1,100 pound stone beetle lands on lawn

Puerto Rico outraged at U.S. Naval operations on Vieques island

‘Drag-queen divas’ strut their stuff on stage for ‘Miss Centre Pageant’

Murden-McClure to be baccalaureate speaker

New curriculum brings big changes

By Ashley Vinsel
Cento News columnist

Recently the faculty of the college voted on several proposals that affect the students directly. The letter accompanying the fall 2000 schedules spelled it out in black and white: Centre has changed. Good-bye six-week winter term. Fewer hours required for graduation. The question many asked was: why should we change at all? This question was posed to students and faculty members who gave their reasons for and against the new changes.
Mark Rasmussen, associate professor of English, has been chair of the Curriculum Committee for the past two years. He wanted to make sure that everyone understood that the changes to the winter term do not take place until the 2001-2002 school year and the graduation requirements only apply to current freshmen and sophomores. He stressed the importance of the three-week Centre term to give students an intensive course in an area they have active interest in. He also mentioned the flexibility students will have in choosing their classes. He described the process by which the curriculum changes occurred as one involving all faculty who nearly all support the model that passed the vote. He believes that one of the most important aspects of the new curriculum is the importance of allowing the faculty to become refreshed and to reaffirm their commitments. He is optimistic that the changes will prove to be great for the college community.
Bill Crummett, associate professor of physics, admits his reservations about the new curriculum. He describes his attitude as one of “wait and see,” and believes that the old curriculum had its own positive attributes that should not be ignored. The curricular changes, he believes, were not brought about as systematically as the last changes had been. He cited an unusual voting method that did not include all possible curriculum changes. He also voiced a concern over lessening the number of credits required for graduation, saying “we ought to be finding ways for students to be taking more classes” to prepare them for society. He applauded the new winter term as beneficial for a focused shortened term, and he applauded giving the professors six classes per year as a way for them to spend more time on student-faculty involvement.
Students had varying views on the subject. B.B. Markham ‘02 said that it would be a good idea for students to take a computer course, but only if it were one that would be beneficial for careers besides computer science. He noted that the new curriculum is a very complicated issue and students should become familiar with the changes facing them.
Aubrey Kuchar ’01 wishes some of the new changes would apply to her. She likes many of the new features, also mentioning the computer class and the winter term. Several students have complained that they have already taken classes that they no longer need, such as STP and extra social sciences.
Eric Abele ’03 says that removing some of the general education requirements will be beneficial to students, allowing them to take more classes outside of the major. He added that some changes still need to be made to the curriculum. He cited the PE courses as one example. “These classes are a joke to most everyone who takes them,” he noted, also commenting on the apparent lack of interest by even the instructors of these courses. He proposed giving students credit for taking the courses, or making the special sports courses mandatory instead of the regular HHP classes. He did add that most everyone whom he had talked with “gladly welcomed the lighter requirements.”
In all, there is a mixed but generally positive view of the changes to the curriculum. The faculty have adopted the model that they see as best for the college. While juniors and seniors may grumble over graduation requirements for their younger peers, the 2001-2002 year will be one of change for Centre. Back to top...

