independent collegian issue 3

10
I like to read electronical- ly. The screen lights up and gives you more excitement. Dana Saffo Soph., criminal justice Do you prefer to read books electronically or in print? Why? Print. You don’t have to press a but- ton each time you want to turn a page. Ross Heringhaus Civil Engineering I like reading electronical- ly. I’m not a big reader. Carla Aramouna Soph., pre-med bio. I like to read print. If I want to high- light or make annotations I can find them quicker. Ryan Gannon Fresh., business I prefer to read in print. You can have so many is- sues on a computer. Bryan Wood Senior, comm. Check out our story on the closing of Borders Books and Music and the rise of electronic reading above. Serving the University of Toledo since 1919 IC Independent Collegian www.IndependentCollegian.com Issue 3 92nd year Monday, August 29, 2011 The Toledo celebrates its Pride Arts and Life, B4 Rockets win the inaugural Blue-Gold Invitational Sports, B1 Dowd, Nash White Halls to close Students to be moved to other residence halls, UT to save $500,000 per year after closing By Casey Cheap IC News Editor Dowd Hall, Nash Hall and White Hall will be closed in the next three- to-four weeks, as they are currently being used as temporary, overflow housing. Dowd, Nash White — together with MacKinnon Hall — are commonly known as “the quads.” MacKinnon Hall, how- ever, will remain open as usual, according to Direc- tor of Residence Life Jo Campbell. Students currently liv- ing in the halls will be moved out as soon as possible, Campbell said. In the past, UT used campus lounges as overflow housing before the number of students on campus was finalized. Campbell said once the number of students is fi- nalized, space for stu- dents will be free in other residence halls. “The decision to close Dowd, Nash White was made in early August,” Campbell said. “The number of beds provided throughout the halls [335] are right on par with the number we needed for overflow housing.” Campbell said the three are some of the least sought after resi- dence halls because they are the only ones on cam- pus without air condition- ing and have had no ma- jor renovations. After the 15th day of the semester, the number of students living on cam- pus will be finalized, and students in Dowd, Nash White will be notified if there is space elsewhere. Another reason the halls will be closing is because there are fewer students living on campus. “The number of stu- dents living on campus is down from two years ago, but flat from last year,” Campbell said. However, Campbell said two years ago “We were bursting at the seams.” Campbell said students living in the three resi- dence halls are aware they are in a temporary housing situation. “We will be assisting them in moving,” she said. “We even have our own truck [to help them move],” she said. Nick Kneer / IC Nash, Dowd and White Hall are all set to be closed within the next three to four weeks. Residents will be moved to other available halls on campus. Bookstore closing reflects rise in eReaders Nick Kneer/ IC Borders Books and Music has undergone a Chapter 11 foreclosure, resulting in it’s 399 stores being closed. By Fran Barror For the IC The Borders Books and Music at Westfield Franklin Park Mall is littered with bare shelves and deeply-discounted mer- chandise. The store bookshelves are for sale, and the Seattle’s Best Coffee section is closed. The impact of Bor- ders Books and Music closing is being widely felt by the Toledo community. The closing has been blamed on many things, such as the eReader revolution and book prices at discount retailers such as Wal-Mart. The liquidation of Borders will result in the company closing all 399 stores, most of SG asks students ‘whatcha want’ By IC Staff Starting this fall, members of Student Government will approach students all over campus to get feedback and listen to concerns regarding campus matters. On “Whatcha Want Wednes- days,” members of SG wearing spe- cial t-shirts will be asking students what they would like to see on campus. They told us it was temporary and when they find us a room they will move us out Stephen Wither- spoon Freshman, Undecided Rubin Student Exchange Program in second year By Allison Seney IC Copy Editor Students at the University of Toledo no longer need to cross the globe for a study abroad experience. With UT’s participation in the National Student Exchange program, students can study at nearly 200 colleges within the United States, Canada, Guam, Puerto Ri- co and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Many colleges have participated in the exchange for more than 20 years. However, this is the second year UT has been involved. Emma Ikstrum, the first exchange stu- dent to be hosted at UT, was welcomed during a luncheon at Pheonica’s Restau- rant in the Student Union Thursday. — Housing, Page A5 — Exchange, Page A2 — Books, Page A5 — Whatcha want, Page A2 There is so much in the U.S. and I wanted to see a differ- ent part of it. Emma Ikstrum Exhchange student from Southern Oregon University

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Independent Collegian Fall 2011 Issue 3

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Page 1: Independent Collegian Issue 3

“I like to read electronical-

ly. The screen lights up and gives

you more excitement.

Dana SaffoSoph., criminal justice

Do you prefer to read books electronically or in print? Why?

“Print. You don’t have to press a but-

ton each time you

want to turn a page.

Ross HeringhausCivil Engineering

“I like reading electronical-ly. I’m not a big reader.

Carla AramounaSoph., pre-med bio.

“I like to read print. If I

want to high-light or make annotations I

can find them

quicker.Ryan GannonFresh., business

“I prefer to read in

print. You can have so

many is-sues on a

computer. Bryan WoodSenior, comm.

Check out our story on the closing of Borders Books and Music and the rise of electronic reading above. ” ” ” ” ”

Serving the University of Toledo since 1919

ICIndependent Collegianwww.IndependentCollegian.com

Issue 392nd year

Monday, August 29, 2011

The

Toledo celebrates its Pride

Arts and Life, B4

Rockets win the inaugural Blue-Gold Invitational

Sports, B1

Dowd, Nash White Halls to closeStudents to be moved to other residence halls, UT to save $500,000 per year after closingBy Casey CheapIC News Editor

Dowd Hall, Nash Hall and White Hall will be closed in the next three-to-four weeks, as they are currently being used as temporary, overflow housing.

Dowd, Nash White — together with MacKinnon Hall — are commonly known as “the quads.”

MacKinnon Hall, how-ever, will remain open as usual, according to Direc-tor of Residence Life Jo Campbell.

Students currently liv-ing in the halls will be moved out as soon as possible, Campbell said.

In the past, UT used campus lounges as

overflow housing before the number of students on campus was finalized.

Campbell said once the number of students is fi-nalized, space for stu-dents will be free in other residence halls.

“The decision to close Dowd, Nash White was made in early August,” Campbell said. “The number of beds provided throughout the halls [335] are right on par with the number we needed for overflow housing.”

Campbell said the three are some of the least sought after resi-dence halls because they are the only ones on cam-pus without air condition-ing and have had no ma-

jor renovations. After the 15th day of

the semester, the number of students living on cam-pus will be finalized, and

students in Dowd, Nash White will be notified if there is space elsewhere.

Another reason the halls will be closing is

because there are fewer students living on campus.

“The number of stu-dents living on campus is down from two years ago, but flat from last year,” Campbell said.

However, Campbell said two years ago “We were bursting at the seams.”

Campbell said students living in the three resi-dence halls are aware they are in a temporary housing situation.

“We will be assisting them in moving,” she said. “We even have our own truck [to help them move],” she said. Nick Kneer / IC

Nash, Dowd and White Hall are all set to be closed within the next three to four weeks. Residents will be moved to other available halls on campus.

