Lost in the excitement over Northern Kentucky University President James Votruba an-nouncing his intentions to ap-ply in the fall to be a Division I school was the announcement that professors will be getting raises for the fi rst time in two years, and NKU plans to re-structure academic advising.

Changes to NKU’s budget are coming at the recommen-dation of the Huron Consult-ing Group, a company NKU contracted to analyze almost every aspect of university op-erations and offer suggestions on how to improve them.

“Faculty and staff are very deserving [of a raise],” said Provost Gail Wells. “This will be a welcome change for our really high-performing fac-ulty.”

Except for a one-time $750 bonus in December 2010, NKU faculty has not received any increases in pay for the last two years.

Votruba announced April 6 that he will recommend to the Board of Regents that they create a $3.3 million pool to be used for salary raises for faculty and staff.

Full and part-time faculty and staff will be eligible for raises based on their annual performance reviews, but not everyone will get the full three-percent increase. The amount of increase will depend on re-views. Wells said that some faculty will get more than three percent, while some will get less.

Wells said NKU has been

able to fund the raises by sav-ing about $5.3 million in next year’s budget by reallocating funds from the current bud-get, primarily from cuts in ad-minstrative offi ces.

Instead of fi lling positions as they became vacant, Wells

said they combined roles, and used the money that went to pay former employees to cre-ate the salary pool for next year’s raises.

The funds from raises are not budgeted to come from any tuition increases, be-

cause those have not been set. The NKU administration is still waiting on the Council on Postsecondary Education to set the limit on tuition in-creases for next year before determining what the in-crease will be.

Another area Votruba said will be addressed in the com-ing year is academic advising. Votruba said NKU will revise the advising process, creating a more centralized system.

But he acknowledged that the change leaves the door open for people to wonder if NKU will lose the one-on-one attention from faculty stu-dents expect. Votruba said he supports more centralized ad-vising, as long as students still get individualized attention.

Vice Provost Pat Moyna-han said that no one is sure yet what specifi c changes will come to academic advising. He added that various direc-tors, deans and faculty have spent the last several months researching how other univer-sities handle advising.

What NKU doesn’t want to do, Moynahan said, is com-pletely overhaul academic ad-vising.

A possible change to aca-demic advising Moynahan described is a “one-stop hub” that will help students fi nd the right person to help them if a problem arises.

Changes to academic advis-ing could add what Moynahan called an additional layer of intervention so advisers can get “more direct contact with students at earlier points in the semester.”

These kind of changes would require more resources in the form of staffi ng and funding. Wells is creating a commit-tee to discuss how to best re-structure academic advising. Moynahan said that students could see some changes as early as the fall 2011 semester.

insideTheNorthernerNKU alum on stage at Aronoff

Pg. 13Y.E.S. Festival reviews

Pg. 14Mandatory class evaluations

Pg. 3

NKU restructures budgetVotruba recommends faculty, staff get raises and

academic advising process to be streamlined

Cassie StoneEditor-in-chief

thenortherner.comtwitter.com/northernermedia

NKU’s independent student newspaper

The Northerner

Wednesday, April 13, 2011Edition 47, Issue 12

Value: 50 cents

Views April 13, 20112Ju

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ViewsEdition 47, Issue 12 3

Caitlin BeagleSophomore,

Elementary Education

“BEP. It is really quiet in the mornings and in

the mid afternoon.... It is unlike the library that is dead silent. I need some

sound to study.”

Justin MendellSenior, EMB

“ST 120, It is extremely quiet, you got computers

there if I need that for some reason. Because of my major, I spend a

lot of time there already. I am more comfortable

there.”

Samantha HughesFreshman, Pre-nursing

“Science building on the fourth fl oor. It is quiet not many people go up there. There’s too much

traffi c in the library. There are a lot of classes but most people do not

stay up there.”

rnpCompiled by

John Minor & Sean Dressman

Where’s the best place to study on campus?

norse poll responses

Dawn PeakPost-grad, Nursing

“Library because it is just quieter. People leave

you alone. I started studying in the Student Union, but it’s a social

gathering spot. In the li-brary, people know what

your intent is.”

The Northern Kentucky University Offi ce of the Regis-trar has sent out a notifi cation that they will withhold student grades, transcript requests and degree audits by two weeks if a student does not complete an online course evaluation or se-lect an option to “opt out.”

The practice of students eval-uating professors and courses is nothing new, but I found this particular approach to the system to be, well, somewhat forceful. It punishes those who would otherwise ignore the process entirely.

“One of my professors used to give us an incentive to make sure we did [the evaluations],” says NKU marketing major Ryan DuVal. “We would get extra credit or something like that, but this seems like it’s less of an option, and more like a command.”

NKU says they want qual-ity feedback on professors, but if so, why such a forced approach? Would this not en-courage students to either opt

out, or quickly do all the course evaluations so that they will not suffer the consequences? This rushed data entry would obviously skew the information towards professors and courses just getting 1’s or 5’s depending on whether they liked or hate a professor?

Instead of detailed reason-able evaluation, we are going to receive an infl ux of simplistic number ratings that are mean-ingless out of context. Why did this professor get all 5’s? Are they truly the perfect profes-sor?

What I fi nd to be the most peculiar is, of course, the men-

tioned opt-out option. Why bother with collecting unneces-sary information?

For example, if an American citizen doesn’t wish to vote, they just simply don’t vote. They don’t visit the booth or leave a message during a cer-tain period of time. Why should students have to do that when evaluating professors?

This feels as though the reg-istrar’s offi ce has proposed to take something that was com-pletely voluntary and turned it into a mandatory action that has negative consequences if not completed. Oh wait, it doesn’t feel like that, it is.

