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Monday October 21, 2013 Volume 81, Issue 10
NEWSUNIVERSITYUMKC’s Independent Student Newspaper
A&E Dracula, p. 10
“Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker” im-presses at the Coterie.
Feature Sustainability, p. 6-8
UMKC stands out for its sus-tainability efforts.
Jessica Turner Senior Beat Writer
UMKC sophomore Bianca Gantt was crowned this year’s Miss Black and Gold at the pageant hosted by the Delta Rho chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. The honor will also include a monetary award to assist Gantt in paying for her education.
There was a full house, and the audience was in store for a memorable night of fashion, entertainment and anticipation. The contestants opened the show with a routine number that excited the crowd.
Alpha Phi member and Master of Ceremony Eliott Nelson conducted a Greek roll call which resulted in several enthusiastic chants and shout-outs from the audience. He then welcomed to the stage Delta Rho’s current President Fred Avery.
“The pageant showcases the intelligence, talent, leadership and unparalleled beauty of women of the UMKC campus,” Avery said. “It serves as an opportunity for young women to display their self-confidence, communication skills and captivating beauty. This year, the brothers have nine incredible young women who will participate in the pageant and represent various communities.”
The judges included Briauna Hawthorne, Christopher Arthur, Lee Rembert, Simone Stewart and Stanley Taylor, all esteemed members of their communities. Gantt was the first contestant to introduce herself.
“I believe that you must be the change you want to see in the world,” Gantt said. “I am studying
pre-law with an emphasis in business management with hopes of becoming an attorney, and showing young girls that the ultimate lady not only possesses beauty, but brains as well.”
All of the contestants prepared brief introductions including their achievements and goals. It was an opportunity for the judges and the audience to get to know them. They learned that senior Jazmine Cooper is passionate about helping people and about her faith. Judges then discovered junior Breonica Scott has dreams of beginning a non-profit organization for abused and neglected children. Sophomore Kelsi Washington revealed she doesn’t buy into the idea that it’s “a man’s world,” and that she can accomplish anything she puts her mind to.
“The question isn’t ‘who’s going to let me?’” junior Cierra Mitchem said, addressing the crowd. “It’s ‘who’s going to stop me?’”
In some aspects, the pageant was traditionally structured. During introductions, participants modeled business attire. There was also a swimwear show, a talent show and finally, a Q&A session during which the contestants wore formal gowns.
However, the pageant was not conventional in attitude. The show lacked the artificially polite, curl-and-twirl response from the contestants. Those involved dedicated a lot of time and hard work to the event, and definitely let their powerful, individual personalities shine through onstage.
During the talent portion, Gantt performed a monologue about her budget as a college student who receives financial aid.
“Over the past few years of college, my communication skills have experienced tremendous growth,” Gantt began. “How could they not when you’re around such brilliant students, professors and faculty all the time? However, there are still three words that I cannot say. Three words that, every time I muster up the courage to express, I chicken out. Three words that I dare not utter to even my closest friends.”
There was a long pause, and the sweet and delicate tone that Gantt’s voice had possessed until this moment changed, as she was finally able to get those three words off of her chest.
“Bitch!” she said into the microphone. The audience gasped.
“I’m broke,” she finished. The audience laughed.
Gantt had her peers shouting, “Preach!” and, “That’s right,” as she elaborated on what it’s like to be broke. In a comically good-natured manner, she explained that she substitutes going to the movies for Netflix and hitting the club for twerking for free in her living room. She recited her weekly coupon clippings routine and managed to connect with the audience in a relatable and honest way.
“I get paid on Friday, but between meals and bills, baby, I’m broke by Tuesday,” she said.
By the end of it, she had encouraged all audience members to turn to their neighbor in the seat next to them and admit that they, too, were broke.
The Q&A segment did not
prompt the participants to give cliché responses about world peace and wishing upon a star. The questions posed were current, practical and open-ended. Each question was printed on a slip of paper, which each contestant withdrew to be handed blindly to Nelson only moments before answering.
Participants were asked about how influential the media is on public opinion. They were asked about the history of slavery in the United States. They were asked about social media and cyber-bullying. They were asked about how the government shutdown has affected the trust Americans have in elected officials.
Junior Jasmyne Haymon was asked whether or not rappers should have a greater responsibility in the content they deliver in their music.
“I believe that rappers should not have to monitor their content when they’re making music because music is creative expression,” Haymond said. “And because we have the freedoms in our country, we can control what our children listen to and other concerns that people have about this.”
Haymon placed First Runner-Up in the pageant.
Nelson also serves as Step Captain of the Books-Not-Bars Mentoring Program. As part of the evening’s entertainment, the team performed for guests, and received a standing ovation. Some of the young boys involved in the program don’t have fathers at home, so Nelson serves as a role model and guide, encouraging them to plan for successful futures.
“These young men excel not only on the stage, but in the classroom as well,” Nelson said.
He explained that some of the boys already knew what colleges they wanted to attend, the price of tuition, the scholarships available and even the organizations on those campuses.
“I’m going to support kids when they want to mimic any Greek organization,” Nelson said. “We [the Greek community] have people that diss us, [but] these boys are not growing up Crips and Bloods and
all that… They’re growing up to be fraternity brothers.”
As the judges determined the results, the contestants gathered backstage to touch up makeup and discuss their performances.
“I’m very excited,” said junior Ra’Chell Richards. “I’m very grateful to have worked with eight other beautiful, educated women on UMKC’s campus, and whoever wins, I’m just glad that I got a chance to be a part of this.”
Erika Pearson shared Richards’ feelings, moments before she was named Second Runner-Up.
“I feel like the Alpha pageant was a success,” Pearson said. “I feel like it was a great opportunity and experience for the young ladies.”
Jazmine Cooper was awarded Miss Congeniality. But whether the contestants placed in the competition or not, there was a shared feeling of appreciation for simply being involved.
BLACK AND GOLD PAGEANT SHOWCASES BRAINS AND BEAUTY
Contestants modeled swimwear at the Miss Black and Gold Pageant. From left: Breonica Scott, Destiny Crosby, Jazmine Cooper, Kelsi Washington, Bianca Gantt, Cierra Mitchem, Jasmyne Haymon, Erika Pearson and Ra’Chell Richards. Photos // Jessica Turner
Jazmine Cooper was awarded Miss Congeniality at the pageant.
Kelsi Washington performed a violin solo as part of the talent portion of the pageant.
Bianca Gantt, Delta Rho’s 2013 – 2014 Miss Black and Gold.
Contestants compete, show off talents to win funds for education
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Kate Baxendale Copy Editor
Comptroller Makayla Maslanka will retain her position on the Student Government Association executive board. A motion to impeach Maslanka was revisited on Oct. 14 since SGA was unable to hold a vote at a previous meeting due to lack of quorum. Obtaining the required number of senators at the most previous meeting, the vote was held. Eleven senators voted in favor of impeachment, 10 were opposed and three abstained. Approval to impeach Maslanka would not have resulted in her removal from office. A vote must be met by a three-fourths majority in order for the motion to pass. After the vote, Maslanka was invited back into the room for the remainder of the meeting.
Allegations against Maslanka that resulted in a vote for impeachment included over-allocation of the student activity fee budget. According to a memo drafted by members of SGA, the Student Activity Fee Committee would have been tasked with recovering $150,219.02. Without these funds, SAFC would be unable to allocate money for event-by-event budget requests from student organizations. In a previous SAFC meeting, SGA approved a 14.18 percent cut from all student organization and council budgets to alleviate the lack of funds caused by over-allocating.
President Benjamin Campero sent a memorandum to Vice Chancellor Mel Tyler on Oct. 7 asking him not to sign the SAFC Budget Resolution that called for the 14.18 percent cut. In Campero’s report during the meeting, he explained that the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management under Tyler “has indicated funding to the tune of $100,000 that can be put back into the Student Activity Fee Committee and the Executive Board has agreed to put $35,000 back into SAFC to cover the debt that incurred as well as to have funding for event by event requests.” The memorandum said there may be additional funds placed in SAFC by the Office of Student Involvement.
A new committee to analyze potential faults in SAFC will consist of one member of the executive board, five SAFC representatives, three student senators, one unassociated student and the Office of Student Involvement. Additionally, a new SAFC system of allocating funds will be developed by January 2014.
Maslanka apologized for the impeachment proceedings during her report. She reiterated that SAFC had received funding to make up for the debt with $40,679.29 leftover for event-by-event and travel requests.
SGA Moves Forward with New Orders of
BusinessTyler presented the Strategic
Plan for UMKC and highlighted a few goals. The idea is to align the university plan with the UM System plan. Tyler said UMKC has advanced parts of campus by adding the Atterbury Student Success Center and the Student Union. Recent changes to general education
requirements were also mentioned. The university will focus on helping transfer students, particularly from community colleges, transition smoothly into life at UMKC. The process of adding an honors college and a National Merit program is also part of the Strategic Plan. UMKC will focus on enhancing its professional schools and implementing diversity plans within each school at the university.
Tyler addressed the Tuition and Fees Recommendation portion of the Strategic Plan. He explained that tuition is based on the consumer price index. Based on this, graduate and undergraduate tuition will increase by 1.7 percent. Tyler said fees will increase by three percent to cover the state bonds that fund new campus buildings. Room and board will increase by 1.7 percent and 3 percent respectively if capacity remains at 95 percent.
The following year is a contract year for food services on campus, such as the vendors in the Student
Union. The plan is to separate beverages from food and partner them with the athletics department. Vending will also be evaluated.
Dr. Angela Cottrell, director of the Office of Student Involvement, presented a text message program in which students could opt into receiving text messages from various organizations and offices on campus about events. The system would be secured through the single sign on system and it would use the same phone number registered with UMKC’s emergency alert system. The student senate gave positive feedback for this potential service.
Dr. Eric Grospitch, dean of students, presented the Preferred Name Policy in which students could submit an alternate name on Pathway for class rosters. SGA approved this policy in the spring 2013 semester. A student’s legal name would stay on his or her diploma and official documents, but a student who prefers a nickname or shortened version of a name may choose to have it changed for roster purposes. Some senators raised the question of abusing this policy for comedic purposes to which Grospitch replied
that a student may be subject to a disciplinary process if necessary.
SGA approved the UMKC Smoke and Tobacco Free Policy in November 2012. Grospitch said the next step is to submit a draft of this policy to representative bodies for approval. A website featuring an explanation of the policy and resources for smoking cessation will be created and launched in November. A communications strategy to spread the word about the policy is planned for fall 2013. UMKC will officially be smoking and tobacco free in Aug. 2014.
Mitch Gosney, a graduate assistant from the athletics department, announced the Union Programming Board will sponsor a shuttle to and from every men’s basketball game this season at Municipal Auditorium. The first home game against Rockhurst University is Nov. 1. Pickups will be at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. at the Student Union. A pregame at Johnny’s Tavern will take place from 4:30
p.m. – 6 p.m. Return shuttles will depart Municipal for UMKC at 8:15 p.m. and immediately after the game. Participants will receive a free “Blackout” T-shirt.
