THE UNIVERSITY OF FINDLAY, FINDLAY, OHIO VOL. 25, NO. 1; AUGUST 26, 2010

Weather This WeekToday: Sunny, 74/52Friday: Sunny, 80/57Saturday: Sunny, 82/63Sunday: M. Sunny, 90/66Monday: Cloudy, 82/66Tuesday: Sunny, 84/64Wednesday: Sunny, 85/65 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>www.findlay.edu/pulse

thePulseToday’s Thought

“I like a teacher who gives you something to

take home to think about besides homework.”

--Lily Tomlin

Attendance policies make

sense, page 5

Football picked for middle of pack, page 6

SINGLE COPY FREE SINGLE COPY FREE

THURSDAY, SEPT 2ON THE CORY STREET MALL

RED WANTING BLUEAND JACOBSLOC IN CONCERT

7 TO 10 P.M.SPONSORS: COLA AND WLFC-FM

Q and A with the president:Fell refl ects on fi rst days

by Lindsay McFaddenPulse editor

See FELL, page 3

On Aug. 2, one month af-ter Katherine Fell began as president of the University; the school’s radio station, WLFC, had the opportunity to interview her. This was the fi rst opportu-nity the community had to hear what Fell had to say since her announcement as president in March. Fell joined the morning show “EJ and MC in the Morn-

ing” where EJ (Elliott Shaffer) and MC (Lindsay McFadden) were able to fi nd out more about this new presi-dent. What follows are excerpts from that interview.

Q: How has your first month at UF been? A : T h e f i r s t month has been great. I can tell you that The University of Findlay is a growing enterprise.

Every hour I have a new group of people to meet, to hear from and to learn about. We ’ v e a l s o spent time at the theatre. We’ve spent time with business leaders in Findlay. We have found that the attitude toward The University of Findlay among all

these groups is very positive.

A new federal law requiring universities to post textbook information online symbolizes expediency for many UF stu-dents, but may be a challenge for professors and staff. The Higher Education Op-portunity Act, which went into

effect July 1, mandates colleges publish every course’s textbook information online, including the International Standard Book Number and the price of the book, prior to the fi rst registra-tion of classes for the following semester. How the online publishing of textbook ISBNs effect stu-dents’ semester preparation is yet to be determined. However, many students say it will aid them particularly in shopping for thrifty texts online. “I try to be as frugal as possible with all of the costs that add up throughout each

semester,” said Hannah Wurm, a junior public relations major. “Having the ISBNs more readily available does make the process (of buying books online) more convenient.” It seems frugality leads many students to nontraditional methods of attaining their texts. “I bought my textbooks at the UF bookstore when I was a freshman, and then I became smart,” said Austin Searfoss, a senior education major. “I now buy my textbooks on Amazon because it saves me so much money. Last semester alone, I

New law focuses on textbook costsStudents now should know text expenseat registrationby Abby WilsonPulse editor

See TEXT, page 3

The great migration

Becky CrossLAST FRIDAY WAS A DAY fi lled with boxes, bags and all manner of movement as new students--and old--returned to campus.

In land ‘swap’ UF gives WRC new homeby Lindsay McFaddenPulse editor

The University is at it again. There is a new building across from campus, which appeared over the summer. This new building is the newest location of the Women’s Resource Center, which is a non-profit organization that helps women in need. They offer counseling ser-vices, information and resources for women. “It was important for us to stay in close proximity to the University because we work with the health center and get involved in the dorms, answer-ing questions for students about good sexual choices, STDs, relationships and any questions that they may have,” said Laurie Turnow, director of the Women’s Resource Center.

Until this summer, the Cen-ter was located at 1119 N. Main St., but after the move it is now located at 1011 N. Main St., right across from Winebrenner Theological Seminary. “The previous location of the Women’s Resource Center was just north of the president’s house. We bought that property, built them a new center and es-sentially traded properties with them,” said Martin Terry, vice president for business affairs. The old center has been torn down to make way for some remodeling, expansion and reno-vation of the president’s house and the surrounding property to make it better for the new presi-dent. “The center still wanted to be located on Main Street, across from the University, because

See WRC, page 3

Katherine Fell

Part one of two

Margaret Dixon

CampusCalendar >>>newsBRIEFS<<<THE PULSE,WWW.FINDLAY.EDU/PULSE, AUGUST 26, 2010, PAGE 2

COUNSELING SERVICES WILL OFFER OPEN HOURS FOR STUDENTS

BEGINNING SEPT. 11 Beginning Sept. 11, UF Counseling Services will offer open counseling hours from 10 to 11:30 a.m. ev-ery Friday. These open hours will be in effect for the balance of the 2010-2011 academic year. The services will be provided in the Counseling Services offi ce at 307 Frazer Street. During these times students can receive brief ap-pointments for consultations, introduction to counselors or learn how to get involved in the process of counsel-ing. During this time, faculty and staff can consult regarding student concerns. No appointments are necessary, but students will be seen on a fi rst-come fi rst-served basis. For information please call Counseling Services at 419.434.4526. Services are free and confi dential.

MILLARD-MENDEZ AND D’UVA GRACING THE LEA GALLERY WITH PRINTS AND

SCULPTURE THROUGH MID-SEPTEMBER The art of Joe D’Uva and Rob Millard-Mendez is on display now until Sept. 17 in the Lea Gallery, located inside the Virginia B. Gardner Fine Arts Pavilion. D’Uva’s, a native of New York and an assistant professor and printmaking coordinator at Youngstown State University, works are in the area of printmaking. Millard-Mendez works in sculpture. He is a native of Massachusetts and teaches at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville. The Lea Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Members of the UF community are invited to attend a reception for the artists from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 3 in the Lea Gallery.

