The Saint :: Issue 9

Titanic II | 3

Vampires in the Lemon Grove Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Giluk reviews Karen Russell’s latest short story collection.

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theSaint

Wednesday, March 20, 2013 Volume 32, Issue 9

Is it spring break yet?

>>NEWS Pope Francis I | 2 The Saint has everything you need to know about the Pope Francis I and what the Catholic Church can expect.

Budweiser sued | 3 Reporter Mayra Monroy has all the details about the claims that Budwesier has been selling watered down products.

>>CULTURE Oz the not-so-great | 5 The latest in a line of Hollywood prequels fails to impress.

Comic Book Men | 6 A reality show actually worth watching? See what Saint Reporter Spencer Wilczewski has to say about the TV show.

>>SPORTS Aquinas tennis

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Both men and women’s teams start off on the right note.

Lauren Ramey

Aquinas Hockey | 7

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The Saint Reporter Hannah Dugan interviews the junior tennis standout.

A balancing act Students start petition to change the Controversial Speaker Policy

By Chuck Hyde The Saint Reporter Aquinas College is a Catholic Dominican Liberal Arts college, and sometimes the balance between being open and being true to our values at the same time is difficult to keep.

For those cases, the Controversial Speaker Policy is in place. The policy makes sure that any program that could be deemed divisive is put through a committee that examines their alignment with the policy and the college’s mission.

The committee itself is comprised of representatives from Campus Ministry, Catholic Studies, Theology, Women’s Studies, the Dean of Student’s Office, the Provost’s Office, and two student representatives. When asked about the policy, Brandon Heritier, the chair of Student Senate, said that each member of the committee gives a “unique perspective” on whatever program is being vetted currently.

Heritier is of the opinion that the policy is a necessary part of the college. He spoke about how openness and learning were both vital to the college, but how other factors have to be considered as well.

Heritier said that most importantly the college must “hold true to the traditions of the Catholic Faith.”

While Heritier is in support of the policy, not all students are entirely on board with the idea. Sara Ewing is president of the Gay Straight Alliance here on campus, and she has a few issues with the policy and its detail.

Her main point of contention with the policy is that the large number of people on the body prevents an

Fighting for a cause AQ club makes strides for cancer research on campus and in the GR community

By Brian Kalchik The Saint Reporter The PennyBen group will be very busily concluding this semester.

S o m e b i g e ve n t s a r e c o m i n g u p that will help promote the club and raise awareness for the issues they are fighting for. PennyBen, if you aren’t familiar with them, is a registered student organization that is “dedicated to the support of people living with cancer through partnerships with the Hope Lodges and the American Cancer Society.”

“The Hope Lodges are places where patients with cancer can go to free of charge that provides all kinds of services, not only for the patient, but for the caregivers as well,”said PennyBen advisor David Weinandy.

PennyBen “started originally as a club that raised money and awareness for the Lodges as well as various service projects associated with the Lodges,” Weinandy said.

The events will be the first ever Relay for Life on campus and the annual Hockey for Hope partnership with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

A c c o r d i n g t o We i n a n d y, t h e Hockey for Hope fundraiser is a big hit amongst the AQ campus. “We have been doing this for several years, and is a big hit with AQ. We are the beneficiaries of the Griffins jersey auction.”

The event will take place on March 22. Anyone at Aquinas can get two tickets for themselves and a friend at the President’s Office.

“This event has averaged $10,000 a year,” said Weinandy. “The support we have received for this event helps many people who are struggling with cancer.”

The other event that Penny Ben will be running is on April 12 and it is the first time Relay for Life walk is on campus. “I am super excited to start this event for the first time at Aquinas,” said PennyBen President Marissa Peak. The fee for individuals, according to Peak, is $10 and as Peak says, “group participation is highly endorsed: it means more when you join a group that is reaching the same goal.”

There is a Relay for Life Aquinas page that can bring awareness in regards to how you can get started with this event.

Nick Anderson, the Promotions Coordinator of PennyBen, has done a lot to promote this first time event.

“We have used Facebook and other forms of social media, we already have a lot of teams signed up and everyone is encouraged to come regardless if they are on a team or not.”

For more information on how to get started if you are interested, v i s i t w w w. r e l a y f o r l i f e . o r g / aquinascollegemi or contact Marissa Peak at mep002@aquinas.edu.

COURTESY SOPHIA WALLACE

Controversy: Staceyann Chinn, a spoken word poet, was meant to appear on campus in 2011 but her performance was canceled due to complications arising within the controversial events committee. expedient timeline of review in some cases. In her words, this hinders clubs from making “major financial commitments,” sometimes slowing the process of putting on the event.

She instead is proposing to the administration that the committee meet two times a semester at certain times, hoping that this will allow clubs more predictability as to when

they can hold their events. She is putting a petition out, and is hoping to get support for the idea.

Ewing is understanding of the policy, and simply hopes to make it more efficient. She acknowledges that there is no discrimination in the policy itself, but she feels that certain special interest clubs’ subject matter causes a “de facto bias” against their

events.

Ewing hopes that her idea will help resolve this issue, and make the events more accessible to students.

Her ultimate goal is to simply make the policy easier to work with and “more conducive to student planning” for any groups involved.

Giving back Aquinas students spend break completing service projects

By Paris Close Culture Editor Spring break is a time to have fun and escape from the realities of morning classes, term papers and exams. While most of you were probably trying to make up for those sleepless nights of studying or partied all night long in Mexico, some individuals devoted their time off to giving back to communities. What better way is there to celebrate a break than having fun in the sun and helping out others?

Some of Aquinas College’s very own students participated in the Service-Learning trips that took place over the course of spring break. The Dominican Republic, Louisiana, Christian Appalachian Project (CAP) in Eastern Kentucky as well as two newly added trips, Guatemala and Jerusalem Farm, were on the COURTESY EMILY BASS roster of journeys.

Senior Lisa Murawski was Service learning: Seniors Alison Roberts and Casey Cohen (L to R) play with a toddler in among several other AQ students International Samaritan’s nursery in the dump community of Guatemala City. who traveled down to Kansas City, Missouri which follows a similar without technology, Murawski noted it getting better,” said McRoberts. She mentioned that the trip made her feel structure to both Nazareth and Bethlehem was a “worthwhile experience.”

Taking her break overseas was so much more “humble,” and really Farm (fall semester programs). While there, Murawski shared details of the junior Anastasia McRoberts. While developed a relationship with the wonderful experience she had: “We were abroad, McRoberts and her group spent children she and her peers tended to.

“Even though they didn’t have able to do home repair for low income most of their time in El Llano, which is the poorest part of the country, near much of anything, they were so happy individuals,” she said. the Haitian border.

She and her fellow and full of joy and carefree. To me, that The group even got some culinary training, making homemade foods, students assisted Dr. Angel at a medical was true happiness felt from the heart and learned to acclimate to the farm’s clinic in the mountains, fostering the and not from a possession.”

For more information regarding inner-city lifestyle. “While there, we needs of malnourished children.

“It was hard to accept the reality of trip dates and schedules, be sure to visit were asked to turn off our cell phones, take off our make-up and only take how malnourished the children were, www.aquinas.edu/servicelearning/trips. three showers for the week.” Despite the but I tried keeping the mind-set that challenges she and her peers faced being they’re here to get help and they’re

news

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<< A new leader THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2013

Aquinas: Friday Night Fitness is back this spring for students

Michigan: Governor Snyder looks towards mental health awareness

National: Steubenville high school rape case conviction

World: River of dead pigs causes worry in China, worldwide

On Friday, March 22, Aquinas will be holding another signature event, Friday Night Fitness. An annual favorite, students with their IDs will be able to get into East Hills Athletic Club for the night.

There will be games, tournaments, group and individual workouts, as well as wholesome snack options. Go to aquinas.edu/students for into.

After school tragedies like the Sandy Hook shooting, Governor Snyder is focusing school reform on mental health. Snyder is pushing for new resources to identify troubled students and get them help before a problem arises. Part of this would be covered by Snyder’s fiscal budget plan that starts October 1.

Two high school students in Steubenville, Ohio, were convicted in a heated case. The two high schoolers, Trent Mays and Ma’lik Richmond, were found guilty of raping a fellow high school student at a party while she was reported highly intoxicated. The trial has caused a lot of controversy within the community and nationwide.

In Jiaxing, China, thousands of dead pigs were found floating in a river that is used as a drinking source for the people of Shanghai. A common pig virus was found in some of the carcasses. Chinese officials and the Chinese Department of Agriculture have assured that steps are being taken to both clean up the mess and to find the source of the problem.

Hand in hand laura farrell |news editor Before spring break commenced, I knew undoubtably that I would write my next column about my service learning trip to Guatemala. I did not know what on Earth it would entail.

This past spring break, eleven students, along with our advisor, took Aquinas’ maiden voyage to Guatemala City for a service learning trip. The months leading up for the trip made it very difficult for me to get excited about it.

The lofty price tag, the never-ending fundraising attempts, the overbearing worried parents (sorry mom and dad), and my own fears of the unknown made the first half of the semester read like a Virginia Woolf novel. Having gone to the Dominican Republic before on a service learning trip, I was confident that this trip would be competing for second place, as nothing could ever touch my experience in the Dominican.

As many of you are probably guessing, Guatemala proved me wrong. In every way possible. It did so, however, in a way that I could have never imagined. We had been told, and the media backed up the stereotype, that Guatemalans were somewhat stoic and definitely reserved. I understood this; if I were in a situation were I needed help with the basic necessities of life, I would probably be too proud and embarrassed.

I think that my American way of thinking gets in the way of service.

People assume that others would rather do it themselves or, if they do not want to do it themselves, they are lazy and do not deserve the help.

