September 25, 2002
 



 

New tailgating policy has campus split
The Ferris community has different thoughts on happenings outside of Top Taggart Field.

By Amy McElmurray
Assistant News Editor

Party on
The tailgating at FSU games will be limited to pre-game and jalftime.
During the game, participants will be asked to attend the game.
Torch file photo

With just three days left before the second home game of the 2002 football season, many students are in an uproar because of the new policy administration has put into effect.

The policy states in part: "Tailgating with and without alcohol is permitted three hours prior to the game and at halftime only."

This statement alone brings about many changes for parking lots 35, 36 and 37 on Saturdays during football season. A typical home game consists of students, alumni and friends gathering a few hours before kickoff for some fun. The activities outside of Top Taggart Field are usually just as hectic as, if not worse than, the concession lines at halftime.

One student asked, "What's college football without tailgating during the game?" Others were flabbergasted at Bulldog Bonanza when presented with the new policy.

"The school doesn't make any money off us going into the game, so I don't see why they want us going in," said a male student who has participated in tailgating for the last three years.

Some students are in support of the new policy though. A member of Ferris University Sports Supporters (FUSS) remarked that "I believe the policy is fair. The concept of football is going to see the game. It's cool if people want to drink, they just need to support the team as well."

Another student commented that the tailgaters are obnoxious. He noted the large mess left after tailgating in the parking lots, and that tailgaters should be more aware of their actions before, during and after tailgating.

Director of Student Activities Michelle Burke was on the committee that revised the tailgating policy. "It's bad that we break our campus policy just for a game. This policy is a compromise," Burke said.

Several football players commented that they are in support of the new policy.

"We like support and a big crowd at the game. There are typically more students in the parking lots than in the stands, so it's a good change," a senior football player stated.

A policy similar to this exists at Central Michigan University. Tailgaters there may only be outside of the game for three hours prior to game time, and not at all during the game or at halftime.

The Department of Public Safety has made plans to enforce the new policies.

Some concern has been stated by various students that there was no student input for the revision.

"The committee that revised the policy was not trying to exclude student input, but saw it as their responsibility to revise it," Michael Cairns, associate vice president of student affairs, said. "The committee was extremely concerned with the serious liability issues."

According to Cairns, President Sederburg presented the revised policy to Student Government at their Sept. 17 meeting.

The policy also states the following:

~ Tailgating (with alcohol) is permitted only in parking lots 35, 36 and 37.

~ Glass containers, kegs and common alcohol containers are prohibited.

~ Underage drinking is not permitted; all local and state laws must be obeyed.

~ Parking lots 3, 35, 36 and 37 will be utilized for game parking; a fee for parking will be charged. Lot 17 is reserved for individuals utilizing the Student Recreation Center.

~ Entrance to parking lots will be allowed three hours prior to the game start time; any vehicle parked prior to the entrance time will be requested to pay the parking fee and/or asked to move the vehicle.

~ Parking spaces will not be allowed to be reserved; vehicles will be parked as they arrive on a first-come, first-served basis. Vehicles may not be parked in a fashion that obstructs the free flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

~ A vehicle must occupy a parking space; grills, tables, furniture and other items are permitted as long as they are of size to occupy the same space.

~ Oversized vehicles that require more than one space will be charged accordingly.

~ Only tents authorized by the Athletic Director will be allowed.




Circle of Inspiration dedicated
Pharaoh's Obelisk stands as focal point in Bond Circle.

By Jessica Wortley
Ferris State Torch

Standing tall
Pictured is the new statue dedicated near Bond Circle.
Photo By: Dan Gellasch
Photo Editor

The Circle of Inspiration and the Pharaoh's Obelisk, the newest addition to the Michigan Art Walk on Ferris State's campus, was officially dedicated at a ceremony last Wednesday.

Approximately 75 people were in attendance, including Board of Trustees members, emeriti, staff and an art class. Speakers included President William Sederburg, Student Government President Kaci Baars, Professor Phillip Sterling and Trustees Chair Bruce Parsons.

The obelisk is a gift of Ferris Alumnus George Rapanos, a pharmacy graduate, successful businessman and poet. He had been looking for a granite piece to dedicate and honor immigrants, and chose to donate the obelisk to Ferris after purchasing it on eBay in March 2000.

According to the dedication program, the obelisk was featured in a PBS/NOVA special of teams "attempting to solve the mystery of how the people of ancient Egypt erected such colossal structures." After successfully raising the obelisk at the Fletcher Granite Quarry in Massachusetts, NOVA decided to auction off the monument.

The obelisk, 36 feet tall and weighing 30 tons, stands as the centerpiece of the 150-foot circle located between Bond Hall and Center Ice. This location was chosen because the monument requires a 10 to 20 foot cement base underground, and few locations were open enough without pipes and wires interfering. The inspiration circle features granite benches, pedestals inscribed with poetry and nighttime lighting.

Of the ten pedestals surrounding the obelisk, eight will hold plaques featuring poetry of students, alumni, faculty and famous poets. The other two pedestals feature a history of the obelisk and a dedication to Rapanos' parents, who immigrated from Greece in the early 1900's.

According to Sederburg, the circle is to be used for reflection. It is intended to be a place where students, faculty, alumni and community members can sit, think and be inspired by the poetry and obelisk. Anyone is welcome to walk around, sit on the benches and reflect on life.

"Every person has a purpose and mission, and they are drawn in the direction of their destiny," said Rapanos. "Poetry gives meaning to existence. It stirs the spirit and gives awareness of our origins."

His view helps explain the phrase on the dedication plaque describing the obelisk: "Symbolizes the ray of light shining from God to enlighten mankind."

Besides being an inspiration to all who see it, the circle and obelisk represent Ferris' commitment to excellence. Sederburg gave four reasons "why we like our obelisk: it raises our focus and determination, represents the union of technology and art, shows the reflection of history and is the start of beautifying West Campus." The obelisk is the first piece of art to be placed on West Campus.

"It's a wonderful addition to this side of campus," said Professor Don Flickinger. "It shows a move toward encompassment."

Richard Santer, Ferris emeriti, agreed. "It's magnificent, and shows the involvement to make the world a better place, as Mr. Ferris wanted it. It also shows alumni's responsibility of giving back to the university."

Students in attendance also showed much appreciation of the circle and obelisk. Mike Chitpasong, a junior in business, said it was a beautiful addition to campus.

Bill Stansbury, a senior in facilties management stated, "I like it. It's way better than the muddy hole parking lot that used to be there."

In closing the dedication, Sederburg left the crowd with a poem he composed himself to honor the circle and monument: "Roses are red, violets are blue, we love the obelisk, how about you?"

For more information about the Pharaoh's Obelisk visit: www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostempires/obelisk/raises01.html.







Relay for Life a success
FSU shows support for the fight against cancer.

By Abby Bearman
News Editor

Sending a message
Luminaries spell it all out in the bleachers at Crossroads Charter Academy
on Saturday Night
Photo By: Dan Gellasch
Photo Editor

More than 200 Ferris students, faculty and employees took part in the Relay for Life on Saturday Sept. 21 and Sunday Sept. 22.

The Relay began by reading the list of sponsors and saying a prayer.

All of the teams present lined up behind their banner and walked two laps together before breaking off into pairs and small groups.

