November 1, 2012 Lorian

Cross Country Men finish 2nd and women place 3rd at Iowa Conference Championships

2012 Election Our columnists weigh in on their candidates

Page 10

Page 6-7

November 1, 2012 — Vol. 91, Issue 6

Student Life

Community

Conference shines a spotlight on LGBT issues

Making cents of the world

by KT HEIDORN copy editor

by NINO ERBA staff writer

Last weekend, Dubuque proudly waved its rainbow flag as the Better Together Dubuque conference took place. Culminating on Saturday, the all-day event brought together a broad spectrum of people for various LGBT awareness events.

The first major event of the day was a speech given by activist Zach Wahls that centered around growing up with two moms. One of the most moving moments of his speech was when he spoke of one of his mother’s battle with multiple sclerosis.

He drove home the idea of how important marriage was in this time of struggle.

Some of the subjects covered in the conference included ally training for those who support LGBT individuals; LGBT individuals in business; hazing and bullying; Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell; and Suicide Prevention.

Many of the events had some connection with Loras. There was a DuTalk session about civil discourse, and many friendly faces were presenters. Professor Breyan Strickler helped run a writing workshop; Art Sunleaf and Elizabeth Miller talked about hazing and bullying; Michelle Bechen led the ally training; recent grad Trav Ayers co-led a presentation about HIV and other STIs; and Brett Robbins, Mara Kelly and Kristin Anderson-Bricker gave a comprehensive overview of LGBT history and sex education.

There were other friendly faces as well, such as Josh Jasper from the Riverview Center and Molly Menster from both the Dubuque Human Rights Department and the Dubuque LGBTQ Youth Network.

Other highlights included an opportunity to talk with Zach Wahls and buy his memoir, which he released recently; a raffle with prizes linked to businesses in Dubuque; and a family-friendly afternoon, giving kids a chance to play, get their faces painted, and makes arts and crafts.

photo by KATHERINE EDWARDS

Students attended the celebration in Wahlert where they participated in rituals and enjoyed Nepalese food.

Taste of home

by ANDREA BERNS

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copy editor

upesh Shrestha, among others, wanted to bring a little taste of home to Wahlert Hall on Thursday, Oct. 25. Sharing food, kite-flying and family fun 7,500 miles away from home is no easy task, but Duhawks from near and far united that night, celebrating the Nepalese tradition, Dashain.

“Because Loras has a significant number of Nepalese students, I think celebrating Dashain is very important here at Loras,” said senior Rupesh Shrestha. “It’s that time of the year when Nepalese want to be home the most and get homesick. Therefore, it’s a way to make them feel at home by celebrating Dashain.”

The celebration began with an informative presentation about Dashain by Shrestha and junior Smriti Shakya.

“It’s a great way [for Americans] to learn about a new culture, as well as to be a part of a diverse community,” said Shrestha The history of the celebration goes back to ancient times when the Hindu goddess Durga claimed victory over the demon Mahisasur.

Thus, the main theme of Dashain is celebrating

continued on page 2

good over evil.

The traditional foods eaten by the Nepalese during these fifteen days are rice and various kinds of meat including chicken curry and mutton curry.

There is no doubt that Dashain is a colorful festival. This is demonstrated through cleaning and decorating the house with candles and flowers throughout the 15 days as well as flying colorful kites through the sky and displaying big puppets made to look like the demon Mahisasur, which are then burned to symbolize the goddess’ triumph over him.

Family is also a significant part of the festival, and there is always family-friendly gambling and wonderful memories. The festival lasts for 15 days and is celebrated from September to mid-October.

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On the evening of Oct. 25, genies, deer, knights and fairies braved the brisk fall evening, and made their way from dorm to dorm trick-or-treating. However, these 20 volunteers weren’t asking for candy, but for loose change to be donated to UNICEF, the world’s largest humanitarian organization.

UNICEF, a part of the United Nations, focuses on child survival, child development, as well as basic education and gender equality, and has claimed to have saved more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world.

Loras’ UNICEF is a part of the UNICEF Campus Initiative that advocates, educates, and raises money for the 19,000 children that die every day from preventable causes.

Trick-or-treat for UNICEF looks to do just that. According to UNICEF, the trick-or-treat initiative was started during World War II as an effort to help children abroad affected by the war. The effort is to encourage children to trick-or-treat for candy, but also donations so that other kids around the world have an opportunity to live “happy and healthy lives.”

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photo by KELSEY BERGAN

Students do some fundraising during UNICEF’s Trick-or-Treat initiative on Oct. 25.

Psi Chi Honor Society welcomes former Loras president

by KYLE SCHAFFER staff writer

photo by KYLE SCHAFFER

Msgr. Barta addresses the Psi Chi Honor Society during their “Get Psyched Night.”

The Loras College Psi Chi Honor Society made their mark on campus this past week with their “Get Psyched Night.” Psi Chi began the night with their bi-annual induction ceremony of qualified Psychology majors. This semester, eight individuals were inducted: Ana Baldinger, Jessie Donels, Coleman Heaney, Jessica Fino, Emily Steepleton, Shelby Roach, Amy Nader, and Evayn Roper.

The keynote speaker of the night was Reverend Monsignor James Barta, who is no stranger to Loras College. Msgr. Barta began his professional career at Loras College in 1961 as an assistant professor in the psychology department.

Eight years later Msgr. Barta was named associate professor and in 1974, he was named professor. During his time as a Psychology professor he served as the chairperson of the psych department and as Faculty chairperson. In 1977 he was named Academic Dean and continued his role as a psych professor. In 1987, Msgr. Barta was named President of Loras College and served for seven more years.

Barta challenged attendees, new and experienced alike, to always challenge views and ideas presented and to not shy away from the controversial topics.

In 1994, the Archbishop appointed Msgr. Barta regional vicar for the Archdiocese of Dubuque, and in 1999 was named vicar general. He has since retired and resides at the Villa Raphael.

Msgr. Barta spoke fondly of his years here at Loras. His talk was a comprehensive look at the history of psychology both here at Loras and in a broader context. His stories were numerous as he recalled his days as both a teacher and a researcher. His love for the classroom, for research, and for psychology were evident throughout the evening. Barta challenged attendees, new and experienced alike, to always challenge views and ideas presented and to not shy away from the controversial topics.

He recalled his early career where psychology had a stigma that was not only negative but even was suggested to have been from evil

forces. Barta has spent his career and his life proving that the discipline of psychology not only can intermingle with faith, but complement it. His final message to those gathered was to not take lightly the sharing in others’ lives and to always see the humanity in the individual as not just a machine, a conditioned animal or summation of electrical impulses in the brain. Barta’s humor, wit and ability to engage an audience was a testament to his lasting legacy as a priest, professor and friend of Loras.

Junior Nick Neibergall, president of Psi Chi, was thrilled to have such a great turnout.

“We were honored to have the former president of Loras College, Msgr. Barta, as our keynote speaker for tonight’s event,” said Neibergall, “Psi Chi’s main goal this year is to continue the legacy left by Barta and others, and to strengthen the presence and involvement of the psychology department on campus. We again congratulate our new Psi Chi members. Their excitement and commitment as well as the success of tonight’s event are testament of the exciting things that lie ahead for the psychology department here at Loras.”

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The Lorian

News

Nov. 1 , 2012

UNICEF: Small Conference: Organizer expects donations add up the event to ‘keep growing’ continued from page 1

hought trick-or-treating would be a great idea to raise awareness and funds for their cause, and so the tradition has continued, not only as a fun night with friends dressed in costumes, but an important night to raise awareness of preventable, but all too often lethal, childhood diseases across the world.

“There are 19,000 children that die every single day from a preventable cause. These kids have amazing potential, but not many kids make it past the age of five.”

Some people may doubt or not realize the difference the five cents he or she donated can make in a child’s life. Little by little, donations add up. “It is also important to note that just one year ago, 21,000 children died every day from a preventable cause, but through all of UNICEF’s efforts the number has decreased by 2,000 deaths per day,

in just one year,” said Pater “Fifty cents provides a child with a notebook and pencil. Just $1 can provide 24 protein biscuits for a starving child. Seventeen dollars provides vaccines to keep a kid safe from six killer diseases. To us, $1 can get us a pack of gum, which means nothing, but can do so much good for a starving child,” said Pater.

This year, Loras’ Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF raised over $600, which, according to Pater, “can provide enough lifesaving peanut paste to feed 400 underfed kids.”

Even though the successful night of trick-or-treating is over, Loras UNICEF’s work does not end, but will continue its fundraising, advocacy and education efforts across campus and the Dubuque community through events such as Salsa Night, which will be held during the second semester.

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It was only with the help of several individuals that this conference was possible.

“I am an organizer for the conference, which is the first ever,” said professor Breyan Strickler.

“This will be a yearly thing, with the conference going the whole weekend. We might do the same things, but we’ll organize it differently.” She later went on discuss hazing, bullying and civil discourse, and that “this is what Eboo Patel was talking about.”

Trav Ayers also was involved from the beginning, being with the crew that organized the conference and being invited to speak.

“I absolutely enjoyed speaking, though I wish I could’ve presented more about HIV. I love talking about it, it’s a great topic. I’ll probably speak of more things the next time around. We had a good turnout this time out, but I think

illustration by MARLON TORRES

it’ll get bigger and gain more notoriety over time.”

Another organizer of the conference was Jenaleigh Dague, who works with both the Riverview Center and the Dubuque LGBTQ Youth Network.

“I think that we’ll build on what

we have learned and be even bigger next year,” she said. “I probably won’t do the same thing. I would like to talk about sexual assault and violence, and stress reduction and wellness. I certainly think that the conference will keep growing.”

Nepal: Loras celebrates 10th day of Dashain continued from page 1

photo by KATHERINE EDWARDS

Dashani, the 10th day of Dashain, is a day when the Nepalese receive blessings from their elders.

The first day is called Ghatasthapana, and it is the day where a vase symbolizing Durga, called the kalash, is filled with holy water and is placed in the prayer room.

The next nine days is a period called the Nawa Ratri, which symbolizes the battle between the goddess Durga and the demon Mahisasur. On the seventh day, Phoolpati, the Nepalese bring flowers from Gorkha, the birthplace of an ancient king, to Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, to decorate the city with color for the celebration.

Then comes the eighth day, called Asthami, in which the Nepalese sacrifice ani-

mals at the temples of Durga to repay her for her victory. The animals sacrificed, especially buffalo, are thought to have a demonic soul and are thus slaughtered, further symbolizing the festival’s theme of good over evil. The slaughtering of animals happens during the ninth day, Nawami, as well, but in addition to this, the military pay honors to Durga by doing sky firing.

