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I would like to praise the Campus Conservatives. During this year, they have organized and sponsored a number of events to bring better under-standing of political, economic and security issues to the CMU community. The amount of ef-forts they dedicated to it was much greater than what one would expect from a modest-sized student group.

Unfortunately, the play-ing field is by no means level for them. For example, the political science department sponsors a number of activi-ties, including the panel at which students were given credit for listening to state-ments like the preposterous one made by Dr. Motaz Fat-tah, that the Islamic con-quest of the Mesopotamia in the seventh century was un-dertaken to get rid of the Ro-man occupation (“the pizza people,” as he called them. I can only imagine what he teaches in his classes).

The same department pro-

moted a student who willing-ly served as a human shield for Arab terrorists, and on the official departmental Web site. But they would nev-er support any conservative event. I would like to encour-age those who care about the future of this country to pay more attention to both sides.

Whether you agree with either of them or not, stay-ing informed helps to make educated decisions and rec-ognize misinformation when you see it.

George KaminskiAssistant professor of chemistry

Campus Conservativesfight uphill battle

That wonderful date of April 15 is less than a week away.

Some of us are getting re-funds from the state and fed-eral government, some of us have to pay the state and fed-eral governments and some are getting a refund from one government that has to go to-ward paying the other (which is the situation I’m in).

The shame is that we never know how much we are actu-ally going to be taxed due to the complex mess of tax laws on state and federal books.

As Michigan residents, the issue of state taxes is certain-ly a sour one given the recent increase. This unfortunate event is going to do nothing but further hurt Michigan’s already-stunted economy.

The creation of the Michi-gan Business Tax is doing nothing but confusing busi-ness owners — even my dad’s accountant wasn’t quite sure what all had to be paid under this replacement for the SBT.

However, the Michigan Fair Tax initiative offers a simple way to fix the com-plexities and other problems surrounding Michigan’s cur-rent methodology of taxa-tion.

With this Fair Tax policy in play, in exchange for a 3.75 percent raise to the state

sales tax (bringing it to 9.75 percent), the Michigan Busi-ness Tax, Personal Property Tax, 6 mill School Education Tax and Michigan Income Tax would be eliminated.

The move to a consump-tion-based tax policy like this is going to be nothing but good news for the state. For one thing, it’s going to elimi-nate a considerable amount of taxes that currently aren’t seen due to black market happenings given that taxes are collected at the cash reg-ister.

Another benefit is the sim-plification of the tax code, which in turn would lower the overhead required for the collection of these funds. There of course is also the important fact that state leg-islators couldn’t be gamed by lobbyists for special tax privileges.

This tax wouldn’t be re-gressive, either. Built into it is a ‘prebate’ paid out monthly that reimburses that 9.75 percent based on poverty guidelines.

So for example, let’s say we have a family of four that earns right on the poverty line ($21,200) and spends 100 percent of that on goods in-state. Their effective taxa-tion would be 0 percent due to the fact that they are paid $172.25 monthly, which summed over the course of a year comes out to $2,067 — 9.75 percent of their spend-ing and directly countering taxes paid on goods needed to survive.

Another thing to note is that the prebate is paid to all households, not just those on or below the poverty line. This has the consequence of lowering the effective tax rate. If that same family of four made $75,000 and sub-sequently spent all of it, their effective tax rate is really closer to 6.99 percent (taxes paid being $5245.50 after prebate). Also, one must keep in mind that those who can conserve their money and spend less see even better ef-fective tax rates.

I urge everyone to visit fairtaxmi.org and get further information about the initia-tive. In addition to offering additional information about the tax, the Web site offers contact information for orga-nizers of the initiative as well as an analysis prepared by economics professors from Hillsdale who show this plan would provide a fair, rev-enue-neutral alternative to the mess our state currently has for its tax system.

In order to get on the No-vember ballot, we need to collect 381,000 valid signa-tures by July 7.

Those wishing to get more information or sign the peti-tion may contact me or visit the Web site to find the co-ordinator for their county. I would be more than happy to address any concerns and answer any questions you may have.

Jason Gillman Jr.Traverse City junior

Sign petition toreplace confusing,ineffective tax code

On Saturday, April 5, ap-proximately 475 people at-tended the third annual Learn Today, Teach Tomor-row professional develop-ment conference for pre-ser-vice teachers.

It was a highly successful conference, well-organized and featuring an engaging keynote speaker and 55 ses-sions presented by educators from all content area fields and from around the state.

