The Saint :: Issue 11

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In Case of Emergency...

Aquinas’ favorite troupe of improv-ers are hitting the stage once again after a successful college showcase

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theSaint

Wednesday, March 26, 2014 Volume 33, Issue 11

Read us... but first, let’s take a #SELFIE.

>>NEWS Pamela Dail Whiting | 2 Saint Reporter Chucky Blackmore has the scoop on the English professor’s goals and ambitions.

Human Trafficking | 3 Staff Writer Cait Hilton has all you need to know about Acton Institute’s upcoming information seminar.

>>CULTURE Charli XCX | 5 Editor-in-Chief Paris Close spotlights the British electronica singer’s latest music endeavors.

GIRL | 6 Saint Reporter Yasmeen Ahmed reviews Pharrell’s most recent release.

>>SPORTS Detroit Tigers pre-season | 7 Saint Reporter Veronica Burns covers the team’s spring training.

Alisa Skluzacek

Men’s tennis keeps on winning | 7

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Sports Editor Alyssa Frese profiles the senior lacrosse cocaptain.

Equality for all... almost

U.S District Judge Bernard Friedman rules Michigan’s same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional

By Mayra Monroy News Editor A monumental decision was recently made for the future of samesex marriage in the state of Michigan.

On Friday, March 21 Michigan citizens caught ear of the historical decision made by U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman to strike down the Michigan ban on same-sex marriage that prevented couples from legally marrying in the state.

Same-sex couples waited patiently but were anxious for the moment when the judge would overturn the 2004 amendment that took away their right to marriage.

The Michigan amendment, passed by 59 percent of voters in 2004, prevented same-sex couples from not only marriage but also from adopting each other’s children.

This caused several obstacles for couples such as April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, the Michigan couple who challenged the amendment COURTESY MSNBC back in January 2012. The couple For better or for worse: April Deboer (left) and Jayne Rowse (right), with their children seek reform that allows them to get was seeking security when they married and legally adopt each other’s children, went to court back in 2012 challenged the amendment, wanting to protect their children if one of them family and families like ours…we are This means that same-sex couples do. It was just the first court ruling, were to pass. The couple claimed just so happy...We got our day in court must wait to at least Wednesday, there is a chance for appeal. Those March 26, before moving any further who don’t support it will make their that the denial of their marriage and we won.”

C o u p l e s we r e p r e p a r i n g f o r and for a decision regarding the voices heard—it will take time.” was a direct violation of the Equal weddings impromptu and Muskegon appeal.

Despite this, the news is still a Protection Clause.

Then, the ruling was stayed. This movement towards a changing future D e s p i t e t h i s a n d t h e f i e r y County had its first same sex wedding means that same-sex couples must with endless possibilities swirled into movement that followed, U.S District the next day, Saturday March 22.

Friedman struck down the ban, wait until Wednesday, March 26, the mix.

Judge Bernard Friedman chose to put “ [ I t ’ s ] a g o o d s t e p t o wa r d s off this hearing until earlier this year: claiming that it was unconstitutional before moving any further and for a acceptance,” adds Aquinas’ Gay “[The plaintiffs] are entitled to their and violated same-sex couples right decision regarding the appeal. “ E v e n t h o u g h t h e b a n wa s Straight Alliance secretary Addison day in court,” said Friedman. “And to equality. Then, news broke on they will have it.” And had it they did, Friday, March 21 just as the courts overturned, I feel like it won’t stick,” Busec. were closing down for the day. Almost said junior Troy Dildine, Aquinas’ Despite the appeal, supporters despite years of waiting.

“It’s just amazing,” said DeBoer. immediately, an appeal was put in Gay Straight Alliance President. “It is are remaining positive and will “This is what we’ve wanted for our Saturday and the ruling was stayed. a good step, but there is more work to continue to move forward.

Divergent stays true to Roth’s dystopian classic

Anti Gay Bills continue to pop up around the U.S

By Emily Elias The Saint Reporter

COURTESY SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT

The divergent: Shailene Woodley portrays Roth’s strong female lead.

By Chelsey McNees The Saint Reporter For those who aren’t familiar with the book series, Divergent is set in futuristic Chicago and there is an alternative government that fears what they cannot control. For those turning 16, an aptitude test is given to determine which of the five factions they are to be placed. And after years of waiting, Veronica Roth’s Best Seller finally saw the silverscreen this past weekend, as Shaliene Woodley portrayed the “divergent“ Tris Prior in the proverbial film adaptation.

To put it frank, the Divergent was absolutely awesome. As an avid follower of the series, I was especially excited to see how Director Neil Burger would translate the series on the big screen. As for my fellow Divergent readers, you can rest assured that the movie stays entirely true to the book which is a rare find in the cinematic world. While there were a few scenes gone overlooked or changed, it did not take away from the brilliance of Burger’s latest work. Nothing in the film felt at all rushed, which proved

to make it an even greater cinematic experience for everyone who went to see the film.

As for Shailene Woodley, the girl will certainly earn some respect for her performance in the film. Woodley stays true and embodies Tris wonderfully.

Her fear, stubbornness, strength and pain resonate well with Roth’s novel character. Theo James, plays the supporting male role of Four, and also does an excellent job portraying the attractive, tough-yet-sensitive member of Dauntless, making me all the more anxious to see how he does with the following films.

Keep in mind, this is still an action film, despite the love story that develops, so be expecting a ton of epic fight scenes.

Although some of the hand-to-hand combat fights with a few of the actresses looked pretty awkward to watch, their use of fire arms in the film was definitely cool to watch. Even though Divergent could make for a good family flick, with the movie seeming less brutal than the book, it is still very violent so be wary of bringing youngsters along.

Meade to CNN. Arizona is another state that has also been participating in similar activities. This month, senate will be deciding factor over t h i s r e l i g i o u s c o n t r o ve r s y f o r a couple states. Other states are dealing with similar legislation, including: Ohio, Mississippi, I d a h o , S o u t h D a k o t a , Te n n e s s e e and Oklahoma.

Photographer Elaine Huguenin said to The Washington Post, “She could take a portrait of a gay couple but not participate in their same-sex ceremony because it would violate her religious beliefs.” This is an example of what these bills could allow.

T h e K a n s a s b i l l , h o we ve r , i s much more specific and allows

people to deny services to gays or lesbians, while the Arizona l a w i s b r o a d e r . “A r i z o n a a l r e a d y has a state Religious Freedom Restoration Act that protects a person’s free exercise of religion, similar to legislation in about 15 or so other states. The new law is simply strengthening the earlier one” said Charles Haynes, a senior scholar at the Freedom Forum First Amendment Center.

Gay rights and religious v i e w s a r e t w o s u b j e c t s t h a t h a ve been controversial issues all over the world and for quite a long time and continues to become a problem in this nation.

In light of these bills, the LGBT groups across the nation have joined forces to fight the discriminatory bills.

Southern states are still living in the past and still possess discriminatory views. It has been years since the majority of the south has discriminated against people who are not white. Now some states are trying to pass bills that would allow businesses to discriminate against people w h o a r e b e l i e ve d t o b e l e s b i a n or gay.

“These laws, by making this issue front and center, will encourage more efforts to pass a federal anti-discrimination law,” said ULCA Law Professor Adam Wi n k l e r t o T h e Wa s h i n g t o n P o s t .

In many states, gay marriage has been legalized but those states that have not have been showing their true beliefs on matters in regards to the touchy subject.

J u s t l a s t February, the state of Kansas passed a house bill that protects religious individuals and businesses to refuse to service same sex couples. This bill then moved to senate for a vote. “ K a n s a n s across the state are rightly appalled that legislators are spending their efforts to pass yet another piece of legislation that seeks to enshrine discrimination COURTESY WIKIPEDIA against gay and lesbian Fight for your rights: The anti-gay discrimination bill in Kansas is pushing its way through people into law,” said legislation and caused a heated response from Kansans and people around the nation.

Chairwoman Sandra

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

Aquinas: The Center for Diversity and Inclusion begins collection

Michigan: Consumer’s Energy employees raise more than $275,000

National: SXSW mourns the loss of three attendees

World: Malaysia airline holds a press conference regarding flight

The AQ Center for Diversity and Inclusion began a collection for local migrant families on March 23 and continue collecting through March 28.Needed items include: toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotion, socks, diapers, slippers, hand sanitzier, etc. and can be dropped off at St. Joe’s, Regina, AB and library.

Consumer’s Energy, Michigan’s leading electric and natural gas company, raised more than $275,000 this past week. The money, twice as much as previous years, was raised at this year’s Walk for Warmth event.

More than 1700 employees committed to walking in inclement weather in Jackson, MI.

A drunk driver plowed his car through a crowd at the popular Austin, Texas SXSW music festival on March 12. There were several attendees injured and three have died due to injuries sustained because of the accident. The driver of the car is being charged and held for three counts of capital murder.

Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak announced to families and friends of missing passengers that it is expected there are no surviors on the missing flight 370 that went off track and never found two weeks before. According to new satellite data, no wreckage or sign of life was found.

Spring Breakin’ mayra monroy |news editor The long stretch for everyone starts in the spring semester.

This is an antsy time not only for just st ud e n t s i n ge n e r a l , b u t fo r professors as well, and especially graduating seniors. Loaded schedul e s, sl e epl e s s n i g h t s , a n d mountains upon mountains of homework, I could never wish for spring bre a k h a rd e r t h a n I h a ve since I st a rt e d c o l l e g e .

This much needed break alway s c o me s t oo s l o w a n d g o e s so fast. It feels like a day has passed when in reality a week has passed and once again I didn’t do t he h ome w ork a n d p a p e r t h a t has a due date days after my return. It’s something that I’m sure ha ppe n s t o a b i g g e r p a r t o f t he AQ p op u l a t on .

