During Spring Break, while most of us were getting some much needed rest and relaxation on a beach, or in some large metropolis, the Emporia State Debate Team was hard at work, preparing for the National Debate Tournament held in Berkeley, Calif. last week.

Four of the debaters from the ESU team competed in the 78-team tournament, an impressive feat by itself. The team of Chris Loghry and Kurt Fifelski received an invitation by qualifying at the District Three tournament held in Dallas, Texas, and the team of Ryan Wash and La Toya Williams-Green received an at large bid.

Though supporting all of ESU’s extracurricular activities is important, the reason why I make such a big deal about the debate team is this– in collegiate debate, there is no such thing as Division One or Division Two, every school is included regardless of size, which means that debaters at Emporia State compete against teams from large and prestigious colleges such as Harvard, the University of Texas and pretty much any other big school you can think of.

The fact that the ESU Debate Team not only competes with teams like these, but wins against such teams on a consistent basis is simply incredible.

It seems like it would go without saying that any team competing on that level deserves recognition. It is my impression that this is not the case. The only publicity or credit I have seen for the team comes from press releases, which come few and far between.

These guys and gals work hard all year long, and fly relatively under the radar when it comes to campus-wide acknowledgment.

I realize debate is not as exciting to non-debaters as some of the spectator sports and entertainment activities on campus, but it seems to me that in order to live the most complete student life possible, it is crucial that one have a good grasp on what the University is known for and what it is good at.

Ladies and Gentlemen… Emporia State is good at debate, and has been for several years. They even won the National Championship in 1993.

My fellow opinion staffers and I are major supporters of getting involved, and I see a brilliant opportunity to get involved and show support for a highly successful facet of our student body. The debate team works hard all year to compete nationally, and they deserve respect and support from the university, just as any other extracurricular activity who shows success would.

Though this debate season is over, I encourage everyone to go to The Bulletin’s Web site and show your support. Leave a comment on the electronic version of this story to encourage the teams of Fifelski/Loghry and Wash/Williams-Green and the entire debate team in their endeavors.

If there is one thing I am sure of, it is that the most distinct advantage we have here at ESU is the incredible opportunity to create a sense of community not available at larger colleges. This sense of community will come from encouraging individuals like those on the debate team to continue to succeed in their undertakings. Everyone could use a little encouragement, even if it is from strangers, and a little bit of pride in ourselves and peers never hurt anyone.

I’m not going to debate you on it, but I truly believe the ESU debate team deserves the respect and support of the entire ESU community. If someone can convince me otherwise, they should probably be on the team.

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The Emporia State Special Events Board is currently accepting applications for the allocation of funds for the 2010-11 school year.

Blythe Eddy, associate director of the Memorial Union and executive secretary of the Special Events Board for the past nine years, expressed that groups interested in gaining funds for a specific event should fill out an appropriation request form before the April 2 deadline. Request forms are available in the Center for Student Involvement, located on the first floor of the Memorial Union.

According to the Special Events Board’s philosophy statement, the board “provides… educational opportunities through the performing and visual arts as well as the historical support and funding, in part, of Family Day, Homecoming and Orientation.”

The Board is given money from a line item in student fees. Eddy estimates that the amount of money given to the Special Events Board is around $17,000 annually.

The Special Events Board is made up of four ESU students, who are appointed by the Associated Student Government President, and four ESU faculty members. According to Eddy, the board members change every year, but the criteria for deciding which programs the Special Events Board allocates funds to remains the same.

The board accepts requests for events sponsored by University Departments, recognized ESU campus organizations, the Special Events Board, and Emporia community groups who wish to sponsor events which are open to all ESU students, do not require ESU students to pay more for admission than non-students and adhere to all local, state and federal laws.

The Special Events Board will hold hearings in late April, wherein they will hear from those who requested funds of the board in order to determine if the Special Events Board will sponsor the program.

Eddy said that after the allocation hearings, the board will meet to discuss which programs they will sponsor in the coming year.

“The board votes for certain amounts of allocations for each request based on whether or not they meet our criteria; whether or not we believe in that program… It is really all about students, attendance and whether or not it’s a program that students would support. It’s really a great process,” she said.

According to a Special Events Board document, the board sponsored 16 events fully or partially during the 2009-10 school year, including Family Day, Homecoming, Freshmen Orientation, the Pflaum Memorial Lecture, The Emporia Arts Council Performing Arts Series, and Bethany Springer’s art exhibit entitled “Figurehead,” among others.

