The Northerner Print Edition - Sept. 9, 2009

2 Edition 44, Issue 3

contactinformationThe NorthernerUniversity Center Room 335Highland Heights, KY 41076Editors-in-Chief: (859) 572-6128News & Sports: (859) 572-6677Features: (859) 572-5859Advertising: (859) 572-5232Fax: (859) 572-5772

E-mail: [email protected]

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.

northernerstaffPRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEFTim Owens[[email protected]]

WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEFJoe Castelli [[email protected]]

NEWS EDITOR Kelly Phelan [[email protected]]

ASST. NEWS EDITOR Rachel Frommel[[email protected]]

MANAGING EDITORMark Payne[[email protected]]

PRESENTATION EDITOREmily Teaford[[email protected]]

ASST. PRESENTATION EDITORKarli Wood[[email protected]]

ASST. VIEWS EDITORBrandon Barb[[email protected]]

WEB ASST. VIEWS EDITORHeather Willoughby[[email protected]]

A&E EDITORJeremy Jackson[[email protected]]

SPORTS EDITORMichael Collins[[email protected]]

PHOTO EDITORCharlotte Etherton[[email protected]]

ASST. PHOTO EDITOREd Morris[[email protected]]

STAFF WRITERJenn Corbett[[email protected]]

COPY EDITORSCassie Stone[[email protected]]Chelsea Asher[[email protected]]

ADVISORGayle Brown[[email protected]]

AD MANAGERWilliam Fisher[[email protected]]

GRAPHIC DESIGNERPatrick Delaney[[email protected]]

WHAT’S INSIDE

NEWS

VIEWSGeneration of swine:Why be a pig? Simple tasks like washing your hands can prevent this plague.

A&EAdventures beyond Wonderland:NKU alumni fuse nature and the surreal with a new art exhibit in Covington.

Cover StoryH1N1With H1N1 hitting NKU, The Northerner examines various concerns, and what that means for students.

8 - 10

4

6

11

SPORTSAnd this one is in the books!: NKU soccer veteran Ashley Warndorf makes her mark as a career goal leader.

13

Kaseke/Cheney look ahead:Kaseke promises to usher in a new era of SGA/student interaction.

3Edition 44, Issue 3

ASST. A&E EDITORJustin Mattingly[[email protected]]

While I was at work at Kroger a few years ago we received a flat of Freshlike canned vegetables with a piece of paper on it that said “Avian Bird Flu.” Apparently the company had been send-ing out these flats of veggies to grocery stores all over the country in preparation for a massive, nation-wide pandem-ic. But the flu didn’t quite live up to its tragic potential. The flat still sits in our backroom, unopened.

Fast-forward to 2009 and we have the same fear of a flu Armageddon — only now the bird has been replaced by a four-legged swine. H1N1’s blitzkrieg-style invasion on the Cincinnati/Tri-state area has finally made its way to North-ern Kentucky University. As of now, there are five confirmed cases with another six prob-able. So now that the pigs are here, the concern has shifted

to the potential shutdown of the university.

Our cover story, News Editor Kelly Phelan’s report on the H1N1 outbreak, highlights this concern and what would have to happen for NKU to close the doors. Whether you think this is a legitimate concern or a bunch of overhyped hul-labaloo, it is important to note that you can die from this. I’m not saying that we all should race to the store right now and stock up on canned vegetables. I don’t think we’ll have to retreat to our under-ground bunkers anytime soon. But if too much hype means practicing healthier habits in your daily routine and taking more overall care of yourself and your well-being, then hype has never been more important.

-Tim OwensPrint Editor-in-Chief

Note from the NewsroomPhoto contributed by MCT Campus

NEWS


Kaseke/Cheney look aheadNewly elected SGA President and VP have a lot of plans for NKUKelly PhelanNews Editor

Well, it’s official ... finally. After one tainted election and a three-month wait for the re-election, K. Keith Kas-eke and running mate Dennis Chaney won again.

This time they won the SGA Fall Special Election by seven votes, the final tally be-ing 323 to 316.

Kaseke has many goals for SGA.

“I want to build the rela-tionships that were broken throughout both the elections last semester and this semes-ter. I want to work very close-ly with the guys I ran against because they have done a lot for their school and I think together we can accomplish great things,” Kaseke said.

Kaseke said he wants to make SGA visible.

“One of the things I ran across (during the campaign) was a lot of students asking what SGA does (and) what it is, so I really want to make sure that everybody knows what SGA does,” Kaseke said.

Kaseke said he wants to work with the university to help make college more af-fordable.

“I know a couple people personally who might not be able to attend NKU because they just can’t afford it,” Kas-eke said. “I understand SGA doesn’t have the authority to

set the tuition, but we do have a voice and suggestions.”

Kaseke, an international student from Zimbabwe and former commuter who now lives in campus housing, con-siders himself “approach-able,” and wants students to know they can voice their concerns.

“One of the things I am going to implement starting right now is an open door policy,” Kaseke said. “Any-body should feel free to come in and see their student rep-resentative. I want students to feel that I am one of them. I want us to have that kind of connection.”

Chaney is excited to win.“Winning has been reliev-

ing,” Chaney said. “Keith and I have been working at least 40 hours. I’ve been baking cookies, putting together t-shirts, calling people and get-ting flyers distributed. It has been a lot of work, but it was worth it.”

