Students

Blockbuster, Netflix, Hulu, Oh My!

There’s been a lot of news recently in mail-home and online streaming space, which are two places college students enjoy.   The ease of getting movies mailed to you to watch when you’re bored, or the ability to go online and stream your favorite movie or that TV show you missed last week.  But Blockbuster, Netflix, and Hulu have made announcements to diversify not only what you get, but how you get it.  Read through to see what’s new.

Blockbuster Adds Games To

While the company that used to be a behemoth in the rental industry flirts with bankruptcy and tries to compete with Netflix, it is trying to differentiate itself.  Blockbuster By Mail, their DVD rentals at home program, announced today that games would also be included.  So users can rent movies, games, and TV series at their home via the mailbox.  $9 a month will get you 1 DVD or vide game at a time, with plans going up to $17 a month for 3 DVD’s or games at a time.  The Total Access plans are only worthwhile if there is a Blockbuster in the area (the nearest stores are in Belpre and Parkersburg)…which there isn’t.

If you’ve been tempted by this deal, consider the major points between Blockbuster and Netflix.  Sure, you get to rent games with Blockbuster.  But at the same price point ($9) you could stream movies to your computer, XBOX 360, Wii, Playstation, and eventually, mobile phones.  Online streaming is separate with Blockbuster, and costs vary from rental to outright purchase (but offers streaming to computers, mobile phones, and TV’s).  So the question is, which do you value more?  Online movie streaming, or Video Game Rentals?

Netflix Gets More Online Movies

Speaking about the whole online streaming universe, Netflix announced today that it’s increasing their streaming library in a huge way.  New movies from Paramount, MGM, and Lionsgate will be able to be streamed online 90 days after their DVD release, starting September 1st.

This also means that their back catalogues will also be available, starting that same day.  According to the press release, this could mean nearly 3,000 new movies available for streaming via Netflix.  Like I mentioned earlier, $9 will get you one DVD at a time, and unlimited movie and tv streaming.

Hulu Plus Coming

Most students don’t have TiVo’s or DVR’s on campus, and with busy lives away from the TV, yet great shows on every day, it’s hard to keep up.  Hulu fixes that problem, for the most part, but if you were looking for more, it’s here.

Hulu Plus gives you access to previous seasons of shows, and unlocks a back catalogue of many other shows not available to the typical Hulu user.  It also allows you to stream Hulu Plus content to your TV, Playstation 3, iPhone, and iPad (supposedly more devices are coming soon, including the XBOX 360).  Costs $10 a month, but is currently in a limited preview, so you have to apply for the privilege to use the service at the moment.

Even with the monthly payment, you’ll still be forced to watch ads during the shows.  And don’t worry, free Hulu will still be around.

New Federal Textbook Rules Already In Use At MC

Who loves following federal law? I don’t! But I recently found out about new federal regulations that effects Marietta College students and their textbook purchasing decisions.

The Higher Education Opportunity Act goes into effect July 1st, and contains many different things (thanks to Disruptive Library Technology Jester for the breakdown of the law).  One part that is important to students is that there are new textbook disclosure rules to help make class selections and book purchasing decisions a bit easier.

According to the law, colleges are now required to show what books and materials are required and/or recommended for each course at the time of scheduling.  Back when you scheduled, you should have noticed a book icon listed for each class.  Clicking on the icon will tell you what is required for the course, the price, and the ISBN.  Not all classes have books listed, so you may see “To Be Determined” and “No Required Materials” notes instead.  Textbook bundles must also be sold separately, with bundled and non-bundled options listed – including pricing breakdowns.

Ed. Note – According to a rep from the National Association of College Stores, which commented on the article, books are allowed to be bundled still.  Writing on the Mall apologizes for the error.  Here’s what they said:

Under the law, institutions do not have to sell or list textbook bundles seperatly. Publishers need to disclose such information to faculty, but faculty are free to continue to adopt bundles as required. Publishers do not have to offer unbundled for any package they determine as “integrated”.

Another change is that publishers are required to tell professors more information about books they may use for classes.  Professors will now know how much the book costs, what revisions have been made to the book, and other editions of the book in different formats (including their prices).

