This past weekend, three UNICEF at Loras members, senior advisor Lina Ro-driguez, treasurer Catalina Santacruz and graphic Designer Juanita Bustamante at-tended the annual UNICEF Campus Initia-tive Summit in Boca Raton, FL. They were three members of 200 UNICEF students from colleges and universities from across the country that joined together in order to share ideas and tactics for furthering the work of UNICEF back on their own cam-puses.

While at the Summit, the students were

able to attend UNICEF workshops and panel discussions. They were also able to review resources and the direction of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF Campus Initiative.

“The conference taught me that my dreams matter and that it only takes one person to make a difference, so now is the right time to start working for what I be-lieve in, and my start with UNICEF at Lor-as is the first step to help children and see the change I want to see in my community and in the world,” Santacruz said.

The Summit collaborated with the Mil-lennium Campus Network Conference to put on the event. The total effort brought together student leaders and representa-tives from more than 50 nations, 180 uni-versities and colleges, and 100 NGOs and companies. They interacted for three days to discuss the fight against poverty, the

United Nations’ 2015 agenda, and to celebrate the Interna-tional Day of the Girl.

The UNICEF at Loras rep-resentatives took part in the UNICEF Campus Initiative agenda on Friday, Oct. 10, and then rejoined the larger MCC group for the remaining two days.

On Saturday, the students had the opportunity to listen to keynote speakers and 2014 Global Generation Award win-ners Nicholas Kristof (jour-nalist and author), Julie Lewis (founder of the 30/30 project), Kristin Davis (actress, most well-known for her role on “Sex and the City”) and Caryl Stern (President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF). Other speakers included Jonathan Clyde (Apple Records and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF), Cara E. Yar Khan (who has worked with UNICEF around the world as a resource mobilization special-ist), Mischa Barton (actress), Carrie Hes-sler-Radelet (president of the Peace Corps), and Dr. Louise Iveser (Partners in Health).

That day also included debates about working in the global environment, a Change-the-World Fair that connected stu-dents to nonprofit organizations, graduate schools, businesses, social ventures, etc., an experiential learning session, social time, and a book-signing by Kristof and Stern.

Sunday consisted of a mass networking session with more than 1,000 people, giv-ing students the opportunity to meet other students, community and business leaders, and still others who are focused on human-itarian efforts. This was followed by the closing ceremonies and the conclusion of the Summit.

“This year, the Summit was truly life-changing. It is an honor to be part of a group of passionate student leaders who

work toward the same goal. Being in a room full of energy, ideas and knowledge encourages us to keep working toward be-coming global citizens and improving the conditions in which children live around the world,” Rodriguez commented.

This annual conference has become a staple for the UNICEF at Loras members to attend, as it provides such an enrich-ing opportunity for networking with other UNICEF chapters from schools all across the world. In turn, the representatives from Loras bring back valuable new ideas and insights to apply here. Although typically it is the UNICEF at Loras e-Board members attending this conference, the opportunity is open to any member of the club.

Applications for next year’s Summit will most likely be available in the late spring or early summer, and interested students can apply online for a spot as spaces are limit-ed, or go to any UNICEF at Loras leader to make inquiries about this opportunity.

Campus Initiative Summit unites campus leaders around the world

by CASSANDRA BUSCH|news editor

UNICEF at Loras members attend a Summit in Boca Raton, FL, along with more than 200 other student humanitarian leaders

Among the many ways of making the world a better place to live is the idea of sustainability: Using resourc-es in a way that benefits both the present population and the coming generations.

Loras Environmental Action Fo-rum (LEAF) is driven in part by its aim to promote sustainability prac-tices as well as ethical conservation. LEAF, a student organization formed in the mid-1990s, recently enrolled in the Iowa Department of Trans-port’s Adopt-A-Highway program. Sponsors adopt a stretch of a high-way and care for it by “doing litter re-moval or beautification in the ditches on either side of the road.”

For LEAF, this is a wonderful op-portunity not only to live up to its core business of outdoor recreation and service, but also to promote LEAF as an organization since its comeback last year.

“The DNR provides equipment and even signs with our organization’s name on it posted at our stretch on Highway 52 just south of Dubuque,” said Samantha Eckrich. “This is a great opportunity for LEAF to be engaged in the community, active-ly making a visible difference. Plus, it provides a chance to promote the

group and get our name out there,” said Samantha Eckrich.

In adopting a highway, LEAF joins about 1,274 other groups that partici-pate in the program each year. LEAF is helping keep the environment clean and pollution-free, and its par-ticipation in the program is a testa-ment to the college’s commitment to giving back through service.

When commenting on their come-back as an organization and plans for the future, Eckrich, on behalf of LEAF, expressed interest in partner-ing “with other organizations look-ing for volunteer opportunities for additional clean-up or beautification projects.”

Beyond participating in the Adopt-A-Highway program, LEAF has es-tablished itself on campus as a sus-tainability-focused organization by sponsoring and hosting many other events.

Such events include the Recy-clemania campaign and the food audit in the school cafeteria, both of which were held this past spring. In addition, LEAF has, on numerous occasions, partnered with the College Activity Board (CAB) to sponsor such outdoor events as the recent canoe trip.

LEAF started the year in full swing but intends to keep the momentum up by hosting other events such as a hike on Oct. 26 and a bonfire in partnership with FOCUS on Oct. 31. Going forward, Samantha urges oth-ers to join LEAF in their efforts of promoting sustainability practices.

“We also ask that the Loras com-munity be aware of the sustainabili-ty practices going on around campus —the sustainable garden, recycling efforts, educational signs that will be posted, and sustainability movie showings, just to mention a few,” Eckrich said. “By educating our-selves, we are given the freedom to make ethical choices to make this campus and the broader community a better place.”

LEAF adopts a highway on the road to sustainabilityby SEABELO MONTWEDI|staff writer

UNICEF at Loras e-Board

members Catalina

Santacruz and Juanita

Bustamante and senior adviser

Lina Rodriguez met Caryl Stern,

the president and CEO of the U.S.

Fund for UNICEF.

photos CONTRIBUTEDLina Rodriguez and the rest of the Campus Initiative National Council pose with Caryl Stern and Jonathan Clyde, from Apple Records and the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF.

“This is a great opportunity for LEAF to be engaged in the community, actively

making a visible difference. Plus, it provides a chance to promote the group and

get our name out there.Samantha Eckrich

junior and LEAF secretary,,

photo by NORA GAWLIKLEAF members pose by a highway-litter removal sign put in on their stretch of U.S. 52.

HATSUNE MIKU

Holographic Japanese pop

star makes U.S. debut

Page 7

October 16, 2014 — Vol. 93, Issue 5

SOCCERMen’s team clinches

berth in Iowa Conference Tournament

Page 10

Jim Wand was back with his hypnotic an-tics this past Thursday as part of the Home-coming celebration, and once again did not disappoint.

An alum of Loras himself, he made sure to praise the school and boasted that it was his 20th year performing here. He has been involved in the field of hypnosis, however, for over 30 years. Wand also holds a PhD in psychology. Having catered to stars such as Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, George Strait, Rascal Flatts, and Sylvester Stallone, as well performing in Las Vegas and schools all across the nation, Wand has quite a bit of ex-perience under his belt. He is also currently

embarking on a tour of more than 60 colleges and universities in 72 days.

A natural entertainer, Wand did not disap-point even though a lot of the audience had seen him once, twice, or even more times before. He began the show by explaining a little bit about how hypnosis works, to calm those in the audience that were possibly ap-prehensive about the possibility of being hyp-notized. He defined hypnosis as an altered state of consciousness, where access is gained to the subconscious mind. Daydreaming and zoning out while driving were two compari-sons that Wand made to the mental state one enters while under hypnosis.

He also reassured the audience that there

are many misconceptions about hypnosis. One is that a person will do absolutely any-thing they are told while under hypnosis. In fact, a person will stick to their morals and values while under hypnosis, and will snap themselves out of hypnosis whenever they so desire; they are not locked into the process.

Also, it is a commonly believed myth that people who can be hypnotized are weak-minded. How-ever, the opposite has been proven to be true. In reality, the more in-telligent and creative the person is, the more easily they are able to be put under hypnosis. However, anyone is able to be hypnotized, as long as they are in the right state of mind, the appropriate techniques are used, and the per-son is willing, but not attempting to be hyp-notized too hard.

Besides entertainment, Wand described many practical uses for hypnosis. Some of these include: weight loss, smoking control, treating drug addiction, alcoholism, stress, depression, etc. It can also improve study habits, memory, self-confidence, concentra-tion, etc.

After this explanation, Wand selected volunteers from the audience to come up on stage to be hypnotized right away. He also

clarified that anyone in the audience who was willing, could also try to be hypnotized, and a great many did achieve this. Within minutes, a large group of students were under hypno-sis and performing hilarious dances, profess-ing celebrity crushes, being made to believe that Wand was a floating head, and more.

“It was so surreal. I remember everything I did, but felt disconnected. At times I had a

small urge to open my eyes and question what I was doing, but I just couldn’t, and it was so much easier and auto-matic just to go along with his suggestions. I also remember not car-ing at all what I was do-ing and I was so relaxed and comfortable. Once he blew the whistle at the end though, I snapped out of it and was really self-conscious, and just wanted to get off the

stage as soon as possible,” said sophomore Aleah Erenberger, one of the volunteers.

At the end of the show, the whole room had a smile on their face and was laughing, as the hypnotized came out from under the spell and rejoined their friends in the audi-ence. Wand thanked the attendees for a great night, and reminded everyone that he has videos for sale on his website, http://hypno-tism.com/, as well as instructions for how to hypnotize oneself.

Alumnus Jim Wand returns for his 20th year to dazzle with mind tricks during Homecoming

by CASSANDRA BUSCH| news editor

Among the many traditions cele-brated last week in preparation for and during Homecoming was the Holy Fam-ily Choral Festival, a Holy Family Cath-olic school system for the past 16 years.

The festival, which usually brings to-gether fifth graders from the Holy Fam-ily Catholic schools and Loras College Concert Choir students, were joined by Clarke University for the first time in three years.

Apart from the won-derful music performed at the event, the main purpose of the festival was education; for ele-mentary students to learn more about choral music as a part of their educa-tion.

“The festival was start-ed 16 years ago to let the elementary students see that choral music is pos-sible throughout their el-ementary education time and to bring together the Holy Family Cathol ic school system to cele-brate choral music,” said Dr. Bruce Kotowich, di-rector of choral and vocal activities.

This year ’s fest ival maintained the same tra-dition where Loras College opens the concert with two pieces: “De Profundis” by Russel Robinson and “Long Road” by Pauline Barda. This was followed by

a performance from Clarke Universi-ty and then the 135 fifth-graders from different schools singing as one mass choir.

The festival, as usual, closed with the mass rendition of “Shine Down” which was recorded and released by Sandi Pat-ty in 1991.

In addition to making beautiful mu-sic and educating elementary students about choral music, the festival also cements and highlights the partnership between Loras College and the Holy Family Catholic schools.

According to Dr. Kotowich, this is “a wonderful way for Loras College to show that it is interested in the Holy Family system (and that) choral music is very alive and flourishing here at the college,

as well as for Holy Family school teachers and par-ents to see that Loras is a partner in their children’s education”.

Loras College Concert Choir members also get to play as role models for the fifth graders as they influence their view and commitment to music.

