COURTESY/HALEY ROBINSON

If there’s one thing that’s important in a good relationship, it’s honesty. This may seem like common knowledge, but there is a flip-side to this concept that lately I have seen being neglected. For the most part, people know they should be honest with their significant other, but I think a lot of people forget to be honest with themselves.

Sometimes, and as a matter of fact most times, relationships come to an end. The most frustrating part of these scenarios is when people continue to lie to themselves when the death of the relationship is staring them right in the face. They know it’s not making them happy anymore. They have tried to fix it, but the same problems keep coming up. Yet still, for whatever reason, people feel the need to lie to themselves and their partner, drawing the process out and making it more detrimental to both parties.

It almost seems like a lot of people take their relationships to be permanent by default. They don’t consider the possibility that maybe it’s just not right anymore. And it’s not a bad thing. People grow and change a lot, especially in college. Sometimes people grow together and sometimes people grow apart. If this happens, it’s time to change something instead of lying.

One of the major reasons people have a hard time being honest at the end of a relationship is because they are afraid of looking like the bad guy or being disliked by people. This is an illogical reason to keep things going for unnecessary amounts of time. If one person isn’t happy, the other isn’t going to be either. Most people would rather be aware of this discontent at the beginning instead of learning that they haven’t been loved back for months but they were too afraid to say anything.

Another reason people are deceitful about their feelings is because they fear being alone. If they haven’t been single in a long time, it’s hard to make that transition again. This translates to them dating someone out of convenience instead of love. They are staying with the person they are with because it’s easier than spending time alone, going through the stress of a breakup and experiencing huge struggle that goes with finding someone all over again. This isn’t fair to either party and is completely cowardly.

Lack of honesty with their partner is also intertwined with a lack of honesty with themselves. People staying with someone because it is convenient or fits in with the person’s time-line is a waste of energy. That effort could be spent finding someone that the person truly cares about, but is instead wasted because the relationship is safe and easy. The acceptance of a lack of actual love and desire is something I cannot comprehend.

The ideas of accepting a relationship because it’s effortless, for the fear of looking like a bad person, or for the fear of being alone are not legitimate. People should stop spending time hoping that things will magically change when they realistically just need to look at their situation honestly. It is detrimental to both parties to drag things on unnecessarily long. In the end, it seems to me that honesty really is the best policy.

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DESCRIPTION:
Arbiter Media is looking for creative, curious, agile and innovative students to serve as journalists in its newsroom. Arbiter Media is a student ran, award-winning multi-platform media outlet, publishing content in print, online, on the radio and television; and has an established reputation for its multi-media storytelling and innovative environment. For 76 years, Arbiter Media (The Arbiter) has served as the Independent Voice of Students at Boise State University and is a learning laboratory for aspiring media and business professionals. We will train you and give you the tools, support and encouragement you need to succeed. Journalists at Arbiter Media collaborate with a team of 7 journalists and editors charged with covering their specified beats in the production of interactive multi-platform media packages and stand alone content for arbiteronline.com and our newspaper, The Arbiter. Duties of a journalist include covering news events, meetings, writing features, analysis and producing multi-media segments. We are looking for reporters who can and will work a variety of subjects and understand the value of community journalism. Photography, audio, video, skills and comfort with WordPress and social media such as Twitter and Facebook are a plus. We do not expect you to have experience in journalism – but we expect you to come to us with a strong sense of journalistic values (including a serious grasp of ethics, news sense, commitment to our community, decision-making, working on deadline, etc.). You will work with the rest of our team (reporters, photographers, editors, designers, etc.) from across the newsroom on long-term and rapid deadline stories. You will be taught to conceptualize, design and produce stories that are told through print and online articles, various platforms of multimedia such as video and podcasts, microsites, interactive graphics, blogs, video and other platforms of media as they emerge.

