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10.17.2013 / vol. 54, no. 2
RVC’s Career and Internship Fair By Catt Garcia Staff Writer
On Wednesday, September 25, 2013, RVC’s annual Career and Internship Fair was held in the Physical Education Center (PEC). Over 30 local businesses attended the event, bringing human resource managers and company representatives for on-site employment and internship opportunities. Businesses such as Woodward Inc., UPS, Menards, Stateline Staffing Services Inc., Keystone Display, Aerotek, Cintas, RK Dixon, and many others had tables lining the PEC gym with valuable career information. Students were encouraged to bring an updated resume and dress
professionally. From tables with elaborate displays, to the simple spread of brochures and applications, students eagerly let no opportunity go undiscovered. “We have an office in Rockford and are always looking to expand,” said Greg Bauman, Recruiting Coordinator of Ceannate Corp., “for people who are young and driven to work, Rock Valley College is the best local college to work with.” Ceannate Corp. is divided into three branches of student loan financial services under the names of FMS, I3 Group and Loanlook. “(This event) turns out really good...it is our second time out here this year!” said Dan Rose and Sasha
Moore, of Target. Both representatives explained how important it is to have employees who are team players, possess good attitudes, and treat all guests with respect and equality. Rockford University was also in attendance, working closely with RVC to support and encourage students to thrive in the local community. Striving to empower students both inside and outside the classroom, RVC successfully provided students and local businesses with many opportunities to benefit the community together. Further information regarding career services and resume or interview assistance, can be found at RVCjobs.com.
Photo by Andrew Doyle Rockford Public School District 205 talks with students at the Career and Internship Fair
Photo by Andrew Doyle RVC students talk to lcal businesses at the Career and Internship fair
RVC enters the Belegarth Realm
Race Ruthe and Lucas Fricke face off as Christopher Harmon looks on
By Brandon Lee Staff Writer
and Christopher Harmon, and others, off-campus but had trouble attracting students to beThe Belegarth Medieval Combat Society come new members. Meeting at their new onis a new club founded by RVC students Victo- campus location, in the field near the main Mulria Fowlks and Christopher Harmon as a place ford entrance, has already resulted in gaining to enjoy their rather unconventional game with new members by giving prospective members other students. the chance to see what they do before making a RVC’s Belegarth club, also known as ‘realms’, decision to join. was started by RVC students Victoria Fowlks QR Square Direct Link to << issuu.com/valleyforge Online-readable PDF version of our award-winning print edition.
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Chris Rawlins was looking for a LARP group, Live Action Role Playing, before joining the club and while driving on campus he happened to see the group and soon decided to join. According to Harmon the club is very welcoming to new members and makes it as easy as possible for them to get involved.
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The Valley Forge
10.17.2013 / vol. 54, no. 2
Student Government Association at RVC By Brandon Lee StaffWriter
Photo by Rebecca Denham Christopher Harmon and Victoria Fowlks dressed for Belegarth
Belegarth cont’d from page 1 “We’re try to accommodate everybody,” said Harmon. “We actually have some people come out strictly for exercise. Some people just enjoy the game or just want to unwind. And beating on people is quite effective.” The club provides the weapons and shields so besides signing an insurance waiver for Student Life anyone can join without any requirements. While the twice-weekly practices are the main form of meeting for the group, it’s not the only thing they do. They meet to create the weapons and shields that are used during the practices and teach other skills used in their games. The nationwide Belegarth organization even holds large events with as many as 700 participants. The club has an indoor location to hold meetings in when the weather gets cold. Started as an offshoot of another similar organization, Belegarth uses a set of game rules used by all of the various realms. The rules describe the equipment that can be used and the ways to eliminate your opponent, very much similar to organized paintball. It’s play can range from a slightly more violent form of the school yard game Red Rover to one-onone duels between combatants. Players carry shields and swords made out of foam and fabric, so as to not hurt each other. Although the entire thing looks rather violent, everyone involved walks around smiling and joking with one another. Even after being hit by an opponent’s sword and being ‘killed’, though they are only dead for a few minutes until that round ends and the next starts. Belegarth has realms in area ranging from Canada to Puerto Rico. Harmon was originally from a realm known as Numenor in the Champaign area. The RVC club meets every Monday and Thursday at 5:00 pm in the field next to the Mulford St. entrance.
