Dr. Gresham answers study abroad funding questionsBrad Crofford, Editor-In-Chief After university president Loren Gresham’s outlining of changes to the study abroad funding policy at a campus meeting last week, the students, faculty and staff in atten-dance had numerous questions. In fall 2013, the $4,000 and $2,500 caps for international stud-ies majors and non-international studies majors will already be in place, but during this semester, students who had been accepted to programs by April 1 can apply to have more funding based on personal need. This would be de-termined on a case by case basis. According to Dr. Scott Strawn,

vice president for financial af-fairs, the person to contact for this would be Diana Lee, director of fi-nancial aid. “We talked about Diana Lee in fi-nancial aid, that she would use their EFC [expected family contribu-tion] and that financial need would be the major factor we would uti-lize,” Strawn said. Strawn says that higher educa-tion consulting company Noel Levitz has played an important role in changing the way the university distributes financial aid. “I think it’s actually the most eq-uitable and fair way, to really look at a student’s ability to pay as a key

measure for how much support you provide for their opportunity to be here at SNU,” Strawn said.

One concern raised by faculty was whether there would be a list of approved sister school (that is, Nazarene) study abroad programs to aid faculty in advising. Gresham said that provost Mary Jones would make and distribute this list. Several participants raised con-

cerns about the narrower range of approved programs. Professor Mi-chelle Bowie stated that based on her and her daughter’s research, some of the sister school pro-grams are more akin to literary or historical field studies trips. This is because the students travel with a professor instead of living in a more immersive context. “They’re not living on a cam-pus and they’re not living with a host family and doing that kind of thing. It’s more of a literary field studies/historical field studies kind of thing where they’re just touring more than the live-in experience that our students get in the other programs,” Bowie said.“They get full credit, but they’re not immersed in the culture in the same way.”

QERC and Morningstar Funding for study at the Quet-zal Educational Research Center (QERC) and the Morningstar Insti-tute will remain unchanged. These programs may become increasingly popular with students due to some upcoming changes. When asked about potentially ex-panding QERC to apply for cours-es of study outside of environ-mental science and biology, Jones said there have been conversations about that, including psychology. The Morningstar Institute pri-marily focuses on business and

Photo from senior Nat Oliveira, studying abroad in Spain. Continued on page 2

“They’re not im-mersed...in the

same way”

6612 NW 42nd St. Bethany, OK 73008 (405) 491-6382

EchoApril 26, 2013Volume 84 Issue 26

echo.snu.edu

NCAA campus visit ANDAthlete retention

Read more on page 7

Student/faculty advice to past selves continued

Read more on page 6

The

2NEWS4.26.13

Health Center faculty give insight into their jobsGarvis Long, Staff Writer There are a lot of great people working for Southern Nazarene University; people that make dif-ferences in others lives and truly care for the students, faculty, and staff. Three of those people work in the clinic in the Webster Com-mons basement. I got to talk to the three lovely ladies (Carol Braaten, Ami Siems, and Angie Hattler) of the SNU clinic and got a chance to get inside the wonderful minds of three wonderful people. The Echo: What made you take up your profession? Braaten (Administrative Assis-tant): This wasn’t my original pro-fession, but I like the fact I work with students. Siems (Doctor): I wanted to

be a nurse but they didn’t have a nursing major so I became a doc-tor. Right after college I did gradu-ate work with bio chemicals but I didn’t like working with test tubes, I liked working with people. Hattler (Nurse): I taught school for 18 years and decided to go back and get my nurse’s degree. TE: What brought you to join the staff at SNU? Braaten: I graduated from here looking for a job I can serve peo-ple and this was close to my kids school. Siems: Mike Brooks was director of student development and asked me about being the doctor here and I thought it would be a great way to give back to the college. Hattler: I am an alumni of SNU

and I love it. I love SNU. TE: What is the most common injury you see in the clinic? Braaten: Minor cuts. Siems: Sprained ankles. Hattler: Longboard injuries from wrecks. TE: What is the most common sickness a student usually has? All three ladies: Colds. TE: What advice do you guys have about staying healthy? Braaten: Getting plenty of rest is the key and drinking lots of water, eating healthy, but rest is number one in my opinion. Siems: Try to get 6-8 hours of sleep and wash your hands! Hattler: Wash your hands. TE: How long have you guys been treating people?

