T&C- Spring 2011, Week 7

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Riders take third in Florida 7 Student suggests staying shy of masked campus critters 2

horsing around:

Higher tuition aims to balance budget 4

Jazz combo fails to get reviewer into the groove 5

Junior Annie Garrett, who placed seventh individually at Nationals in Newberry, Fla., riding on horse Rebecca.

photo provided by annie garrett

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t&c editorial staff

Lindsey Hobbs Josh Adkins Kaity Vorbroker Leah Driscoll

Editor-in-Chief News Editor

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opinion

Same Difference

assistant editors Lucas Bean Monica Begazo Paola Casale Alyssa Cook-Alexander Troy Foor Josh Park Julia Robideau Holly Takach Laina Thompson Hannah Ullom contributing staff Pete Clack Austin Walsh contact us 614-823-1159 tanandcardinal@yahoo.com Tan & Cardinal Otterbein University Westerville, OH 43081 advertising For advertising information, contact Anna Schiffbauer at 614823-1159 or by e-mail at tanandcardinaladvertising@ yahoo.com policies The views expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty and administration of Otterbein University.

Opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the writer and not of the newspaper staff. Positions in unsigned editorials represent a consensus of the editorial staff.

The first copy of the Tan & Cardinal is free to the public. Each additional copy is $0.50, and payment can be made at the office at 33 Collegeview, Westerville, OH 43081.

Offenders will be prosecuted.

The T&C staff would love to hear from you. Write a letter to the editor and tell us what you’re thinking. Letters to the editor are letters responding to a writer or an article published in the Tan & Cardinal.

Please keep your letter to 300 words or less. It is at the discretion of the Tan & Cardinal staff as to whether or not the letter will be published. Letters attacking an individual will not be accepted.

Letters must include the author’s first and last name, signature, phone number, address and affiliation to Otterbein University.

Oxford comma up for debate

Two grammar enthusiasts butt heads over the necessity of a controversial punctuation mark Let me tell you what the

Assistant News Editor Oxford comma really is. You see

Opinion Editor Steven Collins Arts & Entertainment Editor Jordan LaBatte Sports Editor Mike Cirelli Copy Editor Kristen Sapp Photography Editor Anna Schiffbauer Business Manager

thursday, may 12, 2011

them in lists like in books, magazines, journals, and textbooks.

That was it! In the space between the “s” in journals and the “a” in and.

The OxALYSSA ford comma COOKseparates the ALEXANDER second-to-last and the last items of a list. Even if you’ve gone your entire college career without noticing, the Oxford comma is always lurking, like the unloved creeper who sits against the wall in your INST class.

I learned that putting that extra comma wasn’t necessary.

Of course, like any logical person, I realized I didn’t need the extra work and skipped over that controversial extra comma.

Now I’m sure you’re thinking, “Seriously, Alyssa, how much time are you really gaining by cutting out Oxford commas?”

My answer to that is an entire

lifetime of not using Oxford commas saves me enough time to watch “Slow Loris with a Tiny Umbrella” on YouTube.

Of course the only reason the Oxford comma is even being discussed is because the comma is not allowed in AP style, which is used in newspapers. For the English traditionalist, like Leah, it’s hard to let it go.

But I say get rid of the darn thing. Clearly you could discern that journals and textbooks are two different items on a list. I’m not saying you should side with me because it looks more or less aesthetically pleasing. You should be on my side because you are the common college student.

You don’t want to have to expend the energy.

Besides, Vampire Weekend’s song “Oxford Comma” validates my point.

So say no to the Oxford comma. Say yes to slow lorises.

t&c

ALYSSA COOK-ALEXANDER IS A SENIOR PUBLIC RELATIONS MAJOR AND IS A CONTRIBUTING WRITER FOR THE t&c.

When it comes to the graceful, misunderstood breath of air that is the Oxford comma, it doesn’t matter if the reader can discern between the last two items in a sequence.

Punctuation can’t just decide when it feels like directing traffic LEAH and when it wants DRISCOLL to go, “Eh, they’ll figure it out. I need a cigarette break.”

