Features Editor

For many, snow evokes childhood memories of days off of school, snow ball fights, and hot cocoa. But this February storm, called “Snowmageddon” by President Obama, sent more snow our way than most would ever have hoped for.

Dr. Ethan Seidel, the college’s Vice President, said “of course, being a college, the greatest impact from the storms was the cancellation of classes. We’ll have to figure out how to compensate for the lost week.”

While many students were pleased by the break from classes, there were problems brought about by the inclement weather that were not enjoyed. Sophomore Shelby Parenteau, whose ankle was fractured during the storm, said that it is “very hard to get around.” Junior Zander Roell also dislocated his shoulder during the storm.

Junior Hannah Elovich described that in the “house I rent with three roommates who are also students here at McDaniel… since the ice and icicles were so heavy, it pulled down the gutter on one side and part of the siding under the gutter.”

Elovich’s house was not the only building to be hit hard. Dr. Seidel said, “There was damage to the gutters at the Garden Apartments. My guess is that until more of the snow clears from the roof, it will be difficult to assess the full extent of the damage.”

The snow was not only an expense as far as the toll on buildings. Dr. Seidel remarked that “we did contract with Thomas, Bennett, and Hunter to aid in snow removal… They possess heavy equipment that was really helpful in clearing roads and parking lots. At this point, it’s still too early to know the cost for this work.”

That is not to say the blizzard had no positive aspects. Senior Jessie Largent said “even though it was horrible and inconvenient, it was the first time I can remember playing out in the snow for over an hour in years which was pretty awesome.”

Michael Webster, Director of Campus Safety, said, “The biggest challenge was obviously moving around the campus. I enjoyed watching my kids play in the snow.”

In spite of the difficulties caused by the incessant snowfall, campus life went on. Mitchell Alexander, Director of College Activities, said that “the biggest challenge concerning events is making sure that all of the parties involved know that the events are still happening…such as the Stuff-a-Buddy.” While keeping events running smoothly during the storm required a lot, activities such as the Stuff-A-Buddy event on Feb. 11th where students gathered to make stuffed animals definitely brought in a crowd.

Furthermore, the exemplary work put in by a multitude of staff cannot go without mention. For instance, Valerie Westbrook, Coordinator of Conference, Camp and Event Scheduling, said “While we were safe in our warm homes [the grounds crew] were going to be out in the snow for endless hours to make the campus safe for all of us.”

In appreciation for this hard work, Westbrook said, “I thought about baking something for them to munch on during their breaks. I then invited other co-worker/friends on campus to join me. The outpouring of generosity was overwhelming. We had everything from canned soups, baked goods to hand warmers.”

While the snow caused many difficulties, the effect of the storm can best be summed up by Westbrook, who said of the donations made to the grounds crew “that I saw the college community come together for a common cause. It warmed my heart. It isn’t until we truly come together that we will see how strong this campus really is.”

Staff Reporter

The Humans v. Zombies Club is taking on the responsibility to train students for the zombie apocalypse.

The club president and vice president are freshmen Torin Grosso and Logan Otremba respectively. Currently, membership exceeds 25 students. Essentially, they play a massive game of tag in which the “humans” attack the “zombies” with Nerf guns.

Grosso recalls his favorite Humans v. Zombies (HvZ) memory as the “first night where about 75% of the humans were wiped out in fifteen minutes after first contact with the first Zombie, JONO.”

The club originated at Goucher College, but was brought to McDaniel by the Resident Assistants of Rouzer Hall. Sophomore Mae Alexander decided to start the club after witnessing the success of previous HvZ events on campus.

“For me, [the best part] was talking to some of the freshman guys and having them say that HvZ actually got them out of their rooms to interact with people. That’s a big deal,” said Alexander.

The club meets on Fridays at 8 p.m. in Ensor Lounge. If you’re interested in meeting new people, running around campus with Nerf guns, and training for zombie infestations, then this club is probably for you.

“People should join HvZ because who doesn’t love zombies and playing tag? It seems like a perfect combination!” said Otremba.

The club will be hosting a dodge ball tournament in March to benefit the Hearts for Haiti Fund.

Staff Reporter

This isn’t your typical cheesy dance! The Cheese Club had their first Cheese Ball on Thursday, Feb. 18. The Cheese Club is the first and only club on the McDaniel campus completely dedicated to a food. The Cheese Club was started in order to explore other cultures through cheese.

The semi-formal dance was a Valentine’s Day celebration that had approximately 50 guests. The Ball featured DJs from McDaniel’s own WMCR, and of course an assortment of cheeses and other snacks.

Junior Atlee Baker went to the Cheese Ball “for a fun evening with my girlfriend.”

Different members of the Cheese Club sat outside of Glar and sold tickets in the weeks prior to the Ball as part of a Cheese Club fundraiser.

President of the Cheese Club, Ellen Shank, said that a Cheese Ball would be a fun idea because “it combines cheese and dancing, the two greatest things ever.”

The Cheese Club meets the first and third Thursday of every month at North Village building 195, apartment 202 at 6:30 p.m. For more information about Cheese Club or their upcoming events please email Megan Robinson at mar015@mcdaniel.edu or join the Cheese Club on Facebook.

Staff Reporter

Sevgi Yurtbasi (’09) and Tyler Buisch (’10) come from two different countries. Sevgi came to the United States from Turkey as a high school exchange student. Tyler is from Mt. Airy, MD.

Their worlds came together on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010, as the two alumni exchanged vows, rings, and kisses in Little Baker Chapel.

The ceremony was traditional but peppered with personal stories and inside jokes. It also included a sand-joining ritual, where they each poured a jar of colored sand into a common vase to symbolize their unity.

Red and white flowers lined the aisles, and in the windowsills, candlelight twinkled off the stained glass. And the bride wore bright red shoes.

“It’s so Sevgi!” said friend Amy Higgs (’09).

When Sevgi and Tyler were at McDaniel their typical days included having lunch dates in Glar, rushing to and from classes, and singing in gospel choir. They also spent nights walking around campus doing rounds, since they were both RAs.

“Seeing her walk down the aisle, and seeing Tyler’s face when he first saw her, was priceless,” said Kara Constantine, fellow RA and friend.

The wedding party included many of their McDaniel friends including music professor and close friend of Tyler’s, Eric Byrd. Many current students and RAs also attended.

The couple was especially happy that Sevgi’s parents, Metin and Ulkan Yurtbasi, were able to travel from Turkey to be present although the snow almost prevented it.

“Hearing their vows, all they could see was each other and their future life together. Sevgi had a huge smile on her face the whole time,” Higgs remembered.

Sevgi and Tyler are just 21 and 22 respectively, which may seem young to many people on campus. Sevgi responded to those who may not understand their decision to marry now:

“Some people might think we’re too young to marry, but honestly I don’t see the point in waiting. This gives us a chance to dedicate ourselves to each other early on in life and “grow up” together.”

The couple spent their short honeymoon in Florida before returning to their jobs and married life.

Tyler said it’s great so far.

“I’m married to my best friend, does it get any better? I get to be with her every day.”

Contributor

Walking across Red Square between classes I often found myself avoiding the slightly uncomfortable side glances of various men and woman who had seen me in various states of undress.

I’m not positive they really recognized me; I mean I am wearing more than my bra, but that awkward uncertainty lurked right between my shoulder blades just the same. I wondered what the appropriate response was in this kind of situation.

Do I give them a “so-you-have-seen-my-nipples” smile, or maybe one of those “this-isn’t-that-unusual wavey nod” things. More often I pretended the whole naked ordeal never happened; it seemed like one of the classier options.

While I might like to say that yes, I am so outrageously seductive that I have had liaisons with scores of McDaniel’s student and teacher population, I really just don’t have that sort of energy.

I am a nude model – one of the few students on the fair Hill that wasn’t afraid to bare it all for the sake of art, literally. Well, and money; money is good too.

It’s not hard to sit in the art studio naked as the day you were born while students sketch or sculpt your various body parts. You often stare at the clock that is inevitably wrong, always wrong, your head filled with Glar, or rather, the regret of the taco salad an hour earlier.

The real trouble starts when the clothes go back on.

How do you look your boyfriend in the eyes and say, “Honey, I am going to get naked in front of your friends for money today.”

