Two IUSB students perform at Morris

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the prefaceIU South Bend’s official

student newspaperWednesday,

February 13, 2013

INSI

DE February 14th forcouples and singles

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Breastfeeding options on campus

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By NICK WORT Staff Writer

Throughout his life, Kurt Von-negut was famous for not only his writing, but also for his political ac-tivism and humanist beliefs. These beliefs became a frame-work for much of his writing. All throughout the month of Febru-ary, IU South Bend’s Schurz library will feature an exhibit on Vonnegut and his work as part of this year’s campus theme of “Politics is Every-where.” To kick off this exhibit, Joshua Wells, an anthropology teacher at IUSB, held a presentation outlining Vonnegut’s life and his connections with the field of anthropology, and the connections between Vonne-gut’s work and the campus theme. To go along with the theme, Wells nominated Vonnegut’s book, “A Man Without a Country,” to the themes reading list. “I recommended ‘A Man With-out a Country’ because I felt that it offered a much larger cross section of everything Vonnegut ever talked about,” said Wells during his pre-sentation “It’s unlikely that a reader could encounter Vonnegut without developing a strong opinion, or at least a strong sentiment on some topic of the day. The book is still timely even after eight years, and I think it may well be timeless.” Wells first brought up the idea of bringing the exhibit to IUSB af-ter seeing pictures of it on the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library’s Face-book page. IUSB was able to get the exhibit here and work it into this year’s campus theme. “The theme highlights the fact that there are political implications and influence in so many things we do, whether it’s campus resources, the speeds we drive on the roads or all of the other choices we make throughout the day,” said Wells. “When I saw that this was avail-able, I suggested it. Vonnegut was a

Traveling Kurt Vonnegut exhibit on display in Schurz Library

political satirist. If you’re going to have the theme of ‘Politics is Every-where,’ Vonnegut is a great choice because he was good at pointing out what he thought were the mistakes and missteps involved with making choices for others. And he was a Hoosier, so I figured this would be great.” The exhibit itself features a rep-lica of Vonnegut’s desk and type-writer, as well as rejection letters and typewritten drafts of some of

his works. Viewers of the exhibit are en-couraged to type a message on the typewriter, which will then be post-ed on a Twitter page made by the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library. The exhibit also features interac-tive consoles that show information about Vonnegut’s work, as well as videos and interviews. “Vonnegut is a wonderful choice for an exhibit in our library because of his Indiana ties and because he

is such a well-loved author,” said IUSB librarian Julie Elliott. “While the exhibit would always be of in-terest, it did have a very nice addi-tional connection to our theme this year.” The exhibit was created by a team of 12 Ball State University students in 2012 as part of a larger project created by the students to help the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library. The project also included digitaliz-ing original versions of Vonnegut’s

work and a film archive. After the exhibit leaves IUSB, it will return to the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Li-brary. The exhibit is located on the fifth and first floor of the Schurz library. It will be on display until March 1 and is open to the public. The twitter page for the typewrit-er messages can be found at www.twitter.com/kurtstypewriter. More information on the exhibit can be found at www.iusb.edu/library. v

A replica of Kurt Vonnegut’s typewriter is part of the exhibit in the Schurz library now through the end of February.Preface Photo/NICK WORT

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2 The Preface

The Preface is the official student newspaper of Indiana University South Bend, pub-

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The Preface

By DANIELLE MILLER Staff Writer

It took 45 years for Tom Vander Ven to write his new book, “[Enter Ghost].” Well, not exactly. “[Enter Ghost] ” is more of a collection of Vander Ven’s short stories, plays, poems, and essays that he has writ-ten over the last 45 years. Vander Ven, a lifetime writer and retired IU South Bend Ameri-can literature and creative writing professor will be at IUSB on Feb. 21 to give a reading of his book, which was published through Wolfson Press, the IUSB master of liberal studies publishing com-pany. “Our human responses to mor-tality can vary in how we deal with it starting with children and other people’s deaths and in retirement,” Vander Ven said in a Skype inter-view. Vander Ven was invited to write a book for Wolfson Press with no specific theme. He chose mortal-ity as he began to think differently about it during his retirement. Al-though the stories were written at different times in his life, they re-flect his experiences and therefore who he is, he said. Joe Chaney, director of the mas-ter of liberal studies program at IU South Bend (currently on leave in France), wrote the introduction to the book. “In my short essay I explained the possible meanings of the title ‘[Enter Ghost] ‘and I commented a bit on the ways in which vari-ous pieces in the book express those meanings,” said Chaney in an email. “I have an immediate ad-visory and supervisory connection to Wolfson Press. Professor Ken Smith asked Tom Vander Ven if he had someone in mind for the ntro-duction, and Tom recommended me.” said Chaney in an email.

