The Saint :: Issue 6

Awards season speculation Saint Reporter Ian MacNeil picks the winners out of this year’s Oscar race.

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Wednesday, February 6, 2013 Volume 32, Issue 7

Shocking sports scandals | 7

theSaint Yup, we’re still here.

>>NEWS Equality bake sale | 2 The Saint has everything you need to know about the Jane Hibbard Idema Women’s Study center bake sale and where you can find some tasty treats.

World News | 3 Staff writer Chuck Hyde brings you up to date on news in the world at large.

>>CULTURE Film Festival

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This year’s Chiaroscuro International Film Festival features some eye-opening movies. There’s still time to catch a few before the festival is up.

Heartthrob | 6 Saint Reporter Paris Close reviews Tegan and Sara’s latest album.

>>SPORTS Basketball

Women in combat | 3

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The men’s and women’s basketball teams are going strong this season.

AQ Bowling

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7

Aquinas’ bowling teams finish off their first ever seasons.

Read how they did inside.

Happy Birthday St. Thomas

Events fill the week to honor our patron saint

By Brian Kalchik and Laura Farrell The Saint Reporter and News Editor Nothing, not even the weather, could dampen the enthusiasm brought by Aquinas students this week during the feast of our patron Saint Thomas Aquinas.

Many events on-campus were held with great turnouts. The week started off with a bang, with the traditional combination of cake and jazz. More than 12 cakes were located in various locations and the jazz band played in the Academic Building under the direction of Paul Brewer.

The Chartres Labyrinth, in Wege Ballroom, proved to be a quiet escape from the festivities. Here, participants could take time out of their busy schedules to go on a mini-journey through a maze to meditate and pray.

The Dominican Heritage Mass was accompanied by the Chamber Choir as everyone there honored and recognized two faculty members who have had 25 years with the college. These two were Randy MacGeorge and Associate Director of Financial Aid Mary Ellen Novakoski.

The traditional AQ family photo was one of the seven signature series events, where participants had a chance to be entered into a drawing for a scholarship.

Around 150-200 students crowded the front steps of the Academic Building, with some spelling out the word Aquinas.

Notable guests in the picture included St. Thomas himself, Nelson the St. Bernard Mascot as well as President Olivarez, who was welcomed with a presidential introduction.

A number of Aquinas students took time out of the busy week to volunteer at a local Kids Food Basket. The students made 2,741 sandwiches, which will be delivered to school lunch programs around the area.

Junior Britney Houser said, “I really liked volunteering at Kid’s Food Basket because

The state of The Saint

By the Saint Staff

Since The Saint began publishing shorter, black and white issues, we have been getting many questions about the reasons behind these changes. We want to take this opportunity, with our first issue of the spring semester, to give our readers a full picture of what state The Saint is in, how we got to our current situation, and what we plan to do this semester and in coming semesters to make sure The Saint stays functional and relevant to the Aquinas community.

I n sp ri n g o f 2 0 1 2 , a b u dg e t request should have been submitted by our managing editor at the time.

Unfortunately for everyone involved, that did not happen. The managing editor did not submit a budget request, and the Editor-in-Chief did not doublecheck to make sure that everything was submitted, as promised. The issue of budgeting was further overlooked towards the end of the spring semester as our managing editor graduated and new editors were brought in.

This was the second time such an incident happened at The Saint: in 2011, a budget plan was also not submitted, but discussions with Student Senate representatives and the Editor-in-Chief during the summer averted any sudden swings in The Saint’s budget.

Such options were not available to us this time. We assumed, naively, that there was a budget in place and that everyone had done their job. At the beginning of the fall semester, The Saint went ahead and started publishing new issues. We were first notified that we did not have a budget turned in on September 27, after two issues had already been published. On October 2, we were told that we could apply for additional budget allocations, and on October 5, we presented our budget to the Senate budget committee.

We asked for $23,000, which would have covered our printing costs, editor stipends, writer and photographer pay, and reimbursements for writers who reviewed concerts, music, and other cultural events. This budget amount

was actually the lowest amount per issue The Saint had requested in many years: A full eight-page issue in 2012 cost The Saint $1,663.93 to produce, compared to $2,133 in 2006.

On October 17, a $10,000 budget was approved for The Saint for the 2012-2013 school year. With the four issues printed prior to that date, printing cost and stipends amounted to $6,280, leaving $3,720 for the rest of the school year. With half the semester left to cover, the editorial staff made the decision to move to a four-page black and white issue in order to cut costs. After that point in time, no writer or editor received any stipends for the rest of the semester. We printed our first four-page issue on October 31 and our last issue of the semester came out on December 12. After the six total issues of the fall semester, we were left with $2,750 for the rest of the year.

We have enough funding this semester to complete six issues due to donations and funding we requested from Student Senate’s unallocated funds, if we change our page size and find a printer willing to accommodate our needs. We are looking into advertising revenue in order to give editors stipends.

Although some might say it seems selfish of us to pay ourselves, without stipends, there would be no paper.

Editors have received stipends for each issue produced since Aquinas founded its campus newspaper more than thirty years ago. Each editor puts in upwards of fifteen hours of work on each issue. We meet with editors and writers once a week at official meetings, and as many times as we need to outside of those meetings. We plan ahead what stories and events to cover each issue, combing through local news and national news sources and getting in touch with contacts in all sorts of organizations.

See State of The Saint, page 2

I know that I am making a difference. I love that I volunteered during St. Thomas Aquinas week because Aquinas was built on a charism of service.”

The always festive St. Thomas Birthday dinner was a hit in Wege once again this year. The Dominican Sisters were special guests on Thursday as students and faculty alike celebrated St. Thomas.

As always, Junior Saints weekend brought younger siblings and family members to help celebrate the birthday weekend. Many events and activities were planned throughout campus to keep the Junior Saints busy. A Night in Nelson’s Doghouse allowed students and siblings to have fun with a variety of activities.

Personalized dog tags, do-it-yourself wax hands, and a photo booth with Nelson were just some of the fun things available.

Magician Mike Super wowed the audience with the “magic” touch, including his show stopping levitation performance.

The Mascot Breakfast with Nelson in Wege had the mascot interacting with the students and at the same time, fans were getting their game faces on with facepainting by numerous AQ volunteers.

This school spirit was brought to the men’s and women’s basketball games in Sturrus Sports and Fitness Center.

The 12th Annual Monty Python and the Holy Grail Party sponsored by the History Club allowed Pythonites to watch this classic and be able to act out particular scenes of the movie. The In Case of Emergency Improv troup rounded out the Saturday Night festivities with laughter and fun for all.

The 2013 St. Thomas Aquinas COURTESY THE SAINT ARCHIVES week proved to be another success and another grand celebration for the Aquinas Party Time: The hallways of building on campus were adorned in party decor last week. St. Thomas himself had birthday cheer. community.

A second term

President Obama sworn in as 44th president of the United States

By Mayra Monroy The Saint Reporter Thousands gathered on the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington D.C., on Monday, January 21, to witness the 2013 Presidential Inauguration.

President Barack Obama’s inaugural address was powerful in nature as he shared the day with Martin Luther King, Jr. President Obama, who won over former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in the November 2012 election, stood before a crowd of almost 10,000 to deliver his second inaugural address.

“My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment and we will seize it, so long as we seize it together,” he said. “We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names. What makes us American is our allegiance to an idea articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago.”

The inauguration took place on the 21 of the month this year, only because the traditional January 20 date fell on a Sunday. The president was sworn in on Sunday, but the ceremony and speech were planned for Monday.

Po l i t i c i a n s p r e s e n t f o r t h e inauguration included former presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, and George W. Bush, along with a handful of ambassadors and former vice president candidate Paul Ryan minus Mitt Romney.

Among the crowd were celebrities like John Mayer, Katy Perry, Steve H a r ve y, a n d Eva Long or i a . The inauguration ceremony consisted of musical performances from Beyonce, The United States Marine Band and Kelly Clarkson as well as the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and James Taylor as well as the main event: the inaugural address.

The speech covered a variety of current issues such as education issues, equality, and climate change.

COURTESY FLIKR

Making history: Thousand gather at the National Mall for the Inauguration festivities.

“We have always understood that when times change, so must we,” he said. “That fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges [and] that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action.” The promise of change and progress that the president accomplished during his last term will continue into his next.

“It’s our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began,” the President went on, referring to the founding fathers. “Our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and our daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not

complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created equal, then sure the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.”

This theme of equality was evident in the speech as he discussed the power behind equality, referring to the guidance of this principle in Seneca, Selma and Stonewall, all significant places in history for the fight against inequality.

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2013

Aquinas: Coca-Cola continues campus winter party

Grand Rapids: Spectrum Health creates new job shadow program

Michigan: Gay marriage on 2014 ballot?

National: Hillary Clinton steps down as Secretary of State

“Refresh Yourself” will be the new campus party to replace the “Wake Up People” party that was previously put on by Pepsi. “Refresh Yourself” will look quite similar to past spring semester celebrations, with the AQ Idol finale and plenty of food and drinks. The event will be held on February 15, 2013, from 7 p.m.-12 a.m. at Sturrus Center.

Spectrum Health has created a job shadow day for college and high school students alike. Students can shadow jobs in many different fields of work within the Specturm health system. Forty students took part in the first day on February 4.

The three other job shadow dates for 2013 will be April 25, August 1, and November 1.

A group, based in Grand Rapids, has formed in advocation for a gay marriage rights proposal to be on the 2014 ballot. Chris Surfus, a Grand Valley student, is the cofounder and president of the group. Surfus says the group plans to hold fund raising efforts and gain support in the next few years.

Hillary Rodham Clinton stepped down from her post as President Obama’s Secretary of State on February 1. Clinton has been working in public service for the past thirty one years. President Obama has chosen Senator John Kerry to take her place. Clinton’s time as Secretary of State was plagued by the bombing in Bengahzi.