The student senate passed SGA support of the KC Streetcar. The senate also approved four new student organizations. The senators had the opportunity to review each organization’s mission prior to the vote.
SGA will have a listening post Oct. 23 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on the Quad for students to raise any questions or concerns regarding the actions of the governing body. SGA will also have a voter registration booth available during that time.
LGBTQIA Programs and Services has co-sponsored with SGA and will have a group photo shoot of LGBTQIA allies at 1 p.m. Oct. 24 on the staircase of the Student Union.
Note: The exec board was unclear about the origins of the funds. Grospitch did not respond when asked about the source of the money.
SGA Comptroller avoids impeachment
Political Cartoon // Joey Hill
Kate Baxendale Copy Editor
Kansas City’s communications department released the city’s new marketing logo Oct. 10. The logo features an interlocking K and C and has replaced the heart-shaped fountain image that was adopted in 1992.
The new image has received both positive and negative feedback. Senior business administration student Mariah Rittel said the interlocked letters look like a sports team logo. Junior urban planning and design student Chayton True also prefers the fountain symbol.
“The old [logo] has much more meaning and symbolism,” True said. “The logo is in the shape of a heart that represents the love for our city and citizens. It’s also designed like a fountain that represents our city’s title of ‘City of Fountains.’”
The Kansas City Star polled more than 5,000 people on its website about their reactions to the new logo. More than 3,000 voters said they love the new logo and more than 2,000 voters said they hate it.
Mayor Sly James is satisfied with the new design, and said he thinks it is a more recognizable logo for Kansas City. He said nobody outside of the city understood the meaning of the fountain logo.
“I know it’s a KC,” James said. “At the end of the day, you want something that when people look at it, they say Kansas City, boom, it jumps right out at them.”
Designer Emily Elmore of Single Wing Creative volunteered to make the new logo, free of charge. The image was presented to the American Institute of Graphic Artists and other creative groups, and it received positive reactions overall.
The logo will appear on city publications and the Channel 2 government news station. It will also debut on the city’s new website that will launch Jan. 1. Communications Director Danny Rotert clarified that the new logo will not replace the heart-shaped fountain logo as the city seal. The city council would have to vote on any changes made to the seal.
New KC logo gets mixed reviews
Kansas City’s new marketing logo.Photo // Google
Vice Chancellor patches budget
Monday October 21, 2013 | Issue 10 3
Morayo Bakare Contributing Writer
The six-year medical program allows students to complete their medical degree earlier, faster than the traditional path taken by students at other universities.
One third-year student who wishes to remain anonymous, is concerned with the medical school facilities. She said she feels the buildings are not well-maintained. In addition, they lack any significant plan to improve the conditions. Elevators are being replaced and individual unit sections are receiving repairs but she said more repairs are necessary.
She said she also believes more space would improve the condition of the building. For example, once students reach year three of the program, they receive their own offices. These offices are intended for professional use only, but students often conduct private studying within these spaces. There have been instances when offices have had to be shared among students.
“To share an office is a bit cruel,”
she said. “These office spaces are the size of closets.”
She believes it is ridiculous for students to have to share office space when tuition ranges from $50,000-$150,000 per year, depending on grade level.
Gaining acceptance into the school, she believes, is fair, but once accepted, she encountered other problems.
“Admissions are not a problem,” she said. “Basic science classes are a problem.”
She said teachers who instruct the basic science courses that most students take campus wide are subpar. Classes are far too large and the focus is only on rote memorization, with no real learning involved. While there are a few basic science teachers who are welcoming and take interest in their students’ learning, some teachers are oblivious to concerns.
“I like the teachers at the medical school,” she said. “They are very personal and the class sizes are smaller.”
She admits that this is her own personal opinion of the teachers and classes, as she has asked other medical students and some prefer the large classes for the convenience of skipping class.
“One of the best qualities of this program is docent,” she said.
Docent groups allow the medical students to familiarize themselves with each other on a more personal level. In addition, students are introduced quickly to the medical field and what it entails outside of the classroom. They are in essence mini-internships spread throughout the students’ semesters in school.
She, however, said she would not trade her experience as a UMKC six-year medical student for any other.
Dylan Wyatt, first-year med student, is not as concerned about the need for renovations, but believes the elevators are frightening.
“There is a plot to make the med students healthy by making us use the stairs,” Wyatt said.
He said he is much more concerned with the admission process.
“There were many extensions from people in my grade,” Wyatt said.
“They were not prepared to go into the program. I know the program is so rigorous, so it’s understandable.”
He described the process as “a bit of an academic slap in the face” and hopes there will be more support for the new students.
Wyatt said a new problematic procedure is occurring in his medical microbiology class. Due to changes because of accreditation, students must now teach each other the class material. Instead of teachers, the students of the class form groups that rotate. Each week, an individual group presents lessons to the rest of the peers.
“Teaching each other and presenting to the classes sounds good on paper,” Wyatt said. “But it’s too huge for us because we don’t know anything. There is so much information, we just want to know what is important.”
Wyatt commented that the test average for medical microbiology dropped compared to last year’s exam. This teaching technique may be applied to the pathology class in
the future. “In my opinion, clinic is the most
important,” Wyatt said. In clinic, students interact
with patients and aid doctors by diagnosing the patients and writing up the doctor notes. The level of responsibility increases as the students progress in the program. This opportunity is offered early to students in the program and, because of this immediate exposure to performing like a professional doctor, Wyatt chose UMKC’s program.
“Having four years of [clinic] instead of two in other med schools will make me that much better of a physician so I can better take care of patients,” Wyatt said.
Wyatt also appreciates the program because students are not required to take the MCAT to get into the medical school. He explains that applying to medical school and taking the MCAT are challenging and stressful.
“A lot of people want to be doctors, but the medical school slots aren’t increasing fast enough,” Wyatt said. “I don’t know if I would have
been able to spend four years making my grades perfect — absolutely perfect.”
He likes the pace at which the program eases students into medical school work and that the focus is a bit less on grades and more on performance.
Wyatt said that his goal as a doctor is to constantly help the underserved communities in the nation. With the various opportunities in Kansas City, from Sojourner’s Health Clinic to Kansas City Free Eye Clinic to Truman Hospital, he always has the opportunity to serve the underrepresented in the city.
“I think it’s very important for a doctor to have the chance to look a patient in the eyes and handle this,” Wyatt said. “You have to do more than give meds. You have to consider their living situations and environment. This education puts everything in perspective.”
Med School proves to be a valuable experience despite complications
Victoria Lampton Staff Writer
One million veterans and their dependents have enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities over the past four years, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. This influx of veterans is a result of the drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan and more generous financial aid, generally covering a veteran’s tuition, housing and books. Many veterans face an array of challenges in making the transition to college life.
Switching over to civilian life can be a challenge, and the Student Veterans Organization aims to assist students by providing resources to the UMKC veteran community. Most veterans are between the ages of 22-42 and have families. This does not fit the norm for the average undergraduate college student.
Navigating the GI Bill benefits proves to be difficult for many veterans.
“Sometimes veterans can go months without receiving payments, leaving them in financial limbo,” Matthew Charley, SVO vice president, said.
At the beginning of the semester, the SVO held several presentations explaining GI Bill benefits to make sure recipients were fully informed of what can and will happen during the processing.
Most recently, the SVO hosted a résumé workshop to assist veterans
in creating a successful résumé to help land interviews in the civilian workforce. James Madril, veterans employment representative of the Kansas Department of Commerce, taught the workshop. Madril taught how to carefully translate military work experience to make it relevant to a civilian job market.
The SVO is providing veteran awareness classes to faculty to help them understand the issues.
“There has been a big problem on campus with faculty and staff not communicating effectively with veterans,” Charley said. “We are currently working towards obtaining a seat in the Student Senate, so students with any relation to the military have a voice.”
Ohio State University currently dedicates two of its Student Senate seats to veterans, and this step has proven effective in meeting the needs of the rising number of veterans in colleges and universities nationwide.
“We have the potential to be the only public school in the region that will be veteran-friendly, making UMKC an ideal choice for exiting military,” Charley said.
Student veterans and dependents may visit the SVO website for more information http://stuorgs.umkc.edu/umkc-student-veterans/ or stop by the office in the Student Union for answers to other questions.
Student Veteran’s Organization helps veterans transition into civilian life
SVO talks about resume building.Photo // Vikki Lampton
Lindsay Nelson Broadcast Assitant
The Kansas City Symphony has created a season pass especially for students.
The KC Symphony Student Subscription is a one-price pass that provides students under the age of 25 with the opportunity to see virtually all of the concerts included in the season. Students have to present a valid student ID at the symphony box office, or a purchase can be made online at www.kcsymphony.org. No extra fees or ticket service charges will be applied.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for students to enjoy the symphony,” said Frank Byrne, executive director. Student tickets without a subscription are $10 per concert which is a decent price as is, but with the student subscription, one can attend every concert for $25. If the pass is used for every show, the cost would be $2 each.
“The proverbial ‘offer you can’t refuse,” Byrne insisted.
In the current season, legendary pianists André Watts and Leon Fleisher are to attend as guest artists. There will be a performance of Verdi’s “Requiem” for orchestra and chorus, as well as recitals by piano phenomenon Yuja Wang and many more. The complete season schedule can be found on the symphony website.
“It’s a thrill and an experience you will never forget,” Byrne said.
To see and hear the Kansas City Symphony in the world-renowned Helzberg Hall at such an inexpensive cost is one of the best deals a student will find in the fine arts district of this city.
Call the box office at (816) 471-0400 for additional specifications or offers.
Student passes to the Symphony
I don’t know if I would have been able to spend four years making my grades perfect - absolutely perfect. - Dylan Wyatt
Monday October 21, 2013 | Issue 10 4
Hiral Patel Contributing Writer
Author Wes Moore spoke about his book at the annual Social Justice Book Lecture on Oct. 16.
Moore is the author of “The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates.” This novel is the story of two children with the same name who have completely different outcomes in life. They both start out similarly, and then later their paths change directions. The author experiences success while the other Wes Moore is serving a life sentence in prison.
The book was chosen for the lecture by Scott Curtis, research and liaison librarian at Miller Nichols Library, Gloria Tibbs, information and instructional librarian at Miller Nichols Library and the Division of Diversity and Inclusion. The event took six months to plan.
The Social Justice Book Lecture opened with an introduction by Chancellor Leo E. Morton.
“We have both folks from the campus and from the community coming together, and that’s what we need a lot more of,” Morton said. “We can have the opportunity to come together to both understand and tackle some of our community vision.”
Following the chancellor, student Vincent Tabb gave a background on Moore.
“Moore is a youth advocate, army combat veteran, promising business leader and author,” Tabb said. “He graduated Pi Theta Kappa as Admission Officer from Valley Forge Military College in 1998 and Pi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in international relations. He completed a Master of Letters in international relations from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar in 2004.”
Moore started the evening by sharing the importance of making a difference in the world. He explained that a transcript may be the smallest object that will benefit students’ futures. Moore said that students’ futures are based on what they do to help others.