M y spri n g bre a k co n s i s t e d o f t wo t h i n gs: sl e ep a n d s e a s o n t e n of Law a n d O rd er: S V U. At l e a s t , that’s what it consisted of this ye a r . I wa s g r e e n w i t h e n v y o f t hose wh o go t t o t r a ve l t o wa r m d e s t i n a t i o n s w h i l e I wa s s t u c k here in what seemed like the middle of winter break instead of spring . I l i ke d so m a n y p i ct u r e s on Ins t a gra m, I sh o u l d j u s t s t a r t my own fund to travel somewhere next ye a r. I t d oesn ’t m a t t e r w h a t filter you used, I probably still would h a ve e n v i e d i t a n y wa y s .

Now, in light of expensive and warm places, comes this idea of how much money these dest in a t i on va c a t i o n s m u s t m a k e on coll ege st u d en t s e ve r y s p r i n g break. It’s like Disney World and a bot t l e o f wa t er c os t s $ 4 . H o t e l s along the beach fill up with excited and loud college kids and t h e n o i s e l e ve l i s a t a n a l l t i m e high for three weeks straight with a new crowd coming in every week. Restaurants rake in the cash f rom h un gry k i d s a n d l o c a l businesses boom with the wallets and t he re f o re p u rc h a s e s t h a t a r e being bro u gh t ba c k t o co n fu s i n g tundra that is Michigan. These destination vacations are genera l l y so me w h e r e wa r m a n d in the south or west. Places l i k e S o u t h Pa d r e I s l a n d , Te x a s , any coastal city in Florida and California, etc, are almost all tourists town who make the most in their local economy during the spring break period for college and hi gh sc h ool .

I have absolutely nothing ag ains t t h e se t o u ris t t o w n s , I ’m sure they are fun and better than looking at my bedroom every si n gl e d a y f o r a we e k . Of course, i t i s a l wa ys a g r e a t t h i n g to hear about a local economy that is steadily regaining itself after a rocky recession that has been taunting small businesses for ye a rs. Go ou t a n d b u y fr o m local b u si n e sses! B r i n g b a c k t h a t ugly t - sh i rt t h a t you k n o w y o u ’l l wear once in public and then wear only to bed for the rest of its life. Th o se sma l l bu s i n e s s e s t h a t you wa l ked p a st on y o u r wa y t o t h e b e a c h l o ve t o s e e y o u c o m e and ha t e t o se e yo u g o . L o n g l i ve sm all bu si n e sses.

Let spring break serve as a reminder for everyone’s sanity: summer is only 8 more weeks away. This is the last stretch of classes, homework, procra st i n a t i n g, soci a l i z i n g , e t c. for t h i s sp ri n g sem e s t e r a n d fo r seniors: the final 8 weeks of their time here at Aquinas. So put aloe on your sunburned skin, strap on you r sn e a kers a n d j o i n m e i n count i n g d o w n t o E a s t e r b r e a k .

News Editor Note: I would like to extend a sincere apology to Dr. Gelly, a provost candidate, for the misspelling of her name in the previous issue of The Saint. Note that “Dr. Gelly” is the correct spelling of the name and not “Dr. Gedly” as stated in the previous issue.

-Mayra Monroy

John Rush: Joining forces In Case of Emergency brings Human Ipod Calvin and MSU talent to AQ Local musician brings talent and good vibes to AQ

By Chuck Hyde Staff Writer On Saturday, March 22, there was a constantly changing stream of music coming from The Moose.

This wouldn’t be out of place or unique, but for one detail: it all came from the same performer.

Musician John Rush played a two hour set filled with nearly every popular genre, original songs of his own creation, and witty banter.

Originally from Alabama, Rush moved around the country

In terms of the variety of his covers, Rush played all o v e r t h e b o a r d . At o n e p o i n t he went from playing Phillip Phillips to Otis Redding, making each his own and pulling both of magnificently. When asked which of his many covers was his favorite, Rush commented that it changes depending on particular performances and his experiences.

Currently, “Tighten Up” by the Black Keys is his favorite.

Rush also had several originals, ranging from fun and whimsical to

<<IN TERMS OF HIS MUSICAL

ABILITIES, RUSH IS VERY CREATIVE AND VERSITILE...CREATES A FUN ENVIRONMENT.>> t o N a s h v i l l e a n d va r i o u s o t h e r places, touring nearly constantly.

Rush now resides in Grand Rapids, making him somewhat of a local. As he came into the small coffee shop on campus, he definitely made a homey atmosphere. Dim lights and easy conversation allowed for an enjoyable experience.

In terms of his musical abilities, Rush is very creative and versatile. He made excellent use of a loop pedal; recording percussion and bass parts using his guitar, making his solo covers have a band feel to them. This was especially well-utilized when he would record rhythm parts and play guitar solos over them. This a l l o we d a n e x c e l l e n t a ve n u e t o show off his considerable skill in guitar, something that made even his covers have a unique and new spin to them.

the somber and reflective “Hello Ray” about his now deceased brother. The originals were a good way to break up the covers, providing a fresh take on his sound that was entirely new to the audience.

Rush was also asked what made a certain performance memorable or special, and he said that while he couldn’t pick a favorite show, he could certainly pick a favorite feeling. “[He] feels like he’s floating. Everything sounds just right to [him] in that moment.”

Ultimately, John Rush is a great performer all around. Not only is he talented, but he knows how to tell a joke and create a friendly and fun environment in a room. Make sure to check him out on Facebook or his website, www. johnrush.com.

IAN MCNEIL/THE SAINT

#LOL: In Case of Emergency performs a gut busting showcase for AQ students

By Abigale Racine Culture Editor Based off of the excessive laughter of the crowd at Aquinas College’s Art and Music Center, the Improv Showcase on the night of Friday, February 28 was a roaring success.

If you missed out on the laughs, it better be because you were distracted by the temptation of the red Krispy Kreme light or your pet turtle was constipated. (If you where present at the showcase, you would understand the context behind that last sentence).

The strong trilogy of Aquinas College’s In Case of Emergency Improv, Calvin College’s Improv, and Michigan State University’s Royal Players Improv, combined its forces for a wickedly hysterical night.

Each group performed a series of three improv games, taking input and suggestions from the rowdy audience that sardine-packed the AMC, as per usual of any In Case of Emergency improv showcase.

Then all of the improv groups came together for collaborative games, incorporating well-articulated, over the top physical humor into its performance.

“I really enjoyed the physicality of this performance, such as the dog scene,” said Aquinas improv

member and freshman, Kenny Judge, referring to fellow improv member, Aquinas senior, Sean Briggs nearly breaking his body i n h i s p o r t r a ya l o f a p r o t e c t i ve canine. “The collaboration was a great idea.”

Not only was the showcase a prime opportunity for the improv actors to give it their all onstage, it was an engaging learning experience for all those involved.

“Getting together and learning other games to try on our own, making friends and talking about what they do is really fun,” said Bryce Maurer, MSU Royal Player Improv member.

The improv groups from all three schools immensely enjoyed themselves at the show, and look f o r wa r d t o f u t u r e c o l l a b o r a t i o n performances.

“It was really good,” said Ta yl o r E m o n s , a C a l v i n I m p r o v member. “It’s interesting with different school and different styles. It was fun and we will be back next year.”

Overall, the improv showcase was a great success, and maybe for the next ICE show on March 26, you should put on your tightest skinny jeans. That way you won’t have to bring your boyfriend on a leash.

Professor Spotlight:

Pamela Dail Whiting

By Chucky Blackmore The Saint Reporter The Aquinas College English department has a strong and vibrant faculty and one of its sustaining members is Pamela Dail Whiting.

Dail Whiting, a native of Lansing, began teaching at Aquinas College i n 1 9 8 9 a s a p art-time c re ative writing teacher and assistant of the Writing Center. Upon her arrival, she remembers her first days at Aquinas after an acquaintance told her about a possible teaching opportunity: “Coming to Aquinas was very compelling to me. I always believed that education was not only intellectual, but it also had a spiritual component,” said Dail Whiting.

Dail Whiting heavily acknowledges the Dominican heritage and the faith in Aquinas’ history. Though she had the luxury of raising her children at home, her calling of becoming a professor at Aquinas was met when she sought out a full-time job here.

Growing up during the era of JFK’s presidency and attending college during the Vietnam War, Dail Whiting felt she needed to make a difference in some way. She chose to tutor a young, underprivileged girl in the inner city Flint school district as her first shot at teaching. This was her conscious decision to become an

the beauty of language and words, those aspects of literature eventually lead her into the realm of the English profession. As a teacher, writing gave Dail Whiting the means to communicate to students and vice versa, offering hope to a world where suffering is inevitable. Observing the atmosphere of Aquinas, she felt nurtured by the students, staff, and fellow colleagues and everyone’s compassion and kindness towards one another--something she only experienced while teaching here at Aquinas.

Outside of the classroom, Dail Whiting enjoys an array of extracurricular activities, including poetry writing, attending plays and CHUCKY BLACKMORE/THE SAINT musicals in admiration of the fine arts, hiking the Acadia mountain Glowing guides: Dail Whiting offers her passion to Aquinas’ English department. trails of Maine, and yoga. She also English teacher.

Whiting was destined to help people believes family is very important to After teaching in Lansing, Boston, discover their voices, young people her, graciously taking advantage of Rome, and Italy, Dail Whiting took in particular. how close her son and daughter live a year off and worked at a flower Dail Whiting grew up with a to her. shop in Washington D.C., ultimately literature-oriented background. She Dail Whiting uses the wisdom assuming a successful position as a remembers and playfully laughs she’s gained over the years from her manager. One day while conversing about her unconditional love for profession to encourage students with a younger worker about her l i t e r a t u r e : “ I wa s o n e o f t h o s e that the opportunities that await journal writing, Dail Whiting recalls children who read books with a them involve their short time here offering some helpful insight: “I blanket over my head and a flashlight at Aquinas. could hear my voice when I was in hand. Literature provided me “I would like to see students encouraging her to write, and it was with consolation and hope.” believe in their own passions, and filled with excitement.”

Over the years, Dail Whiting has to never forget about those passions Though she had already been become more aware of the wisdom as they pursue their careers that will t e a c h i n g f o r s e ve r a l ye a r s , D a i l literature possesses. As a lover of provide for them.”