FINDLAY BIKE BASH HITS DOWNTOWN FRIDAY; FEATURES FOOD, FUN AND A

RAFFLE WITH A $1,000 JACKPOT On Friday, Aug. 27 a major event—the Bike Bash—will take place in downtown Findlay that will feature a motorcycle ride-in and a 50-50 raffl e that has a jackpot of more than $1,000. All members of the UF community are invited to attend this event, which takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. Among the other activities scheduled to take place include a corn hole tournament, plinko, caricatures, henna body art and more.

DATES SET FOR THE FALL COMPUTER COMPTENCY EXAMS; $30 FEE CHARGED

TO TAKE THE TEST The fall computer competency test dates have been set for Oct. 16 and Dec. 10. The exams will be given from 10 a.m. to noon in Davis 196. Any student interested in taking the exam must register no later than 48 hours prior to the test date. Registration must be done at the computer science offi ce, 1104 N. Cory between the hours of 1 and 4:30 p.m. There is a $30 fee to take the exam. If you have questions or need information about the exam, please contact Mary Jo Geise at geise@fi ndlay.edu.MAZZA MUSEUM LANDS A POPULAR PIECE

OF ART FROM A HIGHLY REGARDED CHILDREN’S BOOK

The Mazza Museum has obtained an original, highly regarded oil painting that has appeared in the book “The Problem with Chickens” by Bruce McMil-lan. The painting was done by Icelandic artist Gunnella. “The Problem with Chickens” has earned awards, including the Publisher’s Weekly Best Children’s Book, the parent’s Choice Foundation’s Approved Picture Book and the Maine Humanities Council’s Born to Read selection. Gunnella is a well-known artist who has shown her work all over the world—including London, Stokholm and New York.

CHURCHES OF GOD CREATES A NEW SCHOLARSHIP FOR UF STUDENTS WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE DENOMINATION

The sponsoring denomination of The University of

Thursday, August 26 11 a.m.-1 p.m. - Findlay’s Market on the Mall Cory St. Mall 1-2 p.m. - Homesickness Support 307 Frazer 5-7 p.m. - How to Market Yourself in a Green Economy Martin Lecture Hall 5-7 p.m. – Sota Meeting BCHS 100 7:30 p.m. - Gospel Choir Practice Egner 209 9:30 p.m. - Thursday Nite Live WTS TLB

Friday, August 27 3-6 p.m. - 2010 Des Buford Dodgeball Tournament FRC Mac 8 p.m. - Passport Event: “Nick Pike – British High NRG Juggler Acrobat” Comedian WTS TLB

Saturday, August 28 12-4 p.m. - Sig-Mud Kappa Mud Volleyball Tourna-ment Behind Intramural Field 7-8:30 p.m. - “Ashton’s Magnum Band LIVE! In Concert!” Cory St Mall

Sunday, August 29 8 a.m. - Worship at Winebrenner WTS TLB 10 a.m. - Worship Service Ritz Auditorium

Monday, August 30 Last day to add a class or section for standard se-mester session 1-2 p.m. - Homesickness Support 307 Frazer 5-6 p.m. - PRSSA Meeting Village 1132 5:30-8 p.m. - All Greek Recruitment Fall 2010 Kick-off Cookout Bare/Fox Courtyard 8 p.m. - Newman Club Meeting Rosewood Room 9 p.m. - Psy-Key Club Meeting Malcolm Dining Room 9:15 p.m. - Physics Club Meeting Martin Lecture Hall 9:15 p.m. - Rotaract Club Meeting Main 213 9:30 p.m. - CPB Meeting AMU 8 -9:30 p.m. - Greek Council Meeting Malcolm Lecture Hall

Tuesday, August 31 5-9:30 p.m. Greek Recruitment: Poker Night with the Theta Chis, Theta Chi House 7:30-10 p.m. - All Greek Recruitment Fall 2010: Carnival Cory St. Mall 9:15 p.m. - Chemistry Club Meeting Frost 141 9:15 p.m. - Marketing Club Meeting Main 312 9:15 p.m. - Wilderness Club Meeting Malcolm Lecture Hall

Wednesday, September 1 11 a.m.-1 p.m. - SGA Elections Cory St. Bell Tower 5 p.m. - Last day to register for the Student Leader-ship Retreat Student Activities and Commuter Stu-dent Services Offi ce 5-7 p.m. - SGA Elections Henderson Dining Hall 7-10 p.m. - All Greek Recruitment Fall 2010: Rec Center Day FRC Rec Center 8 p.m. - Sign Club Meeting AMU Endly 8 p.m. - Habitat for Humanity Meeting Malcolm Dining Room 9:30 p.m. - FCA Meeting BCHS 100

Due to the nature of this information, activity times, dates and places are subject to change. Source: Sandy Saunders

CampusCalendarFindlay has endowed a new scholarship. Called the Churches of God Scholarship, this schol-arship is awarded annually to a graduate or undergradu-ate student who is a member of a Church of God in the Great Lakes Conference. To qualify, the student must attend church regularly and be recommended by the pastor of his or her home church. This scholarship is the 99th new scholarship formed since 2007, providing a scholarship fund of more than $7 million. For information about the Churches of God Schoalr-ship please contact the fi nancial aid offi ce at x4792.

LEHMAN AND BODART NAMED TO THE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

OVER THE SUMMER Two individuals have been named to the Board of Trustees of The University of Findlay. Mary Lehman and John Bodart were appointed to the board over the summer. Lehman holds a bachelor’s degree from UF. She is the retired treasurer of the Neptune Church of God and is a retired educator. She resides in Mendon. Bodart is the vice president of North American tire manufacturing for Cooper Tire, where he has worked since 1986. A native of Fostoria, he holds a master’s degree from Findlay and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Toledo. He is a member of the American Society of Mechani-cal Engineers and lives in Findlay.

