The Western Concept

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by Ashley Martin       

It has been four and a half years, nine semesters, and thousands of dollars and headaches since I first began attending classes at Dickinson State University. Although I have certainly enjoyed my time here, it is time to say farewell. I will finally be graduating from DSU at the end of this semester.

I am definitely excited to be finished with this chapter of my life, but I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t a little scared. Everyone has to do it some day, and I guess it is my turn to grow up.

Since this is my last semester at DSU, I would like to share a few things that I have learned in my years here. Hopefully, current students who read this will learn a little something from the wisdom I have gained, and the many mistakes that I have made.

First of all, it is extremely important that you get enough sleep. I know many students have the “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” mentality, but sleep is much more important than you may realize. Rest will help you concentrate, perform better in class and will give you a better chance at passing your finals. If you get enough sleep, you are also less likely to catch all the illnesses that get passed around.

Secondly, I don’t mean to sound like a beer commercial, but please drink responsibly. Too many accidents and stupid crimes happen under the influence of alcohol.  I am no angel, but I can tell you from experience that drinking too much is not worth it. Take care of yourself.

Another warning I would like to give current students of DSU is strictly for those of you living on campus. It is imperative that you wear flip flops while showering on campus. The janitors do clean them, but if you are not the first person to use the shower after it has been cleaned, there is no limit to what you could be stepping in.

If you would like to save yourself some money and a bit of trouble, it is wise to pay your parking tickets immediately. You may be thinking that this does not apply to you if you have purchased a parking permit. For those of you who are like me and are notorious for parking in “No Parking” zones when there are no open parking spots, remember that your fine is cheaper if you pay within three days. Also, I have learned that if you get too many parking tickets, do not have a permit, and do not pay your fines with in a reasonable amount of time, your car will be towed.

I have learned the hard way how important it is to choose your roommates wisely. I will not go into detail about my personal horror stories, but I will say that seven roommates later, I gave up. I now live happily by myself. I hope you all have better luck.

If you have the time, enroll in classes outside of your required credits. Doing this really breaks up the monotony that similar classes can bring. Taking different classes can also give you the “well rounded education” that we are all supposed to acquire at DSU.

Make as many friends as possible while enrolled at DSU. There are so many people from all over the world who are enrolled at DSU. Please do not miss this opportunity to learn about different cultures and expand your circle of friends.

Finally, the most important part of going to college is that you have fun. I know that sometimes this seems impossible, especially during finals week, but it is necessary that you enjoy your college experience. If you hate every second of every class, you definitely need to rethink your major. If it seems like you have no time for anything except schoolwork, you desperately need to organize your time and pencil some recreation into your schedule. Otherwise, you are going to burn yourself in a hurry.  I have held a job all through college and still found plenty of time to play, so I know it’s possible.

Well I hope some of you learned a few things from my experience, and if not, I hope you have enjoyed reading the stories I have posted for The Western Concept. I will miss this all—someday—but for now, I must eagerly say goodbye!

Sitting alone, over six thousand miles from home, Navy corpsman Sergeant Melissa Bartelson enjoyed reading her copy of Western Horseman. It was by mere chance that she stumbled upon an advertisement for Dickinson state University’s online degree in Equine and Animal Science.

She was stationed in the Al-Anbar province of Iraq in the spring of 2005 when she decided to enroll in college here at Dickinson State, via our online program. Sergeant Bartelson began her generals while serving her first tour of duty in the gulf. She came home to Wisconsin for a few months after this tour but continued to take classes through Dickinson State.

Bartelson was called to a second tour in the gulf, this time in Kuwait. She continued her job as a medical corpsman and her career as a student during her down time. It has been a struggle for Bartelson to be both military personnel, ready to do what was required on the spot, and a student having to meet deadlines for online tests and papers; however, her drive and desires are what pushed this remarkable Wisconsin woman to obtain her degree in Equine and Animal sciences, which she will complete this fall with her final class.

After serving for five years in the regular Navy, Bartelson is now state-side and living at home in Wisconsin where she still serves in the Navy, only now as a reservist.

Bartelson plans to pursue a BSN in Wisconsin and combine that with her Equine and Animal science degree. Her dream is to open a ranch and use horses for therapeutic riding purposes for children. 

by Jessina Aluise

Dickinson State University prides itself on being an institution of learning. The campus halls however, look more institutional and less like a learning environment.  Anyone who walks the through May Hall, Stoxen Library and even the Student Center should at once take notice of the extremely white walls with an exceptional amount of space that would be perfect for displaying student work.             

