The Swinging Bridge: March 5, 2015

THE

SWINGING BRIDGE MESSIAH COLLEGE//THE PULSE

Vol. 95 // ED. 10 // March 5, 2015

SENATE APPROVES SWINGING BRIDGE TRANSITION TO MAGAZINE, ADDRESSES

OPTIONS FOR SOUTH SIDE

By Bree Whitelock OPINIONS EDITOR

M

essiah’s Student Senate meeting last Thursday approved the Pulse’s proposal to change their constitution to allow for a monthly magazine publication instead of a bi-weekly newspaper.

In a hope to stay “innovative and relative” as well as “maximize reach and cater to different student preferences,” the Swinging Bridge Magazine will replace the current long standing tradition of The Swinging Bridge newspaper, explained student director of the Pulse, Lauren Piccioni.

The new magazine will look different in comparison to the newspaper; only 500 copies will be distributed each month and it will consist of three different sections. The Sports and Rec section will focus on rec sports, outdoor activities, as well as typical sports coverage. The Cul-

ture section will feature arts and entertainment, books, music, student plays, technology, business, science, among other topics. Finally, the Student Life section will highlight topics of relevance to the campus, any campus news, local events, or upcoming campus events.

Students can expect to see the first edition of the Swinging Bridge Magazine on newsstands Apr. 30. The Pulse’s online news presence will continue to be updated daily for hard and immediate news coverage. News can be found online at swingingbridge.messiah.edu or through current news updates on Facebook or Twitter (@MessiahPulse).

Each edition of the newspaper produces approximately 1,100-1,200 copies.

With the magazine, 500 copies will be produced each edition to reduce paper waste and increase the shelf life since the magazine will be monthly.

A news release on the Pulse’s website the following day accompanied the approval of the proposal.

The new masthead of the Swinging Bridge Magazine, which will debut on Messiah newsstands Apr. 30.

Piccioni noted that the Pulse team is excited for the change and hopes to use this as a way to become more directly involved with other student organizations.

the Café as a debt recovery tactic. The financial state of the Café has varied over the past few years. On behalf of SGA, Sensenig proposed three potential courses of action.

In other senate news, Student Body President Tim Sensenig addressed a strategic plan for the student-run organization South Side Café, which is partly run by Enactus.

Option one would give South Side Café Independent Club Status and “become financially independent and gain a more authentic experience for its employees,” as Sensenig explained. A disadvantage to this plan would be the inability for wages, since student wages are prohibited from club budgets. The second option would be an Enactus–South Side Café merger, where the café would come completely under Enactus. Option three would be a moratorium and task force, getting rid of South Side Café either now or at the end of the semester.

South Side Café is a subsidiary of the Student Government Association and therefore undertakes a two-year review process for its continuation or discontinuation. Sensenig explain that there are general concerns for the continuance of the café. The café has limitations such as not being able to accept Dining Dollars and not having the ability to prepare “real” food compared to the Falcon or the Union. There have also been mixed reviews on the café’s reputation and value to campus life.

In 2009, SGA invested $15,000 into

From this point, Enactus and South Side Café are in the process of making a recommendation to SGA, as SGA is open to other options on what the best solution would be. Voting will occur on Mar. 12, either as Senate or Governance Review Cabinet.

March events planned for Women’s (Her)Story Month

Why We Should All Be Paying Attention to the

High New Art Expectations: Installations A Preview of the on Campus

2015 Messiah Softball Season

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Islamic State

NEWS

The Swinging Bridge March 5, 2015

ISIS CONTINUES TO MAKE THREATS AGAINST THE U.S.

By Myriam Pedercini STUDENT WRITER

T

he Islamic State of Iraq and Syria recently captured 150 Assyrian Christians. The jihadist army states say that they are planning to release another video showing the killing of these hostages if air strikes from the United States do not cease.

ISIS seized the hostages from the province of Hassakeh in Syria in the early morning hours, inflicting fear upon the surrounding Assyrian communities. The organization has spread their network beyond Iraq and Syria and even beyond the surrounding regions.

Three New York City residents have been arrested due to allegedly conspiring with ISIS for U.S military information or organizing activity.

Christians, moderate Muslims, and various other religious minorities are receiving ISIS’s outlash.

These people are being persecuted and have to choose between fleeing their homes, converting to Islam, or to face death as a martyr.

“As a follower of Christ it is important to be careful not to dehumanize them [ISIS],” expresses sophomore Rahel Schlogl, an international student who grew up in Qatar a predominantly Muslim country.

“They are still people who have reasons for what they do and most importantly are just as loved by God as we are. Hating them or even fearing them does no good.”

Although these groups are categorized as jihadist groups, the true meaning of Jihad is a concept meaning “struggle”. This includes struggles of internal moral issues, social injustices, and war against evil oppression. It rejects all form of terrorism. It is not a declaration of war, however many extremists manipulate this philosophy for their cause.

“I grew up with a lot of Muslims and have an understanding. I believe not all Muslims are terrorists we see on TV,” sophomore Shekie Olagunju, an international student from Nigeria, shares.

“They’re good people. ISIS are just extremists...there are extremists everywhere.“

News 2

NPR’s Norris encourages “seeking different perspectives” in keynote Symposium address on race

By Ashlyn Miller STUDENT WRITER

F

or Michele Norris, finding her niche in the journalism world was not a journey with a straight path, but one she fondly recalls “taking many left turns.”

Norris, an Emmy-award winning journalist for National Public Radio (NPR), spoke at Parmer Hall last Thursday as part of the 2015 Humanities Symposium, entitled “Race in America”.

Devin Mezullo-Thomas, interim director of the Center for Public Humanities, opened the evening with a warm welcome to Norris as a precursor to her lecture.

“I can’t think of a timelier subject for us to discuss this week,” said MezzuloThomas. “While our society has come far, recent incidents in our nation need to compel us and show we still have much further to go.”

Messiah College President Kim Phipps also welcomed Norris to the stage.

After the show in York, she was convinced she should go back on her previous convictions and write about race.

However, the progress for Norris’ book was slowed as she searched for a direc-

“But already as a journalist of color, I was often asked to talk about race.” tion; for whose story she should tell. It was only through hearing the unknown stories of her parents’ experience with racial prejudice following her father’s death that she knew she had a direction for her book.

She then spent significant time digging into the past to uncover details on her father’s injury from a shot fired by a white police officer in 1946, and the story of her grandmother who traveled from town to town doing costumed ad-

vertising for the Aunt Jemima Pancake Company.

In addition to her completed book, The Grace of Silence, Norris’ musings on race helped to spur her to create the Race Card project, a written challenge where participants submit a thought—either by mail on a postcard or at theracecardproject.com—on their experience with race, summed up in six words.

Norris took time to share a collection of postings, while imparting some advice on the news media: “It is so easy to find a media diet that confirms what you believe. Seek a different perspective, and use your ears,” said Norris, “There is grace in silence, but there is courage in listening.”

Norris ended her lecture with one more piece of advice for the audience, directed to Messiah students in particular: “Be curious, travel and keep a journal.

Never trust anyone who thinks they know everything. A full sponge absorbs nothing new,” said Norris.

“At Messiah, we seek to prepare students for lives of service, reconciliation, and leadership. We hope to extend this to our community with our conversation tonight.”

Norris shared her journey as an up-andcoming journalist looking to make her mark by covering anything but race—or so she thought at the time.

“In the newsroom, I didn’t want to be the person always talking about race—I wanted to cover foreign policy, politics, maybe even sports,” said Norris, “But already as a journalist of color, I was often asked to talk about race.”

One of the defining moments of her career—one of her aforementioned ‘left turns’—occurred when she went out to York, Pa. to host a segment for NPR during the lead-up to the 2012 election.

Norris and her producers had chosen York because of its “unique geographic and racial diversity”, thinking it would be a good setting to host a conversation amongst a panel of locals discussing the implications of the historic election.

Though she thought the group started out with simple questions, her interview with the citizens of York well exceeded her expectations.

