The Woods

By Shelby Becker
Staff Writer

Most people do not think too much about the chocolate they eat, but without the intervention of science there would no be no chocolate in anyone’s Christmas feast.
Currently scientists are racing to create a genetic copy of the cacao plant, from which we get chocolate.
Without the genetic copy the scientific community believes the plant could die out and hurt an already fragile global economy.
The cacao plant was first used by Mayans over 1,500 years ago as a crop and sacred drink, but disease like the fungus Witch’s Bloom has driven it to near extinction in the Americas.
As of right now, more than 70 percent of the world’s supply of chocolate is derived from West Africa, specifically Cote D’Ivoire.
If the diseases were to cross the Atlantic Ocean and infect Africa, even just a few pods, the cost would be devastating.  At least 1/3 of the total world production would be no more.
The Cacao plants in West Africa have no immunity to the diseases like Witch’s Bloom and Frosty Pod. The spores of the infected plants would be spread by wind and accidently by famers.
Besides copying the genetic sequence, scientists are breeding Cacao plants resistant to the diseases, but the process is slow.
Until then, quarantines on chocolate crops in West Africa and testing done by the FDA will slow the disease until science finishes the genetic code and keys to resistant the disease.

Popularity: 16% [?]

By Shelby Becker
Staff Writer

It is the day before study day, the start of final exams, and then it is the long anticipated Christmas Break.
Most students begin to grow nervous about their finals and look forward to the end of a long semester.  Here are nine study tips to help you make it through your finals without pulling out your hair and going insane.
1. Be prepared.  Don’t wait to get started on study day.  Gather and organize your materials and know the format of the final.  Also keep reference materials like a dictionary nearby.
2. Use time management.  Balance out your schedule and study with particular attention on subjects you have trouble with.  Make sure your study sessions have a little variety to prevent boredom and a lack of attention.
3. Make a little time to recuperate.  Take 10 to 15 minutes between study sessions and do something you like.  This will give your brain a jump-start to continue.  However, beware not to spend 15 minutes studying and two hours watching funny videos on YouTube or playing around on Facebook. You’d be surprised how much you really do it when you don’t even realize it.
4. Don’t panic.  Study what you can and know your grade before you go into the final if you can.  The stress from thinking about the exam will wear you down even faster.
5. Eat healthy and take the time to exercise.  Skip the sugar and caffeine; that will make you crash and burn.  Eating the healthier snacks like fruit will keep your sugar stable and the exercise will allow you to alleviate stress and feel more focused.
6. Avoid distractions.  If you are one of those people who are easily distracted or just have no desire to crack open a textbook, think again.  Get rid of the distractions like the television that your eyes keep straying and focus.  It will pay off.
7. Get some sleep!  This happens all semester, but somehow during finals it becomes a case of mass cramming.  Don’t because this will get you nowhere with all the material jumbled up inside your head.  It will also leave you cranky the next morning with nothing to show for it.
8. Arrive on time and read the directions of the test.  Students often start the test late and without reading the directions. Arriving late is a distraction and likely to make the professor a little annoyed. Reading one direction wrong can lead to a great deal of many points off the test.  When in doubt ask the professor.
9. When it is done, let the test go.  Go enjoy the holiday and take a load off.  Until it is graded and you have your results, relax and let it go.

Popularity: 15% [?]

