VALLEYTHEVANGUARD Saginaw Valley State University’s student newspaper since 1967Monday, September 26, 2011 Vol. 44 No. 4

news tips/press releases vanguard@svsu.edu newsroom (989) 964-4482 advertising (989) 964-4248 visit us online at valleyvanguardonline.com

History isn’t just a focus on the past, but rather an understanding of how and why things happen in today’s world.

Brad Jarvis, associate professor of history, said that an understanding of the past explains a lot in the present.

“In order to get a true understanding of today’s world, current affairs, the politics and why things are the way they are, knowing the history is a must,” he said.

“History is a door-opener,” he said. “You learn important skills such as writing techniques, critical thinking skills that might not be occupation specific, but are traits that all employers are looking for.”

Most students looking for a job regarding history look to the K-12 teaching positions open and often go through the history education major. However the demand for K-12 history jobs across the country has been weak in recent years, with Michigan being exceptionally low on demand for such positions.

S o m e students also choose to go to graduate school and pursue a career in academia.

T h o m a s R e n n a , professor of history, spoke about the i m p o r t a n c e of having a strong faculty in the history d e p a r t m e n t for students who wish to continue their education.

“The quality of our faculty is what really makes this program stand out,” he said. “It is very important for letters of recommendation to come from quality scholars, and we have a number of senior scholars here on staff.”

Jeremy Killion, history junior, also spoke of how the courses have been very helpful in preparing him for both graduate school and his career goal of being a history professor.

“The courses themselves involve quite a bit of research and writing,” he said. “In grad school and as a professor, you will be involved in a lot of research and writing, so the history courses and faculty really help prepare you for this.”

Each faculty member has a specified knowledge of an area of history. For example, one professor may focus in

ancient history while another may

concentrate on U.S. Civil War history.

Renna said that the faculty

are willing to assist those students

who are thinking about pursuing post-

bachelor’s studies.“Our staff is

aggressive in helping students who are serious

about going to grad school,” he said. “The faculty has a huge commitment to this

school, and I am always impressed with amount of help that is given to students.”

Killion also spoke of the help students receive from the

history faculty. “I get pretty good career advice

from the professors as well as advice on choosing and getting

You don’t have to hide your kids or hide your wife any longer, as campus crime is on the decline.

“I feel very safe,” said Brittany Lagalo, an undecided sophomore. “I’ve never had anything happen to me to scare me.”

In fact, there has been a steady decrease in crime during the last four years.

According to the Saginaw Valley State Campus Police website, breaking and entering has been on the decline since 2008 when there were 25 reported cases. In 2009 there were 18 such cases, and last year the total was nine.

Larceny is also down. In 2008, there were 101 reported cases, 71 in 2009 and 99 last year.

These numbers are down in comparison to other universities such as Grand Valley State University. According to the Grand Valley State campus police website, there were 80 cases of larceny in 2007, 119 in 2008, and in 2009, there were 83.

One of the higher profile cases happened in April when three men were caught on security cameras breaking into rooms in living centers and stealing items. Soon after one man was caught and another was held at Oakland University because of a warrant before Saginaw Valley police picked him up.

This month, twelve crimes have been reported, ranging from assault to larceny.

“It feels pretty safe until you hear about those rare occurrences where someone breaks into a place or pulls a weapon,” said Nick Zuber, a criminal justice junior. “Those instances bring some doubt into your mind that make you wonder what you’d do if you found yourself in that situation.”

Campus police believe that a change in the way they handle calls may be one reason why the overall campus crime rate is going down.

“We find out if [the criminal(s)] are still there, and respond to the scene,” said Sgt. Marc Strain. “We answer the who, what, when and where questions. Then we look for prints and any evidence.”

Another possible cause for the drop in crime are the prevention classes. If you are walking alone at night, you can call the police station and get an escort to ensure your safety. There are alcohol awareness classes and a series of RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) classes.

“I wish there was better lighting at night,” Lagalo said. “When you’re walking alone at night, campus can seem really sketchy.”

Students should use the emergency call boxes located around campus if they see an unsafe situation developing. With a campus smaller than most other universities in Michigan, police are able to reach call boxes within minutes.

This reassures some students.“Everywhere you go on campus you feel safe,” Zuber said. “You

see police cars a lot, too, so it’s good to know they are there.”

There are nearly 2,000 more females than males at SVSU, one of the largest such disparities in the state and larger than the national average.

According to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), reports from the 2008-09 and 2009-10 academic years indicate that on average, 57.15 percent of students enrolled in postsecondary institutions are females and 42.85 percent are males.

At SVSU, data from Fall 2011 enrollment showed that 59.2 percent of students are female, while only 40.8 percent are male. Similarly, Grand Valley State University’s Fall 2011 enrollment female to male ratio is 59-41.

These averages line up with enrollment statistics for the state of Michigan. Students in Michigan’s postsecondary institutions according to the same report from IPEDS are 56.69 percent females and 43.31 percent males.

However, there are also schools within Michigan that have gender gaps below the national and state averages. Central Michigan University’s Fall 2011 enrollment female to male ratio was 54-46 and Western Michigan University had almost no gender gap at all, with a ratio of 51-49.

Emily Taylor, professional technical writing junior, has only noticed a gender gap in some of her classes.

“I think it depends a lot on the class you’re in,” she said, “It always seems pretty even in gen eds.”

Taylor has noticed more females than males in her English and communication classes and more males than females in her economics courses.

“From my experience, guys seem to generally be more interested in business and finance,” she said, “while girls take more language-based classes.”

SVSU’s Fall 2011 enrollment data shows that 9.1 percent of females are majoring in pre-nursing, 5.1 percent in Nursing, 4.8 percent pre-elementary education, 4.2 percent

in special education, 3.6 percent in psychology and 3.6 percent in pre-occupational therapy.

This data also showed that 6.7 percent of males are majoring in criminal justice,

5 percent are undecided, 4.9 percent in mechanical engineering, 4.1 percent in management, 4 percent in exercise science and 3.5 percent in accounting.

Kim Keller, mathematics junior, has noticed primarily males in her math courses.

“In my MATH 262 Differential Equations class there are only 10

students,” she said. “Six of these students are male and the remaining four

are females.”From these experiences, Keller believes

that the female to male ratio becomes flipped in different programs agreeing.

“Although the overall ratio between men and women at SVSU is female dominant,” Keller said, “certain majors and programs tend to have a reciprocal ratio.”

Ann Coburn-Collins, director of adjunct faculty support programs, said that she believes it’s difficult to explain the reasons that certain majors and courses are more female dominant and vice versa.

“As you look at these majors, you can see that they are gender typed,” she said. “As a result, once a student graduates from one of these majors and enters the work force, occupational segregation occurs.”

Coburn-Collins added that when the majority of people occupying an occupation is of one gender, people are directly or indirectly pressured to follow certain career paths.

There are several potential causes this gap, with sociologists split over whether or not it is caused by gender or racial bias.

According to Bernice Sander, senior scholar at the Women’s Research and Education Institute, middle- and upper-class men and women attend college in about the same percentages.

Sander stated that some people believe the cause of the gap is actually among the poor, where studies show that young men might prefer higher construction wages rather than going to college, and women might have more limited options outside of college in terms of jobs with decent salaries.

Michael Kimmel, author of “Manhood In America,” believes it could be a race issue, stating that 37 percent of black college students are male and 63 percent are female, 45

As a student entering a culturally diverse world, learning a language opens doors for career and personal success.

SVSU offers courses for students who want to experience other cultures through language.

The University offers language courses such as Spanish, French, Arabic and Chinese.

“In order to learn a language you must learn a culture, the two cannot be separate,” said Yang Liu, international student adviser and Chinese language instructor.

Speaking a different language tends to open doors for students that otherwise would remain closed.

“My goal is to gather interest in the language and with the language you get the culture as well,” Liu said.

She has been teaching Chinese to students since 2007 and believes that learning a language is crucial.

Learning a foreign language can have an effect on a student’s travel plans, cultural insights and business opportunities.

“Because I really like the idea that Chinese is one of the most fluent languages,” said junior Julie Harbuck. “I wanted to be able to say that I am able to speak both English and Chinese.”

