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Independently Publsihed By Loras Students Since 1922 Vol. C Iss. X
March 17, 2022 - Dubuque, IA
Loras Boxing Club Comes Out Swinging by MARK MEDERSON boxing club advisor
In March of 2020, we had 81 names on a list of students who had signed up indicating their interest in joining a boxing club at Loras. One week before club members were going to put on their boxing gloves for the first time, COVID shut us down. The club was originally set up after J-term 2020. I taught a class, From the Box Office to the Boxing Ring. In that class, students watched and conducted film analyses of boxing films, both fictional and non-fictional (documentary), in the morning and then learned how to box in the afternoon. The boxing training took place at True (now Volv), a cross training gym downtown. In the class, students kept a daily journal about their boxing training. As the three-week semester drew to a close, several students wrote in their journals that they really wanted to keep training. This gave me the idea for a campus boxing club. We were going to continue the afternoon boxing training at True before COVID blew everything up. The next fall, as school started, I wanted to give the club another shot. True has a great space but it’s only available to us from 1:30 to 3:00 in the afternoon, and we have to pay to use it. I was determined to find a place on campus where a boxing club could meet just about any time and at no cost to the club members.
I had been talking with Darian Hugger, Loras security, about the club. He loved the idea and wanted to help. Darian probably knows the campus as well as anyone who works at Loras. He started taking me around campus to scout out some locations. At the same time, I was working with Loras Athletics to see if they had any ideas for a boxing space. I think I looked at nearly every space anyone could think of. No luck, though. Then, this past fall, I re-visited a space that I had looked at last fall. It was a perfect spot but the softball team had claimed it in 2020. But that had changed, it turned out they were no longer going to use it. Instead, the baseball team was planning to use it, but only sparingly. I was told that when baseball wasn’t using it, the boxing club could! We finally have a space! Not many people know about “The Dungeon.” It’s on the second floor in the San Jose Pool building. You get to it by climbing a d ar k , m e t a l, spi r a l staircase. It’s perfect! Now that we have a sp ace, we ne e d s ome equipment for boxing
College Career and Professional Development Fair by KEEGAN A. GODWIN executive editor
Be sure to visit the upcoming career fair for all Loras students. The fair will be hosted on March 29 at the Grand River Center on 500 Bell St. This is a great opportunity for students to put themselves out there and begin networking for their careers. Free transportation is available for all students if necessary. The event will be hosted from 10 AM until 2 PM. Students are highly encouraged to attend this event as it is a opportunity that does not come by very often. Be sure to talk to teachers, advisors, or friends if you have any questions. You can also check out the link below to learn more and see if your question has already been answered! Academic Internship Coordinator
training. A heavy bag, a speed bag and platform to hold it, a double-end bag and a boxing round clock. I submitted the paperwork and, after several meetings, we were approved as a campus club along with the funding for that equipment! The Loras Boxing Club is finally going to happen! Now, we need members. Our list of 81 names is two years old so we need a new one. If you’re interested in joining, send an email to boxing.club@loras.edu. You don’t have to have any experience, just an interest in learning how to box. I’ll put you on the mailing list and I’ll let you know as soon as we’re ready for our first real meeting. You can also follow us on Facebook under Loras Boxing Club.
Loras College Housing Sign-Up Information - Stay Informed!
Jennie Weber says, “The College Career & Professional Development Fair will b e hoste d by t he Gre ater Dubuque Development Corporation and will be held simultaneously with the Dubuque Collegiate Information Technology Fair. This gives students the chance to attend two career fairs at once. The event will be a welcomed return to in-person networking after so many events were canceled over the last two years due to the pandemic. Students will have powerful opportunities to connect with area employers, attend collegeto-career information sessions, and get a jump on applying for full-time positions and internships. The Loras College Center for Experiential Learning strongly encourages all students to register and attend.”
Housing sign-up day is March 27! Be sure to have your application submitted by March 22.
Columbian Presidency
Lorian Survey Results
Baseball Defeats U. of Iowa
Track National Champions
Colombia went to the polls on March 13 to vote for members of their legislature. No party won a majority in either chamber of the legislature. Colombia’s presidential primary was also on March 13. There are four page 2
The response was pretty overwhelming. One hundred ninety-two of you completed the survey we sent out. In a campus of about 1,500, that is a great response rate! First, thank you for completing the survey! Second, you told us what you page 5
After a thriller at Duane Banks Field on Tuesday night, Iowa City was bleeding purple and gold! The Duhawk baseball team stunned the Iowa Hawkeyes 3-1 in their home opener. The 4-2 Hawkeyes were looking to make a stand at home, but the page 7 2-0 Duhawks had other plans.
The last time the Loras College women’s track and field team competed at an NCAA Division III indoor track and field championship was in 2019 and the team made history with the program’s first podium finish, placing fourth. When they page 8
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N ews
The Lorian
Russia and Ukraine - An Ongoing War by DEVYN SHEA opinion editor
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is still ongoing. Over 2.5 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded the nation last month, according to the UNHCR. Most of the refugees have fled to the neighboring nation of Poland. Casualty estimates have varied and the numbers increase frequently. What is known is that the Russian forces have been met with surprising resistance from Ukraine. Invading Russian troops have also been surrendering and Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy has called on them to surrender saying, “If you surrender to our forces, we will treat you the way people are supposed to be treated. As people, decently.” Two mayors of Ukrainian cities have been captured by Russian forces. Ivan Fyodorov, the ethnically Russian mayor of the ethnically Russian city of Melitpol was kidnapped after calling the Russian forces in the city “occupiers”. He has since been replaced by a pro-Russia mayor by the Russian forces. This move has been met with protests by the citizens of the city. Ukrainians in Kyiv have united in defending the city against Russian forces. Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv said, “ We will never give up, we will fight.” He and his brother, both former boxers, have been on the frontlines in Kyiv. The mayor implemented a 35 day curfew on March 15 due to increased bombings in the city. Former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, who is fighting in the streets of Kyiv, has called Putin a “war criminal” for bombing civilian buildings across Ukraine. Putin, through state media, has indicated he is not targeting civilians, but Ukranians and western media show a different story. A maternity hospital in the city of Mariupol was bombed, taking the life of a pregnant woman. Numerous peace talks between Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin have failed. Sanctions on Russia have increased as they have not withdrawn from Ukraine. President Joe Biden announced the US would stop importing oil and natural gas from Russia where 8% of the US’ imports come from. McDonalds is temporarily closing all of its 847 stores. Companies like Netflix, Levi’s, Coca Cola, Starbucks, and Heineken have also suspended their stores and business in Russia. The Russian currency, the ruble, has also decreased so much in value that one ruble is worth less than one US cent. The currency has dropped nearly 50% in value since the beginning of the year. Putin has lost several military commanders since the invasion started. According to Ukrainian officials, Putin has also fired eight generals since the start of the invasion. He has sent his lover and their children to safety in Switzerland. Putin’s popularity and safety has been put into question as anti-war riots have broken out across over fifty Russian cities and thousands of protesters have been arrested.
Yoon Elected As South Korean President by DEVYN SHEA opinion editor
South Korea recently elected a new president. The race was between progressive former Governor Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party and conservative former Prosecutor General Yoon Suk-yeol of the People Power Party. Both of the candidate’s campaigns were marred with scandal and the polls showed them in a tight race. Centrist third party candidate Ahn Cheol-soo of the People’s party had dropped out in the last week of campaigning and endorsed Yoon. Ahn was at nearly ten percent in the polls when he dropped out. On March
9, Yoon beat Lee by less than a percent (48.56% – 47.83%), making it the closest presidential election in South Korea’s history. Seventy-seven percent of voters turned out to vote. Yoon will likely bring a harder approach to China and try cultivating a stronger relationship with the US. He also plans on committing to a harder stance on North Korea as well, building up South Korea’s military and defense systems and not backing down until North Korea denuclearizes. US President Joe Biden has congratulated Presidentelect Yoon and reassured Yoon that the US will help defend South Korea. Yoon is set to take office on May 10, 2022.
