The Saint :: Issue 5

Women and their bodies Staff Writer Haley Brink wants you to know about a stigma challenging women today

theSaint

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Wednesday, November 19, 2014 Volume 34, Issue 5

>>NEWS Possible New Chapel | 2 Saint Reporter Carlos Hernandez informs us of the discussion of a new campus chapel

We don’t have any blank spaces, Taylor.

Changes for the Class of ‘19 Aquinas College releases information about the new three-year on-campus housing requirement for incoming freshmen

Rebecca Kiessling | 3

Saint Reporter Tom Doetsch and Editor-in-Chief Mayra Monroy preview this Pro-Life speaker and why you should go see her speak

>>CULTURE Foo Fighters’ New Album | 5

Saint Reporter Liz Ptaszynski reviews the rock group’s new album

Interstellar | 6

Staff Writer Haley Brink recommends this blockbuster.

Read why you need to check it out

>>SPORTS AQ Hockey | 7 Saint Reporter Zoe Collenburg has the details on AQ’s very own men on ice Red Wings | 8

Saint Reporter Alyssa Frese gives you the scoop on the Red Wings season so far and how the future is looking

By Chucky Blackmore Staff Writer A recent issue involving a newlyimplemented residency policy has been stirring quite a bit of controversy around the Aquinas community.

On Tuesday, November 4, the AQ Presidential cabinet voted on a policy that will require students to live on campus for three years, starting with the next incoming freshman class--the class of 2019.

“Things like the residency policy are voted on by the cabinet level based on input by the Student Pulse Survey and financial consultants,” said Brian Matzke,Associate Vice President for Student Affairs. Fulfilling the role as the Dean of Students, Matzke was first person to inform Student Senate about the decision the very next day.

The Student Pulse Survey is issued every year to all AQ students to get a better understandingofstudents’opinionsonavariety of subjects--one of them being student housing.

Noel-Levitz, one of the outside consultants with close ties to Aquinas, is a professional organization that looks at the college’s financial situation, exploring how to shape incoming classes and increasing retention rates.

While many students, faculty, and staff are unsure by the decision, most seem to be more bothered by the fact that the school wasn’t informed about the policy being put into action, rather than the decision itself.

“Dealing with the issue of student housing, I don’t really think [faculty] has the right to vote on anything,” said Dr. Daniel Brooks, Director of the Humanities Program and Professor of English. “That fact that nobody outside of cabinet seems to have been consulted is where the problem lies.”

If student retention happens to go down due to this new policy, will faculty and staff members start being cut?

“The data proves that those students who live on campus retain higher grades and graduation rates,” said Matzke, referring to

the data analyzed by NoelLevitz and pulse surveys.

Brooks is confident that,withtimeandcollective effort, the three year residency requirement will bring forth many positive outcomes, including a safe living environments for all students, especially those who are out-of-state or international students.

“Something [Aquinas] has always been good at is encouraging its students to stay,” said Brooks.

When it comes to this issue of the three year residency requirement, the students of AQ are the primary concern. Heather COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS Hall, Director of Campus Life, is directly involved with Housing on Campus: Apartment E was built last year to make space available for students. advising student programs on a daily basis, including Student Senate and to pay all this extra money I didn’t have to pay being engaged in on and off-campus events; the commuter student initiative. coming here.” juniors living in the apartments are walked “There are a lot of great benefits to this Hannah, who fell in love with AQ at first through real-world experiences, signing lease decision,” said Hall. sight, had no doubts about enrolling atAQ. She agreements, so when senior year rolls around, As always, the housing exemption policy just hopes the new policy doesn’t stop her sister students will be ready to live off campus. will remain in effect for those students dealing from attending.

With the new three year housing with financial or medical hardship.

BrandonHeritier,seniorsenator,shareshis requirement in place, the AQ community will “We furnish activities, events and thoughts on the three-year requirement. be able to analyze how well the policy turns opportunities to any enrolled AQ student “This isn’t just a requirement to stay on out. In the coming years, if the policy neglects regardless of where they call home,” said Hall. campus for three years,” said Heritier. “It is to fuel retention and graduation rates, potential Hall and the Campus Life team will something that is going to cause a ripple effect changes may be made to make the policy more continue to work alongside Residence Life to of changes.” successful. provide collaborative events for all residents Heritier expects a culture shift to occur“Students need to know to give the policy while exploring ways to assist those not living -parking policies are subject to change and a chance,” said Hannah. “The data shows it, on campus with their social and academic additional facilities may need to be added to but we won’t know the outcomes until we needs. house extra students. Nonetheless, Heritier is wait and see.”

Reluctance still ensues students who are aware of the data supported by cabinet.

“The data just shows that this is the best not directly affected by the policy but may have Matzke approaches the policy in a decision to make at this time,” said Matzke. “I siblings who want to attend AQ in the future. developmental aspect: first-year students come want students to graduate from here knowing “I would love for my younger sister toAQ learning about building the community; AQ offered them a great living and learning to come to Aquinas,” said first-year senator sophomores have the option to participate experience.”

Morgan Hannah. “But I’d hate to see her have in Living Learning Communities (LLCs),

Robbery on campus Dominican Charisms in Action reminds students to take safety precautions

By Mariah Cowsert The Saint Reporter

By Mayra Monroy Editor-in-Chief An Aquinas student was robbed at gunpoint on Saturday, November 15 near Hruby Hall facing Fulton Street.

According to the Grand Rapids Police Department and Aquinas Campus Safety, a male student was robbed at approximately 6:25 P.M. Saturday evening by an African American male.

The suspect threatened the student with a caliber handgun and got away with the student’s backpack and cellphone. The student was not injured and described the suspect as six feet tall with a medium build and wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and a bandana covering his face.

A lockdown was issued on campus at 6:46 P.M. According to Grand Rapids Lt. Mark Mathis, a K-9 unit tracked the armed suspect just north of campus near Ball and Michigan Street and the lockdown was lifted around 7:15 P.M. The K-9 unit lost the scent and the suspect is still at large.

With the dark beginning earlier now due to daylight savings, Campus Safety is urging students to remember to be safe.

Since crime activity is spiking in the surrounding Grand Rapids community,

students should use precaution when walking alone at night.

Campus Safety provides escort services anywhere on campus and within a mile radius beginning at dusk and ending at dawn. If you’re wondering if your house or apartment is in the radius, there is a downloadable map on the Campus Safety website.

“My job is to keep the campus safe,” said Kevin Kwiatkowski, Director of Campus Safety in a previous interview.

“Whatever we can do to improve the [students’] safety is my goal.”

Students are urged to report suspicious activity immediately.

“We practice lockdowns and ask students to follow those procedures,” said Brian Matzke, Associate Vice Presidents of Student Affairs. “Keeping an eye and ear open and being aware [of what’s going on around you] are very important.”

Aquinas works closely with Grand Rapids Police Department. In situations like the one on Saturday, Aquinas calls in extra security and increased police presence.

“Our campus has a very dedicated GRPD liaison,” said Matzke.

If you have any information about the incident, please call GRPD at 616.456.3604 or Silent Observer at 616.774.2345.

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

Hruby Hall: The robbery happened near Hruby Hall according to GRPD.

On the coast of Maine there is a place of ocean scapes, mountains for climbing, trails to explore, and people full of love for their job. This place of wonder is Acadia National Park located in Bar Harbor, Maine, which is preserved t o i t ’s f u l l p o t e n t i a l a n d beauty with the help of hardworking Aquinas students during each fall break.

Coordinator of Service Learning, Eric Bridge, says “what started out years ago as an idea by an AQ student has transformed into a long-lasting, mutually beneficial partnership.”

He could not be any COURTESY ERIC BRIDGE m o r e c o r r e c t a s t h e #ICanAQ: Years of student services has created a beautiful service partnership. trip has been a service learning staple for 15 years now and gives students the opportunity Junior Jake Eccleston. s a y i n g “ Yo u ’r e f r o m A q u i n a s ? I to restore trails that will be a “Being in a van for 20 hours love Aquinas!” Jonathan Gormley, l a s t i n g p a r t o f t h e p a r k , c r e a t e a n d l i v i n g t o g e t h e r i n a t h r e e a volunteer coordinator at Acadia b o g w a l k s , d e m o n s t r a t e t h e b e d r o o m a p a r t m e n t a i d e d t h e for over 20 years, has even made a D o m i n i c a n C h a r i s m s , a n d b u i l d bonding of the crew for the trip,” visit to Aquinas himself. l a s t i n g f r i e n d s h i p s o n t h e 2 0 s a i d K e l l o g g , “ a n d we l e f t a s a The partnership with Acadia hour drive to the coast. Eric also f a m i l y c o n n e c t e d b y t h e s h a r e d National Park shows the dedication explained that “The Partner Award experiences at Acadia.” to service from generations of recognizes the strong partnerships “We hiked the trail we finished Aquinas students and staff. This Aquinas forges with communities, last year and even built a whole p a r t n e r s h i p w i l l e n a b l e e v e n in this case, Acadia National Park.” new trail,” she said, “One of my m o r e g e n e r a t i o n s o f s t u d e n t s S t u d e n t s h a v e m a d e v a l u a b l e favorite aspects of the work was t o e x p e r i e n c e a n d p r e s e r ve t h e impacts parkwide and beyond. connecting a tiny town to Acadia n a t u r a l b e a u t y o f A c a d i a a n d O n e o f t h e c o - l e a d e r s f o r a n d g i v i n g t h e m t h e a b i l i t y t o build lasting friendships through the trip, Senior Cecilia Kellogg, have free entrance into the official s e r v i c e . A n y o n e i n t e r e s t e d i n e x p l a i n e d w h a t t h e p a r t n e r s h i p trails and seeing how appreciative being apart of an Aquinas service m e a n s t o h e r a n d t h e s e r v i c e everyone was.” tradition at Acadia should fill accomplished by the group.

