VOL. 109 ISSUE 14• APR. 29 - MAY 12, 2019
HMONG AWARENESS MONTH • SGX STOUT GAME EXPO • PRESSING PLAY: ESPORTS AT STOUT
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VOL. 109 ISSUE 14 APR. 29 - MAY 12, 2019 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CONTENTS
PRODUCTION MANAGER
CAMPUS 5 HMONG AWARENESS MONTH
Logan Myhre
myhrel5331@uwstout.edu
CHIEF COPY EDITOR
6 A HOTEL FOR BIRDS Makenna Wynveen
NEWS
wynveenm4343@my.uwstout.edu
DIGITAL IMAGING EDITOR
7 NOTRE DAME SPIRE COLLAPSES 8 $25.5 SPORTS COMPLEX PLAN
Matt ‘Mao’ Adam
ENTERTAINMENT
adamm0498@my.uwstout.edu
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
9 SGX STOUT GAME EXPO
Jackson Rudquist
rudquistj0077@my.uwstout.edu
10 FREEDOM WITH FASHION
AD MANAGER
11 STUDENT-ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: MARY CROSS
SPORTS
Eric Krause
krausee6185@my.uwstout.edu
12 ATHLETES CAREERS COMING TO A CLOSE
NEWS EDITOR Zac West
12 PRESSING PLAY: ESPORTS COMING TO UW-STOUT
westz4822@my.uwstout.edu
13 STUDENT-ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT: SHANNA LAEHN
MARKETING MANAGER Elizabeth Vierkant
SATIRE
SPORTS EDITOR
14 THE SCOPES
vierkante9023@my.uwstout.edu
14 ENTIRE SEMESTER WORLOAD IN ONE WEEK
Mariya Swanson
CHECK OUT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA
swansonm9899@my.uwstout.edu
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Evan Thue
thuee9306@my.uwstout.edu
CAMPUS EDITOR
@Stoutonia
@Stoutoniaonline
Stoutonia
Stoutonia.com
Bryce Parr
parrb4971@my.uwstout.edu
Katie Schulzetenberg
schulzetenbergk9509@my.uwstout.edu RILEY DUNHAM Cover Designer
RILEY DUNHAM Illustrator
MAKENNA WYNVEEN Layout Designer
ISABEL ROBERTS Layout Designer
KATE EDENBORG Adviser edenborgk@uwstout.edu
JACKSON RUDQUIST/STOUTONIA
u 2 u m
STOUT IN PICTURES
As the semester comes to a close, the hallway leading to the senior interior design and graphic design studio fills with student projects. This hallway will soon be filled with students, professors and industry professionals this Friday, May 3 when the senior design students present their final semester long projects.
COVER BY RILEY DUNHAM
CUTIE OF THE WEEK JACKSON RUDQUIST/STOUTONIA
UT
“I wanted to feature my favorite club that I’m apart of: The Devil Tones, lead by Professor Jerry Hui.”
This is JoJo, Jackson Rudquist’s dog. She likes eating popcorn, running on carpet and taking baths.
-Riley Dunham
For more of Riley Dunham’s work, visit: dunham.doodles on Facebook/Instagram
Have a cute pet? Send us a photo to our email: stoutonia@uwstout.edu
The Stoutonia is written, edited, designed and produced by students of the University of Wisconsin-Stout, and they are solely responsible for its editorial policy and content. The Stoutonia is printed bi-weekly during the academic year except for vacations and holidays by Leader Printing, a division of Eau Claire Press Co., Eau Claire, WI 54701. Advertising for publication must be submitted to the Stoutonia office 109 Memorial Student Center, by 5 p.m. on Mondays before the run date. Each student is entitled to one free copy of the Stoutonia. The Stoutonia is an equal opportunity employer. The Stoutonia reserves the right to refuse any advertisement at its discretion. Justification does not have to be given if an advertisement is refused. Advertising considered to be fraudulent, misleading, offensive, or detrimental to the public, the newspaper or its advertisers may be refused. © Copyright 2016 Stoutonia. Written permission is required to reprint any portion of the Stoutonia’s content. All correspondence should be addressed to: Stoutonia, Room 109 Memorial Student Center UW-Stout, Menomonie, WI 54751.
CAMPUS Are you happy with the results of the Johnson Field House referendum? The SSA recently ran a referendum regarding renovations for the Johnson Fieldhouse. The referendum’s results were announced April 16. Are you satisfied with the outcome?