Bookstore closing reflects rise in eReaders

Nick Kneer/ IC

Borders Books and Music has undergone a Chapter 11 foreclosure, resulting in it’s 399 stores being closed.

By Fran BarrorFor the IC

The Borders Books and Music at Westfield Franklin Park Mall is littered with bare s h e l v e s a n d

deeply-discounted mer-chandise. The store bookshelves are for sale, and the Seattle’s Best Coffee section is closed.

The impact of Bor-ders Books and Music

closing is being widely felt by the Toledo community.

The closing has been blamed on many things, such as the eReader revolution and book prices at discount

retailers such as Wal-Mart.

The liquidation of Borders will result in the company closing all 399 stores, most of

SG asks students ‘whatcha want’By IC Staff

Starting this fall, members of Student Government will approach students all over campus to get feedback and listen to concerns regarding campus matters.

On “Whatcha Want Wednes-days,” members of SG wearing spe-cial t-shirts will be asking students what they would like to see on campus.

They told us it was temporary and

when they find us a room they will move us

out

Stephen Wither-spoonFreshman,Undecided ”

Rubin

Student Exchange Program in second yearBy Allison SeneyIC Copy Editor

Students at the University of Toledo no longer need to cross the globe for a study abroad experience.

With UT’s participation in the National Student Exchange program, students can study at nearly 200 colleges within

the

United States, Canada, Guam, Puerto Ri-co and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Many colleges have participated in the exchange for more than 20 years.

However, this is the second year UT has been involved.

Emma Ikstrum, the first exchange stu-dent to be hosted at UT, was welcomed during a luncheon at Pheonica’s Restau-rant in the Student Union Thursday.

— Housing, Page A5

— Exchange, Page A2— Books, Page A5— Whatcha want, Page A2

There is so much in the U.S. and I

wanted to see a differ-ent part of it.

Emma IkstrumExhchange student from Southern Oregon University”

Page 2: Independent Collegian Issue 3

Independent CollegianTheMonday, August 29, 2011A2

CampusBriefly

Want to be included in the next campus briefly? Send events for consideration to News@IndependentCollegian .com.

“It is to create a lot of things on campus to benefit students,” said Heather Engle, chair of the Stu-dent Government senate. “A lot of programs will get out to stu-dents this way.”

SG President Matt Rubin said he

really wants to step up the ef-fort to make SG more proactive in students’ lives.

“The best way we are going to do our job as SG is to effectively communicate with students in face-to-face interaction,” Rubin said.

The Student Senate, SG Cabi-net and Student Judicial Cabinet

will all be taking part in “What-

cha Want Wednesdays.”

“[SG members] are going to be

in the dining halls and on the

Centennial Mall around 10 a.m.

to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays, the

busiest times of day,” Rubin said.

Rubin said he looks forward to

hearing student suggestions.

“Students can wake up every

morning on Wednesday with

fresh ideas about what they

would like to see changed or im-

proved,” he said. “Student Gov-

ernment will certainly listen.”

Women’s basketball team visits IsraelBlue Crew and Blue Key

Come to Centennial Mall to help celebrate Blue and Gold Week today from noon to 2 p.m. Blue Crew and Blue Key will host an all-star cookout where students are invited to meet UT student-athletes. Af-terward the Doermann The-ater will feature a Blue and Gold Week Traditions Night at 8 p.m. Learn about UT’s past, present and future.

To celebrate Blue and Gold Week a scavenger hunt will take place from seven to eight p.m. on Tuesday at Centennial Mall. Vie for prizes and learn about UT history and traditions.

Office of Student Involvement

Have fun at a Jell-O Slip-n-Slide at tomorrow at noon at Centennial Mall.

A student organization fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday at Cen-tennial Mall. There is an orga-nization for everyone; see for yourself! In addition, grab a free snow cone.

A part-time job fair will take place from noon to 3 p.m. at the Student Union Ingman Room. Find out about part-time job opportunities on and off campus this Wednesday.

The second annual Music Fest will take place Wednes-day from 4 to 11 p.m., across from Memorial Field House. Celebrate the start of the foot-ball season and fall semester. There will be a pep rally, live music and fireworks. Slated to appear are Cartel, Ohio Players, Alexander Zonjic, Glen Templeton and Abigail Stauffer.

At noon on Thursday is an Ice Cream Day Centennial Mall.

The President’s Tailgate Party will take place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., lot 25 by Rocket Hall. President Lloyd Jacobs will host this event to psyche up for the start of the Rock-ets’ football season Thursday.

UT AthleticsJoin us as we cheer on our

UT Rockets as they face New Hampshire at the home open-er. All students gain free ad-mission to all home football games. The game is this Thursday at the Glass Bowl from 7-10 P.M.

UT Pharmacy The Pillbox is a free tailgate

gathering for alumni, faculty and students of the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceuti-cal Sciences. The Pillbox for the Thursday game against New Hampshire is sponsored by Giant Eagle. The tent is lo-cated in the Flats outside the Glass Bowl. The event runs from 5-7 p.m.

Nick Kneer / IC

Students and faculty welcome exchange student Emma Ikstrum last Thursday at Phonecia.

By John GumbersellIC Staff Writer

Every four years, the wom-en’s basketball team chooses one country to travel to. This year’s decision was obvious.

The UT women’s basketball team ventured on a week and a half-long trip to Israel be-ginning Aug. 7.

Point guard Naama Shafir, born and raised in Hoshaya, Israel, was the reason for the trip’s location.

Shafir, a senior majoring in business, led the team to a Women’s National Invitation-al Tournament championship last April where she scored 40 points. She was also a Mid-American Conference player of the year candidate and be-lieved to be the first Ortho-dox Jew to receive an NCAA

Division I scholarship.Women’s Basketball Coach

Tricia Cullop said the trip

gave the team a chance to see Shafir’s culture and hometown.

“Walking the streets that you had only heard about your entire life was incredi-

ble to see,” she said. When Shafir first came to

the U.S., she barely spoke English, but with the help of her teammates, she was able to become fluent.

For this reason, she said she enjoyed being a transla-tor during the trip.

“When I came to America my friends helped me speak the language and learn the customs,” she said. “And then it was my turn. I enjoyed see-ing my teammates in my culture.”

The team’s visit to Israel coincided with one of the largest demonstrations in Is-raeli history, where mass demonstrations occurred throughout the country over the nation’s rising housing costs.

Despite the continuing pro-tests, Shafir said they were met with nothing but peace.

“We were welcomed right away; there was no tension in the air that we could feel,” she said.

The team visited Shafir’s home in Hoshaya. Her friends and family from Israel joined her team for a cookout. Shafir said she enjoyed seeing her family at home and abroad come together.

Shafir said her favorite part of the trip was having her family watch her play basket-ball with her team and meet her coach and teammates.

The team briefly visited Je-rusalem; Cullop said it was amazing to see where Jesus was crucified.

Other historical sites the team visited included the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee.

Cullop said the trip was the perfect chance to get a jump start on the new season and a

great way to add to the play-ers’ relationships with each other.

