The Northerner Print Edition - February 3, 2010

NEWS

VIEWSA word from former faculty:Dr. Pinelo gives his opinion on Chaney’s investiga-tion.

A&EDancing to her own beat:NKU professor dedicates her life to performing.

COVER STORYKeeping the hot streak rolling: Women’s softball team looks to capitalize on success of last year’s season.

6 & 7

4 & 5

8

10 & 11

Still under review:NKU reaccredited but still must continue to an-swer to SACS.

3February 3, 2010

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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.

PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEFMark Payne[[email protected]]

WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEFEmily Teaford [[email protected]]

PRESENTATION EDITORKarli Wood[[email protected]]

A&E EDITORJeremy Jackson[[email protected]]

PHOTO EDITORCharlotte Etherton[[email protected]]

COPY EDITORSEmily Christman[[email protected]]

Zach Grady[[email protected]]

Chad Hensley[[email protected]]

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AD MANAGERWilliam Fisher[fi [email protected]]

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EDITORIAL CARTOONISTPatrick Delaney[[email protected]]

ASST. PHOTO EDITORCassie Graves[[email protected]]

STAFF WRITERSMichael Willis[[email protected]]

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Brandon Barb[[email protected]]

Jesse Call[[email protected]]

Vern Hockney[[email protected]]

WHAT’S INSIDE

SPORTS 9Pumas pounce on the Norse: Norse fall to St. Jo-seph’s in close game.

COPY DESK CHIEFBetina Kemker[[email protected]]

SPORTS EDITORDrew Laskey[[email protected]]

EDITORIAL ADVISERRyan Clark[[email protected]]

WEB CONTENT MANAGERJim Clark[[email protected]]

The article “Protecting Stu-dent Rights,” which ran in the Jan. 27 issue, reported there was a smoking ban resolution in the Student Government Associa-tion and that the ban was also being proposed to the Board of Regents. There hasn’t been a formal resolution, or proposal, although discussion is occurring among SGA members regarding the smoking ban.

Also, in the article “A North-erner Investigation: Was Dennis Chaney’s impeachment justi-fi ed?”, which also ran in the Jan. 27. it was reported that Keith Kaseke’s impeachment had been ajudicated, which means it was

resolved. Kaseke’s impeach-ment, however, was voted down by 12-6 in the Dec. 9, 2009 hear-ing, so technically it never fully became an impeachment; just a motion.

The rule in SGA’s constitu-tion states that two-thirds ma-jority of the Senate must vote for a motion to pass. However, two-thirds, of the 33 members, of the Senate weren’t present at the Dec. 9 meeting. The Judicial Council’s Fall 2009 Chief Justice, Sto Strauss, interpreted the rule to mean two-thirds of the pres-ent Senate, so the motion to im-peachment was voted based on his interpretation of the rule.

Corrections

Vern Hockney/Staff writer

Students participate in the 2010 Talent Show

Even though Northern Ken-tucky University’s accredita-tion has been recently reaf-fi rmed for the next 10 years, the university remains under pressure to ensure it is meeting national standards. The South-ern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), which is the agency responsible for accreditation, is continuing to monitor the university’s progress — as it does will all accredited universities. SACS requires NKU to fi le a report on its progress this month. And the university is quickly responding to recommenda-tions made by the accrediting body that must be implement-ed within the next two years.

In a letter to NKU President James Votruba, SACS made fi ve recommendations to the university relating to the new Doctoral Program in Educa-tional Leadership, the Intel-lectual Property Policy, the General Education Program and the credentials of faculty in the Sports Business and Nursing programs.

Vice Provost J. Patrick Moy-nahan said that NKU will an-swer all the recommendations by the deadline established by SACS, but some of these changes will be easier than others.

Increasing the credentials of faculty

The SACS standard is that “at least 25 percent of the dis-cipline course hours in each major at a baccalaureate level are taught by faculty members holding the terminal degree,” meaning the highest degree in the fi eld, which is typically a Ph.D. Now the two academic programs not meeting that standard are changing course.

In sports business, two new faculty members have been hired with terminal degrees,

according to Sports Business Director Tom Gamble. One faculty member began this se-mester, and another will begin in the fall.