At noon, the cancer survivors walked a lap as the team members lined the track clapping and cheering them on.

The luminary lighting ceremony took place around 10 p.m. Saturday, as all of the lighting in the stadium was shut off and the walkers circled the track as the names of those honored were read off.

Several selections of poetry were read as well.

During the 24-hour walk-a-thon, members of the FSU and Big Rapids communities walked to raise money for cancer research at the Crossroads Charter Academy track.

The Ferris State United team, composed of the majority of colleges, departments and organizations on campus, led the way for fundraising.

After raising $10,000 last year, Ferris State United set a goal of $15,000.

By selling luminaries, teddy bears and candy bars, in addition to pledges, they raised nearly $13,000.

This made them the single highest fundraiser as a group.

According to Linda Travis, former College of Business faculty member, "Overall the emeriti were the highest group of donors for us. They raised as a group $2,492."

Other top groups included the students in the honors program, who brought in approximately $1300, they were "probably our second highest fundraising group," according to Travis.

At the track, the Ferris State United team set up a pair of tents and offered a book sale, silent auction, children's games and photos with the Bulldog.

This was the second year for Ferris State United according to Travis. "We used to do things separately by college, but we had problems getting enough walkers," Travis said.

Over 25 different student organizations participated for Ferris State United, including the Red Cross, the Health Care Management Association and the Public Relations Student Society of America. Several athletic teams were also represented.

The event closed with the presentation of awards for those who raised the most money as well as for those who had the most spirit or walked the most consecutive hours.

Finally, before the announcement of the tally of the money raised, those who remained in the rainy weather were asked to take up the banners again and walk a 'victory lap.'

The Relay is in its seventh year in the Big Rapids community; the goal this year was to raise close to $90,000.

As of 10 a.m. Sunday, $77,643.98 had been collected with more money coming in.

The money will be used by the American Cancer Society for researching cancer drugs, providing support for those suffering from the disease as well as ultimately trying to find a cure.





FSU Student finds great opportunities at Ferris
Kaci Baars loves Ferris' hands-on education.

By Adam Wiese
Ferris State Torch

Bulldog Pride
Kaci Baars enjoys her role as Student Government president at Ferris
Photo By: Dan Gellasch
Photo Editor

FSU Student Government President Kaci Baars is one of few people you'll meet on campus today who loves Ferris more than most would think possible. The reason for Baars' pro-Ferris attitude stems from her belief that Ferris has given her the best opportunity for a good career.

After graduating from high school in Ludington, Mich., Baars decided to attend Michigan State University to pursue a degree in printing.

Upon her arrival at MSU, Baars had her major listed as advertising, which was the closest field related to printing that she could find. After spending a year attending classes that she disliked, Baars decided to change her major to political science.

"I'm one of those people who love to speak publicly, so I figured that this major would be the right one for me," Baars said. However, that was not the case.

"After attending a semester of classes with political science as my major, I found that I didn't fit in with the type of people who you needed to be in order to succeed at political science," Baars stated.

After completing three semesters at Michigan State, Baars decided to change her major yet again, this time to journalism.

"I'm also one of those people who like to write," Baars said. However, she found that she didn't like this major, either.

"This time, I found that I didn't like the journalist concept of 'think fast, write fast,'" Baars said. "By the time I realized I didn't like journalism, I was getting pretty annoyed. That was when I called some of my friends at Ferris.

"They told me that they loved the college life at Ferris and also told me about the printing management major here," Baars said.

She drove to campus one day and after discovering the small class sizes here and the unique, hands-on learning environment of the printing management program, Baars decided to apply.

"At first, I was simply amazed at the concept of having classes with only 20 students," Baars said. "Coming from a university where my smallest class had 300 students, I was shocked."

Baars became accustomed to the difference in lifestyles and realized that she loved the one-on-one teacher/student interactions at Ferris, which is "a characteristic uncommon to many larger institutions," she said.

Baars also discovered the Student Government of FSU after her first year at Ferris. Upon joining the Student Government, she wanted to change that for all students at Ferris.

"I was involved with student government in high school and at MSU, so I thought that I knew a little bit about these types of organizations," Baars stated. "After I joined Student Government, I wanted to set about and place this organization in the spotlight again."

Baars' goal to reform the Student Government (SGFSU) was aided when she was voted in as President of Student Government after serving only one year for the organization.

Once she took the reins of the presidency, Baars literally never looked back. During the course of last summer, she and the other members of SGFSU completely rewrote the constitution and bylaws of the old SGFSU, and created a brand new governing document for the organization.

"These laws were made in order to make the Student Government run with much more order and precision," Baars stated. "One of the major concepts that we wanted to implement into the new governing document was the fact that we are the voice of the students of Ferris State."

For someone who has transferred from a Big Ten university to Ferris, Baars has overcome quite a cultural difference and says that she owes a lot to Ferris for providing her a hands-on education.

"I would not consider my time at MSU wasted, and, as I see it, I exist as a combination of my two scholastic endeavors," Baars stated. "FSU provided me the opportunity I had been seeking. I'm very happy where I am now."





Mother speaks out against hate crimes
Judy Shepard brings message to campus.

By Abby Bearman
News Editor

In 1998, 21-year-old Matthew Shepard was murdered as a result of anti-gay sentiment.

The tragedy focused the nation's attention on the increasing number of hate crimes.

As the Shepard family mourned in private, vigils sprung up and thousands of letters and emails were sent in support.

Matthew's mother, Judy Shepard, has decided to use her grief in a positive way, spreading her thoughts on equality and human rights.

She is continuing her son's fight against hate crimes, and the focus of her talks is how one can make their schools and communities safe for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, race or religion.

Shepard, along with her husband Dennis, has formed the Matthew Shepard Foundation to carry on his legacy.

Judy Shepard has appeared in several public service announcements and television commercials.

One of these quotes Shepard saying, "In a perfect world, because your child is gay, you don't worry about their safety. You just worry about them being happy. I loved Matthew just the way he was. Just the way he was."

On the Foundation's website, Shepard mentions that one of her son's values was to never prejudge someone.

"He knew that judging people before knowing them was the loss of an opportunity. He never understood why everyone didn't think that way. He felt there could be nothing better on this earth than another friend," Shepard stated.

His father Dennis added, "Matt trusted people, perhaps too much. Violence was not a part of his life until his senior year in high school. He would walk into a fight and try to break it up. He was the perfect negotiator. He could get two people talking to each other again as no one else could."

Shepard has also become involved with Parents, Families and Friends of Gays and Lesbians, and as part of her involvement she has written a letter to all high school counselors and administrators.

In the letter, she asks that schools be made safer by means of promoting tolerance and reprimanding those individuals who target gay students.

Additionally, Shepard has spoken out in support of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

She testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 11, 1999, saying, "I can assure opponents of this legislation firsthand, it was not words or thoughts, but violent actions that killed my son."

Shepard hopes that her talks will help other parents to avoid going through what she and her husband have.

"I feel Matthew with me every day, or I would not be able to do this," she says. "We just hope we're doing what he would want us to do. We realize that we must use the voice his death has given us. I realize that what I can try and accomplish is to make people aware. We get so complacent in our lives that we forget not everyone is safe, and frequently, it is our children who aren't safe."

