STUDENT VOICER I V E R F A L L S

www.uwrfvoice.com

U N I V E R S I T Y O F W I S C O N S I N

December 5, 2008 Volume 95, Issue 11

Eric Pringleeric.pringle@uwrf.edu

In a campus and nationwide effort, peoplewho pirate media over the Internet are beingtargeted by the FBI, the Recording IndustryAssociation of America (RIAA) and theMotion Picture Association of America(MPAA).

According to FredNet Senior SystemsAdministrator Paul Bladl, universities acrossthe country are being targeted, and students

caught illegally download-ing media at UW-RiverFalls face steep ramifica-tions.

“We [at UWRF] don’tactually seek out studentspirating music,” he said.“Whoever owns the mediadoes.”

Bladl explained thatorganizations that ownmedia send letters to the

University telling them which IP addresses areinvolved in pirating. An IP address is a unique“number” assigned to a certain computerattached to the campus network.

The University is then able to trace the IPaddresses back to the student associated withthem and warn them that what they are doingis illegal.

Bladl also noted that the first time a studentis caught pirating media, a warning letter issent to them. He estimates that about 30-40letters have been sent to UWRF students sofar this semester, which is “on the low end”compared to national figures.

The second time a student is caught they arestripped of on campus wired and wirelessInternet privileges for 30 days. The third timebeing caught means no wired or wirelessInternet access for the rest of their collegiatecareer at UWRF.

Previous to Bladl handling pirating on cam-pus, Computer Support Services Manager

Mary-Alice Muraski was in charge for a year.She said she sent out four letters to studentsduring that period, and noticed an increasingnumber of students downloading mediathrough their wireless Internet.

“When we’re notified by the RIAA andMPAA, they simply tell us that they havetracked down media that has been sharedusing our Internet,” she said. “They send us atimestamp of when it happened and the IPaddress it was downloaded using, and then welook up the IP address and see what studentand computer it is connected to.”

Muraski also said that the University is ableto track pirating through wireless Internet aswell because students must log in with theirFalcon account. Thus, officials know who ispirating media and when it is taking place.

A UWRF senior who wishes to remainanonymous said he received a letter from theRIAA regarding pirating music last spring.

“The letter was forwarded to me as aresponse to a letter the University receivedfrom the RIAA regarding a violation,” he saidin an e-mail interview. “It basically said thatmy IP address had been found to be down-loading music from some server.”

The student said he wanted to make it clearthat the letter he received was not just a warn-ing letter from the RIAA that the University’spolicy refers to, but was a letter sent to himfrom the RIAA.

“This letter was an actual notice that [a] pos-sible lawsuit could be initiated,” he said. “Soit is important to understand that the UWRFpolicy only refers to [a] ‘cease and desist’ let-ter from the RIAA, but my letter was not a‘cease and desist’ letter—it was much moreserious.”

Muraski said that the intent of theUniversity’s letters to students is to give themmore information on what could happen tothem, and that the University does not share

Media piracy causessevere consequencesfor UWRF students

Kelly Richisonkelly.richison@uwrf.edu

Two new police officers willbe hired on the UW-RiverFalls campus in early Januaryfollowing a formal interviewprocess.

Candidates considered forthe positions have filled outan application online andhave submitted résumés. TheUWRF human resourcesdepartment was responsiblefor pre-screening and compil-ing the list of candidates to beinterviewed.

A committee was formed tomake recommendations forthe final candidates that willbe hired. The committee iscomprised of a UWRF stu-dent, staff members and locallaw enforcement officials.

Sandra Scott-Duex, the

director of residence life atUWRF, headed the committeethat was formed to conductthe interviews.

“I believe they had to sub-mit a résumé or there was aquestionnaire they had to fillout,” she said. “The applica-tion process is the application,the initial screening interviewand then the final interviewwith Dick Trende.”

The interviews were sched-uled for Dec. 1 and Dec. 2with the actual hiring expect-ed to take place in the firstdays of January. The commit-tee screened each candidateand forwarded the names ofthe final recommended candi-dates to Public SafetyDirector Trende.

The names of the candidatesand the specific questions tobe used during the interviews

have been kept confidential.Trende said that there was a

minimum standard requiredof applicants and the processwas competitive.

“There is a minimum stan-dard established for hiringcandidates,” he said. “Theyhad to be licensed as policeofficers either they weregrandfathered by having beena police officer or they justobtained their license.”

Scott-Duex said that it wasimportant for the perspectivepolice officers to have anunderstanding of what itmeans to be a police officeron a college campus asopposed to a police depart-ment.

“We’re looking for individ-uals who understand what itmeans to be a police officeron a university campus, that’s

ideal,” she said.Trende said that he was

seeking candidates whowould work well on a campusand who exhibited the neces-sary leadership skills.

“They have to be somebodywho can work in a Universityenvironment. First and fore-most is they have to careabout the students, they haveto care about the faculty andstaff and they have a strongsense of ethic, that’s huge,”he said. “They’re setting anexample to the campus com-munity and the educationalinstitution is entitled to havethat quality of a candidatewhere you’re going to have aprofessional.”

Sgt. Janis Bock of the RiverFalls Police Department is a

UWRF to hire police officers in January

Tim Stanislavtimothy.stanislav@uwrf.edu

UW-River Falls is promoting anew software program called OracleCalendar to increase the number ofusers and improve the system forcurrent users.

The program will allow users toupload their schedule online so thatothers can quickly determine when

other users are available and whenthey have class.

The program serves as a personalcalendar and time managementapplication that allows individualsand groups to schedule meetings andorganize events, said Mary-AliceMuraski, computer support servicesmanager of information technologysystems.

According to Rebecca Vandenhoy,

a student in charge of Oracle usertraining, the program is very user-friendly and allows users quick,easy access to their calendar andmeeting setup.

“Users do not have to have to com-municate with each member verbal-ly or through e-mail but can easilysee if a user is busy or available,”she said.

The plan is to allow students to

request that their class schedule(which is on eSIS) get loaded intotheir calendar. One big advantage isin scheduling group or team meet-ings—if everyone loads their classand work schedule-selecting a timeor several times would be very easy,Muraski said.

If more students and staff uploadtheir school and work schedules, thesoftware becomes more effective.

“The goal is to have as many peo-ple using the software as possible,”Rachel Westlund, a junior involvedin marketing the project, said.

The University plans to incorpo-rate a variety of methods to marketthe calendar software. A table willbe setup in the University Center,posters will be placed around cam-

Sara Pitchersara.pitcher@uwrf.edu

A new design and organization of the Web site for UW-RiverFalls will be introduced in the spring semester of 2009.

The new UWRF Web site will be different in design, in theway it looks to its audience and how the site is organized, suchas the key words that are used and the information under eacharea. The navigation layout of the site, which allows for trav-el from page to page, will also change.

Kevin Bertelsen, director of the publications office, has beenworking to try to make the Web site more efficient for peopleto move around the site and find the information they aresearching for.

“How it is organized will become leaner and the navigationwill be more efficient for people to make it through the site,”Bertelsen said.

The project for a new Web site started a year ago whenUWRF hired an outside marketing firm called WoychickDesign. According to Bertelsen, their purpose is “to help

University to launchnewly designed Website next semester

Scholarship artsale underway

SNOW REMOVAL, PAGE 2Winter brings snowremoval concerns to

campus

HOCKEY, PAGE 6Former Alaskan

opponents reunitedas Falcon teammates

JOE HAGER, PAGE 5Recession-weary Santa Clause

to charge for presents this holiday season

Oracle Calendar software now available to students, staff

See Oracle page 3

See Web site page 3See Police officers page 3

See Pirating page 3

Sally King/Student VoiceThe Art Department's annual Scholarship Art Sale began Wednesday and will runthrough Dec. 10 in KFA’s Gallery 101. Glass, ceramics, painting, fibers, jewelry,printmaking, photography and mixed media are available for sale. Gallery hoursfor the sale are 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and 7 - 9 p.m.

Muraski

Editor's note: Information for this section is taken from the River Falls Police and UWRF Public Safety incident reports.

RIVER FALLS POLICE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Student Voice 2 NEWS December 5, 2008

VOICE SHORTS

Voice Shorts compiled byNatalie Conrad

UWRF hosts folk-inspired playThe UW-River Falls theater department will perform

"Telling Tales" at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 4 to 6 and 11 to 13 inthe Blanch Davis Theatre in Kleinpell Fine Arts building.The play, directed by Gorden Hedahl, is an original produc-tion developed by the cast based on traditional folk and fairytales from around the world. The cost is $8 for adults and $5for students.

NSSLHA hosts pancake breakfastThe National Student Speech Language Hearing

Association will be hosting a pancake breakfast fundraiserfrom 8 to 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the HudsonApplebees. Tickets are $6 per person. Tickets may be pur-chased in advance by contacting Taryn Culp attaryn.culp@uwrf.edu; tickets will also be sold at the door.Proceeds go towards the club.

Poinsettia sale in UCThe Horticulture Society will be selling poinsettias from 9

a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 10 to 11 in the University Center ,and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12, in the AgScience Building.

Blake Fry to lecture on torture ethicsSpecial Assistant to the Chancllor Blake Fry will present

a lecture on the ethics of torture at 4 p.m on Wednesday,Dec. 10, in the Kinni Theatre. The presentation will focuson the hundreds of refugees who have been victims of gov-ernment-sponsored torture that have fled to the Twin Cities.The event is sponsored by the Social Justice Series and theevent is free.

English seniors present original workThe English department will be hosting a senior reading

from 4 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11, in the LibraryBreezeway. UW-River Falls seniors will present their origi-nal work. Questions can be directed to Kelly Bryant atkelly.bryant@uwrf.edu or Jenny Brantley atjennifer.s.brantley@uwrf.edu. The event is free.

