The Saint :: Issue 10

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.

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015

Aquinas: AQ wins second place for Stanley Security competition

Michigan: 32nd annual Spectrum Health Irish Jig kicks off March 21

National: New Orleans International Airport machete attaker has died

World: German plane crash in the French Alps, no survivors expected

Stanley Security and Aquinas College were proud to announce the second place recipient award for the “Together for Safer Schools” Grant Program. The $25,000 grant will be used to provide AQ with Stanley Security technology.

The annual celebration took place on Saturday, honoring a patient who is overcoming colon cancer. Ken Dewey, 43, was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2014, and began chemotherapy the same month. Dewey stood on the sidelines to cheer on 70 Spectrum Health workers, 20 coworkers, and family and friends.

A man who was shot three times by a police officer, as he tried to attack two Transportation Security Agency workers at the airport of New Orleans, has died. Spreading fear on passengers and workers, Richard White, 63, was carrying a bag with six Molotov cocktails, a machete, and wasp spray at the airport’s security checkpoint.

Germanwings Airbus A320 travelling from Barcelona to Duesseldorf crashed into a mountainous zone in France on Tuesday. The passenger jet was carring 150 people. French President, Francois Hollande, warns the public that there are likely no survivors and rescue efforts could be delayed due to the mountain’s remoteness.

The Saint’s New Faces

anna musiyenko | news editor

I a m a l wa y s amused by how life can contain so much of ineffable beauty, potential and challenges at the same time. I truly believe with all my heart that people do not have limits or boundaries on their ways to happiness.

Passion and dedication to what I love are keys to my success.

Throughout my entire life, I have always been interested in mass media, news and the power of communication. As a kid, I would read tons of hard-copy newspapers, which my dad would bring home every day. World news, politics, economics, social events, sports and even celebrities’ gossip, I did not really care about the topic of articles I was reading.

I just loved the touch of the newspaper; I loved how writers could play with words and end up with the most unique and weird statements ever; I loved that I could almost physically feel new knowledge or sometimes trash information which was absorbed by my mind.

I always knew what I really wanted to do with my life—communicate with people.

That is why I almost had a heart attack when my parents tried to convinced me to become a lawyer in the Ukraine. I knew that it was a reliable and well-paid profession but it was also clear for me that I would lose myself, by practicing what I do not love.

My Aquinas family, I am so happy to announce that I am on the right track to my dream life. I am blessed to join the Saint, an awesome team of professional writers and just lovely people. Last fall I was offered to take a position of the News Editor, which I would share with my wonderful colleague, Chucky Blackmore.

I know that Fall 2015 will be tremendously different from everything I have ever experienced before in my life. But I believe that I am capable of challenging myself and breaking my own invisible boundaries.

Finally, I cannot finish my column without saying thank you to my charming News Editor, mentor, and friend Yasmeen Ahmed, who will for sure climb to very great heights in life.

chucky blackmore | news editor I’m going to open with a casual hello to all of you who may read this. It’s not every day that I am blessed to be part of a super fantastic news team like The Saint. Alongside my colleague and newfound confidant, Anna Musiyenko, I would like create a welcoming news setting that encapsulates both the community and the world. I hope to bring forth my unconditional love for caring and interacting with others, my love for the English language (in spite of its odd grammatical and spelling laws), and finally, my shameless love for The Beatles (“I Love Them, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah”).

Like many others entering college for the very first time, I had the darndest time figuring out what I wanted to do with my life.

Ironically enough, going to college was my way to avoid choosing a focus for a future career. I grew up with a very eclectic mindset--that is, I knew a little bit about a lot of things. How was I supposed to easily decide what I wanted to do when I had 40,000 potentials ideas to choose from?

I walked my way onto Aquinas’campus making it adamant that I was going to pursue music. I was sure of that. That quickly evolved into me wanting to try my hand at business... you know, work on my weaknesses. It only took one introduction class for me to realize that wasn’t my thing. Around the time I thought about giving up, I thought about something that connected me to all of these things that made up my being: interacting and caring for others, and further educating them on what they can do with the gifts they were born with.

In my sixth semester at Aquinas, I declared an English and Education major, complementing my minor, English as a Second Language. No matter who or what I decide to teach, I know I will make it a certain goal to educate those who might be in despair about their goals in life, much like how I perceived my own uncertain outcome.

My gratitude towards The Saint staff can’t be expressed even though the most eloquent of words. I hope that I can take what I learn from my position to further help those who desire the need to learn. Now, you beautiful people, go out and change someone’s life for the better, even if it’s a simple “Good day, sunshine.”

World News

Creating change for the better

GVSU’s Symposium inspires changes in environmental justice

By Darcy Vines Staff Writer

COURTESY WWW.WSJ.COM

EU summit in Brussels: Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tripras (center) discussed with Angela Merkel (right) a future of Greece in the Euro Zone.

By Yashowanto Ghosh Staff Writer EUROPEAN U N I O N — Ta l k s between newlyelected Greek Prime Minister Alexis Ts i p r a s , G e r m a n Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, and EU President Donald Tusk at the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday, March 19, resulted in a plan for Greece to remain solvent and stay in the Euro Zone, reports Reuter.

Ts i p r a s , w h i l e r u l i n g o u t n e w austerity measures, promised to submit a list of economic reforms, and to receive expects fresh funds after the reforms are approved by his country’s creditors.

IRAN — Negotiations in Lausanne, Switzerland, to limit Iran’s nuclear program broke off abruptly on Friday, March 20, when the Iranian delegation returned to Tehran upon the death of President Hassan Rouhani’s mother. The talks are expected to resume at the end of the following week. Delegations from the USA, the UK, Germany, France, Russia, and China are trying to reach an initial agreement by March 31, with a comprehensive agreement expected to be in force by the end of June.

I R AQ — I S I S r e l e a s e d photographs showing the apparent destruction of more historic sites on Thursday, March 19, this time in

Hamdaniya, northern Iraq, reports The Guardian. The new photographs show the complete destruction of what appears to be the Mar Benham tomb, which dated back to the fourth century and was maintained by the Syrian Orthodox church. In the recent past, ISIS has burnt thousands of ancient manuscripts in Mosul’s library, destroyed its museum, and bulldozed the ancient city of Nimrud.

TUNISIA — ISIS and other extremist groups claimed responsibility on Thursday, March 19, for the terrorist attack at the National Bardo Museum in capital city Tunis that killed 23 people, including 20 foreign tourists, on the previous day, reports The New York Times.

Two terrorists were killed during the attack, and Prime Minister Habib Essid said his government continues pursuing militants. Tunisia, where the Arab Spring started in the winter of 2010–2011, has been a democracy for four years.

YEMEN — ISIS affiliates claimed responsibility for suicide attacks on two mosques in capital city Sana’a on Friday, March 20, killing over 130 people, reports The New York Times. Both mosques were attended

by Zaidi Shiites, who are considered heretics by the Sunni ISIS; according to Al-Jazeera, the prominent Houthi cleric Imam al-Murtada bin Zayd alMahatwari was among those killed.

In a third attempted suicide attack at a mosque in northern Yemen, only the attacker was killed. These were the first ISIS attacks in Yemen, according to BBC News.

The fourth annual Women and the Environment Symposium at G r a n d Va l l e y State University’s downtown campus on February 25 proved to be not only an opportunity for students and professionals to network, but also an inspiring call to action for all who attended.

