The Shield 1/31/13

In this Issue

Vol. 43 Issue 19

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THESHIELD

Thursday, January 31, 2013

www.usishield.com

Th e students publication of the University of Southern Indiana

By JESSICA STALLINGSStaff writer

Th ree new music minors were approved in Decem-ber and added to USI’s music program on Monday, and a new professor started in the Fall 2012 semester.

Adding minors in general music, applied vocal music and applied vocal education was a three-year process for the music program.

Instructor of music Th omas Drury teaches music theory, aural skills and piano class. Drury said soon he wants to start up jazz appreciation class and hope-fully provide private piano lessons.

“I enjoy the hidden treasure feeling that USI has,” Drury said. “Th ere are so many students that want to learn more about music.”

Drury earned his undergraduate degree from the

The music & the man

By JAMES VAUGHNStaff writer

An Electronic Keyboard Lab opened in Fall 2011 to accommodate three new music minors, which were recently approved.

Music Coordinator Daniel Craig said as part of a plan for the minors, the lab was necessary for foun-dation courses such as Class Piano I and II and Aural Skills.

“Having a piano at your hands and a computer at-tached to that piano, you can use the computer and piano together to work on music theory exercises,” Craig said. “It’s also there to allow students the op-portunity to come in and learn how to play the piano if they so desire.”

Th e minor will not be listed on the DARS un-

Keyboard lab accommodating

new minors

By ARIANA BEEDOEStaff writer

After the cancelation of USI’s annual music festi-val, SpringFest, campus administrators and stu-dents put together an alter-native for this year.

“A Spring into Fitness 10K,” scheduled for April 13, will temporarily re-place the festival.

“I am working with Ian Savage from APB (Activi-ties Programming Board) to bring a band or two for that day,” said Marcia Kiessling, associate pro-vost for Student Affairs. “We are working to bring some food booths for that day to support both the run and the bands.”

The idea bloomed from multiple meetings tasked with fi guring out the future

for the university’s yearly event between Kiessling and student groups such as the Student Government Association (SGA), the 24/7 Committee, and the

executive offi cers of Inter-fraternity and Panhellenic Councils.

The “Spring into Fitness Run” was created to keep a spring event for students to

look forward to.Instead of not having

an event at all, the spring run is being held to com-memorate past SpringFest events and to carry on the

10-year tradition, she said. The future of SpringFest is still undecided and un-clear, she said.

The former SpringFest director, Tim Buecher, an-

nounced his retirement in the fall, leaving the event’s future and budget in ques-tion.

“Last year, all things happened at once,” Kiessling said. “We never knew about a budget.”

She said there is a com-mittee being formed to push forward future plans for SpringFest and that there still needs to be a structure formed to sup-port the event. After the committee forms, students will be able to take part in decision making concern-ing future events, but right now, the committee’s work is still up in the air.

“For this proposal, we need staff support fi rst, then student involvement,” Kiessling said.

The proposal is sup-


Overnight guests are un-acceptable in USI housing. But the Student Govern-ment Association (SGA) is taking another stab at a proposal to change the visitation policy.

SGA partnered with the Student Housing As-sociation (SHA) last year to develop a proposal that would implement a 24- hour visitation policy dur-ing the weekend.

The proposal made it to the Board of Trustees who rejected it. SGA Vice President Brian Anslinger said he is planning to form a commission that will tackle the policy.

“We’re going to reana-lyze the proposal and see what we can do to add to it

or maybe enhance it,” An-slinger said.

He said some ways they are going to try to strengthen the proposal include fi guring out a way to avoid liability issues and whether the visitation hours are affecting a per-son’s decision to attend the university.

“It just makes sense that we need to be updated and try to get in line with other universities,” Anslinger said. “We have one of the most restrictive visitation policy’s of the state-run institutions.”

The goal is to take the proposal to the SGA Gen-eral Assembly by the end of February, he said.

“We’re going to try to come up with a common ground,” Anslinger said.

‘Spring into Fitness’ run to replace SpringFest temporarily

New music professor, minor

at USI

Visitation policy revisited

DRURY on Pg. 5 KEYBOARDS on Pg. 5

VISITATION on Pg. 3SPRINGFEST on Pg. 3

For this proposal, we need staff support fi rst,

then student involvement.

-Marcia Kiessling Associate Provost for Student Affairs

Alumnus recognized pg. 4

Photos by JIMMY PYLES/The Shield

Music Instructor Thomas Drury teaches a student to play the right notes in his Piano I class.