I would like to commend all who attended the confer-ence, giving up a beautiful spring day to advance their knowledge of teaching and to learn more about the profes-sion they are about to enter.

And they attended the conference well; as one pre-senter wrote the day after the conference (to the steering committee), “As a presenter, I was amazed and gratified at the number of people who showed up for my ses-sion. Every seat was filled and much of the floor space as well, and the audience

was attentive and courteous” (Carol Sliwka, Secondary ELA Consultant, Monroe Public Schools).

While most of the attend-ees were CMU students, it is also noteworthy that the at-tendees also represented the following educational insti-tutions: Albion College, Aqui-nas College, Baker College, Grand Valley State University, Madonna University, Michi-gan State University, Oakland University, Olivet College, Spring Arbor University and Saginaw Valley University, as well as Mount Pleasant High School students and previous CMU graduates and SVSU graduates.

I would particularly like to commend the 16 representa-tives of the eight professional student organizations who gave up almost a year of their Sunday evenings to plan and deliver such a successful conference: Deidra LaPointe, Bridgette Patrona and Bar-bara Larkin from AEYC; Stephanie Hilliard and Katie Rockentine from CLASS-IRA; Crystal Brownrigg and Susan Smydra from CMLACMU; Courtney Harless, Christina Stanley and Renee Heinz from KDE; Tori Steerzer and Elecia Miller from KDP; Ash-

ley Bendert and Stacy De-Santo from NSTA; Shannon Pardon from SCEC,;and Cas-sandra Gillenwater and Katie Loftus from SMEA.

Each one of these repre-sentatives took on part of the tasks necessary to pull off such a large and success-ful conference -— contacting speakers, registration, name tags and badges, breakfast orders, lunch orders, confer-ence programs, signs, pre-senter luncheon, presenter gifts, volunteers and more.

Whatever it takes to de-liver a professional confer-ence, they did it, and they did it well! I feel very privi-leged to have worked with them this year and I tip my hat to their successful effort. I believe those who attended the conference — and CMU — should also applaud them, because their efforts contin-ue to support the reputation that CMU has in teacher edu-cation.

Norma BaileyProfessor of Middle Level Education

Teacher conferencewas well-organizedsuccess

Is the project of remodeling the Bovee University Center, costing $10.9 million, really in the best interest of CMU stu-dents, or is there a better way to spend such a large amount of university funds?

It seems that the most logi-cal way of determining this would be to ask for students’ opinions of how to appropri-ate these funds before making such a large-scale decision.

While it’s great that the devel-opers want to keep “the student’s point of view in mind,” I wonder how much the university is really considering the students’ voice in making such decisions.

It is difficult for me to see the long-term (or short-term) benefits to adding foosball ta-bles and a video lounge when the money could be spent on things that would enhance the reputation of the school, such as increased research positions for students.

Additionally, I don’t think that it’s necessarily a bad thing that more students pre-fer spending time at the li-brary over the UC.

While decision-making re-garding school budgets is in-deed a complex process, I think it’s time CMU starts consider-ing what the students actually want when making funding de-cisions rather than asking for input after the decisions have already been made.

Catherine CurrellGraduate assistant

Renovations notworth multi-milliondollar price tag

cm-life.com/headlines[VoiCES]

Central Michigan life || Friday, april 11, 2008 || 7A

Religion in the raceMany commentators have talk-

ed about the influence of religion in the presidential race.

But few of them give a context of the current religious population in America. Using Pew Forum’s reli-gious affiliation numbers released in March, we can see how many people are in each candidate’s spe-cific religion.

Of course, the limitation here is in using only broad categories and ignoring how active or likely to participate each sect will be. Still, numbers help to get a picture of what each candidate’s ground support could be.

John McCain was raised Epis-copalian and now is a non-bap-tized Baptist who attends services at a Southern Baptist Convention church. That sect is 14.6 million strong, with the larger evangeli-cal Baptist tradition boasting an additional 9 million. The broader category, “Evangelical Protestant Churches,” is the largest faith group in the nation, with 57 mil-lion members.

Hillary Clinton is a United Methodist (disclosure: so is the au-thor), a denomination that has 5.1 percent of the population. That’s 11 million people who make any gathering into an opportunity to eat — trust me on that one.

