Wake Up Autumn| 6
Religion ≠ violence News Editor Yasmeen Ahmed speaks up about why religion shouldn’t be an excuse for violence
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Wednesday, February 25, 2015 Volume 34, Issue 9
>>NEWS The Meeting | 2
Staff Writer Zoe Harmon reviews the fictional meeting of two of the most influential Civil Rights leaders
Gary Eberle | 3
S t a f f Wr i t e r H a l e y B r i n k showcases the professional life of beloved English professor Gary Eberle and what he plans to do after he retires.
>>CULTURE JJ Grey & Mofro | 5
Saint Reporter Liz Ptaszynski reviews this up and coming musician and why you need to check him out
Imagine Dragons | 6
Staff Writer Veronica Burns reviews the Las Vegas band’s newest release, Smoke + Mirrors
>>SPORTS Detroit Red Wings | 7 Saint Reporter Charlie Crowley examines why The Detroit Wheel keeps on turning as the Wings turn on the heat for the playoff push
W o m e n ’s Te n n i s | 8
Saint Reporter Mitch Ringer features strong Aquinas Women’s Tennis player, Ankita Bhatia
#ICan’tWinter but #ICanAQ!
Leadership Week: #ICanAQ AQ Student Senate provides a week full of leadership appreciation for students
By Carlos Hernandez The Saint Reporter Calling all potential Leaders! Aquinas College’s first ever Leadership Week has been set in motion. All this week, various activities are taking place that will sharpen your leadership skills and allow you to work with the school’s four Dominican charisms: Study, Prayer, Service, and Community. Each charism will get an entire day dedicated to it (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday). In addition to that, Wednesday will have its own special day dedicated to leadership activities, all leading up to the Leadership Plunge on Saturday. STUDY: On Monday, the Grace Hauenstein Library hosted a Trivia Crack competition from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. with a second round being played from 6-8 p.m. The popular online game inspired teams from all over campus to pit their wits against other teams. Also, the Library offered free coffee to keep students active as they wrote their papers and worked with the Writing Center, which set up a table to be available nearly all day. PRAYER: Tuesday was a day of spiritual growth that made Bukowski Chapel a haven for religious-themed activities, such as the Rosary making party from 1-3 p.m.; Inter-faith Dialogue; prayer at 6:30 p.m.; a Taize Prayer Service, and Mass at 9 p.m. But of course, Bukowski was not the only place where one could be spiritual. For those who could not make it to the Chapel on Tuesday (or if one wanted more opportunities to reflect on their spirituality), prayer boards were posted in the Academic Building and the Moose Cafe to give students and faculty thoughts to work with. LEADERSHIP: Wednesday, all
Baking for Equality
COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS
Student Senate: 2014-2015 E-Board members include senior Chairperson Madeleine Burns, junior Vice-Chairperson Hannah Acosta, sophomore Secretary Zoë Collenburg, sophomore Budget Director Ian Scheidel, and senior Academic Affairs Advisor Chuck Hyde. students were encouraged to wear their Leadership Voyage T-Shirts (for those who have one from last year) all day. Students also had the opportunity to meet with the Senators that represent each class at the Moose (free hot chocolate provided) from 12-3 p.m., with a Student Senate meeting at Donnelly immediately after, which everyone was free to attend. SERVICE: Thursday, the Social Actions Club will lead a day of service in the Moose from 9-5 p.m. Service activities will include a canned food
COURTESY BUSINESS REVIEW USA
Equal pay: The U.S. works towards shrinking the wage gap between men and women.
The Jane Hibbard Idema Women’s Studies Center had it’s annual equality bake sale to support local charities and raise awareness about frightening gender wage gaps. They donate to different charities every year; in the past they have primarily donated to women’s shelters, but this year they are spitting the donations they receive in order to aid Degage Ministries and the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan. The donations going to Degage Ministries will be assisting in the purchase of menstrual products for homeless women and the donations given to the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan will be funding emergency and domestic violence housing assistance programs. Erica Utter, the point intern on the project, is one of three interns in the Jane Hibbard Idema Women’s Studies Center who help create eye-opening charitable events along with Margaret Miller and Ellyse Vanderkamp. Utter said, “This year we used bar graphs to demonstrate both how the United States ranks in comparison with the rest of the world and how the gendered wage inequality within the U.S. varies with race and ethnicity.” According to the American Association of University Women, women in every single state face wage inequality while some states are worse
than others. The best place for pay equality in the United States is Washington, D.C., although women are still only paid 91 percent of what men are paid, according to a 2013 study. Louisiana holds the prize for the worst wage gap in the country, where women are paid a measly 66 percent of what men are paid and the wage gap gets worse for women of color as well as when women age--being over 35 can make a 7-10 percent increase in the gap. The gender pay gap affects women of color the most, while an Asian American woman shows the smallest gap at 90 percent of a white male’s earnings; hispanic women show a vast gap while only earning 54 percent of a white man’s earnings. There are several things we can do to help shrink the wage gap and Utter believes that “having it become a law and going through the legislative process would probably be the fastest way,” but to “truly end gendered wage inequality and other gender based inequalities, we would have to go to the root of the problem and change the way our culture perceives and embraces women.” It’s not an impossible task to achieve. As college students we have access to e-mailing our local representatives to voice our opinions and changing how we communicate with each other at school, work, and in social settings. The equality bake sale and other events are sponsored and ran through the Jane Hibbard Idema Women’s Studies Center.
drive and making thank-you cards for the sisters of Marywood for their support of the College. After the event, all students get to spend time with the lovely sisters to play board games and socialize with them. COMMUNITY: Friday is the return of the famous Friday Night Fitness at Sturrus from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. During this time, there will be a faculty vs. students basketball game at 9pm with the movie “Miracle” playing in Aquinas’s brand new Alksnis Athletic and Recreation
Building located next to Sturrus at 11 p.m. Earlier in the day, the Academic Building and the Moose will be the site for free popcorn. LEADERSHIP PLUNGE: Leadership Week ends with a bang during the day-long leadership program on Saturday. The Leadership Conference will take place in Wege Ballroom from 10 a.m to 5 p.m., and the second portion of the day will be a Poverty Simulation in the same location from 6 p.m-8:30 p.m.
Obama Mobilizes the World Against Terroism By Anna Musiyenko News Intern
By Mariah Cowsert The Saint Reporter
Men’s Hockey| 7
anti terrorism actions and it is crucial to prevent stereotypes and stigmas toward the entire Islamic community. Although the United Nations, along with America and other countries put an enormous effort to eliminate the evil of terrorism, different criminal groups such as ISIS, Boko Haram, and Al-Qaeda have an appealing reputation for some extremists across the world. Terrorist organizations target their propaganda to Muslim countries through the Internet and popular social networking sites: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. “We need to find new ways to amplify the voices of peace and tolerance and inclusion, and we especially need to do it online,” Obama said. One of the largest target markets
for ISIS are countries which suffer from poverty and hunger. “Poverty does not cause terrorism but causes people to become a criminals,” Obama said. Territories where young people feel trapped in criminal communities with no progress, no educational opportunities, and no ways to support their families feed instability and disorder. Fighting terrorism means also fighting poverty. America’s main strategy is to work with partners and countries of the third world to increase their development, which would allow them to build their own military forces, stable economy, and strong social values. The goal is to create an atmosphere across the entire world, where no terrorist groups will find a ‘safe haven.’
After a wave of terrorist attacks in Sydney, Ottawa, Copenhagen, and Paris, President Obama urges the world to fight against violent extremists and destroy the ideology of the Islamic State. The Islamic State is a terroristic organization, which controls territories in Iraq and Syria and tries to spread its power on other areas of the Middle East. Leaders of the Islamic State claim themselves as a religious group, which has a duty to protect Muslims and their rights around the world. “These terrorists are unique i n t h e i r b r u t a l i t y. T h e y e x e c u t e captured prisoners. They kill children. They enslave, rape, and force women into marriage. They threatened a religious minority with genocide,” Obama said. During the summit on February 18 at the White House , President Obama called members of the Islamic State violent extremists, who twisted the interpretation of real M u s l i m s . M o r e o v e r, Obama highlighted that America and its allies are not in war with Islam, but with the terrorist group which does not have any correlations with the faith of the Muslim world. The President of the United States also added that Muslim COURTESY NBC NEWS Americans sometimes Obama: The President speaks on using force against extremist groups, especially ISIS, who he feel unfairly targeting refrains from grouping with the religion of Islam. by government
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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015
Aquinas: AQ Ranks in top three percent of all Accounting Programs
Michigan: New Aparments Opening in Downtown Grand Rapids
National: Texas Inmates disturb Prison Facility
World: Skyscraper catches Fire in Dubai
On February 16, Aquinas College was ranked in the top three percent of all accounting programs in the U.S., according to the passing rates of the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Exam. Aquinas was one of two schools in Michigan that stood in the top 20 for this honor.
Downtown Grand Rapids’ booming apartment expansion has recently led to the grand opening of the 7th Street Lofts, an upscale apartment complex located in the old Israels building at 7th Street and Seward Avenue. The rent for the new granite floor apartments will range from $850 t0 $2,300.
More than 2,000 inmates were involved in a disturbance at a Texas prison facility on February 21. Correlation offices were forced to use tear gas and non-lethal force. Poor health care, violent treatment, and depressing prison atmosphere were claimed to be a main reason for inmates’ attempt to escape.
The Torch skyscraper in Dubai, OAE, one of the tallest residential buildings on the planet, caught fire on February 21. The strong blaze, which spread across the 1,105ft building, prompted thousands to be evacuated. The fire was out after three hours and did not cause any death or injuries.
