THE BG NEWS
ESTABLISHED 1920 A daily independent student press serving the campus and surrounding community
Thursday April 24, 2008
Volume 101, Issue 146 WWW.BGNEWS.COM
CAMPUS
City Park hosts medieval battle Swords, shields and a 17th century society take hold of city space | Page 3
New bill requires threat alerts for univ. students
The bill comes as the anniversary of the Virginia Tech University shooting approaches | Page 3
HEALTH
Self-help pills may lead to depression
Scientists are losing hope after discovering pills meant to help people quit smoking or lose weight may actually be the source of depression for some patients | Page 11
CHRISTINA MCGINNIS | THE BG NEWS
Pillow fight falls short of breaking world record By Kelly Day Campus Editor
With hopes of setting a new world record, participants in yesterdayâs campus pillow fight were a little let down by the eventâs turnout, but at least they had fun. Whether armed with plaid, polka dot, small or large pillows, most of the fighters had the same goals â to beat the
University of Albanyâs record of 3,648 people, relieve stress and have a good time. To the disappointment of almost everyone involved, they didnât set the record. But the nearly 400 participants seemed to agree the event held by the University Activities Organization, Sigma Epsilon and Game Game Night was a good way to take out their aggressions and have fun with friends.
âI am so stressed, I think this is a great way to get some frustration out ... on my girlfriend especially,â junior Felix Muniz said jokingly before the pillow fight. The participants werenât only armed with pillows, several had fighting strategies, from âduck and coverâ to âhit and run.â For 9-year-old Lilly Rakus, a variety is best. Inspired by a class project
HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED DISCRIMINATION OR RACISIM ON CAMPUS?
SPORTS
Falcon baseball blows out Oakland 14-6
With a solid performance on the mound, combined with exceptional offensive efforts, the Falcons move to 19-16 this season | Page 9
WEATHER
PEOPLE ON THE STREET
FORUM
Group projects and just plain sounding smart
Columnist Kampire Bahana lets it all out: Whatâs the worth of a PowerPoint presentation when students just read straight from them? Whatâs with talking like a Valley girl and ending sentences in a question? | Page 4 If you had a bike with a basket, what would you keep in it?
ELIZABETH FIELDS, Senior, International Business, Supply Chain Mgmt.
âI would have balls with little phrases that teach people how to say hello in different languages.â | Page 4
TODAY Mostly Sunny High: 73, Low: 55
TOMORROW Scattered T-storms High: 76, Low: 51
about the Guinness Book of World Records, she said she wanted to be part of making a world record. âWe were hoping more people would come,â Lillyâs mother Laurel Rakus said. But she said they were âjust happy to try.â For some University students, however, such as freshman Nick North, the small turnout meant more than missing the record. âIt shows a lack of community
Joe Connelly
Sangreetha Chandran
JUNIOR | F INANCE
SOPHOMORE | THEATER
GRAD STUDENT | PUBLIC ADMIN.
âYes. One time I was walking down the street and someone yelled the ânâ word.â
âNo. We live in an open environment and people are more accepting.â
âYes, anywhere youâre going to come in contact with intolerance.â
THE TRUTH ABOUT
DIVERSITY ON CAMPUS By Lisa Halverstadt, Andrea Slivka, Candice Jones and Brian Szabelski The BG News
One day, when James Jackson walks into the Union and sees a table of black students and a table of white students, he would like to push them together. âIn dining hall areas and in the residence halls, we have clusters of âlikeâ people who stick with their cluster,â he said. âBGSU has âdiversityâ in the sense that differences are present, but when those differences donât intersect and interact in many ways, itâs null and void.â Jackson, the multicultural adviser and diversity education coordinator in the Center for Multicultural and Academic Initiatives, has a direct approach when it comes to racial issues on campus. âI would love to see us be more in your face and up-front,â he said. At the University, studentsâ views on race vary extensively â some think the University champions diversity and education, while others feel the sting of stereotypes and separation. The University explains its commitment to diversity this way: âDiversity at BGSU signifies a fully inclusive and accessible lifelong learning community where the whole array of human differences, particularly race, culture and ethnicity,
gender and sexual orientation, are wellrepresented and highly valued in its membership and curriculum.â But the reality of racial and diversity issues on campus cannot be described in one sentence. Freshman Nick Pfundstein, a white student, said he is satisfied with the Universityâs efforts to promote diversity on campus, particularly in the beginning of studentsâ college experience. He has made friends with students of other races and said he has never felt awkward around his peers of another race.
See RACE | Page 6
RACE ON CAMPUS
DAY TWO OF THREE Three part series of race issues and an opening to a discussion of diversity at the University ONE Minority opinions about BGSU TWO Racial tone on campus THREE Cultural Diversity course requirement
GO TO BGNEWS.COM: Listen to students, faculty members and administrators discuss their views about race at the University.
See PILLOW | Page 6
Local boutique hosts cultural fashion show By Colleen Fitzgibbons Reporter
Brittany Kendricks
at BG,â he said. The fight started nearly 20 minutes behind schedule, partly because some members of the organizations were trying to recruit more people from the residence halls to participate. When the event began, screams and laughter erupted on the field. There were three rounds of the
Tonight, Sky Bar will look a little different than usual. It will be decorated with a mix of different cultures, plenty of glitter and will be filled with about 20 models sporting the apparel of Diversity Boutique, a local clothing store. The Public Relations Student Society of America is collaborating with Diversity Boutique to put on a fashion show tonight. The name of the fashion show is âMemoirs of the Night,â from the 2005 film âMemoirs of a Geisha.â Calvin Walker, director of PRSSA and intern at the boutique, said the theme is an âinternational remix,â and different cultures will be represented within the three scenes of the show. The first scene will be colorful, following a âLatin flareâ theme. Then, to tie in with the name of the show, there
will be a Japanese theme of Geisha apparel. Before the actual show begins, Walker said the doors will open at 9 p.m. for a preparty. While the fashion show is open to the general public, the pre-party is only for those specifically there to see the show, and the first 15 in the door will receive a front-row seat. Free food, drink specials and double the usual amount of raffle tickets will be available at the party. There is no extra fee, but everyone who comes must pay Sky Barâs general charges, which is $4 for ages 18 to 20 and free for anyone 21 or older. âThe majority of the things at the pre-party are food and drink, just to get people in the mood for the fashion show,â Walker said. The food is being donated from Marcoâs Pizza and Old Town Buffet.
See SHOW | Page 6
J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE | AP PHOTO
INTERNATIONAL MEETING: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, meets with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at his hotel in Washington.
Palestinians ask Bush for more time in Israeli talks By Matthew Lee The Associated Press
WASHINGTON â Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appealed to the Bush administration yesterday for more support in peace talks with Israel that have bogged down five months after both sides pledged to reach a deal by January. In a meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ahead of talks with President Bush on Thursday, Abbas said time was running out if that target laid out at the Annapolis Conference in November was to be met and that more pressure must be exerted on Israel to stop the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. âFive months after Annapolis,
the gap is still wide between the Palestinians and the Israelis,â chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat quoted Abbas as telling Rice in the hour-and-ahalf meeting. âHe emphasized that there is a gap that separates the two parties. Time is running, time is precious. And this phase needs decisions.â He said Abbas told Rice that Israelâs continuing expansion of settlements, a halt to which is a major component of the so-called roadmap blueprint for peace, âis one of the greatest obstacles that stands in our way to reach an agreement with the Israelis.â âIsrael must stop their settlement expansion,â Erekat said. âIt
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See PEACE | Page 6