News Story 3

Lower Funding Means Big Changes

Large budget cuts cause concern at Bemidji State University

Amy Borgman 

It’s no doubt now that Bemidji State University, along with other state colleges, is undergoing a huge budget cut. On Tuesday October 19^th, the Beaux Arts Ballroom hosted an open forum with university president, Dr. Richard Hanson. He announced that the 2011 school year would experience a 10% budget cut which means it will receive 5 million dollars less than last year. Fall 2010 registration brought 864 enrolled freshmen, and this frightening decrease in funds could blur students’ opinions about continuing their education at Bemidji State.

 Dr. Hanson spoke to an audience of 200 or so anxious faculty and students.

Photo by Amy Borgman

            

             Dr. Hanson began the discussion with a slideshow that highlighted budget elements and introduced a recalibration plan. There were a lot of facts and figures that were clicked over and statements about how the university would approach the impending issue. Then, he took a moment to speak honestly on how he plans to address the problem. He stated, “I am not inexperienced. There is great promise in recalibration”, and that campus administrators would tackle the issue systematically so that the university would only come out better and stronger in the end. This promising change also introduces the unsettling reality that the university will soon be eliminating professors, programs, majors, and other constituents in order to make ends meet. Some programs may just be merged with others and some majors may even be enlarged. The details on any future dealing are still very unclear being that the issue was uncovered only recently.

Dr. Lisa Erwin, Vice President for Student Development and Enrollment, and Bill Maki, Vice President of Finance and Administration, sit in on the discussion.

Photo by Amy Borgman

In efforts to boost confidence in the wavering crowd, President Hanson then referred to his “3 money buckets” analogy to explain the funding that Bemidji State is currently receiving. One leaky bucket was from MNSCU, one steady bucket was from tuition fees, and one hopeful bucket was from philanthropic services. He is confident about receiving some charitable revenue for the reason that administration will be working with a renowned fundraising consultant in January to discuss potentially lucrative campaigns for the university.

Students, faculty and staff were eager for answers to tough questions regarding their futures at Bemidji State University.

Photo by Amy Borgman

           The main reason President Hanson held the forum, however, was for students and faculty to have the chance to ask questions and stress their concerns about the imminent issue. A repeated worry that was brought to attention was that the Liberal Arts Department seemed to be in the gravest danger. Stipulations had surfaced in the forum earlier that afternoon that the Liberal Arts would be afflicted the most by the cuts, as the fine arts often times are. Many BFA and English majors stressed that they didn’t understand why it had to be their department. Dr. Hanson assured the wary students that they would graduate with the major they signed up for. However, he failed to mention the affect it would have on the many undeclared freshmen.

BFA Grad Assistant, Sara Dennison, raised concern for the future of her department.

Photo by Amy Borgman

Another student raised the question of tuition fees and how much of that money is going toward Bemidji State University’s Board Early Separation Incentive or the BESI Program. Public documents on the president’s page on BSU’s website state that around half of student tuition fees are going toward the program set up for early retirement. His response was that tuition money belongs partially to students and they should therefore have a say in how it is spent. He declared, “ I am a strong proponent of speaking up for what you believe in”. If students wished to see any changes they would just have to raise their voices.  

            There was an array of questions asked about things like the stability of individual departments, sports programs, and communication with students. Dr. Hanson answered them to the best of his knowledge, but repeatedly assured that certain questions were still very far away from being answered.

 word count 686

BSU Women’s Hockey off to Best Start in School History

The Halfway Point Marks a Season of Firsts and More to Come



Beavers out to prove they belong
Photo by: Eric Story



Story #8 - Final

Word Count: 965

Eric Story

With winter break upon us and fall semester officially over, the BSU women’s hockey team wrapped up arguably the best start first half of a season in school history. The Beavers entered enter winter break with an impressive 8-7-3 overall mark, and 6-5-3-2 record in Western Collegiate Hockey Association play. Their eight wins ties a school high for most wins before the semester break, but getting there was no easy task.

At the midway point of the season the Beavers have established a series of firsts in program history. Coming off an impressive finish to the 2009-10 season that culminated with their first ever playoff win and first appearance in the WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF. The Beavers entered the 2010-11 season with a brand new home and a mentality that they could hold their own against the WCHA conference powers.  