Honestly, it just sounds bad once your bra is securely fastened. Like many other aspects of college life, it’s just better when you are in the buff. And there is also the emotional turmoil you feel sitting in your apartment later that day as your roommate and his girlfriend, who happens to be one of your best friends, snuggle on the couch. You can’t but think, “Huh, he just stared at me in a thong for an hour. Does that classify as a breach of friendship? Should I go to confession?!”

These are the tough questions faced by student models everywhere.

It’s the clothed activities that really suffer once the paint brushes are put away.

When I contemplate the numerous times people have asked me how I could consider doing what I do, I think to myself, “How could I not? Nudity is the only relief I get these days.”

Staff Reporter

On a humid beach in Panama, I sat rubbing sand off my legs and wondering whether or not I really wanted another Margarita. I felt fatigued, sunburned and slightly annoyed by the toothless, beach-dwelling man who was currently hovering over me in effort to sell me cocaine. Needless to say, I was leaning towards yes on the second margarita.

I had been abroad for almost an entire year. I had spent the spring living in Budapest; stepping on sea-urchins on Croatian beaches, posing with fake-Gladiators outside of Roman ruins, having suave men buy me pints of beer in Ireland. I had been lucky enough to live with my closest friends in a European city. I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t a four month long party.

But my fall was different; a complete 180 from the urban trendiness of Europe. My fall was spent speaking Spanish in a small, rural town in Costa Rica. There, I spoke only Spanish, all day, everyday. All of my classes were about the Spanish language, taught solely in Spanish, by native Spanish-speakers. Overwhelming? Uh, yeah!

I will always remember my first day of classes in Costa Rica. I was nervous as all hell. It felt like kindergarten. I didn’t know what to wear. I tied and re-tied my shoes. I wondered if I’d make friends. I’d hoped my teachers would like me.

I had left my host-family’s house and walked out on to the poorly paved street. A large cow with a collar made of old, purple rope, stood there standing in the middle of the road, directly in front of my family’s home. The cow stared at me. It was stationary in the hot morning sunshine, with its soft-brown eyes affixed to my own. There was not a person in sight and I had no idea what to do. Should I touch this cow? Pull it by its cow-collar out of the street where it would most likely get hit by a car? Should I walk on by? Perhaps this was a stray cow…is there such a thing?

After about 10 seconds, a short, shirt-less man appeared running down the street. He ran directly up to the cow, yelling Spanish profanities and smacked it repeatedly on its head. He turned to me and apologized. Seeing as I was not Costa Rican, he spoke to me in adorable broken English. He explained that this was his family’s only cow. They had owned other cows but all of these cows had done just what this one was doing; escaped from their yard to stand in the street. These other cows had been hit by cars and died. He asked me, if I saw this cow again, could I please take it by the collar, and lead it back into his yard? I obliged and agreed to participate in the suicide-watch of this cow.

At least three times a week, I would leave for my classes and find the cow standing, immobile in the middle of the road. I would lead it back to its yard while telling her that she had so much to live for, that life as a cow couldn’t be that bad, that I was there for her, if ever she needed to talk.

Near the end of my semester there, the shirtless man’s family had saved up enough money to install a new fence around their yard. Thus, the cow was safely contained and my mornings of saving the cow’s life were over.

Before I left to return home to the US, the shirtless man approached me on the street. He hugged me and thanked me for all my help. He said that for all of my efforts to protect his cow, his family and he had decided to re-name the cow after me. Now although this may seem stupid and absurd, I felt so touched. My eyes welled up and I couldn’t help but shed a few tears.

While I sat on the beach in Panama, I thought hard on not only this cow-saving occurrence, but everything I’d experienced in the last year.

I had been nervous to come to a “third-world country” alone. Hell, I’d been nervous to go to Europe with a whole bunch of friends! I had expected things and people to be so extremely different outside of my safe, little American-girl world. But I found that anywhere you go in the world, people are people. When it comes down to it, we’re not so unlike each other. While we might think we’re different; divided by countries and religion, sexual preference or skin color, but no, we are all the same. We all fear, we all love and we all, sometimes, need help.

I’ve found that some of the most important things you can ever learn in life are best learned by stepping out of your comfort zone. It is so much easier to roll through life in a safe routine, then to take a chance. But in this rut, in this safe routine, how much do we ever really experience? How much do we really ever learn about ourselves?

So although things can get shitty, and although it’s much easier to be scared than to be brave, be willing to take a chance. Have faith. Take a breath. And order that second margarita. And if things get hard along the way, know that it is ok to ask for help. Whether its help starting a new life in a foreign country or just keeping your runaway cow in your own damn yard ; )

Staff Reporter

The MARC train is Maryland’s primary commuter train system consisting of three branches. The Brunswick Line reaches west to Frederick Maryland and Martinsburg, West Virginia. The Penn Line travels east to Perryville in Cecil County, Maryland. The Camden Line connects Baltimore to Washington DC. Carroll County is the only county in Central Maryland with no physical connections to the state mass transit system.

If anything, the Marc train would prove essential to one of Westminster’s relative life sources–McDaniel College. Every year, students embark on a journey from hitching a ride from a friend, to train hopping from the Metro to the light rail before reaching the Amtrak itself. Since the Marc train already travels through the same stations as Amtrak, its inclusion would reduce a lot of these obstacles for out-of-state students without cars. Unfortunately, many graduations may come and go before McDaniel Students can enjoy the realization of a Westminster MARC train station.

The issue regarding Mass Transit in the County has less to do with basic necessity and more with the values of the local residents. For instance, there is currently a struggle between those who seek to preserve the county’s untouched rural character and those who believe it should adapt to the growing urbanization. At this year’s annual State of the County Luncheon, Commissioner Michael Zimmer explained that one side prefers national businesses to locate branches (and attract workers) into the county while others prefer to accommodate commuters. He added that with the onslaught of the recent recession is causing many residents to seek work outside the county. One side appears to be winning this long-time debate once and for all.

If Mr. Zimmer is right, and the county needs to meet these needs soon, there are alternatives to MARC. For example, as of February 2, 2009, York, Pennsylvania’s Rabbit Transit announced the launch of a commuter bus service which takes people across the state line to Timonium, Maryland in order to relieve traffic on I-83. Carroll has the CATS bus, which is efficient if a student needs to get around town, but there are still limits even to this long time county service. The CATS bus, along with the local gypsy cab services in the County (two so far) do not cross the county line, even for a fee. This fact becomes more frustrating knowing that cab services from neighboring Baltimore, Howard, and Frederick counties are willing to cross into Carroll if necessary.

For now, cars rule the county, but not all people drive, especially students and workers. Businesses will only go where the environment accommodates them and their workers’ welfare. Many students at McDaniel don’t even have cars, so what are they to do? If Carroll County wants to preserve their businesses, and their prime institution, they will have to give in order to get.

Staff Reporter

High school indoor track and field provides constant opportunity. Those who hope to bridge their spring and winter sports can increase speed and endurance. Those who wish to gain friendships can build relationships with students in all grades and social groups. Those who have never ran a mile can lace up their running shoes without the fear of being cut from the team. Due to the inviting atmosphere of the sport, many choose to continue to compete at the collegiate level. Due to the current economy, the Carroll County Board of Education is currently considering cutting indoor track, denying high school students the positive experience of the sport.

James Ways was a seasoned athlete when he began running at Winters Mill. He notes, however, that, “I received more recognition for [indoor] than my two other sports.” Ways broke multiple county, conference, regional, and state records in his high school running career and held the titles of Carroll County Times Male Athlete of the Year in 2008 and WTT Athlete of the Year in 2009. Beyond recognition, Ways counts the friendships he gained as a memorable part of his indoor track experience. “Track has shaped me in many ways, and it just cannot be cut from the budget; it’s just not fair,” he comments.

Forest Fleischer, who also competed in indoor track at Winters Mill, echoes Ways’ thoughts on friendship saying, “You not only gain the discipline of running and working out every day, but you also gain some of the closest friends you will ever have.” Fleischer cannot currently race due to injury. “I get really upset seeing my teammates running when I cannot,” she says, “I cannot imagine if the sport were not offered at all.”

Katie Griffith, who ran all four of her high school years at Liberty, explains, “If it hadn’t been for that first year I ran indoor track, I might have never found that passion for the sport.” Griffith continued to run after high school and is currently competing in her fourth and final season of indoor at McDaniel. Because of indoor track, Griffith attests, “I found a sport that I could participate in for life.”