Most importantly, we are looking for students who are quick learners with a lot of ideas and energy. Infectious enthusiasm is a bonus. Workaholic, overachieving, ambitious go-getters are highly encouraged to apply. Curious, inquisitive, story tellers with no fear of learning new technology, vastly expanding their knowledge of multi-platform media and pioneering the future of journalism would be absolutely batty not to apply. Journalism (and media in general) is not a job or a hobby, it is a passion. If that makes sense to you, we look forward to receiving your application.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Proven aptitude for quick creative thinking with acute attention to detail within demanding deadlines
• An eagerness to learn – and teach
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to articulate creative ideas
• An ability to manage multiple projects and meet both short-term and long-term deadlines
• An understanding of different media platforms including, but not limited to: print and online media, podcasts, photo slideshows and other forms of multi-media
• A healthy respect for Boise State University and its community
• Curiosity – particularly around media and a desire to understand the stories it can tell as well as the constraints it imposes
• Knowledge of social media and media aggregation sites such as Digg or ReadIt
• A love for writing and story telling.
• Minimum 2.5 GPA

HOURS and COMPENSATION:
This is an UNPAID internship. Students are REQUIRED to take a three credit internship during which they will complete a minimum of 150 hours of work over the course of a semester, producing media for The Arbiter and arbiteronline.com. The Editor-in-Chief will make exceptions on the internship requirement on a case by case basis under special circumstances.

HOW TO APPLY:
Email a letter to Editor-in-Chief, Shannon Morgan, expressing your interest in the internship to jobs@arbiteronline.com. Students can also send a resume but it is not required.

JOB DUTIES:
Arbiter Media is looking for creative, curious, agile and innovative students to serve as Online Interactive Journalists and help us tell stories and improve our users’ experience on arbiteronline.com. Arbiter Media is a student ran, award-winning multiplatform media outlet, publishing content in print, online, on the radio and television; and has an established reputation for its multi-media storytelling and innovative environment. For 76 years, Arbiter Media (The Arbiter) has served as the Independent Voice of Students at Boise State University and is a learning laboratory for aspiring media and business professionals. We will train you and give you the tools, support and encouragement you need to succeed. Online Interactive Journalists at Arbiter Media serve on a team of four journalists who serve directly under the Online Editor and Online Coordinator and are charged with producing content and maximizing the potential of arbiteronline.com. You will take the lead in developing new ways to engage and interact with our audience and lead them through our stories online and in print. We do not expect you to have experience in journalism – but we expect you to come to us with a strong sense of journalistic values (including a serious grasp of ethics, news sense, commitment to our community, decision-making, working on deadline, etc.). You will work with the rest of our team (reporters, photographers, editors, designers, etc.) from across the newsroom on long-term and rapid deadline stories. We are looking for students who are comfortable with both interaction/development of social media platforms (e.g., Twitter and Facebook) to foster a relationship with our audience in the production of media. You will also be taught to produce media to publish on arbiteronline.com and in our printed edition, The Arbiter. You will be taught to conceptualize, design and produce stories that are told through print and online articles, various platforms of multi-media such as video and podcasts, microsites, interactive graphics, blogs, video and other platforms of media as they emerge. We expect all employees to be self-motivated and to learn as much as possible, through their own means.

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who is a quick learner with a lot of ideas and energy. You will need to stay on top of emerging trends and find out how the website and the organization can evolve by adopting those trends. Infectious enthusiasm is a bonus. We will train you and give you the tools you need to succeed. Workaholic, overachieving, ambitious go-getters are highly encouraged to apply. Curious, inquisitive, story tellers with no fear of learning new technology, vastly expanding their knowledge of multi-platform media and pioneering the future of journalism would be absolutely batty not to apply. Journalism (and media in general) is not a job or a hobby, it is a passion. If that makes sense to you, we look forward to receiving your application.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Proven aptitude for quick creative thinking with acute attention to detail within demanding deadlines
• An eagerness to learn – and teach
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to articulate creative ideas
• An ability to manage multiple projects and meet both short-term and long-term deadlines
• An understanding of different platforms including, but not limited to: print and online media, podcasts, photo slideshows and other forms of multi-media
• A healthy respect for Boise State University and its community
• Curiosity – particularly around media and a desire to understand the stories it can tell as well as the constraints it imposes
• Knowledge of social media and media aggregation sites such as Digg or ReadIt
• A love for writing and story telling.
• Minimum 2.5 GPA

HOURS and COMPENSATION:
This is an   Students are REQUIRED to take a three credit internship during which they will complete a minimum of 150 hours of work over the course of a semester, producing media for The Arbiter and arbiteronline.com. The Editor-in-Chief will make exceptions on the internship requirement on a case by case basis under special circumstances.

