SSAAMM BBEENNNNEETTTT ‘‘1144STAFF WRITER

Wabash Theater’s production season will closethis weekend with the final performances ofBritish Playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker’sOur Country’s Good. The play is an 18th centu-ry period piece integrating modern theatre thatnods at the restoration comedy and comedy ofmanners modes.

Our Country’s Good has some intricate andinteresting features that set it apart from mostproductions. Multiple actors take on more thanone role, and the malleable staging constructionlends itself favorably to various scenes and char-acter relationships.

Professor of Theatre Dwight Watson holds thedirector’s reins for this end-of-the-year produc-tion. Throughout the process of preparing OurCountry’s Good for audiences, Watson has facedsome challenges that he has had to overcomewith the cast and all others who have assisted inthe production.

“I’ve asked the actors to portray more thanone character. I think whenever you do that, itpresents certain challenges in trying to do it in away that’s effective, convincing, and also enter-taining,” Watson said, “The extent of the dou-bling in this play with such a large cast of char-acters and a reduced number of actors to accom-modate those characters is very particular to thisplay itself. It is woven into the play to representmultiple characters with single actors.”

Dealing with this duality has proven particular-ly difficult, but also rewarding.

“I think it’s truly a remarkable play, and Ithink it’s a vehicle in many ways for actors toshow us flexibility and versatility,” Watsonexplained. It has allowed the actors to expressthemselves in ways that in other productionsthey would not easily be able to.

Chris McCloskey is one actor splitting histime between roles. “My secondary character,Campbell, has been easy to get. It’s my maincharacter, Harry Brewer, who has been difficultto become,” McCloskey said.

But portraying multiple characters has beenonly one obstacle for the members of the produc-tion of Our Country’s Good.

“The staging is flexible and open and we’vedeliberately moved into that direction to make thestage a very utilitarian space,” Watson explained,“It functions for many different locales withminimal additions of property and set pieces inorder to accomplish the shifting of scenes.” Andthis is very useful to deal with the roughly 21scenes in the play. The scene alters from outdoorrowboat representations to the confines of abuilding.

Watson has been directing plays for the Col-lege for 30 years now and has always been veryproud of the way students have respected the

theatre program. “I see the kind of commitment it takes to man-

ifest a work like this in the limited time that weoften have. Our students have pulled so often inmany different directions that it’s proven to be a

lesson in steadiness, determination, and collab-oration. They rise to that,” Watson said.

The presentation of Our Country’s Good con-tinues through Saturday night and starts at 8p.m. in Ball Theater.

BachelorTHINK CRITICALLY • ACT RESPONSIBLY • LEAD EFFECTIVELY • LIVE HUMANELY

the student voice of wabash since 1908April 22, 2011 volume 104 • issue 25

SporSpor ts, 9ts, 9Hammer Joins the SHammer Joins the S tt afaf ff

NNeeww s, 2s, 2

DrDr akake IN ‘1e IN ‘111CaCa vvelifelif e, 8e, 8SelfContrSelfContr olol

In This Issue:

Final Acts of the SeasonActors Take on Multiple Roles in Challenging Production

Improved Security Marks Return of Fiji IslandJJOOEELL BBUUSSTTAAMMAANNTTEE ‘‘1111MANAGING EDITOR

As multi-colored smoke flowed from a papier-mâché volcano, guests at the April 9 Fiji Island par-ty noticed one “decoration” that seemed slightly outof place: security.

“We have a risk management policy with ourNational Fraternity” Fiji President CameronMcDougal said. “There were guidelines and insur-ance issues that we made sure we followed.”

Multiple security actions were taken for a varietyof reasons so that the long-anticipated Fiji Islandcould once again resume at Wabash College. Thefraternity contracted with off-duty police officerswho oversaw the event but were unable to ticket orarrest anyone.

“We really wanted to play it safe,” McDougalsaid. “We wanted to set the standard of a Fiji par-ty for the future.”

The event is typically held during the springsemester and traditionally carries a tropical theme.Due to issues with the National Organization andthe college, the event has not been seen at WabashCollege in four years. After the house had clearedprobation, however, Fiji Island was the first partyto be thrown.

“The house really wanted to be a part of thecampus’ social scene again,” McDougal said. “Ofthe 618 people on the guest list, we had over 500show up, so I would say it went pretty well.”

In cooperation with Fiji’s National policy, alicensed third-party vendor was in charge of alco-hol distribution. Crawfordsville restaurant and barThe Iron Gate fulfilled that role throughout thenight.

“It was a house prerogative that we would throwthis party right,” McDougal said. “We wanted torepair relationships with the College and Nationals,and I think we did that.”

One YearLater:GardenExpandsSSEEAANN HHIILLDDEEBBRRAANNDD‘‘1144STAFF WRITER

One year ago, Studentsfor Sustainability (SFS) andmembers of the Environ-mental Concerns Commit-tee (ECC) experimentedwith the planting of a com-munity garden just east ofMud Hollow. It began as agreen initiative – a simpleexperiment. Now SFS andECC are collaborating toexpand the garden, includ-ing upgrades such as a gar-den shed, tools, and a fenceto protect its products.

The garden’s expansionhas been significant and itsimpacts praiseworthy.What started as an attemptto raise consciousness of theimportance of locally grownfoods has flourished into aproject that much of theWabash community hasembraced.

Professor of Art DougCalisch is the co-chair ofthe ECC and emphasizedthe enormous leap betweenthe garden’s first and sec-ond years.

“Year two of the commu-nity garden has been muchbigger than year one. Wewill soon have a fence(donated by the baseballteam), gardening tools, anda shed designed by some ofmy art students to store allthe materials. The area hasbeen greatly expanded, weare expecting to plant somefruit trees soon, and theschool has even given usmoney for an internship sothat the garden will bewatched this summer.”

The idea of a garden shedcame from Dirk Garriott ’11and other members of SFSwhen Garriott found theperfect opportunity todesign this shed.

“The members of the SFS

SSeeee,, GGAARRDDEENN,, PPaaggee 33

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The final production of this season of Wabash theatre, Our Country’s Good, directed by Professor ofTheatre Michael Abbott, premiered Wednesday night and runs through Saturday at 8 p.m. in BallTheater. The extensive cast requires members to play more than one role.

SSeeee,, FFIIJJII,, PPaaggee 44

IAN BAUMGARDNER | WABASH ‘14

After four years without a Fiji Island, the house worked with theadministration to develop best practices in terms of safety and security.

PAGE 2 TThhee BBaacchheelloorr AApprriill 2222,, 22001111

301 w. wabash Ave.

crawfordsville, IN

47933

EDITOR IN CHIEFRiley Floyd

rhfloyd13@wabash.eduMANAGING EDITOR

Joel Bustamantebustamaj@wabash.edu

NEWS EDITORGabe Watson

gawatson13@wabash.eduOPINION EDITOR

Alex Avtgisavtgisa@wabash.edu

SPORTS EDITORBrandan Alford

bmalford12@wabash.eduCAVELIFE EDITORJoel Bustamante

bustamaj@wabash.edu PHOTO EDITORAlex Moseman

mosemana@wabash.eduBACHELOR ADVISOR

Howard Hewitthewitth@wabash.edu

The purpose of The Bachelor is toserve the school audience, includ-ing but not limited to administra-tors, faculty and staff, parents,alumni, community members andmost importantly, the students.Because this is a school paper,the content and character withinwill cater to the student body’sinterests, ideas and issues.Further, this publication will serveas a medium and forum for stu-dent opinions and ideas.

Although an individual newspa-per, the Board of Publicationspublishes The Bachelor. TheBachelor and BOP receive fund-ing from the Wabash CollegeStudent Senate, which derives itsfunds from the Wabash College student body.