Hackert: Beyond the basket pg. 7

Drury walks through sheet music with pre-med junior Zack Oxford as he plays the piano

Freshman internationals studies major Tyler Abbott plays the piano during his Piano I class.

Page 2 The Shield - January 31, 2013

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NewsPage 3 - The Shield - January 31, 2013

SPRINGFEST continued from Pg. 1

VISITATION continued from Pg. 1

By JESSICA STALLINGS Staff writer

Homecoming week will start Satur-day, Feb. 2, and end with the Home-coming Formal Feb. 9.

The Homecoming game will take place Feb. 9 at the Men’s Basketball game against University of Wisconsin.

USI will have a spirit competition and several activities within the same week of the game.

“The theme this year is ‘The Varsity We Hail,’ which is a piece of the USI Fight Song”, student development ad-viser Kathy Jones said. “It was picked because varsity addresses all athletics here.”

Jones said she hopes more students get involved with the spirit competi-tion and the turn out will be better than previous years.

“With the amount of students we have on campus, we have been encour-aging just your random student to form a team,” Jones said. “You don’t have to be tied to a student organization.”

Andy Dile, senior psychology major and homecoming court member, said he is nervous about tripping over his own feet during coronation.

“It is truly an honor to have the op-portunity to represent the University, the organizations I am involved in, and the student body,” Dile said. “As APB’s Novelty Chair, I will be repre-senting APB and homecoming court at the events starting with Midnight Movie at the REC. I will be helping with Sigma Tau Gamma’s Lego Build Off this Saturday. As member of Sig-ma Tau Gamma, I will be participating as a member of our spirit team.”

Kate Maymon, senior Spanish major and homecoming court member, said she is already blessed by being with such an amazing group of students.

“I knew it was not an opportunity that I would want to pass up,” May-mon said. “I’m planning on attend-ing the kickoff event on Monday, ice skating on Tuesday, and Homecoming Bingo on Wednesday. I will also be tailgating on Friday night outside of the PAC and of course I will be at the games on Saturday.”

To vote for Homecoming King and Queen, check USI email throughout the week.

Photo courtesy PHOTO SERVICESFirst row (left to right): Elizabeth Daake, sophomore biology major, Abbey Arenas, senior biology major, Vanessa David, senior public relations and advertising major, Laura Mason, senior Spanish major, Monique Darden, junior social work major, Kate Maymon, junior education major Second row: Caylin Blockley, senior public relations and advertising major, William Love, junior education major, Ethan Broerman, junior business management major, Lewis Boyden, senior advertising major, Andrew Dile, senior psychology major, William Hooper IV, senior education major

Homecoming festivities to begin soon

Feb. 1Doors open at 11 p.m. “Flight” begins at midnight at the Recre-ation, Fitness, and Wellness Center (RFWC.)

Feb.2Sigma Tau Gamma’s Lego Build Off begins at noon.

Feb. 3Super Bowl viewing at 5 p.m. in Forum 1.

Free food and drinks are provided.

Feb. 4In the RFWC, the Homecoming Tip-Off will take place, including infl atable games, music and dancing beginning at 7 p.m.

Feb. 5The Highlighter Dance Party and Outdoor Ice Skating will both be offered to students.

The Highlighter Dance Party will be at Carter Hall and t-shirts and highlighters are provided.

The Outdoor Ice Skating will take place in the Amphitheater (out-side of the UC West entrance) and ice skates are provided.

Feb. 6“Amadeus Percussion” will perform at 6:30 p.m in Carter Hall.

Bingo: Homecoming Edition following the performance at 7 p.m. Prizes for winners include USI apparel.

Feb. 7 Wear red and blue or USI attire and The Loft will give discounts to students, faculty and staff. Discounts include a free beverage with any combo meal purchase and a free cookie when using a meal from a meal plan.

At 5:15 p.m. the women’s and men’s basketball game against Lewis University will take place along with the Craziest Fan Competi-tion.

“Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part II” at 9:30 p.m. in Forum 1.

Feb. 8Comedy Hour with Mo Amer at 9 p.m. in Mitchell Auditorium (HP 1002).

Feb. 92:30 p.m. Women’s basketball vs. University of Wisconsin - Park-side

3:15 p.m. Men’s basketball vs. University of Wisconsin - Parkside

Homecoming King and Queen will be announced at halftime.

Homecoming Formal is in Carter Hall at 8 p.m.

