THE BEACON !ursdayFebruary 4,

2010

Water conference makes waves at UP UP student !rst to conquer giant calzone

Elizabeth Tertadian Sta! Writer

tertadia13@up.edu “My plan is to remind people that we humans have a complex relationship with water.”

Robert Butlerenvironmental science professor

Hannah Gray Sta! Writer

gray12@up.edu

Junior Ryan Livingston sat, looking somewhere between determined and miserable, clutching two inches of doughy crust in his hands.

A student dressed in a full-body purple man suit and sporting a white headband was rubbing his shoulders saying, “C’mon, Ryan, you can do this!”

Patrons who had long since

in fascination. In the distance a phone sat playing “The Final Countdown” by Europe.

Livingston was about to accomplish a feat no person had up to this point. He was about to

challenge. As he dunked the last part of his crust into the water

restaurant cheered. “Ryan was really struggling

until he got an emotional boost by an appearance from purple

Luigi Cortese, the owner

came over and congratulated

person to ever have accomplished the challenge.

“That was some good food,” Livingston said, pushing himself back from the table. “I really don’t want to touch any more food for awhile.”

“Would you ever do it again?” an onlooker called.

without hesitation. Livingston and most of his

cheering section then stood to leave the restaurant. Junior Peter VanDomelen had removed the hood of his purple man costume, and joked about punching Livingston in the stomach.

pounds of crust, pepperoni, italian sausage and cheese. This contest,

Aaron O’Connell Sports Editor

oconnell11@up.edu

See Calzone, page 3

UP junior devours a !ve-pound calzone to set a record at Nicola’s Pizza and Pasta

The University’s decision to discontinue the sale of bottled water was not a surprise to many on campus, but the timing was.

“This was my decision to step up the timetable,” said Bon Appétit general manager Kirk Mustain. “To me, this is a stake in the ground in terms of sustainability.”

Originally, the plan to remove bottled water from The Cove, vending machines and the concession stands was scheduled to take effect around UP’s spring break in early March, according Mustain. Instead, it took effect Feb. 1.

The Jan. 26 announcement, including a widely-distributed press release, coincided with the University’s efforts to generate publicity for UP’s water

and Justice – which is scheduled for late March, according to Mustain.

The strategy worked. KATU, KGW, Willamette Week, the Oregonian, the Beverage

other media jumped on the bandwagon.

“Water is becoming a big issue on campus,” Mustain said. “We’re becoming the university on the river – a part of that is becoming a good steward of the environment around.”

While Bon Appetit no longer sells bottled water on campus,

bottled beverages will

continue to be sold, according to Mustain.

“It’s not going to make a huge

said about the discontinuation of bottled water sales.

There are many social justice and environmental issues surrounding the sale of disposable plastic water bottles.

“It’s not a simple issue of deciding not to buy water anymore,” Mustain said.

The discontinuation is consistent with Catholic social teaching, which says that everyone has a right to water, according to Mustain.

justice issue, no doubt,” said Steven Kolmes, chairman of the Environmental Science Department and a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Sustainability.

For their Environmental Studies capstone project, seniors Anne Bertucio, Risa Pond and Alyssa Schmidt-Carr are

Water. Over 71 percent of the world is covered in it. Yet, it is more precious than gold and more sought after than oil.

On March 26 to 28, UP will host a conference called

to bring attention to the growing water crisis the world faces and answer questions such as “Where do we get our water?” and “How do others get their water?”

So, what is the Water Conference?

The Water Conference is three days of discussing and investigating a range of issues as they relate to water, including environmental justice, protection, science, business, theology, business, history, law and the

The conference begins with a cruise on the Willamette River aboard the Portland Spirit.

across the nation will discuss various aspects of water over the course of the conference.

The keynote speaker is Maude Barlow, a water activist and senior adviser on water to the president

night.

Other speakers on the schedule include US Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Oregon Attorney

Miller, a college professor based in Montreal and director of “The Waterfront,” a documentary about one community that fought

UP professor of environmental science Robert Butler will touch on the Earth science perspective

addressing the resource and

water.“My plan is to remind people

that we humans have a complex relationship with water,” Butler said. “We need just the right kind of water in just the right places in just the right quantities.”

The library has compiled a water resources guide of water-related literature, movies and articles available to students and staff that connect to their classes and major.

All conference events are free

with sponsors of the event.However, while admission is

free, registration is mandatory. Students interested in

attending one or more of the events can log onto up.edu and register by clicking the water conference link.