Moore went on to explain the publication of his novel. He had many ideas – with specific meanings – for the title of his book. The publishers thought otherwise, which contributed to the final name of the
novel. Moore did not agree with “The Other Wes Moore.”
“This story is about much more than just these two kids,” Moore said. “It’s about much more than just one name, it’s about much more than one neighborhood, it’s about much more than one social economic group, it’s about much more than just one race, it’s about much more than one generation, it’s about all of us,” Moore said.
He continued by humoring the audience.
“What self- respected author do you know who put their own name inside of the title of a book. The third thing I didn’t like about the title is that no one knows who one Wes Moore is, so why does anybody care who the other Wes Moore is?”
Moore continued. “The name is really irrelevant,
because the fact is that there are Wes Moores in every one of our schools, in every one of our communities and in every one of our homes. Kids are literally one decision away,” Moore said.
Moore struggled with questions of how to make a child successful.
“There is no single anecdote
that we can offer that’s going to determine the final destiny of a child,” Moore said. “Raising kids is amazingly complicated, and if you happen to raise kids in some of the most dangerous and precarious communities of our country, it is that much more complicated.”
Moore is a firm believer that potential in the U.S. is universal, but opportunity is not.
“The difference between potential and where we all end up is where we all come in,” Moore said.
He said he believes every child in this country is born with the assets needed to have success. They just don’t have the necessary tools.
Moore shared a self- assessment of his views towards the situation in his novel.
“The fact that it took a name to shake me embarrasses me. The fact is, I should’ve been shaken long before then,” Moore said.
The lecture concluded with a round of questions from students and faculty. Later, Moore signed books and greeted audience members.
Social justice book lecture features Wes Moore
Wes Moore explains his book. Photo // Hiral Patel
Prannoy Kiran Contributing Writer
The International Student Affairs Office conducted an Optional Practical Training session Oct. 18 to provide information on requirements as to how studentsreceive a one-year visa that can be used for practical training. This is a continuation of the Curricular Practical Training session that was conducted in September.
CPT is a part-time employment authorization for international students enrolled in a college-level degree program, while OPT is an authorization for undergraduate or graduate students with F-1 status who have either completed a degree or are pursuing their degrees for more than nine months.
This training is permitted by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and lasts for a maximum of 12 months. This mainly focuses on students getting hands-on experience that relates to their studies.
USCIS offers a case number to individuals’ receipts and this can be used to find the status of applications online. One caution is that USCIS does not print the LIN number on the back of the check after depositing. LIN would be impossible to retrieve if the I-797 is lost.
“ISAO recommends that you make a photocopy of the document as soon as you receive it,” said Marisa Moreno, ISAO member.
There would be an Employment Authorization Document card provided to the applicant and the
authorization to work begins on the start date noted on the EAD card. While the applicant works under OPT, the status still remains F-1. The EAD card is a valuable document an applicant holds and the cost of replacement is $380.
“Any change of name or address should be reported to ISO through Pathway within 10 days,” Moreno said.
Any interruption of employment should be reported through the ISAO’s online services.
The applicant can travel outside the U.S. and re-enter before graduation if the applicant is still a student. However, travel is not recommended while OPT is still pending.
“If you leave, USCIS may consider this departure as an abandonment of the application and cancel your request,” Moreno said.
OPT ends if the applicant leaves the U.S. after the training gets approved. Re-entering the U.S. would be possible only if the applicant has a job offer. This would also require a letter from the employer stating that the applicant needs to return to the U.S. to resume working.
ISAO holds session on OPT
Optional Practical Training information session.Photo // Prannoy Kiran
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October 15 Between 7 am and 12 pm�e hood of a student’s car had been burned in the Rockhill Parking Garage.
NOT PICTURED ON MAP: October 14, 12:45am—A student was verbally threatened. October 14, 7:22pm — Students reported being. harassed, possibly by a mutual friend. October 15, 5:50pm — Student reported being harassed via Twitter.
October 10-13 time unknown2 bicycles were stolen from the Student Union.
October 12 12:23 amPolice were called to a noise disturbance on the 5300 block of Charlotte.
October 13 3:13 amA noise disturbance occurred in Oak Place Apartments.
October 16 8:44 pmPolice transported a man to the hospital from the 5000 block of Oak st. October 17 6:24 pm
A suspicious person was detained a�er attempted to enter the Berkeley Child Care Center.
October 17 10:49 pm Police caught 2 individuals burglarizing a computer lab in Cockefair Hall.
Monday October 21, 2013 | Issue 10 5
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Sumanth Koushik Kalli Beat Writer
Hadoop, an open-source program that stores large quantities of data from various sources, has become an important piece of the big data puzzle over the past decade. Hadoop has become a general purpose computing platform, and could become a foundation for the next generation of database applications. For Hadoop, the biggest motivator in the market is simple: “Before Hadoop, data storage was expensive.”
“I was interested in providing the world with great tools to make search engines,” Doug Cutting, co-creator of Hadoop, told IT World. “I was excited to be able to try to bring this technology to the world through Open Source.”
Facebook, eBay, Yelp, Twitter, Salesforce.com and many others use Hadoop to analyze data about user behavior and their operations. It serves as foundation for newer graph, NoSQL and relational databases.
“Hadoop is a key ingredient in allowing LinkedIn to build many of our most computationally difficult features, allowing us to harness our incredible data about the professional world for our users,” said Jay Kreps, principal engineer for LinkedIn, at the third annual Hadoop Summit in 2010.
Apache, the web server that owns Hadoop, describes it as a framework
that processes large datasets across many computers.
Hadoop is “designed to scale up from single servers to thousands of machines, each offering local computation and storage,” according to the Apache website.
The data Hadoop deals with are complex in their volume, velocity and variety. It is not just a single, open source project – it is an ecosystem of projects that work together to provide common services. Hadoop transforms commodity hardware, which is affordable without adding any reliability into coherent services
that stores terabytes of data reliably and also process the data very efficiently.
The important thing about Hadoop is that it is redundant and reliable. Even if someone loses a machine, Hadoop a u t o m a t i c a l l y replicates data without the operator having to do anything. Users can get full access to data even though it is partitioned. All machines can process data, and Hadoop mainly focuses on batch processing.
Primarily, when a user submits an application to the cluster that runs the application, it will pop up with the result when it is done. It makes it very easy to write distributed applications, as text can be written on one machine and automatically saved on up to 4,500 machines without changing it. This feature provides a lot of power and makes the developer much more efficient. Users don’t need to buy special hardware, as it runs on commodity hardware, and there is no need for extra hardware for reliability
or redundancy, as reliability is on the software.
Hadoop consists of two main parts. The first is MapReduce, which is the processing part of the program. Users submit computation to MapReduce and it runs to give the result. The second part is Hadoop Distributed File System, which stores all data for Hadoop. It has all the files and directories.
The server responsible for launching MapReduce on each machine is called TaskTracker. The
HDFS server on a machine is called DataNode. It stores lots of data and provides high bandwidth access to data in each machine. To make a cluster, users need to repeat this with TaskTracker and DataNode. If more storage or computing is required, users can add another machine.
MapReduce needs a coordinator known as JobTracker, which accepts tasks, divides them into minor tasks and assigns each to an individual TaskTracker. The TaskTracker runs the task and reports the status to JobTracker. JobTracker also detects if the TaskTracker disappears due to any software or hardware crash, then automatically assigns its tasks to another TaskTracker.
The NameNode is the coordinator on the HDFS side. It gives information about where data is, but data doesn’t flow through the NameNode. It notices when a DataNode is down and replicates data.
Hadoop includes a few other projects. The first is Pig, which is similar to a compiler: it allows users to write high level descriptions of data processing and then converts it into a MapReduce job. Developers feel comfortable using Pig due to the increase in productivity with its use.
For people who are not comfortable with programming and who more comfortable with SQL interface Hive is a good choice. It takes SQL as input and does a similar transformation to Pig. It is used extensively by 90 percent of the computation.
Hadoop is a batch processor, but that doesn’t match everything people need. People need to read and write data in real time. HBase, a top Apache project, meets that need. It provides a simple interface to distributed data and allows the required processing. HBase can be accessed by Pig, Hive and MapReduce for storing information in HDFS so that it’s guaranteed to be reliable and durable. HBase is used for applications such as Facebook messaging. When users send a message on Facebook, that message is an object in an HBase table and it
scales out. “We have one of the largest
clusters with a total storage disk capacity of more than 20PB and with more than 23000 cores,” Ashish Thusoo, engineering manager at Facebook, said at the third Hadoop Summit. “We also use Hadoop and Scribe for log collection, bringing in more than 50TB of raw data per day. Hadoop has helped us scale with these tremendous data volumes.”
HBase stores some of its metadata information in Zookeeper, which is another Apache project that provides coordination services for different servers. When different servers work together, Zookeeper looks after all coordination issues.
Hive has a meditative server that stores information in tables. Users wanted the same information to be available to MapReduce and Pig, so Apache made a new project called HCatalog. The HCatalog is similar to a Hive server with enhancement, but can be used by many applications.
Hadoop allows users to store as much data as they want in whatever form needed, simply by adding more servers to Hadoop cluster. Each new server adds more storage and more processing power to the whole cluster. This makes data storage less costly compared to prior methods of storage. Hadoop uses a distributed file system as a storage method, which makes the data processing faster.
Hadoop also allows companies to store data as it comes in. This helps avoid spending money and time configuring data for relational databases and rigid tables. Thus, data can be stored much cheaply than RDBMS software.
“Now business can add more datasets to their collection,” Cutting told ReadWrite.com.
HADOOP: A solution for big data
Hope Austin Contributing Writer
Miller Nichols Library will undergo a second round of renovations beginning later this month.
The LaBudde Special Collections, currently located on the fourth floor, and the Marr Sound Archives on the ground floor will merge together.
“Frequently, collections that are given to the library include sound recordings that go to the Marr Sound Archives and paper-based materials that go to the LaBudde Special Collections, making it impossible to use all the materials together,” said Bonnie Postlethwaite, dean of libraries. “In the future, this will be possible.”
In addition to the merge, Special Collections will also have a new instruction room where rare materials can be displayed and used by students and faculty.
New exhibit spaces will be added to the third and fourth floor. The Dean’s Gallery will also move to the fourth floor, and will feature some student work.
“The view of the city is truly an inspirational space,” Postlethwaite said.
The Math and Science Tutoring Center on the third floor will be moved away from other study spaces, which Postlethwaite said she hopes will help with the noise concerns students have expressed.
The library also plans to replace the heating and cooling systems on the second and third floors to provide a more comfortable study space.
The book stacks, with the exclusion of the music and media libraries, will be located on one floor, making it faster and easier to locate books or browse a subject area.
At the end of the project, the ground floor is expected to have a technology-enhanced group study room.
The renovations are scheduled for completion by fall 2014.
More changes for Miller Nichols
Framework of HADOOP.
HADOOP, an open-source program, is used by many top companies.