FIRST BACH’S LUNCH CONCERT OF THE YEAR SET FOR SEPT. 17 IN THE AMU

The J. Woods Acoustic Trio will perform the fi rst Bach’s Lunch concert for the 2010-2011 academic year at noon on Sept. 17. There is no charge to attend the concert. Those wish-ing to attend may simply bring their lunch and enjoy the concert, which ends around 1 p.m. Bach’s Lunch concerts are held six times a year and are sponsored by the music program and the Offi ce of Student Activities.

SPEECH COMPETENCY EXAMS SLATED FOR SEPT. 13 to 24; REGISTRATION OPEN NOW

The fi rst of the two parts of the speech competency exam will be given Sept. 13 to 24. Students interested in taking the test should register with Regina George in 300 Frazer. Students must pay a $30 fee to take the test. If a student passes the writer portion of the exam with a 75 or better, the student must submit a videotape or DVD of three different speeches he or she has given. These speeches are due to George by Oct. 22. Please call x4774 with questions or for information.

UF NAMED ONE OF THE BEST SCHOOLS IN THE MIDWEST BY THE PRINCETON REVIEW The University of Findlay has been named one of the 152 best colleges in the Midwest by The Princeton Review. In order to earn this honor, schools are rated on criteria such as the accessibility of their professors, the quality of the food, academics and overall campus life. This information is gained via student interviews, and some of the students’ comments can be found at the UF profi le at PrincetonReview.com. Schools selected as the best in the Midwest come from Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Min-nesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

HISTORICAL SIMULATIONS CLUB ACCEPTING MEMBERS FOR FALL

ACTIVITIES Any student who may be interested in joining the historical simulations club is invited to attend the fi rst meeting of UF’s Historical Simulations Club. Simulations and games cover a wide variety of top-ics. Some of the events are current ones as well as events in American, Europena and world history. Please contact Mark Pollelle at x5954 with questions about the club and meeting days and times.

Feel the need to respond? Do you have a story tip or idea? Does your

organization have an event going on?Let us know!

Get in touch by emailing the Pulse at pulse@fi ndlay.edu. Our deadline is noon Sunday.

Please don’t sit around and whine. No one likes whiners. Write instead.

Write this way

THE PULSE, WWW.FINDLAY.EDU/PULSE, AUGUST 26. 2010, PAGE 3

From Page 1FELL: President talks about life, marriage, school

CONTINUED from page 1

Q: For those who don’t already know, where are you from? A: I grew up in a small town in Arkansas. If you have heard of Maya Angelou the very fi ne poet, who also grew up in Arkansas in a small town sort of known for its southern cooking, it’s in the southwestern part of the state. It’s very near the Louisiana and Texas border. So in some ways I grew up in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. Q: Good southern cooking down there, huh? A: It’s what we do best. Ac-tually is about the only thing to do, which is why were so good

at it. Q: Were you in Louisiana over the summer or were you here? A: I was in Louisiana until mid June and the last 26 years of our married life we’ve been in Shreveport, Louisiana. So for most of our adult life, we’ve been in Louisiana. Q: So you said you were married. What’s your hus-band’s name? Do you have any kids? A: Roger. Yes, lots of chil-dren. Very married. In fact, in February, we will have been married 30 years. Q: Congratulations. A: I’m pretty sure it’s a keeper. We have six children all

very close together. All within eight years of each other. We have enjoyed our life in aca-demia and in a small city. It was a great place to raise our family and I think Findlay is proving to be equally good. Q: Has your transition to your new home and the Uni-versity been a good one? A: Yes it has, thank you. It’s been a really good one. We are, in fact, in a temporary house. It’s a beautiful house, which works very well. We’ve had faculty and staff over already and will continue to do that through the summer, and then when the students are back, I’m looking forward to entertaining students and spending lots of time with

them. Q: I think they are doing some remodeling to the (regu-lar president’s) house? A: Yes they are. The Univer-sity has begun some remodeling plans before we arrived and they told us about them, and we are very pleased that the University sees a vision for the president’s home that includes the entire community. Q: So you said your family was based in academia? A: Well all of my children wouldn’t want you to say that, but they certainly grew up on a college campus. I’ve been a college English professor most of my career. My husband is a high school history, math and

business teacher. So in that sense we are both in academia. Roger is a perpetual student. He has two masters degrees, and if I would let him, he’d probably go for a third or fourth degree. But at some point, we have to do other things besides go to school. Q: I keep trying to fi nd excuses to stay in school. A: I don’t blame you. Learn-ing is a wonderful thing. Learn-ing is intoxicating.

Talk to Lindsayat mcfaddenl@fi ndlay.edu

WLFC-FM (88.3) will reair this interview at 1 p.m. on Sept. 2

TEXT: Law puts heat on schools to hold down costsCONTINUED from page 1

saved 75 percent of the money I would have spent at the book-store by going through Ama-zon.” Although many students obtain their books online, oth-ers prefer to get them from the bookstore to avoid some of the hassles that accompany online shopping. “I’ve been very lucky in that my parents pay for my books, and they prefer that I purchase them through the bookstore so there are no issues with ship-ping, incorrect texts, and things like that,” said Mike Robbins, senior pre-vet major. The bookstore hopes post-ing the ISBNs eliminates some of the issues students encounter when purchasing texts online. “We hope that this will give students easier access to correct information for their course materials, whether they decide to purchase their materials from the bookstore or not,” said Don Kurtz, textbook and systems manager. “Our main focus is that the students have the correct materials for their classes.” Some fear the law’s require-ments may place additional stress on professors when choos-ing a new text. UF’s bookstore previously required professors to submit their text selections two months prior to the start of the semester. The HEOA makes the deadline several months earlier. “To make sure we are in compliance with the HEOA, professors will need to turn in their textbook information ap-proximately two months before the fi rst registration date, so we will have enough time to verify both the pricing and availability of the requested items for that term,” said Kurtz.

