All you ever needed to know about getting in trouble

3/7/08

By Ben Holbrook
Managing Editor

Getting in trouble is never a pleasant experience but with a little preparation, you may be able to defend your innocence.

The judicial process at LSC can range from a one on one hearing for minor violations to a hearing in front of a panel of faculty and staff members. The hearing panel will listen to the student’s case and then make recommendations to the dean as to the punishment the student should receive, Jonathan Davis, interim director of student affairs, said.

A student is never guilty until there is a hearing, Davis said. “Many students have the impression they are immediately guilty,” Davis said. Students are allowed to bring witnesses, an advocate, or an attorney with prior notice to the school, to the hearings, Davis said.

For minor violations such as drinking, or safety violations, a student will meet with their RHD who would then determine the course of punishment for the student at the time of the hearing.

When a student goes before the hearing panel for more serious violations like damaging school property or drug possession, the hearing panel officer has a checklist of questions to ask the student, Davis said. One of these questions is whether the student would like to challenge for bias, which means one of the hearing panel members may have a bias towards the student because the student was in a class with them, Davis said. Should a student challenge for bias and the bias is proven then the hearing would be suspended until a replacement panel member is found, Davis said.

The challenge for bias rarely happens because, “we try to do our homework beforehand,” Davis said.

If a student is trying to prepare for a hearing then the student should read the handbook because, “it’s about their rights,” Davis said. The student should also be proactive and talk to their RHD or me, Davis said. “Don’t assume you’re guilty,” Davis said.

“We like to think of our judicial system as very educational,” Davis said.

Fines for minor drinking violations, and safety violations have been eliminated due to the fact they were somewhat trivial punishments, Davis said. There is still the possibility of having a fine imposed however, for subsequent drinking and/or safety violations depending on prior violations, Davis said. If there was any damage associated with the violations a fine could also be imposed. “In general though, we have tried to stay away from the fines,” Davis said.

However, the fines for drug possession, damages, and tampering with fire alarms are still in place, Davis said.

For more information on the judicial process, and to better prepare you are, consult your student handbook, which has all of the disciplinary process information in it.

Independence of Kosovo

3/7/08

Catherine Story
Business Manager

Alexandre Strokanov, professor of History, warns students of the dangers created by Kosovo becoming an independent nation.

“The world became a more dangerous place,” Strokanov said about the claim Kosovo made for independence. “It can be mimicked anywhere in the world.”

Strokanov put the independence of Kosovo into perspective when he described it as being “worse than the Iraq war.”

Kosovo is a country that is well known for its drug-based economy. The new Prime Minister Hashim Thaci is a well-known drug lord and previously a terrorist said Strokanov.

The unemployment rate in Kosovo is around 50 percent and the unemployment rate of young people is around 75 percent. This makes Kosovo a hotbed for possible terrorist activity.

“What else will young people without jobs do?” Strokanov asked the small group that sat in the Alexander Twilight Theater. “It will be an Islamic radical area, a hotbed for terrorism.”

Another fear that Strokanov instilled was that the world was beginning to move towards force as a means of accomplishing goals.

“Right is the one with more might,” Strokanov said, ”despite international law.” Strokanov said that Kosovo’s independence is a violation of international law.

“The architecture built after World War II is beginning to crumble,” Strokanov said.

“Kosovo will be independent in their own mine and the mind of the United States but will not be recognized by the United Nations.” Strokanov said it is unlikely that Kosovo will ever be an internationally recognized nation.

“The U.N. is losing moral support,” Strokanov said. “This is certainly another injection of power into terrorism.

Cooking with Cook: Crock pots

3/7/08

Gwen Cook
Special to the Critic

Crock pots are one of the best ways to make warm dishes without having to spend a lot of time in front of the stove. Just put the ingredients in and leave it alone until it is done! This should especially appeal to students because they can just add the ingredients and leave. A guaranteed fresh hot meal is waiting for them when they come home.

Cheesy chicken
3 whole boneless chicken breasts
2 cans cream chicken soup
1 can chedder cheese soup
Remove all fat and skin from chicken; rinse and pat dry, sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Put in crock pot and add the three soups straight from the cans. Cook on low all day (at least 8 hrs) do not lift the lid. Serve over rice or noodles.

Barbeque pork sandwiches
1 pork roast
1 bottle bar-b-cue sauce
About 1/2 to 1 cup water
Just throw in crock pot on high for about 6 hrs. or low for about 10 hrs. When it's done, just remove meat from bone and serve on hamburger buns or rolls with more bar-b-que sauce or ketchup, etc.

Ground beef chili
2 pounds ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped
2 (15 ½ ounce) cans chili beans (do not drain)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
In a skillet, cook beef and onions over medium heat until no longer pink; drain well and transfer to crock pot. Combine the next 6 ingredients with the meat mixture. Stir well, cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with sour cream and grated cheddar cheese if desired. Serve with corn bread or crackers. Another great idea would be to buy a bread bowl and serve your chili in there!

Live music on campus, nobody cares

3/7/08

By Matt Vercillo
Critic Staff

Friday, Feb. 16 the Lyndon State student center was host to several live bands.