Photo // Sumanth Koushik Kalli
Photo // Google
Monday October 21, 2013 | Issue 10 6
Jessica Turner Senior Beat Writer
Sustainability Team’s
accomplishments make UMKC
greener in more ways than one
The UMKC Sustainability Team added the 2013 Outstanding Recycling Program Award to its
collection of achievements at a conference hosted in Jefferson City this September. The honor was presented by the Missouri Recycling Association in partnership with the Composting and Organics Association of Missouri. UMKC Sustainability Coordinator Kaye Johnston and Building Services Manager Velda Robins accepted the award on behalf of the University.
The award complements a first-place ranking UMKC earned in the RecycleMania Tournament this year as a result of having an 86.02 percent recycling rate.
On Oct. 6, Johnston represented UMKC at the annual weekend-long expo held by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) in Nashville. The event provided an opportunity for participants to attend workshops, exchange presentations and plant trees.
But Johnston wants to make it clear that trees aren’t the only green resources being saved by UMKC’s sustainability initiatives. While the goals made for campus are beneficial to the environment, they’re also easy on the pocketbook. She considers it a priority to plan ahead and create long-term projects that will save the University—and the students—dollars in the long run.
“Generally, organizations — if
they start up a recycling program — can save 40 or 50 percent on the hard cost of what they’d pay for trash removal,” Johnston said.
The Sustainability Team has already taken the University’s trash bill from $170,000 — which is closer to $250,000 in today’s inflated currency— to under $90,000 annually.
“It’s not an option to cut the student experience,” Johnston said. “So you have to continually look at your operational processes. You continue to look at options to help you manage those processes
better and more efficiently. And sustainability’s part of that.”
UMKC acquired a Smith Electric Vehicle using the Sustainability Team’s grant funding.
“The truck you see running around with our logo? That came out of a partnership with Metropolitan Energy and the Clean Cities Group,” Johnston said. “We needed to replace a vehicle anyway, but we got into a partnership where $100,000 came from this initiative through federal funding, and we spent the $50,000 that we would have normally spent for another vehicle, and we got an electric plug-in vehicle.”
Johnston obtained her conservative mindset from her grandmother, who raised 10 kids during the Depression.
“You think she didn’t reuse everything?” Johnston asked. “I took a lot of this from her. A lot of this stuff is really not new.”
A lifelong advocate for the environment, Johnston participated in “earth days” at Volker Park with her children when they were younger. They contributed to paper drives and dropped off recycling with the Boy Scouts. Then she began volunteering for Bridging the Gap, a non-profit organization for environmental education.
Johnston’s “real job” involved a successful position in real estate management, but after her kids had grown, she left her career behind for something she found more fulfilling and meaningful.
“I decided that I wanted to do work that was passionate, that I could believe in [and] that would make the world a much better place for my grandkids and kids,” Johnston said.
She got to work writing grants for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Twin Stadiums, Starlight, Rockhurst University, Park University and Jackson County Parks and Recreation.
When she began at UMKC, the
Sustainability Initiative consisted of three people. By the time it officially launched in 2005, there were 53 people on the team. In addition to sustainability coordinating, Johnston is also a UMKC graduate student in geosciences and public administration and a National Campus and University Recycling Coalition board member.
“We’ve added battery recycling [and] toner recycling,” Johnston said. “We have 43 items that we recycle now.”
UMKC has also been named a Sierra Club Top 100 Cool School. The AASHE ranks colleges based on its Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System, or STARS, which consists of four levels—reporter, bronze, silver, and gold. UMKC has a silver rating.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) regards certain buildings as examples of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED. But specific criteria must be met before a building is considered satisfactory by LEED standards.
When Johnston was on the Sustainability Committee for the planning of the Student Union, she and those involved in the Student Government Association were hoping it would qualify as a “basic” LEED building.
“It ended up being — I can’t believe it — a LEED silver building,” Johnston said. “Isn’t that amazing?”
When requirements are submitted for particular structures, the USGBC plugs those details into a program that reveals how many “credits” it has earned. Now the Student Union is a LEED gold building.
“Johnson Hall was brought up to a LEED building,” Johnston said. “And we’ve got Miller-Nichols at LEED standards.”
The new Bloch Building hasn’t been rated, but it’s possible that it will be ranked at a platinum level.
These buildings didn’t receive rankings simply by having recycling bins. When Johnston committed to the sustainability efforts at UMKC,
she did not imagine an eternity of recycling management. In 2007, she sat down with Associate Vice Chancellor Bob Simmons, who was then over Campus Facilities Management, and shared with him her vision of the future. She was proud of the recycling program, but Johnston also wanted to incorporate other initiatives.
“Just don’t let me get in your way,” Simmons told her.
And she didn’t.
There’s much more to
sustainability than just recycling
To date, the UMKC Sustainability Team has received about $500,000 in grant funding, and those dollars have been put toward a wide range of projects. Some of them include energy conservation, recycling, peer-to-peer education, waste reduction, a bicycle program, bus passes, composting, purchasing local food and solar panels.
“It’s a wide variety of things, but that’s what sustainability is,” Johnston said. “It’s very interdisciplinary. There are a whole lot of components, but there are a lot of really cool things that go into making it happen. And that comes from our upper-level administration and management. Without the buy-in of being sustainable on this campus at those high levels, none of this would happen.”
Johnston considers the Sustainability Team a large grassroots group. She pointed out that faculty, staff and students are all factors in the success of the program.
“I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to have my boss be supportive,” Johnston said, “and to have his boss be supportive, [and] to have the Chancellor be supportive, all the way up to Tim Wolfe and the curators. They’re all very receptive. And it’s not so much about everybody being tree huggers. It’s about doing the right thing and being a steward with the monies that we get from the state and the students.”
She explained that sustainability development reinforces the University’s mission to have a world-class educational experience, creating the best possible future for its students.
“Honestly, if you boil sustainability down, it’s about quality of life,”
Johnston said. “It’s about being able to breathe, drink clean water [and] have good local food. So it’s pretty natural that UMKC is on board with all of this. My job is to think forward from where we are now, and continue to push it.”
UMKC has taken the movement beyond recycling in several ways. For example, the Sustainability Team has created alliances with several other organizations.
“We’ve got great partners,” Johnston said. “Sodexo’s a great partner on campus. Believe it or not, they have come around. They’ve got a great sustainability mission nationally, and we’ve worked with them.”
Dining Services by Sodexo uses cage-free eggs. They have eliminated trays to reduce waste. They use compostable straws. Upon the phasing out of the current
inventory of supplies, they have made a commitment not to purchase Styrofoam in the future. They also use bulk condiments.
Many of the efforts are made behind the scenes. For example, many students may not even realize that more than 50 percent of what Sodexo serves them comes from local farmers.
It began more than five years ago, when Johnston and Sodexo met with Diana Endicott of Good Natured Family Farms.
“Well, Sodexo is a large corporate entity,” Johnston said. “To make it affordable for [students] to buy food, they go through a main supplier called Cisco. They have to buy so much, according to corporate goals, with that provider because there’s a contract. So, you know what we did? We plugged in Good Natured Family Farms to Cisco, so now they’re with Cisco, and now we can buy local stuff [in the required quantities].”
The chefs at Dining Services have
Blue and Yellow make Green: UMKC
Peer-to-Peer education about recycling, composting, and trash is important to the UMKC Sustainability Team.
Recycling spaces on campus are labeled to make it easier for students to ‘do the right thing.’
Trash barrels are located along pedestrian walkways between Durwood Stadium and Swinney Recreation Center.
Recycling for Parking Operations is a work in progress.
The Student Union has moved up to a LEED Gold Rating by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Photo // Jessica Turner
Photo // Jessica Turner
Photo // Jessica Turner
Photo // Jessica Turner
Photo // Jessica Turner
extends efforts for a sustainable campus
Monday October 21, 2013 | Issue 10 7
learned to plan seasonal menus, and have accepted the fact that foods like fresh green peppers and tomatoes may not be available year-round.
Dining Services also composts all organic materials. In Johnston’s ideal world, everything would be compostable.
“They’ve been able to do a really good job,” Johnston said. “But we get a little bit more complicated when we get into Einstein’s or Chick-fil-A, where you have individual condiments.”
When closely considering Chick-fil-A’s presence on UMKC’s campus, one may encounter a certain degree of irony. Why does a university that prides itself on being environmentally conscious feature an anti-LGBT, Styrofoam-using eatery in one of its most modern, silver-rated buildings? The answer can be found in the student voice at the time.
“Students voted for it to be there to begin with,” Johnston said. “That’s the only reason they’re there.”
Before the Student Union was built, surveys went out to students, asking them about dining choices they would like to see on campus. Chick-fil-A, Baja Fresh and Jazzman’s are all results of those surveys.
Because Johnston works with other leading universities throughout
the nation, she has heard that it is possible to make a contractual agreement with Chick-fil-A, preventing them from using single-serve condiments and Styrofoam.
“Now, I haven’t seen it myself,” Johnston said. “But I’ve got hope that we’ll move in that direction.”
Going beyond recycling in another area, UMKC implemented its Clean Commute program, which is part of a multimodal transportation system on campus. Students have the option to borrow one of the program’s 50 bicycles, available for the duration of a semester. Funding for the project was provided by another partner, the Missouri Department of Transportation.
The Sustainability Team also encourages commuters to take advantage of the bus system. The Kansas City Transportation Authority has contributed to UMKC’s efforts to provide low-cost bus passes for students.
“When the students came together and decided they wanted to get the bus pass, I was very supportive of that,” Johnston said. “For an individual to go to KCATA and get an all-access bus pass, it’s 50 bucks a month. For a student, it’s $14 a semester.”
On Oct. 8, the Student Environmental Coalition (SEC) held a meeting about the organization’s plans and goals for the semester.
“I was personally very proud of how many folks at today’s meeting rode the bus,” senior John MacBride said.
An environmental science major involved with the SEC, MacBride confirmed that the group is enthusiastic about activities such as trash pickup and river clean-up.
“The SEC this semester is really gearing towards service volunteerism,” MacBride said. “We talked today about doing things like touring an urban farm, possibly working with the on-campus Garden Collective, recyclable sorting and data collection. We might also look into doing the Adopt-A-Street, which is a great way to raise community awareness about UMKC and our enviro-minded students.”
It takes a village to save the planet
UMKC has been working with the Environmental Protection Agency since January, and Johnston works with students and organizations on campus to keep the initiatives moving forward. She works with groups like Enactus, the Garden Collective and the SEC. She serves as a support mechanism for any
green idea that is brought to her attention. Johnston occasionally presents material as a guest lecturer in different courses, encouraging all students to get involved in the sustainability movement.
“I’ve always worked with the students on campus,” Johnston said. “I had a group of students that did a full environmental initiative of awareness over at Bloch, which helped spike their recycling. It really helped people understand that this is something students want.”
This year, UMKC has been selected as one of eight universities in the nation to participate in the Food Waste Challenge to reduce food waste. In June, the Department of Agriculture and the EPA initiated the Food Waste Challenge to change the fact that 30 to 40 percent of American food goes to waste.
“Without the involvement of everybody — and I mean, literally, everyone on this campus — none of these things would happen,” Johnston said. “And none of them would happen to the degree that they do. It’s about all of us working together.”
