The Saint :: Issue 2

ArtPrize 2013 Staff Writer Cait Hilton has everything you need to know about the art festival in downtown GR.

theSaint

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Wednesday, September 18, 2013 Volume 33, Issue 2

This issue brought to you by Miley’s wrecking ball.

Construction time

>>NEWS LLC Spotlight | 2

The K House turns its efforts toward a year of sustainability.

Minimum Wages | 3

Reporter Stephen Douglas has the latest on the minimum wage raise debate.

Campus to be under renovation for fieldhouse addition and new apartment

By Mayra Monroy Staff Writer

>>CULTURE The Butler | 5

Staff Writer Ian McNeil reviews the Oscar-buzzed movie.

Orange is the New Black | 6

Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Giluk takes a look at the new hit series.

>>SPORTS Undefeated and still kicking | 7 Reporter Linda Zimmerman gives us the scoop on the men’s soccer team.

Liz Vaughan | 8

Staff Writer Chuck Hyde interviews the senior soccer star about her Aquinas experience.

With the Alksnis Sports Center, or Sturrus Phase II, underway, major changes are coming to the Aquinas College campus. A significant change happening that is adding to the construction of the addition to Sturrus,will be the reconstruction of the Fulton Street entrance.

The projected construction will expand the lot, adding more parking spaces to Fulton Lot, along with a brand new St. Thomas Aquinas statue. The overall construction to the entrance will hold off until summer 2014, after seniors graduate.

Another major change that students should expect to see on campus is the construction of the new Apartment E, which is set to be built on top of the Donnelly Lot starting this fall. The new apartment building will be parallel to the soccer field and is expected to hold 62 residents.

The building, an almost exact replica of Apartment D, will be LEED certified, meaning that the construction crew will recycle almost of any waste during the process of construction and the building will be as sustainable as possible. The building will also contain many other sustainable features.

“We will be having students living there in 2014. It’s very exciting,” said Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Brian Matzke. The majority of construction is projected to begin late October to early November. Construction is expected to break ground once final approval is in hand.

Trouble abroad?

Heated relations between the U.S., Russia and Syria seem to settle for now

By Nathan Gimby Staff Writer UN reports on Monday confirmed the use of surface to surface sarin gas missiles in Syria’s capital city of Damascus. The report contains “convincing evidence” that sarin gas was used but does not assign blame for the attacks on either Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime or rebel groups, according to the BBC. The report comes at the end of a three day negotiation at Geneva between U.S. and Russia over regulation of Syria’s chemical weapons, culminating Saturday in an agreement requiring the Syrian government to disclose all locations of its testing facilities and stockpiles within a week and eventually turn over control of its chemical weapons to international authorities.

The agreement, which aims to have all Syrian chemical weapons destroyed by the middle of next year, was hailed as a “victory” by Syrian Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar. Initially a Russian proposal, the deal averted potential U.S. plans to launch punitive air strikes against the Syrian government for the alleged attacks.

“We welcome the agreement… it helps avoid the war against Syria depriving those who wanted to launch it of arguments to do so,” Haidar told Russian news agency Ria Novosti.

President Obama also welcomed the agreement but indicated in a statement Saturday that the solution was still a work in progress and the peace process depends on the Assad regime’s fulfillment of its commitments.

“And, if diplomacy fails, the United States remains prepared to act,” Obama said.

Despite successful negotiations on the chemical weapons plan, tensions have not subsided entirely. Calls

by European leaders to pass a UN resolution imposing punitive measures for noncompliance on Assad’s regime met with Russian opposition, The Guardian reports.

However, Russia has long been an ally of Syria and its attempts to dissuade intervention by the UN are not new policies.

According to Aquinas Political Science chair, Dr. Roger Durham, the two-and-a-half year Syrian civil war has already claimed over 100,000 lives and produced six million refugees.

Analysts, including Dr. Durham, often compare the Syrian conflict to Libya, where Responsibility to Protect (R2P) justified international military intervention against Libyan President Muamar Gaddafi, who was using military force and heavy arms against his citizens during the 2011 Arab Spring.

“I am individually disappointed that the international community did not respond much sooner… The international laws are pretty straightforward; R2P should have clicked in a long time ago,” Dr. Durham said.

However, he sees the cooperation between the US and Russia as a positive start to resolving the Syrian conflict, in spite of US threats of force and Russia’s vested interests.

“The Obama-Kerry Administration used gunboat diplomacy pretty well,” Dr. Durham said, “…the pressure to react has manifested as this option (Geneva agreement) to have some real inspections and turning over of these chemical weapons.”

“Getting inspections to be successful is a whole other dynamic.”

Additional parking was recently added to Browne Center in preparation for the limited parking that is expected during construction. “We’re trying to make as little of an inconvenience as possible. There was a waiting list [last year] and I promised that there would be a bed for any one that wanted one,” said Matzke.

A n o t h e r expansion taking place on the Aquinas campus is the Metro HealthAquinas merge.

Metro Health, which has partnered with Aquinas Athletics for several years now, has merged with Aquinas health services and based their home in lower Wege.

LAURA FARRELL / THE SAINT “In essence, the New additions: As Sturrus Phase II begins, a new apartment is set to go up as well. services we provide haven’t changed. For the first time we are affiliated with a as complete physicals, women’s health have been kept busy with the beginning hospital,” said Manager for Integratice services, immunizations, laboratory of the school year bringing new students Campus Health Services Veronica services, sports medicine and allergy care utilizing the services Metro Health has Beitner. With the new partnership, Health as well as other services. to offer.

Services can serve students more with “Moving forward, we will keep “It’s a great partnership to offer to the new hours, easier payment and billing expanding services. Metro Health has community,” Beitner said. Metro Health of insurance, along with other convenient a strong mission to sustainability,” is located in lower Wege with operating services. said Beitner. The team of a physician, hours Monday through Thursday 9 a.m.The center provides services such physicians assistant and medical assistant 5 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Women’s Studies Center starts off year with same sex union panel

By Emily Sweet The Saint Reporter It is hard to imagine a place where people willingly come together to discuss differences of opinion, to deliberate their unique speculations rather than dispute. Still, even though disagreement and violence circulate the world, five religious community icons came together at Aquinas on Monday, September 9, in the Wege Ballroom to discuss their own thoughts and opinions on the topic of same sex unions.

Dr. Amy Dunham Strand of the Jane Hibbard Idema Woman’s Studies Center arranged a panel of five religious leaders to present an informed discussion of same sex unions to students and faculty.

They strove to create a judgmentfree dialogue that could potentially serve as a model for students. The five speakers were the Jewish Rabbi Albert Lewis, Islamic leader Imam Muaz Redzic, Father James Chelich, Methodist Reverend Ellen Brubaker, and Presbyterian Reverend Chandler Stokes.

The session was a mix of personal reflection and religious discussion. Lewis opened the conversation by discussing his personal journey past homophobia and into acceptance. Two years ago he performed his first civil union of two men. He said, “If two people are truly in love and truly committed and truly willing to work on all the problems that they will have, I believe in it and I support it.” The unions that he has preformed for homosexual couples have been in various locations except the synagogue , the Jewish temple.

Judaism has not taken an official stand on homosexual relationships. However, Lewis imagines it would be a struggle to hold a civil union in the synagogue.

Lewis was not the only member of the panel openly taking a personal stand on the issue. Brubaker and Stokes also stated that they were supportive of homosexual unions.

Brubaker said the Methodist community believes in scripture above all, but interpretation can be tricky and at times almost impossible. The majority of the scripture was written in a different time with different customs. Therefore

EMILY SWEET / THE SAINT

Panel time: GR religious leaders gathered to discuss same sex unions. (L to R): Rabbi Lewis, Imam Redzic, Father Chelich, Reverend Brubaker and Reverend Stokes.

Methodists rely on faith to interpret the word of God correctly. Their scripture firmly states that chastity is vigorously sought after by all single people and that sexuality is a gift, but only in the confines of a heterosexual marriage. Brubaker countered her denominational statement and said, “You must honor the Christ centered heart of your own body, and I know the booklet [scripture] is wrong.

We must change this.”

Stokes closely followed Brubaker with an encore of his own. He confirmed that the Presbyterian denomination’s official position on same sex unions is not a positive one. He then pointed out that one of the most loving, healthy relationships exhibited in the Bible is the story of Ruth and Naomi in the book of Ruth. This relationship, although speculated to not be sexual, is everything a loving, committed relationship should look like. Stokes then asked, “Why would I deny them [a homosexual couple] that kind of pastoral support and protection, when their bond to each other is the same as mine to my wife?”

Instead of personal thoughts or journeys, both Redzic and Chelich gravitated toward their religions’ take on civil unions instead. Redzic emphasized that Islam is not two hours on Sunday but a 24/7 commitment: “Islam is a way of life,” he said. Officially, Islam believes

that homosexual partnership is legally and morally wrong and a sin. Muslims view the Koran as the absolute, timeless truth.

Chelich shared Brubaker’s statement about chastity. However, Chelich clarified that Catholicism believes that sex was created for procreation only and not as a form of entertainment .

Therefore, all forms of contraception are a sin, even in the confines of a legal, Catholic, heterosexual marriage.

Intimacy does not have to mean sexual practices, and it often does not in the Catholic congregation. Ultimately, since homosexual relationships cannot procreate, any homosexual activity is viewed a sin.

Although each panel member did not fully agree with every other panel member, they each emphasized important and respectful points in their time speaking. All five members contributed to the growth of the audience, and respectfully informed our faculty and students of their personal or religious opinions. During the intermission, the panel members spoke to each other engagingly. Their dialogue during the session and off the mic serves as a mature, respectful model of how to engage in healthy discussion.

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

Grand Rapids: Food trucks are here to stay

Michigan: Governor Snyder to be questioned on Detroit

Business: Apple now has an iPhone for every budget and need

World: J.K. Rowling shocks and surprises

The Grand Rapids Art Museum has recently requested that food trucks be stationed on the Wege Plaza, in front of the museum next to Rosa Parks Circle. This past week their request was granted just in time for ArtPrize. Check out the food trucks and local restaurants during the coming weeks of ArtPrize.