UWRF holds holiday concert The UW-River Falls music department will present "A

Holiday Extravaganza: Old Fashioned Memories," at 7:30p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11, in Abbott Concert Hall of theKleinpell Fine Arts building. Dr. Kristin Tjornehoj will con-duct the UWRF Symphony Band and the St. Croix ValleySymphony Orchestra.. Narrator Michael Norman will pro-vide readings of Charles Dickens, Garrison Keillor andmemories from historical diary entries from varioussources. The cost is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and $2 forstudents.

Sigma Alpha hosts taco feedSigma Alpha will sponsor an all-you-can eat taco feed

from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11, at the RiverFalls American Legion. All proceeds from the event will gotoward Sigma Alpha's Agriculture in the Classroom project.The cost is $7 for adults and $4 for children

Faculty handbook receives summer duties updateAdrianne Patterson

adrianne.patterson@uwrf.edu

UW-River Falls department chairs’ summer duties are nowexplained with more detail in Chapter II of the Faculty andAcademic Staff Handbook due to a motion passed by theFaculty Senate.

The previous editions of the Faculty and Academic StaffHandbook included the department chair’s summer duties assimply holding “responsibility for a departmental presence atfreshmen summer registration and maintaining a minimaloffice presence during the summer.”

The recent changes to the handbook will now include “typ-ical summer responsibilities - but may not be limited to assur-ing an appropriate departmental presence for new studentregistration, maintaining an office presence and being the pri-mary departmental contact in the event of an emergency.”

The small changes to Chapter II are significant because ofthe position department chairs hold at UWRF.

“I think it is a big issue. Department chairs plays such a bigrole in the academic field,” Kristen Hendrickson, budgetdirector and vice chancellor for administration and finance,said.

At the Faculty Senate meeting on Oct. 22, a motion fromthe Faculty Welfare Committee was passed that would intro-duce a more specific detailed description of the departmentchair’s roles beyond the school year. The ExecutiveCommittee sent the motion to Interim Chancellor ConnieFoster, which was accepted as a permanent alteration on Nov.17.

Hamid Tabesh, department chair of economics, comment-ed on the additional duties to the handbook.

“I am clear of what I am responsible for, basically a lot ofthings, but it’s good that they are making it clear what I amresponsible for,” Tabesh said.

The additional duties added to the handbook are part of along process that has altered and developed the recent role ofdepartment chair on campus.

“A couple years ago, as an administrator, department chairsneeded more compensation for their duties,” Hendricksonsaid. “Compensation and summer duties in the summer wereissues and, with an increase in the compensation, expecta-tions [of department chairs] were still unknown.”

With a well-earned increase in compensation and dutiesexplained in the handbook, mathematics Department ChairRobert Coffman said he is pleased.

“I do believe that this is a good description and I believethat I am compensated for these duties,” he said.

The recent responsibilities added to the handbook havealways been expected of the department chairs, but the dutiescan be seen, in writing, in the next Faculty and AcademicStaff Handbook to be printed this fall.

The recent changes do clarify the expected duties of theposition during the summer in a more specific manner, butthe handbook still lacks complete guidance.

“I think it helped it clarify and made it more explicit,”Douglas Johnson, the interim associate vice chancellor foracademic affairs and director of graduate studies, said. “Butit still is somewhat vague. Yet, it is difficult to write a list ofresponsibilities of specific duties over a wide spread ofdepartments. They did a good job accommodating.”

Department chair officials hold an important role on cam-pus. The additional summer duties now included in the hand-book are just a small portion of what the position entailsthroughout the year.

“I have to schedule classes for every semester, includingsummer semester. Summer advising is also part of my depart-ment duty. I am here to talk and answer questions about eco-nomics, classes and events such as the job fair,” Tabesh said.

With the long list of specific events and requirements, thecrucial role of a department chair is to lead their departmentin the right direction.

“I look into the future, looking for trends, and factors thatwill be important to the department and bring it to the atten-tion to teach,” Tabesh said. “Our role is to be proactive,instead of reactive.”

Snow brings myriad maintenance concernsNaomi Vogel

naomi.vogel@uwrf.edu

Snow arrives annually in Wisconsinand brings with it a technical problem:how best to remove it, and what areas toclear first. UW-River Falls has its ownGrounds Maintenance crew that hasfive full-time employees in snow andice control.

If an inch or more of snow is on theground, or whenever it gets icy, theUWRF snow and ice control team takeaction, Manny Kenney, assistant direc-tor of Grounds Maintenance, said.

The snow and ice control has a list ofpriorities for what areas they addressfirst: emergency vehicle access,main/east walks from residence hallsto the University Center, main entriesof academic buildings, parking lots,secondary walks, connecting routes anduniversity farms.

Kenney sent out this priority list to1,000 affected people, and only oneresponded with a concern. The concernwas about handicap safety, and Kenneyagreed this needed to be taken into con-sideration.

"Unanimously, people agreed that the

first priority was emergency vehicleaccess," Kenney said.

Students who live on campus are mostaffected by snow removal since they relyon the sidewalks to get them to theUniversity Center.

"The snow removal is decent. Not thebest that it could be, but decent. Theyremove the top layer of snow, but there isthe bottom layer that is icy and theyleave, until several students have fallen,"

junior theater major Ben Tatro said.History major Drew Buehler holds the

opposite opinion."The snow removal seems to be pretty

good. At least as long as I've been hereit's been good," he said.

The other people who are mostaffected by the snow removal wouldbe the faculty and UWRF employees,as they rely on the safety of the side-walks to get them to their daily jobs.

"On-campus is fine, but off-campuson the streets is another story," UWRFtheater costumer Denise Baker said.

There are 10 miles of sidewalks onthe UWRF campus.

"At times you may not be able totake a secondary walk, but there willbe a safe route from one end of cam-pus to the other. Please take the saferroute," Kenney said.

Another concern is whether or notstudents are dressing safely for winterwalking. High heels and sandals arenot safe. Many students have to wear

high heels for job interviews or speechesbut a suggestion would be to bring thehigh heels along in a backpack and wearthe winter boots while walking on thesnow and ice.

Sally King/Student VoiceA snow removal vehicle that employslarge spinning bristles is used to clearoff the sidewalks around campus.

www.uwrf.edu/wrfw

Late assignments a growing occurrence on campusAndy Phelps

andrew.phelps@uwrf.edu

As the temperature steadily drops and theend of the semester draws near, teachers andstudents alike have noticed an increase inworkload and academic pressures that has ledto an increase in students turning in lateassignments or even failing to completehomework altogether.

Professors at UW-River Falls offered a widerange of opinions regarding the recent trend.

“Yes, definitely,” English professor MichelleParkinson said when asked whether this hasaffected her classes. “Everyone gets tired atthe end of the semester, including me. Thatmeans that students are more likely to findthemselves in trouble because they are oftenmissing class as well.”

Each instructor has a different policy foraccepting late work, some more tolerant thanothers.

“My policy is clear, but lenient,” Parkinsonsaid. “I offer a 24-hour grace period and a

one-week extension that students can useonce. Most students are good about turningthings in on time.”

Another professor in the English departmentwho wished to be unnamed said that her zero-tolerance policy for late work is an extremelyeffective way to discourage students fromsubmitting tardy assignments. She stressedthat in the real world, being irresponsible cancost people their jobs, instead of just a grade.

Economics professor Pascal Ngoboka saidhe also stresses the importance of turninghomework in on time to his students. He saidthat communication between students andteachers is key.

“I have a no late assignment policy. I spend10 minutes the first day of class emphasizingthis and making it clear. An assignment hereor there can make a big difference,” he said. Senior Adam Kells has said he has noticed thedifference in policies between teachers.

“It is easier to turn in late work with someprofessors more than others, but as a whole Ithink that most don’t tolerate late work and

there are consequences,” he said. Another student, who wished to remain

anonymous, said that he has repeatedly gottenaway with turning in work late or not at all hisentire college career. Although he maintains aGPA of over 3.0, he said that on the occasionthat he does attend class, he often either sleepsor leaves early.

“I think I’ve been to the Library Bar morethan the actual library, and I’ve only been tothe Library Bar a few times,” said the fourth-year student, who will graduate in the spring.“In four years, I’ve probably spent less than50 hours total doing homework and studying.”

International students at UWRF sharedunique thoughts about schoolwork and classattendance, which can be attributed to the dif-ference in academic policy between the uni-versities in their home countries and those ofUWRF.

Miho Kondo, a Japanese exchange student,said that her professors at UWRF wereextremely lenient compared to the strictguidelines in Japanese schools.

“They are too kind,” she said. “For example,in America, many people are good at negotiat-ing due dates. But in Japan, if a teacher sets adate, it does not change.”

Kondo added that she has never turned inlate work, and has missed only three or fourclasses in her college career.

Veeko Chen, an exchange student fromTaipei, Taiwan, has a similarly strong workethic.

“I always turn in homework on time,” shesaid. “I have not skipped once yet this year.”She added that in Taiwan, there is some roomfor students to discuss grades and late workwith their teachers.

While students go about their work in differ-ent manners, Parkinson stresses the impor-tance of punctuality and offered an encourag-ing message as papers and assignments pileup.

“We’re all in this together,” Parkinson said.“Let’s try to negotiate and be fair.”

November 14- Blaze H. Swift, 19, was cited $249 forunderage consumption at Stratton Hall. - John C. Seitz, 19, was cited $249 for under-age consumption at Stratton Hall. - Thomas M. Harm, 20, was cited $249 forunderage consumption at Stratton Hall.

November 16- Ninety rolls of toilet paper were discoveredmissing from the custodial closet at theRamer Field toilet facility. There are no sus-

pects at this time. - Shawn D. Overton was cited for disorderlyconduct.

November 17- Zachary P. Steeno was cited for retail theft.

November 20- Rodney I. Sanders, 19, was arrested andcited for possession of marijuana and under-age possession of alcohol.

- Nicholas P. Vignalo and Timothy B. Librawere cited for retail theft. Libra was alsocited for underage consumption-secondoffense.

November 21- Brian J. McDowell, 19, and Christopher M.Mueller, 18, were arrested and cited for pos-session of marijuana and underage posses-sion of alcohol. McDowell was also cited forintent to deliver.