Moynahan said the call de-manding additional faculty with terminal degrees in nurs-ing was “disappointing” given a national shortage of nurs-ing faculty, a concern that was echoed by the Nursing depart-ment.

“There is a national short-age of nursing faculty with doctorate degrees. As with most health professions, it is more lucrative fi nancially to work in nonacademic settings. We do have several faculty in the College that are currently pursing doctoral degrees how-ever,” said Carrie McCoy, chair of the Department of Nursing. The number of nurs-es in the United States who have a doctorate is less than one percent of the overall to-tal number of nurses.

Denise Robinson, dean of the College of Health Pro-fessions, said that more that 25.7 percent of the full-time nursing faculty have terminal degrees. However, when you take into consideration the part-time faculty in any se-mester, it is approximately 8.5 percent.

Still, Robinson said there is a plan in place to enhance the current faculty and create new faculty positions for can-didates with terminal degrees.

“We have four faculty who are currently in school com-pleting their doctoral de-grees,” Robinson shared. “Two of our faculty left to work on their degrees, as well. We are supporting those faculty who are working on their degrees.

“We are utilizing a number of strategies to increase the number of terminally pre-pared nursing faculty, but it will not be an overnight fi x.

We are exploring all factors to address this shortage. With all the options I have discussed such as growing our own and the addition of (the Doctorate in Nursing Practice Program and possibly a Doctorate of Education Program), we will make inroads into getting the number of terminally degreed nursing faculty increased.”

Potential faculty with ter-minal degrees will often be drawn to a graduate program rather than an undergraduate program, but will work with both after their employment.

“Adding the Doctorate in Nursing Program to NKU will provide another mechanism to increase the number of nurses with a doctorate. The College of Health Professions is also working with the College of Education and Social Work in adding a track for nursing edu-

cation,” Robinson said.

Demonstrating the effec-tiveness of NKU’s newest doc-toral program

The Doctorate in Educa-tional Leadership is a relative-ly new program to the univer-sity which began in the fall of 2008. As such, little data was available to assess the pro-gram at the time of the August site visit in 2009; but, SACS is requiring the university to up-date it on evidence indicating students are making improve-ment through the program within two years.

Updating the Intellectual Property Policy

At the time of the August 2009 site visit, NKU was fi -nalizing its revisions to the

Intellectual Property Policy. According to Moynahan, be-cause that process had not yet fi nished, SACS is requiring an update refl ecting the new pol-icy changes.

The university’s governing board has passed and imple-mented a new Intellectual Property Policy, albeit with op-position from some students concerned that assigned works could be published without their knowledge or consent. The recently-passed policy does meet SACS standards, according to Moynahan.

Centralizing the Monitoring Process and Demonstrating Competency of Graduates

NKU has also adopted new software called WEAVE

Jesse CallStaff writer

Still under reviewNKU reaccredited but still must continue to answer to SACS

See REVIEW on page 5

NEWS

4 Edition 45, Issue 4

MCT CampusOne of NKU’s greatest hurtles is fi nding enough faculty with Ph.Ds to teach in the nursing depart-ment. This was one of the recommendations made by SACS in furthering the accreditation process.

Selected police reports from NKU

Monday, Jan. 25No reportable activity.

Tuesday, Jan. 263:02 p.m.Two vehicle acci-dent in Lot I; no injuries.

Wednesday, Jan. 273: 52 p.m. Subject having

severe anxiety attacks; trans-ported to hospital by ambu-

lance.

5:24 p.m. Faculty member reported a disruptive student in class in Fine Arts Center.

Thursday, Jan. 288:08 a.m. Two subjects argu-

ing in vehicle, when car ran off road and into a ditch on

University Drive; no injuries.

9:55 a.m. Subject experienc-ing tightening in chest and

tingling in hands in Nunn hall; transported to hospital by

ambulance.

Friday, Jan. 292:12 p.m. Two vehicle

accident with injuries on University Drive; vehicle

towed.