No gun show here laura farrell |news editor I have never shot a gun. To my recollection, I have not even held a gun. But why would I? Hunting would be the only reason that I should have ever held a gun in my twenty years of life, and my family is a far cry from being a hunting clan.

I have no need for a gun; therefore, I believe that I should not be able to own one.

Tragedies in the past few months have brought up the issue of gun control. The Aurora, Colorado, movie theatre shooting took the lives of twelve, while the recent Sandy Hook elementary shooting took the lives of twenty-seven, twenty of them being young children. These shootings are just two of the too many.

Since Sandy Hook, stores that sell guns and ammunition have not been able to keep up with the rush of customers. MLive reported that there has been a significant spike in concealed pistol applications and pistol purchase permits. Stores are reporting black Friday-esque behavior, with people waiting up to six hours in line at some stores. Apparently, just about everything, from guns to ammunition, is flying off shelves and impossible to find.

I understand where pro-gun advocates are coming from. This is America, aft er all and where would we be without all of our freedoms? I would be livid if my right to speech was limited (clearly) or if I had no choice in religion. But when did the right to bear arms become infallible? I clearly cannot spout off just anything I want to in this column and freedom of religion has its own limits and restrictions. There are rules for both speech and religion that are in place to protect myself and others. What will it take for people to say that maybe there should be some restrictions on putt ing weapons in people’s hands?

Maybe freedom should not extend to just about everything.

The argument for protection seems to come down to, “Well he/she has a gun, so I need one too. I need to protect myself and my family.” Well, if everyone had this attitude, at some point, every American would have a gun. I think that if this were the case, violence and tragedy would just another part of day to day life.

I am not proposing restrictions on all guns. I know the value of hunting and that some people provide for themselves by hunting. But why is there a need for people to have assault rifles? What recreational purposes are there for guns that spit out thousands of rounds per minute?

It was reported that Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook shooter, had a plethora of ammunition that he never got to use. He probably could have killed everyone in that school if he could have. Conspiracies are flying high about Lanza. Some say he had tons of ammunition he never got to; some say he only had a couple handheld guns.

Many people blame his mental state or family life on the shooting. It has also been reported that his act was not sporadic, that he was intelligent, and had probably planned this out very carefully. It was recently reported that Lanza played hours of violent video games, including Call of Duty.

But this is the problem, why should a twenty year old like Lanza have access to guns? How can it be so easy to make a decision like he did?

Our society enables him. Our society ignores mental illness until it becomes a problem. Our society embellishes guns and violence in video games, movies, and media.

Bottom line, I believe that if for whatever reason you want a gun, there should be a hell of a lot of background checks, paperwork, and regulations as to where you can keep your gun and how you have to have it stored.

Let’s market education about violence and mental health. Promotion of peace and understanding should be more present than the violence we see in media outlets.

Some people say, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people” and some people say the opposite. I say, People choose to kill people, and guns make it that much easier.

Women’s health center closes its doors Muskegon Women’s health clinic closes after building is found in dire conditions

By Sarah Parlette The Saint Reporter A medical facility known for doing abortion procedures in Muskegon, Michigan, was forced to close its doors on December 26 after the local police were called to inspect broken glass on a back door.

Reportedly closed due to unsanitary conditions, as stated by MLive, the Women’s Medical Center, run by Dr. Robert Alexander, was forced to shut down immediately by the Muskegon city inspectors and city Fire Marshal.

The building was not re-opened and entered into again until January 15 when Dr. Alexander, the building’s owner, Dave Johnson, and reporters from the Muskegon Chronicle and MLive toured the closed-off clinic to inspect the facilities conditions alongside cleanup crews.

Located at 863 E. Apple Ave. in Muskegon for over ten years, the facility was said to have contained

unsecured hypodermic needles, unidentifiable substances and va r i o u s b l o o d s t a i n s . T h e r o o f a n d c e i l i n g t i l e s , w h e n v i e we d on January 15, were leaking thus making the facility even more

shut off during the time of it closure between December and January. It is still unclear if the electricity has been turned back on as it is being cleaned.

Photos and documents were

<<A POLICE REPORT DETAILS CONDITIONS RIGHT OUT OF CSI>> unusable and dangerous than when it was originally closed.

Due to conflicting sources, it is unclear whether or not the conditions inside the clinic are the work of the vandals who may have broken the door or if they were pre-existing; however, the facility has been shut down permanently according to Dr. Alexander.

The building had the electricity

released of the Women’s Medical Center due to a Freedom of Information Act request which stated that the clinic has received three prior notices for violating Muskegon city codes.

These violations included the improper disposal of needles, unsterilized equipment and unsanitary chemical disposal practices. MLive states that a police

report details conditions right out of an episode of CSI, including things such as biohazard bags, blood found in patient rooms and other places, easily accessible patient files and other environmental hazards that could endanger patients.

The Women’s Medical Center, which offered women emergency contraception and counseling as well as abortions, was the target of antiabortion activists and locals who disagreed with certain procedures.

It is unsure of the closure of the Women’s Medical Center will have ramifications on the other licensed feminine health clinics within the area, such as Heritage Clinic for Wo m e n i n G r a n d R a p i d s , w h o operate under higher standards.

The facility’s website has also been removed from service and both the Muskegon Fire Department and Public Safety director could not be reached for comment this past week.

Violence Equality Bake Sale JHI Women’s Studies spikes in Center promotes equality Grand Rapids, in the workplace worldwide

By Sarah Parlette The Saint Reporter

By Laura Farrell News Editor

Unfortunately, the new year has brought just as much violence as it has snow. In Grand Rapids and around the world, there has been a noticeable spike in violent crimes. In 2012, there was a reported ten percent increase in violent crime in the city. There were eighteen homicides in the year 2012, an increase from the last few years. The month of January has given the city even more cause for concern. There were nine homicides in Grand Rapids in the month of January, half of the total homicides of 2012.

A group of clergymen, along with the Police Chief, met on January 10, 2013, to give a press conference, urging the community to work together to make an effort to promote peace.

Grand Rapids Police Chief Kevin Belk stated that authorities would “work as diligently as we can to bring those that are responsible to justice… there are far too many guns in our community.”

Pastor Jerome Glenn of The Revolution said, “This is our community. There is no one way to get this done.”

As Grand Rapids dealt with its own problems, even more violent acts were seen around the world.

On January 17, a student was abducted on Central Michigan University’s campus at gunpoint. The student was then raped but escaped and after a bizarre series of events, the assailant was later fatally shot by

the police.

At Lone Star College in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday, January 22, four people were injured after shots were fired following an altercation between two students.

One week later on January 29, a gunman boarded a school bus and demanded the bus driver to hand over two children. The bus driver refused and the gunman shot and killed him while twenty-one students escaped through the back door. The gunman proceeded to grab a five year old male student and take him to a nearby bunker. On Monday, February 4, the standoff ended as police entered the bunker and shot down the man.

The child is reportedly physically unharmed.

On Friday, February 1, 2013, a leftist group, Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party, detonated a suicide bomb at the American Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. One guard was killed and a journalist was injured.

It seems that Martin Luther King, Jr. Day could not have come at a more fitting time. Promoting peace and nonviolence, communities across America came together in honor of the activist. At Aquinas College, events were held throughout the day. The MLK Commemorative March was held, beginning at Wege Mall, where students and faculty alike showed their support for peace.

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

Standing for peace: Students and faculty gather together for the MLK Commemorative Walk.

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

It has happened every year for the past decade and it’s still effective.

It upsets some people and enlightens others. It supplies you with fresh baked goods. Have you figured out what it is yet?

The annual Equality Bake Sale, h o s t e d b y t h e Wo m e n ’s S t u d i e s Center, will be held, as is tradition, on February 14, Saint Valentine’s Day. The bake sale, which promotes equality within the workplace, is used yearly to show the difference in the pay grade between the sexes.

In many professions for every one dollar that is paid to a man, only 77 cents is paid to a woman in the same position.

Wo m e n i n t h e A q u i n a s community will get to pay less than their male counterparts, something that Women’s Studies Center intern Margaret Miller hopes will cause a commotion and ruffle some feathers.

“Knowing about it [inequality] is the first step to doing something about it,“ she said. With men having to pay more for the same items, it is hoped that the inequality that they feel for having to pay more will spark an interest in equality activism.

The Bake Sale is a channel for

State of the Saint, from page 1 We edit between eight and ten articles per editors’ sections, format each page in Adobe InDesign, and make sure that we produce a quality issue every time (If you want to see us in action, please feel free to stop by our office during a production weekend).

Through all of this, we strive to uphold a professional environment that fosters a constant and challenging learning experience for our writers and editors.

More importantly, The Saint functions as a voice for students, by students. It is the only media outlet on campus that permanently records student voices and student-run events-every issue of The Saint is kept in the Aquinas archives and is published online, for anyone to read. Without a student newspaper, distinct Aquinas perspectives would be lost, both to the current Aquinas community and to students and faculty in the future.

We, as The Saint’s editors, are constantly learning from our mistakes.

We are working to make sure that they

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Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

encouraging discussion. It is a fun and accessible way to get students, staff, and faculty talking inside and outside of the classroom about the differences between the sexes. It acts as a way for men and women to realize that they are allies who can fight against inequality together instead of fighting each other.

Each state within the United States has different pay levels for men and women, and people of different races within the two sexes, having to pay a few cents more for a treat is a personal way to get the message across.

Volunteers from the Women’s Center and Sociology department make the baked goods and devote their day to taking turns at the table answering questions and promoting equality. Information is made readily available for anyone who wants to educate themselves and all the proceeds are donated to good causes.

Why February 14? It’s simply to fight against the hetero-normative tradition of the holiday. Miller said that it is a time that people are subconsciously thinking about their gender, or the other gender, which makes it a ripe opportunity to bring about awareness and activism.

will never happen again: budget plans for the next academic year are already in the works, and The Saint’s staff remains dedicated to turning out a quality news product. We hope to be able to collaborate with other groups on campus and in the community in order to widen our coverage once our financial situation stabilizes. Even in the past year, we have worked to update our online archive and simplify our web page to make it easy for anyone to read our student perspectives.

