Etownian Issue 3

OPINION What does your computer say about you? | PAGE 8

FEATURES ‘Bully’ film examines harassment in schools | PAGE 5

The Etownian

www.etownian.com

New York Times best-selling author speaks at Bowers

by KYLER KOONS

“B

e careful what you tell people on the phone. That person might become a writer and tell your story to other people.”

Before he wrote and published a New York Times Bestseller, Jason Mott was a customer service operator for Verizon Wireless in Philadelphia, Pa. A few days after his first novel, “The Returned,” was accepted for publication, he quit his job with giddy triumph. Now, “The Returned” has been optioned

by Brad Pitt’s production company,

Vol. 110. Issue 3

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Photo-A-Day Challenge gains popularity

Plan B, for a television series based on the novel, titled “Resurrection,” that is scheduled to air on ABC in March 2014. Mott said — as he says to all interviewers who ask — that although “The Returned” has been optioned for film by Plan B, he has yet to meet Brad Pitt, but he’d love to meet Angelina Jolie.

Mott’s sudden stellar success in the publishing and visual media worlds has had him traveling the country on a whirlwind book tour; one of his stops along the way was the Bowers Writers House at Elizabethtown College on Monday, Sept. 23.

Photo: @lauraatravis

Elizabethtown College students, faculty, alumni and community members have had the opportunity to express their creativity by participating in the College’s Sept. Photo-a-Day Instagram Challenge.

SEE PHOTOS PAGE 2

Curriculum requires real-world learning

by ANDREW CALNON Photo: jasonmottauthor.com

Author Jason Mott hosted a craft talk and reading of his novel, “The Returned,” on Monday, Sept. 23 at the Bowers Writers House.

SEE MOTT PAGE 5

R

eal-World Learning (RWL) is a new curriculum requirement for incoming first-year students, including the class of 2017.

This academic requirement must

be completed before the students graduate from Elizabethtown College. Dr. Brian Newsome, associate professor of history, served on the Real World Learning committee this past summer as the assistant dean for general education and assessment. Newsome explained that

the goal for the program is to “formalize and expand opportunities that Elizabethtown students may have already been taking advantage of in which we know from our experiences.”

SEE LEARNING PAGE 2

Huffington Post recognizes students’ second annual Sukkot celebration

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by SARAH WERTZ

lizabethtown College students were recognized by Huffington Post in an article on Friday, Sept. 20 for the sukkah they constructed on the BSC patio in celebration of the Jewish holiday — Sukkot. Etown’s sukkah stood on the BSC patio Sept. 18 through Sept. 25.

Sukkot, sometimes called the “Feast of Tabernacles,” is a holiday celebrated by Jew-

ish communities around the world. A sukkah — a tent-like structure, is often put up in celebration of this holiday. The temporary shelters remind the Jewish believers of the 40 years that were spent wandering the desert.

“For many contemporary Jews, the sukkah is a reminder that true security does not come through earthly or material possessions but rather through meaningful relationships with God, family and community,” Assistant Profes-

sor of Women and Gender Studies Dr. Amy Milligan said.

This is the second year Etown has hosted the celebration by building a sukkah on campus. The event was planned by Milligan, with support from Hillel, the Chaplain’s Office, the Office of Diversity and the Better Together Campaign. Assistant Chaplain Amy ShornerJohnson also had a lead role in the planning.

Sukkot is celebrated after Rosh Hashanah

— the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur — the Day of Atonement, and is open for all to celebrate regardless of religious background as a reminder of the joys people have in life. “At Etown, our sukkah is a reminder of sharing interfaith hospitality and represents our desire to welcome everyone to the table!” said Milligan.

SEE SUKKAH PAGE 3

Women’s tennis finds success Cheetam joins Student Wellness at season-opening tournament H T

by NICHOLAS WYLY

aving work experience at both large public institutions as well as smaller private colleges, the new Student Wellness Director Amanda Cheetam realized right away that Elizabethtown College was a magnificent fit for her to pursue her interests and change people’s lives along the way.

As holder of this position, she brings with her many original and exciting

by ADAM MOORE

he Elizabethtown College women’s tennis team’s fall season is in full as the program participated in the USTA-ITA Southeast Regional Championships this past weekend.

After winning last year's Commonwealth Conference Championship, Etown wanted to have a strong showing in their first tournament and they did not disappoint. Both new and old Blue Jays had strong outings against some of the region’s toughest competition Two first-years, Madison McCall and Erin Clay, advance to Sunday’s round of competition in their first collegiate tournament McCall won her first match in three sets, beating Megan Knapp from Salisbury 3-6, 6-1, 10-3. On Sunday, McCall made the Blue 5 Singles quarterfinals but eventually lost to Abby Schmidt of Swarthmore 8-2.

Clay also moved onto the Blue 6 Singles Quarterfinals after winning first-round matches. Like here first-year counterpart, Clay also came out victorious in her debut match in straight sets over Monica Benitez of Washington College 6-0, 6-0.

SEE TENNIS PAGE 11

comp onents of student wellness. Cheetam joined Etown as the new director of student wellness at the beginning of this academic year.

One of the most significant additions is a twocredit wellness cours e, Wellness and the College Student, in which she hopes to introduce various strategies that will help students live healthier and happier lives.

Cheetam said, “In the wellness class, we focus on

the eight dimensions of wellness, or the ‘wellness wheel.’”

This class focuses on being “well” which includes emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual, occupational, financial, environmental and physical health.

Cheetam is also responsible for educating RAs and peer mentors on policies regarding drugs and alcohol to ensure the campus remains safe for everyone.

SEE WELLNESS PAGE 3

Athletics department develops responsive website

by MAXIMO ARDUINI

Photo: Athletics Department

Junior Kaitlyn Pellegrino swings for a hit at the women’s season-opening tournament this past weekend.The women’s tennis team will finish the fall season at the MAC Individual Championships on Oct. 5 and 6.

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lizabethtown College’s Athletics Department developed a new mobile website in an effort to make it easier for users to navigate and view scoring records of Blue Jay athletic teams.

The Athletics Department incorporated the responsive design to enhance their us-

ers’ experience. More than a billion people access the Internet from their mobile devices and tablets. In order to better serve target audiences, a website must be easy to navigate and easily accessible on tablets, phones and other electronic devices that utilize WiFi. Recognizing this, the Department updated its site.

SEE WEBSITE PAGE 3

News

page 2

September 26, 2013

PHOTOS PAGE 1

Campus participates in annual Instagram Challenge

I

by ANDREW CALNON

nstagram, an online photo-sharing social network, is becoming popular among colleges and universities.

On Sept. 1, Elizabethtown College challenged students, faculty, alumni and the local community to the third Etown photo-a-day challenge. Participation in the photo challenge has been growing every year the challenge has been offered. As of Sept. 20, more than 71 people have submitted at least one photo and more than 796 photos have been entered. The most popular photo submitted was on Labor Day, the theme of the day was “My Day Off ” and the outcome was over 60 entries.

The last Instagram challenge the College conducted, participation dropped off after the first few weeks, but this fall people have been consistent and creative with the daily challenges.

Donna Talarico-Beerman, director of integrated communications at the College, said, “We love interacting

with our students and alumni on social media, and what better way to tell our story and theirs than through photos?”

The College has learned that the campus community loves photos, and Talarico-Beerman credits the success of the challenges to the “awesomely open, engaged campus.” “Instagram is our fastest growing social media platform, so we felt engaging people in this manner with a structured promotion would be a lot of fun,” said Talarico-Beerman. Talarico-Beerman’s favorite theme so far has been day five, ‘an E’ because she loved how creative the photos were: varying from desks arranged in a E, the American Sign Language E, lights strung in an E-shape, photos hung in an E-shape and more. Etown used photos from last year’s Instagram challenge in the Spring 2013 Elizabethtown magazine and they plan to do more integrated social media efforts, such as using usergenerated photos in print material in the future.

DO YOU ENJOY DESIGNING, EDITING AND WRITING?

The Etownian is now hiring:

Copy Editors Layout Editor Staff Writers For more information, contact editor@etown.edu or fill out an application at www.etownian.com

LEARNING PAGE 1

Photo: @carlyym48

Photo: @gregwim

Photo: @dinadispensiere

Out-of-class experiences made into Real-World Learning requirement Re al-World L e ar ning was highly researched before it was officially integrated into the curriculum. “A Learning Working Group” consisting of 15 faculty members, staff and students and co-facilitated by Dean Calenda and myself, focused on the importance of so-called highimpact practices in promoting deeper learning,” said Dean of Faculty Dr. E. Fletcher McClellan.

This Learning Working Group looked at research conducted by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). “This research discovered that the vast majority of Etown students completed at least two of the signature learning experiences, as well as first-year seminar and guided research and writing courses.

Once we saw that extending these experiences to all students was an attainable goal, we decided to make it a requirement.”

R e a l-World L e ar ning , a lthough not officially required in the past, has been a common practice of students throughout Etown for years. Many Etown students have been doing this to prepare themselves for the “real world” they will encounter after graduation, and academic advisors took note that the students who excelled academically were proactive in gaining experience from inter views and outside internships. “We think advising is a very important part of this process. Students should work closely with faculty advisors in deciding which experiences will

best promote their academic, career and personal goals,” said McClellan.

McClellan said that when the strategic plan was developed in 2011-12, the committee asked this key question: “How can the College provide a more effective and engaging educational program?” Those who were involved in integrating this program into the curriculum wanted all students to be able to engage in experiences such as internships or guided research. The RealWorld Learning experience offers five signature opportunities to students, including supervised research, internships, field placements and practicums, capstone courses, projects or development portfolios, community-based learning and cross-cultural experiences.

Supervised research allows students to investigate, test and study under the supervision of a faculty member and experience internships. Field placements and practicums allow students to immerse themselves in their interests while experiencing a professional setting. Each RWL capstone course, project or development portfolio allows students to apply and demonstrate what they learned through a project, exhibit, performance or showcase.

Community-based learning allows students to engage in service projects in local communities and beyond. Finally, cross-cultural experience allows students to explore different cultures by living and studying in a different cul-

ture abroad or in the U.S. These activities can not only help to strengthen a resume for graduate school, but they also and increase a student’s chances of getting hired for their dream job. “We chose the experiences that were the best fit with our educational program and students’ actual choices,” said McClellan.

“What they all have in common is that they establish high academic expectations, require considerable time and effort from students, and feature significant interaction with faculty and among students themselves. Since the College promotes internships and field experiences such as student teaching in most of its academic programs, involves most of its students in servicelearning as an expression of our mission and has invested heavily in undergraduate research through Scholarship and Creative Arts Day, we decided that highimpact practices should be a key element of RWL,” said McClellan.

This new requirement is opening doors for students and helps students figure out the career path they want to pursue. “Employers want students to have well-developed communications and analytical and critical thinking skills. They also want students to have practical experience before entering the world of work. Our signature learning experiences will enable students to apply classroom learning to real-life issues and problems, thus developing the skills and savvy that will equip them for success,” said McClellan.

September 26, 2013 –

News

page 3

SUKKAH PAGE 1

Sukkah teaches about ‘interfaith hospitality’

Senators address possible fixed tuition rate, discuss new pieces of legislation, participate in annual Homecoming Float Theme Campout

Student Senate

by SETH PREVITY

S

tudent Senate met on Sept. 12 and 19 at 3:45 p.m. in Hoover 212. On the agendas for these weeks was a new piece of legislation and a discussion about implementing a fixed rate tuition.

During the tuition discussion on Sept. 12, Senior Student President Robert Graham, had asked each class to research schools that have fixed tuition rates. “Each class was sent a list of schools to research. Try to research the differentiation between classes, any restrictions on it like graduation in four years, when it was implemented and how they use it,” said Graham. He also said that this process will not “take money away from the school. As a first-year, your tuition would stay the same for all four years. Each year, however, it can go up for each incoming class.” This change in tuition is the main goal for Student Senate this semester.

