FEATURES ‘Diversity of Pro-Life Movement” event sparks abortion debate | PAGE 5 SPORTS Track and field competes against Division I talent | PAGE 11
The Etownian
www.etownian.com
Vol. 110. Issue 18
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Nolt joins Gorman as co-head coach OCD Moosh and Twist by KIERAN MCCORMICK
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Photo: Athletics Department
Assistant Coach Veronica Nolt will join Sherri Gorman as a co-head coach for the women’s basketball team next season. The Blue Jays went 20-5 this past winter.
e ron i c a Nolt h a s been promoted to the position of head c o - c o a ch , a l ong s i d e Coach Sherri Gorman, of Elizabethtown College’s women’s basketball team. Director of Athletics Nancy Latimore announced Nolt’s promotion on March 20.
to perform during TGIS by MARGARET KRAUSS
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oing face paint, having food trucks, carnivals, Lake Placida races and a concert were some of the ideas that students suggested for this year’s Thank
Activities (OSA) listened. At the end of this month, the campus will celebrate its 40th annual TGIS event by bringing musical duo OCD: Moosh & Twist to Etown. The two 20-year-old Philadelphia natives, DeQuincy “Moosh” Coleman McRae and
SEE NOLT PAGE 3
Melica, Vocalign compete at ICCAs at Rutgers Univ. by BRIAN LUKACSY
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wo of Elizabethtown College’s a capella groups, Melica and Vocalign, traveled to Rutgers University on Saturday, March 29 to compete in the semi-finals of the 2014 International Championship of A Cappella (ICCA). Neither Melica nor Vocalign placed in the top three, resulting in neither group moving onto the finals. SEE ICCA PAGE 3
Photo: Facebook.com
OCD Moosh & Twist will be performing on campus during TGIS. DeQuincy “Moosh” Coleman McRae and Oliver “Twist” Feighan are 20-year-old natives of Philadelphia, Pa. that will perform in the KAV.
Courtesy Photo
Melica competed, along withVocalign, at the ICCA’s at Rutgers University on Saturday.The groups did not place high enough to continue to the next level.
Jays present at Ecological Society of America meeting by BRIAN LUKACSY
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n Saturday, seven students traveled to College Park, Mar yland to attend the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Ecological Society of America (ESA) meeting. Five students, seniors Abby Steele, Hannah Brubach, Lauren Breza, Jeff Royer and Brandon Costik, worked alongside Dr. Thomas Murray on research that they presented at the University of Maryland. Two other students, senior Stephen Smith and junior Alexandra Doran, worked with Dr. David Bowne and presented research on his national scale project, “TurtlePop.” Steele, Br ubach and Breza worked with Murray on his research project regarding the restoration of Conewago Creek. The project
was called “Conewago Creek Assessment: Determining the State of Impairment in an Agricultural Watershed.” Royer and Costik worked with Murray on research involving nutrient dynamics and water quality improvements within Lake Placida. “Lake Placida is a eutrophic lake-biologically active-and has large amounts of nutrient loading coming into the lake, so we decided to measure the nutrient contents coming in and out of it,” Royer said. “This research is important because many strategic plans initiated by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) strive to reduce the contributions of sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus entering the Chesapeake Bay.”
Goodness It’s Spring (TGIS) event. The student body tweeted suggestions, and the Office of Student
Oliver “Twist” Feighan, are an up-and-coming musical duo. SEE OCD PAGE 3
Sexual Assault Awareness Month prompts activism across campus by NOEL ABASTILLAS
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t u d e n t We l l n e s s h a s co ordinate d many e vents for Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month (SAAM). The month of April is designated as such to raise public awareness and educate communities on how to prevent sexual violence. Amanda Cheetham, the health educator for Student Wellness, coordinated many of the events. According to Cheetham, the
national movement serves as a chance to, “raise awareness for sexual assault and its prevalence on college campuses, inform students of what they can do to prevent sexual assault, how they can report sexual misconduct and to let survivors know that there is support.” Most importantly, Cheetham wants students to know that informed students have the “power to prevent sexual assault.” Cheetham hopes these events will help “reduce the number of sexual assaults that occur by
working with students to prevent them from happening.” Dale Boyer, assistant director of campus security, hopes that the events will lead to the “better education for men and a greater awareness for women on the issue, better clarification on what exactly constitutes assault and better communication between men and women regarding each other’s limits, expectations or values in a relationship.” SEE ASSAULT PAGE 2
Scotto delivers 100th career combined victory; tennis team defeats Scranton
SEE ESA PAGE 2
Honor societies prepare to induct new members by ANDREW CALNON
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any Elizabethtown College academic departments are associated with national honor societies. These societies accept exceptional students based on academic grades and extracurricular activities. The Etown departments that are associated with national honor societies are business, biology, occupational therapy, history, social work, psychology, sociology and anthropology, mathematics, political science and education. The religious studies, modern languages, computer science and English departments don’t currently have national honor societies but hope to be associated with them in the next few years. The requirements for each honor society vary by department. The business department is associated with the Delta Mu Delta and Epsilon Phi societies. Dr. Sylvester Williams, associate professor of business law and business department chair, said the top 20 percent of business students are invited to join the society, which currently has 60 members. The business department holds an annual Delta Mu Delta induction ceremony. SEE HONORS PAGE 2
Photo: Athletics Department
Senior Adriana Scotto registered her 100th career combined victory in a No. 2 doubles win with sophomore Lauren Berry. The win came against the University of Scranton on Monday afternoon. Scotto started her career at Cabrini College, compiling a record of 50-12 SEE SPORTS PAGE 11 while playing for the Cavaliers.
News
page 2 ESA PAGE 1
April 3, 2014 HONORS PAGE 1
Bowne, Murray assist ecological research High-achievers work
toward honor society induction, recognition
Courtesy Photo
Students traveled with Dr. David Bowne and Dr.Thomas Murray to attend the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Ecological Society of America meeting, which was held at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 29.
Smith and Doran worked on TurtlePop, which was sponsored by the Ecological Research as Education Network (EREN). It allowed for a collaboration of data across a wide range of institutions. “The project itself looked to investigate the effects of road density on turtle mortality rates,” Smith said. “We hypothesized that an increase in road density surrounding a body of water will lead to a larger number of female turtles being killed within that population. We are looking to see if this is true on a
national scale.” The students presented their research to fellow undergraduate and graduate students, as well as professors, from Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. “The ESA meeting was a great event to attend for any environmental-minded individual,” Royer said. “Meeting other students and learning about their research was also an interesting experience.” The ESA event will be hosted by Etown next year. However, it will not necessarily be held on campus.
ASSAULT PAGE 1
Clothesline project shares survivors’ experiences Boyer defines sexual assault as “the unwanted touching or fondling of areas considered private of another person against his or her will using force, threat or intimidation” “ Tw o i n d i v i d u a l s w e r e investigated for violations of the College’s sexual misconduct policy during the spring 2014 semester, but the complaints were determined to be unfounded,” Boyer said. The amount of reported sexual assault and misconduct on campus var ies e ach ye ar, but campus security has reported that “we realize that most men would never consider committing an assault or rape. However, the individuals who frequently do commit these offenses are repeat offenders or serial offenders. If this is the case, then it is possible to have one person on a campus responsible for several incidents.” According to Boyer, alcohol was a major factor in about 80 percent of the reported incidents; most often both the man and woman consumed alcohol to some extent. “[Alcohol] makes it more difficult for the woman to set and enforce boundaries and lowers the man’s inhibition, making him less likely to think about things like consent or possible consequences resulting from his actions,” Boyer said. “Statistically, first-years in the first few weeks to month are most vulnerable and most susceptible to coercion to having unwanted sex,” Boyer said. He also said that the most common scenario is by someone who the victim knows. The Student Wellness Center’s first SAAM event was The Clothesline Project (CLP), which was displayed in the Baugher Student Center (BSC). The Clothesline Project addresses the issue of violence against women by providing a vehicle for the women to express their emotions by decorating a T-shirt. A clothesline is hung with
A t t h e c e r e m o n y, t h e officers give speeches before a candle- lighting ceremony. The inductees are also given a certificate, pin and cords to wear at graduation. There are several national level scholarships av a i l a b l e f o r m e m b e r s o f Delta Mu Delta and in 2013, a member received a Weinstein scholarship for $1,000. The biology department is associated with the National Bi ol o g i c a l Honor S o c i e t y, (BBB). The current president of Etown’s chapter is Sarah Sulon. Students must obtain a 3.0 GPA or higher in biology classes after completing at least three semesters at Etown. Currently, that society has approximately 50 members. The induction ceremony, which is held during Scholarship and Creative Arts Day, is the same one held all over the country. Members of BBB have the opportunity to publish journal entries and present at regional and national scientific conferences. Most members tutor biology students for a minimum of 10 hours per year, bring in one outside speaker per year and have the option to attend a resume and cover letter workshop.
membership in this chapter are the completion of at least 12 credits in anthropology, a minimum GPA of 3.0 in all required anthropology courses and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. “The purpose of the society is to encourage and stimulate scholarship and research in anthropology by recognizing and honoring superior achievement in the discipline among students, faculty and other persons engaged in the study of anthropology, and providing incent ives for except iona l p e r f o r m a n c e b y g r a nt i n g certificates of accomplishment,” Newell said. Members of the organization have the chance to earn outside scholarships as well. The organization awards scholarships of $5,000 to a deserving senior anthropology major. The department of mat hemat ics is ass o ci ate d with Pi Mu Epsilon, for which students must be juniors with a 3.5 GPA or better in all of their math courses. The society holds an induction ceremony with a dinner and speaker every spring semester. The political science department’s national honor
“The mission of the organization is to maintain an honored community of diverse educators by promoting excellence and advancing scholarship, leadership and service.” -Dr. Rachel Finley-Bowman
Photo: Stephen Hajcak
The Clothesline Project helps spread awareness of the issue of violence against women.The project will be displayed in the BSC until April 13.
shirts that represent an individual’s experience with violence. Some of the shirts are made by survivors, others by people close to a victim of violence. A white shirt represents someone who died because of violence. Yellow represents a person who was assaulted. Red, pink and orange represent survivors of rape and sexual assault. Blue and green represent survivors of incest and sexual abuse. Purple represents people attacked because of their s e x u a l or i e nt at i on or ge nd e r identity. The purpose of the project is to raise awareness of violence against women, men and children, to celebrate their strength to survive and to provide an opportunity to break the silence. The Clothesline Project is a program started in Cape Cod, Ma in 1990 to address the issue of violence against women. A shirt is hung on a clothesline to be viewed by others as testimony to
the problem of violence against women. With the support of many, it has been spread all over the world. “The purpose of the project is to: bear witness to the survivors as well as the victims of the war against women; to help with the healing process for people who have lost a loved one or are survivors of this violence, to educate, document and raise a society’s awareness of the extent of the problem of violence against women and to provide a nationwide network of support, encouragement and information for other communities starting their own Clothesline Projects,” Cheetham said. The project can be seen hanging from the top floor of the BSC; it will be displayed until April 13. If anyone would like to create a shirt to display, they may anonymously drop their completed shirt in The Well or Counseling Services. There will be T-shirts and supplies available at The Well.