- Kristin E. Schamaun was cited for operat-ing a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

Novermber 23- Three jackets collectively valued at $550were stolen from a N. Main St. residenceduring a party. There are no suspects.

November 24- Matthew C. Botz, 20, was arrested andcited for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Student Voice 3NEWSDecember 5, 2008

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develop a whole new brandfor the University.” They arealso assisting in the design ofheavily visited pages, such asthe home page.

Woychick Design will helpthe UWRF campus “find away to tell its story in a clearand compelling way,” DanWoychick, principle and cre-ative director of WoychickDesign, said.

Based on reflections, thenew Web site will bring sto-ries about what it is like to bea student at UWRF and willshowcase experience thatincludes narratives of studentand alumni life.

“We’re trying to distinguishourselves from other universi-ties and tell our story aboutwho we are,” Campus WebCoordinator Michael Woolseysaid.

The new Web site is due foran update and marketing forthe new site started two tothree years ago. According toBertelsen, in order for a Website to grow and attract a newaudience it needs to be recon-

ditioned from time to time.“There is a sense that the

University needs to focus itsself and its messaging to itsvarious publics,” Bertelsensaid. “It’s important to makethings accessible to the publicin a competitive environ-ment.”

According to BenjaminKlinkner, a UWRF studentmajoring in animal science,he uses the e-mail and Desireto Learn on the UWRF Website everyday and the eSISand Library link occasionally.

“It doesn’t surprise me thatthere revamping a new Website,” Klinkner said.

Research was conducted forsix months before arrangingthe new layout of the Website. Members of WoychickDesign asked participants inthe study how they wouldorganize the UWRF Web site.In the past it had always beenwhat the staff of theUniversity speculated thepublic wanted to see on thesite.

“They need to balance it outfor those people not on cam-pus,” Woychick said.

The study asked current andperspective students, facultyand alumni what they wantthe University’s Web site toprovide. The study collectedinformation by using anonline survey and focusgroups. According toWoolsey, 300 out of 40,000alumni were included in therandom sampling.

Alyssa Eder, a UWRF stu-dent majoring in social worksaid the current Web site isnot efficient for the items thatstudents use the most.

“I don’t like how you haveto scroll down to be able tocheck e-mail, it should be atthe top of the Web site,” shesaid. “Most people use thesite for e-mail.”

The surveying was done atthe University Center and wasconducted by eight students.Many of the studentsinvolved in the study werefreshmen and did not haveexperience getting informa-tion from the site. A site mapwas produced that shows amap of what the Web site willlook like and how things willbe grouped together.

Woychick said the Web siteis a communication tool and“allows publications to helpget its message out to its audi-ence.”The new Web site will include50 directories that hold webcontent compared to the 500directories that currently has.Student organization pages,which consist of at least 100folders, will be eliminatedfrom the new site. It wasdecided based on the fact thatthese organizations come andgo and the pages become out-dated, old and not properlytaken care of. They have alsofound that many organiza-tions have been using othersources, such as Facebookand MySpace, to get outinformation about theirorganization. Having a sitemap that only holds 50 direc-tories will limit the resultsthat are relevant.

“Search ability should bemore accurate for users of thesite,” Woolsey said.

The new site will be rolledout in sections during thespring semester.

Web site: Student organization pages to be eliminated from new sitefrom page 1

any information with the RIAA orMPAA unless they are requested tothrough a subpoena.

“Our letter informs and educates as towhat you should be doing to educateyourself on this issue,” she said. “Thereare many resources here on campus tohelp, including FredNet which will talkto students if they have any questions onfile sharing.”

In the case of the UWRF senior, he saidhe thought he would be warned beforemore severe action was taken.

“An individual may not be warnedbefore more serious action is takenagainst them,” he said. “After receivingthe letter and speaking with a person on

campus, I researched the RIAA Web siteand found out that this letter was, inessence, a settlement letter.”

The student ended up settling with theRIAA out of court for “a considerableamount of money.” He said he no longerbelieves in pirating media, and that“downloading music is not worth havingto pay a fine.”

According to the RIAA Web site,“global music piracy causes $12.5 bil-lion of economic losses every year,71,060 U.S. lost jobs, a loss of $2.7 bil-lion in worker’s earnings and a loss of$442 million in tax revenues.”

The organization’s Web site also statesthat the goal of the RIAA’s anti-piracyefforts is to “protect the ability of therecording industry to invest in new

bands and new music and, in the digitalspace, to give legal online services achance to flourish.”

Muraski said that there are smarter,more ethical ways to obtain music andmovies.

“iTunes is far cheaper than the severalthousand dollar fines students can face ifthey get caught,” Muraski said.

Bladl said he agreed and said there areother campus resources that can help ridcomputers of piracy software.

“My advice would be to just not ille-gally download or share media,” he said.“iTunes, Amazon.com and MySpace aregood alternatives. And for students liv-ing on campus, FredNet can help set upcomputers and eliminate file sharingsoftware for free.”

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Pirating: Legal alternatives to file sharing include iTunes, Amazon.comfrom page 1

member of the interview committee. She said that during theinterview process, a panel of six interviewers asked eachapplicant a series of 19 questions.

Bock said that the UWRF campus will benefit from the for-mation of an eventual police force and that the faculty and stu-dents on campus will receive a higher quality of service as aresult and that establishing a police force on campus wouldenable the University to deal with its own security and safetyissues.

“The University will have more of an opportunity to beproactive,” Bock said.

Trende said that a campus police force would make tools andresources available that would help the public safety depart-ment, to be renamed University police and parking followingthe new hires, address the safety issues of the people on cam-pus.

“If there is somebody that maybe is following you or some-thing like that, a security officer can try and protect you, butthey don’t have the authority to say ‘stop’ and have that personstay, whereas a police officer does have that authority,” Trendesaid. “We’re able to act on that ability to provide a safer envi-ronment in comparison to what we can currently.”

Police officers: Transitionfrom public safety unit to policeforce to begin next semester

from page 1

pus and there will be screensavers on the University comput-ers to inform students of the new software.

There will be Web sites created and workshops available thelast two weeks of the semester to further inform students,Vandenhoy said.

According to Muraski, the software was originally purchasedwith a maintenance fee by the University in 2003 and wasupgraded this year.

UWRF student Timothy Richert said he questions theUniversity’s motives.

“I think it’s not valuable, it’s dangerous and it makes mewonder why the administration pushed so hard for a programthat records and displays the whereabouts of students,” hesaid.

Muraski said the software can be accessed through a varietyof methods. On campus students can use the program by log-ging in with their UWRF student identification number. Staffcan use the Web interface and have access to Oracle via adesktop application as well.

Oracle: Software purchasedin 2003, upgraded this year

from page 1

Good luck with your finals!~the Student Voice staff

VIEWPOINTS December 5, 2008Student Voice 4

Read the Student Voice online atwww.uwrfvoice.com

The Student Voice is a student-writ-ten and managed newspaper for UW-River Falls, and is published Thurs-days during the regular school year.All editorial content in the Student

Voice is determined by the newspaper’sEditorial Board. The opinionsexpressed in editorials and columns donot represent those of the newspaper’sadvisor, student population, adminis-tration, faculty or staff.Letters to the editor must be 300

words or less, and include a first andlast name and phone number. They canbe submitted at 304 North Hall or toeditor@uwrfvoice.com.The Student Voice reserves the right

to edit any material for content, libel orspace. It also reserves the right to with-hold letters.All letters, news releases, briefs, dis-

play ads and classified ads must also besubmitted no later than Wednesday atnoon.

Single copies of the Student Voice are free. Printing is paid forthrough student fees.

Editorials represent the opinion of the Student VoiceEditorial Board and are prepared by the editorial staff.

STUDENT VOICEUNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN RIVER FALLS

EDITORIAL

Editor Phillip BockAssistant Editor Ben Brewster

Front Page Editor Eric PringleNews Editor Ken WeigendViewpoints Editor Abby MaliszewskiSports Editor Alayne HockmanEtcetra Editor Jenna Nelson

Chief Photographer Sally KingStaff Photographers Sarah Schneider

Jonathan Lyksett

Assistant Sports Editor Joe EngelhardtAssistant News Editor Natalie Conrad

Cartoonist Emily EckChief Copy Editor Andrew Phelps

Proofreader Aaron Billingsley

General Manager Kirsten BlakeAd manager Megan Leoni

Circulation Manager Nathan HoweOnline Manager Cristy Brusoe

Faculty Advisor Andris Straumanis

As people drive into River Falls they pass byone of two signs, each proudly displaying theclaim that River Falls is an inclusive campus andpart of a diverse and inclusive community. But asstudents getting an education for the real worldhere at UW-River Falls, are we really becomingeducated to understand diversity and what it takesto be inclusive?

One class that focuses on the core concepts ofinclusivity is JOUR 315, “Race, Class & News.”The course, taught exclusively by journalism pro-fessor Sandy Ellis, takes a broad look at the wayrace and class are viewed and dealt with inAmerican society. The course focuses first on classand how Americans are taught to ignore the grow-ing division between the haves and have-nots.Issues ranging from the shrinking middle-class tothe minimum-wage trap, the idea that peopleworking minimum wage do not make enough toescape their poverty level, are discussed.

The second half of the semester turns towardsrace and how minorities must struggle every dayin the face of meritocracy and white privilege. Theidea that whites are unintentionally ignorant aboutthe advantages they receive is a main focus.

By the end of the semester, students are intendedto have achieved a better understanding of how thelower class and minorities must struggle day afterday in a rip-tide of inequality.

The class is currently directed towards the prac-tice of reporting race and class in the field of jour-nalism, and discusses serious, yet misunderstoodand underrepresented, issues relevant to every per-son regardless of status and ethnicity. UWRF, aUniversity dedicated to providing a rounded worldview to its students, needs to adapt this course intoa general elective; an elective mandatory for everystudent, regardless of major.