Gov. Rick Snyder has agreed to be questioned by union lawyers about the decision to allow the city of Detroit to declare bankruptcy. Union leaders and opposers to the declaration claim the Detroit was not eligible to declare bankruptcy under Chapter 9. The eligibility trail will take place on October 23.

The unveiling of the new iPhone has been much anticipated, but fans of the computer company will get a little more this time. The iPhone 5C is cheaper, with most of the same features as the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5S is sleeker and comes in aluminum with a faster processor. The phones are set to be released on September 20.

Author of the much-loved Harry Potter series J.K. Rowling announced that she will be once again teaming up with Warner Brothers Studios for a “Harry Potter inspires” movie series. The storyline will revolve around a Hogwarts textbook on magical creatures. This highly anticipated series will be Rowling screenplay debut.

War Time laura farrell |news editor As I was doing some homework last weekend, I happened upon an odd television channel, Applause, that was showing the first two episodes of Showtime’s hit series Homeland. The idea, I assumed, was to suck viewers in to the series so that they would have no choice but to buy a subscription to Showtime. Well played, Applause, well played.

I knew as soon as Homeland started two years ago that if I ever started watching it, I would be hooked. It has the inner workings of politics, like my all time favorite show West Wing, the drama of Law and Order, and the suspense of 24. If that was not enough, the show has the suburb acting ensemble of Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin and Damian Lewis.

The series follows oddball C.I.A agent Carrie Mathison (Danes) as her intuition prompts her to closely watch newly returned P.O.W. Marine Nicholas Brody (Lewis). Brody was captured and remained prisoner in Bagdad by Al Qaeda leaders for eight years and is now returning home to Washington D.C. Homeland cannot help but seem like real life, dealing with the consequences and side effects of the war on terror.

So real that you cannot stop watching, begging to see what happens next, and what the inner workings of our foreign relations is like. So on practical terms, starting the series two weeks into the first semester has not been my greatest idea ever, but college students are supposed to be impractical, right?

As difficult as it may be, I think that Homeland does an admirable job of presenting all sides of the story, including those of Al Qaeda and it’s followers. I realized that everything I knew about our war on terror, Iraq, etc. has all just been the “American perspective,” the perspective that those high up want us to know.

Reality started to blur between episodes of Homeland and the actual news as our foreign relations and national defense seems to be up in the air. Syria is the hot word of the moment. When we see or read Syria, we no doubt question and worry, but I do not think many people know as much about the situation as we should.

I was starting to feel rather guilty that I barely knew anything about the situation with Syria so, I did my research last week.

For those of you who were simply unaware like I was, I will try to give the basics. (Look for Reporter Nathan Gimby’s in depth look at Syria on page one for detailed information.) Syria is a long troubled country that currently finds itself in a bitter civil war. The problem that has urged outside action is that they have been using chemical actions against innocent civilians.

Over 40,000 civilians have reportedly died in the chemical attacks.

Our problem with it all is mainly the use of chemical weapons, which have been deemed a sort of “cheat” in war.

They kill too easily, too quickly and kill too many civilians. Thousands of Syrians have been flooding in neighboring countries, looking for refuge, creating a chaos of it’s own.

Gas warfare is terrifying, there is no doubt about it. Having something as simple as the air you breathe becoming capable of killing in the masses brings the stings and terrors of our history books seem too real. As leaders of the past have decided, using gas goes against the rules. They deemed it too easy, too effective to use in attacks of war. It takes about two seconds to see the backwards logic in this. How can you be too good in a battle? How can you be too successful?

The premise of Homeland and the current events we face now make me wonder, will the war on terror end in my lifetime? How can a battle of lies, drones, chemical weapons, nuclear weapons, and fierce patriotism ever end? The reality of the weaponry we have made for ourselves is all too much to think about.

You cannot escape the reality of international relation problems we face. It is easy as a college student to ignore it all, but stay informed and up to date.

World News Update

Safety First Campus safety week serves to educate and inform campus

By Natalie Smith The Saint Reporter The month of September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month. There are many schools at all levels that participate in this month.

Aquinas celebrates Campus Safety Week September 16-20 with various activities and programs offered to students and the community.

“Campus Safety Week has been going on for a while. It’s to show that Campus Safety cares about students and is not just here to give tickets,” said junior student worker Derek McAllister.

Kevin Kwiatkowski, the Director

campus can get their bike inspected for free by a professional all day at the Campus Safety office. For those who enjoyed learning selfdefense tips at this year’s Freshman Orientation, Sgt. MacDonald and Lt. Courtney will teach basic defense on Thursday from 12 p.m.-2 p.m., as well as on Friday from 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

“It’s good to open up to students and staff. Obviously we’re not teaching kids how to be ninjas but giving people the knowledge and means to escape dangerous situations,” said MacDonald.

On Friday from 8 a.m.-10 a.m. students can learn how to use a fire extinguisher with Courtney and

By Yashowanto Ghosh The Saint Reporter On Friday the 13, the fire alarms in AB went off just before 7 a.m. Elsewhere in the world: B R A Z I L - Set to host both next year’s FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, thousands took to the streets during a soccer tournament in June to protest the expenditure associated with such large-scale events at a time of rising inflation. Six new stadiums have already been completed, and another six are planned for the World Cup that will be ready on schedule despite the protests, said an official of the local organizing

in pre-election opinion polls conducted by the public broadcaster ARD. Her main competition, Peer Steinbrück of the Social Democratic Party, drew attention when a photograph of him raising his middle finger appeared in a supplement of the major newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. Merkel will run for her third term as Chancellor when the country holds elections for the Bundestag on September 22.

INDIA- A court in Delhi sentenced four accused rapists to death as a result of the December 16, 2012 fatal gang rape case which had sparked protests throughout the country and outrage

<<WE WOULD LIKE TO OFFER

AWARENESS TRAINING TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN, SO THAT THEY ARE EDUCATED>>

of Campus Safety, said, “This week allows Campus Safety to focus the community’s attention on matters that are important to each one of us…

We would like to offer awareness training to as many people as we can, so that they are educated.”

C a m p u s S a f e t y We e k o f f e r s something for everyone. Sgt. Mikal MacDonald said, “I’m going to vote for the meet the staff. Everyone is going to sit down. It’s an open face, open forum as well as bring any questions to the table. We want to get that interaction.”

On Monday, September 16, students got to snack and met the staff with Kwiatkowski, Lt. McCann, Sgt. Cusack, and Zenon Cardenas.

The Drunken Golf Cart Experience took place on Tuesday. Students had the opportunity to drive a golf cart wearing beer goggles in a controlled environment as well as register for a scholarship through Student Affairs.

Today, those with bikes on

MacDonald as well as learn what to do in the event of a fire.

COURTESY MEDIENMAGAZIN PRO K w iatko w s ki s aid, “C ampus Election time: Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany takes a dip in Safety will be offering different the polls. programming at various times of the year to continue in our efforts around the world. A fifth accused had committee. to educate our community. We are hung himself to death in his jail cell asking for input from the Aquinas E G Y P T - T h e a r m y - b a c k e d during the trial, and a sixth accused, tried College Community as to what government extended the month-old separately because he had been a juvenile classes they would like to see offered. state of emergency for another two at the time of the gang rape, had been Please direct your responses to CSO@ months in a September 12 announcement. sentenced to three years in prison. aquinas.edu.”

The country has been riddled by political Campus Safety Week is all about T U R K E Y - The death of 22-yearturmoil, with frequent militant attacks helping the community. “It highlights and dawn-to-dusk curfew orders,since old Ahmet Atakan threatens to restart that we are a service industry. We are the beginning of July, when the demonstrations against the government here for the students and that isn’t army overthrew Islamist President of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. always in front of the curtain, it’s Mohammed Morsi. Morsi belongs to Thousands of dissidents took to the a little behind the scenes and isn’t the Muslim Brotherhood, which has streets in June against the government’s necessarily highlighted in the day to been organizing protests in Cairo and authoritarianism. Protesters claim day things,” said MacDonald. allegedly inciting violence and militant Atakan died from being hit on the head insurgency throughout the country since by police, whereas the police claim he died because of a fall from a rooftop. The his ousting. country is scheduled to have presidential G E R M A N Y - Chancellor Angela elections next year and parliamentary Merkel of the conservative Christian elections in 2015.

Democratic Union dropped marginally

Learning Living Community Spotlight:

By Molly Pelak The Saint Reporter Residence Life is continually finding new ways to make on-campus housing beneficial and educational for both students and campus itself.

New to Aquinas College last year, the Living Learning Communities, or LLCs, have been revamped.

Students must apply for LLCs with a theme and campaign in mind dedicated to promoting a certain cause and holding different types of events during the school year. Last year, common themes of the LLCs included study and prayer.

This year, the LLCs are more prepared and ambitious as ever. One of those ambitious groups is the K House, located next to Willowbrook House on Robinson Road. This group of sophomores and juniors has dedicated their living and learning community to sustainability.

In the past few years, Aquinas College has been working its way up to a zero waste program by 2014.

With help from our Sustainability Department, campus is steadily making its way to this goal. To help out with the cause and raise awareness on campus, the students o f t h e K h o u s e h a ve d e d i c a t e d their campaign for the year to the sustainability program’s goals.

News Editor Laura Farrell E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

The K House

LAUREN LORIA / THE SAINT

The K House: Found off Robinson Road, the K House focuses on on-campus sustainability awareness.

With 2014 buzzing right around the corner, the K-house LLC has been busy with activities and events to support the zero waste and “green by 2014” campaigns. K House Resident Assistant Kara Turkstra is excited to Phone (616) 632-2975

get projects started around campus.

“With this theme we are trying to help our college reach its zero waste goal. I mean we are talking about a lot of trash! It’s great to see this LLC not only focus on our education

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

but the footprint we are leaving. We promote this theme by following what we believe,” said Turkstra.

