January 16, 2002
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What kinds of people are living next door?
By Amy McElmurray
Assistant News Editor
Ferris State University students should know that their safety is a big concern for university officials.
Since April 1, 2001, Ferris applicants must answer two questions concerning their disciplinary and criminal history on the application for admission. This action is a result of a decision made by the Board of Trustees last February.
Only a few other State of Michigan schools ask similar questions, according to admissions officials. Grand Valley State University and Eastern Michigan University ask these questions on the application, and Northern asks similar questions on its housing contract. Central Michigan University and Michigan State University are considering the implications of asking these questions.
The first question asks: "Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offense other than a minor traffic violation, or found to be delinquent by a juvenile court, or are there any such charges currently pending against you at this time?"
The other question asks: "Have you been expelled, suspended for a week or longer, placed on disciplinary probation, or been subject to any other disciplinary action at any secondary school (high school) or college or university you have attended?"
Cathryn Claerhout, associate director of admissions, explained that if a student answers 'yes' to either of these questions, his application is sent to a committee to discuss the situation and possible harm to the university if the student is admitted.
The student must provide a written explanation for each incident, including the date of the incident, any charges against him by a court, and circumstances by which he was disciplined.
This committee consists of eight individuals from various areas of campus life, including Celeste Belcher-Girard, director of judicial services; Claerhout; Stanley Dinius, director of public safety; Jana Hurley, dean of student life; Richard Kowalkoski, faculty representative; Andrei Nichols, office of minority student affairs; Craig Westman, associate dean of enrollment services/director of admissions; and Louise Yowtz, director of affirmative action.
The committee meets about once a month to determine if the student(s) should be allowed admission. Items considered include the severity of the crime; the duration of the offenses, including how long ago the incident(s) occurred; multiple offenses; probation or parole periods, and the harm the student could cause to others if placed on campus and in a residence hall. If the committee feels the student is not a risk to the campus community, the application is then sent back to admissions for the standard procedures.
Typically a student is not accepted to Ferris on the basis of academics. If the committee decides to reject a student because of his 'yes' answer, he is not accepted on a discipline basis. During fall semester 2001, the committee reviewed 60 applications, of which 39 individuals were accepted to the university. The committee only denied application to two individuals, and the other 19 applicants were denied academically, according to Claerhout.
Offenses, such as a felony with a firearm or an assault, are the main reasons a student would be denied admission.
"Everyone deserves du process," Claerhout stated while explaining the appeal process. A student who is denied admission due to disciplinary reasons is notified in writing by the committee and is given seven business days to write a letter of appeal to Dean of Enrollment Services Ronnie Higgs.
The admissions office also performs random spot checks on applicants. This involves running a criminal check on every applicant to see if they answered the questions falsely. If a false reply is found, the individual, if a student on campus, is sent to judicial services immediately. The last two spot checks performed discovered three applicants that had provided false information.
Claerhout explained that some students that are expelled from the university will reapply for admission and answer the second question "no," which is a false answer. She stated these situations are quickly discovered because the information is already in the Ferris system, and they have to look no further. Some applicants don't understand that when they sign the admission application, they are signing a legal document, and all information provided is considered to be accurate.
The two above questions were added to the application in an attempt to make campus a safer place. University officials feel that Ferris students must be good citizens and must be sociably ready for college life, according to Claerhout. A 'yes' answer to either question does not automatically result in admission denial.
 Photo by Mike Termini, Assistant Photo Editor
Last Thursday many high school students from different districts were awaarded after competing in the annual DECA District 2 Conference.
Seven hundred high school students invade campus
By Jessica Wortley
Ferris State Torch
Individuals who happened to be on campus last Thursday might have noticed a number of school buses driving around, an abundance of well-dressed students walking around or maybe unfamiliar faces eating at the Rock Café. The students, around 700 in total, were juniors and seniors from 18 West Michigan high schools and career centers. They were on campus for the annual DECA District 2 Conference.
DECA stands for Distributive Education Clubs of America and is Michigan's second largest high school student organization with 150 schools in eight districts. Students in this group learn about marketing, management and entrepreneurship techniques before putting them to practice in competitions against other schools. The students choose from 30 categories, such as apparel and accessories, food marketing, e-commerce or travel and tourism to compete in. On the day of the competition, students participate in three activities related to their category. They take a competency test, an occupational test and conduct a role-play. Those students who perform exceptionally well in all three areas are invited to compete at the state-level competition in March.
Ferris volunteered to hold the District 2 competition this year after Baker College was unable to host it, according to Linda Travis, event coordinator and College of Business faculty member. She went on to explain that Ferris wanted to hold the event for a number of years and had been in contact with DECA administrators and officials.
"Baker couldn't [host] this year, so I leaped at the wonderful opportunity," Travis said.
The wonderful opportunity Travis talks about is Ferris' huge recruitment process. With enrollment now on the rise again, Ferris continually works to make students aware of this and helps them see what the university can offer them.
"We are using the event mainly for recruiting purposes," Travis commented. "We try to attend and host as many events as possible to recruit and show off Ferris."
Bringing over 700 students, faculty advisors, business professionals and parents to our campus was a logical thing to do. Students and advisors were able to interact with Ferris faculty and students, along with business professionals, giving them a chance for contacts for future endeavors and opportunities in school and work.
Everyone spent the majority of their time in the IRC and Business buildings, except for the awards ceremony in Williams Auditorium. President William Sederburg gave opening remarks thanking the faculty and advisors and congratulating the students on their dedication and efforts.
The ultimate goal in hosting the event was to encourage and persuade some of those 700 students to attend Ferris. One incentive Ferris had was giving away two $500 DECA scholarships to be used at Ferris. The lucky winners were from Grandville and Zeeland High Schools.
To further impress the students and advisors, Ferris provided them with unique activities around campus. Each student was given a perforated booklet with coupons to be used for the different events, all of which were free.
Activities included lunch at the Rock Café, watching "The Fast and the Furious" in the business building auditorium, tours of residence halls and FLITE, discounts at the Lundberg bookstore, Internet access in the computer lab and entrance to the SRC.
Students also received a bag with a career guide, College of Business fact sheet and a T-shirt.
In addition, a few of the student professional business organizations, such as the Accounting Association and Music Industry Management Association, were on hand to sell chips, candy, water and popcorn in the business building as a fundraiser for their clubs.
Ferris began preparing for the event in June by meeting with DECA officials to determine estimated costs, the number of judges needed and how many students would possibly be attending.
Travis said she was given a budget from Ferris of $3,000 to cover all expenses.
However, she only expects about $2,000 will actually be used after everything is paid for. The money went for room and auditorium rentals, lunch for the workers, copies and the coupon books.
The students' lunches at the Rock were donated by Dining Services, as was coffee and donuts for the workers in the morning.
Almost all the students seemed impressed with Ferris. They were overheard commenting how impressive the buildings were, especially the library, and how clean they found things. One girl was overly impressed with how clean the bathrooms were.
Two senior girls from Traverse Bay Career Center said they enjoyed how friendly everyone was, thought the conference was well organized and liked the small campus. Both are planning to attend Ferris in the fall.