Punctuation gives a voice to writing. It indicates pauses for breath, sudden stops — It paints … tone. It directs rises and falls in inflection, don’t you think?

And its absence can create all sorts of feelings like urgency and breathlessness and nervousness if it stays away long enough for the pressure to really mount and grow and for control to slip and spiral away in order to create a beautiful sort of chaos before suddenly reappearing like a desperate and much needed gasp —

But the chaos left in the wake of an absent Oxford comma is not beautiful: It’s destructive.

It’s like being trapped underwater and feeling yourself choke on your last breath with no more air to support you.

Books, magazines, journals and textbooks.

But I read it more desperately than that: Books, magazines, journalsandtextbooks.

Why are we in such a hurry?

Take your time and insert a small little breath mark: I like books, magazines, journals, and textbooks. When speaking aloud, we naturally pause between the second-to-last item in a sequence and the word “and.” That should be represented in the punctuation when the same sentence is written down. That’s what punctuation is for.

I’ve come to terms with AP style’s shunning of the Oxford comma. But that doesn’t mean I won’t complain, rant(,) and rebel at every possible moment. t&c LEAH DRISCOLL IS A JUNIOR JOURNALISM MAJOR AND IS THE OPINION EDITOR FOR THE t&c.

Dumpster-divers unnerve student

Freshman offers advice on what to do when facing a potentially rabid raccoon on campus When walking through the Dunlap-King and Commons parking lot after dark, it’s not uncommon for me to see raccoons on the dumpsters or climbing into the stone trash cans placed around campus.

Usually when ETE raccoons notice me, CPLACK they scurry into the sewers or up a tree. I usually encounter at least one every couple of days, but I’ve seen as many as four throughout one night.

I may have a tiny irrational fear of getting rabies. I know that not all raccoons have rabies and that the government vaccinates them to prevent the spread, but I’m still not a fan.

Assuming a raccoon has rabies based solely on the fact that it is out during the day is false, according to the Humane Society of America. The animal may

be moving to a new location or gathering food that is unavailable at night.

If you do see a raccoon out during the day that is unaffected by noise or movement close by, is staggering and wandering irregularly or has discharge from its eyes or mouth, then the animal may have rabies and you should contact the local animal control or health department.

I know that if I see a raccoon in passMCtCaMpus.CoM/Lisa Carden ing at night and I just bandit: Raccoons are usually born April-June, so look out for a growing population. keep my distance I’ll direction as running toward you, beady little raccoon eyes, just be fine, but my heart either. Don’t create a scene or remember to keep calm and carry can’t help but race a little. on your merry way. t&c If you do see a raccoon, keep you may scare the animal.

Next time you’re walking your distance. Chances are the PETE CLACK IS A FRESHMAN through campus at night and raccoon will run off. Don’t misUNDECIDED MAJOR AND IS A STAFF your path crosses with a pair of WRITER FOR THE t&c. take the animal walking in your

news

vol. 92, issue 27

Bill to increase pool of teachers

www.otterbein360.com

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New legislation will allow out-of-state educators to obtain Ohio teaching licenses

BY JOSH ADKINS News Editor

A new bill signed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) will be adding more competition to the teaching job applicant pool.

House Bill 21 will allow the younger, “smart and motivated” members of the Teach for America program to receive Ohio resident educator licenses, according to a release.

Michele Prater, spokesperson for the Ohio Education Association, said plenty of teachers will lose their jobs because of the $3.1 billion budget deficit, leaving an even larger surplus of teachers in Ohio.

“Currently, we can’t even place the number of teachers that are graduating from college,” Prater said. “So we don’t feel there’s a need for the Teach for America program to come into Ohio.”

Kasich said in a release, “Teach for America has proven itself to be a very effective program. I am thrilled Ohio will now have the opportunity to bring these energetic and passionate teachers into our classrooms.”

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SECURITY REPORT

Teach for America has been successful in improving the quality of education in low-income areas and close the “achievement gap” nationwide, according to its website.

Prater said, “Typically, Teach for America is used in high-need areas in the country where they have a teacher shortage. We just don’t feel there’s a place for them in Ohio because the job outlook is pretty slim.”