False positivesZachary RogersContributing writer

Forcing faculty evaluations skews results

AD MANAGERWilliam Fisher[fi sherw1@nku.edu]

The NorthernerFounders Hall Rm 314Highland Heights, KY 41099Editor in Chief: (859) 572-5812Newsroom: (859) 572- 6677 or 5620Advertising: (859) 572-5232Fax: (859) 572-5772E-mail: northerner@nku.eduWeb site: www.thenortherner.com

contactinformation

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFCassie Stone[stonec2@nku.edu]

PRESENTATION EDITORKarli Wood[woodk3@nku.edu]

ADVISERGayle Brown[browng@nku.edu]

northernerstaff

STAFF WRITERSBrandon Barb[barbb1@nku.edu]

Derick Bischoff[bischoffd1@nku.edu]

Roxanna Blevins[blevinsr1@mymail.nku.edu]

Stephen Wilder[wilders3@nku.edu]

COPY DESK CHIEFEmily Christman[christmane1@nku.edu]

FEATURES EDITORClaire Higgins[higginsc1@nku.edu]

SPORTS EDITORNick Jones[jonesn5@nku.edu]

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORJohn Minor[minorj1@nku.edu]

A&E EDITOR Shawn Buckenmeyer[buckenmeys1@nku.edu]

PHOTO EDITORAlysha Durrett[durretta1@nku.edu]

CARTOONISTSBrittany Granville[granvilleb1@nku.edu]

Walter Deller[dellerw@nku.edu]

furtherdetailsEntire content is copyright of The Northerner and may not be reprinted without prior con-sent. Views expressed do not represent those of the administration, faculty or student body.The Northerner is considered a designated public forum. Student editors have authority to make all content decisions without censor-ship or advance approval. The Northerner staff respects the right to a free and open dialogue as allowed under the First Amendment.

PHOTOGRAPHERKevin Jo[jok1@nku.edu]

MANAGING EDITORJesse Call[callj1@nku.edu]

News April 13, 20114

Students with library fines have a new way to get some of their fees re-versed, and it takes about 15 minutes.

W. Frank Steely Library is conduct-ing a survey asking visitors to test their mobile site and rate library ser-vices. People interested in taking the survey can visit the third floor circula-tion desk, or take it online.

Once complete, participants receive a voucher worth up to $20 to be ap-plied to their library fines.

Ellie Jones, the research and in-structional services librarian, said the purpose of the usability test is to help create a website that is easy to use.

Steely Library has developed a mo-bile version of their catalog that can be accessed through the library home page. It allows access to databases such as Academic Search Premier.

Jones said she encourages any-

one with a smart phone to come help the library test their mobile site. Af-ter testing the site, participants get a voucher to get up to $20 in library fines reversed. Jones said the voucher can come in handy for people with a lot of fines.

Students with library fines are un-able to register for classes, or get their transcript. Seniors who do not pay their library fines are unable to gradu-ate until their fines are paid.

“The mobile versions of catalog and databases makes the experience eas-ier for a user with a smaller screen,” Jones said.

To take the survey, visit http://li-brary.nku.edu/usability/.

Library visitors can also take the survey in person by visiting the circu-lation desk on the third floor.

To use the mobile site, vis-it http://nku.kyvl.org/vwebv/searchBasic?sk=mobile.

Dominique BarberContributing writer

Library testing mobile site

The Student Government As-sociation is drawing closer to voting on the proposed student fee to fund improvements to the Campus Recreation Center in the A. D. Albright Health Center.

On Monday, SGA had the first reading of the resolution that proposes a tiered fee for stu-dents, beginning in the fall 2011 semester.

The University Improvements Committee, headed by Michele Forlenza, has been working since the start of the fall 2010 semes-ter to get funding to improve the CRC.

The proposed resolution sug-gests charging undergraduate, graduate and law school stu-dents a $5 per-credit-hour fee,

capped at 12 credit hours, for the 2011-2012 academic year.

The fee will increase to $10 during the 2013-2014 academic year.

Once the construction bond — what the university will use to pay for construction costs — is paid off, the fee will stop.

At that time, SGA will need to revisit the student fee because the CRC will lose its operational funding.

SGA will vote on the resolution next week.

After that, it must pass through the Board of Regents for approv-al.

All student fees must also be approved by the Council on Post-secondary Education, which sets tuition and student fee caps for all Kentucky colleges and uni-versities.

Cassie StoneEditor-in-chief

SGA winds downRec. Center fee, midterm grades on agenda

NewsEdition 47, Issue 12 5

Preparation for college classes can be a struggle for new freshmen, especially when they already have a great deal of stress piling up on their plates. With a new education grant, Northern Kentucky University is hop-ing to alleviate some of that stress.

NKU was recently awarded

a $25,000 grant to help teach high school students how to improve their writing in or-der to increase their college preparedness.

NKU professor Nancy Ker-sell, who has been working since summer 2010 to get the grant and will administer the new program, is helping high school students better pre-pare for college-level writing.

“I taught high school Eng-lish many years ago, and also

worked in business. These experiences — and having taught composition at NKU since 1986 — have shown me that many high school stu-dents don’t realize how much employers and institutions of higher learning value the skills of writing clearly and correctly,” Kersell said.

The expanded program will start in August, when it will offer its fi rst workshop for teachers on campus.

The EAP (English for aca-demic purposes), which was launched in fall 2010, offers a free voluntary test to high school juniors that gives them an early indication of how well they will succeed in college-level writing courses. The pi-lot program included teachers and students from Campbell County High School, Dixie Heights High School and Conner High School.

“In particular, we want to encourage students to im-prove their analytical writ-ing skills when they still have time during their senior year to get more instruction. Our test covers knowledge of grammar and mechanics, as well as the ability to compose a cohesive essay interpreting nonfi ction writing prompt,” Kersell said.

Kersell looks at the prob-

lems she feels students fresh out of high school face.

“My own opinion is that students often do not read closely or carefully enough to defi ne and analyze key con-cepts. Although students in our region have had exten-sive instruction and practice in writing for different audi-ences and purposes, some of them struggle with the higher intellectual level of reading and writing assignments re-quired in college,” she said.

Freshman media infor-matics major Jacob Reyn-olds took the college writing course in fall 2010, but wasn’t impressed.

“It is pretty much the same as high school but I went to a private high school,” he said. “It was almost like they were teaching you, but they really didn’t. The high school class really didn’t help at all.”

Many high schools around the state offer an array of pro-grams to better prepare stu-dents for what college writing classes will expect from them. The schools offer preparatory classes and advanced place-ment programs.

“I went to a college pre-paratory high school,” said freshman journalism major Diamond Crumpton-Scott. “It really prepared me.”

The only issue with pro-grams like this is that not every school offers it, and if they do, then the students are responsible for paying for the class. This is the main reason why Kersell and NKU have worked so hard to attain a grant.

