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7/28/2019 75 Issue 2
1/20
Rant & Rave:
MSU-Billings &
the Invisible Voter
Pg. 2
COB No More!
Say Hello to
McDonald Hall
Pg. 3
Dining Woes:
What will you pay
to eat on campus?
Pg. 4
Supreme Court of
Montana on
Campus?
Pg. 5
Piracy & the
Recording Industry
Pg. 5
Parking Problems
Pg. 6
How to: Live on a
College Budget!
Pg. 9
My Summer
in Africa...
Pg. 10
Laugh Your Head Off !
Pg. 11
Movie Buffs
Movie Reviews
Pg. 16
Cross Country Trek
Pg. 18
Getting To Know You:
Alberta Letoa is Cold!
Pg. 19
Meet The Retort
Pg. 20
Volume 75 - Issue 2 - October 6, 2003
Out of the Sept. 16 denate
meeting, senior, mass communica-
tions major Justin Sian, was ap-
pointed ASMSU-Bill ings vice
president. On his recent appoint-
ment, Sian mentioned that, Im
excited and anxious about my new
appointment. I have many great
ideas and goals for the upcoming
year, and I look forward to work-
ing with senate to accomplish
them.
Carla Amerson, formerASMSU-Billings student resolu-
tions officer, has emerged as the
new president of student govern-
ment in the Sept. 22 election.
Amerson, a senior, double major-
ing in secondary education-art
and special education, hopes that
she will be able to accomplish two
goalsFirst, I want to increase the
awareness of the impact that the
Associated Students organization
has on the student body of MSU-
Billings. In addition to this, I want
to educate the student population
about the fiscal policy and appro-
priation of student fees that student
senate delegates each year.
Amerson said, I want to lessen the
appearance of student apathy on
the campus in regards to policy and
procedure at MSU-Billings.
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Jeremy SeidlitzStaff Writer
Unexpected Resignations Force Changes in
ASMSU-Billings Student Government
The Associated Students of
Montana State University-Billings has
been through some rather difficult
times during the Fall 2003 semester.
The unexpected resignation of both
the student body president, and vice
president have forced the student or-
ganization appoint a new vice-presi-
dent, and to call a special presidential
election.Ray Champ, former student
body president, resigned his position
to continue his summer employment.
Christina Sprague, former student
body vice-president, resigned to pur-
sue a career in a youth development
program. The unique perspectives
that these two individuals brought to
ASMSU-Billings will be missed by
the organization. This is the first time
in ASMSU-Billings history that there
have been resignations in both the
president and vice-president positions.
In the interim, Adam Lucido
(junior, business management, mass
communication), ASMSU-Billings
business manager, has been the act-
ing president pro-tempore. In addi-
tion to his capacity as business man-
ager, Lucido has been working on
the appointment of vice-president,
conducting senate meetings, and
helping prepare for the organiza-
tions orientation retreat. When
asked about the resignations,
Lucido replied:
To be candid, it is a bit frus-
tratingthe first two weeks of
school are always vital in prepar-
ing for the up-and-coming school
year, and leadership during this pe-
riod should be paramount. Its hard
when a situation like this occurs be-
cause it really isnt fair to the stu-
dent body when they are unable to
begin the year with elected student
leadership. Thats not to say, how-
ever, that the leadership has not
been here. Everyone in this office
has done their part to uphold the
dignity and professionalism that
students deserve from ASMSU-
Billings.
To be cand id, it is
a bit
frustrating...
leadership during
this period should
be paramount
7/28/2019 75 Issue 2
2/20
Janna HuhtalaJanna HuhtalaJanna HuhtalaJanna HuhtalaJanna HuhtalaValerie YoungValerie YoungValerie YoungValerie YoungValerie Young
Richard Cast il loRichard Cast il loRichard Cast il loRichard Cast il loRichard Cast il loJed BartonJed BartonJed BartonJed BartonJed BartonNicole MassNicole MassNicole MassNicole MassNicole MassJennifer FentonJennifer FentonJennifer FentonJennifer FentonJennifer Fen tonMi Suk KimMi Suk KimMi Suk KimMi Suk KimMi Suk KimAdam WickensAdam WickensAdam WickensAdam WickensAdam WickensVACANTVACANTVACANTVACANTVACANTAmy Whit tleAmy Whit tleAmy Whit tleAmy Whit tleAmy Whit tleChristopher SnowChristopher SnowChristopher SnowChristopher SnowChristopher SnowDan HansenDan HansenDan HansenDan HansenDan Hansen
Jason Lill ieJason Lill ieJason Lill ieJason Lill ieJason Lill ieBetsy HarrisBetsy HarrisBetsy HarrisBetsy HarrisBetsy HarrisMiranda BredingMiranda BredingMiranda BredingMiranda BredingMiranda BredingBecky ButcherBecky ButcherBecky ButcherBecky ButcherBecky Butcher
Josh DavidsonJosh DavidsonJosh DavidsonJosh DavidsonJosh DavidsonBrett HarrisonBrett HarrisonBrett HarrisonBrett HarrisonBrett Harrison
Linsey LindgrenLinsey LindgrenLinsey LindgrenLinsey LindgrenLinsey LindgrenLarissa LeonardLari ssa LeonardLarissa LeonardLari ssa LeonardLarissa LeonardBen MonteithBen MonteithBen MonteithBen MonteithBen Monteith
Jessalyn RemingtonJessalyn RemingtonJessalyn RemingtonJessalyn RemingtonJessalyn RemingtonEvelyn IrmenEvelyn IrmenEvelyn IrmenEvelyn IrmenEvelyn Irmen
Nancy SwansonNancy SwansonNancy SwansonNancy SwansonNancy Swanson
1500 University Drive SUB 2251500 University Drive SUB 2251500 University Drive SUB 2251500 University Drive SUB 2251500 University Drive SUB 225Billings MT 59101Billings MT 59101Billings MT 59101Billings MT 59101Billings MT 59101
Business & Newsroom: 657-2194Business & Newsroom: 657-2194Business & Newsroom: 657-2194Business & Newsroom: 657-2194Business & Newsroom: 657-2194Fax: 657-2191Fax: 657-2191Fax: 657-2191Fax: 657-2191Fax: 657-2191
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Guidelines & Policies
The Retort encourages the submission of let-
ters to the Editor. Letters must be under 250
words in length and include name, signature,
and phone number. The Retort reserves the
right to edit for space and possible libel. Let-
ters should deal with subject matter relevant
to the students, faculty, and staff of MSU-
Billings. The Retort is published every other
Tuesday. Letters must be submitted by theFriday after the most recent issue date.
The Publications Board of ASMSU-B advises
The Retort, leaving content decisions to the
editors. Opinions expressed in The Retort are
not necessarily those of its members, the col-
lege, students, student government, state gov-
ernment, or federal government.
Editors and StaffEditors and StaffEditors and StaffEditors and StaffEditors and Staff
Janna HuhtalaEditor-in-Chief
Rant & Rave: Editors OpinionMSU-Billings and The Invisible Voter
The computers at the MSU-Bill-
ings Student Government Voting Polls
are empty right now. Inside the Student
Union Building, the hallway is remark-
ably quiet compared to the usual loud
chaos that follows lunchtime. Students
are passing through at an astonishing
speed, (perhaps breaking the sound
barrier) spr inting past the voting booth
without even glancing at the poll
worker who is frantically giving her
spiel. Vote for the MSU-Billings
President! Only takes five seconds!
Without missing a beat she calls out to
the next speed walker as he pulls his
earphones down and gives his attention
to her. This dedicated student has just
taken a few seconds to listen to what
our loyal student senator has to say.Where are the rest of the huddled
masses wishing to change the world
with one simple vote? Not here, and
most are giving reasons to keep walk-
ing without hesitation. No thank
you, Im late to class, and I cant,
I am a nursing student, were the most
common excuses. Understandable is
the complication between upper-divi-
sion nursing students registered in
Bozeman who do not have an MSU-
Billings identification number, but
No thank you, doesnt seem to be a
viable justification. Why wouldnt you
want to use the most basic American
priv ilege to the advantage of yourself
and your fellow student?
The voting booth is empty now;
the one dedicated student has walked
away with his shiny I Voted sticker.
The only one left is the faithful and
relentless senator still trying to entice
the passing students to stop for just a
few seconds of their time. A pair of
invisible voters has taken the place of
the students who chose to waive their
voting rights.