Some would say that various items are already on the walls and this is a good thing.  The framed photos of historical scenes hanging in the main floor of May Hall add a lot of visual interest to the space.  There are bulletin boards strategically placed at the ends of all stairways, but those get so cluttered with posters, advertisements and other miscellaneous items that no one even pays attention to them anyway.  Stoxen Library contains a few framed photos on its walls, but the eyes notice more white than anything else when spending time in there.  The Student Center, intended as a commons for DSU students contains more pictures of alumni than anything else.       

Many of the students at Dickinson State University possess exceptional talent in many different areas, and no matter who you are, it is always nice to receive some recognition for a job well done.  What better way to recognize that job well done than to display exceptional works done by students.  Any art medium, paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, and perhaps even poems written by students. 

With a tasteful display of these works placed throughout the halls of DSU, students would only feel more at home here.  Perhaps they would even feel inspired to have their artwork hung in the halls of Dickinson State University.  In order to be fair in selecting which student works would go on the walls, DSU would have to host a contest or come up with a way to fairly choose artwork to hang on the walls.  Students are bound to feel more apt to learn in an institution of learning that makes them feel as though their learning is appreciated.      

by Casey Neumiller 

Since you’re reading this, you clearly have found the Western Concept. As Dickinson State University’s student news source, I hope you’ve already bookmarked the site and intend on returning again.

It’s my pleasure to bring the Concept back into publication again. Sure, it isn’t the old newspaper-style print, but it’s now a form that’s extremely accessible. With all this new-fangled technology all over campus, it’s probably easier to find a computer nowadays than a print copy of a newspaper anyways.

I’m happy to have our kickoff issue out. While it’s certainly not as large as the regular issues you’ll expect every two weeks, it’s full of valuable information to help you kick off your semester at Dickinson State. From sports previews to new professors to movie reviews, it’s here. We even have a guest column with advice for college living by a DSU alumni (an editor himself for The Washburn Leader).

I can say it’s my honor to be at the helm of this project for the year. I was fortunate to run across a flier advertising an opening for the assistant editor of the Concept last year. A night of caffeine and resume-writing later, I submitted an application. To my utter surprise, I was hired a few weeks later after an interview with the Student Board of Publications.

And now I’m going to use my little moment of fame to self-promote. After all, if you have the microphone, why not use it? For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Casey Neumiller, a senior Secondary English Education and Computer Science double-major. I’ve been working hard for some time here at DSU, cramming four years of college into six. I like long walks on the beach of Patterson Lake, and…Oh, sorry. My advisor just informed me this wasn’t supposed to be a personal ad.

At any rate, the Concept is back, and it’s good to be a part of this Dickinson State tradition. I won’t bore you yet, but welcome back to campus. I hope you enjoy the ride we’re about to take you on.

Cory Neumiller, Guest Columnist 

It has been four years since I walked out of DSU with a degree in one hand and a student loan note in the other. Back then, the college had a rip snorting Western Concept newspaper that covered everything from squirrels on the roof of May Hall to the time somebody carved his name in the bark of a tree on campus. It appears to me that they’ve lowered their standards a fair amount as now they’ve asked me to do a guest editorial.

I haven’t been on campus in a while, but I’m guessing not much has changed. Of course, tuition has gone up, but the potato salad in the lunch room is probably from the same batch they whipped up when I was there. I also heard the Rattlesnake closed, which was really sad for me, as it was the first place I was kicked out of when I moved to Dickinson. Other than that, it hasn’t changed much since Roosevelt, so I thought I would give you a little free advice, and maybe it could save you a few steps in the wrong direction, or at least a fair amount of bail money.

First, jobs during college are not worth your time. Repeat after me, “I will be broke when I leave. I will be broke when I leave.” The sooner you come to realize that, the sooner you can spent that extra ten bucks on an inflatable parrot for your dorm room, and spend your evenings cruising Paterson Lake looking for piranhas instead of joining the cult/staff at Applebees.

Six years at one school isn’t that long.

