As the incoming class of

first-year students took its

traditional first walk around

the Quad Aug. 27, more than

the imminent threat of rain

kept the procession short.

The incoming class has

250 students in it—almost

100 students fewer than

William Jewell College offi-

cials had anticipated for the

class and 56 fewer students

than the 2005 class of first-

year students.

College administrators

are just beginning to exam-

ine data for reasons for the

smaller class and have yet to

find a definitive reason for

the lower enrollment, which

is expected to lead to a $1

million loss in anticipated

revenue.

“ The overall size of the

class is a little bit smaller

than last year’s class. Last

year’s was 306, and we’re at

250 this year,” Dr. Ned Har-

ris, vice president for en-

rollment, said. “We’re in the

process of evaluating why the

numbers were smaller this

year.”

“It was not what we anticipated or

expected,” Dr. David Sallee, president

of the College, said. According to Sal-

lee, the size of the class had been pro-

jected at 340 students.

“Certainly, we’ve known through the

course of the year that it would not be

as large as we had hoped—it’s not like

you wake up one day and it’s a different

size than you expected,” Sallee said. “At

the same time, when you start the plan-

ning process, it’s not the number you

anticipated then.”

Sallee deemed the financial impact

of the smaller class “significant” and

said that it would cost the College

about $1 million in revenue. Despite

the smaller class size, however, Sallee

did not anticipate any changes in the

short term, or in the Strategic Plan.

“ We’re not going to make significant

changes at this point,” he said. “ We feel

like we’re investing in the future of the

institution and we’re not going to, in

the short term, make it more difficult

in the longer term.”

Renovated Union sets

stage for new traditions

H

il

l

t

o

p

M

o

n

it

o

r

Nathan Weinert

Associate Editor

First-year enrollm

ent falls

25 percent short of goal

Nine days ago, Roy Abdo was

in limbo. His flight out of Lebanon

left two hours before the airport was

bombed and he was unable to return

to his home university. Then William

Jewell stepped up to help.

On Page 4, learn how William Jewell’s partnership with

Oxford International Review helped give Abdo a second

chance at his fall semester.

Lebanese student

Second Chance

Walking through a tunnel be-

tween Curry Library and the Union.

Lunches interrupted by the sound of

power tools. Conferences cancelled,

meetings moved and individuals in-

convenienced.

A year of change finally paid off, however, as the ren-

ovated Yates-Gill College Union opened to the public

in late August, featuring a new coffee shop, conference

rooms and a large open atrium.

Renovated Union

Worth the Wait

First in new speakers series

Death Debate

One issue. Two sides. Six very

different perspectives.

In the first of the Informative

Speakers Series, a panel of six

speakers came together to dis-

cuss the death penalty, and pro-

vide analysis from a legal, moral and personal perspective.

At the end of the night, nothing had been resolved, but

audience members were one step closer to knowing what they

believed on the death penalty and why they believed it.

Find out about the death penalty panel on Page 3

On the Inside

The Sigma Nu f raternity is mak-

ing its comeback to William Jewell

College this year. After being closed

for violations of both William Jewell

and national fraternity policies, Sigma

Friday, September 8, 2006

Volume 21 Issue 1

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

When the William Jewell football team started the second

half against MidAmerica Nazarene, they looked headed for

an easy win.They were up 21-0, and quickly ran their lead to

24-0 with an early field goal.

By the end of the second half,

however, the Cardinals would be in

the fight of their lives. Read about

how the Cardinals took their first win

over MidAmerica in eight years with

a field goal with two minutes to go

on Page 8.

First win over MNU in eight years

Rivalry Win

Danielle Mills

Associate Editor

Nu is returning with an emphasis on

leadership. The reorganization will be

spearheaded by Nelson Kanning, ‘00, a

William Jewell Sigma Nu alumnus and

director of the Jewell Fund in the Of-

fice of Advancement. Other Sigma Nu

alumni, including Russell Hammond, a

professional staff member from Sigma

Nu national headquarters in Lexing-

ton, Va., will be helping with the reor-

ganization.

Sigma Nu was shut down in March

2002 after they hosted a party that vio-

lated numerous College and Sigma Nu

policies. “ During that party, there was

mass underage drinking, a fight involv-

ing 45 to 50 people, alumni present

and contributing to the event and situ-

ation, and numerous other violations of

policy,” Dr. Rick Winslow, vice presi-

dent for Student Affairs and dean of

students, said. Winslow said that many

violations existed in daily operations

from then current members as well as

alumni, and that the chapter was deal-

ing with financial issues.

Kanning acknowledged there were

problems. “As a fraternity, Sigma Nu

didn’t help me grow as a leader or help

me see that Sigma Nu’s rituals and val-

ues were developed 130 years ago to

help me become a better man,” Kan-

ning said. “I always say that Sigma Nu

had a lot of great guys but when we got

around each other, we didn’t act like the

men we were. We were the poster chil-

dren for ‘group think’ mentality.”

Aaron Barker

Staff Writer

Sigma Nu to return to campus with

emphasis on leadership development

First-year students attend Matriculation Convocation. The first-year class has

250 students—90 students fewer than College officials projected.

Photo by Kyle Rivas

The Language and Honors House will once again house Sigma Nu start-

ing this spring. Sigma Nu is returning to campus after a four year hiatus.

Photo by Kyle Rivas

Story continued on Page 6

Story continued on page 5

When students arrived on campus

two weeks ago, they were greeted

with the recently renovated Yates-

Gill College Union. While the

construction took place throughout

last school year, the most noticeable

changes to the outside of the building

were finished over the summer while

students were not on campus.

“There were a few delays

in completing the outside of

the building,” Ron Dempsey,

vice president for finance and

administration, said. “There were

some unanticipated issues with the

outside plaza. Some athletes arrived

early while we were still trying to get

contractors and bricks out of the way,

but we managed to get it done before

the majority of students moved in.”

The inside of the Union proved to

be less of a hassle as students returned

to campus. With the addition of

the White Atrium, there was more

space to accommodate Orientation

Weekend activities. “Matriculation

was not nearly as crowded as it has

been in the past,” Dempsey said.

The completion of the Union

provided the College a unique chance

to create a new space for members of

the College community to gather.

“This is a community area that is not

a residence hall lobby,” Mary Sallee,

chairwoman of the Decorating and

Standards committee, said. “This is a

great gathering space where students

have the opportunity to create new

traditions. This would be an excellent

place for campus organizations to

collaborate on a big social event.”

While the Union is officially

open for use, it has not yet been

dedicated. This ceremony will take

place on Wednesday at 1 p.m. in

the Gill Family Meeting Room and

will be followed by a ribbon-cutting

ceremony in the Union Courtyard at

1:45 p.m.

“Students are definitely invited to

this event,” Sallee said.

Overall, Sallee is happy with the

outcome of the Union renovations

and the opportunities for the College

community to gather. “I love to come

in and see students sitting upstairs

reading, talking with friends and

listening to their iPods,” Sallee said.

The Hilltop Monitor

Friday, sept. 8, 2006 • Volume 21 • Issue 01

Copyright © 2006. All Rights Reserved

The Hilltop Monitor is published by the students of William Jewell

College, Liberty, Mo. Subscriptions are available for $30.00 per year.

Entered as First Class matter Sept. 27, 1911, in the post office of

Liberty, Mo. 64068, under the act of March 3, 1880. Editorial comment

does not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the College.

Editorial staff:

Emily Wales, Editor-in-Chief

Danielle Mills and Nathan Weinert, Associate Editors

Tracy Carroll, Copy Editor

Vicky Hill, Assignment Editor

Andy Kirk, Entertainment Editor

Erin Thess and Morgan Burrows, Business Managers

Kyle Rivas, Photo Editor

Karis Rosell, Campus Editor

Staff writers and photographers:

Jenny Allen, Aaron Barker, Rebekah Bouas, Chris Carr, Lacey Crough,

Mark Davis, Jonathan Entzminger, Sarah Fletcher, Stephanie Gonzales,

Josh Hastey, Whitni Hohl, Andy Kirk, Kristen Lehmer, Karis Rosell,

Trisha Stan

Contact The Hilltop Monitor

Letters to the editor, story suggestions, ad inquiries, subscription re-

quests, or other correspondence can be sent to the following addresses:

e-mail: monitor@william.jewell.edu

phone: (816) 781-7700, xt. 5426

mail: WJC Box 1016, 500 College Hill, Liberty, MO 64068

SPEAK O

U

T

Emily Wales

Editor-in-Chief

O

pin

ion

HM

2

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

Friday, September 8, 2006

September 8, 2006

Here we are, beginning another year at William Jewell College.

