The BG News November 5, 2012

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1 Bowling Green State University BGSU Student Newspaper University Publications The BG News November 5, 2012 Bowling Green State University Follow this and additional works at: Recommended Citation Bowling Green State University, "The BG News November 5, 2012" (2012). BGSU Student Newspaper. Book This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the University Publications at It has been accepted for inclusion in BGSU Student Newspaper by an authorized administrator of

2 THE BG NEWS ESTABLISHED 1920 An independent student press serving the campus and surrounding community VOLUME 92. ISSUE 34 Monday, November 5, 2012 STUDENTS dress in traditional outfits from different cultures during the International Dinner dance that took blace in the Union Ballroom on Sunday globalgathering LIZGELSOME I THE 86 NEWS ATTENDEES participate in variety of ethnic dances Students enjoy food, different cultures at anual International Dinner By Bridjct Mandyuk Reporter The World Student Association kicked off international education week with a dinner on Sunday night to recognize cultures and traditions from around the world. The international Dinner was hosted in the Union ballroom from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and provided attendants with dinner as well as more than six multicultural performances. The dinner is one of many events for the international celebration from November 4th lo November 17th. Junior Cuilin Ge and WSA president said putting the dinner together has taken the whole semester but was very pleased with the outcome of the dinner. "We started to plan this after the last dinner (in 20111," Ge said. "We want to increase the awareness of a diverse campus." The night began with students donned in traditional clothing from different countries carrying flags as an opening ceremony for the dinner. After the opening, a speech was given from University President Mary Ellen Mazey. Having international students enriches the campus and brings joy to students, Mazey said. She said she wants to bring in more international students to campus in the upcoming years. "We should make a commitment for more international scholarships," said Mazey. More than 11 departments and organizations had a role in contributing to the international dinner including the Latino Student Union, The Language Company and See DINNER Page 2 #ELECTIONS2012 Find out why Wood County has predicted the results of nearly every presidential election in N FOCUS on PAGE 3 oo ELECTION BRIEF Prepare for the polls to open this Tuesday For election day. voters are split up into a series o( precincts that dictate the locations where they are able to go vote. Bowling Green is home to 19 total precincts. Check your precinct below to see where your polling location is this Tuesday. Voters in Ohio are also required to bring some form of identification to their polling location. Polls in Ohio open at 6:30 am. local time in Ohio and close at 7:30 p.m.. according to the Ohio revised code. Polling locations have electronic voting machines where residents can vote at. Upon the polling locations closing, workers from the Wood County Board of Elections retrieve the voting information from the machines. The BG News will be streaming live election coverage from the watch parties of the Wood County Democrats and Republicans. on Twitter and on Facebook for continuing coverage and for live updates of the elections this Tuesday. Polling locations for Bowling Green 1-A: Ridge Street School 1-B: Ridge Street School l-c: University Union 2-A: VFW Post B: St Marks Lutheran Church 2-C: Crim Street School 2-D: VFW Post F: St. Mark's Lutheran Church 3-B: St. Mark's Lutheran Church 3-C. University Union 3-0: Wood County Library 3-E: Peace Lutheran Church 3-G: Kenwood School 4-A: Church of the Nazerene 4-B: City Park. Girl Scout Building 4-D: Bowling Green High School 4-E: Bowling Green High School 4-H: Church of the Nazerene 4-J: Church of the Nazerene For more information on your voting precinct, visit the Wood County Board of Elections website at www. co.wood.oh.us/boe/. You can contact the Wood County Board of Elections by phone at Construction on North Main Street eases traffic, clears in time for winter Plan to add lanes, reduce congestion projected for completion by end of month By AIM Alush.f f City Editor After coping with the daily congestion of North Main Street construction for more than a year, I. I. Pearse was surprised to see the multitude of orange barrels disappear and the lanes open up almost overnight. "It was nice to see, all of a sudden, that the road had opened up," Pearse, a graduate student at the University who lives on the corner of North Main Street and West Poe Road, said. The majority of construction is complete and is projected to end this month due to favorable weather, said Theresa Pollick, District 2 public information officer for the Ohio Department of Transportation. Most of the construction included utility work and repaying. The purpose of construction, which began summer 2011, was to add more lanes to Poe Road and North Main Street to ease congestion. While the majority of construction may be nearing an end, the project isn't projected to be complete until Aug. 2013, Pollick said. Pearse said he was not aware the construction was ahead of schedule until he saw the road open up, but it came as a nice surprise. "It's great; I noticed less congestion immediately," he said. "The street has opened up a lot." For the past few months, construction blocked off Pearse's side of the street, sometimes forcing him to park his car else- where for a few days at a time, he said. His yard, which used to be host to construction crews, bulldozers and heavy machinery, is now only host to a few orange barrels lining the edge of the property, serving as one of the last remnants of construction along with the pulledup dirt along the new sidewalks. Pearse, who lives with his sister, Liz, said that overall, living so close to the construction hasn't been so bad. The construction crews were always helpful and accommodating when it came to parking during work near the driveway, he said. Residents like Pearse aren't See ROAD Page 2 TAKING A CLOSER LOOK I I Angela Zimmann Democratic Candidate for US House Five points of Angela Zimmann s Zimmann, Latta face off for spot in US House platform: la Strengthen the economy by working toward good jobs and good benefits in the area. 2. Increase educational opportunities, including retaining Pell Grants. 3. Close corporate tax loopholes and lowering the tax rate. 4. Repair and improve infrastructure. 5. Make sure to spotlight women's issues and pay equity ^ Bob Latta Republican Candidate for US House Five points of Bob Latta's platform: 1. Making sure Americans have jobs they want 2. Reducing federal regulations. 3. Repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. 4. Revising the federal tax code 5. Making sure we eliminate the federal deficit and reduce the debt 'Information pulled from the candidates' websites and previous interviews for The BG News HOCKEY SPLITS AGAIN Hockey travled to Michigan State Friday and won 1-0. but lost Saturday at home 6-1. Read a recap of the games and find out how the hockey team will bounce back. I PAGE 9 PICK YOUR SIDE THIS ELECTION How do you think most college students will vote this election? Assistant Forum Editor Matthew Thacker and Columnist Daniel Ems go head to head as they explain why their presidential candidate deserves your vote. PAGE 4 WHERE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO GET INTERNATIONAL FOOD? "El Zarape" Courtney Deemer Sophomore, Communication Disorders < *

3 2Monday.Nowmtw Wednesday November 7:00 PM fohlssa *R0CK POP SENSATIONS*" a " ce 127 N. Main St. Bowling Green * clazel.net lacebook.com/clazel «* ll",.. v m»r mim 3a^»' l ' N C5X-TT FRI & SAT NIGHTS ) 10PM til 2:30AM,/,-//// BOOMER & -. DJ MANNY 18 & Up *?1 &.imfrff clazel.net * lacebook.com/clazel BLOTTER THURS., NOV. 1 9:23 A.M. A burglary was reported at Kreischer Hall. 2:48 P.M. Disorderly conduct was reported near College Park. 2:51 P.M. Complainant reported that, sometime between 2:SO and 7:30 a.m., an unknown person made entry through an unlocked window of a residence and stole an Xbox system and controller within the 900 block of Klots Road. 3:16 P.M. Complainant reported a theft of less then $500 at Kreischer Hall. 6:13 P.M. Complainant reported an assault within the 100 block of N. Prospect St. 9:07 P.M. Thomas E. Carrillo. 20. of Portage, Ohio, was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia within the 500 block of Conneaut Ave. 11:13 P.M. Nathan Allen Tracy. 19, of Bowling Green, was cited for drug paraphernalia within the 800 block of E. Napoleon Road. FRI., NOV. 2 3:19 A.M. Maxwell A. Householder. 22, of Swanton. Ohio, was cited for disorderly conduct/ unable to care for self within the 200 block of E. Court St. CORRECTION POLICY We want to correct all factual errors. If you think an error has been made, call The BG News at KOHUHEiGotobgnewicomfef w the convlele blotter list DINNER From Page 1 the Office of Multicultural Affairs. "Events like this are so important to our campus and community," Deanna Vatan Woodhoused, Director of the Office of Division of Student Affairs, said. The first act, Kaze no Daichi Taiko: Land of the Wind Taiko, was a traditional drumming performance by University students. Junior and Brazilian exchange student Lara Ximenes said she loves being an exchange student at the university. Her favorite part of the dinner was watching the Taiko drummers and listening to the Colombian singers Feria de Manizales and Tuna Compostelana. "I was really impressed. They were really good," Ximenes said. "They were so different but equally beautiful." After the dinner, a student organized fashion show had students strut their traditional garments from several different countries on stage in the front of the Union ballroom. Sophomore Kobe Huynh said the fashion show preparation required four rehearsals lasting 1-2 hours. "We put a lot of effort into it," Huynh said. During the dinner, there was a silent auction where attendants were able to bet on diverse items from different cultures like Chinese slippers, fortune telling bones and Kenyan masks. The main focus of the dinner, according to Ge, was to educate others and check us out online 9 "I always love the opening and closing flag ceremony because it shows unity." Katie Koller Junior to learn more about other cultures. Ph.D. student Rohini Richard said her favorite part of the dinner was the fashion show and the Diwali Mela performers whom danced to semi classical dance music from South India. She said the international education week gives people an opportunity to do something different. "There's a lot of diversity here at BGSU," Huynh said. Other acts during the dinner included Chinese singer Xiaoshan Liu sang "Evening Primrose" while the audience ate dessert. Then, the BGSU Martial Arts Club showcased their talents to the audience by demonstrating the different types of martial arts from different countries. The Colombian singers and Diwali Mela performers were the last acts in the program. The closing ceremony concluded the dinner by having the fashion show models exit the ballroom carrying the same flags they had started the night with. Minim Katie Koller and executive board member of WSA said she was happy with the outcome of the dinner. "I always love the opening and closing flag ceremony because it shows unity," Koller said. "In the end, somehow everything comes together." BGNEWS ROAD From Page 1 the only ones who are relieved the construction is wrapping up. Businesses affected by construction are starting to see sales improve. Rob Armstrong, spokesperson for Big Boy Family Restaurants and Emmaleen Hartley, general manager of Rally's, said sales are back to what they were before construction started. The businesses may have endured, but it wasn't without challenges. "During construction, it was difficult to get to the restaurant," Armstrong said. Business was down by 35 percent and was projected to be even lower if it weren't for a loyal group of customers, he said. Another challenge was maintaining a positive attitude among employees, Armstrong said. With less business, employees were scheduled less and suffered losses from tips, but were able to get through it, he said. Hartley said business at Rally's suffered because most people typically tried to avoid the area in the thick of construction. While the lanes have begun to open up and the normal flow of traffic has returned, Pollick said commuters can expect intermittent lane restrictions as crews finish curbing, striping and signaling work. However, the orange barrels should be removed by next week, she said. Striping and signaling work will continue throughout the spring and winter, Pollick said. Fad of OK Day: The total weight of all of the ants on Earth is about the same as the * weight of all the humans on Earth. 1,>i«T,-<«. i ft u. * * % * * * # Hit US TMEIGC ODD SAMARITAN THRIFT STORE nwwtru of Brokwi Mi churdi T 1234 N. MAIN STKCKT :: WOODLAND MALL IS IOMLINO DDIIN OCTOBER 19TH THROUGH NOVEMBER 30TH COME IN AND REGISTER TODAY! COMBS POAKI *t DONATE WINTER COAT AND RECEIVE A GIFT CARD OF YOUR CHOICE TO SUBWAY OR CINEMARKI Students get an additional 20% off purchases A USG Uiulci >'i,nliut( MEETS TONIGHT! Raffle Prizes and FREE FOOD TALK TO Rental Mgmt. Companies Office of the Dean of Stud Student Legal Services Student Money Management BG City Departments BGSU Dining SPONSORED BY Off-Campus Student Services Office of the Dean of Students The Division of Student Affairs BGSU Fraternity and Sorority Life Program Wood County Apartment Association,, _A,_ «.»., -_A. -A. BGSU Dining Services W)M.t ts Ok* hist f>*t y#r u#ur fiwirtg ivt\a*.-t\» <? CONTACT INFO * p^i J. V#r# * I offcampusobgsu.edu r-ww ««<v n^r*. DIVISION STUDENT A I FAIRS BGSU NOVEMBER 5 AT 7:30PM Bowen-ThompsonStudent Union 202B General meetings are open to the public. Come and learn about what USG is working on If you have any direct questions/concerns please contact: PRESIDENT ALEX SOLIS asolis@falcon.bgsu.edu VICE PRESIDENT DAVID NEELY dneely<i?falcon.bgsu.edu SPEAKER MELISSA DZIENNY mdzienn@falcon.bgsu.edu BGSU. USG Undergraduate Student Government r.