YES Much needed improvement to the Fieldhouse and, finally, the inclusion of a gym membership into our tuition. -UW-Stout Student “I think that the Johnson Fieldhouse plan is going to attract a lot of students to UW-Stout, which will be good for everyone, including those that aren’t interested using the sports complex.” -UW-Stout Student
YES 33.3%
NO OPIONION 42.9%
NO 23.8%
NO “We are a D3 school, and not an extremely well known D3 school...Our athletes are not at the talent level that the chosen option relfects. In other words, the field house will be more impressive than our athletes...I simply don’t think we need to prioritize that building with our talent pool. There are several other areas that need work, especially dorm room bathrooms!! Plus, we are paying for thes extra fees when we won’t be the ones reaping the benefits. So, not only am I now paying for the most expensive option, but I will never get to use the final product.”” -UW-Stout Student
NO I can’t find the results so I don’t have an opinion on the results. -UW-Stout Student The survey lasted for two weeks and was conducted online. It was primarily advertised on Campus Life Today and social media. The results are a product of 22 responses.
Stoutonia’s bi-weekly student poll; Read the prompt, then head over to one of our social media sites to vote and give your opinions. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! VOTE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND BE SURE TO SHARE.
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CAMPUS • 5
HMONG AWARNESS MONTH AUDREY TCHAA VIENTANE YANG/ CONTRIBUTED
From left to right, Pa Houa Yang, Mai Hlee Lee, and Choua Xiong.
“It’s important to me. I feel like campus should care because it gives us Hmong students a time to shine and a time for us to teach the campus about our culture. A time to express who we are, no matter where we are. I can go around and say I’m Hmong, but nobody will care. When HAM comes along, it shows that I have proof of who I am,” said Paj Nsta. For Cha Yang and Pa Houa Yana it’s important because of the representation, “This month is important to me because it represents Hmong culture, and we Hmong people gotta represent,” said Cha Yang. “It brings awareness about the Hmong culture and what it is about. I believe it can help others to understand that not all Asian cultural background is the same even if we ‘look alike,’” says Pa Houa Yang. For Jasmine Baker and Synala Smith it gives them an opportunity to learn. “It’s an awesome month to celebrate and learn more about Hmong culture! The campus should care about all races and do more to learn about the minority groups here on campus,” said Jasmine Baker. “It gives opportunity for people to show others about their culture, and for others (like
Top row from left to right, Paj Ntsa Xiong, William Chang, Eli Lee, Isaac Yang, Bottom left to right, Pa Houa Yang, Ashley Yang, Synala Smith, Neg Thao, Serena Vue, Kalia Xiong, Tsue Yang.
VIENTANE YANG/ CONTRIBUTED
April is known for a variety of celebrations and holidays: Easter, April Fool’s Day, Earth Day, Autism Awareness Day and Hmong Awareness Month (HAM). The Hmong Stout Student Organization (HSSO) shares why this month is important to them and Stout’s campus. Paj Ntsa “PJ” Yang and Su Yang, both multimedia co-producers for HSSO, were the students who planned events for this month’s Hmong Awareness celebration. They felt it was a great opportunity to spread awareness about their culture on campus. This year, the two co-producers put on two events for this month. One of them being a self-identity and belonging Workshop hosted by Neng Now. Neng Now is a Hmong-American man and Harvard graduate. During his workshop he talked about his experiences as a Hmong-American and hit on the intersectionality aspect of being a Hmong-American. Another event they hosted was the talent show. “This year I wanted to expand it and involve others who aren’t just Hmong. How do you spread awareness without attracting others? You don’t,” said Paj Nsta. The talent show, trivia and raffle and this year’s trivia took a different turn. Paj Nsta and Su decided to make it more educational about Hmong culture, which they felt is another way to spread awareness. “Even with the prizes, we usually just give out T-shirts or candy, but this year we decided to give out traditional Hmong items,” said Paj Nsta. Hmong Awareness is important to these co-producers because they feel it’s a time to spread awareness about our Hmong culture. They feel not enough people know who they are. “Hmong people are underrepresented. It’s good to spread awareness of our culture to those who are our peers,” said Su.
me) to get educated about the Hmong culture,” said Synala Smith. William Chang thinks it’s significant because it’s an opportunity to share his culture. “It’s the part of the month where we are able to show the Stout community and local community the culture of the Hmong. This month is significant because being able to share a piece of our Hmong culture to the public, makes them aware that we are a population that is part of this community. The campus should care because we are classmates and peers among the campus that loves to bring people into our culture to learn,” said William Chang. It allows Theresa Hang to be closer to her friends. “Because my good friends are Hmong and it’s good to know where they come from and their background. Cultural awareness ya’ll, and because celebrating diversity is important for America. Period,” said Theresa Hang. “The campus should care because the Hmong community here is a part of the Stout community,” said Chueseng Lo. “This month is important for me because it is a month that allows me to show representation of my culture and why it’s important. During this month I was able to learn more things about the Hmong culture that I didn’t know before,” said Serena Vue. “This month is significant because it is different from a lot of other cultures and I think that everyone should have the opportunity to explore and experience it. It’s also scary to think that this culture is slowly dying away,” said Eli Lee. “Bringing awareness of Hmong culture to the community is important because it allows the community to understand who Hmong people are in a more public way. It also encourages cultural diversity and cultural expression in the context of students (minorities) feeling minimized due to not having many opportunities for self-expression in the context of culture,” said Cheenue Yang. ●
CAMPUS • 6
A HOTEL FOR BIRDS
JONAH HAMMEN
JOHNATHAN RASCHKE/CONTRIBUTED
Raschke is still in the process of making his bird hotel.
