COLLEGIAN REPORTER by samar javed

The Importance of finding happiness in life

Professor Bruce Forbes, Morningsider

Cross country runners make history

2010 grad Alex Watters’ presentation to this year’s freshmen class was a lesson in finding happiness and coping with setbacks in life.

Dr. Bruce Forbes is a legend, and if you manage to slide through four years without hearing his name, you most likely never left your tiny dorm cell.

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The Mustang women qualify for the national cross country meet for the second year in a row, while the men’s team sees its highest GPAC finish.

The official newspaper of Morningside College for over 100 years

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Thursday, November 11, 2010

600 students go ‘Into the Streets’ Students community organizations during the fourth annual Into The Streets By Corinne Youngberg STAFF WRITER

n Election Day, nearly 600 Morningside students elected to serve the Sioux City community. Some still in their PJs, students braved the dawn chill to gather in the HPER at 8 a.m. There they found their workmates and split into their different organizations. Each student got a teal T–shirt emblazoned with the “Into the Streets” logo. Group leaders picked up their work site and assignment. They were expected to get to be at their organization for about three hours. This was the fourth annual Into the Streets. Heather Brown, a junior, loves doing Into the Streets. Brown said, “It’s a great way to get out and help other people instead of being selfish with my time and sleeping in. There are so many students who could choose to sleep in but instead they get up to go out into the community and help.” Into the Streets is hosted by Omicron Delta

Kappa (ODK) which is the National leadership honor society on campus. Students from all over campus come together to form this group. Bruce Forbes, faculty advisor for ODK, observed, “ODK has members from all these different organizations on campus and it was natural for them to head up this event.” The last few years Into the Streets was in the spring, but because of circumstances it had to be changed to the fall. This left senior co–presidents of Into the Streets, Miriam Pfahler and Kylie Helmink, to enlist the help of all the members of ODK. All the members pitched in to make the event happen this year. Pfahler said, “This program spans across all of campus and allows everyone to get together and volunteer.” This event shows how Morningside is following its mission statement of being “dedicated to ethical leadership and civic responsibility.”

TOTAL COLLEGE ORGANIZATIONS:

ORGANIZATIONS SERVED:

HOURS OF SERVICE:

2400

Check out pictures on page

Morningside media cover election night 2010 live

‘The students never disappoint... When things go wrong they learn to react’ By Michelle Kuester STAFF WRITER

ovember 2 was more than just Election day. It was a night of experience, fun, and mass chaos as the Mass Communications students supplied coverage of the election on KMSC and MCTV. This was the first time television had been brought in to help with the broadcast. The host for the night was Dr. Mark Heistad, along with co–host Dr. Patrick McKinlay and special guests Prof. Kitty Green and Dr. Greg Guelcher. Dr. Heistad explained that the Department of Mass Communication does this special broadcast every two years. The election broadcast has been going since before he came in 2002. “There is no better place to be on election night than in a newsroom,” said Heistad. The students ran the night and had various responsibilities. There were several students in the department’s news room following important races and vote totals as they came in every half an hour.

There was another group in the conference room who were monitoring various news channels for the calling of key races. Students at the Woodbury County Court House reported every half an hour on the atmosphere. There were also a

couple students at the local Republican and Democratic headquarters who were interviewing party officials and calling in every hour with the news. Students at the various polling places, such as the Morningside library and Eppley Auditorium,

talked with voters and poll workers.

Student directors On the technical side of things, Cory Maassen was the producer, Nick Buth • Continued on page 3

2 News Grab a sack!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

THE COLLEGIAN REPORTER

By Gustav Hollnagel

Sodexo revamps the sack lunch program to increase convenience, variety

ast year, students rarely made visual contact with the little white paper bags, also known as sacked lunches. This year, the new design and structure of the program earn respect through a significant rise in sup-

Student Center in Buck’s. Now, students can find it at a much more convenient location: right next to the registers of the main dining room. “We ordered the equipment over the summer, and installed two registers for convenience,” said Karla Ruby about the ori-

too quickly (a certain amount of money included in one’s choice of meal plan). Plus the sacked lunch program was much less visual and appealing, as no one could see all of his or her options at once. “We revamped the program, so people get full. And we also

ply numbers. A sacked lunch consists of four items: a sandwich, a drink, and two additional sides. Sides, for example, are chips, yogurt, bananas or apples, cookies, carrots, hard–boiled eggs, and candy bars. The white paper bags count towards the meal plan and can substitute any meal of the day. Most notably new to the sacked lunched program are the variety of sandwiches and the urge of Sodexo to steadily increase the students’ level of satisfaction by receiving feedback and suggestions. Also, the face of the program has changed. Last year, the program was situated downstairs in the Olsen

gins of the new program. Ruby is the food coordinator on campus. She has been with the main food provider Sodexo for 11 years and does promotions, works in the marketing field, and handles student interactions. Ruby gets feedback from the RA’s once a month and conducts surveys on the food services in general. “A lot of people requested microwavable food, so for now we integrated Ramen noodle packets to the program. We have no problem working with people, you just need to communicate with us.” Last year, when they started the sacked lunch program the first semester of 2009, students spent all their Buck’s money

make sure there are healthy choices, vegetarian stuff like carrots, eggs, and salads,” Ruby explains. This semester, they give out about 120 sacked lunches a day, which is quite a turnout for a small campus. Ruby’s father, Les King, works at one of the registers. It is his third year with the company. He said one day they gave out 150 white paper bags, one of “the highest numbers he’s ever seen.” He explained that last year, the managers were happy when they distributed around 500 a week. This year, the goal is at a minimum of 600, aiming to exceed the 700–mark as the school year progresses. “I think this program is good

STAFF WRITER

Wright lecture addresses Christianity’s ‘image problem’ By Corinne Youngberg STAFF WRITER

n November 1 David Kinnaman spoke in the Yockey Room located on Morningside’s campus about the perceptions young adults have about Christianity. He is the President of the California– based research firm, Barna Group, as well as the co–author of the book “unchristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity.” Kinnaman was at Morningside for the Wright Lecture. This is a lecture hosted by the Religious Studies Department and is funded by an endowment established by Dr. and Mrs. Ernest Wright. This lecture brings religious studies scholars, religious leaders, and preachers of Christian background to Morningside’s campus. Kinnaman wanted to focus on four main points during his lecture. He discussed Christianity’s image problem, why we have an image problem and what it looks like. Most of his studies were based off of 16 – 29 year old non–Christians. He brought up the question of whether or not the anti–Christian sentiment was something that was new to the young generation. He talked about scripture and how scripture relates what he talks about during the presentation. The last point he stressed was the opportunities Christians have to change the perceptions people have. The Yockey Room was full of people from

not just Sioux City but people from Michigan and Illinois as well. People cam from all over to hear Kinnaman speak. Sara Williams Gill, a member at St. Williams Untied Methodist Church here in Sioux City, as well as a Morningside Alum, attended the presentation. She had read his book and really wanted to hear him speak. “One thing that stood out was when David said, ‘Relationships are the currency of God’s economy,’” Williams Gill said after the presentation. This was a common statement for the people who heard Kinnaman speak. Nick Grove, a senior religious studies major, commented, “We are a consumerist culture focused on name brand. I like what he had to say about people being focused on the label instead of the person.” Kinnaman was also here for a workshop the following day, November 2. Dr. Bruce Forbes was excited about the lecture and workshop. He thought they were a great idea because, “I do really believe in having a variety of voices” brought on campus for people to hear. Kinnaman is coming out with a new book some time next year.