“I’ve had fifth graders come up to me and say they want to be in Loras choirs. The accompanist for “Shine Down” was once in the fifth grade group singing at one of the festivals … he got in-volved in part as a result of seeing college level students perform at the festival,” said Dr. Koto-wich.

Moreover, this is an “opportunity for Concert

Choir members to share their choral music … it’s a wonderful way for them give back to the community and work with the elementary music teachers.”

Annual Choral Festival welcomes Clarke and elementary school singers

by SEABELO MONTWEDI| staff writer

Students react to Wand’s hilarious

antics while under hypnosis.

photos by CLAIRA SIEVERDING

Holy Family Choral Festival teaches elementary school students about chorale music for the 16th consecutive year, strengthening the bond between the Holy Family schools and Loras

In addition to making beautiful

music and educating

elementary students about chorale music,

the festival also cements and

highlights the partnership

between Loras College and

the Holy Family Catholic schools.

2 The Lorian Oct. 16, 2014 News

News The Lorian Oct. 16, 2014 3

Wells of Life unites generations of DuhawksOne thing we can all agree on about Lor-

as is that as a result of the lessons learned here, a majority of its graduates go on in life to achieve great things and give back to their communities.

This is evident in the many people who not only give back to the college monetari-ly, but also the many people that come back and express their gratitude to the many people they interacted with on campus, as well as the school itself. One such Duhawk is Peter Callahan who graduated from Lor-as College in 1966.

To honor his achievements and contri-bution to society, Mr. Callahan was, during Homecoming weekend, honored by the col-lege with the Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Achievements and Contri-butions made to Loras College. Though an excellent reason to spend time in Dubuque for Homecoming, Mr. Callahan, alongside another Loras College graduate, David Linzmeier (’10), spent time talking to many groups on campus about a project they are both involved in — Wells of Life.

Wells of Life is a non-profit organiza-tion based in California that is dedicated to bringing safe, clean water to people in need in Uganda — usually schools and ru-ral villages. Since it’s upstart in 2008, the organization has since built over one hun-dred wells through the help of generous sponsors such as Mr. Callahan, who is not only a donor, but is also on the Advisory Board of the organization.

“I met Nick Jordan (the founder) at a social event and he asked me to donate

$6,000 to his organization so he could build a well in Uganda. What impressed me was he said all the money would go towards building the well,” said Mr. Callahan.

Peter Callahan continued to explain that he did not believe that all his money would go towards building a well since he had been ripped off by many chari-ties in the past. However, Nick J o r d a n i n v i t -ed him to visit Uganda and wit-ness the fruits of the well building project.

“ I t c h a n g e d my life tremen-dously and I was s o i m p r e s s e d that I agreed to join the advisory board,” said Mr. Callahan.

There is a gen-eral problem re-garding shortage of water world-wide. However, the problem in Uganda is not lack of water — rather, it is lack of sanitary water.

“People drink filthy water because it’s the only water available and they don’t have a choice because you need water to survive, and they travel 2-4 miles to fetch water,” said Mr. Callahan.

The main source of water in Uganda is

rain water, but the water is soon contam-inated by animals’ defecation and pollut-ants found in the ground. As a result, the infant mortality rate is very high, children miss the opportunity to get an education, and people in general get diseases from drinking contaminated water. As per the

Wells of Life’s operation, the solution is to drill wells to reach under-g r o u n d r u n -n i n g w a t e r which is clean a n d s a f e t o drink.

W h i l e o n campus, Calla-han and Linz-meier talked to some classes as well as student organizations a b o u t t h i s project. While talking to these g r o u p s , t h e duo explained that the wells

they drill are simple wells that use human effort to pump the water. This way, there are no additional costs to the villagers such as buying diesel if they were to build a me-chanical well. In addition, to ensure that the wells actually do improve people’s lives and last a long time, Wells of Life has three rules for those they build wells for: share

the water with whoever comes to the vil-lage in order to avoid conflict; protect the wells from destruction and contamination by animals; and enroll children in schools.

“These wells change people’s lives in ways I never imagined. Since people don’t have to walk miles to fetch water, mothers have more time to mother their children and start small businesses and children have a chance of receiving good education by going to school. Ever since we started building wells in 2008, infant mortality rate has dropped by 50 percent,” said Cal-lahan.

“(He wishes he had) a billion dollars to make the world a better place one and for all. But I don’t have that kind of money. So, being part of Wells of Life has taught me that you can do your small part to change the world, and has inspired me to look into ways I can help make the world better,” said Linzmeier.

What can people do to help? If your bank account allows, you can donate $6,000 to Wells of Life and give a well to a village in Uganda. Alternatively, people can go to www.wellsoflife.org and join the $6 a month campaign that encourages people to donate as little as $6 (1,000 people can contribute towards building a well).

In addition, the two alumni ask that peo-ple keep them in their prayers. Above all, Callahan encourages people to find ways they can give back to society and commit themselves to whatever they feel called to do. The website also offers assistance to those interested in starting their own non-profit organizations.

by SEABELO MONTWEDI| staff writer

Loras College alum John Dinges (’64) re-turned to his alma mater last Friday, Oct. 10, to participate in his 50th class reunion, and as part of his visit, he gave a talk to stu-dents and faculty in the Arizona Room.

While studying at Loras, Dinges was in the pre-seminary program, but eventually decided to become a journalist. After re-ceiving his MA from Stanford University in Latin American Studies, Dinges worked for the Des Moines Register & Tribune as a reporter and copy editor. He then began his career as a Latin America correspon-dent for thee Washington Post, where he remained for many years. He is the author of several books, including “The Condor Years, ““Assassination on Embassy Row,” and “Our Man in Panama: The Shrewd Rise and Brutal Fall of Manuel Noriega.” He also

served for about 10 years as managing ed-itor for National Public Radio (NPR) from 1985-1996.

Though they are seemingly very differ-ent professions, Dinges finds a parallel between journalism and religion. “I’ve al-ways seen that journalism is a moral pro-fession,” he said, and continued to com-pare journalism to the Catholic Church. “In journalism, the Vatican City is New York …We are the keepers of the dogmas … We teach the principles, the practices of journalism.”

Dinges was awarded the Maria Moors Cabot Prize for excellence in reporting on Latin America and the Latin American Studies Association Media Award, among others. He is currently a professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

The return of John Dingesby ANDREA BERNS| staff writer

It’s an American tradition: On the Tuesday after the first Monday of No-vember, when there is an election of local, state and federal level, United States citizens are asked to participate in the democratic process and cast their vote for the candidate of their choice.

However, not all votes are cast on that tremendously important day in Nov. Indeed, if you have checked your mailbox, you may have already received a request form for an official absentee ballot. There’s also the option of early/absentee voting of which people can take advantage.

“In Iowa, the law allows us to start early voting forty days before the elec-t i o n , ” s a i d D e n i s e Dolan, the Dubuque County auditor and commissioner of elec-tions.

Dolan a lso made mention of the places that you could go for early voting, which include the Auditor’s Office, the Election Annex located at 707 Central Ave. and sat-e l l i t e s i t e s , w h i c h include the Hy-Vee on Dodge Street and t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Dubuque.

In regards to the A n n e x , w h i c h i s across the street from the Auditor’s Office in the Courthouse, two employees who wished to remain anonymous for this story were helping people with the pro-cess. It was confirmed that the Annex is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Demographic-wise, there didn’t seem one outstanding age group that did more early voting. “I think it’s a broad

spectrum of everybody, really,” said one employee, but she did guess that there are a few more elderly voters coming in for early voting.

In addition to early/absentee vot-ing options, Iowa boasts one electoral advantage: same day registration. Ac-cording to a page on the Iowa Secretary of State website, “You may register and vote on election day. To do so, you first must go to the correct polling place for your current address on election day.” To register, the website stated two re-quirements: proof of ID, such as a driv-er’s license, or other form of photo ID, such as an Iowa high school or college student ID; and proof of residence, which can be found on your photo ID or otherwise verified by documents like a utility bill or a bank statement.

One of the employees at the Annex noted that most of the people who come in to vote are already registered to do so.

At the Annex, it ’s normally open Monday through Friday, but one of the

employees said that the Annex will also be open on Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, both of which are on a Saturday.

With early and absen-tee voting, Dolan said she doesn’t know wheth-er her office has seen an increase in overall voter turnout, but that there’s been an increase in peo-ple taking advantage of early voting.

Talking about voting in general, Dolan noted, “I think it’s a right that we have here in the United States that other countries don’t have. We’ve seen people in other countries fight to be able to be al-

lowed to vote, and cast a democratic vote. In some cases, I wish that people in the United States would take it as seriously as people in other countries do.”

This year, for the midterm elections, Election Day is Nov. 4. If anyone would like to vote, there are a number of op-tions that will allow your voice to be heard. In any case, get out and vote.

Election Day is right around the corner

photo CONTRIBUTEDLoras community members listen to Loras alums Peter Callahan and David Linzmeier as they explain Wells of Life, an organization that is raising money to build clean-water wells for impoverished families in Uganda.

by NINO ERBA| staff writer

Voting is an underappreciated but important right for Americans, who all too often shrug off their opportunity to have a say in government

“We’ve seen people in other countries fight to

be able to be allowed to vote, and cast a

democratic vote. In some cases, I wish that

people in the United States would take it as seriously as people in

other countries do.Denise Dolan

Dubuque County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections,,

Mental Awareness WeekWednesday, October 22Free Mental Health Screening

1-3pm in Health Services Atrium. Drop In.

Stress Management Workshop 7:30-8:30pm in Ballroom A in the ACC with help from Du It Forward and

Year Experience Committees.

Thursday, October 23What’s the Pink Elephant in the Room?/Free Compliments & Ribbons

11-12:30am outside the café.

Free Yoga 4pm with Dr. Mark Hopper in Ballroom C in ACC.

Alcoholics Anonymous (open) Meeting 7pm in the Kehl Meeting Room in the ACC.

Friday, October 24Outing to the Apple Orchard

with Breaking the Silence. Meeting location to be determined.

Saturday, October 25Out of the Darkness Walk – Suicide Awareness Walk

at Ponds Bergfeld Recreation Area, DBQ. Walking /Bike/Hike Trail. Registrations at 8am and Walk 9am.

Spoiler Alert: I’m about to divulge a few anecdotal pieces

of my life in prepping you for this week’s column.

Let me start out by sharing that I was raised by a single mother all of my life and that my family (of three) was very poor for as long as I can remember.

Now, you can imagine the desire I had to

respond as I read last week’s article that was published on page 5 of the Opinion section about marriage, poverty and responsibility of parents in marriages.

Though I commend the author for an attempt to hold up something that is not innately bad, marriage, and to do so using some statistics, I challenge the author to be a bit more critical in his thinking and go beyond surface-level thought.

I did note that the author was probably trying to promote the idea of families staying together, as that often is a good thing. But, I had a bit of a bone to pick with the section that read:

“The issue is that many single parents did not regard the importance of healthy marriages before having a child.”

That may be true sometimes, but I don’t think it’s true always, or even most of the time. Raise your mental hand if you have heard of anyone who started a relationship, fell in love, got married and had kids, but was pretty indifferent about whether or not it worked out? Nobody? Bueller?

In my mother’s case, she made a really hard choice to do what was best for her kids. My mother said to me that “staying together (with my father, considering his behavior at one time, which had changed drastically from the beginning of their relationship) would have been the antithesis of family. That’s not what a family is, what we have now is a family.”

I never quite understood that until recently. And, though we made financial sacrifices, I respect my mother a great deal for making tough decisions for me.

