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Faculty hold closed forum on salary issues

Michelle Oltman

Staff Writer

Faculty Award presented at Convocation

With summer around the corner, freedom

and fun aren’t the only things on students’

minds. There also will be plenty of fam-

ily time as students head home for the

summer. For members of HateBusters,

however, reunion times mean more than

picnic foods and multi-generational photos. HateBusters, an orga-

nization devoted to fighting bigotry and ignorance, will celebrate

its annual Human Family Reunion April 24 on campus. On Page

5, find out which members of this “family” will be honored for their

commitment to eradicating hate.

HateBusters sponsors Human Family Reunion, Page 5

Fighting Fear

While William Jewell College

students are used to hearing about

supernatural experiences on cam-

pus—such as meetings with Mona

the ghost in Brown Hall—one

College first-year makes his own

magic happen. Jason Steenstry, an

amateur magician, competed at a

regional magic show recently, prov-

ing his talents go beyond entertaining first-year men in Eaton

Hall. On Page 6, discover some of the many tricks Steenstr y

has hidden up his sleeve.

College magician competes at regional show, Page 6

Talented Trickster

Phi Gamma Delta begins disciplinary process, Page 6

Party Foul

After controversy follow-

ing an on-campus party

sponsored by Phi Gamma

Delta, the William Jewell

chapter of the fraternity

has begun the disciplinary

process. The party, which

occurred during FIJI Is-

land three weeks ago,

caused many members of the College community to question

the f raternity’s decisions. On Page 6, read about the members’

early disciplinary discussions and how the fraternity hopes to

move beyond the incident.

On the Inside

Friday, April 20, 2007

Volume 21 Issue 24

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

After defeating eight teams at their home

meet, the William Jewell College men’s

and women’s track teams are gearing up

for their final competitions of the semester.

The team already has a number of national

qualifiers, and numerous individuals and

relay teams are hoping to qualify for the

national tournament in California at upcoming

meets. On Page 8, learn which team members already are

preparing to compete for championships and which athletes

hope to join their peers at the national tourney.

Track team looks to set College records, Page 8

Picking up the Pace

Emily Wales

Editor-in-chief

William Jewell College’s Award-Winning Student Newspaper

For some members of William

Jewell College ’s faculty, payment for

faculty contributions is long overdue.

Faculty members met Monday

for a forum devoted to addressing

“resource allocation” issues, which

involves faculty salaries, merit pay and

departmental funds. After opening

the meeting, chairman of Faculty

Council Dr. Gary Armstrong noted

the sensitivity of the topic. Members

briefly discussed the issue of privacy,

and Monitor staff was asked to leave

the forum.

In a later inter view, Armstrong

said that Dr. John Westlie, vice

president for Academic Affairs and

dean of the College, made brief

comments about the importance of

allocation issues. Westlie then left the

room with Dr. David Sallee, president

of the College, and Dr. Anne Dema,

chief of staff to the President, so that

faculty members would be able to

express their concerns openly.

According to Armstrong, a

histor y of disagreement about

salaries and resources led up to

Monday’s discussion. “Increases

this year were—I think—2 percent

across the board, and the increase

across the pool for salaries was even

greater,” Armstrong said, noting

that the inflation index during the

same period was 3.5 percent. As

the College’s administration works

toward completion of the Strategic

Plan, the goal of “competitive

faculty salaries” has resulted in many

questions, according to Armstrong.

“ The administration says ‘ We want

to get more resources for our faculty.

We know there are not enough.’ But

they’re not comfortable committing

to an empirical goal at this point,”

Armstrong said. “ We want to

significantly increase resources. That’s

obvious. If we do that, though, what

will those resources go to—new

faculty, increased salaries, merit pay

or better programming resources?”

Monday’s forum, in Armstrong’s

opinion, was the beginning of a long

discussion. “ We have not had a good

conversation about this discussion as

a College in a long time, and a lot

of frustration has built up,” he said,

noting that this meeting provided a

chance for faculty members to “release

frustrations.”

“As I listened to my colleagues

[Monday], many people were

concerned that there have been years

of faculty raises that are below the

inflation index or don’t happen at all,”

Armstrong said. The second major

complaint that Armstrong observed

was the belief that “a culture of

secrecy has developed about salaries,

contracts and resources.” Although

not all faculty members agree, “some

of my colleagues believe it’s time to

publish salaries,” Armstrong said.

“A few years ago, department

chairs were given data for every

academic department. I’m sure it

provoked some jealousy…but at least

people felt that they knew what other

departments were receiving,” he said.

Armstrong said chairs also received

information about the salaries of

department members. All faculty

members also had more information

about average salaries at the College.

“Contract letters, which include

offers for a particular salary, used to

be given out to faculty members with

a range of what people were earning

at each academic rank. None of that

information is distributed anymore.”

For Armstrong, the solution to

a sense of unnecessary secrecy is

obvious. “It’s possible to fix that now

by going back to what we used to do,”

he said. Although faculty members’

“memories are different” about when

these changes occurred, Armstrong

Stor y continued on Page 4

Colloquium celebrates

undergraduate research

Danielle Mills

Associate Editor

Every year a committee of faculty

members picks an outstanding senior

to receive the Faculty Award. Emily

Wales was named this year’s Faculty

Award recipient last night at Honor’s

Convocation. Wales competed

with an impressive list of five other

finalists: Jenilee Morrison, Erin

Thess, Joel Bryce, Amanda Flanigan

and Elizabeth Hall.

Morrison, an Oxbridge molecular

biology and bioethics major, is excited

to continue to graduate school at

Indiana University after graduation.

She enjoyed the benefits that come

with attending a small college. “ You

get to know your professors. I’ve

gotten a lot of research experience

and they can really help me with

that,” said Morrison.

Thess, a communication and

Spanish major, also will receive

certification in American Humanics.

“My biggest contribution [to the

community] was involvement in the

American Humanics program. It’s a

fairly new program, but in the last few

years, we’ve worked hard to market it

and make it a legitimate program. It’s

been one of the best experiences of

my Jewell career,” she said.

Bryce is an economics and business

major with an emphasis in banking and

finance. Bryce believes the best part

about the College is “the willingness

of professors to take students on and

invite them into outside projects and

build relationships with students.”

Flanigan is a nursing major who

will be working as a registered nurse

at Children’s Mercy after graduation.

“Being involved in Student

Affairs and being an RA [are my

biggest contributions to the Jewell

community]. I feel like it has given

me an opportunity to mentor and

guide students,” said Flanigan.

Hall, a Spanish and education

major, was awarded a Fulbright and

will go to Uruguay for eight months.

“It’s an honor to be selected and go

through the process. The other five

are great people and I’m honored

to be in their company through the

process,” she said.

Wales is a communication, political

science and Spanish major. “For me

the best part had to do with getting

involved in organizations. I think I’ve

had a great academic experience, but

I’ve been most challenged by my work

with the Monitor,” she said.

Finalists for the Faculty Award pose after Convocation. Shown left to right are Amanda Flanigan, Eliz abeth Hall,

Jenilee Morrison, Joel Bryce, Erin Thess and Emily Wales. Wales was this year’s recipient. Kyle Rivas / Hilltop Monitor

Michelle Oltman can be reached at

oltmanm@william.jewell.edu.

Rather than attending classes

yesterday, students and faculty had

the unique opportunity to attend the

seventh annual David Nelson Duke

Undergraduate Colloquium.

“ This is a day to celebrate work

students do campus-wide, not just

department-wide, to allow students

to present their work,” Dr. Maggie

Brewer, assistant professor of physics

and Colloquium committee member,

said. “It allows other students to

know what can be done and what

scholarship is like in those fields.”

Students across academic

disciplines delivered presentations

about individual areas of study. “I

see this day as a celebration of what

students are doing on campus,” Dr.

Ray Owens, professor of psychology

and Colloquium committee co-

chair, said. “Although we are a small

college, we separate into groups of

particular interest. This is a day to

share what we have been doing with

the College community.”

Psychology students exhibited

research in poster displays in the

Union. “I really feel that students

benefit a great deal by knowing a

subject well enough to present it,”

Owens said.

Students also were honored for

individual achievements during

Honors’ Convocation. Academic

departments presented awards to

deserving students.

The David Nelson Duke

Undergraduate Colloquium named

to honor the memor y of the late

Dr. David Nelson Duke, former

member of the William Jewell

College religion department. “ There

was nothing better than to create a

day to celebrate the life of the mind.

That was what David was all about,”

Owens said.

In order to participate in

Colloquium, students were required

to submit applications and abstracts

to be reviewed by the Colloquium

committee. “ We had a couple less

slots this year than last year, but the

presentation quality is going to be

great this year,” Owens said. “People

are doing some exciting things.”

