The Saint :: Issue 8

The Decemberists | 6

The Myth of the Hipster Saint Reporter Natalie Przybyla weighs in to the myth of the common hipster

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Wednesday, February 11, 2015 Volume 34, Issue 8

>>NEWS Saints for Life | 2

Saint Reporter Carlos Hernandez fills you in with the adventures that Saints for Life members had in D.C. and what they have in store

The Black Plague | 3

Saint Reporter Natalie Przybyla reviews the lecture series featuring Dr. Chad Gunnoe and the history of the Black Plague

>>CULTURE Chez Olga | 5

Saint Reporter Liz Ptaszynski reviews this spicy Eastown restaurant

Valentines Day Love Story | 6

Culture Editor Abigale Racine sat with student Brett Guest to talk about his long distance love story and how he makes it last

>>SPORTS Dance It Off | 7 Sports Editor Taylor Hodges has the scoop on the AQ Dance Team and their most exciting season yet Bryan Mitzner | 8

Staff Writer Haley Brink sits down and talks to junior Bryan Mitzner about his successful few years at Aquinas and what his future holds

#STANLEYSecurity #aquinas

Beating the Winter Blues Refresh Yourself brings fun vendors, crafts and music to AQ

By Liz Ptaszynski The Saint Reporter It’s that time of the year again.

Aquinas students are all familiar with it: pressing deadlines that are so heavy that you walk around campus slumped; bitter wind and snow that chills you to very bone and makes you regret losing your gloves somewhere in AB; and enough stress to make even the sanest person go crazy. In just one night Campus Life was able to help us beat the blues and make great memories with Aquinas’ third annual Refresh Yourself event.

On February 6, dubbed “the Big Day” all around campus, was when hundreds of students poured into Wege with anticipation, eager to see what was in store for them this year. The entire Wege Center was taken over with activities during the night. The bottom floor hosted poker and card tournaments and a great place to relax, while the middle floor was home to the free food brought in by sponsors, and on the third floor was where you could dance and listen to great music.

Each floor was filled with students but from 8-9 p.m, the cafeteria was the place to be. This year, Aquinas was lucky enough to have food and drinks brought in by several different vendors: Yesterdog,The Pita House, Jets Pizza, Aquinas’ own creative dining and CocaCola.

Refresh Yourself brought more to AQ, than just delicious free food. On top of that, there were activities for just about everyone. The third floor hosted professional henna tattoos, an oxygen bar to help students unwind after a stressful week, and an area to decorate shutter shades with paint.

“My favorite part was the oxygen bar, without a doubt. I had never seen anything like it, and it really was a good

OLLI Program Receives $1 million endowment Award

By Simone Martens The Saint Reporter On Thursday January 15, Aquinas College announced a $1 million endowment from the Bernard Osher Foundation. The purpose of the generous endowment is to support the continuation of Aquinas’ Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). This program was established to provide pre and postretirement education opportunities to individuals 50 years of age and older.

OLLI, which is one of the oldest programs of its kind in the country, has enjoyed 40 years of success success which the Bernard Osher Foundation hopes to continue with the endowment. The Foundation is headquartered in San Francisco and has a mission to improve quality of life through support for higher education and the arts. Their support of lifelong learning is clearly displayed by their active role in OLLI. The commitment to lifelong learning is also a value of Aquinas, shown by President Juan Olivarez’s statement that “lifelong learning is at the heart of Aquinas’ mission.”

It was this commitment shown by the students and staff that captured the attention of the Bernard Osher Foundation.

The president of the organization, Mary G. F. Bitterman, said, “the $1 million award recognizes the collective achievement of OLLI’s excellent staff, dynamic community of intellectually vigorous members, and the college’s leadership for its steadfast support of the program.”

OLLI was established by former Aquinas College President

Women’s Hockey | 7

Dr. Norbert Hruby and it opened its doors in 1975 to 115 students.

The institution has a rich tradition of serving both the intellectual and spiritual needs of the non-traditional students in West Michigan, proving that a thirst for knowledge is ageless.

Today, almost 1,500 students take more than 160 classes each year.

The program has six sessions which offers more than 160 courses per year in their on-campus program.

However, they also collaborate with va r i o u s c o m m u n i t y p a r t n e r s t o expand learning beyond the Aquinas campus. These partners include the Grand Rapids Symphony, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, the Grand R a p i d s A r t M u s e u m , B r o a d wa y Grand Rapids, Opera of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Ballet, the public library, and senior retirement facilities.

The director of the OLLI program, Sheila Pantlind, said that “we are thrilled that our students will continue to have the benefit of educational opportunities, spiritual growth and a place to come for camaraderie and fun – all with some of the best professors and instructors in West Michigan.”

OLLI is an exemplary program that serves as a model for the benefits and triumphs a commitment to lifelong education can provide to strengthen a community and improve lives. In the words of President Olivarez, “Our OLLI program has grown tremendously through its 40 years, and with this endowment this great community asset will continue to grow.”

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

#AQRefresh: Local vendors included Pita House, Jet’s Pizza, Yesterdog and Creative Dining. way to just mellow out after a long week,” said sophomore Rebecca Walzak .

The ballroom brought tons of action on stage that made us laugh, dance, and sing along. Comedian and musician Jason Levasseur was the event’s emcee, who helped pump up the audience between acts.

The night started out with a hilarious performance from the very talented In Case of Emergency (ICE) improv team as they gathered request from the audience and made everyone laugh.

“I was really excited when I heard that ICE was performing at Refresh Yourself,” said sophomore and ICE member, Regan Rohrs.“We love to see people laugh and it’s always so much fun interacting with everybody.”

After that, AQ introduced the night’s

special guest - The Well Reds. From originals to Bob Marley covers, this band sang it all. The student body went crazy over the rocking melodies, and sang along with the catchy lyrics. Still, it wasn’t until after the band’s great performance that the event everyone was most excited for took place: AQ Idol.

After two intense rounds, three lucky performers were left. These talented ladies included: senior Miranda Downing, first years Hannah Davis and Olivia Vargas. In the final round the competition was divided into two phases; after the first one, someone would be eliminated, leaving only two to compete in the next phase. After belting the lines to “Hit Me with Your Best Shot,” by Pat Benatar, Davis was eliminated leaving Vargas and Downing to battle it out to

victory. Both performed soft serenades that seemed to capture every member of the audience’s heart. It was obvious that the decision would not be easy. However, in ten excruciating minutes the judges came to a conclusion and crowned Olivia Vargas the 9th annual ​AQ Idol.

“I was really happy when Olivia won,” said sophomore and former contestant Conrad Schaak about her victory. “She was really talented and absolutely deserved it.” After winning Vargas got the opportunity to play one of her own original songs.

Refresh Yourself brought us great memories, a moment of relaxation, and a new AQ Idol. It was a night to celebrate our victories and display our Saint pride as students.

Aquinas College announces 3.6 percent spike Rising in tuition, room and board will be seen in 2015-2016 academic year

By Mackenzie Murphy Opinion Intern

Research Director at the Center for College Affordability and Productivity Jonathan Robes wrote for In December 2014, The Aquinas Forbes saying that the rising college Board of Trustees approved a 4% costs are due to the contribution of tuition increase for the incoming 2015a number of factors. For one, the 2016 school year. Housing rates will overall demand for a also raise by 3% college education has and board rates increased, allowing will increase by colleges to raise their 2%. rates. To get students T h e on their campus, the announcement cost of marketing for was made by colleges has exploded, President Olivarez leading schools at the Faculty to allocate more Assembly on funding towards their January 14 and facilities and other was recorded in attractions. Increases t h e a s s e m b l y ’s in administrative meeting minutes. spending have also F a c u l t y lead to an overall a n d o t h e r increase in tuition representatives rates. were contacted In June of 2014, but were not Governor Rick Snyder immediately acknowledged the willing to rising cost of college, comment. An email informing LIZ PTASZYNSKI//THE SAINT t e l l i n g M L i v e t h a t s t u d e n t s o f t h e Tuition Increase 2015: Students can expect to see a four percent increase in “Tuition has gone up i n c r e a s e i s s e t tuition, a three percent in room and two percent in board for the 2015-2016 a lot and there are two or three things that t o b e d e l i ve r e d academic year. we need to do. One sometime during week of February 8. Keep an eye on this in the coming tuitions by an average of 2.78% for is: we need to keep working with the 2015 according to a memorandum universities on managing their cost days.

The minutes noted that the hike is released by the Michigan House structures. We need to look at more in line with other local colleges and Fiscal Agency. (Public universities need-based financial aid. But (we also) universities, and that “[The college is] were barred from raising their costs need to be more innovative.” As the in need of more revenue”. Aside from by more than 3.2%, or they would cost of college soars, and student debt generating more net-income, Olivarez risk losing state funding according increases, the search for managing tuition costs continues. noted that other major concerns for to MLive.) the college include raising faculty salaries and increasing prospective student interest.

The increase follows recent trends in raising tuition costs the state. Public universities in Michigan raised their

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

Aquinas: Vote for Aquinas to win Stanley Security Grant

Michigan: Grand Haven man involved in possible terroism

National: Brian Williams publicly apologizes for false stories

World: Highest-profile woman linked to Mexico’s drug trade to be released

AQ has been nominated as a finalist for Stanley Security’s “Together for Safer Schools” grant.

If AQ should win, $100,000 will be granted to install security products and services to ensure a safer environment for the school. Voting can be done daily at stanleysaferschools.com, by texting ‘Aquinas’ to 334455; or tweeting a vote.

On Sunday, February 8, Grand Haven, Michigan found its small town under an act of domestic terrorism after a 34-year-old Michigan man drove a pickup truck into the city’s Coast Guard Station. The man claimed that there was a bomb in his truck. Police say the suspect is in custody until his motives are determined.