“Modern Love” yasmeen ahmed |news editor We are in the middle of a revolution. Love is changing and evolving every day, well maybe not love but our relationships. As technology advances and creates new methods for us to communicate, our relationships are adapting to these mediums. We text instead of calling, we Skype instead of writing letters, today many of use Snapchat as a primary form of communication with friends and significant others throughout the day. Many of you have probably heard about the woman who fell in love with her boyfriend after doing the ‘36 Questions’ which includes asking each other 36 interesting questions and then staring into each other’s eyes for four minutes, resulting in a deep connection that one may perceive as love. On Valentine’s Day there was even an event, which invited singles to meet strangers and perform the ‘36 Questions’ on someone else. Several people wrote to the New York Times sharing their story of the connections created after asking someone they either knew well, barely knew, or didn’t know at all the ‘36 Questions.’ Some of them ended up solidifying relationships, some didn’t have any instant effect at all, and others made the partners realize they needed a break. I watched all of this go on, in awe, in confusion, of how anyone could go into a situation expecting to instantly feel a connection that deep with someone. I don’t have any hope that I would be able to go into a situation like that and after 36 questions and four minutes of staring into the other’s eyes, feel strongly for them; nor would I want to, to be quite honest. I rarely find myself feeling oldfashioned. I am a constantly changing and moving. I embrace technology and all it has to offer, I love it. Besides romanticizing newspapers and real books (I refuse to buy a Kindle), I don’t get very romantic about much. However, relationships, whether they are friendships or romantic, are very important to me, and as a communicator in everything I do I don’t take the foundation of them lightly. I have a hard time relating to what people now call “modern love,” what people have begun to refer to things like Tinder, relationships formed on social networks and things like ‘36 Questions.’ I just don’t get it. So, maybe it is part of the evolution of our generation. People love instant gratification. We post things on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter so that people can instantly know our thoughts and share our experiences and they can ‘like’and comment on virtually everything we do. We like flirting via Snapchat. If we’re going to do something like fall in love let’s make it happen, fast, because well we don’t really have to wait for anything anymore. I think there are a lot of other reasons that love has evolved this way, but that’s an awfully big part of it. We work for a lot, but we rarely have to go out of our way for the social aspect of our lives anymore. After watching the movie Her, I was relieved to find my interpretation of the director’s message, that as humans something like a relationship with a computer would never work because it just can’t fulfill our needs as humans. It just doesn’t work because we don’t function the way that computers do and vice a versa. I have to say though, I don’t see everyone interpreting the movie the way I did, and I definitely don’t see the idea far off from the future of our real lives. Today, I was on Tumblr and saw a quote - it was a quote about love. It said “if you loved the wrong one so much imagine how much you could love the right one.” It caught my attention, and then I saw that the quote was credited to “ - a comment left on a Humans of New York photo” and I laughed out loud. That’s our generation. The evolution of love and our relationships is so cool because it allows us to maintain and create stronger relationships by sharing our lives and thoughts with our friends and family instantaneously. For the same reason, the evolution of love and relationships has really bothered me because many people use these platforms to create relationships based on very little but a shallow, instant connection. Maybe a lack of patience is the issue, or just that relationships seem to have less of an impact because of how fast our lives now move and how many thoughts and ideas we consume daily. However, I can’t get used to this idea of “modern love” and my advice would be to take a step back and understand that although much of our time is spent on the internet it is still possible to form a connection with someone serendipitously, and over time. We still have a lot of time and virtual reality probably won’t cut it in the bedroom.
World News
By Yashowanto Ghosh Staff Writer ARGENTINA — Hundreds of thousands of protesters marched in torrential rain in Buenos Aires o n W e d n e s d a y, February 18, to mark one month of the mysterious death of prosecutor Alberto Nisman, reports BBC News. Nisman, who had been investigating the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center that is the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentina’s history, was found dead with a gunshot wound in his apartment on January 18, with the weapon near his body. DENMARK — Two separate shootings in Copenhagen resulted in the deaths of two victims and the attacker during the weekend of February 14 and 15. The first shooting happened at a p u b l i c e ve n t a b o u t f r e e s p e e c h on February 14, where filmmaker Finn Norgaard was killed and the gunman escaped; Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks, who carries a death decree due to a 2007 drawing of Muhammad, was a speaker at the event, and is considered to have been the target. The second shooting happened at a synagogue shortly after midnight, where a man on security duty was fatally wounded, and the gunman escaped again. The gunman was shot by police when approaching an apartment building early the following morning. FRANCE — President Francois Hollande’s government survived a motion of no confidence, a vote to decide whether the e x e c u t i ve b r a n c h w i l l c o n t i n u e in office, with 234 out of 577 m e m b e r s o f t h e l o we r h o u s e o f the parliament voting for the motion, on Thursday, February 19. The motion was a reaction to the government’s decision to bypass the parliament by using a decree to push through a controversial economic reform bill. HAITI — A singer on a carnival float touched a live electric wire over a street, causing
a stampede that killed 17 people and injured 78 in Port-au-Prince o n Tu e s d a y, F e b r u a r y 1 7 . T h e Haitian government cancelled the last day of the carnival and announced three days of national mourning. INDONESIA — President Joko Widodo confirmed on Saturday, February 21, that the two leaders of the Australian “Bali nine” drug ring will be executed as planned a t t h e e n d o f F e b r u a r y, r e p o r t s The Sydney Morning Herald. The condemned men, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were arrested in 2005 along with seven others while trying to smuggle 18 pounds of heroin from Indonesia to Australia; they lost their final appeals in 2011, and their pleas f o r c l e m e n c y h a ve b e e n t u r n e d down. SOMALIA — A suicide b o mb attac k at a ho te l ne ar the presidential palace in Mogadishu killed at least 25 people and injured many more, including the deputy prime minister on Friday, February 20, reports The Guardian. One attacker rammed a vehicle full of explosives into t h e h o t e l ’s g a t e , a n d a n o t h e r entered the hotel before blowing himself up. The terrorist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack. SPAIN — An explosion at a chemical plant near Barcelona injured three people and covered several small towns with a toxic o r a n g e c l o u d o n T h u r s d a y, February 12, reports Reuters. The explosion was caused by two chemicals accidentally coming i n t o c o n t a c t d u r i n g d e l i ve r y t o the plant. VENEZUELA — Antonio Ledezma, mayor of Caracas and political critic of president Nicolas Maduro, was accused of plotting a US-backed coup and arrested on T h u r s d a y, F e b r u a r y 1 9 . A r m e d intelligence personnel dressed in camouflage escorted Ledezma from his office after firing wa r n i n g s h o t s i n t o t h e a i r a n d breaking down his door, reports AP. Hundreds of demonstrators in Caracas protested the arrest on Friday, according to the Toronto Star.
“The Meeting”
AQ Students go back in time and witness the meeting of two influential citizens By Zoe Harmon Staff Writer With a goal to make history in Grand Rapids, the Ebony Road P l a ye r s a r e spreading the creativity of Black theater arts. Their recent on-campus staged reading of “The Meeting,” by Jeff Stenson, was presented in front of an intimate audience on February 12 in the Wege Ballroom. Launching in 2013, The Ebony Road Players are certainly new to the scene. The goal of the troupe is to fill the void of black theater arts and education programs in Grand Rapids. Volunteers, members, and advisors work together to create a positive culture of belonging for people of color. One of these plays was “The Meeting”, which tells the story of a supposed meeting between Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther K i n g J r. Ye s , t h a t i s t wo o f t h e most influential men of color; the real-life meeting unfortunately did not happen in reality, but it is interesting to imagine how this meeting would have gone. The play started with Malcolm X and Rashad, his left-hand man, discussing the arrival of MLK in Malcolm’s New York City room. As the arrival draws near, Rashad expresses his concerns about the get-together that would soon be taking place. At this time in h i s t o r y, b l a c k o p p r e s s i o n w a s apparent throughout every facet of life. Blacks feared for their life, and MLK and Malcolm were both being targeted heavily by white oppressors. Soon enough, MLK arrived to the room and the two men began their debate. It was apparent that they had similar views about the obvious social problems, but
they made it clear that they had chosen to take unique approaches to dealing with these problems. On one hand, MLK believed that blacks should not fight, but rather protest and profess their unwillingness to adhere to the white pressures. But, on the other hand, Malcolm believed that if blacks did not put up a fight, whites would see that as even more of a reason t o o p p r e s s , t a k i n g a d va n t a g e o f t h e w i t h d r a wa l o f v i o l e n c e . H e also said that self-defense is not violence. As the play continued, the men made it apparent that neither of them were willing, or able, to change their beliefs. They generally agreed to disagree on their approaches, but in the end realized how powerful they could have been if they had joined hands in the fight. The truth is, unknowingly, they did in fact join hands. Both men were fighting for their people, sharing their beliefs a n d va l u e s , d e s p i t e k n o w i n g i t could lead to death. Malcolm and MLK were very p o we r f u l i n t h e i r t i m e , a n d t h e fictional meeting between the two made for an interesting exploration into the history of blacks in the United States. It is important to explore stories like this in order to recognize and understand Black history. The Ebony Road Players did a fantastic job presenting “The Meeting” and students should look forward to their future presentations. Coming up on March 19, both students and the community can attend the next staged reading presented at Aquinas. Be on the lookout for more information as the date approaches. For more information about the Ebony Road Players and the organization, visit ebonyroad. org.