The event featured an introduction by Dr. Amy Dunham Strand, the head of the Jane Hibbard Idema Women’s Studies center, a panel discussion with four speakers from across the state, and a keynote address from Nikki Silvestri. Dr. Dunham Strand set the focus for the evening on intersections: those between women and change, social justice and the environment, and education, inspiration, and action.

The panel was composed of Lisa Oliver-King, the executive director of Our Kitchen Table; Guy Williams, the executive director of Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice; Jeremy Moore, the foundation and corporate relations director for Spectrum Health Foundation; and Belinda Bardwell, the project coordinator of the Gi-gikinomaagmin Native American Urban E x p e r i e n c e . T h e i r c o n ve r s a t i o n focu sed on wh a t en vir on ment al justice really entails.

“Our connection with Mother Earth is who we are,” said Bardwell, bringing the care of our environment and each other to a personal level.

“If more Americans knew the true history, you’d have a better understanding of where we come from. If you make one small change from here, it will become habit.”

Aside from our responsibility to not destroy our own surroundings, the panel discussed the fact that those who are impoverished and those who belong to minority groups are more likely to suffer from the effects of a

polluted, harmful environment.

“The ones with the least power to defend themselves are the ones who get hurt,” said Williams. “These outcomes are by design; the way our system is built guarantees these outcomes. To work on resilience means we have to redesign.”

After a brief break for small group conversations and networking, Silvestri began her address. For ten years, Silvestri has worked for social equity for those who are underrepresented, and brought attention to the flaws in public and environmental policy. She has worked as the executive director of Green for All, People’s Grocery, and has been featured everywhere from the Huffington Post to BET.com.

S i l ve s t r i d i s c u s s e d p r i v i l e g e extensively, whether it be white privilege, able privilege, wealthy privilege, or any other hegemonic group’s ability to affect change over minority groups.

“When one has privilege, any kind of privilege, and is uncomfortable, they can change it. Those without privilege can’t,” said Silvestri. “The privileged never have to worry about their coping mechanisms being labeled as dangerous.”

“Some serious reckoning has to be done in our environmental movement,” said Silvestri, bringing up the ideas of regime changes and truth commissions to make progress in cleaning up our environment.

“We’re not in chains, but we don’t have healthy food to eat and our people are in prison.”

At the end of her address, S i l ve s t r i c a l l e d f o r e ve r yo n e i n attendance to step up and take action, completing the intersection of education, inspiration, and action.

“Resource yourself and increase your capacity for discomfort, because it will be uncomfortable doing what you’re doing,” said Silvestri. “Part of owning your own complexity is owning your own struggle.”

“Leaders get crucified to support the whole,” said Silvestri. “We will get crucified more than not. But who do you want to be?”

Professor Spotlight

Dr. Thomas Bahl

By Abigale Racine Culture Editor Dr. Thomas Bahl is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for each and every class; three times a week for lecture and an additional lab course.

His personable demeanor is notable, but it is suspected that the stainless steel coffee mug present each class may be accountable for some of that energy.

Bahl openly admits his caffeine dependency to his BY-150 course, Human Biology.

What is the biology professor clad in those impeccable collared plaid shirts like?

Well, he is a Southerner at heart, a family man, a semi-retired marathon runner, a cockroach enthusiast, and a dog lover. His beagle-mix Boz is a rescue dog.

In his spare time, he enjoys watching the PBS series NOVA, American Horror Story, and House of Cards.

Also, his favorite ice cream flavor is Edy’s cappuccino with dark chocolate chip.

Bahl was born and raised in Salisbury, North Carolina.

“My seventh grade biology teacher inspired me,” he said. “She was my early inspiration and I always loved

ABIGALE RACINE//THE SAINT

Humerus: Biology professor Dr. Tom Bahl certainly has a funny bone- inside and outside of the lecture hall. animal shows.”

He expresses that he did not enjoy his high school years and he jumped at the chance to excel at a university.

“I couldn’t wait to go to college.

It was challenging, I attended a large university,” he said. “A liberal arts education is something unique and I hope that remains a focus for this college. I feel that is something people

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

need to remind themselves of.”

Bahl earned his Ph. D. in Neuroscience from Emory University, his M.S. in Zoology from The University of Georgia, and his B.S. in Biology from The Pennsylvania State University.

His main dissertation? The muscles of the one, the only, the invincible cockroach.

Bahl’s nickname, coined by former

Phone (616) 632-2975

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

colleagues and students, is Dr. Roach.

He eagerly shares this bit of information, and a rather large model of a cockroach is proudly placed in his office in Albertus.

At Aquinas College, his teaching focus mainly involves those in the nursing and athletic training programs with the required anatomy and physiology courses and pathophysiology. He also educates non-majors as well in his BY-150 class and caters to biology and psychology majors with his neuroscience class.

“Getting to know my students and my colleagues is my favorite part about Aquinas,” said Bahl. “I know I’m not supposed to have favorites but I really like the nursing students, I feel I have a bond with them. I get to see them evolve and grow.”

Bahl transferred to Aquinas College in 2002 to advance both a career and relationship; and since he and his partner have raised a son in Grand Rapids.

Bahl shares the woes of being a father of a first-year college student, as his son started attending Michigan State University this fall.

The fatherly advice that he bestowed onto his son, college-bound?

“Don’t do anything stupid and go to class,” said Bahl with a hearty laugh. “Students need to be able to be themselves, everyone deserves to be able to talk freely about things; I believe very strongly in that.”

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NEWS

THE SAINT WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015

A Polish Doctor in the Nazi Camps

Peter Ho Davies Comes to AQ

Rylko-Bauer lecture sponsored by the Jane Hibbard Idema Women’s Center

Aquinas hosts the famous writer for 18th annual Contemporary Writers Series feelings of ostracization from both her birthplace and her country of heritage. Anime wants t o s t a n d o ut, b ut s he als o wants t o fi t i n . S he is a c harac te r b uilt o n t h e p a r ado xe s b ro ught b y he r heritage.

As Ho Davies finished reading, the whole room erupted in the sound of clapping. Everyone seemed to enjoy his writing. After the reading, the floor was opened

and the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts. In 1998, Ho Dav ie s was give n H.L. D a v i s Aw a r d f o r S h o r t F i c t i o n On March 18, Aquinas for his 1997 collection of short w e l c o m e d Pe t e r H o D a v i e s f o r stories, The Ugliest House in the our 18th annual Contemporary Wo r ld. His firs t no ve l, The Wel sh Wr i t e r s S e r i e s . M a n y p e o p l e Girl hit bookstores in 2007. It attended: students, teachers, and d e t a i l s t h e l i f e o f a yo u n g g i r l outside visitors. All came with the growing up in the confines of sam e in t en t i o n i n m i n d : t o l i s t e n N o r t h Wa l e s d u r i n g t h e f i n a l to the words someone has worked years of World War II. She meets a arduously on. young German As an author corporal with of three books, whom she Ho Davies is falls de e p ly in c u r r e n t l y lo ve . working on A q u i n a s anot he r n o vel .