American journalists and News Anchor on NBC, Brian Williams, has admitted to his reporting of misleading stories. NBC has begun an investigation of Williams’ reporting on both the Iraq incident and Hurricane Katrina.

Williams announced on Friday that for now he is “taking himself off-air”.

Avila Beltran or “the Queen of Pacific,” known for her successful developing of smuggling routes between Mexico and the United States will be released from jail by a federal judge in Mexico.

After partially completing a five-year sentence on money-laundering charges, the niece of the “godfather” of the Mexican drug trade, will be freed.

How Social Media keeps Journalism in Check yasmeen ahmed | news editor This weekend NBC long-time News Anchor and on-air personality, Brian Williams, has admitted to misleading the public on more than one account in the past few years. Both stories being equally as unethical and untrue, and in sensitive situations, Williams has decided to ‘take himself off air’ while NBC conducts an internal investigation. The misled stories include an Iraq incident in 2003 and a report on Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Williams’ apology on Friday included explanations about how he “inadvertently misremembered” the situation. As a reporter in an incident like a helicopter crash in Iraq, it would be quite hard to misremember - I would think. However, whether or not you “misremembered,” or you just fabricated or lied about the story, it is against every and all journalistic laws to do anything even close to this.

If you have ever watched the movie Shattered Glass, you can very well compare the news anchor’s current situation to the journalist in this movie who makes up stories in order to become heroic and advance his career. As Williams is not simply a news anchor on a toptier news channel, but a personality, a celebrity in the journalism and news world, his lies have a much larger effect on news and especially NBC. The news world will not simply move along as before after this situation, his career won’t ever be the same, this will never disappear - literally.

Every news station will be indirectly affected by this situation, especially international mainstream news stations; and a big reason why is because of social media.

Let’s flashback; we’re maybe 10 years old, wars are happening, huge international events are occurring, worth reporting about, but we are watching it on TV, hearing it on the radio, reading it in the newspaper. Brian Williams was reporting on misleading stories with false information. People reached out to the news station, NBC, they gossiped about it and questioned it but Williams essentially got away with it. Little did he know, 10 years later his false stories would come back to haunt him, everyone would find out, everyone would be talking about it and it wouldn’t just disappear because now our conversations are much easier to be had, and they never disappear, all thanks to social media.

Many of you reading this column may be thinking about journalism as a dying field.

Many of you probably receive much of your information via Twitter along with a select few who might open your CNN or BBC app to find out what’s going on in the world. However, journalism is still a growing and evolving field, every day it is growing, being challenged and finding new ways to spread news faster.

A lot of people would say this is a bad thing, that there are so many citizen journalists who aren’t fact-checking their stories or their 140 character news updates on Facebook or Twitter and it is reaching hundreds, maybe thousands of people internationally. “Who knows what’s real anymore?” You might be saying. But, in my mind i’m thinking, here we have misled stories that occurred more than 10 years ago resurfacing because of the evolution of journalism.

In what other situation can you fact-check mainstream international news sources with independent news sources and local news sources on big or small stories, within minutes. If Williams had reported on the misleading stories in today’s world, he never would have gotten away with it. Within hours of his report there would have been backlash from people who had been present during the situation, people who knew he was lying - but their comments and statements would have been published on social media platforms that would have been viewed by people all over.

I guess my initial response to this is that I am thoroughly disappointed, I am saddened by this terrible move by such a prominent personality in the news world. Someone who betrayed not only audiences and his station and colleagues, but people who were directly affected by the situations he was reporting on.

I am especially disappointed in his terribly selfish motives. But, after I get over this aspect, the journalist inside of me kind of wants to say “BOOM! In your face, to every person who thought journalism was dying just because people can’t get off the internet for enough time to pick up a newspaper anymore, proved you wrong to people who thought social media would kill all of our jobs and ruin the credibility of journalism.” I want to say you were all wrong, and although Brian Williams’ career may be over, this situation has shown a lot for the field and world of journalism.

Saints for Life takes on D.C.

World News

COURTESY USA TODAY

Taiwan: Passenger plane taking off from the capital Taipei on Thursday crashed into a bridge in the city.

COURTESY EMILY HAZELBACH

Saints for life: Aquinas’ Saints for Life club goes to Washington D.C. for the annual March for Life.

By Carlos Hernandez The Saint Reporter On January 21, 2015, 31 members of Aquinas’ Saints for Life club ventured to Washington D.C. for the annual “March for Life” along with several students from the Students for Life of Michigan organization.

This year was the 42nd anniversary of the march. The story of this march goes back to the year 1973, when the supreme court ruled in favor of legalized abortions in t h e h i s t o r i c R o e v s . Wa d e c a s e .

S a i n t s f o r L i f e g o e s e ve r y ye a r because of their passionate desire to help get abortions abolished in our country. One person who is especially passionate about the cause is the club’s Vice President, senior Emily Hazelbach.

Saint for Life is a pro-life group on campus. Their main goal is to talk to fellow students about pro-life issues and solutions.

Hazelbach spoke on how she got involved with the march by saying, “I have always wanted to go and be part of the large movement of pro-life marchers. Being prolife is something that I am very passionate about because I believe that everyone deserves the right to life, which is the first amongst all of the other rights, and there is always another option besides abortion, which destroys a human life,” Hazelbach said.

“I am passionate about helping women find an alternative option other than abortion and continuing the fight to end abortion in my

lifetime.”

The theme for the march was “Every Life is a Gift.” The point behind the theme was putting an emphasis on difficult prenatal diagnosis. Examples of such are Spina Bifida and Downs Syndrome.

This year, nearly 650,000 people c a m e o u t f o r t h i s ye a r ’s m a r c h .

Among this mass of people were people from all kinds of groups and organizations, from colleges and high schools to youth groups and religious groups. In addition to these groups were political groups.

“We believe in the sanctity of every human life, from conception to natural birth” said Hazelbach.

In addition to March for Life, the Saints for Life club put on events such as the pro-life Cupcake Day, the Pro-Life Chalking Day, various Pro-Life movie showings, and hiring speakers to talk on behalf of pro-life ideals, one being for the Planned Parenthood Project back in October, and a more recent talk being led by Rebecca Kiessling back on December.

The group is currently trying to start a new program at Aquinas College called “Pregnant on Campus,” which would aim to help pregnant women by offering resources that would guide them in different directions with hopes of avoiding abortion. Until then the Saints for Life will be planning various campus activities to spread their pro-life mission while getting ready for their next trip to Washington D.C. in January 2016.

By Yashowanto Ghosh Staff Writer AUSTRALIA — Prime Minister Tony Abbott is facing a spill motion, which is scheduled to be voted upon at a party meeting of his Liberal Party on Tuesday, February 10. Member of Parliament Luke Simpkins, a junior member of the party, asked for the vote on Friday, February 6, after calling Abbott to warn him of the move, reports the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Simpkins’ motion, if passed, would oust Abbott by making vacant the positions of the party’s leader and deputy leader. Current deputy leader and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, as well as Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, are considered possible replacements for Abbott.

Abbott, who led his party to power and took office in 2013, has been losing ground in opinion polls because of issues such as “being a know-nothing on climate change” and his austerity measures, reports The Washington Post. He further damaged his own credibility by announcing on Australia Day, January 26, that he had recommended Prince Philip for an Australian knighthood, adds The New York Times.

Abbott revealed later on Friday that he and Bishop would work together to fight the spill motion, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

NORTH KOREA — North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un has

confirmed that he will travel to Russia in May to attend a 70th anniversary ceremony to commemorate Soviet Union’s victory over Germany in World War II, reports South Korea’s Yonhap news agency quoting the Russian presidential office. The trip would mark Jong Un’s first foreign visit after he came to power in 2011; he has yet to visit North Korea’s main ally China in his official capacity.

His decision to travel to Moscow before Beijing may be an indication of his growing distance from Chinese president Xi Jinping, who has been boosting ties with South Korea.

If South Korea’s president Park Geun Hye also accepts her invitation to the ceremony, then it would mark the first meeting between her and Jong Un, and only the third time in history that leaders of the two Koreas would meet.

Jinping, U.S. President Barack Obama, and several other world leaders have also been invited to the ceremony.

TAIWAN — A passenger plane in Taiwan crashed, killing 31 people, on Wednesday, February 4, reports The New York Times. The pilot made a mayday call, reporting “engine flameout,” just 37 seconds after takeoff from the airport in the capital Taipei, then crashed into the Keelung River, narrowly avoiding apartment buildings and busy roadways. The pilot and the co-pilot were among those killed; 15 passengers survived, and 12 were still missing on Thursday.

The plane was bound for the island of Kinmen near mainland China.

The carrier, TransAsia Airways, is still under investigation for its previous crash, in which 48 people were killed in July 2014.

International Student Profile:

Ankita Bhatia

By Yasmeen Ahmed News Editor Ankita Bhatia, a senior at Aquinas, originally came to the U.S. from New Delhi, the capital of India. As you can imagine, her transitions into the culture and lifestyle here have been adjustments that have taken some time, but after four years here she is now looking for jobs and graduate schools to continue her life in the U.S. Bhatia is a Sports Management and Business dual major, she plays tennis and works three jobs on campus, including the Corner Cafe, Wege, and the media department. In India she was going to school and playing tennis; at the time when she had an opportunity to go pro in tennis, she decided to look at other options.

“In India, at the age of 17 you have to choose between education and sports,” Bhatia said, “that’s when I heard about

COURTESY ANKITA BHATIA programs in the U.S. where you could International Student: Ankita, an international student from New Delhi, enjoys do both.” her time in the U.S. exploring new cities and opportunities.