So, there is a point to be made on marriage and poverty; however, I don’t think our author looked at the bigger picture.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and several studies cited on their website and beyond, poverty rates are higher among divorcees. But, that has more to do with race, gender and initial socio-economic class than it does divorce rates.

Of course, it is true that two-parent families boast a synergetic 55 percent income increase than single parent families, that’s just simple math: two incomes are greater than one.

But, it is essential to note that over 70 percent of divorces are caused by financial problems in the first place. And, minorities are the most impoverished group of people in the country. This, perhaps, explains why the divorce rates between black couples is 70 percent! The “Livin’ on Love” portrait painted by George Straight’s hit is, maybe, not so accurate for black Americans.

Lastly, there is a section in the article that says that welfare programs should be changed to encourage marriages. That is a great idea in theory, but when put in practice makes no sense. First, those who aren’t sick (poor), don’t need

medicine (help). Second, people will stay in abusive or unhealthy relationships for money’s sake. That’s economic blackmail.

So, while I do appreciate the attempt to hold up positive solutions, I think our author missed the boat in terms of finding a real solution. If we empower people, reduce poverty, address racist

economic policies, and increase mental health treatments and affordable health care (medical bills make up over 90 percent of debt in America), then we can see real solutions come to be. The childhood psychological repercussions of encouraging unhealthy relationships, and sometimes dangerous ones, are much worse than those that come about because of poverty. Resources:1) http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2013/article/marriage-and-divorce-patterns-by-gender-race-and-educational-attainment.htm 2) http://www.divorcesaloon.com/2010/09/17/black-couples-divorce-why-is-the-divorce-rate-for-blacks-so-high-in-the-u-s/

As I think about Mental Illness Awareness Week, I cannot help but look back on my own

experiences. It wasn’t until my freshman year of high school that I truly became aware of mental illness, when my parents approached me about my behaviors and the worries that I seemed to constantly be struggling with. Because my behaviors had become intrusive to my daily life, they were concerned. It was that summer that I chose to start therapy to hopefully get more control over my fears and obsessions.

As I began therapy I was adamant that no one find out about my struggles. Growing up in an extremely small town, I knew how “news” like this traveled. You told one person and somehow, someway, everyone eventually found out.

It was not that people couldn’t be trusted; I am sure I could have confided in some people and it would have stayed between us. Yet, I did not tell anyone. Why? Why was I in such a state of refusal to tell people that I was in therapy and had been diagnosed with

obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety and depression? Mental illness wasn’t something that was talked about. It wasn’t a unit we covered in school and it wasn’t something that you talked about with your friends.

Mental illness was something that you only heard of in movies and often times made fun of with your friends. Those “crazy” people, psychiatric wards, those things were so easy to talk about callously because we had never truly experienced it. I didn’t want anyone finding out about my mental illness because, up to that point in my life, it was something to make fun of. I was ashamed because I felt as if everyone would judge me if they found out.

It was exhausting having to put on a front every single day at school so that I

could be sure that no one found out, and it was exhausting having to battle my obsessions and compulsions every single day. I became a pro at making up lies as to why I washed my hands so often and why I ALWAYS had sanitizer with me. I dealt with the odd looks as the smell of

the sanitizer I was using would waft down the hallway and when I would use barriers to open doors and to pump the ketchup in the lunch line, afraid of how many people had touched those things and the germs that were there.

It was around my junior year of high school when I had one of those

“change your life” moments. I connected with someone who also dealt with mental illness in their everyday life. This person fought it every single day and was still able to have a job, a husband and three

daughters — all things that I had given up on hoping to have for myself. This person opened my eyes to the fact that I could have all of those things, that mental illness was nothing to be ashamed of, and that it was something that I could win.

Through the help of this person and my family, I was able to overcome my feeling of being ashamed and eventually take control of my mental illness. To me, Mental Illness Awareness Week means letting those who struggle know that it is NOT something to be ashamed of, it is NOT something to hide, and it IS something that you can fight — you can win and you can conquer.

Mental Illness Awareness Week is a time when we can spread the word that there is hope, that people are loved and that mental illness is NOT something to be scared of. It is my greatest wish to be just one piece of the movement that will help break the mental health stigma and to give hope to others who have fought the same struggles that I have my entire life.

Mental Illness Awareness Week is a chance for everyone to make a difference. To me, that is what this week is all about.

What Mental Health Awareness means to me

To me, Mental Illness Awareness Week means

letting those who struggle know that it is

NOT something to be ashamed of, it is NOT

something to hide, and it IS something that you can fight, that you can win and

that you can conquer.

A response to ‘holding up those marriages’ Buzzfeed quizzes: For those lonely

nights on your couch. Alone. If you are anything like us, then you

spend a good portion of your time on Buzzfeed. Netflix is great; Twitter is OK; Snapchat is entertaining. But there is something about Buzzfeed that makes us feel like we are not totally destroying brain cells. And, if you are anything like us, then you spend most of that time on Buzzfeed taking quizzes.

Because if we are looking for anything in our lives right now, it is direction. And how else can we discern where we are to go, who we are to be, what we are to do unless we have the brilliant minds at Buzzfeed showing us the way? In a world that is cold, unfriendly and ruthless, it is comforting to know that you can retire on your couch late at night and get to the core of your identity.

If you are anything like us, then these late-night-couch-dates are a regular occurrence.

Sometimes, when we are overwhelmed by the number of graduate programs our advisers are encouraging us to apply for, we stumble upon the “What Gilmore Girls character are you?” quiz. The second question asks you to choose a cookie. These are the questions that keep us up at night: Oreo or ginger snap? What are the nuances of picking the chocolate chip? It took us five minutes to answer.

And sometimes, when we realize that each year of graduate school is going to double the amount of student loan debt we have, we decide to tackle the quiz “Do you *actually*

know the words to Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’?” Everybody knows the intro, but can you get those last few questions? You know, those lines that aren’t in the first 30 seconds? You only get one shot, do not miss your chance. This quiz-a-tunity comes once in a lifetime, yo.

And sometimes, when we begin looking for jobs because graduate school is out of the question, we want a morale boost: “Can you pass a middle school U.S history test?” We aren’t proud of our 10/15. In fact, our self-esteem plummeted when we needed a calculator to even find out whether a 10 out of 15 is a passing grade. Math isn’t our strong suit either. But we want to highlight our knowledge that Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms in office (instead of our failure to know that Vermont was not an original colony).

And sometimes, when hundreds of seniors apply for the same low-paying job, we tearfully click through the “What spirit animal are you?” quiz. These are the questions which dig at the core of our being. Do I believe in true love? Almost as much as I believe in employment opportunities. Luckily, my soul now finds comfort in knowing it is an owl.

And sometimes, when we end up moving back into our parents’ home, we are left Buzzfeed-less. But we surmise that is what happens when Loras takes our laptops back.

— Lorian staff

co-executive editor: MARY AGNOLI

co-executive editor/ features editor:

COLIN HALBMAIERnews editor:

CASSANDRA BUSCHsports editor: RYAN GRAHAM

assistant features editor:SAMANTHA VATH

assistant news editor:ELLIE HORST

assistant sports editor:DREW BRASHAW

executive copy editor: HANNAH WAY

head copy editor:KAITLIN YAHR

copy editors:STEPHANIE LaGRANT

MARGARET SENTOVICHadvertising manager:

COLLEEN MULRY moderator:

TIM MANNING

Editorial staff

Though I commend the author for an attempt to hold up something

that is not innately bad, marriage, and to do so using some statistics, I challenge the author

to be a bit more critical in his thinking and go beyond surface

level thought.

‘MINER’ DETAIL

Kalli Miner

by CLARE LEIS| for the Lorian

4 The Lorian Oct. 16, 2014 Opinion

Opinion The Lorian Oct. 16, 2014 5

Letters to the editor are welcomed!

It seems that there is always a problem

internationally. Russia and their invasion of, and consistent meddling in, Crimea took place earlier this year, a flare-up between Israel and Palestine took place over the summer and now ISIS/ISIL are the new international

instigators. For months, this collection of extremists now numbering in the tens of thousands has been making war in the Middle East.

The conflict started in Syria and has now spread to Iraq and is even starting to inch its way towards Turkey. In response to the growing violence, the United States and a coalition of other countries have come together in a bombing campaign as well as providing training to Syrian and Sunni groups.

It is my opinion that it is time for the American government and the population as a whole has to open their

eyes and see the writing on the wall; a bombing campaign is not enough.

I understand the hesitation of the general public in getting in yet another conflict in the Middle East. It was not too long ago that we finally pulled our forces from Iraq, and I know no one is eager to jump into yet another conflict. But more needs to be done.

The bombing campaigns have not done as much as many had hoped, and ISIS has even gained ground since the bombings began. Just recently, a town called Hit located in the Anbar province of Iraq has fallen to ISIS as government troops retreat and regroup.

On the Turkish border, a town called Kobane is still under siege by ISIS fighters after more than twenty days of fighting. ISIS’ power is growing and it

will continue to grow. Each report of fighting always ends with a plea to do more, to put boots on the ground. I think it is time that the U.S.

wakes up and puts its foot down. ISIS’ reign needs to end before the destabilization spreads throughout the Middle East.

Already, Turkey, the most stable ally we have in the Middle East, is starting to feel the pressure caused by the fighting. Syrian and Iraqi refugees have crossed the border in droves,

seeking to escape the violence. Turkey not only faces the burden of taking care of refugees but also a disruption in peace negotiations with the PKK, a Kurdish militant group. Kurdish youth have been leaving Turkey in order to

support their brethren in Kobane, often stating that the coalition is ignoring the Kurds and not doing enough, resulting in feelings of disenfranchisement in the Kurdish community.

If ISIS continues, it means more stress on the Turkish government as well as more stress on the

relations between Kurdish and Turkish leader leading to further destabilization. Continued fighting means Iraq remains a shattered country and the people living in war zone. Continued fighting means uncertainty for the future.

If we intervene now and put an end to the fighting, we determine the outcome. We can lend Kurds the aid they need to make sure peace talks continue. We can put an end to a bloody three-year civil war that has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths.

We can put an end to an extreme and tyrannical group. But before we are able to end so much, America and its allies need to realize what that takes and to put boots on the ground.

The ISIS threat: A call to intervene

Dallas Knapp

‘KNAPP’ TIME

If we intervene now and put an end to the

fighting, we determine the outcome. We can

lend Kurds the aid they need to make sure peace

talks continue. We can put an end to a bloody

three-year civil war that has caused hundreds of

thousands of deaths.

‘Occupy central with peace and love’

Hong Kong’s Central District, the

upscale nucleus of the city’s enormous financial industry, has been occupied since Sept. 28. The protests, named by their participants as “Occupy Central with Peace and Love,” appeared after the Chinese government announced its plans

for reforming the city’s electoral system. Going against popular demand for universal suffrage and self-government, the Communist Party (China’s ruling political faction) announced that candidates for office in Hong Kong would be selected by a 1,200-member committee, administered and overseen in Beijing. Crowds reaching up to 100,000 responded with peaceful, organized demonstrations demanding democratic elections free of the central government’s control.