Prater said the Ohio Education Association would rather have Ohio graduates teach in Ohio schools instead of bringing outsiders in from Teach for America to work for two years and then leave the state.

Teach for America members are required to take a five-week intensive program before teaching and receive one-on-one coaching during their two-year tenure.

Junior middle childhood education major Lauren Sweezey said she thinks the five-week training period won’t teach someone what she has been taught at Otterbein.

“There’s a lot of stuff that we learn that … other professions

strength in nuMbers:

MCtCaMpus.CoM/daWn MaJors

More than 20,000 Teach for America alumni currently work across the country.

just don’t know. If you’re a science major … how are you going to know what works to teach a student?” Sweezey said.

Otterbein’s Dean of the School of Professional Studies Niki Fayne said in an email interview that graduates’ main concern shouldn’t be nontraditional methods of teacher preparation, but rather “the pile” of job applicants.

“There are very few openings and lots of job seekers,” Fayne said.

Freshman middle childhood education major Jessica Ramey

said, “In a way I think it’s good because it’ll help the inner city schools, which is where teachers don’t want to teach.”

Sweezey said she thinks the bill will change the way education is viewed and won’t give some students the education they deserve.

“I’m glad that the government is finally taking education more seriously … but this is a misguided way to do it because I think in the long run it’s going to hurt the students,” she said.

She said she would have trouble accepting a job in Ohio with

the problems public employees will face with Senate Bill 5 and now House Bill 21.

“I think that the way Ohio’s government is going is not looking so good for working in the public sector,” Sweezey said. “If you can’t fight for what’s right, to a certain degree you’re kind of losing your freedom of speech.”

Fayne said she is optimistic, but remains “skeptical about the assumption that Teach for America will cure the ills of American education.”

“Complex problems require complex solutions,” she said. t&c

According to the WPD and the Otterbein Security Log, the following has been reported from May 4-7.

1. 5/4 Between the hours of 6:30 and 7:30 p.m., a backpack and MP3 player were reported stolen from the OtterDen. 2. 5/6 Bon Appétit reported receiving counterfeit money at the Roush Hall Roost Express. Bon Appétit had made a deposit to PNC Bank.

Bon Appétit then received notification from PNC Bank that two of the $20 bills in the deposit were found to be counterfeit. There is no way to identify the suspect because there are no surveillance cameras in the Roost Express.

3. 5/7 A GPS system was reported stolen from a student’s car in the 25 W. Home St. parking lot. When the student had parked the car, the window had been rolled up, but when the student returned to the car, the window was rolled down about three inches. The GPS window mount was still in the car, but the GPS and the power cord were both missing. There was no other damage to the vehicle. Currently there are no suspects. inForMation CoMpiLed by Kaity vorbroKer

OtterDen

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3

25 W. Home parking lot

Roush Hall Roost Express

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graphiC by Kristen sapp

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Tan & Cardinal

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news

Tan & Cardinal

5.6%

Average annual percentage increase

6%

4.9%

4%

3%

2%

OU partners with colleges

Otterbein’s average was calculated by adding the percentages from 20002011 together and dividing the total by 11.

1% Private four-year (2000-2011)

Public four-year (2000-2011)

WHAT’S THE BUZZ?

Otterbein (2000-2011)

Otterbein will be signing articulation agreements with six community colleges on Thursday, May 19, at 9:30 p.m. at the Capital Club in downtown Columbus.

The agreements guarantee admission to students with a junior standing who graduate from one of the partnering schools with an associate’s degree, and a grade point average of at least a 2.0.

College-level credits earned with a minimum grade of a C at these schools will be applied toward Otterbein’s curriculum requirements.

President Obama’s approval rating has officially reached 60 percent. This is his highest rating in two years. Many Americans say he now deserves re-election, according to a poll taken by The Associated Press after U.S. forces killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. t&c

nationaL inForMation FroM CoLLege board and graphiC by Kristen sapp

Cost of attendance for 2011-2012 will be raised by 4.1 percent The end of the year budget summit brought news of another tuition jump.

