Thursday, March 20, 2014

The Etownianwww.etownian.com Vol. 110. Issue 16

FEATURES ‘Love Your Body’ event promotes self-esteem, confidence | PAGE 4 SPORTS Dayhoff breaks weighted-throw record at meet | PAGE 11

Families Engaging in Science, Technology event reaches youth

T he Families Engaging in Science and Technology (FEST) event

was held on March 14 in Nicarry Hall. The event was hosted by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Student Chapter and the Education Department at Elizabethtown College.

This free event enabled elementary and middle school students and their families to explore engineering through

hands-on challenges and activities. The children who attended the event learned about various career opportunities in engineering and the role that engineer-ing plays in everyday life.

The goal of the event was to promote family science within the community and to give Etown education students teaching experience outside of the tradi-tional classroom environment, accord-ing to junior Bethany Otwell. Otwell, who is president of the NSTA Etown chapter, is an elementary and middle

level education major with a science concentration.

“The goal was to engage the com-munity in STEM-related events while developing necessary skills to be a teacher,” Dr. Kathy Blouch, assistant professor of science education, said. “It is an opportunity for students in the methods class to engage children in learning through hands-on problem solving and the design process.”

by KARLEY ICE

Hermann representsJays in NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships

Hiroki Hashimoto, a student from Hiroshima University in Japan, is

completing his three-week student teaching requirements at Elizabethtown College.

Dr. Nobuaki Takahashi, assistant pro-fessor of Japanese, will be supervising Hashimoto as he progresses through his requirements. Using Takahashi as a transla-tor, Hashimoto said, “The student-teacher relationship is much closer, especially here at Etown. I attend Hiroshima University, where the class sizes are in the hundreds and there

isn’t much interaction with other students or the professor.” Hashimoto started observing Takahashi’s classes on Monday, March 10, and he is currently working on his lesson plans for the second half of his time at the College.

Japanese language courses are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Hashimoto provides assistance in the classroom as well as with extracurricular activities, such as weekly Japan Club meet-ings and Japanese language tables. Takahashi encourages Hashimoto to try anything that he thinks will help the students improve

their language skills. The Japan Club held a calligraphy workshop on Tuesday, March 11, which was led by Hashimoto. Hashimoto will also have the opportunity to tutor those students who are in need of extra practice. Takahashi hopes to learn from Hashimoto through his supervising process.

In spring 2013, Dr. Yukiko Hatasa contacted Takahashi. Hatasa is a professor at Hiroshima University, which is well-known for its foreign language education and Japanese language education and pedagogy program.

Hiroshima student experiences American education systemby ANDREW CALNON

A new course on Amish and Anabaptist groups is being offered to students during the May

term. The new class is called “Amish and Anabaptist

Groups in Context” and is being team-taught by Professor of Sociology Dr. Conrad Kanagy and the Director of the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies Dr. Jeff Bach. The class will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. from May 12 to May 22 for two weeks, including Sunday, and will be worth four credits.

According to Kanagy and Bach, the course is being offered for many different reasons. “To offer students the opportunity to become aware of the diversity of Anabaptist-related groups in central Pennsylvania [is the goal of this course]. Many students think first of the Amish, but there are other groups, including immigrants from Latin America and Asia who have established Men-nonite churches in Lancaster County. This course will introduce students to a variety of groups,” Kanagy said.

Aiming to reach a variety of groups and also other colleges, “This course expands the offer-ings related to the study of Anabaptist groups by looking at new, multi-ethnic Anabaptist groups in addition to the Amish, Mennonites, Brethren and River Brethren,” Bach said. “Dr. Kanagy and

I wanted to introduce students to the spectrum of traditional groups and the breadth of cultures among Anabaptists right here in Lancaster County today. Students will have an opportunity to meet Anabaptists with Hispanic backgrounds, as well as Anabaptists from African and Asian backgrounds,” Bach continued.

This course will have opportunities outside of the classroom to go along with the in-class lessons.

Bach, Kanagy to teach new Amish, Anabaptist Groups in Context course

by LAUREN MCQUE

Earlier this year, between Jan. 19 and Jan. 20, letters were stolen from the Elizabethtown College sign at the corner of Mount Joy Street

and College Avenue. The disappearance of the letters led to campus-wide interest in the sign and the works of the Campus Security office.

The letters that were stolen included B, E, T, L and L. Some letters have not yet been replaced or restored, as the sign sits with empty spaces in the words. Although they have not been replaced, they have been returned to the College.

The immediate thought around campus was that, late one night, some students decided taking some letters would make for a good prank. After a campus-wide email revealed the dates and expense of replacing the letters, the whole student body was officially informed of the incident. This email called for tips or knowledge to be forwarded to the Campus Security office either by phone or through their anonymous tip form on the College’s website. It also included the price, about $450, of replacing the letters.

A rumor surrounding the missing letters was that they were never stolen and are just being kept in the Campus Security office

until the end of the academic year. The rumor that the letters are simply being held is false. “The letters from this year’s theft are back in the school’s possession,” Director of Campus Security Leo Sokoloski said. According to Sokoloski, the letters are currently being refurbished and cleaned. Once that is done, they will be returned to the sign.

Campu sign’s missing letters undergo restorationby EVAN ROCHE

The Elizabethtown College’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry left its footprint

in Texas this week. The department sent 11 students to the 247th

American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting and Exposition in Dallas, Texas, between March 15 and 18. Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dr. James MacKay went with nine seniors and two juniors to the conference. The attendees were seniors Kyle Farkas, Shantel Angstadt, Elizabeth Crow, Lauren Eltringham, Daniel Forster, Emily Gockley, Kath-ryn Olsen, Katie Owens, Amy Wagner, and juniors Christopher Ryan and Stephanie Tretter.

Chemistry majors attend conference

by BRIAN LUKACSY

Junior Woodie Hermann won his debut match at the 2014 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships on Friday, March 14. He was the only Etown wrestler present at the tournament, and his season then ended with a loss in the consolation bracket after participating in three total matches.

Photo: David Sinclair

The College recovered all the missing letters that were stolen from the sign. Repairs are currently being made to the letters, and they will be added to the sign upon their restoration.

Photo: Tyler Latshaw

SEE FEST PAGE 2

SEE COURSE PAGE 2

SEE JAPAN PAGE 3

SEE CHEMISTRY PAGE 3

Dr. Jeff Bach will teach the new Amish and Anabaptist Groups in Context course alongside Dr. Conrad Kanagy.

Photo: Office of Marketing and Communications

Photo: Stephen Hajcak

Photo: Rose Rappaport

“Students will take numerous field trips — in fact, there will be nearly 40 hours of class outside of the traditional classroom. An overnight field trip to Big Valley, Pa., a day long service project w i t h M e n n o n i t e Central Committee, S u n d a y m o r n i n g worship as wel l as other experiences will strengthen student understanding of these groups,” Kanagy said.

T h r o u g h t h e s e experiences, students w i l l l e a r n a b o u t different connections i n t h e wor l d . “By interacting personally w i t h A n a b a p t i s t groups through visits to farms, businesses, meetings for worship and homes, students wi l l g row in t he i r awareness of religious and cultural diversity h e r e i n o u r o w n ne ig hb orho o d and see how some of these g r o u p s r e p r e s e n t connections around the world. Students wil l also encounter the traditional groups’ ways that family ties are cultivated across many generations,” B a c h s a i d . “ T h e i n t e r a c t i o n s w i t h

p e ople f rom Plain groups hopefully will challenge students to become more aware of the many ways that our consumer-oriented, t e ch nol o g y - d r ive n society impact people and relationships and to ref lec t on their priorities. Students will also learn about t h e c o m m i t m e n t to peace and non-v i o l e n c e a n d i t s s ignif icance in the lives of members of these groups. Students will also spend one day in a service-learning a c t i v i t y.” S e r v i c e learning is required by mult iple majors an d , a c c ord i ng t o the College’s website, students “are afforded the opportunity to apply the knowledge g a i n e d i n t h e classroom to achieve a more i nte g r ate d understanding and analysis of community issues.”

Some specific skills w i l l b e d e ve l op e d through participation i n t h i s l e a r n i n g experience. “Students wi l l de ve lop s ome research skills related to learning about the history and beliefs of Anabaptist religious

g roup s . T h e y w i l l develop some skills for analyzing social organization, change and persistence among religious minorities. They will also develop skills for interacting with people of diverse religious and cultural b a c k g r o u n d s s o that students come away with ski l ls in understanding and appreciating cultural d i f fe re nc e s ,” B a ch

said.Students in t h is

class wil l approach the subjec t matter f r o m d i f f e r e n t standpoints, including sociological, historical and religious views. Through this, students will learn about this rel ig ious minority. This class does not focus on specific skills but on “breadth of knowledge,” according to Kanagy.

march 20, 2014page 2 News

The Etown students also had the op-portunity to design learning experiences for parents and children while applying their knowledge of scientific practices.

The FEST event opened with an activity that matched different products to the different types of engineering. Then children and their families rotated among different stations at the event. Children went to each station with their families to investigate challenges that engineers regularly encounter. Stations included activities such as building structures and bridges, designing cars and roller coasters, withstanding natural disasters and exploring electricity. If children were unable to make it to a station or wanted to learn more about a certain topic, they were provided with a take-home sheet that contained more information for each activity.

Va r i o u s s t u d e n t s a t E t o w n contributed to the organizat ion, preparation and the implementation of the FEST event. Juniors in their methods block classes in the education department played a role in the planning

of the stations, while senior education majors brought their knowledge and experience they have gained from their time as student teachers. Dr. Blouch said the department tries “to have freshmen through seniors working together.”

The NSTA was involved with making sure that the Etown students helping with the event had all the materials they needed to complete the lessons successfully, advertise, provide funds and organize volunteers for the event, and also register families and children at the event. Volunteers who helped at the event were involved in setting up and taking down the event, checking families in when they arrived for the event, teaching and assisting with the lessons at each station.

The children who attended the event were from local schools in the area. “We hope [the children] take away the excitement of engaging in science and engineering,” Blouch said. “I think it is important for our students to see how kids can be engaged in learning, problem-solving and critical thinking.”

FEST event educates local families, community

FEST PAGE 1

The FEST event allowed elementary and middle school students, along with their families, to participate in hands-on engineering-based activities

Photo: Rose Rappaport

Dr. Conrad Kanagy believes the new course will introduce students to a variety of groups of people.

Photo: Elizabethtown College

New Amish, Anabaptist course to focus on traditions, culture, adaptation

COURSE PAGE 1

page 3March 20, 2014 News

Student Wellness is sponsoring an eight-week group for students on

campus called The Mindful Way. The group focuses on developing aware-ness, enhancing focus, living in the moment, being non-judgmental and experiencing a sense of inner calm in everyday life. This group is open to any student who wants to join. The program is in place to benefit par-ticipants’ minds and bodies through simple types of meditation.

This idea was started from the mindful way stress reduction program that was created in 1979 by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a molecular biologist. The program is designed to teach people who deal with many different types of stressful conditions. The various conditions include illness, chronic pain or

stress from their busy lives, and the focus is on teaching people how to take better care of themselves. The mindful way method has been the subject of many clinical studies and has been found helpful when used in conjunction with other traditional treatments. There are over 300 mindful way programs in the United States, and they are also being offered in Canada, Europe and Asia.

Dr. Evie Gerber, Counseling Services and Student Wellness are working together to bring this program to Elizabethtown College to help students manage mental health concerns and the daily stress of college. “I facilitate the group; I adapted the group from the evidence-based mindfulness program,” Gerber said. A simple perk of the group is that it is completely free and is confidential for any full-time student on the campus.