Final decisions on the Carroll County budget will not be made until May, but current and previous indoor track athletes will not easily let go of the sport that provided the platform for recognition, meaningful friendships, and a lifelong passion.

Staff Reporter

One of the bright spots through all this snow that has fell in the region has been the play of the McDaniel women’s basketball team. McDaniel began the year flying under the radar, but the play of seniors Ali Mooreland, Sally Grace, Ashley Lyles, and Catherine Mills have propelled these ladies to the forefront of the conversation. From December to February, the women’s team reeled off 17 straight wins.

The Green Terror climbed atop the Conference standings and announced their presence as a legitimate championship contender as a result of their winning streak. Throughout the streak, the ladies displayed a multidimensional offense that worked the ball inside and kicked out for open shots.

The winning streak came to end on February 12, with a tough loss to Johns Hopkins. Unfortunately, the next game resulted in a loss to Ursinus. Despite the recent losses, the lady Green Terror sit at 17-6 overall and 15-4 in conference. With one game remaining against conference leader Gettysburg, McDaniel finds itself in third place. A win against Gettysburg would certainly shake up the playoff picture, with the ladies only a half game behind second place Muhlenberg.

Regardless of their final position in the standings, the women’s basketball team will be well prepared for their playoff match up. Coach Becky Martin will have this team ready to make some waves in conference playoffs and hopefully the national tournament. Coach Martin feels this team shares some characteristics with past championship teams. She points out, “A balanced offense with an inside and an outside game, good speed, upper class experience and leadership with a go to person in Ali Moreland.” Most importantly Coach Martin notices that this team has the heart to win. Regarding conference playoffs, Coach Martin believes, “If we can stay healthy, continue to progress and have a little luck, I believe we have as good a chance as anyone in the conference.”

Centennial Conference playoffs are set to take place in the near future. Be sure to get out and support the women’s basketball team, as they push their way towards a conference championship and more.

Nick Brunner

Co Sports Editor

The snow has not only put a damper on the academic semester, but also on the McDaniel sports teams. Whether it was delayed or cancelled winter sports events or keeping the fields of the spring sports teams covered in white, snowmageddon has shook up the sports world on the Hill.

The snow has put the Gill Center in extraordinary high demand as the winter sports teams try to wrap up their seasons and spring sports teams are forced to shift practice indoors and scrap for gym time. To make matters even more stringent, there is an array of intramural sports just starting up as well.

The baseball and softball teams have been limited in what they can do when confined to the walls of the Gill Center. Unable to do much work in terms of fielding or game-like situations, an extra emphasis has been put on hitting in the batting cages of Old Gill gymnasium. Along with extra hitting, the teams have also focused on strength and conditioning.

It is hard to make a trip to the fitness center and not see a McDaniel athlete working hard to prepare for the season. The teams know that while the snow is keeping them from getting better on the field, it can’t keep them from getting stronger, faster, and developing ever important team chemistry.

The woman’s softball team has been one team in particular that has bought into this way of thinking. They are constantly in the weight room as a group pushing and encouraging each other. It will be interesting to see how this comradery will translate to success on the field.

The baseball team has taken more to the conditioning aspect. Their philosophy has been if all we can do is run, then we will do our best that we can to make sure we are the best at it. Both teams are excited to be going to Florida for spring break so they will be sure to get at least some work in before Centennial Conference play begins.

With most of the campus roads and academic buildings now cleared, next on the priority list may be the athletic fields. Once the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams are able to use the stadium field again, a lot of the congestion in the gym should be eliminated.

Co Editor-in-Chief

On December 17, 2009, the Board of Trustees, in a unanimous decision, selected Dr. Roger N. Casey as the ninth president of McDaniel College.

Casey, who is currently the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost of Rollins College in Florida, will replace current president Joan Develin Coley as of July 1, 2010.

President Elect, Dr. Roger N. Casey

“Never in my life did I see this happening,” said Casey, “but I came to see that I thought I could do good. You have to accept the mantle of responsibility, and this place really felt right.”

Casey and his wife, Robyn Allers, visited McDaniel for the first time in early November, after the committee decided he was the leading candidate in the large pool.

“We had every detail of these people’s lives laid out before us and it was clear,” said Mary Lynn Durham, vice chair of the Board of Trustees, “he is so outstanding so many ways, and fulfilled every single one of our search criteria.”

A week from then they returned for a public visit, including two meetings with the faculty, one with staff, one with student representatives, and a dinner with the trustees. He also attended a dinner at the president’s house and the annual tree lighting ceremony.

“After that visit, I had emails pouring in from faculty, saying ‘go get him!’” said Durham.

Casey joined Rollins College in 2000 as Dean of Faculty and promoted in 2006 to his current position. From 1991 to 2000 he was an Associate Dean and professor at Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama. Casey received his M.A. and PhD in English from Florida State University and his BA from Furman University in his native South Carolina.

“Students will like [Casey] because he speaks at your level,” said Dr. Lewis Duncan, president of Rollins College. “When we have our beginning of the year ceremony, he will often break into a rap song. He wants to break down that barrier.”

Casey, a first generation college student, grew up in a small town, and said that his eyes were opened at age 22 when he first traveled to another country. Since then, he’s been to 69 countries. In 1994, he was named a Fellow of the W.K. Kellog Foundation, which sponsored his travel to 16 of those countries over a four-year period, during which he examined the role of vision in the creation of community.

“I spent a lot of time in Bali, which is a mono-cultural society with one belief system, but lots of poverty. In India I spent half the time with the poorest people and half with the richest. This was before the digital revolution, I hadn’t seen that kind of poverty before,” said Casey.

The most important things for Casey to learn about, he said, are who the students are, where they are coming from, and how to make McDaniel a better college.

“I want to be around at events, to be engaged in the lives of people at the college,” he said, adding that he particularly likes how the President’s office is at the heart of the college in the student center, not offsite a mile away. In fact, one of his first priorities will be improvement to Decker as well as the first year dorms.

Casey and his wife are hugely involved in the arts. He has been a theatrical producer, director, and actor, mostly recently in 2006 in a production of “Devotedly, With Dearest Love: The Letters of Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald.”

Allers served as the interim director of the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins, and they were both extremely pleased to have a reception at the Carroll Arts Center, said Casey, “we will not forget the arts.”

“He and his wife are both very present on our campus, and we will miss him. But he’s ready to president. From everything I’ve heard about McDaniel, it will be a great fit,” said Duncan.

Another passion of Casey’s is studying the impact of “Generation X” and “The Millennials.” He is so attuned to a college students’ generation, in fact, that it drives him crazy when professors tell students to put their phones away while in class.

“It’s the same as telling everyone to put their pencil and paper away. I tell everyone to turn their cell phones on and tell people on Facebook what we’re talking about, take a picture, tweet about it, create buzz,” he said.

Casey has his own twitter, with which he posts quotes he admires, opinions on current issues, and even references to popular culture (i.e. “This just in: Paula Abdul will head up “Death Panels” in this fall’s newest hit on the CDC”).

“I love Twitter because it’s like writing a sonnet. You’re limited to only 140 characters,” he said.

According to Durhman, Casey is already talking with Joyce Muller about improvements to the website and how we can further web-based communication.

“He’s very interested in technology we can use to teach, but that doesn’t replace pedagogical techniques,” said Durham.

Casey also has a Facebook account, and encourages students to friend him, saying “friend in my life is more a verb than a noun these days.”

Although Casey and Allers were in Laos the day his selection was announced, he did write a letter to the members of the McDaniel community, which can be found on the website, along with further biographical information.

A Sampling of Dr. Casey’s Tweets:

“Twain: “Commentators have already thrown much darkness on this subject. . . . we shall soon know nothing about it.” Health-care reform?”

“Yeats said that education is not the filling of a pail but rather the lighting of a fire–but is the fire under the pail or in it?”

“Congrembarrassman Wilson still argues the health bill gives illegal aliens equal access to death panels. No. They must work when sick.”

“Greider: we need to build a new economy recycling all the stuff we’ve already made.”

“Nedderman: There are more cures for male impotence than malaria. Isn’t this a problem?”

Co News Editor

Students studying in the library this semester might notice some new additions. The library recently invested in some new furniture to accommodate students’ with a need for a different kind of workspace.

The new additions include two new group stations, technology rooms, and movable furniture.