“We are a consumerist culture focused on name brand. I like what he had to say about people being focused on the label instead of the person.”

for athletes and for people who try to get something quick. Plus, we try to change up the choice of sandwich from time to time,” said King. He also says he has spotted some loyal customers to the program. When students make requests and are heard, they return. In general, students use the program because they often are in a hurry. Athletes need to get to their night classes after practice, and sometimes just do not have time to eat a full meal. Sophomore Samantha Sorenson said, “It’s easy and convenient. I love it. Sometimes I just can’t eat lunch. I do wish they had more Caesar salads though.” Ruby says the sacked lunch program is mainly a “compromise”: “You’re gonna take what you’re gonna eat, so nothing is wasted as severely as in the main diner.” She knows not everyone is happy with the offerings they make, but the idea is “to grab one when you’re in a hurry. We can change it everyday, you’re always gonna have someone that’s not happy.”

There is not a lot of critique on the white paper bags, mainly due to the students’ individual choice. Junior Kyle Bubb indicates, “I wouldn’t miss anything at the cafe. Even though there is less variety, I know what I’m getting.” He admits one would get more out of the main meal, but some people just do not have time. “Schedules are pretty busy for a lot of people,” Bubb said. After talking to some more students, it became clear they like what they have. But they would not mind improvements. Bubb thinks one should be able to purchase portion amounts, and then equivalently would get charged more or less. With the numbers of customers staying consistent, one will see if and how improvements can be implemented. Nonetheless, the “whites” are indeed popular, and signify a hint for extension to campus food services.

The Collegian Reporter you are reading,

and hopefully enjoying, is a publication of the Department of Mass Communication. It features stories written by students in The CR Practicum, COMM 208 Fundamentals of Journalism, and COMM 300 Feature Writing. Hope you will like its new design and identity, let us know what you think about it! The newspaper will appear from time to time, but you can always find campus news and sports at The Collegian Reporter’s website: wordpress.morningside.edu/TheCR

Marathon reading project to connect Wizarding and Muggle worlds By Michelle Kuester STAFF WRITER

he English department will be hosting a marathon reading and service project on Thursday, November 18, to raise money for literacy. From 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., reading of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will take place at the Alumni House, and at 7:00 p.m. the group will move to Buck’s to continue reading until 11:00 p.m. Participants can come and go as they please. Once the reading of the book is finished, the group will go to the midnight showing of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.” Costumes are encouraged at this free event. There will also be Harry Potter themed snacks and decorations. People of all ages are welcome to come and enjoy the final installment of the Harry Potter series. This event will also be raising money for literacy at the Mary Treglia House and at Girls, Inc. According to English Department Chair Marty Knepper, “It made sense to have a service project connected to it because Harry saved the Wizarding and Muggle worlds, so please contribute to these two great causes.”

Knepper was inspired to have a Harry Potter day coinciding with the seventh movie because a couple years ago she taught a C & C class about Harry Potter. In that class, she and a couple other students discussed how the writers of the Harry Potter movies would end the series. Now that those students are older, they are coming together to help plan this event. Knepper went on to say, “It’s going to be a lot of fun and everyone is invited.”

STAFF WRITERS

Jen Allen Abby Bull Nick Buth Miranda Christian Dan Corey Michelle Delaney Gustav Hollnagel Michelle Kuester Alison Kusler Jordan Ogren Miriam Pfahler Shelby Powell Kylie Tirado Corinne Youngberg Ross Wilcox THE COLLEGIAN REPORTER MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE 1501 MORNINGSIDE AVE. SIOUX CITY, IA 51106–1756 Wordpress.morningside.edu/TheCR

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SPORTS

THE COLLEGIAN REPORTER

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Intramurals: Winners got game and a cool champion’s T-shirt By Nick Buth STAFF WRITER

hen students are looking for something to do at Morningside, they have many options. Student groups, MAC events, and sports events are just a few of these options. But one of the most popular pastimes on campus is Morningside’s intramural sports program. This fall, the program is offering flag football, kickball, coed volleyball, and women’s 3–on–3 basketball. The spring looks to bring men’s 3–on–3 basketball, coed 5–on–5 basketball, dodgeball, coed volleyball, and a sports week with different events. Intramurals coordinator Jill Bodammer expects 950 participants in the fall and spring seasons of intramurals, though some of those will be repeats as many students participate in more than one sport. “Intramurals give me a break to get away from homework for the night. I get to spend time with my friends and get a little physical activity in,” said senior Kate Nelson Nelson was part of the team that won last fall’s kickball tournament. “It was fun to have a sport that was different from the other ones we usually play. It was also a lot of fun to win after playing through a game that went into several extra innings.”

Coach Jamie Sale makes a point during a timeout against Iowa Wesleyan. (Nick Buth photo)

Women begin season ranked no. 5

Mary Horton serves during volleyball competition. (Nick Buth photo) “I like that it’s fun and you was. get to play sports in not such Over the course of her five a competitive manner,” stated years as coordinator, Bodamsenior Krystina Brickley. “I also mer has gotten to interact with like that it’s a chance to continue hundreds of students. “I like it to play multiple sports througha lot,” said Bodammer. “I enjoy out college.” getting to know my workers and “I think I like the level of the kids that participate in the competition the best,” stated sports.” senior Cody Whitlock, illustrat The intramural program ing the difference in how some of employs 26 student workers as the teams are made up. “Everyofficials, along with a couple stuone wants to win, but they are dent coordinators that run the there to have fun, too.” program if Bodammer cannot be Junior Megan Peters said, “I at a night’s events. Steve Mohs is like being able to have fun and also helping out this year. letting out a little stress from Kristin Hendrix, a senior, has classes,” when asked what her been helping with intramurals favorite thing about intramurals since she was a freshman. Asked what her favorite thing about intramurals is, Hendrix said, “One would be seeing and interacting with a lot more people than I probably would on a regular basis without intramurals, and another would be actually watching the games myself. You can see a person’s character when they’re having fun playing a game with little to no pressure. Some may accidentally make a mistake and laugh it off and have a lot of fun with the game and with the intramural workers, while some may not think so positive about things. But usually when they’re done with the game they loosen up.” Hendrix then added, “But its mostly all in good fun.” What do the students get for surviving the sometimes long seasons, and coming out on top? The prize that may be better than any trophy: a Morningside Intramurals Championship T– shirt. “We’d love to see you all come out and participate in intramurals,” said Bodammer. “It doesn’t matter if you’re not the most athletic person, everyone seems to have a lot of fun.” Bailey Bichel kicks for the bleachers. (Nick Buth photo)

Athlete of the week Daniel Whithorn M

orningside College has many students who contribute to the success of the athletic department. Daniel Whithorn is just one of these many athletes. Whithorn, 21, is a junior playing his third year of soccer for the Mustangs. He grew up playing soccer in Omaha. His parents and his sister were a big part of why he started playing. Whithorn explained, “When I was little I would do anything my sister said. She’d play soccer and so I’d have to play soccer.” He started playing goal keeper around the age of ten and now, ten years later, he is sticking with his position. He played soccer throughout high school, getting honorable mention for All–State in 2007 and then making All–State in 2008. Finding a college was tricky because he did not have a lot of options in the DI Division like the Big 10 or Big 12. Whithorn said, “There are not a lot of big men’s soccer programs around here. Most of the Big 10 and Big 12 schools don’t have it.” Whithorn added that “about 90 percent” of his recruiting process was for soccer. He knew and liked the coach, Tom Maxon, here at Morningside. He wanted to go to a school about two hours away and he felt like everything just fell into place. Soccer is not the only thing that Daniel likes about Morningside. He is a history major with a political science minor. It’s the history program and department, which playa a big role in his life at Morningside. He has soccer practice almost every day for an hour and a half. This takes up a bunch of his time but he still manages to balance work, school, an internship, intramurals, and social time.