The social work department is associated with the Phi Alpha Honor Society. Students must be at least sophomores with social work majors, complete eight semester hours of required social work courses, have an overall 3.0 GPA and achieve a 3.5 GPA in all required social work courses. The Phi Alpha Honor Society has 15 current members and nine new members will be inducted on May 2 during the social work department annual banquet. Dr. Margaret McFarland, professor of social work, explained the society. “Phi Alpha fosters high standards of education for social workers and only invited into membership those students who have attained excellence in scholarship and achievement in social work,” McFarland said. Members of the honor society engage in community service learning at least once during the year. The department of sociology and anthropology has two honor societies; Alpha Kappa Delta is for sociology majors and Lambda Alpha for anthropology. Sociology and Anthrop olog y Depar tment Chair Dr. Elizabeth Newell, Dr. Robert Wheelersburg and 16 student charter members founded the Iota of Pennsylvania Chapter of Lambda Alpha at Etown in 2008. At Etown, there are eight members and five students who will be inducted in the spring at the department’s banquet, which will recognize all graduating seniors. The minimum requirements for
society is Pi Sigma Alpha. “According to the national society, students must have a GPA that places them in the top one-third of their graduating class.” Political Science Department Chair, Dr. April Kelly-Woessner said. “The average GPA awarded in political science is significantly lower than the College average. What this means is that many of our best students cannot make the cut for the honors society due to grade inflation in other departments.” Kappa Delta Pi is the education department’s national honor society. Dr. Jill Bartoli, a retired faculty member, founded the College’s chapter. “ The mission of the organization is to maintain an honored community of diverse educators by promoting excellence and advancing scholarship, l e a d e r s h i p a n d s e r v i c e ,” Education Department Chair Dr. Rachel Finley-Bowman, said. Students are required to have 60 credits or more, be f u l l-t ime students, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 and be recommended by the department’s faculty. Currently, Kappa Delta Pi has 50 members and organizes several community service activities during the year to promote the quality of teaching. The occupational therapy department is associated with Pi Theta Epsilon, the psychology department’s honor society is Psi Chi and the history department participates in the Phi Alpha Theta National Honor Society.
News
April 3, 2014
page 3 NOLT PAGE 1
OCD PAGE 1
Jays use Twitter, attract artists for TGIS Co-coaches anticipate According to their official website, “After bonding in first grade over the love of music and poetry, Moosh & Twist formed a group shortly after and the rest is history. As independent hip-hop artists, OCD have amassed a devoted fanbase which has resulted in over 100,000 mixtape downloads and over seven million YouTube views, all without a debut album.” Some of their biggest YouTube hits include “Hold It Down,” which reached 1,893,015 views, and “Take Me Back,” which had 1,112,803 views two years ago. Senior social work major a n d E - f i t C o o r d i n at o r Ashley Fisher sits on a leadership team for OSA. Fisher also plays a major role in managing the Twitter account for OSA. “By the end of March, there were close to 300 tweets, retweets and favorites from students r e q u e s t i n g a mu s i c i a n or a c onc e r t at TG I S ,” Fisher said. “A majority of the tweets requesting performers were people asking for OCD Moosh & Twist. The band members themselves tweeted the OSA account saying how
continued basketball success in Landmark
Photo: @TwistOCD
OCD Moosh & Twist have over 7 million YouTube views and have opened for music artists such asThe White Panda, Hoodie Allen and Wale.They will perform at this year’sTGIS event.
awesome, or ‘dope’ as they phrased it, [it would be] if they came to TGIS.” OCD: Moosh & Twist are currently on their Living O u t L o u d t o u r, w h i c h is from April 26 to May 23. Stops on their tour include major U.S. cities and their hometown of Philadelphia, Pa. Despite their busy schedule, they will be stopping by to perform at Etown for TGIS on Thursday, April 24. Moosh & Twist have
performed for “thousands of fans as headliners as well as opening for acts such as The White Panda, Hoodie Allen, Wale and others,” according to their website. The college will sell 350 tickets to see OCD: Moosh & Twist in the KAV on the Thursday night of TGIS. “The lights in the KAV will be going and music will be loud — it will be more of a dance party or rave atmosphere. Tickets will be collected at the door, and
there will be security at the entrance,” Fisher said. This year’s TGIS was centered around what the stud ents want . “I c an’t give to o many of the surprises away, but you can exp ect a TGIS like you’ve never experienced before. By taking requests and suggestions from the student body, we are trying to get something for everyone to enjoy. All I can say is expect for TGIS to be #Epic,” Fisher said.
ICCA PAGE 1
Groups perform at ICCA semi-finals
Photo Courtesy
Elizabethtown College’s Vocalign a capella group was one of the two groups to perform at the ICCAs at Rutgers on Saturday and includes both male and female students.
Melica is Etown’s allfemale singing group and Vo c a l i g n i s c ompr i s e d of both male and female students. “It w as a w hole ne w realm for us — and an
exciting one at that,” junior Melica member Jessica Plue said. Plue led the group in its opening number at the competition, a cover of Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse.” Out of 11 schools, Etown
was the only institution to have two groups competing. Other competitors included students from Westminster Choir College, the University of Pennsylvania, R u t g e r s Un i v e r s i t y,
Wa g n e r C o l l e g e , N e w York University, Rodham University, The University of Rochester and Ithaca College. The competition includes a panel of 10 judges who score performers on tone, creativity, musical arrangements, pitch, chore og raphy and s olo routines. “The competition was definitely fierce. Everyone brought their best to ICCAs,” senior Vocalign member Colleen Deegan said. This was her first t i m e c omp e t i ng at t h e ICCAs. “The experience was amazing,” Deegan said. “I’d never been in an a cappella competition before t h e IC C As , an d it w a s more thrilling than I’d ever imagined. The audience, the groups, the atmosphere — it was nerve-wracking but an exhilarating experience.”
The College’s Hiring and Compensation Review Committee approved the naming of co-head coaches. All hiring decisions made within the College go through this policy. “With Coach Gorman and Coach Nolt, we have an exceptional women’s basketball coaching staff,” Latimore said. “This promotion and staff restructuring will allow this outstanding staff to continue to lead the Blue Jay women’s basketball program for several years to come.” 35 victories, the first 20-win season since 2000-01, and the first Division III program and the third team in all of women’s college basketball history to win 1000 games, sums up what Nolt has experienced as the assistant coach for Etown’s women’s basketball team over the past two seasons. The new coaching arrangement will not result in many adjustments for the 2014-15 basketball season, according to Nolt and Gorman. The way the team is coached will look the same from an outside perspective and any changes that occur will be very minor. The team will operate in the same way as it always has, but now there will just formally be two head coaches. “Looking ahead to next year, we are not looking to make big changes, but plan to make the necessary adjustments in order to increase our individual and collective abilities,” Nolt said. Although the new coaching system is different, Nolt and Gorman believe that it will give the coaching staff the opportunity to use each individual’s strengths to their fullest potential and will prove beneficial for the team. A majority of the current women’s basketball team will be returning next season and a large recruiting class is anticipated.
“[Gorman] has graciously allowed me to have a great deal of responsibility and autonomy as her assistant coach, so the new coaching adjustment will be easy.”
-Sherri Gorman
“I could not be happier with the decision to allow us to co-coach; we actually have been operating this way from day one,” Gorman said. “We each have our strengths and we focus on those areas. We collaborate on almost all decisions, and I believe we have a very strong relationship. We are extremely excited about next season and look forward to moving the program to the next level.” Nolt briefly helped coach the Etown women’s basketball team under then head coach Yvonne Kaufman, who led the Blue Jays to their seventh Middle Atlantic Conference Championship during the 1994-95 season. When Gorman was named head coach of the Etown women’s basketball program in March 2012, she reached out to Nolt to join her coaching staff. Since then, Gorman and Nolt have led the women’s basketball program to work cohesively as a team and stand out both regionally and nationally. Gorman has always encouraged high levels of involvement and initiative from her coaching staff. Each individual coach makes a significant contribution to the women’s basketball program at Etown, whether it is at practice, a game or recruiting. “For the past two years, Gorman has been leading the staff in such a way that is very collaborative in nature,” Nolt said. “She has graciously allowed me to have a great deal of responsibility and autonomy as her assistant coach, so the new coaching adjustment will be easy. I will continue in those duties as well as gain additional tasks within the athletic department.”
Community-based projects engage first-year business majors by GINA KURTZ
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lizabethtown College now requires business majors to participate in the course First-Year Business Experience (BA 111), which promotes interactive projects between students and local companies under the tutelage of faculty advisors. The class, created last year by Dr. Sylvester Williams, associate professor of business law, enables students to gain real-world exposure and share newly acquired skills with their classmates in the hopes that they may obtain careers in the business world immediately upon graduation. In keeping with the mission of Etown’s business department, the course not only promotes the development of business and managerial skills but also fosters an apprecia-
tion of personal responsibility to society. In BA 111, students learn how to “work effectively in a group, utilize leadership skills, manage group conflict, work toward a deadline, network, sharpen communication skills and build character,” Williams said. “Ultimately, they learn how to sustain a healthy community and develop the skills and attitudes to become multicultural community-builders in a rapidly changing, diverse world.” The course, taken during the spring semester of the student’s first year, satisfies one of the Signature Learning Experiences required by Etown business majors. “By starting this program in the first year,” Williams said, “our students have a longer period of time to absorb the social impact of their actions and to incorporate
those principles, while becoming a lifelong learner.”
ment, students gain an understanding of community issues, community assets and community processes for making change happen. Students engage in real-world issues and social problems, working with community organizations to become part of the solution,” Williams said. Williams points out that the organizations also benefit from the expe-Katie Banick rience, as they gain the opportunity to further their mission and expand their reach without incurring costs. This year’s projects include a “Students bring new energy, ideas drive with the Elizabethtown Food and enthusiasm as well as specialBank, a technology-training series ized skills to the organizations they for Masonic Village residents, a work with. The experience cultivates social media marketing campaign a new generation of volunteers for with the Elizabethtown Chamber either their own organization or of Commerce and coordination of their broader cause,” he said. the town’s annual book sale with First-year business administrathe public library. tion major, Katie Banick, enrolled “Through community involve- in BA 111 because it was required,
“The course is truly beneficial to the entire community.”
but acknowledges that her participation played a major role in obtaining an internship. “Because I have real life experience in managing projects, I stood out among the other applicants,” she said. Banick currently works as part of the team of students helping the Elizabethtown Public Library plan its annual book sale. She agrees with Williams that the project is mutually advantageous, as it teaches students “valuable lessons and provides us with hands-on experiences,” while also helping the library cut down on costs and increase its revenue. “This has a very positive effect because the more money the library has, the more books and resources it can purchase,” Banick said. “Therefore, the course is truly beneficial to the entire community.”
Features
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April 3, 2014
Campus community walks through Candy Land to beat cancer during Relay for Life by JORDAN MOSER
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he Elizabethtown College Relay for Life event raised $52,009.04 for the American Cancer Society, according to their Relay for Life events page. The event began on Friday, March 28 with a crowd of students and cancer survivors filling Thompson Gymnasium. This year’s relay theme was “Candy Land,” according to senior Michael Henning, a four-time Relay for Life participant. “It’s always a good feeling, to know that the money is going to help bring awareness to the American Cancer Society and save lives,” Henning said. The American Cancer Society promotes the Relay for Life event and it takes place all over the world each year. This year, at Etown, the students spent the night supporting cancer survivors and those who have lost their lives fighting. “Individuals that attend the relay are survivors, family members, students, faculty and staff of the school and friends,” Henning said. Donations went to cancer research and local patient service. The event also brought awareness to the American Cancer Society. The event kicked off at 5 p.m. when cancer survivors were asked to take the first lap around the track in order to honor their fight against cancer. Teams decorated Thompson Gymnasium with a Candy Land theme ranging from colorful posters to paper lanterns. Students made T-shirts for Relay for Life and formed teams to compete at
different events. At this year’s event, individuals participated by “selling baked goods throughout the event, walking laps to support the cause and participate in games,” Henning said. Relay members played hockey, corn hole and can jam. “My favorite part of the night was when we got to play hockey in a 3v3 bracket of all the teams participating at the event and especially all the food that was available to eat,” he said. Other activities included specialized laps, like a three-legged lap. Members also spent time listening to guest speakers and watching videos in between times of competing. Throughout the event, at least one member of each team was supposed to be in constant motion at all times. This shows dedication and motivation for the team and keeps the members awake throughout the night. “The students and cancer survivors were really enthusiastic this year,” junior Jared Weaver said. “I had a great time participating in the activities, and I’m glad I was able to help raise money for such a good cause.” The Relay for Life event included opening and closing ceremonies. The event also included the traditional luminaria ceremony, during which relay members, friends and family members honor survivors and cancer victims with paper lanterns. “After it got dark, candles were lit inside bags that we designed to show our efforts to fight against cancer,” Weaver said. During the luminaria, participants told stories about loved ones they have lost to cancer.