Danielle Mills can be reached at

millse@william.jewell.edu.

pg_0002

The Hilltop Monitor

Friday, April 20, 2007 • Volume 21 • Issue 24

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, Associate Editor

Vicky Hill, Assignment Editor

Andy Kirk, Entertainment Editor

Erin Thess, Business Manager

Kyle Rivas, Photo Editor

Jennifer McKnight, Distribution Editor

Jonathan Entzminger, Sports Editor

Rebekah Bouas, Copy Editor

Staff writers and photographers:

Ashley Billinger, Lindsey Blundell, Kristina Brase, Amanda Brasher,

Chris Carr, Lacey Crough, Mark Davis, Naphtali Faris, Stephanie

Gonzales, Josh Hastey, Emily Hyder, Amanda Joiner, Amanda

King, Andy Kirk, Jesus Lopez, Joy Mason, Michelle Oltman, Cattie

Price, Ajanta Raman, Aimee Smolczyk, Trisha Stan, Alison Ward,

Nathan Weinert

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, ext. 5426

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

website: http://www.thehilltopmonitor.com

SPEAK O

Emily Wales

Editor-in-Chief

ion

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

Friday, April 20, 2007

. . . from the staff

Stephanie Gonzales

Staff Writer

ursting the Bubble

Danielle Mills

Associate Editor

Second Thoughts

First Place Awards

Editorial writing: Nathan Weinert “Bursting the

Bubble”

In-Depth repor ting: Emily Wales, Nathan Weinert,

Danielle Mills “Nebraska WesSalleean?” and

“Institutions in the Balance”

Sports Writing: Julia Nurse “Age knows no boundaries”

Enter tainment review: Andy Kirk “V for Vendetta”

Second Place Awards

Newswriting: Emily Wales “Sallee to remain at Jewell”

Sports Photography: Kyle Rivas “Shootout”

The Hilltop Monitor was awarded 15 certificates of

merit at the Missouri College Media Association

conference April 14.

This weekend Emily Wales, Dr. Lois Anne Harris and

I traveled to the Missouri College Media Association

conference. Earlier in the semester, Emily and I sent off

a number of Monitor articles, columns, photographs and

cartoons to be judged, and we hoped we would earn at

least one award. At the awards banquet Saturday night,

we received not one, but 15.

Also on Saturday, we had the opportunity to view

displays of entries sent in from across the state, as well

as our own. It was a little bit like a treasure hunt looking

for the pieces of our paper among all the others, and to

remember all the all the time we had spent working on

those issues. And then we found our cartoons, including

one that unfortunately is still true today.

Last year, around the time the FIJIs were in trouble for

illegal items found in their house, we ran a cartoon with

the caption, “Self-governance means never having to say

you’re sorry.” Given the lack of public (Greek) response

to the FIJI’s latest bad call, our observance from last year

is ringing true.

During the fallout caused by the front page Monitor

story, I heard f rom a number of Greeks that something

needed to be done to show explicitly that FIJI actions

were not acceptable to the William Jewell College

community, especially not to the Greek community. Well,

it is three weeks later and nothing has happened. It seems

as though with Greek self-governance– assumed to be

found in the Greek Judicial Council, Panhellenic and

IFC–something should have been done already. Alright

Greeks, whatcha gonna do? If Greek students, or any

student for that matter, are really as appalled by the

situation as they claim to be, there should have been an

immediate response from the community condemning

the actions of the FIJI’s. Instead, it has been three weeks

with no action.

The Greek Judicial system was created to make

needed, official responses to these sorts of issues, making

members of the system accountable for their actions.

Obviously, if the Greek Judicial Council is reluctant

to act formally and publicly, there is not much of an

incentive to abide by the rules. There have been rumors

of actions to be taken by the Greek Judicial Council, but

when will those be announced? These decisions need to

be made publicly so the entire College community can

rest assured that individual Greek organizations that do

not abide by the rules are punished just like any other

student or student organization would be. Anything less

is doing a disservice to members of the College who were

not involved in the latest FIJI situation but must still

contend with the stigma of attending a College where

activities like this take place and students are allowed to

get away with it.

In my three years at Jewell, I’ve seen and heard a

lot about Greek pride. Well, Greeks, it’s time for you

to take pride in your organizations and hold the system

accountable. Self-governance only works if you use it.

Third Place Awards

Investigative reporting: Nathan Weinert “Health

Department official confirms mold, poor air quality in

Marston, Brown”

In-Depth repor ting: Nathan Weinert “College to

pull plug on KWJC”

Page one design: “ Nebraska WesSalleean?”

Spor ts photography: Kyle Rivas “Men’s basketball”

Honorable Mention Awards

Spor ts writing: Julia Nurse “Hornback wins 200th

game”

Regular column: Andy Kirk “ Talk to the Andy”

Feature page design: “Institutions in the Balance”

Editorial/Op-Ed page design

News photography: Kyle Rivas “First-year

enrollment”

I have two weeks left at William Jewell College. Hmm. Weird.

As corny as it sounds, the College really has become my home for the

past two years, and I think that I will be lost for a while after leaving.

I would like to take this time to reflect what Jewell has taught me. Or

rather, what its people have taught me. To clear up any confusion, I

am not graduating, but transferring due to different reasons, mainly

financial ones.

I came here not knowing a single person, but I’m leaving with many

friends, who have been influential because they challenged me to step

out of my comfort zone and seek God. They supported me when I was

going through some rough times and showed me what true community

means. If I happen to be at Je well every weekend next year, this is why.

But my close group of friends are not the only ones who deserve

recognition. With only one exception, I genuinely have felt that all

my professors took a personal interest in my academic success. I am

admittedly not the most responsible student in the world, but several

times, I received grace from professors when I accidently slept through

a quiz or forgot to finish an assignment. However, they also encouraged

me several times to do better and told me that this is what was expected.

It worked into a nice balance, and I began to develop better skills for

learning.

What is also amazing to me is that Jewell’s support staff also cared so

much about me. Countless times I was asked by custodians and cafeteria

staff about my day. Becky Gerken, the cafeteria baker, learned my name

just by reading my card and always strikes up pleasant conversations.

While living in Ely, I was able to spill my problems to and get hugs

from Desi Gray, our custodian. When my car broke down, campus

security and maintenance figured out that my battery cables were loose

and proceeded to tighten them.

As any liberal arts education should do, my time at Je well also gave

me the opportunity to come in contact with people different than me.

Again, I know it’s corny, but this has taught me a lot about myself.

I came to college as a conser vative Christian from Western Kansas.

While I still claim to be a conservative Christian, I now know why I

believe certain things I do, and I am now able to recognize the certain

biases I have because of where I was raised and am able to examine

whether or not those still hold true for me.

So despite recognizing some visible flaws I see on this campus, I

confidently can say that I will reflect on at my time here with good

memories and an appreciation for how the community works together.

Usually, when I get kicked out of something, it’s because

I’ve done something wrong. When I was demoted from

my job as the narrator for Stone Soup in second grade, it

was because I refused to use the script, preferring to make

up my lines. When I was let go from my job as a store

clerk, it was because I gave my boss a piece of my mind

about her (lack of ) parenting skills.

This week, I was booted from the faculty forum on

salaries, and as far as I can tell, this one wasn’t my fault.

When article topics get touchy, it ’s not unusual for

people being interviewed to hesitate to go on the record.

With controversies this year in the Greek system and at

the administrative level, I’ve had more than my fair share

of conversations about what’s okay to print and what’s

personal. You can understand my frustration, then, when

faculty members think their discussions would be better

with me out of the way. (You can put it in nicer terms, but

walking out of the room in front of 70 College faculty

members feels about as comfortable as tripping down the

stairs in the Union. Awkward.)

For the first time this year, I’m openly disappointed

with the quality of a front page news story. Of course,

there are mistakes about which we obsess and stories we

wish we could improve upon, but in general the staff of the

Monitor prides itself on providing fair, accurate coverage

of the news that occurs on campus. I couldn’t help but feel

as though we weren’t given the opportunity to provide

that ser vice to the College community this week because

follow-up inter vie ws and casual descriptions of Monday’s

meeting don’t do this story justice.

Let me provide some background. Monday’s meeting

was intended as a forum for faculty members to discuss

some difficult issues about salaries. With College salary

increases hovering between 0-2 percent in the last five

years and national averages at 4 percent each year, it’s

no surprise people have strong opinions. Despite an

increasingly stable financial position, William Jewell

still is recovering from years of unfortunate investments

and insecurity. We lost the Missouri Baptist cash, had

a tornado and can’t seem to get prospective students

interested in what we offer. Times are tough. But then

again, aren’t they always?

This latest feeling of discontentment isn’t really all that

novel. College faculty members have heard for years that

improvements are coming down the pike, and better times

are around the corner. With limited information coming

to faculty members about how the College currently

allocates funds and will prioritize those commitments

with the Strategic Plan, I’d say our faculty has plenty of

cause for concern. (Disclaimer: Much of this is based

on the minimal information released to students and on

speculation because, as you may now know, I wasn’t at the

meeting Monday.)