HEOA also asks for book options to be publicized better by the institution, including renting textbooks, buying used books, and digital textbooks.

Like I mentioned earlier, Marietta College has already adopted the new requirements in its online scheduling system.

Follett Higher Education Group, the company that owns the Marietta College Bookstore, has been advertising it’s own book rental program called Rent-A-Text.  Follett is trying to compete with Chegg (A person favorite!), a popular book rental service that has been around for a few years.  Half.com and Amazon are other great choices for used textbooks.

College Begins Search For New Assistant Director of Student Activities And Greek Life

Writing on the Mall has confirmed that Allison Toney will be leaving her position at the end of July.

This means that Marietta College will have its fourth Assistant Director of Student Activities and Greek Life in four years.

Toney revealed her plans in an e-mail to the leaders of all the greek houses and councils on campus. In the letter, which was obtained by Writing on the Mall, she says, “I decided to leave to get back closer to home and it was more personal than professional reasons for leaving.”

When reached for comment, she says, “I really enjoyed working with everyone this past year! You all are some great students and I know you will continue to do good things in the future!”

Toney was hired by Marietta College last summer to replace Tara Kurilchick.  Kurilchick had dual-roles for the college (Residence Life and Student Activities) during the search to fill the Assistant Director position after Lynne Miller left in 2008 for the University of Pittsburgh.  Miller replaced Melissa Liptak in 2006 after Liptak accepted a position with Kent State.

David Travis, the Director of Student Activities and Student Life, says that this is to be expected.  He says that the Assistant Director position is considered and entry-level position.  Because of this, he continues on to say, “It is not uncommon for entry level positions to be held from 1 to 3 years. With this said my goal is to create a working environment that is welcoming for any staff member. This environment needs to allow for a staff member to be challenged and grow professionally.”

Travis will take over the duties of Assistant Director while a search to fill the position begins.  Candidates will be interviewed by a panel of students, faculty, and staff has been formed.  Interviews will begin in July on a rolling basis.

If you were curious to the job requirements, Travis sent along a copy of the job description.

The primary responsibility of this position, as part of the Student Activities & Greek Life department, is to provide leadership to the Greek community by developing and implementing programs and activities that strengthen and enhance Greek Life at Marietta College.  This includes serving as advisor to Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, and Greek Council.  The Assistant Director will also provide academic support, counseling and educational programming for all Greek organizations.

Additional responsibilities include partnering with students, student organizations, faculty, and staff in coordinating community service projects.

Duties and responsibilities are organized around two areas:  Management and Programming.

Also of note, a Master’s degree in Higher Education is not being required for the position. Emphasis is also placed on Greek Affiliation.

A Bachelor’s degree is required while a Master’s degree in College Student Personnel, Higher Education Administration or related field is preferred. Prior Greek Life experience (chapter consultant, graduate assistant with Greek Life responsibilities, etc.) is strongly preferred.  Affiliation with a Greek Letter organization is highly desirable. Must possess well developed communication/interpersonal, organization, planning and programming skills.

Writing on the Mall asked several campus leaders for comment.  Brendan George, president of Interfraternity Council, and Josh Maxwell, president of Student Senate, had the following to say.

Ms. Toney’s vacancy will mark the fourth Greek Adviser that MC seniors have experienced.  This means that something is either very wrong with the Greek population at MC or something needs to be done with the position from an administrative standpoint.  Why is it so difficult to keep someone in the position?  Looking at Andrews, Bruce Peterson is really the only one that I see that has stayed with the overall department of Student Life for an extended period of time.  Vickers is gone, Travis is still relatively new, and Pastoor has yet to impress the collegiate population.  It is, as far as it’s personnel is concerned, a very new department.  Now Allison Toney, a woman that showed such promise early in her career here, is leaving as well.  The phenomenon warrants investigation.

~ Brendan George, President of Interfraternity Council

Allison’s departure marks a growing trend in the Assistant Director of Student Activities and Greek Life position of very low retention.  It’s currently suffering the Harry Potter “Defense Against the Darks” curse, because we can’t seem to keep them past a year.  I wonder if maybe this is an appropriate time figure out why this keeps happening, before we set out to hire a replacement.