RVC’s Student Government Association President Monserrat Zepeda plans to go about the school year “one step at a time.” As Vice President of Academic Affairs last year she was able to learn from former President Allison Hade and learn the skills she hopes to use this year. And so far her time as president is, according to Zepeda, “Quite an experience, I do have to say. I’m enjoying it. There’s a lot of work to be done in training. But over all I’m looking forward to an awesome year.” Among the adjustments this year’s government has had to make are new members, new students, and new staff in the Student Life office. Rick Daniels is the new manager and Brienne Adams the Engagement and Leadership Advisor. Zepeda couldn’t speak more highly of them and explained that the SGA and Student Life were becoming like a little family. Current goals for the semester are focused on improving SGA awareness among the student body. Progress so far has been slow but Zepeda expects it to increase. “I want [the RVC students] to know that we are here for them.” Zepeda said. “We want to hear their concerns and ideas.” All students are invited to attend the SGA’s open meetings in the Club Resource Room at 3 pm every Wednesdays or visit the Student Life office. Both are located in the Student Center. Some positions are still open in the SGA and students interested in getting involved should seek out a member with any questions. The following are topics discussed during open meeting sessions between August 21st and September 25th: Illinois Community College Student Activities Association Trip Vice President of Academic Affairs Thomas Nichols will be taking a group of about 30 RVC students from the various on-campus clubs to the ICCSAA Fall Leadership Conference on November 1st and 2nd. The events and lectures will be held on the campuses of McHenry County College and The College of Lake County. The SGA has put aside $1275 for a bus driver to drive the group down and a room to stay overnight to drive them back the following day. CAB Plans ‘Mystic Week’ for Last Week of October October 28th to the 31st the Campus Activities Board has arranged
daily events for the week in the Atrium. On Monday David Gerard, a magician and mentalist, will be performing at 1 pm. On Tuesday professional artists will be doing Face Paintings and Airbrush tattoos between noon and 3 pm. On Wednesday the magician Mat Franco will be performing at 1 pm. On Thursday at 12:30 am a costume contest and photo booth will be available. Though it hasn’t been determined yet the contest will likely be judged by faculty, staff, and randomly chosen audience members. ALAS to Host Volleyball Recreation Night On October 11th the Association of Latin American Students will be holding a volleyball rec night open to all RVC students. The cost to participate is $75 per team, with a maximum of eight per team. Eight teams total will be playing; registration closes on October 4th and as of September 23rd there were still openings. SGA Paying for Reference Text Books The SGA is working to set aside about $2700 for text books available in the Library as reference. These books won’t be able to be checked out but they are available for students who can’t afford the textbook for their classes. Student Life Manager Rick Daniels brought up the question as to why the SGA was paying for it and not Academic Affairs. SGA’s budget is funded by the students’ activity fee which shouldn’t cover textbook costs. Constitution Day a Success SGA members planned and hosted a Constitution Day booth in the Student Center on September 17th. According to Vice President of Student Development Jonathan Kullens was very quickly planned when it was realized somewhat last minute that the day was coming and they were required to do it. Constitutions were handed out and over 50 students took quizzes at the table for candy prizes. SGA Plans Trip for ASGA in Washington D.C. Four members of the SGA will be sent to Washington D.C. for the American Student Government Association’s National Student Government Summit on October 3rd-6th. They will be participating in the various workshops and networking opportunities planned. The cost for the event was said to be $5178.20 for the four students and an advisor. Student Trustee Attended State Student Trustee Conference
Student Trustee Marshawn Massenat visited Springfield to attend a statewide gathering of student trustees to discuss what the group would lobby the Illinois government. Massenat felt that the previous year’s effort of pushing for more funding of adult education was too limiting. While a decision on what to push wasn’t decided on according to Massenat a lot in attendance were in favor of support for more money in MAP grants. He would also like to see a more even footing for community colleges as 4-year school attendees get MAP grant funding before other schools, who then have to take what is left. Healthy Eating Lecture in The Works Amanda Motley, Non-traditional Senator and chair of the Faculty Event Committee, will be working with students and faculty to arrange a ‘Eating Healthy on a Student Budget’ speech some time in the future. While no date is set she will be building off work done during the previous Fall semester. Professor Shaine Henert had expressed interest before to do such a speech but the timing never worked out. Motley hopes to work out a time this semester to hold the event. Multicultural Club Canceled 9/11 Memorial Last Minute Sarah Castiglioni, Clubs and Organizational Senator, discussed the sudden cancellation of the Multicultural Club’s 9/11 memorial the night before it was supposed to take place. Not only was this a violation of school policy, it also created problems for other clubs that had volunteered to provide food and drinks for the event. While punishment was discussed Student Life Manager Rick Daniels suggested the event be used as a learning opportunity. Veterans Association Plans Community Halloween Party On Saturday October 26th, from 11 am to 2 pm, the Veterans Association will be hosting a Halloween party opened to the Rockford and surrounding community members. Aimed as both a safe place for children to have fun and a means for lower class children to participate where they otherwise couldn’t. The associations president Jerry Egliske hopes to get other clubs to join in and help fund, staff and participate in the event. In the past the Veterans Association hosted an Easter egg hunt which had over 800 attendees and was reported on by 2 of Rockford’s news channels.
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Rock Valley’s student-to-advisor ratio By Brandon Lee Staff writer
Rock Valley College is far above national averages concerning its student to academic advisor ratio. Being above an average can often be considered a good thing, but it may not be the case this time. Rock Valley College’s student to academic adviser ratio is almost three times higher than the national average. In 2011 the national average at 2-year colleges was 441 students to every one academic advisor, but RVC currently has 1142 students for every advisor. The college employs five full time and two part time employees in the Academic and Transfer Advising office. Not only do they work with individual students, but they also teach the Student Development courses (STU 100, 101 and
199) and help students nearing graduation. “With the implementation of our mandatory STU 100 course requirement (Planning for Success) for all transfer-bound students and our mandatory academic advising model for all new students through their first 18 credit hours using a new tool called Student Planning, we will need additional staff to support these initiatives,” said Dr. Amy Diaz, Vice President of Student Development. The adviser staff has grown in the past two years and plans to hire more staff in the Student Retention & Success areas are on-going, but they are not being hired with the goal of adjusting the student-to-adviser ratio. Current RVC staff in similar jobs may be asked to take on additional duties to help.
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CL-I renovations and addition schedule By Brandon Lee Staff writer
During the summer between the 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 school years Classroom Building I was closed for renovations, but we shouldn’t expect it to be opened any time soon. The project was started in June of 2012 with very early planning and approval by the Board of Trustees. Completion isn’t slated until just before the Fall semester of 2016 with construction not set to begin until November 2014. When asked why the building was closed so early in the time frame Michael Philips, Director of Facilities Planning, Operations and Maintenance, explained that his staff would be salvaging “plumbing parts, redwood, door closures and other pertinent items that can be used in CLII or other buildings.” Professor Lori Alfe of the English department was one of the faculty members moved out of CLI. While she expressed her appreciation of the job done by Janet Taylor and the rest of the Facilities Planning staff, the move wasn’t all good. Just visiting her new office you can tell, books stacked to the ceiling with just enough room to open the door and walk to her desk. She didn’t
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The staff of The Valley Forge attended a conference from Thursday, September 19th through Friday, September 20th. The conference was sponsored by the Illinois Community College Journalism Association (ICCJA) and was held on Eastern Illinois University’s campus. Its goal was to provide education and information, via professional journalists and journalist educators, to the community colleges who attended. There were two lecture sessions on Thursday, each
with three selections of topics to choose from. The topics of the talks given ranged from how to properly edit an article to how to take effective photographs for the newspaper. Shortly after the secondary lecture let out, keynote speaker Marco Santana spoke (refer to Features Section for article about the speech). The following morning, two more sessions on campus were held and then the colleges departed, having benefitted greatly from the professional advice and meeting journalism colleagues from other colleges.
