issueINSIDE

THIS

REGULAR COLUMNS

From the T-Side

Larger than Lit

Bulldog Banter

Making an Impact

TheSOWER Vol. 49, No. 8 Concordia University’s Student Newspaper January 23, 2013

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LMI campaign prepares to equip CIT guests

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Wrestling team defeats Northwestern

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CU. CIT. LMI. Select sister schools in the Concordia University

system have been uniting to oppose one another at the Concordia Invitational Tournament for over half a century. Not until recently has the Lutheran Malaria Initiative (LMI) campaign brought together players and fans in a true effort of oneness.

LMI had a presence at CIT 2012 in Chicago, but this year is different. Among tournament participants, Concordia Nebraska stands as the sole school with students who were selected to be LMI campus campaign directors for this academic year.

Guests arriving for CIT 2013 will be greeted by a student body that’s been making noise about malaria for months.

According to juniors Louisa Mehl and Rebecca Monnier, directors of Concordia Nebraska’s LMI campaign, CIT provides a chance to share this campus’s campaign experience with visiting Concordias.

“This (event) is now an opportunity for students to be leaders, saying, ‘This is what we’ve done, it works, it’s worth it, and you can do it, too,’” said Mehl.

Mehl said the best way for the campus community to be effective leaders throughout the tournament weekend is by communicating an overall positive reaction to LMI.

“You know, it’s easy to say, ‘We’ve been doing

this for so long, we’re tired of it,’” Mehl said. “But, whether you like it (the campaign) or not as a person, we recognize that as a campus we’ve been successful. People have responded extremely well as a campus.”

In addition to attitude, LMI leaders said they hope for visual support from the campus community.

“The more the LMI logo gets out there, the better,” Monnier said.

LMI gear for the weekend can be found at the organization’s booth in the activities area located in the field house. Guests from any school will be able to buy t-shirts or pick up free wristbands, but Monnier and Mehl said the Concordia Nebraska crowd is expected to take the lead.

M e r c h a n d i s e f o r combating malaria will be just a small part of the booth’s purpose. Displays and information highlighting the campus’s previous LMI events will serve to inform and inspire Concordians from neighboring states.

“(The booth) will be like suggestions for them so they can see that this or that is a fundraiser (they)

could do or plan,” Monnier said.To keep with the CIT spirit of rivalry, a friendly

competition will take place at the concession stand. Customers may choose between keeping their change or putting it in the designated collection bucket for

their school.“Say you give them

a five and what you bought was $2.50,” said Mehl. “They’d ask if you’d like to donate $2.50 to LMI, and then they’d put your change i n w i t h C o n c o rd i a Nebraska.”

This competition creates “one way to see which school is consistently donating to LMI” throughout the weekend, said Monnier.

I f CI T attendees miss the concession competition, visible c a m p a i g n b a c k i n g from both Concordia Nebraska basketball

teams will be unmistakable. Both coaches have confirmed their support of LMI’s involvement in the tournament and discussed the use of LMI t-shirts during warm-ups.

Sizable banners featuring team members standing

behind the cause may be seen in various campus locations.

“Kind of like a celebrity endorsement,” Monnier said.

“(The teams) will be positive advocates,” Mehl said. “It’s essentially what we’re asking students to do, too.”

Updates on fundraising progress as well as pictures taken throughout the weekend will be regularly posted on social media sites such as Concordia Nebraska’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

The sum of all contributions to LMI during the tournament will be revealed right after the CIT All-Tournament team is announced following the closing devotion.

Monnier and Mehl said they look for two key messages to impact the visiting students.

“You, your campus, church, family, have an opportunity to do something (with LMI),” Monnier said.

“And also the fact that God is using LMI as a conversation starter to bring Christ to people,” Mehl added.

These are the same messages that soaked into campus soil during the fall semester. Both co-leaders said the campaign’s success continues to overwhelm their initial expectations.

Just under $5,000 poured in for the most recent fundraiser focused on giving to LMI in place of receiving a Christmas gift. Currently, the student donation fund has risen above the major donor fund total.

Alicia WosepkaAssistant Editor

On Jan. 7, Concordia began its inaugural semester of the Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Six RNs are currently enrolled in the online program.

This semester, Dr. Molly Fitzke, director of the RN to BSN program, as well as Professor Charles Blanco and Professor Terence Groth, assistant professors of theology, are teaching the Religion 220 class entitled “Faith, Life and Nursing.” This is a foundational course for the program, Fitzke said, because nurses face ethical decisions daily.

All of the nursing classes are offered online through Blackboard. For the Religion 220 class, students can listen to prerecorded lectures that are synced with PowerPoint presentations. Students are also asked to respond to weekly discussions and attach their papers through Blackboard.

Fitzke said working with Blackboard has created challenges for the students, which is why she created a new student orientation course for Blackboard. The orientation, according to Fitzke, has helped current students and will continue to be used for future students who enroll in the program.

“We get to kind of see what’s working and what’s not working,” Fitzke said.

Fitzke said she has enjoyed creating and teaching Religion 220 with Blanco and Groth.

For the Religion 220 class, Groth selected the textbook Christian Ethics for Today: An Evangelical Approach, written by Dr. Milton L. Rudnick. The textbook was written in 1979 and is now out of print.

“We had an awful time trying to get (the

book),” Fitzke said.Fitzke, Groth and Blanco asked the

publisher of the book how they could obtain several copies. The publisher told them they would have to ask Rudnick for his permission to reprint the book; however, Fitzke, Groth and Blanco could not find contact information for Rudnick.

Phillip Hendrickson, director of library services, found Rudnick’s contact information.

When told about Concordia’s RN to BSN program, Rudnick, a member of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, was astounded by this online program and asked to observe it, according to Fitzke.

Fitzke said she appreciates that Rudnick frequently sends her detailed feedback about the Religion 220 course.

Angela Hunt, an RN enrolled in the program, wrote via email that the online program allows for flexibility in her classes while she pursues her BSN degree. She has worked as an RN for 10 years, currently working full time, and is the mother of five children.

“The class expectations are all laid out for you,” Hunt said, “so being able to do my classes at 5 a.m. or whenever it works in my day makes (the class) very workable for me.”

The Christ-centered online classroom, Hunt said, is the reason she enrolled in Concordia’s program.

According to Fitzke, Concordia’s new RN to BSN program does worry other schools who offer similar programs, but she hopes it is a healthy concern. Competition, she said, “will attract the right students to the program.”

“This first term…has been interesting,” Fitzke said. “It’s been fun.”

Abigail ConnickStaff Writer

New RN to BSN program begins in January 2013

Year of the Dawg unites students in campus-wide school spirit

With winter sports season in full swing and CIT right around the corner, a movement for the campus community called Year of the Dawg aims to encourage school spirit with a dance, T-shirts and videos of Bulldogs rallying together.

Assistant Professor of English Laurie Zum Hofe began the movement as “our attempt to foster Concordia community” throughout the year and at the CIT tournament.

“It’s an opportunity to be proud of who we are,” said Zum Hofe.

The dance, called CU Step, is set to the song “Hello” by Karmin, a pop band featuring Seward native Amy Heidemann and her fiancé, Nick Noonan.

Zum Hofe said the idea came last year when she showed a video in her Introduction to Literature class of the football players’ dance at the last CIT tournament on campus. Some students came up after class and said they wanted to start something like that to get the school involved in CIT.

“What other place do we get to show people, ‘Here’s who we are,’?” said Zum Hofe.

This year’s dance, the CU Step, was choreographed by Megan Peabody, a friend of Zum Hofe’s from Lincoln.

Senior Paul Fortmeyer said the dance was taught to some Weekend Of Welcome leaders and resident assistants this year and the chorus of the video will feature the footage they filmed of them and other CU Step dance practices throughout the year.

Fortmeyer, who has been filming footage for the video, said they wanted to include

clips from a variety of campus events so they filmed at the Student Activities Council’s flashback dance, basketball games and Brake for Breakfast with students waving hello as they walked in.

“As much footage as there is, it’ll be more about the school than about one specific sport,” said Fortmeyer.

Since this is the first CIT in the Walz arena, Zum Hofe said she also wanted to showcase the new facility to the visiting Concordias.

“We know it’s a good facility,” said Zum Hofe. “Now we’ve got to use it for all it’s worth.”

Senior player on the number-two-ranked women’s basketball team Dawn Martin said the team is encouraged by the Year of the Dawg theme and the excitement of students for their games.

“We love seeing and hearing the students get excited about games because we are representing them and it motivates us,” said Martin.

The Year of the Dawg Facebook page, with over 150 likes, was launched on Aug. 23, 2012, and provides students with announcements of upcoming CU Step practices, videos of dance tutorials and other videos showcasing sports teams and groups on campus.

Plans for CIT include having students wear Year of the Dawg shirts if they ordered them and to show the video to the crowd.

“It’d be cool for people to see it and say ‘Hey, I was a part of that,’” said Fortmeyer.

According to Zum Hofe, the initial plan was to have students perform the dance live, but there has not been enough students learning the dance to do a flash mob.

“It’s hard to start big,” said Zum Hofe.Fortmeyer said that while there have been

rumors of sending the video to Karmin that was not the original intent.

“There’s nothing along those lines,” said Fortmeyer.

Fortmeyer said he hopes Year of the Dawg will encourage Concordia students to come together as a community.

“ We want people to take pride in Concordia,” he said. “We’re all Bulldogs. We’re all united.”

Martin said participating in the Year of the Dawg has been memorable to her as a senior and she encourages students to show school spirit on campus.

“Participating in the Year of the Dawg makes me value the special community at Concordia,” said Martin. “Own it. Take pride in it.”

Emily TaylorStaff Writer

Brooks speaks at CU on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Rev. James L. Brooks spoke Monday, Jan. 21, in the Weller Hall auditorium in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

The senior pastor at Harmony Community Church in Chicago, Ill., Brooks presented “The Eight Key Components of Christian Community Development.”

Brooks drew his focus for the lecture from Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.”

Centering his talk on the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Brooks shared his experiences as a pastor in the urban ministry of Lawndale, a community on the west side of Chicago, where King lived for a short time in 1966, two years before his assassination.

According to Brooks, 500 homicides were committed in the Chicago area in 2012, making it a violent community to live in. Brooks spoke about what the Lawndale community is doing to counter this violence and bring people and church congregations together to create a safer environment for Chicago citizens.

“We’re taught to operate or walk by faith, but so often we walk by fear,” said Brooks.

Harmony Community Church serves a congregation of 325 members, the majority of whom are young adults. According to Brooks, these community members experience violence on the streets of Chicago on a daily basis.