Barack Obama is a United Church of Christ follower, a de-nomination that’s 0.5 percent of

the population. From the info his campaign uses, 99 percent of the UCC is white, meaning Obama’s traditionally black church experi-ence is directly relevant to 0.005 percent of the U.S. population. That’s an infinitesimally small 10,890 people in the black tradi-tion of the UCC. The larger, not traditionally black, part of the UCC still numbers only one mil-lion faithful.

The UCC falls under the same umbrella (“Mainline Protestant Churches”) as Clinton’s faith. Those Protestants total 39.4 mil-lion. They are outnumbered only by McCain’s blanket faith (those 57 million mentioned above) and “Catholics” (52 million) (dis-closure: I’m getting married to a Catholic this summer).

But I am adding two groups with which Obama polls exceedingly well: “Historically Black Churches” is the fifth biggest category, with 15 million, and “Unaffiliated” is the fourth biggest, with 35 million.

Again discounting the signifi-cant differences, and likely cross-overs, between several faiths and judging only by their banner groups, McCain’s support num-bers 57 million, Clinton’s 39.5 million and Obama somewhere between 51 million (unaffiliated, black and UCC) and 89.4 million (adding the rest of the mainline Protestants).

Clinton cannot count on the unaffiliated against McCain, and voting behavior of blacks in recent contests indicates the black sup-port might not carry over to her if she is the nominee. So despite being the only candidate with no major religious controversies, she seems the weakest religious can-didate on paper.

The Republican who also hap-pens to shy away from religious talk, McCain, has either a mod-erate advantage or a devastating disadvantage against Obama — at least on paper.

Next week I’ll look at the num-bers for the religious problem areas for candidates, including Obama’s problem with Judaism and the Rev. Wright as well as Mc-Cain’s with Catholicism and the Rev. John Hagee; Clinton pretty much gets a pass.

[email protected]

Mike EllisColumnist

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9. CHARLOTTE BOBCATSJOE ALEXANDERSF, 6-8, 220 pounds, West Virginia

WE SAY: Michael Jordan has a tradition of drafting college stars. Alexander comes in to replace the injured and ineffective Adam Morrison. Alexander can play either three or four, and is the best player left on the board.

10. NEW JERSEY NETSDANILO GALLINARISF, 6-9, 210 pounds, Italy

WE SAY: The Nets, no stranger to selecting foreign players (see Nenad Kristic), draft this year’s Dirk Nowitzki clone.

11. INDIANA PACERSD.J. AUGUSTIN PG, 5-11, 170 pounds, Texas

WE SAY: This underrated point guard could be a little bit like a better scoring Jameer Nelson from Orlando. He’s a good character guy and a perfect fi t for a team who desperately needs to fi ll Conseco Fieldhouse. At this point, Pacers fans will take anyone to start at PG, just as long as it’s not Jamal Tinsley.

12. SACRAMENTO KINGSANTHONY RANDOLPH PF, 6-10, 200 pounds, LSU

WE SAY: With an aging Brad Miller, Sacramento jumps at the chance to get an athletic big man who can provide a spark to a team in desperate need of one.

13. PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERSDONTE’ GREEN SF, 6-9, 220 pounds, Syracuse

WE SAY: What is this guy all about? He was solid at the ‘Cuse. He has incredible upside and an upstart franchise like Portland can afford to draft a guy to fi t into their system. They might take Brandon Rush here, but he’s injury prone and the scare of having another fi rst rounder out next year (a la Greg Oden) might make the Blazers a little hesitant.

14. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORSROBIN LOPEZ C, 7-0, 245 pounds, Stanford

WE SAY: A team in desperate need of defense, they reach here to take the lesser-acclaimed of the Lopez twins. This high-energy, defensive-minded northern California guy will fi t in well off the bench.

15. PHOENIX SUNSBRANDON RUSH SG, 6-7, 200 pounds, Kansas

WE SAY: Because of the absence of Shawn Marion, Phoenix goes guard here to make up for a lack of scoring. Also, an aging Steve Nash makes GM Steve Kerr think about the long term. This pick is critical for Kerr after Phoenix’s 1st round loss in the wake of the Shaq-trade debacle.

INDIANA DAILY STUDENT THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2008PAGE 8

n an IU season marked by forget-table personalities, D.J. White stood out as a man.

He made the calculated decision to return for his senior season, hop-ing a promising recruiting class led by Eric Gordon would make the Hoosiers contenders. With questions surrounding his health and ability, White hoped to restore the old image from his McDon-ald’s All-American days and re-estab-lish himself as an NBA Lottery pick .