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feel enough planning went into who went to which office. This semester Alfe’s classes are all in CLII along with her office, next semester though she’ll have one class in the PEC. There’s slightly more time between classes but running back and forth across campus between back-to-back classes may prove challenging. “I’d say the worst thing, though, is that my colleagues offices are all in different buildings.” Alfe said. “So I’m on committees, and when we have meetings we have to try to find locations and there’s a lot of confusion still about even scheduling room, trying to find a place we can all get to in a timely way. It just makes everything more difficult.” Students don’t seem to be as affected as the faculty. RVC student Rachel McCarty called the building changes “Slightly more inconvenient.” She told of the confusion she felt at the beginning of the semester when she expected her humanities class to be in CLI, but the extra walk wasn’t too much of a problem. Fall 2016 won’t be the end of these issues, however, as plans for CLII renovations have already begun. Likely to begin soon after the completion of CLI in 2016 or early 2017, faculty will need to be moved again.
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All comments regarding articles should be submitted to the Valley Forge via email at valleyforge@gmail.com. We look forward to your thoughts and opinions.
Rockford Sexual Assault Counseling is seeking volunteers to provide medical advocacy to survivors of sexual assault. Please call 815-636-9811 for more information.
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10.17.2013 / vol. 54, no. 2
The Valley Forge
Prof. Wagner finishes two-part lecture on morality By Zach Thanasilangkul Staff Writer
Philosophy instructor Brian Wagner presented the second part of his lecture entitled Morality Is Not One: Distinguishing Between the Right and the Good in the Atrium on September 10 as part of the First Tuesday lecture series. The first part of his lecture was given at
a First Tuesday lecture during the Spring 2013 semester. Chris Kramer, also a professor of Philosophy, introduced Professor Wagner and moderated the hour-long Q&A session following the presentation. In his lecture, Professor Wagner claimed that the problems of morality were not relativity or a lack of moral truth, but rather
“a failure to distinguish between what is right and what is good.” He attempted to unify two main theories of ethics—Utilitarianism and Kantian Deontology—in order to create a “unified moral framework” in which actions can be evaluated. Simply put, all intrinsic goods (people, for example) should be treated with respect. If nothing good
can be done, then the action which produces the best consequences should be performed. “There are still things that need to be worked out,” commented student Diego Morales. “It’s good that we’re bringing more exposure to philosophy,” noted That Club President Cristina Pyper, “People aren’t accustomed to
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evaluating moral judgements like this.” The next First Tuesday lecture is November 5 at 6:00 P.M. in the Atrium, in which Kanwal Prashar, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, will be performing an original Hindi poem in his lecture The Story of India (Bharat Maaki Kahaani) In Verse. Lectures are free of charge and open to the public.
10.17.2013 / vol. 54, no. 2
What’s your RVC antidote? By Shannon Doyle Editor-in-Chief
So much time is spent in life complaining about insignificant things as well as things that cannot be changed. For instance, the citizen of Rockford lacks the ability to drive logically. People stop on green lights and go on red lights. A yield can either mean stop when there aren’t any other vehicles present or go when there are other vehicles. The speed limit signs have hidden bubbles hovering above them informing certain drivers that there is a plus or minus 15 mph option. Can I change this? NO! Yet I continue to get annoyed instead of adjusting my schedule to accommodate the idiotbox drivers. When we were young children it was easy to find the things that sparked our excitement. We were optimistic. Dreamers. We believed in magic. We could soar with the eagles by holding out our arms and running across a field. We played games with our siblings and friends that allowed us to be doctors, nurses, army men, policemen, cowboys, Indians, sailors, teachers, even politicians. We were proud to walk in our parents footsteps, maybe not in their line of work , but definitely in the life they lead. It is not that way today. Take live action role playing for instance. It is frowned upon by so many despite its ability to reignite our youthful imaginations waiting to
be reactivated. It feeds our creativity and problem solving skills not to mention getting us off of the couch and perhaps even losing a few pounds. It has been replaced by video gaming. With the continued progression of violence in realistic video games, the violence in movies and TV shows, and the lack of “parental” involvement in our youth we have become desensitized to seeing behavior that was once naturally discouraged. While we turn our heads and say little about the violence in front of us, we shake our heads and make fun of the people reclaiming their youth. Recently a local business person came to speak to a group of students about getting a job in their field. The comment that stood out the most was the one about how their staff was trained to greet customers. They are not to ask how the customer is because realistically they don’t care how the customer is. According to the business person it is best to just say “Welcome!”. How do we live in a community where life is better when we work next to each other and avoid asking people how they are because we don’t care? We don’t! We need to care. We need to communicate, engage and interact with others because that is what we do. We congregate. Sadly, the loudest congregating done is over things we disagree with or somehow hit us personally.