Photos: Stephen Hajcak
“It’s the most touching part of the whole thing,” sophomore Johnny Archangelo said. “Everyone was sharing their emotions and I felt the togetherness of everyone there.” At the end of the night, all activities and events came to an end before the total was announced. Etown raised $52,009.04 by the end of the event at 5 a.m. on Saturday. For students who want to participate and help the American Cancer Society raise money and awareness for cancer, it is never too late.
Students, friends, family members and people in the community who want to get involved can sign up for Etown’s Relay for Life every year in the BSC from March to April. For people who are interested in making donations to the American Cancer Society, but cannot participate during the Relay for Life events, visit www.relayforlife.org where you can make donations directly from the website and find other events to participate in.
‘That’s Totally RAD’ seminar prepares females with self-defense training by KAITLIN GIBBONEY
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n a world of violence and hostility, especially toward women, self-defense has become important to learn in order to be safe. On Tuesday, April 1, Elizabethtown College’s Wellness Center hosted “That’s Totally RAD,” an event through their “Take Care Tuesday” series. Assistant Director of Campus Security Dale Boyer and his daughter, junior Elizabeth Boyer, presented
information on self-defense and useful techniques for warding off attackers on Tuesday evening. The Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) program on campus, run by Boyer, is primarily geared toward women. Boyer has been running the program for years, and he has recently teamed with his daughter to offer the free course to students on campus. Currently, the program focuses on women, but the campus is pushing to implement a self-defense class for men as well.
The class is available for those on campus interested in learning more about self-defense. The class is meant to not only provide women with skills to potentially save their lives, but also to provide a sense of empowerment and confidence in knowing how to properly defend themselves. The session opened with an informative video from the National Self Defense Institute (NSDI) that is used to give a basic introduction to self-defense and RAD, Boyer
said. In the video, the key to selfdefense is a balance between mental and physical preparedness and is described as “a contemporary answer to today’s hostile world.” A few goals of self-defense are to be able to fight, escape and survive attacks. In order to be able to accomplish these goals, women need to feel empowered to take action and turn their fear into power. In addition to the physical aspect of self-defense, mental preparation can greatly assist in dealing with an attacker. By being aware of surroundings, reducing risk and planning ahead can prevent an attack or possibly provide the needed clarity before an attack. By thinking clearly and having a plan of action after assessing the situation, the victim can get the upper hand on their attacker. In these situations, escape and survival are key aspects. By being prepared and knowing what to expect, the victim becomes a survivor instead of a statistic. Women can prevent an attack by following a few simple steps. The first step is to avoid looking like a target. By putting off positive energy, looking attentive and displaying good posture, women can potentially dissuade the attacker from making a move. Another step is to be aware of your surroundings. By acknowledging that there could be danger lurking around the corner in certain areas, women are more prepared to make a move on their potential attacker, and “it may save [their] life.” Another step is to avoid risky situations that may lead to a potential attack, such as walking a fair distance alone to the car in the dark. By taking extra precautions and avoiding the situation entirely, women can avoid attacks. As it was said in the video, “trust your instincts” as “it’s better to be safe than sorry.” Rape is four times more likely to occur in college among females, making this training vital. Through the RAD program, women gain knowledge on how to escape an assailant. According to the video,
the most common phrase among rape victims is, “I never thought it could happen to me.” This mentality prevents more women from learning valuable skills that could potentially save their lives one day. In the video, the two takeaway messages were “don’t wait until the 11th hour to learn self-defense” and “don’t waste another day to become a potential victim.” Although the mental aspects of self-defense are important, the physical elements are just as vital. After the video, the Boyers displayed some useful techniques for implementing physical selfdefense. They addressed weak spots on the body to the audience, such as areas on the face, fingers, groin, forearms, shins and feet. Using each other as models, the Boyers showed the audience what these moves looked like and how they could be used if an attacker was holding the victim in a certain way. In the RAD class offered on campus, the classes are split into three four-hour sessions over a weekend, teaching the fundamentals of mental and physical preparedness. Health Educator at the Student Wellness Center Amanda Cheetham strongly advocated for the presentation and classes to be offered at Etown. “I took RAD when I was an undergrad in college right before I went to study abroad,” Cheetham said. “I think it is empowering to women to have some basic self-defense. I was glad to hear that Etown offered this class, so I wanted to offer an opportunity to raise awareness that this is free on campus.” Student Wellness Advocacy Group (SWAG) member Daria Rose added her thoughts on the program. “I know some people who don’t know if self-defense is for them, and I think the first part of the program, mental preparedness, would be good for any woman on campus to learn because that gives them options other than having to fight an attacker. Knowing those small things help those women feel safer and empowered while walking around campus.”
Features
April 3, 2014
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‘Diversity of Pro-Life Movement’ InterVarsity hosts Coffeehouse to event sparks abortion debate end slavery, human trafficking by EMILY DRINKS
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n Friday, March 28 in Brinser Lecture Hall, Dr. Grant Clark and Karen Shablin told their personal stories about abortion and why they support a pro-life movement at Elizabethtown College. Clark had been the only physician at his hospital in California performing abortions. “I hated abortions from the first,” he said. Clark explained that children who he delivered or who were his patients would hug him. This greeting was different than what he received from his abortion patients. The women would often turn away and walk in the other direction if they saw Clark; they did everything they could to avoid him. “There were two cases that finally sunk the boat for me,” Clark said. The first case occurred when Clark performed an abortion on a woman in her second trimester. The woman told Clark she was about six months pregnant. “She gave birth to a nearly full-term baby, and it was alive when it was delivered,” Clark said. The baby’s skin was burned and it was blind from the serum Clark had injected in it. The nurses looked at Clark. He said that he did not know what to do because he could not strangle the baby while it was alive. The baby died within hours, during which time period
Clark was ridden with guilt and indecision. After that, Clark never performed abortions after the first trimester. The final case that would stop Clark from performing abortions was when a woman came into the clinic to have an abortion; however, when Clark checked, the woman had already had a miscarriage. He received confirmation from her lab results that she was no longer pregnant. Later, the woman gave birth to a baby boy whom she put up for adoption. After giving up the baby, the woman sued Clark for 18 years of child support. Clark went to his lawyer, who then paid the woman 2,000 dollars; the woman took the money and left town. After that Clark believed, “Abortion doesn’t make people better. It just burdens them down.” The second presenter, Shablin, shared her experience growing up as an African American woman who supported abortion. “I was a cardcarrying member of NARAL,” Shablin said. Later she learned that the founders of the National Abortions Rights Action League (NARAL) were two men who did not want to pay women extra money, so they advocated for legalizing abortion. The abortion rate rose when New Jersey Governor Christine Whitman decided that welfare would not rise with a woman having another child. Shablin, who worked in the health care industry, saw a list of the number
of women who had had abortions starting with four abortions in a 12-month period, then three, two and one. “This paper unfolded and unfolded and unfolded,” Shablin said. “These were women who were voluntarily destroying their medical health and their mental health.” Shablin also shared that she had an abortion. “I can’t come up with one good reason looking back,” she said. Shablin added that, at the time, she had not wanted to become a stereotype or statistic of a single mother, but she said that by having the abortion, she had made herself a statistic. Shablin said that 47 percent of African American babies conceived in America are aborted. In Shablin’s experience when she was younger, every woman either had an abortion or knew someone who had had an abortion. Shablin quoted others involved in the pro-life movement, as well. Martin Luther King Jr.’s niece Alveda King once said, “When we said we would no longer sit on the back of the bus, a place was being reserved for us down at the abortion clinic.” Shablin said that abortion turns human life into a commodity rather than something precious. Abortion does what the original suffragists and abolitionists fought against. “We practice the expendableness of human beings on those who cannot vote, cannot protest,” Shablin said.
by EVAN ROCHE
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n March 27, the InterVarsity chapter at Elizabethtown College held a coffeehouse in the KAV to bring awareness to a serious problem in the world: human trafficking and modern-day slavery. Human trafficking is the third largest organized crime in the world and a $32 billion a year illegal industry. In today’s society, slavery and human trafficking is assumed to not exist anymore or does
“Our goal tonight was to fill seats and bring awareness to this grave dilemma the world is facing.”
~Taylor Luckenbill
exist but is thought to exist only in thirdworld countries that may be war-torn. Sadly, there are modern-day slaves and human traffickers in the United States. This coffeehouse event was an attempt to raise awareness and funds for two organizations aimed at combatting this worldwide problem: Abolition International and International Justice Mission. In order to spread the message and awareness, multiple videos were shown from these two organizations. The videos gave shocking statistics about human trafficking. With coffee provided from Folklore and a table full of sweets and other snacks, the mood of the coffeehouse was somber but still welcoming and uplifting. Hope was
a prominent theme throughout the night. InterVarsity and the performers made the event a welcoming and calm environment for learning and reflection. Performances from Etown students consisted of singing cover songs and playing instrumentals. These were opening acts for the headliner, Chris and Jenna, professional singers who have previously performed at Etown. Their music involves a sense of worship since it is an evangelical ministry program. They also sing covers of well-known songs that have a relatable meaning. Equipped with educational videos from the two organizations as well as a table set up exclusively for educational purposes, InterVarsity assured this topic received the attention it deserves. Along with the videos and flyers, there was an opportunity to donate to these causes by using a student ID and charging it to one’s account. Students also had the opportunity to write a letter to someone who has survived and escaped the horrors of human trafficking. “Our goal tonight was to fill seats and bring awareness to this grave dilemma the world is facing. I would absolutely say this event was a success and was able to accomplish what we wanted”, junior Taylor Luckenbill, leader of Etown InterVarsity, said. InterVarsity is an evangelical campus ministry group that holds many different events throughout the course of the academic year. Some of these events include “Sexy Pizza,” guest speakers and small groups that meet for worship. InterVarsity sponsors multiple events throughout the year, including outreach programs, large group meetings with guest speakers and Bible studies for those who are interested in reading and understanding the Bible. More information on InterVarsity can be found at the Etown website for those who are interested in becoming involved.
27th Annual Student Art Show displays work in Lyet Gallery Fine arts class participants show off work created using different methods, mediums, inspirations by RYAN SANDELL
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n eclectic display graced the Lyet Galler y of Leff ler Chapel and Performance Center on Tuesday. From just a few laps around the gallery, one can feel the passion and desire these students have when creating and sharing their work with fellow Jays and members of the surrounding community. Professor of Fine Arts Milton Friedly, who teaches primarily 3D Art, ceramics and sculpture, is the director for all of the art galleries on campus. “Seven categories are represented here: ceramics, drawing, mixed media, computer art, painting, printmaking and sculpture,” Friedly said. “[It is] open only to students who are enrolled in or have taken studio art classes. They don’t have to be art majors.” He said that the pieces are from “classroom work. They can be from independent or directed study courses.”
“I like surreal types of art. I enjoy the intricacy and thought that goes behind it. It can be humorous and meaningful at the same time. It makes you think.”