One of the biggest criteria I will be looking for in a replacement will be the candidate’s willingness and commitment to a multi-year stay at Marietta.  I feel that if the Student Life wishes to continue helping Greek Life grow and develop, it needs to have a staff member that can bring continuity to the table.

~ Josh Maxwell, President of Student Senate

Travis also had the following to say about Toney

Marietta College is sad to see her leaving us. I believe Allison contributed much to the College, its students and the Office of Student Activities and Greek Life. I believe her passion is supporting students and helping them achieve their goals.

~ David Travis, Director of Student Activities and Greek Life

PROFILE: The Music Man of Marietta

You’re driving down the road with the windows down and the stereo up. You’re sitting in your friend’s basement recalling the crazy stunts you’ve pulled together. You’re not worried about the time and your plans – you’re content to relax and enjoy the life you’ve been given.

This is the life of Nate DiRuzza and the mood emitted through his music. A senior at Marietta College, his music invites listeners to slow down and find where they are in life. He would classify his music as “folk rock” inspired by artists such as Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, Brad Paisley and the Eagles. He has recorded his first album and performed at various venues throughout Northeast Ohio and the Mid-Ohio Valley, including the Izzy’s Coffeehouse Series and opening for Blessid Union of Souls.

His story begins at his first-grade Christmas play, where he portrayed Elvis and became obsessed with the performer. He could easily be found singing and dancing on the coffee table impersonating his idol.

As his love for music grew, so did his interest in becoming a musician. DiRuzza taught himself to play guitar his junior year of high school because he couldn’t afford lessons. He wrote his first song about a girl he liked, “Only a Fool,” and then wrote “The Good Ol’ Fashioned Days,” both found on his first album.

As a high school senior, DiRuzza recognized his desire to not only write music, but also perform in front of crowds. With the push of his chorus teacher, he auditioned for the school play and portrayed the Cowardly Lion in their production of “The Wizard of Oz.”

“It was that play that built the confidence I have about myself,” he said.

That confidence was useful later in his first solo performance with his own music.

“I performed “The Good Ol’ Fashion Days” in front of 300-400 people for the first time. Everybody started clapping along and I got the chills,” he said.

Now a senior in college, DiRuzza is doing what he loves. He keeps a notebook with each of the 21 songs he has written, and has found that at different points in his life, he will write songs with similar lyrical vibes.

“I basically write about how I feel. I don’t make anything up, everything that I write about it true. When I get my heart broken, I write about it. When I’m in an extreme state of happiness, I write about it. I also write about experiences that I’ve had,” he said.

He hopes that others will be able to find themselves in his music.

“I want people to be able to identify with it. I want them to feel it, either with the lyrics or the beat of the song,” he said.

DiRuzza is expecting his second album to come out within the next few years. In the future, he would like to perform at the NACA (National Association for College Activities) conference. Here, he would be recruited by colleges and perform at their schools.

The glitz and glamour of a Hollywood musician is not appealing to DiRuzza, who would rather finish his college education and allow those he cares for most to take this journey with him.

“I’m not going to get in a dirty old van and just take off because I’m very family oriented and I don’t want to leave people behind. However, I would love to perform and travel on the weekends, and yet still live close to my family,” he said.

You can listen to some of DiRuzza’s music on his myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/natediruzza. You can also purchase his album from New Creation Studios in Parkersburg, W.Va., or from him personally. As we endure the hustle and bustle and craziness of life, he hopes we can all learn to live the message of his newest song, and “Take Life Slow.”

EDITOR’S NOTE:  This article is by Leyna Chovan, a Media Writing Two student at Marietta College.  If you are interested in writing for Writing on the Mall, send an e-mail to Patrick_H@writingonthemall.net.

PROFILE: Wayward Son Finds All Roads Lead to Marietta

Applying for college was the last thing on 18-year-old Mike Pankowski’s mind that day when his mom came into the room and she told him he didn’t have a choice.

Mike lived in the present and with prom coming up and his girlfriend on his arm the world couldn’t have been better. But his mom was serious so he applied to three colleges, one of them being Marietta College.

