Spring 2015 Issue 20

FEATURES DePuydt retires after 25 years as reference librarian | PAGE 4 CAMPUS LIFE Senate president offers perspective on Board of Trustees meeting | PAGE 7

The Etownian

www.etownian.com

Vol. 111. Issue 20

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Biology students waist deep in SCAD events celebrate scholarship experiential study of turtles

S

Photo: Gwen Fries

Dr. David Bowne and students of his “Principles of Evolution, Ecology and Diversity of Life” class check traps in Lake Placida to monitor the movement of turtles.

by BRITTANY PRESSLEY and KELLY BERGH

tudents from every discipline on campus dressed up to celebrate and, for some, to present during the 8th annual Scholarship and Creative Arts Days hosted at Elizabethtown College from April 20 to April 22. More than 2,788 students have participated in SCAD since its inaugural year, alongside several renowned keynote speakers.

Kicking off the SCAD events on Monday night was the 28th Annual Juried Student Art Show featuring works from 23 different students of various majors. While some were media art students, others study less traditionally “creative” majors such as biology. Though the original awards ceremony for the arts show was earlier in the month, April 7, the show continued through SCAD. Following the art show was the keynote speech, given by Dr. Donald B. Kraybill, professor of sociology and religious studies and senior fellow at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies.

Kraybill, who will be retiring from Etown in June, is known as the world’s foremost expert on Amish societies. Offering the audience a comprehensive

Photo: Luke Mackey

S t u d e n t s f ro m a l l m a j o r s h a d t h e opportunity to participate in SCAD by presenting their research and creations.

history of the Amish, Kraybill explained that it was the rapid growth of the culture in recent years that inspired him to conduct research to discover how the Amish flourish in the midst of modernity.

SEE SCAD PAGE 3

Hundreds of volunteers clean up campus for annual PRIDE Day

by MATTHEW VANCLEEF

O

n Saturday, April 18, students, faculty, alumni and community members came together to clean up the Elizabethtown College campus with beautification projects, including mulching, planting trees and flowers and picking up trash.

In 1901, the first “Campus Improvement Day” was held, and the College has kept up the yearly tradition. In 2011, with the collaboration of Student Senate and the Office of Alumni Relations, the day was renamed PRIDE Day. “PRIDE Day is a terrific tradition that enables everyone who loves Etown to join together in support of our campus and community,” director of alumni relations Mark Clapper, ’96, said. “It is an excellent example of how nonmonetary contributions of time and skill can make an incredible difference in a short amount of time.”

Members of Volunteer Opportunities Committee (VOC) oversaw the coordination of PRIDE Day. PRIDE, which

stands for Promote, Recruit, Involve, Donate and Employ, is a collaborative program of the offices of Admissions, Alumni Relations, Career Services and Development. PRIDE’s main focus is to encourage volunteer engagement that in turn supports the College.

This year, there were 224 student, alumni and community volunteers. “I learned community is really important here at Etown, especially because of the amount of people who volunteered their time,” first-year Kristie Hoppe said. “I also thought it was really cool how community members came out to help and it wasn’t just the students.”

Collectively, the volunteers donated over 230 hours of work, which in turn saved the College an estimated $4,600.00 in landscaping and maintenance fees.

Additionally, with the help of alumna Barbara Baker ’89, the Keep Lancaster County Beautiful and Great American Cleanup campaigns, donations of trash bags, rubber gloves, cases of water and a banner were also available.

PRIDE day projects ranged from the mulching of flowerbeds, to picking

up sticks and trash, to planting trees and flowers, and aquatic plants. This year, barley bails were installed in the waters of Lake Placida, which, when they decompose, will work as a natural algae suppressant. Indoor projects were offered for those who were interested in helping in a less physical way. These indoor projects supported the Caitlin’s Smiles Foundation, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing children with chronic or life threatening illnesses smiles and laughter. They achieve this by sending art kits and craft projects to these children to promote heightened feelings of self worth.

Many find that PRIDE Day offers the opportunity to not only help one’s community but to also meet and network people with whom they may never have had contact with in another setting.

“Civil service projects bring people together with similar desires to help their community. I was able to meet a lot of people who I never would have met otherwise. Overall, it was a meaningful and worthwhile experience,” said Jessica Royal ’18.

Photo: Kelly Moore

PRIDE day brought together over 200 volunteers. Collectively, they contributed over 230 hours of work in beautifying the campus, saving the college over $5,000 in maintenance fees.

TGIS brings students Color Classic supports Joshua Group Etown students. for the sale of vinegar. “It was fun to be weekend of Hunger

by TARA SIANO “I was very happy to have so many part of such a great event, cheer for my children from the Joshua Group attend friends running, and support the Honors 300 people were painted purple and run the race. It gave the event much Council in the process,” she said. “I want Games-themed festivities Overon Sunday, April 19, to raise money

by SARAH OLSON

T

he annual Thank Goodness It’s Spring Festival, or TGIS, was held this past weekend as a campus-wide closer to the school year. This year’s theme was based off the popular book and film series The Hunger Games. According to OSA, the theme had been in the making for a while before coming to fruition this year.

The events of the weekend took inspiration from the series.

Thursday’s activities included Tribute Training, a PowerTrain class; and Districts Bingo. Friday offered an Archery class, a showing of the Hunger Games film and the Capitol Gala, where students were eligible to win a costume contest.

Saturday closed out the weekend with a replication of The Arena, where the TGIS picnic was held along with an archery game and obstacle courses. A second showing of the Hunger

Games film was also offered.

The weekend was brought to an end with the Winner’s Circle, where students had access to food from not only Etown’s Jay Truck but the Mad Dash and Sugar Whipped Bakery trucks as well.

OSA puts in hours of planning and preparing in order to put together a successful TGIS weekend. After choosing a theme, event planners choose events and activities they think students would find the most enjoyable. Once a schedule is decided upon, they find businesses and companies available to provide the necessary services for the activities.

After the events are ready to go, the publicity side of OSA is tasked with spreading the word and making sure students are aware of all the happenings for the weekend.

SEE TGIS PAGE 3

for charity.

After last year’s successful color run, the Elizabethtown College Class of 2017 brought back the Etown Color Classic.

Purple powder was thrown through the air, dying runners and volunteers alike during this 5k event.

The Color Classic is a fun run, meaning the race has no winners except for the charity it chooses to donate to. This year, the Class of 2017 represented the Joshua Group. The run donated 50 percent of its proceeds to the organization, amounting to $3,229.

The Joshua Group is an organization whose main focus is to help students that are suffering academically. After much deliberation, the Sophomore Class chose to represent the Joshua Group due to their personal connection to the organization’s efforts.

“Being students at Elizabethtown College, we all have benefitted from the privilege of education, so we felt this was a cause we could strongly relate to and support,” sophomore Class President Kirsten Ambrose said.

Many students from the Joshua Group attended the event to run alongside

more meaning for me,” Ambrose said.

Each runner’s registration price included a pair of free sunglasses and a free white t-shirt with the tag line: “Eat my dust!” As powder hit the runners, it stained their t-shirts. The Etown Honors Council sold $5 spray bottles filled with vinegar to soak the affected T-shirts with. These helped lock in the color for a unique souvenir to take home after the run was over.

Honors council representative Blair Hendricks, a first-year, was responsible

to run it next year because it looked that much fun!”

There was only one hitch to the 2015 Color Classic: the runners ran the wrong way in the beginning of the race. Fortunately, the track was laid out so that the direction the participants were facing did not matter.

“It was definitely concerning for a few minutes as we waited to see what would happen, but [everything] worked itself out,” Ambrose said, deeming the event both enjoyable and successful.

Photo: Jason Mountain

Class of 2017 Student Senate members and representatives from Joshua Group pose with the charity donation earned during the event.

News

page 2

April 30, 2015

Two students, two professors awarded Fulbright scholarships

T

by LUKE FERNANDEZ

his year four members of Elizabethtown College were awarded Fulbright scholarships. The winners, of which there were two students and two professors, are Robert Wheelersburg, professor of anthropology, Cristina Ciocirlan, associate professor of management, Katie Appleby, a senior Spanish education major, and Matt Walters, a senior English secondary education major.

The Fulbright scholarship founded in 1946, when J. William Fulbright was the senator of Arkansas. The program was supported and funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

As a member of the United States Congress for over 30 years, Fulbright was focused on dealing with foreign policy and international affairs.

Fulbright gained the support of the United States government and

started the international Fulbright scholarship program, which grants scholarships to a number of different fields including: the sciences, public service, business, government and the arts.

The Fulbright program awards approximately 8,000 grants each year to 1,600 students across the United States, 4,000 to foreign students, 1,200 scholars from the United States and 900 visiting scholars. Fulbright also awards several hundred professionals and teachers all over the United States. There are 310,000 people across the world who have been awarded a Fulbright scholarship since the program started in 1946.

Robert Wheelersburg, professor of anthropology. Wheelersburg will spend his 2015 fall semester in Iceland, where he will explore sustainable economic development for the Arctic regions. This is Wheelersburg’s third Fulbright award as a professor.

The other professor that won a Fulbright award is Cristina Ciocirlan, she is the associate professor of management.

“I consider the Fulbright Award as the most prestigious recognition of my work. I am very grateful to the binational US-UK Fulbright Commission and the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) for giving me this award,” Cirocirlan said.

Ciocirlan will conduct research with several other professors. Their research is related to discretionary environmental behaviors at Durham University Business School in Durham, England.

“I am excited to conduct my research project at Durham University and contribute to the advancement of the field of environmental psychology and sustainable management of organizations. It is amazing to be part of this growing current in organizations today” Ciocirlan said.

Student winner Matt Walters will travel to South Korea to become a teaching assistant. Walter explained that being a Fulbrighter is an awesome feeling. He is excited to experience different styles of teaching in South Korea. Walters looks forward to meeting his host family, with whom he will be living for his entire experience in Korea. He will have to adapt to Korean culture and learn their customs.

Walters also has a minor in music so while he is traveling in South Korea he plans to offer music lessons to anyone who is willing to learn. He is especially excited to learn how to play Korean music. As a music minor,

Walters is part of four different music groups, has traveled and toured in Brazil and Colombia. At Etown he also took part in Called to Lead and is an event programmer for the Office of Student Activities.

Katie Appleby is the fourth Etown Fulbright winner. Appleby will be traveling to Mexico to become a teaching assistant. Appleby has known that she wanted to become a teacher since the seventh grade and since then she has done everything she could to make her dream come true. Because of the Fulbright award she will be able to teach in another country, something she’s always wanted to do.

Correction The Etownian mistakenly published a piece of misinformation in the Issue 19 article “Gross shares performance experiences, collaborative work with composers.” The article wrongly states that Dr. Gross teaches music therapy courses. She has never done so and claims no expertise in the field. Gross is a master clinician in vocal performance.

Royer Residence Hall experiences plumbing problems, flooding

by KELLY MOORE

S

ince 1962, Royer residence hall has comfortably housed 125 men and women on Elizabethtown College’s campus. However, this semester, numerous students have been complaining about the repeated flooding on the first floor.

The Resident Assistant on the first floor of Royer, Junior Early Childhood major Nicole Curcio, said that although the flooding happened a few times throughout the semester, “the great flood,” as they have been calling it, happened on Sunday, Feb. 8th.

“The drain in the boys bathroom began flooding water due to clogged pipes. The water quickly came out of the bathroom and into the hallway where it made it almost completely down the hall, stopping one room from the lobby/center of the building,” Curcio said. “The water went into many of the resident’s rooms.”

Elizabethtown College hired an outside company to come in and clean

up the floor and the resident’s rooms because there was a chance that this kind of flood would expose residents to health risks. Curcio mentioned that the cleaning of the rooms and residents belongings was not done to the full extent that the residents were hoping, with numerous rugs and other items on the floor at the time being damaged.

