News, p. 4 Sports, p. 8 Sports, p. 14

Parking permit prices on the rise Norse raise cancer awareness Hall of Fame welcomes nine legends

The Northerner The Independent Student-Run Newspaper of NKU Thursday, February 21, 2013 | Ed. 51 Is. 6

Most expensive musical of the semester opens tonight

EDITION 51, ISSUE 6 News | 3

News

A crowd of a few dozen spectators gathered Feb. 12 on Alexandria Pike across from NKU to watch as three vacant houses were demolished to make way for a future retail development, called Highland Pointe.

The project is being spearheaded by Thompson Thrift, an Indiana-based development and construction compa-ny which purchased the 1.6 acres of land at 2700 Alexan-dria Pike last year.

Chris Hake, director of retail development at Thomp-son Thrift, delivered the first of the two speeches at the short groundbreaking ceremony which preceded the demolition. He announced that the space at Highland Pointe was already 80 percent leased, with Firehouse Subs, Pizza Hut, Ft. Thomas Jewelers and City Barbeque already signed on to become tenants.

Following Hake’s speech, Highland Heights Mayor Scott Coleman offered a few words regarding what the new retail development would mean for the city, saying that Highland Heights officials were eagerly anticipating the arrival of such a “great new retail development.” He then proceeded to lead the ceremony in a ribbon-cutting, which marked the commencement of the project.

For Thompson Thrift, obtaining property in such close proximity to NKU was a great achievement. Chris Hake explained that they had had their eyes on the land for a long time before they actually got the opportunity to claim it a year ago.

“Until now, this property has only been occupied by three homes, and we felt that wasn’t the best use for prop-erty in such a prime location,” he said. “We really wanted this spot for our retail center, because being located right across the street from a college campus creates a great dy-namic for business.”

At the time that Thompson Thrift purchased the prop-erty, two of the three houses which occupied the land were already vacant. The third was home to some longtime residents, but they purchased a new house elsewhere and moved out a couple weeks before the demolition.

Kristine Davidson, founding member of Onsite Realty, is assisting Thompson Thrift with the leasing of the prop-erty. She also provides representation services for one of the development’s future tenants, City Barbeque. Da-vidson said that she too views the location as an optimal place to do business.

“City Barbeque has been looking to open up a location around this area for years now,” she said. “When you have a captive audience right across the street, such as a big university like NKU, then that’s a huge draw for retailers and restaurants.”

The advantages of the new retail center’s immediate closeness to campus will not only be good for the busi-nesses which will be opening up shop there, but will be mutually beneficial for the university as well, according to Chris Cole, director of marketing and communications.

“The advancement of the city of Highland Heights and Northern Kentucky University are so intertwined, that the

growth of each one is really dependent on the growth of the other,” he said. “I don’t believe that the university can ever really reach its full potential unless the area around it flourishes, and has a lot of businesses that will succeed in attracting students.”

Mope Ajao, an NKU sophomore, said the introduction of new retailers and restaurants around the school will be good for students in a number of ways.

“Not only will this provide students with more places to eat and shop, but this will open up more job opportunities in the area, and a lot of people are in need of employment that is close to school,” she said. “I think having new busi-nesses come to Highland Heights is definitely one of the major things that’s going to help NKU.”

Highland Pointe will be over 13,000 square feet when completed. At this time, there is about 5,300 square feet still available, which is room enough for two or three additional tenants besides the four that are already on board, according to Chris Hake. He said that Thompson Thrift was in talks with a multitude of different businesses which could become a part of the plaza, but could not say which ones, as none were yet confirmed.

A conceptual rendering of what the finished project will look like was revealed at the groundbreaking ceremony. The drawing depicts a walled-in retail center containing two separate buildings, one comprised of four tenants and the other comprised of three. Construction of the center as a whole is expected to be completed by late June, but opening dates for each individual business may vary.

Danielle RobertsStaff writer

Highland Pointe to house Pizza Hut, City Barbeque across from NKUGround broken for retail complex

Photo courtesy of Chris HakeA conceptual rendering of what Highland Pointe may look like when completed was revealed Feb. 12 at the groundbreaking ceremony. The complex, which will lease to both restaurants and other businesses, will be located at 2700 Alexandria Pike, across from the university.

2 | News February 21, 2013

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Most expensive musical opens tonight

ARTS & LIFE EDITORCaitlin Centner[centnerc1@nku.edu]

Students given incentive to attend strategic planning open forums

All NKU students are invited to attend the remaining student-based open forums for the 2013 strategic plan-ning process. All students who attend one of the events and sign-in at the entrance will be eligible for a $50 gift card to the NKU bookstore. The two remaining sessions for students are entitled Our Future Graduates and will be on Feb. 26 from 4:45-6 p.m. in SU 104 and March 7 from 2-3:30 p.m. in SU 102 (multi-purpose room).

Norse Advising has movedNorse Advising, formerly known as the Academic Ad-vising Resource Center, is now housed in the University Center room 210.

Student Fee Allocation Board accepting requests

The 2013-14 Student Fee Allocation Board is accepting requests from student organizations and departments for the upcoming academic year. The board will admin-

ister a portion of student fees and will recommend bud-get allocations for organizations such as Licking River Review, Loch Norse Magazine, Activities Programming Board, Student Government Association, Greek Affairs and many others. The board will also consider funding requests from new student groups that represent the interests of NKU students. Requests to the Student Fee Allocation Board must be accomplished by submitting an application form to the Dean of Students Office Stu-dent Union 301, by March 23 at 4:30 p.m. Application forms may be obtained by contacting Julie Bridewell in the Dean of Students Office at bridewellj@nku.edu.

Brighton Center to host on-campus blood drive

The Hoxworth Bloodmobile will be set up in Callahan Hall’s parking lot from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 22. The Brighton Center will be hosting the blood drive which will be accepting donations from the community. Reg-istration can be completed by going to www.hoxworth.org/groups/brightoncenter. For more information contact Matt Hicks at hicksm3@nku.edu.

Mearns joins the Harlem Shake trend at basketball game

President Mearns participated in the latest trend to hit social media at NKU men’s basketball home game on Feb. 16. Mearns recorded a Harlem Shake video along with countless others from the NKU community in the stands after halftime of the game. The video of “NKU’s Harlem Shake” can be found on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbQng5uJJ2A and has close to 10,000 views. Several other groups at NKU have recorded their own version of the rapidly grow-ing trend, including residents of the University Suites, Delta Zeta and a group of students in a classroom in Griffin Hall.

If you’re looking to check out this semes-ter’s biggest musical, consider coming to “Le-gally Blonde,” running Feb. 21- Mar. 3. After about two months of preparation, the cast and crew is finally ready to unveil their hard work for the NKU community.

