The Valley Vanguard (Vol. 44 No. 12)

VALLEYTHEVANGUARD Saginaw Valley State University’s student newspaper since 1967Monday, November 21, 2011 Vol. 44 No. 12

news tips/press releases [email protected] newsroom (989) 964-4482 advertising (989) 964-4248 visit us online at valleyvanguardonline.com

The Valley Vanguard wishes you safe travels

during the holiday weekend!

The international studies major isn’t just about learning foreign languages.

One issue those students can explore is how the war in Iraq affected the U.S. and its relationship with the world.

In an attempt to understand diplomacy,

students study the way nations interact on military, economic and cultural levels.

Jordan Vang, international studies sophomore, said that a lot of skills are necessary in having a successful career.

“I want to be an interpreter, which takes more than just knowing languages. It’s knowing the issues involved as well.”

Vang said that he is looking to do something in teaching, translating or

possibly as an ambassador.International studies is an

interdisciplinary program designed to train students to better understand the changing world economy and how to best react to it.

Diana Trebing, assistant professor of communication, said that the degree is

A snowy playoff matchup that featured big plays, big hits and a controversial overtime finish, Saturday’s game had all the elements of an instant classic.

The only thing missing for SVSU was a win.The Cardinals’ season ended Saturday with

a 30-27 overtime loss to Minnesota-Duluth in the first round of the NCAA playoffs.

“It was an exciting game - just what you want out of a playoff game - but unfortunately we didn’t get it done,” said head coach Jim Collins.

But SVSU couldn’t have come closer to getting it done: After a slow start, the Cardinals rallied from being down 10 points at halftime to send the game into overtime on the foot of freshman kicker Scott Stanford.

The Cardinals scored on their first possession in overtime, but the play was called back because of a controversial offensive pass interference call on SVSU. The Cardinals were forced to settle for a field goal, and Minnesota-Duluth punched the ball in on its first overtime possession to clinch the win.

“I like the way our guys competed today; they played hard, and they never gave up,” Collins said. “They competed for sixty minutes plus.”

SVSU was led by sophomore wide receiver Jeff Janis, who had a career day with 179 yards receiving and three touchdowns, including two

for more than 60 yards.“He’s had a great year,” Collins said. “He’s

a big, fast guy, and he’s an easy target to hit. He makes plays with the ball in his hands.”

The SVSU offense struggled early in what started out as a blustery, messy game. With the snow and cold temperature hampering the pass game, SVSU attempted to rely on the ground game, but was met with a resilient Bulldog rush defense.

“They are a tough team to run on,” Collins said. “We went into the game with running as part of the plan, but it wasn’t as successful as we hoped it to be, so went to plan B, which was (to) throw it more.”

“It was kind of tough (to throw the ball),” said sophomore quarterback Jonathon Jennings. “It was obviously cold outside, but we just had to work with it.”

The Cardinals’ persistence paid off when Jennings hit Janis on a 72-yard pass play in the second quarter. Janis caught the ball on a short slant, evaded one defender, followed his blockers and then sprinted past the entire UMD defense for the score.

“He was a big player for them today,” said Minnesota-Duluth head coach Bob Nielson. “When you catch a crossing route five yards from the line of scrimmage and take it the distance, that’s a heck of an individual play.”

The Bulldogs responded with 10 straight points, carrying a 21-7 lead into halftime.

Vanguard photo | Lisa CoffellSophomore wide receiver Jeff Janis pulls in his third touchdown catch of the day in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s overtime playoff loss to Minnesota-Duluth. Janis had a career-high 176 yards in the game.See PLAYOFFS, A8

See StuDieS, A2

Studying internationally, in classBy Blake Allenvanguard staff Writer

By Justin Brouckaert

vanguard sports editor

Almost

As a nation, we dedicate one day a year to honor and thank the men and women who have served our country: Veterans’ Day.

At SVSU, much more time has been

dedicated than that, since the University was announced this year as a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs magazine.

The designation is given to schools that are doing the most to welcome veterans into their student body.

G.I Jobs completed a survey of veteran students at 8,000 schools and universities, as

well as doing extensive research. Based on these results, the top 20

percent of schools are designated as military friendly.

Saginaw Valley has been working to increase its service to veterans and their

See VeterAnS, A2

By Sean Hammond vanguard staff Writer

Veterans see University on the right path

Vanguard photo | Tyler BradleyJamie Wendorf, a literature and Spanish senior graduating in December, looks forward to a career in teaching and communications.

What is your dream job and what does it take to get there? This is a difficult question for some to answer, but it’s important for

students to start planning for future employment before graduating and entering the job market.

Samuel Tilmon, assistant director of career services, said that he believes it’s important to start building a network with employers, faculty and other students before graduating.

Career fairs can play an important role in this process, even when a student is currently employed.

“Career fairs can establish connections that will be useful when you graduate,” Tilmon said.

Going to career fairs put students in contact with employers who may contact them later when a job opening occurs.

Expanding your network with faculty is important because professors might be willing to be a reference on résumés, as well as give practical advice on where to look for a job.

New to networking, advice for future gradsBy Brandon Cadottevanguard staff Writer

Looking back, Coury Carland, professor of political science, wishes he would have completed an internship during his undergraduate study.

Like many others, Carland was paying his own way through school and could not afford to take an unpaid internship.

“The prospect of working without pay is something a lot of students can’t do,” he said.

Students doing unpaid internships also take classes and may work at part-time jobs.

Yet if they are able to, Carland believes that students should take advantage of available internships.

“I think unpaid internships are valuable because you can’t really put a price on experience,” he said.

Brittany Rheaume, an elementary education junior, completed an internship at a banquet hall in her hometown through Michigan Works! earlier this year.

The internship didn’t pertain to her major, but it gave her an opportunity to make money.

She wouldn’t have done this internship if she didn’t receive pay.

Yet Rheaume said that she would complete a unpaid internship that related to her major.

Rheaume said that she understands that teaching jobs are hard to come by nowadays and that experience from an internship could help her get a job as a teacher.

“Teaching is my dream job, so if an unpaid internship gets me where I need to be then I would definitely go for it.” Rheaume said. “I’ll do anything to accomplish that goal.”

Heather Rising, interim assistant director of career services, said that students shouldn’t worry about becoming overwhelmed when taking on an unpaid internship.

Rising said that employers at unpaid internships are willing to work around students’ work and class schedules.

It is also possible for an unpaid internship to turn into a paid one.

Rising experienced this firsthand.She started out as a volunteer at career services and

slowly worked her way up. “I knew that as long as I put in my hard work they

By Andrea McBridevanguard staff Writer

Opportunity in internship

See internSHiPS, A2

See GrADuAteS, A2

The Cardinals took the defending national champion Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs into overtime, but fell just short in a 30-27 defeat

The Valley Vanguard 125 Curtiss Hall campus editors Brandy aBraham and joshua j. roesner e-mails [email protected] and [email protected] office (989) 964-2629

News coverage continued from page 1

Page A2| Monday, November 21, 2011 | valleyvanguardonline.com | The Valley Vanguard

svsu.edu/vanguard valleyvanguardonline.com

necessary for a more global job market.

“It is a versatile degree that prepares students for work in an increasingly interrelated world.”

Each student has a choice with this major to choose a concentration.

Concentrations include: business and management, Asian studies and European studies.

The Asian and European studies concentration can be beneficial for students seeking a graduate career in international studies.

All students are required to learn a foreign language and take core curriculum courses from economics, literature, history, geography, political science and sociology.

“Along with a foreign language requirements, students in this major take courses in a variety of disciplines,” Trebing said.

The options in the program can be beneficial to other career areas, such as social work, nursing or criminal justice.

This is a focused major where students looked at a specific region of the globe and studied its history, economy and political structure.

Whether it’s Africa, Asia, or Western or Eastern Europe, students may have the opportunity to learn a language that interests them. Students may also choose to study abroad.

Trebing said that time abroad is necessary for international studies major to get the full experience.

“Study abroad is very important as it is a great way to immerse yourself in other cultures,” Trebing said.

families since last year when former Marine Jose Coll visited campus. After his visit, a task force was created to evaluate the resources and programs offered to veterans on campus.

This year, two work-study positions exclusively for veterans, through the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, were approved for Saginaw Valley.

Will Smith, vice president of the Cardinal Military Association and a veteran of Iraq, acknowledged that the task force was really a turning point for the University.

“I got invited to sit on the task force and it really helped Saginaw Valley become military friendly,” he said.

The Cardinal Military Association is a RSO for veterans and their families on campus.

Shaun Yankee, president of the association who served in Iraq, described the CMA as a work in progress.

