Weekend Scene 12-1-11

[12.01.11] [VOL. 96 ISSUE 24]

WINTER SPORTS AND RECREATION MEN’S BASKETBALL PG. 2 & 7 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PG. 5

WMU SKATING TEAM pg. 3

ICE SCULPTOR pg. 5

HOLIDAY MOVIE REVIEW pg. 7

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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Bronco basketball season preview

By Bryan E Paas Staff Reporter The Western Michigan University men’s basketball team looks to get back on track against the Titans.

The Broncos have just finished what is arguably the toughest stretch in their schedule facing Temple, Purdue and Gonzaga, all top 25 teams. The Broncos are currently 1-5 on the season with a win coming Wednesday against D-III power Hope.

To move to a 2-5 record and to get back on track, the Broncos will have to beat in-state rival Detroit Mercy. Mercy is currently at 5-4 and has had tough showings against Notre Dame and George Washington.

If the Broncos are to get their first win this season against a D-I opponent, they will need to contain point guard Ray MaCullum. Macullum was a Mc Donald’s and Parade All-American team member in 2010 who turned down offers from UCLA, Arizona, Florida and Oklahoma.

MaCullum is currently second for the Titans averaging 13.1

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WMU senior forward Flenard Whitfield (33) pulls up for a quick jumper over Purdue’s Robbie Hummel (4). points per game along with 4.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

This will likely be the biggest test for the Broncos, especially after losing starting point guard Mike Douglas to injury. The

Katrina Murphy/Western Herald

On fast break, junior forward Nate Hutcheson (11) drives through the paint for the Broncos.

Broncos will have to see a great defensive effort not only in the back court but also in the post.

Stainbrook and Whitfield will be matched up against former WMU Bronco Lamarcus Lowe

Highlight your opinion For more information visit: http://www.wmich.edu/poapa/ices/resources.html

and Chase Simon. Stainbrook and Witfield should match up well against the two. Lowe stands at 6 feet 10 inches tall while Chase stands at 6 feet 7 inches tall.

The game will take place on Dec. 8 at Calahan arena in Detroit. This comes just three days after the Titans face off against a young St. John’s team out of the Big East. This could be extremely beneficial for the Broncos getting the Titans after what should be a hard fought game, as well as having a week to prepare.

A win against the Titans might also give the Broncos, as well as head coach Steve Hawkins, some closure. In the last three seasons the Broncos have lost two players to Detroit. This includes standout freshmen from last year Juwan Howard Jr. who is red shirted this season following the NCAA guidelines for athletes who have transferred schools. This will also be the last scheduled game in the series for the two schools.

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Thursday, December 1, 2011

WMU offers synchronized skating

By Katie Krausman Staff Reporter Early morning practices, late night workouts and hours of onice conditioning are all things that make up the life of the Western Michigan University Synchronized Skating Team.

Waking up each morning and being on the ice by 6:30 a.m. is just a part of the routine once you’re a part of this team, and sometimes staying on the ice until 9:30 p.m. is part of the deal as well. While skating every morning before a long day of classes may just seem like torture to some people, for Victoria Helmus, senior on the collegiate leave team, it seems that it is actually quite rewarding.

“Some are tiresome and some are rewarding,” said Helmus.

“We have a competition in Ann Arbor and all the main competitors will be there, so it is important to include the daily morning and night workouts.”

At WMU there are two teams

Courtesy photo

The Bronco synchronized skating senior team performs at Wing Stadium.

Courtesy photo

Skating team president Maria Tanney skates with teammates at a competition. that students can be on, a senior and a collegiate level team. Some might even skate on both of them and be cross-skaters. “The senior team is the highest level

and is based on age and skill,” said Helmus. Just being on one team is a huge commitment; the girls must attend all practices.

“The practices are mandatory and skaters are fined $100, unless they are sick,” she added.

Although there are five crossskaters total, there is only one freshman cross-skater.