As we approach the end of another school and then had several randomly assigned to year, art & design students across the board them. Of the ten or so traits Raschke received, are scrambling to finish the ten or so final ‘chases children’ was the one that stood out to projects assigned just before the semester’s him especially. conclusion. From giant animals made of “I initially thought about having it be a cardboard to course portfolios, anything and narcissistic bird ‘cause one of the other traits everything extravagant is being crammed was ‘stares at itself in the mirror,’ but then I into this terminal month. Despite the incred- had a better idea. I’m actually going to have ible stress, however, a family of birds who some people just can’t run this hotel; they The original project were known for doing help themselves and decide to go all out on witchcraft and, as the their projects anyway, was to craft a birdhouse story goes, the villagers regardless of their cur- out of wood and create wanted to put an end rent workload. to it and interrupted a bird character to go one of their rituals, reThis passionate attitude toward creatin a curse being along with it, the ani- sulting ing exactly belongs to set on the entire hotel. comics & sequential mal’s personality mim- No one can leave, even Arts student, Johnathe family who runs than Raschke. Amidst icking the appearance of it. It’s kinda like hotel his many other pieces california!” Raschke their home. in progress, Raschke went on to describe is well on his way to how he also chose the constructing a very original one for his 3D ‘chases children’ trait, which he gradually Design course. The original project was to morphed into giving his family of birds a craft a birdhouse out of wood and create a cannibalistic edge. Seeing as they can’t leave bird character to go along with it, the ani- either, they lure unsuspecting birds into the mal’s personality mimicking the appearance hotel and feast on them for sustenance. of their home. Students wrote a number of With his story and characters set in place, personality and occupational traits to begin Raschke set to work at making the com-
plicated hotel structure a reality. He first roughly sized out each house, crafting an octopus-esque design in which six mini hotel rooms branch off from a larger, central reception desk. He worked out all the necessary measurements and created a to-scale cardboard replica of his design. Now, in his final two weeks, he’ll have to craft all his plans out of wood and prepare it for display. “The most difficult part will be figuring out the angles of the hexagonal shapes that make up each room. That and figuring out how to suspend it in the air so the bridges translate…and it doesn’t fall apart.” Raschke said all of this with just as much worry as he did enthusiasm. He wouldn’t have it any other way because, “I’m me.” And that tirelessly hard-working sentiment, whether you agree that it’s healthy or not, seems to be held by many art & design students; it’s part of the reason why you see a life-size camel made of cardboard on the second floor of the Applied Arts building, or why a costume decorated in hundreds of individually-cut straws flaunted its way down the runway in the recent Fashion Without Fabric show. It’s the reason both faculty and fellow students here at University of Wisconsin-Stout can feel excited for what colorful, painstaking, complex and bizarre works of passion will come out of next year’s artists.●
NEWS MACKENZIE PETERSON AND ELIZABETH VIERKANT WIKIMEDIA/CONTRIBUTED
JOHNATHAN RASCHKE/CONTRIBUTED
NOTRE DAME SPIRE COLLAPSES IN FIRE real and more devastating problems. Sure, it’s a part of history, but if we don’t act upon those greater, unspoken disasters, we won’t have a history to speak of.” Cicely Harris, a sophomore majoring in applied social science said, “It’s really cool that they were able to get money to rebuild [Notre Dame].” Harris believes that it’s nice to know the money is available if a major crisis would need the funding. Though, Harris also wonders why that money couldn’t go towards other disasters such as the Flint, Michigan water crisis and the Puerto Rico disaster aid. Andi Rodrigues, a freshman majoring in retail merchandising and management said, “Many friends of mine have celebrated Notre Dame being engulfed in flames, citing the event as ‘well deserved by colonizers.’” According to Andi, while
he shares the dislike for colonization, he said, “I also maintain the position that if we destroy history, we often forget, which is exactly why we must employ nuance in such discussions, not only to ‘pander’ catholics, as my friends have put it, but to respect and remember the struggle that our ancestors have faced.” According to CBS, many groups have donated money towards Notre Dame’s reconstruction. This includes the LVMH Group, the L’Oréal Group, and many wealthy families. Nearly half a billion euros have been pledged to help restore the site. According to CNN, France’s president said he wants the rebuilding to be done within the next five years. However, a restoration expert stated that it would take 10 to 15 years to fully rebuild. ●