What is the real reason behind
this decline in interest for the well be-
ing of the MSU-B students? Are they
unaware of the issues, the candidates
or are they oblivious of the student
government purpose in this school? Letme take a second (a paragraph or two)
to fill you in on the organization that
spends your money.
The Associated Students of
Montana State University-Billings is
the governing body who controls a
perc entage of your student fees and
they also make changes on campus for
the good of the students as a whole.
Currently made up of a president, vice
presiden t, business manager, student
resolution officer, and approximately
18 student senators, they meet every
Tuesday afternoon at 5 p.m. to discuss
current issues on campus and try to
improve the quality of education and
the environment of our campus. Now
comes the tricky part: while senators
are not paid, they volunteer eight
hours a week plus of their free time to
organize events, discuss issues and
solve problems much like Superman
or Spiderman. They are UNPAID cru-
saders for justice and stability for the
more than 5,200 students enrolled in
classes at MSU-B, even those who
study online from different parts of the
globe. The executive cabinet (pres.,
v.p, etc.) are paid a stipend for the 30+
hours that they put into planning meet-
ings, coordinating events, bringing to-
gether the different committees that
control the legislature and financial
polic ies of ASMSU-B. All of these po-
sitions, with the exception of the busi-
ness manager, SRO, Retort editor (me)
and the Student Union Activities
Council chair, who are appointed by
the executive cabinet, are voted into
Senate by youthe students. These
specially selected students also fund
organizations such as SUAC and the
Retort; they appropriate student fee
money to the different education de-
partments seeking funds for students
to attend conferences nationwide.
They give money to the Northcutt-
Steele Gallery in addition to funding
new equipment on campus. They also
sponsor dances, parades, and givemoney to The Giving Tree project and
the annual Festival of the Trees. THEY
SPEND YOUR MONEY!
As enlightened scholars-to-be,
you should care that the people run-
ning the government are being ap-
point ed by only 3.5 percent of the reg-
istered students. That is a whopping
179 students out of almost 5,200 stu-
dents. Of the freshman senators voted
into student government in the elec-
tions on Sept. 16, two were elected by
97 votes combined. WHAT!? I voted
in that election so I know that one of
the 97 votes is mine since I voted for
one of the winning senators. What has
happened to expressing our opinions
and our views by voting the best can-
didate in? This isnt The Lottery (the
novel by Shirley Jackson, not the
money cesspool), you wont get stoned
if you put your name in the computer
and click Vote. You are merely ex-
ercising the right to free opinion,
speech, and the freedom to vote.
Often times I hear students com-
plaining about parking, professors, and
the cost of food on campus, so I ask
them one question: Did you vote in
the senate elections this year? If the
answer is no, I say to them: If you
cant take time to vote the people into
office that are taking care of these prob-lems every spare minute they have, then
you dont have a reason to complain.
That usually shuts them up. However,
if the answer is yes, I suggest that they
talk to a student senator or the SRO
about their concerns or even apply to be
a senate candidate in the spring. The way
to make a difference is by taking charge
of your future on this campus. Vote, or
at least get involved in ASMSU-B and
make a difference now. God gave you a
voice and free will, so use it!
Pushing the invisible voter out of
the way and taking an empty seat in front
of the computer, I type in my student
ID number and I vote. When I click that
little vote icon, I feel a rush of pride
and control. Much like receiving a pay-
check or a diploma, voting is a tradition
and privilege that I refuse to take for
granted. Even in local, state and national
elections, I dutifully stand in line at the
polls or turn in my absentee bal lot in an
attempt to control my future. Ok, not
control, because I care about my fellow
students and I want good people in
charge of my future and that is why I
vote. Now its your turn.
7/28/2019 75 Issue 2
3/20
BILLINGS In recognition
of the largest philanthropic giftgiven to Montana State Univer-
sity-Billings in its 76 year his-
tory, the College of Business
building will now be known as
McDonald Hall.
A dedication and naming
ceremony took place during a
news conference Sept. 17 at
10:30 a.m., naming the build-
ing in honor of the Judith and
Sam E. McDonald, Jr. family of
Billings who, exactly one year
ago, announced they were con-
tributing $1.4 million to theMSU-Billings Foundation, ear-
marked for the College of Busi-
ness. McDonald is best known
as Chairman and CEO of
Wendys of Montana.
The MSU-Billings Founda-
tion purchased the Lowe Profes-
sional Building in 1996 and re-
modeled it extensively to provide
a permanent home for College of
Business classrooms, faculty and
staff offices, the Center for Ap-
plied Economic Research and the
Montana Business Incubator.
Prior to the purchase of the
facility, College of Business
classes and office space were lo-
cated in a variety of places on
campus.
The acquisition and renova-
tion of the College of Business
building was costly, according to
the president and CEO of the MSU-
Billings Foundation, Marilynn
Miller, and a number of commu-
nity partners stepped forward with
significant contributions, notably
First Interstate Bank of Commerce
and the First Interstate BancSystem
Foundation, NorthWestern Energy,
US Bank, and MDU Resources
Foundation. In addition, federal ap-
propriations secured by Montanas
Congressional delegation including
Senator Conrad Burns, SenatorMax Baucus, and Congressman
Denny Rehberg helped tremen-
dously with the costs, and by 2002
the debt remaining on the building
was reduced to $400,000.
The $1.4 million gift from
the McDonald family will accom-
plish two things over the course
of the next few years, according
to Miller. The first is that the re-
maining mortgage on the
McDonald Hall building will be
eliminated. The second is that the
Judith and Sam E. McDonald, Jr.
Family Excellence Fund has been
established. This $1 million en-
dowed fund will advance the mis-
sion and goals of the MSU-Bill-
ings College of Business in per-
petuity, Miller said.
Dr. Ron Sexton, chancellor
of MSU-Billings, says On be-half of the faculty, staff and stu-
dents of Montana State Univer-
sity-Billings and the College of
Business, I wish to express to
Sam, Judy, Greg, Eileen and
Deborah my most sincere and
College of Business Building Named McDonald Hallheartfelt thanks and deepest ap-
preciation for their inspiring en-
trepreneurship and generous
philanthropic leadership which
has and will continue to greatly
impact the College of Busi-
ness, our students, faculty,
this community, and the en-
tire University, he added,
The dedication and naming
of the College of Business
facility as McDonald Hall is
a symbol of the major impact
the McDonald family gift
has made on the story of
Montana State University-
Billings and on its history.
We are here to thank andhonor the Judith and Sam E.
McDonald, Jr. family for
their investment in the future
of the students of the College of
Business, the University and our
community.
Dr. Joe Michels, Dean of the
College of Business, also ex-
pressed deep appreciation to the
McDonald family for their phil-
anthropic contribution. All of
us in the College of Business are
extremely proud that our home
from today on will be known asMcDonald Hall, Michels stated.
Each of us who occupies this Hall
knows that our building is named
for a family with a rich heritage of
pride, honor and unblemished and
unquestioned integrity.
Jeremy SeidlitzStaff Writer
A rundown of the MSU-
Billings fee schedule illustrates
that every student enrolled full
time is assessed a fee of $33.50
for Associated Students of
MSU-Billings. The other fees
assessed for buildings, athletics,
and health services are easy to
figure out. However, what does
this investment in the associated
students mean for the students of
MSU-Billings?
There are 22 elected or ap-
pointed members of the Associ-
ated Students which include:
President- Serves as a liai-son between the student body and
the administration. (Elected)
Vice president - Conducts
Student Senate meetings accord-
ing to Roberts Rules of Order.
(Elected)
Business manager - Over-
sees the proper allocation of stu-
dent fee monies. (Appointed)
Student Resolution Office -
A student resource for problems
with grades, professors, or gen-
eral school issues. (Appointed)
Political action director
(during legislative years) - An in-
dividual who researches legisla-
tive issues that pertain to the stu-
dents of MSU-Billings. This in-
dividual collaborates with the
student lobbyist to ensure that the
students of MSU-Billings are
represented at the Montana State
legislature. (Appointed)
Student Senators (18) - Col-
laborate to discuss allocation of
student fees. Represent the stu-
dent body in campus wide
groups. (Elected)
The president, vice presi-dent, business manager, student
resolution, and political action
director create the executive
cabinet of ASMSU-Billings.
These individual receive a sti-
pend for their work and are con-
tracted to spend at least 15 hours
a week in the student government
officeSUB 213.