Hong Kong was the last overseas colony of the British Empire when it was returned to China in 1997. Since then, it has operated as a Special Administrative Region (SAR). While still remaining under the military and territorial control of the mainland, the city is extended a level of autonomy and independence from Beijing not seen in most of China. Along with Macau, another post-colonial city-state, Hong Kong manages its own domestic affairs (including courts, police, banks and currency) while foreign relations and defense are the responsibility of China’s central government. The electoral reform discussions are in response to the mainland government’s promise to install a system for democratic elections in Hong Kong by 2017. The natural unease that comes from the “two systems, one China” policy means that central oversight of the SAR’s elections will silence dialogue and obstruct policy which do not conform to the aims of the Communist Party in

Beijing.The current protests are the largest

and most serious civil upheavals seen in Hong Kong since its transfer to Chinese control. The crowds consist mainly of organized, passive students. The groups are committed to non-violence, noted for their politeness (even by political enemies), and have forbidden the vandalism, looting, and “indecency,” which typically come with large-scale youth movements. Their emphasis on peaceful demonstration and civil disobedience have led to their dubbing by numerous media outlets as the “Umbrella Revolution” — named for their preferred method of defense from police tear gas. While the protesters may be offering little justification for forceful suppression, the Chinese government’s actions in similar past situations (specifically in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989) make their stubbornness in the current episode ominous. Demonstrators have already been subjected to tear gas and beatings.

Friction between the pro-democracy crowds and police is visibly evident. The protesters continue to maintain a large presence in the Central District, though in diminishing numbers. Talks between the Chinese government and the leadership of the democracy activists will begin as police continue to contain the protests with rigid lines and harsh enforcement.

While parallels are being drawn to the massacre of an unknown number of political protesters in Tiananmen Square in 1989, there is a key difference between that and the present situation: social media - most forms of which are banned or censored in

mainland China. It not only facilitated organization and awareness of the issues and protests, but provided instantaneous and infinite documentation of the events, in both thoughts and photos, putting the government’s reaction in an entirely different light, putting it at the center of worldwide focus. Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Leung Chun-Ying has said that there is “almost zero chance” that the government in Beijing will change their stance. Discussion, protest and police retaliation will all continue in the immediate future.

A DALE-Y DOSE

Dale elenteny

While parallels are being drawn to the massacre of an unknown

numbers of political

protesters in Tiananmen

Square in 1989, there is a key

difference between that

and the present situation:

social media.

As a young college voter, concerned about the

direction our country is heading, I find myself drawn to support Republican Rod Blum for Congress. While there are many reasons to stand behind this common sense career businessman, I would like to share insight into his personal character

and respect for the dignity of all life.Rod Blum has an unwavering respect

for the unborn and their mothers. Having taken into his family an orphaned young man himself, Blum demonstrates the personal obligation we hold as members of this community — to look toward others to open our hearts. Rod Blum considers himself successful only when he helps make others successful; his homegrown company employed over 325 people — and who earn a just wage, not because the government says so, but because it’s the right thing to do.

Another reason to vote for Blum:

his opponent, career politician Pat Murphy. A man who defies the “culture of life,” Pat Murphy recently referred to child immigrants as future “terrorists.” Murphy has taken positions too extreme for Iowa, vowing to protect late-term abortion after 20 weeks. Further, Murphy’s 1930s-era economic principles will only further increase working families’ dependency on government.

This election the stakes are high. So, regardless of your party position, I would urge you to consider voting for Rod Blum, someone who will be a true public servant and take Iowa common sense to Washington.

Rod Blum is right for Iowa

JacK Mescher

READ AND RIGHT While there are many

reasons to stand behind this common sense

career businessman, I would like to share

insight into his personal character and respect

for the dignity of all life.

Do you have an opinion on something and want to write a “letter to the editor?”

Do you have more questions about an article you read? Corrections or clarifications? A differing opinion about an issue brought up that you want to be heard?

We want your input.In every published Lorian, all members of the Loras community are

able (and encouraged) to write a “letter to the editor.” We encourage differing opinions, so take the time, speak your mind and let us air your thoughts.

It’s not just the writers for the Lorian that have print-worthy material; you do, too. To submit a “letter to the editor,” please e-mail Mary Agnoli (mary.agnoli@loras.edu) or Colin Halbmaier (colin.halbmaier@loras.

In addition, everyone is welcome to submit story ideas to The Lorian.

If you or an organization you are a part of is doing something noteworthy, or wants to get news out about an upcoming event, we also accept articles from guest writers as long as we are told a few days in advance.

6 The Lorian Oct. 16, 2014 Features The Lorian Oct. 16, 2014 7 Features

Today I’m going to tell you about something you’ve all probably heard of, or even seen, on Twitter: the subtweet.

U r b a n D i c t i o n a r y. c o m defines a “subtweet” as “a tweet (message posted on the website Twitter) that mentions a Twitter member without us-

ing their actual username. Usually employed for negative or insulting tweets; the person you’re mentioning won’t see the subtweet in their Twitter timeline as it doesn’t contain the @ symbol that every Twitter username has.”

I would argue with the second part of this definition. All too often a subtweet is posted with the intention that who-ever you’re talking about will see it, and react in some way. A subtweet is one of the most passive aggressive things you can do on the Internet. Usually it is done with the intention of hurting someone. Once in a while though, a subtweet can reference someone with the intent of expressing gratitude, happiness, or longing.

Things can get a little confusing out there in cyberspace.Okay, so the majority of subtweets are done by girls, but I

still have seen plenty of males that partake in them too. They also seem to pop up more at night and/or weekends, when exhaustion, emotion, and liquid substances are more likely to play a part. No matter if it’s someone lashing out at an ex, a friend, co-worker, etc., no one is really safe from the wrath of a subtweeter.

The thing is, though, subtweets really aren’t helping any-one. They are spawned from an outburst of emotion that you feel like you just can’t hold in, and so you take to Twitter when you should probably be going for a run, punching pil-lows, etc.

So why do we do it?Well, probably because just like most things these days,

tweeting gives us a sense of instant gratification, and an ego boost. As soon as we hit “send,” our words are no longer our own. Hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people can see our innermost thoughts. We feel like this gives us a sense of power and control, when really the opposite is true. As soon as we let it go, it’s gone. It can be screenshotted, e-mailed, forwarded, whatever until the foreseeable end to technology. And besides, there’s always good old-fashioned word of mouth to rely on too. We really have no power over our words at all once we speak them or write them or tweet them, and we have a loss of control in the way that they are distributed. But that’s not all. We also lose control in the sense that Twitter is extremely limiting in word count. People can interpret what we write in any way they want, whether it’s how we intended it be taken or not. This can be very de-structive as well.

When I first got Twitter I swore I would never, ever do such a thing. I thought people that partook in it were petty and catty and immature. Still, in the past few years I’ve had a Twitter account, there have been numerous times that I just couldn’t help myself. I wanted validation from retweets and favorites that my vague and accusatory or longing tweets, even if they came from people I’ve barely spoken a word to my entire life. I wanted to be forward and brave and loud on the Internet, when I couldn’t find the words to address someone in person.

A subtweet doesn’t solve anything. It just makes matters worse, more complicated, and shamefully public. You can quickly get a reputation for too many subtweets, and this can severely damage your own reputation and credibility. People will associate you with gossip, anger, jealousy and pettiness, even if you’re a perfectly good person besides this guilty lit-tle habit. So what can we do to eradicate the wrath of the subtweet from our lives for good?

Of course, subtweets will always be out there as long as Twitter exists. There will always be an angry ex, a jealous friend, or a conniving co-worker lurking somewhere out there. What you should do is try and remove these influences

from your feed. Unfollow people that never seem to have anything positive to say and celebrities that can’t seem to help wanting to bring others down. Studies have shown that what we read or see online affects what we ourselves are more likely to post. If you say more positive, chances are more of your posts will be uplifting or at least neutral too.

Another thing that we can do is talk to our friends, co-workers and family members that seem to be participating in the subtweeting trend. Tell them (gently) that you’ve no-ticed they’re upset online, and ask if they want to talk about anything. Make them aware of the fact that if you’ve noticed their habit, other people have too who they might not even realize are out there. This can be a huge wake up call, espe-cially if they have higher-ups that follow them from work: you could potentially save their job in the process.

Lastly, think before you tweet. Ask yourself if you really want the whole world to know that you’re mad at your sister for not asking you to be her maid of honor, your boss for not giving you the promotion, or the blue sedan for cutting you off on your way to work. Who really cares anyway? Take a deep breath, erase the tweet, and go do something else to let out your emotions. Like I mentioned earlier, take deep breaths, journal in a diary, go for a run, punch a pillow, talk to a friend, etc. All of these things will be much more produc-tive (and private) in the long run, and you won’t experience that dreaded “tweeter’s regret” days later when your cousin from Wisconsin texts you wondering what’s up with your tweets lately.

I, for one, am going to do my best to completely stop sub-tweeting, even if it’s a positive one. If I really want someone to know I’m grateful or had a good time, I’ll tell them in person or with a good ol’ written thank you note that they will appreciate a lot more than a 140-character Internet post. I’ll also unfollow people that never have anything nice to say, and that fill my newsfeed with “Debbie Downer” messages. What good are they doing me anyway? I hope you’ll do the same, and we can make Twitter a kinder (and more fun) place to be.

by CASSANDRA BUSCH | news editor

#Mean: Bullying in 140-CharactersToday’s social media opens the door for online harassment

With the release of “Guardians of the Galaxy,” the Marvel Cinematic Universe has reached the double digits. What better way to celebrate than a top ten list? While I could go on IMBD or Rotten Tomatoes or even rank them by highest grossing, I am going to rate them myself.

10.) Iron Man 2 - The sequel to the movie that started it all makes the bottom of the list. Though it had incredible graphics in the fight scenes, they were very short lived. Mickey Rourke did well as Whip-lash, but then again it was a villain nobody was too attached to anyway. The film went all over the place, from drunken rock ‘em sock ‘em iron men fights to the villain being manipulated to a guy that was really hard to connect to.

9.) The Incredible Hulk - In terms of memorability, I would nor-mally put Iron Man 2 before this. The movie was lackluster in terms of plot and development. Though Edward Norton did a nice job as Bruce Banner, I am glad Mark Ruffalo took over this role because he brought an interesting charm to the character. Fights between goliaths and Hulk smashes are always a treat. The plot seemed very plain for being the Hulk’s backstory. This movie could have been much more. I am hoping for a Hulk 2 sometime in the near future.

8.) Captain America: The First Avenger - Though it was not as fast moving as the other movies in this franchise, “Captain America” packs a punch in the second half of this movie. The Red Skull is a menacing villain who I would love to see back in the future. Captain America finds himself in this movie and shows you that having a big heart matters.

7.) Iron Man 3 - This movie made a ton of money, but personally I was truly disappointed. Though it had much comedic value, there was not as much Iron Man action, Pepper Potts’s storyline seemed really forced, and they attempted the same villain twist that they did in the first two.

6.) Thor 2: The Dark World - This movie packs a punch. Lots of action, lots of Loki. It was cool to see Thor and Loki team up as brothers for the same cause. This movie was exciting and kept you on your toes. The only complaint presented is that they did not develop the villain, Malekith, as much as they should have to bring the plot to a full circle.

5.) Thor - Chris Hemsworth is the demi-god Thor and he does an ex-ceptional job. This movie sets up Loki to be the big-bad of the Aveng-ers who are just about to assemble. Thor finds a more humanistic side and the true power of Thor is explained as a backstory for this formerly lesser known hero.

4.) Iron Man - For the movie that starts it all, Marvel began to un-ravel its plans for a connected cinematic universe. The first Iron Man suit is created as this superhero fights stateside to protect New York City and become one of the most popular superheroes that we know today. Robert Downey Jr. kicks ass and takes names. He is Iron Man.