Letters to the editor, also available on our web page, provide a way for anyone-students, faculty, and extended Aquinas family alike-- to voice their concerns and opinions publicly.

Although the financial neglects that h appen ed last spr ing wer e unprofessional, The Saint, and the students, cannot let a 32 year historical record and legacy go to waste. We will continue to work hard to maintain the tradition of news coverage by students, for students, and we hope that Aquinas College will continue to support The Saint in this endeavour for years to come.

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THE SAINT WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2013

NEWS

Women in combat From one saint Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announces lift on women in combat roles in the United States military

I n r e f u t e , Pa n e t t a claims that standards will not be lowered.

This new change in January 24 saw the policy received positive lift on a ban that would feedback and support. open 230,000 front line O n e o f t h e c h a n g e ’s combat jobs to women. biggest supporters is The Pentagon issued a the recently reelected conference to announce President Barack Obama. the lift on a 1994 policy In his inaugural that banned women address on January 21, from obtaining positions the president stated “Our that put them directly in brave men and women combat, in jobs such as in combat, tempered by infantry, armory, cavalry the flames of battle, are and special ops. unmatched in skill and Defense secretary courage.”

Leon Panetta declared that In a statement the allowing women to serve COURTESY FLIKR President released, he at the front lines would strengthen the military Equal Opportunity: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta meets with members believes that this new and the country. Women, of the armed forces. Panetta lifted the ban on women’s roles in the front change will be another step into fulfilling who make up 15% of the lines last week. the nation’s ideals of 1.4 million active military “They serve, they’re wounded and they personnel, have been a great influence die right next to each other. The time fairness and equality. “Our journey is not complete until our wives, our on the military. has come to recognize that reality.” mothers, and daughters can earn In recent years, through a host of With this new development brings lesser jobs, women have had to serve a lot of doubt. Congressmen across the a living equal to their efforts,” the at the front lines. Panetta, impressed by nation voice concern over a “weaker President said.

The new policy is expected to be the roles of women forced to the front military” if physical standards are taken in effect within the next year. lines in Iraq and Afghanistan, stated lowered and readiness not met.

By Mayra Monroy The Saint Reporter

World news update Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy accepts bribe money amid country’s economic crisis I N D I A Five men are accused of a brutal gang T U R K E Y- L a s t rape and F r i d a y, a s u i c i d e murder aboard bombing occurred a bus in Delhi. in Ankara, Turkey.

BBC reports According to CNN, that the case t h e a t t a c k wa s n o t has sparked a result of jihadist protest and groups, but rather reform of sex the Revolutionary laws in the People’s Liberation country to Party (DHKP-C). help protect The group has many victims from ties with Syria, and such attacks. is hostile to NATO T h e m e n and its allies. The have pleaded group draws from n o t g u i l t y, Cold War era Soviet asserting their ideals, with many innocence. similarities between this attacks and COURTESY FLIKR W i t n e s s testimony others within the past New technology planned: President Ahmadinejad reveals new planes for Iran’s and DNA few years in places developing air force. evidence will such as Istanbul. be presented to EGYPT- CNN reports on an attack SPAIN-Spanish Prime Minister the courts shortly. on the Presidential Palace in Cairo on M a r i a n o R a j o y i s u n d e r f i r e f o r IRAN-President Mahmoud Friday. This marks a continuance of a l l e g a t i o n s o f c o r r u p t i o n a n d the violence that has permeated the accepting bribes. Rajoy and other Ahmadinejad has revealed designs nation since its revolution slightly members of his Popular Party are for a new military plane, according to more than two years ago. Protesters accused of accepting money, with Fox News. He asserts that the plane threw Molotov cocktails while the Rajoy himself accepting $34,000 per is a stealth fighter capable of evading police forces brutalized the crowd. year, according to BBC. This had radar. This cannot be independently World political leaders such as Hillary created a large controversy centered confirmed as Iran does not release Clinton are worried about a potential around the fact that Spain is close information about their military to collapse of their government and to needing an international bailout the international community. The what that could mean for the Middle due to their high deficit and poor country claims to be developing a larger air force, with plans to have East. spending habits. a completely self-sufficient military.

By Chuck Hyde Staff Writer

News Editor Laura Farrell

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

to another

Aquinas Alumni Association gives grants to alumni educators for special classroom projects

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

Forever a Saint: Alumni and the members of the Aquinas community meet for the 2012 Alumni Breakfast last spring.

By Laura Farrell News Editor This year, the Aquinas Alumni Association has chosen three Aquinas alumni, who are now teachers, to help out in their classrooms. Every year, the Alumni Association choses three to four alumni teachers, who apply with a special project that needs funding, to give a $500 grant to. This year, three teachers, all with very different projects, were chosen.

Molly Rundquist, class of 2002, is a teacher at Meadow Brook Elementary in the Forest Hills s c h o o l d i s t r i c t . S h e wa s c h o s e n for her project, Project Read. The second winner, Mandi DeGroot, class of 2007, teaches at North Park Elementary in the Grand Rapids Public School system, and the money will go towards her program, Read it Once Again. Both Rundquist and DeGroot’s program focus on high school literacy and reading.

Rick Dunn, class of 1993, is the teacher at Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas, Texas. His was given the grant to start up a class project working with Kiva. Kiva is an organization that links people around the world who live in poverty and need funding to start up a small business endeavor to help them rise above poverty. They apply with their business idea and are linked to donors, like Dunn’s classes, and then when chosen are granted money.

Dunn’s classes will be choosing which applicant to fund, and then

will be helping micro-finance their e n d e a vo r w h i l e l e a r n i n g a b o u t alleviating poverty and economics all while making connections around the world. This program promotes a sustainable class project that can hopefully be continued for years as the Kiva applicants eventually pay back their donors and the cycle can continue with more people in need.

The Alumni Association gives these grants out every year and any Aquinas alumnus who is an educator at an accredited school can apply. The winners are chosen by the board of alumni, with the help of Associate Provost Nanette Clatterbuck and Dr. Julia Reynolds, chair of the Education program.

The board looks for programs that promote the charisms of Aquinas, as well as sustainability. The program is also looking to expand into religious e du c a t i o n p r o g r a ms i n t h e n e a r future.

Director of Alumni Relations B r i g i d Av e r y e m p h a s i z e d t h e importance of making connections with alumni for career opportunities.

“The alumni are always willing to help and should be seen as a valuable resource” said Avery. “Graduation is not the end of your relationship with Aquinas.”

The Alumni Association is looking for ways to get involved with the student body and make more connections. Look for fundraising and other events, held by the Alumni Association, later this spring.

Far from over

This year’s flu season is still making its rounds

By Laura Rico Staff Writer It’s hardly a surprise to hear that a friend or classmate has the flu at this time of year, but don’t think the bug is going to be leaving campus anytime soon.

According to a news release by Kent County Health Department, as of Jan. 29 there have been a total 858 confirmed cases of the flu in Kent county since they started to see cases develop in December.

Cathy Raevsky, Administrative Health Officer for the Kent County Health Department, said, “This flu season has been unpredictable, and it is common to see fluctuations weekto-week.” “[The Influenza] is in our county, absolutely, but we’re not seeing the full effects and we will definitely produce numbers. Typically, it is now that we start to see influenza come into our state, we’re still early so it’s difficult to see how Michigan will fair,” said Veronica Beitner, Manager of the Aquinas Health and Wellness Center.

So far the Health Clinic has seen less than a dozen cases, but Beitner cautions again that it’s still early and that it will be interesting to see the progression of cases in the next two to three week.

People with compromised immune systems, especially those who have a predisposition to upper repository issues are more at risk of contracting the flu, so are children and the elderly.

At the same time, college students who are exposed to communal living

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Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

have an elevated risk of getting the flu and are put in a target group that should get the vaccination.

“We really don’t want you sitting in a classroom if you are running a fever. If you have the flu you are putting your classmates or instructor at risk,” adds Beitner. “Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, stay hydrated, and avoid the all-nighters, all of which can contribute to weakening your immune system.”

Practicing old-school habits of covering your mouth and washing your hands is a must. The Health and Wellness staff are monitoring the hand sanitizer and looking to see if more need to be installed around campus.

The vaccine comes highly recommend even if it’s not a hundred percent reliable. For those who get the vaccine and still get the flu, the symptoms may last for as few as two or three days as opposed to a possible 10 days, says Beitner.

A l r e a d y, s o m e c l i n i c s a n d physicians’ offices are running out of their stock, mentions Beitner, at the Health Clinic there are still some available vaccinations.

Most insurance companies cover the cost of this vaccine with no copay.

For those without insurance, the cost is $25.00 and a variety of payment options are offered. Any additional health or financial questions may be directed to Veronica Beitner.

opinion >>

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2013

Making room for introverts

FROM THE CROWD

APPLAUSE TO...

The performers of the Medieval Dinner, for spicy entertainment; St. Thomas, for having a birthday with cake; The exceptional movies that are Oscar contenders this awards season; Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, for showing everyone the right way to host an event; Delivery people who brave the snow to bring us food; Commercials, for being more entertaining than the Super Bowl, as usual; 30 Rock, for a phenomenal seven seasons; The Aquinas College Alumni Association, for the excellent work they do to help alumni and students alike.

By Lianne Crouthers The Saint Reporter “So, have any plans for the weekend?” Dana, my cosmetologist extraordinaire, asks while washing my hair during our last appointment.

“No, I don’t think so,” I answer tentatively.

“Well you better make some, it’s already Thursday!” Her emphatic tone catches me off guard as she towel dries my hair and leads me back to her station.

As I settle into the rotating chair and watch her drape the black vinyl cape around my neck and shoulders I wonder: why do I need plans for the weekend? Is it wrong if I don’t want to go out with friends? Maybe I just want to be alone. Is that bad?