HOW TO APPLY:
Email a letter to Editor-in-Chief, Shannon Morgan, expressing your interest in the internship to jobs@arbiteronline.com. Students can also send a resume but it’s not required.

DESCRIPTION:
Arbiter Media is looking for creative, curious, agile and innovative students to serve as photojournalists in our newsroom. Arbiter Media is a student ran, award-winning, multi-platform media outlet, publishing content in print, online, on the radio and television; and has an established reputation for its multi-media storytelling and innovative environment. For 76 years, Arbiter Media (The Arbiter) has served as the Independent Voice of Students at Boise State University and is a learning laboratory for aspiring media and business professionals. We will train you and give you the tools, support and encouragement you need to succeed. Photojournalists at Arbiter Media serve on a team of 5-7 journalists charged with covering their specified beats as well as producing interactive multi-platform media packages and stand along content for arbiteronline.com and our newspaper, The Arbiter.The position is responsible for capturing and editing images for Arbiter Media, produce Soundslides (photo slide shows with audio) and collaborate with fellow journalists on creating media on a variety of platforms, including in print. Duties also include covering news events, meetings, writing features, analysis and producing multi-media segments. We will train you and give you the tools, support and encouragement you need to succeed. We are looking for students who can and will work a variety of subjects and understand the value of community journalism. Audio, video, skills and comfort with WordPress and social media such as Twitter and Facebook are a plus. A love for writing or eagerness to learn is a must. We do not expect you to have experience in journalism – but we expect you to come to us with a strong sense of journalistic values (including a serious grasp of ethics, news sense, commitment to our community, decision-making, working on deadline, etc.). You will work with the rest of our team (journalists, producers, editors, designers, etc.) from across the newsroom on long-term and rapid deadline stories. You will be taught to conceptualize, design and produce story packages that are told through print and online articles, various platforms of multi-media such as video and podcasts, microsites, interactive graphics, blogs, video and other platforms of media as they emerge. We expect all employees to be self-motivated and to learn as much as possible, through their own means.

Related posts:

1. Letters from the Editor
2. Letter from the Editor
3. Produce your own podcast show with The Arbiter

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

Kellen Moore

His name matches this year’s production. More.

The Broncos’ sophomore is the national leader in the pass efficiency and touchdowns. He has a 172.5 passer rating with 32 touchdowns to just three interceptions – five touchdowns coming against in-state rival University of Idaho. His 67.7 completion percentage and 2,558 passing yards to make his statement to voters for a run to the Heisman.

C.J. Spiller

This senior has emerged as a spectacle of diversity for the Clemson offensive attack. He has 836 yards rushing on 153 attempts and 382 yards receiving on 24 receptions; averaging 15.9 yards per reception. He has 13 combined touchdowns from both offense and special team production. He has averaged 33.94 on kickoff returns and averaged 195.5 all-purpose yards this season; third in the nation.

Tim Tebow

This senior continues to impress through his ability to lead his team to victory by example. He is a dual threat quarterback with 10 rushing touchdowns and 12 passing touchdowns through his 2009 campaign. He has 2,334 yards of total offense and only four interceptions on 198 attempts. He has completed 64.7 percent of his passes this season.

Colt McCoy

This standout from Texas has the ability to make sound decisions and leads one of the nation’s most potent offensive attacks. He adds to this threat with the ability to create time for receivers to get open. He has 19 passing touchdowns and 2,628 total yards. The downside to selling McCoy this season is he’s thrown nine interceptions, creating nearly a 2-to-1 touchdown ratio going into the final weeks before voting.

