CONTENTS2 — Around Campus

8 — Student Voices

16 — Sports

1

Given the amount of climate commentary, one would think this is a weather report and not a letter from the editor.

With just a couple days between all of us and the end of the semester, the snow has melted and shorts-and-frostbite weather has once again been returned to us. Here’s to hoping everyone read that sun-tanning article we published.

Unlike prior years, The Compass isn’t going to stop with the spring semester; we’re going year-round! Ben, Amanda, and the rest of the new senior staff are cooking up a brand-new batch of surprises for everyone this summer season, and it’s looking to be a great year already.

If you want to get in on the fun, stop by the office and give us a shout; I can promise that it will be interesting.

M. Asher

From the Desk

2

April 11 — The LSSU Arts Center was brought to life Saturday evening by the “Oleg and Friends” quartet. In addition to teaching, Oleg and Friends tour and play around the world both as a group and individually. These musicians donated their time to play for LSSU, and all proceeds for the event went to the Lake Superior State University Foundation Arts Center Performance Fund.

There were around one hundred and thirty people who attended the concert Saturday, and they were treated to a diverse and emotionally gripping performance by the quartet. The pieces performed that night included Café Music for the Piano Trio, by Schoenfield, Spanish Dances for cello and piano, by M. de Falla, and Four Caprices for violin and

piano, by Dr. Pokhanovski himself. Although they only played 8 of the Caprices, Pokhanovski wrote the piano pieces for all 24 pieces.

The final piece of the night was Quartet for violin, cello and two pianos, by H. Berens. For this piece both pianists took over one instrument in a fantastic display of talent and teamwork. All four musicians, playing an awe-inspiring portrait of music, created the illusion of a 20-person orchestra.

The violinist and the man whom the band was named for is Dr. Oleg Pokhanovski, a top prizewinner in eight international violin competitions, including the 1990 Scheveningen International Violin Competition.

Apart from competitions, Pokhanovski has performed in

Oleg and Friends Astound Audience at Arts CenterBy Jana Luurtsema

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C A M P U SCanada, Europe, Israel, Russia and the U.S. more than 1000 times. He is currently the String Area Coordinator at the University of Manitoba, and teaches Violin and Chamber Music. In his community he is the Artistic Director of “Oleg and Friends” concert series.

The other three members of the quartet are pianists Dr. Edmund Dawe and Dr.Judy Siebert, who are also faculty at the University of Manitoba, and cellist Dr. Minna Chung.

Dawe is the Dean at the University, and received a Paul Pare Award for excellence in teaching and performance at Mount Allison University in both 1996 and 2001. His ongoing research is centered on the history of piano performance and pedagogy, including international perspectives/schools. Dawe has served as a judge for the Juno Awards and was a featured author in Clavier magazine.

Siebert, as the teacher of Piano, Chamber Music, Collaborative Piano, and Piano Accompanying, h a s c e r t a i n l y e a r n e d h e r international reputation as both a musician and a teacher. She has

performed the premieres of over 20 commissioned works, many of which were recorded for CBC radio broadcast and CD release. Siebert is the founding member of the Quarks! Trio, which has performed over 350 concerts since 1989 and embraces electronic music.

Dr. Minna Chung has performed with several orchestras including the New World Symphony in Florida, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in Italy and the Santo Domingo Festival Orchestra in the Dominican Republic. Chung holds a principal position in the Green Bay Symphony. In 2007, Chung made her debut in Carnegie Hall as a member of the Pangea String Quartet; in 2011 and 2014 she was the Featured Cellist at the International Cello Festival in Canada. Chung has taught master classes in dozens of schools and universities around the world, including the University of Alaska, Meadowmount School of Music (Westport NY), Worchestire Music Conservatory (Worchestire UK), and jFederal University of Rio (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).