There are a few locations throughout campus that are still working toward increased progress. In a recent survey conducted by U-News, students commented about the lack of recycling in the parking garages and at sporting events.
They also had concerns about the system of hazardous waste disposal in the School of Medicine, and the manner in which Campus Facilities Management maintains the grounds.
“We have considered placing recycling receptacles in the parking garages before, but have really done little research regarding the practicality at this time,” Parking Operations Manager Michelle Cone said. “But we are certainly open to the possibility of making this happen.”
Robins reached out to Cone in an attempt to remedy the lack of recycling in UMKC’s parking garages.
“She offered to place several recycling bins in the Cherry Street parking structure as a test program to see if they will be beneficial,” Cone said. “There will be three bins, one at the Oak Street exit, and one by each pedestrian walkway.”
The time frame for the test project is still unclear, but students are encouraged to use the test bins as often as possible upon their arrival. According to Cone, if students take advantage of them, bins are likely to appear in other parking structures.
Johnston commended Parking Operations for the efforts they have made.
“We’ve got electric plug-ins, so we’ve gone multimodal,” Johnston said. “There’s a lot Parking has done, but the next step for them would be to get recycling in those areas. But again, students need to speak up.”
Cone agreed that student voices make a difference.
“Student support of any program at UMKC is always important,” Cone said. “I cannot imagine you will find many individuals on campus who do not find sustainability to be an important issue, and Parking Operations is no exception.”
According to Director of
Recreational Services and Facilities Marsha Pirtle, Swinney Recreation Center is no exception, either. At the men’s soccer Founders’ Weekgame this month, there were no recycling bins to be found at Durwood, and Pirtle intends to address the issue
with the athletics department.“I don’t think it’s something that
they would actually probably think about unless someone brought it to their attention,” Pirtle said. “When recycling got started on campus, they went around and put recycling in all of the buildings, but the stadium didn’t exist at that time. I think the easiest [method] is probably just for us to … partner with athletics and buy our own recycling bins that would just stay there permanently.”
Pirtle meets with Interim Director of Athletics Carla Wilson on a weekly basis, and has added the concern to her list of topics to be discussed.
“I’m sure we’ll have some recycling bins here very quickly,” Pirtle said.
In the meantime, Swinney Recreation Center is home to the Clean Commute Bicycle Program, and does have a recycling bin that it
uses for events and intramurals.“I have tried to engage [Swinney]
in the Annual Game Day Recycling Challenge,” Johnston said. “This challenge is similar to RecyleMania in that the effort provides resources
for campuses that sign up to participate.”
One survey respondent expressed a concern about the process of disposing hazardous waste after visiting the School of Medicine last semester for coursework.
The administrative chief of staff at the School of Medicine, Melvin Davis, recalled when students from a waste management class visited the medical school several months ago.
“We certainly take any of these concerns very seriously,” Davis said.
Davis confirmed that the School of Medicine conducts training sessions on proper disposal of biological hazards and sharp items. A vendor collects biohazard bins for disposal on a weekly basis.
“I think we’re really on track in doing those things the way they’re
UMKC was represented at the AASHE Expo in Nashville during the weekend of Oct. 6.
Recycling for Parking Operations is a work in progress.
Sustainability Coordinator Kaye Johnston and Building Services Manager Velda Robins accepted the 2013 Outstanding Recycling Program Award at the MORA/COAM Convention in Jefferson City in September.
The UMKC Garden Collective is one of the organizations on campus that shares the UMKC Sustainability Team’s vision. Photo // James Mitchell
Photo // UMKC Sustainability Team
Photo // Jessica Turner
Photo // UMKC Sustainability Team
Continued on page 8
extends efforts for a sustainable campus
supposed to be done,” Davis said. “For the most part, everybody is compliant in disposing of certain materials in the manner that we have designated by policy for them to be disposed of. Almost exclusively, anything that [medical students] have is disposed of in the hospital where they work.”
Davis explained that occasionally a student will accidentally leave a syringe in their white coat pocket after leaving the hospital.
“We make sure that students don’t put those types of things in the trash when they get here,” Davis said. “We’ve been highly successful with that.”
Another survey respondent indicated that UMKC Landscape and Grounds used inefficient means to maintain organic debris on campus, adding that “the waste would have been great to add to the compost pile at the Student Garden.”
Director of Facilities Operations Randy Shingleton discussed the issue with Campus Landscape and Grounds Supervisor Steve Jenks.
“Leaf blowers are used after mowing to get grass and leaves off of the sidewalks and walkways as soon as possible so they aren’t tracked into the buildings,” Shingleton said.
He explained that riding lawn mowers are used extensively to mulch grass and leaf clippings back to the turf, and that bagged clippings are brought back to the yard and recycled through a vendor
to mulch and compost for reuse by his department.
“We try to be as productive as we can with the limited resources we have,” Shingleton said.
Survey comments varied. One respondent said that “UMKC has proved that it is committed to sustainability efforts. ” Another said that it “depends on the department.” Another said that “groups related to general topics like the environment just don’t get a lot of student support.”
Johnston verified that although she is overwhelmed by the efforts of everyone on campus, there are still several things that can be done to increase the rate of progress. She calls it a “Kaye dream,” but has hopes for implementing a Bike-Pedestrian Master Plan one day, and even creating a bike lane on Rockhill Road or Troost Avenue.
UMKC falls short when it
comes to the one thing considered standard at other
universitiesA 2009 New York Times article
stated that “college students often protest when administrators threaten to raise their fees. But rising numbers of students seem willing
to self-impose a ‘green’ fee, to help the environment and purchase renewable energy.”
UMKC has no such fee and, according to the AASHE’s list of universities that do, it usually only amounts to around $3 to $5 a semester. Many surrounding universities have a student fee for environmental purposes, including MU and KU, but those are larger schools with more resources than UMKC.
Johnson County Community College, however, makes about $440,000 annually from sustainability efforts.
“It’s complicated,” Johnston said. “Because we’ve raised student fees and tuition, the leadership over student life is not [expecting] to raise again, unless there is a swell of students from the SGA and other organizations and individuals who come forward and lift that issue up.”
With continually decreasing money from the state combined with more budget cuts every year, the UMKC Sustainability Team would benefit immensely from a nominal student fee.
One survey respondent confirmed that they would like to see more information about proper recycling on campus.
“We want to find ways to raise community awareness about UMKC specifically, and the surrounding area,” MacBride said.
One means to see an increased level of activity in UMKC’s already impressive sustainability efforts would be to join other leading universities and add a green fee. Another option would be to replace one of the preexisting fees on the tuition bill students receive.
Last November, in response to UMKC’s silver STARS rating from AASHE, Chancellor Leo Morton wrote the organization a letter, stating that “we look forward to our continued partnership with AASHE as we strive towards a more sustainable future.”
But how many UMKC students truly strive?
“We’ve got a long way to go,” Johnston said. “And if you look at where we’ve been, we’ve really come a long way, but there’s so much more that needs to be done. I think we are doing well for a Midwest urban university with limited state funding. One of the things that happen in our society is that we become very apathetic, and feel like nothing we do matters. But if we all do a little, we all do a lot. So what can students do today?”
Johnston provides tips for students to make UMKC more
sustainable 1. “Every single time that
you touch anything in your life — most everything you throw away, you’ve purchased before you throw it away — look at it,
and vote with your dollars. What dollars you have, vote with those.”
2. “You have the opportunity to throw some things in the trash, some things in compost [and] some things in recycling. Do the right thing. Take a moment. Before I even get up, I take my tray and put things in little piles, and then I go over and I put them in each [container].”
3. “We try to have peer-to-peer educators. If [you] see that there’s an issue with people not using the right recycling bins … speak up to folks and just share how to do that. If [you] want to come to my office and … put together a group of students who
— on lunch, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on certain days of the week — help people, I’ll give you whatever you need. I’ll give you handouts, tools, even some giveaways, if you want to give folks who do the right thing something to remember it.”
4. “If students have a project, I offer the opportunity to work with them and their advising professors on an internship and help them do something that is passionate for them.”
5. “The thing [you] can most effectively do is talk. Become involved in the community garden. Being involved in these student organizations is a huge thing, and keeps sustainability initiatives and efforts out in the front. Students need to have more of a voice about it. The student voice is huge in making this continue. If it bothers you, don’t just tell your friends. Go and express it, because as staff and faculty, we’re here to serve the students. And if enough students speak out, it works. We’re in a good place now, but unless students keep pushing it, it’s not going to happen.”
6. “You can take the pledge for energy [at http://info.umkc.edu/sustainability/tool/]. We’re really going to be pushing this voluntary energy management. It has the potential to save us $500,000 a year. Turn off your monitor. Turn off your lights.
In the dorm you could do that. I know how expensive it is to live on campus. So what can you do to help that? Be conscious.”
7. “Start petitions and get signatures and ID numbers or email addresses” and present them to the SGA if there is a change that should be implemented.
In addition, the Missouri Energy Initiative is now accepting applications for student teams to participate in the Missouri Clean Energy Challenge Workshop at the UMKC Henry W. Bloch Executive Hall. Registration ends Dec. 1, and more information can be found at http://www.
thecleanenergyexchange.org. Participants can win $10,000 in Missouri and $100,000 regionally and receive mentoring from experts from around the region.
Historically, UMKC students have experienced a boost in green behaviors during RecyleMania, which begins in January and for America Recycles Day on Nov. 15. Although it is expected to see increased interest during those occasions, the UMKC Sustainability Team welcomes and encourages students to start right away.
Johnston reiterated that progress cannot be achieved by one, but only by many united together for the common cause.
“I don’t do anything by myself,” Johnston said. “It’s a collaborative effort with everyone involved. If it weren’t for the support from the top and the support from the bottom — and the support that we’ve had from students over the years — we wouldn’t have anything.”
An individual all-access bus pass through KCATA costs $50/month, but for UMKC students, it costs $14/semester.
Sustainability Coordinator Kaye Johnston and Building Services Manager Velda Robins accepted the 2013 Outstanding Recycling Program Award at the MORA/COAM Convention in Jefferson City in September.
UMKC used grant funding for a Smith Electric plug-in vehicle.
Continued from page 7:UMKC’s sustainability initiative
Photo // UMKC Sustainability Team
Photo // UMKC Sustainability Team
Photo // UMKC Sustainability Team
Monday October 21, 2013 | Issue 10 8
Monday October 21, 2013 | Issue 10 9
Lindsay Adams Senior Beat Writer
Students tend to turn to fast food for quick hunger fixes. While it is healthiest to cook and eat at home, this takes time. In the case of fast food, meals tend to be higher in fat and calories. However, it is possible to dine out and still choose a healthy option.
The trick to eating right while going out is to be familiar with the menu’s nutritional information. Always check the nutrition guides most fast food restaurants provide online or next to items on the menu. Even if the food is low in calories, sometimes it will be high in sodium. The American Heart Association recommends adults consume less than two grams of trans fat per day, but a Double Whopper with cheese, an order of fries and drink from Burger King contains more than four grams.