The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris broke out in flames and suffered damage on Monday, Apr. 15 and lasted until Tuesday morning according to CBS News. The cause of the fire is still unclear, however, arson and terrorism are not suspected. At the time of the fire, Notre Dame was going through $6.8 million renovations on the spire. According to USA Today, the main structure of the church was preserved. The cathedral’s organ as well as an artifact, the Crown of Thorns, were saved. Notre Dame’s heritage director, Laurent Prades, said the high altar was harmed. This was caused by the spire’s fall. There were no deaths and only one injury was reported. France’s president has declared to rebuild the site. As for the artwork that was located inside the Notre Dame Cathedral during the fire, firefighters were able to save many of the pieces. University of Wisconsin–Stout students shared their opinions regarding these events. Amanda Groser, a freshman majoring in retail merchandising and management said, “I do feel saddened by the fire of Notre Dame, however, I’m annoyed by all the posts on my feed.” According to Groser, half of the people posting have not been to the cathedral and are not religious. “They are just posting for relevance. Also, this church receives more attention than
WIKIMEDIA/CONTRIBUTED
Notre Dame caught fire on Apr. 15.
Notre Dame could take 10 to 15 years to fully rebuild.
NEWS • 8
E
STUDENTS VOTE FOR $25.5 MILLION SPORTS COMPLEX PLAN
S
JOSH NEHS
JACKSON RUDQUIST/ STOUTONIA
Option C in the renovation proposals won with 631 votes.
University of Wisconsin–Stout students voted on different options involving the potential decision to renovate the Johnson Fieldhouse. Awareness of the ballot was raised through three meetings, social media and the Stout Student Association (SSA)’s table in the Memorial Student Center (MSC). The options given to students were as follows: Option A includes repurposing the unused pool into a multipurpose gym and improving the locker rooms. This option received 103 votes. Option B includes everything from option A. Fitness Center member fees would be eliminated for UW-Stout students. This option received 265 votes. Option C includes all of options A and B with an additional 20,000 square feet of new space for two second-floor multiuse courts, two studio gyms and a walking and jogging track. The total cost is $25.5 million. Segregated fees would be $11.29 per credit for students. This option received 631 votes. Option D includes no renovations or fee increases. This option received 265 votes.
According to the SSA President, Hannah Bragelman, a total of 1275 students participated in the vote, with 49% voting for option C. Stout students expressed their thoughts on the changes proposed for the Johnson Fieldhouse. When asked how she felt about the vote to renovate the Johnson Fieldhouse, Emily Shafer, a sophomore in the video game design major said, “I don’t really want it to be updated.” Further elaborating on the reason, Shafer said, “My high school focused on funding sports over the arts, so there were many times we got the short end of the stick. We don’t have as many students into sports here, but that being said, if the Fieldhouse is in a poor state they shouldn’t be ignored.” Ryan Palma, a freshman in the applied science program, said, “Most of my classes are in the Johnson Fieldhouse, and the classrooms are really small.” When speaking about the locker rooms, Palma said, “They’re in really bad shape. I definitely want them to be renovated.” Allison Kleutsch, a freshman studying in special education, said, “I’m for it. I don’t
have any classes there, but if it improves it for other students, I’m okay with that.” Sam Landstrom, a senior in the information communication technologies program, said, “Something that bothered me is having these gym facilities on campus that I assume my tuition already pays for, yet I’m not allowed to use them without a membership.” When speaking on whether he agrees with the vote, Landstrom said “I’m in favor of it, but I also won’t be here in a couple weeks when I graduate. Someone who has a lot of credits to pay for in the next few years might feel different, and I could understand why.” SSA President Hannah Bragelman said the changes have been proposed to the Board of Regents, who have the power to deny or decrease the segregated fee increases that are a part of the plan. ● For more information regarding each option, refer to Elizabeth Vierkant’s article, SSA Election to Bring Major Changes to Campus, in our last issue.