She discovered that many colleges offered scholarships for sports and she study she was looking for. Bhatia, whose on time. could go to college while playing tennis. deep interest and passion for sports was Bhatia describes the hardest thing to She first found her way to the U.S. through influenced by her father who has worked adjust to as being the cold weather. an opportunity at Eastern Michigan for Reebok for about 20 years, wanted “It’s always like 120 degrees in Delhi,” University in Ypsilanti, Mi. She was there to dual major in Sports Management Bhatia said, “I’ve gotten used to it now but for three years before transferring to and Business, and Aquinas had the my first few months it was horrible. When Aquinas her senior year. Bhatia decided program she was looking for with enough it snowed the first time in Michigan that to transfer because Eastern didn’t offer the transferrable credits for her to graduate was the first time I’d seen snow, so that was News Editor Yasmeen Ahmed E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

Phone (616) 632-2975

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

cool, but I got over that pretty fast.”

Bhatia says she misses the food she used to have and she describes the biggest cultural differences being the lack of spicy food and a lot of PDA. “It’s a big deal if people are even holding hands in India,” Bhatia said. She also mentions that she kind of expected it because of the movies, but it is still a totally different aspect of life here.

During her time at Aquinas, Bhatia has also won an idea pitch competition where she created the idea of a dating website for sports-lovers who could take their date to a sporting event, instead of a restaurant or or the common date. Her entrepreneurial and business spirit has led her to think of what she’s doing next, currently looking for jobs where she can combine her love for sports and marketing after her graduation in May. Bhatia says she uses her knowledge of what happens on the field, immersed in the sports scene, as a helpful aspect to her career.

Although Bhatia’s educational and cultural experience in the U.S. has been lacking in some spice and warm weather, she is happy with her choice to be here, and enjoys seeing people she has met at Aquinas everyday.

“It has been a fruitful experience, it made me grow as a person - and the weather made me stronger,” said Bhatia giggling.

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NEWS

THE SAINT WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

World Affairs

The History of the Black Plague Lecture Series features Dr. Chad Gunnoe

By Natalie Przybyla The Saint Reporter

In Germany, the plague hit the hardest within the early 1540s, where at some times 700 or more lives were

however, they lacked the technology to investigate the disease further. It was not until the late 19th century that On February 3, Aquinas College humans learned that rats, had the opportunity to get a fleas, and camels can all slice of history from Dr. Chad carry the disease. Now the Gunnoe, a historian and an Black Plague can be cured Aquinas professor, about the with a series of antibiotics Black Plague. Being inspired because people do still by the life of Thomas Erastus, contract it. who had the plague as a The plague hit young boy, Gunnoe began many regions containing digging deeper into the people of the Protestant history of the Black Plague faith, which caused a in the regions of Southern few theologians to boast Germany and Switzerland. about the luck they had Gunnoe mapped out with avoiding the quickly the path and spread of the migrating death. disease and its tole on cities “Only a few Catholics in the mid 16th century. In died in the plague,” the process, Gunnoe even COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS Gunnoe said quoting took the time to record the important people and the Black Plague: History Professor Chad Gunnoe goes through the Achilles Pirmin Gasser, a medieval physician from cities who were affected by history of the Black Plague for Aquinas’ Lecture Series.

Augsburg, Germany. hands of the Black Death.

“I plan to study more on epidemics Heinrich Bullinger, was a theologian lost in a single week. The death toll of who lived in Zurich, Switzerland during the plague was so severe that laws had of medieval times as well as the Thirty the 17th century. Bullinger faced many to be made to keep citizens safe. These Years’ War,” Gunnoe said.

Although Gunnoe’s scholarly hardships through this time, for he lost laws included not allowing pigs within his wife, brother in law, four nephews, as the cities, the ill going to plague houses, works have a wide range, he focuses well as many other family members and and a restriction of sewage in the streets. mostly on medieval history. Aquinas is During this time people used to hoping to see him go onto even more friends. Although Bullinger survived the plague, he still contracted the illness and believe that the Black Death could be success with his papers and books in the lived to tell the tale. There were many helped or cured with potpourri and future while he continues professing at fresh air. Most knew it to be contagious, the college. cases like that of Heinrich Bullinger.

Professor Spotlight: Omar Flores

Aquinas Alum, Humanities Professor, and all around family man

By Carlos Hernandez The Saint Reporter In the hall to the right of the St. Thomas Aquinas statue, there lies a Humanities class taught by a man known as Professor Omar Flores.

As an Aquinas alumnus (Class of 2002), he is an exemplary model of what it is like to be an Aquinas Saint -- past, present, and future.

F l o r e s wa s r a i s e d i n a t o u g h neighborhood in Detroit and spent his entire life in t h e c i t y. H e w e n t to public school until attending Holy Redeemer High School, where he met two men who would end up changing his life in ways he never imagined. These men, Patrick and Erin Irwin, were his cross country head/ assistant coaches who dedicated their time and energy to their athletes and inspired them to go f o r w h a t e ve r t h e y wanted and to work hard. It was t h e s e t wo m e n w h o e n c o u r a g e d him to apply to Aquinas College.

Professor Flores has made it clear that he does not regret that decision and it shows when he reminisces about his years as a student.

“I wasn’t sure if I would like it it n ot , ” sa i d Fl o r e s . “ I fe l l i n love...literally and figuratively. I fell in love with the college and I met my wife, Elizabeth Flores (Class of 2000), who teaches in the S p a n i s h D e p a r t m e n t a n d wo r k s for the School of Education here at Aquinas.”

As a student, he took every opportunity he could to better himself and to help others. His impressive resume involves working as a cook at both Wege kitchens, helping with a Hispanic student organization, serving as a student representative for the P r e s i d e n t ’s P l a n n i n g C o u n c i l , taking part in the first class of

Aquinas participates in worldly discussions this winter and invites students to get involved

student ambassadors, and working as a Resident Assistant for a couple of years. He even studied abroad in Ireland and was asked to help come up with a way to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Ireland Program. He suggested the idea of a scholarship to help pay for students who need financial assistance for the trip; in the first year, the program raised over $40,000 for the scholarship. He graduated

love of the humanities.

“I find that the humanities challenges me because it is so interdisciplinary,” said Flores. It presents something new in every class, but even lecture; you know, week three from year one to year five is going to be different, even if you have the same framework.”

Flores lives in East Grand Rapids w i t h h i s w i f e a n d t wo s o n s . I n addition to being a professor and father, he also serves as the vice president to the Board of Tr u s t e e s t o T h e Michigan Masonic C h a r i t a b l e Foundation, and works as a Clinical Therapist as his primary occupation. As a man who struggled financially and survived one of the hardest streets in Detroit growing up, Professor Omar Flores is a shining example that CARLOS HERNANDEZ//THE SAINT where you start with a bachelor of psychology and will not ultimately stuck around for a bit and worked decide your future. He credits his in the Admissions Office. Flores success to those who supported also went to Grand Valley State him through school, including his University and graduated in 2007 wife, his high school coaches, and with a Master ’s in social work his family (both blood and the AQ B e f o r e g r a d u a t i n g h e h a d Community). thought about becoming an adjunct As a result, he pays it forward professor, and became even more every opportunity he gets, from interested in the concept when his c o m m u n i t y wo r k t o c o u n s e l i n g wife started working for Aquinas those who need it, to working with i n t h e f a l l o f 2 0 0 0 . O n e d a y h e the homeless and being an attentive found out there was an opening e a r. H e i s e n o r m o u s l y g r a t e f u l f o r a s e c t i o n o f h u m a n i t i e s a n d for his good fortune and stops to talked with Humanities Director, experience life. A lifelong learner, Dan Brooks for more information. a man who gives to the community, Flores was sold on the idea and someone who is fascinated by other s u b m i t t e d a n a p p l i c a t i o n . H e religions as well as his own, and an wa s g i v e n t h e p o s i t i o n i n 2 0 0 9 active member of the community, and has been teaching here ever Professor Flores is truly an Aquinas s i n ce . Du r ing t his t ime , he als o Saint. taught at GVSU for a semester as a professor of social work. He has had opportunities to go back to GVSU, but keeps his feet firmly at Aquinas because of his unbridled

Happy Valentine’s Day! News Editor Yasmeen Ahmed

The Saint Staff E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

By Natalie Przybyla The Saint Reporter T h e Pe r f o r m i n g A r t s C e n t e r will hold the Great Decisions Discussion of 2015 this February and March in order to speak on a few of the world’s serious issues.

T h e Wo r l d A f f a i r s e ve n t k i c k e d off February 9 and will continue every Monday until March 30.

Each discussion will take place at 6pm and cover a different topic than the week.

February 9 held a discussion by the director of Kennan institute, Matthew Rojanski about the crisis in Ukraine and how Putin is pushing back against Eur opeanization in the coun tr y.

Next Monday, Assistant Professor of Middle Eastern Studies from GVSU, Sebastian Maisel will question if the Middle East is divided by religion or politics.

Other talks include human trafficking, transformations in Africa, the possibility of Brazil b e c o m i n g a w o r l d l e a d e r, a n d much more.

AQ is especially excited for the panel discussion put on b y P r e s i d e n t o f Wo m e n a t R i s k International, Becky McDonald and Amanda Colegrove, Coalition O r g a n i z e r o f C AT E a s w e l l a s moderated by Michigan Senator Judy Emmons. This discussion will take place on February 23, about human trafficking around the world. Not only will it touch on the impact that trafficking has on the United States and the world, but the women also plan to discuss what steps the world

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needs to take in order to solve this problem that seems so common around the globe.

The discussions are put on by professors, photojournalists, organization leaders, senators, and ambassadors alike. The range of types of people and the range of talks helps to connect the world, and Aquinas College has the honor this year to be at the center of it.