~Elizabeth Hirshberg
When asked if he pieces on display come mainly from upperclassmen or a range from first-years to seniors, Friedly said, “It is a mix from first-years to seniors. Some are art majors; some are minors.” This display is certainly not lacking in representation
from a mixed bunch of Blue Jays. Senior Ryan Sommers, a senior and studio art major, had multiple pieces featured in the show. When asked about what styles he used, he said, “A few ceramics pieces, some sculpture, mixed media and 3D. Abstract is what I lean toward,” Sommers said. “Painting is more geared toward portraits, so I prefer to do abstract mostly.” His favorite piece is called “Dyad.” A dyad is a conversation between two people, as well as a couplet of musical notes that makes two differing pitches. The sculpture has a double meaning itself. Made of bronze, it has a small face at the top of a bronze staff. When it’s looked at from behind, it is a mirror image of the face in front; only this one is upside down. Junior studio arts major Melissa Stewart displayed the styles of printmaking, ceramics (hand coiling, more specifically), graphic design in the form of a photo collage and, finally, a bronze piece conveying a message against pollution. She prefers abstract work. “Sticking to reality is a little too restricting,” she said. Junior and history of fine arts major Elizabeth Hirshberg had pieces featuring mixed media and surrealism-inspired styles. On why she chose these styles, she said “I like surreal types of art. I enjoy the intricacy and thought that goes behind it. It can be humorous and meaningful at the same time. It makes you think.” Her favorite piece she had in the show was one she named “Knoon.” This piece used plastic knives glued together with a resin over top. She welded a stand herself, and the sculpture rests upon it. It was impressive, to say the least. Carol Galligan of Lancaster, Pa. was a judge for the show. Her job as a judge is to determine which pieces are selected for the show and which ones from that group are given awards. Overall, she said the show was “very impressive. I can’t pick a favorite. It’s hard to have a favorite when there are multiple mediums expressed. But the whole experience was inspiring to me as an artist, seeing these young artists put their work out there.”
Photo: Stephen Hajcak
A student’s work hangs on the walls of the Lyet Gallery. Every year, fine arts majors and minors present their work at the end of the spring semester.
Features
April 3, 2014
page 6
Jaycon 5 convention tradition continues, celebrates Japanese culture by SYDNEY NESTER
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he 2014 Jaycon was a sight to be seen. Along with costumes, the event was decorated with various posters from anime and other comics. This year’s event occurred on March 29 and 30. Jaycon is a cultural convention that celebrates Japanese anime. Jaycon was started in 2010 by the Elizabethtown College Anime Club. It started as an event focusing on Cosplay Chess. “The convention began as a one-day event, taking over Esbenshade and Thompson Gymnasium for a good portion of Saturday. The attendance reached over 100 people, including both Etown students and anime enthusiasts from the outside community. The convention expanded to a two-day event in the next year and reached about 200 people,” senior and Jaycon Founder Annmarie Hamlin said. After just one year, it extended to a two-day event that featured famous people involved in anime. For this year’s Jaycon, more members and even bigger names performed and attended Jaycon. As host of Jaycon, the Anime Club uses its knowledge and expertise of Japanese culture and animated comics to coordinate the convention. “The club gave me an official officer position (Jaycon Chair), and I became Jaycon’s first Founder and Convention Chairperson in the spring of 2010. My co-founder and president of the club at
the time was Jessica Dales, who has since graduated from Etown. In Jaycon’s second year, I served as Club Treasurer (Jess Dales was president again) and passed the torch to a new convention chairperson. After that, I have staffed at the event, as well as run panels and events within Jaycon,” Hamlin said. Jaycon has many different features and performances that are showcased t hroug hout t he two-day e vent. The convention hosts panels, workshops and discussions centering on many facets of the Japanese culture. Many students dress in elaborate costumes, or “cosplay,” for this event. Cosplay is defined as the practice of dressing up as a character from a movie, book or video game, especially one from the Japanese genres of manga and anime. It is a place for Japanese culture enthusiasts to gather and share their love of anime, manga and many other things related to Japanese tradition and pop culture. This year had a variety of people in attendance. Performers and other comics, as well as voice actors will be featured at the fifth annual Jaycon this year. Some of the bigger names that were featured at Jaycon were Richard Epcar, whose voice can be heard in many different games, animations as well as anime. Ellyn Stern, who is known for her voice work and the wide range of characters she has played, was also there, along with Michele Knotz, who is widely known for her role in “Pokémon.”
Photo: Stephen Hajcak
Elizabethtown College students and visitors pose in the Marketplace and other campus venues in their Jaycon costumes and enjoy the events of the weekend. It is common for participants in Jaycon to “cosplay” by dressing in elaborate costumes based off of a character from a movie, book or video game.
‘Wonder Women’ film promotes Award-winning animator Dash feminism to campus community Shaw presents artwork at Bowers by LAUREN MCQUE
“W
onder Women: The Untold Story of American Superheroines” was shown in Gibble Auditorium on Monday, March 14. The movie was about the absence of female superheroines and their need to be represented in modern culture. According to one of the experts on Wonder Woman, she was “psychological propaganda for the type of woman that would one day rule the world.” Wonder Woman debuted in December of 1941. Many female superheroines have been introduced, but Wonder Woman is the only one who survived and stood out from all of the male superheroes. Wonder Woman was an Amazonian woman, a woman who was strong and did not need a man in order to survive. Women had to enter the workforce during World War II since all of the men who held the jobs were overseas; this change led to the rise of
Wonder Woman. A researcher in the movie said, “Any woman, in theory, could become Wonder Woman.” “Wonder Woman Day,” a celebration of Wonder Woman throughout the years, was created to bring strength to women and to raise money for domestic violence shelters. With 90 percent of violence in the world aimed against females, this day sought to help. Wonder Woman’s only weakness was that she lost her powers when she was bound. She could free herself, unlike the other female characters in comics who needed a man’s assistance in order to be freed. When the war was over, the men returned and they took their jobs back, the essence of Wonder Woman died. The comics of Wonder Woman depicted a life dominated by romance instead of the strength and power that her life had consisted of during the war. “Ms.” magazine ran an ad entitled “Wonder Woman for President” as an attempt to fight for
Wonder Woman’s powers back. Many supporters and enthusiasts of the superheroine chimed in with their support and praise of the Wonder Woman movement during the movie. Katie Pineda, an 8-year-old girl who was bullied in school, talked about how she looks up to Wonder Woman and how the superheroine gives her strength even in adversity. Lynda Carter, the actress who portrayed Wonder Woman on the television show, added her support for the character and said Wonder Woman needs to make another appearance. Assistant Professor of Sociology Rita Shah held a question and answer directly after the movie. There are several different reasons why this movie should be shown to Elizabethtown College students according to Shah. “First, if you listen to coverage of movies, movie directors, etc., you will hear a story that there isn’t an audience for female superheroes, a story that is, quite frankly, not real,” Shah said. “Unfortunately, because moviegoers hear that there is no interest, they think the characters are not as exciting or interesting or, perhaps, that females shouldn’t or couldn’t be superheroes. So, it is important for students to see this film because it shows how awesome female superheroes are and dispels the myth that there isn’t any interest. “Second, the film also highlights real life female superheroes and their struggles to advance equal rights for women (and men),” Shah continued. “In doing so, the movie and conversation after the movie will hopefully help show that men and women are equal and that the fight for women’s equality is about creating a society in which both sexes are viewed as smart, capable, interesting and able to kick ass and benefit everyone.” The end of the movie was about the importance of Wonder Woman and how she is a symbol of female power. Wonder Woman’s legacy is what we make it, and the necessity of bringing the superheroine back was clear by the end of the movie.
by BRYAN PFLANZ
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n Thursday, March 27, Bowers Writers House held “An Evening of Animation with artist Dash Shaw.” Shaw is an award-winning animator and cartoonist who lives in New York, N.Y. He is well-known for his graphic novel’s “New School,” “Bodyworld” and “Bottomless Belly Button.” Shaw is also recognized for his animated works, such as the Sigur Ros video “Seraph,” “Wheel of Fortune” and the IFC series “The Unclothed Man in the 35th Century AD.” One of the first things that Shaw showed at this presentation was his short animation known as “Wheel of Fortune.” In this animation video, Shaw took a real episode of Wheel of Fortune that he saw on television and drew a new screen on an 8.5 by 11 inch piece of computer paper. Each screen that he drew was animated and acted out the “Wheel of Fortune” show. Shaw displayed these screens in a slideshow by showing each image for three seconds at a time with the original audio track of the “Wheel of Fortune” episode playing. The next animation that Shaw showed during this presentation was the Sigur Ros video “Seraph.” This animation shows a seven-minute emotional journey. “Seraph” displays the story of a young boy who is shown to be gay and who struggles with his anger and temptations. This young boy is restrained by his religion and is made to feel distraught about his body and aspirations. He grows up with the impression that the worst sin would be to endorse a love that is uncommon to the rest of the world. Shaw then showed some not-yet-released comics. He first showed “Cosplayers,” a pamphlet series. This 32-page pamphlet comic follows two cosplayers that make videos for YouTube with some fantasy roleplaying acting performance. Shaw appreciates this comic because he thought it would be cool to take things that are outside of the pamphlet comic culture and put it back in pamphlet comic form. He did this so it would be shelved next to Batman and Superman. When readers open it, they see Batman and Superman, but it would be people cosplaying as Batman and Superman. Shaw tried to make “Cosplayers” look more like a mainstream comic. “I always liked comics. I started drawing them immediately. I kept drawing them, never took any breaks from making them, and now I’m older, and I feel like I am now
into like the comics that I didn’t necessarily know I was going to be drawing,” Shaw said. The next comic strip that Shaw showed, also not-yet-released, was “Doctors.” This comic is about doctors who enter people ‘s afterlife in order to bring them back from the dead. Shaw described the doctors in this comic strip to be “super doctors.” Shaw went on to show a clip from his graphic novel “New School.” He claimed that this graphic novel exploits the fact that you can have a lot of things on the screen at once. “New School” tells the story of a boy moving to an exotic country and his passion with an unfamiliar culture that quickly changes to disappointment. Since the boy is different from the rest of this exotic country, he becomes lonely and blames the place for his isolation.
“It’s almost like [the comics] tell me what they want, they tell me to draw themselves smaller or do a book about cosplayers, and I say OK and just do it.”
~Dash Shaw
Shaw got the idea for “New School” from a personal experience that he had when he was 16 years old. He went to a remote part of Japan to teach English to people the same age as he was. Shaw remembers existential feelings from this experience in Japan, which were really strong for him. Shaw created “New School” to show the hardships of a young boy in an unfamiliar country to share the type of experience he had when he was 16 in Japan. “Now I feel like I just sit there and the comics kind of tell me what to do and I just listen to them and it’s a very intuitive process. When I was younger I remember I had all these ideas about the different kind of comics I wanted to make, how I wanted them to be like this or that, not like these peoples and more like this and I would try to smush all of my ideas into these comic books. But now it’s almost like [the comics] tell me what they want, they tell me to draw themselves smaller or do a book about cosplayers, and I say OK and just do it,” Shaw said.