3.) Captain America: The Winter Soldier - With the most incredi-ble hand to hand combat I have ever seen in live action, Captain Amer-ica, Black Widow, and the Falcon battle Hydra, a Nazi organization taking over the government. This movie has the coolest villain, Bucky Barnes, the Captain’s childhood best friend who returns as a brain-washed assassin known as the Winter Soldier. He is truly an interesting character and plays quite a terrifying matchup for the heroes.

2.) The Avengers - Such a groundbreaking movie this is for the comic book centric movies. Marvel takes these established solo heroes and pits them up against an army of a deadly alien race, Thor’s brother Loki, and each other. The team has to battle through personal conflict

to come together for a platter of superhero action that has the perfect balance of humor, action, acting and graphics.

1.) Guardians of The Galaxy - Marvel took a big risk with this movie, this oddball team of superheroes consisted

of those that many people have never heard of in their life. Chris Pratt does a brilliant

job of leading heroes consisting of jacked up aliens, a raccoon with guns and a tree, yes…a tree. I ranked this number one be-

cause they took characters I barely even knew and succeeded. Nobody stole the

show and everyone had incredible moments of comedy and showed

off individual combat action. I am excited to see them

again in a sequel or eventually team up with the Aveng-

ers. It also helps that this movie has one of

the best soundtracks that will make you sing along.

MOVIES TO

by TYLER GARRISON | staff writer

Sound is something that’s all around us, whether we realize it or not. Sometimes it’s musical and lyrical, and other times, it’s the silence we hear as we fall asleep at night. Every sound has a story and has a unique impact on everyone who hears it. This week, we present eleven facts about music that you may not have heard. Take notes!

1. Warner Music collected $2 million in royalties in 2008 for public usage of the “Happy Birthday” song.

2. Your favorite song is probably your favorite because you associate it with an emotional event in your life.

3. None of the Beatles could read music.4. Your heartbeat changes and mimics the music you listen to.5. The world’s most expensive musical instrument is the

Stradivarius violin, sold for $15.9 million in 2011.6. Loud music can make a person drink more in less time.7. A song that gets stuck in your head is called an earworm.8. Europe has “Silent Discos” where you listen to music on your

headphones.9. Music, like drugs and other things, can be addictive.10. The type of music you listen to affects the way you perceive

the world.11. In 2001, composer John Cage began a concert at the St.

Burchard Church in Halberstadt, Germany. It’s so long that the performance is scheduled to conclude 639 years later in 2640.

LorianLeven

by SEABELO MONTWEDI | staff writer

?

Last week, the Late Show with David Letterman played host to a new kind of pop star — at least by American standards. Japanese pop star Hatsune Miku took to the stage with a performance of her original song, “Sharing the World.” The band was excited, the crowd was cheering, but David Letter-man was a tad perplexed. Why?

Because Hatsune Miku doesn’t exist.Hatsune Miku is what the industry refers to as a

vocaloid - a singing voice synthesizer. When Cryp-ton Future Media created a singing synthesizer pro-gram, they decided that the best way of marketing the software would be to give it a human face. The result was Hatsune Miku, a 16-year-old girl with long turquoise pigtails. The pop icon quickly caught on, with professional and amateur musicians alike using the software to create original music. Because Crypton allowed Hatsune’s image to become usable by the pub-lic, music videos and fan art of the fictional artist became commonplace in Japanese pop culture. Her ap-pearance on David Letterman’s show was done with a live band and the same holographic tech-nology that allowed producers to bring Tupac back for one last show. The performance also marked her first Unit-ed States appearance in preparation for an Expo taking place in Los An-gles and New York this month.

So why all the hype for the animated pop star? As Chris Plante, editor for Polygon, points out, Hatsune Miku is the perfect pop star.

He contrasts her with Justin Bieber, whose frequent screw-ups in the public eye serve as proof that a ce-lebrity’s fame doesn’t come without a price. They slowly crumble under the weight and expectations of their fans, pulling and pushing until they snap al-together. But Hatsune can’t and won’t snap because she doesn’t exist. She can sing anything from J-Pop to country to rap because millions of fans are pulling the strings. Her name an image have sparked cloth-ing and toy designs. And yes, because she’s an open-source persona, there are some who would design less-than-appropriate interpretations.

Then there’s the music. An artist like Justin Bie-ber might release an album once a year, if even. If you do a search for Hatsune Miku, you’ll find doz-ens of albums - released in the last year alone. Even better, most of these albums are free (and not horri-

ble!). Granted, most of them are Japanese, so you might not understand the lyrics. But the implications Hatsune Miku has for our idea of the perfect pop star may

raise questions about what we value in society. Hatsune is essentially every-

thing good about a celebrity, minus the mental meltdown.

It’s true that Hatsune Miku might not be for everyone,

but no one can argue with the standards she rede-fines. The world isn’t ex-pected to stop their wor-ship of pop stars--that’s something that will go on forever at this rate. But handing over the rights to

a fictional character to the public and letting them run

free with their imaginations can have a powerful impact.

by COLIN HALBMAIER | co-executive editor

How a fictional pop star is challenging American standardsJ-Popularity

Want to write for the Lorian?

Ever wanted to see your name in print? Join our team of writers and make your dreams come true! Sophomores

and older get paid! If interested, let us know!

Colin HalbmaierColin.Halbmaier@loras.edu

Mary AgnoliMary.Agnoli@loras.edu

by NINO ERBA | staff writer

If you’re feeling down because of the weather, the election, or the fall semester, there’s one reason to keep hope alive: movies! With new fall television seasons premiering, it’s going to be hard for movies to compete. Nevertheless, there are some films that will garner a lot of attention at the box office and generate a buzz at the Oscars. Let the speculation begin!

Movies to see...“Big Hero 6” (Nov. 7): The chances of this becom-

ing the next Frozen are as likely as a heatwave in an Iowan winter. Still, there’s much that could go right for this one: it’s adapted from a Marvel comic series, it has a big, squishy sidekick named Baymax, and it takes place in a town that combines San Francisco and Tokyo. Fingers crossed for this one.

“Interstellar” (Nov. 5): Now, this critic isn’t the biggest fan of Christopher Nolan. Only a year after “Gravity,” the bar for epic space films is awfully high. Still, considering that Nolan is a critical darling boasting a cast that includes Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine and Matthew McConaughey, there’s a chance that it could fly.

“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” (Nov. 20): Forget the fact that the ending is split into two parts. The last book tugged so many heartstrings that two parts can be justified. Expect lots of action with slick special effects, plenty of suspense, and a strong performance from Jennifer Lawrence. May the odds be ever in this film’s favor.

“Big Eyes” (Dec. 25): Tim Burton has created one of the most distinct cine-matic styles of his generation, but his work doesn’t always gener-ate critical respect. What could change that is Big Eyes, a bi-opic about Margaret Keane (Amy Adams), who became famous for her paintings of children with big eyes. However, her husband Walter takes all the cred-it for the paintings, which leads to a divorce battle and a competition to see who the true painter is. This one doesn’t have Johnny Depp in it, but Burton is long overdue for an Oscar. Perhaps he has a chance with this one.

“Into the Woods” (Dec. 25): The film adaptation of the popular Sondheim musical has a myriad of el-ements that could ensure success: the source materi-al, which pulls from fairy tales including Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Little Red Riding Hood; a big production full of special effects; and a cast of well-established actors who can sing, including Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick and Johnny Depp. The film is directed by Rob Marshall, who also did “Chicago,” so there’s a chance for this one.

Movies to avoid...“Dumb and Dumber To”: The original 1994 film

has a big following, and Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels are two very talented actors. But a sequel 20 years after the first one is a big risk, not to mention that the original was slammed by critics.

“Exodus: Gods and Kings” (Dec. 12): Let’s make something very clear: the story of Moses has been done already. Between “The Ten Commandments” and “The Prince of Egypt,” there has to be something original for another film to be fresh. The film garnered a lot of controversy about its casting, including Chris-tian Bale as Moses. Since Hollywood already suffered a backlash from some groups for its other biblical epic, “Noah,” perhaps the genre should be laid to rest.

“Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb” (Dec. 19): It’s hard to give the award of Most Unneces-

sary Sequel to any one film, but this season, the third installment in the Night at the Museum

series might pick it up. The first film wasn’t terrible, but this isn’t a franchise that

screams for more films. You would be better off saving your money for

Christmas gifts or a better movie coming out Christmas Day.

What’s interesting about this year’s lineup is the lack of a clear frontrunner for Best Picture so far. Toronto may have passed, but unlike last year, 2014 doesn’t seem to boast any films on the lev-

el of “12 Years a Slave.” Stay tuned to see if this critic is proven

wrong.

Fall Movie Preview

Lightning Review: The Maze RunnerIt’s been a long time since I’ve walked into a movie theater without

knowing anything about the film I’ll be seeing, but “The Maze Runner” was a pleasant surprise. Based on the 2009 novel, “The Maze Runner” is the latest addition to the young-adult post-apocalyptic genre includ-ing movies/novels such as The Hunger Games and Divergent.

Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) arrives in the Glade with no memories ex-cept for his name. The other boys who live there explain that the Maze around them hides their exit from the Glade and changes every night. Anyone who stays in the maze overnight is never seen again. It’s not hard to figure out what happens next.

Without reading the novel, I thought the movie was well-done. Cin-ematically, it was solid and while the plot was predictable at times, it managed to keep the tension high throughout. The cliffhanger ending sets the series up for the 2015 sequel, “The Scorch Trials.”

While The Maze Runner isn’t the year’s a-maze-ing movie, it’s well worth the watch if you’re one of many interested in the rise of the post-apocalyptic universe.

by COLIN HALBMAIER | co-executive editor

8 The Lorian Oct. 16, 2014 lifestyle

Col lege Cooking: Stay Fresh

Is it just me or do all students have difficulty keeping good health foods fresh in their residences? Whether you live in the residence halls, the apartments or a house, the food you buy can spoil before you have time to eat it. The amount of food and money that is wasted can be lowered just by keeping in mind a) how much food they will eat, and b) how long that food lasts.

If you still have a meal plan for the cafeteria, use that to your advantage. Fresh milk, fruits and vegetables are expensive and they spoil quickly. They are also food items that the cafeteria never runs out of. Take the free apples while you can, people! Because trust me on this: once you are living on your own groceries, you’ll wish you had an unlimited supply of fresh fruit.

For foods to keep handy in your residence hall, non-perishable items are your best bet for longevity. But still, you have to know yourself. If you will drink a whole gallon of milk in a week, go for it! If you will eat six pounds of cheese, who am I to tell you not to do so? But don’t buy more than you can eat if it’s something that will go bad.

This same advice goes in regards to those students living on their own groceries whose finances are their worst nightmare. Fresh fruits or vegetables are not cheap, and neither are meats or dairy products. Buying in bulk sounds like a great option because it’s cheaper per pound, but keep in mind how much of this food you will actually be able to eat.

Buying past your consumption limit just means wasted food. Know which foods can last longer than others. If you buy meat to put in your freezer, it will last a few months. On the other hand, fruits and vegetables will still go bad within a week, no matter how high their bulk sale price was. Even if it’s a good deal, only buy what you can eat before it goes bad.