No, it’s the exact opposite. It’s glorious. My idea of a really relaxing time is a fifty mile bike ride with padded shorts that don’t pinch and a verdant trail to ride on. It’s when friends want to hang out, especially at loud, crowded bars, that I get really stressed out. This is what I’m

Unnecessary group work; The Academy, for snubbing Ben Affleck and Katheryn Bigelow; Downton Abbey, for breaking our hearts; Sports scandals, for turning real life into an episode of Catfish; People who lack faith in Beyonce’s vocal skills; Hackers that ruin our Twitter accounts; Terrible Go Daddy commercials; The Superdome, for faulty wiring; McNuggets, for being made of 50% meat.

theSaint 2012-2013 E D I T O R I A L B O A R D Editor-in-Chief News Editor Culture Editor

Stephanie Giluk Laura Farrell Stephanie Giluk

Sports Editor

Alyssa Frese

By Chuck Hyde Staff Writer It is always regrettable when tragedy strikes. Whether it is the bombing of a government building, the collapse of two skyscrapers, or the slaying of schoolchildren, all tragedies are always horrible and unhappy. I always feel upset, wishing that there was something that I could do and knowing that there is nothing that I can.

Perhaps what is even more upsetting is the immediate political rhetoric and debate that takes place afterward. Before the details were even fully released about the Sandy Hook shooting, there were gun control debates raging in political pundits, news channels, and Facebook

*** 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 30 years to produce an informative, entertaining and journalistically-correct student publication. The Saint is distributed by students at Aquinas College and in the surrounding community.

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

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

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

>> write us a letter!

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

physical copies – AB, Room 2

yet, blog about them. But I don’t agree. There’s nothing wrong with loving alone time. There’s nothing wrong with not sharing everything that’s on your mind. There is something sacred and private about the self. It doesn’t need to be on display constantly to be valuable. In fact, those moments when no one else can hear the off-key singing or laughing at a re-run on TV or sitting silently in the car after reaching the destination, are precious when they’re shared only with the self.

We may have a society that outwardly values the extrovert— group work, brainstorming, committee meetings—but the introverts play an integral role as well. We need the contemplators, the thinkbefore-you-leapers, the ingenuity and creative force that they bring to the table. So, while it may ostensibly appear that there is no room for introverts in our culture, that’s not the case. You just can’t hear us; we’re silently carving out room for ourselves.

feeds alike. I actually found out about the attack via social media before I had even checked the news that day.

People were already getting in heated fights about gun control, religion in schools, and mental health.

It infuriates me that people do not even wait until the victims are buried before pushing their political agenda, whether it is fighting to ban gun ownership or promoting the possession and sale of firearms. Twentyeight peopled died. They were using those deaths to push for their own ideals, shamelessly capitalizing on and taking advantage of the situation.

Even worse is the media. From the national sources all the way down to local Connecticut stations, they were all after their scoop of the story, trying desperately to interview stu-

dents, teachers and parents before the conflict was even resolved. It was monstrous and sickening. I understand that people should know about what happened, but they could at least wait until everyone is okay and the situation has been resolved.

This sort of thing happens with every tragedy, no matter what the cause. There seems to be no respect for the dead. I think that Americans (and people in general) have begun to lose their sense of empathy. Many people simply can’t put themselves in that situation and realize that sometimes we just need to allow families some time to mourn their loved ones.

After that is done and we have made sure everyone else is okay, then the politics can come out, if that’s what’s necessary.

Letters to the Editor January 22, 2013, marked the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Since then, over 55 million babies have lost their lives due to legal abortions in the United States. I have two major thoughts about this. The first is those who argue a woman has the right to decide what she wants to do with her body have never been able to answer a question for me. Since when is the fetus considered part of a woman’s body? If a woman cuts off her finger, a DNA test will determine that was part of her body. The aborted fetus has different DNA. That part is not Hello editor,

Adviser Dr. Dan Brooks

supposed to do, right? Have lots of friends and do lots of things with them. I’m supposed to be social, plugged-in, bubbly and energetic. In short, I’m supposed to be an extrovert. There’s this prevailing notion, probably left over from high school, that if you don’t have a lot of friends and you’re not with them all the time then you can’t get friends and you’re a loser. That lifestyle may work for some people—the true extroverts—and there’s nothing wrong with finding your bliss in a crowd.

But for the rest of us, we shouldn’t have to feel guilty or defunct if we find solace in solitude.

The older and more comfortable I get in my own skin the more this extroverted mold chafes with each social obligation. I like the friends I have—all three of them— they’re wonderful, brilliant people. But I don’t need to see them everyday to feel connected or fulfilled. In fact, if I see them too much I feel crushed and distracted. Our tweeting, Facebooked culture would have me believe that this is wrong; I should just squash those sensations—or better

Gun control and politicalization

HECKLES TO...

Snow and unsalted sidewalks;

4

Long time reader, first time letter writer here...There was a brief mention of the lack of letters addressed to the editor in a previous issue of your fine publication and I decided to attempt to fill this gap in the only way that I know how: writing one myself. Really, I would like to take this opportunity to hopefully clear up some confusion in regards of the “State of The Saint” in a manner of speaking.

Yes, I have noticed that the paper went mysteriously missing for quite some time and returned from its brief hiatus feeling well-rested and noticeably lighter, like a person returning to Michigan after spending New Year ’s in Tahiti. While I Just wondering when a more updated paper will be online.

Tracy Branz Hello Tracy, Our editing staff thanks you for writing

Management E-mail saint.business@aquinas.edu

Phone (616) 632-2975

her body. That fetus is the body of someone else.

The second is just a selfish thought on my part. Of the 55 million aborted babies, what percent of the might have been geniuses? According to the latest statistics, about 2.2% of the world’s populations are geniuses. That means about 1.2 million geniuses were killed before they had a chance possibly find a cure for cancer or AIDS. Of course, it doesn’t take a genius to find cures. So just maybe somewhere in the over 55 million dead children were the people who

would cure cancer, deliver us from internal combustion engines or maybe lead the Detroit Lions to a Super Bowl victory. We will never know, will we?

don’t expect full disclosure on such a controversial (Is that too strong a word?) subject, could you take some time to discuss the reasons behind the changes mentioned in the last issue? Several people that I consider loyal champions of The Saint’s cause have called the circumstances the results of a “power play” by the some of “higher ups” in the school’s organizational structure, but is is true that all of this was caused by an oversight made by one of your staff members? An oversight that was apparently happened more than once?

And more importantly, what are you going to do to make sure that the current problems don’t happen again?

I truly hope that all of the issues that your staff is facing right now

are resolved in a quick and positive manner.

to us and for your conern over our currently spotty online presence. We are now working to retrieve old Saint files from past issues so we can put those up online and update the archives there. This issue that you currently have in your hands should appear online shortly if it is not up already.

You will be able to find us, as usual, at

aquinas.edu/thesaint, and there will be more sports coverage in our online edition of this issue.

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

Professor Kevin D. Cantley Professor Cantley, The Saint staff thanks you for taking the time to write to us.

Regards, Stephanie Giluk

Your patient reader and partner in writing, Erin D. Lilly Hello Erin, The Saint staff appreciated your letter and your conern for the state of the Saint.

I decided that an article everyone can read would be the best way to respond. The article is on the front page, and I hope it answers any questions you had.

Your humble editor, Stephanie Giluk

Regards, Stephanie Giluk

culture Books: You can live like Gatsby Author F. Scott Fitzgerald’s former Baltimore home, where he and his wife Zelda lived during the 1930s, has been put up for sale. For only $450,000, you could breathe the same air Fitzgerald did and pretend you’re living the good life, old chap.

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THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2013

Television: You can’t escape reality TV

Music: Member of band Pussy Riot in the hospital

Fox is bringing back the reality show The Swan, which began in 2004 as a makeover show.

“Ugly” women were given makeovers by trainers, therapists, cosmetic surgeons, and a dentist, and at the end of three weeks, the ugly duckling would emerge a swan. The reboot will introduce celebrities to the mix.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, member of the punk feminist band Pussy Riot, was hospitalized after complaining of headaches and being overworked at a prison colony notorious for its harsh conditions. Tolokonnikova has been at the colony since October after the band’s protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

<<

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

>> FRANK OCEAN

Frank Ocean has decided not press charges against Chris Brown after Brown assaulted Ocean in a Los Angeles parking lot. Allegedly, Brown threw the first punch, and neither singer was seriously injured.

COURTESY EW.COM

Current obsessions

Argo likely to upset Spielberg; Academy has itself to blame

stephanie giluk | a&e editor My most recent television obsession is the British drama Downton Abbey, currently in its third glorious and heartbreaking season. Downton, created by Julian Fellowes, follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the early twentieth century, depicting the complex social hierarchies at play between the upper and lower classes and the rising strength of the middle class within the Yorkshire estate of Downton Abbey and its surrounding village.

I was first introduced to the series, after hearing about it for quite some time, in my British and Irish Literature class last fall. My professor wanted us to see the British class system at work, and while “class system complexities” might not sound like an interesting premise for a show, it says something that after just one episode, more than half the class was hooked. I think the appeal lies in the coverage of characters’ lives, because all the characters, both the Crawleys, who live upstairs, and the servants, who live downstairs, are portrayed with equal amounts of empathy and importance.

The first season begins with Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) learning that the heir to the Downton estate died aboard the Titanic when it sunk.

The season then follows the new (middle class! Gasp!) heir, Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) as he tries to navigate the intricacies of life at Downton and the antagonism he faces from the rest of the Crawley family for inheriting the Downton fortune, while Lord Grantham’s daughters are unable to inherit anything, being women. Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), the eldest Crawley daughter, is especially at odds with Matthew, since she feels the sting of potentially losing her home to a newcomer who is a stranger to her way of life.