Kellogg also shared that the out an application which will be “Being apart of a legacy and park staff was inspiring and that available next fall. blowing the staff out of the water t h e w o m e n t o l d h e r t h a t w h a t w h i l e s h o w i n g h o w h a r d A Q degree you graduate with doesn’t s t u d e n t s w o r k o u t s i d e o f c l a s s d e f i n e yo u a n d w h a t yo u d o i n meant a lot,” said Kellogg. life. Kellogg explained that the This was her second year staff and townspeople beamed p a r t i c i p a t i n g a n d h e r f i r s t ye a r w i t h p r a i s e a n d e x c i t e m e n t f o r co-leading the group, alongside the help of the Aquinas students

news

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2014

Aquinas: Wege Foundations donates $2.5 million to New Program

Grand Rapids: Stabbing Reported on Northeast side of Grand Rapids

National: Four Workers Killed during a Gas Leak at Texas Chemical Plant

World: ISIS Video Believed to Show American Hostage Beheading

Aquinas College and the Aquinas College Foundation announced they received a $2.5 million gift from the Wege Foundation to start the first ever economicology program at the collegiate level, in the nation. It has been a vision of Peter Wege’s for the college.

Police investigate a stabbing on the Northeast side of Grand Rapids that reportedly occurred November 16. The scene was near Lafayette Avenue and Spencer Street. One person was reported to have been stabbed around 2 P.M. on Sunday, November 16.

Four workers were killed and one hospitalized after at a hazardous gas leak that occurred at DuPoint Chemical Plant, east of Houston. The gas leak occured the morning of Saturday, November 15. The cause of the leak is currently being investigated.

On November 16 The Islamic State released a video that displayed a black-clad executioner standing over a severed head that was identified as Peter Kassig, a former Army Ranger, who disappeared over a year ago in northeastern Syria.

American Intelligence Agencies have received strong indications that Kassig was killed.

Local Writers:

Ripple Effects

World News Changes in Mexico, Europe, Africa and South East Asia create weekly alterations throughout the world

By Yashowanto Ghosh Staff Writer

ZOE COLLENBURG/THE SAINT

Zoe Collenburg The Saint Reporter What began as two personal historians discussing the power of stories in the Grand Rapid c o m m u n i t y, s o o n b e c a m e R i p p l e Effects- Ten West Michigan Nonprofits Serve, Inspire, Transform.

Deb Moore and Betty Epperly are both a part of the Association for Personal Historians and have a passion for sharing the stories of everyday people. Moore is a sixth generation Grand Rapidian and Epperly is the daughter of Dutch immigrants who settled in West Michigan. Both have a history in their field of work- Moore has been a part of the Association since 2003. Before the book, Moore and Epperly didn’t know each other, so what started out as a coffee meeting turned into a book.

Ripple Effects tells the story of ten Grand-Rapids-foundednonprofits, by providing an overview of each (which includes their roots, mission, programs, and services), as well as five stories of people whose lives have been changed by the agency. Beginning in February 2014, the two women interviewed and researched their chosen nonprofits, and by June they began writing.

“Writing stories about clients in the nonprofit sector was humbling and inspiring; we heard stories from people who were able to overcome challenges through determination and remarkable courage,” said Epperly.

Moore and Epperly’s book was published in October- a total of ten months from conception to print.

“We ended up calling it ‘Ripple Effects’ because we found out that a lot of people who have been served by these agencies, once they get on their feet, are in turn giving back with the agency”, said Moore.

The focus on how each nonprofit serves, inspires and transforms, “kinda shouted out.”

For Grand Rapid natives and lovers of the city alike, Ripple Effects is truly a story of community a n d se r v i c e . E a c h n o n p r o f i t n o t only gets to tell their story and inspiration, but they get to share how they serve their community, as well as how they have transformed lives. Moore and Epperly discussed how many of the agencies have an impact on lives everyday.

“Grand Rapids is unique in i t s va r i e t y o f n o n p r o f i t s , w h i c h stems from the philanthropy of its residents. They are miracles o n a s h o e s t r i n g . I t ’s o u r h o p e that this book will also have ripple effects and will motivate people to support these amazing organizations,” said Epperly.

The book can be found in Schuler Books and Music and on Amazon for $12.99. If you are interested in a discounted, blemished copy, you can email The Saint at saint.editors@aquinas.edu.

AQ discusses Potential New Chapel

D A R M S TA D T, GERMANY —The Philae probe of the European Space Agency’s spacecraft Rosetta touched down on the surface of Comet 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko, currently approximately 235 million miles away from the solar system, on Wednesday, November 11. This is the first time that a space mission has landed on a comet nucleus. The spacecraft was launched in 2004 and, according to National Geographic, has cost $1.74 billion. As the comet comes to its perihelion next year, Rosetta will escort it on its orbit.

KIEV, UKRAINE — US General Philip Breedlove, NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, speaking in Bulgaria, confirmed reports that Russian troops and tanks have entered Ukraine in the past few days, reports Reuter.

General-Major Igor Konashenkov of the Russian Defense Ministry said in Moscow that Russia had stopped paying attention to NATO’s accusations.

U k r a i n e ’s D e f e n s e M i n i s t e r Stepan Poltorak said in Kiev that his country is repositioning its armed forces to respond to the rebels with military action.

The death toll since the September 5 ceasefire in Ukraine has crossed 4000.

CHIBOK, NIGERIA — Boko Haram militants took control of the town Chibok in Borno state on Thursday, November 13, reports BBC. The terrorist group had kidnapped 276 schoolgirls from the same town in April, resulting in worldwide outrage.

IGUALA, MEXICO — Demonstrations broke out in Mexico over 43 students, missing in the

small town of Iguala in the state of Guerrero, who were allegedly kidnapped, tortured, and killed at the behest of former mayor José Luis Abarca Velázquez and his wife María de los Ángeles Pineda Villa.

The students, who had travelled to Iguala to protest at a mayoral campaign event of Villa, went missing on September 26. Abarca and Villa absconded and were arrested in Mexico City on November 4.

Mexico has sent human remains from mass graves discovered near Iguala in October to Austria for DNA analysis to determine whether the remains are of the missing students, reports the Daily Mail.

NAY PYI TAW, MYANMAR — President Barack Obama visited Myanmar, which hosted the 25th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations during November 10–12. He held talks with Myanmar ’s president Thein Sein, as well as with opposition leader and 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent years in house arrest as a political prisoner after her party won the elections in 1989. Obama said that Myanmar ’s government has “backslided” on democratic reforms, but added later that he was “optimistic about the possibilities for Myanmar,” reports Voice of America. The country was under military rule from 1962 to 2011, and currently considers itself a “disciplined democracy.”

MOSUL, IRAQ — Iraqi television reports indicated that Abu Bakr alBaghdadi, self-proclaimed Caliph of the Islamic State, was wounded during a US air strike in the city Al Qa’im in Anbar province in western Iraq on Saturday, November 8. ISIS released a new 17-minute audio recording, allegedly of al-Baghdadi speaking after the air strike, on Thursday, November 13.

By Carlos Hernandez The Saint Reporter Shr ouded by a mob of tr ees lay a humble building where many students go to be in touch with their spirituality; t o s a y a p r a ye r f o r t h e d a y, t o seek guidance from the school chaplain or to just take in the beauty of a building f r om what f eels like th e past. Th is building is known as Bukowski Chapel.

For ten years, students, staff, f a c u l t y, a n d t h e g e n e r a l p u b l i c have come to Bukowski in the form of room-filling crowds. It is because of th is th at the Chapel’s Core Advisory Committee has agreed to seek out options for a brand new chapel to be built on campus. This decision comes from a combination of factors, such as accessibility, space, an d iden tity.

Father Stan Dr on gowski, th e sch ool’s chaplain and a member of the committee, is looking forward to this possibility, saying “O ne of the thin gs I f ind r eally important is that the Aquinas Campus Min istr y is intended to s e r ve t h e s p i r i t u a l n e e d s o f a l l t h e s t u d e n t s , f a c u l t y, a n d s t a f f on campus. For this we hope to cr eate a space that will ser ve the personal needs of all members of th e A Q commun ity.”

Seems simple, right? Well the truth of the matter is that this process is a long and challenging o n e . C u r r e n t l y, f u n d r a i s i n g prevents the project from starting; an d so f ar ther e ar e no plans f or t h e c h a p e l ’s n e w l o c a t i o n , i t s name, or a completion date, but the committee is working diligen tly to get a def in ite plan put together as soon as they can. “ We r e a l l y h o p e i t w i l l b e a place wher e people will wan t t o c o m e f o r p r i va t e p r a ye r a n d r e f l e c t i o n . We a l s o w a n t t o design it to assist people in

gathering for prayer and other s p i r i t u a l a c t i v i t i e s , ” s a i d F r.

Dr ongowski.

This process is a long series of events started back in the spring with a committee meetin g wh ich led to thr ee mor e meetin gs wh er e this subject was discussed. In these meetings the committee agreed to search for a litur gical con sultan t. Th is task t o o k t h e e n t i r e s u m m e r. F r o m four potentials, Duncan Stroik was selected to help with the bir th of this n ew building an d to help select an architect for the pr oject. The n ext step is to h ave listening sessions with the Board o f Tr u s t e e s a n d t h e A q u i n a s family after which, Theologian Father Jerry Austin will speak a b o u t t h e p r o j e c t N o ve m b e r 2 0 at 12:30pm in the Wege Ballroom.

Th e next step af ter that is f or Fr. Austin to give findings to the Committee, who will th en select an ar ch itect; th e committee will see what happens f r om ther e.

These roadblocks do not trouble the members of the c o m m i t t e e , h o w e v e r. M e m b e r s such as Mary Clark-Kaiser, remain passionate about the project. Mary Clark-Kaiser believes in the strength of the M i n i s t r y, s a y i n g “ H o s p i t a l i t y i s an important Dominican value f o r u s a t A q u i n a s C o l l e g e . We hope that we will build a chapel where all will feel welcome; a space wh er e our community will f eel the welcoming love of G od,” O n ly time will tell what f ate has in stor e f or the new chapel, but until then, Bukowski still has its door s open and will con tin ue to do so for those who wish to stop by and say hello.