The agenda also included a new piece of legislation presented by Class of 2015 President Seth Previty. The bill was to decrease the size of Student Senate to four officers from each class and two chosen representatives from each class to attend

Senate with voting privileges. The bill would not affect the class senate structure but only affect the size of “big senate.” The main goal of the bill was to “improve efficiency and effectiveness” as well as “strengthen the classes.”

For the administrative report, Assistant Director of Campus Security Dale Boyer mentioned a theft reported in the Body Shop on Tuesday, Sept. 17. He suggested using the lockers in the Body Shop, especially to store high-priced items. The Body Shop staff has locks available for student use.

Each class also participated in the annual Homecoming Float Theme Campout held on Sept. 22 in the Birdcage. Members from each class took shifts to be awarded the first choice of a float theme for the Homecoming parade on Oct. 19.

Student Senate meets every Thursday in Hoover 212 at 3:45 p.m. These meetings are open to the student body to sit in on a meeting. The main topics on the Senate agenda for the past weeks have been fixed tuition, funding to the Body Shop and other new pieces of legislation.

Photo: Amy Milligan

From Sept. 18 to 25, students had the opportunity to participate in the Jewish holiday Sukkot. A sukkah was built on the BSC patio for students and faculty to share.

During Sukkot, many Jewish individuals will eat meals in their sukkah as well as spend time with family and friends.

The sukkah located on the College’s campus was used for classes, club meetings, meals, studying and meeting with friends throughout the week. Etown had also arranged many programs to educate the community on the celebration. These programs included: meeting with professors and Milligan Munchies, Coffee with Coren and Brunch with Bergel and opportunities to make craft projects, including

building edible sukkahs as well as setting up the sukkah on campus. “Our hope is that the sukkah will be used by many different people on campus as they enjoy the outdoors at the beginning of the fall season!” Milligan said.

The sukkah had many different visitors this week; the dedication event, which was hosted by Hillel, had almost 60 people attend from all different backgrounds including Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Secular Humanists. The celebration ended on Wednesday, Sept. 25.

WEBSITE PAGE 1

Athletics Department launches new, responsive mobile website

Etown Athletics, SIDEARM Sports develop improved, user-friendly online experience When making a site for mobile devices, it is important to keep the page as simple as possible because it makes it easier to navigate the page without having to scroll around. Etown incorporated larger headlines, making it easier to navigate and find the scores of

of the etownbluejays.com mobile site on Thursday, Sept. 19. Incorporating key elements of successful websites into its own, Etown formatted this website to be userfriendly and easy to navigate for its “on the move” users. The new site reflects a moving away from

Etown formatted this website to be user-friendly and easy to navigate for its ‘on-themove’ users.

Photo: Athletics Department

The Athletics Department created a responsive website for Blue Jays’ fans.The new site provides mobile and tablet users with an improved viewing experience.

Blue Jay athletic teams. A main feature, which is focused on the phone to facilitate quicker navigation, is the tool bar. With this tool, people can quickly post information onto social media.

Etown Athletics, along with web provider SIDEARM Sports, launched the new adaptive version

being “flash-based” and a desire to satisfy the viewers in its accessibility and quality of information instead. A new feature developed is live stats. The site is quick and easy to use but also gives live updates. With the new mobile page, visitors can always see how their favorite Blue Jay teams are doing.

WELLNESS PAGE 1

Cheetam shares ideas for Wellness program improvements Cheetam is also heavily involved with The Well, located in Thompson 100, which is a place for students to find a multitude of information about their health. At The Well, students can do anything from schedule a doctor’s appointment to pick up over-the-counter medications free of charge.

Cheetam can also be credited with the development of Wellness on Wheels, which is a mobile version of The Well. It is located on a truck that appears in various locations around campus throughout the school year.

In addition, Cheetam developed a new and exciting way for students to keep track of how much physical activity they partake in over the course of the semester called the Iron Jay Challenge. The Iron Jay Challenge is a chance for students to become involved in various activities such as running, biking, swimming and any other sports-related activities to track the miles they have charted per semester.

Once they reach 70 miles, they are rewarded with a sticker for their car or dorm room.

Another new activity this year is the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event in which male students can volunteer to walk a mile in high heels to raise awareness for domestic violence and to show that men as well as women can be victimized by it.

Cheetam also expressed that she is most excited about seeing what student wellness volunteers can bring to the table this year as far as creating new wellness programs, and how they will be newer and more different than ever before. She explained that the most significant impact she will have at Etown will be carried out at the hands of her students, rather than herself personally. Cheetam expressed that her favorite part of her job this year will be watching the student wellness volunteers grow and transform from students to leaders.

Photo: Leah Nissley

Amanda Cheetam joined the Wellness Center staff at the beginning of the academic year. Cheetam has been developing new events and activities for the program.

Features

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September 26, 2013

DC trip provides learning through Explore the Core program

by EMILY VASAS

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he Explore the Nation’s Core field trip to Washington D.C. is a part of Elizabethtown College’s Explore the Core program. “The Explore the Core program is designed to help students understand the different areas of understanding for core, the different courses offered to meet those areas of understanding and the different academic departments or disciplines that sponsor those courses,” Director of Student Transition Programs Jean-Paul Benowitz said.

Explore the Core offers many different types of programming to help students make informed decisions about the core courses they choose and get to know the professors teaching the courses. These include faculty presentations and the Explore the Core fair.

“For first-year seminars, it is three credits of seat time and one credit of outside of the classroom learning,” Benowitz said. “So that fourth hour, professors have to find ways to engage their students.” One of these options is attending the Explore the Core speaker series. Another option is to go on the Explore the Core field trip to Washington D.C. “The trip is open to all professors who teach core classes,” Benowitz said. “It just is a coincidence that because the firstyear seminar requires additional activities outside of the class, a lot of first-year seminars choose to go to Washington D.C.” However, students who are currently enrolled in core courses other than first-year seminars are able to go, because participation from anyone taking a core class is welcome. “It’s focused on all students who are taking core classes, because you could be taking core classes in your first year, second year, sometimes even third,” Benowitz said.

The trip is only capable of accommodating a certain Photo: Emily Vasas number of classes. “This is an interesting program where the professor has to give a proposal, and the proposal has to The famous elephant stands guard in the main hall of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, one of possible stops demonstrate how what they’re going to do with their students along the Explore the Core program’s annual trip to Washington D.C.The trip is open to all students enrolled in core classes. in Washington directly related to the objectives of the course,” examples of the diverse academic opportunity within the programs. These include supervised research, internships Benowitz explained. city of Washington D.C. or field placements, capstone courses or portfolios, This year, there was a forensic science class that visited “The course is directly related to what they’re going to community-based learning and cross-cultural experience. the National Museum of Crime and Punishment. A first- go and see,” Benowitz said. “This is not just a day away “The first-year program started in the fall of 1989, and year seminar about World War II taught by Assistant Dean from campus; this is not a day in the city on your own. The this is also the beginning of the core curriculum as we know of General Educational and Assess and Associate Professor courses are very specific and they’ve been approved to go it today,” he said. The field trip to Washington D.C. began of History Dr. William Newsome, visited the Holocaust on the trip, because it relates to the content of the course.” in that same semester. Taking students on field trips to the Museum.

The Explore the Nation’s Core field trip allows students to nation’s capital has been a staple of the program for over Benowitz is currently teaching a course about American go and see for themselves the things they have been learning two decades. culture titled Discovering America Now. His class toured the about in their courses at Etown.

“It’s a positive experience,” He continued. “Getting on the city to see various historical sites. Adjunct Faculty Member “It’s really about learning, and it fits in nicely with this new ground and thinking critically, it made the experience very Jennifer Besse of the English department is teaching a course emphasis at the College called real-world learning,” Benowitz different. You go into a museum with your professor and it’s about antiquity. Therefore, her class went on a walking stated. Real-world learning is a new experiential learning amazing then because you are able to almost walk through tour to see the city’s architecture. All of these classes are program here at Etown that involves choosing two of five those pages with them as it unfolds.”

Galvez presents photography as part of National Hispanic Heritage Month

by ADAM LANDES

W

hile people may search for their destiny in many places, most of their search is in vain.

Destiny is not discovered by actively pursuing it; it is something stumbled upon when least expected. Just ask photographer Jose Galvez, who discovered his destiny one evening while on the floor, covered in dirt, shining shoes.

Elizabethtown College was lucky enough to have Galvez speak on campus on Sept.

18 in Brinser Lecture Hall.

Organized by the Modern L a n g u a g e s D e p a r t m e nt , this event gave students the opportunity to learn from Galvez first hand and celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month in an exciting way.

Students from all majors came to the event, and for good reason: there is no better a dvo c ate for t h is c aus e.

Galvez not only lived through unthinkable hardships, but he also continues to live through his artwork.

Galvez is a world-class photographer specializing in black and white film. Like all good photographers, he uses his pictures to tell a story and capture a deeper meaning than what briefly meets the eye. The story he chose to tell was from his own past, which illustrates the struggles and

hidden beauty of MexicanAmerican culture.

It takes a unique kind of person to reach the level of success Galvez has achieved.

G r ow i n g u p i n Tu c s o n , A r i z on a , G a lve z w a s no stranger to the struggles that many Latino people face.

“Our entire family slept in one room,” he explained. “My father, who died when I was 12, worked many jobs to keep our family afloat.”

U n f o r t u n a t e l y, s u c h troubles did not stop at family life. School during the mid 1950s was not very accepting of the Latino population. “All of the teachers were white,” G a lve z s ai d. “We wou l d get punished for speaking Spanish in class.” With English as a Second Language (ESL) or extra help unavailable to these students, it put kids like Galvez in a tough position.

One story in particular expresses just how much Galvez’s past sculpted his future in photography. It came while he was shining a business man’s shoes on the street. The man looked down at him and called him a “poor little Mexican boy.” Galvez used that unfair condescension as motivation. Immediately after hearing that, he thought, “I may be poor, but I am going make something of myself.”

He would go on to become the first college graduate on either side of his family.

Whi le most k ids were playing and living carefree lives, Galvez was starting his career. “I am a natural born hustler,” Galvez said.

“I sold anything I could as a kid. Bottles, books, recycling, anything I could to make some money for my family.”

His favorite job however, was still shoe shining. “Shoe shine for only a dime” became his staple saying, which would surprisingly lead him right into what he was born to do.

A reporter from the local newspaper wanted his shoes shined one particular night, so he called Galvez over. “When I opened the door of the newsroom, I was opening the door to my future,” Galvez said. “I found my destiny that evening.” After that, he was hooked, and like a kid in a candy store, he was in every day trying to help out.

“Sometimes I just sat and watched,” Galvez explained.

He s ai d t h at s om e t i m e s the best experiences comes from sitting back and paying attention.

An old piece of advice that people give to new writers is to “write what you know.”

Galvez took this advice and applied it to his own life. “I photographed what I knew,” he said, understanding that he was able to put his soul into his work because it was something he was passionate about.

Galvez was witness to many movements, boycotts and war rallies. “I was kind of the unofficial movement photographer,” he said. “The Chicano movement gave me identity and made me proud to be who I was.”

During his career Galvez broke down his goals into two main categories: to capture Latino beauty and to educate people. Capturing the beauty was the easy part. It’s much harder to educate people, especially those who do not have a first-hand view like he did. “My job is to capture it all,” he said. “It is my life long advocacy. I strive to challenge old habits and empower the Latino population.”

For most people, their journey in search of their destiny is relatively short. They believe that after a certain age it is too late, so they get stuck in the routine of life. The only ones who truly understand their destiny, like Galvez, realize it is a life-long process, one that has no guarantees and plenty of room for failure.