Boko Haram strips rights and education from girls By Mariah Cowsert The Saint Reporter Boko Haram is one of the most gritty extremist groups, currently residing in North Africa, whose destructive attacks have been gaining headlines not only in the past few weeks but for six years. The group’s home base is a game preserve in Nigeria’s northeast region which is eight times larger than Yellowstone National Park and is home to several hundred to a few thousand fighters. According to the Nigeria Security Tracker at the Council on Foreign Relations, Boko Haram was responsible for more than 4,000 deaths in 2014 alone. A video released after a 2012 attack revealed that nearly 200 people were killed. Upon release of the video, the group’s current leader, Abubakar Shakau, said “I enjoy killing anyone that God commands me to kill, the way I enjoy killing chickens and rams”. On February 3, in the Cameroonian town of Fotokol on the border of Nigeria, Boko Haram militants attacked families in their homes and in the town’s mosque, leaving an estimated 90 civilians dead, 500 wounded without proper hospital care, many of the town’s buildings on fire, and the town mosque completely torched according to local officials. Boko Haram not only attacks rival borders but is also responsible for the kidnapping of girls for use as cooks and sex slaves due to the group’s strong disapproval and opposition for the education of young
COURTESY LA TIMES
Nigeria: Women protest Boko Haram in Nigeria hopes of stopping the extremist group. girls. According to BBC News Africa, more than a million people have been displaced and detached from their homes as the group now controls a vast stretch of land in north-eastern Nigeria. Last April, a group of 57 schoolgirls in Chibok, Nigeria were able to break free from the grasps of Boko Haram while 219 of their classmates were unable to escape captivity. The freed group of girls had severe difficulty shaking off threat of the militants coming back for them. This all changed when, according to The Guardian, a stranger came to the home of two sisters to offer them a scholarship to study in Yola, the capital of a neighboring state. The stranger was a 27-year-old woman named
News Editor Yasmeen Ahmed E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu
Godiya, an employee at the American University of Nigeria, whose sister had been among the group of kidnapped schoolgirls. Godiya’s younger sister was taking an exam when she was captured by Boko Haram militants, which sparked Godiya and her boss at the university to set up a foundation which gained $50,000 in donations enabling 11 girls, including the two sisters Godiya visited, to go to university for a year. The girls and their families were extremely hesitant about the offer of schooling since Boko Haram would be more likely to go after them to put a halt in their education. The families
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had discussions with Godiya about the importance of their education which made them come to the conclusion that it would be beneficial for the women to get out of the town and gain knowledge of life outside of fear and constant threat. After adjusting to school, the girls were asked to write an essay describing what education meant to them and Martha wrote “Education gives me the wings I need to fly.” Although some women were able to escape, the Boko Haram group is still a threat, ready to snatch the next village they can overthrow. Chadian troops are trying to control the spread of Boko Haram attacks and keep them centralized to gain power over the group while French jets fly out to provide aid and intelligence in defense against Boko Haram. Boko Haram’s activity will be ongoing as the Nigerian election has been postponed for six weeks due to violent threats against the Nigerian government and those running for the election. Postponing the elections helps to ensure proper military defense against future attacks. According to the commander of U.S. Special Forces, the U.S. military will be sharing communication equipment and intelligence with African allies to assist them in the fight against Boko Haram. The collaboration of Chad’s military forces, a French led military group, and U.S. Army communication initiatives will strengthen the defense against Boko Haram’s endangerment of lives and unjust attacks.
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NEWS
THE SAINT WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015
Professor Spotlight: Gary Eberle
Long time AQ Professor recounts his experience and looks forward to retirement By Haley Brink Staff Writer
plan on writing at least one or t wo m o r e b o o ks and to ge t into some creative, non-classroom teaching. Oh, and go fishing, too.” F r o m h is 35 ye ars at Aquinas , Eberle is bound to have some a m a z i n g me mo rie s . “I will always remember a class years ago when we had more Continuing Education students a t Aq u i n a s. We we re dis c us s ing
fro m c hildho o d are s o me o f th e s we e te s t that we c arry w ith u s. “The o the r day, I tuc ke d my I f y o u h a v e n ’t wool scarf up around my face had the pleasure as I walke d to s c ho o l. The s mell of taking a class of moist wool took me back to w i t h D r. G a r y my grade s c ho o l days w he n th e Eberle, you should kids would come in from the probably arrange p l a y g r o u n d a n d w e ’d p u t o u r your schedule to wet wool scarves and coats on fix that. Eberle t h e r a d i a t o r s t o d r y, ” E b e r l e is an English said. “The weirdly pleasant and Humanities smell of moist professor here at wool permeated Aquinas, though the room, and the his talents range teacher droned far be yon d t h a t of o n , a n d I ’d g e t t each i n g. s le e p y and watch “I c a n p l a y t h e the s no w o utside nose flute, though the w indo w s and I don’t very often,” dream of summer. said Eberl e. The olfactory Eberle has bulb that controls been chosen twice our sense of smell as ‘Outstanding is located very Faculty Member near the seat of of the Year ’ memory in the by the Student brain, so smells Senate. In 1994, will sometimes for outstanding set off powerful scholarship, he me mo rie s in u s.” was presented an The re may be award from the a time w he n you COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS Aquinas faculty. He wonder what st art e d t h e I n si gn i s In and Out of Class: Eberle reveals his talents and achievements in and out of s u c c e s s f u l progra m i n 1 9 8 5 , a s the classroom people do in well as running it their free time. a series of poems about the for 12 ye a rs. breakup of a marriage. Some Do they sit around and study Eberle has written a multitude o f t h e t r a d i t i o n a l a g e s t u d e n t s a l l d a y ? D o t h e y b i n g e w a t c h o f b o o k s i n c l u d i n g : T h e w e r e c o n f u s e d b y t h e i m a g e r y Bre aking Bad fo r ho urs o n end? G eog ra ph y of N o w h e r e : F i n d i n g i n t h e p o e m s ,” Eb e rle s aid. “But Eb e rle e njo ys do ing mo re thin gs O n e ’s S e l f i n t h e P o s t m o d e r n , I n o t i c e d o n e t h i r t y - y e a r - o l d than j us t s itting aro und. A n g e l S t r i n g s , a n o ve l , “A C i t y wo m a n i n the b ac k o f the ro o m “When I get a day off, I try F u l l o f R a i n , ” s h o r t s t o r i e s , cr y i n g . I a s ke d w hat was w ro ng n o t t o r e a d b e c a u s e I n o r m a l l y “ S a c r e d T i m e a n d t h e S e a r c h a n d s h e s a i d , ‘ I t w a s j u s t l i k e re ad ab o ut e ight ho urs a day at f o r M e a n i n g , ” a n d “ D a n g e r o u s t h a t , ’ r e fe r ring to he r o w n re c e nt least,” Eberle said. “So I take long Words: Talking About God in the d i v o r c e . T h e d i s c u s s i o n t h a t walks, play music on my guitar or Ag e o f Fun d a men ta l i s m . ” f o l l o w e d t u r n e d i n t o o n e o f re c o rde rs , o r I wo rk aro und the Yo u m a y h a ve h e a r d r u m o r s t h e m o s t p o w e r f u l ‘ t e a c h a b l e h o u s e . I a m c u r r e n t l y t r y i n g t o about Eberle retiring soon, and m o m e n t s ’ I ’ v e e v e r s e e n . conquer intricate Baroque solos u n f o r t u n a t e l y — f o r s t u d e n t s , I n n o c e n c e a n d e x p e r i e n c e a n d o n alto re c o rde r. In the s ummer f a c u l t y , s t a f f a n d t h e A Q p o e t r y m e t i n a m o s t p o we r f u l I go fly fis hing and c amp ing up comm u n i t y— t h i s ru m o r i s t r u e . n or t h , a n d i n w i n t e r I g o dow n wa y. ” “I p l a n o n ret i r i n g fr o m fu l l W h e n thinking o f me mo rab le in the b as e me nt and tie flie s f or t i m e t e a c h i n g i n M a y 2 0 1 7 , ” t e a c h i n g m o m e n t s , i t ’s e a s y t o the s umme r.” Eberle said. “That will be 35 years remember being taught. Memories a t A q u i n a s . T i m e t o m o ve o n . I
Students of the Midwest gather to Celebrate Diversity By Jess Coffman Staff Writer Illinois State University in BloomingtonNormal, Illinois was a hotspot of activity over Va l e n t i n e s D a y weekend as people f r om all over th e M i d we s t c a m e t o p a r t i c i p a t e i n the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian G a y Tr a n s g e n d e r A l l y C o l l e g e C o n f e r e n c e ( M B L G TA C C ) 2 0 1 5 . M B L G TA C C , p r o n o u n c e d “ M u m b l e - Ta c , ” w a s a t t e n d e d by over 2,200 students, staff, advisors, faculty, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex, and Allies (LGBTQIA) non-profit organization leaders. The conference kicked off Friday with its first speaker, Laverne Cox. Cox told her story of growing up and some of the struggles she faced while transitioning into a woman. Cox is recognized as the first transgender woman of color to star in her own TV show, “TRANSform Me,” and the first transgender woman of color to appear in American Reality TV. Following C o x , t h e r e we r e t wo s c h e d u l e d entertainment venues: Cupid Ain’t @#$% and The Vagina Monologues. Saturday’s schedule included four workshop sessions, an identity forum, and state/regional caucuses. Attendees had a variety of topics to choose from for each workshop session; they included speakers who presented on the history of gender identity, athletics and t h e L G B T c o m m u n i t y, g e n d e r i n c l u s i ve h o u s i n g , t h e a b u s e o f conversion therapy, and many other
Money or Environment? Obama considers the environment while voting on the Keystone XL Pipeline By Natalie Przybyla The Saint Reporter
R e c e n t l y, t h e K e y s t o n e X L Pipeline has been a political debate that finally made its w a y t o t h e p r e s i d e n t ’s d e s k . O bama pl a n s t o veto t h i s p r o j e c t because of h i s ow n v i e w s o n i t s environmental impact, but do the risks really outweigh the benefits? The Keystone XL Pipeline will run from A l be rt a , C a n a d a t o T h e Gulf of Mexico. The advocates foresee that this project will immediately create anywhere from 2 5 , 0 0 0 t o a m i l l i o n j o b s . A majorit y o f t h e j obs wo u l d b e i n construction and for the duration of the building, those jobs will be kept. However, after the pipeline is up a n d run n i n g, o n l y 5 0 j o b s will b e n ec essa ry t o m a i n t a i n i t . This is how construction works: a couple of months to a year of hard l a b o r, t h e n a d o w n t i m e p e r i o d where l i t t l e t o n o wo r k i s fo u n d . A d vo c a t e s a l s o s e e t h a t t h e pipeline will provide a better economy for the United States and Canada, due to its main
purpose, exporting crude oil a c r o s s t h e wo rld b y me ans o f s e a a n d a i r. N o w t h a t o i l i s b e l o w $55 a barrel, transportation is the most costly of the project which results in trains and trucks b e co m i n g to o e xp e ns ive to c arry t h e p r o d u c t . F o r t h e a d vo c a t e s , this is both a good and bad thing. Oil is more accessible to more p l a ce s a n d p e o p le , b ut this als o m e a n s i t might take a b it lo nge r fo r t h e p i p e line to p ay fo r its e lf. T h o s e a g a i n s t t h e p i p e l i n e ’s co n s t r u ct i o n te nd to le an o n the environmental impact the project has. The initial extraction from Alberta will cause tons of carbon e m i s s i o n s , p o l l u t i n g C a n a d a ’s air and land. These emissions can cause an even larger impact on the world because o f t h e i r a b i l i t y t o o ve r h e a t t h e planet, causing more extreme storms, and higher sea levels. The impacts do not end there. I f t h e K e y s to ne X L P ip e line we re t o h a ve a c r a c k o r b r e a k a t o n e point, it could be devastating to the environments and co m m u n i t i e s w ithin mile s o f the seepage. Not to mention that
some animals will have split hab itats due to the c o ns truc tion and placement of the pipeline. Many can see how the pipeline can be both beneficial and harmful at the same time. Some believe that instead of building a pipeline that can do harm to the planet, Americans should invest in clean energy and technology that could help t h e e c o n o m y, c r e a t e j o b s a n d better the environments for both humans and the Earth. Obama is going to veto the project, but what will be his next step to improve both the economy and the environment? America is waiting.
