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Volume 75 - Issue 10 - March 29, 2004

THOUGHTS OF

“PASSION”FACULTY & STAFF TALK ABOUT “THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST”

“The Passion of the Christ,” amovie both directed and funded by MelGibson, has the nation debating over its

graphic and powerful depiction of thelast 12 hours of Christ’s life. People ar-gue that the movie is violent, anti-Semitic, and untrue, while supporters ofthe movie state that the film is an accu-rate depiction of what actually hap-pened. The debate, which has intriguedthousands, has even motivated facultyand students to speak out about MelGibson’s film.

On April 6 at 12:30 p.m. in Library148, there will be an open forum on thedispassionate dialogue of “The Passionof the Christ.” Faculty members such

as Tom Rust, Deborah Schaffer, LisaKemmerer, and student Adam Wickenswill be discussing various topics on thefilm. Faculty will speak on topics ac-cording to their experience and knowl-edge. Wickens, a youth leader at FirstBaptist Church, will be discussing aChristian perspective. The forum willbe from a predominantly academic pointof view and will discuss the context, his-toricity, messages, and modern religiousperspectives of the film. Each personwill have 15 minutes to speak and anopen discussion will follow.

“Passion”ForumApril 6th

12:30 p.m.Library 148

Photo by Janna Huhtala---- Student Larissa Leonard speaks with Big Horn Teacher Projects Advisor Joni Ackerman about the Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”

By By By By By Brook MadisonBrook MadisonBrook MadisonBrook MadisonBrook MadisonStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff Writer

Is Sex Really Worth It:Contraceptive Facts

See Page 5

InternationalFood Fair Coming

to MSU-BillingsSee Page 8

Janna HuhtalaAmy WhittleRichard CastilloJed BartonBetsy HarrisJennifer FentonJason LillieAdam WickensVACANTDan HansenJessalyn RemingtonEvelyn IrmenAric WeberLinsey LindgrenBecky ButcherBrett HarrisonAlea LoganMichael RedstoneMatt BeardBrook MadisonJesse KesterNancy Swanson

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The Publications Board of ASMSU-B advisesThe Retort, leaving content decisions to theeditors. Opinions expressed in The Retort

are not necessarily those of its members, theuniversity, students, student government,state government, or federal government.

Editors and Staff

Rant & Rave: Editor’s OpinionA Passion for Journalism: MyTrip to the New York Times

ByByByByByJanna HuhtalaJanna HuhtalaJanna HuhtalaJanna HuhtalaJanna HuhtalaEditor-in-ChiefEditor-in-ChiefEditor-in-ChiefEditor-in-ChiefEditor-in-Chief

*This article was published in theBillings Gazette on March 13, but Iwanted to republish the original articlefor my faithful readers who may wonderwhat I do in my spare time.

Journalism has always been mypassion.

Since my junior year in high school,I have known that I wanted to write andreport the news. It is the one thing I knowthat I want to work hard at when I wake upin the morning. As the editor of The Retort-Student Newspaper at MSU-Billings, I havehad plenty of opportunities to learn moreabout the inner workings of a newspaper.Journalism has given me innumerable ex-periences, but I am always reaching toachieve my top-shelf goal. More than any-thing I had a desire to work for the NewYork Times because, for me, it is the pin-nacle of professional journalism. A fewweeks ago, I sort of got my wish.

In January, I was checking the mailfor The Retort when a letter caught my eye.Mixed in with the bills and junk mail was aletter embossed with the university logo ad-dressed to myself and the Retort advisor,Nancy Swanson. Peeling the envelope open,I unfolded the crisp MSU-B letterhead andstarted to read an invitation to a symposiumat The New York Times in February. Thesymposium involved more than 100 schoolsparticipating in the American DemocracyProject for Civic Engagement sponsored bythe American Association of State Collegesand Universities and The New York Times.The MSU-B vice chancellor, Curt Kochner,was personally inviting Nancy and me to at-tend the symposium with the financial back-ing of the university.

Gasping for air, I stood dumbfounded,letter gripped in my hand in case of sponta-neous combustion; it was all I could do tokeep from keeling over. Two hours later, Igained full consciousness again and was ableto walk down the hallway in the Student UnionBuilding to talk to a colleague. Even then, Ijust handed her the letter and took a seat.

Everything after that is a completeblur; with the generous donation by StudentVolunteers of MSU-Billings we were ableto fund our trip to New York.

After a five hour flight to Newark In-ternational Airport and a near death experi-ence in our shuttle, I was standing on Broad-way in the heart of the Big Apple. I draggedNancy to all the major tourist attractions inthe Times Square area: MTV, Carnegie Hall,Radio City Music Hall, and Rockefeller Cen-ter. We finally rolled into bed at 11 p.m. andslept like rocks until the early wake up call;it was time to get ready for our day at theNew York Times. First, I insisted that we hit

“The Today Show” so that I could see thereal deal. Unfortunately, the crowds were outof control and I couldn’t get close enough toreally see the outdoor portion of the show.However, we did get a surprise when wewalked around the NBC building and MattLauer walked out the side door to interviewan Olympic skater at the Rockefeller Centerskating rink. My jaw dropped even furtherwhen he waved and said “Hey,” to us asNancy and I stood there all alone on the sidestreet.

No celebrity/starstruck experiencecould possibly prepare me for my day atThe New York Times. The symposium wentabove and beyond my expectations. Eyeswide as frisbees, all the students were ush-ered into elevators and sent to the confer-ence room. After a Q-and-A session withBill Keller, the senior editor of The NewYork Times who opened the symposium, itbecame apparent that the real intention ofthe symposium was to give us insight intobecoming journalists, and promoting freepress in our careers.

The day was spent talking and ask-ing questions of Pulitzer Prize winning jour-nalists and editors like Dana Canedy, whohelped The Times’ win in the Pulitzer raceseries in 2000. We also listened to EricLipton, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for ex-planatory journalism in 1992, talk to ourgroup about his experiences working withJim Glanz reporting the aftermath of 9-11.Sheryl Wudunn, a Pulitzer Prize winningcorrespondent and host of “Page One” onthe Discovery Times Channel, spoke abouther experiences being a journalist in com-munist China. Steph Jesperson, in chargeof advertising, gave a talk about ethical jour-nalism in the newsroom. Charlotte Evans,administrative editor and overseer of allcopy desks, recruiting and hiring talkedabout the importance of internships andwork experience. Finally, Gail Collins, aneditorial page editor, spoke of the trials andtribulations of management. Ms. Evans andMr. Jesperson also had all symposium par-ticipants take part in a copy edit workshopcomplete with a headline writing contest. Iwas given a desk calendar for coming upwith a funny headline to a story about JohnKerry sweeping two Southern states in thepresidential primaries entitled, “SouthernComfort for Kerry.” Ms. Evans laughedwhen explaining that I made Kerry soundlike he had been drinking.

The really rewarding part of the wholeexperience was meeting a girl from South-ern Oregon University who identified withme about the problems and successes thatcome with running a student newspaper be-cause she shares the same wins and losses.

Nancy and I left the symposium on anatural high; even seeing Ground Zero forthe first time, visiting The Empire StateBuilding, and taking the Staten Island Ferrypast the Statue of Liberty didn’t phase meas I remained awestruck from my day atThe New York Times.

I left New York with a greater sense ofwhat I want to do when I graduate from MSU-Billings in May. I left the Big Apple withmemories and a greater knowledge of jour-nalism. I took a piece of that city, and my ex-periences there, home with me, including thehotel towel and a lot of souvenirs. I have areal passion for journalism, and the sympo-sium at The New York Times was simply fuelfor the fire that has been burning inside of me.

The Montana State University-Bill-ings Alumni Association honored six out-standing alumni during its annual AlumniAwards brunch on March 13, in the BurnsAuditorium at the Mansfield Health Edu-cation Center, at St. Vincent Healthcare.

The Alumni Awards for Recogni-tion for Exceptional Contribution honorfour alumni who have distinguishedthemselves in fields ranging from busi-ness, professional, education, volunteerservice to a community, public or civilservice, or arts and sciences having im-pacted those fields, while bringing asense of pride and recognition to theUniversity community.

MSU-B ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONHONORS SIX OUTSTANDING ALUMNI

The 2004 Recognition for Excep-tional Contribution recipients are:

Dr. Philip Beaumont, Sr., whograduated in 1972 with a B.A. in art, andin 1979 with a MEd. in special educationpersonnel and guidance services. Dr.Beaumont is an educator and rancher inPryor, Mont;

Terri Casey, who graduated in 1979with a B.A. in English, is a writer livingin Sandpoint, Idaho;

Wendy Keating, who graduated in1967 with a B.A. in elementary education,is Commissioner of Labor and Directorof the Montana Department of Labor andIndustry in Helena, Mont;

Greg Noose, who graduated in 1992with a MEd. in adult education, is Bureau

Chief of the Montana State Departmentof Justice Motor Vehicle Division in theRecords and Driver Control Bureau inHelena, Mont.

The Alumni Merit MedallionAward, honors an alumnus/who is dedi-cated to the advancement of education,exemplified by his or her commitmentof professional expertise and/or volun-teer service to Montana State University-Billings.

This year’s recipient of the AlumniMerit Medallion Award is Ed Garding,who graduated in 1971 with a B.A. inbusiness administration, and is ExecutiveVice President for First InterstateBancSystem in Billings.

The Distinguished Alumnus Award

honors an alumnus who has distinguishedhim or herself through personal, profes-sional and civic contributions, while bring-ing a sense of honor, pride and recogni-tion to the University community.

This year’s recipient of the Distin-guished Alumnus Award is Melony GheeGriffith, who graduated in 1985 with a B.S.in human services. Ms. Griffith serves inthe Maryland General Assembly, represent-ing more than 100,000 constituents of theLegislative District in Prince George’sCounty. Her outstanding leadership abili-ties are exemplified by her meteoric rise tothe Appropriations Committee, where sheadvocates for higher education, along withserving as Vice Chairman of the CapitalBudget Committee.

Greg Noose, Bureau Chief of the Montana State Departmentof Justice Motor Vehicle Division in the Records and DriverControl Bureau in Helena, Mont.

Ed Garding, Alumni Merit Medallion AwardExecutive VicePresident for First Interstate BancSystem in Billings.

Terri Casey, a writer living in Sandpoint, Idaho.Philip Beaumont, an educator and rancher in Pryor, Mont.

Wendy Keating,Commissioner of Laborand Director of theMontana Department ofLabor and Industry inHelena, Mont.

DistinguishedAlumnus RecipientMelony Ghee Griffithserves in theMaryland GeneralAssembly.

Press Release

What comesto mind when theteacher or professorsays tomorrow’slesson will be onHIV/AIDS aware-ness and preven-tion? Is yourthought, “Great,not another lamepresentation onHIV/AIDS. Justlike in junior highor high school?”You probably think

back to those presentations where you weregiven lots of facts and statistics intended toscare you, followed by facts about how youcould contract HIV, and, of course, a test tomake sure you remembered it all.