Opinion
April 3, 2014
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Co-taught classes offer unique learning opportunity for those willing to embrace multiple perspectives, disciplines by IRENE SNYDER
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here are some students who like science and math, while others prefer more creative disciplines such as art, theater and literature. Whether we like it or not, all of us are required to take some form of each subject as part of the Core Program while enrolled at Elizabethtown College. Students may not particularly like aspects of this program because it can be stressful and difficult to take a course in an unfamiliar subject. For instance, I have always enjoyed writing, but science has never been my strong suit. Currently, there are co-taught classes which combine two different disciplines, allowing students to relate material from each subject to a common theme. Personally, I think this provides a unique learning opportunity for students. Such courses are worthy of our consideration. There are a few classes here at Etown that are taught by two collaborating professors; some professors are from the same academic department, while others are from different disciplines. This semester, such offerings include Chemical Instrumentation Lab, Gender and the Law and Ecology in Short Fiction. Ecology in Short Fiction is co-taught as a single class but incorporates two different academic perspectives. The professors teaching this course represent an unusual combination of the English and biology departments; this allows students to analyze material from both disciplines and to see how they relate to one another. Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. David Bowne and Assistant Professor of English Dr. Matt Skillen co-teach this course. I think that it’s a wonderful opportunity for students, because not only are they able to receive help from two professors, but they are also being graded based on their skill in each aspect of the class. During the in-class discussion, Bowne talks about ecological principles, while Skillen speaks
to the students about creative writing. “It’s an interesting blend of two areas that are not usually paired together, but this results in lively discussion about literature and biological concepts,” senior biology major Luis Devia said. While these courses can be beneficial to a student’s academic growth, there are also negative aspects to consider. For example, it may take longer for assignments to be graded since both professors normally have to review them; however, this gives each student the advantage of receiving feedback from different professors. “Having the perspective and expertise of someone from each field provides a unique learning experience and allows the students to learn both subjects at the same time,” Devia said. Another possible disadvantage, according to Devia, is that it can be challenging for the students who are unwilling to explore material that goes far outside of their own major. Although it can be difficult for some, this may help the students leave their comfort zone by learning about two diverse subjects at once. All students have to take core classes that are outside of their major at some point. Those may involve subjects that they’re not exactly passionate about. Ecology in Short Fiction is cross-listed, meaning that the credits can count as either a Natural and Physical Science (NPS) or Creative Expression (CE) course, depending on what the particular student needs. Whatever their interests are, these students can learn about both disciplines while receiving the core credit that they need. This allows those who aren’t scientifically inclined, like myself, to receive science credit while relating it to a familiar field of study in order to better understand the material. According to first-year English education major Morgan King, this class effectively combines the English side of short fiction with the biological concepts of ecology. “I enjoy learning how two very different subjects can be combined and related to one another,” she said. “I am learning about how
Photo: Stephen Hajcak
Co-taught, interdisciplinary classes enable the blending of two vastly different subject areas into a cohesive classroom experience. The increasing number of these classes indicates a new trend in education and brings a new approach to teaching.
a subject I love relates to a subject that is not in my comfort zone.” Not only are these courses interesting for students, but they are also enjoyable to the professors. “Every day we’re learning something new from a colleague, which is pretty exciting,” Bowne said. Both students and professors are able to learn something new and interesting by interacting with people who have different interests and expertise. This course appears to be an engaging and beneficial experience for both students and professors. It will be offered once more in the spring semester of 2015. Currently, it is experimental. From a student’s perspective, I think that it is important to continue this and other co-taught classes at Etown. It allows us to think in different ways and explore new ideas. Similar courses have been offered in the past, but they have not been taught frequently. Fortunately, in
the fall 2014 semester, the College will be offering the co-taught classes SAS Analytics, Wellness and the College Student and Time Travel and the Nature of Space and Time. One of the goals of offering these types of courses is to “encourage some people in our community to rethink these ideas of co-teaching and to discover how we can establish those partnerships across departments to bring better educational opportunities to our students,” Skillen said. Regardless of one’s major, interest or discipline, co-taught courses allow students to contribute their own viewpoints while also learning how different subjects can relate and work together to study a particular topic. I will definitely consider taking such a course in the future. Although it may not be the right choice for all students, I see cotaught classes as a wonderful opportunity and a chance to both learn and grow academically.
Female journalist, activist Tawakkol Karman to speak on campus by JOHN CRAIG
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n April 10, Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkol Karman will share her story of bravery, commitment and self-sacrifice with the Elizabethtown College campus. When was the last time you thought that a cause was so worthy, so just, so immediate, that you would risk your life to support that cause? Do you know individuals who are so dedicated to a cause that they are willing to risk their
lives to support it, to try to make a difference that would mean success? These are big and important questions, which we, as Americans, in the greatest democracy and the richest economy in the world, don’t think much about. But there have been times, recently, when Americans like you risked their lives for such causes. Many students just like you demonstrated vociferously and passionately in the late 1960s and 1970s against what they believed was an unjust war waged by the United States in
Vietnam. Maybe even the parents of some of the College’s students were involved. And some of those demonstrators, college students just like you, died at Kent State University in Ohio, demonstrating for what they believed were unjust policies on the part of the U.S. government. Many others — 50,000 to be exact — died in the Vietnam War, fighting to protect the freedoms we often take for granted. My own college roommate was killed in that war. For the past three years, young people in a different part of the
Photo: www.nobelprize.org
At Elizabethtown College, we have a rare and valuable opportunity to have accomplished speakers, such as Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkol Karman, come to our campus and share their stories with us.
world have been demonstrating and risking their lives to gain freedom in the Middle East. Many have been killed. Many more have been painfully injured and the situation in Syria is still so raw, so emotional, that it is even hard to just read the news coming from that country. Have you ever thought about who those people are? Who were the demonstrators at Kent State, who are the people in Tahrir Square in Egypt and what are they like? Why are they so passionate about their cause that they are willing to die for it? In 2005, Paul and Judy Ware ’68 gave a grant to Etown so that the students and the leaders of the next generation could experience these passionate leaders firsthand. Not by live feed, not by professionallyproduced media, but in the flesh, up close and personal. This is a powerful concept and the Wares deserve our gratitude for giving us, right here at Etown, the opportunity to hear, meet and talk to people who have helped change their own societies and the world. The Ware Lecture series has brought to our campus winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, people whose contribution is so big, so courageous, that they have been honored and held up as examples for the other seven billion of us who inhabit this planet. These courageous people do not come to the United States often. They rarely come to college campuses and they rarely interact with students directly. In the past 12 months, throughout the United States, there have been only 10 programs similar to this one. We
have a remarkable opportunity here at Etown to attend this event. On April 10, Tawakkol Karman will come to our campus to show us what is exceptional in terms of dedication to a cause. Karman was one of the earliest leaders of the freedom movement in Yemen in 2011. She was a student who was determined to use the only means she had to fight the corrupt, unjust regime in Yemen: her legs and her voice. She rallied small groups at first. Then those groups grew to thousands and then hundreds of thousands. A female voice in a male-dominated society energized the opposition with her simple dedication and passion. Her life was in danger every day. The government could have easily shot her and made a martyr of her, but she persevered and moved the dictator out. At 32, she is the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. You can see her, hear her and meet her, right here on this campus Thursday, April 10 and Friday, April 11. On Thursday, Karman will speak at the Leffler Chapel and Performance Center at 7:30 p.m. On Friday, she will discuss her experiences with students and faculty members at two classroom-like sessions. Don’t miss these opportunities to experience the passion for one’s cause, to learn what it means to risk your life for what you believe. And then decide what you will be passionate about in your life, what you can do to make a difference for your country, your society, your family and your friends. Catch the passion when it comes to Etown and, if you dare, let it change your life.
Opinion Letter to the editor reflects on experiences at Yunus Center ASK MATT
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by SANJAY PAUL
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e reach Dhaka airport at 2 a.m. Our flight is at 5 a.m., so we have plenty of time to check in, clear security and board the plane to Abu Dhabi (en route to Washington D.C.). Our group moves toward the Etihad Airways’ counters. It has been an exhilarating week in Bangladesh, a country that fought a war of liberation in 1971 and has since vacillated between democracy and military rule. But the country has much going for it: a vibrant civil society, a rich cultural and literary tradition, newspapers. And it has Dr. Muhammad Yunus. In 2006, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly to Yunus and Grameen Bank, the organization he created to serve unmet banking needs in villages — and promote entrepreneurship among low-income women. Yunus’ model of microfinance — giving small loans to groups of borrowers to help them set up small businesses — has been adopted in several developing countries and also in rich countries; Grameen America provides microloans in cities here. Elizabethtown College’s relationship with Yunus began in 2012 when he delivered the Ware and Carper lectures at the College. Some students in attendance, including Salman Habib, were sufficiently inspired to explore how the relationship could be further strengthened. Working with interested faculty, they invited officers of the Yunus Centre to the campus last year. The visitors offered a workshop on social business and met with President Carl Strikwerda. During the visit, the students made a presentation, complete with benefits to students and costs to the College, on a new course that would include a study tour to the Yunus Centre in Dhaka. The two-credit course, “Seminar on Social and Economic Development in Developing Countries,” was offered for the first time this spring. It focuses on Bangladesh and explores the role of microfinance and social business in addressing issues of poverty, women’s empowerment and the digital
April 3, 2014
divide. The study tour to Dhaka during spring break was an integral part of that course. We spent a week visiting Yunus Centre businesses, including Grameen Bank (the original microfinance institution), Grameen Danone (yogurt with extra nutrients to combat childhood disease), Grameen Shakti (solar power for villagers) and GrameenIntel (technology for farmers and healthcare). We also visited other Grameen enterprises: an Industrial Park, Nursing College, Eye-care Hospital, Telemedicine Clinic and Grameen Communications. We were received warmly; the officers at our briefing sessions were engaging, professional and quite willing to answer questions from our students. Most of our time was spent visiting production facilities and offices in Dhaka, but we also had the opportunity to visit villages and a town some four hours away from the capital city. We met a number of people who benefited directly from the activities of the Grameen institutions, including a group of low-income women who had taken out loans from Grameen Bank to start small businesses and a group of blind workers in a book-bindery shop nestled in the basement garage of an auto dealership.
“We were received warmly; the officers at our briefing sessions were engaging, professional and quite willing to answer questions from our students.”
-Sanjay Paul
On the final day, we met with Yunus, who had just flown in from a visit abroad. Yunus normally meets with visiting groups for 10 to 15 minutes, mostly for pictures, but in our case,
he visited for about 90 minutes and engaged in a vigorous exchange about the work of the Yunus Centre and possibilities for collaboration. We noted that it was his visit to Etown two years ago that sparked the idea of a study-tour to Bangladesh. He didn’t neglect the pictures. Our collaboration with the Yunus Centre has borne fruit in other ways. Senior Stephen Brill, an economics student, will be completing a three-month internship in Dhaka in the summer. Yunus Center will help with arranging his program and accommodations, and thanks to funding from the College’s 2014 IGO/NGO Summer Internship Financial Support Program, Brill’s travel, lodging and meals are fully covered. So as the group moved toward the airline counters in the Dhaka airport, we felt good. A successful study tour, replete with numerous learning experiences (about Grameen certainly, but also about life in Dhaka), was drawing to a close. But an Etihad official gave us disturbing news. Due to technical problems at the airport in Abu Dhabi, the flight from Dhaka was canceled. We were given a choice: wait at the airport until the matter was resolved, or go to a nearby five-star hotel and wait there. If we chose the latter option, the airline would arrange transportation and pay for our rooms and meals. The group went to the hotel. The problems in Abu Dhabi must have been fairly extensive, because Etihad Airways kept us in Dhaka for two days before finally putting us on a flight. During our unexpected stay, we arranged a tour of the hotel and a briefing from an executive on the workings of a luxury hotel and the competition it faced in the Dhaka market. When we finally returned to the airport to board our much-delayed flight, a pleasant surprise awaited us. To soothe our ruffled feelings over the delay, Etihad upgraded us to business class on the Dhaka-Abu Dhabi leg of the journey. So, for the four-hour flight, life was heavenly — the joy of flying in a seat that reclines all the way back and leaves you perfectly horizontal is simply hard to describe.