“We’re here to help military

students/families during their college careers, if it’s for education benefits and pointing them in the right direction or just having somebody to talk with that knows what they’re going through,” Yankee said of the association.

This year, the CMA became an affiliate of the Student Veterans of America, a coalition of student veterans groups from schools around the country.

Yankee said that SVSU has come a long way in acknowledging and addressing its veterans, but he and Smith have some ideas about what else the University could do.

“I would like to see more awareness for those coming out of the service so they can get info (about the University),” Smith said.

He explained that the school does have a veterans orientation led by former military students, but he would like to see more.

“I would like to see an office, like a military lounge, where all students can go to use computers or relax, but would be a place where veterans as well as their dependents could talk and access information about their benefits,” he said.

Yankee believes that a counselor on campus specifically for veterans would be very helpful.

“It’s about accessibility,” Yankee said. “The Vet Center offers counseling, but it’s not at the school. It would be much better if we had an education vet-to-vet counselor on campus.”

Though SVSU and its professors help veterans to get reacquainted with society, Yankee said that “everyone deals with it in their own way.”

Gretchen Evans, who had 27 years of service in the military including Afghanistan, Desert Storm I, Grenada and Somalia, said that the faculty and staff at the University are supportive of veteran students.

Evans explained that with the G.I. Bill, a Veteran can go to any school they can get in to.

Evans, who lost part of her hearing during her service, explained that all the faculty and professors she’s had are very compassionate when it comes to disabilities.

“It takes apprehension away from veterans who have been disabled in war to know there is help,” Evans said.

would realize they needed to keep me,” she said.She was eventually offered a paid internship and

currently works full time at career services. Rising said that students who do internships, paid or

unpaid, put themselves in a good position.“It doesn’t just help them get a job,” she said. “It helps

them demand a higher salary.”She explained that students are guaranteed a $1,000 to

$5,000 increase in their starting salary if they have completed an internship.

Although it may be difficult for students to balance classes, a part-time job and an internship, Rising has faith that they can do it and emphasized that it’s only temporary.

Although students may be sacrificing a paycheck now, they may eventually be receiving a larger paycheck because of their internship experience.

“Just know that you are kind of delaying your reward,” Rising said.

It’s important to network with other students as well because these students might end up in positions in the future that could be helpful to have a connection with.

In addition, they might have connections that could also help with the job search.

Tilmon also believes it’s important to start building a résumé right away through leadership experiences such as volunteering and being involved in student organizations

“These experiences help you grow as a professional,” he said. “A résumé is about all of the stuff you have done before.”

Students should regularly update their résumés to reflect the type of career they desire.

“Research companies you are interested in, and see what their requirements are,” said Tilmon.

There is country-wide or even global competition for the jobs that students might be applying for, so if a company is only seeing a résumé, it’s important that it is an accurate and impressive picture of the student or graduate.

“The goal isn’t to be in the top half, or even the top 10,” Tilmon said. “Make sure you’re the number one person.”

Another thing to consider is that a college degree is much more versatile than many students believe.

“Not all students understand the power of a degree and its versatility,” Tilmon said. “Look at all of these other options and start branching out.”

For example, having a degree in accounting does not mean restricting a job search to firms needing only accountants.

Having good people skills is essential to landing a dream job. “People hire people they like,” Tilmon said.

Police briefs are written according to reports from University Police. These indicate preliminary descriptions of events and not necessarily actual incidents.

Traffic Accident• At 12:25 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, a male student was slowing down to turn onto Pierce Road and was rear-ended. The car that hit him went into the ditch and both cars received significant damage. The first driver complained of injuries.

Possession of Marijuana• At 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, a resident assistant from Living Center North called campus police to Living Center North for loud noises coming from an apartment. When officers arrived they could smell alcohol and saw alcohol containers. One female student received a citation because she refused to take a breathalyzer. Five students received notices to appear.• At 2:54 a.m. Friday, Nov. 11, a vehicle on Bay Road failed to stop while turning onto Pierce Road and ran off of the right side of the road. A campus police officer made a traffic stop and smelled marijuana when he approached the vehicle. The officer searched the car and found marijuana underneath the driver’s seat. The 23-year-old male driver was arrested and taken to jail. There were two other males in the vehicle and one was a Northwood student.• On Wednesday, Nov. 2, residents in the University Village reported that they could smell marijuana coming from an apartment. Officers used a canine to sniff out the correct room. No one was home so they opened the door and officers only found residue so they left a notice to appear on the student’s door.• At 9:22 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14, officers met resident assistants and directors in Living Center North because two female students reported that their roommates were smoking marijuana in the bathroom. Officers searched the bathroom, but only found cigar tobacco in the trash and ‘weed’ written on the mirror. The case is being handled internally.•Between Tuesday, Nov. 1, and Tuesday, Nov. 15, two roommates reported that their roommate and her friend have been smoking weed in their apartment. They have asked her to stop, but she will not so they wanted the police to be aware of the situation.

Larceny• At 4:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7, a female student lost her ID somewhere on campus. Someone has been using it and the case is still under investigation.

Harassment• At 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, a female student reported that she was being harassed by her mother that she hasn’t seen in years. Her mother is a staff member on campus and wrongfully obtained her phone number and will not stop calling her.

Property Damage• Between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14, a female student’s vehicle was damaged in G-2. When the female student arrived at her vehicle there was a note with the name and number of the student who damaged her rear-side bumper and pushed the vehicle three feet. Officers are trying to make contact with the student.

svsu.edu/vanguard

about ussince 1966, The valley vanguard has provided coverage of campus and communiTy happenings To sTudenTs, faculTy, sTaff and communiTy residenTs free of charge. an online ediTion of The paper is availaBle aT svsu.edu/vanguard and is updaTed weekly during The fall and winTer.

publishingThe vanguard is puBlished By The sTudenTs of saginaw valley sTaTe universiTy weekly in The fall and winTer semesTers, wiTh one issue puBlished in The summer. our office is locaTed in curTiss 125 on The campus of svsu, aT 7400 Bay road, universiTy cenTer, mi 48710.

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Vanguard photo | Tyler Bradley

At the Arab Spring lecture, a panel of professors discussed the recent uprisings in the Middle East, its causes and what will happen to the rioters once the uprisings have been controlled.

Vanguard photo | Sean Dudley

Last week, the International Food Fest offered students new food options, such as Chinese moon cakes.

STuDieScontinued from A1

VeTerAnScontinued from A1

inTernSHiPScontinued from A1

GrADuATeScontinued from A1

Thanksgiving Dinner• The Club Wrestling will have a Thanksgiving Dinner at 6p.m. on Monday, Nov. 21, at University Village 450. The menu will include: stuffed turkey, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn. The meal costs $5.

Thanksgiving recess• Students will begin Thanksgiving recess Wednesday, Nov. 23, and classes will resume Monday, Nov. 28. There are only two weeks left in the fall semester. Classes end Saturday, Dec. 10, and final exams begin Monday, Dec. 12.

Student Association• The Student Concerns Committee will meet in the Unity Room in the Doan Building from 4:15-5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22, to discuss ways that the Student Association can help meet the concerns of students.

Blood Drive• There will be a Red Cross blood drive from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 22, in the Rotunda near the Student Life Center in the Doan Building. It is suggested that donators drink plenty of water and eat a healthy meal before donating.

corrections and additions

if you see an error, please leT us know as soon as possiBle By con-TacTing ediTor-in-chief Toni Boger aT (989) 964-4482 or [email protected]. in addiTion To prinTing a correcTion in our prinT ediTion, The online version of The sTory will reflecT The correcTion.

News and events from on and around campus

The Valley Vanguard | valleyvanguardonline.com | Monday, November 21, 2011 | Page A3

courTyardThe

The Valley Vanguard 125 Curtiss Hall campus editors Brandy aBraham and joshua j. roesner e-mails [email protected] and [email protected] office (989) 964-2629

svsu.edu/vanguard valleyvanguardonline.com

Food Fest stirs spoons, new food options Making banana splits, DQ workers split time with work and study

Cancel your annual July trip to Ohio. In a veto proof vote last month, the state of Michigan repealed its ban on consumer fireworks.

The bill that passed would create the Michigan Fireworks Safety Act, which would control firework sales in the state. State legislators believe that this will be a boom for Michigan’s economy because sales no longer will go to Ohio or Indiana.

During International Education Week each semester, the International Student Club hosts the International Food Festival at the Marketplace at Doan.

The festival began in the late 1990s as a group potluck where students would bring in different foods.