News Editor Mayra Monroy E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

Phone (616) 632-2975

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

NEWS

World News Update

Observations in psychology

By Dr. Daniel Cruikshank Professor and Department Chair In recent years there has been increasing concern about the misdiagnosis and possible o v e r - d i a g n o s i s o f At t e n t i o n Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children. In some cases the d i a g n o s i s i s d r i ve n b y p r e s s u r e from schools ill-equipped to cope with child behavioral problems, while in other cases children with other diagnosable problems are misdiagnosed by unqualified health care providers, s u c h a s primary care physicians.

A s a result of this problem, an u n k n o w n number of c h i l d r e n are treated medically either unnecessarily or ineffectively for the wrong problem. Often, these children are identified by their teachers who have observed academic and/or behavioral problems and believe that the child has ADHD, even though teachers are not qualified to make that diagnosis.

Once identified, these children most often are diagnosed and treated by primary care physicians without the evaluation

and testing procedures that would assure accuracy. When children are misdiagnosed, they are likely to receive improper or unnecessary treatment. This problem raises a number of important questions.

For example, how frequently are children diagnosed with ADHD without proper evaluation? And, how frequently are children misdiagnosed with and treated for ADHD when they d o n ’ t h a ve t h e d i s o r d e r ?

misdiagnosis of kids, why recruit adults?

To get at this question, I’m studying adults of all ages whether or not they’ve ever been diagnosed with ADHD. I’m looking for personality characteristics that might be common among those with ADHD and I need to measure normal adults to have a good comparison group.

By measuring folks of all ages, when I find those with ADHD, I can see how they were first diagnosed i n childhood and then see how t h i n g s h a ve c h a n g e d over the ye a r s . A r e y o u n g e r p e o p l e m o r e likely to have been diagnosed improperly than older, or has this problem been happening all along?

By answering these and other questions, we can better understand the problem of misdiagnosis and make recommendations for better health care practices.

<<ANYONE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THIS BEHAVIORAL STUDY SHOULD CONTACT DR. DANIEL CRUIKSHANK FOR MORE INFO>> Finally, for those who have been diagnosed when they didn’t actually have a mental illness, are there identifiable personality characteristics that increase the likelihood that a child will be referred for treatment?

The purpose of this study is to i n ve s t i g a t e A D H D , i t s d i a g n o s i s and treatment, and personality fact ors associated with ADHD as we l l a s t h o s e t h a t m i g h t l e a d t o misdiagnosis of ADHD. If the study is about

A look into the human trafficking epidemic a lack of quality data — meaning shared data that Human trafficking, the is not comparable trading of humans for, or necessarily most commonly, sexual accurate, because slavery and commercial there is no exploitation, as well as standardized forced labor, is a blatant method of violation of human rights processing. that often slips under Coming to an our radars. Hidden No understanding More: Exposing Human about human Trafficking in West Michigan trafficking is an event that will allow is essential panelists to examine this in spreading pervasive problem as it awareness. affects our economy, public In 2011, The safety, and is an assault on Department human dignity—cutting of Homeland across racial, political, and S e c u r i t y ’ s religious divides.

Immigration Panelists will discuss

COURTESY A CAMPAIGN DESIGNED TO DROP a n d C u s t o m s the severity of the problem Enforcement in our state (and beyond), Be aware: Acton Institute, located in downtown Grand Rapids, is putting (ICE) Divisions on an event to spread awareness of this horrifying secret. and how the West Michigan opened 722 human community can respond to trafficking cases in which there were 938 an often unreported and ignored crime. at Wedgewood Christian Services. The arrests, but only 271 convictions were Panelists will draw information from panel will be moderated by WZZMmade. Out of those 722 cases, 29 were 13 weekend morning anchor, Jannifer the Michigan State Attorney General’s generated in Michigan.

2013 Report on Human trafficking Pascua.

For various reasons, victims are Awareness about human trafficking to stimulate discussion and generate commonly reluctant to come forward in the United States (both as an import/ community-based, life preserving export, but also domestically) is lacking about the crimes committed against solutions. them, allowing the public to assume the Amond the panelists featured because of the amount of unreported reality of human trafficking in Michigan incidents and in reported incidents, are Chief Deputy Carol Isaacs of the exceeds far beyond 29 cases. underdeveloped data.

Michigan State Attorney General’s For more information on Hidden According to the 2013 Human Office, State Sen. Judy Emmons (R.No More in West Michigan’s mission to 33rd District), Leslie King of Sacred Trafficking Commission Report, data address these issues, visit: www.acton. that is collected is often not shared Beginnings, Becky McDonald from org and click the “Events” tab.

Women at Risk International (WAR), and between law enforcement agencies Andy Soper from the Manassah Project and service providers. There is also

By Cait Hilton Staff Writer

The luck of the Irish

By Emily Elias The Saint Reporter

It is not every day that students have the opportunity to see people in Irish attire dancing to Irish music. Last week, Residence Life presented Irish Jig, event which was also collaborated with AQPB. The event filled the Cook Carriage House with music, laughter, and the aroma of delicious food.

Resident assistants brought in professional Irish dancers and students had the opportunity to learn how to Irish jig on Wednesday, March 19. AQPB’s committee C.O.W.I.I. decorated the Carriage House for the special event, covering the entire first floor of the building with green four-leaf clovers.

Along with the free dance lessons, the food was also a treat. Campus Dining made shamrock shakes and fries, and Resident Assistant, senior Catherine Jandernoa’s sister in law was the Irish dancing teacher at the event. Another resident assistant, senior Zoey Weber talked about how she helped Jandernoa plan the event as well: “I really enjoyed trying to learn how to Irish dance, and I was really excited to see other students trying as well” said Weber.

The dancers started off teaching students the very basics. Then as the participants got the hang of it, the dancers advanced the dancing.

During her freshman year, Jandernoa went to a salsa dancing event, so this year she thought it would be cool to have an Irish dancing event for the entire campus to enjoy. She knew her sister-in-law was an Irish step dancer and could easily learn the moves. This is how COURTESY HEATHER KASHMERA she came up with the brilliant idea for the New moves: The Irish Jig celebrates Irish dance and cultured event. culture.

“It was inspiring and the two others were demonstrating to watch people try to learn something that student participants on how to do each they did not think they could do, and it move. gave students a new appreciation for Irish “I had a lot of fun. It was really step dancers,” said Janernoa. interesting seeing a new type of dance There were also three other dancers and then trying to learn it,” said Weber. who attended the event: Jandernoa’s sister- “It is so much harder than it looks but it in-law who taught everyone the moves, was a lot of fun to try.”

News Editor Mayra Monroy

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

By Yashowanto Ghosh The Saint Reporter JAPAN – Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzō Abe has agreed to meet South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye during the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague on Monday, March 24 or Tuesday, March 25.

This will be the first meeting between Abe and Geun-hye since Abe’s return to power in September 2012 and Geun-hye’s election as South Korea’s first woman president in December 2012.

Abe is unpopular in South Korea because of his nationalistic stance.

The meeting will be hosted by US

postponed, and rescheduled by court order starting early September and f i n a l l y w o n b y A b d u l l a Ya m e e n of former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s Progressive Party in November. Gayoom had been president from 1978 to 2008.

NORTH KOREA – North Korea launched 30 short-range rockets 60 miles into the Sea of Japan from its east coast on Saturday, March 22.

South Korean and US troops began military drills a month ago—the drills are scheduled to continue up to April 18—Pyongyang accused them of preparing to invade, Seoul and Washington characterized the drills

COURTESY DAVID MARK

United: Turkish rallies in Chicago unite citizens to protest the corruption and violence in Turkey.

President Barack Obama.

MALAYSIA – A Malaysia Airlines airplane with 239 people from 15 countries on board went missing on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on Saturday, March 8. An extensive search effort on land and sea conducted by over two dozen countries over the following two weeks has, at this time, not yielded any result. Two of the passengers were reportedly traveling with stolen passports, but Interpol has suggested that they were asylum seekers and not terrorists.

MALDIVES – Parliamentary e l e c t i o n s i n M a l d i ve s b e g a n o n Saturday, March 22. The island nation’s Election Commissioner had been fired and jailed for contempt of court two weeks before the elections for criticizing the court’s actions last fall, when the presidential elections in fall 2013 were repeatedly annulled,

as defensive, and Pyongyang reacted with exhibitions of force on its part.

Last year, North Korea responded to the annual drills with a threat of nuclear war.

T U R K E Y – Tu r k e y b l o c k e d Twitter in the early hours of Friday, March 21. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at a rally the previous afternoon that he had a court order to block Twitter and was going to use it. Ever since the 2013 protests against corruption in his government, he has been an opponent of social media, claiming that it fostered political unrest.

Earlier in March, he also spoke about banning Facebook and YouTube over incriminating audio recordings that had appeared on these outlets.

Istanbul is scheduled to have local elections at the end of March.

Career and Counseling aim to raise self esteem

By Mayra Monroy News Editor Members of the Career and Counseling center will be in the Wege Café Thursday, March 27, to help create awareness of a serious and common problem: insecurities pertaining to body image.

“It’s a healthy self-esteem and body image program,” said Counseling Intern Benjamin Resiterer.

“We are attempting to help students combat low self-esteem and poor body image through media literacy.”

A common problem found on college campuses and with people nationwide, low self-esteem has been the cause for several health issues and a general decline in emotional health. Students with self-esteem issues often feel a variety of emotions such as: anxiety, depression, and their values of self-worth are sometimes very low. A big contributor to this is what is perceived through media and the damaging effects it can have on just about everyone’s self-image.

“The idea of media literacy is that you deconstruct ads to understand its impact on you. We are constantly bombarded with images, ideas, and messages that are designed to make us feel bad about ourselves so we will buy a product,” said Resiterer. “We are challenging the student body to be aware and actively engaged in combating these negative mes-

Phone (616) 632-2975

sages.”

Participants of the Career and Counseling center strive to provide students an understanding of how to combat low self-esteem by embracing the importance of loving one’s self. The program, set to be hosted in Wege tomorrow, will give students the opportunity to see how to overcome the negative images portrayed regarding self-esteem in the media.

