Samantha South

NEWS EDITOR

As word that the shutdown will soon be ending, local family-

owned businesses keep up with the effects.

This past Thursday, Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders agreed to a budget deal and will be spending the week-

end to work out all of the details. If everything goes well over the weekend, Monday could be the day that the shutdown ends. If the budget isn’t settled and political problems occur, the budget could be settled by the end of the week at the latest.

While the shutdown is still be-ing settled, other local businesses and campgrounds keep up with

the busy pace. All state camp-grounds and parks will be closed until the shutdown is completely over.

“We’re not affected by the state shutdown,” said Wayne Swenson, a co-owner of Summerland Family Fun Park. “We are licensed to op-erate and our license is in force but

Jun-Kai Teoh

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

With little warning or hinting, -

ing plans last Tuesday.The DVD & Streaming op-

tion, previously offered for $9.99 a month, was upped to $15.98 a month. While DVD only and Streaming only plans are being offered for $7.99 a month.

doubt that this move must have irked some of its faithful users. Added to that is the fact that Net-

users – the pricing changes will be

September.New users have been seeing the

new pricing plans since its release last week.

online-streaming provider when compared to its competitors Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime Video, but this recent change might well change the dynamics between the competitors.

both DVD & Streaming for only $9.99 while others like Amazon Prime Video and Hulu Plus could only offer online streaming, and for $6.58 a month and $7.99 respectively, the choice was usually fairly clear-cut.

With this change, there might be less of a reason for online-

over Amazon Prime Video or Hulu Plus in terms of pricing.

And for the current subscribers that are already used to the $9.99 pricing, a 60% hike to $15.98 for the same service they’ve been us-

Hannah Swift

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

In a studio apart-ment in downtown St. Cloud, Ryan Un-ger dumps his bag of wrenches and screwdriv-ers onto a worn couch cushion.

Before he takes a look at his most recent project, a 1967 Sch-winn Collegiate bicycle, Unger heads over to a large wall of speakers to

to while he works.The wall of speakers,

the art scattered about the large room and the collection of antique furniture are what make the space one of artistic inspiration for Unger and his friends.

“Me and my friend Dante, we get obsessed with things,” Unger said,

to acquire such an array of items. “One of us will buy something like a record player and before

record players. We’ve bought records and record players, a bunch of guitars and amps, and then bicycles.”

Unger and his friends have been purchasing

up, and getting them into the hands of people who want to take part in this lifelong sport for the past year.

This graphic design major, who has two semesters left at SCSU, has been using his bi-cycles for transportation around St. Cloud for the past three years.

Most of the time

bicycles for friends of his friends, but sometimes he will buy bicycles that

for fun.“Sometimes we get

and we’ll pay just about anything for it,” Unger said, “and then by the

people to buy them.”However, Unger said

now that more people are starting to ride bi-

become easier.The increase in

cycling is a nation-wide trend; according to an article at NPR.org, cy-cling has tripled over the past two decades in big cities across the U.S.

Rod Niedzielski, owner and operator of Rod’s Bike Shop on the east side of St. Cloud, said he has seen an increase in people who want to be able to carry things on their bikes.

“The people who are coming in have a tendency to want more racks, baskets and bags and things like that on their bike,” Niedzielski said.

Having been in the bicycle business for 37 years, Niedzielski said he hopes one day there will be a bicycle rack park-ing problem because so many people want to

bike.“I think we’ve got a

little bit more change in the times. People are thinking they should ride more instead of just keep driving all the time,” Niedzielski said.

increasing, there’s no doubt about it.”

Saving money on gas is one reason why Ryan Unger tries to ride his bicycles as much as possible.

“You do save a lot more than you think you would on gas, but it’s just great to be outside and take in the scenery more slowly,” Unger said. “Your everyday com-mute can change daily if you take a different route or something if you’ve

Besides commuting to the two coffee shops he works at, Unger also enjoys cycling around town with his family and friends.