THE
EDITORIAL STAFF
executive editor: KEEGAN GODWIN features editor: MARY FELLERS opinion editor: DEVYN SHEA sports editor: CAMERON ARVIDSON mind and soul editor: CALASANDRA SPRAY assistant editor: GENEVIEVE REED advertising: COLIN KLAPPERICH
ABOUT US
photo by CNBC.COM
Yoon Suk-yeol has won the South Korean Presidential Election. Yoon (pictured above), was greeted by crowds of his supporters after winning on March 10.
Columbia’s Presidential Elections by DEVYN SHEA opinion editor
Colombia went to the polls on March 13 to vote for members of their legislature. No party won a majority in either chamber of the legislature. Colombia’s presidential primary was also on March 13. There are four coalitions of parties in Colombia, each picking their own candidate through a primary system. Presidents in Colombia are limited to one term of four years. Currently the president is Ivan Duque, who was elected in 2018. Duque led the first round of votes in 2018. The two other major candidates were former mayor of Medellin Sergio Fajardo who was a part of a center-left coalition and former Bogota mayor and Senator Gustavo Petro of a left wing coalition. Petro made it to the runoff election with Duque but lost. Duque’s presidency has been largely unpopular. His disapproval rating has been over 70% over the past year. His handling of crime, corruption, violence has been criticized. Protests broke out last year in Colombia over his government’s proposal to raise taxes on citizens. This hurt his popularity significantly especially when many protesters were injured or killed by police. Anti-police brutality protests have also arisen more frequently over the past year. Colombia has been under the rule of right wing coalitions for most of the 21st century. The country’s most
recent primary indicates that they may take a turn towards the left side of the political spectrum. Sergio Fajardo returned to presidential politics this year winning his centrist coalition’s nomination with a small plurality of the vote. Also returning is Gustavo Petro who won over 80% of the vote in a primary that roughly 5.4 million voters participated in. Another former mayor of Medellin also won the right wing coalition primary. Fedrico Gutierrez, also known as Fico, won 54% of the right wing coalition primary. It is likely the contest will go beyond the first round and end in a runoff between left-wing candidate Petro and conservative Gutierrez. Petro has tried to pertain to lower class voters and has campaigned on redistributing wealth and land. Petro won double the amount of votes Gutierrez had won in his primary. The large turnout for Petro indicates a shift in the politics of Colombia that have been traditionally conservative. The next president of Colombia will need to work with the candidates and parties that won seats in the nation’s legislature in order to get things accomplished in government. The race will most likely be between opposite ends of the political spectrum, fueling the polarization and political divide. The people of Colombia will have to choose between those who have remained in power for decades or chart a new path for their nation.
Circulation: The Lorian is published on a weekly basis, with exceptions of holiday breaks, examination periods and January Term. The newspaper is available in all main academic buildings and residence halls across campus on Thursdays during the afternoon/evening. Editorial Policy: The Lorian is the official student-led, award-winning newspaper of Loras College. The opinions expressed in The Lorian are those of individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the students, faculty or administration. The Lorian reserves the right to edit submissions for taste, length and grammar.
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H ealth
and
Wellness
It’s Funny How a Near-Death Experience Can Really Make You Hungry by DAVID GRINTJES staff writer
I struggled with a terrible loss just prior to the start of the spring semester. To say I was in a funk would be a massive understatement. I needed something to boost my spirits. My friends suggested some time outdoors might do the trick. I immediately agreed. The sun had finally made a warming appearance for the first time after a blistering cold Iowa winter. Excited to be out in the warm weather, Jake Healy, Drew Wollenschlager and I drove about 10 minutes to the famous Mines of Spain for a routine hike. When we got there, we were a bit disappointed at the conditions. A warm winter day in Iowa can only mean one thing: the melting ice and snow on the paths meant we would be slogging through a mud pit. We avoided the mud as best as we could and made our way deeper into the park. When we got to the first bluff it was immaculate. The beaming sun lit the different layers of rock on the steep cliffs better than a Hollywood lighting director ever could. As we looked down into the valley between the cliffs, we could see the tops of the trees which were dripping with melting snow. There was a peaceful silence in the air that felt like a healing tonic to my injured soul. I thought to myself, “This is just what I needed.” After walking through the valley, we decided to climb up onto the cliff that overlooks the valley and the river. To get up there we needed to climb up an exposed rock face that is about 12 feet high. The rocks still had patches of ice but Healy, Drew, and I handled the ascent with ease. We reached the plateau and made our way across to the cliff where people usually sit to rest and appreciate the view. The condition of the trails was getting worse but we decided to march on. The mud caked our shoes and finding good footing on a narrow and steep trail made walking very precarious. I knew I would definitely be sacrificing a good pair of shoes to the mud gods. After around 30 minutes of slipping and sliding our way along the path we finally made it to the overlook. We took a seat to rest, and Drew and I ate some snacks from my bag. There was a pair of hikers behind us and as we were hanging out on the cliff, we asked them if there were more trails on the plateau. They said there was one down the backside and then disappeared out of our view. We were ready to leave and headed to the back side of the cliff searching for the trail. We hopped down some icy rocks and planned our next move. We ended up finding the trail but to our dismay the rocks on this side of the cliff hadn’t been exposed to the sun and were covered in ice. We tried to turn back and climb back up but we couldn’t. The icy rocks we came down were too slippery to climb back up. I looked to my left and tip toed my way on a ledge to a tree to look for an alternate route. I had my size 14 feet wedged in some very small foot holds and held a tree to stabilize
myself. I realized we were not going to be able to get down this way so I tried to get back to Drew and Healy. Unfortunately, I had gotten myself to a point of no return. I heard Drew and Healy jokingly asking why I went that way. Then it hit me: I was stuck in a dangerous spot and couldn’t get back to the safety of the rocks. One wrong move and I would tumble down, what seemed like, 300 feet of steep hill which was littered with dead trees, rocks, ice, and mud. I could feel my heart rate increase and my face getting warm. I had to actively fight my urge to panic. I took a couple of deep breaths and slowly assessed my situation. I thought I might be able to lower myself onto the side of the hill and create a low center of gravity. I figured this might work better without my backpack so I took it off. I tried to slowly set my bag next to me but it wasn’t having any part of that. As soon as it touched the ground it took off, tumbling very fast down the steep hillside like one of those steep mountain skiers you see on YouTube who hits a rock and begins a grotesque series of cartwheels down the hill. We all watched in silent horror as the bag – which contained our food, car keys, my phone, and wallet – bounced down the hill. After what seemed like an eternity, it finally settled to a stop. We looked at each other and, without thinking about how much trouble we might be in, laughed hysterically. It appears humor was able to lighten the mood, but we really were in a very serious pickle of a situation. This hillside was so steep that without at least three parts of my body touching it to create friction, I would slide straight down. Think of the water park slide where you stand on a base that drops out and then you shoot straight down. It was nearly that steep. I proceeded to get on my butt and work my way down the hill in a butt touching version of a crab walk. I strategically tested every solid object around me before placing the full weight of a hand or a foot on it. My goal was to maintain three points of contact so I wouldn’t end up following the fate of my bag. It was funny to watch the bag. I wouldn’t be laughing if it was me. I was 50 feet down the hillside when I heard Drew and Healy begin to plan their next move. They didn’t want to go down the icy rock path and decided to follow me and do the butt slide. Healy went first. Drew lagged, unsure of himself when it came to committing to this strategy. I kept working my way down. My bright red sweat shorts were now completely soaked and muddy. My bag had rested halfway down the hill amongst a cluster of fallen trees and, now, I was about 50 feet from it.