The musical follows the adventures and determinations of Elle Woods, a West Coast native who follows her ex-boyfriend to Har-vard to prove that she’s not just a pretty face. Through her time at Harvard, Elle finds out more about herself and future than she could have ever imagined.

One can expect perfectly synchronized dance numbers, shirtless men displaying questionable hip movements and eye-catch-ing sparkly, pink outfits. The smooth transi-tion from one scene to the next makes this musical extremely easy to follow and it never loses the audience’s attention.

The dry humor and cheesy lines can invoke laughter from any variance of audience mem-bers.

While Elle and her fellow Delta Nu sisters have more than their fair share of exclama-tions, Elle’s countless costume changes call for an “Oh my God!” from all chic fashionis-tas in the audience looking for tips on how to channel their true attention-seeking goddess.

Warner, Elle’s dreamy ex-boyfriend, makes it hard to hate him with his talented way of singing his rejections. There’s something about Elle’s rambunctious, outspoken hair-dresser Paulette that makes one want to find some tacky outfits and fill them out with some major attitude.

Elle’s success can bring on the happy tears for anyone who once felt they were doubted in accomplishing their dreams and goals.

To see all the sparkles and hear the catchy tunes, visit the fine arts box office and get your tickets; $8 for students (with ID) and $14 for adults.

Alyson SchoenungStaff writer

FOR A FULL ReVIew GO TO THeNORTHeRNeR.COM

The annual Job Expo will be held Wednesday, Feb. 27 from 3 - 6 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. For those unfamiliar with the event, this will be a chance for students to network and introduce themselves to over 100 employ-ers.

“Seven out of every 10 jobs are obtained through network-ing,” said Shirl Short, associate director for student services and programs at the Career Development Center (now located in UC 225). “Even if there is only one opportunity that ap-peals to you, I’d go. It gets you out there and networking with employers.”

The biggest mistake Short sees college students make is that they wait until after graduation to begin seeking work. “We get around 400 to 450 students. We should have many more than that at this event,” Short said. “I think students have always waited until after graduation. They don’t get involved in prepa-ration for the job search.”

Short adds that students should get competitive and make an early connection with employers. A college degree can offer graduates better security in their line of employment.

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education released findings in January that Kentucky citizens with only a high school diploma or GED were twice as likely to be unemployed than those with a bachelor’s degree. Also, 80 percent of the 7.2 million jobs lost in the recession were held by those with a high school diploma or less.

Since those attending will be making a first impression with companies looking to hire, there is a checklist they should run through before attending in order to give the best impression possible.

Short suggests that students get their resume together first

and bring a portfolio with multiple copies. If students are un-sure if their resume is acceptable, they can attend a workshop in the Career Development Center this week. Those attending should also research the potential list of employers, gather information about them and have some questions ready.

Short continued to explain that those looking to impress should dress professionally and leave their backpack in the trunk. A detailed description of business dress for men and women can be found at on the Career Development Center’s website.

“The really savvy student is going to write a follow-up thank you note to the employer,” Short said. “So they’re going to ask for a business card.”

“Use all the different sources that are available,” said Joseph Javins, a computer information technology graduate who is currently working at Navaro Medical Solutions. Javins used the services offered by the Career Development Center to help him get a co-op position he had heard about. He worked for the company for two years before being hired on full time.

Short said the most common mistake to avoid is not dress-ing the part. Many students “don’t dress properly and don’t do the research,” but employers “want to see that you’re sharp and really interested.”

Javins also warns students not to “spend time looking for something too broad. Figure out what you want to do.”

In addition to the expo, the Career Development Center offers Norse Recruiting, where students can post their resume and look for companies interested in hiring at various times of the year. Those attending should remember to bring their All Cards. They will be scanned to print off name tags that also in-clude students’ major and status. More information and a full list of companies attending can be found at http://careerser-vices.nku.edu/students/jobexpo.html.

EDITION 51, ISSUE 6 News | 5

When construction on the forthcom-ing intramural fields began they were expected to be completed by March; however, due to unexpected delays they won’t be completed until May.

Due to high amounts of rain in the past two months, construction has not reached the goals it hoped to by this date, according to Rob Knarr, associate director of Construction Management. Most of the construction is ground work, so the wet grass and mud make it difficult for the construction to go on properly.

The placement of the future intramu-ral fields also makes it difficult, because once the rain falls it flows down into the valley-like space. That rain then stays around longer, halting construction.

“Spring is always the time when the weather can be most unpredictable,” said Knarr.

Even though the weather can be far more unpredictable in the coming sea-son, Knarr is hopeful that construction will go on as planned and be completed by the end of May.

All the problems that could further oc-cur will all be weather contingent; how-ever, Knarr is sure they can prevent any other potential delays in the construction of the fields.

“We can’t control the weather, but we know as long as the weather works with us more efficiently, we will definitely be done by the end of May,” said Knarr.

As long as things go as planned, the field construction will not cause any ex-tra complications with uses of the fields, other construction sites on campus or campus activity as a whole.

Nancy CurtisStaff writer

Matt SpauldingContributing writer

Intramural fields delayed until May, warmer weather to blame

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Annual Job Expo gives chance for early networkingA head start on the post-grad job search starts here

JoB ExPo essentials:· ResUMes· PORTFOLIO· BUsINess ATTIRe

FEb. 27, 3-7 p.M., StUdENt UNioN BAllroom

Special Extended Walk-in Hours:

Hours in addition to regular walk-in hours are de-signed for last-minute resume review. You can ex-pect 10-15 minutes with a staff member.

· FridAy, FEBrUAry 22, NooN-4 P.m., @ CArEEr SErviCES

· moNdAy, FEBrUAry 25, NooN-4 P.m., @ CArEEr SErviCES

· tUESdAy, FEBrUAry 26, NooN-4 P.m., @ CArEEr SErviCES

The maze between student services offices on campus is no longer after the move to the new Student Success Center, located in a cen-tral spot on campus, began Feb. 15.

“Before offices were scattered all over the campus and for those who live and work here it’s second nature, but that’s not so for many students,” Pat Moynahan, vice provost of University Programs, said.

The need for a centralized location was in-dicative from a multitude of surveys conduct-ed. According to Moynahan, Huron Consul-tants came in to look at the efficiency of NKU operations and administrative services. At the same time the Foundations of Excellence survey was being conducted by the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Under-graduate Education. They consider all things regarding first-year students.

“We were more concerned with areas that we could be stronger in and see if our percep-tion and the perception of students matched,” Moynahan said. “If we believe they are doing a good job, do students think they’re doing a good job?”