Braaten: This is my fourth year. Siems: 1997. Hattler: I started in August. TE: Do any teachers ever get treated here? Braaten: Yes, faculty and staff. Siems: Yes we are open to any-body. Faculty, staff, family mem-bers. Hattler: Half of our patients are faculty and staff.TE: What is the strangest injury or illness you have ever seen? Braaten: A dog bite. Siems: Someone skinned their tailbone from their waist down to the back of their knees. Major road rash. Hattler: Somebody had to have their gallbladder taken out recently.

Symphonic Band Director Dr. Moore changes positions after 32 yearsBrad Crofford, Editor-In-Chief Dr. Phil Moore will be stepping down as director of the Symphon-ic Band and Jazz Band. Dr. Rich Cantwell will direct the Symphonic Band, and Prof. Chris White will take over the Jazz Band. Moore has directed the Sym-phonic Band for 32 years. He con-

ducted them in the final concert of the year on Thursday, April 25. “This concert [featured] a cou-ple of our outstanding players (so-los with band for Cameron Taylor, saxophone, and Dillan Francis, clarinet), and also a medley from Phantom of the Opera,” Moore

wrote in response to an email from The Echo. “We typically end the year with lighter repertoire. There was not any difference in selecting this program from all the preced-ing 32 years.” Moore will continue to be active in the music department. He will

teach all the Music History courses, in addition to the courses he cur-rently teaches, such as conducting, music methods and church music. Cameron Taylor, senior music education major, has played under Moore’s direction since coming as a freshman four years ago.

Dr. Gresham answers study abroad funding questions cont.poverty alleviation. It has offerings in Kenya, Swaziland, and Belize. According to Dr. Tom Herskow-itz, Morningstar director, funding applies to all three Morningstar programs, including “any other ones we open up. It’s a Morning-star program, not a geographic specific program.” In addition, Morningstar has some funding available to help students with transportation costs.

Veritas, IGE and other pro-grams Junior missions major Terra Frederick raised the concern that the approved study abroad pro-grams do not necessarily line up

with all students’ areas of studies. She said that she had chosen and been accepted to a Veritas pro-gram, a Christian study abroad program she said better lines up with her calling to missions. Best Semester programs do not provide the same opportunity, she said. Bowie noted that Veritas and IGE [the Institute for Global Education] have been repeatedly welcomed on campus, with re-cruiters and booths set up in the Commons. IGE runs a program in Vienna, Austria that attracts SNU students most semesters. “We’ll see about that,” Gresham said. “We tried to leave some flex-ibility in that. I’d like to know a lot more about the programs, the

personnel, the expectations and lifestyle covenant issues, and su-pervision. We don’t want to send a student to a program that we don’t feel totally confident that they will be in an environment that will be safe and where they will be nur-tured in their faith in the way that we would want them to in one of our programs.”

International students Rachel Graves, director of inter-national student services, raised the question of students who have no aid other than institutional aid. “They don’t get any federal or state aid and very few external scholarships, so they rely a lot on their institutional aid. I can think

of six of my international students that are international studies ma-jors,” Graves said. The Cabinet seemed somewhat unsure in answering this question. “Is that a conundrum? I mean, international studies majors, would they still have a requirement to study abroad? Would not coming to North America be their study abroad?” Dr. Linda Cantwell, vice president for enrollment manage-ment, asked. Graves noted that an interna-tional student is currently study-ing in Spain this semester as she was not allowed to count living in Brazil (her home country) as study

Continued on page 4

3NEWS4.26.13

O.I.L. delegation wins third best overall at spring sessionBrad Crofford, Editor-In-Chief The university’s Oklahoma In-tercollegiate Legislature (O.I.L.) delegation had a successful session at the Oklahoma State Capitol from April 17-21. It won third best overall del-egation out of twelve universities in attendance. This is significant as this year’s delegation was the small-est from SNU in recent memory with just three members. For comparison, first place win-ner Oklahoma State University had fifty students registered to par-

ticipate at the session. Oral Roberts University took second place. SNU’s overall achievement was the result of small victories in vari-ous areas. Senior Tim Rice returned for his seventh session of O.I.L. His legislation won third best legis-lation in the House of Representa-tives, and his efforts won him third best delegation in the House. Junior Terra Frederick and senior Brad Crofford earned points in the Senate for their frequent service, such as volunteering as secretary and clerking for the President Pro