Students that go to Wege for lunch on Thursday will be given the opportunity to rip out negative messages from magazines and “re-write” them into something positive. Students who participate in this exercise will also be put in a drawing to win a prize.

“Giving educational information about self -esteem and positive body images are important because it affects how we view and think of ourselves,” says Resiterer. “If we can raise awareness of how this is happening, we can change the way we think about it, which in turn, can raise self-esteem, body image, and ultimately our mood. If you view yourself more positively, you are better able to focus on other things like building healthy and lasting relationships and achieving goals.”

Students can experience and participate in the Healthy Esteem event on Thursday during 11:301:30 p.m. in Wege.

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

opinion >> FROM THE CROWD

APPLAUSE TO...

MTV, for finally cancelling Teen Mom 2, despite being years overdue; Amanda Bynes, for making even more strides towards recovery; Scandal, for giving us our doctorrecommended dose of Olivia Pope every Thursday; Iggy Azalea, for reminding us why we love Clueless so much; Divergent, for actually living up to the previews; Seth Rogen and James Franco, for being the cutest fake-married couple ever; Jimmy John drivers, for braving the cold just to deliver those delicious subs.

HECKLES TO...

Netflix, for starving us out on season two of Orange Is The New Black until June 6; Icy sidewalks, for making every step feel like a potential wipeout; Aunt Becky and Uncle Jesse, for crushing our Full House dreams; Miley Cyrus, for overexposing herself (but especially her tongue); Spring weather, for its lack of spring weather; Easter break, for being so close yet so far away; NBC, for reviving Heroes: Reborn then making us wait an entire year to watch it.

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

Paris Close Mayra Monroy Abigale Racine

Sports Editor Managing Editor

Alyssa Frese Iesha Robinson

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

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

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

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

A new way to save time and increase productivity

By Yashowanto Ghosh The Saint Reporter It’s that time of year, after months of long nights and bleak days, the sun is shining again.

After months of white snow and black ice, the land is finally turning green. Even here in Western Michigan. It’s the time of year when the world is beautiful.

And you’d see it yourself, too, if it weren’t too dark to see when you had to wake up in the so-called morning. Or if you weren’t already too sleepy again by sunrise.

One pitch-black morning last week, after turning off the alarm, we—the People—refused to get out of bed before it was actually light.

Instead, we spent that hour contemplating improvements on the tyranny of daylight-saving time.

Our first idea was, of course, that we should move our clocks forward not in the dead of night— like burglars of time—but in broad daylight, such as on a Monday afternoon. In order to increase productivity. Ha. But, not wishing to be merely frivolous, we moved on to the hard fact that days are, in fact, longer in summer, and that a real daylight-saving time would attempt to imitate that.

So we would like to adjust our

clocks by an hour—back every fall, forward every spring—for half a year each time. Now, half a year is just over 180 days, and an hour is 60 minutes long, so the target adjustment is just under a minute for every three days. How about adjusting our clocks not by a whole hour all at once, but instead by 20 seconds each day? Because that, by virtue of being less abrupt, would be much easier on our biological clocks.

Of course—squinting, as we were, hard as we could into the darkness—we immediately saw that the above would lead to trouble. For one thing, the quarrel of whether our clocks should be adjusted at night or in the afternoon would still remain: We would still want shorter afternoons, whereas the preachers of productivity would still want their nights—and ours!—to be shorter.

There is only one way to be fair to everybody.

We would like to adjust our clocks by 20 seconds each day, and a day has 24 hours, so the target adjustment is just under one second for every hour, which means we could simply adjust our clocks by one second each hour. Every year, from June 22 to December

20, an hour would have 60 minutes and one second; from December 22 to June 20, an hour would have 59 minutes and 59 seconds.

Let’s still have classical 60-minute hours twice a year—every June 21 and December 21—just to remind us of the quaint way of life of our forefathers.

Now for the math of it: There would be 182 days of longer hours from June 22 to December 20 each year, which would give us a total of not just an hour, but one hour, 12 minutes, and 48 seconds of extra time each fall.

From December 22 to June 20 is, however, only 181 days on most years (it’s 182 days if there’s a February 29 in between), so springs would only become shorter by one hour, 12 minutes, and 24 seconds.

Which, of course, means that our non-leap years would become longer by 24 seconds. For a team of 150, that’s an extra man-hour on each of those years; for a work crew of 1,200, it’s an extra manday; for a work force of 300,000, it’s an extra man.

That would increase productivity.

You’re welcome.

Why local coffee shops are the best coffee shops

By Molly Cook The Saint Reporter Our area has many wonderful treasures: Wolfgang’s, Yesterdog, used bookstores, and Gaslight Village. Among some of the East Grand Rapids’ greatest treasures, though, are the local coffee shops.

Each one has a different atmosphere, menu and culture that make them unique and trendy places to hang out with friends, study, or simply read a book.

One of my personal favorites is Kava House on Lake Drive.

This coffee shop has two large rooms, one of which has many windows that make for great natural lighting.

They always have delicious samples of unique tasty treats on display like pumpkin cake or muffins, which are never dry.

Their brewed coffee is especially delicious, with unique flavors like cinnamon coffee cake or crème brule.

Unlike most coffee places, Kava is very generous with the amount of whipped cream they put on the coffee. The coffee is even more enjoyable because coffee cups and lids at Kava are compostable, and there is an option to not receive a receipt when purchasing a drink thanks to their iPad payment system.

If you are closer to Fulton Street and seeking a hideout, try Common Ground coffee shop. The stained glass windows hanging on the walls, board games available for play, and lamps on each table, make it the perfect place to study or just chill for a while.

They have punch cards for frequent customers, and even allow customers to store their cards at the shop so that they are never forgotten.

Even better, they have yummy treats baked right down the street at Schnitz’s. Walking in and seeing people playing chess,

chatting with peers, and drinking coffee makes it amazingly comforting.

Finally, while not unique to Grand Rapids, Biggby Coffee is another great choice that is a Michigan-based franchise. Even though ordering drinks with names like “Teddy Bear,” may seem a little strange to ask for at times, the cuteness of the beverage makes it seem even more comforting on a cold day.

Biggby also gives a lot discounts to frequent users including a punch card and the option to purchase a $10.00 mug that is good for unlimited brewed coffee fill-ups for $1.25.

Whether you are looking for a quick jolt, a chat or a study session, local coffee shops are sure to provide the best atmosphere, beverage selections you are looking for!

Turning thoughts into action

By Chuck Hyde Staff Writer The Inte rne t c an b e a s car y p lac e . The re are many things to b e fo und o ut the re that b e g neve r to b e fo und, b ut the y always s e e m to c o me up w he n I’m just trying to mind my o w n b us iness.

Ho we ve r, p e rhap s the s c ariest thing ab o ut the Inte rne t as of late is the imp e nding c e ns o rsh ip and c o ntro l o f a s up p o s e dly f r ee s p ac e that ke e p s trying to get a fo o tho ld in re c e nt ye ars .

Tw o ye ars ago I w ro te an o p inio n p ie c e fo r this ve ry ne wsp ap e r o n SOPA, the Sto p Online P irac y Ac t. That e nde d up g etting s to p p e d b y a mas s ive grassro o ts mo ve me nt thro ughout the Inte rne t. The n P IPA s p run g up , and C ISPA, and many m or e c o p yc at b ills . The mo s t re c e nt ite ratio n is b e ing de e me d “N o tice and Staydo w n,” and it is a ver y s tric t c o p yright b ill that w o uld allo w fo r a s ingle b re ac h of c o p yright to b an s imilar c o ntent

f r om a website per manen tly, r egar dless of intended use.

O f cour se, it is n ot as f ash ionable any mor e to pr otest an d f ight f or In ter net f r eedom, so this isn’ t gettin g n ear ly as much h ype. It’ s bad en ough th at th e Supr eme Cour t str uck down a bill th at pr otected n et n eutr ality a f ew months ago. That means that Inter n et ser vice pr ovider s can ch oose to allow cer tain websites mor e bandwidth than other s, slowin g down sites that th ey disagr ee with or wish to stif le. This itself is a major pr oblem, and h as r eceived vir tually n o media attention . Soon en ough we will lose much of the f r eedom that we associate with In ter net, an d most people take it f or gr an ted an d assume th at it can’ t be taken away.

This is in dicative of a br oader pr oblem in A mer ican society: we ar e able to change ever ythin g about our gover n ment, but it seems th at people ar e content to mer ely sit back and wh ine

about their pr oblems r ather th an actually do somethin g about it.

We can call, email, or wr ite our con gr essional r epr esen tatives, vote dif f er ently in the elections, or just speak up occasion ally, but we do n on e of th ese thin gs.

Wh en we do pr otest, thin gs so of ten go astr ay and become a punch line. A n ybody r emember O ccupy Wall Str eet? Not much changed sin ce th en, sin ce th er e was no or ganization or def ined pur pose.

In U kr ain e people ar e liter ally f igh tin g f or their lives to change th eir gover n ment, an d we don’ t even have to do that.

It’ s so much easier , but yet we can ’ t make our selves do a th ing about it. It seems th at we r eally ar e just content to sit at home an d not attempt to make th ings better . O ne per son , on e vote can make a dif f er ence as long as ever yone r ealizes that.

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culture

page

Film Festival offers cultural flair

Television: ABC Bachelor in Paradise spin-off confirmed for this summer

Music: Coldplay’s Ghost Stories to release on May 19

From April 3-6, the 5th Annual Grand Rapids Latin American Film Festival, will take place at the Wealthy Theatre. The festival’s goal is to provide the West Michigan community and students with a unique and enriching opportunity to acquaint themselves with 14 of the latest and most acclaimed Latin American films.

Because one rose ceremony just isn’t enough, despite last summer’s flop Bachelor Pad, ABC has confirmed six episodes of another spin-off of the popular reality show. The upcoming show will focus on past contestants and sending them to a tropical location.

The popular rock band will release its sixth studio album, Ghost Stories, on May 19.

“Magic,” the first official single off the highlyanticipated album, dropped March 3 and since been rocking everyone’s playlist. The single proved that the British act still believes in magic, despite their immense success.