A nationwide student survey known as Beginning College Survey of Student Engage-ment (BECSSE) was given, as well as the Na-

tional Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). NKU was then able to compare findings with Kentucky state schools and national results.

According to the Mean Comparisons report provided by NSSE, in August 2012, the overall quality of academic advising satisfaction for first-year students at NKU was rated higher than seniors at the university. Although se-niors were less satisfied, NKU was close to the national average for both first years and seniors.

For first-year students NKU was lagging behind its comparison group for overall satis-faction on the entire educational experience. Seniors, who ranked higher than first-year students, were close to the national average. When asked if they would attend the same university again seniors were lagging when compared nationally.

Moynahan said the mission statement of the success center is to, “create the streamline and seamless delivery of services that empow-ers students to be successful.”

His expectation is there won’t be any gaps because students will get to the right place that can solve the problem the first time. He said that students not knowing where to get the right services was of large concern.

“The success center is a starting place, all in one place, to empower students to be suc-cessful and teach students how to take the initiative,” Moynahan said. “I grew up in an

era where the expectation was that you would take responsibility and stand on your own two feet when you went to college, whether it was right or wrong mom and dad pushed you out of the nest and let you fly, but the education system was geared that way as well so you learned to do that on your own. Society and culture have changed; I’m not saying students are any less capable.”

The center will be geared more toward the needs of students.

“Our role is really to teach them how and where to connect to the services they need so they can eventually do this independently,” Shawn Rainey, associate director for curricu-lum, said. “Many of NKU’s students are first generation college students so their parents may not know how to help them with the pro-cess and the bureaucracy of higher education so advising takes on an added importance to these students.”

Rainey’s office is one of many now located in the University Center. The soft opening of the Student Success Center will occur April 22.

“I believe we will be better able to ensure connections for students that will foster their success and we will be more proactive in fol-lowing up to ensure they received the help they needed. Overall, I believe we have a dy-namic opportunity to help students succeed at a greater rate,” Rainey said.

Pricing for student parking will continue to rise next year with the 2013-14 yearly permit prices expected to rise 4.8 percent, according to a presen-tation by NKU Director for Business and Auxiliary Services Andy Meeks.

This 4.8 percent increase will mean an extra $10.08 spent on parking by students for a year-long permit compared to this year’s price of $210.

Meeks said that this increase is needed to increase the department’s revenue, in order to keep up with current parking maintenance and to save up for the construction of additional parking spaces.

Additional parking is expected to be needed within the upcoming school years to keep up with the growing NKU population’s parking needs, Meeks said.

Parking Services is a department within NKU that does not receive state or other funding, which means, according to Meeks, all money needed to maintain current parking areas and build new ones must come from within.

“The state [of Kentucky] does not fund parking, so the department must be completely self sustainable,” Meeks said.

According to Meeks, the price of one outdoor paved-surface parking spot is $8,000 dollars, with the cost of one spot in a parking garage around $19,500. The total cost estimated by Meeks for a new parking garage on campus would be between $12-15 million.

“With the addition of the CRC [Campus Recreation Center] renova-tions, we will lose 400 gravel spots,” Meeks said. “So parking will defi-nitely need to be made available elsewhere.”

Ideas for what kind of parking will be constructed are undecided.NKU Student Government Association President Erik Pederson recog-

nized the raise in prices. “I feel like it is normal and needed,” he said. “Business Auxiliary Ser-

vices is self-funded and there is a lot of money needed to keep up with parking services.”

Pederson added that he agrees additional parking will be needed soon to keep up with the growth of the NKU community.

“It really depends on what students want,” he said addressing the is-sue of what types of parking he thinks should be constructed. “If students want gravel, we need to try and get them gravel, if they want all parking garages we should try everything we can to get them garages.”

It’s all about trying to keep parking affordable for students while still maintaining the quality of the parking experience, according to Pederson.

Semester-only parking permit prices are set to rise four percent, with summer-only permits set to increase 4.2 percent, according to Meeks.

There are currently 24 parking lots on campus, with 17 available for stu-dent use. All of the parking lots require permits.

There are also three parking garages on campus which do not require parking permits. Rates vary from $1.75 for the first half-hour, to a $6.50 daily maximum. Permits provide free access to all the garages on campus.

4 | News February 21, 2013

In a series of forums, the mem-bers of the Strategic Planning Com-mittee are listening to members of the university community to help to form the university’s strategic plan for the coming years.

University President Geoffrey Mearns said that he hopes these open forums will generate all kinds of ideas and let the committee know what the students, faculty and staff want to see in the university’s fu-ture.

At the forums, led by Mearns, members of NKU’s community talked about what the university is doing correctly now, and what the university could be doing better.

A topic that came up in both in-stances was the cost of NKU. Sam Zachary, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said that the univer-sity administration needs to be conscious of what all they throw onto students, financially speak-ing, when talking about campus im-provements at a forum last Thurs-day.

At a forum on Wednesday, a plu-rality of students present said that the primary reason they chose to attend NKU was because of how affordable it is. However, a few stu-dents did talk about the difficulties of holding a job and being a stu-dent, when working is a necessity for them to afford school.

The Strategic Planning Commit-tee is made up of ten members, including junior Katie Cox, as the student body representative. If you would like to have your voice heard, but cannot attend forums, you can either visit the committee’s website at StrategicPlanning.nku.edu or email Cox directly at coxk6@nku.edu.

For the full story, visit The North-erner’s website.

Mac PaytonStaff writer

Kevin SchultzNews editor

Caitlin CentnerArts & Life editor

Forums to gather info for strategic plan underway

Student parking permit prices set to increase to cover future costs

No gaps in student success with new center

EDITION 51, ISSUE 6 Arts & Life | 7

If you like pizza, a community-like atmo-sphere and questionable renditions of Cee Lo Green’s “Forget You,” then Wednesday nights at Raniero’s is the place to be.

The local, family-owned pizzeria started karaoke night over the summer in 2012 to provide entertainment for NKU’s Orienta-tion Leaders, who frequented the local eat-ery. Presently, Raniero’s boasts a modest flat screen for lyric reading, an impressive DJ booth ran by one of the co-owners and heavy binders full of possible song choices.

The pizzeria opened in December of 2009 in another space of the strip mall on Martha Layne Collins Boulevard, and is now housed in what community members would recog-nize as the old Blockbuster. The space that previously held a pool table is now a stage for singers and also doubles as a dance floor for their Thursday college nights with dollar beers.

Natalie Ramirez, owner of Raniero’s, agreed that hosting a karaoke night has been successful from a business standpoint.