International Student Profile: Danielle Frenzel

By Anna Musiyenko Staff Writer Danielle Frenzel is an international student from Modi’in, Israel who knows how it feels to have two motherlands.

Originally from the United States Frenzel moved to Israel with her family at the age of ten.

“My mother wanted to take a break which was the one year off when she did not need to work. She decided to go back to her family’s roots and settle in Israel,” Frenzel said.

This trip forever changed the l i f e o f F r e n z e l ’s f a m i l y a n d i t s plans for future. Going to the foreign country for the one year va c a t i o n e n d e d u p b e i n g t h e i r hometown for the next eight years.

“At the end of the trip we really liked it and made a decision to stay in Israel for one more year and one more and more,” Frenzel said.

Though Danielle Frenzel fell in love with Israel from the first minute of being there, it did not protect her from an enormous

and the most significant problem and music which is oriented on the which is applied to all international liturgical interpretation. students: language.

“How did I find Aquinas? I “My sister Googled it! and I did I focused not know on looking any Hebrew for the solid besides the educational alphabet. program, Only after s t r o n g three years C a t h o l i c of learning faith, and I felt more interactive comfortable activities at to speak, the college h o w e v e r, n o t c o m m u n i t y, ” fluently and said Frenzel.

F r e n z e l with lots of mistakes,” takes an Frenzel said. a c t i v e After position in having a the social life tremendous of Aquinas culture shock College and and language COURTESY DANIELLE FRENZEL p a r t i c i p a t e s difficulties at the age in different of ten, coming back to America local clubs, organizations, and was not the most frightening events. She is enrolled in the step in Frenzel’s life. Focusing on college choir which has the variety getting the high level of education, o f c o n c e r t s f o r t h e w i d e s p r e a d Frenzel chose Aquinas College as audience. her second tryout of the American “The last concert was for the kids life. Danielle Frenzel studies art who have a neurodevelopmental with a concentration in painting disorder, autism. I believe that I

News Editor Yasmeen Ahmed E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

Phone (616) 632-2975

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

did everything I can and put my entire soul into that performance,” Frenzel said.

Outside of the college life, Danielle Frenzel pays attention to her musical and art development, Catholic religion, and selfimprovement. Being so passionate about art and culture made Frenzel a common guest at the modern art galleries, jazz concerts, and downtown Grand Rapids. In addition, a strong Catholic point of view was welcoming by many local churches and cathedrals in town.

“I am really strong in my faith and it is important for me to be in the catholic environment. What I like the most about America that I can be free in my faith and be surrounded by people with the s i m i l a r p o i n t o f v i e w, ” F r e n z e l said.

Unique life experience and cultural backgrounds make Frenzel the first American international student at Aquinas College.

Leading by a strong spirit, the will of God, and creative plans for the future Danielle Frenzel took a deep breath and gave a second try to life in the United States.

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NEWS

THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2014

Professor Spotlight:

One World Trade Center Opens

Randy Wyatt shares his one-man program

By Anne Stitt The Saint Reporter

community theatre members will tell you that Wyatt turned the program around. Although it had proven to be a challenge, Wyatt says that the Unless you’re a Theatre major, you attitude and set up at Aquinas has been might not have ever “the kind of wandered over to the environment hobbit-esque, onceI t h r i ve b e s t winery that is Brink in and that Hall, which is, quite other theatre fittingly, second home professionals to Professor Randy would be Wyatt. jealous of.”

Although tucked As the away in “surreal Director and seclusion”, Wyatt will only full-time hold a conversation staff member with anyone for of the Theatre hours about anything Program, Wyatt pertaining to theatre. has to wear a It is clear that he lot of hats- a enjoys discussing skill he works the power of theatreto transfer to from empathy to life his students. skills- he sees the Not only is he benefits of this living, playwright, breathing art form. director, and Although Wyatt has professor, but been criticized in the he is also the past for choosing manager of COURTESY RANDY WYATT plays that are not well a four to five known, he thinks a One Man Show: Professor Wyatt shares his journey and time at Aquinas College, show season, through his love for theatre and students. little differently. in charge of the “ I t ’ s m y budget for all commentary on things I think are hot to Austin and later to the Twin Cities shows, hiring and firing of staff, head topics at Aquinas,” Wyatt said. He before he completed his graduate work of the production team, public relations, works to make theatre a discussion for at Minnesota State. After Wyatt got his and employer of 13-15 technical staff those around it. As a small, Catholic, MFA in Directing (while he published per season. “Every two months I’m liberal arts college, Wyatt’s questions several plays) he was planning to go to jumping into some new world that’s all typically ask what the fears and dreams the Windy City, but was “summoned about something completely different”, of his audience are. But the most by the school” for his dream job- which Wyatt said. He will tell you that theatre important questions are “what kind of he still marvels at today, eight years is absolutely absorbing, and it’s had emotions are they encountering right later. Wyatt will tell you that when he him since 1989- “I was in a show now, and how can that be exfoliated on came in, he didn’t ever met with the my freshman year of undergrad and stage?”, said Wyatt. haven’t really had a break since then”, past Director.

Wyatt had quite the journey to “There was a lot that I had to Wyatt said. And it’s clear he doesn’t plan come to his current role at Aquinas. recreate”, Wyatt said. Despite him not on taking one now.

After completing his undergraduate knowing what had been before, many

By Zoe Collenburg The Saint Reporter

degree across the road at Cornerstone University, Wyatt opened and ran his own theatre- Lost In The Cove Productions- in Grand Rapids for about seven years. He then took off

Now the Western Hemisphere’s tallest building, One World Trade Center opened its doors November 3. Constructed on the site of the tragically infamous Twin Towers, which were destroyed during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, one World Trade Center is a symbol of resilience for the city of New York as well as the rest of America.

Taking more than eight years and 10,000 construction workers to finish, the modern glass covered building punctuates the Manhattan skyline with its reflective prismatic design thought of by architect T.J. Gottesdiener of the Skidmore, Owings & Merrill firm.

One World Trade Center, initially titled the Freedom Tower, stands at 1,776 feet (a symbolic reference to the year the Declaration of Independence was signed) and has implemented several new safeguards to ensure the well-being of its occupants. The concrete of the building’s structure has been reinforced with steel, many key f e a t u r e s we r e c o n s t r u c t e d w i t h hardened concrete for enhanced durability, and stairways are wider to allow for emergency workers to properly do their jobs.

In the 13 years since the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, much argument and debate has plagued building projects designed to occupy the land that was referred to as “ground zero”. With a price tag

A story from the heart:

Rebecca Kiessling plans to share her story at AQ December 2

The Jane Doe Project inspires students once again

By Natalie Przybyla The Saint Reporter

violence in our The Jane Doe Project society. is a yearly event put on Some skits by the Women’s Studies were eyeCenter here at Aquinas opening to the College. The event point of tears. usually takes place in With quotes like the spring, but this year “I didn’t know it occurred on November what I wanted so 14 in the Art and Music I gave him what Center. h e wa n t e d . ” As started in 2009 by and “How Cheyna Roczkowski for could I ask for a senior project, The Jane it? I was nine!”

Doe Project’s original How could one goals continue to be not question reached and achieved. why we have Aquinas College not changed students continued the already? Like tradition every year. every year, the This year, the student Jane Doe Project director was senior Erica NATALIE PRZYBYLA/THE SAINT opens the lips of Utter who worked hard to continue Jane Doe’s #YesAllWomenandMen: Students Dala Carroll and Erick Ramirez tell two different nameless victims stories that share the anguish of not being accepted and acknowledged during the and the ears of legacy and words. the audience F o u r n e w Jane Doe Project in the Arts and Music Center. and the Aquinas monologues were added remove negative stigma, and tear down to the performance this year. All were myths of violence against women and so College community.

Get in contact with the Women’s Studies conducted from interviews with Aquinas much more,” says Dana Marsh, survivor students, faculty and alumni as it has been and advocate of violence against women Center if you would like to participate in the done in years past. for the YWCA. “We have to start at Jane Doe Project in 2015, or if you would The Jane Doe Project this year featured informing the public of what is happening. like to become an advocate against violence against women, contact the YWCA. If you stories of rape, sexual assault, objectification, I really wish more people came by.” gender stereotypes, and much more. It Stories revolving around child abuse, are a survivor of violence and need some aimed to help end these issues our society pick-up lines, incest, and the friend-zone help, contact the YWCA or authorities for holds. Although from time to time lines molded The Jane Doe Project into an event advice and action on your situation.

If you missed the Jane Doe Project this were forgotten and the audience was small, that made one laugh, cry, cringe, and most this year’s program did not fail to inform, of all, want to change themselves and year, be sure to look out for it next year encourage involvement, and get people others for the better. Sixteen stories were around campus. to help change the world by helping end performed by one man and 8 women that violence and discrimination. ask for the people to stand up for themselves “This project helps raise awareness, and others by putting a foot down to

By Mayra Monroy & Tom Doetsch Editor-in-Chief & Saint Reporter Rebecca Kiessling, a National Pro-Life speaker, will be sharing her traumatic and inspiring story with students and faculty in the Wege Ballroom at 6 P.M. Students shouldn’t be mistaken--Kiessling will address several hot topics in the Pro-Life/Choice debate.

Kiessling, a family law attorney a n d a d v o c a t e f o r p r o - l i f e , wa s conceived in rape, a living example of one of the hottest topics in t h e d i s c u s s i o n t o d a y. K i e s s l i n g was born from a serial rapist and was targeted by two failed illegal abortions by her birth mother. After 18 years of not knowing her own past, Kiessling was informed of her adoption and the brutal rape that her mother tried to forget.

Through her struggles of coming t o t e r m s w i t h h e r o w n h i s t o r y, Kiessling travels the United States and Europe fighting for the rights of

16 stories 1

all in

told by

8 women and1 man News Editor Yasmeen Ahmed

night

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

of $3.9 billion, the building is owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and already almost 60 percent of its space has been leased to various organizations.