It was originally held in Brown Hall and it later moved to Curtiss. The International Food Festival is now held in the Marketplace at Doan.

The International Student Club always hosts this event so international students can share their culture.

Jason Wolverton, director of marketing said, “The International Food Fest started as a fundraising effort and exposure opportunity for the International Student Club.”

Stephanie Sieggreen, director of international programs, said “Food tends to bring people together. It doesn’t matter where you’re from.”

Sieggreen said the International Food Festival is a part of International Education Week because it helps students who are from different countries remember their homes.

Students from China, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea and other countries participated. Working with Dining Services, the students use recipes from their home countries and prepare the dishes in dining facilities.

Abdullah Alaithan, health science freshmen said, “The reason why students come to this event is because it’s a break from the everyday same-food routine.”

Foods ranged from crepes from France to moon cakes from China.

“It’s a great idea to try new kinds of food especially from different cultures,” Alaithan said.

The Marketplace was decorated with colorful decorations such as flags.

“The food festival provides people with a change of pace,” said Tom Hentkowski, finance senior.

“People can always have American food.”

Lorin Davis, international studies junior said, “People like to try food from new places.”

Exchanges are critical to developing mutual understanding and respect.

“Ultimately, a university setting is all about learning and gaining new experiences, and that concept applies not only in the classroom, but the dining room as well,”

Wolverton said.The event aims to build support

for international and educational exchange.

Xiangjun Meng, business junior, said, that the event was “a great opportunity for international students from different cultures and backgrounds to communicate with American students.”

Katie McConnachie, Travis Alden, Kally Smith and Alison Gough manage their busy schedules as students who have to commute to one town for work and another town for school.

The four students work at the Dairy Queen in Sandusky, which is nearly 80 miles away from Saginaw in Michigan’s Thumb.

McConnachie, Alden and Smith attend SVSU, and Gough attends Central Michigan University.

McConnachie, an accounting freshman, details the stress she undergoes to make her job fit her school schedule.

“I usually have to rush back Thursday nights to work and leave Sunday to head back to Saginaw, and I have to do it every week,” she said.

Alden, a math junior, is a manager at Dairy Queen and has been traveling from Saginaw to work for three years. He said that it is worth it to keep his job.

He said that traveling to work has made him aware of changing gas prices.

“I pay attention to gas prices more now because I drive back and forth from Saginaw at least two times a week and sometimes more,” Alden said.

Although Gough, a social work senior, travels to CMU, she has similar issues with travel.

She lives in Sandusky and has a two-hour commute to save money from not staying on campus.

Gough also has to worry about her family and taking care of her son each week.

“It’s been hard managing my time because I have a 3-year-old son, and trying to take care of both school and home and work can be frustrating sometimes,” Gough said.

Kally Smith, a business freshman, will attend SVSU in the winter semester and she said that she is expecting to dedicate more time to school than she has before.

“I am going to lose a lot of sleep and free time, but working is what I need to do,” she said.

McConnachie said that she is also expecting to do extra work for the winter semester because she will take 16 credits rather than the 13 she took the previous semester.

However, she said that working at Dairy Queen is essential even if it means losing some sleep.

“I can’t find a job in Saginaw so if I didn’t work here (Dairy Queen), I wouldn’t have a job,” she said.

Fireworks ban repealed, sales return to MIBy Sean Hammondvanguard sTaff wriTer

Vanguard Graphic | Josh Hartley

Vanguard photo | Sean Dudley

The International Food Festival, hosted by the International Student Club and Dining Services, offered students a chance to sample food from across the world at the renovated Marketplace with more seating.

Vanguard photo | Alison Gough

Gough is a social work senior at CMU.

Vanguard photo | Kally Smith

Smith is a business freshman attending SVSU.

Vanguard photo | Katie McConnachie

McConnachie is an SVSU accounting freshman.

Vanguard photo | Travis Alden

Alden is a math junior attending SVSU.

By Blake Allenvanguard sTaff wriTer

By Brandy Abrahamvanguard campus ediTor

Dylan Hellus, political science junior, likes that people can get fireworks locally now.

“I don’t have to go to Ohio anymore, and any reason not to go to Ohio is a good reason,” he said.

Aaron Baylis, a political science senior, agreed with the legislature.

“This probably will help Michigan’s economy because you don’t have to go to Indiana to get fireworks anymore,” he said.

Keven Washburn, political science sophomore, believes that it was good for a different reason.

“People do it anyway,” he said. “It’s so lenient on enforcement that it’s basically legal.”

Greg Gardner, political science/public administration sophomore, believes we can use this to help improve programs on campus.

“We should bring fireworks to Saginaw Valley football games and light them off every touchdown like Grand Valley did,” he said. “That was cool.”

The Valley Vanguard 125 Curtiss Hall [email protected] editor-in-chiefToni Boger office (989) 964-4482 e-mail [email protected]


opinion

valleyvanguardonline.com

This week, we highlighted the role that internships can play in students’ careers after graduation.

Although many of us are wary to take internships that don’t pay, we realize that internships offer experience that job shadows and classes can’t. The “real world” that professors tell us about can be made real through internships.

What many of us don’t realize is that the role of the internship is changing. Internships aren’t only a way for us to gain experience in what we hope will be our future careers, but internships are becoming a way for companies struggling in the economy to scout out future workers.

In a Nov. 16 article on NPR.org about whether or not internships were free labor, Helana Natt, executive director of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, said that some companies use unpaid internships to screen potential job candidates.

These unpaid internships allow companies to still effectively evaluate candidates after a human resources department doesn’t have the money to do that work anymore from budget cuts.

This piece of information can be of great value to students looking at taking an unpaid internship. Knowing that a company might be willing to hire you if it notices your work ethic and abilities

can make up for the fact that you won’t be paid for all of that hard work.

At the very least, internships give you the opportunity to network with people you never would have networked with otherwise. These connections can prove valuable in a job search as they can point you to someone who knows someone looking for a good candidate to fill a position.

However, we are in a difficult economy. Many of us are paying our way through school and can’t afford to take the time and cut to our paycheck just to gain the experience from an unpaid internship. Sometimes, it just isn’t possible to take the time for an internship because we have responsibilities lying elsewhere.

We highly encourage students to plan ahead so that way they can make internships fit at some point in their college career. It’s better to have that experience instead of going into the

lions’ den after graduation without a clue as to what’s going on, assuming you can even make it into the lions’ den without that experience.

We encourage students to look at the opportunities available in the area and at home for internships. Many unpaid internships are more flexible with your schedule because you aren’t getting paid. Internships may also be more readily available in the summer as students go elsewhere to find part-time jobs.

Take the initiative to make yourself stand out in your job search and find an internship, whether it’s paid or unpaid. It’s up to you to shape how your future is going to play out after you receive that piece of paper you worked hard for during your time at SVSU. Give yourself the opportunities you need and deserve.

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As my father’s favorite holiday, Thanksgiving gets special treatment

in our family home. Sure, we observe many of the

same turkey and football tradi-tions you’ll find in other families. We spend time together helping to prepare the feast, watching a few games on the TV and play-ing cards by the warmth of the fireplace.

Like other families with col-lege students, we like to catch up on what’s been happening at school since we left home in Au-gust. Sometimes we haven’t seen much of each other since the end of summer.

Thanksgiving is especially important in our home because of the priority my father has always placed on gratitude. He would tell you there isn’t enough of it in the world today. And every-one, particularly in America, has something to be thankful for.

There is one Thanksgiving tradition I’ve come to enjoy over the years. (As a child, it was just an activity we did every year, but when I grew

older, I realized its significance.) Usually after my father has said grace and most of the dishes have been passed around, each person around the table will tell of some-thing he or she is thankful for this year and why.

Some of us will be thankful for good health, a better job or a promising new relationship. We’re often thankful for the safety of our family members in the military. We’re thankful for another year of productivity and achievement.

Sometimes my brothers or sisters will say they’re thankful for good grades in a tough class or for the support of a family member during a stressful semes-ter. We’re usually thankful for a number of blessings – it’s hard to single out just one.

I often consider the thanks we’ll give around the same table in years to come. We’ll surely be thankful for more blessings such as our first homes, our first chil-dren and our first career jobs. I’ve always found certain optimism in myself and others during Thanks-giving, and it must be one of the reasons I’m so fond of this time of year.

My father raised us with the knowledge that what you’re thankful for is not nearly as im-

portant as whom you give your thanks to. After we share something we’re thankful

for, my father empha-sizes this point. It’s central to the way we cele-brate the

holiday. Since we’re a Christian

family, we

feel we owe our thanks to God. We believe He is the source of all our blessings.