Eddy also expressed that she advises any group on campus or in the community to apply for Special Events Board sponsorship.

“I encourage departments and organizations to apply for funding. (Campus events) add to the culture of Emporia State University and the variety of programs that students get to see,” she said.

In addition to Eddy, the faculty members on the board are Susan Mai, professor Communication and Theatre; Shawna Shane, assistant professor of Health and Physical Education; Brice Obermeyer, assistant professor of Sociology, Anthropology, Crime & Delinquency Studies and Sheryl Lidzy, assistant professor of Communication and Theatre. The students on the board are Anna Altwies, senior secondary education major and ASG president pro-tempore; Hannah Belton, sophomore elementary education major; Laura Bosiljevac, freshman biology major and Aaron Newton, senior crime and delinquency studies major and ASG chair of the student rights and special projects committee.

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The Kansas State House of Representatives passed House Bill 2221, a bill prohibiting indoor smoking for a majority of public places in the state, on Feb. 26.

The bill, more commonly called the Kansas Clean Indoor Air Act, states that “no person shall smoke in an enclosed area or at a public meeting including, but not limited to, public places, taxicabs and limousines, restrooms, lobbies, hallways and other common areas in public or private buildings, and any place of employment.”

Gov. Mark Parkinson is expected to sign the bill in Topeka tomorrow and perform ceremonial signings in Kansas City and Salina on Monday. In a statement released by the governor’s office, Parkinson said that he was happy the bill had passed. The law will go into effect on July 1.

“This is a victory for workers, families, businesses and future generations,” Parkinson said. “Today’s success took many years and many struggles, but thanks to a bipartisan coalition in the legislature, the tireless efforts of our state’s health advocates and the support of the Kansas people, this legislation will soon become law.”

While Emporia already has a comprehensive smoking ban in effect, the statewide ban has the final say if any discrepancies occur.

 According to Ryann Summerford, Kansas Grassroots Manager for the American Cancer Society, the ban is several years in the making.

“We at the American Cancer Society have been working towards a clean air bill for a long time,” Summerford said. “Through our Grassroots program, which works within the Kansas Congressional districts, we have sent petitions, and emails promoting Bill 2221.”

Summerford works with around 8,000 volunteers throughout the state.

“I am proud and thrilled that our legislature had the courage to pass a secure state-wide smoke-free bill. 380 people die each year due to complications brought on by second-hand smoke,” Summerford said.

According to Summerford, the bill makes Kansas the 29^th state in the union to implement a comprehensive indoor smoking ban. The bill also allows for individual cities in Kansas to pass regulations involving stricter indoor smoking bans, but the state-wide ban remains the bare minimum required of towns with no smoking ban.

         Cody Grauberger, junior English major, said he feels that the ban is restricting the rights of smokers.

         “I don’t smoke very much, a cigar here and there, but I think that any discriminatory action is immoral,” Grauberger said. “No matter how you candy coat it you are still forcing an entire group of people to abide by others regulations. My father has been a smoker for the better part of his life, and continues to this day.  Though I do not agree fully to what he does, I stand strongly for his and others right to choose their habits.”

         However, Jake Tannehill, sophomore English major, expressed that he views the smoking ban as a positive thing for the state.

         “I smoke cigars occasionally, but when I do it is always outside… I guess I don’t see the benefit of smoking indoors,” Tannehill said. “It just makes it uncomfortable for those inside who don’t smoke. So I see (the smoking ban) as a good thing, a kind of win-win situation, because I don’t see a problem with smoking outside.”

         The bill lists certain businesses that are exempt from the ban, including outdoor areas of any building, private homes or residences, which are not being used as a daycare home, up to 20 percent of the rentable rooms in a hotel or motel, the gaming floor of a gambling or racetrack facility, an area of an adult care home designated as a smoking area, tobacco shops and private clubs.

         The fine for the first violation of House Bill 2221 is up to $100. The fine for the second violation within a one year period of the first violation is up to $200. For the third violation, and all subsequent violations within a one year period of the first violation, the fine is up to $500.

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On March 8, 9 and 11, People Organizing for Women’s Equal Rights (P.O.W.E.R.) will sponsor a performance to raise awareness and funds to help those affected by domestic abuse.