“There’s nothing to do here,” she said of the

surrounding areas around NKU’s campus. Raniero’s has about 30 karaoke regulars

on Wednesdays, ranging from middle-aged community patrons, to the many NKU stu-dents shuttling over from campus and walk-ing over from Callahan.

Ramirez started Raniero’s as a community, family-friendly place to eat, but has found the eatery catering to NKU students because of the proximity. Raniero’s offers an abundance of ever-changing specials to attract students and enable them to come and enjoy the food and environment with the often limited amount of funds available to them. This is huge for the students, but not really a money-maker.

“The community is our bread and butter,” Ramirez said.

Most of the singers have some type of connection to NKU. Friends Nick Laux and Aaron Hatfield come to karaoke night off and on. When asked if they sang karaoke often, without missing a beat, both replied, “all the time.” The two looked at each other grinning before saying that their favorite song to sing is “Little Lion Man” by Mumford & Sons. Laux is a recent NKU graduate and Hatfield is a sophomore English and pre-law major.

The crowd each Wednesday varies based

on the events going on throughout campus. “Someone turns 21 pretty much every day,”

Ramirez said. Raniero’s starts getting busy around 10 p.m. with karaoke participants and those looking for some entertainment while munching on the famous New York style pizza.

Raniero’s staff are often seen taking a break from their duties temporarily to take

the stage for a rap song or popular country hit. Their involvement helps create the care-free and fun vibe one feels as soon as you walk in the door.

Some sing as if they’re standing in front of judges, others get up there just to have a good time. Karaoke starts at 9 p.m. every Wednes-day. Raniero’s is located on Martha Layne Collins Boulevard next to the tanning salon.

Alyson SchoenungStaff writer

Nick Laux (left) and Aaron Hatfielfd (right) sang “Little Lion Man” by Mumford & Sons at last Wednesday’s karaoke night. Raniero’s hosts karaoke for the NKU community every week.

Photo by Kody Kahle

Students are karaoke stars at Raniero’slocal pizza restaurant hosts a night every week for students to show off

If you have been on Facebook recently, you may have seen the events “Free Jess!” and “T-shirts for Jess.” Northern Kentucky University and the surrounding community have reached out to sophomore Jess Hampton, who continues to cope with the loss of her mother, Melissa, after her death in November.

After finding out she is no longer eligible for financial aid be-cause of NKU’s GPA requirements, Jess has been trying to pay out-of-pocket for school expenses dating back to last semester, something she did not see coming.

“One of the terms was that I had to get at least a 2.0 last se-mester, but when my mother passed away I dropped my class-es. When something that sudden happens, you don’t think so much about what’s going to happen. I just wanted to be with my family and friends,” Hampton said.

“My mom was my best friend. When she got sick is when we got close and were able to talk about if something were to happen to her. For that, I’m grateful because I don’t have a lot of guilt.”

Many people wonder how to cope with such an incredible loss. Hampton doesn’t hold back.

“One of the things I like to do is cry. I just let it all out be-cause everyone needs to break sometimes, and it’s okay to do that. I will never understand why my mom was taken at such a young age, but it’s made me such a strong person.”

Hampton began receiving messages from people she did not know that had experienced similar situations and wanted to help. Abby Williamson, a close friend of Hampton’s, assist-

ed in starting the “T-shirts for Jess” fundraiser. “When Jess came to me and told me about how she would

have to pay her tuition in full or drop out of school, I was dev-astated because I knew her mom would have wanted her to stay in school. My roommate and I ... decided making shirts to support her was the simplest option and the biggest way to raise money,” Williamson said.

The front of the T-shirts, which are being sold for $15 each, are adorned with “Team Hampton,” while the back quotes Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small, thoughtful group of committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Alyssa Cerchio, who also has played a huge role in organiz-ing fundraisers, could not believe the outpouring of support.

“It brings me to tears knowing that we are a part of such a great community. Without all the help from the students of NKU and all of our friends, Jess would be backed up against a wall and would have to drop out of school,” Cerchio said.

Similar fundraisers have been organized on a larger scale. A group of TKE members formed the “Free Jess!” event, which will be held at Local’s Sports Bar & Grill in Cincinnati. Cerchio said that part of the profits from this event will go to Hamp-ton’s expenses as well.

Dominique Smallwood, a TKE member associated with The KY Army National Guard Freedom, is working on organizing and promoting the event. Hampton’s church will be holding a spaghetti dinner in the near future as well.

“I can’t thank everyone enough for the love and support I’ve gotten throughout this process,” Hampton said. “I have an amazing support system that keeps me wanting to stay posi-tive.”

The fundraiser at Local’s Sports Bar in Cincinnati is Feb. 20 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

If you would like to make a donation to help Jess Hampton’s cause, a PayPal account has been set up under the email hamp-tonj1@nku.edu. For information on how to purchase a T-shirt or organize a fundraiser, contact Jess Hampton (hamptonj1@nku.edu), Abby Williamson (williamsoa3@nku.edu) or Alyssa Cerchio (cerchioa1@nku.edu.)

Erin PierceContributing writer

Friends, community reach out after a mother’s death

Jess Hampton (left) posed with her mother before she passed away in November. Hampton’s friends have started fundraisers to help Jess pay her tuition.

Photo courtesy of Jess Hampton

6 | Arts & Life February 21, 2013

ARTs & LIFe

In mid-July of 2012, Pam Atkinson, Master of Health Informatics program director and lecturer at NKU, traded her desk chair for a treadmill. After reading a study by the Mayo Clinic, Atkinson decided it was time to start living a healthier life in spite of her long hours in her office.

Atkinson began her strive for healthier liv-ing by bringing an exercise ball to work and sitting on it instead of her chair. While it kept her moving she found herself bouncing up and down while in meetings. That is when she began making structural adjustments to her treadmill at home. She put a table-top-like contraption made of plywood on top of her treadmill at first.

When that failed she made adjustments like removing the sides and control panel from the treadmill. This allowed her to scoot it closer to a high table where she could do her work and her work out simultaneously. With permission from her boss she moved her home treadmill into her office, along with her collection of tennis shoes.

Although working and working out was going great for Atkinson, she did face some challenges; particularly problems like walk-ing into meetings dressed business casual and accessorized by her tennis shoes.

She and her boss came to a mutual under-standing that when she was meeting someone unexpectedly he would say “There is someone here for you to meet,” as a way of reminding her to change out of her tennis shoes.

While the usual response of people upon entering her office for the first time is “Oh wow!” from there they are conducted as usu-al at a small table in the corner of her office where they are able to sit down.

Atkinson has been keeping track since installing the treadmill in her office and es-timates a total distance of about 670 miles walked since then. Although Atkinson was active before she said, “I like it so much better than sitting in a chair.”