Mark Ingram

This tough running back displayed his ability to break tackles this season. His 246 rushing yards and one touchdown against Ole Miss – six 100-plus yard rushing games this season – is a key reason he continues to be a frontrunner for the Heisman. He has 10 rushing touchdown and 1,297 rushing yards this season through 10 games. He continues to impress every week and should be a favorite going into December.

Toby Gerhart

This dark horse candidate emerged as a scary rushing attack in a conference that brags multiple tough running backs. He has 19 rushing touchdowns and averages 5.3 yards per carry. He has eight 100-plus rushing games this season; two of which were over 200-yard games. His latest performance against USC – 178 rushing yards and three touchdowns – puts him as a possible upset of leaders in the race to the Heisman.

Related posts:

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2. Broncos break away for first shutout of 2009
3. Oklahoma boasts two
   legitimate Heisman hopefuls

JOSH RASMUSSEN/THE ARBITER

Dear – “insert big time school name here,”

I know your football team is struggling right now and you’ve almost or already have fired that big money coach of yours. You know, the one that was supposed to bring you BCS games, National Championships and winning seasons.

I understand that you are on an extremely competitive hunt for a winner of a coach, someone that will lead your team, inspire you players and actually win. You are searching for a classy coach to please your boosters and make your community and team supporters happy. All of the traits mentioned and more, narrow down the search and on the short list of candidates is Boise State’s Chris Petersen.

Well, back off of Coach Pete!

I’m not even going to try to find negatives to turn you away from courting the football god’s gift to Boise State, because frankly, anyone would be hard pressed to find a valid reason not to go after Coach Pete. I’ll just say what most Bronco fans are thinking: leave our coach alone.

You may be able to come to Boise and wave a bunch of dollars in Coach Pete’s face. You may be able to come here with promises of five star recruits and extremely generous, wonderful boosters. You may be able to come here and brag about your football program’s proud tradition. Well, I hate to break it to you, Coach Pete is not interested; or at least that is what we would all like to full heartedly believe.

We all can admit that we, as fans, have been preparing for this since the massive 2007 Fiesta Bowl win and the fuel to the fire has continued as the 10 win seasons keep coming. It would be rather nice to go through one winter where we don’t have to worry about which school just fired its coach and if Coach Pete’s a candidate. Every year, no matter how much we tell ourselves and the others like us that we don’t have to worry, we are constantly on the edge of our seats, waiting for that dreadful day where we will hear the news that Coach Pete is leaving us.

Maybe Coach Pete will stick around and be Boise State’s “JoPa” and we can all call him, “ChrisPe.” Or maybe he will leave for a different school when the time is right. So until then please leave our coach and the stress level of Bronco Nation alone!

Sincerely,

- “insert Bronco fan’s name here”

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COURTESY/IDAHO STEELHEADS Goaltender Richard Bachman covers the net during competition at the Qwest Arena in Downtown Boise, Idaho

The transition from the collegiate level to the professional level can be a reality shock for most athletes, this however, is not the case for Steelheads goalie Richard Bachman. Bachman is a top prospect for the Dallas Stars who managed to pick up a win in his professional debut in a 3 – 2 victory over the Stockton Thunder on October 18th.

Bachman competed at the NCAA Division-I level while playing at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. In his first year of collegiate competition Bachman had an impressive year, winning 25 of 35 games with a sub-2.00 goals allowed average and .931 save percentage.

With this outstanding season, Bachman was able to collect numerous awards which included Western College Hockey Association Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors.

The Dallas Stars immediately noticed Bachman’s potential and made him their 4th round pick (120th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Level draft.

“It’s a definite step up; guys shoot harder, pass a little better and are smarter on the ice,” the 22-year-old said about the major difference between collegiate and professional competition.

Even with the increased talent of opposing players Bachman was able to show off his own skills by earning the East Coast Hockey League Goaltender of the Week honor for his outstanding performance in a three game set versus the Alaska Aces.

In the three game set Bachman accounted for two of the Steelheads wins and stopped more than 90 percent of the shots on goal.

The superior play of Bachman is no coincidence since hockey has been his passion since he was little.

“Yes, I have always loved [hockey] more then any other sport,” Bachman said. “I was really into baseball when I was a kid too.”

