March 14th Edition of The Lorian

The Lorian

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS SHORT OF ADVANCING, LOSES TO TRINE

By KARLY WEISS

#15 Loras Women’s Basketball’s impressive 2022-2023 season was cut short by a tough 54-60 loss to #14 Trine University, Saturday night at Lillis Court.

The women started the 2022-2023 season off strong with back-to-back wins against ranked teams including #9 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and #9 Babson College. The Duhawks end the season with a 5-1 record against ranked opponents, capping off with a defeat of Wartburg in the regular season and conference tournament.

The Loras College Women’s Basketball team’s historic season was cut short after losing to #14 Trine in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Duhawks won the American Rivers Conference Championship after defeating Wartburg.

MEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS TO COE IN CHAMPIONSHIP THRILLER

By KEEGAN A. GODWIN

The Men’s Basketball team finished their 2023 season with a loss to Coe College in the ARC Championship game. The Duhawks were defeated 93-86 in the final game of the season, finishing just shy of the conference championship title. Despite their loss, the Duhawks maintained a dominate pace throughout the playoffs, upsetting #1 Central College with a 79-76 victory in Pella, Iowa.

Two Duhawks were named to the ARC All-Conference teams:

Ali Sabet and Tyler Bass. Sabet led the team in scoring, averaging 17.4 points per game. Sabet also led the team with 63 three-pointers throughout the season, placing him in the top five in the conference. This is Sabet’s second consecutive All-Conference selection as he continues to dominate here at Loras.

Bass was the second-leading scorer for the Duhawks, averaging 13.9 points per game. He also led the team by averaging 7.0 rebounds

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Interfaith Excursion Around Chicagoland

By MARY FELLERS

Recently, a group of students traveled to Chicagoland to visit three different sacred spaces through the Interfaith club: Better Together of Spiritual Life. Sacred spaces refer to places where groups of people have dedicated a place of worship or meaning in their faith tradition. Better Together plans an annual trip to visit various spaces to learn about their historical roots, religious beliefs, and cultural differences. Visiting these spaces can teach us so much about people from all over the world. If you ever have the opportunity to travel to the Chicagoland area, be sure to visit these sacred spaces.

The trip was led by Tania Tauseef, Loras College Interfaith Coordinator, and Dr. John Eby, professor of History. I worked with Tania on much of the planning that went into this trip. Our goal was to visit spaces that are different from those in our Dubuque community so that students could experience something new. Furthermore, several of the students who attended the trip are international students from countries like Nepal.

The first sacred space we visited was the Zen Buddhist Temple. At the temple, we had

Approaching Graduation An Ode to the Cafe

As the spring semester kicks off, the realization that this is my final semester at Loras has set it. I will be taking the traditional route of a college student by graduating in four years. I believe it is my responsibility, as a graduating student, to leave some helpful reminders to younger students here at Loras. Take these tips as much or page 2

The Interfaith Club outside the Swaminarayan Mandir in Chicago, Illinois. The trip was led by Tania Tauseef and Dr. John Eby. Many international students from Nepal attended the trip with the Club. The group of students attended the Zen Buddhist Temple, the Holocaust Museum, and finally, the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha Swaminarayan Mandir (pictured above).

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I did not discover until late last year what a treasure the large room tucked between the second and fourth floors of the ACC (Alumni Campus Center) truly is. Even though I spent my entire first year here, two meals a day, sometimes three. Monday through Friday at 11:00 a.m. sharp, my friends and I made our contribution to the spiraling line outside the Café’s entrance. By 11:05 a.m., we had

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The women’s team won the American Rivers Conference Tournament, giving them an automatic NCAA DIII Tournament bid. This was also the program’s first time hosting the first and second rounds of the tournament, with many Duhawk fans showing up in their purple and white to support the team.

The Duhawks defeated Knox College on March 3, with a 6856 win that advanced the team to the round of 32. This group would become only the second team in program history to win a game in the NCAA tournament. The first time was during the 2019-2020 season when the group made it to the Sweet 16.