This eight-week program started meeting on Feb. 26 and will run through the end of April. They meet every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to noon. The weekly meetings are held in various spots around the campus. Because this is a new program on campus, they kept the group open for any new members to join through the first several weeks of meetings. “The group focuses on developing a mindful approach in day-to-day life through mindfulness-related exercises and mindfulness meditation,” Gerber said. During the various discussions, they explore the mindfulness in common concerns. The focus is put on managing stress, depression, anxiety and many different types of emotional reactivity.

When attending, students participate in verbal instruction and

audio resources, as well as receive handouts to take home. “Students get information and experiences in the group and then take the skills and practices from group and do them on their own throughout the week,” Gerber said. This tactic then furthers the students’ wellness by practicing and continuing their meditation at home by themselves. The students will then have the opportunity to keep going after the eight-week program is over so that they will have the tools to continue with their mindfulness practice.

Along with the exercises, the group involves the development of consistent mindful meditation. This consistent meditation is achieved by engaging in weekly assignments that are given in the group and then integrating the concepts into daily life. Self-observation of one’s

thoughts can benefit not only the mind but also can help to regulate stress and anxiety. Along with attending meetings, simple home practice of one hour a day for six days a week can help to further mental wellness.

Many students do not know how to handle the daily stress that they may encounter in the college environment. Because of this recognized need, Student Wellness started this group in hopes to better serve the students who may be struggling. Gerber believes that through simple daily meditation, students can better manage stress and other concerns in more adaptive ways. “Mindfulness practice often provides benefits in areas of attention and focus. It can also be helpful with mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety,” Gerber said.

Student Wellness sponsors eight-week Mindful Way groupby SYDNEY NESTER

Japanese student teacher visits campus

Hatasa was Takahashi’s thesis and dissertation supervisor for both of his graduate degrees.

Hatasa asked Takahashi if he was interested in accepting a student teacher for three weeks as part of the practicum. Takahashi was ver y honored to receive the request, and after he further discussed the opportunity with Provost and Senior Vice Pre s i d e nt D r. Sus an Traverso, Dean of Faculty Dr. E. Fletcher McClellan and Associate Professor of Spanish Dr. Monstserrat Linares-Farras, he agreed to accept a student teacher.

Takahashi is originally f rom Jap an and h a s experience supervising o t h e r i n d i v i d u a l s specializing in Japanese. In the past, he supervised instructors who were at a graduate level or full-time instructor level at his former institutions. “What is exciting about this opportunity for me is that Mr. Hashimoto is an undergraduate student who studies to be a teacher of Japanese. Obviously, he is a young man with a strong motivation to work in the field of Japanese l a n g u a g e e d u c a t i o n by t r av e l i n g a bro a d for student teaching,” Takahashi said.

Takahashi bel ieves that having mult iple teachers enables students to interact with many forms of communication. He also thinks that being exposed to a variety of teaching styles is also good for the students. “Although I believe I have a great academic and professional relationship with my students, it is always exciting for the s tudents to have an opportunity to interact with other native speakers,” Takahashi said. Takahashi has not iced through casua l conversat ions t h at Ha s h i m ot o h a s been building up a good relat ionship with the Japanese students so far.

In class, Hashimoto d o e s c a l l i g r aphy, s o Takahashi lets him do the introduction and practice characters while

he teaches. Hashimoto also participates in pair or group work during class but later will be in charge of teaching the class on his own. Japanese courses incorporate these four skills into their curriculum: s p e a k i n g , l i s t e n i n g , reading and writing, as well as communicative skills, such as nonverbal and linguistic issues and cultural components. Many class activities are focused on speaking and listening, and the reading and writing components are covered by homework assignments.

“My listening skills have improved in English. In Japan, they learn English from the book. Here, I am learning what to say and how to say it more appropriately and in a conversational tone. I’m communicating better and making my message clearer,” Hashimoto said.

Hashimoto only has to comple te s tudent teaching at one university. Hiroshima University sends student teachers all over the world. Another institution in the US is Purdue University. Other countries include Australia, England and Indonesia.

A f t e r s c h o o l i n g , H a s h i m o t o i s n o t determined to teach in the United States. He is interested in Japan or other Asian countries, Europe or any countries that offer Japanese. “I really want to create the best lesson materials and atmosphere for the three classes I will be teaching at the end of my time here. I have been fluently communicat ing wit h Etown students in Japan, but I am more interested in learning to fluently communicate in English with them since there may be a time in my life in which I will have to do so,” Hashimoto said. The modern languages d e p a r t m e n t h o p e s to continue this as an annual relationship with Hiroshima University, and Takahashi will continue to train one student teacher every spring semester.

JAPAN PAGE 1

Blue Jays present research in Dallas, TexasThe conference, which was titled

“Chemistry & Materials for Energy,” officially started on March 16 and ran until March 20.

At the national conference each year, undergraduate students share their research with professors, people in the industry and other students. One of the 11 students who presented their research at this year’s conference was Eltringham.

“Last semester, eight of us submitted abstracts in hopes of being accepted to present. All eight abstracts were accepted, and we had a great time sharing our research,” Eltringham said. “This was the first time I was able to present my research to an audience, so it was a great experience for me to present what I have been working on to a captive audience.”

The other three s tudents who attended the conference were a part of a Chem Demo exchange or went based on interest. Students share different demos that their Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society clubs do during outreach programs.

“Our students put together a great demo that involved making s i l ly putty that glowed in ultraviolet light,” Eltringham said.

Angstadt, who was one of the three students who did not present an abstract, visited multiple sessions at the conference to gain experience and knowledge. “I attended a presentation on how to communicate science effectively,

and I also participated in a speed networking session where I had the opportunity to meet professionals in academia and industry,” Angstadt said. “It was a great experience to be able to attend such a large conference and be immersed in the professional setting.”

The conference consisted of numerous lectures, discussions and networking events that were geared to the students’ career interests.

“My concentration is education,

so on Sunday, Kyle Farkas, who also hopes to teach chemistry at the high school level, and I attended an all-day event about teaching chemistry in high school,” Eltringham said. “It was truly an invaluable experience.”

On Sunday evening, the College’s student chapter of the ACS received an award for the 2012-2013 academic year in recognition of being a commendable chapter based on the outreach and activities accomplished in the past year.

CHEMISTRY PAGE 1

Professor of English and Modern Languages and

College Professor of Interna-tional Studies Dr. Mark Har-man and two of the officers of Elizabethtown College’s Ger-man Klub traveled to Dickin-son College, where Harman spoke about the author Franz Kafka at Dickinson’s German Klub’s annual dinner. The president of Dickinson and other faculty members also attended the event.

During the event, Harman spoke about Kafka, a German-language writer of novels and short stories. Harman discussed translation of Kafka and why Kafka is one of the most influential authors of the 20th century. Harman a ls o d is cuss ed rep eated themes in Kafka’s work, such as alienation, physical and psychological brutality and parent-child conflict.

The two students who attended the event were German Klub president and senior Tyler Kunkle and vice

president and sophomore A n n e m a r i e H a r t z e l l . “I thought the event was a nice way for Dickinson to br i ng to ge t he r t he i r German Klub and have a formal acknowledgement of the students, professors and administrators involved in the club,” Hartzell said. During the event, Kunkle and Hartzell talked to Dickinson students about their own experiences in German Klub.

Ku n k l e w a s a b l e t o speak with both the faculty members and student leaders of Dickinson’s German Klub. “I was able to chat about the events they hold and how they compare to our Klub. I was surprised to learn that the president of Dickson’s German Klub is also a current finalist awaiting notification for a Fu lbr ig ht Eng l i sh Teaching Assistant for next year in Germany, as am I,” Kunkle said.

H a r m a n i s a n a t i v e of Dublin, Ireland and a translator of Kafka’s works, including “The Castle” and

“Amerika.” He has also written about German and Ir ish authors for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post.

At Etown, the German Klub meets every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Marketplace to practice German at dinners. During the dinners , the students speak in German and have a closer feel of the German culture. “We have

so far shown a film, had a trip to a local Oktoberfest, had German conversation events, gone to an Amish hymn singing and will be showing another film. The German Klub also plans trips in local areas for German events,” Kunkle said. At the end of the month, the club will be attending the production “Faust” at the University of Delaware.

German Klub officers attend event at Dickinsonby JORDAN MOSER

Two German Klub officers traveled to Dickinson College to listen to Dr. Mark Harman lecture on Franz Kafka.

Courtesy Photo: Mark Harman

11 Etown students traveled to Dallas, Texas for the 24th annual American Chemical Society National Meeting and Exposition to present their research.

Courtesy Photo: Kyle Farkas

March 20, 2014Featurespage 4

‘Love Your Body’ event promotes self-esteem, confidence

Fashion. Confidence. Positivity. Natural Beauty. Whether tall, short, big or small, all the models strutted down

the runway Tuesday, March 11 for the second annual “Love Your Body” fashion show.

That night, everyone was silent in the KAV until audi-ence members began cheering and clapping after seeing the first model step into the spotlight. Walking down the run-way to songs such as Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are,” the models were able to show off their individual body types and styles by choosing their own clothes to wear. Catego-ries included “love your school spirit,” “love your heritage” and “love your active body.” The show incorporated the significance of appreciating one’s body regardless of size, color or style. “It sends a really positive image about the bodies and how everyone’s beautiful,” first-year participant Megan Bernth said.

Through this celebration of various body types, Health Educator Amanda Cheetham also hopes to raise awareness for the resources available to students on campus. “The col-lege years are a time when disordered eating either begins, resurfaces or worsens,” Cheetham said. “It’s important to create this climate on campus where we’re talking about these things.”

Cheetham emphasized the importance of students’ awareness regarding the free and confidential counseling services offered on campus. This includes an anonymous online screening tool available for each student; after com-pleting the online test, students are then able to see if they fit into the description of a particular eating disorder.

There are several common eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia, among college students; however, others are less common, including those related to over-exercising. These health issues are not solely relevant to women, but to men as well. According to the National As-sociation of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders

(ANDA), 10 to 15 percent of those suffering from anorexia or bulimia are men.

“The fashion show gives us an avenue to celebrate body image and positivity, which can let us open the conversa-tion about some of those other topics that are a little more difficult to talk about,” Cheetham said.

Attempting to encourage body appreciation and aware-ness on campus, the show featured various approaches to fashion, confidence and body image. In this way, the models also challenged the media’s set standards of beauty.

During the show, seniors Amanda Sheckard and David Feuz co-hosted, comparing statistics of models with those of the average person. They told the audience that the average American woman is five feet four inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. However, the average model is five feet 11 inches weighing 117 pounds. Also, according to ANDA, only five percent of women actually possess the body type that is portrayed in the media.

“We try to change the norms that exist,” senior Student Wellness advocate Jennifer Bitgood said. “No matter the size, everyone is beautiful.”

Emphasizing this belief of body appreciation and beauty, the models took their energy and confidence with them onto the runway.

“[The models] were just so excited to be able to show off their natural beauty and what they love wearing,” sopho-more Student Wellness advocate Ashley Cox said.

The fashion show was reintroduced following a suc-cessful show last year. This year, the event was organized and run by Cheetham and the Student Wellness Advocacy Group (SWAG). In accordance with the theme of body-appreciation, Cheetham said that whoever signed up was automatically admitted to the show. Every student who was interested became involved.

In addition, the models were not coached on how to walk the runway or how to dress. Instead, they were en-couraged to express their unique personalities and style without outside influence.