ENTERTAINMENT SGX STOUT GAME EXPO BRODY PIERCE
REECE NADLE/ CONTRIBUTED
JACKSON RUDQUIST/ STOUTONIA
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Game design majors from across the University of Wisconsin-Stout campus will come together for a chance to show their talent at the annual Stout Game Expo (SGX). Students from Game Design and Development (GDD) 100, 200, 300 and 400 level classes will gather in the Memorial Student Center’s top floor ballrooms to show their efforts come together. The games will also be represented in a variety of gaming styles such as board games, card games, 2D digital games, 3D digital games, apps and even virtual reality interactions. There will be a plethora of games presented at this semester’s expo. Some of the featured games will include “Aluna,” “Coping Device,” “Farbenspiel,” “Grove,” “Solace,” “Unproven” and “Wisper” along with many more. A number of freshmen are presenting their games in the form of board games. Reece Nadle and Daniel Hagedorn, freshman in the computer science game design major, are from one of the many freshmen design teams. Their game is called “Hacked,” and the concept of their game is that a group of players are tasked with stopping the spread of a super computer virus that is ravaging its way through a system and fixing the other damaged ports. Reece and Daniels’ team thought that this was the best option to satisfy their ideas for a computer themed co-op game and thought that it fit with the current events of today. Another group of freshmen are presenting the game “Cryptids and Kaiju,” a board game where you play as one of many technicians tasked with manning a mecha bent on eliminating enemy Cryptids and Kaiju in order to protect Neo-Menomonie. Group mem-
the game “Umbrella Mondays” which was nominated for the International Academic Conference on Meaningful Play in 2018. Sutterland stated that by participating in SGX he was able to build his team building skills, and he gained experience to further his expertise from creating his first 2D game to making a second better 2D game, all leading up to his major 3D game. The Stout Game Expo will be filled with eager game design students showing the public what they have to offer the gaming community. As Ethan Kapelka, another freshman participating in the expo, put it, “I think the most interesting thing about making games is seeing how other people play it and seeing what they enjoy the most out of it and what could be tweaked. So it’s a kind of learning experience for everyone involved.” ● The event is in MSC Great Hall and Ballrooms on Thursday, May 2, from 6–9 p.m. and play some games. BRODY PIERCE/ STOUTONIA
t
Some of the games featured are physical board games.
ber Michelle Castillo Canedo commented, “I’m just glad to have it finally finished and having people say, ‘Hey that’s a finished game.’ Regardless of the many hours I have put into this project, I don’t regret any of it.” As for videogame art majors participating in SGX, Dan Vogt is a part of another freshman group displaying their game called “Hunter/Hunted.” The game is based off of how humans can be very destructive to nature if they aren’t careful. The game focuses on the expansion of the humans (Hunters) and the survival of nature and its inhabitants (Hunted). Vogt mentions that he would like to see how people end up reacting to the game and to see what people will think about a hidden game mechanic. He hopes that players will have learned something by the end of it all. Many designers are already making a name for themselves as they move forward in their college career. Jacob Sutherland, a videogame art major, participated in SGX in the past and was one of the artists behind
The event will showcase work from a wide variety of artists, designers, and programmers.
ENTERTAINMENT • 10
FREEDOM WITH FASHION BRYCE PARR WEAR FASHION ASSOCIATION/ CONTRIBUTED
Art Deco is the theme of this year’s show.
University of Wisconsin—Stout’s apparel design and development students are stepping into the roaring ‘20s this semester for WEAR Fashion Association’s annual fashion show. Influenced by the Art Deco movement from early 1900s France, over 30 students, 13 of them seniors, will showcase their work in the great hall on May 5. The yearly show is hosted by WEAR, a student-run campus org for those interested in fashion and apparel design. The show will take place in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall on May 5 at noon and another show at four. Tickets are $5 or a non-perishable food donation at the door.
Student designers are encouraged to consider the art deco theme when designing, but are offered the freedom to create designs of their choice. Senior Jessalyn Bennet is one of the seniors showcasing her senior collection. According to Bennet, the freedom of expression is important for the design community at UW-Stout. “Other universities are really selective about who can show what and how [they present] in their shows, and it’s really incredible that self-expression, as people and as designers, is so celebrated at Stout,” Bennet said. Designers are also allowed to choose their models. Many of the individuals walking the catwalk on May 5 will be community members and friends of the designers. Senior designer Mary Cross emphasized the importance of the Menomonie community to the UW-Stout campus. “Building communities not just within the fashion community, but also outside the fashion community, is huge,” Cross said. The freedom allows students to design personal pieces inspired by their own experiences that they would otherwise not have the chance to share. “The most satisfying thing about apparel design is that you can have an idea that you can actually implement. It doesn’t stay as
an idea on paper, you can actually bring it to life. You’re crafting and forming shapes to a body,” Cross said. Bennet’s collection, titled “Constringent,” is a fall and winter collection that physically represents anxiety in a physical medium. “I wanted to send a message of resilience and strength in the face of an internal battle and paint a new picture of the individuals who struggle with mental health,” Bennet said. Cross’s collection, titled “Adverse Reaction,” is inspired by the varying array of side effects experienced by individuals prescribed pharmaceuticals. “Sometimes you get weird side effects that you’re not used to. Having to hone that in and explain it to people has been very difficult. It’s a hard one to articulate,” Cross said. “Some people design something solid like the sunset or the tropics. For me, it’s a platform to talk about something that isn’t just affecting me, but it’s affecting society. I see a lot of people struggling with chemical imbalances.” ● The show will take place in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall on May 5 at noon and another show at four. Tickets are $5 or a nonperishable food donation at the door.