Defenses came after him every night, but the man amongst boys (his team-mates) dominated the boards and the opposition nightly. Despite the distrac-tions surrounding the program, IU’s “main attraction” never let up.

There were no three-game suspen-sions for No. 3 . No nights taken off for Tuscaloosa’s fi nest . During the last three games of the season, when the entire basketball team essentially quit on interim coach Dan Dakich , White busted his you-know-what, averaging 21.7 points and 11.3 rebounds per game .

But odds are the Big Ten Player of the Year will not be selected in the fi rst round of this Thursday’s NBA Draft. Unfortunately for White, he is a known commodity, which is as sexy to NBA general managers as Illinois coach Bruce Weber is to the opposite sex.

White is a good scorer (17.4 ppg) and a tenacious rebounder (10.3 rpg) in an undersized body. Although 6-foot-9 , 251 pounds equates to Hulk-status in the Big Ten, it is rarely

viewed as ideal by NBA scouts and other powers-that-be.

No, White doesn’t have the high ceiling of LSU’s Anthony Randolph or the athleticism of Texas A & M’s DeAn-dre Jordan . He doesn’t have the lure of the Lopez twins or the bag of tricks that UCLA’s Kevin Love owns .

What White has is production. His wingspan and ability to get up quickly make up for the literal inch or two too short he is of making Jay Bilas salivate . He’s a better shooter than most big men his size and, most importantly, he cares. He’s loyal. He’s the type of player you can root for. And given the right opportunity, he could be a solid rotation player in the NBA.

He’s not going to be a star, but he’s someone who can contribute.

In 2006 , a player in the mold of White made a similar transition into the NBA. Despite leading the NCAA in rebounding three straight seasons , Loui-siana Tech’s Paul Millsap didn’t receive much consideration on draft day. At

6-foot-8 258 pounds , Millsap was seen as too short to translate to the next level. Despite averaging 19.6 points and 13.3 rebounds per game his junior season, Millsap wasn’t selected until the second round when the Utah Jazz stole him with the 47th overall pick .

You see, Millsap didn’t have the high ceiling of Bradley’s Patrick O’Bryant (ninth overall) or the athleticism of Sen-egal’s Saer Sene (10th) . Heck, he didn’t have the lure of Connecticut’s Josh Boone (23rd) , let alone the low-post moves of the United Kingdom’s Joel Freeland (30th) ... wait, why did they take Joel Freeland?

Do you see where I’m going with this?

While most of the above-mentioned players are busts, awful or still over-seas (most likely forever), Millsap has emerged as one of the top bench players in the league. In his fi rst two seasons with the Jazz, Millsap appeared in every single game while averaging 7.4 points and 5.4 rebounds in under 20 minutes a night . Looking back on the 2006 Draft, Millsap would easily be a top-10 pick.

White and Millsap aren’t exactly tomato and tomato (doesn’t really work in print, does it?), Millsap is a slightly better rebounder and is more athletic, while White has more shooting range and is able to play with his face to the basket. But the two have similarities that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Especially if you happen to have a fi rst-round pick Thursday.

et me begin by asking that you not ridicule me for not knowing Eric Gordon’s wingspan (6-feet-9) or

exact height and weight (6-foot-3, 215 pounds). Please give me leeway to con-tinue without offering an opinion on who will take the young man (Milwaukee).

No, I am here because I have been tasked with picking out a current NBA player who bears the most simi-larity to Indianapolis ’ latest favored son, and giving you all reasons why I’m right, basically.

Well, I’ll be honest with you – I’m copping out. I’ve given this thought off and on at my leisure a few times since the North Central product began gracing soft, white nets with basketballs bearing an NCAA logo on their face, and I honestly just don’t know.

I see Gordon’s ability to light up op-posing defenses from a long way past the 3-point line and my eyes detect shades of Baron Davis. They only get stronger when I see Gordon hit the droughts that Davis has struggled with in times past.

Yet I can’t imagine Gordon as a true combo guard, and that’s where I buy into the popular rhetoric that suggests Gordon is much like a gentleman by the same surname. Bulls fans know him as Ben .

As much as I’d like to think Eric Gordon can learn to pass the ball, I can’t imagine him being able to break himself of the urge to use his immense offensive talents to score rather than facilitate scoring. I’d also like to go on record as being the fi rst to call any coach who might force E.J. to do other-

wise incredibly stupid.But alas, Indiana Gordon is a far

more forceful – and far less selfi sh – of-fensive player than his Chicago counter-part. Gordon’s ability to force his way to the basket off the dribble either way sets him apart.