“The church is their safe haven, the place they can come and let it all out,” Brooks said.

Another focus of Brooks’ community development presentation was the idea of empowerment.

“We don’t just want to be enablers, we want to empower,” he said, sharing how his church seeks to move its congregation’s members out of the position of those being served and into the position of those serving others in functional and administrative roles.

One way of doing this, he explained, is by providing a food pantry service to more than 400 families in the Lawndale community. By empowering the people standing in line for food, Brooks says he challenges them to help unload the food trucks,

to offer the food to others waiting in line.One of the main topics of the “eight key components,”

according to Brooks, is relocation, or living among the people. The idea encourages those fostering community development to live in the area they are trying to develop. Brooks compared people in such roles to flashlights.

“What good is a flashlight in a bright-lit room?” he said. “If we are children of the light, we need to be intentional about going into the dark places and illuminating them with our Christ light.”

Brooks attended Princeton Theological Seminary (N.J.) and completed his clinical pastoral education at the University of Illinois Medical Center. He has led missions in Kenya and Tanzania, Africa, in addition to leading community development efforts in the areas of teamwork, leadership development and spiritual resiliency.

Brooks’ lecture was part of the Looking Beyond Speaker Series. The lecture series was created to expose Concordia students and the Seward community to diverse speakers and ideas.

Emily HemphillNews Editor

photo by Brandon Rehm

Swing dancing in fourth year at Concordia 7

January 23, 20132 NEWS briefs

News

RA INFORMATIONAL MEETINGAre you interested in a servant leadership

position? Do you want to learn more about the role of a resident assistant? If so, plan to attend the RA informational meeting tonight at 7 p.m. in the TLEC Auditorium. A panel of veteran RAs will share their experiences and answer your questions.

Applications to be an RA next year will be available at the meeting and in the Student Life Office. The application deadline is Feb. 8 at 5 p.m.

CONCORDIA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

The annual Concordia Invitational Tournament (CIT) is on Jan. 25-26. Everyone must have a pass to attend the games. Weekend, session and game passes are available. Discounted passes are available in advance for $15. A weekend pass is available at the gate for $20. If you have any questions, please contact Daneen Kovar Theye at ext. 7320.

CRUSH SODA FUNDRAISERKasey’s Quest, Inc. is hosting the second

annual Crush Soda fundraiser. The event will take place in Janzow top Jan. 28-Feb. 1 from noon to 2 p.m. All proceeds go to Kasey’s Quest, Inc., a nonprofit organization focused on combining youth theatre with a curriculum to help the community’s youth develop the skills needed to achieve their dreams regardless of their socioeconomic background.

For more information or to place an order, contact Codi Kargle via email at kaseysquest@hotmail.com or by phone at (515) 298-2509.

RELAY FOR LIFE BIRTHDAY BASHRelay for Life of Seward County and

Concordia’s Relay team, Bulldogs for Life, will host the 2013 Birthday Bash Open House on Jan. 29 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in Walz 002.

Come celebrate the life that God has given each of us and kick off the relay season of providing hope to those who are battling or have battled cancer. Participants will have a chance to join the team and find out more information on how to make a difference.

THE ROCK MOVING TO WELLERThe Rock Lutheran Church will be

vacating its current location on Hillcrest Avenue after Jan. 27. The church will temporarily move its worship services to Weller Auditorium, beginning Feb. 3 at 10 a.m.

King Kong came to Concordia last Friday night when 2004 alumnus Ladd Wendelin performed a comedic retelling of the 1933 monster movie in his original puppet show “King Kong: The Puppet Show.”

The free show was a combination of live action scenes and puppetry as well as opening poetry readings by Rory Wendelin, a 2012 graduate of Concordia. The play ends with a tribute to the siblings’ father, Norman Wendelin, who died of brain cancer in September.

Ladd said the reason he started doing the show was to cope with his father’s terminal illness.

“I set out to tell the story of ‘Kong’ as a means of confronting the unknown (my father’s terminal illness),” said Wendelin via e-mail, “much in the same way the characters in ‘Kong’ confront the unknown, with determination and imagination.”

His sister, Rory, agreed that helping her brother with the show has helped her deal with their loss.

“In a way it has helped our entire family heal from the ordeal,” she said via e-mail.

Rory also said the show pays tribute to their father’s personality and support of his family.

“He loved being entertained, especially if it was one of his kids entertaining him,” she said. “The puppet show reflects that.”

Ladd and his fellow puppeteers perform the story of cameraman Carl Denham who sets sail for Skull Island with a beautiful actress and a motley crew of sailors.

On the island, they encounter savages and the great ape Kong himself, who soon begins to wreak havoc on civilization.

Ladd said he stayed close to the original script but put his own personal twists into the story.

“Let ’s just say it involves the year ‘1933’ and a rather prominent architectural marvel in Lincoln, Neb.,” he said, referring to the State Capitol building.

Ladd said he spent seven months constructing and creating over 50 original pieces for the show including stick puppets, puppet costumes for live performers, props, backdrops and a soundtrack for the puppet scenes.

Rory said the show is full of unexpected and entertaining characters, including a “Norwegian crazy person who pops up for like two seconds and back down again.”

“That character is hilarious and crazy,” she said. “For the amount of times I’ve seen the show, I’ve never gotten tired of seeing that character.”

Sophomore Stephanie Schroeder was one of the audience members from Concordia and the Seward community who attended the performance in the Music Building’s studio theatre.

“I wasn’t really sure what to expect,” said Schroeder.

Schroeder sa id the show was entertaining and fun for the whole

audience.“I appreciated that there was humor

for the kids and some that the adults got too,” said Schroeder. “I had a lot of fun there.”

Ladd said he was glad to perform at Concordia again.

“I owe Concordia a large debt in my creative growth,” he said. “It’s great to come full circle to where the magic all started.”

“King Kong: The Puppet Show” began its first showing in October, 2012, and has been performed around the Lincoln

area in garages, basements, bars and cafes.

Ladd said the show will continue until April, and he is working on other theatre projects for the future, including These Saints Will Burn, a play about Joan of Arc, written by Robert Stewart.

Ladd said a line from his character, Carl Denham, sums up his overall experience with the play: “I just wanted to entertain people. Show them something they’d never seen before. Something amazing.”

For a list of upcoming performances, visit www.kingkongpuppetshow.com.

“King Kong: The Puppet Show” comes alive at CUEmily TaylorStaff Writer

photo by Will Vann“King Kong: The Puppet Show,” directed by alum Ladd Wendelin, came to Concordia on Jan. 18.

Abstract Expressionism, Regionalism, and Pop Art and Post Minimalism are three of the ‘isms’ currently on display in the Marxhausen Gallery of Art.

“ISMS: Concordia’s Permanent Collection in Context” opened Monday, Jan. 14 and will run through Friday, Feb. 15. An opening reception is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 27, from 1 to 4 p.m. with an exhibit talk at 2 p.m. in the Thom Leadership Education Center auditorium.

Jim Bockelman, professor of art and director of the gallery, selected the artwork in the exhibit. His exhibit talk will provide an oversight of how this particular collection fits into the broader history of modern art.

“I’d also like to shed a few secrets about certain prints the University owns,” he said.

“ISMS,” according to Bockelman, refers to movements or ideologies. Modern artists were grouped under certain ‘isms,’ such as Realism or Regionalism.

The title “ISMS” implies that the artwork can be neatly grouped into distinct categories or visual styles. This collection will highlight the dominant historical art movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, both in modern and contemporary art.

The collection, says Bockelman, reflects ideas about American identity: the value of work ethic, the impact

of popular culture, individual expression and social alienation, and the role of the art as a critique of art institutions.

“People who visit the gallery will find that there is writing about each of the movements so this exhibit is educational and user friendly,” Bockelman said.

Artists represented in the show include James McNeill Whistler, Grant Wood, Robert Motherwell, Jasper Johns,

Chuck Close, Francisco Clemente and Sol Le Witt.Bockelman said the purpose of this exhibition is

to place the Concordia’s collection into a historical framework by grouping the art into traditional movements.

“I’d like to share the story of modern art in the United States, roughly beginning from 1900 and working its way through the 1980s,” Bockelman said, “specifically the way that movements moved from Realism toward Abstraction and back to Realism again.”

Concordia’s permanent collection consists of artwork acquired from an array of sources.

The Koenig Collection is comprised of Regionalist prints donated to the University by Dr. Koenig, faculty emeritus.

The Woods Charitable Trust is a Nebraska source that made funding available to Nebraska universities to build art collections during the 1970s.

Dr. James Lodge, a gallery owner from Lincoln, Neb., works closely with Concordia’s art faculty to place key works of contemporary art into its holdings.

The Wake/Wiegmann Collection, a collection of prints, was chosen by faculty emeritus Richard Weigmann. The purchase of the prints was made possible by financial support from Steve Wake, a Seward businessman.

The exhibit is open to the public and free of charge. The Marxhausen Gallery is open Monday-Friday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 1-4 p.m.

Jory SchweersStaff Writer

Permanent Collection on display at Marxhausen

photos by Steven OdomTbe Marxhausen Gallery will be featuring a unique display of expressionism, regionalism, pop art, and post minimalism.

HHP Club sponsors shoe collection

photo by Paula Liebbrandt

The HHP Club is teaming up with Nike Reuse-a-Shoe for a shoe drive. Athletic shoes are being collected in bins located in the Walz Human Performance Complex and the lower level of Janzow Campus Center through the end of January.

Do you have any comments,

questions, or story ideas for

The Sower?

E-mail us atSower@cune.org

January 23, 20134 FEATURES

Well, the stupid world didn’t end.I was promised a fiery, weeping

demise of all humanity and civilization on the whole planet, and all I got was a Friday. And it wasn’t even a good Friday.

I mean, it was okay, I guess, but all my Friday night shows were just reruns because they had already had their season finales. I hate reruns.

Anyway, I was promised global weeping and gnashing of teeth, but I didn’t see a single tear shed or a single tooth gnashed. (I’ll be honest: I don’t know for sure what gnashing is. I can only assume it’s similar to blending.)

But no. The world is still spinning on and on, just like before. As my, um, colorful old boss used to say, “It’s just the same old Schmidt.” (I can only assume Schmidt was an Army buddy of his.)

Now, don’t misunderstand me. I didn’t really want the world to end. More than anything, I just wanted those snooty, high-fallutin’ folks who scoffed at the whole idea to have to eat their bitter words.