Movies: Grand Rapids Latin American

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THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

<<

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

>>FRANCO, ROGEN

After their “Bound 3” stint went viral, meddling comedians James Franco and Seth Rogen couldn’t help but poke fun at couple Kim Kardashian and Kanye West yet again. This time, spoofing the duo’s recent Vogue cover.

COURTESY INSTAGRAM

#ThankYou

abigale racine | culture editor

My mother first noticed my knack for the dramatic when I was about 2-years-old. I was in the kitchen, sporting my flannel nightgown and plastic dress-up high heels, standing in front of the refrigerator.

“Duchess? Kittens? They’re gone,” I would incoherently yell as I kept opening and slamming the refrigerator door, repeating the phrase each time I cracked the door open. Soon, my mother interpreted what in the world I was saying, and she realized I was recreating a scene from my favorite Disney movie The Aristocats.

It was the first sign that I was going to become an unusual child with an obsession for stories and storytelling. Oh! And have a fondness toward cats too.

Jump forward a few years later, to middle school, and I was still trying to run the world, as usual, the only way I knew how: words.

Although the newspaper I had created for my sixth grade class had dwindled to nothingness after the first issue, it was a moment of revelation for me. In that moment, I knew what I was destined to do: become a journalist.

I didn’t let my failure stump me, however, and I kept pursuing a writing career. Although I have matured and gained actual writing experience, I still find myself identifying with the little girl wearing those plastic heels, searching for something extraordinary out of the ordinary.

Despite moving around frequently throughout my adolescence, writing provided a vice and I grew to appreciate the different environments I was introduced into.

I thank those moving experiences for influencing my appreciation for a variety of arts: theater, film, cuisine, music and history but, more importantly, my love for people.

Writing journalistically has provided me with many great opportunities and experiences. Each day, I look forward to learning something new and being introduced to an interesting person.

Sharing stories and being in the role of the storyteller is indescribably awesome. Since becoming a professional, full-time writer, I haven’t slowed down because it has become such a fulfilling lifestyle.

As per usual, the creative forces have awoken me at 3:58 a.m., which was the precise time I started writing this column.

I just wanted to thank my fellow staff members of The Saint for giving me the opportunity to be the new Culture Editor. It is a position I will certainly hold dearly, am blessed to be working with the rest of the crew.

I am so grateful for the fortuity.

But enough about me, this is your paper Aquinas—I can’t encourage you enough to keep providing us with awesome material, to be the inspiration and keep being the pulse of culture and entertainment beating the way it’s been. So, let’s rock this!

Jimmy Fallon passes the torch to SNL alum Seth Myers

COURTESY FOCUS FEATURES

COURTESY NBC

Two wild, crazy guys: Fallon and Myers have done rating wonders since their late night promotions on NBC.

By Veronica Burns The Saint Reporter After 22 years of Jay Leno hosting NBC’s The Tonight Show, Late Night host Jimmy Fallon has stepped up and brought in big ratings for the network. He brought with him The Roots, an American Grammy Award-winning hip hop/ neo-soul band, his unique charisma and fun filled games. Taking

over Fallon’s spot this time around is Seth Myers, known for his SNL Weekend Update sketches.

Fallon brought the Tonight Show its largest audience in over 20 years, and has continued to rake in big numbers. Splitsider.com reported that last week’s “late night Nielsen ratings have come in, and The Tonight Show raked in an average of 4.26 million viewers, easily beating out Kimmel (2.83 million)

and Letterman (2.78 million) and up ahead of Leno’s ratings from a year ago by 27 percent in total viewers.”

Some of the highlights from Fallon’s debut month include a wide range of the biggest names in the business. Viral sketches from his new show include “Evolution of Hip-Hop Dancing” with Will Smith, “Hashtag2” with Jonah Hill, “Ew!” with Will Ferrell and

Michele Obama, “History of Rap 5” with his bromance buddy Justin Timberlake, and Idina Menzel joined with Jimmy and The Roots to perform “Let It Go” from Disney’s Frozen with classroom instruments. If someone wants a good way to procrastinate and get a good laugh, I highly advise you to check these sketches out on Fallon’s YouTube channel.

Fallon, who while hosting Late Night, had four musical guests on average each week. He gave a platform for many new artists, as well as the hottest acts in music. Seth Myers, on the other hand, will focus less on music, with only two musical acts on average each week.

Myers, who was the head writer of SNL for eight years, will concentrate more on comedy sketches and interviews.

Nonetheless, Myers is still bringing his A game. As far as ratings are concerned, in accordance to another report from Splitsider. com, “As for Seth Meyers and the Late Night crew, the show’s third week beat out Ferguson with 1.94 million viewers and was up 35% from Fallon’s ratings a year ago, though it dropped slightly from its previous week’s average of 2.07 million.”

With Fred Armisen currently leading the band on Late Night, that makes three SNL Alum being part of NBC talk shows. With the high ratings and love from its viewers at home right now, there will continue to be positive buzz for both shows in the future.

Artist Spotlight: Charli XCX riousness though, girls, don’t let any slumber party or ‘90s bash go without a good Charli XCX feature.

The name may not ring a bell right away, but this girl once had you all screaming, “I don’t care, I love it!” with the Swedish singing pair Icona Pop all weekend long once those pesky midterms were finally over. And just recently, the 21-year old British singer hailing from Stevenage, England made COURTESY FLICKR another awesome Sour Patch pop: Listen to what the girl behind Icona Pop’s “I Love It” has to offer. collab with the “Fancy” femcee Iggy Azalea, paying

By Paris Close incredible homage to everyone’s fave Editor-in-Chief I know what you’re probably ‘90s flick ad TV series Clueless. Needthinking, “Oh hey there, Lorde’s sisArtist: Charli XCX less to say, no jam session would be ter from another mister.” Just kidGenre: Indietronia, Dark pop complete without this talented rising ding. Despite both having mastered Current Album: True Romance star. the art of eye shadow and bed hair, Comparisons: Marina and the Her latest record True Romance, these ladies are years apart and Diamonds which released last April, is a tesgenres away from one another but Popular Tracks: “Stay Away” & tament to everything college kids Charli has always shared her admira“You - Ha Ha Ha” embody these days: partying, love tion of the “Royals” singer. In all se-

(sometimes gone wrong) and carefree fun. If you’re looking for a new artist to add to your Club Mix playlist, be sure to take a listen to “You - Ha Ha Ha,” a tune with a playful futuristic rhythm that will have you dancing to that invisible disco ball in your dorm room. For something a little more on the soft and tender side, you’ll definitely want to take a listen to “So Far Away,” another intergalactic groove where Charli tears poisonous memories of an ex-boyfriend from her soul.

And if you’re still not convinced that Charli is up-and-coming musical genius, you should know that once upon a time this gifted girl also penned a few songs for the iconicclub queen Britney Spears’ newest record Britney Jean. Needless to say, this girl is gifted in just about every facet possible. Even though the Lorde-look-alike is very well seasoned in art of darkwave pop music, she certainly holds a flame to Marina and the Diamonds’ bubblegum pseudo-pop flair with a glitter of Ellie Goulding synth charm here and there.

Need a pick-me-up? Trying to avoid tomorrow’s test? Or simply needing help with getting over that harsh, annoying breakup? Just tune in to Charli’s candy-coated collection of catchy songs, and keep dancing until that disco ball stops shining.

The Fray’s new album Helios celebrates life

By Abigale Racine Culture Editor “If I know one thing that’s true/ It ain’t what you say, it’s what you do,” croons The Fray’s lead singer Issac Slade on “Love Don’t Lie,” the first single released from their highly-anticipated fourth album Heilos.

Heilos proved to be a variety for the pop band, showing its point that a person’s actions define who they really are, and who they’ll grow to be.

The Fray extended their creative capacity effectively and in a clever new way with an experimental sound that doesn’t really mimic the feel of their previous album, Scars and Stories.

An addictive, cool disco beat blended with vibrato hovers on the track “Give It Away,” one of the many highlights on this awesome

“Heartless,” I can say The Fray record. gives a performance that will captiOther tracks echo a more fastvate every audience member. paced, rocker vibe, such as the hit With this album, The Fray single “Love Don’t Die” and the once again managed to translate band’s outstanding song “Hurtheir awesome live sound onto this ricane.” Still, it’s so good to see record and still demonstrate its that The Fray remained true to meaningful lyrics. their classic electric-piano style Just as with any Fray record, on tracks like: “Hold My Hand,” the band’s lyrics on Helios are “Break Your Plans” and “Our Last beautifully crafted and certainly is Days.” a testament to celebrating all that The band’s fourth album was life has to offer. a successful experimental endeavMaybe this could be related to or for The Fray, providing each the band’s lead guitarist and lyrione of the 11 tracks featured on cist, Joe King, and his recent enHeilos with a unique sound, one gagement to Vampire Diaries star, that even long-time fans could appreciate.

COURTESY LUNCHBOX STUDIOS Candice Accola?

The Fray’s Heilos definitely Scars and Stories, which was re- Love don’t die: The band captures their original sound with “Hurricane.” doesn’t shy away from leaving a leased two years ago back in 2012, was intended to provide audiences shows. in 2009, at the height of their career positive impression on the listener, with a record that sounded similar Having personally seen the with hits like “You Found Me” and and investing in the record would to how the group performs at live The Fray perform summer’s back their genius cover of Kanye West’s be money well spent.

Culture Editor Abigale Racine

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

Phone (616) 632-2975

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

6

CULTURE

THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

Gender Bender Ball embraces individuality

Pharrell Williams’ G I R L shows some R E S P E C T

THE SAINT/ CAIT HILTON

Equality for all: Gay Straight Alliance creates a welcoming environment at this year’s Gender Bender Ball.

By Cait Hilton Staff Writer On March 21, the Aquinas College’s Gay Straight Alliance hosted the Gender Bender Ball in the Wege Ballroom. This public event aimed to educate students about gender diversity, as well as welcome everyone to come together to dress the way they truly desire, without fear of discrimination.

Adison Bucec, Secretary of the Alliance, stated that the event allowed students the chance to learn about social constructs that they are not already aware of, such as gender identity and families who may find accepting those identities difficult. the Alliance wishes to create a safe environment for people around campus to gather together to celebrate their similarities, as well as their differences.

