The Leader May 13, 2014

THE LEADER THE AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT ELMHURST COLLEGE.

VOL. 48 MAY 13, 2014

The best (and cheapest) festivals to look forward to this summer SEE PAGE 14

Screenwriter Dustin Lance Black speaks about the power of diversity SEE PAGE 6

EC joins panel discussion on “Principled Pluralism” at Wheaton College

Photo by Joseph Kok InterVarsity Christian Fellowship president and CEO Alec Hill (left), Wheaton president Philip Graham Ryken (center) and EC president S. Alan Ray at the April 29 panel discussion on Principled Pluralism at Wheaton College’s Billy Graham Center. See WHEATON COLLEGE on page 8

College plans to repurpose Book Cellar’s space HAlEEMA SHAH editor-in-chief

The college will repurpose the space that currently houses EC’s Book Cellar after Neebo’s five-year contract ends on June 30.

Textbooks that were sold at the Book Cellar, which was seeing a decline in sales until last year when Neebo offered a 10 percent price-match discount, will now be available exclusively on the web.

The decision was made in part because students are making fewer textbook purchases in-store, according to Vice President for Finance and Administration Jim Cunningham.

“After their freshman year, so many students are buying books online,” he said.

After receiving four proposals from potential online sellers on Thursday, including Neebo, Cunningham said the college will be reviewing and vetting the next seller.

The Book Cellar space, currently filled with textbooks, spirit wear and office supplies, is expected to be cleared out in early July, but Cunningham

said that the college has not yet decided how the space will be used.

“Initially we had planned to know by the fall, but I don’t want to rush it. I want to make sure we do it right,” he said.

Cunningham added that a location for students to purchase sundry items, like pens, notebooks and test booklets, has yet to be determined.

According to Cunningham, a committee of students and staff was formed to propose how the space should be reused and some of the ideas on the table have been converting it into a coffeehouse, community room, or utilizing it as space for the athletic department, specifically for an extension of the football locker room.

“I personally like [the idea of ] making it a coffeehouse where you can have open mic nights and poetry slams,” Cunningham said, adding that students on the committee showed interest in a gathering space other than the Frick Center that wouldn’t have to be cleared out for lectures and college events.

Adjuncts: one year later

A year after facing sweeping cuts in hours, EC adjuncts discuss teaching, job prospects, and finances

Photo courtesy of Matthew Ross EC adjunct Matthew Ross continues to teach college courses for EC, except now he does it online.

CLAYTON DUNLAP opinions editor

When professor of philosophy Matthew Ross prepared to give his final lecture of the semester last May, he did it under circumstances much different than he had imagined.

Just a few weeks before the last academic year ended, sweeping reductions to the adjunct faculty at EC were announced, and Ross was told he would no longer be

teaching the courses he was committed to instruct for the fall of 2013.

Instead, he was offered two online courses for the following spring of 2014, and would be out of a job for roughly eight months.

“It was absolutely devastating,” Ross said, recalling when he first heard the news, and the financial stress that followed.

Ross gained campus attention during this time, due to a

student petition which sought to reinstate his lost courses and The Leader story that covered it.

But amid the student protest, the administration’s decision, and the difficult financial burden, were concrete. Not even the 445 signature student petition to save Ross was strong enough to dissuade the outcome.

Like many adjuncts last year, Ross felt the squeeze of EC’s tightening financial situation, as new health care provisions at the time, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), required employers like EC to provide health insurance plans for employees clocking over 30 hours a week.

As this was not an expense EC could afford, changes had to be made.

“We eventually decreased our use of adjuncts in the last couple of years,” Dean of Faculty, Alzada Tipton said in a roundtable discussion last April, “and that’s because we’re offering our curriculum more efficiently [toSee ADJUNCTS on page 9

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May 13, 2014

ecleader.org

l Convergence l

Value your voice, support free press First Lady Michelle Obama shows her support for the kidnapped schoolgirls.

PATRICK ERWIN

It’s The Leader’s last issue of the year. So much has happened.

We’ve spent a lot of time and focus on the monetary issues facing EC, and the crossroads the college finds itself at, idling and waiting for a green light.

As I acknowledged before, it’s to the administration’s credit that our paper continues to operate and be encouraged as a voice on campus.

We all take this for granted, but there are no guarantees this will always happen—not even in the enlightened air of higher education.

Cedarville University in Ohio is a school similar in size, student body (and to some degree, financial status).

CU’s leadership is changing, becoming more devoutly evangelical.

Last month, the administration shut down The Ventriloquist, Cedarville’s student publication, for daring to criticize a number of on-campus changes (including one where women could no longer teach Bible classes to male students).

We can be glad no such suppression has happened at EC. Not recently. Not yet.

Even the biggest Big Ten behemoth has had to make changes, cut budgets, and shift their focus. Schools like EC must make changes to survive —some good, some painful, and some where the impact won’t be understood for years.

But it’s imperative that someone bear witness and share that information. Decisions made in the absence of witness are often the ones that carry the sharpest costs. (It will be instructive to see what decisions our Board of Trustees makes in June, when faculty, students and The Leader are absent from campus.)

This is crucial beyond campus, too. Being informed is not only a right but a duty, and yet so many of us are in what Chris Hughes (who lectured here in February) called “the filter bubble.” We see and hear news from only one station, one newspaper, one point of view.

We’ve often complained about student apathy and a lack of awareness. Students aren’t always keeping informed. And you know what? It’s a commitment. It’s work. I admit it. It’s so much easier to browse for cat videos, or complete yet another Buzzfeed checklist. It’s tempting to think a three minute video on Upworthy keeps us in the loop.

And maybe the future of being informed will include specks of data from a thousand different sources. But we all need to be aware, and know how to assemble and understand it all.

And that starts at home, here on campus. If you’re back next year, support The Leader. Support other media, like WRSE and The C! Team. Get involved. Write. Volunteer.

Write a letter to the editor. Tell us how much we annoy you.

Cherish the fact that your voice can still be heard. news & online editor

The award-winning student newspaper at Elmhurst College

the

Leader

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: NEWS & ONLINE EDITOR: ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR: OPINIONS EDITOR: BEAT EDITOR: SPORTS EDITOR: GRAPHICS EDITOR: PHOTO EDITOR COPY EDITOR: BUSINESS MANAGER: ADVISER:

Haleema Shah Patrick Erwin Chrissy Croft Clayton Dunlap Ian Walker Charlie Roumeliotis Nikki Smith Kim McElheny Paul Roumeliotis Teresa Guidara Eric Lutz

ANDY PRIGNANO staff writer

Reaction intensifies for kidnapped schoolgirls Reaction has intensified around the world to the April 15 kidnapping of 200 young girls in Nigeria.

A radical Islamic group, Boko Haram, has kidnapped the girls and are now threatening to sell them into slavery. Boko Haram leaders say they kidnapped the girls because they were being taught Western culture, and they believe women should not receive an education.

The Nigerian government’s inability to rescue the kidnapped girls nearly a month after they were abducted has fueled protests, including one in Chicago’s Daley Plaza on May 10, and a social media campaign Last week, First Lady Michelle Obama showed her support on Twitter. The protest has become global with the hashtag #bringbackourgirls receiving over 1 million Tweets.

Libyan boat capsizes Twenty-four more bodies were found last weekend from the boat that capsized off the

coast of Libya on May 6. The death toll has now reached 36.

The boat, carrying migrants from the sub-Saharan region of Africa, is thought to have capsized after the bottom of the boat collapsed.

The Interior Minister of Libya, Salah Mazek, used the incident to publicly state that Libya cannot handle the amount of incoming migrants from countries such as Mali, Cameroon, Ghana, Gambia, and Burkina Faso.

He added that unless the European Union began to respond to the flood of migrants, Libya would begin helping them reach Europe.

The Libyan navy has rescued 52 people, but 54 are still missing.

New fighting in South Sudan New violence erupted in South Sudan on May 11, only 48 hours after a ceasefire between South Sudan’s army and rebels was to take effect.

The fighting began in a strategic oil town that has been already been the site of humans rights violations.

South Sudanese forces claim they were attacked in two positions in an oil producing region, and condemn the rebels for violating the ceasefire.

Internet photo

However, both sides places the blame on the other, with a spokesman for the rebels claiming that shelling of rebel positions began shortly after the ceasefire agreement.

This has led to questions of whether or not either side has any real interest in decreasing tensions.

The United Nations called on both sides to put aside conflict and assist with Sudan’s hunger crisis.

Austria wins Eurovision The winner of 2014’s Eurovision contest was bearded drag act Conchita Wurst.

Wurst won the 59th annual competition with the song “Rise Like a Phoenix.”

While the juxtaposition of Wurst’s long flowing hair and beard captured media attention, the performance took on political meaning.

Russia protested Wurst’s inclusion, and with the conflicts in the Ukraine and Crimea, support of performers took on added subtext.

Russia’s deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin lashed out at Wurst’s win.

“There is no limit to our outrage,” he said.

Russia’s entry landed in seventh place.

Corrections

In the April 29 issue, retiring Director of International Education Wallace Lagerwey’s last name was misspelled.

Also in the April 29 issue, The Leader misidentified the position of Associate Director of the Honors Program Andrew Whatley’s at Columbia College Chicago in a story about EC’s honors program.

The Leader regrets these errors.

Please send any comments or oversights to leadernewsec@gmail.com.

