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7SXU Appreciates their Commuting Students

Magician Dennis Watkins performs a card trick in front of students.

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Gisselle LopezNews Editor

From Oct. 18 to Oct. 23, Saint Xavier University showed their appreciation towards their commuting students with Commuter Week.

Commuter Week is an annual, week-long event with numerous activities and programs for commuting students to participate in. It was funded by the Student Activity Fund, and organized by the Saint Xavier Council and Campus Life.

“The importance behind Commuter Week is to show our appreciation towards the commuters. We are aware that it is generally more difficult for commuters to attend events and get involved; however, they make up the majority of the SXU community, so we like to give back and come up with fun and helpful events that are geared towards commuters,” SXC president Mallorie Rosales said.

Many students attended the events.For the waffle and hot cocoa bar event,

“We had over 160 members of the SXU community at that event,” said Rosales.

One freshman commuter, Hollyn Fisher, attended several events.

“I chose to attend Commuters Treat, the waffle and hot cocoa bar, the scary movie night, and magician. I thought Commuters week was kind of fun because I felt like a big kid going around all the offices and actually

learning about them; I had no idea what the provost was before that,” said Fisher

“The waffle and cocoa bar had this waffle on a stick and you could add chocolate or syrup for a topping, and even add granola, strawberry as an extra topping, but the best part was the self served hot cocoa. The movie was pretty scary, people were freaking out because the movie had a lot of jump scares,” Fisher added.

On Oct. 18, commuters were taken on a trip to Six Flags Great America in to enjoy the Six Flags Fright Fest.

On Oct. 20, the event Spot the Costume had commuting students search for a member of the commuter club that was in costume and take a picture with them to submit to the Saint Xavier Council Facebook page.

The first 10 students that submitted their picture received a gas card worth $15, and the next 15 students received vouchers to the Saint Xavier diner worth $10. The remainder of the participants received prizes such as commuter shirts and mugs.

In addition to Spot the Costume on Monday, there was also a chance for commuters to pick up a commuters treat game card from Campus Life and go to various departments to receive a treat and get their game card stamped.

Students Have Stake in Governor’s RaceJake AlleruzzoSenior News Editor

Nov. 4 is Election Day across the United States, and this year in Illinois, the gubernatorial election holds great weight for college students. At the center of Illinois’s election season is its gubernatorial election and the two front-runners are incumbent Democrat Pat Quinn and the Republican candidate Bruce Rauner.

Both candidates have a vision for the state of Illinois and both visions will have an impact on college students across the state.

Education spending is now one of the most discussed topics of this gubernatorial election and both candidates have differing views on the matter.

Quinn, during his campaign has toted himself as the candidate for the students, often citing his work in preserving the Monetary Assistance Program(MAP) for students in higher education. MAP grants are used by thousands of students across the state and by many at Saint Xavier University.

One of the students utilizing the MAP grant at Saint Xavier University is Education Major Marissa Melvan, who cites the financial aid as a large reason why she can attend college.

“The MAP grant allows me to afford

getting an education, and it at the very least has kept the amount of money I need to borrow in loans down. A candidate offering to keep or maintain those grants would get my vote every time,” said Melvan.

Melvan strongly believes the importance of the grant, but education funding is an important part of Rauner’s campaign as well. Rauner has stated in various public forums and on his official campaign website that spending needs to

focus on the “front lines of the education battlefield, and that’s the classroom.”

Rauner, during a debate on Oct. 20, 2014, never made mention of his intent on MAP grants, or whether he would support the scaling back or upscaling of the program in Illinois.

Rauner does however support charter schools in the state and believes more autonomy needs to be allowed in letting educators run their schools. Rauner

himself declared the Illinois public education system to be outdated on his official campaign website.

Quinn has also made his views on charter and public schools widely known, and has pushed for a moratorium on charter schools in Illinois in an effort to help promote the use of public schools in the state. Some critics of Quinn have also pointed out that this move is to support the state’s teachers union who mainly operate in public schools, while charter schools have a majority of non-union faculty employed.

“I find competition in the field of education to be important because it brings out the best in people, however I do not believe that many public schools are fairly funded to keep up with charter schools,” said Melvan.

As election day nears, so does the future of the state of Illinois’s education system.

Both of the candidates have a vision for the future of the state and depending on the victor on Nov. 4, there may be some great ramifications that will affect students in higher learning and education majors at Saint Xavier University.

“This election to me signifies how the

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Governor Quinn speaks to SXU community. Saint Xavier University Facebook

Carolyn Vega

All About Open House

Scheduling Time& Saying ‘No’

Students and Advanced Tech

Football Victory in Iowa

Page 2 The Xavierite Wednesday, October 29, 2014

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Write

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Staff:

The Xavierite

Editor-in-Chief Brian Laughran

Deputy Editor-in-ChiefLauren Dwyer

Senior News EditorsJake Alleruzzo

News EditorGisselle Lopez

Senior Viewpoints EditorBridget Goedke

Viewpoints EditorZachary Heppner

Senior Features EditorZhana Johnson

Features EditorJorge Pliego

Senior Sports EditorTim Carroll

Sports EditorTori Bolster

Copy EditorsJonathon BejarElizabeth Granato

WebmasterJustina Pierce

PhotographerMegan Pripusich

CorrespondentsJulie GardnerAlexis Flamburis

Director of Student MediaPeter Kreten

Front page photo credits:The Xavierite, testmarketrevolution.com, bkbn.net, SXU Athletics

RHA Throws a Spooky PartyJulie GardnerNews Correspondent

With the Halloween holiday upon us, the Resident Housing Association (RHA) plans to hold their Halloween Bash on Oct. 29 2014 in the Regina Hall Res. Center.

Beginning at eight and ending at 10:30 p.m., the night is going to be filled with lots of food, fun, dancing, and costumes.

Any Saint Xavier student is invited to attend, and everyone is encouraged to wear a costume to add to the enjoyment of the evening.

Anna O’Hara, a member of the Activities Committee for RHA, notes that there was a lot of preparation that went into this event.

They had to consider the “decorations, activities, food, and the place, which took forever [to decide on].”

Originally planning to host the event in the Andrew Conference Center, the RHA moved the event to the Regina Hall Res. Center due to conflict with night classes in the building,.

For Michael Sennett, a member of the Decorations Committee for RHA, he was a part of searching for, and choosing, decorations.

He said that he “was in charge of finding the deals on everything for the decorations.”

His job was to “price objects and find the cheapest of everything since the budget wasn’t too high.”

Taking his time looking for these appropriately Halloween themed decorations, he eventually came to his goal, and is prepared to help decorate the Halloween Bash.

Both O’Hara and Sennett believe that there will be a great turn out to this event and are excited to be a part of hosting it.

Sennett expects there to be many freshmen in attendance due to the fact that it is being held in Regina Hall.

As members of the RHA, they will set-up before the event and clean-up after, which also includes interacting with the crowd and making sure everyone is having

a good time throughout the event.All students of SXU, not only

residents, are encouraged to come to the Halloween Bash.

Pizza will be served for those in attendance and a DJ will provide music for dancing into the night.

Not only will there be food and dancing, but a costume contest as well, which encourages students to dress up.

Gift cards to Portillo’s and Jimmy

John’s are of the prizes to be won.

The RHA members are looking forward to a successful and enjoyable evening with many students in attendance on Wednesday.

If you are looking for a fun Halloween event, the RHA’s Halloween Bash will be the right occasion to dress up and have

some fun.