“My mom took me up to Marietta four weekends in a row to see the school and the baseball coach wanted me here too so I said OK let’s do it,” said Pankowski.

That was in 2005 and Mike is still on his path of discovery, finding himself back at Marietta for the third time in 2010. It wasn’t an easy journey but one he learned from.

“I am not one to regret things, as I stand behind every action I have taken. If I could ‘change’ one aspect of my life, it would have been my decision to neglect the college search. I believe that if I would have listened to my mother and taken the time to look at colleges of all types and sizes, then my life would have been different. I am not saying for the better, but none-the-less, completely different. Change is never bad, but a different challenge in life that opens up new doors to opportunity,” said Pankowski.

The summer of 2005 came and went quickly and Mike found himself in his first semester freshmen year that went really well ending up with a 3.1 GPA. The beginning was a little rocky because when the first baseball practice rolled around, he slept through it. The ironic thing is though it ended up working out well in the end because track and field became his new passion.

“Everything happens for a reason and one day I decided to talk to Coach (Derek) Stanley and ask if I could throw the javelin because I had done it in high school,” said Pankowski. “I got really into it and ended up getting the school record that spring.”

Unfortunately Mike blew out his back that spring as well and he lost a lot of his direction in life. When he came back for the fall ready for track and field he tore his ACL during an intramural flag football game. From then on, it all went down hill and any direction or motivation Mike had was gone. That semester consisted of surgery, rehab and no schoolwork. So when grades came along, straight C’s didn’t let him keep his scholarship and his parents told him they weren’t paying anymore.

“I had to make a decision at that point and I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life so I decided some time off was the best option,” said Pankowski. “I didn’t tell anyone I was leaving because it was really embarrassing. I had a lot of friends at school and I feel like I let down a lot of people.”

Pankowski’s best friend Kevin Rykaceski has stood by his side through all his ups and downs.

“Mike and I have been friends since we were 10 years old after I beat him up playing basketball, I guess that united us because we still hang out all the time,” said Rykaceski. “Mike’s that one friend that when either of us are having a bad day we call each other up and I mean if he called me one day and said he wanted to go to Hawaii, I would go.”

Mike got a job at a pool company where he eventually became a pool manger and in the spotlight all the time. Then one day at work in 2008 it all hit him at once.

“I was standing there with all these people around me asking questions and damning orders out of me as I’m trying to organize everything and I had to go, I had to get out of there,” said Pankowski. “I went to lunch by myself and right then and there decided to go back to Marietta.”

So Mike decided to go back to Marietta for a semester and just signed up for classes and went. There were still a lot of people there he knew so needless to say some were in shock when he dropped off the planet for two years and then just showed up at school one day.

“I just wanted to go to school for a semester and prove to myself I could do it, so I took three classes and got A’s in all three,” said Pankowski. “But I still didn’t know what I wanted to do so I went back to work.”

That next year was when Mike really found his true passion and put everything together. He was working at a lumberyard 6am-530pm, at the pool, taking night classes three days a week and waiting tables on the weekend. He also starting mountain biking and fell in love with the outdoors.

“Me and my friends would go on trips and live off the land for five days at a time, I absolutely loved it,” said Pankowski. “This brought me to realize what I really wanted to do with my life and that I wanted to go back to school to study environmental science.”

So in October 2009 Mike found himself calling Coach Stanley again, applying for classes and renting an apartment in downtown Marietta. It had been a long journey but he knew for sure this time he wanted to be there and it was worth his money.

Pankowski’s Javelin coach now, Ken Ciolek had only positive things to say about his return.

“From the two conversations that we had I knew that I was dealing with a rare breed. Mike is the type of person that all teachers, and coaches search for. Motivated to succeed and eager to learn along with the type of understanding of the “big picture” that many of us are still trying to grasp and understand. I find myself learning from him as much if not more that he learns from me in our correspondence at javelin practice,” said Ciolek.

With the rest of his life before him Mike looks back on his experiences with knowledge and understanding.

