The Beacon - Issue 4 - Sept. 20

THE UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND’S STUDENT NEWSPAPERVol. 114, Issue 4 www.upbeacon.netBEACONThe

Sister Angela Hoffman has been researching the same chemical – Taxol, an anti-cancer drug – for over 20 years. But to her, it’s still as exciting as it was in 1990.

“It’s like a treasure hunt, and you just want to keep looking and looking and looking, and you keep asking questions,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman, a chemistry professor, was awarded a fellowship last month by the American Chemical Society (ACS) for her work with the society and her contributions to scientific research. During her 23 years at UP, Hoffman has advised the ACS student group at UP, held demonstrations at OMSI and helped sponsor National

Chemistry Week.Hoffman’s research on Taxol

is focused primarily on how it is created by plants like the yew tree and the hazelnut tree, as well as some fungi. This research has led Hoffman to file four patents, which cover different methods of extracting Taxol from various plants.

She was originally drawn to this area of research in 1990,

when a senior chemistry major wanted to do a project on trees. He got the idea of researching the yew tree from an Oregonian article, and Hoffman helped him with his project.

Since then, Hoffman has continued to work with students – over 150 of them, by her estimate. She sees her student collaborators as important

contributors of her research.“You don’t do these kinds

of projects on your own. You do them as a collaboration,” Hoffman said. “So people who think scientists work alone in the lab by themselves are totally wrong. You can’t do it.”

Bill Miechelson, a senior biology major, took his first college class – an 8:10 a.m.

general chemistry class – from Hoffman.

“She’s really invested not only in my learning, but also in all the classes she teaches,” Miechelson said.

‘Too much curiosity’ is a

good thing

Philip EllefsonStaff Writer

[email protected]

Angela Hoffman, a chemistry professor and Benedictine Sister, researches a cure for cancer

“God puts stuff out there in the environment. I’m just out there trying to figure out what’s going on. I’m the treasure person, and the treasure’s already out there.”

Angela Hoffman Chemistry professor

Stephanie Matusiefsky | THE BEACON

Angela Hoffman was given a fellowship award by the American Chemical Society last month for her contribtions to scientific research. Hoffman’s research focuses on Taxol, an anticancer drug, and she has filed four patents about different ways to extract the drug from plants.

See Chemistry, page 3

Bollywood brings energy to Fall Cultural Festival Annual multicultural night at Espresso UP on Wednesday, Sept. 19 featured a Bollywood dance show in front of St. Mary’s Student Center. Students danced along with the performers and enjoyed free Indian food.

Jackie Jeffers | THE BEACONJackie Jeffers | THE BEACON

Need your caffiene fix? Check out the Portland Coffee Crawl. Living, pgs 8-9

Who’s got jokes? Living pg 7

ThursdaySeptember 20,

2012

On Campus Fall Dance Tickets on Sale Tickets to the dance will be on sale from Sept. 24 to Sept 28. Tickets are $10, and will be sold in the Office of Student Activities in St. Mary’s Student Lounge from 10 to 11:15 a.m. and 1 to 4:45 p.m. Tickets will also be for sale in The Bauccio Commons 11:20 a.m. to 1:20 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets are available in both locations Monday through Friday. CPB Movie

The movie this week is The Amazing Spiderman. The movie is free and will be played at 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Pilots After Dark Event Residence Life will host Fall Fest on the West Quad at 10 p.m. on Saturday night. Activities will include music and a bonfire with free bratwurst and rootbeer. The first 100 students can decorate their own purple pride flag. Students are encouraged to bring a blanket for sitting on the lawn. Women’s self-defense class Tuesday at 8:30 p.m., there will be a free class on self defense in the Mehling Hall Ballroom. Classes are open to all female students, faculty, staff and family members. The class will be taught by Stan Miller. More information can be found at www.portlandjujitsu.com Internship and Volunteer Fair Career Services and the Moreau Center host representatives from more than 40 organizations Wednesday from 1 to 4 p.m. in Franz Hall and Buckley Center room 163. Students can stop by at any time and get information about internship and volunteer opportunities. Annual Zahm Lecture Carolyn Woo, CEO of Catholic Relief Services and former dean of the Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame, will speak at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. Woo’s lecture, titled “Let Love Lead” will be in Buckley Center Auditorium, and is free to the public. Club Volleyball Tryouts The University of Portland Club Volleyball team will hold tryouts Sunday from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Howard Hall gym. Vote UP Event From 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Vote UP will hosts a panel discussion about Health Care and the Election in St. Mary’s Student Lounge.

On CampusNEWS2 September 20, 2012

Q: Is this your first time in Portland?

A: I have been several times. One of my oldest friends whom I met when we both at Oxford University in 1966 has lived in Portland since 1970 (conducting Latin church choirs and the annual Byrd Festival) and I have visited him several times.

One of my first graduate students came to Cambridge from Portland State University and he helped set it up for me to come with my wife and four daughters for seven weeks to teach a summer school at PSU in 1982. I visited UP then because my late wife did a summer programme in Renaissance English polyphony on campus and I heard her sing in a production of Carissimi’s Jeptha.

Q: Was history always your favorite subject, or was there something else that appealed to

you in college?A: I had a wonderful High

School teacher who turned me on not just to History but to Tudors and Stuarts and I have been hooked on it ever since – and that was in 1961 and 1962!

Q: Is there any particular subject you’d like to share with students?

A: As I have got older I have become more and more passionate about Irish History and especially about the terrible events of the mid seventeenth century: when many thousands of English settlers were massacred by the Catholic population in 1641 and 1642 and the revolutionary regime under Cromwell took a terrible revenge a decade later -- being an English Catholic makes me as neutral as it is possible to get!

But I am also passionate about the dilemmas of Catholics during the centuries of persecution, what an old English Catholic hymn calls the period of ‘dungeon, fire and sword’ and that is the starting point for my lecture.

Q: Why do you think history is important when thinking about faith?

A: As well as being a Professor of History I am an ordained permanent deacon and preach regularly (VERY different from lecturing!) I also teach Church History at a seminary at weekends and try to help those in formation to put themselves into the mental worlds of the past and how men and women made sense of their worlds and struggled with dilemmas which are echoed in our own.

Q: Do you have a favorite historical figure?

A: Embarrassingly, I have to say Oliver Cromwell a man of great (if misguided) faith whose attempts to live out the gospel as he understood it are a great deal more edifying than some of the results!

But I also have a huge admiration for other people of faith who struggle to work out how to live in the world as it is with all its brokenness and not to live in the world as they would

like it to be. This will become clear from my lecture, I hope!

Q: How you do think being Catholic affects your views of English history?

A: I was brought up as a Protestant, spent 10 years in agonized agnosticism and became a Catholic in December 1977 at the age of 31. I was ordained in 1996. Being a Christian affects what interests me in the past; being a Catholic has only made a difference since I had to teach the whole of Church history from the death of Jesus to the Second Vatican Council in 12 hours!

At the end of my lecture, you will understand more about the relationship of my faith and my views than I will ever see for myself.

John Morrill, a professor of English and Irish history, will speak at Buckley Center room 163 on Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. Morrill will headline “Faith of our Fathers: Legacies of the English Catholic History” presented by the Garaventa Center

Harry BlakemanStaff Writer

[email protected]

Cambridge professor to visit campus

Laura McLary is recognized by the Confederation in Oregon for Foreign Languages Teaching

Photo courtesty of historycambridge.com

Q&A

German professor wins teaching award

German professor Laura McLary is now a part of the COFLT (Confederation in Oregon for Foreign Languages Teaching) Honor Roll, after winning the award for Outstanding Teaching in Foreign Language at the college or university level.

“I am deeply grateful to be recognized,” McLary said. “I feel that having access to a culture through language is key to the study of any culture, and being conversant in another language expands your entire sense of the rest of the world. Getting the award is some sort of confirmation of those things that I really believe about German and about the study of language.”

McLary first began teaching German while attending graduate school at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she also received her doctorate. After receiving her doctorate in Germanic languages and literature in 1996, she took on her first full-time teaching job as an assistant professor of German at University of Mississippi. In 1999, she joined the University of Portland’s foreign language department as a German professor.

McLary said she knew she wanted to work at UP when she saw there was an open position.

“Before I even applied for the job, I saw the job ad and thought, ‘I think this is the job for me,’” McLary said.

Since then, McLary has helped expand UP’s German

studies. “When I arrived in 1999, we

only had a German minor and a certificate, which is a hybrid between a minor and a major,” McLary said. “It was all still an undefined thing. We just didn’t have enough students at the time to support a major.”

As campus grew, McLary helped to develop the German studies major, which was officially introduced in 2004.

Hill credits McLary with most of the program’s success.

“It was a lot of her hard work that helped the German studies program to grow to what it is today,” Hill said.

McLary also plays a role in students’ success with Fulbright scholarships and other programs in Austria, working with students

on their applications and other necessary preparations.

In addition to receiving the COFLT honor, McLary also received UP’s Teaching Award this past May, recognizing her ability to effectively enhance student learning and her commitment to student learning, motivation and development.

For McLary’s colleagues, her awards were well deserved.

“Nobody who has seen Laura teach is surprised she got the award,” fellow German professor Alexandra Hill said. “She got the award because it’s so well deserved.”

For her students, it is no surprise that she received these awards.

“She relates to her students so well,” junior Catherine Kendrick

said. “It’s because of that that she’s able to keep her students so interested in classes.”

Senior Erin Burns agrees that it is McLary’s relationship with her students that make her a great professor.

“She has so many students, yet she’s still able to point out each student and understands their strengths and weaknesses,” Burns said.

McLary will receive her award Oct. 12 at an awards reception that will take place at the annual COFLT conference in Vancouver Wash.

McLary is the second recipient of the award from UP. Spanish professor Kate Regan recieved the award in 2010.

Amanda BlasStaff Writer

[email protected]

Giovanna Solano | THE BEACON

Laura McLary teaches German, and has helped establish UP’s German Studies Major. McLary is the second UP professor to win the COFLT award.

www.upbeacon.net 3NEWS

“She’s really devoted to helping every student.”

Miechelson is working with Hoffman to identify another chemical produced by yew trees that kills insects. The research could possibly lead to a useful natural pesticide.

“This project is something nobody’s done before,” Miechelson said. “It’s really fun to do something no one’s thought about.”

Hoffman enjoys watching students go through the process of research.

“I like to see them discover things. You see the light turn on, and they say, ‘Oh wow, look at that!’ and then they’re hooked,” Hoffman said. “That’s pretty cool to see.”

Chemistry professor Ronda Bard said Hoffman is responsible for motivating student researchers’ curiosity.

“They have loved the opportunity to do the work. They put in a lot more work than they’re required to, because they want

to,” Bard said. “That curiosity in the students is derived from Dr. Hoffman.”