4

The 9th Annual Spring Dance Concert, hosted by the LSSU Dance Program, is scheduled for April 17th and 18th. Named Cirque du SOOleil, it is an adaptation and tribute to the famous Cirque du Soleil, the performance company based out of Quebec, Canada. The company is recognized all over the world for their artistic entertainment, and with more than 4,000 employees worldwide, Cirque has more than enough people to accomplish their goal of evoking the imagination and provoking the emotions of people around the world.

Deb Choszcyk, the Assistant Professor at the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, oversees the Dance classes at Lake State and runs the LSSU Dance Program. She had this to say:

“This year’s production, Cirque du SOOleil, Mind’s Eye was inspired by the Cirque, so well known and loved around the world for intriguing productions filled with fantasy, mystery, and fun as well as an underlying story for audiences to interpret at will. Our

production followed that lead.”The entirety of the current

LSSU dance classes as well as any students who auditioned will be performing in the production, totaling 55 students. While it is a family friendly show, there will also be a modified version of the production specifically for children on Thursday, April 16th in the Arts Center.

“It is our continuing mission to bring dance and the arts to our community and this venue has proved to [be] a very successful way to bring children to the Arts Center.”

Tickets are only $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for students with ID and $3.00 for children 12 and under. As a special prize, the first 25 children to the performance will be receiving a free dance activity booklet created by the Dance Production class.

Cirque du SOOleil promises to be an entertaining and interactive evening full of fantasy, mystery and all-around fun. This is one performance you don’t want to miss.

Cirque de SOOleil PreviewBy Jana Luurtsema

5

C A M P U S

On Thursday, April 2nd, students at LSSU were invited to participate in the Autism Speaks’ campaign, Light it Up Blue. The intentions of the event’s sponsor, the Gamma Lambda Psi fraternity, were to raise awareness and to break silence. The students who participated did so in good faith, and should be applauded, However regrettable their choice of sponsors may have been.

Autism Speaks is an organization popularly associated with the condition in the U.S., and was founded by GE vice-chairman Bob Wright and his wife Suzanne after their grandson was diagnosed with autism in 2004. Since then, it has raised funds for autism research, which have been primarily directed at the prevention and cure of autism as a disease in children. In the past, some of this research funding was applied to the debunked claim that vaccines are a contributing factor to autism in children.

In an opinion piece posted to the Autism Speaks website on November 13th, 2013, founder Suzanne Wright made the following

statements:“Yet we’ve for the most part lost

touch with three million American children, and as a nation we’ve done nothing...Each day across this country, those three million moms, dads and other care-takers I mentioned wake to the sounds of their son or daughter bounding through the house. That is — if they aren’t already awake. Truth be told, many of them barely sleep—or when they do – they somehow sleep with one ear towards their child’s room—always waiting. Wondering what they will get into next. Will they try to escape? Hurt themselves? Strip off their clothes? Climb the furniture? Raid the refrigerator? Sometimes – the silence is worse.”

After this comparison of autism with loss or death, and remarks on the burden such children represent, she continues:

“This is Autism...life is lived moment-to-moment. In anticipation of the child’s next move. In despair. In fear of the future. This is Autism...on the good days my daughter Katie and all the other moms out there...see the sun shine. They

Look Them In The EyeBy Jana Luurtsema By Andrew Gilroy

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notice the brilliant colors of the autumn leaves. On bad days, they are depleted. Mentally. Physically. And especially emotionally.”

In the above statements, Wright addresses only parents of autistic children. She ignores the many adults with autism-spectrum disorders. She has nothing to say to those who seek to understand and accept their autistic friends, parents, or siblings.

Caring for a child with Autism is difficult, just as caring for any chronically ill child is difficult. For other diseases, the focus is not just on preventing the disease, but serving those who live with it, each and every day. Autism Speaks has focused on care, to the exclusion of care.

Autism is a spectrum. There are those who are entirely disabled by it, but they are a relative minority. Many autistic people are capable of living ordinary lives and of speaking for themselves, and consider their neurological differences a gift or a mixed blessing.The autistic community is vibrant and alive, and contains all types and all ages. It has a voice and a right to be heard, and

Autism Speaks has acted to usurp that voice.