With an overall record of (24-5) on the season, this team falls just one win short of tying the program’s record for wins in a season, which was 25 in 2019-2020.

This group of athletes has a lot to be proud of in their 2022-2023 season and a bright future for next year, as they’ve seen what it takes to compete and be successful at a high level.

The Lorian would like to congratulate the Women’s Basketball team for their successful season. We look forward to watching them defend their conference title next season, and hope they are able to return to the NCAA Tournament. Amazing Season!

TREC Trip Experience The Challenge of 2024

Over J-term break, I had the opportunity to participate in a TREC (Think-ReflectEngage-Connect) trip through the Spiritual Life Department. I became interested in the Arizona-Mexico border trip because being from the Midwest, it’s a culture I’ve never experienced before. While in college, we have time and opportunities like

The 2024 presidential election will be one of the most divisive and destructive elections in American history. It is unclear who will be at the forefront of the Republican nomination. Mr. Donald Trump has already announced his candidacy for the presidency. Republicans like Mr. Ron DeSantis and Ms. Nikki Haley are increasingly

photo from MARY FELLERS

photo from DUHAWK ATHLETICS

BASKETBALL FALLS TO COE

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per game, placing him in fourth place in the conference. Throughout the season, he scored six doubledoubles.

The Duhawks finished the season 17-11 this year, with a conference record of 9-7. This was enough to give them the #4 seed heading into the tournament. Loras had a crucial late-season victory over rival Wartburg, giving them the #4 seed and home advantage heading into the playoffs, where they would defeat the Knights again.

The Duhawks showed up when it mattered most this season, winning crucial games against conference rivals late in the season.

The Duhawks will look to capitalize off this success as they head into the 2023 – 2024 season.

BaseBall leads season off with four-Game win streak

By KEEGAN A. GODWIN

The Loras Baseball team began their 2023 campaign with a fourgame win streak, scoring 50 runs in those games. The Duhawks defeated the St. Norbert Knights to start the season, before beating Elmhurst and Illinois College twice. The team traveled to Iowa City to play an exhibition match against the Hawkeyes. Last season, the Duhawks walked away victorious, upsetting the University of Iowa. This year, however, the Hawkeyes would get the satisfaction of beating the Duhawks with a 9-2 victory.

The Duhawks traveled to Florida to compete in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational tournament. Down in the Sunshine State, Loras would play eight games, but only manage to walk away victorious in three of those games. The Duhawks defeated Saint Joseph’s College of Maine 8-4. Hamilton College 9-4, and Concordia College of Minnesota 4-1.

The team will travel to Minnesota on March 18 to face Concordia College of Minnesota once again, this time at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings. The game will take place at 5:30 PM. The Duhawks do not host their first home game of the season until March 28, where they will host the Simpson College Storm.

The Duhawks are led by Sophomore Max McCallum, who leads the team with a .367 batting average. Right behind McCallum is Junior catcher Daniel Rogers, who leads the team with two home runs and 14 RBIs.

Track and Field Places

Third in NCAA Indoor Championships

By KEEGAN A. GODWIN

Both Men’s and Women’s Track and Field competed in the NCAA Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Alabama over the past weekend. Both teams would place third amongst intense competition.

The Women’s Track and Field heading into the championship ranked #3. While they were unable to defend the NCAA Championship Title from last season, they were able to place third out of fifty nine schools. The team placed third with 40.5 points, while UW-La Crosse took home the championship with 59.5 points.

Both the Women’s and Men’s Track and Field team placed third in the NCAA Indoor National Championships. They will head to Wartburg the first week of April to compete in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Combined, there were fourteen All-American Honors awarded between the two teams (eight awards to the Women’s Track and Field and six awards to the Men’s Track and Field).

Volleyball Sets Sights on Glory as Season Reaches Halfway Mark

By KEEGAN A. GODWIN

The Duhawks walked away with multiple All-American Honors. The first to grace the award was Sophomore Harmony Creasy as she was the runner-up in the long jump. The next Duhawk to win an All-American award would be Senior Grace Alley in the pentathlon, her second in as many seasons. Freshman thrower Caitlyn Cox won All-American by placing fourth in the weight throw. Senior Alyssa Pfadenhauer received an AllAmerican award for her impressive

time in the 400-meter finals.

