Etownian issue12 by The Etownian

FEATURES Nigerian ambassador uses art to communicate peace | PAGE 5 SPORTS Track teams break records in Collegeville | PAGE 11

The Etownian

www.etownian.com

Vol. 110. Issue 12

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Engineering dept. offers new scholarship for incoming students by TIANA FERRANTE

he engineering department is introducing a new scholarship, called Engineering Practices with Impact Cohort (EPIC), for women

interested in Elizabethtown College’s engineering program. Beginning in the fall semester of 2014, the half million dollar grant will be enacted, translating into awards of up to $10,000 annually per student for four incoming Etown women. Individual

award amounts are dependent on each student’s academic merit and demonstrated financial need. “This is in addition to merit scholarships like the Provost and Presidential Scholarships,” Engineering and Physics Assistant Professor Dr. Sara Atwood said. She explained that the

department strives to raise the percentage of women enrolled in its program; in general, engineering programs are known for having more male students enrolled than female students. SEE SCHOLARSHIP PAGE 3

Keyless entry system Alumnus reports on Winter Olympics project to expand to from Sochi, Russia for NBC News all campus buildings to be out in the field,” by TIANA FERRANTE

by VINCENT DEBLASS

new keyless entry system for all dorm buildings is planned to be completed by the start of the 2014 fall semester. The project covers all campus buildings and is split into three phases. The first of these phases covers all the residential buildings on campus, as well as the Brossman Commons. The system will get rid of keys for dorm buildings, replacing them with new identification cards. These cards will have all the same swipe functionalities as the current cards when visiting the cafeteria or purchasing items from the school store and Jay’s Nest. The difference in the new cards will be a proximity chip that is read by a card reader located on the exterior doors of the buildings. Keys will continue to be used until the beginning of the 2014 fall semester, at which point, current students will be issued new cards, as they were in their first year at Elizabethtown College. The second phase of the project will include the campus academic buildings. This phase is projected to be finished by the summer of 2015. As of right now, the system will only be installed on the exterior doors of these buildings. Lastly, the third phase of the project will include the remaining administrative buildings and SDLCs. The system is being put into place primarily to increase the safety of the students, faculty, staff and visitors who may be on campus. With the new system, campus security will have more control over the entire campus and the doors to buildings themselves. SEE KEYLESS PAGE 3

Kelchner said.

Photo: Neile Jones

Tim Kelchner, ‘07, is in Sochi, Russia to cover the 2014 Winter Olympic Games for NBC. While there, he will spend much of his time at the International Broadcast Center, which is shown above.

lumnus Tim Kelchner left the first weekend of February for Sochi, Russia, where he will cover the 2014 Winter Olympics with NBC. “The Olympic atmosphere has been incredible! The O p e n i n g C e re m ony isn’t until Friday, but there’s definitely a buzz around Sochi,” he said. In preparation for reporting on the Winter Olympics, which will begin on Feb. 7, Kelchner was sent to Salt Lake City, Utah, for several days of liveshots with NBC. “ Yo u t r a i n a n d practice and tr y,” he said, and even after experiencing a fourhour blizzard during live-shots in Utah, the reporter expressed his enjoyment of the uncontrolled factors of his profession. “I prefer

“The Olympic atmosphere has been incredible! The Opening Ceremony isn’t until Friday, but there’s definitely a buzz around Sochi.”

~Tim Kelchner

On encountering the challenges of a foreign reporting environment, Kelchner said that since Russia is an entirely different culture, many aspects of reporting will require some adjustments. SEE ALUMNI PAGE 4

New public relations, Spanish clubs provide Jays with new opportunities by SARAH WERTZ

wo new clubs have been introduced to the Elizabethtown College community this semester: the Spanish and Public Relations clubs. Senior Jessica Potter was approached by Assistant Professor of Communications Dr. Matthew Telleen at the beginning of the fall 2013 semester to be a senior representative for the core group that the department of communications wanted to utilize as a Public Relations club.

Etown mass communications students have many opportunities to participate in field-related organizations such as ECTV and the WWEC 88.3 radio station; however, students who want to enter into the corporate end of communications do not have a club or activity in which they can participate. “The new PR club will give students the opportunity to apply skills that they learn in class while building their resume and portfolio for applying to internships and careers post-graduation,” Potter said. Corporate communications students in the club will learn about

press releases and have experience with creating event planning strategies. “The main goal of this club is to allow students to actually use their press releases or to implement their plan. Essentially, students will be able to apply their skills before they begin seeking internships or working on their senior seminar project so they can feel more confident in their abilities,” Potter said. The public relations and Spanish clubs’ first meetings will be Feb. 6. For more information about the Spanish club, contact Dr. Montserrat Linares-Farras at LINARESM@etown.edu.

Felty, Chabaku receive Scene On Campus: Jays brave cold despite polar vortex Educate for Service award by NICK CHRISTIE

within the Department of Public Welfare at

the Harrisburg State Hospital.

Photo: Mikayla Mason

ennis Felty of the Elizabethtown College class of ‘68 a n d t h e l a t e R e v. Motlalepula Chabaku of t h e c l a s s of ‘ 8 1 received the Educate for Ser vice award last Octob er at the P r e s i d e n t ’s y e a r l y dinner. T h i s y e a r, F e l t y re ceive d t he award for ser vice through p r o f e s s i o n a l a ch i e ve m e nt . Fe lt y dedicated his career to helping children and adults who suffer from mental illness and disabilities. He began his journey before ever leaving Etown by taking a job

Photo: Athletics Department

Dennis Felty of the class of ‘68, photographed above, and the Late Rev. Motlalepula Chabaku of the class of ‘81 were honored with the Educate for Service award at the President’s annual dinner, which was held in October.

SEE SERVICE PAGE 2

News

page 2

February 6, 2014

‘E-lympic Games’ social media challenge to begin after Olympics Opening Ceremony by ANDREW CALNON

he Office of Marketing Communications is celebrating the upcoming Winter Olympics with an Elizabethtown-themed social media photo challenge. The challenge is titled “E-lympic Games” and will begin Feb. 8, the day after the Opening Ceremony. Director of Integrated Communications Donna Talarico-Beerman said, “Almost two years ago, I wrote a chapter for a book called ‘Social Works’ – a bunch of successful higher education social media case studies – that included information about a summer Olympic-themed Facebook photo contest between a number of Ivy League schools. As this year’s Winter Games approached, I couldn’t help but think back to that idea and wonder if we could scale that back and put an Etown spin on it.” Students, alumni, faculty and staff can choose between 10 Olympic-themed photo challenges. Participants can interpret the daily challenges in a creative or literal way. “Photo challenges have been a huge success,” Talarico-Beerman said. “Students and even some alumni just love sharing their pictures. We thought we’d do something different this time, in honor of the Winter Olympics. So, with some play-on-words and Olympicthemed events, we’re going for it.” Participants are encouraged to post their

entry for each day to Twitter or Instagram, and should remember to tag their photo with #EtownElympics and should indicate the day and event number in the post. Participants are also encouraged to interact with other participants by searching #EtownElympics to see what others have posted. “Kelly Moore is our social media intern,” Talarico-B eerman said. “She brainstormed the event ideas and helped secure the prizes, and it was great to have a student voice in all of this.” The Office of Marketing Communications will serve as the E-lympic committee. They will view the submissions and comments from the previous day’s event and will vote on the top three photos. There will be daily winners announced on Instagram and on the Social Life blog. The prizes for gold medal photo challenge winners include JayBucks as well as prizes from Dining Services, the Office of Alumni Relations and new Etown Hashtag tees. The silver and bronze medal winners will earn bragging rights. At the end of the Winter Olympics, the E-lympic committee will choose one All-Star “athlete” to win an Etown blanket, donated by the College Store. Contact the College’s Office of Marketing Communications for additional information regarding the “E-lympic Games” social media challenge.

Photo: The Social Life at Etown

Elizabethtown College’s Office of Marketing and Communications is hosting a social media challenge to accompany the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics. The “E-lympic Games” will begin after the Olympics Opening Ceremony on Feb. 8.

SERVICE PAGE 1

Alumni earn recognition for dedicating lives to ‘Educate for Service’ motto He studied the hospital and found many areas where growth and change could occur. In 1972, with the help of his wife Barbara, Felty cofounded Keystone Human Services. Keystone Human Services is an organization that supplies home and community services that allow people with mental disabilities to be active members in their communities. In his acceptance speech, Felty reflected on his career and the opportunities he had seen for change. “The essence of the Educate for Service transaction is that these opportunities bring meaning and purpose to life and open the door to a lifelong richness of experience, opportunity, learning and meaning,” Felty said. The second Educate for Service award of the evening was given to the late Rev. Motlalepula Chabaku ’81. Chabaku received the Service To Humanity award for her role in the South African political landscape. She served as the secretary

for the African National Congress’ Women’s League. Chabaku was also responsible for the building of churches for those who were persecuted for their religious beliefs after Nelson Mandela passed away. After she retired, Chabaku still served as an advisor to her organizations that dedicated themselves to the same work she did for her entire life. Mark Clapper, the director of alumni relations at Etown, spoke of the importance and dual purpose of the Service to Humanity award. “We consider it the highest award an alumna or alumnus can receive from the Alumni Association,” Clapper said. However, this award is not just to recognize the alumni of the College but to recognize that these recipients have been in the same place that current students are in. “These award recipients walked the same halls and sat in the same classrooms as current students,” Clapper said. The award is meant to inspire future Etown alumni. It is a way to show that current Etown students can

New group boosts Jays’ confidence with counseling by COLLEEN BARRY

tudents gathered Thursday, Jan. 30 for the initial meeting of Fearless; a new club on campus offered by Veronica Umbrell of Counseling Services, geared toward improving self-esteem. Fearless will be held once a week until the end of the semester and is open and free to anyone who would like to attend their meetings. Umbrell started the club because it seemed to be a topic that many people were interested in and could benefit from learning more about. “Self-esteem is something that will help everyone reach their goals,” Umbrell said. This group is an opportunity for people to discuss their problems and get guidance on how to deal with them. “Self-esteem is a foundation and springboard for many aspects of life,” Umbrell said. Her goal for this group is to teach better self-awareness tools to help build self-confidence. Fearless is a group environment where people can talk and listen to each other to assure them that they are not alone and this method of counseling may be preferable to some students. Throughout the year, Elizabethtown College offers many clubs and groups through the counseling department. These groups help students in areas that the counselors feel are beneficial. “Similar to many colleges, counseling services at Etown provides counseling to current students in a confidential and diversity affirming environment at no additional charge. Students can

Photo: Stephen Hajcak

Fearless, the new group directed by Veronica Umbrell of Counseling Services, helps students improve their self-esteem and self-confidence.

talk to counselors about a variety of situational, developmental and mental health concerns. The variety of groups offered are consistent with what is offered at many colleges, and we are open to starting new groups based on the current needs of our students,” Bruce Lynch, director of student wellness, said.

make a difference in the world, just like Felty and Chabaku did. The Educate for Service award recognizes the outstanding achievements of Etown alumni. The award was first given in 1966 and ever since has acknowledged alumni for their dedication to live out the College’s motto, “Educate for Service.” The award is broken into three different categories: service through professional achievement, service to the College and service to humanity. Current Etown alumni will nominate other alums that they feel would fit one of these three categories. They will send the person’s name, along with their resumé, to the Award Committee. The Award Committee will then go through each nominee and decide who should be chosen for each category. After choosing a recipient for each category, they will take their decisions to the Alumni Council and the Council will get the final say as to who will receive each award.