Next, when the professor says to read pages six through 342 for Wednesday, just realize you are screwed before you even start. If you try, you will be the only one. Sit next to somebody smart and nod your head when she answers questions correctly. Keep in mind she didn’t read it either, but was just born much smarter than you. It will make you look like you read. That is how I passed British Lit and met my wife. Use the time you saved on reading to run out to the Buckskin in Killdeer.

Rent Animal House.

Get involved in some college activities. I joined the Poets Club early on. Meetings were at the Rock, and dues were $1.25 a glass. I tried intramurals, but you often had to run in those activities, and it wasn’t worth it.

Run only if somebody is chasing you.

Road trips are the key to college sanity. I’m sure Dickinson is as happenin’ now as it was back then, so you’ll probably need to get out. Six guys in a Ford Festiva for twelve consecutive hours will make you appreciate staying at college on Fridays more than just about anything else. Especially the guy riding on the shifter – he’ll want to go back to class almost immediately upon pulling onto the interstate.

Other than that, just play it by ear. And if you do notice a squirrel on the roof of May, give the staff at the Western Concept a call. They’ll need the material.

Cory Neumiller is a Dickinson State alumni. He lives with his wife Nicole in Washburn, North Dakota where he is currently the editor of The Leader News.

Note: The following letters are opinions of people who are not affiliated with The Western Concept. The Concept does not, in any way, endorse or reject the views. The Concept is also not liable for any of the views expressed.
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ROCK VANDALIZED:
In your piece “DSU Rock Vandalized” you state that “The DSU Rock in front of Klinefelter Hall was vandalized over Friday night by a group of unknown students.” Why “unknown students”? Why “students”? Couldn’t it be anyone?
- Mike Frank
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Editor’s note:
The phrase “unknown students” has been replaced by “unknown people.” Thank you for your input.
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TUITION INCREASE:
Sudden significant tuition increases will always attract attention. Yet for planning purposes, students should be demanding a regular increase that reflects inflationary increases plus a certain percentage for growth. Were such an idea implemented, students could also campaign for tuition and fee rates that were made clear (including anticipated increases) when they first enrolled and function just as the catalogue does for courses. Students could plan accordingly and unless confronted by unforseen circumstances, the university would have the funds it needs for growth.
- David A. Meier
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THEODORE ROOSEVELT HONORS PROGRAM:
I would just like to comment on the TR program’s celebration of its fifth anniversary. According to the article, “The program marked its fifth year of existence in 2006.” My only problem with this celebration is that the program was created in the year 2000, making 2006 its sixth anniversary. The first group of TR’s received their scholarships in the spring of 2000, and came to DSU in the fall. Therefore, one could say the program either began in the spring, when the first group received their award letter; or in the fall, when they started school. Either way, this would mean the program is wrapping up its fifth year, not starting it, as the article implies. I suppose some people may enjoy celebrating anniversaries at the end of the year, but normally people celebrate anniversaries on the actual date, or at least close to the date. What the program is doing is like someone celebrating their 20th birthday as they are about to turn 21.
- A TR Scholar
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CANDIDATE WRITES ABOUT INVESTMENT IN NORTH DAKOTA:
Double-digit tuition increases. $80 per student per semester fees for a ConnectND system that doesn’t work like it was supposed to. Budget cuts to student loan programs. Not enough career opportunities. Is it any wonder North Dakota has an out-migration problem? And why doesn’t anyone seem to be doing anything about it? For too long, North Dakota has neglected to invest in its most important resource - its young people. Fortunately, election year 2006 presents an opportunity to change all that. By getting involved at the grass roots level, and following through at the ballot box, young people can help bring about the positive change that this state so urgently needs. The coming election cycle will present many opportunities for students to make their voices heard, like getting involved with campus political organizations, volunteering as campaign workers, sending letters to the editor, blogging or emailing friends and family in support of particular issues or candidates and, of course, voting on Election Day. With your help, North Dakota can be a better place for young people.Brent Edison
Tax Commissioner Candidate
P.O. Box 1276
Bismarck, ND
58502-1276
701-527-5376
Brent@BrentEdison.com
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I really appreciated Lisa Rask’s fine article about the TR Program marking its fifth year. The anonymous reader is correct, the TR Program is just now completing its sixth year of existence, but the occasion of the article was a five-year program review, which took place after the TR Program had completed its fifth year. So the TR Program is indeed six years old, but the milestone observed just recently was the completion of five years. The important thing, in my opinion, is what a terrific article Lisa wrote, and that she tells the the story of an Honors Leadership Program of which we can all be proud. Dickinson State University has crafted a unique, substantive leadership studies curriculum, putting its own stamp on the common approach to honors education, and has supported it to a degree rarely found in institutions of this size. These are not just my opinions, they’re some of the observations you will find in the final report of the 5-year program review final report. (By the way, the site visit team that conducted that review consisted of two past presidents of the National Collegiate Honors Council.) You’ll be hearing more about that report in coming issues of The Western Concept, and the students, staff and faculty who are shaping the future of the TR Program will use it as a guide to continuous improvement for another five, or six, years!
-Dr. James Tallmon