“The hardest part of being a cross skater would have to be that I never really get a break. I have to be focused for each program, and give the same amount of attention to all of them and be there for both teams 100 percent of the time,” said Jordan Kurry, the only freshman on both the senior and collegiate teams.

Kurry has practice five days a week for multiple hours each day and also works out twice a week with the team, and once on her own. Even though this may sound like a huge commitment and a hassle, Kurry, and the other skaters love every moment of it.

“I love cross skating and being able to be a part of both teams. I would have to say that the best part is getting to know all the skaters on both teams and learning all of the different programs,” said Kurry.

Although there are times when the girls are over-tired, upset and stressed, they all push through these moments to keep their team improving and being the best teams they can be.

“I feel like I have to go to bed earlier and be a lot more organized than most college students in order to stay on top of my studies and be as productive as I possibly can be for both teams, but I wouldn’t trade cross-skating for anything,” said Kurry.

WMU graduate joins Olympic bobsled team

By Matt Buck Staff Reporter For many student-athletes at the collegiate level, being an athlete ends as soon as the diploma is received.

For others, such as former Western Michigan University and current National Football League stars like Greg Jennings and Jason Babin, a career is born from college athletics.

Even more of a rarity, though, is Katie Eberling, a former WMU volleyball player whose career as an athlete has taken a dramatic turn.

After playing her final season on WMU’s volleyball team in 2009, Eberling pursued a colder endeavor: bobsledding.

Eberling said that the opportunity to become a part of the winter sport came about in a relatively random fashion.

“I received a recruitment email from a member of the 2010 Olympic Bobsledding Team, Elana Meyers,” she said. “At first, I didn’t think about it as a serious option, but then I realized I had nothing to lose and everything to gain by giving it a try.”

Giving it a try turned out to be a worthwhile pursuit for the WMU graduate. Now, Eberling is on the United States Olympic Team and is currently competing in Europe.

Eberling said that living in the Midwest was an excellent precursor to competing in winter sports.

“Growing up near Chicago and going to school in Kalamazoo is a definite winter sport advantage,” she said. “My skin has become a little thicker which helps me out in the freezing bobsled world. I have had a fascination with every Olympic Sport since a very young age, winter or summer.”

Being an athlete was never something Eberling expected to pursue at a professional level.

In fact, the 2010 graduate was expecting to be utilizing her education degree as an elementary school teacher. Instead, she’s schooling opponents on the track, as she’s already taken a gold medal en route to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia.

Meyers, who moved from

brakeman to driver after the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, recruited Eberling to fill in the gap she had left. As the brakeman, Eberling is given the role of getting the sled off to a quick start, while making sure the sled stops at the end of the race.

While the constant travel takes its toll on most Olympians, Eberling said that she does what she can to recuperate.

“We train all week at each track, race at the end of the week, and then pack up all of our sleds and equipment and head to the next track; it can get a little taxing at times,” she said.

“Travel and competition always take a toll on the body, but I just make an extra effort to recover properly.”

Eberling attributes her rise into Olympic contention to the constant push from her trainer, as well as the solid work ethic that she learned from her time on the WMU volleyball team.

“I think the biggest thing that has transferred from one sport to the other is work ethic and discipline. I trained really hard all summer with WMU Strength Coach, Tim Hermann, in order to pass the physical test required to bobsled and also to effectively push a sled,” she said. “It was up to me to prepare for this opportunity, so I could work as hard or lax as I wished. However, I knew what my ultimate goal was and I also knew what it would take to get me there.”

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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Students climb up to new heights

By Matt Buck Staff Reporter

With winter rapidly approaching Western Michigan University’s campus, the inevitable winter doldrums might not be too far behind.

While some college students may resort to a ritualistic hibernation of sorts—heading outside on an as-needed basis before bunkering down and watching a Gilmore Girls marathon—there is a way to avoid the frigid air while still staying active.

Climb Kalamazoo is providing WMU students and the community with an alternative to the outdoors and the gym.

Climb Kalamazoo’s Phil Grimm said rock climbing provides a very reliable way for students to stay fit.