The Beavers would end up playing six of their nine series against teams ranked in the top 10 in the country, with five of six series against ranked teams being critical conference matchups. Entering the season the Beavers where just 10-139-11 all-time against ranked opponents.

BSU opened the season with a pair of road series, splitting with Wayne State University before dropping both games at No. 5 Wisconsin.

The Beavers returned home for an eight game home stand, with three of the four series against ranked teams. In their home opener the Beavers would break in their brand new home, the BREC, squaring off against No. 1 Mercyhurst.

BSU entered the matchup against Mercyhurst just 1-9-2 all-time against the Lakers, and 0-20-1 all-time against a No. 1 ranked team. The Beavers would drop their first game in their new home 0-4, but would shock the Lakers in the series finale to earn the programs first ever win over a nation’s top ranked opponent.



Beavers take to the ice for the first time in new home
Photo by: Eric Story



After the game you could see the glow as head coach Steve Sertich had a grin from ear to ear during his post game press conference.  “It was great to be able to knock-off a No. 1 team in the country, but you have to start with McElhinney in net,” said Sertich. “She was unbelievable and really was the difference.”



The win sparked a four game win streak, and an offensive explosion from senior forward Erin Cody. Cody tallied seven goals and five assists during the win steak, including a natural hat-trick in the first period of the Beavers 3-2 win over St. Cloud State. Her second goal of the period was a thing of beauty and made its way on to the Beavers highlight introduction the next week, which is played before each home game.



Defenseman Marlee Wheelhouse chipped the puck out of the neutral zone toward forward Sadie Lundquist, who dished it off to Cody. She made a beeline towards the goal with SCSU defenders chasing her. Making a fake move to the inside drawing SCSU goaltender Ashley Nixon to drop into butterfly, before pulling the puck to her backhand going around the net minder. With half her body over the end line, Cody squeezed the puck past the near post and into the far corner of the net. Cody’s three fist period goals marked the first time in BSU history a player scored three times in one period.

The last win of the four game streak was probably the biggest win of the year so far, because it came against a team that the Beavers had never beat. The 1-0 win over the University of Minnesota Duluth ended a winless record over the conference power. It took over a decade and the 50^th try finally beat the Bulldogs.



“This was a great win for our program,“ said Sertich. “This is our home now and I think we’ve played well here. We have been playing the top teams toe to toe, and we’ve got some momentum going. It’s been fun to win games in this building.”

Sophomore forward Emily Erickson knows the win was monumental for the program but she and the rest of the team are taking the season all in stride. “We have a lot of skill on this team and every girl in the locker room knows it,” said Erickson.  “We’re just going out this year to prove it to everyone else."



The Beavers continued to show they are a team that’s no longer a bottom feeder in the WCHA, with a win and a tie against No. 8 North Dakota. The Beavers then earned a tie and a loss on the road against No. 9 Ohio State before an instate showdown at home against the seventh ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers.

In the first game of the two game series the Beavers snapped 17-game winless streak against the University of Minnesota, beating the Golden Gophers for just the third time in program history by a score of 2-0.



“We’ve come so far,” said Cody. “I’ve been here before where they were basically playing keep-away from us from the very beginning. Just going out there tonight and knowing that we’re even with them and that we have a good chance to win, it just comes down to who wants it more.”

At the halfway point of the season the Beaver sit in fifth place in the WCHA, just one point behind the Gophers. Their four wins over ranked opponents so far is more than any previous team in program history has accomplished in an entire season.

While the team has already accomplished so much, there’s still half a season to play. With their goal set on exceeding last year’s playoff run.  In a season so far filled with firsts, the BSU women’s hockey team is out to prove last season’s run to the WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF was no fluke.

“We're ready to make history all season long,” said Erickson.

Bemidji Band Enjoys What They Do

Minnesota Music Scene is Growing
By Taylor Klinke
Word Count: 750

Garrett Alvarado grabs a microphone and yells, “Are you ready, Bemidji?” before he starts to scream the lyrics with other vocalist Greg Anderson. The crowd responds by head banging, forming a mosh pit, or hardcore dancing. Guitarist Anthony Lamb throws his guitar behind his back while bassist Chris Compeau lies on the floor and plays the bass lines for the song Thus It Ends.

