volume 41 issue 05

Vol. 41Issue 5

Actor Sean Astin is “More Than Just a Hobbit” Read more about his activism and “other very important stuff.”

PAGE 6

The Unfortunate FreshmanUpperclassmen stepped up to help freshman, Zachary Hartley, who dropped his keys in a sewage drain.

PAGE 12

Women’s Soccer Third WinSee what happened in “Jones Scores Single Goal, Women’s Soc-cer Wins.”

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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

www.ipfwcommunicator.org

U.S. News Report’s ranking of colleges and universities has IPFW placed in

the second tier. According to those rank-ings, Tier 2 schools are those 25 percent of American universities that have placed lower than the other three fourths of uni-versities that are numerically ranked. While the list of top ten most prestigious schools changes every year, the rest re-main mostly fixed in their place for de-cades.

By Maja Sljivar

Tier Two: Jump to page 1

The Communicator | September 22, 2010

news2www.ipfwcommunicator.org

Students at the Memorial for Amanda McLaughlin.Photo by: Jess Rebrovich

Saturday, September 11, 2010, friends gath-ered on Northgate Boulevard in Canterbury Green Apartments for a candlelight vigil in honor of Amanda McLaughlin, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver one year ago.

Friends of Amanda, approximately 20 indi-viduals, met in the Club V parking lot of Piere’s and made their way to the memorial site, candles lit. At the site, friends gathered to sign a new cross, light more candles, wear buttons with a picture of Amanda on them saying “Love Never Fails,” admire the lowered speed limit signs, and share stories of how Amanda touched their lives.

“Amanda is still so much alive with each and every one of us,” said Adam DeWyse. “Seeing that many people come out for the candlelight vigil to honor such a great person proved it.”

Amanda’s family, including Lisa, Joe, Katie, Rachel, and Jacob McLaughlin were unable to attend the event to mark the one-year anni-versary of the loss. “But because of some great people and today’s technology, we were able to Skype in and be part of the event,” said Lisa McLaughlin, Amanda’s mother. “I can’t even begin to put into words how it felt to be able to see the faces of so many of the people who are so important not only to Amanda but to us too.”

Lisa feels as though all the individuals at the

event are like family. “We have an extended family like no other and we are truly blessed because of them. Being able to partake in something so full of love for a daughter is something we can’t even begin to put into words and explain,” she said.

“I had only met Amanda for 5 minutes,” said TJ Ochoa, “To see the way she has impact-ed so many people and the quality of people that she surrounded herself with blows me away. I hope to have half as much impact in the world as she did in her short amount of time here.”

“So many people came out and it was great to see how many lives she has touched. Standing with every-one, you could really feel the warmth and love all around you,” Amy Connerley said. “We will continue to come out to the site year after year and for-ever keep her memory alive.”

The event lasted approximately one hour. During this time, Canterbury Green police and securi-

ty surrounded the site, encouraging passing drivers to slow down. “I show a lot of respect to the Fort Wayne Police for helping slow the traffic down as people passed Amanda’s site,” said Connerley.

As the night wound down, friends left the site feeling peaceful.

“We would like to say thank you to everyone for keeping Amanda in your hearts,” Lisa com-mented. “Just remember, Love Never Fails...”

Love Never Fails Students Keep the Memory Alive at Candlelight Vigil

The first question that naturally arises is why would anyone feel the need to quantify academia. Prestige obviously comes to mind, but more importantly in today’s economy, higher rankings provide reassurance of employability after the coveted diploma is attained. But is that so? 2010 graduates across the entire United States have found themselves wondering what to do after graduation as the unemployment skyrockets and even a university diploma does not help much. The NY Times blog on education points out, tongue in cheek, “Rankings are geared towards consumers, not academics.”

While it is true that the data presented in the report is supplied by the schools themselves and is updated regularly, how exactly does one truly represent the quality of education in an organized, linear list? The US News Report looks mostly at the end result: the graduation rates. Theoretically, the school in which almost all enrolled students graduate has done its job well.

Practically this is true, but it does not work well for some campus situations. IPFW was initially (and relatively recently, in 1968) established as a commuter campus largely targeting returning and nontraditional students who already have families, jobs, and possibly children. They may enroll only part-time, transfer someplace else, or delay school in order

to deal with other, more urgent needs. Even with the introduction of Waterfield Student Housing in 2004, the rate of part-time and nontraditional students remains high at almost 38 percent.

Dr. Jack Dahl, Associate Vice Chancellor for Institutional Research and Planning, supplies the data provided in the US News report. Because of additional, largely financial factors, he does not predict IPFW moving out of Tier 2, but with the student population in mind, he is

unconcerned. Rather, he excitedly points out the places in the rankings where IPFW excels: the unusually high ratio of tenured professors at the top of their field to number of students and class size, as well as the large number of support

services available. Additionally, enrollment for the current academic year is at a record high, with a drastic increase in full-time students.

Lots of exciting changes are happening on campus and many of them reflect a solid commitment to bettering the student experience. NPR education writer David Gura suggests the growing need for more qualitative than quantitative ratings that reflect more of the student experience and less of the sheer numbers. And if he were present to see the bustle of activity at the Walb Union, the peer tutoring at CASA, and Wacky Wednesdays at Student Housing, he would probably say we are on the right track.