continued on page 4
The Lorian
Mar 17, 2022
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The Moment that Changed My Life Forever by SKYLER LANDRY guest writer
My first introduction to the word “trans” was extremely negative. I want to take a moment to explain what that negative connotation did to me and my gender identity. When you are around people who constantly belittle and demonetize trans people you, unfortunately, tend to follow suit. Especially if you are young and impressionable. When I was about 10-years-old, my mom moved in with a man who would become my step dad. He is probably one of the biggest conservatives I have ever met. I was at an age where I valued my parent’s opinions over my own, so I followed suit. Throughout high school, especially my sophomore and junior year, I was pretty conservative and I said a lot of things I regret saying. I wish I could take them back. I watched a lot of very openly transphobic YouTubers whether they were trans themselves or not. I refused to acknowledge this internalized transphobia until around my junior year. This really hindered my healing process because, even during that time, I knew I was hiding something behind all this anger which I tended to project on others. I vividly remember watching Kalvin Garrah, a young trans man who often criticized other trans people. Garrah called non-binary people “fakers” or “attention seekers.” I bought in because I did not really understand what non-binary was. I struggled a lot with coming to the realization that I was a trans man who was deep in the closet. I struggled a lot more realizing that some of the things I said were insanely discriminatory. Ever since I have been trying to pick up the pieces and fix it. I regret every word I said in that time period but I will not let those words define me. I’m growing to accept myself. Part of that growth is to work to end the alt-right pipeline in which I had fallen. The turning point came in my junior year. I remember saying something to my friends at lunch. What I said actually was the catalyst that allowed me to begin to put my entire life into perspective. One of my friends said something that I can’t remember. My response was the key. “So did everyone wish they were the other gender as kids too?” I casually said to my friends. They all looked up at me like I was insane. Seeing their reaction was a tough pill to swallow. I had convinced myself that everyone had dreams or fantasies where they were a different gender and living their lives out as that gender. Some people do but, what I learned at that moment was, it was never to the extent I did. I don’t remember a lot from my childhood because it is like 10 years in the past. But some of my most vivid memories are me being upset because I couldn’t play boy roles in class plays, or calling myself king of the playground, or even wearing my brother’s clothes. I realized, sitting there at lunch
with my friends laughing about what I said, that something was different. The negative conservative beliefs that constantly nipped at my brain disappeared. It felt like my brain did a factory reset and I converted back to the more progressive version of me again. It was the biggest eye opener of my young life. However, because of this experience, I have struggled as I made my way on my trans journey. During quarantine, I decided to sort of experiment with my gender identity and see what pronouns or names I was comfortable with. As a child I was in love with Greek and Roman mythology and I decided to take the name of my favorite Greek goddess. However, I was chastised online with people saying I can’t use that name because it’s a girl’s only name. This upset me because I wanted to use this name for empowerment and strength because that’s how I felt when I heard the name. I ended up using a shortened version and have really come to love my name. I used to go by a nickname of my birth name, and I still do, but I much prefer the name I have now. As for pronouns, I used they/she during my junior year of high school and later began using they/she/he. At the time, I much preferred being seen as genderfluid rather than as a girl. As time went on, I got irritated that no one would use my “he” pronouns and I started becoming uncomfortable with “she.” I dropped “she” and started using they/he. After a few months, I really started to not feel genderfluid or non-binary. I sat down by myself and had a real heart to heart and listened to what my body was trying to tell me. I came to the realization that I just felt like I was a boy. And my body told me I’m a boy. After that, I began using he/him very exclusively online and then branching out to my close friends before I finally came out to my mom. Even though I felt that I was being true to myself, this was a difficult time for me. Not everyone was comfortable with my honesty. I still want to take the time and continue listening to myself and see if being a trans man is what I want in the long run or if I’m comfortable with something else. I want to finally feel okay and confident with who I am and that’ll only happen when I finally start to listen to myself and my body. I think it will continue to tell me exactly what it wants and what I want.
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The Lorian
Secrets from the Seminary Part 2 by GREGORY KINSER staff writer
What do we seminarians like to do when we aren’t at Mass, Adoration, Morning or Evening Prayer, translating Latin, or writing papers? Well, that depends on who you ask. Some of us like to play a game in our free time. What game, you may ask? A very special game… A game that has been with us since our childhood… A game you might now get the irresistible urge to play once a year… That’s right: I’m talking about Minecraft. Now, I know what you’re thinking. “How does a seminarian have enough time to play Minecraft?” And you’re right. We don’t. But we make it happen regardless of the pain it may cause us. Because when you truly love something, you will always find a way. It all started about halfway through this year’s J-term. For many, J-term is a wonderful time with much free time for hobbies. For a few of us seminarians, this was a time of extreme crafty mining. After an embarrassing number of hours, I am proud to say that we beat the game. Not only did we take on and slay the mighty (not really) dragon, but we also took on the much more terrifying Wither totally unprepared and got the job done. If you’ve ever played Minecraft, you know of the great joys and heartbreaks, adventures and trials, comforts and horrors you experience in that beautiful blocky world. If you never have played Minecraft and happen to have $20, a computer or console, and at least 500 hours to spare in the near future, I highly encourage you to give it a shot. It just may change your life forever.
Antioch Retreat Reflection by RUBEN BOTALI guest writer
On the morning of Friday November 5th, 2021, I had my usual load of homework. But instead of taking the way of the library to help with those tasks, I took a slightly different road than what I was used to do: On that Friday evening, I went to Hoffman Hall to attend a spiritual retreat called “Antioch”. Before walking to Hoffman hall, someone I met couple weeks ago invited to stop by Chick-Fil-A with 2 other people so that we could go together to the retreat after getting some food, couple of days after the retreat these people will end up becoming very good friends of mine to this day. Friendship and fellowship; When I attended the retreat, I met a lot of new people. Some I knew, some others I barely saw on campus, some, I had preconceived ideas about who or what they potentially were. That weekend, at the retreat, helped me to get know people on a deeper level than what I was imagining. It was a feeling of peace and community when I realized that I wasn’t the only one going through certain struggles. And that is the advantage of a family. A group of imperfect people striving day by day to become better people. I honestly entered the retreat with an excessive pride, I told myself that I did couple of retreats in the past and nothing of this wingspan could give the same sensations. I was in a sort of spiritual nostalgia. This lack of openness didn’t allow me to fully enter the retreat for the first day. Later, beginning of the second day, I realized that my heart wasn’t fully open. I analyzed that feeling in me and remembered the quote: “God can’t move a parked car”. I had to do something about my willingness to be open what God was about to give me. It was only when I started to open myself up more to others that I slowly found my way to peacefully enter the retreat. I understood that God wasn’t in the past but rather in the present moment. The retreat brought me a lot of peace and serenity, it brought me back to what I knew was truly essential at the end of the day. On Sunday, November 7th, 2021, the retreat ended around 3PM. Despite the fact that I wished it was a little longer, I had a good weekend. Coming back to my dorm my load of homework was still present, Jesus didn’t do them for me. And even though I was sitting by myself in my room, starring at all the work that had to be done, and still had those questions about faith in my heart that were still unanswered, this time it was different. I came back with a freshly renewed motivation and reasons to work hard and better myself, and I knew that I was now part of community of people, students, and faculty, ready to support and help me at the best of their ability. Now this “Jesus-high” didn’t last for a long time, but I kept reminding myself of how I felt so close to my faith at some point, therefore I strived to keep my faith present because just like for in any relationship, participants must fight daily to keep the flame alive. The next Antioch Retreat will take place April 1-3. You can sign up outside of the Spiritual Life Office in the ACC.