Saturday, Jan. 30No reportable activity

Sunday, Jan. 31

12:25 a.m. Two subjects found to be in possession of

alcohol in Callahan Hall.

6:18 p.m. Report of possible marijuana in residential room.

9:04 p.m. Individual was hav-ing a reaction to her medica-

tion; transported to hospital by ambulance.

NEWS

5February 3, 2010

REVIEW from page 4

Seven students attended the SGA meeting held Mon-day to voice concerns that they had about SGA and to gather information. Among them were Ebere Chukwu-nyere and Gideon Ki who asked some pertinent ques-tions, such as — “Why would people come to and leave NKU?, Why is SGA not more visible? and What does SGA intend to do so remedy the problems?’

SGA commended the students for coming to voice their concerns and encour-aged them to not only come to the next meeting, but to also encourage fellow students to become more involved. President Kaseke said that SGA will look into setting up a LISTSERV for students so that SGA can send announcements and updates to the student body about what is happening in SGA. SGA also is discussing

whether they can purchase a banner to place in the Student Union to increase visibility.

Three resolutions were also read before the sen-ate. The fi rst resolution read requested that the Anne Braden Scholarship be increased by an additional $1,000 from the SGA budget to make the total scholarship award $2,000.

The second resolution requested that NKU increase the number of plants in the common areas inside build-ing on campus in order to make NKU a “greener and brighter campus.” Areas that may receive plants if the resolution passes are the Student Union, Steely Café, Science Building and the AS&T building.

The fi nal resolution read requested that NKU recog-nize the life and work of Lyle Gray.

Jane Goode of campus planning gave a presentation about “RecycleMania,’ which will be taking place on cam-pus over the coming weeks. She emphasized the impor-tance of reducing the waste that is generated by NKU faculty, staff and students. She encouraged students to take an active role in the process by participating in “Green Thursdays.” For a complete list of activities and information on how to reduce waste, visit their web-site at http://green.nku.edu.

A group of students from the theater and dance de-partment also gave a pre-sentation expressing their desire that SGA help them promote their organization to the student body.

SGA encourages all stu-dents to attend their open session meeting that is held every Monday at 3:30pm in SU 104.

SGA Vern Hockney

Staff writer

which is designed to help the university control and moni-tor standards throughout the university to ensure students are making improvements throughout their college ca-reers. The centralized system allows NKU to pool and col-lect certain data. SACS is requiring NKU to demon-strate this new software to effectively monitor student progress and accreditation standards. In the past, this system was based on inter-nal and decentralized assess-ments, and Moynahan said

this software moves NKU in the right direction as SACS continues to keep its eye on all its member institutions.

Lastly, the letter says that there is “no evidence that college-level general education competencies are currently being met.” through the general educa-tion program. And, it says that the proposed changes to the general education requirements also require a close eye of scrutiny. As such, it has required NKU to “demonstrate the extent

to which graduates achieve the college-level competen-cies.” This means that NKU must develop ways to dem-onstrate that the expected general skills of a university graduate are being taught and improved upon through-out the student’s education, including through the new WEAVE system. It does not imply, however, that they currently are not, but rath-er, that NKU must provide a method of demonstrating this beyond the use of grades alone.

Accreditation secure and no public censure

Moynahan pointed out that the most important line in the SACS letter to NKU was: “Your institution’s next reaffirmation will take place in 2019 unless otherwise no-tified,” which indicates the university has been reac-credited and is not facing a threat to its accreditation prior to its next regularly scheduled assessment.

In addition, SACS had the

option to publicly sanction the university if it did not meet acceptable standards, but this letter was a private list of recommendations that every institution receives af-ter review.

The Student Government Association did not respond to requests for comment on the SACS letter’s recom-mendations.

Visit http://www.thenorth-erner.com/ to read the SACS recommendations in a letter to NKU.

Keeping the hot streak rollingWomen’s softball team looks to capitalize on last year’s successMike CollinsStaff writer

The Norse softball started 2009 cold, then caught fi re. They will look to keep the fi re burning in 2010.

“Last year we got hot at the very end of the sea-son,” said senior catcher Sam Del Vecchio. “We struggled for most of the season and I don’t think that will be the case this year. I’m seeing a lot of good things and hopefully we can start hot and stay hot.”

