Arbiter Online » Search Results » A Students Point Of View

BSU Men’s basketball starts new season

Joey McCullough — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:40:20 +0000

NIK BJURSTROM/THE ARBITER. Boise State junior guard La'Shard Anderson goes up for a bucket during Boise State's 111-72 dominating win Tuesday night against Willamette University.

The Boise State men’s basketball team was in action Tuesday night. The Broncos hosted the Bearcats of Willamette University . The game was the first of two exhibition games for the Broncos before the beginning of the regular season when they face Loyola Marymount on Nov. 13.

For both teams, the rust of the off-season showed. The Bearcats, a Division III school, forced the Broncos into some awkward situations.

In the first half, the Bearcats started strong against BSU, forcing turnovers and hitting shots to keep the score close much of the first half. On the offensive side, the Broncos had trouble finishing on close shots. In the second half, it was all BSU. The Broncos bench spent most of the time on the floor. The Broncos coasted to a 111 – 72 victory. La’Shard Anderson and Robert Arnold led the Broncos with 14 points each. Making his BSU debut was Daequon Montreal who also added 13 points for the Broncos.

For the upcoming season, Head Coach Greg Graham has high expectations for his team this season.

“We want to play in the post season,” Graham said. “The easiest way to play in the post season is win the league. So I guess those two things go hand in hand.”

Winning the Western Athletic Conference won’t be easy for BSU. Graham believes the WAC is a better conference this season and wins won’t come easy. Graham talked about how there are a couple of players on each team’s roster in the WAC who he thinks will eventually be playing basketball professionally somewhere.

“The (WAC) this year is going to be the best it’s been since I’ve been here,” Graham said. ”I think we’ve got a lot players and guys who want to prove something.”

Last year, the Broncos finished 10-6 in conference play. For fans and students alike, the Feb. 16 game against Idaho will be circled on the calendar. For Coach Graham and the Broncos, it goes a little bit further.

“For us, you need to circle all of them,” Graham said. “Our preseason is so important for us to get to the tournament. We need to get the preseason wins as well as the conference wins.”

This season, Graham and his staff see a lot of potential for this team.

“I think this is going to be a very good team,” Graham said. “We’ve got the potential to be as good as any team we’ve had since I’ve been here.”

The Broncos have a deeper bench then they’ve had in years.

“We’ve got ten upperclassmen that can play and contribute,” Graham said. “Then we have a couple freshmen that will fill in where needed.”

The Broncos this season have multiple weapons to supplement the play of veterans Paul Noonan, Anthony Thomas and Kirk Cunningham.

The Broncos next exhibition game is Saturday, Nov. 7, against Concordia, Ore. starting at 7 p.m. at Taco Bell Arena

Faculty senate wants change for student grade appeal

Kim King — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:57:22 +0000

Faculty senate members have proposed changes to the process for a final grade appeal. Policy 3130 eliminates appeals based on assignments or exams students feel are graded too harshly, unreasonably or by unrealistic standards.

The proposal states these are “issues of professional judgment” and within the prerogative of the instructor.

The faculty senate also proposes the removal of student representation.

ASBSU Sen. Chase Johnson is sponsoring a resolution to recommend a compromise.

“I am uncomfortable with one person making a decision and that decision being final. It should not be up to the sole discretion of the provost,” Johnson said.

The former policy included an academic grievance board composed of seven faculty members and seven student senate members.

“No policy is going to be perfect,” he said. “These are gray areas open to individual interpretation. Faculty still have to have a say over course material, and whether or not a student meets those intellectual standards is up to the professor.”

He said university code violation should be grounds for a grade appeal, but proving an allegation would take a preponderance of evidence.

“We are just students, so how can we say we know more than a professor,” he said. “I have had grades I didn’t feel were fair, but I accepted them. It was a learning experience and it made me a stronger person.”

Johnson said his main objective is to bring student representation back into the process rather than dispute the issue of grade appeal.

“You have to understand that even though students are excluded in their proposal, faculty members are as well,” he said.

The new procedure will begin with the professor and then be presented to the head of the department. If the problem is not resolved the student will be directed to the dean of the college involved. From there it will go to the provost office for a final decision.