A death-defying experience continued from page 3
To get to the trees I had to maneuver from my current position with my right foot on a rock, my left foot on the base of a tree and my left hand wrapped around another tree. In front of me appeared to be one rock and a tree that was rooted at the base of a six-foot drop from an exposed rock. The rock was out of reach from my feet, so I had to take a risk. I used my strength and gripped the tree with one arm and took my foot off the foothold. I completely outstretched my seven-foot body. If I were to slip, I would slide, completely out of control, down the slope. I reached and got my toes on the sturdy rock. In one motion I let go of the tree and placed my left foot on another tree and my right foot on the rock. My hands were free, and I released my right foot from the rock and wrapped my body around the base of the tree that I was bracing myself with and slid down. The friction from the tree bark ripped up my hands but I made it to the top of the cluster of dead trees and my bag was very close. My next move was to use a tree trunk for support but when I grabbed it, the rotten wood crumbled in my hands sending me sliding. I laid on my back and slid under and through the trees like a snake. I came to a stop right by my bag. To my surprise everything was still inside and still intact. At this point, Healy was about to get to the trees where I was, and Drew was still hanging on to a tree above us. I found some solid anchors and waited to see if they were doing alright. Drew finally committed to the butt scoot method although it was going to ruin the fresh grey
From Thrillers to Killers - Richard’s Picks
Tommie Hilfiger sweatsuit he had on. Healy also got to solid footing, and we talked Drew through the. best route to take. As drew inched closer I tossed the bag down the hill ahead of me and planned my next move. My only option was to free slide about five feet where I grab onto another foot hold. I waited here for Drew and Healy found another route as he was about 10 feet to my right. Drew followed my path and was at the point where he needed to slide to my current spot. As he prepared to butt slide, the wood he was sitting on broke from under him. I could see the fear in his eyes as he started an uncontrolled slide. Without even really thinking about it, with my left hand wrapped around a tree I reached out and snagged drew with my right arm. We sat there for a moment and laughed. It’s funny how these dangerous things can result in a chuckle. We still had about 80 feet to get to the flat bottom of the hill. I proceeded to guide Drew down behind me. Healy was the first to get to the bottom, with Drew and I right behind him. When we finally got to safety, all three of us did a physical selfassessment. Somehow, we had escaped the steep hill slide with only minor cuts and bruises. We stood up and literally cheered. We peered up at the slide of death we had just conquered, and it hit us: We could have died or, at the very least, been seriously injured. I could see the headline in my head: “Three Loras students killed at Mines of Spain.” The mere thought sent a surge of adrenaline through my body and my hands
and legs began to shake. As we headed back to the car through the valley we laughed and repeated every detail to each other about what we just went through. Getting back on the main path we didn’t even care about the mud anymore. Drew made a point to walk right through it. Ruined tennis shoes suddenly became a pretty low priority. Once we made it to the car, we all agreed: Naturally our next stop would be Hy Vee to get something to eat. Apparently, a near-death experience really works up an appetite. As we stood in the Hy-Chi line I looked at Drew. He had one shoe untied and his Tommie Hilfiger sweatsuit was completely ruined. I shook my head and thought, “Dude. You’re a mess.” As we looked at the food and considered our choices, I could feel my adrenaline fading. My legs and hands stopped shaking. Healy was staring at the fried chicken when Drew and I looked at each other and began to laugh. We were a muddy mess. I can only imagine what other people were thinking when they saw us – covered in mud and with bloodied hands and legs. We must have looked like we just escaped a kidnapping. I laughed so hard tears were rolling down my cheeks. At least I think the tears were from laughing. I wiped them away and placed my order. When we got to the end of the line and got our food, the worker apologized for the slow service stating how busy they had been all day. Healy calmly replied, “Don’t worry about it, we have been through some things today too.”
by RICHARD HERNANDEZ staff writer
For many of us, binge-watching was really not a thing. But then, BOOM! Along came the lockdown and we were left at home with not much more than our television or tablet. Suddenly, many of us fell prey to “the binge,” and so it began. Now that you’re hooked, I’m here to feed your habit. Here is the second set of must-see shows that I am recommending. I hope you enjoy these new binge-worthy shows. You can stream all of these on Netflix. #1 The Magicians. If you love watching sci-fi and magic then this is the show for you. It premiered on December 16, 2015, and it has 5 seasons. Each episode is about 45 minutes long. This show is about Quentin Coldwater, a graduate student at Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy. As he has gotten older, he and his 20-something friends have discovered that the magical world they read about as children is not only real, but it poses dangers to humanity. Some actors in this show are Jason Ralph who plays Quintin, Hale Appleman who plays Elliot, Stella Maeve who plays Julia Wicker, and many more. I love this show because, first, I am a big magic person. But, it’s also really interesting and entertaining. It also has a bit of a “Harry Potter” vibe to it as well. With 65 episodes there is a lot of binge-time to be had here. #2 Supernatural. If you are a fan of horror shows and movies this is your go-to. It’s about brothers Sam and Dean Winchester who are monsters and ghost hunters. Sam and Dean’s parents died while fighting off Lucifer. Sam and Dean then team up with multiple angels to stop Lucifer and save the world. This is one of my absolute favorite shows. Each epidote is about 50 minutes long. “Supernatural” premiered on September 13, 2005. Jensen Ackles plays Dean and Jared Padalecki plays Sam, while Misha Collins plays Castiel. I love this show because, in addition to the horror, it is very action-packed. A cool quirk is, the writers throw in some comic relief and times. I love that! It has a bit of a “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” vibe to it. With 15 seasons, this one has tremendous binge capabilities! #3 Scream MTV series. If you are a fan of “Scream” movies you will love this MTV series. for anyone who hasn’t seen “Scream”, it’s a serial killer dressed up in that scary Halloween costume known as Ghostface. Ghostface leaves town but returns. But, this time, it’s high school students he’s after. It’s a very suspenseful and mysterious scary show. I highly recommend watching it. there are currently three seasons available for binging and it has been confirmed they’re making a fourth season as well. Each episode is about 40 minutes long and some actors you may know are Willa Fitzgerald, who plays Emma, Bex Taylor Klaus, plays Audrey and Amadeus Serafini who plays Kieran. This show premiered on MTV on June 30, 2015. There are 30 episodes. #4 Dracula. If you grew up watching old Dracula movies and are a fan of the Dracula character, this one is for you. The main character is Jonathan Harker. He travels to Transylvania to meet a new client and finalize the sale of a stately house in London. Instead, Harker finds himself trapped in a terrifying maze-like castle with undead brides and a vampire Count whose ambition is to conquer the world. It’s really good and has a lot of suspense and is action-packed. The downside for this one is, there is currently only one season. It premiered on January 1, 2020. Each episode is about 35 minutes long and they are all jam-packed. The rumor mill says there is still a possibility for a second season of “Dracula.” My fingers are crossed! #5 YOU. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers, maybe this one should be first on your list. It’s about Joel Goldberg, a bookstore manager who is obsessed with women. Goldberg basically stalks them and gets different jobs with them before making his move and ends up murdering his victims. There are currently 3 seasons and each episode is roughly about 50 minutes long. This show premiered on Lifetime on September 9, 2018. I enjoy thrillers and when I first saw this I was shocked by how creepy and scary this one can be. First, it seems very realistic. But, what really makes it so interesting is the insight it gives into the mind of a psychopathic killer. In December Netflix said there will be a fourth season of “YOU.”