I want to make clear, of course, that I do not take

this criticism lightly. I certainly understand that, in

William Jewell’s not-so-distant past, faculty members

had a legitimate fear of repercussions by speaking out

against administration policies. Although I appreciate

their concerns, I believe it’s important to realize there

can be middle ground. Working with the student press

in a productive way can be beneficial to both groups.

My productive and open interview with Dr. Gary

Armstrong, chairman of Faculty Council, was a start,

but we could do better.

Here’s what I wish I had been able to say in my column

this week: I’m backing the faculty. They deserve more

money. They shouldn’t have to wait until the Chronicle

of Higher Education is released to discover what College

employees are earning.

I completely support their efforts for increased

transparency, but I think they should be the first campus

constituency to begin that trend. At some point, faculty

members need to learn to trust College newspaper staff

to be thoughtful in their coverage of delicate issues.

Off the record, many faculty members are more than

willing to throw out suggestions for the newspaper,

particularly when they can benefit from the exposure

of some campus issue. “Cover this” and “Make sure the

administration hears about that” are statements I’ve

heard numerous times during my two years as editor-in-

chief of the Monitor. I’m supportive of faculty members’

rights to discuss these issues in confidence. The problem

of course, is that you can’t have it both ways. You can’t

tell me you need me to take a risk for you and then get

cold feet when the threat of a student reporter is too

great to chance.

It seems almost counterintuitive to write that the

administration has one-upped the faculty in my book this

year. When two other Monitor editors and I were present

at Dr. David Sallee’s interview at Nebraska Wesleyan in

November, Sallee didn’t hesitate to acknowledge that our

presence was justified. Although caught off guard and

obviously concerned with what might appear in print

soon after, Sallee didn’t ask that we leave, and the option

certainly was available to him.

Sallee understood that the short-term risks of having

Monitor staff cover his interview didn’t outweigh the

long-term benefits of open reporting. In my opinion,

that’s a lesson all members of the College community

need to learn.

pg_0003

Perspectives

Volume 21 Issue 24

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

Nathan Weinert is studying in

Hong Kong. He can be reached at

weinertn@william.jewell.edu.

Nathan Weinert

eading the ea eaves

When I was enrolling in classes

before coming to Hong Kong, I

decided to take a Mandarin class

because I thought it would be a

shame if I came to China (Hong

Kong, at least) and didn’t learn

some Chinese (even if it wasn’t

the local dialect). I’d pulled down

good grades in my college foreign

language classes and had convinced

myself that I could do well in

foreign language classes.

Big mistake. I should have

remembered that there’s a reason

that despite taking five different

Spanish classes in high school and

college I’ve never advanced past the

equivalent of Spanish II. I’m not

particularly talented when it comes

to foreign language. Unfortunately,

by the time I remembered this, the

add/drop period had passed and

I was stuck. GPA, I apologize—

again.

Really, there are only a few things

that make Mandarin particularly

difficult, but that’s like saying there

are only a few reasons why Don

Imus should have been fired. The

first, second, third and fourth of

these things is that Mandarin is a

tonal language. In English, the tone

you use on a word rarely matters.

In Mandarin, there are four tones,

and the tone you use can make the

difference between asking “How

much for the dumplings?” and

“How much for the night?”

In other ways, the class resembles

every other foreign language

class I’ve e ver taken. Earlier this

semester we gave a presentation

on what our parents’ occupations

were. The professor gave us a list of

occupations that included president

of a country, senator and party

central committee member (thanks

to a student from Russia years ago

whose father was a member of the

Russian Senate). For the assignment

I was going to tell the class that

my mild-mannered parents were

actually a spy and an astronaut, but

those professions weren’t listed and

I realized I couldn’t keep a straight

face while doing that.

My Mandarin professor is more

than a bit crazy—prim and proper

with a somewhat erratic teaching

style and a grading system that

makes me cringe. She taught the

class how to say “damn it” one

day, but ran into trouble while

tr ying to define that to students

who spoke English as a second or

third language and were

learning Mandarin as yet

another language. The

Americans in the class

were called on to try to

explain what it meant

and quickly discovered

that the easiest way to

define profanity is often

with more profanity.

She participates in tai chi

sword competitions (yet another

example of her secret sadistic side)

and, after winning one, brought

candy for the class. I think it was a

bribe to make up for the fact that

her teaching style makes very little

sense to some (most) of us. Her

approach to the material is less

than systematic, and as our class

is reaching the end of the book

I’ve been amazed at the number

of times I’ve thought “Wow, we

learned this two months ago and it

would have made a lot more sense

to learn that now.”

Our book is home to some of

the worst example dialogues ever.

Particularly amusing was this

dialogue, where a guy uses Chinese

zodiac signs and a rabbit to ask a

girl if she likes him. In deference

to local custom concerning the

ignoring of copyright law (but,

hey, the entire second season of

The Office for $6!), I’m copying the

section verbatim in its entirety:

Li Wenlong: (Giving a bundle of

flowers to Fang Xueqin) Happy

Birthday!

Fang: Thank you!

Li: (Bringing out a rabbit from

behind him) Here you are. A new

friend for you.

Fang: How lovely it is!

Li: What pet do you like best?

Fang: I was born in the year of

rabbit. Of course I like the rabbit

best.

Li: Do you like dragon?

Fang: (Feeling shy) You may ask

the rabbit.

Li: Bunny, do you like dragon?

Listen, it said: “Yes!”

Fang: (Feeling shyer) I didn’t

hear.

Book’s Note: Li Wenlong

chose a rabbit as a birthday present

for Fang Xueqin, because she was

born in the year of rabbit and she

naturally likes the rabbit best. Liu

took this opportunity to ask Fang

whether she liked the dragon. What

he really means is to tr y to find out

whether she likes him, because

he has in his name the character

long, which is a legendar y animal

symbolizing happiness and one

of the 12 zodiac animals.

(China

Panorama, Language and Culture

Press, 2001. p. 193-96.)

My note: HAHAHAHAHA

Our professor explained the

dialogue as being an example of

how Chinese people don’t like to

address things like that directly.

If the nation as a whole is that,

then China is well on its way to

being the most socially awkward

superpower ever, and summits of

Chinese and American leaders will

probably resemble this:

American official: Your country

should allow increased religious

freedom in your country.

Chinese official: (bringing out

rabbit from behind him) Do you

like rabbit?

American official: Uh, what?

Chinese official: Let ’s ask the

rabbit. Bunny, should we allow

increased religious f reedom in our

country? Bunny says no chance,

and we’re going to issue our own

report on American human rights

violations and start militarizing

space.

American official: (leaves table)

If China’s in trouble in the

future, my grade in the class is

in trouble in the present. I’m just

hoping that after this class likely

torpedoes my GPA I can staple

pictures of me at the Great Wall

to my transcript. Maybe grad

schools will find “I visited the

Great Wall—and it snowed!” to be

more compelling than whatever I

manage to earn in Mandarin.

SUMMER HOUSING 2007

Summer housing applications are online: www.jewell.edu. Click on Campus Life - Student Affairs – Resi-

dence Life – Summer Housing to download the summer housing application. Bring completed application to

Student Affairs, office hours are 8 to 5, Monday thru Friday.

Housing for William Jewell students will be provided this summer from Saturday, June 2, 2007

through Sunday, July 29, 2007 in Melrose Hall.

The cost will be $400 per four-week session, payable in advance ( June 1) to the Business Office. A $55.00

room damage deposit will be required and payable at signing of application/contract, in order for you to reserve

a room for the summer. Housing assignments will not be made until your deposit is received. Housing applica-

tions are due by April 20th.

In addition, if you move-in prior to the beginning of summer school ( June 4), the cost

will be pro-rated at $100 for that week.

It is important for you to realize that all residence hall policies remain in effect during

the summer months, and you will be expected to abide by these.

A kitchen facility is available in Melrose; you may furnish your own meals. Dining Services

will not be offering a summer meal plan.

Residence halls will open at 2 p.m., Saturday, June 2, 2007 and must be vacated no

later than 12 p.m. on Sunday, July 29, 2007.

Dear Editor,

This morning I woke up and started my early morning ritual here in

Ireland. This includes getting some breakfast and sitting down to the

computer to check my email and the BBC News website. I was alarmed

to see a headline that shouted something like “Over 30 Dead in Virginia.”

What!? First of all, how did I not hear about this yesterday? I am an ocean

away because I’m studying in Dublin this semester, but this was big news.

After reading a quote about how America has “a histor y of school shootings”

and after seeing a series of gruesome pictures, I utter a few audible sighs and

thought to myself, “Another school shooting? How is this possible?”

I pondered this story on my long walk to college. When I arrived, I talked

to my Irish friends Rob and Aoife about V irginia Tech. The first thing out

of Rob’s mouth was “ Why do they let people own guns in America? I can’t

believe that it’s in your constitution that you can own a gun.” Whoa Rob, I

thought! Couldn’t you express some sympathy for the 33 people that died

before you start judging my country? And then I thought, wait, he has a

really good point.