The cost is free to USI students and open to the public. Music and food are provided by Activities Programming Board (APB).

Homecoming Events

posed to be presented this month to discuss moving for-ward with planning SpringFest’s future. Many students have mixed views on this year’s change in events, and SpringFest in general. Public Relations and Advertising Major Melissa Chavez said trying to continue to have concerts in the PAC is “illogical.”

“The music is so pointed in one direction - it’s not di-verse,” she said. “It would be nice to hear some hip-hop and R&B.”

Past SpringFests provided carnival rides and local mu-sic and gave students a chance to celebrate spring gradu-ation.

“It was probably the best decision somewhere along the line,” said Public Relations Major Elijaih Tiggs when it came to canceling the major event. “Since it’s ran by a committee, they thought ‘let’s take some time to restruc-ture this.”

“We don’t want to push it beyond the measure of what the university is ready to commit to.”

He said he heard last year’s proposal was excellent and with his ideas for improvement, will hopefully pass when it gets to the Board of Trustees.

Junior theater major Kaleb Sullivan doesn’t think there should be a policy for students. “I do not live on campus, thank goodness,” Sullivan said.

He did reside on campus during his freshman and sophomore years.

“I think the university only makes a big deal out of itto make parents feel good about sending their offspringhere,” Sullivan said. “But frankly, better security wouldmake a much better impression.”

He ignored the policy when he lived on campus, hesaid.

“I think, as an adult, curfews are ridiculous and sepa-rating the genders has absolutely no effect on whetherpeople sleep with each other or not,” Sullivan said.

‘The Varsity We Hail’

Life & Culture Page 4 - The Shield - January 31, 2013

By SHANNON HALLLife and Culture editor

Featuring maps on ev-ery wall and a George Washington cutout, Paul Rynkiewich’s classroom looks like any other social studies teacher’s. But it’s not - his is the room of a Peabody Energy Leaders in Education Award win-ner.

Peabody Energy started the program to recognize great leaders within the community.

“I’ve always loved his-tory and geography, even as a kid,” Rynkiewich said. “Although that’s not the case with every stu-dent, I do my darndest to bring enthusiasm to my class.”

The interaction with students is what he likes the most out about teach-ing.

“Being here a long

time, I still enjoy being around kids,” said the North Posey High School social studies teacher.

It was really quite a sur-prise, Rynkiewich said. He received $1,000 in prize money and will be eligible for the national award.

He said he doubts he’ll win that because there are so many other great teach-ers out there.

After 32 years of teach-ing - 30 of them at North Posey - Rynkiewich said that even with his 54th birthday coming up, he doesn’t plan to retire soon.

“I’ve got several more years,” he said.

North Posey High School’s Assistant Prin-cipal Erin Koester said despite grading and as-sessing the students, Rynkiewich never gets “bogged” down.

“He has a way of deliv-

ering his instruction with energy that sometimes is not easy to have in the classroom as a teacher,” Koester said. “But every day he teaches students with this level of energy that is very unique.”

Koester, along with North Posey’s principal, felt the social studies teacher was worthy of the nomination.

“I wrote the letter be-cause (Rynkiewich) was a former teacher of mine,” Koester said.

She said she benefi ted from being his student.

“I felt like it was neces-sary to recognize him for his passion in the class-room,” she said.

Along with teaching, Rynkiewich coaches the girls’ basketball team and serves as an assistant coach of the football team.

“He extends learning for the kids in various

aspects, whether it’s in a class of U.S. history or out on the football fi eld as their coach,” Koester said. “The genuine compassion that he has for his kids is just evident every day when he is giving his les-

sons.”She said he uses humor

in the classroom, which helps students make con-nections between what they go through every day and events that happened a long time ago.

“While a lot of teach-ers here have that passion and energy, I think he’s kind of a leader, and they just follow,” Koester said.energy, I think he's kind of a leader, and they just fol-low," Koester said.


USI English Associate Professor Marcus Wicker was nominated for his poetry book “Maybe the Saddest Thing” for an NAACP Image Award, which will be televised.

“My PR sent out the nomination - I honestly had forgotten about it,” the 28-year-old said. “I got a phone call and was really surprised.”

He said he is more ex-cited about being chosen as a nominee than he is about possibly winning.

“It’s truly an honor to just be nominated,” Wick-er said.

He said although he didn’t expect “Maybe the

Saddest Thing” to raise this much attention, every author subconsciously be-lieves in himself.