By Corinne Youngberg STAFF WRITER

Year: Junior Age: 21 Sport: Soccer Major: History

Alfredson, who might a 8 • Continued from be page matchup problem for opponents with her height at guard, has averaged six points through three games this season. Morningside will try and establish a post presence with 6–1 senior Emily Christen. Christen, a former volleyball player for the Mustangs, now turns her attention to the basketball court. Morningside will look to a handful of sophomores to make major contributions to the team. Shelby Beaudette got a lot of minutes as a freshman and already has made a presence from the 3 point arc early this season. Other sophomore guards are Bobbi McManaman, Lindsay Determan, and Randi Ebert. All could see big minutes this year

for Morningside. Morningside, number five in the NAIA preseason polls, is only second in the GPAC preseason polls only to number one ranked Northwestern. They have already knocked off two top 15 teams thus far.

Guard Kevin Zoz. (Nick Buth photo)

Men’s team has high expectations • Continued from page 8

FEATURES

Thursday, November 11, 2010

THE COLLEGIAN REPORTER

Alex Watters: Optimism, happiness help Morningside alum cope By Jordan Ogren STAFF WRITER

he importance of happiness in life and his life story were the subjects of Alex Watters’ presentation to this year’s freshmen class September 23. Watters came to Eppley Auditorium to talk to the freshmen about the importance of finding happiness and of coping with setbacks in life. In attendance was the entire freshmen class, along with a number of other students, faculty, and Sioux City residents. “I thought he was pretty good. He was pretty funny which made him much easier to listen to,” said freshmen Jeremy Gardner. The main focus of Watters’ presentation was about an accident in his past, leaving him paralyzed from about chest level down, and how he has coped with his life changing dramatically by learning to find happiness. “I feel that the presentation went well. I didn’t feel as if I choked, or stumbled through any of my points — so that’s a plus! But other than that I guess I feel that I’m the wrong person to ask about my presentation. I can feel that my presentation was amazing, but if the audience can’t relate, or if I wasn’t able to accurately deliver my message to the freshman class, then I would feel disappointed,” Watters’ said. Luckily for Alex, he has noth-

ing to feel disappointed about. The buzz around campus following his speech was positive. “It was a motivational speech that inspired me to look on the optimistic side of life,” said fellow student Amber Winther. Alex’s speech included an in–depth description of his accident, gritty details and all. Watters was injured on the night of September 11, 2004, while night swimming with friends. He dove head first into Lake Okoboji unaware of the depth of that area of the lake. It turned out to be a mere 18–inches deep, snapping his neck on impact. Watters was flown by helicopter back to Sioux City for treatment, and later decided to rehab at a specialty hospital in Denver, Colorado. At the time of his accident, Alex was only 18 years old.

Happiness and independence Watters included in his speech his gratitude towards his family and friends for all of their help during his time in rehab. “My parents’ ability to be with me through rehab helped give me great support and reassurance that I was going to be okay. As for the recovery process, they were always right there next to me supporting my dreams and any ambitions that I took on. They have never tried to hold me back and have always urged me to never let my disability hold me back, and for that I’m grateful,” Watters said

Prof. Leslie Werden attaches Alex Watters’ microphone before his presentation to the freshmen. (Contributed photo) After his rehab, Alex returned to Morningside College dedicated to continuing his education. Along the way, he developed countless relationships. One relationship in particular, with Dr. Leslie Werden of the Dept. of Writing and Rhetoric, is still very strong. Asked about her first impression of Alex, Dr. Werden said, “Well, I had seen

him on campus and obviously he was the only student in a wheelchair tooling around campus and I was always curious about what had happened to him. My first impression of him when he got into a public speaking course was, ‘Wow this is a really confident guy in a wheelchair.’” Dr. Werden was initially responsible for setting up the

‘There will never be enough sleep in the world’ Despite health risks, students learn to be productive with less sleep By Shelby Powell STAFF WRITER

t is a widely held belief that students never seem to get enough sleep. On the campus of Morningside College, that belief has now become a working theory. It’s a rarity to find any student that gets over seven hours of sleep a night. Katie Matasovsky, a sophomore nursing student, gets an average of six hours a night. The soft–spoken brunette spends many afternoons on the small couch in her dorm room, swathed in a multi–colored blanket. She is candid about her lack of sleep and goes into detail about the negative effect that it has on her during the day. Often she finds herself becoming the most productive at night when conventional wisdom says she should be sleeping. “I don’t get as much reading done during the day so I have to do it during the night when I’m more awake again.” Samantha McCarville is a junior double major in history and international affairs with a minor in Spanish and a cluster

in economics that keeps her plate filled with homework. “I used to sleep eight or nine hours a night but then I stopped because I don’t have time for sleep.” McCarville gets, on average, five to six hours of sleep a night. A freshman student, Cameron Pederson, says he averages seven hours of sleep a night. “That’s a good day.” He says with a wry smile. Many students talk openly about the negative effect that lack of sleep has on their health. Matasovsky and McCarville talk about a dependence on caffeinated beverages. “If I don’t get caffeine I get jittery.” Matasovsky said that she often falls asleep during afternoons. “I usually have this time in the day where I crash.” Cameron Pederson agreed. The freshman admitted to falling asleep in class “every once in a while.” WebMD, a popular medical advice website, goes into detail about the short and long term effects of sleep deprivation. In the short term, a person can expect a decrease in performance, impairment

of memory and cognitive ability, and an increased risk for injury due to lack of sleep. In the long term, one could experience high blood pressure, chance of heart attack, stroke, obesity, etc. With such extreme side effects, it’s a wonder that more isn’t being done to protect students from sleep deprivation. Students and faculty alike have many options at their disposal. Students can simply work on going to sleep earlier. Faculty could start classes later or lessen the amount of homework that students are given. Either way, lack of sleep has become an epidemic on the Morningside College campus. With so many students admitting to losing sleep and having ailing health because of it, the question remains. What can be done? Simply put, students can start trying to go to bed earlier. Maybe the answer lies in lessening the amount of homework given to students. Either way, lack of sleep has become an epidemic on the Morningside College campus.

Tough job market requires grads to be flexible By Jen Allen STAFF WRITER

or college seniors the future is much closer than it has ever been. Looming on the horizon is the ultimate question: What will I do after I graduate? For most the answer is get a job. But what if they can’t find a job after graduation? According to two recent surveys by CareerBuilder and Monster, less than half of all employers plan to hire recent college grads to full–time positions. So the question becomes: What do I do after I graduate if I can’t find a job? For Rachel Miller, recent 2010 Morningside graduate, the answer is simply, “Keep looking for a job until I find one.” Rachel graduated in May with a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary English Education. She made herself flexible to prospective hires, and applied all over the states of Iowa and Nebraska for teaching positions. “If that fails, then I will begin applying in South Dakota and Minnesota, and slowly work my way out from Iowa until I find something.” Rachel said. According to an article on CollegeGrad.com, that is sound advice. Sometimes looking for employment can be a “full–time job” in itself, but the harder you work at it the bet-

ter your chances are. For some recent graduates the endless job search is daunting. Kris Strum is one such recent grad. Instead of scouring the country for full– time work Kris chose to join AmeriCorps Vista, a national service program designed specifically to fight poverty. Founded as Volunteers in Service to America in 1965 and incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs in 1993, VISTA has been on the front lines in the fight against poverty in America for more than 40 years. Kris decided that her time would be better spent helping less fortunate people than herself while she waits for the job market to get better. “I have been to California, Seattle, and New Orleans and helped people less fortunate than myself for over a year now. When my service with AmeriCorps was up I decided to do another year of service. I will find a job someday.” Kris said. That is just one of the many options for college grads struggling to find work. So what does all this mean for current college seniors? The job market hasn’t improved much and soon millions more grads will flood the job market. Shea Hartmann–Hodges, a current Morningside senior, isn’t worried about the job market. “I have done as much

as I can to make myself marketable to prospective employers, but if I can’t find a job with my degree after college, I will take whatever job I can get.” Shea said. This is also good advice to current seniors. You may not be able to find a job with your degree, but a job is a job and it helps to pay the bills. All in all the future is ap-

proaching faster than most seniors are ready for, and the job prospects may not look so good right now, but there are a lot of options. Just keep your eyes and ears open and be willing to do a job you didn’t initially plan on doing. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the future you plan to have.

