The Butler University Police Department has its own end-of-the-semester worries.

An unusually high number of reported crimes in the past two weeks left police with several open investigations, including one of an armed robbery in a student’s off-campus home.

Two arrests made by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department resulted in the recovery of stolen property, including a laptop and cell phone, taken from the student’s home on Rookwood Avenue last Wednesday.

Chief of Staff and Executive Director of Public Safety Ben Hunter said those two individuals face charges of fleeing police and possession of stolen goods. They have not been connected to the April 18 armed robbery in the 4600 block of Rookwood. Hunter said they may be responsible or able to provide a lead in the case.

The victim, a male student, told BUPD he was asleep when he heard someone enter the home. The student said a man dressed in all black, wearing a mask and carrying a gun, ordered him to leave the house, and the student complied.

Police are still searching for the student’s stolen car.

“These are things that keep me up at night,” Hunter said. “It’s very disconcerting. This kind of stuff just doesn’t happen in the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood or on campus.”

Two undercover IMPD officers made the arrests around noon after the robbery occurred around 1:15 a.m. The student was not harmed.

“We are in a safe neighborhood,” Hunter said. “The campus is safe. It’s an unfortunate incident that we’re not immune to.”

Jackie Wurzer, a senior dance pedagogy major who lives on 44th Street, said she probably would not know how to react if the same thing happened to her.

“I thought (the armed robbery) was pretty terrifying,” Wurzer said.  “It made me not want to stay alone.”

Hunter said last week’s victim reacted in exactly the right way.

“You don’t know the mindset, so not challenging them, not fighting them and just getting out and getting away,” Hunter said. “You’re at the mercy of someone holding a gun to you. If you have the opportunity to flee and do it safely, that’s the preferred method.”

Hunter said even if intruders have yet to notice someone, that person should still try to escape through a window or door, even if it makes a bit of noise.

“Hopefully by the time they see you, you’re 150 feet away,” Hunter said.

BUPD is also continuing to investigate an attempted strong-armed robbery reported April 14 by an Indiana University medical student in the same area of Rookwood Avenue.

The man told BUPD that another man in a red sweater confronted him in an alley and demanded money. The two exchanged punches before the IU student was able to getaway unscathed.

Hunter said police don’t know if the two incidents near Rookwood are related.

A strong-armed robbery, Hunter said, is a robbery of a person in which physical action may be taken, but no weapon is used or implied.  BUPD rarely deals with this type of incident, Hunter said.

Taylor Clark, a freshman economics and finance major, said the recent cases won’t change his plan to live off campus as a senior.

“It’s obviously a concern,” Clark said, “but it’s not something I’m freaking out about. That’s part of life.”

Thefts at HRC
Elsewhere, BUPD issued a campus-wide warning Friday following seven reported thefts in 10 weeks at the Health and Recreation Complex.
Hunter said the thefts averaged around $30 apiece in value and are Class D felonies. They resulted from HRC patrons leaving belongings in open cubbyholes  or unlocked lockers.

“It’s always been about finding money,” Scott Peden, director of recreation, said. “I’m disappointed. Because the thefts are happening past the check-in point, we know it’s one of ours.”

Peden said users should be aware the HRC offers lockers for free and that valuables left out in the open are susceptible to theft.

“People don’t think it will happen until it happens to them,” Peden said.  “We’re doing what we can, I’m sure BUPD’s doing what they can, and hopefully it stops as soon as possible.”

Matt Roth, a junior pharmacy major and daily visitor to the HRC, said IDs, wallets, keys, phones and clothes are constantly left unattended on benches, in cubbies or in the locker room.

“It doesn’t surprise me that once in a while they get picked up,” Roth said. “I’m just shocked it doesn’t happen more often.”

Roth said when people leave belongings out of their line of sight—as he notices they do—thefts happen easily.

“It’s all about confidence,” Roth said. “If you just walk up to something and pick it up like it’s yours, people will think it’s yours.”

Roth takes a lock from the front desk and said he has never had a problem.

Greek House Crimes
Other items on BUPD’s recent docket included two campus disturbances involving, respectively, a stun gun and a fight at a sorority house.

On April 14, a woman, who was not a Butler student but was with a few, sparked a stun gun while walking away from the Delta Tau Delta fraternity house, where she had been turned away.

Hunter said the case likely will be presented to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, which could charge the woman with intimidation.

Johnny Radtke, a freshman exploratory business and Spanish major, saw the woman out on the street.  Radtke said he saw her lurch at a group of students with the stun gun before the woman sparked the gun again when she passed Radtke and his friends.  The woman was walking with two men and two women, Radtke said, who were laughing at her antics.

“I don’t know why somebody just had that or why they would bring it out,” Radtke said. “It’s kind of scary if she actually would do it to somebody.”

Hunter said only once before in his career in law enforcement had he seen a civilian with a stun gun.  Possession of such a weapon violates Butler policy, Hunter said.

