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Middle East peace activist Finkelstein speaks on conflict on Jan. 31 at WMu
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Graduate student fights to the top
He walks down the alley and steps in the cage. Hands wrapped, pep talked, mouth guarded and probably breaking a sweat, Hector Garcia sizes up his competition. “It’s weird because one of the biggest guys I remember fighting was so stocky l o o k i n g ,” said Hec- Garcia tor Garcia, a Mixed Martial Arts fighter. “I beat him really fast. It’s always the people you don’t suspect. It catches you off guard.” MMA fighting pyrotechnics, ring girls and amped up athletes, but Garcia, an alumnus with a degree in aviation administration, said he’s just a normal guy. Garcia has appeared in 13 amateur fights and four pro fights since fall 2008. Before competition, Garcia trains for almost three hours a day at Lightning Kicks Martial Arts gym Monday through Thursday. “The stereotypical fighter is actually the worst kind. They think they’re so good that they don’t have to try,” Garcia said. “There’s plenty of people that come to the gym all the time and say, ‘Oh yeah, I’m the best fighter out of this town.’ They’ll come, they’ll be there for three days and you’ll never see them again because it was too hard for them.” -Erin Gignac News Editor
in brief
East hall updatE
A campus town hall meeting concerning the status of efforts to redevelop East Campus is set for Wednesday, Feb. 1, according to WMU News. The meeting, open to the public, runs from 9 to 10 a.m. in the Walwood Hall lobby. Western Michigan University’s Office of Community Outreach is organizing the event along with the Western Student Association, according to WMU News. East Campus is built at the top of Prospect Hill, which overlooks Kalamazoo’s downtown. Construction on the site started in 1904. Humorist Will Rogers once called East Campus “The Acropolis of Kalamazoo.” -Andrew Cooper Copy Editor
word on the street
Last week’s
How often do you visit the Recreation Center? a) What’s the Recreation Center? (40%) b) 1-2 times per week (30%) c) Every day (20%) d) 3-5 times per week (10%)
This week’s How often do you use public transportation? a) Every day b) A few times a week c) Every once in a while d) Never To submit an answer go to www.westernherald.com
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late-night bus service on trial period around Kalamazoo for WMu students
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student-produced film ‘the day Job’ makes its world premiere at WMu
sOpa, pIpa On hIatus On thE hIll
Nationwide protest puts controversial media legislation on hold By Jake Adams Staff Reporter On Jan. 18, if you didn’t know about the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), by the end of the day you at least knew that it existed. What it is, why it’s there and why it has caused so much fuss would have required some investigation, but not much. Type “what is SOPA” into Google and one is bombarded with every position, perspective and opinion possible and more. “I find my current access to the internet very important. That’s where I get most of my music,” said Josh Hoskins, a Western Michigan University sophomore majoring in criminal justice, sociology and psychology. “I don’t know what it would do exactly, but I know that the government has a lot of power, and I’m not exactly for them getting more,” said Hoskins. According to CNET News, the purpose of this bill is to make it harder for sites to sell or distribute pirated copyrighted material such as movies and music, as well
as physical goods such as counterfeit purses and watches. But some think it does more than just that. “I am against SOPA and PIPA because they restrict our freedom of expression,” said Shelby Smith, a WMU freshman majoring in anthropology. Smith has a blog (let-us-shiftour-focus.tumblr.com) where she talks about media and political trends that affect those here and abroad. she blacked out her page for the day in protest of the act. Wikipedia and Google also protested the potential law. “I think the idea is good, we are just going about it the wrong way,” said Smith. Representative Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic leader, also tweeted the other week that congress has to “need to find a better solution than SOPA.” Although it may not be the best solution to copyright and piracy problems, it still has some validity. “Rogue Web sites that steal America’s innovative and creative products attract more than 53 billion visits a year and threaten more than 19 million American jobs,” according to the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce, in a letter to the editor of The New York Times. According to International Business Times SOPA and PIPA were both postponed due to the uproar. PIPA (Protect IP Act) is the Senate’s attempt at tackling the problem of online piracy and copyright problems, but those opposed to the act said that it infringed on their first amendment rights. SOPA, the House’s version of the bill, was accused of yet even more right infringements. “The idea is the government can shut down any website they want because of user contributed information, not owner,” said Andrew Hazelton, a WMU senior majoring in criminal justice and sociology. “So I upload some link to some website, instead of going after the person who uploaded it, they go after the website and shut it down. This is the major concern of big sites like Facebook and YouTube,” said Hazelton. Although the legislation is shelved for now, there are those who expect to see it again. “I feel like there’s a good chance that it will come into discussion,
especially since piracy is becoming more of an issue, and the media world is getting ever larger,” said Hoskins. “Right now we just have the two extremes; we don’t know what
is actually in the programs (bill) because we just know what people have been telling us,” said Hazelton. “I’m tempted to print that bad boy out.”
Dan Morgner/Western Herald
Sophomore Kevin Simon surfs the Web during a short break in between classes Jan. 29. Under SOPA, online information access could become extremely limited.