Retired IUSB professor givesreading on his new book about mortality

“Tom [and Ken] and I once be-longed to a small poetry writing group,” Chaney continued. “We shared many poems over the years. I was familiar already with a num-ber of the poems in Tom’s new collection. I had also seen a few of the stories and essays. So I came to the volume already excited about the material. His book is partly about coping during the retirement years.” Since retirement, Vander Ven says he misses the class interaction he had while teaching at IUSB, es-pecially when discussing books and films, but he says he is happy to never see a blue book exam again. “[Enter Ghost]” was illustrated by Vander Ven’s wife, Cynthia. “When Tom asked me if I would like to illustrate [Enter Ghost] us-ing the iPad Mixel app, I immedi-ately thought of the larger Mixel community and what it could mean to collaborate on an art project,” said Cynthia. “The heart of Mixel was, after all, collaboration: some-one created a digital collage and one by one, friends took the origi-nal and remixed it into unique new pieces” she explained in an essay. “I extended an invitation [to the Mixel community] to submit art for the book and I sent a copy of the manuscript to those who were interested,” she said. Friends all over the world collab-orated on the illustrations. Cynthia even had to get French and Thai interpreters to translate the manu-script. “Some will see how [the illustra-tions] relate to the stories and oth-ers will say they don’t get it” she said. Vander Ven left a legacy in the South Bend arts community. Ac-cording to his bio, while teaching at IUSB from 1967-2001 he received an all-Indiana University Distin-guished Teaching Award, and in 1991 he was named IUSB’s South Bend’s Eldon Lundquist Faculty Fellow. He co-authored “A Cam-pus Becoming,” on the Wolfson years at IUSB. Vander Ven’s book, “[Enter Ghost]” is available through Wolf-son Press. v

Themes of death in poetry

This book illustration is titled “In Spurano di Ossucio.” Art courtesy of Cynthia Vander Ven

www.iusbpreface.com

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Wednesday, February 13 3

By TAYLOR NEFFStaff Writer

The Michiana Monologues are coming up soon, and their theme this year is “Write On, Sisters!” This is the 7th annual Mono-logues for Michiana, and according to their website, they aim to “pro-mote awareness of the impact of sexual assault, create support for survivors, and increase a com-munity’s commitment to combat assaults.” This year’s mono-logues will take place at 7 p.m. on Feb. 15 and 16 in IU South Bend’s North-side Recital Hall and at 7 p.m. on Feb. 21 in Rieth Recital Hall at Goshen Col-lege Music Center. Both shows are $10 each to get in, and only $5 at Goshen College if you are a student. Before the shows at IU South Bend, there will be a silent auction. These auctions help support much of the cause. If you are interested in donating an item or helping with the auction, email keegan_88@ho-tmail.com for more information. This year, The Bergamot, a lo-cal band, will be performing live

Michiana Monologues: “Write On, Sisters!”on Feb. 16 and 21. They recently won Bud Light’s Battle of the Bands Contest, and came out with a new album titled “Static Flowers” in December 2012. They are a popular band from South Bend, and have

SIllustrated by Traci Bremer

IUSB Adventures

By NICK WORT Staff Writer

IU South Bend is full of clubs that cover almost anyone’s interests, from film making to horseback rid-ing. This week the school added a new club to the mix: the Creative Writing Club. “The club has three main goals,” said Angie Rice, the club’s presi-dent. “We want to establish a com-munity of writers here on campus to serve as a support system for those who want to pursue creative writing, we want to find a venue for an open mic night, so writers can practice the public speaking aspect of writing, and we want to serve as a source of reference for those who are interested in pursuing graduate school, and for those who will be looking for work after graduation.” The club plans to pool resources with the English Club to get a venue for a monthly open mic night with-in the next month, and hopes to host graduate school question and answer sessions with guest speakers from graduate level creative writing programs beginning sometime in March. “I thought it would be a good idea to start taking myself seriously as a writer and to start consider-ing where I’m going to go when I graduate from IUSB,” said Rice.