The Northern Kentucky University softball team will open their season as part of the Captain D’s Classic in Dahlonega, Ga. on Feb. 12. The Norse will play four games in the Peach State and will kickoff the tournament in a match up with Delta State Uni-versity at noon and tournament-host North Georgia College & State University at 2 p.m.

NKU went 32-23 overall and 13-11 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference last season. The Norse struck fi re late in the season, lifting them to an up-set over Lewis (38-18) in the GLVC championship game. It was the fi rst time they claimed the GLVC title since 2005. NKU was picked to fi nish third this season in the GLVC preseason polls by league coaches, according to the NKU Athletics Web site.

The Black and Gold have six returning starters on the club this season. Seniors Stephanie West (cen-ter fi eld), Del Vecchio (catcher) and Rose Broderick

(second base) hope to defend the GLVC title and advance in the NCAA tournament to close out their fi nal season of eligibility.

Broderick returns as NKU’s all-time home run leader with 16, and she will look to add to that total this season. Broderick is an outstanding power hitter and she has the capabilities to hit for average as well.

West will supply the speed at the top of the lineup for the Norse. Her season was shortened last year by injury but she still managed to hit .308 with 16 runs scored. She also led the team with 11 stolen bases before her injury.

Del Vecchio had a strong 2009 season and looks to continue her succes. She batted .297 with 10 runs batted in and drew 13 walks last season, according to the NKU Sports Information Web site.

“We have consistent hitters returning this season,” sophomore shortstop Jessica Farris said. “I think our team will be able to string some hits together when we need them the most. Most of us have been through big games so we’re going to be prepared on how to handle those situations.”

Junior pitchers April Ehlers and Chelsie Roy will take to the circle again in 2010 for the Norse — the two combined for 32 victories last season. Ehlers

struck out 254 batters and recorded an earned run average of 2.09 in 214 innings of work. Roy struck out 77 batters and recorded an ERA of 2.16 in 152 innings of play. She also tallied 10 complete games for the Black and Gold. If the duo continues to get better and they get the run support they need, NKU could be a tough team to beat.

“It is a huge deal to have two pitchers returning for us, especially two juniors who are so strong,” Del Vecchio said. “April has played in big games and can handle the pressure, and we need that leadership on the mound to make sure the energy on the fi eld stays at a maximum. Chelsie was so solid last year, very consistent, and that will take away any worries of an off-on year for her.”

Coach Kathy Stewart has versatility and depth on the squad with junior utility players Gretchen Lorenz and Jamie Raabe. Lorenz played in 41 games, hit .291 with 10 runs scored and eight RBIs. Raabe played in 27 games as reserve last season, according to the NKU Sports Information Web site.

Sophomore sensations Ashley Gates (right fi eld-er) and Farris started all 55 games as freshman last season for the Norse. The two players put up produc-tive numbers in their fi rst full college season.

Farris was named GLVC Freshman of the Year and was named to the All-GLVC second team. She led all returning starters with a batting average of .315 and 31 runs scored during her freshman cam-paign. Farris has an exceptionally strong arm and she exhibits exceptional ability with the leather on the fi eld. Gates broke the single-season home run record with 12 round-trippers in 2009. Along with Broderick, Gates will help supply the power for NKU’s lineup. She drove in a team high 42 runs and batted .270. Gates accounted for 10 multi-RBI games and two multiple-home run games with six or more RBIs.

NKU has added fi ve freshmen to its roster this season after losing three seniors to graduation. The departure of Cara Parker, Shatona Campbell and Amanda Smith has left voids at third base, left fi eld and fi rst base. Four of the freshmen will challenge for the infi eld spots.

Freshman pitcher Emily Schwaeble will look to

contribute in the circle and utility player Alesa Col-linsworth is a versatile defender who is capable of playing the infi eld and outfi eld. Samantha Smith could grab a starting spot as she was scouted as a solid defender and a productive hitter.

