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Bronco cross country headed to West Region Championships

Brendan Sherry — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:46:38 +0000

The Boise State men’s cross country team is headed to Eugene, Ore. for the 2009 NCAA West Region Championships on Saturday. The event that is being hosted by the University of Oregon will take place at the Springfield Country Club. In addition to the men’s team, freshman Shannon Porter will be representing the Boise State’s women’s team.

The Bronco men have competed in six races this season and finished in the top-five as a team in every meet. In their most recent performance the men’s team traveled to Reno, Nev. and raced to a third-place finish in the Western Athletic Conference Championships. The men were led by freshman Kevin Rosaeen who finished in fifth-place overall, which was good enough to earn him All-WAC First Team and WAC Freshman of Year honors. In addition to Rosaeen’s fifth-place finish, junior Sawyer Bosch and freshman Jeff Howard earned All-WAC Second Team for their 11^th and 14^th-place finishes. Juniors Scott Foley, Kevin Higgs, sophomore Brian Pierre, and freshman Jeff Howard and Zach Wiles round out the men representing the Broncos in Eugene.

The meet will be filled with some of the best teams and individuals in the country. If the men are able to put together their first really good race this season they will have a chance at surprising a lot of teams.

Even though the women’s team didn’t qualify for the West Region Championships, Shannon Porter qualified with her sixth-place overall finish at the Western Athletic Conference Championships. Porter’s performance at the conference championships was good enough to earn her All-WAC First Team. The key for Porter and the men’s team will be to stay relaxed and work their way through the crowds of runners

The NCAA West Region Championship will consist of a 10-kilometer men’s race and a 6-kilometer women’s race. The Men will get underway at 11:45 a.m. and the women will follow an hour later at 11:45 a.m.

Fashion according to ME!: What’s your style?

Courtesy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:24:05 +0000

April Wisniewski

I often wonder where people get their style influence. For me, I just know what I like. I do have some fashion icons but don’t necessarily agree with all of their choices or designs. I often like to rebel against them.

For instance…when the leggings re-emerged I swore I would never wear them, it took me about two months and now I have more pairs than I care to admit. Same thing went for Uggs. I still do not own a pair of authentic ones but since the popularity of the outdoor slipper boot, I have purchased a pair of more stylish, less slipper-like ones.

I recently discovered that “hammer” pants are back but are now called “harem” pants. I am sad to say I am extremely excited about this. When I was younger, I was queen of the “hammer” pant. They have been changed a bit, a little more tailored, and updated…I am stoked.

I want to be one of those people that stay tried and true to her fashion convictions but I am not. One day I may be making fun of one of my friends, as I do, and then, unfortunately, I may change my mind and they may turn around and make fun of me.

Fashion is fair play as far as I am concerned. I don’t make the excuse,“I am a woman therefore entitled to change my mind.” I change my mind because my taste changes…and I can.

So…I would like to know, what are your favorite styles of the now and why?

I have my fashion rules…I am not saying that they are right but they are mine. I am compiling a list of do’s and don’ts but I figure it should not just be mine if that is possible. I want know everyone’s opinions. For instance…I say never wear socks with Teva’s.

My friend Marcus says no shorts with Uggs. I happen to agree but I do wear ugg-alikes (not with shorts). My friend Ashley gets annoyed when the only thing from seeing a boys butt is his boxers. General consensus says never show a “whale tail”. (If you are not familiar with this term, it is when a thong is exposed over the waistband of ones pants).

I do realize that different age ranges have different tastes. That’s why I believe a forum such as BSU will be a plethora of information since we have all age ranges.

Therefore in the next couple of weeks I would like to receive from you, the reader, your likes and dislikes. I believe this will be good insight for all of us. I am always curious to learn about people, especially what and why they choose to wear what they wear.

Please email me at: pinkhairdiva@gmail.com. Include as much information as you see fit- likes, dislikes, age or age range, who or what influences you and anything else you would like to say.