Students use new furniture

The group stations are both located on the first floor of the library. These new stations are designed to set up a group around a central point. They consist of a large circular desk separated by partitions into three pods, which each comfortably sit three people. One of these workstations come equipped with IMacs, and both have electrical outlets in the desk, to make it easy for students to plug in laptops.

The technology rooms located on the third floor are closed rooms that can be reserved and rented out, which are equipped with chalk boards and large IMacs. These rooms were created to give groups of students a place to work on a louder project that requires more privacy, such as a presentation or screening a movie.

Moveable furniture is yet another innovation in the library. Several chairs and desks on wheels are located on the first floor. These are ideal for students who want to create their own space to work together.

An alternative to the traditional wooden carols are located on the lower level. These are better suited to students that need quiet, individual study. They are L shaped and provide more space for the student to spread out their school work than the typical wooden carols.

These additions were chosen and designed by Jessame Ferguson, Director of Hoover Library. She worked together with a Creative Learning Spaces Group which consisted of the head of Information Technology, Ester Iglich, two student representatives from the Student Government Assembly, a representative from administration, and a representative from faculty. The group gathered to discuss different learning spaces used in libraries across the country to decide which types of furniture to experiment with purchasing.

Ferguson explained that the purchases were an experiment, and future purchases will depend on the students’ reactions to the new additions.

Ferguson said she is “interested to see what people’s reactions are.” She wants to see if the new furniture functions the way it needs to. She also wants to know “what appeals to students that helps them do their work better, and go in that direction.”

Ferguson is soliciting students’ reactions to the new furniture in two ways. The first is an open house being held on February 5 at 2:00. Ferguson is speaking at this event, and there will be self-tours to showcase the new additions. There will be comment cards available at this event to gather comments from students.

Another way students can provide reactions is at the library’s blog: http://hooverlib.wordpress.com/information-commons/. Ferguson can also be reached directly for comments at jferguson@mcdaniel.edu.

Co News Editor

On December 17, 2009 McDaniel College named its ninth president of the college. Dr. Roger N. Casey comes to the college from Robins College in Florida where he worked as Vice President of Academic Affairs and provost. Dr. Casey was named president by the Presidential Search Committee including student representative junior Ben Cowman.

The committee was comprised of board members who also served on the transition committee, three faculty members, one staff member, and one student representative. The student representative, Cowman, also serves as Executive Vice President of Student Government Assembly.

Cowman said that while any student could have served as the student representative, he was chosen because he expressed interest in serving on the committee and the administration was familiar with him through his work on SGA. As Executive Vice President of SGA, Cowman brought not only a student’s perspective to the committee but also a broad knowledge of the institution’s policies and administration.

Cowman felt it was “important to have a student member that is informed about a lot of different issues on campus.” He said he felt “when you know what’s going on in the whole institution, it sheds a whole different light on the college.”

Despite his well rounded knowledge about the institution, however, Cowman did not only contribute his own opinions to the Presidential Search. Cowman held a focus group of about thirty students in the beginning and then again in the later part of the fall semester to address concerns from a variety of different students. This focus group was made up of students from various organizations around campus including the All College Council, the Resident Assistants, and Greek Life.

Cowman expressed the difficulty in presenting all the perspectives of such a large student body, and accurately addressing every individual’s concerns. However he feels he did the best job he could of representing the student body. Despite being the only student representative he feels he “made an impact on the committee.”

Cowman expressed that he was very pleased with the candidate they selected. Cowman believes that the Presidential Search Committee chose the best fit out of an “extraordinary pool of candidates.”

In addition to being very well qualified, Cowman feels that Dr. Casey can “take every decision that [he] makes and relate it to the students.”

Co News Editor

Students returning for the spring semester may notice new LCD televisions in popular locations around campus. These new TVs display the new Student Government Assembly channel, which in addition to being shown on the new TVs, can also be viewed on campus cable station 80.

The channel was created as a central place for students to look at to find out about events and happenings around campus. The station will display weather, campus and national news, upcoming events on campus, sports media, and advertisements from clubs.

Clubs and other organizations from around campus can submit pages and news request to be displayed on the channel by submitting to the SGA a form which can be found on the student intranet. Ben Cowman, Executive Vice President of SGA, said the channel was created to take general information and provide it in a way students would be interested in looking at.

The LCD televisions displaying the channel are located in Englar Dining Hall, outside of the Pub, and by the Information Desk in Decker. Cowman said the SGA is looking to expand the project to include placing televisions in academic buildings and resident halls.

This project was eight months in the making, according to Cowman. He said that he and Dave Castle, SGA President, first got the idea at a leadership conference last spring. After some debate over the format, they decided on a broadcast channel on the campus’s closed circuit cable. The channel itself is maintained by SGA Vice President of Communications, sophomore Brendon Coll.

SGA is the visionary behind the project, but not the only financial contributor. The project is additionally funded by the College Activities Office, Information Technology, and the Physical Plant.

Staff Reporter

Hope for Haiti Now is a live album that was released on Saturday, Jan 23. Not only is this album full of wonderful musicians and beautiful music, this album has a purpose. It encourages hope, spreads sympathy and compassion, and it influences all citizens of this Earth to make a difference in their world.

So whether feeling helpless, distressed, content, or afraid, listen to this album. Get inspired, and help make a difference in your world.

Hope for Haiti Now features 26 artists and bands including Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, John Legend, and Taylor Swift.

Although the album is listed in the pop genre, it features several different musical genres due to the diversity within the artists. After listening to “Stranded,” a song performed by Jay-Z, Rihanna, Bono, and The Edge, I felt encouraged and no longer hopeless about the effects of the Earthquake on Haiti.

The chorus: “When the sky falls and the earth quakes we gon’ put this back together we wont break.” This verse sends hope to those struggling in Haiti and reason for individuals wanting to help Haiti and its citizens recover from this tragedy.

“…not gonna leave you stranded” reminds Haiti that she is not alone; the world is here to help.

Hope for Haiti Now had over 150,000 album downloads within 2 days of release.

All profits go to Haiti Earthquake-Relief Donations

Cost: $7.99

Where to buy/download Hope for Haiti Now: iTunes, Amazon

So far over this album has earned 3 million dollars in profit to the Haiti Earthquake-Relief Donations.

Staff Reporter

Hope collapses at the sight of the crumbled and broken-down structure of the Presidential Palace located directly in the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This building was the oldest structure in the city and provided a home for their leader as well as hope for the people when it had survived previous small earthquakes and a larger one in 1946.

As it lays in ruins, it serves as a reminder that Haiti will never be the same; it’s history has changed forever.

On January 12, 2010, The 7.0 M earthquake struck Haiti leaving 170,000 dead (as of January 26, 2010). There are still over 30,000 missing and 1.2 million homeless.

Haiti had already been declared the poorest country in the western hemisphere and this tragic earthquake left the country even more broken with no one to turn to but the rest of the world.

McDaniel College students can perform simple actions to help out the people of Haiti.

The easiest way to donate money is through any cell-phone carrier by text messaging “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross relief efforts, “YELE” to 501501 to Donate $5 to Yele Haiti’s Earthquake Relief efforts, or “GIVE10″ to 20222 to donate $10 to Direct Relief.

At McDaniel there are 1,700 students and if every student donated $5, our school alone could raise $8,500.

The Red Cross has also been sending a lot of donated blood to Haiti. The blood donation go to seriously injured people in Haiti.

ITunes offers a collection of songs put together by various artists called Hope for Haiti Now. This album offers 20 songs for $7.99 and 100% of the proceeds go to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund (see CD review in this issue by Rula Zaru).

On campus, Resident Life is hosting Hearts for Haiti, a semi-formal dance, in the Forum on February 12, 2010. This event will include music, food and a silent auction. The silent auction will have items donated from the community and students on campus and all of the proceeds will go to Haiti.

“I don’t think Americans in general are doing as much as they could be doing for Haiti,” said freshman Catherine Frondorf. “Compared to third-world countries who are making an effort to help Haiti, such as Belize, the United States could be doing a lot more.”

A little donation can go a long way.

Staff Reporter

Six years ago, Kwesi Koomson and his wife Melissa, both teachers, moved to Ghana and opened their first school, the Esiam Heritage Academy. Since its launch, the school has grown to fourteen times its original size.

The Koomsons gradually improved the school by buying and renovating an abandoned factory. Almost immediately they started their second school, the Ochiso Heritage Academy, when they heard a nearby village school was going bankrupt.