Upon registration, tickets pop-up to be printed or are e-mailed to students who are going on the Portland Spirit cruise.

Event schedules and descriptions are posted online on the water conference page, which is located at pilots.up.edu/web/

Students can access the information by visiting the library’s Web site and clicking on the “water resources” link on the right-hand side of the page.

See Bottles, page 4

Vol. 111, Issue 15 www.upbeacon.net

What’s got the Purple Man so excited? Pilot basketball, that’s what.Sports, page 16

Samantha Heathcote | THE BEACON

P. 8: Dance of the Decades

P. 11: Calming the rhetoric of abortion

P. 6: The Beacon goes to the opera

UP will host ‘Con"uences: Water and Justice’ from March 26 to 28

UP moves ban of bottled water sales up to coincide with other e#orts on campus

On Campus

SCHOLARSHIP

INFORMATION NIGHT

The scholarship information

information about competitive scholarships for post-graduate study. There will information about Fulbright, Udall, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, Rhodes scholarships and others. For more information contact English professor John Orr at orr@up.edu.

PILOTS AFTER DARK

The Pilots After Dark event this weekend is a Footloose Party. The event starts at 9 p.m. on Saturday and goes until 1 a.m. in The Commons addition.

CASINO NIGHT FRIDAY

Friday from 9 p.m. to midnight

casino games and students

information contact Jon Merchant at merchant @up.edu

CPB MOVIE

“Men Who Stare at Goats” is the CPB movie this Friday and Saturday. The movie starts at

CORRECTIONS

Regarding the Jan. 28 “Passengers, drivers frustrated with Pilot Express” article, senior Joseph Tanner was not responsible for picking up the student on the Thanksgiving break run cited in the article. However, he admitted he was late to another pickup. Senior Craig Horton was the late driver responsible for picking up the Thanksgiving break passenger.

To clarify, the “Passengers, drivers frustrated with Pilot Express” article stated that passengers have no way to contact drivers. In fact, while passengers do not have contact information for their drivers, they are able to contact the director of Pilot Express who will contact the drivers on their behalf.

The caption for the

activities bring awareness” article on page 5 states that Juliet Zimmer is a sophomore. She is actually a junior.

Champions repaid at

states that Ryan Livingston is a senior. He is actually a junior. In the headline “Seminarian

stated that novice Pat Reidy was spending a whole year at UP. He will in fact only be at UP for one month.

The Beacon regrets the errors.

Accuracy in The BeaconThe Beacon strives to be fair and accurate.

of fact brought to the attention of the editors. If you think an error has been made, contact us at beacon@up.edu. Corrections will be printed above.

2 The Beacon — www.upbeacon.net February 4, 2010NEWS

Commons Terrace Room on Monday evening to kick off Black History Month with the

Read-In, sponsored by Black Student Union.

“The purpose of this event is to bring African American voices to life, to inspire hearts and minds,” said Bethany Sills, UP’s multi-cultural coordinator.

The reading consisted of a slew of diverse individuals, ranging from faculty members to high school students from the community.

Senior ASUP vice-president and BSU co-president Alyssa Schmidt-Carr was pleased with the event.

“I was really excited to have people from the community at the read-in,” she said.

“It was such a diverse group. There were students, and Father Donato even came in and it was just awesome to have everybody there,” Schmidt-Carr said.

Participants read everything from Maya Angelou’s poetry to excerpts from the works of Booker T. Washington, while onlookers enjoyed their food and

the readings. Sophomore BSU co-president

Marshawna Williams was involved with the planning and coordination of the event.

of introducing people to African American writing.

“The read-in is a cool way of presenting the words that were used to describe what African Americans thought and what they wanted throughout the years,” she said.

This was just the kick-off to

Student Union has planned for the University of Portland.

thrilled for students to become involved.

“The black student population at UP is so small that it’s good that we are doing something to

freshman Kaileah Baldwin, a student involved with BSU.

Members of BSU have planned three more events this month.

The next one is on Feb. 11, featuring Caleb Rosado, an Urban Studies professor from Warner

the importance of such events and Black History Month as a whole.

“African Americans have such an interesting story,” she said. “And it’s our goal to make people aware of just how important our history and diversity is.”

Along with the Rosado lecture, students will be able to experience some African American culture with the annual Soul Kitchen event in the Commons on Feb. 16.

BSU partners up with Bon

Appetit to provide students with soul food and music.