Bachman’s passion was sparked after watching Patrick Roy lead his team to a Stanley Cup victory while playing for the Colorado Avalanche in 1996.

Playing hockey is in Bachman’s blood and the only thing that is on his mind right now. Bachman’s response to what he would be doing if he were not playing hockey, “Hopefully I would be doing something else I love, but I have no idea because I have always only wanted to play hockey my whole life.”

Come watch Bachman and his fellow Steelheads take on the Victoria Salmon Kings this week on Friday, Nov. 20th and Saturday Nov. 21st

at the Qwest Arena in Downtown Boise.

Boise State students present your student ID at the Qwest Arena Box Office for an $11 ticket plus a voucher for a FREE small beer or Pepsi. Limit 2 per ID.

Purchase Online: Purchase tickets online at idahosteelheads.com/groups; Login: NATE, Password: NATEBSU.

Disclaimer: The preceding article was written by Nate Slonaker, a marketing student participating in the Idaho Steelheads Internship Program presented by The Arbiter. For additional information, visit IdahoSteelheads.com/boisestate.

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CAMERON WIEMERSLAGE/ARBITER FILE PHOTO Broncos heavyweight senior Sam Zylstra works for inside position.

The Boise State wrestling team starts out this season ranked in the top 10 in various preseason polls. The team that sent nine individuals to nationals last year and broke a Pac-10 tournament scoring record looks to improve upon those number.

Expectations have may never been higher for the Broncos and head coach Greg Randall likes it that way.

“You just can’t believe you’re a top ten program,” Randall said. “That means you’ve got to believe you’re better than the top ten. You’re always trying to get better. We’ve been in the top ten before. We’ve been really close last year and right now it’s just not good enough especially with the talent we have here and how hard these guys have been working. If we finish tenth this year, you would probably consider it a failure.”

As always, Boise State will face tough competition in the Pac 10. This year, Randall believes his main two competitors will be Oregon State and Arizona State. Other than Pac 10 competition, the Broncos will take part in national duals on January 9-10 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The national duals should provide a good indicator of how much work the Broncos need to do in order to be well positioned when the NCAA Championships roll around in mid-March.

“If you look at the Pac 10, Oregon State’s going to be probably a solid second and Arizona State probably right behind them. Maybe Stanford and Cal Poly. You have to set your goals not just to win the Pac 10, but to dominate and possibly put ten guys in the finals and hopefully have ten champs,” Randall said. “Other dual meets, you’ve got to look at the national duals. Iowa, Iowa State, Cornell College, Ohio State, Minnesota, they’re all going to be there. That’s going to be a big tournament for us. It will probably set the stage for where we are as we head into the season.”

Individually speaking, Randall thinks there are three guys on this team that could compete for a national title.

“We’re looking at Andrew Hochstrasser, Adam Hall and Kirk Smith. They could all be in the finals. It’s going to be a tough road to get there but once you’re there, you never know what’s going to happen. Potentially, those guys could be in the finals this year; there’s no doubt in my mind. As the season goes along, we’ll see where they are,” Randall said.

Nationals are a long way off, and for that to happen, things will have to go smoothly for Hochstrasser, Hall and Smith.

“Stay healthy. That’s the main thing,” Randall emphasized. “I think last year we lost a few guys and maybe they weren’t 100 percent going into the NCAA tournament and I think that’s a big deal if you stay healthy throughout the year and not miss any training periods. If we can keep all of our guys healthy throughout the year, we’re going to be tough to beat.”

As for Randall’s expectations for the team, it’s the same story. His goal is to raise the program to another level and be considered among college wrestling’s elite by earning a top-four finish at the NCAA championships.

“We want to bring home a trophy. To do that, you have to be in the top four. If we go to the NCAA tournament and bring home a trophy, you could probably call it a pretty good year,” Randall said.

Boise State is 2-0 on the year so far and looks to continue its success Nov. 22. The Broncos will travel to Corvallis, Oregon to wrestle Oregon State University and the University of Wisconsin.

Related posts:

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JOSH RASMUSSEN/THE ARBITER Junior linebacker Derrell Acrey celebrates following an interception against the Idaho Vandals during their annual rivalry.