Tempore. This was Frederick’s second ses-sion. She plans to do it again in the fall, stepping up into a leadership role to help SNU return for anoth-er successful semester. In an interview with The Echo, she stressed that participants do not have to be from Oklahoma or be political science majors. Freder-ick is a missions major from Maine. “They’re having an overwhelm-ing number of people who are not political science come because they are just interested,” Frederick said.

“There are some who want to go to law school or be a senator, but there’s also a lot of people who are like ‘I don’t know how this works. I want to get involved in it.’” Regardless of one’s major and state of origin, Frederick believes O.I.L. can be a valuable experience. “It gives you an inside glance at the inner workings of things so that when your senators or repre-sentatives go through things, you actually care because you have some understanding of what’s go-ing on,” Frederick said.

Symphonic Band Director Dr. Moore changes positions after 32 years “Dr. Cantwell and Dr. Moore have very different styles,” Tay-lor said. “Over the years with Dr. Moore it’s been more a thing of feeling you’re always welcome, and what you have to offer matters to him. Whether you’re the best play-er or not, he enjoys having you and will always work with you to help you get better.” Sophomore music education/trombone performance major An-drew Sharp agrees that Cantwell and Moore have differing styles. “I think it is going to be an inter-esting change in leadership to say the least,” Sharp said. “Dr. Moore

and Dr. Cantwell have two com-pletely different personalities and teaching styles. Regardless, next year is going to be a crucial year in both the Symphonic Band and the whole department.” The word to describe Cantwell that many of the students inter-viewed for this story used was “en-ergetic.” Erin McGarry, senior science education major, said she is excited to see some of the changes that Cantwell has planned for the band. “He has already promised the band that he will have us travel more, and that could be a good

recruiting tool for the music pro-gram,” McGarry said. Current band members say they will miss Moore.

“I am sad to see Dr. Moore go be-cause hes done so much for me personally and the band program as a whole,” Erin Hicks, senior in-strumental music education major, said. “But I know that he feels this

change is for the best and I’m re-ally glad that students will still get to learn from this sweet man in the classroom!” Moore spoke highly of Cantwell and what he will bring to the Sym-phonic Band. “I believe Dr. Cantwell will bring fresh ideas and tons of energy,” Moore said. “I have complete con-fidence in his experience and ability to take the band on from here. I just thought it was time for me to make this change. I look forward to hearing both the Symphonic Band and Jazz Band next year and the years to come.”

Photo from Brad Crofford

“I believe Dr. Cantwell will bring fresh ideas and tons

of energy,”

4NEWS4.26.13

Dr. Gresham answers study abroad funding questions cont.abroad. “I think it’s a great question. I didn’t realize a person would come from halfway around the world to here to study abroad with the international studies program,” Gresham said. “We’ll just have to ask the appropriate people to take a look at that and see what to do.”

Missed opportunities and higher costs Some students and faculty sug-gested the policy change will be difficult for current students. Un-like future incoming freshmen, they had expectations about study abroad funding. “I play volleyball, so the only semester I can go is my very last semester. If I could have gone, I would have gone this semester or I would have gone last semester. But I just can’t, so that’s the one semester that I have off. So I’ve been planning since freshman year to go and I might not be able to now,” junior Kira Roberts said. The cost of approved programs

versus others was also a recurring issue during the meeting. Roberts had worked with study abroad ad-visor Elise Blalock to find a pro-gram that is about $10,000 cheaper than the Best Semester program. Though it is not a Christian pro-gram, Roberts believes programs like this are sometimes students’ only options due to cost and won-dered how the change would im-pact the programs eligibility for institutional funding. “We haven’t established an ap-peals process, so I can’t really say for sure what that might be,” Gresham said. “ Gresham then asked if the pro-gram Roberts had found was ap-proved by an Australian school. When she said she was pretty sure it was, Gresham suggested that since SNU has required having the last 15 out of 30 hours at SNU, Rob-erts could transfer for the semester. “You could transfer in the last 15 [hours], take advantage of a cheap-er program, have some credits on there from an Australian university.