“I just loved watching the students get their moment in the spotlight; I thought it was really special,” Cheetham said.

Cheetham expects the event to occur again next year. “I think it’s a very important message. It was fun, the models were having a great time and the people in the audience were having a great time. It was just very positive and I think we need more of that,” Cheetham said.

Cheetham said that she hopes the “Love Your Body” fashion show will become a tradition on campus and that it will continue for many more years to come.

by IRENE SNYDER

Student Wellness-sponsored fashion show encourages, provides support for positive body image, real beauty

Photo: Tyler LatshawSenior Annie Ngo strikes a pose on the runway for the “Love Your Vintage Body” portion of the show. The “Love Your Body” fashion show hopes to promote positive body image and real beauty for both women and men on campus.

‘That’s So Gay!’ performance explores sexuality with comedic approach

“I’m not a trans person. I’m not a lesbian. I’m not asexual. I’m not intersex. I’m

not any of a myriad of other letters that make up the large acronym that describes the queer community. If I was, my sole identity would be alphabet soup. The times I mention these other identities is only through the experiences I have had with these people and the ones I have read about. I am by no means an expert. My experience is only mine, but I feel that it overlaps with others that share some of my identities. My life is on display for this performance to laugh at,” senior Stephen Boyhont said.

On Saturday, March 15, Boyhont’s senior project, a one-man theatrical production written and performed by Boyhont and titled “That’s So Gay!” made its debut on the Gibble Auditorium stage.

Boyhont is a 21-year-old senior theatre performance and English professional writ-ing major here at Elizabethtown College. Born and raised in Lititz, Pa., Boyhont was born gay and raised straight.

“That’s So Gay!” is a personal monologue of Boyhont’s ups and downs, experiences and personal thoughts of living life as a gay man. The show covered his personal experi-ences and provided its audience with helpful facts and figures of the LGBTQ community. There was a mix between facts and figures and personal experience that helped the audience relate to the topic whether or not they’ve ever had to personally experience it themselves.

“I wasn’t worried about the actual content of the performance. I was more focused on memorization and making sure I could get across the points I wanted to make,” Boy-hont stated.

Though the performance started out comical and light-hearted, Boyhont led the audience through his journey, laughing with

him at his jokes and, by the end, crying with him at his hardships. Some of his stories were entertaining, such as the one when he was 19 and had his first boyfriend, who he thought was 16. One day he asked him if he wanted to drive somewhere instead of his having to drive like he does all the time, and the boy told him he was actually 15 so he didn’t have his license yet. Also, when he was in kindergarten and realized for the first time that he might be gay, another boy

was picking on him. Boyhont said that if he wouldn’t stop teasing him, he was going to kiss the bully and give him cooties.

Boyhont’s story was more than just a senior project; it was an expression of good and bad that comes along with being gay or any other identification that people may have that makes them “different.” The overall message that he wanted the audience to take away from his performance was ac-ceptance. At the end of his performance, he talked about how it doesn’t matter what you are, but that we are all different together as one human race.

Photo: Stephen Hajcak

Stephen Boyhont poses after the opening performance of “That’s So Gay!” His one-man show, which is part of his senior theatre project, summarizes his life as an out, rural gay man in a comedic context.

“My experience is only mine, but I feel that it overlaps with

others that share some of my identities. My life is on display for this performance to

laugh at.” ~Stephen Boyhont

by KAITLYN TOTHERO

Features page 5March 20, 2014

‘The Beauty Academy of Kabul’ film sparks multicultural conversation

“The Beauty Academy of Kabul” was shown at Elizabethtown College on Thursday, March

14, as part of the International Film Festival. The documentary featured a group of American hairstylists who travel to Afghanistan to open its first post-Taliban beauty academy.

Under the Taliban regime, Afghan women were im-posed upon and told what was and was not acceptable for them. They were forced to fully clothe themselves and remain indoors — prohibited to enjoy liberties that many American women seem to take for granted.

The documentary takes place later, in a post-Taliban regime. American volunteers who are eager to teach the latest hair practices, such as cutting, coloring and perm-ing, realize that, though the Afghan women are deserv-ing and excited to learn, they still face many personal barriers. The women of Afghanistan are trying to move on and be happy despite what they have been through; however, they are scared to be free and are stuck in lifestyles of modest living and gender inequality.

The hushed whispers and near silent laughter heard throughout the people in the auditorium confirmed how culturally different life can be, as well as the impact of transformation.

The theme of transformation, according to Kristi Syrdahl, director of the Office of International Student Services, is the reason she and Louise Hyder-Darling-ton, the access services librarian, chose to present “The Beauty Academy of Kabul” as part of the International Film Festival.

“Although several smaller festivals have been held in years past, this is the first year that the Office of Interna-tional Student Services, in conjunction with the High Library, has really made a concerted effort to choose films that have a theme and also tie in with things re-ally happening in the world. Having been inspired by transformation, we selected ‘The Beauty Academy of Kabul’ because it is not every day that you would see a film from Afghanistan. They are not made often, and the fact this actually was a documentary is noteworthy,” Syrdahl said.

Syrdahl believes Etown students can learn from what they see within the film. “I think there is a lot of benefit in expanding horizons and understanding the world in a larger way,” she stated. “If it is through a lecture series or a film series, there is always benefit in that; it is also a fun way to spend an hour and a half. Learning really happens everywhere and in every single moment. If one can walk away from an experience saying, ‘I didn’t know that,’ then he or she has learned something. I think sometimes people need to step out of their elements and explore the unknown. Specifically for ‘The Beauty Academy of Kabul,’ students who might not have known about life under the Taliban will see how much we take our lives for granted, especially as females. Overall, I think it will be eye opening that this happened not that long ago. This documentary took place in 2003, about ten years ago, and it’s still some-thing we may not remember or know about.”

The timing of when to show the documentary was

also something considered in choosing “The Beauty Academy of Kabul.” “I recall when were doing the plan-ning that March is also Women’s History Month. I think we tried to find something that worked with Women’s History Month to stand out in some way,” Syrdahl said.

The next event for the International Film Festival will take place on Thursday, April 3 at 6 p.m. in Gibble Auditorium. It will feature a presentation from Joseph Sebarenzi, a former Speaker of Parliament in Rwanda and survivor of the genocide in 1994. He will speak of his experience in Rwanda, peace and conflict trans-formation, reconciliation and his book, “God Sleeps in Rwanda.”

by MASHA TOMKUS

Political scientist discusses tuition costsWeissberg presents on cutting tuition costs, students’ abilities to become more financially independent in the modern college setting

Dr. Robert Weissberg, author of “Bad Students, Not Bad Schools,” presented

his lecture “Cutting Tuition while Learning Economics” on Wednesday, March 19 in Leffler Chapel and Performance Center. Weissberg discussed ways to effectively lower tuition costs at colleges.

He split tuition costs into three cat-egories: academic, amenities and cultural engineering. Academic refers to money directly spent on students’ studies, such as classes and professor’s salaries. Aca-demically speaking, Weissberg argued that costs should be increased rather than cut. Specifically, he discussed foreign language programs as essential to students’ under-standing the world. “I think that languages are a portal to understand another country,” Weissberg said. He added that many col-leges decrease the amount of foreign lan-guage courses they offer, limiting students’ knowledge of other cultures. It is difficult for people to learn a culture without learning the culture’s language first.

The second category Weissberg discussed was amenities. He said that colleges are becoming similar to all-inclusive resorts because of the many services offered, in-cluding health care and meal plans, but students cannot choose which services they prefer. In business, this action is called bundling. “People are spending a lot of money on things they realize they never use,” Weissberg said. He added that most students would spend less money if given the choice of what services they preferred. Weissberg called this choice “a la carte edu-cation” because students would be given the

choice to pay for health care, meal plans or sports facilities.

Bundling the resources available to stu-dents makes them more dependent on oth-ers and more prepared to accept handouts, according to Weissberg. He used the anal-ogy of dachshunds and bulldogs, who were originally bred as killer dogs; however, the

dogs have been domesticated to the degree that they are docile breeds now. “Today’s students are being domesticated by univer-sities into accepting handouts from above,” Weissberg said. One student agreed with his point that some students do not know how to live independently. She explained that when she had previously studied abroad in Ireland, she was given no meal plan and had to learn how to shop and cook for herself. However, she said that some students she knows at Etown cannot cook pasta in the microwave for themselves.

Weissberg’s third point was social engi-neering. He said that colleges should have transparency; when students pay tuition,

they should be able to see all the different ways their tuition is being spent. “Students should be able to see where their money’s going,” Weissberg said. He also said large amounts of tuition costs go toward such things as education in diversity or helping charity organizations. Weissberg said that these extra costs are not the most crucial to students’ college education. According to Weissberg, although diversity is important, college is rarely the place that transforms students’ beliefs about the importance of diversity. He added that some colleges also force co-ed dorms and bathrooms upon students, in spite of both religious and comfort-related concerns. In such cases, Weissberg believes diversity should not be so greatly stressed.

Weissberg argued that if students want to raise money for a cause or learn to become financially independent, colleges should not hinder this. “There’s a deep connection between learning to do things yourself and appreciating your liberty,” he said. By allow-ing students to choose how to spend their money, he added that students often feel like they are more a part of the free market. Additionally, Weissberg said that there is a connection between work and earning money when a person needs to work for food. He stated that many students have never learned how to financially support themselves. This, he argued, may be a dif-ficult skill to learn after college. However, Weissberg often has the most difficulty in convincing students to raise their own mon-ey. He said that people could raise money by charging others to join an organization or by working a job while studying at college. “If you want to have political freedom, get off the university dole,” Weissberg said.

by EMILY DRINKS

Caroline Lalvani discusses career as event planner

Large campus-wide events such as Commencement and Convoca-tion would not be possible without Institutional Advancement staff

member Caroline Lalvani. For the past several years, Lalvani has been the director of Elizabethtown community affairs and college special events. “There is an ebb and flow to the job between my community relations and event planning roles. For the most part, the event plan-ning takes up the majority of my time, but there have been years when the community relations responsibilities became more prominent,” Lalvani said.

Lalvani’s job is to oversee large institutional events. Out of all the events that she plans, her personal favorite is Commencement. “There is such a wonderful energy on the campus when the time comes for our seniors to graduate,” Lalvani said. “Hosting the families and friends of our students on such a momentous day is wonderful.” An event like Commencement takes months of planning and preparation. For the Commencement ceremony, there are approximately 3,000 to 4,000 people in attendance. “There is a lot of pride and joy surrounding the events that we host. It’s infectious,” Lalvani said.

Lalvani is also in charge of organizing guest speakers’ visits to campus each year. “Our endowed lecture series brings more than 9,500 people to campus events each year,” Lalvani said. Later this spring, Nobel Laureate Tawakkol Karman will speak at the College’s Ware Lecture on April 10.

The second part of Lalvani’s job requires her to act as a liaison be-tween the College and the greater Elizabethtown area community. She spends much of her time representing the College to local government

entities and actively works with the Elizabethtown Chamber of Com-merce. Lalvani serves on many boards in the community, including the Elizabethtown Area School Board, the Elizabethtown Area Chamber of Commerce Board and on various committees within each of these boards. She is also involved with the Communities That Care organiza-tion. “Because I interact with many people on campus and within the local community, my days are always varied and interesting. I love that part of my job. I like change and challenges,” Lalvani said.