Sommaya Alayan, an adjunct faculty member, teaches the Arabic Culture and Language course.

“The reason to learn Arabic is that it has such a rich culture, and you form a bond by being able to speak their language,” she said.

Alayan suggested that learning a language allows students to better understand a culture.

“Without culture you cannot learn the language, the culture I find is the biggest motivation for students who want to learn more about the language,” she said.

She added that many concepts and suggestions from the media can be misleading or wrong and that she wants to “have the ability to present my culture and spread my knowledge to people.”

Foreign language has become a qualification for many jobs as employers ask if interviewees have any experience in a second or third language.

The more languages people are fluent in, the better their capability becomes with handling people of other nationalities, and becoming a part of a larger group in their careers.

“A foreign language can help you achieve positions in really any job prospect,” said Elizabeth Calloway, a theatre junior.

“For instance if you work for a business based in Mexico, by speaking Spanish, you’ll be able to effectively communicate with their partners, customers, and employees which in return helps their business,” she said.

INSIDE | A6Directors and producers come to Bay City this weekend for a

film festival

Graphic | Josh H

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See Gender, A2

See History, A2

History majors look toward future

Reported crime rates dropping

By Blake Allenvanguard staff Writer

By Chris olivervanguard staff Writer

By Joey olivervanguard staff Writer

By Brandon Cadotte

vanguard staff Writer

Foreign languages speak success

Gender gap grows

The Valley Vanguard 125 Curtiss Hall campus editors Brandy aBraham and joshua j. roesner e-mails BmaBraha@svsu.edu and jjroesne@svsu.edu office (989) 964-2629

News coverage continued from page 1

Page A2| Monday, September 26, 2011 | valleyvanguardonline.com | The Valley Vanguard

valleyvanguardonline.comvanguard@svsu.edu

accepted into grad school,” he said. “A couple of years ago, we even put together a discussion panel for graduate school where students and some faculty talked about grad schools and how to get accepted into them.”

There are a number of

internships in the Great Lakes Bay region that look for students in the history program.

Public and private organizations look for students to fill internships at museums, libraries, historical sites and archive management settings.

Jarvis spoke about the importance of internships and how they open doors for students while still in school.

“I have had students who

have gone on to do internships at libraries or museums and they get hired into a full-time position while they are still in school,” he said.

Renna said that internships are the best sort of experience a student can have going into the job field or going into graduate school.

“There is nothing better than an internship,” he said. “Any kind of internship even

loosely related to your major greatly improves your resume.”

Renna also spoke extensively on the benefits of a history minor.

“A minor in history shows that you have a broader perspective than just what you major in,” he said. “And I recommend students speaking to their faculty advisers to see if it’s right for them.”

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

Minor in PossessionAt 1:03 a.m. Friday, Sept. 16, a male student from Living Center Southwest reported that his roommate might have overdosed on drugs. When officers arrived, the male admitted that he did drugs at an off campus party and was intoxicated. The male was taken to the hospital and issued a minor in possession.At 2:35 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, a female student in University Village heard someone trying to open all of the doors in her apartment. After the suspect tried her locked door, she opened her door and warned she was going to call the police. She saw a male in the hallway and called police. When officers arrived the front door was locked but the back door was not. She gave a description of the male and police contacted a male who fit the description. He was intoxicated and the resident said he was not the intruder. However, the male was issued a minor in possession. When officers were issuing him his ticket they saw another male run through the University Village in his undergarments. Police chased him and found him hiding in the bushes. The female resident identified him as the intruder, and he was arrested for unlawful entry and received a minor in possession.At 3:15 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19, police recognized a male driver whose license was suspended. When the officer approached the vehicle there was a strong marijuana odor. The 20-year-old male admitted to smoking and there was marijuana in the vehicle. He was arrested and taken to jail for driving under the influence of drugs and a suspended license.At 5:55 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19, a vehicle was parked in the walkway at University Village. An officer asked to see if they needed aid and could smell marijuana. The two males admitted to smoking but there was not any in the car. They were cited for illegal parking.At 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, an officer on foot patrol in J-3 lot noticed a car full of kids and could see a lighter repeatedly being lit. When the officer approached the vehicle there was a strong marijuana odor and the vehicle was full of smoke. The officer found 10 leftover joints and the case was turned to Student Conduct.False AlarmAt 8:57 a.m. Friday, Sept. 16, the fire alarm in the laundry room in University Village was set off.

svsu.edu/vanguard

about ussince 1967, The valley vanguard has provided coverage of campus and communiTy happenings To sTudenTs, faculTy, sTaff and communiTy residenTs free of charge. an online ediTion of The paper is availaBle aT valleyvanguardonline.com and is updaTed weekly during The fall and winTer.

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

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toni boger, ediTor-in-chief

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policebriefs

Historycontinued from A1

corrections and additions

if you see an error, please leT us know as soon as possiBle By conTacT-ing ediTor-in-chief Toni Boger aT (989) 964-4482 or vanguard@svsu.edu. in addiTion To prinTing a correcTion in our prinT ediTion, The online version of The sTory will reflecT The correcTion.

percent of Hispanic students are male compared to 55 percent female, and 51 percent of white students are female while 49 percent are male.

Another potential cause could be that there are more qualified women than men applying to colleges.

Sander said that for almost as long as people have kept data, females at both K-12 and at colleges tend to get better grades than males.

She said that many believe it isn’t necessarily that women are more intelligent, but instead, many women have better study skills than men.

University Health Center is only steps away!

Make it your first choice for your health care.

Gendercontinued from A1

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It turned out to be a false alarm.At 9:34 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, a fire alarm went off in Living Center North. When officers arrived, the room was full of smoke because an item on a stove caught on fire. The residents said that the stove randomly gets turned on because the refrigerator door hits the stove’s knob. Maintenance took care of the problem.Roommate DisputeAt 10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, a male student from First Year Suites reported that his suitemate threatened him due to an issue that occurred with his ex-girlfriend. On Sunday, Sept. 18, the male student reported again that his roommate was threatening and slamming things around in the apartment. The case was turned over to Housing.At 2:15 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19, two female students filed a complaint against their roommate because she threatened them after they did not clean the refrigerator. The case was turned over to Housing.At 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, a female student reported that her roommate has her friend over when she is trying to sleep and are loud in the living room. One night she slammed her door shut and was confronted by the roommate after she slammed the door. The female left for the C-store and the roommate followed her saying inappropriate things. The case was turned over to Housing. SlanderAt 8 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, a female Homecoming representative received posts on her Facebook page from another student that were inappropriate. Officers made contact and the male admitted to making the comments. The case was turned over to Student Conduct.

News and events from on and around campus

The Valley Vanguard | valleyvanguardonline.com | Monday, September 26, 2011 | Page A3

courtyardthe

The Valley Vanguard 125 Curtiss Hall campus editors Brandy aBraham and joshua j. roesner e-mails BmaBraha@svsu.edu and jjroesne@svsu.edu office (989) 964-2629

valleyvanguardonline.comvanguard@svsu.edu

Sometimes, before you can look forward, you must look back.

Last Thursday, Henry Louis Gates Jr. addressed the significance of genealogy in his presentation, “Faces of America: The Genealogy of Racial Harmony.”

Gates is the director of African-American research at Harvard University. As a scholar and author, he has been involved with some of the first scholarly online resources in the field of African-American studies.

Gates has been a driving force behind projects to help African-Americans trace their genealogy back to their tribal roots.

These programs have previously shown the genealogy of public figures such as Oprah Winfrey, Chris Rock, Don Cheadle, Morgan Freeman, Tina Turner, Peter Gomes and Maya Angelou.

The short trailer for “African-American Lives” inspired those in attendance at the Malcolm Field Theater or those listening to the live simulcast next door in the Rhea Miller Recital Hall.

Gates described his personal interest in the ABC miniseries Roots, depicting the lives of an African-American family as a connection to his own views. This interest lead to an interest in genealogy.

He said Jane Gates, his maternal ancestor, a slave whose picture he saw in a newspaper saved by his grandfather, also inspired him.

After reading her obituary, Gates said his father didn’t want him to forget her name.