Information is usually the onlything that students get from a presenta-tion on HIV/AIDS and nothing more.Most of the time no real impact is madeon the students at these kinds of presen-tations. Did anyone ever consider pre-senting HIV/AIDS from a personal per-spective, instead of giving you a bunchof facts given to you to memorize? Apersonal perspective would be better,right? Well that is exactly the angle thatThe Yellowstone AIDS Project took

TheYellowstoneAIDSProject

when they gave their presentation for acrowd of students at MSU-Billings.Sure, they did a skit or two, and pre-sented us with some scary, and mind-al-tering facts and statistics, but what theyreally did was present those things in away that made it personal for everyonein the room. The skits were done in avery realistic manner instead of a hokeyway. Intermixed with personal stories,the facts and statistics were relevant tothe age group of the audience. The pre-sentation also broke trend by offering atime for discussion and allowing studentsto submit a card with an anonymousquestion on it to be answer later. Theyalso showed a documentary called,“Blood Lines” that was made by twowomen who have the disease. The won-derful ladies interviewed other peoplewho are living with HIV/AIDS and theirfamilies and asked how their daily liveswere forever changed by this horribledisease. The documentary and theYellowstone AIDS Project had the samemessage: Not just one person who hasthe disease is affected.

Besides educating students aboutHIV/AIDS, the Yellowstone AIDSProject helps the people of this commu-nity who have or are affected by the dis-ease. They help with things like gettingfree HIV/AIDS test and finding housingfor a person with AIDS. To find out moreabout the Yellowstone AIDS Project, youcan check out their website atwww.yapmt.org. This website can tellyou about the many projects they havegoing, such as Healing Hands, which isabout life and joining hands with every-one to spread education not to just thepeople at risk, but to everyone. The Heal-ing Hands Project is actually a new quiltof AIDS supporters.

The Bill ings Branch of theAmerican Association of UniversityWomen is pleased to announce its An-nual Scholarship Competition. Two (2)$1000 scholarships, one each to a fe-male student enrolled at Montana StateUniversity-Billings and Rocky Moun-tain College, will be awarded. Theaward will be based on scholarship and

ScholarshipsFor Women to be

Awardedneed. Preference may be given to a non-traditional student.

Application forms are availablein the Financial Aid Offices at MSU-Billings and Rocky Mountain College.The deadline for application submis-sion is Wednesday, March 31.

CONTACT: Barbara J. Gulick(259-3622)

Press Release

Bridget Sievers, a student em-ployee in the College of Business atMontana State University-Billings, is therecipient of the Work-Study Student ofthe Year Award.

This program is sponsored by Ca-reer Services and WASEA (Western As-sociation of Student Employment Admin-

Work-Study Student ofthe Year Awarded

istrators) and is designed to recognize ex-emplary student employees. Other nomi-nees were Maryellen Bromgard, CorinaDahlhausen, Tricia DesJarlais, JoseGarcia, Patricia Kiefer, Cindy Lowman,Heather Mencel, Celeste Nordrum,Peggy Parsons, Dennette Steffans, andJessica Torgerson. Congratulations!

Press Release

ByByByByByAmy WhittleAmy WhittleAmy WhittleAmy WhittleAmy Whittle

Business ManagerBusiness ManagerBusiness ManagerBusiness ManagerBusiness Manager

W h e nwe are “in themoment,” werarely take thetime to thinkabout the extentof the risk thatwe are actuallytaking. Thisrisk goes far be-yond the affectyour choicecould have onyou and your

partner, because it involves the life of achild that could be brought into the world.

Are you ready to face the responsi-bility of bringing an innocent child intothe world? There are many means of pro-tection and it seems like more are pop-ping up every day. Here are some factsthat should make it easier to decide whichform of contraceptive is right for you.Oral Contraceptives (Birth Control Pills)

Birth control pills are one of themost common forms of contraceptive.They can be secured with a prescriptionfrom a doctor. Birth control pills are about99 percent effective if used correctly.

“The pill” is highly effective incomparison to other forms of contracep-tives. Another bonus of taking the pill isthat you do not have to stop in the heatof the moment for it to be effective. How-ever, it is most effective if used with an-other contraceptive such as a condom.

The downfall of the pill is that it isonly effective if taken correctly, and themargin of error is extremely high. A usermust remember to take the pill at the sametime each day, and missed pills can behazardous. Also, if your immune systemis down due to illness, the margin of ef-fectiveness drops. Antibiotics can alsoalter the effectiveness of the pill.

The important thing when using thepill is to be knowledgeable and plan forthese things by using alternate forms ofcontraceptives at high-risk times.

Side effects of birth control includeweight gain, nausea, headaches, vaginalinfections, and others.Contraceptive Patch

The doctor-prescribed patch is arelatively new form of birth control that isplaced on the skin and prevents pregnancyby releasing hormones. It is very similarto the pill and just as effective if used cor-rectly. The patch was labeled one of TIMEmagazine’s “Best Inventions” of 2002.

Like the pill, the patch does notinterrupt foreplay. It is replaced once aweek for the three weeks and is not worn

On Thursday, April 8, from 11:30a.m. to 4:30 p.m., students are encouragedto attend the Jobs Jamboree to be held atthe Holiday Inn Grand Montana Conven-tion Center.

Why should students attend? Tofind employment full-time, part-time, orsummer. Employees are looking for stu-dents to fill part-time and summer needs.In addition, students will have the oppor-tunity to network with representativesfrom area businesses. This is also a greatplace to talk to the hiring authority forclose to 100 area businesses. Furthermore,there will be informative and helpfulworkshops which one can learn what em-ployers are looking for in potential em-ployees. These workshops are taught bythe employers themselves. There is no ad-mission charge and door prizes will begiven away.

during the fourth week. Since it does nothave to be remembered daily, there is alower margin for error than with the pill.

If the user forgets to change the patchon the designated day, it should be replacedas soon as possible. When this happens, thecycle starts over and an alternate contracep-tive should be used for seven days.

Antibiotics and illness affect the patchas well, since the hormones that preventpregnancy are virtually the same as thosethe pill contains. Another downfall of thepatch is that there is about a 2 percent chancethat it could come off of the skin.

Side effects of the patch are similarto those the pill causes. Irritation of theskin can occur where the patch is applied.The Depo Provera Shot

The Depo Provera shot is about 99.7percent effective and contains hormonesthat are injected into the women’s body.The shot is effective for three months andmust be administered by a physician.

The shot is effective to preventpregnancy after only 24 hours and onlyhas to be administered four times a year.It is also very private compared to thebirth control pill and patch because thereare no visible signs of it.

The downfall of the shot is that adoctor’s appointment is necessary four timesa year. The shot causes weight gain in about70 percent of users. Other side effects varyand can include irregular periods.Male Condoms

Latex condoms are the form ofcontraceptive that is most readily avail-able. They are inexpensive and can beobtained easily over the counter. Theyare about 90 percent effective when usedcorrectly, and their effectiveness can beincreased when they are used with a sper-micide or other birth control method.

Condoms are small and inexpen-sive, so they are very easy to keep onhand. They do not take prior planningand are effective immediately.

One downfall of condoms is thatthey are very commonly misused.Condoms should be stored at room tem-perature and should be discarded after theexpiration date on the package. They canbe ineffective if not removed from thepackage properly and applied properly.

Breakage can occur, but this risk canbe reduced with proper lubrication. Anotherdownfall is that individuals must take the timeto stop and apply the condom before sex.

It is up to you to research whichmethod is best for you based on yourlifestyle. Remember, it is not just yourown life that will be affected by thechoices you make.

Is Sex Really Worth It: Contraceptive Facts

By Jessalyn RemingtonBy Jessalyn RemingtonBy Jessalyn RemingtonBy Jessalyn RemingtonBy Jessalyn RemingtonReporterReporterReporterReporterReporter

Carla Amerson, president of the As-sociated Students of MSU-Billings, recentlywas awarded the regional $5,000 Soroptimistscholarship. Carla, from Laurel, Mont., isthe first recipient from this region to win thescholarship in 30 years.

Carla is proud of the fact that she isthe oldest student body president in the his-tory of MSU-Billings. She graduated fromLaurel Senior High School 27 years ago. After raising one child of her own and twofoster children, Carla fulfilled her dream ofgetting a higher degree by attending MSU-Billings. Carla is passionate about, and astrong advocate for, higher education. Shealways is looking for opportunities to toutthe advantages of higher education, not onlyfor the professional advantages of a univer-sity degree, she said, but also for the qualitythat acquired knowledge brings to one’s life.

After winning the Billings Soroptimistscholarship of $600, the Soroptimists for-warded Carla’s application to the regionalheadquarters in Spokane, Wash. Carla wasnotified that she had won the regional schol-arship and would be flown to Washington,

all expenses paid, at the end of April for theregional banquet, where she will accept herscholarship and deliver a speech.

The Soroptimist scholarship is basedon leadership and community involvement.

MSU-Billings Student Body President,Receives Regional Soroptimist Scholarship

Carla Amerson is currently serving as the student body president duringthe 2003-2004 school year.

Press Release

Press Release

13th AnnualJobs Jamboree:

April will be a big month for Carla. She also is a recipient of the YWCA’s $1,000“Salute to Students” scholarship, for whichshe will be honored during the 2004 YWCA’sannual “Salute to Women” banquet in April.

A Career Fair forthe Community

Accord-ing to Montanastate law, all col-leges in theMontana Uni-versity Systemmust put theright to servefood on theircampuses up forbids at least ev-ery seven years.Here at MSU-Billings, we are

in the seventh year of our contract withSodexho, the current food provider. Thedining hall in the SUB, Stingers, LA Ex-press, and the right to cater for events oncampus are all currently run by Sodexho.In compliance with state law, MSU-B iscurrently entertaining bids for a new con-tract.

The bid process is initiated when theuniversity puts out a request for proposal,asking companies to give their offer for theright to operate on campus. According toShelly Zimmerman, the director of businessoperations at MSU-B, there is a committeethat reviews these bids, as well as any pre-sentation the bidders would like to give, andthen makes a recommendation to the stateas to who should get the contract. JasonAupied, the general manager of Sodexho,called this process a bidder’s conference.He said the different parties might also liketo tour the facilities and get a feel for theoperations on the campus.

After the bid has been awarded, theuniversity will negotiate a contract with thecompany about things like hours of opera-tion and exclusive rights to sell certain itemsin certain places. Zimmerman says the uni-versity hopes to have a new contract nego-tiated as soon as June 1.

Dining Service ContractUp for Bids for 2004-05

ByByByByByAdam WickensAdam WickensAdam WickensAdam WickensAdam Wickens

Photo by Jed Barton----- Students look for something to take care of their hungeramong the selection that Sodexho offers.

On Friday,March 19, MSU-Billings Art Stu-dents’ leagueheld its 25th an-nual Art Auctionat the BillingsDepot in down-town Billings.

The doorsopened at 6 p.m.and the live si-lent auctionstarted at 7:30

p.m. Over 30 MSU-B art students andother Montana artists contributed art tothe auction which included water col-ors, oil paintings, photographs, sculp-tures, ceramics, and jewelry.

The art auction was sponsoredand funded in part by the Student Sen-ate who granted money for the auctionto help cover costs such as rent for theevening at the Billings Depot. Last yeara gate fee was charged, but this year itwas a free event to attend. In addition

By Brett HarrisonBy Brett HarrisonBy Brett HarrisonBy Brett HarrisonBy Brett HarrisonStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff Writer

to the silent and live auction, therewere door prizes, a no-host bar cour-tesy of the Beanery, live entertainmentprovided by David Burlington and KatSol, and hors d’oeuvers courtesy ofPoet Street Market.

Almost 70 pieces of art were auc-tioned off in a live auction, as were about45 in the silent auction. Thanks in partto better publicity, this year the art auc-tion packed the house with a standing

room crowd.One of the goals was to showcase

students art work. As of Friday night, arough estimate of $5,000 was raised inthe live auction, with the silent auctionstill needing to be tallied. The proceedsfrom the auction are used to benefit artstudents.

For example, the money buys artsupplies, tools, and other equipmentthat otherwise would not be available.