A resident of Royer who has chosen to remain anonymous said that due to the flooding, they were unable to go back to their rooms until late at night. By the time they had returned, the hallway had been cleared but they were told to wait for the outside company to arrive. “They did not get around to my room until about 1:30 a.m. because the company needed to retrieve more equipment,” said the resident. “They did not finish cleaning our hallway until nearly 3 a.m. and the loud equipment kept my roommate and [me] awake.”

Residents were not charged for this incident, although if it happens again, the building has been informed that

they will be charged.

Directors of Facilities Management, Mark Zimmerman says that the issue is a behavioral one. “Each time the traps and drains have had to be snaked and cleared of obstructions, evidence of excessive amounts of feminine hygiene products have been present along with the wrappers,” said Zimmerman.

“Facilities Management cannot stress enough the importance of the proper disposal of the products in the napkin dispensers which are located in each stall.”

The issue has been brought to the attention of Residence Life several times and Facilities has been told that the RAs have been relaying this message to the occupants. There have not been any recent backups, so Facilities is hoping that the message has gotten through.

“There was also an incident in which excessive amounts of toilet paper was stuffed into the toilets in an act of vandalism to intentionally clog the toilet,” Zimmerman said. “Why any resident of a hall would want to inconvenience

Photo: Luke Mackey

Royer Residence Hall has been experiencing problems with flooding.

their fellow hall mates by doing an act like this is hard to understand.”

Mechanical Trades Supervisor, Baron Wanner says that the issue has not only affected Royer, but different wings in Founders and Brinser. “The only thing that should go down the toilets is human waste and toilet paper,”

Wanner said. “Toilet paper is made to break up in water. NOTHING else should be flushed down toilet even if the packaging says is safe to do so.”

In the future, Residence Life plans to provide ongoing education to residential students about how to reduce the likelihood of pipe backups.

Called to Lead concludes year

by DAVID SMITH

T

his year’s Called to Lead annual dinner on April 28th marked the end of another successful year for the program. Under the leadership of Reverend Tracy Sadd and Stacey Zimmerman, students within the program used online tools, projects, and community presentations to help bring out the natural leadership talents from within themselves. The 22 seniors being honored at this dinner had to attain 1,000 points by attending sponsored events and complete a senior capstone course to complete the Called to Lead program.

Called to Lead has been a significant part of campus life here at Elizabethtown College since it began, and this year has been no exception. Students who participate in the program take part in on-campus events in order to earn points towards completing the program, and also attend weekly mentoring and presentation sessions designed to enrich the leadership ability that every student has.

The program was put in place here on campus to try and help students enhance their leadership abilities through their own efforts rather than attending a traditional leadership seminar.

To quote Reverend Tracy Sadd, who participated in the program this year, “We teach many different kinds of leadership models and theory. Some students are called to be servant leaders, some students feel challenged by social change models of leadership, and still others resonate with situ-

ational leadership.” The Called to Lead program is designed to allow students to achieve success through the pursuit of their own particular type of leadership. Regardless of what type of leader a student is, Called to Lead allows them to attend the events and presentations that they feel will best add to their leadership in that area or explore an entirely new area of leadership.

Sophomore student Samantha Eisdorfer, a participant in the Called to Lead program, offered her thoughts on the program; “Called to Lead is what you make of it for yourself. There is no pressure from the program or its developers, but Called to Lead offers a lot of enriching experiences and if you apply a little bit of pressure to yourself… you can really grow.”

Since its creation, Called to Lead has been doing exactly that. This year’s program has evolved significantly to include new tools for students in order to encourage them to make the program even more beneficial for themselves and those around them. Most recently, the addition of the StrengthsFinder inventory to the program has proven highly beneficial to the students in Called to Lead by allowing them to get a better idea of where their leadership strength lies.

It’s up to the student to decide to focus on their strong points or to develop an entirely new area of leadership ability.

Zimmerman, the current director of the Called to Lead, was very clear on how she thought these new additions would help students. “In my opinion, success comes from self-awareness

and personal development,” she said.

“When a student has a clear sense of the purpose of their own life, as well as how their unique talents will serve that purpose, then I consider that a success.”

In continuing their philosophy of allowing students to grow and develop at their own pace, the Called to Lead program operates on a points system rather than making students attend certain events. Under the system, students need only attend sponsored events on campus, which are worth a certain amount of points toward their overall completion of the program.

This flexibility means that students from any major have the ability to participate in the program by picking and choosing which events they would like to attend.

Sara Bates, class of 2018, shared why she thinks the program is so beneficial to students; “Leadership is quickly becoming an invaluable job quality that employers are seeking in job candidates. There is a growing demand for these skills in many professional fields, not just in business related professions.”

Called to Lead will be available on campus next year to any students wishing to participate. Future offerings of the program include student-led book clubs and leadership sessions.

For now, the year-end dinner held by the program marks the end of another successful program for this year, as well as the beginning of working toward making next year’s program even more successful.

News Features Campus Life Sports

Your article here?

The Etownian is looking for Fall 2015 writers!

Contact: editor@etown.edu

News

April 30, 2015

page 3

SCAD PAGE 1

Scholarship, Creative Arts Day showcases students’ talents He explained his research as cross-disciplinary, finding it necessary to call upon his knowledge sociology, anthropology, history, religion, economics and politics. In addition to relying heavily upon secondary sources, Kraybill also engaged in participant observation so that he could write first-hand accounts of their culture. Sophomore Sarah McCarron, who is currently enrolled in Kraybill’s Honors Amish, Brethren, and Mennonites in the US since 1860 course, joined him onstage to exemplify how he “Amishizes” himself so that his presence does not disrupt their social structure.

According to Kraybill, the Amish riddle that he has spent so long trying to solve can be explained by their negotiation with modernity. Contrasting the values of modern society with the traditions of the Amish, he explained that they believe in supporting “human-scale” rather than large-scale endeavors, which they avoid by establishing cultural fences, such as limited interaction and distinctive symbols.

“The biggest wedge between the Amish and ourselves is the difference between the focus on the individual and the focus on the community,” said Kraybill.

The inventiveness in modifying technology, entrepreneurialism and purity of the Amish have allowed them to navigate the modern world. Kraybill’s research has proven fruitful over the past several decades, allowing him to identify the greater meaning of the society. His work exemplifies the scholarship the College promotes through SCAD. Tuesday saw four sessions of undergraduate

presentations ranging from posters to panel discussions and paper presentations. Student presenters must find faculty mentors and submit their proposals months in advance to be considered for a slot at SCAD; most students had been preparing and practicing for months leading up to the event. Junior professional writing major Samantha Whitall did not present but went to support other members of her department. This was Whitall’s second year attending SCAD and she felt that the presentations were both informative and entertaining. “[It’s been] really impressive, the work the… students had done,” she said.

Presentations ranged in topic. Sophomores Garrett Clark and Maria Rajkowshi, alongside junior Steven Paul, analyzed and talked about results of a survey they created on political tolerance as part of their class political science on research methods. Senior Spanish major Justin Ahmad discussed the mid-20th century Spanish novel La isla y los demonios and how its main character broke female stereotypes of the time period. Senior music therapy students Marissa Aulenbach, Ashley Blaha and Marissa Harper created a poster detailing the results of their experiment conducted about the impact of technology during group sessions. Senior English majors Kyler Koons and Brighid Flynn talked about class projects that they then expanded into more personal stories.

Paige Neidig, SCAD PR intern and thirdyear corporate communications major, worked with Office of Marketing and Communications leading up to the event to cre-

Photo: Kelly Bergh

Dr. Don Kraybill gave the keynote speech on Monday,April 20 in Leffler Chapel and Performance Center. He discussed the Amish and how they adapt to certain technological advancements.

ate promotional material and generate buzz on social media about SCAD. Neidig feels that SCAD is “a great opportunity for any student to participate in” regardless of major and there are “lots of ways to get involved” outside of just presenting. After the presentations were over, there was a reception held in the M & M Mars Room followed by the SCAD Recital.

Throughout the day, the College’s official Twitter page was constantly updated with mentions of various upcoming panels & events. Tweets and photos from SCAD can be found at https://storify.com/EtownCollege/

scad-2015.

The mission of SCAD “is to provide a forum for student scholarship that supports and promotes the College’s main learning goals for intellectual development, critical thinking, thoughtful communication, creativity, human expression and diversity of perspectives.”

Under committee chair Brian Newsome, the SCAD committee, made up of students and faculty, was largely responsible for planning SCAD. They have already begun work on next year’s event; Harriet Rubi has already been announced as the keynote speaker for SCAD 2016.

TGIS PAGE 1

Thank Goodness It’s Spring events bring Hunger Games theme to campus, welcome warmer weather in time for finals week “I think it’s really cool to just see everyone, like the collaboration between all the other event planners, and seeing what they can come up with together,” said Ashley Dispenziere, an OSA representative. She cited Saturday as the biggest day of the weekend.

“Usually Saturday is a big hit and seeing everyone come together and get to hang out with each other on one of the last weekends.”

First-year Holly Savini greatly praised the weekend.“My first TGIS was very fun, and it was exciting to be able to spend it with most of the school,” she said. “It was important because it brought the whole campus together in celebration of spring and unity and it really gave me a sense of community within Etown.”

Another First-year, Derek Burton, agreed.

“I had a really great TGIS experience. I really enjoyed a lot of the events set up by

stress and prepare for summer.”

Sophomore Stephen Hajcak agreed with

“[TGIS] brought the whole campus together in celebration of spring and unity and it really gave me a sense of community within Etown.”

~Holly Savini

the school,” he said. “I think it’s important because it brings people together. It’s a fun thing to do before finals week and the week before finals, and it really helps students de-

the de-stressing ideas.“I had a lot of fun this year,” he said.

“It’s a great de-stresser because while we have events throughout the year, the

prolonged three day celebration feels wonderful to de-stress. Also to be able to climb on giant inflatable jungle gyms is a great de-stresser.”

First-year Melissa Kalmbacher gave a Residence Assistant’s perspective on the weekend. “I saw people who don’t usually leave their rooms leave their rooms and have a good time,” she said.

“It was an excuse to get out and have a good time even though it was really cold then. It was something fun.”

Even though the temperature might not have been as warm as it has been during the weekend of fun in the past, Elizabethtown students still showed their Blue Jay spirit for a great celebration of the end of the year.

Honors students to present at Promotions and Tenure national conference next semester

O

by KELLY BERGH

n Tues day, April 21 the National Collegiate Honors Council accepted the project proposal of three representatives of the Elizabethtown College Honors Program.

Sophomore Tyler Latshaw, senior Phil Belder and assistant professor of political science Dr. Kyle Kopko will be traveling to Chicago next semester to discuss the revamping of the College honor’s program that has been taking place over the past couple of years.

The annual conference, which has been occurring for 50 years, will have the theme “Make No Little Plans,” which fits perfectly with Latshaw, Belder and Kopko’s project, which is entitled “Making Big Plans: Transitioning Honors Programs Seamlessly and Efficiently.”

Between November 11 and November 14, the three, as well as any additional honors students that may attend on behalf of Etown, will meet up with thousands of other honors students from institutions around the country. All three attended

last year’s conference in Denver, where they became close with members of the Central Michigan University Honors College. According to Latshaw, the opportunity to collaborate with students and faculty who partake in honors programs similar and different to Etown’s is an invaluable experience. “A lot of [what we’ll talk about] is what we’ve learned from the conference,” he said of attending in the past.

“It’s a pretty rigorous process.”

~Tyler Latshaw

Latshaw hopes that their fiftyminute presentation and question-and-answer session will help other honors programs understand how to make change in a big way. “It’s a pretty rigorous process,” he acknowledged. But he is confident that the success that the Etown Honors Program has seen recently as it changes

directors and expands to make it more feasible to graduate as part of the program.

