Photo by James Bednarick, Photo Editor

John Wheeler (center) cuts the ribbon to officially open Wheeler Pavillion to the public. Wheeler is joined by President William Sederburg and a host of personalities to celebrate the new facility.

Campus welcomes Wheeler Pavilion

By Amy McElmurray
Assistant News Editor

The freshly completed Wheeler Pavilion was the place to be this past Saturday to kick off another great season of Bulldog football.

With the help of generous donations from FSU alumnus John Wheeler, approximately 95 members of the Bulldog community were able to enjoy the game in comfort. The new three-story building includes a multipurpose clubroom level, a media and game management level, a new ticket office, a remodeled and expanded concession area and bathrooms.

Wheeler, a 1976 graduate of the College of Technology, proudly donated $500,000 to the project, as well as a $100,000 donation of professional services from his company, Rockford Construction.

"This 'giving back' is the most enjoyable part of my day," Wheeler stated in a news release. "It makes for a whole person - the giver is always the receiver. I've been blessed with so much - understanding and time and knowledge - that I feel I need to give those things to others who can benefit from them."

The ribbon-cutting ceremony, to welcome the Wheeler Pavilion to our campus, took place prior to the pre-game cookout. A large crowd gathered outside to hear Wheeler speak about the new facility. Tours were available immediately following the ceremony for the public.

"I think it was a nice addition to campus," Sophomore Jessica Malcolm stated. "Students should be appreciative to John Wheeler and his outstanding contribution. I also think this is a wonderful example of an alum giving something back to their alma mater. This is a beautiful facility." The building has much to offer the broad range of people that make use of it during events at Top Taggart Field.

The multipurpose clubroom level of the pavilion will be used for various activities throughout the year. At each home football game, President Sederburg hosts a variety of guests as they cheer on the Bulldogs. Guests ranging from alumni to students to business executives are able to mingle and share ideas in the comfort of the private setting. The clubroom can also be used for on-campus athletic recruiting and meetings for various committees.

The media and game management level will be the gathering grounds for part of the coaching staff, as well as various media outlets. Each team has a private room on the third floor that they may use for coaching purposes. The coaches are able to see the game from a different perspective and call plays down to the coaches and players on the field. Camera crews and journalists from the area fill the middle section of this level.

The ground floor consists of the concessions area, bathrooms, and ticket office.

The crowd seemed to be pleased with the new structure, which completes Phase Two of renovations at Top Taggart Field.

National Student Exchange new to Ferris

By Rachel Pedlar
Ferris State Torch

Students at Ferris State now have an opportunity to attend schools in the United States, the University of Guam and the University of the Virgin Islands. This is Ferris' first year as a part of the National Student Exchange (NSE) program, which has expanded to include 170 participating schools.

This year, five Ferris students have flown off to different schools within the United States. The schools include the University of New York; Stony Brook, on Long Island, N.Y.; the University of Utah in Salt Lake City; Northeastern University in Chicago; California State University near the Los Angeles area, and the University of Hawaii in Manoa, Hawaii.

These are just a few of the places Ferris students can attend "for the cost of Ferris tuition 90 percent of the time," Study Abroad Coordinator Debbie Carley said. "Instead of spending out-of-state tuition, you can pay what you would normally pay at Ferris. However, it does depend on different universities and colleges."

Students may spend up to a year or just a semester at their school of choice, Carley said. The NSE recommends going all year because most students start to feel comfortable and make friends around the end of the term. Some schools are on trimesters, so that will weigh into the final decision, too, Carley said.

"This is a great opportunity for students who want to go away but are not ready to go to Europe," Carley said. "It gives students an opportunity to travel, to generate cultural awareness, to personally grow. [It will also] offer career prospects."

"The school is right in the midst of the mountains, right in our back yard actually," Kyle Kowalczyk, a junior in Television Production who is currently attending the University of Utah, said. "It is hot and dry. I miss the humidity. My throat is always getting dry."

"It enhances education," Rebekah Meneguzzo, a junior in Pre-Pharmacy, said. "I would go to California. I hear it's awesome. It's a big city, and I'm not used to that."