The Duhawks will now look to defend their three-straight NCAA Outdoor Championships on April 1, at Wartburg College.

The Men’s Track and Field team would also place third in the Championships, scoring 32 points throughout the two-day tournament. UW-La Crosse would go on to win the Men’s Championship as well, scoring 35 points.

Senior Mike Jasa became the national champion in the 800-meter finals, with a time of 1:49.30. The trio of Ted Kruse, Josh Smith, and Matt Kruse took home All-American Honors for their performance in the 4x400-meter relay. Senior Wyatt Kelly took home his own All-American award by taking sixth place in the mile. Finally, Junior Derik Bunten won two AllAmerican awards in the long jump and distance medley relay team.

The Men’s team will now set their sights on the NCAA Outdoor Championship at Wartburg on April 5.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR DUHAWKS: LUKAS KRIKAVA

By ALLEN CATOUR

At Loras College, we strive to be Duhawks supporting Duhawks. We love supporting our sports teams and cheering them on. While watching and supporting our sports teams is an amazing way to support our athletes, it is also essential to understand each athlete as an individual and see their views and purposes from their perspective. The purpose of this section is to help the students and staff of Loras College get to know our amazing athletes and allow their voices to be heard. For this interview, I had the opportunity to talk to Lukas Krikava.

Krikava (#26) is a 6’3 freshman from Appleton, Wisconsin, who is majoring in psychology. Although there are no public stats of Lukas’s season, we look forward to seeing him perform well on the field.

I really like that answer because it’s typically what a lot of athletes may feel as they start to bond closer with their teammates. I then asked Krikava, “Do you have any personal hobbies?”

during the Loras-Iowa

game. McCallum currently leads the team in batting, with a respectable .367 average.

The Men’s Volleyball Team continues their show of dominance as they sit at a comfortable 13-3 record. The Duhawks are in the top spot for multiple conference statistics as they have passed the halfway mark of the season. As of right now, the Duhawks lead the CCIW in Opponent Hitting Percentage, Hitting Percentage, Opponent Blocks, Blocks, and Service Aces.

The Duhawk’s starting six fill the top spots in the conference’s leaders, with sophomore Corey Mayotte second in the CCIW in kills, with 185 kills in 54 sets. Senior Dorian Fiorenza is fifth in kills, with 163 in 55 sets. Patrick Mahoney is currently fourth in the conference in hitting percentage, hitting at a comfortable .440. Mahoney also leads the conference in blocks, averaging 1.40 blocks per set. Fiorenza leads the CCIW in service aces per set, with

.53.

The three losses for the Duhawks this season have come from two teams within the AVCA Top 15, Carthage and North Central. As Loras heads into the back half of the season, each game gains more and more importance. With only seven games left in the regular season, the top spot in the CCIW is still up for grabs. The winner of the CCIW Championship receives an automatic qualifier to the NCAA National Tournament. Last season, the Duhawks were defeated by North Central in the semi-finals.

The Duhawks host the defending National Champions, Carthage, on March 29 at 7:00 PM.

Krikava primarily plays forward for our Loras College men’s soccer team. I asked Lukas, “What made you come to Loras College? What made you choose this school?”

Lukas told me, “Primarily, the opportunity was to be a part of a strong soccer program. It wasn’t too far from home and still provided the chance to have new experiences in a new place. I also knew an alumnus who had played on the soccer team and who had a lot of positive things to say about the college and soccer program.”

I asked Lucas, “During the year that you have been here, what is your favorite memory so far of being on the men’s team?”

He took some time to think and then responded to me by saying, “My favorite memory is probably winning the conference. We spent all season working to achieve that. The moment when we physically lifted the trophy was the moment when my teammates started to feel like my brothers.”

He stated, “I’ve always been interested in fashion so I would consider that a hobby, just looking at pictures and trying to draw inspiration. I also enjoy listening to music.”