“As a writer, you want to tell yourself, ‘I think my voice and perspective is important to write,’” he said.

Wicker said he likes to remain low-key around campus, but students have still congratulated him on his nomination.

“Some seem to geni-unely care,” he said. “A few have come up to me in class and congratulated me.”

Wicker said his nomi-nation tells students that with training and revision, they can accomplish any-thing.

“Maybe the Saddest Thing” took several years to develop, he said.

“It began as my gradu-ate student thesis, and then followed to a fellowship ,and it continued to devel-op,” he said.

He said he is currently working on another book.

English Instructor and Southern Indiana Review Editor Ron Mitchell said he was part of the commit-tee that hired Wicker, and he had high expectations.

“He’s been even better

than I expected for just be-ing here a single semester - what he’s accomplished is amazing,” Mitchell said.

He said students can benefi t from Wicker’s en-thusiasm and work ethic.

“He’s young, and it’s an inspiration to our students to see someone his age have his success,” Mitch-ell said.

His short time at USI has helped connections with the Southern Indiana Review as well, he said.

“He has (made) an im-pact in that the number of the people who know about the journal and sub-mit to the journal has in-creased,” Mitchell said. “The quality has (also) in-creased dramatically.”

More people are learn-ing about the Southern Indiana Review through Wicker, he said.

“You know the phrase ‘high tide raises all boats’ - it’s brought a lot of na-tional press to the univer-sity,” he said.

‘High tide raises all boats’


USI alumna Joanna Emmons helped save not one life, but 40 percent of lives.

The St. Mary’s criti-cal care nurse specialist helped implement an early warning score system to help identify patients who are at risk of going into cardiac pulmonary arrest, which is when the heart and lungs stop working.

“We saw a 40 percent reduction in deaths (after the system was imple-mented),” she said.

Emmons heard about the system from a physi-cian who read about it in a British article, she said.

The system takes into account signs that a pa-tient’s condition is wors-ening so nurses can watch the patient more closely, she said.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) named Emmons the National Magnet Nurse of the Year for 2012.

According to the ANCC website, a Magnet hospital is “the most prestigious distinction a health care organization can receive for nursing excellence and quality patient outcomes.” St. Mary’s in Evansville is one of 13 Magnet hospi-

tals in Indiana. “It’s very humbling,

very exciting,” Emmons said. “It’s defi nitely not an achievement you receive alone. It was exciting for everyone at St. Mary’s.”

Emmons fi rst received her associate’s degree from Olney Central Col-lege (OCC) in Illinois before attaining her bach-elor’s degree in nursing from USI in 2005.

“I think my education at USI created a foundation (that helped me) continue (my schooling),” she said. “The curriculum let me understand, as a whole, nursing and the commu-nity.”

From USI, Emmons continued on to Murray State University in Ken-tucky in pursuit of a mas-ter’s degree.

She got the job at St. Mary’s after graduating from OCC, but she con-tinued to work there while studying at USI and Mur-ray, she said.

“I worked and gained experience that benefi ted me in the classroom,” Em-mons said. “It helped in a good way.”

She said she never stops learning, even after school.

“I learn something every day from my co-workers and from every patient I encounter,” Em-

mons said. “I love my job - just being able to help patients and families dur-ing the most diffi cult times in their lives.”

The College of Nurs-ing and Health Professions Dean Ann White said she sees more nursing students pursuing higher education after USI.

“We’re seeing more and more of our traditional students (in the nursing program) who start here ... go right on to get their master’s or, in some cases, doctorate’s,” White said.

She said she is excited that Emmons won such an award.

“To win such a presti-gious award exemplifi es how important it is for our nurses to be involved in activities and improve the quality of patient out-come,” she said. “The health care quality in the tri-state is very good, and we’re always looking to improve. We want to get better so we can get better results.”

Clinical Nursing As-sociate Professor Julie St. Clair said Emmons is a student you don’t forget.

“She was always posi-tive and enthusiastic,” she said. “Besides the academ-ic side, as a student, she was a real leader. We’re all really proud of her.”

Want to watch?

When: Friday, Feb. 1st

Time: 7 p.m.Channel: NBC 4 (on

USI alumnus recognized for passion, energy

Emmons source of pride for community

Photo by SHANNON HALL/The Shield

Marcus Wicker

USI alumnus, Paul Rynkiewich, teaches social studies at North Posey High School. Rynkiewhich received the Peabody Energy leaders in Education Award to recognize his great leadership within the community.

both Wow and Insight)

Professor’s award nomination brings press to campus

Life & CulturePage 5 - The Shield - January 31, 2013


Even with a 4.0 grade point average (GPA), sophomore Samantha Schu worries about her dream of becoming a law-yer. The pre-law minor, which became available to students this spring, requires a 3.0 cumulative GPA.