Well, it is time to check your selfishness at the door. It is time to do for the community as a whole. Yes, there are still going to be “personal” goals and desires and such, but those will not only benefit you. Here at RVC our athletes are winning not just locally, but nationally. Our theatre plays are outstanding, We have guest speakers from all over the country. Writers come to talk about their travels across the globe. Teachers are sharing their passion outside of the classroom in lectures for the community. I have seen a teacher walk a student who was concerned about financial aid over to Financial Aid to get their questions answered and ease their worries allowing the student to focus on studying. Time is being donated to food pantries and churches to help get food to those in need. The list goes on. In our continuing economic struggle we are missing out on all the things offered at this school ranging in price from free to volunteering to $17. The sporting events, concerts, lectures, fairs, and plays can bring us happiness, companionship, interaction, mental stimulation, and stress relief. Sometimes laughter IS the best medicine. The clubs, the athletic teams, the teachers, and even some administrators are offering things to do with your family at minimal cost and since next to no one shows up there is plenty of seating
so you could even show up last minute and have a seat. You should grab on with two hands and enjoy the opportunities. While looking for these opportunities might seem like work, it is so very rewarding in the end. It used to be that when you walked into a bar to order a drink the bartender might
ask you, “What’s your poison?” This referred to what you were drinking, what were you going to indulge in for the night that would lead to your death. Among the many poisons you have been choosing as of late I ask you this, “What’s your RVC antidote?”
EDITORIAL BOARD
Shannon Doyle, Editor in Chief Catt Garcia, Encore/Features Editor Rebecca Denham, News Editor Meico Gowan, Photo Editor Damien Pitts, Sports Editor
COLUMNISTS & REVIEWERS Alec Heaton Brandon Lee Shaquil Manigault Devin Severson Victoria Sockwell Zach Thanasilangkul
PHOTOGRAPHER Andrew Doyle FACULTY ADVISER Prof. Frank Coffman
Award-Winning Student Newspaper of Rock Valley College
opinions 5
Higher Class Special to The Valley Forge by Nicholas Green
Your class size can really contribute to your experience with the class. I prefer a smaller class size, because not only is it less intimidating, but it’s getting as close to a one-on-one experience as possible. Large class sizes can negate this, especially when you are in 400 person lecture halls. In speaking to other students, one going to MIT, they agree that large classes do not offer the same kind of learning as small ones.
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ou’ve probably heard of websites where you can rate your professor and read up on the terrible things you’re in store for. You can choose your classes based solely on which teachers get the best reviews. But something many forget to look at when they decide on their semester, is class size.
Lucas, an MIT student, mentions that he has learned more in small class settings (fewer than 20 students) than he has in large lecture halls. He noted that it is nearly impossible to ask questions, and the pace of learning is entirely up to the professor. This makes catching up difficult. Lucas further noted that in a smaller math class he took the pace was more adjusted tofit each student’s learning ability. “Making sure everyone was on
the same page before moving on was paramount. We all got a lot out of the class because of it,” said Lucas. Large class sizes only benefit the college or university. Obviously, putting the largest possible number of students into one room is a great way to minimize teaching cost. But it is not in the best interest of the students. When tuition prices are this high, don’t we at least deserve the best the college can offer?
Transsexual Intolerance: What the homecoming queen says about humanity Special to The Valley Forge by Addie Schommer
W
hen 16-year-old Cassidy Lynn Campbell was crowned Marina High School Homecoming Queen, it represented more than a high school girl living out her dream. It meant society was making small steps towards acceptance of an identity that is becoming a controversial issue: being a transsexual.
“My goal isn’t to be famous,” said Campbell, “it’s to open people’s eyes to the world around them, to teach people to be open-minded and to rethink social norms.” [source abcnews.go.com] However, in response to the event, the religious community insisted that society should not be supporting something so unnatural. Members continue to deny that every sexual orientation, including homosexuality, is biologically assigned. To Christians, the creation of the first two humans, a heterosexual man and woman, stood as a precedent to normalcy. Humans were created with
the intention that sexual relationships should only occur between those of the opposite sex. Thus, anyone who deviated from this must have strayed from the path of the Lord. In short, humans were biologically designed to be heterosexual. Unfortunately, after becoming homecoming queen it didn’t take long for Campbell to experience backlash against these religious groups as well as others with a general disgust of transsexuals. What had at first appeared to be a move towards acceptance had now escalated into overall hatred and intolerance. “He has a mental illness”, says Bryan Fischer, Director of Issues Analysis for the American Family Association, “He thinks he’s a girl and they elected him homecoming queen and the school officials allowed this charade to go on.” [source: rightwingwatch.org] Despite what is natural or not, no human being deserves the kind of hatred and prejudice that Cassidy went through. Christians are taught to hate
the sin and not the sinner yet she was I subjected to personal attacks based on her sexuality. Those that argue we’re sensationalizing the issue don’t understand that if we let the matter continue to go unnoticed the problem will only proliferate. If anything, they misunderstood the point of what Campbell becoming the homecoming queen meant to society. Even if for a moment, Campbell’s nomination demonstrated that the Marina High School student body held no reservations towards her sexuality. To not call attention to the issue that followed or the prejudice in general would be like pretending it doesn’t exist. This does not sensationalize the issue, rather, it educates the public on what it means to be a transsexual and therefore encourages acceptance whether they have a “mental illness” or not. Despite religious convictions, every Cassidy out there needs to know they are loved and respected, just as any other girl should.
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Is looking for: * A Computer Artist with experience in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. * A trained and experienced Videographer to help with our new Online Newspaper. * Always looking for Reporters who can interview, investigate, and write well. * An Advertising Manager who will take over both local and “outside-the-area” ads. * A Freehand Cartoonist for both Opinion page ads and ideas for a toon strip. email us at valleyforge@gmail.com
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The Valley Forge
10.17.2013 / vol. 54, no. 2
Midway Village hosts 17th Annual World War II Days Special to The Valley Forge by Noah Neiber
M
idway Village, a Rockfordbased historic museum, recently hosted its seventeenth annual World War II Days.