College felt At t end e es h a d honored to the honor of have Peter hearing Ho Ho Davies Davies read c o n d u c t an excerpt a reading from the new during our n o ve l - - a s t o r y Contemporary that follows W r i t e r s A n i m e Wo n g , Series. By a Chinesegoing to this A m e r i c a n presentation, movie star students (and living in the t e a c h e r s ) 1930s a n d 4 0 s. h a d t h e Prior to the opportunity readings, he to take away allowed the some new audience to get knowledge t o k no w h i m. about writing Ho Davies and what it grasped the means to be a u d i e n c e ’s a w r i t e r. To COURTESY WWW.AU.TiIMEOUT.COM attention w rite is to be w i t h h i s Contemporary Writers Series: Peter Ho Davies presented his new novel to Aquinas a b l e t o p u t r e a d i n g . H i s students and faculty. your soul vo i c e , va r i e d into your ye t r h y t h m i c , wa s t h e o p p o s i t e u p t o a Q & A s e s s i o n w i t h t h e w riting. o f m o n o t o n o u s a n d b e g g e d f o r a u t h o r. H i s w r i t i n g wa s h i g h l y Just as Davies states, attention with every inflection c o m p l i m e n t e d a n d w h a t e v e r “ Wr i t e r s b e c o m e w r i t e r s t o in his vo i c e . D u ri n g t h e r e a d i n g , q u e s t i o n was thro w n at him, he e s c a p e t h e m s e l v e s a n d b e c o m e l i s t e n e r s c o u l d s e e H o D a v i e s ’s was able to give an answer. It was s o me thing e ls e .” comedic personality within his useful information for anyone w r i t i n g . E v e r y f e w m i n u t e s w h o w r i t e s , a n d a b i t wa s e ve n or so, the crowd would laugh applicable to other focuses as i n e n j o y m e n t . A s w e l l a s t h e we l l . h u m o r, h e d o e s a p h e n o m e n a l Ho Davies is the recipient of j o b d i s p l a y i n g t h e e m o t i o n s many achievements and awards in f e l t b y A n i m e W o n g a n d t h e t h e r e a l m o f all things lite rature ; complexities brought by being h e h a s e n d u r e d p r a i s e f r o m Chinese-American in her time. G u g g e n h e i m F o u n d a t i o n , t h e H e d e s c r i b e s i n h i s w r i t i n g t h e Na t i o n E n do w me nt fo r the Arts ,

By Morgan Hannah The Saint Reporter

By Carlos Hernandez The Saint Reporter As history progresses, previously unknown stories of past events surface at an astonishin g r ate. A r ecen t gen r e of these stories centre around t h e e x p e r i e n c e s o f wo m e n w h o lived through the Holocaust back in th e 1940s. O n Thur sday, March 19, one of these stories wa s t o l d b y D r. B a r b a r a Ry l k o B a u e r i n t h e We g e B a l l r o o m .

Sponsored by the Jane Hibbar d Idema Women’s Center o f A q u i n a s , D r. B a u e r s p o k e about h er book, “A Polish Doctor in th e Nazi Camps: My Mother ’s Memories of Imprisonment, Immigration, and a Life Remade,” released in 2014. The book was based of f h er moth er, Jadwiga Lenartowicz Rylko, a nurse who was imprisoned d u r i n g t h e s e c o n d Wo r l d Wa r.

Dr. Bauer star ted the pr oject in 2000 and has worked since then to gather information for the book by interviewing Rylko, visiting the places she wa s a t d u r i n g t h a t t i m e . I n h e r research,Bauer constructed the book in three parts. The first was a b o u t h e r m o t h e r ’s c h i l d h o o d leading up to the H olocaust; th e secon d a b out h er mot h er ’s t ime in the Holocaust; and the third par t was about post- war stor ies a n d t h e l i ve s o f h e r m o t h e r, as well as people associated with her during that time. The p r e s e n t a t i o n wa s m o s t l y a b o u t the second part of the book.

D r. B a u e r s t a r t e d w i t h a n introduction to her mother a n d t a l k e d a b o u t h o w, d e s p i t e

prcgr.com Call: 616-456-6873 Text: 616-284-1545 News Editor Yasmeen Ahmed

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her frail appearance, she was a fierce woman. She attended Poznan University starting in 1930 for medicine and went back in 1936 as a Doctor so sh e could continue her degree. Her education would come to a h alt, however, when Germany invaded P o l a n d ( R y l k o ’s h o m e l a n d ) and started to take prisoners.

Ry l k o wa s t a k e n t o G e s t a p o Wo m e n ’s P r i s o n i n J a n u a r y o f 1944 and was put in a r oom with about 12 other women. In that t i m e , t h e wo m e n d i d w h a t t h e y could to stay healthy in mind a n d b o d y. T h e y d i d e ve r y t h i n g from making rosaries out of dried bread to exchanging recipes with each other to keep their spirits up.

Because of her education, she was the most experienced of the 13 women , which was h elpf ul when sh e helped ill inmates. A f ter h er t i m e t h e r e , s h e wa s t r a n s f e r r e d to another prison nine weeks later known as Ravensbruck.

D r. B a u e r c o n c l u d e d t h e presentation by talking about how h er mother met h er f ath er, and their life after moving to A m e r i c a i n t h e 5 0 s . Ry l k o d i e d at age 100 in 2010 and has lef t a legacy of helping those in need and several people indebted to her for all she has done for them in the prison camps.

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25 , 2015

Point-Counterpoint:

FROM THE CROWD

APPLAUSE TO...

Extraterrestrial Life

Glee, for finishing up with a bang (for better or worse);

The truth about aliens on Earth

Frosty Boy, for reopening after ten year absence; Ryan Gosling, for opposing girlfriend Eva Mendes’ dissent on our glorious sweatpants; LaughFest, for bringing good laughs and business to Grand Rapids; Burger King, for bringing back the only thing that matters: Chicken Fries.

HECKLES TO...

“Uptown Funk,” for still plaguing the airwaves months after its release; The Saint, for shamelessly self-promoting our SaintTalks event on March 26; Van Andel Arena, for thinking Nickelback was worth bring to Grand Rapids; Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, for naming their daughter James;

Classifieds...

Nursing & Teaching majors: get your CPR & First Aid requirements done when you want at GR Healthcare.

2180 44th Street SE, Grand Rapids Sign up for an easy class at www.grhealthcare.net.

The Grand Rapids Friends Meeting (“Quakers”) meets for silent worship at Aquinas Campus in the Browne Center, Sundays, from 10:30am to 11:30am.

All are welcome. www.grandrapidsfriends.org

theSaint 2014-2015 E D I T O R I A L B O A R D Mayra Monroy Yasmeen Ahmed Abbi Racine Emily Higham Anna Musiyenko Chucky Blackmore

Sports Editor Opinion Editor Opinion Intern Managing Editor Adviser

Taylor Hodges Chuck Hyde Mackenzie Murphy Aaron Campbell 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.

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

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

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

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

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

physical copies – AB, Room 20

Opinion Editor Chuck Hyde

Aliens. They are everywhere.

In fact, we have been visited many times by these otherworldly beings in the past. They know our history, they are in our history, and they are coming again.

Have you ever wondered where we came from? If you believe in evolution, you could say that we came from single cells and grew into the world through a series of natural changes over the course of billions of years. But how did life itself happen? I and many others hypothesize that we were created by a hyper-intelligent alien race somewhere in the constellation Orion.

Who is this race, you ask? The Greys! They have been here to create us and they will come again to fix us once we become too wrong, just as “God” did so many times before when humans became unfaithful and ugly.

The Greys were responsible for the extinction of dinosaurs.

Remember, there were never dinosaurs while there were humans.

What happened was that millions and millions of years ago, the Greys discovered Earth and anticipated to use it as a testing facility to create the perfect race similar to themselves (A.K.A. in their image). They couldn’t possibly have scaly giants roaming the lands AND make a perfect race, could they? So they threw down a few bombs and cleaned the slate. They washed their hands of this so they could make space for their experiments — humans.