Meet a Major: Stephen Campbell, Business By Michelle Kuester STAFF WRITER

tephen Campbell is not the average business major at Morningside College. He is an exchange student originally from Ireland, and he says that this difference in his background makes him more marketable as he is more diverse than the average person. Campbell enjoys law and even practices it in the United Kingdom, and he hopes a business degree will help him to open up his own law firm. Law and business are in the family for Campbell as his brother is a

lawyer as well. Campbell’s favorite class is International Business, and he says that he enjoys the antics of his professor Dr. Johnson, or Dr. J as he called him. “I want to run my own business someday. A law firm, actually,” said Campbell, when asked what his biggest goal in relation to business was. In his free time, Campbell enjoys socializing with friends, playing soccer, and playing Gaelic football.

presentation in Eppley with Watters, who was more than happy to tell his story. “I am grateful for an opportunity to be able to educate individuals about my situation and paralysis in general,” said Watters. Alex is currently attending Creighton University in Omaha.

Tanning tax has little impact on exposure to salons’ rays By Miranda Christian STAFF WRITER

he popularity of indoor tanning continues to grow rapidly in the United States. About one million people will tan every day. Many people argue that tanning is dangerous, while others seem to ignore these dangers. Almost 70 percent of those who go tanning are Caucasian women from 16 to 29 years old. Ashley McConnell was not surprised by this, “Girls want to look tan. I know I like to look good and being tan helps me with that.” Morningside has a tanning salon ten minutes away from campus. “I like that it is so close, because it doesn’t take very long to get there, tan, and come back,” said McConnell. One of the dangers of tanning, however, is the connection to skin cancer. The UV light in tanning beds can also cause skin aging and eye damage. Stasia Ott commented, “Tanning costs so much money, and I don’t want to ruin my skin and have wrinkles is the future.” Although tanning can be dangerous, there are some positives. A local tanning store owner said, “I get a lot of younger woman who are still in their teens go tanning to help with acne. Also, in the winter people get depressed when the sun is gone, and they go tanning to cure their depression.” President Barack Obama recently put a ten percent tax on tanning. The tanning store owner said she was a little worried the tax would affect her business, but so far there had been no impact. McConnell said, “I know that tanning is expensive, so I save up all summer and have the money to spend in the winter. I have to tan, and the ten percent tax pissed me off, but it doesn’t make me want to stop.” The year of 2010 is estimated to bring $2.6 billion in revenue. “I am not surprised by this number. When you have TV shows like the Jersey Shore and their GTL., I think it influences people to go tanning in order to look good,” said Ott. The tanning store owner added, “The tanning beds are not the only option, we also have spray tanning that has no health effects.” McConnell says she is worried about the long term effects of tanning, but right now she is still young and can’t worry about the future too much. The warnings about tanning are out there, now it’s a matter of people listening to them.

FEATURE THE COLLEGIAN REPORTER

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Writing tutor finds a place to call her own By Michelle Delaney STAFF WRITER

arah Garelik is sitting back in her comfortable chair behind her brand new desk. She has bookshelves filled with literature and grammar books. She even has pictures and mementos scattered around the office.

For over a year, Garelik didn’t have such luxuries. She worked in the Academic Support Services Center (ASSC) without a desk to call her own. When she worked with students on their writing, it was in the open and subject to the noise level of the library. The library received a face lift over the past summer in the writing center. Now it has a Dept. of Writing and Rhetoric and offices for the returning and new faculty.

Bruce Forbes: Morningside legend By Miriam Pfahler STAFF WRITER

alking into the Religious Studies Department in Charles City you may notice a small office crammed with books, papers, campaign buttons, diplomas, and knick– knacks from travels, all covered in a thin layer of dust. In the midst of this orderly chaos you’ll spot a balding head peeking out of a small clearing just big enough for a desk. Bruce Forbes’ office depicts a lifetime of colorful experiences and accomplishments. Ask any student on campus if they know Bruce and they will most likely reply with an enthusiastic “Yeah!” Bruce is a legend on campus and if you manage to slide through your four years here without hearing his name, you most likely never left your tiny dorm cell. Asked what she knew of Bruce before she had ever met him, Elizabeth Hamer replies, “I’d always heard that he was a fun teacher and that his classes were interesting.” Forbes was born in Michigan and moved to Mitchell, South Dakota, in the first grade. He remained in Mitchell through high school and had to make a decision that –– as cliché as it sounds –– would define the majority of his adult life. Bruce decided to leave the corn–crazy town of Mitchell (for those of you schmucks that don’t know—the home of the world’s only palace made of corn) for the corn–fed state of Iowa, settling down in Sioux City to attend Morningside College.

Morningside student It may come as a surprise that this wasn’t some divine decision based on gut feelings or complicated Pro/Con lists. Like many other students, Forbes’ decision was mainly about the money. “I’m really glad I came to Morningside and I love it, but part of the reason I went to any school was because they gave me really good scholarships,” Forbes admits. While at Morningside, Forbes double–majored in Religious Studies and Philosophy with a minor in French. After receiving his BA, he left Iowa and attended seminary at Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, Texas, acquiring his Master of Theology. He then went straight on to get his doctorate at Princeton Theological Seminary, just a block from Princeton University. Three years later he moved to the Twin Cities for a year to finish his dissertation, and stayed in the area for one year to teach part–time at Macalester College. In 1978 Forbes picked up and moved back to Sioux City to teach part–time and work as the

campus minister. The minister gig only lasted about a year, after which he became a fulltime faculty member at Morningside. “I liked doing both things –– half and half –– but it was more like 90 percent and 90 percent,” says Forbes. “It doesn’t add up. I’d rather do one thing well than two things half well.” Forbes has been at Morningside ever since. And maybe if you have had a class or two with him or walked by him on campus you may think that he’s just the little balding guy in the Religion Department that lives a modest life in a city and an institution where he has spent years carving out a name for himself. You would be wrong. Nationally recognized Forbes is a nationally recognized educator, preacher, and writer. The list of his books, essays, reviews, and contributions to textbooks alone is more than a page and a half long. He has also won every teaching award that the college offers (literally), been honored with numerous awards, and preached at countless events. That leads a person to wonder, “Why Morningside?” “I have a reputation that’s national enough that I probably could have moved some other places,” Forbes admits. “But I like it here.” In 32 years, plus his time as an undergraduate, Forbes has come to know Morningside well. He has seen significant changes. Presidents, faculty, and administration have come and gone. And still Bruce remains here, at a small college in the sleepy center of the Midwest, with a passion for teaching and an unfailing pride in the students and faculty of Morningside. “I think, in general, this is a very humane place where people matter,” says Forbes, reflecting upon his passion for the college. “I like the faculty and the way they relate to each other. I like that we have a long tradition of how students and faculty relate to each other. I prize that. I wouldn’t give it up.” Forbes also likes the liberal arts atmosphere at Morningside as well as the allowance for him to teach general classes, which include the often–dreaded (by faculty and upperclassmen alike) freshmen. “In the introductory level course I get to see light bulbs go on all the time,” Forbes says, lighting up with a grin. “It’s so fun.” Before retiring So what’s left to do when you’ve lived a seemingly full life? “I should be thinking about retirement,” he says with a chuckle, “but I don’t like to think of myself as that old.” And before he admits to “old

age” he has a couple of things left on the “To–Do” list. He wants to take one more sabbatical and write one more book, most likely about holidays. And on the day that gives into retirement? He’ll most likely end up in the Twin Cities, where he has another home. “There is something appealing to thinking I could be busy according to my own schedule, not some institution’s schedule—that it’s not because of midterms that my life goes crazy.” But no matter where he ends up he knows that he will always remain involved with the Morningside community. And the dedication and passion he proudly wears on his sleeve for this school sparks the passion of those around him. “He is one of the most respectable teachers I know. He’s more than a teacher, he’s a friend,” Krystal Shearer, a student and student secretary in his office, gushes. “He sponsored me in ODK by paying my dues. He’s an all–around amazing human being.” So for now, Bruce’s office keeps collecting papers and memorabilia. And the occasional dust bunny.