The DJ played songs like Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” setting the mood even more while e-board members of the Alliance gathered at the door, engaging in laughter and greeting arriving guests.

The Gender Bender Ball invitation also encouraged students to

dress in clothing differed from their everyday wear. Freshmen Marissa Mason and Sam Bills attended the event handsomely in bob-cut wigs, ties, vests, and dress pants. Both girls were looking forward to seeing male classmates arriving in dresses.

The Gender Bender Ball, with the help of delicious cake, up-beat music, and extravagantly dressed guests, served as an exciting Friday night event. Though, the true message of the night cannot be forgotten.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities are minority groups often misunderstood and discriminated against by what many would consider the “majority.” President, junior Troy Dildine said that the focus of the Alliance as a whole is to “create inclusiveness and acceptance” of the LGBT community, which was the soul purpose of the Gender Bender Ball.

Aquinas students should know that the Alliance is welcoming to the involvement of individuals and participation is always encouraged.

Still, the Alliance needs the full participation of campus to create acceptance and equality for all of its students.

COURTESY COLUMPIA RECORDS

Indiviuality is better: Pharrell’s indescretion with “Blurred Lines” is long forgotten after just one listen to his latest solo release G I R L.

By Yasmeen Ahmed The Saint Reporter Pharrell Williams’ second solo album G I R L may be his best yet.

Although Pharrell has collaborated with many other talents as a producer and partner, not including the fact he’s received seven Grammy Awards, his original talent in his solo work doesn’t always shine through.

After being criticized for his work with Robin Thicke in “Blurred Lines,” Pharrell first intended to make this album simply an apology to women, the album has much surpassed a simple “sorry.”

Pharrell opens the album with the song “Marilyn Monroe,” a tune where he critiques the expectations for women in

society and sings the lyric, “I just want a different girl.” Even if one is not interested in the words, the upbeat, catchy tunes will catch the ears of anyone looking for good music.

The album also features a few different artists collaborations including some with Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, and of course Daft Punk. Pharrell and Justin Timberlake’s styles seemed to mix very well on their track “Brand New,” together the duo create a cheerful and sweet ballad with their own unique twist.

Some tracks even make one nostalgic for some of Pharrell’s classic oldies.

Pharrell and Daft Punk have quite possibly the best contrast of musical styles

By Paris Close Editor-in-Chief

Culture Editor Abigale Racine

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

lifts us all up with the help of Alicia Keys, telling women: “Live life on the edge, do what you need until every woman on the earth is free.”

Williams mixes his gift of producing music with his sweet talking and sassy, yet playfully positive lyrics, especially in his most popular song “Happy.”

He ends the album in classic Pharrell style with his song “It Girl,” where the artist brings out his most fun side leaving each girl out there wondering why Pharrell seems far too good to be true; after all he doesn’t even age.

If any of us were offended by his words in “Blurred Lines,” we have probably forgotten about it all by the end of his carefully crafted 10 tracks.

Finest in Show

Lea Michele shatters Glee image with Louder If you ever had any doubts about whether those Glee characters could actually stand a chance at making it as solo artists in the real world, then allow Lea Michele’s breakout album Louder to put them all to rest.

While you’re probably more used to seeing the Bronx-native and actress belting out signature Barbra Streisand tunes as Rachel Berry on Fox’s hit TV series, it’s time you get acquainted with Michele the songstress.

Even though the move from the big screen to the big stage can be a rocky one, it’s no wonder why Michele makes an effortless transition as a pro singer, and she has the resume to back up those powerful chops of hers.

If you’re still feeling out of the loop, Michele was once a renowned Broadway actress, having been cast in plays such as: COURTESY COLUMBIA RECORDS Les Miserables, Ragtime and has played the lead role of Wendla The cannonball: Glee star Lea Michele has a powerful presence on her debut album. in Spring Awakening back in 2006. love this light-hearted, upbeat So,” a song rumored to be about Now, taking a break from record from Michele’s debut the loss of her beloved beau, being everyone’s favorite Glee feature. and co-star, Cory Monteith, who star, Michele’s living her dreams Keeping up the pace and passed away last July. to the fullest and taking her rhythm is the third wonder on Not only does Michele pay chance as a real competitor with her record, “Burn With You,” a an awesome tribute to the late the release of her debut fulltune sparked with passion and Monteith, but you can almost length album Louder, a record love as Michele risks everything sense the tears welling in her that covers the ups and downs for the one she loves. In the eyes as she sings the painful lyrof being a megastar and of latter, the singer belts out the ics: “And I can’t get away from course, love and the power of cherishing lyrics: “I don’t wanna the burning pain, I lie awake/ love. go to Heaven, if you’re going to And the fallen hero haunts my Kicking of the record is Hell/ I will burn with you.” thoughts, how could you leave “Cannonball,” a triumphant One of Michele’s most me this way?” record that proves Michele is unique traits, aside from her After listening to the record, not willing to let any opportubrilliant voice, is how well she’s Michele’s Louder pretty much nity go to waste, as she sings the able to connect with a song, validates what we already knew powerful chorus: “I got this new emotionally. This is also no about the singer: that she’d be a beginning and I will fly/ I’ll fly surprise, as Michele’s practiserious contender in the world like a cannonball.” cally been coached in being able of music. If you were ever lookMichele’s voice certainly to channel a deeper spirit from ing to hear the more playful and carries the force of a cannonball within from all of those songs personal side of Michele, you’ll but what really get listeners she’s performed for Glee. definitely be in for a treat with going is “On My Way.” If ever This sentimental touch is the singer’s first album. want a totally awesome tune to deliberately felt on “If You Say dance and sing along to, you’ll

and compliment each other very well.

Daft Punk brings their futuristic style, collaborating with Pharrell’s classic and bubbly sound on “Gust of Wind.”

Sure to be a personal favorite, “Lost Queen,” starts out a little slow, with a good rhythm and turns into a catchy, romantic, but easy to love tune. The song, which lasts eight minutes in total transitions into a slower pace keeping you hooked up until the beat finally subsides.

Pharrell charms us all with his sweet talking and genius background music, if any of us were offended by his past we could almost certainly forgive him for the great work he put into this album. Ending with phrases like “individuality is better,” Pharrell is sure to turn many attitudes in a short amount of time.

It doesn’t hurt that he knows what he is doing on the musical side. Not only does Pharrell show us his sweeter side in that track, he

Students hone their artistic talents for on-campus gallery

By Cait Hilton Staff Writer Th r ough Mar ch 28, th e A q uinas Student A r t Sh ow will be displayed in th e A MC. Th e galler y is f illed with impr essive studen t wor k r an ging a lar ge var iety of mediums an d tech niq ues.

J un ior s Emilie VanDuin en an d J ade Chaves collabor ated in cr eatin g “Natur e in the R oun d Ser ies,” wh ich used six wor ks, f r amed separ ately, but belon ging togeth er , to depict dif f er en t scen es in natur e. Th e scenes displayed in each f r ame wer e abstr act, color f ul, an d beautif ully played of f of on e anoth er .

VanDuin en an d Chaves captur ed natur e’ s con tr asted, yet compar able per sonality, aesth etically on paper .

Displayed in th e A MC is also jun ior , Mar k Nelson’ s piece, “Sh ar on ”. H is oil pain ting on canvas br in gs to lif e th e f ace of a woman with gr eat textur e and color . His use of visible br ush str okes deman ds th e attention of viewer s, wh ile playin g with con tr astin g color s - gr een and pur ple, f ur th er emphasize the appeal of th e woman’ s extr avagan t smile.

Nelson does a gr eat job of celebr atin g h is own wor k, but also th e per sonality of h is subject: Shar on.

Senior Dale Domer also cr eated a por tr ait with oil pain ting, titled Wor k in Pr ogr ess.

Domer’ s piece is position ed in line with many other skillf ul self por tr aits and bar es str iking r esemblan ce to th e ar tist himself , but is n ever dir ectly

Phone (616) 632-2975

r ef er r ed to as a self por tr ait. No matter the subject, their body lan guage an d th e painting’ s con tr ast of ligh t an d dar k chilling color s at on ce leave viewer s enr aptur ed but also un easy.337 A mon g the collection , J essica Wycof f ’ s stonewar e and por celain constr uctions stand tall, th in, and allur in g. A viewer could study each of the th r ee pieces intently f or q uite some time, in or der to get a gr asp on all of th e small, textur ed details. Th e same developmen t of detail could be appr eciated in sophomor e, R ach el Dor mal’ s study of anatomy in ch ar coal.

Her dr awing captur es a n atur ally posed h uman body an d emphasizes th e f ine elements of th e subject’ s legs an d f eet.

Th e A q uinas College A r t Depar tmen t is f looded with talented an d impr essive students.

Fr om cer amics to oil pain tin g, f r om char coal to pr intmakin g, each wor k of ar t is aesthetic an d intr iguin g.

To suppor t th e ar tists an d enjoy th e wor k of the Student A r t Sh ow, visit the A MC dur ing galler y h our s: Monday th r ough Th ur sday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m..

Fr iday: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., an d Satur day an d Sunday: 2 to 6 p.m.

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

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Detroit Red Wings: Fourth in Eastern Conference.

Adreian Payne: Touches the hearts of thousands.

Redskins Foundation: Plans to offer aid overseas.

WHAT TO WATCH

The Detroit Red Wings are currently ranked fourth in the Eastern Conference behind the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Montreal Canadiens. The Detroit Red Wings post an overall record of 33-24. With only 10 regular season games left, the Red Wings better get serious if they want to get somewhere.

Michigan State senior basketball player Adreian Payne has made national news as videos and stories of his friendship with 8-year-old cancer-stricken Lacey Holsworth surfaced. Payne treats Holsworth like his little sister and constantly visits her. He even carried her out onto the court on senior night.

The Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation celebrates heritage and continues to give back, with four-month Redskins owner Dan Snyder visiting tribal reservations across the country. Snyder said that the foundation has helped distribute more than 3,000 winter coats to several tribes already.