According to Carley, students should apply in the fall. Requirements include having at least a 2.5 GPA, approval from two faculty members and good academic standing on campus. Students will be asked to list their top five colleges of choice because there is no guarantee that they will go to their first choice school. Placements are decided each year in March at the NSE conference for board members.

"There are benefits that Ferris receives, too." Carley said. "It enriches our academic programs or multicultural experience. It's an excellent recruitment for Ferris. We have specialty exchanges, access to honor programs and Resident Advisor exchanges, too."

"It is nice to go out of state yet pay instate tuition," Kowalczyk said. "National Student Exchange is a good deal. I would recommend it."

"It gives people a good opportunity to meet new people, see new things," Meneguzzo said. "Especially to people who might never have an opportunity to travel like this again."

Attending class equals better grades

By Rachel Pedlar
Ferris State Torch

Students who are new to Ferris this year will be sure to have an attendance policy in every class. This is the first year that it is mandatory to have a policy in the zero and 100-level classes. The details are completely up to the professors, as long as they have a policy.

"Kids in these classes take school less serious than kids in higher level classes," Amie D'Alessandro, a sophomore in Dental Hygiene, said. "At the same time, it's our money, and we should get to decide if we want to go or not."

"Usually the syllabi are informative enough to help you with what you miss in class," Michelle Welch, a sophomore in Education, said. "Some professors even have their notes for you on the computer."

"I should learn responsibility," D'Alessandro said. "They shouldn't have to teach it to me."

"Students who are helped early on tend to do better," Vice President for Academic

Affairs Barbara Chapman said. "If students go to class, they tend to do better in that class."

According to Chapman, data shows that freshmen taking FSUS 100 will do better than if they haven't or hadn't taken it, and for that reason, it is required.

For nearly two years, Ferris has had an Admissions Standards Task Force made up of faculty and board members. They have been conducting research to come up with these academic standards. "It sounds so simplistic," Chapman said. "If students just go to class, they will do better."

"I have to go anyway. I'm on the basketball team," Welch said. "If you don't go, you miss everything anyway."

D'Alessandro agreed. "I think it was harder to go to class when I didn't have a major. This year I force myself to go because it's for my major. I look back last year when I was a freshman, and I see it was stupid not to go."

"Many faculty have had an attendance policy, so it's not new," Chapman said. "A few faculty have been asked to implement one. All faculty in the end want students to do better. That's a common goal."

The Admissions Standards Task Force is also looking to instruct professors to be better able to advise students by providing training sessions. This will also help students pick classes and majors that suit them.

Chapman thinks this will affect the student body positively. "They will get into a habit of attending classes regularly. That's what the ultimate goals are---to help students .

Viral infection affects you, him, her, and me

By Laura Chene
News Editor

On Sept. 4 a speaker from the Dental Hygiene Program informed students on ways to prevent themselves from the dangerous virus, hepatitis B, and described the disease's symptoms.

"Hepatitis B is actually a very serious illness. It's not that uncommon," Dr. Marilyn Stolberg, director of Allied Dental Clinical Education, said. "The virus is out there."

In her lecture, Stolberg described the disease, noted its possible side effects, and talked about the vaccination used for prevention. She noted that the virus is a disease that results when a person comes into contact with blood or bodily fluids of an infected person. It is possible for a person to have the disease for the rest of his life without experiencing any of the infection's symptoms. Possible symptoms include liver damage, appetite loss and in cases of acute illness, death.

It may take 140 days, or about four months, before noticeable symptoms appear.

That's one of the things that's troublesome with this condition," Stolberg said. As a result, students are encouraged to look into the series of vaccinations that protects a person from hepatitis B. "We tell you early [about the vaccination] to give you a lot of time to plan." Planning now makes it easier to ensure the doses are received at the proper times.

Although the seminar was geared toward students studying health care occupations, Stolberg stated that all professionals are at risk to the disease. Housekeepers, EMS workers, janitors and morticians are examples of workers who may come into contact with blood or bodily fluids.

According to Shirley Ream, a nursing supervisor at the Birkam Health Center, the hepatitis B series involves three injections: one initial shot, another shot one month later and a final shot six months after the first shot. "Currently the cost of each injection is $47," Ream said.