The event, which was originally advertised as four bands in one night, was free so it became the perfect opportunity for a review. The poster that I saw hanging in the hallway earlier that day had assured me of a few simple facts. First it was four bands, one night. Second, it started at 8:00 p.m. So, as I walked into the building around 7:50p.m., I was quite surprised to hear that the show had already started. I was late, but it was no fault of mine. I guess a fifth band got tacked on at the last minute, making it five bands and beginning at 7:30 p.m. Well, I grabbed myself a chair and took in what I could of the first band finishing up their set with a cover of Skynard’s “simple man” and an interesting version of “Fuel” by Metallica with an Eminem’s “lose yourself” tacked onto the beginning.

At this point I was still more or less trying to take in the scene. The place seemed packed. I began thinking about what a great turn out it had been. All of the tables were full and there were about 20 or 30 people standing around in front stage. The second band took about a half an hour to set up which left me to take the atmosphere in a little more.

I was beginning to feel al little uncomfortable. The turnout was good, that is to say there were a bunch of kids there. However, the more I looked around the more I started noticing things. Why were all their pants so tight? Why were these chicks so skinny? What is with that dude in the capri pants over there? Why is everyone giggling and standing in small, cliquish circles? Then, all at once it dawned on me. They actually were kids. High School students. I was really starting to get p****d off.

The next band finally began playing and distracted me from these observations for a bit. The next band took the stage and I was happy that at least they were playing original tunes. They were called Catamaran, and they played songs with a bit of surf-punk indie vibe to them. They played a half hour set, which turned out to be pretty much the format for all the acts.

Then something happened. The crowd started getting really worked up and excited. I noticed more and more empty energy drinks on the tables and more and more chattering shrieks of 15 year-old girls with braces and neon hair. I was beginning to become less than impressed with this whole event. There were maybe a handful of semi-recognizable strangers dotted around that I could picture going to LSC, but the rest were clearly not students here.

Without announcing their name, the third band began whaling away an obnoxious and distorted brand of hardcore metal, with the vocalist simply screaming into the microphone as horridly as he possible could. The less and less impressed I became of the situation, the more and more the crown seemed to dig what was going on. I was beginning to think this would be a waste of a Friday night.

The fourth came on and I immediately recognized them as the idiots who had propped the door next to my table open for twenty minutes while they carried their equipment in. It was freezing outside, so these guys started off on the wrong foot with me. They announced themselves as Astrada, from Manchester, N.H. Although the crowd seemed pretty much super pumped on these guys, I was failing to see the difference from the last band. It sounded exactly the same.

That pretty much seemed to be the theme from that point on as the next band, Our Drowning City, also sucked. They sounded exactly like Astrada, somebody growling into the mic with heavily distorted guitars. Three awful bands in a row was too much for me to handle and I left before the end of Our Drowning City’s set. I walked out wondering at what point music simply becomes noise.

Advantages and Disadvantages to Having Pets on Campus

3/7/08

By Jennifer Ingram
Critic Staff

In the past, Lyndon had an open policy that allowed faculty, staff, and students to bring their pets to campus. Recently Lyndon has changed their policy and now no longer allows pets on campus which has brought up much discussion and debate. In a recent survey that was done at Lyndon there were many reported advantages and disadvantages to bringing pets on campus.

Advantages
Helping Dogs
In the past there was a professor that had a severe case of diabetes so therefore she brought her dog with her. The dog’s responsibility was to look out for her in the case she ever went into diabetic shock, her dog would be able to get assistance for her.

Helps students feel more at home and secure
Bob McCabe, director of student support services, used to bring his dog to campus. “When I used to bring my dog the students used to come out of their dorms and play fetch. The students loved to play with him because it reminded them of being home at home with their animals,” McCabe said.

Dogs have a calming effect on many people
“I’ve seen the positive effects that the presence of an animal can have on students [and staff] who are stressed out, frazzled, and/or upset,” Deb Bailin, director of student academic development, said.

Accommodated schedules
There are many faculty/ staff and students who have a very busy day, and by being able to bring their pets to campus relieves stress knowing that their pet is properly being cared for. “Most of the time I brought my dog because I needed to be here for a longer-than-usual day, and I couldn’t leave my dog alone for such a long time. I live too far away to zip home at lunch time and take her for a walk, so she regularly spends at least 10 hours alone every day,” Bailin said.

Disadvantages
There are many students that have allergies to pets
When bringing pets onto campus you do not know who you will come in contact with, and the people that you come in contact with may have allergies to pets, and for some it may be life threatening.

Pet owners not taking responsibility for their pet’s waste
“The biggest reason that pets stopped being allowed on campus was due to the waste that they created around campus,” McCabe said.

Dogs provide distractions to their owners and others around them
“I am a dog owner/ lover myself however, I would not bring my dogs to campus because of the fact that I could not properly care for them with the responsibilities that I have on campus,” Diane Tanguay, an LSC senior majoring in elementary/special education and human services, said.