I asked Lukas to tell me something interesting about himself or something that he would like everyone to know. He responded to me by saying, “I’m half Czech.”

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, is a country in Europe that is historically known as Bohemia. It borders multiple countries such as Austria, Germany, Poland, and Slovakia.

I am honored to have Lucas in two of my classes and, from what I can tell so far, he seems like a really intelligent young man. If you see him around campus, he is worth getting to know.

photo from LORAS COLLEGE

photo from DUHAWK ATHLETICS Sophomore Outfielder Max McCallum (above) swings

Exhbition

photo from DUHAWK ATHLETICS

photo from DUHAWK ATHLETICS

Sophomore outside Corey Mayotte (above) swings at a ball against North Central. The Duhawks currently sit third in the CCIW with a 13-3 record. Loras looks to host two more home games this season.

Ce Qui Semble

et Ce Qui eSt

By GABRIEL MAILLOUX

A man in splendor and glory enthroned sat, Strong of arm and noble of brow, Great armies there were at his call, Field of grain and commissariat.

But Harsh was he, a man heartless and cruel, A slave he held at nothing, A regime of terror, the cold crown’s wearer, An iron-handed rule. And at his door sat a beggar, Half-dead of afflicted skin, Life in body barely held by the meager bread given Rare time upon king and servants’ whim.

But Kind was he, a gentle man, Who accepted what came his way, And gloried God above all things, And prayed that light upon him would shine one day. But what will come to all men came upon them both, And the Reaper will have his harvest, “Mourir, c’est la Vie,” As the saying quoth. The king in the flame of cleansing fire writhed, raggedly breathed, Waiting for man’s prayer to aid atone, While the beggar sat on saintly throne. And there is wonder on Earth and Heaven, at the marvel of the thing, Tis king who is beggar, and beggar who is like king!

FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS SHARE THEIR J-TERM EXPERIENCES

By BERNADETTE MERCURIO

2023 is the last year for January Term, also known as J-Term, where students take one class for three weeks. Next school year, May Term will replace it. Patrycja Jarzabek, Zoe Schmitz, Grace Kopcio, and Gina DeVoe spoke about what classes they took during J-Term.

Patrycja took World Cinema, in which students watched movies and wrote papers. Zoe and Grace took Media and Society that had students discuss how media affected their everyday lives. Lastly, Gina took Math for K-8 Teachers, where students aided different grade levels in an elementary school.

Patrycja noted that it was easier to balance the homework for only one class instead of homework for five to six classes as she did during the fall semester. She also said that only having three weeks to fit a whole semester’s worth of content felt like cramming, though.

On the other hand, Zoe said that having only one class helped her focus on the subject more. Her Media and Society class was a safe space to say what they thought about

the subject.

Grace echoed this notion and added, “I really enjoyed J-Term because of the flexibility.” The flexibility allowed her to fit other activities like working out and attending some sporting events into her schedule.

J-Term classes seem to be relaxed, but Gina had a busy class. She said, “It was low-key hard, we were at [the elementary] school all day.” That’s understandable, especially since she said she was working with first graders. They shared “such honest opinions” with her, and Gina said she loved that about them. She enjoyed many moments with the kids and mentioned that witnessing gym class antics and spending time with them were some of her favorite activities. Overall, the students I spoke to seemed to enjoy their J-Term. Grace ended with a stellar review of her Media and Society class, saying, “I recommend taking Media and Society with Professor Myers.” Hopefully, May Term will receive good reviews as well. Only time will tell.

By BERNADETTE MERCURIO

This past January, a group of students traveled to Ireland for J-Term. For Jackson Miller, it was his first time there. However, he has been to Poland before to visit a friend. Jackson said he wanted to travel to Ireland because he’s 25% Irish and he loves the culture. A golden opportunity arose when he found out a couple of his friends were going, so he would have travel buddies. In addition, his Democracy and Global Diversity course inspired him to travel. While in Ireland, he took the Nationalism course and learned about how the Irish viewed themselves as a nation.