“It was magical radio because people had an honest conversation about a difficult topic,” said Norris.

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see anew

March 5, 2015

The Swinging Bridge

News 3

AGAPE CENTER PREPARES CAMPUS TO SERVE

By Brianna Keener STUDENT WRITER

S

erving others is vital to the Christian community and to Messiah College as a whole. The Agape Center on campus empowers students to carry out Messiah’s mission statement by preparing them for lives of service within the Christian faith.

The Agape Center helps to organize service-learning programs, community service opportunities, and missions trips for students eager to serve the community and the world. Through equipping students to become servant leaders and working toward justice and reconciliation, the Agape Center encourages students to integrate service into their daily lives.

Chad Frey, Director of the Agape Center for Curricular Service Learning, explains the importance of service: “For

followers of Christ, service to others is essential to fulfilling our vocation in life, through loving and forgiving those around us. As a Messiah community, we are developing a mature culture of service as we learn and grow through empowering others and being empowered through acts of service.”

Providing numerous opportunities for people to serve the world around them, Messiah College places a noteworthy emphasis on service. For example, all first-year students participate in an “Into the Streets” program within the first 48 hours of arriving on campus, where they grow closer to each other and the community by reaching out to local needs.

During J-Term, Martin Luther King Day gave students the opportunity to give back to the community and share God’s love through acts of service.

First-year student Jenny Sayre participated in this service day, helping to

The Agape Center continues to provide Messiah students with many service-learning opportunities. paint hallways in Downey Elementary School in Harrisburg. “One of the most memorable moments for me that day was seeing little kids, on their day off of school, helping to paint with us. They really showed me the true meaning of service,” she says.

On Apr. 16, Messiah College will be initiating another day of service. On this day, athletes from the Area M Special Olympics will be arriving on campus to compete, and students will have the op-

Photo by Ryan Emerick

portunity to work an event at the Special Olympics. There are over 1,000 athletes coming to participate, and each athlete will need a buddy.

For more ways to get involved in service at the local, national, or international level through the Agape Center, check out their website to see their service opportunities: www.messiah.edu/agape.

washington d.c.

March 5, 2015

The Swinging Bridge

News 4

March events planned for Women’s (Her)Story Month

By Madeline Crocenzi STUDENT WRITER

A

committee of Messiah students and professors are planning events throughout March to celebrate National Women’s History Month.

This year is the 35th anniversary of the Women’s History Movement and the National Women’s History Project. The theme of the month is “Weaving the Stories of Women’s Lives.” March is also being referred to as Women’s (Her) Story Month.

The Library of Congress says, “Women’s History Month honors and celebrates the struggles and achievements of American women throughout the history of the United States. American women have struggled throughout our history to gain rights not simply for themselves but for many other under represented and disenfranchised groups in America.”

The campus events will begin Mar. 3 and run through Mar. 31. Two of the upcoming events include a documentary by the international justice mission chapter and an International Women’s Day hosted by the International Student Association.

The annual Falcons Flocking the Union event will also take place. This is a time for all female Messiah athletics teams to come together and “flock” the Union.

Multiple events will focus on women in different cultures. The Intercultural Office is hosting “Quintos Mexicanos,” which is women’s stories of power and privilege in Mexico. Two students will share about their experiences while they were in Mexico, and various Mexican food will be provided.

In addition, La Alianza Latina will be hosting a discussion on how Latina women are represented in the media.

Many of the proceedings will center on this year’s storytelling theme. Dr. Pat Lehman, playwright and professor, will be performing a piece about the stories of seven different Mennonite women.

6th Day Sexuality is hosting Marie Cummins, who will be discussing historical accounts of different women throughout history.

“I think the theme plays a big role in the events that we have planned,” says senior and Women’s History Month committee member Cora Hines. “A lot of the events are about the history of women and different women in different cultures and their stories. Who are these women? Why are they important?

It encourages us to look at what our own story means.”

According to the Library of Congress, President Reagan declared Mar. 7, 1982 National Women’s History Week.

Congress designated March National Women’s History Month in 1987, after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project. Since then, Presi-

Photo provided by SGA Committee member Cora Hines is among those planning a wide variety of events for Messiah’s celebration of Women’s (Her)Story Month. dents Clinton, Bush and Obama have acknowledged Women’s History Month and have issued annual proclamations regarding it.

Hines recognizes the importance of the month. “To me, it’s a time to celebrate women. It’s a time to say I’m not going to negatively bash women. I’m going to think about all of the achieve-

JOHN OLIVER TACKLES SMOKING

By Casey Daggett STUDENT WRITER

J

ohn Oliver--political commentator, comedian, former Daily Show correspondent, and host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight--is equal parts brutal and brilliant in his weekly segment. Blending no small amount of vicious, and often rightful, criticism with deadpan wit, the subjects of Oliver’s takedowns have ranged from media coverage of the Supreme Court to Scottish independence to even such cultural events as the Miss America pageant.

On Feb. 15, Oliver turned his attention to the power of the global tobacco industry. He focused specifically on Philip Morris International, a tobacco

conglomerate which owns seven of the world’s 15 most prominent cigarette brands, including the famous Marlboro.

Within his segment, Oliver derides Philip Morris for expanding into Asian markets and openly targeting children in an attempt to get them hooked on to nicotine at a young age.

Oliver also noted how the conglomerate has bullied small nations, such as Togo, into withdrawing or scaling back their tobacco awareness laws through hefty, expensive lawsuits.

Finally, he concludes that with the retirement of popular cigarette figures, such as Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man, Last Week Tonight will introduce their own character. This takes the shape of “Joe the Diseased Lung in

a Cowboy Hat”--a visibly withered, depressed lung bearing the iconic cowboy duds of the Marlboro Man. While vicious in his criticism, Oliver accurately summarizes the relationship between American smokers and tobacco. Smoking has steadily decreased in popularity thanks to warnings from the Attorney General and marketing campaigns working to reveal the often horrific side effects of smoking.

Major retailers, such as CVS, which used to readily stock cigarettes, now refrain from selling them altogether as a result.

Furthermore, according to Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, a lobbying organization dedicated to fighting the tobacco industry, over one thousand college campuses across the US are currently tobacco free, with an additional

ments women have made and all of the achievements I’ve made. It’s a time to reflect, be encouraged, and be inspired,” she says.

The Women’s History Month events are open to all students and faculty and will occur throughout the month of March.

500 banning smoking.

When several Messiah students were asked about smoking on college campuses across the nation, their reaction was immediate. “It should be banned, it’s gross,” said Jackie Pusey, a current senior.

Junior Courtney Farling echoed her sentiment, “It’s something that’s really unhealthy...even if you’re just breathing it in, it affects you.”

Both, as well as others, were quick to emphasize that even if college campuses allowed designated smoking areas, enforcing such would be immensely difficult and students would likely ignore them.

OPINIONS

The Swinging Bridge March 5, 2015

Opinions 5

Why We Should All Be Paying Attention to the ISLAMIC

By Rose Talbot STUDENT WRITER

I

SIS seems to be just about everywhere in the news these days.

ISIS, or the Islamic State, is an extremist militant Islamic group. Led by caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIS has been around since 2010. Although often mistakenly associated with Al-Qaeda, ISIS is its own radical offshoot with a distinct mission: to further establish the caliphate, or Islamic government.

After primarily gaining power in Iraq, ISIS has spread its fingers through Syria and the Turkish border, first capturing the Syrian city of Raqqa in May 2013.

According to the BBC, a large portion of the group’s financial support comes from the oil fields they now control in eastern Syria, enabling them to expand their agenda. In the United States, they are probably most commonly known for the masked beheadings of several American journalists: first James Foley in August 2014, which brought about a national outcry against the terrorist group. Just a month later, a video was released showing the execution of another U.S. journalist, Steven Sotloff.

Interestingly, one of ISIS’ key strategies in recruiting members and promoting their beliefs has been through social

STATE

media usage. Before you dismiss the militant group as existing only thousands of miles away and a century in the past, check your Twitter feed. They’re closer than you might think.

