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State of the CollegePresident Olivarez adressed faculty and staff on February 1 with updates on Aquinas. The Saint was there to hear what he had to say.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012Volume 31, Issue 10

page 2

>>NEWSThe Moose meal gap | 2

The Moose has food, but not all day. How much of an inconveniece is it for students, really? Read on to find out.

Celebrate Black History | 3February is Black History Month. Check out our list of things to do during this month of celebration, both on and off campus.

>>A&E

Chimes of Freedom | 5J a c o b V a n d e n H o m b e r g h checks out the new collection of Dylan covers, with artists from Ke$ha to K’naan.

AQ Idol round one | 5Missed AQ Idol? Fear not, our reporter was there to get you a recap, inside.

>>SPORTS

Who’s hot, who’s not | 7Reporter Brian Kalchik breaks down the best and worst in college basketball.

Men’s Basketball | 8Staff Writer Sam Swartout reports on Aquinas’ shot for second place in the WHAC.

Where to go to smoke: There are eight areas scatt ered across the campus currently designated as smoking areas. These are marked with signs to make them easier to fi nd.

More places to live

New campus-wide smoking area maps released

More to the Sturrus Center | 8 Wake Up People 2012 preview | 6

theSaint

ANDRIS VISOCKIS / AQUINAS

By Laura RicoStaff Writer

Talk about housing for next year has been a hot topic for the last couple of weeks and most likely will be for the remainder of the month. But with so many living options, application due dates, and slightly new living arrangements, it is essential for students to know what is available and what to expect for next year’s on-campus living options.

Incoming freshmen students will primarily be housed in St. Joseph and Regina Hall, as usual. One fl oor will be left open to accommodate upperclassmen in Regina.

Next year, sophomores will have the opportunity of residing in the Living Learning Communities (LLCs).The houses available to students are: Fulton, Gate, Knape, Meij er, Woodcock (all houses) and Dominican Hall.

Freshmen were required to get together with a group of students and establish a theme for their house that is meant to connect and provide a greater sense of community.

Woodward Area and LLC program coordinator Matt Delaney said, “[The] theme will connect to some form of learning; whether it be related to a course they all take, to some academic fi eld, or it could be as simple as a common interest that the group of students applying for the LLC share.”

Students will also seek to contact a faculty or staff member to become their house advisor, who will have a chance to interact and guide the members of each LLC.

Together the resident assistant,

advisor, and Delaney will work alongside the students as partners to enhance the living and learning experience.

On February 9 and 10, students who applied to live in the LLCs will present their mission and theme to the Resident Life staff based on their scheduled appointment.

Delaney adds, “[I] hope that the LLC program makes the community better, encourages academic success, and sets students who participate up for success the rest of their time at Aquinas and beyond.”

For those sophomores who did not get in an LLC or would prefer other living arrangements, Hruby, Browne, and spaces left in Dominican are also available options. Applications will be due Wednesday, March 14.

“Sophomore applications will be prioritized with random lottery numbers. If the initial demand for housing is greater than we can accommodate, we will create a waiting list and work throughout the end of the semester and summer to accommodate as many people as possible,” said Julie Blaszak, Director of Residence Life.

Housing for juniors and seniors will primarily be in the Ravine apartments. Apartment applications will be available during the second week of February and will be due on Wednesday, February 22. The apartment room selection will then take place on Wednesday, February 29.

Blaszak said, “[Upperclassmen] applications will be prioritized on the basis of a “group housing score” which includes cumulative grade point average and student conduct record of each of the four roommates who would like to live together in the same apartment.”

Residence Life staff continues to make it a primary goal to accommodate and meet student needs as best they can.

“The Residence Life Office feels that any changes we have made will allow us to meet student needs that have been voiced to our department and articulated in the retention survey,” said Blaszak.

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www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

> > T H E O T H E R C A N D I D A T E S WILL HAVE TO START WINNING SOME MAJOR STATES TO KNOCK R O M N E Y O F F T H E T O P < <

“It is our goal to continue to provide high quality housing options to as many students as possible, implement a fair process for assigning housing, and enhance the programs and services we off er to residential students,” she added.

Aquinas revises student housing policies

By Laura FarrellStaff Writer

Having a smoke on the way to class is a thing of the past on the Aquinas campus.

A new smoking pol icy for the Aquinas College campus was implemented on Jan. 1, 2012. The policy outlines certain designated s p o t s a r o u n d c a m p u s t h a t a r e a p p r o v e d f o r s m o k i n g . T h e s e designated areas are marked with

signs and contain containers where smokers can dispose of their ashes and cigarette butts.

Smoking is not allowed in any other locations, and trash cans that used to be placed in front of former smoking locations have been removed to make it obvious and apparent to smokers that those are no longer smoking spots.

There has been trouble with implementing this policy, since a

significant portion of the Aquinas community does not know where they can smoke. Junior Marah Klose, Student Senate Promotions Director, and her committee have made pamphlets that have all of the designated smoking areas, which will be available for students.

Mitt Romney continues to lead in GOP primaries

By Laura FarrellStaff Writer

More options: Residence Life has changed their policies to open up on-campus housing opportunities for upperclassmen as well.

COURTESY AQUINAS COLLEGE STUDENT SENATE

See SMOKING,page 3

In what has proved to be a back and forth batt le, the 2012 presidential race is fi nally starting to pan out.

The Florida GOP Presidential primaries were held on Saturday, January 30. With Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and Mitt Romney all claiming a primary each so far, it seemed to be anyone’s game. The Florida primaries, always highly anticipated because of the leverage it gives with so many delegate votes behind it, were highly sought aft er

by Gingrich and Romney. Aft er plenty of media coverage, it

seemed to be a batt le of words in the media between the two. Romney took the limelight aft er the South Carolina primary, releasing his tax records aft er being accused of not paying all the taxes on his personal fortune, including some off shore accounts. Both Rick Santorum and Ron Paul took a step back for the Florida primaries for both personal and practical reasons.

After the big win, Romney felt secured in the top spot and says to be looking forward to going head to head with President Obama for the 2012 election. However confi dent Romney

may be, Gingrich, Paul, and Santorum have proved their commitment and are unlikely to back out any time soon.

In the Nevada primary on February 4, Romney took over thirty eight percent of the vote, beating out Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich. Santorum, who did not spend much time in Florida aft er a family crisis, only took about twelve percent of the votes.

Maine started its weeklong caucuses on February 4. Paul and Romney both have had a strong presence in Maine so far unlike Gingrich and Santorum.

On February 11, the nonbinding

straw polls will be released. With Romney seeming confi dent at the top, the eyes are on candidates like Santorum and Gingrich to see what move they will make next. It is clear that nothing is permanent and at this point, anything can still happen.

But with a few important wins for Romney, the other candidates will have to start winning some major states to knock Romney off the top.

Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri primaries will take place on February 7, with the Michigan and Arizona primaries taking place on February 28.

news page 2THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

News Editor Monica Rischiotto E-mail saint.editor@aquinas.edu Phone (616) 632-2975 Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

Aquinas: Study abroad program deadlines extended

Grand Rapids: School approves $8 million in school repairs

Michigan: Kalamazoo family en-joys “super awesome” Superbowl <<For all students interested in studying in Italy

or Costa Rica during the 2012-13 academic year, there is still time to get your applications in. The Italy program (fall 2012) deadline is Feb. 22 and Costa Rica (spring 2013) is March 14. For ques-tions about the programs and dates for info ses-sions contact Joelle Baldwin in lower AB.

The Grand Rapids School Board recently ap-proved several million dollars in funding for repairs in a handful of schools in neighboring Aquinas College communities. Among these improvements include masonry at Central High School, heating and cooling systems at Creston, as well as projects at three elementary schools.

On Superbowl Sunday this past weekend, a mother and her three children opened up their new Habitat for Humanity home for public ded-ication, an event the youngest son told Mlive re-porters was “super awesome.” The family is the 182nd in the Kalamazoo County to publically dedicate their Habitat home since 1983.

Under strong suspicions and growing evidence of development in nuclear weapons, President Obama joined forces with Israel to establish strict sanctions, freezing all Iranian government ass-ests, including blocks on the Central Bank of Iran. This is not the fi rst set U.S. santions on Iran, more are expected in the next 4-6 months.

Nation: President Obama places stricter sanctions on Iranian bank

Finding my inner superhero

(or lack thereof)monica rischiotto |news editor

A bright future ahead: Aquinas College President Juan Olivarez spoke before faculty and staff last week at the annual State of the College.

By Yasmeen AhmedThe Saint Reporter

YASMEEN AHMED/ THE SAINT

During his first State of the College address, President Juan Olivarez praises success and identifies areas of

improvement

Finding a healthy balance between coffee shop and deli

By Laura FarrellStaff Writer

President Olivarez discusses goals,vision for Aquinas

On Wednesday, Feb.1, at 11 a.m in the Wege Ballroom, President Juan Olivarez made a “State of the College” address to faculty and staff . He kicked off his speech with interactive, personal questions to his audience, asking about New Year’s resolutions, who welcomed new children into the world this past year, as well as recent earnings of degrees, inviting staff to stand up and share.

Aft er breaking the ice a bit, President Olivarez began announcements, the first being a 1 % raise for full-time and part time employees in February. President Olivarez then recapped events from this past year such as: the first commencement at the Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center, expanding resident housing in Browne and Willowbrook, the book Aquinas:The First 125 Years by Gary Eberle being published, many ahtletic championships, the theatre department’s knock-out year at the Grand Awards, and a successful recruitment for the freshman class this year, specifi cally in quality and size.

Other college achievements included: a successful new academic year, a large group of students graduating in December, the AQ LIGHT retreat group winning an exemplary program award from the National Catholic Campus Ministry Association (presented at the National US Bishops conference), Aquinas was selected for the Pillar Award through the Women’s Resource Center, and Sister Aquinas Weber received recognition from the Pope for her many years of leadership and contribution.

The next subject President Olivarez discussed was the many challenges and opportunities with the college. He identifi ed creating an outstanding presence and visibility in civic, religious, and academic communities and implementing campus-wide strategic

planning. He stated that always wants to strive

to continue to strengthen and articulate the Catholic Dominican values, increase fundraising among individuals with a growing endowment, improving faculty and staff compensations, leading with growth and enrollment, adding diversity, improving and sustaining transparency, and communication between board, faculty, staff , and students.

President Olivarez later highlighted the strengths of Aquinas, which included our history, the Catholic Dominican roots, dedicated faculty and staff our student body, academic programs, and partners.