In an April 15 incident at the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority house, a woman was accused of battery with serious bodily injury after grabbing the throat and choking another woman during a fight.  Hunter said neither student was harmed and that student affairs is likely to consider discipline, with charges likely not filed.

Increase in Activity ‘Not Unusual’
Hunter said all of these incidents taken together represent an abnormal wave of cases.

“It’s not unusual to see a flurry of activity,” Hunter said. “The only thing that is bothersome about this flurry of activity is that there was a brazen armed robbery.”

Hunter said he’d simply be guessing if he saw a trend in the recent spree.

“These have been unseasonably warm temperatures,” Hunter said.  “Weather does affect patterns of crime, no doubt. I’m not saying that’s what happened here.”

For Emma Rhoads, a sophomore biology major, philanthropy changed her life. She never planned to go to medical school until she set foot in Riley Hospital for Children.

Signing up for Butler University Dance Marathon, Rhoads said, was the best decision of her college career.

“It was that epiphany [that] this is where I need to be,” Rhoads, who hopes to become a pediatrician, said. “I met families. I heard stories and just became so inspired and wanted to make a difference bigger than anything I ever expected.”

Rhoads is one of thousands of Butler students who participate in philanthropy each year. The university approached $300,000 in charitable fundraising in the 2010-11 academic year, according to figures compiled by The Collegian. Students appear set to do so again this year.

Although the university does not directly contribute to student philanthropies, a few receive budget supplements from the Student Government Association. Program Board provided budgets this year of $10,000 to Dance Marathon and $25,000 to Spring Sports Spectacular.  The allotments are drawn from mandatory student programming fees.

Rhoads, co-president of Dance Marathon, said the SGA support means everything to her organization.

“We wouldn’t be able to have our event without it,” she said. “Some schools don’t have sponsorship by the university, so they have to take the money from fundraising to host their actual event.”

Greek houses account for much of Butler’s philanthropic output. Campus fraternities and sororities consistently raise about $105,000 annually, Becky Druetzler, the director of Greek life who tracks the data, said.

Dance Marathon, however, is Butler’s most prolific benefit, Jon Himes, Program Board chair, said.

The 12-hour event raised $108,000 in January to aid children’s health, up $6,000 from 2011.

Relay for Life, run by a team of students in conjunction with the American Cancer Society, stands as the second-largest Butler philanthropy.  It collected $55,929 a year ago. The 2012 relay, scheduled to begin Friday at the Health and Recreation Complex, had raised $37,880 at press time.

Spring Sports Spectacular, the 200-event, late-night competition, raised $33,000 in March for the Special Olympics.  More than 1,500 students compete each year, Rachael Essig, a co-chair, said, making Spring Sports the top campus philanthropy in terms of participation.

Himes said surpassing a quarter of a million dollars in yearly charitable fundraising signifies the importance of philanthropy at Butler.

“The university understands it enriches the quality of student life,” Himes said. “There are so many different organizations, so many great organizations doing work. It shows we have a commitment to service.”

Butler itself maintains a partnership with the United Way, and faculty and staff raise money for that cause. But the university does not donate funds to student philanthropies, Greek or otherwise.
“I’m not going to say they should or shouldn’t,” Mitch Markel, a sophomore criminology major and chair of Tau Kappa Epsilon’s philanthropy committee, said. “The money definitely goes to a good cause if they would contribute.”

Vice President for Student Affairs Levester Johnson could not be reached for comment.

Rhoads said it’s actually rewarding that Dance Marathon, which finished its 10th year on campus, is independent from university giving.

“It’s nice to know we’re raising $100,000 just as students,” she said. “We’re the ones organizing it and running around and dedicating hours on end.”

The largest Greek philanthropy is Delta Delta Delta sorority’s letter-writing campaign, Sincerely Yours, for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It brings in more than $30,000 a year.

Trike-La-Tron, or TRIKE, recently completed its 49th year as Delta Tau Delta’s signature annual philanthropy. In partnership with the Riley Hospital for Children, TRIKE is the largest fraternity philanthropy at Butler.

“It’s been awesome to see the personal connection between our fraternity and the actual families that were affected,” Brad Vogelsmeier, a junior urban affairs major and co-chair of the TRIKE committee, said.

Vogelsmeier said TRIKE raised $16,000 this spring, with a few sources yet to report.

The oldest non-Greek philanthropy on campus is Spring Sports Spectacular, which has been around nearly two decades, Essig said.

She said the event, which runs from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m., holds a special place in campus culture.

“I feel everybody in the Greek community and even the campus in general looks forward to Spring Sports,” Essig said. “Philanthropy should always be in your life at some point.”

Essig said the best part of the philanthropy is interacting with children with special needs.

“There’s so much we can learn from them about what challenges they faced,” she said. “They still love the world and everybody in it. I think it’s just amazing to watch their perseverance to continue on in life.”

Druetzler said the overall scope of Butler’s philanthropic efforts is a testament to its students. She said the university must be careful, despite impressive statistics, to strike a balance between philanthropy and service.

