A Novelist's Inspiration
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Iowa State Daily, December 2010 Iowa State Daily, 2010 12-10-2010 Iowa State Daily (December 10, 2010) Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/iowastatedaily_2010-12 Part of the Higher Education Commons, and the Journalism Studies Commons Recommended Citation Iowa State University, "Iowa State Daily (December 10, 2010)" (2010). Iowa State Daily, December 2010. 8. http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/iowastatedaily_2010-12/8 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State Daily, 2010 at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Iowa State Daily, December 2010 by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Basketball: Hawkeyes defeat women to retain Cy-Hawk lead SPORTS.p6 >> FRIDAY December 10, 2010 | Volume 206 | Number 74 | 40 cents | iowastatedaily.com | An independent newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890. Blue Sky Swine Taskforce Regents discuss new medicine center needs time By Paige.Godden location of resources and if it would University of Nebraska and said be- iowastatedaily.com be taking money away from other cause most veterinary colleges don’t veterinary sciences. have a swine program a number of for release The proposal for the Swine John Thomson, College of students from other universities Medicine Education Center was Veterinary Medicine dean, said, “I come to Iowa State. By Thane.Himes pushed up on the Board of Regents appreciate the opportunity to clarify The Regents also approved a new iowastatedaily.com agenda due to a question from any concepts or concerns people master of industrial design degree Regent member Michael Gartner Gartner Thomson have.” program, which will be offered at Last week Michael Whiteford, about the intent of the building. He said the center is “in no way Iowa State. dean of the College of Liberal Arts The request to establish the North America. changing the focus of our college.” The program will be a two- and Sciences, was under the impres- building was eventually passed and Gartner said he was concerned if Thomson talked about the strong sion that the Blue Sky Taskforce’s will be the only one of its kind in the building would represent a real- relationship the college has with the BOARD.p3 >> final report was complete, and that the report wasn’t going to be released to the public until all of the Taskforce had had the opportunity to read the final version. Writing This week, things are no longer definite. “Last week, I believed the report to be in its final form, but it looks like the Taskforce needs to meet at least one more time to consider making A novelist’s inspiration some adjustments,” Whiteford said. “I think we all need more time than we originally thought.” Whiteford and Chitra Rajan, chairwoman of Blue Sky and as- sociate vice president for re- search and economic develop- RELEASE.p3 >> Crime Quarter’s statistics published By Kaitlin.York Ben Percy, assistant professor of English, draws upon his memories iowastatedaily.com of his childhood in Oregon to write novels such as his latest, “The Wilding.” He is currently working on a new novel, “Red Moon,” which University crime statistics from is set to be released in 2012. Courtesy photo: Benjamin Percy the Iowa Board of Regents have been released for the third quarter of this year, from July 1 to Sept. 30. Oregon experiences allow for ‘genre At the Regent’s request, it will observed through a literary lens’ receive quarterly reports of crime statistics compiled by the university public safety departments. ByThane.Himes In comparison to 57 students be- iowastatedaily.com ing charged with theft at Iowa State at Benjamin Percy is receiving national praise for his full-length this time last year, 66 students were wilderness novel “The Wilding.” charged with something from the fol- “Oregon is my muse,” Percy, assistant professor of English, said. lowing this quarter: “I have a trapdoor in my head that takes me back to my childhood in Oregon whenever I’m writing.” Pocket-picking Percy’s early life in the high desert of central Oregon frequently Purse-snatching influences his writing in a variety of ways. Shoplifting “I grew up in the middle of nowhere,” Percy said. “I was always Theft from building ranging through the woods, ducking under barbed wire fences, fir- Theft from coin-operated machine ing slingshots at jackrabbits. During those times, I was alone, and or device my imagination would often take over as I imagined myself as Tom Theft from motor vehicle Sawyer or He-Man or John Wayne.” Theft of motor vehicle parts or Like every great writer, Percy loves to read. accessories “Growing up, I always had a book in my hand,” Percy said. “I loved All other larceny genre books most of all as a kid.” Percy graduated with honors from