Band Battles Muddy Classroom

By Leroy Bridges
Sports Editor

Imagine learning in a classroom flooded with water, caked with mud and littered with holes.
It sounds like a joke, but it's reality for the Purdue All-American Marching Band.
Five days a week, the band has to practice and students are expected to earn credit for learning. But the practice field across from Hillenbrand Hall is in "awful" condition, according to Pam Nave, jeopardizing the band's learning, performance and safety.
"That field is a classroom and when it is in this kind of shape, it's a problem," said Nave, associate professor of bands.
For several years, the field's condition has been a problem. Because of extensive use of the field, the ground is worn down and when it rains, large puddles form. The puddles lead to mud and much, which make marching difficult, according to Adam Horton, a senior in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
"There are huge holes and trenches, which makes it difficult while playing," Horton said. "A lot of us are careful, but we'll slip and fall anyway.
"We know we are going to get muddy."
This year, the condition is worsening and Kent Shoults, buisness manager for the band, is concerned people don't realize the importance of fa quality field.
"If you go over to some of the engineering classrooms, is there standing water on the floor and how long will it be there?" Shoults said. "Everyone recognizes how important the marching band is when it come to going to games and bowls, but I don't think people make the connection that this is their classroom and they can't get in it."
In an effort to alert people of the field's condition, band members have created a shirt that will be worn for the first time at the Oct. 20 rehearsal. The back of the shirt reads "Mud or grass, our band kicks butt."
"A lot of people read stories about Ross-Ade Stadium's field and the three other fields the team has, but no one knows about our field's condition," Horton said. "We pay fees and we are a class and our field is a problem."
In addition, the field's muddy condition has caused injury and costly damage to instruments. According to Nave, several weeks ago a snare drummer tripped into a hole that formed around a sprinkler head. The result was a sprained ankle, a muddy uniform and damage to a $900 drum.
"It is a concern because A: You have one of the best Big Ten bands marching in mud," Shoults said. "And B: You are having people get hurt.
"You are talking uniform expense, instrument expense and injury expense."
Financial limitations also hinder any long-term solution, such as an artifical surface with drainage.
"There's no easy solution in place," Shoults said. "It's going to take a major renovation. But the lack of money for that renovation is the problem."
According to Shoults, the band department hasn't officially asked the University for help and as of Oct. 17 the University hasn't extended any financial support.
"It's not any different than any other project," Shoults said. "As far as the University stepping up and saying, 'Here's X number of dollars.' I am not aware that that's happened.'"
The short-term solution is an alternate practice site which has been provided by the Recreational Sports Center on the intramural fields. If not for the RSC's ability to loan the band a field, Shoults doesn't know what the band would be doing.
"Luckily, our relationship with (RSC director) Howard Taylor is positive," Shoults said. "Otherwise, we would be in an even worse situation."