It can seem a little scary if you’ve never been to a hardcore concert – but before you know it you start bobbing your head along with the music – and shortly after you’re head banging and running into the middle of mosh pits.

A Day of Plague is a six-piece deathcore/metal band hailing from Bemidji and Mahnomen, Minnesota. A mix of solid metal riffs mixed with death metal vocals and brutal drums is the essential ingredients to A Day of Plague. One of their main goals as a band is to revive the metal scene and introduce the music to new ears. They blend metalcore breakdowns, brutal lyrics, and all around hardcore metal to satisfy any metal fan.

They originally started out as a joke in the fall of 2008, under the name Sic Semper Tyrannus. But soon after they became serious as a death metal outfit and began to write real songs over spring and began playing shows in the summer of 2009. The band includes Garrett Alvarado (lead vocals), Greg Anderson (vocals), Anthony Lamb (guitar), Austin Schmitz (guitar), Aaron Thiebert (bass), and Ben Dickinson (drums). They’ve played shows in numerous locations around Minnesota and North Dakota – including Bemidji, Thief River Falls, Hinckley, Burnsville, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Moorhead.

When asked what he enjoyed most about his band, leading vocalist Garrett Alvarado responded, “Screaming my butt off on stage and seeing the crowd get nuts. I also really enjoy meeting new people.” When you see the guys in these bands – they may look a little intimidating – but they are really down to earth and talk to anyone who wants to talk to them. “I love walking around at shows and meeting new people,” said guitarist Anthony Lamb, “I try to talk to as many people as I can.”

Garrett Alvarado is known to be a nice, caring guy but he writes most of the brutal lyrics for the band. “He just goes into his dark place and bangs out the words,” said Anthony Lamb, “He’s the one who got most of us into this genre of music.” Second vocalist Greg Anderson used to only listen to pop and rap music that’s on popular radio stations like Y94 in Fargo. But when he met Garrett, he was introduced to a new kind of music.

Last winter the guys headed out Fargo to work with Greg Lindholm, owner and producer of The Track Shack. They recorded a five song EP that was released this past summer. Greg Lindholm is a member in a very successful band from Fargo, ND called The Suit. The Suit just won the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands Showcase in Hollywood, CA on December 3.

“The Suit is definitely my favorite band to play with,” said Anthony Lamb. And most bands who have played with The Suit agree with that statement. They are all down to earth, caring guys who have worked their way up the music scene ladder and are willing to help out smaller bands who are in a place they once were.

A Day of Plague has also hosted a couple of metal concerts at Bemidji State University. The first was last March in the Beaux Arts Ballroom and more recently they put together a show that was in Memorial 100 on November 4.  Other bands from surrounding areas also played including The Valiant Nomads, Forgiving December, Alistair Hennessey, and headliners My My Misfire. The first band started playing around 5:00 P.M. with My My Misfire closed the show around 10 P.M.

If you’ve never been to a metal concert before, check out the local scene because it’s something you’ll really enjoy. At first the screaming and hardcore dancing can seem a little overwhelming but you get used to it after a while. A Day of Plague is always playing shows in Bemidji and surrounding areas so keep a look out for posters around campus and interviews on FM90.

www.myspace.com/adayofplague

A Day of Plague guitarist Anthony Lamb playing at a show

in Memorial 100 at BSU on November 4th.



 Second vocalist Greg Anderson waiting for his turn

to scream some lyrics during a show on November 4th

Leading vocalist Garrett Alvardo belting out some lyrics

during a show at Bemidji State on November 4th.

The Life of a Resident Assistant

Throughout campus, RA’s continue to support and assist residents

By Caley Jorgensen

Story #8

December 13, 2010

Word Count: 891

                It’s 11 p.m. on a Thursday night. Muffled chatter of students can be heard echoing through the hallways in Oak Hall. The smells of late night snacks fill the air, including Raamen Noodles, popcorn right out of the microwave, and a frozen pizza in the community kitchen’s oven. Resident assistants walk through the halls and make sure everything is under control. Since it is the start of quiet hours, the RA’s reach in the residents’ rooms and quietly shut the door saying, “Goodnight guys.” In other words, this means, “It’s quiet hours.”