The audit of the Etown Honors Program will allow the group to share what has been most successful about its renovation. “I have a new appreciation for the honors program ever since going to the [conference last year],” said Latshaw. He hopes that their presentation will inspire other schools to adopt some of the same changes as Etown.

One point in particular that the group will be touching upon in the presentation will be the reduction of the number of representatives on the honors council to only 12 students.

They will also address how to create a more social atmosphere on a budget.

This year saw a record number of project submissions.

Latshaw, Belder and Kopko are extremely proud to have been selected to present from 818 proposals. “[Speaking at the conference will] help us solidify what’s going on in our honors program,” Latshaw said.

On Saturday, April 25, the Elizabethtown College Board of Trustees approved all faculty members recommended by their departments for tenure and promotion. Congratulations to:

Dr. Colin Helb Communications Dr. Kelly Poniatowski Communications Dr. Jeffrey Rood Chemistry Dr. Matthew Skillen English Dr. Barry Wittman Computer Science

Features

page 4

April 30, 2015

DePuydt retires after 25 years as reference librarian, archivist

by CRYSTAL UMINSKI

A

fter 25 years of service to Elizabethtown College, Reference Librarian and Archivist Peter DePuydt is retiring from his position at the High Library.

DePuydt began working at Etown in August 1990 after spending several years doing what he called “shovel bumming” across the United States while working on archeology dig sites.

“When I started, I worked reference desk, and then I worked in the Interlibrary Loan office. I was here on a temporary one-year position,” he said. In DePuydt’s first year at the College, the Library’s on-staff archivist retired; DePuydt filled the open position, and he has been working in the archives since.

“For years, I would file papers that would come in, faculty minutes, Board of Trustees minutes, photographs that came in, then in the late 90s, I started some digitization projects,” he said.

DePuydt has worked on projects to create digital copies of the editions of the yearbooks The Etonian, published between 1922 and 1950, and The Conestogan, which has been published annually since 1951.

This past year, DePuydt digitized commencement films. “One of the things I wanted to do this year was to get these digitized and get them up [on the Library website],” he said. DePuydt retrieved a copy of the 1943 commencement from the Internet archives, and commented on the campus scenery. “This is right out in front of Alpha [Hall],” he said as about 25 students donning caps and gowns lined up outside the building.

“That’s Rider [Memorial Hall], and that’s gone now. That building was actually here my first year, and I never went in it, and now it’s gone!” DePuydt said. Rider Memorial Hall formerly housed a campus library.

In addition to working at the High Library reference desk, Interlibrary Loans and archives, DePuydt is also a published author. Many of his writings describe the history of some of the more unique items in the archives.

DePuydt talked about his collaboration with Associate Professor of History Dr. David Kenley to write about “a sword that was brought back from China by a Church of the Brethren missionary.” The article, “The Sword of the Spirit: A Silent Relic from China’s Christian Past,” was published in the Journal of Asian History in 2010.

DePuydt wrote about another archival artifact, the Manumission Deed, in “Free at Last, Someday: Senator Outerbridge Horsey and Manumission in the Nineteenth Century,” which was published in Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies. The Manumission

Deed was found in the archives and was what DePuydt called, “a document that we knew was in here, but nobody knows how it got here.” The Deed was published by a Delaware senator in 1812 and details the emancipation of 14 slaves over the course of 30 years.

In 2008, DePuydt published “Finding Uhlrich’s Daughter: WWII Vet Connects with Slain Buddy’s Daughter Half a Century Later,” which he said was “the most important reference work I’ve ever done.” The article describes DePuydt’s poignant yet heartening story of how he used his father’s photographs from World War II to locate the daughter of a soldier who was killed in action.

DePuydt also worked alongside Jean-Paul Benowitz, assistant director of academic advising, to put together

“Elizabethtown College,” which was published in 2014 as a part of Arcadia Publishing’s Campus History series.

Reflecting on his time at the College, DePuydt remembered that “a number of us used to play basketball at lunch hour a couple days a week about 20 years ago.”

One of the students who had worked with DePuydt in the Interlibrary Loan office during his first years at the College recently visited him at Etown. “He’s going to be 46 years old now. It’s kind of hard to think about that. In my mind, he’s still a 21- or 22-year-old student,” DePuydt said. “I thought, ‘Hey, didn’t you just graduate?’ and now he’s a principal of a high school!”

DePuydt will retire at the end of the spring 2015 semester. Rachel Grove Rohrbaugh will take over DePuydt’s position as the archivist at the High Library.

Photo Credit: Luke Mackey

DePuydt began working at Elizabethtown College in 1990 and became the reference librarian and archivist after his first year at the College. He is retiring after this academic year ends.

Panel discussion on current U.S. relations with Vietnam, economy, celebration of unity, culture of Vietnam held by students, faculty troops or dislike, for some, regarding military and government involvement.

However, Wheelersburg said that he “No two countries have come chooses to focus on the positive effects together faster than Vietnam and of the war. “I think America’s a better the United States,” Dr. Margaret country because of what happened McFarland, professor of social work in Vietnam,” he said. International and Vietnam Fulbright Fellow, said relations have improved, and America during the presentation “The Fall of would be a very different country Saigon: 40 Years Later” on Wednesday, without its Vietnam citizens.

April 29.

McFarland, who had received The panel discussion consisted of a Fulbright scholarship to teach in McFarland, Dr. Robert Wheelersburg, Vietnam, Skyped into the discussion professor of anthropology, and in order to contribute her perspective sophomore Anh Bui, a student from from living in Vietnam. The country is Vietnam studying at Elizabethtown currently celebrating what is called the Day of Independence in the South and the Day of Unification in the North.

An interesting aspect of the celebration is that the Vietnamese are using a Northern perspective for the day. McFarland said that this perspective has left some living in South Vietnam discontent. She added that some have temporarily left in order to avoid celebrating the day. “It feels like a celebration being forced on them in their city,” she said.

“We have come a long way in the last 20 years,” McFarland said regarding U.S. and Vietnamese relations. McFarland said that while she has been there, many have come up to her and asked about relatives living in the U.S. Many young people have also told her they want to visit the U.S. as soon as they have the opportunity.

The young people in particular are excited about relations with the U.S. and eager to put the past of the war Photo Credit: Emily Drinks behind them. “Vietnamese tend to be Bui discussed her trip toVietnam over the past summer as well as the economy and various ethnicities inVietnam. really forward thinkers,” McFarland

by EMILY DRINKS

College.

Wh e e l e r s bu r g b e g an t h e presentation by having a student from the music department perform “Taps” in honor of the estimated 4,250,000 soldiers, both American and Vietamese, who died during the Vietnam War. He then explained why the U.S. became involved with the war. “The war started for us, essentially, because we decided to fight communism overseas,” Wheelersburg said. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution allowed the U.S. to deploy troops anywhere in South Vietnam. By 1968, the U.S. had

500,00 troops in Vietnam.

The war, until recent years, was the longest war in U.S. history.

Wheelersburg said that it was a war about socioeconomic status. Those who could go to college went to college, and those who could not were frequently drafted into the war.

Additionally, racism and sexism were also prevalent during the war. 86 percent of the soldiers who died were white, and the war consisted of almost entirely male troops.

Wheelersburg said that people could focus on the negative aspects of the war, such as death of many

Bui shared what Vietnam looks like to the eyes of tourists at Elizabethtown College on Wednesday, April 29.

said. To many, the war feels as though it were so long ago that it is time to move on.

Bui next spoke about Vietnam now. She is from Hanoi, Vietnam, the country’s capital located in the North. During the summer, Bui had the opportunity to travel back to her country with nine other students from Vietnam who are studying abroad in the U.S. “I got to know my country more,” Bui said.

In Vietnam, there are different ethnicities within the country.

Depending on the ethnicity, the way the people dress and the language they speak will differ. “It’s like little countries within a country,” Bui said.

She said that she speaks the language 80 percent of Vietnamese speak. In her ethnicity, they commonly dress similar to Americans, but other ethnicities will wear more traditional clothing.

“Our generation doesn’t really know much about what happened in the war,” Bui said. She explained that they learn about the war primarily from museums, but do not learn about the war in detail, which makes it easier for them to focus on present relations with the U.S. The economy in Vietnam has improved greatly over the past few years as well. McFarland said, “There’s a whole new middle class of Vietnamese that has appeared here.” Bui added that the economy is based on exports.

Vietnam is the world’s second largest coffee exporter and exports seafood in great numbers. Tourism also has become a vital part of their economy.

“It is definitely a developing country,” McFarland said.

April 30, 2015

Features

page 5

Senior art majors display work in show, discuss expression through art, preferred mediums, post-graduation plans, growth as artists

by EMILY DRINKS

M

ay 3 to 30, seniors majoring in fine art at Elizabethtown College will be holding a senior art show to display their work. The art will be displayed for faculty, students and members of the community to view.

Senior Taylor Curtin’s pieces mostly feature photography.

Curtin said that she prefers to work with drawing, painting and photography, but her main medium is photography. “I felt that because it is my senior show, I should choose what I am the most passionate about,” Curtin said. Her photography pieces for the show will focus on the use of texture.

The students critiqued each other’s work every two weeks during the semester in preparation for the show. The pieces that Curtin received the best feedback for were a little more abstract and mysterious than her other pieces. “I decided that even though that is not usually the composition that I portray, it would be fun to try something new and experiment a little. The textures came from close-up or cropped versions of the original photos that I had taken. Some are more mysterious and abstracted than others,” Curtin said.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of her fine arts major has been getting to express herself in many different aspects and forms of art. She said that fabric sculptures were more challenging to work with; however, she found the concept to be fascinating. “[Working with different art mediums] forces you to step out of your comfort zone and put things on display for other people that you might not typically think about putting out there,” Curtin said.

Senior Danielle Nelson’s pieces will include paintings, drawings, prints and clay sculptures. Nelson said that of those mediums, clay is the medium she prefers working with. Nelson’s clay pieces focus on nests. “I worked off the meanings surrounding the nest, such as mother, nature and safety,” she said.

Nelson, a double major in fine art and psychology, will be pursuing a master’s degree in art therapy and counseling at Drexel University after graduating in May. She has already had the opportunity to blend her two majors together.

She worked for two semesters as a volunteer and intern at PinnacleHealth Hospital. “During this time, I would bring

a cart with art materials to the patients during their treatment. It was a great experience. In the summer, I will be an art therapy intern at Camp Pegasus, which is a camp for children with autism,” Nelson said.

“I prefer to keep them open enough for audience to find their own stories. Basically, I try to make them an open book to endless possibilities, if you will. For me, art is indefinable. It has no restrain and is free spirited.” ~ Melissa Stewart

Senior Ellyn Frisch drew inspiration from her childhood in selecting her pieces for the show. Her pieces focus on the desire to touch unique objects, which began during Frisch’s childhood, and on her observations and memories about life and human behavior. “Then, I pushed these ideas through the concepts of things being perceived as more or less beautiful than they are. As humans, we tend to expect or perceive life to be better or worse than it is. I personally like art to be aesthetically pleasing and be something one would choose to live with. I make my art prettier than the situation, because to me, each piece of art is a story just like each person and interaction,” Frisch said.

Frisch said the most important lesson she learned from her major was that experience affects content. She also learned to take life in strides and always appreciate the good aspects of her work. “My happy place is the first floor of Steinman,” she said.

Senior Melissa Stewart first discovered her love for

drawing by watching cartoons, such as “Looney Tunes” and “Peanuts,” growing up. She said the characters having their own style appealed to her and helped her realize that there is no singular style of art.

For the show, she will display pieces she has done throughout her time at the College. “Though some would argue it’s better to only show ‘the best of the best,’ I think it’s important to acknowledge the past to show how far one has come in life,” Stewart explained.