In that aspect of his game, I see Gordon comparing most favorably to a poor man’s Lebron James – the obvi-ous difference being James has a much higher rate of conversion once he reaches the hoop. Gordon shoots free throws just fi ne though, so that will cover him.

Quick note: STOP READING, and whatever you do, resist the urge to criti-cize me for the above passage. Please do not take these last words to mean that I think Eric Gordon is the next Lebron James, I said no such thing. I simply said Gordon’s ability to beat a man off the dribble and force his way into the lane reminded me of King James. The comparisons stop there.

There are obviously severe weak-nesses in Gordon’s game, not the least of which is his propensity for turning

the ball over. I’m not so worried about his ability to travel with a high rate of footsteps. A good friend of mine long ago pointed out that NBA offi cials are as in-terested in calling a travel as fi rst-graders are in the Biography Channel.

However, that Kobe Bryant-esque ability to turn a foxtrot into the L.A. two-step must be earned through respect for one’s ability, which comes through success. Translation: Gordon will need to play by the rules before he gets good enough to earn those kinds of calls.

There are also several other weak-nesses to Gordon’s ball-handling ability that will plague him until he tweaks his mechanics enough to where he can confi dently move both ways with the ball without letting it become too exposed to defenders. It won’t take Bruce Bowen to eat him alive in a league that – despite players’ preference for taking a play or two off – will still hit Gordon with better defense than the Big Ten ever could.

I don’t count Eric Gordon out, oh no. I think he’ll be a fi ne player, if not an undersized guard. To make one more comparison, he’ll be Jason Terry with more size and less spunk.

Yes, I think our former No. 23 will fi nd plenty of success at the NBA level. I think it will just take him a little while to grow – he’s only 19 , as someone named Kelvin reminded us – and he has plenty of time to polish the edges down.

Until then, consider him the next King Benron James-Terry. Hey, Benjarvis Green-Ellis did it; I can too.

WELCOME TO DOLLIWOOD

White may not sparkle, but he’ll shine

IMATT DOLLINGERis a senior majoring in journalism.

RUNNING THE FLOOR

Gordon: A mix of NBA talents

ZACHARY OSTERMANis a senior majoring in journalism and political science.

L

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Long ago, Nicholas Cage made some good movies. I’m sure of it. However, in Cage’s body of work, successes like “The Rock,” “Con Air” and “Adaptation” can only materialize as wisps amid the dense and obscuring fog of recent abominations “Ghost Rider,” “National Treasure” (and its sequel), “World Trade Center” and “The Wicker Man,” to name a few.

“Bangkok Dangerous” continues Cage’s litany of failures in the most spectacular way. From the story, to the acting, to the dialogue, to the cinematography and to Cage’s ill-conceived greaseball haircut, the movie drips with oily desperation and mediocrity.

The film’s problems begin with a story that lacks coherence, drive or any heightened sense of conflict. “Bangkok Dangerous” follows the exploits of hitman Joe (Cage) as he travels to Bangkok and murders his way across the city for the gangster Surat (Nirattisai Kaljaruek). Joe is a self-described callous loner — he “eats alone, sleeps alone and works alone.” However, not 20 minutes into the movie, Joe takes on a peppy sidekick Kong (Shahkrit Yamnarm) and a love interest who cannot speak or hear, Fon (Charlie Yeung). The contradiction is not the problem. The problem is that the writers, directors and actors cannot offer a plausible reason for Cage’s new friendships. One minute he says he doesn’t need anyone, the next he has a pupil and a girlfriend with no great change of attitude, plausible character quirk or desire that explains the dynamic shift. It’s entirely inexplicable.

The movie then lazily meanders through various montages of Joe teaching Kong the art of assassination and attempting a labored courtship with Fon. I don’t know why such a sullen man bothers to tutor Kong, and neither will you if you choose to see the movie. His relationship with Fon is awkward, as he tries to negotiate dating someone with whom he can’t communicate. The premise of a foreigner, socially inept and aging, fi nding love with a girl who cannot hear or speak in Bangkok is full of potential, but, in the hands of directors Oxide Pang Chun

and Danny Pang, it borders on impotence as Joe’s attempts to communicate with Fon on any level are pathetic. Ultimately, you cannot believe any sort of connection exists between the two.