“We would go to

Staff report

SCSU has announced a plan that, while not seen with the naked eye, marks a drastic change in how the school will be run. The restructuring and reorganization effort, which began four years ago, has been put into effect.

The aptly named plan will reorganize the colleges and schools. The plan calls for there to be two colleges, with schools under each of them

The plan has cut out many programs, including the aviation pro-gram, and is looking at implementing new ones.

Devinder Molhotra, provost of academic affairs at SCSU, said that -

hotra added, “We are talking about a masters in public administration

reallign our programs and our curriculum. Not only will we add things, but we shall subtract things as well.”

The changes will have no affect on the way students register and determine what classes to take. It is possible that the department the student is majoring in will be changed, but the degrees will remain the same.

The two colleges will be the College of the Liberal Arts, with the school of the arts under it, and the College of Science and Engineering with the school of computing, engineering & environment under it. The four schools will be: the Herberger business school, the school of public affairs, the school of education and the school of health and human services.

The reorganization effort will also reduce staff at SCSU. Molhotra said, “All of this work was undertaken during very challenging times. That’s when the state allocations have been reduced. There are limits as to which we can increase tuition because otherwise we may jeopardize access to higher education to students.”

Most of the reduction in staff has come in the form of attrition. Attrition is the reduction of a workforce by means of early retirement and resignation. SCSU used BESI’s, which is an acronym for board early

Volume 88, Number 8

University

Chronicle Serving SCSU and the St. Cloud Community

Sunday, July 17, 2011 WWW.UNIVERSITYCHRONICLE.NET

INSIDENews..............1-2

Opinions...........3

Marquee............4

Sports...............5

‘Reefer Madness: The Musical’Curtain Call Com-munity Theatre’s annual production at Pioneer Place pushes the limits again.

describes his life growing up in Cold Spring.

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HANNAH SWIFT / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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restructuring,

reorganization

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Hannah Swift

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The word fashion usually invokes mental images of ultra skinny models walking down a runway or chiseled men only wearing pants in a glossy magazine. The world of sports and the world of fashion are usually not thought of by people to even exist in the same galaxy.

But fashion and sports have more in common than most people realize.

Trends in fashion change from season to season. During the fall leop-ard print spandex may be the hottest thing on the market.

Similar trends occur in sports. Certain plays, moves, teams or players will be widely popular one season and not even mentioned the next.

Another interesting aspect of sport’s trends that relate even more to fashion is how teams’ uniforms change from year to year.

A major trend in uniforms at the moment is have old-school or throw-back jerseys. The Minnesota Twins’ new uniforms are a great example of this trend.

The team decided to debut new uniforms with the opening of Target Field in 2010.

Their main home uniforms look

pretty similar to those they’ve had in the past, but their secondary home uniforms and their away uniforms were inspired by the 1961 uniforms (the starting year of the team in Min-nesota).

Having new uniforms comes with a plethora of changes for a sports franchise.

New jerseys are now available for Twins fans to buy, which will remind

-back style and play into the history of the team.

Having trends in uniforms is an interesting aspect of sports that isn’t

talked about enough. Who designs teams’ jerseys? What are the reasons behind the designs? These are things that are very interesting to people who enjoy fashion.

Another major consideration when comparing sports to fashion is how fans wear sport teams’ signature clothing. In fact, some wear the same baseball cap for years in support of their favorite team (or because they just really like the hat).

Professional and college teams become brands of clothing and it can become a huge cash cow.

All of these things strengthen the idea of the relationship between

sports and fashion.Perhaps this train of thought

connect to sports or perhaps even to fashion.

Finding an interesting aspect of something you aren’t very interested in can be a fun way to learn about things and open you up to experience more in the universe.

A non-traditional balancing act

OpinionsUniversity Chronicle - Page 3Sunday, July 17, 2011

In today’s economy there are more non-traditional students at colleges than ever before.