Dean of student life Irene Stevens said Butler does not document non-Greek fundraising or service hours. Druetzler said service hours in Butler’s Greek community average 27,000 in an academic year.

Rhoads said just being involved in any fashion is invaluable to students.

“If you can be involved with your community at the collegiate level,” she said, “it’ll get you prepared to be involved with your career and even a family in the future.”

Butler University President Jim Danko created a new position in his office and filled vacancies in two others, he announced in an April 2 memo.

The university now has an executive assistant to the Board of Trustees, a role filled by Carol Wroblewski.  Wroblewski is a former associate provost at Butler.  She will communicate with trustees  and work to involve them in university events, tasks previously left to the president’s assistant.

Danko hired Heather Vaughn, a former Rolls-Royce official, as his executive assistant. Vaughn replaces former Bobby Fong aide Ellen Clark, who retired after Fong left to become president at Ursinus College.

Cate Marshall replaces the departed Velinda Bennett as office assistant.  Marshall was a board administrator for the Indianapolis Department of Public Safety.

“What is common when you had a president in place as long as Bobby, you have staff changes,” said Ben Hunter, Chief of Staff and Executive Director of Public Safety.  “This restructuring increases our flexibility.”

Hunter moved his office from the Butler University Police Department to the president’s office in January.  Although most of his duties haven’t changed, Hunter assumed one major new one: direct oversight of compliance with state and federal regulations.

“By heart, I’m a policy wonk,” Hunter said. “Now that the staff is in place, it affords me the ability to get to those projects and those issues.”

Hunter said priority must be given to following the Clery Act and Title IX law, and he can now do that by working more closely with Danko.

“It’s a good fit,” he said. “It works out well with my background.”

Wroblewski, approaching 15 years of experience at Butler, said her position is a work in progress since she started work March 19.  She remains in the process of meeting the Board of Trustees.

“It’s fascinating to get to know this diverse group of people so intimately involved with the university,” she said.

Wroblewski holds weekly phone conversations with Chair John Hargrove.

Vaughn is in her fifth week at Butler, and Marshall is in her fourth.  Each said working with Danko is exciting.

“I can appreciate his perspective,” Vaughn said. “He’s business-minded. I have a similar mindset.”

Marshall said the Butler community has been very welcoming.

“I’ve been thrilled with people just stopping by to introduce themselves,” she said.  “I couldn’t be happier.”

Danko was out of town and unavailable for comment.

Hunter said Vaughn, Marshall and Wroblewski fit Danko’s innovative style of leadership.

“You want a president’s office that’s inviting and has great dynamics,” Hunter said. “President Danko has achieved that. It’s nice to have outstanding people who will offer a great atmosphere when people walk in the door.”

Hunter also said having a liaison to the Board of Trustees is a critical step.

“You have the board guiding our university in so many ways, having so many meetings a year, so it is important strategically,” Hunter said.

Wroblewski, who holds a doctorate degree in counseling psychology from Ball State University, said she doesn’t know how Clark managed board relations on top of other
duties.

“I am more than busy,” Wroblewski said. “That leads me to believe she was doing an incredible amount of work.”

Wroblewski said the trick, though, is to decide what information is need-to-know.

“That’s the core issue this first year,” she said. “I would hate to waste these busy peoples’ time.”

Vaughn said her biggest job is managing Danko’s calendar.  She said her new position applies many skills used in a 15-year career at Rolls-Royce.

“I just like helping people,” Vaughn said. “I feel that’s what my purpose is. It’s me.”

Vaughn said she has enjoyed Danko’s sense of humor.

“I don’t know if we’ll end up doing practical jokes,” she said, “but we’ll keep it lighthearted.”

Vaughn applied to be Danko’s aide after serving with Hunter on Indianapolis’ Super Bowl Host Committee.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard Butler is a wonderful place to work,” Vaughn said.  “I felt I made a very good decision. It’s proven so.”

The Butler University Police Department is investigating a woman’s allegation that she may have been drugged while at a Dec. 2 party at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house.

The woman, whose name was not released by police upon her request, first made the allegation to BUPD March 8.  She is not certain her drink was spiked.

“It probably occurred here if something happened,” Hunter said.

After it was ordered to stop operations in the fall, the fraternity could come under renewed scrutiny if the latest allegation has weight.

“If evidence bears out one particular location on campus is an issue, then student affairs will deal with it,” said Ben Hunter, chief of staff.

There is a suspect in the case who is known by the victim and who has been identified to police, according to BUPD’s case log.

Hunter said it is possible that Detective Bruce Allee, head of the investigation, has narrowed the search to one person.

Allee said the investigation is ongoing.

“He’ll either close it out if it’s unfounded, or he’ll leave it open and continue to investigate,” Hunter said.

The university hit Phi Kappa Psi with a cease-and-desist order following an alleged sexual assault that is said to have occurred on its property in September.  That case is still under investigation.

Dean of Student Life Irene Stevens, citing university privacy policy, did not disclose whether the fraternity remains under sanction.