In other words, rather than having until the end of June to choose a text for the fall semes-ter, professors will need to have chosen their texts by the begin-n ing of February at the lat-est. “This is hard on p r o f e s -sors, but i t d o e s force us to commit to an approach before the summer even begins,” said Matthew Stolick, associate pro-fessor of philosophy. “It requires me to think ahead too far, and keeps me from utilizing course materials that work with current events.” Still other professors are not concerned about having to make their decisions early. “There are plenty of good textbooks out there,” said Rob-ert Postic, assistant professor of political science “I might not have the latest and greatest, but I can make anything work. If I can’t, then I’m in the wrong profession.” Some professors also worry publishing the text price at reg-istration time may deter students from taking a particular class or section. “If a student has a choice of equally unattractive courses to fulfill a general education requirement, then some students will likely choose a course if it is very cheap or avoid a course if it is very expensive,” said Stolick. Nevertheless, students did not seem to think they would factor text price into their course selection process. “I don’t think text cost will infl uence my decision on wheth-er or not to take a particular class

or section,” said Wurm. “If the class is benefi cial to my major or my education, I would just fi nd an alternative to purchas-ing the book such as renting or

borrowing from someone who has already taken that particular course.” Many wonder what, if any,

effect the text requirements by the HEOA will have on book-store sales. “I believe it will harm sales because if students have the

ISBNs that far ahead of taking the class, they wil l have time to shop around and fi nd the best buy for each textbook,”

said Searfoss. “We are affected by the economy just like every-one else, so we are going to fi nd the cheapest way to get our texts

if that means supporting UF or not.” The bookstore staff does not think posting the ISBNs will make students any more likely to buy online. However, they are working to make their prices low enough to compete with Internet options. “What we are doing is trying to educate professors on their choices,” said Kurtz. “In addi-tion, we are beginning a pilot rental program for select classes that will be very competitive in pricing compared to online markets.”

Talk to Abbyat wilsona3@fi ndlay.edu

WRC: Says new home a ‘gift’

CONTINUED from page 1

they still want to be acces-sible to students. We looked at what properties were available, bought the properties and once the construction was done we exchanged deeds,” said Myreon Cobb, director of the physical plant. The new women’s resource center was completed in early July, and the Resource Center moved in toward the end of July. It is now open to the community and students. “We wanted to make sure they had everything they had before. This new center has that and it is a little bigger and nicer,” said Cobb. The Center has been very

pleased with the move to the new building. “The move has been won-derful and smooth. It has been a gift from God through the University. We got to pick the fl oor plan, so it fi ts our needs,” said Turnow. The University plans to use the former Resource Center property for a parking lot, and portions of it will be landscaped and developed as an entertain-ment area. This work started over the summer and should be complete sometime in November. “We are always running short of parking around the president’s house, which meant that people had to park and walk across the street. This will make it easier and safer for students and guests,” said Terry. The work on the president’s home and grounds started in ear-nest once Katherine Fell arrived in Findlay in mid-summer. “We had to wait to start the project until she was here to tell us what she wanted,” said Cobb.

The changes to the president’s home are meant to make the home more suitable to enter-taining guests, in addition to freshening things up. “We will be painting, updat-ing the carpet and adding on to the kitchen. The old kitchen was small and hard to cater out of when the president would enter-tain students or other guests. The new kitchen will be bigger and better able to serve the current needs,” said Cobb. On the outside of the house, there will be a large landscaped yard with a brick and wrought iron fence. “This will add a nice effect,” said Cobb. “It will set the house apart and give it the attention that a president’s house should have.” The Women’s Resource Center plans an open house for anyone interested in touring the new center on Tuesday, Sept. 21 from 4 to 6:30.

Talk to Lindsayat mcfaddenl@fi ndlay.edu

President’s home to be remodeled due to swap

“There are plenty of good textbooks out there, I might not have the latest and greatest, but I can make anything work. If I can’t, then I’m in the wrong profession.”

Robert Postic,assistant professor of political science

OpinionTHE PULSE,WWW.FINDLAY.EDU/PULSE, AUGUST 26, 2010, PAGE 4

Staff editorialAre you ready to

move back in with your parents?

Welcome to the fi rst week of class. Hopefully the fi rst days of class have not been too traumatic. Leave that to us. As the summer was winding down, we obtained a study about how college students around the nation feel about the cost of their education and their expectations of to what it will ultimately lead. A little less than 70 percent of the students said they expect to be at least somewhat fi nancially dependent on their parents after graduation. One in fi ve students say they think they will be back home after graduating, living with their parents. There’s more: fully 57 percent of students say they picked their school not for the programs or because they lacked the credentials to get into some other school, but because of cost. Seventy-seven percent of students say textbooks are the leading source of wasted money, and are the “biggest scam” in the cost of college. Despite these less than glowing fi ndings, the in-formation in the study says students still have a strong commitment to higher education. So why do we open the year with this depressing news? Simple. What we are all engaged in is expensive. We’ll probably graduate with tens of thousands of dollars of debt that we have to pay back. But we have to get something out of all the time we’re investing and the money we’re spending. The semester is new right now and the stress that will come later in the year is not with us now. But it will come, and when it does, many students will have the tendency to slack off. If we fl oat through classes and don’t take advantage of the opportunities we have to get ready for our career, we’re paying for some of the most expensive party time in the world. And you know what’s even dumber? Paying thou-sands of dollars for a service and not expecting all we can get out of that service. But that’s just what some students do. If you do this, we hope your parents will leave the fridge stocked for you.