1,100 pound stone beetle lands on lawn

By Jon Brasfield
Special to the Cento

On April 20, the newest addition to Centre’s campus arrived. The 1,100-pound sculpture entitled Palace of Memory was set on the lawn outside Olin hall. The college’s Chapin Sculpture Project committee, consisting of professors Jane Joyce, Barbara Hall, Sheldon Tapley, Diane Johnson, Mary McKee, and Carol Bastian, commissioned award-winning artist Tom Chapin to create a sculpture to become a permanent fixture of the college, and, according to Dean John Ward, serve as an acknowledgement to the inauguration of current president John Roush.
“In my many years teaching here,” said Joyce, “the college has never gotten a new statue. Other colleges have statues, and we decided it was time for Centre to get one too.”
The approximately $25,000 to complete the statue was raised almost exclusively by donations from the faculty and staff of the college. The remaining amount was obtained from private donations. According to Joyce, the committee made it a point to raise funds from private donors who were not regular donors to Centre funds such as scholarships.
The sculpture is actually a combination of two styles of art. The earth mound portion that winds around the lawn is a style of art indigenous to this part of the country, and the red beetle is an old-world style representing the ancient Egyptian scarab. Chapin describes the sculpture as a “use of traditional motifs in a new way,” and states that the sculpture represents the progression of knowledge through time and as representative of the educational system as a whole.
Chapin enlisted the help of three Centre art students to help put finishing touches on the art once it arrived to Centre’s campus. Joshua Harris ’01, Jeremy Pitcock ’00, and Jahnathan Swanz ’01 all had the experience of working with Chapin on the work.
Pitcock stated, “I was honored to have worked with an artist of Tom’s caliber on something that will be around as long as it will.”
Permanence was also the subject of Swanz’s impression of the sculpture. “When we’re dead and gone,” Swanz said, “something we helped create will be around for generations to see.”
As stated in the installation ceremony on April 25, there has already been talk circulating on campus about involving Chapin’s work in some sort of midnight student rituals (there was a mention of some sort of “flame running” that apparently takes place). In response, Chapin said, “I want the students to enjoy the work, but I plead for them to not damage it. Although stone is a very permanent medium, I would like the work to stay unharmed as long as possible.” Back to top...

Puerto Rico outraged at U.S. Naval operations on Vieques island

By Thom Kelly
Cento News Columnist

The Pentagon insists that it has no alternative but to use the inhabited island of Vieques for live-fire training. Critics said a federal showdown with protesters is imminent because the Navy didn’t look hard enough for another target range.
The island is part of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, and its 9,400 residents are American citizens. While the Navy controls about two-thirds of the island, Vieques also is a popular vacation spot for tourists. Puerto Rico, which includes Vieques, is a commonwealth of the U.S. with self-governing control over its internal affairs.
The military, which has used Vieques since the 1940s, says the island is an ideal spot for practicing full-scale operations. Operations were suspended last year after a stray bomb killed a civilian security guard. The death touched off long-held island resentment against the range. Deep water, enough uninhabited land and free airspace are all essential ingredients that make Vieques the best place in the entire Atlantic, the Navy says, to conduct warfare drills at the same time.
In a bid to quell opposition, the Clinton administration agreed in January with the Puerto Rican government to provide $40 million in aid. In exchange, the agreement calls for the Navy to resume bombing drills using unarmed bombs. The agreement also calls for a referendum in 2002 during which the island’s residents could decide whether to allow practice bombing to continue.
Federal efforts to clear demonstrators from a U.S. military bombing range on Vieques Island could become a dangerous game of hide-and-seek if some hard-line protesters keep their promise to take to the hills containing unexploded ammunition.
Some 300 demonstrators from 14 camps are determined to end the practice bombing on the island. They expect a confrontation with authorities at any time.
Protesters have prevented implementation of the agreement. The Pentagon was shown the same resistance in the 1970s before it abandoned a weapons range on another Puerto Rican island, Culebra, and on the Hawaiian island of Kahoolawe. However the Navy has acknowledged that if Vieques residents vote down the training, the Navy would be forced to develop an alternative, although at considerable expense.
Federal authorities threatened to forcibly remove protesters on the island to clear the way for an agreement allowing limited training. Politicians predict backlash against the U.S. Local politicians have promised a backlash against the Clinton administration by Puerto Rican communities in New York, Florida and Chicago.
Meanwhile, critics continue to accuse the Navy of failing to seriously consider alternate sites for live-fire training. They claim that the Navy has had a year without Vieques and does not seem to have reduced their ability to defend the U.S. or carry out their obligations.
Still, the Navy insists the requirements for the kind of training it has staged on the island since World War II simply are not met anywhere else in the Atlantic. Back to top...