ASBSU President Trevor Grigg collaborated with Johnson to recommend a council of seven members to maintain student involvement.

The council is composed of two faculty members, two students, a dean, the Vice-President for Student Affairs and Vice-President of ASBSU.

“We have a long way to go on this,” said Johnson. “We have worked hard and spent time ensuring a fair procedure, but they don’t have to listen to us. I take a humble stance in this and realize I am just an analyst, not a judge.”

ASBSU Sen. Aaron Henretty said he is in support of legislation to protect the rights of students.

MITCH ESPLIN/THE ARBITER Aaron Henretty considers this legislation.

“We can’t give teachers full control,” he said. “If I have an issue, I want students and faculty involved so there will be two points of view. But there are not a lot of students familiar with the procedure.”

A small student sampling on campus confirmed his statement. Few knew a grievance policy existed.

“… If I don’t like my grade and feel it is unfair, I can do something about it?” said sophomore Kyle McCormick, a history major from Boise. “But will it really matter if teachers are giving the grades and then teachers determine the outcome of an appeal?” he said.

Other students said every effort should be made to ensure fairness, even if it means an additional compromise between the staff and students.

Policy 3130 and Johnson’s resolution will be presented to the Academic Standards Committee and then forwarded to the faculty senate for reconsideration.

“I expect a discussion about our recommendations at the next faculty senate meeting on Nov. 10,” Johnson said.

The meeting is scheduled at 3:15 p.m. in the SUB, Hatch A ballroom, and is open to the public.

Halloween: Is it for kids only?

Courtesy — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:44:17 +0000

Columnist John Romlein II

Every year on Oct. 31, kids invade the neighborhoods in the United States for trick-or-treating, going door-to-door donning his or her cutest costumes – anything from pumpkin outfits to professional career suits. Some do it solely for the candy, while others do it for humanitarian purposes, by trick-or-treating for the United Nations Childrens Fund, or UNICEF. Various age groups perform this annual ritual, from preschool all the way up to high school.

Yet, to nationally syndicated radio talk show host and ESPN commentator Jim Rome, Halloween is exclusively for kids, and teenagers and adults should steer clear. This has become an annual ritual on his radio show every Halloween.

“Memo to adults,” Rome declared on his show last year. “A lot of you need to hear this and it doesn’t matter if I do this every single year, a lot of you are not hearing it or getting the message – Halloween is for kids, young kids. It’s not your holiday.”

On his show the previous year, he was more insistent.

“If it was an adult holiday, they would let you go up and down the street and get candy,” he said. “It stopped being for you when you were eight, and that goes for you teenagers with your pillow cases, throwing on a wig, calling it a costume, and trying to get a bunch of free candy.”

Rome’s opinion is that the Halloween costume cut-off age is 10, with the exception of those who are “short or very young for their age.” His exemption also includes women who feel the need to “skank it up” after work by breaking out the devil costume or the “naughty” nurse.

For anyone else who dares to don the costumes on Halloween, Rome has a very delicate message for them:

“You’re a loser,” he said. “It’s harsh, it’s rough, (and) somebody has to say it.”

With Halloween coming up this Saturday, we decided to get reaction to his statement among students who clearly fall under his “no-costume” age group.

“Halloween has a lot of historical background,” said chemistry major Kenna Nuttall. “A lot of ancient people have dressed up for the occasion so why should it be changed?”

Secondary education major Phillip Byrd added an interesting argument, pointing out the fact that the show focuses on sports commentary.

“Does (Rome) think that those people who dress up for sports events are losers too,” Byrd asked.

However, exchange student Jana Lepple seemed to agree with the show’s point of view.

“Trick-or-treating and costumes are cute for kids,” she said. “But once you get above age 15 or 16, why bother? It seems odd.”

Despite the objections from Halloween fans locally and from listeners who regularly comment on Rome’s show, which averages 2.5 million listeners weekly according to Arbitron and Talkers Magazine rankings, he stands firm on his belief.