Lalvani also serves as the advisor for the on-campus musical group Phalanx. She has watched this a capella group grow and come together over the years. “I was one of the early supporters of Phalanx, way back when they were first forming,” Lalvani said, “My department paid them to perform at a few events and gave seed money to one of their first CDs. I’ve always been a fan. They are an amazing group of talented men — I’m a little biased. We have wonderful a cappella talent on this campus with Phalanx, Melica and Vocalign. It’s a privilege to work with all of them.”

Lalvani started working at the College 20 years ago. “I applied for the director of summer conferences position as my first position with the College. I was tired of the extremely long hours working in hotel sales, so I decided to apply for the position,” Lalvani said. Prior to her employment at the College, Lalvani worked in the hospitality industry. She worked as the director of sales for various hotels including the Hotel Hershey. Lalvani received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign campus.

Lalvani enjoys the many components of her job. “I am fortunate to work with a wide variety of people, from students, to faculty, staff and community members. Every day is different and comes with unique challenges and opportunities,” Lalvani said.

by MAGGIE KRAUSS

Photo: etown.edu

From the Office of Institutional Advancement, Caroline Lalvani directs the Elizabethtown community affairs and College special events. Without staff like Lalvani, Commencement and other campus-wide events would not be possible.

“There’s a deep connection between

learning to do things yourself and appreciating your

liberty.” -Robert Weissberg

“If one can walk away from an experience

saying, ‘I didn’t know that,’ then he or she has

learned something. I think sometimes people need to step out of their elements

and explore the unknown.” ~Kristi Syrdahl

Music f i l l e d L e f f l er C h a p e l a n d

Performance C enter on Saturday, March 15. Pianist Gilles Vonsattel performed as part of Gretna’s “Monsters of the Steinway” Series in the Chapel that evening. Prior to the performance, Fine and Performing Arts D e p ar t me nt C hai r and Profess or of Music Dr. Douglas Bomberger hosted a classical conversat ion with the artist on Saturday afternoon. Vonsattel also was a guest in a master class in Zug Hall on Friday.

Vonsattel is a prominent pianist among his peers. The Swiss-born American artist, a member of the Chamber Music Society of the Lincoln Center, earned his B.A. in polit ical science and

economics from Columbia University and his M.M. from the Juilliard School. He began touring after winning the top prize at the 2002 Naumburg International P i a n o C o m p e t i t i o n . A d d i t i o n a l l y , h e h a s performed with the Warsaw Phi l har monic , Zur ich’s

Tonhalle, Warsaw’s Chopin Festival, Tokyo’s Opera City Hall, the Utah, Santa Fe, Nashville and Grand Rapids symphonies and the Boston Pops Orchestra. Vonsattel is also the winner of the 2006 Geneva International Music Competition, a laureate of the 2009 Honens International P i a n o C o mp e t i t i o n i n Calgary and a laureate of the Cleveland and Dublin piano competitions.

Vonsattel opened the c o n c e r t w i t h L u d w i g van B eethoven’s “Piano Sonata No. 14 in c-sharp m i n o r ” a n d “ O p . 2 7 , No. 2 ‘Mo o n l i g ht .’” He a lso per formed Fredr ic R z e w s k i ’s “ Wi n n s b o r o Cotton Mill Blues.” After the intermission, Vonsattel concluded the concert with Charles Ives’ “Piano Sonata No. 2, ‘Concord, Mass. 1840-60.’” The movement included

“Emerson,” “Hawthorne,” “The Alcotts” and “Thoreau.” Sophomore Elizabeth Martin accompanied Vonsattel on the flute.

Beethoven’s “Moonlight” was written to imagine a sense of improvisation to the piece. In this manner, the piece borrows styles

f rom ot her comp os ers , such as Mozart and Haydn. In addition, the sections are played without pauses i n b e t we e n . T h e t h re e m o v e m e n t s , “A d a g i o sostenuto,” “Al legretto” and “Presto agitato,” were written to move directly into one another and to give the impression that the pieces blur together. In this style, the piece progresses from the slow first movement into the dreamlike second movement and, finally, into the energetic crescendoing end movement.

Rzewski’s “Winnsboro Cotton Mil l Blues” was an inspirat ion from the Freedom Riders . In the 1960s, the Freedom Riders rode interstate buses into the segregated South. As a result, they were beaten and arrested in Winnsboro, S.C. This traditional blues song was a working-class American ballad written about working in a cotton

m i l l i n t h e t o w n o f Winnsboro. The song was original ly sung but was reworked by Rzewski into a piano composition.

The f inal piece, Ives’ “Concord, Mass. 1840-60” is another multiple-movement piece that Vonsattel performed a t Et ow n . “E m e r s o n ,” “Hawthorne,” “The Alcotts” and “Thoreau” were written as a tribute to the transcendentalists in the Concord, Mass. area over half a century ago, giving impressions of the writers through the music. Ives was famous for writing nontraditional music in order to “stretch ears.”

Vonsattel will continue his tour with a concert in Virginia before moving on to Germany. Gretna Music’s “Monsters of the Steinway” Series will continue on April 5, when Avery Fisher Career Grant winner Shai Wosner wil l perform Schubert’s two piano sonatas in B-flat major and A Major.

Features page 6march 20, 2014

Zug gallery features monotyping artwork by Brenton Good

On March 18 at 4 p.m. Brenton Good’s art was displayed in Zug Hall, located on the

Elizabethtown College campus. Good is an assistant professor of art at Messiah College and an assistant chair in their department of

visual art. His artwork has been included in exhibits all across the world.

He has been working for many years in the methods of printmaking and painting, but lately has been working on monotyping. Monotyping is a type of printmaking made by drawing or painting on a smooth, non-absorbent surface. Each image goes through

an etching press numerous times with each layer of color building upon the previous one, creating a rich, antique-looking surface. This artistic method was invented by a man named Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione who was an Italian painter and etcher all the way back in the 1600s. Back then they were usually black and white, but

Good creates monotypes that are filled with different colors.

Good is highly qualified in the field of art. In 2001, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Messiah College which is located Grantham, Pa. He would also go on to earn his Masters of Art degree and Masters of Fine Art degree at the University of Dallas, located in Irving, Texas.

During his time in college, Good did solo exhibits of his artwork. One exhibit involved traveling to the University of Alaska, Anchorage for the Potpourri: Print Exchange exhibit, located in Anchorage, Alaska. Good was also selected to be in group exhibits including the Exchange Show at Bilkent University which is located in Ankara, Turkey. Good’s art now belongs to their art collection. His art is also in five other art collections including Nasher Sculpture Center, Gordon College, the University of Alaska in Anchorage, Murray Artist Book Collection and Messiah College.

Etown will be honoring him by adding his monotype pieces of art to the John W. Hess Gallery in Zug Hall. The exhibit is free and opened at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18. It will continue 9 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday through April 25. During that period of time, students, faculty and members of the community who would like to enjoy Good’s art can view it in Zug Hall.

According to Etown’s website, the academic and the practical courses in the Fine Arts Program aim to ref ine students’ creative potential and expand their judgment of the visual arts. This exhibit will show students what it takes to become a successful artist like the one Good has become.

by PATRICK SCOTT

Photo: Stephen HajcakMessiah College Assistant Professor of Art Brenton Good’s colorful, geometric artwork is now on display in the gallery in Zug Hall. Good’s artwork was created by monotyping, a form of printmaking created by drawing or painting on a surface and running the work through an etching press. This method of producing art was invented in the 1600s by an Italian painter named Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione.

Gilles Vonsattel performs ‘Monsters of the Steinway’ in Leffler

by KAITLIN GIBBONEY

Photo: Stephen HajcakVonsattel performs onstage in the Leffler Chapel and Performance Center Saturday evening. Vonsattel is the first performer in Gretna’s “Monsters of the Steinway” Series, and he will next travel to Virginia before moving on to Germany.

“‘Emerson,’ ‘Hawthorne,’ ‘The Alcotts’ and ‘Thoreau’ were written as a tribute to the transcendentalists [...] giving impressions of the writers through the music. Ives was famous for writing nontraditional music in

order to ‘stretch ears.’”~Kaitlin Gibboney

With a quick look at the Office of Stu-dent Activities’ (OSA) calendar, one

can see that the weekends after spring break are filled with activities. Each weekend, there are plenty of college-sponsored events for students to attend and participate in, but one weekend that seems a bit more packed than others is this weekend.

With classes starting back up after spring break and students becoming more aware of the amount of work that they still need to accomplish before the end of the year, the spring semester can be seen as a stressful time for many students. In my opinion, the College seems to try and lessen the stress of the end of the semester by hosting many college events to get students out and about. However, sometimes there just may be too many events going on. This weekend there is a ton going on, and it is starting Thursday night and continuing on into Sunday.

This weekend will start off with comedian Jesus Trejo on March 20. The laughter will continue on into tomorrow with the adored tradition of Mr. Etown. However, the fun doesn’t stop there. Saturday, the College will be hosting an open house and later that day will be Junior/Senior. The Intercollegiate Band will also be performing later in the weekend.

Are there too many events going on in one weekend? In my opinion, no. I love a packed weekend with a lot going on and plenty to do. Campus can get a bit boring when there is nothing going on. There are many week-ends throughout the year that there are few events going on and there is not much to do,

so when there are a lot of things going on in a weekend it gives students something to look forward to. At the same time that I enjoy a lot going on, I would like to see the events spread out and have there be at least one thing going on every weekend. I feel there needs to be a balance, something going on each weekend.

This weekend’s events seem to target many different groups. The first two events that are being held are open for everyone while the sec-ond two are only for a select amount of people. This makes it less overwhelming because not everyone is going to every event.

With the amount of events going on through-out campus this weekend, there is going to be an apparent liveliness floating about. “I think it helps the school to have the open house the same weekend as all of these events, in a way, because then prospective students can see first-hand that the campus can be busy on the weekends and that there is plenty to do, which can be a recurring question from new students,” first-year Katie Derreth said.

With a lot going on and plenty to do this weekend, the College will put off a good impres-sion on potential first-years. Incoming students will be able to participate in college activities and events. Along with the five big events go-ing on, there are many other sporting games going on as well. “I think the fact that there are lots of events taking place this weekend is good because it at least brings some life to the campus, and it will give people something to do. Whether it be playing in the games or watch-ing them or attending Mr. Etown and Junior/Senior,” sophomore Nicole Waweru said.

All in all, this weekend will be a fun, jam-packed weekend with plenty to do. It is a great way to start off the second half of the semester as well as the first weekend of spring.

Registration is coming! Registration is coming!

Wouldn’t Paul Revere be so proud of all the Blue Jay posters and emails exclaiming, “Prepare for registration!” Yeah, I know it’s important to be informed of how and when we can sign up for courses. Yet isn’t that entire process merely a period of impending depression if you’re placed in the group of students that get to choose their classes last? What happens if you’re a first-year who is limited to the academic leftovers? If that’s the case, registration-related annoyance and frustration can be compounded when y o u l e a r n t h a t h o n o r s students in your year get first-dibs on course selection. It’s no wonder that some non-honors students are unhappy about that. I would feel the same way if I were not in the Honors Program. Although the plan is obviously a relief for me at the moment, I wish everyone could get the classes they want.

F o r m e , t h e c o u r s e p r e f e r e n c e f o r h o n o r s s tudents i s just another indication that honors is a distinction. Whether or not that distinction is good or bad, earned or given, is the deeper point of discussion. Other students have the opportunity to try for the program or even take its courses without joining. If students want to be in the program, they have the chance to work towards it. When I think of justice, though, I agree that the registration process is unfair if there is evidence that honors work does not reflect

a higher academic standard than non-honors coursework. If honors classes and regular classes are equal in terms of difficulty, it doesn’t seem right to award some students the distinction of registering for classes before the others.