Evidence of other races of aliens can be found in the 1996 cult classic, Mars Attacks!. Little is known about this incident, but the scene where the Martians come to Earth and the dove frightens them into starting an intergalactic war really did happen. Mars Attacks! was Tim Burton’s way of predicting what would have happened if the US government didn’t drop an atom bomb while blasting classical music when the ship landed and the aliens shot down the dove. After that, we kept going to Mars to fight off the remaining Martians so they will never come again. The Rover is now there in order to salvage any

Martian technology we can use if faced with similar attacks.

Lastly, I will mention crop circles. These formations are huge and rather complex. I have seen one with my own eyes at a farm in Hillman, Michigan about a year ago. It looked eerily similar to the winky face emoji. Immediately I questioned how a human could have made such a figure. Shivers running down my spine, I walked into the wheat field to discover only a few cardboard boxes and an old bandana. To this day, I believe that the Greys abducted the farmer on his way to the post office, just as they do with many of us.

If that does not convince you completely of the absolute existence and purpose of the Greys and other alien races, then you are obviously very dim-witted. The best advice I can give you is try to be as nice as possible when aliens do come to destroy us, and do not release anymore doves because they will start another intergalactic war. They will come back. They always come back.

The Fermi Paradox and life on other planets Extraterrestrial life. Even discussing beings from other planets can get discussion of your mental health, tin foil hats, and discreditation of other scientific theories or contributions you may have. In many ways, this isn’t hard to understand. Many people speak of alien abduction, impending invasion, or ancient aliens changing the course of human history or planting life here on Earth, it’s no wonder that people begin to smell crazy. In all likelihood, Earth has never been visited by extraterrestrials.

This idea is just as troubling as tales of alien interference in human affairs, however. Why have no alien species made it to Earth? After 4 billion years of evolution, life on Earth has reached our moon and is currently working on efforts to colonize other parts of our solar system. How is that after 13.8 billion years not one other species has reached Earth or tried to communicate with us?

There are almost certainly Earthlike planets that are billions of years older than ours. Did they produce life? If so, why haven’t we seen any evidence of it yet? It seems that the sheer size and age of our universe suggest other intelligent life and the likelihood of contact from them.

There is zero observational data to support this, however.

This phenomenon is known as the Great Silence or Fermi Paradox.

Enrico Fermi was a physicist that helped revolutionize nuclear energy, but he was also a statistician. He was one of the first to famously ask the question at hand: if life on other planets almost certainly exists, why haven’t we made contact yet? This question has troubled scientists, futurologists, and science fiction fans alike ever since. Any claims of alien interaction seem easily falsified, yet it remains that we should have some record of contact or evidence of other life in some form. This seems bizarre, as a recent Harvard study suggests that a sufficiently advanced race should be able to colonize the galaxy in as few as tens of millions of years, a trivial amount compared to the life of the 13 billion year old Milky Way. Of course, there have been suggestions as to why this Great Silence exists. Some think that their is a “Great Filter,” a point at which civilizations destroy themselves before they can successfully colonize other planets or star systems. With events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis almost doing the same to humanity, this may not be too far-fetched.

There may also be races attempting to communicate with us in a form we cannot understand, creating a sort of interstellar miscommunication.

There are other even weirder hypotheses, as well. Some say that the universe has just recently become able to support life. Perhaps the universe and its conditions have

been evolving as through time, and just now conditions are right for life.

We could be one of the first spacefaring civilizations. There are also those who say galactic civilizations may construct Dyson spheres. These are massive structures designed to harness all of a star ’s energy and create a sphere surrounding the solar system. These would provide nearly limitless resources, and any race that constructed one may simply have felt no need to leave their area of the galaxy. Many top programs such as SETI are searching for such structures using new techniques.

Of course, there is another possibility. We could be alone in the universe. Perhaps the universe is tailored in such a way that Earth beat all odds and life originated only here. Know as the Rare Earth hypothesis, this is one of the more popular solutions to the Fermi Paradox. It’s entirely possible that the long list of requirements for life are only fully present here. We have all of the right elements in the right quantities, middle of the road temperatures, pressure, and everything else. There is also the possibility that humanity was divinely created, and the being that seeded Earth with life left a universe devoid of anything else. This idea is actually almost more terrifying. There might be nothing to find and no one to return our communications. Maybe I should join the craze and get a tin foil hat just to avoid thinking about the immense loneliness of the alternative.

The value of a Liberal Arts education

By Matt Morales The Saint Reporter

MISSION

>>write us a letter!

By Natalie Jo Przyblya The Saint Reporter

By Chuck Hyde Opinion Editor

AQ Onion, for crossing the line between what’s funny and what’s offensive.

Editor-in-Chief News Editor Culture Editor Creative Director News Intern News Intern

4

In all of the buildings on campus you may have seen a small framed picture with writing that states what Aquinas College is founded upon and whatnot. If you have not, do not fret, you have probably heard it being talked about in one of your classes on campus. The topic of the small framed picture is Aquinas College providing a liberal arts education with a global perspective, but is this type of education worth paying for?

While some may understand what a liberal arts education is, for others like me the definition is a bit hazy. From different sources it can mean different things, but a comprehensive definition can be

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

stated as an education that provides a foundation of knowledge and helps one develop intellectually. Who couldn’t benefit from that? Many different subjects can be attributed to the liberal arts, making it easily understood as to why Aquinas College would want to have it as a part of the college’s mission, encouraging each student to develop intellectually. What it boils down to is who benefits from the liberal arts education. In my opinion, that would be anyone in the fields of science, mathematics, social sciences, business and world languages. For those who are thinking aspiring plumbers are perfect for the liberal arts education, I deeply apologize.

A liberal arts education is valuable for certain people. If you are one of those select few who study such subjects as science,

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mathematics or social science, then you are already on your way to seeing the value that a liberal arts education has. For those who are seeking a more technical job like a mechanic, then it becomes harder to understand how it will help you be better at your job. I believe a liberal arts education can be valuable to anyone, but you must first fully understand what a liberal arts education is. A liberal arts education can be valuable to those who are seeking a job in a certain area, but it can be just as valuable to those who want to just develop intellectually. I encourage you to look for these frames in one of the buildings on campus sometime if you want a place to learn more about our mission.

culture Music: Taylor Swift buys porn

Po rn ; some t h i n g t h a t n e ve r g o e s o u t o f s t y l e . M u s i c s u p e r s t a r Ta y l o r S w i f t recognizes this; which is why she purchased t h e we b s i t e d o m a i n s Ta y l o r S w i f t . p o r n and TaylorSwift.adult. Swift bought the domains of the porn sites, for the sake of good business.

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THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015

Television: Pregnant “Food Network Star” and husband slayed

Gossip: Eva Mendes jokes about yoga pants and Internet goes wild

Supposedly, the remains of former “Food Network Star” contestant Cristie Schoen-Codd, 38, and husband, J.T. Codd, 45, and their unborn child were found, reportedly, in a wood stove oven. Schoen-Codd was five months pregnant was reported missing when she and her husband had not shown up to a family event.

Actress Eva Mendes made a joke on “Extra” that shocked many. The 41 year old stated that, “Yoga pants are the number one reason for divorce in America.”