“I am paid to say the things that other people think, but can’t say or don’t want to say,” he said. “Truth hurts, but not as much as the rest of us having to look at your costume.”

The Jim Rome Show airs weekday mornings from 10:00 to 1:00 on AM 1350 KTIK, the local ESPN Radio affiliate.

Junior addresses art, inanimate objects in new SUB gallery

Evan Westerfield — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:35:54 +0000

On Friday Oct. 22 the SUB gallery held a reception from 4:30 p.m.to 6:30 p.m. which showcased the art of Ben Browne, a junior visual art major from Twin Falls.

Browne’s work investigates how spaces are constructed, and the relationship between objects and environments in interior spaces. Many of the pieces on exhibition combine the traditionally flat mediums of paint, or charcoal/pencil drawings with sculptural elements.

ZACH GANSCHOW/ THE ARBITER

“Ben submitted high caliber work. We worked together for a time for his show. It was kind of like a jigsaw puzzle, because he was interested in having it in the fall so his professors and other students could see his work,” said Holly Gilchrist, fine arts manager in the SUB.

“He is an exceptional artist, who is sensitive to the viewer,” said Marissa Keith, fine arts assistant for the SUB gallery. “He takes everyday places and things and puts them in a new light. He considers what the viewer is going to take from his work if they put themselves in a different place, which gives the human presence importance in his art. By using plaster which breaks down easily, Ben’s work makes a comment on history and the ebb and flow of time and space. And how both change perception and perspective.”

The effect of Browne’s medium blurring pieces is art in which a viewer must place what each medium represents in both sight and proportion and combine the two to come to a conclusion about the piece of art.

“I’m interested in the way things are constructed both visually and socially,” Browne said. “We actively construct the world around us, and while some of that is constructed by others, I reflect on relationships that are overlooked as a way to address ideas about existence in the modern age. I’m interested in our relationship with inanimate objects and how we are encouraged by consumer culture to de-emphasize our relationship to objects in our lives.”

Browne called attention to one piece in representing his personal aesthetic called “Your Puzzled Resolve.” The piece has handmade jigsaw-like puzzle pieces attached to a white background sheet.

“It communicates in a way that invites the viewer to participate in the work,” Browne said. “The idea of “Your Puzzled Resolve” is to present the viewer with objects to invite him or her to engage in a playful visual process, and to ask questions about the way we construct reality. As in all the work, seductive formal elements are used to invite the viewer into a dialogue, but this work communicates in a more direct way.”

ZACH GANSCHOW/ THE ARBITER

“It was never a question of deciding to make art,” Browne said. “I learned to be an artist when I was 19, and started as an art student at CSI, but it’s kind of weird. You’re not really going into a field just doing what you’ve always done. There was no certain point when I became an artist. I always drew, and always liked to look at the world around me.”

If you would like to see Brown’s work it will be hanging in the SUB gallery until Nov. 29.

Swine flu halts century-old campus tradition of quad kiss during first full moon

Courtesy — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:52:19 +0000

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Stanford University’s century-old liplockapalooza called Full Moon on the Quad has survived mono, cold sores, bad breath, regular flu and

MCT CAMPUS/KISSING IS AN ACT WHICH PREDATES WRITTEN HISTORY

even fears that HIV could be spread by kissing.

But it couldn’t survive swine flu.

Stanford cancelled the tradition that dates back to the 19th century, when a senior would give a freshmen – or dozens of freshmen – a kiss in the sandstone quad during the first full moon of the school year.

But H1N1 – a swinish strain of flu that sounds like a geometry proof, but in which H1+N1=0 kisses – has brought the Full Moon crashing down.

And because it’s Stanford, this decision was only arrived at following an extensive epidemiological review. Vice Provost for Student Affairs Greg Boardman issued the death knell Tuesday, denouncing frivolous quadrangular kissing on the California campus as “unconscionable” under the circumstances.

Ira Friedman, director of the school’s Vaden Health Center, said the university’s administrators weren’t any happier about shutting the event down than students were. “We’re disappointed,” Friedman said. “It’s a longstanding, valued tradition that’s looked forward to by a lot of people. But it doesn’t make sense to have an event that involves a lot of kissing, the exact opposite of our isolation and social distancing strategies this year. H1N1 is not to be taken lightly.”