An Editor’s Note: On behalf of The Saint editorial staff and its reporters, I would like to sincerely apologize for the misprint that was in the February 11 issue of The Saint. A simple math error led to a mistake that could not only compromise the journalistic integrity of The Saint staff, but also the integrity and outreach of the College as a whole. As a staff, we are examining our editing and fact checking process. The writer of the article was not responsible for the mistake. We would like to thank Aquinas College administration, faculty and staff who helped us identify and correct the problem.
Mayra Monroy, Editor-in-Chief
News Editor Yasmeen Ahmed
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subjects. Leslie Boker, a Grand Valley State University student, gave a presentation titled, “Access and Inclusion: Our Needs as LGBT and Disabled Participants,” that discussed how places can better accommodate those who identify as LGBTQIA and/or disabled. The identity forum, for many attendees, was the most valuable part of the conference. Lilly Szilagyi, a undergraduate student at Michigan Technological University, said, “... my favorite event was the Brown Bag Identity Forums with Robyn Ochs. I was able to meet a lot of people who identified as a similar sexuality…” Szilagyi said the main takeaway from the forums was that “... each individual’s sexuality is so complex, fluid, and dynamic that the only person who can perfectly define their identity is themselves. We may share an identity intersection with others, but each person is completely their own, and we should get to hold on to your right to be you.” Saturday night included entertainment by Kit Yan- a New Yo r k b a s e d s p o k e n w o r d a r t i s t from Hawaii, a drag show, and a d a n c e u n t i l m i d n i g h t . S u n d a y ’s schedule included two additional workshops and closing ceremonies. Fenn Reed, a graduate of Grand Valley State University, said, “Some parts were cringe-worthy, and other parts were an absolute riot. You get a lot of people who a r e ve r y p a s s i o n a t e a b o u t t h e i r views under one roof and there’s bound to be some disagreement. All the same, I felt incredibly safe in the entirely non-gendered a t m o s p h e r e . Tr u l y a wo n d e r f u l place for anyone who identifies o u t s i d e o f t h e g e n d e r b i n a r y. ”
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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015
Why we (think) we need religion
FROM THE CROWD
APPLAUSE TO...
Service Learning trips, for getting ready to go out and better the world on behalf of Aquinas; Soul Food Sunday, for filling our bellies and souls while culturally educating us; Fat Tuesday, for giving us a chance to enjoy Paczkis before Ash Wednesday; Aquinas Students, for voting consistently for the STANLEY Security grant; Dr. Seuss, for warming our hearts even after he has left us; Spring Break, for giving us a needed break. HECKLES TO... Michigan, for being even colder than a lot of Alaska; Academy members, for revealing that everyone’s racist fears about the Oscars were justified; Parks and Rec, for ending and creating a massive hole in our hearts; Vanilla Ice, for looking at prison time, because “anything less than the best is a felony;” Kim Jong Un, for his violation of humanitarian and fashion law.
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. 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.
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Opinion Editor Chuck Hyde
By Yasmeen Ahmed News Editor
In the wake of of extremist groups like the Taliban, ISIS, Boko Haram and terrorists throughout the world - who all just happen to use religion as their excuse - it’s hard for us to put the blame on anything else. We all want to say that Islam is such a terrible belief system-- that it breeds terrorists, extremists, and the Qur’an speaks of only violent ways to overtake the world and rid it of all other religions. It is no surprise that Obama is being faulted for not referencing the extremism in the world right now to the religion of Islam. It also makes sense that barely anyone was taken off guard by the under-reporting of the three Muslim students who were killed in North Carolina a few weeks ago (two of which were women who wore hijabs). As a Pakistani-American, if I was going to identify myself as any religion, it would be Muslim. I have read the entire Qur’an over many times, in Arabic and in English. I have sat through Sunday school classes for years analyzing the prayers in this holy book and what it means to be Muslim. I know, as many of you must know, that the religion itself isn’t violent. That just because we call ‘God’ by an Arabic name and don’t eat pork it doesn’t make this religion that
foreign. The Islamic beliefs are barely different than Christianity, Catholicism, and Judaism. That being said, beliefs are personal. If I read a book, I can take those teachings wherever I want to take them. Terrorists are influenced by much more than a religion; in fact, religion is the least of our worries in this case. We need to be worried about the people breeding the beliefs that religion must be violent, the people recruiting men and women to groups like ISIS. Growing up in a place with strong religious influence, it isn’t terribly hard to understand why people have grouped these extremist groups together. It is no surprise that people constantly stereotype all Muslims as violent and bad people, because most terrorists happen to claim their dedication to the religion of Islam. To me, it is not much different than people being so scared of the unknown, of the ambiguity of the world, that they turn to religion. We’re all scared of dying because we have no idea what’s going to happen after, so we create a place, heaven, that sounds really nice. Now, at least we don’t have to be so scared of dying because if we’re ‘good’ there’s a lot of nice things waiting for us. It’s the same way that we ease our minds by going to church on Sunday, as to remove all the sins we committed last week. We need religion to lean on, in the same way the terrorists and extremist groups need it as an excuse for their (obviously mentally unstable) behavior, we need it to feel better about what they’re
doing. We need religion to group these people together, because if we don’t identify them as Muslim and just as extremist groups, well then who can we really blame? That’s too ambiguous for us, we need to be specific. Who can we blame for all the bad in the world? Oh, Muslims. Obviously. The same way people pull verses from the Bible to support the opposition of gay marriage, people will pull verses from the Qur’an to make it seem like a violent religion; each of these verses will undoubtedly be pulled out of context, likely from a Google search that reads something like “Qur’an verses that support killing,” and they will be quoted by people who know literally nothing about the religion. Maybe because I grew up having to wear a hijab myself to Islamic school on Sundays and because I know, from reading this holy book with sane people, that the book is not what ignites violence. The religion is not what created the terrorist groups, that Muslims are not what’s wrong in this world. Maybe I have an interesting perspective on the whole thing, but I don’t think so. I think that everyone is just scared, and they want to blame someone. So, as Obama tries to stop extremism by talking about it in a broad sense it is only heightening people’s fears, I get that. It’s not an excuse to be ignorant, and in my opinion that’s exactly what all of this grouping has been a result of: pure ignorance.
AP U.S. History could be history, in Oklahoma at least By Mackenzie Murphy Opinion Intern There appears to be a lot of bickering about what should and what shouldn’t be taught to students in the Oklahoma legislature currently. The Oklahoma State House of Representatives’ Education Committee voted last week to defund AP U.S. History programs across public schools and to create a replacement course that would meet new guidelines created by the state. With all of this controversy, here are a few things we can be sure of: It is not untrue that the current AP U.S. History course can be presented and graded with a liberal bias. Per my experience, students who took the course at my high school were told to write their essays with a liberal slant, as it would appeal to the people who were scoring their essays. It is not untrue that a particular instructor of a course can influence the bias in which the course is presented in. This goes for conservative and liberal instructors alike– regardless of the course’s content or how much we wish to believe our students aren’t subject to this type of influence. It is not untrue that the course offers revisionist accounts of U.S. history.
It is not untrue that revisionist history is counted as a legitimate scholarly pursuit. James M. McPherson, a Pulitzer Prize winning historian, Princeton professor and member of the editorial board for the Encyclopædia Britannica notes that “The unending quest of historians for understanding the past—that is, ‘revisionism’—is what makes history vital and meaningful.” It is not untrue that the current course presents “negative” aspects of American history. It is not untrue that these “negative” aspects occurred. It is not untrue that for a majority of students, AP U.S. History is the first time they’re being exposed to these downfalls, and that a majority of history courses (especially ones offered to younger students) shed more light on positive aspects of our history and present a distilled version of our nation’s past. It is not untrue that the new Oklahoma course would attempt to foster critical evaluation skills. While the bill calls for certain documents to be evaluated, it doesn’t mandate how these documents should be interpreted. It is not untrue that the original AP U.S. history course introduces students to a variety of American ideologies and values. The 2014/2015 framework of the course calls for students to “Analyze how emerging conceptions of national identity and democratic ideals shaped
value systems, gender roles, and cultural movements in the late 18th century and the 19th century.” This leaves wiggle room for conversations about American exceptionalism, a discussion that many critics of the current course yearn for. It is not untrue that the reading list outlined in Oklahoma bill includes Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet”—two voices that directly challenged government authority. It is not untrue that the reading list omits other voices for change, and entirely neglects to include any sort of Native American narrative or speech. It is not untrue that our national policy has instituted systematic racism and forcible relocation of indigenous populations—including the Trail of Tears where Oklahoma was the final destination for members of the Cherokee, Muscogee, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw nations that survived the march. It is not untrue that cutting off funding for AP U.S. History programs would disenfranchise poorer students. Private schools, whose students have their sights set on Ivy League schools that expect students to have taken the course, will still find a way to offer it. It is not untrue that a majority of teachers in Oklahoma oppose the new bill.
