http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/April 29, 2008en-usThu, 15 May 2008 08:37:28 EDTTue, 29 Apr 2008 17:27:27 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1940submitted by Andrew J. BethuneUniversity traditions. Some are fun, some are serious, and some can be a bit edgy. SVSU students have established traditions like painting the rock, Battle of the Valleys, and pouring soap in the Gazelle Fountain. Whatever the tradition, they are significant because they help define us, become part of our collective memories, and link generations together.

The SVSU Alumni Association is, in part, in the business of honoring traditions, and occasionally developing or nurturing new ones. Most of them are serious (though when you think about it, it had to have been a future alum who came up with the fountain idea). And while it takes years before true traditions really are "owned" and honored by future generations, we always have the opportunity to begin, foster and rally around new ones. The end-of-the-school-year is when a group of SVSU students share in a time-honored tradition --- graduating and becoming SVSU alumni.

Graduation makes you part of a family of over 30,000 alumni who all share a common bond an SVSU degree. Many have chosen to join the Alumni Association to give back. A more select group has chosen to get involved by joining the Alumni Board. This group of dedicated alumni work together to develop new opportunities to make SVSU a better place - for everyone. Our goals are to create awareness of our association, strengthen membership, support students, and create distinctive initiatives.

Our tradition of support continues. The Alumni Endowed Scholarship has shown remarkable growth in the past four years three scholarships were awarded in 2005 -2006 as compared to 18 scholarships for our upcoming academic year. The Bob Becker Scholarship has been supported by the annual Alumni Association golf outing and continues to grow in value and distribute more scholarship dollars each year.

Our tradition of celebration continues. Homecoming is becoming a popular event for students and alumni to celebrate together. The Honorary Alumni Award recognizes someone who has cared about SVSU as if it was their own. This year we have the pleasure to honor Dr. Eldon Graham and welcome him into our family of alumni. Over the past few years we have recognized Dr. Walt Rathkamp, Dr. & Mrs. Bob (Amy) Yien, and Dr. David Weaver. This is an honor roll of people who helped develop this institution.

Our tradition outreach continues. This past fall, the Alumni Association established the first-ever Tri County Red Pride Friday, positioning SVSU as our region's home team. Our work has also contributed to Reflections magazine. Reflections celebrated its fifth issue in April and has a distribution of 50,000, which includes over 25,000 alumni. Family fun day attracts alumni families to campus and our Alumni Celebration annually recognizes successful alumni with a special awards event and celebrity entertainment. It is our commitment to keep our alumni aware of and returning for these opportunities.

Traditions evolve and so will the work of the SVSU Alumni Association. We can do more to support and engage current students and we encourage our new alumni to help us develop new ideas. We can also improve our methods of reaching out to our 30,000+ alumni. For us to succeed we ask our alumni to make a commitment by joining the Association.

Hopefully, it won't be too long before our traditions include alumni and students working together for the greater good of SVSU. So, if you see a few older folks on campus with paint brushes, bottles of dish soap and 'GVS...who' t-shirts, you'll know we are making progress.

Go Cardinals!

Andrew J. Bethune
Executive Director, SVSU Foundation]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:27:27 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1940http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1939Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:25:15 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1939http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1930
Faculty directors for the season are Professors of Theatre Steven Erickson and Janet Rubin, and Assistant Professor of Theatre Richard Roberts.

Erickson will direct The Water Engine, a play involving a young inventor's battle with a corrupt society run by big business in his attempt to market a water-powered engine in 1933. Rubin's show, Art, is an award-winning play that exhibits a group of friends' colorful debate over the meaning of "art" and friendship, and Roberts' show, The Andrews Brothers, is a musical review that features the amusing escapade of three Army brothers and a famous singer just before a USO show in the South Pacific.

The faculty lineup is part of SVSU's fourth consecutive year of spring and summer performances.

"The impetus for the season starting back in 2005," Erickson said, "was the fact that our department has grown to the extent where we have a lot more majors now, and we wanted to offer them more opportunities to be on stage. Also, we wanted to provide an entertainment service to both the University and the community at large because most theaters in the area are what we call 'dark' in the summer, meaning they shut down."

The season also benefits SVSU students who are taking spring and summer theater classes.

"The Theatre 128B course requires students to attend...performances and write critiques on them," Erickson said.

Students in both semesters have the opportunity to view three plays due to The Water Engine beginning at the end of the spring and carrying over into the summer.

While the directors have occasionally utilized the Lillian R. Zahnow Ampitheatre during the summer, all of this season's shows will be performed in the Black Box.

"Generally, when we do shows that we consider to be a little more intimate, the smaller space works well," Rubin said. "We also have flexibility there because we can arrange the seating differently, so it really lends itself nicely to the kind of work we want to represent in this season."

Theater seniors Patrick Konesko and Chad Baker are fulfilling their senior project requirements by directing The Pillowman and Dog Sees God, respectively.

Konesko describes Pillowman, which he deems suitable for mature audiences only, as "a look at the nature of art and storytelling through the interrogation of a writer about the gruesome content of his short stories." This is Konesko's second time directing, as he directed Wonder of the World through Work N' Progress (a student run production company) in the fall.

According to Baker, Dog Sees God is a dark comedy featuring a cast of grown-up characters from the Peanuts comic strip, who encounter an array of serious issues in high school including drugs, identity issues, and suicide.

"I think what I enjoy most about senior projects in general," Baker said, "is that student directors are more willing to push the limits in terms of the shows that we do, which is something that the professors aren't always willing to do."

He views both his project and Konesko's as having the potential to raise controversy due to their dark nature in one form or another, but adds that they are "both presenting different types of theater that audiences wouldn't necessarily be able to see in this area otherwise."