However, five students from East Kentwood High School had a little different experience. They got separated from the rest of their school and ended up wandering campus for two hours looking for the Williams Auditorium; coming to the conclusion that our campus was too big and confusing.
However, they said overall the day was very exciting and they really enjoyed the conference experience.
Sederburg foresees semester plans
By Laura Chene
News Editor
Ferris' president discusses accomplishments made last semester and gives an insight of upcoming plans for the winter semester, including not allowing tuition to exceed beyond a five percent increase.
President William Sederburg and his assistant Dan Hurley explain plans to keep tuition from exceeding a five percent raise despite possible state budget cuts. Although the Board of Trustees typically decides the final tuition rates by its May meeting, Sederburg said that he has publicly announced that there will more than likely be an increase of between three and five percent for the 2002-2003 academic year.
Sederburg also discussed other important matters to be looked at this semester and stated that "issues will be driven by the overall budget," among other factors.
Both Sederburg and Hurley mentioned an academic faculty program review to take place in the near future and also plans to enhance the information technology on campus. "We're going to install an online Campus Pipeline System," Sederburg said. "It's pretty neat." The campus wide portal broadens a student's use of resources both on and off campus.
Hurley identified one bigger challenge of focusing on budget issues within the state economy while not neglecting to forget about the continual growth seen at Ferris over the past few years. The university has experienced continual increases in enrollment, for example, and it is important to remember that as a priority along with other issues. "Our goal is to continue that progress," Hurley said.
The Board of Trustees made many decisions last semester including the following:
~ Accepting the Holiday Inn Improvement Property Plan, as taken from the executive summary submitted Nov. 9, 2001
"That's something we're required to do," Sederburg said. "In order to maintain that facility we're required to maintain that property." The university's total cost of the project, which includes improvements that must be made to windows due to water damage, is $1,697,359.
$1,250,000 will come from Bookstore and Housing Maintenance and Repair funds.
The housing maintenance and repair fund] has always been used," Sederburg said.
~ Increasing the president's compensation and benefits, according to the minutes of the Oct. 19 meeting
"This is a Board of Trustees action," Sederburg said. Sederburg explained the annual process in which he is evaluated by the board usually around August or September. "That's on a yearly basis," Sederburg said. The board may also make any adjustments to the president's pay, which is stated in his three-year contract.
According to the minutes of the Oct. 19, 2001 meeting, the board resolved to increase Sederburg's compensation and benefits to his contract.
~ Closing five academic programs located in the College of Business, according to Sederburg. The programs include an associate of applied science degree in Real Estate, bachelor of science degrees in Insurance, Insurance/Real Estate, Computer Information Systems/Marketing, and Quality and Productivity Management.
"These were programs that had very, very [few] people enrolled in them," Sederburg said.
Hurley agreed that the change had very little impact on most students and said that when choosing to close a program, the student enrollment is one factor. When student enrollment drops too low, the program's worthiness is affected.
When asked if Board meetings were open to students, Sederburg replied, "Oh absolutely."
Students can read more about Sederburg's thoughts, plans and university projections by visiting his website.
The next Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for Feb. 16, as of Dec. 6. For a complete list of upcoming meeting dates, locations and times, refer to page 4.
Hot debate over Internet taxes
By Oshotayo Adedeji
Ferris State Torch
NoInternetTax.org is a non-profit organization of concerned citizens that wants the power of the Internet to remain in the hands of its users. The organization's mission is to protect the Internet on the state, national and international level from burdensome regulation and taxation.
According to the organization, in 1998 it was becoming increasingly clear that new taxes being imposed on the Internet could seriously stunt its growth and development.
"In the fall of 2001, the U.S. Congress extended the nationwide moratorium on collecting taxes for Internet purchases. Clearly, any system developed by the state to collect taxes would need to wait until that moratorium runs out. That doesn't mean that states can't be working right now to develop such a system, and in fact, a coalition of around 20 states are doing so right now. Michigan is a part of that coalition," Matt Resch, deputy press secretary, said.
"The measure is a hollow victory, a far cry from the permanent moratorium that we have advocated for the past two years. One significant outcome of the debate that we elated about is the failure of an amendment by Senator Dorgan (D-ND) by 57-43 to allow for 'streamlining' efforts that would have paved the way for further Internet taxation," Jennifer Holder, executive vice president of NoInternetTax.org, said in a an article of www.NoInternetTax.org.
Holder also said, "The debate isn't over; Advocates of streamlining were not discouraged by failure to their unpopular amendment and have indicated that they will continue to work for the next two years towards consensus."
"The streamlining is comprised of 7,200 group members who simplify all the laws to force and also make it easier for consumers to pay taxes when they purchase goods online," Holder added.
The website also stated, "Under the Streamlining Sales Tax Proposal, the NGA proposes streamlining tax rates, thus reducing competition between taxing authority. They also advocated a flat rate per state or national rate for e-Commerce, which would be collected by a 'national sales tax collection center,' which would gather consumer information and monitor consumer Internet purchases to determine if they are subject to taxation."
According to an article taken from the website Help Save the Internet from Destructive New Taxes, "Congress enacted a three-year moratorium on new Internet taxes and appointed the Advisory Commission On Electronic Commerce to study the issue and make legislative recommendations on future Internet tax policy."
One of the major reasons consumers are enjoying the many benefits of the Internet is because it has been allowed to develop largely free of government regulation and taxation. "Right now, under Michigan law, it is required that all people pay tax (called use taxes) on purchases they make from a business out of state," Resch, said. One example is purchasing a book from amazon.com.
Governor Engler believes that the law should be enforced and that all states should develop a uniform way to collect those taxes.
"After the two years, the Congress can either extend the moratorium again, do nothing, or, as Governor Engler hopes, pass legislation giving states the authority to collect use taxes on Internet purchases. The Supreme Court has said that the states can't do this alone, that's why Congress needs to give the states collection authority," Resch said.
"I suspect the reason the state is interested in taxing Internet sales is quite simple. Why should we tax sales at a local store but not when the person buys the item on-line? I personally support the tax provision, which is different than our organization's position," Ferris State University President William Sederburg said.
Governor Engler also pointed out in an article, Testimony Regarding the Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act, "I am not talking about a new tax, a tax increase or a tax on the Internet. Every state that levies sales taxes requires a use tax to be paid if a customer's purchase is made online or out of state. Under current legal standards, a state may only impose sales and use tax collection requirements on sellers with a physical presence, or nexus, in the state whether the transaction is over the Internet or not.
"Any goods that are purchased should be taxed, and it does not matter where you get it from," Corey Jobin, a senior in rubber engineering said.
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 Nickelback visits Ferris for January Jams on Jan. 31 in Wink Arena. Tickets are on sale today. Prices are eight dollars for students and fifteen for the general public.
Success on the mind of Jams coordinators
By Rachel Theabo
A&E Editor
After months of planning, it has come down to this. Thanks mainly to the Delta Chi fraternity, Ferris State University will have two great bands playing at this year's January Jams. Chart-toppers Nickelback will be headlining with rock band Default opening up for them. The concert is slated to take place on Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. in Wink Arena. Delta Chi President Marcel Marecki ia the chairperson for the concert but was unavailable for comment.