The injury bug has proven to be an adversary of many college football teams late in the season. The Boise State Broncos have faired quite well considering they have played 10 of 13 games thus far. But the defense hasn’t been prone to that bug as of yet.

The linebackers

“Knock on wood,” sophomore linebacker Aaron Tevis said of injuries.

Tevis has struggled in the past with injuries and still battles through the pain persisting problems. Sharing time with freshman linebacker, J.C. Percy, has proven effective and an efficient use of young talent.

“First of all you don’t get as tired,” Tevis said. “You get a couple of breaks, a couple of series off. That helps a lot to go 100 percent in the game. And definitely helps with staying healthy. I’m definitely an injury prone guy but staying healthy this year has definitely helped me a lot.”

Tevis has 34 tackles this season with five tackles for loss. He has also stepped into the role of a hands-savvy backer. He’s recorded three interceptions this season.

Percy has 42 tackles – three of which are for loss – and one forced fumble.

To emphasize the relationship the line backers have with one another, it would be an understatement to call it competitive. The six major contributors – Percy, Tevis, Derrell Acrey, Tommy Smith, Hunter White and Daron Mackey have seen consistent action all season between the two available linebacker positions. Combined, the leading linebackers have recorded 172 tackles, seven interceptions and 15 tackles for loss for negative 48 yards this season.

The defensive line

Much like the linebackers, the defensive line has shown they are running deep with talent. The Broncos have rotated 10 guys who have contributed statistically in some way; yet another way to stay fresh on the field as the season progresses.

Often, injuries would allow for other guys to step in and showcase their talent. With the lack of injury in the initial point of contact that is the defensive line and traditional injury-prone positions of defensive tackle and defensive end, it is somewhat a curious matter why there has been so much defensive line production from so many athletes this season. But in this case, it has been due to BSU’s ability to showcase vast talent due to depth.

“We have great coaches and great athletes on the team,” junior defensive tackle Billy Winn said. “It just opens it up for other guys to play. These guys have been waiting for a long time to get on the field and have their chance to shine. It’s gonna be amazing. They’re excited to play. I just can’t wait to see them out there.”

The Broncos’ defense has stepped up in the turnover category. BSU has forced 16 turnovers during its past four games – seven coming against rival Idaho – following a two-game turnover drought against UC-Davis and Tulsa earlier this season. Much of this can be traced back to the defensive line applying pressure on quarterbacks and running backs behind the line of scrimmage.

“For a team to get to cause seven turnovers, that’s a great stride,” Winn said. “Showing the productivity of the defense. For us to get that many is a great attribute.”

Prior, the Broncos had 13 turnovers during their first four games.

Defensive backs

Though there hasn’t been an apparent showcasing of depth at defensive back as with the D-line and linebackers, sparks of production have shown through. What they haven’t displayed in depth, they make up for in talented play and progressive playmakers.

Boise State has only seen one player sit in the defensive backs corps with sophomore cornerback Jerrell Gavins filling the large shoes of senior cornerback Kyle Wilson.

Wilson has three interceptions and two pick-6’s in the past three games.

Gavins had five tackles while standing in for Wilson against UC-Davis. He has 21 tackles this season.

The defensive backs have 14 interceptions and three forced fumbles as a group this season.

Related posts:

1. Linebackers are gelling thanks to depth
2. Early season woes stand in Zabransky’s past
3. Senior core looks to lead defense

NIK BJURSTROM/THE ARBITER Freshman Liz Harden goes for a kill shot earlier in the season against Northern Arizona

When Boise State women’s volleyball coach Shawn Garus took over before the 2009 season, he wanted his team to be the most improved squad by the end of the year. As the Broncos wrap up their season, it is fair to say they have reached Garus’ goal.

After a sluggish start the Broncos have battled back into contention and are prepared to take on the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.

The Broncos can credit the work ethic and the player’s never-die attitude to this season’s resurgence. This year the Broncos continued to fight even when things weren’t going their way and the new coaching staff can take some of that credit.