“This is an adventure sport that’s not subject to the winter.

People can come here any day of the week because we’re open everyday,” said Grimm. “They get to participate in an adventure sport.

It’s great exercise, so it’s nice that it’s open all year.”

While many WMU students may find the idea of rock climbing very intimidating, Grimm said that Climb Kalamazoo offers a variety of different options for various skill sets.

“We offer a wide range of routes. We have 34 different top ropes. There are a wide variety of difficulties, from the absolute beginner routes—we’ve had kids as young as two climb to the top of the walls—and difficult training routes if you’re more serious about your climbing,” he said. “The top rope basically eliminates the fall potential because your partner can keep the rope as tight as you want.

So, it’s a great way to get started.”

Grimm said that many WMU students already climb on a frequent basis, so the college atmosphere runs abundant.

Another concern from students may be that the cost of climbing is too high. In a nation that spends nearly $100 billion a year on fast food, the cost of climbing is both

miniscule and a much healthier alternative.

“Most people are surprised that climbing is not as expensive as you’d think to get into,” Grimm said. “With all the gear and anchors used outside it can get really expensive, but in here you just need a harness, shoes and a belay device.”

To make the cost even less, Climb Kalamazoo holds a college night twice a week, where students can go get a free belay lesson and climb at a discount rate on Monday and Thursday.

Even for students who are very active, Grimm said that climbing provides another great way to work out different parts of the body.

“Climbing is a great way to cross train for a lot of sports. If you run or bike, you’re probably looking for a shoulder work out,” he said. “This is a lot more fun than going to the gym and pulling on weights. Climbing is also very social. It’s a good time to come in with friends and train.”

Dan Morgner / Western Herald

Michigan State University student Lauren Knupp plans her next move while switching from one wall to the next.

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Dan Morgner / Western Herald

WMU graduate Ray Farmer looks for his next handhold to climb to the top of the wall. “Climbing is just a lot of fun. It’s a great workout too,” said Farmer.

Dan Morgner / Western Herald

High school student David Knupp has no fear of heights as he climbs more than 20 feet off the ground.

5

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Local chef dishes out sculptures

By Matt Buck Staff Reporter When most people imagine a chef, the setting is usually a kitchen. The focal point might be a pastry, meat or vegetable. And a chainsaw is usually not part of the status quo.

Then there are chefs like Randy Finch. Finch swapped the kitchen for a freezing cold warehouse, the pastries for a large block of crystal clear ice and utilized the chainsaw in a way that most chefs utilize the spatula.

But Finch and his crew at Ice Sculptures Ltd. aren’t making your grandma’s ice sculptures.

The Grand Rapids-based company is replacing the typical ice swan with fully-functional casinos, pinball machines and pool tables, all made entirely out of ice.

Finch said that the idea of becoming an ice sculptor is something that he always found to be very appealing.

“I really enjoyed it. It’s the cream of the crop to do as a chef,” he said. “It’s very exclusive. I just felt that I had a knack for it.”

Food Network must also think that Finch has a knack for it. The television station started “Ice Brigade,” a weekly show that follows Finch and his crew in their different ice-related endeavors.

Finch said that the new show has turned his company into a bit of a trailblazer.

“We’re the only ones that have ever had a TV series on ice sculpting. We wanted to make sure we represented our industry well,” he said. “We want to create sculptures that people have never dreamed of being made out of ice. We wanted to take the industry to the next level.”

The descent to the next level has been a fairly rapid one.

The group has taken its talents abroad, coaching ice carving teams across the world, while being used as a resource for many publications that teach up and coming chefs how to sculpt.

As far as his best work, Finch said that his idea of “masterpiece” changes on a project-toproject basis.

“Each time I make a new one, that’s the new masterpiece,” he said. “It’s very hard to choose just one.”

Finch said that the difficulty of ice sculpting is not just in the carving.

“You really have to be dedicated and really want to do it,” Finch said. “We shovel snow 365 days a year.”