When I got home from class, I decided to do a little research. I wanted

to see the difference between the crime rate in America and the crime rate

in Ireland. Even though the shooting happened in Virginia, I wanted to

check out KC’s stats, because I figured they might ring more true with Jewell

students. According to Kansas City, MO’s Commission on Violent Crime

Final Report for 2005, there were 127 homicides in Kansas City in 2005,

and 119 of those were carried out by using a firearms (with handguns being

used in the majority of these fatalities). In all of Ireland in 2005, there were a

total of 54 murders. Irish authorities were very troubled because this number

was up 46% f rom the previous year’s 37 murders. For fairness I thought

I should compare population sizes for these two locations. In 2005, there

were an estimated 445,000 people in the KC area. In Ireland, there were

approximately 4,000,000 people in 2005.

If you are like me, you’ll see a huge difference in these numbers. One

hundred and twenty-seven homicides in a city with 445,000 people compared

to 54 homicides in a country with 4 million people? Gun violence seems out

of control in the states! So why is Ireland so different from KC and other

major US cities? It’s simple: they have laws against owning guns. The only

way you can obtain a gun in Ireland is by going through the superintendent

of the Garda (the Irish police) and asking permission. Basically, you will only

ever get a gun if you “deer stalk” (hunt), if you target shoot, or if you live on a

farm and need to shoot off perpetrating wildlife. In fact, not even the Garda

carry guns. How interesting!

So what’s my point with all of this research? Well, I feel that the VTech

incident cannot be separated from other gun crimes in the States. Surely this

“loner” killer did have some mental issues that provoked his behavior, and

there are probably other additional factors that I am forgetting to mention,

but the actual culprit for this series of crimes was a gun, just like it was the

culprit in 119 homicides in KC in 2005. I’m probably going to risk perturbing

my NRA-supporting friends by saying this, but the solution seems simple:

get rid of the weapons that are enabling all of these tragedies. Shouldn’t

we value life more than the right to own a gun? How many more school

shootings like Virginia Tech will the US have to endure before we revoke

or amend the constitutional right to bear arms? When can we get rid of our

reputation as a country with “a history of school shootings?”

Perhaps we should take some hints f rom the Irish. Or at least, we should

listen to their and other European and Asian countries’ perspectives on the

issues of gun control. We need to support VTech at a time like this, but let’s

not miss an opportunity to discuss the root of the problem. I will always be

an American at heart, but I’m with the Irish on this one.

Sarah Ebright

William Jewell junior studying in Dublin, Ireland

April 18, 2007

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Dr. Kauffman’s letter last week proved to be an inspiration. With the

return of the warm weather and sunshine, I was one of many students

who decided to politely ignore the signs and take a break on our beautiful

Quad. I assure you, the group of us were very harmless, simply sitting and

talking, and so you can imagine our annoyance when the sprinklers came

on suddenly and chased us off. We would have chalked up the occurrence

to bad timing, yet surprisingly, once we were back on the dry land of the

sidewalk, the sprinklers immediately turned off. You can imagine our sus-

picion.

So, let this ser ve as a warning to all students: feel welcome to take back

your Quad, but you might want to bring an umbrella.

Katie Adams

CUA presents

Jewellstock

Wednesday, April 25

3:30 p.m. in Browning Bowl

Picnic dinner served

Featuring Black Violin, local bands and

College artists

The recent events at Virginia

Polytechnic Institute and State

University have caused concern as

to the state of security at William

Jewell College. Ever y summer the

College’s Crisis Response Plan

is revised. Currently, the plan

outlines procedures for an array of

emergencies, ranging from chemical

threats to tornados to psychological

crisis. “The Crisis Response Plan

creates a basic foundation by which

we respond to crises. It doesn’t

outline every scenario because it’s

impossible to outline every scenario,”

Dr. Rick Winslow, vice president of

Student Affairs and dean of students,

said. Emergencies are subdivided into

minor, major and catastrophic. In the

event of an emergency, a team of first

responders will set up an emergency

center before the president declares a

state of emergency, if necessary.

If this occurs, the College will

begin a notification process. “If we

were to need to communicate a

state of emergency, we would use

every means necessary,” Winslow

said. Some methods could include

e-mail, voicemails, building lock-

downs or utilizing the residential life

staff. William Jewell is looking into

a software program, Microsoft Live,

which would allow the College to

send e-mail via text messages to a

compiled list of cell phones.

A similar process, mainly e-

mail, was used at Virginia Tech

and scrutinized due to the delay in

notifying students. That same delay,

although probably on a smaller scale,

could also be a potential problem for

William Jewell. This is because the

situation would need to be properly

assessed by the president who would

be notified after the first responders

respond to the situation.

Most campus buildings can’t be

locked easily. Security must lock them.

In an emergency similar to Virginia

Tech, that could be a hindrance,

according to Winslow. “ When

de veloping plans, because you can’t

foresee what the scenarios are, you

balance security with buildings being

able to lock. When you’re planning,

you have to balance all possible

scenarios,” Winslow said.

William Jewell security officers,

although not commissioned by the

state like those at public universities,

are certified with pepper spray as well

as firearms, although “the school has

opted ver y intentionally to not carry

firearms,” Winslow said. And if any

situation arises which our security

officers feel they can’t handle alone,

the Liberty Police Department is

close by and has a response time of

less than two minutes to the campus.

Campus security examined in light of Virginia tragedy

Michelle Oltman can be reached at

oltmanm@william.jewell.edu.

Michelle Oltman

Staff Writer

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CAM

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

Friday, April 20, 2007

When students enrolled for next

semester’s classes, anyone looking

to fulfill their general education

requirements could no longer find

“GEN” classes on MyJewell. General

Education at William Jewell College

has been re vamped and is now called

Critical Thought and Inquiry, or

CTI. Along with the new name, the

program now includes a major.

Applied Critical Thought and

Inquiry, known as ACT-In, will

be available to students as a second

major in Fall 2007, according to

Dr. Anne Dema, associate dean of

general education. “I anticipate the

first graduates in May of ’08,” she

said. Juniors, sophomores and first-

years have the opportunity to declare

this second major, as will future

students. “My long-term vision is

that every student who graduates has

it as second major,” Dema said.

In addition to the 38 hours of core

curriculum, students who major in

ACT-In must also have one applied

learning experience in three areas:

disciplinary scholarship, reflective

citizenship, and active engagement.

Disciplinary scholarship is one

that many majors already require,

Dema said. “There’s potential for

every primary major to have a course

in the first area,” Dema said.

Reflective citizenship aims “to

strengthen campus engagement”

in the community, according to

Dema’s draft document. This includes

activities such as study abroad and

mission trips. “ They’ll have to be

reflective in some sort of public

presentation,” Dema said. The third

area of engagement was created

so students can “get involved with

something that they’re passionate

about,” according to Dema. Students

will be “making connections between

the classroom and the world,”

according to the draft.

In all three areas, possibilities

for applied learning experiences are

various. “ There’s huge potential for a

lot of different choices,” Dema said.

“It’ ll be fun to see what we haven’t

thought of as we move forward.”

Many applied learning experiences

will be headed by faculty members

or staff, according to Dema. She

said that there has already been “a

lot of enthusiasm” about potential

experiences from faculty and staff.

A committee with representatives

from several areas of the College will

approve potential projects.

The approval process for applied

learning experiences will begin this

summer, according to Dema. By the

time the Fall 2007 semester begins,

students not only will be able to

declare ACT-In as a second major,

but they also will be able to begin

planning their experiences. For

those who may have already had an

experience, such as study abroad,

but did not completely fulfill the

requirements, “we’ ll work with those

students,” Dema said.

A benefit of the ACT-In major is

that it ties together ever ything in the

core curriculum, according to Dema.

“ The curriculum is not just a hodge-

podge of classes,” Dema said. “ The

major is designed to move students

from unsophisticated ways of

knowing to sophisticated. That goes

across disciplinary boundaries.”

said there are two beliefs: first,

that the dispersal of information

“ground to a halt” during former

Provost Dr. Nina Pollard’s term as

academic dean and Westlie left those

changes in place; or second, changes

continued to occur during Westlie’s

time as dean. In either case, however,

Armstrong said the changes cause

frustration. “The faculty handbook

declares that chairs should be making

recommendations about salaries, and

that’s impossible when chairs don’t

have the necessary information.”

Although some faculty members

may hope for “clear, concrete

benchmarks” for salary increases,

Armstrong said the College’s “ big

deficit” of over $2 million means

that “we don’t have the resources

to allocate.” The administration, in

Armstrong’s opinion, is committed

to providing faculty with needed

resources when they become

available. “ When they say it, I

believe it. Many of my colleagues

don’t,” Armstrong said, noting that

all faculty members are well aware of

basic facts—that salaries are below

those at regional, comparable and

aspirant institutions.