Besides being very aware of their own recycling and composting efforts in the house, the K House has campus wide efforts planned as well.

“A program we want to implement this semester is called T’s to Z’s. The goal of this program is to upcycle.

We would like AQ students, towns, or faculty to donate t-shirts that they don’t wear or don’t fit. We then will use these t-shirts to form blankets that we will then donate to Family Promise. We will be putting everything to good use. Jessica Eimer from sustainability is really helping our LLC prosper,” said Turkstra.

With the help of the K House, the waste free campus goal is in the home stretch. Garbage bins in classrooms have been removed and now recycling bins and compost bins grace the halls of the Academic Building, the Grace Hauenstein Library and St. Albert Hall. Look for LLC events this semester and for a spotlight on Knape Hall LLC next issue.

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NEWS

THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

Student Senate update

A new pay day?

Minimum wage debate heats up as employees demand a change

t h r o u g h materials used in production, Whether or not the such as corn federal minimum wage which aids in should be increased is the production currently a very hot of corn starch. issue. Persons on both Because the lowsides of the aisle offer income workers’ different arguments own tax dollars as to why the wage are being used in should be increased or this subsidization should not be. of production, Proponents of the workers are a n i n c r e a s e b e l i e ve entitled to see that the current this subsidization minimum wage, $7.25, benefit them, translating into just perhaps in the $15,080 per year for way that an a full time worker, is increase in the decades out of date. federal minimum This is to say that it COURTESY MTUME_SOUL wage may. h a s n o t e f f e c t i v e l y Taking a stand: Workers from McDonald’s in New York gathered in July 2013 The main “kept up” with other to strike for higher wages. argument against economic factors an increase in the such as inflation and cannot move up in their careers federal minimum worker productivity. The $15,080 beyond their current low-paying wage is that it is detrimental to does not rise above the United States jobs. This is because there simply t h e we l l - b e i n g o f b o t h w o r k e r s poverty threshold. aren’t enough of them. One study and businesses. The Cato Institute This is perhaps why McDonald’s says that only 2.2 percent of fast cites a review by David Neumark seems to assume in their employee food employees, for instance, work a n d Wi l l i a m Wa s c h e r f r o m t h e budgeting document that a worker in managerial or technical positions Economic Bureau of Economic in will procure a second job (likely (as compared to the 30-some percent which 85 of 100 studies found that the on top of full time employment at in other combined fields). existing minimum wage has negative McDonald’s). It can be contended T h i s l e a d s , a c c o r d i n g t o employment effects. that McDonald’s “just can’t figure supporters, to a sense of hopelessness The Institute also recalls that in out” how their own employees get by in the workers’ career which hurts 1938 when the first minimum wage on the low-wages McDonald’s pays. productivity. This argument does was imposed, $.25, between 30,000 Another argument in favor of not necessarily apply categorically and 50,000 jobs were lost. increasing the minimum wage deals (but can), but is applied to the vast The legislation currently proposed with culture. When the minimum majority of low-income workers in in favor of the minimum wage is the wage was last set in 1975 under the the United States.

Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013.

Fair Labor Standards Act, most lowPerhaps the strongest argument Its three key points are to raise income workers, especially within for raising the minimum wage comes the minimum wage to $10.10 per the fast food industry, were not from subsidization. Supporters of hour, implement a practice called largely confined to those industries. the argument argue that because “indexing,” which will “adjust the A low-income job was more likely government subsidizes fast food, an minimum wage to keep pace with a summer job for a teenager rather industry wherein a large number of the rising cost of living” and to than a wage earning job for an adult low income workers work, that these raise the minimum wage for tipped responsible for a family. workers deserve an increase in their workers from $2.13 to 70% of the full The argument for productivity wage (which, under the increase, minimum wage. cited above comes from, primarily, would exceed the minimum wage). the glass ceiling leveled upon This subsidization comes indirectly workers. This means that workers

New goals and plans are set for the new school year and the new senators

By Stephen Douglas The Saint Reporter

ABIGALE RACINE / THE SAINT

Fresh faces: First year Senators from L to R: Zoe Collenburg, Darcee Veldhouse, Caleb Jenkins, Ian Scheidel, and Peter Nemish.

By Abigale Racine The Saint Reporter Aquinas College’s 2013-14 Student Senate Committee anticipates an outstanding, busy year. The Senate itself is still developing, having been restructured only last year. Student Senate was r estr uctur ed to best represent undergraduate students and to provide an outlet for the wide span of needs, sentiments and expectations of the student body.

“The responsibilities the e-board and the senators have has changed quite a bit,” said Brandon Heritier, executive committee chairperson.

“This year we hope to change things up, and try to include the senators more, to the best of our abilities, and continue to grow as an organization.”

On Wednesday, September 11, the committee of 27 persons met for its first session of the academic year to discuss the Senate’s priorities.

The Senate’s primary focus this year is to eliminate the designated smoking areas on campus and all tobacco products, including chewing tobacco, in efforts for Aquinas College to become tobacco-free by 2015.

The Senate is considering the consequences of the conversion. “We address the safety of those going off campus to smoke,” said Heritier. “We are doing a follow-up this year with campus security for those choosing to go off-campus to smoke and safety is going to look a lot different for those choosing to go off-campus to smoke.”

Senate has a few other projects up its sleeve, including a possible update to the high-traffic areas in the Moose Cafe and a new forum on

Aquinas College’s sustainability.

The committee also intends to build a stronger connection with commuter students with its Commuter Advisory Board.

“I am looking forward to my new role as a member of the Commuter Committee,” said sophomore Senator Alan Lally. “I can build a bridge between the residents and commuters of our class.”

Five new student representatives were inducted into senate during last Wednesday’s meeting as well, introducing Caleb Jenkins, Darcee Veldhouse, P.J. Neemish and Zoë Collenberg as first year Senators for the class of 2017.

“It’s exciting because I get to give my classmates a voice,” said first year Senator Ian Scheidel.

The academic year is well underway, and Student Senate will have a lot on its plate. Heritier advises the new student representatives to keep an open mind.

“Be prepared to work and have fun, be prepared to make a difference on campus and represent your class to the best of your ability,” said Heritier.

Student Senate hosts an open session twice a month with President Olizarez and Dean Maztke present to inform the representative of updates.

All Aquinas College students and affiliates are welcome to attend Student Senate meetings.

“I’ve learned that senate is only as influential as the students want it to be,” said Lalley. “So when you have a problem, speak up! We are here for you.”

Rock the block Residence Life plans third annual night of fun

By Grant Kammer The Saint Reporter On Saturday, September 21, from 6 -11 p.m., Rock the Block returns for its third year at the Moose with more free food, live music and prizes, including an iPad Mini. Rock the Block has consistently been a fun way to kick off the school year, giving new students and upperclassmen a chance to mingle and enjoy the festivities.

To satisfy the cravings of students, this installment of Rock the Block

This year will also feature swing dancing after the performances. The variety of music and bands provides the listening enjoyment for everyone.

Like many events, this event is an Aquinas signature event, meaning that all in attendance will get an entry for the $1,000 scholarship, chosen at the end of the semester.

Other highlights of the event will be trivia games between band sets, tailgating favorites like cornhole, and a raffle for prizes. Another fun feature will be a Henna tattoo artist

<< This year will also feature swing dancing after the performances >> will be catered by local favorites including Jimmy Johns, Yesterdog and Papa John’s Pizza. There is also expected to be ice cream and a root beer keg for everyone’s sweet tooth.

“There will be food everyone knows and loves, and more than enough to go around,” said student planner sophomore John Sainz.

As per usual, Rock the Block will feature local bands to provide entertainment and keep the party going. Performing that night are the Velchro Fibs, The A-chord, and Redemption. A talented group of students, returning professionals, and a high quality musical collaboration respectively.

News Editor Laura Farrell

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

Phone (616) 632-2975

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

present to create tattoos.

Sophomore Trisha Phillips,who attended last year, said it was “a great place to come together and meet people.”

W o o d wa r d A r e a C o o r d i n a t o r Matt Delaney emphasized that Rock the Block is the first opportunity for students, commuter and resident alike, to come together as a community.

Rock the Block represents the forming and strengthening of new connections through shared experience. Come hangout, make a new friend, and become a part of Aquinas.

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

Words of advice for incoming freshmen

FROM THE CROWD

APPLAUSE TO...

The Corner, for being open on Sundays; Fall weather, for allowing us to enjoy pumpkin-flavored beverages and cozy sweaters; The long, long list of Oscar-worthy movies soon coming to a theater near you; Miley Cyrus, for being Miley; Breaking Bad, for giving us five seasons of some seriously compelling TV; J.K. Rowling, for giving Potterheads something to live for; Subway’s $5 footlongs; The Fulton Farmer’s Market, for having delicious vegetables on a student budget.

HECKLES TO...

The Meijer on Beltline, for being impossible to navigate; Vladimir Putin, for acting like a Bond villain; Justin Bieber, for being himself; All the construction taking over GR right now; People who don’t like going to haunted houses; The crappy new TV pilots we’ll be subjected to this fall; Being forced to talk to people on the phone; Ndamukong Suh; for having a really bad temper.

theSaint 2013-2014 E D I T O R I A L B O A R D Editor-in-Chief News Editor Culture Editor

Stephanie Giluk Laura Farrell Paris Close Adviser

Sports Editor Managing Editor

Alyssa Frese Michelle Szczap

Dr. Dan Brooks

*** Please note that the views expressed on this page are those of their respective author(s), and do not necessarily represent the views of The Saint as a whole.

MISSION The Saint has worked diligently for the past 31 years to produce an informative, entertaining and journalistically-correct student publication. The Saint is distributed by students at Aquinas College and in the surrounding community.

Our goal is to continue to provide an open forum for the ideas, views and concerns of the Aquinas community.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR All letters must include a signature, typed or handwritten, and include a phone number for the sole purpose of verification. The Saint reserves the right to edit letters to the editor based on content, punctuation, length and libel issues.