MSU-B 25thAnnualArt AuctionHosts aPacked Houseat The Depot

Funds are also used for scholarships toneedy art students. Funds are also givento students who study abroad so theycan bring back pictures and other in-formation that is shared with the entirecampus community.

The pictures then become a per-manent part of the art department’sphoto archives. A slush fund for nextyear’s auction and fundraisers willhopefully be established as well.

Photo by Brett Harrison -- Bidders vie for a piece of art during the live auction at billings art student’s 25th annual artauction at Depot Gallery.

Two stu-dents and aprofessor inthe MontanaState Univer-s i ty-Bil l ingsHealth Admin-istration pro-gram recentlyhad the oppor-tunity to learnfrom some of

the most important names in that field.Students Eric Faulks and Lorie

Balcer and Professor Dr. Jerry Scottwere part of the more than 4,000 peoplewho recently attended the AmericanCollege of Healthcare Executives 47th

annual Congress on Healthcare Man-agement held in Chicago Feb. 29 thoughMarch 5.

The ACHE, which serves as theprofessional organization for 30,000healthcare managers, also has student

chapters in several states which allowstudents in the health management fieldto get a foot in the door and participatein community outreach. “It is a greatnetworking tool for starting a career andfor helping out,” said Faulks, who ispresident of the MSU-Billings chapterof ACHE.

Faulks and Balcer, who serves asvice president of the MSU-B chapter,got a unique opportunity at the confer-ence. Both were selected as program as-sistant, meaning they got to serve asaids to various presenters, even intro-ducing some of them as well as havingtheir conference registration fees paid.Faulks said, “The program assistantshipwas neat because it allowed me thechance to attend 15 sessions instead ofthe usual six, and it also gave me theopportunity to introduce a speaker to anaudience of 250 people.”

As with many who attend profes-sional conferences and conventions

Health AdministrationStudents Rub ElbowsWith the Big Guys

By Jed BartonBy Jed BartonBy Jed BartonBy Jed BartonBy Jed BartonSports EditorSports EditorSports EditorSports EditorSports Editor

such as the ACHE, Faulks believes thatthe real work for him and the MSU-Bchapter of the ACHE, which wasfounded in the last year as part of thenew college of allied health professions,

is just beginning. He said, “I hope totake what I learned in Chicago and shareit with my classmates and professorsand also to apply that knowledge as Ibegin my own career.

Photo provided by Eric Faulks---- Health Administration students Eric Faulks andLorie Balcer recently represented MSU-B at the 47th Annual Congress of HealthcareManagment.

W h e nwas the lasttime a new dietidea revolu-tionized con-temporary di-etary thought?For years, theconventionalwisdom hasbeen to eat awide variety offoods and stay

away from excessive fat and sugar.Then, all of the sudden, Hurricane Atkinsblew into town.

Just like a real hurricane, theAtkins diet has done some serious dam-age to long-standing beliefs about per-sonal nutrition. Besides causing chaosin the dietary realm, the Atkins diet alsoseems to be causing quite the ruckus inthe business world.

The late Robert Atkins, originatorof the diet named after him, started thecompany Atkins Nutritionals in 1989.He founded the company to fill a nichemarket created by his diet, but now, 15years later, that market is no longer aniche. A quick glance at the aisles of

HasAmericaEntered theAge ofAtkins?How the Atkins Diet isImpacting Our Nation’sDietary Beliefs

any local grocery storecould easily inform ashopper that we are liv-ing in the Age of Atkins.The existence of the term“Atkins-friendly” shouldbe evidence enough thatthe American conscious-ness has been permeatedby the new dietary para-digm. This slogan can befound on dozens of un-likely products rangingfrom bread to ice creamto beer.

One concern aboutthe proliferation of thesenew low-carb products isthat companies are profi-teering at the expense ofAmerica’s health. Ac-cording to a survey ad-ministered by the UnitedStates government in2000, 40 million Ameri-cans are obese. That is astaggering 20 percent ofthe nation’s population.The same study also re-ported that over 50 per-cent of Americans areoverweight.

Many people pointthe finger at the old low-fat paradigm forthis situation, claiming that it has failed.This attitude has been obvious, as thelow-carb bandwagon has swept millionsof Americans away. According to theMarch 2004 issue of “Business 2.0,” 59million Americans say they “want towatch their carbs.” Without proper edu-cation, that could be a risky proposition.

Many fruits and vegetables es-teemed under the old dietary paradigmhave suddenly become taboo because oftheir high carbohydrate content. In awww.webmd.com forum on March 3,Elaine Magee, a registered dietician,pointed out that Americans have misun-derstood the nature of carbohydrate. Shepoints out that these fruits and vegetables

are high in dietary fiber, antioxidants,and vitamins; to cut these items fromone’s diet does not make sense. Dr.Atkins also clearly points out that not allcarbs are bad. Certain types of carbo-hydrate, such as dietary fiber, are per-mitted in the diet and are not even fac-tored into the total “net carbs” allowedevery day.

The science behind the Atkins dietis very specific. In its pure form, the dietinvolves starving one’s body of carbo-hydrates for a short time to push yourbody into ketosis, a natural state whereit burns away fat stores. Ketosis beginswhen the human body takes in less than130 grams of carbohydrate per day. Ifstrictly adhered to, this method seems to

work well, as many proponents of thediet will attest. The science of the Atkinsdiet is not the potential problem; the po-tential problem is people misunderstand-ing the fundamental nature of carbohy-drate.

This is where the flood of new low-carb products comes in. Regardless ofDr. Atkins’ intentions, it seems that oneof the hallmarks of the Age of Atkins isthat carbs are inherently unhealthy. Dueto market saturation, people have begunto syllogistically associate the term low-carb with the concept of diet, and theconcept of diet is typically associatedwith good health. So, if we skip themiddle step in this logical equation, weend up with low-carb equals good health.While Socrates may have been proud ofthis logic, it quickly becomes evidentthat both of the minor premises are false.

As described above, the Atkinsdiet cannot simply be reduced to noteating carbs. That disproves the state-ment that eating less carbs is a validdiet. It is also not true that diets areinherently healthy. Many diets onlywork for certain people under certainconditions. Thus, the second statementis false. Therefore, we can logicallyconclude that the overly simplisticthinking promoted by public opinionis false.

Here we stand, in the middle of adietary malaise. We have the new low-carb paradigm battling the low-fat para-digm with neither side wanting to rec-ognize the common middle ground thatthey are both fighting against the ex-cessive consumption of sugars,starches, and other empty carbs. Itseems that this debate is unlikely tocome to an end any time soon. Good,bad, or indifferent, the Atkins DietRevolution has surely made its mark oncontemporary American pop culture.

Be sure to look in the next issuewhere we will discuss the effects of theAge of Atkins on a local level.

ByByByByByAdam WickensAdam WickensAdam WickensAdam WickensAdam Wickens

Graphic by Richard Castillo

The New York Times Knowl-edge Network and NYTimes.com in-vite you to participate in the “StudentPerspectives” Essay Contest. We en-courage all American Association ofState College and University studentsto share their views, in essay form, onthe topic of “Civic Engagement” inyour community.

To be eligible, you must write a750-1,000 word essay on “Civic En-gagement” and be a current under-graduate or graduate student. All es-says must be submitted by April 16,2004 to www.nytimes.com/studentperspectives.

At the end of the contest, the writ-ers of five essays will be chosen as thegrand prizewinners of $200 gift certifi-cates to Barnes & Noble. The fiveaward-winning essays will also be pub-lished within the “Student Perspec-tives” section on The Knowledge Net-work at www.nytimes.com/college.

Learn more about Civic Engage-ment write the essay and enter to win goto: NYTimes.com/studentperspectives.The editorial staff of The Times was notinvolved in the production of this con-test. All entries will be eligible for publi-cation at the discretion ofwww.nytimes.com. The New YorkTimes has the right to publish any andall entries within the college section ofNYTimes.com.

CivicEngagementEssay ContestPress Release

The Inter-national FoodFair is comingto MSU-BWe d n e s d a y,March 31, from10:30 to 2:00 inthe ballroom inthe SUB.

The eventis coordinatedby the Interna-tional StudiesClub and Office

of International Studies and will featurefoods from countries like Japan, Korea,China, Taiwan, and European and SouthAmerican Countries. They are also exhib-iting music and dance from the different cul-tures.

The International Food Fair is try-ing to increase awareness of internationalstudents and their cultures. They wantto create a cohesiveness between MSU-

InternationalFood FairComing toMSU-Billings B students and people and things of other

cultures. They would like to provide aplace that people can enjoy the diversityof other cultures and learn moreabout them.

The Office of In-ternational Studiesis offering a tripto Japan May14-31. Theyare very ex-cited aboutthis opportu-nity andwould likeas manypeople to par-ticipate as pos-sible.

They wouldlike to remind studentsthat studying abroadgreatly enhances a student’s re-sume. It shows that a student is a risktaker and willing to push his/her envelopeof comfort. It also helps a student to be-come a creative thinker from being im-

ByByByByByBetsy HarrisBetsy HarrisBetsy HarrisBetsy HarrisBetsy Harris

mersed in a different culture and learninghow to analyze issues from different

angles.Studying abroad en-

hances a studentsworldview and per-

sonal growth,creates educa-

tional experi-ences andmemoriesof a life-time, andit’s justplain fun!It’s a great

way towiden a stu-

dents perspec-tives and make

friends around theworld.The food fair is only

$1 for people on campus, $2 forpeople off campus, and free for kids under8 years old. Each booth will be selling theirfoods, from 50 cents to $2 per dish, and

other cultural souvenirs as well. You canbuy tickets ahead of time for the foodfair on March 23 at the SUB from 11:30-1p.m., and March 24 from 9 to 11 a.m.in the LA building, or you can just getthe tickets on March 31 at the fair.

If anyone is interested in the Ja-pan trip or studying abroad, you can con-tact Analicia Pianca at 657-1705, go toroom 205 in McMullen Hall, or checkout the web site atwww.msubillings.edu/intnlstudies/.

By Michael RedstoneBy Michael RedstoneBy Michael RedstoneBy Michael RedstoneBy Michael RedstoneStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff Writer

MSU-B Percussion Club Strives for a Spot at Nationals

On May 9, the MSU-B Percus-sion Club will depart for Los Angeles,where they will board a cruise ship forBaja, Mexico. While there, they willparticipate in a festival put on by theMusic Educators National Conference.

This is not a cruise where theywill go to get a nice tan. The club willbe competing for national recognitionand they will be judged by those whoare the best in their fields. The clubhas been working long and hard on twopieces of music that will be both visu-ally and musically entertaining.

The two pieces of music that theywill be performing are written by acomposer named Mark Ford. Ford isone of the top percussion artists in thecountry. He is a marimba specialist andhe writes music for solo marimba andpercussion ensembles. Ford is also thecoordinator of percussion activities atthe University of North Texas inDenton, Texas. The two pieces arecalled “Stubernic” and “Head Talk.”The first piece features three people onone marimba, and they use all the piecesof the drum for the performance. It mayseem crowded, three people to onedrum, but it is definitely worth watch-ing and listening to.

They have been working on thispiece since the beginning of the year.One of the members, Luke Kestner, saidthat they are very comfortable with thispiece and it is really fun to do. Theother piece that they will be perform-ing is called “Head Talk.” This is per-formed by everyone on five differentsized drum heads.

The club has also been workingon this piece of music for quite some-time now. Barbara Fordham, the club’sadvisor, says that this is a high level ofmusic. Fordham also feels that hergroup is ready to compete on a nationallevel. She is very confident about theway the group will perform. She feelsthat the cultural exchange will have agreat impact on her students becausethat is where the instruments are from.