The 10th day, Dashami, is the day the Loras campus was celebrating. This is tika day, the day in which the Nepalese receive a blessing from the elders, who rub a mixture of rice, curd, and red powder—called

tika—on the foreheads of the younger participants. “On 10th day, when our elders put tika on us, they give us blessings as well as money. I love that part,” said Rupesh.

Tika is believed to be a symbol of purity, fertility, and spirituality; and when the elders, full of wisdom, bless the younger participants who have yet to attain this wisdom, it is as if the elders are passing on this wisdom through the tika.

During the ceremony celebrated here on campus, the attendees took off their shoes and waited in a line to be blessed by the elders. Afterwards, participants enjoyed traditional food.

photo by ELIZABETH EVERSOLE

News

The Lorian

Behind the lens ‘Please give me a job’ Career Fair 2012 brought students from Loras, Clarke, and the University of Dubuque to the ACC Ballroom to meet with potential employers on Monday. photo by ELIZABETH EVERSOLE

Sweet as candy Student volunteers handed out candy to children from the Dubuque community who had the opportunity to trick-or-treat in the Loras dorms. photo by TYLER GARRISON

Nov. 1, 2012

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Mediation team advances to National Championships special to The Lorian

Loras won the Mediation Championship Trophy at the Peacemaker’s Challenge this past weekend at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and is headed to Georgia to compete in the National Championships beginning today.

Loras senior Keith Flinn and firstyear Braidon Buck were awarded silver medals after tying for second place in individual honors.

Lewis University, of Chicago, took first place in the Advocacy competition.

Earlier in October, Loras finished second to the University of Dubuque in both Mediation and Advocacy at the Spartan Tournament. Robert Ward, Kyle Schaffer, Keith Flinn and Braidon Buck all took individual honors for mediation and advocacy at UD. But Loras turned the tables on UD at the Peacemaker. UD had to settle for second place behind Loras.

“These two tournaments have really prepared us for the National Championships Nov. 1-3 in Gainesville, Georgia,” said senior captain Kyle Schaffer.

According to the International Academy of Dispute Resolution, Loras has been ranked among the top 10 teams in the U.S. over the past 12 years. Coach Mary Lynn Neuhaus, professor of communication arts, said she aims to keep it that way in Georgia this weekend.

Presidential Inauguration J-Term

No matter what your politics, being present in Washington for the Inauguration of the U.S. president is being part of history. Students will get that opportunity if they register for the Presidential Inauguration J-Term.

The class will begin with a look at the history and traditions surrounding the transition of government. Guest speakers will share their experiences, and students will study the rhetoric of the president-elect.

Then it’s time to catch a train from Chicago to Washington. The class will visit the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Supreme Court and the Library of Congress.

On the Sunday before the Inauguration, students will attend the Inauguration Concert at Lincoln Memorial. In 2009, some of the bigname performers included Beyonce, Bono, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, will.i.am, and Stevie Wonder.

After the Inauguration, the class will attend a reception hosted by the Iowa House delegation. The parade is also an option.

There are a few spots left for the class. Contact Abbe Wiegel at the CEL or Professor Mary Lynn Neuhaus for more information on how to register.

Dubuque police: Victim named shooter before dying

by KAY PAUL staff writer

Two weeks following a fatal shooting in downtown Dubuque, authorities might have caught a break.

Two teenagers, 15-year-old Marlon Barber Jr. and 16-yearold Demarcus Timmons were the victims of the shooting.

The two teens were leaving a party with a group when an argument escalated and gunshots were fired. Both Barber and Timmons were found with gunshot wounds in the street, Barber on the 2100 block of Jackson and Timmons on the 2000 block of Washington.

Both were rushed to the hospital, with Barber later succumbing to his injuries.

It now has been released that Barber might have named the person responsible for his death before he died on the operating table. Investigators claim that the person mentioned by Barber is an acquaintance of his, but officials will not reveal the identity of the alleged shooter.

Dubuque police feel confident everyone who was involved in the shooting has been identified, but no charges have been announced.

“The information is being organized and evidence

‘Better Together,’ others take part in Make a Difference Day

by MARY AGNOLI news editor

Last Saturday, more than 40 students participated in Dubuque Make a Difference Day. This day of service focused on assisting senior citizens, the handicapped and veterans with tasks around their homes.

“My group and I traveled to a home in the Dubuque community and worked on weatherization projects,” said sophomore Taylor Lancaster. “We used rope caulk to secure the windows and provided assistance in preparing the home for colder weather.”

“My favorite part of the day was talking with the elderly woman we helped,” said senior Shanae Kemen. “Hearing her stories and perspectives opened up my mind.”

One campus group was highly involved in Dubuque Make a Difference Day was “Better Together.” The majority of Loras’ small-group leaders came from this organization.

“Better Together is an initiative on campus,” said Lancaster, a member of Better Together. “It strives toward promoting an inclusive environment for students of religious and non-religious backgrounds through interfaith dialogue and action.”

Dance Marathon will help with Weitz iPod drive

In May, 5-year old Anna Weitz lost her battle to a rare form of soft tissue cancer.

Although Anna did not win her battle, she constantly fought with a smile. The Weitz family joined the Duhawk Dance Marathon family in November 2010.

Recently, the Weitz family reached out to Duhawk DM, seeking support for a drive they are conducting in memory of Anna to benefit other children at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital.

Her family has decided to collect new/used iPods, iTunes gift cards and iPod chargers to be donated to the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital.

If you have any of these items that you would like to donate to this cause students can drop them off at the main desk in the Student Life Office on the fifth floor of the Alumni Campus Center.

Although this drive will be continuous until April, the first donation to the hospital will be delivered on Anna’s sixth birthday, Nov. 15.

looked at to hopefully close this case soon,” said Lt. Scott Baxter with the Dubuque Police Department.

In recent years, Dubuque residents have blamed the violence on gang activity, but statistics show that the murder and violence rates in Dubuque have steadily dropped to around one-third of what they were in 2007. According to the Dubuque Police Department, nothing indicates that Barber’s murder is gang-related, but the two parties involved did indeed know each other.

Timmons was released from the Mercy hospital about a week ago and is on his way to a full recovery.

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opinion /features

The Lorian Nov. 1, 2012

Romney’s plans are scary and immoral T here are many questions at hand this election season that heavily distinguish the political contenders and their views on the path America should follow.

The battle between liberal and conservative America is always fought on many fronts, so let’s analyze what RETT OBBINS kind of future the candidates and their affiliated parties have for the United States: Let’s start with the biggest question on people’s minds, the economy. It can be agreed that the presidency of Barack Obama definitely has not delivered the vast, speedy, magical and totally illogical economic recovery dreamed up in the minds of the electorate. However, the economy has stabilized over his presidency, and now sits in a state of gradual recovery. President Obama wants to continue the policies that have facilitated this slow economic recovery.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have Romney and the Republican Party.

As everyone knows, it was under the watch of a Republican president, blessed with a Republican Congress the majority of his term, that the economic collapse occurred. This alone should bring reluctance to GOP economic policy, but

ROCKIN’ ROBBINS

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let’s compare.

The breakdown of the federal budget makes it clear that if the government is to significantly reduce the deficit, the spending cuts must occur in Defense (24 percent of the budget), pensions (aka Social Security, 22 percent), Medicare/ Medicaid (22 percent),or welfare (12 percent). Before anyone complains about the schools, they only have 4 percent.

So, what do you cut? Both Obama and Romney state they will cut back on earmark spending, roughly 5 percent of the budget. Obama wishes to ensure that the upper class pays the tax rate they paid under the presidency of Bill Clinton, who left office with a surplus. Obama’s economic plan has left the U.S. in a state of slow recovery, while preserving and expanding government assistance to provide safety nets for the population.

Romney wishes to slash Obamacare, and the GOP generally runs on the platform of scaling back government entitlements. Assuming Romney goes forth with this plan, he will lower taxes, stimulating economic growth to the benefit of businesses and well-off individuals, while cutting the safetynet programs that assist the struggling lower classes, the elderly and (listen up) financially vulnerable college graduates.

And that’s assuming he makes effective cuts in spending. Many times these promised cuts don’t occur for political reasons, leaving tax cuts with no spending cuts, or spending cuts in

If the government is to significantly reduce the deficit, the spending cuts must occur in Defense, pensions, Medicare/Medicaid or welfare.

some places and spending increases in other places, expanding the deficit (20012009 anyone?). Implementing tax cuts, while depriving the financially vulnerable of essential services, and deregulating the private sector back towards the irresponsible business practices that facilitated the economic collapse doesn’t register as a progressive move to me.

Obama, while not delivering spectacular economic growth, has kept the economy in a state of recovery. Why potentially threaten that progress?

Economics aside, the social progress made by the Obama administration is notable as well. The strive for equal rights for women, gays and lesbians, and other minorities has been a positive step forward in this administration.

Whenever the GOP is put in the spotlight on issues concerning contraception, women’s reproductive rights, separation of church and state, and the dignity and rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered people, they stumble back into the archaic and hideous world of the 1950s — dehumanizing gay people as inferiors to be kept in the closet and off the wedding altar, telling women that

they are saddled with pregnancy with no right to abort in the interest of their health and financial wellbeing — and happily proclaiming America a “Christian Nation,� demanding a Christian God entrench itself in secular government and symbolizing a loud “F-You� to anyone who dares to follow a different faith or no faith at all. The GOP, embodied in Romney and his cohorts, is the party of social regression. Freedom and equality are for the superior people, not the inferiors. America is made for whites, men, and heterosexuals, not “f*gs�, “abortion sl*ts� or that Kenyan negro Obama.

The question is what morality do you want in your America? Is the idea of freedom and equality meant for everyone or just those blessed with being in the powerful majority? Are the less fortunate, the handicapped, the unlucky, and the hungry parasites and leeches on the government system, or human beings deserving of love?

For claiming ownership over religion, the GOP sure as hell doesn’t listen to the “love the less fortunate� aspect of Christianity. Obama has shown resilience in the face of extreme economic obstacles, and he has affirmed the rights and dignity of all people, no matter their race, sex, sexual orientation, or otherwise.

Obama sounds like the voice of the 21st century to me. I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer to go there with him.

‘Tis the

Oscar Season

By COLIN HALBMAIER features editor

By NINO ERBA staff writer

November has its fair share of holidays.

