THE PREFACE

By REBECCA GIBSONStaff Writer

Though it may seem that Christmas carols sprung fully formed into the irritating muzac form they inhabit today, many have a long and glorious history as symbolic legends or folk tales.

In Indiana, much of the holly or ivy we see has been planted as ornamental borders or hedges on private property.

However, the song The Holly and the Ivy originated in late 17th century Brit-ain, where it was record-ed in an ecclesiasti-cal book of carols. The current lyrics, adapted from the Middle English, were formally adopted in the early 1900s and make reference to many characteristics of Jesus Christ, in-cluding purity, sacrifice, and the crown of thorns worn by Christ during his crucifixion.

In America we think of holly as small ornamental bush and ivy as a crawling ground cover or an invasive wall cover. However, in Britain of that time, some plant-ings of holly and ivy would have been around for decades, and holly can grow many feet in the air, espe-

Rest you, it is Christmastimecially if a trained gardener sculpts it. Ivy can climb trees, eventually killing the host tree and taking on its shape. Both plants are symbols of strength, uprightness, everlast-ing (as they retain their green color in the winter), and both grace many festive tables, wreathes, and Christmas decorations.

A beautiful and difficult to sing carol, Good King Wenceslas

originates even earlier than The Holly and the Ivy.

Based on the good works of Saint

We n c e s -las I,

Duke of Bohe-mia from AD 907-935, the carol tells of the day after Christmas, the Feast of Stephen, and tells how the king was generous to the poor, and received Godly favor for his gen-erosity. In fact, Wenceslas was so blessed that he was able to spare his page from walking in deep snow because everywhere the king stepped the snow melted.

This carol was a moral lesson to emphasize the importance of the rich giving alms to those less fortunate, and serves as a beautiful example of how taking care of oth-

ers will never leave you poor.

A more recent, yet stirring and haunting carol, The Carol of the Bells or The Ukrainian Bell Carol was written in 1916, and originally meant to be sung without accom-paniment. The voice parts, when sung in the original Ukrainian, were to take the place of the actual bells. This ringing quality is some-

what hampered by translation into English, hence the accompanying bell part now traditionally used with the song.

This carol is interesting because the original lyrics were not associ-ated with Christmas or the Nativ-ity. In 1916, the Ukraine was still officially autonomic from Russia, yet was secularly based without

widespread knowledge or adoption of Christianity. The Ukrainian Bell Carol was written to celebrate the New Year, which the Ukrainian people celebrated in April.

It can be comforting, in times of holiday stress and hurry, to look back and see that there are things of beauty behind even the simplest of holiday songs.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009 www.iusbpreface.comThe official student newspaper of Indiana University South Bend

INDEXPage Two ............................... 2Campus Life ........................... 3News ....................................... 4Academics ............................ 5Entertainment ........................ 7The Back Page ...................... 8

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HEADSHOTS:Oddest gift recevied?

We asked four students about the oddest gift they’ve received for Christmas.Page 2

FEATURE:Affordable winter break fun

School’s out for a month and there are plenty of things to do around the area on a budget.Page 6

ACADEMICS:Analecta deadline coming

The deadline for getting sub-missions into the Analecta is approaching.Page 3

SIT IN AND STUDY The SGA is organizing a sit in and study session at Green-lawn Hall on Dec. 10 from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Dec. 11. SEE PAGE 6

Have a news tip or a story idea?Email us at

preface@iusb.edu

Looking to advertise with the Preface?

Contact us at prefads@iusb.edu

Have a safe and joyful winter break

from your friends at The Preface.

THE PREFACEThe Preface is the official weekly student newspaper of IU South Bend and is published every Wednesday during the fall and spring semesters. The paper receives funding from the Student Government Association and through advertising revenue. The Preface is a student written, edited, and designed newspaper.

EDITORSBrandi Miller Jenn Zellers

DESIGN/WEB EDITOR

Jenn Zellers

STAFF WRITERSApril Buck

Rebecca Gibson Danielle Molnar Terrie Phillips

Andrew Sheneman Jeff Tatay

Meagen Thompson

COLUMNISTKrista Bailey

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Jeff Tatay

LETTERS & GUEST COLUMNS Got something to say about an article or something on campus, or want to alert the campus to an event, submit letters and guest columns to the Preface.

Letters to the editor must be fewer than 200 words and include university affiliation. Guest columns must be fewer than 600 words. All submissions become property of the Preface and are subject to editing for style, clarity and space concerns. Anonymous letters will be read, but not printed. The Preface will only print one letter per author per month.

Direct all correspondence to: preface@iusb.edu

Email is the preferred contact method.

The PrefacePO Box 7111

1700 Mishawaka AveSouth Bend, IN 46634

Phone: 574-520-4553

Letters must be received by 5 p.m. Thursday prior to publication.

CORRECTIONS POLICY

The Preface welcomes comments, questions or complaints about the fairness or accuracy of stories that appear in the Preface and its website. Send an e-mail to preface@iusb.edu or call 574-520-4553.

Office Location:Student Activities Center

Room 220Phone: 574-520-4553

AdvisorKen Klimek

The Preface reserves the right to publish or reject all submis-sions. The deadline for advertising and copy is noon Thurs-day prior to publication. The Preface is not the official voice of students, staff, faculty or administration staff.

The Preface is a member of the

Page TwoPAGE 2 www.iusbpreface.comTITAN VOICE

What is the oddest gift that you’ve received or gave someone during the holiday season?

“My grandma got me a cardboard vase that you can’t actually put water and flowers in, but if you turn it upside down it expands into a hat.”