“I am very pleased that the Council on Postsecondary Ed-ucation is funding programs to help students successfully make the transition from high school into college/university education. Everyone involved with this program is excited about making a positive con-tribution to college readiness and placement initiatives,” Kersell said.

Kersell has never been alone in pushing for the program. The advisory board, which helped with the pilot program includes Instruction Direc-tor Dr. Jen Cellio, Dr. Ellen Maddin from the College of Education and several school district curriculum specialists and high school English de-partment chairs.

With the money granted to the school, the program that they have been working on for years has big plans for the future.

Allegra CarpenterContributing Writer

Local schools to benefi t from NKU grant

NKU named healthy Employer

Northern Kentucky Uni-versity has been awarded the title of 2011 healthiest em-ployer of Greater Cincinnati after competing in The Busi-ness Courier’s “2011 Healthi-est Employers of Greater Cincinnati” competition.

The award recognizes orga-nizations that are committed

to creating a healthy work-place for its employers. Com-petitors are judged through an online assessment tool that measures culture and leadership commitment, foundational components, strategic planning, commu-nication and marketing, pro-gramming and interventions, and reporting and analysis.

NKU competed against

other organizations with 1,500-4,999 employees in the Greater Cincinnati area that voluntarily took the as-sessment located on the Healthiest Employers web-site.

Davenport leaves NKUNorthern Kentucky Presi-

dent James Votruba an-nounced that Vice President

of Student Affairs Zebulun Davenport is leaving the uni-versity to take on a new po-sition at Indiana University Purdue University Indianap-olis (IUPUI) after June 2011.

“Zeb was instrumental in the opening of the Student Union, the Bank of Kentucky Center, Callahan Hall and the soccer stadium.” Votru-ba said. “Our intercollegiate

athletics program has con-tinued to evolve into a na-tionally-recognized program known for success, both on the playing fi eld and in the classroom.”

According to an email sent by Votruba, the university will be conducting a national search to fi ll the Vice Presi-dent of Student Affairs posi-tion.

Briefs from around the university

In the Greater Cincinnati area, Northern Kentucky University ranks highest in the level of former students failing to repay federal student loan debt on time, as compared to similar institutions.

According to a recent report released by the U.S. Department of Education, 11.2 percent of NKU students who have taken out federal student loans have entered default on their student loans within the last three years.

Xavier University in Cincinnati had the lowest rate in the area at 2.5 per-cent. The University of Cincinnati’s default rate is 8.7. Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, has a rate of 8.3 percent.

Despite all these universities being part of the same metropolitan area, NKU President James Votruba said he still attributes part of the reason for the difference in rates to the univer-sity’s location.

“We are a typical metropolitan uni-versity campus in that students come and go a lot. That’s why our six-year graduation rates are lower than most,” Votruba explained.

Votruba did not talk in many specif-ics about how we compared locally; instead, he chose to focus on our com-parison to public, four-year colleges in the Commonwealth.

The University of Kentucky, Uni-versity of Louisville and Murray State University all had fewer students fail-ing to pay their loans on time at 4.5, 6.8 and 8.5, respectively. Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green was only slightly higher at 11.7 per-cent. Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond had a rate of 13.7 percent. Morehead State University’s was 14.9 percent and Kentucky State University in Frankfort fared the worst at 24.8 percent.

Votruba listed a number of factors that could be contributing to the level of default, including NKU’s retention of students. Votruba said those stu-dents often lured away by outside em-ployment.

“I think that the profi le of our stu-dents plays into this. You know, 85 percent of our students work 20 hours

a week or more,” Votruba said. “Peo-ple will ask me who is our greatest competition and often I’ll answer that it’s employers.”

When students leave the university prior to completing their degrees, they are more likely to fall victim to student loan default, according to NKU Direc-tor of Student Financial Assistance Leah Stewart.

However, neither Stewart or Votru-ba were able to provide a breakdown of whether it is NKU graduates or

dropouts who are more frequently de-faulting.

Votruba and Stewart also consid-ered the types of students NKU has at-tracted in the past as a potential cause for the high rate as compared to some colleges. Votruba said that UK, U of L and Murray State were all more selec-tive in the kinds of students they ad-mit. Thus, one way to consider reduc-ing the rate of default is to turn away more applicants.

“If that’s the case, our selectiv-

ity continues to go up,” Votruba said. “Our student profi le has changed dra-matically — that will infl uence these kind of numbers, would be my guess.”

“We will probably turn away a larger number this year,” Votruba added and said that these will be students with two or more defi ciencies in the admis-sions standards for NKU.

One factor that NKU is working on in order to improve default rates is new programs designed to promote fi nancial literacy among incoming stu-dents.

“We don’t spend a lot of time about students being fi nancially prepared for college. We need to have very di-rect, unambiguous conversations with students and those who pay the bill,” Votruba explained.

Stewart said that new fi nancial lit-eracy programs are in place on top of student loan entrance and exit in-terviews. The goal is to help educate students on how many loans they can manage and how to pay them back.

“We are looking at some other initia-tives; early intervention measures we can put in place,” Stewart said.

For students who have left the uni-versity and are fi nding diffi culty in paying their student loan debt, or even keeping track of how much they owe, Stewart said her offi ce is still available to assist them.

“We fi nd that students leave and may not know, or may not have kept track of, how much they’ve borrowed … [or] not knowing their repayment obligation,” she explained.

They are doing more to help stu-dents keep track of how many loans they have taken by directing them to a website that tracks all their debt obli-gations for them. Students can access this through the MyNKU system.

The downtown in the economy may be the main culprit, Votruba and Stew-art said.

“The economy...may be more of an impact than anything else,” Votruba said.

He added that NKU is battling the effect of the economy on current and future students by continuing to main-tain its level of need-based scholarship funds each year despite the continu-ous cuts in the state allocation.

NKU has highest rate of defaultamong regional universities

Norse unable to repay loan debtNews April 13, 20116

Jesse CallManaging editor

NewsEdition 47, Issue 12 7

Students will start notic-ing traffic and construction changes on campus as sum-mer approaches. Workers are driving stakes into the ground in certain areas and spots are being cleared for construction equipment.

Northern Kentucky Uni-versity is preparing for a new construction project for Johns Hill Road which, when completed, will add another roundabout and new entrances and exits from campus.

The $4 million project, funded by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, is slated to begin this month, and projected to end, at the latest, by spring 2012.