According to a census from 2000, only 57.9% of Ghanaians are literate. Local public schools are funded by the government, which often means they are unreliable in providing teachers and supplies.

Students at the Esiam Heritage Academy graduated with a 100% pass rate on the national exam in 2008 and 2009—especially impressive in a district where the average pass rate on the exam is about 42%.

The Schoerke Foundation offers scholarships to poor students unable to afford to attend school otherwise. Students who excel on the national exams may be offered scholarships through 13th grade.

They are currently implementing a new program to begin summer 2010 that will offer scholarships to Ghanaian students and grants to U.S. college students to allow them to participate in a three week summer program. This summer they plan to work on building an 8-unit classroom block, setting up a school garden, and making tables & chairs for elementary school students.

Volunteers will spend time teaching reading and other subjects to students, as well as helping with building construction, painting classrooms, and making furniture. High school students from both Ghana and the U.S. have the opportunity to study together and tutor younger students.

Kwesi and Melissa Koomson run the Schoerke Foundation from Westtown, PA, where he is the head of the math department and she is the work program and volunteer coordinator at Westtown School.

Kwesi Koomson will be speaking at McDaniel at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16 in Hill 017. He will present a PowerPoint and answer questions about the foundation. www.schoerkefoundation.org

QUICK FACTS:

The Schoerke Foundation

· Established as a 501(c)(3) in 2006

· Currently serves more than 700 pre-k to grade 13 students in two schools

· It only costs about $75 to support a student for a year

Staff Reporter

The McDaniel community is organizing a coordinated effort between campus organizations to raise money for Hatian relief in a week-long series of events called Hearts for Haiti.

Originally, International Club and McDaniel College Radio planned to organize a relief effort centered around collecting clothing and materials, but shifted the focus to raising money. Working in conjunction with Mahlia Joyce at the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, the advocated participation from willing campus organizations. On Thursday, Feb. 4, representatives from Circle K, Peace Club, German Club, Gerontology Club, Humans versus Zombies Club, and Music Honor Society congregated in Decker Auditorium in response to the call to service.

John Maddrey addressed the club representatives, explaining that one hundred percent of money raised will be going into the Hearts for Haiti account set up by Joyce. It is likely that the money will go to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund.

“This event has set Haiti back 100 years,” said Maddrey, emphasizing the importance of Hearts for Haiti.

Here is a tentative schedule of events:

2/12 Kick-off Dance Event in the Forum (WMCR and International Club)

2/13 Get Stupid with the Cupids dance (Gerontology Club)

2/16 Fat Tuesday (German Club)

2/17 Vigil in Ensor Lounge (Circle K and Peace Club)

Each event will feature opportunities to donate to the Hearts for Haiti Fund. Additionally, Music Honor Society also plans to sell singing valentines, dates will be auctioned for the Cupid dance, and the week will conclude with a dodgeball event. There are also plans to get local restaurants involved.

Keep an eye out for updates, as the schedule will become more defined in the days to come. This will be an event you will not want to miss!

Features Editor

It’s easy, helps the environment, and is a hot topic at the beginning of this semester. No, it’s not saving paper by protesting homework. It’s recycling.

“The bags that Housekeeping will be using for recycling bins will be green from now on, instead of the old white ones,” said Michael Robbins, Director of Residence Life, in a campus wide email sent to McDaniel Residential Students.

“The green bags will be placed in all of the recycling containers throughout campus. For the North Village, Garden Apartments, Pa. Avenue Houses and residence halls, there are… recycling containers and built-in recycling that will have the green bags in them. Students do not need to get green bags, just put recycling in the recycling container,” said Ms. Mary Jo Colbert, Director of Conference and Auxillary Services.

“Recycling bags had been white before. Now they’re going to be green, which are more biodegradable. The white bags had been confusing. Students had bought their own bags, so students would see white bags in the trash and think the school didn’t recycle,” said Colbert.

In addition to the switch from white bags to green, RecycleMania began at the end of January. “It’s a competition between colleges. McDaniel will be tracking how much recycling they have. There’s a blank gauge outside the dining hall,” said Colbert.

“You can go to www.recyclemania.org for more on the competition,” said Sunita Pathik, president of the Environmental Action Club (EAC).

EAC is “going to set up a recycling station outside of GLAR for recycling ink cartridges and plastic grocery bags, and will hopefully be getting more regular recycling bins around school, especially Decker,” continued Pathik.

As far as what is recyclable, Colbert listed “Plastic, metal, glass, and paper. When in doubt you can ask.” Colbert said, “It’s comingled. Everything can go in the same bin.”

Additionally, Colbert said, “As for the Pepsi containers, a newspaper or glass bottle can go in that container. I don’t think people realize that all the recycling can go into that container.” While the container is shaped like a bottle, that doesn’t mean it’s restricted to similarly shaped material.

While all recyclable material can go into the same container, it’s important to be careful that no trash gets tossed in. “If there is food waste or other garbage placed in a receptacle, though, the entire bag is considered contaminated and will not be recycled, so please be sure to pay attention where you are disposing of trash on campus,” mentioned Robbins in his email.

We’re a consumer society, but not everything we use has to end up in a landmine. So as Colbert said, “Just make sure and recycle.”

Staff Reporter

At the end of last season, “Greek” viewers were left with many unanswered questions. The Gamma Psi and Zeta Beta Zeta rivalry was just heating up when the ZBZ’s managed to burn down the Gamma Psi house. Dale and Rusty were nerd fighting over a huge grant for their science projects. Calvin was trying to get Grant to come out to their brothers so their relationship could be less of a secret. And Casey and Cappie finally rekindled their relationship. With all the possibilities, the Monday Jan. 25th premiere of “Greek” is destined to be full of drama and surprises.

Spencer Grammer, who plays Casey Cartwright, recently talked about the show via telephone conference. She gave some details on the upcoming season. A lot seems to be in store for the students at Cyprus-Rhodes University.

This season is the last year of college for a lot of the older characters, including Casey. “This season Casey focuses on going to Grad school and figuring out what she’s going to do with her life post college. She starts seeing what her specialties are. She is still interested in political science even though she and Evan had broken up years ago and is pursuing maybe going to law school,” said Grammer. “Her and Cappie are back together so that’s definitely becoming a pull for her and it’ll blossom as the season goes on.”

There are also a lot of guest stars who will be coming into the picture this semester. “From last season Nora Kirkpatrick, who plays Katherine, is definitely on the show. We have Lea Thompson; you meet Cappie’s parents and she plays Cappie’s mom,” said Grammer. “We also have Sam Page who was on “Mad Men” for a while. He was great. I worked with him for a couple episodes. We had some pretty great actors this year who are guest stars.”

There is one difference “Greek” fans will notice this season. The show got pushed back to the 10 p.m. time slot on Monday nights. “They (ABC Family) set up a block of their favorite shows. “Secret Life of the American Teen”, “Make It Or Break It” and “Greek”. The 10 o’clock time slot isn’t as competitive as the 9 or 8 spot and I think it’s showing ABC Family’s strong points by having these three successful shows,” said Grammer.

Although she’s not often in the Grant and Calvin story line, Grammer alluded to how their dealing with coming out to a fraternity house may be played out. “Grant is coming out for the first time and also hasn’t really explored what his idea of being gay is. Calvin has a way of being comfortable. Not every gay guy is flamboyant and loves dressing a certain way. They’re human beings. I think they’ll play with that a little bit. There’s a bunch of funny stuff where’s he’s doing his hair and trying on different outfits. The story is the ultimate acceptance of being gay and that not being a derogatory thing. Of course there’s going to be some from the Omega Chi house who are going to create conflict and of course people who are going to be accepting,” said Grammer.

Of course, the long awaited Casey and Cappie reunion will finally be played out on screen. “Casey and Cappie are together. You’ll see them dating. You’re gonna see where their differences are. Which happens when people are like “We’re gonna get back together” and “We’re gonna try to make it work” and it doesn’t work out the way you think it’s going to be. College is a growing period for people, you know, and I think they get to a point where Casey might be going one place and Cappie is not sure where he’s going yet. But love overcomes all in the end. You’ll see them dating and you’ll see them in their own lives,” said Grammer.

Also this season the ZBZs are working hard to secure their #1 spot in the sorority ranks again. “ ZBZ is focusing on still becoming the number 1 house so we’re still working on that,” said Grammer. “Casey is trying to get on Katherine’s good graces again (after turning down the VPJ spot).”