I plan to write the outcome in about three weeks, so I would appreciate as much information as possible. Also, let me know if you want your name published as I will only do that upon permission.

In the next weeks to come:
Everything you ever wanted to know about Stilettos’ and possibly more.
The importance of accessories.

Lights on: Let’s be honest here

Haley Robinson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:17:22 +0000

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.

Bronco wrestling looks to take program to next level

Matt Bedinger — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:17:47 +0000

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.

Brockel, Kaiserman likely out for season

Trent Lootens — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:12:19 +0000

JOSH RASMUSSEN/THE ARBITER. Freshman receiver Kirby Moore will carry a heavier load as the season progresses due to injuries the Broncos have sustained on offense.

Boise State routed Idaho last week 63-25, but at a high cost for BSU.

Senior fullback and NFL prospect, Richie Brockel, injured his foot early in the game against the Vandals. When he returned to the sidelines he was in street cloths and on crutches. The diagnosis at this time is not exactly known, but according to BSU head coach Chris Petersen, Brockel will miss the remainder of the season, ending his career at BSU.

“It means a lot because Richie brings more intangible things than he does even physically,” Petersen said of his missed captain. “He’s a physical tone setter for us on offense. He’s also the voice of reason and he’s the most mature guy that we have on the entire team.”

Brockel is the unsung leader of the offense on and off the field. Losing a player of that caliber late in the year is hard for a young team, but his presence will still be with the team wherever they go.

“He was a pretty vocal guy in the locker room and during the pre game,” freshman wide receiver Kirby Moore said. “Losing Richie is a big deal.”

Austin Pettis, who had four touchdown catches against Idaho, knows just how much Brockel meant to this team and is still trying to cope with the fact that the captain will not be in the huddle again.

“It’s a lot of leadership that we’re losing on the field, but he’s still going to be a part of this team no matter what,” Pettis said.

The Broncos must now turn to sophomore fullback, Dan Paul, from Boring, Oregon. The sophomore has played sparingly during the season and has big shoes to fill in the absence of BSU’s only starting offensive senior. Coach Petersen feels confident Paul will step up and keep the Broncos playing at a high level.

“Dan’s been making great strides all year long and I think he’s in a place where we need him to be to take that next step and really carry that flag for Richie,” Petersen said.

Another unfortunate loss came to up-and-coming freshman running back Matt Kaiserman, who broke his leg late in the Idaho game after throwing his first touchdown on a trick play to tight end Kyle Efaw. Kaiserman’s injury is a significant blow to the already beleaguered BSU backfield. The running game lost junior D.J. Harper to an ACL tear earlier in the season against Fresno State. The Broncos are now down to only two productive backs with Jeremy Avery and Doug Martin.

“Kaiser’s going to be okay down the road. It’s just such a bummer for us and for him. He’s had a hard year anyway getting going and we were just starting to get him in the mix in a bunch of different things,” Petersen said.

Sophomore receiver, Tyler Shoemaker, was also injured during the victory over rival Idaho and also left on crutches after the game. His status is questionable for this weekend’s game at Utah State. Petersen said they’re still waiting on the doctors to evaluate him before they make any decisions going forward. Kirby Moore will likely step into Shoemaker’s slot position this weekend against USU.

The Weekly Buzz Kill: America’s fast track to socialism

Josh Gamble — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:35:25 +0000

This is the face of an EVIL SOCIALIST! OOGA BOOGA BOOGA!

As you may well know, I fancy myself to be a tad bit liberal. Go figure, right? Well, because I enjoy fact-checking information that I receive via anonymous chain letters (read: I am a commy), I decided to look into this whole socialism thing. What I found was incredibly, well, reasonable.

Socialism isn’t the gateway system to communism or tyranny. In fact, many countries do it extremely well and seem to enjoy just as much personal freedom as any American does (potentially more, since they aren’t slaves to the insurance companies). The essence of socialism isn’t government control so much as a shared sense of community and common decency. Basically the way it works is that citizens pay into a pot by way of taxes and then that money is used to improve the quality of life for the rest of the country.