Just once, I wanted the so-called “intelligent,” “informed,” “well-balanced” people to see that sometimes it pays to listen to the incoherent, poorly-spelled ramblings of the easily-persuaded, uneducated, and superstitious.

Alas, a twenty-mile-wide meteor didn’t strike the earth, evaporating our oceans and sending massive chunks of our civilization spinning out into the black nether-regions of space. So, I guess I’ll just have to move on.

I guess this isn’t all bad; I should think of it as a new opportunity, a second chance.

There are so many things that I’ve never done; so many things that I was too scared to tackle before. But now, the whole world is stretched out before me. The world is my oyster, as they say, although hopefully less slimy, chewy, and disgusting.

I’ve always wanted to get really good at flying a kite.

Say what you will, kite pilotry is a delicate skill that takes about twelve minutes to learn, but a lifetime to master.

I want to get so good at kite flying that other people talk behind my back about how good I am at kite flying.

“That guy is just so good at flying kites. It’s like he’s…magic, or something.”

“Oh, come on, Jim. You know there’s no such thing as magic.”

“Yeah, I know that, Bill. But…gee willikers, he just gets my undies all in a bunch.”

“You can’t let him get to you, Jim.”“He just gets that kite up every time!

It’s not fair!”And then Jim would look at his own

kite, all sad and defeated, wishing more than anything that he could just get that stubborn diamond of cheap plastic to stay up in the air.

Of course, Bill would try to be supportive.

“You’ll get there, Jim. I know you will. Just don’t give up on yourself.”

“I hate him, Bill. I hate him.”“No, you don’t, Jim. You don’t.”And then Bill would put his arm

on Jim’s shoulder, all consoling and understanding, and Jim would just shake his head and look off into the distance, but it wouldn’t be weird or anything, because Jim and Bill are just really good buddies, and neither of them would make it weird.

And then I’d run by with my kite way the heck up in the sky, way at the end of its string, and I’d yell, “Your kite’s supposed to be in the sky, Jim!” And then I’d run away, laughing.

I think that’s pretty much all I need to do.

Oh, I’d also like to learn how to wink at people on a passable level. Right now my wink looks a little seizure-y.

A second chance at life-long dreamTakota ThiemStaff Writer

Swing Dance at CU continuesSwing dancers flip and spin their way

across the dance floor to the fast-paced rhythm of country music.

Concordia’s Cattle Conference Room is transformed each Monday night as over three dozen dancers of all skill levels gather to enjoy and improve on a common interest.

“ Pe o ple don ’t re a l i z e w h at a n opportunity this is,” said Takota Thiem, current leader of the weekly classes.

E a c h w e e k T h i e m a n d A l y s s a Lehenbauer, a sophomore, demonstrate new steps for other dancers and guide them as they learn. Some dancers need spotters as they learn new steps, especially aerials, in which the man lifts his female dance partner off the ground.

Thiem said his favorite steps are “the ones I make up.”

A senior at Concordia and originally from Crete, Neb., Thiem has been swing dancing since he was a freshman in high school. He said he enjoys seeing new faces at the clinics each week, and likes watching them grow more confident in their dancing skills.

Students attend Swing Dance mainly for enjoyment, but also for other reasons.

“It’s a stress reliever from school,” said

freshman Sydney Olson.Olson’s comment was common to

many dancers. She began attending Swing Dance the first week of the school year after being invited by upperclassmen friends, although s h e h a s b e e n swing dancing for about five years, having learned at her cousins’ “nice l i t t le countr y weddings.”

Thiem leads t h e w e e k l y s e s s i o n s a t Concordia this year, taking over f r o m N a t h a n Brown, a 2012 g raduate who p r e v i o u s l y organized the clinics.

S w i n g dancing began a t C o n c o r d i a during the 2007-08 school year under the direction of graduate Aarin Fellows.

“We started it to give others the

opportunity to learn how to dance!” Fellows said via email. “We enjoyed doing it so much that we wanted others to be able

to do it too.”B e s i d e s b e i n g a

source of fun and a break from homework, the Monday night classes help prepare students for weekly trips to the Pla Mor Ballroom in L incoln on Sund ay nights.

At the Pla Mor, the dance floor is packed with hundreds of people dressed in boots and flannel shirts who dance the night away.

“Me and my girlfriend would go to Pla Mor practically every Sunday night,” Fellows said, “and we would always try and get people to go with us, but many people didn’t know how to swing dance.”

At Pla Mor, Concordia students mingle with

other young people and sometimes invite them to the Monday night clinics at Concordia.

Although approximately half of the Monday dancers are Concordia students, the other half drive from the University of Nebraska—Lincoln, Southeast Community College and elsewhere. Some drive as many as 45 minutes to enjoy the free clinic.

“I wish more people on campus knew (about swing dancing),” said Lehenbauer.

She said Concordia’s dancing is a unique opportunity because “at other places it costs money.”

Zach Auch, 21, a student at Southeast Community College, began swing dancing when a friend from Concordia invited him to come to the class.

“I want to impress my friends back home,” Auch said.

Swing dancing is “such a release,” according to Lehenbauer, “a chance for me to feel graceful.”

David Minster, a Concordia graduate who took over swing dance instruction from Fellows, said via email that swing dancing is “a fun activity for most everyone; it’s easy to pick up; it’s a more relaxed style of dance, and you can do some crazy, cool stunts and aerials!”

Swing dancing, both at Pla Mor and Concordia, is a social event enjoyed by many.

“It brings people together,” said Fellows.

Danielle Jarvis Staff Writer

photos by Paula Liebbrandt

Takota Thiem and Emily Kahny show off their swing dancing moves.

Catholics at CU becomes official group through Student Senate

Beginning as a Facebook group over a year ago, Catholics at Concordia was started by Concordia University students George Toman, Holly (Peterson) Saalfeld and Seth Elley.

The group then formed a Bible study last spring with Toman as the primary leader. This past fall, Spencer Zysset and Blake Vajgrt came up with a plan to make Catholics at Concordia an official campus club, ultimately following through with it.

The purpose of the group is to provide a support system for the Catholic students who attend Concordia, encouraging fellowship between the members as well as a focus on Christ.

The group, however, is not closed off to only Catholics. According to Zysset, the group encourages non-Catholics to attend the Bible studies and become members as well. He said they wish to promote positive dialogue between denominations, as well as clear up some misconceptions about what the Catholic Church truly teaches. He said all religious beliefs are respected within the group.

Zysset said it may make the Bible study even more effective if non-Catholics come and ask questions. If students are interested in learning more about the Catholic faith, they are encouraged to check the group out.

Zysset and Vajgrt took the idea for the club to Student Senate with hopes of becoming a solid group. The two wanted to ensure that the formal structure of the group will continue after its current members graduate.

After presenting the idea to the Senate and submitting a Constitution for the group, the Senate

voted to approve Catholics at Concordia as an official campus club.

This allows the group to receive funds from the Senate as well as have a representative from the club as a member of the Senate. Club activities will now also appear in the student planner.

Last year, the group had 10-15 people attending on a regular basis.

Zysset said he hopes being an official club and being able to advertise around campus will help boost numbers.

Concordia’s Forensic Speech and Debate team prepares for two major tournaments in the coming months of Spring Semester.

The first tournament, hosted by the Nebraska Intercollegiate Forensics Association (NIFA), is a state competition scheduled for Fed. 15-16 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Later, March 8-10, the Concordia forensics team will compete at the junior varsity nationals in Hutchinson, Kan.

According to Director of Forensics Bryan Moore, this will be the first time Concordia will compete at the JV Nationals because the team has a greater number of freshman and sophomore team members than in past years, allowing the team to qualify for the tournament.

“I feel that we have a good team and we are prepared to succeed in this tournament,” said Moore.

Three major forensics events are held on campus each year as part of the program. These include two high school tournaments, the Concordia Home School Debate tournament that takes place in the fall and the CUNE High School Speech Classic in the spring, both hosted and run by Concordia’s team members.

The third event is the Sleet and Snow tournament, held in January, that the team competes in.

Since Concordia’s forensics program began 20 years ago, the team has traveled regionally and nationally to

tournaments hosted by Pi Kappa Delta, National Christian College Forensics Association, National Parliamentary Debate Association, National Forensics Association and American Forensics Association.

In the past, the Concordia team has also competed at the International Forensics Association tournament and at the World Debating Championship tournament.

In 1998, Concordia was the winner of the National Parliamentary Debate Association.

Forensics Assistant Director Heidi Niedfeldt said the three major on-campus events were successful this year. The Home School Debate tournament was held in December and the CUNE High school Speech Classic took place Jan. 12.

“In hosting particularly the Speech Classic, we were on the low side because Milford had a forensics meet during the same time, so although there were seven high schools that competed, there could have been more participants,” said Niedfeldt.

The Sleet and Snow Tournament was held this past weekend.

“The Sleet and Snow Tournament was a swing tournament, which meant it was a two-day speech program that we co-hosted with Bethel University of Minnesota,” said Niedfeldt.

A cc o rd i n g t o N i e d fe l d t , t h i s tournament is special in that trophies for the competitions are bought from Ten Thousand Villages, a nonprofit charity organization.

“We buy different types of products, l ike beautiful ly designed paper-

weights and baskets as trophies for the competitions but it’s reassuring to know that proceeds are donated to third-world countries,” said Niedfeldt.

Moore said over the years the forensics team has had between 8 and 14 members. This year, however, the team has only five competitors.

“We are looking forward to the JV Nationals because it will be our first time to compete as we have a good number of members who are at that qualified level to compete in JV,” said Moore.

Niedfeldt’s sister, Heather, is also part of the team. Heather, a secondary

education major, is currently student teaching at Concordia.

Heather joined the forensics team during her second year at Concordia and is now competing in her fifth year.

“The team is my family,” she said, adding that the teams has helped her build more confidence from the experience at the college level compared to her experience with speech and debate during high school.

“Taking up forensics has definitely boosted my confidence in art, theatre and communication in general,” said Niedfeldt.

Tyson Billings, a 2010 Concordia graduate, has not only achieved a management position with Lincoln’s professional indoor football team, the Lincoln Haymakers; he has also come full circle and is now back at Concordia as an adjunct professor.

Over the course of the two years since graduating from Concordia, Billings has earned a masters degree from Wichita State University in sports management, interned and worked six different jobs covering three different sports at both collegiate and professional levels, and established connections in the NBA, NCAA, NFL and other leagues across the globe.

Sports have always been a part of Billings’ life, though. He ran cross country and track while at Concordia.