Whoda’ thunk’ it?

We watched as the first year students made their walk around the

Quad. This was bittersweet for some seniors, because it was their last

time to watch before they themselves make the trek in May.

Whoda’ thunk’ it?

For the most part we have matriculated, bought our books, settled

into our rooms, experienced our quirky roommates and gotten used to

waking up for 7:45’s again.

Whoda thunk it?

I will tell you who thunk’ it. I did. I knew what would happen. All of

these things are expected because they are tradition and tradition is a lot

of what William Jewell is built on. It comes of no surprise, because we

have all seen it before.

I will tell you what I ne ver in my wildest dream would have thunk

though. I did not expect to see Paula Keltner gone. I did not expect this

year’s first-year class to be so small, and yet so awesome. I did not expect

Senate to try to be something of consequence on our campus. I did not

expect College Union Activities to put on a program that so openly will

discuss race. I feel as though I am making a lot of negative statements

about William Jewell.

Whoda’ thunk’ it?

I have felt on numerous occasions that William Jewell was not living

up to the view book they gave me when I journey-ed to Jewell. There

have been times when Je well did not try to change the status quo. There

have been times when Je well has let the student body down, created

animosity with the faculty and staff, and kept people “from the table.”

There have been times when I have not felt like the “most important

member on this campus” (reference: Jewell Posters).

The more, however, I thunk’ about it, the more I realized that William

Jewell has not given me hardships in vain. They have given me amazing

life experiences, a real world look. They broke me out of the bubble

that I so comfortably built for myself. William Jewell has also given me

some good practice at being a responsible and contributing member of

a community. The College gave me the Emerging Leaders Conference

where I, along with other individuals, learned what it meant to be a

leader in several capacities. William Jewell has given me numerous

forums to expound upon the immense knowledge they have given me in

the forms of lecture, roundtables and the bond we can all form with our

faculty and staff members.

Whoda’ thunk’ it?

William Jewell gave me opportunities, patience and perseverance,

great friends and qualified professors. This College gave me the base

in which to challenge opinions, question my own and begin to become

an individual. I did not expect William Jewell to make me “eat crow”

by teaching me, wielding ME with the power to change the status quo.

There actually was a method to their madness. As I begin this year, I

can’t help but look forward to what William Jewell will do to help me

grow further as a student, citizen, and most importantly as a human

being. Whoda’ Thunk’ It?

I feel pride in saying that the “Hill” is mine… and that’s Real Talk.

. . . from the staff

Chris Carr

Staff Writer

B

ursting the Bubble

Nathan Weinert

Associate Editor

Let us know

what you think

Letters to the Editor

monitor

@william.jewell.edu

Students of William Jewell College, I’m going to let

you in on a little secret: Watch your backs. It seems to

be a bad time to be part of the crowd enrolled in classes

around here. Oh, you can fool yourself by saying the new

Union is for you, but you know the coffee shop is really

just to distract you f rom the discouragement of backpack

traditions and the horrible smells in Marston. That ’s

right, scoop up your books and bring allergy medications

for classes. Things aren’t lookin’ good.

Although I had been on campus a few times for brief

visits, I hadn’t really been back—for good—until two

weeks ago. After a semester in Barcelona, I was expecting

a joyous homecoming. But I got trash. And boxes. And

dust.

The Monitor’s offices were in disarray in mid-August.

After years of a-substance-not-categorized-as-mold-that-

makes-me-sneeze, Facilities Management finally ripped

out the carpet, apparently forgetting to replace it with

some other form of flooring. I could go into the nitty

gritty of why we needed something other than cement

on our floors, but getting out my office f rustrations here

would be futile and perhaps even self-serving (well,

obviously). It would also prevent me from getting to

a larger issue on campus, one that involves low morale,

misplaced priorities and lack of communication.

As a second-term editor, I couldn’t help but look

back at my first stabs at column-writing two years ago.

Phrases like “finding my niche” and “an environment

that embraces student involvement” were heartfelt. As a

sophomore student, returning to Jewell from a summer at

home made me feel a sense of belonging at the College.

I only imagined that returning from Spain would

be even better. But something was different. I couldn’t

put my finger on it, but there was a change. Even when

greeting some of my favorite professors, staff and students,

there was an air of defeat. Were people still stung by the

loss of KWJC? Was the Strategic Plan too top-down?

Were we all still wondering what went wrong with

recruitment for the first-year class?

I didn’t ever find a satisfactory answer, and I don’t

want to kick off the year with a hopeless column full of

complaints. I also don’t want to speculate about

every issue on campus that could be contributing to

the general feeling of discontent I’m noticing.

But I did draw one conclusion: Ever yone in

the College community—from faculty to staff to

administration—seems to be out of touch with

the person next door. Apparently Friday morning

Jewell Time doesn’t quite equal campus unity. Too

often this semester, I’ve walked from one professor’s

office to another and heard “ What?! I knew nothing

about…” or “I wish I hadn’t learned about such-and-

such through the grapevine.”

This certainly isn’t the first time, but it has been

a while since the College has had so much to learn

from its student organizations. I’ve been impressed

and inspired by by some of the student initiatives—

and cooperation—taking place at the College. From

the persistent radio students: The Edge internet radio

feed. From Student Senate: a revitalized mission

statement and outreach plans.

So while it’s tempting to read my first paragraph

and want to head for Baker University, my advice

for students has little to do with taking the path of

least resistance. There’s a lot of work to be done on

campus, and it’s about time the College’s patrons—

and largest demographic—got involved. For the

first time in a long time, student communication

on campus seems to be at an all-time high. Groups

like CSM and Amnesty International are not only

revitalizing their own programs; they’re also looking

for new ways to form partnerships.

There is one piece of proof that select College

officials are listening to the beat of campus: the

newly-tiled floor in the Monitor office. It may be

a small thing, but it gives me hope for the rest of

William Jewell.

Second Thoughts

I’m back, people.

Back for another year at William

Jewell College and back for another

year as associate editor of The Hilltop

Monitor.

When most Hilltop Monitor editors

get a shot at writing a column for the

second time, it seems like they review

their first column and go “Whoa, this

is what I thought last time—look how

much things have changed! I sure

hope I make a positive difference in

the world again this year.” Often after

writing that column, the rest of the year

is spent writing snarky columns about

campus life that end with a final salvo

aimed at the campus community.

So, in preparation for this column

I went and examined the first column

that I wrote last year. This bit of

research proved to be no help, since in

that column I suggested that if I ever

gave money to William Jewell College

it would be required to do several

things (such as make the KAs change

their spiritual founder to Ulysses S.

Grant). Amusing, but not particularly

useful in providing me with inspiration

for this column.

In any case, I’m back, and after a year

of general bitterness and snarkiness

on the editorial pages last year (my

column being no exception), I thought

it would be good to take at least a

week to say some positive things about

what’s happening on campus this year.

There are certainly things I’m more

enthusiastic about this year than I was

at this time last year. Don’t worry—

there will be plenty of ink spilled

in this space this year complaining

about (well, make that constructively

criticizing) things on and off campus.

For one week, however, I’m not going

to complain about the cafeteria food,

criticize the Greek Strategic Plan,

comment on what I think are the

failings of Student Senate. I want to

focus on the things that I find exciting

and show what’s right with William

Jewell. Without further ado, these are

the things I’m excited about:

• Let’s begin what may

be my most surprising point

of enthusiasm after several of

the columns I wrote last year:

The work of Student Senate. I

think there is an exceptionally

strong group of Senators this

year, and am hopeful that

they can succeed in places

where other Senates haven’t.

(disclaimer: Senate recently

made a sizable financial

contribution to a cause near

and dear to my heart, so my

support has been somewhat

purchased.)

• Groups

and

organizations that think the

Monitor has an agenda against

them. I’m enthusiastic that

Sigma Nu is coming back, and

excited to see the f raternities

at least putting on a show of

unity at the start of Rush. I’m

excited that the football team

won its first game in exciting

fashion and I’m optimistic

that this could be a special

season for the team.