“Things have been a lot more stable this year,” senior defensive specialist Kati Lewis said. “We are a lot more structured as a team.”

The Broncos could have given in and blamed new faces and a new system to their slow start at the beginning of the year. Instead, they put their time in at the gym and continued to improve every week, despite starting the season off with 11 straight losses. Although they had a conference win against San Jose State University, it wasn’t until the home win against the University of Idaho when the Broncos began to see the results of their hard work.

“Beating Idaho here was really a turning point for us,” Garus said. “We came out and played a really good match against a solid Idaho team. I think that it gave everybody the confidence that what we were doing day-in and day-out was working, and if we stuck to it, we would start winning matches.”

Following the win against Idaho, the Broncos began playing like a completely different team. They started playing better as a squad and displayed a desire to win.

“We started getting wins and dominating,” senior libero Jeanene Rose said. “We were taking people out in three games and were able to keep it up and build our confidence.”

The Broncos have been able to maintain that confidence through the rest of the season. Heading into Thursday’s rematch against the University of Idaho, Boise State is fourth in the WAC. Depending on how things play out this week, the Broncos could go into the tournament as high as a four seed, or as low as a sixth seed.

For a team that was picked to finish near the bottom of the conference at beginning of the year, a birth to the WAC Championship Tournament is a notable accomplishment. However, the Broncos – especially the seniors – don’t want to settle with what they have already accomplished.

“I don’t want our team to settle, I would rather go out with a bang,” Rose said.

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   with record-breaking start

Pedestrians walk past one of the city's best known landmarks, the futuristic Oriental Pearl TV tower. (COURTESY/MCT)

BEIJING – President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao met Tuesday to talk privately about issues ranging from North Korea’s nuclear threat to currency and trade disputes. U.S. policy advocates also expect the leaders to announce new joint projects on clean energy.

On the first full day of Obama’s visit to the world’s largest nation, the president mixed substance with fun stuff: a tour to the Forbidden City and a state dinner. He plans to see the Great Wall on Wednesday and visit officials and U.S. troops in South Korea on Thursday before returning home.

On Monday, Obama used his first public appearance in China – a town hall meeting in Shanghai – to court China’s Internet users and intellectuals, prodding the Chinese government to end its censorship policy.

“I’m a big supporter of noncensorship,” Obama said.

If Obama’s remarks made Hu uneasy, they appeared to fall short of creating a diplomatic setback.

Obama and Hu hoped to be able to announce some areas of mutual advancement Tuesday, scheduling a midday joint appearance. Other topics they were expected to discuss included terrorism and militarization, the global economic crisis, the U.S. war in Afghanistan, global warming, China’s control of Tibet, and human rights and democracy.

The motorcade from Obama’s hotel to the ornate Diaoyutai State Guesthouse took the American president along Chang An Jie, the Avenue Of Eternal Peace.

For Obama, who hadn’t been to China before, this meant a first-time in-person glimpse of Tiananmen Square on his left, 20 years after the student pro-democracy protests were put down by the government with deadly force; and, on his right, the gates to the Forbidden City, the palace of China’s emperors, built before Columbus discovered America.

Obama and Hu spoke informally over dinner about the histories of both countries and their evolving relationship, and touched on the economy and education, but saved the official agenda for Tuesday’s meetings, National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones said. Jones attended the dinner, which was closed to the news media.

At the town hall in Shanghai’s Science and Technology Museum, Obama took eight questions. The most politically edgy one, submitted to the U.S. Embassy via the Internet, asked whether he was familiar with the Chinese Internet firewall and whether he thought Chinese should have the right to use Twitter freely.

“I think that the more freely information flows, the stronger the society becomes, because then citizens of countries around the world can then hold their own governments accountable,” the president told the audience of about 400 hand-picked university students.

Obama hoped to reach a much broader audience of Chinese, who have the largest Internet population and the largest number of cell phone users of any nation. It wasn’t immediately clear, however, how many of China’s 1.3 billion people had access to his full remarks. The Chinese government agreed to broadcast the forum on Shanghai television but not nationally. The official state news agency, Xinhua, carried the text of Obama’s remarks on its Web site, including the portions related to censorship.

