What the toon doesn’t say about the tune: “We’ll run away together,
we’ll spend some time forever.”

What the toon doesn’t say about the tune: “I remember when I lost my mind, there was something so pleasant about that place.”

Following this trend, John Carroll University began offering several online courses during the summer through the Blackboard system. For Summer 2010, there are seven online courses scheduled, including two courses in the MBA program, four undergraduate programs and one graduate course in education. 

JCU does not offer as many online courses as other larger universities such as The Ohio State University or Case Western Reserve University. According to Joseph Miller, professor of communications and director of the summer school program, this is due to the student population that the University attracts. Online courses often attract adult learners who return to college to earn a second degree. 

“As a small university, John Carroll does not hold the same appeal to the adult learning population [as other schools],” said Miller. 

However, freshman Ryan Zubal feels that more online courses would benefit JCU students.

“I think more online classes would be better because there would be more flexibility with my schedule and allow me to choose when I want to take my classes,” Zubal said. 

Although most of the online courses at JCU are offered only during the summer, several business courses have sections which are offered completely online during the fall and spring semesters. These online courses are sections of BI 107, 108 and 109. 

According to Karen Schuele, dean of the Boler School of Business, the entire BI sequence will eventually be online. The nature of the BI courses dictate that they will have online success since the courses are based on technology and computer systems and the professors tend to be more technologically savvy. 

Additionally, the marketplace for graduate courses in the MBA program is the driving force behind the online MBA

“The eventual goal is to offer all foundational MBA courses online so that it will be easier for students who were not undergraduate business majors to be on the same page,” said Schuele. 

According to Miller, however, the Boler School of Business is moving more in the direction of online courses than is the College of Arts and Sciences. Thus far, online courses within the College of Arts and Sciences have been during the summer only. 

Peter Kvidera, associate dean for academic affairs, acknowledged there has been discussion about expanding some classes to include online courses but it is only in discussion at this point. Discussion has included whether online courses would be for introductory courses, upper level courses or graduate level courses. 

“The summer was an experimental initiative with online courses at JCU. There is no clear path or definitive direction for online classes. Some of the faculty members look at online classes with skepticism because they believe that a classroom setting, with discussion and debate, is crucial towards a students’ education,” said Kvidera. 

In terms of summer courses, Miller said it is fundamentally up to the individual professor if they wish to teach an online course during the summer. The professor must propose the course they wish to teach online and then is approved by the department chair and Miller. 

“The role of the faculty member, as well as the dept chair and me, is to insure the goals and objectives of the online course are the same as for a traditional course. Faculty want to insure the different approaches in teaching online result in the likelihood of learning the same knowledge as in a regular course,” said Miller. 

Miller said that the problem with the increased utilization of the internet as an educational tool, new problems with security and academic integrity arise. 

Miller said, “The question is who is taking the course? There have been problems in the past with students having people take the classes for them.” 

Other problems that arise from online courses is if students gain the same as they would from a traditional course and that dropout rate is higher in online courses. 

Freshman Mary Riedl agreed there is a downside to offering courses online.

“It would just be difficult to get all the work done and stay focused when there isn’t much forcing you to go to class, and a lot of distractions,” said Reidl. 

At JCU, there has been interest from students in the summer online courses offered in the past. According to Miller, all of the online courses have met the minimum enrollment requirement and some course have nearly reached the enrollment capacity. 

Ultimately, the success of online courses depend on the student, according to Miller. 

“Online courses are only effective if students are committed to putting in the effort and doing the work,” said Miller.

The Carroll News believes that JCU has done a good job increasing the number of online courses. However, we also think there is room for improvement. So far all online courses offered at JCU are during the summer terms. We believe that JCU should offer more online courses for undergraduates and do so during the school year. JCU has a large local population, and enrollment would rise as the number of courses increase. The school would also increase its enrollment outside of Cleveland and hopefully attract a larger audience nationwide. 

The cost of offering more online courses would not be astronomical, especially if these costs were offset with the tuition for online students. In the past at JCU, all minimum enrollment rates for online courses have been met, and a course has never been cancelled to date. 

The main concern of offering more online courses would be the possible loss of academic standards for the online classes. However, there are solutions to avoid a loss of quality. Identical syllabi to that of classroom courses would be provided and additional interactivity between online students and the professor. 

Such additions would be weekly conference calls with the professor during which students could ask the instructor questions over the phone.  Online quizzes could become a weekly part of the classes to ensure the students are reading and keeping up on the work. This is easy-to-achieve and inexpensive, considering discussions and videos are posted regularly on Blackboard. Students in online courses would have identical assignments and due dates to those in the classroom, forcing the same level of effort to be put forth in seeking the degree. 

Maintaining the level of academic excellence JCU is known for while introducing more convenience with online courses would put JCU ahead of many similarly ranked schools. For example, Baldwin-Wallace College, according to their Web site, offers a limited number of online courses and hybrid Blackboard courses during the year. Cleveland State University, although much larger, offers 14 eLearning Programs for both the undergraduate and graduate level during all semesters of the year. The Carroll News feels that the University can maintain its academic quality while offering more online classes during both the school year and summer.

This presents quite the predicament in Mass each week. For those of you who don’t know, in the Catholic Church we exchange what we call “the sign of peace.” You turn to the person next you, shake hands, and say “peace be with you.” When I was younger I always enjoyed this part because it meant Communion was coming and Mass was almost over. Now I appreciate Mass a bit more, but sharing peace is not my favorite part. 

When seated between two good friends I feel confident knowing when it comes time to exchange peace I can go in for the hug. However, when I’m not seated next to a good friend I spend the whole mass trying to decide if I should go for the hug or the handshake. My new determining factor is that if we’ve had an in-depth conversation I’ll go for the hug, if we haven’t you’re getting the handshake. The problem is that I don’t control the thoughts of the person next to me, and I apparently look like a very huggable person. 

Perhaps it is my small stature that makes me look so hug-worthy. Regardless, when I put out my hand and they stretch out their arms, I look at them dumbfounded. I quickly try to readjust myself and pretend I was going for the hug all along, but it usually results in an awkward exchange. 

A few weeks ago at Mass I turned around and shook someone’s hand and then turned to shake the person’s hand next to her. He decided we were closer than I thought, or that, like everyone else seems to think, I looked like I needed a hug, and decided to give me a hug. 

However, that hug ended up being more of a tap. Because of our distance and the awkward moment that was unfolding, my hand ended up about armpit level and his hand barely touched my shoulder. We exchanged a light pat, then laughed and turned away. It was embarrassing, but pretty funny.

I’ve decided that no matter the situation, the best way to handle an awkward moment is to laugh it off. Plus, I’ve had so many awkward moments in my life that if I didn’t laugh them off I would probably stop showing my face around campus.