• The new Union, and

the fact that we no longer have

to go through a tunnel to get

to dinner.

• The coffee shop on

the top floor of the Union, and

enthusiastic that it takes credit

and debit cards since there’s

not an ATM on campus

(whoops—this is supposed

to be a positive column).

• New faces on

campus, f rom the first-year

students to faculty in their

first year, and particularly

excited about having a student

from Lebanon on campus this

semester.

• Parts of the Strategic

Plan and excited that the

College is attempting to make

the oh-so-lauded jump from

good to great.

• The Hilltop Monitor

has more office space and a

new floor this year.

• At this particular

moment I may be most

excited that I’m spending my

time in class and around cool

people, rather than driving

around at the Winfield City

Lake harassing campers like I

did this summer in my job as

a lake ranger.

If there’s a silver lining in every

cloud, however, there are thunderclouds

on every horizon. For all of the things

that I’m excited about, there are an

equal number of things that I’m

worried about—will the Monitor ever

get enough computers to put out an

issue? Will my points ever work at the

new coffee shop so I won’t even need

my debit card? Will the Strategic Plan

ever get longer and more complicated

than the schematics of the Space

Shuttle?—but we’ll let those wait for

future issues.

For now I’m excited and enthusiastic.

And yes, I’m back.

BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL

FOR STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF!!

September to May Contract

$25 Joining Fee (Save $50)

$19.95 per month (Save $10 per month)

Perspectives

September 8, 2006

Rebekah Bouas

Bouas is currently studying in

Oxford, England.

A

G

L

E

IT

N

E

SS

E

F

HEALTH CLUB

Tel: (816) 781-8600

www.eaglefitnessliberty.com

338 South 291 Hwy.

Liberty, MO 64068

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

As I

write this

article, my

shoulder s

ache from

h e a v i n g

a heavy

backpack,

I do not

understand

the words

coming out

of the speakers and the Hill is waking

while my own day is drawing to a

close. I am sitting on a train in Poland

heading for Germany. For three weeks

I have been traveling through Europe,

and my trip has just begun for I am

embarking on a new adventure. This

fall I am studying in England through

William Jewell’s Oxford Overseas

Study Program. I decided it would be

most fitting to start my journey with

a month-long tour of Europe before

term began.

I started my tour in Kassel,

Germany, a city dear to me because

before attending college, I spent a

year here as an exchange student.

Returning to the German culture

and language once more was surreal.

It was as if I had never left. Seeing

and reconnecting with people, now

old friends, was refreshing, as was

enjoying the delights of a German

breakfast of rolls and marmalade and

long walks after coffee and cake. But I

also wanted to explore someplace new,

thus my foray into Poland.

I wanted to immerse myself in the

Polish culture as much as possible, so

I stayed with a missionary family in

Poznan, the first big city in western

Poland. I am indebted to this couple

for they allowed me to shadow them

for several days. They introduced me

to their friends and Polish way of

life. They explained the basic culture

of this devoutly Catholic, but long

downtrodden, country. The language

is difficult. The people are normally

rather reserved, so it takes a while to

form relationships. Poland, however,

has an immensly rich history and its

food is wonderful. If you ever have the

opportunity, try a perogie, the Polish

version of ravioli.

Poland’s history is a rather turbulant

one. During the Middle Ages and

Rennaissance, the Polish empire was

actully one of the largest in Europe.

However, with time, the heyday of

the country waned and the land was

broken up into many other nations.

Though it again became its own

country after World War I, Germany

soon invaded, and after Germany’s

defeat, Poland became a part of the

USSR. The fall of communism started

Poland’s struggle to become a modern

democracy. Though it has much left to

accomplish, Poland has made many

advancements, including joining the

European Union in 2004.

When I visited the old Polish

capital, Kracow, all of this history was

laid out before my eyes. An opulant

medieval castle and main square

against a backdrop of bleak, old

building, results of a century of war

and communism, created a perfect

allegory of Poland’s history. As I sat

in Kracow’s main square one night,

watching the people bustling under

the lights amongst the restaurants and

merchant stalls, it amazed me that this

culture has been altering and evolving

for over a millenium.

I decided then that I wanted to

take part of this culture home with

me. This has now become my goal for

the semester. The parts of the cultures

that I enjoy this fall need not remain

in Europe if I can help it. When I

return home, please, someone, ask me

to make a perogie!

W

ell,

C

heerio

and all that

HM

3

We Offer:

Cardio Theatre

Fitness Classes

Spinning Bikes

Supervised Kids Club

Cardio Classes

Locker Rooms

Showers

Free Towels

Tanning

Boxing Room

Personal Training

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The first panel discussion of the Informative Speaker Series was held in Gano

last week. It addressed the topic of capital punishment. This series was created

by Philip Cantwell, junior Oxbridge institutions and policy major. According to

Cantwell, the speaker series is distinctive from others that exist on campus.

“ The difference between this series and other series is the mixture of speakers,”

Cantwell said. “The idea for the series came to me because I thought too many

people at Jewell hold beliefs on controversial issues that have never been tested, or

they have never seen there are other perspectives out there.”

Speakers in favor of the death penalty were First Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt

Whitworth, attorney Mike Whitehead and Julie Gulledge, president of the Kansas

City chapter of Parents of Murdered Children. Speakers against capital punishment

were Sean O’Brien, executive director of the Public Interest Litigation Clinic; Steve

Harris, assistant professor of education; and Bill Lucero, Kansas state coordinator

of Murder Victims for Reconciliation. -Story by Kristina Brase. Photo by Kyle Rivas.

First in panel discussion series

addresses capital punishment

Volume 21 Issue 1

CAM

PU

S

HM

4

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

Friday, September 8, 2006

Lebanese student joins

College for fall semester

New coffeehouse

opens for business;

prices examined

In an effort to help students stay

awake through class, the Yates-Gill

College Union includes a convenient

destination for a morning (or late-

afternoon) caffeine fix. The new

coffeehouse overlooking the Union’s

atrium includes a special Jewell

Blend coffee, along with soft drinks,

smoothies and a selection of pastries

made fresh daily in the school’s

kitchens. When a new cooler arrives to

fill the space between the two counters,

the coffeehouse will add a selection of

sandwiches and salads to its menu.

The Jewell Blend and Cardinal

Blend coffees were selected by a panel

of taste-testers, who chose specialty

blends from six offered by the Roasterie,

the local company f rom which the

coffeehouse purchases its coffee. The

coffeehouse also offers French Caramel

Roast, its mildest coffee; Voodoo, a dark,

rich coffee; and de-caffeinated coffee.

Students cramming for an exam and

needing extra energy should note that

milder roasts contain more caffeine.

The coffeehouse also offers lattes,

cappuccinos, flavored lattes and

cappuccinos, mocha f rappes and hot

chocolate. With the summer heat, the

selection of smoothies are popular and

come in a variety of fruity flavors which

can be mixed as desired.

The coffee is priced from $1.50 for

a 12-ounce coffee to $3.70 for a 16-

ounce coffee, depending on the flavor.

“Coffee is more expensive when

you get specialty blends,” Fred Vocke,

food service director, said. Bonus

points that can be used in the Cage are

not yet available in the coffeehouse, but

“we’re working

on it ever yday,”

Vocke said.

T h e

coffeehouse is

open Monday

t h r o u g h

Thursday from

7 a.m. to 10

p.m.; Friday

from 7 a.m.

to 7 p.m.; and

Sunday from

6 p.m. to 10

p.m. One of

Vocke’s major

concerns is the

hours of the

c o f f e e h o u s e .

Students who

require a 3 a.m.

caffeine fix to

get through

those last few

pages of an

essay will still have to make a run to

QuickTrip.

“We want to be there for the

students,” Vocke said, “but if we don’t

do business, how do we justify keeping

it open?”

Besides coffee, the coffeehouse

offers students an additional place to

read, study and socialize. Christopher

Pennell, senior, said that the atmosphere

is “phenomenal” for studying.

Currently, the coffeehouse is missing

a name. This will be remedied through

a contest co-sponsored by Student

Senate and the Office of Student

Affairs. Michael Armato, vice president

of Student Senate, announced that

the names will be judged by a panel

of students, faculty and staff who will

be looking for creativity, uniqueness

and the integration of William Jewell

College into the name. The contest

begins Monday and will close Sept.