Summer controversies show danger of mixing logic, emotion

JustinKahle

Pulse Columnist

1145 The Village419.434.4621pulse@findlay.edu

Editors Abby Wilson Lindsay McFaddenNews Reporters Ashley Ham Stephanie Shoffner Ryan Rothenbuhler Genna Newman Cristy Granger Samantha KahleSports Reporters Kirk Salinski Andy WolfColumnists Justin Kahle Life Writers Alexis Currie Tim DunnPhotographers Becky Cross Jess DomokosGraphics Margaret DixonGraduate Manager Desmond StroohFaculty Adviser Chris Underation

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THE UNIVERSITY OF FINDLAY1000 N. MAIN STREET, FINDLAY, OHIO 45840

thePulse

It seems like it has been awhile since I have last left off. The summer has fl own by, and in the world of politics, it seems like April is a far, distant memory. Since then, we have had one of the largest oil spills; the ever-growing emergence of the Tea Parties and the allegations of Tea Party racism, which have yet to be proved. Then there is the upcoming primaries and the ex-pected repercussions of these elections; two members of Congress, both Democrats, being investigated for ethics charges; and, to top it all off at the end of summer, we receive the heated debate of a mosque being built relatively close to Ground Zero in New York City. We also should not forget the Arizona immigration law and the court ruling that followed, which limited the scope of the new law. I know it seems as if I’m rambling. But there is a point: though these events appear disconnected and irrelevant to each other, in the grand scheme of things, many of these topics are linked in a way. The link is the battle of emotion and tradition against law, which many of these events have at its center. Let’s use the Ground Zero mosque as an example.Though I am conservative, and you may assume I’d be against building the mosque so near to where the Sept. 11 attacks happened, I am actually in support of it. In no way, shape or form is this mosque breaking any rules or laws. The people involved in building the mosque have done everything they have needed to in accordance to the law to have their mosque. What muddies things up is emotion, and this is a very ugly thing that can make people ignore logic and law. I understand why people are getting upset over the mosque, but not the over-the-top degree to which some people are getting upset. Law matters. Specifi cally, in this case, the First Amendment. But emotion is leading people into making the illogical move to connect a small group of extremists with one of the largest religions in the world. Though this connection is common, everyone should agree that not every Muslim is evil and wants to kill you. Similarly, every Christian is not a member of the Ku Klux Klan, which claims to be a Christian organization.

This can also be extended to the Arizona immigra-tion law. Too many people are allowing emotion to trump logic and law. On this issue, my conservative side comes out. I think people are searching too deep into this law, thinking it is full of new ideas. Actually, much of what is in the law seems to be federal law that no one enforces. Some facets may reach too far, which is what the courts are there to decide, but I think at the core of the argument, the law does what needs to be done. We need to take a strong stand on illegal immigra-tion, and this law seems to be a very good stepping stone to that goal. But it seems like too many, especially politicians are more worried about offending a race and turning away potential voters than they are about fol-lowing established law. Illegal immigration is il-legal for a reason. It is a crime and that is that. Sure the illegals are per-haps only trying to better themselves, but at the core isn’t that what a lot of crimi-nals claim to do? Be careful about blur-ring the line between law and emotion. Emotions are a very powerful facet of who we are as humans and what really makes us tick. Some believe it is the greatest single factor in how we function. This may be true to a point, but I think we can go beyond this and try to downplay emotion in matters that should be devoid of it, such as factors dealing with law.

Talk to Justin at kahlej@fi ndlay.edu

www.fi ndlay.edu/pulseRespond to the Pulse

pulse@fi ndlay.edu

PerspectivesTHE PULSE,WWW.FINDLAY.EDU/PULSE, AUGUST 26, 2010, PAGE 5

AbbyWilson Pulse Editor

CheriHamptonFarmer

AssistantProfessor of

Communication

Attendance policies work against education’s goalThis column originally ran in the April 8 Pulse. We run it again to provide context for the response below.

Teachers, rightfully expect students to be mature, responsible adults; but they contradict these expecta-tions with one annoying classroom policy—attendance. Throughout my time at The University of Findlay, I’ve experienced a wide variety of policies regarding attendance, everything from a teacher having no policy at all to one professor docking the fi nal grade percentage points for every day missed after three absences. I defi nitely understand the thought process behind attendance policies. I get it. Professors don’t think students will come to class unless there is some sort of bribe or punishment. I’ve also heard the typical teacher explanation that college is preparation for a career where attendance is usually mandatory. Both of these reasons are accurate and seem to be acceptable grounds for an attendance policy. However, students already have two incentives to attend class so adding an additional policy is almost insulting. The fi rst student motivation for class attendance is grades. Most students are well aware of the numerous studies showing the strong negative correlation between absences and fi nal grades. While attendance certainly isn’t the only key to success in the classroom, it’s defi -nitely the easiest variable for the student to control. It’s commonsensical really. In order to do well in class, a student should actually be present in the class.

However, I’ve experienced a few classes where my time in the classroom didn’t add all that much to what I had already learned from the text. In other words, I’m pretty sure I could have earned the same grade with 75 percent attendance as I did with 100 percent had there not been a penalty for absences.