The root of the problem By Chuck Hyde Opinion Editor I believe that it is important to keep our country safe. We need to protect the people here, and we need to make sure that others looking to harm American citizens cannot do so. However, the lines are often blurred when it comes time to determine the limits of protection. The government often pushes for restrictions and limits that make us uncomfortable, but we abide by them as it pushed through under the guise of homeland security. With such violations of American rights as the Patriot Act and NSA surveillance, government intrusion is practically becoming the norm. A few years ago, Congress passed a law known as the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012. Of the many restrictions this placed on actions taking place in the
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United States, it prevented American educational institutions from enrolling Iranian nationals in programs related to nuclear energy. This effort was made in order to slow the progress of the nuclear program in Iran. The merits and faults of this laws could be discussed at length, but of more interest to me is the way that educational institutions have interpreted this legislation. University of Massachusetts Amherst claims that difficulties in enforcing the law have caused them to change their policies to not allow Iranian nationals in a large number of their science programs, not all of which are related to nuclear energy. Among the programs barred from Iranians are microbiology, polymer science, and computer engineering. The college is facing backlash both internally and externally, with people calling the program discriminatory and overreaching. Meanwhile, they claim that the State Department’s policies have forced their hand. Therein lies the issue. UMass is taken the massive brunt of blame here, but it they wouldn’t have even consid-
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ered such a policy without the law dictated by the American government. For all the United States’ talk of being the land of the free, we sure have a terrible track record when it comes to restricting freedoms of our citizens and those of other nations. These so-called necessary evils seem to plague all aspects of American life, and I often wonder whether or not restrictive policies such as this are truly for the benefit of the population. As we move into an increasingly global society, this mixed signal approach concerns me. Even as we find ourselves uniting with Iran against the Islamic State, we uphold legislation that lead educational institutions to impose restrictive policies that spark hatred from people around the world. It is too often a case of one step forward, two steps back. We lift the Cuban embargo, but tighten our hold on the Middle East and leave to engage in yet another quagmire. I am no political aficionado, but it seems to me that maybe Amherst is a symptom rather than the problem itself.
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THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015
Entertainment: ANOTHER Kardashian car crash
Television: “Parks and Recreation” executive producer dies of overdose
Television: Jason Biggs not to return to “Orange is the New Black”
The Kardashian clan cannot seem to catch a break. Earlier this month, Bruce Jenner was involved in a fatal crash in Malibu. While driving through Montana over the weekend, Khloe and Kim Kardashian, along with Kylie Jenner and famed baby North West, Khloe’s car skidded into a ditch. No injuried were reported.
Parks and Recreation executive producer Harris Wittles, 30, was found dead of a possible drug overdose in his apartment t h e n i g h t o f F e b r u a r y 1 9 . Wi t t l e s h a d previously spoke of his addiction and had attended rehab twice. The last episode of the popular series aired February 24.
Actor Jason Biggs of American Pie fame is not cast to star in the third season of the popular Netflix series Orange is the New Black. For two seasons, Biggs played the character of Larry, a journalist who used his fiance’s imprisionment toward benefiting his career.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT >> OPRAH
During the Oscars ceremony, former daytime television queen and humanitarian, Oprah, surpassed the security line and slipped under the black velvet rope, dodging security. Oh no she didn’t. Sources say that Ms. Winfrey wasn’t stopped or questioned.
COURTESY CBC RADIO
Local director premiers newest film at UICA
So DUFF-ing wrong abigale racine | culture editor I have recently learned a new term: DUFF. For those in the dark, let me enlighten you. It stands for Designated Ugly Fat Friend. This heinous term is the premise for the new movie The DUFF, which was released in theatres over the weekend. Judging from the trailer, the plot for this comedy is about as thick as JELLO when it’s first put in the fridge. While at a party, high school senior Bianca is made aware by her jock “frenemy” that she has a label all her own. Congratulations, she is the Designated Ugly Fat Friend! This womanizing, athletic dirtbag attempts to pass it off as a compliment, stating that she is the most “approachable” of her friend group and her role is to make her prettier friends look even better. Say what? What gives him the right to say this to her? That’s right, please dump whatever liquid is in that red solo cup and spill it all down the crotch of this slimeball. It is to be noted that this girl is clearly attracted toward the spineless jellyfish who is insulting her (of course Hollywood). With her confidence and selfworth shattered, Bianca investigates and convinces herself that she does indeed fit the role of the DUFF. So the makeover begins, thanks to the hand of the frenemy. I am sure this movie’s intent is to break the social construct and celebrate nerd-ism, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Don’t even get me started on the bothersome, racist stereotypical Asian character they have placed in the middle of this film. I don’t know if I can bring myself to watch another high school movie that details the infantile struggle of where to sit in the lunchroom, let alone this blockbuster that seems to target each and every lexicon in said movie genre. The advertisement itself is bothersome as it reads, “Every DUFF has their day.” Maybe the reason I can’t stomach such base material or this particular line is because I’m an outspoken personality who firmly believes in celebrating individualism each and every day. You are an unique, sparkling snowflake and you should be surrounded by those who appreciate you for your worth. Don’t give a damn about what others want and you do you; even if that entails dying your scalp nearly every color of the rainbow (which was an experiment I had defintely partook in during high school). Is there a cost or a sacrifice that a DUFF makes to have quoteth “their day” unquoteth? It may be simple and/or naive, but everyone should act respectfully because everyone deserves to be treated decently. Or maybe the reason that I am infuriated by the thought of “Every DUFF has their day” is because it reminds me of former bad behaviors I had formerly perpetrated or the times and situations I had felt like the DUFF. Even as a junior in college, I can still recall the remarks about my body type that “friends” had made over time. I remember a conversation I had had with some guy friends back in high school. One revealed to me that during a sleepover that a group of his friends were evaluating which girls in our graduating class was the most desirable. One of my dearest, beautiful friends was the first thought, but was eliminated because she was too aggressive and “manly.” I was a finalist due to my sense of humor... and my bra size. Thanks so much. Then again, it’s human nature. When we walk into a room, it is instinct for us to scout out the most atttractive individuals and make assumptions about people. Like-minded people are compared against each other. It’s an unfair practice and it’s sucks, but it’s the truth. Maybe I’m a DUFF still waiting for the day to tell off the high school jerks how I felt about their evaluation.
COURTESY HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
Hot mess in Detroit: A bitter con man seeks to reap havok on the city after losing his day job. By Natalie Jo Przybyla The Saint Reporter What is the perfect formula for a up-and-coming cult classic? Angst multiplied by wit plus a whole lot of punk rock, of course. The film Buzzard is coming fast and hard to the screen at the UICA from March 6 to March 19, and many are excited to finally fixate on this comical drama.
The film features a lanky-looking Marty, played by Joshua Burge, who thinks of the world as his playground. Marty is a con man on a journey to reap havok on the city of Detroit, Michigan after losing his office job. The New York Times said, “Extremely funny; you kind of want him to succeed in his petty rebellion… and you kind of want him to be punched in the face.”
Most would agree that this might be the best way to describe Marty’s extremely complex character. Buzzard is directed by Joel Potrykus, a native of Alpena, Michigan and a current resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan. He received a degree in film from Grand Valley State University and has been on the road to success since. Potrykus is best known for the
Artist Spotlight: JJ Grey & Mofro
Opera Grand Rapid’s Noah’s Flood, a natural distater have had. Britten could have included into the script what Noah first thought when he heard God’s voice, how his marriage was effected by his wife’s stubbornness, or even the trials of having so many wild animals on a ship together. Instead, a talented cast of incredible actors and singers were left playing stock characters. The opera felt far more like a review of facts, rather than the inspiring and COURTESY MLIVE captivating piece it could have been. Tidal waves: Talent in the performance was immense, but Britten was crethe script-writing fell short. ative in his concept of the opera, just not within the By Brooke Johnston entertainment value of the producThe Saint Reporter tion. One such creative concept was Opera Grand Rapids produc- the intended interactive music. The tion of Noah’s Flood took place at audience was encouraged to sing the Fountain Street Church from along to three traditional hymns within the piece. This created a February 13-15. The storyline follows the bibli- unique experience for those in atcal tribulations of Noah as he obeys tendance. While this was mildly God, and seeks to save his family uncomfortable based on the fact from the great flood. Sticking close- that it is an uncommon practice, it ly to the biblical account, Benjamin was a positive and compelling exBritten’s music drama is composed perience. Overall I would highly recomof intricate harmonies and diffimend the talented group of people cult vocal solos. The talent within the cast was astounding. In fact, who performed for Opera Grand the talent of the cast was far more Rapids in this production. Despite impressive than the writing of the the lack of depth within the script handed to them, they filled the show itself. The storyline of Britten’s Noah’s Fountain Street Church with beauFlood resembles that of a play put tiful music. To deliver a disappointing on during a vacation bible school. The script offered very little char- storyline in an awe-inspiring way acter development, depth, or emo- is a feat many performers would tional connection. It felt as though find impossible. However the cast the storyline was an outline of basic of Noah’s Flood did just that. The facts, waiting to be fleshed out and hard work of the crew, cast, and ormade interesting. The talent of the chestra of this show was apparent cast was wasted by an opera that in every harmony, set change, and failed to emotionally connect to the costume. Hopefully, in the future, Opaudience. What made this shortcom- era Grand Rapids chooses to run a ing even more disappointing were show that does the talent of Grand the possibilities the piece could Rapids justice.