But here is my question: Is there an unwritten rule about Mass etiquette that I don’t know?

There must be a simple solution to my hug/handshake dilemma. With a few of my friends we discuss if we’ll hug before Mass. It makes the whole process a lot easier, but now I kind of anticipate the confusion. 

The awkward element has become a staple in my Catholic Mass experience and my life in general. So, next time you see me, please make it clear (i.e. outstretched arms) that you want a hug or stick out your hand. Or better yet, pull me aside so we can have an in-depth conversation, then you’ll know you’re getting a hug.

First it was a 74-62 setback at OAC-leading Baldwin-Wallace College, followed by a tough three-point loss to Muskingum College, a team that entered the contest with a conference record of 1-10.

In the B-W game, JCU played evenly with the Yellow Jackets in the first half and went into the locker room down by just a single point.

A quick offensive burst by JCU was thwarted swiftly by B-W as the team that sits atop the OAC standings showed why it’s there.

On the heels of a 24-8 run, the Yellow Jackets opened up a 15-point lead that would prove to be insurmountable.

The final score of 74-62 did not display how close the majority of the game actually was.

Despite solid offensive outputs from junior Lee Jennings and senior Caitlin Sureck, who scored 18 and 16 points, respectively, the Yellow Jackets bench production proved to be the difference as they outscored JCU’s bench 19-5.

“We were playing very inconsistent,” said senior Laura Gruber. “It was two completely different halves.”

The Blue Streaks returned home on Saturday, where they welcomed in a Muskingum team that had been struggling all season.

Clearly the emotional loss at Berea carried over, as the Fighting Muskies were able to pick up their second OAC victory of the season.

JCU could not make a three-point halftime lead standup as Muskingum shot nearly 60 percent from the field in the second half and immediately eliminated the small deficit.

One positive sign from the game was the “never say die” attitude displayed by Coach Maravalli’s team as they managed to go on an 8-0 run in the last two minutes to draw within two points of the Muskies.

After Muskingum split a pair from the free throw line to grow their lead to three, the Blue Streaks had a chance to tie it on the game’s final possession. Unfortunately for JCU, a missed three-pointer as time expired ended the valiant comeback effort.

Jennings was in top form again as she added a career-high 35 points to go along with 10 rebounds, nine assists and four steals.

With the back-to-back losses, JCU drops to sixth place in the conference with six games remaining in OAC play.

“We need to pick up our defense and rebounding,” Gruber said. “Those two things have been losing us games from day one and it’s time for that to change.”

This Saturday, JCU will go on the road to battle Wilmington College, a team that, as of Feb. 2, was tied with the Blue Streaks with a 6-6 record in OAC play. JCU narrowly edged out the Quakers, 59-58, back on Dec. 12, and a win Saturday would give them the tiebreaker over Wilmington when it comes.

Editor’s Note: Details from last night’s game against Mount Union were not available for this edition.

As the New Orleans Saints take on the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday, many sports fans will be whipping out the pigskin, their Bud Light tailgate-approved coolers, and the gold, black, blue and white face paint.

Even though football doesn’t have apple pie or Cracker Jacks, it’s becoming the new great American pastime. 

George Carlin said “[It is where] in the stands, during the game, you can be sure that at least 27 times you are perfectly capable of taking the life of a fellow human being. Preferably a stranger.”

Like myself, a growing number of these strangers, in the stands, are not only decked out in sports apparel and the team colors, but mascara and matching Uggs. 

I am talking about the often forgotten and always underestimated female football fan.

Although most of us were deprived of playing football as a child, we were forced to go to the games of our older and/or younger brothers. While my fifth grade brother learned about football from his coaches and tackling other small children on the gridiron, I, a reigning seventh grader, learned about football from the overexcited fathers and mothers in the stands. 

“Johnny! What are you doing? Go through the hole, son!”

“Mikey! Get your knuckles white, get low and tackle him!”

Whether the female football fan came to know the sport through a sibling, father, boyfriend or pure curiosity, there are some things that make a fanatic female football fan different from any guy. 

Throughout the years, I have noticed that it’s all about numbers with guys. 

Who was the team to beat in 1976, what are their fantasy football ratings, and how much they bet New England to win over the Raiders are all common water cooler conversations. 

On the other side of the cafeteria, the game of football for females is not one purely of statistics and plays, but of emotion and heart. 

We love the game not only for the details and intensity, but the tradition, the emotion, the underdog victories, the physical and aggressive drives, and finally the elegance of a well performed play. 

Don’t get me wrong it’s all football. Both men and women can appreciate both perspectives. So, remember on Sunday as the pre-game ensues and The Who rocks halftime, a fan is a fan. 

Female, male or university squirrel, it’s about donning the colors and numbers of our teams. 

It’s not about who is rooting for who, or who knows or doesn’t know what, but cheering for your team rather than against the other. 

It’s not only about the numbers on the board, but the hearts and passions of both teams from kickoff to the final whistle.

And if we can all remember all these things, then maybe next season I can still wear my Pittsburgh Steelers jersey around campus.

In Jan. 2003, an ordinary man named Frank Warren took a trip to Paris, France. There he bought three “Little Prince” postcards. After a vivid dream which included the postcards, he was inspired to begin a different sort of postcard collection. 

According to postsecretcommunity.com, “[those] ‘Little Prince’ postcards would be the first work of a trilogy of postcards that would consume [Warren’s] life and set [him] on an unimaginable journey.”

PostSecret launched on Jan. 1, 2005. The site began as nothing more than an experimental blog where Warren would post 10 new secrets each Sunday. Today, hundreds of fans check the site each week to view the 20 newly posted secrets, many searching for their own. People from across the United States are invited to create a postcard and reveal their secret to the world.

Junior Meg Haglin, a longtime PostSecret fan, decided to bring the concept to John Carroll University. “I decided to start JCU PostSecret because I had seen that my friend at Washington University in St. Louis was in a WashUPostSecret group,” said Haglin.

Through Facebook, Haglin created a JCU PostSecret group and shared with the campus how to post their secrets anonymously. Haglin also created a Gmail account and shared the password with the group. With access to the account and the password, everyone has the ability to log in and submit their secrets. Haglin checks the site periodically and posts all new messages received. The site has gotten off to a slow start, but Haglin is hopeful that it will catch on.

As of Tuesday, Feb. 2, five people had created visual post secrets and another two had shared their secrets as wall posts. 

So far the secrets shared on the JCU PostSecret group have been G-rated. However, the real PostSecret has revealed some more serious secrets. 

“Some of them are very shocking, but I think they are great because it gives us glimpses into who people really are,” said Haglin. 

JCU students are encouraged to share their secrets by logging onto facebook and typing JCU PostSecret in the search box.

The Student Calling Center’s goal is to solicit funds from benefactors.