The cinematography, often the saving grace of abysmal thrillers, is just as bad. The movie appears overly dark and murky, with green, grey or blue filters as the modus operandi. It can be diffi cult to make out the actions, facial expressions or indeed, the people themselves at various points throughout the film. The editing hops from night to day and event to event without any clear unity or focus, adding to the film the disjointed qualities of a schizophrenic nightmare.

The sparse action scenes provide none of the spectacle you’d want from a hitman flick. The assassinations are pretty standard — sniping from a bell tower, driving up to a parked car in a motorcycle — offering nothing visually new or dramatically exciting. The inevitable chase scenes are just as dull, with Cage performing some minor theatrics on the aforementioned motorcycle, or driving a boat really fast while barely noticing that people are shooting at him. Without intriguing action, a movie about

gun-toting maniacs is fairly pointless.

Lastly, whoever styled Nicholas Cage’s hair for the movie is either blind, has no arms or really, really hates Nicholas Cage. Method actors have been known to put on large amounts of weight for roles or let their bodies go to waste — some don’t bathe for weeks or months during a shoot — but no one ever looked as bad as Cage does in “Bangkok Dangerous.”

There is nothing redeemable about, and there is no excuse for, “Bangkok Dangerous.” With a slew of projects slated for release in the next few months and years, I can only hope that Nicholas Cage has returned to making more enjoyable movies, because as it stands, he’d have a very hard time making them worse.

ARTSETC. THE BADGER HERALD, PAGE 11BTHURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2008

that they can learn more about different cultures, people and art in a very fun way.”

And so it is that the artistic lineup of this year’s festival comes as a refreshing departure from the mundane exposures to mainstream American music. Hungary, Niger, Cuba, Syria, Zimbabwe and Turkey are few among the many exciting cultures that are represented in this global hodgepodge of an event.

Fascinatingly, many of the musicians exhibit styles that experiment with diverse genres, and many skillfully combine the traditional with the modern. The Russian band Reelroad, with the use of Scottish bagpipes, displays Celtic infl uences while mixing traditional musical forms with modern rhythms. Furthermore, Nation Beat blends together the styles of America and Northeast Brazil and Indian electric guitarist Prasanna is dubbed by the press as the “Indian Jimmy Hendrix.”

Prepare to be dazzled by the spectacle of bright pink

feathers, exotic garments and leggy stilts by the aforementioned Dragon Knights, as they tower over the mesmerized crowd and serve as lively transitions between some of these musical acts.

These exquisite puppeteers and jet-setting international musicians, however, will not be the only ones in the limelight. “We want to welcome local and student groups to perform as a part of the World Music Festival and encourage them to connect with their artistic heritage while learning about others,” said Festival Coordinator Rose Gear. According to Gear, the Student and Community Showcase aims to highlight the international connections and talents of the people in the Madison community, thus allowing the international student body to expand its creative vision through the common thread of music.

“I think it is a great opportunity to show how diverse our campus is and what unique elements each and every person from all parts of the world can bring to this

community.” said In-Young Oh, president of the Korean Traditional Drumming and Dance Club. “Participating in this big event will help our group have our name recognized by not only by our peers on campus, but also by many others from the Madison community.”

Finally, the festival seeks to celebrate world music and culture through additional outreach activities such as educational lectures and workshops in singing and dancing. If you deem the previous activities too hands-on or time-consuming for your taste, why not stock up on two or three of your favorite artists’ albums and sophisticate your English language-dominated iPod playlist. After all, you won’t be spending any money on tickets at the Madison World Music Festival anytime soon.

The Madison World Music Festival will be held Sept. 12 -20. For the full performance schedule and more information about the festival, visit the official web page www.uniontheater.wisc.edu/worldmusicfest/.

World Music Network

Etran Finatawa from Niger will bring his soulful, Tinariwen-inspired blues to Madison.

Film Bangkok

It’s not just the script that makes ‘Bangkok Dangerous’ an awful fi lm — Cage’s hair is a signifi cant distraction.

Cage’s latest adventure fi lm dangerously badMovie’s downfall lies in choppy storyline, sparse action scenes

BY STEPHEN CHRISTENSENArtsEtc. Writer

Global Music, from page 12B

BANGKOK BANGKOK DANGEROUSDANGEROUS

ACTORS:

Nicholas Cage

DIRECTOR:

Oxide Pang ChunDanny Pang

ZERO STARS

The New University is a one-stop information source for all your needs. We’ve got NEWS, covering everything on campus and in the Irvine community. Check out ENTERTAINMENT and FEATURES for movie reviews, restaurant critiques and unique articles. Read OPINION and react to the views of your peers. SPORTS covers UCI’s own sports teams and their award-winning championships.