“The biggest challenge early on is going to be get-ting new players used to a new system,” Farris said. “We’re going to have to get used to playing with each other and we’re going to have to learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”

7February 3, 20106 Edition 45, Issue 4

I am writing in reference to your excellent investiga-tive report on the impeach-ment of former SGA Vice President Dennis Chaney. While Mr. Chaney is the sub-ject of inquiry, what I found most revealing and shocking is the blatant, self-aggrandiz-ing pronouncement of SGA President Keith Kaseke and his belief in his self-anointed exclusive voice of students (“…The only face that speaks on behalf of the students…”). President Kaseke expresses a cavalier attitude towards the SGA Constitution and a painfully casual attitude to-ward the obligations of his oath of offi ce. Additionally, we discovered administrators’ alleged support for these out-rageous proceedings — those in which Mr. Kaseke revealed

on record during questioning at Chaney’s removal hearing. The Offi ce of Legal Affairs has unsuccessfully distanced itself from the embarrass-ing mess and its alleged en-couragement of Chaney’s impeachment. It is, in fact, Mr. Kaseke who provides credence to the allegation by indicating that when you have the support of the adminis-tration at NKU, you need no Constitution, let alone adher-ence to campaign promises or oaths of offi ce.

Mr. Chaney’s offense ap-pears to consist of raising questions with the powers-that-be on matters of interest to students and fulfi lling his constitutional duty for SGA to promote student rights. Kaseke seems to regard the vice president as an appointee

rather than an elected offi cial of SGA.

Ignored by Mr. Kaseke and various administrative personnel is the fact that Mr. Chaney is a very good student with a consistent record of ex-tracurricular participation in activities that are highly ben-efi cial to this academic com-munity. Chaney had led Stu-dents for Change, one of the best and successful student organizations, in providing a venue for student activism.

What did he do to deserve impeachment? He raised questions about proposed policies in which he and the students in attendance at the Board of Regents’ meeting suspected would be damag-ing to student interests. He communicated his concerns to both administrators and

Board of Regents members. It was not only his right to do so; it was his duty to conduct himself as he did. In dealing with the Legal Offi ce, he was under the disadvantage in so far as NKU had once retained an attorney (Phil Taliaferro) to advise and defend students and faculty exclusively. Years ago, the faculty and the stu-dents were stripped of this protection while the adminis-tration added staff to the Le-gal Offi ce and turned it into a management v. labor type of operation.

The Northerner’s investiga-tion reveals that there was an agenda to punish Mr. Chaney for his failure to toe the line, his audacity and his initia-tive. His reputation has been assailed. The impeachment eventually caused consider-

able damage to Mr. Chaney’s standing as a respected stu-dent leader. Since his former position came with the use of an offi ce and a stipend, Mr. Chaney suffered losses be-yond reputational damage — in fact, he suffered the loss of income.

Rather than considering whether Chaney should be impeached, NKU should be considering a heartfelt apol-ogy, and his reinstatement to the SGA vice presidency and reimbursement of all missed stipend payments.

Sincerely,

Adalberto J. Pinelo, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus.

1972-2009 NKU Faculty

Daimon EberhardJunior, Biology

“I kind of like it. It defi -nitely had me sampling all over the spectrum,

and it helped me fi gure out what to do.”

Ashley CookSophomore, Interna-

tional Studies

“They’re all right. I feel they’re necessary. I don’t want to do it, but I un-

derstand I have to.”

Jessica LovelaceSenior, Elementary

Education

“A comprehensive gen-ed program is a good way to create a well-rounded person and

education.”

rnpCompiled by

Heather Willoughby & Cassie Graves

How do you feel about NKU’s current gen-

eral education require-ments?

norse poll responses

For more Norse poll responses and video, visit www.thenortherner.com

Khalid AljubayrFreshman, Electronics

Engineering

“They have a good pro-gram.”


VIEWS

Adalberto J. Pinelo Retired Professor Emeritus

A word from former facultyDr. Pinelo gives his opinion on Chaney investigation

9February 3, 2010

SPORTS

Chad HensleyCopy editor

Archives Jim Ryan (22) goes up for a shot against Bellarmine. Men’s Basketball prepares for a tough game against nationally-ranked Drury Feb. 4 at the BOKC.