Still an option,” Gresham said. Gresham had emphasized earlier in the meeting that students could still apply to programs that are not on the pre-approved list. “Any SNU student can apply to these programs. If they’re accredit-ed programs, they can go, they can transfer their credit back if they save enough money. Even though it’s not our credit, we accept it if it’s an accredited program. So that op-tion would still be there,” Gresham said. While looking at costs for study abroad, Frederick noted that stu-dents also consider lost wages. “[While on campus] I can work, and that also helps me with a lot of other expenses. When I study abroad, I cannot get a job, so there’s also the extra couple of thousand dollars,” Frederick said.

Comparing with other uni-versities Throughout the meetings, ad-ministrators emphasized the con-tinued generosity of the universi-

ty’s funding for study abroad. Strawn estimated that the univer-sity would remain one of the most generous with the new policy. “I think this plan, although less than what we do, keeps us well on the top five to ten percent of what schools do nationwide easily, and certainly when you look at all pri-vate liberal arts colleges,” Strawn said. Dr. Mike Redwine, vice president for student development, noted that many students won’t be af-fected by this as they do not receive that much institutional aid. “The only ones affected are those that receive more than $8,000 a year if you’re an international stud-ies major, or you receive $5,000 of institutional aid if you’re a non-in-ternational studies major, or you’re not going to one of these pro-grams that are pre-approved or one of our own programs to receive your full aid,” Redwine said. “And, honestly, if you’re above that, just be thankful because you actually at-tended school here for on campus semesters less expensively than ev-eryone else did because the average is about $8,000 for the year. Redwine suggested that the al-ternative to this policy was charg-ing all students more next year. The administration wanted to avoid this. Redwine noted significant cuts in other areas, including being asked to cut $135,000 from his area of student development. Gresham occasionally referred to conversations with the president of another Christian university. “They completely eliminated all institutional aid following stu-dents. I think it was six years ago. They didn’t see any change in de-mand for their two most popular programs, which were the Hol-lywood film studies program and the contemporary Christian music program. Those stayed the same...They didn’t see any drop-off there,” Gresham said.

Photo by Brad Crofford

OPINIONSTheEcho April 26, 2013 Page 5

The explosive power of a new affectionPreston Goff, Guest Writer I recently heard a phrase that I couldn’t help but be intrigued by: “The explosive power of a new af-fection…” First coined by a man named Thomas Chalmers hundreds of years ago, it refers to a concept that has driven the very heartbeat of society more and more in our modern age. See, it refers to a phe-nomenon that is rooted in our very nature from an early age; a desire to continually desire the next person, item, event, etc. that demands our attention, by providing us with just enough of a mountaintop high. A new affection. This explosive power has invaded our every aspect as a society. Just as an infection can come to con-

trol an entire body, we too are of-ten steered by this power. We are driven in the pursuit of new affec-tions, and we see this most promi-nently by the manner in which we spend our money, the goals that we

endeavor to accomplish, the rela-tionships that we foster, and even through the way that we perceive spirituality and faith. The very phrase “The American Dream”, which is still very much alive and well, refers to an achievable point that guarantees our reception of

happiness and ultimate pleasure through the conquering of societ-ies’ most valued accomplishments. Teaser: No one ever really makes it to a point where they feel like they have accomplished this dream. But yet, this explosive power is always present to encourage those brave enough to join in the never-ending race to success. Relationally this explosive power is very dangerous. As a society and truly as a world, we allow ourselves to be classified by the qualities and traits we possess, by the languages we speak, even by the flags that we fly. Through this, a complex is es-tablished that roots humans against humans. It continually creates an inferior and a superior, leaving the

gap between the two severe. If we aren’t careful the pursuit of a new affection (of feeling exclusive or admirable in some way) will come at the expense of another. Fortunately, just as it is with an infection, an early awareness of the issue can help to heal the problem. Proactively pushing ourselves to not be captivated by new affec-tions, but rather dedicating our-selves to that which is truly impor-tant allows for our perspective on life to become uniquely attuned to the ways in which we can facilitate a positive impact. We are intention-ally created in order to fulfill spe-cific roles. Therefore, deny “the ex-plosive power of a new affection,” and see where it takes you.