The vaccination's effectiveness on the immune system varies from person to person. As a result, it is uncertain how long a person is immune from the disease. One person may have good immunity for nine years, but another person may find that his immunity has dropped after two. Some people can maintain their immunity for several years.

There's no set time frame," Ream said.

"If a person is potentially exposed to the hepatitis B germ after he has received the series of three injections, it is recommended that he obtains a blood test in order to determine his immune status. The series of three injections provides excellent immunity against the hepatitis B disease, provided the person keeps their immune system healthy and avoids risky sexual behavior," Stolberg said. Because of the variance in immunities, it is important for any person exposed to blood to get checked out, no matter how long it has been since he received the vaccination.

Stolberg stated that the vaccine has been around for approximately 15 years. After receiving the series of shots, a person may experience minor side effects, but those effects are incomparable to possible symptoms that may occur after contracting the disease.

It is important to take serious preventive measures so that a person is prepared for risky situations. "We think we're doing everything right, and we think we're going to be safe in our professions, but accidents do happen," Stolberg said.

There are between 140,000 and 320,000 newly infected individuals every year. Out of those newly infected, only 70,000 to 100,000 show symptoms. One out of 20 people in the U.S. will contract hepatitis B sometime during their lives, as stated by Stolberg.

"If a student does not complete the series of three injections at the same doctors office, [then] in order to finish the series elsewhere, [he] must have written documentation as to the dates of the injection," Ream said. "Every doctor's office doesn't carry vaccination." A student is able to both begin the vaccination or end it as long as proper papers are present.

Additional information about the infection can be found at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, at http://www.cdc.gov. To schedule an appointment at the Birkam Health Center, or to obtain further information regarding the vaccination, call 591-2614.

Publicity photo

Poet Gary Gildner to come to Ferris

Gary Gildner a multi-talented poet, will be visiting Ferris on Sept. 24 to share some of his work.

By Matt Cherry
Assistant A&E Editor

This kind of opportunity doesn't come often enough for poetry lovers. Gary Gildner, a nationally renowned and award-winning poet, is going to be presenting poetry from his newest book, "The Bunker in the Parsley Fields," here at Ferris.

The show, scheduled to be performed on Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. in the President's Room at the Rankin Center, should be a poetic feast for the ears.

Gildner has won numerous awards for his work. These include the Pushcart Prize, the Robert Frost Fellowship, the National Magazine Award for fiction and the William Carlos Williams and Theodore Roethke Poetry prizes. His newest work, published by the University of Iowa Press in 1997, also won the 1996 Iowa Poetry Award.

He has also written 17 books, eight of which are collections of poetry. He has also published two collections of short stories, a novel, a memoir and more. His memoir, entitled "The Warsaw Sparks," is about his experiences while coaching a baseball team in Communist Poland.

Some of Gildner's other books are "Blue Like the Heaven: New & Selected Poetry," his novel "The Second Bridge" and one collection of short stories called "A Week in South Dakota."

When once asked about how he writes, Gildner said, "I write, I work, I do with a pencil. I like how words come out of my head and travel down my arm to that sharp point. I like holding a pencil. Also a baseball, a smooth stone fresh from the river, a walking stick, my daughter's hand. So I write everything in pencil first."

He has also been a Senior Fulbright Lecturer in the countries of Poland and the former Czechoslovakia.

Gildner has also held the position of "Writer-in-Residence" for Reed College, Davidson College, and Michigan State University.

Currently, Gildner lives with his family in Idaho's Clearwater Mountains, where he continues to write as well as tour around the country giving lectures to colleges and schools.

If you are interested in seeing this poet, but cannot make it on the 24th, you can also catch him at MSU on Sept. 28, or at Lake Superior State University on Oct. 1.

Gildner is coming to Ferris as part of the "Literature In Person Reading Series." He, and others in this series, are brought here through the sponsorship of the FSU Department of Languages and Literature.

It is also helped by the additional sponsorship of The Friends of the Big Rapids Community Library, The Humanities Council of West Central Michigan, ArtWorks, Great Lakes Book & Supply, The FSU Arts & Lectures Committee and many generous individuals.

If you would like more information about Gildner, contact Phillip Sterling at 591-5898, or e-mail him at sterlingp@ferris.edu.

