21 April 2009

Summer is coming - honest!

By Nick Franta
The Manifest Staff Writer

As the jeans start getting to warm to wear people are pulling out there shorts for summer. Summer is almost here the days are getting warmer and longer, people are getting anxious for this day to come when the temperature reaches seventy degrees, where they can go lay out in the sun and soak up some summer time fun.
In the United States and the rest of the northern hemisphere, the first day of the summer season is the day of the year when the Sun is farthest north, usually on June 20th or 21st. This day is known as the summer solstice. Most people think that this is that the earth is further from the sun in winter than in summer. Actually, the Earth is closest to the sun in December which is winter in the Northern hemisphere.
The day of the summer solstice is the longest day of the year. The length of time elapsed between sunrise and sunset on this day is a maximum for the year. In the United States, there are about fourteen in a half hours of daylight on this day.
Matt Van Eyck a student at the UW of Marinette can’t wait for this time of year to come. He told me that” he loves the feeling of just walking around town in some board shorts with his friends having a good time.” There are so many people who just love summer, my friend Brandyn Neville said “the best part of summer is getting to hang out with your friends do some good old skating and making laughs.”
To define the word summer it is said to be the warmest season of the year. What is there not to love about summer, going to the beach soaking up some sun, riding your bike, anything outside is pretty much fun in the summer.

Book costs depend on subject, publisher

By Ryan Neubert
The Manifest staff writer

Every year we have the big bill of paying our tuition. It seems though, that there is another cost that seems to be going up every year and that is the cost of books.
Ever wonder why campus bookstores don’t keep using the old edition or why you don’t get any money back from reselling a book?
Everyone seems to know Kathy Claycomb, who runs the bookstore at UW-Marinette. She can help answer your bookstore questions, but so can Scott Ward, (UW-Marinette position) in regards to questions about book pricing, buyback, and new editions.
So why do books seem to cost so much.
“Some of the ways that book prices are determined is there the list price and the retail price,” he stated. “Kathy is able to get a discount from a few of the publishers which mean that she is saving us money, with some of these discounts ranging between 20-40 percent.”
Another question was asking about books and why some can be used for multiple years and some only for a year? This rested with the publisher and faculty. We may think ‘why do they need to get the new edition and have us pay a lot of money for that book.’ Well, the reason that professors do this is because they can only use a certain book for so long until they have to get with the times. This goes into the next question of who decides what book is used for a class and again this rests with the faculty.
Then the day comes when students get to go back to the book store and sell our books back. It seems that we never get enough back for what we paid, so here were some answers I got from Ward.
“The bookstore has a 50-percent buyback of new purchases and if selling back a used book, if it was 75 dollars you can expect somewhere around 50 dollars back,” he explained. “It depends on the set on demand from wholesalers, whose resell ranges from 0-30-percent.”
If there was one thing I learned from this interview is that our professors are trying their hardest in trying to save us money by reusing books as long as they can. Another is that Kathy Claycomb is another person that does a lot in trying to save us money on books.

Lunch time at the UW-Marinette Field House gym

By KRYSTAL SHUTTE
The Manifest staff writer

Students at UW-Marinette have the opportunity to engage in a number of different clubs and groups.
The intramural program proves to be a success in bringing students together to enjoy some time away from the stresses of school and staying active. It’s a great way to socialize with other students, make some new friends and enjoy playing a sport that you love.
From the cold breezes of the winter to the fragrances of spring, students are able to take that much needed break from homework and studying to gather inside with other students, making plans for later that night, laughing at each other as they relieve some of the stress from the week or getting to know some new faces.
UW-Marinette offers a variety of different sports throughout the year.
During the fall months, flag football, volleyball and soccer are offered. Due to the lack of interest in the volleyball and soccer programs, they were cancelled this past fall. During the winter, coed basketball and indoor soccer are available for students to take part in. Indoor soccer runs every Thursday night in the Field House gymnasium. The basketball program is currently in progress with tournament time approaching in a couple of weeks. Championship games are slated for the week of April 20-24. This year the basketball program has six teams consisting of over thirty players. It is a mixture of players that were a part of the men’s and women’s basketball teams at UW-Marinette, along with other students enrolled at the campus. Students play every Tuesday and Thursday at noon. Softball is right around the corner, starting on April 14. Gather up your friends, make your way over to the field house, and enjoy some nice weather while socializing with your friends.
George Hayes, athletic director and head men’s basketball coach at UW-Marinette, is head of the Intramural program as well. He has taken an active role in being involved with the program by being early to set up for the sports, and being around as the students are playing. You might even catch him swinging a bat and running some bases in the spring time when softball starts up.
“I like seeing the enthusiasm of the kids, seeing them enjoy playing and that they get something out of it,” Hayes said. “It’s more of a social part, the kids sitting around gabbing and having a good time.”
There are some things that Hayes would like to see more of for the Intramural programs, he states, “I would like to see more students participate in some of the other sports. There is usually a good turn-out for flag football and basketball.” Hayes would like to see more participation and student involvement by simply having students talk up the sport or bring their friends. It’s a great way for students to have fun and enjoy themselves.
Jorden Fifield, a second year student at UW-Marinette, is also a part of the men’s basketball program and the basketball intramural program, has enjoyed his experience with Intramurals.
“It’s a good way to stay active, have fun with classmates and to just play some basketball,” he stated. “I would like to see more students interacting with it, and being involved with the sports.”
Fifield plays for the team “Off Constantly” who is seeded second for the tournament with a record of 3-1. His teams consists of men’s basketball player Cody Lechleitner, women’s basketball player Ann Marie Sterzing and student John Sweda.
There is also room for ideas and more sports to be added to the Intramural program.
“We are open to new ideas that anyone may have, just come and let me know,” Hayes explained. “We will try anything, within reason.”
Some of the new additions to the program consist of dodge ball and floor hockey. Floor hockey was discussed, but due to lack of interest it wasn’t a success this past fall. Hayes would like to try and get the program running again. He feels it will spark some interest by fall 2009.