Over twelve thousand re-enactors donned period apparel to represent soldiers and civilians from several of the different countries who engaged in World War II. Along with this, dozens of armored vehicles were spread throughout the village making this the largest World War II reenactment in the United States. It ran from September 21st to 22nd and turned the usually peaceful village into a Nazi occupied French town with skirmishes between the Allies and the Axis taking place down the main street of the village.
Along with the village, the woods behind the village were converted into camps split between Allied camps featuring portrayals of American, English, French, Russian, Australian, and Polish soldiers and Axis camps featuring German, Japanese, and Italian camps and soldiers. These camps are complete with natural and manmade fortifications such as pits and barricades. There are also skirmishes in the woods during various times in the day. However, the largest attraction at this event was the main battle that was shown three times during the event. This battle included soldiers shooting blank rounds at each other from period accurate firearms, tanks and heavy artillery rolling across the battlefield,
and pyrotechnical displays to simulate exploding shells. This event does not reach out to military history aficionados alone however. Midway Village’s head of the Education Department Katie Kelley stated that fathers and sons
make up a majority of the crowd, mostly older children. However the event reaches out to a full range of people as proven by the fact that around 8,600 people attended the event this year.
GI reinactors follow along behind a WWII era tank in a mock battle.
Rock River Valley Food Pantry: Making a difference Special to The Valley Forge by Danielle Juhre
S
erving a variety of food to over 7,000 people a month in the Rockford area, the Rock River Valley Food Pantry is constantly searching for local volunteers.
The Rock River Valley Pantry provides food for families with up to six people. Ninety percent of their funds come from private donations. With
two locations, both in Rockford, the Rock River Valley Food Pantry is within minutes of Rock Valley College, allowing students to visit and volunteer frequently for the satisfaction of helping their community. With approximately 70 volunteers assisting the Rock River Pantry on a monthly basis, stocking and managing shelves with canned goods and various food items every week
becomes strenuous. With the assistance of students from Rock Valley College, time stocking shelves and helping serve people at the pantry can be reduced drastically. Rock Valley Students can also become involved within the Food Pantry through their yearly Thanksgiving dinner giveaways, providing full Thanksgiving meals to many families in need of assistance.
The Rock River Valley Food Pantry is open Monday through Friday and offers several opportunities for students to become involved. For more information about the Rock River Valley Food Pantry and how you can volunteer, visit their website at: rrvp.org.
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NASA’s Meteor Relocation Plan By Devin Severson Staff Writer
NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is responsible for many grand advancements in space exploration, including the Hubble Telescope and sending a man to the moon. But now they want to take their work one step further. It seems NASA officials are planning on relocating a asteroid to the orbit between Earth and the moon. NASA’s plan is to put an asteroid “lassoed” from the Asteroid Belt and move it to the stable orbit between the Earth and its moon. This experiment is being designed to allow astronauts to visit and observe an asteroid up close for study. An ambitious plan to be begin with, there are
All comments regarding articles should be submitted to the Valley Forge via email at valleyforge@ gmail.com. We welcome your thoughts and opinions.
concerns that this plan could possibly violate the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which is the framework of international space law, or the 1972 Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects. A clause in the OST states that countries have freedom and use of Celestial Bodies. Matthew Schafer, a law professor and director of the Space, Cyber, and Telecommunications Law Program of the University of Nebraska college of law in Lincoln says there should be no problem. “Retrieving an asteroid and placing it in a stable orbit in the Earth-moon system for additional exploration is nearly certain to be lawful under the OST at this stage of exploration.” said Schafer
in an interview on the matter for unoosa.org Schafer says that claims based on free access or non sovereignty obligations will not arise unless two or more nations lay claim to the same asteroid or Celestial Body. But due to the large number of asteroids and small number of nations with the requisite capabilities for this mission, it is unlikely a problem will arise. But even if that is true, there is still an “oops factor” and danger level of putting an asteroid in this orbit. The asteroid could fall and cause a lot of damage and possibly end lives, depending on its size. The asteroid NASA plans to retrieve is roughly 25 feet wide, weighing close to five hundred tons. Experts say an asteroid that size would
merely burn up in Earth’s atmosphere if it fell, but there are still concerns, because nothing about space is written in stone. “The OST is a paper tiger with no teeth and little interest in dental implants that would allow substantive answers to pressing legal questions and answers, such as those presented by plans for asteroid mining and potential retrieval for a near Earth trajectory. The OST is over 45 years old and is in dire need of extensive re-evaluation and amending or all together trashing and starting over fresh.” said space law practitioner and retired Associate of the General Counsel for the Smithsonian Institution, George Robinson in the same interview for unoosa.org.
An iffy back and forth debate continues to ensue on the issue, though NASA does not plan to find an asteroid until at least 2018, if they get approval for it. The public can only speculate at the outcome of putting a foreign object in an orbit it is not supposed to be in. But founder and principal of the Firm of Space Law and Policy Solutions based in New Hampshire, Micheal Listner wants to make it clear that no matter what happens, the United States in wholeheartedly responsible for anything that happens during this experiment, deftly putting the pressure on NASA and the United States government.