With the release of their latest album "Silver Side Up," Nickelback has been quickly staking their claim in the music world. "Silver Side Up" debuted on the Billboard album charts at number two, beating out the likes of Mariah Carey and Bob Dylan. Their single "How You Remind Me" was an enormous stepping stone for the band. When the Torch asked if he was ready for the band to get huge, lead singer/guitarist Chad Kroeger responded by saying, "I don't know if we're ready. I've got my ticket for the rollercoaster and I'm ready to get on."
In the last two years, Delta Chi has brought their fair share of good bands to this campus. In 2000 they brought Jimmie's Chicken Shack, Atomic Numbers, and headliners The Verve Pipe. At last year's January Jams they had Nine Days, SR71, and headliners Sister Hazel. Even with the enormous success, Delta Chi is confident that this year's concert will be even better than that of the last two years.
This year Delta Chi put a lot of thought into the bands that they would be bringing to play. They looked at bands the likes of Linkin Park, Smashmouth, Saliva and for a short time Everclear. These bands didn't work out due to a lot of them starting their international tours, and also their personal service fees were too expensive.
When it came down to it they took a vote on which headlining band they would have play. Nickelback is currently on tour with Default in Canada. As it turns out, they were playing a show in Winnipeg and then shortly after that a show in Toronto. The band had a break between the two shows, and comingto Big Rapids fit perfectly into their schedule.
As would be expected, it is not a cheap endeavor to put on a concert of this magnitude. Delta Chi approached the student affairs programming committee and asked them to give them the money to cover the personal service fee for the bands. They had to present their case and they were granted approximately $36,700. They also approached the Student Activities Funding Allocation Committee, which allocated them roughly $13,000 to cover the stage, lights, sounds and other expenses.
Due to the concert being so expensive to put on, Delta Chi also approached the Music Industry Management Association and Entertainment Unlimited for help with planning and executing the concert. The Music Industry Management Association is going to help out mainly with the lights, sound, and hospitality, while Entertainment Unlimited helped with the contracts and planning.
The tickets for the concert went on sale Wednesday Jan. 16. The tickets are eight dollars for students and $15 for non-students. There will only be 3314 tickets sold for this concert, the max capacity for Wink arena. Tickets can be purchased at the Wink Arena box office or at the Student Services Center in Rankin.
Courtesy Photo
Default will be joining Nickelback as their special guest at the January Jams on Jan. 31 in Wink Arena.
 Photo by Mike Termini, Assistant Photo Editor
"A Round About Way," created by artist Susan K. Bonner is one of the many works appearing in the Rankin Art Gallery until Jan. 25.
Ephemeral objects or Geography and Anatomy?
By Karen Langolf
Ferris State Torch
With the first steps into the art gallery in the Rankin Center all does not look, in the traditional sense, as a gallery one would see in a museum. There are no paintings or drawings framed against the walls or dangling from the ceiling to be viewed.
Instead, Director of Exhibitions at Calvin College Susan K. Bonner has connected together two entirely separate categories with her creations that she calls "Ephemeral Objects."
Bonner attended Col-umbus College of Art and Design for her undergraduate degree and later went to the University of Cincinnati to receive her masters of Fine Arts in Painting and Sculpture.
"Ephemeral Objects" is open in the Rankin Center Art Gallery from Jan. 8 to Jan. 25.
"It's a show based more on concepts than on visual pleasing," Lisa Hinze, the assistant gallery coordinator, said. "Yet I think the city cell one is beautiful."
Inside of the gallery are 13 individual pieces that make up the idea of how geography and anatomy are similar.
Each piece uses parts of a road map that are used to show how the population of the world is growing.
The major theme is how the growth of a city can be compared to the growth of a single cell inside of the human body.
"Ephemeral Space means lasting for a very short time," Hinze said.
When walking through the gallery, it is a good idea to duck at some points, because there are cells dangling all over the room.
The first piece, "Innerstate," is a brain and heart connected together. Inside of the brain are the roads and highways of a map, and the heart contains the lakes and rivers also found on a roadmap. Both are needed to give direction and both are needed for a human body to survive.
The second piece of work is entitled "Ephemeral Space," which takes up the entire back wall and a good portion of the left wall with single cells.
Inside of the cells are tidbits of road map to signify how each single cell is connected to other cells and how all cells are affected by each other.
There is not one cell there that is exactly the same. Some contain a dab of red paint, while others have longer road maps.
Some of the cells are going through different stages in their growth cycles, such as mitosis or the division of the nucleus inside of the cell.
"City Cell" gives the impression that there is a whole city inside of each cell. Just as a city must communicate and work together, so does a map with its connecting roads and highways.
Through this piece it is easy to see how each cell is intricate and must work well on its own before it can be understood by other cells.
To really take a stand at how geography and anatomy can be mixed together, "Crucifixion" blends the ideas of having transformed New York into the right lung, chest and arm of Christ.
Along the spinal cord are mountains and Lake Champlain.
For the lung, the Adirondacks provide this idea, being that the Adirondacks are open land where the oxygen is fresh.
Spanning the arm are rivers where they formulate at the palm of the hand, forming into the Niagara Falls.
These falls represent the gushing of the blood of Christ from nail wounds in the palms of his hands.
 A few interesting pieces are called the "Population Explosion" an also the "Beggar Globe."
With the "Beggar Globe," the Earth is a piggy bank set upon a walking stepper's crutch, signifying that the world is an old person needing a little extra help.
"Population Explosion" is the world trapped inside of the atmosphere and now its population is becoming too big and is going to explode out of its ball-like shell.
There will be a lecture given by Bonner on Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the art gallery with a reception following the lecture at 7 p.m. The gallery is open Monday through Friday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
From handouts at the gallery, Bonner stated, "It is my hope through this exhibition you will be able to become more curious as you drive, thinking about a map and everything moving, just like you are a very small cell in a blood stream, filled with DNA."
Photo by Mike Termini, Assistant Photo Editor
Susan K. Bonner's "Getting out of the Grid," is featured in the Rankin Gallery. Bonner's art on display have a geography and anatomy theme.
 Photo by Mike Termini, Assistant Photo Editor
Debra Whitman (right) helps a couple of students who are asking questions about their tuition. Whitman is one of the people that work in the Sudent Service Center in the Rankin Center.
Perfecting customer
By Chris Miller
Editor in Chief
If your job includes answering questions about Ferris State University students' tuition bills, looking up financial aid, making sure transcripts are available or guiding students to the Rankin bookstore, you work in the Student Service Center.
"Our main goal is to give the best and most complete answer to every student's question that come through our doors," Chris Higley, a Ferris State employee for the past 14 years, said. "We try not to give students the runaround."
Higley started working for Ferris as a student in Housing. She then moved to Telecommunications, the Business Office, Financial Aid and finally found herself in the Student Service Center.
"One of my more memorable moments happened while I was working in Telecommunications. A student was complaining that someone had stolen his long distance card and was making phone calls with it," Higley, born and raised near the Big Rapids area, said. "After investigation, Ferris found out that he was the one making the long distance calls."