Baker will hold auditions for his show on May 13, and Konesko's opening performance is scheduled to kick off the summer season on Tuesday, May 20.

"It has already been a tremendously positive experience for me," Konesko said, "and I am confident that it will continue to be so."

Performance dates:

The Pillowman, by Martin McDonaugh
May 20 through 23 @ 7:30 pm

Art, by Yasmina Reza
June 4 through 7 @ 7:30 pm

The Water Engine, by David Mamet
June 17 through 20 @ 7:30 pm

Dog Sees God, by Bert V. Royal
July 15 through 17 & 19 @ 7:30 pm

The Andrews Brothers, by Roger Bean
Aug. 5 though 10 @ 7:30 pm

Tickets:
$10 general admission and $7 students and senior citizens (Brothers is $13 and $10 respectively due to music rights)
]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:24:04 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1930http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1932
Patrick Herald, opinion editor:
Far and away The Dark Knight. The miraculous resetting of the Batman movie franchise with Batman Begins made for a comic book film whose only real flaws were, ironically, its action scenes. It's a testament to its credibility that it proved to be great almost entirely on the strength of characterization and plot. I have faith that the next installation will be at least nearly as good. The late Heath Ledger's role looks to be a strong indication that there will still be the satisfying focus on character.

Alex Baumgardner, sports editor:
Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. As a rabid Indy fan basically since infancy, just mentioning it here is making me giddy. The trailer is more action packed than most features, and the reprisal of Karen Allen's character from Raiders of the Lost Ark leads me to believe this film is one being made for the fans. If that is any indication, there should be little doubt as to this being a welcome addition to a series that is already an American cinema classic.

Mathew C. Easterwood, A&E editor:
The Dark Knight, without hesitation. Nolan's realistic and darker take on the genre with Batman Begins in 2005 was one of the best comic book adaptations in years. Bale's take on the dual nature of the character was refreshing, and the fact that Ledger's role as the Joker could indeed have played an indirect role in his death proves how devoted to the character and film he was, which is amazing and frightening. Even in watching the trailer, I can hardly tell that it's him.

Least Anticipated

Herald:
The House Bunny. Is there even an audience for this? A Playboy bunny moves into a sorority house to to assist the socially crippled sisters with her "eternally bubbly" personality, according to imdb.com. It's directed by Fred Wolf, who helped bring us such gems as Strange Wilderness and Joe Dirt. Maybe if people just stopped going to see movies like this then they would stop making them. There's nothing wrong with comedy, which is essential for society, but, this? Really?

Baumgardner:
Undoubtedly, The Love Guru. I would rather watch a cat sleep for an hour and a half than see another Mike Myers atrocity. He seems pretty desperate at this point. Verne Troyer's cameo makes me think this film will consist mainly of Myers coyly addressing the audience as if to say, "Remember Austin Powers? That was funny, right?" The funniest thing Myers has done in the 11 years since Powers was a reaction to Kayne West. Something tells me nothing in Guru will top that.

Easterwood:
While I'm quite sure worse films are coming out this summer, The Incredible Hulk probably wins for me here. My primary issue with the film is how a mere five years have passed since Hulk, which proves how few people appreciated Ang Lee's distinctive version of both the character and the genre. Yes. I liked Hulk. For those of you that didn't, you clearly don't understand the Hulk or what Lee was attempting. Was it completely successful? No, but it was beautiful for what it was.

Highest Grossing

Herald:
I'm going to bet on Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Everyone is going to see this. An addition to a classic blockbuster franchise showing up now, almost 20 years later. Remember what happened when the new Star Wars movies (regardless of their quality) were released? Massive lineups at theaters. Expect to see something similar with the new Jones film, if a bit toned down and with less people wearing robes and carrying lightsabers.

Baumgardner:
Iron Man has a shot. The hype machine has been working overtime on this film. It's starting to reach Fantastic Four territory, which frightens me. The last thing I want to see is another of my childhood heroes be destroyed by an out-of-touch movie producer. While I'm personally not too excited for it, Iron Man appears to be garnering a lot of attention. The Dark Knight is another contender. Its year long viral ad campaign could put this film in the stratosphere in terms of box-office gross.

Easterwood:
This is tough. It's been rather disappointing to me that the last few summers have seen really crappy movies making the most money (only three of those in the top ten last year are worth multiple views). So, I'm sort of at a loss. I'd like to see it be WALL-E. It looks to be another Pixar hit, and they've only faltered once (Cars). Plus, their success continually comes from fresh ideas and not capitalizing on a previous success (Toy Story having the only sequel). So, they deserve it.


2008 summe...]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:22:59 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1932http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1938It's almost summer. And since you're not Brian Flanagan, you need some help stocking your bar.If you're graduating this May, you're not just graduating from college. You're graduating from a dark time, characterized by long nights of cheap rum, cheaper beer, and ceaseless headaches.

It's time to move on to the adult world of more sophisticated drinking. If your boss invites you out to dinner, you just can't order a can of Milwaukee's Best Light. The purpose of the occasional drink has suddenly changed: It's no longer a narrow-minded quest to lose control of your mechanical functions. It's a conversation-starter (and loosener).

So we've done the legwork for you. If you're planning on hosting a party or function of some sort, you'll need some of the equipment listed below.

And if you're going to a party, hold off on that rum and coke that's treated you so well in college and try ordering something different for once.

We've listed some recipes below. Go ahead and see if anything tickles your fancy.

And of course, have fun this summer.