Nhan Tran, a sophomore biochemistry major is also conducting research with Hoffman, agrees that his research with Hoffman has been exciting.

“I do really enjoy it. Sometimes I spend an entire day doing my work,” Tran said.

Tran’s work with Hoffman is related to another potential anticancer drug found in a medicinal plant. His family is from Vietnam and has been using for generations.

Although it is serious research, Tran and Hoffman have fun working in the lab.

“She and I were joking about how we might get a Nobel Prize,” Tran said.

As a Benedictine religious sister, Hoffman’s curiosity about chemicals in the natural world is driven by her faith.

“God puts stuff out there in the environment. I’m just out there trying to figure out what’s going on,” Hoffman said. “I’m the treasure person, and the treasure’s already out there.”

Bard said Hoffman’s love of discovery shows in the way she works.

“She has passionate curiosity. She has a blast, she loves science,” Bard said. “That’s a great benefit for the department and the University, I think.”

The “treasure hunt” is what Hoffman sees as the primary reason for doing research.

“That’s what research is all about – to find the things that are in nature or the things that are really interesting that nobody thought about before,” Hoffman

said. “So too much curiosity can get you somewhere.”

Chemistry: experiments inspired by faith

Stephanie Matusiefsky | THE BEACON

During her 23 years at UP, Angela Hoffman has worked with about 150 students on chemistry research. Hoffman is also a Benedictine sister, and said her research is inspired by her faith.

Continued from page 1

Get ready for an explosion of color.

After a year in retirement, Campus Program Board’s fall dance is back, except this time it has a new name. The Fall Dance: Explosion of Color will replace what used to be the homecoming dance.

After meeting with students and administrators, CPB decided to change the name because the dance did not reflect a traditional homecoming which is when alumni at UP return for a weekend in the summer, not a dance for current students in the fall.

The dance will take place Saturday, Sept. 29 at the Melody Ballroom from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Buses will be available to transport students to the dance, but students may also

make their own transportation arrangements.

While attire isn’t strictly formal like previous dances, CPB notes on its Facebook page that “The theme of this dance promotes a creative use of as much color as one wishes! If an individual would like to dress formally or informally that is up to them!”

Tickets are $10 and will be available starting Sept. 24 in the Office of Student Activities and The Commons.

Free tickets were given to to students who attended the alcohol education event Sept. 19 in the Chiles Center. The talk was meant to educate students about the safe use of alcohol.

After binge drinking at the 2011 Dance of the Decades resulted in three student hospitalizations, last year’s fall dance was canceled. Instead, CPB hosted a fall carnival. CPB

Director Sean Ducey reflects that while the carnival was fun, attendance numbers showed that the dance was more popular.

“The year before, we had a homecoming dance with 1100 students – the carnival we had 490 students. So looking at school numbers you can see that students like to dance,” Ducey said. “We’re trying to appeal to the student population on campus by bringing back the dance.”

Jillian Smith, assistant director for student clubs, notes that the success of last February’s Dance of the Decades also contributed to bringing back a fall dance.

“Everything went really well at Dance of the Decades last year,” Smith said. “It was decided that it was okay to have a second dance this year.”

Smith encourages responsibility for personal safety

when it comes to alcohol.“[We] want to make sure

students are safe and that we’re not putting on events that would enable or suggest drinking behavior that would cause someone to be harmed,” Smith said. “[We’re] making sure that things are safe to help students have a fun, safe night because dances are fun, everybody loves them.”

Sophomore Victoria Wellock said she thinks students understand the consequences if they drink at the dance.

“People know that if they drink, the dance will be cancelled,” Wellock said.

Ducey agrees that student responsibility has improved from past dances.

“They showed us last year that we can put the trust in them to have a fun dance,” Ducey said. “Let’s do it again.”

While students are excited for

the dance, some upperclassmen miss the formal dress associated with the past homecoming dances.

“In terms of attire, I think the Fall Dance is very similar to what Dance of the Decades represents,” junior Katrina Welborn said. “Dressing up for homecoming makes it feel more special and separates the two [dances].” CPB has been planning the dance for several months and is excited to see students’ reactions to the final product.

“We had some really cool, fun ideas on the vision of this dance – like a rainbow just exploding the venue,” Ducey said. “I’m excited to see what students will wear, how students will reflect [the theme], and how students will participate in this dance.”

New York Times Academic Passes now available!

UP students can now read the New York Times online for free. The passes are a new benefit of the New York Times Readership Program, sponosored by Residence Life, ASUP and the Office of the Provost. Each pass allows full complimentary access for 24 hours to NYTimes.com and the NYTimes smartphone apps.

To register for a pass with a valid up.edu email, go to https://www.NYTimes.com/Passes.

There are only a limited number of passes per day, so stu-dents are advised to check back throughout the day if there are no passes available the first time they try.

Fall dance returns with ‘Explosion of Color’ themeCampus Program Boards brings back the fall dance after replacing last years with a carnival

Kate StringerStaff Writer

[email protected]

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The UP Public Safety Report

NEWS4 September 20, 2012

Voter registration,informative political discussion and a cake adorned with the American flag marked the 225th anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution at the University of Portland on Monday.

The political science department hosted the second Vote UP event titled “The Constitution and the Election” in St. Mary’s lounge. Political science professors William Curtis and Gary Malecha collaborated to inform students about the issues and history of campaign finance reform, the political effort to change the role of money in politics.

Curtis spoke about the details of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a 2010 landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, as well as the technicalities of campaign finance reform, the key issue of the case.

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission was a controversial case in which the Supreme Court ruled that financial political contributions by corporations and unions were protected under free speech.

On a broader spectrum, Malecha discussed the impact of money in elections before and after Citizens United.

While hundreds of millions of dollars go into developing campaign advertisements, Malecha noted that these advertisements are aimed at a small percentage of the population. The advertisements have the ability to sway only the votes of those who have not already determined whether they will vote Republican or Democrat.

Campaign advertisements are meant to appeal to independent voters, but that portion of the population may be even smaller than you think.

“If you take a look at independents in the United States, about 40 percent [or] 35 percent of the population consider themselves to be independent, but that’s really a roguery,” Malecha said. “The fact of the matter is out of that percentage about nine to 11 percent are truly independents. Most independents tend to vote one way or another and I don’t believe they are capable of being swayed.”

Malecha said spending money on a campaign helps people feel personally involved in the campaign: When a person donates money to a specific candidate no matter how small the sum, they become more likely to vote when the election comes because they are financially invested.

About 20 students and community members attended

the event including junior Sam Schelfhout, an economics and political science double major who attend the event because he is in classes taught by both Curtis and Malecha.

“I thought it was really interesting and it made me think outside the box about campaign finance reform,” Schelfhout said, “It was also really neat to hear my professors’ prospective on it.”

Senior Stephanie Fekete, who hopes to attend law school, also enjoyed the event.

“I thought it was very intellectually stimulating,” Fekete said. “I’ve just been wanting to go to all of the Vote UP events because I’m really adamant about being an informed voter.”

The next Vote UP event will be Sept. 25 in St. Mary’s Student Lounge. The discussion is titled “Health Care and the Election” at 7:30 p.m, and is sponsored by UPSNA (University of Portland Student Nurse Association).

Also, voter registration tables

will be in the Bauccio Commons on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and also in the Moreau Center 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

VoteUP takes on campaign finance reformHannah Kintner

Staff [email protected]

On Constitution Day, UP’s political science department discussed the role money plays in politics

For UP seniors, the melodic march of “Pomp and Circumstance” is probably the last thing on their mind. The swing of the semester workload clouds the image of a swinging tassel, and the dream of handing in capstone projects trumps the thought of being handed a college diploma.

But don’t forget, Oct. 1 marks the deadline for spring 2013

graduation registration. Seniors are required to fill

out a graduation registration form, which can be found on the registrar’s webpage. Each student must electronically fill out the form, print it out and deliver it to the registrar by Oct. 1 in order to be eligible for graduation in May 2013.

The form requests information such as the name students want on their diploma, address, degree and major.

According to Fr. Jeff Allison, graduation and degree audit

coordinator in the office of the registrar, after returning the form to the registrar’s office, the dean of each student’s respective school must sign off stating that the student has completed the credit hours necessary to graduate.

If a student doesn’t fulfill requirements, the dean will write a letter to the student listing the credits still needed.

Registration does not include purchasing caps and gowns. Instead University Events deals with all activities when

commencement day is closer. This means that there is no fee attached to the registration process.

Allison points out that while each school can send out an email informing students about the graduation registration deadline, the registrar does not directly notify students about registering.

Allison said the responsibility falls on seniors to stay informed about the graduation process.

“It’s part of the routine,” Allison said. “Read all the instructions on the website

– it gives instructions for graduation.”

For some seniors, this adds to the stress of registering.

“I hope there’s a little more publicity about it,” senior Hannah Billett said. “And I hope it’s not too confusing.”

Senior Olivia McCracken said that the registration deadline makes a distant event closer.

“It’s just weird that it’s due so early because it makes it [graduation] come a lot faster,” McCracken said. “It’s weird and unreal.”

Application time for May 2013 graduation is nowSeniors must fill out a form and return in to the registrar’s office Oct. 1 to be eligible for spring graduation

Kate StringerStaff Writer

[email protected]

Jackie Jeffers| THE BEACON

Political Science professor William Curtis speaks about Campaign Finance Reform at Vote UP’s constition day event. The lecture discussed a controversial supreme court case about campaign spending.

1. Sept. 16, 12:31 a.m. - Public Safety responded to a medical call at Kenna where a student had hit their head. AMR and Portland Fire also responded and the student was transported to Legacy Emanuel Hospital by ambulance.

2. Sept. 15, 2:17 a.m. - Officer found a student unconscious on Willamette Blvd. The student was transported to Hooper by Portland Police Bureau.

3. Sept. 14, 12:23 a.m. - Officers contacted two students on the corner of N. Willamette and N. Portsmouth. The students were referred to the judicial coordinator for violating alcohol policy.

4. Sept. 14, 10:30 p.m. - A student was reported lying in a lawn near the intersection of N. Fiske and N. Girard. Officers found the student and sent them to the hospital for medical care.

5. Sept. 14, 9:00 a.m. - A student reported the theft of three front wheels from bicycles in the 5500 block of N. Willamette. Student was referred to Portland Police Bureau to for reporting.

www.upbeacon.net 5NEWS

ASUP senate election results are in, and they are especially newsworthy this year because the end result is a nearly full senate. In the election with the highest voter turnout in ten years, with 30 percent voter particpation, only two positions of the thirty-four senate positions are vacant due to lack of applicants. There were three contested races.

That may seem like little to celebrate, but there were 15 vacant senate positions and not a single contested position last fall due to a lack of candidates.

Members of the current ASUP Executive Board said the increased participation was encouraging.