Even families who are not religious should entertain the question: Whom do you thank for the good in your life? Do you owe thanks to someone special, someone who makes a difference? Do you thank a family member, a teacher, a business partner or a significant other? Do you have only yourself to thank?

Without thinking about whom we have to thank, the Thanksgiving holiday simply becomes a shallow celebration of personal good fortune: I’m thank-ful for the things I have and the good things that have happened to me.

When we consider whom we have to thank, Thanksgiving be-comes less self-centered and more people-centered. Thankfulness ceases to be some vague feeling of gratitude we entertain within ourselves for a day. Thankfulness becomes a meaningful sentiment and a glad gesture we extend to God, to our families and to our friends. It’s a feeling that connects us one to another.

When you’re on your way home for Thanksgiving this week, take a moment to consider whom you have to thank. If you’re re-ligious, you may want to give a prayer of thanks – you know, more than just saying grace on the food. If you’re not the reli-gious type, then make it a point to say thank you to people who play important roles in your life. Let these people know how much they’re a blessing to you.

Being thankful this time of year is easy, especially if you’re one of the lucky ones getting a college education and getting to see your family for the holidays. It’s my hope that we share some of that thankfulness in ways that others can recognize and appreci-ate.

The issue - Unpaid internships can provide valuable experiences to students looking to gain an up in their future careers.

Our position - It is up to us as individual students to take the initiative in gaining the experience from internships, paid or unpaid, if we want to stand out after graduation.

Being thankful after the holiday

Take responsibility in gaining valuable experience from internships, paid or not

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Columnist | Noah Essenmacher

Noah Essenmacheris the Vanguard weekly columnist. Reach him at [email protected].

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Editorial Cartoon Rashad Baiyasi is a physics and chemistry junior and the Vanguard’s cartoonist. Reach him at [email protected].

The Valley Vanguard 125 Curtiss Hall [email protected] editor-in-chiefToni Boger office (989) 964-4482 e-mail [email protected]


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STAFF WRITERSIf you are interested in these positions, email [email protected]

I was in the bookstore the other day and overheard a mother ask her daughter if the book she was holding was “in her reading

level.” This question sat there for a while like a spider on its web waiting for prey.

Although it may not affect the child then as she holds the book, that sort of questioning will take its toll on her as she goes forward in life.

First off, what is this reading level? According to Scholastic.com, reading levels range from -3 to 3. A -3 rating would refer to a book that is easier to read, and 3 being a tougher book to read. Elementary and middle schoolers are given reading levels throughout school after taking tests that determine what types of books they can comprehend.

Back to the scene in the store. The mother watched her daughter do something positive in picking up a book, but then she took that away. What is so bad about a child attempting to read a level 3 book if their reading level is a 1 or a 2? Would it make a significant impact? I am going to go ahead and say that the majority of the time, it wouldn’t.

Reading levels restrict the learning ability of children. The great minds of history didn’t have reading levels. They weren’t going to hamper themselves by following limitations preventing them from stretching their learning capabilities.

This method prevents young minds from exploring and expanding knowledge, but it also demonstrates a poor choice of work ethic. Students who have been told by teachers and parents that they shouldn’t go over their reading level may go into a field of work with no intention of surpassing what is expected of them. If their job is to carry out a task that should take two hours and they do it in half that, they might choose to not go forward with a new task or duty because they have done what is expected of them and nothing more.

Nothing good comes from reading levels. These schemes are designed from the minds of people who assume they know what is best. For years, children have been able to read whatever was in the library freely without regulations. Now, their desire to do something beneficial is being constrained.

Looking back, the people who were atop my graduating class were the ones reading thick chapter books earlier than others. It has nothing to do with ability if you haven’t been able to read at a “higher level.” Frankly, those at the top never read a picture book.

It is a bit of a stretch, but according to NCES.ed.gov, students who are reading too early in life have a much lower chance of living in poverty. These children are encircled with words at an early age and will have a better understanding of them later on. If you are not familiarizing yourself with the words that will pop up, then you will fall behind the others in your class. This falling behind may continue for a long time.

Let the children of our world read what they want and when they want. They won’t hurt themselves too badly opening up a book. If they do, perhaps they should read a book like “Reading for Dummies.”

But wait, it might be out of their reading level.

Coming in as a freshman, I was horrified at the idea of joining organizations or even getting a job, but I later found I had no

reason to be afraid.I can honestly say I regret not getting

involved at first. I missed some rewarding

opportunities such as priority registration over many others because of choosing to stick to my classes only.

There was always a negative stigma for me for those who do anything besides pursue academics in college.

My father went to college for a portion of his life, but soon he found himself unable to balance work and school.

He left college and remained in the work force, and he is still there today.

Making other commitments can take up too much time and distract you from the real reason you’re in college — academics for a future career.

It’s easy to lose sight of prioritizing academic and organizational commitments.

When you fail a class, you may only be letting yourself down.

When you fail a task within an organization, you may be letting a larger group of people down.

Who’s more likely to forgive you when you fail: others or yourself?

Involvement may also hinder a social life.

Spending too much time working on projects from day in to day out may create little time left for friends.

School work is challenging as is and adding extra stress in the mixture is always a scary thought.

If others step down in these groups, you may feel the need to step up and take on more work for yourself.

It’s only reasonable to want to move up in something you care about, but it’s very easy to overwhelm yourself sometimes.

After a month or so of my first year on campus, I was managing 15 credits and working around 10-12 hours a week at my first job.

I felt unconnected to the University.

That’s when I made efforts to go to organizational meetings I was generally interested in.

Everyone was friendly, and it was easy to incorporate myself as part of the groups.

One year later, I’m managing 13 credits, two jobs — three technically, serving as vice president for public relations in an organization, as well as being an active member within six other organizations, and attending leadership conferences when opportunities arise.

Because of this, I have to leave for classes about ten minutes earlier because there is a very high chance of me passing someone I know and striking up a small conversation.

Sometimes I don’t know how I went from no involvements to all that, but looking at things as individual tasks rather than looking at the whole picture has helped managing stress tremendously.

Not to brag, but I maintain a good GPA and am a recipient of the Dean’s Scholarship.

I’d like to think my involvement helps maintain my GPA.

By having many meeting times and project deadlines, I have to make deadlines of my own.

Without a surplus of due dates from not being as involved, I would always tell myself I can do these projects later.

Later came, and I continued pushing it off until the last minute.

The deadlines force me to be productive all the time, even if somedays it means working hard from 8 a.m. until 3 a.m. the next day.

Some would say I’m stretching myself thin and I need time to relax and socialize.

To me, taking a break from one of my projects and working on something else is relaxing to me.

These projects often require input of other people, which gives me excuses to socialize.

These groups also make it beneficial because of networking.

You never know when someone you meet might help you find better opportunities.

Having a job (or three) on campus also really helps with money for general items and especially student loans.

If all goes well, I’ll be able to pay off my loan from freshman year by the time I graduate.

That saves me tons of money from interest that if deferred could wind up twice the size as the loan itself.

Through being involved I get a feeling of personal satisfaction, and I’d like to feel like I’m making a difference.

The fact that this is even being read gives me hope that more people will get involved with at least something beyond academics.

If it ever does become a daunting load to handle, it’s important to remember you are able to say no, and resigning from commitments are possible.

Although it may be easier for some to let yourself down rather than groups of people, you’re still a person.

If you’ve overwhelmed yourself, you can cut back.

But you’ll never know your limits unless you push yourself and take that risk.

College is the time for expanding your knowledge and trying out new things.

Involvement on campus allows for me to do both of these on a consistent basis.

Please Recycle

Vanguard Staff Writer | Opinion

Time management skills from a busy life Reading levels hurt children

Joey Oliver is a criminal jutice freshman and a Vanguard Staff Writer. Reach him at [email protected]

Tyler Bradley is a graphic design sophomore and a Vanguard Staff Writer. Reach him at [email protected]

Vanguard Staff Writer | Opinion

op-edIf you are a faculty member wishing to write your opinion in The Valley Vanguard please contact Editor-in-Chief Toni Boger at [email protected]

Religious Counseling

Christian counseling/Life coaching. Biblical solutions to life’s problems. Flexible fees. Larry Hoard B.A. (989) 842-3982. christianlifecoaching.net

{}

The Valley Vanguard valleyvanguardonline.com125 Curtiss Hall [email protected]&E Editor Kirsten Mcilvenna officE (989) 964-2629 E-mAil [email protected]


a e&

“Twilight” fans, please hide your eyes. This review will be nastier than Bella’s child birthing.