Although there was a large mixture of cultures, the girls were able to stick together through it according to Cullop.

“It is great to get chemistry built up between my players,” Cullop said. “Chemistry is the building block of every successful season.”

Assistant Coach Todd Mit-messer, Athletic Trainer Sara Meserth, Team Physician Jacklyn Kiefer, Assistant Ath-letic Director for Finance Tony Zaworski, members of the Channel 13 News Team and three incoming freshmen traveled along with the team.

Cullop said she expects the trip to heighten the team’s spirits and gain positive out-look about their teamwork for the season.

Whatcha wantFrom Page A1

Shafir

Ikstrum, a student at Southern Oregon University, decided the exchange pro-gram was the best way for her to gain study abroad experience.

“I wanted to study abroad, but I didn’t want to travel to a different country,” she said. “There is so much to see in the U.S. and I wanted to see another part of it.”

Sammy Spann, executive director of the center for in-ternational studies and pro-grams, said he wants to ap-peal to all students.

“Students who fear going overseas can still experi-ence the feeling of going away, but don’t necessarily want to go overseas,” he said. “We want every stu-dent who is willing to par-ticipate to do so.”

Through the exchange program, students can study for up to one year at another

location. Students choose their top

three choices from a list of participating universities based on their program of interest or geographical location.

Institutions then select candidates for consider-ation during the National Student Exchange Confer-ence held in Mid-March where approximately 80 percent of requests are negotiated.

The potential host cam-puses then consider appli-cants for acceptance. Place-ment acceptances are made according to the openness of the respective tuition pay-ment plans of host institu-tions according to the NSE catalog.

“Students pay tuition to their home university or pay in-state tuition to their host university,” Spann said. “The only extra cost is

— Exchange, Page A5

ExchangeFrom Page A1

Page 3: Independent Collegian Issue 3

Deadlines All ads and ad material must be received by Thursday at 3 p.m. forMonday’s issue, and Monday at 3 p.m. for Thursday’s issue. The Independent Collegian reserves the right to pull any advertisement that misses this deadline.

Error responsibility Read your ad on the first day of publication. We accept responsibility only for the first incorrect insertion. If you cannot find your ad on the first day it is running, call us immediately. Adjustments will be limited to the cost of the first insertion.

Payment policy All Classified ads must be prepaid with a credit card or a check. You can stop by our office during regular business hours or mail us your ad and payment. All display advertising must be prepaid until sufficient credit has been established.

Phone in your order to Denise Hanefeld at 419-534-2438. Fax in your order to 419-534-2884.E-mail in your order to [email protected].

Classifieds Independent CollegianThe

Monday, August 29, 2011

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pies For Adoption. Only to a Good Home! 1 Male, 1 Female. Please Con-tact: [email protected]

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Buy for: $39,900. Please Call 419.262.7722 for more information.

Need experienced typist, evenings, salary negotiable, call btw: 11am-11pm 419.531.7283.

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[email protected] and let the campus and community

know what’s on your mind.Think Letters must be under 500 words and are subject to editing for

content and length. All letters must be signed.

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IC WantsWe’re looking for news writers.

Working at the IC will give you:

A job: it's a great resume-builder

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Money: top performers can win $50 every month

The inside scoop: our writers talk to UT's top adminis-trators and know what's up before most students

A promotion: most the staff graduates every year, so you might be an editor before you know it.

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© 2009 Michael Mepham. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

SolutionComplete the grid so each row,column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9.

For strategies onhow to solve

Sudoku, visitSudoku.org.uk.

Instructions

Sudoku

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

7857

81 84 8660 63 66

Page 4: Independent Collegian Issue 3

Phrases such as “melting pot” and “mixed salad” are commonly used when defining di-versity in the United States. Most classes tell students that we are a mixed salad—a collec-tion of diverse cultures. But sometimes, it seems like the “melting pot” theory is more accurate.

Take yourself as an example. Do you know where you came from or what your last name means in your family’s “home land”? Much of our generation doesn’t know about their heri-tage unless they’re getting extra credit for find-ing it out through a class project. Not many truly care to discover who they are and what nationality they represent. As a result, we “Americanize” ourselves. We don’t want to try different foods or traditions within our fami-ly’s heritage. It just isn’t that important to us.

When considering our national European history, most hail from multiple countries. We can have a little bit of Scottish, French and — if you’re lucky — German..

This past weekend, the German American Festival occurred in Oregon, Ohio. The festival was filled with music, dancing, good food, crazy contests and traditional German fashion. People immersed themselves in this event that was bursting with culture and people having a good time. The smells of bratwurst and sauer-kraut, funnel cakes and chicken dinners were heavy in the air on the late summer evening.

Those over 21 had the opportunity to drink a beer from “The Boot.”

Drinking from “The Boot” is a popular Ger-man tradition seen in many bars and parties with a German theme, or perhaps the movie “Beerfest.”

The use of the boot for drinking began dur-ing World War I when German soldiers had nothing else to drink from. They passed around a leather boot filled with beer before heading off into battle. For good luck, they’d flick the boot before drinking from it and then again after they drank to wish the next soldier good

luck.Even a boot-shaped glass has a history in the

German culture. Do you have something from your nationality that you find interesting? If you do, learn more about it. It’s inspiring to discover where you and your family came from. By doing this, you and your family could start traditions of your own.

Fairs and festivals can be found all over To-ledo and the surrounding areas. You just have to be willing to look for them. Attend one and see what you find. Students may be surprised to find out their heritage was more than they thought it would be.

The point is that we need to be proud of our “ingredients” in the “mixed salad” we claim to be. If you aren’t sure about your nationality, do some research. The best way to find answers is to ask your parents or grandparents. Even websites such as www.ancestry.com can be useful.

Our culture has been lost in a sea of modern-ization. While innovation shouldn’t be viewed in a negative light, we should not forget our history.

There are so many opportunities to discover where we came from. This year, challenge yourself to try new things, not just the modern “American” things like going to the new club or restaurant in town.

Learn about your heritage. Try the country’s food, experience their entertainment and tra-ditions or even plan to travel there. Let’s vow not to be a “melting pot”, drowning in our “American” ways. Let’s embrace the roots of our “mixed salad.”

- in our opinion -

Embrace your part of the “salad”

Forum A4Monday, August 29, 2011

Randiah GreenEditor-in-Chief Sales Manager

Mike Dumont

Forum EditorMegan Gross

Independent Collegian Staff

Contact usThe Independent Collegian

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Toledo, OH 43606

The Independent Colle-gian encourages your letters and welcomes the chance to publish as many as possible.

Letters must be typed and include the author’s full name, rank, college and tele-phone number.

E-mailed letters must in-clude the same information, and can be sent to [email protected]. Letters may be no longer than 500 words.

The IC reserves the right to condense letters; none will be returned.

When referring to a previ-ously published letter, arti-cle or column, please make sure to include the date it appeared.

Letters to the editor are due Monday at 5 p.m. for Thursday’s edition and Thursday at noon for Mon-day’s edition.

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This is a publication of the Collegian Media Foundation.