In addition to All Saints Day, Veterans Day, Election Day, and of course Thanksgiving, there’s one holiday that is rather huge to anyone who pays close attention to movies: Oscar season! While the temperature gets colder, the hype gets hotter, with movies churning out buzz faster than people can put memes onto them. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at what’s in store, both the good and the bad: “Lincoln� - Steven Spielberg. Daniel Day-Lewis. Abraham Lincoln. Come on, this movie just oozes Oscar. We can’t get our hopes too high; this is Steven Spielberg we’re talking about here. Still, a movie about Lincoln seems appropriate for this time of year. “Wreck-it Ralph� - After years of being the bad guy, Wreck-it Ralph (John C Reilly) sets out to be a hero and ends up hopping through different games.

Needless to say, chaos ensues. Given Disney’s recent turnout with animated Ă€OPV OLNH ´7DQJOHGÂľ WKH VWDNHV DUH UDLVHG WR VHH LI LW FDQ EH WKH QH[W JUHDW Ă€OP LQ WKHLU FDWDORJXH 3OXV QR RQH Ă€WV WKH YRLFH of a commando war leader better than Jane Lynch. “Skyfallâ€? - Bond being shot and perceived dead? MI6 in complete jeopardy? The world in danger again?

Despite the grimness of the trailer (and Javier Bardem’s horrendous haircut), this 007 has a chance to help keep Bond DĂ RDW WKRXJK WKH FKDQFHV WKDW LW PDWFKHV “Casino Royaleâ€? are slim. It already has the most indelible Bond song in a while, though. “Django Unchainedâ€? - Given that Quentin Tarantino has already gotten away with rewriting WWII with “Inglorious Bastardsâ€?, he certainly is poised to rewriting American history with this one. Jamie Foxx as a runaway slave who gets the better of slave owners and goes to great lengths to rescue his

wife from the evil clutches of Leonardo DiCaprio. Sounds good to me. “Les Miserablesâ€? - The fact that it took more than 25 years for the transition from its stage beginnings to the big screen is enough to warrant a look. Everything gets pumped up even more when you witness Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried and other actors already regarded for their vocal talents sing on screen. For the doubters, check out the trailer where Anne Hathaway delivers an already famous rendition of the classic “I Dreamed A Dreamâ€?. “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 2â€? - The title says it all. “Red Dawnâ€? 7KH RULJLQDO Ă€OP had Patrick Swayze and a band of young $PHULFDQV Ă€JKWLQJ DJDLQVW WKH 5XVVLDQV Any hope that this product, which is more dated than a marathon of VH1 Classic (even if the enemy is different in this remake), will have a second life is dashed, even with Chris Hemsworth as the lead. “Jack Reacherâ€? - Tom Cruise found an unexpected rise from notoriety when MI4 exceeded expectations, at least on a critical level. However, he still hasn’t recovered from either “Oprahâ€? or “South Parkâ€?, so it’s not wise to get your hopes up about any further movies he makes.

So there we have it. :LWK DOO WKH ÀOPV FRPLQJ out, it would be foolish to try and cover all the bases.

But if you’re looking for an Oscar season, you have one. The bunch this year has to offer might actually be enough to let us suffer through the near-certain train wreck that we call the Oscar ceremony. In the meantime, our feature presentation.

If you’ve been on campus long enough, chances are good that you’ve heard of Dance Marathon, an event hosted by hundreds of schools around the country that raises millions of dollars for children’s hospitals across the country. Loras has claimed nationwide success over the years, raising more money per student than some of the biggest schools in America. This month, Dance Marathon and the Children’s Miracle Network are challenging you to take your fundraising efforts to the next level with Duhawk Extra Life.

The Children’s Miracle Network is a nationwide effort to raise money to make hospitals and medical procedures less VWUHQXRXV IRU IDPLOLHV ÀJKWLQJ WKURXJK D child’s illness. Vending machines, game rooms, and in-hospital movie theatres are only a few of the many services they provide to families throughout the country. The organization relies heavily on donations to keep things running, which is where fundraisers such as Dance Marathon and Extra Life come into play. While Dance Marathon challenges participants to raise money to dance for 12 to 24 hours, Extra Life challenges participants to take part in our generation’s favorite pastime: playing video games.

At the national Dance Marathon conference, the Duhawk DM team heard about Extra Life as another way to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Junior Easton Kuboushek, the Director of Development for the organization, volunteered to take the reins and bring the event to Loras. In previous years, VFKHGXOLQJ FRQĂ LFWV ZLWK PDQ\ RI WKH DWKOHWLF WHDPV RQ FDPSXV PDGH LW GLIĂ€FXOW for a number of students to participate, a problem Easton hopes will be solved with a new way to fundraise.

No new program arrives without its obstacles, and Extra Life is no exception.

The problem so far has been the number of participants. When asked how many had signed up, Easton smiled and said simply,

“not enough.�

The team is prepared for setbacks, and low numbers aren’t going to stop them from trying their hardest. This year’s goal is $5,000 – a mere percentage of Dance Marathon’s annual fundraising results, but a noble goal for a new organization. With a bit of luck and some hard work, Easton hopes that the program will gain a more prominent role in the campus culture, just as it is nationwide after only a few years.

The concept of Extra Life is largely unchanged from its big brother, Dance Marathon. Participants register through the DonorDrive website, where they create a public page to send to friends, family, and anyone willing to donate money to the cause - publicizing the event is crucial.

On November 17, they will play video games for twelve hours straight, either by themselves or with others. Teams of players are encouraged to participate together, both for a better experience and to raise more money for the cause. People interested in participating but don’t have any kind of video games are encouraged to team up with someone who does. In the future, Easton hopes that the program will expand enough on campus to merit a large community event where people can play together. Until then, the system largely relies on the honor system.

The money raised from Extra Life will be added to the end-of-the-year Dance Marathon fund, which will then be distributed through the Children’s Miracle Network to local families in need of assistance. ([WUD /LIH LV RQO\ RQ LWV Ă€UVW OHYHO KHUH at Loras, but with the right amount of participation and effort, the future looks bright for the latest branch of the Children’s Miracle Network. If you are interested in participating, check out “Duhawk Extra Lifeâ€? on Facebook or contact Easton Kuboushek for more information.

As it is with Dance Marathon, always remember: it’s for the kids!

Features

The Lorian Nov. 1, 2012

5

Making Your Computer Work For You

By COLIN HALBMAIER features editor

Of all the things people find to complain about on campus, the required Lenovo ThinkPad laptops tend to find their place at the top of the list. While Lenovo is known for making good work-based products, college students tend to want more from their computers than is initially offered.

Sometimes Microsoft Office isn’t good enough, or Paint just isn’t cutting it for a big art project. While most of the best software in the world comes with a hefty price tag, there are a number of entirely free programs available that will enhance your computing experience at Loras in ways you might never have imagined. This week’s Lorian Leven focuses on eleven such programs for students at a variety of computing levels.

1. Avira Antivirus – First and foremost, you should have some kind of antivirus software on your computer. Viruses can be hidden in a number of places around the internet, and it’s important to be prepared, especially when downloading new programs.

Avira is one such free antivirus, but there are a number of others available, such as Avast.

Each free version comes with its own pros and cons, but it can be better than having to reset your laptop because a virus corrupted your system. While the programs mentioned on this list are believed to be safe, it’s important to always be prepared for anything that might happen. Download at your own discretion.

2. Google Chrome – Next to being virus-free, having a sturdy web browser can be the greatest improvement to any computer’s quality of life. Google Chrome is completely free and is generally regarded

as the best web browser to date. It’s sleeker than Internet Explorer, easier to use, and bookmarks and settings can be synced across computers in the event something happens to your laptop.

3. GIMP / Paint.NET – If you’re looking to do some kind of digital imaging without dishing out several hundred dollars for Photoshop, then GIMP and Paint.NET are your new best friends. GIMP is often considered to be the closest thing to Photoshop without paying a cent, but still comes with the learning curve that comes with its big brother. Paint.NET, on the other hand, is a simpler piece of software, but is much easier to get used to and work with.

4. Spotify – Since its release over a year ago, Spotify’s user base has exploded, and for good reasons. Imagine having an iTunes library filled with (almost) any song you could ever want, all for the price of nothing.

That more or less sums up Spotify’s model, which connects you with millions of artists around the world. If you get really into it, there is a premium version which allows you to cut out the ads and play your music on your smartphone.

5. LogMeIn – This one is a fun little trick that can actually be used in a number of productive ways. LogMeIn allows you to take control over another computer, as long as that computer is on and connected to the internet. Don’t worry, it’s safer than it sounds – any computer you connect to needs to have your login information, and the control can be overridden easily. If you need to access a file quickly on your computer back home, or need to do something on your laptop from across campus from your smartphone,

LogMeIn is the perfect solution.

6. Dropbox / Google Drive – Dropbox and Google Drive are more or less the same thing, only run slightly different. Both programs allow you to create a shared folder across computers, which can be accessed online with ease. Google Drive offers 5 GB of storage, with the option to purchase more.

Dropbox starts with significantly less, but extra storage can be earned for free with ease.

7. Notepad++ - Programmers may find Notepad++ to be a blessing in disguise.

While the function is identical to Microsoft’s Notepad, Notepad++ allows you to format your text in programmer-friendly ways.

Long, more complicated projects may require more extravagant text editors, but for simple projects, it can be a great help.

8. Handbrake – Ever wanted to rip a DVD to your hard drive, or convert it to a file type that will work with your iPod or iPad? Handbrake is there to please. While

this one is a more technical program that can take some getting used to, it is often considered the best at what it does. If you run into difficulties, do a Google search for tutorials to help you along your way.

9. Steam – Everyone loves to play video games, and everyone likes paying less for it. Steam brings these two things together to create the best social gaming platform for computers. The service, which is essentially a social networking platform for gamers, is free, but buying actual games will cost you a few dollars. Thankfully, because all the games are digitally downloaded (much like a song in iTunes), their prices are drastically reduced. During the holiday seasons, it’s not uncommon to see games reach prices up to 90% off.

10. F.lux – While more of a novelty than an actual piece of software, F.lux may make the burden of staring at your laptop screen all night much more bearable. Laptops are meant to look brilliant during the daytime, but as night falls and the lights go out, the bright lights may start to hurt more than they help. F.lux monitors the time and adjusts your screen’s colors appropriately, adding a slight tint to reduce the strain on your eyes and keep you going strong as you write a paper due the next morning.

11. Evernote – Arguably one of the best programs offered for synchronized notetaking, Evernote makes it easy to share information between your connected devices, including your computer, tablet, and/or smartphone. Whether it’s more useful than programs like Microsoft OneNote is up to the user’s discretion, but given its massive growth over the years, Evernote is clearly a force to be reckoned with.