By Shelby Becker
Staff Writer
Walk into the rooms at the end of the hall in the basement of Hulman Hall, and you run smack into a giant screen; as you unplaster your head from the screen, you turn around and find a wealth of new technology.
In a generation where cell phones are as common as dirt and writing letters has become obsolete, communication has adapted. Newer types of technology have emerged with Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College jumping on board to try SMART touch technology and learning advanced ways of teaching.
SMWC has slowly incorporated new technology all around campus and in the Woods External Degree programs, such as the optional text messaging service offered by SMWC in the event of an emergency, Information Technology department’s projector technology, and the use of SMART carts that charge PCs and work the overheads in the classrooms, but this Touch and Communication technology blows it away.
“This technology is just fabulous; my computer is old, and in here I can PR for my WED classes and ask for help if I need it,” says Assistant Professor of Theology Pat Mcintyre.
Jennie Mitchell, professor of business, obtained two Ballbench grants which allowed for reorganization of the Business, Art, and Media (BAM) departments into the Business department and Text and Image department and created two new technology rooms.  The grants provided for the creation of a new faculty resource center using one grant and another that was pinned at $15,000 for the new team room.
Thia Flinn, a senior commuter student, said, “It’s a lot of work to learn and getting things set up, but it will be great when we start using it.”
Two rooms were cleaned out and refitted for new electrical wiring as well as some structural fixes due to water damage. They were furnished with furniture donated from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology library to hold the technology.
One is the new faculty resource room that once was storage and sometimes The Woods photography studio. Now it contains multiple screen computers to view several things at once and new podcasting software and recording technology that professors have been learning to use in class and online.
An example is that of Ellen Cunningham, professor of mathematics, who has been using the podcasting to show students how to virtually use a graphing calculator with a pointer; it is posted online for students to view.
Housed in the same room is a library of smaller technology like cameras and IPods that professors can check out for lectures.
The other room is called by Mitchell the “Team Room” or “Social Marketing” room.  It utilizes the Touch technology and dozens of different ways to communicate over thousands of miles.
Since the team room’s creation, it has been used for web conferencing and for several internships that are composed of WED, campus, and graduates who now have the ability to work closely with each other from distances and make contact with clients.
Some examples of clients include the Children’s Museum of Terre Haute, the Maple Center, and Catholic charities through Adobe Connect.
These internship teams and business professors have been utilizing the Touch technology in lectures and conferences alike. The room has one large conference area and several smaller screens for smaller conferences and communication needs.
The Touch Technology has the ability to record everything that is written upon the board and record the lecture.  This allows for the entire lecture to be posted and lets students learn what they missed in class.
Many classrooms currently have some SMART technology in their classrooms in the form of SMART Carts, but Mitchell hopes to eventually implement SMART Touch technology in every classroom.
“The cost of a SMART cart is $2,700, whereas each Touch system is $3,500 that also comes with multiple screens attached for lecture viewing.” Mitchell said. “An economics teacher could have a PowerPoint on the board and writing electronic notes in the corners and the stock prices on another with the ability to draw or move the lecture entirely due to the SMART Touch technology.”

Popularity: 21% [?]

Shelby Becker
Staff Writer

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College cross country runners finished 9th out of 19 NCAA Division III teams, besting Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, which finished 13th in the Otterbein Cross Country Invitational in Westerville, Ohio, on Sept. 24.
Nearly every runner achieved a personal best or beat a track record in this five mile race.
Team members said their focus allowed them to move up in the rankings from their previous rank of 12th before the competition to their final ranking of 9th.
“Otterbein Invitational is one of our favorite courses because it is literally in the woods,” said sophomore Caitlyn Tinsley. “This makes a big difference because there is less pressure when the fans and the other runners can’t see us the entire time.”

Sophomore Stephanie Runyon had one of the top scores and placed within the top 10 with a time of 19:15. Freshman Logan Fry (20:05), freshman Leiona Noah (20:51), sophomorer Katherine Williams (21:00), and sophomore Casandra Barnett (21:06) rounded out the top five runners for SMWC with their times.
“Otterbein’s course is difficult with tight turns, narrow paths, and a few good size hills,” said cross country coach Danelle Readinger in an e-mail to the SMWC campus community. “SMWC came through the mid-point of the race looking more focused, strong, and ready for the second half of hills.”
On Sept. 17 SMWC traveled to the National Catholic Cross Country Invitational hosted by University of Notre Dame where they competed against a field of 35 teams.
Going in to the invitational the team was ranked 20th and ended up placing 17th.
“The course felt like heaven beneath my feet,” said sophomore Lauren Sutton. “The ground was flat and smooth with no holes.”
Top five runners were Runyon (19:50), Fry (20:53), Noah (21:51), Williams (21:58), and Barnett (22:16).
“Overall everything is starting to piece together as the season continues,” said Runyon. “In the beginning we are all just trying to get our feet wet and are not as concerned about dominating during the competitions.  It feels like we are continuing to improve and we are a better team this year.”
The cross country team traveled to Louisville for the Louisville Classic at Tom Sawyer Park on Oct. 2. The results were not in at press time. Check The Woods newspaper website for the results.
On Oct. 9, SMWC will compete in the Gibson Classic held in Terre Haute.