Culture Editor Abigale Racine
E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu
movie Ape, which allowed him to win the Best New Director Prize in 2012 in the Locarno Film Festival. The shooting style of Buzzard could be described as gritty and shaky at times, much like Potrykus’ other films, but this only adds to the feeling of anti-conformity throughout the film. The personality of the characters and the slightly dull colors matches with what the movie is at the core: a satire of the American working class. Films like Buzzard do not come often, for it seems to take the personality of Office Space and mixes it with a bit of SLC Punk angst and just a dash of style from Requiem for a Dream. Dimensions of this anticipated film run deep, which makes the average person relate in the strangest of ways, much like other indie films. With a great cast, an awardwinning director, and that much punk-rock, how can one go wrong with seeing Buzzard? The debut will be at the UICA in downtown Grand Rapids starting on March 6. Admissions are $8 for non-members and $4 for members of UICA. For more information on Buzzard, call the UICA at 616454-7000.
COURTESY MYSPACE
Tame the wild one: Check out JJ Grey & Mofro and catch their upcoming show. By Liz Ptaszynski The Saint Reporter As the temperature drops, the craving to stay indoors enveloped in your blankets is on a steady increase. There’s something about the comfort of fleece, a steaming cup of hot chocolate and some great tunes in the background to really warm you up as it gets colder. If you’re looking for an escape from the tundra outside your dorm, I suggest you look up JJ Grey and Mofro. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida this band enriches your ear with an effortless blend of blues and old school soul. Fronting his band Mofro, an eclectic collection of musicians that include guitars, drums, and organ with the help of a couple of horns, JJ Grey is able to bring a large sound to his fans without it overwhelming his soulful voice. Though they have been playing music for over a decade, this band continues to bring a refreshing sound to the music scene. Instead of climatic beat dropping and pop chords that is all over the radio JJ Grey and Mofro offer grippling guitar solos with a hint of jazz and funk with assistance of an ever present saxophone and trumpet. In their latest album, This River, the band gave their fans their traditional heartfelt tales over the sound of instruments so powerful and dominant in their songs that it feels like it’s speaking with the lyrics as well. “Tame the Wild One” is a prime example of this. Though the song
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borders melody with its heartbreaking lyrics, you’ll notice that while listening, your head bobs uncontrollably with the upbeat saxophone and trumpet, your feet tap mechanically to the beat of the drum while the guitar takes your mind elsewhere. This seems to be a familiar recipe to the band’s southern flavored musical gumbo. Especially with the song “Standing on the Edge”, which by far is my favorite on the entire album. The song begins with a roaring guitar that only builds to compete with the loudness of the brass, while the drums mediate it in a mixture that is unexpectedly smooth, as the artist sings about taking a chance on love. Fans of JJ Grey, are excited to see what the band has in store for them for their ninth album Ol’ Glory set to be released February 23. The band is currently touring the US and are set to appear at The Intersection in Grand Rapids on March 1. Whether your preference is love songs that will make you daydream all day or funk that will get you dancing out of your chair, JJ Grey and Mofro has something for everyone and as you grow tired of the weather, pull this talented group on Spotify and allow yourself to be swept to a warmer place.
Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint
6
CULTURE
THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015
Wake Up Autumn: Meet AQ’s very own indie duo By Mariah Cowsert The Saint Reporter Wake Up Autumn, an indie folk duo that shares its roots at Aquinas, consists of Aquinas alumni Rachel Varley and Aquinas senior Josh Eid-Ries. Varley and Eid-Ries weave their music to provide a story fitting for a cozy evening in or for a road trip away from home. They started playing music together summer of 2012 and draw their inspiration from the land they call home, the mitten state. Both Varley and Eid-Ries have been involved in the Aquinas Theatre Department as they both starred in Nickel & Dimed by Joan Holden last fall. Varley can also been seen on stage with a variety of local theatre companies including Civic Theater and Theater616 (Formerly Southside). She graduated in the spring of 2014 with degrees in both French and Theatre. Eid-Ries is a senior majoring in sustainable business and works in the media center on campus. Varley and Eid-Ries met on campus during Varley’s senior year and the rest was history. Their title song “Wake Up Autumn” was featured on a collaborative acoustic album by the Good Time Gang Music Collective in Lansing, Michigan. The album was distributed at their fall fest in October which perfectly suits the changing harvest leaves and mulled ci-
der season. The song’s confident tune makes you want to listen to it in the springtime with the windows rolled down or singing along as you make your morning coffee. Wake Up Autumn’s song “Big Ole’ Lake” encompasses childhood memories of simpler times outdoors yet relatable lyrics as we grow up such as “the world keeps spinnin’ like it has all these years, the same old problems, the same old fears”. The song entitled “Mourning Song” contrasts their charismatic title song and brings a raw inspiring melody sharing that “soon this time will pass, you are strong, you are alive.” They have just recently performed at Story Cafe, on Leonard Street N.W., for an intimate set while offering free coffee and treats to warm their guests as they enjoy their newest tracks. Varley’s and Eid-Ries’s chemistry illuminates on stage and the stylish duo bring heart to their audience in every note. Their contagious smiles and whole-hearted songs make it easy to be fully engaged whether it be a house show, a cafe set, or an outdoor session. Music from Wake Up Autumn can be streamed on Bandcamp and soundcloud. They also have a page on Facebook where you can keep updated about future shows and fresh music to support two talented members of the Aquinas community.
COURTESY WAKE UP AUTUMN
Not Folking Around: Josh and Rachel bring the folk with their eclectic music.
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Imagine Dragon’s new St. Paddy’s album is pure “Gold” on Ionia reminds me a bit of “Radioactive” from the high energy it brings, especially during the chorus. The lyrics easily could Imagine Dragons have become repetitive with how often doesn’t disappoint the word “Gold” is used, but they manwith the release of age to get away with it by how much their highly anticipat- emphasis is placed on the word. The song that inspired the title of ed sophomore album. With the success the album, “Smoke + Mirrors”, is one of of of their last album the calmer songs on the album. Lyrics Night Visions, their include, “I’m starting to cave, I’m losnewest release Smoke ing my flame/I wanted your truth, but I + Mirrors proves it can live up to high wanted the pain/Disappear dream taker, expectations. The Las Vegas band re- life taker.” “Polaroid” will make you want to leased three singles before the album was released. This wide range of songs also become a lone red rover, because makes their album one that will appeal they make it sound so badass. The song to a large group of listeners Their official has a unique rhythm chant tone to it. website lists their sound as an, “inven- You could even possibly find yourself tive brand of alt-rock”, because Imagine clapping along to the interesting lyrics, Dragons isn’t the type of group to just “Love is a polaroid/Better in picture/But follow the norm. They manage to pull never can fill the void.” “Bet My Life” and “Friction” are off so many different ideas and sounds two songs that I would definitely sugwhile still having a unifying theme. The new album is expected to reach gest listening to. “Bet My Life” is curnumber one on the Billboard 200 chart, rently played on the radio and has a but has competition with Drake’s new happier beat, almost like “On Top Of album that is currently holding the top The World”.The theme of “Friction” is position. This could be the Las Vegas essentially about not being able to do band’s first number one album, with something so easily. What can’t be essentheir last reaching the number two spot. tially summed up is the depth to both the Billboard reported that Night Visions lyrics and beat. It constantly changing throughout has, “ [...] never the song, and I left the Billwould classify board 200 chart it as one of the since its debut more “rock” 128 weeks ago.” songs on the If you purchase album. the album at Imagine Target there is Dragons tickan exclusive ets for their version that in2015 tour are cludes four excurrently on tra songs. sale, and if it’s One of the anything like tracks that was their album, it released early will be insane. was “Gold”. They live up The whistling, to their repuclapping, and tation for epic a wide range and of instruments COURTESY IMAGINE DRAGONS songs, they use in the Sophomore Slump No More: Imagine Dragons rock their performances will track make it their second studio album with Smoke + Mirrors. likely match. unique and By Veronica Burns Staff Writer
By Carlos Hernandez The Saint Reporter As we move away from the aftermath of chocolate and discarded Valentines from Valentine’s Day, we prepare for the aftermath of the shamrocks, beads, and that mysterious pineapple that appeared on your nightstand with no known origin. That is right, my friends, St. Patrick’s Day is around the corner, and Grand Rapids is getting ready to celebrate the day of Irish luck and discoloured liquids. One of the parties in town getting buzz (but only if you are 21), is the St. Patrick’s Day Festival on Ionia Street. The fifth annual St. Patty’s Day celebration will be invading the area with liquor, music, liquor, arts/crafts, liquor, food, liquor, socializing, and partying. ...oh, and liquor. (In all seriousness, though, please drink responsibly). Lasting from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, March 14. Tickets will be made available on the 7th at McFadden’s “St. Practice Day” celebration, but will likely fly fast due to the event’s popularity. Here is how it works. The festival takes up the area in front of Van Andel Arena with musicians performing all day, the order being Stone Clover, Jason Veeder, Paddy’s Cure, DJ Kung, Ardan Academy of Irish Dance, Jenny Disko, The Tosspint, DJ 02, The Waxies, and Sean Boney. As stated by MLive, “The event doubled in size in 2014 by extending along the north/south corridor of Ionia Avenue SW from Oakes to Fulton streets. This year it will add the east/ west block from Weston St. SW to Commerce Ave. SW.”, meaning more room, more events, more food, and more fun. The source also cites that nearly 20,000 patrons in are expected to be in attendance. Swing by by McFadden’s on Saturday, March 7 and see for yourself the brewing tradition in downtown Grand Rapids.