The project is designed to extend the road near the Welcome Center Garage be-hind the BEP and ST build-ing. The metal guardrail at the end of University Drive will be removed, extending that road up to meet Johns Hill Road.

There will be a new round-about where those two roads meet, near Knollwood Drive and Johns Hill. This is one phase of a project designed by the university to ease congestion around campus for students who commute.

It has been a part of the master plan of the university almost since NKU’s opening in 1972. Mary Paula Schuh, director of campus and space planning, is happy it is finally happening.

“I think the benefits will be tremendous,” she said.

“We’re excited the construc-tion is finally going to begin. While there will be some in-convenience, the long-term benefit to the university community and the adja-cent community, in terms of safe and expedient traffic flow, it is well worth it.”

Some students wonder about traffic and parking, like senior Justin Flanery.

Flanery, who worries about the driving aspect, said, “I do think we need to fix the road issues, but I do have concerns about how the roundabout is used now, and how the new one will be used.”

Dan Seevers, project man-ager for Eaton Asphalt, the company doing the work, was quick to answer those concerns.

“I don’t envision our con-struction impacting parking in any way,” he said. “We do not take away any parking that students are using now, that I’m aware of.”

Schuh also understands the concerns.

“Sometimes students who live not too far from campus can spend more time sitting in traffic on Kenton Drive than it takes them to actual-ly get to campus,” she said.

Seevers also stressed that most of the construction will be taking place south of campus. Those who take I-275 are not expected to be affected.

Those students who take Martha Layne Collins Blvd. could see some traffic and tie-ups; but according to Seevers, it should be mini-mal.

“We anticipate about 70 percent of this project can be constructed without affect-ing traffic patterns,” he said Schuh said calendars, which list the events through the summer and fall, have been

provided so that Eaton will have a better idea of when high-traffic times could be.

Seevers also mentioned that Eaton is looking to do most of the major work this summer, when most stu-

dents are away. He indicated that they are

aiming to have the bulk of the work done by the end of this construction year, and their goal is to try and finish this year.

Sean DressmanContributing writer

NKU begins summer constructionCongestion possible as new entrances, roundabout installed on Johns Hill Road

News April 13, 20118

It is time for African-Amer-ican Student Affairs to start battling the poor retention rates of African-American students at Northern Ken-tucky University, according to Dean of Students Jeffrey Waple.

Having a solid plan for how to make that happen will be a major factor in determining who will fi ll the vacant direc-tor position in AASA. Candi-dates for the position, which are selected by a search com-mittee, are fi nishing inter-views and Q-and-A sessions with students this week.

“As [The North-e r n e r

has] written and pointed out very appropriately, our reten-tion rate for African-Ameri-can students is not good, and for African-American males, even worse,” Waple said. “[The new AASA director] is going to have to have some idea as to how we can ad-dress that issue beyond NKU R.O.C.K.S. [the current reten-tion program],” he continued.

The latest fi gures released by NKU’s Offi ce of Institu-tional Research indicates that nearly 40 percent of African-American students leave the university.

“They have to understand and be able to develop

a good retention effort for African-American students,” Waple said about the candi-dates.

Waple admitted that anoth-er problem in the offi ce has been the amount of staff turn-around. Currently, the offi ce holds only one full-time coor-dinator and an administrative assistant. Two coordinators were fi red in February 2010, and only one of their posi-tions was fi lled shortly before the unexpected departure of AASA Director Miya Simpson in February 2011 due to fam-ily circumstances.

Students have complained about the frequent turnaround and the vacancies in the of-

fi ce, Waple said. As a result, can- d i -

dates for the vacant position must be committed to staying at the university for a long pe-riod of time.

“Stability is very impor-tant,” Waple said. “It’s not important to me, but it’s im-portant to the students. You know, we’ve had too much transition. I’m looking for someone who can give us a longer position than a year or two.”

For most of the year, AASA has been utilizing staff on a part-time basis from other departments like U n i v e r s i t y Housing and the Student Achievement Center, where current Inter-im AASA Di-

rector Willa Green works half her weekly hours.

“The candidate asked me yesterday, ‘When do you want this person to start?’, and I said, ‘January 1, 2011,’” Waple said with a laugh.

While getting someone to begin working as soon as pos-sible is a priority for Waple, he said the starting date of any candidate is “negotiable” and would refl ect their needs to fi nish up their current roles and move, if needed.

“I think the start

Jesse CallManaging editor

Search for new director nearly completeDean expects an end to the revolving door of staff in the AASA offi ce

See AASA, p.10

FeaturesEdition 47, Issue 12 9

Northern Kentucky Uni-versity students, families and friends took a trip out of the United States and into the home countries of the uni-versity’s international stu-dents Saturday evening. The International Student Union presented the 20th Annual International Potluck Dinner and Talent Show to celebrate the exchange students study-ing at NKU.

The annual event is the big-gest international event of the year. On Saturday, April 9, the Student Union Ballroom was fi lled with around 340 international students, their families and friends, as well as NKU faculty and staff, in-cluding Victor E. Viking and President James Votruba.

“I’m here to enjoy the inter-national potluck. It’s great fun to meet all the international

students,” Votruba said.The ISU holds the event as

an end-of-the-year celebra-tion, showcasing the 400 dif-ferent students at NKU that hail from 73 different coun-tries. “For the international organizations, this is their time to shine,” said ISU presi-dent Erin Jamriska.

The atmosphere through-out the night was friendly and it seemed like almost everyone knew each other, making for a great, open en-vironment. Senior computer science major Justin Shelton described the international student group as a whole dif-ferent community.

“It’s almost like Greek life — except it’s exchange life,” Shelton said about the large number of international ex-change students at NKU.

All attendees were in their element, as many were dressed in their traditional clothing and able to eat the

traditional food they have missed from their home countries.

The potluck began with a bazaar where different orga-nizations could promote their countries. The Saudi Arabian Student Association present-ed the biggest booth, with samples of Arabian coffee and pastries, as well as infor-mational videos and pictures. The Asian Student Associa-tion taught origami and cre-ated bookmarks while offer-ing a donation box that would go to disaster relief in Japan.

After the bazaar, attend-ees enjoyed music by Yayoi and New Brazil, a jazzy, cul-tural fusion group. The music provided a great background to the friendly atmosphere that radiated from the Union throughout the entire night.