There is a talk for nearly any interest. For example, photojournalist Jared Kohler will use his photographs of Syrian refugees to tell the shocking story of the growth of refugee camps and the residents of the c o u n t r y. H e w i l l b e i n t h e PA C on March 23. From thousands of tents to a dust-covered lens, the art of Kohler ’s photographs have a certain beauty that could move anyone into action.

Each talk is free for students, faculty and staff, which makes it incredibly easy to sit down on a Monday evening and learn s o m e t h i n g n e w. T h o s e w h o a r e not students or staff at Aquinas College will be asked to pay a fee of $15 for non-members and $10 for members. For a complete list of the talks with their dates, feel free to visit www.worldmichigan. org and search for the Great World Discussion Series of 2015, or keep visiting the Aquinas website for m o r e u p d a t e s o f e ve n t s a r o u n d campus.

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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

What Feminists Are Getting Wrong

FROM THE CROWD

APPLAUSE TO...

#Aquinas, for pushing #STANLEYSecurity; Sam Smith, for winning over both us and the Grammys as Best New Artist; Campus Life, for refreshing us all last Friday night; Spectrum Scholarship Competition, for bringing smart prospective Saints to compete on campus; Kayne West and Taylor Swift, for finally making up after six years; Grand Rapids, for being entertaining all year round.

HECKLES TO...

Calvin College, for spray-painting our Spirit Rock; Netflix, for not having Dawson’s Creek to stream at the Culture Editor’s demand; Brian Williams, for jeopardizing journalistic integrity; Terrorism, for still enstilling fear in the hearts of the world; Snow, for generally closing down most of the country on a whim; Punxsutawney Phil, for dooming us to six more week of winter.

Classifieds...

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. Meet us February 24 at 12:30pm, in the Wege Center Loutit Room. www.grandrapidsfriends.org

theSaint 2014-2015 E D I T O R I A L B O A R D Editor-in-Chief News Editor Culture Editor Creative Director News Intern News Intern

Mayra Monroy Yasmeen Ahmed Abbi Racine Emily Higham Anna Musiyenko Chucky Blackmore

Sports Editor Opinion Editor Managing Editor Adviser Opinion Intern

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Taylor Hodges Chuck Hyde Aaron Campbell Dr. Dan Brooks Mackenzie Murphy

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

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

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

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

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

>>write us a letter!

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

physical copies – AB, Room 20

Opinion Editor Chuck Hyde

By Mackenzie Murphy Opinion Intern I understand why so many people have qualms with the feminist movement.

There are obviously groups out there that see feminism as a threat to power and are worried about that— but, in my opinion, the main issue is that many people have been personally attacked under the guise of feminism.

The word feminist has a bad rap.

We need to unravel that.

Sometimes proponents of the feminist movement purport hurtful and disturbing things about men. Generally these claims can be regarded as attempts to regain power that has been lost—or never even granted—or to equalize women in societal status. The issue with this approach is that it attacks people for who they are instead of attacking ideologies and overarching systems. They say “guys are gross because they’re all pigs” instead of saying“exploiting other people solely for sexual enjoyment is wrong.” They don’t admit to standpoint bias or to the influence of personal experience. They base their arguments off of one person who treated them poorly. They make gross generalizations about men.

There is a difference between an ideology’s paradigm and its actual execution. At times movements like religions, like Occupy Wall Street, like feminism, have lapses in action and

thought.

It is important to note that exploiting an ideology’s disconnects between action and thought is a tool to re-stabilize power. It is a tool that is utilized by both feminists and misogynists, and rejecting a social movement in its entirety for its flaws is an unproductive way to promote social change. Feminist ideas are important because feminism is one of the few social movements that principally calls for gender equality—that oppressive views towards women are also oppressive against men, and that patriarchy attempts to define and limit a large portion of men’s lives, too. Feminism is applicable to men’s lives because Old Spice still attempts to sell their products with commercials that claim use of their products will “transform” males into “men,” that overt expressions of vulnerability or any emotional aren’t acceptable.

As a friend of mine kindly pointed out: “How is it not okay to sexualize an innocent woman walking down the street in NYC, but it’s perfectly acceptable to sexualize the equally innocent #alexfromtarget?” How is it that cat-calling is considered to be horrible sexual harassment, but painting overtly sexual portraits of a Target employee on tumblr is okay and even funny? In both instances, individuals are being objectified when neither of them are asking to be.

Feminism has been known to have issues of equality before; it has had a racist problem, a classist problem, an ableist problem— and as always—a sexist problem. Thankfully most of

these problems have been acknowledged and challenged, but now we need to challenge sexism within the feminist movement. Attacks against men are not valid ways to promote gender equality. Arguments that don’t deal with patriarchy but generalize about the male gender as an identity are unproductive and offensive.

When you say “Guys are so unfathomably dumb sometimes,” you insult my father who I regard as being infinitely smart. When you say “all boys are evil,” you demonize my sweet, sweet nephew who asked to hold my hand on Space Mountain.

When you say “the smarter you are the more men aren’t funny” you hurt my wonderful boyfriend, who handles his humor with kind regard and respect.

These people are more than just their gender and need to be viewed complexly and uniquely.

Even though we are wives, sisters, and daughters, we also have husbands, brothers, and fathers.We need to be mindful of our words and how they clash with ideology. We need to stop making these general attacks against specific genders. We need to acknowledge our humanity—men’s humanity, women’s humanity, anyone’s humanity—before we disenfranchise them. When you insult any man for being a man, you undo the work of hundreds of years of feminists—feminists who were force fed, who were violently attacked, who were harassed and oppressed and challenged and who fought to be equal, not to be exceedingly vapid and unkind.

Anti-Vaccination or Irresponsible Parents?

By Chuck Hyde Opinion Editor I am one of those people that tends to fake being angry often. Jokingly, I may yell or fume over trivial things, such as dropping a pencil or mispronouncing a word. Let me be completely clear right off the bat: I will never fake my anger when it comes to discussing those who refuse to vaccinate their children.

Vaccinations have been around for a long time. Some scholars have found evidence of smallpox vaccination attempts going back nearly five hundred years. Not only have they been around for quite some time, but they have permanently aided humanity, standing a testament to the good that cooperation can do. The aforementioned disease, smallpox, was completely eliminated from the planet in 1977.

Now, other diseases that seemed close to meeting the same

fate as smallpox are making a terrifying comeback. Measles is the first and most noteworthy, with Disneyland facing an epidemic in the past weeks. With parents not vaccinating their children, diseases like this make a comeback after being made perfectly treatable. Not only that, but they bring their children to densely populated places like Disney, endangering other children.

There are even kids there from Make-a-Wish Foundation. These parents could be putting children that are already incredibly sick in more danger than they are already in.

This is what upsets me. Not only are these fully-grown adults endangering their own children, but if their kid gets measles, they are putting everyone else around them at risk, too. It’s a dangerous public health concern, and I’m personally of the opinion that this needs to be stopped on a national level.

There is no scientific basis for their claims. The doctor that published the study saying that vaccines cause autism, Andrew Wake-

field, was universally condemned by his peers following his study. Its results were not repeatable, and he lost his medical license as a result of an investigation following the study.

Despite this, people still seem to believe that vaccines are dangerous. Without vaccines, we would still have hundreds of thousands of people dying each year from preventable diseases. With the current state of events, we may be headed back to such a time. Ignorance itself is something to condemn, but in this case it has caused an actual crisis in public health.

As a biology student, these are the things that upset me most. If only these people would take the time to verify the claims that Jenny McCarthy and the like spout about medicine, they would realize they have no credibility. A quick Google search is all it took for me to get the information I needed for this article, and most people are capable of the same. Keep yourself informed, and don’t fall prey to the same illinformed fear-mongering that these people have succumbed to.

The Myth of the Hipster

By Natalie Przybyla The Saint Reporter Hipsters of the millennial generation seem to becoming more and more mainstream. So now, is being behind the trends vintage, or out of style? Trick question: it’s neither.

Hipsterism is completely made up and impossible to achieve, no matter how many Smiths albums you listen to alone in your studio apartment that looks like it belongs on a Tumblr blog.

Originality is not original when there is a word for a group one belongs to. Society will never hear a hipster call themselves a hipster because hipsters know this—it’s all part of their plan of world domination. The domination is inevitable because of the way humans tend to latch onto styles over time. However, the fad will die, much like how gauchos did after 2008 (THANK GOD).

Alas, hipsterism is beginning

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

to take the world by storm. Their style, their diet, their thin body shape, and their political views are almost unanimous and the culture is growing. They all seem to wear ironic t-shirts, skinny jeans and layers upon layers of clashing patterns and fabrics. They are all vegan and love Sriracha—and they’ll let you know why it’s wrong to eat eggs every time they see someone putting food in their mouth (because really, vegans never eat).

Due to eating only fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains, they are thin and their chain-smoking habit only adds to their meatless bones and stomach. The true hipster will naturally disagree with anything one has to say despite their real beliefs—they just want to be the opposite of whatever everyone else is.

Don’t get me wrong, being unique is great. People who dress differently tend to be looked at as being more attractive and people

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Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

who like to do obscure things have more likeable personalities. However, is it really unique when over 50% of the population dresses and acts as the same? Most would say no.

Here’s some good advice: If one day you see a hipster or ten (they tend to travel in packs), tell them that style isn’t the same as lifestyle, and just because they got that cat sweater at Goodwill, it doesn’t mean they have to act like such a snob.

This advice is coming from a vegetarian Tumblr blogger who shops exclusively at Goodwill and Urban Outfitters, so I know exactly what I’m talking about. Don’t agree with me though, I’m special in my views.

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THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

Literature: Harper Lee set to publish Mockingbird sequel this summer

Awards: Grammy’s honors the late Joan Rivers

Movies: “Neighbors’” sequel set to be released next year

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Remember To Kill a Mockingbird? The great American novel you had to read in high school English class?