4 N FOCUS o Ending election is bittersweet TWEET THIS #TAG AT THE BG NEWS ON NOV.t, EfcECTIONSf2012 Monday. November C I Tyler Buchanan a*t Tuesday is the moment of Catharsis. Hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign ads, dozens of irritating voter registrants and one day that will decide it all. Or maybe several days, if Ohio remains too close to count and the electoral college plays spoiler to political history. In some ways, I'm glad. No more candidates approving messages and no more wannabe political science majors on Facebook. But in most ways, its the end to a campaign season, which has focused northwest Ohio in the geopolitical crosshairs of this election. And it will be a bittersweet end for this reporter and columnist, whose fortune to have lived to write the tales will come to an abrupt end. First, it was Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum who, just days before the critical "Super Tuesday" Republican primaries, gave speeches in the Union Ballroom earlier this year. Two candidates back-to-back to hear from in real life was, at the time, a miracle. (It was almost three I inquired a man pacing in the hallway following Santorum's speech for an interview. The man, U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel, turned towards me and declined.) Lightning struck a second time while interning for the summer at the Sandusky Register, a newspaper near Cedar Point. I was fortunate enough to manage a press pass and record video of President Obama campaigning throughout northern Ohio back in early July. Just weeks later, it was Mitt Romney's turn. The Republican nominee visited the Bowling Green Community Center in July and I joined dozens of media personnel from throughout the United States and beyond to cover his campaign stop with See COLUMN Page 7 National presidential election voting habits reflected in Wood County By Dana* King Campus Editor Students may not know it, but when they go to the polls in Wood County, they'll be voting in a county that has a history of predicting election outcomes. Since 1960, voters in Wood County have determined the results of every presidential election except one, said Russell Mills, associate professor in the Political Science Department. Wood County is split almost evenly between Republicans and Democrats, which may be why it is skilled at determining future presidents. "It's a microcosm of the United States because it's split pretty evenly," Mills said. "It is split between Republicans and Democrats, with roughly 50,000 to 60,000 Independents." Mills said the even distribution of partisanship may have to do with the University. "I think Wood County would be a more red (Republican] county without Bowling Green," he said. "I think there are a large number of Independents in Wood County as well." The exact numbers boil down to 22,548 Republicans, 21,308 Democrats, eight Constitution Party members, three members of the Socialist Party and 220 Libertarians, according to the Wood County Board of Elections. The rest, approximately 63,927 voters, remain unaffiliated. (ust the diversity of people m this region has a lot to do with why people go back and forth," Mills said. "They tend to vote more on the issues of the day; they don't deal with a party because it's ideological," Depending on what they are, the issues of the time period can impact voters' decisions at the polls, Mills said. "If voters are dissatisfied with the politics of the day, we end up with a county that's split pretty evenly," Mills said. This is why Wood County is such a good indicator of the nation's voting habits, he said. As far as the 2012 presidential election goes, Mills said Independents are torn because President Barack Obama wants to keep their jobs, but they may not be satisfied with the current economy. The fact that voters in Wood County have determined elections makes the Independents in the county feel more important. Mills said. "They feel like they're going to decide this election," Mills said. "The end result is that we're going to see an incredibly high turnout rate in Wood County for voting." Mills thinks the results are going to be very close in the county. "Suburban voters tend to be more moderate or Independent," he said. "Democrats will vote Democrat, farmers will vote Republican See COUNTY I Page 8 University, city favored as major stops for presidential candidates Tylar Buchanan In Focus Editor Just how important is Bowling Green and Wood County in national elections? When Libertarian Gary Johnson spoke at Cla-Zel last week, he became the eighth presidential candidate to campaign in Bowling Green since That's an average of one candidate per election cycle, all making their way to northwest Ohio to court local voters. Five candidates toured Bowling Green or the University in 2012 alone, including both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. Earlier this year, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich attended a Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinner in the University ballroom during the Republican primary season. The dinner's namesake himself came to campus in Ronald Reagan, seeking re-election against Democratic challenger Walter Mondale, was greeted by Freddy and Frieda as he spoke to 5,000 students and supporters in Anderson Arena on Sept. 26, 1984, according to a BG News article from the time. A BG News photo features the mascots holding a Bowling Green jersey reading "Reagan" with 84 underneath. Emphasizing military strength, Reagan told the crowd that America would continue to establish relationships with countries to avoid conflicts. "The world is a dangerous place," he said. "Uncle Sam is a friendly old man, but he has a spine of steel." Nearly 30 years later, as the University's basketball team moved from Anderson Arena to the Stroh Center across campus, so did presidential visits. President Barack Obama, campaigning in Bowling Green last month at the Stroh, gave a similar message to his own 5,000 students and supporters. "We're going to maintain the strongest military the world has ever known," he said. In the 1990s, candidates Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush made whistle stops in Bowling Green, campaigning throughout the country by train. As Bush sought re-election in 1992, he spoke to a crowd of over 8,000 near Reed Street and Frazee Avenue. The Republican incumbent said that he was more qualified to fight for the middle class, The BG News reported. "I want an America where every graduate of this great school can find a good, decent job," he said. Just months later, former Ark. Gov. Bill Clinton won the presidency. Four years later, Clinton followed Bush and Reagan's footsteps, visiting Bowling Green during his own re-election bid. Down the tracks from his former opponents' visit, Clinton addressed around 20,000 supporters on Wooster Street near Dairy Queen. "I have been and will continue to work hard to give hope, direction and progress to American life," Clinton said. Tim Newman, a political sci- Set VISITS Page 8 Medical marijuana fails to reach ballot Medical marijuana legalization in Ohio was pushed for by various political groups, but did not make it to the November ballot in Neither the proposed Ohio Alternative Treatment Amendment and Ohio Medical Cannabis Act reached the minimum 385,247 valid signatures required to reach ballot access. Ohio Constitutional amendments require signatures equal to 10 percent of votes cast for the governor race in the most recent election. Groups like the Ohio Medical Cannabis Association say they will try again in 2014.

5 FORUM * When everyone is making out with everyone. #awesome #party #bqsu Monday. NovCTitoS, PEOPLE ON THE STREET Where is your favorite restaurant to get international food? "China City Buffet" "Olive Garden" "TacoBell" ^VISITUSAT BGNEWS.COM DANNY HUMBARGER Junior. Music Li DJ.KOMARCHUK Senior, Sport Management Have your own take on todays People On The Street' Of a suggestion foi a question? Give us your feedback at bgnews.com. THEBGNEWS PRESENTS FALCON SCREECH WHAT IS FALCON SCREECH? FALCON SCREECH IS A SPECIAL ADDITION TO MONDAY'S FORUM SECTION SUBMIT YOUR 100-WORD RANT ANONYMOUSLY AT BGNEWS.COM OR YOU CAN TWEET YOUR SCREECHES OR WITH #FALCONSCREECH. STAFF EDITORIAL Excuses are useless during elections Each election, there are those people who exclaim "That's it. So-and-so was elected. I'm moving to Canada." It's t i me for t hose people to put up or shut up. It's time for everyone in Ohio to roll out of bed and vote, despite his or her full day of classes and busy schedule. The BG News has laid out the ballot issues and the platforms of each major candidate. We have done our parts. It's time for you to do yours. "I'm just one person. My vote doesn't really matter," is not a justification for not voting. If you lived in any other state or county, we might tell you to just stay in bed on Nov. 6. But, if there's one county in one state where votes matter, it's the one you're getting your college education in. Wood County is considered the swing county in the biggest swing state of the 2012 elections. We should feel lucky. How would a Liberal voter fare in Oklahoma, where Republican presidential candidate John McCain won all 77 counties against Barack Obama in 2008? Or how about a Conservative voter in Vermont in 2008, where Obama swept the Democrat vote? The electoral college, breaking down national elections to a state-bystate basis, means that a vote cast in a swing state like Ohio fundamentally counts more than in a solidly-leaning state. Minority opinions are at an instant disadvantage by this system of "popular vote be damned." But here in Ohio, we matter. Our 18 electoral college votes have warranted dozens of campaign stops by Mitt Romney and Barack Obama and more political ads than anyone can handle. If anyone matters, it's us. If any vote matters, its ours. Throughout the course of the semester, students have been asked "Are you registered to vote?" countless times. These people were not trying to annoy you; they were trying to prepare you. They might have gotten really annoying at times, but regardless of their political affiliations, they were offering to assist you. If you snub your chance to vote, you give up your right to complain or to criticize this country. You run the chance of losing respect from others because your missing ballot could be translated as a missing interest in the way your life is run. Citizens of Cuba, North Korea and Vietnam do not have the right to vote. In some countries, voters are forced to vote for the current "But here in Ohio, we matter. Our 18 electoral college votes have warranted dozens of campaign stops by Mitt Romney and Barack Obama..." powers as a form of skewed democracy. Students are lucky. Students don't have to vote. Students have the freedom to vote for whomever we want. Utilize this freedom. Don't let this, our most basic freedom, pass by. Everyone has a voice; let it be known Tuesday. Respond to The News at thenews@bgnews.com I don't think the University cares about commuters. Use all that money from parking tickets to buy a clue and a parking deck. -#ROADRAGE Thanksgiving break is sooa No, class is not cancelled. I don't believe you when you say my class is your only one. -#NOT FOOLING ME This non-smoking thing is a load. I don't smoke, but to take away the rights of others. That really gets under my skin! -#SMOKE ON THE CAMPUS Every weekend, I fearfully check my Facebook notifications solely because of photos I have been tagged in. Why do downtown clubs take so many pictures? Not only do they take a ton of pictures, they post the most unflattering ones they can find. I'm tired of having to untag myself from pictures where I was inadvertently going "full derp." Either get better photographers or take less photos! -NEVER GO FULL DERP Alright man, I let you eat two pieces of my bread, not the whole damn loaf! Just because I let you do something once doesn't mean you can feel free to indulge in the same activity anytime you want. You took a foot and stretched it a mile. Now, I'm going to take my foot and kick you in the ass. -LOAFING AROUND Do you like me or not. dear brother? One night, you look me in the eyes and greet me. Two days later, you're smiling but shun your face and act like I don't exist I don't know how to read into this. You're making my head hurt I'm so confused on so many levels Please, be straightforward. -CLEAR COMMUNICATION Oh. you're going to crap talk the beer I give you? Remind me of all the times that you paid for drinks Can't remember the last time you did this? Because you never have! I don't mind buying stuff for the weekend because I understand your financial struggle, but DO NOT take it for granted. I'm doing you a favor. -TEARS FOR BEERS THE BG NEWS MAX FILBY, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 210 West Hall Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, Ohio 4540? Phone: (419) thenews@bgnews.com Website: Advertising: 204 West Hall Phone: (419) Citizens should come together more often This past week, Americans once again had the opportunity to be American again, not Republicans, Democrats, liberals, progressives, conservatives, rich, middle class, poor, a member of the one percent or the 99 percent. When Hurricane Sandy struck the eastern seaboard, we were once again reminded that the things that bind us together are stronger than those that divide us. We've seen this before: Pearl Harbor, the JFK assassination, Hurricane Katrina, 9/11. When our nation experiences trauma, we all pitch in and help and, in the process, we hear the question from time to time, from people filling sandbags, evacuating the sick from hospitals with no electricity, people donating their time, blood and money to assist: Why can't we act this way all the time? There seems to be no clear answer. Americans generally go about their daily business autonomously, consumed with their own affairs. Most of us adopt a live-and-let-live philosophy, perhaps because DANAE KING. CAMPUS EDITOR ALEX ALUSHEFF, CITY EDITOR TYLER BUCHANAN, IN-FOCUS EDITOR ERIN COX, SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR MEA6AN SMITH, WEB EDITOR STEPHAN REED. FORUM EDITOR ETHAN EASTERWOOD, SPORTS EDITOR TARA KELLER. PULSE EDITOR BRIHALLER COPY CHIEF CHRISTINE KOHLER. DESIGN EDITOR MOLLY MCFADWN, PHOTO EDITOR independence is part of our civic DNA. We don't like to be told what to do nor be compelled to join a group or cause. Some images from this past week stand out: the president and the New Jersey governor standing shoulder to shoulder. Talk about chalk and cheese. Their backgrounds and outlooks may differ, but they're not talking politics now; that will most certainly come later. They're trying to install confidence and hope in anyone within the sound of their voices that things will get better, and everyone's in it to help. We saw the same thing on 9/11. The Senate and the House of Representatives standing on the Capitol steps singing "America the Beautiful." No Republicans or Democrats, just Americans. Later, as Ground Zero was being cleared, volunteers brought water, coffee and food to those clearing the debris. Gifts such as these were also brought to firehouses and police stations throughout New York. Ironworkers came in from all over the country, donating their time and expertise. SCHURHER Conservatives shift support to Obama In the final lap of the race for the White House, Barack Obama is slated to win, currently given an 84 percent chance of victory. While Liberals like myself are delighted at the chance our president will be returning for another term, those on the opposite side of the aisle don't seem too pleased. With them in mind, I would like to make a final case for the president which, given his statistical likelihood of victory, can at least act as a spoonful of sugar to help the election results go down. Irs no secret that the GOP isn't what it used to be: with extreme elements like the Tea ftrty thriving in this election cycle, it's no surprise a majority of Republican voters view demonic possession as more plausibk' than climate change. Given the radical right, a number of moderate, centrist Conservatives have already flocked to the president's side. The grassroots organization. Republicans for Obama, cites the extremist nature of their party as one reason for a Republican to vote for the president, describing him as a "common-sense centrist" and even going on to say "Obama would THE BG NEWS SUBMISSION POLICY LFTTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters are generally to be lewer than 500 words These are usualy m response to a current Issue on the University's campus or the Bowling Own area. WEST COLUMNS Guest Columns are generaly longer pieces between 400 and 700 words. These are usually also i response lo a current issue on the Unrversity's cam- pus or the Bearing Green ana. Two submissions per month rnaomum. POLICIES Letters to the Editor and Guest Columns are prmted as space on the Oprnion Page permits. Ackhional Letters to the ErJtor or Guest Columns may be published nine. Name, year and phone number should be included lor verification purposes Personal attacks, unverified information or anonymous submrssions wl not be ported fit in well as a Republican." Describing the president's first term. Republicans for Obama find "significant support from prominent Republicans," a politically diverse cabinet, the signing of the American Recovery and investment Act, the creation of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform and plenty of other successes, which have been good for Conservatives and the natkm Ms a win ilr While the moderate conservatives of Republicans for Obama highly suggest the President as your candidate in the upcoming election, another and very prominent right-leaning organization has thrown its support behind Obama Business newspaper, The Economist, endorsed Obama for his handling of the economy helping to "avert a depressioa" use of foreign policy suggesting the U.S. is in a "safe pair of hands" and hearth reform. While the article has quite a lot to say negatively about the president, it has even more to say about Mitt Romney. The problem with Romney, speaking to his flip-flopping nature. The Economist state, "there are a lot of Romneys and they have committed themselves to a lot of dangerous things." See SHUPE Page 12 SUBMISSIONS Send submissions as an attachment to thenewspbgrrewsram with the subject line marked letter to the Editor" or 'Guest Column' All submrssions are subject to review and editing kt length and danty before printing Theedrtor may change the beaovies to submit- ted columns and letters at his or her drscietion. Qjinrbn corumrs do not neassisf reflect the new ofthelgnttn.