“It was a huge shock to us,” ASUP Secretary senior Julia Balistreri said. “We were kind of expecting the same amount as last year and then one day we jumped from about twenty applicants to a number in the thirties, which we haven’t had in a while.”

The contested races were for the senate positions representing the College of Arts and Science, Mehling Hall and Schoenfeldt.

There are no senators representing an off-campus position and the non-traditional student position, which is open to students 25 and older.

Jeromy Koffler, director of Student Activities, said ASUP is off to a good start by getting close to filling all the senator spots.

“It’s always better to start off the year with a whole senate,” Koffler said. “Recruiting more people to petition takes time, if the senate if full then they can be more efficient and spend that time getting to business.”

According to Balistreri, obtaining applicants for senator positions has been a problem because of the time commitment senate requires.

A second problem is that past ASUP members have not put getting the word out about elections and applications at their top of their list, Balestreri said.

“A big problem has been that students haven’t really known about senate in the past,” Balistreri said. “Sure, there are Facebook posts and what not ,but that doesn’t really engage the students. This year we have worked harder to be more engaging and have personally been recruiting people.”

At the beginning of the semester, Balistreri, who is the head of elections, along with the other executive members put a great deal of effort into recruiting students. They went out and recruited people in person, took advantage of the Activities Fair

and used online advertising. “We went out a lot more than

we ever had which was a lot more personal,” Balistreri said. “Our president, Brock, went out to Masses almost every night with the election forms, passing them out and recruiting people.”

Although the number of senator applicants is a problem that still exists, this year marked a turning point. Not only was the number of applicants encouraging for ASUP, but the fact that about ten of these applicants were returning senate members boosts the executive board’s morale as well.

“The returners now have their feet under them; they know what to do now and are a lot more confident in going forward with resolutions, getting reports filed and getting everything worked out,” Balistreri said. “I think it’s going to help a lot with the new incoming senate.”

Matthew Baer, newly elected Schoenfeldt Hall senator, is looking forward to participating at a higher level of student government. Baer, a sophomore wants to bring more events to his dorm.

“Schodenfeldt at this point lacks tradition because we have only four years under out belt,” he said. “Getting some of those traditions is part of my senate goal.”

Sophomore Farin Nikdel, who campaigned with her roommate for the Mehling Hall senator position, said winning the spot was more exciting because it was contested.

“The fact there was competition kind of upped the ante,” she said. “Getting the news was more exciting because it wasn’t just handed over.”

Although the contested races meant that some people did not obtain the positions on senate they had wanted, it does not mean that their voices cannot be heard.

“We always have open meetings so people can come by,” Balistreri said. “Senate is a really good doorway into what’s happening in the school – we have at least one person from the administration talk to us every week. You get to see your efforts come to life, and being involved in that is pretty special.”

Laura Frazier contributed to this report

ASUP fills 32 of 34 senate positions

For the fall election, ASUP had 3 contested sen-ate positons. Last year, 15 senate positions were left vacant due to lack of applicants

Megan WalshStaff Writer

[email protected]

ASUP Senate election resultsFreshman class: Killian Mustain, Chelsea ChristensenSophomore class: *Quinten Chadwick, *Jessie RobinsonJunior class: *Patrick Huynh, Anndres OlsonSenior class: Corey Trujillo, *Adam HarndenCollege of Arts and Sciences: *Derek Block, *Elvia Gaona- Mandujano, Sharon Cortez, Megan Leon GuerreroPamplin School of Business: Brooke MurphySchool of Education: *Sarah WeedinShiley School of Engineering: Matt Wellnitz, Taylor SpoonerSchool of Nursing: Josh Cleary

Christie Hall: Anthony MontoyaCorrado Hall: Dorcas KaweesaFields Hall: Alysse ThomasKenna Hall: London BallardMehling Hall: Farin Nikdel, Brenagh SanfordSchoenfeldt Hall: Matthew BaerShipstad Hall: Andrew BosomworthVilla Maria: *Mitchell StrickerHaggerty/Tyson Halls: *Walker RossOff-Campus: Thomas Bluth, *Charlie Taylor, Tyler Rockhill, Caleb PattersonInternational Students: Fahad Al- Ayyadhi * denotes a returning member

ASUP has 2 current vacancies: off-campus (1), non-traditional student (1).

Voter ParticipationThe voter participation was 30.6%, the largest recorded turnout in 10 years. This is a 6.6% increase from last year’s 24% turnout.

Voter Participation by Class:Freshmen: 28.9%Sophomore: 33.5%Junior: 27.3%Senior: 26.9%

Voter Participation by School:CAS: 27.1%Business: 309%Engineering: 33.3%Nursing: 23.1%Education: 30.7%

Voter Participation by Residence HallMehling: 41.5%Villa Maria: 54.4%Corrado: 31.4%Fields: 36.1%Schoenfeldt: 35.9%Haggerty/Tyson Halls: 36.9%Shipstad: 27.8%Kenna: 32.9%Christie: 44.6%Off-Campus: 20.5%International: 10.2%

LIVING6 September 20, 2012

Each step hitting the pave-ment, pushing away from the concrete slabs, propelling us for-ward; we never think about how it feels. Walking down the sidewalk is simple. We do that every day. But we never stop to think about how it feels to walk on the side-walk.

Senior Sam Bridgman has been slowly losing his ability to control his own body since he was a freshman in high school. As Bridgman rolls down the side-walk in his motorized wheelchair, he understands how to appreciate the feeling of walking. Bridgman has Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare, hereditary disease which can af-fect all the muscles in the human body.

“Currently, there’s no treat-ment or cure, so it’s really im-perative that we fi nd funds for research so that researchers can fi nd cures quickly. It may not [be able] to save my life, but it can save someone else’s life,” Bridg-man said.

FARA (Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance) in partner-ship with Outback Steakhouse, is holding a day-long, biking event Sept. 22 at Sauvie’s Island called “Ride Ataxia.” The event offers various lengths of routes for cy-clists who can ride and support research for a cure for FA.

“It’s important to raise the funds but it’s also important to let people know that this is a prob-lem and it needs to be fi xed. And it can be fi xed,” Bridgman said.

Bridgman admitted that being a college student might mean not having money to donate, but that even giving a little means a lot.

“Giving money is great but not everyone has money to give,” Bridgman said. “It’s a bigger deal when someone with little mon-ey gives some money because they’re giving all that they have.”

Senior Brian Frattali, a close friend to Bridgman, said Bridg-man had helped him many times.

“I thought that this was the best way for me to give back to

him because he’s done so much for me. He’s a one-of-a-kind per-son,” Frattali said.

Bridgman also expressed his hopes in raising awareness, an-other way to give back without giving money.

“The goal is to get the word out about Friedreich’s Ataxia, be-cause it’s such a rare disease. It affects one in 50,000 people, so not many people know about it,” Bridgman said.

Bridgman also listed some al-ternatives to donating money.

“Just coming out and riding, or volunteering, or just coming for lunch and just showing your support,” he said.

Gwynn Klobes, director of professional development for the business school, has known Bridgman for several years.

“The UP community has re-ally embraced Sam and made him a part of the community in an al-truistic way,” Klobes said.

Bridgman experiences some of the physical symptoms of FA, like abnormal speech and muscle weakness. But he remains emo-tionally strong and forever opti-mistic.

His mantra: “Impossible is Nothing.”

Bridgman said the support of the UP community, friends and family make all the difference in the world.

“It warms my heart to know that I have friends that love me and a community that loves me and wants [to help] me with what I’m trying to do,” Bridg-man said. “When you have a good community base then you always have people to fall back on when times get tough, and you always have someone to lean on, or to ask for help [from].”

Lydia LaytheSta� Writer

[email protected]

Sam Bridgman: seeking a cure

In a time when one in fi ve people between the ages of 18 and 28 have iPods or MP3 players (according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project), it’s hard to imagine walking into a col-lege study space without seeing students wearing ear buds. Music serves to isolate students from audible distractions and create a private, enjoyable atmosphere while they work. But recent stud-

ies show that listening to music while studying may actually harm learning ability.

Stanford University professor and researcher of human-technol-ogy interaction Clifford Nass and University of Toronto psychology professor and researcher of music and cognition Glenn Schellen-berg found that although music can be helpful in creating an ideal mood for studying, listening to music with lyrics usually has a negative effect on writing or read-ing. Lyrics appeal to the language center of the brain, so when stu-dents are doing language-related

work, focusing on the music and their work at the same time can be diffi cult.

Sophomore Evan Mackall lis-tens to music every time he stud-ies.

“If I’m reading or writing a paper, I’ll listen to acoustic. But if I’m doing something like math or Spanish, I’ll listen to rock or something more upbeat,” Mack-all said. Mackall reports that acoustic or instrumental music helps him think.

“Sometimes I listen to Native American instrumental music,” Mackall said. “The drums and

fl utes are really relaxing.”Listening to music while

studying could help with mood and focus as long as students avoid lyrical music while doing language-based work according to Nass and Schellnberg. How-ever, researchers at the Univer-sity of Wales conducted a study which found that students had a harder time memorizing when listening to music, regardless of whether they liked the music or not. Researchers asked partici-pants between the ages of 18 and 30 to memorize and then recall a list of letters in order under differ-

ent background noise conditions, including quiet, music they liked, music they didn’t like, a voice saying random numbers, and a voice repeating the number three. Participants in this study did bet-ter when listening to the voice re-peating the number three or while studying in silence.

Music major David Yee pre-fers quiet studying, but is still able to work in a musical envi-ronment.

“I prefer not to listen to music,

Amanda MunroSta� Writer

[email protected]

Photo courtesy of University of Portland Marketing

Senior Sam Bridgman surrounded by friends at the Sam Jam in 2011. � e Sam Jam is held annually. � is year, Bridgeman started a ride at Sauvie’s Island to raise money for Friedreich’s Ataxia research.

UP encouraged to rally behind a student and remember “Impossible is Nothing.”

Tunes + studying = possible learning problems

See Name, page 7

Cost ranges from $20 to $55, depending on a fundraising minimum and early registration.

The fi rst 300 people to register can participate in the event. After the event, lunch will be provided.

Ride Ataxia will offer 6, 12, 25, 37 and 50 mile route lengths on the scenic Sauvie Island.

On Sept. 21 from 5-7 p.m. at Outback Steakhouse, there will be a packet for early registration cyclists to pick up.

Visit rideataxia.kintera.org for more information.

“I thought that this was the best way for me to give back to him because he’s done so much for me. He’s a one-of-a-kind person.”

Brian FrattaliSenior

Photo courtesy of University of Portland Marketing

Senior Sam Bridgman is the UP baseball team manager. He su� ers from FA, and has slowly been losing control of his body since he was a high school freshman.

Ride AtaxiaSept. 22

7 a.m. at Sauvie’s Island

As the house lights went down and the stage lit up, it was clear that everything was not as it seemed. Devin Helmgren and Jackie Ackerson emerged from the curtains dressed in vibrant ties that wrapped around their heads, necks and waists. These two Bluffoons would serve as the MCs for a night fi lled with mouth guards, macaroni and teen fi ction panel experts.