This hot-button issue over stretchy fabric clearly is of the highest importance. Boyfriend Ryan Gosling defended Mendes’ joke. Mendes later apologized on Instagram.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

>> GLEE

On March 20, former television sensation Glee ended after six seasons, a total of 121 episodes. The two-hour long conclusion tied up loose ends, with its first hour recreating its pilot episode. The second-half was emotionally-charged, given star Cory Monteith’s death in 2013.

COURTESY THE NEW YORK TIMES

#AbbiHasNoChill

Aquinas’ Melancholy Play weaves a tangled web

abigale racine | culture editor

For the editorial staff, this is a very emotionallycharged issue. You can always bank on an existential crisis occurring after spring break, the beginning of the

fourth quad.

At least I can always blame spring “allergies” for my set of watery eyes.

Usually I utilize this space as a chance to bring up some sort of relevant topic or issue. It’s also a great spot to rant about whatever I find intriguing every other week. This time, this issue, I need a catharsis.

This volume of The Saint celebrates and welcomes some very talented and driven individuals; Chucky Blackmore, Mackenzie Murphy, and Anna Musiyenko.

All of newcomers really are not that new at all and have shown their loyalty and dedication towards this publication, and I am so glad to working with them more closely.

Chucky Blackmore is one of the coolest cats I know. We intend on having many more jam sessions in the office of The Saint.

On behalf of the staff, I would like to apologize to the psychology and sociology departments ahead of time. There will be noise.

Mackenzie Murphy is a peach.

She has proven herself to be a wellrounded , well-informed individual and I have no doubts that she will do amazing things with her opinion editor position.

Anna Musiyenko is one cool lady. We have bonded over our love for Adam Levine and interest in world affairs. She brings a great dimension to our paper and I am looking forward to rocking out to Maroon 5 during production week.

We have a fantastic staff and we are going to produce news pieces that This welcoming also means saying farewell to some wonderful people who have enhanced my collegiate experience as they move onto bigger, better, more fulfilling things.

Call it abandonment issues if you must, but, cut me some slack, these people are awesome and they will be missed dearly.

We have endured many late nights and breaking news scandals together. Mostly, and more importantly, there has been more laughter shared than anything.

I would like to think we have done incredible things with this newspaper since we banded together.

Yasmeen Ahmed, we appreciate newspapers and the art of print unlike most. While most lean toward broadcast journalism, advertisement, and PR in our line of work, we remain devoted newspaper junkies.

Many say that the medium is dying, but you and I know better.

Unless, we are more hopeful (or naive) than the rest of the world.

To wrap it up, it has been a privilege to work with you and best of luck in your journalistic endeavors.

Chuck, you once were a reporter picking up articles for my section, kissing my ass, awkwardly asking me to attend play performances with you. Then you were promoted to opinion editor and I learned you were tolerable.

After long hours in the office, I grew quite fond of you and now you have been my partner in crime for nearly a year now. This production brought us together and for that I will always be grateful.

I love you and I am so proud of you.

That’s it: that’s my sob story.

Damn these “allergies.” They’ve gotten to me. Good thing I have reached full-capacity in my word count. Time to go find some PuffsPlus.

Bland and dry script: The talents involved with AQ Theatre worked with what they were given.

By Natalie Jo Przybyla The Saint Reporter Why am I like an almond? Well maybe it is just because Melancholy Play was not all I was hoping for.

As I sat at the PAC on the Friday, February 27 viewing of the show, I started to wonder how I was going to write about the performance, set and the writing.

The performance was centered

around a melancholy character, Tilly, played by sophomore student Zoë Collenburg. The main character seemed to suck all the other characters into a whirling sweep of similar melancholy. Tilly would describe magically melancholy scenes and tell melancholy tales which pulled her friends into the same type of melancholy. The friends would almost instantly fall

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

in love with her melancholy and, in turn, Tilly herself. About halfway through the play, Tilly overcomes her melancholy and leaps into a powerful spout of happiness.

Her friends and lover see this happiness as disturbing, and they attempt to ignore her with all their might. Somewhere in there, a friend of Tilly’s drinks her tears and turns into an almond from being so en-

gulfed in this melancholy…. And that was where I became completely lost.

Melancholy Play was interesting, to say the least. Stop me now if I am becoming like an almond— bland and dry— but I was completely lost after the second scene.

Although the acting was, for the most part, very well done and the set was beautiful, it does not make up entirely for the confusingly written script.

I was told after the show that the main characters were experiencing mental illnesses that seemed to be bipolar disorder, depression and obsession, but it was done so in a way that wrongfully confused the audience into believing these illnesses were something they are not.

I was able to put together that the writer must have been completely insane as well as the characters depicted.

Some of my peers found the play charming and funny while a few others saw it as less. It was inescapable how well the set was made and how skillfully the actors performed did despite the script; that was all fabulous.

However, the beauty of the set, the music and the acting, was not worth the effort to see the awfully written words of Sarah Ruhl being put into action.

I have high hopes for I Hate Hamlet, the play that shows next at the PAC starting on April 16, but I am disappointed with the choice to bring Melancholy Play to Aquinas.

GRAM “Water”exhibit: Splendors of Shiga a tug-of-war with graces Meijer Gardens nature his exhibit. The agriculture and aquaculture pieces shed light on the expansive human activity of farming and how the sea is shaped to accommodate the growing and harvesting of water-based crops.

Waterfront, which is especially relatable to west michigan residents, exhibits the way humans shape land to use as waterfront properties.

The sixth theme in Burtynsky’s exhibit is entitled source which displays places where where the most critical stage of hydro dynamics takes place or the roots of water.

The most haunting photos in BurMARIAH COWSERT/ THE SAINT tynsky’s exhibit inHuman need/human greed: Photographer: Edward clude aerial views of Burtynsky illustrates human dependency on H2O. the BP oil spill which struck me due to the

By Mariah Cowsert massive impact of a human’s inabilThe Saint Reporter ity to keep water safe from unnecesWater is one of our most vital sary disruption. resources and how we treat and use The 2010 BP oil spill triggered it reflects who we are as a society. more than 200 million gallons of The world renowned photographer: crude oil to be pumped into the Gulf Edward Burtynsky, illuminates the of Mexico for a total of 87 days. Aldiverse yet delicate relationship be- though the leak was capped in July of tween humanity and water through 2010, oil is still washing up on shores. aerial shots of the world’s greatest re- This can cause long term damage to source or lack there of. residents and wildlife on the coast.

Burtynsky’s exhibit, “Water” feaThe massive consumption of watured at the Grand Rapids Art Mu- ter is alarming as we hear about the seum, is categorized into six themes effects of a four year drought in Caliincluding distress, control, agricul- fornia which is ensuring only about ture, aquaculture, waterfront, and a year’s worth of water left for Calisource. On his travels, Burtynsky il- fornian use. lustrates water in relation to culture Burtynsky’s multi-faceted view ranging from rice farming in China to of nature illuminates the tug-of-war greenhouses in Spain to the suburbs between basic human needs versus of Arizona. human greed which, as a sustainable The distress category of pho- campus, we should make ourselves tographs encompasses landscapes more aware of. where water is extremely sparse or This eye-opening exhibit from even compromised for consumption Edward Burtynsky is accessible until indefinitely. The large scale mecha- Sunday, April 26 and is sure to strike nisms that are embedded into the a chord in every viewer with it’s gripearth to harness energy from water ping dynamic of the human connecare shown in the control portion of tion with nature.

Culture Editor Abbi Racine

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

COURTESY FREDERIK MEJIER GARDENS

Tranquilty: This screen is one of the many breathtaking artifacts on display.