Super PACs alter candidates’ campaign funding By Catie Dymond Staff Reporter
It was a twist in the Republican Party race when Stephen Colbert received support from an interest group known as the Colbert Super Political Action Committee (PAC). His PAC collected funds from undisclosed sources to produce advertisements for his show and elsewhere. Although Colbert’s method was viewed as “extreme”, he did exemplify the fact that anyone with a checkbook has the ability to favor a candidate and influence a political campaign without legal penalties. “Every time that we make changes, the system adapts. The people with money find ways to influence politics,” said John A. Clark, Western Michigan University Political Science professor. “Political parties have found a loophole in their favor, using private donantions to fuel thier campaigns.” A recent Court decision, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), allows corporations and unions to make unlimited contributions to interest groups. These groups also have the option to be anonymous donors. Under the ruling, super PACs cannot coordinate with either candidates or parties because they are “independant”. Meaning that super PACs can operate without the consent or aproval of a candidate. However, many of the newly formed super PACs are headed by former employees of the very candidates they support. “Since the Citizens United decision, no one has to take accountability for the negative advertisments. Super PACs can deny affiliation and political representatives can claim no control over them,” said Clark. Super PACs have been lobbying money from corporate donors and labor unions to support their favorite democratic and republican political activists. Even though money cannot be directly given from corporate donors
to politicians, the donations can be given to Super PACS who support a particular politician. “When it comes to influencing the political process, money is equivalent to speech,” said Clark. This lobbying has been going on for a long time. However, money contributions have been increasingly apparent during the GOP primary and will affect who remains a possible Republican candidate against Obama in the presidential campaign. Dr. Miria Adelson, the wife of casino and hotel magnate Sheldon Adelson, contributed $5 million to Winning Our Future, a super pac that supports Gingrich and used the donation to launch negative Gingrich ads. “[It’s] all because he convinced one person with very deep pockets that he would make a good president. That’s just
different and somewhat troubling,” said Clark. Although Gingrich has one of the largest donations so far, he isn’t the only candidate with contributors. Romney has active fundraising contributors, including Patrick J. Durkin who raised $254,825, and William Mark Simmons and David Beightol who raised $69,260 and $54,200 respectively. All of Romney’s lobbyists helped mobilize Washington’s $3.5 billion industry. “Politicians used to raise money in small amounts from lots of difference sources. If they couldn’t convince people to support their candidacy, they would not receive votes,” Clark said. “If they did poorly, they were out. They had to do well in the contest with lots of small donors. Under this new system, it doesn’t work that way anymore.”
“Overall it’s hard to tell if campaign finance has risen significantly but it is safe to say, there is going to be a lot more money spent than there has been in previous election cycles,” said Clark. In the New York Times, a study was done by Consumer Education Foundation that found different industries in finance, insurance and real estate have spent $5.18 billion to influence decisions made by the White House from 19982008. Campaign advertising received $1.74 billion and lobbying fees were a total of $1.74 billion. The Federal Election Commission counted 89 corporate PACs, 201 Union PACs and 319 trade association PACs at the end of 1974. These numbers have rapidly increased since then; in 2009, there were 1598 corporate PACs, 272 labor PACs and 995 trade association PACs. A small list of financial contrib-
utors to the 2012 political race includes Visa, MasterCard, the American Bankers Association, Coca-Cola, General Motors, WalMart, Verizon, AT&T, JPMorgan Chase, General Motors and Eli Lily & Co. Lobbyists are seeking to protect their competitive advantages with special tax breaks, government regulations and favorable procurement. All these advantages make it hard for competition to enter the market and having a political advocate who supports their company is important. “Money influences elections, but money by itself does not decide elections, voters do. If voters decide not to be affected by all the negativity and whatever else, than they can counteract the influence of money to some extent, said Clark. “Ultimately voters have the final say and we need to take that seriously.”
Presidential Super P AC Funding 1/25 to 1/30
Support - Against
$2,963 Romney
$1,143,361 Gingrich
$57,372 Paul
Restore Our Future
$716,810 Gingrich
Winning Our Future $2,530,391 Romney
Endorse Liberty
$0
Gingrich
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Monday, January 30, 2012
E-books attempt to impact higher education By Ted Yoakum Staff Reporter The inventory inside the typical Western Michigan University student’s backpack is becoming more precious than ever, with laptops, tablets, e-readers and other gadgets all competing for space against the stalwart of the American educational system: the textbook. However, in this era of hyperconnectivity, where people can access the Internet on everything from refrigerators to wristwatches, the need for
physical tomes of ink and dead trees could eventually be supplanted by those comprised of pixels and code, said members of WMU’s Academic Information and Technology Council, a committee dedicated to studying the school’s growing technological needs in the classroom. While widespread adoption of electronic textbooks has been sluggish so far, the digital upheaval may be shifting into second gear. Apple threw its hat into the ring in a massive way earlier this month by unveiling an updated version of its e-
reader app, iBooks, to support rich, interactive textbooks on its popular iPad tablet computer. “Apple is big enough that they could [push the industry forward],” said Terry Hudson, the manager of WMU’s bookstore. “Look what they did for the music industry.” The computer giant’s iTunes music store flipped that industry on its head by offering customers a simple and inexpensive method of purchasing songs right from their computers. Apple is looking to transform the textbook industry in a similar
fashion, stating that they will be selling textbooks through their online iBook store for $14.99 or less. While Apple’s entry into this market could drive progress along at an accelerated pace, Hudson and the other members of the AITC committee have been examining the feasibility of widespread e-book adoption for two years now, he said. Hudson initially presented the idea the Faculty Senate after reading about digital textbooks in various industry publications. “We [the bookstore] just kept reading more and more about electronic books, and about how the futurists talking about how it’s coming,” Hudson recalled. “At that point, we were anticipating that, within three years, electronic books would have a massive impact on our market. Now it looks like it’s sooner.” So far, the committee has set up a number of pilot programs for testing e-books in Western classrooms, with Dr. David Loberg Code from the School of Music and Dr. Alan Rea from the Haworth College of Business offering electronic versions to their students since last summer. “Students are almost always very happy when there is an electronic option,” Rea said. “They really do enjoy it.” The business professor rolled out an online version of the course’s text and exercises for
his information and communication infrastructure classes, though he still gave students the option of purchasing a printed version of the textbook. Around half the class did so, Rea said. “I think a lot of students used [the website], if anything just to read the textbook,” he said. “It was convenient for them because no matter where they were they could login with their laptop or in a computer lab and read their assignment for the day. I think they really liked that.” One of the advantages electronic coursework provides over traditional print is the ability to insert a more diverse range of content alongside text, such as video clips, photo slide shows and real time quizzes, Rea said. “Imagine a film class where you’re reading a theory book and they’re talking about a certain style; wouldn’t it be great to just click a button and actually see a one or two minute clip shot in that style?” he added. One of the main principles these programs have operated under has been that of platform independence, where etextbooks can be used across a whole spectrum of devices and operating systems, Hudson said. “We are looking for a universal approach to delivering textbooks, so that regardless of what you use as a platform, we would have a solution for you,” said Brad Morgan, the director
of media services at the Office of Information Technology and the coordinator of AITC. “One of the big goals was avoiding having one specific platform for [students] to use.” Rea agreed with Morgan’s statement. “There needs to be student choice,” Rea said. “As much as everybody loves the iPad, I don’t want to say to students that everybody has to use an iPad to use this book,” The committee will submit their recommendations to the faculty senate later this year, which the school’s leadership will use to help make further decisions on the matter, Rea said. Despite the advantages the format provides, there are still a number of hurdles electronic books must face before experiencing wider adoption, the most significant of which are high prices and limited rental periods for some books, Hudson said. For some students, though, the choice between binary or binding simply comes down to personal preference, Hudson said. “I talk to people all the time about textbooks, and you get a lot of people who say, ’Oh no, I have to have my book, I just have to use a book, I can’t look at a computer screen,’” he said. “Other people will say, ‘I’d switch in a minute.’”