He said it was “a magical experience” and some parts of Ireland highly contrasted the United States. Jackson talked about his enjoyment of hiking and the greenery everywhere.

“There were just a lot of pastures honestly, and lots of sheep,” he added with a laugh.

There are old buildings, like castles and monasteries, that are still used, which is not as common

in the United States. When asked about culture shock, he said that one amusing part of the trip was when he went to the convenience store. At the store, the worker said goodbye, and they’d also say, “Thank you, see ya”, instead of just “Thank you.”

Additionally, Jackson said he would like to go back because he would “like to spend a day in some of the places that the group visited.” For any future travelers, he advised, “Do it if you can. It’s a good opportunity to do in college. It’s a very valuable thing for a college student.”

Students can learn more about study-abroad opportunities at the Center for Experiential Learning.

Loras Interfaith Trip to Chicago Opens Eyes and Minds

opportunity to speak with one of the organization’s Dharma teachers of Zen Buddhism, Noara Ellen McClure. The word “Dharma” refers to the doctrine or teachings of the Buddha. McClure answered many of our questions and provided information about their specific practice of Zen Buddhism.

“Zen Buddhists hold that all living beings are pure Buddha nature that seems to be obscured by the workings of the discursive mind, fueled by the pressures of modern life. Through daily practice of seated meditation, we allow the discursive mind to settle, and let this true nature be expressed in our daily life.”

McClure added that her title, Noara, is a “beginner’s” title in their practice and that as she progresses through the teachings and lifestyle of the Buddha, more syllables will be added to it.

In contrast to general Buddhism, Zen Buddhism focuses on the ideas of meditation and peacefulness. The Zen Buddhist Temple of Chicago offers both meditation services and chanting services as opportunities to reach further enlightenment on personal journeys. Although there are specific principles one must follow to truly practice Buddhism, the journey to enlightenment looks different for every person. Each of us was given the ten main principles to incorporate into our daily lives if we desired.

The next sacred space we traveled to was the Holocaust Museum located in Skokie, IL. The museum itself was founded by survivors who relocated to the area after the Holocaust. Many of the artifacts on display are personal items or photographs of these individuals and their families, offering a unique and intimate view of the Holocaust.

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When you walk into the museum, you immediately notice the difference in lighting. The first several rooms are dark as we learn about the history leading up to the beginning of the Holocaust. As the museum continues, the hallways and exhibit rooms become more twisted and turning, alluding to the complex and often confusing circumstances of the time. Along with the indispensable information and personal items from survivors, visitors to the museum are also hit with the visually stimulating effects of the structure and architecture of the museum, making for an experience that intensifies every sense.

Although our tour lasted around three hours, I could have spent all day there. Between the information to read, examine, and digest, one can only imagine the time and dedication it took to create a place like this. One of my favorite parts of the museum was the inclusion of other similar genocides or civil rights issues experienced at different times throughout the world. Unfortunately, events similar to the Holocaust are still occurring today. It is scary to think about the ability of a country’s government to control the mass population so thoroughly. I continue to hear survivor Aaron Elster’s call to action in my head: “You matter. You can do it. You are here now.”

Through an exhibit at the museum, we were able to sit, listen, and ask Elster questions via a hologram simulation. In this way, visitors can have a personal conversation with and get to know Elster as if he were truly present. His voice, along with several other survivors’ voices, will live on in this exhibit.

“We are the last of the survivors

and we have an obligation to tell the younger generations of the atrocities that humans are able to inflict on others,” Elster said in an interview with museum staff. He reminisced, “I remember thinking, why would God let me live? What’s so different or what’s so special about me?”

As a Catholic, I found this oddly comforting. Many of us might relate to this questioning of God’s purpose for our lives. We might not know the answer, but we trust that God is watching over us, no matter what happens.

The last space we visited was the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Swaminarayan Mandir in Bartlett, IL. This Hindu Temple is dedicated to service and spirituality, rooted in the Vedas or ancient Hindu sacred texts. Its founder, Bhagwan Swaminarayan, was a guru who is believed to always be present in the current guru, religious leader, or priest.