by MATT WALTERS Dear Matt, I’m not doing very well in one of my classes this semester and I’m really tempted to withdraw from the class. Is a “W” going to look bad on my transcript, or should I tough things out and take the grade I get? D e a r Tr a n s c r i p t - Tr o u b l e d Friend, You’re hardly alone in pondering this decision. Considering that the deadline to drop a course for a “W” grade is just a day away from when this paper comes out, you certainly have a small window of time to make your decision. Obviously, you should never drop a course after the aforementioned deadline, because a “WF” will have the same effect on your GPA as a regular “F.” Before making your decision, you have several considerations to make. First, is the grade you think you’ll receive in the class going to significantly hurt your GPA? If you’re headed for a failing grade in the class, or perhaps a similar grade that you deem unsatisfying, then that “W” might be your best option. Having one “W” on your transcript would not be the worst thing — at most, whoever is reviewing your transcript might ask you about where it came from. If a single “W” on your transcript damages your pride, however, then only you can decide for yourself if passing on the withdrawal is worth the resulting grade. Additionally, if you have withdrawn from several courses in the past, then a strand of withdrawn classes might raise some employers’ eyebrows. I would avoid adding any extras to your transcript. Judging by the nature of your question, though, this situation is probably rather new for you. If you happen to be a business major (which I’m not — I just live with one), then you know a thing or two about cost-benefit analysis. In layman’s terms, you evaluate the soundness of a decision or investment to predict whether or not the end result is worth the price. But I digress; I’m probably not describing it very well. Regardless, while it’s impossible to exactly replicate this multi-step analysis in a situation such as yours, try using a GPA calculator to figure out how
much your three-digit number will really suffer if you stick with the class. Also try to plot out some hypothetical future semesters to see how far you can pull your grades up based on the grades you predict. If you’re of the perfectionist sort, like me, rationalize whether or not the grade you’re frightened of is actually even that devastating. Granted, certain majors are more GPA-demanding than others in the long-run, but as you accumulate more letter grades, each individual one matters less and less. I still refuse to accept this myself but, hopefully, you’re more reasonable than I am. I’m a nutcase. This nutcase knows, however, that the very first step of cost-benefit analysis is to list alternatives. And for you, taking a “W” might be the wisest alternative if you’ve never withdrawn from a class before and don’t plan on doing so again. What’s wrong with admitting defeat this once? Failure is an aggravating part of life. There seems to be quite a stigma with having a “W” on one’s transcript, maybe because it indicates “giving up,” or because it comes from the opposite end of the alphabet. But a course withdrawal ultimately means what you want it to mean. It can be a “peace-out,” or an “I’ll buckle down more next time.” And if someone asks you, “So what’s this ‘W’ all about?” I’m confident you’ll know exactly what to tell them. Ultimately, though, whether or not to withdraw is your choice. I’ve given you some considerations to help you make your final decision, at the very least. I would advise against withdrawing if it will set you back significantly in your major requirements, or if you are not prepared to accept any negative connotations that you associate with a “W.” If withdrawing will save your GPA and/or your sanity, then — by all means — do it. I certainly don’t mean to make light of your decision, but only you can sort out the pros and cons in the end. I’m sure you’ll be able to make the most of whatever you decide. And remember, your transcript isn’t everything. Sometimes, the experience is more valuable than a sheet of paper.
‘Muppets Most Wanted’ fails to deliver despite star cameos by KAITLYN TOTHERO
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hen I first heard that a sequel to “The Muppets” movie was being released, I was rather skeptical. After seeing “The Muppets” movie, I was relieved that some of the original magic of “The Muppet Show” in 1976 was back in action. For it to make a revival two times was concerning. That being said, I was surprised that there was even the mildest attempt to maintain the gang’s messy, fun nature throughout “Muppets Most Wanted.” The opening musical number — a full-out, dazzling number titled “We’re Doing a Sequel” goes to explicit lengths to lower expectations, warning the audience that “everybody knows the sequel’s never quite as good.” The Muppets are finally ready to go back on tour with their wacky acts including Miss Piggy’s Celine Dion ballads and Gonzo’s indoor Running of the Bulls. It is up to Kermit to rein in the chaos and make the show desirable to its wide range of audience members. Fortunately, tour manager Dominic Badguy, played by Ricky Gervais, offers the Muppets a spot in his already hectic schedule with President Bill Clinton and Rihanna. Badguy, pronounced “bad-gee” because “it’s French,” suggests that they take their tour worldwide. Naturally, Kermit has his doubts, but Badguy sugarcoats Fozzie and the gang, that later convinces Kermit to abide. From then on, the plot starts to get a little jumpy. The gang ends up in Berlin, Germany
where Badguy lands them a huge gig. But Kermit veers from the group and finds himself mistaken for Constantine, the world’s number-one criminal; he ends up imprisoned in a Siberian Gulag. I originally thought I would like the idea of the gang traveling across the country, but after seeing them in Russia, I have to say I prefer them in their natural habitat. I felt that all the jumping back and forth between places took away from the true focus of the movie, which is always the Muppets. As if the chaos of the plot wasn’t enough, the multiple celebrity inclusions had my mind even more confused as to what I was watching. Did you see that movie “New Year’s Eve?” with the 50-plus big name movie stars who you saw for maybe a minute and hardly contributed to the plot? That’s how this movie felt. We saw Usher for thirty seconds only for him to say, “Yeah, I’m the Usher.” Lady Gaga made an appearance in the opening number, as well as Celine Dion in a later song with Miss Piggy. There was no need for all of the celebrity cameos, except Tina Fey’s as the sassy Nadya, a Russian Gulag prison guard who happened to fawn over Kermit the Frog — there was even a shrine. It took away from the gang, which, for me anyways, is who I want to see when I go see a movie titled “Muppets Most Wanted.” I can’t say that I am or ever have been a diehard Muppets fan who was counting down the days until “Muppets Most Wanted” came out. As a 90s child, I must say that Kermit
the Frog played a key role in my childhood. I was hoping that this sequel would adhere to the greatness of the 2011 Muppets movie, but, sadly, I was disappointed. They tried too many new things at one time in this movie. The overload of big name stars didn’t seem to mix as smoothly with the international traveling in the movie. I feel that if they had chosen one aspect over the other, the audience would have been able to focus more on the Muppets and their adventure.
Although it had its moments, I wouldn’t recommend that you rush out to the next showing and pay the astronomical prices that movie theaters make you pay to see this sequel. If you have younger children who don’t overanalyze everything and appreciate the whimsical puppets, you could splurge to see this in theaters and get the full experience. If you have the strong desire to see it for yourself, I suggest waiting for its release on Netflix or Redbox.
Photo: agentsofgeek.com
The all-star cast of “Muppets Most Wanted” adds a new twist on the awaited sequel.The addition of famous actors to the film, however, might distract from the Muppets themselves.
Opinion
April 3, 2014
page 9
On-campus entertainment offerings, activities impress Jays
Office of Student Activities Director Toni Villella gives insight into how events are chosen by MASHA TOMKUS
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hen I set out to write if the entertainment at Elizabethtown College competes w it h ot h e r s c h o o l s , I h a d a predetermined notion of what I wanted to say. In several instances within my first two semesters, I wished there had been an event for me to go to with my friends. I also heard local schools hold events featuring big-name acts — something the College has not done since I arrived. As a f i r s t - y e a r, I h a d my viewpoint. However, I did not have knowledge on how entertainment is handled. Therefore, I elected to speak with Toni Villella, director of student activities and campus recreation, to learn more. In fact, there was much for me to learn and realize. “I oversee the Office of Student Ac t iv it i e s ( O S A ) , w h i ch has different programming branches,” Villella said. “SWEET does our social programming, E-Fit does our fitness programs, Intramurals does our competitions, The Body Shop is our campus fitness facility and OSA does our large-scale, student body programming.” Villella continued, explaining how sp eakers and events are determined throughout the year. “Our nine-student social program board, Students Working to Entertain Etown, does research on who they want to bring to campus and what events they want to create,” she said. “ T h e y d o a l o t o f e v e nt s themselves, such as Pinterest and bingo nights. For comedians, we go to a regional and national c o n f e r e n c e e a c h s e m e s t e r, where nationally-touring bands,
comedians and magicians get to showcase their talents in a venue where our students can preview them before they come to campus. Our students have already seen them perform a part of their act. They know the content and if it will work well for Etown. We are bringing the best of what we have seen, that are within our price range, for weekly entertainment.” Though tuition and loans are two constant focuses for me, I did not take budget into consideration when initially thinking about how the school chooses events. Sometimes judgment comes too quickly. I think many students at the College can relate. After all, time is quickly passing, April is already here and May is quickly approaching. Also approaching is a bigger event set to take place in a few weeks: TGIS. “TGIS stands for Thank Goodness It’s Spring,” Villella said. “This year will be the 14th anniversary. It is a threeday festival in April, always the last weekend before the last week of class. This year it will be April 24 to April 26. We do activities throughout the evening on Thursday and Friday and through the entire day on Saturday.” I saw the promotional video for TGIS, but I have yet to experience it. “It is really the last weekend for students to hang out and have fun with their friends before they leave for summer,” Villella said. “I think our weekends are well put together with the calendar, but TGIS takes it to the next level; it is just bigger and better.” This year’s theme of #TGISEpic was more interactive than in the past, so students had the opportunity to tell us what they wanted to see. The campaign
received a lot of feedback from students and a lot of great ideas. Our schedule is being built around what people said they wanted.” When I learned that TGIS is built around students’ requests, I reconsidered my original thought. Like all other students, I receive a monthly event calendar, filled with constant activity. I view the calendar as it is distributed, in judgment of what is worthy of my time. Though some events may not appeal to me, many other students look forward to or request the events. I also consider what events coincide with my busy schedule. In the midst of going to class, studying and working, only a
couple prime time slots remain in my day. It is unfair for me to state that the College does not have any events just because they fall at inconvenient times for me. The world does not revolve around me; therefore, it is completely reasonable for events to conflict. I think students could benefit from remembering this tidbit and applying it to their own lives. One last thing I think students can benefit from is remembering there are people on campus trying their best to give us the best possible experience. Villella seems to be one of those people. “I think, collectively, if you look at the calendar that every student gets, we are by far the
most comprehensive student activities office with intramurals, and we do include E-fit,” she said. “SWEET also has a very strong tradition of great programming, so our attendance is very high. Our calendar is a lot more robust than those of our peer institutions. At the same time, our budget is nowhere as large as those of other schools. Other schools might have the wow factor, but they do not have the concrete content. We give solid matter; we just do not have the money or resources for the wow factor. From a student activities’ perspective, we are looked at as a very good model for other schools, just without the wow factor.
Photo: www.neoseeker.com
Blue Jays can expect a performance from local artists OCD: Moosh & Twist at this year’s TGIS. The group’s coming to Etown was announced at the Office of Student Activities’ Mr. Etown event on March 21.
First-year discusses personal growth between fall, spring semesters by ERIK SPILLER
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can honestly say that none of the expectations I had for completing my spring semester have gone as planned; that isn’t a bad thing. When it comes to transitioning from fall semester into the heavily anticipated spring semester, many things change within a short period of time. For first-year students, there are tons of new opportunities and experiences waiting to be taken advantage of. In just a few months, people come and go, professors turn classes up a notch and high school feels like forever ago. Through my own personal experiences at Elizabethtown College, I have learned to keeping moving forward and never stop. Last semester, I participated in many campus activities. I became a Milton Hershey School Mentor, joined track and field, worked for Dining Services and became a co-anchor for
ECTV-40. I assumed I would be part of all these great activities my entire first year here. As time progressed, I changed my mind, although I still remain a Milton Hershey School Mentor and work for Dining Services. I wasn’t surprised to see how far I’ve come, especially looking back to the first few days as a peer kid without a care in the world. I have two amazing peer mentors who I often see around campus and a few good friends from my peer group. Although we have tried to arrange events to attend and occasionally meet, none of them seemed to work out as planned. I believe most students here would agree that going to Etown puts you into what I refer to as the “bubble.” This affects all students who attend a small, tight-knit community college. Students wonder where they are going with their lives. When we hear of news that is outside of the school, it is national and difficult for anyone not to know this information. We get so caught up in our assignments, weekend plans and search for summer internships that the outside almost ceases to exist for
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“This semester, unlike the last, I have built stronger relationships with people here and my family at home ... After being away [from home] for such a long time, stable friendships are necessary to help you stay on track.” -Erik Spiller
The Etownian Awards
us. When I hear my family refer to their college days and how they talk about the exact things I am doing here, it makes me feel unique. This is not because I am a college student but because I’m a student here at Etown. The restless nights, exciting weekends, fun events around campus and, of course, the great friends I have met make it all the more memorable.
Editorial Policy The Etownian is the student newspaper of Elizabethtown College. All editorial decisions are made by the student editors. With the exception of editorials, opinions presented here are those of quoted sources or signed authors, not of the Etownian or the College. For questions, comments or concerns about a particular section, please contact the section editor at [section-title] editor@etown.edu. If you have a story idea, suggestion, or if you would like to submit a letter to the editor, please do so to editor@etown.edu.