At the meeting on Tuesday, Vice President of Business Affairs Rebecca Vazquez-Skillings explained that the budget for the year 2012 will include the 4.1 percent raise to bring in $910,000 of new revenue.

This revenue, along with money from shifting around existing funds so that they will be better used, should make the operating budget break even for next year, according to Skillings.

“We need to ensure that it is our priorities that are driving our budget, not our budget that is driving our priorities,” she said.

This increase in tuition has been happening across the entire nation, a fact that has made some students tolerate paying more money at Otterbein.

“It’s understandable,” said Drew Garlitz, freshman business administration major.

www.otterbein360.com

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Presidential approval rating

Some students find the yearly increase tolerable because it’s happening throughout the nation.

BY LINDSEY HOBBS Editor-in-Chief

arts & entertainment

The colleges that will be partnering with Otterbein are Central Ohio Technical College, Clark State Community College, Marion Technical College, North Central State College, Southern State Community College and Zane State College.

Aid applications nationwide Tuition increased again rise Semester transition won’t halt assistance

staCKing up:

vol. 92, issue 27

News worth texting your friends about

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3%

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thursday, may 12, 2011

Not all students share this opinion, though.

“I think it’s a little ridiculous … but we are a private, Christian university,” senior economics major Shanna Rute said.

The national average increase for four-year, private, nonprofit schools like Otterbein was 4.5 percent last year, according to the College Board’s Trends in College Pricing report.

Last year Otterbein raised tuition by a similar amount, but for the six years before that the increases were 5 percent or higher.

The money brought in by higher tuition is supposed to even out the amount that Otterbein has to spend.

“There have to be some priorities that really rise to the top in terms of where we make investments,” said President Kathy Krendl (who is still a human in the Human vs. Zombies competition as shown by the green armband she wore to the meeting).

Otterbein will be spending money on several big projects

next year, including the Center for Student Success, the women’s lacrosse team, the Cardinal After Dark series (a program designed to promote more student activities on campus) and e-portfolios.

E-portfolios are an electronic means of documenting all of a student’s experiences at Otterbein.

The budget also compensates for the increased support that the Office of Financial Aid asked for to combat tuition increases — an additional $2.6 million in student aid will be allocated to them — and a 1 percent base increase in salary for staff and faculty that is being proposed to the Board of Trustees this weekend.

The prospect of financial aid is welcoming news to some students.

“If they didn’t give out as much as they did in scholarships I might have a problem with (higher tuition),” said Sarah Natoce, freshman psychology major.

t&c

BY JOSH PARK Staff Writer

Freshman life science major Mary Maline is the youngest of nine kids. Her dad recently lost his job, and she worried about paying for tuition at the beginning of the school year.

Despite not having strong monetary support, Maline is still enrolled at Otterbein thanks to some help from financial aid services and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. According to finaid.org, between Jan. 1 and March 31 of 2009 and 2010, the U.S. Department of Education found that there was a 17.5 percent increase in the number of people submitting a FAFSA. Due to Otterbein’s tuition costs, many students have decided to seek financial help with federal money.

“Based on fall 2010 enrollment, approximately 88 percent of Otterbein’s full-time undergraduate students completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid,” said Tom Yarnell, director of financial aid. “Of that group, 82 percent

have received federal loans for students.”

According to Yarnell, the amount of FAFSA applicants this year has only increased by “a couple hundred” since the 2009-2010 school year.

Yarnell said raw numbers of Otterbein’s FAFSA applicants from the past five-10 years aren’t “easily accessible.”

Financial aid counselor Kirsten Crotte said that with Otterbein’s upcoming quartersto-semesters conversion, the transition from distributing money over two terms instead of three may leave students feeling cheated.

“We’re still packaging over the same criteria,” Crotte said.

“Students may feel like they’ve lost aid, but in fact, it’s different math.”

Counseling for loan options is available. Anyone who has concerns about paying tuition should contact the Financial Aid Office and review their situation with a counselor.