In Guatemala, we worked with International Samaritan. They are a non profit, based in Ann Arbor, that focuses on bringing infrastructure to garbage dump communities in Guatemala, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Sierra Leone. In Guatemala, “Dump City” sits right in the middle of the capital, Guatemala City. We had to venture through the city’s cemetery to reach the edge of the cliff that overlooks the dump.

Adult family members spend the whole day looking for certain types of plastic that they can sell, while the sewage river, unforgiving bull dozers and hundreds of vultures make the task even more unbearable.

International Samaritan started up a daycare, elementary school, and education programs for teenagers, all within the dump’s slums, so that children could go to school and not be left home alone all day.

Just seeing the swarming dump and the slums that these people live in was reason enough for me to believe that we would not be well received.

Here we were, a group from a private American College, who in their society would already have been adults for years, and yet they knew we could not fathom the poverty and hell they live in. If I were in their shoes, I can not deny that I would want to resent people coming to “help,” especially those who had little or no exposure to that type of reality.

Fortunately and surprisingly, that attitude is simply an American perspective that holds no merit there.

Every person that we met was more gracious and thankful than the last.

From the vendors in the markets, to the people who welcomed us into their homes to the principle of the elementary school. we were always told that we were loved by Guatemala and that our efforts were more than appreciated.

The first day we went to the elementary school, as the gate opened, we were greeted by a group of handsome first and second graders who lead us in by hand to a reception of salutation.

One of the first things that the principal said to us was for us to “always think of this place as your second home.” One of our two police escorts, Luis, told us that we remind him that we can make change and we do it “hand in hand.”

If I learned anything on this trip, it is that we have to drop the stigma on helping one another. Don’t limit yourself based on preconceived notions.

You always have something to give, you always have something to take, you always have something to learn.

Pope Francis I becomes the first ever non-European pope

By Mayra Monroy The Saint Reporter Catholics worldwide waited to hear who would be elected to be the next Pope as cardinals all over the world flew in to attend the conclave that took place on March 12. The final talks before the beginning the Conclave, the official meeting and discussing of the decision to elect the next pope, took place on March 11.

Millions watched as the decision was finally made, revealing a new pope. The Catholic Church, taking a media blow aft er the resignation of Pope Benedict, strove to handle the situation quickly.

Benedict shocked the Catholic community when he declared that he would be resigning as pope, claiming that his health would no longer permit him to continue on.

“This seldom happens,” stated Dr. Robert Marko, Aquinas Professor of Theology. “It hasn’t happened in over 600 years.” Benedict, who under the papacy was a great influence upon the Catholic Church, succeeded as pope in 2005 after the death of Pope John Paul II. In the seven years that he was pope, Benedict wrote several books of faith, implementing strategies such as creating a Twitter account to spread

COURTESY CASA ROSADA

New Pope elected: Pope Francis I has already displayed humility and simplicity during his short time as Pope. the faith. His resignation came as a shock to the world, as it is a custom for popes to be in office until death.

“It is unusual,” said Marko. “However, it indicates Benedict’s humility. He realized that he, at a certain age, couldn’t physically do the job that

needed to be done.”

After stepping down, Benedict opted to retain his papal name, becoming Benedict XVI, pope emeritus.

A little over a week and a half after the official reassignment of Benedict, preparations began to set up the

World news update Protests continue over European Union cutbacks

By Nathan Gimby The Saint Reporter EUROPE – Mass protests were staged over government austerity measures at an EU summit in Brussels last Thursday. According to CNN, protestors claimed that cost-cutting policies to combat the Eurozone recession were causing job losses.

Currently, roughly 27 million people throughout the EU are unemployed.

At the summit, France and Italy, among other countries, called for less stringent spending restrictions to promote economic growth while Germany stood firmly behind strict austerity measures. Officials also discussed cracking down on tax

oil tankers worth of Iranian crude oil, valued at roughly $200 million each, and then resold the petroleum to customers ignorant of its source.

Cambis denies all allegations, claiming that they are purely rumors created by his completion. Since the embargo was imposed last summer to pressure Iran into scaling back its nuclear program, they have frequently sought means to circumvent the sanctions.

CHINA – Xi Jinping was formally elected president of China last Thursday. The BBC reports that the largely ceremonial vote of the 3000 member National People’s Congress was nearly unanimous, with only one delegate voting against him. Xi’s name was the only one on the ballot to replace Hu Jintao, who formerly held the Communist’s party’s top post. “He (Xi) has had a stronger military relationship than either of his two predecessors,” China expert Robert Lawrence Kuhn told CNN. Li Keqiang was also confirmed as premier, the number two spot in China’s government. Both officials will now hold office for the next ten years.

G R EEC E – Dimitris C amb is , owner of a Greek shipping company, was accused of secretly buying and selling Iranian oil in defiance of international sanctions and an oil embargo against Iran, the Washington Post reports. U.S. officials claim that Cambis purchased at least eight

Guns for concert tickets?

Hip-hop mogul offers Beyoncé tickets for those looking to turn in guns

SYRIA – While conflict in Syria continues, EU officials are discussing the possibility of lifting an arms e mb argo o n the Middle Easter n country’s rebel forces. France and the UK are in favor of arming the

<<IRAN PLANS TO SUE HOLLYWOOD FILM MAKERS OVER BEN AFFLECK’S ARGO>>

evasion, especially at the corporate level, and giving the European Central Bank expanded supervisory powers.

Conclave under the supervision of the Camerlengo, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and the College of Cardinals.

Thousands gathered in Vatican City to bear witness as the process to elect a new pope was underway. “It’s a discernment process of which people are trying to listen to the Holy Spirit,” Marko said. “It isn’t just politics.”

The Catholic community waited in anticipation as the Conclave took place, debating what kind of pope that the Vatican needs, whether it be a manager Pope to clean up the Vatican’s messy bureaucracy, or a pastoral Pope who can inspire the faithful and make Catholicism relevant again.

On the first day of the Conclave, the faithful gathered in front of the Vatican, anxiously waiting. However, the first day came to no decision, as black smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel.

On the second day of deliberations, bells rang out over Rome as white smoke indicating that a Pope had been chosen rose from the chapel.

Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Begoglio stood before Catholics at St. Peter ’s square as the newly elected Pope Francis I. Begoglio, known for his humility and compassion, is believed to be a good successor to Benedict.

“He is concerned about the inequality between the rich and the poor,” said Marko. “He’ll be very good for the Church.”

rebels but Germany still expresses reservations, according to the BBC. The Syrian government considers the rebel groups foreign-backed terrorists and Russia still sides with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad against arming the rebel factions.

Since the uprising began two years ago, roughly 70,000 have been killed and an additional million have fled the country.

IRAN – Iran plans to sue Hollywood filmmakers over Ben Affleck’s Argo, as well as craft its own cinematic response to the film.

According to CNN, Iran claims that Argo constitutes anti-Iran propaganda and French lawyer Isabelle CoutantPeyre has taken up Iran’s case. “The Iranophobic American movie attempts to describe Iranians as overemotional, irrational, insane and diabolical while at the same, the CIA agents are represented as heroically patriotic,” Iranian officials complained. Their response, titled “The General Staff,” will feature 20 American hostages who are handed over to the US by Iranian revolutionaries.

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

COURTESY ASTERIX611

Run the world: Want to see Beyoncé in concert? Trade in your gun for a ticket.

By Laura Farrell News Editor At first glance firearms and Beyoncé do not mix. Hip-hop mogul Michael “Blue” Williams, however, has found a way to put the two together. Williams, president of F a m i l y Tr e e E n t e r t a i n m e n t a n d manager to Cee-Lo Green and Outkast, is attempting a unique initiative to get guns off the streets.

Williams plan is to trade Beyoncé tickets for people’s firearms in New York City.

Williams is appropriately c a l l i n g h i s i n i t i a t i ve “ G u n s f o r Greatness” and he is looking for music stars and the New York City Police Department to gain support.

Beyoncé is launching “The Mrs. Carter Show” world tour mid-April and will be making three stops in New York City in early August.

Although Beyoncé has not officially given her support to Williams, it is speculated by Billboard she has done so. Beyoncé took part in the “Make a Plan” campaigns after the Sandy Hook shootings.

T h e N e w Yo r k C i t y P o l i c e Department has shown its support of Williams’s plan and advocates for different groups to gain more gun violence awareness. The Huffington

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Post reported that in a 2011 NYPD report, 61 percent of homicides that year were gun-related. Of those murdered 62 percent were black males between the ages of 16 and 37.

The hope is that this program will reach a new audience, and get more guns off of the streets.

Many states have instated gun buyback programs recently. Major cities like Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, and Camden, New Jersey, all have different types of cash for gun programs. A church in Detroit, Michigan, offers different prices for unloaded guns in alliance with the Detroit police effort to get guns off the streets.

So far, Williams has not gotten the green light from the New York City Police Commissioner, Raymond Kelly. Williams needs Kelly’s OK to start the program on March 23, although Kelly has already stated his support of the program. Williams is reportedly looking to Beyoncé and her husband Jay-Z, who is also touring in New York City this summer, for their support.

Beyoncé will be performing at the Palace of Auburn Hills on July 20 and Jay-Z will be performing with Justin Timberlake in Detroit on August 6.

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THE SAINT WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2013

NEWS

A second chance

Campus Safety

Aquinas campus safety proves that security is reliable Titanic II to make a splash over 100 years after its predecessor

hazardous weather alerts, especially in the winter months. Along with this alert system, students can Campus Safety has been receive texts and tweets in working all year round to regards to any important uphold their commitment to changes from Campus Aquinas: to keep students Safety. everywhere safe. Open 24/7, In November, Campus Campus Safety provides Safety initiated a missing students and faculty with a p e r s o n s contact form, a variety of services. helpful tool of information These services include in case of emergency for the valued escort service, students. replacement of ID cards, Escorts have been vehicle lockout services and LAUREN LORIA / THE SAINT surveying the campus on car battery jump starts. The staff at Campus Safety all Safety first: The campus safety building sits behind the foot as well as golf carts 24/7, striving to ensure a work together to create a Academic Building and is open 24/7. safe campus. helpful and safe environment “I love getting golf for students.