PRODUCTION STAFF Zachary Bishop Chrissy Croft Peter Flockencier Kevin Garcia Kailey Hansen Tyler Kerr

Joseph Kok Katie Matthews Brett Peto Brandon Porter Andy Prignano Luke Tanaka

CONTACT US

190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst, IL 60126 Phone: 630.617.3320 leadernewsec@gmail.com

ABOUT US The Leader is the studentrun newspaper speaking to the students, faculty and administrators of Elmhurst College. The Leader is not submitted to any person or organization for prior approval.

The contents are the decision of the editor in agreement with the editorial board.

Opinions expressed in The Leader do not necessarily reflect those of the paper or its staff, and are not intended to represent those of the College at large.

No text, photos, or art can be reproduced without direct permission of The Leader.

PUBLISHING INFO The Leader is funded by the student activities fund and advertising revenue. The paper has a press run of 1,500. It can be picked up in all campus buildings and certain offcampus sites.

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May 13, 2014

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Campus Shortz: Hard news (usually) in 500 words or less venes this summer to prepare the orientation issue, or “Oissue.”

Students with writing, art, photography, or advertising interests who want to join The Leader’s staff or editorial board should send an email to leadernewsec@gmail.com to find out more.

Senior checklists

Photo by Kim McElheny Zachary Bishop, ‘15 will serve as The Leader’s new editor-in-chief for the 2014-15 academic year.

patrick erwin

news & online editor

Leader elects new editor-in-chief Zachary Bishop was elected

as The Leader’s new editor-inchief in an April 22 staff meeting.

Bishop, a double major in English and history, has been a staff writer for The Leader since fall 2013.

He will succeed current Editor-in-Chief Haleema Shah, whose term ends at the end of the 2013-2014 academic year.

Bishop, who will start his senior year next fall, will be leading the paper when staff recon-

Graduating seniors may be finishing coursework, but there’s a few important things EC seniors should keep in mind.

Campus email: “Students are allowed to keep their College email accounts open and available after graduation,” said Linda Selvik, associate director, technology support services. “All graduates will receive an email approximately one month after graduation with information, and a request to reply to the email if they choose to keep the account.”

Students should remember that there are discounts available to students, and they should consider taking advantage of them while they still have an active student status

(and ID).

Computers and computer software are among the discounts; Apple offers $100 discounts for students on laptops, desktops and other items, as does Adobe on several of its products.

Publications like the New York Times offers special student rates for digital subscriptions.

Career planning should have been happening much earlier than, um, a few weeks before graduation.

If that hasn’t happened already, seniors should be sure they have an account set up on ECConnect, a site that allows students and alums to post a resume and search for jobs.

Job seekers can still use the Center for Professional Excellence (CPE) after graduation.

“We have someone here who works just with alumni,” said Peggy Killian, director of career education. “We will assist students even after they leave here.”

Killian says she frequently sees alumni who are transition from one career to another in the CPE.

Black Student Union hosts Night of Elegance

Photos by Peter Flockencier The Black Student Union’s annual Night Of Elegance was held May 9 at Maggiano’s in Oak Brook, honoring the accomplishments of students and faculty. The dinner included EC Trustee Julius Wes Becton III as speaker. Attendees included Ingrid Becton and Marvin Carr (left), Endya Clark, Jeremy Allen, and Marvin Carr (bottom left), and Stanley Washington and Jasmine Young (right).

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May 13, 2014

Where are they now: EC alumni take a

ecleader.org

patrick erwin

It’s commencement season, and the focus for most grads is a positive one. It’s a time for celebrating accomplishments, and the brand new degree in your hands.

But once EC in the rearview mirror, how do graduates feel about their time at EC? We asked several alumni who’ve had time away to campus to weigh in on the good, the bad, and the ugly. news & online editor

Ashley Mothershead International Business and French, class of 2011 What are you doing now?

I work as a senior consultant for IBM’s Global Business Services. My job location is Washington DC, and I am currently working as a consultant in the federal information technology sector. My job as an IBM consultant offers a lot of variety. In the past two years, I have worked on projects as a data analyst for the Department of Energy’s Office of Oil and Natural Gas, a marketing and rebranding project for the Army Information Technology Agency, and now in system development for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for the Department of Homeland Security.

How do you feel about your classroom experiences at EC? Elmhurst classes were awesome! It was uncommon to have classes over 30 people, and that type of environment really did provide a great atmosphere for collaboration among students and the professor. I found it easy to interact with other students and teachers during class time to get further understanding of subject matter. I also felt encouraged by professors to dig deep into the theory and lessons.

Did your EC education had a role in landing you your current job?

Yes. I spent a lot of time at the Center for Professional Excellence (CPE) doing prep work for resumes, career counseling and internship research. In the end, I was able to do a lot of networking with the staff at the CPE who gave me great contacts outside of Elmhurst in the fields I was interested in. Through networking that began at the CPE, I had the opportunity to discuss career opportunities with professionals, and I landed my current job [because of] those relationships.

What were the pluses and minuses of your experience?

Having the close-knit class experience offered a lot of opportunity to collaborate with other classmates in and outside the classroom. One of the greatest benefits of Elmhurst was having the ability to also collaborate with professors. It’s not everyday that you can have a sit down to coffee with your favorite professors, discuss lessons and receive career advice. The relationships that formed due to the open and friendly atmosphere EC promoted, was by far the biggest benefit to EC. [As for negatives], I really did not feel limited in any way during my time at EC. It was up to me as the student to get involved, to seek out opportunities myself, that in

the end gave me what I needed to get out my college experience. I pursued study abroad [and] internships offered by the CPE, and got involved in different interest groups and clubs which provided a really wellrounded and fulfilling college experience. I didn’t miss out on a thing!

Is there something you learned here outside of the classroom that was important?

Diversity and freedom of thought.

Elmhurst reminds me that whoever I want to be, I have the freedom to follow that desire and trust that instinct. I remember that the more open to learning about other’s backgrounds and cultures, I became more aware of myself and my own beliefs. Whoever that person is, whether it’s faith or a calling of purpose, I remember EC’s encouragement that I have the right to become who I am. The world will tell us otherwise, and will not like it when we succeed.

But I believe EC taught me to remember and be confident in who I am, and that the judgement that the world gives us will fade.

Was it worth it?

Definitely!! It was absolutely worth it. I am confident that money I spent on my Elmhurst education has paid off in a lot of

Photo courtesy of Ashley Mothershead Mothershead attributes her success as a consultant to EC’s small class sizes and her work at the CPE.

ways. I have been able to pursue my career due to the 4 years I spent on a degree. with tens of thousands of students, then EC isn’t for you. And if you’re looking for the biggest party campus in the country, EC isn’t for you. But if you care

about professors that actually know how to teach, staff members that care about your development, and a close-knit community where the quality of your friendships really stands out, then EC is a perfect fit.

Andrew Ecklund Jazz Studies/Music Business, class of 2013 What are you doing now?

I make a living as a musician.

I work for a Music House called Comma Music, and we create original music for advertising, film & TV. I am a composer for them, so my job is to craft original music to picture, to meet the needs of our clients.

How do you feel about your classroom experiences at EC? I had mostly good classroom experiences at Elmhurst. It gave me a lot of opportunities to iron out my skill sets, and to develop into a more thorough musician.

Some classes didn’t help at all and were just something I had to get through to get the degree, but I would say majority of the classes helped in some way. The ones that helped the most were the ones focusing on doing exactly what I do now.

Did your EC education had a role in landing you your current job?

Yes and no. EC gave me a lot of opportunities to develop a valuable skill set that would not have been possible at other schools.

I got a lot of individualized attention which helped me grow a huge amount. That being said, getting a job has much more to do with being passionate, driven, reliable and valuable. Once I started at my company I had a lot of catching up to do. I found

that I was kind of prepared to be a successful musician in 1985, not to compete in 2014. Much of my skill set was nurtured at Elmhurst but it was my attitude and work ethic that built it. Landing a job has to do with who you are, and how valuable you are - the college you went to can only do so much of that. In other words, its not the job of the college to get you hired somewhere. Thats your job.

What were the pluses and minuses of your experience?

The biggest benefit was the amazing teachers I was able to study with. I was [also] involved in on campus leadership programs, coordinating and running the Jazz Festival, had great relationships in almost every department in school - I was really able to build the experience I wanted. The one thing I would say is missing, is that though the Music Department is fantastic, there are a few spots in it where the curriculum is just lazy and lacks real world value. Some parts of the Music Department have no direction, and it’s visible in the students success, or lack thereof.

Is there something you learned here outside of the classroom that was important?

Being an EC student taught me a unique perspective on life,

one that would have been very different if I attended another school. But I chose EC because it felt comfortable, it was in alignment with who I was; it felt right.

Was it worth it?

It was absolutely worth it.

There are very few exceptions to this, but college degrees will not guarantee you anything in life. If you go to Harvard Law, you will probably get hired at a firm, yes. But thats not most of us. We can’t place the “worth” of our education on the successes we do or do not achieve following graduation. Going to EC was the best thing I have ever done, and I love it with my entire being. I didn’t go there expecting success, or achievement. There is no magic solution for the things in life that you want. It takes work. You have to work. EC didn’t give me success, it gave me clarity, pride, a purpose, understanding, amazing friends, incredible opportunities, laughter, and memories.

That was worth it. You can get a degree anywhere, that has no real worth to me. But the stuff that really matters, is what made EC worth it.

Photo courtesy of Genevieve Lee Ecklund said his EC education was helpful but isn’t necessarily the reason he was able to land a job as a musician.

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May 13, 2014

look back at their Elmhurst experience

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Dan Zarlegna Finance, class of 2010

Photo courtesy of Dan Zarlenga Zarlegna said he learned valuable leadership and rational thinking skills during his time at EC.