Letters should not exceed 300 words. We will not print anonymous letters to the editor and will not accept letters to the editor over the phone.

>>write us a letter!

e-mail — saint.editors@aquinas.edu, or use the form on our website.

physical copies – AB, Room 20

4

By Stephen Wright The Saint Reporter Hello! My name is Stephen Douglas Wright. I am a fifth year senior here at Aquinas College. In my time here I’ve had a wonderful and diverse experience. This is not to say there were not difficult times. There were. But with the help of friends, cups of tea and the light of passing time I remember my days here fondly. It’s like they’re all encompassed in one moment my freshman year when I was walking in the woods between Regina and AB and I looked up and really saw the leaves fall, all different colors, slowly, somewhere between stillness and motion, something that escapes words.

I want everyone to have as many of these experiences as I have had. So I am laying down some general advice to you, newcomers to Aquinas College, so that you might enrich your time here.

1) Go to tea with Father Jim A well-loved priest named Father Jim resides next door to St. Joe’s at St. Thomas. On Wednesdays and Thursdays at 3 p.m. he invites students over to have tea with him.

Some of my best memories of Aqui-

nas have been in his living room/ den/parlor/whatever it is drinking tea. If you go often enough it creates a rhythm in your days. Two of my friends describe it as the highlight of their weeks. If you do decide to go, bring some poetry or a violin or something else creative.

2) Make time to read things that aren’t for classes A lot of us have to-read lists long enough to wrap the world into a giant bough. When you’re feeling cramped by your reading material for classes or by and large just uninspired, pick up something else. The best connections are often the craziest and most tangential. You might find that something you read from Dostoevsky’s Dream of A Ridiculous Man helps you understand the functions of biology (or not, but the principle still stands). On top of this, try reading things that seem opposite to each other. This will help to keep you from getting bogged down into one w ay of thinking that may end up outliving its usefulness.

3) Go on the swing set

you a feeling of flight that tends to leave people gradually. It’s also just fun.

4) Go to the theater shows and improv shows This is really biased because I’m a Theater major, but I find watching shows really inspiring. Both being in a show and watching one demands your presence. So if your head is really flighty it helps to engage something, like a show, which has value but demands that you pay attention and engage with it. And the improv shows are just a riot. There’s a lot of energy that you get simply from being part of the audience, which is huge and giddy.

5) Go to office hours with professors just to talk You should do this because a lot of professors are very interesting both in person and knowledge of their disciplines. You can get an education and a half by making some time to walk to Holmdene, the Academic Building or Albertus to discuss what you’ve learned in class or anything else that’s pertinent.

There’s a swing set by St. Joe’s.

You should go on it because it gives

An open letter to Aquinas College students in preparation of Homecoming

By Brian Matzke Guest Writer The weekend of September 27 and 28 promises to be a fun time for the Aquinas College community. On Friday night, behind Regina Hall, we will be having a band play and a bonfire party for our students. On Saturday, we will be having a full day of sports and other activities (fur a full schedule check out www. aquinas.edu/homecoming) including a wonderful doubleheader of soccer action. The ladies open up at 12:30 in the afternoon and the men are scheduled to play at 3 p.m. In between games, we will be crowning our homecoming king and queen.

There is also a change in the main stage tent rules. With the goal of building community between all students, staff, faculty and alumni, students under 21 will be allowed to enter the tent. As always, federal and state laws still apply and minors will not be allowed to drink alcohol in the tent (or anywhere else). There will be both internal and external security systems in place to enforce these rules and any violators will be subject to judicial action.

That being said, we know that our students are responsible and want to give them the chance to interact and build community.

There have also been some complaints from our Eastown and Fulton Heights neighbors in past years

regarding morning and afternoon activities. The Grand Rapids Police Department have been asked to step up their efforts to enforce all policies and we are partnering with them in these efforts. We know that there are a lot of fun things to do this weekend and by being involved and responsible we will all have a great homecoming weekend.

Sincerely, Brian Matzke Associate Vice President of Student Affairs

Eastown Street Fair offers some food for thought

By Chuck Hyde Staff Writer I went to the Eastown Street Fair last Saturday afternoon. It was a pleasant day, and Wealthy was crowded with hipsters and other denizens of the area looking at arts and crafts, eating locally-made food and signing petitions for political causes that they may or may not know anything about.

Overall, it was a great day. I did find one ironic tent placement that struck me in the middle of all of these tents peddling ideas and products, however. There was a tent that was attempting to stop the war on women, feminists standing up for what they believe in. It’s there every year I go, and I like to see them making their presence known and spreading their message. What struck as me as odd was not the war on women tent, but the one right next to it: a tent with beauty products and makeup displaying pictures of what such a company believes is the definition of beauty.

Knowingly or not, they were

Management E-mail saint.business@aquinas.edu

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perpetuating the very “war on women” that their immediate neighbors were fighting so hard to end. Girls all over this country feel self-loathing over their bodies because clothing and cosmetic companies show them how they should look; the show the “ideal” woman.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with wearing makeup or nice clothes, but why does society feel the need to pressure women to become painted stick figures? Each individual should be able to make their own choices and define what it means for them to be beautiful.

No Victoria’s Secret model or shirtless man on an Abercrombie & Fitch advertisement can tell someone how they should look.

When people such as Mike Jeffries, CEO of the aforementioned Abercrombie & Fitch, refuse to even stock plus-sized clothing for women because they “want to market to cool, good-looking people,” it just reinforces this idea that women have to be thin and stereotypically attractive to be relevant in this world.

Weight, makeup, facial sym-

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

metry, hairstyle, complexion or any of the other arbitrary guidelines to attractiveness shouldn’t determine a person’s worth. Men and women should be valued by their intelligence, personality and actions, things that actually affect their role in society and quality of their character.

In today’s world, men can often get away with being “unattractive,” so long as they are funny or successful, but even successful women, such as Oprah, Adele and many others, come under fire for not conforming to society’s standards for beauty.

I hope that we can learn to treat people as people and acknowledge that there is much more to a person than their complexion and the size jeans that they wear.

culture

page

Movies: Fifty Shades of Grey actors promise to please

Television: Mindy’s coming back!

Fans of the best-seller-gone-film adaptation were less than thrilled to discover Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson were selected for the flick’s leading roles. However, Hunnam spoke with The Hollywood Reporter and assured anxious fans of the erotic novel that the “tangible chemistry” is most certainly there and will not disappoint.

The Mindy Project, otherwise known as Fox’s funniest show, returns with its second season. As if the reprisal was not sweet enough, James Franco is set to guest star on the hilarious sitcom. If you ever find yourself missing The Office then The Mindy Project is your best bet. Tune in on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. and laugh your butt off!

Poor Miley?

paris close | culture editor

The hottest, juiciest gossip hit the blogs today, and everyone knows I am a man of the blogosphere. Rumor has it: Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus are totally done for. At last, all is well with the universe… and I’m sure Mars is pretty stoked too!

That last part might have been harsh but it was well deserved, you guys.

Before I begin this epic rant, let it be known: I have no problem with Cyrus. In fact, I am shameless to consider myself a fan of hers. It’s just—there’s a time and a place to act “rachet,” (whenever that may be) but it seemed as though every time the spotlight was on, the twerking began.

A wrecking ball, a dance with “Molly” and a gang of giant, furry teddy bears were all it took to finally separate Cyrus from her Hannah Montana past. While I am sure the girl is still collecting checks from her early days of wearing blonde wigs and catering to tween girls, it must feel good to wake up in the morning and just be you, right?

Is what we see with her really authentic? Better yet, “Who is Miley Cyrus?” No one knows, and even scarier, neither does she.

When I first caught ear of the alleged breakup, I wasn’t moved or surprised. After all of Cyrus’ antics over the past year(s) it was pretty much fated.

It all started with Cyrus’ fight (and loss) with at the hair salon. Or, to put it nicely, her “drastic” hair transformation. You know, the one she completely stole from Tinker Bell?

Yeah, that one. Everyone knew Hemsworth was not pleased with his fiancés cropped do and neither was the rest of Hollywood.

Then the whispers started to spur about a little bumblebee by the name of January Jones, or as I like to call her, the “Wrecking Ball.” Jones was rumored to have been messing around with Cyrus’ beau even throughout the couple’s engagement. While nothing was confirmed, I could see how a situation like that could easily bridge a gap between the newlyweds-to-be.

Despite losing her locks and the toxic gossip surrounding her fiancé’s suspected escapades, Cyrus pulled things together with the trump card of the year: “We Can’t Stop.” I remember the day the song first aired, June 3.

Cyrus spoke proudly of her record on On Air with Ryan Seacrest, and promised her fans would love the new tune.

And indeed, we did.

To be clear, I am falling more in love with Cyrus with every single released. Her first, this year, took some time to grow on me, but “Wrecking Ball” was a sure hit. And while I’d like to gush over how successful her music has been this year I’d like to get down to the nitty gritty of it all and discuss what makes Cyrus less of a serious artist, and more of a gimmick: Twerking Tongue wagging Respect for clothing (or lack thereof) It’s obvious that her antics are purely for entertainment, and attention grabbing. It’s done her well with her music career because the fans can’t get enough of the girl. But with fame, there’s always a hefty price to pay, right? And that price just so happens to be her hunky-Aussie beau.

Quite frankly, I couldn’t blame Hemsworth for wanting to ditch her.

She’s becoming not only an embarrassment to herself but especially affecting those around her. Sure, the girl just wants to have fun. But to what extent does shaking your butt for every camera in the world translate from fun to a desperate cry for commercial attention?

And is there such a thing as “too much” attention? I believe so, especially when what you crave is more about publicity than developing a closer bond to the man you could possibly spend the rest of your life with.

In all seriousness, this “breakup” was much-needed and long overdue.

Even though I can’t bring myself to sympathize for Cyrus, I can at least thank her for making Hemsworth fair game again.

Love ya, gal!