KELLEE NEARY, Junior

“On Christmas, I gave a yard gnome to my girlfriend’s parents. I received the yard gnome from her aunt the year before. It’s a tradition in her family to pass the yard gnome to a different family member each year.”

BRANDON RICHARDSON, Junior

“For Christmas, I received a ceramic pot that my brother Mike made in art class his senior year in high school. He gave it to me as a joke gift. It was all lopsided and distorted and had his fingerprints all mashed into its black and brown surface. ”

MICHELE REED, Sophomore

“My uncle lent me a book and he forgot that he had lent it to me, so I wrapped it and gave it back to him as a gift. I kept a straight face as long as I could while he opened it. He was puzzled and uncertain whether or not he should tell me that it was actually his book.”

SHANNON WILLIAMS, Sophomore

By JEFF TATAY

This is my final semester as student and editor at IU South Bend and it is

both happy and sad for me. I have made so many friends here that I know I will keep in touch with for many years and I have been able to do so many great things because of working for the Preface.

When I took over as editor of the Preface with two co-edi-tors, it was in rough shape. Out of money, no structure for the writing, design, nothing—we turned it into something that I am so proud of and will never forget. I hope that whoever takes over can continue by our model.

Through my duties here I have had the opportunity to cover the Dance for the Home-less that Aleah Wilburn orga-nized. It was there that I was able to meet Regis Philbin who took the copy of the Preface I gave to him and showed it to Kelly Ripa and all of America.

That was really cool! I also was able to attend

two town hall meetings with President Obama, one before he became president and one after. And I was in Chicago, at Grant Park with millions of oth-ers on election night. Without

A final letter from editor Brandi Miller

the Preface, I would have never done these things.

The experience I have gained that I can use in the future from working on this paper for just over two years will stay with me for many years to come, as will the memories I have of my class-es, professors and friends I have

met here. IUSB is a wonderful university and I see even more great changes in the future.

Brandi MillerCo-editor-in-chief

IUSB Preface

Photo courtesy/BRANDI MILLER

Regis Philbin and Preface co-editor-in-chief Brandi Miller at the Dance for the Homeless in 2008.

CAMPUS LIFEThe IUSB Preface Page 3

Analecta is now accepting submissionsBy JEFF TATAYStaff Writer

IU South Bend’s literary journal Analecta is now accepting submis-sions for the 2010 issue. Analecta is an award-winning literary journal that is published annually by the students and staff of IUSB.

This year’s editor is Mitch Rob-inson.

“Analecta is a publication that is for students and by students. I mean, what does one have to lose by submitting a work?” said Rob-inson. The winter break is a perfect time for students to get creative and/or get submissions ready and sent to the Analecta for consider-ation in the 2010 issue.

Submissions are accepted in poetry, short fiction, drama, non-fiction prose, and visual art. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 18, 2010. Submissions must be sent to analecta@iusb.edu.

For more information on Ana-lecta guidelines and submission rules visit iusbcreativewriting.wordpress.com, find Analecta on Facebook, or contact Prof. Kelcey Parker at: parkerk@iusb.edu.

Get creative during winter break

“Family,” by Erica Wood, published in the 2009 Analecta. Wood is an elementary education major who loves art. “I plan to submit again this year,” said Wood. “It’s a lot of fun and it’s exciting to see your work published.

Artwork courtesy Erica Wood

By ANDREW SHENEMAN Staff Writer

Each year IU South Bend’s S-121 classes hold a ‘speech night’ for their best speakers to give their speeches in a competition format. The third and final round of pre-liminaries was held on Dec. 2, in Northside Hall.

There were five competitors, each giving a persuasive speech, and two guest speakers giving in-formational speeches.

Speech Night finalists selectedThe rules for the competition

are simple. Each student gives their speech,

the speech must be between six and eight minutes in length and any competitor who goes longer or shorter than that is disqualified. A panel of three judges selects two contestants to go on to finals night based on clarity, style, information presented, and how persuasiveness.

“Public Speaking is a course dedicated to understanding the relationship between speaker and

listener in creating communica-tion,” said Alexaundria Groves, the Master of Ceremonies.

After the speeches were finished, Groves returned to announce the judges’ decision on who would be going on to the final round.

Nobody was disqualified for violating the time limit, but the judges selected Nicolas Mitchell and Crystal Regan to be the two who would proceed on to finals night, which was held Monday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m.

Have a great winter break. See you Jan. 13, 2010

By TERRIE PHILLIPSStaff Writer

We see the same pictures and the same stories about Israel in the news, but what we do not see is the everyday people that live there. One IU South Bend student was given that chance.

Senior Caitlin Worm was granted an opportunity to spend 10 days in Israel free of charge by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

“I feel extremely fortunate to have been given the opportu-nity from the Anti-Defamation League,” said Worm.

Founded in 1913, the ADL is an anti-Semit i sm group that mon i to r s and ex-poses hate g r o u p s , mon i to r s the inter-net for hate s p e e c h , d e v e l o p s and pres-ents edu-c a t i o n a l programs and tries to help get a better under-standing of the situation in Israel, according to their website.

“They contacted different po-litical science departments across the country and college democrats and college republican leaders and also student editors of newspapers all across the country,” said Worm.

Worm was able to read past experiences from past participants via email. She decided to apply and was selected to go on the trip. The process included an applica-tion, an essay and an interview in Chicago.

The trip was completely paid for, including her plane ticket. She started in New York for a briefing on politics in Israel and it was there the participants met and were al-lowed to get to know each other at the ADL’s national headquarters. They also were able to meet with

ADL gives IUSB student chance to see Israel

advisors and the Israeli consulate to the UN.