Trick or treat The Xavierite

Page 3The XavieriteWednesday, October 29, 2014

Open House Brings Prospective Students to SXUGisselle LopezNews Editor

The departments included were the Tutoring and Learning Center, Student Affairs, Records and Advising, Bursar office, Financial Aid, Office of the Provost, and Admissions.

Whoever went to all the departments and had their card fully stamped could turn it in to Campus Life in exchange for a raffle ticket. The winner of the raffle received a parking permit or a reimbursed parking permit if they had already bought one.

On Oct. 21, there was a waffles and hot cocoa bar in the Student Lounge where commuters were able to start their Tuesday morning with a warm breakfast.

On Oct. 22, Scary Movie Madness had commuting students come back to Saint Xavier in the evening to enjoy a horror movie night with free popcorn, with the movie Sinister playing in McGuire Hall.

On Oct. 23, magician Dennis Watkins arrived at Saint Xavier University to perform magic in front of all students interested in the diner.

According to Fisher, Commuter Week was quite the experience and it was great for a student, whether or not they were a commuter, to have fun and be able to get involved in these events was a treat all on its own.

If commuters are at all interested in more events and programs centered around commuter life, Campus Life series called Food for Thought is presenting an open student panel on Oct. 29. It is called “Life as a Commuter” and it will be held in the Student Organization Center at noon.

Rosales also encourages all students, to be on the lookout for events planned for Diversity Week, as well as Multicultural Night, which is coming up soon, and to check on SXC’s OrgSync, Facebook, and their new SXC Instagram and Twitter accounts (@sxu_sxc) for future events through the fall semester.

On Oct. 26, Saint Xavier University held their annual Fall Open House.

The Fall Open House is an opportunity for interested and college-bound high school students and their families to get a glimpse into what life at Saint Xavier is like, while getting their questions answered and following a certain program based on their intended major.

“It is our biggest event that we host here. It’s something that takes a lot of work and we plan for this way ahead of time. It’s the one thing that we really look forward to. We also have a similar, smaller event in the spring, kind of like an Admitted Student day,” said Jessica Hushka, first-year coordinator for the Student Ambassadors.

According to Hushka, every student in their late stage of high school goes through a similar experience of attending open houses and tours of a college they are interested in attending in the near future, becoming nervous and wondrous of the brand new experience of attending university and thinking about what to major in.

“When I went to visits like this as a senior, I was really nervous because there were so many people and it’s college, but this open house was very informational and the tour guides were awesome. It’s definitely something that you, as a prospective student, should totally go to get your questions answered and to get a lot of information that you don’t know,” Hushka said.

As they arrived, the students were given a program of events that split them

into three groups: the Grey track, the Scarlet track, and the Gold track. These were usually specific to the student’s intended major, and allowed students to be able to move more effectively through the course of the day.

A light breakfast of donuts and muffins, fruit, coffee, and other food was provided for the students in the small gym at the Shannon Center before the students and their families were directed to the main gym, where they received a welcome from the staff members to the event.

Every student was given the opportunity to attend either a financial

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aid event in McGuire Hall, where parents and students would get information on the type of financial aid Saint Xavier offers and advice on how to obtain it, or a Campus Life Student Panel in the Fourth Floor Board Room, where Saint Xavier students discussed their experiences of attending Saint Xavier University and revealed everything the university had to offer to the new students.

There was also a chance for students to be able to attend academic presentations for their intended majors in either the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education, College of Nursing, or Graham

School of Management.Saint Xavier’s Student Ambassadors

led tours throughout campus and the residence halls as well, with first-year ambassadors stationed at various points throughout Warde Academic Center to offer their assistance if needed to the students and their families.

“I just hope that everything runs smoothly, especially because tours are a big part of the Open House, and just make sure that we have no complaints, and that we get a lot of students that are interested in Saint Xavier to come here,” Hushka said.

Interested high school students attend nursing open house. The Xavierite

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state feels its future should be run. For me I am using my vote to express what I believe the best course of action is for the students of Illinois, and I hope others like me do the same,” said Melvan.

Governor Quinn recently visited Saint Xavier University to promote his Illinois Jobs Now! program that helped fund the work done to Saint Xavier’s Robert and Mary Rita Murphy Stump Library renovations.

The grant will also fund the construction of a new science building on campus. The Illinois Jobs Now! program is one of the many programs Quinn is using as evidence of his dedication to improving schools in the state of Illinois.

The two candidates have also squared off on numerous social issues including gun control, the Illinois economy, and the raising of the minimum wage. Rauner has supported more relaxed gun legislation unlike his opponent Quinn. Quinn has supported tighter gun restrictions including an assault weapons ban in the state of Illinois.

Quinn has also made it clear that he supports the raising of the minimum wage in the state of Illinois. The minimum wage increase has not been supported by Rauner who has decided to not support a minimum wage increase in the state because of his belief that it will hurt business in the state.

The gubernatorial election is taking place this upcoming Tuesday, but early voting has also begun.

With an election deemed too close to call by many in state media every vote will matter in this election. Students and citizens of Illinois alike will have a moment to make their voices heard on the future of Illinois.

To find out more about the candidates running and early voting locations visit www.elections.il.gov.


V I E W P O I N T S

The Crusader of SanityFearbola: or how I learned to stop worrying and love quarantines

Every other day I watch the television infotainment program Inside Edition – it’s often sensationalist and sometimes low-brow, but always a fun time in the same way watching Judge Judy is. You know it’s not good for you, but you can’t look away.

Anyway, last week they ran a whole segment talking about “Fearbola” – a word they made up to describe how the nation is reacting to the Ebola scare.

Readers, I’m not one that is worried about Ebola, as I know the chances of me getting it are slim to none (pending some sort of Outbreak or Contagion-like scenario).

But, when I heard about the quarantine policies that New York, New Jersey and Illinois put in place to help protect their selective citizens from Ebola, I thought it was a good idea.

If you’re unaware of those quarantine policies, here’s a little back-story….

The original quarantine policy put in place by the states mentioned above said that those who had been in contact with Ebola patients in West Africa had to stay in a hospital separated from all others.

On Sunday night, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York began to peel back New York’s version of the quarantine, saying that those medical workers exposed to Ebola could serve out their quarantine sentence in their homes and not in a hospital.

This was in response to a nurse who had been quarantined in a hospital – Kaci Hickox – who had called her treatment “inhumane.” Governor Christie has followed suit.

At the time of print, Governor Pat Quinn of Illinois had not commented on what, if any, proposed changes for the Illinois quarantine were in talks.

I’m glad that those harsh policies have been reversed, however I’m glad that they’re still around, despite cries from those who are opposed to any quarantine whatsoever.

The story of Dr. Craig Spencer – the New York doctor who breeched protocol to have a meatball sandwich, go bowling, go for a ride on the subway and a go for a three mile run around Manhattan with Ebola – was enough to make me feel like any quarantine is justified.

If the people who are supposed to know best – the doctors – decide to go outside despite the fact that they may be showing signs of Ebola, then we are in deep, deep trouble.

I know that the Spencer situation is not necessarily a microcosm of all the medical workers who are coming back to America after having worked with Ebola patients.

However, it is disheartening to see a doctor – a medical expert – who has such disregard for the health and well being of others.

Here’s a guy who decided to do all the things you probably shouldn’t do with a deadly disease: travel in a confined space, hang out at a restaurant and go bowling. It’s almost comical how much he did with Ebola.