What are you doing now?

I am currently a prospect consultant in the Alumni Relations & Development office at Northwestern University. I work with NU’s professional schools (engineering, law, and medical) by providing research and consulting to aid in the development of strategies for major gift prospects. I’ve been at NU since the beginning of 2013 and was previously a prospect researcher at Opportunity International, a non-profit based in Oak Brook that provides financial services to people in developing countries.

How do you feel about your classroom experiences at EC?

My classroom experience at Elmhurst was fantastic. In my opinion, what made the classes so engaging was the fact that the professors are, first and foremost, teachers.

Elmhurst’s focus on teaching really shines through their full-time faculty. There’s a good balance of theory and practice, with the former laying a solid foundation for later applicability in real life.

Did your EC education had a role in landing you your current job?

I majored in finance, and even though I didn’t go into a finance-specific career (nor do I necessarily have aspirations to do so), finance pri-

marily teaches you how to think rationally, which can be applied in any context. Applying a cost-benefit analysis to all situations in your life, looking at the marginal gain/cost instead of the total value, and being focused and organized in your activities -- all of these concepts and more have certainly helped me during my early career.

What were the pluses and minuses of your experience?

The biggest plus are the professors. They not only genuinely care about the success of each student, but they are simply excellent teachers, period.

They really know how to engage a class and help students

learn. The biggest challenge was the campus life. This is tough to say because I believe certain aspects of campus life, namely the “community” feel of EC, are among the college’s strengths. But I couldn’t help feeling that many students became too attached to the Elmhurst “bubble.” There’s nothing wrong with wanting to take part in campus life, but let’s be honest…the college and Elmhurst itself are only so large, and there’s a great big city just 30 minutes away -- and a train just down the street! I do wish EC would focus on creating more [regional] partnerships outside Elmhurst for students to engage with and venture outside of campus.

Is there something you learned here outside of the classroom that was important?

Despite being a commuter student, I was very involved in student activities (I was founder/president of the Global Poverty Club, and a member of Greenjays, Habitat for Humanity, Student Government Association, and Community Outreach Program). I say “despite” because I know that’s not the norm for commuters, but Elmhurst does a great job of providing opportunities to get involved on campus, even as a commuter. These roles taught me so much about leadership and running an organization, and they really allowed

my creativity to flourish. They also helped introduce me to countless staff members (who are just as passionate and hard-working as the faculty) and of course was a great way to make new friends.

Was it worth it?

That’s quite a big question.

Short answer: yes. When I was deciding which four-year college to attend, I’ll admit that I was quite hesitant about Elmhurst. I was deciding among three [schools]. To be honest, I was leaning away from EC at the time (my biggest hesitation was how EC would look on my resume compared to the other two). But I chose EC, mostly because I felt it was the right fit for me personally after I reflected on what I truly wanted from my “college experience.” If you’re looking for a university with a big Division I sports culture, EC isn’t for you. If you’re looking for an enormous campus with tens of thousands of students, then EC isn’t for you. And if you’re looking for the biggest party campus in the country, EC isn’t for you. But if you care about professors that actually know how to teach, staff members that care about your development, and a close-knit community where the quality of your friendships really stands out, then EC is a perfect fit.

Katie Kailus English Writing, class of 2009 What are you doing now?

I am currently the Managing Editor of Music Inc. magazine – a musical instrument B2B magazine for companies who make or sell musical instruments. I write and edit stories, update our social media and website, plan out what’s going into each issue — basically wear all the hats. Also, because it’s in the music industry, I get to travel all over the country writing and covering stories on both manufacturers and retailers. It’s one of my favorite parts of the job.

How do you feel about your classroom experiences at EC? I had a great classroom experiences at Elmhurst. I took all different kinds of writing classes which helped me become more well-rounding writer and has helped me in my job today. It’s funny because I started out thinking I was going to be a journalism major, but then became an English major with an emphasis in writing instead, and I don’t think I would have it any other way. The ability to write papers and test out different writing topics helped me grow as a writer and helps me think more abstractly, even today. I can pull from any number of classes I took during my time

there.

Did your EC education had a role in landing you your current job?

Absolutely. As a part of my final English class at Elmhurst we had to have an internship experience. I got one here at DownBeat magazine – the sister publication for Music Inc. — and I’ve been here ever since.

What were the pluses and minuses of your experience?

I would say the biggest plus is the synergy between the English classes and the internship program. The fact that it was a requirement to have an internship during your final senior English class is amazing for any student hoping to get a job right out of college.

Is there something you learned here outside of the classroom that was important?

I would have to go back to internships on this one, too.

I wasn’t graded on my performance at my internship per say, but the hands-on experience I gained was something that could not have been taught in a classroom. I strongly suggest all students use the resources they have at their finger tips at Elmhurst with their faculty advisors and the CPE.

Photo courtesy of Katie Kailus Kailus said majoring in English helped hone her writing skills and get an internship at her current job.

Was it worth it?

It’s no secret student loans can be a beast and getting a

good education takes time and effort. Writing theory papers til 2 a.m. is never fun, but

it’s your future. I definitely think an Elmhurst education is worth it.

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ecleader.org

Dustin Lance Black delivers EC lecture

Screenwriter and LGBT activist Dustin Lance Black speaks to the EC community at his May 8 lecture.

ZACHARY BISHOP staff writer

EC’s Pride Week featured a lecture by Academy Awardwinning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, who won Best Original Screenplay for the 2008 film “Milk.”

Black discussed the power of diversity as well as the past, present, and future of the LGBTQ movement at his May 8 lecture in Founders Lounge.

He shared several stories from his life to illustrate the power they have in dispelling the myths around difference.

“I think storytelling can help change hearts and minds,” he said. “I tell my film students the most valuable tool they have is their own story.”

Black first told of his experience growing up in a Mormon military family in Texas and being gay.

“I grew up feeling really different,” Black said. “I [felt like] I was a problem because [of that]… so I shrank and I hid.”

But then his mother remarried and his family moved to California, where he got involved in theatre productions and started to become more comfortable in his own skin.

It was at that point that Black first heard the powerful words of Harvey Milk, the central figure in “Milk” and a gay rights activist.

Milk became the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in the United States when he won a seat on

the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, a seat he held until his assassination the following year.

“In that recording, Harvey Milk gave me my life,” he said.

“He gave me the hope I needed to live.”

Black attended UCLA’s School of Film and Television.

He went on to write scripts for “Big Love” and “Pedro,” before taking on the challenge of a screenplay for “Milk.” A fictionalized version of Milk’s life had been in the works for decades, but Black’s version was the one that was finally made.

Black feels his work contributes to an important dialogue.

“The greatest cure for discrimination is to shine a very bright light on it,” he said. “Silence is death for the gay and lesbian community.”

Besides writing, Black has also invested his time into activism for the LGBTQ movement, which he spoke about in an interview with The Leader.

In 2009, he became a founding board member of the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER), the nonprofit organization that led the federal case against Proposition 8 in California and won.

Black is proud that the trial has encouraged other activists to fight to get their states’ marriage bans overturned.

“It’s inspiring to see people do what we did in California,” he said. “The blessing of Prop 8 was that it energized the

[LGBTQ] movement.”

Black did not want the community to forget this victory, so he wrote the play 8 about his experience participating in the trial.

“I don’t think of [my writing] as activism… I just think you write what you know,” he said.

However, Black believes the LGBTQ movement has been too focused on marriage equality.

“We’re likely going to get federal marriage before employment and housing nondiscrimination,” he said. “The problem [with that is] people are having to live in silence and shame because they’re afraid they’re going to lose their job.”

He also fears that the movement has become exclusive to other minority groups.

“The gay and lesbian movement has unfortunately become myopic – self interested.” Black said. “We’re incredibly concerned with our own wellbeing.”

He feels that the activists of the lesbian and gay are not remembering the past. “[Past gay rights activists] tested out ways for winning equality for you,” he said.

“Milk went around to different minority movements and asked, “What can our community do for your community?”

He feels this has contributed to the exclusion of transgendered people in the movement.

Photo by Joseph Kok

“Historically there’s been an issue with making sure we include the transgender in LGBT,” he said. “We damn sure better include them. They’ve had our backs for a long time.”

Black thinks all subordinate communities need to work together to fully achieve civil rights for everyone.

“We’re a part of one movement to embrace the value of difference. Why not include everyone? We have members of every other minority in our own minority,” he said.

Several community members found Black’s speech incredibly powerful.

“He has been one of the best LGBT speakers Elmhurst has had because he was real and connected with the audience,” senior Lauren Grimm said.

One audience member flew in to hear Black speak.

Michelle* traveled to EC’s campus from Georgia. Hearing Black speak had meaning for Michelle, whose brother committed suicide after his workplace learned of his sexuality.

“Every time I hear Lance speak,” Michelle said, “I know that if my brother would have heard him, I think I might still have him here with me.”

The main takeaway, Black said, should be the idea that we shouldn’t fear those that are dissimilar.

“I think our difference makes us really powerful,” he asserted. “If we just valued difference, not just tolerance, we would be the best damn nation in the entire world.”

He ended by challenging the audience.

“Get to work loving your differences.” *Name changed for anonymity.

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Professor discusses recovery from stroke patrick erwin

news & online editor The feeling of fatigue frustrates EC art professor Geoff Sciacca.

It’s an unfamiliar sensation for Sciacca, an athletic man in his mid-thirties who commuted to campus on his bike every day.

But it’s a reality of his recovery from a health crisis last September. That event was eventually diagnosed as an embolic stroke, where a blood clot from elsewhere in his body traveled to his brain.

“I’m generally a very active person,” Sciacca said. “It’s been hard.”

Though he was well enough to return to work in February, he has to pay attention to his energy level.

“I still don’t have [as much energy] as I used to have,” he said.

“But I’m feeling stronger now, even [as compared] to the start of the semester.”

Sciacca is deeply appreciative of the support he, his wife and his three sons received from the EC community during his illness and recovery.

“I don’t think that anything could have prepared me for how supportive the entire college [community] was,” he said. “The college was unbelievably [supportive]. For two months, there was probably someone bringing us a dinner every night. With all the stuff we had going on, that was a godsend.”

The local support was especially helpful since both Sciacca and his wife have family scattered across the country.

“The college was like our family when we didn’t have family here,” he said. “I don’t know how we would have done what we did without them. I just want to thank everyone personally.”

Sciacca said he appreciated what he called a “thoughtful distance” from people, where the EC community expressed happiness at his return and concern for his well being, but also gave him space and time to reacclimate to the daily routine of being back on

campus.

That appreciation is in stark contrast to his experience with his Elmhurst Memorial Hospital.

Sciacca is critical of EMH’s initial response to his illness.

“The care I got when I went to the ER was pretty poor,” he said.

“It was very obvious I was having a stroke, but they didn’t give me any t-PA (tissue plasminogen activator) which is a clot busting drug that would have stopped the stroke from happening, and prevented the second one entirely.

They wouldn’t even give me an MRI. All they did for me in the ER was give me an aspirin.”

However, Sciacca praises the physicians at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, who provided his follow up care. While the exact trigger for his strokes remains unclear, Rush doctors did find a hole in his heart, which was repaired with surgery.

Sciacca will be away from campus in the fall, when he takes a sabbatical that had been planned before the stroke. (He was granted tenure last spring, and his sabbatical is the one typically granted to professors once they complete the initial tenure track.)

“In some ways, the timing is really great,” he said. “I have a couple projects that I’ll be working on, and can do my research without the rigor of a full teaching schedule.”

But he acknowledges it also has a downside: he’s missing a chance to teach and guide students in the program. “[I’ve missed] the students that just started,” he said. “Some students will get almost halfway through the program before I really get to know them. I’m kind of bummed about that.”

Sciacca believes he’ll be raring to go when he returns in spring 2015.

And his work at EC is incredibly important to him. Even if he’s fatigued, he’s glad to be back on campus this spring.

“I absolutely love teaching,” he said. “It’s a catharsis, a nourishment for my soul.”

Photo by Pefer Flockencier Art professor Geoff Sciacca returned to campus this semester after a health crisis last fall.

May 13, 2014

7

Non-traditional student makes waves on campus

Heather Miller has undertaken intensive research projects during her time at EC.

patrick erwin

news & online editor Heather Miller’s professional and academic journeys have taken several twists and turns.

It’s ultimately brought her to EC where, for several semesters, she’s been pursuing post-graduate research projects.

That research includes work that landed her a coveted faculty/student summer collaborative grant. At EC’s Honors Convocation on May 1, Miller and biology professor Tamara Marsh were awarded a grant to study the effects of hydraulic fracking on bacteria in nearby water and aquatic environments.

It’s the latest chapter in a storied career for Miller.

She originally graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Western Michigan University, and went on to a role with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) that would last for more than a decade.

Accounting and science were both potential majors for her, and even after choosing the business path, she remained intrigued by scientific work.

“I always promised myself at the time [I chose business as a major] that if it wasn’t working out for me, I would go back to school and try the other path,” she said. “I finally came to the point of, why am I doing this job that I do well, but I’m not ful-

filled by?”

PwC was very supportive of her transition, she said, and she continued to work with them part time for several years.

Since she already has a degree, Miller’s EC classes aren’t part of a degree earning track, but she’s focusing on research.

She landed here after having a disappointing experience in a masters’ program at another school.

“I was looking for a new place to spread my wings,” she said.

“I couldn’t be more delighted by all the support that I’ve been lucky to have here, from all the professors.”

Marsh has praise for Miller’s work.

“I would describe Heather as the consummate self-starter, both in the classroom and in the lab,” said Marsh. “She is eager to learn new ideas and make her mark in the scientific community.”

Miller worked over the past year with Marsh on a project examining intercropping (growing two crops in close proximity) and the impact that system has on plant biomass and bacteria.

That project won Best Presentation at the Annual Research and Performace Showcase on May 1.

“Heather took ownership of the Three Sisters project, taking on the tedium of maintaining the plants, spending what seemed like countless hours picking root nodules, and con-

Photo by Kim McElheny

ducting hundreds of serial dilutions,” Marsh explained. “All of her hard work is paying off, because we anticipate submitting this work for publication in the next month or so.”

Miller’s upcoming project is one she feels is especially important, with fracking emerging as a controversial topic across the country.

She acknowledges that people have “fatigue” about environmental messages, but understanding the impact fracking can potentially have on water is a must. She believes many people take water access for granted, since we simply turn on a faucet for access.

“If we don’t take care of our water, there will be no life [on earth],” she said. “If we completely contaminate our water system? Forget it.”

Miller says her balance between science and business means she sees both sides of the issue.

“I don’t want a [total shutdown of fracking] to happen,” she said. “In the business world, we understand that our economy would shut down without fossil fuels.”

She hopes to find a ‘happy medium’ where fracking can be done more safely and in a more sustainable way.

“I’d like to bridge the gap,” she said. “I’d like to have a job helping people understand both sides.”

8

NEWS

May 13, 2014

ecleader.org

WHEATON COLLEGE from the front page CHRISSY CROFT ZACHARY BISHOP staff writers

EC students and staff joined a discussion on interreligious issues in higher education for a panel discussion entitled “Principled Pluralism: The Challenges and Opportunities of America’s Religious Diversity,” at Wheaton College.

Despite the notably different cultures of Wheaton College, an institution that stays close to its conservative Evangelical Christian roots, and EC, which is affiliated with the considerably more liberal United Church of Christ, the panel discussion was a collaboration between EC Chaplain H. Scott Matheney, Wheaton College Chaplain Steve Kellough, and the Aspen Institute, which is a DC-based “education policy studies organization” that promotes discussions on critical issues, according to its website.

Matheney said the event sought to provide Evangelical students on campus an opportunity to connect with a community that upholds similar beliefs.

“When you look at EC and the Christian community, it is diverse and large, but there is a section that is Evangelical,” he said. “I need to support those students in a way that is thoughtful, because a lot of Cru students feel like they are a minority [at EC].”

Religious Pluralism at EC and Wheaton In the discussion moderated by the Aspen Institute’s Joseph

DeMott, panelists differed on the point of interacting with different faiths. For Wheaton College President Philip Graham Ryken religious diversity “looks very different” at his campus.

“We have a broad spectrum of Christian denominations,” Ryken said, referring to intrareligious diversity, which involves different denominations within

“We are being accused of religious discrimination, and what can I say? Guilty as charged.”

Alec Hill President & CEO of InnerVarsity Christian Fellowship a single religion, instead of interreligious diversity, which involves entirely different religions.

Ray, however, expressed a belief in interreligious diversity.

“I think the arrival of people who are not like you religiously allows you to immediately begin a conversation at a very deep level,” he said. “It’s yet another opportunity for us to have perspective on what you believe and why you believe it.”

While Ryken’s views on pluralism excludes non-Christian

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groups, he believes that Wheaton’s model is still religiously diverse, saying that it allows for “the kind of religious discussions where we don’t have to leave our religious beliefs behind us.”

Ryken also contrasted pluralism at EC and Wheaton, juxtaposing principled pluralism with a different form of religious diversity called syncretism.

“On one side you have syncretism where all the lines blur, I don’t care for that.” he said.

“What concerns me is it leads to universalism where we get bumper stickers and all the religious symbols blur together.”

Ray disagreed.

“I don’t have the bias against syncretism because I think it’s an inevitable part of the change I’ve been talking about,” he said, calling the dialogue between individuals of different faiths “a moment of clarity.”

The InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Alongside Ryken was Alec Hill, president and CEO of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, an Evangelical Christian organization that is present on 590 different college campuses and describes itself as “a vibrant campus ministry that establishes and advances witnessing communities of students and faculty.”

When Hill was asked about religious tolerance during the discussion, he said he believed that colleges distort the original meaning of the word.

“The old definition of tolerance is ‘we like each other and don’t necessarily have to agree.’

What I’m seeing on college campuses is ‘if you make others feel unsafe or uncomfortable, then you need to bring yourself down.’”

When responding to questions, Hill primarily focused on the issues InterVarsity has recently encountered as a strictly Evangelical organization, particularly as it relates to inclusion of non-Christians and LGBT individuals.

Hill discussed the “All Comers” policy, which several colleges are implementing to assure its student organizations’ leadership positions are inclusive of all students, but Hill defended his organization’s decision to refuse an “All Comers” policy.

When applying for a leadership position in an InterVarsity chapter, students are required to sign and follow the national organization’s Purpose and Doctrinal Basis, which states a belief in “the unique divine inspiration, entire trustworthiness and authority of the Bible.”

“We are being accused of religious discrimination,” Hill said. “What can I say? Guilty as charged. That’s our mission.”

Hill then made a comparison regarding this issue, saying “To me [the All Comers Policy is based on] kind of silly logic

when you think about it.”

“The rape and hate group would have to have a former felon or a legal sex offender, as their leader.”