“We call alumni and friends for donations and update all the numbers for the Carroll Fund,” said Hallie Gallagher, assistant director of annual giving.

The Carroll Fund collects donations from benefactors to alleviate departmental budget crunches and provide for the general financial welfare of the University.

The Student Calling Center has undergone a transformation over the last 15 months as they have turned to a state-of-the-art software system that allows them to do their work at an unprecedented pace. DialVision is a Web-based consumer interaction management system which enables its users to efficiently call potential donors while offering advantages that were previously unavailable. DialVision is currently being rented on a monthly basis, Gallagher said.

DialVision utilizes hands-free headsets and provides a streamlined approach to telecommunications. The operator simply points and clicks on the computer screen and the software system dials the numbers while the students document the donation.

In addition, DialVision provides safer and more efficient services such as real-time credit card processing, superior customer support, and e-mail capabilities, all while serving as a detailed database that keeps track of each call and donation made.

“Before, we wrote everything down on paper and it left a paper trail,” Gallagher said. “Now that we use this, it’s much safer and more practical.”

Its effects have been apparent as this year’s number of donations have already surpassed last year’s. Since the beginning of this fiscal year, the Student Calling Center has collected 2,543 contributions; last year’s donations totaled 2,506. The Calling Center approximates that 28 percent of the responses are “no,” 40 percent are “yes,” and 25 percent are “I’ll think about it.”

In addition, this year’s total amount is on pace to greatly surpass last year’s as the Calling Center has already brought in about $206,000 compared to last year’s total of $265,000.

The Student Calling Center brings in donations for the University, its upkeep and events, but it goes toward students too. Not all proceeds go to activities and organizations; the donations the Student Calling Center receives actually give some students financial aid to attend the University.

“John Carroll is a great place and for some of these kids, without this funding, they wouldn’t be able to be here,” said Gallagher. “I bet 95 percent of them receive some kind of aid from the school.”

The room and the operation taking place are reminiscent of a grass-roots political campaign; student-employees sit side-by-side, sporting headsets, and making phone calls. Posters and inspirational quotes blanket the walls while a relaxed atmosphere encompasses the group. Each Sunday night, the students order pizzas from Pizzazz and eat dinner together.

Gallagher tries to keep things loose by incorporating games like hangman and blackjack into the work environment while providing incentives for feats such as collecting credit card donations.

Junior Chris Lewis said he thinks the forward-thinking approach is working.

“I love the [Student] Call Center,” Lewis said. “It’s definitely a great additive to the Carroll community, and has increased our overall donation efforts this past year.”

But more importantly for the Blue Streaks this past week, they were able to turn it on in time to move back into a tie at the top of the Ohio Athletic Conference standings with the Wilmington Quakers, setting up a huge matchup this Saturday.

“You could say we’re lucky to be in this position and you could say we’ve overcome a lot to get here,” said senior guard Brian Dandrea, “But all that matters is we’re here and it’s our opportunity to accomplish what we set out to do back in September.”

JCU’s wild week started this past Wednesday at home against Baldwin-Wallace College. The Yellow Jackets stung the Blue Streaks early on as they built a lead that got as high as 18 points in the first half.

JCU was out-hustled on the glass in the first 20 minutes with the Yellow Jackets winning the rebounding battle, 25-18.

A technical foul on B-W in the final minute of the half helped the Blue Streaks get a four point possession after sophomore Joey Meyer sank both free throws and sophomore Corey Shontz closed out the scoring in the first half as Coach Moran’s squad entered the intermission trailing by 11.

Luckily for the home fans, who were somewhat stunned at the deficit, the “cable company” showed up to start the second half. Led by senior point guard Chris Zajac, JCU showed why they are the defending OAC champions, forcing 14 turnovers in the second half after forcing just four miscues in the opening half.

Zajac scored 12 of his 17 in the second half while committing zero turnovers for the game. Shontz also turned in a similar second half performance, scoring 12 of his team high 18 points in the final half.

JCU used a 15-0 run to get the lead back, and they would lead the rest of the way en route to an 80-67 victory.

“There really wasn’t much to be said at halftime,” Zajac said. “We all knew we were a lot better than we showed in the first half.  We just had to get back to playing our game and controlling the tempo, and we did a good job of that in the second half.”

On Jan. 30, JCU traveled to New Concord to take on the last-place Muskies from Muskingum College who were 1-10 in league play.

A layup from sophomore Michael Hartnett at the buzzer gave JCU a 34-33 advantage going into halftime, but it would not be smooth sailing in the second half.

The Blue Streaks had a hard time getting it going and once again, dug themselves into an 11-point deficit with seven minutes remaining.

They would finally find an offensive spark, which again came from Shontz, who put on a more impressive second half performance than the one he put together against the Yellow Jackets.

The sophomore guard scored 16 of his team-high 24 points in the final seven minutes, igniting a 15-4 run to tie the game at 69 with just over three minutes remaining.

None of the 16 points were bigger than the final three. Muskingum’s Corey Bourquin hit two foul shots with four seconds left to give the Muskies an 80-77 lead.

Coming out of a timeout, Shontz pulled up from 40 feet and drilled a three-pointer to send the game into overtime. After going 0-4 from beyond the arc during the first 40 minutes, senior forward Rudy Kirbus nailed his first two attempts in the overtime to get JCU out ahead 86-81.

The Blue Streaks would then calmly knock down their free throws down the stretch and hang on for a 92-89 win.

“It’s frustrating when you don’t play well as a team, and we didn’t play well today,” said Kirbus after the game. “But more importantly, we found a way to win on the road and all that adds up at the end of the season.”

What it all added up to at this point is the biggest week of the season for John Carroll.

Editor’s Note: Details from last night’s game against Mount Union were not available for this edition.

In order to achieve this core value, the Rev. Robert Niehoff, president of JCU, established an Institutional Task Force on Diversity in July 2008. The group met from Sept. 2008 to Sept. 2009 to investigate issues of diversity and discrimination within the University. They explored specific campus issues concerning community relations, as well as planned steps to improve the experience of students, faculty, staff and administrators through an institutional structure based on a commitment to diversity. 

Lauren Bowen, academic vice-president and co-chair of the task force said that the group was formed in order to better understand issues of diversity, and more broadly, issues of inclusion. 

She said, “The task force met to exchange a variety of ideas concerning not only race, sex, and religion, but moreover it became focused on looking at a wealth of diverse perspectives and helped raise more questions as to what everyone should be doing to promote a better atmosphere of inclusion.”

Bowen added that, as a member of staff at JCU for 20 years, her experiences with diversity had been positive. 

“Diversity is something that is both progressive and prospective. At John Carroll, I feel that there is a genuine commitment made by faculty and students to promote inclusion. Nonetheless, all of us could be more culturally competent and the Task Force concluded that fostering inclusion is an ongoing process,” said Bowen.