That’s still no excuse. He should’ve been more careful.

I know that Ebola is only transferred through bodily fluids and is not an airborne disease, but it sends an entirely wrong message to the public if a doctor endangers the lives of those around him or her.

On some corners of the Internet, you can find people who think that those who break quarantine should be charged with criminal behavior. I don’t think things are that serious…yet.

Getting sick should never be a crime, but knowingly putting the lives of the public at risk should be punishable in some way.

I’m not scared of Ebola because it’s not a wide spread problem yet.

But if it gets to that stage, people must take more responsibility.

Ebola - the little virus causing a big fuss cdc.gov

Brian LaughranEditor-in-Chief

Halloween: the Funny and OffensiveWritten by

The Xavierite Editorial Board

With Halloween just a few days away, The Xavierite Editorial Board, like many others across America has been contemplating their Halloween costumes. It has been reported in the news recently that this year a few controversial Halloween costumes have surfaced. CNN.com displays a photo a young boy dressed as Ray Rice, the Ravens football player who was recently involved in a domestic violence scandal. Other stories report a couple in “blackface”, dressed as Ray Rice and his wife. Others have been seen wearing HAZMAT suits to impersonate Ebola doctors and nurses.

Halloween costumes based on the latest national scandals are nothing new, but The Xavierite Editorial Board asks the question, how far is too far when it comes to costumes? Are there some things we just should not make fun of?

Answering these questions is not necessarily black and white and as The Xavierite Editorial Board went through exmples of costumes, some were offended, others were not and still there were those that none of us were personally offended

by but could definitely see why some people would be offended.

Many people like to choose topical costumes and even be a little edgy when putting together their costume, but it is important to not cross the line of what is offensive and what is just a costume.

We here at The Xavierite Editorial Board agree that dressing up, and bringing more attention to a man that beat his significant other is tasteless and offensive. By dressing up as Ray Rice or any other person that is convicted of domestic abuse only makes light of a very serious situation. According to the National Coalition of Domestic Violence, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some sort of domestic abuse at the hands of an intimate partner during their lifetime (http://www.ncadv.org).

As for the Ebola costume, some of us were a little put off by it, while others found it kind of funny. Those who thought it was not offensive saw it as just a topical costume that alludes to those handling Ebola and not the victims itself.

That is where the real line existed: when does a costume transcend being

a reference to something in the public consciousness and become a vicious attack on a particular group of people or person.

But there are a multitude of other costumes that may shock and offend people and there really are no guidelines as to how one should dress for Halloween. Going out for Halloween is not like attending a formal event.

Humor is completely subjective. What one group may find totally appropriate another may find the concept offensive, lurid, ribald or otherwise irreverent.

There is something to be said for a creative and unique costume so we certainly do not wish to extinguish creativity. After all, Halloween is a great opportunity to show case ideas and make a statement.

In the end, a costume, just like anything you wear on daily basis, can be a promotional tool and we should consider what exactly we are promoting. While our intentions may be good, in this instance, the way others perceive you is almost more important. If you have even the slightest hunch that someone might be offended by your costume, there is a good chance you are right.

Letter to the Editor PolicyHere at The Xavierite we try to

represent the thoughts and opinions of the study body and Saint Xavier community within our Viewpoints section.

If you feel that ther is a story that should have been covered and was not of if you have criticisms or concerns about our coverage, the best way to voice your opinion directly is through a Letter to the Editor.

Please send an email with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject line to [email protected].

If you are a student be sure to include your name and major in the email. If you are a member of the staff or faculty be sure to provide your name and title/position.

We are always searching for feedback. All thoughts and opinions are greatly appreciated.

Letters may be edited for content if they contain profanity, libel or do not otherwise correspond with ethical practices in journalism.

Letters may also be printed at the editor’s discretion.


T h e C o u g a r P u l s eNose cells used to help paralyzed man walk again

News this week out of Poland has made headlines and could be the key to curing paralysis.

Darek Fidya, a 40-year-old man from Poland, was paralyzed from the chest down after a knife attack in 2010.

After 19 months of treatment at a Polish hospital, doctors claim that he has recovered some voluntary movement and some sensation in his legs.

With over 3 million people suffering from a spinal cord injury, this news has brought hope as the man continues to improve further.

This breakthrough was not accomplished overnight. It began with the work of Geoffrey Raisman from the Institute of Neurology at University College London. In 1969, Raisman discovered that damaged nerve cells could still form new connections.

Later on in 1985, he found that a particular type of nose cell, called an olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC), allows nerve fibers to regenerate into the brain.

Using other cells to form a “bridge” between the scar tissue at the injured site, they were then able to use OECs to encourage the growth of nerve cells through this gap. Raisman and his team

took the findings to the lab and later published animal studies in which they transplanted OECs from the nose into injured spinal cords. The results found that the nose cells stimulated regrowth of nerve cells in rats.

These revolutionary studies drew much attention and interest from around the world.

This is when Pawel Tabakow from the Wroclaw Medical University in Poland

began corresponding with Raisman and ultimately invited him to Poland.

In 2013, they safely transplanted nasal cells into the spinal cords of three paraplegic patients.

Darek Fidyka was one of the recipients of this treatment.

In the first operation, they removed one of his olfactory bulbs from high up in his nose and proceeded to grow the OECs in culture.

A few weeks later, they transplanted the nasal cells into his severed spinal cord. Nerve cells from his ankle were used to bridge the gap of scar tissue. After the surgeries, Fidyka went through 5 hours of rehabilitation every day.

The surgery was a success as he is now able to walk with the help of a walker. Doctors report he is also able to drive again.

Geoffrey Raisman says, “We believe that this procedure is the breakthrough which – as it is further developed – will result in a historic change in the currently hopeless outlook for people disabled by spinal cord injury.”

Raisman also calls the result “more impressive than man walking on the moon.” In this instance, I cannot say he is wrong.

This revolutionary procedure and its aforementioned results can catapult us into the future of neuroscience that can reach beyond curing paralysis.

If researchers and doctors can regrow nerve cells in the spinal cord, then maybe they will be able to take these findings and apply them to the brain to cure things such as Alzheimer’s or traumatic brain injuries like concussions.

The impact of these studies cannot be understated, but further research will be needed to perfect the surgery and replicate it successfully for other patients.

Though the outlook is much more promising for those disabled by paralysis, more work is still needed to call it a “cure-all.”

Cure for paralysis makes large strides thanks to nose cells. blog.cirm.ca.gov

Zach HeppnerViewpointsEditor

How many times has someone told you “Don’t stretch yourself too thin?” As college student, you’re probably going to hear it more and more.

I tend to be the type of person that likes to take on responsibility.

If I join a club or organization or get a new job, I do not usually just participate. I find myself trying to take on additional responsibilities, leadership roles or climbing up the ladder in employment situations if I can.

It seems that since I’ve been in college, I think of everything in terms of “Oh, that will look good on my resume”. When it comes down to it, we think that way because we are taught to think that way.

We are told that we are supposed to have a full and outstanding resume complete with perfect grades, internships and extracurricular activities.

We’re supposed to have so much experience before we really get to experience anything.

For the first time in college I really feel like I’ve “stretched myself too thin”. I’ve always taken on a lot and I have had my fair share of busy times, but I always seemed to push through until I felt like I had a handle on my life and workload again.

This year, it feels like I am always in a little bit over my head and I am sure a lot people my age can relate.

Over the past few weeks, I have discovered something that may be contributing to this problem...I can’t say no.