The food was provided by the guests, who were required to either pay for a ticket or bring an international dish

to attend. The Ballroom was lined with tables, which were labeled by continent to help organize the many dishes from each country.

The food is really the bond-ing factor in the event, ac-cording to Jamriska. Many of the international students said the food was their favor-ite part, including Valeriya Mkrtichyan. Mkrtichyan is a third-year student at NKU from Russia, who stated her love for desserts while eating one of the many choices.

The lines for the buffet-style tables fi lled with food weaved throughout the Ballroom for about 45 minutes before ev-eryone was back in their seat and ready for the talent show.

The talent show, anoth-er crowd favorite, featured dance and musical acts, as well as a fashion show per-formed by students. Bulgar-ian sisters Dely and Iliyana Kricheva both enjoyed the

performances and the fashion show the most. Dely, a senior fi nance major, is also an ISU member, so it’s important to come together to celebrate the cultures, languages and peoples from other countries for one night.

This year’s theme for the dinner was “Journey through Memories,” as a way to hon-or the international alumni who made the event such a successful tradition. Abdul Kazi graduated in May 2008, but has continued to attend the potluck every year since graduation because he misses the international connections NKU provides.

The International Potluck was sponsored by Student Life’s Student Organization Collaborative Project grant, The Party Source and other local companies which pro-vided the door prizes and raffl e prizes.

Claire HigginsFeatures editor

Annual potluck celebrates diversity

Photos by Kevin Jo

Students and faculty honored international students on campus at the 20th Annual International Potluck Dinner, sponsored by the International Student Union on April 9.

Attendees brought different dishes from around the world to the event.

The event also presented a tal-ent show where students could display their international talents.The ISU presented awards and a scholarship for academic achieve-ment and campus involvement.

Deoksu Choi (far left) plays the ocarina for guests.

Hana Kim and Diana Nur Utami (center, bottom) attended the event dressed in traditional cloth-ing.

President James Votruba (bottom, right) welcomed the crowd and gave his thanks to alumni who made the event a tradition.

News April 13, 201110

AASA, continued from page eight

A Northern Kentucky University professor’s research into how the press handled rumors about a possible pregnancy hoax by Sarah Palin dur-ing the 2008 presidential election has been making the rounds around con-servative blogs and getting responses from Palin’s former spokesman.

Bradford Scharlott, associate jour-nalism professor, wrote “Palin, the Press and the Fake Pregnancy Rumor: Did a Spiral of Silence Shut Down the Story?” to research whether or not there was enough evidence that Palin was actually covering up her oldest daughter’s pregnancy by claiming the child was hers.

In his research, Scharlott implicates Bill McAllister, Palin’s former spokes-man in the rumor. The paper indicates that McAllister, who was a journalist before he became Palin’s spokeman, may have helped keep secrets about a hoax, if it existed.

“I suggest that he was, in fact, possi-bly involved in a hoax,” Scharlott said. “In the spirit of fairness, he should get a copy. That’s what journalists nor-mally do.”

Since receiving a copy of the paper, McAllister has been working to defend himself against the accusation. He be-gan by responding to Scharlott’s email and then forwarding his exchange to members of NKU’s communications

department in a message with the subject line: “Brad Scharlott disgraces your university.”

The e-mail exchanges continued. In the messages, McAllister called Schar-lott a “scoundrel” and “despicable,” and Scharlott responded by claiming that McAllister “made a deal with the devil” when he went to work as Palin’s spokesman.

“I would not have commented at all had he confi ned himself to attack-ing her,” McAllister said in an e-mail to The Northerner, “but bringing me into it prompted my response. I will not tolerate being called a liar.”

On April 9, the Alaska Dispatch ran editorials from both Scharlott and McAllister, giving both of them the opportunity to speak for their side of the story.

In his editorial, Scharlott said he was interested in the topic because stories about President Barack Obama’s birth records “have had no problem getting into the press.”

“By contrast, the idea that Palin may have staged a hoax concerning the birth of Trig has essentially be-come taboo in mainstream media, with only a few stories in the Anchor-age Daily News treating the question in a serious way,” Scharlott said in his editorial.

McAllister refutes all allegations of unethical behavior in his editorial. He explains that after nearly dying in

September 2009 from complications due to cancer, he has a “zero-tolerance policy for lies about [his] character.”

“At this stage of life, I’m not going to sit still when anyone alleges that I was part of an unprecedented hoax perpetrated on the American people,” McAllister said in his editorial. “That’s calling me a liar. That’s calling me a

conspirator. That basically says that a record of 30 years of quality journal-ism should be chucked into the trash because of a fl eeting association with Sarah Palin.”

While Scharlott and McAllister have continued sparring, many bloggers have picked up the story. Salon.com posted a column critical of Scharlott’s research on the morning of April 12. By mid-afternoon of the same day, Andrew Sullivan responded on his blog, “The Daily Beast,” saying he would still like to see proof from Palin that Trig is her son.

Scharlott said he has also been con-tacted by Joe McGinniss, a writer who used to live next door to the Palin family. He has been working on a book about Palin in the 2008 election. Scharlott said McGinniss contacted him to let him know that he will be us-ing information from his research in his forthcoming book.

Scharlott said the majority of feed-back he has received has been posi-tive.

“I’ve been getting e-mails from across the country and around the world,” Scharlott said. “People are treating me like a rockstar, saying ‘thank you.’”

Scharlott said he’s “really worn down from the attention.”

“But,” Scharlott said, “Who am I to whine?”

Cassie StoneEditor-in-chief

Prof’s research ruffl es Palin allyFormer spokesman calls faculty member a ‘despicable’ ‘scoundrel’

Photo courtesy of MCT Campus

NKU professor Bradford Scharlott researched how the spiral of silence quelled rumors of Trig Palin’s possible illegitimacy.

time will defi nitely be after commencement,” Waple said.

The Dean of Students said he hopes to make an offer to a candidate by April 25. He said he thinks that students will be pleased with the announcement of a new director, even if they will not start until the summer.

“At least having someone named will be very positive,” Waple said.

However, Waple has stressed that he feels it is important that the new AASA director choose the person that will replace the

coordinator position, which was left vacant since February 2010. That person will serve in a newly created assistant direc-tor position with additional job duties. Therefore, the selection process for that student-orient-ed position will likely be held during the summer months, when most NKU students are not on campus.