In recent months, a spike in “I think they’re very helpful,” said incidents occurred, kicking Campus c a r t r i d e s , ” j o k e d Ty l e r Wa y n e Aquinas freshman Claire Gill. “It’s a Safety into overtime. “My job is Clark, Aquinas sophomore, “I think great resource and easily accessible.” t o k e e p t h e c a m p u s s a f e , ” s a i d [Campus Safety] is awesome.”

The officers at Campus Safety The staff consists of one director, two Kwiatkowski in a previous interview. supervisors, three full time officers “So whatever we can do to improve work closely with the Grand Rapids Police Department, the East Grand and sixteen part-time student officers the [student’s] safety is my goal.” and dispatchers.

This includes expanding their Rapids Public Safety Department The entire staff, led by Campus t e a m , r e c e n t l y h i r i n g M e l i s s a as well as the Kent County Sheriff’s Safety Director Kevin Kwiatkowski, Cusack, a seven year Michigan State Department.

By Mayra Monroy The Saint Reporter

are certified in CPR and standard first aid.

Police veteran. Another task that Campus Safety assists in is providing

Anheuser-Busch sued

By Mayra Monroy The Saint Reporter

Powerhouse beer manufacturer Anheuser-Busch is being sued by its customers for allegedly watering down their products. Three lawsuits were filed late February in the states of Pennsylvania, California and New Jersey by consumers believing that Anheuser-Busch has been discreetly wa t e r i n g d o w n t h e i r b e ve r a g e s , causing the alcohol content to lower, but the price to maintain the same.

The plaintiffs claim to be aware of this knowledge due to the intel of former employees of the company’s 13 United States’ breweries, who provided the testimony revealing the alleged procedures.

The testimony claimed that the company adds the excess water to the beverages prior to bottling, therefore misstating the actual alcohol content

depicted on its label. These former employees claim that this procedure is cost saving but deceptive.

Those that filed the complaints believe that the procedure is the product of the merge that AnheuserB u s c h m a d e i n 2 0 0 8 . A n h e u s e rBusch, based in St. Louis, Missouri, m e r g e d w ith b e e r manufac ture r inBev, becoming the largest beer company in the industry with more than 200 brands under its name.

After this merger, AB-inBev sought to reduce costs, allegedly adding water to some of its products in order to accomplish this. Representatives from the company are fighting these allegations.

“Our beers are in full compliance with all alcohol labeling laws,” says Peter Kraemer, vice president of the company. “We proudly adhere to the highest standards in brewing our beers.”

Anheuser-Busch-inBev is in control of 39% of the United States beer market, producing an approximate 10 billion gallons of malt beverages a year. The colossal beer manufacturer is accused of watering down a number of products, including Budweiser, Bud Ice, Bud Light, Bud Light Platinum, and Natural Ice. According to the complaints, ABinBev uses precise equipment that measures alcohol content, and when it dilutes the content with water in its final stage before bottling, it cuts the alcohol content 3-8%.

Each lawsuit, if won, would cost Anheuser-Busch over $5 million in damages. Along with the cost of damages, the plaintiffs seek a court order to refine the company’s advertisement of the alcohol content.

Lawsuits are also developing in the states of Ohio and Colorado.

COURTESY MARITIMEQUEST.COM

Set to sail again: Billionaire Clive Palmer is set to recreate the original Titanic, shown here.

By Alissa Muller The Saint Reporter At a news conference last week in New York, Clive Palmer, an Australian billionaire, revealed blueprints for his newest project, building the Titanic II, an exact replica of the former Titanic.

In 2016, the Titanic II is set to trek across the Atlantic following the same path as the late Titanic. The silhouette on the water will be strikingly similar to that of the original ship.

Palmer is no doubt taking on a daring venture in recreating the ship that sunk in 1912 on its voyage from Southampton to New York. While he is careful not to jinx the ship, he is confident in its abilities. At the news conference, Palmer said, “We will sail into New York on the ship they designed.”

T h e h e a d d e s i g n e r, M a r k k u Kanerva, believes that the ship will be built with all possible safety features. He said, “I can assure you, from the safety point of view, it will be absolutely the most safe cruise ship in the world when it is launched.”

Palmer also calmed the public by stating that the ship has more than enough lifeboats and evacuation equipment for everyone aboard the ship in case of emergency. He will not admit how much the project as a whole will cost.

Palmer has already received 40,000 applications from individuals wanting to be part of this epic voyage. Some have offered up to a million dollars for first class cabins. Even Palmer himself will be a passenger in the voyage.

Mimicking the original, this new

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ship will feature a grand staircase, Turkish Baths, a smoking room, and a gymnasium. To keep up with present day necessities, the Titanic II will also have a modern hospital, air conditioning, internet access, and a helicopter landing pad.

Palmer stressed that this project is a tribute to those who built the first Titanic.

Helen Benziger, the granddaughter of Molly Brown, a Titanic survivor, is in favor of Palmer’s plan. “Bringing this ship back? I don’t know the words. It is a chance to go back in time,” she said.

Others find themselves questioning the recreation and voyage. Dave Fredericks, whose great grandfather survived the first Titanic sinking, said, “It was a maritime disaster which affected this city and although there are no survivors left, there are stories passed down and those are quite painful.”

Richard Williams, a council leader, believes that in order for this to be a success, there must be an emphasis on respect for the first ship because of the sense of loss the Titanic II resurrects in many.

But Palmer believes in this project and the tribute it will bring to the original Titanic. In 2016, passengers will board the Titanic II as if it were 1912 all over again, but this time Palmer is confident that they will finish the voyage. “We will take up the torch and we will complete the journey,” he said.

opinion >> FROM THE CROWD

APPLAUSE TO...

Justin Timberlake, for being able to sing, dance, and be funny (and be good at all three); Spring break, for giving us a breather before we finish this semester; St. Patrick’s Day, for being jolly and green; Melting snow, for making room for spring; The new Pope, for being a pretty chill guy so far; Lil Wayne, for not really being dead; Curiosity, for discovering that Mars once had conditions that supported life; Kickstarter campaigns, for bringing old TV series back.

HECKLES TO...

Sketchy airplane pilots; Cold season, for keeping us coughing and sneezing well into March; Cruises, for not getting themselves together after the first fiasco; Second semester, for not being over yet; Summer jobs, for playing hard to get; Potholes, for ruining our tires; CNN, for placing football above basic human rights; Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, for grossing us out.

theSaint 2012-2013 E D I T O R I A L B O A R D Stephanie Giluk Laura Farrell Paris Close

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

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2013

Information by the people, for the people

By Chuck Hyde The Saint Reporter Aaron Swartz was a developer that helped build several websites, such as Reddit, that are still around today. He was also a passionate activist: he campaigned for publiclyfunded articles to be made available to the public and for privately held articles to be made more easily accessible. Knowledge is something that everyone should have access to, not just those who can afford a college education.

College research papers can be difficult. Whether they are scientific, historical, or anything in between they require hours of work: looking up sources, finding sources that are actually available, interpreting said sources, and then finally writing the paper. This, of course, is assuming that the paper that you want to reference is actually available. There are tool like inter-library loan that can

help with that sometimes, but not always.

If someone that didn’t attend a college like Aquinas wanted to access these kinds of articles or journals, however, it would be much more difficult. Lofty fees for each and every article would be required, sometimes even for pieces that are funded by the tax dollars that everyone contributes to (at least in theory). Public knowledge is severely limited, even when it pertains to the government.

Swartz took steps to alleviate this problem by downloading countless articles from JSTOR (Journal Storage, an online database) and distributing them freely online. He faced a federal trial that became too much for him.

He committed suicide on January 11 of this year.

I think that Swartz will become a martyr for a cause that shouldn’t have had to be fought for. Even though I am lucky to have access to many databases and journals through Aquinas,

I still believe that others should have that ability with or without a college education. I am all for knowledge being made readily available for everyone, especially research funded by our dollars.

And the White House finally responded to the people. They are taking steps to make tax-payer funded research freely available to the public within a year of its publication. Additionally, Congress is reviewing two bills named after Swartz that will lessen the severity of punishment for online breach of contract.

As I have written before, the internet is far too policed by the government and corporations in many cases. Information should be just as free and open on the digital space as it is in the public sphere. SOPA, PIPA, and CISPA all failed. Hopefully this is now a step in the opposite direction, toward a more open and free system of information for everyone.

Letter to the Editor

Raising awareness about fracking in Michigan

Hangovers, for not being jolly but sometimes being green;

Editor-in-Chief News Editor Culture Editor

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By Kait Carmody Guest Writer We have all seen the commercials that are as ubiquitous as political ads before an election. They tout “clean” and “safe” natural gas. They show smiling engineers in front of green fields. We are told that hundreds of thousands of jobs are “created” by oil and gas extraction. We are assured our environment is their top priority. The trouble with those statements is this: they are all lies.

Fossil fuels are not the saviors of our future and they are the remnants of our past. We are at a tipping point now, and it is time for fossil fuels to go the way of the dinosaurs. Fracking is one of the newest ways to ob-

tain fossil fuels. EPA sparked a firestorm in December last year when it released a draft report suggesting that the use of hydraulic fracturing or fracking to extract natural gas had contaminated groundwater near Pavillion, Wyoming. The EPA also found high pH levels that could be explained by potassium hydroxide, which was used as a solvent at the site. The agency analyzed the evolution of the pollution plume to determine that groundwater seems to be migrating upward, suggesting that the source of contamination came from the gas production zone rather than the surface pits.