Stewart’s preferred art medium to work with is illustration, and during her time at Etown, she has grown fond of computer art and photography.

Stewart often makes stories with her art that challenge societal norms or are satirical toward society. However, she also leaves inventing stories up to the audience as well. “I prefer to keep them open enough for audiences to find their own stories. Basically, I try to make them an open book to endless possibilities, if you will. For me, art is indefinable.

It has no restraints and is free spirited. As such, see what you will, for each will find their story,” Stewart said.

Senior Rebecca Nelson’s art uses birdcages and the human skeletal system as a concentration in her work. She made her first birdcage for an assignment in her ceramics class.

“Although the original thought was about the aesthetic appeal of birdcages, I appreciate the emotion that they can trigger,” Nelson said.

In her pieces depicting birdcages, Nelson most often sculpts a single bird within the cage. “This conveys feelings of being trapped or imprisoned. It is interesting to me is the way emotions are dictated by perspective, making the feeling of imprisonment self-inflicted,” Nelson said.

In her focus on the human skeleton, Nelson has studied the human skull in detail. At the show, she will be displaying mostly sculpture pieces, some of which will focus on the beauty of the human body.

She uses it in her art to represent the struggle with pride and vanity. “Many people find themselves entrapped by their own desire for perfection and the efforts they are willing to go through for it. Despite our endeavors, however, underneath the surface, everyone is just as beautiful and perfect as everyone else because we are all created with the same foundational structure,” she said.

Djanikian explains path to writing poetry

by NOEL ABASTILLAS

O

n Friday, April 24, the Bowers Writers House held an afternoon craft talk with poet Gregor y Djanikian. He is the director of the creative writing program for undergraduates at the University of Pennsylvania.

Djanikian began by charting his early life and how it lead to a career in poetry. He enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania not knowing what he wanted to do. He chose architecture because it was a professional field that required creativity.

However, his academic career changed when he took a creative writing class with his professor, Gerald Meyers. Meyers ignited his love of poetry, causing Djanikian to switch majors. Due to his early exposure, he wrote overly flowery imager y reminiscent of 19th century poetry.

Meyers mentored Djanikian in his poetry career by taking him to breakfast every Saturday morning at White Castle. They would spend the morning talking about poetry. Meyers introduced him to American contemporary poets like Robert Lowell, Sylvia Plath and Galway Kinell, whereas he was used to reading John Keats and William Wordsworth.

Af te r b e c om i ng ve rs e d i n contemporary poetry, he gained a formal foundation in versification.

He learned about different poetic forms, poetic feet and meter. He learned about forms like ballads and sonnets. Meyers assigned him tasks like writing lines of iambic pentameter, but to change the poetic feet in particular lines and in particular places. Djanikian would have done things like inserting a trochee in the third foot of the second line, beginning

a line with an anapest or ending the line with a spondee.

D j an i k i an’s c on c e nt r at i on became focused on the rhythm of the poem. He didn’t necessarily think about the meaning. He believes that if you focus too much on the meaning, then it becomes too strained and artificial. He exemplified the idea with a story about the Andromeda Galaxy.

The cones of the eye cannot allow the viewer to directly look at the galaxy, it can only be viewed through peripheral vision. So, with poetry, to talk about love — write about a rug, to talk about death — write about the sidewalk.

This peripheral approach allows the reader to stay engaged with the piece, because they are actively thinking about with what they are presented.

Then, he went back to classic poetry to gain a formal foundation in versification.

He was able to learn things like ballads and sonnets and write in lines of iambic pentameter.

He believes that poems should find the mystery of life; however, he believes that they should get close to the truth, but not answer it.

An alternative is to ask a question that can never be answered. If the question gets answered, then the question wasn’t complex enough.

He describes this idea as “feeling the crevices” of things.

When he’s not teaching, his process is write from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day. He will write a line and let it lead him to the next line. He doesn’t believe in waiting for inspiration for a reason to write. He believes inspiration comes to him during his daily writings when he is playing with language. It allows the mind to stay connected to rhythm and imagery.

April 30, 2015

Features

page 6

Play raises awareness about sexual assault, war in Iraq

Recent production of “Ajax in Iraq” was a dark play, well-performed by student cast

by KAYLEIGH KUYKENDALL

B

etween April 16 and April 26, the Theatre and Dance division of Elizabethtown College’s Fine and Performing Arts Department presented their production of Ellen McLaughlin’s play “Ajax in Iraq.” The play offered a mash-up of Sophocles’ classic tragedy “Ajax” with the modern Iraq War. The play follows the story of two heroes: Ajax, an ancient Greek hero fighting against the Trojans, and A.J., a modern female American soldier.

The play was inspired by material collected from interviews with Iraq veterans and their families and explores the timeless struggle soldiers face in trying to make sense of war.

“This show was definitely different from the other shows the College has performed this semester. It was really edgy, and the cast performed the play very well,” sophomore Michaela Fetterolf said.

The play was a very interesting choice for the College, given their recent affinity for selecting comedies over tragedies. Past productions this semester have included “Company”

by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth and “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde. Given the theme of “Ajax in Iraq,” it was no surprise the actors found themselves going about their roles in new ways.

“It was a very intense show. It was very much a trial and error with the play. It was a lot of the actors and the director bouncing ideas off each other, so it was interesting to see these characters come to life. It was a very collaborative process,” sophomore and stage manager Julianna Krampf said.

“Ajax in Iraq” is a play that relies heavily on the timelessness of war and how no matter the time period, the struggles and turmoils are ultimately the same. While the topic of war can be a sensitive theme, many students found it somewhat refreshing to be able to hear a discussion of such issues through a creative medium.

“I enjoyed the show very much. I think that it addressed a serious topic that isn’t usually talked about. The cast did a very good job conveying the issue to the audience,” sopho-

Photo Credit: Mattie Sweet

“Ajax in Iraq” pushed the students in acting within a play that differs in tone and content from most performed at Elizabethtown College. The play ran from April 16 to April 26.

more Alisha Curreri said.

An interesting and quite controversial part of the play is its critique of the war in Iraq.

Throughout the play, soldiers discuss the things they have seen and done because of war and the multitude of questions they find themselves asking. The idea of understanding war, and what it is ultimately good for, are some things even soldiers have a hard time figuring out and “Ajax in Iraq” made sure to bring this to the forefront of the play.

“I think the message of the play is about how America acted in Iraq and was very critical of the Bush administration. Personally, I

am not very knowledgeable about politics, but I definitely think this issue needs to be discussed and this show provides the framework for that conversation,” sophomore Jason Mountain said.

A rather sensitive topic within the play was the role sexual assault played in the life of A.J., a female soldier in the war in Iraq. Through much of the play, A.J. was experiencing sexual abuse from her Sergeant, a fact she kept hidden from everyone else. This ultimately shapes A.J. throughout the play and provides her character’s motivation.

“I think it was really special that we did

this show, especially right now, because there’s so much in the news about sexual assault,” Krampf said.

Overall, the play was a very large success within the College and sparked many conversations that might not have begun otherwise.

The play created a nice segue for discussion about issues, such as war and sexual assault among students and faculty.

The play “Ajax in Iraq” was staged in connection with Sexual Assault Awareness Month. After the production, the department collected donations that would go toward the Wounded Warrior Foundation.

Ecology conference focuses on career development for students

by EMILY DRINKS

E

lizabethtown College hosted the MidAtlantic Chapter of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) Conference titled “Careers in Ecology.”

The conference is held annually for undergraduate and graduate students studying ecology and biology, as well as individuals with careers in ecology. The conference is open to all members of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter ESA in addition to anyone interested in attending. Approximately 140 people attended the conference this year.

“The majority of people that make presentations are students, so that could be graduate students or undergraduates. The ratio of undergraduates to grad students varies depending on place,” Associate Professor of Biology Dr. David Bowne, who functioned as the chair of the 2015 MidAtlantic Chapter of the ESA Conference, said. Bowne added that the conference being held at Etown contained more undergraduate students than the conference does if held at a university, such as the University of Maryland.

The conference began with an evening reading on Friday, April 17, at the Bowers Writers House. Students from Bowne’s and Assistant Professor of English Dr. Matthew Skillen’s “Ecology in Short Fiction” class read ecological short stories they had written for the class. Undergraduate and graduate students and their faculty mentors participating in the conference attended this reading.

Each year the conference has a different theme. Bowne selected the theme of “Careers in Ecology” for this year’s conference.

The morning session on Saturday, April 18, was devoted to career development. “By tradition, the morning session tends to be keynote speakers,” Bowne said. “This year I decided to get away from that and devote the morning sessions to career development.”

Phyllis Thibodeau, a career development coach, presented on how an individual would go about getting a career in ecology.

A panel discussion followed. The panel consisted of four representatives from different sectors of ecology. Richard Pouyat represented the U.S. Forest Service, Doug Boucher represented the Union of Concerned Scientists, Jeffrey Hartranft represented the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Joe Berg represented Biohabitats, Inc. During lunchtime on Saturday, the students had an opportunity to pair up with a professional in the field of ecology as part of a career development workshop. Additionally, both undergraduate and graduate students displayed their research during the afternoon poster presentations session.

Topics ranging from “movements of painted turtles in the changing water temperatures of Lake Placida” to “using geographical information systems technology to develop an agricultural management system for a family-operated farm in Bucks County, Pa” were displayed.

The students presenting placed their posters in different areas of the Masters Center, and attendees of the conference could walk around and view the posters as well as ask the students questions about and discuss the research.

The banquet speaker for Saturday evening, Melissa Anley-Mills, gave her background working as the Social Media lead for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development.

“The one thread that everyone was saying, and it actually bookends really nicely with what Phyllis [Thibodeau] said in the morning and then Melissa [Anley-Mills] said at night, was the importance of being able to communicate,” Bowne said. He added that ecologists, no matter what field they enter in ecology, need to communicate with the general public or with clients they may have.

On Sunday morning, the conference annually holds a field trip for attendees. This year, the field trip was to two stream restoration sites in Lancaster: the Conewago Creek and Big Spring Run. Professor of Biology Dr. Thomas Murray and Bowne are each

involved in a separate stream restoration project.

Murray spoke about his approach to restoration of one of the streams, and Bowne

discussed his approach to the other stream in order to give attendees different perspectives on how stream restoration projects could be conducted.

Courtesy Photo

Bowne showing a snapping turtle to the members of the Mid-Atlantic ESA Conference during the field trip to a stream restoration project on Sunday, April 19.

April 30, 2015

Campus Life

page 7

Senate president offers perspective on Board of Trustees meeting

by COLLIN DAVIDSON

F

or most on campus, the last weekend in April often represents T.G.I.S. and a last chance for recreation in the days leading up to finals week. However, for the decision-makers of the College, this weekend represents the April Board of Trustees meeting. Friday, April 24 was a time for committee meetings and smaller group discussion, which was then followed by the General Business Meeting on the morning of Saturday, April 25.

Generally, the most anticipated subject at April’s meeting was the status of tuition planning. To jog your memories, the Board of Trustees voted last January to reevaluate the structure of Elizabethtown College’s current tuition model. As a result of this mandate, a Tuition Planning Group was charged with preparing an extensive report of all the possible tuition model changes that could be made. This report is the first step in an extensive process that will continue into Trustees’ meetings in October and January. On Friday, the core members of the group presented their report along with five “driving principles” for the Trustees to consider, in order to establish a more focused direction for the group in the months to follow. These driving principles included transparency, net tuition revenue, enrollment management, student body profile and peer practices. After an indepth presentation and heavy questioning, the conversations surrounding tuition planning extended into later committee meetings.

The result of these conversations came together in the form of a document meant to prioritize the different driving principles. Unfortunately, and I believe the Trustees echoed this confusion, it was difficult to discern which factors were true priorities. Despite all the research that has been completed thus far regarding alternative tuition models, many Trustees felt more information was necessary.