“Phi Psi should not have had a party on December 2,” Stevens said.  “Conduct probation typically [means] no parties.”

Under state law, the act of slipping a drug into a person’s drink is assault.  BUPD has listed the alleged act as battery with bodily injury.

Hunter said the case is difficult to investigate.

“We don’t have the drink,” he said.  “We didn’t have a whole lot to go off.  We’ll look at it and see what we can do to move it forward.”

More than three months passed between the time the woman believes her drink was spiked and the first report to police.  Hunter said he didn’t expect that to hinder the investigation.

“At some point, like two years from now, it does lose its ability to go back and be pieced together,” he said.  “December, I don’t know that that’s such a huge hurdle.”

Phi Kappa Psi president Ryan Medas did not respond to a request for comment.  Individual members, citing fraternity policy, declined comment on Phi Kappa Psi’s standing with Butler.

“Probation typically lasts longer than a couple months,” Stevens said.

Hunter said he was not aware of any similar reports stemming from the night of Dec. 2 or from Phi Kappa Psi in general.

Stevens said her office will wait for BUPD to complete its investigation before reaching any decision on potential discipline, which could apply to an individual, to a Greek house or to both.

“We always take past behavior and past sanctions into account, whether it be individual or group,” Stevens said.  “Sanctions will be more stringent on the second and third violation.”

It is possible the case could be presented to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, though Hunter said criminal charges are unlikely.

“It’s going to be difficult to go that route because you don’t have evidence,” he said.

University discipline, Hunter said, is possible if the allegation is found to be true.

The victim has the option to ask student affairs to pursue university conduct charges.  Stevens, who oversees all conduct outside Butler’s residence halls, would then determine whether to charge a student or an organization with a violation.

In his fourth year at Butler, Hunter said spiked drinks have not been an issue during his tenure.

“If it is, it’s not getting reported,” he said.  “If this is occurring in our community, it’s disappointing, to say the least.  We want people to report them to us.”

Stevens said students should keep drinks in closed containers and avoid leaving them unattended.

Allee said they should realize drugs like Rohypnol, commonly called roofies, could appear at just about any location.

“We know they’re out there,” he said.  “We don’t know if they’re pervasive. It’s much more of a hazard away from school than it is here.”

Allee said the drugs severely slow respiration and could even prove fatal if the person does not get to the hospital as quickly as possible.

There is no timeline for BUPD’s investigation.

Butler University’s student media organizations will merge as part of an expanded, multi-platform enterprise set for launch this fall, College of Communication faculty announced.

New ventures include an internet radio station, increased television coverage through Collegian TV and enhanced output in commercial videos from Deep Blue Productions.

The media group, which has yet to be named, will be independently run.  All positions will be paid, and students from all colleges will be eligible to apply.

The aim, creators said, is to prepare students for successful careers in media while simultaneously improving campus news and entertainment.

“When students have the tools and the freedom, they do some fantastic things,” said Nancy Whitmore, an associate professor in CCOM and Eugene S. Pulliam School of Journalism director.

Whitmore, along with professor Kenneth Creech, first conceived the idea of an upgraded, umbrella structure nearly two years ago when CCOM formed.

“It’s the right move,” Creech said.  “We felt what was missing was that component that allows students all across the college to really draw on the talents of one another.”

Content will be produced in cooperative fashion and labeled with a common brand and packaging.

Whitmore said the media group will help CCOM recruit and give students an edge in the job market.

Shelby Seibring, a sophomore journalism and strategic communication major who works on “The Butler Beat,” a weekly news show, said she is excited by the media group.

“It’s nice if you can integrate writing and TV, because a bunch of broadcasting is going online,” Seibring said. “It’ll be nice to get experience in both.”

Craig Pinkus, a member of the CCOM Board of Visitors that advised Whitmore and Creech, said the move ends historical isolation between student media and makes the college more attractive to prospective students.

“Kids in high school are going to be highly dependent on steering,” Pinkus said. “Communicating this integrated approach should mean a lot to counselors.”

Interim CCOM Dean Bill Neher approved the proposal last spring.  Then-Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jamie Comstock and Vice President for University Advancement Mark Helmus signed off in October.

Comstock suggested that the university create the radio station. Butler once had a traditional station, WAJC, which folded in the 1990s.

Creech said the new station will be based online to follow modern trends. CCOM purchased equipment to allow streaming of sporting events and perhaps performing arts shows.

Butler also used to maintain a television station, WTBU, in the former department of radio and television that existed within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

“Those were great venues for the students,” Creech said. “We hear from graduates how valuable those experiences really were.  It’s that ‘learning while doing’ that we felt was just not where it ought to be.”

The college is set to invest in new equipment, new cameras and a television adviser to renew its commitment to TV, Whitmore
said.

IndyBlue Records and Publishing, an existing student group, also will receive a shot in the arm under the new enterprise and will produce records for people in the greater Butler community.

Whitmore said the undertakings will teach students things they can’t learn in a classroom.

