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EARTH DAY: Iowa State, Ames make sustainability strides
FRIDAY
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April 22, 2011 | Volume 206 | Number 143 | 40 cents | An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890. ™
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Student organization
ISU hip-hop dance club performs show Saturday
up th e
Light night By John.Lonsdale iowastatedaily.com With 20 dances, 20 choreographers and nearly 500 members from every college on campus, Dub H, the hip-hop dance club, will present its show, “Light Up The Night,” on Saturday. Different from shows past, the club wanted to bring the dances and theme back to the hip hop roots that so heavily permeated the shows nearly a decade ago when the club was formed. Haley Wakefield, senior in hotel, restaurant and institution management and senior of the club, has been dancing in Dub H for four years. “There is not a bad dance in this set,” Wakefield said. “We wanted to bring it back to that sort of ‘Fame,’ that type of flashy, ‘We’re here, we want you to pay attention to us, we’re gonna light up the night.’” Although she has been a dancer since the age of 4, Wakefield had never danced hip hop until she came to Iowa State and joined Dub H. She became a part of the club and started dancing in the shows. Wakefield promised a flaming radio backdrop and a “pretty intense” show and said the dances are family-friendly and an overall good time. Ke e s h a Wormely is in her fifth semester in Dub H as a choreographer and loves having the chance to see dancers live out what she saw in her head. Wormely, who choreographed two of the dances in the show, said it’s not just Saturday that will be good. “I think it’s every show that we have,” she said. “You’re going to get the best of everything.
Memorial
Student honored with tree planting By Kaitlin.York iowastatedaily.com
E v e r y b o d y ’s styles are so different that it will keep the crowd interested and keep the crowd going through the show. Everybody can expect great things and great performances and it gets better every semester.” Another choreographer, Demetrius Scott, said Saturday’s show is the biggest of the year for the club. “It’s kinda like the Super Bowl of the semester for us,” Scott said. “It’s the big dance everybody’s waiting for.” Steven Flagg is a choreographer for Dub H and in his 12th semester in the club. Choreographing nearly 20 dances during his Dub H career, Flagg is choreographing three for this weekend’s show. “What I find special about Saturday’s show is that this is where all the hard work that I have put in over the semester pays off,” Flagg said. “It’s an awesome feeling to see what started out as thoughts and ideas in my head transform into what people will be seeing this Saturday.” Flagg said Dub H has become like a family to him. “For some students, this club has changed lives for the better,” Flagg said. “And it gives everyone that joins an opportunity to branch out and push themselves to try things they normally may never have tried. “With Dub H, it’s like a family because you feel like you belong to something and everyone supports and cares for one another. Dub H for life.”
Tyler Danielson, former ISU student, died March 13, 2010, in an automobile accident during Spring Break. Tyler will be honored with a memory treeplanting ceremony at 3 p.m. Friday near the electronic sign on the north side of Hilton Coliseum. “Tyler loved going to school at Iowa State, which was an important factor in the decision to plant a tree in his honor,” said Steve Danielson, Tyler’s father. “We wanted to have a place for us to go when we come back to Ames as a family and gather to remember him,” he said. Since the aftermath of Tyler’s accident, communication between Tyler’s family and the dean’s office led to the idea of honoring the student through a memorial and scholarship award for students in criminal justice, Tyler’s major. The Danielson family’s intentions were to have the memorial ceremony before the fall semester of 2010, but through hard work and much communication the decision was made before Winter Break to host the ceremony Friday. “In trying to establish some sort of an ongoing tribute to Tyler and the fact that he was leaning in the direction of Iowa State’s criminal justice foundation, it just seemed to be a good fit to have a lasting legacy in Tyler’s honor through awarding a selected student with a scholarship,” Steve said. “Hopefully the recipient will have a successful law enforcement career and be able to carry on what Tyler wasn’t able to do,” Steve said. “Iowa State has been excellent and outstanding to work with through this process of finding a way to honor our son and his adventure at Iowa State,” Steve said. ABOVE: Keesha Wormely, staff member in child care services, teaches some moves to members of Dub H during the rehearsal for Saturday’s performance. Photo: Karuna Ang/ Iowa State Daily LEFT: A member of Dub H practices Wednesday at Forker Building during a rehearsal for their performance Saturday. Photo: Karuna Ang/Iowa State Daily
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Background for the story: The previously published story about Tyler’s death can be found at iowastatedaily.com
Religion
Easter, atheist convention overlap dates Atheist group hosts annual convention in Des Moines By Thane.Himes iowastatedaily.com Des Moines will be a gathering place for atheists and non-believers Easter weekend. The American Atheists, one of the largest atheism activist groups in the nation, will be hosting their annual convention Thursday to Sunday in Des Moines. The convention already has nearly 700 people confirmed to attend, including members of Iowa State’s Atheist and Agnostic Society. Hector Avalos, professor of philosophy and religious studies and adviser of the Atheist and Agnostic Society, believes the convention will benefit atheist activism in Iowa in several different ways. “First, it will give them a moral boost because they may feel rewarded for their helping to put Iowa secularism on the map,” Avalos said. “Second, local secularists will be introduced to a national audience and network of atheists around the nation.” Avalos said the publicity for the conference may help attract more people in Iowa to local secularist groups. He is hopeful that the term “atheist” in Iowa may become a more normal self-description. “I already know many who are less fearful of using that word to identify themselves, though there is a long way to go,” Avalos said. A conference centered on atheism, partic-
ularly during the Christian holiday of Easter, seems atypical in a state like Iowa. From Avalos’ experiences, Iowa is perceived around the country as a beacon of hope for secular causes. “The idea that a Midwest farm state has legalized gay marriage, when many states with more liberal reputations have not, is certainly one development that attracted the attention of atheists, who tend to support gay marriage,” Avalos said. “The fact that Iowa has defeated many efforts to introduce intelligent design into public education also has generated the perception that Iowans really stand up for science education.” Avalos said athei s t s around the nation were also at-
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Concerned Christians counter Easter’s commercialization By Thane.Himes iowastatedaily.com Easter Sunday marks a time for Christians everywhere to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but their faith can be tested when problems like commercialization and other motivations for celebration risk depriving the holiday of its meaning. Easter tends to see a rise in the number of church attendees. Brian Peck, president of The Rock Christian Students, believes family values can frequently be a contributor to the spike in churchgoers. “Maybe people especially go because maybe their mom would appreciate that you go at least this one day a year,” Peck said. “It’s kind a special thing. I think a lot of it is tied to families.” There is a perception that there are many so-called “twice-a-year Christians,” especially in America. “People have said that going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than being in a garage makes you a car,” Peck said. “[Church] isn’t described in scripture as what
Illustration: Samantha Barbour/Iowa State Daily
Christianity is about.” Michael Patterson, senior in computer engineering and president of the Campus Crusade for Christ, agrees attendance and labels aren’t as important as what people get out of going to church. “God doesn’t work on some type of point system where those who attend church regularly are ‘good’ Christians and those who attend church only on Christmas and Easter are ‘bad’ Christians,” Patterson said. “That’s just not how it works, and the Bible makes this extremely clear.” With the commercialization that comes with many Christian holidays, the original meanings of these holidays, as well as Christianity in general, are often misunderstood. Reverend Whit Malone, pastor at the Collegiate Presbyterian Church in Ames, thinks that from an outsider’s perspective, it must be confusing. “Do we worship Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny or Jesus?,” Malone said. “For some it must look like we really just worship ourselves with the amount of money and
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