Free-dom. Free-markets. (Free-Pizza!) Lunch Presentation Thursday, March 5 12:15 pm – 1:15 pm | Loutit Room (Wege)
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Culture Editor Abigale Racine
E-mail saint.editors@aquinas.edu
Phone (616) 632-2975
Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint
25th
sports
page
NHL Hockey: Bruins verse Blackhawks
NBA Injury Update: Chris Bosh out
NFL Combine Update: Who to look for
The Boston Bruins routed the Chicago Blackhawks this past Sunday during Hockey Day in America. Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron opened the scoring with his 200th NHL goal. Reilly Smith, Loui Eriksson, Milan Lucic, Gregory Campbell, and Dougie Hamilton also chipped in with goals.
Miami Heat center Chris Bosh will be out for the rest of the season after suffering from blood clots on his lung. Bosh posted a picture to his social media account of him in a hospital gown and bed thanking fans for the support. Bosh averaged 21.1 points and 7 rebounds for the Heat this season.
USC defensive tackle Leonard Williams is looking to be the top Defensive Lineman in the draft after having a great combine on day 5. Williams stands at a hefty 6’5 and weighs 302 pounds. FSU quarterback Jameis Winston is looking to battle Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota for being selected first.
taylor hodges |sports editor
By Charlie Crowley The Saint Reporter As February comes to an end and love finally begins to dissolve into the freezing air, it is evident that the love for the winged wheel lives on. After a week-long break for the National Hockey League’s All Star festivities, the Detroit Red Wings have resumed their playoff push. The Wings sit comfortably at third in the Atlantic division and ninth overall in the NHL. Since the All Star break, the Wings have gone 5-3-1 with key wins over the New York Islanders and the Chicago Blackhawks. The team continues to be paced by Captain Henrik Zetterberg with 49 points. Goal scoring has been paced by former Grand Rapids Griffin Tomas Tatar, who has quietly found the back of the net 24 times this season. He is followed up by Gustav Nyquist who has put up 21 goals and 21 assists. The Wings have had a handful of Griffins call ups this year that have not failed to disappoint. Most recently, highly touted Griffin forward Teemu Pulkkinen. Known for his booming shot, Pulkkinen has cracked the lineup for seven games this year on a team well known for its depth and experienced players. Also seeing time from the Griffins this year is defenseman Xavier Ouellet. The 21 year old France native has
dressed 21 games in the red and white, and has established himself as a shutdown defenseman who has the potential to log big minutes in the future. As with most current Wings, the Detroit brass will, unless odd circumstances arise, keep Ouellet and Pulkkinen in Grand Rapids for development while giving them the opportunity to play limited roles when they are called over to Motown. This experiment has worked with many current Red Wings including Tatar and Nyquist, while also working for key players such as number one defenseman Niklas Kronwall. Motown appears to be ready for a twenty-fourth season competing in the playoffs, and the guns keep on firing. With the current pace the Wings are at, they will continue to put pressure on the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Eastern Conference leading Montreal Canadiens for the division lead. With the trade deadline coming up, the Wings could look to acquire some more firepower, possibly on the defensive side. However, they have remained fairly quiet in recent years and it has paid off, but with apparent aging of their core, they may look for some young talent for that extra push in the playoffs. Whatever the case may be, the wheels in Motown keep on turning and will hit the next gear come the playoffs in April.
The Boys of the Season
The Aquinas Baseball team is ready to get back in the game after this harsh winter. Their spirits haven’t melted quite yet. In fact, their game is about to heat up in the Florida sunshine over Spring Break. So if you’re anywhere near Winter Haven, Auburndale, Lakeland, Daytona, Frostproof, or Jacksonville, you should make it a point to go support the team. Weather can mean everything when it comes to sports, especially baseball. “The main setback right now is the weather,” said sophomore catcher Tyler Golembiewski. “We were supposed to go down to Illinois this past weekend and kick our season off, but due to the current weather, it got cancelled.” “I think we’re all ready to start playing,” said senior pitcher David Foster. Despite the weather, the team has been working hard to do well this season. “Right now we practice 5 days a week and lift 2 days as a team,” said Golembiewski. “Many players will lift on their own time too to keep improving.” “Practices vary from day-to-day,” said Foster. “Pitchers and position players usually work together at practice.” With incoming freshmen coming in each year in college sports, sometimes it can be hard to adapt. “We only have a few freshman this year, but they are adapting well,” said FosSports Editor Taylor Hodges
“The freshmen seem to be fitting in very well,” said Golembiewski. “They’re adjusting to the level of play and practicing.” Along with gaining new players every year, it can be difficult for some teams to bond after losing some seniors and picking up some freshmen. “The team this year is bonding well,” said Golembiewski. “There’s good camaraderie and chemistry among the team, which is essential. As far as being an athlete here, I love the camaraderie you get from the team. You really get to know your teammates and become friends with them all.” “We are a very close team this year which is great, we’re a family,” said Foster. Every team has its strengths and weaknesses, and this year, the team’s strengths hits any weaknesses out of the park. “The team’s strengths this year I think are the depth we have at positions as well as the camaraderie on the team,” said Golembiewski. “The chemistry we have helps us push each other to do our best. We have some good players and good chemistry that should really help.” After every breath of the cold Michigan air, the reminder of Spring is constant, and that means baseball everyone. The team plays March 17 at Kimble Stadium for a 2 p.m. matinee with Calumet St. Joseph. They also will face-off against rival Davenport on March 18 at Kimble Stadium for a 2 p.m. showdown. Make sure to come out to a game, bring some peanuts, and enjoy the show.
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The Aquinas Women’s Softball team is looking to start their season off right, as they head to Tucson, Arizona for Spring Break. After getting their tan on, the team will play it’s first home game on March 28 at Fuller Park. Game time is still being determined.
COURTESY ROSS DETTMAN/CHICAGO WOLVES
Fisticuffs: Former Griffins player Jordan Tootoo engages in a scrap as teammate Colin Campbell looks on. By Zoe Harmon Staff Writer Hockey is heating up in Grand Rapids as the Griffins are fighting hard to secure points. In recent games they have fallen victim to teams, but they have also fought back from two-point deficits and continue to win games. Maintaining his exemplary scoring skills, forward Teemu Pulkkinen leads both the team and the league in scoring, with 57 points in 44 games, and in goals with 30. Goal number 30 was scored on Sunday, February 15, making him the only player in the Griffins franchise history to log backto-back 30-goal seasons, according to the Grand Rapids Griffins news release. It is clear that he has been, and continues to be, a huge asset for the team and entire organization. The Griffins are also looking strong on the team front. According to the news release, in a recent 11-game streak, they secured points in 10 of those games. In that span, they also banked 18 of 22 possible points. This set them up for their longest point streak of the season (six games). Unfortunately, like any sports team,
the Griffins are not immune to injury. On Friday, February 13, right wing Mitch Callahan took a hit, was helped off the ice, and never returned. It was reported that he has been diagnosed with a torn right ACL and is expected to be out for the rest of the 2014-2015 season. This is a tough loss for the team as Callahan is the Griffins thirdhighest scorer with 38 points in 48 games. Luckily, injuries do come to an end which means the players eventually rejoin the team. A recent successful return for the Griffins was forward Andreas Athanasiou. He broke his jaw in December, missing 20 games before his return on February 6, a week earlier than expected. Since his return, Athanasiou has scored in all five games earning a total of 23 points in 30 games for the season thus far. In a recent game at Chicago, Athanasiou secured three points including the game-winning goal. His return proves that even though injuries can be hard to overcome both individually and for the team, they are not the end of the world. The next home game will be Wednesday, March 4 at 7:00p.m. According to the Griffins website, this game is a “Winning Wednesday,” meaning if the Griffins win, fans can use their ticket from the March 4 game to get into the next Wednesday game at Van Andel, April 1.
AQ Puck: One Wish
Long-gone: Senior Brendan Penny looks on as he knocks one out of the park. ter.
>> WOMEN’S SOFTBALL
Injury plagued season not hurting team
COURTESY ANDRIS VISOCKIS
By Haley Brink Staff Writer
WHAT TO WATCH
Grand Rapids Griffins
Wheels Keep Turning
Addiction In Sports
Addiction seems to be something we are all aware of, but never really talk about. Many of us probably know someone who has an addiction to alcohol or drugs, but think nothing is wrong because the person is always smiling or laughing when they’re around us. What many people don’t know is that people who are addicted to a substance can act perfectly fine in the public eye, almost as if there’s nothing wrong. But when they’re alone and by themselves, that’s when the demons come out and the act for self-medicating can take place. Many people probably have no clue that athletes go through the same thing. From high school sports stars to the professional athletes, that kid or star pitcher who you thought had it all, may be struggling the most, and the worst thing about it is that it’s usually camouflaged from the public eye. Look no further than Cleveland Browns Quarterback Johnny Manziel. When Manziel was lighting it up for his Aggies, the kid seemed to live a life people only dreamed about. From hanging with celebrities, to playing in front of an enormous crowd every weekend, to being talked about on every sports show across the nation. He was living the dream, or at least that’s what we thought. In late January, Manziel voluntarily placed himself in rehab for unknown reasons, but one can assume it had to do with his excessive partying. Manziel’s addiction to partying even forced Browns security to go check up on him at his home because he was late to the airport where the Browns were scheduled to leave for a game against the Baltimore Ravens. When security got to his home, one source according to ESPN, claimed that Manziel was “drunk off his…..” Well, you can fill in the blank. Not only have NFL stars struggled with addiction, stars from every sport have dealt with their demons from time to time. From former NHLer Ryan Malone coping with drugs and Theo Fleury holding a gun up to his head and almost pulling the trigger, to golf’s John Daly drinking a fifth a day and swimmer Michael Phelps battle with marijuana. Addiction can take place anywhere and to anyone. It doesn’t matter if you live on New York’s streets or in the hills of California. Recently, it was brought to my attention that one of my former classmates from Zeeland East High School was struggling with an addiction to alcohol. His name is Spencer Viening and he was the type of kid that you thought had it all. Was a star football player, liked by everyone, and played in front of thousands of fans every Friday night. Spencer was dealing with the pressures of being in the spotlight by drinking to numb the pain, while also battling depression. “He’d knock a fifth of booze down in 35 to 40 minutes, just chug it,” said his father Jeff Viening according to a local news station. “That’s not just a kid wanting to party, that’s a kid trying to numb himself, and sometimes I think honestly, slowly, whether he meant to do it or not, not want to be here.” Due to his parents concerns for his life, he made a brief stop to the Hazelden Betty Ford Center in Minnesota to finish out high school before eventually landing at College of the Canyons, a junior college near Los Angeles to play football. As the season ended, it was clear that Vienings addiction began to take control. After coming back to Michigan and Minnesota, his family decided to send him to CMI in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 99.9% success rate at CMI was too hard to ignore, despite the treatment not being covered by insurance. That’s right, they’re having to pay nearly $1,100 a day out of pocket in order to help their child through this difficult time. I’ve never personally spoken to Spencer during my time in high school, but I can tell you that when this news broke I was in utter shock because I had no idea about his addiction with alcohol. Like many people, I thought he had it all. My intentions were not to embarrass or hurt anyone mentioned in this column, rather raise awareness for the troubles that addiction can cause, even to people who seem to have it all. If you would like to donate to Spencer Vienings recovery please visit http://www.gofundme.com/SpencerViening. What would you do if it was your kid?