“Being a collegiate runner taught me about the dedication and commitment necessary to be a successful professional…it contributed to my career choice immensely,” said Billings.

Through sports, Billings said he has learned that settling is not an option.

“You should never settle for just ‘okay’ if you want to achieve more than you thought was possible,” he said.

With that mindset, Billings wasn’t going to settle for just an internship.

“Actually, surviving the initial grunt work is challenging ,” said Billings. “You have to be willing to commit time and effort, doing everything above and beyond expectations.”

One of the hardest steps for Billings was g e t t i n g h i r e d f u l l -time. “It took me five internships before I was officially hired full-time by an organization,” he said. “It was hard convincing my family that me working internships was actually benefitting my career.”

However, the internships paid off and Billings has been successful since his first

full time job with the Wichita Wings, a professional soccer team, and the Wichita Wild, a professional indoor football team.

While working for the Wings and Wild, Billings helped structure the

foundation of a new indoor football league. While doing so, he met with an ownership group from Lincoln.

“I thought it would be sweet to start an indoor football team back in Lincoln,” said Billings, “but a job opportunity didn’t seem to be visible.”

By the end of that summer, though, Billings received a text from one of the owners and came back to Nebraska to help

start up the Lincoln Haymakers.Billings’ job as the assistant general

manager and director of marketing and sales entails not only meeting with sponsors, but getting down in the grime and helping clean equipment.

“I’ve actually started a day in a suit and

tie, meeting with corporate sponsors and ended it in shorts and a T-shirt cleaning football helmets out of storage,” he said.

While back in Nebraska, Billings obtained a job at Concordia as an adjunct professor teaching Legal Aspects of Exercise and Sport.

“It’s a surreal feeling basically coming full circle in a short amount of time,” he said.

Billings has definite goals for the indoor football league, but he also has specific goals for the classroom. These include helping students find an idea of where they want to work someday and to help ease the stress and uncertainty that comes with being a new college graduate.

“I was [here] a few years ago so I can definitely relate to the stresses and pressures,” said Billings.

Billings said his experience thus far has been great and he wants others to have that chance.

“God has placed me in a position early in my career where I can give back...so making a positive impact through both the Haymakers and Concordia is what I’m setting out to accomplish.”

Concordia alum returns as professorSavanah BakerStaff Writer

Delilah KondStaff Writer

Hayley Wallace Staff Writer

Speech and Debate to compete at JV tournament

from th

e

T-Side

Tyson Billings

photo by Brandon Rehm

Senior Leann Miller practices her speech. This season, Miller is competing in program of oral interp.

CU @ CIT

January 23, 2013 5

Timeless. Intriguing. Mysterious. Escape. Adventure. Danger. Comfort. Perplexing. Relatable.

Discovery.

That’s where it’s at, folks. Discovery.For right now, forget everything they

(friends, parents, high school teachers, roommates, etc.) have kindly shoved down your throat about the significance of literature and why you need to read.

Don’t get me wrong – the greatest novels, poems, and short stories are described by every one of those words above. Each word highlights characteristic features of fiction and nonfiction literature. They are what many people consider the trademarks of a good book.

But if this senior English major has learned anything during these past four years of sentence underlining, character scrutinizing, essay writing, and caffeine guzzling, I’d summarize like so:

It’s really about you.“You?!” I know . . . that sounds

completely contradictory to every selfless, servant leadership principle known to man. If you go all Philippians 2:4 on me, then you’ve missed the point.

A wise Concordia professor* often says that “significant literature always brings us to questions of (our) purpose and identity.”

Any given book character’s internal/external conflict becomes tangible and noteworthy the moment you find your personal triumphs, scars, emotions, and relationships reflected in each word falling into your lap.

Does a story’s setting, foreshadowing, irony, or symbolism ever get under your skin? Don’t wholly credit that to the author’s ability (though I’m sure they’d be flattered). Trace uneasiness back to the hour you took your first breath. On the playground. At the mailbox. Before the concert. In the dark car. By the casket.

“The story that most holds our attention is our own,” the professor continues.

How might it unfold?What if she doesn’t remember?Will this feeling last?Innumerable questions such as these

vie for our attention like small children shoving their way into a line at the last bell.

We don’t consciously try to bring our own story into every narrative we encounter. At least, not at first. It happens naturally. Like the seasons change without our consent, so great literature stirs in us unsolicited memories, anxieties, and hopes that may or may not find resolution during our lifetime.

One minute you’re mentally walking through trenches with a disillusioned boy from rural France and the next you’re leaning against a shed in your dad’s backyard. Convicted by the ache of abandonment.

Hiking through dense fog on a mountain trail when your two dogs take off running will quickly morph into that night you decided to answer the phone. Burdened by the grip of terror swelling in your throat.

See, this literary-prompted personal ref lection doesn’t put you on the

spectrum of self-absorbed. It places you among those who’ve examined their lives through countless sets of eyes and situations, each vastly different from their own. And you are better off because of it.

The reflective reader easily becomes the dedicated listener, critical thinker, motivated worker, and insightful advice-giver.

In this semester’s coming issues, I’ll feature a quote or two from various fiction and nonfiction texts which will offer a glimpse into how that scene, chapter, or story summation may ultimately guide readers toward asking constructive questions about their purpose and identity.

I once heard the quote, “We write to taste life twice.”

We read to do the same.

*Dr. Thurber. Go meet him before you graduate.

Beginning Wednesday, Dec. 26, Dr. Daniel Thurber led a group of 13 people across the Atlantic for 18 days on his 20th Annual London and Europe Study Tour. The tour allows travelers to both learn about the history surrounding literature from that area and to experience the culture of Europe.

“It was really valuable to see other cultures,” said Sarah Dinger, a senior secondary education major who studied on the tour this year.

Thurber, a professor of English, has taught at Concordia since 1987. On his sabbatical leave in 1992, he taught literature at Oakhill College in London. Since then, he has led approximately 450 people on tours through Europe.

Although he varies the itinerary “to keep it fresh,” Thurber said, “I never take students to places I haven’t been at least twice.”

This year’s tour included cities in four countries: London and Bath in England, Prague in the Czech Republic, Amsterdam and Delft in the Netherlands, and Brussels and Bruges in Belgium.

Emily Barz, a junior Secondary Ed major, said she appreciated Thurber’s “poetic way of describing everything.”

Students walked through the streets of the various cities and received commentary from Thurber about the locations they passed.

“He was good about pointing out sites typical tourists wouldn’t see,” said senior Bethany Osberg.

“A good role for a study tour leader,” said Thurber, “is to lead them, let them see for themselves places they’ve only read about.”

Senior Nathan Sielk said Thurber encouraged students to be more aware of the sensory input which comes from experiencing an area first-hand.

“He told us to take in the smells, take in the sights,” said Sielk.

Sielk pointed out that this was apparent especially in Bath, home of author Jane Austen, where the “aristocratic society” which inspired many of her novels was quite evident.

Students were also given free time to explore in small groups, looking deeper into their personal interest areas.

Although the group visited many museums and main tourist locations, Thurber made time for experiencing each city at some of its best moments. His itinerary included notes such as seeing “reflecting light from the River Avon,” and “strolling across Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.”

London was the first stop on the list. Several students said it was a nice “gateway” into the rest of Europe, since it was an English-speaking area with a culture fairly similar to that of the United States.

The group visited Charles Dickens’ house, the British Museum and Westminster Abbey, among other places in London.

Osberg said Belgium was her favorite stop on the tour.

“It was really charming,” she said. “I felt oddly at home.”

Osberg had not traveled overseas before this tour. Although she said it was “scary at first,” she decided later that “it was a safe and friendly place.”

For others, Prague was a highlight of the trip.“It was historic and beautiful,” said Barz.Dinger said she “loved the old-style buildings and

cobblestones.”Several students agreed that one of the highlights

of Prague was the Franz Kafka museum.Dinger also enjoyed worshipping in the cathedral

in Prague as well, “being a part of the whole church all gathered under one God.”

“I learned what it means to be an American,” she said, but also “what it means to be human…These people all have the same feelings, the same emotions. We have a connection.”

Ann Schmidt, a sophomore, agreed and said she liked the comparison aspect of America to European countries. She said she gained “a greater awareness of our culture, ourselves and our nation” by observing other cultures.

This was, in fact, one of Thurber’s goals for the tour. He also said he wanted the students “to get a feel for how the ordinary people live there,” which is the reason he integrated several slots of free time into the schedule.

Dinger said Thurber had “a balance between leading (the tour) and free time,” which gave him the ability to incorporate several teaching styles.

“Students should be attentive to what they are learning about themselves,” said Thurber, “and about what the Lord is doing in their lives.”

Several students expressed interest in traveling on another of Thurber’s tours based on their experiences. Often in the past, students have toured two or three times with Thurber, which is one of the reasons he varies the schedule.

“There’s still so much of the world that I don’t know about,” said Sielk, who had never visited Europe before this tour.

“We are travelers, not tourists,” said Thurber. “Travelers bring back memories.”

FEATURES

Usually when I write something for The Sower, I’m curled up on the couch in my dorm room or sitting by a window at Link Library, getting distracted every so often by whatever’s going on outside.

But today I’m not at Concordia, typing furiously away at my keyboard.

Today I’m not even in Seward. Instead, I’m 500 miles away in Colorado, sitting at the kitchen table of the house where I spent the first 18 years of my life.

One of my favorite literature professors starts each of his classes with these words. “Some of the things that we’ll read this semester will be pieces you’ve read before,” he’ll say, “but you absolutely must read them again. Not a word on the page has changed. But you have.”

I’m starting to feel like the same thing is true about places.

I think what’s so comforting about the idea of home is that there’s a familiarity there that doesn’t exist anywhere else. Every break, I come back to find things the way they were when I left. The mountains are still towering majestically in the west, the stairs in my house still creak when I run up them, the shelves in my bedroom are still overflowing with an ever-growing collection of used books.

But I’m different.Three and a half years ago, I was a soon-

to-be freshman, frantically tearing apart my closet in an effort to pack for my first semester of college and feeling more than a little unsettled at the idea of uprooting my life and moving to the unknown territory of Nebraska, where there were cornfields and Husker fans, but no Starbucks within 30 miles.

I remember wondering what the point was in leaving. I was comfortable with things the way they were. I had friends and family, sports teams and a youth group. What good could there be in leaving all of that behind and starting over in a place that was unfamiliar, a place where I knew almost no one?

As it turns out, there can be a lot of good, actually. If I’d never come to Concordia, I don’t know if I would have ever had to really wrestle with what I believed about God and grace. I might never have realized that I’m a total nerd when it comes to poetry. And I would have missed out on some incredible relationships.

