THE BG NEWS Tuesday Feburary 6, 2007 Volume 101, Issue 95 WWW.BGNEWS.COM
CAMPUS
Professors scrutinize class cell phone use Many educators set strict policies against the disruption cell phones cause | Page 3
BG chapter of the NAACP gets reborn After being declared inactive in January, the group is beginning anew | Page 3
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BGeXperience gets an eXtension The 4-year-old program will soon be implemented in more than freshman courses By Kelly Metz Reporter
The University’s first-year program, BGeXperience isn’t just for freshmen anymore. Thanks to a grant from the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the BG faculty members and students will be able to expand the program into the general curriculum. Faculty members will also
work with student organizations to promote greater involvement in community service. The $25,000 grant will help university leaders, BGX and the Office of Service Learning, create a new curriculum that integrates ethical and social responsibility into most university classes. This grant would also encourage AACU’s five principles — excellence, integrity, community, perspectives and com-
petence — to be integrated into classroom and experiences. Since it was started four years ago, the goal of the BGX program has been to aid first-year students in their transition from high school into college. For the past two years, all incoming freshmen have been required to complete the program in the hope that it would help them connect with others through the common reading experience and discussions about values.
Donald Nieman, dean of Arts and Sciences, said the program acts as a platform to give students a more sophisticated understanding of how values and ethics affect the future. These discussions build, so the University has a curriculum to help students become more thoughtful and make good judgment as citizens, professionals or parents, Nieman said. “By making them better people, they are placed in higher
ONLINE
The Beatles dispute with Apple
By Gina Potthoff Reporter
Stram said. Bowling Green has more to present to tourists than many people may realize. “We’re pretty fortunate in Bowling Green to have so much to offer,” Stram said. The city is home to the Wood County Historical Center and Museum, the newly constructed Civil War Museum and the wind turbines. “The number one attraction right now is the wind turbines,” Stram said. Two big events for the city this upcoming year, according to Stram, will be the Foodways Culinary Expo at the Woodland Mall, which will
The United States could use some help in the math and sciences department, literally. Recently, the issue has been revisited concerning how the United States has fallen behind countries such as China and India in turning engineers and scientists out of college each year. Increasing the number of women and minorities in those fields is the proposed solution, since these individuals would bring a more diverse perspective that is needed to get the United States back on track. According to a study by the University of Michigan Institute for Research on Women and Gender completed in 2003, women are not concerned with engineering degrees because they do not envision the degree as a way to help others. The University of Michigan reported that 23 percent of students enrolled in its engineering program are women. Currently, 17.3 percent of students enrolled in Miami University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science are women, while the University of Cincinnati reported that a steady 16.3 percent of students in engineering are women. In 2005, The Ohio State University reported that approximately 14 percent of undergraduates and graduates in engineering majors were women. As of fall 2006, 13 percent of students enrolled in the University of Toledo’s College of Engineering are women, which is slightly above the national average of 10 percent, said Christine Smallman, director college relations and dean of engineering. Although BGSU does not have an engineering program of its own, becoming an engineer or scientist both require similar amounts of knowledge in the mathematics and sciences fields. The number of women and minorities enrolled with math and science majors is relatively small, according to data collected by the BGSU Office of Institutional Research. It appears that only 33.2 percent of undergraduate students enrolled in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) majors are women. Comparatively, just 33.8 percent of women enrolled in these majors graduated this past year. “I think the problem is that women and minorities do not continue into graduate programs ... to become engineers and scientists,” said Pavel Anzenbacher, assistant professor of the chemistry department at BGSU. Anzenbacher thinks the reason that women or minorities do not get into the math and sciences majors is in part because of the “coolness” factor. Students may be weary to get involved in a career that is not as popular as others. In addition, the fact that women may be more concerned with starting a family in the near future than becoming a scientist contributes to the current situation.