“We want to have a variety of diverse music, not just hip-hop,” said Williams. “I was thinking that it would be cool if we could show the history of African American music throughout the night.”

The month will end with the author of “The Only Black Student,” Lull Mengesha, speaking about minority students in predominately white

BSU may even throw in an African American movie night.

BSU urges students to participate in these events.

“We want people to experience another culture,” Schmidt-Carr said. “People often overlook each other and that’s why we put together these events.”

Olga Mosiychuk Sta! Writer

mosiychu12@up.edu

Erica Ellingsen | THE BEACONSophomore Marshawna Williams, BSU co-president, speaks at the African-American Read-In held in the Terrace room Monday evening. !e Read-In is one of several events that BSU is planning for Black His-tory Month.

“People often overlook each other and that’s why we put together these events.”

Alyssa Schmidt-Carrsenior, BSU co-president

Students, faculty and community members attended BSU’s Read-In

Saddle up. We’re headed for Beacon country.The Beacon is hiring for next year and we want you to ride with us.

Positions are available for reporters, editors, photographers and for business and advertising managers.

Student Activities in St. Mary’s. Applications must be returned February 11.

Yee-haw.

The Beacon — www.upbeacon.net 3February 4, 2010 NEWS

Aaron O’Connell | THE BEACONJunior Ryan Livingston took in the sheer size of the "ve-pound calzone he ate at Nicola’s Pizza and Pasta. Livingston was the "rst person to "nish the "ve-pound calzone in under one hour. He clocked in at 58 minutes.

“I believe that 58 minutes can be beaten. Someone out there is gonna take (Livings-ton) out.”

Luigi Corteseowner of Nicola’s Pizza and Pasta

Portland restaurant, challenges

their drink on the house and their photo placed in the entryway of the restaurant.

Before Livingston, the closest person had gotten through only

Cortese welcomes everyone to try the challenge and beat Livingston’s top time.

“I’m hoping there’s someone who can beat his top time of 58 minutes,” Cortese said, who was also cheering Livingston on to

“He’s top dog right now, you know? I hope someone challenges him,” Cortese said.

challenge included some serious recovery time, according to Livingston.

“I went home and sat down on the coach and didn’t move for two hours.” Livingston said. “I tried to go over to (a friend’s) and got sick, and then I got sick when I came back.”

Eventually, Livingston had decided that his bed was the best place to go. Full recovery, he said, took about 12 hours.

Cortese laughs as he pictures

how full Livingston must have been.

“I bet his stomach was like…” Cortese said, stretching his hands out in front of him in the shape of a huge circle.

Had Livingston not beaten the challenge, Cortese would

better shot.

“I was going to change to four pounds because no one could accomplish it, but then Ryan came along,” Cortese said.

6 feet and 185 pounds, was able

held to the same standard. Cortese stresses that the

contest will be unavailable during the restaurants’ peak hours,

Friday and Saturday between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., or too close to

p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.

Monday.Cortese hopes more people

will compete in the future, and that the top time will eventually be shaved down.

“I believe that 58 minutes can be beaten. Someone out there is gonna take (Livingston) out.” Cortese said. “I gotta get the word out there.”

As for Livingston, he can still recall his initial impression when

“Holy shit.”

Continued from page 3

Lisa McMahan Sta! Writer

mcmahan11@up.edu

Students seek to unmuddle Moodle

See Tech Help, page 4

Courses at UP are escaping

and the printed page and making their way to the good old World Wide Web, in part because of a student-driven campaign to raise more awareness about Moodle.

Moodle is the name of the course management system software implemented at the

It enables professors to post syllabi, assignments and grades and fosters communication among students through forum posts.

Accessed through PilotsUP, the system is currently known as Learning@UP, but will be

Currently, over half of the faculty uses Moodle or other online resources to provide their students with basic information like syllabi and

Academic Technology Services Technology Training Specialist Bill Bateman.

efforts spearheaded by Academic Technology Services and students themselves will increase Moodle usage to two-thirds of faculty by next fall.

“Our aim is to increase communication between faculty and students,” Manager of Academic Technology Services Jamie Worley said.

The department is working toward this goal by training faculty and providing support to help both students and professors get the most out of the system.

UP’s new faculty orientation in the fall had a technology component, including Moodle training.

Academic Technology Services student workers Alexandria Risinger and Martina Sheer are raising awareness

which has already garnered over

Students lead the charge to raise awareness of Moodle

“If I don’t have a planner to write down an assignment, I can just check online.”