As a non-traditional student I can relate to the stress that other non-traditional stu-

dents face.Balancing family, work, school and a

on one’s self. Working full time and having

classes, homework and other school related activities.

It is a balancing act like no other. One wants to spend as much time with the fam-ily as possible but has obligations that one

classed to attend.Many of us go through stints of sleep

deprivation and live off of coffee and Dr. Pepper (in my case) but we make it through it. We somehow seem to balance everything and come out on top. The kids get fed and bathed, classes are attended, homework is completed - if not on time or to the best of

our ability - it is still done and work comes and goes.

The hardest part is balancing a social life in the mix of work. Non-traditional students wrap themselves up into caring for everyone else and do not take time to care for them-selves or take time away from everything for themself.

Even the smallest act for oneself can lift one’s spirits. For instance when I am not feeling well or am exhausted I put on some make-up and dress up a bit. This boosts my

long bubble bath can do the same. Going out to lunch with a friend or getting some ice cream, may be all one needs to do for themselves.

One must also make time to sleep. If one does not get enough sleep one cannot care

for themself much less for anyone else. This is something that I constantly struggle with. There are two days a week where I am able to sleep for longer than four hours at a time.

necessary.Work usually takes priority over school

for the sole fact that one has bills to pay. On the other hand one is going to school to better their lives and if one has a family the lives of their family as well.

School is the ticket to bigger and better things, a house, a newer car, toys and such.

energy, time with their children and their social life.

Non-traditionl students want a better life and a better life for their family. This is our wish, our hope, our dream.

Share meaningful communication

Sports and fashion are more alike than different

Rising obesity rates are cause for alarm

The opinions expressed on the Opinions

page are not necessarily those of the col-

lege, university system or student body.

Despite the growing number of state and federal programs aimed at lowering obesity rates across the country, it just keeps rising.

In a recent study, not a single state in the country reported a decrease in obesity in the past year; in fact, 16 states showed an increase in obesity rates. Only the state of Colorado has an obesity rate lower then 20 percent.

The steady rise in childhood obesity par-ticularly alarming is. In 1974, the child obesity rate was at 5 percent. In 2008, it had risen to 17 percent.

Some doctors are suggesting drastic mea-sures to try and tackle the problem.

One doctor has recently declared child obe-sity to be considered the same as child abuse. If a child is so obese that he or she is starting to develop serious life threatening issues, he or she should be taken from his or her parents and placed in foster care.

At what point do the obesity rates have to reach for it to be enough for us to change our ways?

Taking obese children away from their parents does sound too extreme, but it may be the wake up call we need to get our population back on a healthy track.

The daily choices we make that cause us

to be obese are ultimately up to us. We decide what our bodies will consume, even though res-taurants and grocery stores do not make those decisions easy ones.

With unhealthy junk food often being cheaper then healthy alternatives, restaurants serving much larger portions then what is needed, confusing nutrition labels, and lack of information, it is not surprising obesity is on the rise.

Simple changes in our diet and decision-making can make a world of difference when it comes to lowering obesity rates.

Even though it takes a little bit more effort, cooking at home can help control one’s weight and health.

By preparing meals at home, dishes can be made healthier and in the correct portion size. Over time, it is also more cost effective and will save money.

People can also be consistent with small changes in their diet in order to further control their weight, such as using non-fat versus full fat or cutting down on soda and other sugars.

In order to help control the rising obesity rates, people need to learn the tried and true way to lose weight and keep it off: a balanced, healthy diet and exercise.

It seems like every other month there is some new, miracle diet that allows its followers to drop a ton of weight instantly.

It usually involves something ridiculous or almost impossible to do, like only eating carbs, not eating any carbs, or drinking some sort of solution as part of a “cleanse.”

While these fad diets do seem tempting

unhealthy and unsuccessful.

diet, and cheap junk food will never go away. If we want to lower our obesity rates and become a healthier population, we need to learn better exercise and eating habits.