Chiq Choses Part Two by ALEXANDRA F. SIRE guest writer
Here are five more things that the eleven French students, who are attending Loras this semester, have observed as differences between life here and life at home. 1. Here you can find a lot of American flags everywhere. In France, the French flag can only be found on public buildings such as town halls or prefectures. 2. From what we could observe for the moment, the Americans are much more friendly than the French. They hug everyone and say “I love you” very easily. 3. We had the chance to attend a symphonic concert and a ballet these last weeks. What surprised us a lot is how easy it is for Americans to talk to people they don’t know and who are next to them. In France, most of the time we stay on our phone, and we rarely talk with the person sitting next to us. 4. Another surprising thing is the fact that Americans can drive a car from the age of 16. In France, you must wait until you are 18 to be able to drive. 5. In the U.S., the stores are much bigger than in France (here they are maybe twice the size of a French store). That’s it for now. My friends and I will continue to find new differences between France and the United States.
The Lorian
Mar. 17, 2022
You Told Us What You Want – We Are Going To Do It by MARK MEDERSON faculty advisor
The response was pretty overwhelming. One hundred ninety-two of you completed the survey we sent out. In a campus of about 1,500, that is a great response rate! First, thank you for completing the survey! Second, you told us what you want and we are listening. We asked you if you wanted more, less, or about the same amount of the following content in the Lorian: national news, campus news, campus sports, health and wellness, poetry and fictional stories. You responded that you definitely want more campus news and you would like to see more campus sports as well. We are working to give you more of both but we could use your help. We need more writers! You will get paid to write for the Lorian and you do not need experience doing this. We have copy editors who will go over your work before we publish it. Also, if you have any ideas for a news or sports story, please let us know. (lorian@loras.edu) When it comes to sports, we would love to hear some ideas on feature stories. One of the challenges with reporting sports in the Lorian is, we put it together on Tuesday and send it to a printer. The paper comes to us for distribution on Thursday. So, it is not really valuable to the readers to write and print game recaps. By the time they get to you they are “old” news. The Loras Athletics website should be your go-to source for the latest scores and standings. Your responses indicate that we could, perhaps, offer a little less when it comes to poetry and fictional stories. By adding more campus news and sports we will be reducing the amount of poetry and fiction. You told us what you want. We listened. One of the biggest expenses for the Lorian is, printing. About a third of you who responded, 31%, said that you would prefer the paper online only. We listened and have already begun printing fewer copies of the campus newspaper. Our ultimate goal is to eventually phase out printing completely. We can use your help. If you are interested in writing for the Lorian, let us know. You will get paid for writing for us. We are also looking for a salesperson. The salesperson will contact local businesses to see if they would like to advertise in our paper. Like most sales positions, this one pays a commission. The Lorian staff can create the ads if the business does not already have one. Let us know if you want to be a part of the Lorian staff. It looks great on your resume! Once again, thank you for completing the survey! You told us what you want and we’re doing it!
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March 17, 2022
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The Biden Administration: A Failed Year in Review by CAMERON MENINI guest writer
Sitting in March of 2022 and looking back on the past two years, you wouldn’t be in the minority to need to have a double-take to realize just how much time has really passed. Not only since the genesis of the pandemic but the time that has passed since the consequential 2020 election cycle. Following that November 3rd election, the turn of January saw the complete power of the government transferred to Democrats who had claimed control of both chambers of Congress and the White House with Joe Biden taking his oath of office. The many months leading up to the day people moved in droves to the ballot boxes saw one of the fiercest political cycles in recent history, arguably even more so than the 2016 election cycle which was incredible in its own right. And in those preceding months, most if not all Republicans, including myself, knew of the grave consequences if our White House incumbent President Trump did not retain his office, given the control of Congress had been lost 2 years prior. Under President Trump’s tenure in office, pre-pandemic, the progress and economic growth of the country had been the most fruitful seen in years. Record low unemployment numbers across the board and becoming energy-independent and a net exporter of petroleum for the first time in decades being just the beginning of the achievements that were at stake when the vote counts were complete. Ultimately when the counting was complete, the result was realized and set in, opening the floodgates to everything the GOP knew would come with it. From the moment President Biden and VP Harris stepped into office, the stature of the United States on the international stage has taken major blows, moving away from the “America First” and into an “America Last” agenda. In one of President Biden’s first major executive orders after taking office, he unilaterally halted and revoked the permit of the construction of the Keystone XL, which if allowed to continue construction would have moved over 800,000 barrels of oil per day to oil refineries in the United States. Not only would this continue the positive effects of energy independence the entire country had seen but would also sever the need to be fully reliant on foreign energy. This reigns especially true given the current circumstances overseas and represents a colossal failure of the Biden Administration to safeguard the interests of the American people. And severing that bind
that has constricted the energy industry for so long would also reduce strain to devote resources to clean energy development, something President Biden championed during his campaign, again a failure even to abide by his own campaign ideals. Pivoting to another key issue, the coronavirus pandemic has kept its watch since early 2020, disrupting daily life across the entire planet. From its onset economies had to grapple with the reality that they would be forced to essentially close down by governments who inflated the severity of the virus itself. Over 22 million jobs were lost due to those economic closures in the year prior to Biden assuming office, resulting in businesses shutting down at a rate not seen before since the Great Depression, the impact to all Americans monumental. Throughout Biden’s tenure as president, there has been no concerted effort to alleviate this pain caused by these invalidated coronavirus measures implemented by Democrat-controlled governments around the nation. Biden has falsely claimed that “his economy” has created over 6 million jobs since his first day in office, however, this is again all a façade to shift focus on the failures of his economic policies. Those 6 million jobs are a small chunk of the previously mentioned number of jobs lost due to the pandemic, so solely based on these numbers his economic policy has been a thorough failure in his “Build Back Better” campaign slogan, leaving families across the nation struggling to make ends meet with no hope from this administration within sight. And the pain caused by the administration continues to be seen and increases in magnitude every day. Even prior to the Ukrainian invasion and the myriad of domino effects it had on the global and American economies, the inflation rate in the United States reached a 39-year high peaking above 7%, an unprecedented level and incredible to compare to rates stabilizing near 2.5% just 4 years prior under the previous administration. Prices across the board for every industry have skyrocketed under the
leadership of this White House, photo by BUSINESS INSIDER there hasn’t been a sector that has escaped. Most notable of these, food prices on average have increased 8% under his administration, and gas prices have had a 50% increase year over year, essentials that consumers cannot cut out of their daily lives. And unfortunately, the response by these leaders we look to for an answer and for help was to simply move blame to others and fail to take responsibility for issues that were easily preventable and solvable had they made the correct and obvious decisions over this past year. These major issues and failures by this current administration underscore the dramatic downturn of the state of our country and the future moving forward under President Biden’s final few years in office. The current view of the progression of his presidency has an average across all polls take of 63% of those sampled believing wholeheartedly the country is moving in the wrong direction. That’s quite a fair assessment of the 46th President’s tenure as of now. While the nation must wait and continue to take the brunt of Biden’s failures, the hope for quelling this exponential pain will come in 8 months’ time for the 2022 midterms to reclaim both chambers of Congress and furthermore in the 2024 presidential election where Republicans seek to reclaim the White House.