Just after 7:30 on Friday night, once the audience had done its fair share of the work in rais-ing the excitement in the room, the remaining Bluffoons took the stage ready to act out scenes based off audience suggestions.

The audience watched in ela-tion as UP’s student improv comedy group, The Bluffoons, performed scenes around build-ing planes and computers out of mouth guards with the use fel-low Bluffoons as stunt doubles or

around the story of Thumbelina and winning her, or in the Bluf-foons case, his, love, as proposed by the audience.

Without audience suggestions, the shows would not be what they have become.

“I don’t know where to start without a suggestion,” junior Ryan Belisle said. “Shows don’t work without our fans; and the more people in the room, the bet-ter the performance.”

In a place where chairs become fences and single ties become full costumes, The Bluffoons invite the audience to enter into anoth-er world where the sun always shines and a dark room becomes a cloud-fi lled sky.

“We’re actually in the cloud appreciation society, but sched-uled our meetings too late in the evening,” junior Olivia Alsept-Ellis said.

Although The Bluffoons con-sist of as many as 30 members, only ten members perform each night on a volunteer fi rst-come fi rst-serve bases. Last Friday, the ten Bluffoons performing were President Ryan Belisle, Vice-President Jackie Ackerson, Trea-surer Rachel Van-Nes, senior Matt Tominaga, juniors Devin Helmgren, Stan Peck, Ben Me-sches and Matt Sepeda, and soph-omores Allie Seibert and Beau Borek.

“The number of members waxes and wanes during the year,” junior Devein Helmgren said. “But there is a core group of ten or 15 people.”

Members of The Bluffoons join for a number of reasons, whether to perform in the show or to simply have fun.

“For some of us, it’s like church. It’s like priority number high,” Helmgren said.

Regardless of the importance of comedy improv team, The Bluffoons welcome anyone inter-ested in improv even if it is not their number one priority.

“We are a very diverse group, but all united because we like having fun,” Belisle said. “I don’t

think I’ve ever met an improv person I don’t like.”

“If people came to our prac-tice, people would be surprised by who came and did improve,” Helmgren said, referring to UP alum and basketball player Luke Sikma, who joined The Bluffoons when he was a student.

The Bluffoons hold practices every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. in the Mago Hunt Recital Hall and the Buckley Center Auditorium, and welcome all UP students inter-ested in joining.

“I was introduced by a friend,” Helmgren said. “It sucked me in body and soul, in a beautiful way.”

Bluffoon members fi nd improv comedy to be usefulin multiple aspects of their lives.

“Being part of The Bluffoons is great because it causes you to think on your feet, you’re able to develop skills, other than being funny, and apply them to the rest of your life,” Van-Nes said. “It makes it easier to adopt to situ-

ations.”People continue to join the

Bluffoons via word of mouth, through a friend or after attend-ing a show.

“I initially joined freshman year because my friend dragged me to it,” Van-Nes said.

Many of the members also found participating in the Bluf-

foons to be a signifi cant contribu-tor to their health.

“It is a great way to relieve stress, and it is a lot of fun,” ju-nior Natalie Vierra said.

The Bluffoons are constant-ly encouraging people to join, whether they are new or returning members.

“I was gone all last year [in Salzburg], and I missed it,” re-turning member junior Olivia Alsept-Ellis said.

The comedy improv team is run by members of the board of Bluffoons who understand the busy schedules of UP students and the possibility of the inability to attend every rehearsal.

Those not wanting to simply

watch The Bluffoons can fi nd them on Moodle, Facebook and YouTube, or at one of their four remaining shows this semester.

“I’ve seen them last year, and I really enjoyed it,” junior Ross Hallauer said.

The Bluffoons’ next show is on Sept. 28 in Mago Hunt Hall at 7:30 p.m.

www.upbeacon.net 7

Rachelle LeducSta� Writer

[email protected]

Continued from page 6

but I can. It just takes more ener-gy and power to focus,” Yee said.

Yee says he likes to listen to every part of the music and study the song itself, so it’s diffi cult to focus on something else when music is playing.

“I consider listening to music an active activity rather than a passive activity,” he said. “If I’m running or doing yoga, I’ll listen to music. But when I’m reading or writing or trying to compre-hend what I read, I feel like it’s best to do that without music.”

Education professor Eric An-ctil believes that whether or not music is benefi cial depends on the person.

“Some people like to study in quiet, some people like a crowded coffee house, and some people like music in the background,” Anctil said. “As educators, we have to be more open minded about the different environments that support student learning.”

Anctil believes that if students enjoy listening to music while studying and they feel it makes them a better student, that’s what they should do, whether the re-search points otherwise or not.

“Demonstrating the learning link is important for marketers who want to sell you Einstein CDs and tell you how Bach will make you better at Algebra,” An-ctil said.

He does agree that listen-ing to lyrical music while doing language-based work could af-fect concentration, the same way it would be diffi cult to take notes in a room while two other people are talking. But Anctil believes that the important thing is to re-lax and not worry so much about what the science says about our study habits.

“If lyrics are distracting, don’t listen to music with lyrics,” An-ctil said. “It’s not like you’re adopting a cat and can’t get rid of it. If it’s distracting, turn it off!”

Music: learn your style

Blu� oons � ll The Blu� with laughs

Next performances 7:30 p.m. in Mago Hunt

Kayla Wong | THE BEACON

Sophomore Beau Borek practices “count down,” an improv game in which performers practice a scene over and over again, faster each time.

Whether or not listening to music affects the ability to study may depend on the person. For those who like a musical at-mosphere while studying, but would like to maintain read-ing comprehension and writing skills, creating an instrumental music playlist may be the an-swer.

Here are some suggestions:• “Hot Math” – Andrew Bird• “Flying” – The Beatles• “Erase” – Beats Antique• “Your Hand in Mine” –

Explosions in the Sky• “The Cascades” – Fleet

Foxes• “Livingston Storm” – Lotus• “Window” – The Album

Leaf• “Any Colour You Like” –

Pink Floyd• “Cherry” – Ratatat• “Coastal Brake” – Tycho

� e Blu� oons held their � rst improv per-formance on Sept. 14 to a full house.

• Sept. 28th• Oct. 12th• Oct.19th• Dec. 1st

Kayla Wong | THE BEACON

Juniors Stan Peck and Chelsea Davidson practice a scene � ursday before their perfomance in Mago Hunt on Friday.

A few weeks into a new school year, a remarkable phenomenon happens. I call it ‘I-can-no-longer-study-in-

my-room-I-am-going-crazy-itis.’ With our lack of a library and limited, overcrowded study rooms around campus this

year, what is a Pilot to do? Fortunately, UP is located in a city where it is diffi cult to fi nd a block without at least

one coffee joint to wake you up, help you focus, and tempt you off our beloved bluff. Whether you need to study,

socialize, procrastinate, fl irt or relax, PDX coffee shops have got you covered.

1996 SE Ladd Ave Portland

Monday - Friday 7 a.m. - 11 p.m.Weekends 8 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Perfect for: Writing the next great American novel (or just reading the last one)Order an: Americano, and save room for dessert

Stepping into Palio Dessert and Coffee House is like stepping back in time. Locals sit out front enjoying the sun and sharing neighborhood gossip. Inside, relaxing and subtle fi fties jazz sounds from the speakers and comfortable chairs are surrounded by shelves of books and lit by mismatched vintage lights. If you have some serious studying to accomplish, head to the library-style side room which is fi lled with long tables and industrious students. However, Palio just might inspire you to put away the electronics, pull out a book (or more realistically, a textbook) and settle down in the main room to soak in the hum of the espresso machine and the sound of friendly chatting between the barista and customers at the bar. Studious by its nature, Palio is not the place to bring your 15 best friends for a rousing debate, especially in the evening.

Palio Dessert and Coffee House

2387 NW Thurman St. PortlandMonday - Thursday 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Friday 6:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.Saturday 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.Sunday 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Perfect for: An afternoon of studyingOrder a: Bees Knees Latte (with your choice of dairy, coconut, almond or hemp milk)

Students, professionals, yoga instructors, hipsters and the hipsters’ grandmas all gather harmoniously in this light, unpretentious shop to partake in a delicious cup of Dragonfl y brew and read Willamette Weekly or pluck away on their laptops. Come prepared with an afternoon’s worth of homework or a few friends to keep you company and sink into one of the many comfy chairs. When you get hungry, treat yourself to a locally-made snack (Vegan? Gluten free? They’ve got you covered.) Sometimes called Portland’s own Central Perk, this friendly gem is even worth braving downtown traffi c and parking for.

Dragonfly Coffeehouse

1934 North Rosa Parks Way Portland

Everyday 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Perfect for: When you need a confi dence boost along with your caffeineOrder a: Hazelnut Soy Latte

GrindHouse Coffee is putting the sexy in coffee, one impeccably pulled shot of espresso at a time. Located along Rosa Parks a short jaunt from the University of Portland, stop by when you are on your way off campus, back to campus, or just craving a fantastic cup of coffee (only $1.25 for a small.) Enjoy your drink on a bench in

their open-air seating area or take it to go. Don’t expect a comfy couch by an outlet to settle into for hours of research, but do expect a delicious drink and good service.

GrindHouse Coffee

Portland Coffee Crawl

Kelsey � omasSta� Writer

[email protected]

8 September 20, 2012

Palio Dessert and Coffee House

1507 N Rosa Parks Way PortlandMonday - Friday 6:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Weekends 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Perfect for: Catching up with friendsOrder an: Iced Toddy (a strong, cold-brewed coffee)

It took two hours of people watching and sipping iced coffee to fi gure out what makes Arbor Lodge so cool: they are not trying to be “cool.” The decorations are simple. The mason jar coffee cups are simple. Even the facial piercings of the barista who poured my drink were simple. But do not mistake simple for boring. Their coffee will delight your taste buds and the shop still has plenty of PDX charm (keep an eye out for the kilt-wearing owner). Located only a two and a half mile jaunt from the University of Portland, Arbor Lodge is a likely contestant for your new regular coffee stop. Its large windows, local art displayed, and cheerful North Portlanders create a relaxed atmosphere perfect for chatting with friends or having a group study session.

Arbor Lodge

GrindHouse Coffee

8716 N Lombard St PortlandMonday - Thursday 6:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Friday 6:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.Saturday 7:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.Sunday 7:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Perfect for: Pretending to work on your laptop… but actually socializingOrder a: Specialty Mocha (trying every fl avor is necessary)

Walking into Anna Bannanas is like entering an extension of your living room, albeit one where you have to hand over $4 for a cup of coffee. However, a few sips into one of their specialty mochas, such as the Borgea, a blend of espresso, dark chocolate and orange and you will forget all about the hit to your wallet. If you are looking for a perfectly quiet place to study, do not head there in the evenings when Anna Bannanas functions as part coffee shop, part local bar hangout. If, you are seeking a relaxed place close to campus where you can put your feet up, play a board game, or have a group project meeting, then this St. John’s favorite is the perfect spot for you. Throw in their ample food selections extending far beyond just the typical pastry and you might just want to move in.