Spanish-American Film Festival

By Shannon Vesper
Ferris State Torch

The Spanish Club and the Languages & Literature Department will be featuring cultural Spanish films this upcoming fall.

Professor Ronald Haladyna, Professor Ana Davila, and Professor Steve Symmes are in charge of organizing these events.

The films are classics from South America, in the Spanish language with English subtitles. Students, faculty, and staff are welcome free of charge. Viewing will begin on Thursday, Sept. 13 at 7pm in FLITE Room 214.

Dates (all Thursdays) and titles are as follows: Sept. 13, "Camila", Sept. 27 "Martin Fierro", Oct. 11, "Don Segundo Sombra", all featured films from Argentina. Continuing on Oct. 25, "Terranova", Nov. 8, "Desnudo con naranjas" and finally on Nov. 22, "Rio Negro" which are featured from Venezuela.

"The main idea is to get more interest in students and to go outside of the class," Professor Haladyna said. "The films are very interesting from an historical point of view. Each film shows interesting facts about Argentina and Venezuela that include the different periods of costumes. It shows life in a range of colorful periods," Haladyna said.

Currently Ferris State now offers a minor in Spanish, and the program is going through the process of becoming a Bachelor of Arts degree. The new degree should be approved this year.

Haladyna also advises that if a student would like to learn more about the culture, a Mexican culture and society course is offered in the winter semester. A very popular course, the class gives information on the cultural, ecomonic and political life in Latin America. The class shows several more videos similar to the ones that will premier at the festival.

Of the six films, several have won awards at the Chicago Latino Film Festival and can't be found easily at local video stores.

Tasteful Changes

By Shannon Vesper
Ferris State Torch

Woody's Food & Spirits will now offer new menu selections due to their new management, La Belle Management, from Ferris State University.

Located at 1005 Perry Street, inside the Holiday Inn, hours of operation are from 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 6:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Sunday Brunch is offered at 10 a.m., and Woody's Express is offered Monday through Friday 11-1:30. Take-out is also available at 796-4400.

Woody's casual dining seats up to 150 people in the restaurant and 600 people in the banquet room. The banquet is popular with Ferris State University faculty. Located in the hotel, many people in business dine there while traveling.

The daily menu specials, along with the menu, offer a variety of soups and several appetizers ranging from Chicago potatoes to shrimp cocktail. Four tasty salads, including a fresh salad, fruit and bread bar, freshly made sandwiches and burgers, are all accommodated with Brew City Fries.

Several entrees include a variety of steaks, fish and pasta. Every night, the dinner entrees include two to three specials. Dinner for two generally costs between $20-$25.
Brian Walch, Sous-Chef and manager, said, "Over the next month, seeing large changes in the restaurant and food will be great."

The high demand for steak, meat and potatoes will become a top priority for the chefs at Woody's. New items will include wild game, such as buffalo burgers, fresh fish specials, and bison.

Walch is expecting the physical interior renovations in December to attract more students and residents in order to liven the atmosphere.

"I absolutely love working here. Everything is great and really positive," said Lindsay Sokoloski, former Ferris State student.

Current changes include the staffing of an entirely new kitchen staff, including Walch, along with over 20 new servers.

Restaurant manager Mat Rainoldi said, "We're taking large steps to hiring and staffing the restaurant to provide quick and friendly service to all our guests. We want to develop a relationship with them."

Photo by James Bednarick, Photo Editor

Kyle Park #4 directs his offensive troop down the field. The Ferris State Buldogs defeated Findlay 33-10 this past weeked. Up next for FSU is Saginaw Valley State University

Bulldogs strike Oil(ers)

By Nick Wasmiller
Sports Editor

The Bulldogs opened the 2001 home season and the newly built Wheeler Pavilion in dominating fashion, downing the Findlay Oilers 33-10 Saturday evening.

The Ferris State offense put on a show in the 2001 GLIAC opener, with senior quarterback Kyle Park connecting on 21 of 32 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns. Harlon Hill candidate Clarence Coleman totaled 11 catches for 248 yards, 16 yards shy of the all-time GLIAC mark for receiving yards in a single game.

Coleman also returned four kicks for 52 yards, while sophomore tailback Derek Fudge rebounded from a sub-par effort in the season opener to rush for 138 yards against Findlay on 26 carries.