Some non-honors students might have classes that seem to be even more rigorous than any honors classes. To them, it might appear ridiculous to give registration preference to honors students. If honors students don’t work at a higher academic level, they don’t deserve honors privileges. “It’s a little bit of discrimination,” sophomore Victoria Layer said. “It doesn’t give everyone an equal chance,” senior Gina Kurtz, who will soon graduate, agreed. “Knowing it now makes me feel like honors students are then viewed as more important than anyone else,” Kurtz said. Their concerns are valid, so why do honors Blue Jays get the privilege?

First-year honors student Andre w Ki le shared h is opinion as to why honors students are given preference. A m aj o r c o mp o n e nt o f honors, significant to this concern, is that it includes a greater workload. While he and I really sympathize with others who are not first in registration, it makes sense that people who have extra course requirements for Honors or other extra academic pursuits are able to secure those courses. “It’s not about deserving it. It’s about needing it,” Kile said. People like Kile, with his major and three minors, depend on getting the classes they need to fulfill the requirements of their extra academic studies.

“With study abroad on top of that, I need priority,” Kile said. With such a tight schedule, Kile’s being waitlisted for a spot in a course could mean that he loses the chance to retain an entire minor.

For many others not in the Honors Program, I’m sure the situation is similar. However, for people who don’t have such plans, one waitlisted course often means that they will have to redesign their schedule. For others, schedules might have to be done away with altogether. According to Kile, priority should be based on how many things a student wishes to accomplish.

A s a c u r r e n t h o n o r s student, I’m relieved that I’ll have a chance to get my desired courses. But there are many reasons why I might not stay in the program for the rest of my Etown career. If I do end up studying as a non-honors student, I’ll also have to wait while the others get their courses. It’s not a happy thing. However, some people, many of whom are in the Honors Program, need that course security more than others.

Opinion page 7March 20, 2014

Blue Jays react to Honors Program privilege of possessing early course registration time slots

The va lue of out-of -c lass experiences is hardly debatable.

Seeing the information that I had read about in a textbook come to life on a field trip helped to reiterate the lesson and cement it in my memory.

Reading about the Amish in a textbook and eating lunch with an Amish family left two very different impressions on me. While I hardly remember the 200 pages of Amish history that I read for class, I won’t forget the conversations I had with the people. I was able to discuss common interests and explain concepts foreign to them. I listened to stories about Plain life and was introduced to families with 10 or more children, most of whose names I remember.

The trips were built into the course, but required our class to spend one Saturday and one Sunday traveling through Lancaster County to meet families and visit sites. Unlike class time, which doesn’t conflict with the other responsibilities and requirements that we all carry as students, weekend trips require some schedule reorganizing. Unfortunately for those of us who work on or off campus, this often means missing shifts or being forced to skip a class requirement.

Like most students, I chose to find substitutes for work shifts and go on

the trips that were built into my class. In doing so, I gave up over eight hours of work, which on a weekend equates to nearly $80. In many cases, I would simply switch shifts with someone else and make up the hours, but with weeks as busy as they are, finding open shifts that fit into my schedule isn’t an easy task.

What’s the big deal, you might ask? The trips that I was required to go on cost $20 each, and I didn’t know until one week prior to them. Had the extra expenses been listed in the syllabus, as in some of my other classes, getting the money would have proved much easier.

I understand that the meal we were served needed to be paid for and that travel expenses needed to be accounted for, so the cost wasn’t excessive, all things considered. However, the problem still arose that I needed the money to pay for this trip, but in order to go on this trip, I was forfeiting hours of work.

Given the high tuition and expectations of the students at Elizabethtown College, I had hoped that the College would cover such costs. I feel that this is especially fair in the case of honors students, who are burdened by extra classes and higher GPA requirements.

Yet, many classes, honors or otherwise, expect students to pay for their out-of-class experiences, and the costs add up quickly. When

one factors in the expenses we already have as students, it hardly seems fair to expect us to pay more. A perfect solution may not be clear, but two things are for sure: these experiences are crucial to our learning process, but, for the most part, we don’t have the money to pay

for them out-of-pocket. I am not suggesting that the

College absorb all of these costs — I realize that our tuition would be forced even higher, if that were the case — but accommodations should be made to better prepare the students for extra expenses. Whether that

means including extra costs in the syllabus, making these trips optional or trying to be the most cost effective, something must be done. In giving up work hours or skipping other obligations, students are missing out on parts of the College experience that are as vital as their class materials.

Out-of-class field trip requirements cause financial strain

Some classes require students to pay for class field trips and other out-of-class learning experiences. Making students aware of these costs prior to enrolling in these classes would serve as a fair warning.

Photo: Vlatka Skender

by SAMANTHA WEISS

by TIANA FERRANTE

“Honors is a distinction.

Whether or not that distinction is good or bad,

earned or given, is the deeper point of

discussion.”

by COLLEEN BARRY

Busy weekends amuse Jays

Photo: etown.eduAccepted Students Day is one of the several events happening on campus this weekend and will allow perspective students to see the activities that commonly occur at Etown.

“300: Rise of an Empire” is the prequel to the popular f i lm “300.” “300:

Rise of an Empire” follows the story of Themistocles and his Athenian naval fleet. The Persian War plagued Greece for many years and the only chance the Greeks had at survival was uniting their individual city-states to fight against the Persians. Themistocles gained a high standing in the Athenian government when he was credited for killing Darius, who was the king of the Persians at the beginning of the Persian Wars. It was Themistocles who pleaded with the Greek people to unite. While the Greeks argued, Darius’s son, King Xerxes, led the Persians to fight against Greece.

Darius told Xerxes before his death that only the gods themselves could defeat the Greeks. But Artemisia, one of Darius’s closest advisors, convinced Xerxes that his father’s words were not a warning, but a challenge. Xerxes accepted his father’s challenge and became God-King of Persia. The Persians were on the warpath to Greece with Xerxes leading the land front as Artemisia led their navy.

While the rest of the Greek government argued over coming together as one, Themistocles of Athens and Leonidas of Sparta took matters into their own hands. Themistocles went to Queen Gorgo, Leonidas’s wife, to ask for the Spartans’ aid on the seas. The Spartans refused. They hated the Athenians far too much to unite with them in battle. So while Leonidas took

300 of his men to fight on land, Themistocles took his fight to at sea, where the Athenians were the strongest. Would either prevail?

Going into the film, I did not expect to be very impressed. I was never truly interested in ancient war films or any war film in general. But after seeing “300: Rise of an Empire,” I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, the movie was the epitome of a “guy movie.” There was plenty of sword-slashing, sex scenes and blood-spattering throughout the movie. Sometimes the gore even seemed like a little too much, but, through it all, the movie portrayed the ancient battles in a newer and more exciting light.

Themistocles was a great leading character. His dedication to Athens and Greece as a whole was truly something admirable. Even in battle, Themistocles was not a leader that sat behind while his army went out to fight. He stood side by side with his men as arguably the bravest and strongest of them all. Even with his warrior instincts, he also showed compassion for his fellow Athenians.

The characters were a large part of the film, and the scenery complimented them very well. At first, scenes in the film would seem odd because the color was always a slight dark red. But if you knew that both films were actually made after comic books, the color in the scenes would make sense. The dark red color of the film matches the color of the comic books quite well and makes the viewer feel as if they stumbled into a world where these colors are normal. The darkness of the sea and the redness of the sky suit the battle scenes very nicely.

The film followed actual historical events. Artemisia and Xerxes were the true leaders of Persia, and Artemisia truly led the Persian naval fleet into battle. Themistocles was a true politician and general during the time of the wars and used his influence to get the men within the Greek government on his side. I find that many of the historical movies that I hear about embellish the stories in order to make the movies more exciting, but the use of true historical figures and battles adds to the film’s sense of authenticity.

Like I said, I feel like this would be a film geared toward men. There is plenty of

action and gore in the film, making it great for someone who loves a lot of fighting. Aside from the fighting, the politics within Greece are viewed briefly as well as what was going on from both sides of the war. It is also interesting to see how the characters grow into who they are in the film. Seeing the backstories of Xerxes, Themistocles and Artemisia allow the audience to understand their motivations and the decisions that they make. Overall, I enjoyed the film and would suggest it to anyone who is interested in ancient history or simply likes a good war film.

It may be more beneficial to play it safe when it comes

to your next ass ignment . Although we’ve been told throughout most of our lives to challenge ourselves, when it comes to getting the best grade, this might not be the best idea.

Sometimes the student may have a choice of topic for a project or assignment. In other instances, students may be assigned topics by their professor. In both examples, some students may choose or be given more difficult topics than others. Does it pay off to choose a more difficult topic? Do professors actually take into account the difficulty of a student project topic when grading?

T h e a n s w e r s t o t h e s e questions may not be as clear-cut as some would like. It is my opinion, based on personal experiences, that the answers vary from professor to professor a n d f rom a s s i g n m e nt t o assignment. I had conversations with professors who expressed that they will take into account the difficulty level of certain topics. For example, during my first year at Elizabethtown C ol lege, af ter handing in my choice for a presentation projec t , my professor sat down with me to discuss the challenges I might expect to face with the particular topic I chose. To my surprise, he did express how he would consider these challenges he knew I was going to encounter.

A l t h o u g h o n e o f m y professors recognized the difference in project difficulties and graded accordingly, some professors do not. In an attempt to avoid biased grading, many professors have grading rubrics for certain projects. For projects with rubrics like these, I do not believe the topic a student chooses will greatly impact

their grade. In these cases it is my understanding that professors are expecting the best work from their students regardless of subject matter.

Having been exposed to both professors who show more respect for students who choose complex subjects as well as those who grade all assignments on the same scale despite the difficulty, I believe that most grade all projects similarly.

Grading all assignments on the same scale for the most part gives students the feeling of fair grading. Sometimes, students view their subjects as more difficult than others. This may or may not be the case from the professor’s perspective. In my experience, most professors choose subjects that are all s imilar in dif f iculty when assigning them to students. However, I’ve found when students are able to choose their own topics, some professors make it known they will grade all equally, while others do not indicate if they will take into account the difficulty of the chosen topic.

For students, it is not safe to assume professors wi l l understand how difficult their topic was in comparison to other students’ topics. For this reason, I believe it is a good idea to understand how your professors grade. If getting an idea of how your professors grade proves to be too difficult, I would encourage s itt ing down and speaking with them. Professors have office hours for students who may have questions. So why not talk with them about their grading philosophy? All professors are different. It’s not safe to assume any one will grade the same as another.

After all of the analysis and stories of assignments, there is still a choice to be made. This choice is whether you opt for a challenging but engaging assignment or an easier topic.

This forces a student to wonder if it is more important that they get a good grade or if they report on something that intrigues them. It would be ideal if all professors accounted for the difficulty of a student’s topic when grading.

Though it would be nice, it is not the reality, and it’s my opinion that sometimes choosing the more difficult topic may actual ly hurt a student’s grade. This is not to say this is always the case. As always, students can choose to put forth an effort to succeed greatly or just enough to get by. If a student chooses a challenging topic they may need to work a little harder to receive a respectable grade.

It will benefit students to learn how assignments will be graded and if the level of difficulty is taken into account. Sometimes a student may need to follow a rubric very strictly. For these reasons, sometimes i t i s a b e t te r ide a , w hen keeping one’s grade in mind, to choose easier project topics. Ultimately, it is the expectation of professors,and should be the expectation of students to put forth their best effort every time to work diligently on all projects and assignments.

page 8 Opinion March 20, 2014

Should professors be expected to factor topic difficulty into assignment grades?