What many people do not know about Garelik is this is not her only job. She also teaches at Western Iowa Tech Community College and the University of South Dakota.

She received her B.A. and M.A. from the University of South Dakota. Her main focus during school was British literature, but she proofreads papers over any subject matter and teaches composition and introduction to literature classes right now. Garelik explains, “I am planning on getting my PhD in literature and going on to teach literature. Since we do so much teaching about literature they [literature and composition] overlap pretty nicely.”

The meaning of teaching She has learned through the years, just how meaningful it is to have a teacher who cares for her students. Garelik recalls, “I had a small class of about eight students one year and we got to become a pretty close class. There was one girl who just didn’t seem to care as much. She was a foreign exchange student and never wanted to participate. I always thought she didn’t like me as a teacher. Then one day a fellow professor and I were talking about this student. Apparently she would always talk about how much she loved my class. That was when I realized I have a bigger impact on students then I could ever know.”

Ever since hearing that story, she tries to never underestimate her students. Even though they may not jump into the discussion, that doesn’t mean they aren’t enjoying the class. Garelik credits most of her teaching style to things she learned in grad school practicums.

“I’ve tried to sort of mimic what people in school would. They would talk about reflection and student responses,” said Garelik.

She also has found an important part of teaching is getting student feedback. At least once during the semester she has students write what they like, don’t like, or would like to change about the class. Mallory Jensen, a former student of Garelik’s, said, “Sara always made class fun. She would listen to what we wanted out of class and would try to incorporate it. Even though I’m not a fan of English classes, I was surprised with how much I learned from her.” The writing process Garelik believes that everyone has the potential to be a good writer. She feels that sometimes people forget to apply what they know to writing. This is why her classes always write drafts on their papers and do peer reviews.

Throughout the writing process and the numerous drafts her students go through, Garelik will always give feedback. While she knows it is her job to point out the aspects that need work, she feels it is important to praise the positive too. “I’ve found that giving positives along with negatives works a lot better for students with their confidence and their willingness to make changes to the paper.”

Another aspect she stresses in her classes is having background information to support claims. “If you do research, it’s like standing on the shoulders of giants. You can use that to boost your own argument.” With all of her experience at teaching composition and literature classes, Garelik finds working in the writing center is second nature. She strives at

Friends with fur: Bonds with pets produce many health benefits

By Miriam Pfahler STAFF WRITER

ordon sits back patiently, allowing my father to wipe an emerging trail of drool from his face. Gordon is the newest addition to my family. It should also be said that Gordon is an English Setter. Scenes like this may be familiar to many who own or have owned pets. It’s hard to deny that pets become alternate family members. “It was a sister–brother relationship,” says Katie Bigerstaff, remembering the bond she had with her dog. “He knew when I was upset.” Many now agree that these bonds have definite benefits. The Center for Disease Control touts that people with pets tend to have lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Having a pet also increases your chances of getting outside, exercising, and socializing. Karen Mohring has seen this firsthand. Mohring is the Pet Therapy Liaison for Pet Facilitated Therapy at the Siouxland Humane Society. She oversees all of the therapy pets that go out into Siouxland organizations. Mohring’s group of volunteers

goes out into the community with animals from the Humane Society. At nursing homes they take the animals around to rooms, allowing the patients to pet the animals or hold them. Mohring

recalls one staff member commenting on how talkative one normally quiet resident had become with the dog in his lap. “Pets are non–judgmental,” says Mohring. “It’s calming.” Being around the animals is also nostalgic for some residents. “A lot of them had pets when they were younger,” says Mohring. “It brings back memories for them, which really can help them with their memory.”

But the elderly aren’t the only people benefiting from the pet facilitated therapy. Volunteers also bring the animals to preschools. While most of the visits are built upon educating children about how to approach and treat animals, they also visit special needs classrooms. Mohring has seen children in those classrooms open up with the animals in ways that they normally couldn’t. “Some of the kids have Autism, so they can’t really communicate” says Mohring. “Sometimes they talk more to the animals than they do with humans.” And, as if that wasn’t good enough, even the animals get something out of the experience. Because most of the animals used in therapy are in need of a home, they often find people willing to adopt them out on visits.

So, while I saw my father’s gesture of wiping drool from the face of a dog that could probably care less as embarrassing, silly, and unnecessary, it was really the reciprocation of love from one being to another. Because, as Mohring says, “A dog will love you forever.”

FEATURE

Thursday, November 11, 2010

THE COLLEGIAN REPORTER

Roommate relationships can define the college experience By Alison Kusler STAFF WRITER

ealing with college roommates can definitely make or break a college experience. Around campus, you hear lots of stories about roommate situations, both good and bad. And we all have our own stories to tell of previous or current roommates. From hearing these stories most people can conclude that most pairs of roommates fall into three categories: Best Friends, Polar Opposites, and The Loners. It is easy to spot the “Best Friends” around campus. These are the pairs that you see always together, and rarely apart. They eat lunch together, they go to workout together, sometimes play sports together, and you know it’s bad when they text each other whenever they aren’t together. These are the kids that got the luck of the draw. Sophomore Allison Jansen has this to say about her roommate, who was randomly selected for her by Morningside’s Res Life Staff: “I couldn’t have picked a better roommate myself. We get along so well and we have a lot of the same interests.” Her roommate, Lindsey Jacobus, agrees: “Allison and I get along as if we had been living together our whole lives.” “Polar Opposites,” the polar opposite of Best Friends, is the next category. These are harder to spot around campus because you will NEVER see them together. This type of roommate relationship is heard, but never seen. These opposite pairs are the typical horror stories that you hear about when you’re waiting for your roommate assignment from college that

makes you nervous. One freshman didn’t have the same experience as Allison Jansen when it came to his roommate situation. “My roommates and I have absolutely nothing in common, we never see each other outside of our room, nor do we want to. I might

roommates. If roommates don’t fall into one of the first two categories, most times you will see that they aren’t best friends, but they aren’t enemies either. These roommates live together, yet separately. The have different groups of friends and usually participate in different activities.

like on paper. There is only so much you can determine about a person by having them answer five or six questions about their preferences. And while normally Morningside does a pretty good job of selecting roommates, it seems like the paper questionnaire is somewhat out of date.