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The editorials contained on this page represent the opinions of the student editors or the column’s listed author and not those of the Collegian Media Foundation.

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Don’t Readjust

thenews

I have a great deal of re-spect for the faculty members who have voiced concerns regarding the new parking system. However, I disagree with their conclusions regard-ing these changes.

Like many UT faculty, staff, and students, my family shares the use of multiple cars. There have been many days when the required

parking tag was in different car than the one that I happen to have on a given day. This created the unnecessary in-convenience of locating the car with the parking tag, re-turning home to obtain the tag, parking off campus, or taking the risk of an expen-sive parking ticket.

The new system conve-niently allows me to change

the license number of car that is registered in less than 60 seconds.

In my opinion, the new parking system is a substan-tial improvement over the old.

— Douglas OliverAssociate ProfessorMIME Department

As a former dean who parked on campus daily, who was frequently on and off the campus during the week, and who owns and drove several cars to and from campus, I was thrilled with the an-nouncement of the new tech-nology-based parking system.

It will lower the cost of sur-veillance and of writing and collecting for parking viola-tions and, the new system will allow departments and col-leges to easily and quickly

grant parking permits on line and by email to campus visitors.

It will also eliminate the cost and inefficiency of pre-paring and distributing paper parking permits annually. Fur-ther, I am absolutely confident that any “glitches” in the new system, whether they be sort-ing out the best way to handle handicapped parking or issu-ing multiple car privileges to staff,faculty and special do-nors, will be handled once

those “glitches” are identified.The most expeditious way

to get those “glitches” docu-mented and handled would be for organizations representing staff and faculty (like the AAUP) to work positively and cooperatively to help make that happen, for everyone’s benefit.

— Tom Brady, Former Interim Dean, Judith Herb College of

Education

Philosophical knowledgeIf one took a survey of sub-

jects that have absolutely no impact on the way we live, chances are most people would pick philosophy. Do we need philosophy?

A y n Rand an-s w e r e d that ques-tion in her awe-inspir-ing anthol-ogy “Phi-l o s o p h y : Who Needs It.”

“ Y o u m i g h t claim -- as

most people do -- that you have never been influenced by philosophy. I will ask you to check that claim. Have you ever thought or said the following? ‘Don’t be so sure -- nobody can be certain of anything?’ You got that from David Hume (and many, many others), even though you might never have heard of him. Or: ‘This may be good in theory, but it doesn’t work in practice.’ You got that from Plato.”

Consider some of the things in this modern era that we take for granted. The laws meant to punish crimes are definitely one such thing. If one intentionally murders another, it is wrong and he must be jailed.

But what if a person’s choices are completely con-ditioned in the atmosphere he is brought up in? Would we absolve a murderer if his conditioning allows him to act in no other way, just as a balloon must rise given its properties?

What could be done to cre-ate patents and copyrights? After all, it stands to reason that if a person’s mental con-tents are a product of his upbringing, how could he claim any discovery to be his own? Is man free to choose his actions?

Consider the controversial question of whether God made the world. The argu-ment goes that since every-thing in this world is so

complex and intricate, it had to be a product of a designer. But if complexity is reason enough to believe in the exis-tence of a creator, should not the creator by definition be more complex and intricate than his product? How could we justify his existence?

Whatever your views on free will and religion, it is ap-parent that philosophy is a set of fundamental ideas that not only shape the course of law and politics, but a set of ideas that shape the funda-mentals of human thought.

The need for philosophy arises from the fact that man is a conceptual being. His distinctive means of survival are not the fangs, claws or the legs of a cheetah. In-stead, his tools are thought and ideas. From a match-stick to a skyscraper, it is his mental faculty that aids him to live successfully. His men-tal faculty has to be pro-grammed, however. He doesn’t have limited stan-dards built into him like oth-er animals.

Philosophy gives a person an integrated view of exis-tence. Sometimes, if one tries to systematically ques-tion one’s beliefs, the com-mon retort is, “Who are you to disagree with the tradi-tions of our forefathers?” This confusion stems from blanking out the difference between products of choice such as tradition or religion and unquestionable natural facts such as the law of gravity.

Most people who passively absorb philosophic ideas from magazines or newspa-pers hold different standards

at work, different standards at a church or a temple, dif-ferent standards at a family gathering and so on.

They not only hold differ-ing standards but also con-flicting ones in many areas of life. For instance, an attorney may uphold logic in court, but he may default on acquir-ing consistent, reality-orient-ed philosophic ideas in his personal life. This may lead to his belief in supernatural powers due to family or peer pressure.

The contradiction in his set of beliefs is apparent. He would be thrown out of court if he argued that although his client did commit the mur-der, he should be acquitted because the crime was com-mitted on Friday the 13th. On the other hand, if he had used a rational philosophy, he would be in a position to have an integrated view of existence – a common set of standards he could apply to all departments of his life.

In an era of dwindling free-dom laden with stimulus packages, unnecessary health care bills and Islamic totalitarianism, it is rational philosophy we humans need the most.

One of the best reality ori-ented philosophies out there is Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism. You can start by reading her two most famous non-fiction books, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.

As she once pointed out, no tyrant rose to power ex-cept on the claim of repre-senting the “common good” — be it Napoleon of France or Hitler of Germany. If one wishes to “save the world” from harmful ideas and the horrors of history, what bet-ter way is there than by ask-ing the fundamental question of philosophy- what does it mean to be good?

— Ramana Reddy is an IC columnist and a first-year law student at UT.

Going digital: the rise of eBooksThe rise of technology has officially created

a more fast-paced, convenient and creative society. The new era has left some businesses in the dust to figure out what went wrong. Borders Books and Music knows that feeling- they failed to embrace the technology of the eBook, Kindle and Nook quickly enough.

The physical printing of books is in slow decline and traditional book readers wonder what the big deal is about these electronic books; approximately one-quarter of the print industry declines every year while digital book consumption has increased at an in-credibly fast pace.

Businesses have changed how they distrib-ute what used to be on paper. Universities are offering students the use of eBooks instead of buying textbooks. Restaurant menus, instruc-tion manuals and application forms are all on-line. After all of the eBook hype, Borders should have known what was coming.

Digital reading is now the “in” thing. As students, we can agree that it’s not only convenient for some, but also inexpen-sive to purchase textbooks in their elec-tronic format. Book readers will argue about which is cheaper — buying a Kin-dle or purchasing the physical book — but depending on the types of books bought, the price difference will vary.

According to users, the various types of eB-ooks are more convenient, lightweight and in-teresting to use. Other than that, there is no change to the physicality of a book. So why are the eBooks so popular? What makes them so much more appealing than books with dif-ferent colors and textures?

The ease of using digital technology is what turns many people on to the changes of this new era. But what’s considered easy varies based on the individual. Many prefer to feel the page as it turns. Some just don’t like change.

Borders CEO Mike Edwards was disap-pointed to report its closing to loyal store members, telling them that the “turbulent economy” and the “eReader revolution” was the cause of their loss in a long and difficult battle. If only Borders had the courage to en-ter into the digital market along with Barnes & Noble and other book stores. Maybe then Borders would have had a fighting chance.