The ASMSU-Billings allo-
cates student funds through sev-
eral channels. First, there is ap-
prox imately 30 thousand that
registered students can petition
the student government directly
for if they want to put on an event
or attend a conference. Depend-
ing on enrollment, the student
government has approximately
300 thousand to allocate for
budgeted accounts. Some of
these accounts include childcare
scholarships, graduation convo-
cations, graduate/undergraduate
student research, drama commit-
tee, a student lobbyist (during
legislative years), and a staff at-
torney who offers basic legal ser-
vices to students for subsidizedrates. In addition, there are sev-
eral student organizations, which
are budgeted on a yearly basis in-
cluding the Retort student news-
paper, Northcutt/Steele Art Gal-
lery, and the Student Activities
board. All of these groups are
open to the student body of
MSU-Billings.
The ASMSU-Billings are
more than stewards of student
feescollectively they serve as
liaisons between the student body
and the administration of MSU-
Billings. The president and vice-
president have weekly meetings
with the chancellor, and the vice
chancellor of student affairs par-
ticipates in the executive cabinet
meetings. The administration
pr esen ts al l pr op os ed fe e in -
creases to the student government
before the increases are imple-
mented. If any student has any
concerns about his or her aca-
demic experience at MSU-Bill-
ings, he or she can find help
through the various agencies of
the ASMSU-Billings in SUB-213or at 657-2365.
The Programs and Services of the Associated Students of MSU-Billings
PressRelease
7/28/2019 75 Issue 2
4/20
The Symptoms and Prevention of West Nile VirusSymptoms
Only 20 percent of those ex-
posed to WNV will de-
velop mild symptoms
while about one in 150
will experiencesevere symp-
toms. These
symptoms typically
appear from three
to 14 days after
being bitten. M i l d
s ym pt om s, according to
the CDC, include headache, fever,
and vomiting lasting a maximum
of several days. Severe symptoms
include high fever, coma, disori-
West Nile virus is a potentially
serious, mosquito-borne virus that
has spread throughout the UnitedStates. According to the Center for
Disease Control and Preventions
website, there have been 159 re-
ported cases of human illness in
Montana alone. While the virus is
usually harmless and only an esti-
mated 80 percent of people exposed
to it actually develop symptoms, it
is nonetheless important to know the
symptoms of WNV and to take the
steps necessary to prevent infection.
use of insect repellants when spend-
ing time outdoors. Be sure to pur-
chase a repellant that contains
DEET.
Make sure that screens at-
tached to the doors and windows ofyour home are whole and intact.
Wear long-sleeved shirts and
long pants whenever possible.
Change the standing water in
buckets, birdbaths, flower pots, pet
dishes, etc., on a weekly basis, as
mosquitoes use these areas as breed-
ing sites.
For further information on
West Nile Virus, visit the CDCs
website at www.cdc.gov.
entation, headache, convulsions,
tremors, numbness, paralysis, stu-
por, and muscle weakness which
may last for a course of
several weeks. People
over 50 orthose in ill-
health are es-
pecially suscep-
tible to the disease
and are strongly en-
couraged to protect themselves
as much as possible.
Prevention
As WNV is a virus transmitted
chiefly by mosquitoes, the most im-
portant preventative measure is the
Adam WickensCopy Editor
Nicole MaasNews Editor
If you have been to the din-
ing hall this semester, you surely
have noticed some changes in lay-
out and dining options. New this
year is the all you can eat dinner
buffet. Replacing a-la-carte meals
for evenings, the buffet costs $7.95
and is offered as part of a per-meal
plan over the semester. Also new
is the one cash register system. In
previous years there were threeregisters, but this year, two were
removed to facilitate the evening
budget.
You may ask why these
changes have come about. Robert
Brown, General Manager for
Sodexho at MSUB, stated that
Sodexho and representatives from
Student Life and Housing did re-
search last spring to determine the
best way to run the dining hall.
The research included the consul-
tation of marketing and food ser-
vice experts as well as student fo-
cus groups and satisfaction sur-
veys. After much deliberation, the
addition of the buffet was pro-
posed. The Dining Service had
received many comments that the
old system of a mandatory $350
buy-in was insufficient to feed a
student for a whole semester, so
adding an evening buf-
fet in a meals-per-
semester plan
looked like a
good way to
make sure
that studentswere eating
enough. The
new evening
meal plan can be
bought in three packages:
the minimum of 50 meals for $700,
65 meals for $750, or the maximum
of 80 meals for $800.
Many students feel that they
should not be forced to pay the man-
datory $350, let alone an extra $700.
To ease the pain of passing into the
new system, students that lived on
campus last year were given the op-
tion of not purchasing one of the
new plans and only having to pur-
chase the $350 option. Still, many
students would like to be left on
their own to provide food, feeling
it could be done cheaper than eat-
ing on campus. Brown explained
that the students are obligated to
buy into the meal plan to
ensure there is a caf-
eteria avail-
able to the
students. If
students ate
on their own, itwould not be cost
effective to pro-
vide a dining hall.
With that
said, it is still impor-
tant to note the large amount of stu-
dent displeasure towards the prices
of the food offered. Nate Meiers, a
junior in history education says,
The prices are a little bit outra-
geous. There is no low cost option.
I have a U-Card for my last option,
but after a couple meals at $7.95 I
wont have any U-Card money
left. Several other students also
used the word outrageous to de-
scribe the prices. Brown countered
that Sodexho offers comparable
prices and tries very hard to offer
as many options as possible to stu-
dents. They are currently working
on a $3.50 lunch meal as opposed
to the typical $5.00 price.
Another difference this year
has been the hours of operation. At
the beginning of the year, the din-
ing hall did not open until 8:30 a.m.
The late opening time made it im-
possible for a student with an 8:40class to eat breakfast. Many stu-
dents complained and the opening
time was moved back to 7:30 a.m.
Brown was very adamant in encour-
aging students to come and see
us. Many students may not know
that comments and feedback are ap-
preciated, and, as evidenced by the
change in opening time, taken seri-
ously. Brown commented, The
sooner you see us the better. Well
do whatever we can.
Brown can be contacted by
phone at 657-2380, or by email at
Students Sound Off on Dining Hall Makeover
On Oct. 15, from 9:15 a.m.
until 11:30 a.m., students, staff, and
faculty of Montana State University-
Billings who are interested in issues
of law will have the chance to ob-
serve the Supreme Court of Mon-
tana by coming to Petro Theatre to
hear an appeal in the case entitled
State of Montana v. Victor Vann
Kennedy. The event begins with in-
troductory remarks by University of
Montana Law School faculty and is
then followed by oral arguments by
attorneys for both sides.
Jay Lansing, past president of
the Yellowstone Area Bar Associa-
tion said this is a rare opportunity
one count of sexual intercourse
without consent, and one count of
aggravated kidnapping by account-
ability. Kennedy was convicted
only on the one count of sexual
intercourse without consent.
Kennedy and his lawyer are ap-
peal ing his convic tion on the
grounds that there was juror mis-
conduct and various issues regard-
ing constitutional rights violations.
for students to actually experience
the states highest court as they make
decisions that could reshape or up-
hold Montana state law as it is writ-
ten. Lansing also says Political and
social science majors would relish
the experience. One hundred seats
are going to be set aside on a first
come, first serve basis.
Montana v. Kennedy involves
an incident in 2001, when another
man, Myron Fallsdown killed a
lady in a Billings motel room, kid-
napped her friend, and allegedly,
in the company of Kennedy, re-
peatedly raped her until she was
finally escaped her captors in
Butte. Kennedy was charged with
two counts of sexual intercourse
without consent by accountability,
State Supreme Court Takes Over MSU-BRon DeYoungStaff Writer
7/28/2019 75 Issue 2
5/20
National Opinions on Piracy
Let the Music Play But With a Price: Editorial
Is this the end of the road for
the sharing of music on the
Internet? Since last June the Re-
cording Industry Association ofAmerican has filed hundreds of
lawsuits against MP3 file sharers.
The lawsuits are a long term tactic
that the music companies and mo-
tion picture companies are trying,
so they can put an end to the ille-
gal sharing of copyrighted material.
The RIAA has issued 261 lawsuits
just this month against file sharers,
including a 12-year-old girl. A lot
of controversy has arisen over this
tactic of protecting the copyrighted
material of artists. The Electronic
Frontiers Foundation is holding a
campaign called Let the Music
Play and is fighting back with le-gal help. You can fight this crazy
tactic of suing music fans by go-
ing to http://www.eff.org/share/pe-
tition/ and signing the online peti-
tion.