We have signs about being diverse, but what arewe doing to promote it and teach students whatdiversity actually encompasses? Unfortunately,some of the global perspectives and diversityclasses that fill this requirement fail to expose theugliness of racism that Journalism 315 depicts.

Ellis’ syllabus is a great template to work off of,a wrecking ball that knocks down the walls ofignorance. It is a class that forces students toexamine themselves, remolds the lenses they seethe world through and enhances their global per-spective.

Diversity courseaffects perspectives

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Student flees frompotential violence

I don't think the column’sauthor of "Students ridiculedfor weekend departure"thought up this response:What about avoiding vio-lence on campus?

In the same paper, I readabout how some one gotarrested for battery and pos-session of brass knuckles.That just makes me want tostay on campus with thepending threat of being beat-en to death by brass knuck-les.

I would much rather goback to my lovely home townof Woodbury or to my ubersafe apartment inMinneapolis than stay oncampus with something thatscary around the bend.

Needless to say, outside of

that little scary, if notthrilling, part of River Falls,for those of us who weren'tso lucky as to find our BFFsat college, River Falls mightas well be a dead, zero funzone.

Amy Lippert,student

Freshman low-blows uncalled for

I have a question for you,Brad Brookins. You say youhave great friends and that iswhy you stay on campus.Well, good for you. But whathappens when you graduate(let’s be generous here) intwo years and find yourselfalone because your friendshave also? What are youroptions?

You can follow your

friends, make new ones, gooff alone, or possibly go backhome. Now why would fol-lowing your friends be moreacceptable than going hometo your family?

If you want to go to aschool where people stay oncampus on the weekends youshouldn’t have chosen acommuter college.

And when you speak of theflashing lights in front ofCrabtree and McMillan, all Ihave to say is those peoplegoing home are probablyfreshmen, and they probablymiss home, and they proba-bly don’t value the samethings as you and this makesthem scum, right?

I get it, as the most self-pro-fessed social person on cam-pus you think you haveauthority over those thatDON’T rely on their friendsto rule every aspect of their

life. You are a soon-to-be senior,

so low-blows at freshman arepretty easy to deliver. Goodfor you, Brad. And whileyou’re at it, why don’t youtoss a couple kicks at thosepesky squirrels on campus?Or here’s a thought, com-plain about something elseunoriginal and overblownsuch as the parking issue, orlack of night-time activitiesin River Falls (even thoughthe Twin Cities are 20 min-utes away).

Please Brad, may I visit myboyfriend in Eau Claire thisweekend? Or should I invitehim over to campus andthrow back a couple warm,flat beers in a dingy base-ment with a bunch ofstrangers?

Lacy Lukaszewicz,student

By suffering through hard times welearn new strategies for

life.Embrace a healthy OK’ness withsuffering. Suffering is the only toolthat leads to acceptance of reality.

People who avoid reality by runningfrom their hard timeshave a tendency topresent themselves asbetter than the rest ofus, they tend towardsblaming others for theirown mistakes and theyalso become self-involved narcissistswho don’t mind hurt-ing other people toprotect their very shallow and frailsense of who they are.

People who do not allow themselvesto suffer are inefficient. They neverthrive in life, only just survive,because their energy is spent protect-ing themselves from feeling shame orvulnerability.

Their thoughts are not based in reali-ty and so they frequently overestimatetheir own abilities, and when they fail,blame others or the system for theirshortcomings.

The wisest people have allowedthemselves to sufferthrough the hardest oftimes. The lessonsthey have acceptedthrough suffering havehelped them to adaptand thrive in theirpresent reality.

Their new accept-ance leads to a lifebased in reality, a

healthy sense of being present andbelonging to ones experiences.Realistic hope allows us to predict ourfuture success all the while preparingfor the inevitable setbacks of life.

The challenge to people reading thisis simple. Don’t run from suffering orpain, go through it. Don’t be a perfec-

tionist. Your performances in life areonly based on your best efforts at anygiven moment, and the results of yourperformances often change, so theycan never be an accurate reflection ofyour static and whole self.

Your static and whole self are judgedonly by whether you can honestly saythat you really like who you are at anygiven moment. The end result ofaccepting and liking yourself is ahappy and good life.

Perfection is a fool’s pastime. Takecalculated chances. Allow and learnfrom mistakes. Keep moving forward.Don’t avoid pain and suffering by tak-ing part in avoidant or addictivebehaviors. Do seek support to processpain and suffering. You have every-thing to learn from it in the end.

Mark is a licensed Psychologist experienced in indi-vidual and group counseling, specializing in treatingadjustment, depression, and anxiety issues. Mark'sfocus is on helping people develop and find balancebetween their sense of belonging, independence,mastery, and generosity.

MarkHuttemier

Suffering teaches acceptance of reality

Student input necessary for University successMany students have

qualms with the wayin which the Universityoperates. Many disagreewith certain regulations,expenditures, and decisionspassed, and believe that theUniversity has been ignoringor avoiding students’ opin-ions on decisive matters.

All too often decisions thataffect students here aremade without their consent,their input and sometimeswithout even their knowl-edge. Some matters thatwould have a significantimpact on student life areopen to student input inforums and meetings, butthese are often announced (if

at all) in close proximity totheir scheduled date and aregrossly under-advertised.

In asking around, I havefound students who areunaware of where theywould go to speak for oragainst decisions in whichthey have a voice. TheUniversity has a responsibil-ity to not only inform stu-dents of potential policy andbudgetary decisions andallow them an appropriateopportunity in which toprotest or advocate for it.

If more students wereaware of what exactly theirmoney is being spent on,they might be more likely toraise issue.

Chapters 17 and 18 of theUniversity of WisconsinSystem AdministrativeCode, cur-rently ahighly con-tested itemamong manyUWRF stu-dents, wouldsubject a stu-dent toUniversityprosecutionshould they violate state andfederal laws both on and offcampus property.Essentially, the Universitymay punish you for lawsyou break that are notUniversity-related. Part of

this hotly contested docu-ment effectively removes astudent’s right to have a

lawyer presentto speak ontheir behalf.

If thethought on thepotentialenactment ofsuch a regula-tion upsetsyou, and youwish to fight

against it, many students andselect student organizationsfeels the same way. Iencourage you to getinvolved and inform theappropriate people of youropinions and thoughts.

KatieHeimer

Student Voice 5VIEWPOINTSDecember 5, 2008

voicesSTUDENT

“Drive around to see all my relatives.”

Kelsey Anderson,junior

“Big ham dinner for Christmas with just the immediate family.”

Michael Ugan,junior

Melissa Uline,senior

Student Voices compiled by Sarah Schneider.

Sam Powell,sophomore

”For Christmas eve, go to grandma’shouse and exchange gifts among the

exteded family.”

“Going to a christmas movie.”

What are your holiday traditions?

Joseph Moore,senior“Fight, drink, pass out, open gifts and have extended family over for dinner.”

Christmas season becomes overwhelmingChristmas is coming, although our

looming assignment deadlinesand final exams can make it seemmuch farther away than it really is.I’ll spend some time with my family,watch my brother and cousins opentheir gifts, and proba-bly watch a fewChristmas specials onTV.

Like most of us, Istill look forward to,and participate in, theholiday. But I observeit mainly because Ienjoy giving andreceiving presents,and because of what it stands for: pos-itive feelings, cooperation andrenewed appreciation of family andfriends.

But there are some things about theseason that are not so exciting, thingsI could personally do without.

You may be wondering why I wrotea column about Christmas this week,instead of next week. There are tworeasons for that: one, because no othertopic occurred to my exhausted brain;and two, to illustrate that almosteverything about Christmas seems tostart too early these days. It drives menuts.

Department stores are stocking theirholiday merchandise as early asHalloween, trying to sell as much of itas possible by Christmas Day (almosttwo months later). That’s good forthem, but not so goodfor consumers like mewho are alreadyannoyed with the ram-pant commercialismin this country.

And what about thekind of merchandise the stores areselling? Fake trees, fake wreaths, fakesnowmen, Christmas lights, elaborateyard displays, way too much candy

and company logos and mascots onornaments. Stuff that many of us donot want and none of us need.

And don’t forget the Christmassongs on the store speakers and allover the radio. You can’t escape them.

These were goodsongs that actuallyhad meaning at thetime they were writ-ten, but have beendriven into our headsso much over theyears that now it’shard to pay attention.

And all of this com-bines—the shilling,

the artifice, the visu-al and aural repeti-tion—into a monot-onous blur that dis-tracts us fromwhat’s really impor-tant about the holi-day. The result isthat a lot of peopleare sick and tired ofChristmas before iteven comes. It’s atrend that seems tobe getting worse,not better.

So what is really important aboutDec. 25? We all know that one: it’sallegedly the birthday of Jesus Christthe Savior, the Son of God, born in amanger to Joseph and Mary, etc.Having attended a Catholic school in

my youth, I becameall too familiar withthe story. But truth betold, that’s anotherpart of Christmas thatbothers me.

For one thing, itprobably was not his actual birthday.Early Christians supposedly chosethat date because it coincided with a“Pagan” holiday celebrated by the

Romans. We have some archaeologi-cal evidence that a man called Jesuslived and died in the Middle East along time ago, but beyond that it’smostly speculation and faith.

Because so little concrete informa-tion exists to validate Christmas in thefirst place, I have to question whetherhe really was the Son of God, how agod could have a human child,whether God exists in the first placeand so on. And because the Bible israrely cited as a valid historical sourceexcept by those who have alreadychosen to believe what it says, thatdoesn’t help me very much either. ButI won’t go too far into that business. I

refer to myself as ajournalism major anda “perpetual miscre-ant,” so that givesyou a clear enoughidea of my position.

Despite all thisannoyance anduncertainty, though, Ican still say thatChristmas means alot to me.Corporations mayobsessively milk it

for all it’s worth, and it may havebeen based on a creed I no longeridentify with. But I can appreciate thecompany of my family, the food, thegifts and the fact that this holiday stillpositively affects us in 2008.

