<rss version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Advance-Titan]]></title><link>http://advancetitan.com/rss.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[All stories currently published and not in the archive.]]></description><generator><![CDATA[UW Oshkosh Residence Life RSS 2.0 Grabber]]></generator><item><title><![CDATA[WEB EXCLUSIVE: Video game Christmas wishlist]]></title><description><![CDATA[Another Christmas is here, which means store shelves are crowded with a bunch of video games all fighting for a place in your home.  Here is a little list that can help make sure that the gifts you give or receive this Christmas are worthy of being put into whatever video game system you enjoy this holiday.  

[b]Fable II- Xbox 360[/b]

“Fable II” is the best game to come out this fall.  It takes place 500 years after the first “Fable.”  The Heroes from “Fable” are no longer around, and evil has taken over the land.  The game begins with a bang, literally, as the players character and sister are both shot by Lucien, the main protagonist of the game.  From there the main character becomes a Hero and recruits others to stop Lucien from changing the world into a better place-and by better he means destroying everyone and everything.  

The story doesn’t get more in-depth in that.  What makes “Fable II” a great game is the characters and how easy it is to get absorbed in the world.  The game is laced with subtle jokes that will actually make gamers laugh, a very hard thing to do in a video game.  One of the characters, Reaver, is a fine example of this.  He is full of ego and within the first few lines of dialogue gamers will hate him but laugh at his viewpoints about life and his place in it.  

“Fable II” is a big time-absorbing game.  If gamers aren’t hacking and slashing (this is an action role-playing game) they will be serving drinks at the bar for some extra cash, buying real estate, searching the world for hidden items, taking on side quests to earn renown among the people of the world or maybe just playing fetch with their dog.  There are so many things to do in Fable II that it is impossible to get bored.  

The greatest thing about “Fable II” is being able to be an evil or good character.  The choices players make affect everything around them.  Making an evil choice might make it so that a city never develops how it should.  Being good on the other hand would make that city one that flourishes.  Having the choice between good and evil isn’t in enough video games, and it’s done well in only a handful of the games.  It is very rewarding experience to be a good character in Fable II.

Only one flaw affects the game.  It is a short game.  The first game I have clocked in at just over 30 hours, but I was very obsessive and did everything I could and more.  The game is easily beatable a second time through in less than 10 hours.  However, the experience is better than any other game out there this holiday season.  

5/5

[b]Gears of War 2-Xbox 360[/b]

“Gears of War 2” was released just released this November.  I picked up the game that day when Best Buy opened in Appleton, came straight home, and 13 hours later beat it with my roommate.  We only got up a handful of times to eat and relieve ourselves of all the soda we were drinking.  

“Gears 2” is a fun game that only expanded upon the first one in every way possible.  The story again follows the exploits of Delta Squad with Marcus, Dom, Cole and Baird at the forefront of the fight.  The plot is actually expanded upon and a lot better than the simple story set up in “Gears 1.”  The locusts (the evil underground dwellers of the game) and the humans are both launching last-chance attacks on each other.  Along the ride a lot of people are going to die and a lot of questions will be answered.  Gamers will finally know how the locusts sink cities and what is happening to all the missing people.  

Even thought many questions are answered, it seems like many new questions are asked and then quickly forgotten about.  Apparently the main characters father knows the locust Queen and isn’t dead.  However, they aren’t answered so everyone can buy “Gears of War 3” and find out, which isn’t a bad thing, just kind of annoying to not know that much after 13 hours of game.

Aside from a much longer story mode is the more robust online mode.  New modes have been added to the online experience to keep things interesting.  One such mode, Horde, is a battle of attrition.  Up to five players team up to fight against wave after wave of locust.  After each round is over everyone tries to forage the battlefield to get whatever limited ammo they can to fight the next, and much harder, wave.  

The only negative thing about “Gears 2” is how glitch it can get.  There were times in the story mode where I was just stuck in the ground for no reason at all.  It doesn’t happen often, but it is a glaring problem when it does happen.  

Games online are also easier to join and the new party system makes it easy to join any online friends for a night of fragging.  “Gears 2” is a must-play for gamers that love third-person shooters.

4.5/5

[b]Little Big Planet-Playstation 3[/b]

“Little Big Planet” is a weird game.  It is a platformer much like any old school Super Mario game.  The characters that gamers use are little Sackboys.  The game however, isn’t easily comparable to any other game.

The games story mode can be played with up to four people.  Playing with at least two people makes the game easier, and nets cool new objects to use in the games level builder that can only be obtained in special areas made for two.  Usually the areas where two people work together are the most fun.  One Sackboy will help the other by pulling switches to unlock doors or stop objects to allow the other player to get to his destination.  

The game is a fine example of an old-school platformer because the stages are the challenging part of the game.  There aren’t enemies constantly attacking or delaying progress.  Avoiding fire, falling rocks, explosives, deadly gas and bottomless pits are the hardest things to do in the game.  It is very rewarding to make it through an electric-filled spinning wheel of death.  The stages will surely get the adrenaline pumping.

The biggest selling point for “LBP” is the ability to create stages and share them with other people online.  Objects collected throughout the story mode are used in this mode.  Gamers can design anything they desire and share the creation online for people to play.  It is highly addictive to create a stage that works, and that is also fun.  A quick Google search of “LBP” user-created levels will show some of the better stages that model things from “Super Mario Bros.” to “Metal Gear Solid” and even “Silent Hill.”  

If creating new levels doesn’t sound like fun, gamers can always just play the ones that have been created online.  So even if you never touch the stage creator, there are always new levels to enjoy online.

“LBP” is the best game this holiday season for Playstation 3 owners.  It seems like a lot of work to have to create your own stages after the story mode, but those that give it a try won’t be disappointed in how unique it is.  Who doesn’t love playing as a little Sackboy that rescues a fire-breathing cat to battle an evil Oni in a volcano? 

4.5/5]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Arts+&amp;+Entertainment&amp;s=7343</link><author>by Louis Garcia, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Phil Martinez: The Ten Best Albums of 2008]]></title><description><![CDATA[1.  [b]Lil’ Wayne: Tha Carter III[/b] - Surprise, surprise. While I have been praising Wayne all year, you can’t blame Tha Carter III for dropping in at number one.  Whether as an alien, a venereal disease or any other conglomeration of his mind, one thing is for sure: Lil’ Wayne truly is the best rapper alive.

2.  [b]TV On The Radio: Dear Science[/b] - There isn’t much to say about TVOTR’s newest album except that it totally blows me away.  Fast and slow, up and down; this album tells all that while things may look glum the key is to just live it up (with plentiful strings and brass instruments or course). 

3.  [b]Portishead: Third[/b] - The long anticipated third album from England’s trip-hop kings departs on a darker, more industrial, tone taking the listener on a sonic wave of Beth Gibbon’s haunting wails.

4.  [b]Girl Talk: Feed the Animals[/b] - As the best party mix of 2008, mashup DJ Gregg Gillis delivers the best of everything from Tag Team and Radiohead to Lil’ Wayne and Sinead O’Connor.  Put this record on, get sh*tfaced and let the ensuing fun commence.

5.  [b]Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend[/b] - These Columbia University graduates made it feel OK to listen to pop music again with their afro-pop influences and Lacoste sweaters bringing in everything that is good about pop music (except “One” because I wish I could punch whoever Blake is in the face).

6.  [b]Blitzen Trapper: Furr[/b] - After the buzz surrounding its previous release, “Wild Mountain Nation,” and the ensuing Sub Pop record contract, anticipation was high for the follow-up, and boy did this folk-rock sextet bring it with a Dylan-esque album that is complete front to back.

7. [b]Q-Tip: The Renaissance[/b] -  For those who thought Q-Tip fell off the map after his only released solo album in 1999, think again.  “The Renaissance” is a breath of fresh air, bringing the Tribe’s jazzy infusion into the mix yet again for something that truly is a rebirth in hip hop.

8. [b]Mount Eerie With Julie Doiron and Fred Squire: Lost Wisdom[/b] -  This beautifully constructed collaboration between the hopelessly unsettled Phil Elverum and the distinctly straight-forward Julie Doiron make this album one of the best male/female collaborations of the year regardless of what people say about She & Him.

9.  [b]Black Mountain: In the Future[/b] - Post-Pink Floyd psychedelic rock is a hard genre to impress with, but making it your own is the key to this conundrum and Black Mountain does exactly this with war hammer force, outer realm euphoria and a wicked nine-minute track on “In the Future.”  

10.  [b]Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes[/b] - Yet another indie folk group who kicked a little ass this year.  As a debut, Fleet Foxes does everything a music lover could want.  They mix genres while bringing back the classics we all love but in a contemporary and rustic fashion.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Arts+&amp;+Entertainment&amp;s=7347</link><author>by Phil Martinez, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ben Munson: The Ten Best Albums of 2008]]></title><description><![CDATA[1. [b]Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes[/b] - Fleet Foxes calls what it does ‘Baroque harmonic pop,’ and most people agree that it will both take your breath and wet your pants. If there is a God, this is probably the sound that will come out of his or her face. 