"Although the offense had a great game, the defense was really the main reason for the victory," said Park. "They kept us ahead in the ballgame by creating turnovers and stopping them (the Oilers) when we commited turnovers."

Ferris State jumped on top early 3-0, taking the opening kickoff 43 yards in nine plays before the drive was stalled by two straight incomplete passes by Park. Following a Park misfire to senior wideout Lamar Patterson, kicker Tom Perez came in and hit a 42-yard field goal to put the Bulldogs ahead early.

The Bulldogs defense also came up big early, stopping the Oilers' opening drive with an interception by senior safety J.J. Moreland. Moreland's return of 19 yards gave the Bulldogs the ball at the 45-yard line.

Ferris came out firing after the Oilers' turnover, with Park hooking up with Coleman on a 55-yard aerial strike. The score put the Bulldogs out to an early 10-0 lead.

Just over one minute into the second quarter, Ferris widened the lead to 17-0 on a three-yard pass from Park to Coleman. The 12-play drive was highlighted by a 20-yard run by Fudge.

"Clarence (Coleman) is a great player and he had a great game on Saturday. I just try to get him the ball in the open field and let him run with it," said Park.

Findlay had a chance to score three minutes into the second quarter, but a 23 yard field goal attempt bounced off the right upright. The scoring chance was set up by a Park interception that was returned 83 yards by Findlay.

The Bulldogs blew the game open later in the second, with a spectacular 22-yard run by Fudge. Despite a missed PAT attempt, FSU moved the lead to 23-0. The 80-yard, seven-play drive was highlighted by a 29-yard reception by Coleman.

Fudge moved the lead to 30-0 on the next drive with a 44-yard burst through the middle of the Findlay defense.

Findlay finally got on the board with an 18-yard run, with just 25 seconds left in the first half. The Oilers then moved the score to 30-10 after a 14-play drive resulted in a 25-yard field goal to open the second half.

Ferris State closed out the scoring later in the fourth with a field goal by Perez.

The Oilers had two other chances to score in the second half, but came up empty on each drive as a result of an interception and a failed fourth down attempt.

The Bulldogs finished the game with 492 yards of total offense, while giving up only 261 yards to the Oilers.

"We still have things to work on," said Park. "On offense we need to stay more consistant throughout the whole game. For some reason we didn't come out in the second half with the same intensity on offense. That needs to be corrected for us to continue to win."

Next week the Bulldogs take on the Cardinals of Saginaw Valley State University. Game time is set for 1 p.m. in Saginaw, Mich. at Wicks Stadium. SVSU started their GLIAC season with a loss last weekend to Grand Valley State University.

Photo by James Bednarick, Photo Editor

Suzanne Batton hits a forehand during this past weekend's tennis play against Ashalnd. Batton was part of the closest match during the weekend, winning 9-7 in doubles action.

Tennis making a big raquet

By Nick Wasmiller
Sports Editor

Only one word can describe the opening weekend of the FSU women's tennis season: overpowering! The Bulldogs opened the season with a sweep of Ashland and Mercyhurst.

On Friday, the Bulldogs beat the Ashland Eagles in dominating fashion, winning 6-0. With a 6-1, 6-0 win, Barbora Jilkova won her number one singles match, Suzanne Batten overtook Caroline Martinez 6-0, 6-0 in the number two singles match.

Senior Hulda Grin took the three singles match with a 6-1, 6-1 win.

"This was a great match to start off the season with. We found things that we need to work on to continue our success while also picking up a win," Grin said.

Fourth-ranked Kari Sederburg won her opening match of the season 6-0, 6-0 and Elena Blackman, FSU's fifth-ranked player, took her match 6-0, 6-0.

"The team really played well considering it was our first match of the season. It's a good building block for the team's confidence and hopes of a GLIAC championship," Sederburg said.

Rachel Prescott rounded out the victory for the Bulldogs, taking the six singles match 6-1, 6-1.

The teams elected not to play the doubles match because of a lengthy rain delay, and the Bulldogs had already gained the five points necessary for the victory.

