PAGE 8 * THE STERLING KANSAS BULLETIN * THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2012
The offical student-run newspaper of Sterling College
Writers wanted for Great Plains Review By BEN WRIGHT Staff Writer Spring is a time for trying new things. Perhaps, this year, the new thing should be writing poetry. This is the time of year that the Great Plains Review staff is hard at work compiling works for the newest installment of this yearly publication. For what, though, are they looking? Basically, any type of creative work could potentially make it into the review. The bulk of the submissions are considered poetry, but they are not limited to those. Other suggested submissions include short stories, short screen plays, songs, raps, and just about any other written work of which one could think. Visual artworks are also accepted. Historically, this has mostly been photographs. The entire review is in black and white, though, so that should be taken into account. While editors are eager to see a big turnout this year, time is running short for submissions as the deadline is March 1st of this year. Anything submitted before that will be considered for the review. Submissions can be sent to Amanda Xydis at axydis01@sterling. edu. Any Sterling College students and faculty are encouraged to submit. There are usually quite a few submissions, so those that haven’t gotten into previous issues shouldn’t be discouraged from trying again this year. In fact, they are encouraged to try again with new material. While every year represents a chance to spotlight some of the talent on the SC campus, this year is extra special for the Great Plains Review as It is a special anniversary edition for the 125th year of SC. One thing that will help set this version apart from past reviews is a “best-of” section, including works featured in past editions. Perhaps even See GPR, Page 7
THISWEEK
Today. Softball @ Oklahoma Weseyan, 2 p.m. Women’s Basketball @ Tabor, 6 p.m. MaSC CD audtions@ 7 p.m. in Wilson Men’s Basketball @ Tabor, 8 p.m. Friday. Convocation with Windell Middlebrooks @ 10 a.m. in Culbertson Indoor Track @ UNL, 10 a.m. Baseball @ Grandview University, 10 a.m. Math Game night @ 7 p.m. in Cornerstone Saturday. Baseball @ Grandview University, 12:30, p.m. Nepal Breakfast Dinner Fundraiser @ 4 p.m. in Partridge, KS Women’s Basketball vs. Friends University @ 5 p.m. Sunday. Chapel @ 7 p.m. in Culbertson “God Answers Prayer”- Emily Zerger
Volume 115 issue 9
Natural Science and Math, and History among departments seeking applicants By BAY BAKER Staff Writer Changes are being made on the Sterling College campus. Faculty positions are being filled as one faculty member passes the baton to the next. Though change can sometimes be daunting, those in charge of making decisions are well aware of the attention to detail that is required in the execution of their job. Candidates must be well qualified, have a faith-based mindset, and be interviewed extensively by the SC administration. The hiring process is detailed and engaged, according to Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Gregory Kerr. The process begins with drafting the position description, which describes the job responsibilities and lists the
required and preferred qualifications. The college then advertises through the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and various other locations, depending on the discipline. “The application process has a questionnaire the candidate fills out that helps us see whether they support our Christian mission and can integrate faith into their teaching,” Kerr said. “They also submit their resume and transcripts.” Dr. Kerr, Associate Dean Felicia Squires, and the department chair then evaluate the information, select several candidates for phone interviews, and decide which of these candidates should be interviewed on-campus. The on-campus interview includes meetings with faculty,
students, and administration. The candidate is also expected to give a presentation. President Maurer also interviews all candidates, and everyone who meets with the candidate is asked for feedback. Dr. Kerr then recommends a candidate to President Maurer for approval, and a criminal background check is begun as the last step. “Critical in this whole process,” Kerr said, “Is that it is organized and kept on track by my assistant, Renee Dodson.” One such search has begun in the Natural Science and Mathematics department. “The Natural Science and Mathematics department is currently in the process of advertising for a full-time mathematics faculty position,” Doctor Jonathan Conard said. “When a pool of suitable can-
didates is identified, we will conduct phone and on-campus interviews. The plan is to have this faculty member hired prior to the fall semester.” The History Department has also recently had two candidates come to campus for interviews. “ Both candidates are extremely qualified,” Assistant Professor of History Doug Boardman said. “Either one would be a great fit for the Sterling College History Department.” The detail to which the college goes to find qualified, educated, and faithful people to fill faculty and staff positions is to be appreciated. Change at SC can certainly be embraced whole-heartedly with the knowledge that our institution is headed for a bright future.