Three Kent County environmental groups are sponsoring a community forum on Monday, March

25, to discuss fracking of oil and gas wells. Sponsored by the Citizens for Responsible Resource Management, Kent County Water Conservation, and Mutual Aid of Grand Rapids, the forum will feature a presentation by Maryann Lesert, an associate professor of environmental studies at Grand Rapids Community College and a leader in the anti-fracking movement in Michigan.

The event will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Rockford High School, 4100 Kroes Road NE. The community forum is open to the public and intended for all audiences, according to its sponsors.

Graduation and the never-ending questions it brings

By Alissa Muller The Saint Reporter Spring break is over and some of us are heading into the last eight weeks of our undergraduate careers which bring a wide range of emotions and an influx of questions.

The questions started the first day of senior year, or even before, but they are increasing now that May is closer than what we think.

These questions come from everyone: parents (obviously) to distant relatives to coworkers to doctors to acquaintances to grocery store check out employees.

“Oh so you’re graduating?”

“What are you doing after college?”

“Do you have an internship lined up?”

“Have you been applying to careers in your field?”

“Are you heading straight to graduate school?”

I’m fine with answering these questions to a certain extent, but when they start coming from everyone, even people who have no real connection to my life, I begin

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to think that maybe there is a right way to answer these and I should be micro-managing my life.

With each slight upward inflection, each question mark, it echoes the last semester of high school when everyone asked you what you were doing post graduation. If you were going to college, you likely received smiles, and congratulations and everything was at peace in the world. If you were not, you received looks of astonishment, confusion, and disappointment. God forbid you decide to take a few years off and work.

Now that I am graduating college, a feat that our nation highly regards and not everyone accomplishes, I figured I was free of the questions and strange looks. On May 4, I will be donning a cap and gown and walking across a stage to receive my diploma.

But as this year has proved for many, myself included, that the questions are out in full force.

Even my dental hygienist was no exception. Luckily there were tools in my mouth so the most my answers could be were some sort of

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moan or groan. But it’s a little much when your dental hygienist starts asking about your personal life post graduation.

No, I have not applied for any careers. Yes, I will be doing an internship, but no, I am not getting married. What’s it to ya? I’m going with the wind.

The way I see it, I am young and come what may.

To make things clear, I am not bashing having a set plan after school. For all of you out there who have careers lined up or are going off to graduate school: feel good about it. You are entering into the next phase and whatever that is, embrace it and be proud. There is no right answer to the millions of questions we have received and I’m tired of feeling like there should be.

Bottom line: We are graduating college and wherever we go next, no one can take that diploma away from us. Just don’t let the questions get in the way of your heart.

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THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2013

Movies: Spring Breakers to be in theaters soon

Television: Veronica Mars film in the works

Music: Bieber breakdown only gets worse

Spring break may be over for us but that doesn’t mean the party is. With the clever casting of teen idols Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens and Pretty Little Liars’ Ashley Benson, the college thriller Spring Breakers is sure to give you another break from the dreadful realities of homework.

Earlier this month, a Kickstarter campaign spearheaded by Kristen Bell and show-creator Rob Thomas was launched to foot the project.

Less than ten hours later, our favorite cult show trumped its $2 million goal with an $3.5 million donation. My fellow Cloud Watchers, get ready.

Over the last few weeks we’ve seen a shirtless Bieber testing out his sexy pose on a hospital bed, a bratty Bieber whose paparazzi tirade went viral immediately following the incident, and now due to “unforeseen circumstances” he could be cutting a few dates off his tour in Portugal. Not lookin’ so hot for the Biebs. Let’s hope things get better.

<<

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

>> RYAN SEACREST

After two years of dating, Seacrest and Dancing with the Stars’ Julianne Hough part ways. Separation issues seem to be the cause as an inside source told Us Weekly, “Their schedules were just too hectic. It just got to be too much.”

COURTESY KEVIN WINTER

Feeling like a Morgendorffer paris close | culture editor There’s nothing better than a sitcom about a good old fashioned misfit. I love misfits, probably because I feel like one all of the time and constantly find myself missing Daria.

You remember Daria Morgendorffer, right?

The socially inept, unfashionable teenager who rejected all that is ignorant and conventional. In other words, she is my idol.

Unfortunately, if you don’t know who I am talking about, you probably weren’t one of us cool kids.

Just kidding, you are totally cool. I’m sorry. Here’s an imaginary cookie. Forgive me?

I guess what I am trying to say is that although the plethora of nonsense broadcasting on today’s television screens is at an all-time high, there may be hope for TV after all.

Somewhere in between the overdramatic spectacle that is reality television and cheesy talent competition shows—which have totally lost both my respect and anticipation—is quality entertainment.

I’m not sure what you’ve been watching lately but I have been glued to MTV’s latest successful sitcom, Awkward, and FOX’s The Mindy Project. You could consider me somewhat of a “fan boy,” and I’ll wear the title proudly.

Awkward’s Jenna Hamilton (the series’ protagonist) and I have so much in common that it is uncanny. Like Hamilton, I always seem to embarrass myself in the face of my crush, no matter how hard I try to evade a humiliating situation.

I could be feeling really confident one day, with my nice pair of shoes, jeans and Meow, Meow sweater and Fate says, “Oh, no you don’t” and out of nowhere a huge gust of wind blows a leave to my face.

Seriously, this is how our lives work, us unfortunate suckers for love.

Despite the unfavorable circumstances Hamilton has endured throughout the seasons, she eventually claims her beau, Matty McKibben, but not without the inevitable drama of course.

If only my life followed a similar script, having to tolerate perpetual embarrassment only to be gratified with knowing I get my crush in the end.

Then again, is it really worth it?

Mindy Lahiri (portrayed by Mindy Kailing) from The Mindy Project thinks so. Although I find myself relating more closely to her chatterbox, boy-crazy character from NBC’s The Office, Kailing’s latest and greatest project is a definite calling to my soul.

Dr. Lahiri and I are one in the same, despite her occupation as a doctor (I could never grapple the concepts of biology or any field of science for that matter).

Much like myself, Lahiri is ambitious and an idealist at heart who sees the world as the way it should be than what it actually is (reality is so 2008, anyways).

I wouldn’t call Kailing’s character desperate, determined seems more fitting for such a woman who is persistent in her efforts to find a compatible lover, even if she appears psychotic at times.

The Mindy Project is engaging, witty and is topped with a slight sprinkle of Office humor here and there.

As far as I see it, television may not be extinct just yet. Although the movement towards Netflix and Hulu are rising in numbers, if TV stations continue to provide its viewers with these sorts of shows, then hopefully we won’t be seeing the tube on the list of Critically Endangered Machines anytime soon.

Disney’s prequel neither great nor powerful

COURTESY DISNEY

Magical mistakes: Disney’s latest flick disappoints with lackluster enchantment.

By Nathan Gimby The Saint Reporter

Oz the Great and Powerful begins with a rather intriguing premise. How does a circus magician from Kansas becomes the most powerful person in the magical realm of Oz? But sadly, the movie swiftly proceeds to waste that premise in almost every way imaginable. From the surprisingly bland and unenthusiastic acting of its otherwise talented cast to its boring afterthought of a plot, Oz shamelessly rides the coattails

of its classic predecessor into mediocrity and serves as a telling reminder that fancy computer effects are no replacement for true movie magic.

The first and most apparent flaw of Oz is the miscasting of its protagonist. Oz is meant to be a good showman, a smooth conman, and a highly educated individual. James Franco’s oafish grin and frequent overacting manage to convey exactly none of these attributes. Even his voice and pattern of speech seem ill-suited to the role.

To Franco’s credit, Oz’s charac-

ter isn’t written very well and the plot gives him woefully little to do besides walk for most of the film.

This is particularly disappointing because on paper, Oz could be a great protagonist. He’s a wily con-man with a knack for sleight of hand, escape artistry, and technological know-how. It’s really a shame that he does nothing exciting until the last ten percent of the film, and even that is a letdown.

As for the performance of the rest of the cast, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams are serviceable as the witches Evanora and Glinda, respectively. Mila Kunis, however,

Artist Spotlight: Say Anything

JT’s 20/20 Experience brings sexy back ning out the horns and adding more synthetic sounds until it becomes more than modern– it is futuristic.

Sliding in on track six, “Spaceship Coupe,” includes brief guitar pieces like Michael Jackson used to do in his classic records, but the song itself is about making love in outer space.

The COURTESY RCA subtle echoThe perfect vision: JT’s back with futuristic swag. ing of Timberlake’s vocals

By Natalie West sounds like something you might The Saint Reporter really hear in outer space. FollowGrowing up as a Backstreet ing after is “That Girl,” revisiting Boys fan, you couldn’t call me bi- Timberlake’s soothing sound, remased in favor of Justin Timberlake’s iniscent of Marvin Gaye. Pairing newest solo album, The 20/20 Expe- up with band The Tennessee Kids rience. Despite where my loyal- for the track, Timberlake croons ties may have lied at age seven, “My little daisy, come here let me JT’s new release convinced me I rock you like a baby.”

The track has an innocent yet should have been an *NSYNC fan innovative sound, as if it took a the whole time.

The 20/20 Experience is Tim- time machine from 1974 to 2023 berlake’s homage, inspiration and and then back to 2013 to grace us innovation to all of his musical all with its genius.

Just like his former album, Furole models and the contemporary world of pop music. The songs on tureSex/LoveSounds, The 20/20 Expethis album are heavily influenced rience was produced by hit record by a mesh of musicians like Frank producer Timbaland. It would Sinatra, Marvin Gaye and Prince. seem that the Timberlake/TimbaJT’s underwater, druggy, electron- land duo know the exact formula ic sound on the album calls to in- to pop music renovation. Just as changed fluence current and future artists FutureSex/LoveSounds the dynamic of pop in 2006 with alike.