2. [b]Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend[/b] - Vampire Weekend has been talked up and down yet I can still listen to the album three times in a row without hesitation. It’s like The Police, The Strokes and The Lion King got an apartment together.

3. [b]M83: Saturdays=Youth[/b] - Put this on an 80s mix and no one will know because it sounds just like that big synth-driven stuff from John Hughes movies. That’s right, I’m a Gen-Xer. Whatever, I bet all my Gen-Y coworkers slept on this one. 

4. [b]TV On The Radio: Dear Science[/b] - Making an alarmingly consistent album is one thing, but doing it after everyone just recovered from getting his or her heads shattered by “Return to Cookie Mountain” is crazy. Dropping two consecutive great albums is like dunking twice on one dunk. 

5. [b]MGMT: Oracular Spectacular[/b] - Apparently MGMT is from New York, but it sounds like world music from the moon. These international party boys are probably huffing peyote off a panda’s chest in Manila or something equally exotic right now. 

6. [b]The Raveonettes: Lust Lust Lust[/b] - Everyone knows that cobras are dangerous but that doesn’t stop tons of people from owning them. “Lust Lust Lust” is like that proverbial cobra, except that this album will own you. You may need to keep some O.A.R. on hand as anti-venom. 

7. [b]Girl Talk: Feed The Animals[/b] - “All Summer Long” by Kid Rock is a mash-up if the purpose of a mash-up is to ruin music forever. Girl Talk packs about 100 better mash-ups into one album, let’s them play for 10 seconds and moves on because he knows he can do better. 

8. [b]Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago[/b] - Bon Iver sounds like a really delicate bastard, but he’s like six foot four and from Eau Claire so hopefully he will rise up, eat Conor Oberst and assume his rightful place as the master of sad bastard music. 

9. [b]The Walkmen: You & Me[/b] - The Walkmen likes to use old instruments that rattle, and its music is kind of woozy and boozy. Listening to this album is what it feels like to be that guy who chugs cough syrup on the train in “The Darjeeling Limited.” 

10. [b]Fucked Up: The Chemistry Of Common Life[/b] - At my bachelor party we drank these shots called “Devastating Body Rockers.” Maybe that’s what Fucked Up should have called this album because that’s exactly what it does, except you want more the next day. 
 

Bonus: The guy who sings for number two jamming with number 10.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp3WLzO-dyU]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Arts+&amp;+Entertainment&amp;s=7348</link><author>by Ben Munson, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Will Amacher: The Ten Best Albums of 2008]]></title><description><![CDATA[1. [b]The Black Keys: Attack and Release[/b] – With the help of Danger Mouse, The Black Keys efforts in 2008 came to yield a near-perfect contemporary blues record inspired by and dedicated to ill-fated yet influential musician Ike Turner. Those gritty Ohio bluesmen really know how to tip its hat.

2. [b]Lil’ Wayne: Tha Carter III[/b] – Whether it was laying down the keys to rap success in “Dr. Carter” or spitting razors at Al Sharpton in “Misunderstood,” it seems the “New Orleans Nightmare” is having a great time where he’s at: The top of his game.

3. [b]TV On The Radio: Dear Science[/b] – I never realized there was a market for synthy, indie funk/blues, but this is a market I would gladly shop at.

4. [b]The Raconteurs: Consolers of the Lonely[/b] – The sophomore release from the Jack White/Brendan Benson Project showed exponential improvement upon the group’s debut record, “Broken Boy Soldiers.”  White’s taste and talent seem to only get better with time, so don’t expect to see these fellas fall under the bus.

5. [b]The Hold Steady: Stay Positive[/b] – Boys and girls in America do indeed have such a sad time together, but that hasn’t stopped this band from making sure things are on the up-and-up. Powered by whisky, Craig Finn has emerged as one of the premiere musical storytellers in recent years.

6. [b]Beck: Modern Guilt[/b] – This alternative renaissance man cannot be caged by any particular genre, and Beck continues to impress with each new venture. That mellow voice, along with the golden touch of producer Danger Mouse, makes for an album that those involved should be proud of.

7. [b]Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend[/b] – Not since Boston released its self-titled album has such magnificent music flowed from a group of academics. Vampire Weekend came on the scene guided by heavy buzz, and its catchy and fun debut release certainly lived up to the hype.

8. [b]MGMT: Oracular Spectacular[/b] – Surf/jungle/country, as MGMT categorizes its music, sounds like you dipped some disco records in LSD and then set them on fire. Riding the same wave of media attention as Vampire Weekend, this unique duo definitely left a lasting impression in 2008.

9. [b]Gnarls Barkley: The Odd Couple[/b] – Despite the album’s title, “The Odd Couple” is proof positive that this pairing was not without merit. I have no idea when Dangermouse even sleeps, but his impeccable production talent is a perfect ying to the soulful, chubby yang of Cee-Lo’s vocals.

10. [b]BB King: One Kind Favor[/b] – The King of the Blues may be in his 80s, but his voice, with Lucille playing perfectly in tow, sounds like age has had no affect. T-Bone Burnett helped King to mold a crisp, classic blues sound that epitomizes this most influential musician’s long and laborious career.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Arts+&amp;+Entertainment&amp;s=7349</link><author>by Will Amacher, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dan Shafer: The Ten Best Albums of 2008]]></title><description><![CDATA[1. [b]The Hold Steady: Stay Positive[/b] - The Hold Steady is often described as America’s best bar-rock band. Um, excuse me? What kind of rock is not bar rock? The Hold Steady is America’s best rock band and “Stay Positive” is the best album in perhaps the decade’s best year in music. Keep dreaming of that unified scene. 

2. [b]Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend[/b] - Believe the blog hype, “Vampire Weekend” is great and in so many different ways. It’s catchy, inventive, original, intelligent and funky. I could go on and on. Bonus points for being an amazing driving album. “Walcott” is an instant classic.

3. [b]The Black Keys: Attack and Release[/b] - America’s most thunderous blues band joins forces with mad genius producer Dangermouse to create a zeitgeist album for the ages. This is where the future meets the past. Things aint like they used to be, and its been strange times indeed.

4. [b]MGMT: Oracular Spectacular[/b] - This is music for people who are feeling rough, feeling raw, in the prime of their lives, fighting the weekend wars and whatnot. The youth are starting to change and MGMT is part of the soundtrack. Best surf/jungle/country album of all time. 

5. [b]Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes[/b] - This album is phenomenal in all of its harmonious glory. Fleet Foxes are the next Wilco. 

6. [b]Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago[/b] - With all the amazing possibilities in music production these days, Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) proves once again, that sometimes all you need is a one-of-a-kind voice, an acoustic guitar, and some time spent Up North. On, Wisconsin.

7. [b]TV on the Radio: Dear Science[/b] - Once a terribly overrated noise-rock act, TVOTR makes the leap into indie rock greatness with this funky, futuristic dance party album that gets better with each listen. IF there’s a golden age comin’ round, TV on the Radio was the first to say so. Warrants mentioning. 

8. [b]My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges[/b] - Never mind the hipsters, “Evil Urges” was wrongfully crucified by the relentlessly negative online music press but is an inventive, bold step forward with songs that range from beautiful ballads to bone-crushing rock ‘n’ roll glory. Not bad for one o the best live acts on the planet. 

9. [b]Lil’ Wayne: Tha Carter III[/b] - Dr. Carter to the rescue, indeed. No matter what kind of hip-hop you’re into, Tha Carter has it all. Don’t think so? I guess it’s just a misunderstanding then.

10. [b]Girl Talk: Feed The Animals[/b] - Greg Gillis (Girl Talk) is sampling samples of other people samples. It’s completely unoriginal material presented in a completely original format, and its wayyyy too much fun. Without a doubt, this is the party album of the year.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Arts+&amp;+Entertainment&amp;s=7350</link><author>by Dan Shafer, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Jay Spanbauer: The Ten Best Albums of 2008]]></title><description><![CDATA[1. [b]Foals: Antidotes[/b] - There is much to enjoy on this album filled with a curious mix of math-rock and dance-punk.  There is something for everybody on this phenomenal debut album.

2. [b]Radiohead: In Rainbows[/b] - Yes, this did technically come out in 2008.  Radiohead gives another well-crafted album with tracks that supersede the hype around the album’s marketing.

3. [b]No Age: Nouns[/b] - The duo No Age put together one of the year’s best albums with a lush mix of noise and punk rock.  The album is loud and powerful, yet packed with substance.

4. [b]Sigur Rós: Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust[/b] - This beautiful album has a different feel than other Sigur Ros albums, but its acoustic and almost folk-esque sounds make the album both unique and wonderful. (Bonus points if you can pronounce the title.)

5. [b]Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes[/b] - Fleet Foxes’ debut album will be seen on almost all year-end lists, and it deserves to be.  This album is filled to the brim with lush harmonies and brilliant folk sounds.

6. [b]Portishead: Third[/b] - The eerily dark electronic album was worth the 10-year wait.  The album is less accessible than Portishead’s previous releases, but it is ultimately worth the extra effort.

7. [b]Glasvegas: Glasvegas[/b] - This album contains a huge “wall of sound” feel that is intoxicating.  This noisy rock album is brilliant and worthy of all the praise it has received.