Freshman Lucas Knauss pioneers improvization group ‘On the Spot’ By NATHAN EHRESMAN Staff Writer “There are only three rules of improvisational comedy: do not think, always say yes, and never laugh at yourself.” Last Wednesday, freshman Lucas Knauss held auditions for Sterling students vying for a spot in the new campus improv group called On the Spot. As early as when he visited campus last winter as a prospective student, Knauss had visions of bringing an improv comedy group to Sterling College. Drawing inspiration from the group he is a part of back home in Abilene and from the hit television show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Knauss has big visions for On the Spot. “I kind of want it to be a rival to the plays, if you will,” Knauss said. Much the same way as the entire community comes out to watch the fall musical, Knauss hopes that On the Spot becomes popular enough that the community will come out and enjoy the shows. “As for what I expect out of it,” Knauss said, “I really just expect it to be good clean fun!” Acknowledging that improv comedy can quickly become inappropriate, before anyone can perform with the troop, Knauss will have them sign what he calls the Christian Improv Creed (CIC), requiring members to keep jokes PG rated. After reading the CIC to those auditioning, Knauss wasted no time jumping into the auditions. Simply enough, the auditions consisted entirely of the po-
Sophomores Shiloh Duff (left) and Ryan Ehresman (right) were two of thirteen individuals chosen to be members of ‘On the Spot,’ which hosted its first rehearsal Tuesday night. Photo by Nathan Ehresman tential troop members playing various improv games with the judges watching intently. “And that is pretty much what we are going to be doing [for the shows],” Knauss said. “Playing some crazy games where people just make stuff up on the spot… hence the name.” Once the group of thirteen is finalized, the troop will begin weekly practices and even though the shows are completely audience-based, it is still important for the performers to understand the games. “You’ve got to think of it like you do
a play,” Knauss said. “It’s not nearly as demanding, but it is still important to know what you need to do and where.” The troop will have to make good usage of this practice time, because the first show is just two months from now. On the night of April 16, On the Spot will perform their first live show in Upper Wilson. After the initial trial run they will have two more weeks before putting on a big show on April 30th in Culbertson Auditorium. Be sure to mark these dates on your calendar, because you can expect an evening of good clean fun and a sore stomach from laughing so hard.
Valentine’s dance for the costume clad By PATRICK WRIGHT Staff Writer
As usual, this past Friday the Freshmen Class Organization was in charge of the February 10th Valentine’s Day Dance. Beginning at 8 PM, the dance started fairly slowly and as the custom goes, the dance picked up after around thirty minutes as students quickly began filling Upper Wilson. The event lasted 3 hours, consisting of music DJ-ed by Scott Hicks as well as a swing dance competition. While the event has come to be seen as mundane by some in recent years, this year’s dance was unique in that students were encouraged to wear just semi-formal attire, as per usual, but instead were also encouraged to wear costumes for a contest during the dance. While most of the attendees went to the dance in semi-formal attire, a few students came in some strange clothes that passed as costumes. “It was interesting to see people in both costumes and semiformal attire,” Grant Britnall said. The music at the dance consisted of a combination of swing music, dance music, and Scott Hicks’ signature mash-ups. Hicks did well in providing music that students could dance to and kept the energy high. Many people can remember dances were DJs will play nothing but pop beats that no human alive can dance to, but this was not the case here. “I enjoyed that you could dance to it,” Dance participant Jon Faulkner said. “It wasn’t just the typical rock like you find at
most dances, but was stuff you could actually dance with.” While the music provided a nice background, the center attraction of the dance was the swing dance competition. The competition was split into a beginner division and an intermediate division. Three groups competed in the beginner competition. The winners moved on to the intermediate division. After pulling off some fancy swing moves, Nathaniel Boggs and Darsha Bechard emerged as the victors of the intermediate division. When asked how the competition went, the woman behind the curtain, Freshman Ashley Pannier who organized a large majority of the dance, replied, “Fabulous! We (Ashley and her partner) messed up a little, but it still went well.” Later in the night was the costume contest. The singles division consisted mainly of Nathan West dressed as his roommate, Trevor Ball, as well as a medley of oddly dressed Campbell men. Nathan West was the winner in this division. Next was the couples division. As there was only one pair of entrants, Travis Norton and Janny Ourn (who came as a couple on their first date) won by default. The Freshmen Class Organization was very proud of their work and were very satisfied with the turnout. “Overall, the dance went way better than we expected,” Freshman Class Organization Secretary Gabrielle Reeves said. Though Valentine’s Day is loved and hated, the Annual Valentine’s Dance went well in the eyes of many students.
S S stir.sterling.edu
THE STERLING KANSAS BULLETIN * THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2012 * PAGE 9
SPORTS AND OPINION
The Weekly Sports Wrap By KATIE MCGRATH Staff Writer On Saturday March 10, 2012 the Men and Women’s Track team headed to Wichita to compete in the first ever indoor KCAC Track Meet. The Warriors competed against Bethany College, Bethel College, Friends University, Kansas Wesleyan University, McPherson College, Ottawa University, Southwestern College, Tabor College and University of Saint Mary. Overall, the Women’s team took fifth place with 37 points, and the Men’s team took eighth with eight points. For the Women’s team Heather Simpson took second place in the women’s 400 meter with a time of 1:01.78 adding eight points to the women’s overall score. Jillian Linnebur led the women’s team with a first place finish in the women’s 800 meter with a time of 2:22.75, earning the team ten points. In the women’s 1000 meters, Amber Balvin took fifth place earn-
Jillian Linnebur, Amber Balvin, Sara Doll, and Bay Baker, women’s 4 x 800 meter relay team finished second at Wichita. Photo Courtesy of Hans Nickel ing the team two additional points with a time of 3:22.88. The women’s 4 x 800m relay team took second place grabbing another eight points for the team’s overall score. In the women’s 4000m Distance Medal Race (DMR), the team shaved twenty seconds off of their last time, taking second place with a time of 13:09.10. Sara Doll explained two weeks ago that she hoped
Talking Cinema With Tim
Top Ten of 2011
This story is a continuation of the Top Ten of 2011 printed February 9, 2012 on page 6 and 7 of last weeks Stir. To read the full review visit ‘Tim Luisi’s Film Reviews’ on Facebook. 5. The Artist- Such a simple concept and yet delivered so beautifully, this silent black and white film, much like Rango, shows a character at a major crossroads. Given life by stunning performances from Jean Jujardin and Berenice Bejo, this is one of the most delightful and beautiful films of the year. Equally as impressive is director Michael Haznivicius.Unforgettable in so many ways, this valentine to the silent era manages to make the genre seem new again. 4. Margin Call- This film is not successful based on its story, but rather the mood that it creates. The stress that each employee in the film experiences is palpable from the opening moments where some are fired to the middle section of anxiety as each scrambles to figure out just what exactly is going on, to the utter depression that each faces at the end as the realization of of what they have done dawns on them. Including one of the best ensembles of the year as well as an incredibly tragic script, this mood poem by J. C. Chandor is perhaps the greatest representation of our sad economic reality to date. 3. Hugo- This is another film that pays tribute to the silent era, allowing director Martin Scorsese to proudly show the audience what it was that first fed his cinematic addiction. This is a movie for film lovers everywhere, full of references to classic films, but also like so many of the other films on this list is a powerful examination of one’s search to belong. Its final forty minutes are unrivaled by almost anything this year and when they hit are like an emotional hurricane. Completely different from anything else Scorsese has done, this, perhaps his most personal film to date is a cinematic treasure. 2. The Adventures of Tintin- There are two sides to director Steven Spielberg: the uber serious man behind amazing films like Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List and the almost Peter-Pan like director who seemingly never wants to grow up, creating amazing films like Raiders of the Lost Ark. While both Spielbergs are great, it is the second, fun-loving one that I enjoy the most, and so it was that this December I unwrapped his latest thrill ride with tremendous pleasure. A technical wonder and a nonstop action extravaganza the film hardly ever stops to breathe, including one chase sequence that is close to the best thing Spielberg has ever done. Filled to the brim with humor, action, wit, and some genuinely moving drama, this was the best film that I had seen all year until last week when I saw… 1. Drive- That thing about some movies just being cool? Well some movies are awesome and Drive is that word redefined. Perhaps a superhero story, perhaps not, the only thing that is certain with this film is that each and every moment offers a new cinematic thrill with unforgettable characters, amazing action, and even more intense violence. It’s difficult to say what makes this film so cool, but that is in large part because it seems so effortless despite how obvious it is how much work must have been put in to make everything seem so seamless. The Driver is one of the great characters of our generation: his love story completely relatable, his toughness unquestionable and his enemy equally compelling. Entirely unique, this is the only film from 2011 that received a perfect score from me. There is nothing like this, one of the greatest films I have ever seen and easily the finest that 2011 had to offer.