‘Drag-queen divas’ strut their stuff on stage for ‘Miss Centre Pageant’

By Susan Courtwright
Special to the Cento

Twenty dashing drag-queen divas took Centre’s campus by storm in last Tuesday night’s “Miss Centre Pageant” in hopes of claiming the crown. These “ladies” were struttin’ their stuff and lettin’ it all hang out (literally) for the two-part competition, casual and formal wear. With help from the women of Delta Delta Delta, these fashionable “ladies” were dressed to the nines in their little black skirts, dainty little high-heels and ruby red lips.
Before hand, the divas hid-out in Sutcliffe gym learning to “walk the walk” and “talk the talk,” just waiting to compete for the title. Honey Snacks (aka Jason Theobald ’00) had this to say prior the pageant, “I don’t know if I would have volunteered to do this had I known that I would have to try on a bra in the middle of Wal-mart.” Never the less, Honey Snack was a good sport and put on sparkling eye-shadow and tons of mascara all in hopes of making it into the finals.
In the first round of competition, casual wear, the “ladies” were asked to answer the question, “What do you like best about being a woman?” Ki Ki the Island Beauty (aka Ben Beaton ’03), answered, “The best thing about being a woman is the boobs, the boys and the birds and the bees.” Ki Ki won first runner-up.
In the second round of competition, formal wear, Monique (akaMatt Mooney ’02) took “centre-stage” with her great hair, long eye-lashes, and stunning gray dress, looking like a dead-ringer for Marilyn Monroe. Before long, she became a favorite of the judges and the audiences and was crowned “Miss Centre.”
In the end, Ki Ki proclaimed, “While Monique looked good, I will be back to reclaim the title that is rightfully mine.” Much to Ki Ki’s dismay, there could only be one winner. But that night, someone else won big time: Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Thanks to all of those who turned out for the event in support of this charity. As the new “Miss Centre” said herself, “The night was a true success,” for everyone involved.

Top 8 finalists
Ki Ki the Island Beauty
Ben Beaton
Salamie
Louis Bergeron ’00
Booty Jones
Kyle Galbraith ’03
I Wanna Kiss Ross
Adam Hinton ’00
Honey Barbeque
Michael Lucchese ’01
Monique
Matt Mooney
Senorita Papya
Matt Tatman ’02
Honey Snacks
Jason Theobald

Other awards
Miss Congeniality- Sheniqua (Owen McNeill ’00)
Best Legs - Eliana Gonzales
(Matt Farra ’01)
Best Butt - Olphelia
(Tony Hokayem ’02)
Best Hair- Monique
(Matt Mooney) Back to top...

Murden-McClure to be baccalaureate speaker

By Danielle Kelley
Special to the Cento

Tori Murden-McClure will be the baccalaureate speaker this May. According to Mrs. Yvonne Morley, several faculty members initially submitted Murden-McClure’s name for consideration. It was decided that Murden-McClure would be an outstanding person to bring to the college. Murden-McClure, a Louisville native, was the first American to row across the Atlantic Ocean. She completed the journey of 3,333 miles alone. She was also the first American to ski to the geographic South Pole and the first American to successfully complete the climb of Antarctica’s Lewis Nunatuk Summit. Murden-McClure is an inspirational speaker and she lectures frequently.
Students are thrilled with the idea of Murden-McClure’s visit to Centre. Becky Hamilton ’00 says, “I’m excited. It sounds like we might have a different kind of baccalaureate speaker this year.”
Allison Hoffert ’00 agrees, “I think it’s cool that it [the speaker] is a woman. Her achievements are imprssive.”
Sharon Jones ’00 also looks forward to hearing Murden-McClure speak. “I think the speaker will set a good example for Centre women, who are striving to accomplish difficult goals.”
The baccalaureate service will take place on Sunday, May 28, at 11 am in the Norton Center for the Arts. Murden-McClure will receive an honorary degree at the commencement ceremony. Back to top...