“Otterbein really helped me out,” Maline said. “They did everything they could to get me extra money and stay in college.” t&c

aLL JaZZed up:

photo by MiKe CireLLi

The student jazz band played with technical proficiency but needed a defined sense of flair.

Jazz combo lacks style

T&C reviewer was not impressed by Friday night’s Old Bag show

BY MIKE CIRELLI Copy Editor

Bright blasts of jazz weren’t enough to light up the dim third floor of the Old Bag of Nails Pub Friday night.

The Otterbein jazz combo led by Jay Miglia may have played several crowd-pleasers that night, but one key ingredient was missing from the performance: a fully realized sense of style.

There was no doubt that the two trumpeters, trombonist, guitarist, bass guitarist, drummer and keyboardist had mastered their instruments from a technical standpoint years ago. They played the melodies of each song flawlessly and rarely hit a sour note.

But when the solos took off, it almost seemed as if the players were reading notes from their music stands rather than playing real improvised jazz — and in this sense, their priority seemed to lie in playing the solos “correctly” rather than with a defined sense of flair or energy. Technical proficiency is certainly not the No. 1 goal when it comes to a jazz ensemble of this order.

The band played about seven funk-tinged jazz gems throughout the hour-and-a-half set, providing ample time in each song for soloing.

The most riveting moment of the night wasn’t during the

band’s liveliest piece, but rather its prettiest. “Soothe us!” Miglia shouted from the audience. Taking his cue, guitarist Isaac Maupin, a sophomore who would do justice to the nickname Slowhand Jr., instantly pealed out the indelible guitar intro to “Mo’ Better Blues” like he was slicing butter.

Near the end of the piece, the guitars, horns and keyboard, which was programmed to sound like an organ, all came together, and the effect was like that of listening to a gospel choir — a powerful, moving sound bolstered by a sense of unity and harmony among different instrumentalists.

Though bass guitarist Kyle Kubovcik hid in the background of the songs most of the time, those who listened carefully could pick up on his jaunty and skillful playing. His occasional solos bobbed and bounced in an effortless sort of way, especially during “Mo’ Better Blues.”

The other part of the rhythm section, drummer Mike Johnson, a senior, played not only with sonic verve but also visual verve.

He coolly spun his drumstick around his hand throughout the pieces and at one point played a drum with his palms. His solos were loud and exciting and suggested a background in rock music.

The ensemble’s rendition of “Wayne’s Thang” by the Kenny

Garrett Quartet was one of the night’s more kinetic moments.

The performers burst into double-time as junior trumpeter Sam Kolis came close to matching the intensity of the sax solo in the original. Moments like these gave the performance a shot of flavor that wasn’t always present.

The combo was certainly not show-stopping. The people in the audience looked bored as they lifelessly sipped their drinks and checked their phones. The large, cavernous room wasn’t exactly brimming with funky energy. Perhaps this band needs to learn how to throw caution to the wind and simply get lost in the music.

A cover of Jaco Pastorius’ catchy, reggae-flavored interpretation of “The Chicken” ended the night, and suddenly the band seemed to be less concerned with craft and more concerned with style.

Maybe it was because it was the last song of the night, or maybe it was simply because one can’t have a bad time while playing a melody as effervescent as the one in “The Chicken.” Either way, this newfound sense of fun was exactly what the jazz combo needs to tap into in the future.

t&c

Rating: &&&

Hey Otterbein, are you bored?

Do you want to listen to some great music? Then tune in to 97.5FM or www.wobn.net every day for the best in college rock, great sports coverage and some awesome shows!

Shows not to be missed: In the Know – Thursdays at 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Working for the Weekend – Fridays at 6-7 p.m.

Girl Talk – Mondays at 8-9 p.m.

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Tan & Cardinal

arts & entertainment

What’s your flavor?