Trick-or-Vote

By MATT KOCH copy editor

The genius of the “Paranormal Activity” movies is their ability to produce great horror with so little shown. In a genre smattered with explicit images of blood and gore, raging demons and horrifying zombies, the Paranormal Activity movies regress. Realizing that the envelope many times is pushed too far, they scale back the “extras” in favor of creating a big scare with the bare minimum. And that is what audiences loved in the first movie; the subtle implications and whispers of terror, which—I would argue—was still done well in the second and third. However, this fundamental success has proven hard to rehash with the same initial reaction, and this very problem haunts the fourth installment in the “Paranormal Activity” series.

The movie opens with a home video of the two sisters whose story was told in the first three movies. This flashback reminds viewers that the demonic activity targeted the baby boy Hunter, who (spoiler alert) was taken at the end of the second movie. The opening implies that Hunter’s whereabouts are no longer “unknown”.

Following the next scene, which showed the end of the second movie, “Paranormal Activity 4” introduces the audience to a new family and a new protagonist, a 15 year old girl named Alex.

She and her boyfriend Ben have an unusual affinity for video recording their teenage lives. In one of the first eerie scenes the two are exploring the tree house in their backyard at night and meet Robbie, a little boy from across the street.

Then after Robbie’s mother is rushed to the hospital, Robbie stays with Alex’s family because somehow the kid has no other friends or family that can take him in. His late-night activities and moody attitude towards Alex make him the prime antagonist as the movie unfolds. To make matters worse, Alex’s own brother Wyatt takes to Robbie quickly, the two becoming conspiring and conniving little friends.

The best scene comes in broad daylight two thirds into the movie (no spoiler). While Alex is babysitting the two little boys, they run off to Robbie’s house. Alex follows after them, the scene climaxing not in a big startle, but a subtle anti-climax with unnerving implications.

Ultimately, though, most of the scares are the same old tricks under a similar set of circumstances. This seems to be the conventions of the genre, churning rehashed versions of smash hits. But I think this convention takes

an even harder toll on the “Paranormal” series. Where movie franchises like “Saw” can grow more brutal and bloodier with each movie, the “Paranormal Activity” movies have always depended on the unseen and haunts in the shadows. While “Saw” can show more and more horror, what can “Paranormal” do?

Show less and less? Needless to say, that type of progression simply does not work. However, the movie still delivers some good scares and ties the series together nicely. If you love the “Paranormal” movies, then you should like this movie; if not, then I’d go with something else.

By ANDREA BERNS copy editor

There are monsters in this city, and they click their bones to the rhythm of the night, a cacophonous melody that rings through the streets and sends shudders through the soul.

They only come out this night when the witches swipe over the starry sky on their hairy brooms and chomp a bite out of the moon like a lonely piece of pita bread.

And now it bleeds, red and round like the eye of a wildebeest.

They attack the city, dispersing among the streets.

Ravenous.

Insatiable.

And when they arrive, they make their attack on the unwary person who answers their door.

They open their awful toothless mouths and scream, “Trick or Treat!”

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The Lorian

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Nov. 1, 2012

Bobby Bauch: Obama’s critics suggest the economy should have bounced back from the Great Recession in a couple of years. That’s absurd. elcome to the election issue. I’m invested in this relationship we have now, readers, and I will be honest with you. I am over this election cycle. Never in my (admittedly short) life have I seen so much vitriol thrown around by both sides, so I won’t contribute to it. I’m not going to tell you who to vote for. That’s not my job. This is an opinion column and that’s what I’ll give you — my opinion.

I’ll tell you why I believe in the president and why he has my vote on Tuesday.

Barack Obama got my vote in 2008 when he promised us change for this country. He’s going to keep my vote because he proved to me that change could happen. Whenever a political ad or even a real person ask me “Are you really better off than you were 4 years ago?” I honestly feel like laughing. Yes. Yes, I am. Yes, the country is better off, too. Four years ago, we were in a massive recession. Today we’re not. It’s as simple as that. The nation’s biggest banks are not in danger of defaulting and shutting down. The auto industry has been put back on track. Unemployment has slowly but surely fallen since Obama first took office, when we were hemorrhaging about 750,000 jobs per month.

Are we better off than we were 10 years ago? Perhaps not. But two wars, wasteful tax cuts and a Wall Street meltdown will tend to mess a country up.

I’ll put it like this: the economic crisis that we have been through is like a broken leg. It takes only a second to happen and is as easy as a simple trip (though Bush-era economics are more like a fall down a grand staircase). The healing process is god-awful and takes a torturously long time. To expect everything to be fixed in one presidential term would be like snapping your femurs on Sunday and expecting to run a marathon on Wednesday. President Obama brought the change to the economy and will continue to do so if he’s re-elected.

Obama and all his supporters should wear the once-taboo badge of “Obamacare” with pride. Health-care reform was an absolute necessity in this country. People with preexisting conditions deserve to be taken care of. Lower-income families are just as entitled to their health and well-being as everyone else. Insurance companies and healthcare providers should not be able to dictate who can and cannot protect their health.

And just as they are entitled to health care, lower-income families deserve respect. Lower income cannot and should not ever mean second-class in this country. The reforms to welfare have given people hope that they can do just that.

But for me, that “hope” that Obama talked about during his first campaign always been about so much more than the economy. Hope and change are for more than where the government spends our money. It’s about the people of this country — not as taxpayers, but truly as people. In an ideal world, I wouldn’t have to address reproductive rights. Sometimes I don’t even know exactly where I stand on the issue.

But I do believe that outlawing abortion will do nothing to help the women of this country. I pray, too.

When I pray, I pray that circumstances like rape, incest and health threats to the mother are never something that Americans take for granted. But until they do, a woman’s right to her body is, in fact, her right. And I know the president understands this, too.

President Obama respects the people of this country. He respects them for who they are. LGBT people are not secondclass either. For too long, good, patriotic men and women served this country and were unceremoniously discharged from the service to which they dedicated their lives. When Obama signed the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, he gave hope to those men and women. Whom you love does not dictate how much you love this country. Whom you love does not affect your ability to defend it.

When President Obama publicly supported marriage equality, he proved how much he believes in the people of this nation. He proved that he knows that love is a right for all, not a privilege for some. The right to marry and the right to love cannot be denied. He has diligently stuck to his premise that all people are created equal. That’s why he has my vote.

It’s not a matter of having “hope” for the president.

For him, it is hope for the nation.

Election

Election

Battle for the White House

Andy Miller: Change is possible, but not with Obama or Romney

I

’m sure by now, we’ve seen the ads, or have heard the message that Mitt Romney keeps on preaching, and it’s a good approach to take against the incumbent.

Republicans would be quick to point out Obama’s shortcomings, what he hasn’t done that he said he would. When Barack Obama ran four years ago, he ran on a platform of change. Perhaps no one said it better than Obama himself when he stated that he “can’t change Washington.” Obama has followed through on some of his promises, but don’t be fooled by what Democrats will point to when defending their celebrity-president — he hasn’t and he won’t change Washington. What the Romney team isn’t telling you is that Romney won’t change Washington, either. However, there is a candidate who can bring about change.

My personal belief back when the conventions started was that neither candidate had won me over. I didn’t agree with Romney on the social issues, and I didn’t agree with Obama on his fiscal issues. When going through issue by issue, I realized that what I was ultimately going to do by voting for one of those two people would be settling for the lesser of two evils.

I had always identified myself as having Libertarian views, but that, when it came to major party things, I would fall more in line with the Republicans. But this election made me think about it more and more.

And the conclusion that I came to was that, ultimately, the Libertarian party represented my views across the board; I didn’t have to settle for a lesser of two evils. Gary Johnson was and is someone that I can get behind 100 percent — not 50 percent.

Perhaps what I liked best about Johnson was that he is talking about issues that the other two won’t even touch on.

Johnson believes in the right of the individual; that the government shouldn’t allow to dictate what you do. This is a foundation of the Libertarian party. While the Republican Party will stop at nothing to tell you that smaller government is the way to go, the Libertarian Party fully believes that the government should have a dramatically diminished role in the private life of Americans.

However, what really draws the most attention to Johnson is that he’s the candidate for legalizing Gary Johnson marijuana.

People write him off for this issue, but his reasoning behind it is a much broader issue than people realize. It’s essentially to allow the individual to choose what is right/wrong for him/herself and decriminalize something that takes up a tremendous amount of taxpayer money and manpower in order to enforce. The legalization of marijuana would be the equivalent of the end of Prohibition in the ’20s, taking power out of the hands of mobsters/gangsters and taxing the revenue created by a new industry.

Johnson also doesn’t believe that we should be the world police. If you’ve watched the debates, you’ve heard the phrase that “Iran is four years closer to a nuclear weapon.” Since typing that last sentence, Iran is, in theory, 15 seconds closer to a nuclear weapon as well. This is a scare tactic to get elected and send troops in to get in to a war that we don’t need to be involved in. Johnson believes in protecting our own borders; that when the threat comes to us, we protect ourselves. You know who else shared these views with Johnson? The men who founded this country.

Come Election Day, there is one candidate who will be on the ballot here in Iowa, in Illinois, in Wisconsin … who will bring about real change. On Nov. 6, consider casting your vote for change — not that guy, but rather, Gary Johnson.

The Lorian

Nov. 1, 2012

Patrick O’Grady: We have the antidote to cure Americans suffering from Obama-liberalism.

It’s the Romney-Ryan ticket.

M

ad Cow, West Nile and H1N1 aside, there has been another, far more severe epidemic festering in America’s body politic over the past four years: Obama-liberalism. The symptoms are as follows.

The victim will first show delusions of social justice, accompanied by misinterpretations of American federalism, and justified by socialistic class warfare. They will find themselves backing ineffective stimulus packages, a governmental takeover of health care, and will passionately defend stagnant economic statistics as a “recovery.” When questioned on domestic policy, the victim will begin to regurgitate outdated and often paraphrased talking points, including “worst economic recession since the Great Depression,” “saved or created jobs” and “Bush.” When questioned on foreign policy, symptoms become more severe. The victim will succumb to convulsions and yell “Bin Laden is dead!” uncontrollably. When asked about the Libya scandal, and the death of Ambassador Stevens, the victim will reply they have not seen the story covered on MSNBC. Sadly, as the disease progresses, it claims what the infected used to hold most dear. The long defended pillar of the republic, religious liberty is sacrificed on the altar of universal health care. While universal health care is a noble and bipartisan goal, the infected will fail to see that it ought not to come at the expense of one of the defining rights of the Constitution. Exemptions that the infected used to support as a given will no longer seem reasonable. Instead, faith-based institutions are worthy only of freedom of worship, not freedom of religion.