8. [b]Bob Dylan: Tell Tale Signs[/b] - A collection that proves that Dylan’s “throw-aways” are better than most tracks that bands decide to release.  This two-disc set is a must have. (See Will Amacher’s review of this album in the A-T. He also loved this album. 

9. [b]Fuck Buttons: Street Horrrsing[/b] - The album is packed with synths and noise that are both exciting and intriguing after many listens.  Speaking of many listens, this one will does require a few.

10. [b]Mogwai: Hawk Is Howling[/b] - A beautifully diverse post-rock album, it is a coherent journey throughout the entire record.  This would be a nice introduction to Mogwai and the post-rock genre.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Arts+&amp;+Entertainment&amp;s=7351</link><author>by Jay Spanbauer, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Review: Athens rules the Reptile Palace]]></title><description><![CDATA[On a frigid, snowy Saturday night, the Reptile Palace in Oshkosh emitted a vibrant energy that warmed all in attendance, where Chicago-based Athens took the stage for an evening of unforgettable music and showmanship.

Athens is vocalist and guitarist Andrew Yearick, bassist Nick Chupein, guitarist Jed Olaus and drummer Adam Galek.  The band hails from Chicago, although all of the members originate from Pennsylvania. The band has been performing since 2005 and has released two EPs.

Athens came to Oshkosh on the night of Dec. 6 fresh from recording and mixing its latest release, the tongue twister titled, “What Would We Wear Were We Werewolves?” The album was recorded during a seven-month period in the band’s church-turned apartment in Chicago.  

“It is much more of a cohesive piece than our last release,” Yearick said. “We spent a lot of time recording it and trying to get everything just right; it helped that we knew a lot more about recording this time around, as well.”

The album is available locally at the Exclusive Company and Appleton Import Records; the album can also be purchased on iTunes and from the band’s MySpace page.

Playing in Oshkosh was just one of the band’s stops around the Midwest in promotion of its new album. Athens will continue to play throughout the Midwest for the next several months, including stops in Madison and Chicago and is also creating videos for every track of the new album.  

“We made a green screen in the basement of our apartment,” Chupein said. “We brought in a director, and just finished making the video for ‘Big Fat Old Man.’”

Although most tracks center on “indie core,” the songs evolve and contain elements from disco to blues. Try “Modest Mouse meets David Bowie,” or “Sonic Youth meets the Talking Heads.”  But Yearick said he tries not to concern himself with genres or labeling his music.

“The songs keep changing, and I don’t really feel like we are headed in any certain direction,” he said.  “Whatever direction we’re going in, we’ll roll with.”

The eclectic-nature of Athens made for a phenomenal performance.  Opening the set was the frantic “Big Fat Old Man,” that raised the eyebrows of the small crowd in the smoke-filled bar. The band cycled through songs off the latest release as well as older songs. Disco-infused “The Future” appeared to win over the crowd with it’s driving feel and hilariously awesome background vocals.

The tiny stage of the Reptile Palace was filled with a multitude of instruments. Other than the standard guitar, bass and drums, there was a glockenspiel, a cowbell, a synthesizer and the all-important whistle.

The set was highlighted by the brilliant guitar/effects work of Olaus, and the vocals of Yearick that sounded like a mix between Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse and Jello Biafra of The Dead Kennedys.

At the conclusion of the set, someone from the back of the bar went to the stage, giving the band a crisp $100 bill to play another. The band, laughing at the situation, agreed.  

“The Reptile Palace was a great example of a show where we planned to have a tight 45-minute set to promote the new CD, the unexpected happened and we made a night out of it,” Yearick said. “[After the set break] we played a couple songs that we left off the first set list, rehashed a couple that we did play, jammed some cover tunes that we never rehearsed and made a song up on the spot…oh and we jammed with the bar patrons for a half hour afterwards.”

It was a great night for music at the Reptile Palace.  The only real disappointment was the relatively small crowd, but the band didn’t seem to mind, as Yearick said the band enjoys playing intimate sets.  

Athens will be busy the rest of the year, as well as the beginning of next year touring the Midwest, gaining as much publicity and exposure as possible. There is hope to extend its touring across the entire country next year, as well, releasing a few singles along the way.  A full-length album is also in the works for the end of next year.

Keep an eye out for Athens as they travel the country in the next year, as they are no doubt worth checking out. Its new EP, “What Would We Wear Were We Werewolves?” is also worth the mere $7 price tag. Oshkosh was lucky to have this band stop for the evening, and I hope, for your benefit and mine, that they will make the trek here again soon.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Arts+&amp;+Entertainment&amp;s=7361</link><author>by Jay Spanbauer, of The Advance-Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Student-organized concert rocks the New Moon Café]]></title><description><![CDATA[A one-armed man and a group of high school jazz musicians played music Thursday night to benefit the abused families residing in the Christine Ann Center of Oshkosh.

The event, “Standing Strong,” was a benefit concert featuring music from local musicians Tony Memmel, Shane Longsine, magnaPurp and the jazz group Common Time.

What had begun as a simple class project took on a life of its own when UW-Oshkosh students Carrie Tucker, Janelle Buckholz, Kayla Bird and Luke Miller began organizing a benefit concert for the Christine Ann Center of Oshkosh.

The group started out planning a community action project for its education class. 

“We each gave our idea of who we wanted to help,” Buckholz said.

Personal connections in the community helped the group find a location for their event.

“Carrie Tucker came up with the idea of the benefit concert.  She knew the owner [Aaron Baer] and arranged it from there,” Buckholz said. 

Tucker, a non-traditional student at Oshkosh, said, “After consideration of other options such as door to door collections and crafts, the group finally decided upon the concert.”

She continued, “We went to open mic nights to find musicians, and asked around at the high schools.” Tucker said it was their way of “just trying to get anyone to donate their time and their talent. Then we just started working out the details.”

The group decided to hold the benefit concert for local not -for-profit agency Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services. The center, which has offices throughout the Fox Valley, provides protection and services to individuals and families who are victims of domestic abuse and violence.

“We wanted something to help the Christine Ann Center and help out the abused families there,” Buckholz said. “Our initial thought was to make care packages but we caught wind of a program that needs funding and we’re working towards that.”

She said, “I’m just excited to be part of this.”

The group of students was able to organize a lineup of well-known local talent to entertain their audience.

Memmel, a vocalist who plays guitar, piano and trumpet, despite the fact that he has only one arm. headlined the event and closed out the show with his acoustic guitar set. He is also an alumnus of Oshkosh.

Common Time, whose members are Mike Malone, James Sawicki, Joey Alban, and Dan Nonwieler, began as a jazz combo playing at their high school, Oshkosh West, in October of 2007. They played numerous school  concerts before branching out into the public and developing something of a local following. Their group, which played second in the lineup got the crowd swinging with their relaxed jazz tunes.

The concert took place at the New Moon Café Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. with a $3 cover, and all proceeds went to the Christine Ann Center. 

The music lasted around three hours. Besides Memmel and Common Time, Shane Longside played acoustic guitar covers of bands like Led Zeppelin, Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam, and the band magnaPurp brought their heavy blues style to the New Moon.

Jaltheus Palmer, a member of magnaPurp, said the cause of helping families dealing with abuse was close to his heart, so he was glad to be a part of the benefit concert. “I kind of grew up in a household like that with my mom so I know what that’s like,” he said.

The student organizers said they put up posters on campus and local high schools, published the event at Oshkoshevents.com and spread the word as much as they could to bring people to the New Moon on Thursday.

Buckholz and Tucker estimated attendance at well over 100 people as they looked out over the packed coffee shop, and the over $300 in their collections coffers.

As the acts changed, many audience members left, while others took their place, gradually dwindling to the end of the concert around 9:30 p.m.



Becky Thomas contributed to the writing of this story.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Features&amp;s=7338</link><author>by Max Davies, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[New home for Newman Center]]></title><description><![CDATA[A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Newman Center Catholic ministry took place Wednesday, Dec. 3. Despite the snow that day, there was a good turnout from those looking forward to the blessing of the new land and the beginnings of construction on a long-awaited new building for the religious organization.

Among those that attended the ceremony were the Bishop Morneau from Green Bay, assistant Mayor of Oshkosh John Fitzgerald, and Chancellor Richard Wells. Members of the Newman council were ecstatic knowing that they were moving forward with their project.

Many universities throughout the U.S. have Newman Centers similar to Oshkosh’s on or near its campuses. Though the Oshkosh Newman Center is not affiliated with UW-Oshkosh, its goals include helping young college students  develop and sustain their Catholic faith.

The current Newman Center has been around since the 1960s. Multiple denominations had originally practiced at the Newman Center, but it has since become a strictly Catholic ministry.

Patience was the key with this building project that has been a long time coming. Back in 2004, plans for a new building became the next hot topic. Council members spent time searching for the perfect place near campus that provided enough room for the plans that they have in store for the ministry. The new building will provide more space for worshiping space, programming and social events.

With expenses rising and space diminishing, it was time for a transition. The new property was finally purchased in 2006.