Jessica Rebrovich

“IPFW was initially estab-lished as a commuter cam-

pus largely targeting re-turning and nontraditional

students...”

Tier Two: Jump From Page 1

weatherrundown Wednesday

80° / 64°Friday

77° / 52°Monday73° / 54°

Thursday89° / 70°

Sunday71° / 55°

Saturday71° / 51°

Tuesday74° / 55°

Background Checks a New Trend in Academic Admissions

The Communicator | September 22, 2010 www.ipfwcommunicator.org

politics&money 3

When we applied to college, we were worried about SAT and ACT scores, GPA’s, references, and whether our extra-curriculars were enough. We were not concerned about having to lay bare our entire lives. But as security and truthfulness become more of an issue, many colleges and universities are looking to background checks as part of admissions to decide whether or not you are a safe bet.

While it is not currently IPFW’s policy to require a background check, “some professions which you might be seeking a degree for do periodically require a background check throughout the education program. At IPFW I believe this includes education majors and some majors in health sciences,” says Carol Isaacs, Director of Admissions.

According to a former member of the Corporate Security Background Investigation team at Bank of America: “Background checks are a generic term for investigations taken to explore some aspect of a person’s background.” They can include criminal background, credit history, education history, government database checks, and employment history.

Universities have two main reasons for conducting a background check– to see if the applicant has a violent history or to see if they are a liar. The concern is that if a person has committed violent crimes in the past, they may commit them again in the future. If

a person is lying on their application, they might be dishonest in other aspects of the educational process – cheating, plagiarism, etc.

Given the spate of high visibility violence in universities over the past few years, applicants with violent backgrounds are of particular concern. The FBI tries to keep track of every person in the USA who has been arrested and/or convicted of any crime. If an applicant’s fingerprints are sent to the FBI, the

FBI will return a “rap sheet” listing all of the charges and convictions associated with those fingerprints– if any exist. Unfortunately, not all jurisdictions report information accurately to the FBI, so there are times when information is missing.The disposition of a charge is the most common item missing from a rap sheet. In those cases, it is common to check with a County Courthouse in the jurisdiction where the charge was filed. This is exactly the kind of information that universities would need to determine if a person has a violent past or not.

But how are students feeling about this? One local college student said, “It’s a good idea. You have a right to know about people; they could be a sexual predator or have committed violent crimes.” While many support the policy, others argue it is an invasion of privacy. Ultimately the decision is the hands of the administration, but students nonetheless have a right and a responsibility to make their opinions on such issues known.

Kaitlyn Lucas

Photo by Thomas Motter

The first meeting of the Faculty Senate, held on Monday September 13, re-framed the expectations for the faculty and administration in order to continue the good trends started with the record enrollment increase of 3.8 percent for the academic year 2010-2011.

Purdue Speaker of the Faculty, Robert Barret, commended the efforts of the IPFW Admissions Office, not only for the increase in student population, but also for the smoothest admission period to date. Undertakings of the Admissions office to alleviate the confusion of the incoming freshmen were also noted by the IU Speaker of the Faculty, Stanley Davis, who additionally underlined the efforts to improve degree completion and graduation rates. Davis encouraged the faculty to get involved in leadership and noted the opportunities to rise and respond to regional concerns. Six committees comprised of one faculty member and one administrator from each of the regional campuses will be formed in order to highlight the critical role and needs of each of the regional campuses in the upcoming academic year.

The directorship of the Office of International Programs was changed to a new position: the Assistant Director for International Programming. This shift from Academic Affairs to Student Affairs is meant to encompass both the student population and the academic faculty’s exchange opportunities. The purpose of the office in the university with rising research expectations is not only to focus on bringing international students to IPFW, but to

foster the scholarly and research exchanges at the terminal academic degree level.

The senators discussed the addition of the Western Governors University as a new public education institution in Indiana and the effects this added competition will have on IPFW’s state funding as well as the sustainability to attract incoming freshmen. The presiding officer, Michael Nusbaumer, noted that, considering the entirely different academic mission of the WGU, the addition poses “More of a wake up call than a threat.” Nusbaumer expressed doubt that IPFW will lose credit hours to WGU, but noted a definite need for proactive efforts and the reconfiguration of IPFW’s image. Stressing the importance of the faculty in the institution’s identity at these “exciting but challenging times for public institutions,” he announced the beginning of open faculty dialogues. As IPFW approaches its 50th anniversary, the forums will allow the members to look into the future opportunities and ask, “Where will IPFW be in the next 50 years?”

Finally, Chancellor Wartell offered his closing remarks on the changes in the upcoming academic and administrative year. Summarizing

the session of the legislature, he pointed out a positive shift in the appropriation of state funding that will assist IPFW more fairly. Unlike in previous years, where IPFW was evaluated alongside more selective institutions strictly through graduation rates, this year‘s funding model focuses on the changes in the graduation rates. The Chancellor noted that this will highlight the enormous positive growth IPFW has acquired over the years and will serve

as a much better criteria in appropriating the state funding. This added leverage will level the playing field and open doors to the funds that have been available to other regional campuses that are comparable to IPFW in everything but the state-level funding.