As for Monday’s meeting,

Armstrong hopes productive steps

will follow open discussion. “ We’ve

reached the first part this discussion,

and that’s venting. And that kind of

venting is okay as long as it’s the first

step,” he said. If the conversation is

pushed to the back burner, however,

Armstrong fears “a hurricane could

occur next year.”

“ Faculty Council is putting

together a survey about priorities,

and we’re also asking the

administration to allow Jewell to

participate in a national sur vey

[on faculty priorities].” Although

Armstrong won’t serve as chairman

again next year, he said he’s sure

they’ll “continue the discussion

about salar y priorities and how to

distribute increased resources.”

Armstrong also said he is

confident that the issue will be

a priority for the administration

in upcoming months. Following

faculty support of the ACT-IN

changes to General Education,

Armstrong said Westlie reported,

“I will be an advocate for increased

faculty resources.” Armstrong said

Westlie had been “fairly open that

he may not have been an active

advocate for faculty resources, but

he’s going to change—and we need

him to.”

Salaries

Story continued from Page 1

Emily Wales can be reached at

walese@william.jewell.edu.

ACT-In major to affect ’08 graduates

Joy Mason

Staff Writer

Joy Mason can be reached at

masonj@william.jewell.edu.

William Jewell College’s Students

in Free Enterprise team was named

champion in a regional competition

held last month in Arkansas. The team

now will advance to nationals May 6

where they will compete against seven

other regional champions.

“ We’re practicing to improve the

presentation for nationals,” Deborah

Scarfino, Sam Walton Fellow and

assistant professor of business

administration, said. “ We were invited

to nationals last year and are being

invited again this year. That’s not bad

for a three-year-old team considering

there are many older SIFE teams that

never get invited.”

The team will compact the year’s

work into a 24-minute presentation.

Because the team cannot discuss

all 34 of this year’s projects, they

will highlight the more significant

ones. “‘Significant projects’ is a ver y

subjective term,” Scarfino said. “We

had to leave out so many good ones

because time is so limited.”

SIFE is an organization that

challenges its members to create

community outreach projects

that meet five educational topics:

market economics, success skills,

entrepreneurship, financial literacy

and business ethics. One project

this year was ChessMates, for which

SIFE members mentored elementar y

school children. SIFE students played

chess with students in order to teach

important skills. “This ser ves two

purposes,” said Scarfino. “The kids

are getting the emotional support

they need in addition to learning

to use their critical thinking skills.”

In addition to taking this project to

the national competition, members

of SIFE presented it at Colloquium.

The project was headed by juniors

Katie Perko, Melissa Herschlag and

Brian Place.

Scarfino hopes that with the

addition of the new ACT-In major,

SIFE will be able to play a bigger role

on campus. “With the CTI major,

the work SIFE is doing is going to

connect well with Active Engagement

and Community Involvement.”

The team will be leaving shortly

after graduation and returning May 8.

If they succeed at Nationals, the team

will then be offered a chance to attend

the SIFE world championship.

SIFE heads to national competition

Jesus Lopez

Staff Writer

Jesus Lopez can be reached at

lopezj@william.jewell.edu.

pg_0005

Volume 21 Issue 24

CAM

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

Maggie Wable was born to be an elementary school

teacher. Telltale signs that scream “educator for small

children” follow her around like a pesky first grader. Not

only did Wable live with two teachers, but she also enjoys

reading children’s books and perusing kids’ catalogues.

Both of her parents straddled the fence between grown-

up world and kid land. “I lived my whole life in a school.

I went to school where my mom taught. My brother and I

would get there early, hang out in her classroom and stay

late,” Wable said. To her, other teachers weren’t known as

Mr. or Mrs., they had first names and a life outside the

classroom. “ I have always been in schools. It’s something

I’m good at. I love kids and I sometimes have the mentality

of a six year old,” she said. “Once I got over my dreams of

being a Broadway star, I knew that this is what I wanted

to be.”

Along with her elementary education major, the junior

recently declared a history minor. In high school, Wable

participated in the accelerated credit program. “ You can

take college courses and get credit through University of

Missouri-Saint Louis. I did that and took mostly history

courses,” she said. “For elementary education, you have to

have 20 credits in an area of emphasis. I just needed one

more class for a minor.”

Taking additional history classes was no punishment

for Wable, who loves the subject. “I think it is so interesting

to learn about how people lived in the past and to see how

that applies to life today. People are so cyclical. If you know

what people did 100 years ago, you’ll know what is going

to happen now,” she said. “I like seeing the correlation

between the past and the present. There’s a lot of good

historical fiction out there too. It’s sad to say, but that is

where I get a lot of my historical facts.”

She also likes dissecting

historical non-fiction. The Bible

has provided a great source for

historical discussion. Although

not technically a history class,

her Sacred and Secular General

Education requirement, Judaism,

Christianity and Islam, was one

of her favorite classes. “Even

though it was a religion course, it had a lot

of histor y. When you are looking at scripture, I think it is

important to look at the historical context,” Wable said. “I

learned a lot about my own religion—Christianity. It helps

you to understand why you believe what you believe.”

Wable certainly did not need help understanding one

belief—that William Jewell College was the place for her.

Ever since age 12, she has been convinced William Jewell

was the college. “ The summer after my seventh grade year,

my church youth group went to Super Summer here,”

Wable said. “ We stayed in Ely. I loved the campus. I

looked at other colleges just so I could say I looked, but I

knew I was going here.”

In addition to a great education program, William

Jewell offered a college experience just three hours away

from her home in St. Charles, Mo. “It ’s pretty much the

same as Liberty but bigger,” Wable said.

Global positioning may vary, but the biggest difference

between the two areas is the way Wable relates to people

within each zip code. Each place has its own atmosphere

and community of people that affect Wable’s behavior.

“ When I go home, I don’t really see that many people, just

my family and people at church. The church members are

much older,” she said. “I have more history with them in

a sense because I have known them longer, but in reality

I have more history with people here. I have known

them less time but they know me better. At Jewell, I’m

surrounded by my peers.”

This difference doesn’t detract from the relationship

she has with her parents. “ We have a ver y close and

good parent-child relationship,” Wable said. “ While we

get on each other’s nerves, it has been open enough that

we can have discussions. They have given me the ability

to question things. It is okay and good to question and

confront things. I’m proud of the way I’ve been raised.”

Wable hopes to return the favor when she has children.

“ The thing I think is good that I really appreciate about

my parents is their commitment to tell the truth and

E v e r y o n e ’ s

By Emily Hyder

]

[

be honest. Even if it’s uncomfortable, you shouldn’t

sugarcoat things. Tell kids things in a manner that

doesn’t overwhelm them,” she said. “It’s okay to talk

about big issues when children are little.” Wable

appreciated her parents’ honesty when she was growing

up and plans to extend the same openness in her own

household.

Luckily, she will

be able to utilize a

treasured pastime

to confront those

tough issues head

on with her future

students as well as

her children. Wable

loves to read—not

just historical fiction, but also books geared toward a

younger audience. One of Wable’s favorite children’s

book authors, Doreen Cronin, weaves tales about

Farmer Brown’s animals. Her stories often take a

political bent like cows that go on strike and hens that

do some collective bargaining for anchovy pizza. Duck

for President, one of Cronin’s best according to Wable,

revolves around a rather troublesome duck.

“ The duck is in charge of mowing the lawn and

grinding the espresso. He decides to have an election

to replace Farmer John and then proceeds to run for

president,” she explained. “I like it because it is all about

the election process but geared toward elementary

aged kids.” The book e ven addresses recounts and

hanging chads. Tools like these will help Wable tackle

controversial issues in a language young kids can

comprehend.

Children’s books aren’t her only source of literary

pleasure. “Adult books” are on Wable’s reading list as

well. “I like to read because it’s a little bit of escapism.

You enter this imaginary world and it just begs you to

put yourself in it and imagine the characters and enter

this world that is different,” she said. “Books can help

address issues that aren’t easy if you just say them.”

Her own life is no stranger to escapism. “I tend to

be very loud and obnoxious, especially when you first

meet me, but I’m shier than I seem. I’ve gotten to the

point where I’m not afraid to be who I am, even if I

look like a moron,” she said. But that initial outgoing

impression is not a picture of her real personality. “I

think I give off the aura of an extrovert and a people

person. I don’t necessarily think that is who I am,”

Wable said. “Part of me is, but as a child and in high

school I was so shy. Finally, I just gave up caring what

people thought. Now I’m so much the crazy person

that people don’t see the quiet, introspective, thoughtful

person who doesn’t say stupid things.”

[

]

“ I looked at other colleges

just so I could say I looked,

but I knew I was going

here.”