A study done by James Levine of the Mayo Clinic has found that longevity and health are not only related to the amount of time spent exercising but also to the amount of time spent sitting.

His research compared adults who spent less than two hours a day in front of the TV, or

other screen-based entertainment, with those who logged more than four hours a day of recreational screen time. In his findings, Levine found those with greater screen time had a nearly 50 percent in-creased risk of death from any cause and about 125 percent increased risk associ-ated with cardiovascular disease, such as chest pain or heart attack.

Atkinson is not the only one taking a stand for a healthier lifestyle. Two rooms in Griffin Hall that are used for meetings have no chairs. The tables are waist-high and adjustable so attendees stand the en-tire meeting.

Dan Koabel, director of Creative Tech-nology for the College of Informatics, said holding his meetings with the executive team in the standing room, “trimmed 15 percent off meeting times.”

It also allows for a different dynamic, according to Koabel, with everyone stand-ing instead of just the person conducting the meeting. People are “more likely to pay attention to what is happening,” rath-er than the papers sitting in front of them and it creates a more conversational style rather than a lecture, he said.

Kelsey NolandContributing writer

Photo by Kody KahlePam Atkinson (pictured) works daily on a spe-cially crafted treadmill desk.

Standing room only: Getting fit at workProfessor brings exercise to the office, meeting room takes away chairs

| 98 | Sports

Around 2,000 N

orse fans showed up in support of

Coaches vs. C

ancer, an event that celebrated an 11-year-old girl battling leukem

ia and an NK

U alum

na who is

fighting colon cancer found in stage four. The Feb. 16 m

en’s and wom

en’s games w

ere dedicated to cancer aw

areness, sponsored by the Am

erican Cancer Society.

Alex M

ason and Mary D

ierig Stowers have been bat-

tling cancer and wanted to share their story.

At the w

omen’s gam

e, Mason w

as the honorary coach. M

ason is a Hero of H

ope for AC

S. She was diagnosed w

ith leukem

ia in 2011. Mason m

ade a jump rope that repre-

sented the journey she went through during her cancer

treatment. The rope is about 18 inches long, representing

her year and a half of treatment.

Even to this day, “I am

still doing chemotherapy be-

cause I don’t want to get cancer again,” M

ason said. For the m

en’s game, there w

ere upwards of 3,000 in at-

tendance, and about one-third were w

earing pink to sup-

port the cause. Stow

ers, an NK

U alum

na and former cheerleader, w

as honorary coach of the gam

e. She was diagnosed on N

ov. 15, 2012 w

ith stage four colon cancer that spread to her liver.

“The risks are high because we have at least three docu-

mented generations of colon cancer in our fam

ily,” Stow-

ers said. “My father w

as one of 19 children, there are six in the fam

ily I grew up in.”

Her cousin K

eith is a colon cancer survivor.“H

e still goes in for chemo m

aintenance. It has only been three years, so he still gets follow

-up chemo.”

“My fam

ily has brought meals over to m

y house twice

a week since I w

as diagnosed. They have been supportive w

ith their prayers, and touching base and seeing what I

need.”G

etting a colonoscopy usually starts at the age of 50, according to Stow

ers, “unless it runs in your family, then

you need to go ten years prior to when the youngest per-

son was diagnosed.”

According to Liz R

eeves, a mem

ber of the wom

en’s bas-

ketball team, every day 68 people in K

entucky will be told

they have cancer. “The five m

ost comm

on types of cancer that kill wom

en are breast, lung, stom

ach, colon and cervical,” said Melo-

dy Doss, w

omen’s basketball team

mem

ber. The

Am

erican C

ancer Society

recomm

ends yearly

mam

mogram

s starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as a w

oman is in good health. They w

ould also like w

omen to be educated about their breasts, specifically

how they norm

ally look and feel, and report any changes to their health care provider.

Players and part of the coaching staff wore pink jerseys

to raise awareness for breast cancer during the w

omen’s

game.

According to nkunorse.com

, the Norse donned their

pink uniforms on Saturday as part of the “Pink Zone”

initiative, “which has raised public aw

areness for breast cancer, as w

ell as a significant amount of donations for

wom

en’s cancer research.”M

ason and Stowers’ courage and strength displayed a

positive message to those battling cancer.

Staff rep

ort

Photos by Kody Kahle

Alex M

ason (pink Norse jersey) and M

ary Dierig Stow

ers (white jacket)

were special guests at the C

oaches vs. Cancer them

ed basketball game

on Feb. 16. Mason, diagnosed w

ith leukemia in 2011, w

as the honorary coach for the w

omen’s team

. Stowers, diagnosed w

ith stage four colon cancer in N

ovember, w

as the honorary coach during the men’s gam

e. She is an N

KU

alumna and form

er cheerleader.

COACHES CAN

CERV

S.Basketball team

s dedicate game to cancer aw

areness

EDITION 51, ISSUE 6 Arts & Life | 11

Nerves were welling up inside Sami Riggs as she walked in front of the judges. They greeted her with disinterested faces; but as she began to sing Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” their expressions changed to interest and curiosity. They started to pay atten-tion.

Riggs, a junior at NKU, decided to take a chance and try out for the TV show “America’s Got Talent.” Her talent: vocals and guitar.

Riggs has been singing since she was in diapers but didn’t really find her voice until she began work-ing with vocal coach Kim Sand. Sand met a tearful Riggs for the first time after she received an earful of some harsh critiques about where she needed im-provement.

“The very first thing I noticed in that moment was that she was not defeated,” Sand said, “she was de-termined.”

Changing a singer’s vocal habits is a very tedious job and a person must practice for a tremendous amount of time in order to change the old muscle memory in their vocal chords. Riggs was up for that challenge.

As they both worked on Riggs’ vocal hurdles, her confidence began to grow which would eventually spur her to go out for the audition for “America’s Got Talent.”

With some final pushes from family and friends Riggs decided she would give it a shot and if nothing came about from it, the experience would be worth it.

“I went in with no expectations,” Riggs said. Not knowing that she would be asked to audition two more times after her initial round with the judges, experience was her main goal, serious consideration was just the icing on the cake.

So here she is sitting between a drag queen and a magician, waiting for yet another audition in front of another panel of judges. Having only rehearsed one song for this day, she decides to wing it and go with a song she knows by heart, “Free Falling” by Tom Petty.

While Riggs won’t know if she will be advancing in the show until the end of March, she’s not too wor-ried about making it big. Her name in lights is not what’s important to her, it’s the feelings she evokes from the audience with her music.

“I want to be known for the songs I write,” Riggs said. “I want people to feel something.”