6 5 Monday. Novermbef FORUM WWWBGNEWS.COM OPPOSING OPINIONS Which presidential candidate deserves your vote? Barack Obama: There are many reasons that college students should vote Tuesday to reeled President Barack Obama and today I will elaborate on a few of those reasons. First, Obama has worked hard to try to make it easier for everyone who wants to go to college be able to do so. He consolidated all government-backed student loans to go straight to schools from the government instead of going through private lending institutions. That means the interest on government subsidized student loans doesn't start accumulating until after you have finished college, resulting in less money for you to pay back. Then, he added an income-based repayment plan option on government subsidized student loans so if your college degree does not yield you a job making a lot of money, you can base your student loan repayment on your income. The result is making student loans a little less burdensome to repay. Obama also increased funding for Pell Grants for lower income people so the amount of money given via the Pell Grant keeps up with the rate of inflation. On the other side, Mitt Romney's running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, introduced a budget proposal in 2011 that would reduce the amount of money given for Pell grants and return the student loan system to its previous incarnation, where private lending institutions tacked on more money to your loans to pay for their services, ultimately costing students more money to attend college. For that reason alone, you should vote to re-elect Obama, but it is not the only reason. If you live in Ohio or Michigan, or anywhere else throughout the Midwest, Obama probably saved the job of a friend or family member when he refused to let General Motors and Chrysler go out of business. The facts of Obama's bailout of the auto industry have been distorted and criticized by people living in other parts of the country, but most of us here in Ohio get it. Saving the auto industry is about more than just saving jobs at car manufacturing plants. Eric Burkland, the head of the Ohio Manufacturers' Association, said in a New York Times article, that for every person who works in an auto plant, there are seven jobs in supporting industries, such as paint suppliers, restaurants, engineers, accountants and lawyers. While Obama was putting himself at potential political risk to save approximately a million automotive jobs (all government loans that were used to save the auto industry were paid back ahead of schedule), Romney wrote an editorial in the New York Times saying that the government should let Detroit go bankrupt. Our country cannot afford that kind of leadership. While people on the right love to badmouth the Patient Protection and Affordability Act (aka Obamacare), in truth it is the most significant health care legislation since the passage of Medicare. Obamacare guarantees that people can no longer be denied healthcare coverage based on preexisting conditions and young adults can remain covered on their parents' insurance plans until they are 26 years old. It is estimated that once Obamacare is fully implemented in 2014, as many as 30 million people who did not have healthcare before will now be insured. As my time runs out, 1 want to mention a few other reasons to re-elect Obama that I don't have space here to elaborate on. Obama made it legal for homosexuals to serve openly in the military and supports marriage equality for same sex couples. He supports equal work for equal pay for women and supports a woman's right to make her own reproductive choices. He ended the war in Iraq and is in the midst of a phased withdrawal from Afghanistan, restoring America's diplomatic credibility around the world. With his American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Obama saved at least 300,000 education jobs. And did I mention he found and ordered the Navy Seals to kill Osama bin Laden? Respond to Matthew at thenews@bgneim.com Mitt Romney: As long as democracy has existed, the war between opposite political parties has existed. It is not difficult for anyone to be sucked in to this normality; many have fallen into this routine, including myself. However, both parties wish to obtain the same thing: the opportunity for success for every American. While they disagree on the path to achieve that goal, the goal remains constant. This war does nothing but soil the waters of clarity, disrupting the road of truth that America must follow to achieve this goal. This road changes with times, with the ideas of society. While the destination is constant, there are numerous variables that must be addressed. What are these variables? Why are they important? The answers to these two crucial questions are the precise reason why 1, a fiscal conservative, am voting for Gov. Mitt Romney. The economy has been the root of numerous topics of this election, education, job creation, tax reform, national debt and deficit, health care and even foreign policy. The American economy is what either makes or breaks America. With an unem- ployment rate now at 7.9%, national debt at $16 trillion and national deficit at $1 trillion the American people and government alike have taken on this burden of addressing and fixing the problem. This brings up the questions of taxes, job creation, the foreign market and what answers to these questions will serve most profitable for everyone. With healthcare being 1/6 of the U.S. economy, Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act are all logical topics that must be approached as well. These are the variables of this election that will, inarguably, have the largest impact on America's future, for either good or bad. The Affordable Care Act is a wonderful idea that, unfortunately, has a drastic unintended consequence of hurting the health care industry, 1/6 of our economy. While again, I stress the concept is that of a good one, the fact of the matter remains that not all the kinks are worked out. Kinks like how we plan to pay for this. If this was not at a relevant question, then why was $740 million pulled out of Medicare? We, as a country with a troubled economy, cannot afford to impose another burden on 1/6 of our economy. We must rather allow the state and the private sector to work together through competition and regulation to promote health care costs that we can all afford. Affordability, however, is only relevant under the assumption that you can find a job. Romney's plan addresses this issue. We must create jobs to get the economy moving again. We do this by promoting job growth in America through literally working for energy independence in North America. Secondly, we must reevaluate how we trade and seek expansion of American goods and services in foreign markets. The cost of education and access to the right kind of job training is a pressing issue as college tuition and post graduate debt, are the highest ever recorded. No business, big or small, has been able to survive by spending more money than they take in, so naturally the government must focus on lowering the national deficit. Finally, and arguably the most important, small businesses, the cornerstones of the American economy, cannot be discouraged in hiring and expanding due to regulations that are crippling them. The question you. as a college student, must ask yourself is: What happens if I cannot find a job? Let me tell you that you will retain a significant amount of college debt, struggle to find affordable healthcare and own a home. In short, the economy is the largest of all variables. Romney has a plan to fix our economy that will work. If we fix our economy, all the other variables will fall into place. Respond to Daniel at thenews@bgnews.com Wicks OHIO HOUSE Your Democratic Sample Ballot A ^ Investing in our future through k support of higher education ^^ COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP* EXPERIENCE GENERAL ELECTION TOMORROW 6:30AM-7:30 PM EARLY VOTE TODAY Wood County Courthouse, 1 Courthouse Sq., BG Monday Nov. 5: 8am - 2pm O KdryWlckiFoiOhloHoiue votewicks.com :«w,u*. *»-,.,,.,..,. Wfcl>40k)Housc <& <&> <25 <25 «5 «5 «5 «5 «5 5 «5 re-elect Barack Obama & Joe Biden for President re-elect Sherrod Brown for US Senate re-elect Angela Zimmann for US Congress, House of Representatives, Fifth District Ohio elect Elect Jeff Bretz for Ohio General Assembly Second Senate District elect Kelly Wicks for Ohio General Assembly Third Ohio House District elect Michael J. Skindell for Ohio Supreme Court Justice elect William M. O'Neil for Ohio Supreme Court Justice retain Justice Yvette Mcgee Brown for Ohio Supreme Court Justice elect Fred E. Keith Jr. for Wood County Commissioner retain Joel M. Kuhlman for Wood County Commissioner re-elect Recorder Julie L. Baumgardner for Wood County Recorder Vote YES on Issue Two for Fair Redistricting Check us out at and on Facebook Paid fi I County Democratic P.ir ly Mikc-Zi I ' " OH December/May Graduates Schedule Your Senior Portrait Now! November 14,15 & 16 Schedule your appointment now at

7 6 Monday. November IN FOCUS WWWBGNEWS.COM w TAKING A CLOSER LOOK I Brown, Mandel face off for spot in US Senate HlrZ" A Democratic V Candidate for ^^ US Senate gjg^ Josh Mandel Republican Candidate for US Senate HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS Rve points of Sherrod Brown's platform: 1. Increased investments in workforce development systems to attract businesses to Ohio 2. Supports marriage equality i. Provide resources for small business growth 4. Investments in state infrastructure Five points of Josh Mindil's platform: 1. Stop all new federal regulations until economy recovers 2. Cut spending to balance the US budget 3. Scrap tax code and create new, fairer system 4. Save Medicare and Social Security 5. Increased accessibility to health care.1 Barack Obama Democratic Candidate for Presidency Five points of Barack 5. Repeargovemment-run" health Obama, Romney face off for Presidency Obama's platform: A Mitt ^^B Romney Republican M ' ^H Presidency Five points of Mitt Romney's platform: 1. Eliminate tax breaks for 1. Reduce federal spending to Get ready Ohio voters it's companies that ship jobs overseas lower US. debt crunch time. Like proverbial college stu- 2. $2.50 in spending cuts for each dents cramming before a big dollar of revenue and tax increases 2. Lower taxes for all individuals test, politicians are finishing their homework, making their 3. Cut growth in college tuition and 3. Cut taxes for corporations to final pitches in an intensified maintain Pell Grants stimulate job growth slew of political advertisements aimed at the masses. 4. Expand access to health care As voters in a swing state through Affordable Care Act 4. Repeal Affordable Care Act that could very well decide this year's presidential election, 5. End wars and invest in US 5. Encourage privatization in we're no strangers to political inlrastructure higher education to lower costs ads. They're hoiking everywhere Wicks SHflBY SVtflNHSGIN Vicious political ads muddy campaigns AllsuWidnun Senior Reporter OHIO HOUSE STANDING UP FOR HIGHER EDUCATION "Kelly is the type of guy I want to represent me in Columbus. He gets the issues that students are dealing with and he sees a better way forward." -Michael Hart, BGSU Student "No student should have to start their professional life being a mountain of debt We need to address this problem now. It hurts our young adults, professionals and it hurts our economy." -Kelly Wicks, Democrat for Ohio House MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! VOTE WICKS NOV. 6 in mailboxes, on television, on radio stations, online and they're appearing at an unprecedented rate. Campaigns have spent more than $3 billion on television ads alone for the 2012 presidential, congressional and state government elections, according to reports from Moody's Investment Services. This is a record-breaking amount, up from $2.3 billion last year. As politicians continue to pump dollars into their ad campaigns, I can't help but wonder: Is this unmatched overkill really an effective strategy? Ponder that thought as I highlight a day in the life of a swing state voter like myself. I open my mailbox in the morning and a flood of flyers featuring President Barack Obama spews out, falling onto the concrete. I then head to class, where my professors supplement their lectures with YouTube videos. Before they can access said dips, however, our class is first greeted by Mitt Romney, whose spiel we must listen to for 30 seconds. As my frustration builds and I head back to my apartment, I turn on my television, where a flurry of ads addressing women's rights flutter onto the screen. One ad says, if elected, Romney would deny women cancer screenings and birth control by cutting funding to Planned Parenthood. Another ad calls Obama an extremist for leaving babies bom alive during abortions "out to die." Simply put, the advertising overkill is overwhelming 1 also believe it's ineffective. I don't know what to believe, what is factual and what is fake and I know I'm not alone. The constant messages are too much for us voters to ingest, so instead, we often tune them out Flyers go straight into the garbage. Online ads are muted. We change the channel, hang up the phone or do anything to escape. But oftea we can't. Political campaigns have even seeped into the entertainment industry, but, when linked with satire, they can actually be very rewarding. "The Campaign," a comedy film starring Will Fenell and An 11 Galifianakis released on DVD last week, perfectly parodies the harsh political scene currently consuming mainstream media In fact, it's the only Will Ferrell movie that has ever made me laugh uncontrollably, mainly because of its message. Even though it s obviously exaggerated, "The Campaign" effectively depicts the extreme measures politicians take to attack their opponents in their ads. Ferrell and Galifianakis essentially ruin each other's lives while vying for a Congressional seat. Their campaigns are tilled with vicious mud-slinging labels, including communist, terrorist, fake Christian, baby puncher, poor husband and inadequate sex partner, to name a few. It may sound silly, but think about it how far off is this scene from real-life politics? If I have to hear Romney say he's going to "stand up to China" one more time, referring to the country as a scary, exotic scapegoat I'm going to go crazy. His campaign has recently received flak for launching a misleading ad, aired initially in Toledo, that inaccurately stated Chrysler is moving )eep pro- duction to China because of the president's policies. On a less serious note, Obama's campaign recently launched a satirical ad starring Sesame Street's Big Bird, mocking Romney for saying he would cut public funding to the Public Broadcasting Service, even though he "likes Big Bird." I stumbled upon the ad last week and it took me a few minutes to determine if it was a legitimate ad or a spoof. Unfortunately, it's real. And because Sesame Street didn't grant the president permission to use its iconic yellow bird in the clip, it's safe to say the ad ruffled some feathers. Are silly, misleading ads like these really worth the millions of dollars politicians spend on them, when the money could be allocated elsewhere? Will a last-minute negative ad really deter a voter from a candidate they've been following for months? Will a lastminute positive ad suddenly recruit a swell of new supporters? We all know the answer No. Unfortunately, nothing is likely to change anytime soon. As long as "everybody's doing it," the practice will continue. Politicians will continue to slander, criticize and dehumanize their opponents in incessant, often ineffective dueling ads unless all politicians start a nationwide movement to stop doing so. I don't know what could prompt such a drastic change, but I'd support it. I'm sure many other people wouldn't mind a world without political ads. What I do know: I can't wait for Nov. 7, so I don't have to read them, watch them or listen to them anymore. Did you know that V.R Biden had 2 brain surgeries? * It you choose to vote, you owe it to others to learn the facts. See my facebook page 69 Interesting Facts You Were Not Told. COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE FMJMhWhbtMHAUrna^ UwNkbtMMN Mifcu** M«MM.»*.* (M*v 11H iuw i PAID FOR BY THOMAS TREVORROW. M.D. \'oi authorized by any candidate or any candidates committee, I-mail lc(69elcct(ii gmail.com L