Student Service Specialist Debra Whitman remembered her favorite moment while working in the service center.
"It had to do with a woman who had custody of her nephew. He was coming to Ferris and she came in to pay his tuition. After finding out that the student didn't have his TIP (Tuition Incentive Program) on his account, she left in tears," Whitman said.
According to Whitman, the aunt left and called the student's mother. "When she returned she said that she was ready to puke in the car, but found the form for the financial aid. After it was cleared, she wanted to kiss me," Whitman said.
"Our main goal at the Student Service Center is that we take pride knowing that when a student leaves our office, he/she has the right answers," Whitman, a Ferris employee for over five years, said. Whitman was also born and raised in the area, but since she got married to her husband Bill, they have done a lot of traveling.
"He was in the military," she said. Along with working in the Rankin Center, Whitman finds time to do crafts, read and sew. She also has two boys, Josh (13) and Jake (10). She will be finishing a bachelor's degree in business administration after this semester.
Another helpful hand is Student Service Center Supervisor Kristy Heeter, a 12-year veteran at FSU. Heeter finished her schooling at Ferris in office administration. Along with snowmobiling, boating, golfing and reading, Heeter has her family with her daughter Amber (16) and her husband Kris.
When asked if the staff get a lot of problems from students or parents when tuition increases or new fees are added, they feel that complaints are minimal.
"There were a lot of complaints about the computer fees, but nobody really asks why Ferris raises their tuition," Heeter said.
The final staff member, Mary Anne Priemer, was not available for this article.
If students have any question about their tuition, the Student Service Center is opened Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Epic trilogy is now an epic movie
By Matt Cherry
Assistant A&E Editor
Now, as some of you may know, over this past break a few movies were released. Now while most of these movies were good, there was one film that, in my opinion, blew them all away.
It was based on a trilogy of fantasy novels that used tales from various mythologies as its base, and this trilogy, along with a few of the author's other books, set the goal to which all fantasy novels from then on are judged.
Of course, I'm talking about J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings."
And while I wish I could have seen the first movie more times than I did, at least I got to see it on opening night. And let me tell you, my friends and I were blown away.
Now, I could spend this article talking about all of the liberties that the movie took, especially when dealing with Arwen.
I could also spend this article ranting and raving about the greatness of the movie and book, but I'm going to tell it how it was.
I'm going to presume that not everyone has seen the movie, and that not everyone has read the books. With that in mind, I'm going to talk about the basics of the movies, and attempt to not dive into the epic plot.
While all three movies have already been shot, each one is going to be released right around Winter Break for the next three years, including this one.
This means that fans of the novel, and fans of the movie, have to wait quite a while before seeing what happens next.
Of course, since each movie runs between two to three hours long, having them released back-to-back would mean a very long day for some moviegoers.
Now, onto the mechanics of the movie. Peter Jackson did a brilliant piece of directing on this movie.
The casting was, for the most part, simply incredible. John Rhys-Davies made the perfect dwarf, and I was very impressed with Viggo Mortensen's portrayal of Aragorn/Strider.
Sean Astin, who played Samwise Gamgee, was incredible. It was almost as if he was born to do that role, he fit it so well.
Another surprise casting call, at least to me, was Hugo Weaving as Elrond Half-Elven. Most of us can probably recall Hugo Weaving's first big US role as that of "Agent Smith" from "The Matrix."
Sean Bean, who many people probably remember as Alex Trevalyan from the James Bond movie "Goldeneye," was also just terrific as the valiant warrior Boromir.
I was sort of upset and sort of glad about his death scene. I know I said I was going to leave the plot alone, but Boromir is one of my favorite characters.
In the trilogy, he dies about 18 pages or so into the second book, but it takes about seven or eight arrows to finally take him down, with his horn being broken.
Now that's not what they did in the movie. Although I'm a little happy they did so, because it gave the movie a better place to end for now. Plus, the second time I watched it, I noticed all of the orcbodies laying around him, dead, and thought to myself, "Okay, Strider only killed one, and Merry and Pippin didn't kill any. Alive or nearly dying, Boromir made sure he was taking a lot or orcs with him."
If you don't know any of the characters I've been naming, well, go read the series or go watch the movie. It's easy to devote a lot of time and energy, and a lot of pages, just trying to list all of the characters from this epic series. Trust me, I know, I've seen the fruit of those people's labor.
The scenery for the movie was beautiful. The entire film was shot in New Zealand, and it had the perfect feel. Every scene was just gorgeous to look at.
And the CGI (Computer Generated Images) were incredible. Those visuals are just as stunning as the real living scenery is.
The makeup was also incredible. Every elf in the movie looked like a real elf (well, except one elf in Lothlorien that had a little stubble), and every dwarf was a dwarf. And even though I know they used CGI to shrink him down, I'm still amazed that they were able to shrink a big guy like Rhys-Davies into a relatively short dwarf.
The hobbits, or halflings, were also very well done. The cheeriness of the hobbits is easy to see, especially in the bright colors of their costumes.
The orcs were also extremely accurate. The make up used, as well as the actors, did a great job of showing the utter ferociousness of the orcs.
All in all, this movie was absolutely incredible. It's no wonder that it's already ranked number one out of the 250 best movies on www.imdb.com.
And if you haven't yet seen the movie or read the books, then go do so! You'll not only be doing yourself a favor, but you might like fantasy after seeing this movie.
But one word of warning: if you have kids, please don't take them to see this. This is not a kid's movie.
 Courtesy photo
Capitol Steps, a musical political satire act, is coming to Ferris on Jan. 24. The group features former members of Congress, who have been doing the act since 1981.
Arts & Lectures knows political satire at its best
By Chris Miller
Editor in Chief
It would only be fitting that former politicians make up the musical featuring political satire, "Capitol Steps," that will be playing Ferris State University's Williams Auditorium on Jan. 24 at 8 p.m.
Capitol Steps performs nearly 500 shows a year while traveling throughout the United States. The group consists of 22 former members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, along with five pianists.
Started at a Christmas party in the office of former Senator Charles Percy in 1981, Capitol Steps has appeared on Good Morning America, the Today Show, Entertainment Tonight, 20/20 and National Public Radio's "All Things Considered," a few times.
Along with appearing across the U.S. and on television, Capitol Steps has produced a total of 21 albums.
Each act is unique because they deal with current political events. Recent music featured political takes against last year's Presidential election between Al Gore and George W. Bush. Overall, the group has performed during the course of five different presidents in office.
Capitol Steps takes popular songs while adding a twist to them. Their act coming to Ferris will feature songs like "Livin' Libido Loco," "Take the Money and Run for President," "Angry Feminist Nursery Rhymes," "House of the Right-Wing Son" and "You're So Vague."
Capitol Steps is part of the Arts and Lectures Series at FSU, which also has the Grand Rapids Symphony on March 24 as its next event coming to the campus.
Tickets for Capitol Steps are on sale now at Williams Auditorium. Students with identification can get in for $12. Faculty and staff have to pay $15, and it is $18 for general admission.