The marimba originated fromGuatemala and Mexico, making its firstappearance in the United States in 1908.This drumis uniquebecause ofa combina-tion of vi-suals andartistry.

T h emembers of the club are Luke Kestner,Richelle Stricker, Rebekah Arnold, SteveBrown, Beth White, Norm Van Dyke, DruUrlacher, and Ginny Cummins. Themembers are excited and nervous about

Photos by Michael Redstone----(Back Row) Ginny Cumming, Norm VanDyke, Dru Urlacker, Advisor Barb Fordham, (FrontRow) Rebecca Arnold, Beth White, Luke Kestner and Richelle Stricker(kneeling).

(Left to Right) Rebekah Arnold, Luke Kestner, Rishelle Striker performing Stubernic.

the competition. Even though the compe-tition happens to be held on a ship, themembers of the Percussion Club are ex-

cited and theycan’t wait to rep-resent MSU-Billings.

They arealso grateful toASMSU-B forthe support and

contributions. If you would like to pre-view of the competition, they will be per-forming in Cisel Hall on April 14, at 7:30.So come out and listen to the beautiful mu-sic of the Percussion Club.

“Music is about creating.”Barbara Fordham

Percussion Club Advisor

Wander-ing drunks,prank callers,and peoplewho steal fromchildren. It hasbeen busy hereat MSU-Bill-ings. With thatsaid, here wego.

2 - 2 6There was aviolation of

privacy in communication in Petro Hallbetween 3:00 and 3:30 a.m. A femaleresident received several disturbing callsfrom a person who breathed heavily andsaid, “I am outside your window.” Asyou might recall from the article in theprevious issue of The Retort, you shouldreport these kinds of calls immediately.

February 26-March 122-26 A group of people gathering

signatures outside of the library was re-ported as soliciting. It turns out that thegroup was legitimately gathering signa-tures to get a third party candidate on the2004 presidential ballot. The concern wasthat students might have been giving per-sonal information to the signature gath-erers. You should never give more thanyour name to any such person. Studentsare encouraged to report suspiciouspeople requesting personal information.

2-27 An unlucky student was thevictim of criminal mischief in the Virginiaparking lot. For the second time in thesame lot, a particular student had the lockpopped on his passenger door. There wereno valuables in the car, leaving the cam-pus police and the student puzzled as tothe motivations of the perpetrator.

3-4 A fire extinguisher was tempo-rarily misplaced in Petro Hall and was

reported as stolen. The extinguisher wassoon recovered. A word to the wise: Donot play pranks with vital safety equip-ment! Fire extinguishers are strategicallylocated to ensure the safety of the stu-dents. In the event that one should turnup missing during an actual fire, theprank would cease to be funny.

3-5 Another privacy in communi-cation violation was reported in PetroHall in the early morning. The residentreceived a threatening phone call.

3-11 Be prepared, this one is adandy. A female student brought her 11-year-old son with her to the AcademicSupport Center so she could do someschoolwork. While they were there,somebody stole the son’s Gameboy. Isthere any decency in the world? Herewe are, at an institution of higher learn-ing, studying to become productive mem-bers of society, and we have degenerates

in our presence that would steal from chil-dren. Wow.

3-12 There was a report of disor-derly conduct on the fourth floor of Rim-rock Hall as a resident noticed a drunkenperson wandering down the hallway.Campus security was called to the scene,and the inebriated wanderer, who turnedout to be a resident, was told to returnto his or her room and sleep it off.

Remember, if you observe anycriminal behavior or are the victim of acriminal act, be sure to contact campussecurity immediately at 657-2147 so thematter can be dealt with in a swift andproper fashion. For more informationon learning about or reporting crimi-nal activity on campus, you can ac-cess the Jeanne Cleary Disclosure ofCampus Security Policy and CampusCr ime Sta t i s t i cs Act a twww.msubillings.edu/security.

ByByByByByAdam WickensAdam WickensAdam WickensAdam WickensAdam Wickens

Air ForceOnes, Kicks,Muzzles, etc.There are manydifferent termsfor shoes, andwe all wearthem, and weall stress overthem. Where inBillings is agood place tobuy qualitynew and used

shoes? I know, I sound like a really badadvertisement. But buying shoes can

be fun. I think that it is more fun to goshoe shopping than it is to go clothesshopping. Styles of shoes are unique tothe taste of the person who is buyingthem. Although I love to shop for shoes,I rarely buy them. I will wear one pairof shoes until they fall off of my feet.When I find that perfect pair of shoes,they are with me 24/7,and just likeclothes, there are name brand shoes suchas: Sketchers, Timberlands, Candies,and Dr. Martins, to name a few. Thereare also different styles of shoes thatcome in all shapes and sizes: sandals,flip-flops, clogs, tennis shoes, sneakers,moccasins, boots, platforms, etc. Withso much to choose from, where can aperson begin to look? I myself am abig fan of the Payless Shoe Sourcechain. Even though it is corporate thereare lots of shoes to be bought for verylittle money. Payless is always having

clearance sales and buy one get one halfprice types of sales. Payless offers non-name brand stock and a person will findmany different styles to suit him or herin this store. They offer imitation stylesof the pricier name brand shoes, andtheir shoes often don’t cost more than$20 a pair. For a person who barelyhas $20 to spare like me, this is a greatbargain. Wal-Mart is another greatplace to find shoes. I love the sandalsand clogs that they sell there. Theirshoes are often on sale as well, and theydon’t go over $15 a pair.

If you would like to find a sale onflip-flops, Old Navy is a great place togo because they sometimes have my fa-vorite sale of buy one get one half off.Wal-Mart sells many great styles of flipflops as well. For those of you in dormswho might need a second pair of showershoes, these are two great places to go

By Michael RedstoneBy Michael RedstoneBy Michael RedstoneBy Michael RedstoneBy Michael RedstoneStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff Writer

Walking inMy Shoes

looking. If you want shoes that are used,then a great place to go is Goodwill. Ifound the perfect pair of shoes there andthey were only $3! They were almostnew, and I was so happy when I foundthem. There is nothing like the feelingthat you get when you find the perfectpair of shoes. If you want shoes thatcost a little more but are still reasonable,go to Rimrock mall. Maurice’s and Vil-lage Shoes offer shoes that are less than$40. Footlocker and Champs are goodplaces to go if you are in search of ath-letic types of shoes. The mall is a ha-ven for people who are in search of theelusive shoe sales. Depending on whattime of the year it is, shoe stores will betrying to sell their winter stock in favorof the lighter and more airy spring andsummer stock. So I leave you with thissame piece of advice, keep your eyespeeled and look out for those sales.

Face it ladies, we deal with emo-tions in different ways than men do. Howshould you deal with the ups and downsof the dating world? Here is a list of thingsto do and things not to do after a breakup.Hopefully these hints and warnings willkeep you from making mistakes that canlead to public embarrassment or, heavenforbid, jail.

FYI On Breakups

The Following Positions Are The Following Positions Are Available For Student Senate Available For Student Senate

For The 2004For The 2004--2005 School Year2005 School Year

If you have any questions, come to the If you have any questions, come to the If you have any questions, come to the Student Government Office in Student Government Office in Student Government Office in

the Student Union Building, Room 213, the Student Union Building, Room 213, the Student Union Building, Room 213, or call 657or call 657or call 657---2365.2365.2365.

Elections Will Be Held Elections Will Be Held April 6th & 7thApril 6th & 7th

14 Senators14 Senators--AtAt--LargeLarge 1 COT position1 COT position

Applications available: SUB 213 or website http://www.msubillings.edu/asmsub

Application Deadline: 4/2/04 at 5:00PM

Candidates must be enrolled

For at least 6 credits

Things to do after a breakup:1. Buy a tool to replace the one you justgot rid of.2. Call your best friend and let it all out.3. Plan a girl’s night, complete with girly beer,pizza, and movies.4. What should you do with his belongings?Box them up, and put them away until youcan better control your emotions. You canreturn them when you feel ready.5. Write a letter to your ex, explaining ev-erything you feel and dispose of it properly.(Shredder, fire, and water will do the trick.)This way, you get it out of your system with-out calling him in a drunken rage.6. Join a club or another group to take up thetime you used to spend with him.7. Exercise or do something to betteryourself.8. Re-enter the dating world slowly anddon’t blame the rest of the male race foryour ex’s faults.9. Cry into your pillow as much as you needto. (No, it is not a sign of weakness to cry.)10. Release your anger through someoneelse’s words by investing in loud, hard rockmusic.

Things not to do after a breakup:1. Sleep with his brother, best friend, or boss. to let him know you are reallyover him.2. Call you ex and let it all out.3. Get totally wasted with a phone anywhere in the direct vicinity.4. Take his belongings and burn them, pawn them, leave them on his door-step, leave them on his doorstep while on fire, throw them at him, throw themat him while they are on fire, flush them, give them to your dog to chew on,wear them to bed, sleep with them, or refuse to wash them for fear that theymight loose his scent.5. Write a letter to your ex explaining everything you feel and send it to him,or leave it around so you can dwell on it, read it to him, send it to him in thefuture, or have someone send it for you.6. Build a shrine of him in your closet and spend the time you used to spendwith him worshiping his memory. Other ways not to spend your time are call-ing him and hanging up, driving by his house, or calling up his mom andhaving long conversations.7. Point out all of his faults to him and tell him how he should better himself.8. Blame the male race, spit on every man you see, experiment sexually withyour best female friend, or swear celibacy for the rest of your life.9. Call him at 2 o’clock in the morning and cry. (Don’t admit to him that hehurt you, they won’t.)10. Release your anger by vandalizing his house, or breaking the windows onhis vehicle.

ByByByByBy Jessalyn Remington & Evelyn Irmen Jessalyn Remington & Evelyn Irmen Jessalyn Remington & Evelyn Irmen Jessalyn Remington & Evelyn Irmen Jessalyn Remington & Evelyn Irmen

ReportersReportersReportersReportersReporters

By Jennifer FentonBy Jennifer FentonBy Jennifer FentonBy Jennifer FentonBy Jennifer FentonA&E EditorA&E EditorA&E EditorA&E EditorA&E Editor

As thetemperatureheats up out-side, it is get-ting even hot-ter inside.The onced r e a m e dabout furlined coat ishanging onthe clearancerack andthere is not a

sweater in sight. That could only mean onething, spring has sprung and new fashionsare blossoming all over.

So just what is hot this spring? Lookfor color, not those plain pastel colors thatwe saw last spring, I am talking acid brighthues. You should also expect to see flam-ing yellows and sunset oranges that are sureto be competition for the bold blues andfierce fuchsias. If one is looking to catchthe eye of all those around, keep in mindthat you’ll want to use these colors spar-ingly; try matching them up with a crispwhite, such as a camisole or a pair of slimwhite trousers. These are sure to tone downthe intensity of vibrant colors.

Who can forget pink? The motto thisspring is “think pink.” With shades rang-ing from blush to lipstick hues, you aresure to find anything and everything inpink. If you are looking to make the per-fect combination, pair pink with anythingblack for the sleek yet sophisticated stylethat says, “Look at me.” Keep in mind thattoo much pink could result in a fashion flubthat has everyone thinking, who spilt theirpepto this morning?

If you’re looking for somethingcomfortable to wear that is school casual,pairing any of these colors with denim willdo the trick. If you add just the right tankwith a tight hip-hugging pair of jeans or ashort denim mini, you’re giving just theright sass that shows you know what is hot.