But whether you appreciate every-thing, something, or nothing aboutChristmas—or don’t celebrate it atall—I send you good vibes and wishyou (in advance) a very merry End ofFinals Week. The knowledge thatanother semester of school is finallyover can make the eggnog taste a littlesweeter.

Nathan is a journalism major, free thinker and per-

petual miscreant.

NathanSparks

Each year, a generous, portly figure fromup north voyages southward and, within

the time constraints of Christmas Eve, deliv-ers presents to all the deserving boys andgirls of the world.

This altruistic philanthro-pists name is Santa Claus,and he stands as a shiningbeacon of selflessness andgenerosity in a violent worldruled by greed and egotism.Indeed, Santa rewards kind-ness and excellent behaviorwith this annual act of chari-ty.

But this year, Santa may find himself in athorny position. The recent stock marketcrash—one of the biggest in the history ofour nation—has undoubtedly put Santa’smassive manufacturing operation on thetightest budget in years.

Unfortunately for St. Nick, Santa’s profi-cient force of diminutive subordinates—theelves—have slowly become aware of theirindentured status and have recently begundemanding more than just candy canes and

gingerbread cookies as payment for theirperennial service.

You see, the economy doesn’t affect justhuman beings—elves, or whatever species

they actually are, have fami-lies to support and gas to buylike the rest of us. Sugaryholiday treats will no longercut it and Santa had betterrealize it quickly and intro-duce some kind of profit-sharing or pension plan tothe North Pole before hispint-sized production crewwalks out.

I suppose profit-sharing wouldn’t work—Santa doesn’t even make a profit besides afew crummy cookies, some lukewarm milkand the feelings of fulfillment that come tohim naturally as the world’s jolliest humani-tarian. Oh, if only we could all work for sucha wage.

But if we’ve learned anything in 2008, it’sthat a drastic change might be necessary tosolve these complex economic problems. Isuggest to Santa that he may want to think

about charging for presents this year.I know it sounds a little harsh, but have

you seen the numbers on kids’ allowancesthese days? While the rest of us working,stressed-out adults are scrounging and savingevery penny, snot-stained,candy-smeared 12 year oldsfrom across the country areseeing their earnings rise andrise continually.

It’s similar to the gapbetween rich and poor—weseem to be getting poorerwhile our damn kids are find-ing themselves needing big-ger piggy banks.

Santa, it’s all right to skim alittle off these kids, isn’t it?Perhaps this year, St. Nickshould send out a form letterto every child on earth, lettingthem know that some cold,hard cash is expected inreturn for that hot Fisher-Price digital cameraor that Giddyup N’ Go Pony (now withsnorting and galloping sound effects!). By

the way, what happened to regular-assLegos?

I say 20 bucks. Twenty bucks from everykid on earth should ease Santa’s budgetarypressures and should also provide a nice

reward for those elves, whohave been slaving away forour portly hero since thedawn of time. This will alsoteach our children thatthings are not free.Sometimes to get somethinggood, you’ve got to sacrificea little, and far too few peo-ple know how to do that.Myself included.

Kids: start saving. Andput an ice cube in the milkthis year, Santa knows thatcrusty, tepid stuff isn’t near-ly refreshing enough towash down your mother’sterrible cookies.

Merry Christmas!

Joe is a marketing communications major with a creative

writing minor.

JoeHager

Welcome back, ladies and gentleman. I was reading thelatest issue of The Student Voice and I came across a

very interesting letter to the editor. Actually, if I recall correctly, it was the only letter to the

editor. Anyhoo ... So there I was, lounging in my apartment listening to the

sweet sounds of Tommy Emmanuel’s “Guitar Boogie” whenI read this letter adverting attention to the notorious PublicSafety reports section of The Student Voice.

I’ll admit right this second that when I amnot featured in this paper, I always motiondirectly for these often monotonous studentdisciplinary write-ups.

So our friend wrote to the editor complain-ing about how brash we are in reporting ourfellow students. Agreed, sir, agreed. Weshould not judge each other behind the maskof this mass media.

I feel that first offenses should be complete-ly omitted from the paper because, c’mon,everyone deserves a second chance, or every-one makes mistakes, or everyone has the rightto be a complete idiot every once in a while.Give ‘em a break!

It happens, I understand, you just had to runthat red light, or you just had to reach for the glove compart-ment for your insurance card only to have your entire drugparaphernalia collection spill out in plain sight of the arrest-ing officer’s seven foot Maglite.

If I were to write a letter to the editor right now, it wouldread like this:

Dear Student Voice,I appreciate your concern for the student population’s well

being, and for giving me a very easy method to strike con-

versation with girls in passing under all circumstances, butgive the first offenses a break, please. Sincerely, Brad Brookins

Now that we have that taken care of, let’smove on to bigger and better things: Thesecond offenders. What’s up with that? Thirdoffenses? FOURTH OFFENSE drinking

tickets in the dorms? That’sunbelievable.

Last year I read about aseventeen year old inCrabtree Hall who was cited a third drinkingticket. Are you kidding me? Since he wasonly seventeen and legally not considered anadult, I’ll leave him outta this. It’s the fourthand fifth offenders I want a crack at.

I’m sorry, but it’s time to take a stand.Freshmen who come into the dorms andstrike up a tally with Public Safety obviouslyare not in it out of stupidity. They’re proud ofit, so it’s time to break thepride.

I’m happy to report that Ihave not received a single request to leavecampus, so I’m retiring my title asCommander and Chief of all Off-CampusTravel. This week I’m instating myself asPublic Humiliation Master Gunnery Sergeant.Anyone who’s charged with a second offenseof anything will become my personal butler.

For example: should you find yourself at the ass end of afailed underage breathalyzer test anywhere on campus, youcan rest assured there will be a personally handwritten letter

under your door the following morning. You’ll be required toreport to my place of residence at the mere snap of my fin-

gers.For one week you will perform measly

duties for me, such as cleaning my room,driving me around town at your expense andeven writing my columns for the voice.

I’ll save my particular favorite task for theweak, stubborn and especially proud group ofmultiple offenders—and for this I’ll need twopeople. I’ll need one offender as my salter,and one for my pepperer.

At the snap of my fingers you both mustsalt and pepper whatever’s on my plate. I’m a picky eater, soif you think of yourself as a potential candidate for the PublicSafety section of the paper, it would be best for you to prac-tice your salting and peppering.

Truth be told, I don’t even like pepper, but I’ll still needyou to pepper my meal, so you better find a way to mask thetaste.

Some of you might be wondering, “but Brad, what haveyou got to threaten us with?” Should you not show up for

roll call the immediate morning after yoursecond drinking ticket, there’ll be hell to pay.I’ll write the Public Safety report sectionmyself with gratuitous detail of each andevery offender; mostly the description of thecrime, what was said, how it was said, inwhat tone of voice things were said, sidecomments made by bystanders and passer-by’s, details of the location of the crime, and,

of course, a list of the offenders relatives and their contactinformation. I can’t wait.

Brad is a senior double majoring in digital film & television and creative writing.

Brad Brookins

Economy’s recession may hinder Santa’s gift giving

Second offenders to be met with punishment of servitude

“Make Christmas cookies, we deorate thetree and the house, and we always have

Italian food.”

Courtney Miller,freshman

... the shilling, the artifice, the visual

and aural repetition— [is combined] into a monotonous blur

that distracts us from what’s really important about

the holiday.

... almost everythingabout Christmasseems to start tooearly these days.

Sugary holidaytreats will no longercut it and Santa had

better realizeit quickly and

introduce some kindof profit-sharing orpension plan to theNorth Pole before

his pint-sized production crew

walks out.

Freshmen whocome into the

dorms and strikeup a tally withPublic Safety

obviously are not init out of stupidity.

They’re proud of it,so it’s time to break

that pride.This week I’m

instating myself asPublic Humiliation

Master GunnerySergeant.

Student Voice 6 SPORTS December 5, 2008

Basketball teams jump into new season

Paul Stantonpaul.stanton@uwrf.edu

After finishing 8-18 last season, the UW-River Falls women’s basketball team looks forits talented young players and a new sense ofattitude to help them become contenders in the2008-09 WIAC.

Already off to a fast start, the Falcons arecurrently 4-1 with wins against NorthwesternCollege, North Central College, St. Mary’sand Grinnell. Their sole loss came at the handsof Judson University, where the Falcons lost aclose game 53-49.

With the 4-1 start to the season, head coachCindy Hovet said she is excited for her team.

“Obviously I’m happy that we’re off to agood start. We’ve been playing hard and com-peting in practice and in games. Having com-petitive sharp practices is the key to playingcompetitive sharp games,” Hovet said.

On Nov. 9, the Falcons kicked off the 2008-09 season as they traveled to the Kohl Centerin Madison, Wis. where they played theWisconsin Badgers in an exhibition game.

Though the Badgers were able to handle theFalcons easily, the team was able to walkaway with a helpful learning experience.

In his third year as play-by-play voice forFalcon women’s basketball, Steven Linzmeiersaid he believes the Falcons will be able toturn a blowout loss into a positive.

“Madison was a great opportunity for theteam. They got a chance to see their weak-nesses exploited by a much better team,”Linzmeier said.

“Also to play in arena as beautiful as that,with Barry Alvarez sitting courtside, it was a

lot of fun.”The Falcons come into the season losing

three of their top scorers from a year ago, butwith young, talented freshmen coming intothe Falcons system, Linzmeier said hebelieves the Falcons will be much improvedfrom a year ago.

“Taylor House and Tiffany Gregorich aretwo freshmen that are extremely fun to watchand I think they will have great careers asFalcons,” he said.

The Falcons were able to claim two impres-sive victories in front of their home crowdover Thanksgiving break.

On Nov. 25 the Falcons defeated St. Mary’s67-49. Sophomore guard Tess Lardie’s 18points and six rebounds paved the way for theFalcons 18-point victory.

Following up the St. Mary’s win, theFalcons played host to Grinnell College thispast Saturday. With tough defense and hotshooting, the Falcons were able to beatGrinnell 97-37. Gregorich led all scorers witha career high of 24 points.