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THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

Music: Lorde’s the hottest thing singin’

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

>>Gwen stefani

The 16-year-old singer-songwriter from New Zealand is becoming quite the popular name. Much like Birdy, the young artist shares a similar seraphic sound and knows how to make a cover song completely her own, having reinvented Kanye West’s “Hold My Liquor.” Lorde’s debut album Pure Heroine is set to release sometime this September.

Gwen Stefani is pregnant with baby No. 3. Despite rumors surrounding the No Doubt frontwoman and her expected bun in the oven, it’s official.

Thanks to gal pal Eve’s slip of the tongue, the whispers were finally put to rest last weekend. Congrats, Stefani!

COURTESY JASON KEMPIN

Lee Daniels’ The Butler illuminates a movement

By Ian MacNeil Staff Writer Eisenhower reluctantly sent federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce school desegregation.

Kennedy’s youthful vibrancy was pained by illness and martyred in the midst of promoting a new social paradigm. Johnson utilized “toilet seat diplomacy” to enfranchise millions denied by prejudice. Nixon promoted equal opportunity for all regardless of race. Reagan battled Congress on a comprehensive strategy to end apartheid in South Africa. Cecil Gaines was there for it all.

Cecil (Forest Whitaker ) is a quiet man sometimes ignited by a repressed aggression reflective of the power that robbed his family.

Cecil is first seen as an aged and impassive man who begins to recount his youth on a Georgia cotton plantation. After his mother is brutally raped by the son of the white plantation owner, a young Cecil encourages his disorientated father to vocalize his pulsating anger in her defense. Cecil’s innocent ignorance to the aggression of power was stolen when the man callously murdered his father in unprovoked vengeance.

Cecil characteristically finds his way off the plantation and fatefully into the White House as a member

By Stephanie Giluk Editor-in-Chief

COURTESY THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

Rough edges: Lee Daniels’ latest motion picture is a hit-and-miss historical fiction. of the service staff, where the pressures of intolerance are not quite veiled under the sophistication and esteem of the First Family.

The harshness Cecil witnesses in his professional life leads Cecil to overlook those same harsh realities within his personal life. Cecil sees his own ignorant innocence manifesting within his eldest son Louis (David Oyelowo), who is embracing each and every new movement

toward racial equality, no matter how inconsequential. This paternal conflict resonates throughout the film as these two characters, along with Cecil and each Commander-inChief, realize they have much more in common than they could have imagined.

Nevertheless, the film’s commanding and provoking dialogue is marred by the film’s ensemble cast (including Robin Williams, Jane

and Jeffrey Cranor, Night Vale is what you might get if H.P. Lovecraft wrote for NPR if NPR existed in the Twilight Zone.

The podcast reports on the happenings of the small desert town of Night Vale, which is plagued by all sorts of conspiracies, monsters, otherworldly portals and light bulbchanging angels. Though superficially grim and frightening, the podcast finds fun and humor in how matter-of-fact all Night Vale citizens seem to be about all the weirdness going on around them.

Radio host Cecil Baldwin (melodically voiced by real life actor

Cecil Baldwin) talks about everything from malevolent librarians to five-headed dragons to his crush on visiting scientist Carlos in the 2030 minute episodes. Cecil is truly the bizarre heart of Night Vale, since his narrative perspective and deadpan wit make the podcast emotionally resonant and charming when it threatens to become too silly or strange.

While there is no obvious overarching storyline the podcast appears to be following, there are recurring characters and features that link each episode of Night Vale together and give the podcast a sense

Welcome to Night Vale

Worried about those hooded figures in the dog park that isn’t even real? Feeling reverential toward the glow cloud raining dead animals on your city? Accidentally consume any wheat or wheat byproducts lately? If so, welcome to Night Vale, listeners.

Welcome to Night Vale is an independent podcast produced by Commonplace Books. Despite only being a year old, it has managed to claim the number one spot on iTunes and develop an enthusiastic and creative fan base. Written by Joseph Fink

Making her “Way” into our hearts

stands out with her big voice which often gets her compared to vocal queens like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. With a four octave range and whistle register, the soprano knows how to knock out a song.

“The Way,” which has the singer collaborating with rapper Mac Miller, is one of those songs that easily gets stuck in your head. Big Sean does his thing, rapping verses on “Right There,” and MIKA joins in on the album COURTESY REPUBLIC RECORDS for “Popular Song,” which will make you want to get on Great expectations: No wonder Grande’s debut your feet and dance. album shot to No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

Her flawless voice is heard throughout the entire album, but

By Veronica Burns it resonates most in “Almost Is Never The Saint Reporter Enough,” which features The Wanted’s Nathan Sykes and is also on The Mortal Ariana Grande’s debut album, Instruments: City of Bones soundtrack.

Yours Truly, has quickly proven to be a Songs like “Tattooed Heart” demsmash with fans, selling 138,000 copies onstrate her striking comparison to the and debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard legendary Carey, as she sings the ro200 chart in its first week. With successmantic lyrics: “Wrap me in your jacket, ful hits like “The Way” and “Baby I,” my baby/ And lay me in your bed/ And Grande’s album was highly-anticipatkiss me underneath the moonlight.” ed and much-loved.

“Honeymoon Avenue” will have With over nine million Twitter folyou snapping your fingers along to the lowers and almost five million likes song’s slow captivating rhythm. In an on Facebook, it’s a no-brainer that intimate interview with MTV, Grande Grande’s album topped the charts so spilled her heart out about the origin quickly. While the performer is more of the tune: “I almost cried last night noted for her role as Cat Valentine on when I was singing it on-stage, ‘cause Nickelodeon shows like iCarly and Vicit’s about something that’s so special to torious, it is evident that Grande could me when I hear it. It strikes a personal just as easily brand herself as a serious chord.” songstress as well.

This may only be Grande’s first alTransitioning from acting to music bum, but it is definitely a winner. is a familiar move made by many Disney and Nickelodeon stars, but Grande Culture Editor Paris Close

Fonda, Terrance Howard and Oprah Winfrey) which caused an unexpected distraction to the plot of the film.

The cast overshadowed itself with its own talent and notoriety. Though her exceptional performance worked in elegant harmony with Whitaker’s, separating Winfrey’s character from her real-life persona was extremely difficult. Historical inaccuracies and misleading character interpretations, though disguised by some remarkable movie make-up, did not go unnoticed.

The Butler is uniquely and cleverly adapted from Wil Haygood’s 2008 account of the real-life Cecil Gaines, White House butler Eugene Allen. Written by Danny Strong (Recount, Game Change) The Butler is a work of art delicately emboldened by illustrious supporting characters and the unrestrained lens of Lee Daniels, the masterful mind behind Precious, and most recently, The Paperboy. Daniels is a savant of the dramatic, blending powerful imagery to evoke emotional response, but capturing and redirecting that response with perfect doses of humor.

The Butler is not so much an accurate depiction of history as it is a fictitious yet orchestral illumination of the fear and pride entangled by the evolution of the civil rights movement.

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

of continuity. Old Woman Josie, the Apache Tracker and Khoshekh the floating cat all appear in various episodes, to name just a few of the plentiful and strange denizens of Night Vale. And then there’s always the weather, which is just Cecil saying, “And now, the weather,” followed by music performed by various indie bands and musicians.

Give Night Vale a listen, but preferably during the day, when you’re not alone. The podcast, which has produced 31 episodes so far, comes out twice a month and is free. For more information, visit commonplacebooks.com/welcome-to-nightvale.

Artist Spotlight: The Front Bottoms

COURTESY LUCIA HOLM

Gentle tunes: The duo share their interesting twist on the art of acoustic music.

By Chuck Hyde Staff Writer Artist: The Front Bottoms Genre: Indie, Folk-Punk Current Album: Talon of the Hawk Comparisons: La Dispute, Circa Survive, Say Anything Popular Tracks: “Twin Size Mat tress,” “Flashlight,” “Maps” The Front Bottoms are a very odd band. Primarily an acoustic act with a punk twist, the duo consists of singer/guitarist Matthew Uychich and drummer Brian Sella. Their music is ripe with energy and raw guitar riffs beneath emotional lyrics.

Adding to their acoustic sound are strings, trumpets and distorted guitars which provide both energy and tension in their music.

From poverty to parental conflict to relationship issues, the duo’s music touches a range of issues. While some may find them too angst-ridden for their liking, their lyrics have great depth, and a unique style that is reminiscent of free-form spoken word. Fans of La Dispute may like this aspect of the Front Bottoms.

Their 2011 self-titled album features many great songs, like my personal favorite, “Father,” which tells the story of an abusive father and

Phone (616) 632-2975

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

Uychich’s struggle to overcome both him and the history he left for him.

Other popular songs on the record include: “Flashlight,” “Maps” and “Swimming Pool,” each concerning topics of love, depression and finding excitement and fulfillment. The album contains plenty creative, well-written songs, which are joined together with fitting musical compositions.

Their 2013 follow-up, Talon of the Hawk, released last May, and was well-received. It maintains similar themes to their prior album but also explores memories of youth, among other topics.

One song in particular, “Skeleton,” talks of the unhealthy methods of coping with living a stressful life. Another emotive tune, “Twin Size Mattress,” addresses the pains of a failed relationship, showing the singer’s desire to exceed his former lover’s low expectations of him and do something with his life.

Overall, The Front Bottoms are an emotionally charged band. Their sensitive and even vulnerable tone spawns forth some of their greatest tunes. Although their subtle approach to music may not be for everyone, they are well worth the listen.

6

CULTURE

The 17th Annual Grand Awards Maddie Blyveis - Reckless Lead Actor in a College Production: Marisa Purcey - Amadeus Taylor Nefcy - Chicago Rachel Varley - Reckless

Direction of a College Production: Paul A. Dreher - Amadeus Randy Wyatt - Hotel Cassiopeia

LINDA ZIMMERMAN / THE SAINT

Proud moments: Theatre Director Randy Wyatt shares his thoughts on this year’s remarkable nomination turnout.

By Linda Zimmerman The Saint Reporter Long dresses, bow ties and crystal trophies: that’s what the annual Grand Awards are all about, folks. This year’s celebration, however, is extremely special, with Aquinas College holding half of all nominations this year.