McKenzie Reese, Steph Wibben, and Tabitha Shepherd share a laugh. (Nick Buth photo) relocate because of how much we don’t get along,” he explained Morningside does offer students a chance to relocate if there is an issue with roommates. Although the process may be long and somewhat frustrating, many students think it’s worth it to move our of a bad roommate situation. Now that we’ve covered the extremes, its time to talk about in between when it comes to

A freshman basketball player, Derek Appley, feels this way about his roommate. “I have no problems with my roommate. We don’t hang out, but we don’t hate each other either. I probably wouldn’t have picked him to be my roommate, but I don’t mind that he is,” Apppley said. Morningside’s Res Life isn’t always to blame for the messy roommate pairs. Many times it’s hard to tell what a person is

Assistant Director of Residence life Sheri Hineman said they have been using the questionnaire system for about 10 years now, but each year it is improved. “We have made changes and improvements over the years to help better match roommates.” Morningside uses other factors besides the questionnaires to pair roommates, though. “We take into account

distance and home town. We try to put people from further away with people who are closer to Sioux City. The benefits to this are that the student from a distance may be able to go home with the roommate for a night or a weekend and perhaps be accepted into a family away from home”, says Hineman. Other colleges are now utilizing the new technologies of the Internet and leaving it up to their own students to pick their roommates. The University of Northern Iowa has a program called Panther Picks. Panther Picks is designed to help incoming students “pick someone with whom they can live comfortably in the year ahead.” Each student that participates in Panther Picks creates a profile by answering a series of questions about themselves. The profile then allows you to search other profiles with similar responses to yours. Then you’re able to pick your own roommate for the year ahead of you. If Morningside adopted a system, like Panther Picks, it would add to the appeal for potential students and might ease the nerves of the incoming freshman. It also brings them closer to the level that the state schools are on. Also, it is hard to blame Morningside for a bad roommate when the student is the one who picked them.

The big brother

Older son requires a lifetime of commitment

By Ross Wilcox STAFF WRITER

ndy Milian’s wheelchair is the biggest I’ve ever seen. It’s almost more of a mobile bed than a mobile chair. His posture is contorted, a permanent condition as a result of his cerebral palsy. His mother, Lilly, crouches down to his level, puts her face close to his, and says, “Hey, big guy.” Andy turns his head slightly to the right, so that his cheek lays flat against the cushion behind his buzzed head. For someone not accustomed to Andy’s mannerisms, any response he makes could be either misconstrued or go undetected. Lilly says, “Hey, big guy.” She smiles at her son and shakes his arm. Andy makes a gurgling noise. His eyes look like they’re rolled back in his head. Lilly shakes his arm again and he gurgles. She says this noise is compatible with a laugh. Lilly’s other children, Bianca, 11, and Marco, 8, are also standing over their big brother. Bianca, a spitting-image of her mother with olive skin, black hair, and coffee-brown eyes, smiles at her brother and says, “Hi, Andy.” Marco is more standoffish. His arms rest behind his back, one of his palms gripping the forearm of his other arm. Lilly says Marco fully understands Andy’s condition, recognizes that Andy is different from other children in several fundamental ways. But she also says Marco has trouble interacting with his brother. “I don’t like doing baby-talk,” Marco says. “Andy’s twelve.” Lilly smiles at me uncomfortably. Then she turns to Marco. “It’s not babytalk, son,” she says. “It’s just the way we have to talk with your brother.” Marco crosses his arms. None of his friends have ever met Andy, and as far as he knows, none of them have a big brother like Andy. “It’s weird because you can’t really talk to him,” Marco says.

Andy can’t talk Andy can’t talk. He has hypotonic cerebral palsy, the most severe and restricting kind of CP. He can only move his mouth, his eyes, and in very limited capacities, his neck and torso. His IQ is below 20. The crazy thing is, though three weeks premature, Andy was born seemingly healthy. For the first eighteen months of his life, he was a completely healthy baby boy. Lilly had no idea that the relationship she had to her first-born would change so drastically in a matter of

months. “At first, it was wonderful,” Lilly recalls. “He was so cute. He was so full of energy.” But then, Andy started getting sick. And he lost control of his limbs. His tiny arms and legs would spasm violently, Lilly recalls. “Then all of a sudden he couldn’t crawl or move hardly at all,” Lilly says. “We took him to the doctor and they ran tests and discovered he had cerebral palsy.”

“I guess my relationship to him is one of service. I just want to do everything I can to make Andy’s life the best it can be.”

Sadly, Andy’s cerebral palsy was a combination of being born three weeks prematurely and trauma suffered at birth. “The doctors screwed up,” Lilly said. “When he was born, they said he had suffered some trauma, but they said he would be fine.” Obviously, they were wrong. After eighteen months of life, Andy’s development would never become fully realized.

Diagnosis “It was the worst time of my life,” Lilly says of those first weeks and months following Andy’s diagnosis. “I was so angry and I cried at some point every single day for almost a year. I just couldn’t accept that my son could never be like other children. I resented doctors for a long time.” Lilly and her then-husband Ernesto filed a lawsuit against the doctors who delivered Andy and won. Andy would receive all the free treatment he needed. An in-home nurse for Andy would be provided free of charge. The Milians even received a full-sized van complete with an electronic wheelchair ramp for transporting Andy. “It’s been a blessing to have the care Andy needs,” Lilly says. “I love my son so much, and he is so important to me, and I know without winning that lawsuit I would never have been able to afford the level of care Andy needs.” I ask Lilly a hypothetical question. “What would your relationship be like with Andy had you not have won the lawsuit?” The question catches Lilly off guard. Her eyebrows furrow, and a stern expression of thought spreads over her face.

“I don’t know,” she says. “It would be much more difficult.” Lilly pauses, then says, “To be completely honest, the help we get makes my relationship with my son easier. It enables me to be a mother to him and still have my own life.” “How is your relationship to Andy different from your relationship to your other children?” I ask Lilly. Lilly smiles and sighs. “Well,” she says, “the easy answer is that Andy requires more attention than Bianca or Marco. But to go a little deeper, I guess the main difference is that my relationship with Andy is on a very basic level. Because of his disability, his understanding of things beyond his immediate needs and surroundings is very limited. I’ll never talk to him about what he wants to do with his life, what career he’ll pursue. I’ll never talk to him about the birds and the bees.” There is only a trace of sadness in Lilly’s eyes. Today, the often sad truth of her son’s future does not overwhelm her. Still, Andy’s condition is a hard situation for his mother to accept. Opportunity “Bianca and Marco can grow up to be anything they want,” Lilly says. “They are both smart and have the potential to do anything. Andy doesn’t have that opportunity. I guess my relationship to him is one of service. I just want to do everything I can to make Andy’s life the best it can be, whatever that might be.” Today, Lilly is a 37-year-old single mother of three children. She divorced her husband a little over a year ago. “With my ex-husband gone, Andy is the man of the house,” Lilly jokes. She is currently unemployed because she is attending Western Iowa Tech fulltime. She is pursuing psychology with the hopes of becoming a therapist someday. “It’s really hard trying to balance it all out,” Lilly says. “I want to do really well in school, and that requires a lot of time, but my children are the most important thing in my life.” Bianca smiles at this. He’s my brother Bianca is 11 and is currently in sixth grade. She excels academically and has always gotten A’s. One of her main interests is in music, and she plays the trombone in band. I asked her what it was like to have Andy as a brother. “It’s okay,” she says, not sure how to take my question. “Do you love him?” I ask her. “Yeah,” she says, nodding her head.

“He’s my brother.” Bianca glances at her brother Andy. He appears to be asleep. “Do you help take care of him?” I ask Bianca. “Yeah,” she says. “I talk to him and play with him and help with feeding him and stuff.” “Do your friends know about Andy?” I ask her. “Kind of,” she says. “Only two of my friends have ever met Andy in person. But my friend Jessica knows Andy really well.” I want to ask Bianca what it means to know Andy really well, but I don’t. Instead, I listen to Lilly talk about Andy’s future.