Furthermore, you can find great deals in our COUPON CORNER. If you’re looking for a place to live, our OC LIVING section gives you the lowdown on open locations.

The New University is a one-stop information source for all your needs. We’ve got NEWS, covering everything on campus and in the Irvine community. Check out ENTERTAINMENT and FEATURES for movie reviews, restaurant critiques and unique articles. Read OPINION and react to the views of your peers. SPORTS covers UCI’s own sports teams and their award-winning championships.

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celebrate april 17, 2008

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February 25, 2009Gregory Gym plaza

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COMING SOON

Page 4 The News Record Monday, April 14, 2008

about it – if it hits me right, I know it’ll hit someone else right.”

Truthful Beginnings is Eagle’s first solo record, but he said he has plans to make another with a band he’s recently enlisted to begin recording with soon.

“I don’t plan on being a superstar,” Eagle said. “I think that’s just ridiculous. I don’t do it for the money, I do it to share my stories with people

through music.”Eagle said the next record

won’t be as folky and simple as Truthful Beginnings, but more of a collaborative effort between himself and his band.

“[Truthful Beginnings] is me and my thoughts,” Eagle said. “None of it is fictitious. It’s about family, relationships and personal demons. I’m starting anew.”

Truthful Beginnings can be purchased for $10 on cdbaby.com or myspace.com/joshuameagle. It is scheduled for availability on iTunes within the next few months.

Eagle, continued from Page 5

The News RecoRd can also be used as:

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goals,” Dayes said. “We put him into position to score and that’s what he did.”

Redshirt freshman goalie Matt Williams made a strong one-on-one stop to keep Dayton from taking the lead.

Right after Williams made his stop, UC marched down the field allowing junior Branden Stelmak to score his first goal of the spring season. The goal occurred in

the 74th minute of play on a breakaway goal giving the Cats the lead 2-1.

“That was the turning point of the game when Matt made that save and we immediately were able to transition and caught them with bad numbers in the back,” Dayes said.

The Bearcats are set to take the field again on Friday, April 18 when they play the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Jaguars, which takes place in Indianapolis, Ind. at 7 p.m.

Soccer, continued from Page 8

March 6th from 11am – 3pm

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Pride

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1

College HeigHts HeraldPage 6 October 28, 2008

He wasn’t one of those kids who played a sport as far back as they could remember. In fact, his middle school gym teacher had to ask him repeatedly to give basketball a chance.

Yet senior point guard Orlando Mendez-Valdez is prepared to take Western’s basketball team to the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row.

“We need to go further or at least as far as the Sweet 16 again,” said Mendez-Valdez. “A lot of people think we can’t do it but I’m not worried.”

Although it sounds cliché, basketball probably saved Orlando Mendez-Valdez’s life.

“If I hadn’t found basketball, I’d probably be in jail by now,” Mendez-Valdez confessed.

Growing up in San Antonio, Mendez-Valdez, 22, was the youngest of seven raised by his single mother. As his friends started to get into drugs and alcohol at an early age, he had a choice to make.

“I was going down the wrong path, the wrong direction,” Mendez-Valdez said. “I didn’t apply myself. College was never on my mind at all.”

He pulled himself away from the negative influences around him and lost himself in a sport he had never before given a chance.

By his freshman year at Lanier High School in San Antonio, Mendez-Valdez had already become absorbed into the game. By his sophomore year, he was playing for the varsity team.

As a senior, Mendez-Valdez was named Express-News Greater San Antonio Player of the Year.

So where would a player like

Mendez-Valdez go to further his goals?

“I was looking for a small town, a community. The support from the fans at Western and my teammates here made me feel right at home really quick.”

His first two years at Western continued to show the ever-increasing potential from his high school years, but it was during Mendez-Valdez’s junior year that he pushed himself and Western’s Hilltoppers to a new level.

With impressive games against Kentucky Wesleyan and North Texas, Mendez-Valdez came into his own as a player and a teammate.

As he prepares to be the first person in his family to graduate from college, Mendez-Valdez is balancing more weight on his shoulders than ever before.