Daniel O’Connellsophomore

1. Jan. 31, 6:48 p.m. - A student came to Public Safety to report the theft of their bike from outside of Schoenfeldt Hall. A report was taken.

2. Jan. 30, 12:05 a.m. -

3. Jan. 30, 11:24 p.m. -of the Decades. Students were sent back to campus and left in the care of their RAs.

4. Jan. 30, 10:58 p.m. -front of Buckley Center. AMR and Portland Police also responded and student was transported to detox.

5. Jan. 28, 1:30 a.m. - Hall where a student had taken too much medication. AMR and Portland Fire also responded and the student was transported to Emanuel Hospital.

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3

1

4

5

4 The Beacon — www.upbeacon.net February 4, 2010NEWS

The Beacon Safety Report

Continued from page 3

Learning@UP’s name will o#cially be changed to Moodle on Feb. 10. Technology Services Specialist Bill Bateman is con"dent that Moodle usage will increase to two-thirds of faculty by next fall.

water industry. “A lot of water bottle

companies are going into places which are struggling economically and sucking out their water and leaving these places dry,” said Schmidt-Carr, citing India as an example.

Kolmes added that water bottle companies disrupt the local agriculture and wells, which causes negative impacts on the community.

“The greater majority of students are more than capable of understanding that water is a public good and not a resource to

Furthermore, some bottled water may not be as pristine as people may think.

“Bottled water is often tap water from other cities, unless it says spring water,” Kolmes said.

Kolmes also said that Portland area tap water is one of the best in the country because it originates from Mount Hood.

“(There is an) incredibly beautiful, pristine watershed on the side of Mount Hood,” Kolmes said.

Those involved in the plan to discontinue the sale of bottled water think it will be effective and widely accepted among the UP community.

“I think the administration is so excited, the professors are so excited, and once the students

making, they’ll be excited to,” Bertuico said.

However, some students wonder if the change will really be effective.

“UP, if they really want to be sustainable, needs to not just get rid of water bottles but get rid of Gatorade and soda bottles,” said senior Wendy Seiber. “When they do get rid of the water bottles, students can go to Freddy’s and get cases of water bottles for cheap.”

Students who buy bottled water off-campus will not be in violation of the new policy. While the University is no longer selling bottled water, it is not banning people from drinking it on campus.

“There’s no water bottle police,” Kolmes said. “We’re just not providing them. We hope

water bottles.”

Continued from page 1

BOTTLES: Respecting

water rights

The page provides students with a demonstration video that can help them upload photos to

“The most current drive is student driven,” Bateman said.

When a professor does not set up Moodle for his or her class, students are unable to use the online features that might be available to them in other classes.

“Students have started to expect and ask for Moodle,” Bateman said. “We want students to go politely to their professors and say they want to be on Moodle.”

In December, Academic Technology Services contacted faculty members to encourage them to introduce Moodle to their courses. While it is not required, it is highly recommended.

“It does have a learning curve, but any software does,” Bateman said. “Support for faculty is readily available.”

Academic Technology Services provides support for those needing assistance and is developing a Moodle Emergency Response Team (MERT), which started out as a joke but has turned into a valuable method of assistance for students and faculty.

“We can do a MERT for

said. “We’re taking the mystery out of Moodle.”

One of the most challenging

aspects of the software for faculty tends to be grading.

“If you don’t set it up correctly at the beginning, it can be a pain at the end,” Worley said.

help compensate for the tedious process of setting up grades include the ability to post syllabi and assignments, link to videos and articles and create discussion forums.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a lot of needs or thoughts for the Web site that I haven’t been able to enact,” English professor Molly Hiro said.

Hiro has used forum posts

Moodle features in earnest over

there is no way to replace time spent in the actual classroom.

“There’s nothing that can reproduce the feeling of a vibrant classroom conversation,” Hiro said.

While the majority of professors at UP tend to use Moodle to communicate with students, others, like communication studies professor Elayne Shapiro and engineering

their own Web sites. Some faculty members had

their own sites running before Moodle was introduced, and others just prefer to use a medium that is accessible without a password.

“The University provides all professors the ability to make their own sites,” Bateman said. “If that’s what you want, for heaven’s sake do it.”

Sophomore Daniel O’Connell says that about half of his professors use Moodle to post assignments and grades online.

“If I don’t have a planner to write down an assignment, I can just check online,” O’Connell said.