Often if ordering a sandwich, upsizing the order and adding fries or a drink costs little extra, but resist the urge. Fries add 300-700 calories to a meal, depending on portion size. Liquids also add many calories for very little nutritional benefit. It is best to order water, which will save money and is substantially healthier than most fast food drink options.
McDonald’s Southwest salad is a healthier choice than fatty burgers and salty chicken sandwiches. The salad comes with mixed greens, black beans, corn, cheese and tortilla strips. To keep it extra-light, hold the chicken and get one of McDonald’s low-fat dressings instead of the Southwest dressing.
Without chicken, the salad is only 140 calories with six grams of protein. Even with grilled chicken, this salad is under 300 calories.
From KFC, order the grilled chicken breast with whipped potatoes and corn on the cob. Enjoy some comfort food without packing on the pounds by using KFC’s meal deal, which comes with a piece of chicken and two sides. The grilled chicken breast and the sides offer plenty of protein at 41 grams with only 430 calories.
At Chipotle, order the salad with barbacoa, black beans and tomato salsa. Chipotle keeps genetically modified ingredients off the menu, which is a huge step up when it comes to nutrition. The salad only has 320 calories with a whopping 33 grams of protein.
At Burger King, order the hamburger and value-size unsalted french fries. If craving a burger and fries, get the basic hamburger without mayo and with extra lettuce and tomato to get a better serving of vegetables. The meal is only 480 calories and 14 grams of protein. Get the french fries unsalted and save 100mg of sodium.
From Panera, order the half-smoked turkey breast on artisan whole grain loaf plus low-fat garden vegetable with pesto soup. The You Pick Two menu is both inexpensive and healthy, if ordering right. The turkey sandwich and vegetable soup is only 320 calories with 19 grams of protein.
Lindsay Adams Senior Beat Writer
With chilly weather coming, it is time to start cooking the staple meal of any chilly autumn day: a warm and filling soup. This soup is not too heavy, but is filled with protein and can be made into a vegetarian meal with the substitution of vegetable broth. The recipe has a little kick, but if not spicy enough, a spoonful of Sriracha sauce will give it more of a punch. The recipe yields three servings of about 2 1/2 cups each. Each serving is only 220 calories and is packed with 17 grams of protein.
Ingredients1 (14-ounce) package firm water-
packed tofu, drained1 3/4 cups water, divided1 (1/2-ounce) package dried
shiitake mushroom caps4 cups fat-free, less-sodium
chicken broth (can substitute vegetable broth for a vegetarian option)
1/4 cup white vinegar2 tablespoons less-sodium soy
sauce1 tablespoon finely chopped,
peeled fresh ginger2 teaspoons sugar3/4 teaspoon white pepper3 finely sliced green onions (cut
up the white onion and the green leafy part)
1 garlic clove, minced finely2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch1/2 cup canned sliced bamboo
shoots, drained and cut into julienne strips
1 large egg, lightly beaten
PreparationTo drain the tofu, place it on
several layers of paper towels. Cover the tofu with several more layers of paper towels, then place a cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan or object on top of the tofu. Let stand 30 minutes. Discard the paper towels, and then cut the drained tofu into 1--inch or smaller cubes.
Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan, and then remove from heat. Stir in the mushrooms and let stand 30 minutes. Stir in broth, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, sugar, white pepper, green onions and garlic and bring them to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine remaining 1/4 cup water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture, tofu and bamboo shoots into broth mixture; bring to a boil. Cook one minute, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat. Slowly drizzle the beaten egg into the broth mixture. Do not stir the soup. Instead, place the pan over low heat, cook one minute and then stir soup gently to combine. Garnish with any extra green onion slices.
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/hot-sour-soup-with-tofu-10000001973614/
Health Recipe: Hot and Sour soup with tofu
Health Journal:Fast Food the healthy way
Illustration // Joey Hill
Matt Melson Broadcast Assistant
The Kansas City Chiefs remain undefeated this season with a 7-0 record. The team has already tripled its number of wins from last season.
Credit for the team’s great start should be given to the Chiefs’ defense. The Chiefs are currently ranked No. 1 in the NFL in both points allowed per game and in sacks, 10.8 and 30.0, respectively. The team is also tied for No. 2 in interceptions, with 10 so far.
Individual players deserve credit for the team’s undefeated record. Linebacker Justin Houston is ranked No. 2 in the NFL with 9.5 sacks. Safety Quintin Demps is tied for sixth in the league with three interceptions, and linebacker Tamba Hali is tied for fourth in the league in
forced fumbles. Offense has also aided the team’s
progress. The Chiefs have been known for their rushing game and have not disappointed this year. Jamaal Charles is ranked sixth in the league in rushing with 475 yards.
Head Coach Andy Reid deserves the most credit. Changing the iconic Chiefs offense from a rushing-heavy franchise to one with moderate passing and rushing has been a necessary change for the Chiefs to truly compete in the league.
Kansas City may witness the Chiefs receive glory if the winning streak continues. Many sports commentators and analysts are pegging the Chiefs as the only team to be able to take down the Denver Broncos later this season.
All hail the Chiefs
Dan Moreno Senior Beat Writer
The Cross Country team had a successful appearance at the ISU Pre-Nationals Oct. 20 in Terre Haute, Ind., led by junior Courtney Frerichs.
Frerichs continues to impress as she finished fourth in the 6K White Race of the Indiana State Pre-Nationals Invitational and lead the Roos by crossing the line with a time of 20:46.24.
The junior from Nixa, Mo., has been named the WAC Athlete of the Week twice this season after her performances at the Notre Dame Invitational and the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational, where she finished first in both races.
On the other hand, the men’s team was led by Taylor Wardall who finished 22nd with a time of 25:27.47 followed by freshman Bryce Miller who finished 26th with a time of 25:34.22.
The Kangaroos will now head to the Western Athletic Conference Championship in Seattle, Wash., on Nov. 2.
Cross Country shines at ISU Pre-Nationals
Cross country off to a good start.
Photo // Matt Cook
Photo // UMKC Athletics
Jamaal Charles is ranked 6th in the NFL in rushing yards.
Photo // Fox Sports
Dan Moreno Senior Beat Writer
The Kangaroos successfully defeated both Air Force and Grand Canyon University in crucial conference matches last weekend.
The Roos won 2-1 against Air Force on Oct. 18 for their first home win of the season. It was a great night for junior Tato Chiaparro who had one goal and one assist.
The low temperature did not keep either team from playing a good game. The first goal was scored in the 21st minute when Chiaparro put the ball in the top right corner with an assist from senior Guerrero Pino.
In the 61st minute Air Force striker Matt Payne scored with an equalizer that UMKC’s goalkeeper Chris McGaughey was unable to save.
The Roos answered quickly as junior Jordan Rideout scored, putting them ahead 2-1.
This was Rideout’s sixth goal of the season and his 20th goal as a Kangaroo.
Sunday afternoon the Roos took on the Grand Canyon ‘Lopes and extended their unbeaten streak to four games. The final score was 2-0.
After a scoreless first half, Coach Benben’s team found the back of the net in the 71st minute. Freshman Clay Stewart crossed a ball to senior striker Alioune Gueye. Gueye then scored his first goal of the season and his UMKC career.
The ‘Lopes put pressure on the Kangaroos but were unable to tie the game. Senior midfielder Tom
McCarthy increased the lead when he shot a ball to the bottom left corner and scored his first goal of the season in the 82nd minute assisted by Chiaparro.
UMKC now stands with an overall record of 4-5-4, 3-1 WAC. Next up, they’ll head to “Sin City” this weekend to face UNLV in Las Vegas, Nev. Two days later, they’ll head to Bakersfield Calif., to face the Roadrunners.
Double Conference Wins for Men’s Soccer Team
Photo // Matt Cook
Monday October 21, 2013 | Issue 10 10
Lindsay Adams Senior Beat Writer
“Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker”, currently running at the Coterie, is filled with thrills galore thanks to a phenomenal performance by Zachary Andrews, a graduate of UMKC’s Acting MFA Program, and fresh, inventive direction from Jeff Church. The attention to detail and mood is exquisite. Andrews starts the show playing a keyboard made to sound like an organ to the side of the stage as a speech about turning off phones and recording devices opened the show. The set-up transitioned the audience into the strange and unfamiliar world of monster-infested Transylvania and Victorian England.
In the one-man show, Andrews plays Count Dracula as well as his many victims. The most prevalent role, which also functions as the narrator of the piece, is that of Jonathan Harker, a young solicitor who travels on business to Transylvania to aid a rich client, Dracula. Harker’s entire world is threatened by his encounter with the vampire. The play moves around the globe from Transylvania to England and features a variety of characters Andrews embodies from Mina Harker, Jonathan’s wife, to mental patient Renfield and Van Helsing, a hunter of the supernatural.
The show is dealing with a story that is both very well known and not known at all. The original story of Dracula, written by Bram Stoker, is vaguely familiar and viewers have been inundated with vampirism in media, but the actual plot is not particularly known. The show did a great job of condensing the plot and the characters to their most basic functions, while reserving the truth of the novel.
Church’s decision to revamp the show allowed it to elevate from its well-trod story by blending energetic physicality with the very high-brow language of its narrator. With monkey bars and acrobatic rings set up around the stage, one knows that this is not going to be any traditional theatre experience. The thin fence surrounding the main playing space cleverly heightens the sense of panic and claustrophobia Harker feels as he starts to recognize that he is trapped.
The show accepts and revels in its own theatricality without succumbing to it. The gymnastics didn’t detract from the story being told nor turn it into a circus. Instead Church uses it as a chance to play with traditional perceptions and angles, having Jonathan Harker crawl horizontally on top of the monkey bars set up near the top of the playing space to represent him climbing up a cliff.
Yet, all of this would have been for nothing, if Andrews, who holds the whole show on his shoulders, had not delivered such a powerful performance.
Although Jonathon Harker is the lead role of the novel and this play adaptation, he tends to be overshadowed by the titular monster. However, Andrews makes
Harker human and accessible, and most importantly keeps the audience rooting for him despite Harker’s hopeless naivety.
Andrews’s performance of Dracula also does not falter even in comparison to the greats who have played this role in the past. A crowning achievement is the characterization of the tormented and insane Renfield. Almost feral, Andrews’s madman captures the audience’s pity and disgust, but above all it’s interest, causing a yearning for more of the character.
While the story can often get bogged down in its narration, Andrews is a natural storyteller whose enthusiasm infuses the long monologues. Andrews’s alacrity and athleticism also serves him well as he spends much of the show climbing about the set. He shows off with incredible vocal and physical gymnastics, not only flitting from character to character but from monkey bar to monkey bar.
He not only builds 10 different characters, but he also builds the spaces that contain them, creating doors and windows where physically there are none. Never does it come off as cheap mime or mimicry, but works as a transformation of himself and the set. His feats of physical strength and gymnastics include nimbly walking along the top of a rickety fence and hanging upside down while performing lines.