Andy’s future “I don’t know how long he’ll live,” Lilly says. “The doctors didn’t think he’d live as long as he has. There were several times when he was a baby where we thought we’d lose him. But he’s made it this long.” “We just don’t know how long he has,” Lilly goes on. “It could be really soon. It could be years from now. But however long it is, he’s being taken care of and I’m doing the best I can to make him feel loved.” Marco has run off to his room to play video games. Lilly and Bianca remain by Andy’s side, quietly watching him sleep. I take a few steps forward and join them. Standing this close, I can hear Andy snoring softly. “Can he dream?” I ask Lilly. “I don’t know,” she says. She puts her arm around her daughter. Bianca gratefully accepts it and leans her head against her mother’s side. I look at Lilly. “This is it,” Lilly says. “This is my life. It’s who I am.

NEWS

THE COLLEGIAN REPORTER

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Community benefits from student volunteerism Students assist 39 organizations during the fourth annual Into The Streets

By Corinne Youngberg STAFF WRITER

senior co–presidents of Into the Streets, Miriam Pfahler and Kylie Helmink, to enlist the help of all the members of ODK. All the members pitched in to make the event

happen this year. Pfahler said, “This program spans across all of campus and allows everyone to get together and volunteer.”

Clockwise from above: Breanna Mathes paints at Goodwill; Katy Rasmussen “walks” a dog at the Humane Society; Miriam Pfahler keeps the event running. Into the Streets is hosted by Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) which is the National leadership honor society on campus. Students from all over campus come together to form this group. Bruce Forbes, faculty advisor for ODK, observed, “ODK has members from all these different organizations on campus and it was natural for them to head up this event.” The last few years Into the Streets was in the spring, but because of circumstances it had to be changed to the fall. This left

Good Boss/Bad Boss

Communication is just the start of a good working relationship

By Michelle Delaney STAFF WRITER

ust one week shy of starting her new job, Allison was already being told she needed to be talked to. Her brain automatically jumped to the worst of conclusions. Will I get fired? How will I pay rent? How will I feed my children? Most people encounter this fear when they start a new job. In the first few weeks of a new job, minor mistakes seem like catastrophes. It is during these situations that a good boss/ employee relationship is key. In the past Allison had to deal with bosses that didn’t always fit the “good boss” mold. “I’ve been yelled at by previous bosses for something I didn’t do. All they had to do was ask some questions and they would have known it wasn’t me,” recalls Allison Dubord, a teller at Central Bank. A poor boss/employee relationship produces tension and unhappiness. Rheanna Jenness has been a boss at Central Bank for over four years and she talks about some of the ways to relate to employees and have a fun work atmosphere. “I’m the boss of six women. There are times when things can get a little catty. Through experience I’ve learned, to be a good boss, I need to hear both sides of the story and any outside input, too.” Jenness also explains just how detail oriented working at a bank is. With having to report to the fed, everything needs to be done in a certain way. If one thing is entered wrong, everything gets messed up. “This is why I feel that training is an important

aspect of any new job. I make sure I train everyone on a one on one basis. Everyone learns things differently and at their own pace,” said Jenness. Being hands on with her employees has helped everyone become comfortable with the work at hand and not to be afraid to ask questions. “I don’t think twice to ask a question at work anymore,” said Karli McIntyre, a teller at Central Bank. “I know that Rheanna would rather me ask than do it wrong.” Having a relaxed and open relationship with her employees has really helped create a nice work environment. It is a rare for Central Bank to have a job opening. Even though Jenness and all of her employees are comfortable with each other, this does not mean that her employees can walk all over her. “If I need to pull someone aside and put them in check, I will. Being the boss means I need to make sure the work gets done. I’m not afraid of talking to employees head on,” Jenness said. Dubord, has often commented on how important this is. In the beginning, she would mess up a lot. “I often made little mistakes. Every time, I would be pulled aside and shown what I did wrong. Hearing it straight from Rheanna means I will remember how to do it right the next time and ensure there wont be another mess up,” said Dubord. The relationship between boss and employee can easily become strained, but Jenness has found a way to keep work fun and productive at the same time.

“I’ve been yelled at by previous bosses for something I didn’t do. All they had to do was ask some questions and they would have known it wasn’t me.”

This event shows how Morningside is following its mission statement of being “dedicated to ethical leadership and civic responsibility.”

Election night live plained Brincks. In the news room, Abby Bull was following poll results along with other students and reading the results over the air. Bull said, “We’re getting the hang of things as it goes. We’re going to try to keep Siouxland involved as it goes.” The scene of the room was described best by Jen Allen who said, “We’re flying by the seat of our pants.” Ryan Tellinghuisen and Preston Ives were at Eppley Auditorium talking to voters and asking opinions. Tellinghuisen would Sara Osborne was “pumped” for election night then call in and tell the listeners how things coverage. were going. • Continued from page 1 “It was very busy when we first got here at seven o’clock. was the technical director of the There was a line out the door,” audio, and Chris Levine was the said Tellinghuisen. technical director of the video. One of the poll workers de Maassen described his job scribed Eppley as having a “very for the evening as being able high voter turn–out.” to boss around the professors. Maassen, being the producer, Student response made sure things stayed on the The opinions of those in tight timetable. charge after the fact were all “With technology anything positive. can go wrong, but we have to be Buth commented, “It was prepared. Some technical glitch a very stressful night, but I will happen and when that happens I will figure out what to do,” thought it went pretty decently. It was a learning experience for said Maassen. all who were involved.” Buth said his job was to Levine said everything went control who was on the air. Buth well on the video side and that also controlled the levels to he had a good time. make sure everything sounded Dr. Heistad said that the alright. night absolutely met expecta “There will be possible mass chaos, but we can handle it,” said tions. “The students never disappoint, and it’s a learning experiButh, ence for them. When things go In charge of the video side wrong, they learn to react to was Levine. He described his job those changes.” as controlling everything that Unfortunately, technology is seen, as far as a video aspect change from analog to digital goes. resulted in a few technical dif Levine explained, “Wherficulties. Also, there were about ever audio goes, I have to follow half as many students involved them. If they are talking about as normal as the political science Republicans and I have Demostudents had to work on other crats up there, we are going to projects for the evening. have some problems.” The introduction of the tele On the night of the broadvision broadcast was straightforcast, Sara Osborne was in the ward and went really well. There conference room watching the weren’t many difficulties, and major news stations and rethe students solved the problems cording it on the television in as they occurred. radio. She described herself as All in all, Dr. Heistad said the “pumped” for the broadcast. team pulled it off well and that Levine and Nick Brincks they are already thinking about were in the television control the next election and the next room making sure things ran live broadcast. smoothly. “The first hour is getting the bugs out of the system,” ex-

SPORTS

Thursday, November 11, 2010

THE COLLEGIAN REPORTER

Making History Women’s cross country qualifies for Nationals for second straight season By Nick Buth STAFF WRITER

orningside’s cross country teams proved that they have what it takes to compete. Saturday at the GPAC Conference Meet, the women’s team finished second overall, and the men’s team placed third. The women’s second place finish qualifies them for the NAIA National Meet in Vancouver, Wash., November 20. A qualifying time of 1:35:27.11 was good for a second place finish for the women. This pulled them back into the top 25, putting them at number 18 for the final coaches’ poll, after holding the number 19 spot in the preseason poll, and being ranked as high as 13th this season. Kara Nelson, a senior from Cherokee, Iowa, led the Mustang women’s charge to qualify for the national meet for a second

year with a time of 18:29.15, finishing fourth and qualifying for her fourth appearance at the national meet. “It was a huge accomplishment making Nationals four years in a row and I am very proud of it, but going to Nationals as a team two years in a row is ten times better,” stated Nelson. “Making history for Morningside and being part of the first women’s cross country team to make Nationals is great and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” Backing Nelson were Jessica Hudelson, Lydia Ford, Tabitha Shepherd, Courtney Ruff, Jenna Kral, Nicole Seier, Breanna Mathes, and McKenzie Reece. Nelson, Ford, Shepherd, Kral, and Seier also ran at last year’s meet. Hudelson is a junior who finished with a time of 18:57.11, good enough for 13th place. Ford, also a junior, finished 16th with a time of 19:12.42. Shepherd, a