“It is unrealistic to think that’s good enough to get into most law schools,” Schu said. “I am appre-hensive about getting into a good law school.”

The required GPA should be higher, she said.

Schu is one of two stu-dents who have offi cially declared the minor, ac-cording to the Registrar’s Offi ce. Only one student has declared a minor in legal studies, which is an-other new option for stu-

dents interested in law.“Before the minors,

there was no guidance (for future lawyers) like pre-med is for future doc-tors,” she said. “This helps students planning to at-tend law school and offers better guidance as to the courses that will help them become more diversifi ed.”

Schu said she feels the minors are necessary at USI and at all universities.

Recent USI graduate and Indiana University McKinney Law School student Brett Bueltel would beg to differ.

“I honestly would not have added a pre-law minor,” he said. “Obvi-ously when you get to law school, the professors are going to teach you every-thing you need to know about the law and how to think like a lawyer.”

He majored in account-

ing at USI and didn’t go out of his way to take spe-cial courses pertaining to law, he said.

“Certain undergraduate majors and classes may help a little bit more than others, but a great work ethic is the most impor-tant thing you can take with you into law school,” Bueltel said.

If students have extra room in their schedule, the minor could be benefi cial, he said. Bueltel graduated Summa Cum Laude - with greatest honor - with a 3.9 GPA.

“IU isn't an Ivy League

law school, but I was able to receive a full-ride schol-arship,” he said.

Political Science As-sistant Professor Nicholas LaRowe was the driving force behind the develop-ment of the minors. The pre-law minor is for stu-dents who anticipate at-tending law school.

The legal studies minor is for students who simply want a background in law or plan to enter some sort of legal fi eld, he said. The required courses for both minors are similar. How-ever, most students in the College of Liberal Arts opt

to take Math 108 instead of Math 111. In order to minor in pre-law, students are required to take an eco-nomics course titled Cost-Benefi t Analysis.

Microeconomics is a pre requisite for the analy-sis course, and Math 111 is a pre requisite for Mi-croeconomics. Students minoring in legal studies have more options and are not required to complete Cost-Benefi t Analysis.

Based on the number of interested students he has talked to over the past few years as the pre-law advis-er, LaRowe predicted that at any given graduation, there will be approximate-ly 20 students graduating with the minors.

“Law schools look for a certain skill set,” he said. “We thought that students at USI who want to go to law school would be more

successful if they received kind of a focused, inten-tional training.”

While the basis of the pre-law minor is to build up a set of skills, the basis of the legal studies minor is to build up a base of knowledge, LaRowe said.

“You can certainly go to law school without taking a single one of the courses listed,” he said. “This is hopefully a way for stu-dents to get the most out of themselves while they’re here.”

Bigger state universities such as IU and Purdue do not offer a pre-law minor or feel that one is neces-sary.

“That’s something that I like, you know, the fact that USI is offering some-thing that a lot of the big-ger schools, like IU, (don't offer),” LaRowe said.

DRURY continued from Pg. 1University of Iowa and his graduate degree from the Uni-versity of Michigan. In 2004 Drury began playing piano for the choir at USI. Drury heard the music program was interviewing applicants for a music theory class, and he fi t the job perfectly, he said.

“My primary goal is for my students to understand and appreciate the value of music,” he said.

Chris Howard, radio and TV major, said Drury has an understanding of music, past and present. Howard said he is also passionate about students’ learning.

“He challenges students to think for themselves,” Howard said. “He gives the students personal attention to make sure he or she knows what is going on.”

Howard said Drury makes learning music fun.“His off -topic rants are my favorite things about his

classes,” Howard said. “Because of the rants, I looked for-ward to class and, in turn, learning music. “

Daniel Craig, associate music professor, said he is very excited about having the music minors.

“More classes in music allow students to expand their learning about music,” Craig said.

Craig said he plans to see a music major pop up within the next 10 years.

“Th is is the fi rst step in a lot of growth on campus,” he said. “Now is the time to start positioning ourselves into the process of a music major. A music major may be one of the last majors because of the experiences that are involved.”

til Spring 2014, but the courses are now available to stu-dents hoping to be credited with the minor and students who are interested in specifi c courses.