Even though it would have made more busi-ness sense to include the new digital technol-ogy into the mix, Borders was a popular store for books and entertainment purchases. Bor-ders will be truly missed.

RamanaReddy

Philosophy gives a person an integrated

view of existence.

Page 5: Independent Collegian Issue 3

Independent CollegianTheMonday, August 29, 2011 A5

Campbell said having the halls sitting idle will save the university about $500,000 in staff and utilities and she is unsure whether the buildings will be torn down.

A desk worker, who was unable to give their name, at

Dowd, Nash White said no resident advisers are living in the halls.

RA’s from Mackinnon Hall and Parks Tower rotate in shifts when patrolling the hall and working the front desk.

A resident advisor at MacK-innon said RA’s are not al-lowed to comment on the

status of Dowd, Nash and White Hall to members of the press at this time.

Some students, however, are not excited about a po-tential move to other parts of campus.

“I heard we actually don’t have to be moving out,” said Woody Haze, a freshman ma-joring in medical

administration who lives in White Hall. “I can’t afford it because grants got cut in half. If we have the option to stay, then I want to stay.”

Stephen Witherspoon, a general studies major and resident of Nash Hall, con-f i rmed Campbel l ’s comments.

“They told us it was

temporary and when they find us a room they will move us out,” he said.

Another student expressed concern with the current liv-ing situation in the quads.

“I’m not going to be in a room with four people for the rest of the time I am here,” said Lasana Milton, a fresh-man and Dowd Hall resident

majoring in computer sci-ence. “That would be ridiculous.”

MacKinnon Hall Director Mollie Zenz, was unavailable to comment.

— Vincent D. Scebbi con-tributed to this article.

HousingFrom Page A1

Panorama by Nick Kneer/ IC

Closing the three residence halls will save UT about $500,000 a year. It is uncertain what will happen to the buildings themselves, but they may be used for future overflow housing.

which are in their final weeks.

“It’s a sad thing,” said Kyle Minor, lecturer in the department of English. “I feel badly for all the em-ployees who are losing their jobs, and I worry that we’ve lost yet another brick-and-mortar outlet that offers a wide variety of books.”

Jill Chio, a local preschool teacher and book enthusi-ast, said he used to buy books at Borders, but thought it was too expensive.

“I’m not that upset about them closing because I like Barnes & Noble and there is a used book store called Book Cents right down the street from me,” he said.

Some area residents felt that although expensive, they want to take advantage

of discounted books.“I am really sad about

Borders closing,” said Tessa Hoste, a local preschool teacher. “I get a 25 percent teacher discount on books,

and that is where I got a lot of the books I can use in my classroom. I guess I will

start going online to Scho-lastic book orders. I will definitely take advantage of the going out of business sales.”

Cole Doren, a sophomore majoring in physical educa-tion and health, said he thinks it is cool the compa-ny is going out of business.

“The prices were too ex-pensive before,” he said.

Borders CEO Mike Ed-wards sent a personal email to all Borders Rewards member in July saying the company was not able to overcome external forces.

Edwards noted in the email the rise in eReaders is only one of many reasons the franchise is shutting its doors.

“We had worked very hard toward a different out-come,” he said. “The fact is that Borders has been fac-ing headwinds for quite

some time, including a rap-idly changing book indus-try, the eReader revolution and a turbulent economy.”

According to the Associa-tion of American Publish-ers’ website stated in Feb 2011, eBooks ranked above print in all trade categories.

Revenue for eBooks has been more than twice as much as print.

Print was outpaced $164.1 million to $411.7 million per month in February.

Print sales also fell al-most 25 percent from last year, where eBooks were on the rise over 200 percent.

Researchers claimed be-cause of high-contrast screens that have become more readable and reliable, a light-weight tablet-style reader is more convenient.

Borders could not be reached for comment.

BooksFrom Page A1

a $150 application fee.” Ikstrum said she chose the

University of Toledo because she wanted to experience the Midwest.

She, a Seattle native, said things that would otherwise appear trivial to Toledo na-tives have been the biggest changes she has experienced.

“It’s neat to experience a thunderstorm, when in Seattle there aren’t that many,” she said. “The idea of not seeing the ocean is very new.”

Students wishing to partici-pate in the program must be full-time students at their home institution in good aca-demic standing with a mini-mum of a 2.5 grade point average.

Not all academic programs

at National Student Exchange member colleges and univer-sities are available to partici-pating students. Some pro-grams are more competitive than others are.

Spann said he wants stu-dents to gain an out-of-the-box experience while taking advantage of what America has to offer.

Ken Evans, a recent gradu-ate in political science and ge-ology, was the first student from the university to partici-pate in the exchange. Last spring, Evans studied at State University of New York in Plattsburg.

“Toledo can hold you down,” he said. “It’s nice to get out and experience different rhythms.”

The program is through the Center for International Stud-ies and Programs.

ExchangeFrom Page A2

The fact is that Bor-ders has been facing headwinds for quite

some time, including a rapidly changing book industry, the eReader

revolution and a turbu-lent economy.

Mike EdwardsCEO,Borders and Books and Music ”

Page 6: Independent Collegian Issue 3

Independent CollegianTheMonday, August 29, 2011A6

Page 7: Independent Collegian Issue 3

SportsMonday, August 29, 2011Section B Page1

www.IndependentCollegian.com Joe Mehling – Editor

We played some teams that are really strong in

their conference. It was a really good stepping stone for us.

Kassie KaderaUT senior libero ”“

Rockets win the inaugural Blue-Gold Invitational

IC File Photo by Zach Davis

UT Volleyball will play this weekend at the Spartan Classic.

Former UT star excited to get back to football in 2011

Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun/MCT

Former UT running back Jalen Parmele will be a big part of the Ravens special teams in 2011.

By Joe Mehling Sports Editor

The Rockets volleyball team swept the competition en route to winning the Blue-Gold Invitational on Satur-day at Savage Arena.

Toledo dropped just one set the whole weekend while senior libero Kassie Kadera was named the tournament’s most valuable player.

“This weekend was a real-ly good starting point for us,” Kadera said. “We played some teams that are really strong in their conference. It was a really good stepping stone for us.”

Joining Kadera on the All-Tournament team was sophomore Jordan Kielty and ju-nior Bailey Blank. Kielty saved her best for last as she paced the team with 17 digs and added 14 kills in the Rockets final match of the week-end. Blank’s week-end was also high-lighted in the 3-1 win over Oakland as she posted 11 kills and a team-best .562 at-tack percentage.

“We are starting to get that balance where we can go to any player along the net,” UT head coach Greg Smith said. “The balance is there and no matter who we put in we know that the balance will be there.”

The Rockets opened the weekend in dominating fash-ion with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-13) victory over Wright State, then took down Niaga-ra in straight sets the follow-ing morning, 25-18, 25-20, 25-18.

“I thought we came out with a lot of intensity and a

lot of energy,” Kadera said. “I thought we put on a real good show. We are kind of known as a slow starting team but I think we turned that around.”