In the end, my advice is this: know yourself, know your eating habits, and know the longevity of the food you buy.

by SAMANTHA VATH | assistant features editor

Big risks can result in big payouts. That is what Michael Lyons is still learning today. In May of 2011, when Lyons was just a sophomore, he took a leap of faith and started his first business, Global Petals, which imports some of the world’s greatest roses to high-end floral designers and retailers throughout the United States. Lyons’ passion for entrepreneurial business and his first start-up stemmed from the opportunities he had provided himself with throughout college, from academic ventures to personal relationships.

First, Lyons set himself up well by attending University of Illinois, mostly for a spot in their prestigious Business Honors Program. At age nineteen, he found himself surrounded by some of businesses’ greatest leaders. The Business Honors

Program set up “Conversations with Leaders,” which included businessmen like Sam Skinner (White House Chief of Staff for President George H.W. Bush) and Craig Stern (CEO of Roger and Hollands Jewelers), just to name a few. Lyons took action and turned his access to great leaders into relationships with them. He introduced himself and began building personal relationships with them, collecting valuable insights and advice. Lyons explains, “Typical students interact with recruiters. I interacted with leaders already in the positions that I wanted to be in.” It was these unique personal relationships that led Lyons down a different path than the typical student.

Lyons’ unique path also included academic opportunities that opened doors for him. His resume boasts two impressive internships, which normally students hope will provide valuable real-world experience and eventually lead to employment. For Lyons, his internships served as important lessons that there is much more possible. He learned he wasn’t satisfied doing a job that he was not passionate about and that success is not just professional and financial. Lyons’ education outside the classroom continued when he traveled to Ecuador to live and study. He lived with a rose farmer who introduced him to the flower business and the opportunity for change that existed within it. With some serious research and thought, and a kick in the butt from his mentor and idol, Warren Buffett, Lyons decided to take a leap of faith and start Global Petals. He knew that if the business completely failed, it would at least be a great learning experience.

Now, over three years later and after many failures and successes, Global Petals is a strong business with continuing potential to grow. Lyons currently lives in San Francisco and hopes to start another business. His risk taking has paid off, as he is passionately exploring the business world, which is very fulfilling to him. Here are some lessons you can take away from Lyons’ story:

1. Relationships with professionals who are already where you want to be are incredibly important. They can guide you in a unique way that recruiters and college advisors cannot.

2. Find your passion. Jobs that correlate with your passion are jobs that you will succeed at.

3. There is no one path that is right for everyone. 4. Take action. Only you can take full advantage of the opportunities that you

are presented with.

Lastly, Lyons left me with one great piece of advice for future graduates; while you are in college, if you have any idea of where you want to go, reach out to leaders in that field. When you are in college, you pretty much have a free pass to reach out and ask for advice from anyone. When you graduate, making these connections is more difficult because leaders often think you have an agenda. Build quality relationships with professionals in an industry before you graduate and surround yourself with them.

So, future graduates, go get out there and start taking action!

by MAGGIE WELDIN | staff writer

Live like a Lyon

The need is constant.The gratification is instant.Give blood.

Loras College Blood DriveBallrooms A & B

Thursday, October 2310:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.Sponsored by Loras College

and the Business Speaking and Writing Class

GO DUHAWKS!

For an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767)or visit redcrossblood.org

Bring a friend and help save lives together.

Stand up for equality! Stand up for fair wages! Stand up for the mistreated! How about we stand up for something just as important for these things… our

health! Recent research has proven again and again how important stretching our legs and getting up is for good health. Our bodies are not made to be sedentary and sitting all day long, and yet this is what our culture is coming to. So many people have desk jobs or school or other involvements that require them to be in front of a computer or in a meeting, frozen in the same positions for hours. Studies show that numerous health problems can result from sitting for too long.

Researchers reported just last January that sitting for too many hours can lead to decreased mental health, a higher risk of becoming disabled, and even a higher risk of death, from causes such as heart disease. Andrea LaCroix, PhD, director of the Women’s Health Center of Excellence at the University of California, San Diego, says that sitting for long hours also “has been linked to cardiovascular events like heart attack, heart disease death, overall death, and death from cancer.” A strained neck, sore shoulders, poor circulation, weak bones, obesity, and back pain can also result from sitting too long, as many of us are sitting incorrectly as well as sitting for too many hours a day.

Another health risk associated with sitting too long is an overproduction of insulin from the pancreas. This is because when muscles are idle, they do not respond to insulin as readily, and so the pancreas just produces more to try and overcompensate. This leads to an overall increase of insulin in the body, which can result in the development of diseases such as diabetes. In 2011, a study was conducted that showed that just one day of sitting on your behind too long led to decreased reception of insulin by body cells.

Even the brain is affected by not getting up and moving frequently enough. When we move our muscles, it pumps blood and oxygen through our bodies to our brain, and this releases mind and mood-enhancing chemicals that make us feel good and ready to work and think. Getting up for just a few minutes to stretch and walk around may seem like a distraction, but actually it will refocus and rejuvenate you, both physically and mentally!

Although you may get up and go for a run every day, this doesn’t counteract the negative side effects of hours of sitting. There are ways though that you can minimize the damage done by too long in a chair. Experts agree that getting up to walk, stretch, etc. every 30 minutes is ideal. Other creative ways that people have discovered to decrease their time sitting down include new standing desks, treadmill work stations, getting up to refill small cups of coffee and water, walking to a co-worker’s office instead of e-mailing them, standing breaks during long meetings, etc. It may not be practical to be constantly getting up during a class, but take advantage of the stairs and long routes whenever you can to add time on your feet.

It may seem annoying at first to consciously think about getting up and moving around when you are trying to get work done, but in the long run, mental and physical health really is worth standing up for!

by CASSIE BUSCH | news editor

More Than Just A S t r e t c h

Mind & Soul The Lorian Oct. 16, 2014 9

I played community recreation league soccer for the first time in 6th grade. After the season was over, I told my mom that I didn’t like soccer because it was too much running. In 7th grade, I decided I wanted to go out for track. I have no idea what got into me. If I thought soccer was too much running, what did I think track was going to be?

I’ll admit, watching me run track was probably pretty painful; I know for a fact that my form was terrible. Despite that, I stuck with it and ended up enjoying it. I don’t know if it was the running that made it enjoyable, because I was sore and tired for basically the entire season. But somehow I found joy in running.

Looking back, I’m pretty sure that my depression started somewhere around 7th or 8th grade, but it definitely wasn’t debilitating; probably just my anxiety about high school and growing older. I went out for track again in 8th grade and found myself actually enjoying the running portion as well as the camaraderie of friends and teammates. I didn’t know it then, but I’m pretty sure that track helped me get through my tough middle school years.

Once I hit high school, my depression continued to get worse. However, I continued playing volleyball as I had done in middle school, although at this point, we did a lot more running in practice than we had previously. That definitely helped me through the fall, and when spring came around it was track that helped me. By this point, my form was improving and with the help of my coach, I began to blossom. Volleyball and track became my outlets for the next 4 years. I actually looked forward to getting all hot and sweaty. OK, maybe not that part, but I knew that after practice I was always in a much better mood.

At the time I thought it was just because I could release stress and have fun with friends, or in other words because I loved the sports. Now that I’ve done a bit more research and thinking, I’m pretty sure that the exercise released endorphins or “pleasure” chemicals in the brain that actually helped to change my brain chemistry, at least temporarily. There did come a point in my senior year where my depression became so bad that I was beginning to lose interest in the things that had kept me going: volleyball and track. I pushed through it though because I knew that my teammates would be disappointed if I didn’t finish it out. It became very clear to me at this point that the exercise was helping to put me in a better mood. Needless to say, I was pretty active during my middle school and high school years.

My activity level began to drop when I reached college. My priorities had definitely changed, and I no longer had a reason to keep running or doing much of anything active. I did walk to class and would occasionally go for a walk or run with friends, but nothing regular. My depression began to spiral out of control. I had absolutely no desire to do anything: including getting out of bed. I began isolating myself, and my friends began to notice a change. Eventually, during my sophomore year, things got so bad that I finally went to the doctor who started me on an anti-depressant. It seemed to help for a while and then I seemed to get worse again. I switched meds and that one again worked for a while, and then didn’t seem to be helping as much, so my doctor upped my dosage. I continue to take that medicine today. I always had the intention of getting out and being active, but I just didn’t have the drive or motivation to do it on my own. The intention was there, but the action was lacking.

Even though I take medication and see a counselor, I have begun to rediscover what helped me through high school before

my official diagnosis: running. I spent the summer away from friends, family, and home at an internship in another state. I knew going into the summer that I wouldn’t have my support group so close, so I’d have to figure out something to help me get through. This is where my awesome advisor/mentor from here at Loras comes in. She told me that she’d help me figure out a running/training plan for the summer and gave me a website where I could track miles, times, routes, etc.

Finally! Someone to hold me accountable! I knew that I’d feel really guilty if she agreed to help me, and then I didn’t hold up my end of the deal. Because I had been away from running for so long, I started out running for about 3 minutes and then walking for 1 minute and repeating that sequence for about a mile. That gradually increased to running for about 6 minutes and walking for 1 minute. Eventually, I reached the point where I could go approximately a mile and a half without stopping.

After about a week or so of running (even for 3 minutes at a time), I could tell that something was different; I had more energy, I wasn’t as down. At first I attributed this change to not having the stress of school, but when my internship started to become more stressful and I was still feeling the same way, I decided it must be because of the running. It was amazing!

My return to running has also helped me return to a more regular prayer life. While most people reach for their iPod and headphones before a run, I reach for something different: my finger rosary. For those who do not know what a rosary is, it is a form of prayer/meditation that Roman Catholics use. It consists of repeating the “Hail Mary” prayer 10 times, saying a

couple other prayers, and repeating the process until 5 sets (or decades) have been completed. Not only did saying the rosary give me something to do while I ran, but it also helped me be able to pray and think about what was going on in my life; I was able to hand over at least some of what I was dealing with to God. Praying the rosary while I ran kept me focused on my prayers rather than how much I didn’t want to be running. Eventually though, I got to the point where I couldn’t figure out if my mood was improving because of the running, the praying, or a combination of both.

I can honestly say that I don’t think I felt as good as I did during those months in several years. Sometimes, quite often actually, I still struggle with the idea of running and praying and actually getting up and going (or picking up the rosary and saying it), but once I do, I feel great. When I find myself struggling to get going, I saying to myself, “I know it might not be fun, but you’ll feel better afterwards” or something similar. When I’m actually running and want to give up on the last minute of running, I have begun saying to myself “keep going, you’re almost there,” “don’t give up!” and “you can do it” – all things that can be translated into helpful phrases when I’m struggling with my depression. It’s one thing to hear others say those things to you, but it’s another to be able to say them to yourself and believe them.

Being a scientist, I of course, had to do research on this and found several articles that support running as a way to help combat depression. With the credibility that some of these articles have, I have become a firm believer in the fact that exercise can be used (sometimes in addition to other treatments) to help combat depression and other mental illnesses. I, and others, can tell this to you until we’re blue in the face, but you really have to try it for yourself!

Exercise and prayer: Aids in combating depression

by JACKIE RUSS |staff writer

Just when you think you are alone…Do you ever wonder why you feel sad? Why the voices in your head tell

you that you are not good enough? Why you get so moody with those you care about? Why your mind races so fast it feels like it is literally spinning in your head? Or why out of the blue your heart pounds so hard it feels like it is going to jump out of your chest?