Scout’s honor: author Lee is releasing a sequel , entitled Go Set a Watchman, this summer. Lee had written the manuscript over 50 years ago after the momentous success of her first novel. She famously has refrained from publishing another piece of work since.

Comedian and fashion critic Joan Rivers, who passed earlier this year at the age of 85, wins a posthumous Grammy award for her spoken-word album “Diary of a Mad Diva”. Other nominess in the category were former President Jimmy Carter, actor James Franco, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warner, director John Waters, and “I Will Survive” singer Gloria Gaynor.

Everyone, tame your ovaries. A shirtless Zac Efron will reprise his frat-bro role from the popular 2014 comedy film “The Neighbors.” A sequel is said to be released May 2016. The plot will follow the same couple played by Seth Rogan and Rose Byrne, as a sorority moves in next door to the young family.

No word if young stud Dave Franco will be recast.

Over the weekend, the former Olympian and Kardashian fatherfigure was involved in a deadly 5 car pile-up in Malibu. He escaped without injuries. Allegedly the paparazzi pursuing Jenner is to blame.

>> BRUCE JENNER

COURTESY US MAGAZINE

50 shades of annoyed abigale racine | culture editor

pep

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Most who read that first sentence and cringe at the very mention of the much-dreaded Hallmark holiday probably secretly wish I choke on a chalky candy heart. I regret to inform the haters that I avoid such stupid, tasteless treats.

To cater to those in need of a tasteful rant however, let’s discuss healthy and unhealthy relationships before you trek off to view 50 Shades of Grey or whatever rom-com you are going to subject yourself to this upcoming weekend.

As an individual who studies Communications and loves film and media, I often find myself divided. I find myself in an even more difficult position when I see or hear others idealize the unhealthy behaviors portrayed on-screen. So, here are some warning signs and misportrayals that you should consider the next time you view your favorite Nicholas Sparks DVD. I have taken the liberty of connecting these points to popular films.

Signs of an unhealthy relationship and popular movies that glorify these problems: 1) You feel as if the life is being sucked out of you. The Twilight Saga: New Moon.

We all remember the physical and mental shutdown of Bella Swan when vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen dumped her in the middle of a freaking forest. Better yet, we remember the miscommunication and the suicide attempt made later on in the storyline. Lesson to learn from this dreadful cinematic production? Learn to stand your ground and have your own identity outside a romantic relationship and value your selfworth. Who’s playing for Team Bella?

2) Repetitive conflicts and arguments.

Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare’s tragic classic conveys this perfectly. If these two starcrossed lovers had listened to me, maybe Leonardo DiCaprio wouldn’t have to die.

Was loving someone from a rival, feuding family and hiding the relationship the smartest idea? I think the final act speaks for itself. At least their deaths make their families realize how unreasonable they were being and opened the door to improve future relations.

3) Being in need is too often confused with being in love. Titanic.

Rose, the audience knows you would have never considered the pauper had you two been off the boat. Yes, your fiance sucks, and it’s good to run from an abusive relationship. If the Titanic hadn’t sunk however, you would have forgotten about Jack once the boat docked. Occasionally you would fondly remember the vacation fling you had while you are trapped in a loveless, but financially-sound marriage. Don’t let the good sex cloud your thoughts Kate Winslet Again, maybe if these two star-crossed lovers would have listened to me, Leonardo DiCaprio wouldn’t have to die.

4) One person has most of the power over the two of you. Fifty Shades of Grey. Before the Christian Grey-worshipers hunt me down and tackle me, I’ll have you know that I too have read the books. Contrary to most, I read the trilogy for the sake of argument, to prove that the relationship between submissive Anastasia Steele and control-freak Christian Grey is indeed unhealthy. I mean, he insists she sign a contract that basically permits him to assert his dominance over her whenever he’s in the mood. Oh, but she changes him. Forgive me, you’re right, they practice BDSM safely and she isn’t brainwashed to return to her master. I’m so grateful that you corrected me and convinced me that there is definitely ia balance of power between these two. All I can say is don’t try this at home without further investigation than E.L James’s books.

5) The focus is placed on changing another person.

Any movie headlining Katherine Heigl where she is type-casted as Type-A workaholic, therefore deemed unlovable.

She has no self-worth beyond feeding her cat and excelling in her career, until a strapping male comes along and saves her from herself. He is a brute character with plenty of nothces in his bedpost and he is annoyed

by Heigl’s character. However, fate (and plenty of alcohol) brings them together and Heigl learns to live on the edge. A valuable lesson to live by: you are not worth anything until somebody loves you.

6) The negatives are not turning into positives. 500 Days of Summer.

This popular flick documents the crumbling of a relationship. Tom pushes a relationship on Summer, despite her obvious resilience toward commitment. Summer “leads” Tom on, dumps him, and then becomes engaged to another man. Tom is painted as the victim, but he is just as every bit as terrible as Summer. He is an immature man-child who breaks plates when he’s upset. Enough said. Happy Valentines Day!

The Lake Effect Fringe Festival brings talent, culture, and color

Good Eats: Eastown’s Chez Olga brings heat

By Mariah Cowsert The Saint Reporter

LIZ PTASZYNSKI/THE SAINT

Hot haven in February: Warm yourself up with Caribbean spices at Chez Olga.

By Liz Ptaszynski The Saint Reporter Outside it’s impossible to warm up.

There is snow and ice and if you’re like me it’s the kind of miserable that you wish to avoid but can’t possibly. I’ve tried coffee, hot cocoa, and soup, but nothing seems to work; but then I went to Chez Olga.

The first thing I must caution you about Chez Olga is it is not a place for those with weak taste buds. You must be one that can conquer spicy foods and not be afraid to dig right in. Once you get there you quickly realize that when ordering you have to follow a spicy level scale and it goes from 0-10.

When I got there with a friend, I looked at the menu. For a place that specializes in Caribbean food, they seemed to have something for everyone; sandwiches, soups, salads, and, of course, gumbo. If you’ve never had gumbo, I would highly suggest you try it. It’s a stew with vegetables and whatever meat you choose all on top of a generous pile of rice.

My friend decided to get the seafood gumbo which included a hefty combination of mussels, pollock, squid, octopus, shrimp, tilapia, and surimi with okra and white onions, when asked what level of spice he wanted there wasn’t even a pause before he went with six.

For someone who might not be quite as adventurous, there are plenty of options. They offer tofu substitutions, chicken and even goat if you wish to try it.

I had the Tofu Gumbo and I asked what he would consider mild. The waiter

explained that most people never went above a five and that he thought the best bet for me would probably be a four. In fear of burning off my taste buds, I went with a two.

While waiting I ordered a Haitian Ginger Tea that was sweetened to perfection. The taste was mesmerizing and as it went down my throat, I instantly felt warm. It was so delicious that by the time my food came, my tea was already gone.

The plate that sat in front of me looked both appetizing and beautiful.

The color was a rich red that seemed to brighten the whole restaurant, needless to say I didn’t pause to dig in. The first bite was exactly what I wanted and more. The tofu was perfectly crunchy as if it had been fried and the vegetables were soft enough to not take away from the firmness of the tofu. The sauce was absolutely the best part of this dish. There was a combination of flavors that seemed to play off each other as the passed down my throat. Spicy but somehow sweet at the same time. It was absolutely one of my favorite dishes I had ever received in East town.

However when I got to the end of my dish, I felt as though my mouth was on fire and I could not drink enough water. My throat burned from the spices, but it hardly kept me from finishing it.

Chez Olga is a great restaurant for people that do not mind a little adventure for their taste buds. It’s certainly perfect for the cold weather and will make you want to return soon. I am already planning my next visit.

Patrick Maguire’s abstract art exhibit held at Art and Music Center

By Yashowanto N. Ghosh Staff Writer

Patrick Maguire’s show Between A Space And A Not So Familiar Place, with ten oil paintings and an installation, opened at the Aquinas College Art & Music Center Gallery on Sunday, January 18.

The gallery is divided in two by an installed wall with a partially open door in it; the door has a circular window cut into it below eye level. There is a length of rope connecting the door with a painted rock a few feet away on the floor, and the rope is weighed down by a smaller rock, creating an impression that the door is either being held open or being pulled open by means of the rope. As you enter the gallery, there are four paintings before the door—one to your left and three to your right—and six more paintings beyond the door.

Three of the paintings carry the title Window, and a fourth is called Window Ghost.

Have you ever wondered why flat artwork is, when exhibited, hung by the neck until it is dead on the wall? One possible way out of that depressing thought is that only that which is enclosed by the wall is dead, and that the art on the wall are windows showing you glimpses of life

Culture Editor Abigale Racine

behind the wall, and Maguire plays with that notion by making the windows themselves—complete with their frames and with arched tops such as those in Norman windows— into the only objects in the pieces; the life you see through his windows are not further subjects framed in them, but tones and texture.

Four of the other paintings explore sight: Eyes Shut Spectrum Sprawl, Double Vision, and two titled Mirage; the remaining paintings are called Watering Hole and I’ve Been Here Before, I Think. The paintings are abstract (in the specific sense that they are non-narrative and non-representational), which, among other things, invites you to breach the surface of each in its turn and have a conversation with the very gradation of its masterfully restrained colors. The compositions are dominated by horizontal strips of color, and are symmetric about central vertical lines which add to them a dimension of form, even of inevitability.

Maguire is an alumnus of the BFA program at Aquinas and received his MFA at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. The show ends on Friday February 13, so go see it now if you haven’t been to it yet.

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The Lake Effect Fringe Festival is rooted at Dog Story Theater, an intimate volunteer based venue that provides space for local productions including The Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company, No Outlet Improv Troupe, Theater 616, Stark Turn Players, and GEM Theatrics.