John Elder Robison is a prominent figure in the autistic world. He is the bestselling author of three books: the autobiographical Look Me in the Eye, Raising Cubby, a memoir of rearing his son, and Be Different, a guide and self-help book for those with Asperger’s. In his childhood years, the diagnosis of Asperger’s did not exist, and he was thought to be merely dumb and stubborn. From these beginnings, he has built a career as a public speaker, an activist, and an engineer.

Until November 13th 2013, Robison was also a member of the Science and Treatment boards at Autism Speaks. On that day — just after the publication of the words quoted above — he resigned, leaving the organization with no autistic board members whatsoever. Here are his words, in closing:

“We do not like hearing that we are defective of diseased. We do not like hearing that we are part of an epidemic. We are not problems for our parents or society, or genes to be eliminated. We are people.”

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C A M P U S

The past month, Lake Superior State University’s chemistry department has been busy. Professor Christopher Heth, the LSSU analytically chemistry professor, presented his literature review of ancient tanning in Denver on March 23rd at an ACS National Meeting and Exposition.

Also at this conference was LSSU undergraduate Alyssa Ellsworth, who presented her work on a one step synthesis to form imidazoline rings. On April 11, three presenting students and three faculty members traveled to Northern Michigan University hosted by the Upper Peninsula local section of the American Chemical Society.

For the second year Lake State took the top two spots at this poster symposium. This year the winner in the undergraduate division was Alyssa Ellsworth and Danielle Hamann was the runner up.

Dr. Heth’s work was one of ten different talks about chemical technology in antiquity as part

of history of chemistry divisions of the American Chemical Society (ACS). These talks examined chemistry from prehistory to the Roman period on topics such as glass, pigments, dyes, fermentation and alcohol, and pottery. Dr. Heth presented on leather and the tanning process by exploring some historical artifacts and the techniques and chemistry may have been used to produce tanned leather.

Forgoing chemicial analysis, H e t h i n s t e a d d o v e i n t o archaeological and chemistry

An Interview With Dr. Heth By Miranda Emaus

“There are a lot of things that can be learned to

guide us looking forward by looking back at how

our discipline, whatever our discipline might be.”

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C A M P U Sliterature, a process that he described as an experience. Lake State has the equipment to run chemical analysis on tanning in antiquity, and Dr. Heth intends to continue to look into the history of chemistry and the tanning process.

Heth is currently looking into brain tanning – a technique that used the brain as a tanning agent. This technique, to Heth’s knowledge, was exclusively used by Native Americans, and he does not fully understand how the technique works. He commented that he has found very little discussion on it in the literature and is something he wants to continue looking in to and might branch into this area if brain tanning has not been well studied. He commented saying, “it’s not terribly appetizing, but certainly very interesting.”

Dr. Heth’s is currently working on a chapter for a book discussing chemical technology in antiquity, which is part of the ACS symposium series. This book will encompass the different talks given at the conference.

Heth commented on the honors course on titled Characters of

Science that was offered during the fall 2014 semester, saying that he is hoping to offer it again as an honors course or if possible as a catalog class or special topics

course. He stated that “There are a lot of things that can be learned to guide us looking forward by looking back at how our discipline whatever our discipline might be.”

The Upper Peninsula 2015 student research Symposium had 34 posters from Lake Superior State University, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan University, and Lawrence University. This symposium contained both undergraduate and graduate research. There Dr. Heth and the LSSU organic chemistry professor, Dr. Robert Mosey, were two of the judges alongside faculty members from other schools for the event. Awards were granted for the top three presenters two of which were seniors from Lake State for the second year

“I think we’ve shown that despite the fact that we are quite obviously the smallest

in the UP our students do very good work here”

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O P I N I O Nin a row. Dr. Heth commented that, “All of our students did a very fine job presenting their research [and] talking about it with people...I think we’ve shown that despite the fact that we are quite obviously the smallest in the UP our students do very good work here.”