“After all of the analysis and stories

of assignments, there is still a

choice to be made. This choice is

whether you opt for a challenging

but engaging assignment or an

easier topic.”

‘300’ sequel combines action with compelling story, charactersby NICK CHRISTIE

Image: www.maroonweekly.com

While packed to the brim with blood, gore and action sequences, “300: Rise of an Empire” also boasts a strong storyline and gives the impression of historical accuracy.

ASK MATTby MATT WALTERS

Dear Matt,

I’m having problems coming up with story ideas for my creative writing class. I know that Ask Matt isn’t meant for homework help, but how do you usually brainstorm ideas?

Dear Student Struggling with Writer’s Block,

Creativity is definitely something that can’t be taught — it can only be preserved, exercised and cultivated. As children, we all possess an innate sense of creativity that, unfortunately, seems to fade with time. I have been fortunate enough to hold onto my almost- childlike creativity by constantly exercising the right hemisphere of my brain. While I often regret how much time I poured into video games as a child, it may have something to do with why I still have such an active imagination. As such, creativity comes quite naturally to me simply because I am constantly creating things, such as music, poetry and the like. My head tends to be in the clouds, which occasionally leaves me deficient in the area of common sense. In terms of the creative process, though, I would say I have a strong grasp on how to generate ideas.

I tend to preface most of my advice with, “This varies from person to person,” but one’s personal creative process is especially unique to that person. Oftentimes, I do little more than daydream, let my mind wander and allow ideas to filter in. As far as specific strategies go, however, I can provide a couple of tricks I have used in the past. Kick-starting the old imagination often requires some kind of catalyst — you’ll know when that jolt of inspiration happens. Try looking around the room for ideas. For the purpose of a story topic, maybe single out one particular object and force yourself to develop a story based on it. Let’s say you’re looking at your alarm clock. Spin a story based on that clock. Maybe it didn’t go off one morning, and a man shows up late to work as a result. Then keep asking questions —

this is key to the creative process. Who is the man? None other than Richard Vasquez, a 30-year-old guy living in his run-down apartment in Harrisburg. He’s a pretty typical guy, except for the whole being a private assassin thing. And it’s a darned good thing he woke up late, because the cops arrested his employer just moments before Richard arrived. What’s next for Richard? You tell me. Just think crazy.

Other good sources of inspiration are music, conversation and social media. Listen to some of your favorite tunes — the words, in particular — and see where they take you. Chat with some friends and keep your ears peeled for anything that sounds interesting. Hop on Twitter and see if anyone’s grievances would make for a great story conflict. All of these strategies work when you need to be creative at a particular moment. The key to being a wholly creative person, however, comes with constantly keeping your mind open for ideas, even if you’re not looking for them at the moment.

I l ike to compare my creative process to catching fireflies, which I used to do a lot as a kid. I had a little lantern with a tiny opening at the top that I would swing around to catch them. Most nights, I only caught one or two fireflies. Eventually, I had the idea to use an hourglass-shaped container intended for storing ants for my firefly-catching endeavors. It helped that the opening was several times larger than the one on my lantern, and suddenly, I found a lot more fireflies fluttering into my capturing device. Capturing fireflies, or ideas, is a matter of allowing yourself to be more open. You may have to change your mindset — you can only do so much with a little lantern — but you’ll end up with a lot more to work with.

I realize that I’ve extrapolated a bit too much on your question and probably could have answered it much more briefly, but creativity is something I value. Consider getting in touch with your creative side if it’s not something you’re used to — it’s honestly a lot of fun!

by VINCENT DEBLASS

So we’ve set the clocks ahead and are getting ready for the nice warm spring weather that will, hopefully, be

coming soon to stay. Let’s hope we have all come back from spring break relaxed, rejuvenated and ready to take on what is left of the semester. For those of you who have even less motivation than before break started, I can imagine you’re in for a long and bumpy ride, so try to hang in there.

I think that each person handles the time after spring break differently. If there is anyone like me out there, I’m sure you came back prepared and even more determined to boost your grades up. Also, if you’re like me, that motivation will slowly start to disappear. Maybe for some, spring break was a wake-up call and now you are really hammering down on yourself to work at your fullest potential. You could just be so excited to finish this semester, so the break was the high point and now you’re just along for the ride. Last but not least, for those who are going to graduate, I hope you enjoy what’s left of the semester.

The first week back can be a little rough for all of us. We got so used to sleeping in, relaxing in the sun or just not doing anything at all and then we got thrown right back into work mode. Naturally, it would take us all a little adjustment to get back into the swing of things, and if you are one of those people who have no problems adjusting, I commend you.

Although this first week back may be a little on the hard side, I don’t necessarily think that anyone could do enough academic damage in this time frame to totally destroy his or her grades. However, that is highly unfortunate if that does happen to you. I understand that professors will pick up where they left off and maybe your first few classes weren’t that bad. Just think about it; professors were on break too, and I can imagine that some may feel just like we do and they need that adjustment.

As I looked around at my fellow classmates this week, I took in all sorts of different people. Some were writing feverishly trying to take down every single word that the professor was saying. Some were taking notes but were also zoning out from time to time but always came back

into focus. I’m happy to say that I did not notice a single person that was completely slacking off and not paying any attention at all. I guess by stating this I was one of the people that was taking notes but also zoning out from time to time,

and I have no problem admitting that. We have to observe our surroundings every now and then, right?

I can also admit that spring break was a wake-up call and a motivation booster for me. As spring break was drawing closer, I found myself only concentrating on doing what I needed to do to get things done. I wasn’t putting my all into every single little thing because I was so focused on getting ready to go home and, of course, I regret it. I was beyond ready for a break. I then spent my entire break working. With each hour that I spent at my part-time job making pretzels and dealing with rude customers, I realized that I should start putting even more time and effort into my school work because I don’t want to be stuck making pretzels in a mall for the rest of my life. So needless to say, I’m more determined to finish off this semester by doing the best that I can. Of course, I’ll have my lazy days; everyone does. But whenever I need a boost I text one of my co-workers and they remind me that I’m here for a reason.

I know that the warm weather is coming and with it can come distractions. We look at spring break like our own mini-vacation before summer to do whatever we want. The sad realization is that we are not on break anymore. We have to go to our classes, or, at least, we should, and we need to focus. We’re here for a reason, and we need to push through the hard things so we can relax and enjoy the upcoming warm months we are all ready for. I’m not saying we should all storm the library and spend all of our time in there to crank out all that we need to, but your work does need to get done. Motivation is a key to success; you just have to make sure you find it before it’s too late. Welcome back, Blue Jays.

By the time this article comes to print, Mr. Etown will be a mere

day away. The most widely-attended performance in Leffler Chapel and Performance Center, Mr. Etown never fails to get all of Musser Auditorium roaring with laughter. The annual Office of Student Activities event, while hugely enjoyable to watch, may be somewhat of a different story for the competitors. I certainly cannot speak for the eight guys this year who are brave enough to dance in front of hundreds of people, but my experience last year was easily more stressful than fun. Every single guy competing, regardless of how good his routine turns out to be, deserves respect, praise and a pat on the back. Here’s why.

Being selected to represent your residence hall is decently challeng-ing, depending on where you hail from. The stiffest competition typi-cally occurs in the apartments and quads, where multiple people often want the opportunity to compete. Aside from gaining enough support from peers, though, each contestant requires a certain degree of bravery when accepting their initial nomina-tion. Oftentimes, some Mr. Etown competitors — including myself last year — score the position because no one else feels they have the time or courage to take on the role. Others compete without knowing exactly how large an undertaking they are getting themselves into. Regardless, simply competing speaks volumes about each competitor’s willingness to put himself out there. That alone is worth something.

Every Mr. Etown contestant has to

learn the group number, which opens up the show. The group number is like a miniature version of a dance one might see during an Emotion Showcase. Even though the guys have their own individual routines to work on, they still have to attend weekly rehearsals for the group number. Seeing as how the group number is each contestant’s first impression on the audience, it deserves a good deal of commitment.

The largest and most challeng-ing aspect of putting together a Mr. Etown routine is creating one’s personal dance routine. Ranging somewhere from five to 10 minutes in length, this part of the show is what each contestant will be re-membered for. Before even figuring out a single dance move, however, each participant needs a theme for his performance. Some have their themes figured out years in advance, while others go through several dif-ferent ideas before deciding on one that clicks. I personally did my fair share of brainstorming last year, but I already had a few ideas going into the competition, so I saved myself a little time in this regard. Coming up with a theme and the songs that make up the routine requires an unexpectedly large amount of creativity. In certain ways, piecing the music together can be one of the most difficult compo-nents of making the routine come to life.

Last year, I found the creative aspects of putting my routine to-gether simple compared to the more managerial aspects. Finding partici-pants for the routine comes down to sending out emails, hounding people over Facebook, awkwardly asking people in-person and potentially lobbying the entirety of Emotion or

another student group, should willing helpers prove few and far between. Some contestants try to incorporate students from different social circles on campus, in order to garner votes from those crowds. I — like many others — opted to ask any friends and acquaintances I could find and ended up assembling a ragtag team of excited participants. Once a contes-tant has assembled his crew, he should also prepare for people to drop out, which adds some additional stress to the mix.

Each contestant also has to find a choreographer, meet with said cho-reographer, plan which participants are in which dances, schedule practice times and locations (good luck find-ing times that work for everyone), cut the music selections together (or find someone who can), get participant contracts filled out and figure out costuming. Getting participants to actually show up to practices is a whole separate beast by itself. Simply put, preparing a Mr. Etown routine is a logistical nightmare without careful planning and friends’ support. But that’s the stuff you don’t see on the night of the performance; you only see the finished product — not the painstaking hours put into making the routine happen.

In addition to preparing the dance itself, figuring out lighting effects for the performance and preparing an optional multimedia presentation to accompany the dance, the contestant also has to plan for the later portion of the show: the question and answer. First, the contestant needs to find an escort — or some variation thereof — to walk on stage with him. I am still shocked that Dr. Kraybill agreed to do this for me last year. The contestant must also pick an appropriate song

that matches the escort. Finally, he has to craft a creative answer to a ques-tion, preferably more articulately than the average Ms. America contestant.

Needless to say, Mr. Etown is no joke.So if you see one of the manly

men competing in Mr. Etown this year, wish him luck, or maybe bake him some cookies. The competition requires dedication beyond what

anyone can tell from simply watching the Friday night performance. What I have detailed does not even account for the OSA employees, judges and

others who give up their time to make the show happen. Mr. Etown is the product of diligence and dedication from so many different people — let’s not forget that as we enjoy the show on Friday evening.

page 9OpinionMarch 20, 2014

The Etownian

The Etownian is the student newspaper of Elizabethtown College. All editorial decisions are made by the student editors. With the exception of editorials, opinions presented here are those of quoted sources or signed authors, not of the Etownian or the College. For questions, comments or concerns about a particular section, please contact the section editor at [section-title]editor@etown.edu.

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Mr. Etown involves infinitely more work than audience can seeby MATT WALTERS

by ABIGAIL PISKEL

Photo: @EtownSweetParticipating in Mr. Etown is a serious commitment, and every guy daring enough to give up their time for it deserves a large amount of respect.

Determination can defeat lingering laziness from being on spring break

“I know the warm weather is coming and with it can come

distractions. We look at spring break like our own mini-vacation before summer to do whatever we want. The sad realization is that we are not on break anymore.”