It was this driving interest that lead to the creation of ancestry databases.

In 2000, Gates learned of a DNA process that traces genetic ancestry to its region of origin. Work done with this process has led to the creation of comprehensive African-American heritage databases.

Since then, Gates has partnered with 23andme.com, a website which allows people of

any race to purchase a testing kit. The website, 23andme.com, is named for the

23 pairs of chromosomes in human DNA. This self-administered kit allows people to

map their genealogy, and in this way, he wanted students to benefit from the information available to them.

He supports the development of science programs in inner-city schools, aiming to help minority students understand their roots.

Gates believes that this approach will help foster self-interest in the science of genetics.

“Your favorite topic is yourself,” he said.In his research, Gates looks into the racial

commonalities that exist between every person.Gates said that the average African-American

is 77.6 percent African, 17.9 percent European and 4.9 percent Native American. One-third of all African-Americans have Y-DNA that originates from Europe, implying a white male ancestor.

“We have to consider ourselves global,” he said.

He suggests that thinking progressively about racial harmony will serve to ease existing tensions within the United States.

Gates had once been involved in an incident where unfair racial tensions lead to an arrest.

In 2009, he was arrested for breaking and entering into a suburban Cambridge home by Officer James Crowley, who was responding to a 911 call by a neighbor. The house he was accused of burglarizing was his own.

Gates hoped it could be a learning opportunity about racial assumption.

“I hope it made people more sensitive to both racial profiling in America as well as police fears,” he said.

He was angered for having been arrested in his home, but understand that racial tension still exists.

“We were two men that fit the description and when the officer responded on the scene he saw us with open suitcases,” Gates said.

Self-described hip hop preacher Eric Thomas gives his 120 percent and motivates students’ to be involved in their own lives.

“You might have a 4.0 GPA here,” Thomas said during an event held last Monday, “but you will be competing against other people out there.”

Thomas wanted students to see the big picture about college success.

As a graduate student at Michigan State, he told students that as a high school dropout, chance and determination pushed him toward a future.

“I went to night school and I realized it’s important to believe that it’s something you can accomplish,” he said.

Thomas said that self-motivation is a “secret to success” because if people are willing to go get a dream then they are going to get somewhere.

“One important thing is to have a goal,” said Kari Lewis, applied studies major. “And if you don’t have one you won’t get anywhere.”

Thomas said that students stop themselves for succeeding every time they go out to party instead of studying.

“If you don’t take this seriously, you are one step farther from your goal,” he said.

Thomas said that college is not high school. He remembered that when the high school football team lost a game, everyone’s head went down.

“If you get a C, you better have your head down,” he said. “You fumbled, and that’s it.”

In college, Thomas realized he was writing long research papers for class but nothing for himself.

He wrote “The Secret to Success” in the hopes to continue motivating students from college presentations.

“I’ve been writing for them for years, and so I thought I should write for myself,” he said

Thomas wanted students to realize that comparing GPAs and test scores doesn’t matter, but that competition in the world does.

“Even if you see it, you have to realize it’s still going to be hard and that one test score isn’t everything you can do,” he said.

“I felt like I was going down the right track, and this is just confirmation,” Smith said. “It shows that education is everything.”

His college teachers made him learn things that did not seem important. He said that students should realize those are skills they can use in the future.

“I am going to go see tutors and get extra help when I need it,” Lewis said.

Thomas explained that as a high school dropout that his future means everything. He said that it was his past that pushed him to achieve more than his parents had.

“You look back at the past and then look at the future,” he said.

After the presentation, students could be heard saying, things like “I’m not giving 120 percent; I’m giving 200.”

The event was sponsored by program board, academic advising and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.

“Studying hard might be smart, but studying smart is absolutely brilliant!” is the slogan for an academic success program started this semester.

Tutoring for Academic Progress, T.A.P., is a program meant for all students who may need help with a particular course, strengthening their study skills or are ‘A’ students looking for that ‘A+.’

“We want to help students become better students,” said Ann Coburn-Collins, director of the office of adjunct faculty support.This program provides students with both one-on-one and group tutoring sessions with a professional tutor who teaches in their

content area. “All tutors are members of the adjunct faculty with degrees,” Coburn said. “ They are professionals who have had experience in

this area in order to get where they are now.”For the fall semester, there are five subjects being offered: COMM 105, ECON 125, HST-100 (B, C, D, E,), PSYC 100 and SOC 111

& 112.“This program was made in order to narrow in and focus on the courses where first year freshmen have the greatest challenge,”

said Charles Davenport, coordinator of Tutoring for Academic Success“This is sort of like a pretest,” Coburn said. “If

we are successful, we will add more classes.”There is a possibility that students may be hired

as mentors as the program grows.“The tutors are going to triage different

problems to find where students have strengths and weaknesses and go from there,” Coburn said.

“We want to see what works and what doesn’t,” said Davenport.

This program is aimed at helping students strengthen skills in many areas of study.

“It’s not always the content that’s the problem,” Coburn said.

Students who attend T.A.P. can take away skills such as how to take better notes during lectures to tackling the assigned book and material through critical reading.

“Time management is also an issue,” Coburn said. “First year freshmen come in to all this free time and don’t know how to manage it.”

“We want students to start working smarter and become more successful,” Davenport said.

T.A.P. is located on the third floor of Zahnow Library. Currently, sessions and times are limited, but necessary hours will be added. All walk-ins are welcome, but appointments come first.

“Tutoring for academic progress is an important piece but not the only piece,” Davenport said “Students should take advantage of all services available to them.”

“We encourage students to come see us,” Coburn said.

The gospel ofmotivation

Getting by with some extra helpBy Brandy Abraham vanguard campus editor

Vanguard photo | Jess Ellison

Gates spoke about the importance of recognizing the past as a means of moving forward race relations within the US forward. He also assists African-Americans in geneology research.

Vanguard photo | Tyler Bradley

Randi Sopczynski (left) and Ashley Schaar (right) work together on math homework as part of the tutoring program.

Racial history important to future understandingBy Tyler Krzyzaniakvanguard staff Writer

By Katie Head vanguard staff Writer

The Valley Vanguard 125 Curtiss Hall vanguard@svsu.edu editor-in-chiefToni Boger office (989) 964-4482 e-mail acBoger@svsu.edu

Page A4| Monday, September 26, 2011 | valleyvanguardonline.com | The Valley Vanguard

opinion

valleyvanguardonline.com

This week, we highlighted the gap between men and women who attend college. Nationally, the average is

57 percent women and 43 percent men enrolled in a postsecondary institution.

This is an interesting shift for us because it’s a reflection of the times. The days of the “M.R.S.” degree have disappeared as women have options to attend school and work toward their bachelor, master or Ph.D degrees.

We find this gap interesting because in the SVSU degree programs, there are degrees women and men are more interested in that tend to fit what we consider gender stereotypes.

The programs studied most by females include nursing and education. Most males choose criminal justice, mechanical engineering and management.

While women and men are accepted into every program, we agreed that many of these career paths may just be of interest to one gender more than the other, and that is also a reflection of the times.

It would have been a laughable idea 40 or 50 years ago for women to go into mechanical engineering and for men to go into nursing; today,

the idea to choose your career based on interest and not gender is widely accepted. We are encouraged to study what interests us, regardless of any societal rules that once existed.

There was also some argument that the gap was more in the lower classes than in the middle and upper classes. But we see it as more of a reflection of today’s rough economy and its effects on all classes.

But with this change, it’s also worrisome that women make less than men in their careers despite their qualifications. Why is this still the norm? To answer this, we continued to discuss the impacts of the economy.

There may very well be more qualified women capable of performing well in their careers, but the economy is hardly in a state that would allow the mass hiring of anyone, let alone qualified women. Instead, the rules that once applied in

the hiring process still apply. We anticipate that this gap in

the pay rates will shift to more of a balance as more qualified women graduate than qualified men. We view this change positively, especially when it’s put into perspective of women 100 or 50 years ago.

One hundred years ago, women weren’t allowed to vote. Fifty years ago, women couldn’t open a bank account without the permission of their husbands and in some places, couldn’t be seated in restaurants without a man. Today, women can pursue a college degree in their interests and passions.