Essential liquors
gin
vodka
rum
whiskey (scotch, Canadian/rye, and bourbon)
tequila

Optional liquors
brandy
cognac

Fruit and garnish
cherries
pineapple
strawberries
oranges
lemons
ice (lots of it)
olives
sugar
mint
cocktail onions
bitters

Mixers
cola
ginger ale
grenadine
sour mix
7-Up/Sprite
triple sec
tonic/soda water
beer
club soda
fruit juices
various schnapps flavors
various liqueurs
wines

Equipment
can/bottle opener
corkscrew
cutting board and knife
bartender's spoon and muddler
shaker/strainer
ice bucket and tongs
jigger
blender
measuring spoons and cups
common cocktail glasses: martini, collins, highball, margarita, hurricane

Beginner's recipes

These are some simple (short, in bartender's lingo) drinks with some readily available ingredients. None of them will require you to fly in some exotic juices from Micronesia. In fact, most of the ingredients are available at Meijer. So there's no excuse not to experiment. Some of the drinks are pretty hard, you'll want to watch out for the Hurricane and the Zombie. Of course, all of these drinks contain alcohol and you have to be 21 or older to drink.

Creamsicle:
1 1/2 oz. vanilla liqueur
3 oz. orange juice
1 1/2 oz. milk
Pour all ingredients into a collins glass over ice.

Full Moon:
1 1/2 oz. orange Curacao liqueur
1 1/2 oz. amaretto
Pour all ingredients into a rocks glass over ice.

Fuzzy Navel:
1 part peach schnapps
1 part orange juice
1 part lemonade
1 part vodka (optional)
Mix equal parts of all ingredients into a highball glass and top with ice.

Grateful Dead:
1 part tequila
1 part vodka
1 part rum (light)
1 part gin
1 part raspberry liqueur (Chambord preferred)
Shake all ingredients and pour over ice in a collins glass.

Hat Trick:
1/2 oz. dark rum
1/2 oz. light rum
1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice cubes, and strain into a cocktail glass.

Hurricane:
1 oz. vodka
1 oz. gin
1 oz. light rum
1/2 oz. Bacardi 151
1 oz. amaertto
1 oz. triple sec
grenadine
grapefruit juice
pineapple juice
Pour all ingredients except the juices in order into a hurricane glass with ice cubes. Top off with equal parts grapefruit and pineapple juice.

Kamikaze:
3 oz. vodka
1 oz. triple sec
1 oz. lime juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and strian into an old fashioned glass over ice cubes.

Long Island Iced Tea:
1 part vodka
1 part tequila
1 part rum
1 part gin
1 part triple sec
1 1/2 parts sour mix
1 slash cola
Mix ingredients together in a mixing glass, then pour into a shaker with ice. Shake once or twice, then pour into a highball glass and garnish with lemon.

Classic martini (dry):
3 oz. gin
1/4 oz. vermouth
Shake both ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with an olive.

Margarita:
1 1/2 oz. tequila
1/2 oz. triple sec
1 oz. lime juice
5 oz. sour mix
1/2 oz. orange juice
1/2 oz. orange Curacao liqueur
Prepare your margarita glass by rubbing lime juice on the rim and dipping it in salt. Blend all ingredients with ice until it forms a slush. Pour into the glass and garnish with lime.

Mojito:
3 sprits of mint
2 tsp sugar]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:18:18 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1938http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1937
Since 2006, Johnson, who is described as a "dodger of bullets," has been caught in the crossfire of bullets and rockets on the Israel-Lebanon border and has also walked the streets of Nepal, being one of the only Americans in sight.

Johnson said that he has an extreme interest in these areas of the world.

"I have a fascination to discern when a country will go into chaos," he said.

Johnson has traveled to regions, including but not limited to, the Israel-Lebanon border, the Philippines, Nepal and Tibet, the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and Columbia.

Johnson said that he found two places particularly interesting out of the five that he presented. From a humanitarianism standpoint his favorite place was Nepal. "Nepal was my favorite because Hindus and Buddhists live side by side. They respect one another and love one another," Johnson said.

From a political standpoint Johnson's favorite region was the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

"There are just so many bizarre things happening there." he said.

Johnson was involved in the Literacy Drive that sent books to Nepal. "The easy part is getting the books collected, but the harder part is getting them transported over to Nepal."

Johnson believes that poverty is a major cause of conflict in the world.

"I saw the poverty around the world. Poverty is brutal."

Johnson is involved in three careers concurrently. He is an attorney and freelance journalist and a professor at SVSU. He has taught at the college level for 30 years.

"I can't imagine not teaching."]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:05:18 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1937http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1936Administrator explains extra costs for SVSU's online courses on tuition billsFor students registering for online courses there are additional fees as well as the basic technology fee.

"We're trying to recoup the additional cost for online courses," said Jim Muladore, vice president of business affairs.

The policy was created to keep students from having to pay the Academic Computing Fee, an additional $45 per class

According to the SVSU Web site, the academic computing fee is a course fee that is applied to those courses that require the use of computers in either specialized or general labs.

"These are generally your computer science classes. Most of the student body will never have to pay this fee," Muladore said.

Students registering for classes will notice additional fees added to their final total. All students taking classes on any SVSU campus will be charged a general service fee costing $10.45 per credit hour.

According to the SVSU Web site, the general service fee is an assessment for parking facilities, first aid facilities, Program Board fees, Student Association fees, publication fees and registration processing.

"The general service fee is not applied to online courses," Muladore said. "Only students taking classes on campus pay this fee."

Additionally, students taking classes will pay the technology fee, costing $3.45 per credit hour.

"The technology fee is a mandatory fee, which supports the growing technology requirements and needs for all students at the University," the SVSU Web site said.

All fees are refunded according to the tuition refund policy, 100 percent the first week, 75 percent the second week, etc.

Students interested in the fees can search "academic fees" on the SVSU Web site.]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:04:41 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1936http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1935
On April 18, a laptop computer was reported stolen between 2:30 a.m. and 3 a.m. from an apartment in University Village East. It was taken from a bedroom and both doors were reported to be unlocked.