There will be no swooning over Bella Swan’s (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen’s (Robert Pattinson) “love” or gushing over Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) without his shirt on (which by the way — he accomplishes not even a minute into the movie).

“Breaking Dawn: Part 1” accomplishes little to nothing for a plot. The first part of the movie consists of Bella and Edward getting married and then spending a honeymoon together where Bella realizes herself as a sexual being and begs for

Edward to have her.Finally, we find out an hour into the movie that

she is pregnant with a creature that is killing her from the inside out, and we have a plot — kind of.

Of course, Jacob (Lautner) is not very happy with it, nor is the rest of his werewolf clan. They want the baby dead, but of course Jacob still loves Bella and wants to protect her.

Let’s start with the scene where Bella “gives birth” to her child: disgusting. Without indulging completely in the nasty, I’ll just say that she can’t give a natural birth and Edward must find a way to rip her open and get the baby out.

There is blood everywhere, and finally we see a computer-generated imagery (CGI) baby come out of her stomach. This shot is so ridiculous that it distracts from the drama of the scene and makes it comical instead.

Later, we get to see the “science” of how a person becomes a vampire through a CGI tour of Bella’s insides.

The CGI is completely overused in the movie, making it a cheesy rendition of something that may not have been an enjoyable movie, but would have been at least nice to look at.

As my friend said, they pass out CGI like Halloween candy. They throw it at you from everywhere, but it will make you sick later.

Certainly, I must comment on the fact that they break apart this book into two movies. We’ve seen this recently done with the last Harry Potter film.

The difference here is that the final Harry Potter book (and all of them for that matter) was so complex that even breaking it into two movies couldn’t include everything.

With “Breaking Dawn,” I feel like they accomplished in two hours what they could have easily done in one hour. They made the first half of the movie all about Bella and Edward being in love.

Of course, this is exactly what makes the teenage girls swoon and giggle. It also makes twice the money by breaking it apart. But it hardly makes a good movie.

If anything, it teaches young girls to ignore their parents’ requests and run off with their boyfriends.

In one part of the movie, a female werewolf decides to follow Jacob rather than the clan leader. She does this despite her hate for the Cullen family that Jacob wants to protect.

Jacob points this out to her, and she replies saying that she doesn’t have to believe in what Jacob is doing, she just has to follow him.

This teaches that young woman don’t have to believe in what they fight for, they just need to follow mindlessly. What’s wrong with this picture?

I give it one star for one reason: it set out to make a bunch of teenage girls spend money (or their parents’ money) on a film that will make them faun after pretty boys, and that, it did. That, it did.

Photo Coutrtsey | imbd.com

‘Breaking Dawn’ disappoints, brainwashes

young audience

Virtues and Deadly Sins Return the puzzles to the Vanguard office, 125 Curtiss Hall, by 6 p.m. Friday with your name, email and phone number for a chance to win two tickets to BeatDOWn

MMA Fight Night at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2.

AcrossAcross1. N*_____, boy band5. Don’t let him catch you speeding8. strong anger32. rock musical, product of the hippie-culture33. a red-headed American musician, nominated for 8 Grammy awards34. affirmative gesture35. belief in a positive future36. to be unwilling37. Freeze, Flashlight, Laser (types)38. write snail mail on this

14. A praying insect39. Polaris, for example40. yell this when you have one card left, or you must draw three cards41. and other things42. All I want for Christmas43. The _____ for a gumball is 25 cents44. Found in newspapers and on billboards45. Cleaving tool with a wedge-shaped blade46. If he has wrath, he _____ others47. cry48. too long of time (to measure)49. rainbows, Joan, St. Louis monument

50. beliefs without seeing, different types26. What’s black and white and runs all over?51. Sweep dirt under this52. Mary had a little one53. care for others54. Darth Vader as a child55. A weapon in Clue56. large jug with a wide spout57. violent video game where you steal cars58. free yourself from something59. slender, rigid bristle or hair

Down1. An utterance from a librarian2. retired Chinese basketball player for the Rockets3. Cheez-it, Cheese ____4. brand of toothpaste5. Card game using sets6. to leave out7. Ancient Greek city state8. translate a text9. utterance from a lion10. irritated11. inactivity, deadly sin12. Learn how to do this with your laces13. a naïve person14. Greed: you can never have too _____15. dwarf buffalo16. Looking back fondly17. Medium for music18. A glutton for honey19. Envy: not happy with what she _______20. This one will end Dec. 1621. a house guest might sleep on this22. Where lice live23. to forbid reading a book24. You have to climb each one to get to the top25. small islands26. a type of car racing27. Your mother’s sister28. a group of Bantu warriors29. obligated to pay back money30. place for a sick dog31. Paleozoic, for example

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CONGRATULATIONS TO LAST WEEK’S WINNER: LIESL SCHMIDT

*LOOK FOR LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS ONLINE AT VALLEYVANGUARDONLINE.COM

Breaking dawn

directorS: Bill condonStarring: Kristen stewart, roBert pattinson, taylor lautnerrated: pG-13runtime: 117 minutes

Kirsten McIlvenna is a professional and technical writing and creative writing senior and a Vanguard Staff Writer. Reach her at [email protected]

The Valley Vanguard valleyvanguardonline.com125 Curtiss Hall [email protected]


a e&

A&E Editor Molly young officE (989) 964-2629 E-mAil [email protected]

Writers dream of having their work read by others.

For David Baker, it’s a dream come true.

“The work we do alone, at our desks, sometimes matters,” Baker said.

Baker was honored Tuesday with the twelfth annual Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Prize. This award is given to a living American poet for an individual book of poetry published in the span of three years. This year’s prize included 2008 to 2010.

Baker won with his poetry collection, “Never-Ending Birds,” which he says is about “loss and returning.”

“I can’t tell you how important and how lucky I feel for all of this,” he said.

The ceremony was part of the 2011 Theodore Roethke Poetry & Arts Festival, a celebration of the Pulitzer-prize winning poet from Saginaw. This is the first year SVSU’s Board of Fellows, a community advisory board, sponsored the prize.

Baker has 12 published books, a Ph.D. in English from the University of Utah and is a musician.

Paul Chaffee, secretary for the SVSU Board of Fellows, introduced Baker, saying that his music helps inspire his poetry.

Baker said that poetry is “isolated, under the radar, art.” He said you can find things from reading poetry that are

Comedians, singers, actors, government officials -- even the president -- lit up the stage of the Rhea Miller Recital hall.

Brandon Styles, a magician, comedian and impressionist put on a one-man show impersonating famous people. His opening act consisted of his impression of Cee Lo Green singing “Forget You.”

Styles’ impression was dead on and caught the attention of passers-by. People not only peeked into the auditorium, but stayed for the rest of the show.

One of the most interesting pieces of commentary was his parody of Justin Bieber’s “Baby.”

Singers portrayed included Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Louie Armstrong and Ozzy Osbourne.

With every entertainer there wasn’t just singing but there also was dancing, skits, magic and other routines.

One minute he was Michael Jackson performing magic and doing the moonwalk, and the next he was Napoleon Dynamite running behind stage after his music cut out.

His impression of Elton John seemed to blow the crowd away while he sang “Candle in the Wind” with a lit candle, which disappeared and turned into a scarf.

Not only was Styles daring enough to impersonate one actor at a time, but he

took on the challenge of impersonating two or more actors at a time.

One skit was Styles portraying a restaurant scene, where Jack Nicholson was the waiter, and Adam Sandler and Arnold Schwarzenegger were his customers.

The routine was hilarious because he used well-known phrases from movies such as “The Waterboy” in his skit.

Duets were performed, including one with Robin Williams on the Jay Leno Show and the hilarious nonexistent duet of “My Heart Will Go On,” by Celine Dion and Elton John.

Audience participation also made the show even more entertaining.

One student watched as his dollar bill disappeared and only returned after he went through a skit involving tin foil hats and a pair of huge silk underwear.

Styles also performed more tricks and portrayed President Obama, Dr. Phil, and former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Overall, it was a great program set up by Valley Nights.

“A Harvest Reading”• At 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21, in the Roberta Allen Reading Room, the English department and Zahnow Library will present “A Harvest Reading.” Event will feature Julie Iromuanya and Dave Madden. For more information, call (989) 964-4032. Free.

Marching Band• At 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21, in the Malcolm Field Theatre, the marching band will perform its thirty-sixth annual indoor concert, featuring halftime music. Included are covers of Cee Lo Green, Taio Cruz, the Beatles, Herbie Hancock, Count Basie, Twisted Sister, Van Halen and Aerosmith. Tickets are available at the box office, or at (989) 964-4261.