We think that this gap isn’t necessarily a negative thing, but instead, a reflection of the evolving societal and cultural expectations of women and of the ripple effects from the state of today’s economy.

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The Vanguard Vision | vanguard@svsu.edu

Labels can be powerful, especially when they’re applied to whole groups of

people, and if there is one label young adults should fear the most it’s “the lost generation.”

We’re hearing this generational tag increasingly from journalists, pundits and economists to describe the generation of folks in their 20s and 30s who are by most reports experiencing the highest unemployment in America since the mid-1940s.

When people call a generation lost, it is as if they have already given up. It’s terribly pessimistic. What kind of hope is there for a generation that’s already lost?

Maybe this is the new normal, some in the press are saying. Maybe Americans will have to accustom themselves to a lower standard of prosperity.

The more I hear it, the more I realize such talk has all the trappings of a self-fulfilling prophecy. If this generation buys into the lost generation label, then what they see is what they get.

Here are some of the trends reported in the Associated Press after the release of the latest census data: Compared to previous generations, today’s young adults experience more unemployment or underemployment, taking jobs other than the ones they went to school for. Fewer are buying homes, instead choosing to rent or move back in with their parents. They’re also putting off marriage longer and more often raising children out of wedlock.

The economic reality for young adults is dismal – I’ve seen it myself. A fair number of college graduates I know have entry-level career jobs in their field, but more of them are bartending, waiting tables, cashiering at convenience stores or substitute teaching. A good number of

them are living at home or splitting apartment rentals with roommates. Several young parents are raising children in the grandparent’s home, which can help everyone involved if the family dynamic is healthy.

Most graduates I know have significant amounts of money owed for college debt. If they’re not finding work, they’re seeking a graduate program, usually one close to home. They figure they can put off paying on their debt while gaining another credential, but they end up owing more than before. They have hope that the economy will turn around by the time they finish graduate school.

Many of us in the so-called “lost generation” are surely aware that our prospects for the future may not be as good or better than they were for our parents. But many of us are not resigning ourselves to this fate. As an adult in my early 30s, I have much more life ahead of me. I’ll not be giving up so easily.

We could be the ones to change the course, to start bringing the country out of the first depression of the 21st century, but we have to learn from the previous generation’s decisions and the consequences of those decisions.

When previous generations label today’s young adults the “lost generation,” surely they must remember that it was they who did the losing.

Their lost generation has not been voting long enough to contribute significantly to the devastating trends we’re all experiencing. Sure, their intentions were to make a better economic future, but that’s not the reality of our situation at present.

Good intentions aren’t much consolation for the diminished opportunities we’re facing at present.

Young people do risk buying into the same dogmas as their

predecessors when it comes to the economic policies that brought us to this point. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue because the compromises the parties reach on spending, taxing and regulating have ultimately hurt our economy, so they are both complicit.

When people speak of the low approval rating of Congress and the president, it’s not the individual politician that they don’t seem to trust – it’s the decision-making they’ve learned to question.

Granted, politicians are not necessarily economic experts, but they employ them in their decision-making. Years of expert knowledge have led us to our present economic circumstances.

Young people would do well to treat politicians and economic experts with more scrutiny than in previous generations. Instead of giving tried theories more credit than they are worth, I hope young people start giving more credence to business owners when it comes to what really works in the marketplace.

Before the 20-somethings and 30-somethings decide they are the lost generation, they should stop and have more faith in themselves. When economic times are difficult, we may feel as though we have little control over our circumstances, but that is not necessarily the reality of the situation. We do have the power to find the people in our communities with fresh ideas to bring to public office, empowering them to make the decisions we want to redeem our stake in the future. We can choose whom to trust about the workings of business.

Our generation is not lost unless we accept for ourselves that it is.

The issue - Statistics show that there are more women than men who attend college and who work toward a degree.

Our position - We see the gap as a reflection of the current state of our nation as the economy continues with its far-reaching effects and of the changes in society.

A growing ‘lost generation’

Gender gap is a reflection of the times, changes in expectations

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Editorial Cartoon Rashad Baiyasi is a physics and chemistry junior and the Vanguard’s cartoonist. Reach him at ribaiyas@svsu.edu.

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The Valley Vanguard | valleyvanguardonline.com | Monday, September 26, 2011 | Page A5

opinion

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See if you can you answer these questions: How many wins does Justin Verlander have this year?

Who’s your favorite to win “Dancing with the Stars?” Who’s running to be your U.S. senator?

The last one probably took a bit more thought to answer.

Every day, we are bombarded by news that is interesting but has little bearing on our lives. Stations have political headlines that are drowned out by Snooki’s latest antics or a Kardashian engagement.

In order to actually get news about what is going on in the state and national legislature, you click through multiple web links to get to news sources other than CNN, MSNBC and Fox. It may get you some news, but it tends to be more trendy than in-depth coverage.

In a Twitter and iPhone world, it feels like it takes forever to read a three page news article about what the President’s new jobs plan does. It’s much easier to read John Boehner’s or Nancy Pelosi’s tweet about it and call ourselves informed.

Having politicians on Facebook and Twitter is not a bad thing. It makes accessibility and awareness to their constituents more convenient. The problem is considering ourselves informed and forming arguments around 140 characters. Very few can form an intelligent argument with only a few sentences of information.

The general population is falling behind on news that doesn’t have to do with a celebrity. More and more people have no idea whom they are voting for and go for whoever looks like the most popular person.

What has to happen for people to make informed decisions in one of the longest lasting democracies on the planet? We must actively

become more politically aware. Thirty years ago, the news was

on once a day and all the major stories would be about what was going on in the nation and the world. We don’t have the luxury of being spoon-fed stories that pertain to how our representatives and senators are affecting our nation.

I recommend two ways to do be more aware. The first is to grab a newspaper. Just by reading, you’re taking a step in the right direction. Try the New York Times, which is free on campus.

The second is to read Associated Press news and foreign news sources, which have significantly less bias than most domestic news sources. The AP also writes more fairly balanced articles and fact checks politicians from both sides. These are easily found online.

I leave you with a quote about the importance of being informed about government to ponder from Thomas Jefferson: “The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”

Recently, my friends and colleagues have debated the importance of English majors. After all, devoting

time and energy to a career that recent job outlook polls have voted in favor against can make any student uneasy.

Although job outlooks are not exact, they are almost always in the positive for health science and engineering careers. Yet, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t jobs out there.

With library sciences on the rise, online libraries increase in popularity as the technological age commences. With any college course load there is a massive amount of need aimed toward research and study, so the easy use of libraries is key.

But coming back to the question, does that mean that English majors are lazy? No.

Is getting a job a goal or a qualification? This all begins with the misconception that English majors, after earning their undergraduate degrees, will only have reading and writing as skills.

But isn’t reading and writing a major part of all other curriculums? Of course.

Getting a job is ultimately a goal, but it shouldn’t be a qualification in having a successful career.

A common misconception is that choosing a major with a good job outlook will provide job security. This is not true.

If you choose a career in health sciences as a nurse, that doesn’t mean that you will be employed. I strongly believe that students should choose careers in something they enjoy doing.

My previous major and career was in the health professions where I hoped to become a surgeon.

While attending Eastern Michigan University, I realized that I would have to take chemistry.

While attending Davenport University, I discovered that I had trouble with algebra.

In transferring to SVSU, I learned

that the reason I dreaded going to class and the reason I struggled was because I just didn’t enjoy those classes.

And then I learned what an English major must be able to do: write 10-page research papers, devote more than half the day to reading and studying, critically think, be able to apply a theory to a wide range of writing, comprehend texts from the Middle ages, and respect the discipline.

I thought I could do that. And I did for four years.

I learned that being an English major was not easy, and that there should be plenty of jobs out there after graduation. It takes a certain amount of determination to claim mastery over the history of the English language.

But I found that college isn’t just “cut and dry,” you still have to pass algebra and other general education, communication intensive (CI) courses.

One reason I chose to be an English major is because I liked the CI classes. When I was a freshman, I wondered why I was taking general education courses not related to my major, such as criminal justice, philosophy, and statistics.