17

at midnight. All name suggestions

must be submitted by email to senate@

william.jewell.edu. Each person may

submit one name. Vulgar or offensive

language immediately will disqualify

the individual. The winner of the

contest will receive an iPod Nano,

provided by the Office of Student

Affairs. More information may be

obtained by emailing Student Senate,

or by visiting the Senate’s table in the

atrium during lunch from Sept. 11-13.

Trisha Stan

Staff Writer

Throughout fall semester, William

Jewell College has the privilege of

hosting a student f rom Lebanon. Due

to the recent fighting in Lebanon,

Roy Abdo was unable to return to his

home in Beirut or to his university

this fall. After members of the College

community heard of his situation, they

offered to help make it possible for him

to attend William Jewell for the fall

semester.

“I feel safe—I know where my room

is, where my classes are. I have people

around me who are helping to support

me,” said Abdo, who spent three weeks

in limbo in Athens with his luggage

packed, unable to return home, yet with

no other place to go.

Abdo and eight other students had

left Lebanon for Athens, Greece to

attend the International Institute for

Political and Economic Studies. IIPES

is a program sponsored by The Fund for

American Studies that serves not only

Middle Eastern students, but students

around the world. IIPES allows

students from countries in conflict

an opportunity to come together for

conflict resolution discussions and

to learn how to build a good society.

Representatives f rom the Balkans,

Israel, Lebanon, the United States and

numerous other nations attend the

program.

Shortly after Abdo and his peers

left the airport in Beirut, the airport

was bombed, preventing the students

from returning home. Because these

students were not able to return to

their homeland and their respective

universities, the search began for

programs and families to host the

students during the fall semester.

Anthony Shop, ’05, executive editor

and chief operating officer of Oxford

International Review, met with Michelle

Jeffress, who directs international

programs for TFAS. When Shop

found out about the stranded students,

he and others at TFAS began to think

about the possibility of William Jewell

hosting one of the students during the

fall semester.

Shop contacted Dr. David Sallee,

president of the College, to inquire

about the possibility of Abdo being a

student at William Jewell this fall. Sallee

agreed. Abdo was contacted to see if

he would be interested in attending

William Jewell and after doing some

research on the College, Abdo decided

to take advantage of what he called “the

great opportunity” and attend William

Jewell.

Despite the College offering

a generous financial aid package,

approximately $6,000 must be raised

to finance Abdo’s semester at Jewell.

Student Senate agreed to contribute

$1000 outright to help offset Abdo’s

expenses and to provide up to $1000

in matching funds. Despite these

contributions, over $2,000 still needs

to be raised to offset Abdo’s expenses.

Shop, due to his connections

not only with the College but with

OIR and TFAS, was a vital player in

bringing Abdo to William Jewell this

semester. “ I think Roy is going to

make a fantastic addition to the Jewell

community this semester, and frankly,

we knew that for someone who couldn’t

return to his home, there would be no

more welcomeing place than Jewell,”

Shop said.

“I want to thank all of the people

who have helped me to come here. I

am looking forward to contributing my

experience and knowledge to Jewell’s

community and to learning from the

people here,” Abdo said.

Abdo arrived in Kansas City on Aug.

31 and was met by his host family and

members of the OIR staff at William

Jewell. After arriving on campus Abdo

settled into his room in Browning Hall

and worked out his class schedule with

the help of Jason Groves, international

student adviser, and Dr. Michael Cook,

who is ser ving as Abdo’s academic

adviser. This semester Abdo is taking a

variety of courses ranging from political

science to ballroom dancing.

“I like the way classes go here. The

teachers know everybody, and you feel

like you’re really involved in the courses

you’re taking,” Abdo said.

Next semester, Abdo plans to

complete an internship in Washington

D.C. before returning home. Until

then, Abdo intends to enjoy life on the

Hill. “It was like it was meant for me

to be here. Maybe it was God,” Abdo

said.

Vicky Hill

Assignment Editor

After arriving in Kansas City, Abdo

meets members of his host family,

Sarah Burr, ‘05, and her mother, Con-

nie Burr. Abdo will spend semester

breaks and holidays with the Burrs.

Photo by Kyle Rivas

Photo by Kyle Rivas

Volume 21 Issue 1

CAM

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www.thehilltopmonitor.com

E v e r y o n e ’ s

S

t

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By Karis Rosell

]

[

While some students at William

Jewell College are hesitant to voice

opinions that may not be in line with

those of the majority, sophomore Anna

Chandler has no problem speaking her

mind. She likes to watch the news and

is very socially aware. “I like to keep

track of what ’s actually going on in the

world and not just what CNN or FOX

says is going on,” Chandler said.

Chandler gets this quality from

her family. She describes both of

her parents as valuing education and

being socially concerned and liberal

in their beliefs. “My mom’s main focus

is disabled people’s rights and my dad

has always been really liberal. Now that

he is getting older he’s getting more

conservative, but he also said he would

throw me out of the house if I voted for

Bush,” Chandler said with a laugh.

Chandler credits much of her views

to her aunts: Leslie, Chandler’s dad’s

older sister; and Leslie’s partner Liz,

both advocates for gay rights. “My

aunts were the adults, other than my

parents, who were always around

when I was growing up—and they

always had candy,” Chandler said. She

respects them for facing some negative

reactions about their sexual orientation,

as well as their accepting attitudes

toward others. “ They always took the

time to get to know every person they

came across. They have also had to face

a lot of discrimination,” Chandler said.

Additionally, Chandler cited her aunts’

two children, Dash, 8, and Zoey, 5, as

being “the two greatest kids on earth,”

and said she enjoys spending time

babysitting them.

Following the footsteps of her

relatives, Chandler advocated for the

addition of “sexual orientation” to the

William Je well Student Bill of Rights

during the debates last year. Although

Chandler was aware of the College’s

Baptist roots, she was shocked at the

controversy surrounding the addition of

this phrase. “ Why are we arguing about

whether it’s all right to hate someone?

Hating people is bad,” Chandler said.

Chandler also joined the unofficial

William Jewell group A.G.A.P.E.,

Allies and Gays Accepting People

Everywhere, and was

an active participant

in the Day of Silence,

which the group

sponsored.

Chandler, who

reports that William

Jewell students have

tried to “convert” her

several times, finds

being a non-religious

student on William

Jewell’s campus to

be an interesting

experience. She does

not have a problem

with religion itself

and has friends from

nearly ever y religious

tradition. She has even gone on a

mission trip with her father’s church.

Howe ver, she does see a problem in the

way religion is being treated by many

people in the country, including the

current Bush administration. “I’m not a

religious person, but I can see how people

find solace in it and I have no problem

with that. What we’re seeing here is

not good at all – just using religion as a

way to control and manipulate people,

and it ’s really sickening,” Chandler

said, referring to the use of religion in

politics today. “Religion has taken on

this magic bubble wrap protection,”

Chandler said.

From Chandler’s perspective,

science eliminates the need for religion

as civilization progresses. “ The more

that we understand the world around

us, the less we need to deify things,”

Chandler said. For the most part,

howe ver, Chandler isn’t bothered by

the place that religion occupies in the

life of William Jewell, saying that most

people here are very respectful with

their beliefs, including professors and

the administration. As for those who

have tried to convert her, “ when you live

in Kansas, you get used to dealing with

crazy religious people,” Chandler said,

joking about her and her brother being

Pastatarian, or those who worship the

Flying Spaghetti Monster.

In addition to religious views,

Chandler’s family has affected other

parts of her life. As

the oldest child, she

watched her younger

brother from the time

she began junior high

school until she was

graduated from high

school, as her mother

worked on a masters

degree in entomology.

Her mother stayed at

Kansas State University,

commuting home to

Olathe most weekends,

while Chandler’s

father

worked,

leaving Chandler to

watch her brother

much of the time.

Additionally, Chandler’s mother has

Aspergers Disorder and her father is

hearing impaired, leading Chandler

to feel independent from a young

age. Although this arrangement may

have caused her to grow up quickly,

Chandler does not believe it limited

her and is very close to her family.

Her mother’s emphasis on

education has been a major influence in

Photo by Kyle Rivas

Chandler ’s life. “[My mom] is really into

education—I think she knows every

bug and plant that ever existed. And

I’m a big science dork, too,” Chandler

said. Chandler’s mother currently

works at a school for disabled children,

and has written a book, Growing Great

Vegetables in the Heartland, along with

articles for the KC Gardner. Her dad,

who works in IT at a bank, is going

back to school to become a counselor

for people battling alcohol addiction.

Her parents’ value on education

has affected her decision to become an

English major. “I’ve been writing and

reading since I was in kindergarten so

it’s just been part of my life,” Chandler

said. She hopes to incorporate this love

into a career someday as well. “I want

to become an editor for a publishing

company for a career,” she said. “Maybe

publish a book or two.” In addition to

the English major, Chandler plans to

add on Spanish as a second major. “I

think it’s important to be bilingual,

especially since there is a large Hispanic

population in Kansas City,” Chandler

said.

Ultimately, Chandler would like

people to remember two things about

her. First, “I obey the laws of reality,”

and second, “I’m a big geek.”

It wasn’t until Kanning went to work

for the national chapter of Sigma Nu

in Lexington, Va., that he understood

what his experience should have been.

“For those four years [in Lexington],

I became addicted to helping other

people (and myself ) become more in-

terested in becoming better, more ethi-

cally centered individuals,” Kanning

said. It’s this experience that Kanning

wants to bring to the new class of Wil-

liam Jewell Sigma Nus.

Even though the organization was

eligible for return in August 2005, they

waited a year to re-colonize in order to

determine what kind of emphasis they

wanted and to establish a group of local

alumni. Their focus will be on creating

future generations of leaders both on

and off the campus.

“We want people to think of a group

of students who lead with integrity. It

would be great if leaders from every as-

pect of campus saw Sigma Nu as the

place where they could learn to become

a better leader, so they could make their

organizations stronger,” Kanning said.

“Sigma Nu could be the place where

guys become more interested in leader-

ship and it propels them into the Pryor

Program, Emerging Leaders, American

Humanics, etc.”

The fraternity is looking for approx-

imately 15 men in order for them to

make a strong group for recolonization

efforts. “There is not a right number,”

Kanning said, “[but] many more than

that, it becomes hard to create a strong

organization.” Kanning believes that

this group will be able to create what-

ever image they. “Instead of joining a

group where you become immediately

branded with their image [and] have to

wait a few years to become a chapter

officer, Sigma Nu offers the opportuni-

ty to have immediate leadership where

these founding fathers will set the stage

for the next 100 years,” Kanning said.

The Office of Student Affairs is

pleased to have the Sigma Nu frater-

nity back. “ I am excited because of the

way the fraternity is approaching the

recruitment of new members and how

they are approaching the re-coloniza-

tion process. That focus is on leader-

ship, the core values of Sigma Nu, and

the core values of our Greek system and

Greek Strategic Plan at William Je w-

ell, rather than attracting new members

based on social incentives,” Winslow

said. “I really think this chapter has

the potential to be our strongest in a

short amount of time, based upon the

way in which they are conducting this

process.”

Sigma Nu

Story continued from Page 1

Life &

Entertainment

HM

6

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

Friday, September 8, 2006

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(Sophomores - Juniors - Seniors)

is looking for

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Contact: Dr. Epley

Ext. 5197 or epleya@

william.jewell.edu

Chapel Choir

(all classes)

is looking for

Tenors and Basses

Contact: Dr. Hatcher

Ext.5192 or hatchers@

william.jewell.edu

*One hour of non-major credit!

Specializing in Men’s and Women’s

* Hair * Nails * Pedicure Services *

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Just show your WJC I.D.

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218 N. 291 Hwy

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Order 2 entrees and 2 drinks,

receive a free appetizer

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Waiters, Waitresses,

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Wednesday College

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A report filed with the Office of

Student Affairs last week stated that a

racially motivated incident occurred on

campus.

According to a memorandum sent

by Dr. Rick Winslow, vice president for

Student Affairs and dean of students,

“several African-American students

were walking on campus and were

passed by a vehicle. The occupants

shouted racial slurs at them as they

passed by.”

“The College has specific policies

prohibiting behaviors that threaten

the safety or well-being of students.

In addition, the College has been clear

that behaviors that include racism are

completely unacceptable at William

Jewell College,” Winslow said.

“The racially motivated incident that

happened last week makes me realize

we have lots of work to do at William

Jewell to prepare our campus to embrace

diversity in all forms,” Donette Alonzo,

director of Multicultural Admission

and Student Development, said. “As

the director of Multicultural Affairs,

my first concern is to make sure the

multicultural students are safe and

know they have rights to go to Campus

Security and Student Affairs to report

what happened and we will investigate

the incident right away,”

In the memorandum sent to the

campus, Winslow also said, “…students

found responsible for incidents can face

suspension or expulsion...”

“These incidents always have

negative affects on the positive strides

the College has taken in the last two

to three years as it relates to diversity

initiatives. I am confident of one thing,

though, and that is that these types of

incidents will only make us work harder

on diversity and multiculturism on

campus. This incident will not stop our

efforts,” Winslow said.

“My first reaction when the racial

incident happened last week is anger

that in 2006 we are still having to deal

with issues that are just plain hateful.

Then I have to sit back and look at the

whole picture of how people need to see

that diversity is a gift and not a threat,”

Alonzo said.

According to Winslow, “although

an incident of this nature should not

be forgotten and will not be forgotten,

we cannot allow this type of behavior

to cloud the year ahead of us. We have

many great things planned for this year

and we will not allow something like

this to take away from those plans.”

Winslow stated in the memorandum,

“ William Jewell College is a college

of values, diversity, responsibility and

respect. This ty pe of behavior is counter

to those values and the mission of the

College, and will not be tolerated.”

“I cannot speculate if the occupants

of the vehicle were aware of the

seriousness of their actions. What I can

say is that, conscious or not, if they are

caught we will hold them accountable

for their actions,” Winslow said.

‘

Racial incident’ mars College opening

Tracy Carroll

Copy Editor

William Jewell College Student

Senate is ready to see their plans go into

effect. Senate President Kate Prather,

junior, will be serving for the second

time on the Cabinet and is eager to

begin. “I am extremely excited for the

upcoming school year because Senate

has already put in a

lot of good work for

solidifying our goals

and expectations,”

Prather said.

The Senate met

with the leaders of a

number of campus

organizations for an

Encampment retreat

before the opening of

the academic year. In

addition to reviewing

their platform goals,

senators wrote an

official mission

statement, along with

five objectives for the

year. The mission

statement aims to

define Senate as an

organization and help

students understand

Senate’s purpose: “Senate is the voice

of students seeking to lead, ser ve

and advocate for student interests.”

They have defined their goals as the

following: improving communication,

feedback and participation in the

governing process with all constituents,

while actively pursuing relevant issues

on campus; supporting an environment

where diversity is recognized and

valued; creating a system to prioritize

actions and resource allocation;

providing opportunities for serve to the

greater community; and becoming a

viable voice and influence in the college

administration.

“I think what we’re doing this year is

different than in the past because we’re

actually being what a Senate should be

on a college campus,” senior Michael

Armato, vice president, said. “ We’re

excited for our goals this year, because

we ’re tr ying to be an active voice for

students on campus.”

First-year students who wish to

become a part of the Student Senate

can pick up a petition to be put on the

ballot Monday through Wednesday in

either the Office of Student Affairs or

in the cafeteria during lunch. Each

petition must have 50 signatures from

other first-year students and be turned

in by 5 p.m. to the Office of Student

Affairs. Campaigning is allowed from

Wednesday through

Sunday at midnight.

At this time, all

posters must be

taken down.

Elections will

take place Sept. 18

during lunch and

dinner and Sept. 19

during lunch. The

first meeting with

the new senators

will take place Sept.

19 at 6 p.m.

“ This year’s class

is dynamic in the

fact that they want

to get involved

in leadership and

Senate is a great

place for them to do

that,” Armato said.

Senate meetings

are open to the student body and take

place Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m. in

212 Yates-Gill Union. Next Tuesday’s

meeting, however, will be located on

the Ely Triangle at 6 p.m. Students are

encouraged to bring their own blankets.

Ice cream will be provided.