First to move in were 175 employees of Condé Nast, the publisher responsible for such m a g a z i n e s a s T h e N e w Yo r k e r and Vogue. The conglomerate will eventually move 3,000 employees into the building, taking up 24 floors in the 104 story building.

Other organizations that have leased space in One World Trade Center include Legends Hospitality, Servcorp, the investment advisor BMB Group, the advertising firm Kids Creative, and a trade and cultural center called the China Center.

On the 16 acres on which One World Trade Center stands are two reflective pools sitting in the footprints of where the fallen towers once stood, serving as a memorial for the more than 2,700 individuals who died during the attacks. Not obstructing the sunlight over the memorials will be the second tallest building in New York City, Two World Trade Center, which has a projected opening in 2016, and will be located just south of One World Trade Center.

Observation decks in the environmentally friendly One World Trade Center tower will be accessible to the public in early 2015.

COURTESY SINGLE SOURCE SPEAKER

In the Crosshairs: Rebecca Kiessling is a nationally acclaimed Pro-Life speaker that will speak to Aquinas on December 2 in the Wege Ballroom.

Phone (616) 632-2975

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

those who are unable to speak and advocating for a hot topic in today’s society: should abortions be okay in terms of rape or incest?

“Her speech is very empowering,” said senior and Saints for Life Vice President Emily Hazelbach. “We [wanted] to bring her to Aquinas to educate our fellow peers and community.”

Kiessling invests all of herself in the discussion of a passionate topic, weaving her personal stories and memories into her speech.

One thing is for certain: Kiessling refuses to let herself serve the title “product of rape.”

No matter the stance, all sides are welcome to attend the event.

Kiessling will be having a question and answer session following the speech.

“She puts a face to the issue,” said Hazelbach.

Saints for Life has been behind several successful events on campus.

Planned Parenthood Project was held in October and the annual March for Life movement is slated f or J anuar y in Washin gton D.C. The on campus organization works towards educating students, staff and faculty of “When you open up yours eyes and realize that there is a big m o ve m e n t . . . i t b r i n g s h o p e t o a cause,” said junior and Saints for Life President Sarah Wade.

Dessert and beverages will be provided at the December 2 event in the Wege Ballroom from 6 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2014

Ready, Set, Hysterectomy

AQ Remembers

On Friday, October 31, Alfinio Olivarez passed away. The father of Aquinas College President Dr. Juan Olivarez, the elder Olivarez resided in Alice, Texas, until his death. According to his official obituary, Olivarez first served in World War II before working as a pipefitter in Chicago with Inland Steel Company for 25 years. Upon retirement he moved to Texas and remained there for 31 years.

Olivarez was fortunate to be survived by several children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, including President Olivarez. Of his father, Dr. Olivarez said “he was a kind and gentle man… a great role model. He was proud man always teaching us to be good citizens.” Olivarez emphasized his work ethic, passion for education, and his courage during his military service.

Alfinio Olivarez will be remembered through a memorial mass at Bukowski Chapel on Monday, December 1 at 4:30 pm. Campus Chaplain Father Stan, O.P. will preside. All are welcome to the mass, and the Aquinas community is asked to keep Dr. Olivarez and his family in their thoughts and prayers.

>>

FROM THE CROWD

APPLAUSE TO...

Aquinas College Administration for the fantastic snow day that we recieved on Tuesday, November 17; Taylor Swift for the release of her new album, 1989; Snow for being so beautiful and allowing us to sometimes sleep in;

The Victoria Secret Fashion Show, for having the most beautiful women model.

HECKLES TO...

Kim Kardashian for her lovely picture of her plastic backside; Fort Lauderdale PD, for arresting a man for feeding the homeless; Snow, for being beautiful but deadly; The 26-year-old that is marrying killer Charles Manson; The Victoria Secret Fashion Show, for making us feel bad for skipping abs day.

2014-2015 E D I T O R I A L B O A R D Sports Editor Managing Editor Opinion Editor Adviser

Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my mom and her friends. One of her friends influenced me more than the others, and I still talk to her often.

Her name is Bobbie, she is 31 years old, and she has been telling me since I was a little girl that she never wanted children of her own. She didn’t want to get married either, unless her significant other really wanted to. I couldn’t wrap my head around not having a husband and children.

As I got older, I started to understand where she was coming from.

I realized that not everyone has to follow that way of life. We started having in-depth conversations about why we didn’t want children. They weren’t petty reasons like: “I don’t like kids” or “kids are 18 years worth of expense.” We decided that—in her case—she wouldn’t be able to provide a good life for a child. It has nothing to do with money. She is just a traveler. She moves a lot. She doesn’t like being tied down. She likes having the ability to leave in a second’s notice if she pleases. For her, that’s never going to change, and she knew that at a

Taylor Hodges Aaron Campbell Chuck Hyde 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.

phaned children and aborted children, because the women who didn’t want to have children wouldn’t have to make that choice.

If women could make the decision to get the surgery for personal reasons, the result would be—along with less orphans and abortions—less stress for women about accidentally getting pregnant and less “pressured families” (families that are only families because a woman became pregnant and the parents felt obligated to try and make being a family work).

With that being said, there is a very efficient way to go about letting women get hysterectomies by choice: filling out a request form. Then a process would start that stretches over the course of a few months. She would undergo counseling, take psychological tests and physical examinations, and then she would be free to set a date for her surgery.

Each step of this process has a purpose. The counseling is to make sure the woman isn’t jumping into anything she hasn’t been thinking about for a while. The psychological tests are to make sure she is in a stable state of mind about what she is about to do. The physical examinations are to ensure that she is healthy and to reduce the chance of having things to south in the operating room. After all these are satisfactorily executed, it’s ready, set, hysterectomy!

Sensational and Proud

Sensationalism is a huge problem with journalism, the media, and our culture in general. When an idea stirs up enough people it catches fire, regardless of the facts on the matter. People are too busy being angry over the issue they perceive to stop and consider the content that they are absorbing. I could cite nearly countless examples, ranging from trivial things to lifethreatening problems facing the country.

This is a big problem when related to issues of race, gender, and religion. As I discussed last issue, misogyny and other forms of hatred are all too easily spread through the internet. This is largely due to sensationalism. The example of the socalled “GamerGate” (I nearly vomited typing that) that I presented before concerning attacks on a female game developer is just one example. People jump at the first talk of their rights being violated or people doing something they perceive as wrong.

This, of course, is a perfectly reasonable reaction. However, many times these stories are blown out of proportion. They are either factually inaccurate or spun to put blame on a certain person or group for no legitimate reason. Thus, the President of the United States is often blamed for problems that he doesn’t have control over.

Or the blanket terms of “Conservatives” and “Liberals” are thrown around, with each side accusing the other of great evils.

This doesn’t just apply to the political arena, either. Faulty science can easily be spun by the media to seem true. This can be harmless or dangerous depending on the situation. One recent example saw the movie Lucy citing the supposed fact that humans only use ten percent of their brain as a major plot point. This is a common misconception, and the pseudoscience caused many reviewers to lambast the movie.

In a more dangerous example, Jenny McCarthy and other celebrities have endorsed Andrew Wakefield’s research that accused vaccines as the causative agent of autism. Wakefield’s study has many times been shown to contain faulty and manipu-

lated data, yet it is still accepted by many.

The movement has gained traction, with non-vaccinated children falling victim to diseases that were nearly eradicated in the United States (Mumps, Measles, etc.). The sensational reporting and fear-mongering has caused many to partake in a dangerous project.

Media sources of all sorts are guilty of this, making out Ebola to be a danger to the American public, Islam to be the largest threat to Western sensibilities, and free healthcare as a throwback to communism.

Many leaders face comparisons to harsh dictators, with both Obama and Bush, Jr. being compared to people such as Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin.

The only way for us to get past this is to stop listening to pundits, do research, and stop lashing out at the supposed “enemy” before we even know what they represent. Conversation and debate need to be an important part of our lives, but they still manage to fall by the wayside. Look out for sensationalism, as it may make things worse. On that sensational note, I’ll leave you all to think for yourselves.

By Emily Hazelbach

play was strictly an educational tool

unfortunate the group’s members were being attacked and called “protestors” for simply standing beside display and handing out factual information.

Saints for Life never attacked anyone as being “pro-choice” or “pro-abortion,” nor did they bash anyone who had a previous abortion. In fact, it was the other way around. There were people that said hurtful things to members next to the display as well as numerous vandalism attacks of the posters.

Though the group encountered hostile feedback, they had a lot of people saying they felt more educated about Planned Parenthood and were able to break ground with students who may not have thought about Planned Parenthood’s abortion business before.

Following in the footsteps of our patron and namesake, St. Thomas Aquinas, Saints for Life presented the truth, nothing more or less.

On October 3, 2014, Saints for Life hosted the Planned Parenthood Project at Aquinas College.

The Planned Parenthood Project is a nationwide initiative by Students for Life of America that aims to raise awareness on college campuses about the nation’s largest abortion business and educate students about alternative healthcare centers that respect life. The Saint ran articles recently (“Catholicism and Planned Parenthood” and “When did ‘pro-choice’ become ‘pro-abortion’?, October 15, 2014) about this project and many issues were either incorrectly reported or not properly addressed about the display.

In some respects, the intent of the Planned Parenthood Project was misunderstood by many. It was not a display to say “We’re anti-abortion” or “We’re pro-life.” The dis-

to share facts with our peers about Planned Parenthood’s abortion business. Close to 80% of Planned Parenthood facilities are located within five miles of college campuses. Our peers have the right to know the truth about this business and how much abortion is a factor in its revenue. All of the facts shared were directly from Planned Parenthood’s annual report from 2011-2012. Students also deserve to know about other healthcare alternatives available to them. Saints for Life is here to support women in crisis who are facing difficult decisions, and show them that there are resources of support to help them.