Junior Jess Hudelson and senior Kara Nelson finished 1–2 for the Mustangs as the women’s cross country team qualified for the national meet. (Nick Buth photos)

sophomore, placed 18th, finishing at 19:16.64. Ruff is a freshman and finished 27th with a time of 19:31.78. “It’s pretty awesome to think that we’re the best NAIA team in our conference, as we were once lucky just to place in the middle of the conference. The progress our team has made is all because of Coach Nash,” added Nelson. “He is an amazing coach and always believes in us and making us believe in ourselves. We could not have improved as a team without him and we owe it all Freshman Garrett Ehlers qualified for the national cross country meet by finishing 10th at the GPAC meet. to him.” The men’s third This year, to even finish third individuplace finish dropped ally, even before the meet started I don’t them just out of contention to qualify, but it was good enough to be their highest fin- think I would have comprehended beating some of the runners I did. I surprised ish ever with a time of 2:15:15.56. myself even.” They were also able to qualify two Behind Gesink and Ehlers, the Musindividuals: senior Brian Gesink and tangs had Monte Larsen, Derik Simonsen, freshman Garret Ehlers. Todd Wolf, Taylor Kube, Grant Aden, and Gesink placed third with a time Jescy Rodriguez. 26:01.26, and will be making his second Larsen is a sophomore who placed appearance at the national meet. Ehlers, 31st with a time of 27:18.67. Simonsen, a former Falcon from Ida Grove, placed a sophomore was able to place 38th with tenth, finishing in 26:14.90. his time of 28:03.38. Wolf is a senior and “Third is the highest we’ve ever finished his race in 28:03.38, good for finished in the conference meet as far 46th place. as anyone can remember, and just to “I am as proud of this group as I am come in behind Nebraska Wesleyan and of any group I have been around,” said Concordia and to break into the top three Morningside’s track and cross country in the conference was sweet. That was as coach Dave Nash. “They had the best finhigh emotionally as I’ve been in awhile.” ish in Morningside history for the gals and Gesink then added, “It was very top it off with the highest finish ever for emotional for me because last year I was the guys. The day was something special.” sick the week before, and didn’t get to go to nationals. I had set up myself all year to go, and just didn’t have the best meet.

Ballers begin the season with confidence he Mustang men’s basketball team Men’s T starts theteam season withboasts a lot of hope and confidence. However, playing their first nine games on thearoad makes getdepth and team– ting off to a good start critical. Over the last couple years, the offense oriented attitude was mainly run with one inside player

and four players around the perimeter. By Gustav Hollnagel For this season, the coaches decided to

sistant. He said a number of guys stuck together over the summer and “established a nucleus for our fall workouts that motivated other players. It’s kind of been a snowball effect for a lot of things.” Returning seniors for the Mustangs are Mitchell Schultze (Osmond, NE) and Ryan Gass (Valentine, NE). German international baller Sergej Baskow, who previously played for Bemidji State University, Minnesota, is also a senior. The other transfer, Bryan Borchers, was with the team last year but wasn’t able to play due to some eligibility difficulties. He likewise transferred from Bemidji State University. Along with the three seniors, this years’ varsity team includes three freshmen, six sophomores, and four juniors. For now, the rotation involves Trent Miller and Kevin Zoz on the guard spots. Their back ups are Joel Haveman and Jake Hamburger. Starters on the forward positions are Mitchell Schultze and Cory Gaston, with Bryan Borchers, Tyler Johnson and Tyler Pleiss as reserves. Garth Hamilton starts as center and is backed up by Storm Throne. “We got ten or eleven guys that are fairly interchangeable,” Schmit assured. The team understands that they have a target on their backs because of last season’s performance (12–18). “Other teams want to beat us, but I think the guys are hungry for success,” said Schmit. The Mustangs upset the number three–ranked team this season already. This previous weekend, Bellevue University had to give in to the Mustangs (92–80), who shot 61 percent from the floor. Morningside’s other win of the season came against South Dakota Tech, 65– 61, during the Black Hills State Classics (October 29/30). However, Coach Schmit said rankings don’t mean much this time of the year. More importantly, he explained, “The ability to bounce back after being embarrassed showed that our guys are growing and getting better as a team.” Coach Sykes hopes to attract the fans and campus with a new, appealing brand of basketball. “We can call last year a disappointment, now we have to see what we can do this year,” said Sykes. The team currently has a 2–2 record and will face off against Grand View in Des Moines this coming Friday, November 12th. The first home game will be on December 4th against Dordt College.

STAFF changeWRITER the line up to three out and two inside. Head Coach Jim Sykes, who is in his eighth season with Morningside, said the transition was possible because the depth chart looks a lot better than last year. Everybody has his role on the team. Sykes said, “The team–first mentality has been discussed enough so that our players understand the chances for success.” “We are getting back to more team– oriented basketball. Last year we had great individual players. This year no one really sticks out,” Assistant Coach Brad Schmit explained. Mitchell Schultze, starting forward for the Mustangs, agreed. “We have a very different identity for our team compared to years past,” he said. “We are very team–focused, none of us are out for themselves. As long as we get the job done we are all more than satisfied.” Motivated by a rather disappointing season last year, the coaches trust their players to perform well this season. Sykes said, “My goal is to play our best basketball by the end of the year, so that we put ourselves in a great position for winning the conference.” “We have big expectations compared to last year. We’ve been working hard every day and using that as motivation,” Schultze said. “A very reasonable expectation for us is to end up as one of the top four teams in the GPAC at the end of the year.” According to the coaches, the players have been communicating better, which has constantly been stressed in practice. They also play a little more complex offensive system. Pressure and wearing out opponents is going to be the strategy for defense. “We are going to pick up the pressure early on defense. We will try to wear the other team out to give us the chance for winning games during the last five minutes,” Sykes explained. The chemistry among the players is great, both on the JV and varsity level. “A lot of the guys interacted here over the summer. Particularly on JV the freshmen bonded well and are encouraging each other,” said Schmit. Coach Sykes resonates with his asJunior center Garth Hamilton against Briar Cliff last year. (Nick Buth photos)

• Cont’d on page 7

Young women’s A

s the weather turns cold outside, the Morningside women’s basketball team has started the 2010–11 campaign sizzling hot. Coming off one of the worst records in head coach Jamie Sale’s career as a Mustang, the women’s squad looks to improve on last year’s 21–12 post. A record By Dan Corey that would be successful at most GPAC STAFF WRITER programs doesn’t get the job done for Morningside. The Mustangs have started this year with an 3–0 record in which they have won every which way. An overtime victory at ranked Grandview, a blowout against Mayville State, and an incredible come from behind win against Iowa Wesleyan all add up to a great start for Morningside. But the season still has a long way to go for Coach Sale’s team. Sale, who

team comes out hot with 3–0 start

was NAIA Division II Coach of the Year in 2004, 2005, and 2009, looks to do it again with a young Mustang team. The young Mustangs will look for senior leadership from Tanaeya Worden, the 5–6 guard from Sioux City North. She averaged almost 18 points a game in her junior year. She looks to be not only a scoring threat, but a major distributer of the basketball. A player who might get most of those passes might be Chelsie Trask, the redshirt sophomore guard from Rockford, Iowa. Trask averaged just under 11 ppg last season. The Mustangs, who lost six seniors from last year’s team, will look to find other major contributors besides Worden and Trask. One of those contributors might be Brittany Alfredson, a 5–11 guard. • Continued on page 7

Tanaeya Worden continues to be a scoring threat for the Mustangs