“The politics that are facing the region are just intriguing,” said Worm.

Worm is a political science ma-jor and is interested in politics and said she has had a few classes that have talked about the politics and issues in Israel.

The participants met with pre arranged groups of people, but she feels the best experience was meeting people that were not pre-arranged. The group was given a chance to spend time with indi-vidual families and see how they spend their nights.

“The people we met with were peace ac-tivists and they were p r o b a b l y c o n s i d -ered lib-eral, it just showed us how com-p l i c a t e d t h i n g s were,” said Worm.

W o r m spoke at an ADL

meeting in Chicago where she said that the issue in Israel is compli-cated and not to take it for face value. She believes the emersion is essential for understanding what the issues are.

“You can read about it in school or talk about it in classes,” said Worm, “but until you go there and immerse yourself into it and really talk to people and get different, huge, wide variety of perspectives you barely have room to talk about it.”

Worm’s interest in political sci-ence comes from her belief that politics is a way to create wide-spread social change. She is cur-rently applying to graduate school for social work. Worm is also the president of the IUSB College Democrats and will be graduating in May.

“...until you go there and im-merse yourself into it and re-ally talk to people and get dif-ferent, huge, wide variety of perspectives you barely have room to talk about it,”

— CAITLIN WORM,Senior in Political Science

PAGE 4 www.iusbpreface.comCAMPUS NEWS

By TERRIE PHILLIPSStaff Writer

Student Nurses Association (SNA) president, Aleah Wilburn, was invited to be recognized along-side other winners of the IU Blood drive challenge during half time at the IU Purdue home game.

The SNA does one blood drive per semester. This semester’s drive was on Oct. 29 which occurred during the IU Blood drive chal-lenge. In the past, the drive was against Purdue, but they have since dropped out.

This year they divided the drive into four categories. IU South Bend (IUSB) won in the constitu-ent society category. The overall winner for the drive was IU North West (IUNW).

“Overall we did beat out all the IU schools just in our category,” said Wilburn, “I couldn’t believe it.”

The blood drive was outreached to the Alumni as well as students, faculty and staff. The one-day drive ended with 76 units of blood.

“I think this school gives you

SNA recognized at IU-Purdue game for blood drive

so many opportunities to be able to have successful events like our blood drive,” said Wilburn.

“Community service is the ba-sic reason I’m in the SNA,” said Wilburn.“It’s all about outreach, I try to really make sure everybody is united together.”

Wilburn has been involved in community service since ju-nior high with the Relay for Life at Jimtown Junior High School. Once in high school she decided she wanted to become a team captain and continued with that through-out the rest of high school.

“I wanted to continue that,” said Wilburn, “that’s a very im-portant part of my life and I think there is always time to try and make a difference somehow.”

“When I was in student gov-ernment that’s what really helped me see the scope of this university and to know that this school is

more than just getting your de-gree,” said Wilburn.

It was not until Wilburn’s ju-nior year in high school that she decided to follow a career in nurs-ing. Originally, she wanted to be a teacher, but with a suggestion from her mother, she researched a career

in nursing. She got involved with a program through her school that al-lowed her to work at Elkhart General Hospi-tal shadowing nurses, doctors and talking

with patients.“If it wasn’t for that experience

and the response that I got back from the patients to really feel like, wow, I’m fitting into this puzzle here with nursing.” said Wilburn. “Everything just clicked in my head, my heart, and it made me realize this is what I want to do.”

Brenda Mark (SNA Secretary), left, Aleah Wilburn (SNA President), center, and Julie Turner, right, (Asst. Director of Alumni) standing on the field. The SNA was recognized during an on-field presentation at the IU vs. Purdue football game.

Photo courtesy Aleah Wilburn

By APRIL BUCKStaff Writer

The IU South Bend Politi-cal Science Club hosted a Public Health Forum to bring attention to affordable healthcare on cam-pus. The Non-Traditional Experi-ence student club co-sponsored the event.

Students received information about free and reduced services available to students.

“Those of us in the [health care] industry have known the system wasn’t working,’ said Jim Hurst, Director of the IUSB counseling center. “Hopefully now the focus on the issue will help everyone.”

In addition, some other ideas

for health insurance many may overlook were suggested. Sugges-tions included programs such as the IU Voluntary Student Insur-ance, HIP (Healthy Indiana Plan), or for children S-CHIP (Statewide Children’s Health Insurance Plan).

The Health and Wellness Cen-ter located on the first floor of the Student Activities Center provides health care to students, faculty and staff at a significantly reduced fee.

Appointments are highly rec-ommended. The clinic is a nurse practitioner run practice where you can get most of the services you could find at a regular family doctor; they even have a small in-house pharmacy.

Health forum highlights services available on campus

The Preface/APRIL BUCK

Laura Hieronymus, left, director of the Health and Wellness listens with Jim Hurst, center, director of the Student Counseling Center as Jennifer Klein, left, of the dental education discusses the services offered for dental hygeine. For information on all the health services available on campus go to www.iusbpreface.com.

By APRIL BUCKStaff Writer

There will be a presentation on “Constance de Salm (1767-1848): An Enlightened Girl and her Be-loved City” on Dec. 11 at noon in Wiekamp 2170.

IU South Bend professor Lesley Walker is giving the presentation and the talk ties in with this year’s campus theme “The Urban and The Rural”.

De Salm was an intellectual woman who was a poet and suc-cessful playwright during a tu-multuous time in French history. Walker’s talk will focus on a poem “Sur la Campagne” (On the coun-tryside) and how de Salm advo-cates for women staying in the city where all the action, enlighten-

ment, and intellectual community are. Walker’s French F313 students will be participating by helping with translation of the poem.