Kyra Loch

COLUMNIST

Christian Bursch

SPORTS & FITNESS EDITOR

Have you ever had the feeling that you were alone in a crowded room? That feeling of crushing loneli-ness is what I feel every time I log into a social network.

Google+ has been lauded by people as the new Facebook, a way of sharing that will revolutionize how we communicate. Although I have a Google+ account, a Facebook account, a Twitter account, a Tumblr account and an account on Reddit, I feel disconnected from my friends and family when I log in.

All of this sharing has blinded us to what’s in front of our faces. I had to laugh the other day while wait-ing for class. I was sitting in the community lounge at

were all facing each other, but everyone either had a smart phone or a laptop in front of them.

We all seem to have to have something in front of our faces while waiting for the bus, sitting in the library or sipping a cup of coffee.

When I see a group of

in front of them and no care as to who is sitting across from them, I am reminded of the scene from the movie Wall-E.

Wall-E the lovable robot had wandered onto a space-

had all the luxury in the world, but no sense of con-nection.

We’ve become a culture of zombies, scratching blindly for a sense of deep connection while never quite grasping it.

The saddest thing about this is that the connection is right in front of us.

The people at the com-mons in Atwood could have put their phones and com-puters away and had a con-versation. The people at the library or the bus stop can have a meaningful conver-sation with a stranger. We could learn a lot by slowing down a little and looking each other in the eye.

It seems that the more mediums of communi-cation we have, the less meaningful communica-tion we have. When was the last time you sat down

and broke bread with your roommates? When was the last time you went on a walk to nowhere, but with someone special?

I think social networking sites like Google+ are great for some things. I love post-ing links and sharing bits of my life with my friends. I love talking to people I couldn’t normally even see. It’s when we take it too far and use these as our only means of communication that we lose something deeply human about our-selves.

So I say, “Go forth! Look your fellow people in the eye!” Don’t fear the slow, ambling conversa-tions that don’t seem to go anywhere. Remember that there are people right in front of you that have sto-ries and are willing to share them with you. Remember that we’re all human and not machines made to spit out information.

and tell ghost stories. Walk around the twilit streets holding your lov-ers hand, sharing silence. Ask a stranger about their dreams. Have a feast with friends. When you’re done with all of that, go on Face-book and share an interest-ing news story or a link to Wikipedia.

Quote of the Day

“L ife is like a bicycle, to keep your balance you must keep moving.”

Albert Einstein

Michael Runyon

NEWS EDITOR

Have an opinion?

Send a letter to the editor.

Web - www.universitychronicle.netEmail - opinions@universitychronicle.net

Mail - 13 Stewart Hall, SCSU, St. Cloud, MN 56301

Jason Tham

MOVIE REVIEW

Yes, Jim Carrey still has it.For more than a year Jim Carrey faded

Christmas Carol,” in 2009. This year, this win-

Performance returns to bring to audience more hilarious comedy, lame jokes and family morals.

Worse still, some miscommunications that take

rest of his family - the lovely yet divorced wife

-

humorous attitude.

the liaisons between the family members.

accents.What many viewers can take away from

this movie is the traditional family value; a

still worth the ticket for a time of good family bonding.

If you need some break from your stressful

Samantha South

NEWS EDITOR

for J. K. Rowling and Steve Cloves this

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, ends the series.

-

-writer, Steve Cloves.

Not long after, Harry Potter hit the movie theaters and built fans across the globe.

Now, after more than a decade, J.

reached the end of the series.The books follow the adventures of

three adolescent wizards including the main character, Harry Potter, and his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione

the wizarding world to destroy all those -

ter, as he is the only one who never died by

only series that I have ever read,” said Matt Oleson, a SCSU student majoring in busi-

Theater two and a half hours early.

said Kelly Simonson, a SCSU graduate. and kids from around the area waited in line to get into the theater to watch the

enjoy it as much as we do.”-

rived at the theater in full costume as Fleur Delacour and Draco Malfoy.