“If students who aren’t receiving a minor are taking the courses, it’s because they love music and they want to ex-pand their knowledge,” Craig said.

Notation soft ware is also available in the lab, which al-lows students to compose music and print it out.

“It is standard for most musicians to know this type of programming,” Craig said.

Students must be taking a course in the lab in order to take advantage of it outside the classroom. Th ey only do that as a way to alleviate damage issues, he said.

Freshman Brian Tenbarge is an undecided major who decided to take the class because he writes music on the guitar and thought it would be a good opportunity to add a new sound to his music, he said.

“I’ve always enjoyed the sound of the keyboard,” Ten-barge said. “Th e sound it creates and the ability to play so many notes in such a small amount of time is unlike any stringed or wind instruments.”

He said he likes that each student gets his or her own piano and the fact that there are a small number of stu-dents in each class.

Th e teacher announced a substantial amount of lab hours to students who would like to come in and practice not during class, he said.

KEYBOARD continued from Pg. 1

We have something they don't have: Pre-law minor now available at USI

Minor Requirements To view the requirements for the Pre-law and Legal Studies minor, visit this story on The Shields website at

http://bit.ly/1182hfU

YOU’RE ALREADY PROCRASTINATING “Like” The Shield on Facebook: The Shield at USI

Photos by JIMMY PYLES/The ShieldDrury walks down the aisle of pianos, snapping his fi ngers to keep the students on time while they play.

Opinion Page 6 - The Shield - January 31, 2013

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Letters to The Editor

Guest Commentaries

By THE SHIELDEditorial board

Human beings generally operate under the assump-tion that bad things will never happen to us.

We like to think that, for whatever reason, trag-edy will avoid intervening with our lives. But I’m sure the people of Aurora, Newtown and now, most recently, Houston never thought that anything would interrupt their daily routines either.

So think about it. What would you do if there was

a gunman on campus? How would you react?

An Indiana bill that is awaiting to be passed will allow people to carry guns on campus. Regardless of which side you fall on with the issue, it should get us all thinking more about what’s really important – the reality of having guns regularly present with stu-dents on a college campus.

A college campus should be a safe haven. In the midst of all the stress that presents itself in a typical school day, the ten-sion and potential threat

of deadly weapons just because they are present legally are not what we need. Guns in public plac-es on people who are not in uniform give us a feel-ing of unease.

We support better secu-rity measures. Having bet-ter security measures and training in place would promote a better environ-ment – a safer atmosphere, if you will.

There would be little reason for personal con-cealed weapons if we had trained security and well-known security proce-

dures.We need people be-

sides ourselves to act as the peacekeepers. We need them to ensure we can go about our day without worrying about the poten-tial of danger.

Bad things can happen anywhere, at any time, to anyone. But we shouldn’t have to worry daily about our safety as students on a college campus.

We should be aware that bad things happen, but we should not have to be di-rectly responsible for stop-ping a gunman while on

campus. We pay to learn and to live here and expectsecurity and the adminis-tration to keep us safe.

Campus is the placewhere we learn and wheresome of us live most of theyear. It’s where people can afford to spend the whole day outside, weather per-mitting. It’s where people can play a pickup game of basketball between classeswithout thinking aboutdeath or disaster.

We should be able to feel safe on campus with-out taking matters into our own hands.

Your campus, your safety

By JAKE TAPLEYOpinion editor

The Franklin Street Events Association, a new local organization, is looking to bring Franklin Street back to life. In the process of do-ing so, they have scheduled a Mardi Gras Bar Crawl.

Mardi Gras is the only street festival that trumps the Evansville West Side Nut Club’s Fall Festival in attendance, beating it by a landslide. And you know how the old saying goes: if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

The “bar crawl” is taking a multifunctional approach as both a bar-related event and as a family event. I can understand the concern from both parties because it is an interesting blend, but, ultimately, I think it’s for the better.

As this year is the fi rst year for the event, planners will fi nd out what works and what doesn’t so they can plan for more events in the future.

Cultural events that are still in their infancy are exciting - there’s so much freshness, so much possibility there. If we can get enough people to tap into that potential, we could end up with something remarkable, original and unforgettable.

I like where this tradition is going. I think it’s a direction that we need to pursue more often to avoid falling into a routinized slump.

If you’re one of those people that thinks this event sounds “lame” or “stupid,” then I don’t want to hear you complaining about how there is “never anything to do in Evansville.” Because this is it.