—Maggie Wable

Kyle Rivas / Hilltop Monitor

Lacey Crough

Staff Writer

Phi Gam B.O.T.A.B. raises $4000

For the last 13 years the men of

the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity have

been showcasing their comedic

and musical talents at Battle

of the Air Bands. This year,

along with all four sororities,

Kappa Alpha Order fraternity

and CSM, the fraternity

attempted to raise over $2000

for the American Red Cross,

their national philanthropy.

B.O.T.A.B. raised $4000.

B.O.T.A.B. is, according to

senior Jacob Lisby, a variety

show much like Saturday Night

Live. The fraternity puts together

skits and each sorority performs a

dance number. The dances are then

judged by a panel of special guests.

Also, campus groups were invited to

showcase a commercial representing

their organization. CSM was one

of the organizations to get involved.

“One of our primary goals as CSM is

to partner with other organizations on

campus in as many ways as possible,”

Jeff Buscher, Campus Minister, said.

“The commercial is really just a fun

representation of CSM.”

To generate campus involvement,

the Fiji’s invited Chiefs cheerleaders,

as well as Jeriney from 96.5

The Buzz to attend the event.

The fraternity also had a special

musical performance by senior

Kameron Gall. “ The event

was a great success. We had a

check presentation to the Red

Cross, and our sponsors came to

participate. Overall I am hearing

that it was very entertaining and

people enjoyed it,” Lisby said.

“The event was a great success.

We had a check presentation to

the Red Cross and our sponsors

came to participate.”

—Jacob Lisby,

FIJI senior

Lacey Crough can be reached at

croughl@william.jewell.edu.

Along with long days, flowers and

playing Frisbee on the Quad, the

arrival of summery weather signals

the beginning of a less anticipated

tradition - family reunion time.

While many students will have

the pleasure of enduring another

smothering-aunt, complaining-

cousin, screaming-kids-filled family

reunion, all students will have the

opportunity to attend a family

reunion of a very different sort, the

Human Family Reunion.

sponsored by the Society of

American Magicians, Steenstry

walked away with second place.

“It was encouraging [to place],”

Steenstry said, later commenting that

he is already looking for ward to future

conventions and competitions.

Though Steenstry dabbles in

metal bending, his preferred medium

is cards. One of his specialties is “ The

Ambitious Card,” a trick created by

David Blaine, renowned illusionist

and close-up performer.

Though he knows 138 card tricks,

at the March competition, Steenstr y

performed only three of these in

addition to five set cuts and five phase

changes. Competitors were judged

both on the clarity with which they

performed each trick and on their

own creativity.

Steenstry, who devotes two or

three hours each day to practicing,

always carries a deck of cards with

him. “You have to be familiar with

[the cards],” Steenstry said. “ That’s

the only way I can do it. I play with

these cards all the time.”

According to Steenstry, most

of the competitors were around

the same skill level. However, “ The

guy who won was a lot better than

I am, by far. He did a lot of new

tricks that I haven’t even tried to

learn yet,” Steenstr y said.

Steenstry is anticipating the

large-scale SAM Convention,

which won’t take place until July

2008 and will be six days of shows,

competition and displays of new

tricks.

“I go more because I like it

and not to win the competitions,”

Steenstry said. Steenstry also

hopes to entertain in restaurants

this summer.

Vicky Hill can be reached at

hillvi@william.jewell.edu.

Kyle Rivas/Hilltop Monitor

Three weeks after a party that

garnered campus criticism, members

of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity

are continuing their internal

disciplinary process. FIJI President

Taylor Evans, sophomore, said

the fraternity’s decision was made

by current leadership and alumni

advisers. “ We concluded our judicial

hearing Monday night,” Evans

said. “Our fraternity has a judiciary

committee made up of undergraduate

and graduate advisers which reviews

any alleged violations of College

policy, f raternity policy or any other

matters the chapter feels should be

addressed.”

While numerous fraternity

members were part of the process,

Evans said disciplinary action may

be taken against particular members.

“Some individuals have been asked to

take partial responsibility. However,

the majority of the committee’s

decisions and determinations will

affect the way the chapter plans,

advertises and executes social

functions in the future.”

Although details of proposed

action will remain closed, Evans said

Student Affairs was presented with

the chapter’s decision. “The chapter

has not been charged with any formal

violations of student policy. However,

the chapter’s judiciar y committee’s

findings have been presented to

Student Affairs,” he said. “Dr. [Rick]

Winslow [vice president for Student

Affairs] has expressed that he intends

to follow up, but he will need time to

review the case first.”

Winslow said Tuesday that his

staff still is evaluating the chapter’s

proposed disciplinary response. “ The

Phi Gams have referred the individual

whom they allege misrepresented

the party to the internal disciplinar y

system,” Winslow said. “ They

brought us an over vie w of their

decision. I have yet to review and

think about whether their decision is

appropriate.” Winslow said Student

Affairs hopes to have reviewed the

decision by next week. “Over the

next few days, my staff and I will

review what they brought in and see

whether it addresses appropriately

what occurred at FIJI Island.”

Evans stressed that the fraternity

is eager to move past this current

controversy. In addition to noting

the areas on campus in which FIJIs

have been active, Evans said he

believes the chapter will learn from

the experience. “ There has been

a remarkable amount of internal

leadership this year. I believe that we

are and have been making excellent

progress towards achieving the goals

we set for ourselves,” Evans said. “I

do not see this situation as a setback

but as a learning experience and,

more importantly, an opportunity to

exercise self-governance.”

The party, which occurred

March 27, was sponsored by the

fraternity during FIJI Island, an

annual fraternity tradition. Women

were invited to attend an “evening

wear” party at the house, and many

attendees sported lingerie or robes,

taking on a “Playboy” atmosphere.

The party was reported to Student

Affairs as a “mixer [with]…old prom

dresses, suits and tuxes” when it was

approved prior to FIJI Island.

FIJIs begin disciplinary process following party

Emily Wales

Editor-in-chie f

Emily Wales can be reached at

walese@william.jewell.edu.

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Volume 21 Issue 24

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

Life &

Entertainment

Meet the Robinsons

Amanda Joiner

Disturbia

Naphtali Faris

To See or Not to See?

talk

the

Andy Kirk

and(y)

Reviewed by Emily Hyder

A bite to eat at Cupini’s

Countless dining options beckon

us to sample their tasty wares once

we cross over the highway into North

Kansas City. However, a new crop of

food establishments has planted itself

within walking distance of William

Jewell College. Not just the quaint

downtown we tout to prospective

students and grandparents, the

Square slowly has renovated its image

into a college f riendly social hub.

Along with new boutiques dotting

the storefronts, three new restaurants

recently opened their doors. I felt the

need to investigate. With studying

abroad in Italy in my future, I couldn’t

help but make Cupini’s my first stop.

Here are the results of my taste

bud detective skills.

Cupini’s Pasta and Panini

Liberty’s branch is one of

four family-owned Cupini’s

restaurants. I had heard mixed

reviews about this local Italian

chain. Supposedly customers

picked already prepared food

from a display case and waited as

the item was warmed and served.

So much for the ‘fresh’ idea.

In reality, the confusion

comes from Cupini’s dual role

as a restaurant and deli. Prepared

dishes like green bean salad, olive

tapinade and their famous spinach

pies can be purchased at the counter

and taken home. While Liberty’s

deli selection isn’t large, the original

location in Westport has a vast array

of imported delicacies like fresh

pasta, Italian chocolate and Proscuitto

Parma.

Instead of utilizing the deli,

my friends and I decided to enjoy

the large, open dining area. After

ordering at the counter, we chose to

sit at one of the many nicely spaced

tables. A rustic wooden bar near the

front window, strewn with coffee

table books about Venice, is a relaxing

alternative for single patrons.

Their watering hole was

impressive, with fountain drinks,

tea and Cupini’s special blend of

Roasterie Coffee. What bumps this

up a notch is the individual packages

of flavored creamer, lemon and lime

slices and the multiple flavors of

tea bags available. I wasn’t as easily

convinced about the cuisine. The

menu is comprised of hot and cold

panini sandwiches, eight salads, pasta,

pizza and a few classic desserts.

Normally fairly carnivorous, I

decided to try half a Mediterranean,

one of their Panini Vegetali, with half

a house salad. Not the typical pressed

panini like what you’d expect, my

sandwich came on a hard (although

tasty) baguette. Unfortunately, the

flavors I was anticipating from the

roasted red peppers, cucumbers,

ricotta salata cheese, caramelized red

onions and roasted garlic hummus

didn’t materialize. Although the

dressing was good, the salad was

a plebian mix of lettuce, a slice of

tomato and a few rings of red onion.

My companions faired better. A

hot chicken panini had an excellent

balance of ingredients. The lemon

chicken had a mild tang without being

overwhelming and complemented

the fresh pesto sauce perfectly.

Roasted red bell peppers and gooey

provolone were great additions. Also,

heat greatly improved the baguette’s

texture. Although this raised my

opinion of a Cupini panini, traditional

pasta dishes are the stars here.

Sitting in a pool of chunky

marinara, the lasagna is a masterpiece.