Sarah McIntoshContributing writer

Photo courtesy of Sami riggsSami Riggs (pictured) auditioned for “America’s Got Talent,” but won’t know if she is advancing until the end of March. Her talent is vocals and guitar.

Student tests her talent in front of the judgesmusician tries her shot at ‘America’s Got talent,’ not for fame, but for the feeling

10 | Arts & Life February 21, 2013

It’s that split second of perfect posture and balance that a dancer has as they glide across the floor and flow into the next movement in the performance that can be missed so easily. Each movement is so precise and timed that if you blinked you might miss a moment of the dance.

Jennifer Denham, a recent NKU graduate, has had plenty of practice in never missing the fluid movement of the Cin-cinnati Ballet’s dancers, it’s her job to capture their airy, quick movements.

Denham is a freelance photographer for the Cincinnati Ballet, she is there when they need someone to photograph rehearsals and special events when their full-time photog-rapher is not be able to make it. The ballet uses her photos for their social media and some of their programs, her most recent shoot was the rehearsal for their “Romeo and Juliet” production that opened Feb. 14.

“Photographing dancers is a pretty difficult task, it’s al-

most like sports photography, you get one chance to capture one second,” said Allie Honebrink, director of marketing and communications for the Cincinnati Ballet.

The more comfortable Denham becomes with the dancers the better she becomes at capturing that one second. Her ex-perience with the ballet began in 2010 with a documentary class she was taking at NKU, where she had to volunteer her time for a nonprofit and she choose the ballet.

They liked the work that she produced and ever since they have been asking her to cover rehearsals and special events for them. Her most memorable event with the ballet was photographing the Cure Starts Now, where young girls with pediatric brain cancer were treated to a tea party and fun activities that focused around the ballet.

Denham said it was the fact that the event wasn’t sad that made the project memorable. The ballet set up activities for the girls like ballet lessons, decorating their own tutus, cos-tume question and answers and getting their makeup done by professional makeup artists from Sephora. In Denham’s eyes, it was a day that brought happiness all around.

“It was incredible to capture such a happy time in those girls’ lives. It was truly an inspirational day and something I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Denham said about the event.

While Denham loves using her photography to produce images that others enjoy, photography has really helped her overcome some great anxiety that she has had throughout her life. She’s accomplished many things and gotten to go places and meet people she never thought she would.

The Cincinnati Ballet is not the only freelancing that she has done since she graduated, she is also freelancing for the Cincinnati Enquirer, photographing concerts around the area for them. And while she is taking portraits and building her portfolio she is also dabbling in videography and hopes to one day become a director of photography or a photo/video editor.

“My goal is to photograph as many people I can whether they are actors, dancers, musicians or regular everyday peo-ple. I think people are important and I’d like to show that through my photography,” Denham said.

Exercising outside invigorates students, engaging them to do it for longer periods and more often.

The psychology department wanted to know more about exercising inside versus exercising outside, so Kathleen Fuegen, director of graduate industrial and orga-nizational psychology program, and Kim-berly Breitenbecher, associate professor in psychology, are conducting a research ex-periment about the effects of inside versus outside exercising.

There are plenty of options for recre-ation and exercise around campus; one is a wooded path behind the Woodcrest Apart-ments. Additional trails include the trail that was previously used by NKU’s biology and botany departments in the 1970s. This trail is in Wilder, Ky. and goes from High-land Heights City Building to the nature preserve nearby.

There is also a trail that Kristy Hopfens-perger, assistant professor of biological sciences, talked about on Meadow Trail Drive. This gravel road that Hopfensperg-er and other faculty run on, is gated to re-strict vehicles, within walking distance of NKU and open to the public.

Other green spaces include woods be-hind the Honors House and a grassy hill near the dorms. NKU also collaborates with AJ Jolly Park’s Nature Center in Al-exandria, Ky., as well as the Campbell County, Boone County and Kenton County Conservation Districts that have conserva-tion easements, Hopfensperger said.

Hopfensperger went on to talk about

NKU’s footprint, “One of the things that I think is actually a positive environmental impact about NKU, even though it’s a lot of concrete, it’s very compact.”

The campus, Hopfensperger said, is looking into property near NKU to im-prove green space. These areas would most likely be used for research or for classes, and would be set aside with a con-servation easement so they could never be developed. Hopfensperger is part of the Regional Ecological Stewardship Initia-tive (RESI) that is considering purchasing properties through assistance of The Cen-ter for Applied Ecology at NKU from state funds.

Hopfensperger is also faculty adviser for Environmentally Concerned Organization of Students (ECOS) at NKU which partici-pated in building The Licking River Green-way and Trails on Saturdays.

Parks like The Licking River Greenway and Trails in Covington, Ky. provide more green space and exercise opportunities. Started by Vision 2015, which tries to im-prove the community through the com-munity’s growth, this is a project that they and Northern Kentucky are working on to improve the state’s parks and trails.

According to The Licking River Green-way and Trails website this is an effort to create an urban greenway and trail system connecting Covington, Newport, Wilder and Taylor Mill. Located at the mouth of the Licking River, 5.2 miles south of I-275, this project broke ground with the first mile being completed May 5, 2012. An additional 1.5 miles have been completed since then from Holmes High School to Randolph Park in Covington, Ky.

This project encompasses a nature trail for biking, walking, jogging; a multi-use paved trail; and murals. They also hope to have a “blueway” for safe access for pad-dlers along the Licking River.

Bill Scheyer, president of Vision 2015, and Kristine Frech, manager of Strategic Initiatives, discussed what they hope this project will ensue for Northern Kentucky.

According to Scheyer, The Licking River Greenway and Trails is part of a 20-year $12-16 million initiative to better Kentucky parks and trails, as well as add green space in a family-friendly urban environment.

It is free for all ages and invites any pets on leashes. While there is not a full-time official monitoring these trails the Coving-

ton Police bicycle force has expressed great interest in using this as their route and monitoring the trails. However, the trails are only open dawn until dusk to ensure safety.

A later initiative, Scheyer and Frech hope, is that as NKU’s construction fur-thers, there be a potential trail that allows for entrance and exit at NKU along Three Mile Creek. The city of Wilder, Ky. is work-ing on this project, and Scheyer and Frech feel optimistic that this will help further the project’s completion.

All of these trails, park areas and green spaces offer a way to exercise off-campus, while getting into nature, without paying a gym membership.

Sarah McIntoshContributing writer

Emily HodgesContributing writer

local trails, greenways near campus offer free exercise opportunitiesNo gym membership needed outdoors

Former photography student finds work with ballet

Photo courtesy of licking river Greenway and trailsThe Licking River Greenway and Trails (one path pictured) is one of many local outdoor options for exercising. Two professors are conducting research on the benefits of outdoor exercise.