The source of the disease has been linked to 2008 campaign speeches by presidential candidate Barack Obama. Preaching bipartisanship, recovery, deficit reduction, hope and change, he brought national pride to its highest point in decades. Unfortunately, when Candidate Obama became President Obama, he was found to be lacking and disappointing. Suffering from a deficiency of hope, the left changed their ideology and shifted their principles instead of cutting their losses and forcing the president to change his policies.

In light of failed policy, the party should have impacted the president, not the other way around.

This drastic political change brought out the worst in the Democratic Party. Half the nation now insists on defending failed policies and a political culture of governmental dependency.

Political scientists have been trying for the last four years to find a cure for this new strain of Obama-liberalism. Fortunately, an antidote has been found: voting for the Romney/Ryan ticket.

Mitt Romney offers the antidote. The most experienced presidential candidate since Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gov. Romney understands where government can help the private sector, and where government just needs to get out of the way. His tax policy and economic reforms are the kind that will inspire the marketplace confidence that has been so desperately needed over the last four years. Gov. Romney’s business background gives him all the tools needed to restore American prosperity.

Inspired by the only budget to pass either chamber of Congress over the three years, the Ryan Budget, conveniently written by his running mate, a Romney Administration would get Americans working again, make our social programs solvent and effective, and empower the states to provide where is it neither practical, nor appropriate for the federal government to do so.

It is a difficult task convincing an audience of college students to transcend the cultural ideal. But Loras students are special. Duhawks, by virtue of their liberal-arts education are far more apt to see four years of failed policies for what they are: failures. They see a stagnant economy, they see a rising culture of governmental dependency, and they see need for a real change. They see Mitt Romney as the solution to those problems.

It is still “cool” to vote for Barack Obama. However, Loras students understand that after graduation, personal responsibility matters far more than what society deems cool. Loras students see it is no longer exhilarating to support a president that is promising complacent mediocrity in every facet of American life. They understand that America elected lawmakers to pass liberal legislation to bring America back in 2008.

President Obama was elected in the spirit of hope and change. He failed. When leaders fail in America, they are replaced by the other party. It is time to believe in America again. It is time to get America back to work. It is time to restore America’s role as a global leader. It is time to vote for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.

To do otherwise is just sick.

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The Lorian

Community/Opinion

Nov. 1, 2012

The skinny behind the polls Professor Christopher Budzisz’s POL 201 class, “Campaigns & Elections,” submitted columns discussing some of the key components of this year’s contentious presidential campaign. “Dirty” to some, “strategic” to others, that’s politics.

Ryan McCarty — Partisanship

Shelby Roach — Advertising

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artisanship is very prevalent in the current American political system, especially in the upcoming election.

Through observing polls and voter behavior, it is possible to gauge the impact partisanship will have on Nov. 6.

According to a CBS News/Wall Street Journal poll of registered voters taken on July 18, nearly a month before the Republican and Democratic national conventions, Romney was supported by 47 percent of the poll respondents; President Obama had 46 percent.

Regardless of what those July poll numbers imply for the outcome of the election, it suggested that 93 percent of potential voters had already made up their minds or are leaning for a candidate.

Another poll released on Oct. 21 shows similar numbers: 49 percent supported Romney and 47 percent supported Obama, and 4 percent were undecided.

These numbers mean, at least in this election cycle, the electorate is divided between strongly committed conservatives and liberals. Each campaign has been effective in garnering and maintaining support among their bases. The task then is how to reach this very small margin of “swing voters” who basically will decide the fate of the election. In this late hour before the election, the candidates must hone in on the one or two issues that are most important to these swing voters and try to drive home that they are more suited than the other guy to do the job. They also can attempt to persuade those voters who are merely “leaning” to one side or the other.

The question then must be asked: What does the obvious strong partisan divide mean for American culture? We have seen how difficult it can be when Congress is split between Democrats and Republicans.

Does increasing partisanship mean we no longer can work together?

I think not. Americans have always been divided on issues since our country’s inception, and we have been able to overcome and move onward. When a majority of voters are committed partisans, it may seem disconcerting and frustrating, but it is just an outcome of our two-party system. Having people so dedicated to their respective sides also can be seen as a positive because it shows potential for more political awareness among voters.

Overall, whether this division is positive or negative, it is vital that all Americans seek to learn from and are respectful of people’s beliefs, views and opinions. Not only is this our First Amendment right, but it is what can make American politics great.

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C

Ryan Kuboushek — Super PACs

I

’m sure by now some of you can’t wait for next Tuesday to be here and gone. Not only do you finally get to see who gets to reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. for the next four years, but finally those ads cluttering up your Pandora account, delaying your YouTube videos and interrupting your TV programs will be gone! Some of these ads come directly from the campaign, but some come from sources that are new to American Politics: Super PACs. Throughout the history of the U.S. politics, money, and where it comes from, has always been a concern. A well-funded campaign tends to be a successful campaign. Without campaign financing laws, the wealthier donors are able to have greater influence over the election outcome. The Tillman Act in 1907 and the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 prohibited corporations and labor unions from influencing presidential campaigns. It wasn’t until 1971, because of the Federal Election Campaign Act, that “PACs” — political action committees.”

In a PAC, administrative costs are funded by the corporation, but contributions are made from individuals, not the corporation’s treasury. Individuals are allowed to give a limited amount of money to PACs in support of a position or candidate.

Campaign finance laws changed again with the landmark Supreme Court decision in 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission. Corporations and labor unions are able to have more say in elections than they have since 1947 through direct and unlimited

expenditures. In its decision, the court ruled it unconstitutional to prohibit corporations from being able influence elections and regulate when they could run ads. They still are not allowed to directly donate money to the campaigns themselves, but they can contribute to Independent Expenditure Committees, otherwise known as “Super PACs.” There is a catch. The Super PACs are not allowed to coordinate with the campaign of the candidate they are supporting. However, this concept was mocked by many. Stephen Colbert illuminated the issue by creating his own Super PAC and asking Jon Stewart to be in charge. Nonetheless, Super PACs can actively support or oppose a candidate and are allowed unlimited funds. The court felt that it was a freedom of speech issue, saying that corporate money represented people’s freedom of speech.

Priorities USA Action, Restore our Future and American Crossroads are a few familiar names. They are Super PACs that support either Barack Obama or Mitt Romney and have all had an enormous effect on this year’s election. The Super PACs, along with the regular campaign coffers, are pushing this year’s election to new spending records.

According to CBS, this election is pushing toward the $2 billion mark.

So next time you find yourself annoyed by all the ads you will know what the deal is. It is because of the Super PACs. Rest assured it will all be over soon.

Hannah Kauffold — Negativity

n the months leading up to every presidential election since the 1960s, negative advertisements have bombarded our radios, TV sets, and – even more recently – our Facebook news feeds. The uproar heard from the public today is that they would rather see candidates advertise the issues they plan to work on without degrading his or her opponent.

According to Ted Brader, political-science professor at the University of Michigan: “There is widespread agreement, even shared by a number of consultants, that emotional appeals are unethical because they discourage reasoning, promote superficiality and manipulate the public.” In other words, manipulating emotions is not a fair use of people’s logical reasoning. This then begs the question: If it is widely agreed that emotional appeal advertisements are so unethical, why are they used so often in campaign advertising?

Because they work.

Our emotions help guide the choices that we make every day. Brader’s statement about

emotional appeals also refers to “hope and enthusiasm” ads, but a majority of campaign advertisements – at least concerning television commercials – are negative. They reinforce what the voter feels toward that issue/candidate by portraying the issue/candidate in a negative light, but then the music changes and a hopeful message is stated about why the candidate endorsing the ad is the positive choice. This causes the voter to feel more comfortable with the candidate endorsing the ad because, according to the ad, these bad things won’t happen if you vote for (insert candidate here).

For example: “The private sector is doing fine.” President Obama claimed this at a press conference, and today most of America has seen these words used against him in a Romney 2012 campaign advertisement. It was meant to reinforce the idea that Romney, as president, would not forget about the dire need for jobs in our country, while it expresses that Obama doesn’t understand. Of course, this is all portrayed with menacing music and ominous

black-and-white photos as the backdrop for the facts about unemployment. The music, images and facts alone will stir a negative emotion — and maybe pair that with a clip of Obama stating something that goes against the facts — and you’ve got yourself everything you need to make up a negative advertisement that could make any undecided voter question their position. According to Brader, negative ads cause the undecided voter to question his or her opinion about the candidate and seek more information. Emotional ads are much more effective than one that appeals to logic.

As we approach the final days leading up to the election, there are bound to be some desperate attempts by both campaigns to clench those last few undecided voters. So, next time you see a negative campaign ad, instead of gritting your teeth and immediately changing the channel, pay attention to what you feel as you watch the advertisement. Chances are, what you’ll feel is going to be exactly the response that campaign wanted you to have.

ampaign advertising is seen everywhere throughout an election year. One of the most evident forms of campaign advertising is television commercials. These commercials can be either positive or negative, but each of them has a goal.

Television commercials can be used to instill in voters’ minds specific messages or emotions.

In fact, some studies suggest that television ads target certain emotions during specific times leading up to the election. Studies have shown that those television commercials that try to provoke feelings of enthusiasm and pride are intended to rally up partisan support and to motivate people to vote. These types of ads are heavily concentrated during the beginning of the campaign when candidates are trying to rally their base and gain support from voters.

Television ads provoking feelings of fear and anger are shown more frequently right before the election than during any other time. Ridout and Searles also point out that the use of ads designed to provoke anger are more likely to be seen when the election is competitive.

This information is particularly relatable to the current 2012 election. During the primaries, we saw a lot of Republican television ads to rally support for each candidate seeking the nomination. In the meantime, the Obama campaign ran enthusiasm and pride television ads to rally support for his reelection.

Once the Republican nominee was chosen, the Obama campaign could start putting together ads that would portray Mitt Romney in a bad light. For instance, some of the most prominent television ads that portrayed Romney poorly included information about his participation in outsourcing jobs and turning health care for Americans into a voucher system. According to the Obama campaign, Romney was sending American jobs to countries overseas and wanted to make health care more expensive, particularly for seniors.

On the other hand, when Romney was chosen to be the Republican presidential candidate, his campaign first focused on rallying support for him. Television ads portrayed Romney as a pioneer in job creation and a successful businessman who knew what it would take to turn our economy around. Later, the Romney campaign focused on the national debt that was being racked up under President Obama as well as the unemployment rate.