“Pusher Love Girl,” the first the seductive hit “SexyBack,” The song on the album, opens with 20/20 Experience is going to revamp horns and Timberlake’s falsetto, the genre once again with JT’s old incredibly reminiscent of Frank school influence and futuristic inSinatra’s big band sound layered sight. with Prince’s vocals; however, the song continues to transform, thin-

Culture Editor Paris Close

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

is fairly wooden and unconvincing as their sister, Theodora. Ironically, the most spirited performances come from actors who are not on screen for most of the movie. Zack Braff voices a flying monkey named Finley, whose interactions with Oz can be admittedly quite humorous, and Joey King voices Oz’s second companion, a miniature china girl.

King’s character brings much of the film’s emotional weight to the table and is the only reason viewers have to care about what happens to the Land of Oz. Even Oz’s technical visual prowess is wasted on in-your-face 3D gimmicks and lackluster art direction. Despite its flash and color, there’s nothing truly original or exciting here. The sets are especially generic and break the most important rule of set design—they look like sets. The Land of Oz ends up feeling empty and instead of thinking its denizens will go home to their farms when they walk off screen, the impression is instead that they will change out of their boring costumes and grab a sandwich from the extras table.

Oz has heart at times. It has its moments of decent comedy and it packs a decent technical punch in the visual department, but its fundamentals are flawed beyond salvation. A font of wasted potential, Oz the Great and Powerful is not great or even good. Kids may enjoy this Disney prequel but the twelve and up audience would be better served saving their money and renting the 1939 Judy Garland classic instead.

COURTESY RYAN DOMBAL

Genuine: Say Anything’s authentic tunes are sure to impress.

By Chuck Hyde The Saint Reporter Artist: Say Anything Genre: Alternative Rock Current Album: Anarchy, My Dear Comparisons: Taking Back Sun day, Dashboard Confessional, Brand New Popular Tracks: “Shiksa (Girl friend),” “Alive with the Glory of Love” and “Burn a Miracle” Say Anything is one of my favorite artists. While not new, they have never been at the forefront of the music scene and I feel they deserve more attention than they get.

Not only are they talented, they have songs that can fit any mood that the listener may be in.

The band consists of Jake Turner (guitar), Parker Case (keyboards, guitar), Jeff Turner (guitar), and Adam Siska (bass guitar), with Max Bemis fronting the group and playing guitar. Bemis is the heart and soul of the band, writing all of the lyrics and composing all of the music for most of the band’s songs. It is his storytelling that makes the band so great.

Their most popular song is probably “Alive with the Glory of Love,” a song that tells the story of two lovers that survive the Holocaust together. This is the kind of song that the band most excels at: stories of regular people, often

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drawn from Bemis’s life. The personal aspect of the songwriting adds a layer of depth that is hard for many more superficial songs to obtain. The tragedy, happiness, love life and Jewish heritage of Bemis all contribute to the band’s sound.

The band has a long history, having released several EPs and five full length albums all with their own distinct sound. In my opinion, their major label debut …

Is a Real Boy is their best work, with tracks such as: “Woe,” “I Want to Know Your Plans,” and the aforementioned “Alive with the Glory of Love,” making the album very diverse and fun to listen to.

If you want to experience the whole spectrum of human emotion, look no further than this band. Bemis can sing about love just as easily as he can sing about drug addiction and religion. Love-struck teenagers may find solace in the cheesy record “Crush’d” while those dealing with finding their identity may enjoy “Admit It!” Honestly, their entire body of work is worth listening to, as each album offers a new perspective on life and plenty of songs to dance, brood, and sing along to.

Pick up their latest album Anarchy, My Dear, and listen in for a nice smattering of love and challenging society, among other things.

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

6

CULTURE

THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2013

Dead Man Down

Worth seeing in theaters?

By Paige Graham The Saint Reporter While many movie-goers were busy focusing on the hype of the new Oz movie, other against-the-grain movie lovers focused their attention on the underrated action-thriller, Dead Man Down.

Starring Colin Farrell, Naomi Rapace, and Terrence Howard, Dead Man Down follows the story of two strangers who are irresistibly drawn to one another by their mutual desire for revenge. The story starts and ends with explosive action while creating an intriguing drama in the middle. The drama provides a sturdy bridge between the two actionpacked scenes and makes the film nicely symmetrical in story.

Danish director Niels Arden Oplev is most well-known for his original adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which came out in 2009. Dead Man Down is Oplev’s first American film and although it contains popular English speaking actors, the movie closely resem-

bles most European dramas, which sets it apart from many of the recent American action thrillers.

Ferrell, who plays the lead male character in the film, has been seen rather frequently at the movie theaters in the last couple years. Some of his most popular recent flicks were Seven Psychopaths, Total Recall and Horrible Bosses. His female counterpart, Rapace, can be found in the recent films Prometheus and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Both Farrell and Rapace perform extravagantly well in Dead Man Down, creating a romantic dynamic that keeps the audience curious and intrigued. Howard, however, doesn’t perform his character as well as his costars and often leaves viewers feeling awkward and unsatisfied. Perhaps it is due to Terrence’s reputation of good-guy characters that makes his attempt as a villain a failure, but many online critics and audience members were wishing that Oplev had just simply chosen somebody else.

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

gave Dead Man Down an overall rating of 7/10 stars. Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a 37% success rate according to their online critics and a 63% audience appreciation rate. Metacritic.com gave the film a score of 41 out of 100.

Many criticisms given to the movie by online critics involve the lack of constant action and the very complex plot twists. While these elements are definitely present, they do not to detract from the quality of the film. These reviews were written primarily by Americans ,which could also be a reason for their lack of appreciation. Since Oplev is a foreign director, it is possible that his technique has gone unappreciated by American viewers simply because Americans are used to something else when it comes to revengeinfluenced action films. Instead of focusing heavily on action, Dead Man Down focuses on story and thematic value.

I would give Dead Man Down a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars and believe it is a movie worth seeing in theaters.

Relegated to men among gods

By Carly Plank The Saint Reporter Since the meteoric rise to stardom that launched Jon Bon Jovi and his eponymous band far from the shores of New Jersey, the ‘80s rock icons have rarely disappointed. But What About Now? That’s another matter. Although remnants of glory can be excavated from Bon Jovi’s twelfth studio album, the majority stand as an empty castle haunted by the spirits of past influences. Gone are the hard rock anthems punctuated by Richie Sambora’s powerful riffs, as are the country sensibilities successfully embraced by the band on Lone Highway (2007). Instead, the album reveals itself as an uncomfortable struggle for inspiration by, unconsciously or otherwise, attempting to reunite yesterday with today.

The opening track, “Because We Can,” conveys the theme of the album: the struggle between the desire for freedom and the pain of leaving the past behind. Opening with driving drum beats and sparkly guitars just like the “waves in the ocean,” described in the simple lyrics, the song builds until barely surpassing the heights of a supermarket soundtrack. Brace yourself, because more cringe-worthy lyrics commence.

In “Pictures of You,” the singer compares himself to a Picasso painting—you guessed it: “his masterpiece” in a forest of sloshing, metronomic drums and synthesizers. What follows is a sea of ballads with identity crises and mid-tempo rockers where stand-

out moments are few and far between.

T h e most honest jam occurs midway through the record with “ W h a t ’s Left of Me.” The s o n g traces the COURTESY GETTY IMAGES story of a man re- Mediocre: Bon Jovi’s sound takes a turn for the worse. calling his The closing song “The Fighter,” past experiences as a newspaper delivery boy and former U.S. Marine who follows suit. The title sets the song returns to find his hometown forever up for failure, as it falls short of stanaltered in the face of a struggling econ- dards set by Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer” and Bruce Springsteen’s omy.

Any sense of musical relief afford- “The Wrestler,” even featuring a reared by “What’s Left of Me” is indubita- ranged lyric from the former. Jon Bon bly erased two tracks later by “Beauti- Jovi sings, “I am the fighter, though not ful World.” If the introduction to the a boxer by trade,” in contrast to Paul song leaves you staggering through an Simon’s boxer, who is a “fighter by his array of pop culture relics the 2000s left trade.”

Perhaps Bon Jovi should stick to buried in your subconscious, then persevere, because your intuition has not heavy rock instead of spiraling into an lead you astray. Indeed, the rhythm of amalgamation of R.E.M., John Cougar the opening verses appear to be lifted Mellencamp, and Lifehouse with lyridirectly from Matchbox Twenty’s hit cal references borrowed from prolific “How Far We’ve Come.” Bon Jovi songwriters of the past. Originality had better be crossing his fingers that shines when men stand alone, but in big, bad Rob Thomas doesn’t come out the shadows of giants, even the most successful artists can falter. hunting.

The history of women in music

By Lianne Crouthers The Saint Reporter The Wege Ballroom on Tuesday, March 12, was not crowded. The Spotlight on Women Composers, presented by the Aquinas Lecture Series, hosted a small but enthusiastic audience that day. The swells of cello, harpsichord, flute, piano, and vocals filled the room in honor of women who have built lasting legacies in the tradition of musical composition. The lecture highlighted the careers and musical accomplishments of Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre, Rhene Jaque, Libby Larsen, Lili Boulanger, and Abbie Betinis. After a presentation enumerating the individual achievements and artistic strides each woman has made, a carefully selected piece of their work was performed.

The lecture’s first composer, Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre, lived from 1664-1729. Living in Paris, Guerre composed operas, harpsichord pieces, sonatas, suites, and cantatas.

Her piece, “Jonas, Cantata No. 4” was performed by Barbara Witham McCargar, Bethany Pattison, Larry Biser, and Stephen Redmon. The most complex piece of the lecture, the lilting soprano and flute were bolstered by the harpsichord and cello, enchanting the audience. Rhene Jaque, the pen name for Marguerite Marie Alice Cartier, was the second composer who was honored. Cartier lived between 1918-2006, a member of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, she worked as a violinist, composer and teacher.