For more information about this event call 591-5600.
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 Photo by Mike Termini, Assistant Photo Editor
Click photo to enlarge
Guard Brian Monahan (#22) goes up for a layup against Ashland this past Saturday. Monahan scored nine points in the 83-72 loss.
Men's basketball team struggling to find wins
By Jason Nelson
Assistant Sports Editor
The Ferris State University men's basketball team is the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (GLIAC) equivalent of the Detroit Lions. Opposing teams are licking their chops against the last place Bulldogs, as the wounds on the Bulldogs continue to get larger.
Already without pre-season All-American Adam Anderson, the Bulldogs were struggling to find players to step up. Anderson is out due a bruised knee and has declared himself eligible for a medical redshirt season.
That was until a recent trip to Arizona. Though a player of Anderson's caliber is hard to replace, the Bulldogs' hopes of having a strong season have been rejuvenated, in large part due to the coaching of Edgar Wilson.
Much like the Lions this year, the Bulldogs look good on paper, but once they get out on the court, youth and inexperience play a factor. Lately, the Bulldogs have been showing signs that they could pose some problems for the GLIAC's elite teams.
Over Christmas break, the Bulldogs picked up two victories, one against Grand Canyon, Ariz., and the other against Mesa State, Colo. The wins came back-to-back over break and should feed some positive vibes into the Bulldogs.
In the win over Grand Canyon, the Bulldogs overcame a 13-point halftime deficit in the second half to pull out a much needed victory.
"The win against Grand Canyon gave us a belief that we can win. We played as good as a team as we had all year," Wilson said.
Also contributing to the Bulldogs strong play as of late is the play of Matt Miller.
"Miller has done an outstanding job. He has become our clear leader; he plays hard every minute that he is on the court," Wilson said.
With an overall record of 3-10 and 0-5 in the GLIAC, Ferris is looking for any kind of positive break to go their way. Bad luck has struck the Bulldogs this year, however. Through injuries and other dilemmas other players have stepped up their games.
Most notably scoring wise is Marcus Wallace, who has helped the Bulldogs immensely in Anderson's absence.
Against Ashland on Friday, the Bulldogs were looking to get off the shnide with a victory over a strong conference opponent. FSU hung around in the first half keeping the game close as Ashland went into the half with a 36-32 lead.
In the second half, the Bulldogs played very solidly, hitting over 40 percent of their shots and 10 of 11 free throws. The problem was Ashland putting up almost the same statistics. They were able to hold off FSU's charge to preserve an 83-72 victory.
Leading the way for the Bulldogs were Wallace with 22 points and Miller with 12.
Asked if he was frustrated with the team's play, Coach Wilson simply stated that he was disappointed with the wins and losses, but that is just a small part of the big picture.
"There is more to this experience for these young men than wins and losses. Playing hard and staying positive are important, as well as the whole college experience. Most important though is getting a degree. All of my players will be fine," Wilson said.
The Bulldogs are coming of age, and with a little more time the future looks bright. The Bulldogs' next game is tomorrow at Northwood University at 7:30 p.m., where they will try to pick up their first conference win of the season.
 Photo by James Bednarick, Photo Editor
Click photo to enlarge
Members of the Ferris State Women's Basketball team huddle up after a timeout against Ashland. The Bulldogs lost to Ashland 71-66 on Saturday.
Women's basketball team rolling
By Jason Nelson
Assistant Sports Editor
The Ferris State University women's basketball team has been hot for a while now.
The only problem is that is has been hard for people to take notice of their habitual winning with winter break in full effect. However, if the Bulldogs continue their strong play, members of the GLIAC will have to take notice of the successful season the Bulldogs are putting together. The ladies started out strong over break, taking on Saint Francis College in Indiana.
After trailing at halftime 36-34, the Bulldogs put together a good second half to defeat Saint Francis 72-67. Ferris had four players in double figures led by Debbie Killips with 19, Jennifer Brogger with 15, Lucy DeMartin with 13 and Bridget Horwitz chipped in 12 respectively.
The Bulldogs' mentality was tested the following game against Bellarmine, Ky., as the Lady Bulldogs battled back in the winning seconds to tie the game at 74. However, a last-second shot secured the Bulldogs' fate as they dropped a hard- fought game 76-74.
Most teams would crumble after such an emotional downer, however, Ferris came out hungry against Saint Joseph's, Ind. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 34-26 halftime lead and never looked back as the Bulldogs crushed Saint Joseph's 77-61.
Leading the way for the Bulldogs were Horwitz and Killips with 16 points each, DeMartin had 15 and Brogger had 13.
With a recent homestand, FSU continued their strong play with a win against Northern Kentucky 70-65. Again the Bulldogs big four came through as Killips had 18 points, Horwitz had 17, DeMartin 16 and Brogger 15. The Bulldogs closed out 2001 in style with a tremendous effort against Southern Indiana.
The game was nip and tuck throughout with the lead changing hands several times. In the end, it was Southern Indiana that prevailed with a 83-78 victory. DeMartin had 23 points in a losing cause and Brogger chipped in 21.
Ferris started the New Year with a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) blowout of Hillsdale on the road. The Bulldogs sprinted to a 13 point halftime advantage and never looked back as they coasted to an 82-67 victory.
DeMartin had 17 points, while Lindsey Kohn chipped in with a season-high 16 points in the Bulldog romp.
The Lady Bulldogs continued their strong play against Wayne State on the road last week. After being tied at the end of regulation, the teams went into overtime. However, one overtime was not enough and a second one was required.
FSU left no doubt as to who the better team was in the second overtime as they outscored Wayne State 18-6 to take a 87-75 victory out of Detroit. Horwitz had a huge game, scoring 28 points. Brogger chipped in 19 and Killips added 18. The win moved the Bulldogs to 8-4 overall and 4-1 in the GLIAC.
The hot streak came to an end when Ferris ran into a red-hot Ashland team last Saturday. It looked as if the Bulldogs were once again going to get a big victory, leading Ashland 40-33 at the half.
However, the Bulldogs went cold in the second half as Ashland outscored the Bulldogs 38-26, enroute to a 71-66 victory. The loss dropped the Bulldogs to 8-5 overall and 4-2 in the GLIAC.
 Photo by James Bednarick, Photo Editor
Click photo to enlarge
Debbie Killips (#4) sneaks past an Ashland defender during this past weekend's action at Wink Arena.
Young Bulldog team is a contender
By Jeff Mier
Ferris State Torch
A record of 10-10-1 overall and 8-8-1 in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) with 17 points, finds the Bulldogs at .500 and ranked sixth in the overall CCHA standings just behind Northern Michigan.
Over the holiday break, the Bulldogs took both games against Ohio State, however, they did not fare so well at the Mariucci Classic. They lost both games they played in the holiday tournament.
Friday night, the Bulldogs were back in conference play as they took on the Redhawks from the Miami University of Ohio. The game was a defensive battle from the puck drop with freshman goalie Mike Brown seeing the action for Ferris. Brown stopped a total 32 shots out of the 33 he faced.