“I really don’t think we can wait to do this when all students are back,” Waple said about the search for an assistant direc-tor, adding that students have

told him that they cannot wait and he responded to them with, “You’re right. We can’t wait.”

Receiving student feedback in the assistant director search, just as they are in the current search for director, remains a goal for the dean.

“I’ve already talked to a lot of student leadership from Af-rican-American students, and they are going to be here this summer, and they have net-works,” Waple said.

The dean said he thinks stu-dents trust NKU to make the

right choice for the assistant di-rector position.

“I think now that students know the direction we’re going in and the positive experience we’re having with the director search, that they’re pretty trust-worthy that we are going to do the right thing and keep those involved as much as we can,” he explained.

The candidates considered for the director position include one internal candidate: Interim AASA Director Willa Green. Three external candidates are

also being considered: Brandi Elliott, associate director of ethnic programs and services at the University of Cincinnati; Adrian Deloach, director of the Center for Diversity and Inclu-sion at Radford University in Virginia; and Dannie Moore, assistant director for multicul-tural affairs at the University of Texas-Arlington.

“We have a fairly strong pool,” Waple said. “I’ll be curi-ous to hear what the students have to say … that will be criti-cal for me to hear.”

A recent report in The Northerner prompted a uni-versity administrator to en-sure any future comments by student employees in the W. Frank Steely Library meet his expectations.

Meetings were held April 6 and 7 by Associate Provost Arne Almquist to discuss employee responses to me-dia questions. The meetings came shortly after a student

employee made comments to a student reporter about her feelings on whether extending library hours was a good idea.

Once the comments went public, library administators addressed concerns about the comments to the student worker.

Following publication, the quoted employee emailed a reporter alleging a miscom-munication, but offering an explanation for her change in perspective.

“Personally when I fi rst saw

it I did not get offended when I read it but others did and I was spoke to about it,” the em-ployee wrote.

That speech was reiterated in a meeting where student employees said they had an open and frank discussion on how to address reporters’ questions.

“It was a constructive meet-ing,” a student employee said. “They were letting everybody speak their mind.”

The employee requested not to be named because they were

concerned about repercus-sions.

In an interview with The Northerner, Associate Provost Arne Almquist said he’s not trying to keep students from offering their opinion.

“We’re not saying people cannot talk to reporters or give their opinions,” said Associate Provost Arne Almquist. “But we don’t want miscommunica-tion.”

If it is clear that something has been stated as an opinion, it is fi ne, Almquist explained.

He added that his primary concern is that what is pub-lished is an accurate report.

A group within the library’s marketing team is currently doing research to get a short policy statement put into place, Almquist said. The pol-icy is intended to make it more clear to employees when they should redirect a question to a higher offi cial.

Almquist said that some-times it may just be a matter of checking with someone else before answering a question.

News April 13, 201112

Some professors have given students another choice on what to do during a fi re alarm at Northern Kentucky Uni-versity. That choice is to re-main in the classroom.

During a recent storm in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area, several in-structors at Northern Ken-tucky University chose to im-plement the new choice.

On March 23, a storm pelted NKU with rain and lashed it with strong winds, and it was the second severe

storm this semester. This re-cent storm did not last long, only about 30 minutes from start to fi nish. Two internal sirens had already sounded to alert students to the severe thunderstorm and to later is-sue an all clear. Shortly there-after, the fi re alarm was acti-vated in Founders Hall. The storm caused the fi re alarm to go off, but that was not known at the time.

While some students, fac-ulty and The Northerner staff evacuated the building, some students remained in the classroom and listened as

their professors continued to lecture.

There are emergency proce-dures posted in the buildings around campus, telling the proper procedures for a fi re alarm, severe weather, etc. These posters instruct per-sons to evacuate when the fi re alarm sounds.

“Any time there is a fi re alarm, everyone should evac-uate,” said NKU Chief of Po-lice Jason Willis.

Ignoring a fi re alarm can re-sult in the possibility of being charged with disorderly con-duct in the second degree, a

Class B misdemeanor. Disor-derly conduct includes the re-fusal “to obey an offi cial order to disperse issued to maintain public safety in dangerous proximity to a fi re, hazard, or other emergency.”

According to Chief Wil-lis, “it’s always a possibility” someone would be charged of the crime, but unlikely.

Regardless of whether it is criminal or not, many stu-dents think professors should not put them in such a diffi -cult position.

“The students shouldn’t have been put in that posi-

tion,” said junior pre-med major Ashley Carrington. “Regardless if there was no fi re, they still should have evacuated.”

Another student under-stood that some professors might get frustrated, but said the risk was too high.

“Professors should consider the safety of the students fi rst. Lessons can be made up and tests can be retaken, but the safety of the students and the professors alike should be taken into consideration fi rst,” said senior English ma-jor Erin Wynn.

Brandon BarbStaff writer

Professors continue class through fi re alarms

Roxanna BlevinsStaff writer

Be careful, student worker, what you say

Photo illustration by Aly Durrett

Provost warns employees to defer questions to avoid “miscommunication” with media

FeaturesEdition 47, Issue 12 13

Theatre students and as-piring Broadway stars are al-ways told how tough the busi-ness is. But for the persistent few that get out of Highland Heights and into the bustling streets of New York City, it just might happen; just like it did for Northern Kentucky University graduate Sarah Peak.

Peak, who graduated in 2006 with a musical theatre degree, is returning to Cin-cinnati to perform with the touring production of “Shrek The Musical” at the Aronoff Center. “I’m so thankful to be working in something that I went to college for … so thankful to be performing,” Peak said.

After graduation, Peak moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. She was able to get a side job and was “pretty successful” in fi nding acting jobs in both regional and children’s the-aters. After only about six months of auditions, Peak

began touring in the fi rst pro-duction of the musical “The Wedding Singer.”

Upon returning to The Big Apple, Peak found truth to the statements about not fi nding jobs and hearing hun-dreds of “no’s” before one “yes” because of the strug-gling economy.

She was working as a nan-ny when she booked a job with the touring produc-tion of “Shrek The Musical.” “Shrek” is based on the story and characters from William Steig’s book “Shrek!”, as well as the Dreamworks anima-tion fi lm “Shrek”.