“As hard as we try and as close as we get, we can’t replicate running a newsroom, a budget, selling advertising, taking criticism, taking praise, handling manipulations,” she said. “The stakes are always so much higher when you really publish rather than hand in a paper for a class.”

Seibring said that will look good on a résumé.

“When you’re in an interview, you can say you have all those experiences,” she said.

Plans for professional workshops are included in the media group’s formation.

“Curriculum revisions are slow,” Whitmore said. “Media changes quickly.”

Creech said the organization is self-financing because all the components either charge for output or sell advertising.

“We’re hoping we can make a substantial amount that will defray most of the costs,” Whitmore
said.

The official name has been withheld, Whitmore said, in order to use the rights for fundraising.

INSIDE THE NEW
MEDIA GROUP

-The Butler Collegian
Print, Web & CollegianTV
-Deep Blue Productions
-IndyBlue Records and Publishing
-Internet Radio Station (New)

For the first time in six years, the Butler men’s basketball team will not appear in the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship tournament.

Needing to win the Horizon League tournament for an automatic bid, the Bulldogs instead were knocked out by a 65-46 loss to Valparaiso in the semifinals Saturday night.

Photo by Chris Goff

The Bulldogs (20-14) will become just the fifth team since 1985 to miss the NCAA tournament after playing in the national championship game the previous year.

Coach Brad Stevens said Butler would accept a potential bid to the NIT or, more likely, the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament or the College Basketball Invitational.

“It’s still an honor,” Stevens said. “It’s not what you set out to do or strived to do, but we’re not an NCAA-tournament team. Our overall success this year is not worthy.”

Valparaiso junior forward Ryan Broekhoff helped deal a final blow to Butler’s résumé with 19 points and 16 rebounds before a near-capacity crowd in the top-seeded Crusaders’ home arena.

No. 5 seed Butler entered the game having won seven of its last eight. The Bulldogs lost for a third time this season to the Crusaders (22-10), who moved on to face Detroit for a bid to the NCAA tournament.

“Any team that’s the age we are is going to be inconsistent,” Stevens said. “We played like a green, young team [Saturday].”

Detroit defeated Valparaiso 70-50 last night in the conference championship game, which Butler won the past two seasons.

“It’ll be different,” senior guard Ronald Nored said. “Regardless of where we play, we’ll go out there and play as hard and as well as we can.”

Sophomore guard Chrishawn Hopkins kept the Bulldogs within striking distance until midway through the second half with 18 points. Sophomore forward Erik Fromm had 12 points and six rebounds.

No other Butler player had more than four points. The Bulldogs shot 33.3 percent from the field after starting the game 4 of 18.

Junior center Kevin Van Wijk and junior point guard Erik Buggs contributed 11 points apiece for the Crusaders, who shot 53.5 percent from the field.

Butler led 7-2 about three minutes into the game after Hopkins rattled home a jumper.

Valparaiso then went on a 17-1 run over the next 7:25 and never relinquished the lead.

Stevens dealt with a shortage of players he could rely on for offense.

Starters Nored, junior center Andrew Smith, sophomore forward Khyle Marshall and freshman forward Roosevelt Jones combined for eight points in 94 minutes of playing time.

“They really struggled,” Stevens said.  “I don’t know why.”

The Crusaders dominated the glass by a 39-22 margin, which helped them to a 31-24 lead at the end of the first half. In the opening 20 minutes, 11 of Valparaiso’s 14 field goals were either layups or tip-ins.

Broekhoff, the conference player of the year, wouldn’t allow Butler to come back.

“He was the best player on the floor by far,” Stevens said. “You’ve got to be incredibly tough to win in an environment like this. We were thoroughly outplayed.”

The Bulldogs fell behind by as many as 21 in a game that reminded some of their 71-59 loss in the regular season finale at the Athletics-Recreation Center.

“The two frontline guys [Van Wijk and Broekhoff] killed us again,” Stevens said. “We really struggled to score in and around the paint again. It’s a loud gym.”

The Crusaders remembered the result from Feb. 24 when they raced out to an 18-4 lead.

“We were quietly confident we could repeat what happened,” Broekhoff said.

Butler’s lopsided defeat came on the heels of its victory over Milwaukee the day before.

The Bulldogs led the whole game in a 71-49 rout of the Panthers (20-13) Friday night.

Marshall and Jones each scored 17 points, and Smith added eight.

Over the weekend, Nored became Butler’s all-time record-holder for assists in a single season, passing Mike Green with 180 thus far.

A Horizon League official said he expects Butler’s postseason status to be resolved by the evening of March 12 at the latest.

VALPARAISO– For the first time in seven years, the Butler men’s basketball team won’t appear in the NCAA tournament.

Needing to win four games to take the Horizon League tournament championship and earn an automatic bid, the Bulldogs fell short in a semifinal 65-46 loss to top-seeded Valparaiso Saturday night.

Junior forward Ryan Broekhoff  led the way with 19 points and 16 rebounds before a near-capacity crowd in the Crusaders’ home arena.