Saints for Life members stood next to the banner display, ready to talk with people who walked by and handed out flyers to those who wished to receive more information about Planned Parenthood. When is handing out flyers with facts on them considered protesting? It is

Happy Thanksgiving From the Saint!

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

physical copies – AB, Room 20

Opinion Editor Chuck Hyde

young age. When she turned 18, she started asking doctors about getting a hysterectomy. They all told her the same thing: no.

No doctors will give her the surgery. Why not? She is an adult, she knows she doesn’t want children, and she is sickened by the thought of having to take birth control until she hits menopause. By getting a hysterectomy, she could have all or part of her uterus removed, making it impossible to bear children.

The doctors said “there are risks that come along with every surgery…” That’s the point though.

There are risks that come along with every surgery, every medication, and every other medical practice. She is already putting herself in a situation with risks by taking birth control every day. They say that she could change her mind, but she knows she won’t; we both know that. Doctors hardly consider young, childless women for the surgery. What happened to being in charge of our own bodies?

Women who have no desire to birth/raise a child should have the ability to get hysterectomies. Why put yourself in the position—knowing you have no desire to have children—where you could get pregnant and have to decide between aborting the child and giving the child away?

If women could get hysterectomies by choice, there would be less or-

Letter to the Editor: Saints for Life

theSaint Mayra Monroy Yasmeen Ahmed Abigale Racine Emily Higham

By Haley Brink Staff Writer

By Chuck Hyde Opinion Editor

Tony Hawk, for riding the first functional hoverboard;

Editor-in-Chief News Editor Culture Editor Creative Director

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E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

Phone (616) 632-2975

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

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THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2014

Television: Franco-Rogan naked and afraid

Pop culture: Kim K’s infamous backside exposed for the world to see

Music: Slim Shady gives a low blow

Comedian besties James Franco and Seth Rogan are providing cable audiences with an early Christmas present. The duo are promoting their next movie by running around the woods stark naked on the Discovery’s nude survivalist show Naked & Afraid.

Kim Kardashian famously once was heistant to pose nude for the infamous Playboy magazine. She has put the past behind her (pun intended). Recently Kardashian had a full-frontal nude shoot with Paper magazine, with all the family’s jewels being displayed on the front cover of the publication. One would think to ass-k how poppa figure Bruce Jenner feels.

During a recent concert held for veterans, rap god Eminem rapped that he’d ,“punch Lana Del Rey right in the face twice, like Ray Rice in broad daylight in the plain sight of the elevator surveillance/’Til her head is banging on the railing, then celebrate with the Ravens.”

IN THE SPOTLIGHT >> bono

For U2 frontman Bono, had a scary airplane ride with friends on November 12. Turbulance caused the luggage compartment door to fall of the jet, dropping the passengers’luggage. Bono’s reaction? He’s more concerned about the cows his luggage may have dropped on.

COURTESY ROLLING STONE

All aboard: Polar Express author to visit GR Public Library

Good Eats: Connie’s Cakes a confectionary wonder

jess coffman | staff writer Want to have some fun before Thanksgiving break? Come to the East Grand Rapids Branch of the Kent District Library on Monday, November 24 at 6 p.m. for an opportunity to meet an award-winning author, enjoy treats from Jersey Junction and Sweeti-licious Bakery and make some holiday crafts.

Chris Van Allsburg, author and illustrator of The Polar Express and Jumanji, will be signing copies of his latest children’s book.

The Misadventures of Sweetie Pie follows the struggles of a pet store hamster, as he longs to feel the wind on his fur coat.

Van Allsburg has won numerous awards, including two Caldecott Medals for U. S. Picture Book Illustration, the Boston Globe Horn Book award, and the Regina Medal for Lifetime Achievement in children’s literature.

Van Alsberg is Grand Rapids native.

He spent his childhood growing up in East Grand Rapids and graduated from East Grand Rapids High School, then went on to attend college at the University of Michigan.

Katie Zuidema, Communications Assistant at the Kent District Library, says, “ We are so excited that Chris Van Allsburg is visiting the East Grand Rapids Branch of Kent District Library during his visit to his hometown.

This is a great event to get people into the holiday spirit.”

Van Alsberg will be signing up to three copies of his newly purchased titles, and one copy of any of his other books.

For those who are interested in other programming offered by the Kent District Library, Zuidema says that “The 18 branches of Kent District Library each offer a variety of free programs for all ages. Some highlights for this winter are KD aLe (a series on beer for those 21 and older) and programs on Zentangle, Gluten Free Diets, Women and Money Matters and Intro to Mindfulness Meditation.”

For more information, visit www.kdl. org or visit your local

#alexfromtarget has become a target himself tom doestch | the saint reporter abigale racine | culture editor Who would have thought that a cashier from Target would become America’s next celebrity? Alex Lee, 16, from Frisco, Texas was a normal teenager until two weeks ago when a picture of him skyrocketed him to fame overnight.

A teenage girl saw a picture of Alex on the social media site Tumblr, recognized him while checking out at Target and tweeted his picture.

Like wildfire, #alexfromtarget trended on Twitter, leading to an appearance on the popular daytime program The Ellen Show.

Sounds like the dream, right? However being instantaneously famous brings a lot more than someone would expect.

According to New York Times feature, Lee has turned down dozens of interview requests while being offered numerous advertising deals and sponsorships. Companies are still desperate for his attention and they are not the only ones.

Despite having a girlfriend, Lee has been chased out of local fast food places by screaming teenage girls.

His parents describe him to be “a sweet kid”, polite and somewhat shy. Lee has lived a fairly normal life- he was bullied in elementary school and, like any other teenager, his room is littered with dirty clothes and he refuses to take out the trash when his mother asks.

Like anyone else, he is enjoying his fame, but he is finding that it is not all that it is cracked up to be.

Critics on social media have said, “Alex from Target is so damn ugly” and “Alex from Target is a nobody who doesn’t deserve fame.”

The sensationalism has gotten more complex than harsh words. Also mentioned in the Times, the Lee’s family information (including home address, telephone numbers,

COURTESY CONNIE’S CAKES

Sugar high: Satisfy your sweet tooth without emptying your wallet at the Robinson Rd. location of Connie’s Cakes.

By Veronica Burns Staff Writer A cake shop close to Aquinas that has sweet treats, discounts, and fundraising opportunities for students.

Connie’s Cakes is a cute shop right off of Robinson Rd. that sells cakes and cupcakes. I got a variation of cupcakes, 8 different flavors to be exact, and handed them out to students on campus to see what they each thought.

Connie’s Classic and Totally Tom cupcakes are two flavors available daily.

Mary Scheidel, owner, described the two as, “Connie’s Classic is traditional white wedding cake with our white Buttercream icing. Totally Tom is a chocolate cupcake with chocolate Buttercream and a Hershey kiss on top.”

And as for the meaning behind the names,” The Connie’s Classic is named for my Aunt Connie, the original owner of the

shop. The Totally Tom is named for my husband who says, “If it’s not chocolate, it’s not dessert.”

Emily Clements, senior student, tried the Totally Tom cupcake.

She said, “Moist and delicious! It hit the spot and the Hershey kiss was an added bonus. Highly recommend the chocolate on chocolate cupcake.”

The cupcake I tried was made of yellow cake and topped with chocolate frost-

Foo Fighters live up to expectations on new album

overhaul for the band. The eight songs album follows the simple Foo Fighter recipe: a beast of a guitar crunch, crescendos that could crush and the same pleading bridges that make their music reach out and urge you to sing along.

Musical guests such as Zac Brown and Gary Clark Jr. were invited to join or the album, but they seem to just edge their way in, not truly making a difference in sound.

On one of the most anticipated songs on the album “What Did I Do?/ God As My Witness” feaCOURTESY BILLBOARD.COM turing Gary Clark Jr., fans were left Everlong: Foo Fighter fans will be pleased with the slightly disappointband’s creativity on Sonic Highway. ed. Any evidence of Clark’s usual roaring guitar could

By Liz Ptaszynski not be found, leaving the song The Saint Reporter Currently on another world statically like the rest. However the tour the Foo Fighters seem to con- Foo Fighters redeem themselves tinue to prove themselves as one with “Something for Nothing” feaof the most ambitious bands of all turing Rick Nelson of Cheap Trick.

What starts off melodically and time. almost dream-like quickly transNovember 10 marked the day that their new album Sonic Highway forms into something unrecognizwas released. Fans over the country able with a 70’s-sounding piano waited patiently for a year to hear that adds a little funk where you don’t expect it. Thundering guitar what the band had in store.

With their last album, Wasting riffs practically force you to bob Light, the pressure was on for the your head and tap your feet to the Foo Fighters. For this album the beat. The song delivers exactly Foo Fighters presented an entirely what Foo Fans had waited patiently for and then some. new concept.

Overall Sonic Highway is not They traveled to eight music capitals to interview key figures an album to miss. It’s perfect for including country icon WIllie Nel- those overpowering workouts and son and punk idol Ian Mackaye. will motivate you to sprint that The band gathered inspiration from last .07 of a mile. Though static at every musician they came across times, this album offers traditional and recorded a song in whatever sounds of Foo Fighters and has top city they were at the time, giving notch craftsmanship. Even on their this album a rounded and flavorful slowest songs, Foo Fighters offer a little rock and roll to sooth your sound.

Despite this unique concept, soul or enough motivation to finish however, this isn’t necessarily an that workout.

Culture Editor Abbi Racine

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

ing. I was a fan of the taste and of how much frosting the cupcake had. Next time though I am definitely going for the mint chocolate cupcake. Jay Ziolkowski, sophomore student, tried the cupcake and said it was, “Stuffed with oozy chocolate,” and, “It is topped with a cool minty flavored frosting.”

The red velvet cupcake was sampled by sophomore Mary Pyper and said, “It was so good! There was this yummy filling that made the red velvet taste even better. I would definitely eat 10 more if they were there.”

Abbi Racine, junior, ate the carrot cake cupcake.

Racine said it was, “More than adequate.

The cake was moist and the cream cheese frosting was perfectly sweet, not overpowering like most cream cheese icings. Plus, the frosting carrot atop the pastry was adorable.”