On Saturday the Bulldogs travel to Pennsylvania to take on Mercyhurst. Jennifer Garvey took the one singles match 6-0, 6-2, while Jilkova won 6-0, 6-0. Batten took the three singles match 6-0, 6-1 while Grin won 6-1, 6-0. Sederburg took the number five singles match 6-1, 6-1 and Blackman took her match 6-2, 6-1.

In doubles action, Garvey and Jilkova won 8-2, while Grin and Batten won the closest match of the day 9-7. Sederburg and Blackman rounded out the scoring win a 8-0 win in the three doubles match.

The Bulldogs will take on Grand Valley State University at 10 a.m. on Saturday in their first home match of the year.

Womens soccer Endures tough weekend

By Jason Nelson
Assistant Sports Editor

With heavy storms penetrating the Big Rapids area this weekend, many businesses and homes were left without power. That power outage was felt all the way to Missouri as the Ferris State women's soccer team failed to score a goal in this weekend's action. On Sunday, the Bulldogs offense again struggled, this time against a very stingy Missouri-St Louis defense. Missouri-St Louis came out firing as they took a 1-0 lead at the 15:40 mark of the opening half on a goal by Regan Dyro.

FSU goalie Connie Bigott came up big for the Bulldogs, allowed only one goal in the half while having 14 shots fired in her direction. Bigott saved 6 of the 7 shots that made it to her, while Ferris State was able to muster only two shots in the first half.

The Bulldogs came out hungry in the second half as they fired six shots on UMSL goaltender Rebecca Senn. However, it was UMSL forward Lindsey Siemens who put the game away with a goal at 59:24 to close out the scoring and give UMSL a 2-0 victory. The Bulldogs played a solid second half as the teams took six shots apiece.The Bulldogs were outshot for the game 20-8, with Bigott making 10 saves. Sarah Hyde, Jen Gaylor, Christy White, Diana Jacobsen, and Danielle Mcallister all registered shots on goal for the Bulldogs.

On Friday, the Bulldogs hung tough with Southern Illinois-Edwardsville University. At the end of the first half the game was deadlocked at 0-0. SIU kept intense pressure on the Ferris State goal all half as goalie Connie Biggot kept the Bulldogs in the game as SIU fired 15 shots at the Ferris State netminder. Bigott had 10 saves in the first half to keep the Bulldogs chances alive. Ferris State had a dismal offensive half with the Bulldogs failing to record a shot. However in the second half, SIU turned up the heat as they netted three staraight goals to finish off the Bulldogs.

Colleen Creamer opened the scoring with the first goal of the contest at 50:36 of the second half. The goals became prevelant as Becky Baker scored for SIU at 67:58 of the second half followed quickly by Tasha Siegel, who scored the final goal for SIU at the 81:39 mark to close out the scoring. The Bulldogs were able to unleash two shots on the SIU net in the second half, both of which were stopped by SIU goaltender Jessica Brown.

The loss handed the Bulldogs their second loss of the weekend. For the game, SIU outshot the Bulldogs 24-2. Bigott finished the game with 13 saves for the Bulldogs. Julie Hithingham and Jen Gaylor paced the Bulldogs offense with a shot apiece. This weekends losses drop the Bulldogs record to (1-3-2) with a home game against Aquinas scheduled for Wednesday, September 12.

The losses this weekend come off the heals of a banner weekend the week before. The Lady Bulldogs enjoyed a solid weekend on Sept.1 as they beat the Clarion Golden Eagels on Saturday. The Bulldogs came out aggressive outshooting the Golden Eagles 26-1 in the first half. However, Golden Eagles goaltender C.J Gattens was up to the task stopping all 15 shots that came her way.

In the second half the Bulldogs continued to dominate as freshman Jen Gaylor connected on a scoring chance at the 68:16 mark to put the Bulldogs ahead 1-0.The continuing pressure payed off again as a little over ten minutes later Sarah Hyde scored the final tally of the contest with an unassisted goal at the 79:25 mark to make it 2-0 in favor of the Bulldogs.

Laura Myszka picked up the shutout saving two shots. The Bulldogs outshot the Golden Eagles 39-2, with Jen Gaylor pacing the team with eight shots on goal. The Bulldogs record was evened at (1-1-1).

On Sunday, September 2, the Bulldogs took on the St. Xavier Cougars in what turned out to be another game in which the Bulldogs dominated. The Bulldogs took the initiative to start the game out shooting the Cougars 8-1 in the first half.