The Third Party Approach to Healing America by DEVYN SHEAD opinion editor
Partisanship has hit the US like a tsunami. It is quite frankly a cancer for our democracy, because in most countries extreme division or partisanship almost only ends up in some sort of physical conflict. There, however, has been indications that Americans are ready to move forward. These indications come straight from Americans themselves, they are ready to ditch our two party system. Do they mean it though? Currently most Americans, according to Gallup, are self identified Independents. Polling throughout 2021 showed that Independents made up 42% of voters. Meanwhile, democrats and republicans were 29% and 27%, respectively. In the past there have been many third party candidates that have run for office, with 2018 breaking records for the number of third party candidates. When you look at state legislatures in the US, out of over five thousand members in state legislatures, around forty are members of third parties. The last notable third party candidate that ran for president was probably Gary Johnson. He had a fair resume as a candidate, a businessman and former two term governor of New Mexico who once climbed Mt. Everest. The US had not had a successful third party candidate like Johnson since Ross Perot’s second presidential run in 1996. Twenty years later, Gary Johnson was hoping to break through the fold as most Americans were dissatisfied with the republican and democratic nominees. Johnson was polling in the double digits, but after a few gaffes, not qualifying for the debates, and lack of major media publicity his star waned. He received only three percent on election day. Third party presidential candidates in total received nearly six percent. 2018’s record number of third party candidates, numbering in the hundreds, didn’t make much ground. Our two lone independent US Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine were reelected by a majority of voters in their state. Roughly three percent of voters nationally voted for an independent or third party candidate in 2018 in their state’s senate races. A few races had notable third party candidates in 2018 in Kansas, Connecticut, Maryland, New Mexico, Maine, Alaska, Rhode Island, and Illinois. My definition of notable is someone who has a relative amount of name recognition and a good showing in polls before the election. For Senate elections the most notable were independent Neal
Simon in Maryland and Libertarian Gary Johnson in New Mexico. Simon was a businessman who was CEO of a firm that managed billions of dollars. Six years prior an independent candidate received results that were in the double digits, Simon was polling at 8% two months before election day and his campaign’s polling showed that he was at 18% a month before election day. He received less than four percent on election day. Johnson had a relatively large amount of name recognition in New Mexico as a former governor and two time presidential candidate who did much better in his home state than he did nationally in his presidential elections. Polls by political parties and campaigns themselves showed Johnson in the twenties, respected polling institutions in the last few weeks showed anywhere from 8% to 22%. He received 15% on election day. The lone independent governor of a state in 2018 was Bill Walker from Alaska who was running for reelection, but dropped out in the final weeks of the campaign. Kansas and Connecticut saw two previous candidates for state office return. Kansas had businessman Greg Orman, who ran for US Senate as an independent in 2014 and won over forty percent after the democrat dropped out, team up with a republican running mate to run for the governor’s seat. Orman’s polling was consistently around ten percent in a three way race and he won 6.5% of the vote. Connecticut’s candidate Oz Griebel was also polling at around ten percent, but finished with less than four on election day. Over six percent of voters in Illinois voted for a third party candidate even though polls before the election indicated a higher collective percentage. Roughly six percent of voters in Maine voted for Treasurer Terry Hayes, but was considerably lower than independent US Senator Angus King in the same election cycle. Rhode Island, a state that elected an independent governor in 2010 and had an independent candidate get over twenty percent of the vote in 2014 actually saw only one major third party candidate, State Representative Joe Trillo. Trillo was polling anywhere between 5% and 17%, but actually ended up receiving less than five percent. There are many questions by looking at this 2018 case study. One may be whether or not polling is a reliable way to understand how much support is out there for a candidate. If the polling is correct, are voters bailing on their preferred choice to vote for the lesser of two evils? Is there political beliefs and publicity/media coverage a major part in their success? This is probable. In an election year with hundreds of third party candidates, only a few were elected amongst the thousands of democrats
and republicans elected. If so many voters identify as independents, why do so many of them choose to vote for one of the two major parties? 2018 may have been the start of a new trend. Although 2020 saw very few third party candidates for office, 2022 is bringing a few notable candidates into the mix. Oregon has State Senator Betsy Johnson, a pro-business moderate and former democrat, running for governor in a state that has had a democrat in the governor’s mansion for decades. She has raised over $2 million for her campaign and 11% of voters in the most recent poll say they support her with the same poll showing over a third of voters were undecided. Utah has former independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin running for the US Senate. McMullin was a part of a group of conservatives and republicans that were dissatisfied with then-candidate Donald Trump. McMullin won over twenty percent in Utah in 2016. Now, in three way race polling, he is at 24% and has outraised the incumbent republican senator. These two candidates show that voters in two very different states, one very liberal that always votes for democrats and another conservative that always votes for republicans, want change. In 2021, Gallup polling showed the over sixty percent of Americans wanted a new third party (even over sixty percent of republicans). Polling in heavily republican Missouri by John Danforth, a former senator, shows that a quarter of voters would vote for an independent center-right candidate and the same poll showed that roughly 80% believe politics is too polarized. Anti-Trump republicans like Evan McMullin are considering creating a new political party while Andrew Yang has already created The Forward Party. More and more third party and independent candidates can help mend the division in this country. Many Americans resort to voting for the lesser of two evils and its time to change that. They should be voting for who they want and Americans need more options on the ballot. More options and candidates is healthy for democracy and can help lower the tension in the country, because it helps give more Americans a voice. To help incentivize getting rid of the psychological stigma that voting third party is a waste of time, we should thoroughly consider implementing ranked choice voting, to ensure their votes are not deemed wasted. If America truly wants a new third party and are truly independent, ranked choice voting can help them put their money where their mouth is.