            Closing doors of resident’s dorm rooms at 11 p.m. on weekday nights and 1 a.m. on weekend nights is one of the responsibilities of a resident assistant on duty on campus. “A resident assistant is here to instill the safety and comfort of the residents to make it feel like home,” said Charlie Falk, Oak Hall’s resident assistant on 4A.



Charlie Falk works on the computer in the office for
Oak Hall staff members.



 A resident assistant has many different jobs as they look after their assigned floor, as well as the rest of the hall. They coordinate events and gatherings for residents so they can get to know each other. They also monitor floor behavior and respond appropriately to any prohibited activities. “We have to make sure they’re not doing certain recreational things, like hall sports or drinking,” said Melody Fellman, resident assistant on third floor in Tamarack Hall.

Not only do they play an authority figure, but RA’s are there for their residents as a supporting friend to come and talk to about any problems or issues. “Being able to put the residents’ problems before ours is important,” Falk said. “If I’m working on homework and a resident needs to talk about something or needs help, I stop what I’m doing to be there for them.”

            Some other responsibilities the resident assistants have to attain include checking students in and out of the dorm life. When they arrive to the dorms at the beginning of the year, RA’s are scattered throughout the crowd, making sure everyone has everything and assist getting students settled. Students will leave for long breaks and resident assistants check rooms to ensure safety, such as checking closed windows and protect against bursting steam pipes.

            Another responsibility that RA’s have is to be on duty. Resident assistants are assigned a night once or twice a month along with another RA to be on call for any help needed by students or other assistants. They carry an on duty phone to ensure they can be reached wherever they are in the dormitory hall. Walking through the halls to make sure everything is going smoothly and closing doors after quiet hours are the tasks they have to do.



Nick Ross stands with Anna Connelly,
a former resident on 4C in Oak Hall.



            To become a resident assistant, every February the Carousel Interview process begins to find students who would qualify as a good resident assistant. “It is a great experience to learn and grow,” said Nick Ross, a former staff member of Oak Hall. “You meet some amazing people, some people who could be in your life forever, and make a huge impact.”

            Benefits that come with being a resident assistant include free room and board, which includes a free university meal plan. RA’s also receive $1000 for the year in stipend. They also get the benefits of living on campus, such as being the proximity to academic buildings.

            Resident assistants get ten nights off a semester. If they will be out past 2 a.m., they need to sign out at the front desk. As long as half the staff is present in the building, RA’s are allowed to stay out past 11 p.m. and be back by 2 a.m. “That’s probably a disadvantage,” Falk said. “I have to ask for nights off and I don’t get to hang out with my friends as much.”



Charlie Falk, center, took the night off
and found time to hang out with friends.



            “I’m such a free bird,” Fellman said. “My friends call me up and say ‘Hey! Let’s go out!’ and I don’t always get the opportunity to leave.” It is Fellman’s first year as a resident assistant and she thinks the experience outweighs the disadvantages. “I love people and I love to help them, because it brings me joy,” she said. “It is good skill building and it has helped me realize what I can handle.”

            Resident assistants get the opportunity to spend time with their residents by making floor activities. “Some of the activities that we have done in the past include spaghetti nights, chili feeds, cookouts, playing football, or even just going to Wally’s together,” Falk said. He said programming, or setting up activities, is important “to unify and create a bond on the floor.”

            When February comes around the corner, students have the opportunity to be interviewed and be considered to become a resident assistant. “I would suggest becoming a resident life staff member to someone,” Ross said. “It’s a great idea and they will grow from it.” Fellman also recommends becoming an RA. “I have learned so much about myself and it has helped me grow,” she said. It will be Falk’s third year being a resident assistant if he becomes one in the 2010-11 year. “I’m definitely considering becoming one again,” he said. “It has been a great experience.”