“I am an English major!” I said. It bothered me to have to buy textbooks that I knew I wouldn’t ever use again.

In deciding on a major in English and professional/technical writing, I thought I would be free of the terrors of advanced math, chemistry and

physics. But that was not the case. I began to see that I would need

to pass the beginner level general education classes to get into advanced CI classes, which I thought was unfair. I needed to pass a prerequisite class with a C average and show my familiarity with the subject and how I can take that subject to the next level in my academic career.

It was at the end of my sophomore year at SVSU that I realized that there was a reason for the CI classes and for two years worth of taking classes not related to my major.

It provides a better insight into a world where the writers finish last; they’re quite literally last to leave a classroom because they can’t help but continue editing an essay. These courses help students put themselves toward a bigger goal and understand the steps in getting there.

Yet, these courses are a beginning, a one-sock-off way to look at people in other career paths and appreciate their work. It gives insight into the over calculated statistics student, the ice-packed physical science student, and weary English majors.

I realized that the reason students must take general education courses is so they will be better prepared for life after college and to respect the work done in other fields.

It is also great to discover something new that a student may want to pursue in their career.

Any student would agree that with any type of course load, there isn’t time to be lazy.

Please Recycle

Vanguard Staff Writer | Opinion

General courses open door to true passions Lacking an informed democracy

Sean Hammond is a political science and chemistry senior and a Vanguard Staff Writer. Reach him at snhammon@svsu.edu

Brandy Abraham is an English and PTW senior and a Vanguard Campus Editor. Reach her at bmabraha@svsu.edu

Vanguard Campus Editor | Opinion

The Valley Vanguard is looking for

STAFF WRITERS

If you are interested these positions, please email vanguard@svsu.edu

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The Valley Vanguard valleyvanguardonline.com125 Curtiss Hall vanguard@svsu.edu A&EEditor Kirsten Mcilvenna officE(989) 964-2629 E-mAil KMMcilve@svsu.edu

Page A6| Monday, September 26, 2011 | valleyvanguardonline.com | The Valley Vanguard

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The independent music and film scene makes its way to Downtown Bay City this weekend.

Hell’s Half Mile Film and Music Festival is in its sixth year. It is a weekend-long event filled with indie music and independent films: narratives, documentaries and shorts.

This three day festival attracts about 2,000 guests who can view more than 10 full-length films and many more short films. The films show at various times at The Masonic Temple, The State Theatre and Delta College Planetarium & Learning Center in downtown Bay City.

“I think it is one of my favorite festivals, and I’ve been to hundreds of festivals,” said Gorman Bechard, writer and director of “Color Me Obsessed.”

Shaun O’Banion, producer of “Girlfriend,” said he enjoys coming to smaller cities without a lot of access to indie films.

“It feels like people are hungrier for that kind of content,” he said.More than 100 films were submitted, and the event programmers

had to narrow them down to fit into one weekend, said Alan LaFave, festival director.

LaFave said that about a dozen of the directors, producers and actors will be present to discuss their experiences.

“It takes you past the experience of just screening the film,” he said.

Bechard will teach two workshops on how to make a quality film on a low budget and how to make a living off it.

Saturday, music from The Crooked Trees of Bay City and Empty Orchestra of Flint will start off the night. Leslie Sisson, a singer from New York will follow. She was at the festival last year as part of Matt Pond PA.

“She’s a great person and a great artist,” LaFave said.Her new album for release in October will be for sale at the festival.The One AM Radio from Los Angeles will be the headliner.“To me it has a Death Cab for Cutie feel, but more electronic,”

LaFave said.Concert tickets are $10 in advance (purchased online at hhmfest.

com) and $12 at the door. Doors open at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1, at The Masonic Temple, Bay City.

For schedule of events, movie trailers, ticket sales and more information, visit hhmfest.com. Among the films playing are:

“The Lake Effect”

Filmed in Michigan, “The Lake Effect” is the story of a man whose second wife wants to get pregnant and whose 18-year-old daughter shows up on his doorstep after a two-year absence and is nine months pregnant.

“He has to figure out how to be a father before he can be a grandfather,” said Tara Miele, writer and director.

The title of the film originates from the way the storm grows as it comes across the lake.

“It reminded me of when family comes to this lake house, everything is heightened,” she said. “When you put your whole family together, things are bound to get crazy.”

The daughter, Celia, is played by Kay Panabaker of “Fame” and “Nancy Drew.”

Miele said that a lot of college aged students might identify with Celia, not because she is pregnant, but because she realizes that it is her last summer as a child.

“It can seem like you need all the help in the world to get through,” she said. “I think Celia is definitely in the middle of all of that.”

Additionally, Miele said that people will be drawn in because it was filmed in southwest Michigan. She said they might recognize a number of locations such as Bell’s Brewery and Heritage Guitar Inc. (formerly Gibson Guitar) in Kalamazoo.

“I’m excited to come back to Michigan and have a bit of encore to show more Michigan people,” Miele said.

For more information on the film visit http://thelakeeffectfilm.com/index.html.

“Color Me Obsessed”

Gorman Bechard, winner of 2009 festival favorite with “Friends (with benefits),” returns to Bay City this year with “Color Me Obsessed,” a documentary about the love for music.

It is about The Replacements, Bechard’s favorite band. He wrote and directed the film.

“I truly believe that they optimize what rock ‘n’ roll is,” he said, “which is complete chaos.”

Bechard didn’t use music from The Replacements in his film and for a good reason.

He said that he came up with an idea that people believe in God without hearing God, so why not the same with The Replacements?

He said he became obsessed with the idea. He used interviews from more than 140 rockers, journalists and fans to make the documentary come to life.

Viewers can substitute any band they love to understand the film because, he explained, when you fall in love with a band they are with you for life.

“That person becomes a part of your family. No matter what they do, they stay with us the rest of our lives,” he said. “If anyone has been passionate about music, come and see this.”

For more information about “Color Me Obsessed” and other Bechard films, visit www.WWWTfilms.com.

“Girlfriend”

“Girlfriend” is about a young man named Evan who has Down syndrome, lives with his mom in a poor working class town and unexpectedly acquires a large sum of money. He chooses to give this money to Candy, a single mother who is about to be evicted and still seeing her abusive boyfriend, in hopes that he can earn her love.

Justin Lerner, writer and director, said he built his film around Evan Sneider, a high school classmate with Down syndrome.

Lerner said that he wanted it to be fictional, but would stay true to Sneider’s personality.

Shaun O’Banion, a producer of the film, said that script affected him emotionally, something that rarely happens.

Sneider, who plays the lead role, is not hindered by his disability, O’Banion said.

“Evan is pretty extraordinary,” he said.“He is able to change people’s perceptions of what they think

Down syndrome is,” he said.For more information about the film, visit girlfriendmotionpicture.

com.

Photo/Greg Helgeson | Courtesy Gorman Bechard

Gorman Bechard’s “Color Me Obsessed” film is a documentary about the band The Replacements (above). The film will show twice at the film festival this weekend. See hhmfest.com for schedules and ticket sales.

Indie festival features film and music

State Capitals Return the puzzles to the Vanguard office, 125 Curtiss Hall, by 6 p.m. Friday with

your name, email and phone number for a chance to win two tickets to Sesame Street Live “Elmo Makes Music” at 1 p.m. Sunday,

October 30.