Shepard will be speaking at Ferris State University on "What can you do to prevent hate crimes?" at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 1 in Williams Auditorium. The event is sponsored by Student Leadership and Activities.



 

No secrets in his closet
Senior ready to reveal his first novel to the public.

By Chris Miller
Editor in Chief

Father and son combo
Harold Anderson, senior in television production and digital media,
with his four-year old son Thomas.
Courtesy of Harold Anderson

With the exception of senior Harold Anderson, not too many students can brag that they have recently completed their first novel.

Anderson, a television production and digital media student, just finished his first novel, which is titled "Secrets in My Closet."

"This book allows readers to use their imaginations," Anderson, who will graduate this May, said. "It gives readers the feel of being taken to another place."

Though the book is coming out on Oct. 9, Anderson has been working on "Secrets of My Closet" for some time now. He is developing the book into a three-part series.

According to Anderson, the second part is nearly finished and will be out in February of 2004.

"When I was younger, my mother never let me go out of the house, so I wrote. It has been a desire of mine ever since," Anderson, who's from the Detroit area, said.

While in grade school, Anderson's writing style tended to be looked down upon by teachers and contests he entered.

According to his website, www.haroldantoineanderson.com, his writing samples were disqualified by contests for content reasons.

Anderson tends to write about love, sex, scandal and other everyday human occurrences.

Now that he is older, Anderson can take the time to write about what he is passionate about.

Anderson's motivation for this book deals with his own life's experiences.

"This book takes place when I was down at Western Michigan University. It is a romantic comedy," Anderson said.

Anderson's website explains that the plot of the book deals with Kaylee Jordon, a college student who is trying to find herself in this mixed-up world, which seems to be getting worse every day.

"It's basically a man's-dream-come-true type of book. The main character is in search for Mrs. Right," Anderson said.

The character finds the right woman, but she already has a long-term relationship with her boyfriend. Two of her sorority sisters, however, are very interested in Jordon.

The rest of the novel examines the main character's past, which affects her present status in relationships.

After Ferris, Anderson feels that he wants to continue with writing on a professional level.

"Having a degree in television will hopefully pay off. With this degree, one of my goals is to put my printed books into movies," Anderson said. "I published this book by myself, and I would just produce the movies to go along with them in the future."

Anderson gives a lot of credit as well to his wife, Collette, who graduated from Ferris in 1997 with an associate's degree in business and from Davenport University in 2000 with a degree in human resource management. Together, they have a four-year old son named Thomas.

"Collette created my webpage for me. She is also helping me as a manager," Anderson pointed out.

Along with his family, Anderson said that two of his inspirations are E. Lynn Harris and Cornel West.

Harris, born in Flint, Mich., wrote the book "A Love of My Own." West is a professor at Harvard University, and one of Anderson's favorite motivational speakers.

Besides writing, he enjoys music, watching and making films and spending time with his family.

According to Anderson, he is working with the Barnes & Noble in the Rankin Center for a possible book signing session after "Secrets in My Closet" comes out.

"We might wait up to three weeks after the book is finished for this," Anderson said.





English is what you make of it
Professor at Ferris makes the classroom more interesting.

By Matthew Gatesy
Ferris State Torch

Dr. Stern
Dr. Caroline Stern has a different approach when
it comes to teaching her students.
Courtesy of Dr. Stern

Classes are not always the most enjoyable part of the college experience, but one professor at Ferris State University is trying to change that.

Dr. Caroline Stern uses her unique teaching style and energetic personality in an attempt to keep students' interest.

"I've given up trying to always be serious," Stern said. "If I can have some good clean fun and help students learn, I'm there. Learning and laughter are nice companions."

One approach Stern takes is to give out door prizes during class. If a student has a particularly good contribution or turns in an assignment that goes above what she asked for, she will bring in something funny for that student.

Stern said, "What happened is that my parents go to Senior Citizen Bingo weekly and win these really tacky prizes, like pink plastic salad forks or green apple bubble bath. A few years back I had one class that was rather reluctant to share in class discussion, so I 'recycled' the bingo prizes my parents didn't want as a way of encouraging people to join the class discussion."

Stern's prizes this year are as good as ever.

"I think I even have a potato masher and lime green plastic coasters to give away this semester too," Stern said.

Some people may think that giving out prizes during class is distracting, but Stern believes it adds to the classroom atmosphere.

"I had to think long and hard about whether to give gifts to students. Some teachers might frown on this as being too silly. But I've given up trying to always be serious," Stern said.

Even though Stern earned her doctorate this year, she insists all of her students call her Caroline.

"I just finished my doctorate and I am still just Caroline to everyone. My husband and daughter are dentists and my son is two years away from being a dentist, so we have enough Dr. Sterns in our house," Stern said.

Stern also believes that she can learn from students at the same time.

"What I love about being at Ferris is that I am privileged to teach and learn from students who have technical expertise in career fields. I get to read papers on topics like fleet management techniques and the cycles of turf grass growth. Oh boy, I can't read enough about that!"

Stern's ultimate goal at Ferris is to get inside the mind of a PGMer just long enough, and not any longer, to comprehend exactly what attraction golf holds for people.

"It's a stick, a ball and some grass. I don't get it," Stern said.

With Stern's unique approach to teaching, it seems a little strange that she ended up as an English major.

Stern said, "I have always wanted to be a teacher-always-because I love learning and being with people. I was an English major because writing and reading involve storytelling and I am all about storytelling and story-hearing."

Stern's love of storytelling comes through in her teachings. Many times she will stop class for a short period of time in order to tell a "bug" story from one of her many mission trips.

Last year, Stern was in Honduras. The team was sleeping in a local school on concrete floors, but she was clever enough to find an old sofa in a nearby office.

"That night I pulled the cover off the sofa to wrap myself in it and was instantly covered in a swarm of big old termites that covered me head to toe," Stern said. "I discovered that the whole sofa was a living nest of huge termites. I still get the willies just thinking about the mountain of bugs."

Stern has been going on mission trips since 1995 and has been to Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico, Honduras, Ukraine, Slovakia and Kazakhstan.

She leads workshops for teachers and does short-term dental mission work with her family.

"The best part of going on mission is showing my Christian love for other people who so desperately need help," Stern said. "Also, I love the adventure of screaming my way up the rough steep side of an Andean mountain road in the back of a rusted Toyota pickup truck."

Even though she is away often on mission trips, her real passion is teaching at Ferris. She loves helping her students in any way she can, a love that comes through in the classroom.

"I pray constantly for my students because learning new skills is challenging and frustrating. I also know that college is a time of difficult transitions and important discoveries. I am really blessed that I can share this time in my students' lives as they begin the adventure of adulthood."






Barnum is at it again
Robert Barnum is working on a mural for the FLITE building.

By Mary Gurnee
Ferris State Torch

FLITE mural
Artist Robert Barnum works on his mural for the FLITE Building
Photo By: Dan Gellasch
Photo Editor

Robert Barnum is currently working on a mural that will inhabit the serpentine wall of the extended study area in FLITE.

When finished, the oil on stretched canvas mural will be 10 feet high by 130 wide.

The installation is expected to take place in the spring of 2003.

According to some FSU students, the mural for FLITE is highly anticipated.

"I think that it will draw more people to the library," Tim Pratt, a junior in hotel management, said.

Barnum has created other pieces that have gained him a great reputation. This status is what made Barnum the best person to do the mural for FLITE.