The idea that television ads seeking to provoke feelings of anger are particularly evident during competitive elections seems to prove especially true to this election. Polls have shown that Obama and Romney have been virtually tied for quite some time, taking into account the margin of error within each poll.

Personally, I have noticed a heavier concentration in angry advertisements recently. Based on the research, it’s inevitable we will only be saturated with more anger ads until Election Day. Will they influence your vote choice?

mind and soul

The Lorian Nov. 1, 2012

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Boydology The Lorian is continuing a column by Dr. Mike Boyd, our campus counselor. He is the director of the Counseling Center. Here he will answer student questions concerning anything that relates to keeping it together while doing this crazy thing called college. Send questions or comments to Dr. Mike, Loras Box 100, or to the e-mail address michael.boyd@loras.edu.

All names of those sending questions will be kept confidential.

Girlfriend is an Ice Cube

Hey Mike, My girlfriend has the coldest hands on earth. Holding hands with her is not the warm romantic experience you hear of. It is more like holding hands with a frozen corpse.

She gets mad at me when I say something, but I am worried that something is wrong.

What do I do?

Hot Blooded Guy

Mike says: My, my. A frozen corpse, huh? With such endearing descriptions, I can’t understand why you don’t attract an even warmer relationship. Actually, your girlfriend should see her health-care provider. There is a condition called Raynaud’s syndrome that involves tightening of the small blood vessels called arterioles, usually in the hands and fingers. It is sometimes caused by other conditions, but often simply starts by itself (then called idiopathic Raynaud’s syndrome).

There are certainly other possibilities, but they have in common that over a long time they can cause a breakdown in skin tissue and much discomfort, so should be treated. Many people can successfully manage this condition by learning ways to predict when it will cause problems and using psychological techniques to trigger increased blood flow to the areas affected.

For your part, you should be supportive. If her hands are cold on the outside, think how they feel from inside. Warm up her heart, it will help.

(Now that was sappy, wasn’t it?)

Roommate Problem

Hey Mike, What do you do when you are matched up completely wrong with your roommate?

She’s an early to bed kind of girl. Like about 9 p.m.! And, well, I’m a night owl, going to bed at wee hours. I always have to leave my room so she can sleep. I don’t feel grounded or at home at all. She is very nice, just different sleeping habits...What to do?

Sleepless at Loras Mike says: OK, Sleepless, I’ll give you the same answer I gave my kids when they complained about the same problems, “Suck it up!”

Actually, you ask a good question and working on roommate relationships is an important part of the living/learning environment. All students who live in college housing have the right to sleep and study at reasonable times. Since you indicate your roommate is nice, I suggest you talk with her about this situation. If you are the adults you wish to be, I’m sure a compromise could be reached such as you wearing headphones to listen to music or using a desk lamp to study. Or her using ear plugs or a sleep mask to shut out noise and light. But also, invite her to hang out with you if you plan to entertain friends. If she is more involved with you and your friends, much of the problem will be solved.

If you are not sure how to handle this, contact your RA for suggestions on how to approach it. If you are not willing to talk to your roommate about this you are back to my original suggestion, “Suck it up!”

Urban Plunge Retreat

by HANNAH WAY copy editor

Fall break comes as a much needed respite from the stress of schoolwork and collegelife. But for one group of students, the break from school stress offered an opportunity to explore sources of stress that most college students have little experience with.

Fifteen sophomores from Loras’ Breitbach Catholic Thinkers and Leaders program spent their Fall break in Chicago at the Brother David Darst Center participating in an Urban Plunge Retreat. This retreat gave the students an opportunity to meet and talk with people and organizations that are working to better the Chicago community and those people who take advantage of these organizations and programs.

Among those experiences the students had was the opportunity to talk with men at Cornerstone Shelter, a homeless shelter on the north side of Chicago. After learning about the shelter and the struggles those running the shelter are often faced with, the students were given the opportunity to have individual conversations with many of the men who were spending the night at the shelter.

“Going to Cornerstone Shelter made me realize that service is more than simply preparing a meal or providing physical necessities,” said sophomore Rachel Fitzgibbon. “It is being present with those in need, listening to their stories, and expressing empathy and caring concern, that really make a difference.”

The students were also given the opportunity to talk with men who had recently been released from prison at St. Leonard’s Ministries. St. Leonard’s seeks to provide support and resources to men and woman who have been recently released from prison who oftentimes have few other options of where to go.

“The stories of the men at both places expanded my understanding of social issues and who is affected by them,” said Fitzgibbon. “This entire experience broke down the stereotypes many hold about those affected by addiction, poverty, homelessness and imprisonment.”

The Catholic Worker movement also played an important role in the weekend for the students. After studying Dorothy Day and her movement in their Catholic Traditions class, the students were able to see two different Catholic Worker houses that interpreted the principles of the movement in different but complimentary ways.

“Ultimately, the whole trip for me can be summed up in the meaning of a mural in the Darst Center chapel called ‘Jesus in the Bread Line,’” said sophomore Emily Nelson. “It taught me to open my eyes to see Christ not only in the people we served but in all the people we meet every day. He may be disguised in the poor man waiting in the bread line, but He also disguises Himself in our friends, families and even enemies. We just have to open our eyes and serve in whatever ways we can to whoever we can.”

From the Seminary

Suggestions for the ‘Year of Faith’

by JOSHUA STIKA

St. Pius X Seminary

Y

ou may have heard of a Year of Faith now in progress. Lasting from October 11, 2012 to November 24, 2013, Pope Benedict XVI has established this year as way to renew the encounter with the love and joy of Christ for both believers and nonbelievers. But, you may ask, how can this “Year of Faith” affect my life?

So, I’d like to present a couple quotes, both from Blessed John Paul II, that offer more specific ways of approaching a renewal of faith.

“Let Jesus Himself be the One to define your existence and direct your choices.

In this way the relationships among you may correspond always to the model of love given by the Heart of Christ.” It is a Christian’s duty and pleasure to give their all to Jesus. A great way to recommit to the love of Christ is to examine our relationship with Him. What defines me?

Where do my motivations and identity come from? What do I let influence my choices? What characterizes my relationships with others? With Christ?

For Christians, it necessary that all aspects of our lives center of Jesus Christ

and His love be the standard of all our actions. If anything is lacking, the Year of Faith is an opportune time to work on fixing it. For those disinclined to believe in Christ, asking these questions is still beneficial in better understanding oneself.

“A deeply Christian life cannot be sustained by religious feelings alone or by a vague identification with a religious tradition. What is required is an ever greater understanding of the Mystery of Salvation that is revealed in Christ and handed down in Sacred Scripture and Church teaching.” The Year of Faith is an excellent opportunity to study and reflect on the Scriptures and the teachings of the Catholic Church. Both are rich in expressions of God’s love for humanity.

God’s love is manifested in the salvation he offers us, and He has tasked the Church with teaching us how to accept that salvation and love Him in return.

It is a beautiful thing, what God has done for us. Read the Bible regularly and listen to God speak; explore a teaching of the Church and reflect on its importance; meditate on God’s unfathomable love for you.

One more suggestion: Go to Mass, go to adoration, pray. God wants to spend time with you. I hope these suggestions may be helpful in sparking “an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord,” as is Pope Benedict’s desire for us during this Year of Faith. May God grant us the grace to enter ever more into His love.

Knights for life

by NATHANIEL KAPRAUN for the Lorian

As a proud member of the Knights of Columbus, let me be the first to say that I am pro-life without exception.

Uncompromisingly, the Knights of Columbus is a pro-life group along with the Duhawks for Life in strongly supporting the Catholic Church’s stance against abortion.

During his World Youth Day tour of the United States in 1993, Pope John Paul II denounced abortion and euthanasia, stating that “the culture of life means respect for nature and protection of God’s work of creation. In a special way, it means respect for human life from the first moment of conception until its natural end.”

Cardinal Bernard Law reiterated the

theme, urging Americans to “spread the culture of life over the culture of death.” With this in mind, I encourage the idea of America being a culture of life because abortion is not just a Church issue; it is a human issue.

A Gallup poll released in early May of this year showed that the percentage of Americans who identify as “pro-choice” is at an all-time low of 47 percent, while 50 percent identify as “pro-life.”

How encouraging to see that we are making a shift towards a culture of life. We as an American people have the right and responsibility to vote this November and to consider all issues before doing so. Please consider voting for those who cannot speak for themselves, the unborn. God bless and go vote.

10

The Lorian

Sports

Nov. 1, 2012

M/W Swimming & Diving

Women’s Cross Country

Duhawks dive into new season

Runners grab 3rd at IIAC Championships

By KAYLEIGH MCDANIEL staff writer

By DANNY ZEETS

assistant sports editor

The Duhawks look to have a great season this year with their young team. The Duhawks have a lot to look forward to this year.

The captains for the women this year are seniors Stephanie Czarobski and Gabby Gaulke. The men’s captains are seniors Bob Kupfert and Jason DeWane.

The men’s and women’s both have current relay school record holders. The girls are juniors Katie Callaghan and Marguerite Del Vecchio. The men are sophomores Thomas Graziano and Grant Duncan.

The women are returning seven AllConference athletes. Gaulke, sophomore Desiree Tamez, Czarobski, sophomore Renee Beach, junior Jillyn Gerken, junior Evayn Roper (leaving second semester to study abroad), and Callaghan.

The women are entering the season after a fourth-place finish in the 13-team Liberal Arts Championships and a second-place finish at the Iowa Conference Championships.

The men will be returning three AllConference athletes, Graziano, Duncan, and sophomore Matt Bogen.

This will provide some experience for the first years that will need the advice moving into collegiate swimming.

The men are coming off of a fourthplace finish in the 11-team Liberal Arts Championships as well as a second- place finish in the Iowa Conference Championships.

Possibly the biggest challenge for the men is to find a swimmer to make up for the absence of standout Jake Bridenbaugh last season, who joined the Marines following his first year.

“We’re a fairly young team. I think we have a lot of room for improvement w/ all of the new team members joining us. Ultimately, every year our goal is to swim faster, keep moving forward,” said Coach Doug Colin.

The Duhawks, although young have been working very hard to prepare for the season. The men have seven first years joining the team this year. The women have four freshmen joining the team. The Duhawks have not used youth as an excuse to not succeed; they are still working to have a great season.

“We’ve been in the water for almost six weeks, plus our pre-season strength & conditioning work, so, we’re pretty tired, but definitely ready for competition,” said Colin.

The men and women will hit the pool on Friday when they take on Coe College at Loras College. This will kick off both the season and conference play.