Every production in the festival is featured at $8 with a student ID which makes it not only a wonderful way to support local artists but an enriching experience that won’t fracture the budget of a college student.

This versatile Fringe Festival has been running for three years now as a collaboration between West Michigan theatre groups.

It offers productions ranging from 10 minute plays that are written, rehearsed, and performed within the span of 24 hours, to productions of Shakespeare classics, and even a contemporary play written by an Aquinas alumni.

Aphra Behn is a part-time playwright, part-time courtier, and part-time spy in [exit Mrs Behn] or The Leo Play which is part farce and part docudrama, written and directed by Christopher VanDer Ark (AQ alum). Van Der Ark’s show features a talented cast and crew including AQ alums Lizzy Sulkowski and Mackenzie McElroy and is available for audience enjoyment February 24 and 25 at 8 p.m.

Staying rooted in England, The Pi-

geon Creek Shakespeare Company plays with the bard’s tradition of casting women with male roles and men with female roles as they present a cross-gender production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It. In this play, the heroine Rosalind disguises herself as a man to escape from her tyrant of an uncle and runs to the forest of arden. This romantic comedy is generated as a bard on-the-run show, which means the actors go into the first rehearsal with their lines completely memorized but they only have a week to rehearse the show before it opens. This production can be seen on February 20 and 21st at 8p.m. or Sunday, February 22 at 3p.m.

On February 27 through March 1, the Stark Turn Players will be presenting eight 10 minute plays by area playwrights with a winner announced after the Sunday performance. The theme of the plays this year are family/generations which are broken down into four comedies and four dramas that are certain to strike a chord with each audience member. A few of the 10 minute plays will feature Humanities professorMichael Dodge, so be sure to support Professor Dodge while also enjoying a cultural experience.

Take a friend, or a belated valentine’s date, to Dog Story Theater on Jefferson Avenue for a refreshing local theatre experience.

To learn more about other events visit the Facebook page entitled Lake Effect Fringe Festival for a full listing with showtimes.

Artist Spotlight: Alex and Sierra

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Dynamic duo: X Factor winners Alex and Sierra share their love and talent.

By Haley Brink Staff Writer

Artist: Alex and Sierra Genre: Pop Comparisons: Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johannson’s Relator album

Newly founded pop duo, Alex and Sierra, are on their way to the top. With a brand new album, “It’s About Us”, this couple is taking on the music industry with reigns in both hands.

The couple won the third season of “The X Factor”, only to continue stunning their listeners far beyond the realms of the television world.

Their goal is to hopefully not be one of those bands that provides one great album and then disappears under the sheet of lost artists. But for this amazing pop duo, there is hardly a chance that they’ll be forgotten.

Alex and Sierra have recently come out with their album “It’s About Us”. This album is truly all about them. With 13 songs of pure love, this album will crawl its way to the top in no time.

The first song they ever wrote together is thrown into the mix. It’s a lovely little number called “All for You”. It shows how dangerous it is to be too in love with someone. The love is so palpable, while listening, you won’t be able to stop yourself from wanting to sing along.

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Though all their songs are about love, none of them are too sappy. With songs titled “I Love You” and “It’s About Us”, the mood could be easily deceived. But this amazing couple spaces themselves from every other duo. They are truly an entirely new sound.

The song “Give Me Something” will leave you wanting to push that repeat button. Not only is it one of the catchiest songs on the album, but it is also the most relatable song on the album.

The most intriguing of their songs would have to be “Cheating”. It is a whole song about asking a lover if they’ve ever thought about cheating or throwing in the towel. And they proceed to say that everyone has those thoughts, no matter how fleeting they are, everyone does. This just makes Alex and Sierra the most understanding duo out there.

The other songs: “Almost Home”, “Back to You”, “Broken Frame”, “Bumper Cars”, “Here We Go”, “Just Kids”, “Little Do You Know”, and “Scarecrow” are equally as terrific, and everyone should make it a point to look up the entire album. There will be no regrets.

Alex and Sierra have such unique voices; it’s hard not to want to listen to them all the time. That is definitely not something to be ashamed of, because this couple will prove themselves worthy in late March when they come near Grand Rapids on tour.

They will be touring America with pop singer Andy Grammer, making their way closer to Michigan with every concert.

They’ll finally be in Pontiac, on March 26 at 6:30 p.m. at The Crofoot Ballroom. This will be a concert you won’t want to miss.

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

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CULTURE

THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

What a beautiful album: The Decemberists produce a great new release

By Chuck Hyde Opinion Editor As an angst-ridden twentysomething that loves beer and flannel, I am right smack dab in the middle of The Decemberists’ target demographic.

I picked up their new release What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World and gave it a listen, only to be pleased with the horribly melancholy record.

The somber acoustic guitars, the lively piano, Colin Meloy’s heartbroken crooning, and the occasional accordion were present and beautiful, as is the norm with the Portland, Oregon, band’s music. I had never heard a bad record from the group, and, luckily, this wasn’t the first time for that misfortune.

After a three year hiatus, I was scared that the group would not return. However, the opening track “The Singer Addresses His Audience” directly speaks to all of the listeners, stating that they “belong to [us].”

Meloy speaks of the trials of fame and the difficulty with which they face change. The new album is different in some ways from their previous efforts (as are each of their other albums in turn), and Meloy speaks to this right from the start.

After the introductory track (which ends with chanting), horns and lively percussion bring in the second track, “Cavalry Captain.”

Jenny Conlee’s backing vocals bring a good balance to Meloy’s harsh lead in not only this track, but many on the album. The combined group vocals also serve as an excellent backing to both this song and the following, “Philomena.”

The fourth track is reflective, opening with a lone electric guitar and melancholy musings on a failed attempt to fix a dying relationship. Entitled “Make You

l a i c e p S s Aquina Rate

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Better,” the song features Meloy wishing that he could have forced a relationship to work through mutual criticism. Instead, this attitude merely assisted in the denial that was persistent until now. Unfortunately, “[they’re] not so starry-eyed anymore,” and the infatuation they shared has faded.

A song that could even be about the same couple follows later in the album. “Better Not Wake the Baby” sees a tale of domestic violence and unrest in a household, describing the acts as trivial, so long as the child is not woken.

It seems a stark contrast, the fits of the character in question beside the sleeping infant that the speaker seeks to keep asleep. It is very uncomfortable, but a wonderful song.

Then, for once, the Decemberists end on a hopeful note. “A Beginning Song” paradoxically ends the album, with a simple and somewhat repetitive lyrical structure. However, this works to its advantage, seeming to evoke images of spinning in circles while staring at the sky. It seems much happier and more hopeful than the rest of the album, a welcome change.

Overall, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World is an amazing album, as is the case with most the Decemberists’ outings. However, it is not for the faint of heart and the optimists. It is melancholy and bleak, with only high tempos and the occasional happier song to save it from being too depressing.

Nonetheless, it works as an enjoyable and literary album to break up the monotony of music that may have a more positive slant.

Going the Distance: a Long-Distance Love Story In order to see each other in-between these times, Guest takes advantage of the services provided by megabus.com, which he had found through Facebook. With this service, he can get a ride from Grand Rapids to Chicago for as low as a dollar.

Yes, reader, your eyes read correctly. A whole dollar is the minimum a ride could cost.

The travel has aided the young couple and now megabus.com may help them more than ever before.

Guest signed up on Facebook for an online competition that Mega Bus was holding.

“I signed up willy-nilly, not thinking much of it,” he said.

Recently Guest received a surprise right before Valentine’s Day. He received word that he was a semi-finalist and that he and Sutton have the potential to win two COURTESY BRETT GUEST tickets to anywhere in the U.S., Love from a distance: Sophomore student Brett Guest was recently named a semi-final- with $500 lodging and entertainment expenses covered. ist in a national competition that grants him and his significant other a free vacation.

The couple intends on travelAlthough they attended sepa- ing to Orlando during the sumBy Abigale Racine rate schools back home, they met mertime if they win the contest.

Culture Editor through their involvement in techGuest advises those considerHercules, the nical theatre. The couple had only ing going long-distance to, “Talk a Disney character been dating two months when col- lot and put yourself as a priority. If that we grew up legiate life tore them apart, but you don’t trust them to meet new with, once famous- they decided to love from afar. people, it’s not going to work. We ly sung, “I can go “We had a lot of people ques- both love and hate the long-disthe distance/I’ll be tioning us,” said Guest with a tance aspect. It allows us to have there someday, if laugh. “What I love most about our own lives. It’s time-consuming I can be strong/I [ Jordan] is her sass. She has the for us to leave and visit each othknow every mile ‘girl-next-door ’ thing. I love it.” er, but it stinks not being able to will be worth my while. I would What makes their relationship see each other on weekends.” go most anywhere, to feel like I unique is the bounds to which Here’s to hoping that the hapbelong.” these two are willing to go to py couple gets the trip that they so Sophomore student Brett maintain it. rightfully deserve!

Guest is basically in Hercules’ “Communication is key,” said roped sandals.

Sutton.

He and long-term girlfriend Guest and Sutton utilize social Jordan Sutton, both of Detroit, mediums that promote connectedhave been maintaining a long- ness, mostly Skype and Facebook. term relationship while being 190 He also sends flowers on special miles apart. occasions.

Guest is here at Aquinas, Guest and Sutton, on average, studying History and Social Stud- only have the ability to see each ies. Sutton attends Loyola Univer- other four times a year- Christmas sity Chicago, where she is pursu- break, fall break, spring break, ing Psychology and Art Therapy. and during summer.

Free-dom.

Free-markets.

(Free-Pizza!)