If students can earn the grade they want without attending every class, it isn’t fair to pun-ish them. I also think classroom attendance policies can serve as a type of safety net for professors who don’t put as much effort into their lectures. Basi-cally it ensures students will be there regardless of how much value or lack thereof the class has. I doubt professors want their attendance policy to be the rea-son students show up. The subjects professors

teach are topics they’ve spent an abundance of time

studying. Hence, it’s almost certain they recognize and appreciate the intrinsic value of the course and want their students to do the same. The second student incentive for going to class is they are paying for it. With tuition now over $13,000 per semester, a student who takes fi ve three-credit-hour courses pays over $185 a week per course. At that price, many students feel they have to go to class in order to hold professors accountable and to get their money’s worth. However, if students, as adults, choose not to go, it’s their fi nancial loss, and they shouldn’t be doubly punished with an attendance policy. Furthermore, students who routinely miss several classes throughout the semester obviously do not care about the fi nancial and academic costs of their absences. Therefore, it’s ludicrous to believe an attendance policy would suddenly motivate them to come. Hence, attendance policies serve as a double or triple punishment for students who do care about their grades and the money they spend on a university educa-tion. When these students miss class, they usually have a good reason for it or they have conscientiously weighed the consequences and benefi ts of their absence. In other words, they’re punished for being mature and responsible two characteristics teachers expect from their students.

Talk to Abby at wilsona3@fi ndlay.edu

Attendance policies are not a cover for lazy profs Instead, they create a better environment for sharing and learning I applaud Pulse editor Abby Wilson for offering multiple perspectives in her opinion pieces that critique instructor practices (critical thinking skills gained per-haps from a course that had an attendance policy) and wonder why more do not respond to debate controver-sial issues she raises. Her article in the April 8 Pulse about the merits of attendance policies and argument that attendance poli-

cies punish the responsible begged for another perspec-tive. Stating that instructors who “don’t put much time into their lecture” and use the policy as leverage to gain greater cooperation prompts me to respond. I once embraced this student-consumer philosophy believing, like Ms. Wilson, that students pay tuition and should have the right to decide when or whether they attend class. But experience and observation altered my perspective. I discovered compelling reasons that favor an attendance policy. As Ms. Wilson noted, attendance is positively cor-related with academic success. What accounts for this is that students are more engaged

when they attend class and have a he ightened ex-pectation to learn. They gain exam-ples from peers. They not only read, but also listen and often speak (thus using more senses to learn). Additionally, attendance habits transfer into the work force and in-fl uence productiv-ity. As Millenni-als fl ood the work force they will fi nd confl icting priori-ties, such as whether to show up for a job that does not fulfi ll the quality of life they value or face the alternative. The habit of attending class, even when it’s not on one’s top 10 list of exciting things to do, pays off in the long run. If academic success and forming good work habits do not justify attendance poli-cies, social rewards often do. A primary benefi t of attendance derives

from what one gains by being part of a learning com-munity. Productivity and collective memory increase when students work in small groups because mental resources increase. Students say that one of the reasons they come to The University of Findlay is due to the smaller class size and lower student-teacher ratios. An added benefi t of small class size is the student-to-student ratio. Not only do professors get to know their students well, but students get to know each other. Why does it matter whether students get to know each other? Because community is important at every stage in life. What I can gain or learn from my neighbor or col-league can help me achieve my goals. Most importantly, what I can give to others not only helps my neighbor or colleague, but it helps me as well. If I am able to share my expertise with someone who needs it, that individual can be productive. In helping them, I have been productive by reproducing in someone else what I know or can do. For example, New York Times writer Peter Loven-heim discovered untapped resources in the people liv-ing on his street in Rochester, New York. He became intentional about getting to know his neighbors after a double murder on his street that might have been pre-vented had neighbors formed a community. He got to know his neighbors by sleeping over and spending a full day with them. He learned what each person had to offer and began to help neighbors con-nect by contributing to someone else’s need. Prior to his research, people in his neighborhood lived isolated lives and depended on individuals outside this natural community for support. Those who reach the highest level in Tae Kwon Do cannot earn the coveted black belt unless they train oth-ers. In this culture, they believe that one has mastered a skill only when they can teach someone else to perform it profi ciently. Both examples stress that individuals must be intentional about being involved in community. Far from being a cover for unmotivated professors or poor lecturers, attendance policies encourage behavior that creates life-long habits. These habits build life-long learning communities and yield rewards.

THE PULSE, WWW.FINDLAY.EDU/PULSE, AUGUST 26, 2010, PAGE 6

SportsOilers picked for middle of pack, hope for better

by Kirk SalinskiStaff writer

It’s that time of year again. Time for students to trade in their swimsuits for pencils, buckle down and hit the text-books. Although summer break has come to a sudden halt, that means football season is here to fi ll the gap. And from the looks of things, this year could be another solid one for UF. Last year’s 7-4 fi nish was the best for UF in several sea-sons, but that doesn’t mean the orange and black have earned more respect from its GLIAC peers. This year Findlay has been ranked sixth in the GLIAC preseason coach’s poll. Grand Valley State holds the number one spot followed by Hillsdale and Saginaw Valley State tied at two. Archrival Ashland is ranked third. “We would rather be ranked higher but the polls are just kind of a jumping off point and don’t mean a whole lot,” said Jon Wauford, the Oilers head foot-ball coach. “I’ve been pleased that every year I’ve been head coach we have fi nished higher than what the polls predicted.” The Oilers also received