Miami was able to capitalize off the Brown error with its one goal of the night, coming from sophomore forward Derek Edwardson. He was assisted by fellow sophomore forward Mike Kompon at the 17:53 mark of the second period.
Redhawk goalie David Burleigh, a junior, shined as he stopped all 28 shots he saw including the 16 that Ferris fired at him in the third period. Burleigh's strong play gave the Redhawks a shutout victory in front of the 1,572 faithful at Goggin Ice Arena.
It was the junior's seventh career shutout while at Miami. Saturday saw the rematch, and this time junior winger Chris Kunitz scored his 19th goal of the season when he scored at the 8:49 mark of the third period, giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. Another goal was granted to the dogs as Trevor Large replied off a rebounded shot.
Large's goal also cancelled Miami's streak of 20 penalties without allowing a power play goal, which stretched over five previous games..
Miami's loss was not all that bad because Burleigh had a personal best 37 saves and stopped 65 of the 67 saves he faced this weekend.
The Bulldogs take on Bemidji State (Minn.) of the Central Hockey America on Friday Jan. 25 at 7:35 p.m. The second game is the next day at 7:05 p.m. Both games are at Ewigleben Arena.
Da Bears
By Chris Miller
Editor in Chief
For the past five years, the National Football League has been the best professional sport. I don't care what people say about the "Hottest Sport on Ice."
Even though I can't stand them, I have to admit that the Red Wings have dominated. Since the Montana Red Wings will probably win everything, it will make things boring for NHL followers.
Baseball is boring and they are getting rid of teams. In some countries that is a crime. You try taking away Brazil's national soccer team and watch crazy fans chase you down with sharp items like sporks. Baseball did have one of the best World Series ever this past year. The post-season is the only time people pay attention besides opening day.
Golf has grown due to the luck of Eldrick Woods. However, he is overrated and isn't the best golfer out there. Mike Weir and Sergio Garcia are rising stars that will do much better then Mr. Woodsie in the future.
The other sport, professional basketball, is a basketcase. Young punks out of high school get paid millions to show themselves off. It is the best old-school game, though.
The best time for the NBA was when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird reigned on the court. It all ended when Michael Jordan won his first championship. People started playing for the money and less for the fun.
Getting back to the NFL, think about it. Every year, a different NFL team is the champion and it is hard to predict the one team to be there in the end. Surprising teams are winning. Surprising teams have lost.
Take some comparisons from the last two seasons. Last year, Baltimore conquered the entire universe after they defeated the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. New York failed to make the playoffs this year. Chicago finished last in the NFC Central Division last season. This year, they are going to win the Super Bowl over either the surprisingly rejuvenated Pittsburgh Steelers or the hottest team in the NFL right now the New England Patriots, both teams missing last year's playoffs.
Kordell Stewart cannot be stopped this year, and it was the total opposite a couple of years ago when they were benching him. Of course it helps to have the "Bus" Jerome Bettis and the two underrated heroes on the team, wide receivers Plaxico Burress and Hines Ward.
Some of the other surprising teams this year included the Cleveland Browns, San Diego Chargers and Arizona Cardinals. Even though these teams didn't make the playoffs, they were not the laughing stock of the NFL. They improved.
Wasn't it the early to mid-1990s when teams like Green Bay, San Francisco, Dallas, Buffalo and Miami were always in the playoffs? Some of those teams went to the NFC or AFC Championships on a consistent basis.
You knew who was going to win back then. Now you can't tell. I wanted the great Indianapolis Colts, led by Jim "Diddly Poo" Mora, to go all the way this year. Last year, I picked St. Louis to win it all and they lost to New Orleans in the playoffs, who has been in the post-season more times then the Lions have won a playoff game. As the French say, "Cest la vie!" (That's life!)
Next year, I am predicting the Lions to go all the way.
You watch, Marty Mornhingweg was right when he said, "It's the start of something special." Next season's Super Bowl prediction: Lions-43 Jets-21.
The Lions will defeat either Carolina or New Orleans in the NFC Championship. None of these teams, except the New York Jets, made the playoffs this year.
There are ways to make the game even more exciting by having the NFL make some changes. Start having the Super Bowl in cold weather cities. Playing in the outdoors is the best. Who likes a dome? There is only one dome team in the playoffs this year, St. Louis. Have the Super Bowl in Green Bay or Buffalo, that way you get 10 feet of snow for the game.
Another change I would like to see is award one point on kickoffs if the kicker can kick the ball through the goal post. That way it would be possible to win 1-0.
The headline would read, "Lions lose 1-0 to Carolina on the opening kickoff." That would be sweet. You could still award the other team the ball on the 20-yard line, but just give the kicking team one point.
Anyway, get my point? You never know what is going to happen in the NFL.
Ladies out to make a name for themselves
By Adam Gasper
Ferris State Torch
Women's Indoor Track kicked off its season Dec. 7 in Saginaw and were also able to squeeze in a dual match with Grand Valley State University before classes resumed.
Sixth-year head coach Jeff Kavalunas couldn't be more excited about kicking off the indoor season. "I think we're one of the top teams in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference) next to Grand Valley," coach Kavaluna, who is still seeking his first conference championship, boasted. "We're really hoping to peak at the conference tournament."
Making a run at the conference championship for this year's team may prove pretty easy, considering how talented this team is. Senior standout Katie Chapman is an All-American in the indoor and outdoor 800- meter run. So far this year she has placed third in the 400-meter dash at both the Holiday Open at Saginaw Valley State University and in the dual match with Grand Valley.
Senior Tianna Kirkland is the school record-holder in the shot put and has already qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships in Boston, March 8-9.
Kirkland finished second in the shot put at the Holiday Open, as well as a first place finish in Grand Valley.
Senior Morgan Buckner finished second in the 60- meter hurdles and first in the high jump at Saginaw Valley, then went on to win the 55- meter hurdles and take second in the high jump against Grand Valley.
The team ended up losing the contest with Grand Valley, picking up only 60.5 point to their 74.5.
It is the only dual competition the Bulldogs will have all year.
The men's team, in only its third year of existence, also competed in both events. They fell to Grand Valley by the score of 130-30. Star jumper Jason Thompson, a senior, has gotten off to a great start, finishing in first place twice in the triple jump and once in the high jump.
Coach Kavalunas has also been impressed with senior shot putter Jay Dixon, who has finished first and third in his events so far this season.
With five more invitationals remaining before the GLIAC Conference Championships, Coach Kavalunas has plenty of time to get his team ready for a showdown with Grand Valley and their other conference foes.
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Environmental hygiene
By Brian VanSteenkiste
Opinions Editor
Welcome back, Bulldogs.
What would you do if you went into your bathroom at home and found it trashed? Imagine someone has urinated on your toilet seat, used far too much toilet tissue, has not flushed said tissue, has used the floor as a trash receptacle for every imaginable form of refuse and has vacated the premise with the faucet running full blast. Or, just imagine some off-campus Bulldog potty room in the midst of a multi-keg party.
Viewing scenes such as this, one would be within their right to assume that a pack of wild animals or a savage barbarian had visited the abode's humble commode.