In the past, P.O.W.E.R. has sponsored the performance of “The Vagina Monologues,” however, this year the program will be a little different. Instead of “The Vagina Monologues,” a group of students will perform a collection of monologues edited by the writer of “The Vagina Monologues,” Eve Ensler, entitled “A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, A Prayer.”

Cait Costelloe, senior sociology major and president of P.O.W.E.R., explained how this year’s performance is a bit different from “The Vagina Monologues.”

“Basically this show is a different set of monologues meant to include men into the performance,” Costelloe said.

“The Vagina Monologues” is made up of monologues intended to be performed by women, while “A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, A Prayer” includes monologues intended to be performed by men.

“(Behind) the inclusion of men in this production is the underlying idea that any improvements upon the condition of women requires the support of all people regardless of gender, class, or race, and that’s why we find it so important to make feminism for men and women,” Costelloe said.

Ryan Scully, junior theater major, directed this year’s show. Scully said that he has been proud of how the production has been coming along.

“I am very proud of it so far,” he said. “The actors have really been bringing it together, and they have really been able to bring to life these powerful messages in the monologues, even though it is something that they have never necessarily dealt with personally.”

The performances will take place in the Memorial Union Ballroom, and tickets will be sold for $2 for students and $3 for non-students.

All of the proceeds from the performances will go to SOS, a group dedicated to ending domestic abuse, and 10 percent of the proceeds for the show will go to women in The Democratic Republic of Congo, which is the spotlight campaign charity this year for V Day, a global organization devoted to helping domestic violence victims worldwide.

According to Scully, the group of 13 actors involved in the production have been working for a little over three weeks, and Scully says he has been able to meet with every actor in the production at least once a week.

Scully also stressed why he feels this production is a good way to address the issue of domestic violence.

“People can really grasp it this way,” he said. “A lot of times, it is easy for some people to hide from this issue, but this show allows them to see this issue in a comfortable manner.”

Scully said the show is a good way to discuss an issue pertinent to our society.

“I think if people give this show a chance, they will see that it is a good way to express a meaningful message,” he said. “I think this is a topic everyone cares about, and this show shows it in a way that everyday people can relate to, because the characters are everyday people,” he said.

The inclusion of men in this production is the main difference between this show and “The Vagina Monologues,” and is something Scully views as a good thing.

“Men in this production is good, because a lot of people think that only women care about (domestic violence), but this show let’s people see that there are men who are very sympathetic to the cause,” he said.

Ellen Hansen, associate professor and chair of the social sciences department who has been helping P.O.W.E.R., expressed why she felt this performance is important.

“To me, (this) performance… represents women’s ongoing efforts to find their voices regarding sexuality, domestic violence, sexual assault, and self esteem,” Hansen said. “The ‘Monologues’ and all the events that go along with the performance highlight the fact that violence against women continues and affects millions of women around the world. The importance of the (performance of ‘A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, A Prayer’ is) that the violence not be ignored, whether through shame and embarrassment or through deliberate efforts to hide the reality; that women know they are not alone in their experience – and that we can work together, men and women, to end domestic violence around the world.”

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Racheal LeClear, opens Monday nights Local Food Network discussion and movie. The movie took place at the Flint Hills Technical College on Monday March 1. Kenny Thompson/The Bulletin

Throughout the latter two weeks of February and the first two weeks of March, The Emporia Area Local Food Network is hosting a film festival featuring films which advocate and educate viewers about the benefits of growing and buying local produce.

The film showings, sponsored by The Emporia Area Local Food Network (EALFN), Flint Hills Technical College and Emporia Public Library, will be at 6:30 p.m. every Monday until March 15. The first two showings were held at the Emporia Public Library, while the final three segments of the festival will be shown in the auditorium of Flint Hills Technical School.

Admission to the event is free, though the EALFN will be accepting donations at a table set up at the event. The table will also have information regarding the EALFN and the projects the organization is involved in, and how one can get involved with this group.

Racheal LeClear, who sits on the board of EALFN, expressed that all interested in attending the event should not hesitate.

“It is a good opportunity to learn about local food practices, and the advantages of buying locally grown food. The five films we have decided on give a good overview of the topic, and also give diverse perspectives on the situation,” she said.

The five films are “Fresh,” which was shown Feb. 15, “Asparagus,” which was shown Feb. 22, “Food Inc.,” which was shown March 1, “The Future of Food,” which will be shown March 8 and “Locavore,” which will be shown March 15.