"I have seen his previous works and I think that it will be very good," Tiffany Zdunic, a freshman in liberal arts, said.

To start this work of art, Sharon Hamel, assistant to the dean in FLITE, organized a group of campus scholars and intellectuals to brainstorm ideas.

Shortly after the meetings started, the group had made a list and recorded the changes in the history of knowledge.

"My task is to create a piece of art that can address both physical sites as well as the building's content," Barnum said. "FLITE by academic character is the intellectual capital of the campus."

The group's work was well appreciated. Barnum took into consideration what was listed and recorded.

"Many historical changes offered a volume of future possibilities that I have used as food for thought in the design of the mural's subject," Barnum said.

"The content for this mural is in my opinion most interesting," he added.

The mural depicts a story or puzzle of how knowledge was and still is being evolved.

In a nutshell, the mural tells a story that is represented in one 24 hour day.

The mural forms a chronological path up to approximately the mid-point. At this point the painting depicts not only the most obvious issues and questions, but less obvious topics as well.

Barnum has hopes that when someone takes time to view the mural, that person finds a more personal meaning with the content rather than a defined meaning.

The mural for the FLITE building is part of the Art Walk, an FSU public art program. It is currently in the seventh year of a 20-year plan.

Under President Sederburg, this program is designed to turn FSU into an indoor/outdoor art museum dedicated to Michigan artists.

"The goal for the Art Walk is to have 50 major pieces of artwork, two-dimensional and three-dimensional, under the Art Walk heading and title by the end of the 20-year deadline," Barnum said.

The FLITE mural will bring FSU one step closer to that goal.

Many pieces have already become part of the Art Walk, and there are already many other works of art in the making.







Fun from the South
El Vaquero brings a little Mexico to Big Rapids.

By James Lear
Ferris State Torch

The answer to that eternal question, "What to do for dinner?" has yet another answer. El Vaquero, Spanish for The Cowboy, is a welcome change in the Big Rapids restaurant scene.

The brightly painted green and red building located on North State Street, a few blocks past the Dairy Queen, offers authentic Mexican food and atmosphere.

Striving for authenticity, El Vaquero is decorated with traditional Mexican fiesta decorations and only plays the latest and greatest hits straight out of Mexico on the radio.

Most of the staff at El Vaquero can draw their lineage back to the heart of Mexico, which adds to the authenticity of the restaurant. The strong feelings of heritage are seen in the preparation of the food, and its ties to ancient recipes.

During colonial times, experimentally-minded Spanish women and members of Spanish religious orders invented much of today's more sophisticated Mexican cuisine.

Nuns pioneered such now-traditional Mexican fare as the candy called cajeta (ka-hey-ta) and the egg-based liqueur called rompope.

Also from the colonial period comes such fare as chiles rellenos (re-hay-neos), chilies stuffed with cheese, beef or pork, guacamole and avocado, tomato, onion, chili and coriander paste, and escabeche (es-ka-bay-shay), exotic marinades which gives meat in Mexican food its unique flavor.

All of these are found in the delicious entrees at El Vaquero.

Dinners at El Vaquero include many traditional Mexican specialties, such as tacos, burritos and fajitas.

Also, there are many central Mexican dishes that mainstream culture has overlooked.

Chalupas (shah-lu-pas) are flat corn tortillas covered in refried beans, lettuce, tomatoes and guacamole, and are one of El Vaquero's specialties. Along with chalupas, El Vaquero offers tamales, meat filling steamed in a cornhusk, and tostadas, tortillas cut into slices and fried.

El Vaquero also offers many vegetarian entrees, including bean burritos, cheese quesadillas and an array of salads.

Dessert is also offered, including traditional favorites such as fried ice cream and flan, a baked Mexican custard.

The standout treat is sopapilla, a flour tortilla that's deep fried and topped with honey butter, chocolate syrup, cinnamon and whipped cream.

The ever-changing Mexican cuisine is constantly being enriched from many different countries and cultures.

Recipes and ingredients from Africa, South America, Caribbean, France and the Orient found are seen in the array of tastes authentic Mexican food is known for.

To complement the food, El Vaquero has a full bar of domestic and imported beer, as well as fresh margaritas served traditionally and a full selection of white wines.

El Vaquero is located at 804 North State Street here in Big Rapids, and take-out orders are available.

The restaurant opens daily at 11 a.m. and has lunch specials available between 11 a.m.-3 p.m., seven days a week.

There are also a variety of combination platters and dinner specials that make El Vaquero worthy of a visit.



 

Ferris State conquered the north
Women's volleyball toured the Upper Peninsula and won.

By Matt Lauckner
Ferris State Torch

The women's volleyball team made a tour of the Upper Peninsula this weekend, stopping at Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech. Both meetings resulted in Ferris State victories.

On Friday, the team stopped in Marquette to take on the Wildcats of Northern Michigan. The Wildcats went into the matchup with a 5-6 record, while Ferris had a 10-2 record. Despite the differences in records, Northern gave Ferris a run for its money when they took games three and four.

The Bulldogs were able to take game five in order to clinch the victory. Leading the team were seniors Angie Desmarais and Alaina Olds and sophomore Karla Fairbanks.

Olds finished with 21 kills and 16 digs. Desmarais finished with 11 kills and nine digs. Fairbanks totaled 19 kills on 44 total attacks.

Game one was taken by the Bulldogs with the score of 30-24. In game four, the Bulldogs won 30-26, and game 5 was stolen with a score of 15-5. In the final game, Ferris kept Northern to only 13 total attacks.

"We were confident going into the match against Northern," Olds explained. "We were able to come together and win as a team."

Fairbanks said that even though the team won, a learning experience can be taken from the match. "Even though we won, we learned that it might be a little tougher to get a victory in the same circumstance with a tougher team," Fairbanks said.

Saturday, the volleyball team traveled to the remote Keweenaw Peninsula of the U.P. to face Michigan Tech. The meeting between the two teams didn't last long, with Ferris taking Tech in the first three games.

Leading the Bulldogs was Olds with 14 kills on 24 total attacks. Other standouts against Tech included Becky Thurau, who had 10 kills and two digs, and Fairbanks with 11 kills and four digs.

The Bulldogs won the first game 30-17, with 31 total attacks and only two errors. Ferris also won game two, this time 30-23, with 35 total attacks. In the final game, Ferris completed the sweep with 45 attacks, with the final score 30-25.

"We went into the matchup with a lot of confidence and we handled Tech without a problem," Olds said.

The team will host Northwood this Friday at 5 p.m. and Saginaw Valley State on Saturday at 3 p.m. Northwood defeated the Bulldogs three times last season, by scores of 3-2, 3-1 and 3-0.

"We are looking forward to the competition this weekend. We really want to beat them this year," Fairbanks explained. All games will be held at Ferris State's Wink Arena.







Men's tennis season has begun
Experienced Bulldog team went undefeated in its first week.

By Adam Gasper
Ferris State Torch

Jason Cole
Sophomore Jason Cole watches intently as his doubles partner,
Jan Talian, serves the ball behind him against GVSU last Thursday.
Photo By: Dan Gellasch
Photo Editor

Even the rain couldn't stop new head coach Kevin Brandalik from winning his first ever match as a collegiate coach on Thursday.