Drinking patterns rub off on college students

By JORDON POGRANT
The Manifest Staff Writer

For many Wisconsin residents, the issue of alcohol consumption is all too familiar.
After all, it was the Dairy State that recently topped the charts with having the highest rates of binge drinkers in the United States while simultaneously having the highest percentage of traffic fatalities involving a drunk driver. In 2006, that number climbed to a staggering 42 percent in Wisconsin and claimed 305 lives.
Perhaps this should come as no surprise, seeing as Wisconsin serves the cheapest beer and alcohol throughout the nation in nearly 18,000 bars statewide. In fact, just south of Green Bay - the city of Appleton, Wis. with a population of 70,000 - has more bars than much larger cities such as Sacramento, Calif. and Memphis, Tenn.
As if the horrific statistics are not startling enough, the extended reach of alcohol-related problems on underage individuals, specifically college students, is shocking. Just like the state drinking problem, it seems the alcohol issues are ingrained within Wisconsin college students as well. Within the same state that holds the worst rank for most drinking categories, 24 percent of the population has had their first drink before the age of just 13. The trend continues, not only in the state, but across the nation. In the United States over two out of every five college students are binge drinkers, that is, at least five drinks in a row by men and four drinks in a row by woman, on at least one occasion in the previous two weeks. These figures turn deadly, as over 1,700 college students each year lose their lives to alcohol-related causes.
Though these numbers are shocking, they are compromised from a national average. Such drinking problems couldn’t possibly exist within the small UW-Marinette community, right? Wrong. In fact, a recent informal survey taken by 25 students on the Marinette campus showed that 35 percent of the students are binge drinkers - just under the national average of 40 percent.
Perhaps the reason that drinking rates are high within colleges including UW, is because it feels like the thing that one is supposed to do.
“I mean, when you’re a freshman in college, it’s kind of expected of you,” said Caitlyn Lock, a sophomore at the UW-Marinette. “It’s the norm, plus it’s the easiest way to go out and have a good time.”
College drinking very well may indeed be a fun and easy thing to do, and often expected, but also at times overdone.
That is not to say that every college student partakes in high risk drinking, as many do not.
“I don’t drink a whole lot for a bunch of reasons,” said an anonymous sophomore at UW. “I have had some family and friends who struggled with alcohol, and I feel like I can just find a lot better things to do with my time than get trashed,”.
Whichever the reason, college drinking has become a major issue not only in large four-year colleges, but also small community colleges such as UW. While not everybody joins in on the dilemma, 35 percent of a student body being classified as binge drinkers may be something to think about.
It may be time that college students re-evaluate the ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality.

Coffee anyone?