With five more games before winter breakand conference play right around the corner,coach Hovet expects the competition to pickup.

“We are just now getting into a tougher partof our schedule, so the next five games beforeChristmas will be much tougher than the lastfive have been,” she said. “Also, UW-Whitewater is ranked No. 1 in the nation rightnow, and we always have a number of teamsthat break into the top 25. Our conference istough every game.”

The Falcons begin conference play at homeagainst UW-Oshkosh on Dec. 6.

Justin Magilljustin.magill@uwrf.edu

If UW-River Falls freshman goalie, Melissa Deardorff,drove from her hometown of Anchorage, Alaska, it wouldtake her more than two days to make the 3,202 mile trip tothe UW-River Falls campus.

For the Falcons and UWRF Head Coach Joe Cranston,they have been miles well traveled, as Dearforff has teamedup with another Anchorage native goaltender, CassiCampbell, to become one of the best goalie combinations inthe NCHA.

Campbell said she was never on the same team asDeardorff, being a year older than her, but said the twotalked about being on the same team when they went to col-lege.

“It’s funny because we talked about it all the time, butmostly as a joke,” she said. “Now here we are together on thesame team, splitting time, just the way we talked about it ear-lier.”

Sharing the net is exactly what Campbell and Deardorff aredoing now, as opposed to playing against each other likethey did in their junior levels.

“It’s nice to know this year we have two goalies that cango anytime,” Cranston said. “Last year we started Campbell99 percent of the time.”

Last season, Campbell played in all 28 games for theFalcons, starting 27 of them. She had a 1.74 goals against, a.931 save percentage and compiled a 16-9-2 record.

In her first collegiate game, Deardorff shut out AugsburgCollege (Minn.) with a 22 save effort and a 7-0 victory forthe Falcons.

“I was really excited, but nervous,” Deardorff said. “It wasmy first college game. After warm ups I was set to go.”

Deardorff said she fell in love with the city and her futureteammates after one campus visit to UWRF.

“[River Falls] was a perfect fit for me,” she said. “I metsome of the girls on the team and knew this was going to be

the school I was going to come to.”Coming from a smaller town, Deardorff said River

Falls feels closer to home, but she also likes havingMinneapolis and St. Paul close by if she needs to escapefor a while.

“I’m from Alaska, so going from there to a big citywould be hard,” she said. “River Falls is perfect, whileI still have the opportunity to go to a big city nearby.”

With two games in the books for her, Deardorff hasshown she has settled into the college game. A 94.6 savepercentage and only two goals allowed is evidence ofthat.

“The one thing I thought I was going to have to adjustto the most was the speed of the college game,”Deardorff said. “It has not been that hard for me.”

In her high school career, Deardorff played for theAnchorage North Stars and, as mentioned before, neverwas teammates with Campbell.

“We lived in the same town, knew each other reallywell and are good friends,” Campbell said. “It is nice tohave a friend on your side.”

Campbell gave insight to why Cranston might havetwo goalies from Alaska on his roster.

“Must have liked what he saw from the first one,” shesaid with a laugh, referring to her play last season.

One problem Deardorff comes to grips with is shedoes not see her family as often, especially during theholidays. She has grandparents that live in Hayward,Wis., but it is her parents that she did not see duringThanksgiving, and will only be able to see them for ashort time during winter break.

“It’s hard with the travel,” she said. “But most of usteammates will be in town for Thanksgiving, so we willhang out together.”

Through seven games, Deardorff has played in two,allowed two goals and has saved 35 shots. She andCampbell have combined for the NCHA second bestgoals against per game at 1.5 goals a game and both rank

Sally King/Student Voice Members of the Falcon women’s basketball team practice in the Karges Center. Theteam has been looking for a new attitude in its 2008-09 season. Head Coach CindyHovet says she is excited about the team’s current record of 4-1.

Women’s basketball acquiresnew attitude in 08-09 season

Alaska native women’s hockey goalie excels with hometown teammate

Caleb Stevenscaleb.stevens@uwrf.edu

After a rough start, the UW-River Fallsmen’s basketball team evened its record to 3-3 with back-to-back wins over Sioux Falls andViterbo as they head into their conferenceschedule Saturday against UW-Oshkosh.

“I think we all know we maybe should havewon another game or two inthere, but we are what we are,”Head Coach Jeff Berkhof said.“Winning tonight gives ussome good confidence goinginto [Saturday].”

The Falcons, who lost theirtop four scorers from lastyear’s 9-16 team, have toreplace 37 points per game.But according to Berkhof, the real challengefor his young team is on the other side of theball.

“We have some new players that are pickingup some of those points, like a Wade Guerin orJake Voeltz who both played limited minuteslast year,” Berkhof said. “You only play fiveguys, scoring hasn’t been a problem for us inthe past, it’s being able to defend.”

Forwards Guerin and Voeltz led the Falconsin their win against Viterbo Wednesday nightby scoring 15 points each. Guerin, who led theFalcons with nine rebounds Wednesday, andVoeltz are two of the 12 underclassmen on theteam.

Voeltz is one of three sophomore captains,along with guards Brady Hannigan and JontaeKoonkaew, who join senior guard Jesse Elling

as the team’s leaders. Thetransition from incomingfreshman to team leader is abig step, but one that instillsconfidence in the captains andthe team.

“It’s different,” Hannigansaid. “It gives you a lot moreconfidence that your team-mates have confidence in you

to vote you as a captain. It makes it almosteasier, because you know you have the confi-dence of your teammates.”

Now after winning two straight contests topost a .500 non-conference record, the rela-tively inexperienced Falcons, who are “stillfeeling each other out” according toHannigan, venture into one of the toughest

conferences in Division III basketball.The WIAC currently contains three ofthe top seven teams in the nation accord-ing to D3hoops.com, presenting anunforgiving road for a young team tryingto establish its identity.

“This is a new group, and they have tolearn how to win together,” Berkhofsaid. “I’m not sure that we knew how todo that those first two games, but wecame back against Sioux Falls and diddo that, so I hope that carries over to therest of the season.”

The Falcons will have a good idea howthey match up against the rest of theWAIC after three home conferencegames in the next ten days.

The highlight of the home stand will bethe Dec. 13 matchup with the numberfive UW-Platteville Pioneers. Berkhofknows the road is tough and has realisticexpectations for the team.

“It’ll be hard to crack the top three. But afterthat anyone can finish anywhere four throughnine,” Berkhof said. “The top six of the nineteams make the conference tournament, so ourimmediate goal would be to make sure we’re

in those top six teams.”Berkhof said this team has a bright future for

the next few years with a young team beingable to grow together, and the three youngcaptains are an integral piece to the puzzle ofmoving up in the WIAC.

Men’s basketball evens out record with back-to-back wins

Sally King/Student VoiceThe Falcons practice in Karges Center. The teamhas a 3-3 record after two consecutive wins.

Sarah Schneider/Student VoiceAlaska native women’s hockey goalie Melissa Deardorff teamsup with hometown friend Cassi Campbell on the Falcons’ ros-ter. The two goalies were opponents in junior college, butseem to compliment each other well on the Falcon team.

“This is a newgroup, and they

have to learn howto win together.”

Jeff Berkhof,head basketball coach

It’s never a good sign whenthe projectionist tells you topack a lunch before watchinga movie. This happened tome when I went to go see“Australia,” a big slice ofepic pie from “MoulinRouge!” director BazLuhrmann. I took myfriend’s words with a grainof salt, since I dugLuhrmann’s crazy revisionistmusical and assumed theman would employ similarlystylistic flair to his latestproject. Unfortunately, arude awakening awaited meas “Australia’s” beginningcredits rolled. What beginsas a plucky tribute to thesweeping epics of yore soonsours up and turns into abloated example of melodra-matic storytelling at its mosttaxing.

“Australia” starts off in theearly days of World War II.Feisty socialite Sarah Ashley(Nicole Kidman) has hadenough of her absentee hus-band, making the lengthytrek from England toDarwin, Australia to checkon the cattle ranch he’sbecome so engrossed in. Butnot only has Sarah’s husbandbit the big one, but localbaron King Carney (BryanBrown) is hell-bent onclaiming the ranch and com-pleting his stranglehold onthe Australian beef market.Of course, Sarah isn’t goingto take this sitting down, soafter recruiting a rugged cat-

tle driver known as Drover(Hugh Jackman), she makesthe perilous journey to moveher herd from the ranch toDarwin. Time, the elements,and Carney’s lackeys are allworking against Sarah, butshe tries her hardest to perse-vere in spite of it all, evenfalling hopelessly in lovewith the dashing Drover inthe process.

I understand perfectly what“Australia” is going for. It’s amodern-day ode to classicHollywood epics thatfocused on the indomitabilityof the human spirit, even inthe harshest of conditions. Asit turns out, the indomitabili-ty of the human spirit isabout as interesting aswatching cheese age, or atleast that’s how it is in thisendeavor. The trouble is thatthe movie overestimates itsown strength and dependsway too much on the story’sbackdrop to carry it to thefinish line. Luhrmann focus-es most of his energy onplaying up the film’s specta-cle angle, which ends upmaking “Australia” look fan-tastic, but ultimately feelsemotionally hollow.

The absence of a tongue-in-cheek spirit only confirmsthe fact that Luhrmannunwisely took this project onwith the straightest of faces,resulting in a dour, molasses-like pacing that hinders thefilm’s last couple of acts. Ona visual front, though,“Australia” has it made, withsome of the most gorgeouscinematography you’ll eversee in a film this year.Luhrmann does a fantasticjob of capturing the beautyof the Australian wilderness(too bad nothing interestinghappens in it). Plus, despitethe hokey material, Kidman

and Jackman each delivercrackerjack turns, with thelatter doing an especiallysolid job of playing the pic-ture’s rough-and-tumble pro-tagonist.

Had the story not been soflavorless and the characteri-zations so one-dimensional,there would have beenpotential for a big, burly andbustling adventure out of thispremise. Instead, the most“Australia” will inspireviewers to experience thedown under themselves is incracking open a can ofFoster’s.