New creative writing club forms on campus

“Forming the Creative Writing Club seemed like a good way to facilitate that process.” Rice came up with the idea for the club about a month ago. She ap-proached Lori Hicks, now treasurer of the club, with the idea. The two then got Creative Writing Professor Kelcey Parker to be the club’s advi-sor. “It’s been smooth sailing ever since!” said Rice. “She’s very sup-portive of what we want to accom-plish with the club, and has been an invaluable resource for information and ideas.” The club is open to anyone in-terested in creative writing, includ-ing non-students from the commu-nity. All forms of creative writing are accepted, and the club hopes to encourage members to experiment with new genres and to learn to workshop material outside of their preferred genre. The club will focus on writing material as well as pro-viding a weekly workshop for writ-ers to have their work critiqued by other members. The club currently has plans to meet every Monday from 4-5 p.m. in room 206 of the Student Activi-ties Center. For more information on the club, contact Angie Rice at andrice@umail.iu.edu or Lori Hicks at lorhicks@umail.iu.edu. v

played with Brad Paisley, Wiz Khali-fa, All American Rejects and others. You can find more information on their band and listen to a preview at www.thebergamot.com “What’s new this year? Many new themes about the complexity of attitudes toward motherhood, the grey areas of sexual relationships, the desire for better health and sex education, the power of friendships, and the perspective that comes with age,” said April Lindisky, associate

professor of women’s and gender studies. “Other new-to-the-

Monologues topics include the challenges of writing

a profile for an online dating site, what it’s like to work a

telephone sex line and the expression of

trans-identity.” Interested? Check out

their website at michianamonologues.org

or visit a show. See you there! v

Want to know more?

Visit

www.michiana-monologues.org

4 The Preface

By MANDI STEFFEYStaff Writer

Throughout the years, The Er-nestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at IU South Bend has sus-tained a strong group of student performers, with students perform-ing at a number of different events and with various groups. On Feb-ruary 16, two more students can chalk up another significant perfor-mance for the program: vocal stu-dents Tamra Garrett and Lawrence Mitchell-Matthews will perform as featured soloists with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra at the Morris Performing Arts Center. Garrett’s and Mitchell-Matthew’s performance, songs from George Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess, will round out the event, which is titled “A Valentine from Gershwin” by the South Bend Symphony Or-chestra. Their duet will follow per-formances by the South Bend Sym-phonic Choir, the IUSB Chorale, the IUSB Gospel Choir, the IUSB Chamber Choir and a special per-formance of “Rhapsody in Blue” on piano by South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Garrett and Mitchell-Matthews are proud and excited to perform. They learned they would be per-forming with the South Bend Sym-phony Orchestra when maestro Tsung Yeh heard Garrett’s voice at the annual Martin Luther King Cel-ebration concert on campus. Upon further contact with Yeh, Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts Dean Marvin Curtis recommended that Mitchell-Matthews perform along-side Garrett. Both students audi-tioned and landed the spot. “This is a historical moment,”

Two IU South Bend vocal students to perform “Porgy and Bess” at the Morris

said Garrett, a graduate student at IUSB. “Gershwin is an American composer. It means a lot to me as an American to perform his work.” “It really is a dream come true,” added Mitchell-Matthews, an un-dergraduate student studying voice at IUSB. “I love singing in front of audiences, and this performance means so much. It’s black history month, and it feels like I’m making history in my own month perform-ing “Porgy and Bess.” “Porgy and Bess,” which has re-cently been revived on Broadway, is an opera that deals with themes in African-American life during the 1920s. Garrett and Mitchell-Mat-thews will be singing as the char-acters Porgy and Bess, with each vocalist switching roles throughout the performance. Garrett and Mitchell-Matthews have spent extensive time preparing for the roles. They researched the characters, the era and how things were for African-Americans at the time. In addition to getting into character, the vocalists are prepar-ing every way they know how. “We changed our diet, we’re do-ing weight training—everything we can to stay healthy so we can perform at our best, and we plan on sticking with the changes,” said Garrett. “So it’s life-changing in a lot of ways,” said Mitchell-Matthews. Both vocalists expressed the im-portance of this performance to their future careers in the music industry. “We have family coming in from all over the country,” said Garrett. Garrett and Mitchell-Matthews both hail from states other than