Chaney has some goals of his own for SGA. He said his new job will involve rep-resenting students’ interests and being their watchdog. He added that he plans to attend “as many faculty meetings as there are” to ensure that stu-dents’ money is being spent wisely.

“I really want to see a lot

more activity on campus, a lot more bands playing, more students hanging around and spending time here,” Chaney said. “I would like a lot more students to be working on campus, I want the pool hours expanded, I want the sauna to be fixed and I want to see the beginnings of vertical-access wind turbines put on the tops

of the buildings to harness some of this wind and use that energy for the students’ benefit.”

Chaney said the bottom line for the new SGA staff is getting students to care. To do so, he promised weekly videos that will outline SGA activity and show students ways to be engaged on campus. These

videos will be available on Facebook, YouTube, ICN18 and the TVs on campus.

“We want students to be connected to their campus and their student representa-tives that they sent to voice their opinions,” Chaney said.

Mark Payne/Managing EditorSGA Presidential Candidates Keith Kaseke (left) and Kevin Reynolds (right) view the elec-tion results. Kaseke won by a tally of 323 to 316.


NORTHERNER

Grads struggle to find the paper trailThe economic downturn only makes it harder for degree earnersRachel FrommelAssistant News Editor

Daniel Kelly had a job lined up after graduation.

“But due to company cut-backs, they got rid of that posi-tion, so that leaves me back at square one,” he said.

Skyrocketing prices on gas, utilities, groceries and the high-est unemployment rate in 26 years have the general public in a deep fear of what’s to come.

In past economic downturns, the safe alternative was to stay in school or join the military. Graduate schools were always seen as safe shelter from the storm for a couple more years.

That may not be the case in the current recession.

Peg Griffin, Northern Ken-tucky University’s director of graduate programs, said the majority of applicants she has seen recently are adults who have been out of school for some years. Students today are learning new technologies while working toward their bachelor’s degree.

However, this was not the case for the older generation, who didn’t grow up with com-puters like today’s students. Many companies are embracing new technologies, leaving some older adults at a disadvantage.

With competition more fierce than ever between graduates fresh out of school and those already in the workforce, what prospects do graduating seniors face?

Economics Professor Linda Dynan said the recession is like-ly to reduce the opportunities that graduating seniors will face.

“Even those lucky enough to have a job offer may face fewer offers, and thus have reduced choices in their career paths,” she said.

According to a survey by the National Association of Col-leges and Employers, only 19.7 percent of 2009 graduates who applied for a job have one lined up for after graduation, com-pared to 51 percent of students

graduating in 2007 and 26 per-cent in 2008.

“One thing graduating se-niors may consider if they find themselves without a job, at least in the short run, is to seek out ways that will keep the skills they have acquired sharp and ready to use when the economy begins to turn around — volun-teering ... in a way that will use their computer skills or commu-nication skills, written or oral, gained at NKU,” Dynan said.

She added that graduates who work to keep their skills will be

better positioned to compete for jobs when the economy does durn around and more jobs open up again.

NKU computer informatics senior Ryan Day agrees.

“I’m sure it will be harder finding a job, but I’m not go-ing to limit myself to just Ken-tucky,” he said.

Indeed, the thought can be terrifying. Students once thought that if they went to col-lege and graduated, a job would most assuredly be waiting.

To think about the four years

and thousands of dollars in tu-ition was spent in vain can send anyone into the depression that often accompanies a recession. Exciting future plans that stu-dents might have had may have to be put on hold until the econ-omy turns around.

NKU’s Career Development Center is designed to help stu-dents find a job before or after graduation. They give students helpful tips to land their dream job — from dressing for success, to interviewing tips, to figuring out exactly what a student’s ca-reer goals are.

The center also has several job links posted on the home page.

Senior electronic media and broadcasting major Elliott Fuss-inger is comfortable with his current position.

“I work at Best Buy right now, so it hasn’t really affected me,” he said. “I’m sure my op-tions are limited, but right now I’m fine.”

Charlotte Etherton/Photo Editor

Money seems to be on everybody’s mind these days. For some college graduates, it seems unattainable.

When the economy does turn around ... graduating seniors will be better positioned to compete ... if they have worked to keep their skills. --Linda Dynan, economics professor

,,

,,


VIEWS

John SilverstrosGraduate Student, Eng-

lish“Yes, because the fatal cases are slim but we

should be cautious about keeping ourselves safe.”

Lizzy MuellerSophomore, Nursing

“Yes, it drives me off the walls.”

Damien MullinsSenior, Pre-Engineering

“Definitely, if I got sick I’d be concerned.”

rnpCompiled by

Brandon Barb & Charlotte Etherton

Do you think people are overreacting to

H1N1?

norse poll responses

Maria SchmitzSophomore, Education

“People are just over-reacting, but I’m just

paranoid.”

Mark PayneManaging Editor

Don’t fear the pigIt’s not the end of the world, just be cleanBrandon BarbAssistant Views Editor

As summer turns to fall and the weather becomes enjoyable, there is some-thing evil lurking that could affect us all.

The H1N1 virus, “swine flu” as it’s commonly called, recently showed its ugly face at Northern Kentucky Uni-versity. What does that mean for students? It means calm down, and don’t flip the ship.

It’s a strand of the flu, but this can potentially kill you. Bummer.