I think a lot people struggle with this. We don’t want to disappoint anyone or feel weak or simply give some things up when we’ve taken on too much. It’s a hard thing to do and it requires critical thinking about how much we can handle.

We all want to be superman or superwoman, but we’ll be more successful at all of our endeavors if we know our limits.

So here’s some advice I’ve compiled on how and when to say no to responsibility and evaluating your time and schedule.

1. Just because you have time to do something, doesn’t mean you have to do it! - Keep in mind that every available hour in your day does not have to be filled. Those hours and minutes are yours and you get

to choose what you want to do with them.2. Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t want

to’’- Never feel like you need to make an excuse for saying no. No matter how good it will look on your resume, if you don’t want to do something, it’s not going to be all that beneficial for you if you do it anyway. Saying “I don’t want to do it” is reason enough.

3. Think critically about your passions, not just money, jobs and status - You’re not going to be happy every minute of the day, but it’s important to frequently ask yourself “Does doing this make me happy? Am I passionate about it?” If the answer is no, it may be time to let it go.

4. The world is not going to fall apart if you lighten your load - You’ll be surprised that everyone will be ok if you work a few less hours or drop a class because you took one too many.

5. Always remember that it’s your life - You deserve to be happy and comfortable and to have some time to yourself each day. The opinions, wants and needs of others are important, but your needs and wants are important too.

At some point in your life you will disappoint someone, it’s a fact, but once you’ve made the decision to say no to someone or something, move on, no justification needed.

I hope these tips make you realize that “no’’ isn’t a bad word and you’re not mean or disrespectful for using it.

There are so many things that will happen to you that you will have no control over, you should try to shape and sculpt your life wherever possible.

You have every right to add and subtract things from your life as you see fit.

T h e C o l l e g e D i a r i e sA v a l u a b l e s k i l l : t h e a r t o f s a y i n g n o

Bridget GoedkeSenior ViewpointsEditor

Have you taken on too much this semester? benbrook-tx.gov


Not many people can stomach being frightened, nevermind paying someone to do the job purposely. If you’re willing to shell out twenty to forty bucks for an adrenaline rush that comes from modern carnies screaming in your face then look no further. Halloween is just around the corner and if you are looking for one more cheap thrill here are some last minute haunts to get

your blood pressure up.

13th Floor Chicago Review by Zhana Johnson:

For more than 30 dollars, your ticket includes two haunted houses: The Rising and Dead End District. The wait is moderately long without a Fast Pass. There is no wait entertainment; it is just you and whomever you decided to drag along breathing the same air for over an hour. They do, howev-er, have actors on hand to rile the crowd up. Some are friendly enough to take pictures with you; others are more preoccupied with the easily scared that fall over like dominoes. Do not try to hide or run—it only makes it worse. There is an additional wait once you actually get inside the fa-cility; after that you are plunged into thick fog—I was practically choking on it—and then herded through a

Statesville Haunted Prison and City of the Dead:

Aside from being the most well-known haunted house in Chi-cago, Statesville is ranked among Top Haunts, and Haunted Attrac-tion Magazine’s top 10 in 2013, as well as an Official Selection of America Haunts. If you did not know, States-ville is not and has never been a real prison. It is a fabricated maximum security prison that welcomes you to crouch through small spaces and stumble through 23 cells, peeing your pants as you are harassed by over 150 live actors--although they have a no touching policy--in 40 detailed rooms. After you find your way out of the prison, you are treated to caves, mine shafts and mass graves known as The City of the Dead. Is that dried blood? No, it is just great production value. Statesville is located 40 miles southwest of Chicago on Siegel’s Cottonwood farm. It will be open until Sunday, Nov. 2. While most people complain about the lines, it is common knowledge that if you arrive early, your wait will be short.

Fear Haunted House at Navy Pier- “Zombie Containment”:

This new experience has both low and high scare times, during the daytime and nighttime respectively. The set up surrounds a generic government contract-ed agency called Merikorp that is tasked with containing and finding a cure in the aftermath of a zom-bie outbreak. Uniquely operating out of a barge just beside the pier, Zombie Containment at Navy Pier prides itself on being the only floating haunted house in Chicago. A parody of the zombie genre, and all the fare that it gen-erates, this interactive experience seems to be more about entertain-ment than scare factor. It runs until Nov. 2, open 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. on Thursdays & Sundays, 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. on Fri-days & Saturdays for high Scare, and 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays for low Scare.

Rob Zombie Great American Nightmare:

Located at the Odeum Expo. Center in Villa Park, this is the first year that musician and filmmaker Rob Zombie’s immersive haunted house has come to Chicago. It offers three attractions based on Rob Zombie’s films including: The Lords of Salem in Total Blackout, The Haunted Adventures of El Su-perbeasto 3D, and Haunt of 1,000 Corpses. Sounds like a pretty calm night. Nothing to give you night-mares, right? Recently, one particular theme that the attraction has gotten in some hot water over is the John Wayne Gacy room. It fea-tures an actor sitting on a couch in Gacy’s pogo the clown cos-tume, surrounded by Boy Scout dolls. Yikes, too soon? Needless to say, Rob Zombie has dealt with no small amount of backlash over this. Open until Nov. 1, it also has a “Bloody Boulevard” teeming with creatures, activities and mu-sical entertainment. If the funnel cake does not empty your pock-ets, the Rob Zombie merchandise that you did not know you needed probably will.

maze of rooms, around dimly lit cor-ners, sometimes crouching, some-times shuffling through the attrac-tion like a zombie yourself. If you go in expecting to be scared and have positive energy then you will get your money’s worth. The best room by far was the tilted room. It was a complete surprise and a bit of a workout to get through. The worst room was less of a room and more of a Tesla Coil maze-like obstacle full of end-less walking. The lighting was most effective at creating tension at the entrance and the strobe lights inside were my favorite part in a churning tunnel. The set design in the first haunted house was great, however the props and a few of the actors in the second took me out of the ex-perience near the end. I felt like the lighting could have been darker to

hide the plastic set pieces and body parts. However, with the exception of having to break character to ask one of my friends if they were okay after falling down, a majority of the actors seemed seasoned and played their parts convincingly. They follow you around and use jump scares, but there is a ‘no touching rule’, of course. This means they cannot put their hands on you (but they will get in your face) and you most certainly cannot punch them in the face out of “self defense.” As far as scare factor and overall satisfaction, once you get past the nausea and confusion you can appreciate the scares. I have half a mind to say that I wish it could have lasted longer. Located in Mel-rose Park, Illinois, the 13th Floor is open until Nov. 8. Fright Scale: 8.5 out of 10


Creepy Hallow Review by Jorge Pliego:

Creepy Hallow Hallow-een Park is located at 24405 S. La Grange Rd, Frankfort, IL 60423 in the ambiances of eerie cornfields and sinister nights. The attractions such as the hayride, maze, and the haunted house were indeed frightening. Creepy Hallow is ques-tionable with such hustling staff. If you want to skip the

line, a fast pass is availa-ble, but I really do not see why a haunted attraction would need a fast pass, it is not Six Flags. The park is great, and it serves its purpose, but again a park with a staff that does not put customer courtesy first is all but frightening.

Fright Scale: 7 out of 10

If haunted houses aren’t your thing but you still want a scare or two, go check out the newly released Ouiji starring Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel). It is centered around a group of friends who investigate a Ouiji board after the mysterious death of a friend, eventually--BIG surpirse here--awakening dark forces.