When asked what is most important, Galvez had a very simple answer. It was not long or over-thought. He simply said: “Shine. Be a light. And while doing that, remember to serve others and always honor your past.” Galvez has discovered what it truly means to shine, and it certainly has nothing to do with shoes.

Senate schedules upcoming events for senior class

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by KAITLIN GIBBONEY

ven though the semester may just be getting started, Student Senate has already planned several events for the class of 2014. A long-standing tradition of Senate, it is their job to coordinate these events for the senior class each year. These events are tailored exclusively for the senior class. “Each class will get to participate once they’re seniors,” senior Senate member Adam Moore said. “These events are specifically just for the class.”

Senate already has a few events planned to occur before senior week. The senior kick-off night started on the evening of Sept. 23 and featured a dessert bar and free t-shirt giveaway. The next event will be the Hershey Park in the Dark trip on Oct. 27, followed by the First Friday trip to Lancaster on Dec. 6. Following these two events are the Shady Maple Breakfast trip on Jan. 18 and the Hershey Bears game on Feb. 15.

“These are the events we have planned so far,” Moore said. “Other than these, there will be a ton of interesting and fun activities for seniors over senior week that Senate and the Alumni Association will be planning later in the year.”

Student Senate takes care of most of the event planning. “The events during the year are organized by the senior Student Senate members,” Moore said.

“During senior week, the events are organized by the senior Student Senate group and the second half of the week is organized by the Alumni Association.”

For as long as Moore can remember, it has been Senate’s job to organize these events. He went on to explain why Senate chooses to plan these events.

“We take on the event planning because we represent the senior class, and we want the class of 2014 to have the best year possible,” he said. “We hope that the events we run can help do that.”

For more information on senior Senate activities or Senate in general, visit their website at www. etownsenate.com or email them at senate@etown.edu.

Features

September 26, 2013 CONTINUED FROM NEWS PAGE 1

Author Jason Mott speaks on bestselling novel, television adaptation Mott earned his B.F.A. in poetry and M.F.A. in fiction from the University of Maryland College at Wilmington in Wilmington, North Carolina. His initial attraction to poetry, he said with an unabashed laugh, was “to meet women.” But even prior to this, Mott had always had an interest in some of the oldest poetry known to man, such as the epic poems of the Greeks and Mesopotamians. At his craft talk in Bowers on Monday, he cited “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” “Beowulf,” and “The Illiad” as a few of his earliest inspirations. For him, these pieces were also influential in discovering the innate and deep-rooted connection between poetry and fiction.

“Poetry and fiction are not as separate as people think they are,” he said.

His post-secondary studies in both poetry and fiction, in addition to his early interest in epic poetry, helped him throughout his learning process to realize that the mechanics, structures, themes and purposes of poetry and fiction are far more similar than most believe. “The idea of fiction and poetry being separated is a fairly new thing,” he said, explaining that the two were almost synonymous in ancient culture. The epic poems, while they are most certainly poems, are also works of narrative. Epic poems have characters, plotlines and many other structural and stylistic elements that we see in both mediums of writing. A more recent demonstration of this, he said, is Shakespeare’s famous poem, “The Raven.” This poem, he said, employs a very complicated rhythmic structure in a masterful fashion and still maintains the story elements of narrative fiction.

While Mott began his professional writing career as a poet, having published two books of poetry, his transition to fiction was a conscious decision to expand his horizons. He does not believe that a writer must be only a master of one or two particular forms, but that it is equally important to practice the craft in many different ways. For Mott, “the challenge has become staying true to the roots of poetry” while moving

page 5

‘Bully’ film examines harassment in schools

by TIANA FERRANTE

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Photo: Katie Brumbach

Jason Mott speaks to an attentive group of students at the Bowers Writers House. Mott asked workshop participants to clarify their ideas on the differences and similarities between fiction and poetry.

so swiftly and successfully into fiction writing.

One of the most valuable aspects of an M.F.A. in fiction, Mott said, is having the opportunity to be mentored by a professional in the field. His own mentor instilled in him the importance of a strong work ethic as it pertains to the writing process. Mott said that writing is “not about waiting for that good idea to come. It’s not about inspiration. It’s about doing it even if you don’t want to, even if you have other things to do.” For serious writers, writing is not simply a hobby, but rather a lifelong habit. Making writing into a habit, Mott said, is the best way to improve productivity as a writer, so that when the inspiration does strike, the craftsman will be ready and have the appropriate practice in order to perform well. “A writer is only as good as their work ethic,” he said.

“Don’t wait to get inspired. Sit down and write the words, and maybe you’ll get inspired later, eventually.”

Rejection is another hot topic in the publishing world. The vast majority of professional writers see a rejection, or many, before their first acceptance.

Mott encouraged the participants of his workshop to deal with rejection in

a way that’s not detrimental to the rest of a writer’s career. “You will spend nights alone, crying and drinking…

And [rejection] always happens on the worst day.” However, he added, “You have to take that as part of the game and keep moving.”

Revision is a vitally important part of the writing and publishing process, and Mott also warned his audience against measuring their success based on their first draft. “First drafts are allowed to be horrible,” he said. He introduced what he calls his “lego block theory,” a concept which describes how a writer will “dump all the pieces out” of the mental bin and sort through them in order to construct the story, and the initial blueprint is key in order to build upon the structure later. Crafting the story is about “building a sandbox for your characters to play in,” as Mott described it. As he returns to a draft and begins to revise, he asks of himself, “Can I make it do more? Can I make it say more?”

Asking these questions of ourselves as writers, and also as people, can make revision – either of the written word or of thought – that much more productive, and a much more successful product.

Movie selection on campus is SWEET

by TYLER WEARY

S

.W.E.E.T is a branch of the Office of Students Activities (OSA) that stands for “Students Working to Entertain Etown”, a group responsible for organizing fun, non-academic events to keep students entertained.

Did you have fun at Bingo Night? Thank S.W.E.E.T. Did you like watching The Great Gatsby in the Dell? S.W.E.E.T. was behind that too. Some of the many responsibilities S.W.E.E.T has are coordinating the school dances, getting performers like comedians and magicians to visit campus, scheduling trips and deciding which movies are played each on campus each month.

Carolyne Henry, S.W.E.E.T coordinator, spoke more about the movie selections on campus. Henry explained that the movies have been here as long as she can remember and even before then. Most colleges like Etown show movies certain nights during the semester. “Etown is just keeping up with the times,” stated Henry.

The process of selecting the films includes a multi-step process involving how the movies are rated in theaters and how the members of S.W.E.E.T and OSA choose. First, a company called Swank gives Henry a list of movies. Henry then goes through the list and picks out the big blockbuster hits. After that, the list is taken to the rest of the S.W.E.E.T members so they can finalize Henry’s choices. If the movies turn out to be a bust in theatres, a new movie will be chosen. The main task S.W.E.E.T faces is determining what movies Etown students would want to see. Henry summed up its mission, saying, “All we look for in movies are ones that we think the students will enjoy.”

Movies that are chosen can be anything from a cartoon to a horror film. Members of S.W.E.E.T. try to pick the ones they believe are popular and will top the charts. “A movie that has a lot of buzz in the public usually translates into a lot of buzz here on campus,” Henry added. Typically, the movies are shown before their DVD release date. How does S.W.E.E.T. work? How is it able to show new movies on its own? S.W.E.E.T has signed a contract with Swank which gives them the rights to show the movies before they come out on DVD and Blu-ray. S.W.E.E.T. knows that there is a lot of responsibility in making sure no legal

Photo: Allison Rohland

rights are infringed upon when showing the movies, which is why there are strict regulations on when S.W.E.E.T can play movies, because it can only show the movies on certain days.

“We have to plug in a movie-specific PIN-Play code before we even press play,” Henry said. S.W.E.E.T has to purchase a code to have the rights to show the movies. Henry keeps in close contact with Swank year-round to ensure that all of the PINs are squared away for the upcoming film screenings.

The movies on campus have been a huge success this semester. Last weekend, 233 people were in attendance at “Now You See Me” on Saturday night alone. Attendance varies from weekend to weekend based on student schedules and their preference of the movies being shown. Other activities happening around campus can affect the turnout at the screenings as well. S.W.E.E.T’s goal is always to bring out as many people as possible.

Etown is keeping up with the times and shows movies that the students want to see, which explains the increasing success rate of attendance. S.W.E.E.T is an example of how Etown brings its students together and makes its environment more like home for its Blue Jays.

For more information on upcoming events, view the OSA events calendar or email S.W.E.E.T. at sweet@etown.edu.

h e H i g h L i b r a r y, i n collaboration with E l i z a b e t h t o w n C o l l e g e’s Departments of Women and Gender Studies and Education, presented the movie “Bully” to students in Gibble Auditorium on Tuesday night. The movie, which was produced in 2009

by Lee Hirsch, examines the bullying of several K-12 students whose lives were either severely damaged or tragically ended in suicide.

The event featured two local educators, one of whom is Assistant Professor of Special Education Dr. Shannon HaleyMize. Ms. Yvonne Rothstein, who also has an extensive background in education, joined as a guest commentator from the Annville-Cleona School District. After the film was shown, they answered questions from an audience of majors ranging from education to international business.

Before the movie actually began however, Haley-Mize and Rothstein identified several facts regarding bullying that were listed on the projector screen. While the least surprising fact on the screen may have been that “40 to 75 percent of bullying incidents occur in school,” a less familiar fact was that “teachers only intervene in approximately one out of every 25 bullying instances.”

Those realities, although alarming in themselves, could not have prepared the viewers for the level of agitation and emotional stimulation contained in the movie; “Bully” uses raw footage of victimization in schools, exposing the dread that each featured child, whether a sur vivor of abuse or an irretrievable victim of suicide, experienced every day.

As the lights in the auditorium were dimmed, the movie started with a home video of a young boy making silly faces to his parents in front of their camera.

He had an enormous smile; the audience was charmed and, despite its respectful solemnity, everyone chuckled and cooed at the boy’s charm. After a while though, the students remembered the purpose of the movie and what it was documenting. They perceived what was coming next, because the giggling ceased, leaving a void of silence that permeated the room. Instead of enjoying that gentle boy’s facial expressions, the audience shared intimate moments with his parents, their own faces chokedup in tearful agony.

The audience learned each family’s stor y, which contrasted young and happy kids in home videos with the tearful moms and dads who lost them. Each moment that the movie flashed back to home videos of innocent, carefree children, the horror of each child’s victimization at school was amplified to the audience.

Many of the children whose stories were included in “Bully” committed suicide, leaving parents, siblings and young friends to react with nearly unspeakable grief. Several students in the audience, too, burst forth in tears at the tragedy of each child’s lost life, knowing that those suicides might have been prevented by even one caring teacher. The film held a

distinct emotional force over an audience of many education majors, future teachers whose desire is to transform schools into places of nurturing for their students.

Once the do cumentar y ended, the panel elaborated on the film’s themes of studentteacher interaction, inclusion versus exclusion and t he consequences of words as well as actions in relationships with other students. Rothstein, who has worked with students in urban areas such as New York City and Philadelphia, reminded the audience that “bullying is a problem that’s everywhere.”

On the other hand, though, in including mainly smalltown Midwest and Southern occurrences of school-related bullying, the movie underscores the concept that rural education systems may be less welcoming than would a more diverse urban community.

Rothstein also discussed how urban students may be more u nd e rst and i ng and welcoming of atypical kids, particularly because cities surround children with different personalities, cultures, identities and ideas on a daily basis.

In fact, when responding to students’ questions after the movie’s showing, she frequently referenced one of the family’s stories, which documents the refusal of a rural community to treat a lesbian student with kindness and respect.

Rothstein knew that bullying in schools “happens when teachers aren’t paying attention,” but also understood that the young adult’s situation revealed an unprofessional attitude, not ignorance, towards the lonely student. Haley-Mize also responded, highlighting to the audience that “realizing that the type of culture we create really matters.” Although the film solely illustrated K-12 abuse, Haley-Mize further reminded the audience that it can overcome and seek to stop bullying “even with our own Etown community.”