LeClear said that the EALFN chose these specific films because each one gives a slightly different view of the issues involved, and each gives good background on the issues in an entertaining fashion. “Food Inc.” is directed by Emmy Award Winning Director Robert Kenner, and was nominated for the 2010 Academy Award for best documentary.

John Crisp, board member for EALFN and owner of Shepard’s Valley, the only Community Supported Agriculture Farm in the area, said that the reason this film festival is important is because it “opens the eyes of the consumer to the importance of understanding the organization of food companies in America today.”

“When you see a film like ‘Food Inc.,’ viewers go through many different emotional responses – anger frustration, and ultimately, the thought of “what do I do now? Films like these are motivation films, which are meant to convey to the viewer that there are options available, and that they should find out about these options,” he said.

The EALFN, according to LeClear, was started about a year ago, in an effort to spread awareness about the options available to Emporia residents and others from the area in terms of buying locally grown food. The organization helped to develop the farmer’s market occurring in Emporia during the spring, and the community garden, which went through its first season of production last spring.

Bill Ihling, board member for EALFN, expressed why he believes this film festival is important to raise awareness about food production in the U.S.

“There is very little we do that is more important that what we put into our bodies three times a day,” Ihling said.

LeClear stressed the importance of this event in helping to education the issues of everyday eating habits of Emporians and others in the area.

“If you don’t know about what it is your eating and if you don’t know the background behind the food you eat, it is really easy to ignore these things,” she said. “If you eat an apple off a produce shelf, and you don’t know what is actually on that apple it’s possible and probably likely, that there are a lot of things on that apple that are hurting your body rather than helping it. These films can really help people to find out what is on that apple,” she said.

LeClear also added that anyone interested in more information about the organization, or those interested in joining the EALFN can contact her at rleclear@fhtc.edu.

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Members of Emporia State’s Greek community who participated in the recent American Fraternal Leadership Values Conference in St. Louis, MO.

Members of Emporia State’s Greek community have recently returned from American Fraternal Leadership Values Conference in St. Louis, Mo. At the conference, the participants attended speaking events about stimulating and improving Greek Life at ESU.

Matt Wallace, junior business administration major and President of Alpha Kappa Lambda explained what the conference focused on.

“Basically, the main thing I got from the conference was how to improve Greek life here at ESU,” Wallace said. “The speakers and fellow attendees talked about what has worked at their Universities, and what has not worked, and I think it gave me a lot of good feedback about how to make it better here in Emporia.”

There were 16 ESU students who attended the conference, representing nearly all of the Greek organizations on campus. Approximately 2,000 students from different parts of the country attended the conference.

“It was good, I thought, because there were Fraternity and Sorority members from all over the country— big colleges and small colleges alike, so there was a lot of people who could give us a different perspective on what we can do here to break stereotypes, get involved in the community, and a lot of other topics we can use here,” Wallace said.

Mike Stack, risk management director for the Inter-Fraternity Council, and member of Kappa Sigma Alpha, also attended the conference and felt it was a worthwhile experience.

“I think it opened out eyes a little bit, and showed us that the competition between different Greek groups really hurts us in the long run because, in the end, our values and goals are about the same, so we just need to remember that,” he said.

The speakers at the conference covered a range of topics, including recruitment, breaking stereotypes about Greeks on campus, and getting involved in each member’s perspective community. Which of these “hot topics,” as they were referred to at the conference, a student attended depended on their position in the fraternity or sorority.

“As the President, I attended a lot of speakers who focused on recruitment, and that sort of thing, but there were also people who attended talks about judicial issues in Fraternities, and other sorts of topics specific to that person’s job title,” Stack said.

Cody Pritchard, senior secondary mathematics education major, and president of IFC reiterated Wallace’s enthusiasm for the conference.

“It was great. I loved it,” he said. “I went to the conference last year and it was good to get a refresher on ways to make Greek life here in Emporia even better than it already is.”

Pritchard and others who went to the conference attended several speakers at the event, including the keynote speaker, Will Keim, who spoke at ESU last semester.

“One of my favorite speaker talked about the standards that the North American IFC has set, and it was cool to compare and contrast what we do here at ESU with the standards that were set but the NAIFC,” Pritchard said. “It was pretty interesting and I got a lot out of it.”

Pritchard also commented on why the conference helped him to think of ideas to improve and maintain the status of Greek Life at ESU.