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ENTERTAINMENT • 11
ENTERTAINMENT • 11
STUDENT-ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: MARY CROSS BRYCE PARR From Savage, Minnesota, Mary Cross is an apparel design and development major with a minor in retail. After graduating high school, Crosss spent time attending Normandale Community College, working and traveling before choosing to attend the University of Wisconsin-Stout for fashion. OSCAR DE LA GROUCH, FAUX ALPACA FUR AND BROCADE, 2018
OSCAR DE LA GROUCH, FAUX ALPACA FUR AND BROCADE, 2018
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT, INK ON PAPER, 2018
ADVERSE REACTION, PHOTO, 2019
What sparked your interest in art and design? Art and design both have just been something I’ve always done. I began drawing as soon as I could pick up a pencil. For me it was a way to bring ideas to life – something I still love about design today. I think I really got into designing clothes as a kid when I noticed that my dolls had cooler clothes than I did – so I began drawing the clothes I wanted to have. Alas, my dolls clothes are still cooler than mine now.
Are there any projects that stood out to you during your time at Stout? I had a coat project for an Advanced Pattern class, and it didn’t turn out as crisp as I would have liked. So, over winter break, I used the leftover mossy green faux fur from that project to make a different jacket. The new jacket was reversable and had a gilded brocade lining. Now that jacket was crisp. I decided to put it in last year’s fashion show, and it won the “Best Underclassmen Designer” award that show. The project I’m currently wrapping up was also huge for me. It is my senior capstone, and I’ve been building a collection that was inspired by a very personal topic. The collection is called “Adverse Reaction,” which is the unwanted side effect of a prescription medication. It explores the effects on the mind overtime, and how easy it is to not even realize you have a problem until you break. Humans are both very fragile and strong, but I believe in order to be stronger you must admit your weaknesses. That builds courage, which builds strength which builds success. That’s really the core message of this collection.
What are your plans after graduation Work for a few years as an assistant designer. The fashion/apparel industry is one where, unless you know the right people, you need to work your way up. My plan, alongside of work, is to create side projects for myself, read some of these books I’ve collected over the years, go camping, travel, play video games or do any of the things I haven’t had time for!
Have you done any internships or projects outside of academia? I interned at this small but growing company outside of Madison called DSG Outerwear. They make women’s hunting and snowmobile gear. I learned a ton about the technical, creative and manufacturing of apparel as well as the challenges of running a small business.
Do you take influence from any artists or designers in particular? This could be a long list. I am influenced by people’s work but also their work ethic or just how they styled themselves or carried themselves as a person. I’d have to say David Bowie, Debbie Harry, Nana Osaki, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, River Phoenix, Yayoi Kusama, Monkey D. Luffy—the list goes on.
SPORTS • 12
SPORTS ATHLETE’S CAREERS COMING TO A CLOSE ALEX LUTZ
As the school year begins to wind down, student athletes at University of Wisconsin-Stout are beginning to realize that their college careers are coming to a close. This bittersweet time offers a time for reflection and advice for younger athletes. The Stout women’s track and field team have some opinions on how the outdoor portion of the season has been, and how the season coming to a close makes them feel. “The outdoor season has been going pretty well. We have our WIAC Conference
ANDREA BERTRAM/CONTRIBUTED
Andrea Bertram is competing in her final season for UW-Stout Track and Field. team.