By DEBRA HANSON-BAYERL
The Manifest staff writer

What’s up with this new coffee fad?
We have gone from black coffee with cream and sugar to lattes, mochas, cappuccino and espressos. We have also gone from an inexpensive drink to a very costly one. Many students drink coffee every morning. We see students coming to school with cups of hot coffee from home or foam cups from their favorite coffee establishment. Whether it is the gas station or a favorite coffee place, we have many in our area.
But what is it about coffee now?
It is all about taste and each person has their own desired flavor. Some just want a steaming hot cup of coffee to warm up, others want a stronger cup to wake them up. Many like all the flavored syrups to sweeten up a boring cup of black coffee, all that sugar also might give them an energy burst.
At UW-Marinette, we have coffee brewing between 8:30-1:00 at the Costa Café.
They serve several types of coffee:
Small Large
Regular coffee $1.00 1.50
Caffe’ Mocha $3.09 3.99
Costa Carmella $3.49 4.29
Caffe’ Latte $2.59 3.19
Morning Kick $2.49 3.29
Cappuccino $2.99 3.39
Espresso single: $1.79 doubles: $2.29
Americano $2.49 2.89
Flavors include: Almond, caramel, cinnamon, coconut, hazelnut, Irish crème, strawberry, vanilla.
Michael Paris, a student at U.W.Marinette, likes the taste of the coffee and enjoys it. He likes regular coffee, but sometimes orders a double shot of espresso.
“One cup will do it for the day,” he said, “if I order a double shot.”
On campus, the coffee preference differs from one person to the next.
Joe Bieschke doesn’t drink coffee often “but likes the coffee available at the campus café.” He said it “wakes him up when tired.”
Stephen Frank drinks “only a couple of cappuccinos each week because the price is too high.” He also says, “The coffee is good, but it’s over priced.” He stated “just a regular coffee is a better price.”
“The café makes a good cup of coffee, but not as good as Zingers,” laughed Professor Jane Otzinger, referring to the Marinette Avenue coffee shop.
She would recommend, “The Americano, which is two shots of espresso with hot water and cream. It makes a very rich cup of coffee.”
Do we drink coffee to wake up, be more alert, boost our memory before a big exam, or just because we enjoy a good cup of hot coffee? Does coffee and caffeine actually wake us up?
Many studies have been done on mental alertness, memory enhancement, and possible benefits against certain types of disease.
It seems the amount of coffee consumed in each person affects them differently. Everyone has their own threshold or limit on how much is too much. Some people shake or become jittery after drinking coffee, others drink it all day and it has no such affect on them. Lori Cooper, a student at UW-Marinette, said “she can drink 3 pots of coffee during the day and fall right to sleep at night.”
Mrs. Larissa Hogan, associate lecturer of Anatomy and Physiology on campus, states personally “coffee makes her shake, and has not drank coffee for 3 months”. In regards to what she thought of some of the scientific facts pertaining to benefits of drinking coffee, she states “Research keeps changing.”
To find out any specific answers to questions you might have, she refers to many reputable web sites: American Association for the Advancement of Science or Harvard Health Letter. Then enter “coffee research” or “caffeine” in their search engine.
Coffee has become a booming business for all establishments who carry coffee products or sell brewed cups of coffee. Coffee also adds flavor to many recipes. Some of them can be found at www.coffeescience.org.
Coffee has become a new fad on an old favorite product. Coffee is everywhere; people are decorating homes using coffee themes: coffee cups and coffee pots on pictures, curtains, towels, wall plaques, clocks, and rugs. You name it and you can probably buy it at local shops and specialty home décor shops.
Have you had your cup today?

Quill publication offers truly creative writing

By LEA BEIER
The Manifest Staff Writer
Noting the similarities between The Manifest and The Quill, one may take into account the fact that these two UW-Marinette campus publications are both written by the university's students.
Both papers focus on different subject matter, in which pertain to typical student life - some of which are clear to the eye and others which are not.
English professor Amy Reddinger, also known as Dr. A, offered perspective, considering her work with the Writer's Club and The Quill on campus. While trying to better understand the main differences between The Manifest and The Quill, Dr. A mentioned how The Quill came about. She explained how a group of students, which include UW-Marinette's Mike Paquet, Ashley Wehrli, and Darwin Adams, became active members of Writer’s Club and strove to expand on their love for literature.
"They were looking for a way to publish some of their creative writing without having to wait until the spring when we publish Northern Lights,” Dr. A stated.” They also wanted a way to raise awareness about the Writer’s Club".
Northern Lights is a literary journal in which any UW Marinette staff, faculty, or student can submit a form of art including; a drawing, an essay, or a poem. After submission, all pieces are judged by an editorial committee, in which only the highest ranked make it into Northern Lights.
Sitting in on one of the Writer's Club meetings one may listen in on the conversations among the active members as they discuss new ideas for up and coming papers. Also, in at the beginning of their typical meetings, club participants are asked to read some of their creative literary work aloud, where they then receive active feedback from their peers. Another section of their meetings are devoted to ideas for ways to promote The Quill and make the Writer's Club heard.
The participating students were asked vital questions such as how often do they meet for their meetings ( every Monday at noon). Serving as the typical time in which the dynamic members indulge one another with information, Monday afternoons seem to be the most suitable time for all applicants.
Another piece of crucial information would stand as to when The Quill prints, although there seems to be no specific time, the members try to get their next issue out as soon as possible. Dr. A explained her enthusiasm for journalism class, which is responsible for putting together The Manifest, offered by the University.
"I am really glad there is a journalism class and The Manifest,” she stated. “It is a really different purpose and focus than what we do in The Quill."
How different?
“The Manifest focuses on news and events, and The Quill is all about creative writing,” she stated.
The best part about both of these papers includes reading about facts and stories which are written by UW's students. Whether one enjoys reading about nonfactual creative jargon or the polar opposite factual information dealing with the campus, The Quill and The Manifest both have the content to intrigue every individual.