When one student inquired about how a teacher can help a child, Rothstein answered that it’s imperative to “ask questions.”

Mentioning that districts and teachers cannot be penalized for complicity in peer-to-peer abuse of which they are unaware.

Rothstein said, “Someone’s got to notice.” In the case that teachers are aware of bullying, Haley-Mize asserted that the familiar excuses that “boys will be boys” and “it’s just middle school girl drama” discredit the honor and responsibility of teachers towards their vulnerable students. Without a doubt, in several of the film’s portrayed cases, the advocacy of one teacher would have prevented a child’s desperation and taking of his or her life.

The speakers recognized the power of an adult’s intervention, especially when the abused student is regularly viewed by peers as an outcast. Both Rothstein and Haley-Mize agreed that, as a teacher, it is “really important to let kids know you’re a safe person.”

As the event concluded and the Blue Jay crowd departed into the night, a hope was raised that each tear the audience cried might be transformed into a determination to facilitate kindness at every opportunity.

Features

September 26, 2013

page 6

Alan Houser presents at Bowers on dynamic communication

Former STC president speaks on history of publishing, communication, power, prevalence of written word

by EMILY VASAS

O

n Thursday, Sept. 19, Alan Houser visited the Bowers Writers House. His presentation, titled Professional Writing and Dynamic Communication, focused on technical writing as a profitable, in-demand profession. He also discussed the ways in which the flow of information changed with the advent of the printing press, and again with the advent of the World Wide Web. Houser’s presentation marks the start of an exciting season at Bowers this semester.

Houser was the immediate past president of the Society of Technical Communication (STC). He is also currently a fellow at STC with a bachelor of science in electrical engineering and holds a master’s degree in professional writing from Carnegie Mellon University. Houser presents for technical communication conferences all around the country.

“Certainly my message is geared toward technical communicators,” Houser said. “I’d like you to leave with a sense of the profession, a sense of the possibilities.” Technical communication, he explained, is currently a very viable first job because it is in demand. “If engineers are in demand, technical writers are in demand,” he said.

While his presentation featured technical communication, it covered several different subjects, beginning with

“We have always throughout human history adjusted our communication based on the means that we had to communicate.”

~ Alan Houser the STC. He explained that early professional experience and connections can occur through affiliation with a program like the STC. Houser emphasized how useful such connections can be during the hiring process, saying “you like to work with people you know and you like to give opportunities to people you know if you’re in the position to do that.”

Houser further discussed the evolution of technical communication, using the Magna Carta as an example. One of the most important documents ever written, it forms the basis of the democratic rights we enjoy today. It is also, by today’s standards, very poorly written. “We have always throughout human history adjusted our communication based on the means that we had to communicate,” Houser said.

He explained that the Magna Carta was written with

Photo: Katie Brumbach

Alan Houser speaks to a Bowers audience on the history of communication throughout the ages, emphasizing that many forms of communication, such as the radio, have been around for decades, yet they are still prevalent today.

ink on animal skin, both of which would have been very expensive at the time. Written by hand, it would have also been very time-consuming. Because of this, Houser said, society had to adjust its writing to save time and material.

This adjustment ties into modern communication issues as well. According to Houser, many professionals worry that written text will eventually die away. He claims that this is not the case. “We’re still listening to the radio, even though that technology is over a hundred years old,” he said. “We just have a lot more things to choose from. It is the same with written text. With the advent of the internet, video is more prominent, but it has not overtaken the written word.”

Houser said that the main ways people communicate over the internet continue to be written by conversations and articles rather than by more advanced videos or voice recordings.

His final point was about the period in which the printing press dominated communication. “In the history of human communication, that’s an anomaly,” he said. ‘That’s a time when things were different.” Before the printing press,

information was much freer. It was social and spread by word of mouth. The village storyteller did not own their stories.

After the printing press came along, the distribution of information became a monopoly. Only a few had access to it or could distribute it; it was no longer a social medium.

“You have this time for about 500 years where information is controlled,” Houser said. “The publishers had enormous power, because they were the gatekeepers to printing and disseminating information.” This period from 1500 to about the year 2000 is a kind of parenthesis in human history.

Now, we are just past the closing parenthesis of that age.

In the current era, with the advent of the internet, “information is once again social, it’s once again shared,” Houser said. The barriers to shared information are dropping away again.

Houser concluded on a positive note. “We are entering this new age. We have no idea what this will bring. But I think it’s going to be pretty amazing to find out.”

Second all-faculty music concert features department instructors

by KAITLIN GIBBONEY

O

n Monday, Sept. 23, the faculty of Elizabethtown College’s fine and performing arts department performed in Leffler Chapel and Performance Center.

This was the second department concert of the year and offered faculty members in the department a chance to play one or two short pieces of music.

The first performer of the evening was Department Chair and Professor of Music Dr. Douglas Bomberger, on the piano. For his selection, he chose “Hexentanz, op. 17, no.2” by Edward MacDowell. This solo piece was very dynamic and featured fastmoving high notes coupled with a rapid base line that worked together.

Following Bomberger was the trio of Assistant Professor of Music Eduction Dr. Kevin Shorner-Johnson on euphonium, Associate Professor of Music and Director of Instrumental Studies Dr. Robert Spence on trombone and Assistant Professor of Music Dr. Justin Badgerow on the piano.

The piece they chose was “Tuba Mirum” from Requim in D Minor, K. 626 by W.A. Mozart. Shorner-Johnson and Spence’s rich brass sound accompanied Badgerow’s piano and flowed with perfect harmony.

Up next was Adjunct Instructor Paula Nelson on the flute, playing “Come Into My Garden” by John La Montaine. Badgerow accompanied her on the piano. This piece showcased the light, airy sound of Nelson’s range.

Adjunct Faculty Member Phyllis Drackley sang next on soprano and Scott Drackley accompanied on piano. Her piece was “O mio babbino caro” by Giacomo Puccini. The

piece is a romantic Italian aria based off of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy and is a movement of a work titled “Gianni Schicchi.” Drackley’s soaring soprano lines and moving vibrato with the accompaniment complimented the dynamic piece well.

Badgerow took the stage next. He first introduced himself and said that his pieces were from “down south,” meaning South America. The first piece started out “dynamic and tragic,” then the second switched to “lighten things up,” he said. The first piece, “Preludio Tragico,” by Mexican composer Manuel Ponce, lived up to Badgerow’s description as tragic, as he frantically pounded out the loud, heavy notes in a melancholy fashion. The second piece played by Badgerow, “Gingado de Bibi” by Paulo Gondim, certainly did lighten the mood. Badgerow’s performance tempo

“This faculty concert is always a great chance to see why we’re the students and they’re the teachers.”

~ Robert Codio seemed to bounce with the distinctly Brazilian rhythm.

To conclude the concert, a quintet of professors came onto the stage. Nelson was on flute, Adjunct Faculty Member Jill Marchione was on oboe, Adjunct Faculty Member Faith Shiffer was on clarinet, Adjunct Faculty Member Cheryl Staherski

was on horn and Adjunct Professor of Music Gail Ober was on bassoon. First, the group played two movements from the “Cumberland Suite” by Eric Ewazen. The first movement “Courante” flowed well as the melody was handed off between the five wind players in perfect time. The second piece, “Gigue,” was more energetic, but also flowed well between the performers.

The last piece the group performed was Astor Piazzolla’s “Libertango.” The piece was very high-energy and fast, sounding very wild and tango-like.

Junior Marissa Jones enjoyed this piece the most. “I think the quintet was my favorite piece in the last movement. It was just very energetic and full of life. It looked like they were having a great time,” she said.

Junior Jason Sandonato also commented on his concert experience. “I just like hearing the faculty perform. I think it’s cool to see them. It just makes it an honor to be one of their students,” he said. Junior Robert Codio said, “This faculty concert is always a great chance to see why we’re the students and they’re the teachers.”

Opinion

September 26, 2013

page 7

Campus retains friendly atmosphere despite ongoing changes Attitudes of respect and integrity continue to be social norms for campus community

by SAMANTHA WEISS

I

n the spring of my senior year of high school, my parents and I started touring the colleges on my list of prospective schools. We ran through the list, discussing possibilities as we went along.

One school was overwhelmingly large with no person-to-person interaction. One was in the middle of nowhere. One was significantly out of my price range. Another was too far away, and before I knew it, this was the one school left standing: Elizabethtown College.

Adding to its allure, I was awarded a scholarship to offset the tuition.

The number of students from my school planning on attending would be ten, including me. How could I get away from home if I was at a tiny college in a town similar to my own, with nine other students from my school?

All of this ran through my head as we arrived on campus for the first time. I decided that I didn’t like it. I didn’t need a tour. I didn’t want to go here. But I’d tour to appease my parents and then cross it off my list like all the others.

Then, I’d start again and then, I was convinced that I would find the right school, because this wasn’t it.

Before you criticize me for bashing our school, hear me out; I still hadn’t set foot on campus. I had worked everything out in my head to justify not attending, and for whatever reasons I had convinced myself to be right.

After getting lost, we were kindly directed to the Office of Admissions by who would have been my tour guide. He introduced himself, held the doors for us and set the stage for the manner of

people we’d come across on Etown’s campus. On our two-hour tour, the Jaywalker had said “hello” to numerous people, held doors for other students, thanked others for the same and exemplified the friendly atmosphere of the little campus. I wouldn’t say I was shocked by the polite gestures offered all over campus; I was surprised. I hadn’t pictured college as a warm and friendly place. That isn’t how the movies do it.

On the short tour, I had already gotten used to seeing someone hold a do or op en for a total stranger who was still a ways off or stopping on his way to class to talk to a classmate he hasn’t talked to in a while. It was so different from the large, impersonal school that I didn’t like. It was smack- dab in the middle of a community and near to three large cities. Tuition was expensive, but manageable. I was far enough to be away from home, yet close enough to calm my mother’s fears.

Maybe this little town, full of seemingly kind people, was exactly where I wanted to be. After less debate than I expected, I decided to attend. I was looking forward to a school where people knew ever yone’s names, and where stopping to greet a classmate was commonplace. Then I was struck with the fear that kindness was just for show or the sake of the tour.

Move-in day calmed all of my built-up anxiety. Other students greeted me, asked me my name, how I was doing, how was I feeling and what room they could help me move into. A few hours later, after finally getting settled into my dorm, our RA came into each room to introduce herself and see if there was anything she

could do for us. For the most part, the people here were like those we encountered on my tour.

Phew! That was a relief. I chose to come here almost entirely on the grounds that the campus created a feeling of family; you didn’t need to know everyone, but you could be sure that walking across campus would put you in the path of several people you knew, smiling and waving hello as you walked by.

Once the year started and the stress set in, I was again surprised to see that no student forgot the respect or helpfulness that I had come to associate with the campus. If you forgot your keys, someone would let you into the building. That is a

great way to meet people during the first few weeks. It did wonders for me. Doors were always held open, sometimes even before you were near the door. If you needed nearly anything, most neighbors’ doors were open.

Coming back for my sophomore year, I didn’t even think about the possibility of the campus attitudes changing. Clearly the addition of the first-year class and the loss of the senior class would change how the campus interacted, but I didn’t fear that it would change my opinion of the people in general. I hadn’t thought about how the dynamic would be altered when 500 or more new

students lived on campus with us.

If anything, I feel that the campus has grown warmer, perhaps even friendlier. The newest additions to the campus community seem to be comfortable with the family-like atmosphere here.

From what I have seen, they have joined our peer group families as easily as the previous classes. The manners of the whole population haven’t changed negatively. The culture of Etown: holding doors, waving to friends, smiling at strangers hasn’t declined with the turning of years. It has continued to flourish and maintained its reputation as a friendly place to live and learn.