The Elizabethtown College men’s lacrosse team experi-enced highs and lows during their two games this past

week. The Blue Jays were defeated by the Stevenson Mustangs, the defending National Champions, on Wednesday, March 12 at Mustang Stadium. The game gave the Blue Jays their second loss of the season. On Saturday, the Blue Jays rallied and pulled through with a 7-6 win against SUNY Oneonta.

The Blue Jays started strong on Wednesday’s game against Stevenson with senior Craig Hunsberger scoring his first of three goals within the first few minutes of play. Later in the first quarter, junior David Latimore scored his first goal of the season to tie the score at 2-2. Junior Russell LeClair and sophomore Jimmy Waters also added points to the board, each scoring one goal during the first quarter.

Stevenson tied the game at 4-4 to end the first quarter, which started a 6-0 run for the Mustangs. Hunsberger scored his second goal late in the third quarter with an assist from first-year Joe Clark, who scored three goals of his own. LeClair also scored his second goal in the fourth quarter.

“Clark and Hunsberger gave a great effort on offense with three points apiece. Matt Frey and Jake Snyder have been leaders for us on defense and I think they are working well with Chris Wenger in the net,” Head Coach Drew Delaney said. “The team put together a great effort in the first half, but ultimately we lost to the defending national champions.  I am proud of our effort and I think the team is starting to see their potential.”

Stevenson was able to produce 50 shots throughout the game, while the Blue Jays finished with 22. “We need to cre-ate more shots. We are shooting about 36 percent, which is good, but we are only averaging about 30 shots a game. I’d like to see us get to 40 shots,” Delaney said. The final score of Wednesday’s game was 19-8.

“We came out with confidence and really played like a team with one common goal. We bought into our game plan and hung with a great opponent for the first half,” senior

captain David Shatzer said.  “It showed us that we could play with any team in the nation if we believe in each other and work hard together.”

On Saturday, the Blue Jays raced to a 4-0 lead early on against the SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons. Going into Satur-day’s game, Delaney said, “I’d like to see us play with more consistency and continue to play with the energy and excite-ment we showed on Wednesday night. The team is starting to develop an identity. We are learning our strengths and weaknesses. We need to learn how to finish a game, so my goal is to go into the fourth quarter with an opportunity to win.” This is exactly what the Blue Jays did.

Clark found LeClair and sophomore Tucker Keefer to put points on the board along with scoring a goal himself in the first quarter. In the second quarter, first-year Dan Bednarik scored a goal off of an assist from Hunsberger to give the Blue Jays a 4-0 lead.

Wenger was hit with 52 shots throughout the game and denied almost everything that came his way. The Blue Jays headed into halftime with a 4-1 lead against the Red Dragons. Waters started the second half with a goal early in the third. Then, the Red Dragons hit a scoring streak and produced four consecutive goals to tie the game at 5-5. Keefer and Waters then both scored their second goals of the day to end the third with a 7-5 lead.

The SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons scored one more goal in the fourth quarter, cutting the Blue Jays lead to 7-6. Wenger stopped eight of the 19 shots (nine on goal) that came his way and ended the game with a career high 19 saves. The game ended with a 7-6 Blue Jays victory over SUNY Oneonta.

“We believe that every game comes down to our team executing our game plan,” Shatzer said. “It doesn’t matter who we play; if we execute it, we will have success. That’s what we believe in and that’s what we showed during the game. We have guys that will fight for each other and you have to love being on a team like that,” he said.

With the win on Saturday against SUNY Oneonta, the Blue Jays’ current record is 3-2. The next game is home against Immaculata University on Saturday, March 22 at 1 p.m.

The Elizabethtown College men’s golf team is taking a swing at the 2014 season. The team

has been preparing vigorously in the off-season to contend with the tough Middle Atlantic Conference teams it will be up against. Going up against top programs like York and Messiah Colleges, Etown feels it has the athletes it needs to compete in conference play.

The Blue Jays have gotten off to a bit of a rocky start. However, the season has just started, so there will be plenty of time to rebound. Tournament-wise, Etown has been staying in the middle of the pack when facing its opponents. Being a top competitor in these tournaments is just on the horizon for the Blue Jays.

Senior Zack Cook and junior Ryan Forbes are very excited for the Blue Jays’ future because the team is so young and hungry for victories. “I

like where the team is heading thus far, and we have a young group of talented athletes so the future looks promising for our team,” Cook said. Cook just finished his last season with the team

and said that he could not be happier with his time on the course. “Looking back at the years, I really enjoyed playing with the team and seeing the group of young players develop. I am very excited for the future of Blue Jays’ golf,” he said.

Etown just hired a new and enthusiastic head coach, Jim Reed, to steer the Blue Jays in the right direction for their 2014 season. The players seem to be happy with the new coaching staff and are ready to get back on the course and see where they stand in the conference. “Last year, a lot of golfers were facing injury. I myself had some back problems. However, we are all excited for what this season will bring,” Forbes said. He has had a strong career thus far for the Blue Jays since he is hitting the ball better than ever. Last season he played in five tournaments and hit a low of 94 (+22) in the 2012 season. This season, Forbes hit an 84 (+13) in the Messiah Falcon Fall Classic.

The Blue Jays will be kicking off their spring season at the Gettysburg Invitational on March 22. The Blue Jays have prepared during the off-season and are ready to get back on the course as soon as possible. Since some players are young, they have the potential to acquire great experi-ence and poise in later years. “We can’t wait to get back on the course,” Forbes said. “The whole team is anxious and we are really excited to see what our young players can do on the course. I

have a good feeling about this spring season.” Junior Ryan Laudeman, who has been a key

golfer for the Blue Jays in every tournament, will also be returning. In the Gettysburg Invitational in the fall, Laudeman shot a 73 (+1), which ranked him third overall in the tournament amongst all the golfers. He will be a key element in the Blue Jays’ success during this spring sea-

son. The Blue Jays will be participating in nine different tournaments before entering the MAC playoffs, so the team has time to come together and get things rolling. The Blue Jays will be at home Thursday, April 3 for the Elizabethtown Spring Blue Jay Classic at East Course in Her-shey, Pa.

Sports

page 10 march 20, 2014

Jays excel despite extended road trip

Photo: Thom SwarrFirst-year Joe Clark’s 12 assists in the first five games of the season ranks him in the top 30, nationally. Clark’s six goals on the season puts him currently in first on the Blue Jays scoring list with 18 total points.

Golf team heads into Gettysburg Invitational prepared for success

Sophomore Adam Amspacher is one of five returners for the Elizabethtown College golf team. The Blue Jays will hit the links for the first time this season when they head to the Bridges Golf Course for the Gettysburg Invitational on Saturday.

Photo: Athletics Department

by JASON KELLEY

by KIERAN MCCORMICK

New head coach Reed to lead Blue Jays into final season in Middle Atlantic Conference

“I like where the team is heading thus far, and we have

a young group of talented athletes, so the future looks promising for our team.”

~ Zack Cook

in Etown athletics...

The baseball team fell to Dickinson College on a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth inning to move their overall record to 6-4. The Blue Jays will begin Middle Atlantic Conference play on Friday when they head to take on the Stevenson Mustangs in Owings Mills, Md.

The men’s lacrosse team ended a three game road trip with a victory over SUNY Oneonta this past Saturday 7-6.

The women’s lacrosse team fell for the third time this season with a final score of 18-1 against Montclair State University.

Men’s track and field competitor and senior Lucas Dayhoff broke his own school record in the weighted throw with a toss of 17.00 meters. This was the second time during the meet that he broke the record.

The women’s track and field team’s first-year Alexis Groce recorded a second place finish in the 400-meter dash at the Tufts Last Chance Meet.

in the NCAA...

The NCAA Men’s Division I basketball bracket was an-nounced with the Florida Gators as the No. 1 overall seed. Along with the Gators, the No. 1 seeds in the tournament include the University of Virginia, Arizona University and Wichita State University.

The Shockers of Wichita State will look to become the first team since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers to go undefeated both in the regular and post-season.

First-year phenoms Andrew Wiggins of Kansas University and Jabari Parker of Duke University will look to get their teams back to the Final Four in what is believed to be their final run in a college uniform. Experts project both players to be lottery picks in the upcoming NBA draft.

in the pros...

The Philadelphia 76ers broke a franchise record with their 21st consecutive loss in a row with their loss to the Indiana Pacers, 99-90. This year’s squad eclipsed the loss total of the 1972-73 team that ended the season with one of the worst re-cord in NBA history. The Sixers are now tied with the Detriot Pistons for the sixth-longest losing streak in NBA history.

The Cleveland Cavaliers hold the record for consecutive losses with 26, during the 2010-11 season. The Sixers cur-rently have the second-worst record in the league behind the Milwaukee Bucks. Look for either of the teams to take Wiggins or Parker as the top pick in the NBA draft.

The Elizabethtown College women’s tennis team bounced back from a 9-0 loss to Divi-

sion II Ashland University with a 5-0 win over Saint Vincent University (Pa.). Concluding its spring break trip to Hilton Head Island, S.C., the team battled back to win the rain-shortened match and moved its record to 2-2 for the week.

The Blue Jays were able to win the five matches needed to claim the overall match vic-tory just before the rain. As the No. 2 position, senior Adriana Scotto was to hold off to late rallies by Jacquelyn Hauser, to prevail 6-4, 6-4 in her singles match. Junior Kaitlyn Pellegrino won her 30th career singles match 6-0, 6-1 over the Bearcats’ Regina Woloshun at No. 3.

First-year Madison McCall and sophomore Lauren Berry also added to the lead by handily winning their matches. McCall easily defeated Ashland’s Anita Onufer at sixth singles 6-2, 6-0. Prior to McCall’s victory, Berry downed Maria Gismondi at No. 4, only dropping two games in a 6-1, 6-1 victory.

Etown’s fifth singles player, senior Sarah Ca-

labro, won her first set against Hannah Kahn 6-0. Calabro was then able to hold off Kahn 7-5 in the second set to preserve the victory. The doubles matches were unable to be played due to the wet weather conditions.

On the men’s side, Etown defeated St. John Fisher University by a score of 8-1. This decisive win was remarkable, as the Blue Jays returned only two starters from last year’s Common-wealth Conference championship team.

The Blue Jays’ new No. 1 senior Cole Turula won his first set over Pat McGrath in a tie-breaker, 7-6. McGrath was able to battle back to take the second, 6-3. In the tie-breaking set, Turula held off a late rally by McGrath to win the match 10-6. This is the first time in Turula’s career that he is competing in the top four posi-tions for the Blue Jays.

First-year Ryan Caris also had to go three rounds to win his match, but in a different fash-ion than Turula. Caris dropped the first set to Jacob Zarzycki 2-6 but rallied 6-3 in the second set. Caris ultimately won the tiebreaker, 10-8.

First-year Alex Machalick also went to three sets. Against Adam Moran at fifth singles posi-tion, Machalick easily won 6-1. Machalick fell in

the second set, 7-6. Just like his fellow first-year, Machalick was able to down his opponent 10-8 in the tiebreaker.

Junior Michael Cannon needed to go to a tie-breaker in the first set to defeat Sheldon Mitchell 7-6. Cannon did not find the second set to be as difficult, downing Mitchell 6-3.

Etown’s No. 6, first-year Matthew Hornbaker, easily defeated the Cardinals’ Joe Dora 6-0, 6-1.

The women’s team will be home today as they take on Muhlenberg College on the Alumni Courts at 3:30 p.m. The men will be in action tomorrow when they travel to take on Wilkes University at 3:30 p.m.

The Elizabethtown College track and field teams sent a

group of athletes up to Medford, Mass. to compete at Tufts Univer-sity at the Tufts Last Chance Meet at the 70,000 square-foot Gantcher Center.