He identified low staffing levels, policies, future focus, increasing diversity, a clear identity of the school and our mission, and revenue for growth as areas of weakness that need to be worked on.

President Olivarez stressed that we

have many opportunities with Aquinas, especially the room for growth of the school, the community, acquiring new donors, engaging alumni more, and increasing partnerships. President Olivarez emphasized a theme of moving forward, and put the importance on having a clear mission, and a direction to follow.

He went through steps and also accentuated devising a good process to make it all work. One of the last things President Olivarez touched on was his expectations from the staff , which was comprised of an understanding of Aquinas’ mission.

He stressed the importance of always being learners, effi ciency, eliminating waste, keeping focus on the students, and using team work. To wrap things up, President Olivarez displayed a poem called “Working Together” by David Whyte.

Student clubs and organizations are the heart of student life at Aquinas College, off ering infi nite opportunities for students to get involved, and the Chemistry Club is no exception .

On Saturday, January 21, the student led group took their competitive spirit Flint, MI to compete in the 3rd annual Batt le of the Chemistry Clubs, hosted by University of Michigan at Flint.

The Aquinas team was made up of Chemistry Club president, Kayla Lewis, along with students George Van Den Driessche, Lauren Cichon, Marissa Saladin, Anastasia McRoberts, and Dr. Elizabeth Jensen, Aquinas professor and Chemistry Club advisor.

Competing against eleven other colleges, the Aquinas Chemistry Club took third place in a surprising turn around. The batt le was set up into four stations that tested the chemists’ skills in diff erent categories ranging from naming and drawing molecules to lab safety.

Aft er coming in last place aft er the fi rst round, the team shocked the other teams, completing the titration in mere minutes, coming in fi rst place in the second round.

Sophomore Anastasia McRoberts thoroughly enjoyed the competition saying, “This was my fi rst year and I have only had one semester of chemistry under my belt but it was a lot of fun and I highly recommend it.” The Chemistry Club plans to compete again next year.

Chemistry Club competes

in Detroit

By Sam SwartoutStaff Writer

Passionate opinions were ignited in Wege Ballroom on Wednesday, February 1, during the month’s first Aquinas College Student Senate meeting. Topics discussed included safety of our students, Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center updates, and the restructure of our very own Student Senate.

President Juan Olivarez began the meeting with his concern and compassion for our students here at Aquinas. After hearing the recent news of Grand Valley State University students being hospitalized for ingesting drugs, President Olivarez took the story under his wings in a proactive manner.

He wants each student to know there are resources right here at Aquinas to help them with any sort of struggles in life. He mentioned that students’ needs and wants for the future are to be heard because students represent both the present and future of the college. Also, President Olivarez presented an update on the development of the Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center.

He informed the Student Senate that he is very thankful and excited to announce that a couple of donors have given a verbal commitment to aid eff ort for the completion of phase two. Next on the agenda was the Dominican Republic service learning trip members announced the recent spaghett i dinner held at Willowbrook raised $824 towards their eff orts of cutt ing students trip costs.

After presenting the need for an additional $200 for microscopes in their medical labs, the Student Senate gave the agreed motion for approval. Senate also voted for the DR group to receive $1500 to help reduce costs for participants. An increased request was proposed at $2000, but this was voted down.

Also, the Ad-Hoc Exploration Committee addressed the need for change in the structure of Student Senate. The committ ee presented two new alternatives which ultimately cut down the amount of members and need for the amount of club members in hopes of becoming more policy based.

“Being a club representative, I feel if this change passes, clubs on Aquinas’ campus will lose more options to achieve the goal of becoming a more policy based student senate. I know there is a way for everyone to feel they are equal and still achieve the same goal,” said VIBE representative Monee Hollins. The changes are still being researched and will be address in future Senate meetings.

By Cassie LaMacchiaThe Saint Reporter

Student Senate update

From breakfast to snacks to late night pick me ups, The Moose is always there for students… with the exception of the hours between 5-9 p.m.

“We simply don’t have the storage for it. We have one freezer, we fi ll it with as many calzones as Wege provides us with, and between 9 p.m. and 12 a.m. we still run out of them,” said Liza Zimmerman, senior student manager of The Moose.

“Food Services want to encourage students to eat at The Corner during that 5-9 p.m. break for The Moose. They have a ton more options than we do and are more equipped to serve students the food that they are looking for,” said Zimmerman.

S e n i o r E d d i e S e y m o u r t h i n k s th i s i s a f fec t ing student satisfaction at Aquinas. “The Moose not serving food between those times makes it really diffi cult for students who don’t live on campus. I don’t want to go to Wege and pay $8 for dinner,” he said.

“My sophomore year there were tons of food options at The Moose, all day long,” Seymour said. “ I’d like to have that back.”

Aquinas junior Tom Olson feels that the Moose could benefit from

extending sales during this empty period. “The Moose is really missing an opportunity to make some cash,” he said. “They’re missing out on students, professors and possibly coaches who want food. Overall, they’re creating a huge inconvenience for students.”

On the other hand however, there are some students who say it doesn’t aff ect them. “It doesn’t really bother me,

I mean I go to Wege between 5-7 p.m. to eat dinner. I can see how it would be a pester for students without meal plans though,” said sophomore Felipe Trevino.

Moose employee Jake Mitchell thinks it is actually benefi cial for The Moose to have that four hour break. “Having that break provides good down time. It allows us to recover, restock and clean up,” he said. “Wege has breaks between their meals to clean up, why shouldn’t

we?”During the breakfast hours from

9-11a.m, The Moose provides a variety of options including breakfast sandwiches for $4.95, parfaits for $3 and yogurt. From 11 a.m.-4 p.m., gourmet deli sandwiches are available, ranging from $4.95-$5.95. The Moose also provides late night food on campus, serving four varieties of calzones and cheesy breadsticks from

9 p.m.-12 a.m.Also, The

Moose always h a s s n a c k s a n d s a l a d s available for s tudents to buy.

“ D u r i n g the downtime of 5 -9 p .m. The Moose is a great place for students to come and s t u d y o r hang out, it’s v e r y q u i e t and peaceful during those hours,” said Zimmerman.

M i t c h e l l also feels that the Moose serves a specifi c purpose on campus, which does not nec-essarily include food. “The Moose is a coff ee shop, not a freaking deli,” he said.

Students who wish to comment on the situation at the moose should fi ll out a comment card for Food Services online at the Aquinas College website, or contact Marla Poterack, Director of Campus Dining, map001@aquinas.edu.

Are the bagels and muffi ns gone by 5 p.m.? Students have raised complaints about the Moose Cafe not off ering food during the hours of 5-9 p.m.

MIRIAM PRANSCHKE/ THE SAINT

Have you ever had a class where your professor throws you a spontaneous assignment? The kind where you fi nd yourself staring at your planner thinking something along the lines of, “How on God’s green earth am I going to get this done?” with a few “other words” potentially thrown in? Let me add one more level of irony. What about when it’s an assignment you know you won’t have time to give it 100%, but totally wish you could?

As I sat in a certain Superhero and Myth class, I had one of these experiences. Towards the end of class, the professor brought up the class’s Course Connect page. Low and behold was a picture of Spiderman, sitting contemplatively on top of a building by himself. The title across the top of the picture read “An Experiment in Solitude.”

To give a brief background, the night before, we read an essay identifying Aristotle’s three kinds of friendships. It examined specifi cally whether or not Batman had a “perfect friendship,” one rooted in selfl essness and virtue. Our conclusion in a nutshell was no. Aft er all, who would you confi de in if you were fi ghting an insane criminal like the Joker, bringing justice to a crime ridden city, and doing so under a secret identity (it’s no wonder he and Catwoman didn’t work out, despite their eff orts).

Thus, our assignment is as follows: exercise our inner superhero powers by dedicating an entire 24 hours to complete and utt er solitude. In other words, we are being asked to organize a personal retreat (not too shabby, right?). It is to be entirely absent of all electronics, homework, and communication with others. The only exceptions allowed are bringing a notepad and we can talk if we are ordering something to eat or drink.

Now, here is where those “other words” spilling out under my breath come in. Number one, it is overwhelming to identify one day within the next two weeks that I could completely dedicate to essentially doing nothing, (granted, given that my plan is to go for an all-day bike ride, it didn’t take long to swallow the time commitment and convince myself to ditch my to-do list for a day).

As I sat in class, mapping out my route like a little kid strategically walking through a candy store, there came a second piece of instruction that caught me off guard. It’s not enough to have our phones on silent; they are to be left at home.

Now my problem had morphed from this being an overwhelming assignment time wise to one that I simply did not know what to do. Go on all day bike ride by myself with no cell phone? I feel like that is everything I was taught not to do.

I’m not sure what this says about solitude and our present day society. There is something to be said for taking time to be with ourselves, but what about the connectedness, or rather, safety issue? That being said, when do we ever truly place ourselves in the mercy of those around us?

For example, if I didn’t bring my phone, and needed to make an emergency call, could I rely on a stranger to use their phone? Not to mention I would need to write down important numbers, the days of memorizing are no longer. I should also add this is all slightly embarrassing given that I can see my dad saying, “Monica, there was a time before cell phones, get over it.”

Here was our fi nal instruction: we are challenged to not tell anyone when we are taking this special day for ourselves.

Can you imagine not having your phone for a day, and not telling anyone? What if say your signifi cant other texted you, and you didn’t text them back until the next day? Or if your mom left you a voicemail and you didn’t call her back that same day? For the majority of us, I would imagine that relationships would stay intact, no tears would be cried nor would any promise rings be thrown out the window.

It does leave me questioning how to truly experience solitude, and at what cost? Maybe a deep underlying beauty of truly experiencing solitude is knowing we have something to return too, something greater than ourselves.

If the weather holds I will be going for a bike ride, and while part of me feels ashamed to be bringing my cell phone, I admit it, I’m no Rorschasch.

3 THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

NEWS

News Editor Monica Rischiotto E-mail saint.editor@aquinas.edu Phone (616) 632-2975 Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

Celebrate Black History Month

By Alyssa FreseThe Saint Reporter

VIBE hosts Tase of Soul Sunday and weekly honorings of influential, lesser known, African

Americans

On Campus:

Off Campus:

Black History Month is here, and in order to raise awareness to students as well as the rest of the Aquinas College community, Aquinas’ own VIBE (Voices Inspiring Black Students Everywhere) is putt ing on an event that they like to call Historical Tuesdays.

Every Tuesday during the month of February, there will be posters throughout the diff erent buildings on campus with a significant, yet little known historical African American. “Most people are aware of well-known people such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.