Photo: Katie Brumbach

The Etown attitudes of friendliness, respect and integrity have not changed over the passage of time.These consistent, immutable values can be seen on the smiling faces of students and professors all across campus.

Apple releases new iPhone model: Is it worth the upgrade?

by TYLER FREEZE

“C

olor. Yet another reason to love iPhone.” This slogan is the pitch that Apple is using during the release of the new iPhone 5c. “c” standing for color in this instance. Now it would be ridiculous to assume that the only new feature about the 5c is the fact that you can now choose from five different colors rather than two. Along with the new color features and accessories that are being flaunted by Apple, the 5c will mark the release of iOS 7 as the latest operating system for all Apple devices. iOS 7 is boasting new features for Apple devices, such as the ability to multi-task, change ringer volume, fast forward, rewind and pause or play your favorite song.

The ever-looming question is whether or not it is worth buying the newest phone upgrades. Looking into the different iPhones and comparing them can shed some light on this question. The main aesthetic difference in the iPhone 4s, 5c, and 5s, is the various color schemes. The 4s comes in

white and black, the 5c has 5 different colors and the 5s has 3 new colors. Apart from aesthetics, the differences are the internal

“Some people enjoy upgrading to a new phone every year, and others, like me, do not. ...We must realize that it is not worth it, financially or practically speaking, to upgrade as often as we do.”

~ Tyler Freeze

components, such as the processing chips and the memory sizes. The newer models are supposedly faster and easier to use, complete with new gadgets and features that look cool on paper and appear fancy

the

Where is your favorite place to study?

Sound Off

“In my bed, under the covers!”

Beonca Brown ’16

and high-tech. Although, when you think about it, you don’t really need a Touch ID fingerprint identity sensor on your phone.

The new phones are getting fancier and more expensive because the manufacturers market phones that make people go crazy and feel like they must absolutely have the newest and best model of the similar phones. But do we really? Is it worth it to be spending upwards of 200 dollars every year or every other year just to have the latest gadget and newest phone, because that is the “cool” thing to do? No, it’s not worth it.

It’s not worth the money or hassle to buy the newest phone. The phones we have now are perfectly good; otherwise we wouldn’t have bought them in the first place. What do you really need in a phone? The ability to make calls and text, maybe check emails and social media sites and play a game or two. You don’t really need your phone to be a computer in the palm of your hand.

That’s what a computer is for.

I find it a waste to want and buy the newest phone simply because it’s newer.

The newest phone doesn’t do anything

Compiled by LEAH NISSLEY

“I like to study in the Study Cave.”

Ellen Wilson ’14

“I love studying in the Blue Bean.”

Emily Barnshaw ’16

for consumers who upgrade constantly, other than waste their money on pointless features that they probably won’t use as often as they think they will. The majority of people feel that it’s not worth it to be constantly upgrading their phones and yet continue to do it. Is it nature of habit?

They have always done it and will continue to do so even though they feel that it’s not the best course of action. Is it peer pressure and pressure from society? All their friends and family are upgrading their phones and bragging about how much faster and better the phone is, and so the consumer goes and upgrades to not feel excluded from the mix.

Everyone has their own reasons why they choose to upgrade. Personally, I have only upgraded my phone when the contract I held with my phone company allowed me to do so and I needed a new phone. I have upgraded my phone four times in the past nine years. Only recently have I gotten a so-called smartphone. I don’t need a new phone every year, or even every two years. I don’t particularly want a new phone either. I get used to the phone I have and I know how it works and what it can do. That is enough for me. I wouldn’t like being forced to get used to a new phone every year or so.

Be it Android or Apple, everyone has their preference for phones. Some people enjoy upgrading to a new phone every year, and others, like me, do not. Regardless of what category you fall into, we must realize that it is not worth it, financially or practically speaking, to upgrade as often as we do. Before upgrades were released as often as they are now, people would go several years without upgrading to a new phone simply because they didn’t need to. Some people might say that smartphones have begun to slowly make us less intelligent.

The question that remains is, what will you do when the newest phone upgrade comes out?

Opinion

page 8

Custom grading scales prepare Jays for future careers

by ABIGAIL PISKEL

September 26, 2013

PUT YOUR RECORDS ON On theTurntable: Lorde Genre: Electropop Rating: From beach-town teen to the verge of pop royalty, Lorde is making waves.

I

bet we all have heard it from our parents before, “Get good grades!” Sometimes I think parents forget what it was like to be in school, because getting those good grades is not always as easy as they make it out to be. With each new class that we take, we experience different professors, different expectations, different rules and even different ways of grading. Although we may not realize it at first, not every professor uses the same grading scale. When you think you have a “B” in one class because your average is an 83, that same 83 could be considered a “B-” in another class. I bet you really want to review all of your syllabi now, don’t you?

I imagine that by now we have all had that realization that we are not in high school anymore. Professors are not going to spoon-feed you everything; they are going to treat

“When we get into the workforce

and have our first major job, we will fully realize that we are being ‘graded’ or evaluated on our performance on all different levels, and definitely different than our other coworkers.”

you like the adult that you are. Part of being an adult is being challenged, and that is exactly what professors are going to do, whether that means giving you the hardest research paper imaginable, making you do a presentation every week or even change something as simple as a grading scale.

Should professors have this liberty of tweaking the grading scale to their own liking? My answer to that is: absolutely. Why, you may ask? Because, we are in college now and that is just a part of the experience. This is the time in our lives when we are going to take classes that test our limits and creativity. This is the point at which we are going to be treated as the unique individuals that we are. Should we not allow professors to have that same opportunity? They are the ones who are teaching the classes,

E

by ALEXA VISCARDI

lla Yelich-O’Connor, a 16-yearold, better known to you as Lorde, isn’t royalty — but her straightforward sound and poignantly perceptive lyrics are garnering attention as if she were. The singer-songwriter, who hails from New Zealand, is the daughter of a civil engineer father and poet mother. At age 12, she performed at her school’s talent show; later that year, the young singer was discovered by talent scouts who had seen her video from the performance.

By age 13, Yelich-O’Connor was signed to Universal Music, and by 14 was writing her own songs and

playing guitar.

Lorde, whose name is the feminized version of the aristocratic royal title, has made a name for herself in the pop arena with her first EP, The Love Club, which was released in March 2013. Her most recognizable hit on American radio, “Royals,” ranked most popular on alternative music charts this summer. In the song, Lorde calls out rappers for their emphasis on excessive consumerism: “Crystal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece, jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash.” While Lorde herself, could easily buy such luxuries, she continues on to sing that “that kinda luxe just ain’t for us.”

and they know exactly what they want. It should be up to them to decide how we are going to be graded.

Now I’m not saying that professors should take a huge leap with this different grading scale privilege. There should be a little bit of a boundary for what is considered an A to an F, and I think for the most part, grading scales are the same. Some professors may give you that A+ for your 93, but others will stick to their guns, and that 93 will be an A- and that’s okay because they are the ones with the fancy degrees that you don’t have just yet. Remember, this is what you are working for.

Dr. Matthew Skillen, assistant professor of English, and director of English education, has his own feelings towards the manner of grading. He said, “I generally oppose standardization in higher education. However, I like to encourage all teachers and professors to openly and routinely discuss their expectations with students,” Skillen said. “A greater sense of transparency in the classroom can help create better learning opportunities.”

I could not agree more with his statement. We are at a higher learning point in our lives, and part of that learning experience is understanding that we will always be graded, judged or evaluated on different levels depending on our performance. Professors and instructors should talk to their students about the expectations they have for their class, and most of them do. Remember when you weren’t paying attention as your professor was reading through their syl-

Lorde’s mature vocals on this track are reminiscent of Lana Del Ray’s, her smooth harmonies sounding like an a cappella group.

In her originally-released photo, Lorde sits unsmiling, donning a simple black gown and black boots against a black backdrop. Her long brunette hair rippling down in beachy waves, while her hand rests on the head of a brown dog; the pose mimics those in royal portraits from centuries gone by. With her raw talent and songs, I envision a long reign for Lorde at the top of the charts.

Lorde’s first full-length album, Pure Heroine, will be available for download tomorrow.

labus because you thought it was boring? I bet you wish you paid attention now.

The grading scales from the As and Bs only vary by a point or so, but I never really noticed it before. I always thought that I was being graded in the same way all of the time but it turns out that I’m not. Like most students, my grades are very important to me and I do not really mind that my professors do not all consider the 93 that I worked so hard for an A+. To me, having that difference in grading makes it more challenging to do the best that I can. There is no easy way out.

Once we grow up and leave college and enter the real world, I think we are going to look back and thank our professors and instructors for grading us differently. When we get into the workforce and have our first major job, we will fully realize that we are being “graded” or evaluated on our performance on all different levels, and definitely differently than our other coworkers. Does that seem fair?

No, not entirely, but by being graded differently in college, we are being prepared for the future.

Professors know what they are doing. They did not get their degrees and the title of “Dr.” for nothing. We should trust their judgment in the way they choose to grade us.

Although it may not always seem fair, we just have to remember that they were students, too. So make sure you listen to your parents and get those good grades, no matter what scale is used.

Personal computers might reveal details of lifestyle, personality

by MATTHEW WALTERS

W

hen I get back to my apartment after a long day of classes, activities and navigating Elizabethtown College’s gigantic campus, I usually do several of the same things out of habit. I greet my wonderful roommates with an elongated “Yo,” which would contain too many “o”s if written as spoken. I drop my backpack onto the floor of my room in the exact same spot — I can already see an indent forming in the carpet. I nab a can of ginger ale from the fridge, assuming that my roommates didn’t already guzzle down my staple beverage, which I halfheartedly pretend not to be annoyed about. And then I plop down at my desk chair and turn on my laptop, hearing the familiar hum as I eagerly transfix my gaze to the computer screen.

While I usually do some combination of the aforementioned activities upon returning to my roost each night, I make my way over to my computer every time without fail. Studies show that 99 percent of Etown students have their own laptop. Studies also show that I make up random studies to prove a point, but bear with me. Besides a pencil or pen, a student’s most-used possession is probably his or her laptop — already mentioned. A device that knows so much use also represents the very person who uses it. The bumper stickers on your car and the trinkets dangling from the mirror represent you. The style, store brand and smell of your clothes represent you. Plot twist: Your computer says a lot about you, too.

Before turning on your laptop or even lifting the lid, one can glean plenty of information about your computer and you.

Let’s start from the beginning. What model is your computer? Do you have a Windows computer because most other people seem to have one? Do you have a Mac and love to

tell people why your computer is better than theirs? Or are you the ultra-resourceful type who built your own hard drive? Surprisingly, this simple preference reveals a piece of your character.

Some people go the extra mile, decorating their computers with stickers and emblems to add even more character to them. Depending on the person, just from looking at his or her laptop cover, you can determine his or her favorite band, sports team or book series. Some emblazon their laptops with inspirational quotes, because laptop covers are where most people look for wisdom, of course. I have seen several laptops with individual words on them, like “love” and “peace,” as if to say, “Putting a sticker on my laptop is helping me promote this moral quality.” But there’s nothing wrong with a little creative license. Just be prepared for people to make assumptions about what they see.

Upon starting up your computer, you must enter a password to access the vault of treasures that is your laptop. Even your password says something about you. Is it the same password you use for everything else?

Uniformity must be important to you. Is your password a bunch of garbled nonsense that no one can figure out? Maybe you’re suspicious of people. Is it the name of your pet cat? Well, aren’t you sentimental? Is your password simply “password?” I guess your brain is just there for decoration, then.

Your background image is possibly the most telling element of your computer discussed thus far. What kind of image awaits you when your desktop finally appears onscreen? A picture of your significant other is a popular choice — it shows that you care.