Students Begin Buckling Down for Finals

Taking Time to Share Tips on How They Stay Sane

By Casey Dainsberg (Story #8)

The Lower Hobson Union was a little more busy than usual on Tuesday afternoon. A certain anxiety and excitement filled the air as students rushed around the Union. Some were visiting friends they wouldn’t see until next semester, others were trying to use the last of their Beaver Bucks, and still more were hurrying to finish up last minute assignments. It is the last day of classes before finals start and students reflect the excitement associated with the end of the semester. Nevertheless, there is a certain level of stress that always finds its way into the end of the semester, and many a student is familiar with its presence.

Finals week affects each student differently. BSU Junior Nate Erickson said so far this year finals week seems to be shaping up to be fairly normal when compared to past years. “It’s pretty typical of the past,” he said, “some stress here and there, I have to read for a lot of subjects, but in all fairness it’s not too stressful for me.”

The clatter of plates and the excited conversations of students discussing their upcoming break and final tests in the Hobson Union food court didn’t faze Erickson. He continued on, casually explaining why he likes Finals Week. “What I really like about Finals Week is you don’t have class, so you do have time to study for these things, even though you do have to study a lot for them.”  Erickson also noted that another component of Finals Week he liked, was the fact that once everyone is studied out, “You can really just hang out with people…you’re all in the same boat, all working through the same stress.”

Sitting at the same table, quiet and thoughtful BSU Junior Nick Lorenson, picked up his fork and began eating the taco bowl he had obtained from the food court just moments before. As a transfer student in his first year at BSU, Lorenson fell on the opposite side of the spectrum as Erickson when it came to the stresses associated with finals. He joked that on a stress scale between one and ten he was at “Thirteen,” having been up for the previous forty hours without sleep working on final assignments. Sleep deprived but his sense of humor still intact, Lorenson continued with a laugh and said, “I’m learning that my body is able to go on less sleep than I ever thought possible.”

Matthew Weeks said that playing with the animals
helps him to de-stree during finals.
(Photo by Casey Dainsberg)



Lorenson was not the only student experiencing the physical tolls of stress. Matthew Weeks, a design technology major in his fourth year at BSU said, “I was so stressed out last night trying to finish a project that I had a migraine and I was nauseous.” For students dealing with the stress of finals, Hobson Memorial Union and the Lifestyle Educators Organization hosted a De-Stress Yourself event. They provided a place for students to stop in and de-stress in the Crying Wolf Room, in the Lower Hobson Union. Pets were there from the Beltrami County Humane society for students to play with and cuddle. They also provided massages, and the Club Mud (ceramics club) was selling hot chocolate and ceramic mugs.





BSU Junior Reid Nichols holds one of the kittens at

the De-Stress Yourself with Pets event in the Hobson Union.

(Photo by Casey Dainsberg)



BSU junior Reid Nichols, said that he, “Came to hang out with the cats,” because it reminded him about his cats at home. The pets were probably the biggest hit of the event, most students waiting patiently to spend some time playing with the frisky, loving animals. There were three dogs that were about six months old, and two kittens. The kittens climbed in and out of the arms of students, curiously exploring tables and chairs, and sometimes curling into a soft, fluffy ball of contentment in the arms of students for a quick rest. The three puppies relished the pats and scratches they received from adoring students, but often would wander off, sniffing and exploring the room until called back with an enticing treat or toy. Weeks said that playing with animals, “is really relaxing to me.”




 


Students gathered around and waited their turn to play with the friendly
pets at BSU's De-stress yourself event in the Crying Wolf Room.
(Photo by Casey Dainsberg)

 

Students have learned how to deal with the stress of finals differently. “I’m usually not a good one to ask about Finals Week,” laughed Erickson, “because I actually like Finals Week; I’ve learned to take the stress off.” Erickson explained how he does that, amid humorous quips from his friends, saying that over the years he has, “Learned to accept whatever grade I get, and whatever grade I’ve earned… I’m not going to kill myself to put in that extra effort to get an A, when I’ve got a C in the class.” Erickson said he also puts a lot of emphasis on other things, not just academics.

Lorenson also talked about how he deals with the stress of finals, taking a bit different approach than Erickson. “Lots of caffeine!” he laughed, and then continued more seriously saying, “Just taking it one step at a time.” Lorenson also said he finds it important to take time to just laugh, “Yesterday I went on Youtube and I looked up the funny moments of Home Alone…I couldn’t have done anything more to refresh myself better.” With that, Lorenson also said he keeps in mind the fact that the end of semester is near, and break is coming up.

