TL20061005-01 "Oct. 5, 2006 www.thetowerlight.com INSIDE Calendar........3 Perspectives........4 News.......7 History.....11 Arts......15 Puzzles.......19 Classifi eds......20 Sports.......24 on the Patrick Smith/The Towerlight A biannual tradition, Gov. Robert Ehrlich speaks in the Van Bokkelen lecture hall Tuesday to Richard Vatz�s persuasion class. Ehrlich takes time out to talk politics, media Logging online for new degrees ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Sharon Leff News Editor Only a month before election day, Gov. Robert Ehrlich made his biannual visit to Richard Vatz�s persuasion class and shared five tips for winning a campaign. The governor interacted with the audience as he paced back and forth in Van Bokkelen�s lecture hall Tuesday afternoon, challenging the class to serve as his political advisers for hypothetical situations. And while he fired questions at the students, he also made sure to call on his staff and even reporters in the audience to help get his point across. About the methods for winning an elec-tion, Ehrlich said �The ends are the same. It doesn�t matter if you�re running for dog catcher or President of the United States.� For would-be politicians, Ehrlich stressed making your case, taking advantage of your strengths, feeling optimistic about public service, caring about your appearance, and being blunt. �Take advantage of your advantages and minimize your disadvantages,� Ehrlich said. He advised candidates to recognize the medium they�re best suited for and excel in those arenas. Ehrlich said he enjoys public appearances and interacting with the public. He also discussed how people judge others based on clothing choices and presentation. �Your appearances count. How you look and how you say what you want to say counts in life. That will become real important the second you leave this campus,� he said. Ehrlich said he believes in being blunt in his line of work, because even if what he says is met with disapproval, at least he�s reaching people. �If everybody loves you, you�re probably saying too much to placate everyone,� he said. �People should have strong opinions of you as a political leader.� As for his competition in the upcom-ing election, Ehrlich said he is neither best friends with, nor hateful towards, his oppo-nent, Baltimore Mayor Martin O�Malley. When asked about polling, a recent class subject, Ehrlich said he believes in polls, when they�re done correctly. �Scientifically conducted polls with the appropriate models are very accurate in my See EHRLICH, page 8 The Towerlight Thursday Published by and for the students of Towson and Baltimore -- twice-weekly After 20 years of exchange, TU picks up pace with China partnership News, page 7 Jazzmen Tynes Assistant News Editor Diane Burrier graduated from Towson with a bachelor�s in art education years ago. So it made sense for the Harford County resident to earn a certificate in interactive media design from her alma mater. But this time around, Burrier isn�t trek-king to campus for her classes. Her gradu-ate program is entirely online. For Burrier, a graphic designer for a con-tractor at Aberdeen Proving Ground, the new online courses offer flexibility. �It�s convenient for those of us who work during the day because it would be difficult to drive to campus and then find somewhere to park,� she said. The University offered fully online degrees for the first time this fall. Five are currently available: graduate degree programs in homeland security manage-ment and human resource development, two graduate certificate programs in inter-active media design and security assess-ment management, and an undergraduate degree in technical/professional studies in allied health. Additionally, the University�s new joint master of business administra-tion degree is offered online. According to Mark Jacque, acting direc-tor of graduate school operations, 587 stu-dents are enrolled in online courses. Burrier said adjusting to the degree�s online format wasn�t difficult because her professor is easily accessible. �She [the professor] made a video to introduce herself and you could tell that she really put a lot of work into the class,� Burrier said. �We also have a discussion board. In the first discussion, everyone had to introduce themselves. You really got to know the people in your class, sometimes better than if you were in a regular class.� See ONLINE, page 8 DiCaprio, Damon, Nicholson highlight all-star cast in �Departed,� Scorsese�s return to form Arts, page 16 "