This year’s 17th Annual Grand Awards will be an extraordinary

night for Aquinas. With this being our eleventh year participating, it is also our most noteworthy, with Aquinas slotting most of the categories. Among the many nominations are the following: Supporting Actress in a College Production: Nubia Gomez - Chicago Catie Berg - Reckless

The 17th Annual Grand Awards is an excellent platform for theatre students to demonstrate their acting skills and even rewards a handful of students for their work in the theatre. Each year, three scholarships of $1,000 are given out. This year, two of those recipients are Aquinas students, Danny Orris and Brooke Purney. “The receivers of the scholarships usually continue on with their talents by participating in on and off-Broadway shows,” said Aquinas College Theater Program Director Randy Wyatt.

When asked about the upcoming theater season, Wyatt said, “We usually have a good season. Last year we had an amazing season. I do [have high hopes] but we don’t put on shows for awards--that is how you go crazy.”

For further information on the awards and nominations for this year’s ceremony, visit The 17th Annual Grand Awards Facebook page. Student tickets are offered at a discounted price, and it is highly advised that you purchase your ticket(s) ahead of time.

The 17th Annual Grand Awards will be held Sunday, October 27, at 7 p.m. at the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre.

Are you ready for ArtPrize 2013?

By Cait Hilton Staff Writer Grand Rapids, a city noted for its vibrant artistic culture, hosts its international art competition, ArtPrize September 18 through October 6.

For the fifth year in a row, ArtPrize will transform every inch of the city into a showroom for artists of every background to openly display their work to the general public. The competition invites thousands of people to enter their own artwork and thousands more tovisit and interact with fellow art enthusiasts.

ArtPrize is made unique by its “radically open” nature—adopting no central curation but rather leaving the venues to determine what to display and letting the public vote to elect the winner of the $200,000 grand prize and other awards equal-

ing $560,000 in a fashion comparable to American Idol.

Over 150 venues around town will be filled with a varied collection of work by 1,813 artists from around the globe. Big names like the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the Grand Rapids Public Museum, the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts and the DeVos Place are all ArtPrize venues.

The Blue Bridge, Gillett Bridge (the People Bridge) and the Sixth Street Bridge Park are also harbors of inspiring artwork for the competition.

For big, dramatic pieces, the B.O.B. is always a hot spot. At places like the Lantern Coffee Bar & Lounge, AQ’s own Rickie Anderson Jr. will have his work on display, ready for the ArtPrize exhibit. “# ILLustrated Clutter,” Anderson’s 26 x 36 inch framed, matted vine and compressed charcoal work of art, carries an interesting combination of objects—an iron,

a plate, a marshmallow, a plastered mask and a ceramic vase are all present, among other objects. “I love the process of drawing something out of something,” Anderson explains. Drawing inspiration from artists throughout history, and with the support of ArtPrize 2010 winner Chris LaPorte, Anderson decided to leap into the competition. “I entered ArtPrize just to garner one vote,” Anderson said.”[To know] that a person was inspired by my work of art ... a perfect stranger.”

ArtPrize is free and for everyone—make sure you experience all that Grand Rapids has to offer and bring a friend. To see which other AQ students are participating in ArtPrize 2013, visit www.aquinas. edu/marketing/artprize.html.

For more information regarding the event, venues, and artists, visit www.artprize.org.

Orange is the New Black

By Stephanie Giluk Editor-in-Chief

There are few shows on television that achieve the depth, humor, poignancy and honesty that Orange is the New Black (OITNB) does in just its first few episodes. This is fitting, because OITNB isn’t exactly on TV— it’s a Netflix original series, created

by Jenji Kohan, the woman behind HBO’s Weeds. And if you haven’t joined the masses binge-watching OITNB on Netflix yet, I hope you will soon.

OITNB is based on Piper Kerman’s 2010 memoir of the same name, which chronicled Kerman’s 13-month stay in prison after transporting drug money for her thengirlfriend. The series uses that outline as its plot but takes great liberties with the characters and events that the fictional Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) encounters during her lockup.

Schilling plays the white, privileged and naive Piper with fantastic nuance and makes her endearing, if not likeable. While I could argue the show is about Piper coming to terms with the deeply flawed, narcissistic person she is and the mistakes that led to her incarceration, she’s often overshadowed by the incredible cast of characters around her.

Rarely is a serialized drama so racially and sexually diverse—how many shows you watch can pass the Bechdel test with flying colors every single episode? Every woman Piper encounters has the potential to be a two-dimensional joke or a stereotype, but the writing and acting elevates each character to such heights it’s impossible to mistake them for anything but fully realized human beings.

There’s Red (Kate Mulgrew), the terrifying Russian in charge of

COURTESY NETFLIX

Lockdown: Netflix’s new prison-comedy is sure to make you a couch potato. the kitchen who starves Piper out for insulting her food. Though she starts off as a villain the flashbacks of her past life reveal her to be anything but.

Crazy Eyes (Uzo Aduba), when she claims Piper as her prison wife and nicknames her Dandelion, seems like a prison cliché but is, instead, a heartbreaking character as later episodes hint at dramatic brilliance overshadowed by mental illness.

Then there’s Sophia (Laverne Cox), a transgender woman trying to make amends to her wife and reconnect with her son, who struggled with her transition and is slowly accepting her back into his life. Watching her make peace with herself is Culture Editor Paris Close

more rewarding than watching Piper do the same.

I could go on and on about Taystee, Poussey, Pennsatucky and Miss Claudette, and I haven’t even told you that Piper’s ex-girlfriend, Alex (Laura Prepon), the drug smuggler, is in prison with Piper. It’s just as crazy and fun to watch as it sounds.

I can’t say that OITNB is perfect, because while it is an intelligent and extremely entertaining show, it’s neither an all-inclusive nor completely accurate depiction of the prison system in America. But if you like smart TV that can be hilarious, horrifying, tragic and touching in equal measure, then I highly recommend you tune in. It would be a crime not to give the show a chance.

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Phone (616) 632-2975

THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

Fall TV preview

By Sean McNeil The Saint Reporter The Legend of Korra Think back to your early teens, back when they were showing the good cartoons like Avatar: Last Airbender. Miss those days? Well, if you are felling a bit nostalgic, check out the series’ sequel, The Legend of Korra.

In the second installment, the show concentrates on the elusive Spirit World of the Avatar franchise.

Korra takes us to the metropolis of Republic City, fighting to keep the balance between the earth, fire, air, and water benders, as well as nonbenders.

Thanks to funding, the second season of Korra promises even better animation and will air on Nickelodeon this September.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Can’t wait ‘till Thanksgiving for Thor 2? Or even worse, until 2014 for Avengers 2? Well, do we have a show for you. Avengers director Joss Whedon returns to the small screen to write and produce the new television series Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Marvel has officially announced that the show will remain in canon with the rest of Marvel Cinematic Universe. The series will focus on a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents dealing with the aftermath of The Avengers and the revelation of super-humans to the world.

Returning from the dead, Clark Gregg is to star in the series as the beloved Agent Coulson. The show is scheduled to premiere on ABC, September 24.

How I Met Your Mother After eight long seasons—we finally meet the “mother!”

The award-winning sitcom is nearing its end after almost a decade of hilarious and heartfelt episodes. The season finale preview hints at different wedding ceremonies: Robin and Barney, and perhaps another for Ted. How I Met Your Mother, which has being teasing us with the actual identity of the mother for the last eight seasons, is finally going to answer the biggest question of all: Who the heck is the “mother?”

Although the season finale, airing September 23, promises to be the funniest episode of all, it will be a bittersweet farewell.

Once Upon a Time/Wonderland In case you have been left out of the loop, The Evil Queen has gone mad. After being defeated by Snow White and her prince, she’s cursed all fairytale characters of the kingdom to the most dreadful place in all existence: a small town outside of Boston, Massachusetts.

The show’s third season is rumored to take place in Neverland with new characters Ariel, Tinker Bell and a villainous Peter Pan. But wait, there’s more. The hit series is said that a spin off called Once Upon a Time in Wonderland is also in the works, retelling the beloved Alice in Wonderland.

Tune into ABC for season three of the original on September 29 and the premiere of Wonderland on October 10.

Margaret Atwood imagines the apocalypse

By Stephanie Giluk Editor-in-Chief Margaret Atwood’s compelling new novel MaddAddam is the third and final installment in the MaddAddam trilogy, which began with Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood.

Like Year of the Flood, MaddAddam explores what it takes to survive in a post-apocalyptic civilization. In the previous books, it was revealed that the brilliant but mad scientist Crake bioengineered a plague that wiped out the majority of human life on Earth. Crake also created a new humanoid species for the new post-plague world, nicknamed Crakers, specially designed to feel no sexual jealousy and live off plant life.

MaddAddam follows the surviving Gardeners as they try to coexist with the childSTEPHANIE GILUK / THE SAINT like, preternaturally beautiful Crakers. The Gardeners, intro- The big finale: Author Margaret Atwood duced in Year of the Flood, were ends her series with the third installment of a group of eco-spiritualists the post-apocalyptic trilogy. whose religious views were focused on living simply in coexistence night, the Crakers push Toby to tell with the natural world, which taught them stories about their creator Crake them skills that kept them alive after and his lover Oryx, Zeb the bear-eater society and civilization crumbled. and even profane spirits. These stoMany of the Gardeners, however, also ries are humorous, but they also exworked with or for Crake as he set out plore myth-making and how stories to destroy humanity and create new, can shape the way we view ourselves better beings to take their place. as a society and as a unified people.

MaddAddam finds the Gardeners, Stories and myths are instrumental in including protagonist Toby, searchcreating new worlds and worldviews ing for purpose in the wake of the and Atwood is deeply aware of this apocalypse. All the evil mega-corpofact. The big question the novel presrations that once threatened to wipe ents is whether the Crakers will really out all of Earth’s natural resources are be any better to the world as a society gone. The Crakers, engineered to be than humans were--are Toby’s stories non-violent, aren’t so much a threat helping them? Or ruining them? as they are a benevolent nuisance.