Socialist nations aren’t evil. Really, they aren’t, I promise. Nations such as the United Kingdom, most of the European Union and Canada (America’s hat), all have an integrated and mostly beloved socialist government. Perhaps you haven’t been overseas lately, but they seem to be doing just fine for themselves. They’ve replaced the conservative standard of “individual responsibility” (a.k.a. the philosophy of “MINE!”) with the radical idea of helping each other when one falls on hard times with medical care and welfare instead of casseroles.

As a result, most of the western world has higher literacy and life expectancy, but lower rates of poverty, crime, homelessness, unemployment, drug use and unnecessary death due to “pre-existing conditions.” After learning all this, I wondered why America doesn’t have more socialist policy around. Then I realized that we do.

Raise your hand if you’ve been to public schools. Okay, put it down, you probably look ridiculous. Have you ever called the police or fire department? Do you have a parent or grandparent on Medicare? Do you ever enjoy PBS or free local TV? Do you drive on roads? In Idaho this is sometimes arguable.

Congratulations! You’re a socialist.

America has a number of socialist services that most people take for granted. Why not take the ability to treat your “hand-gun misfire bullet wounds” for granted too? Can you think of a good reason not to have universal health care? If taxes are raised to do it, you’ll still save money compared to your insurance bill. The only legitimate fear of socialism is that it will be screwed up by the government.

Okay, fair enough. Look at public education. The problem for some with socialism is that it decreases inequality, which I’m sure certain members of corporate America and congress would find inconvenient.

America has a truly massive GDP. We should be able to afford to treat our sick and injured. Maybe if we stopped subsidizing successful corporations, spending $1,000,000,000 on housing potheads in prison and giving no-bid, cost-plus (we pay back whatever they spend plus a service fee) contracts to Halliburton, we could scrounge up the money. We might even have enough left over to create jobs via public works projects thereby stimulating the economy, reduce our debt to China and send our kids home with textbooks to do their homework.

Look, I know the Cold War was scary, but it’s been over for close to 20 years. We don’t need to be afraid of socialism. Would you rather see someone you vote for running things or a faceless corporate entity? Just because Michael Moore advocates socialism doesn’t mean you can’t. Trust me, I find him just as obnoxious as everyone else does, but socialism isn’t evil.

Richard Nixon is.

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Treasure Valley bus system becoming more popular

Mike Johnson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:05:47 +0000

GLENN LANDBERG/THE ARBITER There are plenty of bus stops right around campus and make it a popular option for students.

The Treasure Valley’s “ValleyRide” saw a record amount of usage in fiscal year 2009, with 1.4 million riders. This increase happened despite a national decrease in the use of public transportation due to lower gas prices and increased unemployment, according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

“For (ValleyRide) to be seeing a ridership increase in these economic times is definitely bucking the national trend,” Mantill Williams, spokesperson for the APTA, said.

The Boise area saw a 14.7 percent increase this past year in ridership, the busiest route being route No. 9, which runs on State Street from downtown Boise to Glenwood/Gary Lane. The route served over 200,000 people in the last year.

“People are realizing that the bus routes can work for them,” Larry Pew, operations supervisor for ValleyRide, said. “They’re realizing that if they can ride transit even 2-3 times a week, it’ll help them save a lot of money and help the environment, not to mention the reduced stress levels of leaving their car at home.”

The Nampa/Caldwell area saw a larger increase, at 22.3 percent.

“With the new bus stop system, people realize they can ride the bus from their neighborhood, and it’s a much cheaper form of transportation,” General manager for the Nampa, Caldwell and Intercounty service area for Valley Regional Transit, Hollie Young said.

Young also attributes the rise in ridership to an increase in the student population.

“A lot of them (riders) are out of work, so they’re going back to school,” Young said.

ValleyRide allows students from Boise State, the College of Western Idaho, and Boise School District high schools to ride the bus free of charge, with a valid school ID.