Twelve students from the

chemistry/environmental department, including the winner and runner up from the undergraduate section from the poster symposium, are presenting their posters at the first annual campus wide poster symposium on April 17, and the talks are April 23rd starting at eight in the morning.

Into The WoodsInto the Woods, adapted from

the musical of the same name, intertwines singing with the classic fairy tales that you may have heard as a child. The film revolves around a childless Baker and his wife (James Corden and Emily Blunt) who are cursed by a witch (Meryl Streep). To reverse the curse, the couple must collect four magical items.

The film opened right away with song and I was hooked. I was especially impressed by the singing and acting, though it soon became redundant. Lyrics are repeated as if you didn’t hear them the first time. It’s obvious from the title of the movie that it takes place in the woods so why

tell us fifty times?Though the songs are repetitive,

they help illustrate the extremely drawn out story. I was continually rooting for the central characters to find the magical items and to reverse the curse, but apparently it isn’t that simple. Along the way, they run into familiar faces such as Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy), Jack and his Beanstalk (Daniel Huttlestone), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), and Prince Charming (Chris Pine). Then each character’s background and their role in the story must be explained. After all that, when you think the movie is over, there is an extra thirty minutes of conflict.

By Jordyn Muskovin

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Dreamworks’ Penguins of Madagascar is another example of the fantastic animation and perfect comedic timing the studio is known for. From the same universe as the Madagascar franchise, the movie stars a group of four penguins — Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private — who battle against overwhelming odds to save their family and their species.

The animation is super-charged and constantly moving, and it lends itself well to the comedy that the movie conveyed, with perfect comedic timing and insane situations which defied the laws of physics.

That is one thing about the movie that worked, but as an audience member, you had to accept it first to make it work: the lack of reality. Since this is an animated movie about talking animals, your realistic expectations should already be checked at the door. With Penguins of Madagascar, however, any single solitary idea of reality is

thrown out of the window. There seems to be a formula that the movie is trying to convey, which could be the key to cracking the secret of Dreamworks’ success:

Bouncy House Break + River Dance + Cute ‘n Cuddly – Reality = Penguin Explosions

The penguins were at the top of their game. Their personalities were clearly defined and the conflicts they faced struck each of the penguins in a different way. Most of the plot was centered on Skipper and Private, but each penguin brought something to the table and the audience was able to connect with them because of it.

Overall, this is a hilarious family comedy that will entertain adults and children alike, with fast-paced animation and spot-on comedic timing. While the darker parts of the movie are hard to see, they don’t last long and if you can suspend your disbelief for 92 minutes, you’re in for a great movie.

Penguins of Madagascar By Jana Luurtsema

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O P I N I O N

Have you ever opened up your Facebook only to be assaulted by posts and re-posts absolutely ridden with spoilers? Well, Google’s newest patent may be able to help with that.

On April 7, 2015, Google was granted a patent for an automatic spoiler filter. Unlike keyword based filters that exist today, Google’s filter could automatically censor spoilers based on the shows you watch and the books you read. Of course, that relies on you either manually giving the company your information or allowing Google to track your viewing habits (not that they don’t already).

In practice, Google’s proposed filter would blur out any spoilers based on your own progress in the show or movie the content featured. Should you desire to actually view the spoilers, Google

would have an option to turn the censorship off. Other users would also have the option to mark content as containing spoilers, thus catching any posts the filter may have missed.

Of course, this is all just a theory. There are a number of issues the company has yet to address: How will the filter work with social media sites not owned by Google? Will the filter exist as an extension or separate program and will the filter work on browsers other than Google Chrome? Besides the technical issues, Google has been unclear about whether the patent will ever truly exist. In a statement to Quartz, a spokeswoman said, “Some ideas mature into real products or services, some don’t.” In other words, don’t expect this new patent on the market anytime soon.