Vechicles vandalized

On April 20, malicious destruction of two vehicles in University Village West lots was reported early in the morning. A Ford Explorer's back window was smashed out and another vehicle had similar back window damage. There are no suspects.

compiled by Mary Oakley]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:03:54 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1935http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1934Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:02:55 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1934http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1933
In the first double header of the week, the Cardinals swept Hillsdale by winning the first game 2-1 and the second game 6-5.

Sophomore pitcher Kari Bowlby picked up her sixth win of the season, pitching six innings before handing over the game to freshman pitcher Jade Fulton, who picked up her sixth save of the season.

The Cards fell behind early in the second inning before responding in the third when junior first baseman Stacy Kraatz singled and then was brought home on a double by freshman catcher Nicole Laakso, leading to the win.

The next game was more high scoring, but no less dramatic as the Cards took an early lead only to see it evaporate in the top of the seventh inning.

Leading 5-2, the Cards allowed Hillsdale to tie the game in the top of the seventh as Kraatz relieved Fulton on the mound.

Kraatz led off the bottom of the seventh with a single. Later in the inning, she would score on a hit by sophomore third baseman Jordan Stuart, giving the Cards the win.

The next day, the Cardinals split a double header against Tiffin University, losing the first game 3-2, before winning the second game 3-2.

The Cards stranded 10 runners, while still managing to score one run in the fifth and sixth innings, only to strand the tying run in the bottom of the seventh, ending the comeback hopes.

In the second game, Fulton picked up her ninth win of the season, pitching the final 4.1 innings.

Freshman outfielder Kim Sills hit a two-run homerun in the bottom of the fourth to break a scoreless tie.

In the next inning, Fulton got on the stat sheet offensively knocking in what turned out to be the winning run.

Against Gannon University, the Cards swept the doubleheader, winning the first game 5-2 and the second game in extra innings 3-2.

The Cards fell behind 2-0 early before scoring five unanswered runs in the win.

Kraatz picked up the win, although Fulton made SVSU history by picking up her seventh save of the season, which is a single-season record, and also a career record as well.

The Cards took an early lead in the next game before falling behind heading into the seventh inning. They rallied to send the game into extra innings where they escaped with the win when sophomore center fielder Angela Kaiser beat a throw home to score the winning run.

In the final double header of the week, the Cards split with Mercyhurt, losing the first game 1-0 before getting back on track with a 5-3 victory in the second game.

In the second game, junior outfielder Marsha Beaubien hit a home run, along with Kraatz helping the Cards take a 4-1 lead that they would not relinquish.

The win gives the Cards a final regular season record of 30-14 overall, (14-6 GLIAC). With the regular season finished, the GLIAC tournament is set to begin May 2 in Erie, Penn.]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:01:40 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1933http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1931
This coffee shop, cafe, and hang out spot in Saginaw encourages artists, particularly students, to display their work in the shop. Magic Bean, located at 5789 State Rd., caters to a wide variety of customers ranging from students to business groups.

"I have had many conversations with the owners and the manager. I wanted to be invited by them to show my work," Pedini said.

This opportunity is particularly exciting for him because he will show some selections of his painted works, another medium that he expressed interest in.

A student of art for as long as he can remember, Pedini grew up drawing, painting, and playing with clay. His parents spent a lot of time nurturing his growing talent. He jokes that his parents only encouraged art as a way to keep him busy.

"My mom took the time to sit with me and show me how to draw shapes and always made sure I had plenty of supplies to work with."

Influenced by artists such as Erno Klajo, Keemo, Chris Silva, David Carson, Vincent Van Gogh, Andy Warhol, Bansky and Jean Michel Basquiat, he has become interested in a wide variety of genres centering on postmodernism, social satire, street art, and other pop cultural art styles.

In the past few years, Pedini has also had a number of other shows and was awarded a $10,000 grant by SVSU for a mural project in Saginaw, consisting of four huge murals with inspirations drawn from local stories. He also founded and is president of SVSU's local artist group, University Artistry.

"The group was needed by the art department. It's really good for getting our ideas into the community in a positive way."

In working on his own art, Pedini says that he most enjoys when the line between art and the rest of the world becomes blurred.

"It is my feeling that art does not, by definition, require a canvas and paint. Art can be made from almost anything, and it is exciting to be surprised by the use of unexpected materials."

In the future, Pedini intends to continue work as an artist and graphic designer and hopes to always try new things in his exploration of personal expression.

The Magic Bean exhibit opens up on May 9. The cafe's hours are Monday- Friday 7:00-10:00, Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:42:49 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1931http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1929
But I've been here for six years as an undergrad, and I've worked with administrators, faculty, support staff, and students extensively in a variety of roles. I've had plenty of opportunities to observe and analyze the machinery behind the institution, and I've come to a couple of realizations.

The first: This place has a lot going for it. Small class sizes, as advertised relentlessly by SVSU's marketing arm, really are essential to a quality education. Small classes engender discussion and debate and help make college the emotionally and intellectually challenging experience it should be.

And I've never discovered if this is official University policy, but good teaching is at least ostensibly valued over research, which is an enormous boon to the student's learning experience. Other colleges and universities demand faculty to contribute to their field. To use the vomitous buzz-phrase: Faculty are expected to "advance knowledge." That's a load of bullshit. Good researchers aren't necessarily good educators, although many of them are. When universities require publication in order to advance, ruthless careerism is the result. Educating students becomes secondary.

So far, SVSU hasn't fallen prey to that type of thinking. It's placed the value of its educational curriculum above the prestige that superstar research brings. All of its professors are scholars, to be sure, but the focus is clearly on educating the student.