Popularity: 23% [?]

By Shelby Becker

Staff Writer

The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College cross country team had its first meet of the season on Sept. 3. It was scheduled at the home course but the recent fire in Guerin Hall forced the teams to run at a different location.

SMWC and rival Brescia University competed at Lavern Gibson Cross Country Course at Indiana State University. The Pomeroys competed against Division One schools such as ISU, University of Illinois, and Ball State University.

A total of 45 women competed at Lavern Gibson.  The top runners for SMWC were sophomore Stephanie Runyon, freshman Logan Fry, and sophomore Katherine Williams.

The team finished strong and for the complete team results, see the sidebar on this page.

The Pomeroy runners competed at the University of Notre Dame’s National Catholic Invitational on Friday. The results were not in at press time. Look for them on The Woods’ website at www.thewoodsnewspaper.com.

SMWC will compete in the Otterbein Invitational on Saturday in Westerville, Ohio.

Popularity: 31% [?]

By Shelby Becker
Staff Writer

(Appeared in the Sept. 7 print edition of The Woods)

Textbooks have become the most expensive part of college outside of the tuition and board. A recent article by The New York Times reported that the price of textbooks has risen almost 10 percent in the last decade and prices are expected to keep rising.

Maybe in response to the outcry from textbook customers about high costs and getting back as little as zilch for re-selling a pricey text, there are now some alternatives to buying textbooks at full retail prices. Renting printed books or downloading e-textbooks have become attractive alternatives to buying books.

What you get back for a textbook depends on the demand for the book and its age. Some books, especially if they had just been published, you can get back over half of what you paid.  Sites including Amazon.com and Chegg.com sell books and provide a search engine to compare the best deals on textbooks.

But something as little as a change of picture or addition of a paragraph allows for publisher to issue – and charge for – an entirely new edition. For example, the required texts for Spanish Intermediate and beginning Spanish at SMWC are older and cost very little to buy, but selling them back is difficult if the newest and latest editions are in demand.

Buying versus renting is also a growing debate. Renting books can often save you as much as half of the retail cost of the book. E-textbooks are similarly cost effective, but you can only rent them for a short time – anywhere from a semester to a full year. A better deal is used hard copies that cost about half the average rental.

An example is the organic chemistry book used at SMWC. The list price to purchase the text is about $240, while the rental price is $60.99 per semester on Chegg.com. Renting seems like the better deal in this case. But if you account for the text’s value as a reference book and the fact that SMWC chemistry courses typically use the text for two semesters, buying starts to look a lot more sensible – especially if you buy it on Amazon for $180 – or $90 a semester.

Textbook purchases sometimes have hidden costs including shipping, fees and taxes.  These can add up quick, even if most online orders are tax-free. Taxes can be as high as $7 per $100 spent, so a $300 book could cost $321, plus shipping.  Take advantage of sites that offer special deals on shipping or free shipping for orders over a certain amount.  Amazon.com has a great deal offering two-day shipping free for one year if you have a college e-mail address. Chegg.com plants a tree for every book purchased and offers free return shipping on rentals.  Half.com offers reduced shipping after spending a certain amount, but remember to also check if its partner sites are legit.  With so many people selling textbooks, some can be scams or accidents waiting to happen.

In spite of the frustration of paying so much for textbooks, some encouraging signs are taking shape. Federal laws went into effect in July to prohibit publishers from only selling books in bundles. Publishers also must reveal the price of a book when advertising it.

In addition, colleges including SMWC are now required to provide a list of required books during course registration so students have time to compare prices among the overwhelming number of textbook sellers.

Popularity: 37% [?]