I personally do not condone
the stealing of copyrighted mate-
rial and do believe the artists
should get paid for their work.
However, I dont believe a witch
hunt involving suing average ev-
eryday Americans is a solution to
the problem. After all, the RIAA
has done nothing to compensate
artists for their music, they are just
sue happy and using their powerto scare everyday Americans.
Apple Computer has a new
service called I-Tunes, which is a
service that you can use to down-
load music for 99 cents a song.
But some music artists are reluc-
tant to offer their songs on this
service because they feel that it
hurts the sales of their less popu-
lar songs (in other words, it hurts
the artists that put out a 12 track
CD and only two songs are good).
Unfortunately, I-Tunes is cur-
rently available only for the MAC
until sometime in December,
when it should launch for the PC.Buy.com, and others, have a ser-
vice that is similar to I-Tunes
available for the PC.
In conclusion, it will be inter-
esting to see what new changes
these lawsuits will bring to the file
sharing community, what kind of
changes will come regarding copy-
righting and the use of the Internet
as a medium for the digital frontier.
C O L L E G I A T E
PRESSWIRE, Sept. 16, 2003
The Business Software Al-
liance (BSA) survey marks the first
step in a broader BSA initiative to
study attitudes toward download-
ing, file-sharing, and copyright law
among university and college stu-
dents, faculty and administrators.
According to the survey,
more than three-quarters of faculty
and administrators say it is abso-lutely not okay to download or
swap files, yet less than one-quar-
ter of students say it is wrong.
- 23 percent of college and univer-
sity students have downloaded
software with only 32 percent pay-
ing for it all or most of the time.
- 69 percent have downloaded
music, with only eight percent
of them paying for it all or
even mos t o f the t ime .
- 26 percent have downloaded
movies, with only four percent
paying for it all or most of the time.- More than 40 percent of edu-
cators say its okay to share or
swap software to cut costs.
- Despite their behavior, a major-
ity of students (93%) endorse the
intellectual property values of re-
warding software developers
and protecting intellectual prop-
erty rights in order to encourage
research and development.
- A strong majority of educators
support the enforcement of campus
policies designed to prevent unli-
censed software use on campus.
- When it comes to university
action against software piracy
among students, however,
only one-in-six faculty and
administrators would endorse
action more severe than limi-tat ion of computer usage
rights, such as suspension or
academic probation. Between
one-fourth and one-third of
educators would recommend
no penalty, or are unsure.
Survey Methodology: This
survey reports on Internet-based
online interviews with 1000 uni-
versity and college students and
telephone interviews with 300
college and university faculty
and administrators. It was con-
ducted among a national cross-section of U.S. public and pri-
vate higher education institu-
tions. The margin of error for
this study is +/-3% for the stu-
dent population and +/-6% for
the educator population.
PressRelease
Chistopher SnowWeb Master/Tech Supp.
7/28/2019 75 Issue 2
6/20
Parking Etiquette: Tips to Better Your Parking Experience
Another semester begins and
again there is nowhere to park, but then
whats new? Oh yeah, there is that park-
ing garage thats located 20 miles away
from every building on campus. My
colleague Jason Lillie and I are going
to debate our opinions of the parking
garage.
Jennifer: There are 2,013 re-
served parking spaces, 500 of which
are in the parking garage, 35 visitor
parking spaces, and 56 disabled park-
ing spots. There are approximately
3,950 students attending school here,and 550 of them live in the dorms. So
now I am asking you to do the math:
that leaves 1,937 students left without
a place to park. Jason thinks there is
always somewhere to park in the park-
ing garage, but we also need to take
into consideration the parking permits
that we issue to the staff of the medical
buildings across the street and the
spaces that are designated for campus
police vehicles. I really do believe the
parking garage was a waste of money
and that driving around in it for 20 min-
utes from one floor to the next is a waste
of time.
Jason:Ok, the bottom line is that
I have yet to see the parking garagefull. I am here five days a week, com-
ing and going throughout the day, and
not once have I seen the garage full.
And as far as it being too far from the
buildings, well, if a person is too lazy
to walk a hundred yards, I feel no pity
for him or her. Its a fact that there are
more registered students than parking
spots, but those numbers do not specify
how many are night students or people
who walk or ride their bike to school. I
find it hard to believe that every stu-
dent is on campus at the same time in
their own car.
Jennifer: I understand what youare saying, but there have been numer-
ous times that I have seen the parking
garage full and a couple of times that I
have had to
park in
campus po-
lice re-
s e r v e d
spots (I can-
not believe
that I just
went on
record say-
ing that).The fact re-
mains that
yes, most
students are
not here at
the same time, but the majority of them
are, supporting my opinions of no park-
ing. And to say that people are lazy
well, that is not always true. Some people
are just procrastinators and show up to
school minutes before class and find
themselves without a parking spot. What
about the huge space of grass next to
the LA building? Couldnt we turn that
into a parking lot? And does the faculty
really need that many parking spots? No
matter what you say, I think that the park-ing garage SUCKS.
Jason: I am sorry, but I think
you are full of It, and yes, with a capi-
tal I. Ok, on the topic of arriving late
and having limited time to get to
class: you can take 10 minutes to park
in the garage and walk to class or 20
minutes driving around looking for
that prime parking place. And un-
til I see the parking garage full my-
self, I wont believe it. I have yet to
see that garage even half full.
Jennifer: Parking smarking. I
still feel that there is nowhere oncampus to park, and there is always
some idiot double parked. Jason pre-
sented some great arguments, and
thats his opinion and I have stated
my opinion. So with that, think
about the mathematics we have pre-
sented to you. Decide if youre go-
ing to be lazy and look for that prime
spot, or if you want to risk it and go
for that campus police spot. Just re-
member, its only a $10 fine if youre
willing to risk it.
Jason Lillie
Reporter
Jennifer FentonA&E Editor
Bumper to Bumper: Two Parking Opinions
Ron DeYoungStaff Writer
Okay, fellow students and pres-
tigious members of Academia! School
has been in session for nearly a month
at MSU-Billings. Dont you think its
about time for that pop quiz youve
been dreading? Oh, this one should be
easy. After all, youve been studying
for it since you were old enough to
drive. Is everyone ready? All right
Pick up your pencils and lets getstarted.
The first question is: Define
the term Parking Etiquette, and then
describe some of the dos and donts
involved with it.
Hint:
parking (lot) noun (1924): an
area used for the temporary placement
of motor vehicles.
etiquettenoun(French): the con-
duct or procedure required by good
breeding or prescribed by authority to
be observed in social or official life.
Lets see how everyone did on
that one. If you answered, The
proper behavior exhibited by an indi-
vidual following civilized practices
while temporarily storing a vehicle,
then you will probably receive an A
on the first part of the quiz.
The second part of the problem
is more complicated. First of all, you
must consider several variables. Are
you running late because you stayed
out too late last night? Is it really cold
and windy outside, or perhaps rainy?
Do you feel the need to park right next
to your last class? Are you just too
worn out to walk a little way?
These problems, among others,
are contributing to a growing phenom-
enon that has been reported to be es-
calating throughout the MSU-Billings
parking areas. Imaginary officials
have expressed concern that if we
dont do something about parking lot
rage now, it will become an epidemic
of mammoth proportions in record
time. These same imaginary officials
have offered some suggestions on
stopping the spread of this repulsive
display of aggression.
One of the more powerful sug-
gestions offered to this reporter was
to treat every other motorist in the
parking lot like he or she is your grand-
parent or even that classmate youve
been wanting to get to know. Thats
it! Respect your fellow drivers and
they, in turn, will show respect to the
drivers they encounter during their
travels. This tactic could, in itself,
wipe out the rash of random rudeness
displayed throughout the campus
parking areas.
Some other guidelines you can
ponder in your quest to become a pre-
ferred parking practitioner include sig-
naling for any and all changes of di-
rection, keeping your eyes open for
other signals, obeying all campus
speed limits, initializing communica-
tion through eye contact, and parking
in designated areas only. Plan to ar-
rive at school 15 to 20 minutes early
just in case that special place in which
you usually park is occupied. A little
bit of common courtesy is said to go a
long way, and it doesnt cost a thing.
Even when it appears that every
parking space on campus is full, ac-
cording to the campus police there are
several spaces available every day. As
an example, the parking garage
across from the McDonald Hall
always has openings on the top
level. Some other favorite park-ing spaces that usually have open-
ings are near the gym and on the
corner of Rimrock Road and Vir-
ginia Lane. These lots are all a
mere five minute walk to any
building on campus and will al-
low you to stop and smell the roses
on the way to class.