Finch said that many people think that his sculptures are really expensive, but he said that many start out at about $85.

Courtesy photo

Randy Finch works on an ice sculpture with a chainsaw.

While some of the shows viewers may be under the impression that having a television show has made the company forget about its hometown, Finch said that he still does a variety of local work, although he has started to a bit more nationally, as well.

“Things have changed. We still do a lot of weddings and birthdays, but we’re also doing

a lot of bigger projects,” he said.

“We’re going to be at the Superbowl this year doing interactive displays and demonstrations for people. We’re doing a lot of national projects, but we’re still doing a lot of local stuff.”

For anyone that is thinking about becoming an ice sculptor, Finch said that focusing on using the right habits immediately is

very important.

“Really the best thing to do is get an apprenticeship. You have to find someone that does it right, because it’s hard to fix the bad habits later on,” Finch said. “You need to know what you’re supposed to be learning.

They say practice makes perfect, but really perfect practice makes perfect.”

Women’s basketball yearns for �irst victory

By Matt Buck Staff Reporter The Western Michigan University women’s basketball team traveled to Ohio on Wednesday in hopes of finding its first win of the season against a Youngstown State team that has seen its own fair share of struggles so far.

The Broncos never gained much momentum, though, and fell to 0-5 on the season, dropping a 55-80 contest against the

Penguins.

Youngstown St. (4-3) dominated in many facets of the game, outscoring the Broncos 34-18 in the paint while outshooting WMU 43.8 percent to 31 percent.

One of the more alarming statistics against the Broncos was YSU’s ability to score on the fast break. The Penguins were seemingly able to take the ball up the court on every rebound, and their fast paced style of play led

to a 12-4 Youngstown St. advantage over WMU on fast break points.

The loss puts the Broncos in a bit of a frenzy going into MidAmerican Conference play, as the team has struggled to find an identity from a defensive standpoint.

For the Broncos, Maria Iaquaniello saw the most action, as she took 14 shots from the floor. Despite this, she was only able to score 11 points in the

loss.

The Broncos were able to do well on second chance points, though, as WMU outscored Youngstown St. 12-4.

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect in a pretty bleak outcome is the team’s bench play, led

by Julia Henson.

Henson scored 12 points off the bench, despite only being on the floor for 13 minutes.

The Penguins were able to hold WMU star Miame Giden

to a surprisingly low nine points in the game, marking one of the first times in the young season that a defense has been able to shut the player down.

The Broncos will hope to find their first win of the season at home in a contest this Saturday against University of WisconsinMilwaukee. The Broncos have three more games before their first tournament of the season, a three-game clash in Long Beach, Calif.

6

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Hit the slopes

By Tyler Pease Staff Reporter

Many on campus have seen snow every year, but there are undoubtedly a few who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get snow very often at home, if at all. While there are a variety of activities on campus, there are also popular places to visit off campus, two of these are Timber Ridge and Echo Valley.

Timber Ridge was first opened to the public in 1961, according to their website. It featured one lift which was powered by a 1949 Chevy. Now, they have eight lifts and 15 trails. There are three difficulty levels which are spread all throughout the park. Some of the easier trails are Willow and Deanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pass; the toughest ones, marked with black diamonds on their map of the park, are Walnut and Hemlock.

Timber Ridge also features a racing department. The adult Racing League runs every Thursday night (beginning Jan. 6). Skiers must be 21 or older and each team has eight skiers. Timber Ridge is highlighted for the skiing and snowboarding, but tubing is also available on weekends. Timber Ridge is located in Gobles, Michigan, about 20 minutes from Kalamazoo.

Echo Valley is a winter sports park in Kalamazoo. They offer tobogganing, tubing and skating.

They are primarily open on weekends, according to their web site, and they are open on weekdays during Christmas break.

Their skating is on an ice rink of over 43,000 square feet, the tubing hill has been expanded and they advertise tobogganing speeds of over 60 miles per hour.