“I’m going to have to step into a bigger role on the team,” Mendez-Valdez said. “They’re going to need me to take a lot more shots and really give it my all.”

Along with his now senior role on the basketball team, Mendez-Valdez is currently pledging Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

“I always wanted to join a fraternity,” Mendez-Valdez said. “I think I’m capable now of managing my time effectively. It’s great to make good friends beyond my teammates.”

The theme of brotherhood seems to affect many of Mendez-Valdez’s important life choices.

“There are actually a lot of similarities between being part of a sports team and being in a fraternity,” he said. “Both groups are dependent

on trust and loyalty. You’d do anything to help these brothers and they would do anything for you.”

Along with his basketball and fraternity commitments, Mendez-Valdez is consistently focused on the future.

“After I play ball professionally, I could really see coming back to Bowling Green and raising a family here. I think it would be a great place to settle down.”

Those are big words for anyone in college, but above all else, Mendez-Valdez seems naturally competitive and confident.

“I’ve had several amazing accomplishments and I’m really grateful for the chances I’ve had. I’m truly proud of the person I’ve become.”

Reach Aaron Burchat [email protected].

Several members of the Western rugby team competed against the quad-rugby team but they were rarely allowed to score. Most of the team was in attendance and could frequently be heard yelling at their teammates to be more aggressive against their wheelchair-bound opponents.

Josh Ferriell is a senior from Western who played against the quad-rugby team.

“It was a workout, man. They’re flying by you,” Ferriell said. “It’s a hell of a workout. It’s really fun, though.”

Almost any sport that can be played by an able-bodied person has a counterpart in the world of paraplegic and quadriplegic athletics. Whether it’s basketball, football, fencing, swimming or even bowling, there are disabled Americans playing the sport at this very moment.

Since the critically acclaimed movie “Murderball” came out in July 2005, wheelchair rugby has arguably received more nationwide attention than any of the other “wheelchair” sports. More than 20 countries around the world participate in wheelchair rugby and almost every state in America has at least one team of wheelchair rugby players.

Teams play in national and international tournaments. Coach Michael Sells is looking forward to the Nashville team competing in the national tournament in April.

Mike Sells is a paraplegic who has coached wheelchair rugby for eight of the last 12 years.

Because Sells still has complete use of his upper body, he is ineligible to play. Only people with damage to all four appendages are allowed to play wheelchair rugby.

“I’ve been coaching all my life,” Sells said. “I just sort of fell into it but I love it.”

There were several impressive Nashville quad-rugby players in the four-on-four games played

in the Preston Center, but one of the fastest was 26-year-old Ernest Chun.

Ernest Chun was 13 when he broke his neck while surfing in his home state of Hawaii. A few years later, a friend told him about wheelchair rugby.

Two years ago Chun was moving to Nashville and playing on a national rugby team. Chun has played on the Nashville team for two seasons with no end in sight.

“I love it,” said Chun. “It keeps me busy and focused, despite my injury.”

In quad-rugby, each team has four players of varying disability. Each person is given a number based on their capabilities from the most disabled (.5) to least disabled (3.5).

For example Chun qualifies as a 2.0 because he has moderate control of his upper body and in particular his hands. A murderball team can have no more than eight total points on the field at a given time.

The team members on a quad-rugby team use a special wheelchair designed to protect both the player and the chair. Each chair is plated with metal sheets and bars so no damage is done to the wheels or players.

The rules and training of murderball are very similar to that of other sports but what’s surprising is the inspiration the players get from being active and social.

Senior Adam Fleming, who is handicapped, went to watch the murderball games on Thursday and the team instantly took a liking to him. While apprehensive at first, Fleming decided to give the game a try during the student scrimmages.

After just four games, Fleming was laughing and racing around the court with the best players on the Nashville team. Gasping for air after the matches ended, Fleming grinned from ear to ear.

“I had a ball,” he said. “It brought me back to my old football years.”

Reach Aaron Burchat [email protected].

Basketball a lifesaver for playerWHAT’S YOUR STORY?Ball

C o n t i n u e d f r o m P a g e 1

Brendan Sullivan/Herald

“Not only did I want a brotherhood on the court, i wanted a brotherhood off the court as well,” senior guard Orlando Mendez-valdez said. Mendez-valdez, a member of Pi Kappa alpha, has always wanted to join a fraternity, and was given that opportunity when head coach Ken Mcdonald said it was OK as long as participation didn’t interfere with school and basketball.

AARON BURCHHerald reporter

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