Here at NKU we have had our first reported cases of H1N1. The infected students have been tested and sent home, but that doesn’t mean the threat is gone.

It’s the flu; people are go-ing to get it. With a strong immune system and keeping one’s self clean, it is possible to fight it off.

Is this swine flu being over-hyped like the bird flu was a few years ago? Maybe.

Will this swine flu leave the campus devastated in a barren wasteland with only the skeletons of buildings left? I think not.

Washing your hands and taking advantage of the

handy dandy hand sanitizer dispensers by each and every elevator on campus will help in the fight against the evil swine flu.

This isn’t the plague. This can be kept under control, it’s just the people who have the illness that we have to worry about.

I don’t think there will be rioting in the streets over the cure for this flu, but there are people who take things way out of proportion.

Peter Sandman, a risk communication specialist, said on his Web site, “Swine Flu looks to be an extremly mild pandemic if it goes pan-demic at all.”

The NKU administration is taking the right steps to-ward keeping this thing un-der wraps.

For one, they are keeping this campus a clean one by putting up sanitzer dispen-sors, which students appear to be using regularly.

The administration is also telling professors and stu-dents to stay away from cam-pus if they are feeling sick. NKU is prepared for the worst—which in this case,

will result in closing the cam-pus and having to continue class via Blackboard.

Some ways to keep your-self and others from getting sick are to wash your hands and use hand sanitizer — not just after using the bath-room, but whenever you en-ter a building by grabbing the door knob or using the elevators.

If you get the sniffles or feel yourself coming down with a head cold, STAY HOME!

The other people around you don’t want the same thing you have. Just stay home, get better, then go back to class — your fellow students and professors will be grateful. It only takes one person to affect the rest.

Even though swine flu can mutate and affect both animals and people, every-thing is going to be all right. It might seem grim now, but take precautions when feel-ing under the weather or touching a surface that is naturally dirty, like an eleva-tor vending machine buttons.

I am a huge fan of The Office. I watch, rewatch and rewatch it. It’s probably the greatest show to ever hit the United States.

My favorite character is Dwight Schrute. Yes, the lovable kiss-ass, who hides an assort-ment of weapons around the of-fice, just in case some type attack were to happen.

He had to use his can of mace once, when Pam’s —the office secretary— ex-fiancée attacked Jim, her love interest. Dwight saved the day by taking down the ex-fiancée .

This is a good example of why weapons should be allowed in the workplace. (Just Kidding.)

It seems Northern Kentucky

University has its own Dwight Schrute, but instead of hiding weapons around his office, he’s hiding them in his dorm room.

According to police reports, campus police were called to Callahan Hall on reports that a student was hiding weapons in his room.

The report goes on to say the student had a three-foot sword and an assortment of knives un-der his bed.

The student wasn’t in his dorm at the time. The police found him a few hours later and he complied with the officer’s wishes. The weapons were con-fiscated and the student faces disciplinary action.

Cartoon by Patrick Delaney/Editorial Cartoonist

NKU BEHIND BARS

Northern Kentucky Univer-sity has implemented a plus/minus grading scale that has some people rejoicing, while others are resentful.

According to the poll on The Northerner’s Web site, thenortherner.com, about 72 percent of responding stu-dents said they felt the new grading scale would affect them negatively.

Personally, I am fully embracing the new grading scale. I feel that the imple-mentation of pluses and minuses will place clearer distinctions of the value of a student’s work, foster healthy competition at NKU, and finally, place NKU’s students at a more level playing field when it comes to compet-ing with students from other universities.

Some people fear that the new grading system will punish those at the higher end of the grading scale while rewarding those at the lower end and/or reduce the general grade point average of NKU students. There also seems to be notable concern about the lack of an A+ on the new system.

Rick Matthews, associate provost of Wake Forest Uni-versity, conducted a comput-er model study that calcu-lated differences in students’ GPA, prior to a plus/minus system just like NKU’s, finding that the majority of students holding a GPA between 1.0 and a 3.6 will experience a difference of +/- 0.06.

Students with a GPA of 0.6 will see a reduction of about 0.12 — a student with 16 or

more credit hours could be placed on academic proba-tion if his/her GPA fell below a 2.00 at NKU.

According to Matthews, a student with a GPA close to 3.9 would see a decrease by as much as 0.08. He also said that fewer students would receive a 4.0 with the plus/minus system.

Sure, it’s harder to attain a 4.0, but the system also weighs down the grades at the low end, so I would say that the decreases are fair.

Really, it shouldn’t be easy to be the best, and it deter-mines those more qualified from those who fall under the bar more distinctly. B- work is vastly different from B+ work. With the previous system, the difference from a B to a C was 1.00. With the new system,

the difference between a C+ and a B is .33, so we get a clearer picture of grade dif-ferentials.

“The only problem I have with the system is the lack of balance for A students. How is it fair to reward a D+ student but not a student who has worked hard to attain an A+, perhaps to balance out an A- they might receive in another class,” someone by the handle ‘SRS’ commented on The Northerner’s message boards online.

The lack of an A+ really doesn’t hurt students who receive high grades. In fact, Matthews said the main criti-cism of an A+ is that, because most employers and graduate schools are most familiar with a 4.0 grade cap, a 4.3 (A+) would cause the organiza-

tions to multiply all students under a 4.3 scale by (4.0/4.33). The ending result would be that the 4.3 scale could end up hurting more students rather than helping them. This makes sense, and I don’t see an issue with the lack of an A+ anyway.