Published in the Purdue Exponent on Oct. 18, 2006

Roller-Coaster Career for Senior

By Leroy Bridges
Sports Editor

Marie Franke's career has not gone how she expected.
The senior volleyball player has started only 12 matches in the last three seasons.
She started 33 matches her freshman year.
As an All-American and a Fab 50 player during her senior season in high school, she got the attention of several schools. A rebuilding Purdue program was one of them.
"I came here because I knew Purdue was trying to greatly improve the program," Franke said.
Franke was recruited by then Purdue coach Jeff Hulsmeyer. Hulsmeyer not only brought Franke to West Lafayette, but he compiled a strong recruiting class.
"I remember coming in here surrounded by Renata (Dargan) and Sarah Vitali and how excited we were," Franke said. "All of us knew we could come in and contribute right away."
Suddenly, Purdue's future got brighter. Franke thought that future included her.
Following Franke's 12-21 freshman year, which included only two Big Ten wins, Hulsmeyer lost his job.
"A lot of things change under a new coach," Franke said. "And a lot of what I've been through is attibuted to some of that."
Couple a coaching change with a roster suffering from graduation and injuries, Franke's role increased dramatically. She became one of the few hitters availble to take reps in practice.
Then Franke fractured her foot.
"We only had five players," Franke said. "So, all spring I was doing extra repetitions at several positions and that caused the fracture."
Franke's role has never been the same.
During the 2003 season, Franke, who said she has always been healthy minus the fractured foot, played in only 19 matches, while her kills total decreased by more than 175.
"I don't know what happened my sophomore year," Franke said. "I wish I had an answer, because I was healthy."
Meanwhile, the Boilers were improving and coach Dave Shondell was beginning to recruit more and more talented players.
"The recruits mean good things for the program," Franke said. "But something that a lot of players think about is when you host these recruits is that you are saying 'Come to Purdue,' but then you think 'You play my positition.'
"The talent creates good competition but it makes you wonder what your role in the program is."
That talent has been seen this season.
Freshman hitters Stephanie Lynch, Danita Merlau and Kelli Miller have been recognized nationally for their talent. But what does that mean for Franke?
"It means we will continue to get better as a team," Franke said. "And I will have to continue to search for something that I am doing wrong."
Shondell said Franke hasn't "faded away" with the coaching change, but her role has been limited.
"Her role on the court is small," Shondel said. "But she is very important for us in practice. Every team has practice players. My own daughter has played less than anyone in the past two years, so I know what that is like."
Now, four years after being on of those talented recruits settling in at Purdue, Franke's career is ending. She's determined to finish what she started.
"It's been really tough for me," said Franke, who began to cry. "There have been good days and bad. I committed at the beginning and I was going to stay.
"But I don't know I would be here today without my fiance. He is my rock."
Franke and Alan Dukeshire, a senior in mechanical engineering, have been engaged since Easter and plan to marry in 2007. Dukeshire said despite the situation being frustrating on Franke she has continued to stay positive.
"It's been saddening to see her not get a quality chace to prove herself," Dukeshire said. "But she still loves Purdue volleyball, her teammates and the coaches."
That love has her in Chapel Hill, N.C., for the NCAA tournament this weekend. For the second consective season, the Boilers have qualified for postseaosn play.
"It is amazing how faw we have caome since our freshman season," Franke said. "I dreamed of this happening. It makes everything worth it."

Published in the Purdue Exponent on Dec. 1, 2005

Traveling To Games Doesn't Bother Sophomore's Supportive Parents

By Leroy Bridges
Executive Reporter

The Kramer family is becoming legendary at men's basketball games.
Sophomore guard Chris Kramer is the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year and his parents, Jon and Susan, are visible and audible fixtures cheering for the Boilers.
In two seasons, the Kramers have racked up miles with trips to South Carolina, Missouri, Ohio, New Orleans and Indianapolis. Now, it's Washington D.C. for today's NCAA tournament first round game against Baylor.
"It's hard for us to miss games," Susan said. "For him to play at this level, he needs our support so we're there, good or bad."
Time, money and weather rarely get in the way of Jon and/or Susan attending a game. Both have convenient job situations that allow them to take a lot of time traveling during the basketball season - and Jon has plenty of plastic to fund the trips.
"Sure, it's going to get costly," he said. "I am sure my credit card is going to get maxed out, but it is nothing compared to four years of our lives that is better for it."
Despite treacherous weather conditions the weekend Purdue played in Madison, Wis., the Kramers made the trip. Two days, $200, a crash and a Purdue win later, it was all worth it.
"We knew that was going to be a long trip, but not that long," Jon said.
Along with traveling around the country watching games, Susan talks to her son - Christopher or Bubba, to her - daily.
"To be honest, I am a mama's boy," Chris said.
Maybe that's why she is the loudest fan at every Purdue game - home or away. At first glance, one might think Jon is the vocal support for Chris at a game. Jon, a probation office for Huntington County, stands about 6-feet, 3-inches tall. Instead, he lets his wife do the cheering - and does she ever.
"I yell," Susan said. "I yell all the time. I don't shut up."
It's not odd for referees to glare in Susan's direction or even tell her to quiet down. Earlier this season in a game at Mackey Arena she was told to "shut up or get kicked out."
"I always have my voice and this is how I am," Susan said. "I like to ask the refs, 'What are you going to do, kick me out? Ref the game.'"
Ideally, Jon is at least two seats away from Susan, quietly taking photos of the game, occasionally making a comment about a missed call.
"I don't normally sit next to her. It gets on my nerves and makes me nervous," said Jon, who has taken more than 1,000 photos this season. "I just like capturing the moments with my camera."
Chris stresses that he doesn't hear his mom yelling during games, but Susan thinks he does. Either way, Chris appreciates their presence.
"It's great just to know that your parents are supportive of you no matter where you go," Chris said. "When your name gets called and you go out there and see your parents there, it's a great relief just to know that they are supporting me there."
Jon and Susan arrived in Washington Wednesday and have plans to travel as long as the team wins in the NCAA tournament, which could mean adding Phoenix and San Antonio to the list of cities visited for Purdue basketball.