The second: There are some trends that if unchecked could cripple the effectiveness of the University.

The most obvious among them is the steadily rising cost of tuition. SVSU has long prided itself as the least expensive public university in the state, and given the quality of education here, that's something to be very, very proud of. Affordable education for all, regardless of class, is the noblest ideal an educational institution can hold. But as state funding continues to dwindle, SVSU's leaders must make tough decisions. I'll advise them as such: There are many, many things universities don't need but often get anyway. Keep classroom education the focus of your expenditures and you'll automatically limit the number of tough decisions you have to make. And of course, colleges aren't supposed to be luxury resorts. How many plasma televisions and $1,200 designer chairs do we need? ]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:36:35 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1929http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1928
"It's a pie in the face of corporate environmentalism and capitalism," said a member of the group that distributed the fliers in a phone call to the university's student newspaper.

Another liberal protest on a college campus. Yawn. It's the hip thing to do now, almost becoming the initiation ritual of the nation's leftist student organizations. It's also expected and boring, the type of activity which when you observe it, makes you want to roll your eyes.

One of the pie-throwers, later identified as Brown senior Margaree Little, was apprehended in the hallway as she tried to escape by Assistant Professor of Biology Stephen Porder, who was sitting in the front row of the speech. He then proceeded to lead her to Director of Public Safety (DPS) officers.

Little's reaction of running away after throwing the pie shows how cowardly both she and the act are. If the protest was for such a dignified cause, as she claims, why did she run away like a scared little (no pun intended) girl?

The other assailant overshadows Little. As I write this, he has yet to be identified, and there are reports indicating he may not be a Brown student. A telephone call was made to the university's student newspaper by the group that distributed the pamphlets into the crowd. The caller, who may be the other assailant, refused to give his name, opting instead to be called "Colonel Custard, or the corporate criminal creamer." There is nothing like making a joke of your cause by being a joke yourself.

The Colonel also provided this gem of a quote: "The climate deniers are easy to take down because they've been proven wrong. If we're actually going to do anything about the problem, we need to look at the false solutions. Things like biofuels are just as harmful as climate change itself."

He failed to enlighten us on his solutions for the upcoming "crisis." One other thing that left people puzzled was the target of the protest. Thomas Friedman? Friedman is an environmentalist himself. In addition, he does a pretty good job of towing the line when it comes to the center of the political spectrum. Perhaps the group, which calls themselves the Greenwash Guerillas, was just looking for attention and wanted to target anyone who would bring significant coverage from the press if attacked.

The group, which apparently has global ties, focuses on just about any "anti-Earth" event you can imagine. Most of the general public realizes that protests and groups like these do more to hurt their cause rather than to forward it. They care about the Earth, this much is obvious; however their cause would be better benefited through education and discussion rather than publicity stunts.]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:35:58 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1928http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1927submitted by Diane BoehmOne of the students in my Writing in the Professions course recently raised this question in a discussion forum in our class. I've been thinking about it a lot.

Most of the students in the class are juniors and seniors; a majority are in business and management, with a few education, nursing, and other majors. Their observations are telling:

"There are many ways in which one's own culture can be 'invisible.' The word 'invisible' I think refers to the events, common occurrences, languages and other things that a culture does without really realizing they do and/or realizing that it is out of the ordinary compared to another culture."

"Almost every foreign exchange student that I know is fluent in at least two languages; many of these people are fluent in three or four languages on top of their own. I think that it is ignorant of Americans (me being one of them) to feel that they only need to know English and that everyone else should know English."

"Sometimes Americans don't respect the [other] culture and they think since their country is very powerful that they don't have to respect other cultures."

"Siemens and ... Westinghouse wanted to team up to sell automotive parts worldwide. After about a year of efforts in trying to collaborate, the project was thrown out. The stated cause was lack of common ground between partners. In my research I found many cases like this one and was surprised at how frequently communication barriers were the reason for failure in business transactions."

Some of the students reflected on experiences from their own lives or families:

One student's parents emigrated from Hungary 20 years ago; her mother taught herself English while receiving her degree in music education from U of M; she still struggles with the language at times. The student recognizes that "for a person from another culture, the [English] language may simply be inappropriate or hard to follow" and concluded that "I believe it is awfully arrogant and rude when I hear people say, 'Why don't you go back to your own country!'"

Another student, an ethnic Korean who was sworn in as an American citizen this month, observes that "many foreigners actually have excellent English vocabularies, maybe better than most Americans ... they spend many years studying English. Americans are not the only people speaking English, right? My brother works in the financial markets in Seoul. He has clients from Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, and other places. He almost always uses English to speak to non-Korean clients."

The observations of my students suggest that in America, ethnocentrism is certainly easy - and often reinforced by our culture. Sometimes it may even be admired. Changing this perspective begins with awareness.

Last year I visited the village from which my great-great-grandfather, with his wife and 10 children, emigrated in 1863. It was then Prussia, a part of Germany. After the massive border realignments resulting from WWII, it became part of Poland, its German history obliterated. Who might I have become had he made a different decision? Who might you have become had your ancestors made different decisions?

When I hear the term "campus community," I'm reminded that, like our nation, e pluribus unum is a goal to which each of us contributes - or fails to contribute. Do I think our American education system makes it easy for us to be ethnocentric? In many cases, unfortunately yes. But where we go from here is up to us.

Diane Boehm
University Writing Program director]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:34:47 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1927http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1926submitted by Eric ReadAfter reading last week's Vanguard, I was really caught by surprise by a letter to the editor criticizing Student Association.

As a former member I know the student government is often criticized. But what caught me totally by surprise was how two students who put their name on that letter are currently members of SA.

It blows my mind how two members of an organization can attack this group in a medium like the school newspaper.