Marco Santana shares importance of goal-setting with student journalists By Brandon Lee Staff writer
Marco Santana, technology and startup writer for the Des Moines Register, spoke to a gathering of journalism students at the Illinois Community College Journalism Association’s 2013 fall workshop on Thursday, September 9th. Santana stressed to the group that the only reason he had gotten to where he was today was because he set goals for himself and continually strived to reach them, no matter the time it took. During high school Santana was an athlete and aspired to be drafted to a major league baseball team. By setting goals for himself he was able to improve his skills and move towards his ultimate goal of playing professional baseball. Whether it was committing few errors or stealing a certain number of bases he continually sought to improve his game. Unfortunately for him the dream of playing professional sports did not work out
and he entered the workforce as a factory worker. It was around this time that Santana stopped setting goals and became complacent. Almost as if fate was working against him, just when he began to feel as though a life spent working in the factory would suit him fine he was laid off. Without a job and bills to pay Santana dropped into dark place. Without going into too much detail he explained how he felt life had nothing left for him. That is, until he woke and decided to return to the system of goals that had helped improve his baseball skills. Enrolling at Elgin Community College he got involved in journalism and soon realized that this would be the career for him. A few semesters later he transferred to Eastern Illinois University and began writing for the Daily Eastern News, the school’s student newspaper. His goal setting gave him a unique perspective on his schooling and former professors tell of Santana approaching them often and asking
how he could improve. While he constantly worked towards his goal it also meant that where he was at wasn’t good enough, there was always room for improvement. As graduation neared Santana took a few long shots and applied for jobs at the big names in news, The New York Times and The Washington Post among others. But it was The Associated Press that offered him an internship. It’s rare for an EIU graduate to get such an opportunity so soon after graduating. Santana had to make a decision though as the AP job was temporary and he had also been offered a full time position on the staff of his hometown newspaper, The Northwest Herald. But he took a leap of faith and accepted the internship. While he was disappointed he was working in Des Moines, Iowa the chance to work for the AP was worth it. 3 months later with unemployment around the corner again he looked back at his goals, this time it was to have
a full time journalism job. As the internship ended he took a job with The Register-Mail in Galesburg, Ill. After a few months of reporting on education he moved up again to The Daily Herald in Chicago. Santana talked of the great opportunity his time at the Herald was as it allowed him to show in his writing his ability to cover a very specific topic (in this case Education) over a large area. The suburbs of Chicago was perfect for him. He stayed with the Herald for 2 years but fate came knocking again and he moved back Des Moines to write this time for the Des Moines Register, where he still works today covering technology, business startups, the cable industry and the airline industry. Santana closed by again stressing the importance that if it weren’t for setting goals for himself, even just small incremental goals, he wouldn’t be where he is today.
8 features
10.17.2013 / vol. 54, no. 2
The Valley Forge
Photo Gallery from: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Colton Thompson as Ishmaelite Trader Ian Garth w Mitchell aite as Asher, Do as Gad a n Stein a nd Steph s en Shearr Reuen, Kiwan ow as Sim eon From left back to front right: Ian Garthwaite as Asher, , Raymond Fanara as Joseph, Stephen Shearrow as Simeon and Don Stein as Reuen
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reviews 9
Award-Winning Student Newspaper of Rock Valley College
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Photos by Marissa Webb
The cast of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
By Shannon Doyle Editor-in-Chief The Studio Theatre’s first play of the semester was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with a cast of 16.
A popular musical, it was sold out for many dates and with good reason. It was fun, entertaining and visually appealing. Most of us know the story of Joseph, and can even relate to the characters, just not as enthusiastically.
Some people believe themselves to be handsome, smart, walking works of art, while others resent those walking works of art. The dances were a cardio workout. Facial expressions were a challenge for a couple of the cast members.
The costumes were simple and the costume changes had to happened quickly. This was a great start to the Studio Theatre season and I am looking forward to The Wizzard of Oz December 4-14. See you there.
Rush: May the Best Man Win
Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl in the motion picture “Rush”
By Alec Heaton Staff Writer Set in the golden age of Formula 1 racing in the 1970’s, Ron Howard’s Rush is based on the true story of the legendary rivalry between James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl). It begins with Hunt and Lauda as Formula 3 drivers, and continues with their journey to and during Formula 1 racing. Throughout the film, the two are depicted as enemies, but as they come to understand each other both on and off the track, they develop a grudging respect for one another. What I loved is that there was no tedious backstory, no boring prologue, no mundane explanations of how and why Hunt and Lauda came to be who they were in the film. The casting of the protagonists was superb in this film. Hemsworth, an Aussie, delivers an
Photo courtesy of timeforafilm.com
uncanny performance as British playboy and daredevil James Hunt, a man destined to live fast and die young. Hunt has some sort of a sixth sense when it comes to racing: he can completely visualize the course in his mind, which allows him to anticipate maneuvers, corners and slim openings. He vomits before every race, and gets insanely drunk after each one, all while charming every attractive woman in sight. Arguably, it was Brühl who gave the better performance. His performance as Lauda is almost frightening at how accurate it is, which could bode well for his career in the future. Lauda is Hunt’s opposite in nearly every possible way. Lauda is a cold, yet brilliant Austrian whose preparations include a precise calculation of every risk each race brings. He refuses to go over a 20 percent chance of death, which may seem reasonable to most, but earns him the ridicule of his more masculine colleagues, with Hunt being among the first.
There was little room for a supporting cast, unfortunately, but the love interests of Hunt and Lauda, supermodel Suzy Miller (Olivia Wilde) and Marlene Lauda (Alexandra Maria Lara), were portrayed very well. The attention to detail throughout the film was excellent. While the tracks themselves were not the originals (understandably), the cars, helmets and sponsors were all authentic; it’s as if the film feels like it’s happening in the 70’s. The camera work was done very well also, with some very creative angles. There were brief moments of in-helmet camera shots, which gave you a glimpse of the world from the driver’s perspective. I especially loved how sparingly CGI was used. What little there was can be spotted with a keen eye, but one must consider that certain scenes would not be possible to film without it. Too often do “realistic” films overload on CGI, and to see Rush use it lightly and to good effect, was a much needed breath of fresh air. The action of the races was beautiful from differing points of view, going from one spot to another in an instant as the excellent Hans Zimmer score blazed to life. One of the best things about the action scenes is that they were never repetitive. It helped too that the focus didn’t linger too long on specific races, but rather the incidents within the races, as well as events that occurred outside the track. Even if you’re not a fan of F1 racing, you won’t be disappointed by Rush. This is arguably one of Ron Howard’s best films. Everything was balanced very well—the action, the drama, the comic relief, the romance—it all flowed seamlessly. I’ve never been a fan of competitive racing, but I must say that I left the theater very satisfied. “The closer you are to death, the more alive you feel. It’s a wonderful way to live. It’s the only way to drive,” one of Hunt’s most memorable quotes that will stay with me for a long time.