Anna Bannanas

1725 NE Alberta Street Portland

Monday - Friday 6 a.m. - 6 p.m.Weekends 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Perfect for: A dateOrder an: Espresso

From the ceiling-high windows to the facial hair clad baristas making intricately swirled lattes, the atmosphere at Barista is

undeniably hip. Stop in at their Alberta St. location with a signifi cant other to enjoy their pulsing music and some strong caffeine. If you are 21, you can also indulge in a craft beer or glass of wine from their bar. After enjoying the ambiance and top-notchpeople watching at Barista, take a stroll around the Alberta Arts

District and another date will be sure to come your way.

Barista

707 Southeast 12th Ave Portland

Sunday - Thursday 7 p.m. - 12 a.m.Friday - Saturday 7 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Perfect for: Taking out of town visitors for a true Portland experienceOrder a: Pot of tea and an ice cream sundae

If anyone has ever asked you if Portlandia is an accurate depiction of Portland, bring them to Rimsky-Korsakoffee. Grab a menu from the front and sit down at one of the sporadic combinations of tables, chairs, tablecloths, and couches scattered throughout the main fl oor. If you choose a table near other costumers you may be lucky enough to overhear a rousing discussion of fi sh pedicures or feline PDA. Beware of the rotating table in the back room and other various unexpected quirks. While waiting for someone to take your order, check out the cranes, leaves and other random (and often unidentifi able) objects hung from the ceiling on strings of beads. The dark lighting and lack of wifi do not lend themselves to accompany a productive evening, so plan to enjoy the live acoustic music and good conversation.

Rimsky-Korsakoffe House

712 Northwest 21st Ave Portland

Monday - Thursday 6:30 a.m. to 12 a.m.Friday 6:30 a.m. - 1 a.m.Saturday 7 a.m. - 1 a.m.Sunday 7 a.m. - 12 a.m.

Perfect for: A late night, procrastination-induced, study sessionOrder a: Cappuccino

Coffee Time has everything a Portland coffee shop should: comfy chairs, booths to spread out books or huddle over a board game (chess or Scrabble anyone?), locally made pastries, relaxed indie tunes and bulletin boards full of individuals “looking for artists” or advertising their space science star trek group (if interested, call Rodney at Galaxa Stars United). However, Coffee Time also has one perk that sets it apart: it is open until midnight on weeknights and 1

a.m. on weekends. While you may come for the good coffee and late hours, you will stay for the experience. If you use hippies as a derogatory term and the potential for being serenaded by a drunk individual makes you apprehensive, this may not be the coffee shop for you. Also, parking is hard, especially on weekends, and it is a bit of a trek by public transit.

Coffee TimeArt by Ann Truong | THE BEACON

Design by Shellie Adams | THE BEACON

www.upbeacon.net 9

FAITH & FELLOWSHIP10 September 20, 2012

If you haven’t been fully ini-tiated into the Catholic Church, I’m inviting you to consider it. Three Sacraments mark en-trance into the Church and they are truly beautiful: Baptism, Eu-charist and Confi rmation. Water, oil, candles, robes, bread, wine, family, friends: the experience of initiation into the Church is

sensual in the best sense of the word. Catholics don’t simply pro-fess their belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; we feel it in our bones. We consent to being taken into something ancient and mys-terious and we do so with the help of others at every step of the way. We mold and shape our minds, bodies and hearts all at once. And, as adults, we thoroughly prepare for the life-altering expe-riences of the Sacraments.

For non-Catholics, we offer an amazing year-long process known as the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA). Whether you’re unbaptized or have been part of another Chris-tian tradition, you can have a group of students and staff ac-company you on a journey to receive the Sacraments at Easter. Through a combination of doc-trine and spiritual experience, the RCIA consistently transforms people into women and men on fi re for God. Over the course of the year, members of the RCIA will dive into Scripture at Mass, learn about central Catholic Doc-trines from theologians and stu-dents, and fi nd themselves being directly mentored by a commu-nity of faithful men and women. RCIA will meet each Sunday

afternoon and culminate with re-ception into the Church on Eas-ter.

For those who are already Catholic, but have not completed their initiation with the Sacra-ment of Confi rmation, we offer a program just for you. Over the course of the school year, you will meet a handful of times to-gether. The Adult Confi rmation program is designed to refresh and strengthen a faith that is al-ready present. You will fi nd that, as an unconfi rmed Catholic, you are not alone, and that God calls you closer to Him at this place and time. You will join a commu-nity to walk with you. You will learn what it means to call your-self a Christian man or woman in a diffi cult world. In turn, it will open the doors of Marriage and

Campus Ministry reaches out to prospective Catholics

Anthony PazStaffCommentary

“We consent to being taken into something ancient and mysterious and we do so with the help of others at every step of the way. ”

Anthony PazAss. Director for Faith Formation

Campus Ministry

Maureen Briare receives 2012 Spirit of Holy Cross award

The Spirit of Holy Cross Award is given annually to lay collaborators of the Congre-gation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers and acknowledges the critical importance they play in living out the vision and mission of Holy Cross founder Blessed Basil Moreau to make God known, loved, and served through education, parish and mission settings.

Maureen Briare is the associate director of music for campus ministry.

Ordination to you. Confi rmation will be celebrated in its fullness by the Archbishop in April.

Through Sacramental Prep at UP, learning to be a Christian is not just a matter of intellectual assent. Instead, it is a process of becoming the person God cre-ated you to be. This process in-volves participation of the whole person in concert with the whole community. If you are at all inter-ested in receiving any Sacrament in the future please get in touch with us as soon as possible – no fi nal commitment necessary to ask. It’s not too late to join either group this year!

For RCIA, e-mail Anthony Paz, [email protected]. For Confi rma-tion, e-mail Dcn. Mark DeMott, CSC, [email protected].

Anothony Paz is the Assis-

tant Director for Faith Forma-tion for Campus Ministry. He can be reached at [email protected].

Jackie Je� ers | THE BEACON

OPINIONS www.upbeacon.net 11

Despite tough times, UP remains as a solid choice for a degree

EDITORIAL POLICYThe editorial reflects the majority view of The Beacon Editorial Board. The editorial does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the collective staff or the Administration of the University of Portland. Other submissions

in this section are signed commentaries that reflect the opinion of the individual writer. The Student Media Committee, providing recommendation to the publisher, oversees the general operation of the newspaper. Policy set by the committee and publisher dictates that the responsibility for the newspaper’s editorial and advertising content lies solely in the hands of its student employees.

While it has been months since the 20 percent budget cut of student employment passed, I was still not surprised to see yet another Beacon article printed on such a critical topic. As a student

worker, I too am still bitter. Our hours are cut and we are left to try to scrap by.

Now, there are a few larger issues here that we all are miss-ing. Yes, our immediate atten-tion gravitates to the fact that we no longer have the resources, time, or support to successfully execute our respected responsi-bilities. But alas, the problem is much deeper –

How is it that after obvious student discontent, University

of Portland’s administration and financial advisors still have not felt the need to directly address this issue? As a student body, we need to be outraged that an explanation of why such drastic cuts were made has never been offered. Does the administra-tion care so little about me, they cannot even throw out a warn-ing before cutting off my arm? When did UP’s ambitions trade in recognizing individual student needs for better statistics and

lower margins? Tuition has risen, but student

employment has been cut. The math doesn’t add up. Depleting our financial support with a week notice is simply bad business. It is time UP lowers its focus on

prospective students and alums and instead shows consideration for the students that currently at-tend the school. This is by no means a rant or list of grievanc-es-- it is a demand for respect.

Monica Down is a senior eng-lish major. She can be reached at [email protected]

MonicaDownGuest Commentary

“As a student worker, I am still bitter. Our hours are cut and we are left to scrap by.”

Monica DownStudent Worker/Senior

The cover story in last week’s issue of Newsweek posed the question, “Is College a Lousy In-vestment?” Correspondent Me-gan McArdle argues that invest-ing in a college education can be a terrible decision and the busi-ness of higher education is start-ing to look an awful lot like the housing and dotcom bubble right before it burst. While Newsweek points out the mounting obstacles and challenges for many individ-uals seeking a college degree, a University of Portland education stands up against many of McAr-dle’s criticisms.

The fact of the matter is that the cost of college has increased twice as fast as other goods and services over the past two de-cades, yet having a college de-gree is more and more important to getting a job after graduation. McArdle contends that this in-creased cost makes college inap-propriate for students who do not know what to major in and whose families are too stretched to pro-vide support due to the large debt students have to take on.

With college loan debt eclips-ing credit card debt as the highest source of loans to be paid back in the U.S., McArdle may just have the economic argument against college nailed. A lot of times stu-dents forget the purpose of taking

out loans: to invest money that will help you generate money later. Unfortunately, in today’s job market the likelihood of get-ting a job right out of college that will generate the kind of income needed to pay back student loans is incredibly low. As long as col-lege students have to take jobs that they are over-educated for, student debt will be a debt they have for a long time. McArdle uses the example that 15 percent of our mail carriers now have col-lege degrees.

McArdle’s bleak but candid outlook may be true, but college grads are still more likely to get a job and earn more money after graduation, even if it isn’t exactly the job they want. According to a 2011 study by Georgetown Uni-versity, college grads will make 84 percent more than those with only a high school diploma or equivalency degree, up from 75 percent in 1999.

With this need to simultane-ously get a job right out of college and get a degree for the lowest price, UP is a good option.

On Sept. 12, U.S. World News and Report named the University number six out of 121 schools in the West region in the “Great Schools, Great Prices,” category, which compares the academic performance of schools in con-

junction with how much they cost. But most UP students and families still feel the financial sacrifices of attending this Uni-versity. We have way too much student loan debt to let learning interfere with our education. So, why do students keep coming back every semester?

Maybe the first reason is the certainty of obtaining a degree. During a time when many public universities are slashing classes, enrolling more students and rais-ing tuition, a snug organic chem-istry lab where at least the profes-sor knows your name suddenly doesn’t seem so bad.

Professors are probably the second reason UP students re-turn to The Bluff every fall. We get attached to department fa-vorites and the meaningful in-dividual relationships we enjoy with particular professors. This, more than anything, you can’t put a price on.