Pumas pounce on the NorseNorse fall to St. Joseph’s College in close game

David Palmer’s missed jumper and Chris Knight’s rebound and missed tip at-tempt at the buzzer against St. Joseph’s College exem-plifi ed just how much of a struggle it can be to win on the road in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

With NKU trailing 57-56, Palmer got a good look at the turnaround shot but just missed. Knight’s heroic ef-fort bounced off the rim and sent NKU to its eighth loss in GLVC play – fi ve of which have been on the road.

The weekend trip wasn’t for naught as NKU (11-10, 4-8 GLVC) did manage to defeat the University of Illi-nois-Springfi eld 59-53 on Jan. 28 behind the play of fresh-man guard Ethan Faulkner.

Faulkner, a graduate of El-liott County High School in Sandy Hook, Ky., scored a ca-

reer-high 16 points on 3-for-4 shooting, including a perfect 2-for-2 from behind the arc, on his way to being named NKU Men’s Athlete of the Week on the Norse Athletics Web site.

NKU’s two wins on the road in GLVC play have come against UIS and Maryville (Mo.) College – both fi rst-year members in the GLVC and are currently transitioning to the NCAA Division II level.

In a fairly low-scoring fi rst half, NKU held the Prairie Stars to just 25.9 percent from the fi eld. The Norse took a 19-8 lead with 6:49 remaining in the fi rst half on a Corey Sorrell layup before withstanding a UIS run that cut the lead to 24-21 at the break.

The second half saw the Norse build a 12-point ad-

vantage when they opened the half on a 16-7 run. Faulkner amassed seven of his 16 points during the spurt.

Yan Moukoury, a junior forward from Baton Rouge, La., made a layup with 4:09 remaining to give NKU a 51-41 advantage. That bas-ket would prove to be the last fi eld goal for the Norse, but they converted eight of twelve free throws down the stretch.

Against St. Joseph’s, NKU was led by Palmer’s 16 points and nine rebounds, but the Norse didn’t have an answer for SJC’s Andrew Helmer in the latter portion of the game.

Helmer led the Pumas (13-7, 9-5 GLVC) with 20 points in 29 minutes of action. He was 5-for-8 from the fi eld with two made treys and con-verted eight of 11 free throw

opportunities.If there ever was a game

that could be labeled as a seesaw contest, the Norse and Pumas defi nitely played in one. SJC led 19-11 with 10:15 left in the fi rst before NKU made a strong push to take a 30-27 halftime lead.

Leading just 39-38 with 11:02 left in the game, NKU went on a 9-2 run over the next 2:47 for a 48-40 lead. Knight tallied fi ve points dur-ing the run and Scott Bibbins, a senior guard, accounted for the other four.

The Puma defense then stepped their game up and allowed NKU to score just eight points over the fi nal 8:15 in the contest.

St. Joseph’s quickly erased the Norse cushion over the next 1:33 to take a 50-48 lead. Helmer scored eight of his game-high 20 points dur-

ing the stretch. Palmer was tagged with a technical foul and Helmer converted both charity-stripe attempts.

St. Joseph’s Mark Lake made a transition layup with 1:20 remaining to give the Pumas a 57-56 lead. Bib-bins turned the ball over on NKU’s next possession, but Helmer’s three-point attempt was off and Knight pulled down the rebound before the fi nal push by NKU fell short.

NKU will now set its eyes on 16th-ranked Drury Uni-versity when the Panthers in-vade The Bank of Kentucky Center on Feb. 8 at 7:45 p.m. Drury is also ranked third in the Midwest Region.

On Jan. 6 , NKU will take on Missouri University of Science and Technology at 5:15 p.m. in its annual home-coming game.

Justin MattinglyContributing Writer

Dancing to her own beatNKU professor dedicates her life to performing

A&E


She’s often referred to as energetic, bubbly and en-thusiastic. But she insists she teaches with an iron fist, wrapped in a soft heart. Jane Green, professor of North-ern Kentucky University’s Theatre and Dance Depart-ment, has spent her life dedi-cated to the art of dancing, as well as teaching.