This time period is Walker’s specialty and this project is picking up where her book leaves off just after the beginning of the French revolution. This talk is an adapta-tion of a conference presentation Walker gave in Toulouse, France in September.

“She was a remarkable wom-an…just incredibly inspirational. There will be a wonderful Pow-erPoint and we’ll look at a lot of art,” said Walker. “I think what is inspiring is that the fight never ends. What she was fighting for 200 years ago, we’re still in some ways fighting about and for today.”

An Elightened Girl and her Beloved City lecture

“I think this school gives you so many opportunities to be able to have success-ful events like our blood drive,”

— Aleah Wilburn

The IUSB Preface Page 5

By APRIL BUCKStaff Writer

In recognition of World AIDS Day, Project Fierce and the IU South Bend Black Student Union teamed up to host a film screening and discussion of “Out of Control: HIV/AIDS” and Mind Your P’s & Q’s – A Live Podcast Forum About Sex & Sexuality.

World AIDS Day is held on 1 December every year. It is an in-ternational day to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS around the world. The first World AIDS Day was celebrated on Dec. 1, 1988. This year’s theme is “human rights and access to treatment”.

IUSB’s event took place on Wednesday, Dec. 2 in Wiekamp

By KRISTINE BAILEYStaff Writer

Brain drain. Inconvenience. Loss of farmland. Isolation. These issues, which are faced by the South Bend community, are not specific to this place. In a talk last week, State Representative Ryan Dvorak discussed how city plan-ning and development have contrib-uted to these issues.

Referenc-ing the book, The Geogra-phy of No-where, which shows how strip mall developments filled with chain stores can make one place look like any other and discussed the causes and effects of such development, Dvorak outlined the “inherent problem” of these development practices.

“We’ve abandoned our indus-trial core and torn up our urban center,” Dvorak explained.

Zoning regulations dating from the 1920s are largely to blame, he pointed out. He described the benefits of a community-oriented design, a “new urbanism,” which create mixed use neighborhoods made up of a variety of people. It would allow people to walk where they need to go, saving money, time and creating safer and friend-lier neighborhoods.

Return to community design “new urbanism”; linear neighbor-hood of varied income, uses; walk

World AIDS Day recognition at IUSB

where need to go (i.e. store)“Today, we spend thousands of

dollars to purchase and maintain a car,” Dvorak said.

One of the reasons people feel the need to do so, he explained, is because their homes are situated far from stores, workplaces and schools, necessitating the expense.

“We have lost the convenience of traditional living ar-rangements,” he added.

Through the use of aerial pho-t o g r a p h s , w h i c h s h o w e d s p r a w l i n g local devel-

opments surrounded by acres of parking lots, his message was clear. This is no way to live if people want to live in a unique, friendly community.

As a member of the Indiana House of Representatives, where he has served since 2002, Dvorak chairs the Environmental Affairs committee. From this perspec-tive, he sees two ways to change the world we live in. One is to educate legislators, council people and other elected officials about how the community should be designed. The other is to work to change zoning laws which require a dependence on cars, large park-ing lots, and segregated areas for living, shopping and working.

“We can rebuild our commu-nities,” he said. “The key is ad-dressing laws and rules that dictate how.”

CAMPUS NEWS/ACADEMICS

Are we nowhere?

Hall and featured a live podcast discussing sex, sexuality and sexual health with a panel of experts. A link to the podcast will be added to Project Fierce’s blog page, www.projectfierce.blogspot.com in the very near future.

The forum discussion featured Debra Stanley a community leader and advocate.

“Fear ye not knowledge of thine ownself,” said Stanley. “If you val-ue your status as a human being you will know your HIV status.”

Over the past 25 years HIV-AIDS has come into view as a worldwide public health crisis. There are approximately 33 mil-lion people infected with HIV1 with an additional 7000 people reporting new infections daily.

“We’ve abandoned our industrial core and torn up our urban center,”

— Ryan DvorakState Representative

By APRIL BUCKStaff Writer

How do you know graduate school is the right decision? And when do you have to start thinking about grad school anyway?

“Grad school is a lot of work, but it is great fun.  It gives you the opportunity to study an area in depth – so it is important to like what it is that you are studying” said Dean Mary Jo Regan-Kubin-ski of IU South Bend’s College of Health Sciences.  

Only you can make the deci-sion to continue your formal edu-cation and it is not a decision to take lightly. You should consider your long-term goals and dreams as well as your interests and abili-ties. It’s also important to examine your skills, aptitudes, and weak-nesses with brutal honesty. In ad-dition, you must scrutinize why you want to go to grad school, what your career goals are, what you intend to specialize in, and if you have the motivation to con-tinue your schooling for another two to seven years.

“Investing in yourself through additional education is a wonder-ful thing.  If you are able to, it can put your personal and professional life on a different and really in-teresting path.” said Dean Robert Ducoffe of IUSB’s school of Busi-ness and economics.

Making the decision to go to graduate school is only a small part of the process. Good preparation will be a key factor in gaining ac-ceptance to a graduate program.

“Begin planning for graduate school as soon as you believe that it is a potential option for you,” said Dean Lynn Williams, IUSB Col-lege of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

According to Rebecca Torstick, IU South Bend associate dean and professor of anthropology,

Are you thinking about grad school?some students, particularly at top schools, start their undergraduate career knowing they plan to con-tinue on to graduate school. 