“I think it was important for us to go to this conference because we are a relatively small Greek community and it was good to talk with others from small schools and large schools, and collaborate our ideas,” he said. “Honestly, I wish those outside the Greek community could see these conferences because it really would help to break some of the stereotypes that we deal with as far as the Greek identity goes.”

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The Counseling Center at Emporia State is sponsoring a new program called Mind, Body and Spirit, aimed at helping college students cope with everyday problems in life. Two ESU seniors currently working at the counseling center as interns, Elaine Reichert and Misti Richmond, lead the group.

“The group formed to talk about the basics that college students may struggle with in life,” Richmond said.

The group will meet every Wednesday at 3 p.m., until March 10, and will discuss five main topics – health, relationships, fighting fair in relationships, stress and self-esteem. The group will take an in depth look at the topic, discussing everything related to the topic that the students may have issues with.

“Each week, participants in the group will take part in a kind of discussion about the topic and each person will get to present their opinions on the topic and hear others’ opinions, too,” Reichert said.

Though this is the first semester that this group has met, and there has only been one session so far, Reichert expressed that she was happy with the turnout from the first meeting.

“It has been good so far. We had about six to eight students at the first session, which to me is a very good amount, so I would say it has been a success so far. I think our first discussion was great, and I think we really got into the topic,” she said.

Though she was satisfied with the amount of students at the first meeting, Reichert expressed that she would like to see more people attend.

“I think there is always room for more people if there are those interested,” Reichert said. “We can make the adjustments needed to accommodate more if there are those who wish to attend. It would be great to have more so that we could hear different viewpoints and takes on issue we discuss in the meetings.”

Reichert also said that this group was a little different from other counseling groups on campus because it is referred to as a “group counseling session.” Because of this group setting, students can get the opinions and feedback of the counselors and fellow students alike. This, according to Reichert, provides the students with lots of different viewpoints on one subject.

Richmond also said that there were no other group counseling sessions that she knew of in the Rehabilitation Counseling Department at ESU, making this group unique.

Though Reichert and Richmond both carry the job titles of “case manager,” they are moderating the group as a fulfillment of their internship.

According to Richmond, case managers accommodate students in whatever ways they can, providing academic assistance and finding other accommodations as needed. Richmond said she is excited about the Mind, Body and Spirit meetings and hopes ESU continues the program after she and Reichert graduate.

“(Elaine and I) graduate in May, so this is our only semester of leading the group, but I think it has been a very good thing, and I certainly hope that someone else can continue it next year,” she said.

Students who are interested in attending are encouraged by both Richmond and Reichert to contact the Counseling Center, at (620) 341-5221 or to stop by the Office of Disability Services, located at 211 Morse Hall, at 3 p.m. on Wednesdays to join in the group.

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Emporia State’s Business College and volunteer members of the Emporia community will help international students at ESU, low income families and senior citizens in the Emporia Community file income tax returns until the April 15 deadline. Jonathan Elliott/ The Bulletin

Emporia State’s Business College and volunteer members of the Emporia community will help international students at ESU, low income families and senior citizens in the Emporia Community file income tax returns until the April 15 deadline.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program at ESU is teaming with the Office of International Education and the Emporia American Association of Retired Persons to provide free assistance to all and is strictly for personal taxes for individuals, no businesses or corporations.

The volunteers will be available at two locations. For International students, volunteers are available every Monday from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. in the Memorial Union computer lab, located in the lower level of the Union. Returns for low income families and senior citizens will be done every Tuesday and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and every Saturday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the East Branch of Lyon County State Bank.

“It’s really a combining of two programs,” said Alexis Downs, professor of business and previously the head of VITA at ESU.

In the past, there were separate programs for students and community members. Josh Thuma, graduate student in business administration and accounting, made clear the differences this year.

“Previously, as I understand it, tax returns for low income families and senior citizens… were done at the library. This year, the two programs are combined, but at separate locations,” Thuma said.

Thuma is one of the student volunteers in the program.

Corina Nour, graduate student in business administration and accounting, explained who is eligible for the on-campus portion of the program.

“Basically, international students who have on-campus jobs, and don’t know how to file… A lot of times, international students don’t know how to do it, so we help with that,” Nour said.

The student volunteers said they get more than the satisfaction in knowing they helped another person and they receive good experience and résumé building credentials. It also gives the student volunteers some practical work in the field.

Caitlin Eck, senior accounting major, expressed that she has enjoyed the process so far.