The ability to post information online also means cutting back on printing costs and paper use.

Instead of going through reams of paper, professors can direct students to their class Moodle

electronically.

This gives faculty the ability to say “no trees were harmed in the creation of this class,” Bateman said.

In addition, it offers many of the features the committee wished to introduce to the university, enabling professors to upload, link, illustrate and communicate.

Bateman has seen faculty adoption of the system nearly

half years.

“Change is hard,” Bateman said. “Education is changing, so academic institutions are

well.” Support is available on an on-

call basis as well as through a desk-side service.

Students who would like assistance navigating Moodle are

door policy.“I found out on a survey 81

percent of students didn’t know I existed,” Bateman said. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help and know that there’s a resource.”

Goals for the future include increasing functionality between Gmail and Moodle and perhaps

each department. A resource like Moodle can be

useful in the event that faculty or students cannot attend class, and Academic Technology Services

affected attendance.“We didn’t have to use it, but

we were prepared,” Bateman said.

Ultimately, though, the department is simply looking to facilitate the ongoing communication between students and faculty.

“We’re looking to innovate to help teachers teach and students be more tech-savvy,” Bateman said. “Too often computers are just fancy typewriters.”

“We want students to go politely to their professors and say they want to be on Moodle.”

Bill BatemanTechnology Training Specialist for

Academic Technology Services

The Beacon — www.upbeacon.net 5February 4, 2010 NEWS

UP receives all-time high number of applications

applicants than last year, making this an all-time high for applicants.

“It says a lot about University of Portland’s reputation,” said Jason McDonald, dean of Admissions.

According to McDonald, the increase is part of a national trend.

Due to the economy, prospective students are applying to more schools not just for options, but to seek out the best

The increased interest for UP is also due to the efforts of the admissions department, which hosts an annual high school counselors’ program that gives counselors the “UP experience.”

counselors from all over the

UP getting to know the campus, faculty and programs.

The hope is that they will share this information about UP with students they believe would

UP admissions targets mostly Catholic high schools for the program.

Additionally, McDonald credits the good communication they keep with prospective students as a contributing factor to the increase in applications.

According to Laurie Kelley,

really improved its image through public relations.

Almost weekly, she said, stories in the news are featuring things occurring at UP, or showcasing UP professors as

“UP is not a well-known secret anymore,” McDonald said.

He sees the increase as

school, a reputation that continues to grow as applicant numbers increase.

Rising applications makes the admission process more selective and competitive.

According to McDonald, UP used to accept 85 percent of applicants.

He estimates that the University’s acceptance rate will

students, it makes UP more prestigious,” McDonald said.

Although the increase showcases UP’s growing popularity, the number of new Pilots will remain relatively the same as this year’s freshman class; small.

The admissions department

The tight-knit community is part of UP’s charm and what draws people here.

That’s what we sell – personal interaction with staff, said McDonald.

Elizabeth Tertadian Sta! Writer

tertadia13@up.edu

Students will be able to dine in or get food to go at the new Commons come fall.

Bon Appétit will be offering multiple ethnic cuisines and grill options, as well as a new point system that will allow students to save money at The Commons.

Meal plans will run on a declining balance system, meaning students put money on their account and pay item by item, Bon Appétit Manager Kirk Mustain said at the ASUP Senate meeting on Jan. 25.

Points will be deducted according to purchases. This doesn’t limit students to three meals per day.

meals,” Mustain said. “This enables you to use those dollars effectively.”

The updated point system for UP students will allow students and parents to view points and add money online.

Bon Appétit is using schools

in Stockton, Calif., University

University and Seattle University as models for the new system.

In addition to the new point system, students will be able to purchase food throughout campus with the swipe of a debit or credit card.

While students have to wait until fall for the new Commons, the debit and credit system is scheduled to be set up over spring break.

Gao Na YangSta! Writer

yang11@up.edu

UP received over 2,000 more applicants than last year

“As we bring in more quali-!ed students, it makes UP more prestigious.”

Jason McDonalddean of Admissions

Graphic courtesy of Kirk MustainChanges will include a faceli$ to the old part of !e Commons. Possible updates include a 360% "replace with so$ seating surrounding it. !e food stations will also be changed to include a new beverage bar, pizza bar and an area for sandwhiches, among other changes.

“This enables you to use those dollars e"ectively.”

Kirk MustainBon Appétit manager

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current Ovens

station

current Greens

station

current Sammy’s and

Expo Center

soft seating around