Enough with color. Let’s introducewhat types of clothing you can expect tolook hot this spring. Underwear as outer-wear, who wears short shorts, and returnof the mini. These are all hints to fashionfavorites for the spring.

Slinky, lingerie-inspired looks arewhat is in for tops. From tanks to tees,these are sure to get the attention of yourfriends. Paired with the right denim jacketor tailored tweed, any girl is sure to be aperfect match with this spring’s line-upfor male fashion. If you’re thinking trashyand scandalous, look no further; thesetops are cute and sexy, sending just theright message. Shorties are in. Yes, I amtalking about the ultra short shorts. Fromcotton to denim these shorties will lookkiller with a lacy tank or sporty tee. Keepin mind you may want to hit the tanningsalon or apply a layer of self tanner tocover up those winter whites.

All hail the school girl look, the miniis in. These cute, flirty skirts will allow youto strut your stuff all over town, make youthe hit at the night club, and the envy ofyour friends. Your mother may not ap-prove, but just give her a friendly reminderthat school girls have been wearing thelook for years and they seem to have turnedout just fine. Look for these little hotties instraight denim, light cotton, hot vibrantcolors, and accented with ruffles. These are

the hottest spring fashion’s and look goodwith anything they are paired with.

Spring will have you seeing ruffles,and not the potato chips. I am talking aboutthe once annoying things that we featuredon everything that came out of the 80s.There are ruffles on shirts, jackets, skirts,and anything else you can wear. You nameit, and it has ruffles. Not only are the an-noying ruffles back, but spring will haveyou seeing puffy pants and embroidery.Keep in mind the 80s and how strong thecomeback is.

If you’re not into the girly look, therock star look is also standing strongly.Dirty, holey jeans; the concert tee that lookslike half you friends once owned; and thatkiller jean jacket, perfectly accessorizedwith patches and pins galore, will have youlooking like a groupie in no time flat.

Who can forget the athletes? Pantscropped above the ankle, beach shorts, orCapri’s paired up with a Nike tee or bikinitop are sure to catch the eyes of beachgoers. Look for this fab sporty attire intropical and floral prints. Anyone fromMontana knows there is a little cowgirl inus all. If that is the look you’ll be going forthis spring, try wearing vintage lookingclothes starting with dirty denims or cords.Match these up with lacy tanks, fur linedjackets, tooled leather, big belt buckles, anddangly earrings. This is said to replace theon-going gypsy look.

Every outfit needs the perfect acces-sories to give it a completed look. Hand-bags can be seen in the same bright colors,but coming in to-die-for materials such asvinyl and plastics. This season’s belts areonce again big and chunky featured in met-als and leathers. There is lots of silver tobe seen. Jewelry of all types is most popu-lar this spring in silver. Earrings and neck-laces should dangle with glam, topping offthat perfect pink tank and black mini. Also,big chunky plastic bangles are back; lookfor them in the same vibrant colors weshould all grow to love this season. Shoesare majorly important this season. Classicheeled sandals in plain whites or blackswill accent any outfit. Flip flops are ma-jor; you’ll see them in plain, sporty looksor cute floral designs. Look for the ChuckTaylor to make its debut comeback thisspring; old school is in for the tennie.

Guys, don’t think I forgot about you.This spring you’ll want to go for the rock/country look. If you want more glam, theSinatra look is hot: Tailored and tight, notjust pants but everything you wear. Thecolor is bright, more in the blues andgreens. These colors should be matchedup with light colors to balance out the look.Dressier is hot when going out for theevening. You can add an athletic touch byadding a pair of modern style jeans or pantsto a jacket. This look can be paired up witha nice pair of tennies. If you are lookingfor everyday wear, you can’t go wrongwith jeans and a tee. Keep the tee brightand the jeans modern. Add a hoodie forthe not so hot days.

Remember to keep your sunglasseswith you at all times because everyoneshould be bright as can be with this spring’scolors. Girls, avoid wind storms with thoseminis, keeping in mind the shorter the bet-ter. Everyone should dangle and shine.Have fun mixing up the colors and designsof spring, creating the ultimate rock starsexy garb that everyone is dying to wear.

Bright and Beautiful:Blooming Spring Fashions

Courtesy of KRT

GRANDPAPart 2

By Natasha MancusoThis is the conclusion to the short

story featured in Issue 9.At 5:00 o’clock the next morning

the phone rings. It is time for me to getup to go to work but the alarm has not yetgone off. I run downstairs where Mompicks up the phone. My heart sinks, I knowno good news comes at this hour. I lookat her, she puts the phone down.“Grandpa died last night. They didn’twant to wake us and waited until themorning to call….”

I call the office: I won’t be in to-day, I want to stay with Mom. I can onlyimagine what she feels - far away fromher own family, not able to be with hersister and her mother, to grieve, to holdhands.

We are not at all religious but I in-sist: let’s go to church. Separated by theocean from our family, what else are weto do? How will we say goodbye? Thereality of the loss has not settled yet. Idon’t feel sad, Mom is not crying. Therewill be no wake, no funeral.

As a child I was terrified of funer-als. In our neighborhood, they were loud,public events. The sight of a casket wouldsend chills down my back and I hatedhow, following the tradition, for threedays the top of it draped in black and redwould be displayed at the front door ofthe deceased home. It was shouting of itspresence, bringing the message of deathto the world, to me. I would do anythingto avoid the sight of a funeral procession.Slowly it would spill from one street intothe next leaving behind a carpet of flow-ers thrown by family members and neigh-bors. Red carnations crushed against dirtyasphalt. I’d try not to look and take a de-

tour. It was bad luck to cross in front ofthe funeral procession. Not that I wouldever come close anyway. Just when youthought you escaped, there were thesounds of Listz’s “Funeral March” float-ing above the rooftops and trees for blocksand blocks. Always the same tune, alwayspoorly performed by some local bandwalking right after the moving casket andbefore the family and the crowd. I can’timage any of that around Grandpa. Ilook at Mom. She’s quietly sipping hercoffee, her gaze is fixed on the wall like apastel picture - no emotion, no sound, justfilling the space.

“It’s scary when your parents die,”she says after a while. “It means you arenext.” Instantly I knowthat my place is righthere with her. Grandpais in me. In me hisspirit, his love can bewith her right now. It’sdecided, we’ll go tochurch and say goodbye together.

We are new to the area and the onlychurch I know will be open during the dayon a Tuesday is St. Patrick’s Cathedral inNew York City. So without much discus-sion, we take off to the train station.

The day is full of spring and sun-shine. Trees barely touched with the greendust of upcoming summer, the HudsonRiver is full of snow runoff. I look out ofthe window at the passing train stationsthinking of forever before and forever af-ter. Mom is next to me, deep in herthoughts, still no tears.

“I wonder if his cherry trees areblooming now,” she breaks the silence.

Maybe it is my youth or my self-ishness that make me lose my calm but Icannot hold it anymore. With him gonemy happy childhood days are foreverover. There is no going back to visit, nocurling up next to him on the couch, nofishing at the river house, no ice cream,no cherry trees. Suddenly I feel the pass-

ing of time very sharply. Gasping for air,tears pouring down my cheeks I am sur-prising myself with the lack of self con-trol. Mom comforts me, she looks at herwatch:

“With the difference in time, theymust be at the funeral now.”

I am amazed and ashamed to beweaker than her. But she is not a bit surprised.

“You were always his favorite. Youhave the strongest connection.”

We are finally at the Grand CentralStation. The energy of the crowd and thesmell of the spring air gives us secondwind. It is two blocks up 48th Street andthen a few blocks up 5th Avenue to St.Patrick’s Cathedral. We get coffee and be-

gin walking. I havewalked this way amillion times but to-day I feel disoriented.The flow of trafficand people seems al-most overwhelming.

I step aside to a corner, sheltered by abuilding from the gusts of wind.

“Let’s drink our coffee here, thenwe’ll go.”

Busy New Yorkers are passing byin every shade of gray, black and navyblue. Carrying newspapers and cups ofsteaming Starbuck’s coffee, they go abouttheir day, business as usual. One figureseparates from the crowd and moves to-ward us. Black suit, black tie and a cap. Alimo is parked on the curb - must be adriver. He starts a pleasant chit-chat aboutthe weather, the early spring, the city. Isee his lips move but I am not paying at-tention to the words. Something abouthim is familiar. I can’t place my finger onit. The man is in his sixties, white hair,short, a bit thick around the middle. It’snot his face, not his voice. And then itcomes to me. In his eyes I see the sametwinkle of a light as I have come to rec-ognize in my Grandfather’s eyes. Yes-yes,of course! The same posture, the same

stance, hands in his pockets, even the wayhe wears his hat - slightly to the side. Andit’s the way he looks at me, deep into myeyes as if to say: “Everything is as itshould be.”

I say goodbye as quickly and as po-litely as possible, anxious to share my ob-servation with Mom. We turn the cornerand, swallowed by the crowd, start mov-ing up the street.

“Did you see? Did you get it? Howhe was just like Grandpa?”

No, she didn’t. She turns to look,but the man is long gone.

I am relieved and happy.“ Grandpa is on his way now. He’s

OK, Mom. Trust me. I know.” She looksat me with amazement and I can see shebelieves me.

We still go to church. It’s Eastertime and St. Patrick’s Cathedral is filledwith easter lilies, cherry blossoms andabundant waves of some other blooms inbright colors of yellow and pink. Light isbeaming through stained windows. Muchlivelier than usual.

“You know, all sins are forgiven tothose who pass on at Easter,” Mom saysnot so much to me as to herself. Sins?Grandpa couldn’t have any sins. Wheredoes she get this stuff?

“What time did Grandma say it waswhen he passed away?”

“Around 2 a.m.”“So, our time it was about 8? Just

as we were talking about him. Howstrange.”

A service is in process but we don’tstay very long, we’ve already said ourgoodbyes.

On the way home we will stop at anursery and pick out a cherry tree. We willplant it in the back yard and think ofGrandpa every spring when it blooms adelicate shade of pink. Over the next fewyears good things will happen. I’ll knowit’s him - helping me, watching over. Af-ter all, I have always been… his favorite.

“ Grandpa is on his waynow. He’s OK, Mom.Trust me. I know.”

Q & A:Quiznos’Surreal NewPitchmen

Knight Ridder Tribune

Q: What’s up with those screechingrodents on the Quiznos TV commercials?

A: “We love the subs!” wails whatlooks like a gerbil. Except gerbils are cute.This guy makes roadkill look cute.

His big, asymmetrical eyes are mis-shapen. He has what appear to be humanbaby teeth. He’s wearing a derby. And hesings like Tiny Tim, if Tiny Tim were onfire.

The singing guy is accompanied byanother surreal gerbil wearing acommodore’s hat and playing a guitar.

Meet the most talked-aboutpitchmen in the country: A pair of scrungyrodents, who are selling food.

The Super Bowl commercialspassed us by like a glitzy, billion-dollarparade. Most of the ads were slick, somewere cute. How many were memorable?These Quiznos ads certainly are.

The computer-animated creatureswere created by London-based Web artistJoel Veitch, who’s also done spots for VH1and British TV. Quiznos bought the rightsto use the characters.

Is the startling, some even call it hor-rifying, ad campaign working? Quiznossays sales are up. The New York Times,USA Today, AdAge, Cox newspapers andhundreds of Web sites are all talking aboutthem.

We managed to get an interview withVeitch, himself. (Which took dogged per-sistence and a little whining.) He’s a very

nice, you might even say “normal,” chap.GLAD: What, exactly, ARE these

things?VEITCH: I’m not really sure to be

honest, but they certainly do like subs.GLAD: Is the body, or WAS the body,

once a real animal? Is that mouth a child’smouth?