Friedman also called Full Moon, originally scheduled for Oct. 4, “a recipe for disaster.”

Among the affected undergraduate population milling around the Main Quad on Thursday, opinion seemed decidedly mixed. “I was disappointed to hear that it had been cancelled,” said Ben Cohn, a freshman from San Diego.

“My cousins went to school here, and they said it was the highlight of your orientation to Stanford. They can ban it officially, but I think just as many people will be kissing in other situations.”

The kisses were chaste in the late 1800s when students lined up to give each other a nice peck. Over the decades, it evolved – or devolved – with some students showing up drunk or naked while groups handed out mints and condoms.

Cohn reluctantly acknowledged that the scope of the event could create a problem. “The mass kissing might be bad,” he said. “One person could possibly kiss 50 people in one night. When it multiplies like that, it gets dangerous.”

Senior Kate Powell said she had attended previous Full Moons, but she didn’t kiss anybody, she just watched. She wasn’t so sure the Moon going down would change anything. “You can still catch swine flu sitting next to somebody in class who has it,” Powell said.

“People are still going to make out at parties. They’ll do it wherever.”

Senators will work for candy

Kim King — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:23:13 +0000

Sen. Pro Tempore Justin White is offering a king size candy bar to the first five people to create a bill or form of legislation.

White made the offer at an ASBSU meeting earlier this month.

“I can’t imagine people putting through a bill for a candy bar. Not at our age,” said Anna Nielson, a senior majoring in health science.

“It is a good incentive for people to have their voices heard,” she said, “but anyone proposing legislation after the first five might be upset since the reward is based on a first-come-first-serve basis.”

Nielsen — the sister of a current senator — said she was neutral and didn’t think the offer would encourage quickly proposed or frivolous legislation.

A further sampling of students on campus revealed a different opinion.

ZACH GANSCHOW/THE ARBITER

A senior business major from Boise admitted knowing nothing about the operations of the senate but said it seemed like a bribe and unethical to offer candy for new legislation.

“It is a bribe. They are receiving extra for something they should be doing anyway,” said Mike Zinn, a first-year pre-med student from Boise.

Senator Chase Johnson and Cara Mia De Marco, senator for the College of Education, were among the first to submit proposals after White’s offer of a candy bar.

De Marco proposed the Senate Memorial bill 2, a commemoration reminding all to reflect on freedom. It passed unanimously on Sept. 10 in time for Unification Day — better known as Patriot Day.

The memorial has no legal effect on the constitution and easily passed with a roll call vote after three separate readings.

Johnson proposed the creation of two appointed senate positions for immediate occupancy by first-year students. The bill was tabled two days after its introduction.

His bill would have been examined by the Senate Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Budget and Finance Committee and the Senate Appointment Review Committee before becoming an official part of the constitution.

The ASBSU encourages student feedback. Meetings are open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4 p.m. in the SUB Forum.

New Senate bill proposed to appoint freshmen representatives

Arbiter Staff — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:08:42 +0000

Written and sponsored by Senator Chase Johnson, Senate Bill number four was introduced at the ASBSU meeting Tuesday, Sept. 8. The appointment of two freshmen to the senate as a means of “providing a voice to the newest members of the student body” is the main idea behind the proposal. Inspiring future leaders, encouraging involvement, and connecting students from the beginning are additional goals, according to Senator Johnson.

The establishment of an internal committee to appoint two delegates to begin serving immediately is questioned as being unconstitutional, according to Senator Julie Kirk.

Kirk said after the meeting, “I feel like giving or making positions solely for freshmen unfair.”

First-year students have other opportunities to participate in activities and should become familiar with BSU and how the university operates before endorsing legislation and having a voice in the senate, Kirk said.

According to Kirk, the financial impact to ASBSU, $1,600, is not a factor in her decision to not support the bill.

“I like the idea,” said Boise State sophomore Abbey McArthur. “But it is irritating when things are changed without student opinions.”