One of the biggest disagreements within these borders is how America should be responding to ISIS. Despite a constant barrage of media attention, little direct action has been put into play. In his September 2014 address to the nation, PresJodie Howard, a junior public rela- ident Obama condemned the militant tions major, said that she follows ISIS group and vocalized support of renegade accounts on Twitter and looks for their groups such as the Iraqi Kurds doing websites. “I’m trying to understand their part to fight against ISIS. At the why so many people are interested in same time, the basic tenant of his mesthis terrorist sect,” she said. “No one sage was “We don’t have a strategy yet.” flocked like this to Al Qaeda or Boko Haram, but ISIS is amassing a follow- Hannah Busenitz, a junior studio art ing. There’s something they’re pushing major, emphasized the need for citithat’s appealing to people, and I person- zens to tune into their news stations ally think it has to do with masculinity or Google the latest current events. and power.”

“The ignorance in America fuels According to sevthe fire in ISIS,” eral British news she said. sources, there have been hunAs Busenitz and dreds of Britons Howard both leaving the U.K. mentioned, the to join ISIS in Syria after watching word ‘extremist’ is important. ISIS does recruitment videos online. Howard not represent Islam as a religion, nor do said she thinks the U.S. needs to focus they exemplify a typical Muslim’s beliefs. more on combatting ISIS’ social media While we see the few American killings overtaking, or risk allowing these on repeat in our media, it’s important enlistment rates to continue. “Amer- to realize that ISIS’s Muslim death toll ica shouldn’t seek to silence them, but is high and rising. The United Nations rather to build their own voice and reported that in 2014 alone, over 9,000 presence on social media in the con- Muslim civilians had been killed, and at text of ISIS,” Howard said. least 17,000 injured.

The ignorance in America fuels the fire in ISIS

Camillus Anak Nahar, a junior public relations major, addressed another factor that has become interconnected with the issue of ISIS: comprehensive and unbiased news coverage. Nahar said he tries to balance his U.S. news sources with accounts from British and Malaysian websites, in order to gain different points of view. “My favorite sources are CNN and Al Jazeera world news,” he said. “I think American journalists often want to reinforce what Americans think of ISIS, as British journalists do. By looking at a range, I feel like I can get a more rounded representation of what’s actually happening in the Middle East.

From there, I draw my own opinions.”

It is a complex issue, especially if you’re only just starting to pay attention. But don’t let that scare you off from at least attempting to unravel the complicated mess. We are all humans, regardless of which side of the world we live in. Whether you think the U.S. should scale back any involvement in the ongoing situation, or should pour in armed forces to prevent ISIS from spreading further into the Middle East, the reality is that thousands of lives are being affected by the actions of this extremist group on a daily basis. That’s something that all of us, whether we’re in Syria or central Pennsylvania, should be paying attention to.

Congrats! You’re Reading the Newspaper

By Kelly Gordon STUDENT WRITER

A

few weeks ago in one of my classes, the professor asked if Murray Library still had the display with all of the up-to-date newspapers. After chuckling for a second, I realized this was a valid question.

I sit in the library and complete homework on a regular basis and have only ever seen one student go over to the newspaper display rack to look at the newspapers available. Junior Joe Saufley is that one student.

When asked about how he finds his news, Saufley responded by saying, “I used to only get it from newspapers, but now it’s more Twitter,” specifically the user @NewsBreaker. He added, “it covers a wide variety with the details that it gives from world news to something funny.”

News follows whatever the trend fol-

lows. With everyone surrounded by technology in some capacity, it doesn’t come as a surprise that news is making its way to a digital platform. In the past, news was provided with convenience by a newspaper thrown on your doorstep. News is now directly at our fingertips and more convenient through the accessibility of our phones and portable computers.

This begs the question: does our current format for obtaining news mean that our generation is more ignorant and shallow? I don’t find this to be the case.

When asked how he finds his news, junior Adam Stern stated, “I usually use the Associated Press, CNN, BBC or Al Jazeera app. I prefer a good mix of U.S. and world news.”

Agreeing with Stern, junior Matt Rice said, “I don’t like hearing just one side of the story,” causing him to follow both CNN and Fox News on Twitter. Through following on Twitter, he is able to decipher what is going on in the world through a few taps on his phone. That way Rice is able to find a middle ground while still

being informed in an instant way.

“I love news brief enough to keep my attention, but most importantly I love humor,” says sophomore Bree Whitelock. “My main news source, The Skimm, pulls in both of those.”

News sources may contain bias drawing viewers away, but Twitter and the Internet enable us to look up more information at the touch of a button and check facts ourselves, all for free.

An ultimate problem of the college student is continuing to be well informed but not having enough hours in the day to manage school, sleep, a social life and the “outside” world.

Some sites, like The New York Times, require users to purchase online subscriptions which makes sense with the growing digital age. There are still many free sites that we can take advantage of though.

The site that Whitelock referenced sends an email every day to your inbox with an overview of both world and local news, playing a witty tone into the presentation of the information. It takes approximately five minutes to read each morning, yet informs the user of the most recent news stories.

Why not stop reading Buzzfeed for five minutes and switch up your daily routine? Set your top news site to appear when you open up the internet in the mornings or sign up for The Skimm to appear in your inbox. That way we can be seen as a generation that is well informed and able to make decisions not only based upon the “Messiah Bubble”, but what else is going on in the world.

To me, it seems like a perfect solution to having a busy schedule, especially if we are all supposed to check our emails everyday anyway. Why not take a few extra minutes to look outside of the life we live on campus and achieve a larger perspective on the world?

The home page for swingingbridge. messiah.edu includes an area for readers to submit their email address to receive the latest online news posts from The Swinging Bridge.

March 5, 2015

The Swinging Bridge

Opinions 6

Response to Racism reflecting on the conversation with Michele Norris

By Elisabeth Ivey STUDENT WRITER

You don’t act black at all.

T

hose were the six words I wrote in response to Michele Norris’ request.

She asked us to share our experiences, our “thoughts” on race.

I can remember one distinct instance when someone spoke those words to me; it wasn’t just a one-time thing, it would happen at work. I worked in the early hours of the morning, prime time for goofing off between co-workers.

There was one guy in particular who just made me laugh. Seeming to have no threshold for embarrassment, he would flail himself around and bite out words of sarcasm.

Frequently, once we reached the stage of friendship that means it is acceptable to utter insults out of love, he would make comments about the color of my skin.

He would tell me, “You’re the whitest person I know.”

I have grown up associating negative features that mark someone of Asian things to black people. I roll my eyes descent or the color that can’t come when I hear about the black woman atti- from even the strongest of tanning beds. tude. Yet I am the same person who grew We see the color, but since we only assoup thinking that I had some claim to the ciate those colors with behaviors and snapping of my fingers with attitude or actions, we’re mixing up our symbols pretending that I knew how to dance and creating the mess that we have of because of my black half. I remembered today’s conception of race. my blackness when I needed to make myself feel diverse and cultured, but I Back to my previous story, I am not so only did it when it was convenient for me. ignorant to place the blame for that comment on the boy. After all, did When I wanted to feel educated, when I anyone notice how I reacted? Whether wanted to feel people’s respect, I would he meant it as a compliment or not, I cling to my white half. That’s exactly took it as some sign of regard from him. why I would bask in the praise of people In fact, I used to think I was privileged: like my co-worker, people who think I not because I had access to two rich couldn’t possibly be black even though perspectives on culture, but because I my caramel skin dares us to think otherwise.

themselves. Isn’t there something about free speech in our constitution? Maybe we should have included something about the benefits of listening when people exercise their right of free speech.

Yes, it’s incredibly disappointing when we think we’re making headway in our openness and someone challenges it by perpetuating another stereotype.

But even though there are people enforcing negative stereotypes, aren’t there people who are also challenging those stereotypes?

Forget about race, ethnicity, gender, any other politically correct but loaded terms we throw around. It is only right

Forget about race, ethnicity, gender, any other politically correct but loaded term we throw around. It is only right for us to treat every other human being as though they are the first human being we meet.