The Task Force outlined several goals in a report, stating that the college was aiming to make central its commitment to ‘diversity, inclusion and cultural competence’ and to creating a campus climate in which differences are explored openly and respectfully. 

The Task Force also proposed the creation of an Ombudsperson, someone for all students and faculty at JCU to speak to in cases of discrimination. A Diversity Committee is currently working on this. 

The Task Force also proposed that each department within the university should seek to establish goals for advancing diversity and articulate possible ways of attaining them. 

Sophomore Kevin Rossignol felt hat John Carroll needs to work harder to promote diversity across campus. 

Rossignol said, “I think that JCU could definitely look further into issues of inclusion. As a student body, JCU could be more diverse in terms of race, economic status, religion and sexual orientation. Hopefully the Task Force has helped identify which areas need improvement.”

The Task Force also looked into the University’s core curriculum. All students at JCU are required to take a class that satisfies their Diversity requirement within the core curriculum in order to graduate. The report argued that although those requirements were ‘sufficiently innovative’ and beneficial towards promoting diversity in 1995 when the core curriculum was originally adopted, those diversity (D) or international (R) courses are now viewed as requirements to check off. 

The report also found that approximately 55% of students fulfil the diversity requirement by taking Introduction to Sociology and other courses that fulfil the diversity requirement rarely exceed 5%. 

The Task Force is now considering looking at the possibility of introducing changes to the core curriculum to further satisfy issues of diversity and foster community relations. 

Freshman Kyle Hutnick has found the atmosphere at JCU to be very diverse and welcoming to all students. 

“It’s one of the main reasons I chose to come here. I think the atmosphere at JCU is great and I’m happy to be a part of it,” said Hutnick.

The Task Force worked in conjunction with JCU organizations such as the Student Diversity Initiatives Working Group, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and other affiliated groups across campus in the hopes that diversity can progress further. 

The Task Force concluded that although JCU is a community that fosters diversity and welcomes all cultures, there is a constant need to reinforce the topic of inclusion and make it a central focus point across the university. 

Bowen added, “The Task Force raised a lot of good questions and will hopefully act as a catalyst for change.  It’s our duty now to ensure that the issue of diversity is placed at the top of our priorities.”

Hilary Flanagan, director of the Center for Career Services said that 110 organizations would attend the event.

“The biggest thing about a career fair is actually connecting face to face with an employer,” said Flanagan.

Industries that will be represented at the fair include financial, non-profit, educational and communications.

The Boys and Girls Club of America, Cleveland Clinic, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, MetLife Financial Services, Sherwin-Williams and WEWS News Channel 5 are some of the employers that will be present at the career fair.

Employers will be offering full-time, part-time, entry-level, internships, volunteer, temporary and seasonal work.

Students can view a full list of the employers that will be attending the career fair on Career Connection.

The exact position available from each employer is also available on www.jcu.edu/careercenter/connection.

Flanagan said that students who attend the event should bring with them organized copies of their resumes, which they can hand to potential employers.
Students can register for the event beforehand through Career Connection. Students who registered in advance will have nametags, and those who did not will be able to make one when they arrive.

All students who attend will receive a list of employers when they enter the event.

“Dress appropriately. Bring a smile and maybe, a breath mint, but no gum,” said Flanagan.

This event is for current JCU students of any undergraduate major, graduate students in any program and alumni.

But you can be sure that once Haiti finally recovers from last month’s devastating earthquake, the floodgates of foreign aid will once again be unleashed, and the misguided kindness and sympathy of the industrialized world will continue to suppress the growth of domestic Haitian political, social and economic institutions. 

Already, there have been proposals for multi-billion dollar development programs. But any such program, just like those of the past 20 years, will surely fail. The reason is that Haiti suffers from an institutional deficiency. At the core of its problems are an ineffective judiciary, a crooked political system and a corrupt police force. Without the necessary institutions in place, most of the foreign aid to Haiti simply falls through the cracks of inefficiency and corruption. The rest usually ends up usurping the responsibilities of the government and private sector, which only serves to further stunt the development of Haiti’s institutions. 

The failures of the United States’ aid policy for Haiti are made clear in a 2006 report from the National Academy of Public Administration entitled “Why Foreign Aid to Haiti Failed.” We build up Haiti’s infrastructure, but the government refuses to maintain it – so we do it for them. We provide food aid, which ends up putting the farmers of Haiti’s predominately agricultural economy out of business. We try to make aid conditional on the promotion of democracy and good governance, but Haitian politicians know that we’ll still give them aid even without making concrete improvements. We even train many of their teachers and doctors.

But how long is this cycle of dependency going to last? If all we’re going to do is pour more money into the same failed strategies of the past, Haiti might as well apply for statehood, because it will never be able to take care of itself. But as the first independent nation in Latin America and the first black republic to declare its independence, I doubt that’s what  Haitians want to do. 

A new strategy is needed. Foreign aid can’t improve Haiti’s political and economic institutions – only Haitians can do that. But first they must be given the opportunity. So the United States should develop a strategy that focuses on weaning Haiti off its dependency. 

A good start would be to gradually reduce aid to Haiti over the next 10 years, which would force Haitians to take more initiative over their economy and empower them to choose the course of their own future. Of course, the road out of poverty won’t be easy, and it certainly won’t be quick. But history has shown that the more independence a country has during this transition, the greater the chance that the results will be long-lasting.

The John Carroll University wrestling team, featuring a younger lineup, had a solid showing this past weekend as they finished 19th of 30 teams competing at the Pete Willson Invitational. It was held by Wheaton College in Naperville, Ill.

The Blue Streaks had a chance to place high after day one with seven competitors in the hunt for a top-eight finish. It helped that senior Ben Adams was challenging for a title in the 184-pound bracket.

After day one, the Blue Streaks were 11th, ahead of Ohio Athletic Conference rivals Ohio Northern  University and Mount Union College.

In the end, and that’s really all that matters, Adams was the only Blue Streak that would place, finishing fifth. Junior Greg Stolfer finished 2-2 in the 125-pound bracket.

Freshman David Malkus, who was unseeded, finished the tournament 3-2 in the 141-pound bracket. Sophomore Connor Suba at 149 pounds, junior Jim Nemunaitis at 197 pounds and senior Alec Barker at 285 pounds all finished at 2-2.

Senior Travis Hammer was disappointed that his team couldn’t finish stronger, but was encouraged by the team’s high points total from an event that had a lot of talent.

“I think we’re able to build on this going forward,” Hammer said. “We had a lot of guys wrestle pretty well.”

Hammer thinks the team will be ready for the OAC Championships, which are coming up in less than two weeks.

“We’re getting closer to where we need to be,” he said. “Once we get everybody healthy, we’ll be ready to go.”

The OAC Championships will be held at Mount Union on Feb. 10.