In 2011, InterVarsity was under scrutiny for pressuring the treasurer of their University at Buffalo chapter to resign after coming out as gay. According to The Spectrum, the independent student newspaper at UB, the student was in violation of the InterVarsity Basis of Faith because of his “refusal to accept Biblical scripture – specifically, those Bible passages that condemn homosexuality.”

Similar incidents occurred at Marquette University in 2011 and Tufts University in 2012.

A former student leader and member of Carthage College’s InterVarsity Chapter claims that these incidents are not a surprising representation of the organization as a whole.

“When it comes to Evangelical Christians InterVarsity is great at welcoming them, [but when] it comes to anybody else not so much,” Johnathon Augustine said in an email. “[They act like] they are open to all Christian denominations… but they DO have a specific style and theology that they want to maintain.”

One InterVarsity employee, who was present for the panel, has a brighter outlook on the organization’s ability to include others.

“I think there is a place for both [spending time with people like you and not like you] on campus,” Lauren Dueck said.

“They both have their pros and cons.”

On Faith and Service “It can cause a dilemma for Evangelical Christians because many times when we’re involved in… community service we want to [tell] the community we’re doing this out of the love of Jesus Christ,” he said.

“We may even want to take advantage of opportunities to share our faith and that’s so much a part of the… impulse of these kinds of service. And that becomes almost entirely not possible when you’re serving with other people from different faiths and inappropriate in a way.”

Ray’s view of service differs from Ryken, as he sees it as the preferred space for pluralistic discourse at EC. “[Our pluralism involves] working together on common projects, like in Habitat for Humanity,” he said. “[Students] reflect together as different religious traditions on what that means to [them]. [Finally, they] take that back to [their] own traditions, but they returned changed individuals... by the service and reflection of that service.”

Ray backed up EC’s push for diversity with empirical research.

“The research shows that students learn best when there are

a large number of students who are like them and a large number of students who are not like them,” he said.

Furthermore, he clarified that EC isn’t only focused on spiritual development, but instead takes a more holistic approach.

“I don’t feel like we’ve failed [our students] if they aren’t expressing themselves theologically,” he said. “[At EC], we’ve created spaces where everyone can have full expression of their fundamental self identities.”

Student Differences But contrasting cultures of EC and Wheaton College aren’t only rooted in the varying views of their presidents. A discussion preceding the lecture in which students and staff from EC’s Niebuhr Center for Faith and Action and Cru (formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ) were invited to a dinner and dialogue prior to the event, quickly became a space for theological discourse.

Wheaton students and Chaplain office staff asked EC students about their faith backgrounds, agreements and disagreements with their church, and about their religious beliefs based on talking cards.

Jessica Marsh, an EC freshman and Niebuhr Center student was one of several students who said she felt uncomfortable during the series of rapid-fire questions about her and her peers’ beliefs.

“I felt like I was being interviewed and judged, because we said a lot and they just sat there,” she said in an email.

All students at Wheaton are expected to abide by the college’s “Community Covenant,” which requires students refrain from drinking alcohol, using tobacco, and committing acts of “sexual immorality, such as the use of pornography… premarital sex, adultery, [and] homosexual behavior.”

Rachel Gowland, Wheaton freshman, defended Ryken’s claim about intrareligious diversity.

“We disagree with each other a lot because we all come from such different backgrounds…

It’s pluralism within the frame of the Bible,” she said after the panel.

But no matter what side of the debate attendees were situated, Ray encouraged the audience and panelists to continue engaging in meaningful discussions.

“If we don’t have conversations about the most important in things, we inevitably lead to conflict and violence,” he said.

Next year, Matheney said he hopes to host a similar panel at EC that includes a more diverse panel of religious leaders.

“Next year the goal is to have it at Elmhurst with a much broader focus theologically.”

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May 13, 2014

9

EQuAl’s “Gay Prom” hosted in Frick Center

Students enjoy a prom on May 9 for LGBTQ students and allies. The formal dance was held in Founders Lounge, and capped EC’s Pride Week.

Photos by Joseph Kok

ADJUNCTS from the front page day].”

But, what may be a more efficient curriculum for EC, could come at the cost of adjuncts actually passionate to teach, and some possibly callused relations along the way.

Martin Grace*, a former adjunct in the philosophy department at EC, taught classes for four years, until the cuts meant he was not getting rehired.

“I was unemployed for six months [following the cuts],” Grace said in an email, “while I conducted a job search and changed careers.”

Grace now works at a nonprofit agency, and his attitude toward teaching has changed, too.

“I don’t see it as a sustainable career,” Grace said, “so I left the profession. I enjoy teaching but I have a lot of other life goals (and bills to pay) that it was not helping me achieve.”

Grace is not the only adjunct to reconsider his position as an educator.

Adjunct professor of English Jacob Singer said that after his wife received a promotion at her job, he stopped working nights and weekends at a restaurant in

addition to teaching. He decided to make less money and work full-time as an adjunct professor.

“I took a pay cut of around $20,000 to teach at Elmhurst college, a personal decision that had a lot to do with leaving the food industry in order to spend evenings and weekends with my wife.”

Singer said his wife’s profession affords the majority of his family’s financial security and at this point in his life, simply sees teaching as a job.

“My wife gave birth in December,” Singer said. “So teaching only two classes allows me to look after my son while my wife works. For now, this situation works for us.”

While Singer is mostly content with his current position as an adjunct, he sees “adjunctification” as problematic.

“The adjunctification of higher education means poverty for the majority of college instructors,” Singer said. “Teaching as an adjunct is either a luxury for people who marry well (as I did) or a life of poverty, insecurity, and exhaustion. I refuse to drain my family’s financial resources to teach.”

While some adjuncts may be changing their views on teaching, Ross has continued working as a professor, though he does his work in a less traditional sense.

In his time away from EC following the cuts, Ross worked to bolster himself both in the realm of academia and beyond.

He began an online learning assessment with colleagues from Marquette University, and University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in order to understand what is most effective for both students and teachers within this platform, then to work toward an actual model.

“What we tried to do was create a space for education that works online, instead of creating some education, and trying to make it work online,” Ross said.

Like Singer, Ross supplements his income as an adjunct at EC and College of Lake County (CLC) in Grayslake, Illinois with a job in a hotel.

Ross said that as a member of CLC’s professors union, he has been given securities that weren’t available to him at EC. “The way that union handles decisions is excellent,” said Ross.

“And it gives adjunct faculty members rights that adjuncts, frankly, don’t have at Elmhurst College.”

The college did show an interest in improving the adjunct work experience at EC. Also in April’s roundtable discussion, Tipton said the administration is approaching adjuncts with more consideration and appreciation, and that “we’re doing what we can.”

“We did a survey through the industrial organizational psychology grad program of adjuncts to find out what adjuncts would like that we’re not currently providing for them,” Tipton said.

Aside from the adjunct appreciation lunches and dinners, the college has also implemented academic initiatives to support adjuncts.

This includes “some very limited funding for adjunct scholarly work…[as adjuncts] should continue to be scholars if they can,” said Tipton.

In fact, Singer received some of these funds himself.

“Recently Elmhurst College provided me with a $500 stipend to cover the costs of an academic

conference,” Singer said, “with all the talks of cutbacks, I was pleasantly surprised when I received the grant.”

Singer is going to continue with his current teaching arrangement, and will likely find a full-time job when his son, Jonathan, begins school.

“On one side, I have my family that I need to take care of,” said Singer, “on the other side, I have a job that doesn’t pay a living wage.”

For Grace, leaving his work as a professor proved to be more financially sustainable, despite still loving to teach.

Ross, who has stuck with teaching, said he will continue his online assessment work and remain an online instructor for EC for the time being. He was offered on-campus courses in the fall, but had to turn them down due to conflicting obligations.

Ross said he would like to come back to campus to teach a traditional class at EC, but like many other adjuncts, there is still uncertainty.

“Teaching on campus is certainly possible,” he said. “I just don’t know how probable it is anymore.”

10

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May 13, 2014

ecleader.org

Shaking the tree: ancestry research at EC

TV shows like “Who Do You Think You Are?” have fueled viewer interest in genealogy, and DNA genome sampling has helped expand the reaches of that research.

patrick erwin

news & online editor Researching your own family history and building a “family tree” to tell that story is a practice as old as time itself.

Our ancestors often used the inside of a family Bible to record marriages and births.

But the rise of online services like Ancestry.com has made that research more accessible, and raised awareness of genealogy as a pursuit.

Genealogy has become a popular staple of documentaries and TV reality shows like Who Do You Think You Are, as well as the work of Henry Louis Gates, the Harvard professor whose PBS programs have focused largely on African American genealogy.

Tests like 23andMe and Ancestry.com’s own DNA tests have added a component to that research -- the ability to find new relationships or dig beyond paper records to expand the branches of that family tree.

The Leader talked to a few people in the EC community who have climbed their family tree.

Connection to history Sue Lindberg has a long history at EC. Lindberg, an administrative assistant for the Honors Program, has been at EC with her husband, geography department chair Michael Lindberg, for almost 20 years. Both are EC alums.

She’s been researching her own family history for about five years, and says it’s required a lot of digging.

“My family was never one to share stories or pictures,” she said. “A lot of what I’ve found, I’ve found basically on my own.”

She said she has about 800 families in her tree, with over 2000 people. She’s gone back as far as 43 generations, back to 800 A.D.

Lindberg’s ancestors emigrated from several different European countries, and have played a role in major events in American history. She has ancestors that came to America on the Mayflower, and others who served their country in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and the Civil War. A big motivation for the research, she said, was to learn more about her father’s side of the family.

“You [get a sense] of how interconnected we are,” she said.