Maybe it’s important to note what we’re discussing when we spit out terms like white, black, Oreo, Asian. I once heard Now, before I divulge more, it’s impor- it said that words are tant to point out that I do actually know just a bunch of symbols. some things. For instance, I knew it Words, the very means we wouldn’t be appropriate to thank him use to reach one another, are just a bunch for making that comment, but I couldn’t of buckets that hold deeper meanings. help the warmth that spread over me when he would tell me that. It’s not like When we’re talking about black and I actually thought he was compliment- white and yellow and red, we have ing my skin tone. That’s absurd. What’s absolute free reign to tell someone that even more absurd is that I thought he “You’re not Asian because you didn’t ace was complimenting my behavior--my that test” or “You’re not black because personality--when he called me white. you don’t have an attitude”. It’s not like we’re all blind. We can clearly see the

photo provided by Messiah Michele Norris gave the keynote address — “Eavesdropping on America’s Conversation on Race” — for Messiah’s Humanities Symposium.

could get away with making derogatory comments about two different cultures.

It’s okay; I’m half black, so it’s not actually racist. Other black people would do the same thing at work. Looking back, it really puzzles me that we would do that.

I think that you’ll find that for other cultures too, not just black.

We seem to have come to a point where we think that being self-aware, showing that we’ve moved past the bitterness of racism means making self-deprecating jokes to show that we’re okay with it.

We thrive on comedy and we think that making jokes shows we’re easy-going on the whole topic of race, but are we?

When we poke fun at the stereotypes of culture and ethnicity, perhaps we are trying to break down the negative stigmas surrounding them. What we don’t realize is that we’re not as advanced in our thinking as we thought. We haven’t reached the conclusion to our talk on race, and to joke about stereotypes as though they’re a thing of the past is to invalidate their continuing presence in the present.

for us to treat every other human being as though they are the first human being we meet. That is to say, we are not allowed to throw any preconceived notions onto someone.

That’s starting to sound familiar. It’s starting to sound an awful lot like Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves.

I am not really sure what my intention was when I started out, but I was coming off of a stirring speech given by Michele Norris. I’ve been wrestling with my feelings about those 6 words for a while. I don’t know if we’ll ever get to the point where race isn’t an issue, but it doesn’t mean we should hush up about it. I want to be a part of this race to end the conflict of race. Even if it turns out to be a marathon and not the sprint we were hoping for.

I know that there are many people who can share vastly similar and different stories than my own, but I’m ready to contribute my part. I’m hoping that as people continue sharing, we will begin Another thing: yes, it can be frustrat- overcoming this problem together. As ing when it seems like this one person my dear friend JC pointed out, we can gets offended at every little comment only begin exposing the grandness of a you make, whether it’s an allusion to culture by exposing a little bit at a time. their ethnic background or not. But it In the same way, we can only tackle the doesn’t give us the right to invalidate mountain of a problem by climbing it their feelings. If they feel that strongly one step at a time. about something, it is for a reason, and they deserve the right to at least express

March 5, 2015

The Swinging Bridge

Opinions 7

Why I Relay And Why You Should Too

By Sarah Goldy-Brown STUDENT WRITER

Cancer has always been part of my story.

I

n September of 2001, doctors diagnosed my younger sister Kelly (age two at the time) with retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer. Kelly won her fight with cancer, but cancer took away her right eye. She will never be able to watch a 3D movie, serve in the military, or become a pilot, but she does not let that stop her. Kelly, now 15, understands what it means to have beaten cancer and she has grown up to be a stronger person because of it.

Because of Kelly’s fight with cancer, my family started actively participating in our local community’s Relay For Life.

Relay is an overnight event that raises money for the American Cancer Society, a non-profit dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. Relay gave us the chance to process Kelly’s diagnosis, to celebrate her bravery, and to fight back so that no more families would have to endure what we did.

I wish I could say that was the end of my story with cancer, but I cannot. During Easter break of 2013, my mom was unexpectedly diagnosed with carcinoid cancer, a low-grade but chronic form of cancer.

What we thought might have been the flu or a kidney stone ended up being tumors in her appendix, colon, and liver.

Removing her cancer required surgery and microsphere radiation treatment, an injected form of radiation. Unfortunately, current medical treatments cannot remove 100% of the tumors in her liver, so they will slowly grow back over time. In the meantime, my mom has been doing extremely well and has established her new sense of “normal.”

In the world of cancer diagnoses, my mom was lucky, but that in no way means her diagnosis has been easy to deal with. I cannot fully explain what it is like to have to care for the one who usually cares for you. I do not have the words to describe what it feels like to see your mother sitting on the couch in severe pain and vomiting.

Cancer took its toll on my mom’s body, but it also took its toll on my family. It caused a lot of stress and we each handled it in different ways. It also shook us spiritually as we attempted to see God’s purpose in my mother’s disease. I am happy to say that we have grown stronger as a family since her diagnosis, have grown more patient, and have all found our own ways to cope spiritually. I cherish my relationship with my mom more now than ever before.

When I took on the role of President for Messiah College’s Public Relations Stu-

dent Society of America (PRSSA), I knew that I wanted the club to have some stake in planning Messiah College’s Relay For Life 2015. I had no idea that our club would end up planning and executing the entire event, but I cannot imagine a better end to my senior year at Messiah.

PRSSA will host Mesphoto provided by Sarah Goldy-Brown siah College Relay Sarah Goldy-Brown and her mom after her mom’s For Life 2015 on Apr. surgery in Spring 2013.

17-18 from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. in Hitchcock Arena. During the edly believe in. Most importantly, Relay event, members from each team will gives me the chance to celebrate and take turns walking around the track— honor my mom and my sister. this serves as a reminder that cancer never sleeps. The other participants Cancer may not be your story today, but will spend their time in the gym playing it might be yours tomorrow. It might be games, listening to music, worshipping, your mom’s one day. Or your brother’s. listening to speakers, and participating Or your daughter’s. We cannot put off in several ceremonies. We will spend the fight against cancer, because cancer time remembering those who have lost is not waiting. Please join PRSSA at their lives to cancer, celebrating those Messiah College’s Relay For Life 2015 who have won their fight, and fighting and help us to finish the fight against back so that no more people will have cancer. to receive that dreaded diagnosis.

Relay gives me the chance to stand in community with others who want to see an end to cancer in our lifetime. It gives me the chance to raise money and awareness for a cause that I wholeheart-

inspire(ation)

By Lisa Monteiro STUDENT WRITER

off moment can accidentally trigger a future life freak-out.

he other day in the Union, I heard a girl ranting about how she forgot her food order number. The simple issue didn’t require more than a sentence worth of discussion, but to my surprise, her words quickly turned into a panic about her overall capability of life.

The world makes it easy to feel like we’re not up to par with a standard that seemingly changes every day; a standard that could make us feel like we’re always behind. Here are three short phrases to keep in mind if you find your week being met with challenge and discouragement.

T

I find that these crucial years of our lives heighten our senses to the future in ways that, while exciting, may border unhealthy when met with constant worry.

While the girl’s sudden rocket launch of emotion was humorous, it served as a reminder that as college students, we are living in the midst of one of the greatest life crossroads we will ever face.

No matter how silly or irrational, one

It’s okay to not have it all together.

There will never be a time when every piece of our lives is simultaneously how we desire. Our life is a work, the journey is a process, and the outcomes are a gamble. The key, however, is to immerse yourself in the understanding that everything will work out in the end. Cliché but true. We are living in a world that believes in masks of perfection, but no façade can change the fact

To register, go to: www.relayforlife.org/ MessiahCollegePA or find them on Facebook at: www.fb.com/RFLMessiah.

verb.

1. to fill with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

2. to breathe in; inhale.

that our lives are imperfect. This makes it okay to feel messy, to face chaos and uncertainty and to not have every piece in place at all times.

Clarity is always on time with a God as good as ours.