While this madness goes on upstairs, there’s plenty of drama happening downstairs. The servants have their own particular hierarchy, just like the upper class nobility does. When a new valet, Bates (Brendan Coyle), arrives for Lord Grantham, the other male servants, feeling slighted at his quick rise through the ranks (a valet ranks higher than a footman, for example), do their best to sabotage his stay at Downton.

They would have succeeded, too, if it weren’t for the generosity and loyalty of Lord Grantham, who is, at his heart, kind and caring, if a bit too devoted to the rigid structures of British noble life.

I’m not sure if this small summary intrigues you at all, but Downton is compelling, even if it is about a rich family and the finer points of social stature in British society. It’s really also about family, loyalty, love, and the toll the changing world takes on the everyday person. The show, over the course of several seasons, deals with the effects of the first World War, the sinking of the Titanic, the women’s rights movement, the Spanish influenza pandemic, and the Irish revolution.. The Crawleys do their best to adapt to a world that begins to devalue titles, estates, and fancy parties, and they try to find meaning beyond having lavish dinners and socializing and marrying other wealthy people. Though they still do these things, of course, and it’s delightful to watch.

Most delightful of all, however, is the admirable Maggie Smith (I’m not going to tell you what movies she’s been in, because if you don’t know, shame on you), who plays the Dowager Countess. Whenever she gets screen time, it’s really just an exercise in Maggie Smith being Maggie Smith, and she’s fantastic, always lecturing the young Crawley women on propriety and bemoaning the changing of the times. The Dowager Countess represents the old ways, the stiffnecked nobility of her time, and she’ll never change, no matter how much the world around her does. And I’m totally okay with that. As long as Maggie Smith is there to turn her nose up at the latest silly thing that shows up in her world (like telephones or pants for women, for example) I’ll keep watching Downton.

5

Saint Reporter Ian MacNeil weighs in on this year’s Oscar race

By Ian MacNeil The Saint Reporter The 85th Annual Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2013. This year’s nominees are composed of Hollywood’s elite who are no strangers to Oscar notoriety.

Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem was surprisingly snubbed from contention in this category. His performance as Bond villain Raoul Silva in Skyfall was on par with his frightening Academy Award-winning performance in No Country for Old Men. Tommy Lee Jones as radical Republican Thaddeus Stevens in Lincoln will win this category.

WILL WIN: Tommy Lee Jones – Lincoln SHOULD WIN: Robert De Niro – Silver Linings Playbook Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway overacted as Fantine in the newest film adaptation of the beloved musical. However, her performance was raw, and the Academy adores her. The Academy really does like Sally Field, too, but not enough for a third Oscar.

WILL WIN: Anne Hathaway – Les Misérables SHOULD WIN: Sally Field – Lin coln Best Actor: Little debate surrounds this category, as two-time Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis has swept the awards circuit with his brilliant

portrayal as President Abraham Lincoln.

WILL WIN: Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln SHOULD WIN: Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln Best Actress: This category makes Oscar history with the oldest and youngest nominees ever, Emmanuelle Riva (Amour, aged 85) and Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts COURTESY WARNER BROS. of the Southern Wild, aged 9). However, Jennifer Law- Lights, camera, action: Ben Affleck, who directed the political thriller Argo, was not nomirence’s wit opposite Brad- nated for Best Director, though Argo itself was nominated for Best Picture. ley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook evoked a myriad of emotions eleven total nominations. nomination for Best Director. from hatred to carefreeness.

WILL WIN: Steven Spielberg – Nominees: WILL WIN: Jennifer Lawrence – Amour Lincoln Silver Linings Playbook Argo SHOULD WIN: Steven Spielberg SHOULD WIN: Naomi Watts – Beasts of the Southern Wild Lincoln The Impossible Django Unchained Best Director: In the most controversial snub of the year, the Best Director award has essentially been handed to Steven Spielberg because the Academy failed to nominated Ben Affleck and Kathryn Bigelow. This is not a dig at Spielberg’s work (he has seven nominations to his name), but Argo is arguably Affleck’s best work, and Bigelow, the first female to win Best Director (The Hurt Locker, 2009), created another modern wartime masterpiece with Zero Dark Thirty. Ang Lee (Best Director for Brokeback Mountain, 2005) remains Spielberg’s only real competition, with Life of Pi garnering

Best Picture: Steven Spielberg’s historical masterpiece, Lincoln, was the early favorite to win Best Picture. How could it not? A Spielberg/Day-Lewis production combines two of the winningest Academy nominees. However, Argo, Ben Affleck’s bracing interpretation of the Iranian Hostage Crisis has received critical praise with wins at the Golden Globes, the Critic’s Choice Awards, and the SAG Awards – perhaps in response to Affleck’s snub in the Best Director category. Should Argo take home the Oscar, it would be only the fourth film in history to win Best Picture without a

True love: Nicholas Holt plays R, a zombie with a human longing for love.

By Cait Hilton The Saint Reporter Warm Bodies, a heart-starting comedic love story with a neverbefore-seen zombie twist, is now in theaters.

Lonely, dead teenager R (Nicholas Hoult) lets the audience into his head as he wanders around an abandoned airport, occasionally sharing a grunt with other pale, purplelipped zombies. R is a zombie, yes, but a wryly funny zombie who longs internally for a better existence. The humans in Warm Bodies lead a better, if stagnant, existence inside a walled city ruled by General Grigio (John Malkovich). Julie (Teresa Palmer), Grigio’s daughter, longs for a better, more exciting life, like R. When the two finally meet under tragic circumstances, R falls in love with beautiful blonde Julie after feasting on her boyfriend’s brain, digesting his memories to fill the blanks he has in his own time line.

R senses the light of life in Julie

Culture Editor Stephanie Giluk

which somehow begins to make him more human again, and he swears to keep her safe from the other undead that surround them. His re-humanization begins to affect some of the other zombies as well, and R and Julie grow closer over the course of the movie. The whole premise is silly but very romantic, and ends up being kind of sweet.

R and Julie’s modernized Romeo and Juliet spin keeps the audience engaged throughout the entire film.

The audience wonders how on earth one could come to be so smitten with a zombie even as they laugh at R and Julie’s escapades.

The movie ironically opens with R questioning, “What am I doing with my life?” In his question lies a larger one: what’s the point of existing if you’re not living? Watching the dead teenager answer this question, while all the people around him are evolving too, makes the film an entertaining adventure that the audience won’t forget.

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

For fellow awards season aficionados, the Department of Residence Life is hosting its annual Academy Awards Party with fancy food, fancy clothes, and over $300 in prizes. The event will begin at 7:00 p.m. in St. Joseph Hall on Sunday, February 24, 2013.

Have some punk with that rock

Warm Bodies will warm your zombified heart

COURTESY SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT

Les Misérables Life of Pi Lincoln Silver Linings Playbook Zero Dark Thirty WILL WIN: Argo SHOULD WIN: Argo

implementing an eclectic assortment of traditional Irish instruments including an accordion, bagpipes, and even an autoharp.

“Rose Tattoo” is one of the strongest songs on the album. Musically, it is one of the most complex tracks, ranging from straightforward folk to thrashing punk. Lyrically, “Rose Tattoo” introspective, with lines like “the picCOURTESY IAN MURPHY tures tell the story, this life has many Punked: Signed and Sealed in Blood is worth a listen. shades” and the song is bittersweet

By Spencer Wilczewski but still manages to stay upbeat.

The Saint Reporter Signed and Sealed in Blood also When people hear the term features an unconventional holipunk rock, they usually imagine day song, “The Season’s Upon Us,” power chord heavy music with re- which focuses on slightly less tradibellious lyrics that are screamed tional holiday motifs. The song is a rather than sang. This myopic view snapshot of a dysfunctional family’s is shattered by Signed and Sealed in holiday gathering: “my sisters are Blood, the latest effort by the Mas- wackjobs, I wish I had none/Their sachusetts based Celtic-punk group husbands are losers and so are their The Dropkick Murphys. Like many sons.”

This album is the group’s eighth of their previous releases, this alrelease, but it isn’t the strongest to bum is steeped in Celtic musical influence as well as the abrasive edge date. There are some great songs but there are also some tracks that of punk.

The album charges in with the are lacking. Like most bands that triumphant “The Boys Are Back,” an have established themselves in their infectiously catchy song that encap- scene, The Dropkick Murphys seem sulates the band’s ability to unleash to stick with a formula when it comes punk fury. It’s the kind of song that to writing their songs. This is one would lend itself easily to a night of feature that might bother longtime partying among friends, complete fans, because there is predictability with a chorus that is easy to chant to the album. This is not to say that this album has no redeeming traits; along with.

Next up is “Prisoner ’s Song,” in fact, it might be a good place for a rip-snorting tune driven by the new listeners to start because Signed truncated notes of a banjo. This and Sealed in Blood is an extremely track hints at the band’s Irish influ- accessible album full of solid hooks ence. The Dropkick Murphys stand and really cool instrumentation. So out among their peers by shatter- if you’re a fan of punk music, or ing the conventions of punk music, just music in general, this album is worth a listen.

Phone (616) 632-2975

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

6

CULTURE

THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2013

The Impossible is one of the best movies of the year

COURTESY WARNER BROS.

Possibilities: The Bennett family faces their fears in this moving Oscar contender about the 2004 tsunami.

By Ian MacNeil The Saint Reporter As Americans, we are no strangers to natural disasters. We have seen hurricanes flood our cities, tornadoes ravish our rural communities, earthquakes shake our inner-most convictions, fires devastate our landscapes, and even volcanoes reshape our perceptions of the power of Mother Nature.

But there is always a calm before the storm. That calm is where we begin with The Impossible, one family’s true story of survival in the enormous “wake” of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. The Bennett family (fictitious name based on the Belón family) is vacationing in the tropical paradise of Thailand, enjoying warm sand, refreshing waters, and the luxurious accommodations of a beach resort. As a viewer, waiting in anticipation of the first impact, there is an eeriness present when the family, along with other resort-goers, releases a sky lantern, lighting up the sky with beacons of hope that juxtapose the dull and hopeless flares of persons in distress.