“Talk to your instructors about what graduate study is like in their discipline and how to prepare for graduate study” said Torstick, “This has the side benefit of help-ing you establish relationships with faculty members—important for later when you may need refer-ence letters.”

Mike Renfrow, of IUSB Gradu-ate Services, says it is helpful to know you want to go to graduate school along your way through the undergraduate program. Knowing early helps if there are prerequisites for the graduate program. This al-lows students to complete them as part of their undergraduate degree, saving both time and money.

Once you decide graduate school is right for you, begin working with an advisor to build a “resume” that will make you a competitive applicant. According to Regan-Kubinski it is important to have a good GPA.

“Preparation begins with put-ting in the effort and the work to succeed at the undergraduate lev-el,” said Regan-Kubinski. “In addi-tion, recommendations are impor-tant factors.   This translates into being a good employee (whether or not the job directly relates to the graduate school goals)”

Recommendations for building your resume for graduate school are a lot like the recommenda-tions for building a strong resume to join the workforce after college. Torstick recommends that stu-dents do volunteer work in their area of interest, hold leadership roles in campus and community organizations, write for the stu-dent newspaper, conduct indepen-dent research, attain funding for research projects, publish research

findings in undergraduate journals or disciplinary journals, present research at conferences, and work at an internship, preferably a com-petitive one.

“A strong personal statement or if a writing sample is required can make the difference,” said Renfrow. 

Of course, once the prepara-tion work is complete the appli-cation process begins. Regan-Ku-binski urges students to consider studying elsewhere if it is some-thing they can manage.

“You will open yourself to a new world, new ideas, new people, new ways of thinking – all impor-tant ingredients to making the most of going to the “next” level.”

Torstick advises students to choose carefully.

“Look for a school where the faculty is doing work that you per-sonally find exciting and compel-ling,” she said.

Other items Torstick feels are important in the selection process are graduation rates, supportive faculty members, and post-grad-uation job placements. She also suggests finding a program that allows you to complete the degree without being in debt for most of your life either through funding or affordable tuition rates.

When you are applying to pro-grams, you should tailor you appli-cation to the specific program you are applying for. Ideally, candidates should demonstrate that they are a good fit to the program in terms of interests, abilities and goals.

For more information about graduate school, IUSB’s sociology/anthropology department has a page on their website with infor-mation about graduate school and preparations, http://www.iusb.edu/~socanth/graduate.shml.

Checklist for Graduate School Application Success• Begin early• Talk to your advisor about your goals• Excel in your courses – maintain that GPA some schools require a 3.33 or above!• Get to know your professors – you will need their support and guidance to help make graduate school a

reality• Get involved in research with a professor.

Research experience, presentations, and publications are the keys to graduate school• Write for the student newspaper• Independent research• Develop a well-rounded background• Demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills• Take a GRE prep course to prepare for the Graduate Record Exam• Volunteer and participate in campus organizations that relate to your discipline (particularly in leader-

ship roles)• Work in an internship• Research graduate schools to find a good fit for your goals and interests

PAGE 6 www.iusbpreface.com

In tough economic times, entertainment need not be sacrificed.

By MEAGEN THOMPSONStaff Writer

It’s the end of the semester. You’re burnt out, both physically and financially. And like most non-traditional students here, you will have other obligations over the three-week break between se-mesters.

But should the luxury of free time be yours, there are plenty of opportunities for family-friendly entertainment close by. And they don’t all require long distance trav-el or lots of cash.

Outdoor Activities

A break from sitting in class-rooms the entire fall, these activi-ties offer exercise disguised as fun. Try inner tubing at Ferrettie/Baugo Creek County Park or St. Patrick’s County Park. Weather permitting, tubing is offered weekends from late-Dec. through Feb., 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. It is $3 per person, plus vehicle gate fee. Innertubes are provided as available.

Snowshoeing is offered at Fer-rettie/Baugo Creek County Park on the weekends from late-Dec. through Feb. from 11 a.m. – 4

Free and cheap events in the areap.m. It costs just $3 per person, plus vehicle gate fee. This is a great way to enjoy the snow and sights of winter while getting in some exercise. Call St. Joseph County Parks at (574) 654-3155 for infor-mation on snowshoeing and inner tubing.

Howard Park Ice Rink hosts ice-skating every day of the week beginning Nov. 27. Resident adults are $5, children up to 17 are $4, and children under five are free. Skate rental is $3, but free skate rental is available Monday – Thursday from 3 to 5:30 p.m. with paid admission. The park’s website offers a coupon for one compli-mentary rink admission when one is purchased. More information on other deals can be found there as well. Contact the park at (574) 235-9451 for more information.

Indoor Activities

Not a winter person? Plenty of indoor opportunities for free and/or cheap fun in Michiana exist. Cinemark Movies 6 in Misha-waka offers Reel Family Time ev-ery Monday. For groups of three or more, admission is only $0.75 per person. Movies at this theater are not new releases, but there is always at least one children’s movie and a few for teens and adults. Other discounts can be found on the website or by calling

1-800-FANDANGO and entering theater code1434.

Rum Village Nature Center is showing a holiday movie on Dec. 18 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Cost is $1 per person, with popcorn and drinks available, though these may be extra. Registration is required, so contact the park at (574) 235-9455.

Holiday Bounce-o-Rama Fun Nights, from Dec. 28-30, promise to be fun for adults and children. For $3 per person, participants gather to bounce in bouncies, the inflatable bouncing structures seen at fairs and carnivals. Teen Bounce Night is Dec. 28 and Fam-ily Bounce Night is Dec. 29, both from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and both at O’Brien Center Gym. Registration is required, so contact Cathy Pyn-aert at (574) 299-4768.