“We want to recognize other

individuals who have made great contributions to society, “said VIBE secretary and Aquinas junior Kelli Dokes.

The members of VIBE are asking students to pay att ention to these posters every week. Each poster will contain the name and picture of the signifi cant person along with fi ve facts.

Each Monday night before the posters are switched out, VIBE will have a table set up in Wege Cafeteria where students fill in what they remember from the posters and leave their name with it. At the end of the contest, they will tally up the forms from all the weeks and a fi rst, second, and third place prize will be announced at VIBE’s biggest event of the year called Soul Food Sunday.

Soul Food Sunday will take place on Sunday, February 26 in Donnelly Center beginning at 7:00 PM. The menu includes fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, greens, dressing, cornbread, and desserts and beverages catered by Sandmann’s, located in Eastown.

“The evening will start off with a brief presentation on Soul Food and its history. Then, Bishop John Williams and his wife will present a chronological timeline through dramatic oratory. It will cover black history from Africa and the Slave Trade to Mid Twenty-First century when the Emancipation took place. It will be a good time and all are welcome to att end,” said Dokes .

Grand Rapids Public Library’s annual Taste of Soul Sunday event returns at central library downtownBy Laura RicoThe Saint Reporter

In honor of Black History Month, the Main Grand Rapids Public Library branch is hosting several events and programs that will celebrate the history and rich culture of the African American community.

The seventh annual Taste of Soul Sunday will take place on February 19

from 1 to 4 pm.Entertainment will be provided by

the North American Choral Company which will feature choirs from Sherwood Academy, East Leonard Elementary, Palmer Elementary, North Park Montessori and William C. Abney Academy. Sunny Wilkinson will be the special guest vocalist.

Additionally, jazz, blues and pop singer Edye Evans Hyde will be

performing. Aquinas College student Serita Crowley will also perform with her band, Serita’s Black Rose and The Disciples of Funk. Carolyn Quinn-Allen, a member of Debra Perry and Majestic Praise will conclude the night’s performances.

Family events will include the Dunuya Drum and Dance. The group is based in Kalamazoo and is known for their drumming that is inspired from traditions and music in Africa and many other cultures around the world.

All aft ernoon there will be a chance for younger participants to make an African mask inspired by African traditional styles and designs.

Speakers will include: author Ralph Richard Banks who will discuss his book, Is Marriage for White People? via Skype. Program Director of Sociology at Michigan State University, Dr. Steven

J. Gold, will talk about the different points of views on African American self-employment beginning in the era of Booker T. Washington and through present day.

Dr. Matt hew Daley will present a multi-media presentation on African American musicians from Michigan who have infl uenced popular music. Stuart Johnson will speak about the Big Picture, a photograph that was taken back in Harlem, New York and features some of the most infl uential jazz musicians of all time.

No celebration would be complete without food. Local restaurants Jamaican Dave’s, Southern Fish Fry, and Chez Olga will be providing tasty samples.

For additional information on specifi c times and locations for event s visit the Grand Rapids Public Library’s website and click on upcoming events.

By Chuck HydeThe Saint Reporter

World News update

Egypt: Political upheaval is still rampant in Egypt, with more protests occurring every day. On Wednesday February 1, there was a massive riot aft er a soccer game in Port Said. At least 79 died, and more than 1000 were injured. The next day, mass protests occurred in Cairo and Suez, leaving 2 dead and over 900 inured by violence with the police. Two kidnapped American tourists, however, were released the following day.

United States and Britain: Hackers illegally obtained a recording of a phone call between the FBI and Britain’s Scotland Yard. It was released on Friday, February 3. According to CNN’s website, the call contained information about the two groups’ investigation into the internet groups Anonymous and LulzSec. Eff orts are being made to fi nd and apprehend the hackers responsible.

Sudan: Civil war is still raging in the country, with civilian complexes becoming the target of air strikes. According to CNN, eight bombs were

By Yasmeen AhmedThe Saint Reporter

State higher education offi cials have put together a bill seeking to approve the opportunity for community colleges in Michigan to give out four-year degrees. This bill, HB 4496, would allow community colleges to grant a bachelor of science in a nursing, or any baccalaureate degree in cement technology, marine technology, energy production technology, or culinary arts.

The nursing degree would need approval from the Michigan Board of Nursing. This bill offers a more affordable way to obtain degrees in specifi c areas from community colleges. Some state university leaders have argued the bill would open the door to more degrees, eventually adding the community colleges to the ranks of the

C o n t e m p o r a r y Writers Series: poet Richard Katrovas

Filling in for poet Thylia Moss, poet and novelist Richard Katrovas will

speak at Aquinas on Feb. 9By Sarah BranzThe Saint Reporter

Thursday, Feb. 9 is a great day to be a writer, or at least to hear the insights of the well-traveled poet and author Richard Katrovas, who will be reading his work at the next installation of Aquinas College Contemporary Writers Series. There will be a lunchtime talk at 12:30 p.m. in the Loutit Room, located in upper Wege, and an evening reading at 7:30 p.m. in the Wege Ballroom.

Katrovas has writt en seven books of poetry, including his latest compilation book, “Scorpio Rising,” published in 2011. His early poems are a refl ection of his youth, which was spent living on the highways as his conman father evaded the FBI.

In his later poems, Katrovas focuses on his travels and where he has sett led. He has lived in Prague on a Fulbright Fellowship, and there witnessed the Velvet Revolution, which plays a role in some of his works, as well as his duties as a father and fi nding the balance between Americanism and global curiosity.

He has written two memoirs, a novel, and a collection of short stories. He is also working on a collection of essays titled, “Raising Girls in Bohemia: Meditations of an American Father,” and a novel, Confessions of a Waiter.

Influenced by the importance of

global awareness, he founded the Prague Summer Program, which off ers courses in creative writing, literature, yoga, photography, and Jewish studies.

Katrovas is currently a professor of English at Western Michigan University, aft er having taught at the University of New Orleans for twenty years.

Originally scheduled to read was Thylias Moss, who can not make it due to illness.

fi ft een state four-year schools already operating.

Ferris State University president David Eisler thinks it would make more economic sense to encourage universities to strengthen partnerships with community colleges. If the bill is taken back, Eisler claims he will partner with a community college to make a nursing program with them work.

The big change if the bill goes through deals with the constitution. The constitution states that colleges off ering two-year degrees have locally elected boards, collected property taxes, and they have an oversight from the Board of Educators.

In order to off er four-year degrees, community colleges would essentially have to become universities with boards appointed by governors, no set boundaries, and no property tax.

Destination Grand Rapids: Award winning poet and novelist Richard Katrovas has lived all over the world from Sasebo, Japan to Prague to New Orleans and southern California. The Western Michigan University English professor will be in Wege ballroom this Thursday at 7pm.

COURTESY AQUINAS COLLEGE

Bill proposed for 4 year degrees at community

college

dropped near a Bible School in a southern province. No one was hurt, but several buildings were destroyed.

Somalia: On January 25, two American charity workers were rescued from their captors in Somalia. Though their rescue mission was successful, another American citizen, writer Michael Scott Moore, is still being held for ransom. According to MSNBC, President Obama has pledged to protect American citizens from abduction, and the State department says there are eff orts being made to rescue the writer. In other parts of Somalia, relief is fi nally being brought to victims of a massive famine, though 10 million East Africans are still suff ering.

Italy: the wreck of the cruise ship Costa Concordia is still under investigation. According to CNN, fifteen people are currently missing, with seventeen bodies having been found already. The remaining 4,200 passengers have been accounted for and are receiving sett lements for their loss. The captain of the ship, Franco Schett ino, is being held under house arrest for manslaughter and various other charges.

SMOKING,from page 3

There is also a section on the Aquinas webpage that addresses all of the smoking areas and explains the smoking policy in its entirety. There are many different viewpoints on this policy among Aquinas students.

“I think having designated smoking areas are a good idea be-cause it helps influence safe smok-ing, said freshman student Steven Hartford, “and it is helping Aqui-nas take steps to becoming a smoke free campus, which is ideal to non-smokers like myself.”

On the other hand, smokers feel that this policy is unclear and sin-gling out the smokers on campus.

“I feel like none of the smokers are observing this since especially in Regina there is no longer a smoking spot, which is where a lot of peo-ple smoke,” said freshman student Cameron Thompson.

“ I personally haven’t been ob-serving the new policy because no one has told me otherwise and it hasn’t really been enforced. I feel that the new policy is useless,” Thompson continued.

Campus visitors and other pedestrians on Aquinas property are also subject to the new policy. Smoking in vehicles when on Aqui-nas property is in violation of the new policy, as well.

There has not been much offi-cial discussion about enforcement of the policy with visitors and on-campus drivers.

Sophomore Nick Grady feels that the smoking policy creates more problems. “I think it’s going to be really hard for them to enforce this policy with surrounding visi-tors and people who are on campus walking their pets or just passing through. I think this is really bad publicity for Aquinas because it might draw people away,” he said.

Smoking area maps are also available on Student Senate’s Face-book page.

from our view

>>FROM THE CROWD

APPLAUSE TO...

Non-traditional students that give our classes different perspectives;Jake Mitchell, for telling it like it is;Aquinas’ Student Senate, for supporting service learning and health services in the Dominican Republic;Bob Bradley, for standing up to police brutality in Egypt;Ron Paul, for hanging in there; Helena Lettinga, who turned 109 on Monday; Tom Brady. Even though you lost the Super Bowl, you still have a great life.

HECKLES TO...

The “new” Cuban sandwiches: Get rid of the tomatoes, chicken and lettuce and we’ll talk;DC Comics, for rebooting too many franchises;M.I.A, for flipping America the bird;The Detroit Pistons;People who don’t know the difference between “affect” and “effect;”Pete Hoekstra. Stereotyping China as rice paddies and bicycles does not make for a good campaign ad.

The Saint has worked diligently for the past 30 years to produce an informative, entertaining and journalistically-correct student publication. The Saint is distributed by students at Aquinas College and in the surrounding community. Our goal is to continue to provide an open forum for the ideas, views and concerns of the Aquinas community.

M I S S I O N

All letters must include a signature, typed or handwritten, and include a phone number for the sole purpose of verification. The Saint reserves the right to edit letters to the editor based on content, punctuation, length and libel issues. Letters should not exceed 300 words. We will not print anonymous letters to the editor and will not accept letters to the editor over the phone.

L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R

theSaint

page 4THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

***Please note that the views expressed on this page are those of their

respective author(s), and do not necessarily represent the views of The Saint as a whole.

opinion

>>write us a letter! e-mail — saint.editor@aquinas.edu, or use the form on our website.

physical copies – AB, Room 2

2011-2012 E D I T O R I A L B O A R D

Editor-in-ChiefNews EditorA & E Editor

Sports EditorPhoto EditorManaging Editor

Matt KuczynskiMonica Rischiotto

Stephanie Giluk

Dan MeloyMiriam Pranschke

Nick Signore

> >For centuries, newspapers were the main source of news for concerned

citizens. Local papers gave people a glimpse inside their communities far more comprehensive than TV news. More importantly, newspapers gave people a way to communicate with the entire community. Letters to the edi-tor, opinion pieces by local personalities and public figures and a completely home-grown production team gave each newspaper its own local flavor.

It might seem that this is all a thing of the past and that newspapers are a dying art. The Grand Rapids Press, Kalamazoo Gazette and the Muskegon Chronicle all cut back their daily home delivery to three issues a week in the past few days. Between the three papers, 223 jobs have recently been cut.

Meanwhile, the MLive website has been redesigned and is becoming more user-friendly by the second, keeping up with the 24-hour news cycle.

At The Saint, we might be biased, but maybe instant news and maxi-mum ad space isn’t the ideal that our Presses, Gazettes and Chronicles should be striving for.

Frankly, a newspaper is far more than a business. It provides extremely meaningful careers for locals, many which have been unceremoniously cut in the recent reductions in our local media. The community also suffers with them.

No more daily newspaper means falling out of touch with our neigh-bors. Newspapers provided a guide to the local world. Now, the truly important local stories and opinions simply will not reach beyond the people who are involved with them. Advertising for small businesses as well be-comes a problem without a daily paper.

There might be a few lessons to be learned here, perhaps, about being active, interested citizens, attempting to stay informed, and participating in our communities. But for now, the reality is that soon, there might be no news on paper at all. And no news, in this case, is bad news for those em-ployed, the readers and the community.

Adviser Dr. Dan Brooks

Managing Editor Nick Signore Management E-mail saint.business@aquinas.edu Phone (616) 632-2975 Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

Please smoke herePoint Counterpoint

The new policy is a good thingBy George Van Den DreisscheStaff Writer

The smoking deba-cle continues, only a few short years after the state of Michigan took the battle for non-smokers rights to a smoke free environment upon itself by banning all restaurant smoking (unless one steps unto the patio of course). After this giant step, the battle reached the home front; the Aquinas College smoking policies.

A policy that shifted from a campus that permit-ted smoking anywhere, but had designated tables that were recommended for smokers, quickly leaped into a smoke free campus. And much like the boot-leggers of the 1920s pro-hibition era (though with considerable less flash) the smoking population of Aquinas refused to conform to the policy. Thus, the smoke free policy soon vanished with the wind.

However, once again Aquinas must head back into the fray. Non-smokers are once again crying out for a change, a change that is fair to both parties. The new policy provides on-campus loca-tions for student smokers to enjoy their cancer sticks, while allowing non-smok-ers the ability to avoid these hot spots.

The new policy faces similar criti-cism as previous policies, the strongest counterpoint being a lack of enforce-ment. However, the new policy will call upon an age old concept of community enforcement. The task of enforcement will no longer fall upon campus safety, students will be EXPECTED to follow regulations and to ask those found in violation to also follow guidelines.

Not only, will this idea of enforce-ment work, it will also bring the stu-dents of Aquinas together as a commu-nity. All for one, and one for all; as each student will have a personal responsibil-ity to upholding a campus atmosphere that can be enjoyed by ALL, not simply a smoking or non-smoking student; but equally shared by ALL types of students.

Now, for the juicy stuff; students are no longer allowed to smoke in their vehicles. One might have to read in be-tween the lines to understand why, but quite simply this is to crack down on the smoking of illegal substances (and yes I am referring to marijuana!) Personally, I believe this to be the most significant part of the policy, in a world that is be-

The most important vote

By Laura RicoStaff Writer

It is easy to just choose not to deal with politics. It seems to just lead to never ending arguments and disap-pointments. With the media of today, every candidate apparently always has eight mistresses, millions of dollars, hidden agendas, or a lack of decent vo-cabulary. In my opinion, no matter what party you belong to or what candidate you support, there is always a war of tacky backstabbing taking a front seat to the things that really do matter.

I usually choose not to talk about politics because it inevitably leads to headaches all around. With the 2012 Presidential Race well under way, how-ever, I could not help but think about

where I was the last time this all hap-pened. It seems like just yesterday I watched the Inauguration of President Obama and was so proud of the fact that we finally had a first lady who had something in her closet besides pearls and red, white and blue suits. It then hit me that I was only sixteen when the last election took place. Not that I know anything now, but I really didn’t know anything at the age of sixteen.

If I did, I would have paid more attention the candidates’ positions on things that affect me every day now: student loans, income taxes, and the job market.... the list could undoubt-edly go on forever. So where do we find ourselves with this election? When this next term is up, we expect we will be “adults” in the real world, trying to make our major and minor combina-

MIRIAM PRANSCHKE / THE SAINT

DUSTIN COON / THE SAINT

coming increasing satisfied with a so-ciety that is ‘high’ (who cares if it is a medicated high) the stereotypical ‘pot’ smoker is not the person I want repre-senting Aquinas.

A new year, a new smoking policy; a policy that brings equality to all parties and reduces illegal activities that occur in student cars. An excellent start to the semester, bravo student senate, bravo!

Aquinas is going smoke free, again. Since my freshman year here, the smok-ing issue has been brought up over and over again, with different solutions, ranging from “Just sit at that bench” to proposals for an entirely smoke-free campus.

It seems that the stricter and more regulated these solutions get, the more pointless they become. Let’s face it, what this policy deals with is convenience for others at the expense of a few.

It’s illogical to think that walking past a smoker on a sidewalk once in a while creates a huge health risk for non-smokers, when we live in a world full of pollutant-producing vehicles, factories, and garbage dumps. Usually, the great-est complaint is the noxious odor.

Here, we’re talking about aesthet-ics. It would seem that how a person chooses to smell is as much a matter of personal choice as how much spandex

they choose to wear, or other po-tentially aesthetically unappeal-ing decisions that we tolerate on a daily basis.

Another aesthetic argument that gets brought up frequently is the issue of litter: cigarette butts and empty packs. On this, I’ll agree. But what strikes me as ironic is that in working to encourage people to move to the new smoking areas at Aquinas, trash cans were removed from campus, since smokers used to gather around the trash can ash trays.

Slightly counterproductive, no?

But besides the aesthetics, the biggest issue with the new smoking policy is that it is unen-forceable and redundant.

Campus Safety officers can-not realistically stop every per-son that walks through campus with a burning cigarette, which still happens very frequently. Students aren’t going to stop their friends too often, either. And stopping those who smoke in their cars? Good luck.

The enforcement problem was brought forward multiple times in Student Senate, and never adequately addressed. In reality, it would have been far easier to simply enforce the “ten feet away from buildings” rules that have been in place, and ignored just like the current smoking areas.

Throw in buying a slew of new signs to post around campus and you’ve got a nice waste of cash as well. The money could have been used to help enforce current smoking policies, or perhaps even to provide free quitting supplies to current smokers, helping to create a totally smoke-free environment.

People smoke, regardless of the health risk. It’s a part of the world we live in. While a (mostly) smoke-free campus might be a definite selling point for some; for most, it’s just a neutral fact. It might even turn away just as many students as it draws to come here: in public debates over the tobacco ban last year, at least one non-smoker said she wouldn’t have come to Aquinas had there been a ban in place.

Aquinas doesn’t need policies like this one that are unenforceable, redun-dant, wastes of money and resources, and frankly trivial regulations on peo-ple’s personal choices. With a little more reasoned discussion, open-mindedness and tolerance of people’s lifestyle deci-sions and scents, far more egalitarian and effective solutions could have been found.

tions translate into a paycheck. It terri-fies me that these next four years of our lives might be the most important, and our country seems to be lagging.

The truth is that it is too easy and comfortable to watch government from the sidelines. But we are the generation to speak out, the generation to actually tell the government not only what we want but what we need.

This is why it is crucial to be pres-ent and vote on we hold to be true. Sure, you are one of many but, if ev-eryone of us had that attitude, maybe it would not be nearly impossible to pay off loans and get a “real” job. The Michigan primaries are February 28 so, no matter where you find yourself on the political spectrum, be made known and use your voice. Vote.

The new policy is uselessBy Matt KuczynskiEditor-In-Chief

<<arts & entertainment

Television: Time for a little Anger Management

In the latest news about Charlie Sheen’s new FX sitcom, entitled Anger Management, Selma Blair (Hellboy) has been cast in the lead female role. Blair will play Kate, who will be Charlie’s friend with benefi ts as well as a fellow therapist. Anger Management is slated for 10 episodes but a release date has not been announced.

Chuck Norris: You know who you’re voting for now

Chuck Norris will fi nd you if you don’t vote for Newt Gingrich. On WND, Norris renounces the “trifecta of tyranny” Gingrich is facing (which is mainly Mitt Romney and his money) and announces his ginger-bearded support. Norris uses phrases like “thorn of shame” and “ginormous” to get his point across. Forcefully.

Books: Alan Moore is not going to be happy

DC Entertainment has revealed their plans to publish a collection of miniseries that will follow characters from Watchmen, the groundbreaking superhero saga penned by Alan Moore and drawn by Dave Gibbons in the late 80s. The collections will feature stories about Rorschach, The Comedian and Dr. Manhatt an, to name a few.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT>> M.I.A

page 5THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

A & E Editor Stephanie Giluk E-mail saint.editor@aquinas.edu Phone (616) 632-2975 Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

M.I.A. has been giving off mixed fi ngers lately. The singer has been gett ing good reviews for her “Bad Girls” music video. She also fl ipped the bird at the Super Bowl halft ime show this past Sunday, and has been under fi re for her actions.

COURTESY GOOGLE IMAGES

In 2011, there were four superhero movies released in theaters. The world got to see adaptations of Thor, Green Lantern, X-Men: First Class and Captain America (the third Transformers and Green Hornet were released too, but I don’t feel like counting them in). The movies met with varying levels of suc-cess and some were bett er (Thor) than others (Green Lantern). This year, more superhero movies are coming out, in-cluding the highly anticipated The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers.