Hero movie hurts the eyes The actors and effects really make “Thor” shine, but horrible framing and too many cuts detracted slightly from the fight scenes

Name: Matt Taylor Year: sophomore Major: early education Hometown: Wadsworth What’s your flavor? mint chocolate chip Hot or cold? hot Favorite place in Westerville: the ’60s store Favorite sports team: the Cleveland Indians Favorite book: “The Cat in the Hat” Favorite athlete: Omar Vizquel If you’re interested in being next week’s flavor, please contact us at tanandcardinal@yahoo.com.

thursday, may 12, 2011

BY STEVEN COLLINS Arts & Entertainment Editor

photo and inForMation CoMpiLed by Kristen sapp

Visit

donatos.com

to get coupons for pizza, subs & salads!

363 S. State St. & 861 N. State St.

What pizza should be.

Not even the legendary Thor can always defeat poor cinematography.

The film adaptation of the Marvel superhero stars Chris Hemsworth as Thor, a powerful warrior that wields a large hammer; Natalie Portman as astrophysicist Jane Foster; Tom Hiddleston as Loki; and Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Thor’s father and the king of Asgard, a fabled realm where warriors possess exceptional power.

In the movie, Thor is banished from Asgard after disobeying a direct order from his father that causes a war between two powerful realms. Upon being banished from Earth and losing his powers, Thor befriends a scientist who rescues him and shows him how to act like a human.

With the hurt that banishing Thor caused and the impending war, Odin is so grief-stricken that he goes into an “Odinsleep,” which is similar to a coma and lets him recover from his pain.

This causes Thor’s friends and fellow warriors to go to Earth to bring him back. Upon their visit to Earth, Asgard falls into the wrong hands and Thor must save Asgard from war and Earth from destruction.

The story was really good, but what else can you expect from Marvel characters? The producers made a fantastic decision to cast Hemsworth in the role of Thor. Hopkins also made for a very believable Odin. Portman, in her smaller role, wasn’t too shabby either.

The one performance that must be applauded is that of Hiddleston, who gave a great performance and kept his character’s true intentions hidden from the characters and the audience.

“Thor” can be commended on its use and quality of special effects and CG animation. The explosions and various other worldly characters were very believable and weren’t too over the top like other superhero and fantasy films in the past. In one especially impressive scene, a

large robot-like warrior with a laser that shoots out of its head makes the journey from Asgard to Earth, where it destroys the small town where Thor found himself after his previous banishment.

However, the story cannot offset the horrible framing of the movie. There was plenty of action in the movie, but all the action scenes were filmed too tightly and too many cuts were made, both of which made the scenes almost physically painful to watch.

It seemed as though the director wanted to put the audience member directly in the middle of the fight, but it was done rather poorly. Having been someone who’s studied film and taken video production classes, I might be nitpicking here, but it’s something that is important to me.

If they had taken a cue from the first Iron Man and SpiderMan movies and framed the action scenes from more of a distance, it would have made for a more interesting and enjoyable experience.

Another thing that I didn’t care for in this movie was the lack of a climactic scene that really stood out in my mind. There were several good moments in the movie and plenty of what I’ll call skirmishes, but there wasn’t a 15-minute skull-bashing scene that resembles Spider-Man vs. Green Goblin, the Autobots vs.

the Decepticons from the first Transformers or Mark I vs. Mark IV from “Iron Man.” Most of those scenes had good 10-15 minute battles; Thor’s final battle seemed to last seconds, but in actuality was probably only a couple minutes.

All in all, it’s a pretty good story that anyone can enjoy as long as they bring Dramamine to help with the motion sickness.

t&c

“Thor” Directed by Kenneth Branagh

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sports 7 Dressage team trots to third place at Nationals www.otterbein360.com

vol. 92, issue 27

Otterbein equestrian team kept control in Florida and beat 12 competitive teams from around the country

BY KAITY VORBROKER Assistant News Editor

The last weekend in April, four members of Otterbein’s varsity dressage equestrian team traveled to Newberry, Fla., to compete at the Dressage National Championships horse show.

As a team, Otterbein took third place out of 12 teams from around the country after a three-way tie for second place.

The tie was broken by the team’s average of each individual rider’s percentage.

Otterbein’s dressage team finished second in the region, allowing them to move on to Nationals.

The team included junior Colleen Grant riding at lower training level, senior Emma Heald riding at upper training level, sophomore Anna Beckman riding at introductory, junior Annie Garrett riding at first level and coach Kari Briggs.