this weekend at Platteville. Right now, I’m currently 18th in the D3 Nation and hoping to qualify better at the conference meet. As for our team, we have a lot of women in for conference and hopefully we can place in the top four as a team. We have been hitting our times and marks the past couple weeks and I believe we will be at our best performance yet,” said Shanna Laehn, a senior hurdle jumper from Mondovi, WI. It’s hard for the women to think about the end that is quickly approaching them. “It’s hard to believe it’s done in 3-4 weeks! I’m not ready to think about it, but once it’s done, I will be feeling many emotions! I don’t regret anything during the four years,” said Laehn. “It’s been busy! We are all trying to get in as much practice as possible in order to hit those marks to extend the season,” said Andrea Bertram, a senior thrower from Fond du Lac, WI. As for what they’re going to miss when
the season come to an end, the broad answer is everything. “Spending time on and off the track with my friends! And just being able to compete on a team,” said Laehn. “I will miss the team atmosphere! Everyone knows each other, and we are always there to support one another, both on and off the track. I have made many lifelong friends being on the team,” said Bertram. Laehn offered some advice for the younger UW-Stout athletes, “Never give up on something you’ve always been wanting and have been waiting for!” She went on to specify that she means this for all of life’s situations, not only in track and field. To support the UW-Stout women’s track and field team in their WIAC Championship appearance, the event starts at 12 p.m. on Friday, May 3rd in Platteville, WI. The event will continue on Saturday, May 4th at 10 a.m.●
PRESSING PLAY: ESPORTS COMING TO UW-STOUT EVAN THUE RILEY DUNHAM/STOUTONIA
Three weeks ago, University of Wisconsin-Stout announced that by the Fall of 2020, UW-Stout would have a fully functioning esports team. Andrew Cleveland, assistant director of Student Life and Services, and David Beck, Director of School of Art & Design and Associate Dean of Colleg eof Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CACHSS) were, “designated as the shepherds of this project moving forward,” said David Beck. “This past year hasn’t been the first year that esports has been discussed, but this is where the stars aligned for it to be developed into a proposal for the chancellor,” said Andrew Cleveland. Beck felt for some years now that Stout was the perfect place to have an esports team, “every time I saw an article, I just thought to myself, man Stout is perfect for this.” Esports in general has been on the rise in popularity in recent years, especially with the 2018 League of Legends World Champi-
onship gaining twice the number of viewers than the Super Bowl (according to Interpret). Clevland and Beck aren’t the only one’s helping to make this project reality. Kayla Frohmader and Hannah Bregelman are also involved as well giving this project very solid ground. This is a very unique type of program, something that isn’t quite one thing but rather a mix of a lot of different things. It’s “Interesting mix, extracurricular, student life and academics,” said Beck. “Not in the sense that these students will be majoring in this but in the sense that we utilize the same facilities, by day using a computer lab and by evening using it as a practice area.” The next step of the process now involves building this up, “were in the building phase, you have the idea and you want to build the program and then you announce that you’re going to build the program and then you work on the details,” said Cleveland. Some of those details include things like coaches, game selection, and recruitment, along with many other things. Cleveland explains that a lot of what they are doing is relying on NACE (The National Association of Collegiate esports), and trying to figure out what are the best practices in creating something like this, so they are not recreating the wheel. “According to NACE stats all the universities
and their association within the first three years report exponential growth of their program.” As far as recruitment goes, Cleveland and Beck are going to use similar models that other campuses have used for recruitment. They use a Hybrid model that “has the tryout’s to be for students already on campus… but also reserve another half for incoming students because we would like to attract new talent,” said Cleveland. Having an esports team come to UWStout is not only exciting for the students on campus now, but for the students that will be on campus for years to come. “The fact that it exists at here at UW-Stout is exciting,” and not only just attracting students from the United States but from outside the country as well. Beck feels the same excitement that he felt when the game design major was first introduced to campus, and while back then there were some who wondered how well game design would do. It has taken off, and Beck feels just excited now about this project as he did back then and admits he doesn’t know how big this could grow, “Maybe we do see some program growing out of this, minor and major.” The end goal is Fall 2020 and when asked if they feel confident with all of this being done by Fall 2020 they both smiled and agreed “100 percent.”●
SPORTS SPORTS••13 13
STUDENT-ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT: SHANNA LAEHN EVAN THUE
This issue’s Student-Athlete Spotlight is Shanna Laehn, a senior on the University of Wisconsin-Stout women’s track and field Team. Laehn is a health wellness and fitness major and is from Mondovi, Wisconsin. ● SHANNA LAEHN/CONTRIBUTED
Laehn is a fourth year senior and is competing in her final season on the UW-Stout Track and Field team.
Summer Opportunity
Have an ADVENTURE this summer!
Have an ADVENTURE this summer! Favorite Food of All Time? Rice-A-Roni.
If you had to pick another sport to play, what would it be and why?
Why did you choose Stout? I came to Stout because it’s close to home and I was recruited to run here.
Volleyball because I love the game and the team atmosphere.
What are a few interesting facts about yourself?
Who is your favorite pro-athlete and why?
My nickname in high school was Flash and my favorite food combination is pickles and peanut butter.
Lolo Jones (ex pro hurdler) because she is very inspirational and I respect her views.
What is your plan after college? I’m looking into grad schools for athletic training and if that doesn’t happen I want to do something in the health and wellness field or maybe coach.
What’s your favorite place on campus? On the track because it is somewhere I can have fun and is somewhere I’m motivated most.
Outside of school and athletics, what are some other things you like to do? I like crafting and spending time with friends.