Leaving my comfort zone was one of the best things I ever did. Over the past three and a half years, Concordia has become another home to me.

And yet, as I drove away from Seward last semester, I found myself asking the same questions all over again. What good is there in leaving the comfortable behind?

In less than a week, I’ll be boarding a plane for Europe and spending the semester in Bath, England, reading Shakespeare and the Brontë sisters and walking down the streets where Jane Austen used to live. The whole thing is a dream come true.

But to tell the truth, it’s also a bit unsettling.

This past week, there’ve been a lot of “what ifs” bouncing around in my head. What if this was all a big mistake? What if I’m lonely there? What if living in England isn’t everything I’ve dreamed it will be?

Sometimes I wonder where I even found the courage to do something like this. I mean, I’m not really a “live on the edge” sort of person. What possessed me to leave behind everything I know and move across the ocean for four months?

But maybe that’s why God gives us dreams in the first place. Maybe he knows that they’ll inspire us to step outside of what’s comfortable, to leave the familiar behind and do something adventurous.

And adventurous doesn’t have to mean moving to another country. Adventurous might mean student teaching, or applying to grad school, or switching your major. Maybe at it’s core, adventure is simply having the courage to take a risk, to do something uncomfortable, unfamiliar, even a little scary.

I’m starting to see that it’s these decisions that shape us into who we really are.

After all, in the end, it isn’t the risks we took that we’ll look back and regret but the times we chose to stay comfortable and let opportunity pass us by.

Courage becomes leaving the comfortStephanie LundStaff Writer

photos courtesy Makenzie Deutschman, Stephanie Lund, and Emily Barz

20th Annual EuropeLiterary Study TourDanielle Jarvis Staff Writer

Alicia WosepkaAssistant Editor

Literature prompts personal reflection

Top: Emily McAllister, Madison Phillips, Nate Sielk, and Jami Fowler stroll down Abbey Road in London. Bottom: (From back) Bethany Osberg, Emily Barz, Stephanie Lund, Hillary Synder, Ann Schmidt, Sarah Dinger, and Naomi Kuddes pose in London.

Below: (From back) Bethany Osberg, Emily Barz, Stephanie Lund, and Hillary Snyder pause near Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic. Right: Braving the rain, the same group stops near Charles Bridge with a greater view of Prague in the background.

Above: Nate Sielk, Jami Fowler, Madison Phillips, Makenzie Deutschman, and Emily McAllister at a Tube station in London, England.

LARGER

than

LIT

MYCup of

Tea

January 23, 20136 SPORTS

Epic college rivalries, fans traveling hundreds of miles to see dreams fulfilled or broken and a tournament with over half a century of history: welcome to this year’s Concordia Invitational Tournament.

This year hosted by Concordia University, Nebraska, CIT will be a continuation of a tradition that started in 1951 with the men’s tournament.

Featuring the Concordias of Ann Arbor, Mich., Mequon, Wis. and River Forest, Ill., the Bulldogs plan to add to their of all-time record wins with the men’s team winning 24 titles and the women with 23. Both teams have the record for all time wins and titles.

During last year’s tournament hosted by Concordia-Chicago, the Bulldogs took both championship trophies home. As a result of the long standing tradition of winning, Concordia Nebraska looks to continue the domination on the home court.

“For several years, no one on this campus wondered how we would do because it was naturally expected that the Bulldogs would win and the students would come out and cheer their classmates on while reveling in the bitter rivalries between the schools,” said athletic director Devin Smith.

As one of the longest standing basketball tournaments in the nation, the event is expected to bring in 1200 to 1500 people each day.

Head coach for the women’s squad, Drew Olson, looks towards Ann Arbor to bring the most competition if both schools advance past the first round. Ann Arbor being a top 10 NAIA team Olson remains confident the added element of CIT won’t rattle his players.

“We’re excited for our kids to experience CIT at home. It should be a great atmosphere,” he said.

Regarding preparation for such a prestigious tournament, Olson says there isn’t anything different his team does.

“Just excited to have a good crowd. It will be nice for the school to see our team,” he said.

On the men’s side, head coach Marty Kohlwey expressesed the same enthusiasm the rest of the athletic department feels in hosting this year’s CIT.

“We hope to represent CUNE well and compete for the

championship this year,” he said.Kohlwey said every team entered in the tournament

qualifies as rivals this year, but he looks to Chicago and Wisconsin to pose difficult games. Although excited to host the tournament, he said fans should be reminded that their team will focus on each game one at a time before the date arrives.

“We are preparing for each game we play and not looking ahead to CIT,” he said. “We have plenty to think about before CIT. The chance to play at home for CIT is a blessing. Not having to travel a long distance right in the middle of our conference and being able to see some different competition is going to be a welcomed change.”

Promising the feel of “a major college basketball tournament,” Kohlwey said he hopes the campus community will come out in full force for CIT and enjoy the intense competitive spirit it will bring.

“Being the first time we have hosted the CIT in our new facility, it should be something our student body will not want to miss,” he said.

Smith also says fans will enjoy the event – relishing in the fact the tradition CIT brings hosts a unique element to spectators and competitors alike.

“Fans will enjoy this event, but dogs don’t like bird or kitty cats,” he said.

Though she stands only five-foot-six with her basketball shoes on, Coach Amy Harms has gained the respect of many athletes at Concordia. She is director of strength and conditioning, assistant women’s basketball coach, and head tennis coach for both the men’s and women’s teams.

“I wear a lot of hats and I’m pulled a lot of directions,” Harms says.

She has been working at Concordia almost every year since her graduation from Concordia in 2003 with a degree in education and emphases in biology and physical education.

Although Harms regularly works from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on athletic-related tasks, she admits that she doesn’t have as much time as she would like to work on her own fitness.

“When I actually get to work out, it’s like a vacation for me,” she says.

Though she may intimidate many athletes, Harms says she hopes it is more respect than fear, which she tries to accomplish through “being prepared and helping them improve their performance.”

“I try to show them I’m a fan,” she says.However, “I did have a football player

say in an email, ‘I’m scared of you’ when he didn’t turn in an assignment,” said

Harms, laughing.Harms’ physical activities began when

she was young. As a child in Collinsville, Ill., she was involved in five school sports throughout her education in Lutheran schools, which she attended her entire life. She also enjoyed just playing outside with her brother.

“Our parents raised us in good, Christian morals,” she says. “My family was tight-knit.”

Basketball was her main sport, and it was for this sport that she was recruited to attend Concordia. She first heard about it through the “Lutheran connection,” especially since several of her teachers were Concordia graduates.

It was because so many teachers had attended Concordia that Harms admits

she “kind of tried not to come here.”“I wanted to find somewhere else to

go,” she said.However, after her experiences at

Concordia, she says that all along “my heart knew; my mind just had to catch up.”

“I guess God wants me to go here,” she recalled thinking as she made her decision back in 1999. “I wouldn’t change it.”

She and her husband Nolan married in July 2005. In their spare time, they enjoy watching musicals at the Orpheum Theatre in Omaha. Harms enjoys cooking, although she admits, “I’m not good at it.”

Originally, according to Harms, “Nebraska wasn’t in my long-term plan.” But while working on her master’s degree she began assisting coaches for athletic teams on campus.

“When I was deciding whether or not to take a call, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in the classroom full time or not,” said Harms. “I was really interested in fitness, and (my degree) was a natural fit with coaching.”

During her college years, Harms mostly concentrated on her position as shooting guard for the basketball team. She played one season of tennis.

Because she currently fills so many positions in the athletic department, she has decided to step down as head tennis coach in order “to be more effective in my roles so I can serve. The tennis players don’t get enough from me.”

“The job is posted,” she said. “I’m in that position until they find someone suitable.”

Her other duties at Concordia are varied. She aided in the design of the new Walz facility a few years ago and is always trying to “grow the strength and conditioning portion of athletics” at Concordia.

Although she dreamed in kindergarten of becoming president someday, her goals have changed somewhat since then.

“I’d like to do some writing and speaking, and improve myself in my career,” Harms says.

On a deeper level, however, Harms says she has “some work to do in my personal life.” She calls Romans 12:1 and Colossians 3:23 the “mission verses that I try to always come back to.”

One of her dreams is to have more children.

“We have one in heaven, Isaiah,” she said.

At 24 1/2 weeks of pregnancy, Harms went into early labor.

“A lot of growth came from that experience,” she said. “It’s another example of Concordia relationships. We had a ton of people supporting us.”

She explained how she saw God’s hand working throughout the situation.

“I’m so passionate about what I do,” she said. “That just really put it all in perspective.”

Harms builds respect to empower student atheletes

Sports Schedules

Danielle JarvisStaff Writer

WrestlingDate Opponent Location

Jan. 24 York College - Dual

York, Neb.

Jan. 26 Grand View Open

Des Moines, Iowa

Jan. 29 Dakota Wesleyan - Dual

Fremont, Neb.

Jan. 29 Midland University - Dual

Fremont, Neb.

Feb. 1 Morning-side College - Dual

Sioux City, Iowa

Feb. 7 Hastings College - Dual

Seward, Neb.

Feb. 16 Regionals Fremont, Neb.

Women’s Basketball

Date Opponent Location

Jan. 23 Doane College

Crete, Neb.

Jan. 25-26 CIT Seward, Neb.

Jan. 29 Nebraska Wesleyan

Seward, Neb.

Feb. 2 North-western

Orange City, Iowa

Feb. 6 Briar Cliff Seward, Neb.

Feb. 9 Dordt College

Seward, Neb.

Feb. 13 Hastings College

Hastings, Neb.

Feb. 16 Mount Marty

Yankton, S.D.

Feb. 20-26 GPAC Tourna-ment

TBD

Men’s Basketball

Date Opponent Location

Jan. 23 Doane College

Crete, Neb.

Jan. 25-26 CIT Seward, Neb.

Jan. 30 Nebraska Wesleyan

Seward, Neb.

Feb. 2 North-western

Orange City, Iowa

Feb. 6 Briar Cliff Seward, Neb.

Feb. 9 Dordt College

Seward, Neb.

Feb. 13 Hastings College

Hastings, Neb.

Feb. 16 Mount Marty

Yankton, S.D.

Feb. 20-26 GPAC Tourna-ment

TBD

photo courtesy Marketing department

CINNAMONWonder drugs and super foods are often exotic,

expensive and most likely not appetizing to the palate. What if a super food, or should I say super spice, is often incorporated into your diet already?