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THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY25, 2015
By Taylor Hodges Sports Editor The Aquinas Men’s Hockey team suffered a heartbreaking loss this past Friday in the ACHA North Regional Tournament against Adrian. It should be noted that this wasn’t the same Adrian team the Saints played earlier in the year in which they won by a respective margin. Rather, this was Adrian’s Gold team who also competes in the same region. While the team wanted to go as far as possible this year, it was still considered a success by the players and coaching staff. “The most exciting thing about this season is just being apart of the Aquinas College Hockey tradition,” said freshman forward Calvin Wojtaszak. “It’s a relatively new program, but it’s been fun competing at a higher level of hockey and doing what I can to contribute to the team.” Junior defenseman Sam Matthews added, “My favorite part about being on this team is how tight knit our squad is this year, everybody really seems to come together.” This year, the team finished with an overall record of 19-10 and MCHC West record of 7-5. Sophomore forward Corey Giffel lead the team in points and assists this year with 34 and 21 respectively. Rounding out at second was freshman forward Jason Wrbelis with a total of 33 points. Other notables include recently converted junior forward Justen Caudill leading the team in goals with 19, and junior forward Doug Zelenka tying for first in powerplay goals with five. Sophomore goalie Sean Schmeiser finished with a 2.63 goals against average
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Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint
and .912 save percentage. Schmeiser is also noted as having one of the hardest names to pronounce as fast as you can three times. The Saints saw a number of incoming recruits help the team this year. While Wrbelis, Wojtaszak, and forward Billy Warren were one of the more productive rookies this year in terms of scoring, everyone chipped in to allow for a successful season. Defenseman Hunter Jenerou tied for tenth in scoring on the team, while forwards Nick Sampson, Domenic Fusco, Josh Kramer, and Alex DeVries showed what they can do when given minutes. The future looks bright for this young team. While hockey players are considered to be tough, rugged, and serious, off the ice the boys like to have fun and joke around. “My favorite part about this team is just hanging out with all the guys on a daily basis,” said Wojtaszak. “The team bonding is just a great experience whether it’s on or off the ice.” Some of them have quite the imagination as well. “If I could have anything in the world it would probably be to marry Carrie Underwood or Katy Perry,” said Matthews. Wojtaszak added, “If i could wish for one thing it would be to play in the NHL. I’d say it’s every hockey players dream to get paid to play the game they love and that would really be something else.” While one may never get to fulfil their dream of suiting up for an NHL team or marry a music superstar, the boys will always have the memories of having a successful season and sharing some laughs along the way.
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SPORTS
THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015
Living the Dream: Ankita Bhatia
A Team of Leaders AQ Track & Field
Women’s Tennis
By Chucky Blackmore News Intern
COURTESY ANNA MUSIYENKO
Posing for the camera: Senior Ankita Bhatia (center) smiles for the camera with the rest of the Aquinas Women’s Tennis team. By Mitch Ringer The Saint Reporter The women’s tennis team has a new member this year in Ankita Bhatia. Bhatia is a talented tennis player who has come a long way from home to continue her playing career at Aquinas. Coming hot off the tail of a season opening win against St.Mary’s last weekend, Bhatia is optimistic and excited about what she and her team can accomplish this season. “The team collaborated very well,” said Bhatia. “Everyone was hungry to win the first match of the Spring.” This success is expected to continue, but it will not be an easy road. The AQ Women’s Tennis team practices at 6 AM every morning. “It sucks,” admits Bhatia. “But it will be worth it, and will teach us how to push through adversity.” Bhatia herself is a player accustomed to facing challenges on the court. She began her tennis career in her home of Gurgaon, India, where she played competitively for Delhi Public. While based in India, she often traveled individually to take on top-
G R A N D
tier opponents. At age 17, she played an event in Kazakhstan that showcased members of the top 500 players in the world. “It was often expensive and tiring, but travelling was worth playing great players and seeing exciting and new places,” said Bhatia. Bhatia has faced some of the top competitors in the world. She is looking to put her extensive experience to use for the Saints as the season wears on. Bhatia came to Aquinas by way of Eastern Michigan University. Bhatia explains, “After finishing high school, I basically had two options: play professionally, or continue my education while playing for a school in the United States.” She reached out to some US coaches, and Eastern was the first school to respond with a full athletic scholarship for tennis. After three years as an Eagle, Bhatia decided to transfer to Aquinas, where she can graduate with degrees in Business Administration and Sport Management. Bhatia is one of three international student-athletes on the team. “We bring a certain diversity, each full of different experiences that can be very beneficial to the
R A P I D S
team,” said senior Daniela Fonseca Zuniga. Colombian native Zuniga joins Bhatia and Ukraine native Anna Musiyenko as the international students on the team. Now a Saint, Bhatia has high expectations for not just her team, but for herself as well. She would like to see AQ Women’s Tennis go undefeated in the WHAC this year, and then take care of business at Nationals. “The team finished third in the conference last year,” said Bhatia. “As a team, we will have to come together to take first this season.” Individually, Bhatia is looking to be the best there is at this level. Not only would she like to win every match this season, but her goals also include All-American honors and being crowned the NAIA Senior of the Year. Bhatia has just about seen it all as a tennis player. She has competed against the best in the world, played at the NCAA Division I level, and is now finding her new niche as an Aquinas Saint. Look for her to play a key role in the teams success as the 2015 season continues.
As the AQ Men and Women’s Indoor Track and Field season comes to a close, it is evident that both teams have put a considerable amount of hard work into this year ’s events. The season began in early December for the Saints, welcoming in the AQ Odd Distance Open as their first meet against Calvin College at Alksnis Athletic and Recreation Building. On Saturday, February 21, the Saints hosted the WHAC Indoor Track and Field Championships. The men’s team has put forth exceptional effort to close out the 2015 indoor season. They are currently ranked 21 in the NAIA and are steadily moving closer to the standings of their opponents. Near the beginning of their season, the team took first place out of four schools at the AQ Quad Meet One. Sophomore middle distance runner Adam Cichon won the mile with a time of 4:21:11. Rallying behind him with an outstanding performance in the 600m was senior Caleb Teachout. Junior thrower Clay Weidenhamer reigned first place in the shot put relay at the Calvin Invitational on February 15, with a distance of 16.10m. Practice and effort are also components seen on the women’s team as well. Currently ranking at 13, the Saints are in good shape for finishing the season. “Looking back over the track season it has been an awesome season for us,” said junior Crysta Paganelli. Paganelli is a well-equipped asset to the 4x800 relay team. Running alongside her is freshman Adri Sigafoose, sophomore Sydney Anderson, and junior Mary Bogardus. The 4x800 relay team qualified for the NAIA Championships for their time at the Calvin Invitational on February 15, running in the final leg with a personal best of 9:30:89. Assistant Track Coach Mike Wojciakowski has fully prepared the women, leaving it up to them to run their hearts out for one another. Paganelli agreed that the addition of the Alksnis Athletic and Recreation Building has made a
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huge impact on the track team’s training. “With the cold winters we have, having somewhere to train inside as a whole team has positively affected our team this year,” said Paganelli. “I’m so grateful for our new facility and it’s so great seeing so many students and fans come support us at our meets.” Sophomore long jumper Taylor Pitts also performed an outstanding 5.31m in her signature event. On the distance side of the spectrum, senior Catie Rietsema took 2nd place in the 5000m, establishing a new record time of 17:53:14. Rietsema will qualify for the Championships in March. Over this past weekend, both teams finished third in the WHAC Indoor Championships at the Alksnis Athletic and Recreation Building. Earning First Team AllConference accolades for Aquinas were: Caleb Teachout in the 600 meter, Jacob Towne in the 5000 meter, and Clay Weidenhamer in Shot Put. Earning “Newcomer of the Year ” for the WHAC was Adri Sigafoose. According to a local news outlet, Sigafoose finished in second place four times to score 20 points for the Saints. Other notables include Erika Heston, Marissa Ingersoll, and Dionte Williams. The Men and Women’s Track and Field teams have geared up well this indoor season. As they prepare for the outdoor season, the Saints continue to lean on peers, friends, and family for support. The new addition of Alksnis will serve as a facility of support for all athletes that compete and give their all on its track and turf. “We put more of a focus on the outdoor season, but indoor season is just as important,” said Paganelli. “It is truly great to be a Saint.”
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