Additionally, the need to discuss the implications these options would actually

have at Etown was conveyed. I think it is difficult at this stage to ask the Board of Trustees to prioritize whether retention is more important than recruitment, or whether the College’s reliance on net tuition revenue should be changed, and, this was certainly shown through the discussion and questions raised.

The Board of Trustees also approved the budget plan for the next fiscal year. This budget is the result of 2.7 million dollars in budget cuts that occurred through salary freezes across the board for faculty and staff members, some position cuts and other cost-saving measures. The comprehensive fee for the 2014-15 academic year was set at $51,850, which represents a 4.24 percent increase from the past academic year.

Along with this is an expected discount rate of 40 percent. This means that on average, Elizabethtown College students get a 40 percent “discount” on the sticker price (i.e. the average student pays 60 percent of $51,850, which is $31,110).

As is typical with every annual budget, multiple safeguards were implemented in the case of another shortfall in enrollment.

As of now, enrollment is still expected to meet the target of 510 first-year students for next fall.

Beyond the scope of the subjects of tuition planning and the budget, the Board of Trustees also affirmed several other topics. They affirmed their support for two new graduate programs — a four-plusone masters degree in Public Policy and a graduate degree for education majors in curriculum and instruction. The Trustees also entertained discussion on the status of the enterprise risk management, an update on the fundraising campaign, and the recognition of SCPS Dean John Kokolus’ retirement. The Board also reelected its current officers for another year, including Chairman of the Board Dr. Robert Kerr.

Lastly, the Board announced three new Trustees to their ranks, making for a total of 42 members on the Board.

In comparison to the strong contention surrounding the comprehensive fee increase that occurred at the January meeting, this meeting was more relaxed.

Senior gives advice for putting together graduation outfits Graduating seniors have both style, practicality to consider for commencement, surrounding events

by EMILY LIDSTONE

A

s seniors, we have spent the last four years perfecting our study habits, preparing for our future careers and cramming in those final credits. If there were ever a day meant to celebrate all of our hard work, it’s graduation day. We are given the chance to not only shine on paper, but on camera.

Picture after picture will be taken by family, friends and a professional photographer to capture the joy and relief on that special day. Every step will be documented from the moment we sweep across the grass in grand procession, to when we do our best to gracefully cross the wooden planks of the gazebo in The Dell.

It is our job as the center of attention to look our best and there are certainly a number of ways to do that. Our caps will be covering a majority of whatever hairstyle we choose, but for those with long hair this is our time to shine. Luscious locks can be curled and waved to perfection or straightened beyond recognition. As long as the mane is prepared to fight any heat or humidity under that cap, it will be a great hair day.

With our long, opaque black robes not much of our outfit will be seen until after the ceremony. Granted the weather is lovely, the sun will be beating down on us for over an hour. Choosing a thin fabric for a men’s button-down, or a thinner chiffon blouse or dress, will definitely be beneficial during the ceremony.

While those adorable heels that have been calling your name all semester would make for a cute addition to your graduation outfit, they won’t make it far during the outdoor procession. Thinner heels can easily sink into the mud and make for an awkward walk. Wedges, flat sandals, dress shoes and loafers are the better choice to accompany your outfit and keep you walking confidently through that lush green grass.

“Though graduation can be bittersweet, your outfit doesn’t have to be.”

Once you have taken a thousand pictures in your graduation regalia, it’s time to reveal the dazzling outfit underneath!

Brightly colored button-downs or blouses and fun-patterned dresses are always a sight to see with that clear blue sky as the backdrop. Lighter colors, pastels and whites are perfect for spring weather and make for fun, festive pictures.

Though graduation can be bittersweet, your outfit doesn’t have to be. Keep it light and fun for those memorable pictures that will be posted all over social media and your household for years to come. Fluff up those feathers Blue Jays!

Photo: Luke Mackey

The Board of Trustees held their April General Business Meeting on Saturday, April 25. At the meeting, they discussed tuition planning, the College’s budget, enterprise risk management, officer elections and other topics.

With the exception of the status of tuition planning, the meeting went quickly and smoothly. However, do not take this lack of heated debate as a lack of commitment. Once again, I witnessed a strong commitment from the Trustees to learn about the College and how their decisions are affecting those in our campus community.

I speak mostly from personal experience, but I still believe the Trustees are looking for input from the campus community.

Thoug h not exac t ly applicable, t he comparison to social contract comes to mind. A contract implies cooperation from both sides of an agreement. So, if the Trustees are striving to make

educated decisions and have progressive dialogue, then the students, faculty and staff members of the College should also be willing to engage in those types of conversations to promote the same types of progress.

You could read this update, pull away the hard facts and hope there is enough information to make genuine inferences on the state of the College. Or, you could try to understand the context behind the votes conducted and the decisions made. I believe the latter is more beneficial in the long run. And, that context I’m talking about is the fact that the Trustees make the tough decisions, but have the well being of the College at the center of those decisions.

Campus Life

page 8

April 30, 2015

Student discusses meal plan changes being offered for next academic year, items left unaddressed in plans

by GRACE MARCHIONE

T

wo weeks ago, Dining Services announced much-anticipated upgrades to student meal plans. They are scheduled to be in place for the 2015-16 academic year and will be the first changes to take place in 13 years.

While meal plans may not be the most pressing issue for our campus at the present moment, the announcement answers many questions that concerned students like myself have been asking since last semester. We all knew changes were due, but there was definitely some uncertainty as to whether they would foster flexibility or restrictions.

Under the new changes announced through an email earlier this month, residential meal plans will now include 50 additional Jay Bucks. Students will also have the option of purchasing additional Jay Bucks at a discounted rate. This is to accommodate the variety of “tastes and schedules” of Elizabethtown College students.

Now that my junior year is coming to a close, I have had ample time to experience different meal plans and evaluate what works best for me. I find that my schedule generally doesn’t coincide well with typical meal times or at least not consistently throughout the week. Many of my friends and classmates have the same dilemma and we end up eating at the Jay’s Nest frequently. So this year, I decided to switch to the plan with the least meals and yet, here I am at the second-to-last week of the semester with 65 meals and only $2.59 remaining in Jay Bucks.

Now, let me clarify, I am not the type to splurge at the Jay’s Nest. I eat there when necessary, which usually amounts to a handful of meals a week. I will also stop between classes to grab a snack if I had to skip

breakfast or if I need a caffeine boost before a late night at the library. So far, this system has worked out pretty well. However, having a few extra Jay Bucks would be a huge help during times like these when I’m scrambling to find time to go to the Marketplace.

I am fairly disciplined with rationing my Jay Bucks and not charging additional purchases to my bill (you’re welcome, Mom and Dad), but I know of several people who aren’t so strict in this area. I can’t blame them.

“Under this policy, students would only be able to ‘swipe in’ a very limited number of times for friends and family who did not have a meal plan.”

The Jay’s Nest and Blue Bean are sometimes just a little too convenient for the college lifestyle. And so, for these people, the option to buy more Jay Bucks at a discount will allow more flexibility and likely save parents a lot of money.

I welcome the upgrades to Jay Bucks with open arms, so overall I am very happy with the announcement. However, there is one change which was not addressed in the email that I do not agree with, nor do I think aligns with the movement towards flexibility.

Last semester, rumors circulated about new restrictions on “guest meals.” Under this policy, students would only be able to “swipe

Photo: Grace Marchione

Some Etown students find it difficult to go to the Marketplace for every meal of the day. Dining Services took this into account in revising meal plans for next year.

in” a very limited number of times for friends and family members who did not have meal plans. This generated significant concern among the student body and even led to a petition with 316 signatures.

According to the Dining Services website, students will be allotted four to 10 “guest meals” depending on their meal plan. Once these swipes are used, guests will have to pay for themselves. The current guest pricing as stated online is $7.25 for breakfast, $11.50 for lunch and $13.95 for dinner. There was no mention of this in the email sent by Campus News.

I personally find this policy unfair, especially considering all the meal swipes which go to waste. Many of us find ourselves

with dozens of extra meals at the end of the semester with no way to exchange them.

Our visiting friends and family will still have to spend up to $14 per meal if we’ve run out of guest swipes. How is this fair when we’re spending thousands of dollars per year on compulsory meal plans?

Dining Services does a lot right in terms of accommodating students’ needs and preferences. The changes to Jay Bucks reflect this and definitely mark a step in the right direction. However, there are other issues which are matters of principle and should take precedence over simply upgrading individual meal plans. Etown students deserve to be heard and to have their concerns actively addressed and not swept under the rug.

Senior recounts educational, personal college experiences

T

by LUKE WILSON

hey say that when you find the right college, when you step on campus, you just know. It just feels right. When I first came to Etown, I felt the exact opposite of that. I took in the Dell, the lake, the bright-eyed first-years standing with me and thought “Wow, I’m making a huge mistake.” I guess it just goes to show, sometimes your instincts are totally right. I was miserable throughout college and more or less hated the entire thing.

I made the best friends I had in college before classes even started.

During orientation, I distinctly remember meeting my friend Dalton on that Friday. He was sitting in the Blue Bean talking to someone. My brother Sven and I took one look at him and said to each other “Hey, that ugly guy is chatting up that chick. Let’s go stop that.” And we did. We just acted like ourselves until she made her excuses and left (give us a break, we were first-years), but for whatever reason, Dalton hung around. The three of us just shot the breeze for a few hours about whatever we imagined was interesting and original, and more or less became fast friends.

On Saturday night, at the Root Beer Luau, Sven met his future girlfriend Melanie. I still have warm memories of all the nice people I met just waiting around on campus until 2 a.m., night after night, for him to wander back from her dorm.

We were commuters, so I needed to wait for him to go home. Naturally, things were rough between Melanie and me for a little, since I resented her for keeping me up late, but by the end of the first semester, she, Dalton, Sven and I were all fast friends.

To round off the group was Andrew, my best friend from preschool. We had no intention of going to the same college, and were pretty surprised to see one another on the first-year roster.

Even in our first year, everyone

but me had decided on a major, and no one but me has, to this day, gone through a change of major. Dalton as legal studies or whatever, Melanie in psychology, Sven with philosophy, Andrew repping computer science and me, the undecided major – leaning towards English literature.

My spring semester, I took a lit class to get the ball rolling on that, and I also took Computer Science I, since it counted as a math core back then. The rest, as they say, is history.

I enjoyed the class a lot, at least in part because I had a great professor, and ended up majoring in CS with a minor in English. The class was far from my only reason for choosing computer science, but it solidified the choice. I also acted in a few plays my freshman year, which seemed important at the time, but looking back, it was more of a footnote. I just wanted to try new things, and I learned that theatre was fun for some people but not me.

Despite my new friends and new major, I was still mostly miserable.

Honestly, I don’t even really recall why. Not enough friends. I wasn’t interested in my classes. Ennui. Not getting enough sleep. Whatever, it’s all the same thing. I never know if I’m sad, tired or hungry. I think I was just mostly still sad about childhood coming to an end.

My sophomore year, I met the person who would go on to become my partner for most group projects and assignments in our major, of which there were many. We didn’t talk much at first, but she was introverted like me, misanthropic like me and started her CS major a semester late like me, so it made sense to work together. We get along, and our working relationship over the years was nothing short of fantastic, but we never became that close outside of class. It’s not my biggest regret in college, but it’s in the top five for sure.

That year, I’d made up my mind to either transfer schools or drop out. I don’t know how, but one day, I ended up talking to Dalton about

it, just the two of us. He told me I shouldn’t drop out because my grades were good and that I could transfer if I wanted to. We talked about it for a while, and eventually he told me that it was my life, but he would prefer if I didn’t transfer, because my friends would miss me, or at least he would. The thing is, we were all friends, but we all looked up to Dalton. He was everything I wasn’t: I came into college at only 17, my first experience in a place so big, I am aware of the irony, introverted and awkward and very naive about the world. Our freshman year, Dalton was 20 or 21. He had a hard life and knew a lot about the world and people. He was charismatic and outgoing. So when he told me I should stay, I listened, not because of the school itself, but because it meant a lot to me that he felt that way. That night, it seemed like that if I had my friends, things wouldn’t turn out so bad.