“My experiences showed me that there is more to life than that great car, the cool group, or the college degree. Yes, I feel with my degree I will prove myself to many, but it takes more than that for someone to prove themselves to me. I have met people with a high school education who work in the real world, and I would be willing to put my life in their hands over 95 percent of the people at Marietta College, or all college grads for that matter,” said Pankowski. “Point is, the world revolves around the belief that winning this competition makes a person, or the college degree makes me better than you and so on. My experiences helped me realize who I was, and who I wanted to be, not because of my neighbor or because of her/his success in life, but because I now have 1,000 doors in front of me, and it’s up to me, and only me to pick the path of my life. It’s my life to live, my life to choose and my life to party.”

EDITOR’S NOTE:  This article is by Danielle Staub, a Media Writing Two student at Marietta College.  If you are interested in writing for Writing on the Mall, send an e-mail to Patrick_H@writingonthemall.net.

PROFILE: Failed Floridian Fencer Finds Finale

Ready.  Fence!

Chris Law advanced a step on the raised strip in front of a crowd of more than 300 at the Ocala, Fla., Fencing Tournament.  His Russian opponent charged.  Law, who was only two points away from winning, retreated a few steps and attempted to block the moves.  The Russian lunged forward and body checked Law.  Law stumbled, twisted and slipped.  His leg was broken and his Olympic bound fencing career was over.

Law is now a senior about to graduate from Marietta College.  Before his final fencing match began the fall of his senior year of high school, he planned to go to Penn State on a full ride scholarship and join the fencing team.  If Penn State had not worked out, he had been accepted to Harvard under the same conditions.  The same was true with Yale, Oregon, Oregon State, and Syracuse.  In a few seconds, all of that was gone.

“I blacked out immediately after it happened,” says Law.  “The next thing I remember, I was going to the hospital and knew I had a bad injury.”

The injury was pretty serious indeed.  The doctor determined Law’s right leg had a broken tibia and femur, a dislocated and shattered patella, several torn muscles, a torn LCL, and a strained ACL.

Within a few days, every scholarship offer had been revoked except for Law’s academic scholarship to Marietta College.  This was Law’s backup to his backup.  As it turned out, it became one of the best things to ever happen to Chris Law.

“I enjoyed MC more than I thought I would.  Classes I could have had anywhere.  The friends, though, I wouldn’t trade for Penn State’s fencing program or Harvard or anything like that for the friends I made at Marietta.”

Law embraced the situation and he become very involved at Marietta College.  He joined a fraternity and became an editor for the Marcolian, the student newspaper.  He is about to graduate with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations, a double minor in journalism and organizational communication, and a certificate in international leadership.

Adam Bruhenne, Law’s best friend and former roommate, is impressed by how much the entire situation has humbled Law.  “I don’t think I could have taken this as well as Chris Law.  He’s become an avid volunteer for the Boys’ and Girls’ Club and wants to join the Navy after he graduates.”

The military is one option Law is considering.  If he can’t find a job in the private sector, he’d like to serve his country.

“My dream job is to be the director of social media for Budweiser, but it will take a while to get there.  If I can get in a few years with the government, I think it will not only help my career, but I will be able to give back for everything my country has given me.”

EDITOR’S NOTE:  This article is by Dave Hood, a Media Writing Two student at Marietta College.  If you are interested in writing for Writing on the Mall, send an e-mail to Patrick_H@writingonthemall.net.

PROFILE: Flowers Blooming At MC

If you have ever felt destined to be a certain person or follow a specific path, then you already have plenty in common with the topic of this article, Nancy Ann Flowers. “Live, Love, Laugh, and Dream” is the perfect quote to sum up Nancy. Through her 22 years of life, she has kept fighting and held tight onto her dreams of someday becoming a star on Broadway.

Flowers was born in the early morning hours of March 6, 1988, in Bellaire, Ohio.  Mike and Cheri Flowers were caught slightly off-guard the night before Cheri’s scheduled baby shower for her baby bump named Nancy. The happy couple was decorating their church to welcome friends and family with gifts for their new baby the next day when Cheri went into labor and had to be rushed to the hospital by her husband. Leave it to Nancy to stop the show and make everyone’s jaws drop with her impeccable timing and knack for making everyone smile.