As a Geo-Science major living off campus, Abbey said any additional input — even by first year students — would be a positive change, “as long as the positions were voted on by the student body.”

Senator Johnson said he is hoping for a quick approval of his bill and agrees arrangements should be made for student voting for these positions in the future. He suggested a mini-online election to be held each September. Even though recent high school graduates may appear to be “clueless” about college life, Johnson said, “we can connect them and at the same time train them to become future leaders and senators.”

There are currently 13 seats in the senate.

The Freshmen Representatives bill has been assigned to the Budget and Finance Committee for further evaluation. A review by the judicial branch is expected to follow, and discussion regarding the status of this bill will continue this week. Feedback from current students is encouraged through gallery comments at the senate meetings.

For information, contact Kris Sansing by e-mail at KrisSansing@boisestate.edu or visit the ASBSU website. Meetings are conducted and open to the public Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4 p.m. in the Student Union Building Forum.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Season of migration to the south

Courtesy — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:20:56 +0000

COURTESY/MCT A street corner in Eastleigh, a Somali-dominated neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya. Families say that scores of ethnic Somalis have been recruited from Eastleigh by al Shabaab, an Islamist group that's called for jihad in Somalia.

Since I came to this country, people have persistently asked me whether I will stay in the United States of America after I graduate or if later on I prefer to return back to where I came from. Honestly, I do not know the right answer for those people’s curiosity nor am I definitively aware of which answer they expect me to respond with. Yet that has raised such an essential point which all African students who study in the United States or other developed countries ought to consider and think about deeply.

Every year our motherland, Africa, loses tens of thousands of educated people either by staying wherever they pursue their education or by migrating to western countries seeking a better life than what African countries could offer them.

The big loser in this process, however, is the hope of enhancing the life of the ancient continent. And eventually the phenomenon of migration abandons Africa with a situation full of diseases, inequality, corruption, poor education systems and so on. In Africa, ordinary people like me have a widespread custom of blaming the political leaders for the backward current situation in their countries.

On the other hand, the political leaders accuse outside forces of preventing the continent from going forward and being in a better place. In my views, the brains’ migration is the number one reason for all the problems Africa has.

Indeed the first step to be in the right track, in terms of helping Africa out, is returning the educated people to their African countries.

Tayeb Salih, a Sudanese author, in his well-known story, “Season of Migration to the North,” (published in 1969) seems in some points encouraging young Africans to migrate to the northern countries, Britain in his case. His story describes Britain a heaven in the earth and it would be “cooler” living there than Africa. With all my respect to his opinion, I do strongly believe that the season of migration to the south has come more than any time before, for the future of Africa and people who need us at this time to assist them to get rid of the poverty and diseases, to build schools and hospitals and to ultimately make their and our lives much better.

It just does not make sense. The wealthiest land in the globe with the highest percentage of natural resources has more than sixty percent of its countries that are virtually reliant on foreign aids to feed their people.

Despite the reality that agriculture will be the principal career of half of Africa’s residents, hunger kills enormous numbers of newborn African children every single year. In Africa, they are lacking in public services and infrastructure, and in the worst cases, there is difficulty of offering even clean water. All these issues are the reality on the ground over there, in addition to corrupted politicians who, for instance, spend millions of dollars in Europe and South Asia for vacations. Sadly they dispose all the life sources in Africa on their behalf.

All these significant problems bond with each other. Definitely we can’t solve one of them without dealing with the others. Thereby these problems cannot be altered themselves without motivation of change which would not be done without educated people’s involvement. And indeed our consultation and experiences as African educated are needed widely there.

We as African students who have the chance of a life time to go abroad and be in touch with the diversity of cultures and different perspectives of life, it is remarkably our destiny to carry all what we have learned and other principles of life that we have observed to our mother land and work as hard as possible to reach the ultimate objectives of development: the life aspects of African people.

We can do that if we just free ourselves of selfishness, and looking beyond of what we assume that we deserve of comfortable lives after a long journey of seeking education in the western universities. Right now, we have to start thinking of what can we give to our continent, instead of wasting time thinking of what Africa could provide us. We could contribute and share our knowledge with our people, with our tribes, where we came from and start the journey to the south.Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

(Ruth Emily Zickau of the writing center assisted with this article as a language assistant.)