By the end of the year, Dalton dropped out and became a card dealer at some casino in Pittsburgh.

Junior year was a bit of a turn. I started enjoying college a lot more.

I had friends who I did things with, felt like I was learning a lot in my classes and starting to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.

What I liked in computer science, what I wanted to do with it and even about grad school. The irony is that despite the better environment, I was even more bitter and angry than ever before. I had new friends, but I thought they were terrible people, and hanging out with them made me feel bad. I knew what I liked academically but knew I couldn’t hack it. I had more good things going for me, but less optimism, less time for things to get better and less of my future ahead of me.

Senior year, things were better in most ways. My college experience has had an upward trend, I guess. A lot of the improvement happened over the summer. I took some time to think about life and figure things out. My relationship with my dad

was always good, but we’d grown apart a little over my college years, and I made strides in fixing that. I finally got over that girl from high school and made a lot of progress in accepting myself and others for what they were. I didn’t magically transform into a happy or nice person, and to this day I’m bitter and angry at the world for not being the way it should be, but I learned to find some measure of inner peace.

Fall semester senior year, I focused on nothing but Calc II. I worked hard in that course, because I needed to pass it, and I’m pretty terrible at school, really. And I know most would disagree, but I wouldn’t include it if I didn’t think it was important: if you can, take Calc II. It’s one of the best classes I’ve ever had. Calc I looks better on paper — you learn limits, and then derivative, then integration and then it’s all wrapped up neatly with the fundamental theorem of calculus.

Calc II is a hodge-podge of random topics that don’t fit together that well. But Calc II got into the kind of math that wasn’t just an academic exercise; it revealed something deep and true about the world that Calc I just didn’t. It was difficult and miserable, but it was one of the best classes at this school.

This semester has been pretty stressful in its own ways. My schedule is difficult, but also I’ve been trying to wrap things up properly with all of my friends and relationships. In short, I’ve been caught between wanting to hold onto people as long as I can and wanting to push them away so we can break things off neatly. It’s had high-highs and low-lows, I’d say.

Overall, I didn’t expect much from college. A lot of it was my fault, of course. I came in with low expectations, no social skills and so much hatred that it makes me ashamed. Things didn’t turn out quite the way I wanted them to be. I didn’t make the right friends, didn’t go to graduate school and totally blew it with the one girl I really liked.

But in the end, I did get a lot out of it. A lot of it was the people. That professor who got me into CS has gone on to become one of my best friends. Even the friends I didn’t like did a lot for me. They may be my enemies, but we have a certain bond of people who suffered together.

Sure, I have a lot of regrets — people I wronged, people who wronged me, but hey, it’s college. No sense crying over spilled beer.

Ultimately my expectations and disappointments with college don’t matter, because what I got out of it had nothing to do with what I expected. I got people, friends, enemies, life lessons and all sorts of things it’s hard to describe or touch. One of my friends told me that he didn’t know how or when it happened, but somewhere along the way, he lost the ability to talk to strangers on the Internet and gained the ability to talk to strangers in real life. It really resonated with me because I felt the same way: nothing seemed that different, but along the way I’d gone from a sad, lonely 17 year old to something resembling a real person.

No matter who you are and how bad you think you have it, even if you hate every day of school, I’m sure that some day you’ll look back and realize that it was all worth it.

You’ll miss it all, the good and the bad stuff. I got into computer science ultimately because I wanted to make video games, so I’m going to try to combine my passions in life. After college, I’m going to pursue my dream of making feminist video games. That’s not too far off from where I started four years ago, but I would have never been able to do it without everything that happened in between. My good friendships may or may not stand up to time, and it’s probably too late to salvage the ones that didn’t quite work out. But I’m leaving that behind me. It doesn’t matter if you like me, hate me or just never really cared about me anyway.

I just hope that someday, you play one of my games.

Campus Life

April 30, 2015

page 9

Elizabethtown Sometimes finding the right major takes trial and error, support of faculty member business graduate Martina White sworn in to S state House of Representatives

by ANNA SPEER

ometimes things just aren’t right.

You’re getting by and you’re doing fine. Perhaps you can’t pinpoint anything being wrong. Maybe the stars aren’t aligned quite right or maybe the change in seasons is throwing you off. You could just be sleep deprived, but aren’t we all? Or maybe you’re in the wrong major, a stressful concept, no doubt.

From the time we were able to speak we were asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Answers varied from doctor, to princess, to fireman and everything in between and beyond. You may have gravitated towards the occupation your parents chose or maybe not.

Come middle school answers became more detailed and, in some cases, more realistic. As we entered high school, the questions were altered to “What school do you want to go to?” and “What do you want to major in?”

Some degrees offer you a wide variety of employment opportunities, but others lock you into one specific job title for the rest of your life. The voices in the back of our heads warned us to do something we love, lest we become the aging, complaining, jobhating middle-aged adults who tried to guide us. We need something that will pay the bills and doing what we love often will not be enough.

The major you pursue can define the rest of your occupational life.

That’s terrifying, especially for those of us who selected a major on a whim.

What if I’m going into the wrong field? What if I’m not meant to be doing this? What if there’s something better for me? These questions have plagued my mind since I arrived here in August.

I told myself that I would not change my mind about my major. I was afraid that if I changed my major once, I would do it again and then I would never decide and I would drop out and never continue “higher education”. It became too much and this fear overwhelmed me. I decided that I should drop out and go to trade school instead.

My parents said no. They said that I needed to get a bachelor’s degree.

I investigated switching schools.

Maybe Elizabethtown College just wasn’t the right environment for me. I told myself that if I switched schools, I would at least keep my major. I have already put in two semesters worth of time and effort into this major. Why would I let that go?

Fast forward to last week. I was in the car with some friends in my program — music therapy — and we were talking about how some states now require a master’s degree for us to work. I told them the same thing I told my parents. There was no way I was getting a master’s degree. This first year had been hard enough and the next three would only become more difficult. I realized that I did

not want to do it anymore. That was it. Not because it was too hard or too demanding. I simply did not want to do it anymore. I had no motivation, no drive and no passion. So I decided to stop torturing myself and to change majors.

T h i s w a s t h e d ay b e fore my registration day. It was a whirlwind.

I emailed my advisor and asked to meet with him immediately. In the span of three days I went from having everything set up and ready to go for next semester to having nothing planned; no idea what classes to take and no idea who to go to for help. My advisor was a god-send. I told him what I thought I might want to switch to and he emailed professors I should see and set up a meeting for me with the head of the department I wanted to switch into. As soon as I left his office that day, I felt relief. That was it. Just relief. I may not have had a plan, but I had at least changed paths from the one that was wrong for me.

And that’s a start.

Don’t be afraid of change, especially if you are not happy where you are.

There’s a reason people change majors so often. It’s hard to know what you want to do without trying it first.

One of the best perks of Etown is the people who are always willing to help. You are allowed to change your mind and you are definitely allowed, even advised, to reach out for help if you don’t know what to do or where to go next.

Economics professor congratulates former Elizabethtown student, comments on her new role

by SANJAY PAUL

I

nside the state Capitol, the Speaker welcomed the latest addition to the House of Representatives.

In a special election in March, Martina White, an Elizabethtown College grad, had prevailed over her Democratic opponent in a district in northeast Philadelphia.

And now here she was, 26 years old, ready to join the ranks of Pennsylvania’s legislators. She stood in the well of the chamber, surrounded by family and friends, waiting to be sworn in.

A judge from Philadelphia had come down for the occasion. But first a pastor spoke. He extolled the nature of religious freedom in the land, and prayed that wisdom would guide the actions of the legislators. Left unsaid was a plea to them to think about the least well-off in society.

Now it was time for White’s grand moment. She placed her hand on a Bible held by her younger sister, and was sworn in by the visiting judge. The chamber’s members applauded the formal addition of Representative White to their ranks.

The leader of the majority Republican party offered welcoming remarks. Then it was the turn of the Democratic leader. He noted that White’s positions on labor unions and fairness of tax policies — ideas she had espoused during the campaign — might offer opportunities for them to work together.

“The Speaker noted that White was a graduate of the business program at Elizabethtown College. He cited the College’s mission to Educate for Service — in a newspaper interview White had mentioned its salutary influence on her life — and noted she would have ample opportunity to engage in service to the people of the state.”

Photo: Grace Marchione

It is not uncommon for students to change their major, especially first-years. After taking a variety of classes and speaking with faculty advisors, students often find it in their best interests to pursue a different field of study.

The Etownian Awards 2013 Apple Awards Best Newspaper <5,000 Student Division ASPA - Most Outstanding Newspaper in the U.S. ASPA - First Place with Special Merit Finalists for the Online Pacemaker Award etownian.com featured as a national WordPress showcase SCJ Excellence in Collegiate Journalism Keystone Press Award Second Place for online content

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief | Sarah Kennedy Managing Editor | Kaitlin Gibboney Assistant Editor/Editor-in-Chief Elect | Gwen Fries News Editor | Kelly Bergh Features Editor | Emily Drinks Campus Life Editor | Emily Lidstone, Grace Marchione Sports Editor | Brian Lukacsy Copy Chief | Crystal Uminski Photography Editor | Luke Mackey Webmaster | Luke Wilson Asst. Features Editor | Noel Abastillas Asst. Sports Editor | Karley Ice Photographers | Nelli Orozco, Jacob Hopkins, Shane Bahn Copy Editors | Michaela Fetterolf, Samantha Kick, Matthew Kuraska, Brittany Pressley, Cassandra Rochelle, Emily Vasas Business Manager | Conner Land Advertising Manager | Jordan Moser Faculty Advisor | Kelly Poniatowski

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.

The Speaker noted that White was a graduate of the business program at Elizabethtown College. He cited the College’s mission to Educate for Service — in a newspaper interview White had mentioned its salutary influence on her life — and noted she would have ample opportunity to engage in service to the people of the state. He also stated that her background in business and finance would prove helpful as the legislature grappled with the state’s fiscal problems.

And so a new life begins for White, till recently a financial advisor working at MetLife. She will have to learn a great deal about the legislative process very quickly. She will be working with people with diverse interests, some sharply at odds with hers.

Governor Tom Wolf, a Democrat, has proposed an ambitious budget. He proposes to impose severance taxes on the oil drilling industry, raise personal income taxes , and impose sales taxes on services — all anathema to Republicans. He also plans to reduce property taxes and certain business taxes, and increase funding for education.

The Republican-majority legislature will oppose many of these proposals while seeking to advance their own priorities.

They will get into vigorous skirmishes with the governor.

Compromise, civility, persuasion — these will all become critical factors in how negotiations unfold and the budget gets finalized.

All this will immediately test the mettle of our newest representative. But the occasion also presents White the opportunity to engage with the big issues that confront the state and affect the lives of her constituents. We wish her the best.

page 10

Sports

April 30, 2015

Stang hits 50 goals, lacrosse wins finale

by ALYSSA AICHELE

E

in Etown athletics...

The men’s lacrosse team fell to Catholic University yesterday, 11-10 to end their season at 14-3.

The women’s lacrosse season ended on April 22 with a win over Gwynedd Mercy University, 18-7. Sophomore Addie Stang reached the 50-goal mark for the season in the victory.

The baseball team will play in the Landmark Conference semifinals on Saturday afternoon at Moravian College with the winner earning a spot in the Championship series the following weekend.

The women’s softball team will take on Susquehanna University tomorrow in the semifinals of the Landmark Conference playoffs as the fourth seed.