BAPS Swaminarayan is just one organization following the general Hindu beliefs, however, they have also incorporated practices and chanting that are specific to their community. In this way, they celebrate the life and teachings of their founder. One misconception that was highlighted during our visit is that Hinduism is a polytheistic religion. This is not true, and instead, the belief is that God manifests here on earth in different forms and at different times. This could be in other people, such as Swaminarayan, or the statues on display throughout the temple.

Upon walking into the sacred space, we are asked to take our shoes off as a sign of reverence to God. If I tried describing the architecture of

the building, it would probably fill an entire book. The inside is made almost entirely out of Italian marble, which was shipped to India and hand carved by devout believers. There is so much to look at; one could stay in the space for hours and still not see everything. Additionally, statues of the various forms of God as well as important religious leaders (in whom God is believed to have dwelled during their lifetime) surround the room. While we were there, people made their way in a clockwise direction to pay their respects to each holy icon.

During our visit, we had the opportunity to experience an Arti, a Hindu ceremony of light. It is one of the most basic celebrations of God’s presence and power in this tradition. The priests held flames in a little lantern while music played, and we clapped our hands and chanted special words. Then a smaller flame was passed around so that those who wanted to could bless themselves. Fire is believed to carry healing, cleansing, and purifying properties. Overall, our group was able to experience three very different religious traditions while also bonding and creating friendships. Back at the hotel on Saturday night, we played cards and board games and ate cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. This trip was a great opportunity to learn about different cultures and traditions, and also get to know other Loras students from various backgrounds. Keep an eye out for other Interfaith opportunities to connect on campus. Our next event coming up is a Fasta-thon dinner on March 28th. More information will be available as we get closer to the date.

photo from BERNADETTE MERCURIO

JON ‘BONES’ JONES DOMINATES IN HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT

By ALLEN CATOUR

The UFC kicked off its March slate with a stacked card this past weekend at UFC 285. The event, headlined by the comeback of Jon Jones, took place on March 4th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The cumulation of questions surrounding Jones’ move up to the heavyweight division and many good fights scheduled for this month created an electric buzz around the event.

With the return of arguably the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, the UFC didn’t hold back in their matchmaking for the card. In the headliner bout of the prelims, Cody Garbrandt looked to get back in the win column against Trevin Jones. Since losing back-to-back title fights against TJ Dillashaw in 2018-2019, Garbrandt was 1-3 in his last 4 fights. Against Jones, however, Garbrandt returned to his normal form. He landed 33/40 total strikes while going 26/33 on significant strikes for his way to a unanimous decision win.

After Garbrandt’s fight, it was time for the main card. Kicking it off was the highly anticipated UFC debut of prospect Bo Nickal. A vicious knockout in his MMA debut led to Nickal being invited to compete in Dana White’s Contender Series. Two first-round submissions later, Nickal was awarded a UFC contract. A lot of the hype around Nickal lies in his grappling and submission skills. It shouldn’t be a surprise, though, considering his wrestling background. Nickal wrestled at Penn State where he was a 3x national champion and Hodge Trophy winner his senior year. Since graduating, Nickal has transitioned smoothly into MMA while continuing to train at State College, Pennsylvania. In his UFC debut fight against Jamie Pickett, Nickal continued his ways. After getting Pickett to the ground early in round one, Nickal locked up an arm triangle and got the tap in 2:54.

In the next fight, a battle of top-ten-ranked lightweights went down. #7 ranked Mateusz Gamrot took out #10 ranked Jalin Turner by a split decision. Gamrot used his wrestling advantage to rack up four takedowns and 6:52 of control time. Turner made things interesting at the end by cracking Gamrot with a couple of punches that hurt him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. Up next was another battle between topten-ranked fighters, this time at welterweight.