Halfway through the singles competition the rain fell, so the non-conference match against Grand Valley State was moved indoors.

The Bulldogs also faced DePauw and Indianapolis during a weekend road trip.

The three matches provided a warm-up for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Great Lakes Championships to be played this weekend in Midland, Mich.

The biggest change from last year's lineup was the re-addition of All-American Jan Talian.

Due to a painful wrist injury, Talian has been sidelined since early March. He began to shake off the rust on Thursday with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Desmond Early, who proved to be a very worthy opponent.

Once the rain started, Talian, Francisco Valencia, Martin Hoch and Jason Cole took the indoor courts and rolled to straight set victories. Mark Dichiara and Ian Westermann had to wait for courts to open before they could continue their domination of the low singles spots. Both won in straight sets as well.

Before the singles matches were underway, FSU started its domination of the match by winning all three doubles matchups. Coach Brandalik split up the duo of Talian and Hoch, who went 2-2 at number one doubles last year, and paired the All-American up with Cole. The team won, 8-4.

Valencia and Hoch teamed up at two doubles to take the pro set, 8-2.

At three doubles it was Dichiara and Westermann coming home with a tough 8-5 victory.

Walk-ons Jeff Stack and Mark Hammelman teamed up to win an exhibition doubles match, and both claimed singles victories in the late afternoon.

Saturday's match against DePauw ended in a 6-1 route in favor of the Bulldogs.

The lineup stayed the same with one exception. Hammelman teamed up with Westermann to hold down the number three doubles spot. Dichiara was the only player to lose his match. He dropped the second set, 2-6, after a heartbreaking first set tie-break ing loss.

FSU improved its record to 3-0 on Sunday with an 8-1 victory over Indianapolis. Talian and Valencia both played tough, but still earned straight set victories.

Hoch, Cole and Westermann all remained undefeated at their positions while Dichiara lost yet another close match, this time in three sets.

The three doubles teams outscored their opponents by a combined tally of 24-7.






First loss for women's tennis
The NMU Wildcats flexed their muscles in victory over the one-time GLIAC Champs.

By Adam Gasper
Ferris State Torch

Barbora Jilkova
Junior Barbora Jilkova practices her serve
serve at the FSU Racquet Center
Photo By Dan Gellasch
Photo Editor

The ladies tennis team had a weekend road trip to the scenic Upper Peninsula spoiled by a tough Northern Michigan squad on Saturday morning. The team rolled over GLIAC foes Michigan Tech and Lake Superior State before dropping an 8-1 contest to the Wildcats.

The trip started with a visit to the LSSU campus, and the Bulldogs left with an 8-1 victory. Barbora Jilkova, Sarah Jane Johnston, Suzanne Batten, Laura Schaefer, Elena Blackman and Tessa Miller all won their singles matches.

Jilkova and Batten paired up for a doubles victory, as did Johnston and Schaefer. Blackman and Miller lost a match at three doubles for the first time ever.

Friday's match at Michigan Tech resulted in another 8-1 victory. Jilkova and Batten were both tested in long three-set victories. Johnston lost a three-set match after taking the first set, 6-3. Schaefer, Blackman and Miller held down their singles spots with straight set victories.

The showdown with NMU may not look too good on paper, with FSU taking only one of nine matches, but many matches were close and all were hard-fought.

The team lost all three doubles matches before singles even started. Jilkova and Batten lost 8-6 to Kris Koopmann and Sabina van den Bor. Johnston and Schaefer battled hard before eventually losing their match, 8-5.

Looking to begin a new winning streak at the three doubles spot, Blackman and Miller clawed their way to a tie-breaker before eventually losing their match to Heidi Ehlers and Agata Gotowicz, 7-4 in the tie-breaker.

Jilkova was the only player to win a singles match, improving her record to 6-1 with a 6-4, 6-1 victory, while Batten lost, 6-2, 6-4. Johnston played solidly but couldn't force a third set, losing 6-3, 7-5.

After winning the first set 6-4 and taking a 5-0 lead in the second, Schaefer, the team's only freshman, dropped the last two sets 7-5 and 6-2.

"I am feeling a lot more comfortable and relaxed on the court," Schaefer said.

Miller took the first set 6-1 but eventually lost the last two sets 6-2, 6-1. The Wildcats' Gotowicz took care of Blackman, 6-3, 6-4.

"A lot of matches were close and they were playing at the top of their games. Next time we play them we'll be at the top of our game," Schaefer said.






The running man
Picucci highest finisher for both cross country teams on Friday evening.

By Mike Potter
Sports Editor

Senior Steve Picucci, the Ferris State men's cross country team's captain, placed in the 10th spot at the Pre-Great Lakes Region Invitational held in at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich.

With a time of 26:22.19, Picucci was the lone Bulldog in the top 20, finishing about 27 seconds behind Hillsdale's Steve Larson, who won the individual meet in 25:55.52.

"Picucci is running real tough right now. He can step up and run with anyone in the league," coach Jeff Kavalunas said.

Ferris' Joe Every, a junior, placed 28th with a time of 27:09.35, while teammate Pat Wehrman, a senior, finished in the 42nd spot in 28:01.28.

Sophomore Ben Baldwin clocked in at 30:01.88 to finish in 74th, followed closely behind by fellow sophomore Kurt Kramer, who placed 76th with a time of 30:08.10.

"We were racing against pretty much the top teams in the region, with the exception of Ashland," Picucci added.

No team scores were kept at the meet for either the men's or women's teams.

The FSU women had a better overall team showing, although they didn't have a top-10 finisher.

"The women's team struggled a bit. They ran pretty hard, but were just a little flat," Kavalunas said. "The race was a little faster pace than what we've been doing. We were there to get experience for the course."

Freshman Leanna Wolf was the top women's finisher in 19th place, with a time of 19:53.60. Wolf had previously finished in 20th and 11th in the first two meets of the season.

Crystal Fluter, another Bulldog freshman, finished in the 22nd spot in a time of 20:07.99, while freshman Jenny Irwin clocked in just a few seconds behind, 20:28.43, to finish 25th.

Coming in at 27th was freshman Kristen Balla in 20:31.13, followed closely behind by two Bulldog sophomores. Stefanie DeLong finished in a time of 20:34.21 to come in 28th overall and Mary Miller clocked in less than a second later, 20:35.13, to finish 29th.

Two more freshmen placed in the 40s range as Geneva Jones finished in a time of 21:36.61 for a 43rd place finish and Kathryn Lange finished 46th at 21:47.90.

Bulldog team captain Angela Herzog, a junior, placed 60th with a time of 22:49.53.

Ferris' men's and women's teams will host the Bulldog Invitational on Friday, Sept. 27 at 5:30 p.m. at the Katke Golf Course in Big Rapids. The meet is the only home competition for the Bulldogs this year, with only a few meets remaining.

"I'm looking forward to this week's meet. The competition won't be as tough, but some of the other (Ferris) teams will be out there supporting us. Some of our family members will come too," Picucci said.






Bulldogs look to improve on last year's season as they take the ice
Ferris plays its first exhibition game this weekend.

By Shannon Vesper
Assistant Sports Editor

Chris Kunitz
Senior Chris Kunitz waits out side of the faceoff circle for the puck during
a game last session. Kunitz led the CCHA with 25 goals in 28 conference games.
Torch file photo

The adventure of Bulldog hockey is only three days away. Anyone who's been to a game knows they play a thrilling brand of hockey.