The men’s tennis team ended their season on Saturday with a win over Harford C.C. 9-0. The women’s tennis team has earned a spot in the Landmark Championship match after beating Catholic yesterday.

The men’s and women’s track and field teams will compete in the Landmark Conference Championship meet this weekend.

in the NCAA...

Over the last few weeks, some of the top players in college basketball this past season placed their names in the NBA Draft in hopes of living out their dreams of playing on basketball’s biggest stage. As many expected, Duke University big man Jahlil Okafor declared for the draft and may be the top overall pick.

Kentucky’s top eight players all declared for this year’s draft, which includes freshman Karl-Anthony Towns who will battle Okafor to be the top pick in the draft. Both Harrison twins also declared for the NBA draft after spending two seasons under head coach John Calipari.

in the pros...

The NBA Playoffs are in full swing with many first round series already completed. Two of this year’s favorites to win the NBA Championship, the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers, both earned spots in the second round by sweeping their first round opponents. Unfortunately for Cleveland, their first round victory came at a major cost. The Cavaliers may have lost all-star forward Kevin Love for the remainder of the playoffs after he dislocated his shoulder in the final game of the Cavs series against the Boston Celtics.

In the NHL Playoffs, the second round is underway. The St. Louis Blues were one of the favorites coming into this year’s playoffs, but the Blues were bounced in the first round by the Minnesota Wild in six games. Three top seeds still remain in the playoffs as the Anaheim Ducks, Montreal Canadians and the New York Rangers all advanced to the second round.

lizabethtown College’s women’s lacrosse team ended their 2015 season on a very positive note with an 18-7 win over Gwynedd Mercy College last Wednesday night. Two important factors to this win were Etown’s duo of Addie Stang, sophomore, and Dana Robidoux, junior. Stang had six goals and Robidoux added seven points.

Robidoux said, “The team did really well, we all worked together and finally executed some things that we have been trying to work on all season.

Our transitions looked really smooth and we stayed composed with the ball on the attacking end.”

Stang is now the 13th player in the Blue Jay women’s lacrosse history to have scored 50 goals in one season.

She finished in a 10th-place tie with 51 goals. Her first goal in the second half was her 50th of the year.

It only took 27 seconds for the Jays to get on the board with a goal by Robidoux off an assist from first-year Carly Thompson, who won the opening draw.

“It’s always a total team effort.

Movement on attack has to be generated by all seven players and we always had good movement in order to make lanes to drive to goal.” Robidoux said, “Also, the team held me accountable in practices and games, which made me play my hardest.”

The dynamic duo of Stang and Robidoux took over during the first half. Robidoux’s first goal this game was her 22nd of the season, creating a new career-high. She went on to score three more goals before the half was over. Stang had four first half goals herself and lead the Blue Jays into an 8-4 lead at half.

Etown recorded nine of their first 10 goals after halftime with seven different players.

Thompson got her 20th and 21st goals of the season, while twin sister Katie Thompson set up goals for C. Thompson and Robidoux. C. Thompson ended the game with two goals and an assist, while K. Thompson had one goal and two assists.

During the Blue Jays’ second half of playing, there were goals made by Stang, Robidoux, first-year Kirstin Quilty, junior Adriana Bertolino and sophomore Jessica Binnig.

Photo: Athletics Department

The women’s lacrosse team finished the season with a win over Gwynedd Mercy University on April 22. The victory was the team’s fifth of the season, a vast improvement from last year’s one-win program.

Gwynedd Mercy had two goals in a row before the game ended. However, E-town capped the scoring as senior defender Emily Young earned her first career goal at the 1:47 mark.

Elizabethtown outshot Gwynedd Mercy 37-21 and won 20-of-27 draws: six from both Robidoux and C. Thompson. Stang led all players with 14 shots, secured six ground balls and four draws along with causing four turnovers.

“Next season we will be even more competitive in the Landmark Conference and I definitely see us making it to playoffs.”

~ Dana Robidoux

Stang led the Landmark Conference in goals and ranked second in points and ground balls. Robidoux and C. Thompson were top five in the league in draw controls.

Stang said, “Going into next season

we will need to continue to improve our game IQ, our biggest problem this year was not athletically but instead our young age and with time this will get better.”

The Blue Jays season has improved by four-wins since the 2014 season.

They also suffered three losses by four goals or less. E-town averaged 7.3 goals per game from last season to this and allowed almost three goals per game less. They showed improvement up and down the field. The women’s lacrosse team is graduating two seniors with the rest of the roster returning for the 2016 season.

“This season was a definite improvement from last year, however there is still much room for improvement. We are still a young team and while our to seniors will be greatly missed; we are fortunate enough to have numbers in other positions to continue to rebuild. I am excited to see what future seasons hold for us!”

Stang said.

Robidoux said, “Compared to last year, this season was a big improvement and step in the right direction, but we are still a growing program.

Next season we will be even more competitive in the Landmark Conference and I definitely see us making it to playoffs.”

Head baseball coach notches 200th career victory with Jays

Blue Jays face Moravian Greyhounds in Landmark Conference semifinals on Saturday

by RYAN SANDELL

I

n their doubleheader against Susquehanna University on Saturday, the Blue Jays swept the Crusaders on their way to clinching a playoff berth. With a 5-2 victory in the first game, and a close 1-0 win in the second, Etown baseball has effectively established themselves as a powerhouse in the Landmark Conference.

Individually, it was a big day for senior pitcher Kris Davis, who picked up his seventh win in the 5-2 victory, bringing him to 7-0 on the season.

Coach Cliff Smith also achieved a milestone, notching his 200th win, and making him the third Elizabethtown baseball coach to win as many games, joining Owen Wright and John Gergic in that elite club.

In the first game of their doubleheader, Davis struck out three, in six innings pitched.

On pitching his final regular season game as a Blue Jay, he had this to say: “Going into this season I had many individuals goals, some of which I have met and others I haven’t met yet. I’ve never set a goal of getting X number of wins as a pitcher. In my mind, my job as a pitcher is to prepare for each start to the best of my ability, and when I get my opportunity I go out and compete. All those wins were not won on game day, but rather won on the days of preparation leading up to the game. Getting physically, emotionally, and mentally ready are such a critical part of pitching. Every day I go

out with the mentality that I am back at 0-0 and my job is to give my team an opportunity to win that day. The 7-0 record is not a testament to my pitching ability, but rather a testament to the amazing defense behind me, the great catchers calling the games, and my offense which has given me incredible run support.”

The second game would not come as easily to the Blue Jays, as starting pitcher junior Kevin Elwell would only secure the win by a one-point margin. However, it would prove to be a milestone for Coach Cliff Smith and the program. It was his 200th win.

“It was very special being able to be apart of coach’s 200 victory, especially being able to clinch a playoff spot on the same day,” Davis said. “Coach has been such an influential figure and mentor to many of us on the baseball team so to be able to be apart of something so special is truly an honor.”

While Etown had the Susquehanna’s number in the doubleheader, they would fall 4-3 on Sunday. However, they will be making a playoff appearance as the number three seed in the conference. “We came into this weekend controlling our own destiny. Winning both games on Saturday clinched us a playoff spot,” Davis said. “We played very good baseball this weekend.”

As the number three seed, the Blue Jays will travel to Moravian College this weekend in the Landmark Semi-finals, making their debut in the Landmark Conference post-season. Davis

Photo: David Sinclair

The baseball team will take on the Moravian Greyhounds in the semifinals of the Landmark Playoffs on Saturday afternoon. The Blue Jays are the three seed in this year’s tournament after finishing Landmark play with a 13-8 record.

is confident about the future and capability of the team. “[Seniors] Luke Gatti and Alex Holbert are having player of the year caliber seasons, Elwell and [senior] Taras Letnaunchyn are dominant on the mound, and our defense is exceptional,” he said.

The team is fired up, and will surely be a force in the playoffs. While they may not have secured a series at home, they are ready to be in the postseason, competing at the level they

know they can.

“It’s fun to be back in the playoffs. These are the types of games you work so hard to be apart of. We have trained all fall, spring, and winter to put ourselves in the position to play important games in early May,” Davis said. “We have prepared all season for this opportunity so we are going to go out there and compete, and rely on our hours of preparation to carry us to victory.”

Sports

April 30, 2015

page 11

Men’s lacrosse finishes Landmark play with perfect record

Blue Jays lose big lead first half lead, drop heartbreaker to Catholic University Cardinals

by LOGAN KLOCK

T

he Elizabethtown C ollege men’s lacrosse team traveled to Drew University where they came up victorious in a 12-5 win. In the process, senior defenseman, Matt Frey recorded his 100th caused turnover but he was not the only Blue Jay to hit the century mark.

Sophomore attackman Joe Clark scored Etown’s first goal of the third quarter for his 100th point.

He totaled two goals and two assists on the afternoon. The Blue Jays were able to coast to their undefeated regular season play within the Landmark Conference.

Within the first few minutes of the first quarter the Blue Jays were able to take a commanding lead scoring five goals. Senior Russell LeClair opened the run, whipping in a pass from junior Jimmy Waters with 9:39 to go in the quarter for his 32nd goal of the season. Then, sophomore Nick Specht followed LeClair with his 11th goal of the season and Clark was able to score on a man down at the 4:36 mark.

Two more goals were followed

by LeClair and fellow senior Connor Rowe. After the game Rowe spoke adamantly about taking home a conference championship stating, “A regular season record does not win you a championship,” he said. “We need to play our best lacrosse in the coming week, which I absolutely think we are capable of.”

This marks the Blue Jays’ 13th consecutive win, which is also the longest in program history. As for Clark, his 62 points this season (39 goals, 23 assists) are fifth most in a season in team history and just 11 shy of Aaron Weber’s school record of 73, set in 2009. His 39 goals are now tied with hall of famer Frankie Puzzangara’s total from 2007 for fifth. However, Clark seemed more excited to receive the number one seed in the upcoming playoffs. “As a team we are all really excited to get to host the games,” he said. “It’s nice to get to play at home in front of your friends.”

Senior goalkeeper Chris Wenger was able to record his 12th win of the season as he also added in

four saves on the day. On the other side of the field, Drew’s goalkeeper stopped 15 goals, but allowed 12.

Behind 12 shots from LeClair and nine from Clark, Etown outshot Drew 47-22, including 30-4 over the first and fourth quarters. Elizabethtown was able to double their opposition in shots on goal which ultimately played a huge factor for the Blue Jays in the long run.

Etown opened the Landmark Conference Championships as the No. 1 seed yesterday when it hosted No. 4 Catholic in a semifinal game at Wolf Field.

The Blue Jays jumped all over the Cardinals early in the game.

Etown led 5-1 after the first quarter and held an 7-1 lead before Catholic tallied to make it 8-2 at halftime.

The Cardinals rallied to begin the second half, cutting the deficit to 8-7 before sophomore Cody Larkin scored to give the Blue Jays a two-goal cushion. Catholic rallied to score three unanswered goals to take a 10-9 lead before Larkin scored his third of the game to tie it at 10.

Track and field teams look ahead toward Landmark Championships this weekend

Photo: George Frey

The men’s lacrosse team won a program record 14 games during the regular season, including a 13 game winning streak to enter the playoffs.

With just under seven minutes remaining, Catholic’s Brian Keith scored his third goal of the game to give the Cardinals the 11-10

victory over the top seeded Blue Jays. Etown will await the possibility of an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Women’s tennis takes down Catholic, moves on to Championships

by MONICA VENTURELLA

T

Photo: David Sinclair

The men’s track and field team competed in the 121st Penn Relays and at the Paul Kaiser Classic at Shippensburg University this past weekend. Next up are the Landmark Conference Championships.

by KARLEY ICE

T

he Elizabethtown College men’s and women’s track teams competed in the 121st Penn Relays on Friday, April 24, and at the Paul Kaiser Classic at Shippensburg University on April 25.