Editor’s Note: Full details from Tuesday’s match against Heidelberg College were not immediately available before this edition of The Carroll News went to print. Log on to jcusports.com for details of the match.

SWIMMING & DIVING

The John Carroll University men’s and women’s swimming and diving team both scored wins over crosstown rival Baldwin-Wallace College on Jan. 30, with the men’s team winning 127-116, and the women’s team edging out the Yellow Jackets 146-65.

On the men’s side, sophomores Blake Pinchot, Alex Vereshchagin, Eric Davis and Jim Ranallo all claimed relay titles and then went on to win individual events as well.

Junior Nick Grady and freshman Drew Edson also scored individual victories.

Sophomore Stanton Kochanek qualified for the NCAA championships by recording a 477.61 in the three-meter dive, narrowly losing to B-W’s Todd Reichart. Reichart finished 14th in the country in that event at last year’s Division III National Championships.

Grady, one of the more experienced swimmers on the team, was excited by his team’s progress.

“I think our team is the strongest it’s been the entire year,” he said. “We have everybody healthy and we’re getting more focused on the OACs.”

The women’s team won in a more convincing fashion, with a Blue Streak finishing in both first and second place in each of the first five events.

Seniors Desiree Hagan and Liana Sved, both swimming in their final meet of their collegiate careers, finished first and second respectively, in the 100-meter Fly.

TRACK & FIELD 

Both the men’s and women’s track and field teams competed in the OAC Relays this past weekend, with different results.

On the men’s side, the Blue Streaks finished fifth with 74 points, 40 points behind winner Ohio Northern.

Individually, the Blue Streaks were strongest in the field events, particularly the long jump.

Junior Bryan Wideman led a trio of Blue Streaks that had top-10 finishes in the event by placing fourth in the long jump, leaping over 21 feet and six inches.

Freshman Mike Minjock finished sixth and senior RK Glover placed seventh respectively, each clearing 20 feet and 10 inches. Glover also recorded a fifth-place finish in the triple jump.

Rounding out the field events, sophomore Mike Hlatky tied for second in the long jump, and junior Lou Galiano finished sixth in the shot put with a throw just shy of 45 feet.

Freshmen Billy Zaccardelli and Anthony Colbert, junior Denny Love and sophomore Drew Krainz finished third in the 4×200 relay with a time of 1:33.84.

Love and Zaccardelli then excelled individually, finishing fourth and fifth respectively, in the 55-meter hurdle race.

The Blue Streaks women’s track team struggled on the day. Their best relay finish was a pair of fifth-place finishes.

Individually, freshman Maureen Creighton placed sixth in the 55-meter dash, while senior Emily Tillmaand took sixth in the 5,000-meter run.

With recent temperatures reaching drastic lows, taking the proper precautions to help protect your skin during those cold walks is important. 

“Winter itch” is a prevalent skin condition that develops during these cold months. 

According to sophomore Peter Croke, it is very annoying. 

“Every year it’s the same thing,” he said.  “It doesn’t help that Cleveland is as cold as it is.”

Frequent exposure to freezing temperatures will often turn skin red and scaly, resulting in itchiness and irritation. 

So why exactly does “winter itch” occur, and just what exactly is it that causes our skin to feel the way it does in the winter months? 

“Winter brings dry, cold air, which causes skin to lose oil,” said dermatologist Dr. Robert Haber of Haber Dermatology in Cleveland. 

“Skin doesn’t get the moderate moisture it needs. So it dries, as a variety of oil processes occur that cause inflammation. The skin then becomes irritated, red and itchy,” he said. 

“Every year around this time my skin seems to always be dry and itchy,” said sophomore Michael Jubec. “I take hot showers and even use moisturizer sometimes. Nothing seems to work though.” 

Should all students then resort to taking the frigid walk to CVS and purchasing expensive prescription moisturizers? 

Dr. Haber suggests cheaper, more conventional alternatives that will help us all during this season. 

“Moisturizers don’t need to be expensive,” he said. “Something as simple as Vaseline works perfectly fine.”

This helps trap moisture within the pores, keeping skin from becoming too dry and cracking.

“I’ve used multiple products, and not many seemed to work, except for moisturizers,” said Croke. “It keeps the skin from getting too red and flaky.” 

Others like Cetaphil, Aveeno Daily Mosturizing Lotion, Burts Bees products and ChapStick work well, too. 

“I’ve tried a lot of products and personally, I think cocoa butter works the best,” said sophomore Izzy Khaimov. 

Dr. Haber also addresses the myth of taking warm showers in hopes of soothing dry skin. 

“Hot showers actually do not help moisturize at all. In some cases, it can even irritate the skin more,” he said. 

According to Medical News Today, prolonged hot showers can cause Eczema, the chronic skin condition in which the skin becomes itchy, reddened, cracked and dry. 

The medical news site also suggests a number of possible remedies to help relieve winter itch.

 Adequately cleansing the skin, taking short, lukewarm showers, and purchasing a small humidifier are all possible antidotes for alleviating red, itchy skin. 

Some medical experts even propose applying honey to dry, cracking lips. 

One of the oldest foods in existence, honey was an ancient remedy for wound healing, in part because it never spoils.  

“I’ve never heard of applying honey to your lips,” said Haber.  “Wouldn’t you just want to lick it off?” 

However, according to Haber, honey does contain natural healing and antibacterial properties that can be used on open wounds. 

“I suppose it could be applied to chapped lips as well,” he said.  

So, whether it’s applying a petroleum-based cleanser or a sweet nectar to your dry lips, it’s important to keep your skin properly moisturized during those wintry walks to class.

JCU’s undergraduate tuition will be set at $29,250 for the 2010-2011 school year, an increase of $1,310 from 2009-2010.

In addition to an increase in the undergraduate tuition, the room rate will go up by $220 and the board rate was increased by $200.

This tuition increase comes after one of the lowest increases of 2.8 percent was instituted last year.

According to Brian Williams, vice president for enrollment, the University made many cuts last year, totaling $4.5 million, in order to minimally increase the tuition for students. These cuts included staff and faculty health care cuts and voluntary layoffs, which will remain in place.

“Even with all that we have done, there have been significant declines in revenue and state aid for students. We take great care in ensuring we keep tuition low, and to not sacrifice the quality of the student experience. It is not something we enter into lightly,” said Williams.

The decline in revenue has several sources. In addition to reduced state and federal aid, the University had a small freshman class this past year. Since JCU is primarily a tuition driven institution, this impacted the University’s budget. Also, the University’s endowment suffered a blow from the economy, decreasing from $188 million to $110 million in 2009. The endowment has steadily recovered since then and is now at $155 million, according to Richard Mausser, vice president for finance and treasurer.