Last year they had a Central Collegiate Hockey Association record of 12-15-5, with an overall record of 15-20-1. To improve this season, the Dawgs have kept several key players and added six new athletes to the squad.

"We look good, I like our team right now," head coach Bob Daniels said.

Top forward Rob Collins graduated last May, but the team has replaced him with four new additions: Tim Vokey (Mississagua, Ont.), Jamie Dunlap (Nepan, Ont.), Greg Rallo (Gurnne, Ill.) and Craig Piscopink (Wayne, Mich.) who sat out last season and is now eligible.

"These guys really put a lot of talent up front. It's a pretty exclusive team," Daniels said.

Daniels expects the new forwards to be good offensively as well as a team that is going to be big on scoring.

"When you look at our team, they're skilled and very fast. We did add some size this year up front; the majority is on the blue line. You're going to see a team that can get goals," Drew Famulak, assistant coach, said.

Last season the defense was 189-231, 81.8 percent, on their penalty kills. However, half of the defensemen have graduated. In their place are three new players: Steve Later (Winnipeg, Man), Jeremy Scherlinck (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) and Andrew Winnik (Mississauga, Ont.).

"In the first games the defense will be baptized by fire," Daniels said.

Since a quarter of the team members are freshmen, Daniels feels the only question mark is how quickly they can adapt to college hockey.

"It's a great group of guys. All the freshmen are just getting here and fitting in really nice. I think the upper classmen are showing them a good way, a good foot to follow. They're showing them how to be a good hockey player in this league," Chris Kunitz, senior forward, said.

Setting team goals is top priority for the season, and captains Kunitz, Troy Milam and Derrick McIver want to get home ice for the playoffs, get back to Joe Louis Arena and get an NCAA bid.

"As team goals we've set, we want to get ourselves a home playoff spot. We haven't had home playoffs in 10 years. There used to be 12 teams to make the playoffs and now there are 16. I think we can get that," Milam said.

"You have to nationally be ranked in the top 16. We're going to be fighting for that," Kunitz said.

off last season with 117 goals scored, the Bulldogs ranking fourth in the league. Kunitz returns as top scorer, with a total of 28 goals, and is expected to be a premier asset for the team.

Kunitz was also named First-Team All-Conference in the CCHA. He was the league's leading scorer, the first for a Bulldog in their 22nd year in the CCHA.

Senior left wing Phil Lewandowski is also returning to the team. "

broke through as a player last season and he'll pick up the challenge this year," Daniels said.

Back to defend the team are Matt York, Milam and Mangos.

"I would put these three defensive up against any other team's top three," Daniels said.

In goal is sophomore Mike Brown with a record of 10-13-0, 627 saves and a 2.66 goals against average. John DeCaro, another sophomore who gained confidence through his play last season, made 330 saves, averaged 3.75 goals against and went 4-8-2. Also in net is senior Matt Swanson, who played in his first career game last year.

"The team is really excited, everything is positive. We can't wait to get on the ice and start doing things as a team. We're antsy to get started," Kunitz said.

"We're returning an awful lot of high talent. By the look on paper, it's an explosive team," Daniels said.

In addition to preparing the team, the coaching staff has also been a key point of change.

The team lost assistant coach Jeff Blashill after eight years of Bulldog hockey, four playing and four coaching, and has added new coach Derek Lalonde to assist Famulak.

"(Lalonde) has been a positive addition to the program. He has a goaltending and defensive background that worked out well," Daniels said.

The majority of the school year has been conditioning, but the atmosphere is high around the ice.

"We're in great shape. The kids were really committed this summer. We have captains who are great leaders," Daniels said.

"I think that not only am I excited, but the guys are too. We've been doing a lot of off-ice stuff, running and lifting," Milam said.

Practices began this past Monday as the team is gearing up for their first exhibition game of the season on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 2 p.m. The Crimson and Gold game will benefit the Kevin Courtney Foundation; tickets are only a $2 donation.

"The exhibition is a time for the new guys to find a place on the ice," Milam said.

Coach Daniels is ready to hit the ice, but he wants students to participate.

"It's one of the best student sections in the nation. I don't think the students think that, because they're not on the road. They add an awful lot of excitement to the games," Daniels said. "They're awesome. They've become an institution in the league. Other teams like to play in front of a charged group. To the incoming freshmen, that group is really important to us."

"I think it's awesome. It's a big thing coming out of the tunnel. It's huge. You talk to coaches around the league and they talk about how vocal and into it they are," Famulak said.

In addition to hockey, this team is looking forward to a great off-ice season. They have already participated with Ferris United in Relay for Life this past weekend. The team raised $800, with $100 donated by the Ferris Faculty Association.

For the second exhibition game, usually against Waterloo, the Bulldogs will play Western Ontario for the first time ever on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 7:05 p.m.






Men's golf beat Northwood
Bulldogs earned a victory on the road.

By Matt Lauckner
Ferris State Torch

The men's golf team traveled to Northwood University on Sept. 15-16 and took first place out of 11 teams. The Bulldogs posted a first day 300, with Mitch Flemming leading the team with a 72 and Tyler Averdick following closely with a 73.

The second round was improved with a 71 by Averdick, as well as Chris Griffin shooting a 74. Both scores helped the team post their second 300, giving the Bulldogs the victory.

Averdick took medalist honors with a two-day 144 total. Flemming and John Pazdera both finished with a two-day 151, and Griffin posted a two-day 154.

The men's golf team traveled to Coldwater for the Great Lakes Regional tournament this weekend. The tournament was won by Grand Valley, with Ferris State finishing fourth.

Leading the Bulldogs was Pat Simmer. The junior from St. Paul, Minn., was very consistent in the first round, posting a team low 68, and finished the second round with a 76, ending with a two day total of 144.

Other notables from the tournament were Flemming with a 153 and Chris Griffin with a 155. The team finished with a total of 300 the first day and 312 the second, for a two-day total of 612.

"We played okay the first day, but really messed up the second. We really didn't play the best golf in the world," Griffin stated. "We will practice this week and focus on the task at hand. We really know that we're better than the scores that we posted."

Coach Brad Bedortha could feel the frustration his players felt on the course. "It was tough this weekend. The players are struggling with their games, and we're going to Oregon soon."

The team will be traveling to Oregon in mid-October to compete in the Top 15 Fall Preview. This tournament will showcase some of the nation's top golf teams.

"I talked to some of the returning seniors today and discussed that we needed to improve the scores," Bedortha added. "We should honestly bounce back this weekend."

"The team has been so used to winning in the past that we've begun to play to stay alive. It is almost as though we forgot how to play to win. We can overcome this easily," Bedortha explained.

This weekend the men's golf team will travel to Bay City for the Bay Valley Intercollegiate Tournament with tee-time scheduled for 8 a.m.






Lions show improvements, but still lose
This early season has been full of surprises and woes.

By Aaron Carriere
Copy Editor

Early season surprises headline the NFL news for this week. The Panthers have already tripled their win total from last season, while the Saints, Broncos and Patriots are off to strong starts.

Joey Harrington and the boys put up a good fight against a tough Green Bay team on Sunday. The problem for the Lions is facing the Saints on Sunday. Forget playing on Sunday, Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss look to be headed straight for celebrity boxing on FOX. Let the games begin.