#9 ranked Shavkat Rakhmonov fought #7 Geoff Neal. Prior to the fight, Neal came in four pounds overweight at 175 lbs. Many worried about how the fight would play out. Rakhmonov, 16-0, carried a 100% finish rate into his fight with Neal. With eight submissions and eight knockouts, he’s considered one of the top prospects in the welterweight division. Come fight night, both fighters performed. Going back and forth, Neal and Rakhmonov landed multiple significant blows against each other the whole fight. Yet, Rakhmonov was able to wear Neal down in the third round and lock up a standing rear naked choke for the submission victory at 4:17.

The co-main event featured the first of two title fights of the night. In the women’s flyweight championship, Valentina Shevchenko looked to make her eighth straight title defense against #6 ranked contender Alexa Grasso. Looking not so invincible in her last fight against Taila Santos, fans expected Shevchenko to look more motivated and hungrier in this fight. Nevertheless, Grasso had other plans for the champion. She looked good early as she used her close-range boxing to earn the respect of Shevchenko and keep things close on her feet. In rounds two and three, Shevchenko used her wrestling to take the fight to the ground

and inflict some damage. Grasso, however, shocked the world in the fourth round as she countered a spinning back kick from Shevchenko by taking her back and locking up a rear naked choke. The defending champion tapped at 4:34, and Grasso was crowned the new queen of the flyweight division. Upon instant replay, fans could see how tight the choke was as Shevchenko’s face was two different colors once Grasso released the hold. Below her jawline, Shevchenko’s face was ghostly white while the rest of her face was beet red.

After a night full of action, it all led to the main event. Following a three-year layoff, Jon “Jones” Bones moved up to heavyweight after dominating the light heavyweight division for decades. Jones has been teasing a move up in weight class since 2013. At UFC 285, however, fans finally got to see him in the new division. There were many questions concerning Jones. How would he look after bulking up? Would being away from the sport for three years have a negative impact? Could he handle competing with the current top heavyweights? All those questions were finally answered.

Fighting for the vacant heavyweight title, Jones stepped across Ciryl “Bon Gamin” Gane. Gane, the #1 ranked contender, possesses unique skills. He has quick footwork and speed which are rare for heavyweights. Once the fight started, it was all Jones. Using his wrestling advantage, Jones timed a perfect takedown off of Gane’s attack and quickly locked up a guillotine choke. Not long after, Gane tapped and Jones fulfilled his destiny of becoming the heavyweight champion of the world.

THE ODD AFFLICTION OF ROY MCCARTHERS :PART THREE

By DRYDEN MONTES

“Wake up, McCarthers,” there suddenly came a voice, and all went misty, the red flames and the black Reaper swirling and mixing into one, but still the grip was at McCarthers’ shoulder, and he moaned. “Wake up!”

Roy was not in a dark bedroom, and he was not ten years old. Four walls of oak surrounded him, as well as furniture of mahogany. Bookshelves filled with volumes of many different shapes and hues reared up towards the ornate ceiling, and in one corner was a potted, dying plant.

Roy—a thin, young man of twenty-one summers—lay reclined upon a sofa, made for that purpose. A spindly man, no more than forty with longish hair, a pointed goatee, and a well-waxed mustache sat nearby, and it was he who clutched his shoulder and shook him from his trance.

“Wake up, McCarthers,” said the man, annoyance edging his voice, “You are aware, I hope, that my fee depends on the length of your stay. You were telling me of your traumatic past, caused by one of your relatives, I believe—you’re sure your parents aren’t to blame? Yes? Ah, very well.”

“I-I’m sorry,” replied Roy, “One of my hallucinations…”

“Very interesting!” interrupted the Psychiatrist; a German accent entered his voice as he became excited, “A very intriguing case, perhaps even worthy of my astuteness. Tell me, mein freund, these hallucinations, have you had them long?”

“Ever since I can remember…”

The MD again interrupted, this time with a condescending monosyllable of compassion.

“They used to not be too bad, just patterns that would rise out of uniform backgrounds, daydreams, really. It was only after she died that

they became nightmares.”

“Your grandmother.”

“Yes,” was Roy’s answer in a hoarse whisper.