Author to speak on conflict
Norman Finkelstein to speak on Israel woes By Katy TerBerg Staff Reporter
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Norman Finkelstein, a prominent critic of Israeli policy in the Middle East, will speak at Western Michigan University on Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. in the North Ballroom of the Bernhard Center. The title of his speech is “How to Resolve the Israel-Palestine Conflict.” A son of Holocaust survi-
vors, Finkelstein is a staunch advocate for peace in Palestine, and said that his family’s struggles shaped his desire to help Palestine whenever possible. “It is exactly and precisely because of the lessons my parents taught me and my two siblings that I will not be silent when Israel commits its crimes against the Palestinians,” he said. “Norman Finkelstein first became involved with the conflict in 1982,” said Michael Dwyer, the president of West Michigan Justice in Palestine, “He protested against Israel’s attack on Lebanon outside of the Israeli Consulate in New York City.” In 1988, Finkelstein spent summers living with Palestinians on the West Bank of Gaza so he could witness the First Intifada, economic depravity, and bloodshed in person. This led to his book “The Rise and Fall of Palestine: A Personal Account of the Intifada Years.” “This book sold well and gave me some critical acclaim, but it also made me persona non grata in Israel for quite a while,” he said. His own words were realized when he was denied entry into Israel in May of 2008. He is banned until 2018. According to Finkelstein, the
book summed up his opinion on the long-discussed two state border system. “I think it’s the only true way that Israelis and Palestinians will be able to coexist,” he said. “Finkelstein speaks honestly and clearly about the injustices occurring in the conflict and what is necessary to bring about a just solution for everyone,” said Dwyer. Sponsors for this event include West Michigan Justice in Palestine, Kalamazoo Non-Violent Opponents of War, Hope Equals and Kalamazoo Interfaith Coalition for Peace and Justice. The event is free and open to the public. Finkelstein, who currently lives and teaches in New York City, is the author of several books including “The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering,” “Image and Reality of the Israel-Palestine Conflict,” and “This Time We Went Too Far: Truth and Consequences of the Gaza Invasion.” Finkelstein received his doctorate in 1988 from Princeton University’s Department of Politics, where he continued to teach about political theory and about the IsraeliPalestinian conflict.
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Monday, January 30, 2012
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Theater student values authenticity in work Charles-Curtis Sanders is a senior at Western Michigan University, majoring in theatre performance and minoring in dance.
Q. What are your schedule & lifestyle like as a theatre student? A. To be a theater major, you have to be nocturnal. We rehearse, perform, set up, and strike (tear down) during the night hours. And none of that involves our class schedule. So basically, we go to school in the morning and we do theatre activities at night. That is the challenge of being a theater major. You have to be willing to sacri-
in brief
Career Fair attracts 175 employers
Some 175 employers and 3,000 job seekers are expected to attend Western Michigan University’s 34th annual Career Fair, which runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16, in the Bernhard Center Ballroom. WMU’s Career and Student Employment Services organized the event, according to WMU News. The event is open to the public but designed for WMU students and alumni. Participating employers span a wide spectrum of organizations, including engineering, technology, health care, government, nonprofit, insurance, transportation, construction, retail and consumer products and environmental sciences, according to WMU News. -Andrew Cooper Copy Editor
Civil engineer leads two seminars Next month, Western Michigan University hosts civil engineer Dr. Chandrasekhar Putcha. He will lead two seminars as a visiting scholar, according to WMU News. Putcha holds a position as professor of civil and environmental engineering at California State University, Fullerton and has been on the faculty for more than 30 years. His seminars take place on Feb. 9 and 10. On Thursday, Feb. 9, at 3:30 p.m. in Room D115 of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Putcha will speak on “Basic Principles of Reliability and Risk Analysis to Civil Engineering.” On Friday, Feb. 10, at 10 a.m. in Room 6625 of Everett Tower, Putcha will cover “The Mathematical Formulation of the Poverty Index.” -Andrew Cooper Copy Editor
Authors visit WMU for Frostic series The Gwen Frostic Reading Series at WMU will continue Thursday, Feb. 2, and will feature authors Rachel Eliza Griffiths and Kevin Fenton reading from selected works in Room 157 of the Bernhard Center. According to WMU News, the authors have been published by WMU’s New Issues Poetry and Prose. Fenton is an awardwinning novelist from Minnesota, whose writing has been described by Publishers Weekly with words such as “impressive vitality” and “droll wit”. Griffiths is a poet who has won several fellowships from various institutions in the United States. She lives and works in New York. For more information on the authors and their works, visit WMU News. -Lynn Hodorek Copy Editor
fice your time, life and everything in between, to be good, let alone great. The joy for me in being an en- Sanders tertainer (an actor, dancer, rapper and artist) is humbling myself enough to tell someone else’s story, with as much honesty and commitment that I can give without losing who I am as person. Q. What part of the production amd performance process do
you most enjoy?
A. I like transforming into another person and living their life for three months. Wearing their clothing, breathing and speaking like them. I really enjoy the moments after a performance when I get to see what I’ve done to those in the audience. I really love and respect and appreciate those people who pay money to see me live someone else’s life. Q. Who or what inspires you? A. Truth and what that means in today’s world inspires me. I think gossip and fraudulence
else’s). God (Jesus) is slowly but surely leading this train and I’m just trying to get in where I fit in – trying to let him lead.
By Bethany Bohlen Photography & Art Editor
Q. What made you decide to do what you’re doing, and what are you working on this semester?
and laziness have become our truth and I, for one, hate that mentality.
A. The theatre department found me, to be honest. I was trying to be a dance major during that time and things weren’t clicking; it seemed as if there were a lot of walls I had to climb to fit in with my peers over there and I stepped one foot in the theatre department and they embraced me without even knowing me.