BFA Exhibition• Beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, in the University Art Gal-lery, Bachelor of Fine Arts seniors will display their best work as their capstone project. Ends at 4 p.m. For more information, visit SVSU.edu/ArtGallery or call the art Department at (989) 964-4159. Free.

Sophomore to show off new clothing line

artbriefs

Poet’s legend lives on through Saginaw celebrationsAfter a long history of communal devotion

and donations, the Theodore Roethke Poetry Prize has been established as a triennial award given to a modern poet in Roethke’s honor, and this year, the River Junction poets began the week of celebration.

Last Monday, the River Junction poets read a compilation of poetry and letters written by Saginaw native and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Theodore Roethke.

During his career, Roethke wrote nine books of poetry and was the recipient of many awards.

Though his students praised him greatly, the years after a prize were always the worst for

Roethke because he never felt he deserved the praise he was given. At the same time, he was disappointed when his work went unrecognized locally.

Roethke lived a melancholy life filled with mental disorder, nervous anxiety, alcohol and family tragedy, beginning with the death of his father as a young man, which is reflected in the mental and spiritual loss present in poems such as “The Lost Son.”

However, in his fever of creation, many of his poems, such as “My Papa’s Waltz,” are filled with dramatic revelation mixed with sweet sentiments, said Maxine Harris.

Harris, one of three speakers from the River Junction poets, opened the event, saying she hoped Roethke’s letters would reveal another

dimension of Roethke. “We hope that our efforts give Roethke the

respect and the regard that he so desired over the years,” Harris said.

Harris has been a member of the River Junction poets for almost 20 years and said that she finds Roethke to be “endlessly fascinating.”

She began working on compiling the notes and letters from the reading about ten years ago.

“Roethke supporters and River Junction members expressed that they were really interested in knowing more about what was going on in Roethke’s life while he was writing his first four books of poetry,” Harris said.

Betty VanOchten and Marion Tincknell are the other two River Junction poets who spoke during the reading. Both assisted Harris with

editing and tinkering with the materials for the event.

“The more you work with Roethke, the more you get inspired,” Tincknell said.

Professors Ruth Sawyers and Lynne Graft attended the event.

“We loved it,” Sawyers said. “We both teach classes on the Great Lakes writers, and Roethke is always a major part of it.”

“A great thing that I appreciated about this event is that it melded Roethke’s life with his poetry,” Graft said.

Along the same line of thought, Tincknell ended the evening with the hopes that the Roethke prize, celebration, and contributions of the community will extend his life in ways that continue to inspire us all.

By Adam Haenleinvanguard staff Writer

Vanguard writer: ‘I like your Styles’

By Tyler Bradleyvanguard staff Writer

Poet David Baker awarded Roethke prize

By Kirsten McIlvennavanguard staff Writer

Courtesy | mlive

Baker, musician and poet, earned the Roethke prize with his poetry collection, “Never-Ending Birds.”

Vanguard photos | Jess Ellison

Above: Styles performs a magic trick with a student while impersonating presidents. Below: A student performs a skit with Styles involving tin hats and silk underwear to find the student’s dollar that he volunteered to Styles for the skit.

Katie Head is a professional and technical writing junior and a Vanguard Staff Writer. Reach her at [email protected]

See FASHION, A10 See BAKER, A10

Courtesy| beautem

arxonline.com

An SVSU student’s clothing designs will walk down the runway at the Strike A Pose fashion show 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, in the Cardinal Gym.

BreAna Allen, business management sophomore, spent much time promoting her clothing line, Beaute Marc.

“Beaute Marc has been going on since I was 16, but this is my first fashion show,” Allen said.

Allen was inspired to create fashion designs after her mother discouraged her from wearing Gothic-styled clothing.

Her mother had made her wear only dresses in response to her style.

“In 10th grade I told her I was going to start my own fashion line,” Allen said.

Three years in the making, she has created clothing items including

trousers, blouses, polos and furs.

T h e clothing for the show will arrive two weeks before the f a s h i o n s h o w from the

manufacturers.Her designs are

manufactured in the Philippines and China, and are available online for purchase on her website, BeauteMarcOnline.com.

Allen said she is inspired by designers such as the Simmons sisters.

“It’s rare to see a clothing line by a 19-year-old woman, not only in Saginaw, but in Michigan,” she said.

The show will be divided into different segments with clothing pertaining to those themes.

Themes include a “Glitz and Glamour” and “Business: Simple Gets Classy” portion.

Funds raised from ticket sales will go back into reimbursement for putting on the program.

Allen said the cost for putting on the fashion show is very expensive.

Plus, the show has about 50 volunteers including some for hair

The Valley Vanguard valleyvanguardonline.com125 Curtiss Hall [email protected] editor Justin Brouckaert office (989) 964-2629 e-mail [email protected]


sports

Men’s Basketball•Monday vs. Miami (Ohio), 7 p.m. , University Center•Saturday vs. Cedarville,3 p.m. , University Center

Women’s Basketball•Friday @ Indianapolis, 5:30 p.m. , Indianapolis, IN•Saturday @ Marian,5:30 p.m. , Indianapolis, IN

Bowling•Saturday @ Team Match Games,TBA, Fairview Heights, Ill.

Both teams traded off punts to start the half, but Jennings hit Janis on the same play for another score, this one going for 65 yards. Janis’ three touchdowns in the game were his twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth of the year.

“I found (that route) open few times,” Janis said. “We knew all we had to do was make one move to make the defense miss because they tackled low, so that’s all I did.”

The 6-foot-3-inch Janis created problems for the Bulldogs the entire game, with his size and strength causing fits for the Minnesota-Duluth secondary.

“They did play a little of cover two (defense) rather than just one-on-one coverage,” Collins said. “That was the adjustment that we saw a little bit, but not on every down.”

Those adjustments couldn’t stop Janis from scoring a third time, early in the fourth quarter, as he caught a 22-yard pass in the end zone to give the Cardinals a 21-17 lead, their first of the game.

The SVSU defense fed off the momentum that Janis and the offense created. After allowing 172 yards rushing on 33 carries (allowing a 5.2 yards per carry average) in the first half, the Cardinals defense let up only 88 yards on 28 carries in the second half (3.1 yards per carry).

“When the offense started making some plays, I think it created a little bit of momentum and excitement for our defense, and we kind of fed off each other in that second half,” Collins said. “That’s really what we’ve done all year.”

The defense was led by junior defensive back Darius Middlebrooks, who tallied 21 tackles in the game. Middlebrooks picked up the slack for a defense that was missing several of its key players, including junior linebacker Grant Caserta, a first-team all-GLIAC selection.

“I was just trying to fly around and make plays for my team,” Middlebrooks said. “We just tried to buckle down and come together as a

unit. We tried to do a lot of communication and talk about what we saw out there.”

Despite the Cardinals’ adjustments, they allowed a rushing touchdown to the Bulldogs with just over eight minutes left in the game to go behind 24-21. The Bulldogs rushed for 275 yards and threw for only 84 in the game, scoring all four of their touchdowns on the ground.

That score held until the final eight seconds of the game, when Stanford hit a 21-yard field goal to force overtime.

SVSU received the ball first in overtime and scored right away on a pass to senior wide receiver Nick Gallina, but the play was called back when offensive pass interference was called in the area of Gallina and Janis.

Collins said that he had no comment on the call.The penalty hurt the Cardinals, forcing them to settle for another field

goal from Stanford, this one a 42 yarder. The defense gave up a big play to Minnesota-Duluth on the following possession, and could not stop the Bulldogs from punching the ball in on their first overtime drive to clinch the win.

“We just didn’t make the plays,” Jennings said. “We had a penalty called when we scored that put us in bad position. We were in third and long, and we just really didn’t get it done.”

Jennings finished the game with 324 yards on 18 for 24 passing. In his first full season as a starter, the true sophomore passed for 2,924 yards, throwing 29 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. Jennings also added seven touchdowns and 416 yards on the ground.

With the win, Minnesota-Duluth moves on to the second round of the NCAA playoffs, where it will travel to the undefeated No.1 seed in the region, Colorado State-Pueblo.

The Cardinals end their season with an overall record of 7-4. Despite the early playoff exit, Collins said that he is proud of what his team accomplished this year.

“When we started the season, our goal was to win a national championship, and we fell short of that,” Collins said. “But I’m really proud of the way we played all season long and the leadership we had.”

sportsbriefs

Vanguard Photo | Lisa Coffell

Freshman kicker Scott Stanford lines up to kick a 42-yard field goal during the Cardinals’ first possession in overtime Saturday. Stanford made the kick to put SVSU up by three, but Minnesota-Duluth scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive to clinch the first round NCAA playoff win over SVSU.