These are just two of the many places around Kalamazoo that become popular during the winter season. With so many activties to choose from, winter can be a very exciting season.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

REVIEW: Best holiday movies

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Films to watch while the snow is falling over winter break

By Baxter Gill Staff Reporter As the holidays approach, Christmas music begins to belt out and shoppers begin hustling around looking for the best deals and network television starts spreading holiday movies, specials and holiday cheer.

With the plethora of holiday movie offerings to choose from, a trip to the movie store has become daunting. So, a few expert opinions later, here’s how holiday movies stand.

One of the early classics for Christmas movies is “‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’” The movie was released in 1946 and is the story of a depressed man on Christmas learning to appreciate his importance in the lives of others, as well as himself.

With James Stewart in the lead role, the acting is solid, believable and passionate. The movie can be found updated for color, but black and white might feel more authentic.

It comes recommended by many, but Professor Casey McKittrick, a professor of film appreciation at Western Michigan University, finds the experience to be a little bit too sweet at times.

“Though personally I’m inclined to punch the kid Clarence who ends the film with, ‘Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings’,” said professor McKittick.

While “It’s a Wonderful Life” continues to warm the hearts of viewers everywhere and the message may have been slightly diluted over the years, it is still worth the watch.

Moving forward in time, “A Christmas Story” may have defined the Christmas experience for an entire generation. “‘A Christmas Story’ has emerged as the quintessential Christmas film for generation X,” said professor McKittrick.

Released in 1983, the film takes place in the 1940s, but shares narrational cues with “The Wonder Years,” which aired starting

in 1988.

The movie is a comedy revolving around one boy’s quest for a bb gun, despite the ire of his parents and the insanity of life around him. It’s just as much a coming of age story as a funny comedy, and the values still ring true today.

However, in the 1990s, a new cadre of Christmas movies began- “The Home Alone” series.

Photos Kallie Strazdas / Western Herald

WMU junior Aron Duymovic, and roommate, sophomore Zak Yamani, sit down together to watch “Elf,” one of their favorite Christmas classics. “My favorite part is when Buddy gets in a fight with the fake Santa!” said Yamani.

The First movie, simply titled “Home Alone,” was released in 1990. It featured Macaulay Culkin in the lead role, fairly pummeling Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern in this film themed to the importance of family.

“If I had to pick a favorite holiday movie, I think I’d go with Home Alone. I mean, it could be mostly because I watched them as a kid, but I have lots of memo-

ries of them, you know?” said Ian Cooper of Green Light Music.

There are also holiday movies that came out in recent years. The movie “Elf ” starring Will Ferrell is perhaps the Christmas movie for the 2000s.

It is still funny. It is still Will Ferrell (albeit, much more restrained than usual,) and it is still a heartwarming tale.

At the end of the day, holiday

movies are an important part of the Christmas tradition. But, holiday movies can also be good movies, and are worth the time to cuddle up on the couch, and enjoy.

“My fellow film colleague Nic Witschi and I both agree that ‘Die Hard’ is probably the greatest Christmas movie ever made,” said McKittrick.

Men’s basketball wins in �irst home game

By Matt Buck Staff Reporter

Katrina Murphy / Western Herald

After drawing a hard foul, senior guard Demetrius Ward (1) goes to the line for two points for the Broncos on Nov. 23.

For many collegiate teams stocked with younger players, starting the season with a losing streak could be detrimental.

For the Western Michigan University men’s basketball team, expectations were high as the Broncos had their home opener on Wednesday against Division III Hope College.

Despite being undefeated, Hope was an underdog going into the contest against the winless Broncos.

The Broncos did not disappoint, and carried the lead

throughout the matchup, taking down Hope College by an 80-58 final.

Forward Flenard Whitfield, who scored 22 points en route to the team’s first win of the season, led the team in scoring.

Center Matt Stainbrook also had another big game, scoring 21 points with eight rebounds.

The Broncos outscored Hope in nearly every statistical aspect of Wednesday’s matchup. The biggest advantage WMU took was in fast break points, as the Broncos outscored Hope 16-2.