For the past decade or so, superhe-ro movies have become common sum-mer blockbuster staples. It’s almost guaranteed that if any studio makes a superhero movie, they’ll make a lot of money, not because the movie is neces-sarily good, but that character’s large fan base will go see the movie. The fans of the comics the hero most likely originated from will rally behind the movie or go see how badly Hollywood butchered their favorite character. And then a bunch of teenage boys will also go see the movie because shit probably gets blown up.

The point is that everyone read-ing this has seen at least one super-hero movie at some point. There are certain conventions that go along with this kind of story. Think tragic origin story (Batman, Superman, Spiderman), costumes (everybody), an arch-villain (Batman and the Joker, Magneto and Professor X), and, of course, a love in-terest (Mary Jane Watson, Lois Lane, and so on).

I’m very familiar with these con-ventions, and if they’re done well, they can be enjoyable, but they do get old aft er being repeated over and over again. That’s why, when I saw Chronicle this past weekend, I was so impressed.

Chronicle is, in a way, a superhero movie, but it is both like and unlike any superhero movie I’ve seen before. The movie is shot like one of those “found footage” movies (think Blair Witch or Cloverfi eld). But unlike Clo-verfi eld, where I knew I was watching a fairly big-budget movie with digital special eff ects shot using a jitt er-cam, Chronicle’s handheld camera feel gives the movie a realism it wouldn’t have had otherwise. The camera work and eff ects are so low-key, it does really seem incredible when Pringles, shop-ping carts, and cars fl oat and move on their own. The eff ects become believ-able, not distracting.

The camera also serves as a meta-phor for the main character and cam-era handler, Andrew (Dane DeHaan), who uses the device as an excuse to hide from his depressing life. He’s still picked on because people are weirded out that this kid is walking around fi lming everything, but when Andrew’s more popular cousin Matt (Alex Russell), and school politician Steve (Michael B. Jordan) fi nd an ee-rie sinkhole outside a rave, everything changes.

Aft er stumbling upon a strange-looking extra-terrestrial crystal, the three gain telekinetic powers. Like nor-mal people, the boys use their powers to mess with people. They play pranks on unsuspecting mall-goers and infect the audience with the wonder of what they can do. I was plenty impressed when Thor fought the Frost Giants or when Magneto stopped those nukes, but I knew what I was looking at was by no means real. Those fi ctional char-acters are superheroes and I am aware I’m watching them on a screen. I could never be like them.

But when I watched Chronicle and identifi ed with Andrew, the quiet, bul-lied kid everyone knows from their high school, I felt like maybe this could happen to me. I could trip over a sink-hole over in Wilcox Park, gain teleki-netic powers, and then use them to screw with people. I feel this way be-cause none of the characters in Chron-icle are heroes, really. They’re teenage boys who discover they are capable of frightening and wonderful things, and they have to decide what to do with such power. And when an abused and desperate Andrew goes down a path fans of Carrie would recognize, that seems real too. Chronicle is aware of every superhero trope before it, and it plays off those same tropes to make something darkly original.

A hero’schronicle

stephanie giluk | a&e editor

The Grey is a chilling and tense survivalist thriller

By Katherine MataStaff Writer

The Grey pushes spine-chilling thrillers to a whole new level. Filled with emotion and action, The Grey does not disappoint. The main charac-ters’ fi ght for survival takes audiences on a wild adventure across the barren and bitt er wintry Alaska in a taught, riveting tale.

Ott way, played by Liam Neeson (Schindler’s List), works for a petro-leum company in Alaska. Forced to endure the harsh winters far from any major cities, Ott way and the other men look forward to leaving the hell-hole they had to call “home.” Unfortunate-ly for the men, unseen problems bring their plane crashing down into a vast, snow-covered desert. Of the men who survived the crash, Ott way begins to guide the men toward survival.

Despite their best eff orts, anoth-er challenge lies ahead of them that would be next to impossible to over-come, even with plentiful resources: they have intruded on a wolf pack’s territory. The men must learn to co-operate and fi ght for their lives as the wolves close in.

The wolves manage to observe and taunt the men for days. Once the wolves have an understanding of how the men work, they begin to at-tack and send warnings for the men to leave their territory. The men, taking

AQ Idol’s first round a blast

By Meghan GrayThe Saint Reporter

Tuesday, Jan. 31, the fi rst round of AQ Idol started off on the right foot. The event was sponsored by Aquinas College Programming Board and was hosted for the night was junior Chris Skurka. There were 13 contestants in Round One: Rachel Martz, Chris Vander Ark, Zander Atwood, Ga-briella Walker, Jessica Bredeweg, RJ Nordlund, Dala Carroll, Taylor Nefcy, Luke Strobel, Nubia Gomez, Macken-zie Glaros, Kelsey Foxx, and Anthony Emery.

The fi rst round was defi nitely en-tertaining. AQPB’s decision to have AQ Idol take place in the AMC Recital Hall only made the atmosphere and performances seem that much bett er. The hall was fi lled with eager and en-couraging spectators. When the pro-spective idols were being introduced, groups from every corner of the audi-ence would cheer for certain competi-tors. Some spectators even made signs for those singers that they supported.

Nordlund had a following of very enthusiastic fans cheering him on in the front row. He sang a song called “Nashville” by Noah Gunderson about Nashville blues that had a great blend of country and folk. The audience very much enjoyed and connected with Nordlund’s rendition of the song due to his comfortable demeanor on stage. The aspiring idol sported the bare-foot look with his acoustic guitar in hand. The judges said that Nordlund looked as if he were “playing in his

COURTESY OPEN ROAD FILMS

It’s a wolf-eat-wolf world: Liam Neeson leads the pack through thick and thin in The Grey.

Belt it out: The contenders at AQ Idol made an impression.

MEGHAN GRAY/THE SAINT

the hint, be-gin to leave and hope to remain alive long enough to fi nd help. These w o l v e s , h o w e v e r , o u t s m a r t the men ev-ery step of the way.

M u c h of the fi lm focuses on O t t w a y ’ s sense of de-spair and longing for his depart-ed wife. His character is one that the a u d i e n c e can empa-thize with.

Neeson delivers a performance that will not be easily forgott en. The emotion, the anger and the sorrow Neeson portrays become very real. The additions of Frank Grillo (Warrior) and Dallas Roberts (3:10 to Yuma) help create a real and emotionally raw story that will tug anyone’s heartstrings.

Director Joe Carnahan successful-ly delivers a fi lm that captures people’s

survival instincts in terrible situations. Unlike most survival fi lms, Carnahan’s is not plagued with zombies or bio-chemical warfare. Instead, Carnahan took a situation that is plausible but overlooked and helps the audience understand the dangers of such a situ-ation. What Carnahan does and what many other directors fail to do is to create an emotional link between the

characters and the audience.The Grey is a must see for movie-

goers this year. The move pushes emo-tional boundaries, physical strength and mental stamina as the audience lives through the disaster with the characters. Do not miss out on one of the greatest movies of the year!

living room” r e g a r d i n g how at home he looked p e r f o r m i n g on stage with his outfi t and presence. One of the judges also said that N o r d l u n d ’s performance gave them their fi rst chills of the night. When asked about his perfor-mance, Nor-dlund said, “I felt I did a good job. I just want to have

fun and I live for this; performing is my thing.”

Bredeweg sang “My Only Hope” by Mandy Moore. She also had a fol-lowing of fans, many from the Aqui-nas College women’s volleyball team. The judges said her song was beautiful but her nerves were showing a bit, so that if she moves onto the next round to try to be a litt le bit more relaxed.

Carroll sang “P.S. I Still Love You” by Rihanna. Carroll’s fans went crazy at the beginning of the performance and as the song went on, the entire au-dience also enjoyed her performance.

Carroll also sang with a relaxed feel since her song was about trying to move on from a past love. Unfortu-nately, the judges did not agree with the encouraging crowd and told Car-roll that she seemed like she was out of her comfort zone and her performance was not believable.

The three contenders that made it through to the second round of AQ Idol along with Nordlund, Bredeweg, and Carroll, were Vander Ark, who was brave and sang a hard song for a male, “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele, Nefcy, who sang “Don’t Know Why” by Norah Jones, and Emery, who sang an uncommon folk song but made the audience go crazy.

With these six competitors moving on, the second round of

AQ Idol is going to be tougher and

New Bob Dylan cover album worth a listen

When it comes to music, I was raised on American folk. My child-hood was steeped in the friendly sounds of John Prine, the haunting vi-brato of Joan Baez, and, in later years, the melancholy of Townes Van Zandt. Of course, some artists stuck with me for life (Prine sticks out among them), while others fell fl at or eventually lost their fl avor. None of them, however, held as esteemed a position in our household as the veritable king of folk, “His Bobness,” Bob Dylan.

Unsurprisingly, American folk has occupied a special place in my heart – and Dylan is in there, some-where, making very litt le sense and sounding a bit nasal. When I heard about Chimes of Freedom: the Songs of Bob Dylan, my heart skipped a bit of a beat. When I heard it featured a cover of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” by Ke$ha, it missed one too many. And not in a good way.

My contempt for Ke$ha aside, the album’s concept is actually prett y interesting. Dedicated to the 50th an-niversary of Amnesty International, it features a ludicrous seventy-fi ve song track list from a massive number of artists, including Silversun Pickups, Joan Baez, Pete Townshend, Ziggy Marley, Sting, Queens of the Stone Age, Flogging Molly, Elvis Costello, Bad Religion, My Chemical Romance, the late, great Johnny Cash and many more (including, of course, the main man himself). Proceeds of the album go to Amnesty International USA.

I’ll be blunt: if you like Dylan, even remotely, check this out. Now. The occasionally unpleasant song does absolutely nothing to sully the impres-sive quality of this album. Hell, it even

COURTESY AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Tuned: This compilation is a success.

made me enjoy Miley Cyrus for once. Here are some of the no-table (and not-so-notable) tracks:

Rise Against’s cover of “Bal-lad of Hollis Brown” was – and pardon the technical term here – kickass. It was powerful enough to reinvigorate Dylan, as if he needed it, and it reinforced the timeless nature of Dylan’s work by being seamlessly translated into their punk rock style.

Ziggy Marley’s reworking of the classic peace anthem “Blow-in’ in the Wind” is a soothing cover guaranteed to please any Dylan fan. Expectedly, the song elicits just as much eerie power

as it always does, with litt le more than Ziggy’s acoustic guitar.