Often times we are faced with dry periods of not knowing or not understanding various circumstances in our lives. I find that patience is one of the hardest tasks for humans to bear. There is a control that we desire, often forgetting that God knows best. We are quick to use phrases against the lengthy timing of change, but this negative approach stifles our recognition that God’s timing is perfect even if it’s out of our realm of understanding.

Make peace with yesterday, so you can live today.

It is easy to spend unfortunate amounts of time replaying the hardships of the

previous day in our heads. The drawback to dwelling on the negative is that we miss opportunities in the present day. We cannot fully engage in the positivity of the current moment if we have not made peace with difficulties from the past. If you find the past invading your present, work on shifting your thought process into two categories: moments that are insignificant and unimportant in the grand scheme of your life, and moments you can put to rest through confrontation or forgiveness.

We cannot always change the course of the day, but we can change the way we view what comes our way instead.

If you are learning through the chaos, praying through the uncertainty and still remembering how to smile, you are on the right track.

March 5, 2015

Opinions 8

The Swinging Bridge

Single Swag Stop Looking For the One, Become the One

By Liv Ungurean STUDENT WRITER

port you, honor you, and treat you with the love of Christ?

W

e are all looking for “the one.” That perfect person you want to spend forever with, your soul mate, and more importantly the other half that you are willing to sacrifice anything for. But has anyone told you that instead of looking the one, you have to become the one?

It’s great to have standards for the people you want around for rest of your life, but are you doing the right things and taking the right opportunities to expose yourself to those kinds of people? For example, you’re not going to walk into a bar looking for your worship leader (unless they’re trying to do an outreach). I’m not I have been told this before, and I feel saying that it hasn’t happened before, the need to share it with you. Andy Stan- but how you meet a person says a lot ley introduced this concept through his about your relationship. series called “The New Rules for Love, Sex, and Dating.” It reminded me of an Place yourself in the right atmosphere eye opening quote to help reconstruct and reflect on what you desire. If you this idea: “Attract what you expect, know exactly the kind of person you reflect what you desire, become what you want to be with for the rest of your life, respect, and mirror what you admire.” then you must have done some kind of reflecting, but go beyond that. Portray Take a moment and think about what these kinds of characteristics within that means to you. “Attract what you yourself. Ask yourself, are you becomexpect.” Guys, do you expect a woman ing the person you want to attract? who respects and values you, but more importantly respects herself? Girls, do If you want respect then I sure hope you expect a man who is going to sup- you’re giving respect. I don’t mean just

respecting your professors and coaches, I mean respecting those who can do absolutely nothing for you or benefit you in any kind of way; that is a true form of respect.

To become an honorable person, look at individuals you respect most. For example, I respect my mom more than any other human being on Earth. She has gone through hardships and raised ten children with every bit of patience. I look up to the way she loves each one of her children unconditionally, no matter how many times they disappoint her.

I want to bring honor to my mother, because I respect her. Look at the actions of your role model, what does he or she do differently than other people?

How have they gained your respect?

It could be through the way they treat people, or maybe they obtain a humble spirit even while achieving the greatest accomplishments in the world. Think about what makes that person so significant to your life, and challenge yourself to do the same.

Paul gives wise words in Philippians 4:8 to help define a noble character: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, and whatever is admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Allow Christ to be the foundation of your transformation.

great of an influence on people around you if you set your heart on it.

Reflections of your heart will help mirror what you admire. That means you have reflected on an individual who has a great influence, and taken action in your own life by embracing what you have learned to others around you. Start practicing such characteristics.

If you admire someone who is humble, can you admit you are wrong at times or take blame? When your teammate receives a greater accomplishment than you, do you celebrate with that person, or do you envy and feel the need to oneup? Even if your answers aren’t exactly what you want them to be, there’s still time and room to grow.

There is beauty in finding your faults.

Recognizing that you are not a perfect person is just the beginning of developing an honorable character. Ask God to help transform your inner being, and along the way you may attract the one person that accepts your flaws and loves the person you have become through it all.

You want to be comfortable enough to be yourself, not act perfectly to please another. Determine the virtue of the person you want to be with, and allow Christ to make you a desirable person. I challenge you: instead of looking for the right person, become the right person.

Maybe you won’t become the next Mother Teresa, but you can be just as

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

March 5, 2015 The Swinging Bridge

Arts & Entertainment 9

NEW ART INSTALLATIONS

ON CAMPUS

By Jenna Stover STUDENT WRITER

O

ver J-Term, several art students participated in an installation class with Professor Sean Matthews. The class aimed to get students to think about location, structure and the message of the piece.

These individuals’ end goal was to create a captivating art piece that would draw in viewers, create questions and make the viewers wonder. Specifically, these students split up into two groups each working on sculpting and displaying these sculptures.

Amaris Wilkins, a junior and a member of the installation class, was in a group of nine others who worked outside of Hoffman. “The original idea for the piece as to reflect the surrounding area, the trees and the buildings,” said Wilkins. “The sculpture was meant to be a reflection and an interaction with the surrounding area.”

Her group’s sculpture was made out of two materials: steel, which had certain areas cut out, and wood, which was stained through a process. The piece itself is very complex as its overall look is changed by the angle of the viewing.

“From one angle you just see the tree, another you just see the building part of the sculpture, and from another angle you see both the tree and building side of the sculpture,” said Wilkins.

The second group of ten students installed a piece behind the Agapé Center.

The piece contains 200 paper airplanes made to resemble birds.

“Each ‘bird’ is its own, but as a flock it creates an installation that celebrates the collective,” said Alissa King, a junior and member of the second group. “Separately, these birds would not be as successful, but formed together, it creates a very powerful experience.”

The piece fits perfect in the Agapé Center due to their mission being “cultivate experiences with community partners that prepare individuals for lifelong service.”

King also discussed the arrangement of the planes themselves and how they represent students at Messiah. She said, “Each plane flows over the ground, dipping and diving and then reaches a peak, spreading out and taking off. Just like Messiah prepares us to dive in while we are here and then spread our wings and take off to better things that God has for us.”

The installation class was an important opportunity to teach students how to use their environment to their advantage in order to add to the meaning of their art sculptures. If you walk by Hoffman or behind the Agapé Center, be sure to check these art pieces out.

Photos by Ryan Emerick Above: Library art installation Below: Agape Center art installation

March 5, 2015

Go-to

The Swinging Bridge

Arts & Entertainment 10

The

Tracks

FANDOM

on 90.7

pulsefm

experience

By Katie Mihelarakis STUDENT WRITER

Noah Guthrie

Among the Wildest Things

Noontide

Humans

Scott A.F. Scott A.F.

Leah Capelle Leah Capelle

Night Terrors of 1927 Everything’s Coming Up Roses

Certain stories also draw a lot of fandom than ever on Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest, traffic by appealing to special niches or or other sites. “Social media has played interests. “I’ll use Sherlock for instance,” a huge part in how people can connect stated Brock. “It appeals to people like with one another and also with producme who grew up reading those stories ers and creators of television shows. so it already builds on something that There are so many ways for fans to conearly everyone has come in contact people have a conscious awareness of nect with other fans and with celebriwith the word “fandom” at some and I also think certain shows appeal to ties,” said Burkett. point. Whether it appears on a social certain demographics.”

Additionally, streaming sites like Netfmedia site online or in everyday conversation, the term has become an increas- People are also drawn to fandoms be- lix been responsible for creating many ing part of the vernacular in recent years. cause of the creative inspiration they new members of fandoms, as they afBut the true meaning and function of a spark. “I think that different fandoms ford viewers access to a variety of movfandom is still a mystery to many. inspire people to access their creativity ies and entire series of television shows. more,” said Burkett. “There’s fanfiction, “You’re not limited to a certain time “A fandom,” said senior journalism ma- there’s all kinds of stuff, and it’s really schedule anymore. If you really feel like jor Danielle Burkett, “is a collection a interesting to see the way that people it, you can sit in your room and just continually watch episodes of TV shows,” bunch of people who can get together express the love for their fandoms.”

Burkett said. over their shared love of something.”

Burkett alluded to the availability of Freshman studio art major Kate Brock specialized clothing and merchandise Greater variety in content and the abildefined it as “...a group of people that as an expressive outlet in various fan- ity to view previously unavailable media are passionate about a particular form dom communities. “I can walk into has also fostered many fandoms. “It’s of art, film or literature.”

Hot Topic and find all kinds of things more accessible now and you can watch that I really love,” she said, referencing and listen to stuff from all over the While fandoms are usually associated her Captain America backpack. “And world,” said Brock. with media such as music, books, films if you can’t find something in a store or television shows, they can be found- from your fandom, you can go to Etsy or Fandoms are filled with enthusiastic and creative individuals who are weled on almost anything. “You can be a make it for yourself.” coming to new members, and they are sports fan and that can be your fandom,” said Burkett.

The Internet has also been monumental also very prevalent in our everyday life in facilitating contact between members and culture. Sharing your love for someThere are differences between and ben- of fandoms thus, advancing fan culture. thing with others can create endless fun efits of being a member of a fandom Fans can share images, videos and other and lasting friendships. compared to merely liking something content related to their fandom easier alone. For many, it is the sense of connecting with other fans that attracts them. “People that are part of [a fandom] are really passionate and they’re engaged with each other,” said Brock.

N

Not all fandoms are created equal, however. There are a number of shows, movies and books that seem to accumulate a much larger and exuberant fan base than others. Fandoms dedicated to works such as Harry Potter, Sherlock and Marvel are some of the most popular today. Large groups of fans seem to be drawn to these stories because of an emotional connection with the characters and plot.

“People find things that they connect with and see in the characters,” said Burkett, who wrote an essay on the subject.

Brock, who views connections with certain stories as a form of escapism for fans, said “They relate to whatever is being portrayed in some way, or they want to relate to it and they almost prefer it over reality.”

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SCHOOL OF GRADUATE & PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

March 5, 2015

The Swinging Bridge

Arts & Entertainment 11

Breaking Barriers: Kendrick Lamar

By Jeremy Jensen STUDENT WRITER

I

n the Christian community, there has emerged a strong religious dichotomy regarding music. Music is either secular or Christian. Secular music is the music on the radio: no worthwhile message, full of swearing and generally “bad.” Christian music is all about positive Christian messages with squeaky clean lyrics and questionable quality.

Separating artists into the categories is easy: Katy Perry, Beyoncé and Jay-Z are all secular artists while Red, Skillet and Casting Crowns are all Christian bands. Most bands fit into these categories pretty neatly.

Someone who people would say is a secular artist would be Kendrick Lamar – the undisputed king of rap music right now. I would argue that Kendrick Lamar is so much more than just a secular artist;, and is, in fact, an artist that appeals to both spheres of fans even if your mom won’t let you play him in the car.

and

Christian Music

Lecrae might be a more obvious Christian rapper, but Kendrick Lamar makes no bones about his Christianity either.

His first major label album, good kid, m.A.A.d city, opens with the Sinner’s Prayer. The album then follows a narrative structure that ends with him and his friends praying the Obviously, the first thing anyone who is adverse to Kendrick Lamar (and prayer. After losing one friend to gang rap music in general) will mention is violence along the way, they meet a his penchant for profanity. Granted, woman (played by none other than Lamar indulges in his fair share of Maya Angelou) who offers to lead curse words, but when understood them in the prayer. In the end, Lamar through the lens of his life, things leaves his lifestyle and pursues Christ. are put into perspective. He is from Compton, Calif. Compton is known Lecrae’s Anomaly is great, but this is for two major things: rap and gang also how you can make a rap album and be a Christian. activity.

His past dealings with gangs have influenced his messages in styles in ways most people cannot comprehend.

If you spent your teenage years watching friends get killed in the streets, there might be swearing in your music. It is the environment he grew up in. If you want to know what life is like there, he is going to use the language they used.

The second argument levied against Kendrick Lamar in regards to his Christianity is why he does not act more like Lecrae. Lecrae is a hugely successful Christian rapper who appeals to both spheres of fans, albeit to a smaller degree.

In the end, most people are still going to consider Kendrick Lamar a rapper whose profanity and mainstream success bar him from putting out anything redeeming. That’s fine.

People are entitled to their own opinions regardless of how much or little they know about a topic.

Just remember that Christianity has never been about squeaky clean people doing great things and saying great things all the time. It’s been about the broken people in broken situations doing what they can to strive toward Christ. If that is the criteria, then Kendrick Lamar embodies it better than anyone.

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Just remember that Christianity has never been about squeaky clean people doing great things and saying great things all the time. It’s been about the broken people in broken situations doing what they can to strive toward Christ.

In response, look at how Lecrae categorizes himself.

Lecrae constantly says he is a Christian and a rapper. He is not a Christian rapper.

Kendrick Lamar is the same way.

He is a Christian and a ridiculously successful, mainstream rapper.

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see anew

March 5, 2015

UPCOMING LOST FILM

by Megan Hess STUDENT WRITER

T

he title of March’s first Lost Film is not what you may first think it to be.

Nightcrawler’s subject is not earthworms - or a certain blue X-Man with teleportation abilities - but rather Los Angeles crime journalism. The film is being shown this weekend in Parmer Cinema, located in Boyer Hall. Tickets are $2 for students and $4 for outside guests.

First released last year in late October, Nightcrawler is the story of Lou Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal), a Los Angeles man searching for steady employment. He finds work as a “nightcrawler” filming violent events for news media. Working under local news station director Nina Romina (Rene Russo) along with his “intern” Rick (Riz Ahmed), Bloom soon becomes power hungry.

He wants to break out on his own, even as he earns more and more money for his footage. Unfettered by a tragedy closer to home than any of his previously filmed efforts, Bloom presses on, harming and manipulating his co-workers and those around him in pursuit of his goal.

The Swinging Bridge

Arts & Entertainment 12

“Nightcrawler” a dark, late-night delight

Entertainment Weekly reviewer Chris Nashawaty also cites Gyllenhaal’s weight, saying, “The actor lost about 30 pounds for the role, but it’s unclear whether the script called for it or if Gyllenhaal just wanted to make us feel how morally hollow his character is, how he’s spiritually rotting away from the inside.”

Well-known for playing the title character in Richard Kelly’s 2001 breakout film Donnie Darko, as well as his only Oscar-nominated role as Jack Twist in the 2006 Ang Lee adaptation of Annie Proulx’s Brokeback Mountain, Gyllenhaal also starred in The Day After Tomorrow, Source Code, Prisoners, Zodiac, and Proof.

His co-stars have equally impressive resumes. Rene Russo starred in The Thomas Crowne Affair and is married to Nightcrawler’s writer-director Dan Gilroy. Some of the most notable films and TV series’ that Bill Paxton - whose character Jim Loder is also a nightcrawler and works with Nina - has acted in include The Terminator, Apollo 13, Aliens, Titanic, and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Showtimes are 6 and 9 p.m. on Friday and 3, 6, and 9 p.m. on Saturday.

Written by Dan Gilroy - previously known for The Bourne Legacy and Real Steel - in his directorial debut, Nightcrawler received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, but lost out to Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman.

Although Gyllenhaal was not nominated for his performance, he received much critical acclaim. According to Variety reviewer Scott Foundas, “Alarmingly gaunt and jittering like a finals student on a coffee-and-Dexatrim bender, all but barking at the moon, Gyllenhaal is undeniably committed to the role.”

Photo provided by The Ferkle

March 5, 2015

The Swinging Bridge Free Printable Crossword Puzzle #7

WORD

Across 1. October gems 6. Occupied with 10. ____-friendly 14. "M*A*S*H" locale 15. Chess piece 16. Fatigue 17. Car generator 19. Lyric verses 20. Absolutely!

21. Quote 22. Facet 24. Delicate fabric 25. Shopping aids 26. In danger (2 wds.)

29. Do again 32. Dairy product 33. Lettuce dish 34. Dash 37. Listen 38. "Oliver ____" 39. Greek letter 40. Lamprey 41. Down East 42. Appeals 43. Power 45. Vocalist ____ Franklin 46. Fiery felony 48. Chopped down 49. Alternate route 51. The ____ of March 52. Prevent 55. Woe is me!

56. Speed up 59. Turnstile 60. Soak through 61. Hosiery material 62. Peepers 63. Harbor 64. Entice

PUZZLES Crossword puzzle provided by onlinecrosswords.net Sudoku puzzle provided by puzzles.ca

6 5 2 3

8

4

http://onlinecrosswords.net/50812

This is the Daily Crossword Puzzle #7 for Mar 1, 2015

7

4 7 4

1 2 3

5 1 6 7

Crossword Puzzle provided by onlinecrosswords.net

CROSS

Messiah Mini-Pages 13 at Find the solution

Down 1. Sure!

2. Warsaw native 3. Crafts 4. Rebel general 5. Cutting remark 6. Furious 7. Quick letter 8. Also 9. Gumbo veggie 10. Perfect place 11. Low traffic road (2 wds.)

12. Build 13. Takes it easy 18. Shaving cut

2 5 6 1

8

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24.

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27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

33.

35.

36.

38.

39.

41.

Winter toy Pinocchio, e.g.

Tooth problem Lumber source ____ agent (2 wds.)

Drizzly Additional Butter unit Guzzle Mormon State Space agency (abbr.)

Road material Ran, as colors Diner list

42.

44.

45.

46.

47.

48.

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51.

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Gift Rope loops Skating jump Proverb Pass along Proficient Grating sound Bakery employee Soothing salve On the peak Tenant's monthly bill Business VIP Bread type

SUDOKU Sudoku solution provided below.

SPORTS

March 5, 2015

The Swinging Bridge

Sports 14

A Preview of the 2015 Messiah Softball Season

By Caleb Ostrander STUDENT WRITER

Determined.

I

f there is one word to describe the attitude of the Messiah softball team, that would be it. Coming off of a strong 2014 season in which the team finished 29-11 and took third place at NCAA Regionals, this year’s Falcons team returns six AllCommonwealth players along with other key members from last year. Coached

by Amy Weaver, the Falcons are hoping to build on the success they experienced last year with a very similar core of players.

The Falcons will have no shortage of fresh faces however, as there are eight first-year players on the roster. Newcomers such as pitcher Carrie Fix and outfielder Amber Bingaman will be expected to contribute early and often. But with all the new additions, it will take some time to build team chemistry. “With eight new players, it will take some time to incorporate everyone and get them up to speed,” explained Weaver.

This “getting up to speed” has been slightly delayed by the supremely cold weather conditions, forcing many indoor practices that are less than ideal for an outdoor sport like softball. “Right now, I’m just looking forward to playing on dirt,” said returning sophomore second baseman Emily Quatrale.

But the Falcons are up for a challenge, and a big part of succeeding this year will be through relying heavily on the core of last year’s team. Part of this core includes junior captain Courtney Allen, who is looking for-

(Top to bottom) Courtney Allen, Carrie Fix, Emily Quatrale, Becky Notte, Claressa Mees and Nicole Blantz will be among the Falcons expected to play an important role in Messiah softball’s upcoming season.

Photo provided Messiah College Athletics

ward to continuing the success of last year’s team. “We had a great season last year and part of the reason it was so amazing was how close we were as a team,” said Allen. “With almost all of us returning this year, we are looking to increase our intensity even more by adding in our freshman class while competing with experience.” Coach Weaver also stressed the importance of this core, which is largely comprised of this year’s junior class.

Key returning members include the six All-Commonwealth players from last year’s team: juniors Allen, Claressa Mees, Becky Notte, Brooke Pompeo and Katie Tankred; and sophomore Amanda Jones.

Allen will be a large part of the team’s offense this year, coming off of a campaign in which she recorded a .385 batting average and drove in 22 runs. Mees is coming off of a dominant season on the mound in which she posted a 13-4 record with a 1.29 ERA and 80 strikeouts over 124 innings pitched, on her way to First Team All-Conference honors. She will be counted on to deliver ace-like numbers again this year.

Notte will be shoring up the catching duties for the Falcons again this year, and will be relied on for her offensive prowess a year after she led the Conference with an astounding .481 batting average. Leadoff hitter and third baseman Brooke Pompeo will be looked upon to provide a spark for the offense again this season after batting .366 out of the leadoff spot last year.

Tankred, the team’s designated player, will look to post similar numbers to last year’s .338 batting average and nearly .400 on-base percentage. Jones, the only sophomore to be named All-Conference last year, excelled in all aspects of the game on her way to batting .331 and stealing a team leading 19 bases.

Another key returning player is the lone senior on the team, Nicole Blantz. “With this being my last year I want to give everything I have and leave everything on the field,” Blantz said. “I want to look back on this season having no regrets.

Last year we had a great season and truly became a family and I would like to try to work to get back to that same level.”

Other key returners include junior Tina

Lehman, and sophomores Emily Quatrale and Sydney Boreman.

Weaver will be entering her 18th season as the Falcons’ head coach this year, a span in which she has amassed 460 wins, taken the team to 12 conference tournaments and won one national championship in 2009. After the success of last year’s team, similar results to the ’09 season look to be within reach this year. Weaver stated, “Winning it is always the goal. But we have set goals as a team to win the Conference Championship first, make it to and win regionals, and go from there.”

The team will start the season on the road, as they South Carolina this weekend before returning home to play two games, including their first in-conference game with Albright College. After that, they will head down to Florida for Spring Break, where they will meet some tough opponents in the likes of nationally-ranked Rowan and Kean, along with McDaniel and Ramapo. Shortly after returning, the Falcons will begin the bulk of their conference schedule. After posting a 14-2 record in the Commonwealth last year, the Falcons will look to have similar success in their conference this year. Other out of conference opponents will include school rivals Elizabethtown and Dickinson.

Expectations are high coming into the 2015 season for the Falcons, who are the number one team in the preseason MAC rankings. The high expectations aren’t just coming from outside sources though, as the team has set the bar high for themselves and are ready for the challenge. Quatrale stated, “As a team, I think our goal is always to win a National Championship.” A big goal, but one that this Falcons team feels is attainable.

“Last season at regionals, I remember standing on the baseline before the game as the lineups were read and knowing for a fact that all of my teammates wanted to win just as much as I did,” said Allen. “I am looking forward to those moments with my team and the times that we can compete against tough competition and come out on top.”

If things go the right way, this Falcons team might do just that. This will be a team not to be missed this spring sports season.

March 5, 2015

a“

The Swinging Bridge

MAMMOTH

”

love for frisbee and fun “Somebody in the other room was (mistakenly) like, ‘Mammoth Rebellion?

That sounds awesome!’” says Mike Stephan, a current senior on the team who knows the story well. A showing of the SyFy original movie Mammoth—a tale of a rampaging, alienpossessed mammoth—later that evening only served to confirm to the club frisbee team that they had a new permanent name.

Photo by Joel Thomas The Messiah Mammoth Rebellion gather for a group photo during a tournament last fall.

By Joel Hoover EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A

fter a few years of existence, Messiah’s men’s club frisbee team was ready for a name change.

Founded in 2004 as “Fire and Brimstone”, several of the team’s leaders in the late 2000s decided they wanted something different. With this in mind, they searched new ideas on Wikipedia. Seven “random search” clicks later, they had landed on a page called “Mammut Rebellion”.

BIBLICALLY ROOTED + THEOLOGICALLY FORMED

Eleven years after the club’s original creation, the Mammoth Rebellion men’s frisbee team has retained much of their environment of fun and enjoyment of the sport—something that is shared throughout the frisbee community.

“There’s this culture in Ultimate Frisbee that even though you want to win and be the best, that’s not the end goal,” Stephan says. “The goal is to have fun, and we’re all playing a sport we love.”

“We embrace a fun culture and that’s what we try to convey (to recruits),” adds fellow senior Ethan Peck.