A group picture of your friends makes a fine backdrop as well. An image of your favorite cartoon could lead to an, “Oh, I love that show, too!” or an “Oh… you watch that show?” depending on the person. If you find

images distracting, the default background works acceptably. Or, if you’re like me, you just pick one of the default backgrounds that comes with your computer. The lighthouse on the rocks looks right at home on my screen.

More than Natalie Portman, at least, for the short time that she was my background picture. Those were the days.

Some people’s backgrounds, however, are more obstructed than others. Say hello to your good old desktop icons! The organization and number of icons, believe it or not, may say some things about your work style.

Do you have a select few icons neatly organized into columns? You’re probably quite organized in general. Are dozens of icons splattered all over your screen, many of which you may never click on again? I’d hazard a guess that your room is in a similar state.

The list goes on and on: What Internet browser do you use? How bright is your screen setting? How much memory do you have open? All of these things say something about you, but who the heck cares? Everything you say, do and own has your nametag on it. Oftentimes, people will judge you for those things; pick out the minutest details or smallest circumstances to bash you for.

People love to make assumptions, and we all know what happens when we “assume.”

But what do the people who actually know you have to say about you? What do you have to say about yourself? These are the things that define who you are. Don’t let anyone else say othewise. Your computer — or anything you own — can never speak to your character. Inanimate objects aren’t very talkative, anyway.

Photo: Katie Brumbach

Your possessions, including what kind of computer you use, may lead others to make petty, face-value judgments about you.These uninformed assessments do not compare to the opinions of those who truly know you.Your computer doesn’t reflect your character.

Opinion

September 26, 2013

page 9

Laptops, tablets acceptable note-taking resources in class

by SKYE MCDONALD

T

here has been much debate as to whether or not students should be allowed to use laptops in class to type their notes. Some professors allow them, while others ban them for fear that students will abuse that liberty to waste class time on social media networks. Personally, as the owner of an iPad, I find much benefit of computer technology in the classroom through the use of applications.

Note-taking is also made more efficient with the ability to use a keyboard. True, some dissenters will argue that that is why students were taught cursive in elementary school, but it has become so obsolete now among today’s students that they resort to the slower print form of writing.

Economically, laptops are more efficient to use. Like the Smart Cars of today’s world, electricity is a growing enterprise. Why should students resort to countless pens and papers when they can use a laptop that will work faithfully for the next five years? Even in math and science classes, teachers use online exercises that fulfill the curriculum’s quota for the year. Some instructors supplant these activities for lectures, and in the end, the student will still receive the same grade.

However, there are disadvantages to allowing students Internet access in the classroom. Though a majority of students will use their technology for educational pur-

poses, some will use them to update their Twitter accounts, hashtag, “This class is so boring.” This very issue has provoked much debate, as instructors really have no idea what their students could be viewing on their laptops; however, sometimes leeway must be given in these situations.

Some students might argue that pen and paper is more beneficial to their overall grade than technology. Typing is just so easy and fast that students might have a hard time remembering facts, so professors banning this technology might prove to be helpful to the students after all.

I do believe that the advantages of typing notes outweigh the possibilities of distractions. We’re all adults here. It’s our decision alone as to whether or not we want to utilize our technology to benefit our learning experience at the college level or to hamper it. In addition, using the Internet on one’s personal technology can prove simpler than hauling notebooks and folders to class. Recently, my professor required us to view a document on Blackboard. Since my peers and I did not bring said document to class that day, we read it on our laptops, tablets and touch phones, working diligently all the same. It is all a matter of whether or not one is able to resist the temptation to play games during class time.

When one talks about technology, one must also consider those with behavioral disadvantages. Some students who are inept at typing or writing at the normal pace may require the use of “Dragon NaturallySpeaking.” This program is much like Apple’s “Siri,” in which the user can

DeNiro leads star cast in ‘The Family’

by JACOB WEBER

M

obsters have a way of dealing with problems the dirty, family way. They can’t help that it’s in their nature to do so with explosives, baseball bats or dragging someone behind a car. Mix that with dark comedy and family psychodynamics, and it becomes an intriguing mixture with memorable moments, known as “The Family.”

The film follows Giovanni Manzoni (Robert DeNiro) and his family as they make their way to Normandy as part of the Witness Protection Program. Giovanni is ratting out his other family (the mafia) to the Feds. Along with him is his ruthless wife, Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer), daughter Belle (Dianna Agron) and son Warren ( John D’Leo).

It is FBI agent Robert Stansfields’ (Tommy Lee Jones) job to keep the family alive. Rather than changing old habits, they have trouble keeping a low profile, which is why they are now referred to as the Blake family.

In an attempt to find peace and stability in remote Normandy, the Bl a kes hop e to avoid whacking every delivery man, blowing up buildings or funneling money through high school.

That’s just not a deal the Blakes can accept.

Upon arrival, Fred pretends to take the dog for a walk, but instead spends time digging a hole for one of his victims that was dead in the trunk during the trip. Maggie blows up the local supermarket because employees were talking badly about her behind her back. Belle beats a boy senseless for laying his hands on her and Warren turns into the crime kingpin at high school. But Fred? He decides to write his memoir.

He claims, “All my sadistic urges are satisfied when I hurt a person for a good reason.” So, he finds a lot of “good” reasons.

The book is used as a plot device to feed the viewers Fred’s story. However, the memoir is not the best idea for a man who has a $20 million bounty on him.

DeNiro’s role as a mob-

ster is quite familiar to him, but his work as a father plays perfectly in the movie. Fred feels guilty for the position he has put his family in, but they remain close despite the struggles. Belle tells him, “You’re the best dad anybody could ask for.” “Really?” responds Fred. “F*** yeah,” smiles Belle. Warren describes his father’s affection and personality by saying, “He could express the entire range of human emotion with just one word,” that being the “f-word.”

The movie originated from a screenplay written by director Luc Besson (“The Professional,” “The Fifth,” “The Lady”.) This is Besson’s first attempt at comedy, while trying to mix it into the mobster drama. The combination made keeping a consistent tone difficult because of the R-rated violence and humor.

The great actors and actresses made Besson’s first try at dark comedy a success. While DeNiro could have played the role of a mobster in his sleep, he delivered another great performance. Some of the

most hysterical moments happened when DeNiro’s character was venting his rage when he wasn’t instantly satisfied with the respect from his peers.

Michelle Pfeiffer was dealt an under written role, but did wonders with her time on the screen.

When Maggie cries, it’s difficult not to weep with her. Pfeiffer is no stranger to the role, given her experience as a mob wife in “Married to the Mob” and “Scarface.”

Luc Besson’s best work came in the final scenes of the movie when there was no comedy, all business and high-stakes scenes.

The humor escapes, guns are drawn and the action begins.

Overall, this humorous film is truly about a family that becomes closer in the midst of their struggles, like any other family tries to do throughout the trials and tribulations of life. While it is an unusual mixture of comedy and violence, it maintains a constant energy throughout. I would recommend this movie to almost anyone because of its sheer uniqueness.

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speak into their laptop to record their notes, or simply record their class lecture using an additional digital voice recorder. Recording applications are also available on tablets, which makes the daily note-taking task even more effortless.

Laptops and similar technology are most definitely useful to our students’ note-taking processes. Whether or not an individual actually prefers the use of such technology over the “old-fashioned” pen and paper is up to one’s personal learning methods. Generally, laptops allow students to take notes quickly while listening to the professor, and students can use search engines to pull up different resources.

Besides, most students already have Internet on their cell phones, so if our students were that distracted by Internet access, nothing notable in school would ever be accomplished. So, save that last level of Candy Crush for later, Blue Jays, and let’s get to work!

Average isn’t enough Excellence needed in the classroom

by ANDREW HERM

U

ntil my first year of college, I’d never heard the phrase “Cs get degrees.” Maybe I lived a sheltered life, but the first-year, doe-eyed me responded with a giggled “What?

Why, that’s silly! You’re quite comical, fellow classmate.” My mood quickly deteriorated when I was reassured that yes, that phrase is describing a common mindset experienced by college students, and that it’s true — people with Cs are allowed to graduate any level of school. I think I’d sooner commit hara-kiri than allow a C to show up on my transcript. I’m a bit of an exaggerator.

Now, don’t get me wrong: my aversion to that letter, C, particu-

up having a student who wants to be Picasso sitting in on marketing classes because he’s been getting bombarded with “What’re you going to do?” for the past eight years of his life. He hates marketing. A C will suffice. He’ll graduate, get a job — maybe — and everything will have gone according to plan. Except for the years of self-loathing that come along with doing something you don’t want to do.

For me, a lot of my issues with that path and aforementioned mindset come down to my parents, the two people who would and are bending over backwards so I can enter my sixteenth year of private schooling. Anything less than excellence would be an affront to them, the people making all of this possible. But I’m also aware of my

Photo: Katie Brumbach

An innate love of learning should inspire success in the classroom.

We owe it to our professors and ourselves to participate often.

larly in grade form, doesn’t transfer over to my wanting to be your friend; your C in Sanskrit or Calc III doesn’t mean you’re dead to me. No, this has more to do with my own personal code of academic commitment and drive, my refusal to accept anything less than excellent from myself and my endless pursuit of perfection. Keep in mind that all of those things will lead to serious psychological breakdowns in the depressingly near future. But that’s how I roll, in part because that’s how I want to, in part because I can’t stop myself.

So, in pointing out that my approach is different than some of yours, dear readers, and acknowledging that mine is chock-full of flaws, we can come to an understanding that for you and me, it’ll never work if “Cs get degrees” is your philosophy. It’s not you, it’s me.

If you’ve returned back to reading after bad-mouthing me to your friends, will you at least let me defend myself? I’m not trying to seem like an elitist jerk; this isn’t about measuring one another with grades. At its core, I think it’s about respect: for yourself, whoever pays your bills, your professors and then, in turn, your peers.

Having students follow their dreams is a large enough issue already. I’ve met too many people here who are studying X so they can get job Y. Why? Because, well, you know, there aren’t a lot of jobs out there, so why not go for something you think is secure? We end

limitations, whether it be a lack of skill or interest, which would lead me down the slippery slope of, “Whatever, this is a means to an end. Gimme that C and degree.”

Respect for faculty and classmates should be a no-brainer, right?

Listen, participate, be engaged during class: you know, the things you’re taught around first grade. But time and time again we run into the issue of a professor prompting the class with a question to be met with silence. Because you don’t want to be there. You don’t care. It’s 8 a.m.

I suppose to wrap up what may come across as preaching is a request, a special favor. On your way to class, while you’re in class and after class, take a second to think about why you’re here. If you come to the conclusion that you’re here because college is something you think you should or were told you should be doing, and you’re okay with that, then no one can tell you otherwise, and I hope it works out for you. If you’re someone who can spell out exactly why it is they’re here, and you find yourself getting hyped up just thinking about it, then congratulations — you’ve done it.

If you’re in that third camp that wants to be here, but you’re not really sure why, so you think you’ll just kind of do that one thing you think makes the most sense, STOP. You’re two-thirds of the way there, because it’s awesome knowing you want to be a college student. Otherwise, you’re just wasting your own time.

page 10

Sports

september 26, 2013

Volleyball team looks to improve overall record after unsuccessful Blue Jay Classic

in Etown athletics...

The volleyball team (10-7) continued its success in conference play with a victory over Widener University last night. In the match, the Blue Jays won 3 sets to 1. This brings the team’s in-conference record to 4-0.

The men’s soccer team went down twice this past week, dropping their record to 1-5-2 this season. On Sunday, Sept. 22, the Blue Jays fell to Misericordia University 2-0. Last night, they suffered a X-X defeat at the hands of Susquehanna University.