RedOne and Nabil Khayat of-fer an interesting, synth/rock mix of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” which features what can only be called a cool, almost bluesy guitar solo to boot. Other must-listens include Silversun Pickups’ melodic version of “Not Dark Yet,” Angelique Kidjo’s borderline tribal rendition of “Lay Lady Lay,” and Kris Kristoff erson’s folksy cover of “Quinn the Eskimo.” I also have to mention Eric Burdon’s insanely catchy cover of “Gott a Serve Somebody.” Don’t let the brevity of this list mislead you, however. There are plenty of fun tracks on this album, and the artists tend to succeed when they don’t try to emulate Dylan – instead bringing their own unique styles to the table.

To the not-so-notable list, I must unfortunately add Lenny Kravitz’s version of “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35,” which seems to amount to noth-ing more than a sped up version of the original, with Lenny as our kara-oke vocalist. My Chemical Romance delivers a catchy cover of “Desolation Row,” but the song eventually gets a litt le repetitive. This is nothing against the band – perhaps only Dylan can captivate the listener for so long with a tale like that. So what about Ke$ha’s bizarre cover of “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright?” Honestly, I really wanted to write a scathing review of it. I really wanted to. But I just can’t decide what to think of it, so maybe you should just check it out for yourself.

The album is now available for $19.99 on iTunes and $24.99 in CD format. Alternatively, and if you hate charity, listen to it on Spotify for free.

By Jacob VandenHomberghThe Saint Reporter

see AQ Idol, page 6

THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

A & E Editor Stephanie Giluk E-mail saint.editor@aquinas.edu Phone (616) 632-2975 Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

6 A&E

The Woman in Black is this year’s best horror film. The movie stars Daniel Radcliffe, of Harry Potter fame, as lawyer and widower Ar-thur Kipps living in twentieth cen-tury England. Though a successful lawyer, Kipps grieves over the loss of his wife Stella, who died four years ago while giving birth to their son Joseph.

By John WoffordContributing Writer

Everyone’s invited to Wake Up People!

By Sam SwartoutStaff Writer

It is that time of year again, with Wake Up People just around the cor-ner!

What is Wake Up People, you ask? Well, it is an annual event that is planned by Campus Life.

“It is designed to get people ex-cited about being a student at Aqui-nas College and to hopefully clear up some of the winter blues students may be feeling,” said Tyler Kalahar, Aqui-nas senior and assistant at Campus Life.

There will be entertainment, food and, yes, prizes.

One of the changes for Wake Up People this year is that it will be held at the Sturrus Sports and Fitness Center.

By Alyssa FreseStaff Writer

ANDRIS VISOCKIS/AQUINAS

Party time: Wake Up People will help shake those winter blues.

COURTESY USA TODAY

Suit up: The DC reboot tackles the dark knight.

Old and busted: DC Comics. New and sexy: DC Comics reboot.

With the decision to restart the entire line-up of one of the best known comics publishing companies in history, speculation ran rampant as to whether or not a team of talent-ed writers and artists could pull off the ultimate hat-trick. Aft er all, this wasn’t merely an att empt to reboot a troubled continuity or inject fresh art into a stale market. No, this was fi ght for the very relevancy of comics as an industry—a claim staked on the fu-ture of the failing business.

The big question is, “Does the re-boot work?” Not exactly. While some comics have successfully captured a creative spark that surprised com-ics veterans and noobs alike (Ani-mal Man, Swamp Thing)—others fell shockingly short of the mark (Cat-woman, Superman).

One of the most buzzed about titles in the reboot has been Scott Snyder’s run on Batman. Snyder was previously lauded for his work on Detective Comics (another Batman title) before the reboot. For anyone unfamiliar with that collection, now published in one volume as Batman: The Black Mirror, buy it immediately. Snyder’s take on Dick Grayson (you might know him bett er as Robin) cov-ering for Batman, while the original Caped Crusader is M.I.A, is dark, haunting and disgusting. Above all else, it is noir fi ction at its fi nest.

So does Snyder work magic a sec-

Back to the Batcave

Daniel Radcliffe delivers chills

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moving on, the second round of AQ Idol is going to be tougher and the comptetition will be stiff er. Based on the amount of fans each of these per-formers had, the crowd at round two will also be more active, enthusiastic and opinionated. One can only wait and see. The next round of AQ Idol is Tuesday, February 7, in the AMC at 10:30 p.m.

AQ Idolfrom page 5

ond time? Well, sort of. Make no mistake, Batman is an excellent title, probably the most popular of the current line-up. And it defi -nitely deserves praise. It is a taut, w e l l - b a l a n c e d story arc that places the classic Batman character against a gaggle of menacing foes. Heck, the violent intro of the fi rst issue is worth the cover price alone. Still, it feels a bit familiar.

Snyder uses the same narrative framing devices again and again. Usually opening on a seemingly un-related narration by a central char-acter (sometimes Batman, sometimes one of his cohorts), the words of each panel eventually tie in to the action we’re seeing. Sometimes this “tie-in” is metaphorical, other times literal. On the one hand, it is a great opportu-nity to get inside Batman’s head while he’s in the heat of action. On the other hand, Snyder used the exact same de-vice during his Detective Comics run, and while it is defi nitely an eff ective blend of language and visuals, I can not help but think it’s gett ing a bit old.

As for the story… well, the ver-dict’s still out on that. Snyder is cur-rently completing a multi-issue story

arc (with eventual crossover issues into other comic brands) that sees Bat-man dealing with a cult-like crime or-ganization that has had its—talons?—into the heart of the city for decades. The narrative itself uses familiar ele-ments (secret societies, trained assas-sins, hidden rooms), but the emotion-al impact is undeniable. The plot is nowhere near the caliber of Snyder’s own previous work, but the kinetic energy makes up for the lag.

Of all the titles in the new DC reboot, Snyder is among a handful I would recommend without many questions asked. It is not perfect, but it makes a solid case for the future of comics… err, graphic novels.

You Me at Six? Take a raincheck

By Paris CloseThe Saint Reporter

After the release of albums Take Off Your Colours (2008) and Hold Me Down (2010), the British rock band You Me At Six has garnered international suc-cess. With popular songs “Always At-tract,” “Stay With Me” and “Under-dog” in their arse-nal of hits, fans will be excited to see what they have in store in their third studio album Sin-ners Never Sleep. The record intends to mix things up a bit with cameo appearances by Bring Me the Hori-zon’s Oli Sykes and Parkway Drive’s Winston McCall. This year the group plans to ring in the New Year with a different sound, citing influences from bands like Jimmy Eat World and Blink-182.

Listeners will be pleased with songs “This Is the First Thing” and “Little Bit of Truth,” most likely be-cause it reminds them of another ser-enade of theirs, “Tigers and Sharks.” These songs are the album’s best and really showcase what these guys can accomplish when they work thought-fully.

“Loverboy,” which is the album’s lead single, starts with a playful chant over a smooth bass line, giv-ing the track a seductive touch. Do not be fooled by the soft melody. The chorus is packed with intense gui-tar lines and lyrics that beg for ven-geance. Since we are discussing the album’s more aggressive songs, it is essential to note “Bite My Tongue,” which features Sykes. When asked about “Bite My Tongue,” the band

said that it is one of the rockiest songs they have ever written and that the raw emotion is what really completed the song.

Tracks like “Jaws On the Floor” and “Reckless” definitely bring a summery sound to the album with rigid drum patterns and an all-out wave of electro-rhythm. While the choruses are helplessly simple and catchy, the songs do not bring any-thing special when it involves lyrical talent. Where these tracks thrive in musical aptitude they lack in lyrical expression.

“When We Were Younger” and “The Dilemma” are probably the most unorganized and drowsiest songs on the album. It is painful to witness such a talented band lose their credibility with lazy songwrit-ing.

Listeners will be curious to know whether the band will continue down this path or revert back to their origi-nal melodies that fascinated fans from the beginning. Let us hope for that this is a one-time experiment. While the bands’ efforts to make a daring jump into new rhythmic ter-ritory are commendable, it’s best that they keep with their original sound.

COURTESY VIRGIN RECORDS

Discord: You Me at Six disappoints with their latest album.

Previously the event has been held at The Cook Carriage House. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

This year the event will be ca-tered by Pepsi Bott ling Company (that means free pop!) as well as Creative Dining Services. In the past, Wake Up People has also been catered by East-town’s favorite hotdog spot, Yester-dog, as well as Litt le Caesar’s Pizza. Keep your eyes peeled for such com-panies, as they may make an appear-ance this year as well. The fi nal list of caterers will not be fi nalized until just prior to the event.

Did someone mention prizes? Of course! As always, Wake Up People will feature prizes. Some will be do-nated by Pepsi, such as t-shirts and hats, while others will be provided by Campus Life funding. You will have to

att end the event to enter for your chance to win!

Food and prizes not enough to catch your in-terest? Perhaps the enter-tainment will tickle your fancy. Long running co-medic powerhouse Sec-ond City Improv Troupe will grace Aquinas Col-lege with their presence and provide humor for the evening. Never heard of them? Their alumni in-clude Tina Fey, Chris Far-ley and Stephen Colbert. Check out their website at www.secondcity.com. They will be performing FAFSA and the Furious act.

Following Second City Improv Troupe will be Aquinas’ own AQ Idol fi nale. Come fi nd out who will be crowned the 2012 AQ Idol winner.

Another change to Wake Up People this year is that tickets are required for entrance. Do not let this deter you from at-tending, because the cost is still FREE. Students need only to take their student ID to the Campus Life offi ce, located in the Moose, to pick up tickets. Each student is allowed to pick up two tickets. This will allow for the entrance of non-AQ com-munity into the event.

The law firm for which Kipps works sends him on an assignment to the countryside to deal with a deceased woman’s estate. When Kipps arrives in the village near the estate, the townspeople are rather unwelcoming and try to send him back to where he came from. Kipps is a dedicated worker, however, so he pays a man to drive him out to the estate. As Kipps is searching the house for important documents and paperwork, an eerie presence is felt. Kipps comes across cards and pa-perwork revealing that there was a little boy that drowned in the marsh right by the house. The boy was ad-opted by the couple who lived in the house because the boy’s real mother could not take care of him.

After the adoption, the couple denied the woman the right to see her own son and there was a huge falling out. After the son drowns in the marsh, the boy’s mother is outraged at the parent’s irresponsi-bility. She promises she will never forgive them for her son’s death. It

is after this that odd oc-currences involving the children of the villages start happening, lead-ing to the appearance of the mysterious Woman in Black This movie made the audience jump quite a bit. Although it started off a bit slow, the pace picked up consid-erably and tension built up steadily. The Woman in Black was one of the best horror movies that have been released in a long time. Daniel Rad-cliffe’s performance should be applauded; he stunningly morphed from nerdy wizard to a great father/lawyer. The movie is a must- see.