The system promotes com-petition among students, and students performing at a 4.0 level will be rewarded more justly. The new system distin-guishes between average and excellent students in a way the old system failed to do.

This new grading scale also puts NKU in a more compa-rable position grade-wise to

See Scale on page 15

NORTHERNER


The new grading scale is a plusCompetition and value of work will be highlighted with new systemHeather WilloughbyAssistant Views Editor

Now that the possibility of a swine flu outbreak at Northern Kentucky University has become a reality, concerns have been raised as to if the cam-pus will eventually shut down.

“It would take a significant disruption of uni-versity services for NKU to have to close down. When the university can no longer ensure that our students are safe and we feel that we cannot pro-vide an adequate educational experience. If our average class size is 20 students, and those classes get down to four students who are healthy at that point we will begin to have conversations about shutting down. But we are not going to shut down the university if two or three students in a class are ill, just like we wouldn’t if in a normal year three students had the flu in a class,” said Chris Cole, director of communi-cation and media relations.

“Right now we are focusing on educational campaign with faculty, staff and students to inform them about the symptoms of the flu, because the symptoms of H1N1 are essential-ly the symptoms of the flu. To basically in-form them that if they have those symptoms or if they find out that someone else has those symptoms, the steps they can take to prevent the spread of H1N1,” Cole stated.

“Also students can contact NKU so that those who do have H1N1 get the help that they need and so the University can take the necessary steps to prevent the spread. By informing room-mates or the student’s professor that the student won’t be in class, of course we never tell the pro-fessor why,” Cole said.

For now it is an educational campaign, along with putting up Purel dispensers throughout cam-pus and encouraging people to visit the Health, Counseling and Prevention Offices if they do have flu like symptoms.

“I think the campus should have been concerned about germs and flu etc. a long time ago. It is good that we are on alert for the safety of students, fac-ulty and staff, but these efforts could have been made before the H1N1 outbreak. Everyone seems to be paranoid,” Laila Hameen, Counseling and

Social Work Graduate Assistant, said.“Shutting down NKU is something we have

talked about if this illness gets to the point where it’s disrupting our ability to protect our students and to offer education in a safe and convenient environment. But it’s not something, I think, that will happen real soon it would have to get pretty drastic. We are prepared to do that if necessary. Although at this point we only have four con-firmed cases,” Cole said.

“The university has plans that cover any contin-gency. We have spent considerable time focused

on both prevention protocols and scenarios in-volving large numbers of confirmed cases among faculty, staff, and students. Our priority will be to communicate quickly and fully, protect the health of all who are part of our campus, and keep the campus open as long as we don’t compromise safety,” NKU President Dr. James Votruba said.

“A lot of people ask me at what number of stu-dents will the university close, and its really not like that. What people don’t realize is, if we get to a point where we have 100 confirmed cases, that doesn’t mean that at that moment we have 100 people who have H1N1,” Cole said. “That means during the fall we’ve had 100 people who’ve had H1N1, but a lot of them will have gotten better.

“The first confirmed case that we had will no longer be contagious and will be fine. When we

get to that hypothetical 100th case we won’t have a total of 100 people who have H1N1, we will have had 100 people who have had H1N1.”

You can’t put a number on or say once we get to this number we’ll shut down or we’ll do this or that. “What NKU is looking at is once NKU gets to a point where, a lot of classes are experiencing disruptions because a lot of students aren’t there or a lot of faculty aren’t there, that’s when we start making these decisions but its not based on an ar-bitrary number. For instance if we hit 250 cases we’re going to shut down because that also means

that if you get to 250 cases 200 of them may-be healthy at that point and you only have 50 cases. So it is really a difficult thing to say,” Cole said.

Another important part to consider is there are probably more than four con-firmed cases at NKU right now, “we only know about a case if a student reports it to his or her professor. Then the professor is encouraged to report the case to the Dean of Students office, so we can verify the case,” states Cole said.

Once the university verifies a case they can add it to their count, but there are probably students who haven’t reported potential cas-es, perhaps the students with non-reported

cases have gone home and isolated themselves, as they’re supposed too, but just didn’t report it to NKU.

Which is why NKU can’t have an exact count of who has H1N1 because their data is based on self-reporting. That’s another reason the confirmed number of cases won’t really drive decisions that NKU makes, it’ll more be based on what’s going on in the classrooms, what’s really happening on campus.

“It is very important that students be respon-sible in both prevention and, if necessary, treat-ment. At this point, the University has very few confirmed cases. When confirmation occurs, the university has a protocol that isolates the stu-dent until the risk of transmittal has passed,” Dr. Votruba stated.

Kelly PhelanNews Editor

I think the campus should have been concerned about germs and flu, etc. a long time ago,” Chris Cole, director of com-munications said.

,,

,,


PreParingfor The

WorsT

“The H1N1 virus does con-cern me a bit but, for me, it is a concern I have every-where I go. I do, however, try to practice good hygiene, by washing my hands (for at least 20 sec! - not just rins-ing) after being in public lo-cations such as campus, res-taurants, etc. before I leave there,” Elaine Arnett, Senior Pre-Education Major said.

“I also keep hand sanitizer in my vehicle for when I do not have water to wash (i.e. at gas station pump or drive-thru restaurant). I have an ill father who has been in the hospital for a while and got MERSA while there and I realize how one small mis-take of not practicing good hygiene, etc. can affect an-other person,” Arnett said.