Lunch Presentation Thursday, March 5 12:15 pm – 1:15 pm | Loutit Room (Wege)

2015 Grand Rapids – June 16-19 Acton University is a unique 4 day learning experience at DeVos Place, June 16-19, 2015. AU will help you begin, or continue your journey obtaining knowledge and skill in liberty, theology, philosophy and free-market economics. AU will help you explore the intellectual foundations of a free and virtuous society and equip you to articulate how religion and liberty are essential to culture.

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Culture Editor Abigale Racine

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

Phone (616) 632-2975

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

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7

THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015

Losing a Legend: North Carolina’s Dean Smith

U.S. Men’s Soccer: Taking on Panama

Watch Your Grammar: Knicks owner looks foolish

WHAT TO WATCH

Former North Carolina men’s basketball coach Dean Smith was pronounced dead this past Saturday. Smith won two national championships with the Tarheels in 1982 and 1983. More than 50 of Smith’s players went on to play in the NBA or ABA, with more playing overseas.

The U.S. men’s soccer team beat Panama in a friendly competition this past Sunday.

Scoring for the team was Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey. Nick Rimando and Sean Johnson split the goaltending duties for the match.

New York Knicks owner James Dolan sent out an embarrassing response email in regards to a fan wanting him to sell the franchise. Dolan forgot how to properly use punctuation and told the man “you most likely have made your family miserable.” What a guy.

The Aquinas men’s bowling team notched a huge victory over the weekend. While the team started out towards the bottom at the beginning of the season, the team managed to clinch a first place victory in the WHAC tournament. Way to go, guys!

Personality in Sports

taylor hodges |sports editor

Personality. It surrounds us and makes us who we are. Our friends have it, our parents have it, our girlfriends and boyfriends have plenty of it, shoot even our grandparents still have some left in the tank. Personality is what makes us human, it’s what separates me from you and you from the person across the room. Our society embraces personality.

Over the last decade or so, we’ve even developed a new genre of television called reality shows in which people are suppose to showcase their personality, no matter how annoying or dumb it may be. You might be asking yourself, “Taylor you realize you’re the sports editor right? What are you trying to get at?”

Well anonymous person asking me questions, I will tell you.

In this day and age where information can be grasped within seconds of it breaking, many people are forced to quiet down their personality in fear of consequences from their employers. This rings true more than ever with professional athletes. In an era with social media and many athletes having their own Instagram or Twitter accounts, you would think they would show-off their personality a bit more, and some of them do, but most of them are pretty toned down.

As I was on Twitter, I decided to look up a few of the biggest athletes in the World and see what they’ve been tweeting about.

I looked no further than one of the most popular athletes in the World, Tiger Woods.

Woods’ tweet on January 21 read, “Excited to be part of @fullswinggolf.

Can’t wait to see how this new technology will help my game.” Woods other tweets mainly consisted of pictures on the green and endorsements.

I thought, maybe I chose the wrong sport to investigate. Golf players are pretty toned down for the most part. So I ventured to the Twitter account of Tom Brady, one of football’s most famous players and the results were pretty much the same. Brady’s tweets mainly consisted of retweets from endorsers releasing a new shoe, holiday sale, or people wishing him happy birthday. Come on Tom! I will admit that the people I have listed have had some tweets that showcase their personality, but they’re few and far between.

I’m not saying athletes need to express their personality so much that they enter rehab or go to prison, I’m just saying it would be nice to see a person be themselves once in awhile instead of giving the same answers to every interview on TV. Why is it that athletes need to shut their mouths more than musicians or actors?

While the careers are different, they’re all in the public eye more than the average person, but you don’t see an actor getting fined for grabbing his crotch because he’s so excited.

People want to see excellence on the field, ice, court, whatever surface, but they also want to see that their idols are just like them. That they have views on certain things, they are humorous, that they aren’t a media trained robot who answers every question by avoiding anything controversial.

I agree that for every media trained athlete, there’s an athlete that doesn’t mind showing off who he really is. We have all seen that with Johnny Manziel, Richard Sherman, Marshawn Lynch, Alexander Ovechkin, and countless others. Part of the reason those players are so big is due to their immense amount of talent in their respective sport, but also because they aren’t afraid to be themselves, even if they know it might get them in trouble.

Do we really want to move towards a society where nobody can express their feelings and feel they have to look over their shoulder every time they talk? I don’t know about you, but I sure don’t. Keep in mind that this column mainly focuses on sports figures, but also people who influence us and if you believe for one second that athletes or figures in the spotlight don’t influence us, ask yourself why you’re wearing that new Nike sweatshirt or why you bought those new Jordan’s last week.

I am by no means trying to rag on athletes because they’re media trained, they have to in order to avoid fines or heckles from their employers. All I’m saying is, it would be nice if owners of teams started to recognize that the best way to get seats filled or fans wearing their apparel is to allow players to be themselves and act how they want, even if it might stir some controversy, because for every good-to-do fan, there’s a hundred who want to see someone act just like them.

Aquinas Dance: All Smiles

The Emergence of Women’s Hockey

By Simone Martens The Saint Reporter It is official, there is a new team at Aquinas. During the 2015-2016 academic year, the Women’s Hockey Team will skate onto the scene making a highly anticipated addition to our athletic family. The woman leading this team in their first season is Coach Kathryn O’Brien. O’Brien said she is the most excited about “The first practice with the team,” which currently consists of: Brooke Forgar, Sydney Johnson, Maria Manko, Isabelle Piotrowski, and soon to be Aquinas sophomore Katelyn Graczyk.

For Graczyk, whom is used to being “the only girl on an all boys team,” the prospect of competing with other young ladies that share her commitment and passion to the sport is “a dream.” She is honored to continue playing hockey in college as a player in the first season of the Aquinas team’s existence.

Graczyk first heard of Aquinas almost exactly a year ago. When Aquinas found its way on to her radar, she “fell in love” with the campus, charisms, and community.

Graczyk is also looking forward to improving her ice skills such as controlling aggressiveness and being a good role model for her upcoming teammates. It is important

to her to continue to be the aggressive, hardworking, and a determined player on the ice, but learn to adapt to her team in order to find chemistry.

Off the ice, Graczyk is ready and willing to help the freshmen players adjust to college life outside of the classroom and show them the many opportunities to become involved on campus. With a year of college already under her belt, she will surely be an invaluable asset to her team, in and out of the ice rink.

Coach O’Brien is aware of the challenges facing a new team that is mostly composed of freshmen in an extremely competitive conference. Yet, she acknowledges that adversity and setbacks will “create the character of our program.”

For O’Brien, the program has very clear goals. Short term, she would like to “positively represent AQ Athletics, be leaders in our community, be the most conditioned team on the ice and finish at or above 500 in the conference for the first two years.”

O’Brien also anticipates making a run for nationals in their third year and bringing home a national title in their fourth.

Be sure to support the Women’s Hockey Team as they set out to accomplish the goals set by Coach O’Brien during their first season next year.

Men’s Basketball: Dedication

Looking to kick it into high gear

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

Shining Teeth: Freshmen Madison Pazik, Erin Parfrey and Abby Cornue shine those teeth as they finish off a performance.

By Taylor Hodges Sports Editor The Aquinas Dance Team is having a season for the ages. With practices and performances every week, these girls are literally about to dance their socks off. Some may have seen them perform at the Aquinas Basketball games, but that’s not the only place this team shakes their hips.

With injuries piling up, it was nice to be able to add a new member to the team at the start of the new semester.

“Having a new member on the team has been a blessing. She has such amazing talent, and really helps bring the team together,” said freshman Tori Mashour. “She clicked with the group so easily. It seems like she was with us from day one. It doesn’t even feel like she’s a new member.”

With the dance season starting in late August and the possibility of running all the way until April, it comes as no surprise that every member is dedicated to perfecting their craft.

“We’ve worked so hard on our dance for competition all season, and we can’t wait to show the judges what we’ve got,” said Mashour. “We have been so lucky to have such a well bonded and cohesive team, and have been

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

Last Saturday, the Aquinas’ Men’s Basketball Team won with a solid victory against Marygrove College. The Saints won by a score of 95-60. This win would not have been possible without dedication to the sport at a young age.

“I was 4 years old when I started playing basketball at my local YMCA,” said senior forward Kevin Grant. “I didn’t think it was going to be an easy victory. But I came in with the same mindset. Some integrity, ready to execute and always respect your opponent, and never disrespect. I gave everything I had during this game, 100% sportsmanship and hard work.”

Senior guard Anthony Williams also added in saying, “I’ve been playing since I was 6 years old in Indiana and East Chicago. I knew we were going to win and I was pretty confident about it. Our coach prepared us very well.”

While many would agree that dedication and focus are keys to pulling out a victory, there’s something special that occurs when a team becomes one. As some athletes know, when you lose a game it can put things into perspective.

“It was one of the games we had against Cornerstone. After losing, it changed my mentality, because before that, we were on a five game winning streak,” said Grant. “That really showed that there was room for improvement, and this game against Marygrove definitely showed that.”

Sports Editor Taylor Hodges

With the team having a 15-10 overall record and sporting a 11-6 record in the WHAC, it comes as no surprise that school records have been broken this season. When asked about breaking the most free throws in a game record, Williams had this to say, “I’m really happy about that, and I played my best.”

While Williams may be short on words, there is no doubting his confidence and love for the game of basketball.

“I feel like I’m the LeBron [James] of the team and he carries the team some of the times. The team goes as far as I do.”

With the team having a lot of success this season, some may be curious about certain players getting the opportunity to take their talents to the next level. While the NAIA doesn’t generally produce professional players, there’s always the exception.

When asked if he has any offers to play professionally after college, Grant had this to say.

“Yes, I’ve had offers and I would love to play professionally.”

Not only does Grant possess a knack for basketball, he’s also quite humorous.