Student Senate starts year, announces first-year elections

Stephanie Gonzales

Staff Writer

William Jewell officials are currently

at a loss for easy answers as to the rea-

sons for the smaller class. Members of

the Office of Admission are still analyz-

ing data to determine possible causes of

the small class size. Harris said one pos-

sible factor might have been the College

receiving fewer applications last year.

“ We had not as many applications as

last year and not as many admitted stu-

dents as last year, but more than any of

the previous four or five years other than

last year,” he said.

Harris doesn’t believe the drop can

be attributed to changes in the way the

College approaches financial aid or to

recruiting approaches that will change

under the new Strategic Plan.

“I don’t think the way we packaged

financial aid this year had a significant

impact on the size of the class,” he said.

According to Harris, William Jewell cut

the number of scholarships available to

students on the tuition exchange from

nine or 10 to three in the past year, but

that move had a minimal impact.

“That accounts for a handful of stu-

dents in the class, but it doesn’t account

for 50,” he said. “Other changes we made

with regard for our own institutional aid

I don’t believe significantly affected how

the class enrolled, but again, we haven’t

finished with that analysis.”

Nor did changes in the way William

Jewell approaches recruiting under the

Strategic Plan have an effect on the size

of the first-year class, Harris said. “ We

will this year begin to pay more atten-

tion to private high schools than we

have in the past, but that isn’t any thing

that would have affected what happened

in the past year,” he said.

Although the class size is small, Sal-

lee stressed the quality of the class.

“The class appears to be very high

quality, so while the number is not as

large as we anticipated, it is a very good

class of students,” he said.

Harris said he believes the incoming

first year class is very similar in academ-

ic quality to the class that preceded it.

“The academic profile is almost exactly

the same as it was last year, with the ex-

ception of the higher percentages in the

top 10 percent and top quarter [of their

high school class],” Harris said. “The

ACT scores, the average GPA, those

are almost identical to last year’s class.

The number of states represented is very

similar—19 last year, 16 this year.”

According to Harris, the average

ACT score of the class was 25, with the

middle 50 percent in range having an

ACT score of 22-28. The average high

school GPA of the class was 3.69. 66

percent of the class was in the top quar-

ter of their high school class, a six point

increase from the year before.

No matter what is identified as a

possible cause of the shortfall, Office of

Admission staff members are turning to

the William Jewell community for help

building the next class of first-years.

“The biggest hurdle we face is that

not enough people know about how

we do undergraduate education,” Har-

ris said. “Students listen to their peers.

We need our students to be promoting

Jewell and telling them about the kind

of experience they ’re having here.”

Enrollment

Stor y continued f rom Page 1

Volume 21 Issue 1

HM

7

Life &

Entertainment

Snakes on a Plane

Andy Kirk

Little Miss Sunshine

Mark Davis

To See or Not to See?

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

As a back-to-school present for myself, I decided to review a complex film with

deep ontological meaning; a picture that illustrates difficult psychological and so-

ciopolitical implications and explores what it means to interact with one another

and fulfill the experience of being human.

But, then I said “screw it” and went to see Snakes on a Plane.

I doubt I will review Snakes on a Plane in elaborate detail. It is, after all, snakes

on a plane. No, really. There’s a subplot about a murder witness who is flying from

Hawaii to Los Angeles to testify against a powerful Asian crime lord, and the afore-

mentioned Asian crime lord decides to kill the witness by lacing the plane with lots

of venomous snakes. This is the point where if one seriously considers this movie,

you’re done for. Would it not be easier to shoot the witness once or twice in the

head, as opposed to the exotic method learned from the James Bond Villain Acad-

emy of Elaborate Flawed Plans? Yes. Would you rather see that? No. Sit down, shut

up and eat your Junior Mints.

Of course, Samuel L. Jackson is there kicking asp and spouting off his trademark,

yet unprintable line about certain snakes on a certain plane, but that’s pretty much

it. It’s not Citizen Kane, but it seems like people are treating it as Citizen Fang. Of

course Snakes on a Plane is ridiculous, preposterous and dumb. If every good movie

had to have thought and, God forbid, a plot, our box office lives would be as dull as

our normal ones. Now, whether Snakes on a Plane accomplishes its goal of ebullient

campiness is another story. In fact, the min-hiss-cule part of the movie that takes

itself seri-hiss-ly weighs the plane down more than any of the mamba madness. I

enjoyed Snakes on a Plane, but I think an extra dimension could have been added

by abandoning the drama, adding an anaconda, and going hog-wild (or, as a Boeing

constrictor did to an unfortunate Pomeranian in the film, dog-wild).

You should know that Snakes on a Plane is worth seeing if you know what you

want. It’s a horrible film, a great movie and just short of being an excellent cult clas-

sic. Ignore the boos and hisses and get Snake-bitten.

From the moment I saw the trailer for this movie, I knew it was a must-see. A

family on the verge of a complete breakdown is forced to take a trip to California

when their daughter, Olive, wins the chance to compete in the Little Miss Sunshine

beauty pageant. Their means of conveyance? A VW bus.

Many might be having flashbacks to National Lampoons Family Vacation, but

this movie achieves something deeper, and possibly even funnier. But to under-

stand how awesome it gets, you have to know more about the family. The father

is an unemployed motivational speaker who works his program into every facet

of their family life. He is barely speaking to his wife, who happens to be the only

one in their family who is working. Her son, from a previous marriage, doesn’t

speak because of Nietzsche. Their daughter is obsessed with being in the beauty

pageant. The grandfather has been kicked out of his retirement home for snorting

heroin. And Uncle Frank is forced to live with them after an attempted suicide.

There couldn’t be a more dysfunctional family.

Now, you might be thinking that for a comedy this seems really dark and dry,

maybe even depressing. Well you’re right. But the sheer joy of watching Little Miss

Sunshine is drawn from watching these characters interact, fight, grow and eventu-

ally flourish throughout the movie. It is an amazing process with plenty of laughs

along the way, especially if you’re willing to laugh at other people’s timely misfor-

tune. Yet, the laughs aren’t what push this movie above its competition. It’s the

fact that this movie refuses to sugarcoat anything about this family or the general

experience of being driven mad by one’s family, and in turn, driving one’s family

mad. As you leave the theatre, and maybe even before, you’ll probably think of your

family and wonder if all families aren’t somewhat dysfunctional.

Greek organizations see steady recruitment, rush numbers

At the close of a busy first week,

the four sororities at William Jewell

College welcomed 66 women into the

Greek system. With the 165 women in

the first-year class outnumbering the

89 men, each sorority hoped to meet

their quota goal.

Kim Wills, president of Delta

Zeta, had hoped to get “quota plus”

as they always have in the past, which

is about 25 women. However, she

said that the sorority was not just set

on numbers, that they were looking

for “really well-rounded girls” with

strong commitments to academics

and community service. “ We just want

quality girls who genuinely want to

be a part of Delta Zeta for the right

reasons,” Wills said.

Bailey Wilson, president of Zeta

Tau Alpha, said that one of the

biggest priorities is to “get to know

the women on a number of levels.”

With Breast Cancer Awareness as

the sorority philanthropy, Wilson

said that it was crucial the women

understood the philanthropy and why

service is an important part of sorority

life. Ultimately, Wilson said, each

sorority was looking for women who

were interested in Greek life, and then

helping them find the organization that

fit them best.

Throughout recruitment week, many

activities were planned. According

to Jacquie Essary, president of Alpha

Gamma Delta, each night had a

different theme. For the Gams it started

with an “A Day in the Life of a Gam”

open house, followed by a night focused

on their philanthropy. There was also a

skit night and then a preference party.

“ This is a serious event for us,” Essar y

said. “ We really just focus on sisterhood

during this event.”

Of the 66 women, 21 pledged DZ,

19 pledged Zeta, 19 pledged Gam and

7 pledged Alpha Delta Pi.

Rush for fraternities started on

Monday, with several big events

planned. According to Danny Stricker,

Intrafraternity Council president, the

format for Rush was the same as in

past years. “Every house will have two

nights of events and there will be two

open days where the rushees can attend

any house festivities,” Stricker said. To

show unity, the four fraternities held

a Last Chance BBQ on Sunday. Each

fraternity was represented and talked

to men about the Rush process. “Since

I have been here, that is the first time

the fraternities have done a joint event

before rush,” Stricker said.