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March 17, 2022
The Lorian
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Major League Lockout No More by JAKE SINATRA staff writer
On November 2nd, 2021, the Atlanta Braves beat the Houston Astros to win the World Series. The series was won 4-2 by the Braves, with outfielder Jorge Soler taking home the honor of World Series MVP. On December 2nd, 2021, exactly one month later, the 2022 season was not a guarantee as the Major League Baseball Player’s Association (MLBPA) went on strike against the MLB and the team owners. While this was not completely unexpected, as rumors around a possible lockout before the next season had been floating around for months, it was not expected to happen as quickly as it did. As seen with strikes in every other place of work, the MLBPA had demanded for the MLB team owners in regards to better pay, facilities, rule changes, etc., in the typical “evil crony capitalist vs. abused workers” situation. So, what exactly were the issues raised by the MLBPA for this newest Collective Bargaining Agreement? Draft-Pick Tanking: One of the most prominent issues raised in the discussion of this new CBA was “intentional tanking”. The integrity of baseball has always been part of why it is “America’s Pastime”. The integrity of the game was being brought into question when teams, specifically the owners of the teams, would trade productive players and prospects, and set lineups that would lead to horrible records in an attempt to get better picks in the next MLB drafts. At times, this was done to attempt to get better picks in drafts several years down the line. This poses two issues. For the players on the squad, it gives them no chances to win a World Series, and could possibly affect a player’s ability to leave that team if they signed a long-term contract prior. For the prospects in the minor leagues, it can cause them to become free agents, who often don’t get signed. From the perspective of the players, it is unethical to ruin a baseball player’s career, whether in the MLB or not, just to save money under the assumption they won’t win that year. However, the owners argue that it is simply business, and they can run their businesses however they please. There is an argument to be made on both sides, but this was one of the leading factors in the lockout. Playoff Format: The playoffs for the MLB used to be
ten teams. The top seed in both the National League and the American League would get a “bye”, with the rest of the bracket being decided by a wild-card play-in game. The new CBA agreed to a twelve-team playoff, with each league getting an additional team. The details are still being worked out, but the expectation is that the #1 seed from each league will play the winner of the #4vs#5 matchup, and the #2 seed will play the winner of the #3vs#6 matchup. This would guarantee a bye for the top two seeds of each league, as opposed to just the top seed. Service Time and Arbitration: Another major issue
additional year of service time removed from their clock. While this is not what the end goal agreement is for the MLBPA, it will serve as a compromise until the next CBA is discussed. Minimum Salary/Luxury Tax: In 2021, the minimum salary for an MLB player was $570,500, by far the lowest of any major American sport (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL). The new CBA raises this to $700,000 with a chance for $780,000 in the final year of the CBA. In addition to this change, there was a change to what is called the “Luxury Tax”. This tax is used as a soft ceiling for the payroll maximum a club can spend on their players, charging them a tax for every dollar they go over. Essentially, any major organization (Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Astros, Cubs) that spends more than the “maximum allowed payroll” on their players as a collective will have to pay a higher tax on them. A team that goes over the luxurytax threshold the first time must pay a 20% tax on every dollar above the $210 million soft cap. If a club goes over it for a second consecutive year, the figure rises to 30% and later 50% after a third consecutive season. If a team goes $40-plus million over, it also must move back 10 spots in the upcoming MLB Amateur Draft. The rest of the changes are fairly selfexplanatory, as seen here. International Draft: MLB wants to implement international players into future draft classes. Both sides have until July 25 to reach an agreement on terms for a “World Draft”. If a deal is completed, players who reject a qualifying offer will no longer be subject to draft-pick forfeiture penalties for the photo by FORBES team that signs them. Rule Changes: MLB received the authority to seen in almost every ballclub was involving “service implement rule changes, like a pitch clock and banning time”. Under the prior CBA, a player had to play six full the shift, for the 2023 season. years (172 days equaled one “year”) in order to declare Universal Designated Hitter: As part of the new CBA, for free agency. This allowed owners to manipulate when the National League is adopted the designated hitter. high-level prospects would come up, as seen with Kris Uniform Patches: MLB teams are now allowed Bryant in 2015, in order to try to keep them for a seventh to feature advertisement patches and decals on their season. The MLB refused to budge on this issue, so a uniforms and helmets. compromise was reached. Players within the range of There was a lot of progress made on this CBA deal 1-3 years of service time could receive bonuses based on between the players and the owners, but many officiating performance milestones (i.e. Rookie of the Year, Cy Young members of the CBA say there is still issues to be resolved Winner, MVP). Additionally, any player who finishes first on the owner’s end. The good news is we have Major or second in the Rookie of the Year voting will have an League Baseball in 2022!
Loras Baseball Stuns University of Iowa with 3-1 Win by DAKOTA CHURCH guest writer
After a thriller at Duane Banks Field on Tuesday night, Iowa City was bleeding purple and gold! The Duhawk baseball team stunned the Iowa Hawkeyes 3-1 in their home opener. The 4-2 Hawkeyes were looking to make a stand at home, but the 2-0 Duhawks had other plans. In their improbable slaying of goliath, there was one thing that set them up for success, confidence. Coach Heller of the University of Iowa stated, “a lot of D3 teams come in and play scared, but they did not, so tip your hat to those guys.” “It doesn’t matter who we face, we are going to play as hard as we can, that speaks to the character of our team,” said Duhawk senior outfielder Chris Constantino. The teams faced off for their 17th meeting all-time and marked only the second time the Duhawks have been able to get the better of the Hawkeyes. Davis Pasco (1-0) led the charge for the Duhawks getting his first win of the season tossing 6.2 scoreless innings. Allowing only five hits, three free passes, and fanning three Hawkeye hitters. With the lead late in the game, the Duhawks turned to their trusted closer Ethan Peters to shut the door, who picked up his first save of the year. Peters threw 2.1 innings, striking out three and allowing one run on four hits, giving the Hawkeye hitters only two free bases. “I was more nervous than I have ever been on the mound in my life, but I was able to calm down and get the job done. We have some good players on this team and I face them daily which gives me the confidence to compete at the highest level,” said Peters. The Duhawk hitters jumped on Hawkeye pitching right from the start, senior catcher Dakota Church (2-4, 2B, BB, 2 runs scored) led off the game with a walk. He later scored on an RBI single from Daniel Rogers (1-3, BB, RBI). Church continued to be a pest for the Hawkeyes when he singled in the third inning and advanced to second base on a throwing error from the catcher. With one out Max Cullen (1-3, 2B, HBP, run scored, RBI) delivers a shot into the left-center gap securing a double, scoring Church, and putting the Duhawks up 2-0. Following Cullen, Dylan Pardoe (1-3, BB) singled into center, moving Cullen to third, who eventually scored
Sophomore Catcher Daniel Rodgers (above) batting against the Hawkeyes on March 2.
due to a throwing error from the centerfielder. The score would remain the same until the Hawkeyes spark a late rally in the ninth inning, scoring one run before Ethan Peters could shut them down. The Duhawks welcomed the opportunity to play in Iowa City with open arms. Duhawk catcher Dakota Church relished the opportunity, “It was a blast just getting the opportunity to play the Hawkeyes. It was awesome to be able to use their beautiful facilities.” “This wasn’t my first time playing here, but nonetheless it is one of the most beautiful stadiums we have ever played in. The facilities that they have over there are top of the line, it was almost as if we were at a Major League ball field,” said Constantino. For the Duhawks there was nothing sweeter than victory. “The energy the crowd brought was something
photo by DUHAWKS.COM
we never experienced before. It motivated us to bring the juice and that’s exactly what we did. Being able to come together and beat a team like Iowa is something we will all remember for the rest of our lives,” said Julian Lopez, a senior pitcher. “Being able to see the dugout explode onto the field was incredible, our team has worked so hard, and to see that pay off was awesome. Seeing the swarm of purple take over the field as the game ended was something really special to me,” says Ryan Wohlers, a senior utility man. This victory was sweet for everyone, but one Duhawk really took this win to heart. “Growing up an Iowa fan my whole life I always idolized those players. Being able to compete against my favorite team was a sweet experience, and to come away with a victory was even sweeter”, said Curtis Lilienthal, a senior pitcher.