Coach Brad Stevens said his team would accept a bid to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament or the College Basketball Invitational, if offered.

“We’re not an NCAA tournament team,” Stevens said.  “Our overall success this year is not worthy.”

Butler (20-14, 11-7) entered the game having won seven of its last eight.  The Bulldogs dropped all three matchups with Valparaiso (22-10, 14-4).

“Any team that’s the age we are is going to be inconsistent,” Stevens said.  “We played like a green, young team today.”

The Crusaders play Detroit Tuesday at 9 p.m. in the conference championship game, which was won by Butler the previous two seasons.

“It’s different,” senior guard Ronald Nored said.  “Credit to them for the way they played.  They scored on us and made it tough for us to get the ball where we wanted it.”

Sophomore guard Chrishawn Hopkins kept the Bulldogs within striking distance until midway through the second half.  He scored 18 points.  Sophomore forward-center Erik Fromm had 12 points and six rebounds.

No other Butler player had more than four points.

“Butler got some pretty good looks,” Valparaiso coach Bryce Drew said.  “The ball just wasn’t going through.”

After making more than half their field goal attempts in the first two rounds, the Bulldogs shot 33.3 percent Saturday.

Junior center Kevin Van Wijk and junior point guard Erik Buggs contributed 11 points apiece for the Crusaders, who shot 53.5 percent.

Butler led 7-2 about three minutes into the game after Hopkins rattled home a jumper.  Valparaiso then went on a 17-1 run over the next 7:25.

Hopkins finally ended the drought with a 3-pointer to draw the Bulldogs with 19-11.

But Stevens dealt with a shortage of other players on whom he could rely for offense.  Starters Roosevelt Jones, Khyle Marshall, Andrew Smith and Nored combined for eight points in 94 minutes of playing time.

“They really struggled,” Stevens said.  “I don’t know why.”

The Crusaders dominated the glass by a 39-22 margin.  That helped them to a 31-24 lead after the first half, when 11 of Valparaiso’s 14 field goals were either layups or tip-ins.

“We’ve been focusing on getting the ball in the paint,” Buggs said.

Broekhoff, the Horizon League Player of the Year, wouldn’t allow Butler to come back.

“He was the best player on the floor by far,” Stevens said.  “You’ve got to be incredibly tough to win in an environment like this.  We got beat pretty good.”

Sophomore guard Jay Harris added nine points and junior center Richie Edwards scored eight to lead the Crusaders’ reserves.

Harris made a layup and a 3-pointer in a two-minute span of the second half to give Valparaiso a 41-30 lead with 13:44 remaining.

Things only went downhill from there, as the Bulldogs fell behind by as many as 21 points in a game that reminded some of their 71-59 loss in the regular season finale here at the Athletics-Recreation Center.

“The two frontline guys [Van Wijk and Broekhoff] killed us again,” Stevens said.  “It’s a loud gym.  We had more fans here than we normally do.  We didn’t get as [many] good looks as last time.”

The Crusaders remembered the result from a week ago, when they raced out to an 18-4 lead against an overmatched Butler team.

“We were quietly confident we could repeat what happened,” Broekhoff said.

A Horizon League official said he expects Butler’s postseason status to be resolved by the evening of March 12 at the latest.

Another runaway victory gives Butler a chance to do what it has failed to so far: beat first-place Valparaiso.

The Bulldogs dominated Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the second half Friday to earn a 71-49 victory in the second round of the Horizon League tournament.

Butler (20-13, 12-7) advances to play the Crusaders, 2-0 against the Bulldogs, on their home floor Saturday night.

“Valpo’s the best team in the league,” Butler coach Brad Stevens said.

Against the Panthers, at least on this night, Butler was top dog.

Khyle Marshall and Roosevelt Jones scored 17 points apiece to increase Butler’s conference tournament winning streak to six.

“It’s all or nothing,” Marshall said.

Panthers standout guard Kaylon Williams, held to eight points on 3-for-9 shooting, said the Bulldogs rise to the occasion this time of year.

“They’re a tournament team,” Williams said.

Butler knocked off coach Rob Jeter’s team (20-13, 11-8) for a third consecutive year in post-season play.

“Losing’s losing,” Williams said.  “It hurts the same no matter who it is.”

Butler led 22-18 at halftime but quickly pulled ahead by a larger margin in the second half.  Chase Stigall swished a three from the top of the key to give the Bulldogs a 42-26 lead with 13:03 to play.

“That was one of our best defensive efforts,”  Butler guard Ronald Nored said.  “We’re going to have to be ready [Saturday].”

The Bulldogs shot 50 percent and outrebounded Milwaukee 42-23.

“We were so engaged,” Stevens said.  “When we started making shots, it all added up.”

Butler went 2-for 12 from 3 but connected on 27 of 46 2-point tries.

Marshall had three dunks.  He and Jones finished time and again around the basket.

“Coach Stevens runs plays for me to get those lobs,” Marshall said.

Center Andrew Smith had eight points and seven rebounds.  Nored contributed five points, six rebounds and six assists.