sports 11 The Lady Golden Eagles Take Flight Award-Winning Student Newspaper of Rock Valley College
Special to The Valley Forge by Lia Pennacchi
T
he Rock Valley Women’s Tennis team will travel to the site of the US Open to compete in the NJCAA National Championship. Following an undefeated season, the Lady Golden Eagles are expected to win this October as they travel to Flushing Meadows, New York. The competition will take place October 21 through the 25 on the grand Flushing Meadow courts. These courts have been home of the US Open for years and have seen the likes of Serena Williams, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
The overall spectacular environment of the courts could cause any player to lose focus, and RVC has the additional disadvantage by being the farthest-traveling team. The Eagles record this season has earned them the favorite spot to win the NJCAA Championship. The “deck may be stacked against them,” said Coach Don Metz, but he has no doubt his players can put aside their nerves and focus on playing tennis. Metz added, “There’s nothing easy about it,” and many of the players agree it’s a very intimidating competition. The women, especially sopohmore captain, April Weisheit, are looking to redeem their winning record, after
placing fifth overall last year. Weisheit is especially hoping to maintain her title as reigning doubles national champion, with current freshman partner, Aubrie Sabin. The players admit to nerves, but overall feel fairly confident. In spite of the recent retiring of former coach, Steve Vee, current Coach Don Metz has led the Golden Eagles through an undefeated season. Freshman Aubrie Sabin added that the team is “one big family,” and “it’s been a blast to be undefeated this season.” Much of the Golden Eagles success can be attributed to the four returning players and the new players who are quite well experienced. The team is also
larger than last season, resulting in more depth. On being undefeated so far this season Weisheit said, “it’s cool and fun.” The team has received much more attention and support. The record season has placed them in the top contender spot for the NJCAA Championship. The only possible drawback to having such a record and being a favorite is the potential disadvantage of complacency. Overall the girls have to play tennis as they usually do and realize it’s still the same size court that they’re accustomed to and it’s still the same game of tennis they’ve been playing for years.
Chicago wanted Joe Girardi By Shaquil Manigault Sports Writer On September 30, 2013 the Chicago Cubs fired general manager Dale Sveum. And with the position now being vacant New York Yankees Joe Girardi is number one on there target board. The Cubs have been traditionally bad which begs the question why would the Cubs even think that Girardi would want to leave the Yankees to join their ball club. As crazy as it sounds for Girardi to leave one of the most storied franchises in sports, there is a chance he will leave to manage the
Chicago Cubs.. Even though Girardi has won a World Series with the Yankees, he does have ties with Chicago and the midwest. Girardi is from Peoria, IL and went to college at Northwestern. Not only did he grow up in the midwest, he was drafted by the Cubs in the June of 1986 where he spent seven years there (89’-92’ & 00’-03’). If the Cubs have a real chance at landing Girardi they need to lean on the fact that he has ties here including family that still lives in the area. Yes, the Cubs have been historically bad. Winning only 39 percent of their games over the last two seasons under
Sveum. But even with that said it may actually be a better fit in the long term in comparison to the Yankees. The Yankees are in a rebuilding process much like the Cubs, but not nearly to the same extent in the sense that they are building from a better position then the Cubs. Although the Yankees are better now, many believe the Cubs are going to be better later on. The Cubs are considered to have one of the best bunch of prospects in the minors that are ready to make an impact in the Majors. While with the Yankees it is well known they have little to no impacting
talent in their minors. Not only do the cubs have better prospects they also presents less headache and stress for a manager to the Yankees. The Yankees origination is filled with doubt and uncertainty at the moment. At this point it’s not matter of how much, its where would you like to start. There is the pending but lengthy inevitable suspension of Alex Rodriguez, the final contract years of legendary but aging Derek Jeter, the loss of great pitchers Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera, the decline of the ace C.C Sabithia. Not to mention the team is trying to get the salary below 189
million dollars all in the midst of there best player Robinson Cano asking for a 10 year 300 million deal. On the other hand there would be some pressure in Chicago on Girardi to improve the team with all the hype surrounding his interest but that hasn’t nearly added up to the pressures of being in the big apple. All of these factors could play a big role in whether Girardi wants to continue managing the New York Yankees or take his talents back home to Chicago.