Photo by Jerod Hill used under Creative Commons license.

Timeline of modern datingMacy Sliman, Staff Writer Spring is in the air. The birds are chirping. Squirrels are frolicking on the lawn. (Either that or stalking pe-destrians) And what do we people do to snag the attention of the ob-ject of our affection? How exactly do relationships start here in the 21st Century? Let’s start at the be-ginning. Upon being interested in some-one, said interest is quietly observed in her natural habitat otherwise known as social media. Step 1: Friend on Facebook. Fol-low of Twitter and Instagram. Do appropriate amount of “creeping.” (This term refers to the socially ac-ceptable way of getting to know more about a person via the Inter-net.) After creeping, you then must figure out if there is enough reason to continue the relationship (as in go on to step 2). Step 2: When (If) friend/follower request has been accepted, the ap-propriate amount of waiting time

must be met before contact. If done properly, one does not look too eager (actually creepy) and not too long (uninterested). Step 3: Now we get to the hard part. Now, contact is made. The perfect instant message must be crafted. Sometimes it’s just a sim-ple, “Hey” or even for the more daring, “Sup?” Hopefully, if the contacting goes well, the “soon to be couple” can move on to step 4. Step 4: After an extensive con-versation of 20 questions, actual phone numbers can be exchanged for texting. This offers a more di-rect connection from one party to another. This method is also more acceptable to use for a date offer. Step 5: This advanced step is for the boldest. Here is where all the hard work should pay off. The question to go for a movie or din-ner is offered up. All there is now is to wait for the response. Step 6: This step can go one

of two ways. Either her answer comes quickly with a yes or no. Or after consistently texting for a few days now, there is no answer for

minutes on end. It’s as if she has dropped the phone and ran away. And after that type of rejection, a little therapy might be needed.

“We are driven in pursuit of new

affections”

6OPINIONS4.26.13

Student/faculty advice to past selves continued from last

. . . don’t be in such a hurry to grow up.

~Tesica Starkey, senior, English Major

. . . make more than one friend. Don’t eat three Ramen Noodle cups a day. And, don’t watch

“Say Yes to the Dress” marathon reruns because it gives you un-realistic expectations. Do your homework, and go to class. Get a job; it’s much easier to work

freshman year than it is junior year. Don’t sell your books back

to the SNU bookstore. ~Elizabeth Bertuca, junior, Missions Major

. . . be more relaxed. ~Jeff Carden, junior, Graphic Design Ma-

jor

. . . make lots of friends, branch out, be more involved, go to

church, go to class, and get better grades. Pick a major.

And, sleep. Lots. ~Shelby Wilson, junior, Missions Major

. . . don’t declare a major this year; you’re only 18.

~Abbey Marra, Recent graduate

. . . I know you are scared, try-ing to figure out where you fit. Just love people and try

not to judge them as you make friends.

~Sarah Handley, senior, Theology/Min-istry Major

. . . don’t be so worried about what people think of you. Have confidence in your ability to be different and still have friends. Learn how to say no. Start pay-ing attention to what you eat, high school bodies don’t last

forever!~Kira Roberts, junior, Mass Communi-

cations Major

. . . that one hour of study-ing is not going to make that much of a difference… Take a break and do something with

your friends! ~Amy Sattler, junior, Biology Major

Dear Freshman

Me,

STORMSPORTS

Keepup

with results

and scores

at snuath-letics.com

TheEcho April 26, 2013 Page 7NCAA representatives give campus a visit

Kira Roberts, Layout Editor Representatives from the Na-tional Collegiate Athletic Asso-ciation (NCAA) visited campus last week in an effort to see our progress in adapting to this new program from all different aspects. They met with coaches, staff, and student athletes to discuss specific changes that have been, and are being made in adherence to the goal of being officially accepted into the conference starting next fall. By giving the school a list of strengths and areas that need con-tinued work, the NCAA repre-sentatives encouraged us for the things being done well, as well as presented goals for improvement in the coming year. The facets of the program in which we were ap-plauded for included the develop-ment of the compliance programs, rules education, the Athletics Ad-visory Committee, strong confer-ence affiliation, student athlete

SNU

Athletics

Photo by Kira Roberts.