Carolina at Green Bay - The Panthers are off to a fast 3-0 start after taking care of the Vikings on Sunday. Carolina's first real test arrives on Sunday at Lambeau Field. Brett Favre and the Pack shine in this one. Green Bay 31, Carolina 14

Miami at Kansas City - The Dolphins and Ricky Williams are one of the hottest teams in football heading into week four. Kansas City played the Patriots tough last week in an overtime thriller. Can Miami keep its winning streak alive? Miami 27, Kansas City 24

Chicago at Buffalo - The Bears were up big last week before falling to the Saints. Buffalo came up just short against a tough Broncos team last week. Bledsoe and the Bills could be at 3-0, but instead are sitting at 1-2. Could this be the turning point in the season? Bills 24, Chicago 16

Dallas at St. Louis - Dallas was embarrassed at the hands of the Eagles on Sunday. St. Louis is just too dangerous for the young Dallas team. St. Louis 34, Dallas 10

New Orleans at Detroit - The Lions and new quarterback Joey Harrington put up big points against Green Bay on Sunday. The Saints came back last week and shocked the Bears at home. The Saints improve to 4-0 after an 0-4 start last season. New Orleans 24, Lions 10

Houston at Philadelphia - The Eagles put it all together last week in the blowout win over Dallas. Houston is still struggling with youth and inexperience. Philadelphia puts up big points in this one. Philadelphia 37, Houston 13

Cleveland at Pittsburgh - The Browns and Tim Couch took Tennessee by surprise last week. The Browns should be unbeaten so far this season. Pittsburgh comes off a bye week as one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL. Pittsburgh gets on track in this one. Pittsburgh 24, Cleveland 20

N.Y. Jets at Jacksonville - The Jets are quickly becoming one of the worst teams in the AFC. Head Coach Herman Edwards summed it up by saying, "We can't get much worse." Jacksonville comes off the bye week with confidence. Jacksonville 17, Jets 14

N.Y. Giants at Arizona - The Giants are supposed to be rebuilding this year. Arizona is always rebuilding. The Giants take another step towards their playoff goal. Giants 17, Arizona 3

Tampa Bay at Cincinnati - Tampa Bay is too much of a challenge for the eternally struggling Bengals. Peter Warrick is begging for the ball in Cincinnati. John Lynch and the Bucs ride in this one. Tampa Bay 20, Cincinnati 6

Tennessee at Oakland - Oakland is one of the year's most impressive teams. Savvy veterans Rich Gannon and the ageless Jerry Rice lead the charge for the silver and black. Tennessee lost a close game to the Browns last week. Oakland's offense is too much for the Titans. Oakland 27, Tennessee 13

New England at San Diego - The Patriots are off to a 3-0 start after edging out the Chiefs in OT last week. San Diego's opponents this year have been Cincinnati, Houston and Arizona. How will San Diego fare against a real team? New England 24, San Diego 7

Minnesota at Seattle - The Seahawks can't stop the run. The Vikings can't run the ball. The sad part of this game is that somebody has to win. In the battle of the Mike's, Holmgren beats Tice and the Randy-ratio on Sunday night. Seattle 17, Minnesota 14

Denver at Baltimore - The Broncos are off to a great start under quarterback Brian Griese. Baltimore has scored one touchdown in its first two games. Baltimore's woes continue on the national stage on Monday night. Denver 24, Baltimore 13

Last week's record: 10-3 (Not including the Monday night game)

Editor's Note: ESPN.com was used for statistics and records in this article.




Wildcats defeated Bulldogs 17-3
Ferris football team drops to 1-1.

Derek Fudge
Derek Fudge (3) makes a move on a few Michigan Teck.
Huskies during action in last year's 35-0 homecoming victory.
Torch file photo

By Shannon Vesper
Assistant Sports Editor

The Bulldog football team fell to Northern Michigan this past weekend at the Superior Dome by the score of 3-17.

"It was a big disappointment. The kind of team we played, their talent level was lower than ours. It was disappointing especially after six hours on a bus to come back without a win. We watched film all week and we knew what we were playing against. We want to turn that disappointment around and use it as fuel for Wayne State," team captain Alvin Grier said.

Head coach Jeff Pierce feels that the game wasn't difficult physically, but playing in an enclosed dome may have muffled the sound and was hard for some of the new players to communicate.

Tom Perez started Ferris off on the right foot with a 34-yard field goal at 10:04 in the first quarter putting the team on the board 3-0. Northern's Kyle Marotz hit a 45-yard field goal tying the game 3-3.

Early in the second quarter, Nick Mauthe of Northern caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Swenor to pull ahead of the Bulldogs, 10-3.

Looking to get back on the board, Perez attempted a 47-yard field goal but missed hitting the crossbar at 9:14.

The Bulldog\s were scoreless in the second half of the game. Northern had one touchdown in the third period at 9:09 with a 5-yard run from Kyle Swenor to take the game 17-3.

"We were very disappointed not going out there with a win. We had a great opportunity to beat Northern Michigan. We did not play consistently in all phases of the game and on offense we weren't able to complete some of the drives we had," Pierce said.

Ferris' Derek Fudge had 23 rushing attempts for 70 yards, making an average of 3.04 yards per carry. Ferris had a total of 31 rushing attempts for 85 rushing yards as a team.

Marsan completed 16 passes out of 42 total attempts for 158 yards and threw two interceptions.

"We had many opportunities, but we didn't take advantage of those to get on the board. Defensively we played very well; we had a couple missed plays. We played defensively well enough to win a game, but on offensive we weren't on," Pierce added.

Brandis Bowie averaged 7.6 yards on his five receptions, while Delano McKinney caught three passes for 42 yards. Andy Thwaites caught two passes for 31 yards and Fudge caught two passes for 22 yards in the contest.

The Bulldogs are working hard in this week's practices to come out strong this weekend.

"For Saturday we need to get our offense clicking and get the timing of that moving again. I think the things that didn't work last Saturday are all correctable things. We need to get back into a routine too, and get crisp as a football team and prepare ourselves to beat Wayne State," Pierce said.

"We need to get more discipline overall and work harder on the little things; I think we'll be fine. We need free style at practices and focus on worrying about ourselves and working on our own to win on Saturday. We will win on Saturday," Grier said.

The team will play Wayne State University at Top Taggart Field this Saturday at 7:00 p.m.






Delayed reaction
Both soccer games this past week were delayed, but eventually played.

By Mike Potter
Sports Editor

The Ferris State University women's soccer team split two games this past week, winning at home against Spring Arbor University and losing at Hillsdale College.

Thursday's game against the Cougars of Spring Arbor started a few minutes late, after lightning caused the teams to take shelter, but the game still went on. The Bulldogs took the first lead of the game only eight minutes in, with a goal by freshman Andrea Moma, the fifth for her this season. Freshman Lisa O'Brian added the assist, her second of the season.

Spring Arbor's Amy Douglas tied the score at 1-1 just seven minutes later. O'Brian answered by scoring an unassisted goal, her second of the season, at the 21-minute mark.

Douglas tied the score once again in the 82nd minute, and no Bulldogs would respond in the final eight minutes of regulation.