 



For seniors, the stress can be even more rampant. Senior Brittany Story, a Social Work major graduating this semester, said that compared to past years, this semester was most stressful for her. “There was a lot riding on the finals,” she said, “it’s my last chance to get a good GPA.” Story explained that many of her tests were an accumulation of everything she’s learned over the years, and as a result much more difficult and stressful. “I had a lot of finals that were take-home, so there was a lot of stress all at once,” she said, however after working on them over the weekend, she said she, “actually got ahead, so I’m not as stressed as I would have been if I had waited.”

As a senior, Story has had her fair share of finals. She said that the best advice she would recommend to students is, “Don’t procrastinate, make a schedule and stick to it. Work on stuff progressively as you go, instead of waiting ‘til last minute because that creates a lot of stress.” She also encouraged students to live a healthy lifestyle, and take a break once in awhile, “Make sure to take breaks, and do something fun, exercise, eat right, and make sure you’re sleeping well.” Lorenson had similar advice to offer students, saying, “You can never start something too early, so just remember as you’re looking down space things out…take things one step at a time.”

WORD COUNT: 1,138

BSU stays silent

But helps with finals

By: Luke Landgraf

Word count: 820

(story 8)

If you were to walk into a dorm in the past week , you wouldn’t see or hear much of anything. Across BSU, dorms stay quiet for grand silence for students to study for their finals.  BSU helped with their students by providing them with study breaks with the comedian Jay Black and midnight breakfast at Walnut along with couple of other things.

The grand silence started Tuesday Dec. 7 at 11pm and went through Dec.. 15 at 4 pm.  For some students this grand silence was very beneficial but for some who didn’t really have finals it was a burden. “ I didn’t have any finals I just had couple of papers that I had to write and I got them done like a week ago,” said Emily Gieser a BSU freshman “this grand silence thing was kind of boring.  But in respect of my neighbors the whole idea of grand silence is a good idea because im pretty sure that I will be stuck with couple of finals next semester.”

The grand silence means that the quiet hours take place during the day as they would at night.  There was a time during the day where students could open there doors for a little hallway social time with their peers, during dinner time and that was from 4:30-6:30.  But other than this time students are not allowed to have their doors open and the noise that comes from their room has to be minimal. During this time students could do things they could do on any normal day. For example vacuums were available to students at this time but when respect hours started up again there were no longer. 

Jay Black was here at BSU on Dec. 8 and his act was from 9-11 pm in HA 100.  “He was kind of funny, it was way better than sitting in my dorm room and studying that’s forsure,” said Nick Barratto a Sophomore at BSU “ he had a lot of different jokes, he was nothing like the guys on TV but it was good to get away from the stress of finals for a bit.”

That same night BSU put on a midnight breakfast for their students at walnut from 10-12. There was roughly about 700 students that attended the midnight study break.  “ The food there was really good, the eggs were kind of weird but its way better  than the normal food they server at walnut,” said Alyson Lehman who is a freshman at BSU “as good as it was it was a long wait to get your food cause there was so many kids there but it was totally worth the wait.”

Along with those things that BSU provided there was still more.  In crying wolf on Dec. 7^th there was “De-Stress With Pets.”  This was where students could go play with multiple types of pets that are in the early stages of their life and distress themselves.  Most of the animals that were there at Crying wolf were puppies that were brought from the human society.  The event was sponsored by Living Well,  Lifestyle Educators, and the Human society.  Along with animals available to be played with to relieve stress the animals are also up for adoption to a good home.

One of the final events that BSU put on for their students was Mediation Moment.  This event is to help students with anxiety relief.  They accomplished this by playing a tape filled with relaxing sounds to clear the mind and allowed students to forget about the stress and the mental punishment that finals could have.

Grand silence is not only a bad thing for a student who doesn’t have finals but it’s also bad for the Residential Assistance (RAs). “ I have had to write up more students for being loud in the last week then I have written up all year,” said Will Joerger an RA in Oak Hal “It sucks for me because I don’t like to be a  mean person but I do have to do my job, and you’re not supposed to be loud during grand silence and the residents know that. They also know that they cant have their doors open during the silent time and I have to keep walking around to shut their door and that gets really old, but it will all be ok. Soon all the residences will be done with finals and they will be on their way home.”