Photo by Thomas Motter

Maja Sljivar

FACULTY SENATE OFF TO ANOTHER BUSY ACADEMIC YEAR


politics&money4www.ipfwcommunicator.org

IPFW’s campus has experienced many recent changes. One change students may find helpful is the “Group Study Room Policy.” Helmke Library teamed up with IT Services to give students a place to practice group presentations or conduct group meetings. Located in two former conference rooms (LB201A, LB201C), two or more IPFW students may reserve rooms up to two weeks in advance. If the rooms are not already reserved, they are available on a first-come-first-serve basis by phone at (260) 481-6505 or in person at the library service desk. Rooms are offered for up to two hours, with an additional two hours if no other groups are on the waiting list. Room access requires a key, which must be requested at the library service desk. Students may be issued fees for late or lost keys, with late fees at $0.02 per minute and a significant fine for lost keys. Pamela Effrein Sandstrom, the Director of Library Programs and Development, says, “Watch for improvements as we add computer and presentation equipment to these facilities.”

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Thomas Motter

IT Services & Library Add Group Study Rooms

Photo by Christy Landrigan


opinion5www.ipfwcommunicator.org

Stop Dating

By: Bernadette Gleeson & Wil Upchurch

Sometimes I look around me and see people who are married and seem to be happy, and I wonder, “Why not me? Why is that person married but I’m not?” What do I have to change about myself in order to find the man of my dreams?

--Amber, Indiana

If you go to the bookstore (they still have those) and flip through some of the books in the Dating and Relationships aisle, you are likely to find an answer vindicating your question…that is, they will tell you that you are doing something wrong. One book, supposedly written by “America’s top matchmaker,” even begins with the following advice: If you have not found the man of your dreams, you are either A) too picky, or B) doing something wrong. Talk about a self-defeating attitude! Those books want you to believe that you are the problem so that you will buy them (and then, when their advice predictably fails to achieve instant results, to buy another one, and so on).

The trouble with so-called advice books that promise to tell you how to change yourself to achieve instant results in the dating game is that they do not know you. They will try to convince you that their advice is grounded in the infallible scientific knowledge gleaned from PhD’s in psychology and the experience of years of helping couples achieve happiness and success. There is no doubt that in many cases the authors of these books are highly educated, intelligent, and

successful in their careers. But using some kind of dating formula to provide a template for what you should do in order to find dating success makes as much sense as finding out that 9 out of 10 proposals take place at steak restaurants and deciding that you will only ever take dates to Outback Steakhouse.

So let us give you an option that book did not: C) you are living your life in a way that fulfills you and the person that will add to that just has not come along yet. The Stop Dating philosophy is not about giving you a bunch of rules to remember every time you are spending time with someone. It is about encouraging you to first understand the things that fill you up 100% and then to pursue them with the honesty and vigor they deserve. Once you are doing that, you can more comfortably spend time with people and connect to them without all the barriers of social expectation and linguistic anxiety that come from worrying about what you should be doing rather than what you are doing, about who you should be rather than who you are.

That feeling of “why aren’t I married?” comes from the anxiety that you are doing

something wrong, that if you were only somehow “right” then you would be enjoying the perfect relationship with the perfect man. The truth is, though, you are who you are at this moment, and running with that is going to make you more relaxed, more vibrant, and (despite what your insecurities might tell you) more likely to find someone who can supplement your being. Who you are now is a snapshot in your life, and contrary to popular belief, successful relationships are not always born from the alignment of interests and priorities. The understanding of another’s interests and priorities is far more important than mirroring them yourself, which is why we are so interested in you answering and asking questions that get to the core of who you and the people you’re spending time with are.

►Next week we will get to the “three questions” I referenced in last week’s column and hinted at in this one.

Arts&Entertainment

►This one is an event. This is like the audio version of a Macy’s Day Parade with all of our favorite well known and underground rappers putting their signature style over a smooth piano beat. Kanye is leading the craziness as only he could. His label, GOOD Music, is displaying a lot of talent lately.

►This one is a Hail Mary. No one saw a song like this coming. His performance at the VMA’s was amazing and this song is as unique as it is catchy. Pusha T is also earning quite a merit as Kanye’s new signee. Who knew such a dark song could show such a bright future.

►Do not be confused. This is definitely a song from 2010. These guys bring back a very retro vibe with an extremely lo-fi sound, but that energy is as good as anything out today, if not better.

►I have no clue when her new album is coming out, but she has been pulling out a few piano ballads during her live shows and this is one of them. I really enjoy this. It is showing a different side of her music when its slimmed down like this. Say what you want, but talent is talent.

►Great minds think alike? This one is a bit weird, but honestly it is just good to hear some new Lupe Fiasco. He has always been a big fan of UNKLE, so it is nice to see them work together again. Now if he can only put out his next album.

►I think she should collab with NYC UFO. Retro is apparently back because this sounds along the lines of something from the 60’s. Granpa Cee-lo did write and produce this song though, which explains it all. No offense

to Cee-Lo. I appreciate his style, but honestly, he is an old guy.

►I have to be honest here. This song is not funny to me. To me, this song is a masterpiece. That composition is amazing. The strings are beautiful, and those soulful background vocals are dope! Hide your kids, hide your wife!