Have an ADVENTURE ® this summer!
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SATIRE THE SCOPES CAM “SEE YA NEVER, NERDS!” PARRUCCI
Taurus (April 20 - May 20) You’re always known for being the “mom” of your friend group, we advise finding friends that are not your own children. Gemini (May 21 - June 20) Finding the best in things was always one of your strong suits, hopefully you’ll keep that mindset when you’re sued for $100 million in damages after a wild bachelor party.
Leo (July 23 - August 22) No matter how hard you try, your Dave and Buster’s tickets will never be legal tender. We admire the effort though. Virgo (August 23 - September 22) Your unrivaled knowledge of shoelace aglets will be a great asset to you when they become the new form of currency following government collapse.
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Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) It’s not necessarily a good thing to tell everyone you know that you managed to live off of nothing but strawberries for a few months, but it pretty cool. Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) You always wanted to try going for some sort of power move in the office, but wearing leather chaps was not that.
10 Endgame Spoilers to Make Enemies With
Capricorn (December 22 - January 19) Summer is right around the corner, hopefully that tattoo of every member of KISS you got on your leg won’t get too much attention during shorts season.
ONLINE/CONTRIBUTED
Cancer (June 21 - July 22) You always knew you were a great dealmaker, but even you will be shocked when you decide to purchase the Louisiana territory back from the U.S., and you succeed.
Libra (September 23 - October 22) – You thought wearing a nametag would help people recall your name more easily, but now you’re just known as nametag guy.
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Aries (March 21 - April 19) It truly is darkest before dawn, so keep that in mind when you’re trapped in a snowstorm in Alaska during one of those month-long nights they have up there.
Aquarius (January 20 - February 19) Don’t let yourself get too down about finding a job, you were never going to pass the mandatory drug test anyway. Pisces (February 20 - March 20) Thankfully, bees die after they sting you. Unfortunate for you, however, is that won’t stop you from being stung by 47 different bees in quick succession.
3rd Winter Gearing Up to Strike Menomonie
COLLEGE SENIORS GEARED UP TO COMPLETE ENTIRE SEMESTER’S CLASSWORK LOAD IN FINAL WEEK CAM “SEE YA NEVER, NERDS!” PARRUCCI ONLINE/CONTRIBUTED
As the final semester of their college years dawns upon UW-Stout’s seniors, many of them are readying up to complete their semester’s homework in the coming 5 days before graduation. Not an uncommon occurrence at many universities nationwide, UW-Stout’s seniors are no different. Opting to spend their time on activies more important to them, such as
spending time outside, playing video games, and getting ample amounts of sleep, the seniors around campus are ready to hunker down as finals week and commencement draws near. Jackson Briggs, senior, was able to talk to Stoutonia about his final semester. “It’s crazy, really, how fast everything moves. I know I just got my textbooks last week, but it really feels like I just got them, like, last year dude,” he began. “And now I’m going to be graduating. With a degree! Once I finish all this homework, at least.” “I’ve already got all of my excuses lined up. Sickness, work, school retreats, everything,” another senior had said. “I’ve got everything I need to knock this whole semester out in a week right out of the park.”
UW-Stout professors neglected to make a comment about it, but a resounding feeling of “eh, let them graduate” tends to float through the air. Coffee shops are gearing up all around Menomonie to meet this incoming group of seniors ready to finish out their semesters strong, as well. “It’s always busy this time of year,” says one barista at Menomonie’s own Raw Deal, “But this semester, we’ve got our lightest roasts yet and a whole bunch of people on staff ready to tackle the incoming crowds.” While the nature of why this happens to students around campus may never have a complete and final answer, the truth of the senior slide is that it happens everywhere, and seniors are just going to keep being seniors.●
CALENDAR • 15
CALENDAR STOUT COMICS APR. 29 - MAY 12, 2019
BY RILEY DUNHAM
Thurs. May 2 Stout Game Expo MSC Great Hall 6 - 9 p.m.
Fri. May 3 School of Art and Design Senior Show MSC Terrace 6 - 9 p.m.
Sat. May 4 UW-Stout Commencement Ceremonies Johnson Fieldhouse 9:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. & 5:30 p.m.
Sat. May 4 UW-Stout Auto Club 52nd annual car show Bowman Hall Parking Lot 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sun. May 5 WEAR Fashion Association: Deco MSC Great Hall 12 p.m. & 4 p.m.
Sun. May 5 Kite Festival Tanglewood Greens 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
ADVERTISE WITH US! Need a roommate? Looking for a new car? Just want to say ‘hi’ to the entire campus? Special classifieds rates are available for Stout students, just send us an e-mail at stoutoniaads@uwstout.edu.
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