Cinnamon is a spice that is easily accessible to add to one’s diet that packs enormous health benefits. Straight cinnamon is different from the cinnamon-sugar mix you may find in Janzow. The combination of cinnamon and sugar is tasty and

common, but the addition of sugar leaves it void of solid nutritional value.

Cinnamon can help combat some effects of a high-sugar diet which leads to Type 2 diabetes. It also helps improve insulin sensitivity, which is stunted in people with Type 2. People suffering from Type 2 can no longer take blood sugar into their cells because the cells are no longer able to bind with insulin.

According to Clay Hyght’s “6 Strategies to Improve Insulin Sensitivity” by tnation.com, cinnamon has the ability to help raise insulin sensitivity and to partition nutrients into muscle cells rather than into adipose, or fatty tissue. Increasing cinnamon intake is also important during this time of year when the prevalence of the flu is high.

“Effects and Health Benefits of Cinnamon” on livestrong.com said cinnamon can be an antimicrobial and antifungal agent since it can inhibit the growth of certain gram positive and gram negative bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses.

SODASkim through the textbook for HHP 291 and

you will find that soft drinks are one of the leading sources of carbohydrates for children. These carbohydrates enter the diet as pure, unhealthy and other problem-causing sugars.

Soft drinks are only second to bread as leading

carbohydrate sources for children. Why are soft drinks so high up on the carbohydrate list when the food pyramid recommends that whole grains such as whole wheat bread, rice, cereal and pasta make up the source of carbohydrates in a diet instead of sugars as the main carbohydrate source?

Sadly, soft drinks are inexpensive and addictive. They are often cheaper to buy in comparison to other beverages with high nutritional value, which increases their rate of consumption.

But the price of soft drinks in Nebraska may soon rise. Food and drinks are currently exempt from the state sales tax in Nebraska. Soft drinks are included in this exemption, but the Nebraska Unicameral has begun to rethink this decision.

Sen. Bill Avery has drafted a bill in which he argues that soft drinks are a source of empty calories that have no nutritional value, contribute to the obesity epidemic and should not be considered food worthy of a tax exemption.

The proposed bill would raise eleven million dollars that would be utilized for school wellness programs and education to give children opportunities in nutrition and physical fitness.

This news is worthy enough to cause you to rethink your late-night Wal-Mart run for that twelve pack. If this bill passes, it might become cheaper just to walk down to the drinking fountain for some

water.

SPOT ME BRO!Working out and lifting weights are not often

thought of as dangerous activities, but they can be fatal or cause serious injuries. Stafon Johnson, a former USC Trojan and Washington Redskin running back, had his windpipe crushed when the barbell fell as he was bench pressing.

Proper spotting techniques can help keep the weight room injury-free and safe. All proper spotting techniques can be found in the NSCA’s published Essentials of Strength and Conditioning textbook. Common technique when spotting exercises such as dumbbell bench press or chest fly is to spot the lifter at the elbow. This technique is wrong and can lead to a painful facial for the lifter.

The elbow can lose stability and undergo sudden elbow flexion. Your elbow bends which causes the dumbbell to smash into your face. You should spot the lifter at the wrist to catch the weight before it falls on their face.

Remember this tip next time you are in the weight room and someone in a bro-tank comes over and asks for a spot. It will save them a smashed face, but only cost you a little bit of possible guilt or maybe even laughter.

Blake VajgrtStaff Writer

thoughtfood

for

CU @

CIT!

Men’s basketball battles loss of pride, injuryThe men’s basketball team at Concordia continues to

struggle as they lost their twelfth game in a row against Midland University 91-64 on Jan. 16. The team’s current record is 5-13 overall and 2-10 in the GPAC.

“It’s pretty hard to not get down in this situation,” said head coach Marty Kohlwey. “We need to get healthy.”

Kohlwey said the team needs to work on blocking out and taking care of the ball.

“We give up too many second shots and have turned the ball over too many times,” he said.

Two notable players throughout the game were senior forward Beau Smith and sophomore guard Joel Haywood.

“Both Beau and Joel attacked the basket and worked very hard defensively,” said Kohlwey.

Smith made three of four free throws and scored a total of 14 points in Wednesday’s game.

Smith believes the team has a chance it starts working harder.

“We need to realize the opportunity we have to play this game,” said Smith. “For me and the other seniors, this is the last time to compete at this level and we need to embrace that.”

A big issue, according to Smith, is the team’s lack of pride.

“We need to develop (pride), and I don’t think it is something that can be coached at this point in the season,” said Smith.

Smith finds that losing has helped the team really focus on what it needs to work on. It causes the players to reflect and try to fix everything they can to be better he said.

“We have watched film and tried to correct every play in numerous games,” said Smith. “We might not do that if we were winning.”

Part of the Bulldogs’ season has been losing players to injury. Currently, two players are out, Adam Vogt and Brian

Towner, who were starting in games this season prior to their injuries.

“Adam Vogt was . . . averaging 11 points per game,” said Kohlwey. “We are hoping he will be back in a week or two.”

Looking ahead for the season, Kohlwey said he believes there isn’t a chance for an easy win. Both he and Smith agree that it is essential to focus on areas in which the team is lacking, one of which is physical toughness on the court.

“I believe we can overcome these issues,” said Smith, “but only if we are 110 percent committed. Anything less than that amount of commitment will not be enough.”

“Before we can deal with the Xs and Os on the court, we need to improve on the intangibles of the games as individuals and as a team,” said Smith.

Smith said he enters each game with the mentality that they can win. Both he and Kohlwey agree that anything can happen in the GPAC, calling it a competitive conference where upsets are likely and there is no winner set in stone for any games.

“Look at the top team in the GPAC,” said Smith. “They have lost to teams that we have beaten before.”

The conference continues to improve and it has not escaped Kohlwey’s attention, either.

“This is a conference that has improved tremendously in one year,” he said. “There is no chance to get an easy win.”

As the Concordia Invitational Tournament (CIT) draws near, both Smith and Kohlwey are hoping to come away with a few wins.

“(CIT) is a chance for us to improve and see whether we are getting better in the areas where we are not doing well,” said Kohlwey.

Smith, however, is not only looking for a few wins, but a total win. He said he believes the team can win the tournament. Not only does he believe it, but he says the team needs it.

“We need to just play hard for one another and our school and realize that we represent something bigger than ourselves,” he said. “Maybe it will bring out the best in us.”

Savanah BakerStaff Writer

photo courtesy Sower archives

SeniorBeau Smith has been looked to for leadership this year. The Bulldogs are struggling with a 5-14 record this season.

CIT PreviewJohn CartierSports Editor

January 23, 2013 7SPORTSWomen’s basketball anticipates ranked rival

Despite having suffered their first loss of the season following a vacation basketball trip to Hawaii, the Concordia women’s basketball team has since come back with a series of wins.

With the Concordia Invitational Tournament approaching, the Bulldogs look to enter the tournament on a streak of solid wins.

In the third week of December, the team traveled across the Pacific to the Hoop ‘N’ Surf classic in Honolulu, Hawaii. During the trip, Concordia bested NAIA Division 1 no. 16 Cumberlands University of Kentucky. The 59-53 victory improved Concordia to 13-0 on the season.

“I thought we stepped up big against Cumberlands,” said sophomore guard Bailey Morris. “Their size definitely outmatched ours.”

In the second day of games, Concordia met division rival Doane College. The Bulldogs improved to 14-0 overall and 7-0 in conference games with the 66-53 victory. Morris led the way in points with a career-high-tying 22.

While in Hawaii, team members had the chance to experience opportunities that only a Hawaiian vacation can offer. Leisure time during the trip included surfing, hiking, parasailing and spending hours on the beach.

Junior guard Kristen Conahan said all the shopping put a dent in her wallet.

“But my favorite thing was surfing,” she said.After a few days home with their families, team

members reported to campus on Dec. 30 to prepare for a Jan. 2 home contest against defending national champion Northwestern College.

After a back-and-forth score battle with the Red-Raiders, the Bulldogs found themselves on top at the buzzer, escaping with a 71-68 win. Eighth-ranked Northwestern dropped to 11-4 overall and 5-3 in the conference.

Conahan finished with 17 points, while Morris finished with a game-high 19 after a rough start. The Bulldogs remained undefeated with 15 wins.

On Jan. 5, the Bulldogs had a 23-game winning streak against GPAC opponents broken in a double-overtime road loss to Dordt College.

After the Bulldogs held an eight-point lead with just a few minutes remaining, Dordt was able to tie the contest before sending it into another overtime period and

eventually topping the Bulldogs 96-86. Both teams shot close to 50 percent during regulation, but Concordia was able to maintain the efficiency through overtime.

Sophomore forward Jerrica Pearson led the Bulldogs with 18 points in the loss.

“We kind of went through a slump and it carried over when we came back,” said Conahan. “As much as it sucks to lose, in the end it will do us good because we’ve learned from it.”

“We didn’t execute down the stretch in that game,” said head coach Drew Olson. “We had our opportunities to win but we came up short. It’s something we can learn from.”

Following the first loss to Dordt College, Concordia dropped from no. 1 to no. 2 on the NAIA top 25 coaches’

poll.The team then hosted Hastings on Jan. 8. After a

low-shot percentage (29.6) first half of basketball, the Bulldogs came back in act two with over 50 points to bury the Broncos.

Morris led the team with 21 total points, 14 of which came in the last six minutes of play.

“It was probably the worst half of basketball we’ve ever played,” said Morris.

Conahan agreed. “The second half was like a light switch,” she said. “It was completely two different games. This is what we’re capable of, knowing we can crush a team.”

Four days later, no. 4 Morningside College traveled south to Seward to face the second-ranked Bulldogs in what was voted the NAIA Game of the Week.

Morris continued her streak with a career-high 27 points to lead the Bulldogs to a 78-66 victory.

Pearson and senior forward Katie Rich both joined Morris in double-figure scoring with 13 and 11 respectively.

Following the contests between Hastings and Morningside, Morris’s performances found her the GPAC Player of the Week, announced Jan. 14.

On Jan. 16, Concordia traveled to Midland for yet another conference contest. Led by Conahan’s 22 points, the Bulldogs triumphed in an 80-49 win. Conahan had scored 31 points in the Nov. 27 meeting between the two teams.

Concordia improved to 16-1 overall and a conference-leading record of 11-1 in conference play.

This weekend, Concordia will host the 62nd annual Concordia Invitational Tournament. The tournament will feature Concordias from Chicago, Ill., Ann Arbor, Mich., Mequon, Wis. and Nebraska. The team hopes to repeat its championship effort from 2012.