From their exciting kick-start as a family, Mike, Cheri, and their daughter Nancy have been a very close-knit family. Nancy didn’t have any siblings growing up but she has helped raise two family pets; Ziggy, who came into the family in her eighth grade year and then Gizmo, who was born with his multiple sibling right underneath the Flowers’ porch! Nancy saw the pregnant mother cat under the porch and just had to help out. She and her parents adopted one of the kittens and took the rest to the local shelter that did not put pets to sleep. This is just another example of how Nancy shows her kindness towards anyone willing to accept it.

Another way this kind character likes to show her kindness towards animals is through being a vegetarian. Nancy has been a vegetarian since July 19^th, 2005. She can remember the day so vividly because her decision to stop eating meat didn’t come lightly. She and her mother had been on the South Beach Diet for a few months when suddenly, while eating a steak her father cooked, Nancy decided she had eaten enough meat for a lifetime.

Now, she never really liked the taste of meat all that much, as she was used to only eating hamburgers and chicken tenders as her selections of meat, but this was her breaking point. Not only did Nancy stop liking the taste but, when she thinks about how the meat came to be on her plate, it “grosses [her] out!” Being a vegetarian for going on five years now has taken a lot of strength and determination from Nancy. These personality traits are helping her in more areas than nutrition though.

Nancy will be the next-to-last graduate, and the only one this year, who will leave Marietta College with a degree in Musical Theatre. The major has since been deleted from the school’s repertoire but this young dreamer is determined to make it her career.

“It’s the only thing I really love to do and I can get a job in. Yeah, my parents weren’t too thrilled about it at first but, they came around.”

They came around to the possibility of musical theatre being a career for their only daughter during Nancy’s senior year. She played two major roles in her high school productions; Abbie in “Arsenic and Old Lace” and ended her year as Dolly in the Spring Musical, “Hello Dolly.”

“Dolly convinced me I could do it because it was one of the best shows my school had done and it showed people I was a pretty good singer and actor too. They were kinda shocked to see me doing so well and that made me happy!”

Through her four years at Marietta College, Nancy has partaken in numerous plays and several of the musical productions as well. Ask Nancy what her best show experience has been and you’ll get a warm reply with a bright smile saying “Quilters!” This was Nancy’s senior capstone project and the 2010 Marietta College Theatre Spring Musical. Nancy had a huge role in the musical and even got to direct a couple of scenes that were most people’s favorites. She had to change character on stage a few times and, although that was the hardest part, Nancy said “It helped me a lot because it forced me to practice and get out of my comfort zone.”

Nancy isn’t nervous about the future because she seems to be pretty set, at least for the next year. She will be graduating in May, working a local job in Bellaire, then going down to Orlando, Fla., to live and work at Disney World. Nancy was accepted into Disney’s college program and will be there for around five and a half months. She will be working with the Attractions division and hopefully auditioning for shows and performance roles in parades and such.

If I learned anything from having the privilege of interviewing this young lady, it’s this; you can never underestimate yourself and the power you have to affect those around you. Nancy Ann Flowers is a truly genuine, caring, supportive, faithful, and dedicated student who is more than ready to take on the world in her own unique ways. I’ll leave you with the words of the famous Walt Disney, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

EDITOR’S NOTE:  This article is by Allison Holton, a Media Writing Two student at Marietta College.  If you are interested in writing for Writing on the Mall, send an e-mail to Patrick_H@writingonthemall.net.

PROFILE: No Sophomore Slump for Kayden Manning

A hush fell over the entire Gathering Place. An exasperated crowd waited in anticipation as the called chose another numbered ball. “B7,” he said. As the number of excited faces grew, they were all squashed when the tall, brunette girl in the back yelled “BINGO!” Thus ended sophomore Kayden Manning’s favorite activity on campus, Bingo.

“Crap! I was so close,”  she said. “I only won once this time!” The prize she was referring to was a free meal from McDonald’s. “That’s more than you came with!” her roommate, Megan McGregor, said, “You complain like this every time.”