The book seems to say the fuWhat are the Gardeners to do with ture of mankind lies with those who their lives now that they’re essentially aren’t quite-so-human anymore. The alone in the world? genetically modified organisms that The novel shifts back and forth are now running rampant have develbetween Toby’s everyday life with oped slowly but in an intriguing way the Gardeners and her lover Zeb’s over the course of the series. Species story of his life before the plague. like Pigoons (highly intelligent huZeb’s backstory is fascinating because man/pig splices), Mo’Hairs (sheep his brother, Adam, is the one who with luxurious and colorful manes of was both the leader of the Gardeners human hair) and even the Crakers are before the plague and the one who, presented as the new natural order purposefully or not, pushed Crake toof beings. The natural world and the ward engineering the plague. Adam artificial blend to create a potential was the one who created an online utopia--or dystopia. game under the alias MaddAddam in Provocative, satiric, and mythoorder to lure bio-terrorists into infillogical, MaddAddam is a fitting conclutrating various biotech corporations, sion to Atwood’s trilogy. It’s an apocand it certainly lured Crake in. alypse story about the violence and Atwood masterfully blends phildestruction that humanity brought osophically driven speculative fiction upon itself, but it’s also a quiet celwith wry humor. Toby’s interactions ebration of that same humanity. with the Crakers are, at once, hilarious and deeply troubling. Every Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

Detroit Lions: The Lions fall to the Arizona Cardinals in week 2

Lakers: Grand Valley starts off the season with back to back wins

Aquinas Hockey: High hopes for second official season

The Lions traveled to Arizona this past Sunday to face the Cardinals. After playing a close game, the Lions ultimately fell to the Cardinals in a 25-21 defeat. The Lions play next against the Washington Redskins on Sunday, September 22, at Washington.

The Grand Valley Lakers have started off the season on a solid note with back to back wins against Azusa Pacific and Truman State. The Lakers will play next on Saturday, September 21, against Tiffin University in Allendale.

The Aquinas men’s hockey team finished their first season with a record of 15-13. With several returning players as well as a solid group of freshman recruits, the Saints are looking to have an even more successful season than last year. Their first game will be this Sunday at Notre Dame.

Starting strong

WHAT TO WATCH

>> women’s golf

The Aquinas women’s golf team is off to a swinging start. The Saints placed first of four teams at their first meet on August 31 and most recently placed fourth out of 12 teams this past weekend at the Bethel College Invitational. The Saints will play next in the WHAC Invitational on Saturday at Siena Heights.

Gearing up for the ice

Detroit Red Wings ready to play

By Sean Briggs The Saint Reporter

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

Go hard: Senior Michael Gagnon dribbles past his opponent in home field action this season. The Saints are undefeated with a record of 6-0. They play tonight at St. Francis in Illinois.

By Linda Zimmerman The Saint Reporter Buzz surrounding the undefeated soccer team at Aquinas is hard to avoid. Proudly displaying their new title with some innovative talent and a strong sense of family, this season is sure to be one for the books.

Although things are going well for the team now, there were a lot of nerves heading into this season.

With the recent departure of eleven players, “New players are forced to take on a bigger role,” said senior team captain Jon Spencer. As a result of change, the freshman players and transfer students are key to this seasons’ success.

The fresh-faced newcomers are becoming accustomed to the more experienced seniors, both on and off the soccer field.

Rejuvenated saints alyssa frese|sports editor In the past, the Saint Squad has been somewhat of letdown to me personally. This year, however, the Saint Squad is something that every student at Aquinas should want to be a part of.

The AQ Saint Squad is our version of the student section and in the past no one has really taken time to care. This year senior Ian MacNeil and junior Hanna Dugan have whole new plan for this fun part of Aquinas athletic events.

On Saturday, September 7, the men and women’s soccer teams head back to back home games. The Saint Squad made itself known at these games. During the girls’ game, there was a lively student section, with students decked out in AQ colors and small handmade posters supporting the Saints were displayed, When the men’s game started, however, a huge fan base erupted from Regina Hall. People holding large painted banners marched out sporting black and maroon face point. The Saint Squad stayed loud and proud throughout the entirety of the game and men were victorious, winning 2-0. This one game has easily been the most alive I have ever felt during a sporting event at Aquinas College.

Homecoming is September 28 and I can’t wait to see what the Saint Squad will bring to the table to cheer on our men and women’s soccer teams and men and women’s lacrosse teams as well as our volleyball teams. We are a family here at AQ and it’s about time we unite to support our many talented athletic teams. The Saint Squad was a tradition that seemed like it would never be revived, but this year we can expect great things from this organization on campus.

“They’re coming together like a team, but more importantly playing like a team,” said Spencer, who stressed how proud he was because of the hard transition with only eleven returning players.

When asked about rookie underclassmen, sophomore Aldony Mendez, a transfer student, is one that quickly comes to mind for the head coach Joe Veal. “He (Mendez) has scored the most goals, making at least one in each game,” said Veal.

With new talent such as Mendez, this season is going to continue with many wins.

When the home team wins, which is likely, the games are even more fun to attend. With home goals being shot, and new players showing off, it’s a shame if you miss them.

The student section “gives the team a nice boost. “We love the fans,” said

Spencer. The next home game is not until September 25 against Cornerstone, so there is plenty of time for the team to prepare.

Even with the stress going into this season, not knowing how it would go with the minimal returns, the team has really pulled together.

The freshmen and transfer students have taken their larger roles seriously. The team has worked hard for their undefeated title.

With the games going well and the talent rising up, they need a strong support system to back them up. The student section makes them know they are being recognized and helps add to their motivation. The games are fast paced, well played and the strong support from the Aquinas fan base is what keeps this team motivated.

“Finally!” says any supporter of the Detroit Red Wings. Since 1981, the Detroit Red Wings have been playing in some form of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League. The Red Wings, along with Columbus, had been playing most away games in different time zones, which means later games for the fan base and more travel fatigue for the players. Instead of fans having to wait for the frequent 10 p.m. road game start, fans will be seeing 8 p.m. starts as the norm. This “re-alignment” of the conferences was brought on by a Canadian team (Winnipeg Jets) regaining their spot in the League.

Another reason the Red Wings and fans of the team should be excited about this Eastern shift is the fact that it will reignite rivalries will be seen with other Original Six teams from the founding of the NHL. The Red Wings will be seen

playing teams like the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. These are teams that the Red Wings have played in the past but now will meet more frequently.

Sadly, the intense rivalry with the Chicago Blackhawks will be put on hold, as they will be seen less frequently in the future.

The Red Wings also made a splash in the Eastern Conference before the first scheduled game. They picked up two high caliber Eastern Conference forwards in Daniel Alfredsson and Stephan Weiss. Alfredsson out of the Ottawa Senators and Weiss out of the Florida Panthers signed deals with the Red Wings in hopes of bring the Stanley Cup back to Hockeytown in 2014.

Get ready for a spectacular season. The Red Wings’ first game of the 2013-14 season is scheduled for October 2 against the Buffalo Sabers in Detroit.

Women’s Soccer The young team is hungry for success

New coach, new expectations

Owen Blank joins the women’s lacrosse team as head coach

By Veronica Burns The Saint Reporter The new women’s lacrosse head coach Owen Blank has both a strong resume and high goals for the team this year. “The goal this year is to make it to the Championship game, and ultimately win it. Along the way there are other things we want to accomplish such as beating Indiana Tech and winning the WHAC Tournament,” said Blank.

In 1996-97 he founded the MSU Men’s Club Lacrosse team after MSU’s Varsity Men’s team was cut due to a Title IX push at the school. His coaching resume includes places such as Western Michigan Club Lacrosse, U of M Dearborn Club Lacrosse, Birmingham Junior Lacrosse, UM Lacrosse, Campion Lacrosse which are all located in Michigan.

In 2001, he played and coached for East Torrens Payneham Redwings in Australia, which he said was “the coolest.”

Blank graduated from Michigan State in 2001 with a B.S. Mechanical Engineering. While at State he was part of the club lacrosse team, where Luke Griemsman, the previous Aquinas men’s lacrosse coach, coached him.

When asked about why he chose to coach at AQ, Blank said, “[Luke Griemsman] always spoke so highly about the school and the experience, it was very intriguing to me. And then one of my seniors signed to play here. I have a tremendous amount of respect for her as a person, not just a player. That she picked the school spoke so much to me.

Sports Editor Alyssa Frese

Jobs are jobs, but people make a job something special. The image I got before coming here was of a family environment that cared about winning and their people. I liked that.”

Written tests at the beginning of the year to check the team’s playbook knowledge is one of the things Blank does that sets himself apart from other coaches. When talking about his coaching style Blank said, “I try to keep things loose and fun, because that is what I liked as a player. I played and coached men’s lacrosse, so I like my girls to play a men’s style. I think you get the most out of the athlete when you free them up and allow them to be athletes. Hopefully by the end of the year, I am not calling plays from the sidelines, but the girls are creating defensive movement, and then adjusting as a team to take advantage of it.”

Owen wants to see his players succeed on all aspects, and when asked about his vision of the team Blank said, “My vision for the girls is to ultimately build players that enjoy lacrosse, and have a high IQ. Girls that have the confidence to deal with any situation on the field, and ultimately life as corny as that sounds.”

Owen Blank would like to continue coaching at AQ in the future, saying, “I would like to have some longevity here.

One of the nice things I learned while being interviewed is that some of the more established sports have coaches that have been there for over 10 years.”

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

Phone (616) 632-2975

LAUREN LORIA / THE SAINT

Boot it: Junior midfielder Maggie Keiffer clears the ball for the Saints in home field action.

By Taylor Hodges The Saint Reporter While some of us might still be getting adjusted to the rigors of the academic year, the Aquinas women’s soccer team has been enjoying these first couple weeks of school. Sporting a 3-1 overall record, the team started the season off right by winning their first three matches before losing a close game to Taylor.