If H1N1 were to progress through stages, some of the plans NKU is considering in-clude separating students in classrooms by an empty desk, at the other end of the spec-trum having classes outside, increasing distance learning, shutting down classes and then the University. These are all sort of steps along a continuum, they’re all things the university has discussed.

The period a student would be out isn’t precise, but it is about the same as the regu-lar seasonal flu. NKU does suggest if possible students who are ill leave University Housing, but obviously there are some students who can-not. Those who are ill and

cannot return home, NKU does suggest that they self-isolate, which means staying in their room, trying to not go to the cafeteria or venture around campus.

NKU hasn’t changed their absentee policy for H1N1 cases. If a student were to contract H1N1, the policy is the same as if it were any other illness. Because it is es-sentially just another illness, it will affect the vast ma-jority of peo-ple the same way that the regular seasonal flu would. A lot of the time this policy is handled at the pro-f e s s o r i a l level. Now a professor could extend a deadline and certainly work with a student that’s ill, but the university doesn’t have the policy to forgive or wipe away assignments that were due.

Professors have been plan-ning in the event that NKU closes.

Gail W. Wells, Vice Presi-dent for Academic Affairs and Provost, sent the follow-ing e-mail to faculty, on Au-gust 28. This e-mail expresses the need of an additional syl-labus per course in the event NKU were to have to close.

“Because of the H1N1 threat for the coming fall se-mester, we must be prepared for a possible disruption in our courses due to high ab-senteeism or the illness of the instructor. Each instruc-tor should think creatively of ways to complete the se-mester in the face of poten-tially adverse circumstances. Although an H1N1 outbreak would alter the learning ex-

perience in any case, an in-structor’s contingency plan (ICP) would mitigate the negative impact consider-ably.

Alternative plans and syl-labi need not be commu-nicated to the students un-less their implementation is triggered by an outbreak of H1N1. It is highly recom-mended that all instructional contingency plans (ICP) be submitted to the department chairperson for confirma-tion and documentation of

Northern Kentucky Univer-sity’s instructional readiness for an H1N1 outbreak.”

So what happens to a stu-dent who thinks they have H1N1? There are basically two levels of testing, the first test a student would take would determine if they have Type A or Type B influenza.

Many students heard the University talk about prob-able cases. If a student tests

p o s i -tive for Type A influen-za, then they are a proba-ble case. Doesn’t m e a n the stu-dent has H 1 N 1 , it means y o u ’ r e m o r e l i k e l y to test

positive for H1N1 if you test positive for type A. If a stu-dent does test positive for type A then the University refers them to their primary health care physician and en-courages them to get tested for H1N1. And then if they test positive for H1N1, they become a confirmed case.

“The most important steps for students to take are fo-cused on prevention. Wash-ing hands, getting lots of rest, and avoiding those who may have flu symptoms are just

some of the steps. I don’t believe that students should be overly concerned at this point. They should stay in touch with H1N1 informa-tion on our web page, take recommended precautions, and seek medical advice and treatment should symptoms occur,” Dr. Votruba said.

Either way the student is to stay out of the classroom. Also if at all possible the uni-versity is encouraging them to go or remain at home, so they are not surrounded by the estimated 15,000 stu-dents at NKU.

“That’s how it has been with all of the confirmed cas-es here, they are all off cam-pus, working on getting bet-ter at home. Then once their symptoms have cleared up and twenty four hours after their fever has broken, they check back in with their pri-mary health care physician, to make sure they are no lon-ger contagious,” Cole said.

“I believe the threat of H1N1 should be taken se-riously. However, at this point – don’t believe that the threat should distract stu-dents from full participation in university life. If condi-tions change, the university will advise accordingly. My hope is that students will stay focused on their studies, take all prudent precautions, and consult the university web page for regular updates,” Dr. Votruba said.

cont...


If conditions change, the uni-versity will advise accord-ingly,” NKU President James Votruba.

,,

,,

A&E

Adventures beyond WonderlandNKU graduates fuse gardening and nature for new art exhibit

Jeremy JacksonA&E Editor

In this current economic cli-mate, getting a job — especial-ly applied to one’s university degree — is a rare occasion. For two Northern Kentucky University graduates, putting their degree to work has been their mission.

At first glance David Chal and Patricia (Patty) Corbett may seem a conventional young couple — a twenty-something compilation right from any out-of-the-way or alternative coffee shop. But to see them accompanied by their art, something they prize to-gether, it is soon realized that the relationship runs deeper.

Both graduates of NKU’s Fine Arts Department, Chal and Corbett’s collaborative works are being featured at the Frank Duveneck Arts and Cultural Center in Covington, Ky. through the end of Sep-

tember.About a month ago, Corbett

was contacted by a member of the Art Center’s board to put an exhibit together.

“I agreed to create some works,” Corbett said. “But I was working a great deal in the garden at the time and it just wasn’t coming together.”

To support their art, both Corbett and Chal garden — selling their crop at a local farmer’s market in Erlanger, Ky., and to shareholders of a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) that they both run. It was there that Chal made a suggestion.

“Dave and I were work-ing at the CSA,” Corbett said. “And it was taking up a lot of our time so Dave suggested collaborating on the project.”