Q. What is your dream job? What do you think it will take for you to get there? A. I will be a professional actor making movies exposing truth (if it be my own or someone
Right then and there I knew that God was calling me to join that family, that brotherhood. I’m directing two projects this semester. One is called “They called him Quincy Kong Carter,” it’’s a Hip Hop musical (codirected by Alastair Watt. It will premiere on March 29-30 The other one is Called “Venus,” and that will premiere at the end of April. I’m also in two shows this semester, “Brother Size” is the first one and that will be March 19-21 and I also will be on the Western Television show alled “Room and Bored” airing late March, early April.
Students reflect on the death of Joe Paterno By Nathan Palcowski Staff Reporter On Jan. 22, 2012, not only did Penn State University and the rest of the college football world lose a coach, they lost an icon. Legendary football coach Joe Paterno passed away from lung cancer at the age of 85. Paterno had been the head football coach at Penn State for 46 years. During that time the Penn State Nittany Lions won two national championships and Paterno amassed 409 victories, the most of any college football coach. “He was Penn State, he was the city, he was everything,” said Kathy Beauregard, athletic director at Western Michigan University. Despite Paterno’s impressive record and history of giving to the Penn State community, the one story that still lingers is the child sexual abuse charges on former defensive coach Jerry Sandusky in 2002. The allegations that came about ultimately led to the immediate firing of Paterno. “It was a sad day,” said Frank Ganter, associate athletic director for Football Administration at Penn State. “I just couldn’t believe we let him go.” Paterno gave more than just time and effort to Penn State. Paterno devoted his life to making the university and the student-athletes he taught, better. Paterno gave more than $4 million to the school’s library, and changed the culture of Penn State football.
“
He was Penn State, he was the city, he was everything.
”
Kathy Beauregard WMu athletic director
“I’d call him a real teacher,” Beauregard said. “He (Paterno) wanted to make a difference in everybody.” The culture at Penn State is personified by the legend that is Joe Paterno. Penn State University is in the exact middle of the state of Pennsylvania and the campus, which has over 60,000 students, is surrounded by trees and wildlife. At the center of it all, is the small townhouse of Joe Paterno. “He was always so gracious to everybody walking by,” Ganter said. “He always wanted to make an impact, somehow, someway.” College football fans and experts see Paterno as a legend that will never be forgotten. “He was a great coach, it would have been really cool to play for him,” said Anthony Mikal-Sargent, freshman biochemical engineering major at WMU. Paterno’s legacy is one that can be reviewed on the basis of championships and wins, but can also be looked at by the “eye of the beholder” in doing the right thing. During the Jerry Sandusky sex child abuse scandal, Paterno was targeted for not contacting authorities when graduate assis-
Chloe Elmer / Daily Collegian
Head Coach Joe Paterno walks the sidelines during a pregame warmup before the game against Iowa in Beaver Stadium on Oct. 8, 2011. tant Mike McQueary came and talked to him about an incident he had witnessed involving Sandusky and a young boy. Paterno reported the incident to former Athletic Director Tim Curley. Curley was supposed to contact the authorities. Some feel Paterno could have done more. “He should have just gone to the police,” said Jessica Means, a sophomore majoring in public relations, “instead of trying to cover it up and just tell one person.” The incident led to Paterno’s
termination from the university on Nov. 8, 2011, along with Curley and many other university employees. The decision to end Paterno’s employment came only hours after Paterno said he would be retiring at the end of the season. “I felt bad and sad,” said Bill Cubit, head football coach at Western Michigan. “He was a great coach.” After dismissal, Paterno was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away in the hospital with his family last Sunday.
“He didn’t die of lung cancer,” said Tom Bryant, junior at WMU majoring in Spanish. “He died of a broken heart.” Whatever the case may be, Paterno’s passing is something that transcends and changes the college football landscape. Whether Paterno’s legacy is praised by many or tarnished by scandal, his way changed many lives. “Paterno can teach all of us,” Beauregard said. “To always do it the right way.”
Late night commuting made easy by night bus By Ociel Torres Staff Reporter “You talked. We listened!” is the heading on the many posters plastered all over campus, from designated bus stops to residence halls. There is a new program currently in the works at Western Michigan University, and although it’s only a trial period, it could prove to be of great use for late night students. The program is a late night bus service from campus to four designated areas, Lovell, Lafayette, West Michigan, and Solon/Kendall. Students who don’t have a way of getting home from a night class or Valley students trying to head to a nearby store on Lovell or Lafayette can now use this service given to us by WMU for a price. This service was brought about by the Western Student Association and the Wesustain program in an effort to save the environment by cutting back on gas emissions. It costs exactly $1.50, and riders must have exact change. “I think this $1.50 charge is really not something that will make people take the late night
bus, but I get where they are going with this,” said Derrick Armstrong, a communications major. Armstrong mainly uses the late night service to go to stores around the Kalamazoo areas and return back to campus before the last bus route ends. “I have only used the service once, but I do think that this service is something that could be very useful,” he said. The trial period will last until March 1, by which point Metro Transit will determine the usefulness of the service. “I think this program is actually very useful. I believe that the service can actually help students. Do I think the service will still be open after the trial period? I don’t know,” said Jarnell Adams, a student who also uses the service to head to Kalamazoo stores. While some students may use the late night service for shopping, others use it to get home after a night class. Amanda Beckett, a senior political science major, has a night class on Monday and her only method of transportation from her home on Lovell to WMU’s campus is the bus.
Hao Zhang / Western Herald
WMU students take the late-night bus on Wednesday, Jan. 26. Thomas Wolfe and Collin Martin said because they don’t have cars, taking the bus is their only way to go to class. “I have one night class during the whole week and my only means of getting a ride here is through the bus system,” she said. “I don’t mind paying $1.50 as long as I get to the location
safe.” Many feel that this trial period is a step in the right direction in finally achieving what students want. “I feel like our voices have
been heard and I feel confident in saying that this service will probably be continued to be used,” said Beckett.