We need to encourage this event, because it is what we need more of. We need to encourage the growth.

People are fi nally taking the proper initiative into spicing up the night life, and I think we should respect their attempts. We will only build from the mistakes.

Though I don’t know exactly what to expect, there is defi nitely promise of food, live music, games and prizes. At worst, it’s a start in the right direction.

Mardi Gras Crawl By JIMMY PYLESEditor-in-Chief

Everyone is in luck this year because Mardi Gras is coming to Franklin Street, or at least a poor imitation of it. When I think of Mardi Gras, my mind instantly goes to drunk and topless people roaming Bourbon Street looking for their next beer or set of beads.

Franklin Street isn’t going to come close to living up to the Mardi Gras name. By naming it after something so iconic, people will go in expecting one thing and end up getting something completely different.

Mardi Gras is free, so why are people paying 10 dollars for a wristband and a shirt just to go to a business for some beads? Yet, you still have to buy a product, write a recommendation on their website or check into the business to receive those beads.

This doesn’t seem very well thought out to me. If you’re there, then why do you need to check in via social media in order to get the beads? You’re already there supporting the business.

First, don’t think about showing your boobs, because they’re ac-tually giving you what is sure to be an ugly shirt to stop someone from popping the top.

Second, you have to be sober enough to write a nice little mes-sage or be able to correctly use your phone to check in.

Third, there is no parade. How can an event be called Mardi Gras and not have a parade? That’s like being sober and seeing no boobs - pointless.

Yes, a lot of towns have their own versions of Mardi Gras, and they are probably just as bad as this one is going to be. I completely agree with supporting local businesses, especially the ones on the West Side (most of which I frequently go to). But getting them to-gether to pass out beads and calling it Mardi Gras is stupid.

Just because you hand out beads and have beer doesn’t make it Mardi Gras. There are just too many holes in the plan for me to get behind an Evansville Mardi Gras - better luck next year.

Right direction Wrong direction

By JESSICA STALLINGSStaff writer

What am I doing on a Friday night? I'm sitting in The Shield offi ce wonder-ing what there is to do on campus.

Everything is closed on campus after 3 p.m., which is nice for the work-ers but not for the students. Shouldn't I be able to do fun and free things on campus?

With the campus clos-ing so early, students, es-pecially those who live on

campus, are left bored in their dorms.

There are only a select few activities available on the weekends, such as get-ting dinner at the Loft with friends or going to work out at the Rec.

Occasionally, there will be a game to attend or a possible activity that RA’s have planned, but there needs to be something else.

Of course there is the option of going out and getting drunk at a party, but that is not my forte.

Plus, it’s illegal to drink on campus, and getting caught with drugs or alco-hol is not the greatest thing to have on your record.

If you want to go off campus for something to do, there isn’t much either. The only hookah bar on the West side closed and the option to walk around Wal-Mart out of mere boredom is very appeal-ing.

If you have the gas mon-ey to get to the East side, the mall closes at nine - even on the weekend. So

it's almost pointless.The university has taken

some steps into adding ac-tivities for students, such as playing a movie in the Forum on Saturday nights or having intramural sports for students to get involved in.

We should continue down this path of creating events that students enjoy and are free.

Leaving the places to eat open later than 3 p.m. on Fridays would be another step in the right direction.

I would rather go to

Starbucks with friends onFriday nights than sit alonein my apartment trying tofi nd something on TV.

As a university withmore than 10,000 students,we should have multipleactivities for students todo over the weekend orat least provide a place tohang out on campus otherthan our apartments.

This campus is full ofstudents with creativity.So why not put it to useby creating an event forstudents to get involvedin?

It's Friday night and I'm broke, bored

Sales and Marketing Director

Kristen [email protected]

Business MangagerMelia Rowland

[email protected]

Marketing ManagerKelsey Ziliak

[email protected]

Sales and Marketing ConsultantJim Mulvaney

[email protected]

SportsPage 7 - The Shield - January 31, 2013

Puzzle answers from page 2

Beyond the basket

By ROBERTO CAMPOSStaff writer

Since coming to the Eagles last year, Anna Hackert, no. 44, has left an impact on and off the court.

This year she has recorded four double-doubles and two Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Player of the Week titles, being the go-to-player offensively and defensively.

“I think what we’ve seen through Anna’s pro-gression on the team is her really coming into her own,” women’s basketball coach Rick Stein said.