“One of the best parts for me was training,” she said. “We got to work with community members who really know their stuff. It gave us some hands-on practice. It’s exciting. And the job experience is good, too.”

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Eric Hemphill

Last semester I participated in a study abroad program in Nijmegen, Netherlands. I blogged about my time there for The Bulletin’s Web site. But I feel like there were not enough people who received the message I was trying to send to all ESU students—study abroad!

In the spring semester of 2009, I was enrolled in a class which was required for all students planning a study abroad. In total, the class had nine participants. This, to me, is a shame. I can tell you flat out, deciding to study abroad through an ESU exchange program was the greatest decision I have ever made

I know that money is the main argument against studying abroad. But with exchange programs such as ISEP (International Student Exchange Programs), or AIFS (American Institute for Foreign Study) available through ESU, studying abroad become more affordable. For the same rate as one is currently paying to go to Emporia State, one could study for a semester or year in any number of countries in Europe, Asia and South America.

Also, there are several scholarships available to students who wish to continue their education abroad. The Gilman scholarship, which is available to those who receive the federal Pell Grant, grants the recipient up to $5,000 to help with their study abroad expenses. In addition, a scholarship unique to ESU is the Provost Airfare scholarship. This covers some or all of the airfare expenses to and from the student’s destination. In my experience, airfare was the biggest expense I incurred during the entire process, which gives ESU students a distinct advantage in this regard.

One other large deterrent for those considering studying abroad is that there is the assumption that knowledge of a foreign language is a prerequisite. While this may be true in some cases, all of my classes were conducted in English, and an increasing amount of universities are using English in classrooms as English asserts itself further as a major language in academia. Many of the students I met were studying to further their fluency in English, which meant that other native English speakers and I were constantly asked questions about the English language. In fact, this got me interested in teaching English as a foreign language, which is a program offered at ESU.

Adversely, I would suggest studying abroad for the purpose of increasing one’s knowledge of another language. Knowing a foreign language is an incredible asset in nearly every profession in today’s world and can create a plethora of opportunities for a person after graduation. If one already knows another language, what better way is there of increasing this knowledge than to learn by submersion? Learning Spanish in Spain, Mexico or South America can help one learn a language far better than simply learning the language in a classroom. And guess what? ESU offers study abroad programs in all of those countries.

Studying abroad also gives you the opportunity to improve the world’s opinion of America. During my travels, I met Europeans who get their views of Americans from MTV or American movies. Though there may be Americans who prop these stereotypes up, I have met more U.S. citizens who break that stereotype than fit into it. By going to another country and meeting new people, we can help break stereotypes that have hurt how other countries view America for years. Likewise, any stereotypes we have of Europeans or South Americans can be broken by going to these places and meeting some of these people.

Achieving a global perspective, which is immensely important in understanding global politics, or a general knowledge of how the world works, is the number one way to combat the hunkering view that many from other countries have of Americans, and America in general. To better the world in any way, each individual in the global community has to understand the conditions and places in which others in the community live. Without that understanding, progress and compromise is impossible.

Perhaps the greatest reason to study abroad, and a reason that cannot be given a value, monetary or otherwise, is to better oneself. There is no greater way to increase one’s sense of self-confidence or individuality than to embark on a journey with no one but oneself to lean on. Having no parents or friends to fall back on may seem like an uncomfortable situation, but for me, it was what made my experience abroad the greatest experience of my life.

If you’re a fan of meeting new people, trying new things, achieving goals, or simply making memories that will last a lifetime, I urge you to go to the Office of International Education (located on the bottom floor of Memorial Union, next to the Post Office) or log onto their website at www.emporia.edu/oie, and ask about information for study abroad. I cannot promise you it will not take work to get yourself abroad, but I can promise you that once you get to your host country and the experience really starts, you won’t regret it. You can thank me later.

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Emporia State’s student email accounts have recently been subject to several “hoax email” scams aimed at discovering the login information of ESU students and faculty. Many of these “hoax emails” are disguised as joke or chain emails, and ask the receiver to respond to the email with their email username and password, according to Cheryl O’Dell, Information Technology Security officer.

“Hoax emails are emails disguised as normal emails, which might prompt the reader to open an attachment, or enter login information, often times with the threat of disabling the email account if the reader doesn’t comply,” O’Dell said.