“Our team did a really nice job [coming off the win against Wright State],” Smith said. “Offensively they did very well, we had excellent distributions out of all five of our hitters. One thing is following a great night like [win against Wright State] is how you re-spond and there definitely wasn’t a letdown.”

The lone lost set came in the weekend’s final showdown against Oakland, but Toledo rallied to take the fi-nal two sets and open the 2011 sea-son with a perfect 3-0 record.

“It was a great win for us,” Smith said. “Oakland is such a scrappy team and they played really

well tonight. I was really proud of our girls, they stayed with it mentally. Sometimes when things aren’t going as good as you think you have to find a way to win.”

With the tournament vico-try, the Rockets have now opened the past three sea-sons with a tournament championship.

The Rockets return to ac-tion this weekend when they travel to East Lansing, Mich. for the Spartan Clas-sic. UT will open the tour-nament with Cleveland State on Friday at 7 p.m., then will face St. John’s Uni-versity and Michigan State on Saturday.

By Nate PentecostAssistant Sports Editor

For 18 weeks and four days former UT running back and current Baltimore Raven Jalen Parmele awaited a reso-lution to the labor dispute with team owners which threatened to cancel the 2011 season. In the end, only the August 7th Pro Football Hall of Fame Game was nixed from the schedule, with NFL

Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA Executive Direc-tor DeMaurice Smith signing the new Collective Bargaining Agreement just two days pri-or, ending the longest lockout in league history.

Yes, the world’s most suc-cessful sports league has con-ditionally reopened its doors for business thanks to the new CBA, and that very well may be enough to satisfy most

pigskin fans, but those ex-pecting the usual level of play are likely to find themselves disappointed in a hurry.

“The biggest challenge is probably guys staying in shape,” Parmele told the Inde-pendent Collegian. “You didn’t know when you were going to come back. We weren’t really hearing anything.”

— Excited, Page B2

IC File Photo by Zach Davis

The Rockets won all three games in the Blue-Gold Invitational.

Toledo gets first win of the season against IPFW

Nick Kneer / ICSophomore Nicole Gyurgyik found the back of the net again this weekend against IPFW.

By Nate PentecostAssistant Sports Editor

Toledo’s soccer team held Louisville to a 1-1 double overtime draw last Friday before posting their first vic-tory of the season on Sun-day with a 4-3 win over Indi-ana University-Purdue Uni-versity Fort Wayne.

“Results matter for sure,” head coach Brad Evans said. “We’re in the results busi-ness. But as far as the non-conference schedule, we know that the MAC is where we have to try to be at our best and we have to take steps.”

The Cardinals (1-1-1) struck early in the match on F r i d a y e v e n i n g ,

with sophomore midfielder Angelika Uremovich putting the visitors on the board in the eighth minute on a cross from sophomore forward Jordan Pawlik. Toledo red-shirt freshman goalkeeper Kelsey Borowitz made an initial save but collided with another player leaving an opening for Uremovich to connect from just outside the 18-yard-box.

Borowitz was in goal for the first time in her colle-giate career, filling in for se-nior Vicki Traven who was suspended for the match af-ter being issues a red card in the previous game against nationally ranked Illinois.

“She stepped up and did

what she needed to do and was composed enough,” head coach Brad Evans said of Borowitz. “It’s something she will grow into even more with time.”

The Rockets (1-2-1) re-sponded shortly after with senior forward Kristen Lynn providing the equalizer off a pass from sophomore Ra-chel MacLeod in the 15th minute for the 2010 first-team All-MAC selection’s first goal of the season.

Each side had a number of opportunities to put them-selves ahead in the second half but they were unable to capitalize. With scoring

Kadera

— Season, Page B2

Page 8: Independent Collegian Issue 3

Independent CollegianTheMonday, August 29, 2011B2

Conditioning programs and organized activities are considered by many coaches to be as valuable, if not more so, than minicamps and training camp. In fact, in a twist of lockout-related iro-ny, management traditionally encourages players to attend voluntary offseason work-outs, in large part to monitor the physical condition of the athletes.

With offseason workouts and practices canceled be-cause of the owner-initiated work stoppage, it can be as-sumed that a number of play-ers on each roster are rush-ing to get their bodies ready for the gridiron, and it’s no coincidence that teams have seen an increase in serious injuries as the regular season approaches.

The Ravens, however, can rest assured that Parmele will be one of the athletes whose offseason condition-ing will have him rearing and ready to go when the season kicks off.

“I started out with just light workouts, nothing too heavy,” Parmele said. “Then I eventually started working out three or four times a week once mid-June came around. Around early July is when I started the heavy sprinting work, field work, and my regular routine on the field.”

Nearly as important as physical conditioning are the bonds which are created, re-newed and strengthened when players are able to train together at team com-plexes. After all, the on-field comradery which is so

essential to a team’s success is forged in the months pre-ceding the season. As a re-sult, no clubs will feel the constraints of the accelerat-ed schedule more than those adapting to significant roster changes and inexperienced players.

“The chemistry you need to build in the offseason, es-pecially during the OTA’s, for a lot of the new players that’s crucial in the months of April, May and June,” Par-mele said. “Not having OTA’s doesn’t really help the chem-istry, especially when you have new quarterbacks and receivers, and primarily the offensive players. So that’s something we’ve definitely had to adjust to in training camp.”

At the least, Parmele ap-pears to be making the nec-essary on-field adjustments so far, having rushed 15 times for 55 yards, to estab-lish a respectable average of 3.7 yards per carry over three preseason games, in-cluding a trip to end zone against a highly-touted Ea-gles squad.

After leaving Toledo as one of the most accomplished backs in program history (589 carries for 3,119 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns), Parmele was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the sixth round (176th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. Parmele spent the first three games on the bench before he was released and re-signed to Mi-ami’s practice squad. He be-came a Raven later that sea-son when Baltimore signed him away from the Dolphins.

Since joining Baltimore, Parmele has seen limited

time in the backfield (7 car-ries for 44 yards) and with the Ravens boasting one of the game’s most lethal run-ners in Ray Rice, along with offseason acquisition Ricky Williams, touches will likely be scarce for Parmele again this season. However, Par-mele has become a fixture in another area of Baltimore’s game plan, returning 33 kicks for 845 yards (25.6 avg.) and accumulating 19 special teams tackles over 24 games. He is expected to be a valu-able asset in the Raven’s spe-cial teams attack again this year as Baltimore looks to return to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.

“I’ll have a big special teams role like last year and it’s just a matter of where they see me fit,” Parmele said. “Obviously, I have to do something different than Ricky and Ray. I’ll see some action at running back, it’s just a matter of showing them what I can do the rest of the preseason. That’s what it comes down to.”

As for his alma mater, Par-mele expects Toledo will rise to the occasion as well this season.

“We’ve had so many rough years, even from when I was there my junior and senior year and up until last season, really,” Parmele said. “It’s good to see things get turned around and I know it’s only going to get better. The pro-gram is moving in the right direction. This is their year to win the MAC and I’m con-fident that they can get it done.”