There’s also plenty more in store for “Greek” viewers this season including a princess party in the first episode, a Mardi Gras party, an 80’s party, Ashleigh giving Dale a nerd makeover of some sort and a possible relationship for Katherine and Rusty.

Don’t forget to tune into ABC Family every Monday night at 10 p.m. for new episodes of “Greek.”

Staff Reporter

This is the first edition of ‘Deaf Savvy’, a place where Deaf Culture can be discussed, questions asked and answers provided. Deaf Awareness month on McDaniel Campus starts March 22nd and continues through April 16th. To celebrate Deaf Culture I would like to share some insights, interesting quotes/facts/trivia, and answer any questions this campus might have about Deaf Culture and ASL. There may be occasions where I won’t know the answer and will enlist the knowledge of some Deaf friends or experts.

“Deaf communities had theatrical societies, literary circles, masquerade balls, organized debates, sports teams, and travel groups. The deaf culture had that had taken root in the schools for deaf children cropped up all across the country in deaf clubs for adults. People came together to sign, to help each other, and, quite simply, to have a good time,” said Lasander Saunders in Through Deaf Eyes

Deaf Culture is more than a common bond of not being able to hear; it’s filled with Deaf humor, music, art, poetry, literature, linguistic styles, a rich history and a common heritage. The Deaf Studies program at McDaniel prides itself on its bi-lingual approach, stressing the importance of knowing and mastering both English and American Sign Language (ASL). We have a community of Deaf and Hard of Hearing undergraduates and graduates as well as Professors. There are classes taught completely in ASL that impress upon the values of Deaf Culture and history. It is because of one of those classes that I am writing this article. For the next few weeks I welcome and encourage you to email me with questions, comments, myths, or anything that you want to be discussed and I will try to comment or get someone else to comment on the subject. I hope we can all learn and have a respectful discussion about Deaf Culture.

-Marissa Graff may be reached at mag008@mcdaniel.edu

Shared Dream

By: Emma Kartalia

(Elementary Student at William Winchester Elementary, Winner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Writing Contest)

So many years ago America knew a man.

A man who gave his life for freedom,

for friendship.

A man who had a dream.

A dream that I now share.

Peace, harmony.

I try to do small things,

Small things that will help peace prevail.

I hear crying on the playground,

its exclusion, disruption.

It is disruption of the peace,

The peace some have tried to savor.

Like that man so long ago the girl down on the playground knows

how it is to be looked down upon.

Distress anger.

I stood up for that girl.

I stood up for harmony.

I stood up for others,

Just as the man with a dream did so long ago.

Pride, triumph.

To this day I remember that moment.

It gave me strength.

It gave me courage.

I will always remember the shared dream.

J. Ellis

Staff Reporter

“I stood up for harmony,” is the phrase that continues to resonate in my mind days after McDaniel’s dinner celebration in honor of the Reverend King. Almost 57 years ago Dr. King envisioned an America that would one day realize its self evident truth-that all men regardless of race, creed, or color are equal. Today his legacy lives on.

As I sit in a room full of women and men, black, white, and shades in between, I cannot help but to think of how far WE, as a nation and as a world, have come since that day in late summer of 1963.

My mind goes back to Mahalia Jackson’s song “We Shall Overcome” which became the soundtrack of The Civil Rights Movement. She sings “…We are not afraid, everything’s gonna’ be alright…” For it was per Jackson’s request, that day at The Lincoln Memorial, that King share with the crowd ‘the dream’ that he’d had.

And on this day, February 1st, 1960, four black students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College performed their non-violent “sit-in” at The F.W. Woolworth Company’s all-white lunch counter.

There is no other place that I would rather be at this moment in time then celebrating the lives of those who fought to eliminate social injustice. To achieve the social harmony that Emma so eloquently speaks of: The Little Rock Nine, Mahalia Jackson, Thurgood Marshall, Mary McLeod Bethune, Linda Brown, Medgar Evers, Jackie Robinson, John F. Kennedy, and so many others that go unrecognized. Their contribution, no matter how big or how small, is living proof of a shared dream that in 2010 has come to fruition.

“It’s not the Kennedy seat, and it’s not the Democrats’ seat, it’s the people’s seat”

One single line could very well help right the course of America and the presidency of Barack Obama. This single line sums up the campaign message that propelled Scott Brown to victory in the blue state of Massachusetts. For the first time in over a half a century a Republican has won a senate seat in the Bay State. In a state where only one-third of the registered voters are Republican, it is clear that the people of Massachusetts have had enough of business as usual in Washington D.C. President Obama won the White House with the support of independent voters and the promise of bringing change to a government in need. However, over a year has passed since the inauguration and Americans still see no sign of this change being enacted. Was this vote simply about the people of Massachusetts or was it a referendum on the liberal agenda that is being spoon-fed to the American people? Early indications point to rough water ahead for President Obama and his Democratic comrades if they do not drastically correct their course.

To pull off such a shocking upset, Scott Brown had to orchestrate a strong, grass-roots campaign to relay his message of government restraint. Most of the time this election would barely be newsworthy in the state of Massachusetts and back page news almost everywhere else as another Democrat would assume the seat and vote the party line in Washington. However, this year a win by a non-Democrat would cost the party their 60th vote in the Senate, ever important as this would insure that they would no longer hold a super-majority and be able to fast-track their agenda through the floor of the senate. Basically, without the right to filibuster, bills could be signed into law without opposition or meaningful debate and discussion.

This election had such national importance that President Obama was able to find time in his busy schedule, between making Super Bowl predictions and sitting in with the commentators at a Georgetown men’s basketball game, to make his way up to The Commonwealth and downplay Brown’s credibility and highly effective pick-up truck advertisement. As was the case in New Jersey and Virginia, the voice of the people resonated above that of the President and the democrats were defeated for the third time in the past three months. Vital indicators are beginning to suggest that President Obama’s idea of change may not be in agreement with that of the people, even those who voted for him during the election. A recent Gallup Daily Presidential Poll (January 30, 2010) suggest that 47% of voters approve and 47% disapprove of the job the President is doing, making him the most polarized president in history after only one year in office. Furthermore, a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 61% of U.S. voters say Congress should drop health care reform and focus on more immediate ways to improve the economy and create jobs, while just 30% of voters nationwide think Congress should press ahead with health care.

It appears that President Obama is beginning to lose the support of voters, especially those who carried him to victory a year ago, Independents. Despite what people want and what these polls clearly illustrate, President Obama has shown no signs of altering his stance. Unlike the President, Scott Brown seems to be listening to the people, he observed, “One thing is very, very clear as I traveled across this state. People do not want the trillion dollar healthcare plan that is being forced on the American people, and this bill is not being debated openly and fairly.” Brown was very clear throughout his campaign that he would be the fortieth vote against the current healthcare bill. He believes the bill will, “raise taxes, increase government spending and lower the quality of care, especially for elders on Medicare.” He goes on to say, “I support strengthening the existing private market system with policies that will drive down costs and make it easier for people to purchase affordable insurance.”

These are certainly trying times for the many Americans and the Obama administration. Does he forge ahead with his healthcare bill, or does he take a step back and reconsider his position? The next few months may very well seal the fate of President Barack Obama. If he listens to the polls, and quite frankly the mid-term election results, like Bill Clinton did before him, Obama has a chance to revive his presidency. If not, he should be ready to move back to Chicago after just four years in the Oval Office.

Contributor

President Obama recently gave a speech on foreign policy, announcing his intentions to increase troop levels in Afghanistan by 30,000 in order to win the war on terror. A speech intended to provoke unity and patriotism merely echoed President Bush’s deceitful rhetoric for invading Iraq. A mirror image of ideas, Obama’s plan will simply further our countries involvement in another unjustified war. This reckless attempt at making America safer will achieve no such goal. It will only promote deeper debt, more military casualties and a wicked trend of policing the world.

Running on a platform of “change” and criticizing John McCain for being more of the same, President Obama, ironically enough, is just George W. Bush with a different swagger. Directly after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, President Bush called our nation to arms in order to defeat those who attacked us. While his initial plan of sending military forces over to fight al-Qaeda was justified, things quickly changed as our nation was deceived into invading Iraq, a scheme that should go down as one of the most despicable acts any US President has ever taken.