By Becca Walzak The Saint Reporter Just three and a half miles away from Aquinas is tranquility, simplicity, and beauty five years in the making. You can find this and more at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.

The current main exhibit of the park is “Splendors of Shiga: Treasures from Japan” and it offers an array of beautiful scrolls, bowls, kimonos, sculptures and more from the Shiga Prefecture in Japan and yes, it did take five years to plan this exhibit out.

Some of these artifacts date back to the eighth century and for some this will be the last time they will ever be seen, as some are so old that once the exhibit changes they will be sent back and archived. Pieces for this exhibit have come from museums, temples, shrines, parks, and private collections.

The exhibit opened up Friday, January 30 for the winter exhibit and features scenes of snowy mountains, two hand embroidered kimonos, Shigaraki Pottery, and more. Shigaraki pottery is hand painted ceramic and porcelain prized for its highly textured surface and irregular shapes. It goes with the Japanese notion of “wabi-sabi” or the appreciation of imperfection in all things.

The exhibit will close March 22 for changing into the spring exhibit, which goes from March 28 to June 4 and the Summer/Fall exhibit will run from June

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10 to August 16. The Summer/Fall exhibit will be the largest because it unveils the new and permanent eight acre Richard and Helen DeVos Japanese Garden which has been under construction since 2012. Included with the Japanese Garden will be an authentic Japanese Tea House built then shipped here from Japan. Until the outdoor garden is open to the public, there is a mock one indoors.

For those not knowing, Japan is divided into 47 Prefectures, or districts, and the Shiga Prefecture is located in central Japan about two hundred and twenty miles southwest of Tokyo. Shiga is celebrated for its historic cultural treasures as well as its natural attractions because it is fully surrounded by mountains and is home to Japan’s largest inland lake. Michigan and the Shiga Prefecture of Japan are one of the oldest and most comprehensive cultural citystate relationships between the United States and Japan, starting in 1968. Today Shiga is home to multiple palaces and temples and is an important resource to the international film industry and cultural tourism.

All the pieces on display will follow several themes, including the landscape of Shiga, the four seasons, devotional imagery, beauty in daily life, and animals, and more. I highly recommend going to see the beauty and creativity that went into this exhibit, as well as seeing what all Meijer Gardens has to offer.

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CULTURE

THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015

AQ Saints feature work in Art.Downtown. Gallery

By Abigale Racine Culture Editor Sin c e 2 0 0 4 , A r t . D o w n t o w n . has ca pt i va t ed t h e G r a n d R a p i d s com mun i t y, o f f eri n g h u n d r e d s of works o f a rt a n d d i s p l a ye d i n a my ri a d o f busi n e s s e s , ve n u e s , and g a l l eri es.

T h i s se a so n , o n Ap r i l 1 0 from 6 t o 1 1 p . m. , th e v i s u a l e ffort s of t wo A qui n a s S a i n t s w i l l be pre se n t a t t h e L a n t e r n C o ffe e Bar, l oc a t e d a t 1 0 0 C o m m e r c e Ave. S W. The exhibit called “ F a l l o u t / Foreclosure” has a st ro n g p o l i t i c a l t hem e , f oc using o n mo d ern i ssue s of econ omi c downfa l l t h a t we w i t n ess every d a y. I t i s t he col l ec t i ve production of t wo a rt ist s, ph o t ographer E l i z a bet h Wel f a re of Cha rl ot t e, Michigan, and pa i n t e r Alexis Johnson, a 2 0 1 4 Avenue for the Arts: gradu a t e of feet tall.

Aquina s C ol leg e.

Exh i bi t c u ra t o r a n d Aq u i n a s junior C a l l i n C h err y p u t t o g e t h er t he c o l l a bo ra t i ve , p o l i t i ca l l y hard-hi t t i n g e xh i bi t .

Int e re st i n gl y e n o u g h , a r t i s t Welfare i s C h erry’s fo r m e r h i g h

hit ho me and s trike an e mo tional c ho rd as we ll. Jo hns o n has an inte re s t in p ainting dilap idate d ho me s in the Flint are a on a large s c ale , and in b right c o lor s.

N o w, ho w do e s o ne ge t invo lve d and p ro p e rly c urate an art galle ry?

“I s o rt o f fe ll into it,” s ha r ed C he rry. “A c o wo rke r o f m in e was an inte rn and s ugge s te d it fo r me . I had a b las t and I knew the s e we re the typ e o f p e o p le I’d like to wo rk w ith.”

“I p ut th e s ho w to ge th er and c lo s e it do w n,” s he exp lains . “I am re s p o ns ib le f or the marke ting.

Essentially the y made th e art, I’m p uttin g nails in th e wall.”

C h e r r y, w ith His tor y majo r and an Art his to ry mino r p lans o n atte nding gra duate s c ho o l a n d e arning a M aste r ’s de gre e in lib rary inforCOURTESY CALLIN CHERRY matio n s c ie n ce.

s c h o o l a r t te ac he r.

We l fa r e ’s p ho to grap hs are s t y l i z e d a s ide alis tic p ho to s , w i t h a d a r ke r e le me nt. Fo r e xamp l e d i s t o r te d p ho to grap h “Full L e c t u r e ” fe ature s a te ac he r le c t u r i n g i n f ro nt o f a c halkb o ard, w i t h t h e t eac he r we aring a gas m a s k . “ F u ll Le c ture ” s tands at a d a u n t i n g 5’7 fe e t tall, mind yo u.

C h e r r y s hare s that s he p e rs o n a l l y k no w s all the s ub j e c ts p o i s i n g fo r We lfare ’s p ho to s .

“Al l o f the s e p e o p le are my

Just as transparent as a glass slipper

By Lane Hokanson The Saint Reporter Claiming that Disney’s 2015 portrayal of the classic fairytale is any kind of revamping would be overkill. Despite the gorgeous special effects and lush cinematography, the title character remains just as two dimensional as ever. Cinderella has the personality of the glass slipper she’s famous for: transparent.

The new movie follows the traditional script; girl raised on love loses her father, is treated badly by her new stepmother, is rescued by her fairy godmother, and ultimately married off to her prince charming. The title character is played by Lily James, known for her role in BBC’s renowned tv series “Downton Abbey.” Unfortunately, her performance is dwarfed by her cast members; Cate Blanchett acts as the Stepmother and Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother. Both women present vivid and distinctive portrayals of their characters, Blanchett is deliciously wicked and cold to even her own children.

The movie does grant the audience with stunning scenery and sumptuous costumes that are almost more magical than the CGI glass slippers. Visually, the film is almost as gorgeous as the princess that stars in it.

“Cinderella” does have a few memorable moments: the haunting lullaby “Lavender Blue” that is featured several times throughout the film, a

perfectly ostentatious representation of the all important ball scene, and some truly poignant scenes of familial loss that resonate with the audience. I wasn’t the only audience member sniffling when the Prince curls up on his dying father’s bed.

I may, however, have been the only one to scoff when, at the finale of the film, Cinderella “risks” letting the Prince see her true self…lack of flaws and all. The princess-to-be never suffers a moment of anger, selfishness, or greed throughout the whole, idyllic movie. If I had to scrub my stepmother’s dishes and eat her scraps, I would be spitting in her food and letting the mice run wild. Cinderella has nothing to risk when she allows the prince to see her true identity because she is functionally perfect.