“Doing genealogy gives us a sense of who we are and where we came from.”

business professor Sondra Simpson.

“We’re distant cousins,” he explained.

Fischer has taken the 23andMe DNA test. He was interested in what the data would tell him, and one main motivation was to get health information.

(Editor’s note: 23andMe has suspended providing medical information pending Food and Drug Administration approval.)

“It was very useful in alerting me to things I’m prone to get,” he said. “It’s valuable information, and now I can do things to avoid [those medical issues].”

Internet photo

The Leader puts DNA science to the test

Telling a story

Filling in the blanks Bruce Fischer is a business professor, as well as the faculty advisor for honor society Delta Mu Delta.

Genealogy has become a favorite hobby for Fischer. He first became involved to help his mother, who had already started research on their family, whose roots were largely in Sweden and Germany.

“It’s like detective work!” said Fischer.

Fischer said that the availability of sites like Ancestry. com helped tremendously.

“You can sit in your living room at your leisure in the United States, and search [international] records,” said Fischer.

“We took a trip to Sweden, but it was a lot of work to go from church to church [for records].

This is easier.”

Fischer said one of the intriguing figures on his tree was the first European child born in Pocahantas County in northwestern Iowa.

“You can imagine what people’s lives were like then,” he said. “It makes problems in [your own] life insignificant, that’s for sure.”

Another connection led all the way back to campus.

Through researching his roots in Iowa, Fischer learned he is distantly related to fellow EC

Janice Fodor knows the power of a good story.

Fodor is an English professor, as well as the director of EC’s Learning Center.

For nearly 20 years, she’s been enthralled by a story that hits closer to home: her family’s story. It’s an interest she’s had nearly all her life.

“I got very interested in reading [old] letters,” said Fodor.

Those letters gave her glimpses into the lives of the writers.

It’s fitting that one family connection is to a famous writer: John Updike. Updike and Fodor have a shared ancestor, Peter Ludwig Hoyer, who lived in the 1700s.

Although she found a series of interesting characters -- a Broadway actor who played opposite Jeannette McDonald, and a territorial governor of old Nevada, to name a few -- Fodor is disappointed in one regard.

“We were looking for a good scoundrel,” she said. “But we didn’t find anyone interesting like that at all!”

Fodor took the 23andMe DNA test for The Leader (see related article on this page), and was interested to learn the breakdown of her ancestry.

23andMe indicated Fodor’s DNA shows 54 percent Finnish ancestry, as well as British and southern European lineage.

Photo by Kim McElheny Writing Center director Dr. Janice Fodor agreed to take a DNA genome test for The Leader.

patrick erwin

news & online editor While the pursuit of one’s family tree is respectable enough, you have to do some pretty odd things to get answers. Like collect obituaries and death certificates. And spit in a bottle to have it analyzed for DNA. A few years ago, I took two DNA genome tests, from both 23andMe and Ancestry.com.

Fast forward to this year, when I meet EC English professor Janice Fodor, the director of the Learning Center. I’d read in an article in The Leader’s archives that she was from the same area of central Pennsylvania that my father’s family was from, a small town called Huntingdon.

It was great to meet her and talk with her -- Fodor is a great storyteller -- and the more we talked about our family trees, the more we both recognized names that sounded familiar.

Could we be connected some-

how?

I had an extra 23andMe test, and Fodor agreed to take the test for this article. So, in early March, she sent her sample (a small vial of saliva) to be analyzed.

23andMe not only tells you about the larger DNA groups of which you’re a part, but will also list anyone who shares segments of DNA with you.

Leader staffers started calling Fodor “Aunt Janice” and were convinced we were connected.

Sadly, when the results were in, there was no close DNA connection. And you can’t argue with science!

But we’re still grateful at The Leader that Dr. Fodor was willing to take the test and share the results.

And I’m still convinced there’s a connection somewhere, or that our ancestors were neighbors. It will take more digging -- and perhaps more breakthroughs in science -- to find that out.

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ecleader.org

May 13, 2014

11

DNA testing advances research, results brett peto staff writer

Once upon a time, if you wanted to explore genealogy, you had to track down blackand-white photographs and public records, interpret old family anecdotes, or even pay genealogical databases like Ancestry.com to help you in your search.

But personal genomics services could soon complement the traditional techniques with DNA analysis.

These services sequence individuals’ DNA, or genome, and calculate where their ancestors probably lived, which celebrities they are closely (or distantly) related to, and even how much Neanderthal DNA they have.

The powerful tools now becoming available to the consumer are decades in the making, according to EC biology professor and geneticist Kimberly McClure.

“The cost of sequencing has gone down considerably in about ten years,” McClure said.

“Sequencing used to be a pain in the 1950s and 1960s. You could sequence, in a good run, about 250 base-pairs of DNA. Now it’s millions of base-pairs per day.”

DNA base-pairs are made of adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G). Those four molecules, called nucleotides, bond to each other to help create DNA’s iconic double helix.

The human genome contains about 3 billion base-pairs. In those base-pairs are the blueprints of genes, from which proteins and eventually tissues, organs, and organisms are formed.

Investigating what these basepairs do has become almost ubiquitous.

“It’s funny, some of the students in my genetics class were saying, ‘Are we gonna sequence our GMO [genetically modified organism] product?’” said McClure. “Nobody does the sequencing reaction [themselves] anymore. You just send it out to a company and they do it for you. It’s totally commercialized.”

One of the most popular personal genomics services is 23andMe, whose genetic test kit was Time magazine’s 2008 Invention of the Year.

Inside the $99 kit is a plastic test tube and instructions to spit in it up to a black line, then snap the cap shut and mail it back to 23andMe’s California lab. Within four to six weeks, 23andMe sends you an email announcing your results are ready and accessible in your own online profile.

“You basically send the service a swab of cheek cells and they extract genomic DNA from that and then they’ll look at a catalog of single nucleotide polymorphisms that are associated with different diseases, typically,” McClure said.

Single nucleotide polymor-

phisms (SNPs), pronounced snips, are genetic variations where just one nucleotide--one A, T, C, or G--is different than normal. SNPs can be related to afflictions like Alzheimer’s disease and how the body responds to drugs, chemicals, and pathogens.

But that is not all companies like 23andMe look at.

“They will also look at the base composition of your DNA and make some sort of analysis, although certain companies are now being regulated on what kind of information they can give out by the government,” McClure said.

Last November, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered 23andMe to stop offering health predictions to customers based on their DNA. Such predictions included the likelihood of contracting chronic conditions like Alzheimer’s

marketing and providing health predictions. It currently provides ancestry information only, though customers who received their results before Nov. 22 of last year can still access their health predictions.

McClure thought the FDA order was justified.

“We’ve just figured out the human genome, literally within ten or fifteen years,” she said.

“It’s a really old text of A, T, G, Cs. We’ve just skimmed the surface and we really don’t understand it. Yet there are companies saying we know everything about it and I feel like that could take advantage of a certain subset of the population that doesn’t understand the complexity of this information they’re given.”

Not enough scientific knowledge yet exists to back up many of the DNA-based, personalized health predictions, McClure said.

cent chance of getting hypertension, but it’s not an absolute thing. It’s just a statistical measurement, and that’s it.”

Besides government regulation, questions of privacy—how customers’ DNA sequences are stored, who can access them, and the possibility of health insurance providers refusing coverage to people who might develop conditions expensive to treat—have also emerged.

“They obviously have a copy [of customers’ genomes] somewhere,” McClure said. “You own it, but they have it. They could completely sequence the entire thing if they wanted to. But you paid for it, so you’re supposed to have rights to it, right?”

Despite legal uncertainties, personal genomics services are quickly multiplying and often boast of having better tests than their competitors.

Gentle, the newest startup in

Internet photo Genome testing has expanded the reach of research in the health sciences and in genealogy.

disease, bipolar disorder, breast cancer, and many more.

In a letter addressed to Anne Wojcicki, 23andMe co-founder and wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, the FDA said 23andMe’s kit was “in violation of the Federal Food, Drug[,] and Cosmetic Act” of 1938.

Expanded many times since then, the act originally gave the FDA authority to ensure the safety of American food, drugs, and cosmetics.

Soon after receiving the letter, 23andMe agreed to stop

“I think that people forget 23andMe [and other services] has a catalog of disease genes,” she said. “We’ve come a long ways. The thing is, it’s just a list.

We don’t know how these genes interact with each other to cause the disease. So, the information they’re giving out is a description, not a prediction.”

She stressed that any health predictions made are not guarantees.

“It is a prediction but it’s not absolute,” McClure said. “[It might say] you have a two per-

the market, promises to examine over 1,700 diseases and genetic conditions, for the fee of $1,990.

To date, Complete Genomics has fully sequenced over 15,000 human genomes, whereas most services sequence a small percentage of the genome.

As of this spring, the industry even has a dedicated magazine: Genome, whose first issue presented genetic counseling, prenatal genetic testing, and a story that asked, “Would you give someone you love a small plastic vial for her birthday and

ask her to spit in it?”

The services are developing fast and the ethics are not always clear, according to McClure.

“It brings up this issue that we can manufacture humans, that we can potentially tinker with the genome and produce humans that are more intelligent or more beautiful, whatever,” she said. “I think that’s a dangerous route for the services [to take].”

Students surveyed were both enthusiastic and worried about the services.

Sophomore biology major Anders Winquist-Bailey said if the price tag continues to drop, he would use one of the services.

“I’d pay no more than $100,” he said. “I would do it just to have an idea about my genes. I would be afraid of some results regarding Alzheimer’s [disease] but would want to have it professionally diagnosed [if positive results were found].”