13 votes in the fi rst American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II poll and are ranked 41st overall. The biggest challenge fac-ing the team this year is replac-ing fi ve graduating fi rst team all-conference players from last season. “Those positions are critical for us to fi nd someone to step into,” said Wauford. “We hope to have some guys step up and continue to improve every day.” Finding a replacement for graduated quarterback Andrew Beam is perhaps the top priority for UF. Beam, a late-summer 2009 transfer, started all 11 games last season throwing for 2,179 yards and 14 touchdowns. “As of right now our depth chart stands at Zach Tate as one, Kevan Westenbarger as two, and John Soli as three,” said Wauford. Tate is a true freshman from Columbia, Tenn., and Westen-barger, who is also a freshman, is from McComb. Even though all the quar-terbacks on the depth chart are competing for that starting spot, they will all be working with new offensive coordinator, Ed Stults. Stults comes to UF from Ball State University where he served as an assistant coach

from 2003 to 2008. He has coached at six other colleges, including the University of Cin-cinnati, and was the head coach at Defi ance College from 1994 to 1995. “There will be some dif-ferent sets and some different looks from our offense but the philosophy is going to remain the same,” said Wauford. “It’s been a good experience for me and the coaching staff to bring in a guy who’s been around for a long time and has been exposed to a lot of different things.” Although there are a few changes and new faces from last season, the main goal remains the same. “It’s a new year and a an-other opportunity to take our team a step farther to a GLIAC championship,” said Dustin Zielaskiewicz, senior wide re-ceiver. “It’s all about having fun and winning games and the rest will fall into place.” UF’s march toward its grid-iron goals begins Sept. 4, as the Oilers host Tusculum from Tennessee at Donnell Stadium. Kickoff is at noon. Last season Tusculum fi n-ished 3-7. This season they have picked to fi nish fi fth in the South Atlantic Conference.

Talk to Kirkat salinskik@fi ndlay.edu

Volleyball expects to take major step forward in 2010by Ryan RothenbuhlerStaff writer

The University of Findlay Oilers volleyball team enters the 2010 campaign with high expectations. The Lady Oilers return a plethora of talent and also add a strong, highly sought after freshman class. Last season, the Oilers fi nished with a mark 15-18 and 5-11 in GLIAC play. The bright spot for the Oilers was an 8-7 record at home. Even with the addition of a strong freshman class, the Oil-ers will still have to replace a talented group of women lost to graduation. “We are very excited about the mix of athletes that we have on our roster this fall. We feel we have the right combination of senior leadership, experienced upperclassmen, and promising freshmen to put an extremely competitive team on the court every night,” said head coach Wick Colchagoff. The competitiveness and leadership of this team is exactly what is needed to hang with Hillsdale and Saginaw Valley in

GLIAC play this year. Last year, Saginaw Valley and Hillsdale split the regular season GLIAC title. Hillsdale went on to win the GLIAC post-season tournament. Returning for UF as middle hitters are junior Morgan Rog-ers and sophomore Andrea Holthaus. Before being injured, Rog-ers had a .89 blocks per set mark. Coming in to replace Rogers, Holthaus tallied a very respect-able .74 blocks per set mark. The Oilers also add a tal-ented duo of freshman expected to compete for duties in the middle with Danielle Tafl inger, from Lima Central Catholic and Mackenzie Vorst, from Co-lumbus Grove. Both girls were selected to the All-Ohio team in high school. On the right side, the Oil-ers return Jessica VonIns and Maggie Naayers. Both girls are expected to compete to fi ll the void left by Jenny Slone, a recent UF graduate. Colchagoff added Rogers, Holthaus and Vorst could see time on the right if needed. On the outside UF returns

junior Erin Thomasson and se-nior Abby LaVigne. Competing for outside roles also will be senior Sarah Schro-eder, redshirt freshman Bethany Hoelscher and true freshman Lindsy Reindel. Reindel joins the Oilers after graduating from Delphos St. Johns last spring. Hoelscher sat out the 2009 cam-paign with a leg injury, but has played well in the offseason. “Erin and Abby became legitimate forces in the GLIAC last fall and only got better in the spring, and Sarah was a pleasant surprise on the outside and on defense last year, said Colchagoff. “Abby has really impressed me with her growth in the three years she has been here. On the defensive side, red-shirt junior Rachael Hammond will fi ll the void left by Bingelli. She tallied 199 digs in 2009. Colchagoff praised Hammond for her work ethic in season and also in the offseason. In addition to Hammond, sophomore Kelly Lapeus and freshman Jacquie Endre, from Walsh Jesuit, will help with the defensive duties.

Finally, taking care of the setting roles, Megan Florence, along with VonIns, will serve as the Oilers setters. Florence was voted to the Honorable Mention All-GLIAC team last season. “Our setting was outstand-ing last year and I expect that it will be even better this season,” Colchagoff said. “Megan has grown into a respected leader on this team, with great court awareness and really keeps the offense humming.”

UF fi nished last the 2009 season winning nine out of its fi nal 12 games. They hope the momentum remains. “We matured as a team last fall, and our run at the end of the season gave the team an incred-ible amount of confi dence that I hope will carry over to this season,” Colchagoff said. UF begins its season on Sept. 3 at the Davis and Elkins Tournaments in Elkins, West Virginia.

DaJERRIAN SMITH, A SENIOR, is one of the top returning wideouts for the Oilers this season. Coming off a 7-4 cam-paign in 2009, UF has to replace several key players on of-fense. The season opens Sept. 4 against Tusculum at home.