by Sudeep Simkhada

First, there was the gag about Frist. The pundits mobbed in and carped about Frist’s support for the House bill: “Frist, Do No Harm,” they bleated. They denounced the bill and gave us a lecture on morality: Jacob Weisberg wrote in Slate that the bill is “principled, impractical, and gratuitously cruel.” The bill, as passed by the Republican-heavy House, would make it a crime for Americans to help illegal immigrants, erect a 700-mile-long fence along the US-Mexico border, and criminalize illegal immigration by making it an “aggravated” felony. Apparently, the bill is a farce. However, the bill does have a point: the rules have changed. The paranoia is justifiable: America has to spot the terrorists, America has to stop the terrorists, and America has to have the right to strike preemptively. And where else to begin but with the illegal immigrants: the terrorists could infiltrate!

Following the House bill, there was the great Kennedy-McCain bill. Once again, the critics swarmed in and picketed: “No Amnesty,” they cawed. They think that such “amnesty” would only encourage further migration. The bill, if passed, would let the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants ultimately achieve full citizenship and create a program for “guest workers,” a phrase that President Bush is intent on using every time he talks about immigration reform. Apparently, the bill fails to appease the far right. However, the bill is also justifiable: America needs the workers, America needs to welcome similar workers, and America should always stand for Justice and Freedom. And where else to begin but with the illegal immigrants: they are already trained and able to work!

And then there was Specter’s compromise that passed the Senate Judiciary Committee but failed to go anywhere. A prime example of the Hegelian dialectic process, indeed!

According to Fareed Zakaria’s recent article in Newsweek, Europe has been experimenting with “guest worker” programs for quite a while. And, Zakaria maintains, they have all been flops. Meanwhile, the morality squad in America claims that such programs would be “exploitative and un-American.” Amidst all this, major cities across the U.S. were filled with throngs of people rallying for immigration reform. Where will America go now?

Everyone agrees that it is time America came up with a broad plan to deal with the issue. But how broad is broad enough?

Actually, it is time America does away with quasi-reforms that are just capitalist ploys disguised as moral incentives. It should open up its borders, but not just to everybody yet; America should declare itself open to the rich, the energized, and the elite individuals yearning to escape from the harshness of reality. To this end, the administration could provide more tax cuts to the rich who are already here. The Senate could mull over a bill that automatically lets anybody from anywhere with at least a few million dollars worth of corporation hedge funds gain a path to citizenship. The House, in turn, could pass a bill that would make it illegal for anybody to be poor and “yearning to breathe free.” And, they should not stop there. They should also pass a bill that does away with equality: some big shots in Washington will get to be more equal than others. Then, the competent FEMA could take measures to move the millions of poor Americans to Mexico or Canada – only the rich get to stay here. This way, the United States of America could make a smooth transition into becoming the United Free Capitalists of the World where all the nastiest corporations could find a safe harbor. On second thoughts, that has already happened. Probably the only thing left now is to get rid of the poor.

But then, who will mow the Capitalist lawns for dirt money? Who will be the “agricultural workers”? Who gets to do the laborious construction jobs? Who will do the dirty work in restaurants? Who will be nanny?

I bet the “amnesty” will be granted. Eventually.

By Natasha Ryzhova, Op-Ed Editor

America, make way for the ‘ubersexuals.’

On April 14, the Nobel Prize Committee published a list of the nominees for the No-bel Peace Prize. Immediately, some “experts” and self-professed Nobel fanatics started blogging and choking on the Internet over whom the reward will go to. The majority of these second guessers championed Bono, a nominee and the lead vocalist of the musical group U2. As it happens, Bono also stands for ‘ubersexuality.’