Spoilers Be Gone!By Destinee Bruce

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As part of a campaign against anorexia by French president Francois Hollande, the parliament has voted into law punitive measures for modeling agencies who employ extremely thin models. Under these measures, models are required to present a certificate verifying their BMI is at least 18, or roughly 121 lbs for a height of 5’7”, before being hired and after being hired. Penalties for violation of the new law include terms of imprisonment of up to six months, and an $82,000 fine.

In addition to modeling agencies, the legislation is imposing fines against websites which encourage

eating restrictions dangerous to health: called ‘thinspiration’. Violators of this measure face even stiffer penalties, with double the prison time and higher fines.

Predictably, the law has been met with a cool reception from the industry. While the major fashion houses have been notably quiet, the union of modeling agencies has described the law’s provisions as being both unfair and inaccurate. While opposition t o a n o rex i a i s h a rd ly a controversial position, the specifics of the law and its effectiveness are open to debate.

Paris Prosecutes over BMI Boogaloo

By Andrew Gilroy

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O P I N I O NThe choice of BMI as a proxy

for overall weight and health is a common one, but hardly without its flaws. Intended as a statistical tool, BMI fails to account for individual variences more often than not. In essence, the tall, muscular, or otherwise unusual will find BMI grossly inaccurate. The measure also produces a high proportion of false positives for obesity. This is especially troubling as obesity is a predictor for numerous health conditions, while its close relative, the overweight category, demonstrates a mortality rate nearly identical to normal.

As to the avowed intent of

the law, the causes of Anorexia are complex. Troubled girls may find ready examples of their desired body shape in the couture industry, but the roots of self-abuse may lie elsewhere. The contempt of peers or family, perceptions of unworthiness, and desire for control all play their part.

Even with all these caveats, however, the elimination of hyper-thin models does, at least, give the notoriously homogeneous fashion industry an impetus toward a more diverse ideal of beauty. One can but hope that the broader culture follows suit, allowing bodies of all shapes and sizes a chance as exemplars of attraction.

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14

In 2009, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were tried and convicted for the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher. In 2011, the pair was acquitted and released only to be reconvicted in 2014. A year later the case was officially closed by the Italian Supreme Court when they acquitted Knox and Sollecito for the final time.

A m a n d a K n ox w a s a n American exchange student studying in Italy when Kercher, her roommate, was found murdered after what appeared to be a botched robbery. Knox was the person who

originally alerted the police to the apparent break in, and admitting being in the home briefly that night but spent most of it at her boyfriend’s, Sollecito’s, house. She told police that when she was there Kercher’s door was locked, which led her to believe that she was asleep. Initially, Knox was treated as a witness but became a suspect. After being interrogated on a text to her boss, she implicated her boss, Patrick Lumumba, and herself by default in the murder.

Lumumba was never sent to trial as Rudy Guede’s fingerprints and DNA were

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito Acquitted By Miranda Emaus

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O P I N I O Nfound at the scene. Guede claimed at his trial that he witnessed an unknown person in the apartment with a knife. Guede’s account, however, did not match evidence found at the scene and in 2008 he was found guilty of murder and sexual assault. Knox and Sollecito were tried and found guilty as well, one year later. Originally, Guede’s tale never included Knox. He later changed his story and claimed to have heard Knox and Kercher arguing. Guede’s sentence was shortened from 30 years to 16 years three weeks after the verdict in 2009.

When on appeal in 2011, the court found that there was insufficient evidence to convict either Knox or Sollecito and their convictions for the murder and sexual assault were overturned. Italy does not have any rules against double jeopardy like in America, and the prosecution appealed the case. Knox remained in the United States

during the trial. Sollecito and Knox were convicted again, however Amanda Knox was not extradited. The case was appealed to the Italian Supreme Court, and after deliberating for 10 hours, Judge Gennaro Marasca announced that Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were acquitted. The reason behind the decision will be announced after 90 days.