Senior Lucas Dayhoff, who fin-ished in fourth-place at the MAC Indoor Championships with a toss of 16.69m, broke his own school record in the weighted throw. Dayhoff broke the record not once, but twice while competing at Tufts.

“I’m really proud of what the team has accomplished this sea-son,” Dayhoff said. “Getting the school record was just icing on the cake.”

On his first toss, Dayhoff threw for 15.14 meters. His second at-tempt was disqualified. Dayhoff bounced back in a big way with his second best throw of the day, tossing it 16.91 feet. On his final throw of the competition, Dayhoff launched the rock a remarkable 17.00 meters. This school record was good enough for second place

in the competition.First-year Alexis Groce, who

was the runner-up in the 400 meter dash at the Indoor MAC Cham-pionships with a school record of 59.24, competed in the same event at Tufts Last Chance Meet. Groce placed fourth place in the competi-tion with a time of 1:00.91.

Senior Matt Rever competed in the 800-meter competition at the meet. Rever entered the competi-tion with the 47th-fastest time in the country with a time of 1:53.90. Despite only running a 1:55.69, this was good enough for sixth place in the competition.

Senior Traci Tempone raced in the women's 5,000-meter com-petition, finishing with a time of 18:19.40. Tempone currently holds the 45th-best time in the three ki-lometer race with a time of 0:06.04.

The Blue Jays will begin their spring season this Saturday when they host the Elizabethtown Open-er at 9:30 a.m. on the track.

“If the team can build off what we did during the indoor season, we will definitely continue our success,” Dayhoff said. “It will be great to start the season at home.”

Sportsmarch 20, 2014 page 11

Tennis teams begin spring season in Hilton Head Island

by ADAM MOORE

Dayhoff breaks weighted-throw record at meet

Baseball, softball teams prepare for grueling competition in regular season

Junior Michael Cannon will look to build on last year’s success in both singles and doubles. The Blue Jays will take on Wilkes University on Friday at 3:30 p.m.

Photo: Athletics Department

by ADAM MOORE

Both the baseball and softball teams have begun to make up rescheduled games that were postponed due to inclement weather over the past two weeks. Both teams will begin Middle Atlantic Conference play this week. The baseball team will travel to Owings Mills, Md. on Friday to take on the Stevenson Mustangs, while the softball team will battle Lebanon Valley College today on the road at 3 and 5 p.m.

Photos: Athletics Department

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Major League Soccer has under-gone major changes since it

first began play in 1996. 18 years ago, the League had only 10 teams with relatively small fanbases. As the 2014 season gets underway, the League has 19 teams in the United States and Canada, 11 of which now play in soccer-specific stadiums. The League averages more than 18,000 fans per game, more than both the NBA and the NHL. Seattle Sounders F.C. aver-aged over 44,000 fans per game last season. Soccer in America is here to stay and grows every year.

The MLS Eastern Conference took all the glory in 2013. The New York Red Bulls won the Supporters’ Shield, which is awarded to the team with the best record in the regular season on the last day of the regular season. Sporting Kansas City defeated Real Salt Lake of the Western Conference to win the MLS Cup. Although both teams started 2014 with a loss and a tie, each is bringing back the majority of its players and is expected to be a contender for the Supporters’ Shield and the MLS cup again.

The Philadelphia Union is in its fifth season in the League. In 2011, the Union made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The team aims to get back to the playoffs again in 2014. It made major strides throughout the offseason, especially in the midfield with United States National Team midfielder Maurice Edu on loan from Stoke City of the English Premier League. Four-time MLS Cup champion D.C. United is coming off its worst season in its 18-year franchise history. It won only three of 34 games played in 2013. Toronto F.C. made the biggest splash in the offseason with its signings of star players Michael Bradley, Jermain Defoe and Julio Cesar. Toronto fin-ished above only D.C. United in the Eastern Conference last season, but some analysts believe its new signings

Stang drove her way in front of the goal to beat the Crusader’s Alyssa Rothman for her second goal of the season.

Sophomore Dana Robidoux recorded her first career goal, one of two in the contest, on a free po-sition shot at 17:13, giving Etown its first multi-goal match of the season.

The Crusaders led 14-2 at the half, out-shooting the Blue Jays by a 21-6 mar-gin. Etown finished the game with 11 shots, the most at-tempted in a game this season.

The inexper i-enced Blue Jays’ de-fense played hard, however, setting new season bests in forced turnovers (eight) and clears (10). DeMichele and Robidoux both finished the game with two CTs. It was a big game for Robidoux, who scored her second goal of the match in the second half on another free position shot. She was two-for-three in the game. The midfielder also had three ground balls and four draw controls.

Of the season-high 26 ground balls for Etown, seven Blue Jays registered at least three. Stang and junior Dani Talenti finished with four apiece, while first-years Becky Graessle and Tori Lauder and Young, Robidoux and Palosz each had three apiece.

Palosz started the game and played the first half, making six saves before Lauder came in to play the second

may be enough to push the team into the playoffs this season.

Seattle Sounders F.C. of the Western Conference will have a lot to prove in 2014. They made headlines last season when they signed U.S. National Team su-perstar Clint Dempsey in a block-buster deal, but they barely made the playoffs and were knocked out in the conference semifinals. The Sounders will look to justify the deal that brought Dempsey to Seattle. The Los Angeles Galaxy will be trying to make its way back to the MLS Cup Final. The Galaxy won the MLS Cup in two of three appearances in the final in the last five years. Like the Sounders, it was knocked out in the conference semifinals in 2013.

The 2014 season will be an ex-citing one for MLS fans, but next season will be even better. In 2015, the MLS will add two clubs, bring-ing the league total to 21. New York City F.C., a team owned by Manchester City F.C. of the English Premier League and the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, is one of the teams that will begin play next season. New York City F.C. will enter the League as im-mediate rivals for the New York Red Bulls. Orlando City F.C. is the other team set to enter the League in 2015. Orlando City team offi-cials seem confident that they will be able to land Brazilian superstar Kaká, which should further estab-lish the MLS as an up-and-coming league. David Beckham, a former player for the Los Angeles Galaxy, is also expected to bring a team from Miami into the League some-time within the next two or three years. Commissioner Don Garber announced that he expects to see an additional two teams enter the League by 2020, bringing the projected team total to 24. Chi-vas U.S.A., a team located in Los Angeles, will play its last season as Chivas in 2014. The League bought the team and is trying to find a po-tential buyer. In 2015, Chivas will be rebranded, with a new name and crest.

From now until October, teams will battle for playoff spots with an ultimate goal of winning the MLS Cup in December. Tune into Major League Soccer this season to find out.

Mar. 20 Mar. 21 Mar. 22 Mar. 23 Mar. 24 Mar. 25 Mar. 26

TM

page 12 March 20, 2014

Baseball @Stevenson

M LAX vs. Immaculata

Sports

woodie hermann

Woodie Hermann made his first trip to the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships with a second place finish at the Mideast Regional Championships. The junior won his first match in the tournament when he recorded a three-point takedown against Alma College’s Jamie Jakes in overtime. Hermann’s successful season came to a close with a loss in the consolation bracket.

Major: Occupational TherapyHometown: Landisville, Pa.Favorite athlete/sports team: Eric NarkiewiczHardly anyone knows that...I love fishing and huntingFavorite Jay’s Nest item:Buffalo chicken quesadillaFavorite musician/band:Country or rap, no real favoriteFavorite place to visit: My cabin

by ADAM MOORE

Photo: David Sinclair

In 10 years, I want to be … An occupational therapist with my own house.Favorite Etown Memory:Spending time with the teamGreatest Etown accomplishment:Making Dean’s ListGreatest athletic accomplishment:100 wins in high school and qualifying for the NCAA wrestling Championship this yearI started wrestling at age... 12.

Athlete of the Week

Baseball vs.Stevenson

Baseball vs.Arcadia

Baseball vs.F&M

Softball @ LVC

Softball @ York

W LAX vs. Hood

Women’s lacrosse falls to Susquehanna in Landmark openerby GINA KURTZ

M LAX vs.Albright

The Etown Opener

W LAX @ Goucher

Elizabethtown College’s women’s lacrosse team fell short last week

in the team’s first two home games of the season at Wolf Field. The team lost to McDaniel College on Wednesday, March 12 and Susque-hanna College on Saturday, March 15. The Blue Jays made their only free position attempt count, as first-year Megan DeMichele scored her first career collegiate goal in a 16-1 loss to McDaniel. During Saturday’s game against the Crusaders, the team showed signs of improvement by putting up season highs in several offensive and defensive categories in a 19-3 loss.

The game marked the first time

the two teams competed as Landmark Conference opponents.

Wednesday’s game came after a long break for the Blue Jays, due to a weather-related postponement of the team’s March 5 game against Rutgers-Camden. “We are definitely ready to get out and play in a game after a long break,” Etown’s Assistant Coach Lauren Voigt said before facing McDaniel. “There is no substitute for experience, which is something that we are lacking, and playing Rutgers-Camden would have helped, but we have all worked hard to get ready for the game, and we are ready to go out and do the best we can.” However, McDaniel (3-0) jumped out early with five goals in the first 10 minutes of the match, limiting the Blue Jays to a single shot in the opening half.

After Danielle Entrot increased

McDaniel’s lead to 11-0 in the second half, first-year Addie Stang took the ensuing draw control, setting up the Blue Jay’s only goal of the game when DeMichelle went top shelf to the left of McDaniel goalie Lily Galzerno.

McDaniel scored the remaining five goals of the game for the final margin of victory.

Etown tied its season-best with 15 ground balls, with Stang and first-year Krissy Pennell leading the way with three each and juniors Emily Young and Dani Talenti both with a pair. Young and Stang led the Blue Jays defensively with two forced turnovers, while Stang and first-year Becky Graessle had two draw controls apiece. Beata Paloszz stopped six Mc-Daniel shots, one shy of the first-year’s season high.

“Losing is never easy,” Voigt said post-game, “but getting down on ourselves and getting frustrated won’t help us. We are going to continue to work hard and go out each game to try and win.”

Despite the tough loss, junior Mandi Zeiders remains proud of her teammates. “This team has a lot of heart and enjoys playing as a group,” she said.  “Our defense was driven and never let up against McDaniel, and our offense possessed the ball with more confidence.”

Susquehanna, the 2013 Landmark Conference champs, showed up for Saturday’s game ready to compete. The Crusaders (2-3) attacked under a minute into the contest with a goal from Brynn Reid, her first of three in the game.

Susquehanna’s Michelle McGin-niss made it 5-0 at 26:14 before Stang put the Blue Jays on the board just 23 seconds later. Stang then won the draw control and took the ball in the offensive end. Moments after a foul,

First-year Addie Stang tallied her second goal of the season in the team’s loss to Susquehanna.

Photo: Thom Swarr

half. Lauder made one save in her first appearance in goal for Etown.

“We had a great game,” junior Meghan Donohue said afterwards.  “It was a huge improvement from our last game. We didn’t have much depth on the bench for this game, but we competed well, possessed the ball well and were able to take good shots and had great defense. We all achieved some kind of personal or team goal throughout the game.”

Head Coach Danielle Seling agreed. “I think the team performed very well,” she said. “Our main focus is improving every game, and I defi-nitely think we accomplished that.”

Etown will return to Wolf Field on March 18 when the Blue Jays face the Montclair State Red Hawks at 4 p.m.

Major League Soccer to begin regular season

“This season will be exciting for MLS fans, but

next season will be even better.”

~ Matt Shank

by MATT SHANK