Connie’s Cakes has been at Saint Stock, has made cakes for AQ students, and helped students with fundraising.

Scheidel told me about the fundraiser saying, “Our “Cupcake Campaign” is a fundraising opportunity for non-profit groups.

We donate 15% of the proceeds from our bakery case back to the group. There is a flyer that the group distributes to let their friends, families, and co-workers know about the fundraising event. We keep track of the purchases from the case and at the end of the week we write a check for 15% back to the organization.”

Flavors also include chocolate mint, PB&J, strawberry, lemon, almond, spice, confetti, cherry chip, Oreo, butterscotch, pumpkin, and others. I bought the cupcakes later in the day, and they were described as slightly dry because of this. I would advise people to go to Connie’s earlier in the day and to make the short walk there for a classic treat.

The House of Yes: a distorted view of the American family

COURTESY CHRISTOHER VAN DER ARK

Challenging the ‘normal’ family dynamic: Fraternal Twins abolish what normal means.

By Mariah Cowsert The Saint Reporter Sincere melodrama, tragically warped childhoods, and challenging the definition of normal/ who defines normality are all shown vividly on stage by the hard working cast and crew in The House of Yes. Dog Story Theater, located on Jefferson Avenue downtown Grand Rapids, is home to local theatre companies looking to book shows in an intimate venue while being completely run by volunteers as a non-profit.

After reading the notes from director, Christopher van Der Ark (AQ alum), in the Playbill I was ready to delve into the world presented to me by playwright, Wendy Macleod.

“Macleod’s characters harp incessantly of the idea of normalcy,” said Van Der Ark. “Each character is striving for it while at the same time creating their own version of it.”

The Pascal family demonstrates the ridiculousness of everyday life and how we may not even remember how we went about our day until it catches up with us.

Set in the time of a hurricane, Marty Pascal (Owen Mcintee, AQ alum) and his fiance Lesly (Lizzy Sulkowski, AQ alum) venture to the Pascal home in hopes of showing off their societal normalcy to his dysfunctional mother and siblings.

Marty’s sister Jackie-O, played by Aquinas alum Rachel Varley, is stuck inside the distorted world she creates for herself in her head based on her own defi-

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Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

nitions of right and wrong. Jackie-O had returned home after treatment for shooting Marty in the abdomen after announcing he was moving to New York, away from her and the unhealthy world created by them at a young age.

While her mother, played by Claire Mahave, is sincerely melodramatic while she deals with the family’s perverse secrets, the strange normalcy of Marty’s fiance as he settles down, and Jackie-O’s mind games.

The youngest member of the Pascal family-Anthony, played by Devon Brown, was excited to have a guest at the house as the Pascal family never brings home visitors. After dropping out of college, Anthony struggles with his brother returning home, his own hopeless desires for love, and taking care of his mentally unstable sister.

The set is beautifully constructed in minimal space and pill bottles scatter about the house like Jackie-O’s scattered thoughts and intentions. The actors make it effortless for the audience to get completely enveloped in the world of the Pascal family. This show makes each audience member unashamed to laugh full bellied and gasp in disbelief while leaning forward to absorb every ounce of emotion from the actors.

Experience this dark comedy, produced by Theater616, for yourself and the array of emotions displayed by the Pascal family at Dog Story Theater showing November 20th-22nd at 8pm. Tickets are 10 dollars for students and 15 for adults.

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CULTURE

THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2014

Interstellar is out of this world

Artist Spotlight: J. Fernandez

LAMPLIGHTMUSICFESTIVAL.COM

Memorize now: Artist J. Fernandez recently performed at Eastown’s Lamp Light Music Festival and he is worth a listen.

By Mackenzie Murphy Staff Writer Artist: J. Fernandez Genre: Indie pop Comparisons: Say Hi, Local Natives, Atlas Sound Popular Tracks: “No Luck”, “Memorize Now”, “Cosmic Wars” J. Fernandez is crafty. When the Chicago native stepped on stage with his crew at this year’s Lamp Light Musical Festival hosted in Eastown, the band instantly kicked off their first song “Memorize Now” with its hypnotizing chorus, “Remember this one, remember this one, remember this one.”

J. Fernandez’s sound is chic yet untamed. His harmonies and synths constantly take risks with the ways that they stray from the song’s casual, simple beat. “Memorize Now” epitomizes this technique with the way Fernandez’s guitar works against his droning, flat-toned voice. The effect is something weird: a song with an endlessly changing sound with an endless quirk, which seems so collected.

“Cosmic Was” (off of the Memorize Now EP, released this October) is a groovy trip to space with an ominous looming voice that hangs over the starry tones of Fernandez’s keyboard. Many of the songs off of Memorize Now can be described this way, with delightful surprises of saxophone and rad guitar riffs here and there.

Memorize Now proves that J. Fernan-

dez has grown in skill and complexity since the release of his first two EPs, No Luck and Olympic Village. Where Memorize Now is chill and chic, Olympic Village is a jolt and a jump, with songs like “Wasting the New Year” and “Real Flowers” hosting dark and heavy beats. In sum, Memorize Now is the light that J. Fernandez’s sound was seeking from the start, in an attempt to emerge from the dark sounds found earlier in his discography.

The last song of J. Fernandez’s Lamp Light set, “No Luck”, still dazes me; its simple sound is underscored by a complex set of lyrics that seep through the song’s peddling rhythm and into the corners of your mind, fingers and toes.

Fernandez’s opening lines, “Rushing the same way, down Western Avenue. Cut out of silver rain, searching for what’s true” cut through the sweaty basement of Lamp Light with a keen precisio.

I think Fernandez knew what he wanted to do. The beat of the song rose and fell until Fernandez’s vocals were finally able to break through, and he belted out the song’s refrain with an agonizing familiarity: “No luck, no luck, no luck…” Saxophones pulsed behind the dreariness. I looked around. J. Fernandez had turned the rowdy crowd still.

The attention this artist deserves is more than just luck—J. Fernandez knows what’s up, and is worth more than a listen to.

COURTESY HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Interstellar: From this galaxy to the next, Earth is still the best planet around. Mainly because of Matthew McConaughey’s exsistence.

By Haley Brink Staff writer Hollywood has presented us with yet another adventure/sci-fi movie on November 7. But this one in particular has defied the cliché expectations of all the ‘end of the world’ movies—and possibly even gravity.

Watching the trailer for Interstellar makes you think you know what the movie is about. But really, you have no idea.

Farming, that’s what the world has come to. The world doesn’t need more engineers; it needs food.

Dust covers the Earth, killing everything in its path. It seems as if the world will be no more when Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) and his daughter, Murph (Mackenzie Foy/Jessica Chastain), stumble upon one of the world’s greatest secrets. Despite Murph’s wishes, Cooper leaves Earth to save the human race with Dr. Amelia Brand (Anne Hathaway).

Anne Hathaway was also named Amelia in her well-known film Princess Diaries—a movie instrumental in the becoming of “Hathahate.” In this instance, Hathaway plays strong female character that holds a colossal part in the saving the human race.

Another actress that deserves a round of applause is Mackenzie Foy (young Murph). Age is no roadblock for this beautiful 14-year-old, who has played in multiple movies: Wish You Well, The Conjuring, and Breaking Dawn. There is no doubt that she will continue to be part of amazing films, Interstellar being a prime example.

The graphics are phenomenal and the details were breathtaking.

You might walk out of the theater with sore shoulders from being so tense the whole time. This movie will keep you at the edge of your seat. Right once you think you know where the movie is going, it changes. It’s like Inception. It will blow your mind. One minute you

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Culture Editor Abigale Racine

see a family bonding over a foreign surveillance drone, and the next you see gravity being defied.

Gravity is a factor, time is everything, and every planet has some kind of trap. Among everyone’s problems, choosing between love, family, and the human race are the top three.

If you’re into Sci-Fi thriller space exploration movies, this one is for you. If you can’t quite seem to wrap your mind around space as a never-ending abyss of unknown, uncharted discoveries, it’s also for you. If you get mentally and emotionally bothered by the idea of space having no end, then watch this movie.

Interstellar will stretch your mind and bring you to places you never would have uncovered by yourself. It will confuse you, and then it will hit you and you’ll understand everything. You will be forced to watch the tragedy of time, where the most seemingly-honest people lie, and the most hopeful of plans change.

When you’re looking for something to do this weekend, Interstellar is highly recommended as Plan B. Actually, there is no plan A. So just go see it. And remember, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. But consider this a warning, you’ll never think of space—or gravity—in the same way again.

10/17/14 4:53 PM

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7

THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2014

DEA agents raid NFL medical staffs after game

Detroit Legend: Gordie Howe suffers another stroke

Florida Gators Football: Coach Will Muschamp fired

WHAT TO WATCH

T h e S a n F r a n c i s c o 4 9 e r s a n d Ta m p a Buccaneers medical staffs were checked this past Sunday after allegations from players stating the teams were mishandling prescription drugs. No arrests were made, but teams may have to watch out for this in the future.

One of the Red Wings most legendary players suffered another stroke this past weekend and he is in dire health. Howe has been heavily medicated in hopes that his back pain and blood pressure would return to normal. Howe has been suffering from dementia for years, and his health is declining.

Gators football coach Will Muschamp was fired after a 20-23 loss to South Carolina. Muschamp will remain the Gators coach for the final two games of the season, but will not be returning after. The Gators have a record of 4-4 in the SEC and 5-4 overall. The Gators next two games are against Eastern Kentucky and Florida State.

Kevin Harvick won his first NASCAR championship at Homestead Miami Speedway after taking the lead from Jeff Gordon on the 15th lap. Harvick held off Ryan Newman in the last three laps to cap off his victory. Fellow racer Denny Hamlin came in third after losing the lead to Harvick after a restart with nine laps to go.