Nored became Butler’s all-time record-holder for assists in a single season, passing former Bulldog Mike Green with 176 assists so far.

Center James Haarsma led the Panthers with nine points.

Butler’s game against Valparaiso is set for 8:30 p.m. Saturday.  ESPNU will air the contest.  The winner will play either Detroit or Cleveland State Tuesday in the Horizon League championship game.

Members of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity expect to soon be better able to park their cars along the street in front of their house.

A city resolution, backed by the fraternity’s house corps, the Butler University Police Department, the university parking committee and the Butler-Tarkington Neighborhood Association, allows for a stretch on the east side of Sunset Avenue to be designated as Greek parking.

Signs are expected to be placed within the next week.  The area running from Lambda Chi’s property line north to the corner of 49th Street is currently open to anyone with a university permit and is frequently used by commuters.

Parties involved felt the change was necessary as the fraternity dealt with a shortage of reliable parking spaces and ran into conflicts with usage of the lot near Clowes Memorial Hall.

Chapter president Matt  Presley said residents of Lambda Chi’s house require 40-45 parking spots.  However, the fraternity only has 24 spots available in the lot on its property.

For years, some members have used a row of 15 spaces across the street in the Clowes lot to help make up the difference.

A “gentleman’s handshake” between Clowes, BUPD and the fraternity allowed members to park there, Executive Director of Public Safety Ben Hunter said.
Difficulties arose, though, when Clowes hosted certain events and Lambda Chi members were asked to move their vehicles.  Those students had to resort to parking in the lot at Hinkle Fieldhouse or attempting to find a Greek parking spot on the south side of campus.
The informal arrangement between Lambda Chi Alpha and Clowes will end once the new zoning on Sunset is official, Hunter said.

Hunter said the new Greek parking in front of the Lambda Chi Alpha house should amount to about 20 to 22 spots.

“As far as solving their problem, I’m confident it will go a long way,” Hunter said.

Presley said the resolution, approved by the Indianapolis Board of Public Works Jan. 11, will assure there is sufficient parking for Lambda Chi Alpha vehicles.

“It’ll be exactly what we need alongside the street,” he said.

Parking has been an issue for the fraternity recently.

Between eight to 10 members of the fraternity saw their vehicles towed last Wednesday morning when Clowes hosted hundreds of local schoolchildren for a presentation of “The Magic School Bus Live!”

All of the space in the lot was needed to park school buses.

Presley said he was notified in early January of the dates this semester when Lambda Chi Alpha vehicles would need to be removed.

He forwarded the email to his members.  On Feb. 20, Presley provided the men two days’ notice and asked them to drive their cars and trucks out before the Feb. 22 event.

“I gave fair warning,” Presley said. “They didn’t listen to what I said.”

Noticing Greek decals in the lot, BUPD called Presley at 7:40 a.m.

Since he was asleep and had his phone on vibrate, Presley missed the call.  Police three minutes later phoned house mother Sheila Patsiner, who woke up as many students as she could.

Presley said five or six men ran outside and moved their vehicles before they were towed.

A few others paid $40 to recover cars already lifted onto tow trucks.  Less fortunate members faced charges of $150 to retrieve their rides.

“Quite expensive,” Presley said.

The maximum allowable towing fee is $150, according to Sec. 995-305a of the city code.

Per Sec. 995-305i, when an owner arrives to find a vehicle already on the tow truck, the towing company must return the vehicle “upon cash payment of a reasonable fee, not to exceed one half of the regular towing fee.”

The first vehicles were towed at roughly 7:50 a.m., about 10 minutes after BUPD contacted Lambda Chi Alpha.  The show was scheduled for 10 a.m., with school buses arriving sooner.

Hunter said it wasn’t the first time BUPD has ordered cars to be towed.

“We had to get the lot cleared,” he said.  “Not only did the organization get warnings not to park there, but staff were proactive in getting ahold of people that morning. At some point, we can’t continue to wait, and I’m adamant we’re not going to mix vehicular traffic with school-aged children.”

Presley said he thought BUPD could have waited another 10 to 15 minutes to tow but said he wasn’t upset by the decision.

“They had the right to do it,” he said. “They needed that lot.  I told our members, ‘You guys have to take responsibility.’ It’s more on our members.”

Steve Pavlick, a freshman finance and accounting major, agreed with his president.

“You’ve got to be accountable for your own car,” he said.

Kyle Graden, a sophomore international business and Spanish major, said he was among the students able to move his car before it got towed.

“It’s kind of our fault,” he said.  “They did give us a warning.”

Graden said he left his car in the lot despite the email because he didn’t expect it to actually get towed.

Days from now, Lambda Chi Alpha students no longer will be allowed to park in Clowes and are set instead to take advantage of the 20 to 22 Greek parking spots in front of their house.

“Problem solved,” Graden said.

Some members said they are happy that commuters won’t be able to park there.

“Once we get them out of the way, it should get rid of the problem,” said Tyler Berggren, a sophomore recording industry studies major.  “Parking on the street would be a lot better [for us].”