And yet, there is a price at-tached and it’s increasing. Uni-versities trying to woo a higher quantity and quality of student spend money on unnecessary things. In this new phase of the University, administrators need to keep in mind what investments they are making to improve UP’s infrastructure and decide if these investsments are worth tuition

increases.Perhaps the base

problem is a culture change across all college campuses in the U.S. Instead of bastions of higher learning, in many ways college has be-come what McArdle calls a “credential” system. The role of college in society today is far different from our parents’. Now it is a way to weed out unquali-fied job candidates, a certificate stat-ing that you are, as McArdle says, “smart enough to get into college, conformist enough to go and compliant enough to stay for four years.”

If you are smart, conformist and compliant enough to stay at UP, you are likely receiving some help along the way. In the 2011-12 academic year 96 per-cent of students received some form of financial aid. Last year alone the University, state and federal government, and outside sources (excluding loans) to-talled $105,894,104.

Even with the large amount

of aid that UP provides, financ-ing college is one of the great-est burdens families bare. For those that are lucky enough to attend UP by mingling financial aid, student loans and jobs, col-lege remains the single greatest way to reach your career goals. Not only in finances you stand to gain post graduation but also in the ideas you expose yourself to. Four years on The Bluff are not a “lousy investment.”

UP–Can you hear me?

Ann Truong | THE BEACON

THE BEACONEditorial BoardSubmission Policy

Letters and commentaries from readers are encouraged. All contributions must include the writer’s address and phone number for verification purposes. The Beacon does not accept submissions written by a group, although pieces written by an individual on behalf of a group are acceptable.

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12 September 20, 2012 OPINIONS

Writing is weird. Our minds aren’t structured in the mode of most writing we’re asked to do. The mind wants to long and loaf, to connect and digress, to zag and zig in a fury of over-caf-feinated neuro-pyrotechnics, fol-lowed by a nap. But most genres of writing (at least, those you’ll encounter at college) insist on the orderly march of ideas, outfitted in the uniform of standard cita-tion and grammar.

Moreover, few of us – if any – are confident writers. I take sol-ace in the German novelist Thom-as Mann’s insistence that “A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” Perhaps that unifying lack of confidence – that recognition that writing is hard – shows at least we know the high stakes involved.

Stephen King once compared writing to telepathy – writing as a kind of paranormal ability to telegraph complex ideas to other minds. Of course, there’s noth-ing magic about it, for it’s just a tool our ancestors built, of creat-ing and decoding an system of arbitrary squiggles.

But O how long it takes each of us to work well within that sys-tem! Humans have been writing for at least 6,400 years, yet it still takes the first two decades of our lives to learn to control our mes-sages (and to read with precision those of others).

No doubt you’ve heard the common adult complaint that young people are losing their ability to write. Take solace in the fact that it’s an unoriginal claim. On one of the oldest pieces of writing – an ancient Sumerian clay tablet – we find a complaint about the poor quality of the lat-est generation of scribes. Likely,

when you become supervisors and parents and senior citizens, you too will join this intergenera-tional chorus with its tired refrain about the abysmal writing of the young. But youth is not the main reason for poor communication.

A shift in technology is some-times fingered as the problem. Apocalyptic warnings about the end of good writing erupted at such moments as when the Ro-mans hooked us on the codex (bound book) 2,000 years ago, or when that hotshot Gutenberg sold us on movable type. Steve Jobs, inventor of the apple from which so many of us have chomped, is only the latest in the line of in-novators of scribe platforms. But while these technologies (and genres and demands) shift over the centuries, forceful construc-tions of words resist the rub of time.

One other fact to consider is that your generation writes more than any other human genera-tion that has come before. Much of this output is informal cor-respondence (emailing, texting, posting), but it still involves the brainwork of composition on a daily basis, at a scale that far out-weighs past generations of scrib-blers.

All writing, regardless of the mode, is a way of participating in humanity’s Great Conversa-tion. And while the internet era has made it easier to participate than ever, the one essential way to be an effective participant is to nurture an awareness of audi-ence. Attention to your readers’ needs is a sure way of making your work stand out.

When I ask students in class what a text needs in order to hold their attention as readers in this distractable era, their answers show they’re demanding: what they read has to be magnetic, informative, clear, authoritative. We need only recruit this kind of readerly discernment as a guide to our own writing.

So, to arrest a reader’s at-tention, good writing is choos-

ing one thing to say rather than a lot of little things. It’s culti-vating our common delight in surprise. It’s finding something that takes us beyond the common sense we all already possess, and foregrounding that significance prominently. It’s taking the time to be clear (as grammarian Patri-cia O’Conner puts it, “Turning out flashy, dense, complicated prose is a breeze; putting things down in simple terms that any-one can understand takes brain-work”). And it’s making the time for revision – that act of generos-ity to ensure we’re not just writ-ing for ourselves but for our true reason-for-being: our reader.

An ideal place to start a con-versation about your writing is in your professor’s office hours. But let that conversation continue by visiting the trained assistants in the Writing Center (see the web-site for our schedule). Remember as well the single reference book that unifies our university, The Pocket Wadsworth Handbook, which should answer most of your technical questions.

Writing is weird, but as you know from daily composition, it’s an inexpensive way of partic-ipating in the world. It gives us a chance to air our ideas clearly, to make up for where our mouth fails, and to make us momen-tarily feel, as one UP Writing As-sistant says “that you’ve got the world figured out.”

Steve Jobs left us with a chal-lenge: “We are here to make a dent in the universe.” Audience-centered writing is one way you can hit it with your best shot.

Lars Larson is an english professor and director of the Integrated Writing Program. He can be reached at [email protected]

LarsLarsonGuest Commentary

Julia Balistreri

Guest Commentary

How to Make a Writing Center

Appointment

The long view of writingRecord Breaking Elections

Elections are over and I am exhausted. Since the moment I hit campus I have put all of my time and effort into Wednesday’s ASUP Senator elections, and I am thrilled with the results. Last spring, the Executive Board and myself all ran with similar goals: make ASUP more transparent and get students more involved. Sitting at my desk on the Friday applications were due, I saw this goal achieved. We almost had enough candidates (only two seats were left open) to fill the Senate and even then there were still contested positions. In all the time I have been on campus, I have never seen such a large turnout for this election. And in return for how much enthusiasm the candidates showed I did my best to make sure students were aware of the election.

Though Senate has been my family since I arrived at UP, I understand that not many stu-dents know of Senate and I wanted to do everything in my power to make students aware of our existence. With the help of my brilliant Elections Com-mittee, we set up more tabling

spots and interacted with more students than ever before. For the past two days, the Elections Committee and I have been sta-tioned at the entrance to Franz, in the Cove and the Commons, offering up our laptops to stu-dents to vote and the response was phenomenal.

Tonight as the polls closed at eight, I was jumping up and down in St. Mary’s because Pi-lots, you rocked it this year. A record number of you voted and every single election was valid, which means that every single one of you now has three sena-tors (residence, class and major) representing you and your voice. The huge voter turnout signaled to me that, as the Executive Board, we are fulfilling our goals of becoming more transparent and I hope that, in the future, this trend continues and you feel comfortable contacting us, or your senators with any com-pliments or concerns regarding life on The Bluff. Thank you for voting and showing your sup-port for the candidates because you have made every stress ab-solutely worth it. Remember that our senate meetings are open to all and we would love to see you there. Our next meeting is this Monday at 4:30p.m. in Shiley 301. Fr. John Donato, Associ-ate Vice President for Student Development, will be speak-ing so come with any questions for him, or just to check us out. Hope to see you there!

Julia Balistreri is a se-nior chemistry major and the ASUP secretary. She can be reached at [email protected]

b Visit up.edu/Irc/writingb Sign in or Register to reach the assistant schedulesb click on an avail-able spot (white box) next to an assistant’s name, then fill out your class and in-structorb fill out a session goals form through the email confirma-tion for your appoint-ment prior to your visitb if all slots are full email the writing cen-ter: [email protected] check out the writ-ing center website for more resources

“In all the time I have been on campus, I have never seen such a large turnout for this election. And in re-turn for how much enthusi-asm the candidates showed I did my best to make sure students were aware of the election.”

Julia BalistreriASUP Secretary/Senior

Faces on The Bluff

By Giovanna Solano

Have you seen the black cat on campus?

What’s its Name?

We asked:

Caitie Stangier, sopho-more, nursing

www.upbeacon.net 13OPINIONS

SudokuFind the answers at www.upbeacon.net in the

Opinions section.

This week 26,000 Chicago teachers continue their strike which leaves 400,000 students in the third-largest school sys-tem in the country at home. At the heart of the strike are the teachers’ objections to proposed changes to teacher-evaluation procedures which would place more emphasis on student per-formance on standardized test scores in assessing teacher per-formance. The teachers’ union also seeks a 29 percent pay raise for an increase in daily instruc-tional time, smaller class sizes, and better facility maintenance at the schools.

Despite the details that are in dispute, what is really at stake is how the country’s largest school systems – like Chicago – are go-ing to meet the challenge of edu-cating many of America’s poor-est and most vulnerable students with less money and increased pressure to perform.

Almost 80% of the students in the Chicago school system qualify for free and reduce lunch.

These students have much larger problems in their lives than poor performance on standardized tests; they are individuals fight-ing to survive in a largely hostile world in which school is just a small part of the daily struggle. Many lack basic school supplies, live far below the poverty line, and have parents who work all the time and are rarely home or who don’t live with them at all.

We live in country where many middle and upper-middle class families have chosen to move their kids to better funded suburban schools or opt out of public schools for a private school education. This leaves urban pub-lic school teachers scrambling to educate a community’s poorest and most vulnerable students in schools that lack basic resources, are often crumbling down around them, and where the most press-ing question isn’t “What did you learn today?” but “How did you do the on test?”

Student performance – and evaluating and compensating teachers based on student perfor-mance – is at the heart of Presi-dent Obama’s education reform strategy and is what Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is propos-ing as he looks to redefine the Chicago school system’s rela-tionship to its teachers.

Unfortunately, none of the

proposed solutions offered by Mayor Emanuel or President Obama (or past administrations) address the real problem with urban education which is the troubling social conditions which contribute to low test scores, high drop-out rates, and bleak futures for many urban school students.

Blaming teachers for their students’ test scores ignores the larger social problems these teachers confront in classrooms. We don’t blame doctors for their patient’s illnesses; likewise, we shouldn’t blame these teachers because their students are poor and lead troubled lives.

In medicine, we look to the larger system factors that con-tribute to poor health and try to affect system-wide change. We need to do the same in education. Better access to affordable hous-ing and healthcare is a start. Liv-ing wages for parents and safer neighborhoods for kids would all make a difference and are more likely to bring up test scores than laying the blame at the feet of the teachers who agree to teach in the most challenging environ-ments and are often vilified by the public when their patients don’t magically get better.

Eric Anctil is an education professor. He can be reached at [email protected]

“Actions speak louder than words” is how the old cliché goes. But in this world of social media, words may lead to actions you would never expect.

There is no doubt that we are the generation of social media. All of us are guilty of being on Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr—just to name a few of our social media favorites—at some point of the day.