Letters (e-mails) to the editor are welcomed and encouraged. Theywill only be published if theyinclude name, phone, or e-mail,and are not longer than 300words. The Bachelor reserves theright to edit letters for content, typographical errors, and length.All letters received become prop-erty of this publication for thepurposes of reprinting and/orredistribution.

Profanity may appear in the pub-lication, but only in cases ofdirect quote or if profanity is nec-essary to the content of the story.Please do not confuse profanitywith obscenity. No article or pic-ture of an obscene nature willappear in this publication.

The Bachelor is printed everyThursday at the Journal Reviewin Crawfordsville. It is deliveredfreely to all students, faculty, andstaff at Wabash College.

All advertising published in The Bachelor is subject to the applica-ble rate card. The Bachelorreserves the right to denyrequests for publication of adver-tisements. Student organizationsof Wabash College may pur-chase advertisements at half thelisted rate.

The Bachelor is a member of the Hoosier State and IndianaCollegiate Press Associations(HSPA and ICPA).

BACHELOR

Editor’s Note: In the remaining issues of this semester, theBachelor will print several profiles of members of the Classof 2011 who have led their classmates. You may not knowthem at all. You may have seen some of them around, butyou may not know their stories. The common thread thatweaves all of these men together is that they lead IN ’11.

One Frame at a TimeJJOOHHNN DDYYKKSSTTRRAA ‘‘1133STAFF WRITER

Alex Moseman ’11 has severalunspoken interests to reveal.Beyond the hobbies and leadershippositions, Moseman is well-knownfor a variety of hobbies one mightnot expect from looking at him.

“When people look at a 250-pound hammer thrower, they wouldnot see a person who is interested inballet, dancing, and photography,”Moseman said. “I think that is whatmakes me unique – having theseinterests and still being able to be aleader on campus.”

Moseman gained an interest inballet after watching his girlfriend’sballet performances. He also likes todance in his free time, especiallyballroom dancing. He also has aninterest in theatre.

“In high school, I danced a lotthrough musical theater,” he said. “Iquit my high school football team asa three year starter on varsity to bein the play Westside Story. AfterWabash, I plan on taking dancinglessons.”

Moseman said Wabash has beenan enjoyable experience that has

allowed him to do things he neverthought he would be able to do.

“The thing I love about Wabash isthat it is the place where the phrase‘you get what you put in’ could notbe truer,” he said. “I feel confidentin saying that I’ve put a lot ofmyself into what I have done,maybe too much of myself at times,but I have been fortunate to get a lotback in return. I don’t feel like Ihave been short-changed in any-way.”

Moseman has been Photo Editorfor the Bachelor for the past twoyears and has won a wide variety ofphotography awards at the IndianaCollegiate Press Association’s annu-al convention. And photos Mose-man shot during a summer intern-ship with the DuBois County base-ball team line the walls of LillyLibrary. His interest in photogra-phy developed when he took a pho-tography class in high school to beeligible for track. ProfessorBenedicks encouraged Moseman’sinvolvement in photography as afreshman.

“One day I was talking to Pro-fessor Benedicks about photogra-phy. She asked me to bring in someof my photos and encouraged me todo Present Indiana,” Moseman said.“I took photos around the state forthat Present Indiana, which is whereI met Howard Hewitt. Howard bap-tized me onto the Bachelor staff.”

Director of New Media HowardHewitt praised Moseman for hisambition, leadership, and maturity.“Alex is a unique leader. He leadsby action, and only by words ifneeded,” Hewitt said. “He has greatnatural instincts in dealing with peo-ple. I think that is a very rare trait inmost 21-year-olds. He seems toknow when to lead and when tostand back and watch group dynam-ics play out. Hewitt added thatMoseman’s leadership and maturi-ty will lead him to a successfulfuture.

During the first week of lastyear’s track season, Moseman torehis ACL, and that tear caused him tomiss the rest of season. He usedthis time away from track to seeanother side of Wabash.

“In some ways, tearing my ACLwas the best thing that happened tome at Wabash,” Moseman said. “I

got to experience a whole differentside of the campus after I got hurt. Iwas able to do a lot of things that Iwasn’t able to do before. I went ona trip over spring break, took photosthat were published in WabashMagazine, and participated in a playfor the first time here. It was nice tomeet a totally different group ofguys. It helped me broaden my hori-zons and make me a more liberally-educated student. I think tearing myACL helped me in the long run.”

Next year, Moseman will teachin Indianapolis with Teach forAmerica. This alone is an impres-sive fact, as only 12 percent of theapplicants for Teach for Americawere accepted this year. Mosemansaid getting into Teach for America

was his favorite moment at Wabash.“[Teach for America] was some-

thing that I wanted to do since Iwas in high school,” Moseman said.“I saw it on the Colbert Show, and Idecide that it was what I wanted todo. It is pretty cool to have a goallike that and achieve it. I am notshy about the fact that I cried whenI got in.”

Moseman will find out what Indi-anapolis school he will be teachingat within the next few weeks.

“The more you know Alex themore you like him,” Hewitt said.“The more you're around Alex themore you'll see that depth and lead-ership that's going to make him suc-cessful in whatever he decides todo with his life.”

JJOOEELL BBUUSSTTAAMMAANNTTEE ‘‘1111CAVELIFE EDITOR

He has helped people in thirdworld countries overcome sicknessand hardship. He’s fought against apotential biothreat. He’s earned thehighest honors a Chemistry majorcan earn. Throughout it all, AustinDrake ’11 has known his one pur-pose in life.

“The world is struggling,” Drakesaid. “People need healthcare, andsince sophomore year, I’ve known Ican do my part to help providethat.”

From Farmersburg, Ind., Drakeinitially took little interest in

Wabash College. After a chanceconnection with former Dean of theCollege Mauri Ditzler ’75 and sev-eral visits to campus, Drake washooked. He received the LillyScholarship, and set his futureWabash career into stone.

“Wabash has been extremelygood and fun for me,” Drake said.“I know a lot of people at one pointor another have wanted to transfer,but I never have. And I feel likethat has definitely paid off for me.”

Drake has been a prominentmember of Wabash Christian Men(WCM) and attributes much of hissuccess to the organization.

“My involvement with WCM hasprovided me with the majority of

my close friends, as well as a back-bone for the ebb and flow of collegelife. It definitely helped me solidifymy faith and proved to be an ulti-mate staple in my life.”

Accolades have come with suc-cess as well, as Drake was initiatedinto Phi Beta Kappa at the end ofhis junior year. He is also a memberof the honorary chemistry society,Phi Lambda Psi, and received theUnderwood Award in Chemistry.

Last summer, Drake researchedwith BKT Assistant Professor ofChemistry Walter Novak where theysearched for a protein inhibitor thatcould stop the organism “Francisel-latularensis” from being used as abioweapon. Originally created dur-ing World War II, all stockpileswere believed to have beendestroyed, but not the possibility ofits usage.

“Novak has been a solid influ-ence in the past year,” Drake said.“During the research I would talk tohim about everything—medicine,chemistry, the Army, life—every-thing.”

After earning his sheepskin diplo-ma next month, Drake has his eyesset on medical school. He hasalready been accepted to EmoryUniversity in Atlanta, Ga. as well asIndiana University. His dreamschool, University of Virginia, wait-listed him after a promising inter-view. Graduate school, however,may not be the only option forDrake.

“There’s a possibility I will go tothe Army,” Drake said. “Theywould pay for up to 90% of thecost.”

Unlike most graduating Wallies,however, Drake will partake in acompletely different journey over

the summer. He will marry his highschool sweetheart of six years inJune. His fiancée follows the med-ical field as well, and will be a den-tal hygienist in the coming years.

“It’s been fun and challenging,”Drake said. “She goes to IUPUI,and that definitely helps.”

The couple is even contemplatingthe adoption of a Haitian child,based upon their love for the peopleand the opportunities physicianscould potentially provide.