“Being able to attend Nationals this year was a great personal and team achievement,” Garrett said. “We have all had our good rides and bad, but no matter how the shows ended, the team was always there to offer support.”

The team was also awarded the team sportsmanship award.

They were nominated for this award by other teams in their region.

“The national sportsmanship award means a lot to me as a coach,” Briggs said. “This recognition highlights the reasons behind intercollegiate sports, and it is an honor to be recognized. Our riders are extremely competitive, but the team stresses the importance of sportsmanship, and this award is a reflection of their character.”

Each team member had an individual placing as well. Grant placed first, Heald placed fourth, Beckman placed 11th and Garret placed seventh.

“Otterbein had a tremendous showing at this year’s National Championships. All of the riders rode exceptionally well, and we were rewarded with our highest national placing to date,” Briggs said.

Otterbein holds tryouts for the equestrian team in the fall.

Everyone who tries out for the team gets on it, but there are only four varsity spots available.

The tryouts are used to judge the level of riding a person is at.

Grant said that Otterbein typically sends one team to shows during the regular season, but it will sometimes send two

teams depending on the region it is competing in.

There are 20 members on the Otterbein dressage team, but only four members are sent on a team to each show.

Dressage (druh-sahj) is an equestrian sport that tests a horse’s and rider’s ability to communicate with each other as partners.

The riders and their horses are set in a rectangular arena with letters along the outside edge and a set pattern that the rider must memorize before competition.

The pattern coincides with the letters along the edge.

Each part of the pattern must be performed at the specified letter.

Dressage focuses on a rider’s mental capabilities as well as the horse’s.

The horse and rider are judged on how accurately they perform the given pattern. A dressage judge will also look at the horse’s bend (the way the horse’s head and body move in the direction it is moving), flexion (the way the horse holds its head) and impulsion (how much energy the horse has or does not have).

t&c

MCtCaMpus.CoM

the Mighty thor:

The Marvel film grossed $66 million in America and $89.2 million worldwide in its first weekend.

heavy hardWare:

photo by annie garrett

From left to right: Coach Kari Briggs, Emma Heald, Anna Beckman, Annie Garrett and Colleen Grant hold up their sportsmanship award after placing in the top five at Nationals.

photo by CoLLeen grant

be the horse: Emma Heald preps for competition with her steed, Scotty.

sports 8 Baseball ends season on a fly

thursday, may 12, 2011

Tan & Cardinal

Cards finish season with big wins but will have no postseason

BY AUSTIN WALSH Contributing Writer

Going into the 2011 season, the Otterbein baseball team knew it had to replace a lot of runs. After missing the conference tournament for the second straight year and just the third time in 10 seasons, it’s no surprise that struggling to push runners across the plate helped squash the team’s postseason hopes.

“We lost eight one-run games,” head coach George Powell said. “When you lose games by one run, it’s more of an offensive issue.”

The team only managed to score 227 runs on the season compared to 263 in 2010 and 319 in 2009. Three of the team’s one-run losses came against conference foes John Carroll, Baldwin-Wallace and Capital.

And yet the team was still in a position to sneak into the OAC tournament in the final weeks.

“At the very end there, we started playing baseball to the level I thought we would during the course of the year,” Powell said.

Otterbein (19-20, 9-9 OAC) needed help from Ohio Northern on the final day of the season to jump over John Carroll in the standings and advance.

However, the Blue Streaks took two games from the Polar Bears, ending the Cardinals’ season.

Otterbein’s season will not end with a conference championship, but one marquee win will long be remembered. On May 3, Powell collected his 300th win as the Cardinals traveled to Cincinnati and beat the Bearcats 6-4.

“The thing that was special to me … we beat a fantastic team, and it’s something that these players will remember for the rest of their lives,” Powell said. “I’ll remember it forever, not only to link (the win) to this team, but we beat a Division I team at a great venue.”

Likely not expecting to win, the team had nine hits and committed zero errors.