No fewer than 10 layers of al dente

noodle, hearty meat sauce, ricotta and

Parmesan are

topped with

a d d i t i o n a l

ladles of extra

sauce. A sprinkling of Parmesan and

chopped parsley make the dish as

appealing to the eye as it is to the

taste buds. The vegetable lasagna

doesn’t have as much visual appeal,

but is still a good choice. For dessert,

Cupini’s offers several cakes and

tortes, like flourless chocolate cake,

fruit tarts and cannoli. They also ser ve

gelato—Italian ice cream. Coming

from someone who never had gelato

before, Cupini’s version wouldn’t

break my allegiance to Maggie Moo’s

dark chocolate ice cream anytime

soon. The pineapple gelato was

refreshing but too icy, like a mix

between sherbet and a slushy. A

more adventurous friend tried

the roasted garlic white chocolate

gelato. Her sour face and lack of

words said it all.

With four women dining

together, we couldn’t resist trying

the Ultimate Chocolate Cake.

Five layers of thin chocolate cake

were sandwiched between a mild

chocolate frosting. The f rosting

was heavy on the powdered sugar

with little chocolate flavor and

tasted vaguely of toffee. The cake

itself had decent flavor but was rather

dry, a quality accentuated by its cold

temperature. Our first attempts to dive

in resulted in chunks of cake flying

across the table due to its cold, slightly

hard form. I’m sure it was humorous

o onlookers but disappointing for

us four chocoholics.

Even though Cupini’s doesn’t

really have waitresses, the woman

who brought our food was attentive

but not annoyingly in-your-face. At

six on a Monday night, the place

was virtually empty. Only two other

groups were eating. I’m definitely

going back, but next time to sink my

teeth into my own plate of lasagna.

Tip: Get 10 percent off with student I.D.

Cupini’s

8 E. Franklin St., 816.415.8832

Food: * * * (out of five)

Service: * * * *

Atmosphere: * * ½

Hours: M-TH: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.,

F- SAT: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Menu Sampler:

Half sandwich, half House Salad, $6.25,

Lasagna, $6.40, Soda, $1.50, Ultimate

Chocolate Cake (slice), $3.50

More Info: www.cupinis.com

Emily Hyder can be reached at

hydere@william.jewell.edu.

I have a love/hate relationship with scary movies. I love watching them, but I am

incredibly easy to scare. I hate it when things pop out of nowhere or some mysterious

man appears in the shadows. I had nightmares about The Sixth Sense for years and I

think I may be the only person in America who f reaked out in Gothika. I have yet to

make it all the way through any of the Saw movies because, let’s face it, they’re on a

whole other level of disgusting. Having said all this, what I love is the psychological

aspect. I love Hitchcock movies because he could heighten the tension without ever

having to be explicit. Hitchcock skillfully created a world in the mind of the audience,

and one could ne ver be sure what the truth of the situation was.

When I first read about Disturbia I thought it sounded remarkably like Hitchcock’s

Rear Window (1954) in which an injured Jimmy Stewart is stuck in his apartment

so he watches his neighbors through a telescope. He eventually becomes convinced

that one of the neighbors murdered his wife. In Disturbia, Kale (Shia LeBeouf, of

Disney channel fame) is kept in his house by an ankle bracelet as part of his house

arrest, a punishment for punching his teacher. Like any scar y movie for the YouTube

generation, there are plot holes and serious lapses in logic. Yet, if one can suspend his

or her disbelief for long enough, Disturbia is worth watching.

What makes this movie interesting is the acting. LeBeouf walks the narrow line

between smart and smartass, and pulls it off. Aaron Yoo is hysterical as the slightly off-

kilter, average teenaged best friend of Kale. It is David Morse, however, who deser ves

most of the credit for making the most of this movie. Morse plays Kale’s neighbor,

Mr. Turner, whom the boys suspect of chopping up girls above his garage. What sets

Disturbia apart f rom its peers is that it actually cares about the characters. Time is

devoted to character development, something practically unheard of in the genre, and

it is done without sacrificing the action or tension-inducing sequences. Yes, there are

the standard scary movie stereotypes like people running through the basement with

the killer on their trail, but would it really be a scary movie without them? Disturbia

is not a reinvention of the genre, but it ’s a cool movie with cool actors. Sometimes

that’s all you need.

Disney’s new film is the best thing to happen to the company since Lilo and Stitch.

For the last couple of years I have been disappointed with the all the films Disney has

been making. If they aren’t releasing unneeded direct-to-DVD sequels, they are locking

away classics in the dreaded “Disney Vault.” Meet the Robinsons is not part of this recent

losing streak. This wonderfully-zany computer graphic flick completely wowed me.

The story is about Lewis, an eccentric orphan obsessed about science, who often will

stay up for nights on end working on his latest project, much to the dismay of his sports

playing roommate. Lewis’ hard work pays off, and he creates an invention that is able

to show people’s memories. He enters his project in the annual school science fair, but

before he has his chance for victory his work is sabotaged by a slightly deranged visitor

from the future. This man is known only as “bowler hat guy.”

Lewis then receives another futuristic visitor named Wilbur. Wilbur came back to

the past to tr y and stop the devious bad guy, but he is forced to take Lewis back to

the future with him instead. That is where Lewis encounters the Robinsons, Wilbur ’s

wonderfully insane family. The Robinsons use their antics to try and help Lewis fix

his past because if he fails the future as they know it won’t exist. Add singing f rogs, a

caffeine addict and a T-rex with tiny arms and you have the best animated film Disney

has ever made by themselves, excluding Disney-Pixar films such as Cars.

The movie was a stunning visual masterpiece f rom beginning to end. It didn’t feature

20 different big name celebrities for the voices. I appreciated that the Robinsons didn’t

flaunt the actors in your face, though I was excited to find out that Adam West voices

one of the Robinsons.

If you are like me, and you enjoy going to see quality children’s movies be sure to

buy a ticket to Disney’s Meet the Robinsons. This movie will not disappoint, and it will

definitely entertain.

With the knowledge that this is

our penultimate paper, and unclear

as to whether I’m going to continue

“ Talk to the And(y)” in Fall 2007,

I’d like to begin by saying thank

you to everyone who’s ever picked

up an issue of the Monitor. More

specifically, thank you to the nine

people who’ve looked at my column

without being forced and read my

random, written regurgitations about

childhood trauma, teenaged trauma

and Gingers.

If I had a nickel for each instance of

love and support from you, I’d almost

have enough to buy a Twix from a

vending machine. However, there’s

something about “ Talk to the And(y)”

that not everyone knows: in my legal

contract/Emily Wales-sanctioned

blood pact that allows me to write

for the Hilltop Monitor, I am allowed

one serious column per semester.

My lawyer interprets “serious” as

not being the same as “unfunny,” so

I can’t count the monstrosity about

Achievement Day or that god-awful

one about stalkers. I actually have to

write something with the intent of

not being humorous. Plus, if I don’t

use it now, it’s gone forever. Like cell

phone minutes or Cage points, these

things do not roll over for future

periods of time.

I started out this week intending

to write about my experiences

playing paintball last Sunday for

the first time – the thrill of finding

an outlet for repressed masculine

aggression, the agony of a receiving

a neck shot resembling a hickey and

my frustration when it comes to

shooting guns of any kind, thanks

to that screaming fit I pitched

after placing dead last in a game of

laser tag when I was 12. However,

the events of Monday morning at

Virginia Tech were enough to squash

any column about guns immediately,

even ones filled with orange paint. As

I talked to Lois Anne at our weekly

Monday Monitor meeting, I told her

my original column idea and was

about to ask for a new one when

she interrupted, wide-eyed, to ask,

“You know that idea would be totally

inappropriate, right?”

I was offended. How could

I, or anyone, be so insensitive to

write something humorous about

a shooting that claimed the lives

of 32 innocent people? Of course,

then I remembered the previous

week’s article, in which I satirically

called for all redheads to be placed

in concentration camps. Oh, and it

was during Holocaust Remembrance

Week. Yeah. Whoops.

I guess I’ve always had a twisted

sense of humor. My favorite comedy

of all time is Simon Birch, and my best

friend and I once wrote on a baby

with eyeliner. I have told and laughed

at Helen Keller jokes. I have accepted

the fact that I am an awful person,

but I would like to think that I have a

limit to my perversity. I would like to

think that no matter how disgusting I

may appear, there is a line that I would

never cross. For me, the Virginia Tech

tragedy absolutely falls beyond that

line, but as I kept reflecting on taboo

subjects, I began to ask myself what

else is forbidden to joke about, not

only for me, but for our society.

Recently, racism has not only been

a hot topic in national news with the

Don Imus scandal, but also a hit too

close to home at Jewell last Januar y

with a widely-publicized racially-

motivated incident. These incidents

are different from each other, yet

related in that upon the media’s

awareness of each, prominent leaders

tried to top one other in a contest of

who could display the most outrage,

conveniently venting in front of a

news camera. These incidents are also

similar in that after each, a debate

has taken place about the use of

language.