Published in the Purdue Exponent on March 18, 2008

Suspended Lineman Files Lawsuit Against Purdue

By Leroy Bridges
Sports Editor

Suspended Purdue football lineman Uche Nwaneri has filed a lawsuit against the University, hoping to be reinstated.
A hearing in Tippecanoe County Court will be held Tuesday morning.
Nwaneri was suspended after a student disciplinary hearing by the Office of the Dean of Students after a July 14 fight in the Mollenkopf Athletic Center.
An Aug. 24 hearing before the Campus Appeals Board upheld the semester-long suspension.
The suit names the University; Steve Akers, executive associate dean of students, and Cathy Sleeth, chairperson of the Campus Appeals Board, as the defendants of the suit, which seeks no damages.
Purdue Board of Trustees chairman Tim McGinley couldn't be reached for comment and Akers and Sleeth declined to comment on Sunday.
In a statement released by Courtney B. Justice, Nwaneri's attorney, Nwaneri said that he didn't want to take this to court but he had no choice.
"It is especially hard for me because I love Purdue, and I respect and admire my professors and coaches who are giving me a first-class education - in the classroom and on the football field."
Late Friday, Judge Don Johnson set a 9 a.m. Tuesday hearing on Nwaneri's motion for a preliminary injunction to temporarily reinstate Nwaneri until a formal hearing could be conducted.
According to a copy of the lawsuit that was intended to be filed on Friday, Nwaneri was forcibly confronted by former teammate Ryan Noblet during a summer workout at Mollenkopf in July. The suit claims Noblet instigated the confrontation with verbal abuse, pushing and "attempted to get his arm around Uche's neck." Nwaneri retaliated by a "reasonable attempt to protect himself ... accidentally fracturing (Noblet's) jaw."
Purdue police were notified of the incident that evening by Pamela Noblet, Ryan's mother, according to the lawsuit. Purdue police apprehended Nwaneri at his home the following morning and he then voluntarily went to the police station, where Nwaneri gave his first statement, according to the complaint. As the Purdue police investigation was ongoing, Nwaneri was notified by Akers on July 19 that he had been charged with misconduct according to a student conduct code.
On July 28, a hearing was held before the Dean's office and Nwaneri was found guilty of "battering Ryan Noblet resulting in serious bodily injury." Akers found the disciplinary penalty appropriate "to demonstrate how detrimental this kind of conduct is to the University" and suspended Nwaneri from Purdue for the fall semester. The suspension would prohibit Nwaneri from playing football for Purdue, as well. Nwaneri then filed an appeal to be heard by the Campus Appeals Board.
On Wednesday, the appeal, which was closed to the public, was heard. Nwaneri was accompanied by his attorneys during the hearing; however, Nwaneri had to conduct his entire presentation by himself. According to the lawsuit, Sleeth, chairperson of the board, "repeatedly expressed her personal views and her approval of the Dean's decision, emphasizing her conviction that Dean Akers did the right thing."
During the appeal's hearing, Nwaneri questioned three witnesses, offensive line coach Bill Legg, trainer Jessica Zuercher and freshman wide receiver Derek Benson. Legg was asked to give character descriptions of both Nwaneri and Noblet. Legg told of Noblet's history of confrontations over the past three years, according to the lawsuit.
On Sunday, Legg would not comment about what he said at the appeal hearing. Benson said on Sunday that he did not want to get into details of the situation.
According to the suit, during Nwaneri's testimony at the appeal, he stated that he was placed into an interrogation room for an hour, while Lt. Fred Davis of the Purdue Police Department "threatened bullied and intimidated him." According to the suit, "Davis then accused Nwaneri of lying, of being a criminal, told him he would have to stand trial and was going to jail." No record of that interview is contained in the police report to the Dean, according to the suit.
Davis could not be reached for comment.
According to the suit, Nwaneri's right to due process of law was violated during the hearings.
On Sunday, the University would have no comment on the lawsuit, according to Jeanne Norberg, director of University News Service.