Knox, who was not in the court room for the decision, has told the press that she is relieved and grateful that she can move on with her life. Sollecito is still in Italy but also was not present when the decision was read; he has also expressed feelings of finally being free after being considered a murderer for over seven years . Guede is still in prison. His conviction had already been confirmed by the Italian Supreme Court, but he is trying to use the acquittal of Knox and Sollecito to earn a new trial .

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All season long, the eyes of the world have been focused on the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team. We have watched them topple one good team after another on their way to a perfect 34-0 unbeaten season. This would earn them a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament and what looked to be a fairly easy road to the title game.

Perfection is never something that is easily acquired, however; the last time an unbeaten team made a title run was 1991. The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels sat 38-0 just like Kentucky before they failed to reach the title game, losing to the eventual champion Duke Blue Devils. The last time an unbeaten had completed a perfection season was the Indiana Hoosiers In 1976.

Just last week, Kentucky survived a big scare as the Notre

Dame Fighting Irish almost stopped the run in its tracks. Although the Wildcats survived, it was only by two points. Luck did not seem to be on Kentucky’s side the next week as they faced the Wisconsin Badgers. The Badgers were led by Frank Kaminsky, who scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. The game ended up tied at halftime and both teams went bucket for bucket as the game came down to the wire. Kaminsky scored two key baskets in the final minute while Kentucky’s go-to man Andrew Harrison missed a key three pointer that put the game on ice, ultimately shattering the Wildcat’s dreams. The Wisconsin Badgers emerged victorious 71-64, earning their spot in the title game where they will face the Duke Blue Devils.

Fall GoliathBy Kevin Pagels

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S P O R T S

On April 4, 2015 the NCAA final four kicked off with a match up between Michigan State and Duke. The game ended up being a back and forth battle between the #1 seed Blue Devils, and the #7 seed Spartans. Duke prevailed by an outstanding twenty points with the score ending at 81-61.

T h e g a m e s t a r t e d o f f explosively as MSU drilled four straight three pointers and led 14-6 forcing Duke into a timeout. The rest of the game headed downhill for MSU as they lost their momentum and more importantly, the lead. Going into halftime, Duke led by double digits and showed that they are not only offensively dangerous but are also stingy on defense.

Duke utilized their big three quite impressively during the intense game, Jahlil Okafor scored 18 points, Quinn Cook added 17, and Justise Winslow scored 19 for the Blue Devils.

The Spartans had beaten Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Louisville in the previous rounds. Denzel Valentine seemed to be his normal self, scoring 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Spartans. Travis Trice played one of his toughest games of the season as he was held to only 16 quiet points. The Spartans were overwhelmed by Jahlil Okafor early in the game which led to foul trouble for MSU’s big men. Because of the foul trouble, MSU was forced to go to their bench and play their inexperienced rotation, hurting them as the game continued.

Michigan State’s season ended up being one to be proud of, they fought adversity and entered the tournament as a silent underdog. They accomplished a couple of unexpected upsets but failed to get just one more. There is always next year and chances are Michigan State will be there.

The East Lansing Underdogs

By Kevin PagelsBy Kevin Pagels

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COMICSBy Ben Bryer

M A S T H E A DStaf f

WritersDestinee Bruce

Courtney Buzzell

Amanda Cady

James Carpentier

Kaleb Chowen

Ben Eisenman

Miranda Emaus

Andrew Gilroy

Matthew Mehard

Jordyn Muskovin

Kevin Pagels

Jordyn Pillars

Tieler Schick

Cheyanne Shotwell

Olivia Smith

Comic Artist

Ben Bryer

PhotographersYOU.

Editor In Chief

M. Asher Stephenson

Managing Editor

Jana Luurtsema

EditorsJordyn Muskovin

Kaleb Chowen

Cassie Pflanzer

James Carpentier

Want to get in touch with The Compass? Send us an email at Compass@lssu.edu or stop by our office in the basement of the Cisler Center. We’re always looking for more writers, more photographers, and more designers. Send us your portfolio, and we’ll see what we can do.

By Ben Bryer