Brown University. The year-to-date number of stu- “In college, I was practically forbidden to write genre,” Percy said. dents charged with theft is 186; 197 “I had to read a lot more ‘literary’ books, and my tastes have kind of had been charged at this time last hybridized as a result.” >> Along with his tastes, Percy’s writing style has also changed since STATISTICS.p3 being introduced to more intellectual novels. “I write genre observed through a literary lens,” Percy said. “Genre is great for a number of reasons, namely the fast-moving and cleanly- Human Sciences PERCY.p3 >> Students honored as Margaret Sloss Women’s Center marshals ChickLit’s invites new members By Molly.Halferty iowastatedaily.com Center hosts its first The College of Human Sciences will be recognizing three undergradu- book club meeting Club’s book list ate student honorees at the fall com- January: mencement ceremony Dec. 17. By Carmen.Leng “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Hillary Rodgers, senior in elemen- iowastatedaily.com Atwood tary education; Abbie Marsh, senior “Feminism is for Everybody” by in family and consumer science The Margaret Sloss Women’s Bell Hooks education and studies; and Jessica Center hosted its first book club February: Crawford, senior in child, adult and meeting Thursday, and beginning “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett family services, will be recognized as next semester, the club will meet March: CHS graduation marshals. monthly. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Rodgers was on the Dean’s List The meeting consisted of 11 fac- by Stieg Larsson from 2006 to 2010, was a member ulty members and students, all en- April: “Red Tent” by Anita Diamant of the ISU Honors Program and thusiastic to read and talk about the Members of ChickLit’s talk Thursday at the Margaret Sloss House about what was a peer mentor for the Preparing books. they read. The group next meets Jan. 20. Photo: Tsubasa Shigehara/Iowa State Tomorrow’s Teachers Learning The book club is exciting to Betty Daily Community. Baker, program assistant for the books. I want to have conversations She said her experience as a peer Intensive English and Orientation cause it will make it interesting with The women decided to take a vote about the books and discuss any mentor was what made her stand out Program, because “everyone wants all the different age groups’ perspec- on which five books they were inter- questions that came up for you while among other students, because she to be here, and everyone wants to tives,” said Sarah Thies, sophomore ested in reading about throughout reading.” was able to become closer with not read the books.” in construction engineering. the remainder of the year. Students and faculty members only students, but faculty and staff The women engaged in the The first gathering consisted of The women took into consider- can find the books on amazon.com, as well. Rodgers is currently student club came up with the group name, going over a list of books that Penny ation when choosing the books that at Parks Library and Ames Public teaching at Gray Elementary School ChickLit’s. Rice, book club facilitator and direc- they wanted a mix of time periods, Library and at the used book store, in Chicago. ChickLit’s is offered to students, tor of MSWC, assembled by gather- topics, authors and a good balance Firehouse, in downtown Ames. “I’m originally from Minneapolis, but staff members are also encour- ing information from other women’s between depressing and happy The book club will meet from so having an urban teaching experi- aged to come. centers across the nation. The mem- stories. noon to 1 p.m. the following dates: “It’s nice to have a wide range of bers in the book club could also sug- Penny Rice explained to every- Jan. 20, Feb. 17, March 24 and April COMMENCEMENT.p3 >> people involved in the book club be- gest any books they wished. one, “I will not be lecturing about the 21. PAGE 2 | Iowa State Daily | Friday, December 10, 2010 Weather | Provided by ISU Meteorology Club Daily Snapshot Gorgeous, mostly sunny Fri day with light winds. 32|42 Freezing rain chance late. Sat Snow likely. Be careful outside as temperatures 0|33 drop and winds pick up. Arctic conditions may get Sun us in the holiday spirit. -2|9 Good luck on finals. Dec. 12, 1989: fun Thirteen cities, from Minnesota to Texas, re- fact ported record low temperatures, with morning lows of 22 degrees below zero. Calendar FRIDAY FRIDAY CODAC Fall Art Sale Retirement Reception When: When: noon to 5 p.m. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. What: What: Annual fall sale of Retirement reception DEAD WEEK: Finals week gives students plenty to study work by students for professor Max Da Bin Lee, junior in animal science, studies for his final in Animal Science 235 during Dead Week.