8 FOCUS Monday.Nownib« Libertarians fight two-party system By Max Fllby Editor-in-Chief This Tuesday, a growing group of students, politicians and voters are planning on crashing the party but not the one you'd expect to crash near a college campus. The Libertarian Party of Wood County is the largest emerging third party in the area, with 220 registered members. Although the party's chances of obtaining major office seems like a political longshot, it isn't stopping Libertarians from trying to break down the Democratic and Republican parties. "I don't care which one I take more votes away from, the idea is to ruin the party, the two party system," said Gary lohnson, Libertarian candidate for president, during a campaign stop in Bowling Green on Friday. Johnson's stop was the result of the growing Libertarian support in Wood County, said Chance Stoodt, member and former president of Young Americans for Liberty, a Libertarian leaning student group. "The younger generation has a disenchantment of the two parties," Stoodt said about the growing support for Libertariansism. Along with Stoodt and other local Libertarians, Nathan Eberly, candidate for the Ohio House of Representatives also attended the event. Eberly is also chair of the Libertarian Party of Wood County. One reason Eberly said he is a supporter of Libertarian principles is because they come from a variety of political viewpoints. Some issues Libertarians tend to support include lowering taxes, a limited size of gov- ernment and the legalization of marijuana in the United States, according to the Libertarian Party of Ohio's website. "We're seen as Republicanlike in some ways, but we really come from all different ideologies," Eberly said. While Eberly realizes that it is still difficult for a Libertarian to get elected, he believes, because of the party's perspectives on issues, it will continue to grow. Eberly hopes that one day, the Libertarian party will be considered of equal size and weight in politics as both the Republican and Democratic parties. "We'll see some more people come our way," Eberly said. "Our party could end up replacing one of the others or even both." Although both Eberly and lohnson admit that they may not be elected because of their political affiliation, they both believe, by earning more votes, they may be able to drastically change the current party system. By gaining more votes, the Libertarian party could receive some federal funding and their presidential candidate could be eligible to compete in the presidential debates. In order to have competed in this year's presidential debates hosted by the Commission on Presidential Debates, Johnson would have needed to have earned 15 percent of the vote in previous polls, according to opendebate.org. Despite such barriers, neither Eberly or Johnson are letting the election or a vote go to waste. "Don't waste your vote on someone you don't believe in," Johnson said. "1 hope, come Tuesday, that I get credit for breaking up the party." 220 people are currently members of the Wood County Libertarian Party. The Libertarian Party is the third largest party in Wood County There are Libertarian candidates for Ohio House, U.S. House and the Presidential elections, among others Issue 2 seeks to reform Ohio district redrawing By Staphan R«d Forum Editor Issue 2 is an initiative to change the process of how the state of Ohio redraws voting district lines. If approved, Issue 2 will form a 12-member commission to redraw voting district lines following each U.S. census, which occurs every 10 years. The commission would consist of four Republicans, four Democrats and four Independent, non-bipartisan members. These members would be chosen by the Ohio Appellate judges. A "yes" vote would mean the voter supports the creation of the 12-member commission. Tax dollars would fund the commission and its members. It will cost between $11 million and $15 million throughout the next eight years, according to the Office of Budget and Management. "If you vote yes on issue 2, you tend to promote more independence of the people," said Russell Mills, an assistant professor of political science at the University. "What I mean by 'independence' is more bipartisanship and less bias." A "no" vote would mean the voter supports the current methods of district drawing. "If you vote no, you prefer to let the legislators to draw the lines," he said. "A 'no' vote puts more accountability on our elected officials." Currently, the elected state legislator draws the voting boundaries after each census. "The common conception today COLUMN From Page 3 Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Then, throw in another Obama stop to the University in September. Then one more still- -Gary Johnson, the Libertarian presidential candidate, spoke at Clazel last week and gave this college reporter a few minutes of his time, a look in the eye and a handshake fitting for a national campaign. All this and I think its safe to say few other moderately-sized towns in America have been so politically traveled this election. We hate it. 1 know we hate it. I hear the groans when another political ad hits the airwaves. I hear the complaints about the two-party system and how we, as a society, need to endorse other ideas. (Funny, there hasn't been a is that the legislator gets to pick their voters because they draw the boundaries," Mills said. "There's no rhyme or reason to how they draw them sometimes." The party that is in control after the census typically draws the voting districts in their favor, said Robin Deters, voter outreach specialist for Toledo Area Jobs with Justice. "Whatever party is in control draws the lines so that their party can continue to be in control," she said. "It is referred to Gerrymandering and Issue 2 aims to stop it." If Issue 2 passes, it will be a step in the direction on nonpartisan voting districts, Deters said. "The League of Women Voters spearheaded this campaign and they have worked on this for 40 years," Deters said. "In the decade the Democrats controlled, The League of Women Voters] fought against it. The party and the politicians pick who their voters are, not who us voters pick who our politicians are." Some groups in the state, such as Protect Your Vote, however, argue against the logistics of the policy. A problem with Issue 2 arises when the Ohio Appellate judges look to remove a member or change the policy, said David Langdon, Treasurer of Protect Your Vote. "This politically motivated amendment dangerously places a permanent, untested process into Ohio's Constitution," Langdon said in a statement regarding Issue 2. "It would be virtually impossible to "We're lucky to have democracy on our doorsteps..." non-democrat or Republican president in over 150 years and political ads continue to weigh heavily on peoples' voting decisions. Hypocrisy, thy name is politics.) But for better or for worse, we've been lucky. We're lucky to have democracy on our doorsteps, knocking with offers of lower taxes and higher taxes, Obamacare and no Obamacare, middle-out and top-down and everywhere in between. And while those millions of dollars in campaign ads force themselves into our collective consciousness, while multinational corporations seemingly buy our elections with donations Issue 2 What Vote to change the process of Ohio district redrawings YeK A "yes" 12-member commission of four Democrats, four Republicans and four Independents will draw voting districts after each census No: A "no" vote retains the current process where elected state legislators draw the districts FORGET TO VOTE ABSENTEE BACK HOME? FORGET TO CHANGE YOUR VOTER ADDRESS? You can still legally vote, as long as you are registered anywhere in the State of Ohio! repeal or change." The general cost of the committee is a concern as well. "It forces taxpayers to give nearly unlimited funding to an unelected and unaccountable commission," Langdon said. "Should the amendment pass, its constitutionality will be fought in the courts costing Ohio taxpayers millions of dollars." A big portion of the state funding for Issue 2, if it passes, would go towards litigation and implementation, Mills said. The general idea of Issue 2 is a positive one, but it leaves some uncertainty for the future, he added. "The real benefit will be in the first 10 years," Mills said. "But after that is what I'm wondering about. What's the 10 years after going to look like?" in the six- sometimes seven-figure range, it should be noted that we are still voting on real people and real issues. And this year, many of us got to see them up close and make decisions in front of our own eyes. This week, voters in Ohio, Delaware, Utah and Idaho will all cast their ballots. Voters in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Charleston, in Heyfork, California, in Wild Horse, Colorado, in Honolulu, Hawaii where Obama was born and Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where his contender Mitt Romney grew up, will all fill out the same ballot sheet. And all of us, of all parties and ideologies and faiths, will come together in a democratic process. A process which I, and surely many of you, feel grateful to have lived through, deep in the crosshairs. Meet.ipther 8G vets at our 3rd annual veteran's pre-game tent. Saturday, Nov. 17th 10am-Noon Falcon Tailgate Park Food and drinks for Veterans and their family members. GAME TIME: Noon CO-SPONSORED BY Nontraditional & Transfer Student Services and Division of Student Affairs * Find me polling location for your current BG residence by: Calling the Wood County Board of Elections: (419)354*120 i3n or t jmk' f - fife Visiting the Secretary fli&tate's Website: /Wvvw.sojHKoh.ufv,are open Tuesday Nov. 6th from 6:^^to 7:30pm Provisional Ballot [^ _^_ Elections December/May Graduates Schedule Your Senior Portrait Now! November 14,15 & 16 Schedule your appointment now at

9 8 Friday. November 5,2012 FOCUS COUNTY From Page 3 and then it's down to down to Independents in the suburbs." There may be some question about what the final results will be, but Matt Reger, chair of the Wood County Republican Party, believes presidential candidate Mitt Romney will win because of his message. "He has a message that resonates with Wood County," Reger said. "People in Wood County are concerned about the economy and the deficit and the fact that it's increased. People in Wood County believe government should be done within its means - that resonates." Mike Zickar, chair of the Wood County Democratic Party, believes Obama will win because voters trust him. "Wood County people "It's a microcosm of the United States because its split pretty evenly." Russell Mills Associate Professor realize that the rescue of the auto companies was personal in Wood County," Zickar said. "They realize the president made a tough call on something that really matters to all of us." No matter what the outcome of this election, Wood County's votes have predicted in the past several elections. Mills said he doesn't know why this is the case, but it could be due to the suburbs. "1 think it's because you have seen some suburban growth," he said. "It helped increase the number of Independents in the county." Registered Voters of Wood County 1996 Election 2000 Election 2004 Election 2008 Election VISITS From Page 3 ence instructor, said that politicians give Bowling Green attention because of the variety of constituents. Wood County includes student voters with the University, urban voters and various other demographics, he said. Evidence of the area's importance could be found in Santorum and Gingrich's decision to campaign at the Lincoln- Reagan Day Dinner in March of this year. With students out of town for spring break, the two candidates battled in Ohio for the Republican "Uncle Sam is a friendly old man, but he has a spine of steel." Ronald Reagon visit Party nomination for president. With the "Super Tuesday" primaries days away and nearly a dozen states set to vote, two of the final four Republicans in the race were both in Bowling Green to fight for local voters. "I'm not asking for your life, I'm not asking for your fortune," Santorum said in his speech. "I'm asking you most decidedly for your honor." Both candidates were eventually defeated by Mitt Romney, who hosted a town hall event at the Bowling Green Convention Center in July. Romney campaigned with Ohio Gov. John Kasich and several other local politicians. "It's time to have the principles you see here apply to Washington," Romney said. Of the five presidential candidates who visited Bowling Green or the University this year, three will be on the ballot this Tuesday. Whoever wins, locals can say they saw the next President of the United States. Past presidential visits Ronald Reagan Sep. 26,1984 at Anderson Arena Won re-election in 1984 George H.W. Bush Sep. 26,1992 at Reed St and FrazeeAve. Lost re-election in 1992 Bill Clinton Aug. 26,1996 at Wooster St Won re-election in 1996 Newt Gingrich Mar. 3,2012 at University Ballroom Lost Republican nomination bid Rick Santorum Mar. 3,2012 at University Ballroom Lost Republican nomination bid Mitt Romney July 18,2012 at BG Community Center Republican pres. nominee on Tuesday Barack Obama Sept 26,2012 at Stroh Center Democratic pres. nominee on Tuesday Gary Johnson Nov.2,2012atCla-Zel libertarian pres. nominee on Tuesday Listings Available On-Line louses & Apartments in Good Locations! Avaiiable for WE HAVE UNITS READY FOR IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY! 319 B. Wooster Street. Bowling Green. OH tocated Across From Taco Bell. RENTAL OFFICE (419) Hours- Monday to Friday - 8:30 to 5:30 Saturday - 8:30 to 5:00 KNOW HOW YOU'RE GOING TO VOTE? We want to know! Participate in our online poll and let us know if you're voting for Romney, Obama or a third party candidate. VOTE AT BGNEWS.COM L