VEITCH: I’d love to say I have a sin-ister laboratory in a secret bunker beneathan evil dome on the ocean floor, where I ex-periment with the creation of freakish beasts.The truth is a bit more dull, I’m afraid: It’sall done in Photoshop. (A computer tool thatallows manipulation of photos.) I have a li-brary of 50,000 images here, and a digitalcamera. Using various source images I fiddleabout until I’m happy.”

(Veitch would not tell us exactly whatimages he used to construct the Quiznoscreatures, he calls themSpongmonkeys. But he did saythey are a compendium of manyphotographic images, not just fea-tures stuck on a dead mouse. He slylysuggested that the eyes MIGHTbe racketr u b b e rballs su-perimposed on white hard hats.)

GLAD: Are some people horrified byyour creations?

VEITCH: Yes, I suppose some peopleare.

GLAD: Are you getting barraged bynew offers for work?

VEITCH: I get a lot of requests to takethings on, yes.

Trey Hall, Quiznos’ chief marketingofficer, said there are three basic reactionsto the ads:

1. What in the world?2. What is this company thinking?3. That’s marketing genius.How did Hall propose to Quiznos’ top

brass that they use scary rodents to sell theirfood? “We took the ads to the public andvideotaped viewers’ reactions. Then, with-out showing our execs the ads, we showed

them the viewers’ reactions.”And what were those reactions?“People went wild,” Hall says.The executives were sold. Even after

they saw the ads.Still, many viewers just don’t associ-

ate the unappetizing creatures with food.They look like something no restaurantwould want scurrying across the floor, muchless touting the menu. (“They got a pepperbar!” the rodent singer warbles in onememorable line.)

Other people find them hilarious.“I just think they’re funny,” says

Jonathan Baker, 14, of Belmont, N.C.“They’re so different.”

What do you think?Q: When I was young, we said “XYZ,

examine your zipper” when someone hadhis fly open. What do they say

today?A: Some young

people are saying “wardrobemalfunction” _ the term Justin

Timberlake lamely used toexplain Janet

Jackson’sSuperBowl

“nipplegate.” It doesn’t take long for cur-rent events to work their way into America’schameleon vocabulary.

Paul McFedries’ book “Word Spy”($15.95, Broadway Books) is just hittingbookstores. He gave us some other emerg-ing terms:

The creative and detailed shaving thatyoung hunks do these days? “Manscaping.”

Can John Edwards come from behindto win? If so, he’ll be a “Seabiscuit candi-date.”

Do you get little sleep during theweek and try to make up for it during theweekend? You’re a “sleep camel.”

McFedries, a Toronto-based writer,collects these words from newspapers, Websites, raps, movies _ everywhere. And hesays they’re important.

“When there’s a new invention, ser-

vice, trend or idea, we need a new way todescribe these things,” he says. “The emerg-ing vocabulary becomes a mirror to the cul-ture.”

New words spring from babyboomers’ life changes, technology’s effectson the culture _ even TV shows like“Seinfeld.” Some new words take root, oth-ers disappear.

A few others from McFedries:Soul proprietor. Someone who scales

back his or her business to concentrate onpersonal priorities.

Dorian Graying. The refusal of somepeople to show their age, even if it meansrisky and expensive plastic surgery.

We even taught him a new word:Surf murmur. The “mmm-hmm ...

OK ... all right ...” you hear when talkingon the phone with someone who is obvi-ously watching TV or looking at theInternet.

I am so irritated with the amount

of inconsiderate people in the library,especially in the computer area on the1st floor.

No one cares about anyone elseand whether or not they are trying toconcentrate on writing a paper or tak-ing an online exam.

There consistently remains an at-mosphere where people think it is theirright to sit and chat with each other atthe computers - and not whispering ei-

ther. If they want to chat, they should bemade to go to the other areas that are se-cluded, or closed in (like the enclosedroom upstairs).

It is inappropriate and rude to bedistracting others, and I feel it is thelibrary’s responsibility to have the peopleworking here tell these people that theyneed to be quiet. Workers need to con-front the rude, inconsiderate people.Same with cell phone use. They will stillsit at the computer and chat in a normal

Dear Editor,voice. They need to be told to leave theroom, or call the person back later.

There are many people who can-not do their work with the noise distrac-tion. I am one of them. If no one activelydoes anything about the noise, then itmakes my having paid a library fee a jokebecause I ought to be able to use the li-brary without distraction.

So often I’ve heard the comment,“Well we can’t really do anything aboutit” - hogwash. If staff consistently stood

up for the QUIET rule and consistentlytold people to take their conversationseleswhere then it would be effiective.

I would even suggest a one pageblurb sent out to all enrolled studentswith the rules of the library use, andEMPHASIZE in it that conversation isNOT to be conducted in the computerareas, otherwise they will be asked toleave.

Sincerely, Janet Comstock

On singers of the ‘50s and ‘60s:1. Whose burnin’ love almost got

cooled off by the cold Kentucky rain?2. Who didn’t look like a poor

little fool when he hit on Mary Lou?3. Who rattled those pots and

pans when the clock struck 2, 3 and 4?4. Who shot Liberty Valance on

the main street of a town without pity?5. What teenager in love warned

us to keep away from Runaround Sue?

ANSWERS:1. Elvis Presley, baby2. Ricky Nelson3. Bill Haley4. Gene Pitney5. Dion

(Send questions of all kinds to JeffElder at glad(AT)charlotteobserver.com.If you send him a great question, he’llsend you a Glad You Asked T-shirt.)

A Quick Quiz

Ever heardof skin bleaching?

The womenof Central America,Africa, and theCaribbean have.This new fad,which is used bysome in theUnited States,has dark womenburning their

skin whiter with a chemical calledhydroquinon. The chemical is provento cause skin cancer, but that does notstop women from continuing to use theproduct.

Some say women are trying to over-come racial barriers by bleaching theirskin, while others believe it’s just a pass-ing phase. Whatever the trend may rep-resent, skin bleaching is just another ex-ample of how people change their appear-ance to feel better about themselves. Doesthis sound familiar to anyone?

Much like skin bleaching, tan-ning is a harmful trend that has been in-creasing in the United States. Just lookaround, there are at least one or two tan-ning salons on some of the busiest streets.The new spray tan has also been namedone of the quickest and easiest ways tobronze the body. There is no lie that tan-ning is a trend today. We think it makesus feel slimmer, look prettier, and as stu-dent Tara Parks states, “It’s good whenyou need a lift.”

Although tanning makes usfeel better about ourselves, the side ef-fects can be damaging in the long run.According to the Nemours Foundation,“Melanoma, the most serious type ofskin cancer, is the fastest-growing typeof tumor in the United States.” Our ob-session with dark skin, just the oppo-site of bleaching, will only lead to wrin-kling, brown age spots, blotchiness, andeven cancer. Skin cancer has becomean epidemic in the United States, anddoctors are becoming increasingly con-cerned with the number of young pa-tients they are seeing with skin prob-lems. So the biggest question we shouldask is are we willing to sacrifice truebeauty and health for a good feeling?

By By By By By Brook MadisonBrook MadisonBrook MadisonBrook MadisonBrook MadisonStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff Writer

AnotherShade ofAmerican

Graphic provided Knight Ridder Tribune

Questions to PonderCan you cry under water?

How important does a person have to bebefore they are considered assassinatedinstead of murdered?

If money doesn’t grow on trees, then whydo banks have branches?

Since bread is square, then why issandwich meat round?

Why do you have to “put your two centsin,” but it’s only a “penny” for yourthoughts”?Where’s that extra penny going to?

Once you’re in heaven, do you get stuckwearing the clothes you were buried in foreternity?

Why does a round pizza come in a squarebox?

What did cured ham actually have?

How is it that we put a man on the moonbefore we figured out it would be a goodidea to put wheels on luggage?

Why is it that people say they “slept like ababy” when babies wake up every twohours?

If a deaf person has to go to court, is itstill called a hearing?

If you drink Pepsi at work in a Cokefactory, will they fire you?

If you drink a Pepsi while working atMSU-B, will they fire you?

Why are you IN a movie, but you’re ONTV?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildingsand then put money in binoculars o lookat things on the ground?

How come we choose from just twopeople for president and fifty for MissAmerica?

Who do doctors leave the room while youchange? They’re going to see you nakedanyway.

If a 911 operator has a heart attack, whomdoes he/she call?

Why is “bra” singular and “panties”plural?

The hardest thing to learn in life is whichbridge to cross and which to burn…

ByByByByByBetsy HarrisBetsy HarrisBetsy HarrisBetsy HarrisBetsy Harris

ComedianBernie

McGrenahanEntertains

andEducates

Stand-up comic BernieMcGrenahan performed in front of alively group of students at Petro Hall onMarch 4. McGrenahan has been doingstand-up comedy for 15 years, but hisshow is much more than a couple oflaughs.

McGrenahan not only makes hisaudience laugh, but cry as well. He startshis act with a half-hour of endearing com-edy and then cleverly segues into a mes-sage about the perils of drug and alcoholabuse. Even if it’s not a message stu-dents want to hear, by the timeMcGrenahan starts relating his deeplypersonal story, they can’t help but staywith him.

McGrenahan describes his life ofdrug and alcohol abuse and how his be-havior almost destroyed his life. His hon-esty and volatility can not help but cre-ate some connections with his audience.He recounts disappointing his family andfriends due to alcoholism and the tragicdeath by suicide of his younger brotherright after a family fight. He gently re-veals his family secrets, including thestory of his mentally challenged brother,who he never had time for until he quitdrinking, and who still teaches him morethan anybody about life today.

McGrenahan doesn’t come off aspreachy or condescending to the students.He’s just someone who has been thereand done that and wants to help othersavoid some of the experiences he wasn’table to, like three DUI’s and six monthsin LA county jail. McGrenahan says: “Iwant students to feel like a friend is talk-ing to them. I want to pinpoint patternsand help the students to identify them sothey can make a change if they need to.Someone who has been through a drink-ing problem is more likely to reach aproblem drinker because they can moreeasily relate.”

McGrenahan first started doing hisinspirational show in 1999 after severalyears of stand-up comedy. He was do-ing clubs, cruise ships, USO tours, andcorporate shows when he noticed that alot of students were dying of alcohol poi-soning. He got together with his agentand decided he would like to do more

than make people laugh. He wanted tomake a difference. He knew if he couldtell his personal story, he could touchpeople’s lives.

McGrenahan took his act to the Na-tional Association of Campus Activities,and the rest is history. He has been tour-ing colleges ever since. He only did 12colleges that first year, and five years laterhe’s doing 75 to 100 colleges a year.McGrenahan admits that when he firststarted, the message was pretty heavy, but

it slowly evolved into not a tragic story,but an inspirational one of renewed hopeand happiness. The secret toMcGrenahan’s act is that by the time hegets to the message, even if you don’twant to hear it, you already love the guy;you just have to listen.

Students often approachMcGrenahan after his shows and tell himhow he has touched them and how theyfeel he’s helped them find the courageto change. He encourages students to

check out his web site atwww.Happyhourcomedy.com and feelfree to e-mail him. He enjoys hearingfrom the students and is pretty good atanswering their mail. McGrenahan says,“I just want students to know the factsabout alcohol and respect it, because itcertainly won’t respect them.”

McGrenahan was a real treat forMSU-B. Hopefully in the future we canhave more talented entertainers like himand don’t forget the magic word. FREE!

Stand up comic Bernie McGrenahan performed in front of a lively group of students at Petro Hall on March 4.