“When I was in Haiti this past

summer, I gained a whole new out-look on life – a willingness to openup,” Drake said. “They have a direneed for resources from a countrythat won’t take control of them, butto heal, to build, and renew Haiti.”

Furthermore, Drake’s strongdesire to do his part for the lowerclass has strengthened his resolvefor his future life.

“Wabash has made me feel like Ihave control over my education andmy future,” Drake said. “It’s not upto the whims of the faculty how Ihave to learn; it will definitely helpmy strengths for a positive experi-ence in medical school.”

GRANT MCCLOSKEY | WABASH ‘12

After getting married this summer Drake ‘11 still has open options for medical school and a possible futurewith the Army. He wants to focus on helping impoverished countries like Haiti with his medical expertise.

GRANT MCCLOSKEY | WABASH ‘12

Moseman’s unique interests includeballet, ballroom dancing, andtheatre. Next year will teach Englishthrough Teach for America.

April Announcements

Fri. 22 - Sat. 23Sugar CreekPlayers: To Kill aMockingbird 8 p.m.Vanity Theater

Fri. 22 - Sat. 23Wabash Theaterpresents OurCountry’s Good8 p.m. Ball Theater

Monday, April 25Gender Studies Areaof ConcentrationLunch on the Mall12:15 - 1:00 p.m.

Tuesday, April 26Student Recital FAC 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 28Awards Chapel7 p.m.

GRANT MCCLOSKEY | WABASH ‘12

Moseman has been an avid photographer since high school and hasprogressed with the help of Wabash faculty and publication opportunities.

“The world is struggling.People need healthcare,

and since sophomoreyear, I’ve known I can domy part to help provide

that.”Austin Drake ’11

Drake Pursues Purpose

PAGE 3The Bachelor April 22, 2011

FFrroomm PPaaggee 11

and I wanted to put up ashed in the community gar-den, and it just so happenedthat my final project for Art210: Architecture was tobuild an installment on cam-pus,” Garriott said. “Thepoint of the final projectwas to create a contempo-rary piece of architecturetemporarily on campus.”

“My group members andI took it a step further anddecided to team up withSFS and construct a con-temporary garden shed,” hecontinued. “Wabash person-nel, local neighbors, andeven the Mayor of Craw-fordsville have come by toobserve the shed and dis-cuss, which is exactly whatwe wanted.”

The group constructedthis shed with recycledmaterials from fallen barnsand leftover lumber fromFiji Island.

Students in the SFS andthe ECC, faculty members,Bon Appétit staff members,and even Campus Serviceshave been involved sincethe garden was established.The goal, according toCalisch, is for the garden tobe run entirely by Wabashstudents.

“We want this garden tobe a 100-percent student-run initiative. And with theinternship, we hope that fac-ulty members will not haveto be as involved.”

Much of the garden’sproducts are given to BonAppétit for meals at the

Sparks Center and ScarlettInn. Mary Jo Arthur, theGeneral Manager of BonAppétit, noted the impor-tance of the garden’s foodsand its future impact.

“I would say approxi-mately 50 percent of thegarden products were uti-lized in Sparks or the Scar-lett Inn. The progress ofthe garden was a great wayto bring even more locallygrown products into ourfood operation. Foodsgrown right on campus – itdoesn’t get any more localthan that!”

“The expansion of thegarden will have a greaterimpact, with more productsand more local foods along-side a broader learningopportunity,” Arthurexplained.

The rest of the gardenfoods are donated to foodmarkets and other placesaround the community.

This Thursday was EarthDay and the day SFS andECC began this year’s workwith the garden for thisyear. They gathered withothers from the Wabashcommunity to plant the firstharvests of the year, share adinner prepared by BonAppétit with some of thegarden’s products, and towatch the documentaryEarth Days, in celebrationof Earth Day.

The tremendous supportfrom the school and thecommunity have made thissimple experiment a hugesuccess.

Garden

ALEX MOSEMAN | WABASH ‘11

Students for Sustainability and the Environmental ConcernsCommittee worked to install a garden last year just east ofMud Hollow. One year later, in celebration of Earth Day, thegarden is expanding. Bon Appétit was on hand Thursday toprepare a meal fresh from scratch at the site. The garden’sbounty is used for dishes in Sparks Center. Dirk Garriott anda group from Art 210 helped to construct a shed for thegarden’s tools. The group used recycled materials fromfallen barns in addition to leftover lumber from Fiji Island.

PAGE 4 TThhee BBaacchheelloorr AApprriill 2222,, 22001111

Catch our Summer Events:Bus Trip to Cubs @ Reds - June 7

Indy Indians Game - June 24Mitchum Crock Golf - July 19

www.wabash.edu/alumni/ra/indy

A Day Inside the Times . . .RRIILLEEYY FFLLOOYYDD ‘‘1133EDITOR IN CHIEF

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a collegeeditors’ symposium at the New York Times headquartersin New York City. As a journalist, it is always interestingto hear from the professionals and to get their perspectiveon the future of journalism. And the Times building wasthe perfect place in which to do it.

Designed by Renzo Piano and Manhattan’s greenestbuilding at the time of its construction in 2007, the Timesbuilding is a 52-story, 1.5 million square foot buildingwith some incredibly environmentally-friendly features.With shades that raise and lower automatically based onthe position of the sun and air that is never re-circulated,the Times architectural ethos matches that of its publica-tion: transparent, ahead of the curve, and innovative.And, in case of a blackout like the one in 2003, the Timescan operate on its own--entirely off the grid--for a week.

In an age of journalistic cutbacks and downturns, theTimes is not scaling back. The publication has employs1100 people in its newsroom. That newsroom is as largenow as it was ten years ago; and, according to DeputyManaging Editor Bill Schmidt, no other major newspapercan say that. With 25 foreign bureaus and 12 domesticbureaus, the Times has more bureaus and correspondentsthan 10 years ago. And that ability to stem the tide,Schmidt argues, sets the Times apart from its competitors.

“[The Times] is an institution that is facing up . . . insome pretty smart and agile ways,” Schmidt said. “TheTimes enduring and profound commitment to journalism.. . . That’s really the big idea that continues to drive thiscompany.”

As for the current digital revolution, Schmidt likenedit to the disruption caused by Gutenberg’s invention ofthe printing press.

But despite that disruption, the Times has weatheredthe storm by relying on a solid subscriber base. With anaverage readership age of 43 (compared to that of 64 forthose who watch the nightly news), the Times’ print prod-uct does not seem to be going anyplace anytime soon.Indeed, 850,000 readers have subscribed in the last twoyears. Compared to targeted, bulleted searches on theweb, the print product remains a part of readers’ lives.

“There’s serendipity of opening up a paper and notknowing what you’re going to find,” Schmidt said.

And in terms of the journalistic profession, he offeredhope for the future.

“Journalism is the surest guarantor of a democracy.

Journalism itself is essential . . . if an informed society isgoing to make changes.” To Schmidt, the professionhinges on “a love for language and a well-told narrative.”

Telling that narrative is quite the process. At the Times,stories go through multiple editorial hands. And thosehands are well-paid. One editor calculated the odds andfound that it is harder to get a job as a copy editor at theTimes than to get into Harvard. And with a starting salaryof $90,000 per year, it ought to be.

The hard work pays off. Since its first publication in1851, the Times has won 104 Pulitzer prizes. “All thenews that’s fit to print” indeed.

RILEY FLOYD | WABASH ‘13

Top: The Times building sits between 40th and 41st Streetsat 8th Avenue in midtown Manhattan’s Times Square. Upper Right: Just outside the publication’s Pulitzer Prizehallway hang artistic groupings of various blocks from oldprinting presses--including the Times masthead.Lower Right: Times Square lights up midtown nights.

FFrroomm PPaaggee 11

Director of Safety and Security Richard Woods initiallyhelped oversee the event.

“I was there at the beginning to make sure the policies wehad agreed upon were being followed,” Woods said. “Icame back towards the end of the party to check up on theparty and to help shut it down at the appropriate time.”

Since the party featured multiple areas, including a sand-filled dance floor, massive tent for beer pong, hookah bar,and a dry dance floor, extra precautions had to be taken. A300-foot black plastic fence surrounded the area as well. Fijidoes not own the currently vacant lot next to the house, butthe College does. Since the College’s property was poten-tially in jeopardy, an extra insurance policy had to be tak-en out.

“The building is completely separate from that land next

to the house,” Woods said. The added security, while suggested, is not necessary or

mandated for other fraternity house parties provided thatthey take place within the house. When the festivitiesoccur on the College’s physical property, however, addition-al securities must be taken. Conversely, Lambda ChiAlpha’s annual Watermelon Bust occurs within that chap-ter’s own plot of land and thus does not require any addi-tional insurance measures.

“I would highly recommend it,” McDougal said. “Wedidn’t receive any complaints or tickets that I’m aware of.Most parties get busted and there are arrests, but we didn’thave any problems.”

With the success of Fiji Island this year, the house aimsto be able to repeat this tradition for many years to come.

“I think the people who went had a great time,” Woodssaid.

Fiji

PAGE 5TThhee BBaacchheelloorr AApprriill 2222,, 2200111111

Uprooted:

ALEX MOSEMAN | WABASH ‘11

Tornado Warnings went intoeffect around 9 p.m. onTuesday. Within an hour,many fraternity houses anddormitories were withoutpower. Crews did notrestore power until around 2a.m. -- leaving many Wallies(and their assignments) inthe dark. Campus Servicescrews began working oncleanup right after themajor thrust of the stormended around 11 p.m. Pinetrees near Martindale Hallwere completely uprooted--along with one of the crabapple trees just outside theSparks Center.

Storms Knock OutPower, Damage Property

Opinion 6TThhee BBaacchheelloorr AApprriill 2222,, 22001111

Need to Voice Your Thoughts?Have Opinions to Share?

Send your letters to: avtgisa@wabash.edu

The voice of Wabash since 1908

Bachelor Editorial Board

EDITOR IN CHIEFRiley Floyd

OPINION EDITORAlex Avtgis

MANAGING EDITORJoel Bustamante

NEWS EDITORGabe Watson

SPORTS EDITORBrandan Alford

CAVELIFE EDITORJoel Bustamante

If a student exits Center Hallon the Arboretum side, chancesare that his attention will drift inone way or another to the formi-dable Thomson Bench lying dor-mant opposite the clock tower. Ifhe pauses to think though, hemight consider why the seat, ded-

icated in 1905, shouldeven be deemed the

‘Senior Bench.’The rule

shared duringf r e s h m e nyear is sim-ple: one is not

allowed to sit onthe hallowed stone

shrine until hehas completedin full his firstthree years atthe Collegeand earned thedistinction of

‘senior.’At thatpoint, the

Wabash mandeserves to congre-gate with his class-

mates and reflect ontheir journey in acelebratory man-ner.

Sadly this isnot the case. Atany given time,the stone lions

sit unaccompanied. The bench’ssurface remains wet and the paintjob sullied. Seniors are nowhereto be found. The hallowed seatreceives the majority of its atten-tion from freshmen canvassing itwith house or living unit colors,memorials, or advertisements.

The Bachelor understands thatthe weather in April is not thebest—the remnants of the arbore-tum confirm this fact! We alsounderstand that the end of theschool year presents students witha seemingly unconquerable slewof tests, papers and studying. Ontop of this approaching hurdle,seniors are additionally affront-ed with the anxieties of post-grad-uation reality.

But these reasons pale in com-parison when considering thefleeting of our great years atWabash. Seniors should pause,sit together, and honor one’saccomplishments. The simple actof commemoration is no longer

the pastime it once was. Perhapswe, as members of rapidly evolv-ing society, have forgotten thisaspect of the ideal brotherhood. Ifpossible, this sacred grotto oughtto be an evolving stage for seniorsand their last minute shenanigans.Hordes of Wabash’s premier Sonsshould assemble and cele-brate—break breadand share drink.

Wabash hasalways beensteeped withtraditions, someof which rivallarger legacyschools like NotreDame or Univer-sity of Chicago.The stone benchof the Campus’East side is onesuch example.But, in order forit to remain, wemust keep the tra-dition alive. TheBench is neither theAlumni Bench northe Pre-Commence-ment SeniorBench.

It is the SeniorBench. If so, siton it already, sen-iors!

Just A Painting Palette?TThhee IIssssuuee::The Senior Bench does notreflect its name.TThhee SSttaannccee::If Wabash is to keep thetradition, the seniors mustinhabit their shrine.

Two weeks ago, newly-elect-ed Bachelor editor Peter Rob-bins urged underclassmen topursue studying abroad. Hav-ing studied abroad myself (inci-dentally, in the same city as isPeter this semester), I vigorous-ly agree with this exhortation,and in that same spirit, I willadd my own advice—study off-campus at Wabash. That is, if itis logistically feasible for you,move out of your dormitory orfraternity house, go off the mealplan, and find an off-campusapartment or house. It will bedemanding, distracting, andmaybe even depressing attimes, but it if youhaven’t lived on yourown yet, it will be aninvaluable learningand growing expe-rience.

In my home-coming semesterafter a fall spentin Paris, France,financial issues madeit almost imperative that I findalternative housing to my previ-ous abode in the friendly andcomfortable FIJI house. Alongwith fraternity brothers AlexAvtgis and James Kennelly, Ifound a house on West MainStreet and dove unknowinglyinto a crash course in adulthood.While the independence and rel-ative calm afforded by this newresidence was appreciated, Isoon grew to miss not only themany brothers back at the FIJIhouse, but the immanent con-venience of campus housing.Living on campus, I had takenfor granted just how all-encom-

passing the idea of “room &board” really is. Everything wasprovided for me at the fraterni-ty. Here, my two brothers and Iare responsible for every aspectof our own environment—fromthe obvious needs of food and

furn i -ture, to the annoying and previ-ously trivial needs of trash bags,toilet paper, and Kleenexes. Liv-ing in the multi-million dollarmansion that is the FIJI house, Ideveloped a carefree, compla-cent, and even entitled attitudethanks to the responsibility-freeluxury it provided. My new res-idence, one story of a humble,musty old house, represented asobering shift.

While at a dormitory or(especially) a fraternity, distrac-tions from studies are some-

times painfully ubiquitous, thedistractions we have faced thissemester cannot simply beignored. If someone doesn’t pullaway from homework longenough to cook a meal (andoften I’m the only one around todo so), I don’t eat. If no onetakes time to wash the dishes,meals are impossible.

And perhaps the most diffi-cult of all, our food has to comefrom somewhere. While theoriginal plan was to buy all ofour groceries for an entire

month atCostco and

split the costsevenly, each trip

inevitably missed some-thing, or miscalculatedhow much we wouldneed, which made indi-vidual and extempora-

neous trips to Wal-Martor Kroger necessary.

Between these expensesand those of rent, internet,

heating, and more, soon bal-ancing our debts to each otherbecame a pain in the neck and atest in accounting.

Even the walk to classes wasa struggle. The extra two blocksbetween Main St. and campusmade the bi-weekly trek to Con-Law at 8 a.m. a discouragingprospect—especially during therecent, sadistically-persistentwinter weather—and punctual-ity a constant challenge. Ofcourse, however, such a jour-ney is only a fraction of thatwhich many of our state-school

Last weekend I wasvery excited to see themovie Atlas Shrugged,Part 1. I am stilltrekking through thebook, but I alreadyknow it will be one ofmy favorites. I was dis-appointed to see theabysmal 8% rating atRotten Tomatoes, but Idisregarded the ratingexpecting it to be areflection of the filmcritics’ left wing bias.So I went ahead andsaw the movie only tobe strongly disenchant-ed that the film criticswere accurate in theirassessment. The movie

turned out to be just asawful as the criticswarned.

In part one of the pro-posed trilogy, set in2016, Middle Eastunrest and increasinglyscarce resources result-ed in gas prices mount-ing to $37.50 per gal-lon. And as odd as itseems, trains reemergedas the preferred modeof transportation. This

seemed to me an obvi-ous plot contrivancethat tries to force con-temporary relevance ona 53-year-old novel.The book’s ideas aremeant to transcend thesetting. The writers did-n’t need to modernizethe story to keep it per-tinent.

The attempts toupdate the story back-fire completely. I don’tthink that modern audi-ences are able to con-nect to the moviebecause it fails to realis-tically depict everyday

Want to Pledge Real Life?Move Off Campus!

REED HEPBURN‘12

STAFFCOLUMNIST

Too Much Shrugging But Not Enough Time

TED PLUMMER‘13

STAFFCOLUMNIST

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GOT SOMETHING TO SAY?Send your letters to: avtgisa@wabash.edu

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Spirited beverages are a giftfrom the gods—and that’s notjust pagan posturing. The firstmiracle Jesus performed turnedwater into wine, and ever sincethe church has treated wine asan appropriate sacrament of thedivine. Wine is to the tongue assunlight is to the skin; it burnish-es the taste buds like the sunopens the pores. Taste buds arethemselves small pores that admitsaliva-dissolved food particlesinto the mysterious translationwork of receptor cells, whichsend their precious nuggets ofinformation down gustatorychannels to the anxiously await-ing cranial nerves. Some tastebuds look like mushrooms, otherslike volcanoes or strange seaanemones, but once they survivethe surprise of the first suddenwave of an alcoholic drink, theyare never the same. Alcoholcleanses their surface and pene-trates their openings with all thepower of a cold bath or, betterput, the brine of Homer’s darkwine sea. And once cleaned, thetongue not only wants more, butit is set loose to wag about in anew found freedom, saying what-ever comes to mind as if suchexuberant thrashing and tossingabout will make it known thatthe tongue has dried itself outand needs another washing.

But enough (bad?) poetry.Poetry about alcohol can be asfluid as alcohol itself is liquid.Alcohol is here to stay in Westernsociety, primarily because Chris-tianity enshrined wine in its ritu-als. (Look at Islam if you want toknow what Western attitudesabout alcohol would be like ifChristianity had not triumphed.)Nonetheless, Christianity alsowarns against its abuse, and thereare plenty of Protestant churchesthat have anathematized it alto-gether. Perhaps that is why theRoman Catholic Church made ofwine something sacred. It has

such power that you either putthat power to a good use or youcan find yourself being overpow-ered by its abuse. Alcohol, likethe sun, can warm up everythingit touches, but too much of it willburn you quicker than a forestfire.

We all know this. I certainlyknow it. When I drink whiskey, Ican hold quite a lot, but on rareoccasions (when I am both satu-rated with stress and giddy to beamong close friends and stu-dents) there comes a tippingpoint (sorry for the pun) whenthe whiskey seems to be drinkingme. That is not good. That iswhen you need friends around,and that is when you need to stopdrinking for a while and thinkabout yourself, flaws and all.

Only friends can help friendsavoid abusing alcohol. Actually,I need to qualify that. Nearlyevery program that helps alco-holics kick their habit appeals toa higher power (oh heck, let’sjust be politically incorrect andcall it God). So only faith in Godcan help someone with a reallyserious addiction to alcohol, butin addition to God, we all needfriends to help us to reform badhabits. Friends can speak hon-estly to each other, and friendscan watch out for each other. I forone am very blessed to havemany good, close friends whogive me a kick when I need it.

That is why I think it is ashame that we do not have apeer-to-peer alcohol counseling

program at Wabash. Wabash stu-dents thrive on their independ-ence from the administration, butthey also thrive on their depend-ence on each other. Wabash stu-dents respect each other and lis-ten to each other more than anyother college I know. So whatbetter way to deal with alcohol atWabash?

A peer-to-peer counseling pro-gram trains students to know howto talk, confidentially and non-judgmentally, to other studentsabout their drinking habits. Thinkof it as a kind of secular versionof the Roman Catholic confes-

sional. Some students benefitby getting training in deep lis-tening methods, while all stu-dents benefit in being encour-aged to think about their drinkingwith someone who is just likethem. Only peers understand thepressure to drink, as well as itsmany pleasures.

Drinking aids in conversation.Drinking loosens the tongue. Sowhy not take the joy of drinkingone step further and let our drink-ing practices be the source ofeven more conversation? Whynot help students learn how totalk about drinking, rather than

just use drinking as a way ofmaking it easier to talk abouteverything but drinking?

A peer-to-peer alcohol coun-seling program was actually pro-posed by the Wellness Commit-tee, on which I am a member. Ido not know why it stalled at theadministrative level. Can we geta second chance to push aheadwith a program that would taketwo things that are great aboutWabash (the love of beer and thelove of talking) and bring themtogether for a good cause? Let’stalk about it, and we don’t haveto talk about it over a beer!

Peer-to-Peer Alcohol Counseling? PROF. STEPHENWEBB, ‘83

GUESTCOLUMNIST

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARRIEDTOTHESEA.COM

FFrroomm PPaaggee 66

life in 2016. There are hardly anyadvanced technologies represented in themovie. The characters drive across thecountry instead of fly. The characters alsoread newspapers while on the train insteadof iPads or e-readers, which have largelyreplaced newspapers in 2011, and will sure-ly completely replace them by 2016.

Overall, the setting just did not feel gen-uine.

One important facet of the book washow Rand portrayed characters like DagnyTaggart and Hank Reardon as passionateleaders of people. Like many of the greatCEOs, they learned their businesses fromthe bottom up. They had the overwhelmingrespect of their better employees, and theydisplayed a passion and a will to succeeddespite overwhelming obstacles. Dagny

and Hank are roll-up the sleeves execu-tives, so to speak. The movie mostly missedthis, placing Dagny in stiletto heels and adesigner suite while on the job site. Thesecharacters were portrayed in opulent set-tings, detached from their employees aswell as their business operations. They weremistakenly portrayed as callous elitists notto be looked towards as positive role mod-els.

Perhaps the worst aspect of the moviewas the way in which the characters conveytheir philosophy in highly scripted and con-trived remarks. Admittedly, the book con-tains many of these philosophical digres-sions, but they aren’t out of place. The dia-logue in the movie often resembles some-one reading from a textbook. More attentionshould have been given to the plot since itsufficiently conveys the ideology. I believethe movie tried to accomplish too much intoo little time. The forced dialogue tookall depth from the characters and madethem feel rigid and robotic.

If you are interested in ideas of Libertar-ianism or Objectivism, just read the book,and spare yourself the movie as nothingintellectual can be gained from it. The goalsof movie are noble, but it fails to achieveany of them. Hollywood continues to beincapable of making a quality non-left-wing movie.

Shrugged

Move OffFFrroomm PPaaggee 66

counterparts make every day. Further, theannoying and trivial duties of running one’sown home will one day fall to most of us forat least some duration of our lives, likely ontop of a full-time job that is equally as time-intensive as a college education. Althoughthese difficulties made for a stressful semes-ter, the months have flown by, and now asthe experiment draws to a close I havedeveloped new skills and reinforced oth-ers that had previously atrophied. I amalready a better cook, a shrewder consumer,more savvy with payments and finances ingeneral, and perhaps most importantly, morejudicious in managing my time.

I do plan to move back in to the FIJIhouse this fall, but this is in order to spendmy senior year with my pledge brothers,not out of frustration or discouragementfrom this spring’s experience. In manyways, this semester has been like a secondpledgeship for me. This pledgeship, howev-

er, prepared one not for life at Wabash,which is important in its own right, but forlife as an adult in the real world, and I urgethose of you who are presented with thisoption in the future to seize it.

“These characters were por-trayed in opulent settings...[and] were mistakenly por-trayed as callous elitists notto be looked toward as posi-

tive role models.”

“In many ways, this semester has been like a second pledgeship...[which] prepared one...

as an adult in the real world.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLIKR.COM

Cavelife 8The Bachelor April 22, 2011

Mortal Kombat returnswith a vengeance

MMIICCHHAAEELL CCAARRPPEERR ‘‘1133CULTURE COLUMNIST

The busiest two weeks of the year are quickly approach-ing (or already here...), which means lots of time spentworking on the computer. You and I both know that timesupposed to be dedicated to writing a paper can quickly turninto a Facebook-fest, which is always unfortunate but evenmore dire now. Since I’m aware of so many Internet distrac-tions, I’ve put some thought and effort into the best time-management tools for your computer. Here are my recom-mendations:

1.) You need to time yourself and how much time youspend not working. A watch or phone could work, butsuccumbing to the temptation of not starting the timerbecause “this’ll only take two seconds” is nearly inevitable.Automatic timers you install on your computer are muchmore effective. For PC users, you can try a free trial of Free-dom, which will block all your internet access for a setamount of time. Rescue Time is on the other end of therestrictive spectrum—the free version only times you,though the two-week free trial of their more restrictivesoftware, which blocks designated sites, is a perfect solu-tion to the finals crunch. Mac users have it much better:SelfControl is a simple, free, open-source software that con-sists of a timer and “blacklist.” You add sites to the “black-list,” then start the timer. You can’t do anything to bypassthe timer, either. I’ve been using it for about a week. It pro-duces the “good hurt”—I want to go on Facebook, butam grateful that this program won’t let me.

2.) Another way to eliminate time wasted, especially onFacebook, is to install desktop applications that perform thebasic duties of the site without the potential for wasted time.For instance, Mac users can install Face Tab from the AppStore, which puts a little icon in your top menu bar. You’realerted of notifications and, by clicking on it, can see themand a limited news feed. This is a time saver because youdon’t have any “excuse” to open up your web browserand check Facebook. Install a similar program for e-mail,and you’ll find your time spent browsing the web cutshort. This step isn’t as restrictive as the first one, butdoes save some time overall.

3.) Take breaks . . . that don’t include other computerusage. It should be no surprise to any of you that after anhour or two straight of working on the same assignment,you need a break. However, simply migrating from

Wikipedia to Facebook is hardly a break. Your eyes are stilllooking at the same thing, you’re sitting at the same place.It’s tempting, I know, but it’s not an effective way torecharge your mental power. Instead, go make some tea orcoffee, (you’ll probably need it), visit some friends, and,most importantly, REALIZE the natural breaks in yourday. Is it thirty minutes before dinner? You don’t need abreak right now; just keep trucking and reward yourselfwith a slightly longer break later.

4.) Leave your room. As someone addicted to listeningto music while doing any sort of work, I am especiallyguilty of this. Staying in a single environment makes it hardto study, especially one full of distractions. But even ifyou’re focused with the door locked, a new study environ-ment can foster better learning. As the New York Timesreported last year, studying the same material in differentenvironments reinforces the results of that studying.

At this point, you may be wondering, “Michael, I agreewith you on the later points, but if technology is the sourceof distraction, wouldn’t it be better to conquer it than rely-ing on other technology? Doesn’t relying on it loosen up mynatural self-control?” To that, I say, sure. But considerthis. The effort needed to open a web browser and checkFacebook is so minimal that the amount of willpowerneeded is insane. It’s a quick, easy step that you can subcon-sciously perform before you know it. That, combined withits ever-presence on your computer, make is a formidableenemy.

But I won’t solve this theoretical debate about the prac-tice of self control, for the simple reason of, its nearingfinals week. You need SelfControl for the sake of yourgrades, not your inner self-control. If you want practice,practice over the summer. Right now, you need a blacklist.Now, put the paper down and get back to work.

JJOOEELL BBUUSSTTAAMMAANNTTEE ‘‘1111CAVELIFE EDITOR

FIGHT!On Tuesday, the video game

realm welcomed back one of itsmost beloved and successfulfranchises of all time to thePlaystation 3 and Xbox 360:Mortal Kombat. The heart andsoul of all fighting games beginshere, with the original MortalKombat. Earth’s mightiest com-batants (kombatants?) square offagainst mystical ninjas and sor-cerers, deciding the fate of therealm of Earth.

Sure, the story was a littleweak. But the fighting…thefighting was great. A guy and hislittle sister could furiously mashbuttons for hours, making thetiny avatars occasionally pull offcool special moves and the spo-radic combo. Yet, as the yearswent by and the sequels piled on,the series went further into

obscurity by focusing on all thewrong things: 3D playing fields,endless lists of new characters,and a plot more convoluted thanthe buttons needed to press toperform a Fatality.

After nearly a decade of medi-ocrity, irrelevancy, and oneincredibly horrible movie thatwas pretty much watching aFatality in itself, the Kombatfranchise has once again risen tothe forefront of video game star-dom with its newest incarnation.

Serving as both a reboot and asequel to the series, the appro-priately titled Mortal Kombatreturns to where it all started.The cast has been streamlined tofan-favorites.

As the ninth game of the series,most franchises would try theirhand at a complete revision; yetthis game does the opposite.Players stand at either side of thescreen and battle until only oneremains standing. In fact, the sto-ry is simply a retelling of the firstthree games, only with the pretti-

est graphics a fighting game hasever seen.

Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and LiuKang all return to show off whatnew graphics can do to a retrogame. Every move hits flawless-ly; every background mixes theold and new to create a complete-ly new experience. Even the sta-ple Kombat gore returns with anover-glossed sheen. And oh whata gory game this is. It simplywouldn’t be Mortal Kombatwithout the incredibly violentFatality system, replete withinnovative new ways to rip youropponent to pieces.

This doesn’t mean that therearen’t any new tricks for this olddog, however. Each button nowcontrols an individual limb, asopposed to the standard “highpunch/low punch” system of thepast. Every character has his orher own new unique animations,compared to the past games thatwould simply offer a costumeand name change to expand itsroster.

The most interesting change,however, is the new “X-rayCombo.” After filling a certainlevel of an adrenaline meter, aplayer can cause his character toenter a slow motion combo. Thescreen focuses on every blow,showing the damage right downto the bone. Literally. Skullscrack and the blood pours.Knives break through legs andhooks dig into backs. Think of itas a horrific yet awesome biolab.

Mortal Kombat finally perfectsthe modern fighting game: slickvisuals, captivating storyline, andeasy-to-learn moves all combineto create the year’s best title thusfar. With a revamped world tofight in, it will be interesting tosee where the title goes fromhere. So long as the franchisekeeps producing titles like this,Mortal Kombat will remain thechampion for a long time tocome.

Flawless Victory

Lose the internet distractions and get back to workStudying with SelfControl

PHOTO COURTESY OF SELFCONTROL.ORG

As the school year comes to a close, time becomes a hot commodity. Utilize your computer time effectively, with programssuch as SelfControl (pictured above).

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MK.WIKI.COM

What’s New inMK Round II

Two-On-Two Fighting - You’reno longer limited to just picking onefighter per round, and your secondarycharacter can jump in to perform abonus attack.

X-Ray Attacks - Fill up youradrenaline meter and hit the rightcombo for a devastating sequence.The screen turns sepia to maximizethe visual blood effects.

King of the Hill - Fight online,while a group of spectators watch.No, really; anyone online can watchyour battle and participate. Avatars ina theater can throw tomatoes andother things depending on your per-formance.

Sports 9The Bachelor April 22, 2011

Dramatic Weekend Ends In SplitBBRRAANNDDAANN AALLFFOORRDD ‘‘1122SPORTS EDITOR

With a chance to take two games from Wittenberg thispast weekend and secure a playoff bid, it was late-game sit-uations which told the tale of Sunday’s baseball action. Agame one dramatic comeback was paired with a finalinning collapse in game two to give the Little Giants (15-20 overall, 7-5 NCAC) a split with the Tigers and leave theplayoff picture as murky as it was a week ago.

In the opener, the Tigers took an 8-5 lead over the hostLittle Giants in the top of the sixth inning. With the bottomof Wabash’s lineup due to come to the plate in the bottomhalf, it looked as though a comeback was unlikely. Howev-er, David Seibel, Joe Johnson, and Robby Hechinger(Wabash’s 7-through-9 hitters) reached base to start theframe, and the comeback was on. Wabash would go on toscore three runs in the inning capped by junior John Holm’sRBI triple. That would not be end of Holm’s heroics on theday.

After the Tigers scratched another run across in the topof the seventh, Stevens’ called on the injured Brian Laresto pinch-hit. Nursing a broken thumb, the junior laced a run-scoring single up the middle to score P.J. Tyson with thegame-tying run and send the game to extra-innings.

“For him to come in and that situation get a huge hit totie the game, it was big for us,” coach Cory Stevens said.“We’re down to crunch time now. If we feel like we needto make a move like that as we go forward, we’ll definite-ly do it.”

In the bottom half of the eighth inning, Holm once againcame to the plate with two outs and a chance to deliver.Once again, Holm did exactly that. With one swing of thebat, Holm gave the Little Giants a desperately-needed vic-tory and completed the comeback effort.

Holm picked up exactly where he left off in game two,homering in the first inning to stake the Little Giants to anearly 2-0 lead. After building an early 6-0 lead, the LittleGiants found themselves in a back-and-forth affair thatincluded plenty more late-inning drama.

The Tigers slowly chipped into that lead until it hadbeen cut to 6-5 going into the bottom of the 6th. Again,Holm came through in the clutch, drilling his third home

run of the day. The three-run shot gave the Little Giants afour-run lead. With one inning remaining, it should havebeen enough. But it wasn’t.

The Tigers exploded in the top of the seventh, stringingtogether hits in their first seven plate appearances of theframe. In all, Little Giant pitchers allowed eight hits and awalk in the seven-run inning which salvaged a split for theTigers, and opened the door for an exciting final weekendof NCAC play.

Stevens’ team is again in the thick of a highly contestedNorth Coast Athletic Conference baseball season. His teamis among the conference’s offensive leaders; he may havethe conference’s best offensive weapon in the middle of hislineup; his team’s defense is second among conferenceteams. But that all could be undone by one glaring weak-ness: inconsistent pitching.

HammerTakes OverDefense

KKYYLLEE BBEENNDDEERR ‘‘1122STAFF WRITER

Following the 2000 football season, senior defensivelineman BJ Hammer was named the Most Valuable Play-er on the Wabash College football team. Since then, he hasenjoyed a lengthy coaching career, including a five yearhead coaching stint at Whittier College (Calif.), and willreturn to the Wabash sidelines this fall.

Hammer will have a new role with the Little Giant foot-ball program, much different from his playing days. InMarch, he was hired to replace his former teammate JakeGilbert ’98 as Defensive Coordinator. Gilbert recentlyaccepted the head football coaching position at WestfieldHigh School near Indianapolis.

For Hammer, the opportunity to return to his alma materwas too good to pass up. With his wife and two-year olddaughter remaining in California to finalize the family’sreturn to the Midwest, Hammer has made the daily com-mute from his Carmel boyhood home for early morningspring practices and workouts. To him, the travel is wellworth the end result.

“I’d met Coach Raeburn before and always heard greatthings about him,” Hammer said. “He’s a great footballcoach. The chance to work with him and the great staff he’sassembled was a major factor in my decision to comeback. I’m excited to get to work again at Wabash.”

Returning to Wabash more than a decade removed fromhis playing days, many things such as the field’s playingsurface have changed. The players, Hammer said, have not.

“Just being around a few weeks, it’s obvious the playersare the same type of guys,” he said. “We’ve got someawfully bright and intelligent people working to becomegood football players and then we have some outstandingplayers. If anything, I think we have more outstandingplayers now than when I was here, which is why the teamhas been so successful over the years.”

Hammer can expect a strong returning core of defensiveplayers led by reigning NCAC Defense Player of the YearCJ Gum and First Team All-American selection JonathanKoop. Last season, the Little Giants ranked near the top ofthe conference in almost every defensive category.

“I’m excited about the guys we have returning,” he said.“They welcomed me right away. The first thing I noticedfrom spring practices is that they work hard. At previousjobs, I’ve constantly had to coach kids how to run to thefootball and work hard. These guys do that. It’s a great thingto have as a coach and really is a testament to work CoachGilbert did with them.”

Gilbert and Hammer have a long relationship stemmingfrom their days as Wabash football teammates. As aprospect, Hammer actually stayed in Gilbert’s room and lat-er spent his freshman season playing behind and learningfrom Gilbert and other senior defensive players on the1997 team.

“Coach Gilbert and I have stayed in touch over theyears, we talk football all the time,” Hammer said. “As faras the transition goes, I feel change can be a good thing.After a certain number of years, it’s good to have a differ-ent voice and insight. However, it will be hard to replacesomeone like Coach Gilbert. He’s done a lot for the Wabashfootball program.”

The family connection will continue as Hammer’syounger brother Blair, an All-American defensive line-man for the Little Giants in 2003, is joining Gilbert’sWestfield coaching staff in the fall.

Athletic Director Tom Bambrey ’68 served as the Deanof Students while Hammer was at Wabash. Bambrey canremember Hammer not only for his athletic achievements,but also the impact he left upon his peers.

“The Hammer brothers were certainly two of the bestfootball players I’ve seen play at Wabash,” Bambrey said.“But I remember BJ most as a good leader and a good stu-dent. I had him in several English classes and he tookboth sides of the term “student-athlete” very seriously.Because he did so, he was a person the student bodylooked up to and respected.”

Long-time assistant football coach Steve House was onstaff during Hammer’s playing days. As defensive linecoach, House worked daily with Hammer and saw hisdevelopment over four years.

“I think Wabash and Coach Raeburn are very lucky to getsomeone like BJ to replace Coach Gilbert,” House said. “Hehas all the attributes you look for in a coach – he is a hardworker, loyal, skilled in the X’s and O’s, and knows the cul-ture of the school. We’re really fortunate to have himback.

“Talent and team-wise, this won’t be a rebuilding year forWabash football,” he said. “We will simply reload likewe always do and I think Coach Hammer will play a sig-nificant role in that process.”

No Coach?No ProblemSSEETTHH HHEENNSSLLEEYY ‘‘1144STAFF WRITER

Wabash throwers have enjoyed an enormous amount ofsuccess this spring. And most of it has been done withouta full-time throwing coach. Fortunately, Coach SteveHouse, the defensive line coach for the football team, hasstepped in to volunteer with the field athletes.

“Coach House has done a very good job helping outour team this year. He is able to relate to our guys and ourguys respond well to him.” Coach Busch explained.

When the track and field team travels Coach House,being a volunteer, isn’t always able to make the trip. Thatbeing said, the throwers on most occasions are coachingthemselves and each other for that particular meet.

Being one coach short is obviously a burden on the fieldcompetitors, but it also affects the runners as well. To helpcompensate for the lack of a coach on the field side, HeadCoach Morgan has to take time away with his runners tohelp out and check on the throwers. Coach Morgan notonly takes time during practice to help coach throwers, hespends extra time one on one outside of practice as well.Coach Busch commented on this situation, “It has beenfrustrating, but it has also been great to have guys like AlexMoseman and Matt Scheller to step up and be leaders forthe team.” The senior throwers on the team haven’t seenmuch stability through the years, this being their thirdcoach in three years. Having this kind of coaching insta-bility can sometimes have a negative impact on a team yetthe seniors are hungry to win and improve as ever CoachBusch explained. The leadership and coaching that the sen-iors have displayed has been crucial to the team’s successthis year.

ALEX MOSEMAN| WABASH ‘11

BJ Hammer ‘01, has joined coach Erik Raeburn’s staff forthe upcoming season as the new defensive coordinator.

Eleven years after rewriting theWabash defensive recordbook, BJHammer returns to his alma mater toroam the Little Giant sideline as defen-sive coordinator.

Coaching Profile

ALEX MOSEMAN | WABASH ‘11

Senior Matt Scheller competes in the shot put.

ALEX MOSEMAN | WABASH ‘11

John Holm is greeted at home plate by his teammates after his walkoff home run in the eighth secured a game one win.

SSeeee,, FFIIGGHHTT,, PPaaggee 1100

SSeeee,, PPLLAAYYOOFFFFSS,, PPaaggee 1100

PAGE 10 The Bachelor April 22, 2011

Little Giants Hit the Links for NCAC TitleRRYYAANN LLUUTTZZ ‘‘1133STAFF WRITER

The Golf team is preparing for their Con-ference meet this upcoming weekend. Butwhat happens when a tornado ruins thecourse they practice on?

The course that our golf team usuallypractices on is in disarray. Tuesday night’stornado left trees uprooted and debris every-where. Wabash College and Crawfordsvilleexperienced power outages and trees thathave stood for decades were ripped from theground. The golf course took a beating aswell. “The course is a disaster right now”Coach Petty said, “We got to go out andplay but we can’t when there are 20 or 30trees on the ground.”

This is one of the most recent obstaclesfor the golf team, who has had enough bat-tles with consistency throughout the year.And not having a place to practice daysaway from the conference tournament isanother obstacle that the team needs toovercome if they want to make a strongshowing.

One thing playing to their advantagethough is that the format for Conferencethis year is different. Instead of havingtwo matches in the fall and two in thespring, they will have only two matches inthe spring. Which for the golf team is on

this Saturday. “One advantage of this isthat everyone is starting zero to zero” Pet-ty said, “coming into these rounds even isenough incentive for our guys to go outand shoot well”.

According to the NCAC coaches poll ourWabash Little Giants are ranked sixth. Theadvantage of this conference meet though isthat everyone is coming in on a level play-ing field. And that same poll has our golfteam finishing six points behind the fifthplace finisher and eight points behind thefourth place finisher. “I definitely thinkthat we could have a strong finish and endup at third or fourth place” Petty said.

Heading into the tournament Coach Pet-ty has been keeping on his guys about com-ing into this meet prepared. Because witheveryone coming in on an even playingfield one or two good days can send you toNationals or secure you All-Conferencehonors. “I’ve been telling them all along toset individual goals, because you have tohave an idea of what they would like todo. I even gave them goal sheets”.

Having the storm blow though Craw-fordsville puts a damper on the Little Giantstraining plans, Petty still expects his threeseniors to rise to the occasion and have astrong showing at Conference. Luke Motonis one of the favorites on the team to placeat conference and receive All-Conferencehonors. “I hope Moton, Jordan Koch and

Jake German get a fair shot at receivingAll-Conference,” Petty said, “I’m reallyexpecting my three seniors to step up forthis”.

Conference is what on the teams mindright now, but more importantly they wantto end on a positive note the way everyother athletic team has this year.

DREW CASEY | WABASH ‘12

The golf team is facing an uphill battle this weekend with the start of NCAC competition.

FFrroomm PPaaggee 99

“The older guys who have been here forawhile have been a tremendous help inpractice making sure I am doing all theright things.” Junior Daniel Ambrosio said.Earlier in the season, to get a little extrahelp, some of the throwers saw a specialist.This was definitely a helpful experience, butthere is one downfall. The downfall beingthat it is hard to carry over what you learnedto practice without the instructor beingthere. Daniel Ambrosio said in regards tohow he practices that he focuses mainlyon the little things. He uses practice to getdown to the specifics and then tries to put itall together.

Other field events have been makingstrides of their own this season putting upsome impressive numbers so far. Battlingsome back injuries Matt Knox last weekendset a new Wabash pole vault record of 15

feet 7 inches. As they say, records aremeant to be broken and that was by team-mate Freshman Trevor Young with a markof 15 feet 9 inches later that day. Bothmeasurements are good enough for a provi-sional cut for nationals. Hopefully the pro-visional mark that both Young and Knox hitis good enough to get them to nationalshowever, it doesn’t look as if either of themwill be settling. The automatic cut fornationals is 5.1 meters and will be chasedby the Little Giant pole vault squad.

With only two more events before theNCAC Conference tournament starts thetrack and field team is buckling down. Forthe throwers it is the willingness of theyounger throwers to learn and the ability ofthe more experienced members of the teamto teach that will be the reason for any suc-cess late in the season. As for the other fieldevents it will be the strong competitionbetween teammates that will push each oth-er to be at their best come the post season.

Field

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“Pitching is definitely a concern,” Stevenssaid. “If we make it to the conference tour-nament, those are nine inning games asopposed to seven inning games. Yourbullpen and your relief pitching becomethat much more important. We’ve been dis-appointing with our relief pitching all theway through the season.”

With the split, Wabash finds itself in afourth-place tie with Denison with oneweekend remaining. Only the top fourteams qualify for the postseason tourna-ment. The Little Giants will have a chanceto face the Big Red this weekend in thesecond of two double headers Wabash will

play.

However, Wabash will have to handlebusiness against Kenyon on Friday beforethe pair against Denison can have playoffimplications

“It was very important for us to get asplit,” Stevens said. “Although I feel asthough we should have taken two. It wasdefinitely disappointing that we were unableto hold that lead in the seventh inning of

game two. But splitting still allows us tocontrol our own destiny down the stretch.”

While the team might not have had theresults it had hoped for against Wittenbergon Sunday, it wasn’t due to a shortage ofproduction from Holm. The junior finishedthe week 11-for-16 with three doubles, fourhome runs, one triple, nine runs, and 11RBI. For his production, Holm was namedNCAC Player of the Week. In addition tohis conference recognition, he added thecareer home runs mark to his growing list ofachievements. With four more RBI in theseason’s final five games, Holm will breakhis own single-season RBI record.

“It’s been an amazing year for John,”Stevens said. “It’s gotten to the point whereit is tough for John to surprise me with thethings that he does. He is just a special ath-lete. The numbers John has put up havebeen out of this world.”

But no matter what Holm accomplishes atthe plate, this team’s fate lays in the pitch-ing staff’s ability to throw strikes and getouts when it counts.

“It comes down to one thing, and it’spitching,” Stevens said. “We need our pitch-ers to step up and do a much better job. Theseason is a marathon, but we are down tothe point where it is a sprint so it’s time forthose guys to step up and get the job done.”

With their postseason hopes pinned on afour-game weekend on the road, that pitch-ing staff will have a perfect opportunity todo just that and put Wabash in the playoffsfor the third consecutive season.

“That’s the way we want it,” Stevenssaid. “We want to dictate what we aredoing. We want head-to-head competitionwith the best team going on to the tourna-ment.”

Playoffs

ALEX MOSEMAN | WABASH ‘11

Down the stretch, junior Luke Zinsmaster, who has been a starter much of the year, may becalled upon to fill the role of closer. Relief pitching has been a concern for the Little Giantsall season as they rank second-to-last in the NCAC with a 7.28 ERA.

“It has gotten to thepoint where it is toughfor John to surprise me

with the things hedoes. He is just a spe-

cial athlete”coach Cory Stevens, about junior

John Holm