News

February 6, 2014

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SCHOLARSHIP PAGE 1

Dept. to offer four incoming Jays up to $10,000 annually

Engineering Practices with Impact Cohort Scholarship to encourage women to enroll in program Since Etown is no exception in t hat resp e c t, t he ne w EPIC engineering scholarship demonstrates the department’s commitment to encouraging more females to enroll in the coming years.

students who receive the scholarship will be offered reserved rooms on the Partners in Engineering (PIE) floor, which is the Living and Learning Community for Etown engineering majors.

“Women are simply underrepresented as engineering students and professionals, and there are a lot of contributing factors including engineering culture, stereotypes, a lack of encouragement, how engineering has been presented to children and work-life balance issues.”

~Sara Atwood

“Right now, the department is about 10 to 15 percent female,” Atwood said. The hope is that this scholarship, which is funded by the National Science Foundation, will increase that percentage of women in the department to 30. “The first group is applying now,” she said, noting that the applicants will also be evaluated through interviews. Atwood, who will mentor the group, also mentioned that EPIC scholarship recipients will have access to entirelyfunded summer research opportunities with Etown faculty, as well as co-ops and internships with companies like Johnson & Johnson. Along with having those advantages,

“Etown’s program has about the same percentage as the national average of women in engineering,” Atwood said.“Women are simply underrepresented as engineering students and professionals, and there are a lot of contributing factors including eng ine er ing c u lture, stereotypes, a lack of encouragement, how engineering has been presented to children and work-life balance issues,” Atwood said. In speaking of the characteristics the department most values in its students, she further said, “All of our engineering students, including the women, are talented in their math and science ability. I think we’ve done

a poor job as a field explaining that successful engineers also possess talents in communication skills, teamwork, leadership, organization, awareness of the big picture and the commitment to improve people’s lives. Those are talents that we look for in all of our Etown engineers and are skills that our program nurtures.” According to Atwood, the new program will give female engineers firm support, enabling them to build their careers in the field. “The EPIC program in particular gives our female students additional mentoring and the support of a female cohort, which is especially important when they might be the only woman sitting in their engineering classroom,” Atwood said. First-year engineering student Kimberly Kim gave some insight into why she chose Etown’s engineering program. “Etown is one of the very few schools that offers a sustainable design concentration. It was so specific, and I felt closer to what I wanted to do,” Kim said. “It’s lonely but empowering,” she added, summing up her experience as a part of the female engineering minority. For Kim, the choice to enter the field was based on the opportunities to “change a community and a standard of living.” The EPIC scholarship fund will help young women begin their engineering paths, like Kim’s, at the start of the next semester.

Photo: The Office of Marketing Communications

Incoming students may begin receiving this new engineering scholarship at the start of the fall 2014 semester. The scholarship offers four incoming female students up to $10,000 per year for each student.

College Store Three-phase keyless entry system project to increase initiates Loyal ‘E’ on-campus safety in dorms, academic buildings Card to increase sales, encourage frequent shoppers KEYLESS PAGE 1

by GWEN FRIES

t the beginning of the spring 2014 semester, the College Store initiated a new punch card service. Now when Etown students, faculty or fans stop by the store, they’ll receive a College Store Loyal “E” Card when they purchase any item costing five dollars or more. The punch card itself resembles a business card in size. It has a white background and is dotted with 10 familiar Blue Jay logos. After nine purchases of any item five dollars or more, or after nine punches, the patron will receive 25 percent off the total of his or her next

Photo: Tyler Latshaw

“We actually put it to the Student Senate. It was a collaborative effort with ideas being formulated on both sides.”

By the fall 2014 semester, students will be able to access their dorms and academic buildings via their I.D. Cards.This project is a joint effort of Facilities Management, Campus Security and ITS, which will hopefully increase students’ and staff members’ safety while on campus. Once completed, this project will cost more than $1,470,000.

The system is all electronic and set up so that it can be controlled from a central location. Campus Security will have the power to lock down any of the doors on the system once it is in place. This, and the addition of cameras located at the entrances to buildings, will greatly enhance security on campus. Individual cards can be programmed in order to allow individuals time-specific access to certain locations, while not allowing them access at other times. Another security measure is a time lock that will be installed on the dorm buildings permitting only residents of that particular building access after 10 p.m. This feature is currently in place in the Founders dormitory and will be applied to all dorm buildings upon completion of the project. The new system will also avoid some of the problems that come with the current

purchase. This offer is good on gift, clothing and logo items only. Nancy Fink, the office manager of the College Store, introduced Wendy Gibble, the merchandise manager of the College Store, as the mother of this invention. She explained that this new card service was formulated to meet the need for shoppers to drop by more frequently. This Loyal “E” Card is just one more reason for members of the Etown community to come in. When asked how she thought of this idea, she smiled and explained, “We actually put it to the Student Senate. It was a collaborative effort with ideas being formulated on both sides.” For additional information regarding the Loyal “E” Card, email SMITHSD@etown.edu or visit the College Store.

key system. The current system offers the possibility of lost, stolen or broken keys. When a key is broken in an exterior door for a dorm, the locking cores of the door handles need to be replaced throughout the entire building. This issue will be avoided all together with proximity swipe cards. “This project is a joint effort by Facilities Management, Campus Security and ITS,” Director of Facilities Management and Construction Mark Zimmerman said. Each of these departments has specific duties to work along with Simplex Grinell on the project. Simplex Grinell is the main system contractor on the project, and they are an industry leader in life safety and property protection. They will be installing the system as the main contractor with Fullerton Electric and Builders Specialty Services as subcontractors. The project has also involved

input from Residence Life, the Business Office and other representatives from the College’s departments that will be affected by the switch. The price tag on this project is not final, as the project has not yet been completed. The most recent figures for the project are roughly $925,000 for phase one and $545,000 for phase two. Phase three “should be much less in scope and cost than phase two,” Zimmerman said. “Facilities Management will provide Residence Life with reports of work progression so that students can be notified in a timely manner of the work,” Zimmerman said. Students will receive email notification if a door will be closed for replacement in advance. If a door is being replaced, it will be secured at all times and students will be redirected to other entrances.

~Nancy Fink

Features

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february 6, 2014

Alumnus assists in Sochi, Russia Winter Olympics coverage Even Russia’s technical aspects will differ from those of the United States, including European outlets. “Security is very tight,” Kelchner said. “Since we arrived, one of the biggest challenges has been the language barrier,” Kelchner said. “Most volunteers speak a little English, but unfortunately my Russian is very limited, ‘hello’, ‘good bye’ and ‘thank you’, can only get you so far. So finding transportation, navigating the Olympics’ venues and even looking for places to eat has been a tricky, but fun challenge.” Before the Olympic events had even started, Kelchner already had his brush with fame. “The biggest surprise was Tuesday night at dinner – I ate dinner with Apolo Ohno! He was on his way to a speaking engagement and needed to grab a quick bite, so he

introduced himself and asked me if he could sit down... who am I to say no to the most decorated American in Winter Olympic history! We only spent about 10 to 15 minutes talking, but he was very nice. I told him I was from Pennsylvania, and apparently he’s very familiar with the Keystone state. He used to train in Reading. It was definitely the highlight of the trip so far!” Additionally, a position as a reporter for the Winter Olympics requires that those selected prepare through different phases,” Kelchner said, and he emphasized that there was a necessary “research phase” involved for him. Reporters for the Olympics must have a certain level of familiarity with many kinds of sports. In addition to reviewing sports terms and other essential information about well-

known events like skating and snowboarding, Kelchner prepared to report on sports that are less popular to the general audience. “I’ll have to research the men’s curling team,” he said. “I always felt I was a step ahead,” Kelchner said. The morning anchor at WBRE-TV/WYOU-TV attributed that advantage to his communications education at Elizabethtown College. He praised the hands-on training he received from Etown, particularly through his involvement in ECTV-40, the College’s student-run television station. As a Blue Jay, Kelchner used his education to gain skills in independently handling equipment and composing and by shooting and editing live-shots on his own. He credits his ability to work independently with being selected to cover the worldwide event in

“I ate dinner with Apolo Ohno! He was on his way to a speaking engagement and needed to grab a quick bit, so he introduced himself and asked me if he could sit down ... who am I to say no to the most decorated American in Winter Olympic History!”

Russia with NBC and others, such as “The Today Show.” However, Kelchner participated in more than just ECT V. He dedicated much of his time to first-year students through the College’s peer mentoring program, and he eventually earned a “Mr. Etown” title as well. Upon visiting ECTV’s station at the College for

~Tim Kelchner

the first time in years, he noted how positively the studio had been renovated since his graduation. “I don’t recognize the place!” Kelchner said. According to his professional Facebook profile, Kelchner is already “Safe and sound in Sochi,” awaiting the Opening Ceremony for the 2014 Winter Olympics, scheduled for Feb. 7.

Travels Abroad: Discovering Etown in Unexpected Places by JAZMIN DEJESUS

hroughout my stay here in Cheltenham, England, I often find myself comparing the many differences between my life at Elizabethtown College and my life at the University of Gloucestershire (UoG) in the United Kingdom. One of the things I found to be similar is the necessity of a place for students to go to in between classes to meet with friends, catch up on work and even just take a step back from their busy schedules to relax. At Etown, one of the best places to do just that is the Blue Bean. The Blue Bean is an essential part to our student life as it serves as a great place to meet friends, get a much-needed coffee or milkshake and is even home to many campus events such as Soul Café and open mic nights. At UoG, we obviously don’t have a Blue Bean, but we do have the Student Union (SU) Bars which serve the same purpose but with quite a few differences. At UoG, there are three campuses, all of which have their own SU Bar. The SU Bars are run by the Student Union, which is essentially a combination of both our Student Senate and the Office of Student Activities (OSA). The SU Bars are very similar to the Blue Bean in that when students want a spot to meet up with a friend before lunch, want somewhere to catch up on some work or need somewhere comfy to kill time before class, it serves that purpose. Similar to the Blue Bean, there is almost always music playing in the SU Bars, except in their case, the music plays from a music video channel on one of the many TVs in the room. The SU Bar is connected to an on-campus Starbucks that is accessible to students and is much cheaper than going to an off-campus Starbucks. This is similar to the Blue Bean as well because many students are often lining up before and after classes for a coffee or chai pick-me-up. The biggest difference between the Blue Bean and the SU Bars is the fact that the SU Bars also double as actual on-campus bars for students. Because most UoG students surpass the legal drinking age of 18 and drinking alcohol is seen as more of a social activity here in the UK, it is common for students to often drink together. The SU Bars are places where students can get together and get a drink, alcoholic or not, whenever they please. The SU Bars also host events such as karaoke nights, pub quiz nights and big game nights. Both the Blue Bean and SU Bars serve similar purposes for students on campus although there are many cultural distinctions that make them different. I’ve made a lot of great memories with friends at the SU Bars, and although it’s no Blue Bean, it’s definitely something I will miss very much when I leave Cheltenham.

Photo: Austin Whitlock

Photo: Stephen Hajcak

Features

February 6, 2014

page 5

Religion Department Chair Christina Bucher gives lecture on Song of Songs, relates sexuality, human desire to Bible, Christianity

Photo: Stephen Hajcak

Dr. Christina Bucher presented her work on the Biblical book, Song of Songs, this past Tuesday in the Susquehanna Room. During her presentation, Bucher discussed sexuality within the context of Christianity and the Bible. Her unique insight on the subject allowed her to discuss the Song of Songs through a Pietist and Anabaptist point of view.

by KIERAN MCCORMICK

exuality and Christianity. Homosexuality and the Bible. When reading these couplings, it is clear that these topics are often taboo when mixed together. Dr. Christina Bucher, the Carl W. Zeigler professor of religion and current chair of the department of religious studies, however, made these four topics blend together during her lecture this past week. On Tues day, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m., t he Elizabethtown College’s Provost-sponsored Faculty Scholarship Series held an event called “Christianity, Eros and the Song of Songs” in the Susquehanna Room. Bucher chose the topic because she is finishing a book on the Bible’s Song of Songs, which is to be published later this year by Harold Press. Bucher is also an undergraduate alumna of Etown’s class of 1975. From there, Bucher earned her master’s degree in theology from Bethany Theological Seminary in 1977. Bucher then earned her doctoral degree in religion from Claremont Graduate

University in 1988. Bucher, as a faculty fellow at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, researched the Song of Songs through a Pietist and Anabaptist lens. She has also presented scholarly papers on the Song of Songs at the regional, national and international levels of the Society of Biblical Literature. This event is one in a series featuring faculty scholarship that is planned by the College’s provost, Susan Traverso. “Traverso invited me to give a lecture this year in this series,” Bucher explained. At Tuesday’s lecture, she discussed some of the content of the Biblical book, which is a collection of love poems. Bucher related the poems in Song of Songs to current discussions among Christians regarding issues of sexual orientation and identity. Bucher began by explaining the title of the Biblical book. The title, Song of Songs, comes from the opening line of the text, a superlative naming this book the grandest of all of songs. It is more easily understood, Bucher explained, when one thinks of the phrase “king of kings” – the best, the

greatest. Bucher, along with many other scholars, have turned to the Song of Songs as a way to study the expressions of human sexual desires. Bucher made sure to clarify from the start that she was not there to talk about the ethical debates of homosexuality. “Recently, two Methodist ministers have been in the news for having officiated at gay weddings, and the one has been defrocked (stripped of his credentials) for violating church law. I am not making an argument for or against the position churches hold regarding homosexuality, but rather, discussing what the Song of Songs contributes to our understanding of human sexuality,” Bucher said. In the last century or so, Biblical scholars have started looking at the Song of Songs as a book about eros, the Greek word meaning human desire. Bucher set out to hold this lecture as a way of showing that the Song of Songs can be used as a conversation starter for discussions of human sexuality. The love poems in the Biblical book show a deep understanding of the individual self

and the divine through a Christian outlook. “I hope people who attended the talk walked away better informed that the Bible does contain at least one book that has a positive view of human sexuality. This is not a book containing ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ about sexuality, but a book that, through its figurative language, encourages the reader or hearer to reflect on the nature of human sexual desire,” Bucher explained. B u c h e r m e nt i o n e d t h at m e d i e v a l Christians were much more open to the book, and they studied the Song of Songs in a unique way. The two speakers in the book are often viewed as one man and one woman – unknown by name. The medieval Christians, however, viewed the book as an expression of love between God and humanity. Wi t h o u t g e t t i n g c o nt r ov e r s i a l o r offensive, Bucher tackled this subject with grace and knowledge. As a scholar of the Song of Songs, Bucher brought to light many new and interesting ideas about eros and Christianity that some, if not all, audience members had never heard of before.

Nigerian ambassador uses art to communicate peace by KAITLIN GIBBONEY

“I

s there an eternity in our hearts?” Ibiyinka Alao said. “There is an infinite outside of us as well as an infinite within us. These two infinites are superimposed on one another and awaken in me the essence of love, art and prayer. An artist is a person with an infinite inside that is equal in size to the infinite outside; hence, an artist is a person without limits. To be limitless sometimes means our heart resonates in the shape of the unknown, and the unknown is an ocean. The compass of this ocean is thought, and nothing is transmissible except thought, the needle of our conscience. This thought needle always points us towards the unknown shadow, that is, towards the light. The eye is the light of the body, and beauty is defined by the heart which goes on forever through the spirit. Hence, there is an infinite in our heart called eternity.” Ibiyinka Alao currently holds the title of Nigeria’s Ambassador of Art, and his paintings won the first place prize against 61 countries in the United Nations’ International Art Competition. His winning entry, “Girls and a Greener Environment,” showed his depiction of a girl and her journey from youth to adulthood, exploring the lessons and values she gathered along the way. In his works, Alao explores and presents themes of love, life, faith and art. On Wednesday, Alao spoke to Elizabethtown College education majors about using art in the context of teaching with children. Afterwards, Alao spoke to a larger audience about his experiences with Nigerian music and themes of peace within his artistic works. Born in Nigeria, Alao grew up with a traditional African perspective on life. This helped form his artistic style, which sees life in color and views color as a language of its own. Alao was originally trained as an architect at the Obafemi Awolowo University in lle-lfe, Nigeria. Using themes of love and faith in his paintings, he has garnered worldwide recognition. His paintings are currently being shown in the United States and have been on display in places such as the Harvard Business School, the Indianapolis Art Center, the Martin Luther King

Jr. Performing Arts Center, the Nigerian Consulate, the Nigerian Embassy, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the United Nations Headquarters and the Empire State Building. When he is not travelling with his works, Alao presents lectures and workshops in community centers and colleges across the country. Earlier in the day, Alao spoke with education majors during a morning session. “This morning, I just talked to them about the concept of art as frozen music,” he said. “We don’t really see art and music as separate from each other. Music is really just the liquid form of the solid art.” He then showed a bit of music with a picture to give a feel for what type of music might be playing in the background of the piece. “Everyone got up and danced and moved to the music, which was surprising to me because, Americans are known as non-dancers,” Alao said. Alao’s main purpose of the event was to show future educators how music and art can be a helpful aid in the classroom. “How do you use art in a classroom to teach?” he said. “Young children need to feel that they can do anything, but they don’t always have the confidence, so they have to do something they feel they can do. A way to do it is to demonstrate yourself, as a teacher. You bring something in from outside, demonstrate how to make something like that and show it to them. Once they see their teacher doing it, they have all the confidence to make it themselves, and they are able to tell their own stories with art.” Alao said that it is therapeutic and helpful to children to be able to express what their art means to them and to others. “It is important for you as a teacher to show them that they really can do this, chiefly as a means of communication,” Alao said. One of the things the United Nations has been focused on is creating a world of the future that is more peaceful, tolerant and understanding, no matter what cultures or backgrounds people may come from. “You have to start very young,” he said. “I see it every day how difficult it is to display a concept from a different culture. When we have not grown up in that place, it is usually more difficult to understand another culture. But if you start this idea of tolerance and instill it in children very

early, they will grow up to be those kinds of adults who have more embracing views on people.” To inspire concepts of peace, tolerance and understanding, through teaching in the classroom, art can facilitate communication between students, who can express their own ideas through their unique works. “They share this concept of appreciating other people’s stories that are different from theirs,” Alao said. “Art opens people’s hearts. It is the only thing in the world that we know does that; so, knowing that it is a way to reach the children, they may grow up to know peace.”

Photo: Stephen Hajcak

Nigerian Art Ambassador Ibiyinka Alao presents his art to the audience.Through art, Alao believes peace can be achieved.

Features

February 6, 2014

page 6

Minor visits campus, discusses short, contemporary fiction Author presents works in contemporary literature, offers advice for aspiring short fiction writers by GINA KURTZ

he evening of Jan. 30 began with a bang. Or rather, a mass-cracking of knuckles. These dramatics were led by Bowers Writers House Director Jesse Waters as he introduced the first event of the spring 2014 semester at 8 p.m. last Thursday: a “C onte mp or ar y F i c t i on Reading with Kyle Minor.” The Elizabethtown College event marked the second stop of Minor’s “Praying Drunk” Zero Dollar Tour. Waters joked to a packed house, “I like to start the semester off with some kind of nuance to make people remember it.” The nuance was an appropriate one, as Minor’s fiction tends to be loaded with tension-inducing scenes.

about Minor’s work,” he said. Minor is the author of two collections of stories: “In the Devil’s Territory” (2008) and the just-released “Praying Drunk,” which he read from Thursday evening. His work has won him the 2012 Iowa Review Prize for Short Fiction and the Tara M. Kroger Prize for Short Fiction. He was named one of Random House’s Best New Voices of 2006 and is a threetime honoree in the Atlantic Monthly contest. Minor’s work has appeared online at Esquire and in print in The Southern Review, The Iowa Review and “Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers.” He currently writes a biweekly audiobook column for Salon.com and teaches creative writing at Indiana University.

A m a n d a We n r i c h , a junior occupational therapy major, was among those in

Minor offered more advice over dinner. He said aspiring writers should do two things:

who’s also a writer, and knows what they’re doing, to save you time by showing you ways

“You should write about the thing you don’t want to write about, the thing you don’t want anyone to know about and when you lay in bed at night you try not to think about.”

Photo: Tyler Latshaw

~Kyle Minor

Waters felt that Minor would make an interesting first guest at Bowers as his writing has “the ability to not only make a reader absolutely engaged with those elements that make fiction, but to make the reader absolutely aware of the act of reading. That’s something that’s really important to me and that’s something that I appreciate

Thursday’s reading was p r e c e d e d by a w r i t i n g workshop, during which Minor offered the following advice: “You should write about the thing you don’t want to write about, the thing you don’t want anyone to know about, and when you lay in bed at night you try not to think about. There’s a lot of power in that stuff.”

Drunk.” When asked where he came up with the idea for the story, Minor referred back to his advice from the workshop, telling the audience that the story is “about 90 percent nonfiction.” He then acknowledged that this “is a funny thing to say about a robot story set in the year 2024.” After the reading, Minor took several moments to answer questions from the audience, followed by a book signing complete with chocolate fondue. E l e na Pe re tt i, a sophomore English major who had never previously read Minor’s work, decided to buy a copy of “Praying Drunk” after attending his reading. “It was an outstanding reading,” she said. “He has a very dynamic and captivating voice for his characters.” Chad Rice, a senior English literature major, tries to attend On Jan. 30 in Bowers Writers House, Kyle

attendance. She found the workshop very helpful. “I try to take advantage of any opportunities from which I can get hints on how to write better,” Wenrich said. “I learned that there are no boundaries to writing short fiction, and that the best way to get ideas for new fiction is by delving into the darker side of life and humanity.”

“First, read a lot of good stuff. You might start with the ‘Best American’ series… Get a reading list from a reader you really admire.” Minor said that his own writing has been influenced by authors such as Alice Munroe, Andres Dubus, Barry Hannah and Katherine Anne Porter. “Next,” he said, “find a really good reader. One

in which you’re limiting the power of your stories. Work with them as long as they’ll let you.” Minor attributes much of his own success to these two pearls of wisdom. Later that evening, in a convincing Southern accent, Minor read the story “The Truth and All Its Ugly” from his new collection, “Praying

as many Bowers events as he can. “Waters brings in some really great writers who have a vast body of different kinds of works, and the house is so small and intimate that it’s less intimidating to meet some really great authors who are published and feel less pressure,” Rice stated. “I enjoyed that Minor committed

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Opinion

February 6, 2014

page 7

American Super Bowl tradition deserves to be spent surrounded by other people, whether or not one enjoys watching football by MATT WALTERS

here were you on Super Bowl Sunday? Were you drowning in Tostitos, taco dip and friendship? Were you directly in front of the TV screen, yelling from where the players can best hear you — because they totally can? Were you sitting in front of your computer playing Skyrim, wondering how many chees e curls you could fit into this large bowl everyone seems to be excited about? Super Bowl Sunday is a fairly deep-seated tradition in American culture, and people celebrate the special day however they darn well please. But allow me to paint some pictures for you. My mission is to determine the best way to spend Super Bowl Sunday. Let’s start with something larger-scale. You’re chilling — that is to say, “throwing down a party” — with a huge group of friends. Those of your pals with a little more culinary skill and the place to utilize it probably whipped up some Super Bowl-appropriate food items. The rest of you flocked to Giant before they ran out of chips. You could be wearing jerseys, fancy-wear or whichever shirt you’re most comfortable getting globs of chili and cheese sauce on. Different conversations fill the room, and only around half of you are actually focusing on the game. We all have that one friend who came just for the commercials, which were not particularly exciting this year, I might add. But who cares? You’re with a massive group of friends and having a blast. Then you may have the smallerscale get-together, where you’re with only a few of your closest

friends. You’re prepared to enjoy the game with modest but sufficient food choices, like a couple bags of chips and a few boxes of pizza. Unlike the larger bonanza described earlier, ever yone is probably involved in the same conversation, whether or not you are actually discussing the game, such as how unexciting the game actually was. You’re less preoccupied with who wins and more excited that you can spend some quality time lounging around with your besties, cherishing a great American tradition. And possibly swooning over Bruno Mars during the halftime show. I know I was. Lastly, you’ve got the crowd with interests other than sports and glorified mainstream traditions. You could be spending some quality time by yourself or with a group of your friends, but either way, your TV is not showing the onesided football game everyone else is watching. If you’re by yourself, maybe you’re bundled up in a blanket, watching the more stimulating TV show of your choice. If you’re hanging out with other people, then it could very well be a video game night. You have never been a fan of football, and no one is going to make you like it. No judgment from me! Throughout my three years at Etown, I have actually experienced all three types of Super Bowl celebrations in some fashion. During my first year, I sat in front of my computer all by myself. I hated football, and I didn’t feel like being around people. Simple as that. The yelling, laughter and crunching of chips from nearby doors didn’t faze me. I was content not to involve myself whatsoever in Super Bowl Sunday.

Last year, I watched the Super Bowl with a couple of close friends. We ordered a pizza, fought over how to divide that awkward last slice and simply enjoyed the game of football, as well as each other’s company. I remember telling my friends that I found the game so exciting that I might actually start watching football regularly. While this never happened, I found myself much happier than last year, but my overall mood at the time probably had more to do with this. This year, I was at a larger gathering with great food and at least a dozen people. The room was abuzz with noise, and various comments

about the game and commercials never ceased to fill the space. I felt energized by the company. I appreciated the larger-scale nature of the party and the ridiculous amounts of food in front of me. But was this truly the best Super Bowl Sunday yet? Perhaps you saw this coming, but I would suggest there is no “ultimate” way to enjoy Super Bowl Sunday. Just don’t spend it alone. Any introverts out there may be brandishing the nearest sharp objects they can find, ready to ask me, “What’s wrong with being alone, huh?” But even those of us who do not derive a significant amount of

energy from other people still need people in some capacity, just as extroverts need to chill out and do some introspection here and there. Even if you despise other people, let Super Bowl Sunday be that one day at the start of the year that you relax in the company of people you care about. You don’t even have to watch the stinking football game. To me, the tradition is more about the sense of community than the sport. So before I have to make some awful football analogy I thought of when writing this, just take my word for it: this tradition is worth enjoying with others.

Photo: www.xxlmag.com

College students celebrate the Super Bowl in different ways. While some enjoy massive parties with their friends, others prefer to not even watch the game. Every year, the choice is entirely yours to make.

Office of Student Activities, student body discuss rule changes, misconceptions regarding Mr. Etown 2014 pageant by JORDAN MOSER

he beauty business could get ugly at this year’s male pageant, “Mr. Etown.” Some slight rule changes have confused students who have experienced the annual competition in the past. As part of one such change, students could nominate and vote for students only from within their own residence halls. This meant that students could not support their friends who live in different places than themselves. According to the Elizabethtown College’s Office of Student Activities, in past years, students could nominate and vote for students from residence halls outside of their own. Many Etown students agree

that they love the way that the pageant has been held, and no one wants to change it. But how will the new voting rule affect the male pageant? In the spring, it is an Etown tradition that Students Working to Entertain Etown (S.W.E.E.T.) hosts Mr. Etown, in which a male student from each residence building presents a lip sync dance routine. For Mr. Etown there is a Mr. Royer, Mr. Ober, Mr. Founders, Mr. Myer, Mr. Schlosser, Mr. Brinser, Mr. Quads, Mr. Apartments and a Mr. Off-Campus. The pageant consists of a group dance as well as individual performances. At the end of the competition, there is a question and answer session, during which the nominees are each asked one question.

Photo: Alex Iacono

Every spring, the Elizabethtown College student body votes for one male student from each residence hall to perform a lip sync and dance routine in the Mr. Etown competition.

The winner of Mr. Etown is meant to “embody everything that Elizabethtown College and its students stand for,” according to sophomore and S.W.E.E.T. Coordinator Carly Henry. The panels of judges for the competition are members of the Etown faculty and staff. The panels of judges look for the contestant who would best represent the College.

“There were technically never any documented rules in place that permitted or denied guys the opportunity to participate twice. There were, however, misconceptions that there really was a rule in place.” ~Carly Henry But are this year’s new voting rules going to affect who the true winner should be? “I personally think it’s an intelligent decision for the voting rules to be changed, because it is better that each dorm’s representative more accurately represents the wishes of that particular dorm or residence. It is no longer a popularity competition,” junior Jared Weaver said. Sophomore Zachary Nichols said, “You should be able to support your friends who live in different places than you, because then the nominations will be more accurate, and the right person has a better chance of winning.”