Also, the campus police
have maps readily available which
identify all parking areas.
If everyone practices one or
more of these suggestions, the result
will be less stress and, hopefully, pro-
gressively fewer incidents of park-
ing lot rage.
If you answered the second part
of your quiz similarly to the above sce-
nario, youre a true lady or gentleman
who is destined to surpass your high-
est expectations of yourself simply be-
cause you are a skilled practitioner of
parking lot etiquette.
Photo by Mi Suk Kim
Parking on MSU-B has become a touchy subject. This is the North Petro Parking lot,
supposedly the most sought after parking on campus.
Photo by Mi Suk Kim
The parking garage is most often half full, according to Jason
Lillie in the accompaning article.
7/28/2019 75 Issue 2
7/20
Brett HarrisonStaff Writer
Recently I had an opportunity
to talk to a Pizza Hut delivery driver.
I was interested in how college stu-dents tip; what the average tip is,
and how this affects him. Some of
what he said surprised me, and
some I expected to hear. He said
most (about 75 percent) college stu-
dents tip, and its typically about
one dollar. Every once in a while a
really kind student tips more -
(about a three or four dollar tip)
His pay starts at around mini-
mum wage plus 60 cents per deliv-
ery, this cover gas and maintenance
no matter how many miles are
driven. According to AAAs website
www.aaasouth.com/acs_news/Driveco3.asp, the composite na-
tional average cost to drive a car is
64.2 cents per mile, given that
10,000 miles are driven in a year.
But this can vary depending on
what type of vehicle is driven. For
example, a two wheel drive 2003
Chevrolet Trailblazer with a six
cylinder engine would cost 65.4
cents per mile over 10,000 miles per
year. Compare that to a 2003
Chevrolet Cavalier four cylinder
which would cost 55.3 cents per
mile over the same 10,000 miles per
year. So tipping the pizza deliverydriver really helps them offset their
cost of driving a pizza to you since
Pizza Hut doesnt fully cover the
reimbursement for gas, nor does
Pizza Hut help pay for the deliv-
ery car.
Most students who say they
dont tip say it is because of money.
They, like most students, are on a
limited budget. They feel the cost
of the pizza should cover all these
expenses. Students who do tip the
driver say they did so out of gener-
osity and to help ensure quick deliv-
ery of hot pizza in the future. Moststudents dont realize that Pizza Hut
subsidizes only part and not all of the
vehicle cost of delivering a pizza.
The driver I spoke to said he
feels happy if he walks away with
20 to 30 dollars in tip money in one
night. And a tip, even a small one,
does put him in a better mood and
makes him feel better about deliver-
ing a pizza to that person.
Tip Me, Or Else: Tales of a Pizza Guy
1. Go Disco Bowling,
Sunset Bowl - 656-
6211. Dont forget your
polyester!
2. Check out Open Mic at
the Art Space - 245-1100.
You could be the next Jim
Carrey/Maya Angelou
3. Go Ice Skating, Cen-
tennial Ice Rink - 256-
1192. You could be the
next Tonya Harding!
4. Tour Moss Mansion -
256-5100 - You can even
buy a brick!
5. Venture Theater 670-
2144. Cutting Edge Theater
- many contain nudity but
not necessarily the kind
you want to see!
6. Yellowstone Art Mu-seum 256-6804. Come on,
just pret end you have
some culture.
7. Take a Hip-Hop/Martial
Arts class The Edge Dance
- 652-3529; Parks Martial
Arts - 245-8808. You could
be the next Justin
Timberlake/Bruce Lee!
8. Catch a Billings Bulls
Top 10 Things to Do in BillingsBetsy HarrisReporter
Hockey Game - 256-2422Pretend you have NO culture!
9. Go through the The Corn
Maze - 247-9998. Leave
extra time for getting lost
for real.
10. Drink till you puke!
Doesnt necessarily have to
be alcohol, if you drink
enough of anything it will
make you hurl!
7/28/2019 75 Issue 2
8/20
Name: Merry Jane Trewhella
Age: 53
Degree: B.A. Education,
M.A. Education
Favorite Sports Team: I root
for the teams my family doesFavorite Beverage: #1 Diet
Pepsi, #2 MGD beer
Whats Your Pet? One-eyed
Cocker spaniel Babe
Hobbies: Golf, sew crafts
Favorite Things: Book -- To
Kill a Mockingbird, Movie The
Shawshank Redemption
Favorite Quote: The main
thing is to keep the main thing, the
main thing.
Is the glass full or empty?
It depends on the day.
What do you drive? A SubaruForrester License # 8VITOM
(This is an IQ Test!)
50 Cent or Frank Sinatra?
Neither The Beatles
Name: Dr. Jim Barron
Age: 43
Degree: Ph.D. Zoology Indi-
ana University
Favorite Sports Team: DenverBroncos/Buffalo Bills
Favorite Beverage: Good beer!
Whats Your Pet? Dog Ger-
man shorthaired pointer Ellen.
Hobbies: Fly-fishing and back-
packing.
Favorite Things: My son
Charlie 5 yrs old
Favorite Quote: Back off man!
Im a scientist!
Is the glass full or empty?
Half full.
What do you drive? Subaru
wagon
50 Cent or Frank Sinatra? Frank
Sinatra. Bob Dylan & Neil Young, too.
Piece of advice for students:
Pursue your interests/passions.
Becky ButcherStaff Writer
Name: Simon Says Atkins
Age: The baby of the professors
Degree: Cornell undergraduate;
Top 15 international MBA from
Helsinki when given the choice to get a
doctorate I instead wrote a book calledCollision Course With Mother Nature
about how climate change will affect
you. Coming out Spring 04.
Favorite Sports Team Player:
Chinas badminton Olympic champion
Gong Zhichao.
Favorite Beverage: A toss up be-
tween cold organic milk and chilled dis-
tilled water.
What Are You Pets? Three stan-
dard poodles: Sherpa, Toumae, and
Totoro.
Hobbies: Meditation, communing
with nature and predicting global climatechange.
Favorite Things: Benevolence,
flow, uncharted territory & watching the
wind blow
Favorite Quote: Compas-
sion is not religious business, it
is human business, it is not
luxury, it is essential for our own
peace and mental stability, it is
essential for human survival.
His Holiness, The Dalai Lama.
Is the glass full or
empty? Add the two halves to
make it full, period. Why live
life half of anything?
What do you drive? The
military assault version of aToyota 4Runner, 4x4.
50 Cent or Frank Sinatra?
Hard choice. Ill go with the
Jewel In The Sun album by
Diane Arkenstone.
Piece of advice for student:
Read www.profsimonsays.com
every Monday.
What is it?
Submit your
answers to
the Retort
office at
Suite 225 or
call: 657-
2194
MSU-Billings Professors Get Mugged!
7/28/2019 75 Issue 2
9/20
Linsey LindgrenStaff Writer
Whether it is your first year
away from home or the tenth, theonly way to survivefinancially is
on a budget. Necessities like food,
clothes, and transportation can eas-
ily add up the bills, so learn how
to economize and shop around.
Most full-time college stu-
dents have a part-time job of some
kind, but they are still on limited
resources, says Dan Elser, the
president of First American Trust
of Montana. Everyone needs to
set a budget for themselves.
So what is a budget, and what
is involved? A budget is a set num-
ber of expenses are for that particu-
lar month (food, utilities, rent,
transportation, and clothes). Then
one must work backwards to fig-
ure out how much money is needed
to make a living and still put
money into savings to pay off
school loans later on.
There are four options in the
food market. One, the SUB cafete-
ria, which requires the purchase of
a meal plan, but meals are only
served at certain times. Two, eat-ing out at fast food places or sit
down restaurants. Try to avoid eat-
ing out as much as possible: $3.49
here, $3.99 there... it adds up. The
third option: eating in the dorm
kitchen area. Soups, salads, fruit,
vegetables, pasta, sandwiches...
whatever can fit into the small
dorm room refrigerators. Also, try
to eat meals of substance; they are
more filling and snack cravingswont attack. Drink juice and wa-
ter instead of soda. Its better for
you and sometimes less expensive.
Buy in bulk at grocery stores or try
Costco for food and clothing.
Dining out will cost four to
five times more than it will to eat
at home, says Elser. The fourth
and final option is simply not to eat.