Parmele and the Ravens open the season on Sept. 11 against hated division rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

ExcitedFrom Page B1

Nick Kneer / IC

The Rockets defeated IPFW 4-3 on Saturday after drawing Big East foe Lousiville on Friday.

chances at a premium in the extra periods, the match end-ed in a stalemate. Toledo and Louisville took 15 and 12 shots respectively with Borowitz registering 3 saves to her counterpart senior Chloe Keifer’s four.

“I thought we were a little more creative in the attack-ing third but didn’t get the goals to show for it,” Evan said. “But progress is more important at this point and we’re moving in the right direction.”

Toledo set the tempo in the opening minutes of its Sun-day afternoon victory over IPFW (1-2-0), with Lynn heading in a goal in the ninth minute. The tally was her

first of two on the day and second of three over the weekend. Sophomore for-ward Nicole Gyurgyik added to the lead with a goal at the 21:32 mark as the Rockets cruised into halftime with a 2-0 lead.

“Coach really challenged us before the game to see what we are made of after a tough game on Friday,” Lynn said. “Can we come out and take it to a team, especially in the first half and set the tone early? I think we did that.”

Lynn would score her sec-ond goal in the opening min-ute of the second half with Gyurgyik adding another of her own just minutes later to put the Rockets in front 4-0 by the 56th minute. Lynn and Gyurgyik have three goals

each on the season and re-main the only two goal scor-ers for the team on the year.

With the game seemingly well in hand, UT subbed in a number of reserves, allowing the Mastadons to play them-selves back into the match with three goals in the final 15 minutes. Following the third goal, the Rockets brought back in several start-ers who were able to hold off IPFW for the final five-plus minutes to hold onto the match.

“We just have to finish out a little stronger,” Evans said. “I hate to put those kids back in the game but if that’s what it takes we’ll do it.”

Toledo will closeout a three-game homestand at Scott Park on Friday at 5:30 p.m. against Niagara.

Write Much?Call 419-534-2438 for information on how

to write for the IC.

File Photo by Nick Kneer / IC

Countdown to KickoffThe Rockets will face New Hampshire in the Glass Bowl in four days at the Glass Bowl.

SeasonFrom Page B1

Page 9: Independent Collegian Issue 3

Independent CollegianTheMonday, August 29, 2011 B3

Kevin Sohnly / IC

Raeanna Martin-Hayden hula-hoops near Promenade Park on Saturday.

“There are a number of benefits to

theatre and film, as well as music,”

Monsos said. “From improved re-

hearsal, classroom and performance

space to things like music ensembles actually being able to fit in the band room, and actors no longer need to walk through the audience to get to backstage.”

The floors have been revitalized in rehearsal spaces providing a clean, smoother surface for the actors to work upon.

“The much improved floors of the Studio Theatre will make more in-tense floor work possible for our often highly-physical theatrical produc-tions,” said Edmund Lingan, an assis-tant professor of theatre.

This semester’s production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be performed at the Val-entine Theatre on Adams Street downtown considering the main per-formance space, the Center Theatre, is being temporarily used as a storage

facility.The music department also saw

great improvements to the Recital Hall.

The stage was rebuilt and a sound wall has been constructed to improve acoustics. Seats have been recovered and carpets replaced in order to im-prove the overall aesthetic of the hall.

The choral practice room shifted and expanded to allow development of the instrumental rehearsal room.

On the second floor, there are new spaces for a music lab and recording studio, which have also been im-proved for better sound quality. The piano labs grew in size, but remain in the same area.

The new two-story addition from the outdoor courtyard area provides a central office space for the performing arts building as well as a lobby/recep-tion area for events in the building.

Debra Davis, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, moved her office to the performing arts build-ing from the Center for the Visual Arts, located near the Toledo Museum of Art, making her more accessible to

students.Offices in the first-floor were devel-

oped into a new lobby and gathering space.

“Speaking specifically of theatre and film audiences, there’s actually a place for the audience to gather now — the department didn’t have a lobby area, which was always extremely awkward and crowded for people waiting to get into the Lab, Studio or Center theatres,” Monsos said.

Some students expressed satisfac-tion with the renovations, particularly film students Sean Koogan, a junior majoring in film/video and Jerod Nawrocki, a junior majoring in film/video.

“The widened hallways, relocation

and convenience of new rooms along

with a new paint job provide positive

energies,” Koogan said. “With im-

proved facilities for students and fac-

ulty members to work in, the renova-

tions will allow a certain pride within

the student and faculty body attending

and passing through the building.”

Nawrocki said the renovation is a

strong step up as far as improving the

effectiveness of educating students,

also considering that the building has

never been renovated before.

While there are still some renova-

tions to be done, the majority of the

project is complete and has impressed

everyone so far.

“We’re grateful to all those involved

who made it such a positive experi-

ence,” Monsos said. “It was a group

effort from the architects who were

able to give us more than we expect-

ed, to the university facilities person-

nel who made and kept a very tight

construction schedule in order to min-

imally impact classes.”

“Hopefully, now students will exude

a greater sense of pride about their

film/video resources at UT and, in

turn, work together to preserve the

integrity of the spaces, equipment, and

technology so that future students will

benefit from these improvements as

well,” Hey said.

Courtesy of Angela Riddel

Katie Martin standing in the former, smaller film/video equipment check in/out room.

Silence of the sheepBy Dannielle LawsFor the IC

Remember those “choose your own adventure” books that let you make certain de-cisions and led to several multiple endings? I would read them all the time when I was a kid, peeking at the end and making sure I picked the best ending.

I outgrew these books and moved on to video games, which have a genre of “choose your own adventure” games.

The most recent game with this theme is “Catherine,” available for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

“Catherine,” is about Vin-cent Brooks, a man who feels pressured by his long-time girlfriend Katherine, into get-ting married and possibly having children.

He talks about his prob-lems to his friends at a local bar where he meets a young carefree girl named Cathe-rine. Soon after meeting her, a new set of problems arise.

Vincent wakes up to realize he had a one-night stand with Catherine. He then starts having nightmares in which he is forced to climb up large obstacles while monsters creep up from below him,

waiting for him to make a mistake.

During these nightmares, players can interact with sev-eral men whom the character met in the bar, but turn into sheep in the nightmare world. Meeting them is optional, but depending on how often play-ers speak with them, the rela-tionships with them change.

This also can occur with Katherine and Catherine; sending certain text messag-es to them will either make Vincent a good guy or a bad guy, ultimately changing the ending of the game.

It’s a very challenging game that makes players stop and think about what move to make next.

Also, there are other men/sheep trying to climb the ob-stacles with Vincent, they will block you from moving on unless you hit them and knock them off.

The blocks underneath Vin-cent will also slowly fall apart until it reaches the current floor he’s on, making him fall to his death.

The controls are a little challenging.

In the nightmares, players have to push, pull and jump on blocks while avoiding any

sheep or monsters that may attack Vincent or block his path.

There are certain kinds of blocks that do strange and specific things, but there are also some special items that can be used to help you reach the goal faster. The main problem is that sometimes when players want Vincent to climb, he’ll push a block instead. Or if there’s a sheep in the way, Vincent may grab a block and end up getting attacked by the sheep.