Senior wide receiver Nick Gallina turns upfield late in Saturday’s loss. Gallina had five receptions for 51 yards in his final game as a Cardinal.


Junior running back Ronnie Lark’s reception set up a game-tying field goal with eight seconds remaining in the game.

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BWJ146_Thanksgiving_College_Ad_ValleyVanguard_5.5x5.75_BW_V2a.indd 1 11/8/11 4:20:36 PM

With the end of this weekend’s competition, two historic seasons for SVSU women’s athletics have come to a close.

The women’s volleyball and cross country teams both ended their seasons on Friday and Saturday, respectively, at the regional and national level.

The volleyball team competed at the NCAA Midwest Regional quarterfinals Friday, falling to Ferris State 3-2.

The Cardinals got off to a strong start, beating Ferris State in the first set behind six kills by senior middle hitter Katie Fitzgerald.

SVSU rode its momentum into the second set, leading 7-5 early in the set, but fell 25-16 to Ferris State.

After losing the third set to the Bulldogs, SVSU jumped out to a quick lead in the fourth set, tying the match 2-2 behind a set-winning spike by sophomore outside hitter Lyndsay Reynolds.

But the Cardinals would get no closer, as the Bulldogs closed out the fifth match 15-12.

With the loss, the Lady Cardinals finish the season with an overall record of 18-11 and a school-best GLIAC record of 15-4.

The cross country team finished its season at the NCAA national championships in Spokane, Wash. In their first appearance at the meet, the Lady Cardinals finished 13th in the 24-team field.

SVSU was led by senior Megan Pittoors, who placed 63rd overall with a time of 23:17. Sophomore Alycia Wright finished behind Pittoors, clocking in at 23:30 for a 74th place finish.

Seniors Lauren Hill, Jean Hollerbach and junior Chelsea Savage rounded out the scoring for the Lady Cardinals.

SVSU packed up in typical fashion, and only 32 seconds separated the team’s first-place finisher from its fifth.

The Lady Cardinals will now prepare for the indoor track and field season, which begins with a home meet, the SVSU Holiday Classic, on Friday, Dec. 2.

Volleyball, cross country teams finish historic seasonsBy Justin Brouckaertvanguard sports editor

Playoffscontinued from a1

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When I told my friends and family that I would be traveling eleven hours across three states to cover a Division II football game for a student newspaper this weekend, I got my share of raised-eyebrow responses.

My favorite was from a co-worker of mine who, after hearing my plans to drive to the game, simply looked at me incredulously and said, “Oh, wow. Do you have to do that?”

Well … not exactly.But after I just wrote an article two

weeks ago gushing about how much I’ve enjoyed my time covering the team this year, I found it hard to pass up on the opportunity.

And it IS an opportunity. The last time SVSU made the playoffs was in 2009, when my Vanguard mentor was covering the team. The location? Nebraska. Not exactly within driving distance.

The playoff run before that featured games against relatively local teams (Northwood and Grand Valley), but that was six years ago. Covering a NCAA playoff game might be a once-in-every-six-years opportunity for the Vanguard, but it could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.

So with this in mind, I reserved a place in the UMD press box, created a live blog and set off with my fellow Vanguardian on a 600-mile road trip to Duluth, Minn.

The fastest way to Duluth (according to my iPhone, which has yet to lead me astray) was north to the Mackinaw Bridge and west across the Upper Peninsula and the tip of Wisconsin.

The trip from Saginaw to Mackinaw City is one that I’ve made often, and featured nothing that I haven’t seen before. The Upper Peninsula, however, was another story.

I was warned to be wary of deer, and we had our first encounter just outside of Newberry when a massive white tail decided to test its luck by leaping in front of our car. But oddly (and fortunately) enough, that was only one of two close encounters we had on the trip (the second one came when one nearly ran into us from the side of the road outside of Marquette).

A few other notable observations about this stretch of the trip:

- The Upper Peninsula has some awesome restaurant names. Among our favorites were “Hoppy’s,” “Poorboy,” “Stump’s Tavern,” the “Beef-a-Roo” chain and the aptly named, “EAT.” We also got our first exposure to the versatile “bar/gas station” combination - an interesting connection, to be sure.

- This place is kind of a dead zone. I was without cell service from Newberry to Wisconsin, and the radio stations were so bad that we had to stop at a Wal-Mart to pick up a couple of CDs for the rest of the drive.

- Rumble strips, bonfire smell, and hunters. Lots and lots of hunters.

After leaving Saginaw around noon, we arrived in Minnesota at 10 p.m. - not bad time, and the one-hour time change along the way didn’t hurt.

I was blown away by Duluth. The city was beautiful, the food was great, and our hostess, a close friend of my traveling companion and a graduate student at Minnesota-Duluth, was friendly and hospitable.

And as a huge Bob Dylan fan, the historical aspect of the city was definitely not lost on me.

What can I say about the game itself? Despite the loss, it was a fantastic experience for me. I got to sit in a playoff press box (a really, really nice press box), watch a thrilling game, run my first live blog (10 followers? It’s a start) and participate in big-time college football press conference. As a result, I was the first member of the area press to break the news live and the only one to provide a comprehensive account of the game, which is always a goal of mine.

After dinner in Duluth, we were on the road again. The drive back was a lot less pleasant, and for a lot of reasons. For starters, driving all night is no fun. We left Duluth around 7 p.m. and pulled up to my house around 8 a.m. Secondly, we timed our trip perfectly to coincide with a traveling snowstorm - one that followed us from the Wisconsin/Minnesota border all the way to the Mackinaw Bridge.

But with a lot of coffee and the kindness of strangers (I’m thinking of you, gas station attendant who let us use the employee restroom instead of the outdoor outhouse in a freezing snowstorm), we made it back safely.

And though I’m sad that the season’s over and more than a little bit sleep-deprived, I chose to forgo a couple of much-needed recovery hours to write this column for my sparse, but hopefully existent, followers.

Because I had to? Well … not exactly.

“Dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge!”Since the winter of 2006, this is exactly what SVSU’s club dodgeball

founder Bryan Janick and the team has been doing.Along the way, the team has had to face challenges with gym time,

player availability and funding. However, each season the team faces the challenges presented and enjoys its time on the court.

“It’s still difficult today to get a lot done,” captain Spencer Jardine said. “But we have a lot of people that come out.”

After a rough start to the season, Janick and Jardine were optimistic going into Saturday’s matchup against Central Michigan.

“This Saturday will really show us what kind of team we are,” Janick said. “We used to beat them all the time, and last year they just came out of nowhere to win the national championship.”

With last year’s loss on their minds, the Cardinals took vengeance on the number one-ranked CMU dodgeball team. Even though SVSU came out slow, losing the first point, the Cardinals play turned around with the help of senior Mike Soulliere and freshmen Zach Phelps’ key kills in the opening rush.

“In the first half we made a lot of mistakes, and Central Michigan had several catches,” Janick said. “After that we dominated every point.”

After Soulliere and Phelps started off the second point strongly, Torrie Peplinski made a nice catch to finish the point and tie the game up at 1-1.

“Mike Soulliere picked up several demoralizing head shots on key CMU players throughout the game,” Jardine said.

With eight minutes left in the first half, SVSU led the way with ten players while CMU only had three.

“CMU did a very good job killing the clock and we went into half tied 1-1,” Jardine said.

In the second half, the team won the point with ten minutes left in the game. This was due to some great catches and key plays from sophomore Max Siler and junior Grayson Hood. Janick also noted that seniors Josh Brettrager and Jason Stein had great performances.

“It got a little scary in the last point because we were trying to kill the

ten minutes off and hang on with a 2-1 lead,” Janick said. “This was the biggest win of the season.”

As always, one of the key components in this matchup was the fans. Due to their outspoken nature and high energy, the fans were crucial in creating a home-court advantage in Saturday’s matchup.

“It was really nice having the home crowd there,” Janick said. “They were really getting to the nerves of CMU players and definitely played a part in our victory.”

With the victory, SVSU takes over the number one ranking in the National Collegiate Dodgeball Association. Their next competition will be at the Chicago Dodgeball Open in January, where they will be sure to face rivals Grand Valley State again.

Additionally, the Cardinals have secured home-court advantage for nationals.

While many teams were in the running to hold this tournament, SVSU came out on top and will host the National Tournament on Friday, April 6, 2012.

“The Cardinal Gym is the perfect dodgeball gym compared to everybody else’s,” Jardine said.