KANYE WEST – G.O.O.D. FRIDAY

KANYE WEST – RUNAWAY FT. PUSHA T (LIVE)

The Communicator | September 22, 2010 6-7

NYC UFO – ANY OTHER TIME

FT. COMMON / KID CUDI / PUSHA T / BIG SEAN / CHARLIE WILSON

LADY GAGA – LIVING ON THE RADIO

LUPE FIASCO & UNKLE – THE RUNAWAY

MELODY THORNTON – LOVE GUN

BED INTRUDER FT. KELLY DODSON

ANTOINE DODSON & THE GREGORY BROTHERS

LIMN

Music MoviesThe Baltimore Sun has been taking flack for a September 7 article headlined, “Opposing Votes Limn Difference in Race.” Apparently, many readers were outraged that the paper chose to prominently display such an obscure word. Well, what is it we work with here? Obscure words! What a coincidence!

This week’s word:

“Lazy or depressed. A feeling.”“I feel very limn today.” -Ian Luthe, IPFW sophomore.

“Close.”“My answer was limn to yours.” -Robert Eubank, IPFW sophomore.

“Sunny.” “It’s really limn today.” -David Ferris, IPFW sophomore.

The consensus is that “limn” is in fact, a little-known word. Study up, folks, there is always next week.

On September 14 in the IPFW Rhinehart Center, the Omnibus lecture series hosted their first lecture of the year: Sean Astin delivering a speech entitled “On Acting, Leadership, and Other ‘Very Important’

Stuff.” Afterwards, a few lucky media outlets got to sit down with him for a one-on-one chat.

So, who exactly is Sean Astin, anyway? Many people know him as Michael “Mickey” Walsh from the 1985 cult hit “The Goonies.” He also starred as title character Daniel ‘Rudy’ Ruettiger in the 1993 Indiana-based film “Rudy.” If neither of those rings a bell, perhaps you have heard of him in his more recent claim to fame as Samwise Gamgee in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, acting alongside other famous folk such as Orlando Bloom and Elijah Wood. No matter where you have heard of him before, Sean Astin has become a staple in the television and film industry, lending

himself to not only physical appearances, but also voice-over acting.

But Astin is not defined by the characters he has played in the past. He is much, much more than a hobbit. Astin has an extensive background outside of acting, featuring activism, political issues, helping out with his community and other ‘very important stuff,’ so to speak. He seeks

out leadership roles, aiming to inspire and

motivate people from all over the country. To that end, he

has been touring and making speeches at universities all around the nation for over a year now.

“I like the university setting for the learning and education atmosphere,” states Astin. “It lets me explore my ideas, and allows me to see and feel how others take it in. It really is all about the students and inspiring them.”

Astin believes that leadership is not just an idea: it is an approach to life. “It [activism] helps me think of my own life as the main way to perceive myself.” In his years, he has done some pretty amazing feats of community leadership. For ten years, spanning from 1995 to 2005, he faithfully served under Togo D. West as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army during the presidency of Bill Clinton. In 2003, he was sworn in as one of only twenty-three members of George Bush’s President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. He also volunteered time to help clean up the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that left Louisiana destroyed in 2005.

Yet, he still does not understand why people would want to listen to his

ideas. “I’m always excited to be invited to college campuses to do speeches. But I just think, ‘Why would people come and see an actor speak?’” Despite this, he still believes that people want to hear from actors more than they would like to admit, if for nothing else than to “dismiss the lunacy they just heard.” He may owe his forum to his movie roles, but Astin is always trying to push past those characters to get his real point across. His message is that increased activism is key to bringing us all closer together as a country.

When talking to students who may be interested in becoming activists, Astin tells them to “knock it off and just jump in.” He has made bettering the country a part of his life, and invites anyone and everyone to do the same.

“Get in there and learn to be an organizer. Everyone acts like it’s a dirty word. I would certainly challenge and honor anyone who does.”

Devin Middleton

Dan Mohr

The Acting and Activism of Sean Astin: More Than Just a Hobbit

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The long distance relationship is a well-known obstacle among people today (especially college students) and has been turned into the comedic base of the new Drew Barrymore and Justin Long romantic comedy entitled Going the Distance. The plot centers on Erin (Barrymore), a budding reporter from California, and Garrett (Long), an established music promoter based in New York.

The two meet by happenstance whilst Erin is an intern for a major New York newspaper and they begin a whirlwind romance. Soon, however, after Erin’s internship ends and she is denied a permanent position at the paper, she must head back home to California. Deciding that it would be less heartbreaking to have a cross-nation relationship rather than break up, the two promise to remain exclusive, visit often and try to find work in each others’ vicinity.

By rather unbelievable misfortune, Garrett cannot find work for a music promoter in California and there are no openings for Erin as a reporter in the news capital of the world, New York. Thus, the two must try to make it work long distance, dealing with the misunderstandings, frustrations, and irritations that come with such a romance.

Going the Distance falls short of being laughable. The most entertaining character

in the whole hour and forty-two minutes is Dan, Garrett’s oddball roommate played by It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Charlie Day. The dragging plot of the movie makes his few but hilarious appearances and off-the-wall witticisms much appreciated. Justin Long’s character lacks originality, as Garrett is the typical blend of naïve and goof that one tends to find in such movies and he lacks any sort of

real development throughout the film.The film is rated R mostly for language,

as the f-bomb is dropped to the point of almost being ridiculous without the benefit of being funny to balance out the profanity. Do not expect to be rolling in the aisles from laughter, or even finding yourself caring about the plight of the characters in this movie. There are no interesting twists, no growth from the characters and such a lack of romance and comedy that one speculates why it is called a romantic comedy at all.