The first of a possible two overtimes, which almost didn't occur due to issues with the light, was then started. Both teams played cautiously, not wanting to surrender the deciding goal, until the Bulldogs got a corner kick near the end of the first overtime period.

After an entry by junior Emily Rogers, Moma attempted a header that bounced to teammate Diana Jacobson, who then proceeded to head the ball past the goalkeeper.

Jacobson's goal was the first of her career and the assist was also the first of Moma's career.

Junior goalkeeper Alana Dombrowski made 14 saves, surrendering only two goals in 98:35 of action.

The second game of the week didn't finish in quite the same manner, although it did begin late like the first game.

After two different buses stalled while traveling to Hillsdale, Mich., the team finally started its match a whole two hours after the scheduled game time.

The team gave up only one goal in the game during the 38th minute, but that was enough to send its Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference record to 0-1 on the season.

Commenting on the lack of offense against the Chargers, O'Brian said, "We only had 10 minutes to warm up. That might have had something to do with it."

Dombrowski made nine saves in the loss, which evened her record at 3-3-0.

Ferris registered only four shots on goal in the event, compared to 14 in the previous game.

"We have done pretty good so far this season. We're getting better, but we haven't played to the max yet," O'Brian added.

The Bulldogs next travel to Kenosha, Wis., to take on Wisconsin-Parkside on Friday, Sept. 27 at 2 p.m.


 

"Word of God" should not interfere with campus life
Men from out of state are harassing non-Christian students at Ferris.

By Karen Langolf
Ferris State Torch

Harrassment in the Quad
"Tom" came to campus to sprout his word to students.
Photo By: Dan Gellasch
Photo Editor

Normally I tell everyone I meet that it doesn't matter what religion you are, as long as you respect the feelings and beliefs of others. This applies to everyone, from lowly beggars on the street to the high and mighty Catholic priests.

Unfortunately, it seems my message doesn't reach as far as I would like. Last Thursday I witnessed for the first time one man standing in front of the FLITE building for nearly two hours preaching the Christian faith.

This does not sound bad, and if that was all he was doing, I wouldn't care. The problem with this guy is that he is not politely speaking his beliefs; he is harassing others who do not share his faith.

The first line I heard from the crowd gathered around him was "So are all other religions going to hell?" To this I saw him nod his head and begin a speech about how they do not believe in his god, the "one true God."

All right. Now I am a little disturbed by these types of things, but then I think about what he says. In his eyes everyone will burn, but what about those of us who do not believe in a hell? Hell was a concept created by Christianity with a little bit of insight from the Norse religion.

Many people believe that they will become something else after this existence is over, called reincarnation. I tell people that I want to be a house-cat because they are almost always spoiled rotten.

"All I see here is a man who is afraid to die and afraid to be alone," student Morgan Stutler said. Stutler stood for around forty minutes listening to this guy and tried to put his two cents in before leaving for class.

Tom, the only part of the man's name that he revealed, concluded that, "Death is our enemy, the ultimate end." Not when we have reincarnation!

That little problem with going to hell I can deal with because I don't consider it offensive to my culture. What I find more offensive is that he has the nerve to argue with an Islamic student that Allah is not a god.

His excuse is that Allah needs people in order to show love. Allah created people because he needed them and to keep himself amused. Isn't that why God made people? The priest said that God had the son to love before he made people. Not really. He didn't have Jesus until he was born from Mary.

Conversion is not something I am very fond of, especially when you cannot respect other people for their differences. This guy cannot be taken seriously if he cannot accept that people are different for a reason.

Without diversity, our country would be stuck in boredom. If everyone were the same-wore the same clothes, ate the same food, took the same classes, watched the same T.V. shows, and read the same books-would this country be as great as it is? That sort of reminds me of communism.

It is my opinion that people who cannot respect others for their religion will also not respect anyone who is gay, has a different skin color, or even speaks with an accent.

One thing I found a little amusing is that he got upset whenever anyone questioned what he said. His tone became agitated and he started to harass people. He wouldn't let you finish what you wanted to say because, in my opinion, he knew he wouldn't be able to argue with you.

This guy isn't even a priest anymore. He was a priest in San Diego until 1996, when he denounced himself and started "touring campus to campus preaching God's word."

I was told after he left that someone was here the week before doing the same thing. This same person also told me that DPS was called to have him removed from campus because he was harassing the students.

I'm surprised that this guy didn't warrant a phone call to DPS also. The Islamic student who he harassed by saying "Allah is not a loving God" was also told that he should throw away everything he was taught to believe in and become a Christian today.

What is wrong with our society, that we must insist everyone believe the same thing? Didn't our ancestors leave England to get away from the religious domination?

There was a long discussion about what we should worship. Stutler said that we should be able to worship by our own free will. To me this is a good thing, because it emphasizes that individuals should be able to worship whatever they choose, religion-wise.

Tom took it another way, saying that by worshipping through free will, we would worship rock stars and athletes. To a point this is true. However, I also don't see any harm in looking up to people for inspiration. Martin Luther King, Jr., for instance, is a good role model who many people appreciate.

Looking around the crowd in the last few minutes, before it started to rain, I noticed that there were a few potential "Toms" standing out there helping him promote conversion. I believe that it is these people who need the diversity appreciation training that this campus provides.

Everyone is entitled to what they believe in and should have the respect of others for their beliefs.

However, those who push their beliefs onto another person will one day realize how mistaken they were.

We all live by the same code: do until others as you will have done unto you. My version is a little simpler than that but it has the same principle: "Do as thou will but harm none."






Health group grabbing money
Proposal 4 is bad news on the November ballot.

By Mircea-Ioan Cotosman
Ferris State Torch

To this very day I am amazed at the nerve that some people have! I know that we all compete for resources and that everyone is looking out for their own, but some things just go too far.

I also understand the concept of "survival of the fittest," but for some reason I did not expect to see it applied in this manner.

At first, it was just a rumor and people did not really get it.

Then, after a while, the rumor turned into facts. However, we still did not think that they could succeed. For the past two months we've been proven deadly wrong.

The Michigan Health and Hospital Association decided to look out for their best interest and grab no less than $8.9 billion over the course of the next 25 years.

At first glance it might seem like a good idea, and it might seem that Michigan voters should be proud and support the MHHA in their brave efforts to secure some funds for a healthier Michigan in such tight-budget times.

But things are not always what they seem to be.

In fact, there is one main reason why this is not such a good idea. The $8.9 billion is coming from the so-called Tobacco Settlement Fund.

This is money that comes back to Michigan's budget from the tobacco companies under the 1998 National Tobacco Settlement Agreement, which awarded money to the states based on their reported increased health care costs due to treating tobacco-related illnesses.

This considerable amount of money is nothing more than payback to the state of Michigan which, over the years, had to use money from their own budget to deal with tobacco-related illnesses among citizens Michigan.

Those are dollars that could have been used for scholarships, for example.

That's why the Governor decided to use a good chunk from the Settlement fund to create and distribute a series of scholarships to Michigan's college students.

Does the MEAP (Michigan Education Assessment Program) Scholarship sound familiar? If it does, you are probably one of 250,000 students who have passed the exam.

If you did well, you received up to $2,500 applicable to your college education expenses.

Also the Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) is a Michigan scholarship that assists students from low-income families, and is designed for students pursuing an Associates degree.

TIP is also funded from the Tobacco settlement fund.