Libby Larsen, a brilliant and insightful composer who is still producing and advocating for music, was also presented during the lecture. Her piece, “Lift Me Into Heaven Slowly” from her Cowboy Songs for Soprano Solo and Piano utilizes actual correspondence for her lyrics. The piece, performed by pianist William Marfink, and soprano Kameri Muir, transformed Larsen’s inspiring piece into an evocative experience.

Lili Boulanger’s work was also

discussed during the lecture. Her short twenty-four year life (1893-1918) produced fifty compositions of incredible range and versatility. Sitting on a bolster of textbooks, Sr. Catherine Williams performed Boulanger’s Cortege from “Trois Morceaux Pour Piano.”

The smooth triads of Cortege flowed from Williams fingertips, through the piano, and permeated the ballroom.

Abbie Betinis, another fulgent composer, is only thirty-two and has already accumulated an imposing list of awards, prizes and grants. The text for her piece, “Be Like the Bird,” by Victor Hugo, was inspired by her experience as a three-time cancer survivor. “Be Like the Bird” was performed in a five part round by Barbara Groves, McCargar, Muir and Theresa Valente and was directed by Lori Tennenhouse. The waves of poignant emotion emanating from the performers during this piece invited the audience to share Betinis’ experience.

Dr. Robin Connell was the last composer to be discussed during the lecture. The audience was fortunate enough to hear Connell’s experience with music and composition directly from herself. Connell discussed her work with musical arrangement, her love of harmonies and her dedication to reworking her pieces years after their original performances. Connell performed “A Night in July,” a short piece on the piano that is easily adapted for an ensemble and has been reinvented through improvisation since its original inception. With frankness and grace, Connell performed her piece, exposing the beauty of change and flexibility within musical composition.

All six women composers presented during the lecture produced music of inspired cogency and radiance. Each musical selection from the composers was further elevated through the efforts of the artists who performed their work during the hour, leaving an appreciative audience at its conclusion.

Culture Editor Paris Close

More than just bloodsucking

By Stephanie Giluk Editor-in-Chief Karen Russell’s novel Swamplandia! was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize last year, the same year that the Pulitzer Board decided not to give out any award for Fiction. I haven’t read Swamplandia!, so I can’t be sure the Board made the best decision there, but I do know Russell’s new short story collection, Vampires in the Lemon Grove, is fantastic, and I’ll be the first to nominate it for all kinds of awards.

The title story begins the collection by miraculously putting a fresh spin on vampires, a breed of monster that has been done to (un)death in fiction at this point. “Vampires” follows a married vampire couple who have travelled the world trying to find something that will finally slake their thirst, since blood doesn’t do the trick.

The two find some relief in a lemon grove in Italy, though their hunger never leaves them for long.

Russell’s language is beautiful and moving, as in a scene when Clyde, the vampire husband, describes how his wife Magreb has affected his life: “I once pictured time as a black magnifying glass and myself as a microscopic flightless insect trapped in that circle of night. But then Magreb came along, and eternity ceased to frighten me. Suddenly each moment followed its antecedent in a neat chain, moments we filled with each other.”

But don’t be fooled—this isn’t some sappy vampire romance. It’s a story of an ultimately disappointing marriage and the loneliness that all of us—not just monsters—seem to fear.

Clyde, after all, describes his marriage to Magreb as “a commitment to starve together.”

Though the collection kicks off with a bang, there are plenty of other stories in Vampires to enjoy. “Reeling for the Empire” is a haunting story of a girl working in a factory in Japan.

She and the other girls spin beautiful silk, but the twist is that the girls themselves are transforming into silkworms; the silk they weave comes from their own bodies. The horror of the girls’ situation calls to mind sweatshops of past and present, where the workers are defined by what they do, not by who they are.

“The Graveless Doll of Eric Mutis,” the final story in the collection, is another great read. It explores the complexities and cruelties of a group of bullies and their victim’s fate. Like

several other stories in the collection, “Doll” has a horror/supernatural element in it that gave the story a creepiness that added to its anti-bullying theme.

Speaking of supernatural creepiness, “Proving Up,” my favorite story out of the collection, is a Gothic tale that explores the toll that surviving on the American Frontier took on the settlers. The narrator of the story, Miles, is an 11-year-old boy who must help his family and other settler families in 19th-century Nebraska “prove up,” which means they must secure their claim on their land by proving to a federal inspector they have met all the criteria necessary to deserve their claim. One such criteria is to show the inspector that they’ve purchased a glass window. Miles’s family is the only group in the area with a window, so someone from his family must ride out to the other families’ homes so they can borrow the window when the inspector arrives.

The inspector is an incredibly important figure to the settlers, almost mythic, and his arrival by train is anticipated with much hope and dread.

Miles thinks that “Jesus Himself would cause less of a stir stepping off that train; He’d find a tough bunch to impress in this droughty place, with no water anywhere for Him to walk on.”

Miles, of course, is the one who must ride out on his horse with the window to meet the inspector, and at first, he is thrilled to be given such an important task. But he and his horse are caught in a freak blizzard which blinds his horse, leaving him stranded in the middle of the unforgiving Western frontier. Alone, Miles comes across an inspector, but not the one he was hoping to meet, and this inspector knows much more about the fears and desires that hide at the edges of settler life than any man sent by the U.S. government.

These stories showcase the depth and scope of Russell’s imagination and her gift for storytelling. Vampires in the Lemon Grove is a wonderful collection that showcases Russell’s talent as an American writer. I’m sure there will plenty of awards in Russell’s future--with stories this good, it’s almost a guarantee.

AMC’s Comic Book Men comes back to TV

Every nerd’s dream: Kevin Smith brings back Comic Book Men for a second season.

By Spencer Wilczewski The Saint Reporter Television networks will make a show out of just about anything, and reality shows are a dominate feature of that landscape these days. Nothing is sacred when it comes to ratings, even myopic glimpses at child beauty pageants, such as Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, where the focus is centered on the dysfunctional exploits of a bizarre family from Georgia.

This is a fairly common premise in the reality TV world; construct a show around people who will entertain the masses at any cost, even if it means laughing at a portly child, Swamp People. The most curious aspect of all of these shows is the fact that none of them seem very real, despite the fact they are called “reality television.” They claim to be unscripted, but the number of one liners and bad acting suggest otherwise. In this land of trite television, it is refreshing to come across a reality show that doesn’t operate solely on shock value and exploitation. AMC’s Comic Book Men is one of these shows

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Comic Book Men is set inside of Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, a comic book store in Red Bank, New Jersey.

The store is owned by independent director/filmmaker and cult hero, Kevin Smith. Smith is best known for his films Clerks, Dogma and Red State, but surprisingly he cedes control of the show to his friends.

The basic concept behind the show is similar to Pawn Stars or any other reality show where people buy and sell rare items, but in this case its comics and other nerd memorabilia. Another difference is the guys who work at the The Stash. There is no sense of stiff, rigid acting. Finally, a reality show that comes across as real. The show’s main characters actually have chemistry with one another. Undoubtedly, this is due to the fact that these guys were all friends long before there ever was a show.

Comic Book Men was born out of a podcast that is featured Smodco podcast network. The podcast was so popular that the guys came up with the idea of a reality show for nerds based explicitly around comics, ac-

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COURTESY MTV

tion figures, and the often comical interactions that occur between Walt Flanagan, Bryan Johnson, Mike Zapcic and Ming Chen the stars of the stash.

Podcasting is also an important aspect of the show that sets it apart from others of the genre. Instead of doing cutaway interviews in between every scene like the most tired and clearly scripted aspects of shows like Pawn Stars and American Pickers, Comic Book Men only recaps during the podcast portion of the show where the guys gather around the table and chat casually with Kevin Smith.

So if you have any interest in comics, or are a fan of reality TV, Comic Book Men is a fresh take on an old concept. It is a genuine take on the genre, plus the Comic Book Men crew are an extremely lovable bunch of dorks that grow on you. They never come across as pretentious or act like they are celebrities. These guys are just your friendly neighborhood Comic Book Men.

sports

page

Aquinas Baseball: Season looks very promising

March Madness: Many talented teams to compete this year

Saints Softball: Hard work in Arizona is bound to pay off

The Aquinas men’s baseball team played eleven games over spring break. The Saints finished with a record of 7-4. With the beginning of the season just underway, the Saints have high expectations.

The roster this year includes a combination of experienced and new players. This team is looking to impress this season.

With the beginning of the NCAA tournament, fans nationwide are fi lling out brackets and placing bids on the favored team to win it all. There are many talented teams in the tournament this year. Teams to watch include Louisville, Indiana, Duke, Miami and Kansas.

The competition is solid. Let the games begin.

The Aquinas women’s softball team traveled to Tucson, Arizona, over spring break and competed in fifteen games. The Saints played hard and finished with a record of 8-7. With a roster containing a mixture of returners and new players, the season looks to be very promising for the Saints.

Tigers tear up the pre-season with skill and determination last year, standing at 4.05. He has started and closed four games and has a 1-1 record thus far. Verlander, however, has allowed for eight hits, six runs, and two home runs. Hopefully Verlander can get it together and be ready for opening day when he is scheduled to start against the Minnesota Twins.

Cabrera, on the other hand has been doing well during spring training. For being at bat 27 times, Cabrera has a .333 average at bat. This includes nine hits, six runs, and one double. If Cabrera can keep it up, a winning season is in the works for the Tigers.

Fielder has also performed well during this spring session. Currently, Fielder has been at bat 28 times, during which he has been able to get four runs and two home runs on just

ten hits, producing a batting average of .357. Fielder is a great asset to the Tigers and we can only hope for the best in him for this coming season.