BSU senior Brett Berning uses ValleyRide frequently.

“I commute either by bike or bus practically every day,” Berning said.

He claims ValleyRide would be much more convenient if buses ran later than 6:45 p.m.

“I have to plan out my days more time efficiently because I prefer to study at the library and often stay late so riding the bus is out of the question,” Berning said.

Bus fare for a single-use is $1. Passes can also be purchased for a full day’s use, 31 days, three months, six months or one year.

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Boise State establishes itself in world of college hockey

Josh Rasmussen — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:09:07 +0000

JOSH RASMUSSEN/THE ARBITER - Bronco netminder Dan Beaudrea prepares to stop a break-away shot from a University of Montana forward during a home game Nov. 6. at Idaho Ice World.

Boise State University football may make national headlines, and the women’s soccer players may call themselves Western Athletic Conference Champions, but none of their accomplishments came on ice.

The BSU hockey club, however, is in full swing, taking the ice by storm and has already played 13 of its 38 games this season.

Club president and team captain Dalton Smith, and his father, Lee, claim responsibility for starting the club 3 years ago.

“A lot of these kids came up together and want to play hockey,” Lee says. “They had nowhere else to go.”

It’s no small project to start a club either. It takes more than $40,000 yearly to play a full season. Lee is no longer designated the head coach though he handled those duties for the first two seasons.

JOSH RASMUSSEN/THE ARBITER - Boise State center, team captain and club president Dalton Smith extends toward the net during a shot in a home game against the University of Montana Nov. 6. at Idaho Ice World.

“I basically dumped my American Express into the first year just to prove we were serious,” Lee says.

To make matters more difficult, head coach Ken Beaudreau, in his first year coaching the Broncos, says, “I volunteer. The parents volunteer. The team manager, the assistant coach — no one gets paid. We are self-funded.”

He adds, “We’re always looking for sponsors. We’re always looking for support.”

The Broncos play as part of the ACHA (American College Hockey Association) in division II. The Broncos may play DII, but a DII hockey team doesn’t carry the same second-tier connotation as a DII football or basketball team. Other notable ACHA DII teams include Harvard, Ohio State University, New York University, Virginia Tech University, Arizona State University and the University of Idaho.

The rules most closely compare to those of the NCAA. Players must wear a full-cage on their helmets and fighting is forbidden. That doesn’t mean fights don’t happen. The penalty is an automatic ejection with a 1-game suspension as well as a 5-minute major another member of the team must serve during the game.

Like many sports, hockey demands a great deal from its players. To keep eligibility, each student must be a full-time, degree-seeking, with a minimum of nine credits and maintain a 2.0 GPA.

“It’s definitely been taking its toll on the whole team with grades, being gone every single weekend,” Dalton says. “It’s definitely intense. I don’t think somebody could hold a full-time job, go to school and play for a team. I personally don’t think it’s possible.”

But the reward is worth it to the players, most of whom grew up playing hockey. They manage themselves like any other hockey team.

“We don’t really allow any kind of drama between the players,” Dalton says. “Everyone shows a certain amount of respect for each other.”

BSU junior and 3-year-veteran of the WHL (Western Hockey League) Aaron Roberge’s several-team, multiple-league, hockey career came to an end 3 years ago in Canada but he maintains a love for the sport. Because of a by-law disallowing players with professional experience (WHL included) to play college hockey, he is ineligible to play with the Broncos but practiced with them a few times prior to receiving the news. The ACHA is not the WHL but some things never change.

“When I stopped playing hockey, I took a good, couple years off so … ya know how it is with guys on hockey teams — everyone’s really good, close friends,” Roberge says, “and there’s good camaraderie and everyone seems to get along. You get a feeling of being on a team and being with a group of guys who like to have fun and compete together.”

While athletes are often most-known through their sports, they are still responsible for daily life.