The term ubersexual was used for the first time in Marian Salzman’s The Future of Men, which was published in September, 2005. It is derived from the German word über, which means over (or, if you insist, above). And it seems America was just about ready for another play at male sexuality.

Not everybody got used to the term metrosexuality; however, the stars of ‘ubersexual-ity’ are already storming the stage. Ubersexuals stand way above the previous stereotypes of what I like to call the “maleness” (or, if you again insist, the “malininity”) in men. Ubersexuals are not macho with women; however, that does not mean they are ineffec-tual weaklings either. They are, according to Salzman, more men than the mean men. Unlike the metrosexuals, the ubersexuals are not concerned with the different types of hairspray.

An historical analogy is possible: ubersexuals and metrosexuals are to the 21st century as the gentlemen and the “dandies” were to the 19th century. There is one difference though: gentlemen could only come from nobility. In this modern age, the ubersexuals hail from everywhere.

Ubersexuals are not afraid to express their feelings. They are always tidy and elegant. But wait; do no mistake their fine fettle for foppish foolishness. Their elegance is but a result of their extensive travels and indiscriminate erudition. They, unlike the metrosexu-als, are not narcissists. The most important thing for ubersexuals isn’t sex; their main concern is improving relations.

At the end of 2005, JMT, an internet gossip magazine, published a list of 10 flagmen of ubersexuality. The list goes: Jon Stewart (#10), Guy Richie (#9), Pierce Brosnan (#8), Ewan McGregor (#7), Barack Obama (#6), Arnold Schwarzenegger (#5), Donald Trump (#4), Bill Clinton (#3), George Clooney (#2), and, of course, Bono as the leading man.

Bono is known not only as a talented musician, but also as a public activist. He at-tends summits, conferences and meetings with leaders of various countries - often more than he attends his own concerts. He discusses Africa’s AIDS issues with President Bush, he meets the Dalai Lama about World Peace, he has dinner with the UN General Secre-tary about poverty in Africa and still, he somehow makes his way home to his family.

So who’s to stop Bono from getting the Nobel Peace Prize? Indeed, the era of the ubersexuals has only just begun.

by Ray Wheeler, Guest Columnist

How wonderful it is to have a Western Concept once again! But at the risk of sounding ungrateful, I wish it were being printed on paper. As handsome as the Concept site is, I’m still wed to paper. I like to hold what I’m reading; I want to feel the words– feel them in the bathtub, under the bed, on rocks, on horseback, on a wobbly psychiatric couch, and in church restrooms—problematic places for those slimy laptops and their eye-wrecking screens.

During my three-quarters of a century in higher education, I’ve never heard of a university except DSU that didn’t have a student newspaper. Even that football-crazed cow college down in Fargo has one!

It was an unfortunate time for us when a lot of events intersected, and the Concept quietly disappeared. The blame for its demise was variously attributed to student apathy, a lack of readers and writers, a snobby English Department, a greedy Student Senate, the presence of chartreuse mucus in the universe, and what Nietzsche called “the will to ignorance.” Pay your money and blame whom or what you will.

A virtual Concept is better than no Concept, as long as you have a printer nearby. Only the diehard cognoscenti of high tech gabblefarb want to read a paper (or anything else) on a monitor. Human beings want their print on paper, and they want standard newsprint paper because of the many wonderful uses it has after we’ve read the print.

Nothing shines windows better than newsprint. It makes an incomparable liner for cat boxes and canary cages and knows no equal as kindling for kindling in campfires. One time in Manhattan I even bought a carp fillet from a vendor who wrapped it in the NY Times classifieds, which enhanced the flavor of that fish.

My grandfather kept a considerable stack of newspapers in his outhouse back in Kansas. Right after I graduated from kindergarten a year before the start of World War I, I asked him if you were supposed to read those papers, make airplanes out of them, or something else. You would have thought I had asked him why he was so bone ugly. “If you’re any indication of the future, we’re in deep doo-doo,” he said rancorously. “You talk like a Commie.” He was deeply distrustful of city people like me.

I hope others will be as glad to see the Concept’s return as I am. I especially hope students will want to read and write for it. One of the prime movers for its return comes from a country with no free press. I hope that irony will be lost on none of us.

note: Dr. Ray Wheeler is a Professor of English at Dickinson State University