Indiana, Garrett from Riverside, Calif. and Mitchell-Matthews from Detroit. Even though they’re from different parts of the country, the duo couldn’t be happier perform-ing together. “Lawrence and I are like brother and sister,” said Garrett. The two have performed together several times and seem to have an under-standing of one another through their musical roots. “I come from a musical family,” said Mitchell-Matthews. Both per-formers grew up singing gospel and have love for jazz and blues. “That’s why I love performing Gershwin. It’s elements of jazz, blues and classical music in one composition,” said Garrett. Garrett and Mitchell-Matthews have been rehearsing with their vocal coach, IUSB professor Jes-sica McCormack, in preparation for Saturday night, hashing out the final details of the performance, in-cluding both singing and choreog-raphy. Both performers are looking forward to the event with excite-ment. “I’m nervous, but I don’t have time to be nervous,” said Mitchell-Matthews. “For this vision to unfold, for us, is…it’s everything I cried for. Ev-erything I prayed for. Everything I hoped for,” said Garrett. “This is our defining moment.” Tickets for “A Valentine from Gershwin” are available at the Mor-ris Performing Arts Center’s box office for $13-$72 per seat. The show starts at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16. For more information visit www.MorrisCenter.org. v

By TAYLOR NEFFStaff Writer

Even though it is very useful to have a planner to keep track of everything, it would be silly to say that students are always prepared for class. Computer labs seem to al-ways be packed, no matter the time of day, and students find the num-ber one nuisance is the slow login on campus computers. Until now. In Northside’s basement com-puter lab, NS 0040, there is a row of computers accompanied with a sign with a neon pink background to grab your attention. The sign says “Experimental Build – Testing Faster Login Times.” “I just picked this computer ran-domly, but I can definitely tell that logging in was much faster, not even a minute,” said Leah Hayman, a senior at IU South Bend. “Stu-dents might not know that these computers are here, or they think they are being watched specifically on these computers.” Is there a conspiracy theory linked to it? If not, then what is making these computers work so much faster? According to an email by Bev Church, the executive director for University Information Technol-ogy Services (UITS) at IU South Bend, she learned about the use of a “universal build” on campus computers, created by UITS at IU Bloomington and IUPUI.

IT introduces faster computer login times

This system provides a faster log-in, functions on various computer models, has the ability to update every night and has flexibility “to offer different applications for dif-ferent locations.” “Right now, our computers run-ning with the faster login have most of the standard applications: Microsoft Office, Adobe, browsers, etc.,” said Church in an email. “We will continue to work with the uni-versal build creators to add the rest of our software.” Chi-Chu Fu, a graduate student and lab consultant at IU South Bend, doesn’t believe students know that these computers are available. “There are many students in here today. You can see they use other computers instead of the fast ones,” said Fu while surveying the room. These computers indeed pro-vide faster login times, allowing procrastinators and the proactive alike to log on quickly to print an article right before class starts, or happily get started on homework without delay. Those working with UITS are hoping to put the universal build on more computers still this semester and summer. They said they would like to have it functioning in all the labs and classrooms by the fall se-mester. So, what are you waiting for? Are you still waiting to log in? vGarrett and Mitchell-Matthews rehearse for their upcoming performance at the Morris

Preface Photo/MANDI STEFFEY

Senior Leah Hayman using a faster computer at NS 0040 Preface photo/TAYLOR NEFF

Wednesday, February 13 5

By LAUREN PAJAKOWSKIStaff Writer

“Breastfeeding,” “Lactation,” “Pumping” -- These are not words you typically hear on a college cam-pus. In the hustle and bustle of col-lege life, it slips the mind of most that there are breastfeeding moth-ers among us as students and facul-ty. For these mothers, breastfeeding while working and studying outside the home is becoming a challenge. Some campuses and workplaces across America are taking small steps to help breastfeeding moth-ers. At IU South Bend that help lies within the Women’s and Gen-der Studies Department (WGSD). On the second story of Wiekamp Hall is room 2264 with a little sign that reads: “Breastfeeding mother pumping, please do not disturb.” There, breastfeeding mothers can place the sign on the door and pump comfortably in private. “Pumping” is a technique used by breast-feeding moth-ers to express milk from their breasts. Many moth-ers do this so it can be given to her child in her absence. Room 2264 and rooms like it offer and comfortable place to do so. For many women across Ameri-ca, finding a place while in public is a challenge without feeling they are being looked down. Covering up doesn’t cut it either. The very idea that there is a breastfeeding mother nearby seems to make passersby uneasy. This public reaction is forc-ing mothers to resort to cramped corners and bathrooms or worse, forcing them into confrontation. It’s a step in the right direction, but most agree it’s not enough.