Furthermore, the letter criticized SA for not having enough funds for study abroad scholarships or RSO allocations yet it had money to award student groups. I find this interesting because one of these individuals chairs the committee that gave out these awards and if someone were that concerned about the study abroad scholarships and RSO allocations, wouldn't it make sense to give the money for the awards to the Allocations committee?

Doesn't it speak poorly of someone's leadership abilities when a member of a group criticizes the group in a public forum while not really trying to do anything within the group to address these concerns?

One of the individuals sat on the smoking committee that helped make the policy that isn't spoken well of in the letter; way to criticize your own work and demonstrate faith in your leadership abilities.

The letter said that it took a whole organization to pull off the incompetence SA did this year; what does that say about the level of concern or respect for fellow colleagues?

I guarantee any concerned member of an organization wouldn't support a letter to the editor like that one last week.

Lastly, I'm sure some of you are wondering whether or not your SA cares about you. Rest assured, most do; I was fortunate enough to serve and I appreciated the privilege it is as I know most of my former colleagues do.

Eric Read
Former SA representative and Parliamentarian]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:33:02 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1926http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1925
Admissions director Jim Dwyer's quote in Paul Scozzari's article on rejection rates speaks volumes to the forward-thinking approach that SVSU employs in its admissions policies.

" ... the philosophy of people like President Gilbertson and myself is that it should be easy to get in, but hard to get out," he told Paul.

High admissions standards don't always mean high standards in the classroom. Elite public universities suffer from grade inflation just as community colleges do, and the quality of an individual's education in a cavernous lecture hall with 300 students is questionable at best.

What high admissions standards do is to simplify a university's job: Instead of a qualitative assessment of a student's potential, admissions decisions are largely quantitative beasts. If the numbers aren't there, they don't have to bother.

It's tougher at Ivy League schools, though, when all the numbers are the same (read: impeccable) and admissions representatives end up scratching their heads, choosing what few applications to select out of thousands of equally impressive portfolios.

So selectivity isn't all that bad. Many students that performed poorly or typically in high school really aren't very good students.

But many, perhaps the majority, have the potential to be exceptional college students. Students coming from high-poverty high schools may not have been appropriately challenged, since standards at such schools are often very low. Incompetent teachers still ruin subjects for untold numbers of students at high and low-poverty schools alike.

SVSU's admissions policy implicitly recognizes that a high school education is occasionally a poor indicator of a student's potential. Not all high schools educate their students the same, though. Achievement differs immensely from one geographic region to another.

But as Dwyer said, the school's relaxed admissions standards don't mean students should expect to skate by. As long as standards in the classroom are high, standards in the admissions office don't really matter. What's important is that students are receiving a quality education.

Earlier this year, we published an article on the dropout and retention rates at SVSU and other colleges. Every year, between fall and winter semester, a significant portion of that year's freshman class drops out. And the graduation rates for the average freshman class hovered around 65 to 70 percent, depending on the class and year.

So it's pretty clear that students aren't cruising effortlessly through the system, at the very least. The curriculum seems to weed out those students who simply can't do the work, due to whatever circumstances.

What the admissions policy does is give as many students as possible an opportunity to excel, academically and professionally. SVSU has innumerable opportunities in and out of the classroom for students of all backgrounds, not just students from good high schools.]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:29:25 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1925http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1924SA, Program Board stay under budgetDespite the criticism that two of SVSU's most influential student organizations have received, Student Association and Program Board have kept out of debt.

SA and Program Board receive their funding from a portion of the tuition and fees collected yearly. Program Board's beginning budget was $66,367.88. Student Association's starting budget was $129,294.40.

For Program Board, the largest portion of its budget, over - $30,000 - went toward the Plain White T's concert held in the fall. Street Fest took up the second largest portion of the budget at $9,689.

Fresh Start, with motivational speaker C.L. Lindsey and comedian Dan Ahdoot, cost $5,400. The Homecoming variety show, with comedian Tim Young, cost $3,700. The Coffeehouse series held throughout the year cost $1,160.79.

Including other minor, various expenses, Program Board spent $53,420.65 of its budget as of April 2, 2008 and are expecting expenditures of $10,446 that went toward events such as 90s Night and Relay for Life, leaving it $2,501.23 in excess.

SA's budget is more complex than Program Board's budget due to the various committees within the group.

Operations spent $25,474.83 of a projected $34,867.74. Allocations, which helps students and other student organizations, spent $39,011.09 of a projected $40,815. Campus Events, which hosted events such as Battle of the Valleys and the Valentine's Day dance, spent $28,241.32 of a projected $33,500. Student Concerns, which provides the Red Pages and blue books, among other things, spent $5,121.73 of a projected $6,000. Academic Public Information, which publishes the Potty Postings and does t-shirts, spent $3,553.04 of $5,693.

Various other committes and scholarships compiled the rest of the budget, all of which were under the expected expenses. Student Association was left with $11,272.24, which will jump start next year's association.]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:28:30 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1924http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1923
The 36-inch pipe was put under the road back in the 1940s. The pipe runs from Lake Huron near Tawas and provides water for the city of Saginaw. It is the main water line for Midland, as well.

"When the shorter pipe was outgrown somewhere during the sixties it no longer had the carrying capacity it once did," said Stephen Hocquard, Assistant Vice President of Campus Facilities.

A larger pipe was built to support the others' deficiencies and the 48-inch pipe became the main source for bringing in raw water from the lake, while the 36-inch pipe was reused to bring the treated back.

Now, the 36-inch pipe is in need of replacement and, in order to do this, a new pipe is going to be installed along the west side of the road going from Pierce Road to Freeland Road. Instead of taking out the entire pipe, filling the space with dirt and compacting it, it will be filled with lightweight concrete and left there.