This increase in tuition is only one factor that will affect the budget this year. Additionally, the number of enrolled freshmen students is an important factor since net tuition is the primary source of the operating budget.

To this end, the University has set a base goal of 700 enrolled freshmen students for the next five years.

According to Williams, this base goal will help to stabilize enrollment and the budget at JCU.

Williams said that since he began at JCU in 2006, the freshmen enrollment has fluctuated from 661 to nearly 800 students.

“Enrollment has not been steady. The process has been very reactionary and driven by the budget,” said Williams in a meeting with the faculty Jan. 27.

In the past, the University’s budget directly affected the enrollment goal for the incoming freshman class. A bigger budget increased the pressure on achieving a higher freshman class enrollment.

The 700 freshman class goal is only a planning number and is not absolute. However, this goal will help the University to plan what is needed for upcoming semesters.

Mausser said this number helps the University to plan in terms of how many dormitory rooms are needed, how many professors are necessary and how many course sections are required, among other things.

According to Williams, “The enrollment goals impact our planning in student affairs, for faculty in course planning, and more. The conversations happening across campus are more focused on this wider scale. So rather than just focus on one year’s budget we are looking at what the next few years hold for JCU and planning now to lay a stronger foundation moving forward.”

It is still early in the budget planning process for this year and discussions are ongoing.

Mausser said that this year, budget discussions are “more participatory.”

Faculty Council Chair Paul Shick emphasized the need to include faculty in the decision making process.

“We emphasized the need for transparency in the process and for better communication than in previous years,,” said Shick in an email to the faculty.

Shick noted that faculty members have a very positive reaction to budget discussion thus far.

“Most were quite pleased to hear about the renewed emphasis on long-term planning regarding enrollment and budgetary matters.This change in approach makes us far more hopeful about the future for our faculty and students, despite our short-term financial issues.”

Along with an emphasis on long-term planning, JCU is changing the way it approaches budget decisions in other ways as wel.

According to Mausser, the budget has previously driven the decision making process for the University. This year that focus has been reversed.

“The real goal is for the planning to inform the budget. This is key,” said Mausser.

Author of the novels “A Walk to Remember” and “The Notebook,” Sparks’ newest on-screen love story is “Dear John,” his fifth book to be adapted into a Hollywood movie. 

“Dear John,” directed by Lasse Hallstrom, it is the story of a young soldier, John (Channing Tatum) who meets college student Savannah (Amanda Seyfried) while on leave from his U.S. Army special forces unit. The two have a whirlwind two-week romance before John has to return to his unit. In that time, they decide to keep in touch by sending heartfelt, handwritten letters to each other. Just as John is about to complete his tour of duty, the attacks of Sept. 11 happen, and he patriotically commits for another two years, testing the strength of their relationship. 

Kissing in the rain and a surfing, shirtless Channing Tatum aside, “Dear John” found a way to enthrall its audience’s hearts, reminding us once again why we appreciate Nicholas Sparks’ talent in writing love stories. 

Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried took time to talk to The Carroll News about the film in a phone interview.

“[‘Dear John’] is a little different from a lot of [Sparks’] other books,” said Tatum. “I think it has a little more bite to it maybe just because the content matter is very relevant right now.” 

Set during the time of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the film allowed its audience to relate to what the characters were experiencing on that fateful day, and the years that followed. 

With a war and distance working against them, Tatum and Seyfried do a good job in developing their romance; but, the film failed when it came to communicating the passing of time and showing the leads growing up (the film spans seven years, but no dates were shown aside from the beginning and Sept. 11). 

And as the film progressed, it started to dwindle in showing both sides of the romance. I began to wonder why Savannah was out of the picture for so long. 

Seeing Tatum donned in a U.S. Army uniform was probably enjoyed by the audience, but if there wasn’t going to be an equal showing of both sides of their separation on film, the late twists come out of nowhere and leave the audience confused and frustrated. 

The bright spots in the film came not only from Channing’s beautiful performance portraying his relationship with his father, but also his ability to captivate us through voice-overs of his written words to Savannah. 

It might make the audience begin to think less of e-mail, Twitter and texting, forms of communication that don’t compare to the visceral emotion conveyed in a hand-written letter.   

On writing love letters, the leading stars of the film reflected on the importance of a written letter; Seyfried used one from her past to inspire her throughout her role. 

“I got a love letter, that’s something I still keep really near and dear,” said Seyfried.  “It was the most romantic thing anyone’s ever written me.” 

As if “The Notebook” didn’t raise viewers’ romantic expectations high enough, this film has set the bar higher with the notion of love in the form of written words. 

“Especially for guys, I think if you haven’t written a love letter in a long time, you don’t have to sit and mail it, just write whoever your loved one is, write her something and you’ll be amazed at the reaction,” said Tatum. 

Letters weren’t only sent to the lovebirds in “Dear John.”  John finds a way to work out his estranged relationship with his father (played by Richard Jenkins), through his words, in what was probably the best scene in the film and Tatum’s best performance yet. 

“I do a scene with [Jenkins] in the hospital, and I owe that entire scene to him because it’s a very emotional one, something I haven’t had very much experience with in my career,” said Tatum.  “He was just so there for me.” 

However, the relationship between John and his father has the strength, but not the time to deviate from the connection forged between John and Savannah and the complications they must endure in the final stretch of the film. 

Readers of the book may believe they know the ending, but Hallstrom tweaked a few things to make for what Tatum described as “adding another page to the book.” 

“In the book it’s a little sad at the end and Sparks’ leaves it a little open-ended,” he said. “We just took it a little step farther and added a little hope at the end.” 

As much of a chick flick as it may seem to be, “Dear John” is not a film you’d want to miss — if anything, it might spark an interest in writing. 

Chances are if you find yourself wanting to write a letter to a loved one (you don’t even have to send it), “Dear John” will be the reason why.

The northern and southern regions formed the Republic of Yemen in 1990 following the fall of the Soviet Union. Prior to this, the two regions experienced years of antagonism, largely relating to South Yemen’s decision to adopt a Marxist style government in the years following British rule. This decision resulted in hundreds of thousands of South Yemenis fleeing to North Yemen, which was a republic. 

Although formally united, Yemen still faces a secessionist threat from the south. Furthermore, a group of Shiite rebels known as the Houthis, located in northern Yemen near the border with Saudi Arabia, constantly provoke violence with Yemeni government forces. 

Yemen, like most of the Middle Eastern nations, has a Sunni majority, and the Shiite Houthis feel marginalized by the Sunni majority. Since last November, the Houthis have been engaged in a military confrontation with Saudi forces. 

Some Saudi officials claim that Iran, the most populous Shiite country in the Muslim world, is secretly providing military and financial support to the Houthis, although Iran denies this claim.

Additionally, Yemen faces widespread corruption, poverty, high illiteracy rates and struggles in both the northern and southern regions. This combination of violence, lawlessness and economic backwardness has created an ideal environment for al-Qaida.  