Early on in “Australia,” asNicole Kidman is shuttledacross the Outback for thefirst time, she spies a kanga-roo racing alongside her jeep.Immediately taken with itsgrace and poise, Kidman seesherself in the creature:majesty, sprinkled with duty,driven by instinct. It is amoment of inward reflectioncut short only by a bullet, andKidman’s piercing screamthat follows.

The scene sets the tone forBaz Luhrmann’s sweeping

spectacle; there is great beau-ty to be found in Australia,but this curious sense ofintrigue masks a near poeticbrutality. The project is a purelabor of love for Luhrmann,who has crafted an ode to hishomeland of Australia, nevershying away from letting hispatriotism paint the picture,colors running down thescreen in rivulets of national-ism and pride. But the moviegoes beyond simple love-let-tering, tapping into the almostelemental human desire ofromance for romance’s sake.“Australia” is a tour-de-forceof cinematic nostalgia, a pic-ture that resonates with theloving scope and grandioseexperimentation of past epics,and is powered by the sameblood and energy as “Gonewith the Wind” or “Ben-Hur.”Size may not matter, but it

sure helps, and “Australia”can’t help but get carriedaway in the wake of itspowerful imagery, beauti-ful scenery and grassrootsstorytelling.

Lady Sarah Ashley(Kidman) travels downunder in the footsteps ofher aristocratic husband,attempting to salvage orsell their failing cattleranch, only to find herselfwidowed by the tip of aglass-edged spear. Takingthe reins, Ashley hires theservices of a stock man(Hugh Jackman) calledonly the Drover, a pur-posefully ambiguous namefor the cryptic embodi-ment of tall, dark andhandsome. As the pair tryto herd 2,000 head acrossan unforgiving landscape,they become spirituallyentwined with the plight ofthe Lost Generation, theoutcast cast of mixed-eth-

nicity children stolen intogovernment work camps. Andif minor social deconstructionmixed in with the old-fash-ioned excitement of epicchase scenes, espionage andmystery isn’t enough to inchyou to the edge of your seat,all of this is back dropped bythe Japanese invasion ofAustralia in World War II.

The script, co-penned byLuhrmann, quickly bites offalmost more than it can chew,weaving a multitude of subplots in, around and through-out the central narrative. Thestory, manifestly an explo-ration of romantic and famil-ial love, trips one too manytimes over a messy secondarystory involving the mysticpractices and culture of thecountry’s Aborigines. Buteven this sloppy seconds istopped with a brilliant investi-gation and dissection of cul-tural identity crisis, seen inthe tortured musings ofNullah, the confused“creamy” Ashley tries adopt-ing.

Altogether “Australia” is acolorful melting pot of every-thing that Luhrmann lovedabout Hollywood as a boy. Hestirs all his favorite elementsfrom the classics into a fren-zy, whipping up a cinematicfeast plagued by a few bittertastes. But even the hokiestmoments of the film are safe-guarded by a vibrant pompos-ity and a stubborn devotion tothe pure magic of movies.Luhrmann infuses himself inthe film, imbuing it with hissame eccentric charm andextravagance. At times thismay be shameless entertain-ment, a melodrama that issimultaneously preposterousand overblown. But damn is itentertaining!

Student Voice 7ETCETERADecember 5, 2008

A.J.Hakari

Ken Weigend

Ken is a senior journalism major with a film studies minor. He has aspirations towrite film reviews as a career. His favorite genres are drama and comedy.

A.J. is a senior journalism studentwho has been reviewing movies for

almost 10 years. He digs horror moviesand documentaries the most.

‘Australia’ evokes disagreement amongst reviewers

As the music industry plunges intodigital consumerism and online pira-cy, it becomes more difficult eachforthcoming week to review a newartist. Artists nowadays are soincredibly paranoid about their workbeing pirated that they have beenknown to release the album via an

undercover name. For example, theIowa nonet (9 person) psychedelicmetal band Slipknot released theirfourth studio album “All Hope IsGone” under the band name, “RustyCage” to prevent early leaks ontothe Internet.

With that said, I truly cannot findany big name releases worth review-ing. In lieu of the lackluster musicselection, I’ve decided to review agroup out of our very own backyard, Minneapolis, Minn. The bandis Weaver at the Loom and thealbum is “I Was Searching and IFound.” If you’ve already formed anegative opinion before taking a lis-ten, I understand. Whenever I hearthe word local, I am immediatelyforced into a pity listen. Playing an

endless lineup of the Twin Citiesclub circuit does not exactly scream“talent,” nor does it shout out “suc-cess.” But, for only being togetherabout two years and only dropping afive song EP, this band will notremain a secret for long. They are adiamond in the rough.

The debut EP, “I Was Searchingand I Found,” is almost a mini con-cept album, one in which the listen-er is thoroughly pleased with eachongoing second. It’s not the type ofalbum that you listen to once andshove to the side in search of anoth-er artist. This album begs you toclick repeat and let yourself go intothe soothing euphoria that is Weaverat the Loom (WATL). Although eachsong is uniquely written, they flow

seamlessly into a saga. Each track isoverwhelming with emotion andengages the listener with mindlessmelodies and breathtaking chorusesalong with epic guitar work. Thealbum brings an almost scholarlyapproach to its listeners.

WATL makes it widely known thata majority of the members are devel-oped and skilled musical students.It’s pretty obvious, most EPs touchthe surface of what a band has tooffer and gets a listener ready for thereal deal, but WATL is just tooimpressive with their debut. Eachsong has a ballpark average of aboutsix minutes and, before you know it,you’re onto the next track wonder-ing how many times you’ve listenedto the album. My personal favorite

track of the debut, “You Can’t EnjoyLife Before and After,” is almost aclash between a more composedDeath Cab tune comfortably wovenwith your favorite Straylight Runtrack. The acoustic guitar and pianomelodies flow interwoven calmlythrough your tympanic membraneproducing sheer musical beauty. I’msad I discovered such an incredibleband so late, but am absolutelyecstatic for future releases. If there isany album you buy this year, discand all, not that digital media crap,it’s “I Was Searching and I Found”.I recommend this to all listeners,enjoy as I have, please.

ErikWood

Band supplies listeners with originality, locality

Taylor Swift hits charts, numerous demographics

Taylor Swift fans can thank JoeJonas for being part of the inspira-tion behind her new album,“Fearless,” released Nov. 11. Fromyour first love to the “one that gotaway,” Taylor Swift hits home andhas the power to heal a broken heart.

A new face to the country musicscene, Swift has climbed the charts,crossing over to the popular musicgenre on the radio. Even for thosewho do not appreciate countrymusic, Swift seems to reach anymusic fan with her catchy melodiesand heartfelt lyrics.

While her voice is not necessarilyimpressive or jaw dropping, the pas-sion and sincerity in her lyrics areenough to leave you with goosebumps. In fact, you may not realizeher songs are stuck in your headuntil you find yourself humming thetune on the way to class.

The first track, “Fearless” conveysthe feeling of falling in love whenyou aren’t expecting it. Like most ofthe other tracks on Swift’s newalbum, this one is particularlycatchy.

The second track, “Fifteen,” isabout the naivety of being youngand impressionable. The song tellsthe story of how Swift met her bestfriend, Abigail, and how they madeit through their high school yearstogether. Swift sings about her firstdate, first kiss and first love and howmuch her feelings have changedsince then.

“Love Story” is a sort of fairytalesong-a Cinderella story, if you will.

In this slow ballad Swift is Julietwhile her beau is Romeo. The cou-ple has to sneak out to spend timetogether and plans to run away, butshe gets anxious waiting for him. Atthe end of thesong, the boysays all the thingsPrince Charmingshould tell hisprincess and asksher to marry him.

“Hey Stephen”is probably one of the catchiestsongs on the entire album. It beginswith Swift humming the melody lineand continues with her expressivelyrics. She sings about a crush andhow she simply can’t help falling forhim and wanting to be with him. Thesong is basically a guidebook onwhat to tell your crush if you wantanything to come of it.

Track five, “White Horse,” is acomplete contradiction from “LoveStory.” This track is about the disap-

pointment that comes with beinghurt and broken hearted. Believingand trusting the boy she loved hasbrought her to the realization thatreal life is nothing like a fairytale;

she didn’t realize how thisguy just isn’t right for heruntil now.

“You Belong With Me”can be described as ananthem for ladies every-where who have that guyfriend who doesn’t notice

her the way she wants him to. Swiftis singing to this guy she hangs outwith, but he has a girlfriend. Shewants him to see her romanticallyand understand they are perfect foreach other. In addition to its all toocommonly understood feeling, thissong is also pretty catchy, with atempo that is a bit faster than mostof the other tracks.

One of the most notable tracks,“Breathe,” is a slow, heartfelt balladabout being brokenhearted. Swift

can’t breathe without the person shehas to live without, but she knowsshe has to. This song is perfect foranyone who has suffered a recentbreakup.

The tenth track, “The Way I LovedYou” is a nice follow-up to“Breathe.” This ballad is about find-ing someone new but still missingthat old flame that got away. It’s notthat you don’t love the new person;it’s just not the same intensity oflove with this other person.

“The Best Day” is song is aboutbeing thankful for everything youhad growing up and everything yourparents have done for you. Swift iswriting about her mother, which isnot clear until the end of the song.

Musically, “Fearless” is a step-upfrom Swift’s self-titled album,which was released in 2006. Thenew songs are catchier and speak toa wider demographic of music lis-teners.

AlayneHockman

Taylor Swift hitshome and has thepower to heal abroken heart.

Ken Weigendkenneth.weigend@uwrf.edu

There is something to be said forschool spirit. But for Richard andGrace Swensen, that spirit runs fardeeper than a school sweatshirt andsubscription to the alumni newslet-ter. The couple has dedicated theirlives to serving UW-River Falls, aswell as the surrounding city, andseeing their six children graduatefrom the University.