Most decent folks probably like to think of themselves as being above behaviors such as those just described. The majority of us do not enjoy being referred to as foul savages, repulsive beasts or loathsome vermin.
To prevent from having terms such as these applied to us, we act civil and attempt to live relatively clean lives. However, when you move from the realm of the lavatory to the great outdoors, our delicate environment, many "decent" citizens deserve to be labeled as far worse.
I don't know what it is that distances so many from reality, but, for those ignorant to the fact, let it be known that people are directly tied to the earth. Our survival depends on her survival.
The previous analogies may strike you as base and crude, but I think they're fitting. Littering, wasting water, throwing batteries away into landfills, failing to recycle and any and all other behavior that contributes to the detriment of this planet is abhorrent.
I don't know if it's ignorance, slothfulness or if people plain old just don't give a buck, but at the rate we're going, we're up a creek without a paddle.
Touching once again upon the opening visuals, imagine you stumbled upon such a scene in a public washroom. If you had one of your children in tow with the intention of letting them do their business there, would you let them?
Imagine the look in their eyes that says, "you want me to do that, HERE?" as they do the "pee-pee" dance. You'd be apt to get pretty angry with the inconsiderate louts who defaced such hallowed ground.
Well, that's exactly what's happening every time some lazy pig throws their fast food trash out in a parking lot. It's no different than stumbling across trash while walking in the woods. It's also the same thing as someone throwing their cigarette butts on the ground or someone on the highway littering whatever it is they can't hold on to until they get to a trash can.
The people who are going to inhabit the planet we're currently polluting are our children. We're leaving them a dirty bathroom.
You'd think with this recent rash of American pride that we're currently experiencing that we'd take a little pride in "America the Beautiful," and try to keep it that way. Do we want to give all critical foreigners credence to their argument that all Americans are fat and lazy and living in our own filth?
The sad thing is, a lot of people don't even realize what's going on and that they may be contributing to our problem. In our lifetime we're going to see clean, fresh water become a scant resource. We take it for granted because we live around the Great Lakes, but even grade school children are taught not to leave the water running when they brush their teeth. Do you?
Instead of going downtown and getting a FREE recycling bin, do you throw all of your trash away? If so, you're creating unnecessary landfills when all you have to do is throw plastic here, metal there and so on. Why can't so many college students grasp such a simple concept?
There are hundreds of bad habits we all have that need to be looked at and addressed. With so many people inhabiting our densely populated planet, it's vital that everyone plays their part. You may say, "I'm only one person," but that's exactly my point.
Everyone can, and needs to, make a difference. If you still don't get it, just remember, "don't poop where you eat my friend."
Can FSU students be any more rude?
By Karen Langolf
Ferris State Torch
Sitting down at the Christmas Gala performance last December before finals week began, I was fortunate to have gotten a close seat in Williams Auditorium. Taking my seat about 15 minutes before the show was about to start, I got myself settled and waited for the big performance to begin.
About five minutes before the show started, some students decided to sit in front of me. At first I didn't mind. These were good seats after all.
Like everyone else in the auditorium, these students were talking and having a good time before the performance started, so I relaxed and waited. Normally, when the lights blink it signals everyone to take their seats and be quiet because the performance is about to start.
Unfortunately, this did not happen in front of me. The students in question were still standing and talking loudly when the lights darkened and the groups took the stage.
After a few moments it dawned on these students that they should sit down, although it never seemed to occur to them that they should be quiet and listen to the performance.
Throughout the entire performance these students passed bubble gum back and forth, talked loudly and started laughing while the choir was singing.
Catcalls during a performance are probably the biggest thing that bothered me. Sitting about twenty feet away from me in the front was a violinist relaxing after her performance with the rest of the orchestra.
One of the boys sitting in front of me decided that he was going to try and pick up this girl while another group was performing, so he began to try and get her attention by calling out to her with, "Hey sexy player."
The best thing I can do in a situation like this is to ignore them and hope they stop, right? Nope. They never behaved once during the entire performance and it got worse once the Gala ended and the audience began to clap.
A standing ovation is something very polite and much appreciated by the performers, but someone who stands hooting and hollering is very tasteless.
While I was leaving the building, I kept mumbling to myself about how horrible these people were behaving and an older couple heard me. They told me that they agreed with me that some people don't know how to behave in a proper society.
It occurred to me after the show that the students were probably acting this way because of how they were brought up. They never had to sit through an etiquette class or go to an opera or a Broadway show, and therefore didn't know proper behavior for a concert.
It really made me mad that no one showed these people how to behave in a concert environment where silence is appreciated, not rude noises. This type of behavior may be appropriate at a hockey or football game, but not at a fine arts performance.
Why doesn't Ferris State University have a class that teaches these students how to behave in a concert environment? It does, but only for the students in the Honors Program. Starting this year, it is required of all first-year students in the Honors Program to take the Ferris State University Seminar 190 class.
This class discusses the practical dress code and the proper behaviors while at a performance of the fine arts.
These sessions are taught by Dr. Rachel Schumann, a university professor. Schumann has had experience in the Fine Arts most of her life. She sings for various organizations on and off campus, such as the campus football games.
So, Ferris State requires this two-semester class for Honors freshmen, yet the rest of the campus is left to be uneducated. The basic seminar classes Ferris State offers to most students helps them survive their first year on campus and away from home.
Forget proper behavior, let's just get them through their first year and see if they can make it.
It is my hope that by using the Honors students as a test, the University will realize that this program does work and that they need to get the entire student body into a similar class.
It is too annoying sitting near these students time and time again while trying to enjoy a good performance.
I can't imagine going out to a Broadway show and having to sit there while all these people are making a huge ruckus. If these students were behaving like this during a Broadway show, the ushers would have taken them from the audience and asked them to sit in the lobby until their manners improved. If their manners did not improve, they would have been asked to leave and not to come back because they disrupted the performers.
These people need to know what is proper and what is not because they are going to give Ferris State University a reputation for not instructing their students on the behaviors of society.
What happened to the fun?
By Mike Domerese
Ferris State Torch
What happened to the fun? Unless you have been living under a rock somewhere, I'm sure you all have heard of the hockey father that beat another hockey father to death. It happened at their sons' hockey practice on a not-so-normal afternoon. Not only did this guy beat another man to death, but he also did it in front of a bunch of young kids.
What is wrong with people today? This behavior is especially inappropriate after the unforgettable events that transpired on Sept. 11, 2001. A country that was said to have been brought together has once again shown its ugliness. It makes me sick and I have no sympathy for the consequences that are going to be handed down.
Kids' sports just scream harmless and enjoyable fun. It's a time to be with your friends before the discovery of the opposite sex and that strange attraction to them. Parents, grandparents and legal guardians all look on and watch their kids having the time of their life.
This is also a time when winning isn't always the most important thing. It's just about having fun and bonding with your fellow classmates and friends. Almost as if you're in a dream, for that moment everything seems to be OK, yet darkness lurks.
"Come on Jeff, he won't swing, he's afraid." "Come on Shawn, just hit him once and you won't have to worry." The battle cry of parents has been heard. Parents seem to have forgotten what it was like when they were kids' and what kids sports are all about: fun. That's it, just fun.