The government must also deal with its arms market, considered the largest arms market in the Middle East, with an estimated 20 million guns.

Yemen, the poorest nation in the Middle East, first gained attention from the United States in 2000 with the bombing of an American destroyer that claimed the lives of 17 sailors. Although the U.S. government was able to create a partnership with Yemen in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, its focus as a potential threat resurged with its alleged connection to the Christmas Day bombing plot.  

In response to these threats, the United States remains committed to working with Yemen’s government to prevent additional attacks. The Pentagon is reportedly spending over $70 million over a two year period to assist Yemen’s military, coast guard and Interior Ministry with training and equipment. 

Administration officials – concerned that Yemen could turn into a new haven for jihadists similar to that of Afghanistan, Pakistan  and Somalia – hope to continue to cultivate their relationship with President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Although the threat of terrorism training bases and terrorist operations in Yemen is worthy of concern, the impoverished nation also faces a plethora of other perils to its population of over 20 million. 

One such peril is the demographics of its population. Comprised of about 10 million children, half the population is under the age of 15. Of those aged 15 and over, only approximately 50 percent are literate, with most of that figure being male.

To further Yemen’s problems, both its water and oil supplies are expected to run out in five years. Oil is this country’s main source of economic intake and limited water supplies have already resulted in riots. The government’s widespread corruption makes dealing with these dilemmas difficult and fuels the aforementioned desires for an upheaval, especially with the Houthi rebels in the north and the secessionist groups in the south, with which al-Qaida is expected to be working.

Although the White House hopes to remain close to the Yemeni government with Hillary Clinton’s recent visit, additional foreign aid seems contingent on Yemen raising their standards domestically to provide more for their citizens, such as ensuring women more rights and protections. 

Yemen has little, if any protection for young girls’ rights and in many cases results in child brides, with some girls marrying at as young as eight years old.  The situation these “brides” are then put in leads to serious psychological trauma and contributes to the estimated 20 percent of married women who have been sexually abused.

So, while the threat of al-Qaida is a plague to Yemen, it is not the only concern the nation faces.  Domestically and internationally, Yemen has a lot of ground to cover before being free of the financial and political limitations with which it currently contends.

Lisa Lewis, manager of the JCU television studio, said that all of the technological equipment that is used is completely digital and state of the art. She said, “John Carroll has had a TV studio for many years. The studio was renovated in July 2007 and all of the equipment was [also] updated.”

The relatively new equipment includes a switcher, audio board, a video frame NTSC decoder, character generator that puts images on the TV screen, and studio cameras.

Lewis added that students are also able to borrow media equipment. She said, “Students can [borrow] equipment including cameras, digital audio recorders, tripods and microphones by going to room 33 in the O’Malley Center.” However, in order to borrow any equipment students must be enrolled in a Communications class, and equipment is usually loaned for up to two days at a time.

JCU’s TV-4 currently produces several television shows including “Dish,” an entertainment/news program, “Common Grounds,” a talk show with a multi-cultural spin, “The Sports Show,” and two other shows currently being developed for this semester.

Hannah Ellison, an international student at JCU this year, said that she was impressed by the amount of technological equipment that is available to students. She said, “I took [a] sports broadcasting [class] last semester, and I really enjoyed it. We had so much equipment available and we weren’t limited by any means.” Ellison felt working with hands-on media equipment is very important because it can be added to her resume. She said, “Employers always look for students who are experienced.”

JCU students also have the opportunity to use other AV equipment. Senior Meghan O’Keefe took a business and professional speaking class last semester and used video conferencing equipment. She said, “[The] class was one of the best classes I have ever taken at John Carroll, not only because of the content of the class, but because of the technology we used. We used video conferencing for one of our speeches and it was really useful.”

The video conferencing equipment is set up in the Dolan Center in room E347, and is linked to room 48 in the Administration Building. Both computers are connected by digital equipment so that students can give conference speeches from Dolan to students in the Administration building.The system works primarily like Internet-based video conferencing software Skype.

“By learning to use that equipment, I feel much more prepared for the real world and for a real business-like atmosphere,” O’Keefe said.

JCU is also home to other media technology, used in JCU’s very own radio station, WJCU. Senior Katy Finucane, who hosts her own radio show on Tuesday nights, said, “Nearly all of the equipment that we use is digital nowadays; stations have all moved away from analog. The equipment is very easy to use too, and once you’re trained you can apply to have your own show or host a show with another student.”

It’s 2010, and if you haven’t jumped on the Twitter bandwagon yet, you’re missing out on a ton of fun. You probably still use a rotary phone, get your film developed, and update your MySpace page.

Honestly, if you’re not on Twitter yet, then what have you been doing all this time? I don’t have the slightest clue.

Literally, I have no idea because you’re not giving me 140-character-or-less updates on what’s going on in your life.

You’re probably asking yourself “why should I get on Twitter when I’ve already got a Facebook profile?” and the simple answer is, because celebrities don’t interact on Facebook as much.

I’ve gotten a reply on Twitter from Dorrough, yes the man behind “Ice Cream Paint Job,” and can often be found telling T-Pain whom he should make his next song with. (How do you think “I’m on a Boat” happened?)

With Twitter I’ve found a place where I can interact with people on my level. Important people. People with followers. When I make an insightful comment, anyone who follows me can retweet it, and all of their followers have now been enlightened as well. It’s truly a remarkable system that allows me to reach an audience far beyond the readers of the award-winning Carroll News (but you guys are still my favorites).

The complicated answer is that Twitter’s less complicated… sort of. There’s not as much personal information on a profile because you’re not trying to get to know someone, you’re just stating brief thoughts. Plus like I said, there’s a ton of famous people on Twitter.

Probably the most important reason though, is that I tweet more often than I update my Facebook status. You can sit there and pretend you don’t want to read what I’ve got to say, but if you’ve made it this far into my column then you’re already a hypocrite.

One thing to beware of when using Twitter, however, are fake celebrity accounts. Stephen Colbert has been a victim, as has Kanye West (who oddly enough doesn’t even use Twitter, probably because the technology doesn’t allow him to interrupt Taylor Swift mid-tweet).

Some people have called me crazy for this, but I have a theory that the next terrorist attack on the U.S. will be an al-Qaida hack on President Barack Obama’s Twitter account. Imagine the American people, and all of Obama’s foreign followers seeing, “@BarackObama I cheat at card games.”

The state of the union would be stuck in a moral limbo. Do we pardon our commander-in-chief’s win-at-any-cost strategy or do we side with truth, honor and dignity by impeaching him and making Joe Biden the new leader of the free world? That’s the kind of attack I fear.