After construction has moved out of the south Saginaw area, the current worksite, it will continue north to start work on university property at College Drive and Pierce.

They will put up traffic lights, new roads, curbs and crosswalks to enhance the campus feel and safety of its students.

Hocquard anticipates the project will be completed by the middle of summer or sometime in August.

"Hopefully, they are done before school starts," Hocquard said.]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:27:46 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1923http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1922
The standard requirement to be considered for acceptance at SVSU is a 2.5 high school GPA, and a score of 17 on the ACT, though higher ACT scores can offset lower GPAs, and vice-versa.

According to Jim Dwyer, assistant vice president of Student Services, the focus is on getting students through college, not just through the door.

"The reality of the situation," Dwyer said, "is that the philosophy of people like myself and President Gilbertson is that it should be easy to get in, but hard to get out. The bigger issue is maturation and commitment. We accept students with everything from a 33 and a 4.0, to a 2.5 and a 17, and everything in between."

In 2005, the last year comparative numbers were released, SVSU accepted 3,082 of the 3,442 applications received, while Grand Valley accepted 9,134 of the 11,934 it received, with an acceptance rate of 76.5 percent.

Using the figures above, SVSU's admissions policy is on par with the size of the campus. The larger the campus grows, the larger the student population grows. Since 2005, the size of the class has grown 23 percent, with a 20 percent increase in applications since last year.

"We have to make sure that there are enough classes available for students, and enough housing," Dwyer said. "We need to control growth, and as a result, the administration will have an open dialogue all through the year to work on controlling that."

Based on a national study, 82.5 percent of the colleges surveyed let in more than half of the applicants. SVSU ranks near the top of the list with an acceptance rate of 89.5 percent of the student applications.

Because of competition and a growing reputation, Jim Dwyer says that SVSU is seeing more qualified applications in recent years, as well as an increase in the number of students coming from outside the tri-county area.

Unlike many colleges which put a premium on academic excellence in high school, the policy SVSU started with seems to still work today, said Dwyer.

"We provide opportunities for kids from all walks of life. The good news is if a person takes advantage of what the University offers, they will succeed."]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:26:57 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1922http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1921
The Community Prescription Support Program, or CRxSP, was founded by a Dominican nun, Sister Phyllis Klonowski. The program provides a variety of services to those in need of health care. Some services include prescription medication, assistance paying for co-pays, durable medical equipment, and referrals.

Social work senior Suzanne Edmonds volunteers with the program weekly. She reflected on the current situation regarding health care in America and more specifically, for students at SVSU.

"There are numerous valid reasons why people including SVSU students do not have insurance or for the insurance they do have does not cover their needs," she said. "It is sad to note that the U.S. is the only developed industrialized country in the world that does not have some form of universal health care."

The CRxSP provides service to customers free of charge as a result of many donations made by numerous sources. Some of these include United Way Saginaw County, St. Mary's of Michigan, Covenant HealthCare, HealthPlus of Michigan, and Saginaw Community Foundation.

"Three components allow CRxSP to assist clients," Edmonds said. "Funding and grants, volunteers, and donations. Without the combination of these three elements, the program would not be as effective as it is."

Clients utilizing the free program in Saginaw come from all walks of life. Some are uninsured, while others just don't have the income to support medical insurance. Those wishing to receive care are not discriminated against in regards to age, color, sex, gender, race, sexual orientation, nation of origin, language, religion, health history, or current health issues. No appointment is necessary and no formal referral is required; however, clients do need to have a current prescription.

Those interested in the CRxSP services of Saginaw can call (989) 907-5602. The service is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

All clients who sign in before 3 p.m. are assisted the same day.

The CRxSP program is just a small part of a nation wide event called "Week of the Unisured," in which uninsured Americans are recognized with an effort to help those living without health insurance. The event runs from April 27 to May 3 and has been in place since 2003.

"By giving clients the means by which they can deal with their health issues, it allows them to retain their independence," Edmonds said. "It allows them to continue to take care of themselves and their family."]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:26:15 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1921http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1920Green Cardinal Initiative brings students, staff together for eco-ideas"Red Pride, Green Campus," is the slogan to the new Green Cardinal Initiative with a goal of turning SVSU into a more enviromentally-friendly campus.

"The Green Cardinal Initiative involves a collaboration of students, faculty, and staff from a variety of departments, including sociology, engineering, chemistry, art, Dining Services, grounds, and the library," said Brian Thomas, a professor in the sociology department. "These are people who want to volunteer and give back, starting with our 782 acre 'home' and extending to the greater community."

The GCI receives funding from different sources, such as the Roberta Allen Foundation and the SVSU foundation grant. The Roberta Allen Foundation grant helped with the 2006 construction of the greenhouse on North Michigan Road.

"A recent study at Michigan State University indicated that if people were to eat more food produced in Michigan this would generated up to 1,889 new jobs across the state and $187 million in new personal income from those jobs," Thomas said.

He said a current problem with agriculture is that fertilizer is imported instead of being produced locally. The GCI has found a potential solution with worm tea.

"Worm tea is an all-natural liquid fertilizer made from worm composting of organic matter," Thomas said. "In some markets, worm tea sells for $40 a gallon. We are producing five to six gallons a day."

Waste from Dining Services, including produce from Starbucks, is used to feed the worms.

The GCI has sold some of the products from the greenhouse, but has no definite future plans for worm tea.

Thomas hopes the initiative will grow and operations can expand.

"We currently have 41 people signed up as 'Green Cardinals' and anticipate this number to grow rapidly."]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:25:07 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1920http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1906
Shane Williamson will lead the board as its president, while John Reno is vice president, Tadd Jawor is treasurer, and Megan Milbourne is operations manager. Two committee chairs have been filled and two are still open. Marcus Leonard will chair the Cultural and Diversity Committee and Bill Doherty will chair the Music and Special Events Committee.