Many of the current Mammoths found out about this culture through the Opportunities Fair and the influence of alums like coach Charlie Hoppes—including Peck and Stephan. The latter also heard about the team on a campus tour and from a friend at another school who had high praise for the team.

Interested players have, for the most part, been people who have never played Ultimate in an organized fashion before.

In spite of this, lack of experience has never been a problem.

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“It kind of intimidates a lot of people when we say, “‘You should play Ultimate Frisbee,’ and they say, ‘I don’t know how to throw, I’ve never played before,’” says Peck. “And we say, ‘Perfect. That’s how everybody is (when they start).’”

The developmental time for new players often comes during the fall, where the team plays in several regional tournaments and prepares for the official season in the spring. The Mammoths’ fall season also helps them determine their “A” and “B” teams for competitive play and set tactics for games.

The Division III level of Ultimate Frisbee has allowed the team to keep a balance between academics and competing, as they practice two to three times a week. Stephan says that with time and acclimation to the college experience, Ultimate Frisbee became important for him and many others.

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“I really do think the community and family aspect of our culture has kept people making it a big priority,” he says.

The success of the team has been a factor as well. A senior-laden group in 2012 and a younger team in 2013 both claimed 3rd-place finishes in the Ohio Valley Regional Championships, which includes teams from Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. After seeing the number of D-III National Championship bids for the region rise from one the previous two years to three in 2014—a reflection of the rising competition level in the Ohio Valley—the Mammoths finished 6th at the Regional Championships last spring.

A strong fall season that included victory in a tournament at Franklin & Marshall in Lancaster and several wellplayed tournaments against Division I competition has left the team aiming for the next step: a bid to Nationals. “(The fall) was the strongest our team has ever played together…now we’ve just been trying to carry that through,” says Peck, who adds that the next challenge is reaching an even higher level of collective team play.

The process continues for the team this coming weekend, as (weather-permitting) the A and B teams will travel to a tournament in Atlantic City, NJ. The A team will then play in Myrtle Beach, SC over Spring Break on Mar. 21-22, followed by another tournament for both teams on Mar. 28-29. Conference and Regional playoffs await in April.

The Mammoths maintain a highly entertaining Twitter account (@messiahultimate) during their tournaments for fans to follow their games. Reflecting the tight bond of the team, tweets are often filled with player nicknames like “Watson”, “Handsome Rob”, “Good Aaron” or even “Bad Aaron”.

The time commitment? All worth it for the chance to play the sport and have experiences with good friends.

“It’s like taking a short vacation with some of your best friends on a road trip to a place you’ve never been,” Stephan says, calling upon something he read on a frisbee blog. “You do fun things for the weekend, then get back in your car and have a road trip back with some of your best friends. We happen to get to play frisbee while we’re there too.”

Peck has enjoyed his experience enough to pursue professional Ultimate Frisbee opportunities with the Philadelphia Spinners and Philadelphia Phoenix, who have several Mammoth alums connected to their respective teams. However, he still knows what his—and the team’s—immediate goal is.

“Right now, the focus is Messiah Ultimate and getting us to Nationals,” he says.

Messiah’s Mammoth Rebellion will take their shot at that goal this spring—and savor the team experiences that come along the way.

March 5, 2015

The Swinging Bridge

ONTO THE NEXT LEVEL:

Brian Ramirez signs with professional soccer club

By Ashlyn Miller STUDENT WRITER

B

rian Ramirez has worked toward the same goal since he was five years old. In just a few weeks, that dream will become reality.

Ramirez--an All-Region and All-Conference player for the men’s soccer team and a December graduate--recently signed a contract to play with IFK Stockyard-Rorviks, a 4th division professional team in Sweden, for the 2015 season.

The culture of soccer is woven into Ramirez’s life, as he lived in Guatemala for his entire life —with brief periods in the United States for his freshman and sophomore years of high school—prior to coming to Messiah to play soccer and continue his education.

Messiah coaches--both present and past--were aware of Ramirez’s desire to play professionally. Former Messiah head coach Dave Brandt, who is currently the head coach of Navy’s soccer program, connected him with Bridges FC, a club based out in Chicago that has connections to professional teams overseas.

Ramirez went up against 36 other players for a spot on the Union roster.

“It was a good level of play, but I just couldn’t make the cut,” he says. “Chicago (with Bridges FC) became my door-die.”

Seizing the opportunity, Ramirez traveled out to Chicago for a two-week trial.

“It was night and day from Messiah.

At Messiah, everything is team-oriented, people are nice, guys on the team offer each other grace and love. But once you went out into the real soccer world, it’s cut-throat and everyone for themselves.”

It took Ramirez a few days to adjust to the new atmosphere, but he settled in rather quickly, saying he had expected the environment to feel that way.

At the end of the tryout, Ramirez sat down with the leaders of Bridges, who informed him that they felt he had the ability to play professionally and offered him several options with various clubs in Europe.

Ramirez settled on IFK StockyardRorviks in Sweden, and officially signed with the team. He will depart for Sweden in about a month, arriving on Apr. 3 to train for the season. The league’s season runs from late April through October.

Sports Scores SAT 2.28.15

WED 2.25.15

TUE 2.24.15 SAT 2.21.15

Women’s Track and Field at MAC Championships

Third Overall

Men’s Track and Field at MAC Championships

Second Overall

Men’s Lacrosse vs Elizabethtown College

W 6 -5

Women’s Lacrosse at Gettysburg College

L 8 - 13

Women’s Basketball at Albright College

L 42 - 59

Men’s Lacrosse vs Stevenson College

L 1 - 13

Women’s Lacrosse vs University of Scranton

W 16 - 1

Men’s Basketball vs Hood College

L 68 - 74

Women’s Basketball vs Hood College

W 63 - 56

His mother and some of his brothers are there with him, but the other half of his family is with his father back in Guatemala, who is completing his PhD studies.

“I’ve never actually been to Europe before, and I can’t say I speak Swedish,” Ramirez says. “I know some basic words and phrases, but it will definitely be out of my comfort zone.”

“Right now, since I have already graduated, I am focusing on staying in shape,” Ramirez adds.

Along with learning the language, Ramirez’s other goals include “the opportunity to make lifelong friends.” The club provides living arrangements for the team, and Ramirez will live in an apartment with the other foreign players on the team.

Ramirez, who was a cross-cultural ministries major at Messiah, is also looking forward to using his career as a form of ministry. He has already considered his plans after his playing career, when he hopes to return to Guatemala. “I have always wanted to coach, so I plan on doing that there.”

While he waits for his departure to Sweden, Ramirez is living at his grandparents’ home about 30 minutes away from Messiah’s campus, where he has commuted from during his time in school.

Family is a big source of motivation for Ramirez, and he dedicates much of his playing career to them. During his senior season, he made his play a tribute to his grandparents, who recently passed away.

“They were my parents while I was here in the States going to college. They mean I lot to me, so I dedicated my season to them,” says Ramirez.

Ramirez’s contract is valid for just this season, meaning he will have the ability to negotiate or use the Bridges FC agency to find a contract with another team.

On the whole though, he knows how he wants his career to be defined.

“The message that I want to get across (through my playing career) is that I want people to know that you don’t have to give up Jesus to play soccer.”

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Website Mark Ferris

THE

SWINGING BRIDGE

Ramirez had an extremely successful run at Messiah, including being part of two National Championship-winning teams in 2012 and 2013, receiving two All-Conference honors, and a First Team All-American selection in 2012.

Ramirez kept in contact with Bridges, but was also in the process of trying out for the Philadelphia Union, who had emailed him following his graduation expressing interest.

Though Ramirez is trilingual—he speaks English, Spanish, and a Mayan dialect called Pocumchi—and has spent time living abroad, he knows that living in Sweden will be a challenge.

MESSIAH COLLEGE//THE PULSE

“I grew up in Guatemala playing soccer,” he says. “There, that is every kid’s dream (to play soccer professionally).”

Photo provided Messiah College Athletics

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