Manning lives in Vernon, Vt., with her parents, Norma and Wayne, and her three siblings: Helen, 16, Ethan, 14, and Abigail, 13. She is a 19-year-old International Leadership Studies major, with a minor in Asian Studies. In her free time, she said she likes to sleep and do anything that has to do with music. She is in the Women’s Choir and plays clarinet in the Symphonic Wind Ensemble. She also volunteers at Betsy Mills, in a classroom with 3- and 4-year olds. “The little girls always want me to braid their hair,” she said” but sometimes they try to braid mine and it hurts.”

Manning’s most memorable moment from college so far was a rafting trip her freshman year. “It was a real bonding experience for me and my roommate. We met our first friend, Nicole Holstein, there and all got thrown into a “Class 4” rapid. She said if she could change anything about Marietta, she would move it closer to Vermont. “I want to be able to go home more often,” she added.

The biggest difference between Vermont and Ohio, she said, is the ideological diversity. “Like, there are actually Republicans here,” she quipped. She also said that the seasons are a little bit different in Ohio. “How it can snow and be sunny and 50 degrees in the same day is beyond me,” she concluded.

EDITOR’S NOTE:  This article is by Joe Dillon, a Media Writing Two student at Marietta College.  If you are interested in writing for Writing on the Mall, send an e-mail to Patrick_H@writingonthemall.net.

PROFILE: Tennis Teams at Marietta College

With an undergraduate enrollment around 1,400 students, there is not much on the Marietta College campus that goes unnoticed. It could be assumed that all groups get publicized similarly; however that is not that case for one organization.

The Marietta men’s and women’s tennis teams compete every year in a rugged Ohio Athletic Conference, yet rarely are thought of when it comes to athletics on campus.

“To be honest, I didn’t even know we had tennis teams here,” said Marietta College sophomore John Lucore.

Almost everyone is familiar with everything from College Union Board activities to the employees at Gilman, so why is a varsity sport on the low spot on the totem pole?

“I think it comes down to people not really being sure how the sport works, and people aren’t going to come watch something that confuses them,” said Marietta College sophomore and men’s tennis member Josh Patterson.

For each match six players from each team play an individual singles contest as well as three double matches. The winner of each is awarded a point, and the team with the most points out of nine is declared the winner.

Confusion of how exactly to watch the game also comes into consideration for a lack of attention for the teams.

“I think people are unsure when to applaud. It’s more like golf, you clap after a point, not during the action. You’re not going to bring a cowbell or anything like to that watch a match,” said Patterson.

Uncertainty of the game at times has led to sparse turnouts for home contests for the Pioneers.

“I think our biggest fans could very well be the trainers,” said Patterson jokingly.

The low turnout though has not stopped the team from competing. During the off-season the two teams practice at a local indoor club with a former collegiate stand-out who offers lessons. Once the season rolls around, the team is on the court six days a week, sometimes more than once a day.

With the OAC season fast approaching, the two teams have been on the court non-stop preparing for the thick of the schedule. The teams call the Beren Tennis Center home for their home matches. The Center, which opened in 2002, is a top notch-facility that is not only open to the team, but faculty and students as well.

Patterson, who has been playing since age 12, weighed in on the 2010 campaign.  “I would like to win all of our non-conference matches, and compete and hopefully win a few in the OAC.”

EDITOR’S NOTE:  This article is by Chris Miller, a Media Writing Two student at Marietta College.  If you are interested in writing for Writing on the Mall, send an e-mail to Patrick_H@writingonthemall.net.

Chalking on the Mall: 4:20 Supporters Protest for Legalized Marijuana

April 20th is known as a counter-culture holiday to support use of the drug Marijuana, which led students to chalk the mall last night in support of legalization.

However, what students may have forgotten was the College’s chalk policies, which state the following:

Chalking on campus is limited to flat ground where rain can wash the chalk away and not on building or under awnings. Chalk must be non-toxic sidewalk chalk. Paint is not acceptable and will result in fines and damage charges being assessed to the individual or group.

While much of the chalk on the mall will remain, since it is in open areas, many chalk markings have or will be removed by Physical Plant.  Below are photos of the chalk markings, the rock, and other messages written on and around the Mall.  Clicking on photos will tell you where it was located, and whether the chalk was legal or illegal.