“Yes, I am single, but I’m married to the game.”

The Saints next home game is tonight at 8pm against Madonna. They will also be suiting up against Lawrence Tech on February 14 at 3 p.m. at home.

Who knows, maybe Grant will find his Valentine.

E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu

able to work through all the curveballs that have been thrown at us this season.”

Of course with the long season, the team forms a bond that’s almost like a second family and while you may get sick of your family from time to time, there’s always special memories that you can hold onto forever.

“One of my favorite things was when Coach Lara was pregnant before Christmas. After one practice full of us acting out and joking around, she had her first contraction as she left practice, and gave birth to her daughter early the next morning,” said Ward. “ We like to claim credit for causing so much loving annoyance that we induced labor.”

Mashour added in saying, “Our coaches are so supportive and I can always count on my teammates to give me laughs.”

With laughs, injuries, a long season, and a childbirth, it is clear that while these girls like to have fun, they also know when to get down to business.

The Team will be hosting a competition at Aquinas College on February 15 where they will put their moves on display.

Super Bowl Review

Talking up a storm: Coach Dave Hammer talks to his team during the half about what they need to do different.

By Summer Hutson & Taylor Hodges The Saint Reporter & Sports Editor

>> Men’s Bowling

By Crysta Paganelli The Saint Reporter Super Bowl XLIX is one to remember.

A new record-breaking number of 114.4 million viewers tuned into Sunday’s game as they watched the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks literally “fight” until the last seconds of the game. The first quarter neither scored a touchdown.

They don’t call it the Super Bowl for nothing. These teams both came to shut each other out and that’s exactly what they did in the first quarter. During the second quarter we finally got to see some action with the Patriots scoring the first touchdown of the game. Tom Brady threw an 11-yard pass to Brandon LaFell who shook off the defenders to make the catch in the end zone.

It did not take long for the Seahawks to respond with a touchdown of their own with Marshawn Lynch running the ball in for a 3-yard touchdown to tie the game. With thirty-five seconds left in the quarter, the Patriots squeezed in a 22-yard touchdown with Tom Brady finding Rob Gronkowski on a drive for the end zone.

There is nothing like playing until the clock runs out and the Seahawks did just that with Russell Westbrook sneaking in one more 11-yard touchdown to Chris Matthews to tie the game 14-14 as the half ended.

As both teams huddled in the locker rooms during halftime, Katy Perry performed this year’s halftime show. No one knows how to make a grand entrance better than Katy Perry, who came riding in on

Phone (616) 632-2975

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

a tiger opening the show with her hit song “Roar.” Katy Perry put on an extravagant halftime show that included surprise appearances from Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott.

The Seahawks completely dominated the third quarter, scoring 10 points and taking the lead over the patriots 24-14.

As the fourth quarter became underway, if the Patriots wanted to win they were going to have to do something big. With eight minutes left of play, Danny Amendola caught a pass making the score 24-21.

With two minutes to go and the Patriots with the ball, it was now or never. Julian Edelman caught a wide-open pass in the corner of the end zone, which ended up being the game winning catch. With less than a minute left and the Patriots leading 28-24, the Seahawks had one last chance to win the game. A huge play was made when Jermaine Kearse had an insane catch that put the Seahawks within five yards of the goal line. It’s now second down, one yard to go and Westbrook has the ball in his hands, and what does he do? He throws it and Patriots player Malcolm Butler intercepts it.

All that was left now was for the Patriots to snap the ball and take a knee to win the game. A whistle was blown after the snap with an offside call on the Seahawks defense, which broke into a full out brawl between both teams. The officials broke up the fights and teams lined back up for one more play. The Patriots finally took the knee and were crowned the Super Bowl XLIX Champions by a score of 28-24.

8

SPORTS

THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11 2015

Heart on the Court

Grand Rapids Griffins

Athlete Spotlight: Bryan Mitzner

By Zoe Harmon Staff Writer

COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS

Wide-eyed: Junior Bryan Mitzner eyes the basket with keen focus as he tries to help his team to yet another victory.

By Haley Brink Staff Writer Twenty-two-year-old Bryan Mitzner, a redshirt junior on the Aquinas Men’s Basketball Team, is pumped about this season, as we all should be.

As a power forward, Mitzner lives the dream on Aquinas’ basketball court. He is from Shelby Township, Michigan, and is doing well here at Aquinas, on and off the court.

Many athletes start out young and Mitzner is one of those athletes.

“I’ve been playing basketball my whole life,” said Mitzner. “My father got me into it, he used to play at Central Michigan University and he coached me until high school.”

Every athlete has that one person they look up to, that one person who tells them to push harder, and that one person who influences them on an off the court.

“My idol is my father, Kurt,” said Mitzner.

It’s the best thing in the world to know that people care about you enough to push you to get better at what you do. Being pushed to get better is one of

G R A N D

the healthiest things in life for an athlete, and finding someone who cares is the best thing an athlete can do for their game.

“I would like to thank my friends and family for being there and supporting me,” said Mitzner Like in every aspect in life, everyone has strengths. For Mitzner, that strength is seeing the court.

“I have good court vision,” said Mitzner. “I can see everyone on the court.”

Along with strengths comes weaknesses. Everyone has them, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Free throws are Mitzner ’s biggest weakness in basketball.

Everyone is inspired by someone else’s words, and for Mitzner, it is the words of Vince Vaughn: “Grab that net and catch that beautiful butterfly, pal!”

There is always that one game that sticks with an athlete for the rest of their lives.

“I remember when we played against Concordia, and we were down by 24 points,” said Mitzner.

“We came back and won with a buzzer beater.”

That game must have been amazing. The worst thing an athlete can do is lose faith in a game,

R A P I D S

and it sounds like Mitzner isn’t one to lose faith.

It’s always interesting to hear about an athlete’s pregame routine. Some players wear the same socks every game while others eat a grilled cheese before every game. Mitzner ’s routine is listening to Gavin DeGraw and Maroon 5 and stretching his muscles. Athletes all do things to get pumped up for a game.

This junior basketball player is more than an Aquinas athlete.

He is a lover of pizza. He is also a student studying Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing. This is proof that he works hard on and off the court.

Eventually, like most athletes, he has a goal in life. He would love to own his own franchise someday.

Make sure to come out, rock some Gavin DeGraw, and support Mitzner and the Men’s Basketball Team as they look to make a strong push towards the playoffs.

Paced by the play of forward Teemu Pulkkinen, the Grand Rapids Griffins have had an exciting stretch of play. The team, which is currently holding the third place position in the midwest division, has 29 games left to play in the regular season.

Currently having their longest winning streak at four games, the Griffins have had trouble stringing together victories. In the past two years, under head coach Jeff Blashill, the Griffins have had an eight-game winning streak and multiple seven-game streaks. Unfortunately, the team has not come close to these impressive sets of victories this season.

Luckily there is hope for the team. Before their last winning streak hit its completion, the team produced two consecutive shutouts, and they were both on the road.

They beat the Iowa Wild 6-0 and the Milwaukee Admirals 3-0. Shutouts like these are pretty impressive, especially when achieved off home ice.

Still leading on the scoring end is Pulkkinen. He currently leads both the team and the league with 50 points in just 39 games, even after missing a game due to flu-like symptoms and being called up to the Red Wings for a brief stint. Pulkkinen has been, and continues to be, a huge asset for the Griffins. With 38 points in 39 games, center Andy Miele holds the second place spot on the team, and left wing Mitch Callahan rounds out third.

Recently, defenseman Alexey Marchenko was called up to the Red Wings. This is only his second time being with the Wings after playing in one game for them last season.

Marchenko seems to be fitting in well with the team, seeing that according to mLive, Mike Babcock commented, “He was steady.”

In addition, it is apparent that Marchenko has a great attitude about his stint with the Wings expressing, “You just have to play your game, and do what you can do, they are calling you up for a reason.”

This confidence will prove to be necessary as he continues to play with the parent team.

The Griffins suited up against the Toronto Marlies for a Wednes-

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Phone (616) 632-2975

day showdown at the Ricoh Coliseum on February 4. Even the Canadian weather couldn’t stop the Griffins, as they came away with a 3-1 victory. Leading the charge with two goals for the squad was Pulkkinen. Forward Mark Zengerle also potted one. Goalie Jonas Gustavsson stopped 30 of 31 shots.

The Griffins carried that momentum into their home and home series against the Rochester Americans. The Griffins pulled away with a 5-4 overtime win at Van Andel on February 6. Scoring for the team was forward Jeff Hoggan, defenseman Scott Czarnowczan, Pulkkinen, and two by defenseman Nathan Paetsch.

The Griffins did however lose the following night to the Americans 3-4 in another overtime. Scoring for the Griffins were forward Anthony Mantha, forward Andreas Athanasiou, and forward Landon Ferraro.

Goalie Thomas McCollum made 28 saves on 32 shots.

Of course the Griffins games are not only about hockey. On Fridays, fans can enjoy $2 hot dogs and $2 domestic drafts from 6-8 p.m. This promotion brings out an exciting crowd, making for a fun atmosphere. Also, college students should keep their eyes peeled for College Night specials, which offer a ticket discount to students and a free pass to the post-game party.

Saturday nights are all about promotions for Griffins fans. This Saturday, February 14, there will be a Griffins Scarf Giveaway and post-game open skate. On Saturday, February 21, it will be all about Star Wars at the Van Andel Arena. Star Wars Night proved to be a very popular promotion last year, aiding in a sold-out game which will probably be the case again this year. So, if you are interested in attending the game sporting your Darth Vader mask or Princess Leia buns, purchase your tickets as soon as possible.

Our home hockey team, the Grand Rapids Griffins, are sure to have an exciting close to their season. It will be exciting to watch as they work to string some key victories together.

Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint