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Editors-In-Chief Anna Busse Cassie Busch
Copy Editor
Carolina VonKampen
News Editor
Daniel Pape News Assistant Quinlan Moran News Writers Carolina VonKampen Maria Efting
Opinion Editor Bryan Banowetz Opinion Assistant Peyton Rosencrants Opinion Writers Hannah Gibbs Brennan Graeve CJ Lampe Morgan Noonan Gina Reiman Chloe Streif Ben Valentine
Student Life Editor Jenna Fenske Student Life Assistant Colette Miller Student Life Writer Lauren Lutgens
Mini-Feature Editor Anna White Mini-Feature Assistant Ameena Challenger Mini-Feature Writer Rachel Brady
Feature Editor Megan Lynch Feature Assistant Robbie Thinnes Feature Writer Mary Esker
Health and Lifestyle Editor Ansley O’Brien Health and Lifestyle Assistant Hannah Chute Health and Lifestyle Writer Molly Vipond
Arts and Entertainment Editor Maddie Smith Arts and Entertainment Assistant Emma Hunt Arts and Entertainment Writers Lauren Van Hoeck Payton Janney Meghan Gerke Ashley Pudil
Sports Co-Editors Connor Collins John Richardson Sports Writers Alex Fox Connor Collins Shannon Mulcahey Kyle D’mello Lizzy McWhinney
Backpage Editor Nicole Draker Backpage Assistant McKenzie Potter
Business Hailey Sojka
Distribution
University of Iowa dances “FTK” The letters, “FTK,” echoed through the crowd on February 1, 2013 at the University of Iowa. This is no sporting event, and cheerleaders are not leading this chant; rather the Morale Captains, the leaders of the 19th University of Iowa Dance Marathon, held annually in support of children plagued by cancer. The University of Iowa Dance Marathon consists of 24 hours of non-stop dancing by students who choose to dance “for the kids” hence the abbreviation “FTK.” “The Big Event,” another name for Dance Marathon, supports children at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital; specifically those in pediatric oncology, the treatment of cancer, and bone marrow transplant patients. In its 19th year of existence, Dance Marathon raised $1,529,650.19 for the cause, bringing the grand total to $12,738,161.24. Xavier alum Lura Carstensen, who now works as a Child Life Specialist in the Oncology Outpatient Clinic at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, began Mini Dance Marathon (MDM) at Xavier in 2008 with a group of her closest
friends in honor of her sister, Kira, who had lost her battle to cancer in 2007. She rallied the Xavier community to help her cause, and that year MDM raised $13,258 for the kids. Lura also got involved in “The Big Event.” “At Iowa I was a dancer my freshman year, a morale captain my sophomore year, campus relations chair, which dealt with all other student organizations that wanted to be involved and helped with programming my junior year and my senior year I was the executive event director,” Carstensen said. This year, Xavier will hold their MDM on March 9. In order to attend, students must raise $20 for the cause. The dance will be three and a half hours long, with live music from various Xavier bands and prizes for the dancers. “The money goes to help kids that can’t help themselves. Student Senate is really excited, and they have so many good ideas for this year. Everyone should attend it in order to support the kids!” Student Senate Secretary senior Ben Helms said. Carstensen had nothing but positive things to say about Dance Marathon. “I want people to understand that this
Xavier students dance at the 2012 Mini Dance Marathon. Mrs. Wagner Photo.
organization is much more than raising money. It is about hope, support, and love that we give to these families throughout the year.” Carstensen added, “They are going through such a horrible and difficult time and Dance Marathon is able to take a little bit of that hardship and make it smoother. They create a support group for these families that will last for the rest of their lives and I believe that whoever gets involved in dance marathon will forever be changed for the better.” Students interested in attending Xavier’s Mini Dance Marathon can pick up a form in the main office. Quinlan Moran Assistant News Editor
Greene Square Park undergoes upgrade Plans are in place to renovate Greene Square Park this fall. A committee of stakeholders from downtown Cedar Rapids has been meeting for close to a year to discuss a two million dollar project to update the park, according to Jim Kern, the chairman of Cedar Rapids’ Visual Arts Commission. If the planning process moves ahead as scheduled, renovations for the project could start this fall. The motivation behind the effort is largely due to the park’s location between the new downtown library (predicted to open in August) and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. The park sits between both sites’ front lawns. The reconstruction proposal calls for many changes that would modernize and commercialize the park. The concrete planters that line the park on its Third Avenue
side would be removed, as many complain they are visual barriers. Trees in poor health would come down, while ornamental trees, bushes, and shrubs would be added. A play area will be added to the southeast corner of the park, while the southwest corner will be renovated to include a picnic area. The addition of an outdoor ice-skating rink for the winter is also planned. “We want to keep it vital, interesting, clean, appealing and attractive,” Kern said. These changes will be largely appreciated by the park’s many users. Greene Square Park is used as a venue for Uptown Friday Night concerts and the Saturday morning farmer’s market, both held throughout the summer. It is also a place to meet and gather for downtown
A layout of the newly designed Greene Square Park. Gazette Photo. employees and families. Fundraising for the project will begin in March. If the planning and construction move ahead on pace, Greene Square Park’s transformation will be completed by the spring of 2014. Maria Efting News Writer
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