As a communications major at a liberal arts college, I get a great mix of educational opportunities and my favorite is no Friday classes. I am glad to have chosen this major because it fits my personality well and I enjoy what I do. At the beginning of the fall semester, I was working toward a job that could make me a lot of money. That has changed, because now I know I want a career that I love and am passionate about. My passion is not a paycheck. Last semester in my first-year seminar, Free Speech and Student Rights, I learned some major necessities for making it through college. This course informed us of the do’s and don’ts of Etown while in an easy and fun learning environment. I admit that I am not a morning person and a 9:30 a.m. was not ideal, but it was totally worth it. Through all of my experiences, I would have loved to have all of the students who are no longer here, for various reasons, to be here. I guess this is just part of life — knowing that people come and go, just like memories. This semester, unlike the last, I have built stronger relationships with people here and my family at home. In the fall, Etown was new and I had a lot to see and do. That part hasn’t changed very much, but I have tried to find time to fit communicating with those I left back home more often. After being away for such a long time, stable friendships are necessary to help you stay on track. I still have a lot of growing to do. But luckily, each semester at Etown is helping me do so in what I believe to be the best way possible.
page 10
Sports
April 3, 2014
NCAA March Madness welcomes back familiar faces to Final Four
in Etown athletics... Kris Davis earned a complete game shutout for the baseball team in a 3-0 victory over Albright College on Tuesday, making Etown’s overall record 9-8. The Blue Jays will head to Reading, Pa. to take on Alvernia University on Friday at 3:30 p.m. The men’s lacrosse team was defeated by Scranton University 9-5 in its last non-conference game before the players head into the Commonwealth Conference competition. The women’s lacrosse team fell to Rutgers-Camden University, 15-14 in overtime. This was the first game where Etown scored double-digit goals. The men and women’s track and field teams traveled to Raleigh, N.C. to compete against Division I schools in the Adidas Raleigh Relays. Zach Trama, Matt Rever, Brian Layng and Lucas Dayhoff posted numbers and times that currently rank in the top 30 in the country for Division III. Senior Traci Tempone turned in the second-best time in the country at 36:22.19 for Section A of the women’s 10,000-meter run.
Photo: USA Today
The No. 7-seeded UConn Huskies suprised many when they defeated Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans, 60-54. They advance to the Final Four in head coach Kevin Ollie’s second season under the helm.
by ADAM MOORE
in the NCAA... The men and women’s Final Four are set as March Madness nears its close. On the men’s side, only one No. 1 seed still remains in the University of Florida. The Gators look to win the tournament after being ranked the No. 1 overall team in the bracket. The remaining three teams include No. 2 Wisconsin, No. 7 UConn and No 8. Kentucky. For the women, No. 1 overall seed UConn is alive after breezing through the first four rounds of competition. UConn and Notre Dame are both undefeated entering the Final Four. The remaining two teams left are No. 2 Standford and a surprise team in No. 4 Maryland.
in the pros... The Major League Baseball season started on Sunday night, when the San Diego Padres defeated their in-state rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-1. L.A. closer Brian Wilson blew a 1-0 lead in his first appearance of the season. Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun also played in his first game of the season after being suspended for 50 games last season, when he used performance-enhancing drugs. Two of last year’s worst teams dominate others in their divisions after the season’s first two days. Both the Houston Astros and Miami Marlins remain undefeated.
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his year’s NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament has lived up to its ‘March Madness’ title. This year’s field of 64 offered fans big programs, cinderellas and even some surprise conference winners. With the diversity of teams playing, the number of exciting playoffs and upsets were at a premium. The first round of play saw multiple upsets that were bracketbusters for many fans. The No. 12 Harvard Crimsons, who won the Ivy League regular season title, defeated the No. 5 Cincinnati Bearcats 61-57 to move to the second round. What was remarkable about the win was that prior to last year, Harvard had never won a tournament game. With the victory over Cincy, they now have two victories in the same amount of years. The biggest upset of the tournament came in the first round, when the No. 14 Mercer Bears from the Atlantic Sun Conference defeated first-year phenom Jabari
Parker and the Duke Blue Devils 78-71. This was not the first time in recent memory that Duke failed to advance from the round of 64. In 2011, Duke was defeated by Lehigh University and current NBA player C.J. McCollum. While the cinderella stories of Harvard and Mercer were only able to last one round, the No. 11 Dayton Flyers were able to make it all the way to the Elite Eight. The Flyers upset the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first round 60-59 to advance to take on perennial power Syracuse. The underdog came out victorious in yet another close contest, beating the Orange 55-53. The match-up for Dayton in the Sweet Sixteen was an evenly matched battle against the No. 10 Stanford Cardinal. Despite the two teams’ being only one seed apart, Dayton controlled the speed of play throughout the game, defeating Stanford 82-72. The Flyers’ season ultimately came to an end when they ran into the No. 1 overall seed Florida Gators. Dayton was able to hang with the Gators for the majority of
the game, but Florida’s energized offense was too much for the Flyers, who lost 62-52. The Final Four is set with the Florida Gators’ being the only No. 1 seed left in the tournament. The No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats are the lowest seed to make it one step away from the National Championship. The Wildcats were able to advance after a last-second bucket by Aaron Harrison, downing Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans to advance. Kentucky will take on No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers in the first of two semifinals. The Badgers advanced to the Final Four after defeating the No. 1 seed Arizona Wildcats 64-63 . The Gators will take on the No. 7 UConn Huskies in a game that will highlight some of the country’s best players in Florida’s Patric Young and UConn star and first-team player Shabazz Napier. With the unexpected outcome of so many games thus far in the tournament, it is anyone’s guess who will be cutting down the nets come April 7.
Lacrosse completes non-conference schedule with victory over Scranton by VINCENT DEBLASS
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atholic University’s effort in the fourth quarter proved enough for a win over the Elizabethtown men’s lacrosse team in a close game at Wolf Field on Saturday. The Cardinals took the last three goals in the game, all of which came in the fourth quarter. The final score was 8-10, giving the Cardinals the win. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Blue Jays were tied with the Cardinals at 7-7. After an early fourth-quarter goal by first-year Joe Clark, the Blue Jays had their second lead of the day at 8-7. However, the Cardinals responded with two goals 16 seconds apart to lead 8-9. Despite having a one-minute extra man offense after Catholic’s Jack Drexel was flagged for an illegal body check, the Blue Jays could not capitalize and failed to score again. The Cardinals added to their total with a goal from Cam Feldman when only one second remained. Although the Cardinals came away with Saturday’s victory, a few Blue Jays had notable performances. Junior Russ LeClair completed his second career hat trick, scoring to give the Blue Jays their first lead of the day early in the second half. Along with making three goals, LeClair also had an assist
for a goal by sophomore Tucker Keefer. Keefer also scored two goals and had one assist, which came on LeClair’s third goal. First-year Cody Larkin contributed to the team’s total with his first career goal, which tied the game early in the third quarter. Catholic came out strong in the first half by jumping to a 2-5 lead in the second quarter. Etown responded with two more goals late in the second. By halftime, Catholic only led by one. After halftime, the Blue Jays responded quickly with two goals before two minutes passed. They were followed by a third with 8:04 left in the third quarter. “He always has great adjustments and words of wisdom for the team during his halftime speeches,” LeClair said of Head Coach Drew Delaney. LeClair also had good things to say about his offensive coordinator. “Our offensive coordinator, Coach Rich Lefever, had a very good offensive plan for today’s game,” he said. “I wouldn’t consider any of my goals today goals that were created off of my efforts; Mike Specht and Tucker Keefer did all the work and just fed me on the crease for lay up goals.” Some of the struggles for the Blue Jays included going 7-20 on face-offs in the game and going 0-3 in extra man offense opportunities. The lack of face-off victories for Etown cut
into its time of possession during the game. In such a close game, the lack of scoring in extra man opportunities hurt the Blue Jays as well. The Blue Jays are moving forward with a record of 4-4 after the game on Saturday afternoon. Against
Landmark opponents this year, the Blue Jays are now 1-1 and look to bring that to 2-1 later this week. On Wednesday, Etown met the Scranton Royals, a team that beat Catholic 5-4 just a few weeks ago. The Blue Jays fell to the Royals in a
similar fashion, losing 9-5. Etown held a 4-3 lead entering halftime,but were unable to find the back of the net in the second half. The Blue Jays will be back on Wolf Field this Saturday when they take on Lebanon Valley College at 3 p.m.
Photo: David Sinclair
First-year Nick Specht and his brother Mike are just two of the multiple underclassmen contributing to the Blue Jays’ offense halfway through the 2014 season.The team will play LVC at home on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Sports
april 3, 2014 FROM NEWS PAGE 1
page 11
Scotto earns 100th victory, helps Jays beat Scranton, LVC by COLLEEN BARRY
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eavy rain and poor weather conditions forced two of Elizabethtown College’s women’s tennis matches to be postponed this past weekend. After a quick change in weather, the team rallied and pulled off a 6-3 win over the University of Scranton Monday afternoon. Senior Adriana Scotto registered her 100th career combined victory in a No. 2 doubles win with sophomore Lauren Berry. Scotto and Berry endured a tough test from the Royals’ Devon Cohen and Megan Azzalina when their match went into a tiebreaker. The Jays fought for the win 8-7 (6). Junior Christine Evangelista and junior Kaitlyn Pellegrino defeated Emily Walsh and Nicole Mahaffey 8-0 at first doubles. “Our match today against Scranton really showed how Etown excels at doubles. Everyone put up a fight, stayed stubborn and hung in there to win and stay in the game,” Pellegrino said. Junior Nicole Snitzer and first-year Madison McCall also claimed an 8-1 win over Courtney Barron and Dana Ranney at No. 3. “It was a test coming straight into a match after being rained-out and snowed-out all week, but we came out strong for doubles and were able
to pull out three wins,” Snitzer said. Scotto pulled off yet another win at second singles with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 overthrow of Azzalina. Pulling off yet another win was Berry with a 6-4, 6-3 defeat over Nicole Mahaffey at No. 4. Junior Sarah Calabro also held off the Royals’ Lisa-Marie Lanciotti 7-5, 3-6, 6-2. “The singles players all rallied hard in order to bring home a win for the team,” Snitzer said. Etown had a quick turnover and went against Lebanon Valley College at the Alumni courts the following day. The women’s tennis team once again did not disappoint, beating the Dutchman 6-3. This match was a Commonwealth Conference opener for both teams. The Dutchmen earned the first point at No. 1 doubles where Christie Graf and Amelia Capuano defeated Etown’s Evangelista and Pelligrino 8-4. Scotto and Berry soon put the team up to a 2-1 lead at No. 2 doubles after a tie breaker 9-8 (1). “We are not a team that ever gives up. That is just not who we are,” McCall said. Etown may have looked like it was slipping down after LVC’s wins in No.1 and No. 2 singles, but the Jays soon came back with striking power winning the next three singles; Berry 6-1, 6-0, Calabro 6-1, 6-1 and McCall 6-1, 6-3. Pellegrino also won her singles match 6-4, 6-4 to claim
Photo: Athletics Department
Junior Sarah Calabro defeated LVC’s Lauren Shanberg 6-1, 6-1 in a singles competition on the Alumni Courts on Wednesday. The team will face Goucher on Friday, April 4.
Etown’s final point. “I’m so proud of all the girls. We are really finding ourselves working as a team,” McCall said. Head Coach Matt Helsel commented on the last two games. “We played two very good teams yesterday and today, and we found ourselves on
Liverpool primed to 19th English Premier League title for first time since 1989-90 season Striker Luis Suarez set to break single-season goals record
the winning side for both, so that’s great,” Helsel said. “The team is young but quickly learning what it takes to win tough matches. I’ve been impressed with our resilient effort in the face of quality competition, and I look forward to how much we may improve as the season progresses.”