IUSB Breastfeeding mothers: Taking a stand for a seat One student, Helen Edmonson, describes her daily struggle to get to the pumping-room and the alter-native places she’s had to resort to while in a time-crunch. “The one spot in Wiekamp is actually quite a distance from where my classes are,” Edmonson said. “I’m in block one for elementary education and I only get 15-minute-breaks.” She went on to explain the alter-native places she’s had to use. “I’ve resorted to other places because of time and professors not being so lenient. I’ve used locker-rooms, bathrooms and sometimes the Health and Wellness Center if they’re not busy.” One of Edmonson’s professors has been kind enough to allow her to use her office before class. But is depending on one room and luck the most IUSB can offer its moth-

ers? Campus Nurse Practi-tioner Laura Hieronymus believes IUSB can do more. “I’m not saying we need a breast-feeding room in each build-ing, but I think we need more than one.” Hiero-

nymus along with April Lidinsky and Catherine Borshuk from The WGSD were all instrumental in converting the WGS Lounge into a multi-use room, suitable for breast-feeding mothers who need a place to pump. When asked if she believed the IUSB campus needed more breast-feeding rooms, Borshuk said “I haven’t had students come up to me personally, but if there is a need for it on our campus, it is our re-sponsibility to provide these moth-ers with a place.” Hieronymus, however, has ex-

perienced this need. On more than one occasion mothers have shown up at the Health and Wellness Cen-ter looking for a clean and com-fortable place to pump. This is not encouraged or practical due to the center’s busy schedule. The consensus seems to be that the need is out there and IUSB could benefit from at least one more pumping room on campus. Lidinsky and the WGSD will have a table at the Michiana Monologues Friday, Feb. 15 and Saturday, Feb. 16. The monologues will be held in IUSB’s Northside Recital Hall, room 158. They will have infor-mation on the benefits of breast-feeding for both mother and child and will even be auctioning off fun breastfeeding swag. If you’re a breastfeeding mother or breast-feeding supporter and feel moth-ers deserve more campus support, stop by the table and let your voice be heard. Hieronymus says, “When its stu-dents talk, the campus listens.” So talk! v

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“I’ve resorted to other places because of time and professors not being so lenient. I’ve used locker-rooms, bathrooms, and sometimes the Health and Wellness Center if they’re not busy.”

Wiekamp 2264 is a designated breast-pumping area for nursing mothers on campus.

Preface Photo/LAUREN PAJAKOWSKI

6 The Preface

By CHRISTINA CLARK Staff Writer

It is once again February. The snow has finally settled in, peo-ple have (almost) re-learned how to drive with powder on the road and we’re dressing in layers again. Fireplaces are ablaze, blankets are draped over comfy chairs, slippers come out of the closet…and oh, Valentine’s Day strikes again! Ask almost any student who has been in town what they con-sider to be a romantic activity, and they’ll pause for a moment. Expensive restaurants, bars and places hours away come to mind for most. It is easy to join the monotony of everyday business and forget that there are some romantic ventures to be had in the Michiana area. “Ice skating!” IU South Bend student Breanna Konopinski volunteers immediately as a romantic date idea. Indeed, there are many places to try out ice skating in the area, but Konopinski and her friend and fellow student Kelsey Landuyt are excited about the Notre Dame Compton Family Ice Arena. The newest indoor rink in the area (in addition to The Ice Box at 1421 Walnut St., South Bend), the Notre Dame Compton Family Ice Arena is right off Eddy St., near the grand entrance of Notre Dame’s campus. Landuyt also chimed in with “Wine and Canvas events!” and Konopinski agrees. For her, sometimes romantic outings mean “trying new things and doing something different, ya know?” The area also offers outdoor ice rinks. According to their web-site, Howard Park in South Bend, at 219 S. St. Louis Blvd, offers lots of afternoon and weekend evening hours for ice skating. It would be easy to take a date skating before or after a meal, or a group of friends to try something new. Looking to take that lucky lady or gentleman out for a nice meal?