<<sports

Big Ten: MSU beats Michigan, re-mains one game behind Ohio State

The Michigan State Spartans defeated in-state rivals Michigan Wolverines 64-54 last Sunday. Spartan forward Draymond Green led State with 14 points and 16 rebounds. Michigan State is now 7-3 in the Big Ten while Michigan fell to 7-4 in the conference. Ohio State still leads the league with an 8-2 record.

Soccer: United States set to play Canada in a friendly match

The United States men’s national soccer team will travel north of the border to play Canada on June 3 in Toronto. The last time the Yanks and the Canucks competed was in June last year when the United States defeated Canada 2-0 in Detroit. The United States’ next match will be Feb. 29 against Italy in Genoa.

Cycling: Contador stripped of title and banned two year from the Tour

page 7THE SAINT | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

Sports Editor Dan Meloy E-mail saint.editor@aquinas.edu Phone (616) 632-2975 Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

WHAT TO WATCH>> WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The Aquinas College women’s basketball team host Siena Heights University tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center. The Saints now sit sixth in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference with a 7-7.

Spannish cyclist Alberto Contador was stripped of his 2010 Tour de France title last Mon-day aft er he had been found guilty of doping. Contador claimed that the positive tests were a result of eating contaminated meat. Cycling au-thorities have rejected this claim. Contador has been suspended from the Tour for the two years.

Super Bowl a success for

the disen-chanted fan

dan meloy | sports editor

It seems that somewhere in my Sports Editor contract I am legally ob-ligated to write my column about the Super Bowl. So to avoid gett ing into hot water with the Ed-In-Chief and my ad-viser, here’s a few hundred words about the event of a million words.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love the Super Bowl and I love football. But pro football has never been something I’ve been able to wrap my arms around.

I was raised in a household where the Green Bay Packers were put some-where in the ranks of America and the Catholic Church, but being the black sheep of the family, I was always a fan of the “other” football. Seriously, did any-one catch the Man. U–Chelsea game?

So being about two degrees from caring about who won this year, I really had to stretch to fi nd a team to root for. Robert Kraft , owner of the New England Patriots, also owns the New England Revolution of the MLS. When in doubt, root for soccer people.

But besides supporting my half-hearted jump onto the Patriot bandwag-on, one of the more interesting features of my Super Bowl viewing experience was watching two of my housemates, one a lifelong Giants fan, the other a life-long Patriots fan, watch the game, all the while gauging their emotions through-out the contest.

The game itself, from a relatively neutral point of view, (seriously, you have to pick a team. Flip a coin if you must; it adds to the overall viewing ex-perience) was overall prett y entertain-ing.

It was a back and forth contest, and watching Eli Manning make an impres-sive late game drive to win the Super Bowl was something special. Close and exciting contests are something that just about any fan no matt er their interest level could enjoy (my sympathies, Patri-ots fans).

But I guess that is just part of the overall majesty that is the Super Bowl. People who have no real rooting inter-est in the result of the game or no real interest in football, for that matt er, can still fi nd ways to enjoy the Super Bowl.

Be it the commercials, the parties or watching Madonna do whatever she was trying to do Sunday night, the Su-per Bowl has become a holiday onto it-self.

The Super Bowl has become the great unifi er in American sporting so-ciety. I use the term society loosely for some circles.

It has become a place for fans of dif-ferent teams to come together and enjoy the capstone of the football season, a place where the football fanatic and the person who has no idea how there can be “unnecessary” roughness in football can sit side by side and discuss Ameri-ca’s game (sorry, baseball).

Maybe with the exceptions of the World Cup and the Olympics, the Super Bowl is one of the only sporting events that supersedes its competitive purpose. A place where the event overpowers the outcome of the game and teams that take part.

I mean, really, when was the last time you heard of watching an event on television just for the commercials?

So as a non-profesional football fan, I get it. The glamour, the glitz, all the ce-lebrities in att endance. It is easy to see why the Super Bowl has almost replaced the Fourth of July as our true national holiday. Throughout history, sports and Hollywood are the two mainstays in American pop-culture, and for one night we cram it all into a six hour broadcast in a supernova of entertainment.

The game was great, the commer-cials were okay–seriously people, stop being so critical of commercials. Their job is to make you buy products. If you spend more than a minute ranting about them then they did their job–and the halft ime entertainment was lively.

So it is safe to say as someone who had no rooting interests in the year’s Su-per Bowl and no strong interest in the NFL in any given year, this Super Bowl was an entertainment success.

And Madonna, feel free not to be in the public sphere, ever again.

Who’s hot and who’s not in col-lege basketball

By Brian KalchikThe Saint Reporter

With no one consensus team that is the odds-on favorite to win the national championship, this year in college basketball is turning hectic. Here is a rundown of who’s hot and who’s not in college basketball.

Who’s HotKentucky Wildcats (23-1) Behind

some stellar play from freshmen Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, plus the coaching of John Calipari, the Wildcats are the number one team in the nation with their only loss coming in Bloomington against the Hoosiers on a last second buzzer beater.

Murray State Racers (23-0) Now it is time to give some respect to this mid-major team from the Ohio Valley Conference. They are the only Division I team that is still unbeaten and with players like Isaiah Cannan and Donte Pool, this could be the next Butler as far as Cinderella teams are concerned.

Florida State Seminoles (16-6) The Seminoles are the surprising team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, hav-ing beaten both traditional conference powers Duke and North Carolina. The Seminoles beat Duke with a buzzer beater and blew out Carolina in Tal-lahassee. Most people forget that the Seminoles were a Sweet 16 team last

year, so their run should not be consid-ered a fl uke.

Who’s NotConnecticut Huskies (15-8) This

year’s version of the Huskies is the not the same as last year’s. Without their leader, Kemba Walker, and the suspen-sion of star player Ryan Boatright, the Huskies have not played their normal brand of basketball. It is still early in the season, but players like Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier have to step it up if the Huskies hope for a repeat National Championship season

Vanderbilt Commodores (16-7) With players like Jeff rey Taylor, John Jenkins and Festus Ezeli, the Com-modores should be bett er than this. Vanderbilt is under-achieving and has yet to play either Florida or Kentucky. The Commodores bett er step it up with the talent they posses.

The entire Pac-12 Yes, I am sin-gling out an entire conference because this conference is the NFC West of col-lege basketball, with only two to three teams worthy of a shot at the tourna-ment. California and Washington are both tied atop the standings, while powerhouses like Arizona and UCLA have crept towards the middle of the standings, nowhere near where they should be. Close to half of the teams in the conference have sub-par confer-ence records.

In search of a good seedWomen’s basketball team looking to close out the regular

season strong

LYNN DAVIS / THE SAINT

Huddle up: The women’s basketball team gathers around Head Coach Linda Nash as she give instruction to the team. The Saints are 7-7 in league play and are looking to host a conference tournament game.

By Laura FarrellStaff Writer

Aft er coming off two consecutive wins, the Aquinas College women’s basketball team struggled with a three game losing streak.

Starting with an away game against Northwestern Ohio on January 25, the Saints lost a close game 73-69. Junior guard Taelor Sanders was the leading scorer of the game, scoring 22 points. Junior forward Liza Flewelling and freshman guard Allison Heberlein each had seven rebounds.

The Saints took on the Cornerstone Eagles for the second time year on Jan-uary 28, aft er edging them out by one point earlier this season. As the stands were fi lled with Saints and junior Saints alike, the energy surged. The Saints put up a fi ght throughout the entire game, staying close to the Eagles and taking the lead many times. A few missed shots and turnovers lead to the Golden Eagles coming out on top 62-54. Sand-

ers led the Saints with 17 points and eight rebounds. Freshman guard Chel-sea Matley put in eight points and ju-nior center Lindsey Karpowicz had fi ve rebounds.

Right aft er the close loss, the Saints took on Indiana Tech but had similar results to the Cornerstone match. The Saints fell 62-53 as Sanders was the leading scorer for the third game in a row while junior center Shelby Carter put up nine points.

Flewelling looks forward to how the team plans to bounce back, for the fi nal games of the season. “We need to work on putt ing a whole game to-gether,” said Flewelling. “We start the game off slow and put ourselves in a hole, then we have to dig ourselves out of it. We need to play 94 feet for all 40 minutes.”

The team seemed to do just that, taking on UM-Dearborn on February 3, winning 78-52. Sanders scored eighteen points and sophomore forward Carly Bardwell scored thirteen in the win.

Aquinas men win Calvin

Invite,women place second

By Dale DomerThe Saint Reporter

The Aquinas College men’s and women’s indoor track and fi eld teams competed at the Calvin College Invi-tational on Friday, January 27. The men’s team won the meet with 152 points, 22 points ahead of second place Calvin. The women’s team placed second at the meet, fi nishing 20 points behind Calvin.

Sweeping the men’s 200-meter dash, Aquinas sprinter senior Rumeal McKinney, freshman Ryan Parminter, freshman Ray Bordeaux and junior Jake Sanders displayed their athleti-cism and took the limelight.

McKinney explained how impor-tant it is to get centered and warm up correctly before each race.

“I warm up like it’s the National Championship,” said McKinney. “You can’t take any competition for granted, you’ve got to warm up like it’s your last race. I’ve got to think to myself I’m in my zone, it’s my race. I’m not running against anyone else, I’m run-ning against myself and my best time.”

Running the 200 meter dash at 22.2 seconds, McKinney is only 0.4 sec-onds away from breaking the national record.

Parminter fi nished just aft er McK-inney in the 200.

“Running with him is exciting and nerve racking just because he is so fast. It’s exciting to know that I have some-one to push myself. It defi nitely helps my time,” said Parminter. “It’s a good feeling to know that I’m really not that far behind him.”

Parminter took fi rst place in the 60, just in front of Sanders. As a fresh-man, he is showing great potential for his future.

During the 800, sophomore middle distance runner Zack Potgeter kept his cool, and had his eye fi xed on fi rst place. He ran most of the race just steps behind the leader. In the last lap he exploded forward, taking the lead and winning fi rst place in the event.

Both teams will compete at Grand Valley on Feb. 10-11.

COURTESY NEWSONE.COM

World champions: New York Giants players celebrate with the Vince Lombardi Trophy aft er winning Super Bowl XLVI 21-17.

With just four more games left in the regular season, the team is looking forward to the Wolverine-Hoosier Ath-letic Conference tournament.

“The WHAC tournament winner will get the second bid to the national tournament,” said Head Coach Linda Nash. “Any team has the ability to win it, so we are striving to put together three strong games to represent the conference in the 32 team national tour-nament fi eld in Sioux City, Iowa.”