Cut to the following day. All

seems normal. Dad and the boys are playing in the pool, and mom is sunbathing on a throne of relaxation. Lucas (newcomer Tom Holland), the oldest of three brothers, fetches a lost ball from the pool when the earth begins to shake.

Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, The Impossible recreates the historic and deadly waves in realistic fashion.

Refusing to use computer-animated images, Bayona insisted on the use of a large water tank to capture the devastation and power of raging waters, placing the film’s cast in a “brutal and tiring environment.”

Thrashing underneath the surface and thrown about by the rushing, debris-filled water, Maria, played by Academy Award-nominated Naomi Watts (21 Grams) and her eldest son, Lucas, struggle to survive by clinging to a floating mattress in Titanic-like desperation. Battered, they emerge to find themselves isolated in the aftermath of the wave and stumblingly embark on the unknowingly-long journey for help.

Maria and Lucas’ journey is only matched by the determination of patriarch Henry (Ewan McGregor, Moulin

Rouge!) and the two remaining sons, Simon and Thomas (Oaklee Pendergast and Samuel Joslin), to find them.

With hundreds of thousands displaced to shelters and hospitals and nearly as many lifeless bodies floating in the muddy waters, the minutes turn into days, and hopes for reuniting are impossible.

Although not a major point in the film, the enduring compassion of mankind is beautifully captured when the injured Watts is comforted and cared for by the newly impoverished Thailandish people. Despite language barriers, their honest concern and sympathy echoes the deepest selflessness.

Anchored by the brilliant performances of Watts, Holland, and McGregor, The Impossible evokes the rare emotions of isolation, desperation, and hopelessness. Split by momentary triumphs and frantic separations, this film, toted as “one of the best films of the year” by Chicago Sun Times critic Roger Ebert, shows the bitter reality of how nature can be bested by the inspiration of the human spirit and how, against all odds, when it comes to the strength of family, nothing is impossible.

Serving up a good time

By Brian Kalchik The Saint Reporter On Saturday Night, the Wege Ballroom went back in time to the days of St. Thomas Aquinas.

This event, of course, was the Medieval Dinner, sponsored by Campus Ministry. More than 150 people came out to a dinner theater put together by co-directors senior Nubia Gomez and junior Chris Van Der Ark. The event has become a staple for not only Junior Saints weekend, but for St. Thomas Aquinas week as well.

Of course, St. Thomas Aquinas himself was on hand to partake in this event in his honor.

The Aquinas Chamber Choir kicked off the event with some odes about love, both the good and the bad.

Also accompanying the choir were a guitar ensemble and the Aquinas

Woman’s Trio consisting of seniors Brittany Bullock and Catherine Jandernoa and junior Barbara Groves. Students and staff volunteered to be servers, and more than enough food was available for everyone to enjoy.

The cast of the show featured Gomez playing Queen Augusta. King Jebediah was played by junior Neal Steichen. Queen Ernestine and Lord Duncan were played by Brenda Van Der Ark and Dave Tiesma, respectively. Other characters included Lord Carl played by Zack Potgeter, Princess Dolly, and Prince Croissant, played by seniors Catie Berg and Robert Bennett, respectively. Princess Helga was played by freshman Marissa Purcey, and Ladies Gretel and Octavia were played by freshman Sarah Craig and junior Jennifer Kalchik.

The plot of the show revolved around the power struggle between

former Queen Ernestine and Queen Augusta with twist and turns galore.

A comedy of errors ensued as many of the cast either used love potions or poison to gain power of their own, often employing the Jester, played by junior Maris Wimmer or Peebwah, played by Braden Bacon, to do their dirty work for them.

Another twist was a performance by the Pleasant Peasant Players, which was a troupe invited by Queen Ernestine for entertainment. The troupe used one member from the crowd to help with living scenery. The story revolved around the tragedy of love gone wrong.

The audience enjoyed the witty and entertaining performance while feeling authentically medieval, eating their meal without silverware. The dinner was a success and honored the St. Thomas Aquinas week tradition.

Meet your new heartthrob

By Paris Close The Saint Reporter It seems like everyone is jumping into the pool of pop music these days, and Tegan and Sara are the latest indie-rock goddesses to join in on the fun. After composing six solid records, Heartthrob proves that number seven is definitely the luckiest of them all.

If you have never tuned in to the duo’s brilliant arsenal of albums, which include So Jealous, The Con or even Sainthood, then you lose out on some serious hipster points. With a career spanning more than 15 years, these talented twin sisters have since been considered legendary songstresses in indie culture.

If you are a fervent listener of the band then your expectations are reasonably high. No worries. Heartthrob delivers the same relentless passion and lyrical momentum, just with a reliance on love and an overall upbeat tang.

“We really wanted to do something fresh and new and to explore a different side of ourselves,” said Tegan Quin during an interview with The Guardian. The sister act have an amazing knack for creating intimate songs, and “Closer,” the band’s lead single, is the complete embodiment of romance and fun.

Speaking of getting intimate, this is perhaps their most personal album.

Despite the heartbreaking message in tunes “I Was A Fool” and “How Come

You Don’t Want Me,” T&S have a gifted way of turning bitter memories into something sweeter than Valentine’s Day. Nonetheless, these sisters are strong and bounce back with vengeance in “Goodbye, Goodbye,” crooning: “Goodbye, I don’t wanna feel the need to see your face.” If you’re looking for some of that old school T&S sound, then you are only a beat away from “Shock To Your COURTESY WARNER BROS. RECORDS System,” which is perhaps the smoothest rendi- Heartbreak: Tegan and Sara’s latest is a must-have. tion of indie-pop on the track. give the chorus an unrivaled effervesTrading in their traditional acous- cence, making the song all the more tic sound for something with a bit more enjoyable. pizazz is “I’m Not Your Hero,” with a This album is seemly for the avid catchy chorus that meshes well with T&S listener, and especially you suckan eclectic mix of chimes and keyboard ers for love out there. Sure, this expeririffs. ment with pop was a risky jump but “The first time I saw your face/ also a clever one. Heartthrob is beautiful, I knew I was meant for you,” are the witty and undeniably the most successopening lyrics to the warm-hearted bal- ful transitions to popular music by an lad “Love They Say.” Tegan’s voice is so indie-artist to date. inviting yet patient while Sara’s hums

Culture Editor Stephanie Giluk

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

Foreign films explore censorship and controversy

By Sarah Parlette The Saint Reporter Housed in the black and grey monochromatic theater of the Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts in downtown Grand Rapids, the Chiaroscuro International Film Series continues to spread its message and raise awareness to censorship in international film during its seventh year of activism.

Running from January to March, the films, which all begin at 2:30 p.m., are free and include a discussion panel after each showing, bringing in local professors and critics to comment on the films. There are even refreshments from local ethnic markets and wine supplied by Bar Divani.

Having explored other themes such as women’s rights in the past, the theme of this year’s series of films is censorship. The goal is simple: to bring continual awareness to political and religious censorship that exists in the international film scene that we as students and citizens might not be conscious of.

Showing films such as EARTH and Moolaadé, which deal with topics like political turmoil and female genital mutilation, the series as a whole tackles the task of presenting cringe worthy subjects and encouraging post-film discussion with selected panel members.

The most recent film, Moolaadé, played this past Sunday, January 27. It told a story of gender and family politics in a rural village, directed by Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembene.

A fight between men and women, religion and modern technology, and the basis of purity were the main themes conveyed in the two hour story. The cause of these conflicts: female genital mutilation, a subject that makes many people’s skin crawl just thinking about it.

The life of Collé, the lead protagonist and mother of a Bilakoro ( a girl who has not been purified by genital mutilation) is changed as she vows to protect four young girls who ran away from a purification ritual. After offering them Moolaadé (protection) she and her family are harassed by the rest of the village. This painfully powerful movie forces the audience to hear the screams of the girls, the wailing of the mothers who have lost daughters to the ritual, and the shouting of the men who oppose Collé’s Moolaadé. Gender politics play out in the forms of a raging brother-in-law, a collapsed engagement, and a violent murder.

Introduced by Aquinas’ own German language department head, Dr. Katharina Häusler-Gross, an eight minute short film by local talent Adam VanderStelt was shown to an audience of all ages before the feature film.

“A Noble End” dealt with the subject of growing old and dying, something that, for the young writer, was a difficult subject to broach.

The next film, Die Architekten, directed by Peter Kahane, will be shown February 10, with following films schedule to show February 27 and March 10.

New art at the AMC

By Laura Rico Staff Writer Professor and Art Department Chairperson of Aquinas Steven Schousen presents an adventure from one piece to the next with his diverse drawings and etchings of landscapes and still lifes.

Rolling fields of tall grasses with small glimpses of wild plant life peeking through and off in the distance a forest of trees make up Untitled #3. A closer inspection of the graphite drawing reveals the variety of lines that were used to create the illusions of nature. The crosshatching that made the dense leaves in the background and the long and bold lines that made up the grass.

Toward the back of the gallery a COURTESY DAN BROOKS study of palm trees is featured, each Sun: Feel the warm breeze at the AMC. one slightly different than the other, some straighter than others and some it is a pleasure to be able to view his with more hues of green, blue, and yelwork. When I saw his drawings and low in their leaves. All are painted in etchings I couldn’t help but reflect back watercolors to display a sunny tropical to when he explained perspective, line getaway with blue skies, a deep conweight variation, and shading to create trast to most of the drawings and etcha drawing where those elements (and ings that are black and white. many more) come together to make a Freshman and former student complete picture. of Schousen’s Abby Cordes said, “I Cordes added, “I would say the thought his show was very interestapproach that Steve teaches in his ing and talented. I enjoyed the perdrawing class has helped me become sonal side of the show, how the subjects a better drawer, specifically the techweren’t studio still-lifes but places he niques such as measuring and taking had traveled even if they weren’t per angles. I hadn’t had much experience say grand or well-known places.” with the technique side of drawing and Junior Niki Klco said, “I appreciSteve’s class really broadened my abilated his show because it helped me to ity of using different techniques.” understand Steve slightly better since I Schousen’s work can be seen in the have not gotten the opportunity to have Art and Music Center Gallery through him as a professor and experience his February 8. Gallery hours are Monday artwork. The ability to comprehend his through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 emotions and personality through his p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., etchings was a new and interesting perand Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 6 spective for me.” p.m.