At the specific request of the BTNA, the Greek zoning on Sunset is not applicable during the summer months.

The home on the corner of Sunset and 49th is abandoned.  Butler owns the property, allowing cars to park on the street next
to it.
Jeremy Stewart, president of the BTNA, and Christopher Cleveland, a sophomore College of Liberal Arts and Sciences student whose vehicle was towed last week, declined to comment.
David Sherman, chairman of the Board of Public Works, could not be reached for comment.

A team deemed “Big Blue” by its supporters won the Super Bowl.  But shades of Butler blue colored events leading up to and surrounding the big game.

Butler University officials are claiming victory in a coordinated effort to earn publicity and involve the Butler community in a variety of ways as Indianapolis hosted the National Football League’s championship game for the first time on Feb. 5.

They say the value of Butler’s public relations success is priceless.

“It was March Madness in February,” said Marcia Dowell, executive director of university relations.

The campus hosted a stand-up event starring NBC late-night host Jimmy Fallon, the NFL’s celebration of gospel music, a celebrity basketball game for charity, a comedy show with big personalities, a dinner for public safety planners, free tours of Hinkle Fieldhouse and two Butler men’s basketball home games.

People affiliated with the university participated in Fallon’s live post-Super Bowl special, Madonna’s performance in the halftime show and official NFL social media promotion, among other events.

As usual, mascot Butler Blue II was in the middle of it all.

The English bulldog visited the Super Bowl Village and Radio Row, judged a cooking contest, appeared on a CBS television special, filmed a spot for Fallon’s live show, posed for pictures, added about 400 followers on Twitter and was named one of the Social 46 by the city’s Super Bowl host committee.

“At the end of it, you say, ‘This is all the stuff we did,’” Michael Kaltenmark, director of web marketing and communications, said. “I don’t know how you could look at that as not being successful and not having a good week.”

Courtney Tuell, director of public relations, said she reached out to Super Bowl officials months before the game to find out how Butler could become involved, and she’s happy with how it all turned out.

“It keeps Butler’s name in the national spotlight,” she said.  “The impact will be positive. [Many events] were once-in-a-lifetime experiences for our students that have likely resulted in a lot of great experiences and memories.”

The Bridgestone Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show was among those.

Eric Stark, a professor of music, directed a 200-person choir that sung “Like a Prayer” on stage with Madonna.  Included were 22 members of the Butler chorale.

“That’s incredible,” Kaltenmark said.  “The value comes back in recruitment and enrollment. We can tout that that happened, [that] you’re going to get opportunities just by who we are and where we are.”

Super Bowl week also affected campus visitation.

About six families toured Butler —and about 20 more requested visits—because of the Super Bowl, Beth Petrie, associate director of admission, said.

Petrie said many of those prospective students and their families were from the East Coast, which is home to both the victorious New York Giants and the vanquished New England Patriots.

Teenagers weren’t the only ones setting foot on Butler ground.

Ben Hunter, chief of staff and executive director of public safety, co-chaired the Visiting Public Safety Committee.  The committee hosted several security planners at a dinner Feb. 2 in the Reilly Room.

“They fell in love with our campus,” Hunter said.

Butler also partnered with the Horizon League to make 50 free tickets available to Super Bowl media for both the Feb. 2 game against Wright State and the Feb. 4 matchup with Detroit.

Nearly all were used by members of the press, including Boston Globe sports columnist Bob Ryan, who said he saw something at Hinkle he’d never seen before — a timeout promotion in which fans raced remote control cars.

Butler’s athletics department promoted free tours of the fieldhouse, and 129 people went through in five days.

Matt Harris, manager of fan development for Butler athletics, said the tours were one of the few special events held away from downtown.

“Everybody in Indianapolis was doing something,” said Harris, who led most tours. “That we were a part of that shows where we stand in our community.”

Butler was perhaps showcased most by the opening segment of the live “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,” in which Fallon sat on a couch with Blue II, in a room with students in Butler T-shirts, and then ran out of Atherton Union, past the bulldog statue, and tiptoed atop the “Butler University” sign parallel with Hampton Drive. Hink was seen on camera inside the Hilbert Theatre.

“The icing on the cake,” Kaltenmark said of the show that involved more than 100 Butler students and was viewed by 6.166 million people. “To see that exposure, Butler couldn’t buy that. We couldn’t afford it. It’s just priceless any way you cut it.”

Tuell said she agreed that a monetary value on Butler’s PR couldn’t be figured, and Dowell said the positive press about the city in general helps the school, too.

Kaltenmark said his only regret is not succeeding in his effort to book Blue II to appear on “Today” or “Fox and Friends.”

But he said the university’s overall success was stunning.

“It’s the Super Bowl coming to your backyard,” Kaltenmark said. “You’ve got to try to get in on that. Here’s an event that for all intents and purposes has nothing to do with you — it’s professional football — and we came away as one of the city’s major players. I bet people thought, ‘That Butler, they did it again.’”