While I don't have all kinds of data and statistics to show you the effects and examples of acts of parents out of control, I have first-hand knowledge. If you have never witnessed such a sickening display of arrogance and ignorance, attend a middle school sporting event, little league game, etc, etc. You will be shocked.
I only umpired a little more than a season for the little league baseball leagues in my hometown. I was a small, scrawny, scared kid entering this sport. In time, I learned to love it and became really good. After reaching the age where I could no longer play, I chose to umpire. I had no idea how dark an experience this would be. It started just into the second inning of my first game umpiring, I heard a parent exclaim, "Throw it in close, he won't swing." Then, not a moment later my fellow umpire was scrutinized for a call. We continued on listening to verbal abuse directed at the ball players and us.
These were parents of nine-and 10-year-olds. To make a long story short, I never witnessed a fight between parents, but saw a few arguments come close. I also exercised my right to have parents thrown out on a few occasions.
Fast forward to the latest incident of parents being stupid. Cambridge, Mass. is the sight of the ongoing trial of one father beating another father to death. As I write this, the jury is still out in deliberation. The father, Thomas Junta, faces the charge of manslaughter and up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
He should get the full 20, no questions, no parole, no nothing. He deliberately took another man's life, and for what? Though he pleads self-defense, he was 100 pounds larger than the man he beat to death. Lost in all of this are the two sons.
The son of the man who died will have to go the rest of his life without a dad. The other child watched his own father beat another man to death. Both sons will obviously need therapy for the horrible and disgusting act that took place that dark July day.
A message needs to be sent to parents around the country that this behavior has got to stop. I have no sympathy for the man on trial. He knew what he was doing and could have easily stopped. Now I know it takes two to tango, but one father took it too far. It's not only a crime, but a huge black eye for kids and kids' sports everywhere. Have we forgotten what kids' sports are all about? What is this world coming to?
Something that should be harmless and fun, along with part of the natural bonding process, has gotten lost in the haze.
Most importantly, what message does this send to the kids? There are two young boys who will never be the same again after all of this and it makes me sick. The message needs to be sent loud and clear.
STOP THE MADNESS!!!
Tips for the Bulldog visual designer
By Scott Carmichael
Assistant Production Manager
If you're a freshman in the newly renamed Visual Design and Web Media program here at Ferris (like I was last year when it was still called Visual Communication), you've probably already noticed that this program is pretty expensive in terms of supplies.
In order to help out my fellow designers, I've compiled this list of helpful tips and tricks to get the most out of your time and money when it comes to Visual Design (or Visual Communication).
Think ahead!
Nothing is more aggravating than working on a project for a long period of time, only to find out there's no way you can have it turn out like you wanted it to! This may be because certain materials are unavailable, equipment may be down or scheduling conflicts may arise, to name a few common problems.
The best solution to this dilemma is to plan ahead and investigate all of the options before you start! If you think you may use certain types of paper or need a particular type of adhesive for a project, buy it beforehand or make sure you have at least a couple of different places lined up to get them later on. It's also a good idea to stock up on the largest lectramax stock you can find…even early on in the year. Trust me-you'll use it all up.
Get your own equipment!
Doing projects in the multimedia labs on campus may work for some but VD is so much easier if you have a computer of your own that you can do schoolwork on.
Most Visual Design students will "share" required programs if you don't have them already, and you'll be happy to have the chance to work on projects at 3a.m. if you ever need it.
When it comes to getting a Mac or PC, it really doesn't matter anymore. Both are virtually identical in most respects and my recommendation is to get the type of computer you need based on the software you have available to you.
If you want a PC but you don't have Photoshop and Quark for it, but you do have everything you need for the Mac, go with a Mac.
It's as simple as that. Also, don't forget to buy a Zip drive to turn in your projects and transfer files back and forth with the computers in the labs. Oh, and don't waste your money on a Powerbook or laptop.
They may look cooler and be portable, but they cost a lot more than normal desktop computers and really aren't all that much better technically. Stick with an iMac or a mid-range $800 PC. A printer is also recommended, but unless you can dish out $400 for a wide format printer capable of printing on 11"x17", don't bother breaking the $75 mark for one that can only do 8 1/2"x11".
Know the best places in town to get things printed!
As stated above, most people won't have the luxury of owning their own personal wide format printers. So, your only alternative is to go around Big Rapids and get your larger projects printed out somewhere off-campus. But Ferris's VD labs have color printers available to students, right? So why do you need to go off campus?
Well, for one thing the price is ridiculously high in the labs: $3 for an 8 1/2"x11" color print and $8 for an 11"x17" color printout. Second, the quality borders are atrocious. The color laser wax printouts damage easily and the resolution of the printer is poor as well.
So where's the best place to go in town off campus? Well there are a few places that can help you out. The Copy Corner, which is across State Street from the IRC does a lot of printing for students but has insane prices.
If you simply want to have a color copy made of something already printed out, that's fine. But if you want something printed off of a disk, be prepared to pay a hefty "handling" charge each time a file is opened off of the disk … and then still be charged for the printout itself!
Another place to check out is Different by Design located near downtown Big Rapids. The prices are actually very good for color 11"x17" printouts, but be warned, the prices vary day to day. For some odd reason they charge you for the time it takes for the file to print, rather than the typical ink/paper costs. A big drawback of going there is the inability to use paper stock of your own (that means no card stock or special paper unless they provide it). On the upside though, the printouts are very nice in terms of quality and are always cheaper than FSU's computer labs. Basically, if you're a VD student, get used to running all over town to get your projects printed out on a weekly basis.
Make your files printer friendly for all computers!
This actually goes along with people who need their files off campus. Most places off campus use PCs rather than Macs, so the first thing you'll need to remember is to use PC formatted disks to transfer your files with.
Next, most places don't have the same programs VD students use (namely Quark and Photoshop). So, to get around this, simply save your files as JPEGs. These files are more universal, smaller than any other picture file formats out there and should be able to be opened on pretty much any computer.
Now, you probably have noticed some programs won't let you export files as JPEGs. So how do you get around that?
Simply export them as EPS or TIFF files and turn those into JPEGs using Photoshop. Also, if you're planning to go to Different by Design, make your files as small as possible. Making a file 200dpi instead of 300dpi isn't going to affect image quality all that much (not for student projects anyway).
Don't be too picky about colors!
If you've been in VD for even a small amount of time, you've already learned that the colors you see on screen aren't going to match what gets printed out unless you use special equipment and software. Well, who needs the hassle of all that? If you spend the last of your money on a print and that project is due in an hour (or even a day or two) and the colors don't match up exactly but come close, should you keep going until it is 100 percent right?
No. Only idiots and kids who want an extra 3 percent on their grade whine about this and do it a million times. Teachers understand students have to deal with this problem and can't be too critical of it, especially if they don't even provide facilities and equipment to remedy the problem.
So what's the best way to talk your way out of a situation if the question of colors matching comes up in a discussion? Remember you're an artist and simply say it's just the way you wanted it to be.
That works a lot too!
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