WMU was also big in the paint, scoring 30 points from close range.

Stainbrook was able to start the game off with huge momentum, scoring 10 of the team’s first 12 points for the Broncos.

Whitfield passed the 1,000 point mark in Wednesday’s game, making the forward the thirtyfifth player in Western Michigan University history to accomplish this feat. Whitfield also recorded a double-double in the contest.

The Broncos travel to Detroit today to face the University of Detroit-Mercy—a team that has recently taken two of WMU’s highly-touted players—before returning home to face Southern Illinois on Sunday.

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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Local bands touring out of town

By Kathryn Stapleton Staff Reporter Several Kalamazoo-based bands are taking a cost-effective bus ride to their upcoming show in Battle Creek. Gunship Radio, Elm Street Riot, Jake Simmons and the Little Ghost, and Spacelift will be taking over Planet Rock’s stage on Dec. 2.

“It’s going to be a good time.

The sound is going to be great and the venue is awesome,” said Tyler Berkey, lead singer of

Gunship Radio.

The bands were able to secure two 15-passenger vans for the trip. Those who want to see the show and have a safe ride home may be able to travel with the bands as well.

“We may have open spots,” said Berkey. “First we are offering it up to our friends, and then we are opening it up to Elm Street Riot’s fans.”

There will be something for everyone at the show. Whether a person is into alternative ga-

rage, progressive classical, or just jam bands in general, the vast array of genres will likely please every audience member.

The sets will be broken up evenly, with the exception of the first band to play.

“My main plan is the first band will be 20-30 minutes and they’ll go on at 8 p.m., and then each band will start on the hour and have 15 minutes between each band and play for 45 minutes,” Berkey said.

There will be a $5 cover

charge at the door, but for the audience, it may be worth the expense.

“We tried pushing the cover as low as we can,” Berkey said.

“We just want to bring people out there and have a good show and have fun.”

Beyond the Planet Rock show, Gunship Radio can also be seen performing at the Strutt on Dec. 17. The goal is to get Kalamazoo residents and students to support local music and try something new.

“The best part is the acknowledgment, just putting yourself into a song and playing it for people and having them like it, it feels really great,” Ber-

key said.

For Scott Rinderknect, lead singer of Elm Street Riot, it is the thrill of being on stage.

“It’s the rush for me, definitely,” he said.

The bands said they would like to see students come out and have a safe and entertaining night.

“We’re hoping for a good turnout and a fun-tastic night of rock n’ roll,” Rinderknecht said.

To check out the bands music before the show, simply visit www.reverbnation.com/elmstreetriot, www.gunshipradio. net, or look them up on Facebook.

Warming hearts: Donate apparel to help children in need

By Nathan Palcowski Staff Reporter

www.thecampusbeet.wordpress.com www.ssewmu.wordpress.com Contact campusbeet@gmail.com for more info

Western Michigan University students have the opportunity to change give back to Kalamazoo on Dec. 3. The event Endless Opportunities will be at the Adrian Trimpe building at WMU from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to help fundraise for children in Kalamazoo without winter apparel.

Endless Opportunities is a nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is to provide apparel such as hats, gloves and scarves. for the less fortunate children in Kalamazoo.

“We can always give a little more than what we have and you never know quite the impact a small gesture can have on a person,” said Alvin Hills, the executive director of Endless Opportunities.

“Changing the world, one

person at a time” is the organization’s catchphrase and they want WMU students to help out the cause.

“We hope to provide up to 150 kids with hats, gloves and scarves,” said Hills.

Endless Opportunities is asking WMU students to donate new winter clothing, though mildly used clothing is just as important.

According to Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services, there are 692 homeless in Kalamazoo. Out of that number, 235 are children.

“We simply would like to play our part in helping the Kalamazoo Community,” said Hills.

For more information on Endless Opportunities contact Hills at alvin.hills4@yahoo.com or (616) 498-1584.