Cultural/Educational Activities

The University of Notre Dame offers several free attractions. For history and architect lovers there is the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Murals by artist Luigi Gregori cover the walls and ceilings of this structure. The basilica boasts an old trunk and tools once belong-ing to Gregori. It is open daily and is free of charge. Call (574) 631-7329 for hours.

Also with free admission at

Notre Dame is the Snite Museum of Art. Exhibits range from

Native American collections, ethnographic, modern and con-temporary art, and decorative art. Call (574) 631-5466 for hours and information.

The South Bend Museum of Art holds works from local art-ists and artists of this region. Ad-mission is free, except for special events and exhibits. The museum is open every day except Monday.

Call (574) 235-9102.The Main branch of the St.

Joseph County Public Library is hosting a Kwanzaa celebration Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. Lighting of the candles and the reading of the seven principles will be offered, as well as light refreshments. Local gospel groups will perform, and elders who have contributed to the community will be recognized. More information can be found by calling (574) 282-4630.

FEATURES

By JENN ZELLERS Editor

The Titan women improved to 9-2 on the season after defeating Indiana Institute of Technology (ITT) on the road 52-51.

Katie Hacker led the Titan women with 18 points and 7 re-bounds. Betsy Grogan had 9 points. The Titans were down 9 points at the half before outscoring ITT 37-27 in the second half.

Earlier in the week, the Titans defeated Trinity Christian College on Dec. 2 85-50.

Forward Katie Hacker led the team with 16 points and 7 re-bounds. Hacker also went 5 for 5 from the line. Kayla George had 13 points from the paint and 3 for 4 from beyond the arc. Guard Ashley Hummer added 11 points while Becca Hoefler added 10 points. The Titan shot 54% from the field.

The next home game for the Ti-tan women is Dec. 9 against Hun-tington College at 7 p.m. in the Student Activities Center (SAC).

The Siena Heights University Saints edged by the Titan men 73-72 at the SAC on Dec. 5.

Senior Mark Comparato led the Titans with 18 points. Three other Titans made into double digits. Ben Werner had 14 points shooting 6 of 11 from the field. Terry Hill 13 points and Quinn Brooks had 10, shooting 8 of 8 from the line.

The Titans were down by nine at the end of the first half, shoot-ing only 32% from the field. They outscored the Saints in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to push ahead onto victory. The Titan men are now 2-8 on the season.

The next home game for the Ti-tan men is against Grace College at 7 p.m. in the SAC.

Titan b-ball round up

Preface photo/JEFF TATAY

Josh Stoops goes for a shot in the Dec. 5 loss against Siena Heights University. T

SGA plans sit in and study

The Student Government Assocaition is organizing a sit in and study in Greenlawn Hall on Thursday, Dec. 10 from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Friday, Dec. 11.

The computer labe in Greenlawn is always open dur-ing finals week and according to the group’s Facebook page, the administration feels that this is enough.

The purpose of the sit in is to draw awareness to the need of a 24-hour computer lab on campus.

The IUSB Preface Page 7ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

By REBECCA GIBSONStaff Writer

Love her or hate her, there is no denying that Lady Gaga is a phenomenon of American pop-culture.

With her new Monster Ball tour having kicked off just af-ter Thanksgiving, and with six Grammy nominations newly an-nounced, this looks to be the year of the self styled Fame Monster. Though her biographic informa-tion claims style influence from Madonna and Michael Jackson, Gaga is like nothing America has ever seen before, and much of America likes what it sees.

While it would be easy to only look at the surface of her persona, the glam outfits, the wild hair, and the music videos that watch like sex on legs, there is a deeper com-ponent to her music and lyrics.

Her second album, The Fame Monster, moves her focus from the dark side of fame to the much darker side. The first song released to YouTube from *The Fame Mon-ster*, “Bad Romance,” looks at how a woman can become trapped into a cycle of horrid or violent romantic encounters, and how the flames of those encounters can de-stroy everything she loves, includ-ing herself.

Characteristic in her music vid-eos, Lady Gaga uses the symbolism of the colors and the various com-ponents of the outfits she wears to tell her viewers a story almost in the background of the music. In “Bad Romance,” which features an amazing number of costume

changes, the viewer watches her clothing change from white to black and back again, with the in-nocence or lack of innocence of the story.

It is also worth noting that Lady Gaga can do the two things it seems most artists have given up these days in exchange for looking pretty; she can sing and she can dance. Her voice, which is flex-ible and full, is not auto-toned for her videos or songs—a disturbing trend in the pop-culture world. And while you can’t see her sweat, (that is probably computer edited out), you can see that in her videos she is dancing and dancing like she means it.

For those of you who are gaga about Lady Gaga, her concert is making its way near this area in early January. With three days in Chicago, two in Detroit and one in West Lafayette Indiana, there are plenty of Monster Ball dates to go around, but get your tick-ets soon, her shows are selling out quickly.

No resisting the Fame Monster

GET YOUR GAGA TIX

To order tickets for the Chica-go concert, go to www.tinyurl.com/prefacegaga. The link will take you to the Ticketmas-ter website. Basic ticket pack-ages run from $75-$37.50.

For more venue options for Lady Gaga visit www.tinyurl.com/prefacegaga1. This link will take you to the artist page on Ticketmaster.

By REBECCA GIBSONStaff Writer

Perhaps the sweetest thing of Amahl and the Night Visitors was the obvious enjoyment of the two main characters, Amahl, a young crippled boy, and his mother. Amahl, played by 11-year-old Mikey Nolan, struck just the right tone of a young boy who wanted more independence yet held great loyalty to his mother. Amahl’s mother, played by CreAnne Mwale, had her motherly annoy-ance tempered by affection.