On Wednesday Kappa Alpha Order

held a Casino Night. “This is a good

event and ever yone seems to have fun,”

Nick Clark, president of the KA’s, said.

For their other event, the KA’s planned

a cookout at the fraternity house and

then spent the rest of the evening at

Retro Bowl. Phi Gamma Delta hosted

a concert featuring the Kansas City

band Odds to Even and for their second

event traveled to the Shoal Creek

Driving Range and Batting Cages.

Like the sororities, fraternities

aren’t just interested in filling a quota.

“Fraternities on this campus have no

obligations nor guidelines concerning

quotas, we simply look for men that fit

best in our organization and can benefit

from being a part of their brotherhood,

“Andy Pitts, president of the FIJI’s said.

According to Clark, most fraternities

try to get 17-25 guys, but because of

a low number of males in the first-year

class this year, Clark said that it was

interesting seeing how many of them

actually signed up for Rush. However,

most fraternities, as Pitts believes, don’t

“compromise quality for the sake of

quantity.”

Stricker said that even with the

low amount of males, they had an

unbelievable turnout – 65 to 70

men - which was as many men that

went through Rush last year. “Br yan

Crawford, the Intra Fraternity Council

Rush chair, has done a great job

organizing signup times, the BBQ and

Rush schedule. It has been very easy for

students to sign up, so I think that really

made our number of rushees satisfying

for the houses,” Stricker said.

Also, the fraternities look at the

re-entrance of Sigma Nu fraternity as

something that will be beneficial for

the Greek system at William Jewell.

“It will only strengthen the Greek

system by having another fraternity on

campus,” Clark said. “Hopefully they

have a successful recolonization and can

continue to run as a successful chapter.”

Agreeing, Pitts said that the FIJI’s are

in favor of anything that moves the

Greek system further along.

Lacey Crough

Staff Writer

NWC

During fall, there ’s al-

ways something happening

to engage the senses: the

sight of leaves falling from

trees, the sounds of drunk-

en football fans, the feel of injustice due

to William Jewell College’s policy of

making us attend class on Labor Day

and most of all, the smell of fresh meat

new students here on the Hill.

Welcome, incoming first-years! I am

personally excited to welcome each and

every one of you to William Jewell! As a

first-year mentor this year, I was blessed

with the chance to influence many a

new student, but only positively. Some

might accuse me of being a bad mentor

who would use subliminal messages to

frighten the scared little newbies back

to a state school, but you all surely real-

ize I would neveR instrUct them to do

aN,ythiNg Of that W!icked sort.

So, I’ve tried my best to be a source

of direction and wisdom. After all, if I

don’t tell them to brown nose the sec-

retaries who wield more power at this

school than any faculty member, or to

avoid the cafeteria on meat loaf night,

who will? I have noticed, however, that

there is one major area that needs to be

addressed that the first-years are quite

clueless about and could use some

guidance.

Because Facebook just arrived at

Jewell last year, we all sort of worked

together to figure it out. We learned all

the subtle nuances of the f riend request

and the poke united in naďveté. This

year, however, it seems as though each

fresh-faced newbie trotted onto cam-

pus with an arsenal of Facebook f riends

they’d never met and really had no idea

what to do with. So, I have graciously

taken it upon myself, as I am the closest

thing I can find to a Facebook fanatic,

to educate these little whippersnappers

about how to properly waste time and

never accomplish anything. Also, due to

the fact that this is William Jewell Col-

lege, I thought long and hard about the

easiest format to understand to pres-

ent these complex rules. Therefore, I

now present The TEN COMMAND-

MENTS OF FACEBOOK, delivered

unto me after a sermon on Browning

Bowl, or whatev.

1.Thou shalt only add people

thoust knoweth. Uh, it’s a little unfair

and not to mention awkward, to add a

bunch of people that you’ve never met

before. Easy there, killer, and go outside

and meet the people you’ll be spending

the next four years with.

2. Once thou addest friends, don’tst

deletest them. There’s absolutely noth-

ing more annoying than reaching an

important friend amount milestone

and then have one less the next day.

It encourages paranoia and it might

just make someone flip out and spend

two and a half hours typing out each

and every one of their friends in al-

phabetical order and comparing notes

until they track down the unfortunate

soul who deleted them. I’m not nam-

ing any names, (but know that if you

delete me, I will hunt you down and I

will cut you).

3.Thou shalt not posest with other

people of your gender in your profile

pictrue-st. Ladies, you’re especially

guilty. The world is not dumb. We see

through your little passive-

aggressive games of posting

a picture that makes you look

hot but your BFF look ugly

as sin. Why do women have to be so

catty?!

4.Thou shalt only pokest one time

beforest it gets really irritating. Stop

it. No, just stop it. Someone initiates a

poke, that someone is poked in return.

The poking ends there, or else I will

barge into your room late at night and

“poke” you with a tent spike until you

agree never to utilize the poke system

again.

5. Thou shalt not blockest thy pro-

file to schoolmates. OK, so I get that

you’re the introspective, nerdy girl who

believes that you’re a “prize” and that

you’re too good to expose your true,

fragile self to the rest of us heathens,

but there’s nothing more irritating than

a blocked Facebook profile. Facebook is

not about you, Facebook is about other

people getting pleasure out of ogling

every detail of your life, so take off your

Facebook burqa and join the fun.

6. Thou shalt not make long irritat-

ing lists about anything pertainint to

thyself. Look, I like you, but I would

a) rather not read fourteen lines giving

me the name of e ver y CD you’ve ever

owned or b) a pamphlet’s worth of how

you like chocolate, black and white

photography, massages, etc… Again,

brevity is the key, folks.

7. Thinkest before thou sendest

out an event invitation. Do I really

know you? Do I really want to help you

paint your garage? Was it necessar y to

invite 227 people? Can your garage fit

227 people?

8.Thou shalt please try to us-

est somewhat tolerable spelling and

g rammar. Every time you mistake

“your” and “you’re”, God kills a kitten.

9.Thou shalt not join a group for

any good reason. OK, I have a bone

to pick with whoever started “ THE

LARGEST FACEBOOK GROUP

EVER!!!!!!!!1112#OMGZ.” Do you

know what they say about stupid peo-

ple in large groups? Do you remember

Nazi Germany? Please realize you are

wasting valuable oxygen.

10. Thou shalt go outside and

plant a tree or something. If there’s

been one beneficial thing about this

whole, creepy, Big Brother-esque mini

feed system, hopefully it will make peo-

ple self-conscious of how much time

they actually spend on Facebook. Also,

I do find it sad that so many people are

so upset that they’ve started mobiliz-

ing and forming petitions and groups

against it, when it’s really just a silly

little networking system. I already feel

like a waste of life for squandering a

whole column on it. What would hap-

pen if we all reached the same level of

outrage about Darfur or global warm-

ing? As a community, we are incredibly

powerful, but we waste our time and

energy when we could really accom-

plish something amazing.

So, on that note, go out into the

Facebook world (and the real one!)

with these valuable nuggets of wisdom.

Remember all of these commandments

given unto you, because thanks to the

mini-feed, I’ll be watching…

In an effort to bring in diverse groups

and tackle important issues on campus,

College Union Activities, working with

UNITY, the Diversity Committee and

the Office of Multicultural Affairs,

has invited three men from Califor-

nia to present their production N*gger

Wetb*ck Ch*nk Monday, Sept. 11.

According to the memorandum

sent to students from the Office of Stu-

dent Affairs on Tuesday, “The goal of

the NWC program is to remove power

from these three and other highly

charged racist, hateful and derogator y

terms…The intent is to ease tension

and discomfort prevalently found at

diversity programs so that a true, open

and honest dialogue can be pursued

about differences and examine why ste-

reotyping and profiling persons can be

so very harmful to our society.”

N*gger Wetc*ck Ch*nk will start at

NWC play brings racial tensions to light

7 p.m. in Gano and the hour-long pro-

gram will be followed by a 30-minute

question and answer period.

“ In this program, they are bringing

out sub-level racial tensions so people

will talk about them,” said Ernie Stuffle-

bean, director of Campus Life. “It is a

humorous, theatrical performance, even

though this isn’t a comedic subject mat-

ter. Once ever yone gets past the initial

shock value, it is an exploration of why

these words are so racially charged.”