Going the Distance doesn't quite go the distance

Lindsay Sprunger

Photo courtesy of TheStarCeleb.com

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Amy Recht and In-grid Ballus won the flight championship in doubles Sunday afternoon at the Bowling Green State Uni-versity invitational. after claiming a win over BG-SU’s Christine Chircosta and Maddy Eccleston, 8-3.

The defending Summit League Champions had three wins in doubles and singles on the last day of the invite.

Also in doubles play, Alex Forsyth and Caterina Kiefer received third place when they defeated Caro-lyn Jesko and Gimena Puppo of Youngstown State in Flight Two doubles. Yuka Kobayashi and Raquel Vescovi defeated Alisha Cummings and Jesika Bays

of IUPUI, 8-0, for third place in Flight Four doubles.Recht and Ballus defeated Chircosta/Eccleston,

8-3, to take the doubles championship title. Raquel Vescovi placed third in the Flight Three singles after a 7-6 (4), 7-5 defeat over Bowling Green State’s Jes-sica Easdale. Also placing third was Yuka Kobayashi in the Flight Seven singles and Frederique Sunstrum in Flight Eight singles.

Forsyth was defeated by Kelsey Kinnard of Xavi-er, 6,2, 6-0, in Flight 5 Singles, while Kiefer also suf-fered a loss when she played Cincinnati’s Jasmine Lee in the semifinals, 6-2, 6-2.

IPFW will be traveling to East Lansing next weekend (Sept. 24 - 26) for the Spartan Invitational hosted by Michigan State University.

Friday night in West Lafayette, Becca Selner was at it again. This time, she had some help. Senior Felicia Mondry crossed the 5k finish line 18 minutes and 22 seconds after the race started. Selner crossed the line less than a second later. The Mastodon Duo crossed the line taking twenty-second and twenty-third place, setting the tone for the rest of the lady runners to finish

strong. In a race with very big, heavily

favored schools, IPFW showed their guts and ran to a fifth place team finish. Indiana University won the event, the Butler Bulldogs swept in for second, the hometown Boilermakers picked up third, and rivals Indiana Tech took fourth just thirty points ahead of the Dons. After Selner and Mondry finished, Sarah Hutchings crossed the line just before Manchester College’s Megan Miller and Jessica Bremer to

pick up thirty-fourth place. Just eight seconds behind her, IPFW freshman Amaya Ayers finished an impressive race. Other finishers for the Dons were Jordan Tomecek, Julie Jeszensky, Rachel Zachur, Kim Matusik, and Kayla Boyes.

When talking about the race, an optimistic Selner told me, “Friday’s meet was challenging, but everyone ran hard and had great finishes. We are doing a lot of hard work in practice and we just have to keep that work ethic up,

and it will definitely pay off in the long run. I am excited about the next meet at Wisconsin.”

The Mastodons march on from one big invitational to the next. IPFW has a week to rest and prepare for another big race at the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational on October 2nd. Two weeks after that, IPFW will run through the Chili Pepper Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, before heading to Indianapolis the day before Halloween for the Summit League Championships.


sports 8

Elmhurst, IL - Behind a record-setting dig effort against Ball State, IPFW sophomore Tessa McGill has been named The Summit League Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.

McGill dug up 47 kill attempts in a five-set loss to Ball State, which not only was the highest in IPFW school history, passing the 43 digs by Jamie Schwartz a season ago, but was the second highest total ever in a Summit League match, and the 24th highest in NCAA history in a five-set match.

The Muncie, Indiana native has reached dou-ble-figure digs in all 13 matches this season for the Mastodons, tied for the fifth longest such streak in school history. For the week she collected 85 digs, averaging 6.54 per set.

This season McGill has 270 digs for an aver-age of 5.51 per set, and is second in the league in the statistic by .01. She has also added ten service aces, and a pair of kills over the 13 matches of

the season.McGill also earned the honor after the season's

opening weekend on August 30. Teammate and classmate Megan Steenhuysen earned the Offen-sive Player of the Week honor last week, giving the Mastodons three total award winners in the four weeks of the award season.

The Mastodons, 6-7 on the season and 2-1 in Summit League play, resume play this weekend when they host the Southern Utah Thunderbirds (5-6, 3-1 Summit League) on Friday, September 24, before hosting UMKC (4-9, 1-3 Summit) an evening later, with first serve for both games slated for 7:00 PM at the Hilliard Gates Sports Center.