Letters to the Editor

Courtesy — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 02:59:46 +0000

Letter to the Editor:

Submitted by: Andy Saleen – Student

Boise State’s management of the student ticket sale was embarrassing moment that will taint the Oregon game and my view on how the university treats its students. The leaders should be ashamed and heads should roll. The problem was twofold:

1) The lines waiting for tickets needed barricades or more officers to enforce that mass amount of people the cut in front around dawn.

2) The only adjustment made for a game of this magnitude was to increase the price for the guest ticket. That makes sense. Yet, nothing was done about reducing the 6 tickets allowed to be picked up if 3 IDs are brought and 3 guest tickets were purchased. So, if 5000 tickets available and each student can and probably will be picking up 6 tickets, no wonder why 95% in line felt like we waited all night for nothing. Be angry, it was the University’s fault for not seeing this obvious policy flaw and doing nothing.

I waited in line for tickets for the Oregon game and set up camp just after 1:00 AM. The roaming security guard told us they were trying to establish a line so that the process moves safely, orderly. They assured us that if we backed up from crowding the ticket gates and formed a line down the edge of the curb, no one would be able to swarm in front of us and take our seats when the big rush shows up around dawn; they said would be there to stop it. They were not. When dawn came, I personally watched dozens of people move in like they were there all night… so much for listening to the authorities. Undoubtedly, the jackasses came armed with 3 IDs and probably money to pick up 3 guest tickets. So, really it was like 6 people for every 1 person that weaseled their way in. When the windows shut at the stadium, my group was literally next in line.

Apparently, Boise State doesn’t care about those dedicated fans that got screwed by waiting line and following rules. I’ll have to remember next time not to listen to the security people. I learned the way get tickets was to show up a half hour before they went on sale bum rush the box office and/or just cut in line (like that punk with the shaggy red hair, you know who you are). Unfortunately, there will not be a game of this magnitude on the turf until probably after I graduate for me to put my lessons to use. I just would like to thank our leaders/officials for ruining this night/game for me and hundreds of other students that paid for the right to pick up their student ticket by waiting in line all night in person, BBQ, homework, and playing cards in hand.

There was a huge line of dedicated fans that wanted to see the game there, even by 4 A.M. The issue I have is that there were enough tickets to cover most of those in line. However, what was given out was 1 ticket to the one dedicated fan (or jackass that cut in-line) while he/she picked up anywhere from 2 – 5 other tickets for their friends that were still lying in bed. This is ignorant and unfair and doesn’t respect the amount of admiration and school pride that was evident while waiting all night to see the biggest game to played in the history of the blue turf. If so much of our school’s resources are going towards the football team, then there should be an avenue for students that want to take part in it.

My friends and I got to the stadium and set up camp at 1:00 AM, probably 100-125 people from the front of the line at the time when we arrived. What more where we supposed to do? We put in the extra effort and were denied because of the piss poor management of the sale. Do the math- if 5,000 tickets are available and most students were picking up 6, only 834 people are going to be served. And while not every student was picking up the max amount, every student there had 3 IDs. The obvious move here is to change the max amount a student can pick up from 6 to 2, one student ticket and one guest ticket. If this would have been done, 2500 people waiting in the lines would have been helped at the ticket counter instead of the actual number that is probably closer to 1000.

Furthermore, the people who didn’t wait in line yet got their ticket through a friend have much less of a stake invested in actually seeing the game as the person that camped out all night. Thus, because BSU handed out these tickets so generously, they are all over craigslist and ebay right now, some listed for over 200 dollars per ticket. Is this where the University wanted the student and guest tickets to go? They had to see this coming and everybody that waited in line with me from 1:00 AM on is owed a serious apology for lack of obvious foresight from our leadership.
I expected more organization and adjustments for the biggest home event in BSU’s history not the careless and unprepared situation that happened.