EDITION 51, ISSUE 6 OpEd | 13

Just for laughs

Provided by mCt Campus

Asia UnderwoodJunior

Nursing

“I think the prices are good compared to other

universities but it still sucks.”

Elliott CabreraFreshman

Accounting

“I feel like there should be more parking. I live in the suites and park about a mile away.”

Jessica BowenJunior

Social work

“I just transferred here from EKU so that’s a

big deal for me; it was $30 per year there.”

How do you feel about an increased

parking permit rate?

Compiled byCaitlin Centner and Kevin

Schultz

Norse Poll Responses

Karen OtterSenior

Integrative studies

“I feel very angry.”

POLL RESpONSESNORSE

12 | Views February 21, 2013

VIewsInstagram ethics still up for debatePhoto and social media app can be used for news and features, with limits

DeADLINe Is FeB. 25.

ThiNk yOu’Re aN Instagram master? Enter your NKU photos in the Instagram photo contest!

http://www.thenortherner.com/photocontest

C H E C K U S O U T

onlinew w w . t h e n o r t h e r n e r . c o m

The ethics and guidelines for journalism are always in question. Ethics are a touchy subject because they are so hard to define, and every journalist has different ethical codes. Of course there are the obvious basics that jour-nalists follow (seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently and be accountable), but each one has exceptions and “it depends on the situations.” So what about photography? Do the same ethical standards apply to social media photo apps, like Instagram? Here at The Northerner, we think they do.

The Department of Communication, Society of Profes-sional Journalists and Student Media are hosting an Ins-tagram photo contest this week and the challenge is how to be news-oriented but still use the social media aspect of the app. As part of the contest, the same sponsors hosted a day of mobile journalism workshops Feb. 18 that gave stu-dents a chance to learn from professionals who encounter Instagram every day.

Among the professionals was Cincinnati Enquirer photo

editor Cara Owsley. Owsley uses Instagram daily to post photos of the morning sunrise or a quick snapshot from a breaking news scene. For her, filters are completely ac-ceptable on the weather photos, but from a breaking news scene, no way.

Altering a news photo in any way does just that, alters reality for the viewer. It’s unethical because it does not present the truth and choosing a certain filter could even editorialize on what feeling the scene should evoke for the viewer.

On the other hand, using filters on weather photos, or feature photos, is acceptable because there is more ethical leeway with arts and life photos. It isn’t so much about editorializing as it is about just making it look pretty.

Many students from The Northerner staff attended the event and gained some new insight into the ethics of the Instagram app.

Although The Northerner does not have an Instagram account, the possibility of creating one is probable. The social media aspect of Instagram could be a great opportu-nity for The Northerner to reach out to students more than ever before.

Where The Northerner stands: No filters on news pho-

tos, but feature photos are okay. The app should and can be used as social media to push out unfiltered news photos to multiple platforms at once, using the #nofilter hashtag.

The Instagram photo contest is not just for journalism students, but for the entire NKU community. The theme is Something Old, Something New and there are multiple categories. The theme is a reminder that although the tech-nology of photojournalism is changing rapidly, the values and mission of journalism are still fundamental. Partici-pants can interpret this however they want.

All you have to do is register (email necessary info to nkuphotocontest@gmail.com) by Feb. 25 and submit photos with the #NKUphoto hashtag.

On March 6, winners will be announced in the best of show, best storytelling and best reflection of the theme categories.

The only requirements are to include the hashtag, complete caption information, including the names of all identifiable people, and the photo should be taken on campus or have an NKU theme.

For more information and to register, visit www.the-northerner.com/photocontest/.

Staff editorial

EDITION 51, ISSUE 6 Sports | 15

Photo by Kody KahleErnest “Stretch” Watson had a breakaway dunk against Stetson on Feb. 16 at The Bank of Kentucky Center. Watson averages six points and five rebounds.

SpORTS SHORTSBaseball

The baseball team had its first four games at Lamar beginning Feb. 15 and ending Feb. 17. All games resulted in a loss. The first game was close with the ending score 7-6. The team is now 0-4 overall. The next game is against Saint Louis on Feb. 22 at 3 p.m.

SoftballThe softball team began its season at the

Georgia State Panther Invitational on Feb. 16 against Presbyterian, which resulted in a loss, 11-9. The Norse also played one game against Oakland and two against Georgia State, all resulting in losses. The team is now 0-4 overall. The next game is against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 22 at 11 a.m.

TennisThe men’s and women’s tennis teams began

their seasons on Feb. 16 against Western Kentucky. The women took a loss, 6-1. The men won 7-0. The women’s next match is against Abilene Christian on Feb. 26 at 11 a.m. The

men’s next match is against Austin Peay on March 9.

Women’s BasketballThe women’s basketball team beat Stetson

73-68 on Feb. 16. Stetson is ranked third in the Atlantic Sun Conference and NKU is ranked fourth. The Norse also faced Florida Gulf Coast on Feb. 18 and lost 53-68. NKU is now 8-6 in the conference and 11-12 overall. The current leading scorer is Kayla Thacker with 189 points this season and averaging 11.1 points per game. The team plays next at Mercer at 2 p.m. on Feb. 23.

Men’s BasketballThe men’s basketball team faced Stetson on

Feb. 16 and lost 46-62. The men are ranked seventh in the conference with 6-8 conference record and 8-14 overall. The current leading scorer is Eshaunte Jones with 258 points this season and averaging 15.2 points per game. The team plays next at Kennesaw State at 7 p.m. on Feb. 22.

14 | Sports February 21, 2013

sPORTsFormer players, staff added to Hall of Famemembers are recognized for their contribution on athletic success

NKU’s David Lee Holt Athletics Hall of Fame inducted nine new members on Feb. 17 at The Bank of Kentucky Cen-ter. The inductees for 2013 included NKU’s former president, an NKU founder and a handful of sports players.

SHANNON LEwANdOwSKIShannon Lewandowski (formerly Smith) was an NKU

women’s basketball player that helped her team advance to and win an NCAA Division II regional championship and make it to the elite eight. She is now the director of enter-prise solutions at Rockfish Digital. She lives in Fort Mitchell, Ky. and is married.

Speaking on being inducted: “I’m just honored, it’s an honor to be inducted alongside so many wonderful people.”

NANCy wINSTELNancy Winstel, former women’s basketball head coach,

took NKU to two Division II championships and was named coach of the year six times in the Great Lakes Valley Con-ference, once as national coach of the year by the Women’s Basketball Coach Association. She also was on NKU’s first women’s basketball team in 1974 and scored 787 points in three seasons.