If you’re really trying to get crazy, marathon a bunch of classic horror films or one of the numerous shows on television that are really running away with creepy themes like American Horror Story: Freakshow, Sleepy Hollow, The Strain, Constantine, or The Walking Dead . It’s not too late to catch up!

Layout by: Zhana JohnsonPhoto Courtesy: Redrubble.com

Page 8 The Xavierite Wednesday, October 29, 2014Consider the Following, Halloween Goers

Jake Alleruzzo and Lauren Dwyer

Senior News Editor and Deputy Editor-in-Chief

S.W.A.T Seeks to Make Difference on CampusJorge Pliego

Features Editor

Saint Xavier University offers many opportunities for students to engage on campus. Whether it be community based involvement or regulatory campus involvement, there is something for everyone at Saint Xavier University.

However, many opportunities can be often passed by, but here at The Xavierite we are putting a spotlight on one of our campus organizations.

That organization is Student Working to Advance Technology (SWAT), a student association lead by president Manuel Robles, vice president Denisse Marquez, secretary D’Andre Slaughter and treasurer Brandon Torres.

SWAT recently had a mentoring event in the Saint Xavier University student lounge.

The event was a success.It was engaging and insightful with a plan to connect individuals and offer growth to undergraduates. Robles spoke on the importance of mentorship and building connections.

The event lasted from four to six in the afternoon on October 23, 2014.

I had the opportunity to speak with president Robles on the fundamentals of building an organization, the mission and work behind Student Working to Advance Technology.

Robles says that the motivation behind SWAT was that there was a missing focus on promoting information technology.

SWAT hosts events and meetings around campus.

The organization began with a group of Computer Science students in the spring of 2014.

The origin of the name came from Slaughter who is a co-founder.

SWAT is open to all students at Saint Xavier University.

Robles says “The mission of SWAT is open to anyone interested in technology, whether a Computer Science major or a non-computer-related major: their build, programming, or application.

SWAT will inform and teach broad and specific concepts to students, host events to enhance education and the opportunity to network with other technology students and professionals also having assistance on building skills for a technology.”

Robles says in five years he sees SWAT participating in technology competitions and networking with other organizations on campus and off campus. SWAT has innovation at it’s center, but what ignites the idea of an organization.

“If you have an idea for a club, build it. Do not wait for the right time or for someone else to do it. Take risks and do everything with passion,”stated Robles.

Pioneers often face difficulties especially when starting organizations. Robles admitted the most challenging thing is recruiting students to a newly establish organization, but says the most rewarding is helping their members attain internships and to hear student’s success stories is really rewarding.

Many times, organizations have traditional events.

Of this Robles stated, “We’re still in the process of determining which events are popular. So far, the Mentoring Event has been a success.”

The goal for SWAT is to become a well-known organization on campus and to have meetings or events every two week.

They also always want to maintain a constant communication with SWAT members through Facebook, Orgsync and Email stated by Robles.

Robles also mentions SWAT holds partnerships with the Illinois Technology Foundation – Student Technology Clubs and attends events such as Webinars, conferences and mentoring events.

Robles finish’s with saying Student Work to Advance Technology future plans consists of building a PC workshop and host a panel of Information Technology professionals.

With the introduction of technology in todays society.

SWAT provides a forefront of Technology and offers many opportunities.

SWAT is a exceptional organization on campus and envisions a bright future ahead.

Robles and all of SWAT want to let everyone on campus know that “SWAT believes that no matter what your major is or what your career choice is, you are going to end up in front of technology.”

For more information on Student to Advance Technology look them up on Facebook and Orgsync.

SWAT is just one of the many organizations that offer great opportunities here at Saint Xavier University.

SWAT President Manuel Robles Photo Courtesy: Maunel Robles

Not sure what to dress as this Halloween? The holiday brings out the best in everyone’s creative side, but make sure to run through these questions below before you decide your costume.

Does your costume make light of violence towards women?

Having a topical Halloween costume is always a good choice. However, if you are choosing to use the headlines to decide what to dress up as, be very careful on what you think is a good idea. Want to dress up as a giant, bent iPhone? Sure, go ahead.

But if you are thinking about dressing up as Ray Rice and dragging around a doll (or your female counterpart), you need to stop. Just do not even think about it. In fact, why do you even still own a Rice jersey?

Wearing any sort of costume that turns a serious domestic violence issue into a “funny” costume is not going to make you the star of any (tasteful, socially conscious) Halloween parties.

On a related note, steer clear of an Adrian Peterson costume, too. Wearing his jersey and carrying around a switch will get you some attention, but surely not the type of attention you want.

Again, child abuse is also not funny. Imagine if you saw someone dressed as a child that has endured a life of abuse from his parents. Wouldn’t you question that individual’s morality?

Are you dressing like a race or culture that you are not a part of? Well for some people the idea of dressing as a caricature of another race or culture is quite humorous, but at what cost? Many costumes depicting

stereotypical characters only spread the gross generalizations that many hold to be true of certain races.

Some groups have actually begun to campaign against the idea of costumes based on race, as seen in the “We’re a Culture not a Costume” campaign.

Does your costume turn a serious disease into a joke? This question has become even more relevant with the onslaught of Ebola coverage in the media right now. While many have taken the topic lightly the disease itself has claimed hundreds of lives globally.

Would the families of Ebola victims want to see the disease that took their family member’s lives be the punch line of a joke? Instead of letting a disease be your costume, why not just become the source of the cure and be a doctor?

Are you unnecessarily sexualizing any of the following: animals, food, cartoon characters or inanimate objects? People insist on wearing over sexualized costumes, but do people really need to dress as a “sexy taco?”

Costumes designed around bringing out the sex appeal of rather ordinary objects have become extreme recently as more children’s costumes have taken on this theme. Instead of dressing like a sexy corn on the cob why not dress up like Jake from State Farm?

Halloween is one of the more exciting days of the year because it brings out the creativity in those who dress up, but this year consider the tastefulness of your costume before going out in public with it.

And just one more thing to consider, if you are posting photos of yourself in these rather vulgar costumes just who might be looking, potential employers, family members, or victims of domestic abuse?

Help Support Fellow SXU StudentsThe $5 Holla Student Giving Campaign is a chance for SXU students to support fellow students as well as affirm your love for SXU in two ways: (1) a donation of at least $5 in support of student scholarships, helping those with the most need, and (2) an opportunity to give a video shoutout about SXU (Reason you gave/reason you love Saint Xavier). $5 Holla participants will also be given a paper “bubble” within which you will be able to write your name or an uplifting message to other SXU students or the entire University community.

• Every gift is important and will be donated toward the assistance of other SXU students • First 100 donors will receive a free $5 Holla T-shirt • Video shout-outs can be emailed or taken on campus during our $5 Holla-ween Kick-off

Party, Thursday, Oct. 23 • All students are welcome to participate

For more information on how to give to the $5 Holla student giving campaign, contact J.P. Bradley at [email protected] or Marie Konieczny at [email protected].


The InkwellMask and Flesh

by Jorge Pliego

Solution:

God gave me fragile flesh, penetrable by prejudice blades.

All that seems to go away when I put on this mask.

It’s only humane to hide away. To be different is profane they say.

So I wear a mask to hide the impiety they call flesh.

I’ve seen the rejection.imposed in a room of unclear faces.

So I say to those who find serenity in there cast away.

Scorch the mask that compels you.For the flesh is not to be made hidden by a

mask. Only to become castaway from a world that

devout to mask and flesh.