10 SPORTS Monday. November m* RIGHT FRIDAY, WRONG SATURDAY Hockey splits series with Michigan State winning 1-0 Friday, losing 6-1 Saturday By Ryan Satkowiak Senior Reporter The BG hockey team's lack of consistency showed again this past weekend, with a pair of polar-opposite games against Michigan State. The Falcons won Friday's game 1-0 and dropped Saturday's game 6-1. Senior goalie Andrew Hammond made his return to game action Friday with a huge performance. He stopped all 29 shots the Spartans threw at him. He had missed the previous three games because of an elbow injury. "Michigan State tends to come at you in waves; you kind of try and hold your team in there," Hammond said. "I thought 1 did a pretty good job of that tonight. 1 was just trying to be patient and calm out there." Hammond was at his best in the third period, where the Spartans put 14 shots on him. "I thought he looked solid," said BG Coach Chris Men's basketball wins first exhibition Falcons defeat Central State Marauders Sunday By Alax Krampasky Reporter The BG men's basketball team soared past the Marauders of Central State with a victory in an exhibition game on Sunday. This was the first time in the season that the Falcons were able to show what kind of team they are. "We've been talking in practice about establishing ourselves," senior Jordan Crawford said. "We're going to make an impression and its either going to be a good one or a bad one. So we came out and made the best impression that we could." Central State has given Division 1 opponents trouble in exhibition games. This past season, Central State defeated Wright State in their preseason exhibition match. Then, the Marauders played at Wright State this past Friday and kept the game close; the score was tied at the end of the first half, until they gave up 51 points to the Raiders in the second half. "I give Central State credit," Head Coach Louis Orr said, "They are a talented, well-coached team and we knew that they weren't going to quit... We knew it was going to be a very competitive game." The first half was an offensive struggle for each team with BG leading The Falcons leaf/ ng scorers in the first half were ser ors A'uston Calhoun and Jordan Crawford, who had ten points a piece, which amounted to 20 of the Falcons' 29 points. On the defensive side of the ball, BG was dominant. The Falcons recorded 13 defensive rebounds and only allowed Central State to recover one offensive rebound in the entire first half. "We know defense wins championships and everybody knows that," Crawford said. "If we don't let the other team score when we're not scoring, so then we're not losing anything. So as long as we're getting stops, we'll find some way to get the ball in the hoop." After halftime, Crawford put the team on his back by stepping up his offensive game. He put up 20 points during the second half, making seven shots See HOOPS Page 10 (TYANBARWN ANTHONY GRANT, forward, controls the ball against Wnght State in a game this past Tuesday The Fakons fell to West Virginia Saturday. TMfKWWS Men's soccer falls, makes MAC Tournament Falcons qualify for post-season despite losing 1-0 to West Virginia Saturday By AUx Alax Krampatky Krampasky TI : I. Reporter The BG men's soccer team lost a disappointing match to the Mid- American Conference's newest member, West Virginia. 1-0 this past Saturday night. West Virginia moved from the Big East Conference after the rest of its sports were invited to join the Big 12 Conference this past October. BG and West Virginia battled the bitter cold in hopes of insuring their spot in the MAC tournament this upcoming weekend in Akron, Ohio. The score remained scoreless until West Virginia's Eric Schoenle scored his sixth goal of the season in the 83rd minute, putting the Mountaineers ahead 1-0, which ended up being the final score. BG finished the regular season with a record of 8-8-3, with a conference record of The Falcons tied Western Michigan for fourth place in the conference. Even though they ended the season tied in the standings and losing to West Virginia, BG landed the fourth and final tournament spot over Western Michigan. With the win, West Virginia finished their first MAC sea- son tied for second place with Northern Illinois, The Falcons will be playing the MAC regular season champions, the Akron Zips, (15-1-2) on Friday in the tournament semi-finals. The winner of Friday's game will play the winner of the West Virginia-Northern Illinois game for the tournament championship, which will earn the winner a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Falcons will be playing Akron on Friday at 7 p.m. in Akron, Ohio. If they defeat the Zips, the Falcons will be playing in the championship game on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. in Akron, Ohio.

11 1 10 Mooday. November SPORTS THE BG NEWS SUDOKU 7 8 4! t SUDOKU To play: Complete the grid so that every row, column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.There is no guessing or math involved. Just use logic to solve L I 6 E 8 9 s» z fill 9 8»» I S I 6 1 E» 6 S FjZTl, I Z » S 1 I 9 8 Z» S L E 6 Z S L 8» I I» 6j* Z E 9 S 6 9 I S V 8 Z L STEVE FRITSCH, prop, churns up the muddy held leaving the Miami defense behind to end Rugby's fall season this past weekend Rugby finishes fall season undefeated, wins MAC title By N icholu Vandarpool Reporter The BG rugby club ended its season on a strong note with a win against the Miami Red hawks this past weekend. (1M ' M The Falcons had already clinched the Mid-American Conference title after the win over Ohio last week, but the team stayed focused and stamped an exclamation mark on all of their hard work this fall. The weather was not cooperative throughout the game. It seemed to contribute to Miami's fortune on the offensive side of the ball. "The weather was a factor when it came to catching and holding onto the ball, but those were things both teams had to deal with," said lock Alex Garnaut. "As a ttanv wet caivk'.-out.and hit hard and just played our game that has worked for us the entire season and it paid off again." When BG needed to dig down and shrug off the mud, the forwards did just that and executed on key plays. The Redhawks ran a tight ball control offense and they were good at reeling off lengthy series of straight plays. The trouble was BG did an outstanding job of stuffing the Miami ball carriers, leaving them with a total net gain of just two yards. Individually, wing Nolan Cavano and flanker Justin Stevens had standout performances. They are arguably the two hardest workers on and off the field for the Falcons. Cavano is a deadly outside running threat, while Stevens has been the go-to guy in the lineup with Ed Luther recovering from knee surgery. The victory continues BG's dominance of Miami. The last time the Redhawks PHOIO PROVIDED were victorious in the rivalry was 14 years ago. The win tops the milestone of the team's 31st straight MAC championship. BG is now tied with consecutive college championships with Kenyon College, who sported 31 straight Dili swimming titles that ended in The Falcons end with a perfect league season. They will now start making preparations for their 9th appearance in the past 13 years in the National Collegiate Rugby Championship next spring. BG is bidding to host the event in late April. member Special UPTO$600FF KMT PER MONTH, Delusions of a college student UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT [ike taking fepwers in iee deep J» Drains clogged? Let us fix it, fast. > 24 Hour Maitenance > FREE High Speed Internet > FREE Basic Cable > FREE WaterS Trash > FREE Resident Shuttle > Air Conditioning > 24 Hr Maintenance > 2 Laundromats > Swimming Pool > 1 & 2 Bedroom Apts Student Culinary Class SxishilED Learn To Roll Your Own Sushi November 14th from 5:00 p m. 6:30 p tn Ihis month nun t The Oaks Dining Centet to toll youi.'.n \. in Irom I neciitive CM Pal H I itl i it 1 i Hie Student I.!( ', etsl h> onsti Inn El, PATRON JORDAN CRAWFORD, holds off a Toledo opponent in a game this past year. HOOPS From Page 9 and three free throws. Crawford totaled 30 points in the exhibition game, which would have been a career high if it were a regular season game. "Our seniors stepped up," Orr said. "I thought [Crawford] was terrific scoring the ball. As a point guard on this team, he has to score and run the team because he can." In the second half, Calhoun went flat in offensive production with only nine points, but totaled 14 of the team's 41 rebounds during the game. "Calhoun wasn't his usual, efficient self offensively," Orr said. "But he had 14 rebounds, 19 points and he got tough FILE PHOTO rebounds in traffic. He played big for us." Junior forward Craig Sealey also posted 11 rebounds during the game, including seven on the offensive side of the ball. The team began to mesh on the defensive side of the ball during the game. The Falcons recorded 15 steals, led by senior Luke Kraus who had five and forced Central State to give up 24 turnovers. "I thought on the defensive end, IKraus) gave us some good minutes," Orr said. "He didn't score a point, but he had five steals." The Falcons will be kicking off the regular season when the Lake Erie Storm comes to the Stroh Center in the home-opener on Friday. The game is slated for a 7 p.m. start time. # Non-smoking Buildings Available»1 +2 BR Apartments Available» Semester Leases»» Minutes from BGSU Pet Friendly Community Utilities Included» Resonabry Priced CALL FOR SPECIALSI Located at: ^^a^ 300 Napoleon Road f^> In Bowling Ore«n l"l 4.

12 SPORTS Monday, November PAIGE PENROD, jumps up lo spike the ball over the net against Buffalo Friday night. The Falcons defeated the Bulls in live sets MIKE MED I THE EG NEWS Volleyball takes back MAC lead By Max Householder Reporter BG reclaims a share of the MAC lead with a stellar performance against Akron Saturday night. After barely escaping with a win the night before against Buffalo, BG was able to beat Akron in 4 sets: 25-23, 25-20, 25-27, The win against Akron, plus Central Michigan's five set victory against Ohio is what gave BG back a share of the conference lead with two games lej^g,- In the match against Akron, BG used a.452 hitting percentage in the first two sets to jump out to an early lead before the intermission. BG was led in scoring by their three junior outside hitters in Danielle Tonyan, Paige Penrod and Lindsay Butterfield. Of those three, Tonyan led the way with 18 kills, followed by Butterfield with 10 and Penrod, who had 10 kills and five service aces. The only blemish on the night wajg^fngf the breax in th*" third set, where the Falcons fought off three set points, but still managed to lose after opening up with a lead. Yet, the Falcons came back with a vengeance in the fourth, scoring the first seven points and using two kills by Penrod to put an exclamation point on the match. After the match, the BG volleyball team honored its four seniors: Cassie Berning, Lauren Mizgalski, Kari Galen and Leah Shaw, During the ceremony, left-side hitter Cassie Berning was proposed to and accepted the marriage proposal. With the win, BG stopped a five game winning streak held by Akron and improved themselves to 12-2 in conference. BG will close out the regular season next weekend as they travel to Miami OH on Thursday night and Northern Illinois on Saturday. BG defeated Miami in three sets back on October 4th at the Stroh Center. The Falcons have yet to play Northern Illinois. HOCKEY From Page 9 Bergeron. "I thought he looked on top of it. He looked in control for the most part and that's Andrew when he's at his best." The Falcons were strong in the first period, outshooting Michigan State 9-5, along with getting the game's only goal. Connor Kucera put BG on the board late in the period, blasting a one-timer feed from Adam Berkle past Michigan State goalie lake Hildebrand. "It was kind of a broken play," Kucera said. "Berkle got the puck and came to the point and I just kind of moved across the middle and got a lane. Took a one-time shot and put it on net and it just happened to go in." Everything that went right for BG in Friday's game seemed to go wrong in Saturday's, as the Falcons fell behind early and were never able to catch up. The Spartans demonstrated fantastic execution on the power play, scoring four times in seven opportunities with the man advantage. Michigan State's first three goals of the game came on the power play. "The first two we had the puck go under one of our guy's sticks to one of their guys on the back door, so that was [lack of execution," Bergeron said. "Then the fiveon-three goal, that's on Hammond. That's just a bad goal. And then the momentum and the game is out of hand. It was lack of execution, I'd say." BG had a few scoring chances early, but only put four shots on Michigan State goalie Will Yanakeff in the first period. Hammond stopped 12 of 16 shots and was pulled in favor of Tommy Burke mid-way though the second period. Burke stopped five of seven shots. Cam Wojtala scored BG's goal late in the third period. The Falcons' power play once again was held without a goal and went 0-for-8 on the weekend. BG only had two shots on three power play opportunities Saturday. "It was pretty embarrassing," Wojtala said of the game. "Our effort, our execution from start to finish. We didn't really get anything going. Obviously, it showed throughout the game." BG will be back in action this weekend, taking on Western Michigan in a home-and-home series. Friday's game will be played in Kalamazoo, with Saturday's taking place at the BGSU Ice Arena. Volleyball MAC Standi igs BG 12-2 W.MICHIGAN 11-3 OHIO 12-2 N. ILLINOIS E. MICHIGAN 7-7 MIAMI 4-10 C. MICHIGAN 7-7 BUFFALO 3-11 BALL STATE 6-8 KENT STATE 3-11 TOLEDO 2-12 FALCONS! f VOTE EARLY UNTIL NOVEMBER 5 OR VOTE AT THE POLLS ON NOVEMBER Students in Ohio have a chance to make decisions on important issues facing country. Here is what you need to know to vote this year: 0Check Your Voter Registration: Make sure you know if you are registered at your school address or your parents' house. Check your voter registration status at 0Make a plan: If you are registered at your school address, you can vote early or on Election Day if you will be in town. If you are registered to vote at your parents' address, make sure you have enough time to apply, receive and mail back your absentee ballot if you are unable to travel to vote early in-person on Election Day. Ask one or more friends to come with you to vote! 0What ID you need to vote: When voting early in-person you only need to provide an Ohio driver's license or ID card number or the last four digits of your social security number. On Election Day, you must show ^an ID to vote. A list of acceptable IDs can be found under "Frequently Asks Questions" at 0 Early Voting: All Ohio voters can vote early. Ohio has early voting until November 5,2012. If you are registered in Wood County, you can vote early at the Wood County Board of Elections office at 1 Courthouse Square, Bowling Green, OH. Early voting hours are 8AM to 7PM on October 29-November 1,8AM to 6PM on November 2,8AM to 2PM on November 3,1PM to 5PM on November 4, and 8AM to 2PM on November 5. 0 Voting by Absentee Ballot: Ohio allows any registered voter to vote by mail without an excuse. If you plan on voting by absentee ballot, it should be requested ASAP! Absentee ballots must be requested by noon on November 3. An absentee ballot application is available at To be counted, absentee ballots must be postmarked by November 5 and received within 10 days after Election Day. VOTE! POLLS ARE OPEN FROM 6:30AM TO 7:30PM ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6!!! Find your polling location at For questions or more information, call OUR-VOTE or visit 8660URVOTE.org. *