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Monday, January 30, 2012
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Editor-in-Chief Nora Strehl editor@westernherald.com
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Office of Sustainability has their facts straight; students don’t, yet By Erin Gignac News Editor
ary defines green washing as “expressions of environmentalist concerns especially as a cover for The Office of Sustainability products, policies, or activities.” has a problem: it is under publi- The only way the project could cized. Lack of publicity can lead be criticized with that label was to misinformation, at times. Har- if Western Michigan University old Glasser, the executive direcwas engaging in semi-corrupt tor of the Office of Sustainability practices or they were doing it to and professor of Environmental hide something, which, I found, Studies, encourages his students they aren’t doing. to combat the misinformation The Office of Sustainability is with pure facts. transparent, said Glasser. Their Many people may remember website is full of information and the “heated” solar panel debate reports, but it isn’t being comon campus last semester. Nine municated enough to students. trees were cut down to install The truth is out there; you just the solar array. An article pubhave to be extremely interested lished last Monday mentioned a to find the information. student group labeling the solar In fact, WMU was named as panel project as “green washing.” one of the 80 National “Campus The Merriam-Webster dictionSustainability Leaders” by the
2010 Sustainable Endowments Institute’s Report Card. WMU has quite a history with sustainability, especially starting with President Dunn in 2008, said Glasser. He created the University Sustainability Committee and issued the Strategic Sustainability Initiatives Report in 2009. He is a member of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, where was elected to the Steering Committee in 2010, the main governing body of the ACUPCC. In the same year, the Student Sustainability Fee was enacted, which requires students to pay an $8 fee for sustainable student research and initiatives, financial support for the Office of Sustainability and green jobs at WMU.
Historic East campus pHoto of tHE wEEk
Editorial The Grant
The solar panel project is part of a $700,000 grant from the Department of Energy, which is filtered through the Clean Energy Coalition. Think of it this way. The Department of Energy is the manufacturer, or the one who produces the product. In this case, the product is money. The Clean Energy Coalition is the supplier or distributor; they take the product, the funds, and administer it to a department store, which is WMU, in this case. The department store---WMU in real life---sells the goods to the customer, which affects students, faculty and staff at WMU with sustainability initiatives and projects. “The money is very specifically directed toward detailed things,” Glasser said. “That $700,000 is very much focused on green transportation infrastructure.” The grant covers incremental costs, which I will explain shortly. Keep reading!
Ford Transit Connect
Western State Normal offered busing services to students even in 1924. In this photograph, young teachers were being transported to various schools around Kalamazoo where they could hone their education skills. Written by: Tara Bell, President of Students for East Campus Photo courtesy of Kalamazoo Public Library and WMU Archives
With the grant, WMU was able to purchase five battery electric Ford Transit Connects, Glasser said. Those vehicles are the European looking white cargo vans students see on campus. Originally, the vehicles are produced out of the country and are not efficient. Azure Dynamics, in Michigan, takes the Ford Transit Connect and makes it totally electric. “A regular gas Transit Connect costs somewhere around $20,000, but the battery electric cost is around $58,000,” he said. “So the grant covers the difference between those two.”
No cost benefit analysis needed. WMU only pays the base cost Publicity Panels? they would normally pay for a “Those electric vehicle charggas powered Transit Connect. ing stations are visually tied directly to that solar array,” he Power Struggle said. In addition having our own Basically, the solar panels are power plant, WMU runs on near the stations so people can natural gas---not coal. Even get a sense of what it takes to Michigan State University runs charge a car if you’re trying to on coal. However, there is a use electricity channeled from downfall. the sun, he said. In fact, it takes “We can’t shut the turbines more than that. That’s why they down,” he said. “It’s not a light aren’t directly connected. switch.” “The solar panels go to the Excess electric capacity university [power] grid. The from the plant is bought from electric vehicle charging stations Consumers Power for less than come from the university grid,” the cost it takes to generate the Glasser said. “The electric vehicle energy, which means WMU loses charging stations always have the money. ability to fully charge whatever “We generate more than we anybody needs regardless of the use at night. That’s the problem. output of the solar array.” One of the things that we’re trying to do is find ways to store The Future electricity [the plant] generates So, yes, it is a public relaat night and use it during the tions tactic of some sort, but day so we don’t have to sell to it’s a learning tool. WMU and Consumers. You see the dilemma the Office of Sustainability have here.” good intentions because of their background in sustainability. Cost Savings It’s definitely not green washing Since the grant is specifically because they make most of their tailored towards transportation, activity public on their website. WMU decided to use the money They’re also saving money by for 15 electric charging stations charging their Transit Connects to charge the Transit Connects. at the electric stations, regardless The stations weren’t built only to of who else uses them. charge the vehicles, but it is an However, Glasser said it’s added bonus. difficult to convince everyone “At night, we park those batthat sustainability is a good idea. tery electric Transit Connects People have different viewpoints there. They use that electricon how humans should treat the ity that we otherwise would environment: consume or prehave been losing. So, instead serve? Either way, they’re workof buying gasoline, we’re using ing to increase knowledge about the clean electricity that we’re sustainable projects on campus. already making and were selling “We have a website that’s back to Consumers Energy,” he almost developed. It’s in its final said. testing stage. The website is goEven if students and staff ing to show how much electricity don’t rush to buy an electric the solar array is producing and vehicle, WMU is still using the how much electricity you are stations for cost savings. using with the electric charging stations.”