Another college makes exceptions for sports By Shaquil Manigault Sports Writer
It seems that nearly every season there is breaking story about breaking NCAA rules. This season is no different, and no I don’t mean Johnny Manziel and his autographing session controversy. I am referring to the OSU, Oklahoma State University, football program and the extreme lengths to which they went in order to ensure success on the football field. Sports Illustrated writers George Dorhmann and Thayer Evans revealed in an investigative report on the Oklahoma State Football Program this past week and is the first of a five part report which can be read on SI.com: The Money, The Academic, The Drugs, The Sex and The Fallout. I will discuss the money and the academics. 64 players spoke on the issue individually, all with consistent stories. One former Oklahoma State Assistant Coach stated, “I knew this day was coming, and today is that day. It was a matter of time.” For the majority of OSU’s football career, the team has been a bottom dweller in the Big 12 Conference. This changed almost immediately once Les
Miles became coach. More money was being brought into the program. The NCAA rules prohibit the payment of student athletes, but players were receiving payment for good performances, basically a bonus system by engaging in illegal NCAA conduct. Another example of the ‘bonus system’ is how the defense was paid for specific plays. Quarterback hurries were worth $50, and a sack was worth up to $200.00. The better a player, the more money received. As the report notes, some star players were receiving more than 25,000. The manner in which this money was given is almost as astonishing as the misconduct itsself. One former player recalls a teammate getting an interception for a 63 yard touchdown in a victory conrerence for Kansas St. and seeing him get handed an envelope in the locker room by an assistant coach--an envelope full of bills no smaller than $500.00 and the biggest payout he had ever gotten. Booster appearances were more and more frequent as well under Coach Miles. In 2001, OSU beat arch rival Oklahoma University at home to end the season and OU’s chance for a championship title. The frequency of boosters around players reached new heights. Multiple players state that
they can remember boosters walking down the isle or team busses handing out cash to top players. The term ‘student athlete’ is defined by someone who attends school first and is an athlete second. This was the complete opposite at OSU. The student aspect of the players was nearly illuminated by the program. Report two from SI investigates the misconduct on the academic side. “The goal was not to educate but to get them the passing grades they needed to keep playing. That’s the only thing it was about,” states Fath Carter, OSU safety from 2000 to 03’. Players and assistant coaches also stated in the report that they thought there were teammates amongst them who were functionally illiterate. One scenario tells of a player attending a tutoring session and when asked to spell ‘’house,’’ he spelled it ‘’haws.’’ It seems that players were given more resources to cheat than to succeed in the classroom. Another example of this can be found by an individual who went by the name of Keys (an anonymous name). A former players said that he and other former players would drop their assignments off to Key and return a few days later with them completed.
Some players would write their own work, but the problem was that they didn’t really know how. This leaves a question as to why they were admitted to college: football. Not only were players’ assignments completed for them, some recall being steered away from certain majors because the program just wanted to keep them passing. Most players were steered toward a major in sociology. This may have largely been due to the fact that there were a slew of instructors who gave passing grades for little or no work. “You just show up and you’ll get a C”--because ‘they care about Oklahoma State Football! The repercussions of the programs actions was detrimental to the lives of these young men. Yes, to an extent the perks benefitted the players in terms of getting on the field, but when players endured harsh injuries or simply weren’t performing up to par, they were cut. And the coaches would find any loophole to do so. Many players ended up going back to the places from which they had tried to escape: returning with no understanding of the value of understanding the importance of being a successful student.
Rock The Valley Forge
alley Sports 10.17.2013 / vol. 54, no. 2
Award-Winning Student Newspaper of Rock Valley College
The women’s tennis team will be traveling to New York the week of Oct. 21-25 to compete on behalf of Rock Valley College at the National Tournament. These 9 ladies have successfully completed their regular season schedule with a perfect 12-0. Let’s wish them luck that they return as National Champions again!
Women’s volleyball team breaks in new coach, team and season By Damien Pitts Sports Editor
Upon sitting down and speaking to the new Rock Valley College women’s volleyball head coach, Kyle Shondell, I asked a question that many have thought of, few will speak of, and only one will ask, “What does it feel like being the coach in the position of taking over a program that is coming off winning the National Championship?”. “It is a great accomplishment, winning a National Championship. It is a big step in gaining status for the sake of the school. This just adds to the winning culture that is here at Rock Valley,” replied Shondell. “There is not much pressure, seeing how almost every year is a reloading year at two year colleges due to players leaving for other schools almost every year.” Shondell is coming in to fill the shoes of Abigail Jenkins who led
our ladies to a 40-8 record and the “gold”, winning the NJCAA Division III national title the first for Rock Valley in 15 years. His answer was cool enough. The biggest deficit this team faces so far this year is a lack of chemistry within. With a new coaching staff and only two returning players from last years’ National Championship squad this won’t come easy. So far this season the team is at .500 with a 12-12 record. Their most recent action saw them falling in three straight sets to Harper College. Harper though, is ranked sixth nationally and they, like a couple other schools in conference, have a good core of returning players. The team looked somewhat out of sync as Harper completely dominated the first set which they won 2513. Coach Shondell called just one timeout during that set, choosing to let the girls play their way out of an
early eight point deficit. The t.o. did no good though as Harper continued to capitalize on mistake made by the Lady Eagles. There were quite a few short serves and some players looked confused when setting or attempting to spike the ball. There was a recent ankle injury to #3 Alyssa Sanders just last week and this showed somewhat in the girls’ timing, leaving one to wonder if she is fully recovered. The second set started positively for the ladies with RVC getting out to an early 6-3 lead. This was short lived as Harper fought back to tie the score at seven all. Both teams looked sharper than they did in set one. Two kills by #2 Hannah Stanley seemed to ignite the team and “The Nest” as the fans roared their approval. The set seesawed back and forth with neither team holding more than a two or three point edge for its’ entirety.
A bad call by the linesman (who had his fair share on this evening), that had almost all fans in the student section of “The Nest” on their feet in disbelief may have cost the match, with the women from Harper taking the set 28-26. The team, down two sets to none, did not go quietly into the night as they competed to the last point, almost overcoming a five point deficit but losing the third set 26-24. “There is no doubt that these girls will have to work harder than last years’ team, but I know they can do the work needed to be Regional, even National Champions,” said Coach Shondell. With only two pairs of girls that have played organized volleyball together before this season, the team has its’ work cut out for them and though they are not as individually talented as last years’ team,” they are a more balanced team.” Keep working ladies, the hard work you put in will pay off.
Photo by Andrew Doyle Members of RVC’s Women’s Volleyball team shows support for fellow athletes at RVC’s Women’s Tennis match. Back from left: Tara Wogomon, Sydney Collier, Christiana Blain, and Alyssa Sanders. Middle row from left: Kasey Sanchez, Caitlyn Schmeizer, Ashton Salo, and Whitney Trosper. Front from left: Hannah Stanley and Coach Kyle Shondell