Dick and Grace first met on theWartburg Lutheran College campusin Waverly, Iowa, the couple said intheir Arden Hills, Minn. home.Grace was attending classes theretoward her degree in medical tech-nology, and Dick was starting grad-uate school along with working forthe Atomic Energy Commission.Dick wanted to take a break beforefinishing up his doctorate and thecouple was informed of a six-monthposition opening up at UWRF byGrace’s brother Glen Hartman, asophomore at the time. Dick inter-viewed and was hired to a temporaryposition teaching math and physicsin 1955.

“I was so stricken with the campusand the collegiate community... wecame for six months and stayed forfour years,” Dick said.

In 1959, Dick and Grace returnedto Iowa so he could finish up hisdoctorate. Upon receiving it, Dickreceived a National Institute ofHealth research grant to study phys-ical chemistry at the University ofIowa in 1960. He moved thatresearch to Duke University in1961.

“I returned to UWRF in June of1961 as a straight chemistry profes-sor, and stayed until I retired in1993,” Dick said.

Upon their return, Grace begantaking classes again to finish herdegree. In 1964, she graduated witha degree in medical technology, amajor no longer offered on campus.

Grace was the first in the family tograduate from UWRF, just beatingher brother.

“I was just so impressed with thefaculty,” Grace said. “They were sowell-read, fostering a culture ofexchanging viewpoints and informa-tion, providing wonderful experi-ence for the stu-dents and givingthem a greatworld view.”

A few yearsafter returning tocampus, in 1967,Dick began toserve the first oftwo terms as thechair of theU n i v e r s i t yFaculty Council,the precursor tothe presentFaculty Senate. “Even though Iserved two terms,I never reallythought aboutpursuing anypositions inadministration,”Dick said. “Then, the dean resigned,but I still didn’t think about applyingbecause my goal in life was to teach.But if my peers thought I could, andthey encouraged me, then I knew Icould do it.”

Dick became the dean of theCollege of Arts and Sciences in1969. He served in that role until1988, when he stepped down andwent back to the classroom, servingout his remaining five years as achemistry professor.

In 1970, Dick was chosen toreceive the Distinguished Teacheraward for his service to campus andthe students.

“The award is the highest honorthat this University can bestow uponone of its educators,” Dan McGinty,the head of the Office of UniversityAdvancement, said.

But the Swensens’ contributions toUWRF extend far beyond Dick’swork in the classroom.

While in River Falls, the Swensensfocused their time on projects thatdirectly affected the University. In1961, Dick and Grace contractedwith the local theater and started a

foreign film series. The series wouldshow five to six foreign films a year,each year focusing on a differenttheme, such as one year’s emphasison the works of Ingmar Bergman.

“The theater was wonderful towork with,” Dick said. “And show-ing the films there allowed us topresent them in the native 35mmformat.”

In the summer of 1970, theSwensens took a family vacation toEurope. Dick, Grace and their sixchildren spent one month backpack-ing around the continent, splittingtheir nights between local hostelsand a 9-by-12 cabin tent. Whilethere, Grace was able to networkwith a multitude of internationalperformers.

When she returned to the states,Grace became so inspired by her trip

she began organ-izing home-staysfor as many as theperformers shemet with aswould visit. Ahome-stay ismuch like a for-eign exchangeprogram, inwhich a visitorfrom anothercountry stayswith a family intheir house in thestates. Grace’sefforts broughtover 60 perform-ing groups from13 different coun-tries to RiverFalls, resulting inover 1,300 home-stays.

“I wanted tocounter the nega-tive image theworld had gainedthrough theirexposure to us onTV,” Grace said.“I also wanted toshow them theheartland of theU.S., because theonly placesshown on TVwere the east andwest coasts. Andin doing so, I wasable to share withUWRF some ofthe culture andworld view I hadbeen honored toexperience over-seas.”

The groups thatthe Swensensbrought were var-ied, ranging fromsmall town per-formance groupsto internationallyrenowned acts,such as theC o p e n h a g e nBoys Choir.

“And they allperformed rightin KFA,” Gracesaid. “Can youimagine that?Some of thegrandest acts inthe world, peoplethat perform in

large cities and for world leaders,and they performed at River Falls!”

The Swensens leave another, moretangible and readily recognizable,legacy on the UWRF campus. In1973, Dick approached the physicsdepartment about constructing asundial to be placed on the outside

wall of KFA.“After KFA was

built, I was looking atit one day and thought‘we need somethingfor this wall,’” Dicksaid. “I had gained aninterest in sundialswhile visitingHeidelberg, Germany,and thought a sundialwould be perfect forthe space.”

The initial designsfor the sundial weredeemed too costly,and the project wasscrapped. In 1993,Dean Prochnow, thedean of CAFES at thetime, revived the ideaas a tribute to thenewly retired

Professor Swensen, according to theUWRF history of the sundial. JohnShepherd, a professor who retiredfrom the physics department since2000, proposed a new design, andElk River, Minn., artist Gene Olsenwas commissioned to build it. Thesundial, which was completed onMay 14, 1995, was dedicated onOct. 7, 1995, as the Richard D.Swensen sundial.

“It is the world’s largest and mostaccurate sundial,” Dick said. “It isaccurate to within one minute.”

The Swensens also give two annu-al scholarships, one in chemistryand the other in forensics.

But the Swensens have given morethan money and programs to UWRF.

“The highest tribute we have paidto the University is having each ofour [six] children attend and gradu-ate from there as well,” Dick said.“We are very proud of each of them,and are so very pleased that each ofour children can compete not onlyon a regional level, but a nationaland international level, as a result oftheir River Falls education.”

The Swensens’ oldest, David,graduated in 1975 with a degree ineconomics. He completed his doc-torate at Yale, and went on to workon Wall Street, where he created a

swaps market for countries toexchange indebtedness. David even-tually left his firm to become thedirector of the Yale Endowment,where he, over the course of 20years, increased the endowmentfrom $1 billion to $23 billion.

“We’re so impressed that Dave’sBachelors and Masters Degreesfrom UWRF gave him such a solidbackground that he was able to com-pete at places like Yale and WallStreet,” Dick said. “But Dave’sintent in life is not to make moneyfor himself but to help others. Thatis why he took such a drastic pay cutto work on the Yale Endowment.”

In 1996, David received theDistinguished Alumni Award.

According to McGinty, it is thehighest honor that can be bestowedupon a UWRF alumnus.

David’s work with the YaleEndowment also landed him an hon-orary doctorate in humane lettersfrom UWRF in April of 2008.

The Swensens’ next, Stephen,graduated in 1976 with a pre-meddegree. He went on to get his med-ical degree at UW-Madison. Heachieved his post-degree at

Carnegie-Melon. Stephen then tooka job at the Mayo Clinic, where heworked in radiology, eventuallyassuming the role as the head ofradiology until he stepped down in2007 due to Clinic’s bylaws that sayno one may occupy any administra-tive seat for more than eight years.

Currently, Stephen heads up aboard to evaluate the quality andsafety of all the Mayo Clinic loca-tions.

Stephen also headed up threeNational Institute of Health grants,worth more than $10 million, thathave led to advancements in theearly detection, understanding andtreatment of cancers and lung dis-ease, according to his distinguishedalumni bio found through UniversityAdvancement.

Stephen was honored with theDistinguished Alumni Award in2005.

Next is Linda, who graduated in1979 as a music major. She went onto receive a Masters in PastoralCounseling from Luther Seminary.Linda spent many years raising herfamily but has recently gotten backinto teaching, currently a TA in theSt. Paul School District.

Then came Jane, the fourthSwensen child and a theater andcommunication arts major. Aftergraduating in 1980, Jane spent ayear traveling, including workingwith Mother Theresa in India. Janenow works in Washington D.C.,where she was the administrativehead of the Millennium Program.After that, she moved to theEndowment for the Arts, and thenonto the Commerce Committee onCapitol Hill.

Daniel graduated with a Masters inscience education from UWRF in1984. He went on to begin teachingin the St. Paul School District and inWhite Bear Lake. Being very inter-ested in math, Dan became involvedin the International BaccalaureateProgram-a three-part program aimedat “students aged 3 to 19 help devel-op the intellectual, personal, emo-tional and social skills to live, learnand work in a rapidly globalizingworld. There are more than 665,000IB students at 2,425 schools in 131countries,” according to the pro-gram’s Web site.

Dan is teaching at BethelUniversity, preparing other teachersto teach in the IB program. He israising three kids with his wife in

the house across the streetfrom Dick and Grace.

The youngest, Carolyn,graduated in 1988 with adegree in business andmarketing. She moved toSyracuse, NY, with herhusband, who is also aUWRF alumnus. She iscurrently raising three chil-dren and working as a vol-unteer.

To round out the Swensenfamily of UWRF alumni,Grace’s brother, GlenHartman, also graduatedfrom the University. Hewent on to get his M.D.from UW-Madison. Glenpreceded Stephen as the

head of radiology at theMayo Clinic.

“Each of our children areinstilled with a great sense

of loyalty and pride to their commu-nities and to what they do, in partbecause of him,” Dick added.

Nine family members; nine diplo-mas from UWRF.

“It amazes me so much that theyvalued a River Falls educationenough to send all six of their kidsthrough our program,” McGintysaid.

Dick and Grace Swensen remainas active with River Falls as theycan, attending at least three to fourUniversity functions per year.

“We are very proud of theUniversity faculty and students,”Grace said. “They are among thebest in the world.”

The Swensens have been anembodiment of school spirit, beingan active part of this institution sincethe 1953.

“River Falls is a great part of theworld,” Dick said “and has provideda great setting for our lives.”

For more about the Swensens, readthe full article on-line at www.uwr-fvoice.com.

Student Voice 8 FEATURE December 5, 2008

Swensen family produces successful alumni

Ken Weigend/Student VoiceDick and Grace Swensen pose in their home in Arden Hills.

Sally King/Student VoiceThe sundial on the Kleinpell Fine Artsbuilding is named after Dick Swensen.