Romantic dates in MichianaLocal dining offers a variety of special places to call “our place.” One is Yesterday’s Fine Food and Spirits in Granger, at 12594 S.R. 23. The building used to be a large home and is now a cozy restaurant. The blond brick on the outside is warm and welcoming, as are the dining rooms. According to their menu on their website, specialty dishes can be up to $41 (“The Filet and Shrimp Doo-hickey” take the honors), but if splitting a dish or getting smaller orders, a couple can prob-ably escape around $60. “Wine and Canvas” offers something new for many cou-ples and groups. According to their website, “Our talented artists will instruct you step-by-step through re-creating the featured painting of the day. At the end of the event, you’ll take home a work of art you created.” With events at area restaurants such as LaSalle Grille in Downtown South Bend, McCarthy’s on the Riverwalk in Elkhart, Villa Macri’s in Granger and Corndance in Mishawaka, there are many fine dining and fine wine selections to be had while painting your own version of a masterpiece with a companion. Upcoming artwork and restaurants are listed on their website. Sign up ahead of time is required on the website, so plan ahead! A lower cost option with more time to get to know your mate is to take him or her to the Mishawaka River Walk. Ac-cording to the park website, the walk spans between Beutter Riverfront Park, Central Park, Battell Park and Kamm Island. It is just down the street from IUSB on Mishawaka Avenue, near the intersection at Main Street. Beutter is the newer sec-tion of the walk, with many intersecting sidewalks and in the summer features an 800 foot perennial garden. Still beautiful in the winter are the rock gardens in Battell Park, its many benches and amphitheater. Put on a nice jacket and take your

loved one for a stroll. Love board games and old books? Try grabbing coffee in downtown South Bend and walking over to Grif-fon Bookstore at 121 West Colfax Ave. is a great way to spend an afternoon. They have new and used, board games, dice and card games. This isn’t for ev-eryone, but finding another Magic: The Gathering player is special, and they also have multiple game rooms and scheduled times to check out. Whether you’re out to impress a certain lady or gentleman, or just to go out with friends and have a lovefest all your own, there are many options to fit your style of “fun” and “romance” around Michiana. Indoors, outdoors, hungry or not, take a look around and see what the local area has in store for you! Oh, and don’t forget, Valentine’s day is Thursday, Feb. 14th! v

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Preface!

By CECELIA ROEDERDesign Editorcmroeder@iusb.edu

Well, it’s that time of year. On Feb. 14, sweethearts all across America will gather to shower each other in over-priced gifts and noxious romantic displays of affection. But what are you to do if you don’t have a sweetheart? What if you just had a nasty break up? Maybe you’ve been single for a little while, but still don’t enjoy being left out. Maybe you’re forever alone. Whatever circumstance has left you without a Valentine, I have a few tips to sur-vive the holiday. First off, if you don’t want to feel like shit, don’t get on any social media that day. “What?!” you cry? “I can’t live without Twitter,” you say? Well, let me tell you right now, Instagram is going to be blowing up with pictures of heart-shaped boxes, and Facebook is going to be filled with hundreds of updates from emotional women proclaiming their love for their man. There’s no shame in being single, but if you want to avoid feeling left out, it’s best to avoid that mess al-together. You will survive one day away constant status updates, I promise. Hopefully you already have plans in place for Valen-tine’s Day. If not, get working on it now. Some of you might want to spend Valentine’s Day sit-ting on the couch eating Ben and Jerry’s, watching “The Notebook” with a box of tissues ready. If that’s your idea of fun, it’s cool. Or maybe it’s a box of tissues and lo-tion (to which I say hey, do what you gotta do). But if this sounds like a nightmare, find something fun to do. Yes, all your taken friends will have plans, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do something exciting. Hang out with single friends. Go out and get that new Xbox game. Make it a “Mad Men” marathon night. Try that craft you saw on Pinterest and have been meaning to attempt. Fly out to Colorado and toke one for single-hood! Just do something. Sitting at home wallowing in sorrow is not the way anyone wants to spend the 14th. The National Retail Association estimates that this year, on average, a lover will spend $130 on a sweetheart. Consider yourself lucky. Maybe you can spend some of the $130 you saved on yourself in celebration. Everybody needs to splurge here and there. Perhaps the 14th is your day to do it! No matter how lonely you get, contacting former flames is a pretty bad idea. If your ex is a dropout alco-holic bum with no future, this really shouldn’t be an is-sue. However, if you still have feelings for an ex, contact on such a holiday is an ultimate mistake. You’ll just look weak or desperate. There will be other days for dysfunctional dialogue, but the lover’s holiday is not that day. If you have to lock your phone in a drawer or shut it off, do it. Don’t lower your self-confidence for a loser, they are an ex for a reason! Finally, consider that maybe you don’t have to spend this holiday alone. If you’ve had your eye on this one re-ally cute girl for a while, seriously, make your move. The worst that could happen is that you do end up spending the 14th single, which was going to happen anyway. Don’t wait around for the day to arrive and get over-whelmed by commercialism and gooey romance that you’re not a part of. Make a plan, and the day will be over soon enough. Then we can get back to hating the cold and complaining about homework. v