Sophomore Mike Twist, senior Brian Baldwin, first-year Mitch Schlegel, and junior Sam Brooks represented the Blue Jays at the Penn Relays in the 4x400-meter relays. The four runners had a seasonbest time in the Pop Haddleton MAC heat of the event.

The season-best time of 3:24.89 was enough to earn Etown a seventh place finish. Twist and Baldwin ran in the event the previous year, when they earned a tenth place finish.

The women’s track and field team also competed at the Penn Relays in the 4x400-meter event. Sophomore Kelsey Detweiler, senior Ashley Underkofler, sophomore Casey Quinto and first-year Kelsey Brady ran for a time of 4:08.38 to earn fifth place in the Centennial/MAC heat of the event, which was .05 seconds shy of Ursinus College in fourth place.

“Both the women’s and men’s teams have improved tremendously,” junior Gabrielle Yankelevich said.

“Since the indoor season, everyone has stepped it up.”

This is evident in that several athletes broke personal records at the competition in Shippensburg. Etown’s best event was the 4x800-meter relay, where the team took fourth.

Twist finished 14th in the 800-meter run, making him the Blue Jays’ top finisher. Brooks and first-year Tom Fitzgerald ran their best times in the same event.

Junior Ryan Conway ran in the 1500-meter run and finished with the sixth fastest time in program history, and a tenth place finish on Saturday.

First-year Jaime Ramos and sophomore William Kennedy ran their season bests in the 400-meteer

intermediate hurdles. First-year Paul LecurieuxLafayette made his personal best jump in the triple jump with a jump of 11.26m.

For the women, first-year Brittianni Phillips broke the school record with a throw of 12.38m in the shot put, earning her fourth place in the event. Sophomore Amanda Porter also threw her personal best in the shot put, earning her tenth place.

Quinto won the 3000-meter run, with the fifth fastest time in program history. In the same event, firstyear Breanna McNamee, sophomore Liz Wedekind, sophomore Amy Gessler and junior Lydia Dearie finished second, fourth, seventh and ninth, respectively.

Senior Amelia Tearnan set a new personal record in the 800m and finished third in the event. Senior Casey Meier finished eighth in the javelin.

“Both the women’s and men’s teams have improved tremendously.”

he winning tradition continued for the Elizabethtown College women’s tennis team as they defeated Susquehanna University and Harford Community College. The Monday match against Susquehanna was postponed due to rainy conditions, so the team traveled to Susquehanna on Thursday, April 23 to battle some unseasonably cold temperatures. Despite the snow flurries, the Blue Jays won their 40th consecutive conference match with a score of 6-0.

The Blue Jays worked extremely hard this season having not lost a league match in over five seasons in the Commonwealth Conference to establish themselves in the Landmark Conference. This match against Susquehanna allowed them to complete their unbeaten conference season 7-0.

Etown and Susquehanna decided to forego the three doubles matches since the conditions were less than favorable for tennis. With temperatures in the low 40’s and winds, the teams were encouraged to move as fast as possible.

Senior Christine Evangelista swept her first singles and junior Lauren Berry dropped only one game in a 6-1, 6-0 defeat of her opponent. The Blue Jays went ahead 3-0 with senior Kaitlyn Pellegrino’s 6-2, 6-3 win over her singles opponent leading Etown to winning all six singles matches in straight sets.

Sophomore Taylor Helsel dominated with a 6-1, 6-3 victory and first-year Sam Procak had a 6-1, 6-2 win. Sophomore Madison McCall completed Elizabethtown’s 14th win of the season with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over number four seed Linsey Sipple.

The women’s tennis team also had a match against Harford Community College on Saturday at home. This match counted for Harford, but because of NCAA rules this match is excluded from Etown’s overall record. The Blue Jays won 9-0.

McCall reflected on the past few matches saying that she believes she and her team have been “staying focused and confident every game and every point” throughout the season. She is excited to be moving into the Landmark Conference Championships, but she always remains humble and remembers that they are not guaranteed a win even if they won against a team earlier in the season. “Every match could be our last,” McCall explained. “I am excited to see how far we can go as a team and am looking to finishing out another season with the girls I love.”

The Blue Jays defeated Catholic University 5-2 yesterday to advance to the Landmark Championship match on Saturday afternoon. Etown will host the championship match.

Etown won five of the six singles matches and two of the three doubles matches to take down the Cardinals.

The University of Scranton defeated Juniata College 5-4 to advance to face the Blue Jays on Saturday at 1 p.m.

~ Gabrielle Yankelevich

The Blue Jays look to compete with tenacity in the upcoming days, knowing that competition will be tough.

“Moravian and Susquehanna have proven to be very strong teams this indoor as they took 1st and 3rd for the women and 1st and 2nd for the men,” Yankelevich said. “Those teams have an immense supply of sprinters in reserve and we just don’t have the numbers or manpower. Still, both teams are going for the win for the two day meet this upcoming weekend.”

The teams head to Susquehanna University for the Landmark Outdoor Championships on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3.

Photo: Athletics Department

The women’s tennis team defeated Catholic University yesterday to earn a spot in the 2015 Landmark Championship match on Saturday.

Sports

page 12

April 30, 2015

Softball set to take on Susquehanna in Landmark semifinals

by BRIAN LUKACSY

T

he Elizabethtown College women’s softball team entered their final Landmark series with Susquehanna University, knowing that they would be playing in the playoffs. The only unknowns were what seed the Blue Jays would finish in and who their playoff opponent would be. After Saturday’s doubleheader in Selinsgrove, Etown found out that they would return to face the Crusaders the following Wednesday.

Top-seed Susquehanna took both games of the doubleheader, 5-1 and 1-0, to finish 11-1 in Landmark play this season. The Blue Jays dropped to 6-6 in the Landmark Conference and fell into a third place tie with Catholic University. Catholic earned a sweep of Juniata College on Saturday to earn a playoff bid and the third seed via a tiebreaker over the Blue Jays.

In game one of the doubleheader, the Crusaders threw one of the conference’s top pitchers in Morgan Lewis. The Blue Jays were held hitless through the first four innings of the game against Lewis. In the fifth inning, senior Kaylee Werner led off with a double down the right field line and scored when the next batter, senior Jordan Nowacki, singled to left center.

BASEBALL

The Crusaders scored three runs in the second inning off of Blue Jays’ starter, senior Laura Tomasetti. Susquehanna tacked on two more runs in the sixth inning to earn the 5-1 victory. Overall, Tomasetti pitched six innings and struck out one batter, allowing five runs on 11 hits.

In game two, Susquehanna and Etown battled in a pitcher’s duel, with the Crusaders scratching out the only run of the game. Blue Jays’ starting pitcher, junior Keli Krause, was dealing on Saturday afternoon. Krause took a no-hitter into the fourth inning, retiring the side in order in two of the first three innings. Krause struck out the side in the third inning, finishing with five strikeouts on the day.

The Blue Jays had four hits before the Crusaders were able to get their first hit, but Etown could not produce any runs to back up Krause’s performance. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Susquehanna broke the scoreless tie when pinch hitter Anna Heggenstaller doubled to drive in her teammate.

Etown threatened in the top of the seventh inning with one baserunner, but Susquehanna pitcher Jamie Fesinstine induced a double-play to end the game and help the Crusaders earn the overall number one seed.

Photo: Athletics Department The women’s softball team will travel to Susquehanna University tomorrow to face off against the Crusaders in the semifinals of the Landmark Conference Playoffs.The Blue Jays are the four seed.

The Blue Jays finished the regular season on Tuesday afternoon with a non-conference doubleheader at Gettysburg College.

Etown dropped both games of their doubleheader with the Bullets, 6-3, 6-3.

Senior Jess White and sophomore Kelsey Brown both homered in game one, and White added two more RBIs in game two for the Blue Jays.

Landmark Playoffs

SOFTBALL

Etown finished the regular season on a nine-game losing streak and with a 13-23 record overall. The Blue Jays finished 6-6 in the Landmark Conference.

Tomorrow the Blue Jays face the Susquehanna Crusaders for the third time in one week in the first round of the Landmark Conference Playoffs. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

MEN’S LACROSSE

#2 Scranton

#4 Catholic, 11

MEN’S & WOMEN’S TRACK #3 Elizabethtown

#4 Elizabethtown

@

@

Elizabethtown

@

#2 Moravian

#1 Susquehanna

@

#1 Elizabethtown

Susquehanna

*Championship

*Championship

Men’s tennis finishes season with victory over Harford, looks forward to next year

T

by KARLEY ICE

he Elizabethtown College men’s tennis team fell to the United States Merchant Marine Academy on Friday, April 24, but defeated Harford Community College, 5-4 on April 25.

The Blue Jays had a 2-1 lead against Merchant Marine, but lost 4-5 in the last match against a Landmark Conference opponent.

The Mariners were strong competition in singles competition with four wins out of 6 matches. Etown won two of the three doubles matches.

Etown fell in No. 1 doubles, but the sophomore duo of Ryan Caris and Nathan Dowling defeated Jeremy Guettlein and Matthew Schwartz, 8-4. First-year Michael Yost and junior Evan Hinkley earned the Blue Jays a win at No. 3 doubles, with an 8-5 score to beat Josh Levitas and Alec De Ryckere.

Etown had the lead until the No. 1 and No. 2 singles competition, which USMMA took to take the lead away from the Blue Jays. Senior Mike Cannon and sophomore Alex Machalick were the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots for the Blue Jays, respectively.

“Our biggest challenge is going

out there every day and playing our best tennis,” senior Ricky Meyers said. “It is easy to go out there and give it your all when you are winning every match, but we faced some really good teams in the beginning of the season and it put us in a bit of a hole. I’m proud of everyone on the team for the amount of effort they put in every day.”

“Our biggest challenge is going out there everyday and playing our best tennis.”

~ Ricky Meyers

April 30

May 1 Softball @ Landmark Conference Championships

TM

#1 Elizabethtown, 10

Athlete of the Week Kristopher Davis

by BRIAN LUKACSY Senior pitcher Kris Davis owns a 7-0 record on the mound this season for the Blue Jays with an ERA of 1.50 in his eight starts. Davis struck out a career-high 15 batters in his opening day win against Maritime (N.Y.) back in February. He has compiled 16 career victories and is approaching 200 career innings pitched. Davis leads the team in ERA, wins, innings pitched and strike outs, among a few other categories. Davis’ seven wins and 52 strike outs leads all pitchers in the Landmark Conference.

Photo: David Sinclair

Season Stats: Wins: Strikeouts: Innings: 7 52 56

Hometown:

Doylestown, Pa.

A doctor of Physical Therapy and start my own practice

Favorite athlete/sports team:

Brian Dawkins/Philadelphia Phillies

Favorite Etown Memory:

Favorite Jay’s Nest item:

Spending time with my roommates.

Buffalo Chicken Quesadilla

Greatest Etown accomplishment:

Favorite musician/band:

Being named captain for men’s soccer and baseball teams.

Coldplay

Favorite Movie: Ocean’s Trilogy Favorite place to visit:

Greatest baseball accomplishment: Being a good teammate.

I started playing baseball at age...

3.

Stone Harbor, NJ.

May 2

May 3

Landmark Conference Championships

Landmark Conference Championships

M/W

M/W

W Tennis

ERA: 1.50

Hardly anyone knows that...

I am related to a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

In 10 years, I want to be …

Major:

Biology (Allied Health) The team finished the season with a 4-12 overall record before competing with Harford College in an exhibition match. The Blue Jays won three out of the six singles matches at No. 4, 5 and 6. Cannon and Machalik won at No. 1 doubles and Dowling and Caris won at No. 2 doubles. The individual and team win-loss records for the Blue Jays were not affected because Harford is a two-year college, but the match did count for Harford.

@

M/W

Men’s

May 4

May 5

May 6