This is definitely one of the year’sbest movies. I was a little skeptical go-ing to see it, considering the fact that itis a movie about a horse, but have nofear. It is not in any way a bad movie.Great acting, great set design, amazingspecial effects, and a wonderful plotmake this movie worth seeing.

Hidalgo, based on a supposedlytrue story, is the tale of a man and hishorse. It carries Frank T. Hopkins (ViggoMortensen), a not so typical, washed upAmerican cowboy from Buffalo BillsWild West Show, across the ocean to thedeserts of the Middle East. He makes the

Secret WindowJohnny Depp and cast do an amaz-

ing job in this thriller. It takes twists andturns that you would never expect and likeany good mystery, you really have no cluewho the enemy is until the director wantsyou to.

The secret window is a mystery/thriller about Mort Rainey (Johhny Depp),an author who, accused of plagiarism, ison a mission to clear his name and savehis own life. The person accusing himseems to be a little over the edge. He ismaking threats on his life, property, andthe lives of those close to him. To top it all

journey to enter a3,000 mile horse raceknown as the Ocean of Fire. He isthere to prove that his horse Hidalgois truly the greatest long distance race-horse of all time. He does this at the re-quest of the sheik and the insistence ofall of his friends.

What he doesn’t know is that hewill fight against all kinds of oppositiononce he gets there, not only mere com-

petitiveness, but also inthe form of preju-

dice. His fel-

l o wcompet i tors

are appalled thatan outsider has en-

tered their race andthat he is riding what

they consider an impurehorse. Hidalgo is a mus-

tang from the westernstates United States. In spite

of all of the resistance, Hidalgoand Frank still manage to make

some friends. They are the recipients ofunexpected help from surprising sources.This actually causes more trouble than

it is worth at times. Although totally outof their element, the pair are ready andwilling to prove that together they cantake on anything and beat it.

As I said before, the film is a truemasterpiece. I laughed, I cried, I wason the edge of my seat. There isenough action in the movie to satisfyeveryone. I don’t recall a slow mo-ment . And t rue to his nature ,Mortensen keeps you laughing. Youfeel pulled right into the action attimes; you can’t wait until the end ofthe race so you know what happens,yet at the same time, you really don’twant the story to end. The connec-tion between man and beast drawsyou in. You can’t help but love themboth. To know that this actually

happened to a real person so manyyears ago blows your mind. That iswhat makes the movie, the fact that itis said to be real. It’s not just anotherstory. It’s the story of someone’s life.How can you help but feel emotionalabout it?

It’s a hit! I think that sums it uppretty well.

5 stars

A Cowboy, a Horse, a Writer, and a Killer…

off, Rainey is in the middle of a divorcefrom his unfaithful, yet overly concernedwife.

Throughout the movie, his propertyand his friends are harmed. He must finda way to clear his name and rid his life ofthe crazy man stalking him. You’ll neverbelieve what actually happens.

The acting by Depp is outstanding.It was definitely a hard role to play, buthe pulled it off magnificently. While Iwas on the edge of my seat for most ofthe movie, I still managed to laugh a little,a credit to Depp’s acting skills and theskills of the playwright.

Maria Bello does a good job as his

Johnny Depp Teams Up with Steven Kingwife, Amy, as well. There are times whenshe could have been a little more believ-able, but she pulled it off quite well. Herboyfriend, Ted, played by Timothy Hutton,on the other hand, although played by agood actor, was not a very well-developedcharacter. It just seemed to me like therewere a few things missing from the storyline in this aspect of the film. They neededhim in the story for things to make sense,but it seems they made the role a little toominor. There definitely was room for de-velopment there.

The stalker John Shooter (JohnTurturro) also did himself credit. He wasjust creepy enough to be a totally believ-

able character while also making the hairon the back of your neck stand up.

All in all the movie was good. Defi-nitely not a screamer (there are a few timesit’s a little slow), but it does keep you onthe edge of your seat, wondering just whatwill happen next. You can’t wait to findout what is going to happen and when youdo, your emotions go haywire. All of asudden you don’t know what to think,whose side to be on, or what in the worldyou want to happen. In fact, it is the per-fect atypical ending to an already uncom-mon movie. It’s another great adaptationfrom Stephen King.

4 stars

Horrors orHorses...Take Your Pick

By Alea LoganBy Alea LoganBy Alea LoganBy Alea LoganBy Alea LoganStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff WriterStaff Writer

Hidalgo

GO OUTLIKE AROCKSTAR:VOTE!

By Jennifer FentonBy Jennifer FentonBy Jennifer FentonBy Jennifer FentonBy Jennifer FentonA&E EditorA&E EditorA&E EditorA&E EditorA&E Editor

As the time approaches for thepresidential elections, it seems thatwe are subject to more and more po-litical jargon than most of us canhandle. When I say we, I am talkingabout those of us that are between theages of 18 and 32. We are the futureof America and our votes count morethan ever. Not only do our votescount more then ever, we ourselvescount more then ever. So when itcomes time to vote, where are ourminds? Do we even care? Well, weshould care.

In the last presidential election,18 million people between the agesof 18 and 32 voted. That is a minutenumber of us that chose to speak upand voice our opinions; many of usmay have chosen not to voice ouropinions but at least we voted. Weshowed we cared and tried to make adifference in what could determinethe rest of our lives. We took a standin what will place the person in of-fice who has all the power in theworld to change the way we live ourlives and how our children and ourchildren’s children will live theirlives.

So do you care? Does it make adifference to you who we elect aspresident? I hope it does and so domany musicians and actors. Rock theVote is a campaign that has beenaround for many years. The goal ofthe group is to get younger people,primarily those between the ages of18 and 32, to go out and vote. Theytry to teach uneducated voters thatwhat they think and feel does make adifference, and when they choose toexpress their opinions or feelingsthrough their votes, then they too canhelp make a difference.

These messages are sent to usthrough commercials, rallies, andconcerts. They are backed by manydi ffe ren t mus ic ians such asAerosmith , Beast ie Boys , SherylCrow, Dixie Chicks, Jay Z, SnoopDoggy Dogg, Matchbox Twenty, andmany more. There are also a count-less number of actors who brandishtheir names to the organization suchas Drew Barrymore, Dick Clark,Cuba Gooding Jr., Ashton Kutcher,and many more. The list is unbeliev-ably long. There are many famouspeople who put forth their time try-ing to help us make a conscientiousdecision about voting. If these peoplewho are so dedicated to the cause arewilling to try and make a difference,we should be too.

The messages are sent to usthrough speeches that are televisedby stations such as MTV, who alsohappens to be a leading organizerand supporter. They have busesthat go around from town to townand hold political rallies, givingus the knowledge we need andshould know about the candi-dates. The actors and musiciansare there to help send the mes-sages. We all know people areattracted to a famous face.There are also concerts thatare held throughout the cam-paigning season by these mu-sicians who are in full support ofRock the Vote. These concerts arenormally free and allow some of thecandidates to go on stage and sendtheir own personal messages to theyoung audiences. By holding theserallies and concerts, they hope to in-crease the number of voters by show-ing and telling them that their votemakes all the difference.

Another group that is currentlytrying to raise awareness about theupcoming 2004 election is the Bandsthat Rock Against Bush (BAB).These are young punk bands thathave come together to perform con-certs and go on tours to raise theawareness o f young vo te rs .Bands such as Sonic Youth, theDonnas, the Liars, and EraseErrata are just a few of thepunk bands tha t havepledged their support forthe BAB, a self-explana-tory new artistic collec-tive dedicated to lend-ing the support to the“struggle against aworld of perpetualfear and violencebolstered by theBush adminis -tration.”

BAB hascur ren t ly se tup more than20 chap te rst h r o u g h o u t

the United States and abroad. Thesegroups are willing to participate invarious events that are meant to raisevoter awareness. One of the majorevents planned is an Oct. 11 interna-tional day of action. There are con-certs planned for New York City;Olympia, Wash.; Seattle; Los Ange-les; Boston; Washington, D.C.; Port-land; Paris, France; and Dublin, Ire-land. The concerts will be precededby a Rock Against Reagan Memorialshow on Oct. 9. Groups such asGreen Day, NOFX, Good Charlotte,and others have contributed theirmusical talents to Rock Against Bush,a compi la t ion to ra i se po l i t i ca lawareness prior to the presidentialelection. There will also be a seriesof concerts to be held on collegecampuses throughout the United

States.

If this is not enough to makeyou think about going out and vot-ing, I don’t know what is. There arethousands of famous people who aretrying to educate us to help us inmaking what could be the most im-portant decision of our lives, a deci-sion that we must make every fouryears. So I hope that you will do whatyou feel is right and vote. Remem-ber, we will give birth to the futuredoctors, teachers, lawyers, and poli-ticians. Hell, who knows; we mighteven produce a future president ofthe United States. So in November, Ih o p e tha t you

choose tohelp makea d i ffe r-ence and

vote.

The Montana State University-Billings Cheer Team captured firstplace in the Division II competitionMarch 7 in Irvine, Calif., reported DaniRuoff, MSU-Billings cheer coach. Theteam brought back a trophy and ban-ner when they returned to Billings.

The three schools in the DivisionII competition were Mount San Anto-nio College, MSU-Billings, and theUniversity of Redlands. The MSU-Billings team received the highestpoint scale. “We hit a perfect routine,”said Dani Ruoff.

The MSU-Billings Cheer teamwent to this competition for the firsttime last year and came in fourth. “This year, we were determined toplace in the top two, and ended up asnumber one,” said Ruoff. “It was awe-some.”

MSU-B Cheer Team membersNick Talmark and Brandi Hallgren alsoplaced first in the Coed Stunt PartnerGroup. MSU-Billings’ Frankie Renoand Kristin Hodges placed second inthat same competition.

The team did a remarkable jobdespite a major setback. On Fridaymorning, during practice, team mem-ber Richard Castillo dislocated hisankle, so the team had to change theirentire routine and one of the MSU-Billings stunt couples of which he wasa member had to scratch.

“The team overcame this, whichshows what champions they truly are,”said Ruoff, whose excitement in aphone interview was contagious. “Wedidn’t care who we were cheeringagainst, we just wanted to go out thereand hit a solid routine; we hit a perfectroutine!”

The MSU-Billings team, Ruoffreported, was the only team in its divi-sion to have no faults assessed.

“We are very, very excited aboutthis win,” said Ruoff. “This will opensome major doors for the MSU-Bill-ings Cheerleading Program.”

Yellowjacket Sports

S U C C E S S !CHEERTEAMBRINGSHOME AVICTORY!

From left to right: Brad Lockner,Kimberly Bone, Mark Snider, BrookHenderson, and Linsey Lindgren.Jaquie Lind is standing behindMarissa Anderson.

From left to right: Nic Talmark, BradLockner, Tanner Reinhart, MarkSnider pose with one of the 10trophies brought home, along withtheir championship banner.

Above: Richard Castillo and his wifeKara enjoy the welcoming group at theairport after he had an accident twodays before the competition. Thankfullyhe only dislocated his ankle and didnot break it as the doctors in Californiadiagnosed.

Right: Cheerleaders in COA Open T-shirts; Lindsey Hart, BrookeHenderson, and Kimberly Bone. MarkSnider is in the background.

Press Release

All photos by Michael Redstone

The MSU-Billings softballteam’s springbreak road trip,which saw themplay 17 games infour cities in 10days, may havemarked a smallstep in thegrowth of a pro-gram which be-gan just four

short years ago. “It was an exciting weekfor our program,” said head coach Jeff

Softball: Winning Streak, Competitive Games MarkEvolutionary Step for Program

By Jed BartonBy Jed BartonBy Jed BartonBy Jed BartonBy Jed BartonSports EditorSports EditorSports EditorSports EditorSports Editor

Amuend.The trip was highlighted by a

stretch in the middle where theYellowjackets won four out of five games,including a double header sweep ofNorthwest Nazarene and individual winsover Saint Martin’s and Mesa St. Over-all, the Jackets won five out of the 17games on the trip.