Logan Pea

Gomastodons.com

Gomastodons.com

Upcoming Sports Schedule

September 24 2010 | 7:00 P.M.M. SOCCERvs. OAKLANDHEFNER STADIUM

September 24 2010 | 7:00 P.M.W. SOCCERvs. TBAHEFNER STADIUM

September 24 2010 | 7:00 PMW. VOLLEYBALLvs. SOUTHERN UTAHFORT WAYNE, IN

September 24 2010 | TBAM. TENNISat BALL STATE INVITATIONALMUNCIE, IN

September 24 2010 | TBAW. TENNISat MSU SPARTAN INVITATIONALEAST LANSING, MI

September 25 2010| 7:00 PMW. VOLLEYBALLvs. UMKCFORT WAYNE, IN

September 26 2010M. GOLFat JOHN PIPER INTERCOLLEGIATEBOWLING GREEN, OH

September 27 2010 W. GOLFvs. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS EDWARDSVILLE, IL

IPFW Closes Out BGSU Invitational With Impressive Wins

McGill Earns Second Player of Week Honor

Dons Take Fifth at Indiana Collegiate

Photo courtesy of GoMastodons.com

After a two game losing streak against Ball State and Western Illinois, the Volleydons were able to redeemed themselves by taking out IUPUI in Summit League action last Friday. (21-25, 25-20, 25-10, 25-14)

IPFW’s defense made the game as Stephanie Lamberti led with 17 digs, closely followed by Tessa McGill (15) and three other teams tagged along in double digits. Sophomore Jessie Manwaring displayed a career-high of eight blocks while both Taryn Parker and Maya Schindwein each contributed five.

Other leaders on the night included Lamberti in the kill column with 12 and Megan Steenhuysen with 37 assists.

IPFW started with a six point streak as defense dominated the net, but was answered by an IUPUI five point run until the score was 13-9. (IUPUI) The Mastodons didn’t feel the heat until the score board read 20-15, and the ‘Dons took action evening it up at 22-20. IPFW was not able to take control of the match

as the final score was 25-21.The Volleydons decided one was

enough because the second, third and forth matches were Mastodon wins. In the second set, the ‘Dons went for the lead right away. With a 6-2 start, they never looked back finishing the second match 25-20.

Moving on to set number three, IPFW once again tooke the lead and never looked back. It ended in a quick match (25-10) and between the blocking and digs, their defense took total domination.

The last set put the IPFW fans at ease as the ‘Dons quickly showed dominace and pulled away ending with a 25-14 victory.

The Mastodons return to action on Friday, September 24, as they hosts the Southern Utah University Thunderbirds. Game time starts 7:00 PM. Other action will take place Saturday September 25, at Gates Sports Center as IPFW takes on UMKC.

For a full sports schedule and team roster go to www.gomastodons.com.


sports9www.ipfwcommunicator.org

Logan Pea

Logan Pea

Volleydons dominate Jaguars

Now that the NFL and College Football seasons are getting settled in, its easy for the average sports fan to sort of forget the MLB races. Good thing you’re above average. In case you’ve missed a game here or there, though, we’ll catch you up to date. Day by day, the Cincinnati Reds’ Magic number of wins to the playoffs closes smaller and smaller. The Yankees hold a .5 game lead in the AL east with the Tampa Bay Rays’ holding onto that Wild Card race. Minnesota is seemingly days away from clinching as they continue to extend their 9.5 game lead over the South Siders. Also, it’s time to start believing in the south. The Texas rangers are showing no signs of letting up in their division

as they continue with their hot play and 9 game lead. In the National League, races are much tighter. Between the three divisions, the total games deciding titles is just ten. The closest race comes out of the west where San Diego and San Francisco trade places nearly every day. The biggest division lead comes out of the central division where the Reds hold a steady six game league over the St. Louis Cardinals. The final division, the east, has the Phillies holding a three game lead over the Wild Card leading Atlanta Braves who are continuing their great play at home.

In the NFL, it was a wild weekend. For Colts fans, it was a sigh of relief.

Peyton Manning and Dwight Freeney ganged up on little brother Eli Manning for a route in Indy. The Chargers rebounded well with a 38-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the J-E-T-S proved themselves by beating the New

England Patriots by two touchdowns, and the Oakland Raiders got a win over Sam Bradford and the St. Louis Rams. The Vikings, who everyone

thought that Brett Favre would have in good position again, are 0-2 after a devastating loss at home to the Dolphins. Even though Ben Roethlisberger isn’t playing, the Steelers seem to be doing just fine. Pittsburgh took care of Tennessee by eight points in Nashville.

As for the guys who don’t get paid to play, it was also a wild weekend. Even though we like to focus on our team, and who beat who, sometimes we have to look at what’s really important. After a wild game, where Mark Dantonio made a fake field goal call that won the game for Michigan State over Notre Dame in overtime, it was quickly forgotten and players and families turned there attention to Coach Dantonio. At 12:30 a.m. Coach Dantonio was admitted to an East Lansing hospital after suffering a heart attack. Dantonio, who is fifty-four years old, underwent a procedure to but a stent in a blood vessel leading to his heart. The Coach is expected to make a full recovery, and Don Tredwell, the offensive coordinator will take over on an interim basis.

What You Missed

“Day by day, the Cincinnati Reds’ Magic number of wins to the playoffs closes smaller

and smaller.”

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For the Men’s Soccer team, the weekend usually brings two games- one on Friday, and one on Saturday. Ideally, the Dons’ would like to come out of the weekend with a couple of wins. Unfortunately, IPFW has only picked up one weekend victory this season. To find the last weekend victory, you have to look back nearly two weeks to September 10 when IPFW defeated Eastern Illinois in overtime. This is the only weekend win of the season. This weekend, the Dons’ hit the road in hope of getting their second weekend win of the year. They would get two opportunities in tough environments.