In fact, according to a study by Johnson and Wales Univer-sity, the average college student spends six to eight hours a day on social media. Compared to the 3.3 hours that the American Time Use Survey found college students spend studying each day, I would say social media is definitely our generation’s guilty pleasure.

While we have come to terms with being Generation Y, there are still some things many of us fail to consider when it comes to social media.

Yes, we have been warned about the dangers of having our online profiles public. Don’t post up pictures of you with that red solo cup if you’re underage, and don’t you dare put up any photos of you taking part in illegal or in-criminating activities. We get it: things like that can get you into trouble and potentially cost you

your job or job opportunities.But what about the words

that comes with social media use? How careful are we when it comes to those Facebook status updates and comments and late night tweets?

While most of us don’t give much thought to answering Face-book’s question of “What’s on your mind,” the answers we give through status updates may get us into more trouble than we’d ever expect.

Ask University of Minnesota student Amanda Tatro, who was failed from a class for posting what classmates perceived to be as threatening and offensive sta-tuses on Facebook. Tatro’s Face-book statuses may have been just words—as she had argued in court—but those words had led to her having to retake the class, take an additional class on ethics and undergo a psychologi-cal evaluation. Talk about taking those words on Facebook seri-ously.

Now many of us will never have to face such consequences for our use of words on social media, but it’s important that we be more careful of what words we do use.

According to an article re-cently published by CNN, social media will soon be responsible for employers saying goodbye to the good old resume we’ve come to know as part of job applica-tions.

Think about it: if pictures can get you into trouble, can you imagine what your words—which are essentially your

EricAnctilGuest Commentary

Amanda BlasStaff Commentary

Why the Chicago teachers strike matters

Actions Speak Louder than words? Not in Generation Y“Yes, the cat is ador-able. Its name match-es the Corrado Beta

fish.”

Trent Hashimoto-Noguchi, freshman, engineering

“The cat is very cute. Name rhymes with our

other Corrado pets/mascots, Lawrence.”

“Yes I have seen the black cat, behind Franz, its name is

Hobbes.”

Tomas Bluth, junio, eng-lish &philosophy

Katharina Cochran, sophomore, business

“Yes, his name is Lawrence, the Corrado

cat.”

Teachers’ Strike

Fast Facts As of Wednesday, the Chi-cago teachers’ strike ended with a tentative agreement.

What the Teachers get:b 17.6 percent raise over four years.b The removal of a merit based pay system based on students standardized test scoresb Only 30 percent of teacher evaluations will be based on test scoresb Health insurance costs will not be increasedWhat the Mayor gets:b The school day and year will be longer.b Teacher evaluations will still be based in part on test scores.What the kids get:b For students starting school this year, 2.5 more years of school due to the longer school day and year.

-Source: CNN

thoughts—can get you into? Sounds like those words have potential to speak loud and clear.

But let’s not be all negative. The power behind the words of social media has the ability to cause some commotion on is-sues that may not have gotten attention otherwise. Think about Obama’s hashtag “#dontdouble-myrate,” which gave people a way to speak out to Congress about increasing student loan in-terest rates.

Bottom line: in this age of so-

cial media, words are definitely capable of speaking louder than any action could. We just need to remember when and how to use these words.

Amanda Blas is a senior sociology major. She can be reached at [email protected]

Now, introducing for your University of Portland Pilots, standing 6’0” tall, hailing from Sacramento, California, fresh-man midfielder Devlyn Jeter!

The Pilots may have just found its next soccer star with this 2012 four star recruit. Jeter also shares the same background of UP soccer royalty.

In high school, Jeter played for Elk Grove FC where she was a five-year team captain. Elk Grove FC is the same club team that produced former UP stars and current pros Stephanie Cox and the Rapinoe sisters, Megan and Rachael.

“I want to be like them, they are my inspirations,” Jeter said. “I brag about coming from the same city as them because they are such great players.”

However, Jeter’s first experi-ence with UP and Megan Rapi-noe did not make her future here seem so promising.

“I came here as a guest on a U-16 team when I was 13 and Megan Rapinoe led a tour of the school,” Jeter said. “I remember thinking I did not want to come here because the school was just

too small.”In high school her sentiment

changed and the small size that disinterested her at first became one of the main reasons she chose UP.

“Over time I came to appre-ciate that about UP, it gave me a feeling that it was a home away from home,” Jeter said. “All the other schools were just too big; I thought I would get lost.”

So far the choice to come to Portland has proven to work out well for her, the team and her teammates, who have already notice her presence on the field. Senior Kendall Johnson has been impressed with how well Jeter has been able to fit into the team

and contribute right away.“DJ keeps getting better and

more confident,” Johnson said. “It’s unique that she is a big play-er but has so much ball skills and can use her feet well. She fits in well with the way we like to play and is a good overall fit for the team.”

Jeter has certainly found a home at Merlo. The atmosphere is something she says is unmatched anywhere in the country.

“I’m not gonna lie, my favor-ite place I’ve played is here,” Jeter said. “At first I was nervous but I realized the community support helped us play better and gave an emphasis to how we play. Play-ing in front of fans like the Villa Drum Squad and being under the lights is a fun environment.”

Jeter does not shy away from big time soccer. Her experience playing for the National U-18 team has certainly prepared her for the change of pace from high school to college.

“It’s crazy to go from club soccer in high school and then be thrown into an environment with the best players in the country,” Jeter said. “It really shows you what you are good at and what you need to improve on, but it is very fun and I made a lot of close friends already.”

As far as preparing for games, Jeter and her roommates have a more loose approach to help them get ready.

“The team always has pre-game at 3:30, after that Haylee (DeGrood), Sara Bindl and I go back and blast Pandora. Our fa-vorite stations are Salt-n-Pepa and TLC,” Jeter said.

Obviously pregame throw-

back music works. The Pilots are only seven games in but Jeter’s game is already improving.

“I think she has a lot of poten-tial,” Johnson said. “I am excited to see what the future holds for her.”

You can next see Jeter on the field on Friday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. when the Pilots take on Seattle University on Merlo Field.

The new kid on campus: Devlyn JeterFreshmen Devlyn Jeter gives some insight into her decision to come to UP and play a key role on one of the most talented women’s soccer teams in the country.

PJ MarcelloStaff Writer

[email protected]

Photo courtesy of portlandpilots.com

Jackie Jeffers | THE BEACON

Freshman Devlyn Jeter handles the ball down the field against Notre Dame. Despite being her first year on the team, Jeter has garnered

really fast. Their bodies need to get used to the race pace before they even start.

Davis is excited to be compet-ing close to home this year be-cause she loves having the sup-port of her family and friends.

“Having a bunch of our fam-ily members, friends, students, classmates and professors at the race is a lot of pressure, but I think it’ll really help our team and it’s really exciting,” Davis said.

The women’s cross country team will be on the road for their next four competitions. They will be back in Portland on Oct. 13 for the Concordia Invitational.

Continued from page 16

XC: running to a title

Jackie Jeffers | THE BEACON

Freshman Lexi Dempsey leaps into the air to set a ball for a team-mate’s kill attempt against Washington.

into conference play at 4-7.Loper wants to use this week

to get ready for what’s ahead.“I think it’s really important

to start playing some tougher, top level teams to get us ready for our league,” Loper said.

Portland’s challenging start to WCC play begins with the Pepperdine Waves. Pepper-dine leaves tournament play with a record of 9-4 and the 2011 WCC title under their belt. “Gonzaga is a natural rivalry but we really want Pepperdine. We want to play Pepperdine ev-ery single night. That’ll be a fun one,” Houck said.

The Gonzaga University Bulldogs will be the Pilot’s next home game, Thursday Sept.27 at

Chiles Center. The Bulldogs go into conference play 8-5. Gon-zaga and Pepperdine will be the two biggest games for the Pilots this season, as they fight against a long history of rivalry.

Portland hopes to keep their solid defense and aggressive of-fense strong for the rest of the season. The team needs to hit hard and keep digging every-thing to be in the top of the WCC. Determination and communica-tion will help the Pilots achieve this.

Houck is pleased with how the team works together and how they talk to each other so much. Although it is a young team, they are learning together and making each other better every game.

“We’re playing pretty much everybody,” Houck said. “Our

freshmen are out there, our soph-omores are out there and contrib-uting a ton.”

Portland aims to bring the fire they have to start conference play. If the Pilots can manage to

play on the road the way they have been at home, where they’re 3-1, they should compete in the the WCC.

“We’re ready to come out and kick some butt,” Loper said.

Volleyball: looking to the futureContinued from page 16

14 September 20, 2012 SPORTS

This weekin sports

Women’s Soccer

UP begins a four game home stretch after beating USC 3-2 Sept. 16. The team takes on Seattle University tomorrow at 7 p.m., University of Denver Sept. 23 at 1 p.m., Cal State Northridge Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. and San Diego State Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. before going into WCC conference play.

Men’s SoccerThe Pilots travel to Seattle, Wash. for the Husky Fever Classic tomarrow to face Se-attle University at 4 p.m. On Sept. 23 UP takes on Brown University 3 p.m. before head-ing home to start conference play against rival Gonzaga University on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.

Cross Country

Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams showed their talent at the WCC Preview on Sept. 15 at Fernhill Park with the men taking fi rst place behind senior Scott Fauble’s fi rst place fi nish in the 8k with a run time of 23:14.09. The men’s team also had four other runners fi nish in the top 10 with junior David Perry placing third, senior Aiden Irish taking fi fth, sophomore Woody Kincaid right behind him at sixth place and junior Charlie McDonald taking eighth place fi nish. The women’s squad placed fourth with rival Gonzaga plac-ing fi rst. Senior Gina Daletta led the team with a sixth place fi nish while junior Kellie Houser followed her for seventh place. Both teams head out on the road with the men going to Eu-gene, Ore. for the Bill Dellinger Invitational on Sept. 29 and the women traveling to the Toledo Bubblebuster on Sept. 21 in Toledo, Ohio

Volleyball

The UP volleyball team heads out on the road for a harsh start to WCC as they face No. 18 Pepperdine on Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. before taking on Saint Mary’s at 7 p.m. The team then heads home to face rival Gonzaga at 7 p.m.

(courtesy portlandpilots.com)

Courtesy of Kim Spir

www.upbeacon.net 15SPORTS

Pilotsin the

Spotlight: Kim Spir

Kim Spir, Shiley School of Engi-neering’s administrative assistant to the Dean, is considered a super fan of the UP cross country team. Spir was a runner herself in col-lege, competing for both the track and fi eld and cross country teams at the University of Oregon. She is now in the process of writing her fi rst novel about women’s ath-letics in Oregon.

When did you start becoming a fan of University of Portland cross country?

I don’t quite know how it started, except I went to the University of Oregon and I ran on the track and cross country teams there. I have been a fan of Oregon athletics for a long time, but, in paying atten-tion to the sport, you notice other teams in the region. I have always admired University of Portland.