The Duhawks are looking to have a successful season, and know they have the depth to be a contender for the next

ARCHIVE PHOTO

A Loras swimmer competes last season.

The new season kicks off Friday.

photo by KATHERINE EDWARDS

Loras’ defensive front lines up against an opponent earlier this season. The Duhawk defense is first in pass defense in the Iowa Conference.

Duhawks, UD square off in Key City Clash points and we throw an interception, it comes all the way back down,” said Mierkiewicz.

“With the way we are trying to do things and when your mentality is run-first and slow the game down and control the line of scrimBy JACK METZ mage, and then give up points that quickly it managing editor/sports editor The football team’s month of October is hard to get back into the game.”

With that run-first mentality, Carrier again had its fair share of scares as it dropped four impressed on the field for the Duhawks. Cargames to Iowa Conference opponents, most rier netted 146 yards on 33 carries, further recently losing 27-10 against Central.

Loras is currently seventh in the confer- cementing his lead at the top of the IIAC ence with a 1-4 record (2-6 overall), while with 1,104 yards on 201 attempts.

Carrier is the team’s first 1,000-yard rushCentral maintains a 4-4 record overall and a share of second place with a 3-2 confer- er since Alex McGrew totaled 1,592 yards in 2008. ence record.

Loras’ defense, ranked first in pass deThe tough stretch has not gone unnofense in the conference, continued its imticed by the coaching staff, but with a major strength of the team being its youth, there is pressive play in the second half, forcing the Dutch into four straight punts in the third time to grow.

“It has been a little frustrating. Each Sat- quarter and holding them to one touchdown urday it seems something different is going in the fourth quarter.

“I was extremely pleased on. At times we have had with our defense and the way really good efforts from we ran the football and tackour defense, good production from our offense, We have had some real led,” Mierkiewicz said. “I thought our guys were realand times where our spekey things go wrong ly well-prepared and played cial teams has been good,” whether it is turnovers real hard.” said Coach Paul MierkieLoras scored its lone touchwicz. “We have had some or penalties, it has been down in the fourth quarter on real key things go wrong a struggle, but we are a a seven-play drive that drove whether it is turnovers young football team and 74 yards down the field and or penalties, it has been capped off by an 11-yard a struggle. But we are a we are going to have pass from Jones to junior Joe young football team and some of those pains, Walker. we are going to have some however it doesn’t of those pains. However, This Saturday, the Duit doesn’t make them any make them any easier. hawks will host the Univereasier.” sity of Dubuque (3-5 overall, Paul Mierkiewicz, 2-3 IIAC) in the annual Key A bright spot on the affootball coach City Clash. Following victoternoon for the Duhawks ries in 2009 and 2010 by the was their defense as the Duhawks, the Spartans capDutch struggled to find much success in the first half until a major tured the “key” following last year’s 41-16 victory. turning point in the game.

Locked at 3-3 late in the second quarter, The key to a Loras victory will begin with the Dutch scored 17 unanswered points late containing the top-ranked passing offense in in the half. After a field goal by the Dutch, the conference, led by UD’s veteran quartertheir special teams blocked the ensuing punt back, Wyatt Hanus.

by Loras that resulted in a touchdown for “When you have a quarterback that has Central after a 26-yard drive. command of what he is doing, it is tough.

Following a 47-yard kick return by Lo- It is going to be hard to confuse him beras to the Central 43-yard line and a 32-yard cause when you have a quarterback who has run by first-year Nate Carrier, the drive was played that many snaps, he has seen a lot halted when a Dylan Jones pass was inter- of different things. You want to be complex, cepted at the 1-yard line. Central returned but want to keep it simple so that the guys the ball 88 yards to the Loras 11-yard line, know what they are doing and reacting and leading to a 9-yard touchdown with 21 sec- getting after the ball,” said Mierkiewicz. “It onds remaining in the half. is a big challenge for us, but I feel better that “It was a total and complete turnaround. we have been better over the last couple of We were going in for, at a minimum, three weeks.”

Loras shifts its focus to cross-town rival looking to halt 4-game losing streak

‘‘

Third place, two All-Iowa Conference runners, and one race left to show how hard they have worked this season to be able to qualify for the national meet.

The Duhawks finished third behind nationally ranked Wartburg and Luther Colleges at the Iowa Conference Championships, hosted by Coe College this past Saturday in Cedar Rapids.

This season, the statistics on paper haven’t shown the Duhawks full potential.

The past two meets, the Duhawks have performed well and ran their best meets of the season, on and off paper.

“This was by far the best meet of the season which is how our training is set up, to run our best at the end of the year. I am very proud of our women for stepping it up at the conference championships” said Coach Bob Schultz.

Placing third at conference last year as well, the women’s team originally had a goal to place higher at conference than last year. However, competing against two nationally ranked teams makes it difficult.

“I was very happy with how well our women raced. The highest we could have finished on a perfect day was third and we did that,” said Schultz.

Junior Kellie Wagner led the Duhawks across the finish line for the third meet in a row. Wagner placed 10th overall with a time of 23:04, which was the 10th-fastest time in women’s cross country program history.

Senior, Maria Kalb came in second for the Duhawks, placing 15th overall in a time of 23:29. Wagner and Kalb both earned All-Iowa Conference.

First-year Nora Gawlik was third for the Duhawks, placing 18th in 23:45. Finishing just behind Gawlik was senior Katie Flogel placing 21st with a time of 23:51.

Juniors Bridget Hall and Mary Rector finished in the fourth and fifth spots in the Duhawk line-up, running with times of 24:05 and 24:13 placing 23rd and 25th.

Completing the top seven line-up was first year, Amanda Runde, placing 32nd with a time of 25:06.

Competing at taper pace, the Duhawks just let their hard work run the races and let the times speak for themselves.

“My hope for our team is to get into the top 10, having a couple All-Region runners and even possibly an individual National Qualifier” said Schultz. Last year, the only woman to qualify for Nationals was Genna Kinley running 22:47 to qualify. The top seven runners will compete at Regionals, Nov. 10 hosted by St. Olaf College.”

,,

photo by KYLE SCHAFFER

Junior Kellie Wagner finished 10th overall at the Iowa Conference Championships.

Sports

The Lorian

Volleyball

11

Men’s Cross Country

Loras wins postseason opener

Wittman leads runners to 2nd place in IIAC

By RYAN BINSFIELD staff writer

After Tuesday’s 4-set victory over Central, the Duhawks travel to Coe to try to knock off the No. 2-seeded Kohawks

By JACK METz

managing editor/sports editor

Knocking off Central was no easy task Tuesday night for the volleyball team, but the Duhawks held their own and knocked off the Dutch in four sets, winning set one, 25-14, but losing set two, 27-25. The Duhawks finished the final two sets with 25-20 and 25-19 victories.

The victory kicked off the Iowa Conference tournament in which Loras is the No. 3 seed based on its standing at the end of the regular season with their 5-2 conference record. Central was ranked sixth in conference following its 2-5 record.

Loras will travel to Coe on Thursday to face the No. 2-seeded team, which finished with a 6-1 record in the conference.

Last Friday, the Duhawks played their final regular-season match against Clarke University and recognized their seniors Crabill, Riley, and Kenzie Goedken before the game.

“I was really emotional the night before and the day leading up to the game. I had a huge sense of anxiety and almost cried because I couldn’t really fathom that it was coming to an end,” said Goedken. “It made me realize that everything that people had complained about or worried about in previous years really didn’t matter. It also made me realize that this is it; we have to put everything we have into our conference tournament games because this is the last time this team will ever get to play together.”

The team could not pull out a victory to finish off the regular season dropping three sets, 21-25, 18-25, and 16-25. The loss completed their regular season record at 15-17.

“We had some ups and downs throughout the course of the season, but we have attempted to learn from our low points to improve for the next game,” said Riley. “I am happy so far, it’s a great group of girls to play with and win or lose its worth playing with them” In Tuesday’s match, the standout performers from the game were two seniors Cassie Crabill and Regan Riley, who both had 12 kills, while first-year Christa Winder had 20 digs. Sophomore Kara Grant also made her presence known with 15 kills and 21 defensive digs.

On Oct. 23, the Duhawks and Dutch faced off at Central where Loras swept them in three sets, 29-27, 25-10, and 27-25, but that did not allow them to ease up on them entering Tuesday.

“We knew not to underestimate them, we beat them last week but the conference tournament is a whole new situation everyone is playing with all they have because it could be their last,” said Riley. “We need to come out strong from the start playing our game, in practice we’ve worked on attacking their weaknesses so hopefully we can exploit them and come out with a victory.”

The plan worked for the Duhawks and now they have another tough matchup ahead against Coe, which Loras lost to in three sets at the beginning of October.

Nov. 1, 2012

photo by JIM NAPRSTEK

Senior Kinsey Campbell pursues a loose ball in last week’s match against UD.

Unscathed Duhawks eye postseason

By CLAIRE MURPHY staff writer

The women’s soccer team has made huge strides in their recent fixtures to wrap up the 2012 regular season.

In the final match day of the conference season, the Duhawks were ready for crosstown rival University of Dubuque.

Fans from all over campus showed up to support their fellow Duhawks and the stands were packed for both the men’s and women’s games.

The girls came out hot with some fresh legs coming in and making major contributions to the game. The Duhawks got on the board early when first year Katie Truesdale sent a hard, low lining cross into the penalty area. The ball struck the outside foot of the Spartan defender and went spinning into the back of the net, resulting in an Own Goal.

Late in the first half, another goal for the Duhawks came off a combination from senior captain Rachel Rieger when she headed the ball to outside midfielder Shelby Perphoto by JIM NAPRSTEK kins who poked it in the back of the net.

Senior Rachel Rieger clears out an “I saw the ball coming from Hillary Wil- errant pass against UD. son who served a great pass from the corner,” said Rieger. “I got a touch off it to work has paid off,” said Rieger. “It’s a Shelby who was able to finish it at an es- pump-up for the team to get recognized as well.” sential point in the game.”

As the conference tournament begins The Spartans had great difficulty changing the course of the match due to the this week, teams’ seasons are on the line strong Loras defense, led by senior Kinsey and can be ended with the loss of a game.

This is where the real excitement starts.

Campbell and junior Sarah Trump.