13 ' ' 12 Mogjay. NovCTiber FORUM WWWBGNEWS.COM SCHURRER From Page 4 The question remains: Why does it take a disaster, natural or man-made, to force us to refocus on what's really important? Perhaps there's too much noise, too much shrillness in our society. We keep dialing up the intensity of our lives, our ipods, our music, our political discourse and fail to notice the needs around us. This is why there's so much disgust over the recent political election cycle. We sense that we're in a mess, but all "they" seem to do is talk and barrage us with campaign literature, ads and phone calls at dinner time. The nation is being assaulted by excessive overload. Too many messages, too much noise, too much frenetic activity. As the SHUPE From Page 4 Examining Romney's views on social policy, including the rights of women, gays and immigrants, the newspaper states, " we yearn] for the more tolerant conservatism...where 'small government' (means] keeping the state out of people's bedrooms as well as out of their businesses." Returning to the aspect of business, The Economist explains,"... Mr. Romney has an economic plan that works only if you don't believe most of what he says. That is not a convincing pitch for a chief executive" and offer their endorsement to Obama who has,"... dragged America's economy back from the brink of disaster and has made a decent fist of foreign policy." With effort not to politicize a national tragedy, Obama's handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy has been phenomenal, leading one of his most outspoken critics to alter his opinion of the president after witnessing his leadership capabilities firsthand. Republican Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, who once TUESDAY Babyback Ribs *ii" level increases, it takes an increasingly larger catastrophe to break through the cacophony and remind us just who we are and what we should be about. So maybe it's time to dial it down a bit. This week marks the end of a long grueling political campaign season. Perhaps the politicians will realize that Americans are fatigued. We need some respite. There will be other disasters in our future, both personal and national. Let's hope we've recovered enough from our fatigue to be of service to others. Let's hope that we can more easily discern the call for help because the noise and distraction level in our lives will have diminished. Respond to Phil at thenews@bgnews.com described the president as being unable to find the metaphorical light-switch of leadership in a dark room, now personally thanks him for his attention to New Jersey and states, "...the cooperation from the president of the United States has been outstanding...land] the president has been all over this and deserves great credit" All the while Romney was at a pretty political 'non-political' fundraiser for hurricane relief in the unaffected swingstate of Ohio. Even if the most common conservative case for the reelection of Obama is that he's not Romney, that still speaks to the negativity of the Republican's campaign. A Romney presidency would provide access for the extreme elements of the GOR who seek to regulate the private lives of American citizens through the White House and Supreme Court. For moderate Conservatives who espouse small government keeping these fringe elements out of legislative, judicial and executive power should be a top priority. Whether you view Obama as the best choice or the lesser of two evils, he remains the logical candidate on economic and social policy and the most likely to unite our divided nation. Respond to Kyle at thenews@bgnews.com Check Out Exclusive Web Content at bgnews. com lassified Ads Tha BG New* wili not knowingly accept.iilvritiynii-nl* that discriminate, or encourage discrimination against any individual or group on the basis of race, sex. color, creed, religion, national oil gin, sexual orientation, disability, status as a veteran, or on the basis ol any other legally protected status. "Hie H(i New* reserve* the right to decline, discontinue or revise any advertisement such as those found to be defamatory, lacking in factual basis, misleading or false in nature. 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15 Contents: Letter from the Editor / 02 Campus Views / 03 Organization Profiles / 04 Speech & the Spectacle / 06 That is My President / 07 Religion & Voting / 06 Who Represents Women? / 09 Educate Yourself & Vote / 10 The Common Good /11 Obama's Presidency Affects Editor / Election Opinions / 13 Faculty Column by Dr. Jones / 14 Song of the Month / 15 Poetry "Injustice" / 15 Style in BG /16 Staff ftaaaaaa TAYLOR-CHERIE ERVIN AHIRAH ADAMS staff writer DEBORAH CHESTER fashion columnist IAN ROBINSON staff writer KAILS IOHNSON staff writer NAKIA BARHAMS poetry I0RREIN IEFFERSON staff writer staff writer HOI PICTURED ME KING photographer TIFFANY SMITH photographer JASMINE JENNINGS staff writer IARRHETTE BURKE designer LIZ SIMMONS copy editor STEPHANIE LONGMIRE start writer from th My name is Simone Marlene Jackson and I am honored to be the editor-in-chief of the Obsidian this school year. I am a senior majoring in Public Relations. The Obsidian has been a multicultural publication on Bowling Green's campus since the 1970's. Historically, the publication was a platform for African American students to express themselves. My vision is for the Obsidian to be a multicultural publication that places high emphasis on the voices of BGSU students. We all have thoughts and experiences that should be shared in order to educate others. I believe that too often and especially as college students, we find where we "fit" and we do not get to know people different from ourselves. To me, college is about exposing yourself to everything you possibly can. I want this publication to help students to grow as individuals and to become more respectful of people of different cultures, beliefs and lifestyles. The Obsidian is a publication for all students, no matter you race, color, gender or sexual orientation. I encourage all students to get involved with this publication. Your voice is needed in order to establish a more unified and inclusive campus. In this issue are various articles concerning the election and student reactions to Obama's visit to BGSU this semester. Also inside are profiles of various campus organizations, interviews with executive board members and ways for you to get involved. I hope you find this issue to be informative and that it inspires you to become a voice on this campus. Happy Reading! If you would like to join our staff, comment on the publication, or suggest stony ideas send us an obsidiannewsl2@gmail.com [THE OBSIDIAN / BECAUSE DIVERSITY MATTERS / 02 ]

16 BY: KIESHAWN WHALEY AND SIMONE JACKSON Campus View You Said It What changes would you like to see made from winner of the Presidential election? ARIEL HUDGIES Junior Communications cc I would like education tuition to either decrease or stay constant, rather than increase annually. 1 would like for the new politician to create more jobs, decrease unemployment rates and to invest more money into wind or different forms of energy. 99 MEGAN OCHOA Junior Early Childhood Education tt From this election, I would like to see the middle class thrive and not have to dish out less money towards Medicaid and Welfare. I wish our future president would regulate all government spending. This would be good way to create jobs and monitor where middle class money is being spent. 99 BRIDGET FAWCETT Junior Middle Childhood Education More emphasis on civil and gay rights and working toward an equal playing field for everyone KIERA MOORE Senior Human Development and Family Studies U Continue placing value on education, the war on terror and turning the economy around. Students attend Obama's visit to BGSU MICHAEL HART Sophomore Political Science tt Education. Obama has done a lot of great thing, but his second term will be prime dm,, Interested in advertising with us? Simone Jackson / obsidiannewsl2@gmail.com for more information [THE OBSIDIAN / BECAUSE DIVERSITY MATTERS / 03]

17 Student Org Profiles KAILA JOHNSON staff writer Black Student Union The Black Student Union is one of the oldest and largest black organizations at the University. Their mission is to encourage unity, scholarship, leadership, culture and political awareness by addressing issues and ensuring the best interest of the Africana community. I-ast fall, the organization addressed one issue in the community by holding a service and a march for the death of Trayvon Martin. BSU offers scholarships and is currently offering the lackson- Tolliver Scholarship, which is $500, to students. The easiest way to get involved with BSU is by attending the general body meetings, which are every first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. in the Union room 306. Stay updated on BSU events by following BSU on on Instagram at BSU_BGSU and on Facebook at Black Student Union. One-On-One with President Tiffany Smith Where are you from? Dayton, Ohio. Why did you get involved with BSU? Why did you decide to join the executive board? 1 decided to become a part of the Black Student Union executive board because I wanted to get more involved. First, I was a part of the black history month committee. After seeing the inner workings of the organization I knew I needed to be a part of it. The following year I became the public relations chair and was officially on the executive board. After hard work and time invested into the organization, I am now the president. I continue my involvement with the organization because 1 love serving the Africana community and seeing it thrive. 1 love being president of this organization beacause i am able to help others become leaders and watch them grow. I believe true leadership is not about the glory and praise you receive, but your ability to motivate others and help them become leaders in their own right. 1 thank BSU for teaching me a higher level of leadership and allowing me to help others do the same. World Student Association The World Student Association's mission is to promote intercultural understanding and friendship among students from all over the world through cultural, educational and social activities. Some of the things members are doing to meet this goal is recruiting more members, increasing international student voices on campus, hosting an international dinner and having more cultural groups participate in the second annual International Education Week. Get involved by attending general body meetings every other week in Olscamp 277 at 6:30 p.m. To find out more about WSA, visit their page on Facebook at BGSU World Student Association, find them on OrgSync or the president at gcuilin@falcon. bgsu.edu. One-On-One with President Cuilin Ge Where are you from? China, Zhejiang province. Why did you get involved with WSA? Why did you decide to join the executive board? I wanted to make more friends on campus, practice my English skills and learn more about American culture. I joined the executive board because 1 wanted all international students to get help from others on campus and to share cultural differences with American students. At the same time, 1 think being on the WSA executive board has improved my communication skills and has taught me to be a good team worker, listener and leader. Black Intellects Group The Black intellects Group started in 2001 by former University President Sidney A. Ribcau. Originally, the organization was created to help increase retention in the multicultural community. Over the years the organization has evolved and has begun to focus on discussion based meetings to spark intellectual thought in the minds of multicultural students here on campus. The discussions range from everyday problems that students of color face to current events. Some of the major events that have developed since 2001 are Phenomenal Woman and Cold Cutz. Phenomenal Woman spotlights women on campus who are making a difference. Cold Cutz is where barbers and beauticians from Toledo come to BG and provide their services for free. Students who are interested in becoming a member of BIG, can contact any of the executive board members by joining the organization's OrgSync page. Meeting times vary. One-On-One with the President LaDarrius Steele Where are you from? Cleveland, Ohio Why did you get Involved with BIG? Why did you decide to Join the executive board? I got involved with the organization during my freshman year after seeing the president speak at a first year success series panel. Former BGSU President Sidney A. Ribeau promoted the organization and what it was about. He recommended that I join the board after hearing many ideas that I had pitched to him. [04 / BECAUSE DIVERSITY MATTERS / THE OBSIDIAN] CONTINUED