The Newman Center’s Web site explained that the Green Bay Catholic diocese contributed to the purchase of the land and to the cost of the new building, which are supplimented by proceeds from the sale of another building. Fundraising is hoped to bring in the rest of the money needed to complete the Newman Center’s new home in Oshkosh.

Campus Minister Courtney Watson described her hopes for the new location of the Newman Center.

“Finding a site close to campus was our main goal,” she said. “We want it to be a drop-in place where students can come to study or meet with friends during the day.” 

The location of the building makes it easy for students to find, especially for first and second-year students in the dorms who are looking to continue practicing their faith on campus.

The Newman Center is currently based in Elmwood Commons, across from Reeve Union on Elmwood Ave. The small space that the group has in the building was becoming smaller as the years went by. 

Various offices were moved to the commons while campus buildings like Dempsey Hall were under construction, leaving the Newman Center to make do with the room that it had left.

The new building will provide more space for the Newman Center. According to its Web site, the building will house a 150-seat chapel, a student lounge, a kitchenette, several multi-purpose meeting rooms and offices and an outdoor patio.

President of the Newman Council Katie Pierce, who described the Newman Center as her “home away from home,” is eager for the new building to open.

“It’ll be nice not to worry about where we’ll be and how we would let students know where we’d be,” she said. “Instead, we can focus on campus outreach. We will also get back our much needed lounge space where we can hold our events and programs.”

The most dreaded week of the semester, finals week, is a time that the Newman Center organizes care packages filled with goodies for students who need a break from the overwhelming amount of schoolwork. 

During the school year it dedicates two nights per week towards mass. Due to a lack of space at Elmwood Commons, Wednesday night mass is held at its new offices on 514 Scott St. and Sunday night mass is located at the Student Center for Equity and Diversity. Not everything that the council participates in is directed towards the campus. The group also tries to get involved in the community.

Newman Council secretary Geralyn Smith takes part in the monthly council meeting and leads the small faith sharing group. This group meets once a week to discuss current issues of being young Catholic women on campus.
“We do a lot of things for the community like going to Father Carr’s, the Omro Care Center and Habitat for Humanity,” Smith said.

With the new building on the way, Smith is excited to bring together more people and continue visiting throughout the community together as a group.

“I think that the new Newman Center is a wonderful opportunity for the Catholic community to come together with a fresh start,” she said.

With the new building set to be completed around April of 2009, the Newman Center will have a better facility to continue with the many services that it offers Catholic students on campus.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Features&amp;s=7360</link><author>by Jenna Schumacher, of The Advance-Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Senior sendoff: Becky Thomas, Features Editor]]></title><description><![CDATA[Here I am, finally graduating from this fine upstanding university. It’s been quite a ride.

This is the last piece of writing I’ll publish in the A-T, which makes me wax retrospective about the legacy I’ll leave at UW-Oshkosh. Bear with me.

Yes, I am that tall girl on campus. And for my last three semesters here, I’ve also been a reporter and editor for the student newspaper.

For a long time I said I was too busy to be a reporter, and when I finally started here as a sports reporter it was stressful and tough to balance everything. 

But from the very beginning I learned a lot, and looking back now I wish I would have gotten involved earlier. Now, with my lofty position as features editor coming to a close, I’d say I’ve come a long way in my four and a half years here.

From working at the A-T I’ve learned how to deal with all kinds of people, how to get an interview, how to construct an interesting story, and most importantly I’ve come to realize why I love journalism. 

Looking back on all conversations, the hours spent crafting stories and the people who have shared their stories, I realize the role I played as a student journalist was actually a very privileged position. 

I’m a curious person, and I have really enjoyed having conversations, having an excuse to ask questions, and being able to share some, I think, really interesting stories with the readers of this newspaper. 

I want to thank all my professors for pushing me to become a better writer and thinker. The things I learned in the journalism department not only helped me at the A-T, but will cross over as I enter the profession. 

It’s been fun, and I’m going to miss all my awesome friends, and maybe I’ll eventually miss the late nights as I sat with my fellow A-T staffers, spending hours in the news cave, huddled around the copy desk with the breaking news lights spinning. 

It’s really been a great experience, and I’m glad I got the opportunity to be a part of it. So, to conclude this mushy farewell, it’s a big world out there, and hopefully I’ll make it big. I wish all my fellow graduates the best of luck. Peace!]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Lighter+Side&amp;s=7337</link><author>by Becky Thomas, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Senior sendoff: Dan Shafer, Columnist/Web Editor]]></title><description><![CDATA[It has been 2,047 days since President Bush spoke in front of the infamous “Mission Accomplished” banner and 1,554 days since I began my higher education. That’s right, it will take me less time to start and finish college than it has taken our government to end a war that was declared over. Suck on that, Dubya!

Fortunately, I have had the opportunity – nay, the privilege – to voice my concerns about the world around me in the form of opinion columns for the Advance-Titan for the past two years, and for that I am extremely grateful. I’ve written more than 50 columns, a few dozen editorials, a few dozen reviews, and even a news story or LighterSide here and there. I’ve written about everything from how to get away with drinking in the dorms, to the genius of Radiohead’s “In Rainbows,” to the gross incompetence of both the Bush Administration and the Democrat-led Congress, the 2008 Milwaukee Brewers, Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and eventual victory, John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Our Country” advertisements, and many ridiculous things in between.

For those of you who would like to access any of these, they are currently all on advancetitan.com, and they will soon all be located in one place on my new blog, [url=http://americandan.wordpress.com/]AmericanDan.wordpress.com[/url]. 

Now I need to thank some people.

Thanks to my good friend Zandi Brehmer for making me apply to work at the A-T in the summer of 2006, and for giving life the full court press every goddamn day.

Thanks to my mom, dad, sister, brother, and everyone in the Shafer-Malmstone-Girodo-Owens family. I know most of you don’t agree with much of anything I write about, but I’ve always appreciated the fact that you’ve always respected my right to do so.

Thanks to Hardy, Jimbo, Big Dub, Benson, and the rest of the merry pranksters from North Scott 2nd floor. You guys are the real heroes.

Thanks to all of my former Advance-Titan co-workers, especially my editors, Teresa Puschnig, Tyler Maas, Ben Munson, Phil Martinez, Jenna Kleist, and Max Davies, who let me write whatever I wanted, pretty much all of the time. 

Thanks to America’s founding fathers for establishing the right to free speech. That was a pretty cool idea.  

Finally, thanks to Brett Favre. We never should have traded you.

Keep on rockin’ in the free world,

- Dan Shafer]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Lighter+Side&amp;s=7356</link><author>by Dan Shafer, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Senior sendoff: Megan Sheridan, Managing B-Section Editor]]></title><description><![CDATA[Wow. What a long, strange trip this college stuff has been. Transferring from UW-Milwaukee, I had no idea what to expect of this campus, other than the fact that everyone I knew called the place really catchy things like “UW-Zero” and “Osh Vegas.” Let’s just say that, although these nicknames describe nothing about UW-Oshkosh at all, I was beyond intrigued.  
I came to find many things about this jewel of the Fox Valley. An educational Mecca of central Wisconsin, UW-Oshkosh opened my eyes to the world of unplowed roads, rabid abortion protesters and some of the fiercest wind known to civilized man. Always making sure to dance like no one was watching, my collegiate tenure was one filled with both rewarding success and miserable, miserable shortcomings, the balance of which has (hopefully?) given me the tools I will need to be a successful adult.

Due to the blurred effect that Jack Daniels has left on my memory, coupled with the massive amount of HJs that I’ve given over the past few years, I have no idea how much of my education I’ve actually retained. Hopefully I’ve still got some stored away, because I’ll probably need it. I’m not going to go into an extremely long tribute to my professors and fellow students, but I do have a few people to thank. 

First, I would like to thank Grace Lim for finally being able to hear me. It took a long time, but it was worth the wait, believe me. Also, I want to thank Will Amacher for writing what will probably come to be known as one of the most worthless senior send-offs of this or any other generation. Lastly, I want to thank God and the entire Jewish community for accepting my conversion. Best decision of my life.

So good-bye Sloshkosh. I will miss your townie and dude-bro-filled bars. I will certainly miss how, on only your best of days, you sometimes smell like the sewer barfed. I will miss the fact that I could never use my debit card in MiTaza, despite the fact that this is the 21st century. I will miss your cheese-grater streets, and I will especially remember the massive amounts of broken glass that cover the cement like a diamondy glaze. Lastly, I will never forget the Advance-Titan and its staff. You guys helped my life become totally redonked, and I will never truly find a way to properly thank you for that. If it weren’t for you, I might have gotten a job at The Northwestern. Talk about a last resort.



Note: This send-off  was not actually written by Megan Sheridan. Sheridan was unable to write in her emotionally unstable condition brought on by the fact that she now needs to get a job.  Will Amacher transcribed what he could decifer between her sobs.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Lighter+Side&amp;s=7357</link><author>by Will Amacher, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Senior sendoff: Ben Munson, Editor in Chief]]></title><description><![CDATA[Kevin Kosterman, the former B-Section managing editor, was the person who got me started at the Advance-Titan. He told me that he thought I’d be a good fit so I stopped down and Kate Briquelet, the features editor at the time, hired me on the spot. I wasn’t a very good news writer when I started and maybe I’m still not, but I learned a great deal from my four semesters working with some great people at the A-T and my four years at UW-Oshkosh. So I’m going to spend the majority of this column thanking those people.