Kira Roberts, Layout Editor A growing pattern that can be seen across the country also affects our own campus: many athletes who begin their university careers not only drop out of the athletic program before complet-ing their four seasons of play, but also don’t finish their studies and leave with a degree from another university. At the Student Ath-letic Advisory Committee (SAAC) meeting that took place on Mon-day, April 15th, much discussion took place concerning possible changes to be made in order to increase the retention of student athletes at SNU.

According to Paul McGrady, along with the rest of the univer-sity, “The Athletic Department is in the process of developing a graduation rate plan and asked the SAAC, since it acts as the voice of the student-athlete, to give input in the process of developing a graduation rate improvement plan.” As an example of a situation that has been under improvement, McGrady mentioned working with the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) and the Student Retention Committee to develop a student-athlete study session three times a week for individuals

who are struggling in one or more classes. “It is important to the NCAA that we continue to develop student-athletes and monitor their development academically and socially as well as athletically,” Martin said. In compliance with the NCAA rules and regulations as well as the aspirations of the university to continually strive for a bet-ter student-athlete experience, a graduation rate improvement plan is being developed. The hope is that the retention rate will rise over the next five years as the guidelines are put into place.

Graduation improvement plan and athlete retention

involvement in the process, and the openness to change, listen, and learn. Among the areas in need of improvement were gender equality changes, amendments to charts in reporting structure, processes in writing for the registrar, financial aid, and admissions, implement-ing Compliance Assistance (com-puter program for organization and structure), and the evaluation process and role of FAR in the eli-gibility process. Athletic Director, Bobby Mar-tin, said, “The committee was very

positive overall. We knew that we would have things to correct in our manuals and procedures.” He mentioned that at this time, SNU is completing the Annual Re-port that is due on June 1st. In general, the university will contin-ue to have rules education meet-ings for the coaches and staff ev-ery month. “This is a long process that in-volves the entire campus commu-nity. If we advance on schedule, we will be a provisional member next year,” Martin said.

Arts ENTERTAINMENTTheEcho April 26, 2013 Page 8

A classic restaurant adds a twist to their menuGarvis Long, Staff Writer KFC, also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, has been makingfried chicken for years and have served over a billion people world-wide. This chicken mecca has al-ways given the customer the best quality of food with their cole slaw, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, corn, or wedges, KFC prepares their food to satisfy the customer. Recently KFC has added to their amazing chicken restaurant by serving their newest product: the boneless chicken. The is served similarly to their original chicken with a choice of the original recipe or extra crispy. You can also or-der boneless chicken the same way you order the originalwith either a two piece meal or a twelve piece bucket. I went to KFC to see what the rave was about and to experience their newest creation. The customer service was amaz-

ing, they treated me kindly telling me all the new things about their new savory dish. I tried their orgin-al recipe two piece meal with a bis-cut and a side of wedges. The taste was amazing! I thought there was no way chicken could taste so good but the boneless chicken just might be the new way to eat chicken. Some of the things I liked about the boneless chicken was that theoriginal recipe flavor stayed the same despite the seasoning being on a bonless filet. You still get the same amazing taste of KFC just in a whole new experience that will leave you wanting more. I also liked the fact that with the bone-less chicken you don’t have to bite around the bone to eat the meat from the chicken. This new way of eating is something people could get use to when enjoying the great tasting chicken. With a bonless filet you feel like you’re eating a chicken tender on

steroids. No pun intended. KFC has made the prices affordable in order for you to enjoy their new product, with some meals coming-no higher than five dollars. There are also other menu itemsto enjoy for low prices. If the newboneless chicken is something you don’t really want to rock with,

choose the many chicken sand-wiches or one of their mouth wa-tering sides. Choose the chcken tenders or eat the originalchicken that has made KFC inter-nationally known. Whatever you choose make sure you try some kind of chicken. Otherwise your not trying KFC.