18 BGSU Gospel Choir The BGSU Gospel Choir is known for bringing life to the University's campus. The choir travels to various cities and colleges to sing and minister gospel music. This year, the organization's goal is to create more connections with University students. One way they plan to do this is through their annual Gospel Fest. Gospel Fest is a weekend full of events, including a concert that features choirs from around the country. The event is scheduled to happen in lanuary. If you are interested in becoming a member, attend weekly rehearsals on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. in the Business Administration Building. One-On-One with President Rebecca Shakespeare Where are you from? Cincinnati, Ohio Why did you get involved with Gospel Choir? Why did you decide to join the executive board? I got involved with Gospel Choir because when I was in high school I attended one of the choir's Gospel Fests. I enjoyed the choir and got a chance to check out the campus while I was in the city. I decided to join the executive board because I wanted become more involved in keeping the choir going while a student at BGSU. H.U.E H.U.E., which stands for Honoring, Urging and Empowering, is an organization for students of color who self identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual or Transgender. The organization's goal is to create an environment that is a safe space to discuss the issues that affect the LBGT community. H.U.E. is not only for LGBT and multicultural students. The organization also serves as a place where the heterosexual community can become more knowledgeable of the LGBT community. Students and faculty can get involved by attending the general body meetings every first Monday of the month at 8 p.m. in the LGBT Resource Center. For updates on upcoming events, follow H.U.E. on Twitter OH.U.E.atBGSU and contact H.U.E.'s president LaShaunda Brown at brownlm@falcon.bgsu.edu. One-On-One with President LaShaunda Brown Where are you from? Detroit, MI Why did you get Involved with H.U.E.? Why did you decide to join the executive board? I chose to be involved with H.U.E. because it catered to students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. My intersection between being queer and being African- American is very important to me. When I first started attending H.U.E. meetings and events, I was not yet a student of BGSU. My last institution did not have a particular space for queer people of color. I knew H.U.E. was an organization that plenty of queer students do not have the pleasure of having at other institutions. H.U.E. created a family for me and was a place where I could be comfortable with who 1 am. I understood that the executive board was a good way for me to have a hands-on chance at sustaining H.U.E. and making it visible to the BGSU community. 1 joined the executive board to make sure that other students can have this same community. I hope that others will learn as much as I did about myself from H.U.E. and love it as much as I do. Bowling Green Association of Black Journalists Bowling Green Association of Black (ournalists is the University chapter of the National Association of Black lournalists (NABJ).The organization serves as a network for aspiring and professional journalists of color. Every year the national organization hosts a national convention, multiple workshops, conference programs and professional development classes. NABI has a number of local and college chapters all over the United States. Some goals for BGABJ for this year are to get at least 10 active members to go to the National Convention in Orlando, Fla., to increase the number of active members, to collaborate with other BGSU organizations and to help their members receive an internship for summer Students and faculty can get involved with BGAB1 by coming to the meetings and events, as well as paying their national and chapter dues. Currently, the meetings are held every first Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. in Olscamp 106. For more information, contact the president Dominique Hicks at dlhicks@falcon.bgsu.edu. One-On-One with President Dominique Hicks Where are you from? Detroit, MI Why did you get involved with BGABI/ NAB)? Why did you decide to join the executive board? I got involved with BGABJ through a student that was in my major during my freshman year. She invited me to one of the meetings, and at that time, the organization was not really doing well. I knew at that point that I had to step my game up and do my part to help this organization thrive. I knew that eventually my time would come eventually to lead BGAB) and fortunately my time came sooner than I thought. I decided to join the executive board because people were not really stepping up. I knew 1 had to take a leadership role if I wanted our organization to still be in existence. I started off as secretary, and I quickly became the president. [BECAUSE DIVERSITY MATTERS / THE OBSIDIAN /05 ]

19 THE SPEECH and the Spectacle Student Reaction to Obama atbgsu IAN ROBINSON staft writer U. nlike most of the people who packed out the Slroh Center on Sept. 26 to hear President Obama speak, I was not impressed. I was not captivated. I was not enthralled, not because the President's speech was not good, but because I have been spoiled over the last four years of his term. Both President Obama and Vice President Biden are top notch orators, so a solid speech is to be expected. As always, President Obama delivered. His jokes about the NFL's replacement referees made us laugh, while simultaneously proving he is not out of touch with everyday Americans. He outlined more of his plans and policies. I Ie highlighted his accomplishments and his strong track record overseas. He attacked Mitt Romney's proposed tax break for the rich. He also mentioned Romney's comments concerning the 47 percent of Americans who are on welfare. President Obama's speech did what it was supposed to do: energize his supporters and persuade independent or undecided voters to vote for him. I was not thrilled by the president's speech, but I was in awe of the spectacle he brought with him. Every inch of the Stroh Center and the surrounding area was secured. Numerous security teams were encamped in strategic positions. The sheriffs, police department, secret service and even the bomb squad were in full force. Those were just the security teams and agencies that the general public could see and recognize. I am sure there was more security in the unmarked vans and cars. As we waited in the obnoxiously long, but totally necessary line to enter the Stroh Center, we were constantly baited to buy things from various merchants. The vendors were peddling everything from buttons with various slogans to Obama t shirts, book bags, posters and hats. Other salesmen and women sold refreshments. There were protestors with various obscure political affiliations. Some volunteers dedicated themselves to the valiant task of making sure that every patron they spoke to was registered to vote. Others got their hands dirty picking up the dropped water bottles and other trash. The ones who weren't getting people to sign up to vote or picking up garbage were doing their best to keep energy levels high. Seeing the president speak in person was a unique and exciting experience, but the experience President Barack Obama brought with him was even better. I had never seen so many people in one place, let alone supporting one man. The energy in and around the Stroh Center, almost tangible, was unlike anything I have ever seen and I will not forget It. Though I was not captivated, I was motivated not to "boo" Mitt Romney, but to vote for President Obama. 4f> cc President Obama's speech did what it was supposed to do: energize his supporters and persuade independent or undecided voters to vote for him." [6 / BECAUSE DIVERSITY MATTERS / THE OBSIDIAN]

20 THAT IS MY President Student reflects on President Obama's visit to BGSU TAYIOR-CHERIE ERVIN stall writer A blthough I had walked into the Stroh Center many times before, stepping in on Sept. 26 felt different. Crowds of excited student supporters waved light blue FORWARD signs. Eager reporters quickly set up their cameras and laptops and aggressively found spots on the platform to get the perfect angle. I tried my best to take it all in as I gripped my notebook and pen. So much was happening at once. Not only would I be in the presence of our president for the first time, but I was also reporting the event. I glanced at the press badge hanging from my jacket for the twentieth time and wondered how he would look in person. Tall or short? Lighter or darker? Older? What If I got a chance to shake his hand? What If I was able to ask him a question? These questions triggered butterflies In my stomach. I had never seen the Stroh Center so packed. Though the turn-out surprised me, 1 could not imagine why any Bowling Green student would not be there. Obama would touch on issues, such as education and funding for college students. 1 was most eager to hear his responses because those issues affect me direcdy. I floated back and forth speaking to the students about this experience. Most said they were excited and eager to hear the president's thoughts on education, health care, immigration and other issues. I managed to interview a girl who had just met the president. She had tears in her eyes, a wide smile on her face and seemed to be in a daze, when I asked her how she felt. "1 feel Uke I just met Jesus!" she said to me. The crowd spontaneously burst into chanting "four more years" as the lights dimmed and the event began. There were a couple speakers before the President, two of them were University students I watched them with envy and pride. After his name was introduced, reporters scrambled to focus their cameras and audience members screamed at the top of their lungs. The beat of my heart quickened as I readied the camera on my IPod. I could not believe this was happening. "Ladies and gendemen, the president of the United States," said the announcer. President Obama jogged out lightly touching the hands of the audience members in his path and waving at the others with a humble smile. "That is my president right there standing a couple yards away. That is MY president," I thought proudly and prepared to listen to his speech. &> tt That is my president right there standing a couple yards away. That is MY president," I thought proudly and prepared to listen to his speech." [THE OBSIDIAN / BECAUSE DIVERSITY MATTERS / 07]

21 Religion and Voting African American Pastors Tell Congregations Not to Vote in This Years'Election because of religious beliefs TORREIN JEFFERSON staff writer Throughout election season, President Barack Obama has faced a lot in order to increase his chances of winning a second term. The president will also face those within the African- American community not providing him with their vote because of their religious beliefs. The article, "Black Pastors Say Stay Home Election Day" by the Associated Press has led some to wonder why African- American pastors, who are viewed as leaders in their communities, tell their congregations not to exercise their right to vote. Their position is that President Obama supports gay marriage and his opponent, Mitt Romney, is of the Mormon faith. Both of these factors go against the pastors beliefs and values. The article said that many of the members within the churches have voiced concern about how to vote. "The pastors say their congregants are asking how a true Christian could back same-sex marriage, as President Barack Obama did in May. As for Republican Mitt Romney, the first Mormon nominee from a major party, congregants are questioning the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its former ban on men of African descent in the priesthood," said the article. Rev. A.R. Bernard, who is the founder of African-American Christian Cultural Center in New York City, said, "When President Obama made the public statement on gay marriage, I think it put a question in our minds as to what direction he's taking the nation." Many within the religious sector of the African-American community feel that President Obama is attempting to impose views on those within the country who are against same-sex marriage and who believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Some BGSU students are against what these pastors are leading their congregations to do. "I feel that they are being hypocritical because although being gay isn't in the Bible, it does state that God says we shouldn't judge. That's exacdy what they're doing," senior Ciena Kelly said. Terrell Johnson, an admissions counselor at the University, spoke on the topic of judgment as well. "It's not essentially fair. Everyone sins differently, and being judged by your pastor should not be an option," Johnson said. Both Johnson and Kelly said that they would be offended if there were members of any of these congregations represented in the article. "I would be offended whether my sexuality was known or not. You just have to watch what you say," said Johnson. Kelly takes on a different approach. "There are other issues to be focused on, but we focus on same-sex marriage and gay rights because it's easier. Black people didn't always have the right to vote, and now that we have our first black president who happens to support gay marriage, they don't want us to exercise that privilege,''kelly said. > " Black people didn't always have the right to vote, and now that we have our first black president who happens to support gay marriage, they don't want us to exercise that privilege," Kelly said. [8 / BECAUSE DIVERSITY MATTERS / THE OBSIDIAN]

22 Which Canidate is Representing Women? A Comparison ofobama's and Romney's plan on Women's Rights JASMINE JENNINGS staff writer Planned Parenthood. Contraception. Religion. Abortion. Sex. Rape. These six characteristics represent a clash of ideals for and against women's rights. More specifically, such characteristics are the central debate for defining what women's health is and how the federal government should function accordingly. This debate focuses on three concepts: religion, the Constitution and societal norms. These concepts open up discussions on how women should make decisions concerning their bodies, but a large part of the public discourse argues for the rights of the decision maker. Is the decision maker the individual woman who is the sole benefactor of her own body or is it a politician who may represents an alternative viewpoint? Which candidate is the representation of the American people? At the forefront of the presidential race is women's issues, LGBTQ rights and the fight for the middle class. American voters must elect a candidate who will speak for all people. In retrospect, which candidate represents the female population? Who understands the difficulties of making decisions for the female body and how will a specific candidate deny or enhance opportunities for women's health? Here's an idea of where women's issues stand in the eyes of both candidates. > Barack Obama: Obamacare and Contraception The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, removes co-payments, co-insurance and deducubles for select health care insurance benefits because they are considered to be part of an essential benefits package for Level A or Level B preventive care. Level A or Level B preventive care includes contraceptives, meaning that some insurance companies must pay for individuals to receive birth control. Benefits of Obama's Plan: All women will have access to preventative care, which could result in a lower rate of teenage pregnancy. Obama's plan removes out-of-pocket costs and allows women to seek the birth control method that best fits their needs. Cons ofobama's Plan: This plan imposes on the First Amendment for corporations, businesses and organizations that uphold religious sanctity. The plan would make it more expensive for businesses to pay for insurance premiums, which could eliminate companies from offering company paid insurance plans. > Mitt Romney: Budget Cuts and Planned Parenthood According to Governor Romney's website, Romney wants to bring federal spending below 20 percent of GDP, which will require cuts of approximately $500 billion per year. This plan will include repealing Obamacare and diminishing Title X Family Planning Funding (Planned Parenthood), which subsidizes family planning programs that benefit abortion groups. Benefits of Governor Romney's Plan: The plan will significantly decrease the government's budget by $300 million from Title X funding and $95 billion from Obamacare. It will not force institutions both religious and secular to pay for preventative care. Romney's plan will not impose on anyone's constitutional rights. Cons of Governor Romney's Plan: This plan would limit women's choices in health care if employment institutions provided specific health care plans. The plan would also limit the number of inexpensive institutions that provide safe abortions. Who best represents women? Jt» " This debate focuses on three concepts: religion, the Constitution and societal norms. " [THE OBSIDIAN / BECAUSE DIVERSITY MATTERS / 09]

23 Educate Yourself and Vote BGSU Students are Educated on Voting Issues at multicultural sponsored event UYLOR-CHERIE ERVIN staff writer Students gathered in mid-october to attend Educate Yourself & Vote an event sponsored by several multicultural organizations on campus. The bi-partisan event informed Bowling Green students about the up-incoming election, its presidential candidates and the issues facing the country. Organizations involved with the construction of the event were the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Latino Student Union, NAACP, Black Student Union, Black Intellects Group, National Council of Negro Women and Bowling Green Association of Black Journalists. The event emphasized the importance of voting and was an opportunity for students to listen to others opinions as well as voice their own. Kaila Johnson, BGAB] & NPHC member, and Tiffany Smith, president of BSU were the event's main speakers "It is important to have this conversation with one another. We all have knowledge that we can share and this event is about bringing that knowledge together," said Smith. The event began with a list of issues that students felt were most important. Education and the economy were the most popular among the crowd, but students also talked about social security, immigration and gay marriage. During Educate Yourself and Vote, clips of this election's first presidential debate were viewed. After watching the clip, students responded to the speeches of each candidate and discussed how the plans of each candidate would affect them personally. Numerous students voiced their opinions and provided the audience with intuitive feedback and opinions. The speakers encouraged students to tweet about their thoughts using hashtag #bgvote. At the end of the event, Rachel Bowman, a guest speaker from the Obama campaign, talked to the audience. Bowman, talked about some important issues that weren't addressed during the discussions, such as w omens issues, cutting interests rates, and public education loans. Towards the end of Bowman's speech, she encouraged students to vote early and explained the importance of the Ohio vote in the election. The coordinators for Educate Yourself and Vote said that the event was nonbiased and was intended to represent the viewpoints of both parties. A representative from the Romney campaign was invited to speak, but did not show. $» " We all have knowledge that we can share and this event is about bringing that knowledge together," said Smith. [lo / BECAUSE DIVERSITY MATTERS / THE OBSIDIAN]