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March 17, 2022
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CHAMPIONS! Track and Field Wins 2022 Title by EMILY ALDFINGER director of athletic communications
The last time the Loras College women’s track and field team competed at an NCAA Division III indoor track and field championship was in 2019 and the team made history with the program’s first podium finish, placing fourth. When they went to chase the national title, the championship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The third time was the charm and after a two-year break and two historic outdoor championship crowns, the Duhawks made history once again, winning the 2022 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championship on Saturday with national champion performances by Kassie Parker, Alyssa Pfadenhauer and the 4-by-400-meter relay in a dominant display at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C. Parker started what would be a historic run on Friday evening when she claimed the first podium spot of the day and found herself at the top, running 16:15.97 for a championship-record time in the 5,000-meter run. Parker led for the majority of the race before Ari Marks of Wellesley College took the lead for two laps at the 4,200-meter mark, but the senior from Guttenberg, Iowa came charging back to take the lead and win her first indoor title for her career and the first in program history for the women’s program in the event. Almost an hour later, Parker took to the track again in one of the most thrilling races of the evening in the distance medley relay, anchoring the relay to finish second and earn All-America honors. Ellie Osterberger started off the relay with the 1,200-meter leg with a strong run and Merryl Green followed up with a great 400-meter leg. Alyssa Pfadenhauer’s 2:09.47 split in the 800-meter leg brought the Duhawks from tenth to third before Parker and Wartburg College’s Aubrie Fisher battled it out at the finish. When Parker stepped up to the staring line for the 3,000-meter run on Saturday, she knew there was a talented field ready to go with her and turn it into a race, just as the later laps of the 5,000-meter run had been a day prior. She took the field out fast and held the lead through the mile before Johns Hopkins University’s Ella Barran made a move with Claremont Mud Scripps’ Emily Clarke. Parker made her move on the final lap to overtake the field and cross the finish line as the national champion, running 9:43.83 and defending her No. 1 seed in both events. She is now the third woman in NCAA Division III history to complete the distance double. In her first outing at the indoor championship, Alley claimed All-America honors in the pentathlon, capping her day with a personal best in the 800-meter run to finish six with 3,520 total points. She ran 9.43 in the 60-meter hurdles, cleared in 1.57 meters in the high jump, and had the farthest toss in the shot put, throwing 11.33 meters, and
photo by DUHAWKS.COM
went 5.17 meters in the long jump. In the 800-meter run, she ran 2:23.69 to finish second in an excellent finish. Marion Edwards secured herself a spot in the 60-meter dash finals with a time of 7.68, a personal best ranking third in program history, and the 4-by-400-meter relay of Stevie Lambe, Harmony Creasy, Elayna Bahl and Edwards ran 3:52.32 to advance to Saturday’s finals. Opening competition for the Duhawks once again on Saturday, Alley added another All-America honor to her resume in the triple jump, leaping 12.03 meters, just off her personal best, to place third. Pfadenhauer started the Duhawks off on a high note in the running events and set the tone for the day’s competition, coming away as the national champion in the 400-meter dash with a schoolrecord time of 55.52. The Burlington, Iowa native edged the second-place finisher, Kayla Armstrong of Concordia University Chicago by 0.02 seconds and captured her first individual national title after coming away as the runner-up outdoors in the event. Edwards added an indoor All-America honor to her resume with a seventh-place finish in the 60-meter dash, running 7.69. After Parker followed with the win in the 3,000-meter run, Edwards, Pfadenhauer, Bahl and Lambe knew the team title was locked up heading into the 4-by400-meter relay, but the quartet was ready to make a statement. Lambe got the Duhawks off and running before handing off to Bahl who moved the team into second ahead of the third leg for Edwards. Edwards kept them in the hunt
before Pfadenhauer took off and pulled ahead of SUNYGeneseo for the anchor leg, clocking the Duhawks at 3:46.45 to crush the school record and run the fifth-fastest time in NCAA Division III history. Loras had held command of the event all season long and finished the indoor campaign in the same position. The Duhawks scored 59 points to win the meet, putting a 15-point gap on the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in second. Ithaca College finished third with 40 points and Johns Hopkins placed fourth with 33. The win is the fourth podium finish for Loras in program history and the thirdconsecutive national championship title between indoor and outdoor championships. After being ranked top-five all season long, the 2022 indoor season saw Loras continue the momentum from their national title run outdoors and make history with the program’s first American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Indoor Championship title on Feb. 26. The Duhawks celebrated Parker as the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Midwest Region Track Athlete of the Year and head coach Matt Jones bringing home the Head Coach of the Year award for both the region and conference. Parker and Pfadenahuer were the conference’s most valuable track performers and Alley was the A-R-C Field Athlete of the Year. The Duhawks now turn their focus to the outdoor season and look to add a third outdoor title to their growing list of accolades.
Wrestling Earns Two All-American Marks at National Championship by NATHAN CAMERON
assistant director of athletics communication CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - For the first time since 2019, the NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championship was back after being cancelled for two straight years. Qualifying four wrestlers, the No. 2/7 Loras College wrestling team (12-1, 7-1 A-R-C) capped of the 2022 season with two AllAmericans in Jacob Krakow and Shane Liegel after two days of hard-nosed competition on the national stage. Krakow, the No. 5-ranked wrestler at 174 lbs. began his weekend with a round of 16 matchup against No. 13 Marco Gaita from Wesleyan University. The Marengo, Iowa native made easy work of Gaita, winning by an 11-3 major decision before falling in the quarterfinals to Michael Ross, the No. 6-ranked wrestler in the weight class from Johnson & Wales University. Making his way to consolation, Krakow took on No. 15 Jared Stricker from University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, taking down Stricker by way of a 6-4 decision to stay alive and battle in the second day of competition. Going up against SUNY-Cortland’s Demetrius Henry, the No. 7-ranked wrestler at 174 lbs., Krakow found himself down by a point with seconds left in the match before a stalling call on Henry forced the match into sudden victory where Krakow earned a take down to continue his hunt for third place, meeting up with Augsburg University’s No. 4-ranked
Solomon Nielsen. Making light work of Nielsen, earning a 16-0 technical fall, Krakow secured his spot in the third place match. Krakow met back up with No. 2-ranked Zane Mulder from American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) rival Wartburg College in the third place match, seeing the foe for the second time of the season, falling in the regular season dual and winning by a medical forfeit at the Lower Midwest Regional tournament. For the second match in a row, Krakow went into sudden victory where he earned a vengeful victory over Mulder by a 3-1 decision to finish third in the nation and earning his third NCAA Division III All-American accolade. Wrestling at 184 lbs. for Loras was No. 2-ranked Liegel, who entered the tournament as the top seed in the weight class. The Spring Green, Wis. native opened his weekend in the round of 16 against No. 10 Nick Rogge from Augsburg, winning the match and advancing to the quarterfinals with a 12-2 victory by major decision. In the quarterfinals, Liegel met up with Roanoke College’s Mahlic Sallah and earned his second straight win by major decision, taking down Sallah by an 8-0 margin. In the second day of action, Liegel met up with No. 5 Jarrit Shinhoster from University of Wisconsin - Whitewater in the semifinals and fell into wrestle backs after Shinhoster walked away with the win. In his first match of consolation, Liegel earned a 6-0 decision over Wabash
College’s Charles Baczek to move on and meet back up with Wartburg’s No. 1 Kyle Briggs for the third time of the season. In the regular season, Briggs took the win before Liegel earned Lower Midwest Region Champion honors, taking down Briggs in the championship match. This time, Briggs squeezed out a narrow 2-0 decision to take third, seeing Liegel finish fourth in the nation and earning his second NCAA Division III All-American honor. Also qualifying for the Duhawks was Zeke Smith at 157 lbs. and Gabe Fiser at 165 lbs. Smith, the No. 6-ranked wrestler in his class fell to Baldwin Wallace University’s No. 15 Stanley Bleich to move into the pigtail matches where he stayed alive with a 5-0 decision win over Messiah University’s No. 9-ranked Nick Barnhart. Smith’s weekend came to an end in the next match as he fell to Ohio Northern University’s Schuyler Caprella by a narrow 10-8 decision. At 165 lbs., Fiser, the No. 13-ranked wrestler in the class, opened his weekend against No. 6-ranked Matt Lackman from Alvernia University and fell into consolation where his weekend came to a close against No. 4-ranked Seth Brossard from University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. The Duhawks finished the weekend with two AllAmericans and earning 29.5 team points.