Thank you Kevin for getting me started. Thanks Kate for making me rewrite and redo my reporting. Thanks Andrew Winistorfer for teaching me how to cut out pictures in Photoshop and for enjoying playing stupid songs on YouTube. Thanks to Tyler Maas for offering me the LighterSide/features editor position and for being the ultimate competition at NBA Jam. Working with Andrew and Tyler was the most fun I ever had at a job. Thank you Jenna Kleist for being such a good news editor and putting up with everything. Thanks Megan Sheridan for not getting mad when I didn’t want to write that knitting group story. Thanks Miles Maguire for sharing your knowledge and experience and for your comma-usage expertise. Thank you Grace Lim for always demanding better work out of me. Thanks Mike Cowling for teaching me so much more than writing and for all the handouts in class. Thank you Postal Services for the job, the 80s music and for helping me meet so many people on campus. Thank you Robert Feldman for always remembering my name. Thank you Dawn at Reeve Union for always knowing that I want a large coffee. Thank you Erin for being cool with me working Sundays.

Finally, thank you to Jenna, Max, Dan, Phil, Will, Munger, Becky, Megan and Josh for helping make being editor in chief fun and educational. The job could’ve been pretty tough for such an old person, but you guys all worked hard so that it wouldn’t be. Max, Phil, Will, Munger and Josh: I know you will do a great job with the A-T. To anyone considering working for the A-T, just stop by the office and tell them what you want to do. That’s the best way to make the experience worthwhile to you. With that said, I’m out. “Good riddance” to me.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Lighter+Side&amp;s=7358</link><author>by Colin Anderle, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Senior sendoff: Josh Miller, Arts & Entertainment reporter]]></title><description><![CDATA[I’m running down a dream that never would come to me…working on a mystery, going wherever it leads. These lyrics of my favorite Tom Petty song (and the new documentary up for a Grammy) describe perfectly my time here at UW-Oshkosh and writing for the Advance-Titan.

I’ve found that hard work is needed to get to your dreams, and sometimes you need to go through setbacks to get them.  I’ve questioned if I was really journalistic material (I’m fairly timid and quiet, although arts and entertainment topics usually get me talking) and have had troubles with meeting deadlines especially when I started writing for a weekly newspaper in the A-T. I also have had trouble finding the right place to accept articles.  But I’ve realized I just need to keep at it. I learn, and try again.  Things won’t always go your way, but it’s best to make the most of what you have and don’t ponder over those disappointments too long.

I would never have imagined that a pastime in high school would become a future career prospect. Now I’m feeling ready to see what the future holds with some great writing skills I’ve learned through journalism professors and on the A-T staff. Similar to what I’ve gone through here, I know that I’m in charge of finding my dreams and that only sometimes with luck they find me. I feel that I’m far from done discovering this mysterious world of journalism, which is filled with intriguing personalities. Wherever it’ll lead me, I’m not going to back down even if I have to pick myself up over and over.

I have to thank my journalism professors and the Advance-Titan for making me a better writer.  I’ve found that my voice in writing has been heard as people have expressed their reactions to me.

So, it’s out into the great wide open for me. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll interview Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Lighter+Side&amp;s=7359</link><author>by Joshua Miller, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Foundation rocked by economy]]></title><description><![CDATA[The [url=http://www.uwosh.edu/foundation/]University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Foundation[/url] has seen a 20 percent reduction in market assets due to a nation wide economic downturn, which will lead to fewer scholarships and endowed professorships being offered next semester.

According to Donna O’Brien, director of development for the foundation, the downturn began in the last quarter of 2007-08 and the foundation expects future gains or losses to follow the market. 	   

The foundation has a variety of allowable assets that include cash equivalents, fixed income securities, equity securities, mutual funds and other assets. 

Current earnings for scholarships are negative $140,000 to $142,000. The foundation recouped $25,000 in earnings by asking donors of the various scholarships that have negative earnings to make another donation, O’Brien said.

Arthur Rathjen, president of the foundation, said the negative earnings will not be entirely recouped but the foundation hopes to regain a significant portion. Asking donors to reinvest funds has been a challenge for the foundation because of the state of the economy.

“When we have a loss in the market those losses negatively impact support for scholarships,” Rathjen said. “You have to consider the environment. This is a unique challenge that everyone is trying to work through.”

Students will feel the impact in the 2009-10 school year when they will not be able to apply for certain scholarships offered in 25 different departments. Currently more than 100 scholarships have been suspended out of the more than 700 offered by the foundation.

“We still have many awards that are going forward,” Rathjen said. “I don’t want to give people the impression that it is all doom and gloom.”

The scholarships that have negative funds are all endowed, which means it is funded only through earnings. Non endowed scholarships have yet to be impacted and are funded through contributions or the creation of a restricted fund, but there is a possibility for the non endowed scholarships to be affected, O’Brien said.

This years annual fund figures are close to the figures of last year during the same time but that could change if the economy gets worse, Rathjen said.

Endowed professorships have also been reduced from seven to three because of negative earnings to fund the professorships. According to the university’s provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs [url=http://www.uwosh.edu/provost/provoststaff/manzi.php]Web site[/url], professorships are awarded to tenured faculty who are associate or full professors who show “excellence in scholarship and/or creative accomplishments.” The professorships come in several forms. Some are university-wide, others are restricted to a college or discipline, and others are for broad subject areas.

Al Hartman, interim provost and vice chancellor, said Chancellor Edward Penson will lend the university $16,000 this year and $15,000 next year, which will go towards the professorship and will have to be paid back. The money comes from Penson’s Endowed Professorship fund, which has accumulated during the past 20 years.

Hartman talked about the foundation’s loss of earnings and the aid that Penson will provide.

“When the value of the portfolio goes down there is no money there to pay for things,” Hartman said. “We’re just happy that Chancellor Penson is willing to lend us the money and funds so we can award three professorships this year.”

Those awarded are given a stipend of $2,500 and money for equipment and supplies and/or aid from a student. The respective department the awarded professor works for is also given a $500 stipend annually, according to the Academic Affairs Web site. 

President of the Faculty Senate Bill Wacholtz said as the economy gets worse this adds to the problems because issues such as professorship and scholarship funding are more immediate and prevalent concerns to those in the university community.

“This really hits everybody,” Wacholtz said. “It’s going to be a rocky road with the huge budget deficit statewide.”

Other faculty members haven’t said much about the situation, Wacholtz said, but he believes that morale has been impacted. Last year there were no opportunities to apply for a professorship because there were no open chairs. Wacholtz said now that the number of professorships has been cut to three it might become so competitive that the process could become arbitrary because all of the great ideas won’t be funded.

Wacholtz works in the chemistry department and said the department has four endowed scholarships, three of which have negative funds. He has also been in contact with math and science faculty who said the Schwartz scholarship also will not be given out due to negative funding.

Wacholtz said he was contacted numerous times by foundation members to talk about the problem, discuss plans to find donors and to start long term plans to deal with the issues.

Wacholtz said it is hard to predict what can happen on a day to day basis in the economy without going into what could happen five years down the road, but he said it’s important to look at the big picture and how this could impact future faculty undergraduate collaboration, sabbaticals and instructional faculty development programs, among other concerns.

The foundation has tried to relieve some of the problems for students by recently approving an increase in Emergency Student Loan funding. Students can now borrow up to $1,000 through the Emergency Loan program and have a longer time to pay the money back. The foundation has raised $25,000 so far for Emergency Loans and plans to continue to ask for donations from staff, faculty, retirees and others to gain money for the program. Rathjen strongly encouraged students to use Financial Services to try and help them with their finances.

Rathjen discussed other plans the foundation has to deal with the situation.

“People forget that, yes, we (have) scholarships that we’re not able to fund because of the market, but we’re able to go ahead and proceed with hundreds of others,” Rathjen said. “It’s a rough time, but it’s something we will continue to work through.”]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=News&amp;s=7339</link><author>by Jenna Kleist, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Web site compiles safety info]]></title><description><![CDATA[The conversion and storage of information can sometimes get cluttered and even hard to find with the growth of information technology in the world today.

A team of UW-Oshkosh staff proposed a Web site that would have all the safety information available for students in one comprehensive site.

[url=http://www.osa.uwosh.edu/]Oshkosh Student Association[/url] President Thomas Wolf, who thought of the idea of putting the Web site together, said they’re still in the early stages of planning.

“We want one central Web page that’ll have everything on there from all the different safety programs and services the university offers including the new Titan Transit system, the safe walk program and the emergency procedure manual,” Wolf said.

The site will also link to other Web pages such as counseling services and the university police. Wolf said the university wants to guide people to information they need when they need it. Currently UW-Oshkosh does not have a Web site specifically devoted to safety.  

“It’s not only important for potential students and their parents to know what we offer for safety here but also for students living here,” Wolf said.

Executive Projects Coordinator Tom Grogan, who is helping Wolf with the project, talked about their plans.