24 Common G House welcomes all and is an environment where students are free to express themselves. STEPHANIE LONGMIRE staff writer TThe Common Good is a house that never locks its doors. located on Grim Street and within walking distance of campus, the Common Good house welcomes anyone who enters. According to the organization's website, students and community members meet at the Common Good house to learn how to live well as Individuals, within a community and as citizens of the nation and the world. The Common Good house opened in 2010, but the program has been serving Bowling Green since 1946, according to the website. The Common Good is a United Christian Fellowship program and the house is a student center for spirituality and community activism. "College Is full of pressures to constantly progress, grow and change," said Michael Richtera, a BGSU student who frequents The Common Good. Higher education is all about performance, which can make it difficult for students to be comfortable being themselves. The Common Good is a place where you do not have to worry about changing for anyone and provides students with an escape, Kichtera said. The Common Good offers various activities and social events throughout the week: Every Sunday and Monday: Free yoga classes are offered. Yoga is a type of relaxing meditation for the body through poses. Yoga centers the body and improves sleep, posture, joints and the overall feeling of the body. Every Tuesday and Friday: The Mindfulness Club meets at the Common Good. Buddhist style meditation and talking circlesareamainpartofthe meetings. The Common Good offers a free community dinner every Monday and Thursday night. All meals arc vegetarian. Every Saturday morning, a free breakfast is served. For more information, check out the Common Good website www. thecommongoodbg.moonfruit.com and like The Common Good on Facebook The Common Good 113 Crim Street Bowling, Green, OH " The Common Good is a United Christian Fellowship program and the house is a student center for spirituality and community activism." [THE OBSIDIAN / BECAUSE DIVERSITY MATTERS / 1l]

25 What Obama's Presidency Means for African Americans Editor tells about how Obama's presidency changed her thoughts as an African American female. SIMONE JACKSON editor-in-chief J~l arlier this semester, I experienced had one of the most motivating times of my life. I heard President Obama speak live at the Stroh Center. Listening to him speak humbled me and made me proud of how far we have come as African Americans. President Obama represents change and progress, especially for people of color and his success is an example to young African Americans of the pay off of hard work. I was in ninth grade when President Obama was elected for his first term. As I went to sleep that night, I remember telling myself, "I can do anything I put my mind to." Though this idea had been constantly instilled in me, I believed it more after Obama won. 1 hear people say that racism is not an issue anymore, and to me, that is entirely false. Racism is not as much of an issue now as it was the past, but it is still a part of everyday life for African Americans. Being a woman and an African American can be challenging. I find myself constantly trying to challenge stereotypes and attitudes that people have about black women. 1 have to. While the media is profiting off perpetuating stereotypes of black women, I and others like myself are working hard to defy them. It often seems like a cycle that will not end. Growing up, I knew that I had to work twice as hard as my white peers. I also knew that I needed to mentally prepare myself to accept the fact that I was not going to get the same credit, acknowledgement and opportunities because I was a both black and female. The Obamas helped me to accept this idea and to use it to my advantage. After President Obama was elected in 2008, it was apparent to me that we as a people no longer have an excuse as to why we cant succeed due to our race. Having a black president and first lady has helped people of color to realize that despite modern day racism, we as a people can accomplish anything. Sometimes African Americans use their race a crutch. It is their excuse for why too many things have not gone as planned. We hold ourselves back when we make excuses due to the color of our skin, which further perpetuate the stereotypes that we are trying to break. Our journey as a people does not end when President Obama's time in office is over. All the progress we have made will be a waste if we do nothing with it. So it is crucial that we THINK before we act and THINK before we speak. We represent an entire generation of people who did not get to witness what I witnessed in September. We have to move forward. C* " We have to move forward." [l2 / BECAUSE DIVERSITY MATTERS / THE OBSIDIAN]

26 2012 Election What are you thoughts on the elections? KAILA JOHNSON,.iff writer ASHLEY BROWN Senior Black Girls Rock, Student Recruitment Team. SMART Mentor, &PLA Scholar i College student votes are very important in this year's election. We hold a lot of weight in the overall decision of who will be the next president. So no matter what party you are in, just go out and vote. Our voices need to heard at the polls. OYUNTSETSEG GANJARGAL Senior Delia Sigma Pi & World Student Association 1 It doesn't really matter for me, because I am not voting. However, I think Obama should be elected because I don't agree with what Mitt Romney wants to do. MARY TIEKO lumor APA & Gospel Choir I feel that Obama should win because as a college student I know that he can help me. Romney has some good points, but I think his motive is more about him and just accomplishing something else on his list in his life. He is not about the people. JUSTIN BELL Senior Performing Arts ot Urban Theater cc My feelings on the election this year is that we need to vote. There are some very important issues at hand and they need to be resolved. So your vote is important to help pick the candidate you feel will do the best. Just vote. BRIEE NEIL Sophomore Student Money Management & Civic Action Now it Honesdy 1 think a lot of people who are voting are basing their decisions on what their parents are doing. But I think it is important to just watch the debates, and just honestly make an opinion for yourself. If you are going to vote, at least be educated before you vote. SANTANA DIAZ Sophomore PIA Relay tor Lite, Alpha Chi Omega JAMESON TAYLOR Junior Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. USG. University Conduct Committee. & SRT I am not fit Voting in sure who I am November is a voting for yet, but life changing I am just excited decision, to be old enough to vote now. [THE OBSIDIAN / BECAUSE DIVERSITY MATTERS / u]

27 Dr. Dalton Anthony Jones Faculty Columnist "Solidarity is a major factor for success." X wo years ago something truly remarkable happened, luniors and seniors will remember it. A sleeping giant called the Black Student Union managed to defy every stereotype about today's generation of black youth - that they are apathetic, antiintellectual and more interested in programming their ipods and putting on fashion shows than getting out into the trenches to fight for social justice. II Returning to the organization's roots, BSU staged a rally unseen since the heyday of student activism during the 1960s and 70s. Hundreds of students gathered at the Harshman Quad and marched to the Free Speech Zone in front of the BTSU with signs and banners. They then made their way, loudly and proudly, directly to the President's office. Their demand? That the administration make a clear commitment to hiring and retaining more black faculty to serve as mentors for BGSU's increasingly diverse student body. Last year, BSU proved this action was no fluke. When news began to spread that a Florida youth by the name of Trayvon Martin had been assassinated in cold blood, BSU mobilized forums and marched by the dozens, donning black hoodies in solidarity with communities across the nation. Unfortunately, as I scanned the crowds of faces at each of these events, 1 was able to count the number of faculty on one hand with fingers to spare. A friend of mine, who has been working with student organizations on this campus for decades, recently told me, "Solidarity is a major factor for success." Today, we faculty of color are beginning to turn up the pressure on the current administration,...it behooves us to listen very carefully to the student's we teach and stand by them as they fight for their rights." demanding them to sign a contract offering us a fair, living wage like those enjoyed by our peers across the academy. If we are going to make this happen, it behooves us to listen very carefully to the student's we teach and stand by them as they fight for their rights. We might just have something to learn. C> DiverAity LA not about how we differ. Diversity U about embracing one another'* uniqueneaa. Ola Joseph USG Undergraduate Student Government encourages all students and staff to value the differences in each other to promote an open and inclusive campus. Wherever your home Whatever your background BGSU brings together 19,000 students to learn from, grow with and gain appreciation for one another, learning to live and thrive in a global society. And USG represents all students in making this a great college campus! Human diveraity makea tolerance more than a virtue; BGSU. USG Undergraduate Student Government OWIING GIEIN STATE UNIVERSITY

28 SONG of the month "Losing You" by Solange Knowles AMIRAH ADAMS staff writer INJUSTICE To be strong isn't to continue breathing when your last lung has clasped, It's to become right in the midst ot all wrong to endure the slave mentality, To live through human brutality. cry thru reality, and smile in the creation of a new nation. God's Adam and Eve so called changed our nation Was Allah's Muslim creation. CREATIN. the same one that got Buddha HATIN, and got the Jehovah Witness celebrating? To become the minority, placed me with the majority. Skin complexion no longer made the difference, just because she looked like me didn't mean we were equal. I had my own set of people. T, he song of the month comes from eclectic and multitalented songstress Solange Knowles. Mosdy known for being the younger sister of singer and actress, Beyonc6 Knowles, Solange has taken plenty of steps towards coming from behind her sister's shadow. Solange has evolved tremendously since the release of her first album, Solo Star, which was released in Her second album, Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams was released in 2008 and had more of Motown, blues-jazz influence. After a four-year hiatus, Solange is back and showcasing her artsy and retro style with a new, captivating single. Though she has always declared her artistic independence from her sister, her new single "Losing You," the first single from her upcoming album solidifies her artistic independence. The single "Losing You" has a 1980s pop influence lying within its steady beat, claps and repetition of samples. The layering of vocals throughout the chorus and background give the song a really rich, lush vibe. While the lyrics are rather melancholy, the beat is retro and bouncy. She, and producer Dev Hynes, did an amazing job of balancing somber lyrics with a slightly up-tempo beat. The song has an eccentric feel that automatically makes you want to tap your feet, snap your fingers and sing along. The fusion of genres within the song has the ability to grasp the attention of a variety of music fans. The video for "Losing You" incorporates her style and elegance, with just a hint of fun. From the fashion to the extras that were casted, the video reflects Solange's eclectic and bold style. The video features Solange singing the lyrics with a straight face throughout the entire video, mirroring the emotion expressed within the lyrics and the delivery. The low, grayish blue lighting in the video reflects the sentimental vibe of the lyrics. The video, while being filmed in a poor neighborhood in Cape Town, South Africa, also includes the elite Le Sape Society (Society for the Advancement of People of Elegance). Director Melina Matsoukas filmed the video in Cape Town to capture the abstract and chic style of both Solange and the Le Sape Society. While there isn't any information available in regards to the name of her third album, it has been said that she has worked with both The Neptunes and Dev 1 Iynes, who produced the single "Losing You," on the album. The album is expected to be released in early f> But what does this all mean in a sense? Color blind by groups of ignorance? Glasses help only to see the fine print? Big lips? Kinky hair? No sense of direction? What image was I reflecting? Educational rote models made it clear that it was a struggle to become just like them, so I drew them a picture. Cell phones and text messages were how she gave her lessons. In back of the class I sat, only to see how she would react. Would he notice me, if she called on me to answer every question? I couldn't help but question. Tear gates only cried blood when I ran out of tears. The permanent solution for something that was only temporary causes SUICIDE. But ASIDE from all the nonsense, I had to PROTEST. My document that held my identity made it clear that this was for me. Jena 6 hung me by a tree Whistling walking down the street Emmett would have STILL be living. I'M SORRY Rosa couldn't PARK nowhere. Martin couldn't be this almighty KING, That's why ASSASSINATION was the root to everything. And to think they CARED? Misunderstood only to become the outcast Doing what I thought was right cost me my life, so here I'll die. I stand most colored against an all white wall E.telle iotvlla [THE OBSIDIAN / BECAUSE DIVERSITY MATTERS / 15]

29 I >r satto Wo even caught a profcusor by the name of OrSwto who chc* Japanese culture here on campus toofcin«very dapper. He My* his styu- is inspired by taparts high fashion in (he SO's. with Student reflects on the role of fashion in self-expression Bv:Deborah Chester You con always count on fashion lo be vibrant, bold and innovative. A person's sense of style and they way they put things together can give you an insight on who thev are as individual. What influences your style? creative, fearless way, so I admire and appreciate individuals that take pride in what they wear and the way in which they tell a story through what you choose to wear from day to day. Me mi' able to witness the evolution of style and fashion is fascinating because I - -? incor- porate vintage items.and pieces popular Watching the elegance of the SO's, the chill vibe of the do's. the electrifying sauvf 4 of the 80s all unfold and come alive in ftraiuloti Ward, a jt My *1y*r rcatv>«t come* from trying lo live * irl»«-d lrfe*fyfc> MMC veering sway from (he MM* fl>w>..i ume* Mid Irywv lo k*ep my composure." Iiriitany Pnest» a sowar studying visual f «iiniimiim-«ih»n Technology -ir I had lo think about one thing tlwl ir> spirts or influences my style it would) be whatever emotion I fell when I wake up *i tl»e morning." peers at the University is inspiring. I applaud students on this campus. They combine many different colors, textures, brands and pieces l<> make the look all their own I he way you chose to yourself through fashion is appreciated and docs not go unnoticed. Your style, your journey through the time machine of fashion and the runway that you walk as you graceful traverse from class to class lights the campus. I applaud you. Note Kontur. H soptioiikire mudying nti»» urutkfctkwi..(-ikh"» i «.-*«> iliintrrtl my nyte Ihnt*» ****en 1 nmfttft «kjrmyjti* MVI r&tmrr m--j**r^ tun I've nkwny* «i nood M pufla«i*» U>»»irtwr evan w»«c«i w*s yotn«tn p die. thirlri i.,, '...' -i.- jfci.mh.-.timvm-tf T«- 'i ** i o be honest t don't really rn> si vie besides t«tkjng n Ift ' ''"!""'' K "'' i '. ' """"":