By Kirsten McIlvennavanguard staff Writer

Down1. bug spray brand2. Nickname for Bridget in “Sisterhood of the

Traveling Pants”3. consumed4. capital of Oregon5. Object Oriented File System6. an annoying child7. section of the hospital8. first part of capital of NM9. antagonist in “The Lion King”10. Horse color coat11. mischievous mythological beings19. find one on the hearth21. Salt Lake City (capital)22. “For Heaven’s ____”23. Lovegood, character24. Spanish love25. What one hopes to become in LA28. to hurt, stomach___, head____29. Linkin Park fan club31. a repossession of property32. Harry gets one from Snape as Snape dies33. kill, as a dragon35. boring40. item for golfing43. beginning of Dakota and Carolina45. Augusta (capital)46. Des Moines (capital)47. do this on a phone48. private college in MI49. Brand of laundry detergent50. female American pianist, redhead53. before or earlier in time than55. Executive of a State, abbr.56. type of rock that is mined57. metabolic rate while doing nothing

Across1. hereditary tribal leaders in Benin region of W. Africa5. Japanese sashes to fasten kimono9. ___ Lanka12. cheese used in Greek salad13. Free Willy is one, type of whale14. the end of most websites15. to touch16. Mr. Tumnus is one17. Association of Academic Physiatrists18. Opposite of west20. Right ones are usually allowed, but not U

22. puts something down violently25. a test high school students take26. or “om,” rounded vowel in Sanskrit27. Stop30. Half of this newspaper section34. It opens a door36. accountant37. part of a shoe38. Governor of West Virginia39. injure41. 2009 Indian film based on rare condition progeria42. ___ Haramix, anime

44. a board for your nails46. Boise (capital)49. Cronus’s mother51. a type of spill recently made by BP52. 500 sheets of paper54. hunch-backed assistant58. old family T.V. channel, “What Adults are Missing”59. three together60. the average or usual situation61. Amercian Library Association62. They make eggs63. comes before “after” and after “Happily”

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CONGRATULATIONS TO LAST WEEK’S WINNER: ZACHARY EICK

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

A full version of this article is available at valleyvanguardonline.com

The Valley Vanguard valleyvanguardonline.com125 Curtiss Hall vanguard@svsu.edu

The Valley Vanguard | valleyvanguardonline.com | Monday, September 26, 2011 | Page A7

a e&

A&EEditor Kirsten Mcilvenna officE(989) 964-2629 E-mAil KMMcilve@svsu.edu

Poets shared their art and “slammed” their way to the top.The biannual Cardinal Sins poetry slam brought in many to the Magic Bean

Café in Saginaw Township on Friday.“A poetry slam is a fancy term for a poetry competition,” said Emily Krueger,

literature senior and editor of Cardinal Sins. “It’s judged on your poem and how well you deliver it.”

Contestants had the option of performing for a noncompetitive open mic portion or competing in a judged portion for money.

Ray Deeren, creative writing and history senior, took first place for the second time in a row. He won $50 and his poem will be published in the next issue.

He said that he wrote his poem 12 hours prior.“They were my thoughts that just came out,” he said. “Slams are usually

confessional poetry, and this fits it well.”Deeren said that his winning poem, “Kids Get It,” is about “looking forward

to having memories.”Second place winner, Preston Hagerman, youth services sophomore, said his

poem “This City” is about how he has transformed.He said that he used to be inspired by Edgar Allen Poe, but is now influenced

more by Allen Ginsberg.Although all the seats were filled, only four students took place in the

competitive portion. Many more performed during the open mic.Krueger explained that the reason for this is that a lot of previous competitors

are now on the Cardinal Sins staff, so they are not allowed to compete.In addition to not being on staff, participants must be SVSU students.“Often times, we get people that don’t go to SVSU that perform for open mic,”

Krueger said.Even those who didn’t participate said they enjoyed the event.“For being our age, they’re really good and very talented,” said Sarah Devitt,

occupational therapy sophomore.Many had advice for students to share their work.“Have confidence in your poetry and make us believe in your poem as much as

you believe in it,” Krueger said. “Performing it is not as scary as it seems.”“Whatever poetic process you use to write should be because you enjoy writing

not because you want to impress anyone,” Hagerman said.Krueger said that she appreciates the support from the café.“They even have a wine selection made just for us called Cardinal Zin,” she

said.Electronic submissions for inclusion in the fall magazine are due 11 p.m.

tonight. Categories include poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, flash fiction, art and photography. Visit svsu.edu/cardinalsins for more information.

Nothing says fall like buying apple cider and doughnuts.There are several apple orchards near SVSU to fulfill your cravings and help you enjoy the season.

Despite all the “wine-ing” there were no sour grapes at Bay City’s 13th Annual Wine Walk.

The Wine Walk attracted around 1,500 “winos” to sample wines and hors d’oeuvres from regions around the world Thursday night. Guests traveled between 15 restaurants and bars in the area.

There were 35 wines available for tasting. Each venue offered a variance of wine from red to white, dry to sweet, bitter to smooth.

I traditionally like dry red wines. The Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile and the Crin Roja Tempranillo Red from Spain were good.

I even enjoyed the dry white wines, my favorite being the Carta White Table Wine from Portugal.

I ventured out and tried some sweet wines that I ended up liking such as the Dillman Dornfeder Sweet Red from Germany and Wild Vines Strawberry White Zinfandel.

There were so many different styles and

flavors it became hard to keep the names straight. By the end of the night many of the wine flavors began to run together, but I found none that failed to please my palette.

I have attended nearly half a dozen wineries in the past year and have yet to sample such a variety in one tasting event.

Even if wine isn’t your forte, you can still have plenty of fun at the Wine Walk.

Local musicians filled the streets with both contemporary and classic songs.

One musician outside of G’s Pizzeria & Deli was setting the mood with some classical Italian themed music on an accordion.

I also came across a singing cowboy equipped with a 10-gallon hat, cowboy boots and an acoustic guitar. He must have wandered a little too far from the ranch.

The venues also presented pleasing atmospheres such as G’s Pizzeria & Deli with its little Italy theme, The Atrium with its Oktoberfest

theme and the Kingfish Restaurant & Tiki Lounge with its tropical Jimmy Buffet style theme.

I found one of the most fascinating venues to be the Princess Wenonah riverboat. Attendees actually boarded the boat and were free to wander down below deck for some wine and seafood or make their way to the upper deck for live music and dancing.

I appreciated the hospitality of the event coordinators who had complementary limos driving around all night ensuring that attendees didn’t miss a thing.

There were also taxi services for a safe ride home and Bay City police driving around the event to ensure everyone enjoyed a responsible night on the town.

The event is definitely something I recommend for all Tri-City winos or anyone out to have some fun.

Carl Angelo Piano Recital• 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 27, in the Rhea Miller Recital Hall, Carl Angelo, adjunct faculty in the music department, will give a piano recital. Free.

Hell’s Half Mile Film and Music Festival• Thursday to Sunday, Sept. 29 to Oct. 2, in downtown Bay City, independent films will be screened and a workshop will offer advice for aspiring filmmakers. Also, 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1, in the court-yard in front of the State Theatre in Bay City there will be live music from indie bands. For schedules and tickets, visit hhmfest.com.

Wiley and the Hairy Man• 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 8, in the Malcolm Field Theatre for Perform-ing Arts, the play “Wiley and the Hairy Man” will premiere. It will also show 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 9; 8 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 12 and 8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 13.

artbriefs

Downtown bay city annual wine walk

Vanguard Photo | Tyler Bradley

Preston Hagerman, youth services sophomore, won second place for his poem “This City” at the Cardinal Sins poetry slam at the Magic Bean Cafe.

Patrick Snyder is a computer information systems senior and Vanguard staff writer.Reach him at pssynder@svsu.edu.

Apple orchards offer more than just applesBaynes Apple Valley Farm in Freeland invites you

to the busy orchard life.They carry salsa, pickles, preserves, pies,

doughnuts and more, all made from apples. They even carry homemade candy and cookies.

The small Cortland Cooler Cafe is nestled inside, which sells many desserts, delicious meals and homemade cider.

Next to the cafe is where they hand dip their caramel and gourmet apples.

The gift shop carries many seasonal gifts and home decor.

Then, outside is a large pumpkin patch that has boxes upon boxes of pumpkins ready for the upcoming month festivities.

Baynes Apple Valley Farm - 5395 Midland Rd., Freeland

The Apple Valley Orchard, located right down the road from SVSU, carries any and all of the fall necessities.

They make their own, very large caramel apples.

“We make about 70 caramel apples a day, and sell just about that much everyday, too,” said Al Sprunger, the owner of the Apple Valley Orchard.

They grow over 25 different varieties of apples.

“Believe it or not, honey crisp apples tend to be the most popular,” Sprunger

said.Even though they sell homemade

caramel apples, they also make a lot of homemade doughnuts and homemade apple cider. They sell traditional and mango apple cider slushies.