I think we all can think of a time we have felt at least one of these ways. It becomes a concern when these feelings and situations do not go away. The reality is 1 in 4 college students struggle with a mental illness ranging from mild to severe. That is about 400 Duhawks right here on our campus.

One thing you can do to help alleviate these feelings is reach out and ask for help. Talk to someone. Educate yourself on what may be going on. Find some support. What tends to be hard about doing one of these things is admitting to yourself that something may be going on that is beyond your control. But I ask you this, if you broke your leg would you seek medical attention? The answer is yes. But when it comes to mental health needs, people hesitate to ask for help because they feel they should be able to control what they are feeling. Unfortunately, mental illness is a medical condition, and if we could control it without professional help there wouldn’t be a mental health profession.

My challenge to you, if you are struggling, is to reach out. If you have a friend or family member who is struggling, offer support. The more we address our own mental health issues and accept those of others, the more people will feel comfortable asking for support.

So if you are one of the 400 Duhawks suffering, take a minute to look around. You are not alone. And remember counseling is available to you as part of your college tuition. Take advantage of it by visiting us in the Alumni Campus Center, next to Health Services.

The Lorian is continuing a column by Tricia Borelli, director of counseling services. Here she will answer student questions concerning anything that

relates to keeping it together while doing this crazy thing called college. Send questions or comments to Ms. Borelli, Loras Box 100, or to the e-mail address tricia.borelli@loras.edu. All names of those sending questions will

be kept confidential.

TIPS with

TRISHThis issue’s “Tips with Trish” features a special guest writer, Elizabeth

Ramos, a part-time counselor for Loras who is writing to highlight the upcoming Mental Health Awareness Week.

My return to running has

also helped me return to a more

regular prayer life. While most

people reach for their iPod and headphones before a run,

I reach for something

different: my finger rosary.

ANTIOCH AT A GLANCE

When?November 14-16 (apps. due Nov. 3)

Where?

St. John Parish in Placid, IA

Why?A great spiritual break from everything school-related

Questions?

Contact Michael McAndrew or Tricia McCarthy

Loras - The Lorian— 3 x 6.5” ad = quarter page - $120.00 B&W only to run Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014 lorian@loras.edu 563-588-7954 - direct # to office No credit cards, will send invoice PLEASE send tear sheet and invoice to: Libby Vanderwall UNI Career Services 102 Gilchrist Hall Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0384 Ques�ons? Libby - 319-273-2062

University of Northern Iowa Career Services 102 Gilchrist Hall, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0390

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Duhawks clinch IIAC Tournament berthNo. 5 Loras remains unscathed in Iowa Conference play

by FRANK FERNANDEZ | sportswriterThe Duhawks hit the road last Saturday

for their first conference game outside of the Rock Bowl this season, taking on the Simp-son College Storm.

In the first half, the Duhawks could not find the back of the net, despite many op-portunities. With the game scoreless, junior captain Sam Koenig stepped up to take a free kick from midfield. He directed a shot to-ward the frame and the ball clanged off the crossbar to keep the sides locked at zeros. Simpson goalie Zach McEntee was chal-lenged three more times in the final 15 min-utes, but turned away all Duhawk scoring opportunities in the first half.

Even though the Duhawks didn’t capital-ize in the first half, Coach Dan Rothert re-mained optimistic.

“We were able to control the pace and

keep possession in their half for a majority of the game,” Rothert said. “We had many of our chances in the air, and that’s how we capitalized.”

The Duhawks finally capitalized on a chance in the 52nd minute. Senior Tom Fleugel sent in a free kick to fellow senior Mike Pizzello who headed it home to take

the 1-0 lead. This was the captain’s ninth goal on the season and his third in the last two games.

“Mike’s goal was huge because it really stifled any momentum Simpson had from being scoreless at half,” added Coach Roth-ert.

Simpson attempted to even the score

for the rest of the half, but couldn’t find the back of the net. With a combination of tenacious defense and solid goaltending by sophomore Adam Roloff, the Duhawks were able to hang on for the 1-0 victory. This was the second consecutive shutout for Roloff, moving him to 5-0-0 on the season.

The Duhawks remain undefeated in the Iowa Conference at 4-0-0 and are now 11-1-1 overall. With their latest win, the Duhawks have clinched a berth in the Iowa Confer-ence Tournament set to begin on Nov. 1. As of right now, Loras is tied for the No. 1-seed with Wartburg (10-2-2, 4-0). The two teams will face off for conference supremacy on Oct. 25 in the Rock Bowl.

The Duhawks got an extra break when Monday’s game against Division I program Western Illinois was canceled due to rain.

Weather permitting, their next game will take place Saturday in Decorah against No. 14 Luther College.

Volleyball team grabs first IIAC winDuhawks (11-13, 1-4) upsets Central in thrilling fashion

by AIDAN WOJCIEHOWSKI | sportswriterStill in search of their first Iowa Conference victory, the Duhawks

took on Buena Vista last Wednesday night, in a game they lost in the fifth and final set.

After losing the first set, the Duhawks won the next after jumping out to an early lead. The game was tied four different times, but Loras eventually came out victorious, 25-18.

The win looked promising after the Duhawks won match three 25-22, but set four was a completely different story. Buena Vista had their backs against the wall and came out aggressive. The Duhawks never led this set, and lost in convincing fashion 25-15. The fast start, and solid play throughout by Buena Vista forced a match five, with the momentum shifted towards the side of BVU.

In set five, Buena Vista continued their hot play but Loras battled back, eventually knotting the score at seven a piece. The run by the Duhawks was short lived, and Buena Vista pulled ahead to finish the set and win the match, 3-2.

The Duhawks’ luck changed on Tuesday night in Pella, as Loras notched their first Iowa Conference victory of the season over the Central Dutch.

The Duhawks jumped ahead early, taking the first two sets of the match 25-22, and 25-23. In set three, Central came out firing, downing the Duhawks 25-13. Needing to win to stay alive, Central edged out Loras 26-24 in a tightly contested fourth set. The match came down to the fifth and final set, and the Duhawks answered the challenge. The two teams battled back and forth in the deciding set, with Loras ultimately coming out on top by a score of 18-16. The final point was scored by sophomore Danni Kennedy from junior Kara Kentner.

The Duhawks were led by Kentner, who finished with a team-high in kills (18), in assists (30), and blocks (5).

The Duhawks will look to continue their momentum this Friday at the University of Dubuque, where they will face UW-Whitewater and UW-Platteville. If the Duhawks hope to make the field of six at the Iowa Conference Tournament, they’ll have to turn in strong performances against Simpson on Oct. 21 and against University of Dubuque on Oct. 29.

First-year forward Spencer Moore protects the ball from a Beaver defender during the Duhawks’ 6-0 win over conference foe Buena Vista earlier this month. The Duhawks (11-1-1, 4-0) are currently tied for first in the Iowa Conference with Wartburg (10-2-2, 4-0). The two teams will face off on Oct. 25 in the Duhawks’ final home game of the regular season.

photo courtesy of JIM NAPRSTEK

Date Opponent Record (Overall, Conf.)

Wednesday @ UW-Platteville (4-8-3 in non-conference)

Saturday @ No. 14 Luther (12-1-0, 3-1-0)

Oct. 25 Wartburg (7-4-3, 2-1-1)

Oct. 28 @ Coe (3-11-0, 0-4)

Nov. 1 Iowa ConferenceTournament-First Round

Current seed: No. 1(Would have bye)

MEN’S SOCCER AT A GLANCEDuhawks (11-1-1) look to win out to preserve their No. 1 seed

10 The Lorian Oct. 16, 2014 Sports

Sports The Lorian Oct. 16, 2014 11

October is upon us once again, and with it

comes Major League Baseball’s postseason, and the least-exciting championship in American major pro sports: The World Series.

This year, I’ve decided to forgo my

usual autumn ritual of ignoring the World Series completely, and instead, offer some valuable advice to the MLB powers-that-be on how they might make their product a little bit more tolerable to Americans under the age of 65. Making the game of baseball watchable is no easy feat, but I propose that it can be done.

First of all, Major League Baseball needs to lift its ban on performance-enhancing drugs. I know what you’re

thinking right now. “Of course Major League Baseball needs steroids. Tell me something I don’t already know.” Well, smart guy, sometimes the obvious bears uttering.

Does anyone really get excited by a well-placed sacrifice bunt up the first-base line to move a runner over? Hell no. People want to see freakish atomic supermen jacked up on HGH and shark testosterone knocking moonshots into the next county. Just take a look at baseball’s most beloved hero, the universally celebrated all-time home-run king, Barry Bonds. Nobody cared about Barry when he was an average-sized, perennial MVP-caliber ballplayer in Pittsburgh. It wasn’t until he juiced up in San Francisco and began his assault on the record books (as well as marine wildlife of McCovey Cove) that people began to really pay attention to him. Juice them all; it’ll make the game a lot more entertaining.

Now that we’ve made the players more interesting, it’s time to redesign the field. I think three bases are too many.

Let’s eliminate first base entirely, and make the second-base line run straight through the pitcher’s mound. While we’re at it, let’s move the mound up a little bit. Baseball purists are always talking about the intense confrontation in the showdown between pitcher and batter, but how intense can it really be when the two men are standing 60 feet apart? Place the pitcher’s mound four feet in front of home plate and that element of human confrontation will multiply exponentially.

Next, let’s make a few adjustments to the game’s equipment. I’m tired of pop-ups being guaranteed outs; it’s time to do away with the baseball mitt. We see fans in the stands making barehanded grabs on foul balls and home runs all the time, is it too much to expect the same from the professionals? The standard baseball bat needs some retooling, as well. I envision a hardwood version of the bright red, oversized whiffle ball bats we used as kids. Think “Captain Caveman.”

No discussion about improving the entertainment value of baseball would be complete without examining the game’s excruciatingly slow pace. How about instituting a pitch clock? Give the pitcher 10 seconds between pitches; if the pitch clock expires, the runner advances. Conversely, batters should be allowed only one swing per at-bat; hit it or sit down. By my calculations, a nine-inning baseball game played under these rules could be completed in about 35 minutes, leaving us all with more time to watch football.

Drew’s Views

Drew Brashawasst. sports editor

Saving baseball

©2013 JIMMY JOHN’S FRANCHISE, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

SERIOUSDELIVERY!TM

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OVER NOT EATING

LOVERS

Date Opponent Record (Overall, Conf.)

Saturday @ Luther (13-1-0, 3-1-0)

Oct. 20 Concordia-Minnesota (11-1-1 in non-conference)

Oct. 25 Wartburg (7-4-3, 2-1-1)

Oct. 28 @ Coe (6-8-0, 1-3-0)

Nov. 1 Iowa ConferenceTournament-First Round

Current seed: No. 3(Would play No. 4 Wartburg)

Duhawks beginning to find their groove

Loras (8-6, 3-1) shuts out 2 straight Iowa Conference opponents

by KATIE TRUESDALE | sportswriterIt was a full week of practice before the Du-

hawks were back on the pitch for their next Iowa Conference match.

After an easy 6-0 win over the Buena Vista Beavers, the Duhawks used the week of practice to get ready for their fourth IIAC match of the season against Simpson Storm. The Duhawks dominated from the initial whistle, putting pres-sure on the Storm’s attacking third from the start.

Early in the first half, junior Katie Truesdale netted the first goal of the game after an errant goal kick from the Storm that went right to the foot of Truesdale.

In the 18th minute, junior Ailish Rispin tal-lied her first goal of the season, putting one away from inside the 18, giving the Duhawks a 2-0 ad-vantage.