Outside of the nightmares, players don’t do much.

Players control Vincent as he wanders around the bar, talks to people there, goes to the bathroom (sometimes to check picture messages from Catherine) and also as he plays a mini-game to practice climbing the nightmare obstacles.

Other than that, it is a great game with amazing graphics and animated cut scenes to help make the game feel like you’re watching a show. “Catherine” offers funny dia-logue, good music and sexy, dramatic situations.

My rating: BThis game is rated M

for Mature.

RenovationsFrom Page B4

Kevin Sohnly / IC

Enthusiastic Pride participants walking in the parade Saturday.

equal rights.The Toledo Pride Commit-

tee worked in close collabora-tion with Equality Toledo in the creation of the Pride event.

Their mission statement says, “Equality Toledo works for equality for all Ohioans regardless of their marital status, sexual orien-tation, gender identity or expression through educa-tion, anti-defamation ef-forts, and activism.”

Toledo Pride was a culmi-nation of efforts of many organizations and individu-als of the LGBTQA commu-nity created to inform, in-volve and entertain people in attendance.

However, there were some mixed responses at Prome-nade Park this weekend.

“I feel like the gay com-munity advertises this gay pride parade to only the gay community — where are all the straight people at,” said Derek Vandegrift, 22, who attended the event. “I know that there are a lot of straight people who support gay rights and they’re not here. It’s because they don’t know about Toledo Pride. It is the second year and they should have learned from the first.”

Paul Gallardo, 36, said al-though he had fun at Toledo Pride, other Pride events he attended, such as Columbus Pride, were bigger and “the whole city celebrated.”

“At this one, it was just a small area of the city and a short group of people,” Gal-lardo said. “It was much better in Columbus, and it could be a lot better here.”

PrideFrom Page B4

Page 10: Independent Collegian Issue 3

ArtsandLifeMonday, August 29, 2011BSection

www.independentcollegian.com Megan Aherne – EditorPageB4

A fresh start for the CPAFaculty and students impressed with aesthetic changes and structural expansions from renovation

Courtesy of Angela Riddel

The main hallway of the CPA before the renovations.Kevin Sohnly / IC

The main hallway of the CPA after renovations.

By Matt PriserIC Staff Writer

As students walk to and from classes the first week of the se-mester, they may have noticed the construction occurring behind the Center for Performing Arts.

The $2 million project began during the week of April 25, 2011 and continued through the summer.

During most of the renovation, the faculty moved their offices to

the Scott Park Campus Facility Annex and was moved back for the beginning of the semester.

As the project comes to a close, some are excited for the new ex-periences that will come from it.

Associate Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts Hol-ly Monsos is particularly thrilled with the speed of progress.

“They accomplished a massive amount of work in really quite a brief period. Jason Toth

[the contractor] did a great job at

keeping everything moving and

solving problems quickly as they

came up,” Monsos said.

The renovation has given space

to faculty, staff and students for

the departments of theatre, film

and music.

In the theatre department, re-

hearsal, classroom and perfor-

mance spaces were increased and

updated. In the past, students and

faculty had to give up teaching

space in order to store film and

video equipment.

“New digital labs for music,

film and theatre will greatly im-

prove our students’ ability to ac-

cess the computers and programs

they need to do their creative and

technical work,” Monsos said

The film labs used for produc-

tion work have been extended.

The computer lab is also now lo-

cated on the second floor.

“The film/video digital editing

lab is now big enough to accom-

modate a full size class; I’ll no

longer have to split the class into

two sections to demonstrate edit-

ing techniques,” said Holly Hey,

an assistant professor of film.

“This also means I’ll be able to

add an assignment or two to my

courses, thus increasing concep-

tual, creative, and technical

involvement.”

There are also new dressing

rooms, a green room, a student

lounge and new rehearsal rooms

with expanded space for work-

shops. A scene shop is located in a

new area of the building that was

constructed during the summer.

Toledo celebrates its Pride Toledo’s first—ever Pride parade paints the streets of downtown with rainbows Saturday afternoon

Kevin Sohnly / IC

Ally Zwayer, 21, and Marissa Crawford, 20, of Toledo showing their pride on a float in the parade.

Kevin Sohnly / IC

The Glass City Rollers roller derby team skating through the parade Saturday afternoon.

By Megan AherneIC Arts and Life Editor

The Glass City Rollers roller derby team, local businesses, performers and members of the community decorated themselves as well as the streets of Toledo for the sec-ond-annual Pride Festival this past weekend.

The festival celebrates the local lesbian, gay, transgen-der, questioning and allies (LGBTQA) community.

“Last year we had our first Toledo Pride at the Erie Street Market Downtown and rough-ly 2,500 participants attend-ed! This year, we hope to at least double that number and expect hundreds to be coming from many other surrounding cities,” said Lexi Staples, event director for Toledo Pride, in an announcement for the To-ledo Free Press.

OutSkirts Toledo in its new

location on Lewis Avenue, started things off with “Prom Before Pride” Friday at 8:30 p.m. This was a “dress-to-im-press” event and tons of free rainbow gear was given away for Saturday’s parade.

This year’s festival featured Toledo’s first Pride Parade on Saturday afternoon.

The parade began at 2 p.m. downtown on Washington Street and continued to Prom-enade Park where bands, ven-dors and information kiosks were waiting.

Floats and decorated cars paraded the streets throwing beads and candy to the audi-ence. Toledo City Councilman Steve Steel and entertainer Hershae Chocolatae served as grand marshals for the parade.

By 3 p.m. the crowd made its way to the event space at Promenade Park for the Com-

— Renovations, Page B3

Kevin Sohnly / IC

Pam McCray and Liz Stuart standing outside Promenade Park.

munity Connection Carnival. Local musician Kyle White

opened the festival where bands such as Spectrum, No Excuses, The Shiz, Dirty Damn Band, What’s Next, Arctic Clam, Bitch and Shelly Mc-Wulf performed successively until 10 p.m.

Following the performances, a Drag Extravaganza took place featuring local drag per-formers Felaciana Thunder-pussy, Amber Stone, Deja D. Dellataro, Sylvia Austin, Lon-don Neal and Makayla Sin-claire Styles.

Male impersonators the Bois with OutSkirts and Blayke Shooter performed as well as burlesque dancers The Underskirts.

The celebration continued at the Official Toledo Pride After Party at Bretz Bar on Adams Street featuring local drag perfor-mances and entertainment be-ginning at 1 a.m.

OutSkirts Bar also hosted the Toledo Pride Post-Party and Drag-A-Palooza which featured local bands and drag performers on Sunday.

My House Diner, located next door to the new OutSkirts, served food in the parking lot for the event as well.

Lexi Staples, co-owner of Out-Skirts Toledo, initiated the organi-zation of the city’s pride event last year. She attended multiple Pride events in various cities and was curious why Toledo lacked one.

Staples and seven other mem-bers of the Toledo Pride Commit-tee created these events to help in-crease awareness and support for

— Pride, Page B3