Weapon of choice

Do people find you incredibly hard to work

with?

Why are you dressed so

scary?

In your group of friends you’re

...

You’re most known for being

...

Do you have anger

managementissues?

Why are you dressed so

scary?

How do you hide a bad hair day?

IN your family you are most

protective of ...?

Chucky

Jason Voorhees

Freddy Krueger

MichaelMyers

Which Slasher Icon are You?

Which Slasher Icon are You?

Uh..Knife-like accesso-

ries

Knife

The Strong silent type

super melo-dramatic

No one. I hate my family

mom

I HAVE SO MUCH

RAGE!

iT’S HALLOWEEN

tHIS IS MY FACE

tHE pOTATO oNE

the short one

Who are you calling unreasonable?

The curse of being

great

a snazzy fedora

A mask so the haters can’t see

mee

Only if you get in my

way


Cougars Get Lost Among the Crowd Torie BolsterSports EditorWomen’s

On Saturday, the women’s cross country team competed in the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge out at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids, Mich. This race, unlike any others that the Cougars have competed in this season, had a total of 35 teams vying for victory.

And it was because of this that the ladies had a less than stellar showing both as a team and individually in this race. They came in 18th place out of that aforementioned 35 and got to watch Shawnee State take the top prize.

While losing is never easy and finding excuses should always be avoided, it’s safe to say that in a field of 367 runners, trying to put on your best performance is a pretty difficult feat.

Taking a look at the individual level, junior Ann Kolker continued her dominance among her teammates, coming in at 83rd overall with a final 5K time of 20:13.03.

Nicole Watkins, current sophomore, was neck and neck with Kolker all race. Watkins finished with a total time of 20:25.94, giving her a 96th place finish.

Up next for the women’s cross country team was freshman Alondra Delfin, who placed 113th. Her time of 20:25.94 was enough to edge out her teammate, senior Ali Proffit, who finished in 134th.

The final team scorer in the Great Lakes Challenge for the Cougars was sophomore Courtney Correa. She finished in 139th and had a final time of 21:40.46.

November 8 marks the next race day for the women’s team as they participate in the CCAC Cross Country Championships in Elgin, Ill. That race will begin at 11am out at the Wing Park Golf Course.

Men’s I guess the Saint Xavier men’s cross

country team believes that three is their magic number?

After having a few weeks off like the ladies did, the men competed in the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge this past weekend. Also like the ladies, the men did not have much to celebrate after their race.

Because the Cougars did not have enough men to qualify Saint Xavier in the team standings, Janis Pastars, Kyle Counter, and Alex Ray competed as individuals.

In the field of 375 runners, Pastars placed 55th overall with a 27:08.78 time in the 8K race. Behind him in 103rd place was his teammate, Counter. Counter’s time of 27:51.40 was enough to give him 103rd place.

Finishing up for the Cougars was sophomore Ray who came in 165th place with a 28:40.68 time.

The men’s team is hoping for better standings and times as they compete in the CCAC Cross Country Championships in a few weeks. We wish them (and the

women) all the best!

Pastars finishes in 55th place. SXU Athletics

Black Hole of Despair: A Bears Fan Loses All Hope for 2014

Women’s Soccer Thrown to the Wolves

Tim CarrollSenior Sports Editor

The late fall skid continues for the Saint Xavier Cougar women’s soccer team.

With their 2-1 overtime loss at home on Oct. 21 to the Cardinal Stritch University Wolves, the Cougars fell to 4-8-3 overall with a 3-5-1 record in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

With the loss, the Cougars are now 2-4-1 in the month of October, not including last night’s match against Cornerstone University. Outside of that game, each of the contests this month has been against CCAC opponents.

Despite the loss to the Wolves, it was another great showing from sophomore Cougar goalkeeper Alex Perry.

Perry made 12 stops against Cardinal Stritch while allowing just one goal in regulation and another in extra time.

Neither team could muster much

offense through the first half of play.

Saint Xavier was dominated in time of possession, but Perry worked her magic to keep it scoreless through 45 minutes of play.

Saint Xavier scored first with a strike in the 55th minute of action.

After a Cardinal Stritch foul in the box, sophomore midfielder Julia Gawlak was called on to take the penalty kick.

Gawlak struck the ball well, but opposing goalkeeper Kathleen Sauvey made the initial

save.Sauvey could not control the rebound,

however, and Gawlak got a second chance off the deflection.

Gawlak would not miss this one, which put the Cougars up 1-nil.

Cardinal Stritch responded with a goal in the 73rd minute to equalize the score, then the Wolves took the match with a sudden-death overtime goal in the 95th minute.

Saint Xavier finished with seven shots on goal to the Wolves’ 14. The Cougars had dominated possession in overtime until the semi-breakaway in the 95th minute.

The Cougars are next on the road at Roosevelt University Saturday for an 11 a.m. match.

They will conclude the season with a 6 p.m. match this Tuesday against Robert Morris University at Deaton Memorial Field.

Gawlak (left) had the lone SXU goal against the Wolves. SXU Athletics

Tim CarrollSenior Sports Editor

As of Sunday, I’ve completely emotionally checked out as a Bears fan.

I don’t even want to be a Bears fan this season.

As of now, I’m bleak German filmmaker Werner Herzog, at least with regard to my Bears fandom.

The Bears should accept their fate as a terrible football team. Why even play football anymore? Just give up on this season, this profession, this life.

Let’s just stare into the blank and formless abyss that is the Bears’ 2014 season. It doesn’t matter if we get shot with an air rifle; the season is so bad that taking an air pellet is an upgrade.

(Note: Herzog really did get shot with an air rifle during an interview. He didn’t really care, continuing the interview and not caring to find out who took the shot. Check it out on YouTube.)

Or maybe I’m more like the Bears fan version of “True Detective’s” Rust Cohle, played by Matthew McConaughey.

Earth, or at least the part covered by Halas Hall and Soldier Field, is a giant gutter in outer space.

Becoming a Bears fan was a tragic misstep in evolution. The honorable thing for Bears fans to do would be to deny our programming and walk hand-in-hand into extinction.

Shame on me for thinking the Bears could be really good after the offense set franchise records last year and the defense was supposedly upgraded during the offseason with the additions of Jared Allen, Lamarr Houston and Ryan Mundy (more on them later).

I’ve had reason in my history as a fan to be an optimist for certain teams at certain times. For instance, the White Sox

rewarded my patience and optimism with a World Series championship in 2005.

I briefly became an optimist for the Bears, too, during the great 2006 season.

Of course, that optimism went right out the window in February 2007, when the Bears fell flat in the Super Bowl against the Colts.

So why did I allow myself to be optimistic about this season?

At the beginning of the season, I really did believe that the defense was upgraded and that the offense would be as good or better than the 27.8 points per game they put up last year.

After three games, I had faith that things were trending in the right direction. Though the Bears had lost to the usually lowly Buffalo Bills, they had picked up a big win at the San Francisco 49ers and won on the road against the New York Jets.

That’s when things began to fall apart. The Green Bay Packers waxed the Bears 38-17 before Chicago lost a game they should have won to the Carolina Panthers.

The optimism returned for a bit during the win against the Atlanta Falcons, but the Bears still should have won by more.

All optimism was erased in the zero-point first half of the loss to the Dolphins.

Then a neutral feeling on the team turned rapidly to active disgust during this weekend’s atrocious performance against the New England Patriots.