Bruce Rondon, a potential new closer, has shown that he can take over Jose Velverde’s position this year. While Velverde is off in the Dominican Republic scouting, Rondon is looking like a top candidate for this year ’s closing pitcher. He has a great arm and has shown it best against the Cardinals, having a scoreless outing, making this his fourth consecutive scoreless game.

The Tigers will open their regular season on April 1 at Target Field against the Minnesota Twins.

Grand Rapids Griffins stay competitive

By Taylor Hodges The Saint Reporter While Aquinas students were enjoying their spring break, the Grand Rapids Griffins were enjoying their five game winning streak.

Taking down opponents such as Milwaukee, Hamilton, Lake Erie and Chicago added a spark to the team that currently sits in second place among the Western Conference.

While most of the top players for the Griffins are seeing time with the Red Wings, they still seem to have firepower. While the Griffins had a setback against Peoria losing 4-1, they got back to basics and focused on what they do best: winning. The next game against Milwaukee, they crushed them with a 5-1 win with Captain Jeff Hoggan leading the way with two goals. They continued to stay hot and edged out some

well-earned victories against the Bulldogs and Monsters. Tomas Tatar, who was re-assigned to the Griffins after a stint with the Red Wings, scored a goal in his first game back and contributed four shots. It seems this young Slovak has benefited from time with the Wings, and it’s looking as though it has rubbed off on the rest of the team.

Despite the roughness in their recent game against Chicago in which one player accumulated 22 penalty minutes, the Griffins came out with a win in overtime thanks to Tatar and Landon Ferraro, who contributed two goals. Backed by netminder Petr Mrazek, the Griffins are on a hot streak in the month of March.

With all of the call ups to the Red Wings, players that normally didn’t see a lot of ice time are now being relied upon. Max Nicastro, who has only suited up for 19 games, is see-

ing an increase in playing time due to the shortage of defensemen on the roster.

While the Griffins seem to be a sure lock for the playoffs, they want to make sure other teams don’t go after their star players which is where Nicastro comes in. While he isn’t known for contributing points, the 6’3 225 pound California kid brings toughness, which is something a lot of teams rely on this late in the season. Another player seeing time on the blue line is Manitoba native Brett Skinner. Only dressing for 17 games this season, this defenseman has contributed defensively as well as offensively putting up 11 points in those 17 games.

Look for the Griffins to seek revenge as they face the Peoria Rivermen in Illinois, and look to cruise over the Lake Erie Monsters in the upcoming weekend.

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WHAT TO WATCH

>> WOMEN’S LACROSSE

The women’s lacrosse team beat Robert Morris last Saturday with a 19-15 victory. The Saints will be competing in upcoming games against Siena Heights, Midland, and Calvin College. The Saints did not disappoint last season and they are just as determined to win this season.

Serve it up

Detroit Tigers season to start

By Joe Foldenauer The Saint Reporter Just 12 days away from the opening day of the Major League Baseball season and the Detroit Tigers are dominating this spring session. Right now they are ranked second in the Grapefruit League at 13-8, just behind the Baltimore Orioles, who are 12-5, and fifth in the American League. It has been an exciting beginning of the season with some impressive wins against the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Mets. Tigers all-stars Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder have done well during this time while others have been disappointing.

Justin Verlander, an eight year veteran pitcher of the Tigers, has been a little off this pre-season.

Right now, his ERA is higher than

7

THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2013

Aquinas men and women’s tennis start off season successfully While the fan base wasn’t that big in the South, the Saints managed to knock off #13 Olivet Nazarene in a convincing 6-3 win.

Winning for the Saints were Nik Artaev, Kirstoff Saari, Kyle Masteller, Frankie Fischer and Andy Struble. Fischer and Michael Sendor teamed up for the win in doubles to add some insurance.

“Usually we have a pretty good fan base here in Michigan,” said Fischer. “Down in Florida though, we COURTESY AARON HENDRICK all had to learn how Serve’s Up: Freshman Frankie Fischer prepares to serve the to be our own support group and how ball to his opponent. to motivate ourselves

By Taylor Hodges without a crowd of people watching.”

The Saint Reporter The Saints are hoping to extend their win streak into the upcoming weekend The men’s tennis team wrapped up road trip to Illinois where they will face a near perfect spring break by only losopponents Elmhurst, Judson, St. Franing one of their six matches in Florida, cis and Wheaton. which brings their overall record to 9-4.

The women’s tennis team is off to “Spring break was awesome. It took a a solid start as well. The Saints traveled little time to get used to playing outto Orlando for spring break where they doors again with all of the wind, sun, played six games. The Saints went 3-3 and heat, but it was really nice to get during their time in Florida. “It was a away from the indoors and cold for just great experience and way to improve a little while,” said freshman Frankie our game. There were so many teams Fischer. “As far as team bonding we defand such a variety of skills that we reinitely experienced closeness while livally had to focus in and change our ing for 10 days in one small apartment.” normal game to adapt to the different While the Saints did have to focus skill levels,” said freshman Marjeanne on being prepared for matches on the Bothma. trip, that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any The Saints hold a record of 9-7 so fun. “We would all cook our meals tofar this season. With a home match gether at roughly the same time and coming up against Indiana Wesleyan there was usually a few interesting this Friday, the Saints are determined conversations going on. I think we all to be victorious. “Our team has been learned a lot about each other’s personal getting stronger with every match. We lives and even more so about how we played a D1 school, Ball State, this past think and feel while on the court,” said Friday in which we really had to step Fischer. “This biggest thing I think we up our game. With every match we are all learned while playing on the road getting closer as a team and doing reis how to pump each other up during ally well overall,” said Bothma. matches.”

Aquinas lacrosse

Both teams looking to have victorious seasons

By Alyssa Frese Sports Editor Over spring break, the Aquinas women’s lacrosse team traveled to North Carolina and West Virginia, where they competed in games against Emmanuel, St. Andrew’s and Virginia Wesleyan. The Saints defeated Emmanuel with a 20-4 victory. The next two games were not as successful, as the Saints fell to St. Andrew’s in a 17-15 loss and to Virginia Wesleyan as well with a final score of 9-6.

The Saints played this past weekend against Indiana Tech and Robert Morris. During the first game against Indiana Tech, the Saints played hard but were defeated 13-11. In the second game against Robert Morris, however, the Saints were determined to win and fought hard winning 1915. The Saints are coming together as the season continues and are determined to win as a team.

“Over spring break, our team started to really bond. We had so much time together on and off the field. Getting that first win felt great, and we knew St. Andrew’s was going to be tough in our second game.

We ended up being just short by a couple goals because of a slump we hit between the end of the first half and beginning of the second half. We were upset about the loss, but we’ve

started making some adjustments for the rest of the season,” said senior captain Kati Rogers.

With time played over spring break and some home field advantages already this season, the Saints know what they need to do to win as a team. The Saints are hopeful and have taken their losses as a challenge to improve and be as victorious as they have in the past couple of years.

“Overall, I’m hoping to have a successful season. The past few years, we haven’t lost many games and came up short in post season.

This year, I want us to learn and grow as a team and be more successful overall. We have the talent to do it. I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish for the rest of the season.

And as a senior, this is my last year playing, so I just want to take in every moment on the field and with my teammates,” said Rogers.

The Saints will play two games this weekend. The first will be on the road Saturday, March 23, against Siena Heights. The second will be at home Sunday, March 24, against Midland.

The men’s lacrosse team saw playing time over Spring Break as well. The Saints traveled to Georgia where they played four games against Reinhardt, Georgia Southern, Emmanuel and Emory. The week started off a little rough as the Sports Editor Alyssa Frese

Saints lost to Reinhardt 15-5 and Georgia Southern 9-5.

The Saints were able to turn it around against Emmanuel and win 12-11. The last game against Emory was similar to the first two and the Saints lost 10-7.

“We have an extremely young team with a ton of potential. We just need to learn to play together better and keep the leadership up,” said sophomore Zack Brancheau.

The Saints are getting back into their groove. They played two home games this past week against Liberty and Belleville. Both games were played hard, but that didn’t seem to be enough.

The Saints lost to Liberty 17-6 and again to Belleville 11-6.

“Our team chemistry isn’t quite where it needs to be yet. We need to learn how to play a complete game,” said sophomore goalie Jimmy Watt.

The Saints will travel to Indiana this weekend where they will play Butler on SatALYSSA FRESE//THE SAINT urday March 23 and Wabash on Sunday March 24.

Stepping to the line: Sophomore longstick midfielder Austin Ensing takes his place as the Saints prepare to play.

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8

SPORTS

THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2013

Junior Lauren Ramey shows Detroit Red Wings stay motivated integrity on and off court to win

By Hillary Najor The Saint Reporter

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

Swinging for the win: Junior Lauren Ramey prepares to hit the ball in home court action this season.

By Hanna Dugan The Saint Reporter Lauren Ramey has been playing tennis since the age of four. By the age of eight, Lauren began her career, participating in many United States Tennis Association (USTA) tournaments.

She grew tired of the USTA tournament scene by the time she was 14. After that, she stuck with high school tennis, even winning a State Championship at #2 singles her freshman year.

“Growing up,” Ramey admitted, “I always had a love/hate relationship with the game.” She acknowledges her father as the most influential person in her tennis career.

He was insistent upon Ramey continuing in the sport and practicing hard. And while she says the

Soccer Guatemalan style alyssa frese |sports editor Soccer has been my favorite sport for practically my entire life. I started playing in kindergarten was instantly hooked. From that point on, I played the sport up until my senior year of high school. Over spring break, I had the opportunity to go to Guatemala on a Service Learning Trip.

For most of the trip, we participated in service work in the garbage dump community. One afternoon, however, we Aquinas students participated in a soccer game against the kids at school where we were spending our time. This game was so different from any game I had ever played before.