Column: Love SucksA single’s guide to surviving a disgustingly romantic holiday

Love is in the air ... or not

Wednesday, February 7

christinaclark

SteffeyMandi

By MANDI STEFFEYColumnist

Our Michigan-dwelling and med-ical marijuana card-holding friends at IU South Bend might be a little peeved to know that they can’t go to the store to pick up pot anymore. On Feb. 8, the Michigan Supreme Court passed (heh heh, get it?) a law prohibiting patient-to-patient sales in marijuana dispensaries, which has been common in the industry up until now. According to the Huffington Post, card-holding medical marijua-na patients in Michigan now have two options: grow it themselves or purchase from a licensed caregiver. This has been the rule since 2011, but now, with the Supreme Court ruling, prosecutors have the right to shut down any marijuana dis-pensary that facilitates patient-to-patient sales. It’s seen as a victory to many law enforcement officials wor-ried about dispensaries en-croaching on the territories of schools and churches, but there are two sides to every story. According to the Oakland Press, Michigan Attorney Gen-eral Bill Schuette said medi-cal marijuana was legalized in Michigan to help the ill, not to encourage “unrestricted retail marijuana sales,” like the ones made in dispensaries. The law passed on Friday says caregivers can still provide marijuana to up to five pa-tients and are allowed to keep 12 plants in a locked place. So, technically, users may still be able to buy in a store-like setting, but not like the candy shop-esque dispensaries that exist now with huge jars full of green buds with exotic names. Some say the law is too new to in-terpret clearly, and many dispensary owners plan to keep their doors open until they get shut down. The bottom line is that while these traditional dispensaries are now illegal, the law is a little hairy. The new law passed with a 4-1 vote, with the lone opponent, Jus-tice Michael Cavanagh, realizing the obvious. “Qualified patients who are in need of marijuana for medical use, yet do not have the ability to either cultivate marijuana or find a trust-worthy caregiver, are…deprived of an additional route,” quoted The Oakland Press of a statement Ca-

Medical marijuana users in Michigan: Grow it yourself or get it from a caregiver

vanagh made. Why didn’t the other voters lis-ten to Cavanagh? He raises a good point. People suffering from termi-nal illnesses, like cancer, who don’t happen to know a caregiver or have the knowledge or resources to grow marijuana themselves, are going to be without their medicine. Likewise, other card-carrying users with less serious conditions without grow know-how or connections to a care-

giver might be driven to buy medi-cal marijuana illegally. With less “le-gal” options available, the demand isn’t going to come down to match that. Medical marijuana’s presence on the black market will grow. Isn’t this the opposite of what was supposed to happen when Michigan passed the law to legalize medical marijuana in 2008? Keep the weed safe, off the streets and in the hands of people who need it and know what they’re doing. Granted, some dispensaries in Michigan might have been contrib-uting to undesirable unrestricted sales, but at least most of it was safe and users weren’t forced to buy it in a dark alley. Most people who

own dispensaries know what they’re doing—they know how to grow a quality product and have a passion for the plant. Should we really be shutting these places down? Michi-gan gained $9.9 million in revenues from medical marijuana last year, a vast profit considering the program only cost $3.6 million to operate last year. Limiting users to self-grown product and caregivers might cause the popularity of the program to go down, which could cut into profit.