For the past few seasons, the Cardinals have fallen short of winning at nationals by a margin of only a few points. This year they hope to turn things around. “We definitely want to win the championship,” Jardine said.

In the next few months, the team will prepare for the huge opportunity of having the home court advantage.

“We’ve been so close, so many years in a row,” Janick said. “We missed it by one point, or one catch, and it’s been really frustrating for the past couple of years, so we really would like to win it on our home court here in front of all of our fans.”

Regardless of where the team is at now, it is constantly evolving and looking for students interested in joining in on the fun. Practices are held from 7-9 p.m. on Wednesdays in the Ryder Center and 4-6 p.m. on Sunday in the Cardinal Gym.

“If you want to play, just come out and play,” Jardine said.For additional information, students can stop by one of these practices

or contact Bryan Janick at [email protected].

Men’s BasketBall From Saginaw to Duluth and back: 1,200 plus miles for college football

By Lisa Coffellvanguard staff Writer

For the last three years, former Saginaw High coach Charlie Coles has welcomed coach Frankie Smith and the Cardinals to Ohio for an early season exhibition game.

This year, Smith and the Cardinals will return the favor.

SVSU will host Coles’ Miami Redhawks, a division one team that competes in the Mid-American Conference, for the first time Monday, Nov. 21.

“When we played the last year at Miami, he told me right after the game, right at half court, ‘Hey, we’re coming back to Saginaw Valley to play at your place next year,’” said Smith, who worked under Coles for eight years as an assistant at Miami.

Monday’s matchup will be a homecoming for Coles, who started his coaching career at Saginaw High, guiding the team to two state final appearances between 1972-82.

His son, Chris Coles, is also an assistant under Smith at SVSU.

But it will also be a historical milestone for SVSU, as the Redhawks are the first division one opponent the Cardinals have ever hosted at O’Neill Arena.

“It’s huge,” Smith said. “I would say it’s the biggest game in our program’s history to have a division one opponent come to us, and especially somebody of the caliber of Miami University.”

Miami has played Dayton and Xavier this year already, and has a matchup with Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State scheduled for later in the year. The Redhawks finished with a conference record of 10-5 in 2010/2011, and Coles has the most career MAC wins in league history.

SVSU players said that while they are treating the game just like any other, the

matchup offers a bit of a different challenge than what they are accustomed to.

“It gets you to a different speed playing against DI talent,” said junior guard Michael Fugate. “The preparation before is the same, but it’s tough coming out and knowing that you’re probably going to be outmatched at every position as far as size.

“You have to come out and fight that much harder.”

Senior forward Eli Redman agreed, saying that he expects the game to be much more physically demanding.

“We know coming in that they’re always going to be big and physical with us,” he said. “It’ll be a good test.”

The matchup with Miami ends a season-opening road trip that has been full of tests for SVSU. The Cardinals opened their season with a trip to face defending national champions Bellarmine (an 85-71 loss) and then followed up with another road trip to Wisconsin this weekend, where the team played in two tough games: an 83-68 loss Wisconsin-Parkside and an 85-75 win over Minnesota-Duluth.

Although the Cardinals sit at 1-3 going into tonight’s matchup, Smith and his players said that the experience these games offered will pay dividends later in the season.

“A tough schedule opening up gets us ready to play a tough schedule down the round,” said junior guard Chris Webb, who is leading the team with an average of 18.7 points per game. “I feel like these games right now are giving us a better mindset of what to do in tougher situations.”

Smith said that he learned the value of a tough early-season schedule during his time under Coles at Miami.

“When I was at Miami, we’d always play those power division one programs, and when it came to conference play we were ready,” he said. “I want to have about as tough of a schedule as

we can possibly have.”But the Cardinals aren’t just treating these

games as a learning experience; Smith said that if the team plays consistent defense against Miami for 40 minutes, he expects to have a chance to win.

“We’ll have to be good defensively all around to have a chance,” Smith said. “If we can do that, I think we’ll have the opportunity to transition the ball against them and get some baskets.”

The play of SVSU’s post players would be essential to take the pressure off the highly touted backcourt of Fugate, Webb and senior guard Greg Foster.

“Teams are going to have a game plan for Greg, Chris and Mike,” Smith said. “It’s really going to depend on the post guys stepping up daily offensively and defensively.”

Redman said that he was confident that he and his fellow big men would be ready to contribute to a balanced attack.

“Both Jay (Thames, junior forward) and I are great passers,” Redman said. “Once we get our whole system working together, we’ll be hard to stop.”

But the post players aren’t the only ones whom the pressure falls on; Foster said that the backcourt players also worked on taking their game to the next level during the offseason.

“We definitely worked on the little things,” he said. “Last year we drove the ball a lot; this year we’ve created the pull-up jump shot on our game.

“We just try to take what we have and make it the best it can be.”

The Cardinals will host the Redhawks at 7 p.m. in the O’Neill arena.

“If we can get a decent amount of people to fill this place up, it definitely brings an advantage,” Fugate said. “Hopefully we can pack it.”

First Division I opponent coming to the Ryder

Top-ranked team topples nat’l champs

Vanguard Photo I Jess Ellison

The men’s dodgeball team defeated Central Michigan, the defending national champions, by a score of 2-1 on Saturday in the Cardinal Gym. With the win, the team takes over the number one spot in the National Collegiate Dodgeball Association rankings.

By Justin Brouckaertvanguard sports editor

Men’s DoDgeBall

Justin Brouckaert is an English literature senior and the Vanguard Sports Editor. Reach him at [email protected]

The Valley Vanguard 125 Curtiss Hall

advertising manager DaviD Solce office (989) 964-4248 e-mail [email protected] fax (989) 964-2030 [email protected]


jump backthe

found in the media and technology that con-stantly surrounds us.

“What is found there: inwardness, beauty. What is found there: complexity, rigor, diffi-culty,” he said. “What is found there: the best questions rather than the simple answers.”

Baker said that the two most important things found are paradox and sympathy.

He said it is important to get away from all the media, data, advertising, merchandise and “in-your-face noise.”

Lauren Boulton, creative writing senior, said that it made her think about her own habits not only as a reader, but as a writer.

“We are so media attached,” she said. “And I’m as guilty of that as anyone.”

She said that she needs to start writing away from media and her laptop to let the in-spiration come.

Baker read some of his own poetry in-cluding “The Rumor,” “Trillium” and “The Feast.”

Mark Miller, creative writing junior, said he really liked the poem, “The Feast,” because he could relate to it. As a registered nurse, he

has taken care of a lot of cancer patients and said this poem reminded him of that.

“That’s what I like about poems,” he said. “You feel.”

Baker said he felt very welcome at SVSU because of its similarities in size, school col-ors and community to the university where he got his degree: Central Missouri State Uni-versity.

“This feels like a homecoming,” he said.And indeed, the prize is not far from

home for Baker. Six years ago, Baker served as a judge.

The U.S. Poet Laureate selects the judges for this prize. This year’s judges were David Wagoner, poet, playwright, novelist and for-mer student of Roethke, as well as Rosanna Warren, poet, editor, literary critic and daugh-ter of former Roethke Prize winner, Robert Penn Warren.

After reading some of his own and Ro-ethke’s poetry, Baker was available at a re-ception that offered a book sale and signing, refreshments and music.

“It’s really neat that we do this award here,” Boulton said, “and honor American poets that are doing work like this.”

stylists and models.Live music will play as the models strike

their poses on the runway.“All music is focused on women’s beauty.

You won’t find anything degrading to women at all,” Allen said.

Music will be from artists EST, NdotJay, Will Griden, Young Tee & T-Rex, and KH & Miko.

“The music shows the youth of the clothing line,” said Kristian Patterson, a social work junior and president of the Organization of Black Unity.

The event is sponsored by the Organization of Black Unity, Lamar Advertising, William T. Li-chon D.D.S., and Valley OB-GYN Clinic.

A worker at the clinic decided to sponsor the event because it was an opportunity to have posi-tive examples for young girls that were pregnant coming in to the clinic.

Fashion varies and good fashion is up to the person’s taste, according to Allen.

“When you have a good representation of yourself, fashion should enhance you,” Allen said. “It should not make you.”

Tickets are $10 for presale outside Market-place at Doan and the Zahnow Library until Dec. 1 and will be available for purchase at the door for $15.

BAKERcontinued from A7

FASHioncontinued from A7

Vanguard Photo | Jess Ellison

Performers from the “SVSU 4: Sankofa, Looking to Our Past to Move Into Our Future” program held last week are students who create presentations about issues and topics involving the past and present African-American experience.

The Valley Vanguard (Vol. 44 No. 12)

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