Andrews sported an anachronistic costume throughout the show, bringing to mind glam rockers of the ‘80s, which gives a nice punk attitude to liven up the play. The costume has personality but is flexible enough that it works for all the different characters Andrews has to play. The only other costume piece is a white scarf used in two very different ways for two characters. This minimalism is to be commended. Anything more would have seemed superfluous and extravagant.
The proper atmosphere can ensure either the success or the failure of this show, and the production elements worked cohesively to create the dark and angst-ridden mood of the piece. Tattered curtains hanging across the back were lit and projected upon to great effect, and the emotional scheme of the lighting was phenomenal. The show builds a sense of dread while nodding to the melodrama and dated ridiculousness of the story itself. “Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker” is a not-to-be missed theatrical experience. For more information and to buy tickets go to http://thecoterie.org/.
‘Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker’ entrances at the Coterie
Andrews sported an anachronistc costume throughout the show. “Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker” premiered at the Coterie.
Above: Andrews plays Dracula as well as his victims. Right: Monkey bars were set around the stage.
Photo // Zachary Andrews Photo // Zachary Andrews
Photo // Zachary Andrews
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Lindsay Adams Senior Beat Writer
“Big Love” takes a Greek tale about the lives of 50 women who are forced by contract to marry their 50 cousins. The women flee and seek refuge in a villa on the coast of Italy. The UMKC theatre is probably attempting a repeat of funny and anachronistic “The Comedy of Asses” from last year, but “Big Love” doesn’t achieve the balance of the previous show.
The three main wives, Thyona (Jessica Jensen), Lydia (Emily Phillips) and Olympia (Nicole Greenberg) flee and are taken in by Piero (Nick Papamihalakis) who walks around with a glass of red wine the whole show for some unknown reason. A relative of his, Guiliano, (Vincent Wagner) helps take care of the girls. They are chased by their would-be grooms Nikos (Spencer Christiensen), Constantine (Jamie DuFault) and Oed (Joseph Fournier). Completely random and pointless scenes ensue.
Honestly, it felt as if the show was playing a practical joke on its audience. It was discombobulating and disingenuous, but above all badly done. Audience members are left to scratch their heads and try to create some sort of meaning in a show that apparently has none. It is not a satire or absurdist theatre, as it is not funny or intelligent. Regardless of the program’s note on it being an ‘epic,’ it is not in any form. Charles Mee, the playwright, updated the language to be contemporary using modern references, but the dialogue is often awkwardly stilted. Many of the perspectives held by the characters do not even make sense from a modern point of view.
The leader of the women, Thyona, is set up as an extremist, and as the show begins she is positioned to seem overly aggressive and misandristic. However, once she actually initiates what she wants the conversation between the men
and women to be about and how she wants things to turn out, she actually becomes a voice of reason in the play. She makes more sense than most of the other characters, yet is treated like an extremist by everyone in the show. The sheer sexism of some of the lines and characters is to be expected in a show set in Ancient Greece, but since this rendition is supposed to be modernized, it doesn’t feel as if the show is critiquing the presence of misogyny . It is just highly uncomfortable. Interestingly enough, the depictions of both of the genders are stereotypical and awful, acting as if all men as a group can be defined as one thing and all women as a group can be defined as another
thing. There are some brief blessed
moments that give a glimpse of what the show could have been, but the interpersonal conflict that should have been the heart of the play is barely shown. The show also features one of the most disturbing, horrific and confusing theatre sequences of recent memory. It is difficult to tell whether it was the script or the direction. After being fraught with problems and inconsistencies, it proceeds to take out a sledgehammer and slam the show’s “message” over the audience’s heads at the very end. The last 15 minutes of the show try to create a conflict where there is very little time for the grand finish,
leaving audience members restless.The actors for the most part did
what they could, but even they couldn’t save this clunker and one can feel their desperation. Some of the actors should receive a medal just for getting through some of the abominably bad dialogue. Credit should be given to Spencer Christiensen, Jamie Dufault and Vincent Wagner who really elevate the material as best they can. Wagner’s rendition of “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” was probably the highlight of the entire evening, even though that again showed a lack of cohesion. His song was randomly thrown into the play with no explanation and no song
later to even it out. The play felt deflated with line
cues dragging and continuously low energy. The attempts to mimic a Greek chorus end up with three women trying to shout over each other while throwing themselves onto the ground without good synchronization for an extended amount of time. The pacing of the entire show was awkward and unfortunately boring.
From the script to some extremely questionable directing choices, the show was uneven and painful. “Big Love” does not deserve the audience’s love.
Monday October 21, 2013 | Issue 10 11
‘Big Love’ is a big disappointment
‘Big Love,’ a Greek tale set in Italy. Photo// Brian Paulette
UPCOMING EVENT:Oct. 28 in the Student Union
Carving begins
at 7 p.m
Monday October 21, 2013 | Issue 10 12
Erin Melrose Broadcast Assistant
After 21 years in the making, Tropfest has become one of the largest worldwide short film festivals. Having recently expanded to the United States, emerging filmmakers are given an outlet to showcase their creative efforts in New York and Las Vegas. Thousands of people come together to watch and celebrate as a panel of actors, and filmmakers judge the films and award a winner with a $20,000 prize. Each film entry is featured on the Tropfest website, further expanding the global phenomenon and allowing visitors to determine their own winner.
http://tropfest.com
Make sure to check out ‘When the World is Done With you’ on the Tropfest website.
Photo //tropfest.com
Study Blue gives students the ability to interact with other students.
Photo // studyblue.com
Quirky artwork brings personality to Grantland features.
Photo //grantland.com
Scott McClanahan discusses his book ‘Crapalachia,’ love & tenderness, and the exhilaration behind dirty
jeans.
Photo //airshipdaily.com
Bradbury believed “the intuitive mind is what drives great writing.”
Photo // brainpickings.org
Website Reviews:Tropfest
The AirshipBlack Balloon Publications delivers a well-
curated blog that caters to the literature, art, and culture admirer. Writers dissect projects like the highly anticipated indie film, Escape From Tomorrow and offer insight behind the hype. Along with a vast influx of reviews, the Airship is constantly recommending good reads and giving voice to the underground artist. Leaving an open door to innovation, the team also welcomes writing submissions by its readers.
http://airshipdaily.com
Bill Simmons and his team of quirky writers feature articles that break down the latest happenings in sports and pop culture. The seemingly interesting combination features headlines such as “Lena Dunham’s tough direction on the HBO series ‘Girls’” and “How the West Was Won - NHL style.” Partnering with ESPN, Grantland offers a refreshing alternative to all sports fanatics. Visitors can also stay plugged in with a variety of weekly podcasts and videos.
http://www.grantland.com
Brain PickingsThe self-proclaimed “interestingness hunter-
gatherer,” Maria Popova spearheads this discovery engine. Headlines and stories deliver insightful information that readers can simply stumble upon when scrolling through the site. Content varies from educational to cultural, creating a constant platform for curiosity. The latest update featured a piece on Ray Bradbury’s take on why list making enhances creativity. A true hidden gem, Brain Pickings brings a rejuvenated face to online resources.
http://www.brainpickings.org
StudyBlueThis communal website has created
a hub for students around the world to create and share notes, flash cards and review sheets. Starting with a search by university, categories are then narrowed down to the exact course number with an array of study tools. From this point, students are given several options based on shared content as to what is useful for their study needs. Students can also interact by uploading personal study methods or be the first to create a subject if it’s not already offered.
http://www.studyblue.com
Grantland
Lindsay Nelson Broadcast Assitant
Panic! At The Disco released its fourth album titled “Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die” on Oct. 8. Band veterans Brendon Urie (lead vocalist, guitarist and pianist) and Spencer Smith (drummer) recruited counterpart Dallon Weeks (bassist) in preparation for the album debut. With a new image and a new sound, this band is clearly ready to be mainstreamed again—and rightfully so.
The first single “Miss Jackson,” features female artist LOLO. The song sounds eerily similar to “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark” by Fall Out Boy. The chanting and percussion, the vocals leading into each chorus and the overall structure of the two songs complement each other in nearly every aspect. Urie is a good friend of Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy), so perhaps they collaborated on the singles for the two bands. The lyrics, however, do provide a contrast. The chorus of this song asks repeatedly, “Miss Jackson, are you nasty?”
The track “This Is Gospel” has the potential to be Panic! At The Disco’s greatest song to date. Urie sings all the verses in his soothing lower register, saving his dynamic higher register to send the chorus soaring. The lyrics are exquisite—phrases like “This is gospel for the fallen ones…assembling their philosophies from pieces of broken memories,”
and “The gnashing teeth and criminal tongues conspire against the odds, but they haven’t seen the best of us yet.” The song ends with the syncopated rhythm of a heartbeat fading into silence.
The second most addictive track on the album is, ironically, “Nicotine.” A soft series of synthetic chimes open the song before a guitar riff breaks in. This pattern reoccurs throughout the duration of the song. It is Urie’s enticing voice and libretto “I taste you on my lips and I can’t get rid of you” that ties all the elements of the track together.
“The End of All Things” is the last track on the album. This song is deeply reminiscent of “Hide and Seek” by Imogen Heap. The auto-tuned harmonies overlap each other creating a hypnotic melody. The simple verses with words of “Whether near or far, I am always yours,” will effortlessly entrance listeners.
Panic! At The Disco is not a typical pop rock band. These musicians have stepped up their game significantly. They have established a new, more mature sound for their genre that will not go unnoticed. Panic! will be performing at the Uptown Theater this January. Tickets will be available starting Oct. 18.
Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die
Panic! At the Disco’s front man Brendon Urie. Photo // Google
Monday October 21, 2013 | Issue 10 13
Illustration // Joey Hill
Chloe Robbins-Anderson Copy Editor
Horror movie fans got a treat this past weekend with the worthwhile horror remake, but nothing can stand the test against the original “Carrie.”
The movie starts with a softly lit girls’ locker room, gradually finding Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) as she discovers, to her horror, blood on her hands. She desperately tries to get help from the other girls, who laugh and throw tampons at her.
Everyone, from the girls to the school principal, wonder how in the world Carrie didn’t know about her period thus far. While the principal lectures Carrie about what happened, she gets angrier until a cup falls from his desk and shatters, with no one close enough to have touched it.
Carrie arrives home to her religious mother, Margaret (Piper Laurie), who condemns her for sinning, the only possible reason for the blood. Despite Carrie’s weak attempts to argue, Margaret locks her in a prayer closet with a creepy Jesus figure.
Meanwhile, Chris (Nancy Allen), plots her revenge for not being allowed to go to prom – a punishment given for bullying Carrie. At the same time, Sue (Amy Irving) convinces her boyfriend Tommy (William Katt) to ask Carrie to the prom. Many – including Carrie – believe it’s part of a trick, but Sue continually assures them that she wants good things for Carrie.
Everyone prepares for prom in their own way: Chris and her boyfriend Billy (John Travolta) slaughter some pigs and gather the blood, Carrie makes a lovely pink dress and gets a makeover while her mother prays and tries to talk Carrie out of going, which results in some psychic door slamming.