The Chinese government limits access to social networking sites, however, and has a history of cutting remarks it considers destabilizing from broadcasts or news accounts. A portion of Obama’s inaugural address last January was blocked in China. In addition, what’s known as “the great firewall of China” is a state system of tight Internet controls that block any number of sites and Web traffic.

“In the United States, the fact that we have unrestricted Internet access is a source of strength, and I think should be encouraged,” Obama said.

He admitted to moments “where I wish information didn’t flow so freely, because then I wouldn’t have to listen to people criticize me all the time.” However, he said, “I actually think that makes our democracy stronger and it makes me a better leader, because it forces me to hear opinions that I don’t want to hear.”

Obama also told the Chinese that in modern times, power “is no longer a zero-sum game.”

“We do not seek to contain China’s rise,” he said

He said that the U.S. shouldn’t impose its own system of governance on other countries but that some values should be universal.

He recalled the past four decades of U.S.-China diplomacy: table tennis, President Richard Nixon’s historic visit, the establishment of formal relations during the Cold War 30 years ago and the evolution of the relationship in terms of trade and the economy in recent years.

Obama said that the greatest threats to national security today remained terrorist networks such as al-Qaida, and that it was important to stabilize Afghanistan.

(McClatchy Newspapers special correspondent Athena Zhao in Beijing and Renee Schoof in Washington contributed to this report.)

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TONY ROGERS/THE ARBITER Preacher Shawn Holes walks around the quad on Nov. 9

Are you a good person? If you have any doubts, there is one man who may be able to answer your question.

Standing on a little stool in the quad on Nov. 9, Preacher Shawn Holes gave impassioned speeches about the importance of the Bible and the destiny of those who do not take God’s word seriously. Holes’ message, in his own words, is to illustrate that we will someday die and be judged by God’s righteous standard. Punishment for our sins or crimes is eternal hell, but God has made a way for us to escape punishment and wrath. Jesus Christ died so we could be forgiven and our response must to be to turn away from sins because Jesus was so kind to save us.

Holes and his family travel in an RV around the country to preach the word of God, as they have interpreted it, primarily at college campuses. It seems that their interpretation boils down to this: if you don’t obey God, you will burn in the fiery inferno of hell for all eternity.

The way that Holes conveys his ideas is very caustic and is not going to convince non-believers to convert or even listen, but instead solidify their aversion to the religion as a whole. His way of preaching makes more people feel resistant than welcome to these ideas.

Holes works hard to address non-believers and help them understand that we are all lawbreakers in God’s eyes. It is, according to his philosophy, our job to turn away from sin and trust in the one and only God of the Universe, the God of the Bible, Jesus Christ.

Shawn and his family also have a Web site, salvationjunction.com, to help people discover more about themselves. One such feature is a link to a quiz which will tell people if they are a good person or not. Based on the answers to eight questions, those who take the quiz will be provided a printable version of the results detailing why they are sinners according to the bible. From there they can see if they are going to heaven or hell and why this should concern them. According to the quiz, if you have ever told a lie, stolen anything, taken the Lord’s name in vain or looked at someone with lustful thoughts, you are guilty and will be going to hell.

For most people, threats of eternal damnation and shouting about going to hell are definitely attention getters. However, describing the fate of those who don’t believe in God by attempting to force-feed passersby of their own beliefs instead of logically dialoguing about the different ways of thinking is not accomplishing anything. Instead it feeds the controversy by presenting ideas in an aggressive and uncomfortable manner. Such extreme tactics are often offensive, even to other Christians.

Kristine Stompro, Boise State sophomore, is such a person of Christian faith who found Holes’ actions unnecessary and insulting.

“I believe in Christianity, but people like him give other Christians a bad name,” Stompro said. “He is too extreme and his preaching on a soapbox gives people the wrong idea about the values that Christians should admire.”

It is people who preach like Holes that make non-Christians more skeptical about the religion and less likely to listen even in other settings. This type of abrasive and insulting speech only contributes to the barrier that makes fluid communication between these two ideals difficult.

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