“This intrigues me, very greatly,” said the Psychiatrist, assuming his best pose of lordly benevolence. “I shall take your case; but this time shall we start from the start, hmm? Instead of jumping to the middle and screaming and moaning? This is fine with you, yes? You’re not sure?! No, yes, you are sure. Very good then, please tell me your story and I shall exert my powers.”

Roy began.

“When I was just a lad, I would see things: things no one else ever saw. My parents... they were always very supportive.” This brought a dark glance from the MD. “My schoolmates, however, constantly picked on me,” this effected a “mmhm!” of triumph from the Psychiatrist and a “very traumatic, indeed!” from under his breath.

“That I could have borne,” continued McCarthers with a shudder, “but there was her.”

“Be more specific, man! You are talking about your grandmother, aren’t you? Not your mother, by any chance?” a mischievous gleam lit the MD’s eyes. “No? Unfortunate…”

Meanwhile, McCarthers continued.

“Yes, it was my grandmother. Ever since I was a baby she hated me, not that she really loved anybody else; but with me the hate was special.”

The Psychiatrist appeared to approve of this family hate. “It grew worse after my grandfather died… he was murdered, actually… the house was broken into, and the valuables were stolen. I found him soon after. My parents lived on the adjoining estate; I was very young, but I would go between them. I hardly remember the day, almost as if I made myself forget… I was close

to my grandfather… She, however, acted very strangely after that, I would see when I played on the grounds; I suppose my reports may have been one of the reasons we moved…” Roy suddenly realized.

“And she came with us,” he continued, “At night I could hear her creeping down the hallways, and she would peer into my room. She could have been harmless enough, dotage coming with old age, but there was a cunning about her that defied this. Her seething eyes would turn amiable and kind the moment my parents came, and she would purr out the most soothing excuses for coming to my room. It seemed that only I knew the truth about her, although never till now have I told anyone.”

“But she never actually turned into a—ahem— spectral skeleton?”

“No,” said Roy, “Only in my visions.”

“Good,” answered the MD. “That makes things easier for the both of us. Now, please describe your grandmother and, if you would, a few of your experiences with her.”

“She was always clothed in a long, flowing, black dress,” began McCarthers, eyes toward the ceiling as he reconstructed her in his mind, “and a black shawl like a hood was always around her bony, hungry face; her gray eyes on either side of her hooked hawknose were like steel! I remember she always carried a black cane with a curved metal handle.”

“Interesting, mein freund, I begin to formulate a conclusion, but pray continue…”

“One of the experiences that I most remember was a few moments before her death, a few months before my eleventh birthday…”

By KARLY WEISS

Student organizations across the Loras College campus are struggling to be maintained as low student participation continues following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Du-Dawgs and Du-Buddies are two clubs that have recognized this issue. Du-Dawgs’ founder and president will be graduating this year and needs younger students to step into leadership roles for the club to continue. Du-Buddies has not hosted in-person events since the start of the pandemic and needs students to build the club back up to what it was before COVID-19.

In an article from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, this lack of motivation in the postpandemic world from students and teachers is attributed to burnout from hours of online classes during COVID-19 learning.

However, other issues may also be contributing to a decrease in extracurricular involvement.

At least one year that was lost for all students on campus, in terms of sports seasons and work during the pandemic, may be hindering people from the time commitment of student organizations. Especially at Loras with a large population of student-athletes, students may be trying to make up for their lost sports season.

Another explanation may include a slow transition to normalcy. The impacts of the pandemic, although unnerving, allowed for advantageous downtime and reflection. This step back from reality could be contributing to students’ understanding of life’s unexpectedness and their reluctance to devote time to a student organization. Students’ time may hold an increased value in our postpandemic world, keeping some from joining non-essential commitments.

Along with this same idea, the pandemic might have shifted some students’ values. For example, the time that was once dedicated toward campus involvement, may now be directed toward spending quality time with family and friends.

As we continue to adjust to our new normal, it is important to consider the values we held pre- and post-pandemic. Student organizations are a vital piece of student life at Loras College. I hope we can continue to work towards student involvement post-pandemic.