Team members say they have been looking forward to the highly-anticipated and long-awaited event.

“Hopefully it’s going to be crazy,” said Conahan. “If we happen to play Ann Arbor, they’re still ranked eighth in the nation, and it’ll be a good game.”

“I’m just really excited for the atmosphere,” said Morris. “I feel like it’s going to be even crazier than the conference championship last year.”

The Bulldogs will face off against Concordia, Chicago, in the preliminary round on Friday, Jan. 25. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALLWomen’s basketball suffered an upset defeat

at the hands of Dakota Wesleyan 72-61. The Bulldogs maintain first ranked standings in the GPAC with 11-2 in the league and 18-2 overall record. During the game junior Kristen Conahan finished first in points with 16 total. Sophomore guard Bailey Morris had eight points on the game and senior guard Katie Rich ended with 12 points, seven rebounds and five steals. Bulldogs resume play against Doane Jan. 23 in Crete.

MEN’S BASKETBALLJan. 20 Bulldogs lost to the hands of Dakota

Wesleyan bringing their record on the season to 5-14 overall and 2-11 in the GPAC. Senior guard Beau Smith had 19 points to lead Concordia. The Bulldogs play again against rank No. 17 Doane Wednesday in Crete, Neb. Doane is currently ranked first in the GPAC with one win ahead of No. 5 Northwestern.

WRESTLING Following a dual meet against Northwestern, Concordia grapled their way to win the competition in a 24-19 decision. Standout performances came from senior Brandon Starkey (157) wrestling at 165 to beat Northwestern’s seventh-ranked Zach Fishman. Concordia wrestles again Jan. 24 in a dual against York College in York.

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John CartierSports Editor

Athletes benefit from quiet mind

Whelp. It’s time for the final stretch of the school year…

The second act to the theatrics that go on within this fine Concordia campus…

Part II to the never-ending quest for knowledge…

Cont i nu at ion o f t he b e au t i f u l relationship started with Academia…

The sequel to endless weeks of waking up and going to bed during the same intervals…

A second semester where we again dish out ridiculous prices for a piece of paper on graduation day…

Wait. Ignore that I said that.Personally second semester brings me

much relief. No longer do I have to decide what I do for weekends – where to go, who the see, and the silly things I do to occupy my empty time.

Track season makes those decisions for me, with the ending of a week the beginning of a new fierce competition begins. There is something to be said for the simplicity of life where you no longer have to make decisions on where you’re going – you are simply told where to show up and when… and do what you do.

Freedom is nice, but it can be terribly overrated.

Over the break, I continued to study some eastern philosophies and the art of meditation. My goal was to decipher what exactly happens to athletes at the peak of their performance, the pinnacle of focus and relaxation if you will – some of you may know this experience simply as “the zone.”

“You’re weird John, why are you looking into this nonsense?”

I can’t argue against the fact I may be a little eccentric with the things I choose to spend my time studying. But the power of being in full awareness of your body in motion, knowing exactly what needs to be done – yet almost remain unattached, an observer of your body doing what it has been trained and molded to do for years – cannot be denied.

The zone is something I’ve only experienced a handful of times, but the results of such an occurrence always resulted in a performance which elevated me to the next level of athletic achievement.

But what does this have to do with meditation?

Meditation is the art of concentration, to remain focused on something, such as your breath or the pulsation of blood running through your veins and silencing the mind.

Through this exercise of the mind, a greater connection between the pillars of an individual can be strengthened. With both units working together in unison the zone can be achieved in greater frequency and with stronger effects.

All of this is terribly hard to explain in a mere editorial, but if you’re an athlete reading this… or simply someone who is feeling a bit adventurous. Try these simple steps for meditation:

1) Find a comfortable position, where your back will remain straight. I prefer to lie down on my back.

2) With eyes closed, begin to take deep breaths. The key is to breathe deep into the diaphragm. Inhale with your stomach if you will and exhale by relaxing the same muscles used to pull in air.

3) Continue this for a few short breaths then let your body take over breathing.

4) Observe the flow of air; visualize whatever feels natural to represent the coming and going of oxygen into your lungs.

5) As the mind begins to quiet down and chatter becomes less frequent – ask yourself:

“Who exactly am I if not my thoughts?”

Andrew MalanStaff Writer

Junior Kristen Conahan scored 22 points in last week’s win over Midland. This was her 8th game with over 20 points.

photo courtesy Sower archives

John CartierSports Editor

New facility assists wrestlers

The bonds of brotherhood are tethered firmly among the wrestlers of the 2012-13 season.

“Being able to build friendships with new wrestlers is always a great thing,” said senior Brandon Starkey. “I feel that having a strong team bond is always important, and I feel like I can count on any of the team members.”

With the season rapidly unfolding, the wrestlers have come together embracing adversity rather than running away from a wrestling match with fate.

Following an investigation into the team, during the last season, evidence the team provided accommodations for unattached wrestlers at a tournament in Las Vegas was uncovered. With these findings the previous head coach was let go.

“I think just the way this team has come together after what happened last year,” said senior Frank Ayala. “We lost a lot guys over summer and with the small group we have now we come out and wrestle hard day in day out.”

But not all the cards have been against the Bulldogs this year, with the addition of a new training facility – immense benefits translated almost immediately unto the mats of competition.

Recalling having to wake up early in the morning and pulling out the wrestling mats at 6 a.m. every morning, Ayala says it has been a “great help to being able to have our own time to practice.”

“Also it helps bring in new recruits with a brand new facility,” he said. “When we wrestled in the old gym I think that pushed a lot of potential recruits we had away.”

Starkey agrees that the new facility has been key in this year’s development as a team.

“We have a place to work out whenever we want,” he said. “Last year we didn’t have that luxury, and not having to pull out mats everyday has given us more time for practice.”

In recent news, Concordia’s wrestlers shined in GPAC play on Jan. 17. During this duel with Northwestern, which the Bulldogs went on to win, Starkey moved up from 157 to 165 to win in an upset victory over Northwestern’s seventh-ranked Zach Fishman.

Following the match, Starkey’s record on the year moved to 15-10.

Ayala secured the final victory of the match at 285 with a weight class left vacant by the Red Raiders.

Other highlights of the day came from Kale Hintz (184) who had the only pin of the night and Nick Sheppard (174) stopping the Red Raider’s in their tracks when the team was down 8-4 to win in an 11-10 decision.

Concordia wrestles again in a duel against York at 7 p.m. in the Walz Arena.

During the next couple months of wrestling season left, aspirations remain high for the talented group of Bulldog wrestlers.

“I’m definitely looking towards wrestling in regionals and hopefully nationals,” said Ayala. “We train all year for the big tournament at the end of season and that’s where I plan on heading.”

Starkey maintains the optimistic view left by Ayala. Along with looking forward to regionals and nationals, Starkey wants to continue to “fine tuning (his) techniques” and working hard “to get better, and that alone is something I can look forward to.”

Concordia moves outside the GPAC and looks to a rematch tomorrow against No. 19 York College at 7 p.m.

photo by Steve Odom

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Coming soon:Link Library Disc GolfChallenge!

• In support of the LMI campaign

• Friday, Feb. 22 @ 7 p.m.

• Sign up starting Monday, Jan. 28 in the library

• 30 teams of 2 people

• $10/participant

TUESDAY, JAN. 22

10 p.m. - Pep Rally in Walz Arena

FRIDAY, JAN. 25

1 p.m. - Wisconsin vs Ann Arbor (women)

3 p.m. - Wisconsin vs Ann Arbor (men)

6 p.m. - Nebraska vs Chicago (women)

8 p.m. - Nebraska vs Chicago (men)

SATURDAY, JAN. 26

Noon - Women’s consolation game

2 p.m. - Men’s consolation game

3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. All-Concordia Alumni Reception in the Walz fieldhouse.

5 p.m. - Women’s championship game

7 p.m. - Men’s championship game

SUNDAY, JAN. 27

8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. - Worship opportunities at St. John Lutheran

9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. - Worship opportunities at The ROCK Lutheran

ConcordiaInvitational

TournamentSchedule 2013

All-Time CIT Records – Men: 10-12 (1 title); Women:9-13 (1 title)Nickname: CardinalsSchool Colors: Red, White and Black Affiliation: NAIA

All-Time CIT Records – Men: 60-62 (14 titles); Women: 25-53 (4 titles)Nickname: CougarsSchool Colors: Maroon and GoldAffiliation: NCAA Division III

All-Time CIT Records – Men: 20-18 (2 titles); Women:24-26 (3 titles)Nickname: FalconsSchool Colors: Royal Blue and WhiteAffiliation: NCAA Division III

CIT 2013 Fast Facts

Ann Arbor

Chicago

Mequon

January 23, 20138 OPINION

Last weekend airports were crammed of people traveling back to work and back to college. Everyone was flying back from visiting family over Christmas and I had the indelible pain of flying from Hawaii to Nebraska.

Most people have little sympathy as soon as they hear that I spent the break lounging (largely on the beach) in a temperate, warm climate. Let me assure you, I suffered for the privilege!

As I arrived at the airport in Hilo, Hawai’i, ready to travel back to Nebraska, I was dreading the long plane flight ahead but I was hopefully praying that I wouldn’t be stuck on the six-hour, over-night plane flight sitting next to a small screaming child, a man eating strong-smelling seafood, or someone with tuberculosis. I didn’t even want to think about the chance that my plane would plummet from the sky into the middle of the ocean and everyone would be eaten by sharks and giant squid.

Needless to say, I am a bit of a worrier. But I was worrying about completely the

wrong things! I should have been worried about the security measures that fine Hawaiian airports rigorously employ. I said goodbye to my family in the airport and, ticket in hand, walked through the line to go through security.

I was ready for it. I already had my shoes untied, my computer and portable music device in easy to access pockets, and my jacket in hand. I started feeding my stuff through the scanner and the guy watching it on the screen stared at it intently.

Everything was fine until he got to my backpack and by this time I was waiting to go through the body scanner. When it was my turn to go through, the man monitoring it looked over nervously over at the guy who was scanning my backpack and then said to me, “Sir! Keep your hands at your sides and stay where you are!”

These were the last words I wanted to hear in an airport and I complied as I cautiously looked over at the man scanning my backpack. He fed it through the scanner about half a dozen times and then he pulled it out and unzipped the top.

I have a confession to make: I

was traveling with a fairly large container of Creatine in my backpack. It is a bodybuilding drug, completely legal, but looks a heck of a lot like cocaine. And so when he unzipped my bag I got really scared; I felt like my feet were stuck to the floor. Then he brushed the Creatine aside without even looking at it and dug through another layer of my shirts to get to a large bag of skittles that I had stashed in the bottom of my pack.