New Sports

taylor hodges |sports editor Well, winter is here and as much as it pains me to say it, it’ll be here for quite awhile. I think I can speak for most of us when I say we despise winter. Sure, we love the first couple weeks because we haven’t seen this white stuff in a while, and there’s a rare chance that the girl down the hall will hang a mistletoe up on her door prompting you and your friends to try and get a kiss from her, but you probably won’t. Sometimes it’s hard to find the positives in winter, especially after the one we had last year. So, in order to take your mind, and more importantly, mine off what this winter might hold, let’s discuss something interesting. What sports Aquinas should add in the next five years.

First and foremost, I’m a huge fan of the Fast and the Furious movies, RIP Paul Walker, so it only makes sense that Aquinas should form a drifting team. Do we need the fastest cars? Absolutely not, I began my drifting career in my dads Toyota 4Runner and even though you had the option to put it in four wheel drive, I wanted to live dangerously. I remember taking it to the local church parking lot, there are a lot of them in Zeeland, and having a ball. Have I come in close contact with a few light posts? Maybe, but that doesn’t really matter.

You might wonder why on Earth Aquinas would add such a sport. I’m here to tell you there’s probably a 99% chance they won’t, but here’s a few reasons why it would be beneficial. For one, being inhabitants of Michigan, we endure winter after winter. Winter time is where the most crashes happen and if Aquinas added a drifting team, we would obviously be safer drivers. Secondly, do you know how much press this school would get if we added drifting as a sport? You thought Barrows video got this school on the map? You haven’t seen nothing yet. It would surely, increase people’s willingness to apply to the school and that means more money in the schools budget. Lastly, and most importantly, we would be the only school in Grand Rapids, heck probably America, that has a drifting team. Calvin and Cornerstone would surely hop on the bandwagon a couple years after, but we would always know we were the first to do it and on top of having a quidditch club, it would make us that much more unique.

Another sport Aquinas should really consider adding is table tennis. Now you might ask me, Taylor why would we ever want to have a table tennis team here?

Everyone would laugh at us. To that I say nay. If you’ve had any aspirations to play in the Olympics, well here you go. Table tennis has been an Olympic sport since 1988. Surely most of us will never play in the Olympics, but this would definitely be our best shot. We obviously have the equipment already, so the school doesn’t need to shed out anymore funds. Secondly, it would probably be the cheapest sport to provide for here at Aquinas. Lastly, it’s a team sport and Aquinas could always use more national championships. I for one would be the first member to join, and then obviously the tennis teams. That’s probably it though.

This last sport that Aquinas should add came down to obviously quidditch, since we have it as a club sport and badminton. Personally, I don’t see Aquinas investing in a quidditch arena, or magic brooms so it has to be badminton. Badminton is obviously really close to tennis and table tennis. The only difference is the length of the rackets and height of the nets.

Oh, they also don’t use a ball. I’ve loved badminton ever since I began playing it in gym class back in middle school. Were my partner and I City league champs two years in a row? Obviously. Should we have been All-Americans? Probably, but that’s neither here nor there. Of course, adding badminton is going to be a cheap sport, I guarantee Aquinas would rake in the ticket sales revenue, and most importantly it would be something we could enjoy with our friends.

So, while winter is on it’s way and may stay for awhile, hopefully you can use this time wisely and persuade Aquinas to add a couple new sports. Stay warm Aquinas, now let me get back to watching Harry Potter.

Detroit Lions: Standout Season

AQ Cross Country

eyeing another national tournament

By Chucky Blackmore Staff Writer Run hard, but run strong. That is certainly the philosophy of the Aquinas College men’s and women’s cross country teams this season.

On Saturday, October 11, both teams travelled to Lawrence, Kansas to take part in the NAIA National Preview. Since the course is the same one that will be ran at Nationals, AQ runners got an idea of how to prepare for the race that will conclude their season.

“The National Preview race showed where we needed to throw in surges and the ways to get up the hills the course is known for,” said Jeff Cherry, junior AQ runner.

Runners will know what to expect running on the Nationals course beforehand, in turn benefiting them greatly for future meets. The men’s team took 2nd place while the women took 4th.

The men are currently ranked 11th in the NAIA, but a shot at closing the season in the top 4 is something easily attainable for them.

Likewise, junior AQ runner Crysta Paganelli considers the women to be in great standing.

“This season has been my best season in college so far,” said Paganelli.

The women’s team is so close to their goal, currently ranked at 12th place in the NAIA. On Saturday, November 8, 2014, the teams took part in the WHAC Conference Championships at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids, MI, one of the most prominent races of the season. The extreme, blood-pumping race resulted in the men taking their 4th WHAC title, placing 1st out of ten teams.

The women dominated the Conference race with the 4 top runners earning first team All-Conference.The NAIA National Championships, is set to take place on Saturday, November 22, 2014 in Lawrence, Kansas.

Underclassmen Lead the Way

COURTESY MIKE MORBECK

Focus on the field: Lions players looking to leave it all on the field in search for another playoff run.

By Alyssa Frese The Saint Reporter The Detroit Lions are playing an excellent season so far. With an overall record of (7-2), the Lions are destroying the competition. On Sunday, November 2 the Lions had a bye which led them into their game on Sunday, November 9 in which they played the Miami Dolphins at home.

During this match-up wide receiver Calvin Johnson caught a 49 yard pass to score the Lions first touchdown during the first quarter. This was Johnson’s first time back in action after missing three games due to an ankle injury. The Lions had a 10-0 lead against the Dolphins at 3:58 of the first quarter. Dolphin’s kicker Caleb Sturgis sandwiched field goals of 23 and 50 yards. After which Dolphins defensive tackle Earl Mitchell blocked Lions kicker Matt Prater’s 42 yard attempt at a field goal. This move allowed defensive end Dion Jordan who then ran the ball 55 yards which set up Dolphins wide receiver Mike Wallace for an easy score which led the Dolphins to take a 13-10 lead late in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, with 4:18 remaining, Sturgis kicked a 20 yard field goal to make

A New Franchise Emerges

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

Headshots: The Aquinas hockey team poses for the camera at this year’s Affinity Row while sporting some Hawaiian flare.

By Zoe Collenburg The Saint Reporter With seven wins and only three losses, the first ten games of the season bode well for the Aquinas Men’s Hockey team.

“We’ve only had a team at the varsity level for three years, and we’re going up against clubs like Calvin, who have had a team since the 1970s,” said Assistant Head Coach Jordan Permoda. The powerplay this year is incredibly strong coming in at 26.2%.

With the seniors graduating, the team lost a lot of their core, but overall everyone is very positive about the upcoming year.

“Probably 75% of our forwards are underclassmen. Our leading scoreman is also an underclassman”, added sophomore forward Cory Giffel.

In a more recent game on November 9, Aquinas beat Northwood 12-3.

“Twelve is a big number, you don’t see twelve a lot. I feel like [Northwood’s] goaltenders probably had a rough day. But we were on all cylinders,” said Permoda.

“We played them on Friday as well and that was our most cohesive effort we’ve had to date. Everything culminated on Sunday,” said sophomore goaltender PJ Nemish. “Everyone was clicking on the lines, there was good communication and talking. A lot of the scoring was equally distributed.”

Collegiate hockey nationals come down to ranking and how you compare to those in your region. While Sports Editor Taylor Hodges

Aquinas is still a young team compared to the rest of their conference, they’re still boding well. The team ended last season with a record of 175-3, with notable wins against Hope, Davenport, and Oakland.

“We are trying to make a little noise. We are very strong offensively. And we want that to be known throughout the league,” said Permoda.

The team has made great waves, but it isn’t an easy path.

“We’ve been trying to claw our way up the rankings. We’ll be facing some really tough teams come December,” said Nemish.

But Assistant Captain Matthews is quite confident in the team, “We don’t have any reason to be scared of teams like Hope and Calvin. We showed last year we can run with those teams. I think we are just as strong,” said Matthews.

The next home game will be this Friday, November 21, at 8:00pm at Griff’s Icehouse. The team will be playing Adrian College and it looks like it’s going to be a game you don’t want to miss.

“This year they aren’t as strong as they have been in past years. They lost to Northwood, so I think we have a very formidable chance,” added Matthews.

“Anytime you play against Adrian you know what you’re in for- it’s a pretty physical game. It’ll be a battle, that’s for sure,” said Nemish.

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the score 16-13 with the Dolphins in the lead. The Lions fought until the end and quarterback Matt Stafford was able to toss an 11 yard pass to running back Theo Riddick with only 29 seconds remaining. The Lions won their fourth straight victory while Miami’s three game win streak came to an end.

“We knew this was going to be a tough game coming in because they have a good team and a tough defense,” said Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill, according to The Miami Herald. “We kept moving the ball but couldn’t get it in the end zone and that’s what it comes down to, putting the ball in the end zone.”

On Sunday, November 16 the Detroit Lions played on the road against the Arizona Cardinals. The Lions four game losing streak ended after losing to the Cardinals 6-14.

Former Lions quarterback, Drew Stanton threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns to help the Cardinals to a solid win. Lions running back Joique Bell had 14 carries for 85 yards.

The loss brings the Lions overall record to 7-3. Their next matchup is against the New England Patriots on November 23 at 1p.m.

Grand Rapids Drive hopes for successful season

By Zoe Harmon Staff Writer The new, and highly anticipated National Basketball AssociationDevelopmental (NBAD) team, the Grand Rapids Drive, opened their season on November 15. Not only is this team home to many young basketball hopefuls, but the team is also run by a couple of young guys with a dream.

Steve Jbara and Wesley Weir, college roommates and friends who played basketball together at Trine University, were working out at the Auburn Hills YMCA in 2012 when the idea for the team came about.

Brainstorming was nothing new for these two guys as they had thought up many ideas, such as starting a smoothie shop together before basketball came into the picture. But this was the idea that finally excited both of them.

After they became owners of a team in 2013, they finally came upon deciding to bring the team to Grand Rapids in the spring of 2014. Since then, there have been countless hours spent on preparation.

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Among the rush of activity include a namethe-team contest, building ticket sales, sponsorship deals, an open house for the new downtown office, dance team tryouts, and the announcement of the head coach, former Orlando Magic General Manager Otis Smith. As opening day draws near, the team is getting prepared to make their mark in Grand Rapids.