As a former student of Schousen,

AQ Idol rocks the house

By Brian Kalchik The Saint Reporter The seventh year of AQ Idol looks to be as good, if not better than the previous six.

No one knew what to expectf from the participants for the first round, but there were many different styles that made this opening night memorable.

Judges for the first round were Assistant Director of Campus Life Tim Ramsay, ITS Technology Trainer Katy McAvoy, and Media Department Assistant Chad Buczkowski.

Former AQ Idol winner and sophomore Taylor Nefcy was the MC for the first round and will continue to MC for the following rounds until the competition ends. Kretchmer Hall was the site for the first round and will be the same venue for the second round. The final round will be in the Wege Ballroom as part of the new Refresh Yourself event.

Twelve participants took part in the competition. Seniors Michelle Robinson, Chelsea Ashcraft, Catherine Jandernoa, and Casey McDonald, juniors Lee Winghoff, Matt Banas, Dala Carroll, and Marissa Marx, sophomores Luke Strobel, Emily Blakowski, and Anna Egres, and freshman Marisa Purcey all showed up to the first round to sing their hearts out.

Crowd favorites who received the

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most acclaims were Marx, McDonald, Jandernoa and Carroll.

Adele seemed to be a favorite of the contestants, with “Someone Like You” being performed by Marx and “I’ll Be Waiting” being performed by Egres. Judge Ramsay also revealed that Adele was his favorite musician.

Other songs that appeared in the first round were “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw, sung by McDonald, “I Can’t Make You Love Me”

by Bonnie Raitt, performed by Jandernoa, and “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone, performed by Purcey. Banas and Winghoff not only sang but played guitar as well. Banas played and sang “Superman” by Joe Brooks and Winghoff played and sang “Wildflowers” by Tom Petty.

Unfortunately, not all 12 participants could advance to the next round.

Seven made through while five were left behind. Advancing to the second round were McDonald, Purcey, Strobel, Carroll, Jandernoa, Marx and Winghoff while Egres, Robinson, Ashcraft, Blakowski and Banas were eliminated.

The second round of AQ Idol took place yesterday at 10:30 p.m. Due to our printing schedule, The Saint was unable to cover this round. Be sure to go to the final round to see who’ll win AQ Idol on Friday, February 15, during Refresh Yourself.

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sports

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Detroit Red Wings: Finally getting this season started

American Football: Poland takes on Sweden

Superbowl 47: Ravens and 49ers compete in a close game

The Detroit Red Wings hold a record of 4-3-1 after eight games played this season. The NHL season resumed finally at the beginning of January .

The lockout had been taking place since September.

The Red Wings will take on St. Louis Blues on Thursday, February 7, in St. Louis.

Poland and Sweden will be facing each other this Saturday. This will be the first ever international fixture in American Football.

Poland’s American Football Association was founded in 2006. There will be eight teams competing in their premier league this year.

Super Bowl 47 marked the first time two brothers who are head coaches faced each other.

The Baltimore Ravens triumphed over the San Francisco 49ers in a close victory of 34-31. The brothers, John and Jim Harbough, shared a simple handshake and congratulations post-game.

Superbowl XLVII: Both teams bring it alyssa frese | sports editor Super Bowl XLVII was certainly a game to remember. As an avid Green Bay Packers fan, I was not really looking forward to this year ’s match-up between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers.

However, this year the Super Bowl made history in the fact that the coaches of both teams were brothers going up against each other.

This sibling rivalry was greatly anticipated before kickoff. The first half of the game left me very disappointed; the Baltimore Ravens were ahead 21-6 at halftime and anticipated a blowout. The 49ers, however, weren’t going down without a fight. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers came back for the second half with playing an entirely different game. During the second half, the city of New Orleans lost power. The game was delayed for nearly thirty-five minutes while officials tried to regain power. Once the delay was over, both the Ravens and 49ers were more than ready to play again. Both teams pushed each other to a really great competition.

Jim Harbough was determined to win and he came as close as he could. 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick finally found his targets during the second half and San Francisco scored 17 points. Kaepernick rushed for a touchdown in the final ten minutes which made a two point gap between the 49ers and Ravens. The Ravens then proceeded to kick a field goal and increase the gap to five points. After the field goal was scored, the Ravens guarded their line for their lives and got a safety, giving the 49ers two more points. With only a three point gap, the 49ers had mere seconds to try and come up with a field goal or touchdown but could not come up with either. John Harbough and the Baltimore Ravens were declared Super Bowl 47 Champions.

I was excited that the Ravens were victorious. After the 49ers beat my Packers in the playoffs, I was a little bitter. That was not the only reason I chose to cheer for the Ravens. Ray Lewis, the Ravens linebacker, played in his last game and was able to walk away with his second Super Bowl title in his 17 season career. He had won his first twelve years earlier.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was named MVP. I agreed with this decision. Flacco played an excellent game and never backed down.

Flacco threw two very impressive touchdown passes to wide receiver Jacoby Jones which is what gave the Ravens the 28-6 lead early in the third quarter.

If a team I don’t cheer for isn’t playing, I usually just watch for the commercials. I almost stopped watching this Super Bowl at halftime this year just because the Ravens were beating the 49ers so bad.

I thought the game was over at halftime. Boy was I wrong. I commend both the 49ers and Ravens for their performances in Super Bowl XLVII. Both teams came out ready to win and played their very hardest.

The affection shown between Jim and John Harbough after the Ravens’s victory was really cool to see. You could tell that Jim was happy for his brother, but at the same time disappointed that he wasn’t the victorious one, which was definitely understandable. Super Bowl 47 was one of the most exciting football games I have watched in years. Both teams kept the game really exciting and the half-time show featuring Beyoncé wasn’t too shabby either.

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2013

Men’s and women’s basketball teams hold high hopes

By Taylor Hodges The Saint Reporter

Grand Rapids Griffins

COURTESY DAN BROOKS

Evading the defense: Sophomore Connor McCane drives the ball down the court in home game action against Northwestern Ohio last Saturday.

By Taylor Hodges The Saint Reporter The Aquinas women’s basketball team has had an impressive last week in January. Beating opponents Lourdes and Marygrove by 20 plus points has gotten the wheels spinning for the Saints. The adversity overcome by this team has been impressive and it has shown in their play throughout this season. The Saints hold a 12-12 record.

“This team has had to deal with significant injuries. Before the season started, we lost starting center senior Lindsey Karpowicz to an ACL injury and senior Taelor Sanders. We have hung in there despite the loss of two key players. This team has been very resilient and they continue to work hard,” said head coach Linda Nash.

“I’m looking for an upward swing at the end of the season. We talk all year about how you finish the race and I’m so impressed with the work ethic and positive attitude with this team.” The leadership of seniors Liza Flewelling, Taelor Sanders, Hayley O’Meara, Clare Conway and Shelby Carter has played a significant role in the performance of this team.

“As Conference play winds down, we are trying to win enough games to put us in a position to make the Conference tournament,” said senior Clare Conway. “Once we make the Conference tournament, all we have to do is win three games to qualify for the National tournament. It would make my senior year if we made in to Sioux City, Iowa and competed in the national tournament.” The women’s next game

is tonight at Cornerstone University at 5:30 p.m.

The men’s team is also coming off of an impressive win against Marygrove. Leading the scoring charge was senior Zach Eddy who netted 17 points in the 69-46 win for the Saints.

The team chemistry has been superb this year and is one of the many reasons the team has come up with some big wins.

“With a lot of new faces on our team this year we had to start off basically fresh. We got together a few times over the summer to hang out and start the process. Throughout the year we have really developed into a family.” said junior Jon Hornak. “Every guy is genuinely a good person and we are there for each other no matter what the situation is. There isn’t a guy on our team I couldn’t count on if I ever needed them for something and that is one of my favorite parts about this team.”

The men lost in a very close game on February 2 against Northwestern Ohio with a final score of 67-64. The Saints will play tonight at Cornerstone with a game time of 7:30 p.m.

The men’s JV team recently won against Northwood with a score of 6661 and showed the same competiveness when they played them at home on February 4. “It was a good win to go up and get but it’s a whole different day February 4 and we’ll just try and get another win,” said freshman Andy Slomski. “Our goals are to finish strong and continue to improve to a positive finish.” The JV team will play next on Monday, January 11 at home versus Cornerstone.

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WHAT TO WATCH

>> MEN’S HOCKEY

The Aquinas men’s hockey team has one game left in their season, with a winning record of 14-12. This is the men’s first season as an official team. The Saints will face Kettering University on Friday, February 8, in their last game of the regular season.

Armstrong and Te’o shock the sports world

By Brian Kalchik The Saint Reporter

Two recent scandals have shaken the world of sports. One is a story straight out of an episode of Catfish and the other details the tarnished legacy of a former hero who once inspired his fans.

Manti Te’o, the star linebacker of the national runner-up Notre Dame Football team, was the victim of a hoax concocted by Reniah Tuiasosopo. Tuiasosopo created the ficticious Lennay Kekua and the two had an online relationship starting in early 2009. After an alleged car accident that landed Kekua in a coma, she contracted leukemia and died within six hours of Manti’s grandmother, who really died of natural causes.

As we know now, Kekua was never in a car accident or contracted leukemia because she never existed. Conflicting reports suggest that Tuiasosopo’s female cousin, Tino, played the voice of Kekua in phone conversations with Te’o or some also suggest that Tuiasosopo. voiced Kekua himself.