First year Taryn Petersen found her way The women had a bye this past weekend and played the Central Dutch back into the lineup after Tuesday evening. The winmissing significant time due ner of that match moves on to an off-field injury. Petersto play in the IIAC TournaI feel privileged en came up quick late in the ment championship Satursecond half to score the third because its day night. and final goal of the game honorable thing Earlier in their campaign, off a header goal just past to get and it feels the Duhawks knocked off the tips of the goalie’s finthe Dutch at home in the ger on an assist from senior like all the hardRock Bowl 3-nil, but anyJayne Eslinger and sophowork has paid off thing can happen at tournamore Kristina Everding. time and they must go When the whistle finalRachel Rieger ment in with “killer instinct” menly blew, signaling full time, senior defender tality. the Duhawks were cham“Our team is pretty conpions once again. For the fident heading into it. We third straight season, Loras have had a strong winning streak that has was atop the Iowa Conference.

One main goal has been accomplished improved our record. Our season record this season- but the women are hungry doesn’t quite do the team justice because for more and are working to make further we have improved throughout the seastrides with players stepping up and stand- son,” said Eslinger. “It’s an exciting time ing out, such as Rieger, who was defender of the year because it’s a time where we show who are team truly is and it comes of the week.

“I feel privileged because its honorable down to the wire because any game could thing to get and it feels like all the hard- be our last.”

‘‘

Loras arrived at Coe College last Saturday looking to repeat as Iowa Conference champions.

Despite all scoring runners placing in the top 16, the Duhawks fell short, finishing as the runner-up.

Last season the Duhawks were able to edge out Luther by three points to take the conference title.

The roster looked very different this time around as the Duhawks were without the second-place overall finisher of a year ago, Dan McDermott, who graduated last spring, as well as junior Jerry Olp, fifth place finisher last year, who had to sit out the third meet in a row due to injury.

Heading into the meet, injuries, including Olp’s, were a big concern on Coach Bob Schultz mind.

“My hope was that our injured guys would be able to run injury free and two of the three did,” said Schultz. “Our guys stepped up and competed well.”

The Duhawks placed second overall with a team score of 50, which was three points better than their score a year ago.

However, Central College took home the conference title with a score of 33, including a sweep of the first three individual places.

“Obviously, we wanted to win, but we ran as well as we could,” said Schultz.

“This is the deepest this conference has ever been with four nationally ranked teams, so to come out with a second place as beat up as we are is terrific.”

Sophomore Ty Wittman led the way for the Duhawks with a fourth-place finish, with a time of 25:43, a personal best and just 0.6 seconds behind the thirdplace finisher.

“Ty ran amazing, his best race ever as a Duhawk,” said Schultz.

The next three Loras runners finished within four places of each other to earn All-Iowa Conference honors alongside Wittman.

Sophomore Steve Loran finished eighth overall with a time of 25:49, senior Austin Steil placed ninth overall with a time of 25:55 and sophomore Ryan Sheeran was 12th with a time of 25:56.

Senior Chris Higgins rounded out the scoring for the Duhawks with a 16th place finish and a time of 26:04, missing out on All-Conference honors by a mere tenth of a second.

Next up for Loras will be the NCAA Division III Regionals on Nov. 10, a meet where it finished in fourth place overall a year ago. Schultz has high expectations.

“We are hoping to win Loras’ first-ever NCAA Regional Championship, but ultimately, we want a return trip to the NCAA Championships.”

,,

photo by KATHERINE EDWARDS

Sophomore Shawn Reilly sets up the ball to a waiting Cassie Crabill behind her.

photo by KYLE SCHAFFER

Sophomores Ty Wittman (right) and Steve Loran (left) finished fourth and eighth overall, respectively, to help Loras finish second overall at the IIAC Championships.

12

The Lorian

Sports

Nov. 1 2012

On the Sideline

Irish quiet doubters

Behind Te’o and the defense Notre Dame is revving up for a chance in the BCS Bowl Jack’s Smack

The Irish are relevant once again.

At least that is the consensus around college football following Notre Dame’s 3013 victory against the highlyregarded eighth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.

Even Brent Musberger stated the return of the Fighting Irish’s relevancy, so if he is not enough for you to believe it then you are either one of those fans that enjoys hating the Irish because everyone likes them or just do not know college football.

The Golden Domer’s are ranked third in the BCS rankings entering this week and sit with an undefeated 8-0 record. This is the first time they are 8-0 since 2002, a team that had Carlyle Holiday at quarterback, Ryan Grant at running back and Arnaz Battle at receiver.

This season is different though. The first player anyone talks about when they think Notre Dame is senior linebacker Manti Te’o, and for good reason.

In an era full of many selfish collegiate athletes, one in particular, Cardale Jones of Ohio State University tweeting that classes were pointless and that he only came to the school to play football.

As factual as the message is regarding more than a handful of athletes, it’s the exact opposite of Te’o.

Te’o could have entered the NFL this season and been a first round draft pick, but he chose to put off grabbing a paycheck a year early because he wanted to continue that camaraderie with his teammates and partake in everything senior year has to offer for a college athlete.

His public identity rose to higher heights when the nation watched him handle the deaths of his grandma and girlfriend in the same week and still lead his team to victory against Michigan State.

Te’o should be the poster child for all college athletes when it comes to true character and how to abandon the need for the limelight to dominate.

That character is what the Notre Dame defense is built on through the leadership of Te’o and why they find themselves ranked 11th in Division I and first in opponent scoring, allowing only seven offensive touchdowns all season.

For the past decade and a half Notre Dame was as good as any team at being the butt of all the jokes because of the coverage they received, but the lack of productivity on the field.

But everyone involved with the program, including NBC who broadcasts their games are enjoying the benefits of the undefeated season.

Through the middle of October NBC had a fourgame 4.5 million-viewer average, their best since 2006. The numbers have only climbed as Notre Dame holds one of the four undefeated records in the NCAA. With Notre Dame in contention for a chance at the BCS Championship game, fighting Kansas State and Oregon for the probable matchup against Alabama, secretly all television entities have to hope to see the Irish due to all the possible storylines with Te’o and the return to relevancy.

Notre Dame still has their doubters, and as each week passes with another victory those doubters have less of an argument to hold on to.

The first argument, the one saying that Notre Dame’s schedule is nothing special, is one based on falsity and complete neglect to give the Irish any credit.

Notre Dame entered the season with the toughest schedule, now in the ninth week of competition they still have a top-ten strength of schedule.

Notre Dame also does not have any fluff competitions on their schedule since they are not in a conference or have to face FCS teams.

The Irish have beaten a slew of teams ranked in the top-25 this season and that should be enough to prove that the team is no pushover.

Doubters can argue the performance of the dismal offense, but as the mantra goes “defense wins championships” and the offense did not disappoint against the Sooners, as many were expecting.

Whether or not the Irish complete the perfect season and face-off in the BCS game, people know that the only direction this team is headed under Brian Kelly is up and it is a welcomed sight for all those who have hung by the team through its worst.

Jack Metz

photo by JIM NAPRSTEK

Tom Fluegel taps his 55th-minute shot past Dubuque’s keeper. Fluegel’s second of the year, would stand as the game-winner against the Spartans.

Duhawks soaring among the elite Duhawks finish regular season at 17-1-1 (7-0)

By JIM NAPRSTEK & KATIE TRUESDALE staff writers

After 19 matches, the Duhawks have done some significant damage. Loras ran the table in the Iowa Conference, finishing 7-0 and owning a +27 goal differential; not a single team scored on them. It was only the second time in the history of the Iowa Conference that a team completed conference play without surrendering a goal.

In the final night of conference play, the Spartans crossed University Avenue and entered the Rock Bowl to take on the Duhawks.

The Spartans were ready for a battle against the Duhawks, having the conference leading scorer Nick McDonald in the lineup; they were ready to utilize him up top against the Duhawks “No Goal Patrol” backline.

Coach Rothert had a plan of his own to shut down McDonald. Instituting a 2-5-3 formation, junior Erik Berkowitz was charged with the task of man marking McDonald, and in the process did not allow him to put a shot on frame.

On the other end of the pitch, the Duhawks offense was struggling to find the back of the net for the entire first half as it ended scoreless.

Once the second half began the men came out looking to score, and in the 55th minute, sophomore midfielder Tom Fluegel scored his second goal of the season from inside the 6 yard line on an assist from senior forward Brad Joiner.

“Scoring so early in the second changed the game,” said Fluegel. “Our goal for the second half was the first five minutes to put them under and after I scored off the flick by Joiner it gave us some momentum and energy to pick up the pressure to try and get the second goal to finish it.”

High pressure was what Coach Rothert was looking for from the men in the second half. Every time a Spartan had the ball, he wanted someone on their back battling to get it back to Duhawk possession.

Their hard work paid off once more in 76th minute as senior midfielder

photo by JIM NAPRSTEK

Sam Koenig fights off his mark. Koenig’s night was cut short when he received a yellow card in the 23rd minute.

Forrest Olson sent a perfect low cross inside the box to find the head of his high school teammate, senior forward, Ryan Schneider. The header sailed past the outstretched fingertips of the UD keeper, increasing Loras’ lead to 2-nil.

“I knew that he was going to be looking to put one across and it actually missed me the first time and so I snuck under the back post, waited for him to beat the guy, and play it in,” said Schneider.

“I thought we had a lot of looks in the first half and I wanted some energy from the bench because that’s what we needed, we needed to capitalize and someone needed to step up and be a hero of this game, and that happened,” said Rothert.

By defeating the University of Dubuque, the Duhawks wrapped up their seventh Iowa Conference Regular Season Championship, and first since their three way tie in 2010.

The 2012 season will certainly be one to remember. With 17 regular season wins, the Duhawks have earned two top five rankings, sitting at 4th in the NSCAA poll and 2nd in the D3Soccer poll. The #2 ranking is the highest that Loras has ever been ranked in either poll. Previously, the highest ranking was #3, when the Duhawks finished

23-0-2 and made their first appearance in the NCAA Final Four.

As the team enters the post-season for the 15th straight season, sights are certainly set high. Captain Dan Figura isn’t worried, however, as he believes that this team is well prepared for what the future holds.

“The postseason brings with it added pressure and a different atmosphere. Every one has something to prove and the expectations are higher. Teams come out faster and everything is more physical.”

Following the conclusion of the Iowa Conference Tournament this weekend, the Duhawks will wait to hear their name called on Monday as a part of the NCAA Selection Show. Given Loras’ history and performance so far this season, many are expecting them to serve as a host for the NCAA Tournament pods.

“The key for us to remember, is that our record might as well be 0-0. If we approach each game with the right mentality, then there will be nothing to worry about. Our defense will hold tough, and the offense will score,” Figura added.

While the 2012 season may be more than two-thirds complete, now is the best time to be playing soccer, and the Duhawks are ready to take to the skies and soar.