., Holmen, WI 54636) or from www.holmenwi.com. Hiring March-April, call (608) 526-2152 for more information.