“Everything that happens at Boise State, the club sports, the varsity sanctioned sports — all of it’s important,” Ken says, “They’re all student athletes. These are people who are putting an enormous amount of time into their game, practice, school work and trying to get a degree. To me, they’re the finest of the finest.”

Ken has been coaching for 15 years at a variety of levels in multiple leagues including Peewees, Bantam, U-18 and the Idaho Rattlers. Youth soccer and YMCA roller hockey also help account for his coaching history.

“The game is almost secondary to what we’re trying to do,” he says, “which is make better men out of them — get them ready for the world.”

Ken’s son Dan Beaudreau, also the club vice president, serves as a 6’, 220-pound goalie for the Broncos. Coaching him has been really easy according to Ken.

“I’ve coached him for so many years and so many different teams that when we’re on the ice, he’s not my son and I’m not his father. We have kind of zoned that out, because I don’t understand goalies. They’re a totally different breed than anybody else. You’ve got to let him be who he is and trust him.”

The Broncos have a 23-man roster including former Idaho Junior Steelheads forwards Kevin Costello and Tyson Barnes and former Junior Steelheads AA defenseman Blake Englund. Boise is listed as the hometown for 13 of the 23 players.

A couple of the more-experience players are Dalton and brother Cortland Smith who combined for 54 of the team’s159 points in the 2008-2009 regular season. Cortland gets credit for leading the team in both goals (12) and assists (20) last season though he was followed closely by Dalton who tallied 11 of each.

Dalton’s hockey resume includes time with the Columbus Blue Jackets Midget Major AAA, an affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets.

Dalton says the team looks for “experienced players who are passionate about playing hockey.”

The club doesn’t only benefit players and fans. It also gives medical staff a chance to familiarize themselves with a new sport and learn its challenges. Gen Ludwig, the coordinator for injury prevention and care through Boise State says some of the most important differences are the rules and procedures. Also of educational value to new trainers are the pads and the order in which they are put on and likewise, taken off, should it be necessary during the treating and/or diagnosing of an injury.

The Broncos practice once a week on Wednesday.

The Broncos’ next home games are Friday and Saturday at Idaho Ice World at 10:00 p.m. against BYU.

To those who are new to the sport, Ken says, “Come out and learn the game. Come out with somebody who knows the game, learn it and (you) will fall in love with it when (you) see it live.”

‘Ignite Boise’ barbecues a rivalry, lights up design

Andrew Ford — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:54:19 +0000

Would Boise be a happier city if it had a rival? Can barbecue be boiled to greatness?

Hundreds of dreamers, problem-solvers and just interested Boiseans leaned forward to listen to the answers Thursday night. The answers were given as part of Ignite Boise 3; part presentation, part information and all inspiration for a city thirsty for ideas.

Its recipe is simple: Give anyone that has something to say five minutes and 20 slides to speak their mind.

The event, which shies away from using traditional advertising and instead relies on social media to spread its message, used the Twitter hashtag #IB3 to help the audience live Tweet the evening and find others watching at the theater or at home.

Before the presentations begin and again at intermission, a stream of statuses, questions and requests slid down the main screen showcasing everything the community had to say about Ignite Boise.

“There’s going to be diverse individuals giving some very, very cool topics tonight,” said Ron Baker, co-founder of Ignite Boise and co-owner of Rizen Creative.

Justin Kuntz, Ryan Lascano and Steve Norell gave the second presentation of the night as part of ConsiderDesign.org. The group highlighted the differences between good and bad design, comparing the tales of two different cities’ mass transit systems. They showcased Valley Ride’s Web site and showed how jumbled it was with many buttons and text scattered around. Next, they highlighted the city of Portland’s mass transit Web site which was simpler, used bolder colors and included a spot for your beginning and destination.

“Design is making people’s lives easier without making them realize it,” the group said.

While Consider Design focused on principals and a local example of something that could be improved, Brian Harrison weaseled his way to something a little different.