Today, President Obama is using the same platform, justifying his actions as a way to fight terrorism and make our country safer. However, this course of action has nothing to do with defeating the culprits of 9/11. Current reports suggest that al-Qaeda’s numbers and resources in Afghanistan are deteriorating, posing a negligible threat to our national security. General James Jones, Obama’s top national security advisor said “”The al-Qaeda presence (in Afghanistan) is very diminished. The maximum estimate is less than 100 operating in the country, no bases, no ability to launch attacks on either us or our allies.” Still, many defend Obama’s plan on the merits that al-Qaeda attacked us from Afghanistan with support from the Taliban government. Conversely, the 9/11 commission report concluded that there is “no evidence that any foreign government – or foreign government official – supplied any funding” to al-Qaeda. Since we are supposedly fighting terrorists, why don’t we invade Sri Lanka, as they commit more acts of terrorism than any other country? The reason is because Obama plans to re-build the Afghan government, just like Bush planned to rebuild the Iraqi government.

According to our Constitution, only Congress has the authority to declare war, yet countless military engagements since 1945 have occurred without Congressional consent. Furthermore, when politicians don’t declare war, the wars don’t end. The United States defeated the Axis Powers in under four years because we declared war, set clear objectives and fully committed ourselves to the task at hand. Today, this supposed “War on Terror” is going on nine years, yet no end is in sight.

Unfortunately, in our two-party system, Americans have a lack of options- both the Democratic and Republican parties support this war in Afghanistan. However, Americans have another alternative. The Libertarian party is the only party that opposes America’s current foreign policy and truly believes in saving American lives and restoring our civil liberties.

Thomas Jefferson said in his inaugural address: “peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.” Following our founding fathers advice and pursuing a non-intervention foreign policy would accomplish more than any un-just war ever did. A step in the right direction would require our military-empire in over 100 countries to end. As a result, we could save thousands of lives, hundreds of millions of dollars, and the credibility this great nation once had as a role-model for the rest of the globe.

If you are upset with both parties and seek a real party that promotes peace, freedom and prosperity and want to learn more about Libertarianism, contact Ross Smith at ras010@mcdaniel.edu

Staff Reporter

Arguably the most recognizable athlete in the world today is Tiger Woods. Woods has won 14 professional major golf championships, the second highest of any male player, and 71 PGA Tour events, which is third all time. He has more career major wins and more PGA Tour wins than any other active golfer. He is the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam, and the youngest and fastest to win 50 tournaments on tour. You have seen Tiger’s face promote numerous products on T.V., including Nike, General Motors, American Express, Accenture, and Gillette. The man has his own video game and was once considered the most marketable athlete in the world. These illustrious achievements and multimillion dollar contracts have all led to the moment in 2009 when Tiger Woods became the first billion dollar athlete.

Tiger’s immensely private world and immaculate record came crashing down around him late Thanksgiving Night 2009. According to police reports, Florida Highway Patrol responded to a single car accident in a posh Florida closed-gate community. Woods hit a hydrant and a tree around 2:25 a.m., the Friday after Thanksgiving. Police found Tiger Woods unresponsive, lying on the road covered in a blanket and resting his head on a pillow. Tiger’s 2009 Cadillac Escalade was found hugging a tree in his neighbor’s yard, just out of reach of his own driveway. His wife, Elin, told police she used a golf club to smash the back windows of the SUV to help him out. The suspicious accident and Woods’ refusal to answer questions about it fueled speculation about a possible dispute between the golfer and his wife.

These speculations ultimately proved to be true, as Tiger’s world of privacy ended the moment the crash became public. Rumors were flung around the Web, as multiple sources claimed that Tiger was having extra-marital affairs, while his wife cared for their two children at home. The first woman brought into the public eye was Rachel Uchitel, a perennial force on the New York club scene according to most reports. Uchitel quickly denied any involvement with Woods, but within days, new women were coming forward to acknowledge their own affairs with El Tigre.

Today, the number of alleged women who have claimed affairs with Tiger Woods has reached double-digits. The professions of these women have included models, adult entertainers, reality T.V. show contestants, 20 year old waitresses and a 40 year old mother. Tiger has released statements via his website. On December 2, 2009, Woods acknowledged transgressions and requested privacy for himself and his family. On December 11, after more women came forward claiming to have graced Tiger’s bed, a statement was released informing the public that Tiger would be taking an indefinite leave from golf. Tiger finally admitted to ordering from the menu, instead of only looking when in the statement he professed, “I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children.”

And so the world wonders when Tiger Woods will return to the game of golf. As of January 2010, numerous reports indicate Tiger is at a sex rehab facility. These reports are unconfirmed, but one most consider this highly probable considering Tiger had mistresses littered across the United States and Europe for that matter. And so what is the effect of Tiger’s downfall here on the Hill? Can his image possibly survive such a black eye? Junior Sam Cox believes, “The whole situation is ridiculous. Tiger is a golfer, what does his personal life have to do with golf?” Meanwhile, Junior Matt Pace points out, “This was the worst thing that could have happened to Tiger obviously in his personal life but also financially. Tiger’s value as an advertising giant was centered around his apparent spotless public image, now that is gone.” Regardless of one’s position concerning Tiger Woods, it has to be known that Woods made a terrible mistake. A man has a responsibility to his wife and family, and let’s be honest, Tiger failed miserably.

Woods now has to deal with the consequences of his actions. Over time, Americans have been found to be very forgiving. Athletes such as Mark McGwire, Andy Pettite, and even Michael Vick have been forgiven to some degree. Tiger Woods will no doubt be forgiven the moment he steps out onto a golf course. This is a travesty, as the immoral, irreprehensible actions of Tiger Woods will be forgotten. Adolescents in this country need to know what Tiger did was wrong and learn from those mistakes. Tiger Woods is no role model at this point. He needs to make public appearances detailing his mistakes and illustrating his plans to seek forgiveness. He needs to advise the young and raise awareness of the problems he encountered. Forget the days of Gillette and Nike commercials; Tiger needs a new commercial where he becomes a man who owns up to his faults and expresses extreme guilt and remorse. Tiger cannot run and hide; he needs to fix his marriage and teach the younger generations the dangers of fame, money, and sex.

Co-Sports Editor

After four consecutive losses to begin their season, the women’s basketball team has been rejuvenated and has already clinched a spot in the Centennial Conference playoffs with their fifteenth-straight win against conference rival, Swarthmore.

The team has pulled out three of those wins in overtime, proving just how far hard work and dedication can carry a team.

Aside from their hard-earned wins, the Green Terror women have also been awarded academically. The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) ranked the team in 11th place for the Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll. With a grade-point average on 3.453 for the past academic year, the Green Terror women certainly have something else to be proud of.

Head coach Becky Martin, who is in her 29th season here on the Hill, is accustomed to winning streaks similar to this one. During the 2006-2007 coaching season, her team reeled-off 19 conference wins in a row and went on to take the regular season Conference Championship.

This season, Martin points out that she doesn’t want to dwell on streaks; that the goal for the program every year is to not only qualify for the Conference Championships, but to try their hardest to win the title and qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

“Naturally, some years certain teams have a better chance of achieving those goals,” says Martin. “I am not a fortune teller, but this team has many similar characteristics of past McDaniel squads that have won championships.”

Coach identifies a balanced offense with an inside and outside game, good speed, upper class experience and leadership; not to mention a “go to person” in Ali Moreland” as real strengths of her team.

What seems to be the most prominent aspect of the team, however, is how determined they are to keep fighting during pressure situations.

Senior captain and guard Ali Moreland believes the best thing about the team is that their strengths come from every individual player on the team, making each of them dominant players.

“It’s hard for teams to stop us because they can’t just key in defensively on one player,” says Moreland. “There are too many dimensions on our team. That makes us unstoppable.”

Junior forward Whitney Snoops believes that the team has really come together this season, and agrees with Moreland that the squad’s individual strengths make them a threat to conference foes.

“We are constantly improving on utilizing each other’s strengths and weaknesses and this has resulted in some balanced scoring in a lot of our games,” says Snoops. “This has definitely helped us because even if a team tries to shut down a certain player we still have plenty of threats to help us win.”

The seniors, including Ashley Lyles, Catherine Mills, Ali Moreland, and Sally Grace, have all stepped up as leaders this year. They have especially been leaned on by the team in the close games.

Snoops points out that if the team continues to improve over the next few weeks and in their upcoming games, they will be able put themselves in a very good sport for the Conference Championships.