Women’s soccer had a rough week losing both games on their slate, falling to 4-5 for the season. The Blue Jays lost a close game with Haverford College in overtime, 1-0. Last night, the Blue Jays fell to undefeated Misericordia University, X-X. Women’s field hockey went 1-1 this week, losing 5-1 against third ranked Salisbury University on Saturday, Sept. 21. They bounced back to beat York College 6-1 to improve their record to 4-3 on the season.

The golf team participated in the Franklin & Marshall Fall Invitational on Monday, never finding their stroke, finishing 16th out of 19 teams.

in the NCAA...

On Tuesday, the NCAA reduced the historic sanctions against Penn State’s football program by steadily restoring scholarships starting next year. Penn State faced a 65-scholarship cap starting in 2014, but will now have 75 scholarships available for the 2014 season. In 2015, they will have 80 scholarships, and by 2016, Penn State will have the full allowance of 85 scholarships at their disposal.

In other college football news, the top 14 teams in the Associated Press top 25 rankings remained the same as the previous week’s rankings with Alabama and Oregon numbers one and two respectively.

in the pros...

On Monday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates clinched their first playoff appearance in 21 years when they defeated the New York Mets 2-1. The win wrapped up at least a wild card spot for the Pirates, but they can still catch the St. Louis Cardinals for the division title.

The Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks continued their dominance this past weekend and both improved to 3-0 for the season. The San Francisco 49ers and the St. Louis Rams will play tonight, Sept. 26, in the Thursday Night Football Game.

The NHL season officially opens up play on Tuesday, Oct. 1 with three games on the schedule. The Philadelphia Flyers open their season Wednesday, Oct. 2 at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Photo: David Sinclair

Despite their struggles in the Days Inn Blue Jay Classic, the volleyball team still holds a perfect conference record (4-0) as they head into the remainder of their competitions.The Blue Jays are scheduled to compete in the Gettysburg Tri-Match on Sept. 28.

by PAIGE PRESTON

E

lizabethtown College women’s volleyball team had a very competitive two days this past Friday and Saturday.

The Blue Jays swept Rochester University 3-0 on Friday, Sept. 20 in Thompson Gymnasium. They led for part of the match against York College, before a disappointing loss of 3-1. On Saturday, the Blue Jays faced Stockton College and the game ended 3-0, with the win going to Stockton. Saturday afternoon, Cairn University slid by with the win after a close game, with a score of 3-2.

Head Coach Randall Kreider’s main goal for this season’s Etown women’s volleyball team is to reach the conference championship match in November. He believes that this team has the capability to reach the championships with a stronger defense than in years past; improvement that is sure to help the team become a contender.

Kreider is confident that the leadership skills from senior Carolyn Lukiewski and the junior class will help carry the team to their goal. Lukiewski has set a personal goal for herself this season to be the best libero in the MAC conference. As a senior, she believes that it is extremely important for her to act as a responsible and respectable leader for all of her teammates. Lukiewski believes that their closest competition this season will be Messiah College and Lebanon Valley College. She said that, “there has been an ongoing rivalry for both teams [Messiah and LVC], it is important that Etown shows them our skills and beat them, seeing as this is our last year playing in the MAC conference.”

Lukiewski is very excited for the team this year and believes that there is potential to meet the goals that the coaches and team have made for themselves. Lukiewski is excited about the matches, because they improve the team’s skills and chemistry throughout the season.

Last year, Etown lost in the semi-finals to Messiah.

Lukiewski said that the Blue Jays are “fully capable of redeeming ourselves this year and winning MACs.” The sweep against Rochester on Friday showcased the Jays’ grit after losing to York earlier that day. Sophomore Juliana Mowen and junior Kelci Scannapieco slammed 19 kills between them. Another contributor was sophomore Abby Thrift with eight, while Lukiewski and sophomore Brynne Kirsch came up with 25 digs.

Sophomore Shannon Deck put away two service aces.

Sophomore Mary Clyne added to the domination of Rochester with 25 assists.

Saturday was a tough day for the ladies. They were swept by Stockton in the early match (3-0). Cairn also proved difficult with a five set nail-biter of a match winning 3-2. Despite many career high individual statistics being posted by the Jays on Saturday, it was the day for Stockton and Cairn to come out on top.

The team competed again Widener University during a home match on Tuesday, Sept. 24. The team won 3-0, which brought their conference record to 4-0 and 10-7 overall.

Last year, the Jays finished third in the championships behind Stevenson and Messiah, which placed Etown in third place in the 2013 Commonwealth Conference Volleyball Preseason Poll. There’s a lot of season left before championships and every game, set and match will only further hone the skills of our already finely tuned team.

Field hockey begins preparation for first MAC competition

by CATHERINE WILSON-MARTIN

I

t’s been an up and down season for this year’s Elizabethtown College field hockey team. With a season record of 4-3, the team is confident about continuing their current season.

The season commenced with a 2-1 loss to Franklin & Marshall College, ranked seventh in the NCAA Division III standings, followed by a 7-4 loss to Eastern University.

Despite two tough losses, the team came back strong, beating Catholic University 3-2 and shutting out Delaware Valley 5-0.

After beating Muhlenberg College at home, 2-1, for their third win in a row, the team was feeling pretty positive.

“The season so far has been pretty good,” junior Kendra Hudson said. “We started off a little rocky, but we’ve come back.”

The team was riding high on a winning streak, until their loss against Salisbury University, ranked number three in the nation, on Saturday, Sept. 21. The team came out strong, scoring the first point of the game. The first half ended with a score of 1-1.

In the second half, Salisbury came out blazing, scoring four unanswered points, leaving the final score 5-1.

“We came out so strong,” junior Marissa Sneeringer said. “We had a strong first half, but we got down in the second half and couldn’t come back from it.”

Junior Kaylee Werner also expressed her disappointment with the final score of the game. “It was frustrating. We definitely had the ability to beat them. Things just didn’t go our way.”

With a previous season record of 14-6, the Blue Jays are making sure that this season is a strong one. They are working on team unity and other skills. “We’re working together and getting gradually better,” Werner said.

Despite the tough start, the team is feeling strong. They have bonded together as a team, worked hard and now it’s just a matter of execution during the games. “We started out with a lot of tough games,” Sneeringer said. “But now we’re able to mesh better as a team.”

Their dedication to each other and the game has made the Jays a very close-knit team. On and off the field, they work together and support each other, despite the loss of some good players last season.

“We’re like a family,” Werner said. “If someone from the other team is messing with one of us, we’ll all go after them. It really is exactly like a family.”

Due to the strength of the team, both in skill and spirit, the players are confident about the rest of the season. “I think we’re playing well, but I think we could play better,” said Hudson.

“We can’t really know how the rest of the season is going to go,” Werner added. “But I think it’s going to go really well.”

Because this is the team’s last year in the conference, the team is also hoping to win a MAC championship. “We’ve made it to the championships before, and I think we have the same chances this year. I believe we could make it there,” Werner said.

The team added another win to their record on Tuesday, Sept. 24 against York

College. The final score was 6-1.

Overall, the team is looking forward to the rest of the season. Even though the record is even, the team has the potential to be successful this season.

“I think we haven’t played our best game yet,” Hudson said. “They better look out for when we do.”

Photo: Athletics Department

The field hockey team rebounded from their loss against no. 3 Salisbury University with a 6-1 win over York College on Tuesday, Sept. 23 to improve their record to 4-3 this season.The Blue Jays will now begin in-conference play as they take on Arcadia University on Saturday, Sept. 28.

Sports

september 26, 2013

page 11

Will the influx of small-market playoff teams change the way MLB manages rosters?

by ADAM MOORE

T

he Pittsburgh Pirates have made the playoffs. Yes, you read that last sentence correctly. The Pirates have made the playoffs for the first time in over two decades.

The last time the Buccos made the playoffs, Johnny Carson was still hosting The Tonight Show, Bill Clinton was elected president for the first time and “Unforgettable” by Irving Gordon was the song of the year.

Many baseball experts and fans saw this coming. The Pirates had an admirable 2012 season, finishing with a record of 79-83.

They brought back a large nucleus of their team for another season. The team looked like a perfect mix of wise veterans and rising young stars like center fielder Andrew McCutchen.

From the beginning of the season, it was evident that the past year was not a fluke.

Pittsburgh was as hot in the first half of the season as any team in baseball. It looked as if the Pirates would run away with the National League Central crown.

To the dismay of many Pittsburgh fans, this did not happen. Like many teams do in the second half, the Pirates hit a snag, mounting up a few losses. As the Pirates cooled off, the St. Louis Cardinals heated up, bumping Pittsburgh down to second place in the division.

The Pirates just happen to be in one of the most competitive leagues in baseball.

But never fear Pirates fans. Despite the

competitiveness of the Central, the Buccos clinched at least a wildcard berth with their victory over the Chicago Cubs on Monday.

Not only did the Pirates solidify their spot to play October baseball, but they also made sure that they would have a winning record for the first time since 1992.

The Pirates have had a tough time competing with teams around the league over the years. You could make a case for a multitude of reasons for this lack of success.

It could be bad moves made by general managers and higher-up. You could say that Photo: Pittsburgh Post Gazette players have just not performed to their The Pittsburgh Pirates celebrate after their playoff-clinching win against the Chicago potential. But one of the biggest reasons that Cubs on Monday.The Pirates are among a number of smaller market teams that have most people say that the Pirates haven’t had recently made the playoffs. success is because they haven’t spent the big their rosters. Oakland signed Cuban standout It has been evident over the past few bucks on premium free agents.

Other teams, like the New York Yankees Yoenis Cepedes to a multi-million dollar seasons that spending money does not and Texas Rangers, have broken the bank deal two off-seasons ago. The Pirates made automatically make you a playoff-caliber over the years when it comes to spending moves prior to this season’s trade deadline team. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim money on free agents. However, many teams to solidify both the offensive and defensive and the Texas Rangers have spent more sides of the ball by trading for Justin money in the past two off-seasons on only just do not have the assets to do the same.

But there seems to have been a shift in how Morneau and Marlon Bryd. The Royals a small number of players than some teams teams are managing their roster in recent also made a move, trading some of their top do on their entire roster.

The Angels, after signing Josh Hamilton years. Each season more and more teams prospects to get staff-ace David Price.

I’m not saying that teams should just and Albert Pujols for an almost combined are making the playoffs without spending every penny they have on supposedly “top” throw mid-range players out on the field one billion dollars, have been one of the and have high hopes of making the playoffs. worst teams in baseball this season. The free agents.

Teams like the Oakland Athletics have What I am saying is that you don’t necessarily Rangers, who spent a large sum of money made the playoffs the past two seasons need to have an entire team of all-stars. It adding and resigning players look like they’re without overloading their payroll. Even a seems like the Pirates style of baseball will on the outside looking in this season.

So, congratulations Pittsburgh. It looks team like the Kansas City Royals were in become the norm around the MLB; develop young talent through your farm system and like you’ll be a playoff contender for years to playoff contention this year.

Now this is not to say that the A’s and then sign a few special high-price talents that come. But beware; Other teams may begin to use your formula for success.

Pirates have not spent money to improve will get you over the hump.

Golf team ties for tenth place at Gettysburg FROM NEWS PAGE 1 Fall Invitational, Laudeman finishes second First-years make

career debuts; returning players lead by example

Clay’s tournament ended with a quarterfinal loss to Stephanie Hunter of Methodist University, 8-5.

Junior Nicole Snitzer, had a strong outing, winning her quarterfinal match over Washington College’s Amy Stevens, 8-1. This victory propelled Snitzer to the Blue 6 Singles final four.

Snitzer eventually fell in the

Photo: Athletics Department

The golf team followed up an impressive showing at the Gettysburg Fall Invitational with a subpar performance at the Franklin & Marshall Fall Invitational. The team’s next tournament will take place on Sunday, Sept. 29 and Monday, Sept. 30 at the Susquehanna Invitational.

by KYLE FARKAS

E

lizabethtown College’s golf team recently competed at the Gettysburg Fall Invitational. Junior Ryan Laudeman shot his best round of the fall and tied for runner-up, helping the Jays tie for tenth place as a team. The Invitational was held at the Bridges Golf Club on Thursday, Sept. 19.