the team could shave an additional 20 seconds off before conference picks up and they successfully did that on Saturday. Although a 12:55 is what it takes to qualify for conference, the team is now only 14 seconds away from qualifying, a goal now nearly within arms reach. The second place title in the women’s 4000m DMR earned the team another eight points bringing their
T1
GPR
from page 8
final score to 37 points. On the mens side of the competition, taking eighth leaves plenty of room for improvement. Although the results were not exactly what the men’s team wanted, they are excited about being able to work on their weaknesses. David Cesmat, the only male individual to score for the Warriors, took fifth in the men’s 60m hurdle with a time of 8.84, earning two points for the mens overall score. The men’s 4 x 800m relay earned the most points for the Warriors with a time of 8:23.39. Also the men’s 4000m DMR took fifth with a time of 11:27.80, bringing their overall total to eight points. Overall, Friends women took first place with 145 points, followed by Southwestern by 93 points and Tabor with 89 points. In the mens division, Friends again took first with 154 points, followed by Southwestern with 99 points, and Tabor with 98 points.
more significantly, the launch of this year’s Great Plains Review is actually planned as a sort of kick off into a number of things that will celebrate the upcoming milestone homecoming weekend next year. The Review itself, though, is scheduled to come out in April. Overall, this is a very great opportunity for anyone at Sterling who is interested in writing. Getting published for the first time could do a lot to help a budding writer. There is even a “Writing Night” scheduled to help perspective writers get submissions together, scheduled for February 21 at 8 pm in the student union. This is meant as a calm, relaxed environment for writers to work on their last minute projects or even just homework. From then, there will be more than a week left before the deadline. So, get out there and get writing.
he Freshman
5
By SAMANTHA DAVISON Cartoonist
Top 10 Christian albums of 2011 By JON FAULKNER Staff Writer This story is a continuation of the Top 10 Christian albums of 2011 printed February 9, 2012 in the Stir. To read the full review look for Jon Faulkner’s section on Altrocklive.com. 5. Needtobreathe: The Reckoning – Of all the albums to come out this year, this one spoke the most clearly to me. From the opening track “Ohhs and Ahhs” to the dynamic “Drive All Night” to the countless strong ballads Needtobreathe has really put it together. 4. Abandon : Control – This album continues to be one of my favorites even though I think I’m on about the thirteenth listen. From the Dance driven album opener “Feel It In Your Heart” to the strong message of “Under Fire” to the re-instrumentation of the
hit “Hero” Control makes a statement: Abandon’s going to be around for a long time. 3. Lecrae: Rehab – Deluxe Edition – It’s always good to be able to get all the bonus content in one box. Certainly the best Deluxe Edition to come out in the past few years, it will give fans what they want: more Lecrae. 2. Falling Up: Your Sparkling Death Cometh – This is the best independently released album of the year. If fans are concerned about con-
S S Established in 1889
Editor-in-Chief.................................................................................Tim Luisi Assistant Editor.........................................................................Ryan Corwin Sports Editor..........................................................................Katie McGrath Staff Writers.............................................................................Patrick Wright Bay Baker Nathan Ehresman Jon Faulkner Ben Wright Cartoonist.........................................................................Samantha Davison Faculty Advisor........................................................................Felicia Squires
tent they shouldn’t be as every song goes deeper into the heart of the Christian. Even the worshipful “Oceans” shows the band is not afraid to go deep. It will be interesting to see whether the band will return to hibernation or produce another album. 1. Downhere: On the Alter of Love – If you haven’t heard this, one of Christian Music’s all-time Gems then you’re missing out. From the opener “Only the Beginning” to the rocker “Seek” it is evident the band never really misses a beat. The lyrics of “Glory by the Way of Shame” will move you to tears and remind you of Christ’s Love while the title cut “On the Alter of Love” will draw you to God as you are reminded by His everlasting love for you. Yes, this album is certainly worth a chance and an hour and a half of your time.
The Stir is produced by Sterling College students and printed weekly in and by the Sterling Bulletin, Sterling, Kansas. We seek to serve the Sterling College community with news and information. We work toward goals of honesty and integrity while always seeking the truth. We also work with an understanding of service to a Christian community. Letters to the editor must be signed and legible. Letters are subject to editing for style and spelling and will be printed at the editors’ discretion. Letters should not be longer than 350 words. Letters must be received by 3 p.m. the Tuesday before the print date (Thursday). Opinions presented on the Opinion page do not necessarily represent the views of Sterling College. Address letters to The Stir, SC Box 8, 125 W. Cooper, Sterling, KS 67579.