Nicole Connet, sophomore biology and secondary education major, outlined her plan to cope with any negative results.

“I don’t think I would be terribly scared about the results,” she said. “I would take any information that said I would be susceptible to one disease or another as a warning and try to live differently to counteract it.”

With the advent of cheap DNA sequencing, medicine seems to be approaching personalization, even to the point where pharmacogenomics, or tailoring drugs to each person to prevent side effects, is possible.

“Once we figure out what these genes are doing, we can start thinking about targeting medications to very specific proteins,” McClure said.

And part of the future of genealogy may be your own genome.

“In [traditional] genealogy, you’re looking for public records about a specific person or specific family, whereas these ancestral services are looking at your sequence and it’s not gonna pinpoint a location where your family originated,” McClure said. “It will give you general information, but if you want to know specifically the individuals you’re related to, you’ll have to do more research.”

If this is the case, the old case of digging through documents to examine family artifacts could meet new ways of browsing an online map showing where ancient ancestors might have roamed.

Genealogical databases like Ancestry.com could meet genomic databases like 23andMe. But, McClure said, that new case is not here yet, and personal genomics services probably advertise more than they can deliver, especially in health predictions.

“Maybe it is premature to offer these services,” she said.

“It’s a genetic horoscope at this point, just a little bit.”

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opinions

May 13, 2014

ecleader.org

l State of Flux l

l Editorial l

Before we go: ten Whistleblowers and criminals things we want for EC overreach? To understand the an- team of journalists to make sure

ANDY PRIGNANO

staff writer

While some of us prepare to bid EC one final farewell, or at least a begrudging “see ya later,” the campus we leave once finals are finished may not be the same one we return to.

Sure, a concrete patch here, and a freshly painted reiteration of beige spattered across classrooms and office walls will get us that ‘something’s changed’ feeling.

But when wandering back to campus, with the expansive summer promise of the three months we admire most still fresh in our minds, we’ll need something that will break the drab monotony of that first week back.

But we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, imagined back at EC before we’ve even left for the summer.

So The Leader would like to take the opportunity to put an EC wish list together made of things we would like to see happen around campus, sometime: 1. Outdoor lecture space Lets face it, there’s only one ideal location for professors to take classes for an outdoor lecture, and it’s the ashtray. We go to college in an arboretum, for Niebuhr’s sake, let’s start learning out there while we’re at it.

2. Support for night owls College is all about late nights of coffee and overdue study sessions, and students need more places to grab a late night snack or restock their caffeine supply.

3. Parking garage Student debt, and the greenhouse gases, are increasing from all the cars circling the lot in search of a space.

4. Stop half-assing toilets Either make the toilets stop flushing every fifteen seconds, or go all the way and install bidets. We’re tired of standing up to avoid the splash.

5. Support out-of-state students If we want international students, we need to figure out how to help out-of-state students, too.

Dividing possessions amongst friends and then hitchhiking to the airport shouldn’t be the best available option for summer.

6. Improve the WiFi Sometimes the dorm internet is unable to load a Vine. A Vine is a six second video. Six seconds.

7. Make offices kennelfree We aren’t talking canines here. Some student offices are so small, they’re nearly inhumane.

If we want more student leaders on campus, we need more space for them to work- without the pain of an elbow in their side.

8. Inclusive housing options EC has one room for transgender students already in place, but it’s down a hallway with no other rooms nearby. It has its own bathroom, and doesn’t have space for a roommate. It’s isolated. If we want to be diverse, we need to be inclusive.

9. Make J-Term more than “play term” Aside from a single class and off-campus parties, there isn’t much to do during J-Term. The sting of winter is painful enough, don’t add boredom to the equation.

10. Farewell Chartwells College students love to eat.

But when Chartwells is serving up cold low-quality food at a gourmet price, it makes us queasy. Plus it’s nearly impossible to have an outside caterer do anything for an on-campus event.

Any of the above are great ways to improve campus life and the longevity in EC traditions currently. Not necessarily now, but keeping all these suggestions on the radar for EC as, at the very least, projects for the future would be great for good old Elmy.

It’s been almost a year since the first story was written using information about the NSA provided

by Edward Snowden, and still the debate rages. Is he a whistle blower or a criminal?

While most political debates, like those on gun control, abortion, and welfare programs, depend on left or right, blue or red, or which letter you prefer next to your name, this debate crosses party lines and goes all over the political spectrum.

Senators Dianne Feinstein and Harry Reid and even President Barack Obama have called Snowden’s motives into questions and argued for his imprisonment on the Democratic side, while Republican Senator Michael McCaul and famous Republican Party pillar Dick Cheney suggesting that Snowden was in fact working with Russia to undercut the United States.

The support seems to be, for the most part, a question of power. Junior members of the Senate Intelligence Committee Ron Wyden and Mark Udall both support Snowden and argue that he provided a public service, while Chairmen and Vice Chairman Feinstein and Saxby Chambliss condemn him. Even more telling is the fact that multiple polls, by Quinnipiac University, CNN, and USA Today found that the majority of American citizens consider Snowden a whistle blower.

In other words those with the least to gain from NSA overreach support Snowden. Those with the most to gain call him a traitor and threaten him under the Espionage Act. The same can even be said for media. Major News outlets like CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News, who pride themselves on connections and access to the powerful, all have a multitude of pundits who condemn Snowden left and right. While Columbia University gave out a Pulitzer Prize for public service to journalists with access to Snowden’s leaked documents.

To get to the bottom of the question it’s important to understand why Snowden leaked the documents. Was he just searching for fame, trying to undercut the United States, or trying to inform the populace of government

swer you need to understand the under what circumstances and in what type of world Snowden was releasing these documents.

If Snowden was interested in making real change why would he go to the media first instead of his higher ups? It’s a reasonable question that has been asked many times. You find something wrong or discover an abuse, report it to the boss, and viola the bug is the system is corrected. No harm no foul. Right?

Wrong! The world in which Snowden released this information had made clear that Snowden’s complaints were not bugs in the system, but the actual system itself.

The systematic collection of American citizen’s data had first been revealed by Thomas Drake and William Binney. Both of whom originally reported their discoveries up the chain of command then, after continuously being stonewalled, leaked information to journalists. Both men argue that reporting this information ruined their promising careers in intelligence.

Even more telling was the fact that Chelsea Manning (formerly Bradley Manning), who not only was stonewalled by the chain of command but was also reportedly turned down by the Washington Post and New York Times, was undergoing an espionage trial that would end with her being sentenced to 35 years in prison.

With this information in mind ask the question again. Why did Snowden go to the media instead of up the chain of command?

Simply because it had proven both ineffective and physically and emotionally dangerous to do so.

Will this directly lead to the harm of agents in the field?

Snowden reportedly meticulously vetted the documents himself and then handed them over to a

that would not be the case.

It becomes even clearer when looking at the way in which Snowden released the documents that he had no malicious intent.

Before revealing his identity to Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, and Barton Gellman Snowden communicated under the name of Verax, which is Latin for truthfulness or truth teller. He is even reported to have said in his original communication that he knew what he was in for, but thought the information was too important.

“I understand that I will be made to suffer for my actions, I will be satisfied if the federation of secret law, unequal pardon and irresistible executive powers that rule the world that I love are revealed even for an instant” Snowden said.

Snowden revealed himself as the only one who leaked the documents only days after the first NSA stories were published in an attempt to make sure no one else was punished for his actions.

Is the public now better off for knowing this information? That is the only real question that lies at the heart of the debate.

Laws have gone unchanged despite public pressure and promises from politicians. The news cycle seems to have lost interest and is more concerned with focusing on the distant 2016 presidential election, but the question remains. Is Snowden a whistle blower or a criminal? Is he a public servant or a public menace?

The answer rests with whether or not the people have a right to know what their government is doing. Do we just turn a blind eye and trust that whatever it is they are doing is keeping us safe, or do we demand knowledge and question them every step of the way?

opinions

ecleader.org

l Under the Microscope l

May 13, 2014

11

l Deal with It l

Finals: on the eve Courtesy is three feet long of bacterial hell

BRETT PETO

staff writer

You and I stand on the eve of hell—officially called finals week—and, while we forge through the gauntlet of exams and semester projects thicker than the trees their paper came from, some of us will get sick.

It will start as an itch at the back of the throat, more irritation than illness. But a few coffee-soaked, red-eyed days of nonstop toil later, it ditches the itch and embraces the illness.

“This is bullshit,” you’ll say.

“Why couldn’t my body wait one more week to collapse?”

Since you need to make it through the gauntlet, you’ll shamble into a doctor’s office and walk out with a prescription for an antibiotic you can count on to rid yourself of whatever bacterial nuisances plague you.

But the day, the eve of hell, when that isn’t so easy, is closing in faster than once thought. As the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a recent 257-page report, “Without urgent action, we are heading for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill.”

WHO arrived at this conclusion through analysis of antibiotic resistance in hospital patients from 114 countries. Though “there are significant gaps in surveillance, and a lack of standards for methodology, data sharing[,] and coordination,” this information is the most comprehensive we’ve ever had on the subject.

Here’s what it says.

Some of the highly resistant strains include bacteria that cause pneumonia, the flu, tuberculosis, salmonella, gonorrhea, strep throat, and diarrhea. There are even more I don’t list here.

When I say highly resistant, that means many of these bacteria are harder to eradicate, requiring harsher drugs which can trigger side effects like depression, psychosis, convulsions, vertigo, slurred speech, and so on.

While most bacteria are, in fact, beneficial or at least benign—and there are more bacterial cells inside you than actual human cells—the few that aren’t so kind can kill us.

