Callin Cherry | 6
The Existence of Aliens Saint Reporter Natalie Przybyla gets you filled into the realization that we are not alone.
theSaint
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Wednesday, March 25, 2015 Volume 34, Issue 10
Don’t believe us, just watch.
Into the Rewild
>>NEWS Women & Environment | 2
Staff Writer Darcy Vines tells us about the relationship between women and the environment
Recounting Nazi Camps | 3
Saint Reporter Carlos Hernandez reviews the story of a Polish doctor’s experience in the Nazi Camps
>>CULTURE Speldors of Shiga | 5
Saint Reporter Becca Walzak reviews Frederik Meijer Gardens latest exhibit
Cinderella | 6
Saint Reporter Lane Hokanson reviews the live action Disney classic Cinderella
>>SPORTS Mitch Ringer | 7 Sports Editor Taylor Hodges spotlights AQ LAX player Mitch Ringer in this issue’s Athlete Spotlight Women’s LAX | 8
Saint Reporter Mitch Ringer gets you up to speed on AQ Women’s Lacrosse season so far
AQ community to take part in conserving nature and the life it provides By Liz Ptaszynski The Saint Reporter As the snow begins to melt, we are once again joined by the infamous Aquinas squirrels, the green grass, and the buzzing insects, and are reminded that spring is coming. Seeing these bright things we remember how important all living creatures are. Human or not, these creatures have a rightful place in our community. Though the concept may seem simple, it’s often a hard one to grasp. For those who wish to know more, however, Aquinas college along with several clubs such as SAC, Keeping Bees, EPIC, Tri-Betta, and Insignis are sponsoring an event called Rewild!: Protecting All Life. The event will take place on Saturday, April 11, from 1-4:30 p.m in the Wege Ballroom, and will include a range of topics to help further explain the important role these living things play in our community and ways that we can help them. The discussion will house five speakers, including Dr. Michelle Loyd-Paige, Executive Associate to the President for Diversity and Inclusion at Calvin college; Philosophy Professor at Hope College, Gregory Basset; Aquinas’ own President and Founder of Keeping Bees, Jamie Lee Sansone; Associate Professor of Art and Design at Grand Valley, Brett Colley, and book author of Rewilding Our Hearts and founder with Jane Goodall of Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Marc Bekoff. The topics mentioned will be a review on animal care and veganism, and general ethics of the human treatment of non-humans through a Christian perspective. There will also be a talk on the misconceptions
Poverty Close to Home Leadership Week concludes with an interactive poverty simulation for AQ students By Maggie Conroy The Saint Reporter On February 28, the Center for D i ve r s i t y a n d I n c l u s i o n t e a m e d up with Campus Ministry and Residence life to host a poverty simulation workshop through A c c e s s o f We s t M i c h i g a n . T h e simulation was a part of Aquinas’ Leadership Plunge program and the conclusion of Leadership Week. Latoya Booker, Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, said, “Our goal in working with Access to coordinate this training at Aquinas was to provide an opportunity for our student leaders to engage issues of social class, a topic about which many of us hold negative stereotypes.” The Wege ballroom was set up to create a neighborhood setting. When students arrived, they were instructed to sit in one of the various groups of two to four chairs, preferably with students they did not know as well. These groups later became their “families” for the evening. The families ranged from single-mother homes with toddlers to elderly, retired couples. Each group received an envelope containing their identity and responsibilities for the evening. Once all was set, the simulation began. The simulation consisted of four fifteen-minute periods or ‘weeks’ meant to mimic one month i n p o v e r t y. I n t h e s e s e g m e n t s , families had to travel to different locations like the grocery store, medical clinic, pawn shop, and financial aid offices to tend to their family. Although these are just as much the obligations of, say, a stable middle class family, Access made sure to create an environment filled with the trials of hardship in impoverished
Grand Rapids Griffins | 7
quarters. Families received reports o f d r i ve - b y s h o o t i n g s a n d we r e ordered not to leave their homes. Because they could not leave to go to work or pay a bill, the family would fall deeper into debt or behind on their dues. The lesson nearly everyone learned the hard wa y wa s t o k e e p yo u r r e c e i p t s . The reported incidents of fraud resulted in the eviction of nearly everyone from their homes and an overfull of people in the homeless shelter. By the time the hour was up, nearly all of the participants had lost their homes and had a dollar to their name, if that much. Though the simulation was meant to show students the challenges of a life in poverty, it was difficult to not see it as game. Access forewarned that the time constraints and role-playing have a tendency to create light of these matters and we should do our best to take t h i n g s s e r i o u s l y. F o l l o w i n g t h e simulation, there was a small group reflection that brought the darkness out. Participants solemnly reflected on the magnitude of the challenges and many shared their o w n e x p e r i e n c e s w i t h p o v e r t y. Not only did the simulation allow partakers to sympathize with the destitution of the lower class, it left a feeling of gratefulness in everyone. “Our hope was that students who attended would be more sensitive to the needs of people who come from low income families and aware of how complex the barriers t h i s p o p u l a tio n fac e s truly are ” further stated Booker. Ms. Booker, your hopes were fulfilled. Not one of the p a r t i c i p a n t s wa l k e d o u t o f t h e room feeling anything but immense appreciation for their life and opportunity.