Although it’s ideally safer to lim-it users to growing their own weed or buying it from some-one who is licensed to grow it, it could potentially backfire. If users decide to grow their own, they run the risk of growing it improperly, which could lead to a lower-quality marijuana that doesn’t satisfy their medical needs. Counties in Michiana affect-ed by the bill, like Berrien and Cass, have a patient-to-caregiv-er ratio that can be sustained by the new law. According to Michigan.gov, Berrien County had about twice as many pa-tients as caregivers in 2012. If the patients can find one of these caregivers, they should be fine. On the other hand, St. Joseph County in Michigan has 783 patients and only 257 caregivers, which is stretching things a bit thin when com-

pared to other counties. The law has potential to run into problems. Although law enforce-ment officials in Michigan see it as a saving grace, some patients who truly need the medicine might have to go without when their neighbor-hood dispensaries shut down—this would be the worst potential effect of the bill. As far as it seems, the law is still hairy and it might be hard for officials to define what a dispensary is and isn’t. So, Michigan users, re-joice—you may still be able to pick up your product from the safety of the store, but perhaps not for long. v

By CHRISTINA CLARK Columnist

Due to recent fluctuations in the weather we’ve had this winter, I’d like to reaffirm something that I’ve been keeping to myself lately: climate change isn’t real. Nothing about the recent weather makes me believe it more strongly than I do now. The facts point to normal weather patterns: it is Feb-ruary, and it is cold outside. Of course there are going to be warmer and cooler days. Even a few 50 de-gree days in January can be com-pletely normal. The sea levels are actually much lower than we think they are. Mea-surements weren’t formally taken for a very long time, and the ac-curacy is extremely hard to gauge. Can we really trust sonar technol-ogy? Sonar is what bats use to fig-ure out distance, and bats are blind. Whales also use it, and end up on beaches. How are we to know that the sea levels haven’t actually fallen in recent times? Our coasts show no damage or extreme erosion from higher waves lapping at them, and certainly no structural damage has been felt by storms on either of our coasts. Certainly no storms of Biblical proportion have met our shores. Have some of the po-lar ice caps melted? Gla-ciers in north-ern countries started to shrink? Of course. That is the natural progression of the Earth’s warming and cooling cycle. Those glaciers and ice caps need to relo-cate, and the only way that they can is by melting slowly, and re-freezing elsewhere. Migrant ice is all around us in forms of precipitation. We need to let it travel and flow as the elements allow. Some have approached me ask-ing, “But Christina, aren’t the emis-sions from factories and automo-biles harmful to the atmosphere?

Climate change: A SatireWhat about greenhouse gases?” To that I just smile. “Greenhouse gas-es? Oh you mean oxygen and hu-midity.” Alas, “greenhouse gases” was just a term created to make the average citizen feel guilty for driv-ing their vehicles to and from work. They would have us ride our bikes, carpool and take public transporta-tion to keep these “greenhouse gas-es” to a minimum. Seriously? Who can afford the time to network rides these days? “Greenhouse gases” are a mythi-cal poison, much like “iocaine pow-der” from “The Princess Bride” and “Chamella extract” from “Battlestar Galactica.” The only gases in a greenhouse are oxygen, carbon di-oxide and of course, water vapor. Have storms gotten more in-tense? Or are we just reporting on them more heavily to make us think that they are more intense? Hasn’t weather always been exciting? Hur-ricanes will always be devastating to coastal towns, and getting a warm rain in January will always throw people in the Northern Hemi-sphere for a loop. Is there snow on the ground right now? Yes. So quit worrying about the weather. She’s a moody one, that weather maker, and she’ll do as she pleases. The idea that hu- man activ-

ity has any bearing on what the cli-mate is like, or weather patterns are at any given season, is just an ex-ample of

illusory superiority. We are mere hu-mans. How can we have any effect on the way this planet runs itself ? Climate change isn’t real. The planet is in a state of warming, and it will soon be in a state of cooling. Indiana has seen both sides of that coin this winter and as long as the weather still cools, we’re in no dan-ger whatsoever. Melting ice caps? Greenhouse gases? Recycling? Seri-ously? This just seems a bit ridicu-lous to me. Fact: Climate change is not real. v

“Greenhouse gases” are a mythical poison, much

like “iocaine powder” from “The Princess Bride” and “Chamella extract” from “Battlestar Galactica.”

The future looks dim for Michigan Medicinal Marijuana dispensariesPhoto courtesy of Creative Com-mons, photographer Neeta Lind

Wednesday, February 13 8

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