Harrison explained how, “without even trying,” you can get your way out of committing to just about anything. Harrison incited the audience to be conscious of the words they use, the commitments they don’t make, and then “find the action and decisiveness that is missing in today’s society.”

Harrison prompted how John F. Kennedy said we should visit the moon by the end of the decade, but first set a concrete goal.

“So why the change?” Harrison said. “Well, frankly, it’s just easier. What used to take days, weeks, months to prepare can now be changed in hours, minutes, seconds.”

He said that because plans can be both created and changed so quickly, they are.

“That snowball effect just keeps going.”

The most Twittered presentation of the night and likely the most talked about was Kevin Richert’s presentation, “Every Springfield Needs a Shelbyville.”

The Idaho Statesman’s editorial page editor, sporting a black U of I baseball cap, argued that Boise is very divided. While the town supports two football teams, it also has trouble with arguments on how bicyclists and automobile drivers share the road. Richert offered a solution.

The Treasure Valley should no longer fight amongst itself, but instead, press its angst against our closest rival, Tallahassee. He said the city is similary sized, is also a state capital and also hosts a large state-funded school, Florida State.

“I’m here to tell you that all roads lead to Tallahassee, Florida!” Richert said. ”Everything I read about Tallahassee, I don’t like. While we’re toughing it out in January, inversion month, these guys have temperatures in the low 60’s. Therefore, they’re wimps!”

During Richert’s presentation his slide read “Takeaways – We are better than Tallahassee.”

We’ll see.

The next Ignite Boise will be held April 22. Visit their Web site, IgniteBoise.com for information.

Ignite Boise 3 Talks:

1. How to Win 1-ups in Super Mario and Influence People
2. Consider Design
3. Weasel Words: How to Keep from Committing to Anything (Without Even Trying)
4. “Mad (Wo)Men”: The Women of ‘Mad Men,’ the Modern Women Who Love Them, and How to Know Which Mad (Wo)Man You Are
5. A $1 Trillion Loaf of Bread; or Backup Your Brain
6. Every Springfield Needs a Shelbyville
7. A Quick Primer on Slow-Cooked Barbecue (then Intermission)
8. How Eating Guinea Pigs Can Save the World (Or At Least Part Of It)
9. ADD-tastic
10. Science Quickies
11. Don’t be lazy, SAVE THE PLANET!
12. Draining the Swamp
13. The Farmer Who Went Postal
14. Hate What You See On the News? Well… It’s Your Fault.
15. All Aboard the Soul Funky Train (a.k.a. Fundamentals of Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication)

Notes from ‘The Stratosphere’

J. Freeman DeJongh — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:57:07 +0000

Arbiter journalist Jacob DeJongh attended and performed at his first poetry reading Friday night at A Novel Adventure downtown. Here’s his story:

I sat clammy and sweating caffeine bullets. I had drunk too much coffee and it only sharpened my already razor-tipped nerves. The notion of reading poetry to an audience outside of a classroom scared the hell out of me.

ZACH GANSCHOW/THE ARBITER J. Freeman DeJongh, a creative writing major and Arbiter journalist, produces poems and short stories from a brick closet known as "the Stratosphere."

I feel poetry is the most naked form of expression. There is no canvas to hide on, no diverse set of mediums, no instrument and no band for support. Only my voice, my words and of course, my tender little feelings. The microphone stand provided slight consolation, a hiding ground, though a device used to augment vocals can’t provide too much relief.

Being that this was my first poetry reading, I had no set routine or ritual for warm up. I read only a short bit, one poem. I thought to myself, “OK, if I can read this in two, maybe three breathes, I should be able to maintain stability.”

After a very minimal introduction, I read my single poem. It was fast and painless. I actually rather enjoyed it, to my surprise.

As for my actual writing process, I don’t really have one. I am really, very, lazy. I can never force creativity, I only write when I feel like, when the poem sort of just drops onto the paper. I do however make a minimal effort. I carry around a small leather-bound book. In it I write down my random thoughts, groovy lines and smooth words. I am an avid eavesdropper, I steal conversations from everyone around me.