The Bulldogs struck first as Mandy Calfmeyer took a feed from Jen Gaylor and scored at the 7:46 mark of the first half. The Bulldogs kept the pressure on in the second half but eventually yielded a game tying goal to Gennifer Himler late in the game at the 77:33 mark. For the game, the Bulldogs outshot the Cougars 18-6, with Kelly Kline firing two shots on goal. With the tie the Bulldogs moved to (1-1-2).

What were they thinking?!?

By Brain Van Steenkiste
Opinions Editor

Going all the way back to the story of Adam and Eve, people have always wanted what was forbidden. That's one of the roots of America's problem with keeping its children sober.

You don't have to be Miss Cleo to figure it out. Telling someone, especially a rebellious college aged kid, that something is off limits, will only pique his or her curiosity. If the world keeps waving the forbidden object of desire in front their faces and you keep telling them they can't have it, you're only going to increase their desire for it.
Do a comparable thing to a dog and people will chastise you for teasing it. You might even be guilty of being cruel to an animal.

If you haven't guessed what I'm talking about yet, it's alcohol.

Alcohol, that magic elixir that for some reason is associated with college as much, if not more, than class, studying and learning are. One of the first things that comes to people's minds when you mention Ferris is alcohol. Alumni don't think of digital initiatives and past tuition increases, they think of long forgotten keg parties. The same holds true for large segments of the current classes.

Like it or not, it's just the way it is. The administration here has a monstrous task of changing this, and they haven't done too bad with their past efforts. This year they really screwed up though.

Flip to page five in this year's student handbook and you'll find some of the school's policies on alcohol outlined. One new one basically says underage kids living in dorms can't have empty alcohol containers or anything to do with alcohol (paraphernalia) in their dorm rooms.

This is absolutely crazy! What were they thinking when they made this rule? Besides dooming Resident Assistants to hours of senseless enforcement, this says to young college students, who are being asked to behave like, and be, adults, "you're foolish little children who can't think for yourselves in simple areas such as interior decoration."

Can anyone still be wondering why there's a mass exodus by students who want to live off campus every year? Amongst other things, it could be the fact that they don't want to pay thousands of dollars to live on a campus where the people who make the rules tell them they can't hang up an inflatable beer bottle or a poster of a voluptuous, young, bikini lass who advertises * gasp* beer.

I think this new policy borders on a civil rights infraction. I'd lump hanging up a poster along with freedom of expression, and this right has been taken away.

The school is saying "if you want to live on campus, take it or leave it," and if I still lived on campus, I'd leave it all over again and never look back. These people pay way too much to be treated like this.

Another problem with the way we treat alcohol is the magical age of 21. Instantly, at midnight on the eve of your 21st birthday, you magically become legal. Now you're free to make up all that lost time of not drinking! Almost every kid counts down to, and waits years for, this wondrous occasion.

Until then, they're left outside of the "in" crowd. They have to watch all of us of-age kids drinking in front of them before football games (tailgating!). They have to pay more money to get into the popular spot on Thursday nights, and once they're done waiting in lines and getting robbed, they still can't drink (poopers). Who can blame them for thinking how wonderful being 21 must be?

Ferris is perpetuating this problem. Instead of thinking of creative solutions to a serious problem, they come up with stale rules no one will observe.

What college student has the time, or the mental stamina, to wade through 59 pages of redundant, lengthy rules and regulations to find out all of their student responsibilities? I guess that's one of the reasons the "important" rules like "thou shall not have empty liquor bottles filled with highlighter fluid" are found on page five.

I love Ferris. I don't enjoy being critical of it. But as someone in charge of opinions at this newspaper, I'm not going to sit idly by while ignorant rules make problems on this campus even worse. Alcohol has caused too many tragedies, the least of which being forcing innumerous kids out of higher education, to give it more power than it already has.

Too many students, too little access

By Aaron Hatfield
Ferris State Torch

While sitting in Rankin Center doing some work, I overheard a group of students discussing a rather heated topic. Too many students, too little access--this is what some Ferris students are saying about the university's computer access.