Laudeman’s one-over-par score of 73 was enough to finish one stroke back of the leader, Steven Tanen of McDaniel C ollege.

L au d e m a n w a s a b l e t o register his first top-five finish of this season and his third second place tie of his career. These ties came along with a first place tie and two outright wins in his time at Etown.

Laudeman was able to lower

his career average to a 77.9 with the outstanding round and dropped his season average to 76.0.

First-year Austin Bennett turned in the second-best s c ore c ard for t he Jay s , making his Blue Jay debut.

He scored an 81 (+9) in a tie for 36th with Gettysburg’s Morgan Arturi. Fellow firstyear Chuck Johnston tied for 52nd with a score 86 (+14) while Dan Sheppard recorded an 89 (+17) as the final scorer for the Jays.

While McDaniel’s Steven Tanen won the individual t i t l e , h e p ro p e l l e d t h e Green Terror to a combined 301 (+13), a three-shot victory over the Franklin & Marshall Diplomats. The top five was rounded out with York College, Messiah College and Susquehanna University. Etown recorded a 329 (+41) to tie Stevenson.

However, the Jays were not as lucky as they moved into the weekend. The twoday Franklin & Marshall Fall Invitational saw struggles for the team on the Bent Creek Country Club course.

Laudeman and first-year Kyle Hakun were the top finishers at the event in a tie for 60th, both with rounds of 85 (+14). York teammates Ke v i n L ong and D av i d B osloug h and Fran k li n & Marshall’s Jared Brown shot 1-under-par for the invitational, 15 shots ahead of the Etown duo. Johnston finished one shot back from his fellow Blue Jays with an 86 (+15) while sophomore Adam Amspacher shot an 88 (+17).

The York Spartans were driven into the lead by their two top scorers, both shooting under par. The Spartans captured the team

title with a combined 302 (+18) to give them a four stroke lead over Messiah.

The Diplomats of Franklin & Marshall finished in the top three, with Rutgers University-Camden and St e v e n s on Un i v e r s it y placing fourth and fifth respectively.

The top teams were in a close race to the end, separated by only eight s t ro k e s . T h e B lu e Jay s s cored a combined 360 (+44), finishing 16th.

Etown is looking forward to turning it around this coming weekend at the Susquehanna Invitational.

The two-day event will occur on Sunday, Sept. 29 and Monday, Sept. 30. The Blue Jays will finish their fall season on Thursday, Oct. 3, with the Etown Fall Blue Jay Classic at the Hershey Links.

Final after having a bye in the quarter final round.

Pellegrino defeated Virginia Wesleyan College, 8-3. The junior will look to continue h e r d om i n an c e on t h e court have an impressive sophomore season where she finished with a record of 15-5. Pellegrino was also 23-4 in doubles matches last season.

After winning last year’s Commonwealth Conference Championship, Etown wanted to have a strong showing in their first tournament, and they did not disappoint. semifinals to Jessie Mitchell of Bridgewater College, 8-4.

Snitzer also helped the Blue Jays get their first doubles victory along side senior Adriana Scotto. The duo defeated RandolphMacon’s Kelsie Grice and Caty-Betz Holcomb by a score of 8-5. The E-town teammates made it to the semifinal round.

Junior Christine Evangelista, despite her first round loss, played well on the second day of competition. Evangelista won a match in the C h a mp i o n s h i p S i n g l e s consolation draw. To do s o she d e fe ate d R oby n Himelstein of Haverford College, 8-6, in the third round of play.

Another junior, Kaitlyn Pellegrino, won a pair of matches Sunday to win the Blue 2 Singles Consolation

Photo: Athletics Department

The women’s tennis team will end the fall season at the MAC Individual Championships on Oct. 5 and 6.

Sports

page 12

September 26, 2013

Women’s soccer finishes non-conference schedule with 5-4 record

Program to enter MAC play, prepares to host Albright College on Ira Herr Field Oct. 5

by BRIAN LUKACSY

T

he Elizabethtown women’s soccer team was searching for their fourth win in a row last Wednesday, Sept. 18 against Moravian College. Both the Blue Jays and the Greyhounds came into the game with a 3-3 record, each looking to raise their record above .500 for the first time all season.

Through the first 50 minutes of the game, the two teams looked as evenly matched as their identical records stated. However, in the blink of an eye, Etown turned into the team that has outscored its opponents 12-1 over its last three games.

Sophomore Kaceyanne Cerankowski broke away from her defender in the fifty-first minute and found the back of the net for her first goal of the season, giving the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead. After Cerankowski’s goal, the offensive

output over the next ten minutes seemed contagious. Two minutes later, senior Alyssa Koplin scored her second goal of the season off an assist from sophomore Lauren Berry.

Over the next eight minutes, Berry decided to get in on the scoring herself, tallying twice to extend the Jays’ lead to 4-0. For 80 minutes of Wednesday’s game, neither team could score.

Those other ten minutes proved to be the difference in Etown’s decisive 4-0 victory over the Greyhounds. Berry has scored eight goals in seven games this year for a 1.14 goals per game mark. Cerankowski also assisted on one of Berry’s goals to go along with a goal of her own. First-year Morgan Chambers tallied her first assist of her career on Berry’s other goal.

Sophomore goalie Dana Robidoux played all 90 minutes for the third game in a row, recording her second shutout in the last three games. Ro-

Men’s soccer combats losing streak with 3-1 win over Susquehanna

by BRIAN LUKACSY

T

he Elizabethtown College men’s soccer team (1-4-2) failed to score a goal for the fourth straight game and fell to the Misericordia University Cougars (5-2) 2-0 on Sunday, Sept. 22.

The team travelled to Misericordia University on Sunday to play the Cougars in a game that was originally scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 21 but was postponed for 24 hours. The Blue Jays went into the game with a record of 1-3-2, facing Misericordia’s 4-2 record. Etown looked to end their winless streak at four games, while Misericordia looked to rebound from their 1-0 loss to the University of Scranton, a team that Etown fought to a 2-2 draw in their first game of this season.

Etown junior goalkeeper Justin Signora started in goal for the Blue Jays, making his third start of the season. He managed eight saves on 21 shots, bringing his total to 16 saves this season.

First-year forward Jeff Light recorded his first shot of the season and followed it up with five more, three on frame, but was unable to get one past Cougars goalkeeper Barry Fitzgerald, who recorded his fourth shutout of the season. Etown junior David Boretti also had six shots, three on target. The Blue Jays had a seasonhigh of 26 shots.

The Cougars got on the board in the sixteenth minute when junior Rob Wiacek converted a header goal off of a corner kick from senior Dennis Halpin. Early in the second half, Misericordia added an insurance goal on another header, this time by junior Nick von Egypt, who scored his second goal on 24 shots this season, from a pass by senior David Stoner.

The Blue Jays have never beaten

the Cougars. Etown has lost all three meetings between the two schools in 2011, 2012 and now 2013. Misericordia has won the Middle Atlantic Conferences’ Freedom Conference the past two years. They currently have the third best record in the Freedom Conference. The Blue Jays, on the other hand, have the worst record in the MAC Commonwealth Conference, having won only one game so far this season, but the Blue Jays have had a tough early schedule.

They have faced three nationallyranked teams in the first seven games and held their own in all three. They forced two games to draws and lost only one of the three.

Last Wednesday, Sept. 18, Etown lost to Neumann University 1-0. The Blue Jays controlled the game in every way, except in goals. Etown outshot the Knights 23-9 and had seven corner kicks to Neumann’s three. The Blue Jays were unable to find the back of the net and Knights goalkeeper Alex Lacko recorded his third clean sheet of the season. Neumann midfielder Mike Atallian scored in the twenty-second minute and, despite multiple attempts at goal, including a thirty yard blast from junior forward Dylan Sisler that rattled the crossbar, the Blue Jays ultimately continued to struggle to get themselves on the scoresheet.

However, the Blue Jays were able to put an end to their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over Susquehanna University during their home game yesterday, Sept. 25. Firstyear Brent Batory scored the team’s first goal of the game, which was followed by Boretti’s first two goals of the season.

The team will play Wilkes University, their final non-conference opponent, on Sept. 28 at 3:30p.m. before hosting their first conference matchup against Albright College next Saturday, Oct. 5, at 7p.m.

Sept. 26

Sept. 27

bidoux has allowed just one goal in her last 315 minutes in the net for the Blue Jays over their four-game win streak.

“In the past few games, I have tried to be more relaxed and confident in the goal,” Robidoux said.

“The team as a whole has also been playing better in the past few games, which automatically makes a keeper look better, so it’s not just my play, but the team’s play that has improved and become more effective.”

With Robidoux’ solid play in goal the last four games for the Blue Jays, it looks like she will be the starter when conference play rolls around next week.

“As far as being the permanent starter for the season, no one’s starting position is ever permanent,” Robidoux said. “Being a part of the past three wins has helped my confidence, but I know that I need to keep working hard at every practice to keep my starting spot and to stay sharp for the team.”

Robidoux got the starting position again when Etown hosted Haverford College on Saturday, Sept. 21 and was brilliant for another 90 minutes.

Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, their first overtime game of the season did not go the way they had hoped it would. A goal in the fourth minute of sudden-death overtime by Haverford’s Phoebe Miller broke the 0-0 tie and gave the visiting Black Squirrels their first victory of the season.

Haverford’s experience in overtime seemed to be the difference in the game. The Black Squirrels have played four overtime games so far this season, compiling a 1-0-3 record in those contests. The loss broke Etown’s four-game

The women’s soccer team completed their non-conference play yesterday with a 1-0 victory over Misericordia.

winning streak and dropped their record to 4-4 for the season.

Robidoux did all she could to keep the game scoreless, collecting six saves on the afternoon. Junior Kendra Mancino also came up big on defense for the Jays, stopping virtually every scoring chance for Haverford through regulation.

Etown’s offense was only able to register three shots on goal all game.

All three were good scoring opportunities that were turned away by Haverford goalie Robin Chernow.

The Blue Jays finished their non-

conference schedule with a win while hosting No. 7 Misericordia University yesterday, Sept. 25. The final score of 1-0.

“We are still just as disciplined at practice, because we know we have to keep working hard and pushing each other in order to get better and be ready for the competition in conference play,” Robidoux said.

Etown will open up their Middle Atlantic Conference schedule when they host Albright College on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Ira R. Herr Field starting at 4:30 p.m.

Athlete of the Week RYAN LAUDEMAN

by ADAM MOORE Junior golfer Ryan Laudeman continued his impressive fall campaign this past week with his best finish to date at the Gettysburg Invitational at Bridges Golf Club. In the competition, Laudeman shot a 73 (+1), tying him for second overall in the tournament. Etown’s No. 1 golfer has placed in the top ten of a tournament 16 times in his career.

Photo: Athletics Department

In 10 years, I want to be … running my own CPA firm.

Hardly anyone knows that...

I have a twin sister.

Favorite Etown Memory: last year’s Halloween Greatest Etown accomplishment: winning the Glenmaura National 2-Day Invitational Greatest golf accomplishment: winning my county match play championship I started playing golf at age...

Major: Accounting Hometown: Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania Favorite athlete/sports team: Philadelphia Eagles Favorite Jay’s Nest item: crispy chicken quesadilla Favorite movie: Billy Madison Favorite musician/band: Mike Stud Favorite place to visit: Arizona

Sept. 28 @ Arcadia Gettysburg Tri-Match

TM

Photo: Robert Graham

Sept. 29 @ Susquehanna

12.

Sept. 30 @ Susquehanna

Oct. 1 vs. Widener

Oct. 2 @ Juniata @ LVC

@ York