In this one act opera by Gian Carlo Menotti, an Italian born

American composer, Amahl and his mother are visited by the three kings on their way to find Christ. Amahl is known to make things up, and his mother despairs at ever being able to believe him, yet he is telling the truth when he tells her of the well dressed gentlemen at the door.

One thing this opera does not do is take itself too seriously. Al-though, as the director’s note in the program reminds us, this story tells of a miracle, it contains some innocent fun in the form of inter-pretation by the cast.

Of the three kings, King Kas-par—played by freshman music

major Lucas Miner—is slightly deaf…and slightly out of touch with reality as evidenced by his description of what he carries in his box, which he never trav-els without. In fact, his childlike overexcitement has to be reined in by the other kings, Balthazaar and Melchior. If Miner’s mastery of this distinctly odd character is any indication, he will soon be one of IU South Bend’s finest actors.

Once the kings are settled in Amahl’s mother’s house, the many shepherds come to greet them, entering to the haunting tune of “Emily! Emily!” and three shep-herdesses are picked to dance for

the kings. These shepherdesses were played by Kayla Dalton, Stephanie Musser, and Amorena Ruffolo. What begins as a per-fectly ordinary dance is soon made into a spot of comic genius by the one-upmanship and pushing and shoving in which the women en-gage. It is unclear how the kings keep a straight face, for by the end of the dance the audience had bro-ken down into giggles.

In the most touching scene of the show, Amahl leaps to de-fend his mother with cries that his mother is a good woman, and if the page does not stop trying to hurt her, Amahl will break the

page’s bones and bash in his head. The audience can see that these are empty threats. Amahl cannot walk without the support of his crutch, and as he realizes that he cannot adequately defend his mother, he breaks down in tears as she sup-ports him.

At the end of the show, Marvin Curtis, Dean of the Raclin School of the Arts, thanked the perform-ers and the audience, and said that the last time IUSB performed this opera was 1987 and that he was happy to see that between the two performances, there were almost 800 people in attendance.

Review: Amahl and the Night Visitors

By JENN ZELLERS and BRANDI MILLEREditors

The Santa Clause

You’ve killed Santa Claus and you find out that oops… you have to take his place. And if you’ve become the type that really hates Christmas, it’s even more of a shock. Talk about a personality change.

Disney’s The Santa Clause puts a whole new spin on the holiday spirit. Tim Allen stars as Scott Cal-vin, a businessman who inadver-tently kills Santa Claus on Christ-mas Eve. He puts on the jolly red suit as per the instruction and finds himself transforming into Jolly Old St. Nick.

The movie is a heart-warming family tale about the true spirit of Christmas when Calvin learns that his ex-wife and her new finance try to break-it-ever-so-gently to Char-lie, the son, about Santa Claus.

The plot moves along—Charlie is convinced that his dad is Santa, while others are convinced that Calvin has gone crazy. Calvin ac-cepts his new role and convinces others that he is indeed, Santa Clause.

Love Actually

A touching poignant film about love in all of its forms, Love Actu-ally with the ensemble cast that includes Liam Neeson, Kiera Knightly, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant—the list goes on, is a sweet, film that makes you think about all of the loves in your life.

Set six weeks before Christmas, the film shows the connection be-

More holiday movie fun

tween several English families and friends as they fall in and out of love with each other. It is a simple story of life and death, happy and sad, but with a good ending that makes the viewer hopeful by its ending. Not too sappy, but it is romantic and loving—from the young boy who loses his mother to cancer only to find his first love, who has the same name as his mom and to the co-workers that fall for each other over daily conversations. It also shows the couple who do not speak the same languages but fall in love just the same. With Love Actually you can cuddle up on the couch with your love and enjoy the warmth that resonates from the film.

The Ref

When you get tired of all of the happy, feel-good holiday mov-ies try out something darker. The

Ref, with the all-star cast of De-nis Leary, Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey is about a cat burglar Gus, (Leary) who in a sudden desper-ate moment takes a husband and wife hostage on Christmas Eve. His first mistake was choosing the pair that he did. On the verge of divorce because of infidelities but trying to keep up appearances to get through the holidays for their delinquent son and crazy extend-ed family, they bicker and pick at each other which makes Gus think twice about being caught by the police.

With a supportive cast of odd characters from a dim-witted part-ner, a testy mother-in-law, and a drunken Santa, the fun never stops in The Ref. Coming up with real is-sues that families face and Leary’s sarcastic style, it’s a great film to watch for a non-traditional holi-day date night.

Kevin Space and Judy Davis star ialong wtih Denis Leary in the 1994 Touchstone Pictures film The Ref. The film centers around a dysfunctional couple who bicker about their transgressions whild tied up.

Screengrab courtesy/TOUCHSTONE PICTURES

PAGE 8 www.iusbpreface.comTHE BACK PAGE

Dreaming of a Home Grown Green ChristmasBy KRISTINE BAILEYStaff Writer

Reduce, reuse, recycle and rot: these are the tips the folks at earth-team.net encourage holiday shop-pers to remember. Sounds pretty glamorous, eh? Consider the alter-native…

In this country, a million extra tons of trash is produced each week between Thanksgiving and Christ-mas. Perhaps thinking about rot is not such a bad idea. Any gift that is given will eventually end its life somewhere. Could that place be the compost pile, the recycle bin, or donation center? If not, how soon will it end up in the landfill? How soon will its useful life end, and if it is fairly soon – less than six months – is it worth giving?