In a Dr. Phil interview, Tuiasosopo says that he was the only one who made up the scheme and absolved Te’o of any wrongdoing. However, some are still questioning Te’o’s involvement in the case. Did Te’o have anything to do with the hoax? Why did Te’o have an online relationship when he had never seen this person?

Tuiasosopo’s online relationship was a romantic one with Tuiasosopo having an interest in Te’o. The truth came out weeks before the National Championship Game, which Notre Dame lost to Alabama. Te’o’s reluctance to tell the truth right away furthered the suspicion, but he also didn’t want to make a distraction by revealing he had

Looking ahead

Aquinas bowling teams finish first ever season, looking forward to the next

Griffins hold NHL prospects

By Taylor Hodges The Saint Reporter While the NHL season has been underway for a couple months now, the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League have been in season since the start of September. Posting a 24-12-4 record, they currently sit in second place among the Western Conference.

Leading the spirited offense are Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, and Landon Ferraro. Nyquist, who has posted an impressive 40 points in 42 games this season, is on the fast track to getting a permanent role with the Detroit Red Wings. Racking up six points in the seven games he played with the Wings gave this young 23 year old the confidence needed to compete at a high level.

Hailing all the way from Slovakia is Tatar, who in his fourth season has compiled 36 points in 42 games played. The young Slovak has seen time with the Red Wings last year playing in nine games and scoring his first career goal on his first shot.

Ferraro has contributed to the Sports Editor Alyssa Frese

offense by racking up 33 points in 42 games. The third highest scorer for the Griffins has seen success at every level he’s played at, which is why the Red Wings were happy to snag him in the second round, 32nd pick overall, in the 2009 NHL Draft.

The Griffins have lost their last two games to the Houston Aeros while playing back to back road games. They look to break that streak during the first weekend of February playing the Hamilton Bulldogs on the road and hosting the Abbotsford Heat on Saturday.

Coming up with some big saves and posting a save percentage of .911 is Petr Mrazek. Fans shouldn’t be too worried about this losing streak continuing as this young goalie has a good head on his shoulders.

Tonight, the Griffins host the Houston Aeros at 7 p.m at Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids. If the Griffins win, fans can redeem their ticket to attend the next Wednesday game for free.

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been duped before the championship game.

Lance Armstrong, the man behind “Livestrong” and heroic cancer survivor, became arguably the greatest cyclist ever.

After a long streak of claiming innocence and ignoring those who opposed him, Armstrong finally confessed to doping, which many critics suspected early on. Armstrong was stripped of his seven consecutive cycling Tour De France titles from 19992005 and banned from the sport for life.

Armstrong admitted to doping in his famous Oprah interview, saying that he doped during all seven of his victories, but disputes the fact that he doped during his late comeback years, despite overwhelming evidence against him.

After most of Armstrong’s teammates, including Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis, were found guilty of doping, they turned on Armstrong, claiming that Armstrong was not the clean-cut person that everyone thought he was.

According to a USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency), Armstrong enforced “the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen.” After years of denying the reports, Armstrong finally stopped contesting the rulings and accepted the penalties.

Although the allegations are clear and he is banned for life from racing or competing in other sports, Armstrong’s fight with cancer, despite being tainted, continues to inspire those who suffer with this disease without a known cure.

COURTESY ANDRES VICKOS

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

Strike out: Sophomore Kara Turkstra hurls the ball down the lane in competition for the women’s team this 2013 season.

By Brian Kalchik The Saint Reporter The Aquinas men’s and women’s bowling teams are looking to finish their first seasons with some good performances that can provide confidence for the next season. The men’s team posted a 57th place finish out of 64 teams in the Blue and Gold Classic hosted by Notre Dame College. The women’s team posted a 23rd place finish out of 24 teams in this same tournament.

Leading the men’s team are freshman Josh Schneider, with an average of 179, and junior Tim Pleune with an average of 169.38. The team is ranked sixth out of seven teams in the WHAC. Leading the women’s team are senior Michelle Robinson, with an average of 153.64, and freshman Megan Johnston, with an average of 149.40. The team is ranked last out of five teams in the WHAC. Despite the struggles for this firstyear team, these players have gained

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great experience and with most of them returning next season plus some new recruits, Aquinas should be in contention very soon.

“This season has certainly been a long one,” said junior Travis Hunt, “It will certainly be a bitter sweet end to the season but we’re looking forwards to a strong showing in the WHAC championship and getting some momentum for next season.”

The men and women’s teams both have learned a lot from their first season as an official team at Aquinas.

“Even though our team hasn’t gotten the results we wanted, our team has really come together,” said sophomore Kara Turkstra. “No matter the place we get at the WHAC Championships, this team has come a long way, and I can’t wait for next year.”

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SPORTS

THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2013

Aquinas men’s hockey wraps up first season

Game on!

Red Wings off to shaky start in short season

By Brian Kalchik The Saint Reporter

The Detroit Red Wings and the rest of the National Hockey League finally got out of a bitter lockout to start the season.

With only 48 games to be played in the regular season, each one has additional significance.

After an opening-game embarrassment at the hands of the St. Louis Blues losing 6-0, the Wings seemed to pick up their stride, winning three out of the next five games.

Detroit picked up an exciting shootout victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, but then were stymied by the Dallas Stars. The offense came back in a flurry with five goals against the Minnesota Wild.

A tough overtime loss to the then-undefeated Blackhawks was disappointing, but the Wings quickly bounced back for a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars who beat the Red Wings earlier this season.

The Wings followed the win with a 5-3 win against the St. Louis Blues, with Johan Zetterberg recording three goals and two assists.

On February 2, Detroit fell to the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2, with Franzen and newcomer Damien Brunner scoring for Detriot.

Brunner leads the team with three goals, while Pavel Datsyuk leads the team with eight points.

After the opens 6-0 loss, goalie Jimmy Howard has played solid in net with a 2.77 GAA. Zetterberg is the new Red Wings captain, continuing the long line of successful captains in Red Wing history, dating back to Steve Yzerman and now-retired defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom.

While the defense has shown their immaturity early on, they’re getting better and with a good defense and solid goaltending, the Wings can be a dark horse team to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Pistons motor through mid-season schedule

By Joe Foldenauer The Saint Reporter COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

Looking towards the tournament: Freshman defender Meaghan Farrell and the rest of the women’s lacrosse team are heading to Georgia for the NWLL Tournament.

By Hillary Najor The Saint Reporter Aquinas College defeated Grand Valley University 3-1 last Friday before falling to the Lakers 4-1 on Saturday.

Friday’s win was Aquinas’ first in eight games.

The win was a huge step for the first-year program.

Grand Valley is a wellestablished program, and the win proves the competiveness among the emerging Saints.

Sophomore Matthew Krzykwa and freshmen Cody Edwards and Kyle Jansen were credited with goals for the Saints. Goalie Jake Stille made 39 saves.

On Saturday, the Saints played their last home game of the season, and the seniors were acknowledged for their contributions to the program.

Despite the loss, the Saints gave a good effort throughout the matchup. Freshman Justen Caudill scored the lone goal for the Saints.

“I am really thankful for the acknowledgement of seniors on Saturday night,” said senior Nolan Smith.

been a positive experience with a win against Grand Valley and playing even with Hope College and Davenport University.

“We won 15 games this season, and I don’t think anyone expected such success as a first year team,” said junior Hugh Ingalls. “In the end, just the fact that we have a program now is something special.”

Now the Saints have the future to look forward to competing at the national level and going far in the playoffs. The Saints have formed a bond creating a positive atmosphere among the team.

“We’re looking to build on the success we have seen this –HUGH INGALLS season and only move forward in a positive direction,” said In“It has been really rewarding to see the galls. team come to fruition over the past few The Saints play their final game of years.” the season on Friday, February 8, verThis season for the Saints has sus Kettering University.

<< WE WON 15 GAMES THIS SEASON, AND I DON’T THINK ANYONE EXPECTED SUCH SUCCESS AS A FIRST YEAR TEAM >>

The “Bad Boyz” of Detroit are long gone, and it might be a while before we see another Piston team like them or even the 2004 champion team. This season, like many previous ones, has not been good for the Pistons.

Currently sitting at a 18-30, the Pistons are 10th in the Eastern Conference, six games behind the Boston Celtics for the final playoff spot.

On January 23, the Pistons lost a heart-breaking game against division, leading the Chicago Bulls 85-82. Detroit led most of the game before Chicago made a fourth quarter comeback, outscoring the Pistons 28-14 in the fourth quarter. It was Detroit’s straight loss against their Interstate 94 rivals. Brandon Knight led for the Pistons, scoring thirteen points and Tayshaun Prince scored eleven.

The following Friday, the Pistons had an embarrassing 110-88 loss against the Miami Heat. Greg Monroe’s 31 points in the first half was the lone highlight for the Pistons. But Monroe and the rest of the Pistons went cold in the second half as Miami avenged an

early-season loss to Detroit.

The Pistons bounced back with a 104-102 win against the Orlando Magic on January 27. Brandon Knight had a career high, scoring 31 points in the game, including five 3-pointsers. Monroe also scored 17 points.

However, the Pistons followed the win with two defeats to Central Division rivals. On January 29, the Pistons lost 117-90 to the Milwaukee Bucks, and fell to the Indiana Pacers 98-79 the following day.

The loss was compounded with the news of Piston veteran Tayshaun Prince being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. Prince was the last member of the team that was a part of the 2004 NBA Championship team.

On February 1, the Pistons defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-99. In an impressive display, both Knight and Kyle Singler scored 20 points.

Last Sunday the Pistons fell to the Los Angeles Lakers 98-97. The Pistons trailed 62-51 at halftime before making a second half rally. However, Los Angeles’ Paul Gasol’s 23 points led Los Angeles to victory.