O’Dell also said that when the reader opens these attachments, it silently installs the Trojan virus or similar virus on the computer. Silent install means that there is no prompt or dialog box telling the user that the download is in progress.

The Trojan Horse virus, sometimes simply known as a Trojan, is, according to PC Magazine Encyclopedia, “a program that appears legitimate, but performs some illicit activity when it is run. It may be used to locate password information or make the system more vulnerable to future entry or simply destroy programs or data on the hard disk.”

Technology and Computing Services, which controls the technological services throughout campus, will never request login information from a user via email, O’Dell said, so students should be concerned about any email requesting such information.

“To my knowledge no legitimate company makes requests of that sort,” O’Dell said.

Maureen King, senior integrated studies in earth science major, said though she did not know these “hoax emails” were still spreading around campus, she believes TCS is doing a good job trying to battle their spread.

“(It’s) tough when it is one student to another, or a teacher to a student,” she said, “but I think they do a good job for the limitations they have.”

To stop the circulation of these emails, O’Dell suggested all students should report any emails they find suspicious to TCS immediately, and she insists contacting TCS on these matters will result in no punitive measures.

Students can also log on to BuzzIn and consult the tab labeled “Technology Services,” where they will find examples of some of these “hoax emails” and also the contact information for TCS, in the event a student would need assistance or have additional questions about suspicious emails. Students may send suspicious mail to codell@emporia.edu.

O’Dell urged that all students should be aware of what they receive in their mailbox in order to combat the spread of these “hoax emails.”

“The best advice I can give to students about these emails is to be careful about what you open… never assume you won’t be a victim,” O’Dell said.

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It has been 11 days since my last post. The reason being not quite black and white, but not quite complex either. I have not posted in 11 days because for the last 11 days, the excitement and nostalgia has been slightly diminished by a combination of weather, school and general laziness.

Shortly after my last post, I realized that I had in fact been here two months, and that during that time not much studying had been done on my part. I countered this by catching up on my reading for the next few days, as well as preparing for several assignments that were to be due the next week (i.e. last week). All this studying was accompanied by weather that seemed to follow my mood. Rain, wind, cold, and more rain ravished Nijmegen for more than a week. This didn’t help my mood any, and made going to class even more grueling than before. The 20 minute bike ride to campus stretched into what seemed like hours, what with the wind perpetually against me… and rain, did I mention rain?

Anyway, these things made the weekend seem more of a recuperation period than a time to tire myself out with travel and sight-seeing. And thus, no travel and sight-seeing happened. So, after two weeks of work in my two months abroad, I was tired. And for some reason, not just tired, exhausted. This made no sense because at home I did this amount of work every week, yet, for some reason, I was truly exhausted.

Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t sit around my room all last week, but rather, I remained in Nijmegen, and, after some much needed study time, met with friends, drank a beer or coffee to warm ourselves from the cold, complained about the weather (especially the rain), talked about everything, and nothing in particular, and ultimately, relaxed. Perhaps some of the best times I have had here are days when all we did was relax. In this way, last week may have been the most successful week of my stay.

So, here I am. It has been a little over two months, which is still unthinkably hard to believe, and I still can not get over how amazing it is. I mean, I am still quite literally in awe…

I think in all languages you get to a certain point wherein words fail. Not just fail. They nose dive and crash and burn and leave no survivors behind. This point shows itself solely during truly emotional experiences – an unfathomable summit in time where every attempt to explain something comes out watered down or convoluted.

Regardless of how well you write, there are just some things that a person cannot convey with words. There is no substitute for the real thing. And, unfortunately, for a lot of the people reading this, everything I am trying to explain will just be gibberish. And for that, I am sorry. Because I really hoped I could put across how truly amazing all of this is. But unfortunately, no matter how many times I attempt to tell you everything I am feeling and seeing and doing, I will fail. Because of this, I simply cannot explain how surprisingly captivating it is to sit in a bar after biking 20 minutes in the cold, windy and rainy city, and talk with friends about everything, and nothing at all. I just can’t elucidate.

So, I hope that you have experienced this feeling in some way – the feeling that there are some things that just can’t be communicated. And I hope you cherish those times more than any other, and hold them close to you, until the very end. Because when that bright light is upon you, and your life flashes before you eyes, I guarantee, these will be the memories you see. Until then, take pride in the fact that the uncommon occurrences of the failure of words are just a sign that life is being lived to the fullest. So smile. I’ll be right there smiling with you. For reasons I cannot explain.

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