Before the final team of 12 men was announced on November 13, 17 men were included on the training camp roster. The final cut was the toughest for head coach Otis Smith. In an article on MLive written by Peter Wallner, Smith commented, “We got a lot of guys who can really put the ball in the hole, so we’re really trying to teach the defensive end.” That being said, defensive skills proved to be important to make the final cut.

One of the star players in an exhibition game, played a week before the opener, was Robert Covington, a 6’7” forward. He led the Drive with 18 points and seven rebounds in their 92-80 defeat over Fort Wayne.

The Grand Rapids Drive will host their very first home game on November 26, which is the first of 24 home games for the season.

8

SPORTS

THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2014

Fight To The Finish

By Jenny Adams The Saint Reporter Aquinas College’s women’s soccer team ended their season on November 5 against Cornerstone in a double overtime loss. The game came down to a shootout in which Cornerstone put one more goal in than Aquinas, leading to a 6-5 victory. The Saints fought to the very end and both teams deserved to continue on.

Sophomore forward Leeann Latsch and junior defender Casey Westveer were the top goal scorers this season. Latsch led with seven goals and Westveer following close behind with six. Mikayla Goldsmith led the team in assists with a total of five for the season.

On the defensive end of the field, junior goalie Lindsay Armstrong helped the Saints with 70 saves. Armstrong was one shutout away from having the most shutouts in the WHAC and was a defensive player of the week for WHAC this season.

The team had a spectacular season despite many injury setbacks that occurred throughout the season. Three girls tore their ACL’s along with a couple other broken bones along the way.

“We wish we could have had all our players contributing to our season so it was definitely a setback not having them all healthy,” said sophomore forward Savannah McKellar.

Even with these injuries the Saints did not let this slow them down. They finished with a winning season of 5-1-3 in conference and 11-2-6 overall.

“Beating Davenport was 110% my

favorite memory from this season,” said sophomore midfielder Hannah Jablonski. McKellar agreed in saying “Beating Davenport was really hype and it meant a lot to the seniors that they could win against davenport their senior year.”

As much as they hated losing their last game, it was rewarding to get to play with the seniors one last time.

The seniors for the team were defender Jackie Gipe, midfielder Melissa Hogan, and defender Maggie Keiffer.

“The seniors were very encouraging and pushed us to do our best each and every day, they were great leaders and we are going to miss they dearly,” said McKellar.

According to the players, their coach told them before every game that “it is was a beautiful day to come play the sport you love with your family.”

Family is definitely what the women’s soccer team became this season and they are all looking forward to many more great seasons to come. Their sad to see the seniors go, but know they are moving on in their lives and looking forward to seeing where the future takes them.

“10 years from now were not going to remember which games we won or lost, but we will still remember the great memories we made together on and off the field,” said Jablonski.

Next season Aquinas hopes to win the conference and to beat davenport yet again. Finishing third in the conference was great, but they want to win it all next season.

A Season To Remember

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

Looking ahead: Junior defender Michael Weber eyes the field as he looks to make a play with the ball.

By Emily Elias The Saint Reporter Having to replace all five senior starter players this season was a tough thing for the Aquinas Men’s Soccer team to do. The boys did what they could and gave this season all they had. Many of the players are great, but they came up short in the tail end of the season.

The second to last game marked the beginning of the WHAC tournament against Marygrove, and it resulted in a notable game for the men’s team.

Marygrove had beaten the team earlier in the season, but the team did what

they needed to do this time to beat them 2-0. The last game was against Northwestern Ohio (UNOH). This game was a rough one and resulted in a disappointing loss that would ultimately be the last game of the season.

UNOH scored earlier in the game and conquered again later with another goal. Our boys played their heart out and managed to score once more before the game was over.

“In the last 10 minutes we scored and spirits were higher, but knew we needed to score again to tie, but we ran out of time,” said sophomore defender

Committed To School Spirit

Chris Grote.

On the bright side, beating Davenport has been a highlight.

“I imagine the whole team would agree that beating Davenport this year was the best part of the season, especially since they were the number one ranked team at the time,” said Grote.

Not many teams thought much of our team going into the tournament, but they did their best to prove the other teams wrong. There was a lot of motivation towards the end of the season. Some teammates really stepped up, especially towards the end of the season.

Seniors Jon Malecke and Charlie Wait were instrumental in the team’s success this year with their work-ethic and strong leadership. These two gave this season their all and brought a lot of energy to the team.

As far as the future is concerned, the offseason training is already in the works and the team looks forward to next season. Every season is a blank sheet and a new start for each of the players.

“Everyone on the team has high spirits and we’re having lots of fun right now,” said junior defender Rico Padilla.

“No one wants the season to end. With the momentum we have we’re looking to surprise some people.”

The pain of an early playoff exit will surely motivate the players during the off-season. With a deep freshmen class having a year under their belt, the team will be soaring high come next year.

THOMAS S. FOX JEWELERS

By Haley Brink Staff Writer The Aquinas Cheerleading team is ready to make some memories this season. They have been training hard since September, right after classes started, and they are ready to win some competitions.

They have until late spring to make their mark, and this season is looking bright for this very talented team.

They’ve been conditioning—and even running—with intense levels of motivation, knowing that every ounce of effort they put into it will drive this season into a series of successful competitions.

With a lot of the emphasis in practice put on tumbling, stunting, jumps, and dancing, the team’s competition routines for this season will be fiercely and creatively energetic.

“We spend time outside of practice to hang out and we help each other with homework or other life problems,” said freshman team member Alyssa Richards.

It’s obvious that the team has bonded in a very positive way. Being close outside of the season helps build trust when it comes to working together during competitions.

Though there are a lot of new faces this season, everyone seems to be fitting in well with the returning team members.

“As a freshmen on the team, I feel like the returners have been spectacular in making us feel capable and special,” said Richards. “I really appreciate the seniors being such sweethearts to all of us.”

As of recently, two members have decided to make a comeback in seniors Brandon Harris and Ray Kalinowski.

Having the upperclassmen as such positive influences on the new members,

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

School spirit: The cheer team displays their school pride while cheering on the Saints basketball teams. the team will be able to communicate well with each other, learn what is the best way to accomplish things together, and figure out what works—and what doesn’t work—for the team as a whole.

The team will be up against a lot of different teams this season. Though this season’s team may be really small, they make up for it in spirit.

“We have a tiny team,” said Richards. “And we could really use a couple more cheerleaders to join.”

They will definitely not be left in the dust because of the size of their team. But you heard it folks, if you’re interested in joining the cheer team, it’s not too late.

“We are all capable cheerleaders,” said Richards. “We are all willing to step up and try new things.”

With the team’s mutual willingness to explore new routines and strategies, it is almost a guarantee that they will be extremely successful this season. Not being afraid of failing is one of the biggest roadblocks an athlete can hit, but this team has put that fear behind them. Opening many doors for them to not only reach, but to also surpass their goals.

Make sure to keep an eye out for this years team performing during most Aquinas Basketball games.

Red Wings Battle It Out

By Alyssa Frese The Saint Reporter The Detroit Red Wings have had a bit of a rough season thus far. Losing the last four out of six games. On Tuesday, November 4, the Red Wings played against the Ottawa Senators on the road. The Wings stayed with the Senators for the majority of the game but were unable to pull the win. The Senators won 3-1. The lone goal for the Wings was scored by Henrik Zetterberg.

On Wednesday, November 5 the Wings played on the road again, this time against the New York Rangers. The Rangers scored in 6:36 of the first period. Derick Brassard scored this goal. The second goal was also scored by the Rangers in the second period giving them a 2-0 lead over the Wings. The Wings then retaliated with two goals scored within the second period, making it 2-2 at the end of the second period. Both teams each put up an additional point in the third period making the score 3-3 and taking the game into overtime. Brassard scored the game winning goal for the Rangers in overtime. Wings goalie Jonas Gustavvon initially made the save but the rebound made its way to Brassard who ultimately scored

and won for the Rangers making the final score 4-3.“We knew from the beginning we were facing a pretty good team playing some good hockey, but we found a way,” said Brassard, according to Fox News.

On Friday, November 7 the Wings hosted the New Jersey Devils at home. Niklas Kronwall scored the final goal for the Wings.

Scoring earlier in the game for the Wings were Jakub Kindl, Brendan Smith and Johan Franzen with a goal apiece. The overall score for this match-up was 4-2. This put an end to the three-game losing streak the Wings were on. On Sunday, November 16, the Wings played at home again. This match-up was against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Wings cored two consecutive power play goals. Johan Franzen opened the scoring at 6:14 of the first period. The Lightning then scored twice throughout the remainder of the three periods, tying the game 2-2 and taking both teams into overtime. In overtime, Lightning forward Ryan Callahan scored the only goal in the shootout as the Lightning beat the Red Wings 4-3.

“We haven’t been good enough,” Gustav Nyquist said of Wings’ efforts in the shoot-out, according to WZZM.

“Yeah, it’s tough, we want to get that extra point when it comes down to it. We haven’t been able to do that this year.”

On Friday, November 14, the Wings played rival Chicago Blackhawks at home. The Wings owned the Blackhawks 3-1 and were looking much more put together in the second period than initially in the first.

“It’s always nice to look fast against a good opponent,” said Wings coach Mike Babcock, according to ABC News. “I thought we did a real good job in the second period to tilt the rink a little bit.

The Wings played the Montreal Canadiens over the weekend and didn’t fair well. The Canadiens seemed to overpower the Wings defense, and used that momentum to win by a score of 4-1.

The lone goal for the Wings came from former Notre Dame Irish centerman Riley Sheahan. Goalie Jimmy Howard stopped 15 shots in the contest.

Scoring for the Canadiens were defenseman P.K. Subban, forwards Brendan Gallager, Brandon Prust, and Tomas Plekanec.

The Wings next game will be against the Winnipeg Jets on November 20.

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