Published in the Purdue Exponent on Aug. 29, 2005

Serbian Overcomes Life's Obstacles

By Leroy Bridges
Executive Reporter

Nemanja Calasan is a long way from his war-torn home country, but the lessons he learned from his father still pervade his life.
Calasan was a 5-year-old growing up in Bosnia when his country became embattled in ethnic struggles. With the country's borders closed and people dying in the streets, Calasan's family, who were Serbian Patriot Orthodox, weren't sure they would survive the discrimination, or the war.
With hateful messages from Croatian Catholics spray painted on his home, Calasan's father, Dragan, built a basement in their house to protect his family. They spent a month in the makeshift space with survival at the front of their minds.
Despite the religious differences, a worried Catholic priest came to the family's rescue. All Calasan remembers is the priest's face - and the care that saved his life.
It was an early '90s Benz and was a safe escape from the war. The only problem was that Serbians weren't permitted to cross the border. Their Serbian passports were a death sentence.
With the priest at the wheel, Calasan in the front seat and his family hidden in the back of the car, they stopped at the border. Rifle in hand, the Croatian soldier asked the priest who the boy in the passenger seat was.
"That's my son," the priest lied.
The soldier then demanded to see Calasan's passport, to which the priest replied indignantly, "You don't believe in a priest?"
After a minute of thought, the solider said, "OK. Pass."
"He saved our lives," Calasan said.
WAR'S EFFECT ON LIFE
Six years later, Calasan returned to the changed, more peaceful region, which was struggling with a depressing standard of living.
"It is really a harsh situation there," Calasan said. "My parents work hard every day for very little."
Calasan had changed, too. He grew - in more ways than one. Because of his newfound size, his father suggested basketball as a way out. It sounded like fun to Calasan, but after one practice he wanted nothing to do with it.
"All the running and everything. It's not for me," Calasan said.
True to his father's personality, he wouldn't let his son quit that easily.
"He said 'You going to quit after the first practice?'" Calasan said. "I couldn't quit because of what he said. So, I came back and practiced and practiced."
For the next six years, Calasan worked on his game despite having meager equipment. The team had only four basketballs that were made of rubber - not leather - and the hoops didn't have nets. Each player had one jersey - for games and practices. The happiest moment his team had was when it played well enough to get one leather ball.
"Everybody would run after the leather one," Calasan said. "It was the only time people liked to run."
Calasan's patience and dedication with his basketball opportunities were evident, though. One night his neighbor came home to find Calasan shooting free throw after free throw. Despite the darkness and exhaustion from practice earlier in the day, Calasan was insistent he make 100 straight before stopping. The neighbor later became his girlfriend.
"That really impressed me," said Suncica Milosevic, who has dated Calasan for six years.
WELCOME TO AMERICA
Calasan's dedication landed him in Texas playing basketball at Midland College, a school known for its physical style of play.
After getting bruised and scraped in the team's first practice, Calasan doubted his move to America was the right choice.
"It was a big difference," Calasan said. "After that, I wanted to go back home."
Calasan returned to practice, as his father would have insisted, but life in America continued to present its challenges. For the first time in his life, Calasan, a junior forward for Purdue, learned English - slowly. When Purdue assistant coach Cuonzo Martin started recruiting Calasan, the language barrier became clear.
Coaches were required to fill out paperwork that was in different languages and had to be sent out of the country at odd hours of the day. In what was Martin's first recruitment of a foreign player, he described the process as exhausting, but worth it.
"You're talking about a really talented young man with physical talent who is happy to be here," Martin said.
As Calasan continues to pick up English every day, his popularity and performance on the men's basketball team grows, too. Calasan, who has become a starter, is averaging 7.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 19 minutes a game. At a home game a week ago, there were four Serbian flags in the student section.
"Nemanja was totally stoked about that," said Marko Ljoljic, a junior in the College of Consumer and Family Sciences and one of Calasan's friends. "He loves anything Serbian."

Published in the Purdue Exponent on Feb. 2, 2008

College Football Preview

This was the 2007 college football season preview package.

Making Fantasy Reality

This page featured content for the season preview on the soccer team.

Big Ten Football Preview

This was the Big Ten football preview that was done in a list of five things that embarrassed the conference in the young season. Of course, Michigan's loss to Appalachian State topped the list.

Beatdown

Coverage of Purdue beating Toledo in 2007.