The orchard even keeps bees, stores honey and sells their own homemade honey by the jar.

Apple Valley Orchard - 6480 Davis Rd., Saginaw

Leamans Green Applebarn and Cider Mill in Freeland has homemade goods that include cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, pies and homemade Michigan syrup and jelly.

“Jack, the father of the two men that own it now, is 80 and still makes doughnuts to this day,” Linda, the shopkeeper said.

They also sell homemade gifts and

seasonal home decorations. Outside is the apple orchard, and

the mill sometimes has a seasonal corn maze and hayride.

At the start of October, they will be selling pumpkins by the pound, and even having their apple orchard tours that include apple picking and learning how to make apple cider from an old cider press.

Deeren wins poetry slam for second time in a rowBy Tyler Bradleyvanguard staff Writer

By Kaelyn Wardvanguard staff Writer

Downtown Bay City offers wine, cowboys and taxi cabs

Vanguard Photo | Kaelyn Ward

Baynes Apple Valley Farm offers apples, pumpkins, pickles, salsa, pies, doughnuts and more fall treats.

Leamans Green Applebarn & Cider Mill - 7475 N. River Rd., Freeland

The Valley Vanguard valleyvanguardonline.com125 Curtiss Hall vanguard@svsu.edu sportseditorJustin Brouckaert office (989) 964-2629 e-mail JJBrouck@svsu.edu

Page A8| Monday, September 26, 2011 | valleyvanguardonline.com | The Valley Vanguard

sports

There has been no shortage of drama in the 37-year-old Axe Bowl rivalry between SVSU and Northwood, with five of the last eight games being decided by five points or less.

On Saturday night, the drama continued.

With 44 seconds remaining, Northwood faced a fourth and one situation on SVSU’s eight-yard line down by eight points. The Cardinals’ defense, which allowed less than 200 yards on the night, made one last stand, stuffing Northwood’s Brandon Jackson at the line of scrimmage and clinching the 28-20 win.

“You couldn’t have written a better script,” said head coach Jim Collins.

The Cardinals didn’t allow an offensive touchdown all game, giving up only two field goals to the

Northwood offense.“For [our defense] to get that stop

there at the end was huge, but they played like that all day,” Collins said. “To only give up six points against an offense like this was a heck of an effort.”

Northwood scored its first non-offensive touchdown off a 46-yard interception return that was bobbled by an SVSU receiver.

The Cardinals took their first lead early in the second quarter when sophomore quarterback Jonathon Jennings found senior receiver Nick Gallina for a 22-yard touchdown.

Jennings found Gallina once again on SVSU’s next drive when Gallina made a juggling circus catch, catching a ball that popped out of his hands when he hit the turf in the end zone.

“I’m glad that the officials saw it and were able to realize that that ball never hit the ground,” Collins said. “[Gallina] keeps making big plays for us.”

Gallina finished the game with

88 yards and two touchdowns on five receptions.

“He’s been four years in this program, three years as a starter,” Collins said. “ We need him to make those plays.”

Northwood tied the game at 14 after forcing a fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half, returning it for a touchdown and successfully converting the two-point try.

The Cardinals kept their composure, driving 56 yards on the following possession, with Jennings hitting freshman running back junior back David Pardun for a one-yard touchdown pass.

With the game tied 21-21 remaining, Jennings led the Cardinals on yet another fourth-quarter drive.

On fourth and one at Northwood’s 36-yard line, Jennings broke through Northwood’s defensive front and raced 36 yards to score what would turn out to be the game-winning touchdown with 4:50 left on the clock.

“We just wanted to gain two

yards, to be honest with you,” Collins said. “They came out in their goal line defense, and once we got to that second level, there was nobody there.“

Jennings finished with 235 yards on 19 for 29 passing. He also led the team with 89 rushing yards in junior running back Ronnie Lark’s absence.

Collins said that Lark, who missed Saturday’s game with an ankle injury, should be back for next weekend’s game.

The Cardinals’ were three for four on fourth-down conversions on the game, totaling 372 total yards of offense.

7,726 fans were in attendance to watch the game; the Cardinals are 3-0 in night games this season.

With the win, SVSU improves to 3-0 on the season and sits on top of the GLIAC North division.

The Cardinals return to action next Saturday, Oct. 1, when they host Hillsdale for the annual homecoming game. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

More than just a contact sport, the men’s rugby team has grown from a group of friends who wanted to get dirty into a unique social experience students can’t find anywhere else.

Since the club’s formation in 2008, the number of people on the team has gradually risen and the fan base has also grown at a steady pace.

Co-founder and team captain Mike Brennan said that he views it as a miracle that the team even took off.

“We first started with 15 players, barely enough to actually field a team,” he said. “We received help from the local men’s rugby team in the area, the Tri-City Barbarians, to get going, and it has been student-run ever since.”

Brennan explained how this sport, which few students know about, is a unique experience.

“It’s the huge social experience that really separates rugby from other sports on campus,” he said. “You make a ton of friends from all over the Midwest on other teams, and your team is basically your family.”

After each match, the home team hosts the away team and supplies food and drinks. The two teams socialize with one another and anyone is welcome to join in on the fun.

While rugby may not be the most popular club on campus, junior Nick Zuber added that the lack of popularity really contributes to the closeness of the team itself.

“We’re really not that popular,” he said. “So we have a very tight-knit group that’s a lot like family.”

The game of rugby itself is simple, according to Brennan.

“Rugby takes minutes to learn, years to master,” he said. “Overall though, it’s simple.”

Many have called rugby a combination of football and soccer. A game is 80 minutes of continuous play with no stoppage.

There are 15 players per team with one referee. The object of the game is to keep possession of the

ball and to score “trys,” which are worth five points. Following the try, there is a conversion kick which

is worth two points. The conversion kick is similar to an extra point in football.

There are also no forward passes, with only backward and lateral passes allowed.

Also similar to football, field goals exist in rugby, but the drop-kick style kicks must be attempted within the constant flow of the game as there are no breaks.

Zuber said that the game can be hard to explain and that students could learn more by watching.

“You can understand the game a lot better once you see two teams going at it and actually playing,” he said.

Brennan also emphasized that the team is always looking for new members and new fans to come out and watch the game being played.

“It’s truly a beautiful game and anyone can come out and play, no experience necessary,” he said. “Just come out and watch and have fun with the team.”

The rugby team plays on Saturday or Sunday on the intramural fields, typically in the afternoon or evening. Games are free.

For more information on the rugby team, students can contact Mike Brennan at mjbrenna@svsu.edu.

The next home game is 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, against Oakland University.

Football•Saturday vs. Hillsdale, 7 p.m. , University Center

Men’s Soccer•Friday vs. Lake Erie, 4:30 p.m. , University Center•Sunday vs. Ashland1 p.m., University Center

Women’s Soccer•Sunday @ NorthwoodNoon, Midland

Volleyball•Friday @ Grand Valley State, 7 p.m. , Allendale•Saturday @ Ferris State,2 p.m., Big Rapids

Tennis•Thursday vs. Lake Erie2 p.m., University Center•Friday vs. Ohio Dominican1 p.m. , University Center•Saturday vs. Ashland1 p.m., University Center

Cross Country•Friday @ Lansing Community College Invitational,TBA, Lansing

Golf•Sunday @ GLIAC Championships,TBA, Eagle Eye Golf Club

Hockey•Friday @ Grand Valley State8 p.m., Allendale•Saturday vs. Grand Valley State, 8 p.m., Saginaw Bay Ice Arena

Men’s Rugby•Sunday @ Wayne State,1 p.m., Detroit

Women’s Rugby•Sunday @ Central Michigan,1 p.m., Mount Pleasant

Club Wrestling•The SVSU club wrestling team will hold an informational meeting for new recruits and current members on Friday, Sept. 30. The meeting will be held at 5 p.m. in the SVSU Unity Room and will concern the upcoming season and what members can expect from the organization.