For the duo, the collabora-tion, called “Adventures Be-

yond Wonderland,” has been a perfect fit. According to Chal, the creative process that pro-duces what he categorizes as “part abstract, part surreal-ism” draws its “inspiration and spirit” from their work with gardening and nature.

“There wasn’t an intention to connect the art to garden-ing, but they both truly are connected,” Chal said. “Much like the untouched ground, you begin with a blank canvas, and what you set out to plant and cultivate doesn’t always turn out they way you intend.”

Chal says the artistic process first begins with Corbett.

“She puts a base color on the canvas and then it comes to me,” Chal said. “I then turn some energetic music on, like Daft Punk or Talking Heads, and then just let go.”

In the art community the

process by which Chal works is referred to as “spontaneous drawing” or “stream of con-sciousness.”

“It is quite modern art,” said Sister Janet Bucher, who at-tended the exhibit’s opening night. “They need to be stud-ied a bit to interpret what is going on with all the color and darkness.”

The style, according to Chal, requires the artists to take their chosen medium, in this case charcoal, and draw whatever comes to mind — or in a lot of cases — whatever doesn’t.

“You have to just let go in your mind and what you end up with can sometimes look like an explosion,” Chal said. “Or, it can end up having more symbolism, like this painting over here, which could be in-terpreted as a phallic symbol.”

But he admits that draw-ing in such a random manner makes the production of the work go fast.

“I put the piece of charcoal on the canvas, and just start with an abstract form, like an oval,” Chal said. “And before you know it, I’m done.”

The whole drawing process takes about 10 minutes and is an old hat for Chal, who received his degree in both drawing and painting in 2007. But, he confesses he’s been out of the visual art arena for some time.

“I worked a great deal with sound in the past,” Chal said. “In fact, my senior project at NKU was a room set up with thousands of prerecord-ed sounds being randomly pumped in.”

See ART on page 15

Ed Morris/Assistant Photo EditorDavid Chal (left) and Patricia Corbett (right) have just opened a new exhibit at the Frank Duveneck Arts and Cultural Center in Covington, Ky.


NORTHERNER


Jackson on local fareJeremy JacksonA&E Editor

York Street Café

Another hot spot of Newport, York Street Café — which boasts quaint dining with music upstairs — is geared toward a less tour-isty horde. Located on 738 York Street, the café is far enough re-moved from the Levee proper to be considered out of the way, but close enough to connect to all the Levee has to offer.

Part of a three-story building from the late 1800s, York has something exciting going on ev-ery floor.

On the main floor you can dine in unique surroundings, dating back to the building’s original use as a pharmacy.

After eating from the Medi-terranean/vegetarian (and even vegan menu), you can graduate to the next level, which offers couches for seating, and a live local band to blow your ears out (aids in digestion).

Hofbrauhaus

Touted as featuring “genuine Bavarian cuisine,” the Newport on the Levee restaurant/bar/brewery is writhe with Ger-man vibes. From the second you walk in, anyone can see why America’s first authentic Hof-brauhaus draws a large crowd.

The main Bier Hall has bench-type seating that can hold more than 300, and the outdoor beer garden seats 400. The establish-ment offers a wide variety of beer (with more than 17 brewed on the premises) catering to a diverse beer palate.

If beer is not your thing, don’t lose your lederhosen. The “Hof” also serves up many great dishes decked out in the traditional German style. From weiner schnitzel (fried pork chop) to deep fried Gurkens (pick-les), the Hof aims to get your Deutsch on. Prost!

Jackson’s Top Picks

HofbrauhausBeer Best: Hofbrau Dunkel—a dark lager that goes down easy.

Cost: $7.75/liter. Food Favorite: The Wurst (Mettwurst, Bierbwurst, Brat-wurst)—hotdog. Watch out, these culinary encasements will keep you coming back. Cost: $11.49 for two wursts with sau-erkraut and mashed potatoes.

York Street CafeGreat date place: With the romantic ambiance and quaint surroundings, York will break the ice for you on a first date or a dinner with an old friend.Food Favorite: Anything Mediterranean. But you can’t go wrong with the free-range Amish Chicken stuffed with bacon, gorgonzola and onions. Cost: $22.

Photo Courtesy of MCT Campus

In Extract, Jason Bateman turns to Mila Kunis for some much needed, and long overdue, excitement in his life.

Tim OwensPrint Editor-in-Chief

‘Extract’ lacks real flavor

Watching Jason Bateman’s comeback sure has been inter-esting. Dude has seen nothing but failure since his childhood stardom. His most successful venture, the hilarious, off-kilter sitcom Arrested Development, flat-lined after only three sea-sons despite rave reviews and multiple Emmy nominations and wins (including a best actor award for Bateman). But clear-ly director Mike Judge (Office Space), maestro of the average-Joe film, saw the potential in Bateman.

In Judge’s latest love letter to the every-man, Extract, Bate-man plays Joel — the owner of a successful flavoring extract company whose life is getting an overdose of mundanity. His employees are uncontrollable, his job requires 24/7 attention, and not getting home before 8 p.m. means no nookie from his distant wife. Not to men-tion he has to deal with the ar-rival of a saucy young con-artist,

Cindy (Mila Kunis), who he at first hopes will add some much needed spice to his life.

It’s this myriad of problems that fill Joel’s days and the en-tirety of Extract — a sometimes funny, but overall half-assed look at the monotony of every-day life.