See COUNCIL | Page 2
See ENGINEERS | Page 2
Read more online: www.bgnews.com
Gymnastics wins third straight away
SPORTS
The team won their third MAC meet in a row over Ball State on Saturday | Page 7
Women’s track faces UT and CMU at tri-meet The lady Falcons win over the Rockets but fall to the Chippewas | Page 7
Multi-tasking is driving the whole world crazy
Lebron struggles at the free-throw line
NATION
People in the Great Lakes area bundle up Freezing and below freezing temperatures sweep through the Great Lakes area | Page 6
Democrats strive to alter war strategy
WEATHER
PEOPLE ON THE STREET
The Senate continues to debate Bush’s newest plan for more troops in Iraq | Page 6
TARA McGINNIS | THE BG NEWS
Studies show that 80% of people are driving distracted By Janeen Morgan Reporter
While authorities are saying driving and multi-tasking is a dangerous combination, students aren’t ready to hang up on those distractions. Recent studies show that 80 percent of people who drive are “multi-tasking” while they are in the car. The biggest “multi-tasker” seems to be the cell phone. “I definitely think driving while someone is distracted is a bad thing. Anytime your attention is taken away from the road, it’s a concern,” said Russ Rader, spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This issue doesn’t occur just nation-
ally, this even happens on college campuses. “I think the biggest distraction is the use of a cell phone— especially,” said Shellie Mack, police office for the University police. While faculty and administration say that multi-tasking while driving is very much a distraction, students have different opinions. “Because I’m in a hurry, I have to multi-task while I drive. I talk on the phone like if I need directions or something,” said Farrah Garcia, junior. Most commonly with students on campus is the distraction of multitasking, which leads to problems with speeding, according to Mack.
See DISTRACTED | Page 2
TOP TEN THINGS TO DO BEHIND THE WHEEL Eighty percent of drivers drive while multi-tasking according to USA Today
1. Change radio station: 82% 2. Drink a beverage: 80% 3. Talk on cell phone: 73% 4. Eat snack: 68% 5. Eat meal: 41% 6. Daydream: 31% 7. Drive without shoes: 28% 8. Experience road rage: 23% 9. Listen to book on tape: 21% 10. Smoke: 21%
Should “The Vagina Monologues” be presented on campus?
Early classes, late shifts ANDREW YUNKER, Senior, Integrated Language Arts
“Of course they should. They’ve been doing it for years, and its something that needs to be heard.” | Page 4
TODAY PM Snow Showers High: 13, Low: 1
TOMORROW Scattered Flurries High: 19, Low: 6
See BGX | Page 2
Studies show female engineers needed
The British band’s label has ended its dispute with Apple, but the songs are not yet available on iTunes
Cleveland’s All-Star has made just 59 of 98 free throws this season | Page 7
demand not only in a professional atmosphere but also in the community,” Nieman said. Despite the university’s large investment in the program, some students don’t believe it should be required for upperclassmen as well. Sophomore Jennifer Ewing said she believes the BGX program should only be used the first year.
Theresa Scott Reporter
It’s 11:00 p.m. on a Wednesday and while most of Bowling Green students are ending their days, sophomore Ashley Ransey is just beginning hers. Ransey is one of the many students at the University to work a third shift job, from 9:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m., and carry a full course load. She is a sports management major and has been working at The Waffle House since August of 2006 to help pay off bursar and doctors bills. The restaurant is a familiar sight to anybody who travels along Wooster Street regularly, the bright yellow sign can be seen clearly from the 1-75 exit ramp. Twentyfour hours a day cars are pulling in and out of the small parking
Ashley Ransey Sophomore works third shift at Waffle House lot. Inside the restaurant there is room for about 40 customers who can seat themselves at either a booth or at the counter. There is an old juke box in the front window which plays everything from Elvis to Jennifer Lopez, and on any given Friday night, the place is full with students who have just left the Sky Bar and are hungry for some pecan pancakes. At 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, the restaurant was mostly vacant ,except for one customer seated
See THIRD | Page 2
City council discusses tourism’s impact on BG By Kristen Schweitzer Reporter
When most students think of Bowling Green, Ohio, in terms of where the city’s money comes from, they don’t come up with tourism as an answer. Wendy Stram, director of the Bowling Green Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, discussed Bowling Green’s tourism potentials for 2007 at last night’s city council meeting. The Bowling Green Convention and Visitors’ Bureau is dedicated to bringing in people from outside the community. “Our mission is to bring economic impact to the community through visitors,”
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