COURTESY PBS.ORG
In Touch with Nature: Marc Bekoff serves as the co-founder of Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. of animal movements and the things we can do together to help. Though the event’s main focus is on the protection of animals, there will also be talk on conservation and the effect that the consumption of animal products has on the psychology of humans and the environment. Later on, Marc Bekoff will lead a discussion session where attendees are open to ask questions and speak of concerns that they might have. The sponsors hope that the event a p p e a l s t o p e o p l e ’s c o m p a s s i o n and encourages them to make better choices in their lives that will contribute to making the lives of
animals better. “Animal problems are really human problems. because it is humans who cause their problems which means it is within our power to solve them,” said Aquinas alumnus and mathematics professor, Nate Poirier about the importance of the event. R e w i l d ! w i l l g i ve yo u a n e w perspective on how you view animals and will persuade you to join the movement. In addition to a great conversation, this event will also offer free vegan food for those who would like to try it. Put on by the Humanities
Department, Rewild! is a great opportunity for those who care about animals and have a cultural event that they must fulfil. If you wish to attend and contribute to the discussion please RSVP to Nathan Poirier at poirinat@aquinas.edu. Rewild! is sure to be a great event and one that you will remember. If you have something to add to the movement of animal protection, come along and meet with likeminded individuals and voice your concerns.
The Man Behind the Uniform
Kevin Kwiatkowski’s journey from student to the Director of Campus Safety By Mayra Monroy Editor-in-Chief No one quite knows the ins and outs of Aquinas College like Kevin Kwiatkowski does. The Director of Aquinas College Campus Safety makes his career about the protection of this campus. Whether it’s a 3 a.m. residence hall smoke out due to burnt popcorn, or a gunman heisting his way through campus, Kwiatkowski is the man to call. Through his twenty-plus years of walking Aquinas’ paths, Kwiatkowski knows and has what it takes to protect students from the outside dangers…and often times one another. “My job is to keep the campus safe,” says Kwiatkowski. “Whatever we can do to improve the [students’] safety is my goal.” With Campus Safety offering students services such as escorts on and around campus after hours, jump-starting cars and key-ins, students and faculty alike can feel safe and secure on campus. Vast improvements over a variety of systems that notify students through social media, email and often times intercom. They also have a working relationship and liaison with the Grand Rapids Police Department, an important aspect of living in a larger city. “Kevin, in reality, has done quite a lot of things,” says Zenon Cardenas, Campus Safety’s Leading Dispatcher. “…the movement from where we were technology-wise [in past years] to where we are right now. We’ve gone and integrated our system into the college’s. We’re a more community-based system.” Kwiatkowski has been the Director of Campus Safety since 2009. Prior to that, he was a supervisor in the office and an Aquinas alumnus. With a spike in recent crimes as of late, both on campus and in the surrounding Grand Rapids community, Kwiatkowski and his team are preparing to execute more policies and examine in depth the cause and effect of these crimes.
COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS
Safety First: Kevin Kwiatkowski has held the position of Director of Aquinas College Campus Safety since 2009. The Crisis Emergency Team consists of four members, in which Kwiatkowski is one of them. The team assesses and reacts to crises and emergencies that happen on campus around the clock. A key trait about Kwiatkowski? His calm demeanor in spite of crisis. “Even at 3 a.m, Kevin has the same calm disposition that he has during daylight hours. He is a calming presence on campus and a very caring person,” says Brian Matzke, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs. “[Kwiatkowski] has a way to make you feel safe, while not being confrontational in nature.” Matzke has worked alongside Kwiatkowski for over fifteen years now. Handling campus crises and other emergencies, Matzke admires Kwiatkowski’s lead-by-example initiative. An important aspect for the safety of the students includes making sure that the bulk of them are safe when living on campus. Regina Hall, located central to campus, is surrounded by wooded area
and other vital buildings, such as the Cook Carriage House, Hruby Hall, and Holmdene, houses almost 300 students within its cinder block walls. Regina is one of the sixteen housing buildings on campus. Protecting students from intruders, robberies, and often times each other, Kwiatkowski works closely with Residence Life to protect the residential students. Students, however, aren’t always appreciative of Campus Safety. “It’s the way they carry themselves,” says a sophomore student at Aquinas, referring to the demeanor in which student officers working for Campus Safety handle situations. “When I first started I took it personally,” says Kwiatkowski. “It evolved into ‘I’m just doing my job’.” Handling students, emergencies, and daily life at Aquinas, Kwiatkowski anticipates a future with Campus Safety. With his career in Campus Safety, students and the community can rest easy knowing that Kwiatkowski is on the case.