“We have many resources available but they just aren’t organized in a comprehensive way, so we’ve got some ideas on how to better present those resources,” Grogan said.  

The Web site does not have a title yet and Wolf said he wasn’t aware that if it would cost anything.  

“I think this will be a great resource for students,” said senior Jennifer Weber. “It should also include a news feed to keep us up to date on current issues on campus.”

Wolf said they want a section for safety alerts. 

“We are looking right now for some instant alert system similar to what UW-Madison and other campuses have,” Wolf said.  “We are also thinking about coming up with an online form people can fill about hazards or safety concerns they have that should be checked out.”    

The project is under review by the university administrative, and Wolf and Grogan hope to hear feedback shortly.  Wolf hopes to have the site up by early next semester if approved.    

“The idea came about because over the past few years there have been a lot of problems with safety on campuses with students and staff not knowing what to do in certain situations or what programs are available,” Wolf said.  “There are some safety related things on campus, but no one really knows where to find the information or who to call.”

In researching ideas for the Web site, Wolf and Grogan compiled a collection of ideas from about 25 different universities.  

“We explored within the UW-System and branched out to specific schools where they’ve had major events and incidents to see what information and resources they have available online,” Grogan said.  

A lot of institutions have safety related Web pages but not a comprehensive one, said Wolf. Some of these universities include UW-Eau Claire and UW-Parkside.   

After compiling the information of ideas, Wolf and Grogan sent it to select groups and departments asking for input. These groups included: the [url=http://www.uwosh.edu/couns_center/]Counseling Center[/url], [url=http://www.uwosh.edu/dean/]Dean of Students[/url], [url=http://www.uwosh.edu/imc/]Integrated Marketing and Communications[/url], all the vice chancellors, and the [url=http://www.uwosh.edu/up/]University Police[/url].  

Chief of Police Michael Melland said he thinks the Web site is an excellent idea.  

“I think there are massive possibilities with this from snow days to mass notifications,” Melland said. 

Grogan wants to incorporate a sense of urgency in safety.  

“For whenever there is a public safety challenge, what we’re trying to do is have the best starting point to deal with situations that may arise on campus,” said Grogan.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=News&amp;s=7340</link><author>By See Xiong, of the Advance-Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[‘Snow’ more Titan Nights this year]]></title><description><![CDATA[The final [url=http://reeve.uwosh.edu/get-involved/titan-nights]Titan Nights[/url] of the semester had a winter theme and brought a number of students from the cold outdoors inside with the enticements of hot cocoa and other activities Friday night in Reeve Union. 

Senior Jed Doyle enjoyed the event. 

“This is the best event this campus has ever put on,” Doyle said.

Attendance numbers exceeded the expectations of senior Rebecca Huebner.

“There were a lot more people than I thought,” Huebner said. “Both parking lots were full. It’s a cool event.”

There were five events and activities for students, including pottery painting, which senior Tracy Murray participated in.

“I loved the pottery, but I wished they had more pots,” Murray said. 

Another activity was gingerbread house making. Graham crackers were used in place of gingerbread.	

A number of assorted toppings and candies were given to help construct the sugary buildings.

Juniors Raquel Johnson and Joe Jung, who were making gingerbread houses, talked about what got them to come to Titan Nights.

They said because they live off-campus they start to feel disconnected from the university.

“It’s nice to get back on campus,” Jung said. 

Students were also given the opportunity to ride on Segways.  Segways are two wheeled forms of transportation that are self-balancing.  An obstacle course of cones was set up for students to navigate around.

One of the Reeve staff members running this activity was freshman Patrick Wucherer.

“I haven’t tried it, but they look really cool,” Wucherer said.

Ashley Rottier, another freshmen running this event, said talked about the Segway.

“Yes, but I might fall over,” Rottier said of possibly trying it. “They look pretty safe though.”  

Rottier also said that no one had been injured or fallen over at that point. 

There was also a relaxation area at the Mi Taza coffee house. Students were able to play with Play- Doh and color with crayons in coloring books. They also had a hand massage parlor. 

Vicki Schneider, a sophomore, received a hand massage.  

“The hand massage was excellent,” Schneider said.  “I was amazed at her technique. She was able to tell that I was left-handed by the tension in my hands.” 

“Dark Knight” was shown for free at 10 p.m. in Reeve Theatre as part of the end of semester festivities.  Student Mark Medinger, a senior, was eagerly waiting to see the movie for the first time, but he didn’t like the start time of the movie.  

“I think the Dark Knight should have been earlier,” Medinger said.  “So students could have more time to hang out after the movie.”

The event was good for other businesses in Reeve.  Amanda Fossen, a senior working at the Corner Convenience Store at Reeve said, “It’s been pretty busy all night.  Fridays are usually pretty quiet.” 

Mike Lueder is the program adviser of Volunteerism and Late Night at Reeve and coordinated Titan Nights. He’s part of Reeve’s professional staff. He said that he was very happy with how the event was turning out.

“I hope students are able to come and de-stress a little before finals, hang out with friends, and to me it looks like they are doing that right now,” Lueder said.

He also said that it was estimated that 500 to 800 students would show up.  The number of students surpassed expectations with a final total of 857 students in attendance.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=News&amp;s=7341</link><author>by Erik Dary, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Participants shine in fundraiser race]]></title><description><![CDATA[The sixth annual Race for the Light was held at the [url=http://www.bgco.us/]Oshkosh Boys and Girls Club[/url] Saturday with proceeds from the event donated to the [url=http://www.christineann.net/about/christine-ann-clark.html]Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services Center[/url].

Open registration for the event started at 4 p.m., and the club building was packed full of participants by this time. The race was do to begin at 5 p.m. and the 5K route wound its way through Irving Street, Hazel Street, Menominee Park and Washington Avenue. 

Participants could either run or walk with the latter being encouraged to begin the race after the runners had set out. While there was an entry fee of $10 to $15, all proceeds from the event were to be donated to the Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services Center.

Julie Fevola is an executive director at the Christine Ann Center and is one of the main organizers. She said that the donations from the race would be used to fund the many services offered at the shelter. 

This mainly includes shelter but also advocacy events, childcare, support services and events to prevent future domestic abuse cases.

“It’s amazing to see the number of people who turned up even though the wind chill is in negative numbers,” Fevola said. “This year we had around 250 participants who preregistered and we still have more showing up.”

Pointing to the queue that had been set up for last minute registrations, Fevola said, “The number of participants grows with each year, and we hope that next year’s reception would be just as good.”

The event began promptly at 5 p.m. First the main sponsors of the event were thanked, and the runners were given a brief description of their route. Realizing that Broad Street had not been thoroughly cleared of snow by the city that day, runners were warned to be extra cautious during that particular stretch.

Annette Beattie, a client service manager at the shelter, said that she had helped out at the event for the last three years.

“This time our goal was to raise $8,000 and even though we haven’t really totaled everything up yet, just by looking at our signup sheets, I think we surpassed it,” Beattie said. 

She said that the event is a fun family activity where the community can participate to support the cause against domestic abuse. 

“It’s also very festive,” Beattie said. “We encourage runners to dress up for the season.”

Ryan Whitehouse, a senior at Menasha High School, was also at the event with his mother. He is a member of the school cross country team and decided to participate since he enjoyed running.

“We weren’t sure if we were going to make it today or not,” Whitehouse said. “We’ve been checking the weather and decided to come at the last moment.” 	  

After the race started 20 minutes in, the first set of runners were beginning to come back. One of the participants who made it to the top 10 was Mike Golden. 

“It was cold,” he said while laughing. “And that’s why I ran fast.”

While the runners who finished excitedly talked about their ending times, the race and the weather conditions, tables full of sandwiches, desserts and hot chocolate were set up for them.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=News&amp;s=7342</link><author>by Nadeesha Surasinha, of the Advance-Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Busted!]]></title><description><![CDATA[[b]Dec. 3. 2008[/b]

(9:25 p.m.) – University police received an anonymous complaint from a South Scott Hall resident, reporting the odor of marijuana emanating from a room on the second floor of South Scott Hall. When officers arrived they concluded that the odor was coming from room 210. Officers made contact with and identified the three female occupants. The three females initially denied smoking marijuana, and one of the residents claimed she had only smoked a cigarette. The officers noticed the females smelled of marijuana and noted that their eyes were dialated, according to the report. The officers asked for and were granted permission to search the room. The search produced a bag containing suspected marijuana, a pipe and a joint roller, according to the report. The females then admitted to smoking marijuana, according to the report. Student Danielle Bartow, 19, was cited for possession and use of marijuana. Student Shannon Fosnow, 19, was cited for possession and use of marijuana. Student Andrea Waters, 19, was cited for possession and use of marijuana.

[b]Dec. 5. 2008[/b]

(4:39 a.m.) – An officer observed a male attempting to gain entry into Clow after hours. The officer made contact with the male, at which time the male admitted to drinking and having too much to drink, according to the report. The male had a strong door of intoxicants, slurred speech, difficulty walking and swayed back and forth while talking to the officer, according to the report. The males blood alcohol content was .235 percent. Student Benjamin Syse, 19, was cited for underage drinking (first offense).]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=News&amp;s=7355</link><author>by Andrew Munger, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Women’s baskeball team falls short]]></title><description><![CDATA[[url=http://www.titans.uwosh.edu/WBasketball/]UW-Oshkosh women’s basketball[/url] coach Terri Schumacher will have her work cut out for her this season.