It sure was nice to see Matt Forte run the ball so well, but it sure was awful to watch Jay Cutler under-throw a ball that would be picked off before halftime.

And, of course, he had the awful fumble where he was trying to be a hero when he didn’t need to be.

And after all of Brandon Marshall’s fire and passion after the Miami game last week, he came out and didn’t make a catch until the second half.

If you want to yell at teammates in the locker room after a game, maybe people wouldn’t be rolling their eyes and trying to get out of there if you get open every now and then.

I really hoped that the Bears would respond to the Miami loss with at least a solid showing against the Patriots. Alas, a 51-23 loss is not a solid showing.

To make matters worse, the defense hasn’t gotten better.

Allen hasn’t been much of a factor, and Rob Gronkowski barbarized Mundy.

Worst of all, Lamarr Houston tore his ACL celebrating a sack in the fourth quarter of an absolute blowout.

I don’t want to go in too hard on an injured player--obviously, he didn’t want to be injured. But we saw the exact same celbration result in the exact same injur with Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch.

How hard is it to not celebrate by jumping with forward momentum and abruptly putting your foot in the ground, especially when you’re losing huge?

Yeah, I’d say my outlook as a Bears fan is bleak.

But hey, if I’m the Rust Cohle of Bears fans, maybe I get to believe this:

The entire 2014 season for the Bears is a dream we’re having in a locked room, a dream about being a Bears fan. And like many dreams, it’s been a nightmare.

@TimCarroll_XAV

Same. It’s too painful to look at the play on the field, so bury your head instead. lakeshorepublicmedia.org


Torie BolsterSports Editor

Oh Say Can You Sing That Anthem?

Talk about eating your words! Three years after ripping on Christina Aguilera for botching the National Anthem in the 2011 Superbowl, singer Aaron Lewis had his own embarrassing moment with our country’s theme song on Sunday night.

Before I go into any more detail, let me elaborate more on that statement. First off, Aaron Lewis is the frontman of the ‘90’s rock band, Staind. Remember that song, “It’s Been Awhile”? That’s him. Once the ‘90’s ended and Staind lost their popularity, Lewis and the band disappeared into post grunge obscurity. Until now.

Now, I’m not too sure why the Giants asked such a little known musician to sing the National Anthem at Game 5 of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals, but they did. And the consequences were cringeworthy to say the least.

Two lines into the song, Lewis sang “What so proudly we hailed, were so gallantly streaming”, instead of “What so proudly we hailed, at the twilight’s last gleaming.”

As soon as these incorrect lyrics came out of his mouth, the FOX Sports cameramen thought it would be a great idea (it was) to pan to Giants players standing on the sidelines. Their reactions were pretty priceless. Some gave him the side-eye, some laughed, and Tim Lincecum could be seen mouthing, “He forgot the words. Yep.”

To give Lewis some credit, he did sing the rest of the song perfectly and even issued an apology on his Facebook page for screwing up the lyrics. Plus, his butchering of the National Anthem was not as bad as some of the others ones I’ve seen in my life. Michael Bolton, I’m talking to you.

But on the flipside, how the heck do you mess up the National Anthem after basically saying Aguilera was narcissistic and self-absorbed for making an unwanted mistake? If only hindsight was 20/20, right Aaron? I’m also guessing that if hindsight REALLY was 20/20 then Staind wouldn’t have been brought into existence either.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed that once the reaction dies down, Aaron Lewis will be forgotten and the Royals will be celebrating their first World Series title win over 29 years.

Lewis blew his biggest moment since the ‘90’s. blogs.mprnews.org

Aldape and Lojek Lead Men’s Soccer Past StritchTim CarrollSenior Sports Editor

The Saint Xavier men’s soccer team continues to roll on through the month of October.

The Cougars picked up another win last Wednesday with a 3-1 defeat of Cardinal Stritch University in a night game at Deaton Memorial Field.

The win puts Saint Xavier at 8-7-1 overall with a 6-2-1 mark in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

The victory also gives the Cougars a 5-1 record in the month of October, with the only loss coming in a 3-2 match played at Olivet Nazarene University on Oct. 11.

Saint Xavier has outscored opponents 18-4 during this hot stretch against conference opponents.

During that time, freshman midfielder Ricardo Aldape has broken out as a serious threat to score every time he has the ball.

He did just that with his 25th-minute goal, the first of the game.

After a foul went against Cardinal Stritch, Aldape took a free kick from about 20 yards deep and buried into the lower right corner of the goal.

Aldape would later have an assist, but he was efficient. He only had one shot for the entire game and he scored on it.

With his goal, Aldape crept closer to junior forward Marco Gutierrez in the team lead for points.

Gutierrez added a point on an assist later in the game, so he still has the team lead with 19 points (seven goals, five assists).

But not far behind is Aldape, whose goal and later assist gave him 17 points on seven goals and three assists.

Aldape’s goal would be the only score of the first half. Senior goalkeeper AJ Pfatschbacher did not have to make a save in the first 45 minutes of play. The only shot that got through to him in the period caromed off the crossbar harmlessly.

The Cougars added to their lead early in the second half, though.

Senior midfielder Tom Lojek was on his offensive game in the second half.

Sophomore midfielder Kamil Szczesniak found Gutierrez. Gutierrez in turn got the ball to Lojek, beat opposing goalkeeper Jim Jones from about 15 yards out.

That 49th-minute goal gave the Cougars a 2-nil lead, but Lojek was not done.

In the 51st minute, Aldape got the ball to Lojek just 10 yards from the goalmouth. Lojek buried his second goal of the game to give Saint Xavier a 3-0 lead.

Lojek finished with two goals on five shots, two of which were on net.

Very quickly after Lojek’s second goal, the Cardinal Stritch Wolves responded with their only strike of the match.

F a v i a n Gonzalez got the ball in close to Pfatschbacher in the 52nd minute and beat Pfatschbacher with a strike from five yards away from the goal.

Pfatschbacher faced five shots on goal all game and made four stops. The Wolves had 15 shots total, but they were generally inaccurate.

The senior keeper is now giving up just 1.4 goals per game on average. He is also making saves at 71.2% on the season.

The Cougars actually did not have as many chances as the Wolves.

Saint Xavier finished with 12 shots. Seven of those were on goal, and three of those seven went in the goal.

The next Saint Xavier opponent is Roosevelt University, a team that received votes in the latest NAIA top-25 coaches’ poll. That match is a 2 p.m. contest at Roosevelt.

Then the Cougars conclude the regular season with a home match against Robert Morris University next Wednesday.

That contest between Saint Xavier and Robert Morris is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Deaton Memorial Field.

After that, it is on to the CCAC tournament for the Cougars, who have shown that they play their best soccer of the year in tournament play.

The CCAC tournament’s opening round is on Nov. 8. The opponent and time of the match will be determined as a result of the CCAC standings at the conclusion of the regular season.

SXU AthleticsAldape has emerged as another scoring threat for SXU.

Lojek had two goals against Stritch. SXU Athletics

@TimCarroll_XAV


Heersema Wins 600th Before 3-1 Crossover TournamentAlexis FlamburisSports Correspondent

Last week, the women’s volleyball team hit the court for the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Crossover Tournament.

The two-day event took place on Friday and Saturday at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois.

The first game was against Purdue University-Calumet, where the Cougars took the win (25-20, 20-25, 13-25, 15-25).

The Cougars have defeated the Peregrines in every game they’ve played them since 2010.

SXU played the host, Trinity Christian, for the second game of the night, which took place at 6 p.m.