While wins and losses are certainlythe ultimate measure of success, perhapsfor MSU-B, the way they are losing asopposed to a couple of years ago is a signof improvement. “We led the numberthree team in the nation, Humboldt State,

in all three games including losing one inextra innings on a close call at the plate.We also took two other ranked teams,North Dakota State and Western NewMexico to extra innings,” said Amuend.He went on to point out, “A couple ofyears ago when we played these kind oftop level programs, more often than notthose games ended with the eight run rulebeing enforced.”

As to what is causing the Jacketsto lose so many close games, in one in-stance against Western New Mexico,MSU-B had a 9-7 lead with two outs inthe bottom of the seventh only to lose 10-

9 in nine innings, Amuend is mixed inhis assessment of the team. “We are hit-ting the ball extremely well and ourpitching, while not exceptional, is solid.They do, however, put a lot of balls in play,so I think our defense has to make somemore outs, because in softball even morefrequently than baseball, runners on basetranslate into runs that we can’t often af-ford to give up,” he said.

MSU-B will next be in action at theEaston Tournament of Champions hostedby Cal State-Stanislaus April 2-4 while theirnext home games at Cenex Stadium will beApril 10 and 11 against Hawaii Pacific.

By Jed Barton

Yellowjacket head golf coachRoger Burckley was disappointed butnot surprised by the last place finishessuffered by both the men’s and women’ssquad in their respective opening tour-naments. He said, “Both the men andwomen were up against multiple teamsthat were ranked in the national top 10and for a young program like ours thatcan be intimidating.”

Burckley also hinted that thewinter weather Billings has experi-enced might have played a factor in

Weather and Tough Competition Make for a RoughStart to Golf Season

amount of preparation that the Jacketshad going into the season. “The firstcompetitive rounds we played wereonly the third outdoor round of the yearfor the men, and fourth for the women,whereas some of the teams, especiallythe ones from California and the South-west, have been outside since practicebegan on Feb. 1,” said Burckley.

The men’s team opened their sea-son Feb 23 and 24 by placing 17th atthe Cal State- Bakersfield Family Mo-tors Invitational. MSU-B shot a com-bined team score of 981 for the threeround event. In individual competition,

Andy Eames lead the Yellowjacketsshooting a 234 to finish in 77th place,while the Jacket’s best single round ofthe tournament was ChrisMcConnell’s second round one underpar 71.

The women meanwhile placedseventh at the Cal State-Chico SubwayInvitational held March 8 and 9. TheLady Jackets shot a two round teamscore of 795, finishing 67 shots behindsixth place University of Notre Damede Namur. On the individual side,Elizabeth Marshall led MSU-B with atwo-day total of 188, while an open-

ing round 89 by Amanda Rabenbergwas the best round carded by a Jacketduring the tourney.

Both men’s and women’s teamswill next be in action at the North-west Invitational March 22-23 inBlaine, Wash., and with one tourna-ment under their belts and improvingweather conditions at home allowingthem more time out on the links,Burckley expects to see a little im-provement from his squad. “It wouldbe nice to be more competitive ournext time out and maybe finish in themiddle of the pack,” he said.

ByByByByByJanna HuhtalaJanna HuhtalaJanna HuhtalaJanna HuhtalaJanna HuhtalaEditor-in-ChiefEditor-in-ChiefEditor-in-ChiefEditor-in-ChiefEditor-in-Chief

Jacket Tennis Team Setback by Weber State and Northern ColoradoDespite

a hard-hittingbattle by themen andwomen, theYellowjacketsTennis Teamtook a beatingfrom WeberState andN o r t h e r nColorado innon-confer-ence playover the lastfew weeks.

The men were defeated by WeberState, 2-7, 0-9, and 0-5 in two men’s du-als at the MSU-Billings Indoor TennisCenter on March 6 and 7. Standout AndresCalabro was the only member of themen’s team to win a singles match afterbattling against Zach Rideout of Weber

State, 3-6, 6-2, and 6-7. Calabro wasbeaten in his second match of the dayagainst Weber’s Daniel Abeabeoro, 2-6,4-6. MSU-B’s Jose Garcia and KellenMalone won the only doubles match ofthe weekend against Weber’s Abeabeoroand Mathis Saberon (8-4).

The women’s team also saw defeatagainst Weber State on their home courton March 6. Becky Fry, a junior fromMiles City, exchanged blows with WSU’sChelsea Drews and took a beating with avaliant lost of 7-6, 1-6, 6-7.

“Becky plays really consistent,”said teammate Brianne Roney. “Whathurt us was we [the rest of the team] weresomewhat inconsistent.” Roney, a fresh-man from Cody, Wyo., saw defeat againstWeber but remains hopeful about the re-mainder of the season. “Personally, I needto work on moving well and chippingaway at the points,” she said.

The Jacket Tennis Team packed

their bags on March 9 for five days ofcourt time against Northern Colorado(men) and Northern Colorado and AirForce (women).

MSU-B didn’t leave without a fighton March 12. MSU-B’s Sergio Diaz de-molished UNC’s Chris Bminihan 6-4, 6-0 in his first singles win of the season.Kellen Malone also sought his first singleswin against Morgan Surfas, coming outin a 6-0, 6-3 triumph. Andres Calabroproved his talent with an agile matchagainst JonPaul Kaloi, his second win thisyear. Doubles spelled defeat for MSU-Bagainst UNC, but Coach Peach remainsoptimistic. “[The men] all played contri-butions to the team,” Peach said in a phoneinterview.

The lady Jackets also fought againstNorthern Colorado on March 12 with a1-8 loss to the lady Bears. Lee Sowada, asophomore from Gillette, Wyo. took onUNC’s Julia McPherson in a tough battle;

she came away with the only win 6-4, 7-6 (5). Becky Fry again struggled to comeout with a win, this time against UNC’sRenee Nuccio. Despite a tough skirmish,Fry ended with a 5-7, 5-7 loss to Nuccio.

The women’s team continued onto play the NCAA Division 1 Air Forceteam at the Academy on March 13.Margo Merrill-Johnson, a junior fromSalt Lake City, let it rip with a 6-1, 6-1victory against Liza Vaccaro. Merrill-Johnson brought home the only win forthe lady Jackets against AFA.

Both the men’s and women’s ten-nis teams will face off against Univer-sity of Mary in Billings on March 27-28.The entire team then travels to Bozemanon April 2 to play MSU before leavingto play Hawaii-Hilo and Chaminade inHonolulu, Hawaii on April 6. There isalso slated to be a match up in Missoulafor the men to play against UNV-Renoand Gonzaga University.

Compiled by Matt Beard

Name: Shinji MatsuokaYear in College: FreshmanAge: 21Hometown: Kumamoto, JapanMajor: EnglishFavorite Song: “Where is the Love?” Black EyedPeasFavorite Professor: Ms. McComasProfessor Pet Peeve: The way they speak.1. Does Styrofoam melt in the microwave? Sure.2. If you could be the lead singer of a rock groupor band, who would it be and why?Mr. Big, I like their songs. “To Be with You,” is myfavorite song of theirs. “Greens and blues” is a partof one of the verses in that song; it’s where I got myemail address from.3. Are you for or against gay marriages? Why orwhy not?I approve of gay marriages. Some gay people areinborn. Some guys think they’re girls. The surround-ings and environment gay people are raised in makethem gay. If a guy lived by himself he would not begay. Surroundings are the most influential. I believesomething in those surroundings makes them gay.4. Do you agree with the Bush administration’spolicy on the war in Iraq? Why or why not?No, definitely not. If Bush went to war, maybe it’dbe different for him and he would not have the samepolicy. He’s never had to fight and it’s out of control.As a Japanese citizen, I am against the war. The U.S.contradicts itself sometimes, especially because theyhave weapons of mass destruction themselves. Bushis taking advantage of the Christian faith in hisspeeches. I’m surprised little boys growing up in theU.S. think that Bush is the best president. I talked toa little Catholic boy, about 13 years old, and he didn’tknow about what’s going on. My relatives survivedin what happened with the U.S.’s atomic bombing ofNagasaki. They told me the story of their experiencewith that. It’s unfortunate that Japan can’t cut tieswith the U.S. and its policy in Iraq.5. Old Metallica or Metallica S&M (symphonic)?Symphonic, it’s easier to listen to it. I’m not an origi-nal fan from the beginning.

Name: Miranda BredingYear in College: FreshmanAge: 21Hometown: Roundup, MTMajor: Mass CommunicationsFavorite Song: All kinds of music.Favorite Professor: Cindy LinseProfessor Pet Peeve: Ones who are super in-telligent in their field but can’t teach the class.1. Does Styrofoam melt in the microwave?No, but CDs do crackle.2. If you could be the lead singer of a rockgroup or band, who would it be and why?Mack Powell of Third Day. He’s cool, writesgreat and amazing lyrics, and his shows arefun and very entertaining. He’s got really niceglasses.3. Are you for or against gay marriages?Why or why not?Against. It is not promoted in the Bible, andthat’s what I believe in4. Do you agree with the Bushadministration’s policy on the war in Iraq?Why or why not? I agree with them getting Saddam out of Iraq;he was a terrorist and stuff. I don’t think Bushknows what he’s doing. Saddam needed to go.5. Old Metallica or Metallica S&M (sym-phonic)? I don’t listen to Metallica. After awhile bands lose what they originally had. Idon’t know. I like the old Metallica. I don’treally care.

Name: Matt SielerYear in College: SophomoreAge: 21Hometown: Roy, MTMajor: EngineeringFavorite Song: Varies by day (that’s not a song)Favorite Professor: Craig WilsonProfessor Pet Peeve: When they explain once, thenthey vaguely ask, “Have you got it?”1. Does Styrofoam melt in the microwave? Hmm . . .probably not. That wouldn’t be safe.2. If you could be the lead singer of a rock group orband, who would it be and why?Les Claypool of Primus. He doesn’t do anything to makehim look cool; he’s totally for the music. Anything that guydoes is completely unprecedented and unique. I don’t knowanyone else who plays bass like he does.3. Are you for or against gay marriages? Why or whynot?I believe that all people should be treated with a certaindegree of equality and friendliness. You know, it’s a matterof personal matters. We should have a nationwide vote onwhether or not they should be given this privilege. I’magainst gays altogether.4. Do you agree with the Bush administration’s policyon the war in Iraq? Why or why not? I think if we didn’t do it, who could we count on to do it forus? Not the French. As we sit here happily, he’s trying tomake decisions. We can’t expect him to be infallible.5. Old Metallica or Metallica S&M (symphonic)? Iwould have to choose a bit of both. Not much of prefer-ence. Metallica’s too corporate and “business-like” for me.

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Name: Matt BeardAge: 19Major: Communications/Theatre, FreshmanHometown: Choteau, MTIf I had a million dollars I would...eitherstart a recording label or take a band on aworld wide tour.When I graduate, I want to...work for aguitar magazine or just tour with a rock band;either that or just act and write.

Name: Brook MadisonAge: 22Major: English/Creative Writing, JuniorHometown: Billings, MTIf I had a million dollars I would...I wouldprobably buy an Audi, buy my mom a cabin, flyto New York City and go to a really expensive.When I graduate, I want to...get my masters injournalism and write a best-selling book.