Students pay a $200 computing fee to fund FSU's digital initiative. Yet, some students say they charge us 20 cents a copy to use a printer or copy machine. If this is true, then according to upperclassmen, that is twice the amount that students paid last year.

Is this fee really necessary, or is Ferris charging us twice? Last time I checked, double jeopardy didn't work in the legal system--why does it work at FSU? Not only do they double-charge in many areas, but they also raise other fees all around campus.

You would think their double charging would eliminate the need to raise other costs, such as tuition.

Not only has Ferris upped the price of copies, but they've also eliminated two computer labs: one in the Arts and Science Commons and one in the Rankin Center. Students have said that before these were taken away, there still were not enough computers for students.

There might be labs in most of the halls, but these labs only include sometimes two to three computers. Most of the time there are at least 10 to 20 people per floor without a computer. These labs are surely not sufficient for the students who need access to a computer.

Sometimes when students try to use the major labs to their advantage, these labs are closed. Many students found this to be the case during the Labor Day weekend, even though they had assignments due the next day of class.

To me this seems like an enormous inconvenience, especially this early in the year, when some students are trying to get into a routine of getting things done early. Some students were assigned work on Friday, and the work was due on Tuesday. These helpless students had to complete their assignments early Tuesday morning.

I talked with Brad Wickstrom, a senior living at home without a computer. Not only does Brad have to manage his classes and work, but he also has to manage a family. He does not need to worry about being able to get a computer in the lab to do his work.

Wickstrom has come to the college to work many times, and has had to spend most of his time waiting for a computer. How can Ferris expect us to have ample time and resources to get our work done when we are waiting around for a computer in the labs?

I am only a freshman, and I have my own computer, but some of the regulations put on our Internet use have upset me. I understand that Ferris pays for the service. Who pays Ferris though? We do. Do you want all your costs hidden? The cost of our tuition and the other fees should more than cover expenses.

The Residential Network Support now tells us that we cannot download mp3 files, movies, games and other media. I understand you cannot tie up the network, but this is a T3 connection. If I choose to download an mp3 file or another type of media, I will not be tying up anything for long. It would be great if one day Ferris could get input from the students and come up with limits that students can agree with.

If the RNS is worried about copyright due to the Napster issue, then why not notice that there are millions of programs and compact discs that are being burned and distributed all around campus. There are better things to worry about. Their focus should not be on the downloading of media from the web.

Don't get me wrong, Ferris is a great school. But like any other university, we have our problems and bumps to smooth out.

Shut 'em down!

By Steve Cook
Guest Columnist

As you may or may not know, we (that's you and me) are in this city called Big Rapids. As most people are aware, Big Rapids is also a small city. As with most small cities, there usually are not too many stores. This would probably be due to lack of space. Sometimes, when you can't find an item or a store you want, you need to just let some stuff slide--except when it comes to music.

Music is one of my favorite things on this lovely place that we call Earth. What brings me great enjoyment is when a person such as myself is allowed to go into a nice music store (big or small) and browse through the selections. Sadly, this is just not possible in Big Rapids. In this town we have two choices: On-Cue and Southland Pharmacy.

Some of you people out in Rapids Land are saying, "What about K-Mart and Meijer?" Well, these places are not music stores, they are retail stores, thank you very much! It's just not the same.

First off, this writer does come from a big area (Metro Detroit), but do I expect that kind of business activity in Big Rapids? No! Is it too much to ask to get a few more music stores in this college town? Apparently it is to some people out there.

What this does bring me to are the lovely "chaps" at On-Cue and their "fabulous" CD prices for the consumer. In case you're not getting it yet, this is deep sarcasm. What kind of a world do we live in when a pharmacy (Southland Pharmacy) has CDs at better, more affordable prices than the supposed music store? Some things just don't add up it seems.

Just what is it that inspires a place such as On-Cue to overcharge for CDs by several dollars? When a CD is marked $16.99-17.99 at On-Cue but can be purchased for as little as $13.99 at a pharmacy, we have a problem. The solution is to bring in another music store or two. By bringing in some competition--this may surprise you--On-Cue just might drop some of those high prices. Crazy eh?

It would make sense that there be more than one music store in a college town such as this. My hope with this column is to open some eyes in Big Rapids and maybe something will be done. It's kind of like that "Field of Dreams" philosophy.