Green began her dancing career in a small town dance studio in Bellevue, Ky., at the age of five.

“I started dancing like all the other little girls in the neighborhood because they all wanted to be the Sugar Plum Fairy,” Green said.

Green believed that char-acter to be the epitome of a Prima Ballerina — the fe-male dancer who occupies the top position among danc-ers — and that is what she wanted to be when she grew up. She continued to dance at the studio for many of her younger years until she tran-sitioned to the University of Cincinnati College-Conser-vatory of Music, one of the leading music conservatories in the nation.

The school was a step up for Green, but the instruc-tors noticed early on that she didn’t have as much training as she should have had.

“I was 10 years old and they put me in the bal-let classes with seven- and eight-year-olds,” Green said.

By the time she was 16-years-old Green’s dance technique had developed greatly. At this point in her life she had a very intense schedule, attending every ballet class during the week and weekends, while balanc-ing high school and main-taining a bit of a social life.

“I had two sets of friends and sometimes I would take my friends with me to dance class,” Green said. “Dance time with Janie.”

While at CCM, Green re-

ceived her first major dance role in “Pas De Quatre,” a ballet term that means a dance among four people. She was cast because the lead dancer was unable to perform, and as the under-study, Green was expected to step up. And although Green had not been to every rehearsal, she was asked by the choreographer to dance the part on the spot.

“I danced it better than the actual girl,” Green said smiling.

This performance opened the door for numerous roles to come for Green. At the age of 21, she began dancing

with the Cincinnati Ballet Company, becoming its first and only principal dancer.

It was around this time that she graduated from the CCM with a masters de-gree in dance, but she would perform for the Cincinnati Ballet Company for next 13 years.

“I enjoyed being a big fish in a small pond,” Green said.

Being the principal dancer, she danced the leads in clas-sical ballets, bringing to life Odette in Swan Lake and Princess Aurora in Sleep-ing Beauty. The feather in

See BEAT on page 11

Cassie Graves/Ast Photo EditorJane Green became an astonishing dancer at a young age, starting her career with the Cincinnati Ballet Company. Currently she is a professor at NKU and still an amazing dancer.

her cap came when she per-formed in two ballets by New York City Ballet co-founder, George Balanchine.

Green also played the Sug-ar Plum Fairy many times, a character that had been a role model for her since she started dancing. But of all her perfor-mances, it would be her roles in Swan Lake that would re-main her favorite.

While living the life of danc-er, a position that hundreds of girls dreamed of, she encoun-tered her future husband.

“When I would go to the stage and take my bows, I would always notice this man in the orchestra winking at me,” Green said.

That harmless wink, deliv-ered by the principal orches-tra musician, eventually led to marriage.

“A principal dancer married a principal musician,” Green said.

Green continued her career until she became pregnant with her fi rst son Zachary, then later her youngest son Adam.

It was during this time that some things became diffi cult for her in the dancing world.

“Pieces began to be more

demanding and sometimes the choreography didn’t work right or look right,” she said.

She began to wonder if her

ability to dance was rooted in luck and not talent, and how long her luck could keep her going. It was at this crossroads

that Green gave her fi nal bow as a Prima Ballerina, hanging up the slippers, in exchange for being a mom. But it would be

in 1984, just a few years later, that Green received a call from Northern Kentucky Uni-versity.

“They called me in wonder-ing if I wanted to be a part-time ballet teacher,” she said.

At this time, the dance de-partment had a total of six people. Green took the job and watched the department grow into what it is today. Ev-ery year Green notices that more students from various backgrounds are coming in with better technique.

“I see a handful of students that I think can make it, and some of them do,” she said “I think that now you need to have that training, that is why we offer ballet classes.”

Now one of the leading cho-reographers for the depart-ment, Green also teaches cho-reography and ballet and is the adviser for the NKU Dance Troupe.

“She is there to encourage us and not to yell at us,” said Courtney Duncan, junior at NKU.

A&E

11February 3, 2010

BEAT from page 10

I see a handful of students that I think can make it, and some of them do.

- Jane Green

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The Northerner Print Edition - February 3, 2010

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