Ultimately, Disney’s 2015 classic is just that: stale. “Cinderella” offers up some beautiful angles, some fantastic outfits, and a slew of attractive actors, but lacks any real heart or humor. Cinderella gives us just another unattainable princess stereotype without any of the spunk or bravery that could make her worthwhile. Be prepared to walk out of the theatre thinking that you could have just watched the cartoon version from 1950.

Pictured above is “Untitled” by Alexis Johnson, which is 5’8

h i g h s c h o o l te ac he rs and o ne is h e r n i e ce , ” s he s aid. “Altho ugh t h e r e i s t o x ic ity p re s e nt [in the p h o t o g r a p hs ], the re are e le m e n t s o f l ove .”

Al e x i s Jo hns o n’s p aintings

COURTESY DISNEY

Lack of Color: Actress Lily James doesn’t add much depth to the classic Disney Princess, Cinderella.

Culture Editor Abbi Racine

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

Phone (616) 632-2975

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

sports

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015

2015 NCAA Tournament: March Madness Indeed

Michael Sam: Looking for an NFL team

Remembering Steve Nash’s Legacy

WHAT TO WATCH: Mike Richards back with the L.A. Kings

For the first time since 2004, the top two seeds from the same region failed to advance to the Sweet 16. Seventh seed Michigan State beat second seed Virginia by a score of 60-54. Eighth seed NC State beat one seed Villanova by a score of 71-68.

Former St. Louis Ram and Dallas Cowboy, Michael Sam, participated in the 2015 NFL Veteran Combine this past weekend. Sam posted a five second forty-yard-dash, as opposed to his previous time of 4.91. Sam also noted that he wouldn’t oppose to playing in the CFL, before going to the NFL.

After a 19 year career in the NBA, Steve Nash announced his retirement. Nash most recently played for the L.A. Lakers, but was out most of last season due to a leg injury. The former two-time MVP winner announced in a letter that his time with the Phoenix Suns were his most memorable.

Forward Mike Richards is back with the L.A. Kings, after being recalled by the team’s minor league affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs. With an injury to forward Jarret Stoll, and the Kings pushing for a playoff spot, Richards is sure to fill the hole at center, and help the team on the penalty kill.

Athlete Spotlight taylor hodges | sports editor Lacrosse.

What a beautiful sport. It combines the physicality of football, the running of soccer, and the stick skills of a hockey player all in one. With the sport initially becoming popular on the East Coast within the prep school ranks, it slowly swept the nation and grabbed the attention of kids alike. One person in particular, Mitch Ringer. This senior captain and midfielder first fell in love with the sport during the eighth grade and has never looked backed since.

“Back in eighth grade I had a few buddies that played lacrosse and they invited me to watch one of their games from the sideline. I had always played football growing up, and seeing all of the physicality and intensity during that lacrosse game made me fall in love with it instantly,” he said.

“After the game, I chatted with the players and coaches, and the next day I went to the store and bought used equipment so I could join the team.”

After his junior year of high school, he realized his chances of playing college lacrosse were pretty high.

“I realized my Junior year in high school that I’d have the chance to play in college. I got recruited and had visits at local schools like Siena Heights and Adrian College.

I also got recruited from schools down south such as Shorter U in Georgia and Millsaps in Mississippi.”

After initially planning on attending and playing for Concordia Wisconsin, Mitch decided to visit Aquinas to see what a closer college could offer him. And so the journey began. A lot has changed for Mitch since picking up the lacrosse stick in eighth grade. He chose to attend Aquinas on a lacrosse scholarship and major in Sport Management/Business Administration with a minor in Journalism.

“I decided that I liked Aquinas just as much as Concordia Wisconsin, and the fact that AQ was 6 hours closer to home made the decision pretty easy,” he said.

Many athletes have one or two memories that stick out while

playing a sport. Mitch doesn’t have one or two. In fact, he has a million, because he’s enjoyed every moment of it.

“Honestly, it’s hard to narrow down my favorite memories of the sport because I’ve loved every second of my time playing,” he said.

“I can’t pick out my favorite memory yet because I truly believe the best is yet to come for me and my teammates this season.”

One of those memories occurred on a bus ride home during his freshmen season and boy is it a funny one.

“When I was a freshman we were coming home from NMU when a senior had to do push ups on the floor for dropping the F bomb,” he said. “Playfully, an assistant coach thought it’d be funny to pour a bottle of water on him while he was doing it. The only problem is that it wasn’t water, it was a bottle full of dip spit. Luckily, the senior didn’t realize it was spit, and honestly till this day I don’t think he knows that it was dip spit that was dumped all over him.”

Not only has Mitch enjoyed the game of lacrosse, he’s enjoyed the teammates and staff surrounding him. His brother, Jake Ringer, is in his second season of being the teams student manager. One may think having your brother around all the time would get annoying after awhile, but Mitch couldn’t be happier to have him around.

“Having Jake around as manager is great,” he said. “I don’t think we could be any closer than we already are, so having him at practice and at all of the games is just another excuse for me to see him more often, which brings me so much happiness.”

With graduation coming up, Mitch hopes his time at Aquinas will aid him in his job hunt.

“I would like to do anything from ticket sales, to a programmer at a Parks and Rec. Department. I also am planning on coaching lacrosse,” he said.

Lacrosse has taught Mitch many things. It’s taught him how to develop a work-ethic and realize that nothing will ever be given to him, he will have to earn it. He’s formed long lasting friendships during his time at Aquinas, while also keeping his schoolwork in check. He’s experienced many happy and sad moments while playing lacrosse, but one thing’s for certain, he has loved every second of it, even the bad, and if there’s one thing we can take away from him, it’s to enjoy playing the sport while you still can, because there will come a time when you have to say goodbye.

Sports Editor Taylor Hodges

Grand Rapids Griffins Staying Hot

Men’s Lacrosse

By Taylor Hodges Sports Editor

By Charlie Crowley The Saint Reporter

With the sun shining and allergies in the air, it comes as no surprise that lacrosse season has finally arrived. After a long Winter and a fast Spring Break, students can now enjoy watching their Aquinas Men’s Lacrosse team at home. The team started their campaign over Spring Break in Illinois and Missouri with wins against Robert Morris and Lindenwood-Belleville, while also dropping a close match against Missouri Baptist.

“Spring break is always a good way to bond. Just the fact that we’re all together 24/7 brings us super close,” said senior midfielder Mitch Ringer. “One funny story is definitely the freshmen karaoke contest on the ride home. I’m pleased to tell you that goalie, Jack Mackinder, brought home the title this year after a beautifully sung rendition of “The Cheeseburger Song” from Veggie Tales.”

The singing must have gotten the juices going, as the Saints are 2-1 and their top players are playing at their peak.

Leading the team in goals this season with nine is junior attackman Grant Holloway. Holloway lead the team in goals and points last season with 42 and 60 respectively. Leading the team in points right now is senior attackman Zack Brancheau with 11. Brancheau was second in points last year with 29 goals and 29 assists for a total of 58 points.

With a total of five freshmen on the team this year, it is clear that the coaching staff wants them to come in to make an immediate impact, rather than getting most of the experience in practice.

“We don’t want them to be shy or to wait their turn, we want them to help us become a better team and program, and we want to see them develop,” said head coach Doug Seites.

“We want them to develop as players, leaders and student-athletes, and the only way they will do that is to challenge themselves.”

While freshmen come in and help to reinvigorate the team, it takes wisdom and leadership to establish a game plan and execute it. This leadership comes from not only the captains, but upperclassmen alike.