Peak has been touring with “Shrek” for almost a year and she loves it. In the produc-tion, Peak is a member of the ensemble, so there is a lot of singing and dancing for her. She also plays one of the fairy tale creatures, The Ugly Duck-ling, as well as teen Princess Fiona for one number.

“It’s fun, I get to sing a pretty song and dress up like a princess,” Peak said about playing Fiona.

Because of the transition

from cartoon to stage, the cast has to undergo serious makeup application for every performance, and they are al-ways quick changes. Peak, for example, has four major cos-tume changes in the fi rst 40 minutes of the show.

When rehearsals fi rst be-gan, Peak and the cast thought the makeup transitions would be crazy, but after almost a year they seem to have the routine down. The cast and makeup and costume crew

have choreographed motions to get them out of one cos-tume and into another in the shortest amount of time.

Today, after being out of NKU for fi ve years, Peak said her time in the theatre depart-ment was a great experience. She credits the students she graduated with as “a strong factor in what made my expe-rience so great.”

Through her experiences in New York City, Peak has learned a lot; and she gives the same advice that she lives by to aspiring Broadway stars, which is to be persis-tent. “Persistence is the most important thing,” Peak said. “Hang in there, because once you get the job, it’s worth it.”

The teachers were also helpful in teaching Peak ev-erything she needed to know about moving to the Big Ap-ple and making it.

“Ken Jones really helped me a lot,” she said. “He is a terrifi c addition to the NKU campus in general.”

Ken Jones, chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, knew from the begin-

ning that Peak was going to be successful. “She was one of the best we ever had,” he said. Jones described Peak as hilarious, “smart as a whip,” and also said she was “prob-ably the best dancer to come through NKU.”

Since graduation, Jones has invited Peak back to campus multiple times to choreo-graph some of NKU’s musi-cals. Most recently, Peak cho-reographed half of the spring 2010 production of “Bye Bye Birdie.” Peak won a Cincinna-ti Acclaim Award for her work in the musical.

The entire Department of Theatre and Dance plans on seeing Peak in the upcom-ing production of “Shrek The Musical.”

The show will be at the Aronoff Center in Cincinnati from April 12 through 24. Tickets range in price from $22.50 to $66.50 and can be purchased online at http://www.BroadwayAcrossAmer-ica.com, or in person at the Broadway in Cincinnati box offi ce or the Aronoff Center box offi ce.

Claire HigginsFeatures editor

Photos courtesy of The Marketing DivisionNKU grad Sarah Peak performs in the Aronoff Center’s production of “Shrek The Musical.” She graduated in 2006. Peak performs with the ensemble as the Ugly Duckling and a teen Princess Fiona. The musical is based on the story and characters from the book “Shrek!” and the Dreamworks animation film “Shrek.” “Shrek The Musical” is running at the Aronoff Center through April 24.

Theatre grad performing at the Aronoff

A&E April 13, 201114

f you want to be treated to a rollicking good time, try this play on for size. The Northern Kentucky University’s Department of The-atre and Dance presents “Marfa, Texas,” a

play written by Kelly Kingston Strayer and direct-ed by Mary Jo Beresford.

“Marfa, Texas” is a tale of a town that everyone forgot, including Elizabeth Taylor. Marfa is where the Hollywood fi lm “Giant,” (starring Taylor, James Dean and Rock Hudson) was shot in 1956. 25 years later, the townsfolk cling to their past glory.

Goody, played by Kieran Cronin, senior BFA act-ing candidate, is a man down on his luck. His fail-ing business, the town’s only hotel, Hotel Rio is in desperate need of funds. Cronin plays his charac-ter with just the right mix of strutting cowboy and bumbling con man.

“Working on this show was so much fun main-ly because I was working with some of my best friends,” Cronin said. “I have been with Grayson Wittenbarger, Nathan Tubbs and Sara Kenny for four years now and to fi nish off my senior year by doing a show with them was more than a perfect situation.”

His brother Little Joe, played by Wittenbarger, just wants to fi nd true love. Delores Gonzales, played by senior BFA acting candidate Kenny, takes the motherly role to both “boys.” Kenny does a wonderful job with her role as the Charo-like den mother. She “cuchi-cuchi-ed” her way across the stage with enough sass to keep everyone in line.

“The greatest reward for me, being an actress on stage, is that there is nothing like sharing laugh-ter and entertainment with not only the actors on stage with me, but the audience watching,” Kenny said.

“There is nothing more thrilling to me than ex-posing myself as a vulnerable human being for hundreds of people to see,” Kenny said. “Let’s just say I enjoy the rush too much to give it up.”

Monica Tenhover, a junior BFA acting canidate, plays Hillary Hill Davenport, a woman who fi nally fi nds the spotlight as the fake Elizabeth Taylor in Goody’s plan to put money back into his pockets.

Beresford has done a mighty fi ne job interpret-ing Strayer’s play and keeping the laughs coming. The chemistry of everyone on stage worked well together, the jokes were delivered in a timely fash-ion and the pacing moved at an appropriate speed.

So gussy up your cowboy hats, put on a pair of fl are pants and settle in for a good ole time. For show times, contact the NKU Department of The-atre and Dance’s box offi ce at 859-572-5464.

eni Riefenstahl, Hitler’s fi lm darling, was a beautiful and talented fi lmmaker -- she was also a monster. Northern Kentucky

University began the YES Festival with the world premier of “Monstrous Beauty,” a play written by Karla Jennings and directed by Michael King, that explores the life of Riefenstahl and the famous and infamous people in her life.

The performances were top-notch; evoking laughter, revulsion and some tears. Brooke Ru-cidlo, a junior theater major, made her NKU de-but in the role of Riefenstahl, a woman willing to do anything to make her art a reality. Rucidlo was wonderful as the manipulative and opportunistic fi lmmaker who makes a deal with the devil, Hitler, to become the queen of German propaganda dur-ing Hitler’s reign.

“This show has been a wonderful experience. The cast and crew are so dedicated and talented,” Rucidlo said. “I’ve learned so much throughout this process, working with Mike King and this wonderful group of people!”

Spenser Smith, a senior theater major, is perfect as Joseph Goebbels, the Reich Minister of Propa-ganda in Nazi Germany. Smith plays him with the right mixture of deviousness and viciousness.