It seems like no plan existed to adjust to the demand and significance of this game- let alone nothing that was going award the spirit of the fans and students that make it possible, year after year. Instead, because of this ignorant, outdated ticket policy, these fans were the ones that were turned away. BSU’s careless and sloppy handling of this sale was an extremely offensive, unforgivable disrespect to the most loyal of its fans. Lastly, I’m tired of hearing from everybody I have tried to confront about this saying, “We were not expecting it to be that crazy.” Bulls***. Please, pull your head out because you are not engaged with reality.
So, now I sit at home, bitter because I waited all night in line after anticipating this game for 2 years while now some jackass is peddling my tickets on craigslist because they were handed out ignorantly and without regard.

Go DUCKS and you can chalk the upcoming loss up to karma.

Letter to the Editor:

Submitted by: Nicole Bowman – Student

Football season is here once again! Like most other Bronco fans, I was looking forward to being in the stadium this Thursday to watch us take on the Oregon Ducks. Student tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. Monday morning. There were many people who stayed overnight to wait in the ticket lines. My friends and I waited in line for about five-hours. We did not get tickets. I have never had this problem before and this is my third football season at BSU. I think we might have gotten some tickets if people had not cut in line. That was inconsiderate. I didn’t think it could get worse than that. I was wrong.

After the disappointment of not getting a single ticket, I went to an on-campus computer lab. Someone next to me had Craig’s List open and it said, “BSU Student Ticket $40.” The ad said someone had an “extra” student ticket and they would sell. I was outraged! Someone had waited in line with the intention of getting too many tickets and selling them later for a profit.

I thought that was bad, until I did a general search on Craig’s List. Most tickets were going for $100 – $200 each in the student section. Now, I’m not about to spend more money on a football ticket than a textbook – especially when I have the right to get one for free. I certainly hope that people within the community understand how student tickets work. They cannot get into the stadium with a ticket alone. They also need a current student ID.

I hope the scalpers get caught. Those that exploit the system are abusing the privileges of all of us. If it continues we might all lose our free tickets.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Begin with the End in Mind

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:24:12 +0000

Welcome to Boise State University! We are excited you made the decision to join us and want to offer you some career decision making and job search advice from those that came before you. Are you interested in knowing what happens to students once they graduate? What kind of jobs are they getting? Where are they choosing to live? How much money are they making? How did they get those jobs?

The Boise State Career Center conducts an at-graduation survey each semester in order to gather just this type of information. Check out what Boise State students told us as they were preparing for their graduation.

What are Boise State graduates doing? Twenty percent of survey respondents plan to continue on to graduate or professional school within the next year.

Forty-eight percent of survey respondents say their degree helped them obtain new employment or advance within the organization where they are currently working.

Eighty-five percent of survey respondents chose to stay and work in the Treasure Valley upon graduation.

Forty percent of survey respondents will earn $40,000 or more in their first year out of college.

Ten percent of survey respondents will earn $60,000 or more in their first year out of college.

What did these graduates do while they were in school in order to help them after graduation?

Forty-four percent of survey respondents participated in an internship while at Boise State.

Thirty-four percent of survey respondents who participated in an internship were offered career employment as a result of their internship.

An additional 30 percent of respondents participated in a program-specific field experience, which was not considered an internship. More than 40 percent of those participating in this type of experience were offered career employment as a result of this experience.

Thirty percent of survey respondents participated in an undergraduate or graduate research project while at Boise State.

BroncoJobs was the Career Center service used most by survey respondents. Students used it to conduct both their student part-time and career job searches.

Twenty-one percent of survey respondents also took advantage of the Career Center events such as the career fairs and Graduate and Professional School Day.

Other services offered by the Career Center that survey respondents took advantage of were career counseling/major exploration, job search assistance, and on-campus interviewing.

If you are interested in getting the most out of your college experience in preparation for an Internship or your professional career and would like assistance, call the Career Center at (208) 426-1747 to make an appointment with one of our career counselors or job search advisors. While there are many ways to go about planning your career and conducting a successful job search, the Career Center would encourage you to begin with the end in mind. Remember, everything that you do from the time you start college to the time you graduate will help prepare you and your resume for future career opportunities!