What is free speech, what is hate

speech, and how can each be used?

I don’t know if I can adequately

comment on the outrage of black

students because I’m white, and while

I agree that racist statements harm

people of all races, I do not want to

misconstrue the opinions of black

students. As a gay student, I assume

I have the right to comment about

slurs specific to my group, so I’ll tr y to

adapt the dialogue to my situation as

efficiently as I can. Can I say the word

‘faggot?’ If so, to whom can I say it? If

you aren’t gay, can you say the word

‘faggot?’ What if the word isn’t used

with the intent of being harmful—

like a comedian using it in a joke?

Is it ever right to completely ban a

word? And as a humor columnist,

where is the definitive line between

joking about homosexuals and being

homophobic?

I think I disagree with a

colleague who wrote in last week’s

staff editorial that the FCC should

consider completely banning some

things because I have no idea where

the line would be. In fact, I think that

there is no definitive line for each of

these complex situations. There are

many twisted, cur ving, uneven lines

for any sensitive topic of which I can

conceive. However, when considering

the Don Imus situation, I have

realized that no specific person or

group can or should have the power

to completely silence him, as much

as I disagree with his statements.

His comment, the backlash and the

subsequent dialogue are all painful

but necessary steps. Through this, we

will not clarify what is unacceptable

in itself but what is unacceptable for

those of us who oppose ignorance

and racism. The public should hold

the power to decide what they believe

is acceptable, and if something isn’t

for them, they reser ve the right to

raise hell.

There are a few problems with the

public deciding what is correct (just

because there were a lot of Nazis

doesn’t mean they were right), but I

haven’t yet found a better solution. If

you disagree, for the love of God, write

a letter to the editor. I’ve been called

out before for being inappropriate

in a column, but without feeling the

embarrassment or shame of being

owned I wouldn’t learn anything and

neither would anyone else.

At the end of the day, what is

the point of me rattling on about

racism, paintball and things that are

universally inappropriate? For me, it’s

all about humor. I think that humor

is unique and sacred in the fact that

we use it to heal how we’ve been hurt

or offended, but if its bounds are

overstepped, someone has to fight

to protect it. As long as we approach

these issues rationally, passionately

and openly, we can hope for a greater

understanding of one another.

There. I’m off the soapbox, and

it’s back to torturing myself for your

reading pleasure. I was planning on

picking up a hitchhiker and taking

them to IHOP, but if you think it’s

inappropriate, write a letter and I just

might reconsider.

pg_0008

Friday, April 20, 2007

Volume 21 Issue 24

www.thehilltopmonitor.com

Spo

rts

Jewell track teams continue

successful tournament runs

Softball team passes .500 mark

Women’s tennis team

ranked 4th in HAAC

Jonathan Entzminger

Sports Editor

Kristina Brase

Staff Writer

Jewell’s track team roster is heavy

with school record holders and record

chasers, so it is no surprise that they

are going far this season.

Wade Smith, senior, is one foot

from the school record in weight

throw. Jennifer Reinhardt, senior, is

eight inches f rom the hammer throw

record.

The women’s 4x800 team of Alex

Braden, junior, Jennifer Ghidoni,

junior, Amber Parker, junior, and

Michaela Taylor, sophomore, is 13

seconds from the school record.

“ Thirteen seconds is a lot less

than it sounds like. If they all cut off

a few seconds, it is very reachable,”

Ted Graves, head coach, said. Last

Saturday Jewell hosted their home

meet and defeated eight other schools

in a landslide victory.

“Our home meet is one of our

three most important meets. It lets

us see who our competition is for

conference,” Graves said.

Jewell is strong in many events.

“I’m ver y encouraged by our sprinters.

We are in a strong sprint conference,

so [the women] are going to have to

keep coming. We really have a strong

throwing crew. A lot of kids did well,”

said Graves. He said he owes much

of the team’s success to the assistant

coaching staff. Graves said, “They’re

easy to work with and knowledgeable.

You don’t find a staff like this ver y

often.”

There are only a few meets before

nationals. This weekend the team is

heading to the University of Kansas

and the University of Central

Missouri for meets.

“ To get qualified for KU means

you’re having a heck of a year. This

week is tuning up,” Graves said. “We’ll

ease up on the number of events, so

they aren’t worn out.”

This season, Jewell is sending

three of its track team members to

nationals in California, May 24-

26. Luke Geisinger, sophomore, is

competing in the 110 meter hurdles,

Reinhardt in discus throw and Smith

in weight throw. There are some

potential qualifiers as well for other

events as the season comes to an end.

Kristina Brase can be reached at

brasek@willliam.jewell.edu

Last year the William Jewell

softball team ended its season with 32

wins. This season they have a chance

to come within a few games close to

that, as they stand with a record of

21-17.

“It has been an outstanding

opportunity. I have inherited a great

group of softball players and young

ladies. We have had an outstanding

recruiting season, signing six girls

who can really play and will be great

additions to the program,” Dustin

Combs, head softball coach, said. “ I

am very optimistic about the future

of William Jewell softball. This is an

outstanding community with a lot of

support. I feel very blessed to be a

Cardinal.”

Winning 21 games this season

hasn’t been easy. The team made a

coaching change and has no returning

seniors. However, that hasn’t stopped

the women from winning against

conference rivals like MidAmerica

Nazarene University, where Megan

Suelter, junior, came out and helped

pitch the team to a 2.00 era on Mar.

27. Since then, the Cardinals have

kept a team era of fewer than 4.00.

“It is nice to have a pitcher who

is keeping her earned runs to a

minimum, but what we have to do

is lower our unearned runs that we

are giving up,” Combs said. “We

have to make routine plays from here

on out in order for us to be able to

accomplish the goal of winning the

HAAC tournament and getting into

the Regional tournament.”

The Cardinals are 3-3 over their

last six games, scoring 35 runs and

33 RBIs (runs batted in). During that

span, their biggest wins came against

Haskell Indian Nations University

and York College. In both games

combined, the Cardinals scored 17

runs, limiting their opponents to just

one. Against Haskell, junior pitcher

Gretchen Geest had four strikeouts

in five innings of work. In the

second game of that double header,

junior pitcher Mary Suelter had four

strikeouts over a six inning stretch.

This was the sixth double header this

year in which the women won both

games but only the second in which

they held opponents to one run.

“I have yet to find the formula

for that,” Combs said. “It is a mind

set. You really have to stay focused

between games. In our case I don’t

feel it is a matter of fatigue. It is more

a matter of focus.”

Combs prefers to play a certain

style of softball which, according to

him, helps the team win games. He

believes that when the women stick

to the fundamentals of softball, they

are able to be successful.

“ We really have just tried to

change our approach to winning,”

Combs said. “ We focus extremely

hard on the fundamentals and try to

perform them more consistently than

our opponents. Offensively we have

had some girls really step up and do

a great job for us. I would have to

contribute a lot of our success to our

offense.”

The Cardinals have five games left

on the schedule before the postseason

begins April 27, in Springfield, Mo.

During that span they must face

conference rivals Avila, Missouri

Valley and Rockhurst before heading

to the conference tournament.

“Our goal is to win the HAAC

tournament,” Combs said. “I really

don’t know where we will be seeded

and really that won’t matter. You have

to beat anyone you play. We have

been playing well in April and that ’s

important. It really doesn’t matter

what you have done in Februar y and

March. It is how you’re playing in

April that is important.”

Combs’ goals for the rest of season

revolve around keeping the women

focused on winning games and

playing hard through doubleheaders,

among other things.

“My biggest goal is to continue to

build on what we have accomplished,

build on the strides that we have

made in becoming a well respected,

hard working softball program,”

Combs said.

Jonathan Entzminger can be reached

at entzmingerj@william.jewell.edu,

The women’s 800 team posed for a team shot earlier this season. This team of sophomore Michaela

Taylor, junior Jennifer Ghidoni, junior Alex Braden and junior Amber Parker is 13 seconds from

tying the College record.

Kyle Rivas/Hilltop Monitor

Tues. April 16 Evangel University - Springfield, MO W 7-1

Mon. April 15 Graceland University - Lamoni, IA W 7-2

Sat. April 14 University of Illinois Springfield

St. Louis, MO W 7-2

Fri. April 13 McKendree - St. Louis, MO L 8-1

Tues. April 10 Benedictine College - Liberty, MO W 6-3

Mon. April 9 Johnson County Community College -

Overland Park, KS W 7-2

Fri. April 6 Missouri Valley - Marshall, MO W 9-0

Tues. April 3 Baker University - Liberty, MO L 6-3

Women’s singles player Jessica Williams, senior, hits a backhand.

The team currently ranks fourth in the HAAC Conference.

Sophomore Kristen Marshall bunts the softball during a game

earlier this season.

Kyle Rivas/Hilltop Monitor