The Duhawks continued to hammer the Storm with their attack, firing off 12 shots in the first half. In the 33rd minute of the game, senior Claire Murphy dribbled around the Storm’s back line, laying it off to sophomore Hannah Burgmei-er who put her third of the season in the back of the net.

With a three-goal advantage at the end of the first half, the Duhawks kept the Storm from get-ting any shots on goal. Four minutes into the second half, senior Alexa Eggert drew a free kick just outside of the Simpson 18. After a touch from Eggert, Truesdale netted the free-kick, her sec-ond of the game.

In the 59th minute of the game, Truesdale hit

a shot which was fortunate enough to hit off one of Simpson’s defenders and go into the goal, re-sulting in an own goal. Simpson was not able to get on the board and Loras took the game, 5-0.

The final shot advantage for the Duhawks was 19-1. With the win over the Storm, the Duhawks improve to 8-6-0 overall and 3-1-0 in IIAC play.

The Duhawks only conference loss of the sea-son came against University of Dubuque, who had their first IIAC loss this past weekend against Central College. The Spartans’ loss gives each IIAC team a loss this season.

The Duhawks are scheduled to play Luther College this upcoming weekend in Decorah, IA. The Duhawks defeated the Norse 3-0 a season ago.

“I think these past two conference games have put us in the driver’s seat to control our standings in the conference,” said Rispin. “As a team, we are finally getting it together, peaking at the right time and getting that groove on the field we have been lacking. It is exciting to see how the confer-ence is panning out because everything has been up and down this season.”

The Duhawks control their own destiny, at least partly. If the Duhawks win out, they are guaranteed to finish second in the conference. In order to finish first, the Duhawks will need the University of Dubuque to suffer a second con-ference loss.

“Overall, we still have things to improve on but these full weeks of practice have really helped,” said Rispin. “In looking at the next three con-ference games, we are feeling confident and knowing that we have what it takes to win the conference.”

photo courtesy of JIM NAPRSTEKJunior forward Katie Truesdale dribbles past the goalie during the Duhawks’ 6-0 win over Buena Vista earlier this month. Truesdale leads the team in goals (nine), in shots (47) and in points (21).

WOMEN’S SOCCER AT A GLANCEDuhawks (8-6-0) prepare for the homestretch

Does anyone really get excited by a well-placed

sacrifice bunt up the first base line to move a runner over? Hell no. People want

to see freakish atomic supermen jacked up on

HGH and shark testosterone knocking moonshots into the next county.

12 The Lorian Oct. 16, 2014 Sports

Box Score 1 2 3 4 F

Buena Vista 21 7 10 10 48

Loras 6 7 3 13 29

Robert Kelly 18-41, 238 yards, 3 TD, INT

Calvin Smith 20 carries, 107 yards

Nate Even 7 rec., 126 yards, 2 TD

Mike Canevello 18 tackles, INT, FF

Duhawks get back in the poolMen’s and women’s swimming-and-diving teams compete in the 9th annual Alumni Meet

by DUSTIN DAWSON | sportswriterLast weekend, alumni swimmers

returned home to take on the current swimmers in the fun-filled ninth an-nual Alumni meet.

The relays were timed, but no rules were enforced, as both teams bent the rules at some point or another during the meet.

This won’t be allowed in the team’s upcoming meet, of course, as both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams begin the regular season

next Saturday, Oct. 25 against Ripon College in Ripon, WI.

Last year, both the men and wom-en were victorious against Ripon, with the men winning 155-68 and the women 158-44.

Both teams look to continue their success from last year as both post-ed six wins a piece during the regu-lar season and finished second in the Iowa Conference Championships.

While the alumni meet isn’t really a great measurement for how the teams look this year, the swimmers can agree that they want to at least match last year’s success and hopefully even exceed it.

“My goals for the season are to beat Luther Norse no matter what, and break the 200-free relay record with

my teammates,” said senior swimmer Grant Duncan.

The Duhawks will face off against the aforementioned Norse of Luther College in early January. The men’s team edged out a surprising 116-107 victory over the perennial conference powerhouse in their head-to-head match-up last season.

“We know when to have fun and know when to buckle down and prac-tice,” Duncan said. “I feel like this is the recipe for success because fun and hard work go hand and hand if done the right way.”

With the season quickly approach-ing, the Duhawks will look to use the momentum from their strong fin-ish last season and start the year off strong in Ripon.

Duhawks dammed by BeaversLoras (1-4, 0-2) drops its second straight Iowa Conference matchup

by DREW BRASHAW | asst. sports editorA happy homecoming was not in

the cards for the Duhawks on Satur-day, as Loras fell 48-29 to the Buena Vista University Beavers.

For the second consecutive week, the Duhawks (1-4, 0-2) failed to keep up with their opponents after getting off to a solid start. After yielding a quick opening possession touchdown to the Beavers (3-2, 2-0), the Loras of-fense engineered an efficient first drive of their own, going 79 yards in just six plays for the answering touchdown.

Midway through the first quarter, trailing the Beavers 14-6, Loras head coach Steve Helminiak reached into his bag of tricks. On first-and-ten from the Buena Vista 44-yard line, first-year quarterback Robert Kelly dumped the ball off to sophomore receiver Josh Schulte in the flat, who then zipped it back to his quarterback. Kelly then sailed a deep ball to senior wideout Nate Even, who hauled in the pass just shy of the goal line. Howev-er, the officials on the field ruled that an illegal forward pass had taken place, and the highlight-reel-worthy gadget play was nullified.

“They said it was a forward pass, on the first one,” Helminiak said of the officials’ call. “It’s designed so he comes back, so it should be two later-als on the double pass. I’ve got to see it on film. I thought it was two laterals.”

The Duhawks head coach was not the only one who thought so. An air

of confusion filled the stadium as the ball was walked slowly back to mid-field.

“I don’t know how they did it,” said Helminiak. “They set the ball, and we were going to run the next play, and then they did it. But the officials came over and explained it, and I thought they did a good job. They said it was two forward passes.”

The illegal forward pass penalty ef-fectively killed the Duhawk drive. Af-ter being pinned down on their own 1-yard line by sophomore punter Jer-emy Peters, the Beavers, led by senior quarterback Bobby Brown, drove 99 yards in eight plays and pushed the Buena Vista lead to 21-6.

Kelly would add a 28-yard touch-down pass to Even in the second quarter, but the Beavers never took their foot off the gas. Despite a late fourth-quarter rally attempt – which featured an incredible juggling touch-down reception by Even, and a 70-yard scoop-and-score by sophomore sack artist Damon Davies – the Du-hawks were unable to dam the Bea-vers’ offensive assault. Buena Vista piled up 607 yards of offense, and controlled the ball for nearly three full quarters in the contest.

On a weekend dedicated to hon-oring alumni from decades past, Du-

hawk youth was at the forefront in the Rock Bowl on Saturday.

“We’re a young football team,” said coach Helminiak. “We have ten seniors and 10 juniors, and the rest of them are pretty young. We’re play-ing with two freshman corners who are extremely talented and have great quickness, but it’s a matter of getting them more and more reps.

“We have a lot of young guys on the field right now, so we know it’s going to be a process, and it never happens as quickly as you want.” Helminiak continued. “They’ve got to learn how to win. We try to develop that stuff in practice, but it’s got to start carrying over to the games – and we’re con-fident that it will. We’re not losing faith by any stretch of the imagina-tion. We’ll go back to work, work as hard as we ever have, and get ready for Central.”

photo by RYAN GRAHAMSenior wide-receiver Nate Even runs in for the first of his two touchdowns Saturday against Buena Vista. Even, who caught 7 passes for 126 yards, was one of the bright spots for the Duhawks during their 48-29 loss.

FOOTBALL AT A GLANCERemaining schedule (1-4, 0-2)

Date Opponent Result (record)

Sept. 6 Elmhurst W 39-17

Sept. 13 @ UW-Stout L 21-17

Sept. 20 @ Augustana L 34-17

Oct. 4 @ Coe L 36-10

Oct. 11 Buena Vista L 48-29

Oct. 18 @ Central (3-2, 1-1)

Oct. 25 @ Simpson (3-2, 0-2)

Nov. 1 Dubuque (2-3, 1-1)

Nov. 8 Luther (4-1, 1-1)

Nov. 15 @ No. 6 Wartburg (5-0, 2-0)

Anyone who has read my blog or my column for the Lorian knows that

I’m a pretty cynical person when it comes to sports. I’m not into the whole “everyone is special and deserves a trophy for participation” philosophy. I make a lot of criticisms with my writing, but I like to think that these criticisms are warranted. There is nothing I hate more than unfair criticism. Unfortunately, here at

Loras, unfair criticism has become a problem — and something needs to be said about it.

Can a team be bad? In a manner of speaking, yes. You are what your record says you are — from a “results” point-of-view. If you want to say the team is “bad,” that’s one thing. But I have a problem when I overhear people saying things like “such and such a team doesn’t try,” or “such and such a team doesn’t care.”

People make these statements without any knowledge of the team whatsoever. The closest I came to being a member of a collegiate team was when I served as the manager of the football team during my first two years here at Loras. So, although I’m talking about sports in general, I primarily can relate to any criticism thrown the football team’s direction, even though I no longer have a vested interest. Frankly, I could care less. I’m writing this mostly because I find joy in exposing bulls#!%.

We need to learn to make the distinction between effort and results. If anything, the fact that the team has been losing tells you the players care even MORE. It’s hard to put in the work every day when you’re not seeing the results on the field. The daily grind wouldn’t be as daunting if the team has a 9-0 record.

If we want to use the football team as an example, sure, the results haven’t been there for a few years (although the team appears to be performing better this season). But during that time, you can’t tell me that the effort wasn’t either. Because I saw it with my own eyes.

When I was team manager of the football team, I had been to the practices. I had been to the games. I had been on the bus rides. I had seen the workouts. Players are in the weight room as early as 6 a.m. for workouts several times per week, even in the off-season. I had seen players throw up on the field out of exhaustion. I had seen players get injured. I saw how hard the coaches work; I lived across the street from their offices in the Fieldhouse. I would see their cars parked out

front when I go to bed, and I would see those same cars again when I wake up in the morning. I had been in the locker room after a loss and seen the looks of disappointment on the players’ faces. I witnessed seniors break into tears after they had just played their final game in the Rock Bowl.

But no, you’re right. They don’t care.When you criticize a collegiate athlete, what are you

really accomplishing here? In reality, you’re no different than the fourth-grade bully who makes fun of the kid with the goofy wire-framed glasses. You’re just pointing out the failures of others to shift the focus away from your own flaws and insecurities. When you make those comments, great, you got a few cheap laughs and people think you’re like “so totally cool” now. But all you’re really doing is insulting the body of work that those players put in on a daily basis.

You might still think that those players don’t care. Are you entitled to your opinion? Sure.

But you have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.

GRAH

AM SL

AM

Ryan GRahamsports editor

COACH’S CORNER

Don’t confuse effort with

results

We need to learn to make

the distinction between effort and results. If anything, the fact that the

team has been losing tells you the players care even more. It’s hard to put in

the work every day when you’re

not seeing the results on the

field. The daily grind wouldn’t be as daunting if the team had

a 9-0 record.

Editor’s note: If this column looks familiar, it is because it previously has been published in this space (on Nov. 14, 2013, to be exact). Sorry for the rehash, but I thought some of the points were worth repeating ( although it has been slightly revised so as to still be “timely.”)