“We will be leaning on our senior leaders and captains specifically to help us maintain the momentum of the LindenwoodBelleville win,” said Seites. “If we play smart and together, we can make a good run in the CCLA.” Senior midfielder Dylan Oxender added saying, “That first loss was all the momentum we needed. We remind ourselves before every practice of the Missouri Baptist game so we know what we have to do to get better.”

The team’s first home game is a 5 p.m.

March 29 matchup against Saginaw Valley State. Grab your face paint and lax pennies, because lacrosse season at Aquinas is finally here.

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There’s a funny thing about sports where when a team is hot, they stay hot. The Detroit Red Wings, for example, have a hot streak of making the playoffs every year for the last 23 years. Over the course of a season, teams will go on hot streaks, and the Wings’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, are no exception. However, hot would be an understatement: the Griffins are straight searing.

The Griffins streak is something that teams wish they could hold onto all season. In the last 19 games, the Griffins are 15-0-31. They haven’t lost in regulation since January 31 against Milwaukee and have points in every game of the streak due to a few going to extra time. They currently sit atop the Western Conference with 84 points, three ahead of Oklahoma City, while also sitting third overall in the AHL behind Manchester and Hershey, both in the Eastern Conference. They’re second in the league in goals for with 205, while also boasting the fewest penalty minutes in the league with 714.

A challenge that AHL teams face season after season is scoring; since successful players are rewarded with promotion to the big club. Red Wing players such as Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, Niklas Kronwall , and Riley Sheahan all started their careers in Grand Rapids, and it has worked out nicely for them.

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The Griffins are led in points

by Teemu Pulkkinen, who has gotten called up a few times to Detroit this year, but still has managed to put up 61 points (34 goals, 27 assists) in only 46 games; this also puts him in second for points within the AHL. The Griffins have also received scoring from Grosse Pointe Woods native Andy Miele, who has 20 goals and 38 assists in 58 games. In net, Tom McCollum and Jared Coreau have put in the majority of the work, with McCollum holding a 14-8-1 record, and Coreau with a 13-6-1-3 record. The Griffins have also been blessed this year with Anthony Mantha, who many see as a future star for the Wings. Mantha, who was thought to make the Wings as a 20 year old, suffered a leg injury that set him back from Motown. However, he has had a promising rookie season, putting up 28 points (13 goals, 15 assists) in 52 games.

With 13 games until the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Griffins are looking to keep their hot streak cooking, secure a top seed, and home ice advantage for the playoffs.

Fans of hockey in the mitten will be happy to see they will have two teams to root for come spring time.

COURTESY GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS

Sweet-Save: Griffins goalie, Tom McCollum, makes a slick-stop as a Milwaukee Admiral’s player looks for a goal.

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

8

SPORTS

THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2015

Red Wings: Tough Month

By Charlie Crowley The Saint Reporter March is a month that students nationwide look forward to because of two words: spring break. Some are lucky enough to run off to someplace warm to enjoy sun and sand, while others take advantage of their parents’ cooking and sleeping in their own bed. As the month has moved

Women’s Lacrosse: Staying Strong

hot and cold during this streak, most notably led by their most well known stars, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. Zetterberg suffered an injury against Dallas in late February that forced him to miss four games, but has 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in his last eight games.

Datsyuk has played to his usual standard of wizardry with 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in his last 12. On

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

Playmaker: Senior Alexa Burns looks for an opening as she looks to make a play against a defender.

COURTESY IGOR RAMONE

I-Spy: Red Wings players swarm for the puck as a Chicago Blackhawk player falls to the ice.

forward, Motown fans may have asked themselves silently, “Are the Wings on a break, or do they need a break?”

March has been a tough month for the Detroit Red Wings. After a big inter-conference win against Chicago, the Wings finished off February at 3-1-1, but in their first eight games of March, they have a mere three wins and five losses. Throughout the 13 game stretch as a whole, they have had key wins over the Nashville Predators, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the New York Rangers, who currently sit second overall in the National Hockey League. However, they have lost to three teams in the Eastern Conference who sit outside the playoff picture in the Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, and the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, the Wings are still sitting comfortably in third place in the Atlantic Division four points ahead of the Boston Bruins, and with two games in hand.

The Wings guns have been both

the flip side of things, young studs Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist have been fairly quiet over that span, with Tatar scoring seven points in his last 13, and Nyquist posting eight in 13. Secondary scoring will be important for the Wings as they continue the push for the playoffs, which will come from players like Niklas Kronwall, Riley Sheahan, and Muskegon native Justin Abdelkader.

With 14 games left in the regular season, the Wings will continue the push for a top three spot in the Atlantic and staying out of a wild card spot. As mentioned above, Boston is a mere four points behind the Wings, but Detroit has two games at hand. They will look to capitalize with wins over teams out of the playoff race, and have a date with both Montreal and Tampa Bay one more time each, both of whom sit in the one and two spot of the Atlantic. Can the Red Wings get the wheels back to full speed for the final playoff push?

Only time will tell.

Sports Editor Taylor Hodges

By Mitch Ringer The Saint Reporter The Aquinas Women’s Lacrosse team is off to a slow start in the early stages of the season.

They are at a 1-4 record, including losses to conference foes Siena Heights and Lawrence Tech.

All four losses have been by four goals or less, highlighted by a nail biting, triple-overtime defeat from Siena Heights.

The talent is there for the Saints. Senior attack Alexa Burns and Sophomore attack Hannah Crosby have each tallied more than 20 points in the early going. They have athletic midfielders led by senior Haley Jacob, and ball-hawking defenders, including Kendal Carr with six recorded caused turnovers.

Head coach Owen Blank says that although this team is talented, they are lacking mental toughness.

“We have led by 1-2 goals in each one of our losses this year.

As a program, we have become a little to used to being good, and other teams folding when we get going.”

Blank points out that it is not enough to gain an early lead on

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opponents and cruise to an easy victory.

He is looking for his players to understand that every team wants to win just as bad as they do, meaning the lady laxers need to find that sense of urgency during tight contests.

Midfielder, Haley Jacob, agrees.

“Having four losses thus far is definitely uncharacteristic for a team who has had overwhelming success in the past. After various discussions and pep talks between my fellow seniors and the team, we as a whole have come to terms that this season will not be a cake walk like previous years.”

Jacob believes her team can dig deep, find discipline, and utilize their passion for the sport and strong team chemistry to reach their goals by seasons end.

Though a little bit down, the Saints are not out. It is a long season, and coach Blank is not discouraged.

“Having a 17 game regular season means I don’t have to panic at 1-4 as much as I would with a 10-12 game season. It allows the staff the luxury of addressing problems one at a time to help

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right the ship.”

Jacob has the same mentality, stating the team has tremendous potential.

“Rough patches are just that: patches. We have left the past where it belongs are now ready to take on the rest of this season.”

With a newly found mental attitude, the Women’s Lacrosse team can now boost their focus and go the extra mile during games. Statistically, the Saints are losing the battle on hustle plays. They’re getting beat on ground balls by their opponents 71 to 88 thus far.

Historically in lacrosse, the teams that win the most ground balls are the teams that advance furthest in the national tournament.

Ground balls are what gives teams more possessions, leading to more points on the board.

The Saints have a long home stand, including today, March 25, against rival Davenport at 5 pm.

Come and watch these ladies as they look to improve their record and reach the dominance we are used to seeing from them . Go Saints!