“The greatest reward for me is being given per-mission to play men like Goebbels! It’s so fun be-ing mean and nasty!“ Smith said. “You can’t get away with that kind of behavior in life...unless you want to be alone.”

Some other noteworthy performances are Lau-ren Ott as Marlene Dietrich, Riefenstahl’s rival and Hollywood actress, and Sam Rueff as a parody of Andy Warhol.

The only fl aw with this production was the mo-ments where audience members had issues with the audibility of the actors, due to the volume and German accents of the actors.

Overall “Monstrous Beauty” is not to be missed. It is an insightful vision of Riefenstahl, a woman so obsessed with portraying beauty on screen that she fails to notice the monster inside her. For show times contact the NKU Department of Theatre and Dance’s box offi ce at 859-572-5464.

egret is the gift that never stops giving. The Northern Kentucky Department of The-atre and Dance’s YES Festival production

of “One Good Turn” by Jacqueline T. Lynch is a story about loss and alienation.

Directed by NKU professor Sandra Forman, “Turn” begins with graduating college valedicto-rian Martha Robertson’s (Harli Cooper) speech about growing up homeless and the unnamed woman who made her education possible. While the initial reaction to her speech is mild, its reper-cussions quickly explode.

Simon Powell, playing newspaper reporter An-drew Perez, excels at maintaining emotional ten-sion with Cooper throughout the back half of the play. Andrew and Martha’s verbal combat is bit-ter, whimsical and heartfelt. Through the combat, Martha’s true character emerges in the constant refrain for fi nding the only thing she’s ever really wanted.

“I hope audiences will take the character of Mar-tha and learn from her,” said Nikkieli DeMone, Broadway director and actor. “Her struggle is to be connected, not to an institution like her college, but connected to people who are part of her life.”

The play’s climax shatters audience expecta-tions with the devastating arrivals of Jenny Ches-ter (Hayley Powell) and Erin Williams (Stephanie Wallenfelsz). Several shocking truths are revealed in a furious 15 minutes that still don’t answer all the questions that the characters raised.

“One Good Turn” is playing in the Stauss The-atre until Sunday, Aug. 17. Please contact the NKU Department of Theatre and Dance at 859-572-5464 for show times.

Marfa, Texas

Monstrous Beauty

One Good Turn

3 plays 1 stage 10 days:

R

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ReviewedShawn BuckenmeyerA&E Editor

Happenings

French Film Screen-ing: “Bluebeard”When: 3:30 p.m. Wed.; 7 p.m. Thurs.Where: Otto BudigA fi lm based on a gruesome 1697 fairy tale about an aristocrat who marries and murders a series of wives.

NKU Night Presented by The Cincinnati RedsWhen: 7:10 - 10:10 p.m.Where: Great American BallparkReds vs. Pirates. NKU stu-dents, alumni, faculty and staff can purchase some seats for half price!

Six@SixWhen: 6 p.m.Where: Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in Covington, Ky.The marriage of music and word, featuring Rodgers and Hammerstein.

BUS Annual Unity BBQWhen: 5 p.m.Where: The pavilion in NKU Residential VillageEnjoy a night of food, fun and unity with BUS.

Anthropology Career DayWhen: 3 - 5:30 p.m.Where: FH 500 Learn about careers in anthropology. There will be speakers, movies, Q-and-A, alumni, career handouts and refreshments.

Local Activist Mon-dayWhen: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.Where: SU 302 Environmental activists share stories and answer questions from the community and students.

Common Ground Presents the 2011 Spring Drag ShowWhen: 7 - 9 p.m.Where: University CenterSome of the most talented drag stars in the greater Cin-cinnati area. Admission is $2.

A Closer look at Health Care ReformWhen: 1:45 - 2:45 p.m.Where: SU 302A lively discussion about health care. The event is free, and snacks will be provided.

April 13 & 14

April 19April 18April 15April 15

April 15April 15April 13

Logo courtesy of MCT Campus.

Sports April 13, 201116

Students, faculty, former student-ath-letes, and members of the community will walk to raise money for women’s athletics at Northern Kentucky Univer-sity.

On April 16, the 21st Annual Walk for NKU Women’s Athletics will take place on campus. The walk will begin and end at Regents Hall. All proceeds from the event are used to fund and support scholarships for NKU’s female student-athletes.

One goal is also to get members of the community more involved in supporting the Norse women’s teams.

“The more people that are involved, the better it is for NKU,” said Karen Zer-husen Kruer, executive director of the NKU Foundation and fi rst-time team captain. “It is important for NKU to be

engaged in the community and involve community leaders.”

There will be 30 teams in this year’s event. Walkers take pledges to raise money, and most of the walkers also make personal donations. There will also be a fl ower and plant sale as part of the event and a silent auction with items up for bid, including gift certifi cates from businesses around the area.

Many of the walkers are past student-athletes while several of the current stu-dent-athletes help with the event.

Former Athletic Director Jane Meier and current women’s basketball head coach Nancy Winstel have participated in every one of the walks since 1990.

Faculty also gets involved in the event. Tracey Sigler, a management professor, has participated in the event since her fi rst year at NKU in 2002, and started or-ganizing a team as a captain a few years later. Sigler started being a part of the walk, as she was impressed by the female

athletes in her classes.“I wanted to support them by raising

money for scholarships for women’s ath-letic programs,” Sigler said. “I found that I had a lot of fun walking with other col-leagues on campus and celebrating our athletic teams.”

Current students are also very involved in the walk, as well. For the second year, the fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha will have a team led by its captain, Kevin Ward. Ward has participated in the event since his freshman year in high school.

With NKU making a push toward Di-vision I, Ward sees the walk as a way to help this potential transition.

“It is another good way for the frater-nity to give back to the university,” Ward said. “The more money we put in the ath-letic department, the more likely a move to D-I will happen.”

However, the Norse Athletic Club wants to see an increase in student in-volvement, according to club assistant Lu Anne Craig.

“We would like more students to be in-volved,” Craig said. “It is a way for them to help out.”

John MinorAssistant sports editor

Women’s walk to raise funds for athleticsProceeds generated from the annual event go toward scholarships for female athletes

Members of Pi Kappa Alpha help raise money for female student athletic scholarships last year. They plan to continue the tradition.

Photo by Tim Downer