This time the Cougars were defeated in all three sets (27-25, 27-25, 25-16). SXU lost to the Trolls when they played them last year as well.

The stars of both of the games from SXU’s side were senior middle hitter Marie Hackert and junior right side Meghan Falsey, two leaders of the team. They had 14 kills each in the first game against the Peregrines.

Hackert also recorded three blocks (one solo).

Junior middle blocker and outside hitter Heidi Gregerson contributed nine kills and three blocks (one solo).

Kelli Shaffer, a senior setter, had an impressive 39 assists, eight digs and two block assists.

Dominique Aramburu, the Cougars’ senior libero, led her team with 22 digs; fellow senior Jessica Galotta, a defensive specialist and outside hitter, added 16 digs

and five kills.In the game against the Trolls, Hackert

contributed 12 kills, while Falsey had 10 to set the pace for the rest of the team’s performance.

Gregerson shone defensively with five blocks (one solo), along with nine kills.

Shaffer recorded 27 assists, six digs and four kills, while Galotta led the Cougars with nine digs.

SXU fell short due to service errors, which totaled 13 just in the second game of the night.

The Cougars came out clawing the next day.

Having defeated the Crimson Wave in every game since 2012, they took down Calumet College of St. Joseph once again.

This time, the Cougars got the victory by winning in all three sets. They did so

with an attack percentage of .271 (23-25, 16-25, 11-25).

Falsey led her team once again, posting 14 kills.

Shaffer helped out with 33 assists, six digs, two kills and two block assists.

Aramburu, strong on defense, recorded 15 digs.

Later that day, the Cougars defeated Olivet Nazarene University in all three sets as well, with an attack percentage of .379 (19-25, 18-25, 20-25).

SXU lost to the Olivet Nazarene Tigers last year.

Falsey once again remained in the double digits with 12 kills, pacing the team.

She had a great couple of matches, finishing with 26 kills for the day.

Hackert and Gregerson posted nine

kills each. Shaffer led her team with 36 assists,

10 digs and two service aces. Earlier in the week on Oct. 21, the

Cougars played Trinity International University in a conference game.

The Cougars took home a win in all three sets (12-25, 16-25, 11-25).

This marked head coach Robert Heersema’s 600th career win in his 27th season at SXU. This boosted his win percentage to .524.

The Cougars have taken down the Trojans in every match they have played them since 2010.

Falsey unsurprisingly led her team in this game as well with seven kills and a career-high six service aces; Falsey has had quite the performance these last couple of weeks.

Freshman outside hitter Anna O’Hara recorded six kills to help the Cougars to victory.

Hackert contributed five kills and three block assists, while Shaffer posted 15 assists, three kills and five digs.

Aramburu and sophomore defensive specialist Erica Harris each had seven digs to bolster the team’s defense of the Cougar net.

The Cougars hit their home court on Tuesday at 7 p.m. to take on the Robert Morris University Eagles for the second time this season.

This game will be special for some of the Cougars; it will be a family/senior night, so those who are graduating this year will be honored.

The Cougars defeated the Eagles earlier this season, so hopefully this game will be a repeat.Heersema recorded his 600th career win with SXU’s victory over Trinity International. SXU Athletics

Down to the Wire, But SXU Football Triumphant in IowaTim CarrollSenior Sports Editor

The race to the finish line for the Cougar football team on Saturday was a rocky one—more start-and-stop than a glide to the tape.

But the most important thing is that Saint Xavier got the win over the William Penn University Statesmen in a thrilling 48-46 game in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

The Cougar defense had trouble with the Statesmen and their option offense all day, including when William Penn recovered an onside kick with 3:21 left in the game.

The Statesmen were down two points and recovered at their own 45-yard line. They moved down the field to the Saint Xavier 21-yard line with 14 seconds left.

On came kicker Ante Rogic, who had not been called on to try a field goal. He did already have two blocked extra points in the second half. The Cougars took a timeout in an attempt to ice Rogic.

This time, the blocking was good and Rogic got the ball in the air quickly, with plenty of distance, but the ball sailed wide right. Saint Xavier took over with 10 seconds left and took a knee, moving their record to 5-2 and dropping the Statesmen to 5-3.

For much of the game, no one could stop any scoring, and the first half Cougar offense was largely a result of junior receiver and return specialist Randall Wells.

Wells took the opening kickoff from five yards deep in the end zone and weaved his way through traffic all the way in for a score. After a missed extra point, the Cougars led 6-0 with just 20 seconds off the clock.

After William Penn got out to a 14-6 lead, Wells was the player to answer with a big play.

On first-and-10, sophomore quarterback John Rhode dropped back and found Wells deep over the middle of the field. Wells went up to make the catch, then slithered through a couple defenders for a 42-yard score.

After a second-quarter takeaway in the Statesman red zone, Rhode rifled a ball to Wells in the back of the end zone to take a 32-21 lead.

Rhode had his second-straight great performance, racking up 417 yards and three touchdowns on a 27-for-38 passing day.

Wells likewise had another huge game. He caught four passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns, plus the return touchdown that opened play.

The Statesmen had big play after big play in the first quarter on the dive run

to fullback Michael Thomas. By the time that quarter ended, William Penn had already put up 21 points.

The Cougars regrouped on defense beginning in the second quarter. Senior defensive end Greg Hayward forced a sideways intentional grounding on a sack, and junior linebacker Dan Fitzgerald pounced on the live ball for the first takeaway of the game.

Saint Xavier then forced a pair of turnovers before the half expired. Senior defensive lineman Tom Hitz recovered a fumble that led to a Cougar touchdown.

On the ensuing kickoff return, Freddy Griggs coughed up the ball. Freshman special teamer Robbie Brindley recovered, but the drive stalled and freshman kicker Abdul Mahdi missed a 27-yarder just wide to the left.

William Penn reestablished the big play early in the second half. Thomas had rushing gains of 17 and 21 yards on

the opening second-half drive that cut the Cougar lead to 34-28.

Then the Statesmen went to the outside and let their speedsters get in space. Nathan Tvedt had a 23-yard run and Sam Tvetd had a 29-yard run. Those set up Tyler Hafner’s second passing touchdown of the day to Jatavius Stewart, a touchdown that tied the game at 34-34.

The Saint Xavier defense, working mostly one-on-one with Stewart so safeties could work inside to stop the option, had not remedy for the Hafner-to-Stewart connection. Stewart finished the game with six catches for 175 yards and four touchdowns.

Rhode responded almost immediately with a 28-yard touchdown strike to senior receiver Nick DeBenedetti.

Then, early in the fourth quarter, the Cougars extended their lead on a reverse from Rhode to receiver-quarterback Mark Strbjak.

Strbjak got away from pressure long enough to get off a 13-yard touchdown of his own to DeBenedetti, stretching the Cougar lead to 48-34.

A 28-yard touchdown and a 60-yarder to Stewart got the Statesmen within two, but the Cougar defense held on a two-point conversion attempt before the missed Rogic kick.

With the win, Saint Xavier remains the No. 9-ranked team in the NAIA top-25 coaches’ poll.

Saint Ambrose University, which has fallen out of the top-25, is the next opponent.

That game will be a 1 p.m. kickoff Saturday at Deaton Memorial field. Grab a radio and catch the broadcast on WXAV 88.3 FM Chicago.

Randall Wells had three touchdowns Saturday, including two receiving and a kick return. SXU Athletics

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The 10.29.14 Edition