Leslie Stechschulte

LifeTHE PULSE, WWW.FINDLAY.EDU/PULSE, AUGUST 26, 2010, PAGE 7

If you’re a Mexiholic, La Charrita can fi ll the needThe waitstaff is not great, but the food and atmosphere are a good value for the money I would, fi rst and foremost, like to express my immense ex-citement to be joining the Pulse team this semester. I enter into this new and exciting chapter as a former culinary student, for-mer personal chef, and always as an avid food lover. In this column, I look for-ward to sharing my dining expe-riences, both good and bad, with all of you in an effort to inform and entertain you. With this in mind I turn my focus to my fi rst culinary desti-nation: La Charrita. La Charrita is a self-pro-claimed “authentic Mexican grill and cantina” located at 3210 North Main St. in Find-lay. The décor, both inside and out, is bright and colorful with albeit predictable frescoes and textured walls. Additionally, the indoor accommodations are suffi cient for groups ranging anywhere from one to 15. I usually try to arrive for my meal in the late

afternoon to early evening hours in order to bypass both the lunch and dinner crowds, though they do open at 11 a.m. and close as late as 10:30 p.m. (on Friday and Saturday). Another convenient option is that you can also call in your order and then swing by to pick it up on your way home from work or any other time your craving strikes. Your call-in order even comes with a free lunch-bag size bag of tortilla chips and side of salsa. Whether you are a college student on a budget (or anyone else on a budget) or on a date with splurging in mind, they have any Mexican dish to sat-isfy your taste and low prices to satisfy your wallet. Upon being seated you are offered complimentary chips and salsa. In fact, you can eat up to three baskets of chips for free. The salsa is refreshingly vi-brant and fresh, but I must warn

those of you who cannot handle the spice that it is warm. Another option for the chips, one that my friends and I are very fond of, is ordering a side of the cheese dip to dip our chips in (it is not complimentary, however, coming in at a whopping $2.99 per order). My entrée of choice, virtually every time I go, is the Enchiladas Sui-zas that comes in at a budget-friendly $7.50. The dish consists of three shredded chicken enchiladas covered with their spicy green sauce and the necessary partners; refried beans and rice. (The plate comes out smoking hot so be careful when you touch the plate.) I enjoy the green sauce as opposed to the classic red en-chilada sauce because it’s a little different and a little unexpected. The enchiladas are perfectly cooked every time I go and I can’t get enough of that green

sauce. Other entrées include any-thing from the classic tacos and burritos to fajitas and chilies rel-lenos to many, many more, none of which exceed $20 in price.

T h e y o f f e r lunch specials be-tween 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Monday thru Saturday that range in price from $3.50 to $6.99. It is also note-worthy that they serve entrée selec-tions for our veg-etarian friends, and these are also deli-cious and reason-ably priced. For those of you who love des-sert, a group of which I am defi-nitely a part, La Charrita has some

very tasty options. Of course, they have the classic fried ice cream. If you have ever experienced it, I am ashamed to admit I have de-voured an entire one by myself. It is, more appropriately, a great dessert for two people to share whether you’re just watch-

ing your expenses or want to share a romantic moment with a date. Another, though differ-ent choice, is the deliciously creamy, caramelly fl an; a baked custard with a caramel sauce. One of my favorites, though, has to be their Chimi Cheesecake: It is cheesecake inside a pastry that is fried and then covered in cinnamon sugar. Yum. To those who love Mexi-can cuisine and who consider themselves connoisseurs, you will not be disappointed with the food at La Charrita. I am even willing to say that their cuisine may help to convert those who are tentative when it comes to Mexican cuisine. While the attentiveness from the wait staff may oc-casionally leave something to be desired, once your food has arrived all of your worries will fade away. Wash your food down with a classic margarita, pop or a raspberry iced tea and your craving will surely thank you. Until my next culinary en-deavor, I wish you happy dining.

Talk to Alexisat curriea@fi ndlay.edu

AlexisCurrie

FoodCritic

The light, refreshing ‘Scott Pilgrim’ is a fun time What do you get when you combine a video game and a comic book, sorry, I mean a graphic novel? You get the movie “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” Scott Pilgrim joins the long list of graphic novels turned celluloid. Unlike some of these creations, it holds up well in the transition from ink and paper to fi lm. Story: The story of “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” has a pretty simple concept. Boy meets girl…girl meets boy…boy goes out with girl. Then

boy fi nds out that girl has seven evil ex-boyfriends and boy must fi ght each one of them to prove himself. As I said, it’s a pretty simple concept. The story works well because it is neither choppy nor does it drag, which makes it enjoyable because the pace is tolerable. Characters/Acting: The casting of Scott Pilgrim is well done. The actors are enjoyable, although the characters do not have much development. Out of all the performances in the fi lm, I am most impressed

with the title character, played by Michael Cera. As with his other movies, Cera is typecast, but in this case, his Scott Pilgrim character is much better defined. It suits him. His op-posite, Ramona, played by Mary Elizabeth Winsted, makes for a good pairing. The characters o f Ramona and Scott have a very unique relationship because they come off as two oppo-site characters who discover that they are more similar than they originally thought. It is also good to see that the support-ing cast was not just thrown in

for the sake of being a support-ing cast. They all are important to the overall movie. When it comes down to it, the entire

cast was enjoyable and their charac-ters were easy to understand and get behind. Directing: Ed-gar Wright has to be one of the best co-medic directors in the business today. He’s very good at mixing a good story with good comedy, as he did in “Shawn of the Dead.” Scott Pilgrim is a different kind of project for this director because it doesn’t look or feel like a British com-edy. However, I

did see some similar elements

that he has used in his previous fi lms, such as the importance of casting in addition to showing the importance of an object. Everything else: There are a variety of factors that make this movie a must see. For one, the comedy is clever in its de-livery and creativity. Another factor that stood out to me was the use of art from the actual graphic novel. Using the art in this way and interpreting it into the movie, Wright showed a respect for the comic’s artistry as well as bringing something new to the idea of comic book movies. Overall: “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” is a refreshing and light-hearted fi lm that can be viewed by all who are looking for a fun time at the movies. Grade: A

Talk to Tim at dunnt@fi ndlay.edu

TimDunn

MovieCritic

LISTEN SATURDAY AT 7 A.M. AND AGAIN AT 7 P.M.

THE PULSE,WWW.FINDLAY.EDU/PULSE, AUGUST 26, 2010, PAGE 8