This year, consider giving gifts that give back. Consider support-ing sustainability-minded local or-ganizations which support people, the planet, and local economies. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Better World Books: a lo-cally based company chock full of eco-goodness. It is a social en-terprise which collects used books and sells them online, and now in

a small store within their ware-house, to raise money for literacy efforts across the planet. Started by Notre Dame graduates and based in Mishawaka, it is a Certified B Corporation, a new type of corpo-ration which addresses social and environmental problems through business practices. Find out more at www.betterworldbooks.com and at www.bcorporation.net/about

Just Goods: another local busi-ness which sells clothing and home products from its store on Misha-waka Avenue (just west of campus) and online. Products are carefully screened to assure that they are made with respect for the workers and the environment. www.just-goods.net.

Michiana Green Pages: Seek-ing a local green business or service where you can shop or purchase gift certificates? This resources guide is a great place to start your search. Find it online at www.mi-chianagreenpages.org.

ShoLo: Give the gift of shop-ping! Supporting local businesses keeps profits in the local economy, supporting local businesses and local families. If you are not sure what to buy from where, this year,

the organization is offering the ShoLo Value Card for $25. It will give the card holder discounts at local businesses and even some free stuff just by shopping locally. See www.sholo.org for more informa-tion.

Help Save the Greenhouse and Save Some Green: Purchas-ing a local business discount card can support efforts to preserve the Potawatomi Greenhouse (located just east of campus on Mishawaka Avenue). The cards are $15 and are good January – December, 2010. Pick them up at the Greenhouse, at the Howard Park General Store on Jefferson Avenue, the Historic Preservation offices on Lafayette St. across from the County-City Building, or get more information from Heidi at the Greenhouse, 235-9442, or from Martha at 234-7632. Learn more at www.botani-calsocietyofsouthbend.org.

Give the gift of giving: Provide an experience as a gift – bowling or movie passes, for example. Then mirror the gift in their name to an individual or family at a home-less shelter or service agency. They give, they get, and everyone shares time together.

Wrap it up in eco-style!Most gift wrap and rib-bon are NOT recyclable, so try out some of these ideas for presenting your presents.

• It can be gift wrap!• Comics• Brown paper bags

(plain or tied with raffia or hemp twine)

• Old maps• Children’s art• Cloth bags• Decorated shoe

box• Holiday coffee

mug or tin

GREEN EVENTS Sustainable Business Round Table Monthly Meet-ing, Dec. 18 from 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. Home Energy, LLC, Middlebury, IN. For more information: Eric Strader, eric@ericstraderpottery.com, 574-534-0275

Holiday Naturals Part 2: Pine Cone Christmas Tree, Wednesday, Dec. 9 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. Elkhart Environ-mental Center. The fee is $10 per person.  For more informa-tion: 574/293-5070

Healthy Holiday Cook-ing, Tuesday, Dec. 15 from 6 – 7 p.m. Elkhart Environ-mental Center. A $5 donation is appreciated.   For more information: 574/293-5070 

Submit an event for the IUSB Green Event Calendar to kob@iusb.edu.

By REBECCA GIBSONStaff Writer

As emotions fly as high as San-ta’s reindeer this season, thoughts do not automatically turn to being polite. However, etiquette is there to make sure that we all enjoy our-selves. Here are five handy tips to make this season bright:

When giving or receiving, think not of yourself:

It is easy to fall into the pat-tern of ‘asking’ for gifts that are over your friend or relative’s bud-get. It is similarly easy to purchase gifts for others that are more to your taste than theirs. If someone should buy you a gift, respond with gratitude no matter what it is. If you seriously cannot stom-ach keeping it, donate it to charity after the holidays. There is no need to tell them what you did with the gift or that you did not like it. When buying gifts for others, make sure to take their preferences into mind, including color, style, and interests whenever possible. A thoughtfully selected gift will be a joy for years to come.

Manners and Mannerisms: In the Holiday SpiritAt holiday parties, remember there are others who need to eat too:

Although it may be tempting to take the last shrimp from the shrimp cocktail, or the last choc-olate from the box, it is polite to ask if everyone has gotten enough to eat before you finish things off. Also, if the party has a buf-fet, seconds when everyone’s done are considered appropriate. Not so much thirds.

Drink responsibly:

If you are of age, there is noth-ing wrong with a drink or two at parties. However, in vino veri-tas should remind you that when you are drunk people can learn some ugly truths about you. For the holidays, your goal should be to regulate your intake so that everyone enjoys themself and no one is left pouring you into a taxi or cleaning up after you. Always use a buddy system to designate a driver, or surrender your keys to your host if you do not have a designated driver and plan to have more than a few.

Take a walk:

If things are getting to be too much, rather than venting your frustrations on your loved ones, take a walk. Northern Indiana in the winter is cold enough to cool the hottest tempers, and after stuffing oneself with sugary holi-day goodies, a walk will help ease the tension of the waistband too. There are so many benefits to tak-ing a walk: no annoying Christmas

carols or relatives. No chance to add more calories to your diet. A chance to reconnect with nature and drink in the stillness of the season.

At this of all times, practice tol-erance:

Although it should never mat-ter in polite society what religion another person practices, so long as they are a good person, many people find ideological differences

difficult to get around. However, the winter holiday season is a time in which people from all different religious and cultural practices can come together in the spirit of gen-erosity and charity, and put their differences aside to concentrate on the ways in which they are simi-lar. When you focus on people’s hopes, aspirations, and abilities, you will see how much alike we all are. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.