--

ing all week by watching all of the movies

-

characters in the series.-

systems.Heather Moulzoll, a SCSU graduate,

for this movie, has read of all the books and has seen all of the movies.

written and you can just get lost in them,” Moulzoll said.

franchise has already generated $4.5 billion

with translations in 67 languages.

and seem grateful for all she has done.-

tions of not just characters but fans and adults that can act like kids,” SCSU grad Kelly Simonson said about J. K. Rowling.

theater.

-

Sakalsky.

‘Harry Potter’ sees its last premier

MarqueePage 4 - University Chronicle Sunday, July 17, 2011

Harry Potter fans dress up for the premier of Part II of the Deathly Hallows.

Molly Willms

THEATER REVIEW

The content is irreverent, the songs are catchy and the characters are hilariously exaggerated.

Madness: The Musical” at Pioneer Place.

-

The content was certainly shocking, but it was all so tongue-in-cheek that the entire audience

Though Jimmy and Mary were certainly the main characters, the chorus was vibrant and ever-

Jesus obviously mouthed the foulest of four-letter words.

Every number was fun to watch, and the songs will likely be hummed throughout the city for

weeks to come.

laughing uncontrollably out loud, even without the aid of demon marihuana.

REVIEWS.movie.game.album.book.theater.

Zachary Kulzer sings “Down at the Ol’ Five and Dime” with chorus members.

Jim Carrey stars as “Tom Popper.”

‘Reefer Madness’ pushes the limits of comedy

‘Mr. Popper’s Penguins’ draws laughs from all

The halls of the theater was packed with fans as they wait for the premier.

RATING:

RATING:

Sports & FitnessUniversity Chronicle - Page 5 Sunday, July 17, 2011

Christian Bursch

SPORTS & FITNESS EDITOR

The 6 foot 4 inch, 200 pound Husky pitcher, Logan Birr, thrives on competition.

This is a reason he came to SCSU. “Coach Dolan was a turning point in the SCSU program,” Birr said and wanted to be a part of it.

“We bond really well, they are like my brothers, we are like a family and get along really well,” Birr said about his favorite part of the Husky baseball team.

Birr was named one of the captains for the upcoming Husky baseball season. The players vote for the captains and the coaches overlook the selections.

“To get named captain it means people trust you, trust your leadership. They have trust in me, to come talk to me if they are having problems in school or anything. That is why it is special to me,” Birr said.

It was a long journey for Birr to become captain of the Husky baseball team.

“I started this game, gave up six runs and didn’t record an out. That was pretty embarrassing, that was the worst, it sucked,” Birr said of a game he pitched two years ago in summer baseball. The road hasn’t always been rough for Birr.

“I started playing baseball as soon as I could walk,” Birr said. He started playing competitively when he was six years old in tee ball. Birr played baseball all four years of high school for the Apollo Eagles.

intended on majoring in business. After a year and half of school Birr decided to change his major to criminal justice he explained.

“Ever since I was little I had always talk-ed about it,” Birr said of his current major. He described that it was always something that he wanted to do, and thinks he would like a career in criminal justice.

is something Birr said he would like but would prefer to be a cop.

“I feel like I could pull over some people,” Birr said.

Birr admitted that a long term goal of his is to be successful. “Having a nice job, coming home to a nice house, having a good family and having some money,” Birr

“I don’t want to be broke or anything like that.”

Birr admitted he was “kinda boring” but said the one thing he has on his bucket list is to visit all the major league baseball parks and watch a game at each one.

His love for baseball came from his father and brother Birr explained. Birr’s

older than him.

“He always beat me up when my par-ents weren’t looking,” Birr said of his older brother but explained his family has always been and still are close. Birr also has a sister who is a year younger than him.

“We spent a lot of time together as a family,” Birr said. He described times when his family would go to his grandparents’ house in Arizona and go camping at the big red barn.