Nash knows that the team will have to step up their game come tour-nament time in order to advance to the National Tournament.

“We know what it takes to get there. Now we are competing for seed-ing in the tournament. If we want to host home games, we need to fi nish strong these last fi ve games.”

The Saints host Siena Heights Uni-versity tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Stur-rus Sports and Fitness Center.

Giants win Super Bowl XLVI

By Sam SwartoutStaff Writer

Super Bowl XLVI had all the mak-ings of being a fantastic rematch of Su-per Bowl XLII, with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots playing against Eli Manning and the New York Giants for the title world champions.

The game started out rough for the Patriots, as Brady was called for inten-tional grounding in the end zone giv-ing the Giants a safety and a two point lead.

Manning led his team to an early start with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Victor Cruz, putt ing the Giants up 9-0.

A great defensive play by Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul held the Patriots to a fi eld goal by kicker Ste-phen Gostkowski.

With eight seconds left in the fi rst half, Brady completed a touchdown pass to running back Danny Woodhead giving the Patriots their fi rst lead of the game and headed into the locker rooms up 10-9.

Brady and the Patriots came out in the second half fi red-up and ready to play. Three minutes into the third quar-ter Brady threw a touchdown pass to

tight end Aaron Hernandez, extending the New England lead 17-9.

As the third quarter came to a close, the Giants had back-to-back fi eld goals, closing their defi cit to within two points.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Brady threw the fi rst interception of the game to Giants linebacker Chase Blackburn. The Patriots almost caught a break on the next play as the Giants fumbled the ball, however, the Giants recovered to keep possession.

With four minutes remaining in the game, Patriots wide receiver Wes Welk-er dropped a pass on second down that would have given the Patriots a fi rst down an plenty of yardage. However, New England had to sett le by punting the football later in the drive.

Upon the Giants receiving the ball back, wide receiver Mario Manning-ham made a beautiful reception for 38 yards. The Giants eventually scored with a touchdown from running back Ahmad Bradshaw to put the Giants ahead 21-17.

The Patriots failed to score in the dying seconds and the Giants were crowned World Champions.

8 THE SAINT |WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012

Sports Editor Dan Meloy E-mail saint.editor@aquinas.edu Phone (616) 632-2975 Website www.aquinas.edu/thesaint

SPORTS

Planning and preperationAquinas College finalizing plans for phase two of the Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center

By George Van Den DriesscheStaff Writer

The Sturrus Sports and Fitness Center phase two additions have been placed on hold until the Fall 2012 se-mester.

Students and faculty who were expecting to see the “dirt broken” on construction of the second stage of the Sturrus Center may have noticed a lack of building activity occurring. There is no need for alarm, as phase two has been temporarily delayed until the coming fall semester.

Gregory ‘Mac’ McAleenan, the Vice President of Advancement at Aquinas College, said, “The challenge with phase two has obviously been funding; it is just under a fi ve million dollar project.”

Besides searching for donors, Aquinas has been hatching a new strat-egy for raising and utilizing funds. This strategy is being called the Grand Saints Campaign. The Grand Saints is aimed primarily at Aquinas Alumni in the hopes of having a more active alumni relationship with the school. Another goal of the Grand Saints is to use it as a test funding tactic and redi-rect it to other projects aft er the Stur-rus Center renovation is complete. One such project would be the renovation of

DALE DOMER / THE SAINT

It’s halft ime, Aquinas: Construction of the second phase of the Sturrus Sports and Fitness Center is set to begin Fall 2012.

Albertus Hall.The second phase of the Sturrus

Center additions will consist of mul-tiple att ributes, such as a 200-meter in-door track, new basketball courts in the center of the track space and space for baseball and soft ball workouts. There will be no turf section added in the cur-rent outline.

“We think it is about a six month project,” said McAleenan.

Phase two will also be built 10 feet below the ground.

Phase two will provide multiple opportunities to the school, one being to host a track meet for the fi rst time in 20 years. Aquinas is also hoping to add junior varsity volleyball and women’s basketball to the school’s sporting ros-ter. This year the school added a men’s junior varsity basketball team. Phase II is a main priority for the col-lege. President Juan Olivarez said, “I’m excited about completing the Sports and Fitness Center project. You, our students, need the space for practice, competitions and intramural activities. You have my full commitment to make this campaign a priority.”

The entire renovation of the Field house into the Sturrus Center is about a 12 million dollar campaign. During the recertifi cation process, construction on phase one was jump-started before the

full 12 million had been raised. McA-leenan also expressed it was done to provide jobs for people when Aquinas possessed the fi nances for phase one. President Olivarez did announce at a Student Senate meeting that a potential donor for phase two has been found, but the deal is not offi cial yet.

However, though construction has been temporarily halted for Sturrus, plans to create a new entryway for the college are underway. The current en-tryway for Aquinas is located on Rob-inson Road, the new entryway will be located on Fulton and will emphasize the Sturrus Center.

“Our new entrance off of Fulton Street will make a statement,” said Oli-varez. “We need to create an entrance that is inviting and sets the stage for our beautiful campus. A more promi-nent and visible entry way will increase our visibility along a busy street.”

The new entryway will have a pla-za with a statue of St. Thomas Aquinas and will eliminate the drive connecting the Sturrus lot to Fulton. Construction on the new entryway is expected to cost $400,000 dollars and be completed by June 25 as a punctuation mark to the 125th Anniversary.

Friends and family inspire senior Rumeal McKinney

to succeed on the track

By Alyssa FreseThe Saint Reporter

Many athletes stick with the sport they love the most when entering col-legiate athletics. For Aquinas senior sprinter Rumeal McKinney, this was not the case. McKinney began running track his sophomore year of high school through the infl uence of his friends.

“I played a lot of basketball and really liked that but aft er trying track I decided to keep going and have fun with it. I wanted to play basketball but I liked track,” said McKinney.

McKinney participated in sprint-ing events such as the 100 and 200-meter dash and the 4 by 100 relay both in high school and his track career at Aquinas. McKinney has had a very successful

DALE DOMER / THE SAINT

A blazzing career: Senior Rumeal McK-inney is a National Champion and has the school record in the 60-meter dash.

The Aquinas College men’s bas-ketball team had a huge win on Jan. 25 against Northwestern Ohio, beating them 85-65.

Leading the team in points was ju-nior forward Zach Eddy with 19 points, senior wing Joe Powers with 16 and se-nior forward Jason Shockey with 13.

Aft er their huge win against Northwestern Ohio, the Saints traveled to crosstown rival Cornerstone Univer-sity Jan. 28.

“This was a tough game,” said men’s basketball head coach Dave Hammer. “It was close and went back and forth. In the end Cornerstone pulled away with the win.”

Losing to rival Cornerstone lit a fi re within the Saints as they prepared to face 20th ranked Indiana Tech just four short days later.

“We knew this would be a tough game, we went out and played out hardest,” said Shockey. “We played good defense and made our shots.”

Aquinas came away with a 64-61 win against their ranked opponent. Leading the team in scoring was Pow-ers with 20 points, junior guard Ken Gordon with 17 points and Shockey

Finishing strongA pair of home wins give AQ men’s bas-

ketball a shot at second in the WHAC

Shooting from the stripe: Senior wing Joe Powers shoots free throws in Aquinas’ win against Indiana Tech last Wednesday. By Sam SwartoutStaff Writer

with 14 points. “We were able to get off ensive re-

bounds throughout the game which really helped us to put up more points and to stay focused,” said Eddy.

This past Saturday, the Saints hosted UM-Dearborn. The Saints were able to add another notch to their belts, winning 56-44. Aft er taking a 20 point lead in the fi rst half, Aquinas was able to give their starters a break for the fi rst time in quite a few games.

“We really wanted to be able to get our guys out there who don’t get to play a lot, I’m glad we were able to give them that chance,” said Shockey.

Leading the team in points were sophomore guard Brett Pfahler with 17, Shockey with 10 and Eddy, Gordon and Powers all had seven points.

“There are still a few thing we need to work on to accomplish our goal of placing second in the league, winning the conference tournament and gett ing a bid to Nationals,” said Hammer. “We need to focus on the fundamentals, ball handling and defense. These boys are determined, and realistically, can achieve their goals if they work hard.”

The Saints’ next game is tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Adrian against Siena Heights University.

GVSU’s accelerated 14-month M.B.A. program is now available to

recent business grads. Students receive a well-paid fellowship and

opportunities to study in Washington, D.C., and abroad. Apply by

February 15. Call (616) 331-7400 or visit gvsu.edu/grad/fi mba to

learn more.

Introducing the GVSU Full-Time Integrated M.B.A. (FIMBA) Program.

HURRY! APPLY BY FEBRUARY 15 track career at Aquinas. “Rumeal has gott en stronger and faster over the last four years; it’s been att ention to the me-chanics and skill of sprinting that has allowed him to reach the national class level. He is very competitive and has great work ethic,” said Aquinas Track and Field Coach David Wood.

McKinney’s focus and hard work not only push him to do bett er but also inspire his teammates to work harder as well.

“Rumeal is a great runner be-cause he is focused and sets reachable goals for himself,” said senior sprinter Samantha Destefano. “Aft er he has reached his goal for the week he will set another for the following. This is what leads to a National Champion title. I have learned from Rumeal that if you combine hard work dedication and passion, you can achieve great things. He is a great leader and always brings a positive att itude to our practices and meets.”

McKinney sets high goals for him-self as well as the track team on a whole for this spring 2012 season. “As a team I hope to win the conference,” said McK-inney. “As for myself, I would like to win Nationals in the 60-meter dash.”

McKinney has worked hard to get where he is today in his track career; his inspiration for working so hard is his grandfather. “I’ve seen my grandfather work hard every day. He is a lot other than me and he never takes a day off . I take that att itude with me and apply it to track. I don’t take a day off ,” said McKinney.

Along with being an outstanding runner at Aquinas, McKinney has man-aged to stay focused and involved with his academics. He is pursuing a major in Sports Administration and a minor in Coaching.

“I chose to come to Aquinas be-cause I felt I would be able to focus more. I liked the small size of the school and I knew I would have some great opportunities,“ said McKinney. With his sports administration and coaching degrees, McKinney plans to work in the sports fi eld and would like to stay involved with the college scene. “I plan to get a graduate assistant job somewhere. I hope to stay in Michi-gan but I’d be open to leaving the state for a few years. I would ideally want to coach basketball but I will probably end up coaching track since there are typically more job opportunities for track coaches.”

BECKY LATKA / THE SAINT