After two straight non-conference victories, the Titans dropped its conference opener 53-43 on the road against UW-River Falls on Saturday.

Oshkosh kept the game close for much of the afternoon, but the Titans were unable to overcome a putrid shooting performance (29 percent) and take the lead. 

Schumacher said her team was complacent against the Falcons zone and settled for too many perimeter shots instead of getting into the lane and attacking the basket.

“When they went to a zone on us that’s what killed us,” Schumacher said. “If we hit some outside shots we’d be OK, but when the outside shots weren’t falling everybody kind of gets depressed. Then sometimes they force it a little bit.”

Oshkosh’s second and third leading scorers, sophomores Michelle Boeder and Erin Baganz, finished a combined 1-for-17 from the field for just three points. 

Boeder and Baganz are also the team’s top two three-point shooters, but they couldn’t find their rhythm, hitting a meager 1-of-12 from deep.

“Our shots weren’t really falling tonight,” sophomore forward Shelby Churchill said. “I don’t think it was necessarily because of the zone, I just think we had an off night shooting tonight.”

The Titans also struggled limiting the Falcons to one shot a possession, surrendering 23 offensive rebounds and were out-rebounded 51-34 in the game.

“We’re not boxing out,” Schumacher said. “Basically we have one person that goes to the offensive glass right now, and that’s Shelby Churchill. Everybody else has a tendency to stand and watch.”

Three Falcons registered double-digit rebound totals; freshmen Maranda Dohrn (11), Taylor House (10) and Alise Holst (10).

Holst came off the bench to lead the Falcons in scoring with 11.

Things weren’t all bad for Oshkosh; the Titans were able to break River Falls’ full-court press with ease, which was something they struggled with in the beginning of the season.

“When people pressure us in the full-court now we are doing a great job with that,” Schumacher said. “We forced them [River Falls] to take that off”

The Titans’ also received another solid start from Churchill, who recorded her third consecutive double-double, finishing with a team-high 13 points and 10 rebounds.

However, Schumacher said she had to monitor Churchill’s minutes due to an illness.

Sophomore guard Laura Ebbens brought some nice contributions coming off the bench, scoring eight points, grabbing two rebounds, and handing out one dime.

Rarely used freshman guard Megan Lund was arguably the most efficient player for the Titans.

In seven minutes she shot 2-for-4, with both of her makes coming from behind the arc accounting for half of the teams total three-point shots in just seven minutes.

This is just the tip of the iceberg for the Titans’ conference season, with more experienced teams just around the corner Oshkosh will need to grow up fast.

The next game for Oshkosh is against UW-Stout, which will be a reunion for Churchill, who played for the Blue Devils last season before transferring to Oshkosh to be closer to home.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Sports&amp;s=7344</link><author>by Andrew Munger, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Women swimmers blaze through the water]]></title><description><![CDATA[The [url=http://www.titans.uwosh.edu/WSwimming/Index.html]UW-Oshkosh women’s swim and dive team[/url] proved there’s nothing quite like home cooking.

The Titans bounced back from a disappointing fifth place showing at the WIAC Relays to win its home meet, the UW-Oshkosh Invitational, Saturday. 

The Titans dominated the field, posting a score of 1,209 points, 387 points ahead of second place Lawrence University.

“It was a great meet,” Oshkosh swimming and diving coach Jon Wilson said. “It’s a great meet for us to see if we can post some times for the conference meet.”

Sophomore swimmer Sam Sommers broke her own school record she set last year in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2 minutes 16 seconds.

Sommers had an unbelievable day, picking up six first-place finishes, three in relays and three individually.

On top of Sommers performance, many of the other Titan swimmers recorded personal best.

“We swam really well from top to bottom,” Wilson said. “Almost everybody had, if not a lifetime best time, a season-best time.”

Sophomore Luci Reichel and junior Angie Picotte each posted five first place finishes.

Reichel had success in the 200-yard individual medley, 200-yard backstroke, 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay and the 800-yard freestyle relay.

Picotte topped the 200-yard medley relay, 100-yard freestyle relay, 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay and 800-yard freestyle relay.

Freshman Melissa Harvey and senior Julie Zahour both compiled three first-place finishes. 

Harvey competed in two winning relays, 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard medley relay and also took top honors in the 100-yard backstroke. Zahour swam with three top relay teams, the 400-yard medley relay, the 400 and 800-yard freestyle relay.

The Titans credit much of its success to being in front of the home crowd, and the break afforded by Thanksgiving.

“We’ve been swimming tired all year, and it just feels nice to finally put it all together,” Harvey said.

Oshkosh was given a break from weight lifting and morning swimming the week of Thanksgiving, according to Wilson.

“These guys are rested and they know this was their chance to swim fast,” Wilson said.

The swimmers used their “fast suits” for the first time this year, which are intended to reduce drag.

Wilson said the suits help to add hype to the meet, although the benefits may be slightly exaggerated.

“They like to put their fast suits on,” Wilson said. “Honestly though I think it’s more of a mental thing really.”

Harvey said that the Titans were motivated to do well after their poor performance at the WIAC Relays, and being at home gave them an added reason to do well.

“Knowing that we were all rested, coach kept us going all week,” Harvey said. “He said we were ready whether we thought we were not, which helped motivate us.”

The Titans will resume its normal training regimen and will receive more than a month long break from competition before its next meet Jan. 17 against UW-Stevens Point.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Sports&amp;s=7345</link><author>by Colin Anderle, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Titans narrowly escape home meet with victory]]></title><description><![CDATA[The [url=http://www.titans.uwosh.edu/MSwimming/]UW-Oshkosh men’s swim and dive team[/url] has a newfound appreciation for its divers after narrowly edging out Lawrence University by nine points in the UW-Oshkosh Invitational on Saturday.

That’s because Titan divers senior Jacob Chadderdon and freshman John Gerrits proved to be the difference at the meet, scoring a total of 74 points. Chadderdon took both the one and three meter titles from Gerrits.  

Lawrence didn’t have any divers competing against the two, which gave Oshkosh just enough to defeat the Vikings.

Swimming and diving coach Jon Wilson said he feels bad for Chadderdon because there are meets where he doesn’t have any competition and most of the excitement for the meets is centered on the swimming portion.

“He’s on a national level,” Wilson said. “He’s a crown jewel of what’s going here at the swimming and diving program.”

In the pool Oshkosh had some success with junior Kent Ludeman finished first in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4 minutes 46 seconds and senior Ryan Elliot took the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:22.

The Titans also had strong showings in its relays, finishing second in every team event except for the 400-yard freestyle relay where it placed third with a time of 3:52.

Freshman Brian Markovich said the “fast suits” the team wore were integral to their success.

“We only wear them for special meets, this meet and conference,” Markovich said. “Because that’s all the season basically revolves around.”

Ludeman said the Titans’ good performance can be attributed to coach Wilson allowing the men to shave for the first time this season.

“I felt with shaving your hair and the feel of your water, and the feel of the water with your fast skin, you feel really streamlined,” Ludeman said.

Freshman Justin Zangl collected three second place finishes individually and was a part of two relay teams that placed second.

The Titans now have more than a month off before its next meet against UW-Stevens Point Jan. 17.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Sports&amp;s=7346</link><author>by Andrew Munger, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Titans fall flat in conference opener]]></title><description><![CDATA[For the first time since the 1988-89 season, a.k.a. the Jim McGrath and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics era of UW-Oshkosh men’s basketball, the Titans fell to 2-3 with its 68-64 loss against Dordt College (Iowa) last week.

Facing a UW-River Falls team that hasn’t finished better than sixth in conference since ’03-‘04 and was dead last last year, Oshkosh figured it would heal its wounds to open up its seven-game road trip. Instead, the Titans came back home with more salt in them, falling to the Falcons for just the second time in its last 12 meetings, 69-59 on Saturday afternoon.

“We have individuals that just haven’t been playing up to exactly where they need to be,” Oshkosh head coach Ted Van Dellen said. “Not only as expectations that I have for them, but the production that they need to have for us to be successful. Consistency is really an issue with us right now. We’re up and down like a yo-yo.”

Van Dellen said the loss of Greg Schrimpf to injury this year has hurt more than expected, as the team lacks a secondary three-point shooter to alleviate pressure off senior guard Matt Miller.

The Titans never led in the game and couldn’t overcome a nine-point halftime deficit. UWRF led 45-34 after sophomore forward Jake Voeltz made two of his 16 points with 15:53 remaining, before Oshkosh used a team effort to go on an 11-0 run to tie the game at 45 apiece with 11:09 left. During the stretch, sophomore guard Andy Kretsch hit a 3-pointer off the assist from Matt Miller, and freshman forward John Flanigan made a layup off the dish from senior forward Dane-Seckar-Anderson. Seckar-Anderson then hit a jumper himself, Matt Miller made two free throws via a technical foul on the Falcons bench and the comeback was topped off when junior forward D.J. Marsh stole the ball from UWRF sophomore guard Jontae Koonkaew and took it to the other end for a seemingly momentum-changing dunk.