“I think that’s what made us so close now, we were always together,” Birr said. “I have been blessed with the family I have.”

Crediting his mother, Birr admits his philosophy in life is “try everything twice.”

The reason behind the saying is “you

always used to hate squash, my mom made me try it again and I loved it.”

While Birr’s mother taught him life lessons, his father brought him hunting since he was able to shoot a gun legally Birr explained. “We hunt for everything: deer, duck and pheasant,” Birr said and admits that he goes bow hunting once in a while with his father when he has time.

Going hunting with a shotgun is a favorite for Birr. “My dad, my brother, two of my cousins and my uncle get away from the city for a weekend and camp,” Birr said of his family’s hunting ritual.

Hunting is not the only outdoor past time Birr enjoys. A friend of Birr’s lives on

“We caught a snapping turtle one time and now that’s what we go for. We have some stupid obsession with catching it, ‘cause it got away. That was four years ago,” Birr said and admits they still attempt to catch snapping turtles.

IMAGE COURTESY OF HUSKY ATHLETICS

Logan Birr throwing a pitch during a Husky baseball game this past season at

Joe Faber Field in Waite Park.

CHRISTIAN BURSCH / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Eric Loxtercamp practices his swing at the Cold Spring Baseball Field in Cold

Spring.

Husky o

CHRISTIAN BURSCH / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Spring Baseball Field.

IMAGE COURTESY OF HUSKY ATHLETICS

Logan Birr pitcher for SCSU Huskies.

Christian Bursch

SPORTS & FITNESS EDITOR

Huskies, doesn’t like heights.“I can do some rollercoasters, but not

the power tower,” Loxtercamp said of his dislike for heights.

He admitted he could never go skydiv-ing.

Things Loxtercamp does like are hunt--

ing.“I like anything outside, its enjoyable,”

Loxtercamp said.Loxtercamp described himself as an

avid outdoorsman.“If I get bored around the house I walk

into the woods and shoot squirrels,” Lox-tercamp said.

He also enjoys deer hunting. Loxter-camp explained that he shotgun hunts and bow hunts mainly for deer but he also hunts pheasant.

“I like getting out in the woods and enjoying nature. It’s the best part of hunt-ing rather than sitting in the house all day,” Loxtercamp said.

“I like bow hunting better, it is more exciting for me but I see more deer when I go shotgun hunting,” Loxtercamp said.

When he goes shotgun hunting he goes down by Rochester while he bow hunts at his house Loxtercamp explained.

“Bow hunting is more exciting because it is more of a challenge, because you have to get the deer a lot closer ... It gets your adrenaline pumping when they get really close,” Loxtercamp said.

Loxtercamp said he would like to elk hunt once in his life as well as hunt for bear and caribou.

Loxtercamp admitted he would also

like to visit Alaska and every major league baseball park.

life. “We would come to the cold spring

game with friends,” Loxtercamp said.Loxtercamp played baseball for the

Spartans in high school. He mainly played

you have more room to move around and run after balls and it is just exciting,” Lox-tercamp said.

“My dad played baseball. I started to love the game and a lot of my friends play baseball,” Loxtercamp said.

“My family likes to go on trips to grandpa’s cabin, our camper in Brainerd, went to Florida a couple times and went to spring training his senior year of high school,” Loxtercamp said. He stated that his whole family likes baseball.

Loxtercamp chose to continue playing baseball after high school for the Huskies after graduating from Rocori.

“SCSU is close to home and has a good baseball program and major that I am go-ing into,” Loxtercamp said of his reason for coming to SCSU.

The major he is pursuing is construc-tion management. “Seems more interesting than other things I looked at and is some-thing I want to do,” Loxtercamp said. He looked into a major in business but chose his current major instead. Although he is now considering a dual major, Loxtercamp admitted.

“School is going well and I hope it con-tinues to go well,” Loxtercamp said.

After school Loxtercamp revealed he would like to get a house, pay off loans, still play baseball and “start living.”