First, on Friday night, the Dons’ headed east to battle St. Francis (PA) for a prime time battle. Disappointingly enough, just eighteen minutes into the game, the Red Flash got on the board with a blast by IPFW goalkeeper Donovan Dowling. Hoping the Red Flash rush would stifle, IPFW tightened play up, but only found another goal in the net less than ten minutes later. Finding themselves in a 2-0 hole, the Dons’ had no choice but to turn it up. Just twenty minutes into the second half, IPFW leader Max Touloute smoked a penalty kick into the back of the net

giving him his fifth of the season and moving him up to seventh in the nation in goals scored. Twenty minutes after cutting the deficit to one, St. Francis knocked in the put-away goal ending the Mastodon threat.

Sunday posed the new day for IPFW, and optimism lit a fire under the Dons who were determined not head home without a win under their belts. Leaving Pennsylvania, IPFW headed a little closer to home, Cleveland, for a Sunday afternoon matinee at Cleveland State. This game, once again, wouldn’t go the way of the Don. The entire eighty minute mud filled battle would be highlighted by just one simple, costly, game deciding mistake. For Cleveland State, it was a gift. For IPFW, it was disaster. Thanks to a mistake in the goalie box, CSU was rewarded a penalty shot, and it was taken advantage of. The ball found the back of the net, and the rest of the game was won for CSU and lost for IPFW. The game ended in a 1-0 score.

Coming home for a single game weekend where they will open up Summit League Conference play against the Oakland Grizzlies at 7 p.m. on Friday night. With the win, IPFW can be undefeated in the conference despite their 2-6 overall start. The game will be played at Heffner Field.

The IPFW women’s soccer team celebrated their third win of the sea-son as junior Felicia Jo nes scored the single goal on Friday, September 17 against the Ohio Bobcats. (1-0)

The Mastodon’s only goal came in the 42 minute of the first half as Tara O’Toole brought the ball down the field passing it off to Arianne Mason who then assisted Jones.

The Bobcats tried to answer back with a total of eight shots into IPFW keeper Erin Navler but were unable to break the Mastodons defense.

The win improved the Mastodon’s record to 3-6-1 on the 2010 season.

Lisa Underwood led the team with four shots as Mason and Jones each took a stab at three. Nayler succeeded at her first shutout win, completing five saves on the night.

The Mastodons will continue their action this coming Friday, September 24 at Hefner Stadium. Kick-off will be at 7p.m. October 1 starts IPFW’s fi-nal nine games of the season and also their nine games of Summit League action.

►For a full list of games and scores go to www.gomastodons.com.


sports10www.ipfwcommunicator.org

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By Lucas Fisher and Logan Pea

Dover International Race►Fish-Kyle Busch-Big win

►Pea-Jimmie Johnson-Wins under caution

(22) West Virginia at (15) LSU►Fish-LSU-Home W is needed

►Pea-LSU-Still building

(24) Oregon State at (3) Boise State►Fish-Boise State-The blue turf always gets W

►Pea-Boise State-Nothing stopping them now

Reds at Padres►Fish-Padres-Trying to survive

►Pea-Reds-Never let down

Cardinals at Cubs►Fish-Cubs-Finishing strong

►Pea-Cubs-Cards keep falling

(12) South Carolina at (17) Auburn►Fish-South Carolina-Auburn shows weakness

►Pea-Auburn-Great matchup

Giants at Rockies►Fish-Rockies-Take division lead

►Pea-Rockies-Finish hard

Red Sox at Yankees►Fish-Yankees-Sox struggle

►Pea-Red Sox-Boston still coming

Packers at Bears►Fish-Bears-Pressure Rodgers all day

►Pea-Bears-Chicago gets stronger

(1) Alabama at (10) Arkansas►Fish-Arkansas-Mallet outscores Ingram

►Pea-Arkansas-Goodbye #1

Logan Pea

Monica Gerdeman

Women’s Soccer Wins

Men’s Soccer Team Can’t Get a Weekend Win

Photo Courtesy of GoMastodons.com


student issues 11

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She was hauling a huge pile of corn stalks. Cork guns were popping all over the place. The strong scent of charcoal and onions was wafting from the

food tents. A pioneer in a long dress was playing an electric piano. This had to be the Johnny Appleseed Festival.

This year, the Johnny Appleseed Festival took place on the 18 and 19 of September under partially sunny skies. There were tons of visitors –some of them repeat customers— and plenty to see.

Over at the Festival Stage, a group of young musicians played selections of Bach, Dvorak, and fiddle tunes to the accompaniment of the electric piano. Little girls in cute prairie dresses and a boy in a fantastic Civil War costume were playing under the leadership of a pioneer-garbed teacher. Members of the audience clapped along to the music, scrunching their hay-bale seats with the rhythm.

In the craft booth area, business was booming. Pressed flowers glowed from pewter and glass frames at the Hillside Gardens booth, while dainty painted candleholders caught the light in the Tiny Treasures booth. Artist Cynthia Higgins, who paints the glass, was running the cash register for a long line of customers. “Lots more fall colors are in – that’s what sells in the store,” she said, indicating the plethora of pumpkin and snowmen-decorated items. “But then you have those repeat customers who want to add to their collection.”