5
Monday, January 30, 2012
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6
Monday, January 30, 2012
Western Herald
WFA film review
.com ‘The Day Job’ holds film debut
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By Taylor Larson Staff Reporter The students of the Western Filmmakers Association have completed their first feature length film, “The Day Job.” Filmed on a true college budget and remarkably well assembled. Piecing together a cast, crew and set out of virtually nothing and managing to make something out of it all is no easy feat, but one that was no doubt successfully accomplished at the film’s premiere Thursday at Miller Auditorium. Written, produced, directed and edited by Alec Robbins and Daniel Kawka. The plot line takes a unique spin on the traditional bank robber heist. After a botched first attempt at looting Liberty Goldstar Bank, four bank robbers are hired into various positions at the bank. Life becomes routine and pedestrian until their old crime boss is released from prison with the intention of robbing the very bank they work for. This is where things get sticky. Joseph London (Michael Lopetrone) is the main character, a good-looking 20-something with daddy issues and passion for his life of crime. His team consists of Vaughn Bannister (Jason Elkins), a womanizing Brit; recently sober safe cracker, Pat (Chris Raby); and socially awkward hacker Stephanie (Jacqueline Myers). Making up the rest of Liberty Goldstar’s staff is Rachel SmithRichards (Jessica Parsons), a smart and headstrong secretary. Adding some comic relief to the mix is rich, Serbian, Dragomir Vukobratovic (Sohrab Forouzesh), looking more pimp daddy than foreign, whose main concern in life is his “for-toon”, adding a bit of frippery to the stark scenery and plain work clothes. Bearing a slight resemblance to Michael Scott of “The Office,” bank manager Max (Trevor Smith) is responsible for most of the laughs in the first half of the film. With his quirky antics, rubber ducky toys and childlike naivety frustrating Rachel to no end and making him all too easy of a target for the four robbers. The team’s former boss, tough guy Chuck (Martin Burch), is big and ominous, intent on looting LGS and framing the others. Director/writer Alec Robbins shines as the sweet and nerdy Bryce, a lonely cinephile who credits his knowledge of heists to having extensively watched “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Ocean’s Twelve,” and “Ocean’s Thirteen.” Daniel Kawka makes his cameo halfway through the film, leaving a bar. This is college humor. Offbeat, slightly childish and, at times, tongue in cheek. Robbins and Kawka’s script alternates between clever jibes, sly digs and a stand up comedy mood, never once straying into offensive or obscene. Visual gags like the squeaky duck toys on boss Max’s desk (and his drawings of “Me, but as a superhero” and other scribbling on his blackboard) add depth to the film, while playful audio (most notably Cowboy Pirate Dragon Slayer Boy) is played throughout with perfect timing. Perhaps most impressive, due to the tight budget (less than $2,000) is the cinematography. Hitchcockian elements can be seen throughout, especially in the heist sequence, where characters plot and plan against one another, the camera pan-
ning away to the backs of pale blue button downs and the next scene. A bird’s eye shot of the Rapunzel Tower, every student’s twisted fascination, is the introduction to a jail scene. The dim lighting and shadowy reflections of the bars across villain Chuck’s face beautifully done. The scenes with Chuck and Joey are surprisingly suspenseful, unexpected after a near half hour of light up squeaky toys and bad pickup lines from Vaughan. While the dialogue, at times, becomes sorghum and cliché, the visuals and performance in these climactic scenes are remarkably well developed. The climax is the films strong point, car lights casting the perfect eerie glow across actor’s faces, dialogue standing firm on once shaky legs. Though it has its faults, “The Day Job” is remarkably well developed for having been shot on so little money in such a short amount of time, filmed mostly on Western’s campus (Valley III serves as Liberty Goldstar) and areas around Kalamazoo. “All we had in the beginning were shorts we came up with,” said Robbins. “We first came up with a stereotypical bank heist, but then we fleshed out the story and formed a concept on what we wanted this film to be. We spent from December 2010 to March 2011 writing.” Robbins and Kawka’s script is slightly scattered, treading a mostly straight line before veering off course halfway through the film, which starts off strong, lags through the middle, and picks up again as it nears the climax, delivering a strong, clean finish that wraps the film up nice and tidy. “We started filming in May. On the 16 we started shooting, and that went until early August, about August 11,” said Kawka. “It was really gorilla film making, which means shot very limitedly. At night we had no electric, we were using car lights for some scenes at the end. It was about doing our best on very little and defeating all odds.” Incidentally, Western Filmmakers Association was first formed in order to fund the film. “We needed an RSO to back the project,” said Kawka. “It was how to make students feel part of a group, to make this thing legitimate and get them school credit and recognition for their work.” “The Day Job” was filmed with pre-owned equipment and help from the university, as well as some ingenuity from the team. “We used Canon Vistas and built our own rakes,” said Robbins. “We had HD handheld cameras and built our own crane as well.” With a feature length film behind them, WFA is charging straight into a new project, an original miniseries called “Schemers”, currently in the developing stages. Open to all students interested in filmmaking, anyone interested in contributing to the series is welcome to attend weekly WFA meetings, held 7 p.m. Thursdays in Room 2045 of the Bernhard Center For a student made film, “The Day Job” is exactly what one would expect, amateur, low budget, and sometimes a bit confusing. For what it is worth, “The Day Job” is an entertaining and engaging film, filled with burgeoning talent, passion, humor and charm. In short, everything a student film should be.
tHE WEEkEnd ScEnE round-up
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Oscar Nominations
Issue on Feb. 2
Issue on Feb 2
RHCP is performing on May 26, at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI.
The 84th annual Academy Awards will be held on Feb. 26, at 7 p.m.
claSSifiEd advErtiSing contact information: Contact Nicole Taylor, Advertising Manager. Herald-Advertising@wmich.edu
WESTERNHERALD.COM
Sports
Monday January 30, 2012
in brief TRACk And field Rachel Whitley places first in relay Western Michigan University track and field player Rachel Whitley earned first place in the 800 meter run last Saturday, turning in a season’s best time of 2:11.37, according to WMU Broncos. Whitley took home the honor on the last day of the Indiana Relays at Indiana University. Her time places her as both the top in the MAC and the top in the 800 by a Bronco. Teammate and fellow junior Jeriesha Tucker took fifth place with a time of 2:14.55, just edging out Purdue’s Megan Plenus by .04 seconds, according to the WMU Broncos’ website. Cara Cremeans also placed in the top eight, finishing in seventh place with a time of 2:15.14. Both Whitley and Tucker did well with their relay teams. Whitley ran the anchor leg of the 4x800 and combined with Tucker, Aisha Hodge and Cara Cremeans for a time of 9:03.62, meriting a second place finish, according to the Broncos’ web site. -Andrew Cooper Copy Editor
The Western Michigan University men’s tennis team soundly defeated Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne 6-1 and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix 5-2 at the West Hills Athletic Club in Kalamazoo, WMU Broncos states. The two victories lead them to a perfect 4-0 at home thus far in 2012. The afternoon began with a tense doubles session, according to WMU Broncos. In the No. 2 doubles match, Pablo Alvarez and Ross VanderPloeg recovered from an initial struggle and tied their match 6-6, then followed up by taking the lead for an 8-6 victory. In the No. 1 doubles, Blomberg and Montasser won their match 8-6, WMU Broncos states. -Andrew Cooper Copy Editor
sportseditor@westernherald.com
387-2088
7
Men’s bAskeTbAll beATs MiAMi
By Tyler Pease Staff Reporter
The Broncos won their fourth conference game of the year, defeating Miami of Ohio at home Saturday afternoon. The Broncos improved their overall record to 10-11 and moved above the .500 mark in conference where their record stands at 4-3. They currently stand in a tie for second place in the Western division of the MAC conference with Ball State. Miami of Ohio came in after losing their last 3 and left unable to end their skid that now stands at 4 games. After the Broncos started the game on a 6-0 run, Miami ‘s kick began with a 3-point onslaught that carried through the entire first half, they made 11 3’s as a
Mid-American Conference West Team
Eastern Michigan Ball Sate Western Michigan Toledo Central Michigan
Results
WMU BGSU Kent St. CMU
73 50 77 64
Conf.