After hearing both opinions on the rule change, I have to agree more with Weaver. The particular dorm and residence will benefit more if students can only vote from within their own residence halls. I believe that this new voting system will allow each dorm and residence hall to nominate their strongest candidate in order to bring the crown back to where they live. Now it’s more of a competition between Mr. Royer, Mr. Ober, Mr. Founders, Mr. Myer, Mr. Schlosser, Mr. Brinser, Mr. Quads, Mr. Apartments and Mr. Off-Campus. And for those Mr. Etown competitors that were confused about participating twice in the competition, “There were technically never any documented rules in place that permitted or denied guys the opportunity to participate twice,” Henry said. “There were, however, misconceptions that there really was a rule in place. So, this year, S.W.E.E.T. decided to officially state in the nomination agreement that competitors could participate twice, as long as they do not place in the top three.” The rules say, “...I [Mr. Etown competitor] understand that should I receive the position, I will have two attempts at the Mr. Etown title during my years at Elizabethtown College, unless on the first attempt I place in the top three. If I am placed in the top three, I will be eligible for cash prizes.” “Last year, we had difficulty securing representatives from each dorm, because first-years did not want to use up their Mr. Etown experience when they had never even seen the show,” Henry added. “As an organization, S.W.E.E.T. felt that this was a valid concern, so we decided to address the situation.” S.W.E.E.T. will be drafting an official Mr. Etown rules document, which will hopefully avoid misconceptions and confusion about the event, before next year’s competition.

Opinion

page 8

February 6, 2014

Intramural sports encourage appropriate amount of competitive spirit, even though injuries may still occur by EVAN ROCHE

season-long journey came to an end with an intramural soccer championship for “Dsolly Chained.” The games in intramural sports can be a competitive break from everyday life for athletes who don’t compete at the varsity level. The season could be considered a long, grueling process or an escape from the grind of college academics and life, depending on who you ask. But have intramurals become too competitive? Intramural sports give athletes around campus who do not participate in a varsity sport the opportunity to compete against others and have fun playing a sport that they may have played their entire lives. Intramural sports are a very popular aspect of Elizabethtown College and have become extremely competitive amongst the student body. Sports such as basketball, soccer and flag football have led to injuries, and fights have broken out during the games in just this year alone. Some will say intramural sports are too competitive, while others will disagree. Personally, I don’t believe they are too competitive. There is such a thing as healthy competition, and as any athlete who has competed understands, competition is what makes sports fun and keeps driving you forward to be better both in the sport and also as a person. As an athlete, I

thrive off the idea that the team I am playing against is trying everything in its power to beat me, while the team I am competing on is pushing to the very limit until the final whistle blows. There are plenty of athletes on this campus who are capable of participating in varsity sports but decide not to, either because of the time commitment or for other personal reasons. Those athletes who are used to always competing at a high level need an outlet and opportunity to compete. That’s where intramural sports come in. Of course, intramural athletics is rooted in the idea of fun competition, which is usually the case. However, there is such a thing as “too competitive” in intramurals. This ugly creature rears its head when athletes are intentionally hurting others, swearing and sometimes even resorting to fighting and physical altercations as a result of the game. This is when intramural sports get a bad reputation as too intense and not fun for the less aggressive people involved. While I completely agree with pushing both yourself and opponents to the limits until a winner is decided, there is a line that is not to be crossed at the intramural level. It is understandable that your emotions sometimes get the better of you on occasion, but when it is consistently happening game after game, the question of being “too competitive” comes up. Suffering injuries while partici-

Photo: Stephen Hajcak

While some players may take the competitive aspects of intramural sports too seriously, the majority of players boast an appropriate level of competitive spirit and simply enjoy playing as a member of a team.

pating in intramural sports is not unusual. When athletes are battling to win a game, injuries can occur, especially freak accidents that happen after a wrong step or pivot while running full speed down the court or field. Just the same as the “too competitive” argument there is a line that is being flirted with when discussing the physicality of intramural sports. During flag football, if a player tackles the op-

Letter to Editor demonstrates surprise, disappointment with attitudes during syllabus week by SUSAN YARNELL

he attitudes of the modern student toward his or her education certainly appear to have changed. As an Elizabethtown resident with a number of connections to Elizabethtown College, I enjoy reading The Etownian. This past issue contained a surprising opinion piece that I initially thought was in jest but soon realized, to my surprise, was quite in earnest. I felt compelled to respond.

“Many people gladly pay fitness trainers good money to push them to get in shape. [...] Perhaps realizing that professors are there to motivate and to exercise and develop your mind will help students cope better with the idea of homework.” The author of “Work during syllabus week can be necessary” presents an argument that students ideally should not be given much work to do during the first week of classes. Apparently, “it may come as a shock to students when they are suddenly inundated by loads of work” as a new semester begins and could result in them “dropping the class.” I found this comment puzzling. Perhaps I’m showing my age, but when I went to college, students expected to face lots of work as soon as classes began. Reading further in Skye McDonald’s commentary, a more startling concept emerged: outside work is not always necessary and “can be off-

posing quarterback, which leads to him injuring his shoulder, then that injury could be the result of overcompetitiveness. As an athlete, I understand that injuries are a part of competing. While everyone obviously wants to avoid injuries, sometimes accidents happen, and there can be no one to blame. I firmly believe that any form of athletics is more fun and enjoyable when there is a serious sense of

competition amongst the participants. So, while there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed, the healthy competition that results during basketball or soccer games should not be toned down or avoided at the intramural level. Injuries are part of the game when individuals pick a physical intramural sport, but intramural sports are not to be an outlet for malicious, injurious behavior.

ASK MATT by MATT WALTERS

putting to the student’s learning and Dear Matt, Dear Matt, enjoyment of the class,” causing added stress. In short, college professors My classes are looking a lot harder this I have tons of people asking me to live should not expect students to do lots semester than in the fall. How can I stay on with them next year, and I’m not sure who of work outside of the classroom! top of everything? to go with. I don’t want to offend anyone. Unlike with most primary and secondar y education, success in college does and should require a Dear Concerned Student, Dear Mr./ Ms. Popular, lot of individual work. The general guideline for budgeting your time While I could easily tell you to use good Housing selection is always a pain. Not as a college student is to allow an time management skills, basically anyone only do you want to get the residence of additional two hours per credit hour can tell you that. Heck, I’m not even that your choice, but you also want to end up each week for completing the reading, exceptional at time management, so I’m go- with people you can stand living with. My problem sets, research for papers and ing to tell you what I do. During the spring advice is to start making decisions as soon other class assignments. If a student is of my sophomore year, I took 20 credits as possible. That way, the people whom you taking 15 credits, that student should — and more classes that I could count on will inevitably leave “roommateless” will expect to spend at least 45 hours a one hand, had an obnoxious amount of have time to find someone else to live with. week on academic work both inside other commitments to handle and needed I know it probably hurts to turn down your and outside of class. In short, college to throw a dance routine together for Mr. friends, but it’s not like you won’t get to see is a full-time job, but the rewards Etown. And, obviously, some classes were them ever again if you don’t live with them. for the effort are far greater than any harder than others; a few in particular were I’m not going to tell you that everything paycheck. When I read the comment, quite stressful. is going to turn out perfectly, nor that you’ll “Some classes, such as history, do As strange as it may sound, I ended up be able to appease everyone — that’s simply not necessarily have to inundate making a list of all the classes I was taking. unrealistic. I can tell you, however, to start their students with work when a I then ranked them in terms of how much planning early and not to be afraid to be class discussion will do,” I can’t help time I would have to put into each of them. up front with people. Housing is guaranwondering what will be discussed. If Sometimes, I needed that reminder to focus teed all four years; you will be able to live students do not have outside reading more on my honors and music classes than somewhere with someone. To ensure that and research assignments, how can my run-of-the-mill core classes. Simply you set yourself up for the best housing a professor hope to have a vigorous, put, identify the classes that will give you a situation possible next year, you just have informed and enlightening class headache and put more of your effort into to be proactive: talk to friends you haven’t discussion? Even worse, a further those classes. Imagine effort as a currency considered living with, discuss plans. Only statement is made: “One efficient way or investment system — you have a limited so much of the housing dilemma is in your of learning in the classroom that does amount of it, and you just have to figure control, but if you are polite and resourceful, not require a significant amount of out where to allocate it. See if this helps you can end up in a happy place next year work and stress for both the student you at all throughout your spring semester. without ruffling too many feathers. and the professor alike is by movies.” It certainly helped me. Movies during class? Do students want to learn, or do they simply want to be entertained? Since when is preparing for good money to push them to get in shape. If money to attend college. With only about the trainer does not work you hard and you 15 full weeks of classes per semester, you class too much to ask? Perhaps we have developed into such fail to see physical results in a reasonable are paying roughly $1,275 a week for your a consumer-oriented society that people amount of time, off you go to a different education — and this does not include room mistake what a college education really is trainer who will put you through your paces. and board, books and any additional fees. and think of it more as a commodity that Perhaps realizing that professors are there to Get your money’s worth — don’t simply can be bought for the simple cost of tuition. motivate and to exercise and develop your aim to pass the classes with a minimum In other words, I paid the bill, now give me mind will help students cope better with the effort. Embrace the work — read, discuss, the credit. The idea of actually earning the idea of homework. Just as staying fit requires question, stretch your mind, challenge hard work, learning does, too. Students yourself, learn how to think — this is why credit is forgotten. Many people gladly pay fitness trainers choose to take out loans and pay good you are here.