“I think it was a learning experience. We have over a week to break down our game and to work on areas that are not as strong,” said junior midfielder Ryanne James. “We are not hanging our heads though. We played outstanding soccer and we can’t ignore that. We’re looking forward to scoring the next goal.”

With a six day break between games, the team continues to stay focused and seems hungrier and more determined to win than ever.

“Our mentality is to go out as hard as possible and finish,” said James. “We plan on playing Aquinas women’s soccer and no one else’s game.” Part of the team’s game involves having a great incoming freshmen class that has contribWebsite www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

uted greatly right off the bat. Most notably, freshman Cami Baker has made quite an impact. Starting two out of the four games, the recent East Kentwood graduate has contributed a goal and two assists for the Saints in the young season.

“This year we received a good group of freshmen, especially our front runners,” said sophomore midfielder Claire Krohn. “They are quick, which helps with our speed of play and improves our game as a team.” That will be important as the team switches from non-league to league play in the next week taking on rival Indiana Tech.

“Whether it be a league game or a non-league game, our goal is to always play at the highest intensity and improve all aspects of our game.” said Krohn. “Although we have a very young team, we have a lot going for us.

We should be able to have a great season and do well in conference play” While the Saints open up league play on the road, they will be back to face Cleary during Homecoming weekend. The Saints play tonight at Spring Arbor and travel to Indiana Tech on Saturday, September 21.

8

SPORTS

THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

Senior Liz Vaughan overcomes many obstacles in soccer career

Aquinas cross country starts off on the right foot

CARLY PLANK / THE SAINT

Charging forward: Sophomore Mary Bogarus, senior Jackie Katt and freshman Tori Killian run for the Saints at Knight Invitational at Calvin College.

By Carly Plank Staff Writer With typical Saint panache, the Aquinas College cross country teams started the season strong at the Knight Invitational on Saturday, September 14.

The men placed second out of 27 teams and the women placed seventh out of 26 teams. According to Head Coach Mike Wojciakowski, there is always strength in numbers.

“Everyone did a nice job working together, and we’re traditionally better when we do that. With a bigger squad, depth is our biggest asset this year,” said Wojciakowski.

The entire women’s team raced with a similar mindset, and they were rewarded with a competitive outcome that left them tightly sandwiched between conference rivals Cornerstone and Indiana Tech. Junior Rachael Steil lead the Saints, placing 24th in 18:54.0.

She was closely followed by sophomores Carley Woolcott and Emily Hazelbach, with times of 19:01.4 and 19:03.8, respectively.

As Steil explained, the support of teammates can make a crucial difference in the outcome of a race. “Before the race, coach told us that only we know what we’re capable of, so we have to prove it out there in 3.1 miles.

We stayed in a pack through the first two miles and then split up a little, but it worked well,” Steil said.

Rounding out scoring were junior Catie Rietsema and freshman Sydney Anderson, bringing the Saints home with a spread of less than a minute between the first scorer and the fifth.

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

Never back down: Senior Liz Vaughan looks to go around her opponent in home field action this season. Vaughan will graduate with a degree in Mathematics in May.

By Chuck Hyde Staff Writer Aquinas senior and women’s soccer captain Elizabeth Vaughan has learned to take everything in stride and look for opportunities everywhere.

Vaughan has been playing soccer for as long as she can remember, since her father enrolled her at the age of three. It has always been a central part of her life. After passing through so many teams and coaches, Vaughan has many stories to tell and many memories to relate.

Vaughan has had to traverse many struggles through her athletic career.

Before coming to Aquinas, she had a series of four knee surgeries that relegated her to the bench for most of her seasons playing soccer throughout high school. Coaches were afraid to let her play after such a procedure. Aquinas’ women’s soccer coach Mark Fales was optimistic and decided to recruit

Vaughan regardless of her surgeries.

Vaughan described Fales as a coach that can see each player’s strengths and see the big picture. “A lot of schools wouldn’t take me, but Mark took a chance on me,” said Vaughan.

Fales helped Vaughan recover from her surgeries, using summers to help her rehabilitate and prepare to play on the team during the season.

Vaughan began wearing a brace and playing again. “The brace is comforting, and coach was a big part of my recovery,” said Vaughan.

Now that Vaughan is out and playing soccer again, she enjoys being on the team. She spends nearly all of her time with her teammates during the season and enjoys it. “I love being a part of something,” said Vaughan.

Off the field, Vaughan likes to hang out with her friends and work at her job with the Aquinas Admissions Department where she is employed as a student ambassador. She said that she

likes simply enjoying her time at college and doing the same type of things that everyone does.

Vaughan is a Mathematics major and plans to graduate in the spring. She is eager to explore the world outside of Grand Rapids and travel for a while following graduation. Ultimately, she would just like to enjoy post-grad life. She added with a laugh that she “would hopefully be employed, too.”

Vaughan is interested in sales, finance, or something related. She would like to get into the business atmosphere in some way. Vaughan has a very positive outlook on her experience here at Aquinas. She not only enjoyed playing soccer, but most facets of life here on campus.

She had nothing but good things to say: “Everyone has a chance to feel a part of something. Everyone has a chance to feel like they belong.”

Tiger Talk

Detroit stays motivated to win in final weeks of season

By Zoe Harmon The Saint Reporter Who’s your Tiger? This is the ultimate question for every fan. Some may answer with one of the big men on the team, such as Miguel Cabrera, while others may choose the less popular Don Kelly. Nonetheless, every Detroit Tigers fan has claimed a player as his/her favorite.

This year, the Tiger who has been hitting the headlines the most is right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer. With his outstanding kickoff to the season, starting 13 games without a loss, Scherzer has been given credit for his teams’ success. To date, Scherzer is 19-3 (wins-losses).

He obtained his first loss of the 2013 season against the Texas Rangers on July 13 when the Tigers lost 7-1.

On September 24, he recorded

his second loss against the Boston Red Sox when the Tigers lost a devastating game 20-4.

Max Scherzer continues to be a strong arm in the organization and is the favorite for the 2013 Cy Young Award. The Cy Young Award is an annual recognition given to one pitcher in the American League and one in the National League. The award is voted for by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

This award is very prestigious, as some of the best players in history of the game have been recognized.

Max Scherzer has been with the Detroit Tigers organization since December 2009 and cannot be a free agent until 2015.

Another fan favorite who is in the running for a prestigious award is Miguel Cabrera. Last year, Cabrera won the first Triple Crown award

Sports Editor Alyssa Frese

College Football Update

for hitting since 1967, meaning he led the American League in batting average (.331), homeruns (44), and runs batted in (139). The Triple Crown may be in Cabrera’s future for this year as well. At this time, he is leading in all areas except in home runs, in which he is second to Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles.

As long as he stays healthy, which has been tough for him recently as he has been in and out of the lineup due to abdominal pains, Miguel Cabrera has a chance to make history once again. The Tigers organization, including manager Jim Leyland, is talking positively about getting Cabrera to a healthy state as soon as possible.

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

The men’s scorers finished even closer together than the women. Junior Grant Gunneson led the way, finishing sixth in 25:14.3. Sophomores and former Forest Hills Northern teammates Zach Stepanovich and Jacob Towne finished in 25:41.9 and 25:42.8, respectively. Senior Brendan Molony and sophomore Jeff Cherry were the fourth and fifth Saints across the line.

Molony was reasonably pleased with the outcome, echoing the mentality that pervades both teams this year.

“The plan was to stick to a pack through 6k and then take off and try to win the race. We were racing St. Francis, who’s ranked number one in the NAIA, so that’s a good benchmark.

And we were hoping to beat Calvin,” said Molony The Aquinas men scored 74 points and finished second to St. Francis while Calvin College, second place finishers at last year’s NCAA Division III cross country championships, finished third with 142 points.

While the victory over Calvin was satisfying, the men still have a lot of work to do before they can approach NAIA rivals St. Francis later in the season. However, senior Dan Foley believes the team is exactly where it needs to be at this point.

“The team’s relatively healthy and we haven’t done many workouts yet.

But we have a lot more in the tank than we showed today. It’s a long season, and we definitely didn’t want to start off with our best race,” said Foley.

Both teams will compete at the National Catholic Invitational in South Bend, Indiana on September 20.

By Joe Foldenauer The Saint Reporter

COURTESY KEITH ALLISON

All Star: Miguel Cabrera has been a big fan favorite this season.

Phone (616) 632-2975

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

A rivalry that started back in 1887, with a total of 41 meetings, is coming to an end. September 7 marked the last meeting between the Wolverines and Fighting Irish at the Big House in Ann Arbor. After a tough fight, U of M ended up winning the bout 41-30, making Michigan leader of the series, 24-16 and 1. Some highlights from the game were Jeremy Gallon’s three touchdowns for the Wolverines and Stephon Tuitt’s interception off of Devin Gardner in the ND end zone.

The Wolverines continued their winning streak last Saturday with a close fight against the Akron Zips, winning 28-24. Devin Gardner threw for 248 yards going 16 for 30 and scoring two touchdowns. The Wolverines will try to continue their winning streak this weekend against the Connecticut Huskies.

Notre Dame has struggled a bit lately, but was able to overcome a tough fight against the Purdue Boilermakers last Saturday, winning 31-24.

The Fighting Irish came up a bit short at first with the Boilermakers defense blitzing against QB Tommy Rees and at halftime an Irish victory did not seem likely. The Irish came back with an impressive fourth quarter, scoring three of their four touchdowns. DaVaris Daniels ran for 267 yards, eight receptions and had two touchdowns. Notre Dame will be playing against the Michigan State Spartans this Saturday in South Bend.

The Spartans have been doing fairly well this season, with a 3-0 record so far. Two weeks ago the Spartans won in a 21-6 victory over the South Florida Bulls. Highlighted player for that game would be QB Andrew Maxwell who threw for 40 yards and went 4 for 9.

Then last weekend, the Spartans had a great victory over Youngstown, 55-17.