The Aquinas men’s tennis team is off to an amazing start. With a record of 14-1, the Saints show no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

With a little less than a month of the season left, the Saints still have time to excel. The team only has two home matches left which will be held today and Saturday, March 29.

March is madness alyssa frese |sports editor March Madness is easily one of my favorite times of the sporting year. The insanity, the brackets, the betting…What’s not to love? Growing up, March Madness was a sort of holiday to me. After school let out, I would run down to my neighbors’ house where my dad and all his buddies would be watching the games every afternoon. I went down there pretty much for the food.

There were beef sticks and dips, the usual tailgating necessities. I would fill out a bracket every year also with the help of my dad. Usually I chose which team I would want to win based off of how cool the name sounded or what the colors of their teams were. I would like to think I have gotten a little wiser since then.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the simplicity of March Madness when I was a young child. I just loved seeing my dad get riled up when his teams would lose and all the men he watched the games with would get so intense because of the money they had thrown into the pot. Since coming to college, I have come to experience March Madness a little differently. I mean after all, the guys that are playing ball are the same age or younger than me.

This year since I am a Resident Assistant, my floor partner and I decided to do our own pool on our floor. This has actually made me excited as the past couple of years the NCAA Tournament has been forgotten due to my busy schedule. I have actually made time and have had the opportunity to watch a few games this year. This is the first time this has happened in about five years. I didn’t even watch the championship game last year. Embarrassing, I know. Being the native Iowan I am, I wanted Iowa to prove everyone wrong and go far in the tournament. Well, after Iowa embarrassed themselves against Tennessee right away, I knew that dream was out the window. So that meant I had to choose a new team.

Sticking to my roots, I am cheering for Iowa State all the way. In their amazing win against the North Carolina Tarheels, the Cyclones wowed me and thousands of viewers nationwide. The Cyclones aren’t the only surprising team in the running. When Dayton beat Ohio State in the first round, fans were in shock and aware that this was just the beginning of all the amazing upsets that have occurred in this year’s tournament.

I personally love a good upset and this tournament has been full of them. The “sweet sixteen” is a compilation of teams that many overlooked or didn’t think would have a chance at all. I have to also root for Michigan State. Ever since hearing senior Adreian Payne’s story about his friendship with eight-year old cancer-stricken patient Lacey Holsworth, I have been in love. The videos posted on the Internet were enough to make me sob incoherently for a good ten minutes. It’s not every day you see a class act like Payne who is so dedicated to this young girl. He considers her to be his sister and even carried her onto court with him when he was recognized on senior night. The story of Payne and Holsworth is one of the most inspirational things I have heard in a long time.

Michigan State… Iowa State….

Although it would be ideal if either of these teams win, I can’t say I’d be mad if it ended up the opposite. I never can get too competitive over March Madness just because the thrill of the games is so much.

One never knows what’s going to happen. I love how a sixteen seed could upset a one seed. Not knowing how each team is going to perform is what makes March Madness so popular in American society. We love the mystery. We love the thrill, the losses and the upsets. I can’t wait to see who ends up in the final four, the championship and best of all, who will be the winner?

Aquinas men’s tennis

Detroit Tigers Spring Training

By Veronica Burns The Saint Reporter Fans are travelling all the way to Lakeland, Florida where the Tigers are preparing for the regular season.

New manager Brad Ausmus was chosen, and with player changes such as the trading of Prince Fielder took place at the end of last season. The Tigers haven’t won the World Series since 1984. ESPN reported back in November that, “The Detroit Tigers hired the 44-year-old former catcher to replace Jim Leyland at the helm of the three-time defending AL Central champions. Ausmus has little managerial experience, and the Tigers will entrust him with a talented roster that is expected to keep right on winning.”

Injuries have been affecting many of the players on the team, including: Bruce Rondon who is going to need Tommy John surgery (a surgical procedure in which a healthy tendon extracted from an arm or leg and is used to replace an arm’s torn ligament), Jose Iglesias, with stress fractures in both shins, and Andy Dirks who is recovering from back surgery.

The lineup has changed, which has moved Austin Jackson, center

fielder, who was a regular to be the first to hit last season, has been moved further down the list. Jackson has had an impressive start at spring training with according to ESPN saying his averages include, “(.442/.478/.767), with only four strikeouts in 46 plate appearances” and also saying,”…but it’s Avila (.263/.364/.316) whom Ausmus singled out as being a pivotal figure in the construction of this lineup.”So far in the Florida Grapefruit League it is listed on the League’s website that as of March 21st that the Tigers had 12 wins, 10 losses, and an average of .545. This places them behind (and in order of standing) The Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Verlander has pitched 13.2 innings so far in Spring Training. This includes letting seven hits, four base on balls, no runs, and has an average so far of (.159). Scherzer’s season has included pitching 20 innings with 16 hits and nine runs. The Tigers are looking to have a great season, with help from fan favorite Miguel Cabrera who has Spring Training hitting average of (.359). Opening Day is scheduled for March 31.

Aquinas softball The Saints hold an 8-7 record as season starts

>> Men’s tennis

The Saints hold 14-1 record this season

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

Swing: Senior Nikita Artaev returns the ball to his opponent during home action this season.

By Alyssa Frese Sports Editor The Aquinas College men’s tennis team is off to a phenomenal start this season. With an overall record of 14-1, the Saints are nearly unstoppable show no signs of slowing down. Over Spring Break, the Saints traveled to Orlando, Florida where they played seven games. For the first three games, the Saints went 9-0, completely sweeping their competition. Their fourth match was not as easily won but nonetheless the Saints pulled off the win 5-4.

The Saints then won their next three matches 9-0, 8-1 and 9-0. The Saints lost their last match in Orlando 5-4 in a very close competition against Wesleyan. “Spring Break was a ton of fun.

We played well down in the heat and the weather was fantastic,” said senior Aaron Hendrick. “Our team grew a lot closer from the trip and I would say it was very successful.”

Since returning from Spring Break, the men’s tennis team has already played three matches. The first was against Grand Valley State on March 19. The Saints won 5-4 in a very close competition. Hendrick and senior Nik Artaev as well as sophomore Kristoff Saari and freshman

Gunnar Peery beat their opponents in the singles competition. Artaev and Hendrick also beat their opponents in the doubles competition. “This season, for me, as a freshman, has been a great experience. We’ve only had one loss on the year plus we just beat Grand Valley the other day, so we’ve been pretty successful so far,” said Peery. “Our schedule gets pretty tough soon though so we’ve still got a lot ahead of us.”

The Saints played against St. Francis, Illinois on March 21 and Cardinal Stritch on March 22. The Saints went 9-0 against both teams. The Saints have a lot of strengths and are in a good spot this season but there is always room for minor improvements. “The season is going great. We have high expectations every year, so even though we have started off well, we are still hungry for the rest of the season,” said Hendrick. “We have to remain focused, especially when we begin conference play. Our conference has some nationally ranked teams, so we have to be prepared to play.” The Saints will play today, March 26, against Lake Erie College.

Saints’ baseball heats up in Florida COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

Focus: Sophomore shortstop Irma Cruz prepares to field the ball for the Saints.

By Alyssa Frese Sports Editor The Aquinas women’s softball team has already had quite a season.

With their past four games being canceled due to weather, the Saints are itching to get back out on the field.

The Saints traveled to Tucson, Arizona over Spring Break where they played 15 games. The Saints broke were successful as they won 8 of the 15 games that they played. The Saints won their first three games against Judson and Purdue- North Central played over Spring Break, 5-4, 10-7, and 5-4. After those games, the Saints lost four straight games against Great Falls, Robert Morris, Dakota Wesleyan and Park.

“We really need to work on playing a complete game. We always come out strong but sometimes we start to coast late in the game,” said senior Rebecca Shineldecker. “We need to push intensity every inning so we don’t get beat getting lazy late in the game.”

The Saints then won their next two games against Jamestown and Dordt, 4-3 and 6-3, junior Sadie Stowell scored two runs for their Saints in the first game and sophomore Lexi Popma and junior Kala Foerster each scored a run for the Saints. In the second game against Dordt, senior Emily Corning, junior Chelsea McWain, sophomores Sports Editor Alyssa Frese

Olivia Hrymak, Irma Cruz and Jenn Woolard, and freshman Mallory Warner each put up a run for The Saints.

The Saints then lost their next game 12-2 but came back and won the next three.

In their game against Peru State, the Saints went 15-7. Foerster and Corning put up three runs each for the Saints while Stowell and Hrymak each put up two runs. Popma, Woolard, Cruz, senior Torie Lowe and sophomore Olivia Platte all put up one run apiece for the Saints. The Saints then went 2-0 against Briar Cliff and 3-0 against Baldwin Wallace. Cruz and McWain put up runs for the Saints against Briar Cliff while Stowell, Warner, and Hrymak put up runs for the Saints against Baldwin Wallace. The Saints then lost their last two games in their Spring Break run against Concordia and Dickenson State. The Saints are determined to come back stronger than ever after this Spring Break run.

“A strength we have in our team is our leadership. We have a great group of 5 seniors who do a very good job leading the team and pushing the underclassmen,” said Shineldecker. “Arizona was a good start to the season and it gave us a good opportunity to see what we need to work on for the rest of the season.”

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

By Alyssa Frese Sports Editor The Aquinas men’s baseball team is starting off with a winning record. Posting an overall record of 8-7, the Saints are hungry for victory. The Saints started off their season in Florida over Spring Break where they competed in fourteen games. The Saints first played St. Xavier on March 9 in a double header and won both games. However, the next day, the Saints lost both of their games against Trinity Christian and Clarke.

These losses did not discourage the Saints, however. On March 11, the Saints split their doubleheader against Trinity Christian.

The next day, the Saints once again faced Trinity Christian, dominating them 12-1.

Junior Colin Brand scored three times while senior Kenneth Hartger, junior Brad Slis, and freshman Ryan Ramsey each scored twice for the Saints. Seniors Taylor Pawlanta and Jimmy McDonagh and junior Brendan Penny also scored for the Saints.

The Saints then went 3-4 in their last seven games played in Florida.