These were the signs that were found in the dorms across BSU that informed the residence of when grand silence started, ended, and what the expectations were.

Walnut is the location where the midnight breakfast took place.  Many students took time out of their studying schedule to come and eat a midnight snack with their peers and get away from studying.

BSU Prepares for Finals

Students Should Expect a Change in Schedule

By Andrew Pooch and Nick Jelacie

            A semester that began in the ninety-degree heat of August will come to its close this week in the sub-zero temperatures of December.  Students will find themselves adjusting to a different schedule than what they were used to during the semester.  Many will also begin their finals rituals that help them through this busy time of year.

            The change in schedule comes from within the records office at BSU.  Dave Carlson is a registrar responsible for some key scheduling decisions. He became registrar in 1993 when BSU was still on the quarter system.  He inherited a protocol for the system, but in the fall of 1998, BSU went to semesters.  They needed a new scheduling parameter.

“I was responsible for setting it up, printing it out and getting it approved by the faculty senate,” said Carlson.  BSU has used the same system to organize finals week since the fall of 1998. 

            The way Carlson designed the format was to spread out the most popular classes on different days.  This would create the best probability for students to have their finals distributed throughout finals week. Each class that is two credits or higher is assigned a two-hour time slot during finals week.  One-credit and night classes have their finals during the last meeting time for the class.

            “There is constant discussion about the two-hour time slots,” said Carlson.  “Faculty Senate brings it up every year during our schedule meetings.”

            This two-hour time slot gives professors the opportunity to lengthen their finals, which some students can find overwhelming.  Not all professors craft their final to fill two-hours, but the ones that do, pressure their students to study more.

            Students around campus have mixed feelings about the class schedule.   Some prefer the different time slots, others find it tough adjusting to change.  BSU provides students with a reading day where no classes or finals are held to ease the transition into finals week.

            Sophomore Matt Ellinghuysen said, “I used the reading day to tie up loose ends with my class work and study any material I needed to work on.“ He also felt that finals week was just another week of school, but is too drawn out.  He thought the two-hour time slot was too long.

            Other students see it as more free time to enjoy their hobbies. 

“I have one final at the end of finals week,” said sophomore Riley Hirsh.  “I basically just sit around and play video games, but might go to the library just to get out of my house.”

            The finals schedule forces many students to change their habits.  Some form rituals for every finals week and others find time to manage the newly acquired free time. 

            Junior Kevin Plzak enjoys balancing his studying time for finals with his gaming schedule.  “I don’t need any extra time for studying; it’s just another week of school for me.”

            Others may find it more difficult to take on the task of finals.  Some students like senior Nick Zemke find themselves stuck in the library during finals week. 

            “I have trouble concentrating at home, so I spend a lot of time in the library,” said Zemke.  “I have finals in all of my major classes which require a lot of studying.”

            For students that needed a break before finals, the Hobson Union Programming Board organized de-stressing activities that students could participate in prior to the busy finals week.  There were puppies and kittens for students to play with in the Crying Wolf Room, a massage area near Java City and free stress ball handout at the Hobson Union desk. The Campus Activities Board arranged for Comedian Jay Black to entertain students during the reading day.

            As far as changes to come in the finals schedule, Carlson doesn’t see any significant changes happening anytime soon.  Ellinghuysen and Hirsch would like to see shorter finals slots and fewer days in the schedule.

            Carlson said, “If anyone has a suggestion, they can bring it to me, faculty, faculty senate, representatives of the faculty or the academic vice president.  We are always looking for ways to improve the schedule.”

Junior Kevin Plzak takes a break from studying to play Call of Duty.  Photo taken by Andrew Pooch.

Registrar Dave Carlson (not pictured) works in the records office to make a streamlined finals schedule for BSU.  Photo taken by Andrew Pooch.

Sophomore Matt Ellinghuysen takes a break from finishing an assignment on D2L.  Photo taken by Nick Jelacie.