“If we can stay health, continue to progress, and have a little luck, I believe we have as good a chance as anyone in the conference if we are fortunate enough to be playing in the Conference Championship game,” says Martin. She concluded, “Regarding the WBCA’s top 25, we are proud and honored to be included and recognized with the best in the country.”

The single biggest day on the American sports calendar took place Sunday in Miami. You might recall the two o’clock tip-off at BankUnited Center where Lady Hurricanes of Miami played host to SIUE. But if that game somehow slipped you mind, hopefully you recall the heavy weight bout that went down inside Sun Life Stadium where the two top dogs of the NFL went to battle for the Lombardi Trophy. While it wasn’t the battle between quite possibly the two greatest field generals ever to grace the gridiron, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning, which many historians of the game (including a certain Free Press Sports Editor) were salivating over, it no doubt boasted the best teams the NFL had to offer this season. For the first time ever two teams who began the season undefeated through thirteen games, clear cut top seeds in their respective conferences, would collide on Super Sunday. After the absolute joke that was the Pro Bowl the previous week, it was comforting to know that the best the NFL had to offer would be on the field when the Colts of Indianapolis squared off against the Boys of Bourbon Street, the New Orleans Saints.

With a championship hanging in the balance, it only felt right to get a bold prediction from a champion right here on the Hill, Tim McLister. In his first semester at McDaniel, Tim led his intramural basketball team to the coveted 4-on-4 men’s competitive league championship. Let’s put his football knowledge to the test in this week’s rendition of Out Pick Nick.

Tim’s Take…

I feel that the Indianapolis Colts will win the super bowl. The main reason the Colts are so successful is because of the league MVP Peyton Manning. Manning is simply the most dangerous man with the football, making everyone around him better. He even has a mental advantage to this game where his mind allows him to easily memorize pictures, or in this case the Saints defense. Not to mention the Colts defense has been playing exceptionally well. With much rest throughout the past two weeks and the Saints being new to the winning category, the Indianapolis Colts will win Super Bowl XLIV.

Nick’s Take…

Both teams can put up points in a heartbeat. When two quarterbacks playing at such a high level match up like this it makes for football at its finest. That said, I think that this one will be decided by ball control and big plays by players not named Brees or Manning. This is why I have to give the edge to the Saints. With a defense that thrives on creating turnovers and a weapon in the return game like Reggie Bush, the Saints have great opportunity to put points on the board even when Brees and the offense are on the sideline. Also, the Saints should be able to take advantage of the Colts defense on the ground with the running of Pierre Thomas and Bush. The injury to defensive end Dwight Freeney could prove devastating to the Colts pass rush. Give any NFL quarterback time to sit comfortably in the pocket and he’ll more likely than not find somewhere to go with the ball. Give a guy like Drew Brees that time and he’ll find a way to win. Look for the Saints to make a big play either on defense or special teams, have a solid day pounding the rock, and Mr. Brees to do his usual thing. Add that all up and at the end of the day expect to see the Saints go marching into the Big Easy with their first Super Bowl title.

For amazing photos of the Snowmaggedon 2010, check out our new page with the above tab Pictures Speak Louder or follow the link: Snow photos!

Movie marathons, shoveling out cars and a slight case of cabin fever led many of us towards a feeling of déjà vu? On Wednesday, February 10, students and residents across state lines bared witness to Round Two of what news anchors have called “Snowmaggedon.”

“This is the largest series of storms we have encountered in many years,” stated President Joan Develin Coley. “In some ways it is easier to call school in storms like this than in storms where it is less clear whether people can get around. Heck, this is a no-brainer. One of the best ideas I heard was to buy a bunch of snow shovels and let students help our grounds crew. They are so over worked right now they are ready to drop.”

“The biggest story of the week is actually the work that continued uninterrrupted,” stated the college’s Vice President, Ethan Seidel. ” The continuous snow removal efforts by the grounds and building maintenance staffs, and the efforts of the dining service staff and the housekeepers deserve our wholehearted thanks.  Many of these individuals stayed on campus overnight, so that they could continue to insure that students could get around campus and that the dining hall would remain open.

“As for me, most of the “time off” has been spent clearing the sidewalks and driveway,” Seidel added. “But there has been some time freed to catch up on work related reading.”

Tuesday, Feb. 9: 7:00 p.m. – The International House survives via a strict regiment of drinking and Super Mario Brothers Wii. Walking in front of the television during game-play results in banishment into the frozen tundra.– Max Robinson

Tuesday 11:30 p.m. – No school tomorrow, so once again having a massive sleepover in our apartment. Watching Seven, and then Rounders – at least five people are strewn across the queen air mattress that we keep in our huge downstairs closet. I predict tomorrow will be much of the same – movie marathon and half-hearted attempts to catch up on all the homework we’ve pretended does not exist during this little vacation. I have about 150 pages of reading to do if we actually have class on Thursday. –Juliann Guiffre

After receiving the notification to move my car from the Harrison lot, I set out on a treacherous effort to dig my car out of the snow. However, what I failed to anticipate was the extent to which the snow had risen. Despite my efforts, the mountain which covered not only my car but the truck to my car’s left and the station wagon to its right, and with no one else in the lot to help me,I returned to the dorm somewhat defeated.

By the 4:00 o’clock hour, I decided to return for a second round. This time I found other students and plowers attempting the same. More surprising was the truck next to my car was now gone, giving me ample space to dump the excess snow.

By this time a classmate arrived and offered help. Along with two students from North Village and a Physical plant employee named “Bobby” they pushed my car as I stepped on the gas. Finally my car was released from the icy trap, and I was free to evacuate to harrison and to my homework.-Karla Holland

The first night of snowfall, Norman Rockwell would have had plenty of fodder in our neighborhood (which is two blocks from the McDaniel campus). Families played card games, gathered at neighbors’ homes for savory soups and good wine.Today the dogs don’t venture off the porch to pee. Fence lines have disappeared, and the mightiest of snowblowers have cried “Uncle.” - Lisa Breslin

Updates from Home: 2:45 Hanover, PA.; still snowed in at my house. I’m so glad I got out to Wal Mart yesterday even if it was just to get out of this house. I went outside for a bit to check out the snow outside and got buried in snow up to my hips and had snow beating me in the face from the wind. Coverage from Home: 5:30 p.m. –Been shoveling out the cars for the past hour only to have them covered up again by drift. About to enter what seems to be my 40th hour of a movie marathon. -Lauren Miller

3:39 p.m. McDaniel House- I receive the email that school will be canceled February 11th and 12th (Thursday and Friday). We cheer and send out texts. We are starting to forget what day it even is. -Kim Williams

With classes cancelled for Thursday and Friday many students were elated with the news, but with a 100 days party scheduled Thursday night for the graduating seniors many students found the news bittersweet.

“I only have one class scheduled so it’s exciting but I was also looking forward to the 100 days party,” senior Meg Ryan said. “Maybe we can look forward to a 90 days to graduation party?”

“A major thing is going to be worrying about where to keep people who don’t normally stay like Sodexo workers,” said Ken Coffey, a dispatcher for Campus Safety. “There’s some rooms reserved. One of the biggest things is escorting people. It’s white out conditions. Driving conditions are also bad. Thank god we haven’t had any power outages. Things have been going the best they can so far.”

“This week we are trying to award scholarships to the students who applied under our January 15 Regular Decision deadline,” said Director of Admissions Gina King. “We would be crippled without email and laptops, but with those things and our phones we’ve been able to accomplish a lot. Mind you, it’s been much more frustrating and I think folks have some major cramping in their necks and hands!”

“We have been utilizing our information database which we all have on our laptops, exporting information in excel and sharing it via email and conference calling to have open discussion,” King added. “While it may be taking us a bit longer than usual, the show must go on! As soon as we can physically get into our office we will be running the scholarship letters, and as soon as the college opens they will be put in the mail!Wish us luck.”

Photo by Colin Miller

Underneath this historic storm, the campus is calm. Free Press staffers sent the print version of the newspaper to the publisher last night (Feb. 9) at an hour when most people should have been asleep. Editors have no idea when the print version of the paper will make it up the road from JS Printing in Alabama.

Just like the snow shows no sign of stopping, our news coverage will continue online — power and powers that be willing. Hello from The Hill. – Kate and Juliann, co-editors.

P.S. The Awesome Photos to the right, below, and above are by Colin Miller. More Photos to come!