He grabbed the bag suspiciously, opened it up and rubbed a little swab around inside. At this point I was sweating gallons and I was terribly worried that I was going to go to jail.

Then all of a sudden everything became normal again, the guy sloppily repacked my bag and put it at the other side waiting for me and the man in charge of the body

scanner waved me through and didn’t try to cuff me, read me Miranda rights, or spray me with pepper spray. I was safely through to the other side.

The moral of the story: don’t travel with skittles. It is just too dangerous.

Matt BoylanStaff Writer

Over Christmas Break, news sources reported that 2012 was the hottest year on record.

Now you may be thinking that this editorial will be about global warming and you may stop reading. Please push forward because this is not meant to be a pious ‘I am greener’ and ‘save the Earth’ piece of writing.

I want to make a solid correlation between the rising cost of tuition at Concordia and the rising temperatures in the United States.

How are these two things possibly related? Lights.

Plain and simple; how we light our dorms, buildings, streets, etc., is affecting both what we pay and how hot our environment is around us. So yes, in a sense, this is a plea to become green and start shutting off lights more often. But it is more a plea to start saving your money and, in turn, mine.

When I was a child, my dad would always harp on me to shut off my lights, the TV or any appliances that were not in immediate

use. I usually disregarded his comments and failed to grasp the concept that leaving lights on costs money.

I was not paying the utility bills so I did not see the money coming directly out of my pocket. This is where the college lifestyle comes in.

My freshman year roommate when I attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, insisted to leave every appliance on he could. “I’m not paying the electric bill,” he would say when I would bring the topic up to him.

As college students, we do not directly pay for our utility use, unless you live off campus and you pay for your own utilities. Leaving the lights on is easy and a way to “stick it to the man,” but the costs add up.

As a student, we are paying huge sums of money to go to school, so why not leave everything on as a way to get the most for your money?

You pay tuition and fees to Concordia, which in turn uses your money to pay for new buildings, teachers’ salaries and utility bills. Tuition does not just go toward classes and the academic-related costs of college.

Tuition is spread around between all facets of an institution. For example, a portion of our tuition goes to Student Senate, which in turn gives money out to the various clubs and organizations on campus.

Last year there was debate in the Senate about whether the body should serve itself and buy T-shirts for members with students’ money. The heated part of the argument was whether it was reasonable to use students’ money to buy T-shirts rather than give it back to the students through another project.

The debate is kind of like politicians or government officials using tax money to fund family vacations or to improve their own well-being.

If governing officials using your money for improving their life or for themselves upsets you, then you, too, should get mad at your roommate (or yourself) for leaving the lights on.

Leaving the lights on costs you in what you pay in tuition. The more lights we leave on, the more Concordia has to pay in utilities; the more Concordia has to pay in utilities, the

more you have to pay in tuition.You may not recognize paying utilities in

a direct sense but I guarantee you pay the bill. The sad thing about you paying the bill is that you are not only paying for your use but everyone else’s electrical use as well.

If you want to keep tuition down, turn out your lights. This applies when you are at home, too, and as you go forward in the future as well.

Think about the money you can save driving down the electric bill by taking a second out of your day to shut off a light. It can be the difference between getting or not getting that new iPad you have been wanting.

Blake VajgrtStaff Writer

Domestic violence happens here. On our safe, Christian campus in the middle of small-town Seward, a place where people leave their doors unlocked and their windows open overnight, a city where the crime rate is next to nothing.

Domestic violence happens here. Where and when we least expect it. It happens to our friends, our neighbors, our colleagues, our teachers, our siblings, our classmates.

Domestic violence happens here. It happens to the woman walking out of Walmart with her head down and her sunglasses on to cover her bruised eye. It happens to the man driving to work with a wrap on his arm to hide the cut he received in last night’s debacle with his girlfriend.

How do I know domestic violence happens here, at Concordia of all places? Because I’ve witnessed it.

A friend of mine, who attended classes here, came to me crying last spring, telling me she had been violently hurt by her boyfriend, also a student here. My first thought, after wanting to beat the living daylights out of him, was to accompany her to the counseling center to get some help.

She told me she had sought help before but was ultimately told the situation was her fault and was denied help.

On a Christian campus, we are told to help people. Those studying to become teachers hope to influence their students. Professors hope to make an impact on the lives of the young adults who pass through the halls of this campus.

Keeping with the idea of helping people, I find it appalling that the counselors and trained professionals of this institution would blame anyone for being a victim of domestic violence.

Furthermore, I encourage you, the student body, to offer the help that’s missing. Sure, the counseling office is a place to start, but it’s not the only place. The real help starts with YOU.

Speak up. Tell somebody. Lend an ear (or a hand, or a car ride to the police station). Yes, it’s important not to get stuck in the middle, but if every one of us simply stayed out of it, whom would we be helping other than ourselves?

Domestic violence happens here. As redundant as that may seem, it’s true, and it will continue to be true until ordinary people like you and me speak up and do something about it.

How awesome would it be if each one of us stepped outside the challenge of our coursework to meet the real challenges? People matter.

Domestic violence even hits SewardEmily HemphillNews Editor

I’ll be honest with you.I had no idea what I was going to write

for my first editorial back from break. I mean, nothing has really happened on campus that spurs a controversial opinion piece.

This article makes me feel a little old-fashioned, but I’m going to use this space as a place to debate on what’s probably an outdated issue.

Visitation hours.Gasp! I know that as soon as some

of you guys read those two words, you immediately remembered that you hate the fact that we have a curfew for the opposite sex. You may have forgotten that you hated it so much, but now that I brought it up, you just hate it.

Others of you don’t really care, and that’s probably the majority of on-campus residents. You don’t really have an opinion on it, because it doesn’t really affect you. And that’s perfectly fine. Most of us lonely Concordians don’t have significant others anyway, and the gals and bros on your hall are A-okay to hang out with.

But I know plenty of people who would be more than happy to make that whole idea disappear with a snap of their

fingers.Different people are filtering in and

out of that group all the time. I’ve been in it at some points. Everyone has.

There will always be some number of students who are dissatisfied with something or another, and in this case, I’m not really interested in how many people hate the rule or who they are for that matter. I’m most interested if there are really any legitimate reasons for having the rules.

A lot of nights I find myself sitting on the couch in my Jonathan apartment by myself with a bag of Doritos, watching endlessly cycling repeats of SportsCenter. I sometimes wish I could have a friend over to make things a little more conversational. But it’s after 12, so I can only invite a dude…yeah…

It’s times like these that I wish the rule was different. There wasn’t going to be any harm in having a girl over to hang out with.

I think most arguments would go that way. It’s unfortunate that a handful of our friends aren’t allowed to be in certain places at certain times. They just happen to be of the opposite sex.

We feel over-governed at times, like our rights are being dictated by the ancient Christian doctrine of an old institution. We want to be treated like

adults, because there’s no question we’re growing into adult roles during our college years.

Despite having been bitter toward the rule in the past, I’ve started to reason with the other side of the argument in recent days. Some of my friends have helped me understand this other side.

In fact, a particular friend and supporter of the visitation hours rule is one that hasn’t always appreciated them. But he says now that he’s really glad they were in place while he was on campus.

When thinking about how I was going to write this article, this friend of mine brought up two good points I remember most.

The first of these is how the visitation hours are thinking about the person or people who live with you. Your roommate might want things to settle down after a

while and get some rest before the next big day. Sometimes the visitation hours rule is the only thing that a less-respected roommate might have to fall back on if they want to get some peace and quiet in their room, which, might I add, is also exactly half theirs.

People are always going to be talking about the risk-for-pregnancy-thing when visitation limits are discussed. Most of us would argue that post-midnight isn’t the only time where sexual activity is possible, and that if you’re really trying to prevent that, you might as well forbid the opposite sex for the entire day.

Obviously, that’s ridiculous. And don’t get any ideas, SLO.

But let’s be honest, the end of the day is most at risk for that kind of thing. I could pull statistics from anywhere to show you what I mean. Just as my friend told me, the visitation hours rule keeps Concordia from having a few too many “baby mamas” walking around. I guess he has a point there.

I wrote this article to show that while you may hate the rules, there are legitimate, precautionary reasons for why they’re in place.

But SLO, maybe you could think about moving the hours forward to one or two o’ clock…some movies aren’t short enough!

Shut off lights to lower tuition costs

Andrew MalanStaff Writer

Movies are not short enough for visitation hours

OpinionWhat would you

like to do or see in

2013?

Inyour

“Go on vacation to Germany for a

week.”

James Schwartz, sophomore Chrissy Sereda, Senior

“Take a vacation.”Professor Don Robson

“I want to see Wilco in concert ... (and) not be

misquoted in The Sower.”

Creatine? No worries. Just don’t travel with skittles

The Sower is a periodical providing news and a forum for free expression to the students of Concordia University, Seward, Neb. All editors and staff members are students of Concordia University. Opinions expressed in the Sower are not necessarily those of the Sower staff, the Concordia student body, faculty or administration or the governing bodies of the University. The University does not engage in prior review or restraint of materials printed in the Sower. Readers may reach the Sower by e-mail at Sower@cune.org, or by phone at (402) 643-7307. The faculty advisor is Tim Ohlman.

Managing EditorRebecca McCracken

Assistant EditorAlicia Wosepka

Sports EditorJohn Cartier

News EditorEmily Hemphill

Photo EditorJosh Duncan

Layout & DesignAbigail Connick

Writing StaffSavanah Baker, Matt Boylan, Danielle Jarvis, Stephanie Lund, Nate Mann, Jory Schweers, Shelby Stolze, Emily Taylor, Takota Thiem, Megan Thornburg, Blake Vajgrt, Hayley Wallace

PhotographersPaula Liebbrandt, Will Vann, Matt Wingert

DistributionJonathan Kettler

The SOWER

MakingAN

IMPACT

Jon Jahnke, freshman

“Take a big trip with my brother.”

Amy Theiss, junior

“Go to class.”

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Sower editors recognize their responsibility to give voice to as many viewpoints as possible and thus encourage readers to submit letters concerning topics of interest to the Concordia community. Letters should be less than 300 words long and should be submitted to the Sower’s e-mail account: Sower@cune.org by Friday, Feb. 1. Students should include their names, year, academic program and phone number when submitting letters. Faculty and staff members should include their names and departments in which they work or teach. The Sower reserves the right to edit letters.

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