“We played tough competition in Florida and came back to Grand

Phone (616) 632-2975

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

Rapids with above .500 record, which we were happy with,” said senior Jake Ritsema. “We need to work on is executing on offense when we have runners in scoring position, and also have to play ‘small-ball’ by bunting and putting the ball in play because of the cold weather throughout March and most likely April.”

The Saints have been having rough luck with the weather, having two games cancelled and four more postponed since coming back from Spring Break. On March 20, the Saints split in a doubleheader against Cornerstone University. The Saints lost the first game 7-2, but won the second 5-4. In the first game, junior Greg Chulski scored twice for the Saints. Penny, Pawlanta, Slis, senior Kyle Orlowski and sophomore Justen Caudill also scored for the Saints.

In the second game, McDonagh scored twice and Penny, Pawlanta, and Hartger each scored as well. “Our strengths are our team chemistry and our defense behind our pitching,” said Ritsema. “Our pitching staff is trying to overcome a couple injuries, but our pitching will determine how well we do.” The Saints play a doubleheader Saturday, March 29 at Siena Heights.

8

SPORTS

THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

Senior Alisa Skluzacek is a star on and off the field

Women’s lacrosse The Saints hold their ground as the season progesses

By Alyssa Frese Sports Editor

COURTESY ALISA SKLUZACEK

Defense: Senior Alisa Skluzacek plays defense for the Saints in home field action. Skluzacek will return for the 2014-2015 academic year to achieve her degree in Elementary Education.

By Alyssa Frese Sports Editor For many students, playing a sport and excelling in academics proves to be a difficult task. Senior Alisa Skluzacek, however, makes it look all too easy. After being a fivesport varsity athlete in high school, Skluzacek knows all too well about balance and time management. She played soccer, lacrosse, ran cross country, track and swam. Although Skluzacek enjoyed playing all of these sports, lacrosse is the only one she could see herself competing in at the collegiate level. “I started playing lacrosse my freshman year of high school because it didn’t conflict with my track schedule and I wanted another sport to play,” said Skluzacek.

After playing lacrosse that year, Skluzacek fell in love with the sport and continued to play it throughout her high school career. When it came time to choose a college, Skluzacek originally received a letter of intent to play at a Division Two school in Kentucky.

However, at the time in which Skluzacek was deciding to play, the Aquinas coach kept contacting her father and her. “He was very persistent,” said Skluzacek. After some pushing from her father, Skluzacek decided to visit Aquinas her senior year of high school. “The moment I came to campus I absolutely loved it.

The lacrosse team was like a sisterhood and that was something I really appreciated and I knew

that I could look forward to,” said Skluzacek. “The academics also really were something that drew me to Aquinas.”

Because of her dad’s initiative to visit Aquinas, Skluzacek found her niche and hasn’t regretted it since. Skluzacek credits her dad as her biggest influence in her lacrosse career as well. “My dad is the most supportive person. I broke my foot freshman year and even though I wasn’t going to be playing, my dad still showed up to my first college game,” said Skluzacek. “It just says a lot when he is willing to drive four hours to just go with me to my doctor’s appointment and cheer for the team I wasn’t able to play on because of my injury.”

Besides her dad, Skluzacek also credits her teammates as a reason why she loves playing at Aquinas so much. Her teammates feel the exact same way about her. “Alisa is one of the kindest, most caring and hardest working people that I have ever met,” said sophomore teammate Iris Bannon. “She is a leader on and off of the field. She has been there for me during tough times and she would be willing to sacrifice her time for others on any day of the week. Alisa is a well-rounded person who gives 110% in everything that she does.”

Sophomore teammate Anne Morrow added, “Alisa is so athletic and has the drive that every player should have in any sport. Not just sports, but life. She is a go getter and I know she will be so successful in any atmosphere she faces. She

is always a face you can count on to bring you up when you get down on yourself or your team. She’s someone I trust on and off the field. Alisa will be missed a great deal next year.”

With such a great support system of teammates behind her, Skluzacek is able to thrive in the classroom as well. She is pursuing a major in Elementary education with an endorsement in learning disabilities and a double minors in Mathematics and Reading. Originally from the Chicago area, Skluzacek has no interest staying in the Grand Rapids area post-graduation. Ideally, she is looking for a new adventure. “I’m really looking into doing service and teaching on a Native American Reservation,” said Skluzacek. “I would also really like to go abroad. Wherever the wind takes me is where I’ll go. I’m ready for new experiences.

Although this is her last season playing for Aquinas, Skluzacek isn’t sad, but excited. “I love playing lacrosse for Aquinas because of the small school aspect. Everyone supports you. Three of my professors came to my game last weekend. People come up to me in my classes and tell me ‘good game last night’. All of the amazing support is appreciated and makes me excited to play,” said Skluzacek.

Skluzacek will graduate next May with her degree in education after she finishes her student teaching.

Th e A q uinas women ’ s lacr osse team is 4- 3 so f ar this season. The Sain ts played th eir f ir st two games of th e season in Chicago, Illin ois again st R ober t Mor r is an d Dubuq ue. Th e Sain ts f ell to R ober t Mor r is in a close game with a f inal scor e 12- 10.

J un ior A lexa Bur n s put in th r ee goals f or the Saints and senior Bailey Ter ebinski an d f r eshman Hann ah Cr osby each scor ed two goals. Senior s Mikela Caser ia an d Taylor Tr uttschel and junior Meagh an Far r ell each put in a goal as well.

In their game again st Dubuq ue, th e Saints won 20- 5.

Th e Sain ts dominated on ce again in their next game on Mar ch 12 at Lawr ence Tech, win nin g 21- 7.

Top per f or mer s f or th e Saints wer e Ter ebinski with f ive goals an d Bur n s and Cr osby with f our goals apiece. Fr esh man J enn y A dams also put in th r ee goals f or th e Saints.

“I believe th at we have lots of potential to do r eally well th is year ,”said sophomor e A n ne Mor r ow.

Soph omor e Ir is Ban non added, “We have lots of new f r eshmen, new f aces on th e f ield an d a f r esh set of ideas. We have been able to over come man y disappointments an d obstacles togeth er both on and of f the f ield.

I don’ t know what I would h ave done with out these gir ls by my side this semester .”

A f ter th eir game against Lawr en ce Tech, th e Sain ts played In diana Tech and lost 2218. In th is game, Cr osby put in nin e goals f or the Sain ts.

Men’s lacrosse is on fire

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

Saved: Junior Jimmy Watt looks to get rid of the ball after he makes an impressive save for the Saints this season.

By Alyssa Frese Sports Editor The men’s lacrosse team has started this season off quite well.

With an overall record of 5-1, the Saints are in a much better place than past seasons. The Saints started off their season on March 2 against Oakland. The Saints beat the Grizzlies 18-6. Top scorers for the Saints in this match-up were junior Zack Brancheau with five goals and junior Grant Holloway with four goals.

After their Oakland match-up, the Saints left for their spring break trip.

The Saints played three games over spring break, winning two and losing one. Their first game was against Wofford on March 9 in which they dominated 22-4. Top performers in this match-up for the Saints were Holloway with five goals and junior Jake Auyer with three goals. In their second game over spring break against

UNC Charlotte, the Saints lost 12-9 in a game that remained very close for the majority of the time played. In their third and final game of spring break, the Saints beat Davidson 129. Top performers in this match-up were Holloway and sophomore Ryan Ruschmann who scored four goals apiece. “Our team is filled with fast and strong players. I think that we do well at the face off game, and we have good chemistry,” said freshman Gerrit Boone. Freshman Nate Cantin added, “We are much closer this year than last year, we have a lot more talent this year on the team and overall, we are building as a solid team” In their two most recent games, the Saints were victorious against Wheaton with a 17-5 win and UM Dearborn with a 13-3 win. Top scorers in the Wheaton match-up were junior Tim Hansen with four goals and Ruschmann, Holloway, Brancheau, Sports Editor Alyssa Frese

and sophomore Jack VanWieren with two goals apiece. Top scorers for the UM Dearborn match-up were Holloway with five goals and Auyer and sophomore Will Comai with two goals apiece. The Saints are on fire and have a lot of talent to show off this season.

“Our team is playing a much more cohesive style of play this year. We graduated few and returned almost the entire starting lineup adding in integral freshman,” said sophomore Austin Phillips.

“Our offense is playing incredibly well.

Jimmy and Alec are the best goalies around.”

Just like any other athletic team, however; there are always improvements that can be made. “Our patience on offense needs to be better,” said Boone. “We need to focus in practice and concentrate our shot placement.”

Sophomore Chris Rowe added, “We can always improve on our physical aspect. Lift more and get stronger.” The Saints play next on Saturday, March 29 at Lourdes.

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

Phone (616) 632-2975

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

“We could wor k on our communication on the f ield. I th ink th is is someth ing that can set you apar t f r om oth er teams,” said Mor r ow. “G ood commun ication stands out.”

Th e Saints th en played O livet on Mar ch 18 an d domin ated 20- 6. Top per f or mer s f or th e Sain ts wer e Bur n s, A dams, and sen ior A bby Lux with f our goals apiece. A f ter comin g of f such a successf ul win again st O livet, th e Sain ts wer e h ighly disappoin ted with th eir game against Davenpor t on Mar ch 20. Th e Sain ts lost 23- 9.

“The team will be r unn ing a new def ense and is wor kin g on makin g adjustmen ts to which player s and playin g which position s,” said Bann on . “We ar e tr ying to f ind th e best possible f it f or ever yone.”

In th eir most r ecen t game against Lour des th is past Satur day, th e Sain ts boun ced back f r om th e Daven por t game an d tr iumphed with a 19- 2 victor y.

Top per f or mer s f or the Saints in th is game wer e f r eshman Dani Br odber g an d Cr osby with thr ee goals apiece.

Th e Sain ts ar e comin g togeth er as a team q uite nicely as th e season pr ogr esses. “O ur str en gth s as a team ar e def in itely our knowledge of the game, but we ar e still ver y coach able an d f lexible,” said Mor r ow.

Th e Saints f ace of f ton ight at Siena H eights U niver sity.