Yeah, right!
Just because one is a poor
college student does not mean they
have to dress that way. Stores like
Ross, TJ Maxx, and Famous Foot-
wear all sell name brands at dis-
count prices.
Pair up some expensiveLucky
bra nd pants with cool Payless
shoes. You still want to look good,
but the dough isnt just growing on
trees. Keep an eye out for sales and
do some window shopping before
purchasing. Keep up on laundry
and do one at a time, because it is
the dryers that take up all the
money and time.
Think practically. The biggestrule in shopping is: do not be im-
pulsive. Otherwise, later on that
month, cash will be pretty tight.
Regardless of whether one
lives on or off campus, parking,
gasoline, utilities and insurance
costs are sure to make one think
about expenses. Think of
carpooling if one lives off campus.
It is also a good way to make
friends and have allies this winterwhen cars may not start. Try out the
public metro system. Economize on
gas use, meaning dont make need-
less trips across town. Plan accord-
ingly. If one has to mail off a pack-
age at UPS or pick up stamps, on
the way back hit up Albertsons for
groceries.
Dont just go to the closest gas
station to fill up. Look around at
prices when driving to or from
work. Also, instead of just putting
in $5 of gas when one can. Try to
hold out and fill the tank up all at
once. The car will run better and
actually do better on gas mileage
with a full tank rather than a fourth
of a tank.
Wait until movies go through
the system and are showing at the
Cine 7. Going to the movie theater
will save tons of money in the long
run, because even renting one
movie is close to $3 these days. Go
to the video stores on the dollar
movie night.
Resort back to your kid yearsand play in a park at night. Ride
down the slide, swing, and go
across the monkey bars to save
money.
Play pool. At only quarters a
game, its a cheap date as well. Go
swimming. Every student has free
membership to the MSU-B gym
and facilities with their U-Card.
Take advantage of what the tuition
money is going to.Just sit back with friends and
play cards or board games, listen
to music, or watch television. For
adventure-seeking people, get
friends together for a game of
rugby, folf, or floating the
Yellowstone on inner tubes. En-
joy the simple things in life in-
stead of flying by to do the costly
adrenaline rushing things.
Elser says, Make envelopes
for each category of bill (food,
transportation, rent, etc)
Every week, put X amount of
money in each envelope and de-
posit the rest of each paycheck into
a savings account. He continued
to say that people are more frugal
with cash than they are with checks
or credit cards, so he advises
strongly towards cash in the enve-
lopes.
Basically, it comes down to
keeping track of where the
money goes, then looking back
and figuring out where money
can be cut down. If one keepstheir financial situation in order,
making progress on the savings
account, he or she will feel that
their whole life is a little more
under control by themselves in-
stead of the bank.
How To: Live Well on a College Budget
Now Hiring Counter HelpNow Hiring Counter HelpNow Hiring Counter HelpNow Hiring Counter HelpNow Hiring Counter Help
Have you been
looking for a great
place to voice your
point of view?
Here is your
chance to publish
your opinions. For
more information
come to the Retort
office or call us at
657-2194
7/28/2019 75 Issue 2
10/20
Not in my wildest imagination
did I ever dream that I would be spend-
ing a week and a half in prison in Af-
rica during my summer vacation, but
there I was. Let me back up to the be-
ginning
I signed up
to go to Kenya on
a mission trip
with inner varsity
christian fellow-
ship. Two weeks
before we left, my
teammates and I
received e-mails
saying the trip toKenya was can-
celled due to ter-
rorism. Later that
day we received an
e-mail from our team leaders saying
that South Africa was an option, but
our team leader had to know our deci-
sion to go by the end of the week. 45
out of 50 of my teammates turned
around and said that we would go to
South Africa.
During my week-and-a-half at
Pollsmoor Prison, I learned that doing
prison ministry is not my cup of tea. Iwanted to see that what I was saying
and doing, telling the prisoners about
God, was making a difference. I be-
came frustrated at not seeing results.
When we left Pollsmoor, most of my
teammates were crying because they
were going to miss being there. I was
indifferent about leaving. I knew that I
would miss the prison ministry staff but
I knew that I would not miss being
there. I was jealous of my teammates
who said the person/people they had
talked to had come to Christ while I
had seen none of that. If anyone thinksthat all the time spent on a mission trip
is good, then it is a sad mis-
conception because there are
just as many bad times as
there are good times.
The week I spent at
Friends Day Centre was
completely different from the
prison. I was so excited
about the opportunity to help
at a special needs day care.
My heart broke every day to
realize that not everyone
loves these children. Some
people make fun of others
who look different, talk dif-
ferent, walk different, have
different sexual preferences,
etc. Many people have been the butt
of jokes because they are different. I
loved my time at Friends Day Centre
even though I had a cold the entire
week. I did worry that I was going to
make the kids sick, but I should have
trusted God to keep the children
healthy. The children in my class were
so adorable. There were eight children
in my classroom. One girl had downs
syndrome and the other seven had ce-
rebral palsy. A staff worker from my
team came into my class to play the
guitar for the children and one of the
students tried to eat
the guitar. My staff
worker later told me
she was the only
person that tried to
eat the guitar during
that day. One little
girl did not want meto leave at the end of
the week, so she
tried to pin me to the
wall. She cried
when I left the room
which made me
want to cry. I did not
want to leave the
place. I know that
changing diapers and clothing, clean-
ing up messes, and so many other as-
pects are gross, but I truly loved being
there. I want to go back and help out
in the future.Home stays were an adventure
since I moved once a week. The first
week I stayed in a black township
called Langa. My partner and I were
not welcomed by the family we stayed
with. They spoke in Xhosa and
watched television in that language.
We asked them to teach us simple
words and phrases but they refused to
teach us anything. The family seemed
to want to host us only for the money
they would receive. We thought that if
we left in the middle of our two week
stay there, would we have been a good
witness about God and Christians to
the family. Our teammates assured us
that we were not making the wrong
decision to leave. The second week
was like paradise compared to the first
week. Our host family in Vanguard
made us feel like part of the family right
away. All we had asked for was a fam-
ily to help us feel we were part of the
family, but we got so much more. Wewere only there for a week, but we
helped out with the dishes and with
dinner. Our host dad taught us Afri-
kaans, a language, told us where he was
from, and joked around with us. We
found out after two weeks that all the
host families in Vanguard, Heideveld,
and Bonteheuwel were going to be
asked to host for another two weeks.
My partner and I were saddened to hear
that we had to move again since thenext week our family would not have
room for us, as our
host moms sister
was coming for holi-
day; we had to leave.
Our family was sad,
since they wanted to
keep us another two
weeks, and we
wanted to stay with
them another two
weeks. To add to the
blow, everyone else
got to stay with their
host families in
Heideveld and
Bonteheuwel. We
were given new
partners because of where our minis-
tries were located.
So now a new week, a new part-
ner, and a new house with a new host
family. I was praying this would be
Larissa LeonardStaff Writer
my last move. The third week started
out well, but with a bad first week, I
started to notice that things were not
going well. Our host mom seemed like
a wonderful grandma, but it did not al-
ways feel like we were welcome. One
Saturday at 6:30 a.m. we were given
the boot. We were going on our safari
and would not be back until Sunday.
By this time I was frustrated and told
my teammates. I was sick and tired of
moving. When my teammates found
out, they were very sympathetic, be-
cause they all knew that I had moved
every week. When we came back Sun-
day night, we had a new host family.
We were immediately welcomed in.
Our host mom was a cute grandmotherthat I did not believe was old enough
to have a 24 year-old granddaughter!
She only looked like she was 40 and
not in her 60s. She continued with
teaching my partner and I Afrikaans.
She told us about her family. I felt like
I was her white grandchild. After
four home stays, I feel like I have
two families in South Africa. I
would not suggest moving every
week since it is stressful. I am
still learning about moving every
week.
The last week there, wetalked about apartheid and racial
reconciliation. The information
was piled on to what we had al-
ready experienced and was over-
whelming. I think my brain fried
from information overload. Dur-
ing apartheid there were so many
senseless, brutal murders of people
in South Africa, including Ameri-
cans, committed in South Africa by whites,
coloreds, and blacks. Now a person may
be led to think that all is great, but to some
of the people that live there say there is a
reverse apartheid, with blacks being thedominant culture, then whites, and last
coloreds. It led me to realize that I have so
many racial reconciliations to make.