Football

Late defensive stand clinches win

By Chris Olivervanguard staff Writer

sportsbriefs

Vanguard Photo | Jess Ellison

Sophomore running back Tim Hogue carries the ball in Saturday night’s win over Northwood. Hogue finished with 33 yards on the night in relief of junior running back Ronnie Lark, who missed the game with an ankle injury. Coach Collins said that Lark should play in next Saturday’s matchup with Hillsdale.

Dirty fun gains popularityMen’s Rugby

By Justin Brouckaertvanguard sports editor

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The Valley Vanguard now posts football stories on Sunday morning! Check out valleyvanguardonline.com on Sunday for next-day results.

The Valley Vanguard valleyvanguardonline.com125 Curtiss Hall vanguard@svsu.edu

sportseditorJustin Brouckaert office (989) 964-2629 e-mail JJBrouck@svsu.edu

The Valley Vanguard | valleyvanguardonline.com | Monday, September 26, 2011 | Page A9

sports

When Jonathon Jennings came to SVSU last year, he expected to spend his first year learning from Charles Dowdell, the Cardinals’ senior starting quarterback.

After Dowdell suffered a mid-season injury, Jennings’ education turned into more of a crash course.

“I thought I would redshirt and then wait a year to get my shot, but things happen,” Jennings said. “Life happens.”

Jennings was thrust into his NCAA debut in that game, a 43-31 victory over MichiganTech, throwing for 206 yards and a touchdown. He would go on to start the final five games of the season, finishing 2-3 and passing for more than 1,000 yards.

“Life gets thrown at you, and you have to react to it and adjust to it,” Jennings said. “I’m glad that it happened in a way. I got a lot of good experience that I needed.”

One year later, that experience has come in handy for Jennings.

Through three games, the sophomore has lead SVSU to a perfect 3-0 record, passing for 859 yards and nine touchdowns.

Jennings has also added 132 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, the game-winner in Saturday night’s win. Through Saturday, he was ranked second in the nation in passing efficiency with a rating of 192.86.

Head coach Jim Collins, who recruited Jennings to play in his system, noted the improvements that Jennings has made in his game since last season.

“He’s a year ahead,” Collins said. “What he’s done is get closer to mastering the offense; his leadership has taken a leap.”

For Jennings, becoming a better leader was a top priority during the

offseason.“I knew the job was mine,” he

said. “But I knew I had to come to play every day and lead by example and not be some young quarterback that was just thrown in there.

“I need to be a leader and to show everybody that we need to win - and how to win.”

Jennings’s debut as a full-time starter has come in a season of firsts for the SVSU football program.

In the addition to the renovations made to Wickes Stadium this summer and the change of start times from noon to 7 p.m., the Cardinals will play a nationally televised home game against Ashland on Thursday, Oct. 20.

“It’s definitely exciting,” Jennings said. “There’s a lot of pressure, but pressure isn’t necessarily a bad thing either.

“That’s why we play the game: for the pressure and the big-time stage.”

Jennings, a finance major, is familiar with pressure both on the football field and in the classroom. Originally torn between attending Cornell, his mother’s alma mater, and SVSU, academics have always been a priority for Jennings.

“I knew that football was going to be a big part of my life, but I also knew that I could get a great education out of this school,” Jennings said.

With meetings and lifting sessions in the morning and class and practice in the afternoons, Jennings has found that the key to managing his time as a student-athlete is to remember his priorities.

“It’s really about putting your life in the right order and doing things that you need to do instead of doing things that you want to do all the time,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing you have to give up, just messing around.”

On the football field this year, Jennings has done anything but mess around. But despite his hot start under center, he said that the only numbers

that interest him are the ones in the win column.

“I just want to win; that’s really it,” Jennings said. “I could care less about stats; I could care less about touchdowns; I could care less about

rushing yards; I could care less about anything [else]; we just need to win.”

The Cardinals will try to go 4-0 on the year Saturday, Oct. 1 in their Homecoming matchup against Hillsdale. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

PlayeR PRoFile

Vanguard Photo | Jess Ellison

Jonathon Jennings has 991 total yards and 10 total touchdowns on the year; he scored four touchdowns in Saturday night’s win over Northwood.

Young, talented, undefeatedBy Justin Brouckaertvanguard sports editor

With the governing bodies cracking down on the rules, SVSU’s bowling season started off in a new direction: cuts.

Due to new NCAA rules, collegiate bowling teams can only have 35 members on their roster this season, and this number will be cut down to 25 for next year’s season.

Since about 40 individuals typically try out for SVSU’s bowling team, tough decisions had to be made after eight days of tryouts.

“We used to have teams A-G, but now we’re down to A-C,” senior bowler Scott Patke said. “They’re trying to spread out the talent to go to different schools.”

Regardless, after weeks of practice, participating in competitive leagues and tryouts, SVSU’s bowling team is prepared to start its extensive season with a team filled with new players.

This season started with a conference tournament Saturday, and it will continue until March or April, depending on SVSU’s national status.

“Hopefully we qualify [for nationals],” Moore said. “Generally we always do.”

Since SVSU is located in one of the northernmost locations in the conference, the team spends a lot of time on the road. Usually the team travels 17 weekends during the season, including the weekend of spring break.

Despite the time-consuming schedule and fresh roster, seniors Brian Moore and Patke are optimistic about the upcoming season.

“We have less than 10 third or fourth year players and 20-some freshmen,” Patke said, “So we have a lot of new guys we’re looking to step up.”

The combination of new players, hard work and time invested leaves the team ready to face its recurring goal, a national championship.

SVSU has won four national titles.

It has also have been ranked in the top five in the nation for the last 10 to 15 years.

But Moore said the team can’t get too comfortable with the program’s past achievements.

“We have to remember not to get too comfortable,” he said. “Instead, we always have to work at getting better.”

Having recently lost several bowlers to the Professional Bowling Association (PBA), this year’s team faces the challenge of relying on teamwork to instead of individual effort from star bowlers.

“We don’t have the main guy or the star,” Moore said. “It’s going to have to be a team effort.”

NCAA rule change toinfluence team look

It may not be baseball season yet, but SVSU players are already making an impact.

Members of the team volunteered this weekend at the Great Lakes Bay Miracle League in Bridgeport Township.

The players worked as volunteer “buddies” Saturday morning at the Frank N. Andersen Recreational Complex for the special needs baseball program.

“It’s great to be a figure in the community and a positive influence, especially for kids with needs like these,” said sophomore pitcher Justin Drzewicki.

The Great Lakes Bay Miracle League provides baseball for all children with special needs.

The field is constructed using a cushioned rubber surface and the rules in the games are altered to promote equal participation and sportsmanship.

Each player bats one inning and all runners are called safe. Each player scores a run before the inning is over, and each team and player wins every game.

Community children and volunteers such as the SVSU baseball players serve as “buddies” to assist the players during the game.

“There’s nothing better than seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces,” said sophomore catcher Chet LaFave.

Junior pitcher Colin Coulter also enjoyed spending time with the young athletes.

“It’s great to see that baseball is alive in the youth today,” he said.

Baseball players hit home run at charity eventBy Justin Brouckaert and Jess Ellisonvanguard sports editor and vanguard photographer

Vanguard Photos | Jessie Ellison

SVSU baseball players volunteered Saturday at the Great Lakes Bay Miracle League in Bridgeport Township. The players worked as “buddies” to assist children with special needs in their baseball games.

bowling

By Lisa Coffellvanguard staff Writer

Please

Recycle

Sophomore quarterback Jonathon Jennings has led SVSU to a perfect 3-0 start and a place on top of the GLIAC North Division in his first year as a full-time starter.

The Valley Vanguard 125 Curtiss Hall

advertising manager DaviD Solce office (989) 964-4248 e-mail DlSolce@SvSu.eDu fax (989) 964-2030 valleyvanguardonline.comvanguard@svsu.edu

Page A10| Monday, September 26, 2011 | valleyvanguardonline.com | The Valley Vanguard

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SVSU will provide reasonable accommodations for those persons with disabilities. Individuals who wish accommodations should contact the Student Life O�ce at 989.964.4170 at least three days prior to the event. SVSU does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, gender, sexual

orientation, national origin, age, physical impairment, disability or Veteran status in the provision of education, employment and other services.

For additional information please visit http://www.svsu.edu/studentlife/homecoming.html