Instead of a field of grass or turf, this field was concrete and covered with rocks.

I had not brought tennis shoes with me so I showed up to our game wearing Converse sneakers, not very suitable shoes for a game of soccer. I was so pumped for the game because I had not really had an opportunity to play since intramurals in the fall.

I stood up to the line just as I had in many games before in my forward position.

The whistle was blown and I kicked the ball behind me to my other forward. I began to run forward and get in a good passing position. As I turned to get open for a pass, I turned much faster than I had expected. These were not conditions that I was used to playing on.

I watched in awe as the children around me ran on this field as if it were turf. The competitiveness in me kicked in and I was determined to perform well. Our team skidded across the field and kept up with the younger and more skilled children. We played well and ended up in a tie. This meant that there would be a shoot out.

The shoot out was a bomb. We made one of our five shots and they made all five of theirs. I didn’t feel bad about losing. Seeing the joy and excitement in the kids’ eyes because they had beat “American college students” just warmed my heart. Although, we only played that one game during my week in Guatemala; it will always be one of the fondest memories I will forever hold from my trip. Soccer is a very important sport to me and it was amazing to experience it in a completely new and unexpected way.

constant pushing could “be very annoying,” she also added, “I probably would have quit the game a long time ago [without him].”

Ramey graduated from Hackett Catholic Central in 2010. In high school, tennis forced her to learn to balance social life, school and sports. In retrospect, Ramey now realizes this has kept her grounded.

Ramey confesses that in the past two years, her love of the sport and her appreciation of the game have grown immensely. She also attributes this to her dad.

Her parents desire to watch her play and their dedication to her success are the keys that have gotten her to where she is now. She says that she “can count the matches [her parents] have missed on [her] hands.”

Ramey is a business major here at Aquinas College, and is minoring

in photography. She chose Aquinas because she had gone to small schools her whole life; she divulges that school in general is not the easiest for her.

Even so, she is set to graduate in the fall of 2015. After graduation she is exploring the possibility of going to an Esthetician school out of state.

As for tennis after college, Lauren said, “I could see myself taking a high school or college coaching job.” She also expresses a desire to continue her own personal tennis playing.

Though it may be hard to find people to play with, she may join a travel team at some point. Or, in her own words, “Who really knows?”

Winter Sports Recap

The Detroit Red Wings have been on an up and down slide in the past few weeks winning four out of their six games so far this March.

Having the advantage of playing at home on March 3, the Wings looked to be the team that was going to hand the Chicago Blackhawks their first regulation lost of the season. With a 1-0 lead for most of the third period, the Blackhawks scored with two minutes left to tie the game and eventually would win in the shoot out.

This did not deter the Wings as they went on to beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 at home on March 5. Johan Franzen and Nicklas Kronwall both scored in the second period to help get the Wings the win.

On March 7, the Wings went on to play the Edmonton Oilers. Easily, the Wings won the match up 3-0 getting goalie Jimmy Howard a shutout.

Jakub Kindl, Corey Emmerton, and Justin Abdelkader all contributed to the score of the game. Since then, the Wings have been on a downward spiral losing their past three games.

The weekend of March 9 through the

Indoor Track and Field

Team finishes strong at Nationals

By Tom Carr The Saint Reporter This past spring break, the Aquinas men and women’s track teams ran at Nationals in Geneva, Ohio, and they did not disappoint. The women’s team came in 30th place out of 51 teams with a total of 7.5 points and the men’s team came in at eighth place out of 51 teams with a grand total score of 31.

Senior Alvaro Romero took home a second place finish in the triple jump with a length of 14.98 meters as well as snagging first place in the long jump with 7.24 meters. Romero had an undoubtedly great day. Another runner for the Saints, sophomore sprinter Caleb Teachout, had a successful run in the Men’s 600 meter.

He finished in third with a time of 1:18.45, which put him less than a second behind the first place runner. Junior Grant Gunneson was able to grab fourth place in the 1,000 meter run. He finished with a time of

Right down the middle: Freshman Dakota Neff was a part of Aquinas’ first ever men’s bowling team. Their season ran from October to February. on the road. The Saints will lose seniors Zach Eddy and Ken Gordon, but the remaining team will look to build off a good season.

The Aquinas women’s basketball team also fared well this season.

After being hit by the injury bug for most of the year, the Saints played inspired basketball throughout the year, but missed out on the conference tournament by one game.

Gone will be seniors Clare Conway, Liza Flewelling, Hayley O’Meara and Shelby Carter, but with a good core of players returning next year and some new recruits joining the fold, the Saints can make some noise next season.

“This past season had its ups and downs. We dealt with a lot of adversity and change during this year,” said senior Shelby Carter. “I’ll remember the friendships I made and the lessons I’ve learned.”

The men’s JV basketball team played really hard this past season.

The Saints finished with a record of 13-10. “The season started off pretty shaky not knowing my teammates very well and the coach not knowing us either. As the season went on we built trust.”

“By the end of the season we noticed that we came a long way and play as a team more than we ever did at the beginning. We had our ups and downs but at the end we still had team chemistry,” said freshman Travell Oakes.

Aquinas saw four teams competing in the winter sports season.

These teams are the inaugural men’s hockey team along with the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

In the first season ever for Aquinas hockey, a lot of noise was made, both in the rink and outside of the rink. Aquinas finished its year with a strong 17-14 record, which for a first year team, is a very good record.

Big games included a victory over Grand Valley State and a first round playoff upset against Michigan State. Overall, despite some tough stretches during the season, the Saints fared well in competition for their first year.

“I feel as a team, we had a great first season that not many people expected us to have,” said freshman Taylor Hodges,” with the first season behind us, I’m looking forward to how the program gains momentum and develops over the next couple of years.”

“I believe we have laid a solid foundation for the future,” said head coach Mark Vanvliet. “The support we’ve received from the staff, athletic administration and student body was truly amazing.”

The Aquinas men’s basketball team also did well despite a 12-19 overall record. Key victories included back to back victories over rivals Cornerstone at home and Davenport Sports Editor Alyssa Frese E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

2:28.67, managing to leave a full two second gap between himself and the Oklahoma Baptist runner that finished in fifth place.

Emily Smith, a senior at Aquinas, came in 11th in women’s shot put. She threw a distance of 13.33 meters at Nationals, but she managed to place an even better fifth place in weight throw with a great distance of 17.49 meters. Smith’s teammate, junior Alicia Dorko, also made her way up into a fifth place spot. Dorko managed a height of 3.65 meters and ended up sharing her place with an opposing athlete from Carroll after they tied for the same height.

The Aquinas Track team managed to crank out a great indoor season with both of the teams reaching nationals and the men’s team coming in at eighth place overall, right in front of ninth place Cornerstone. The Saints will begin their outdoor season at the Grand Rapids Invite March 2930.

March Madness

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

By Brian Kalchik The Saint Reporter

10, the Wings had a two game series against the hot Columbus Blue Jackets. The Wings were shutout 0-3 in their first match up between the Blue Jackets. The second consecutive game, the Wings were more competitive this time around, but eventually would lose in a shoot out. The ending resulted in a score of 2-3. Kindl and Franzen both scored in the game.

A recent match up against the Calgary Flames looked to be promising after two periods with the game tied at 2-2, but the Wings gave up the fight and let the Flames score 3 goals in the third.

This resulted in yet another loss for the Wings with the final score being 2-5. The Wings are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games are ninth in the Western Conference just one spot out of the playoffs. This past weekend, the Wings won both of their games.

On Friday, March 16, the Wings played the Edmonton Oilers and won 3-2 in overtime. The next night, the Wings were just as successful, defeating the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. The Wings are playing hard and hold a current record of 14-10. If they keep it up, a playoff appearance could be in the works.

By Brian Kalchik The Saint Reporter This year ’s March Madness will be just as unpredictable as past years. There is no clear-cut favorite, meaning that anyone has a chance to take it all. As we have seen throughout this season, it is evident that there are a few supposed “favorites” for this year ’s tournament as well as some other “sleeper ” teams that could make a big run.

Gonzaga, now the number one team in the nation, has flown under the radar this year because of their West Coast appeal and the fact they played a relatively “soft” schedule.

But with players like Elias Harris, Kevin Pangos and experienced head coach Mark Few, the Zags are now looking to get back to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009.

Duke, always the perennial favorite to win it all, has struggled this year with inconsistency; however, they do return some experienced players such as senior Ryan Kelly as well as highly talented Mason Plumlee spearheaded by arguably the greatest coach of all-time, Mike Krzyzewski. As a result, the Blue Devils will be a threat to win it all.

The Indiana Hoosiers won the Big Ten Conference outright for the first time in 20 years. Head coach Tom Crean has led the resurgence of the Hoosiers behind talented players like Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo. After a Sweet 16 appearance last year, the Hoosiers are seeking

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to win the championship since 1987.

As we can expect, Butler seems to be this year ’s Cinderella team.

Coming off a disappointing season last year after two straight championship game appearances, the Bulldogs have posted a solid 26-8 record including an impressive 11 wins in its inaugural season of the Atlantic 10 conference. Coach Brad Stevens and players like Andrew Smith and Rotnei Clarke are ready to get back to the “Big Game.”

Another team flying under the radar this season is VCU. The Rams are looking to make some “March Magic” as they have shown in previous years. After a Final Four appearance two years ago and a second round loss to Indiana, Head Coach Shaka Smart combined with players like Troy Daniels and Juvonte Reddic, we can speculate the Rams to make another long tournament run.

Finally, the Blue Jays of Creighton are looking to advance past the third round this year after losing to North Carolina last season. The Blue Jays are led by All-America candidate Doug McDermott, who has the potential to carry this team far in the tournament. With other players like Grant Gibbs, Gregory Echenique and Head Coach Greg McDermott, the Blue Jays could very well fly high in this year ’s NCAA March Madness.