I find myself writing mostly at night, late at night. My brain is dying, my stress has run out. As I begin to ponder sleep, fantastical thoughts creep up to greet the day’s experiences. This encounter produces my most desired content.

Poem: Untitled

You know when I lived as a catfish in the Nishnabotna
I would hold my breath as I swam past pipe fixtures
Even if they were just floating by
Lost limbs of the pesticide factory

My whiskers erect
There goes a threaded leg

Gasoline rainbows enshroud a 1912 T-model carcass
Coziest machine hosts a home collection of impaled worms

Catfish love crucifixions
I myself prefer funerals

Sharp dressed skeletons sway
Cinder blocks laced to their shiny black shoes

They say bridges are cliffs of hell
See their soggy faces
I chew their soggy eyes

A dead sex machine fell from one’s coat pocket

Rubber lust stuck in the mud
He always liked to deceive the people he loved

Poem assembles childhood summer

The tone is rather murky, it is set in a somewhat dark place, at the bottom of a murky river. You see broken fishing lines, baited hooks acting as worm crucifixions, a dead man who may have been an unsuccessful mobster, old automobiles, chemical pollution.

Despite these rather drab images, this poem hosts somewhat of a personal humor for me. As a kid, I spent my summer in the Iowa country side, My dad lives out there, outside of a little town, Red Oak. We lived pretty close to a river, the Nishnabotna, I spent much of my time down there on the sand bar, fishing, building sand castles, lighting off fireworks, cutting trees down, all the childood jazz.

One day while trekking around, my friend and I found a large battery-powered dildo stuck in the sand. I will mention I was probably thirteen years old at this time. We threw it in the four wheeler basket and drove back to his dad’s farm to prode him into an uncomfortable situation,we wanted to make him tell us what it was. Of Course we already knew, what thirteen year old in America doesn’t recognize the familiarity of such a device?

His dad was confused, he attempted to uttter a quick response. What he came up with was, “Yea, uh, that’s a, that’s an old fish trap, they used to use those back in the 80’s to catch fish, sorta an electro er shock kinda trap.”

It got thrown in the trash, end of tale. I forgot about this incident. Though one day recently while drinking coffee, by some odd influence this memory began to tickle me. I mean really? A dildo in a sandbar out in the middle of nowhere Iowa? How could it possibly get there? Of course, only vulgar conclusions come to mind, of which I wont elaborate on. But the poem is derived from this experience, writting from the perspective of a catfish, beneath the water.

I try to imply that the dead man was perhaps a nymphomaniac mobster who was murdered by design of cinder blocks being tied to his feet, being pushed off a bridge and drowned with his sexual device. With this I’ve attempted to view an odd situation from an even odder perspective. Do fish wonder why … why is this here?

Poem: Transient attraction

I’ve canned transient attraction.

Our loose palate roots will digest you with raw hunger. You stroke their bowels and ponder a million. Numbers are abysmal. You are forgotten without an orgy of tears.

Over indulgence has bred me anew and celibate. I thirst and lick at a casket of salt; rusted letters illustrate morbid reminiscence of when you swam like a fattened halibut in my belly. The salt cures this and I rest fulfilled.

I am a loose nut whose response to the wrench is un-mechanical.

I am surreal and chemical; my synthetic soul is wooed by overhead static of the trolley car cable. I wear suits of blackened styrofoam and spit transgender smirks at fee-line females. Mating calls in the form of jingling George’s sound from my palm. The steeply-priced cats only want green, I refuse to pay tiding and proceed to fillet their mannerisms.

Cannibalism, the opposite sex, feed “Transient Attraction”

Basically this poem is a statement about frustration with the opposite sex. In an absract sense, I attempt to present cannibalism, eating the opposite gender. Canning a woman, as if in a Campbell’s soup can and feeding her to children. Hence the digestion and bowels. The rest that follows, I suppose, is explanation of these undelightful feelings.