“I think a lot of people went down there with the mentality of let’s play and see what happens,” said senior third baseman Josh Coleman, one of five seniors.

“If we would just have had that mentality of let’s play baseball.”

Coleman, who finished third on the team with a .321 batting average, started 38 of the team’s 39 games after starting just 30 prior to his senior season.

“Those dues of not being an everyday starter to going to be a starter, and playing with guys that went through the same thing … to win with those four guys (John LaCorte, Clayton Clever, Elliott Greenhill and Travis Stephens) and win the last two on Fishbaugh Field was rewarding,” Coleman said.

Powell credited the baseball community as a reason Otterbein has strong senior classes.

“We have guys that stick around,” Powell said. “When I look at the baseball program, that’s what the most gratifying part is … we keep guys.”

Coleman said, “It was disappointing to finish 19-20, but there were some high points.

The Cincinnati game was a high point. Finally beating Heidelberg was a high point, and then winning those last two games at home. The high points were in the last week of the season, so we went out on a high note.”

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photo by Kristen sapp

throWin’ Fire: Senior John LaCorte pitches in his final Otterbein game.

Fundamentals propel Lady Cards to 23 victories Softball got a taste of the team’s potential during the season and strives to be consistent winners in the future

BY JORDAN LABATTE Sports Editor

Otterbein softball ended its 2011 season with a record of 23-15, a 16-win improvement from 2010.

The Lady Cards split their last three matches against Ohio Northern, which stands second in the OAC, Baldwin-Wallace at third and Marietta at fifth.

The Cards were knocked out of OAC tournament contention after a game-two loss of 8-1 to Baldwin-Wallace.

“Well, honestly it’s not all about losing one game,” junior outfielder Casey Clarridge said.

“It’s just we weren’t consistent.

We split with some teams that we shouldn’t have split with.”

Despite being knocked out of the tournament, the Cards have

made a significant change from previous seasons.

In the 2010 season, the Cards could only muster several wins in the overall season. Two of those wins were conference matches.

This season the Cardinals improved to a 23-15 record and went 8-10 in the conference, leaving them tied for sixth with Capital.

“When we did win those games, we brought our batting, our pitching, our hitting — we brought it all,” Clarridge said.

“The games we lost, we left our hitting out or we weren’t defensively sound. It’s just when we brought those three aspects together, we kicked the crap out of everybody, and it was a totally different team.”

The 2011 team had set singleseason team records with 194

RBIs, 16 homeruns and triples and a total of 233 runs scored.

Efforts from freshman Laura Basford mounted a single-season record with eight triples and 45 runs scored, and sophomore Erin Carpenter held 40 RBIs to create another Otterbein record.

“We have just been working our butts off, and we started from scratch,” Clarridge said.

“My freshman year we started with the basics, and this year it all came together. This year we had so many girls that were able to contribute that honestly we weren’t surprised we won so much because we knew we were going to be good.”

The effort has not been on talent alone. Under the direction of head coach Christine Steines, the Lady Cards have been reconstructing the program.

“Last year we learned all about the NCAA rules, the dynamics of the field and essentially relearned softball. Now, (it’s) just having a deeper understanding of how you can play the game,” Clarridge said.

Steines said, “We built a foundation, so this year we added upon that foundation with adding in some newcomers … and that kind of just took off from there, and finally all the work we have been putting in in the past is finally paying off.”

The Lady Cards will be returning much of the same roster with only seniors Megan Studebaker and Kirsti King leaving.

“We lost our seniors and they had really good leadership, but I think we have some girls that will step up and fill those roles,” Clarridge said.

The Cardinals will be aiming for the OAC tournament next season and hope to get there with consistency and the foundation that has been built.

“It’s been our goal every single year we have been here, so next year I really want it to happen. If it doesn’t happen, yeah, it sucks, but we helped the girls get to the point because they will get there soon,” Clarridge said.

“We are really excited about next season because now we see that we can do some harm in this conference, so now it’s seeing and knowing we can get it done,” Steines said. “But our goal is to be consistent and to be the team that ends up on top consistently, so we are going to focus on the fundamentals and be a consistent team.”

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