Opinion

February 6, 2014

page 9

‘Lone Survivor,’ while somewhat predictable, combines action, patriotism, camaraderie in well-cast production SEALs from June 2005. The plot of this movie begins with the four SEALs out in the mountainous terrains of Afghanistan. Their mission is to assassinate a Taliban leader and his followers, who recently killed numerous Marines. While the Navy SEALs are lying low under bushes and trees, their operation is compromised by three local village shepherds. While holding the shepherds captive, the four men argue about what they should do with them. Danny Dietz, played by Emile Hirsch, and Matt Axelson (Ben Foster) think that they should kill the shepherds,

during the film, I still had hope that the other SEALs could survive. For that reason, you can never go wrong with a film that rallies eter Berg’s newest film, “Lone Survivor,” up the American spirit, and what better way is an edge-of-your-seat, heart-pounding to do that than to drive that spirit right into and patriotic drama about the War on Terror. the audience’s hearts? If you’re into blood, guts and gore, this movie Throughout the motion picture, the is sure not to disappoint. With every tear shed characters surprised me by how much and gun fired, this movie will make you feel perseverance a person can have. When the as if you are right there on the front line with movie started, the four men were strangers,; America’s best men. by the end, they had developed into people Based on a true story, “Lone Survivor” you could trust with your life and, most reenacts a failed mission of four U.S. Navy importantly, your freedom. The acting in this film was superb, but that is what I expected when I saw that Wahlberg, Kitsch and Hirsch were cast. These actors made it seem as if they really went through training and battle together by expressing their brotherhood and respect for each other. One thing that I thought was very clever on the director’s part was how they showed clips of real Navy SEALs going through training and living overseas in the beginning of the movie, giving the audience a preview of what viewers were about to see. At the end of the movie, they also showed pictures and videos of the SEALs who were portrayed in this film, both with their families and overseas. This added a nice touch, because even though they were played by actors, it made the story more realistic. The main reason why I enjoyed this movie was because of how realistic the director made it seem. For instance, the scenes in which the SEALs would dive and roll down the mountain made me cringe and feel like I was getting wounded every time they would hit a tree, rock or bush. The crew of this movie did an excellent job producing the sound effects during these scenes. In conclusion, this movie offers something for everyone: action, drama, a little bit of a sense of humor and true acts of heroism that will never be forgotten. This film is a definite must-see, because just as Wahlberg’s Photo: www.nypost.com character expresses, he is living through his “Lone Survivor” is a story about brotherhood, perseverance and the American spirit. The movie’s strong cast, intense action brothers by telling their story of loss and and gripping plot make the film a worthwhile watch. The heartwarming scenes at the film’s beginning and end are also powerful. triumph.

by BRYAN PFLANZ

but Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg) and Michael Murphy (Taylor Kitsch) believe that they should let them go. Murphy makes the final call and gives the order to let the three shepherds walk free. After watching the three men scurry down the rocky peak, the brave men recognize the risk that they have just taken. One of the disappointments I had before seeing the movie was the fact that the title of the film slightly gives away the ending. I already knew one brave SEAL would be left fighting and defending on his own, but

Free time should be utilized to maximum effectiveness when available by LAUREN MCQUE

ree time is a valuable treasure in a college student’s life. After we finally turn in that 10-page paper or finish that test that we have been stressing over for weeks, a little free time sounds perfect. Free time means something different for every individual. People enjoy watching TV, playing video games, catching up on Netflix, going out with friends and doing other activities to indulge themselves. Activities like writing and making music are seen as productive, because you are moving towards creating an end product or meeting a goal. However, I do not believe that it is fair to determine what qualifies as a “productive” use of one’s time. By this point in our lives, we have learned that everyone’s interests are different. Everyone has different likes and dislikes, along with different minds and aspects that make us all individuals. Therefore, every individual’s free time is spent in a different way. I am a big fan of shows like “Law

and Order: SVU,” “Friends” and “Gilmore Girls,” so my free time consists of watching reruns and hanging out with my friends. “I like knitting, Skyping my family and boyfriend, hanging with friends and going to the mall,” sophomore Erin Steingraber said. “In my very little free time, I watch TV, take pictures and hang out with friends,” sophomore Kelly Moore said. All of us have different ways to take a break and unwind. Also, different people have different personalities, leading some people to need more free time. I think we can all agree that engaging in free time is needed sometimes, because we get overwhelmed with work. People that tend to be more anxious about work may biologically need more free time in order for their minds to unwind. Some people are better suited for non-stop work, and others need a break every now and then in order to recharge. Taking a break and engaging in free time is a way to relieve anxiety. According to the Australian Psychological Society, “Certain personality types are more at risk of high anxiety than

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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.

others.” Free time is far from being a waste of time; it is needed in order to relieve the anxiety that college students frequently experience.

“So take a little time for yourself and do what makes you happy. Go out with your friends and create some lasting memories. Recharge your brain and refresh your soul. Embrace life in all of its forms.” Whether or not we are “constructive” or “productive” during our free time is very subjective. Being “constructive” means serving to improve or advance, and free time consists of improving or advancing personal goals. If one of your goals is to watch the entire series of one of your favorite TV shows, you may accomplish this feat during your free time. According to the definition, this would be a “constructive” use of time because you are, in fact, advancing towards your goal. I do not believe that a certain value can be placed on how one uses his or her free time. Free time is productive in that it provides a necessary release for our mind so we can refresh and continue working with a fresh mind, while working on personal goals. During our free time, we may enhance skills that we may use in the future. Spending hours playing a video game and doing whatever it takes to get to the next level requires determination. Hanging out with friends or Skyping with loved ones enhances social skills. Reading a book or watching TV could be informative, and may enhance linguistic and visual skills. I believe that any activity that provides a release for the brain, while possibly enhancing skills, is a worthwhile use of free time. In retrospect, we may start to question how much of our time is spent as free time. We may begin to wonder if what we are doing during that span is valuable to our future. But college is a life experience as well as it is an educational experience. So take a little time for yourself and do what makes you happy. Go out with your friends and create some lasting memories. Recharge your brain and refresh your soul. Embrace life in all of its forms. Devote time to your studies, but also make sure to have some fun along the way.

Sports

Seahawks beat Denver to earn first Super Bowl title in franchise history

in Etown athletics... The men’s basketball team pulled off its biggest win of the season last Wednesday when it upset conference foe Stevenson University, 65-63. The Blue Jays followed up the signature win with a loss against Lycoming College on Saturday, 69-59. The women’s basketball team came out victorious twice last week by defeating conference opponents Stevenson and Lycoming Colleges. The Blue Jays moved their record to 15-3 with a 48-46 win over Lebanon Valley College on Feb. 1. The men and women’s track and field teams both competed at the Bison Open & Multi at Bucknell University this past Saturday. The men and women’s swim teams both dropped their last meet of the season on Saturday at King’s College (Pa.). The men fell 9763, while the women lost by a score of 104-101. The wrestling team won a combined 12 matches on Friday at the Pete Willson-Wheaton Invitational in Illinois, finishing 25th out of 32 teams.

in the NCAA... The Syracuse Orange was the unanimous number one team in the new Associated Press (AP) Top 25 Poll in college basketball. After the Arizona Wildcats’ first loss of the season on Saturday night, the Wildcats dropped down one spot to second. Besides Syracuse, the Wichita State Shockers are the only other remaining undefeated team in Division I. The University of Florida, Wichita State and San Diego State round out the top five in the poll. The Villanova Wildcats jumped up three spots to sixth in the rankings. Five of the top 10 teams in the previous poll lost last week, including then-number eight Oklahoma State which lost twice in seven days.

in the pros... Sunday night’s Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. did not turn out how most expected. The Seattle Seahawks dominated the Denver Broncos in every phase of the game, winning 43-8. The Seahawks scored 16 points by way of their defense and special teams. Seahawks linebacker Malcom Smith stole the show with 10 tackles, an interception return for a touchdown and a fumble recovery which set up another Seattle touchdown. For that historic performance, Smith was named MVP. Peyton Manning’s record-setting offense looked completely overmatched from the first snap, which resulted in a safety. On Friday night, the NFL announced its season-ending accolades to the best offensive and defensive players for the 2013-2014 season. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning took home both the AP Offensive Player of the Year award and the MVP award. Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly was named Defensive Player of the Year in just his second season in the league.

Photo: Forbes Magazine

In the Seahawks’ victory on Sunday, Russell Wilson became only the fifth quarterback in Super Bowl history to record 200 yards passing, to throw for two touchdowns and to have a completion rating of at least 70 percent.

by ADAM MOORE

he Denver Broncos were three-point favorites coming into Super Bowl XLVIII against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. The big game had the make-up to be one of the best championships in recent history. It was a face-off against the National Football League’s No. 1 offense and defense respectively. It pitted one of the best young quarterbacks in the league with Russell Wilson against arguably the best quarterback in NFL history, Peyton Manning. While the game had the potential to be one of the great ones, it never came to fruition. As the final whistle blew, Seattle was victorious, defeating the Broncos 43-8. The Super Bowl from the first play on was one-sided in favor of the Seahawks. Though Denver received the game’s initial kick-off, it only took one play for Seattle’s defense to impact the game. Seattle’s defense, widely known as the Legion of Doom, recorded a safety when Broncos’ center Manny Ramirez mishandled a snap to Manning into the end zone where running back Knowshon Moreno was forced to land on the ball. This was only the beginning of a landslide that saw the Seattle defense cause three turnovers, returning one back for a touchdown. Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith, who returned the Manning interception back 69 yards for the score, was later named the game’s MVP. The third-year player out of the University of Southern California also had a game-ending interception in the NFC Championship to propel his team to MetLife Stadium. Football analysts coming into Sunday did not foresee the Seahawk defense shutting down Manning and his highpowered offense. With such an expansive number of targets to throw to, many questioned if the defense led by all-pro trash-talker Richard Sherman would be able to shut down

the likes of Wes Welker and Demaryius Thomas. Sherman and his band of hard-hitters were not only able to slow the Bronco’s offense down, but virtually shut it out. Denver did not score until the latter part of the third quarter. While Sherman’s post-game interview was much more tame than his bashing of Michael Crabtree after the NFC Championship Game, his play on the field remained consistent. Sherman recorded three tackles and a tipped pass in three quarters of play before leaving the game with an ankle injury. While the cornerback’s numbers do not jump off the stat sheet, his impact on the game goes much further. In the playoff games preceding the Super Bowl, opposing quarterbacks only threw to Sherman’s side of the field three times. The Broncos’ hopes of a comeback in the second half died when wide receiver and return specialist Percy Harvin returned the second half opening kick-off back for a 87-yard touchdown. This was Harvin’s only start of the season and only second game of the playoffs after getting a concussion in Seattle’s divisional playoff game. Overshadowed by the play of Seattle’s defense was its quarterback Wilson. The second-year player out of the University of Wisconsin became the only player in the Super Bowl era to record 200 yards passing, two touchdowns, and at least a 70 percent completion rating. With the NFL season coming to an end, many analysts and fans alike believe that the Seahawks will be a force to be reckoned with for many years. The champions are the youngest team to win since the 1971 Miami Dolphins, with an average age of 26.4 years old. Even more remarkable is that no player on the Seahawks roster had been to the Super Bowl prior to Sunday. With experience and a victory under their belt, look for Seattle to be in the hunt for years to come.