This is just a short summary of
what I did and where I went. I expe-
rienced so much more than I could
ever write. I am still learning about
what happened over there. I am also
still adjusting to life back home.
There are many days that I wish when
I was back in Africa but I remember
that I have to finish college before I
can live my dream.
South Africa or Bust: My Summer Vacation
Photo provided by Larissa Leonard
LaRoux family shown here, hosted Larissa for one week during her
stay in South Africa.
Photo provided by Larissa Leonard
The entire missions team of 45 strong.
Photo provided by Larissa Leonard
Children in the township Langa where Larissa stayed for a week.
7/28/2019 75 Issue 2
11/20
It has been reported that an employee for Ansett Australia Airlines, who happened to have the last name of Gay, got on a plane recently
using the companys Free Flight offer for staff. However, when Mr. Gay tried to take his seat, he found it occupied by a fare-paying
passenger. So, not to make a fuss, he simply chose another seat. Unknown to Mr. Gay, another Ansett flight at the airport experienced
mechanical problems. The passengers of this flight were being re-routed to various other airplanes. A few were put on Mr. Gays flight, and
anyone who was holding a free ticket was being bumped. Ansett officials, armed with the list of these freebee ticket holders, boarded
the plane, as is the practice, to remove them in favor of fare paying passengers. Of course, our Mr. Gay was not sitting in his assigned seatas you may remember. So when the ticket agent approached the seat where Mr. Gay was supposed to be sitting, she asked a startled customer
Are you gay? The man, shyly nodded that he was, at which point she demanded: Then you have to get off the plane. Mr. Gay,
overhearing what the Agent had said, tried to clear up the situation: Youve got the wrong man, Im Gay! This caused an angry third
passenger to yell Hell! Im gay, too! They cant kick us all off! Confusion reigned as more and more passengers began yelling that Ansett
had no right to remove gays from their flights. It is reported that Ansett has refused to comment on the incident. ---The New York Times
When I die, I want to go like my grandmother, whodied peacefully in her sleep- not screaming like all the
passengers in her car.
IFYOUDONTSTUDYWHENYOUREYOUNG, HEREARE
SOMEOPTIONSWHENYOUCOMEOFAGE.
photos obtained via e-mail
7/28/2019 75 Issue 2
12/20
7/28/2019 75 Issue 2
13/20
Editors Note: This is from the
pages of MSU-B student Lexi Symes
new short story Murder of a Rising Star.
We will continue this story in segmentsthroughout the semester. If you have a
short story that you would like pub-
lished, please submit it to The Retort,
SUB 225 or submit it to
My name is Alexander Standish.
I am a senior at New York University
majoring in criminal psychology. You
would think that a college student
would know how to stay out of the way
of a murder. I guess I was in the wrong
place at the wrong time. I will say that
I had no intention of trying to solve this
case by myself.When I awoke on the morning
of Sept 11, 2003 not only was it the
anniversary of 9/11, it was also the
morning of one of the biggest murders
in the history of New York City. As I
rode the subway to my internship at
the County Coroners office, I had no
idea that I would be the leading inves-
tigator into what would be called the
most complex murder that New York
had ever seen.
The coroners office, which is
located on the corner of 15th and Lex-
ington, gives a person something to
think about. On the outside, a statue of
a fallen officer guards the entrance. As
you walk inside, the first thing that you
see is a statue of Lady Justice, who
speaks for those who cannot speak for
themselves.
As I walked into the office, I re-
ceived a message that the head Medical
Examiner, Jason James, wanted to see
me. J. J. is a man who normally is not
shaken by the report of murder, but when
I walked into his office he looked like a
Mack truck had just hit him. As I sat
down I could tell that what J.J. had to
tell me was not going to be easy. I started
to get this sinking feeling in the pit of
my stomach. With a lump in his throat,
J.J. said, Im going to give you your
first assignment. I didnt know whetherto hug him or be nervous, but as he said,
This will not be an easy assignment
because its high profile, my heart just
about jumped into my throat.
When J.J. saw the look of sur-
prise on my face he said, Kid, you
ok? I said, Yes, Im just a little ner-
vous. This didnt surprise J.J. because
the next thing he said was, Ill be with
you every step of the way. As J.J. and
I drove to the crime scene, I tried to
mentally prepare myself for what I was
about to see.
When we arrived at the crime
scene, it was wrapped in its usual yel-
low and black do not cross this line
tape. Inside the tape, there were people
cataloging evidence, taking pictures of
the body, marking bloodstains with let-
ters so that they could be photographed
into evidence, and a troop of officers
were out canvassing the area for any-
one who saw anything.
Our first step was to see what we
could learn from the body. The victim
was killed by a blunt object. The blow
from this object was located at the back
of the victims head, just above the base
of the skull. We knew that the killer
had to be left-handed because the gash
was located on the right side of the
victims head. We also knew that the
victim had tried to fight back becausewe found hair and skin under the nails.
We were able to surmise that our vic-
tim had been dead for at least twelve
hours before our arrival. We were able
to obtain fingerprints off the body; our
victims name was Nick Boxer.
Nick Boxer just happened to be
the star quarterback for the New York
Giants. He made over four million dol-
lars a year. He was leading the Giants
to what looked like an undefeated,
championship season. He had just
given The Boys and Girls Club money
to build a new recreational center. At
25 years old, he had already thrown
for more yards in the first four years of
his career than Joe Montana.
We knew who our victim was,
we knew how he died, the big question
now was who had killed him and why?
From our observations of the body, we
knew that our killer had to be left-
handed, and that he or she would have a
scratch on the face. The police told us
that there had been no sign of a forced
entry; this led us to believe that the vic-
tim knew the killer. The police also told
us that they had found the murder
weapon, a long, golden, metal object that
is used to stoke the fire. As luck would
have it there was one really good thumb-
print on the handle of the weapon.
The print belonged to a mannamed Samuel Simpson, who played
as a wide receiver for the Giants. When
the police went to pick him up, they
noticed that he had a scratch on his face,
and that he was also left-handed. While
being questioned by the police, Samuel
admitted that he killed Nick. When
asked why he killed him Samuel said,
He wouldnt throw me the ball.
Samuel was found guilty and sentenced
to twenty-five years to life in the New
York State Prison...(to be continued)
Lexi SymeGuest Writer
From the Pages: Murder of a Rising Star:
Stolen from the internet
(www.firstscience.com) by Dr.
Jim Barron and Becky Butcher.
(Fact accuracy or validity has
not been verified but we believe
them.)
-When a flea jumps, the rate
of acceleration is 20 times that of
the space shuttle during launch.
-Astronauts cannot belch -
there is no gravity to separate liq-
uid from gas in their stomachs.
-Human tapeworms cangrow up to 22.9m.
-Each person sheds 40 lbs of
skin in his or her lifetime.
-Around a million, billion
neutrinos from the Sun will pass
through your body while you read
this sentence.
-Males (human males, we
assumed.) produce one thousand
sperm cells each second - 86 mil-
lion each day.
-If you could drive your car
straight up you would arrive in
space in just over an hour.
-A whip does not make a
cracking sound because it hits
something... it does because the tip
of the whip is traveling faster than
the speed of sound (760 miles per
hour).
-More types of fish swim in
Brazils Amazon River than in theentire Atlantic Ocean.
-Women on the pill are 30%
more likely to suffer from gum dis-
ease.
-The interstellar gas cloud
Sagittarius B contains a billion,
billion, billion liters of alcohol.
-The silkworm moth has
eleven brains.
The Most Interesting Science Facts Ever
In your rush to get to class on time,
have you ever wondered, Where did that
come from? or Who paid for that?
Well, keep reading because this article
will attempt to answer some of those com-
monly pondered, yet seldom answered
questions.
Where did the TVs in the L.A.
building come from and who paid for
them?
According to Eakle Barfield with
security services, they are old TVs from
the College of Business and were addedlast summer as part of the restoration of
the L.A. building.
Who decides which art to display
in the art galleries on the first floor of the
L.A. Building?
The student gallery is provided for
art students who must have an art display
before they graduate. A gallery commit-
tee chooses exhibits featured in the
Northcutt Steele Gallery. The committee
is made up of four faculty members and
two students from the Art Students
League.
Who paid for the ten new laptops
in the library, and who can use them?
The laptops were purchased with
student computer funds. Any student
can check out a laptop with their stu-
dent ID as long as they have set up a
student account with Information Tech-
nology. Students can do this by logging
onto the MSUB website and clicking
on student login.