Embroidered pillows, paper cutout silhouettes and mountain dulcimers were other items that filled the tents. A huge line stretched for dozens of feet by the Chicken and Dumplings tent. The mouth-watering scent of barbecue permeated the park. And everywhere you looked, people were munching – popcorn, sandwiches, and funnel cakes.

Over in the historical re-enactment area, the cannons were silent as two

children slept in one of the tents. A row of smokestacks stood up from the ground in the food-prep area. Large pans of what looked to be pork, beans, and sweet potatoes were simmering on the low stove tops. “They’re patterned after an 1863 stove,” explained one historical re-enactor, stirring the potatoes. He recited the recipe for the candied sweet potatoes

– 15 pounds of potatoes, a pound of sugar, and almost a pint of maple syrup. “(It’s) all time period food,” he said. Then he rang the dinner bell, calling the troops in for chow.

Back towards the parking lot, a small boy was checking out his new face paint in a mirror hanging off of a privacy fence. Hammers tapped in tandem by the smithy. Boys spun the wheels on apple cider presses. A dulcimer jingled faintly in the distance, accompanied by a flute. The scent of cinnamon swirled past, blended with the pungent spice of chrysanthemums. People were streaming into and out from the park. And cars were beginning to inch towards the exits.

A Touch of Autumn: The Johnny Appleseed Festival Marks the End of Summer

Louisa Danielson

SUDOKUFill in the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9.

Photo by Louisa Danielson


student issues12www.ipfwcommunicator.org

The Dancing Dons are unlike any other dance group. Walking into their practice studio, it is easily observed that it is not simply rushing happiness and positive energy that keeps them going. True friendships have been forged during long hours in front of the brightly lit mirror. The team coach, Nathalie Garces, beams as she points out girls that have been in the group from the very beginning: “These girls are like my family. It’s fun in here.”

The team’s practices are somewhat unorthodox if what you expect are disciplined routines, long hours at the bar and meticulous counting of steps, but that is not to say they are not technically strong. At the beginning of every practice, everyone is expected to participate in

the creation of an entirely new choreography. Nathalie believes that the constant improvisation helps the dancers learn from one another. There is variety in skill level as some of the dancers have been professionals for years, while others are making their first steps on the dance floor. As the final choreographies are a group effort, hours of practice are not arduous—they are fun.

Since the Dancing Dons are not officially among IPFW athletic teams, they receive no support from the athletics program. Even though many might see this as a handicap, to Kimberly Thompson, who has been with the Dons since the very beginning, it is an opportunity to reach out to the community. Pointing out the diversity in the group itself, she reflects on the various international festivals and events that the group has danced for in the past. Her favorite was Taste of Arts, an

eclectic celebration of different cultures that happens yearly at the Freimann square. “The blend of cultures was amazing. It has not only helped me learn about the different cultures, but also realize how diverse our group really is.”

The dancers are planning lots of exciting activities for the upcoming semester. Their first major event is the Dance Competition that will give amateur and professional dancers from the Fort Wayne community an opportunity to showcase their skills in three different categories: high school dance teams, university groups, and street groups from the area. Nathalie is also thrilled to have the first male join the group. David Centurioni is an IPFW freshman, originally from Las Vegas. He has six years of dancing experience and is extremely excited to join the Dancing Dons. He laughs as he admits that he was somewhat reluctant to join a group with all female members. But the first meeting of the year dispersed his fears: “It was not scary at all. To tell you the truth, I think that if anything, I am going to become life-long friends with all of them. They are great girls!”

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The Unfortunate Freshman

There are moments in time that make a day more than just another day. September 10, 2010, witnessed one of those moments.

While my group of friends and I lounged outside Helmke Library pondering what to do with the rest of the day, freshman Zachary Hartley was on his way out of school, poised to enjoy his Friday. My friend Taylor observed the tragedy that came between the freshman and his plans: Zachary has dropped his keys down a sewage drain.

Zachary’s friends, Josh Sommer and Luke Allendorph chuckled in the background while this was happening. Caught in the moment, I rose to the occasion as any good citizen would and offered my assistance. I took a good look at the situation and lifted up the lid. Zach was able to barely see his keys. We then plotted our next move. We contemplated the old “grab-his-ankles-and-lower-him-down” method, but frankly, we were frightened of what else could be down there. Also, anyone small enough to fit is probably too nicely dressed to risk it.

Luke observed the situation from his razor scooter and offered to ride that thing like the wind to get help. Another friend, Azra, suggested finding a maintenance man and Josh left with haste. Luke was disappointed in his missed opportunity to show off his speed

demon capabilities. Josh came back with a maintenance man who happened to have one of those clamping things used to pick up dog droppings.

This was obviously not Zach’s day. Zach went in deep and retrieved his keys. We then exchanged a brief round of introductions.

I snapped a picture with my camera phone and our groups said our goodbyes. Zach then remained there trying to summon up the courage to pick up his sewage-covered keys. It was a day for the books.

Photo by Devin Middleton

Devin MiddletonMaja Sljivar

Dancing Dons Get Ready For Another Year

Photo Courtesy of the Dancing Dons Team

volume 41 issue 05

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