Swimming teams prepare for MAC Championships against Kings (Pa.) Despite loss, Blue Jays demonstrate confidence heading into final stretch of season by KAITLYN TOTHERO

lizabethtown College’s women’s swimming team defeated Widener University last Saturday, Jan. 25, for the first time since 2009, ending its home schedule with a 106-97 victory. After a hard fight, the men’s team fell short to Widener, 140-31. The Blue Jays won six events, including the 200 butterfly, 50 free, 100 free, 400 free relay, 200 breast and 1,000 free. Winning for the Blue Jays were sophomore Ashley Dispenziere, who won the 200 butterfly with a MAC qualifying time of 2:37.69, and junior Becki Lane, defeating Widener in the 50 free and 100 free with remarkable times of 26.25 and 57.56. The 400 free relay was won by sophomores Rachel Engelhardt and Colleen Barry, Lane and senior Kimberly Cosgrove with a time of 4:01.75. The 200 breast for Etown was secured by sophomore Amanda Long, finishing at 2:43.12. Lastly, senior Megan Leppo won the 1,000 free in 11:35.32. “We were hoping for a win because we haven’t won against them since 2009, but we didn’t think we would beat them,” Dispenziere said. “We just kind of pushed for best times and pulled it out.” Junior Frank Capria’s season-best time of 5:17.99 in the 500 freestyle accounted for the men’s only win this meet. Capria also took second in the 1,000 free with a seasonbest of 10:54.25. “I knew I would have close

races in the 1,000 and 500, because I raced Vadim Belogorodsky, a junior at Widener last year, in some tight races at MACs,” Capria said. With this meet, the men fell to a 2-9 overall, while the women moved to a 5-6 overall. Etown should have a number of swimmers in competition for medals or all-MAC finishes at the upcoming conference meet. Just this past Saturday, the Etown swimming teams headed to Wilkes-Barre, Pa., for their final meet of the regular season against King’s College (Pa.). Both the women and men’s teams fell to the Monarchs. The women lost by a close score of 104101, and the men lost 97-63. Pulling out numerous victories for the women’s team was Cosgrove, defeating King’s competitors in both distance freestyle races, the 500 free with a time of 5:40.78 and the 1,000 free with a time of 11:32.16. Engelhardt won the 200 free for the Blue Jays in 2:07.46. Lane, a huge contender in the upcoming MAC Championships, secured first against the Monarchs in the 50 free by three-tenths of a second, and won winning the 100 free with a time of 57.58. Teaming together to win the 400 free relay were Engelhardt, Leppo, Cosgrove and Lane, coming in at 3:56.40. The race came down to each school’s second relay team. The Monarchs got the final two points, narrowly defeating Etown 4:22.32 to 4:30.61. For the men, Capria earned yet another season-best

of 10:53.08 in the 1,000 free, beating James McLaughlin in a head-to-head race by more than 13 seconds. First-year Kieran Koehler swam a 2:27.68 to secure first place in the 200 breast. “I feel relieved that I made it in the 100 breast exhibition,” Capria said. “Now I can

focus on an event each day instead of just the 200 IM and the 500 on Friday.” Etown will return to the pool in two weeks for the 2014 MAC Championships being held in the Graham Aquatic Center in York. The MAC Championships will be held Friday, Feb. 14 and Saturday, Feb. 15.

Photo: David Sinclair

The Elizabethtown College men and women’s swimming teams are preparing for the final round of the season as they face off in the Middle Atlantic Conference Championships. Junior Frank Capria is looking to medal in the 100 breast-stroke.

Sports

February 6, 2014

page 11

Women’s basketball wins close contest over Dutchmen E

by IRENE SNYDER

lizabethtown College’s women’s basketball team defeated the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen on Saturday, Feb. 1. They finished the game with a final score of 48-46, improving their season record to 15-3. At Lebanon Valley College, the Blue Jays triumphed over the Dutchmen following a buzzer beater jump shot by senior forward Taylor Alwine, with only 3.8 seconds left in the game. This win currently forges them into a four-way tie for first place in the Commonwealth Conference with Lebanon Valley, Messiah and Stevenson, who all have records of 9-3 within the conference. This victory comes as no surprise to the team, which has worked hard to achieve its goals. “I think we are going to win because of how much work we have put into practices and how hard we have been working,” sophomore guard Alyssa Aichele said. The Jays won this game following a defeat on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at Messiah College against the Falcons, with a final score of 59-58 in favor of Messiah. “Going into the game, I knew we had to play incredibly hard, because it wasn’t going to be an easy game,” Aichele said. During this game, the Jays were in the lead for most of the first half; however, during the second half, the Falcons rallied with a 13-0 run and 21 free throws. “Both games were similar; each team has a great program with a strong history,” Head Coach Sherri Gorman said. “As the game progressed, we got to a very early lead with Messiah; then we had a 10-minute period where we did not execute very well compared to Lebanon

Valley. The game was always close, but we maintained our poise and discipline better.” While the overall Messiah game resulted in a slim victory by the Falcons, the Jays dominated during the first half. Within three minutes, Aichele, Alwine and senior captain Taylor Kreider led the Jays to a 6-3 advantage over the Falcons. Only once during the first half did the Falcons take the lead by 4-3; however, a jump shot by Alwine placed the Jays ahead for the remaining half. “Messiah was an extremely difficult loss for the team,” Gorman said. “In every tough situation, you learn about yourself, and we have used this to make ourselves and the team stronger and better.” Despite its loss, the team remained in good spirits. “The Messiah game was obviously a disappointment, but we are looking to learn from it and not let it happen again,” Kreider said. Following this loss, the Jays anticipated Saturday’s game against the LVC Dutchmen. “We know we have the biggest game of the year this Saturday, so we are both mentally and physically preparing ourselves,” Aichele said. The team remained confident about its game against Lebanon Valley. “I have 100 percent trust and faith in every single one of my teammates,” senior captain Kendra Beittel said. “We know when we step on that court that we are united as one, and that is something not many teams can say. So whatever is thrown at us, I believe we can and will adapt.” The Jays won the game against the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen. Sophomore guard Rachel Forjan led the team with a total of 14 points, Beittel finished with 10 and Kreider with

Photo: Athletic Department

The Blue Jays earned a much-needed in-conference victory over Lebanon Valley College on Saturday with a score of 48-46.This keeps Etown near the top of the conference standings.

seven points and eight rebounds. While the Jays dominated play for the majority of the first half, the second half brought several ties and shifts in momentum, when the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen began hitting their shots and tightening up the score. With the Jays two points behind and three minutes left in the game, Aichele snatched an offensive rebound off a missed foul shot and scored, tying the game at 44-44. After the Dutchmen took control with a lead of 46-44 Kreider scored with a layup shot, placing the Jays in their third tie of the game. With time running out, Kreider passed the ball to Alwine, who finished the game by scoring on a jump shot, winning the game for the Jays

with a final score of 48-46. “LVC was total elation,” Gorman said. “The team worked so hard to stay focused in the moment and play hard. We have been in very close games in which we came up short, but this time the team executed with excellence, and we were successful; what a great feeling.” “Win or lose, at the end of the day, we know that what matters most is the journey and the people we get to share it with,” Beittel said. The Blue Jays were scheduled to play against the Arcadia Knights yesterday, but the game was postponed until Monday, Feb. 10 due to bad weather. Therefore, the team’s next game will be against Alvernia University on Feb. 8.

Track teams break records in Collegeville NHL Stadium Series

moves to west coast by ADAM MOORE

Photo: David Sinclair

There were a number of records broken by both the men and women’s track and field teams this past weekend at the Bison Open & Multi. First-year Alexis Groce became the schools new record holder in the 500m.

by ADAM MOORE

he Elizabethtown College men and women’s track and field teams broke multiple school records at the Bison Open & Multi at Bucknell University this past weekend. The meet incorporated schools from all three divisions of the NCAA. On the women’s side, first-year Alexis Groce became the Blue Jays’ record holder in the 500m race, running a 1:19:14. The previous record for Etown was 1:21.07. Junior Amelia Tearnan ran admirably, finishing in sixth place with a time of 1:21.44. This was good enough to move her into third place overall in program history. Senior Ali Christ moved into sixth place all-time after finishing in 1:26.87. This time moved her up from eighth place, where she was previously ranked. “Our team has been working very hard, despite the weather and the occasional aliments, to give our all at our meets and it shows. Several people qualified for MACs at this past weekend’s meet at Bucknell, which was really awesome,” Groce said. “The team is made up of so many dedicated and encouraging athletes, it’s a great group of people and a great environment to be around. Breaking the 500 record was very exciting and I was very lucky to have had my teammates cheering me on throughout the whole race.” Senior Traci Tempone finished with the best time for the Blue Jays in the women’s final. Tempone’s time of 5:12.02 was good enough to give her the eighth-fastest time in a field of 58 runners. Senior Megan Tursi and first-year Brianna Earnshaw were able to finish in the top half of the field with times of 5:28.60 and 5:28.94 respectively. Senior Monica Loranger finished in a six-way tie for 16th in the women’s pole vault. Loranger was only two inches shy of her school record in the event. Senior Eileen Kroszner was able to throw for 11.52m.