CRAIg SANdERSCraig Sanders formerly played basketball for NKU and

holds the title of all-time leading scorer with 2,007 career points. He now lives in Batavia, Ohio where he teaches bas-ketball lessons for kids and is a pharmaceutical rep. He is married and has three kids, with a fourth on the way.

Speaking on being inducted: “It feels great, it’s never something I thought I had a chance at. Once in a lifetime deal, it’s a thrill.”

KIM KEyER-SCOTTKim Keyer-Scott played golf for NKU and was a four-time

All-American and helped the team advance to two Great Lakes Valley Conference titles. She was freshman of the year in 2001 for GLVC and has the best individual finish in the history of NKU women’s golf at the NCAA national champi-onships.

jAMES vORTRUbAJames Votruba was NKU’s president for 15 years and pre-

sided over the university while it had its most successful ath-letics program. He helped bring the BOKC to campus. He is married and has five children and still serves the university as a professor.

Speaking on being inducted: “I was completely surprised when I was notified. I was deeply honored, of course, to be thought of in that way. It celebrates the achievements of some of our finest athletes, what they did while they were here and what they’ve done since they left.”

KRISTEN PERKINSKristin Perkins (formerly Koralewski) played volleyball

for NKU and was a Great Lakes Valley Conference player of the year her junior and senior year. She is now a purchas-ing manager for Nucor Steel company and is married with three kids.

Speaking on being inducted: “Well being chosen was humbling, looking at the class I was inducted with I was very shocked because it is such a prestigious class to be in-ducted with.”

jAMES CLAyPOOLJames Claypool was one of the founding fathers of North-

ern Kentucky State College. He was the first employee of Northern Kentucky and began as a professor of history and dean of admissions. He hired all the first coaches and was in charge of athletics for eight years. He is now retired and a

speaker for Kentucky Humanity Council. He has been mar-ried for fifty years and has two children and four grandchil-dren.

Speaking on being inducted: “I’m truly honored, I’ve been involved with the program from day one and it gave me an opportunity to honor the early student athletes and I accepted the honor on their behalf.”

jASON MARTINJason Martin, former NKU baseball player, was a lead

hitter on the team in 1999-2002. He had a hand in helping the baseball team come out as a regional powerhouse. He was NKU’s all-time career hits leader with 270, earned All-American honors as a junior and is looked at as one of the best hitters in the program’s entire history.

STEPHANIE LEIMbACHStephanie Leimbach, former NKU softball player, set sev-

eral offensive records during the four seasons she was here (2002-2005). She was an All-American honors mention when NKU set a season record of 55-0 in 2005. Leimbach was NKU’s all-time leader in hits, stolen bases, runs scored and at-bats.

Nancy Winstel, Jason Martin, Stephanie Leimbach and Kim Keyer-Scott could not be reached for comment at time of publication.

Photo by Kody KahleNKU class of 2013 Hall of Fame members were inducted on Feb. 17 at The Bank of Kentucky Center in Highland Heights, Ky. Inductees to the David Lee Holt Athletics Hall of Fame included former players, coach, dean/founding father and president.

Brook CliffordStaff writer

16 | Sports February 21, 2013

Chinese food and the University of Kentucky athletics program are two of freshman Rianna Gayheart’s favorite things. Gayheart is a 5-foot-7-inch guard for NKU’s women’s basketball team from Owenton, Ky., who has obtained two awards from the Atlantic Sun Conference naming her “Newcomer of the Week.”

During high school, she was also named an honorable mention all-state senior.

Gayheart has played in 22 games this season and averages over seven points a game. She also contributes an average of three rebounds and three assists per game.

Gayheart has progressed in under-standing when to attack and how to make decisions on attacking on the court in transition, and by doing this, it creates op-portunities for her teammates, according to Dawn Plitzuweit, NKU women’s bas-ketball head coach.

Eighteen-year-old Gayheart is one of five freshmen on the team this year. She has been on the court for 500 minutes this season, beating out every other fresh-man in playing time besides fellow guard Christine Roush, who names Gayheart as a good friend.

“We have a great relationship,” Roush, a biology major, said. “We’ve been room-mates since the summer and we have a closer connection since we’re both from Kentucky. We just know each other. We’re really close friends.”

Gayheart said the entire team gets along really well.

“It’s very important to come to a team that is also a family,” Gayheart said. “I’m only an hour from my actual home, but this is home to me, too.”

Besides bonding, the team as a whole is ranked fourth overall in the A-Sun with an 8-6 record in the conference. Coach Plitzu-weit said Gayheart has really contributed as a player with her scoring.

“She’s a basketball junkie in a lot of ways,” Plitzuweit said. “She watches and studies the game and picks up on things quickly. Her scoring and her ability to make plays for us led her to the awards. Her defensive awareness continues to im-

prove, also.”For Gayheart, the awards are more of a

team achievement.“It’s awesome,” Gayheart said. “Defi-

nitely not an individual award. My name is on the paper, but it’s my team’s award, too. We all want to do our best. We all want to get the award.”

Although Gayheart is a freshman, her teammates look to her on the court. Defen-sively she has 55 rebounds for the season out of her 66 total, she also has 28 steals.

“I look up to her,” Roush said. “She’s a leader on the court and not afraid to take control of the ball. She’s not afraid of tak-ing chances and has really improved her shot over the season. Her defense is great. She’s a great hustle player.”

Gayheart said that transitioning from a high school team to a Division I league is a big step.

“You have to improve on every part of your game,” Gayheart said. “I’ve definitely noticed my shooting and defense has got-ten a lot better.”

Not only is Gayheart an effective player on the court, she is also known to have a great personality off the court.

“I think she’s a fun-loving kid,” Plitzu-weit said. “She gets along with her team-mates really well.”

The team plays on Saturday at 2 p.m. against Mercer who is ranked second in the conference with a 12-2 record. The team will return home Feb. 28 to face North Florida at 5 p.m.

Photo by Kody KahleFreshman guard Rianna Gayheart made a shot after being fouled by a Stetson defender Feb. 16. The Kentucky native averaged 17.3 points per game as a senior at Owen County High School.

Brook CliffordStaff writer

Freshman stands out, earns two Newcomer of the Week awardsteammates rely on Gayheart for her hustle, courage

RIANNAgayhEart

p l ay e r s n a p s h o t

#5f r e s h m a n

g u a r dmajOr:

ORGANIzATIONAl lEAdERSHIp

miNor: COMMUNICATION

b i r t h d ay :J u ly 4 , 1 9 9 4

FAvORITE TEAMS: bOSTON CELTICS,

UK wILdCATSf e a r s : m a S C O T S

Favorite Food: CHiNESE

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