Photo by Gary Simmons used under Creative Commons license.

Campus Question

Question: What is behind the tiles being changed out on the bottom floor of the Commons?

Answer: “The truth is, we don’t know what caused these tiles to buckle up. We did, rather jok-ingly, say it must be from the earthquake...but we don’t know. We are working to find replacements tiles and get this repaired.” –Ron Lester

9A & E4.26.13

Write for

The Echo!Not required to be:

• Brilliant• An English major

• A ‘grammar hammer’

Come to one meeting and write one article a week for an hour of class credit. Ask your advisor to sign

you up for Newspaper Practicum today!

Email Kira Roberts (kirarobe@mail.snu.edu) with questions

Required to:

• Enjoy writing• Bring story ideas to the

meeting each week• Want to help provide news and entertainment

to the campus

Jake’s movie review: “42” the true story of an American legendjake O’Bannon, Staff Writer According to Dictionary.com, the word “hero” is defined as, “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.” This past week I saw a movie about a true American hero. Directed by Brian Helgeland, “42” tells the story of Jackie Rob-inson (Chadwick Boseman) and his journey to become the first African American player in Major League Baseball history. Span-ning from Jackie’s final days in the Negro League to his years as a member of the Brooklyn Dodg-ers, “42” portrays the trials and tribulations of the courageous

man’s road to the majors. Along with Jackie’s story, we are also introduced to Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford), the Dodgers Ex-ecutive Manager. Both Mr. Rob-inson and Mr. Rickey lived the words of the hero definition over sixty years ago, and this film does a pleasant job of visualizing their heroics. Rickey is the man who original-ly had the countercultural idea to put a black man in the MLB. After much research, he found the man that he believed could best endure the hardships it would take to pull off the idea: Jackie Robinson. As you could imagine, the road was not easy. Actually, I take that

back; none of us could fully imag-ine all Jackie went through to break the MLB color barrier. From death threats to racial slurs in the ball-park, Jackie faced adversity wher-ever he turned. Can we truly com-prehend what that was like? As far as critiquing the actual quality of this film, I would put it somewhere between a “Remember the Titans” and “The Blindside” in quality. Some of the scenes are short, very nearly coming off as cold and unfinished. This is the case because there is a lot of sto-ry to get to in two hours, and that tends to show. Also, the guy from “The Luck of the Irish” is in it, so I can’t help thinking of him singing This Land is Your Land in a Cleve-land Browns shirt every time I see him. But the message and power of the actual story far outweigh the minor and silly imperfections of the film. Both Rickey and Robinson fall under the umbrella of heroes, just in different ways. And though the times were different back then, both of their stories are still rel-evant to us today. Branch Rickey believed strongly in the need for African American baseball players in the MLB, but he was not able to make that hap-pen on his own. Because of that, he used his desire to spark a flame in another man so that it could be done. Rickey needed Robinson to make this dream a reality. On the other hand, Jackie Robin-son would have never been granted the opportunity to play in the ma-jors if it were not for the dreams of

Branch Rickey. These two truths are my favorite aspects of the film. Without each other, this could not have been done. Jackie’s role was the harder one; there is no doubt about that. But with courage and bravery he took on the challenge each new day. And Rickey’s deci-sion was not a popular one, but with courage and bravery he went against the culture and put in place a man who would forever change the ethos of sports for the better. We should be challenged by the actions of these two heroic men. And through them, we should also recognize that there are ambi-tions in life we might have that we can’t do on our own. Great change normally takes a village to be suc-cessful. I challenge us to be that village for the people around us and the passions they hold. Branch Rickey gave Jackie Robinson the chance to change the world, and Jackie Robinson had the courage and perseverance to make it hap-pen. How will you trigger someone to do good in the world? And in what way can you be the image of change that the world needs? “42” is an inspiring film about a true hero. I strongly recommend going to see it, and I hope that it moves you in the same was I was moved. This is my forty-first movie re-view. I was really wishing I had done one more so I could have reviewed “42” on my forty-second review. But next week will be my last review for The Echo, and I hope you take some time to give it a read. Have a great week!

10A & E4.26.13

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