The computers can be taken any-
where in the library and are checked out
for four hours at a time.What is the art in the SUB
gallery?
The SUB gallery features art by
students in grades one through twelve.
The 48 students represent more than 16
Montana school districts.
Why did only 3.5 percent of the
student body vote in the senate election?
If you have an answer or a ques-
tion you would like to have answered,
send it to [email protected].
One Minute Q and AJessalyn RemingtonStaff Writer
7/28/2019 75 Issue 2
14/20
Jennifer FentonA&E Editor
In recent years, many of our fa-
vorite bands from the 70s and 80s have
been returning to the music scene.
Music is a huge part of our culture and
the bands that are retuning are some of
the most influential bands of their time
minus an original member or two. The
questions posed are; Will they make itagain and can they ever be as great as
they were 30 years ago? Some may be
asking themselves, who is she talking
about? Well here they are: The Doors,
now called The Doors of the 21stCen-
tury, Creedence Clearwater Revival,
nowCreedence Clearwater Revisited,
Lynyrd Skynyrd, Guns and Roses,
Simon and Garfunkel and, lastly,
Fleetwood Mac. Many of these bands
are still very popular among music lis-
teners, but the thought of them retun-
ing to the touring scene is hard to stom-
ach.The Doors of the 21stCenturyin-
cludes two original members, Robbie
Krieger and Ray Manzarek, and a third
new member from The Cult, Ian
Astbury. For those of you expecting to
see the Lizard King Jim Morrison him-
self, get real, he died a decade ago. The
sound is similar due in part to the fact
Morrison and Astbury come from the
same cultural background and coun-
try: However, the comeback has not
been a warm one. Anex-Doors guitar-
ist is suing the two original members,
saying they have no right to use the old
music ofThe Doors and that they are
breaking some code of ethics barrier
by using the original band name in any
sense. For music fans alike, the come-
back was cold and unwanted; it seems
apparent that everybody knows about
the death of Morrison and would like
to keep things that way. Krieger,
Manzarek, Astbury, Ty Dennis, andAngelo Barberi form the now, new,
Doors of the 21stCentury. Maybe they
should call themselves Dormant.
CCRsang their way back into the
music setting a few years ago with only
two original members as well, Stu
Cook and Doug Clifford. Their return
was well recieved and fans began buy-
ing tickets to their concert and the lat-
est CD as soon as it was available. Who
would have thought that a band from
the 60s and 70s could still be going
strong and entertaining thousands a
night?Lynyrd Skynyrdnever really went
away, with their songs appearing in
movies and television shows, receiv-
ing continuous radio and club play, and
at almost every party ever attended.
Three of their members died in an ac-
cident over 20 years ago, including the
infamous Ronnie Van Zant and two
other members who died close after.
With original members Johnny Van
Zant and Gary Rossington, they con-
tinued to be the number one played
band and their songs have become
themes for many. Now, many years
later, they are back and have released a
new album and are touring once again.
Most of the songs on their CD are re-
makes of old favorites, however; there
are a few new hits such as Red, White
and Blue.Skynyrdis proving that they
have what it takes to rock the South
once again.
Who can forget Guns n Roses? Imean, doesnt everybody find them-
selves singing Welcome to the Jungle
every now and then and reminiscing
about Slash playing the guitar? Back
on the radio and on music award shows,
the band is said to be cleaned up and
playing with open minds. Most of the
original members are present and try-
ing to prove they are still great hard
core rockers, like they were in the 80s.
Many people have their doubts, since
this isnt the bands first attempt at a
homecoming into rock music, it is more
like their third. Will this one last or willthey become a scratched up annoying
broken record left out in the Cold
November Rain?
Another reunion is between
Simon and Garfunkel. Who can resist
the soft romantic voices of the duo that
helped spark many relationships? But
is their Bridge Over Troubled Water
repaired, or will the two fall through
and drown as they did in the past? Well,
according to the duo, they have mended
all their fences and are ready to tour
again, singing all their old favorites and
adding a few more.
The last of my ranting is about
my favorite band ever,Fleetwood Mac,
in their third attempt at reuniting the
ever popular group, minus Christine
McVie, the keyboardist and lead vo-
calist on a few popular songs. Choos-
ing not to return was a personal choice
due largely in part because it has never
worked before and she isnt ready toreconcile her differences with some
band members. Even without her, the
band sounds great and is continuing to
sell out shows even at $100, plus a
ticket, proving they still have what it
takes. This summer, they also released
a new CD with some of their old hits
redone, but filled with many new foot
tapping songs. With who is said to be
one of the greatest female musicians
ever to live and a terrific drummer, they
are sure to stay on the scene for awhile,
continuing to please music listeners all
around.So, with all these old bands re-
turning, where does that leave room
for all the new ones? There is plenty.
The music community is very large,
and there appears to be a genre for
everybody. Continue to listen, and
if you have never heard of any of
these bands, get on the net or go to
the music store and find out what
you have been missing for many
years past and many years to come.
Whoever said the good die young
was only half right.
In June, the decision of the
board of directors of the Billings
Symphony Orchestra to not renew
past the 2003-2004 season the con-
tract of longtime musical director
Uri Barnea and the apparent lack
of reasons for the decision has left
the Billings cultural community
shocked and in many cases con-
fused and troubled. This includesa member of the MSU-Billings
music department.
The relationship between the
school (MSU-B) and the symphony
has been a good one. In recent years
the symphony often uses Cisel Re-
cital Hall as rehearsal spaces; says
music department Chair and Sym-
phony Principal Clarinetist, Dr.
Gary Behm. He also stated that
Billings Symphony Controversy Affects MSU-BBarnea has over the years had
many faculty and students from
here as well as Rocky and the high
schools play in the orchestra. A new
director might not have the same at-
titude towards the university and
music education in general, I just
dont know.
On a more personal note,
Behm who has played under and
known Barnea for several years said
that, In my opinion it is a mistakenot to rehire Uri [Barnea] after what
he has done for the symphony, the
arts and the community in general
over the last two decades.
Editors Note: If you are con-
cerned about the fate of the Bill-
ings Sympony and want to share
your voice, email The Retort your
opinions at [email protected]
to be published.
Jed BartonSports Editor
On the evening of Sept. 20 the
Shrine was taken over by a bunch of
drunken obnoxious people. The
event was the ever hilarious Rodney
Carrington. For those of you who are
unfamiliar with his work he is a coun-
try comedian whose material in-
cludes the infamous Ti**ies and
Beer, Fred, and Dear Pe*is, just to
name a few. He also does some standup comedy that will keep you laugh-
ing til you puke.
The show began at 8 p.m. after
a two hour wait in the uncomfortable
seats. The opening act was Barry
White, a hilariously risky comedian
from Texas who started out joking
about his broken foot. The rest of his
act had to be censored for our news-
paper but I think that you can get the
jest of it. Finally, the moment every-
body was anticipating, Rodney him-
self. The crowd began shouting the
obscene comments that are par for his
material. While doing his stand up, he
was roused with continuous shouting
for him to sing, so sing is what he did.
The rowdiness continued and the an-
noyance grew. The beers were passing
by six or more at a time, the atmosphere
was getting tougher, and the show came
to a halt. For those of you who went, theshow ended 45 minutes early and we
can thank those people who came to
drink and socialize for the early dis-
missal. Dont they know that thats what
they invented bars for. So, after spend-
ing $33, I decided it was tear jerking,
stomach aching, pee your pants funny
and would pay that much again, but with
the stipulation that all drunk stupid
people sit down and shut up.
Rodney Carrington Leaves Early at The ShrineJennifer FentonA&E Editor
7/28/2019 75 Issue 2
15/20
Evelyn IrmenStaff Writer
Jack the RipperTryouts: Thespians Show Their Stuff
If you know of, or are involved in any Community or MSU-Billings events and you
would like to have them posted on the Retort Calendar please contact Jennifer Fenton @
657-2194 at least 3 weeks in advance.
Venture Theater
Stingers 9pm
Two Lane Road
11:00 Campbell
Bros. 8pm ABT
Venture
Theater
Stingers 9pm
Columbus Day Venture Theater
Stingers 9pm
10 Tenors 7:30pm
ABT
Venture Theater
Stingers 9pm
Venture Theater
Stingers 9pm
Comm. Band
7:30pm ABT
Coffee House Tim
Mahoney
The Sound of
Music 7:30pm ABT
Movie Night Freakers Ball 8pm
College Bowl
Northcutt Steele
Ga