While in class dogs stay in cars
Bringing pets to campus often means that while in class the pet(s) have to stay in your vehicle. There are severe risks to keeping pets in vehicles such as in the winter time, the low temperatures can cause hypothermia and in the summer when the pets are in the car they can get over heated and many times get dehydrated.

Lady Hornets go to second straight national championship

3/7/08

By Andrew R. Koch
Sports Editor

The Lady Hornets women’s basketball team returned from Oklahoma on Sunday after competing in their second straight USCAA National Championship. The Lady Hornets finished their season with a record of 16-12.

The Lady Hornets won two out of their three games in the tournament, despite getting beaten handily in their first-round game against Robert Morris College-Springfield, 80-56. The team would go on to win their next two games in the loser’s bracket, including a 69-57 win over Southern Maine Community College, against whom the Lady Hornets split two regular season games. In their last game of the tournament, the Hornets managed to hang on for a 79-75 win over the University of Cincinnati-Clermont despite nearly blowing a 27-point lead in the second half.

Leading the way for the Hornets were Jackie Wetzel, who averaged 12 points a game during the tournament, along with Jen White and Whitney Hoyt, who each averaged 11.7 points per game. White capped off her season with one last double-double against Cincinnati-Clermont (13 points, 12 rebounds).

“It’s always nice to be in a national tournament, especially with the competition at the level that it was at,” junior forward Sara Fetterhoff said. “It’s nice to play teams that we don’t usually see.”

“Being in the national tournament showed us other teams and how they play,” said freshman forward Marissa Baggarly. “There are better teams down there in the South.”

The women’s basketball team, along with Lyndon State’s other varsity teams, have been using the last two years to get ready for their move up to the NCAA, as well as into the North Atlantic Conference. Those moves will be officially completed starting next semester with fall sports.

“We’ve had two free years to prepare for the NAC,” Fetterhoff said. “Our coach and the athletic department have prepared us with tougher schedules.” Fetterhoff added that over the last couple of years, they’ve seen a diverse number of teams, and the different styles those teams play with.

The USCAA Men’s Division I and Women’s National Basketball Championships are held every year at Rhema Bible College in Broken Arrow, Okla., near Tulsa. When the women weren’t playing games there, they would make trips over to Tulsa, where they visited the zoo, mall and Hooters. The team also enjoyed meals at Fudrucker’s, which is a southern burger joint chain. According to Fetterhoff and Baggarly, the food in these restaurants is “some good stuff.”

Baggarly and Wetzel both wrote about their experiences in Oklahoma in their blogs, which are featured on the school’s Web site. Baggarly says that she got into doing her blog when she asked Head Coach Vinnie Maloney for a job, and he proceeded to introduce her to Tak Shimamura, the Web master here at LSC. Shimamura proceeded to get her into blogging.

The Lady Hornets will look to use their success over the last two years as a springboard to what they hope will be continued success in the North Atlantic Conference in the 2008-2009 season.

LSC student stops shoplifter

3/7/08

By Nathaniel Champagne
Critic Staff

Fighting crime isn’t in the Lyndon Promise, but that didn’t stop LSC’s Matt Wells from detaining a suspected shoplifter at the Price Chopper super market in St. Johnsbury.

On the evening of February 16 Vermont State Trooper Decker responded to an attempted shoplifting call at the supermarket Wells stocks shelves at. Upon arriving, he found that the accused, 21-year-old Adam Garand of St. Johnsbury, had already been fully detained by Wells.

After being suspected of attempting to steal nine beers and a candy bar, Garand was stopped as he tried to leave Price Chopper. Garand then proceeded to pull out a pocket knife, and threatened all of the employees not to follow, as he ran for the exit, Wells said.

Garand ran to a locked door while trying to escape, where he was met by Wells. Wells used a technique he learned in the military, known as “shock factor”, where by one would use the force of their body to shove another into something, in this case the locked door, in an attempt to disorient Garand.

After successfully doing this, Garand stuck Wells in the face with his fist. Wells then wrestled the closed blade out of Garand’s hand and kicked it away. Wells then proceeded to put Garand in a half nelson until he calmed down and then made him stand in the break area to wait for police, Wells said.

Before the police arrived, Garand acted out again. This time threatening to “blast” Wells in the face. After ripping off his sweatshirt Garand pushed Wells three times, forcing Wells to put him in a rear naked choke hold, a move he learned in local Brazilian Jujitsu classes, Wells said.

Wells eventually under-hooked Garand’s arm, wrapped his other arm around his waist and put him to the ground, until the police arrived Wells said.

Though Wells credits his military training for the mindset that allowed him to act so quickly under such circumstances, it’s the Brazilian Jujitsu he attributed the most to.

Wells went back to work after Garand was removed from the premise by police.

“There was so much adrenaline running, when I went to stock shelves my hand was still shaking,” Wells said.

Price Chopper management generally discourages employees from physically stopping shoplifters, John Hassard, Co-manager at Price Chopper, said.

“We don’t want anybody to get hurt,” Hassard said. Physically stopping a suspected shoplifter isn’t typical behavior from an employee either. “Night crew people, they’re a little more renegade,” Hassard said.

Price Chopper would rather that employees should not follow thieves out of the store but just get their licence plate number and report them to the police.