Track and field competes against Division I talent by AMANDA ROBERTSON
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Photo: This Is Anfield
Liverpool F.C. is currently in first place in the English Premier League standings after a 4-0 victory over Tottenham.The win put the team two points ahead of Chelsea F.C. after its 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace on March 29.
by MATT SHANK
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ith only five weeks left in the English Premier League season, the top of the table remains a battle. Since the top four clubs automatically qualify for the UEFA Champions League and the fifthplace club qualifies for the UEFA Europa League, even teams that have no hope of winning the Premier League title have a reason to battle it out. Liverpool F.C. looks poised to win its 19th league title, which would be its first since the 1989-1990 season. Last week, The Reds went 13 games without a loss and surged past Chelsea F.C. to take first place for the first time since Christmas with a 4-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur F.C. In that game, star Liverpool striker Luis Suarez scored his league-leading 29th goal of the season, which makes him Liverpool’s top single-season goal-scorer. Suarez needs three goals in the six remaining games to break the record for most goals in a 38game Premier League season. Chelsea F.C. sits in the second spot of the table. The Blues held the first spot since mid-February but dropped a game 1-0 against lowly Crystal Palace F.C., which allowed Liverpool to slip into first. Chelsea manager José Mourinho publicly wrote off the Blues’ chances of regaining the title after their loss to Crystal Palace.
“I think now we have lost any chance of finishing first,” he said. “Now we depend too much on other results. When you depend a little, it’s possible, but when you depend a lot, I don’t think it is.” He also expressed disappointment in some of his players’ performances and questioned his players’ attitudes. Despite Mourinho’s pessimism, Chelsea sits only two points behind Liverpool in the standings with six remaining games to play. Manchester City F.C. is currently in third place in the league, four points behind Liverpool. It played two less games than both Chelsea and Liverpool. City won the Premier League title in 2012 and is knocking at the door for its second title in two years. City had a fair amount of momentum during the past several weeks. It went undefeated in its last six games and seems that it will pass Chelsea. Manchester City faces Liverpool in what will be a huge game in the second week of April. If City hopes for another title, it will almost certainly have to defeat the Reds. It looks like Arsenal F.C. will get another top-five finish in a season without a title under manager Arsene Wenger. The Gunners finished in the top four the past nine seasons. They threatened for the majority of the season but dropped off significantly in the last month. They won the title 10 years ago, but it looks like they will have to wait at least one more
year to celebrate another one. The bottom three teams in the Premier League table are relegated to the Football League Championship, the second tier of English soccer. The three clubs currently at risk of taking the plunge are Fulham F.C., Sunderland A.F.C. and Cardiff City F.C. Cardiff City is the only one of the three that was promoted from the Football Championship League last season. It looks like that team might return after just a season in the top flight. Cr ystal Palace and Hull City, promoted from the second tier last season, sit near the bottom of the table. However, they seem poised to stick around in the Premier League, provided they do not crash at the end of the season. The top two clubs in the Football Championship are automatically promoted to the Premier League. Currently, the clubs in the top two spots are Leicester City F.C. and Burnley F.C. With big leads in the second tier table, it looks like both teams will see Premier League action later this year. The third through sixth place teams in the Football Championship must take part in playoffs to determine the third team to be promoted. The biggest game of this weekend will happen on Sunday. Arsenal and Everton, the fourth and fifth place clubs, respectively, are set to battle at Everton’s Goodison Park. The game will be broadcast live on NBC Sports at 8:30 a.m.
he men and women’s track and field teams traveled to Raleigh, N.C. this past weekend for the Raleigh Relays. It was a big meet and there were a number of Division I schools in attendance. The competition was a two-day meet that started Friday morning and finished Saturday night. Three women set new personal records and four women had their performances put them in the top 25 in the country. Senior Megan Tursi, senior Elaina Nellis and sophomore Gabrielle Yankelevich competed in the steeplechase on Friday morning. Tursi won first place with 11:00.62, which was a personal record by 25 seconds. This time placed her second on the top ten list, third in the country and five seconds off the school record. Nellis came in at 12:35.12 and Yankelevich set a new personal record with 13:27.48. Senior Traci Tempone raced the 10k and finished in 36:22.19, which is currently the second-best time in the country. There were two women’s 4X800 teams that competed. One team consisted of junior Amelia Tearnan, first-year Brianna Earnshaw, first-year Casey Quinto and senior Laurie Jones. They finished in 9:49.00, which is the fourth-fastest time in the College’s history. The other team, made up of senior Eileen Cody, sophomore Lydia Dearie, and
first-years Nicole Ludwig and Nicolette Siermine, finished in 10:28.72. This time put their relay team ninth on the list. On the field, junior Casey Meier threw 39.95m in javelin and took ninth place overall at the meet. First-year Amanda Porter competed in javelin and the hammer. She threw 37.46m in javelin and is now second on the school’s all-time list behind Meier. She threw 36.06m in the hammer, which was a new personal record. Senior Monica Loranger, competing against many other Division I schools, pole vaulted 3.20m and earned 14th place overall. On the men’s team, sophomore Zach Trama and seniors Matt Rever, Brian Layng and Lucas Dayhoff all had performances that ranked in the top 30 in Division III. Trama took fifth place in Section B in the men’s steeplechase. He ran 9:24.16, which is a new personal record that put him second on the all-time list. This time was the third-fastest time in Division III. Sophomore Ryan Conway also raced the steeplechase and finished in 9:57.48. Rever ran the 800m in 1:52.92, which gave him 15th place overall. Dayhoff threw 49.10m in the hammer, which put him in the top 25 in the country and 12.99m in shot put. The Blue Jays will next travel down the road when they compete at Millerville University on Saturday, April 5.
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Women’s lacrosse players enter second half of season with hopes for first victory
Sports
April 3, 2014
Davis pitches complete game in conference victory over Albright by ADAM MOORE
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Photo: Athletics Department
Junior Dani Talenti has started on defense in all nine of Etown’s games this season. The Blue Jays will look to get their first victory under their belts when they host Drew University on Saturday at noon.
by TIANA FERRANTE
T
he Elizabethtown College women’s lacrosse team lost to the University of Scranton Royals, Landmark Conference competitors, with a score of 6-16 in Scranton, Pa. on Saturday. According to the Etown Athletics website, the team “had a season-high four different players score a goal” during the game. First-year midfielders Addie Stang and Rachel Reed, along with sophomore midfielders Mary Nell Donahue and Dana Robidoux, scored the goals for the Jays. Etown defender Meghan Donohue, a junior, explained what was different about this game and the team’s dynamic that enabled goals by the four players. “In the first half, we only had one shot on goal, which Stang scored,” Donohue said. “We realized that we needed to shoot to be able to get points up on the board, and our attack did a great job in the second half of doing that. Donahue, Stang and Robidoux all drove to goal to score, and our other attack players were being more aggressive and making good cuts to get open, which is how Reed scored her goal.” Less than three minutes into the game, Scranton’s Nikole Sullivan scored the first goal. In the first half, the Blue Jays scored one goal. The Royals scored 12 more goals than Etown before the end of the first half. Scranton’s Kerry Sullivan attempted to score, but the shot was intercepted by firstyear goalie Beata Palosz, who made eight saves for the Jays during the game. Although Etown lagged during the first half, the team picked up its game against the Royals in the second half. “We started out competitively on defense in the first half, but we weren’t taking advantage of our possessions or going to goal on offense, so we gave Scranton the opportunity to get ahead by outshooting us 252,” Donohue said. “However, in the second half, we really picked up our game and outscored them 5-3. If we started out playing that way, it would have been a much more competitive game.” In the second half, the Royals’ Sheila Mulligan made a shot, but Palosz blocked it before Stang’s turnover.
With 28 minutes left in the second half, a Scranton goal by Erin Allen followed Scranton’s Kiersten Carnes’ ground ball pickup at 28:14. It was Allen’s seventh goal of the season. At 24:40, Robidoux scored her eighth goal of the season and Etown’s second goal of the game. Further into the game, Stang scored her sixth goal of the season with less than four minutes remaining. Reed made a last-minute goal, her first of the season, with 47 seconds left off an assist from Stang. However, the game ended with a Royals’ victory. Despite the loss, Etown had several season-high marks during the game.
“We realized that we needed to shoot to be able to get points, and our attack did a great job in the second half of doing that.”
he Elizabethtown College baseball team was looking to get back in the winner’s column after several games were cancelled or postponed due to weather. Junior right-hander Kristopher Davis helped in those efforts by pitching a complete game, three-hit shutout to lead the Blue Jays to a 3-0 victory over Commonwealth Conference opponent Albright College Tuesday afternoon in front of a home crowd at Kevin Scott Boyd Stadium. Davis, who currently has an ERA below one, was able to get through the first three innings of play fairly easily, retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced against the Lions.The first hit for the Lions did not come until the fourth inning when Albright’s Gabe Santone’s hit a two-out single. The Lions were held to no extra base hits and were retired by Davis in order in the first, second, fifth, eighth and ninth innings. Davis struck out two and walked two to earn his first career shutout and second career complete game. This was the second time in Davis’ career that he went the distance, defeating Dickinson University last season, 4-2. Etown took a 1-0 lead that they would not relinquish when senior Kyle Gable singled down the left field line in the bottom of the third to score first-year Frank Ragozzino. Gable was thrown out at second base trying to leg out a double, but the Blue Jays already took the lead.
Junior right-hander Kristopher Davis pitched a three-hit, complete game shutout in a 3-0 victory over Albright College on Tuesday.
Taking the mound for the Lions was Jared Neiheiser. Despite not allowing a walk, Neiheiser took the loss after allowing seven hits over his six innings of work. Junior Tyler Weary was then able to turn on a 1-2 pitch and, like Gable, hit a ball to the left field corner for a two-run double, scoring first-year Kyle Fackler and Gable. The hit raised Weary’s RBI total to eight for the season.
The Blue Jays were able to get the victory despite Gable’s recording more than one hit during the game. Both Fackler and Ragozzino each added a hit and a run to solidify the Etown victory. The Blue Jays will next play Alvernia University three times over the course of this weekend. The first of these games comes Friday when Etown travels to Reading for a 3:30 p.m. start time.
Athlete of the Week
~ Meghan Donohue
“We’ve been working on having better possessions of the ball so that we create more opportunities to score,” Donohue said. “The differences between the first and second halves today showed that we still have improvement to make on that, but that we are getting better and more than capable of performing. We’ve also been working on being more aggressive while going after ground balls and trying to get the ball back in the mid-field if we lose it on attack, and our progress on those aspects has been very apparent in our last two games.” The Blue Jays bounced back in a big way with their highest offensive output of the season against Rugters-Camden yesterday. Despiting falling in overtime 15-14, the Blue Jays had arguably their best game of the season. Stang scored a career high seven points in the contest with six goals and one assist. Robidoux also had a career high with six points on five goals and one assist. The women’s team will host Landmark Conference opponent Drew University on Saturday, April 5 at Wolf Field.
April 3
April 4 Baseball @ Alvernia
adriana scotto by ADAM MOORE Adriana Scotto recorded her 100th career victory on Monday against Scranton University. The senior won the No. 2 double match with Lauren Berry to help snap the women’s tennis team’s two-match winless streak. Scotto has a combined record of 100-36 in her career between both singles and doubles competitions.
Photo: Athletics Department
Major: Criminal Justice Hometown:
In 10 years, I want to be... A juvenile defense attorney. Favorite Etown Memory:
Lampeter, Pa.
Winning the Commonwealth Conference Championship in 2013 with my teammates and our 2014 Spring Break tennis training trip to Hilton Head, S.C.
Favorite athlete/sports team: Rafael Nadal
Hardly anyone knows that... I’m going to law school Favorite Jay’s Nest item: Nothing, since I’m a commuter Favorite musician/band: Country music Favorite place to visit: The Bahamas
April 5 Baseball @ Alvernia M LAX vs. LVC
Millersville Metrics TM
Photo: David Sinclair
W LAX vs. Drew
April 6
Greatest athletic accomplishment: Winning my CSAC semi-finals match, which advanced my team to the CSAC finals when I played at Cabrini College I started playing tennis at age... 12.
April 7
April 8
April 9
Baseball @ Albright
Baseball @ Rowan
Baseball vs. Shenandoah
Softball @ Susquehanna
Softball vs. Messiah
M LAX @ Lycoming