How did your admiration of UP start?

After I graduated from Oregon I noticed that they started to slide and there were some dark years at Oregon. It was really hard to root for the team sometimes, but I’ve always been so impressed with the way that University of Portland can rise to the occa-sion—the men’s team and the women’s team. I think this year is going to be really exciting.

What are you most excited about this season?

To see them perform and move up the rankings. I like to watch them and I like their spirit.

What do you like about their spirit?

There’s a kinship with these athletes. There is a beauty in cross country. It’s you against the clock and your team against other teams. It’s just really pure. There’s an elegance to cross country. There’s something about the way the human body moves and they way people are inspired and they run out of their heads, run better than they think they would. It’s like the epitome of the human spirit.

What do you feel is the reason for UP’s success?

Both coaches are just great peo-ple and there is a vibe that comes out of University of Portland that is terrifi c. The team is so proud. I talked to Lyndy Davis at the Pier Park meet and she was giving me an overview of the team. You could see how proud she was of this year’s team’s chances. Also, the fact that they’re doing so well on this campus and they don’t get the attention they deserve.

How does the team impress you outside of athletics?

The athletes at the University of Portland are student athletes. At Oregon, when you’re on scholar-ship you treat it more like a job. But here, your academics and your athletics are on the same level. I think the athletes here balance that really well. The Shi-ley School of Engineering has a number of engineering and computer science students on the track and fi eld and cross country teams. The accomplishments of our students are an added plus to being a fan. To see them every-day and to say “hi” is great. How do you see the coaches help-ing the team?

The coaches know what pace you need to run and where you are at any given time during the race. They’re just really essential in letting you know where you are and inspiring you to get up there and get up a couple more plac-es. They’re able to convey team strategy and tactics really well.

How long have you been attend-ing the meets?

Well, I am staff photographer for Track and Field News, I go to the regional meets and take pictures and submit photos to the maga-zine. Then I started taking pic-tures for The Beacon, The Log, and the athletic department at UP.

What do you do for Track & Field news?

There are at least 20 U.S. and an-other 15 international staff pho-tographers for Track and Field News, a magazine that started in 1948. I am one of a number of

photographers listed in the staff box, and was included in the staff box about fi ve years ago. Track and Field News did not include women’s coverage until the late 1970s. As an athlete at UO, I was always seconds short of be-ing listed in the national rank-ings in the magazine. Having my name in the staff box is just as thrilling.

When looking back on your ex-perience competing for UO, what do you remember specifi cally? Well, victory laps at Hayward Field were just amazing because you have everybody clapping for you. Back when I was running at Oregon, they had an inside track that you used after you raced to do laps and watch the meet that was taking place. That was just the coolest thing. You were able to cheer people on while you were on the track yourself. Hayward Field is a special place. That’s why I think it’d be so cool if University of Portland could get a track, because having a place to go to and having a home base is great. I would hope in my dreams that something like that could be created here at UP.

Can you share an exciting sto-ry about the UP cross country team?

Last year or the year before, Uni-versity of Portland actually beat University of Oregon down at the Dillinger classic. They got sec-ond, and UP had the fans and the fl ag and the purple power shirts. It was exciting and it was so cool to see. I was jumping up and

down; I was almost crying.

What do you wish people knew about UP cross country?

I wish more people at the Univer-sity of Portland realized what be-ing ranked 5th in the nation for a school of this size, with no track, means. The cross country teams here are just amazing; it’s really something.

Tell me about the book you are writing.

It’s about a history of women’s track and fi eld and cross country in the state of Oregon. I plan to concentrate a lot on University of Oregon, which is where I’m from, but also on the evolution of women’s athletics in the state. There are some really interest-ing stories out there of women who have persevered before the days of scholarships and track shoes. I’ve been working on it for a couple of years. [It] will hope-fully be completed by the end of 2014, and is tentatively titled “Women of Oregon: A History 1928-2012.”

How long do you plan on stay-ing such a big fan of UP’s cross country team?

Forever. I’ll always support Uni-versity of Portland. The student athletes who go through this pro-gram are really special people.

Taylor TobinStaff Writer

[email protected]

Photo courtesy of Kim Spir

When the Pilots head to Mali-bu Saturday, Sept. 22 to play their fi rst WCC game of the season against Pepperdine, they hope to bounce back from a tough week that had them playing two teams ranked in the top fi ve in the na-tion. It began against University of Washington Huskies on Sept. 11. Portland hung with the Hus-kies, but eventually fell in a 3-0 loss. Washington came to The Bluff ranked No.5 overall, but

that didn’t change the way the Pi-lots approached the game.

“Its just focusing on each rally all the way through,” head coach Joe Houck said. “There’s no dif-ference; it’s good preparation.”

On Sept. 14, the team traveled to the Penn State Classic and be-gan the tournament against the No. 4 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions. The Pilots battled against the Penn State defense but lost 3-0. Portland then faced East-ern Illinois on Sept. 15 in what would be the fi fth fi ve-set match this season. The Pilots brought the extra pressure in the fi fth set

to take the match 3-2. This was the fi fth time the Pilots have gone to fi ve sets. They have won ev-ery one of those matches. That same night, the Pilots fell to the Duquesne Dukes 3-1 to fi nish the tournament 1-2.

“It’s good for us to really get in there and start completing with every team that we play,” said middle blocker Bea Loper.

The Penn State Classic con-cludes tournament play, where the Pilots are 6-8, and marks the beginning of WCC conference play. Last season, Portland went

Tough week prepares Pilots for WCC

Katie DunnStaff Writer

[email protected]

After tough defeats against Penn State and Washington to round out non- conference play, Pilots volleyball prepares for No. 18 Pepperdine and the WCC conference.

See Volleyball, page 14

Imagine wearing a Pilot’s cross country jersey, standing at the starting line of a race.

The crowd is silent. Your teammates are

silent.Your opponents are

silent. Butterfl ies crowd your

stomach in anticipation of one single sound—Bang!

What you feel is what fi fth-year cross country

runner Lyndy Davis feels everytime she steps behind the starting line to

race.“Your gut just drops and

you want to start,” Davis said. “Because once you start, you’re in it. It’s that standing on the

line right before the gun’s shot off that’s freaky.”

Davis has run competitively since her sophomore year in high school, but she still gets nervous before a race. Un-like most collegiate sports, college-level cross country runners race only four or fi ve times in a season.

“It gives you anxiety when you do put your jer-sey on,” Davis said. “It’s a big deal and it’s really exciting.”

Davis thrives on ner-vousness. It’s the nerves

that get her to run fast. After the initial excitement of

starting a race, Davis zones out. “For me, if I start being dis-

tracted and thinking about something that happened in the day, I know my race is falling to pieces,” Davis said. “That’s

a sign I’m not going to be happy when I cross the fi nish line.”

Davis adds that the best thing for elite runners to do mentally during a race is to reach runner’s utopia—learning how to run while feeling pain, and pushing through that pain.

Besides pushing through pain, fi nding a rhythm also helps.

“Sometimes if I have a song I was listening to right before the race, a lyric might repeat in my mind, like fi ve words from a song that repeat to your stride and your steps. It’s kind of annoying, but [it] happens,” Davis said.

Although running is an indi-vidual sport, the women’s cross country team is focusing on a more team-oriented approach this year.

“What we’ve really been working on this year is running with a group and running at least with a partner in a race. That’s one of our big goals this year. It’s important because at the end of a race, if you’re coming in with a teammate, you’re keeping the points. It’s really motivating to have them behind you,” Davis said. “[Racing is] defi nitely not an individual thing.”

Having a teammate by her side motivates Davis. Just seeing the Pilot jersey next to her is encouraging. Seeing her coaches during a race and hearing them cheer her on also motivates Davis.

“It would freak me out if my coach wasn’t there. I need Ian to be at the races. I can hear him whenever he says something throughout a race. Whenever I run past [him] I probably run faster,” Davis said. “It’s impor-tant to have your coach at your competition, he’s the one who see’s you at all your workouts and

everything.”Head coach Ian Solof knows

that it is natural for athletes to want the support of their coach through a race. Solof believes that there is only so much he can do to encourage his athletes dur-ing a race and most of the support from the coaches comes during the practices before the day of the competition.

“Getting [the athletes] to be relaxed and confi dent in their fi tness and ability, and making sure they go into the race with the right objective is important,” Solof said. “We encourage the athletes to be competitive and, at the same time, not get freaked out and turn it into something bigger than it is. It’s a race, and you run as hard as you can.”

During a race, Solof can get on the course to encourage his team. He will occasionally yell to an athlete and tell them to run harder, so they can move up to the next group.

Warming up and cooling down before and after a race is a large part of competing and avoiding injury.

“Our three-mile warm up is probably longer than most people run in a day. We warm up and then we race, and then we do a three or four mile cool down,” Davis said.

According to Davis, warming up gets a runner’s muscles loose so their bodies do not go into shock when they start running

Runnin’ through the mind of a runnerAn inside look into the mind of cross country runner senior Lyndy Davis about what it takes men-

tally and physically to compete and train for national meets.Taylor TobinStaff Writer

[email protected]

Courtesy of Kim Spir

Senior Scott Fauble pushes himself to the limit as the men’s 8k race draws to a close. Fauble’s eff ort rewarded him with fi rst place in the WCC Preview and helped the men take fi rst place as a team.

See XC, page 14

Imagine wearing a Pilot’s cross country jersey, standing at the starting line of a race.

The crowd is silent. Your teammates are

silent.Your opponents are

silent. Butterfl ies crowd your

stomach in anticipation of one single sound—Bang!

What you feel is what fi fth-year cross country

runner Lyndy Davis

“Your gut just drops and you want to start,” Davis said. “Because once you start, you’re in it. It’s that standing on the

line right before the gun’s shot off that’s freaky.”

Davis has run competitively since her sophomore year in high school, but she still gets nervous before a race. Un-like most collegiate sports, college-level cross country runners race only four or fi ve times in a season.

“It gives you anxiety when you do put your jer-sey on,” Davis said. “It’s a big deal and it’s really exciting.”

Davis thrives on ner-vousness. It’s the nerves

that get her to run fast. After the initial excitement of

starting a race, Davis zones out. “For me, if I start being dis-

tracted and thinking about something that happened in the day, I know my race is falling to pieces,” Davis said. “That’s

Runnin’ through the mind of a runnerAn inside look into the mind of cross country runner senior Lyndy Davis about what it takes men-

Taylor TobinStaff Writer

[email protected]

Giovanna Solano | THE BEACON

Jackie Jeff ers | THE BEACON

Sophomore Katie Mardesich gets ready to spike the ball against No. 5 Washington. UP goes on to lose to Washington 3-0.

THE BEACON16 September 20, 2012 www.upbeacon.netSPORTS