I’ve even been a victim of this Twit-dentity theft pandemic. If you see @ThatsWhatSeeSaid posting tweets like “I’m hilarious,” “World News is boring,” or “people love me because I’m so awesome” then you should be forewarned that I’m not the one writing those things. Come on now people, I’ve got more modesty than that.

Retweet Bob Seeholzer at: www.twitter.com/MyTweetsRDaBest

Speaking to a nationally televised joint session of Congress, Obama used his first State of the Union Address to reassure the American people that he was capable of leading a country that remains nervous and uncertain about the future.

In a speech that lasted almost 70 minutes, Obama concentrated on domestic issues and laid out his agenda for the upcoming year. The topics and the tone of his speech were more moderate than his last speech to a joint session of Congress, but still remained loyal to core Democratic values. 

With the country weary of his administration’s intentions and following the recent upset victory of Republican Sen. Scott Brown in the historically Democratic state of Massachusetts, Obama attempted to appeal to independents and moderates not only on Capitol Hill, but also across the nation.

His speech especially focused on creating jobs and ensuring that an economic recovery would take place. Obama said, “Jobs must be our number one focus in 2010, and that’s why I’m calling for a new jobs bill tonight.”

According to Dean Birch, a political science professor at John Carroll University, “Obama understands that with 20 percent unemployment in some sectors and 10 percent unemployment overall, jobs will be the most important thing to people.”

In order to initiate the process, Obama offered several proposals, including using the $30 billion paid back to the federal government from the Wall Street bailout to assist banks at the local level in their efforts to provide credit to struggling small businesses. 

He also called upon the nation to double its exports over the span of the next five years, with the hopes of creating an additional two million jobs for Americans. Both of these proposals would complement Obama’s plan to cut taxes for the middle-class and increase tax credits for small businesses.

Obama also addressed the Republican concern of deficit spending. He vowed to install a three year freeze on discretionary domestic spending, and urged Congress to fully adopt the policy of “pay-as-you-go,” which would increase fiscal discipline in legislation passed by Congress. 

The Republican response to Obama’s address was given by newly elected Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia. In November, McDonnell defeated Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds, and has been a part of the Republican resurgence over the past few months. Criticizing the White House’s course of action, McDonnell said, “The president’s partial freeze on discretionary spending is a laudable step, but a small one. The circumstances of our time demand that we reconsider and restore the proper, limited role of government at every level.” 

Although there were efforts to reach across party lines, there were still moments of confrontation. For example, openly challenging Republicans and their opposition to various pieces of legislation, Obama said, “Just saying ‘no’ to everything may be good short-term politics, but it’s not leadership.” 

“President Obama engaged America in a conversation about what has worked, what needs improvement and how we can move forward together. Senate Democrats view the challenge of cleaning up the mess we inherited as an opportunity to set our nation back on the path to progress and prosperity,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in an official statement.  

Last year’s top two domestic priorities, a greater commitment to clean energy and health care reform, did receive some attention. Despite the fact that both matters remain in political gridlock on Capitol Hill, Obama pushed Congress to pass strong bills regarding each issue. 

He reminded Congress about the positive impacts of what green energy can do for a struggling economy, and when addressing the issue of health care, he encouraged Congress “not to walk away from reform.”

In a three-page obituary jumped from the front page of The New York Times, it said that Salinger would walk around his Ursinus College campus claiming that he was going to write the next great American novel. He achieved his self-prophetic claim and then some. He inspired me to become the next great John Carroll University alumnus.

Shula. Russert. Fletcher. McDaniels. Caserio. Polian. 

Willert.

Don’t be alarmed if you see me walking around campus proclaiming that I will be the next panjandrum (see Wonderword) to come out of JCU. 

Soak it up. 

And when you’re older and your kids tell you they want to be like me, you can tell them that you were there when I began my epic journey. 

I have no idea how I’m going to get so famous, but I’ve got some ideas rattling around in my head. 

I could be the host of a Sunday morning political talk show on MSNBC. 

Since I coached a sixth grade basketball team and led them to a championship, I could take an NFL team to an undefeated season, win the Super Bowl, thus resulting in the dedication of an athletic field after me.

Hell, after winning the intramural flag football championship last year, I might get drafted as an NFL linebacker, make the Pro Bowl and be a finalist for the Walter Payton “Man of the Year” award.

I’ll probably end up coaching a professional sports team, start 6-0 and subsequently lose eight of the next 10 games and fail to make the playoffs. 

Eventually, I think I’ll want to move to the front office of a sports organization. In fact, they will most likely ask me to become the director of player personnel or the team’s general manager, either one will suffice. 

My final idea steps outside of the sports arena and jumps into the entertainment industry. 

I’m going to win an Emmy.

Actually, I think I’m going to  do every one of the aforementioned ideas in hopes that the University will get smart and rename the school Craig ‘Greg’ Willert University. 

I know everyone still reading at this point probably wants to punch me in the jeans, but unclench your fists and let me use my profound rhetorical skills to illustrate my flawless reasoning.

Growing up, I worked as a janitor at a local college, solved near impossible math problems well beyond my intellectual capacity, and became best friends with Ben Affleck.

So clearly I have the ability to exceed expectations and defy the odds, resulting in the achievement of each of my ideas. 

Plus, anyone who is friends with Ben Affleck, who miraculously survived a World War II plane crash and almost saved Josh Hartnett, has the will power to achieve anything. 

As I grow old, I’ll receive many awards, become the first U.S. citizen to receive the Medal of Honor and be inducted into every sports hall of fame (including the RV and Motor Home Hall of Fame).

Finally, I’m going to have a three-page obituary written about me. 

However, I want mine to be jumped from the front page of the award-winning Carroll News, as it was the first channel to let me proclaim, “I’m going to become the next great John Carroll alum.”

Follett has been unavailable to answer questions pertaining to the prices of books at JCU. The Carroll News feels that Follett should become more progressive and begin to offer books at a lower price and in other forms. For example, the store could rent books to students at a cheaper price. It would still receive a profit while at the same time pleasing the students. Follett could also begin to offer select chapters of books online so if the professors know they won’t use the entire book, students could purchase only required sections. 

Professors could also help the students save money. We feel that the professors should reevaluate what is absolutely necessary for their courses and possibly cut back or provide some of the material, such as posting documents on Blackboard or making sure that the texts are available at the Grasselli Library or other public libraries. If instructors know that they may not use a certain book, then they shouldn’t require students to buy it until the time arises. Additionally, professors could release their list of required texts further in advance than at the beginning of the semester so students have time to find the books for less money.  

Students could also do more to find less expensive ways to purchase books. The Carroll News thinks that students should continue to buy books from Amazon.com, rent books from sites like Chegg.com, and use programs like OhioLINK to attain their books. 

Each of these three parties can take part in helping to lower the cost of buying books. We feel that through these viable options the end goal of saving money can be achieved.