The Evansville-raised forward/center has been described by teammate Mary O’Keefe as a “lead-er” on the team and someone who will “encourage you but at the same time will help you out if you need it or if you’re doing something wrong.”

Stein has also picked up on Hackert’s leader-ship qualities. “For someone like Mary, who is a team leader also and understands the importance of leadership, to describe Anna as a leader tells how her teammates think and look at her as a lead-er of the team,” he said.

A secondary education mathematics teaching major, Hackert has taken her drive for success and applied it to other aspects of her life.

“She is a focused and driven person, whether it

is on or off the court,” Stein said. “Whether it is her school work or basketball or whatever, I think it’s just ingrained in her head. She wants to suc-ceed in whatever it is that she’s doing.”

Hackert played on a championship team at Memorial High School and went from a winning team to the young Eagles team searching for what it took to achieve success.

“It was a little bit of an adjustment since I was used to winning. I don’t think I’ve ever had to deal with (losing) before, but I think it was good for me,” Hackert said. “It showed me how much harder I needed to work and how much harder our team needed to work to get better.”

O’Keefe and Hackert, who played as freshmen together last year, bonded over the position they shared and have turned to each other to deal with struggles.

“We play the same position so we kind of re-late to each other - we know what we have to go through, so that’s created a close bond,” O’Keefe said. “We both came in as freshmen and we got along right off the bat, which was surprising be-cause usually two new people don’t mesh together that quickly.”

Hackert and the Eagles are back in action against conference rival Bellarmine University this today at 5:15 p.m. in the PAC.

Lauren MinorSenior indoor and outdoor distance runner

The Shield: When you were a freshman, did you think you would be where you are today? Minor: Actually, I didn’t even know if I wanted to run in college, so when I was a freshmen I was still feeling it out. But once I hit sopho-more and junior year, I was really glad that I kept run-ning.

How is it transitioning from cross-country to track? For me it’s a lot different because we do a lot more speed work outs. Jumping from grass lops to a short 200 meter track. I just try to adjust the best I can.

What’s it like working with Coach Hillyard?Coach Hillyard has helped me so much over the years.You can see that my times have improved majorly. All the work he has me do and pushes me to do it’s helped me tremendously.

How do you prepare for races? I usually think I want to run fast and try not to think about it too much because that’s where I get in trouble. I just stick with the same warm up routine and drills then race.

What are your goals for the season?Track is a little more individual, but you’re still on the team, and you’re still working towards conference goals.Going into outdoor track, I would love to make nation-als because I barely missed cross country nationals by about 19 places so making outdoor nationals would beawesome.

Johnnie GuyFreshmen indoor and outdoor distance runner

The Shield: Why USI? Guy: I was originally at Pur-due and didn’t really like the big school feeling, so USI was my second choicewhen looking at schools. I have a twin brother here and

he told me about the campus. So I decided it might be better for me to come here since I’m from a small town and a small high school. It seemed like it would fi t better for me here.

How is it transitioning from cross-country to track? It’s a little bit different because in cross-country its 10k and indoors you go down to a 3k. There is a little more speed involved, especially because it’s on a 200-meter track. After getting the timing right, it’s not that diffi cult.

After running in your fi rst event for USI and placing 10th in the Men’s 3000 meter run how does that feel?It feel pretty good. It feels like I have a bright future ahead of me with this program.

What are you goals for the indoor and outdoor season?For the indoor season, I would really like to make nation-als, which means I have to run a little bit faster in the 3k and then really concentrate on running a 14:20:00 time for the 5k. For the outdoor season - just train hard for the 10k. Outdoors is little more important. That is like our long-term focus. I would like to break 29 minutes in the 10k outdoors.

How do you hope to impact the overall-program?I think I can make a big impact over next year and years after, especially for the cross-country season - looking to give us a big boost at nationals.

Q & Awith track runners Lauren Minor and Johnnie Guy

@usishield @usinews

@usishieldsports

Follow us on Twitter

By JIMMY PYLES, Staff writer

Photos by JIMMY PYLES/The ShieldSophomore forward Anna Hackert drives the lane during the game against the University of Indianapolis on Jan.19.

Photos by JIMMY PYLES/The ShieldMembers of the women’s basketball team talk about the next play against the Greyhounds during their game on Jan. 19. The women’s basketball teams plays it’s next game today against Bellarmine at 5 p.m. in the Physical Activities Center.

Hackert's drive shows on, off the court

Page 8 The Shield - January 31, 2013

The Shield 1/31/13

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