Taking It Down A Notch

A sports page with a little bit of everything on it, including a T-shirt contest winner.

Jumpin' & Jibin'

Coverage of Purdue beating Central Michigan in 2007.

Missed Opportunities

Purdue lost at Notre Dame in 2006 after blowing plenty of chances to win the game.

Destination: Dallas

The women's basketball team advanced to the Sweet Sixteen and was headed to Dallas in 2007.

Body Found

A full front page with coverage of a missing Purdue student.

Report Card

This sports page features letter grades on a chalkboard for the midseason report card.

Retention Rates Cause Concern

This is a front page that features in-depth charts I created last minute as the dominant art for the box story.

Campus, City All Snowed In

A front page after a major snow storm hit Purdue.

Manning & Co. Defy Critics, Rain

This is an inside page that came together well.

Go Horse

This is a Colts poster after they won the Super Bowl. It was a product of my features editor, graphics editor and myself.

Redemption

A sports page after Purdue beat Indiana in basketball.

Search Stalls, Regroups

Another full front page on the search for Wade Steffey.

Searching Continues

This is a front page during the search for a missing student at Purdue.

Football or Baseball?

This is a sports tabloid cover I designed in the summer of 2005. The story was about a Purdue recruit who couldn't decide if he wanted to play football at Purdue or baseball elsewhere.

Soaring JaJuan Johnson

Current Purdue forward JaJuan Johnson floats through the air during an Indiana All-Star game in 2007.

Mackey Complex

Purdue football legend Leroy Keyes and volleyball coach Dave Shondell talk about the layout of the Mackey Complex in 2007.

Air Gordon

Current NBA player Eric Gordon dunks during an Indiana All-Star game in 2007.

Head-First Dive Leads Neville To Olympic Medal

BY LEROY BRIDGES
Times Correspondent

BEIJING | Diving head-first was David Neville's only option at winning an Olympic medal.
The Merrillville graduate finished the 400-meter finals on his chest – not his feet – and it earned him a Bronze medal Thursday morning in Beijing.
"I felt people coming up on me on the inside and there was nothing else I could do," said Neville an hour after his race. "The first thing that popped into my mind to save that medal was to dive."
The dive completed his 44.80 second run and edged Christopher Brown of the Bahamas by .04 seconds..
"I couldn't have asked for anything better," Neville said. "I was really nervous but really confident. I just knew something spectacular was going to happen."
His nerves led to a blazing start that made the final 100 meters a struggle but his father, David Jr., knew a fast start was the key to being in position to medal.
"At the 200 (meter mark), he was way out there and looking good," David Jr. said. "At this level, you have to go for it. He did it. Praise the Lord."
The confidence David had in the starting blocks wasn't something new. Last month, The Times asked him how he felt going to the Olympics.
"Gut feeling? I will get a medal in Beijing. Top three," he said. "That's what I'm praying for."
Even fewer than 24 hours before the finals, David said he had the same feeling.
"I believe God put me on this Olympic team to go out there and win this medal," David said. "The fate lies in His hands and this is what He had in store for me.Nobody would have figured it but God had a plan for me."
David wasn't a favorite heading in the race. He entered the finals with the slowest time from the semi-finals. On top of that, LaShawn Merritt (43.75) and Jeremy Wariner (44.74) of the U.S. were expected to win the Gold and Silver medals as they did.
"The focus has been on so many other athletes," David Jr. said. "Nobody talked about him medaling at all. That's fine. He did it."
During David's celebration lap with American flags draped over their shoulders, father and son embraced.
"We were surrounded by the flag. It gave us that moment of separation," David Jr. said. "Way to go son."
Two hours after the race, his mother, Judy, still couldn't believe what her son had accomplished.
"This whole moment is surreal," said Judy just before she started to cry. "During the medal ceremony, I looked at the jumbotron and said 'That's my son. He did it.' It was a wonderful moment."
David gets fewer than 24 hours to enjoy his Bronze medal as he will compete in the 1,600 meter relay today. The U.S. is team is favored to win Gold after sweeping the 400-meter finals. The first round begins at 7:22 a.m. Region time.

Published in the Northwest Indiana Times on Aug. 2, 2008

Ash Wednesday

This front page featured two new refers.

Your Average Day of Football Practice

Purdue's offensive line coach yells at Josh Ferguson after a drill druing fall camp in 2005.