But 13 seconds later, Koonkaew, who had a team-high 22 points, five assists and six turnovers, made up for his blunder by canning a 3-pointer for the Falcons and giving them the lead right back.

After a Marsh layup trimmed the deficit to one with 5:17 remaining, UWRF used a 15-4 scoring binge to tie its biggest lead of the game at 67-55 and end the game’s competitiveness.

The Falcons had four of its starters in double digits in scoring.

Dissimilarly, the Titans were one-dimensional, with Marsh playing the entire game, scoring 24 points and grabbing seven boards. Seckar-Anderson scored eight points and had nine rebounds, while junior forward Luke Miller tied a season-high with eight points. Oshkosh didn’t make a 3-point shot until 15:02 left in the second half, and finished just 1-for-13 (7.7 percent), its worst shooting percentage and least amount of threes made since Dec. 18, 2007, when it went 0-for-10 against Defiance College (Ohio), ironically in a losing effort as well.

A five-game winning streak over the Falcons (4-3, 1-0 WIAC) was snapped for the Titans (0-1 WIAC) with the defeat, and the team is now 2-4 for the first time ever in Van Dellen’s 19-year tenure as head coach and since at least 1985-86 when game-by-game results were last available. UWRF on the other hand, is off to its best start after seven games since 2002-03, when it posted a 5-2 clip.

“I don’t want to say that it’s chemistry, because everyone gets along and everyone knows their role,” Luke Miller said when trying to explain the team’s struggles. “It’s just a matter of putting everything together and coming to the table ready to play. I’m confident that we’ll turn it around. You can’t throw in the towel yet.”

Van Dellen found it tough to find a forte that his team currently has.

“Strength-wise, we don’t have a lot of strengths right now to be perfectly honest with you; that’s why we’re 2-4,” he said. “We’ve got so many holes in our game that it’s a real tough deal to name (one).”

The 10-point margin of defeat for Oshkosh was its worst loss against the Falcons since Dec. 8, 2001, when it was defeated 78-68 at home, and was its biggest road loss to UWRF since Jan. 10, 1998, when the Titans were defeated 79-68.

“We had a whole week to prepare for River Falls,” Van Dellen said. “What we prepared for are things that they broke us down with.”

Oshkosh will try to avoid its first 0-2 start in conference play since 2000-01 when they head to Menominee to take on UW-Stout (2-4, 0-1 WIAC) on Friday. Both teams are tied for last in the conference for the worst overall records.

“We’re back at the A-B-Cs of everything offensively and defensively,” Van Dellen said. “Offensively, we’ve got to find some ways to get some people to get the ball in the hole. On this level (the college game), that’s something you shouldn’t (have to) be worried about.”]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Sports&amp;s=7352</link><author>by Logan Bolle, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Packers problems not any fault of Rodgers]]></title><description><![CDATA[What’s in a record? Last year the Packers were one game away from the Superbowl. The Packers were on home turf, it was a blizzard, and it was so cold my camera froze, and I couldn’t remove my scarf without suffering frostbite. Packer fans were loud and excited; quarterback Brett Favre had a great season, and all signs pointed to a Packers victory. 

Then Favre threw his last pass in Lambeau to a New York Giant during the 23-20 loss. The Giants ended the season 10-6 with a shocking win as a Wild Card over the undefeated Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady, a player some believe is one of the greats. Guess who was favored to win that game?

So the Packers no longer have Favre, and this time around the team’s record is 5-8 while Favre, who apparently thought as he did in the playoffs that he wanted to play for New York, is leading the AFC East with an 8-4 record with the Jets. Is this Aaron Rodgers’ fault? No. Aside from constantly being compared to Favre during every game this season (Favre’s current quarterback stats don’t matter because despite what some want he is not the quarterback of the Packers anymore) tremendous pressure was put on Rodgers to perform and that is what he did. As of Sundays game against Houston Rodgers’ stats are 3,192 passing yards, 22 TDs, 11 INTs and a quarterback rating of 92.1, well above the league average. Yet some still say it was a mistake to not do everything possible to insure Favre continued to play for the Packers because of the poor record this season, which is on Rodgers shoulders. The only thing Rodgers is guilty of is falling into some of Favre’s bad habits such as not looking around the field before throwing and an increasing amount of interceptions, something Favre is very familiar with both as a Packer and as a Jet. 

There are many things that have led to the disappointment of this Packers’ season none of which include Rodgers. These elements are: an inconsistent defense, poor offensive line protection, injuries, punter Derrick Frost and a downward spiral on special teams.

The Packers went from mauling the Bears 37-3 to getting paraded on by the New Orleans Saints 29-51 because of the lack of defense. Aside from the Bears game the lowest amount of points the defense, with a little help from the offense, have allowed this season was 19. Veteran cornerback Al Harris, the Rickie Weeks of the Packers, hasn’t shown his experience on the field with only 13 tackles and zero interceptions or sacks this season. The defense is allowing too many points, and this has been a problem for years because of its inconsistency. 

The offensive line and its protection of Rodgers have led to some of the interceptions Rodgers made this season. When a quarterback is under pressure he throws it away or he throws an interception, and Rodgers has been sacked 25 times this season. This doesn’t include the amount of times Rodgers was under pressure without being sacked. During the 07-season Favre was sacked 15 times. An underperforming Ryan Grant, running back, also hasn’t helped things and hasn’t proven he is worthy of his massive contract.

Injuries have plagued the Packers for a number of years. Ahman Green wasn’t the same after his season ending injury in 2005. This year the injuries are mounting with big names such as Mark Tauscher, Atari Bigby, Nick Collins, Chad Clifton, James Jones, Cullen Jenkins, A.J. Hawk and Greg Jennings among others missing time on the field because of injuries. A.J Hawk has done a decent job filling in for Nick Barnett, who was underachieving anyways, and other backups have faired well, but the team isn’t the same when a number of starters are unable to play.

It took 12 games for the coaching staff to decide that Frost was a poor choice over the man with two first names Jon Ryan, whose record trumps Frost with an average punting distance of 46.4 to Frost’s 42.1 yards. It’s no wonder that once again Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren scooped up the Packers leftovers. Fortunately for him Ryan was a better choice than former backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

Special teams have started a downward spiral. Throughout the season special teams was one thing that was consistent but that has changed during the past few losses. When the Packers played Minnesota in early November cornerback Will Blackmon made an excellent punt return to help close the point gap. The Packers ended up losing by one point. More recently special teams haven’t made any outstanding plays and punt returns have led to fewer and fewer yards being gained. There is no reason that special teams, because of the amount of time it’s on the field, can’t gain better field position than it has. If the punt returner starts to more consistently get past the 25 yard line that will set up better field position for Rodgers and lead to more field goal attempts and stop the small point margin the team has been losing by. I have to admit though; anyone is better than fair catch Antonio Chatman.

When people question if letting go of Favre was the right decision they need to think about the other factors that have led to the Packers’ failures this season. Not Rodgers, but an inconsistent defense, poor offensive line protection, injuries, Frost and a downward spiral on special teams, to name a few, have led to a 5-8 record.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Sports&amp;s=7353</link><author>by Jenna Kleist, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wrestlers respond in a big way in Milwaukee]]></title><description><![CDATA[The most telling sign about a team is how it responds to adversity.
Judging by how the UW-Oshkosh wrestling team bounced back from its disappointing 35-3 loss to UW-Stevens Point by placing second in the Milwaukee School of Engineering Invitational, it appears the Titans are a pretty solid squad.

Oshkosh totaled 117 points to Lakeland Colleges 125 at the MSOE Invite, with two first place finishers, three second place finishers, one third place finish and a fifth place finish. 

In fact two of the second place finishers lost to Titan wrestlers in the championship match.

Sophomore Chad Leviner defeated freshman teammate Carl Deluca in the 125-pound weight class with a 3-2 decision.

Freshman Zach Mueller placed third to put a Titan stamp on the 125-pound weight class.

After choosing to sit out in a match that would have pitted two brothers against each other at Point, freshman Sam Engelland won the 174-pound weight class after beating senior teammate Eli Felts with a 4-2 decision in the championship match.

Sophomore Alex Mueller garnered the Titans’ third second place finish in the 141-pound division after losing 6-0 against Lakeland’s Kory Theil in the championship match.

Sophomore Kyle Kleuskens took third place in the 133-pound weight class after defeating Charley Deutsch from Knox University 8-2 in a decision.

Freshman Jose Quintana filled out the last of the Titan medalists after capturing fifth place in the 149-pound weight class after he pinned MSOE’s Jake Narveson in four minutes 40 seconds.

The Titans don’t have another meet until Dec. 29 when the head to Evanston, Ill. to wrestle in the Midlands Invitational.]]></description><link>http://advancetitan.com/?se=Sports&amp;s=7354</link><author>by Colin Anderle, of the Advance Titan</author><pubDate>08 December 2008</pubDate></item></channel></rss>