Members of CUA’s governing board

saw a shorter version of the N*igger

Wetb*ck Ch*nk program at their an-

nual NACA conference in February

and decided to attempt to bring the

program to Jewell.

“ I am very excited about this pro-

gram coming to campus,” Rachel

Sheffield, CUA co-director, said. “I

saw them perform in Februar y and I

think it will be a great program for this

campus.”

Danielle Mills

Associate Editor

talk

to

the

Andy Kirk

and(y)

Members of the NWC program will perform

on campus Monday. Photo provided by CUA.

Meeting for

First-Year

Senate Elections

Ely Triangle

Tuesday, Sept. 12

Petitions will be

available Sept. 11

during lunch or from

the Office of Student

Affairs. All petitions

should be returned by

Sept. 13.

Friday, September 8, 2006

Volume 21 Issue 1

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

Spo

rts

HM

8

Keith Shankle (5) sprints past MidAmerica defender Chad Ammons for the third touchdown on Saturday. William

Jewell beat Mid-America Nazerine 27-24 at Greene Stadium. This was the first time William Jewell has defeated the

Pioneers in nine years. Photo by Kyle Rivas

Victory over MNU first in eight years

It was fall 1977 when Cardinals and

Pioneers stared at each other across the

sidelines for the first time in an NAIA

junior varsity football game.

Almost 30 years later, the rivalry is

more heated than ever, and Jewell did

its part Saturday winning 27-24 against

MNU in a varsity football game. This

win snapped an eight-year losing streak

to the pioneers.

“We had a big hurdle to overcome,”

head football coach Fran Schwenk

said. “We had not beat them in football

in eight years…it was definitely a

goal that we were going to break that

winning streak.”

Going into the game Saturday, the

Cardinals made no special preparations.

Schwenk said they treat every game the

same. However, he did say that the team

likes to play a team receiving national

rank or attention. Schwenk said that

the Cardinals’ goal is to be a nationally

ranked champion.

“To get back there [a national

ranking] we have been winning eight

to 10 games a year,” Schwenk said.

“That’s the neat thing, the fun thing. We

want our alums to be proud…there’s no

better feeling being one of the teams

left playing at the end of the season.”

According to senior line-backer

Anthony Simone, the team was mellow

before the game. He said that the team

likes to sit and focus before games.

“We take a mental and physical

approach,” Simone said.

Going into the second half Jewell

had a 21-0 lead over MNU. Schwenk

said the team was focusing on closing

out the game as they came out of the

locker room for the second half.

“To us it was a zero to zero ball

game,” Schwenk said.

Despite their huge lead, the game

would still come down to the final

minutes. After the Cardinals ran their

lead to 24-0, the Pioneers stormed back

to tie the game at 24-24. With 2:26 to

go in the fourth quarter, Stephen Bader

kicked a 45-yard field goal that would

be the game winner, as the Cardinals

stopped MNU on their final drive.

According to Simone the win

against MNU means a lot. Simone said

that the team worked hard during the

off-season. In regards to the win on

Saturday, Simone said that the win is

behind them.

“Now we’re looking forward to this

week to play Avila University,” Simone

said.

This year’s team hopes to continue

a chapter in William Jewell tradition by

becoming a champion.

“We have a motivational board that

reads: William Jewell Football, 1888

through today; through this door passes

the champions of today and the leaders

of today for the leaders of tomorrow,”

Schwenk said.

Tim Graves, assistant coach, said

that it’s a tradition for players and

coaches to touch the sign on the way

out of the locker room during game

day.

“We expect to play like champs,”

Schwenk said.

Jonathan Entzminger

Staff Writer

Kristen Lehmer

Staff Writer

The season for soccer has come to a beginning with

enthusiasm. Head soccer coach for William Jewell

College, Chris Cissell, begins his fifth year this fall.

Cissell finished the season in last place for the Heart

of American Athletic Conference, but now there

is talk of nothing less than national tournaments,

conference championships and national rankings.

According to Cissell, a tough schedule is

demanded in preparation for regional and national

tournaments.

“Our men’s team arguably has the toughest

National Association of Intercollegiate Atheletics

schedule in the nation. We will compete against

eight other nationally ranked teams and UMKC

[University of Missouri-Kansas City] in our regular

season,” Cissell said.

These matches are especially essential for the

playoffs and postseason successes.

Leading the way for the men will be senior co-

captains Dusty Green and Allan Nekuda. Both

Green and Nekuda earned Heart of America All

Conference 1st Team honors in 2005.

Additional seniors on the 2006 squad are

goalkeeper Matt Holdaway, midfielder Derrick

Simons and midfielder Dan Tilbury. Many of

the 2005 are starters returning to the 2006 lineup,

including forward John Barber, midfielders Austin

Williams, Kevin Nekuda and Clint Wyllie; defenders

Jacob Patton, Josh Howard, and Justin Park; as well

as goalkeeper Andy Shields.

Along with an experienced group of veterans, Jewell

has 14 newcomers this season.

“This is an outstanding group of hungry newcomers

who know how to win. They’re a good fit to the program,”

Cissell said.

In 2005 William Jewell College women’s soccer team

finished with a record of 16-3-0, winning the Heart

of America Conference and advancing to the NAIA

National Tournament for the third consecutive year.

Jewell finished the season ranked #14 in the nation. It

is no doubt that Cissell aims to keep the advancement

inflating with a preseason ranking of #19 in the NAIA.

The women’s soccer team also contains many veterans.

Sophomore Nicole Revenaugh (27 goals, 7 assists)

earned All American honorable mention in 2005, made

1st Team All Region and 1st Team Heart of America All

Conference honors. She will be joined in the attack by

junior Rachel Obert and senior Abby Mott.

“We have a history of scoring a lot of goals and this

team is capable of keeping with tradition,” Cissell said.

Cissell has high expectations for returning starters.

They include Shannon Eberle, Ashley Tanner, Megan

Gray, Katie Brooks and seniors Megan Penrod, Sydney

Boggess, Celine Jajko,and Anneliese Laughman. “We

had a special season advancing to the Final Four in 2003.

I believe this year we have an outstanding mix of players

that could produce another very competitive season in

2006,” said Cissell.

William Jewell’s first of eight home matches will be

Sept. 13, when the Cardinals host Park University at

Greene Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Jewell soccer shooting for lofty goals

Beating a Washington University defender to the ball, senior Shannon Eberle takes a shot at the goal on Aug. 19

in a preseason game at Greene Staduim. The William Jewell soccer teams are looking to kick off their home opener

with a pair of wins when they take on Park Universty Sept. 13. Photo by Kyle Rivas

Questions & Answers

Q. What are your thoughts about the upcoming

season pertaining to the competition you will

face and how you believe your team will react to

the competition?

A. We are in a very tough conference and NAIA Region V with many men

and women’s teams ranked as teams and in the top 50 individual runners in the

nation. We also run each week against NCAA D-II, D-III, NAIA and junior

college teams who are very good and tops in their divisions. The men’s team is very

young and they will only get better with each race, and with the hard work they

are doing, they will move up the ranks. The Women’s team has more depth and

is much improved over last year’s team and they should make a move up in the

team scoring. Most runners are already running faster than they did last year and

looking stronger.

Q. Who do you expect will be the leaders on your team and why?

A. The men’s leaders will be Aaron Mick, junior captain, Andrew Trapp,

sophomore and Luis Guzman, junior, and these three will be our top runners

leading the pack for our team of seven runners. The women will be lead by Alex

Braden, junior captain, Michaela Taylor sophomore, Jen Ghidoni, junior, Sarah

Rahal, junior captain and newcomer Alecia Valencia, first-year. Right behind

pushing them will be Paula Mahlburg, sophomore, Abby Huston, sophomore,

Shannon Anderson, sophomore, Betsy Waddle, sophomore, and a host of others.

Q. What do you believe will be the strong points in your team and how do you

expect to build on any weaknesses?

A. Our strong points will be the hard work and desire to get better each week.

The cross country season builds toward the end, when we have Heart of America

Conference Championships and the NAIA Region V Championships that can

take you to NAIA Nationals as an individual runner or a whole team. Both teams

have many people who love to run and are challenged to do their best and will

always do what it takes to get better. Our goal is to bring along and improve the

slower runners because in cross country you are as good as your weakest runner in

the team scoring.

Terry Yee

Cross Country Coach