What’s odd about Extract is that Joel, the poster boy for dull life, is the only intriguing person amongst a crowd of what could have been colorful characters. (Ben Affleck, J.K. Simmons and Kristen Wiig round out the main cast.) What’s worse is you can see Judge working hard to make these major players claim relevance, but he too often sup-presses and restrains the po-tential to do so — and in the process wastes a huge amount of talent that would have added so much more flavor to Extract.

It’s fortunate that Bateman weathers the storm and has no problem anchoring the major-ity of the film. His turn as Joel

seems to be easy for him, play-ing off each absurd scenario in Extract in the same vein he reacted to the quagmires his character encountered in the aforementioned Arrested De-velopment. And Bateman isn’t completely alone in this out-ing. Extract does have a few charms, such as Joel’s pesky, overbearing neighbor played to absurdist-humor perfection by David Koechner (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy) and a balls-out hilarious pot-smoking scene.

But in between these bits of humor are scenes and plot lines that never reach full their po-tentials. This perhaps due to the blatant fact that Extract goes in far too many directions without really every getting somewhere. For a film about a simple man’s struggle with everyday life, it has one hell of a convoluted plot — leaving you with a bitter taste in your mouth.

Grade: C+

SPORTS


And this one is in the books!Ashley Warndorf becomes newest member of career goal leadersMike CollinsSports Editor

The Northern Kentucky University Woman’s Soc-cer Team’s forward Ashley Warndorf is now the newest member of NKU’s top 10 all-time career goal leaders. Warndorf scored the 22nd goal of her career in the Norse’s 2-0 victory over the University of Findley Sept. 6.

Warndorf has scored five goals in three games so far this season. She scored four goals in an 8-2 win against Concord Aug. 30, and it wasn’t the first time she had accomplished the feat of scoring four goals in a game.

Warndorf has scored nine

career goals against the Lions.

Warndorf, a graduate of Oak Hills High School in Cincinnati, began her col-legiate career at NKU by scoring four goals Sept. 2, 2005 against Concord in just her second game wearing the black and gold.

However, in the following game against Kentucky Wes-leyan, Warndorf suffered a season-ending injury and was granted a medical redshirt that would allow her to gain an extra year of eligibility.

“It was pretty exciting because I never expected to do it twice,” Warndorf said.

“To be able to do that again in my fifth year as a senior is pretty awesome.”

Playing in all 18 games in 2006, Warndorf netted five goals with one game-winning goal for NKU.

She led all Great Lakes Valley Conference players in assists with eight on the year, according to NKU’s Sports Information Web site. Warn-dorf also led the team in shot percentage at .238. The Norse finished the season with a solid 13-4-1 record.

Warndorf played in all 18 games for NKU in 2007, proving to be an experienced and veteran player for the

squad. She tallied four goals for the Norse and collected two assists to contribute to a team that went 12-6-0 over-all. During the season, she punched through one game-winning goal for NKU.

Starting 16 of the Norse’s 18 games in 2008, Warndorf scored four goals and three assists to complete the sea-son. She scored two goals in the 10-0 thumping that NKU handed St. Joseph’s College Oct. 5. The Norse finished the season 16-4 overall and held an 8-0 home record.

The 2009 season marks Warndorf’s fifth and final year with the Norse. NKU

has played three regular season games, posting a 2-1 record.

Currently, the Norse are ranked 14th in the NCAA Division II national poll and they hope to move up as the season progresses. Accord-ing to Warndorf, they want to be a physical team, and they have the NCAA tournament in their sights.

“We have a lot of goals, and I’d say the main one is to be a physical team,” Warn-dorf said. “We want to be at the top of the GLVC, and we want to advance further into the NCAA tournament.”

Tim Downer/Photographer

Ashley Warndorf scored her 22nd career goal against the University of Findley on Sept. 6. The goal places her in NKU’s top 10 all-time career goals leader list.

NORTHERNER


One-on-One with Drew HarrisCatching up with one of the cross country team’s leading membersJustin MattinglyAssistant A&E Editor

With a batch of new runners joining the Northern Kentucky University Men’s Cross-Coun-try team, Captain Drew Harris looks to be the leader. Harris, a junior, is an All-american can-didate and won the first men’s track Great Lakes Valley Con-ference title in the 5000 meter run in track this past spring, almost being beat out for it by former NKU basketball player DeAaron Williams in the High Jump. I was able to speak with Harris after he set the record for the Dayton Flyer 5K Sept. 5.

How do you feel about your record-setting win in the 5k to-day?

DH: I was happy with how I ran today but I still have a long way to go. It’s a definitely a good way to begin the season. But it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. I really wanted to get the 5K record in this race because we don’t get a lot of opportuni-ties to run the distance in cross country, and I just missed get-ting it in our only 5K last year.

Does this give you momentum on the upcoming competition?

DH: It’s good to get out and get a fast time early, and it will hope-fully give me a starting point to gauge what I can do later on this season.

As a junior, have you taken on any kind of leadership for the team?

DH: I was voted captain

this spring, but the title really doesn’t mean that much.

Last year I took on a bigger role, and I’m really just trying to continue to lead by example and show some of the younger guys that hard work will pay off.

How do you prepare for a race?

DH: In the long term, I make sure I put myself in a position to be ready to run with anyone through training in the off sea-son. In the short term, I try and make sure I know the competi-tion, and from there I usually map out a strategy for each race.