5-2 4-3 4-3 2-5 2-5
Overall
14-7 12-7 10-11 10-11 7-13
Miami (Ohio) EMU Toledo Akron
64 55 61 74
This Week
Kent State at CMU Tues. 7 p.m. Ball State at Buffalo Wed. 7 p.m. BGSU at WMU Wed. 7 p.m. Toledo at Akron Wed. 8 p.m. CMU at Ohio Sat. 2 p.m.
Men’s Tennis Broncos sweep double header
Sports Editor Adam Roberts
Western Herald
team on 13 attempts led by by freshman Brian Sullivan who went 5 for 5 on 3 pointers in the first half, 4 of them in a five minute period as he scored 15 points in the half. Julian Mavunga also made 3 of 4 3-pointers while Miami did not make a shot from inside the 3-point arc in the half. Of their 35 first half points, 33 came from 3-pointers, the other two were from free throws. Flenard Whitfield led Western in the first half, scoring 15 points and collecting 4 rebounds, Western also received a solid contribution from Austin Ritchie who had 9 points in the first half, including a made 3-pointer that he was fouled on. Western shot at an impressive 60% clip in the first half, going 15-25 from the field and making 2 of 6 3-pointers, both makes coming off the hand of Ritchie. While the first half was back and forth, with four lead changes, the Broncos pushed ahead by 10 with five minutes left, and looked to head into halftime with a respectable lead, before back-to-back 3’s from Miami pulled the game back to within 4. Western would leave the half leading 36-35 thanks, in part, to Miami shooting only 2-7 from the free throw line. The Broncos came out strong in the second half, taking a 12 point lead on a 3 from Nate Hutcheson with 13:30 remaining in the game. Miami began to close the gap again but each time
Western had an answer, whether it was Ritchie hitting Whitfield on a fast break, or Mike Douglas putting in a tough basket in the lane, the Broncos held off Miami. The second half featured another good shooting performance from Western, as they shot just under 53% and went to the free throw line for 24 shots, of which they made 17. They were able to pull away from Miami after the RedHawks went cold from the 3-point line in the second half, going only 4 of 17 as Western’s defense held them to 10-33 from the field overall as Western would lead by 15 with 10:36 remaining in the game, the largest they would hold all game, and held it the entire second half. Mike Douglas scored 10 second half points as he finished with 12 points and 7 assists as he continues to chase the school’s all time assist record. Flenard Whitfield scored 7 second half points as he finished with a season high 22 and 8 rebounds. Shayne Whittington earned his first career double-double as he finished with a career high 15 points and 11 rebounds in a solid post performance as Western won the rebounding battle, 34-26, and turned the ball over only eight times, while they had 16 assists as a team, good for a 2-1 assist to turnover ratio. The Broncos will play at home again Wednesday, February 1st,
Katrina Murphy/Western Herald
Sophomore center Shayne Whittington (21) goes up hard for a dunk past Miami’s Drew McGhee (50). against Bowling Green at 7 p.m. then they will go on the road to
play Kent State on Saturday, February 4th, which is also at 7 p.m.
Broncos see mixed results in series By Patrick Littleton Staff Reporter
The Western Michigan University hockey team split its home and home series this weekend against Bowling Green State University and is tied for second place in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association standings. On Friday, the Broncos scored three second period goals to win 4-1, in front of 3,314 fans at Lawson Ice Arena. Netting goals for the Broncos were junior right wing Dane Walters, senior center Greg Squires, and sophomore left wing Shane Berschbach. Freshman goaltender Frank Slubowksi made 20 saves in the win. “I just got out and played,” Walters said. “It felt really good to get back. It felt good getting out there, connect with my line
mates again, didn’t lose any chemistry, it was just good to get out there and get the win.” Walter started it with a power play goal at the 9:20 mark of the second period with an assist from junior defenseman Matt Tennyson. Squires chimed in with a goal at the 13:29 mark of the second period with assists from senior forward J.J. Crew and junior defenseman Luke Witkowski. “(It felt) Like a big weight off my shoulders, Plus a monkey,” Squires said. “But to be honest, it felt good, but I never really think about that. As long as the team’s winning and we play well. I just tapped it in, it was a great play by Crew.” Walters tallied his second goal of the night at the 15:16 mark of the second period with assists from sophomore center Chase Balisy and Berschbach.
WMU gyMnAsTiCs TeAM On A ROll
Broncos garner second highest score in WMU gymnastics history By Bethany Bohlen Photography & Art Editor
Katrina Murphy / Western Herald
Senior Taylor Zondervan high-fives Western Michigan University Head Coach Dave Kuzara after completing her vault routine on Sunday, Jan. 29.
The Western Michigan University gymnastics team scored a 195.300 to 192.800 win over Bowling Green on Sunday, Jan. 29. This matchup resulted in WMU’s second top-10 overall total score of the year, as well as the second highest in the history of WMU’s gymnastics program, according to the WMU Broncos’ website. WMU gymnast Taylor Zondervan recently received the honor of Mid-American Conference Gymnast of the Week. The accolade followed Zondervan helping WMU defeat Northern Illinois 194.575 to 193.350 on Sunday. Zondervan is a senior at WMU from Schoolcraft, Mich. Western Michigan remains at home for its next meet against Illinois-Chicago on Feb. 5 at 2 p.m., according to the Broncos’ website.