Of course Carrie goes anyway. She and Tommy win prom king and queen. Everyone is happy for them, smiling and applauding the couple, when suddenly, Chris pulls a rope from backstage and Carrie is covered in pig’s blood. All are aghast for one suspenseful moment, until one student can’t hold it in and starts to laugh.
A few people join in while Tommy demands to know who was responsible. The bucket falls and Tommy is knocked out cold. Carrie imagines everyone in the room is laughing, while the responsible groups head for the doors. Exits are blocked by an unseen hand. Fire hoses turn on and move to push people away from the doors. Fires break out and Carrie begins her long walk home.
At home, Margaret is prepared to get the demon out of her child by whatever means necessary. Carrie defends herself, but cannot deal with the guilt, and forces the house to crumble in on them.
This movie is mostly a day-in-the-life film, dealing with high school bullying, getting ready for prom and an overprotective mother. Director Brian DePalma gives his audience a sense of comfort right up to every
dramatic psychic moment, giving an uneasy feeling rather than a constant sense of dread.
Spacek is perfectly cast as Carrie, with her fragile frame making her look completely helpless in front of her fellow students and overbearing mother. It makes her acquired control of her power even more
unnerving. Before anyone watches the
new “Carrie,” make sure to watch the original and compare. This is a classic that puts any predecessors to shame.
Original Carrie never dies
Photo // Google
www.youtube.com/user/UMKCUnewsBroadcastCheck out the U-News broadcast channel for exclusive video content at:
Monday October 21, 2013 | Issue 10 14
Chole Robbins- Anderson Copy Editor
The production is bookended with Sue (Megan Herrera) under a bright light in a dark room telling her version of the events. The rest is told through flashbacks with interspersed interrogation room scenes in which Sue expresses regret for her actions.
The story is basically the same as the novel and movie adaptations. Carrie (Chelsea Anglemyer) has her first period in the high school gym shower and, not knowing what is happening, believes she is dying. The girls make fun of her instead of helping. A light bulb explodes.
The girls are told they can’t go to prom unless they apologize to Carrie. Everyone takes the way out except Chris (Stephanie Wienecke), who just taunts Carrie. Chris blames her for everything and plots revenge with her boyfriend Billy (Samuel Parrish). Sue approaches things differently and asks her boyfriend Tommy (Christopher Carlson) to ask Carrie to the prom.
Carrie goes home and is told by her overly zealous mother, Margaret (Tara Varney), that the bleeding is a result of sin, and pushes her into a closet to pray. The next day Carrie is seen researching telekinesis and testing her powers in the library.
Tommy asks Carrie to the prom as planned, not leaving her alone until she accepts, and Margaret
tells Carrie that she cannot go. Carrie answers her mother by telekinetically positioning a chair and forcing her into it and then going to prom anyway.
While several kids ask Sue and Tommy why he’s taking Carrie, Chris and Billy hang a bucket of blood above the prom stage.
Once they are at prom, the other kids are relatively nice to the reluctant Carrie, one even complimenting her homemade dress. Chris and Billy are seen preparing the bucket and one of their friends rigs the king and queen polls so Carrie and Tommy win. Sue arrives in time to figure out that something bad is happening, but when she tries to tell a teacher, she is escorted out, being told that she was definitely up to something.
As she’s being removed, the lights go red and the bucket of blood falls on Carrie. When everyone begins laughing, twisted by her imagination into ridiculing demons, Carrie slams the doors shut with her mind, exploding lights and pulling down cords. All the kids appear to be tortured by unseen hands and they all fall dead.
Carrie goes home to find comfort from her mother, who soothes her before pulling out a hidden knife, saying: “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” She stabs her daughter and Carrie gives her mother a heart attack before she also dies.
The production value of this
musical version is amazing, especially for anyone well-versed with Egads!’ previous works. At the first explosion, there were gasps all around and everyone knew this was going to be a whole new theatrical experience in the Off-Center Theatre.
As usual, director Steven Eubank cast some beautiful voices. Herrera belted out some astounding notes, especially later in the show. Anglemyer’s strong voice gave Carrie a bit more oomph than fans might expect from the helpless character, but it was definitely enjoyable to hear.
Anglemyer’s Carrie fought a bit too hard with her mother, who was also a softer, slightly more sympathetic character than Piper Laurie’s standard Margaret.
Although the scenes travel all around the city of Chamberlain, Maine, this is mostly achieved by a projection showing a clock for the school and a cross for the inside of Carrie’s house. It was a disappointment to see Carrie shoved into the closet that the audience couldn’t see, but a completely surprising delight to see the staircase roll back to reveal the inside of the closet.
“Carrie: The Musical” runs through Nov. 2, with all shows at 8 p.m. Go to carriekc.com for more information and to buy tickets.
Egads! Theatre Company serves up campy Halloween fun in ‘Carrie: The Musical.’
Lindsay Nelson Broadcast Assitant
After his appearance as Kahn in this summer’s blockbuster hit “Star Trek into Darkness,” English actor Benedict Cumberbatch has become an obsession of movie-goers and directors all across the country.
Cumberbatch has two movies playing in theaters right now with two more to come before the year is through. He can currently be seen as a slave owner by the name of William Ford in “12 Years a Slave” and as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in “The Fifth Estate.” The upcoming faces of Cumberbatch include Charles Aiken in “August: Fort Osage County” and Smaug/The Necromancer in the second installment of The Hobbit trilogy, “The Desolation of Smaug.”
Aside from film appearances, the third season of “Sherlock,” in which Cumberbatch plays the namesake character, is due to air on BBC this fall. Although it originally aired in the UK during the summer of 2010, the first season did not make its way to the U.S. until early 2011, and the second season did not premiere until January 2012. The presence of this series in the U.S. caused Cumberbatch’s newly expanded fame. Despite the unrelenting anticipation that comes with being a
fan of BBC’s “Sherlock,” anyone who follows this show knew it was only a matter of time before the entire world would be craving Cumberbatch.
CBS News and Entertainment Weekly referred to this fall as “The Season of Cumberbatch.” EW went as far in its review of “The Fifth Estate” to say it’s impossible to dislike Cumberbatch.
Cumberbatch has an impeccable naturalness that radiates from each and every character he portrays. No matter the authority or sinister disposition or emotional transparency the role calls for, he always delivers an immeasurable performance. He surpasses the standard for acting that audiences have come to settle for from most films today. If any critics or movie-goers think the hype is unwarranted, the challenge is this: Go see each movie listed above and try to keep that opinion.
And to top it all off, The Tivoli Theater in Westport is hosting encore screenings of The National Theatre Live’s production of Danny Boyle’s “Frankenstein” starring Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller. The screenings will be held at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Oct. 31 and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Nov. 23.
Benedict and the box office
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Matt Melson Broadcast Assistant
Since the feminist movement of the late ‘70s, men in this country have been in a difficult situation when it comes to interacting with women. This new age of sexism has allowed for women to have their cake and eat it too for quite some time.
During the second wave of feminism, women asked to be treated as equals within the world. They asked for respect, equal wages and a sense of equality. But these requests contradict the way women interact with men now.
Women demand to be treated as true equals, but when a man wants to treat a fellow woman like a true equal, he is told that he is wrong for doing so. Men are not allowed to treat women as equals in the world. If I were in the workplace and I wanted to have the same conversations with a woman as I have with a man, there would more than likely be a harassment complaint filed, or if I was on a date and tried to split the bill, you could almost guarantee there will not be a second date.
The other day I went to my sister’s apartment, and while I was going the stairs, I saw two women who were struggling to carry a couch. I was taught by my grandmother to always be polite and a gentleman, so I offered my help to these two and, to my surprise, they snapped back at me, “Umm no we’re fine. We don’t need your help.”
I was speechless the entire way to my sister’s apartment. Keep in mind we were going to the same level and I was behind them. It was an awkward five minutes.
This solidified my view on this issue. I was only offering to help two
people struggling with a couch. The fact that they were women was irrelevant. Somehow my help was warped into a male dominance attack on a lesser kind. If I saw two men struggling with a couch, I would have done the same thing. It was almost like these two needed the satisfaction of not needing a “man’s” help, but when I held the door for them, they were more than happy to take it.
My point is that men are stuck when it comes to how we deal with women. It seems that it has become a lose-lose situation for us. No matter what we do, whether it is trying to be chivalrous or trying to treat women as real equals, we are wrong.
This whole having your cake and eating it too has to stop. You cannot have it both ways. We can either be chivalrous to you or treat you as equals. Not the made-up sense of what “equal” is that has developed over the past 40 years, but a true equal. You choose.
Monday October 21, 2013 | Issue 10 15
Disclaimer: The views of individual writers expressed below in this section do not represent the official stance of U-News. U-News welcomes participation from all UMKC students. Letters to the editor may be submitted to Editors-in-Chief Roze Brooks and Elizabeth Golden, [email protected].
Erin Melrose Broadcast Assistant
As a bartender, one is bound to hear some pretty outrageous conversations. In fact, according to most patrons, it’s practically in the job description that he who holds the vodka cranberry gains the right to disclose all personal information. Thus, we embrace the stereotype and our duties shift from drink slinger to therapist.
Typically, I don’t mind the unwarranted conversation because,, depending on the subject and the level of intoxication, the content usually always takes a turn toward the realm of entertaining. Recently, I walked into work with every intention of opting out of said therapist duties simply because I was exhausted and the act of small talk seemed entirely too daunting.
I was quickly defeated when I overheard a couple of guests discussing Adderrall and referring to it as what apparently ABC news had dubbed “the new housewife drug.” My ears perked, my attention zoned, and my dishes immediately dropped to last on my to-do list. I abruptly interrupted the conversation, begging that this woman please explain to me how a prescribed drug for ADHD has become the recreational drug for soccer moms.
On a collegiate level, the prescribed amphetamine has been on the rise with or without prescription since 2010. In fact, according to a recent CNN survey, the highly addictive drug is becoming so common that students don’t see any problems with it.
Guilty as charged, when I hear of fellow students dishing out Adderall, I don’t even think twice, but to think my mom could potentially partake forced me into some questioning.
As I began to dig, I found the common thread among the seemingly trendy drug and housewives: the
evolution of supermom. Women around the country happily attested to the fact that they became better moms after taking Adderrall. ABC focused on a suburban mom from Minneapolis who would work all day and night to accomplish household duties. However, addiction quickly ensued and she eventually went from Adderall to meth.
With Adderall quickly becoming so easily accessible, scientists are beginning to suggest that the drug should be legalized. The purpose in doing so would be to bring focus and understanding. It would be hard to deny a quick pick-me-up for the long list of daunting tasks we often face. However, does this mean our lives have gotten so complicated we are unable to utilize our organizational and time management skills?
Call me old-fashioned, but to accept the idea that my mom, aunt or eventually I , rely on Adderall to get the laundry done does not sit well. I sympathize with the fact that we now live in a generation of fast pace and easy access, but I refuse to accept laziness. Let us not confuse Adderall with Advil and dole it out with no qualms. Instead, let’s remember the best prescription for getting laundry done is a strong cup of coffee and, of course, separating darks and whites.
Erin Melrose
Matt Melson
Real housewives take Adderall
No cake for you
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