Since losing both leading se-niors, has the team had to go through any major changes?

Not really. We obviously knew that we would be a young team this season so we’ve been able to prepare ourselves for the ups and downs that come along with a young team.

Is the team as a whole worried about the upcoming year?

DH: Worried is not really the right word. We understand that there is going to be a learning process for freshmen, running is no different from soccer, bas-ketball, etc. There is always a period of transition and some people take longer to adapt to collegiate running than others. My only worry is that we adapt in time for GLVC and NCAA competition.

How is the team chemistry?

DH: It’s hard when you have a lot of new guys to really know everyone and gel. It’s just some-thing that takes time to build up. We’ve got a really diverse group of guys and it’s been really inter-esting thus far.

What kind of obstacles do you, in particular, face this season?

DH: My only obstacle is stay-ing focused on the goal of quali-fying for nationals in November.

All these invitationals are nice, but really when we get down to business the only meet that really matters is the Mid-west Regional in November. I will need to either finish in the top 5 overall, or be one of the top two finishers who is not on a qualifying team.

How do you feel about being possibly considered for All- American?

DH: It’s nice to be in the discussion. Cross-country is so much different than the other sports because it’s not just a committee making a selection. There are so many things that have to fall your way to make it to nationals, and then once you’re there you have to finish in the top 40. So really you have to have your best race once, then come back two weeks later and do it again. Last year I know I was good enough to be in the top 40, but I didn’t qualify out of our region.

What would you suggest to the incoming freshmen who are working to be in your spot somewhere down the road?

DH: Being a successful run-ner comes down to three things: hard work, luck and patience. When I was a freshman I was just trying to improve and help the team and it took my entire freshman year (cross-country, indoor and outdoor track) and the next summer to get to the level that I’m at right now. You

also have to stay injury free, which I’ve been lucky enough to be.

What was your inspiration for coming this far in cross-coun-try?

DH: I set a lot of goals for myself, and those goals keep me motivated throughout the sum-mer when I’m running by my-self. I always have those goals in my head to give me that extra boost. My freshman year I just wanted to be in the top seven, and last year I came in under the radar and had a great sea-

son. My goal this year is to stay on top.

If there was one thing you could say to the future cross-country runners of NKU what would it be?

DH: You really have to learn to take the sport seriously, while still trying to keep it in perspec-tive.

I always try and remind my-self that its just a sport and while doing well is important, you need to just try and have fun and enjoy what you’re doing.

Tim Downer/Photographer

Justin Harris looks to help lead the Norse Cross Country team.

Being a successful runner comes down to three things: hard work, luck and patience. — Justin Harris

,,

,,

But Corbett says that Chal hasn’t missed a beat since get-ting back into the visual arts.

“With David working very fast,” Corbett said. “It allows me ample amount of time to get the color combination and themes the way I want them.”

By the time Chal completes his drawing, its an outline and shape extravaganza taking in-fluence from renowned sur-realists such as Joan Miro and Paul Klee with strong lines and movement.

“After I’m done it is ready to be handed off to Patty again,” Chal said. “So she can do what she does best — color.”

Rick DeForest, a friend of the artists, said their styles are com-pletely conrasting.

“Dave has a lot of abstraction and Patty does a lot of figures and landscapes. But it seems to work,” he said.

Gaining her color inspira-tion from anime creator Hayao Miyazaki (who is known for his elaborate depiction of land-scape), Corbett infuses her colors throughout Chal’s outlines.

After starting out with color choices from her head, Corbett

says she began to get a great deal of her color choices from natu-ral surroundings as the paintings progressed.

“In this piece I placed a leaf at the corner and began to use the color from it to get the effect I wanted,” Corbett said.

The couple agreed that as they progressed from the first paint-ing to the sixth and final, they underwent an artistic evolution of sorts.

“The first piece I hadn’t done any work in years and it shows,” Chal said. “But by the end I got more creative and less repeti-tive.”

As far as categorizing what they do, Corbett says they are still not sure.

“I don’t know what it is or what you would call it,” Corbett said. “But I’m sure one day somebody will come up with a name for it.”

The “Adventures Beyond Wonderland” exhibit is free and open to the public (Mon.-Fri. 10a-6p, Sat. 12p-3p) and is show-ing from Sept. 4 - 25 at The Frank Duveneck Arts and Cultural Center, 1232 Greenup St., Cov-ington, Ky. (859) 491-3942.

Art from page 11

Ed Morris/Photo Editor

One of David Chal and Patricia Corbett’s pieces at their new exhibit.

Scale from page 15

some of the larger schools; North-western University, Penn State, Pur-due, and Syracuse are just a few

examples of the schools that use the same scale NKU does.

The new scale could be seen as a step in the right direction to further drop the notion as a “No Knowl-edge College.”

NKU is advancing each year, and the grading system should match the

progress the university has made. While some may remain uncon-vinced as to whether or not the new system is what the university needs right now, I confidently stand by NKU’s decision to help push itself to new levels academically. I think this change in the grading scale was the best thing for NKU.


Check out our Web-exclusive content including: additional stories, new videos, polls,

blogs, and more!

www. thenortherner .com

The Northerner Print Edition - Sept. 9, 2009

Documents

Transcript of The Northerner Print Edition - Sept. 9, 2009