The Falcons got on the board about a minute later thanks to a senior forward Cameron Sinclair goal at the 16:53 mark of the second period with assists from freshman defenseman Marcus Perrier and junior defenseman Ryan Peltoma. The Broncos put their lead back at three goals early in the third period with an unassisted goal by Berschbach goal at the 19:42 mark. The Broncos outshot the Falcons 33-21, including 17 shots in the first period. The Broncos continued their strong power play, going 1-of-4 with five shot attempts. The Falcons were 0-of-4 with six shots. “I think it was a big win for our team,” WMU head coach Andy Murray said. “Coming off of a couple of defeats last weekend, we needed to get back on the winning track. Bowling
Green wears their jersey with pride, too, they work hard, and we talked about that before the game. I reminded them of that after the 2nd period as well. This is a proud team we’re playing, here, they’re going to battle us, so we need to be ready. For us the most gratifying part is the three points.” On Saturday, the Broncos surrendered two third period goals to lose 2-1 at the BGSU Ice Arena. Squires gave the Broncos an early lead at the 1:21 mark of the first period with assists from redshirt junior forward Mike Leone and freshman forward Will Kessel. The Broncos held a 1-0 lead until sophomore forward Camden Wojtala scored at the 6:10 mark of the third period with an assist from sophomore forward Bryce Williamson. The Falcons
took the lead at the 13:51 mark of the third period with a shorthanded goal by senior forward James Mcintosh, assists from sophomore forwards Andrew Wallace and Chad Sumsion. Slubowski (9-7-3) tallied 20 saves in the loss. The Broncos outshot the Falcons 29-22 and were 1-of-9 on the power play with 12 shots. The Falcons were 0-of-5 with ten shots. The Broncos are 13-10-5 overall and 10-7-3-3 in the CCHA. WMU is one point behind Ferris State University after being in first place for one night after beating BGSU. The Broncos are tied with Miami University and Ohio State University for second place in the conference. The Broncos welcome the University of Alaska Fairbanks for two matches this weekend. The puck will drop at 7:05 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Skating scores silver
By Katie Krausman Staff Reporter
The WMU synchronized skating teams have just recently returned from their 2012 Mid Western Synchronized Sectional Championship competition in Plymouth, Michigan, and the girls are returning far from disappointed. “I think that our success at mids was not only determined by our high placement, but also by the amount of personal and group improvement we have made since the last competition,” said Caylee Jessen, a freshman on the collegiate skating team. The collegiate team earned a silver medal at the sectional competition, which qualified them for a spot at the upcoming National competition. WMU scored a total segment score of 77.55 which was a very close second to U of M’s 78.01. “After we skated I felt amazing. We were all really happy
with our skate but it still wasn’t our best which means we have room to improve even more for Nationals,” said Margaret Anderson, a junior on both the collegiate and senior level teams. The senior team, which competed both a short and long program at the competition, finished in third place overall. This team also earned themselves a chance to compete at Nationals. “Even though we didn’t have a perfect skate, we scored our highest yet this season and I was happy with it. I’m excited for nationals because I know that if we keep up our pattern of improvement we will be able to skate our best program we are capable of,” said Amy Signer, a senior on the senior level team. Not only did both the senior and collegiate teams achieve a high level of success, but the WMU Alumni team also earned a medal at their first competition this season. The alumni team earned fourth place at sectionals and will be joining the other two Western Michigan synchro-
nized skating teams at the upcoming National competition in Boston, Massachusetts. While the girls have until the last weekend of February to prepare for the National competition, they still have a very busy schedule ahead of them. Both teams will be skating at this weekend’s hockey games and participating in the Hockey Cares weekend by supporting the breast cancer awareness fundraiser and by cleaning up the rink after the game. The teams will also be skating in a National send-off exhibition at Lawson Arena on February 25th at 6:30 pm. “I thought that Mids was a successful weekend overall where all three teams improved their point totals from previous competitions. I’m looking forward to getting feedback from judges in order to make the necessary improvements to earn a spot on the podium at nationals,” said head coach Leslie Graham.
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8
Monday, January 30, 2012
Indoor track team remains undefeated this season, 4-0 By Catie Dymond Staff Reporter
It was another great win for Western Michigan University’s track team as they end up with their fourth non-scored victory at the Indiana Relays. The undefeated team has many individual students showing talent that could lead them to become MAC champions or even qualify for the Olympic trials.
“We have a good chance at winning the MAC championship this year, both indoors and outdoors, last year Iris Campbell was NVP (a student who wins the most points overall). She was MAC champ in the 200M, long jump, almost in the 400, scored in the 100 hurdles and ran the 4X400M relay. She has a good shot at making it to the Olympic trials in the 400M hurdles,” Kelly Lycan said, Track and Field Head Coach.
“With the Olympic Trials, there are qualifying standards for all the different events. They have an automatic standard which is 66 seconds flat in the 400M. There are 28 people that run the trials. Provisional standards are for people who do not automatically qualify, but they want at least 28 people average in each event,” Lycan said. Rachel Whitley won the 800M run at the Indiana Relays on Sat-
urday afternoon. The 4x400M relay and 4x800M relay also took second place overall. The 800M relay team consisting of Jeriesha Tucker, Aisha Hodge, Cara Cremeans and Whitley finished with a time of 9:03.62. “Rachel Whitley was a double winner at the MAC Championships last year, She ran a 2:09 in the 800M event and won in the 1500M with a 4:20. Both her and Iris Campbell are juniors,” said
Lycan. Sophomore Andrea Arnold ended up in second place for the 400M run with only a .05 second difference from the first place runner. She set a personal record of 55.11 seconds. “Andrea Arnold is from Cleveland, Ohio. She placed second in the 400M last year and our team finished 1-2 right with Campbell in the lead. Arnold qualified for the USA Jr. Nationals and
finished in the top eight which made her All American last year. She’s another athlete who has a shot at qualifying for the Olympic trials,” said Lycan. Andrea Hiler finished in third place with a final score of 13.61m. In fourth place, Sarah Ross received a final score of 3.55M. Next weekend the Broncos will participate in the Meyo Invitational in South Bend, Indiana on Feb. 3.