For the men, seniors and captains Lucas Dayhoff and Brian Layng both broke school and personal records in the weight throw and heptathlon on Saturday. Dayhoff, who is the only thrower in program history to throw over 50 feet in the weight throw, increased that mark to 15.99m. This new record is close to a foot more than he threw the last time he set the record at the 2013 Indoor MAC Championships. This throw was good enough to put Dayhoff in fifth place in the event, beating out 37 other throwers. Layng was one of 16 competitors. He began the second day of competition by running a 8.85 in the 60m hurdles. This was the first time that the senior had run under nine seconds in the event in his career. Layng then vaulted a 3.90m in the pole vault. He then finished his heptathlon with a 2:54.54 in the 1,000m. Layng’s performance was good for a third place finish in the event with 4,532 points. This total beat his old record by over 100 points. Senior Kevin Brady ran a 8.74 in the 60m hurdle preliminaries Friday night, which was just .05 seconds off his personal best. In the finals on Saturday, Brady ran 9.10 in the final which was good enough for a 13th place finish. The senior also finished just outside the top 10 in the pole vault finishing in 11th place, going 4.35m. For the first time in his Etown career, first-year Michael Twist was able to join the top 10 list in the 500m by running a 1:08.03, taking second on the all-time list. Twist’s run earned him fourth overall in the event. Sophomores Matt Shenk and Zach Trama and senior Matt Rever were all able to claim top-ten finishes in their only races over the weekend. Shenk, who placed ninth in the 3,000m, moved from tenth to fourth on the program’s all-time list with a time of 8:44.86. Both the men and women’s track and field teams will head to Haverford College on Saturday, Feb. 8 to compete in the Seamus McElligott Invitational.

or the last six seasons, the National Hockey League (NHL) has been holding one of their regular season games in an outdoor venue in an attempt to revisit the game’s roots where many players and fans had found their love for the game. These outdoor games, held on New Year’s Day in football and baseball stadiums have been a hit. The initial game was held in 2004 in New York against the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins and recorded a total of 71,217 fans, a then NHL record for a single game attendance. With the popularity of the game increasing, the NHL decided to try and capitalize on their newly found goldmine. Instead of having just one outdoor game this season, the world’s most popular hockey league decided to make a series of it. Along with the Winter Classic, the NHL hosted games in Los Angeles, Chicago and two more in New York City. Each team donned a new uniform specifically for the occasion with many of the teams recreating an old fashion jersey style. The game against the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings was the first game of its kind held on the west coast. The game was brought outdoors for the first time at

the Dodgers Stadium to a fan base that is one of the fastest growing in the country. The Ducks were able to best the Kings by a score of 3-0. Two games were then held in the new Yankee Stadium. The New York Rangers played in both, competing against the New Jersey Devils and in-state rival the New York Islanders. This was the Rangers’ third time moving outside — their most recent coming in 2012 when they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers at Citizen Bank Park. The final game of the stadium series will take place on March 1 at Soldier Field — the home of the NFL’s Chicago Bears. This game will feature the reigning Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks against the Pittsburgh Penguins. While these games are enjoyable for the fan bases that they are being played in, the NHL should be wary of not overusing a good thing. What has made these games so special in the past is that there has only been one single game; one day during the season where all fans can come together and pretend to be playing on the nearest pond by their house. If the NHL allows too many of these games to happen throughout the season, they may begin to lose their appeal. But in the end, hockey fans will still flock to watch their favorite teams.

Photo: Fansided

The new Yankee Stadium was the home of two outdoor hockey games for the New York Rangers during their regular season.

February 6, 2014

Sports

page 12

Men’s basketball suffers loss to in-conference rival Lebanon Valley by PAT SCOTT

he Blue Jays put up a fight, but could not defeat the Commonwealth Conference leaders and 22nd-ranked Messiah College last Wednesday night at Brubaker Auditorium. The Hawks outscored the Blue Jays 40-18 over the final 12:51 to make it an 80-65 victory. Messiah had also beaten the Jays earlier in the year on Elizabethtown College’s home court. Although the team is in a rough patch, the Blue Jays still have a chance to make it to the playoffs. Etown a ls o st r ug g le d against Lebanon Valley in its most recent game. The Blue Jays had an 11-point lead but could not hold on to it as the Dutchmen won 62-56. Although they earned a win last time against the Dutchmen on their home court, they couldn’t put it together to earn another win against that team. Although a 7-12 record does not seem promising, making it to playoffs is still possible, according to sopho-

more Matt Ziegler. “We all know we have the ability to beat anyone in our conference, but we can’t be losing to the teams we should be beating.” The Blue Jays have showed during the season that they have the potential to beat anyone. Junior Phil Wenger recently proved this, sinking a three-point shot to put the Jays up 65-63 against Stevenson with two seconds left in the fourth quarter, resulting in the closest win of the season. During Head Coach Bob Schlosser’s 24 years coaching the team, he has won around 350 games. Schlosser has led his team to playoffs 15 times, plus a stretch of 11 repeated seasons from 1995-96 to 2005-06. Junior Lee Eckert, senior Andrew Mantz and Wenger are always involved in competing against the opposing team. Eckert leads the team in points, averaging around 15 a game while also averaging seven rebounds a game. Mantz also brings a lot to the table for his team. He has put up 218 points this season, the second most points on the

Photo: Athletics Department

The men’s basketball team lost 62-56 to Lebanon Valley College this past weekend. The Blue Jays’ next game will be on Saturday, when they take on the Alvernia Crusaders in front of a home crowd in Thompson Gymnasium.

team, while also having 36 blocks and 15 steals. Wenger has 167 points this season along with averaging around five assists per game. Each of

these players have shown great athletic ability on the court while also making a huge impact on the team, both on and off the ball.

Even with a 7-12 record, the Blue Jays are not even close to giving up on this season. They still have six conference games left to compete in. Etown’s con-

ference record is 4-8, but if the team can bring its A-game for the rest of the season, there is still a possibility for a season worth remembering.

Wrestling competes at Pete Wilson-Wheaton Invitational

Blue Jays, led by Rieth, McNulty combine for 12 match victories over the weekend by ERIK SPILLER

“A

nything is possible,” was the tone set by Elizabethtown College’s wrestling team this past weekend at the Pete Wilson-Wheaton (III) Invitational. The Pete Wilson-Wheaton (III) Invitational is a large tournament in which 30 DIII wrestling teams compete in a two-day tournament. The first day determines which wrestlers advance to face off the next day. This competition allowed the Blue Jays’ wrestling team to show everyone what it is made of.

“We work hard as a team, and anything is possible when you step out on the mat in front of a large crowd.” ~ Jordan Moser Unfortunately, the team is currently not at its full potential because its national qualifiers Chad Lammer (133), Jesse Meaney (149) and 2013 All-American Julian Meaney (184) remain injured. “We still have a strong line-up and some great contenders, but our main focus is getting healthy,” Head Coach Eric Walker said. The nine-man line up won a combined total of 12 matches on the opening day of the invitational. Kyle McNulty (125) prevailed over Ryan Osse (Wisconsin-Stevens

Point) with a major decision and advanced to the next round, defeating Zac Denny (Wisconsin Whitewater). McNulty fell prematurely 7-3 to Josh Hal (Case Western) in the third round of wrestleback. A new addition to the team, Jeremy Reith (285) entered the tournament as the Blue Jays’ only seeded wrestler. Reith performed well and earned his place back in the national rankings, holding the No. 6 spot in this week’s NWCA list. In his first round match, he faced off against Dustin Kult (Manchester) and topped him 3-1. He fell to a similar score in the next round to Dylan Mahler (North Carolina). His astounding victory over Chicago’s Jeffery Tyburski in the second round earned his match against Josh Roberts (Mount Union) in the third. This low scoring match, 2-1, resulted in Roberts prevailing over Reith. Three Blue Jays advanced to the third round of wrestlebacks: Zeke Zimmer (165), Luke Fernandez (184) and Jared Weaver (197). Zimmer made a strong comeback from his first round loss to Jeremy Stepp (Heidelberg). Zimmer defeated Rocky Cantu of Olivet, 5-2, and Cole Vencil of Muskingum, 14-9. He was then eliminated by Casey Kenealy of Concordia’s, 14-8. “I felt we all did well but the best performances had to come from first-years Luke Fernandez and Ryan Harter,” Zimmer said. Fernandez came back from his opening setback in the first round 8-1 against Dillon Brancheau (Ohio Northern). Fernandez, who has wrestled out of his weight class the majority of the season, fell against Manchester’s Brian Clark 5:14. Ryan Harter (125) took over for the absence of Lammer (133) and earned a great victory in the first round 5-0 against Justin Zimmer-

Feb. 6 vs. Kings (Pa.)

Feb. 7

man in a wrestleback. Jared Weaver (197) was the only Blue Jay to win a pin match on Friday even though he only needed

out on the mat in front of a large crowd. And this tournament gave us the motivation to beat Kings today,” junior Jordan Moser said.

Athlete of the Week LUCAS DAYHOFF by ADAM MOORE Senior Lucas Dayhoff broke his own school record in the weight throw this past weekend at the Bison Open & Multi at Bucknell University. The captain is the only thrower in the men’s program’s history to throw for over 50 feet. Dayhoff increased his toss to 15.99m. This was nearly a foot more than when he set the record at the 2013 MAC Indoor Championships.

Photo: Athletics Department

In 10 years, I want to be …

Major:

Teaching high school history and coaching track and field in South Carolina

History

Hometown:

Favorite Etown Memory:

Keymar, Md.

Ryan Whiting, Team USA Track and Field

Anything that involves hanging out with the track team

Turkey pretzel melt

Making the dean’s list last semester

“Gladiator”

Breaking my weight throw record at Bucknell last weekend

Favorite athlete/sports team: Favorite Jay’s Nest item:

Greatest Etown accomplishment:

Favorite movie:

Greatest athletic accomplishment:

Favorite musician/band:

I started throwing at age...

Everything but rap/ hip-hop/ techno

15 when my football coach encouraged me to join the track team he was coaching

Favorite place to visit: Surfside Beach, S.C.

Feb. 8 @ Messiah Open @ Seamus McElligot Invitational

1:19 to defeat Tyler Keating (Baldwin Wallace) in the second round. “We work hard as a team and anything is possible when you step

M/W Bball vs. Alvernia

Feb. 9

Feb. 10

Feb. 11

Feb. 12 M/W Bball @ Widener