Williamson has high hopes for next semester.

"There were many negative things that happened in the fall, but now that we have seen the organization at its weakest, we know what needs to change," he said.

The board plans to focus heavily on commuter programs for the coming semester.

"We want to eliminate the division between commuter students and on-campus students at programs. We want to show how we can all be Cardinals," Williamson said.

He also said that he has had significant leadership experience, including being president of two organizations.

"I was president of University Residence Association this year and helped change the organization for the better," he said. "I hope to do the same with Program Board and spend the $25,000 we get each semester wisely."]]>Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:01:06 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1906http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1919
The teams that competed were, The Biology Club, The Dodgeball Club, Team Tuna, Boner in Sweatpants, Detroit's Finest (a chapter of Sigma Pi that came to compete from the University of Detroit), Unforgivable, Pigs May Fly, TBA, Team Beergoggles, and Team Tomorrow. The teams competed in events such as volleyball and basketball, an underwear trot, pie eating contest, Gatorade pong, an obstacle course, a brain scrambler, and so on. The entire competition was won by Team Beergoggles after they placed first in the Tug of War contest, and they and the rest of the top four teams received prize packages from the event's sponsors.

Sophomore Sigma Pi Secretary Daniel Wingblad organized the Games this year with the help of SVSU Sigma Pi alumni. Wingblad was excited about the money raised and for the brain scrambler, because the questions were "so random!" Wingblad went on to say that Pi Games are "a good time for all SVSU students to come out on a Saturday and have fun, meet people they've never met, and it's all for a good cause."]]>Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:20:06 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1919http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1918
Two decades later oppression is still the norm for Chinese citizens and this "ally" of the United States has turned its sights on the people of Tibet. Recent accounts have placed the death toll in the region anywhere between two-dozen and 100. The exact number depends on which source -- Chinese officials, citizens of Tibet, or independent journalists -- you choose to believe.

China is a nation that trades guns for oil with the government of Sudan. The Chinese government blocks all attempts by the United Nations Security Council to end the genocide in Darfur. Lack of regard for workers' rights by Chinese industries and American business interests has led to intolerable conditions in Chinese factories as well as the loss of many U.S. jobs. Their blind disregard for the sanctity of human life has allowed for the creation of a "one-child" policy, which has resulted in the slaughter of an untold number of female babies by Chinese parents. Chinese factories poison our children with the exportation of lead-laced toys.

What is our response? How do we confront China's abuse and neglect of human rights? If these were the actions of a lesser nation, military intervention would be justified. Instead, our government grants China most favored nation trade status and the international community allows Beijing to host the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Officials of many foreign governments and international institutions are boycotting the opening ceremony of the games. Among those who will not be in attendance are German President Angela Merkel, English Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

President Bush has yet to make his position on any Olympic boycott known. He has stated that he will be attending the games because "they are a sporting event," however it is not clear if he will attend the opening ceremony. Based on the track record of this administration, I don't expect our president to do much of anything. That said, government inaction shouldn't prevent an individual response. There are many ways for us to lend our voice to the voiceless and unheard.

I encourage you to make the small investment in a piece of paper, envelope, stamp, and fifteen minutes of your time. Write a letter. Send it to your representative, senator, the president or head of the United States Olympic Committee. Addresses for these individuals can easily be found online. These people also maintain offices and have e-mail accounts; letters can also be sent electronically.

I think writing a letter or e-mail to the sponsors of the Olympics makes a stronger statement. Large corporations like Coca-Cola, McDonald's, UPS, Budweiser, and Visa fear the power we hold over them through the use of our pocketbooks.

The point I want to make clear is that we cannot stand idle and let China benefit without addressing its long history of atrocity. Together we can empower humanity with the words of the Olympic motto. The memory of those 100,000 students demands action.]]>Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:18:56 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1918http://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1917
"Each inventor gave a presentation on their product," sociology senior Eric Westmoreland said. "The students took notes and then performed a blitz analysis where they discussed the good qualities and the flaws of each invention. Then each team came up with a presentation and delivered it to the judges."

Westmoreland and MBA graduate student Amishi Lathia were hired by the Center for Business & Economic Development after CBED staff members came up with the idea for I2M. They were inspired by the popular television show "Dragons' Den," which follows a similar format.

"We've been working about 20 hours a week ever since the beginning of March to plan I2M," said Westmoreland.

Although the CBED does work with the College of Business, they tag themselves as being more oriented towards connecting the University with the community.

"We work with the University to get involved with local businesses and investors," said Dulcey Simpkins, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Commercialization within the CBED.

In order to find the two inventors to participate in I2M, the Center contacted The Mid-Michigan Inventors' Group.

"They basically chose amongst themselves to see who would have their inventions presented at I2M," said Westmoreland.

The two inventions that the students chose to be analyzed and presented were the "Helic Air Tee Five Hole" and the "Handyman Helper." Students evaluated each invention on a number of qualities, including finance, cost, and marketing.

After students displayed their analysis to the judges, they were graded on how well they assessed and presented the inventions.

"There were several purposes for the event," said Westmoreland. "First of all, it gave the MBA students practical experience with developing a business plan. It also gave inventors a chance to have their inventions analyzed."

During the event, the scores remained close. Although Team A was down by eighteen points in the beginning, they came back and won by 4 points by the end of the second round.

"The event was very competitive," said Westmoreland. "Both teams did a good job. I wasn't sure Team A could come back, but in the end they really pulled it off."]]>Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:17:34 EDThttp://www.svsu.edu/vanguard/stories/1917