The short, long, and medium of it is, we don’t want to lose the ability to kill the killers. But why are we losing it at all?

Two factors best summarize the problem: overuse and underdevelopment.

The story of the sick student

above explains some of the first.

Particularly in the U.S. and Europe, effective antibiotics are often perceived as a constant of life, like potable water and abundant food.

I’ve found that when something in life is constant, or seen as such, many people don’t restrain themselves from employing it at every seemingly suitable opportunity.

The sniffle you’ve had for a couple days? Go get a Z-pack. Maybe it comes in bubblegum flavor.

But it’s wrong to stack all the blame on unnecessary prescriptions. Let’s talk about cheap meat, the kind that lurks in the frostbitten depths of grocery store freezers.

How do you make cheap meat?

Cram livestock in like mammalian sardines and, to stop their own collective feces infecting them, administer industrial-strength antibiotics on a truly industrial scale.

“In 2011, eighty percent of antibiotics used in the U.S. were on animals.”

In 2011, eighty percent of antibiotics used in the U.S. were on animals. That’s about 30 million pounds, compared to about 7.5 million pounds used by people.

There’s most of the overuse.

However, perhaps the more long-term concern is the frighteningly big gap in development of new antibiotics. Since 1987, according to the WHO report, the pharmaceutical industry hasn’t created even one major class of antibiotics.

This sounds stupid. Don’t those companies know there’s money to be made?

Well, there is money to be made, but it’s just one coin in Scrooge McDuck’s vault. The real profits come from drugs taken every day for chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and more.

If I’ve learned one lesson as a journalist, it’s that if a system is structured in an odd, obscure way, or avoids what seems like the common sense approach, the reason is it’s making somebody, somewhere, some money.

Indeed, the lesson looks to apply here. But before you go study, allow me to impart one more lesson.

Though we stand on the eves of many hells, the hell of a world without effective antibiotics is all too recent and becoming all too probable. Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin, warned us in 1945 of the hell we are nearing.

Let’s not enter it. There. That’s it. Now you can go study, and please, stay well.

Katie Matthews staff writer

Once again, it’s that time of year—the time when the walls of the Founders Lounge is covered with student artwork instead of professional works.

‘Tis the season for senior capstone projects to be hung on the wall and admired by peers, after spending the better part of the semester slaving in the studio.

These artists are placing a lot of trust in their friends, classmates, and strangers, to let their art exist in an uninterrupted state in public.

From what I can tell, we’re failing them.

How difficult is it to be conscious and courteous to the public artwork?

How difficult is it, really, to respect the hard work and effort these young artists are putting into these projects?

As young twenty-somethings, I understand the need to distance ourselves from authority. I sym-

pathize with you on your annoyance about being told what to do or how to conduct yourselves in public.

I understand the hassle of not having any outlets for your various devices due to the plugs being covered by beautiful artwork.

I feel solidarity for all the people who have been asked to move their belongings three feet from the walls in order to preserve the works that these artists’ grades depend on, because this is a public place and how dare someone limit your expanding existence?

I’ve been outraged myself, because who is this Suellen Rocca to tell me to move my possessions away from the walls?

“I’m twenty-two years old,” I’ve thought to myself, “I think I know how to evade pieces of art hanging on the wall.”

But here’s the thing; just because Founders Lounge is a public space, that doesn’t negate the fact that the student works presented there are personal. Any one thing’s existence in a public space does not equate to it becoming public property.

There are regulations in play in order to uphold order, and preserve the beauty and hard work these student artists are sharing with us.

I’ve been told that people have taken props and components of marketing design projects, and even knocked pieces off the walls.

Students have already caused damages to pieces hanging on the wall.

Some of you may be thinking, “But Katie, why do these individuals matter? They’re a minority amongst all the students that frequent the Founders Lounge.”

The problem with this is that this small amount of students ruins the image of the rest of us.

When you allow your friends to knock over display pieces, you’re enabling damage to the collection and you are enabling the idea that students aren’t mature enough to exist in the same space as the art.

Or maybe it’s easier to think of it this way; what if someone came to your company property cubicle and moved around everything on your desk? What if someone opened the incubator in the laboratory and contaminated all of your bacteria samples?

Most of our academic work is housed in facilities that any student could access, and similar to these senior capstone collections, could be easily disrupted by the passersby.

We owe it to our fellow students to respect their academic work, no matter where it is housed.

A lot of people say they judge others based on how they tip serving staff in restaurants. I think I may start judging others based on how they treat student art.

l Like You Even Care l

Op-ed cartoon by Tyler Kerr

Kim McElheny photo editor

Clayton Dunlap opinions editor Photo by Peter Flockencier

I almost managed to make it through four years with The Leader without writing a single word. Yes, four whole years. I was recruited to be a photographer the summer after I graduated high school and was too timid and afraid to refuse. Since then, I was slowly sucked further and further into The Leader’s vortex.

When I began as a staff photographer, I took a lot of flag, and squirrel photos. I gradually took on more stories until I was eventually flattered into being photo editor. When I became editor, there was only one other photographer besides myself, thank goodness that didn’t last long (no offense, Peter Flockencier). My staff has since tripled — which is still only three people, but I’ll take it. I wouldn’t trade them for an army.

This year has by far been my favorite in terms of both the staff and the stories. That’s not to say I haven’t had my fair share of frustrations, but things like Bill Nye and strange, ridiculous 4 a.m. production weekends more than make up for it. I can say all this now because it is my last issue and I know there is a definitive light at the end of this dark, smelly tunnel.

I have managed to escape The Leader at times to still have a semi-normal life. I’m glad to say that I have gotten the full college experience and as bittersweet as it is, me, my wallet and my liver are ready to move on. I will be leaving Elmhurst College with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Digital Imaging and a 3.99 GPA. Don’t ask me how that happened. I

can barely even remember the last four years and sadly that includes a lot of the material I learned. Luckily the art department and The Leader have kept my skills sharp enough for me to get a photo editing job lined up for after I graduate. Now I won’t have to rely on my backup plan of living on the couch in the newsroom. I have also gained a wonderful group of friends, both with the paper and outside of it.

This includes a very patient boyfriend who doesn’t even go here but has been a dedicated Leader model in several strange photo illustrations that I’m sure made him question my stability.

I have a lot of people who ask me why I decided to come to Elmhurst as an artist. To be completely honest, it was the trees.

And the giant scholarship. But mostly the trees. I wish I could say that as a senior in high school I had enough forethought to choose the college that would best prepare me for a normal adult life. A college that would make all the debt worthwhile through outstanding education, job preparation, and life changing social experiences, but you can’t win them all. I kid, overall I really don’t regret coming here at all. It has been rewarding and educational, just not in the ways that I was expecting. It’s strange to finally be writing this, but it really is bittersweet. I will miss this group of people, the strange conversations and the giant patio umbrella that stays open in the newsroom. The crappy parts are what I’m passing onto photoeditor-to-be, Peter. Godspeed.

Photo by Kim McElheny

I could write about writing, but I hope I’m not that selfindulgent.

I’ve cheated, stolen, and lied a number of times in my life, though haven’t burst with evil

quite yet. There are plenty of things I’m ashamed of, most of which I probably share in common with a majority of the college.

And nearly two months into

23, I can’t tell if I’m growing callused, or if I really feel guilty about not visiting my grandfather more often.

As a kid, I remember going to confession at St. Edwards Church. Sometimes I’d make up the sins I confessed because I thought the priest expected them. I suppose I was a people-pleaser.

For me it went something like: a series of my own bowel movements I couldn’t be held responsible for, a few of my mother’s chipped and shattered Norman Rockwell collector plates about the time I started bumping around on feet, sex everywhere my eyes or mind wandered away from the chalkboard, and the one time I publicly accused someone of stealing my shoes but it turned out we just had the same pair.

Tyler Kerr cartoonist

Cartoon by Tyler Kerr

Patrick Erwin news & online editor I first came to EC’s campus two years ago to attend a recruiting event for adult students, and listened to Dean of Faculty and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Alzada Tipton tell us that EC would be a “transformative experience.”

My Elmhurst Experience was an uncommon one, for sure.

Only a few adult students take the path of traditional classes.

Fewer still get involved with campus activities.

But I’ve been on campus almost every day, serving some Jerri Blank realness in the midst of a sea of traditional students.

It was sometimes unnerving to know that I was closer in age to other students’ parents, or that I was older than a good third of my professors. The age difference was an adjustment at first. (That, and learning EC squirrels will snatch food out of your bare hands when you eat lunch outside. Feisty little bastards.)

I had the sharp knives out as I started to write this, to deliver a mix of snark and sarcasm.

But what I’m feeling instead is deep gratitude.

Gratitude for a wonderful partner who lovingly supported my return to school and encouraged me along the way. Grati-

tude for the chance to go back and reverse a long-ago decision to put my education on ‘pause.’

Gratitude for being in a space where I didn’t have to hide who I was, where I’d been, or where I was going.

I got a chance to fulfill some long deferred dreams: being a part of the newspaper and becoming a DJ at the radio station (my original major years ago).

It’s an incredibly healing experience to have do-overs like that.

I’m grateful that this experience came when it did.

Education for so many fellow students seems like busy work, instructors like taskmasters.

But I had a new appreciation for the value of education, of my hard work, of asking questions, of exploring new ground.

I often felt like professors were more like peers, and I was lucky to have several amazing professors who stirred my curiosity and shared their passion and knowledge.

We write for everyone at The Leader. But for professors, for hourly staff, for the people who are here for years and decades, long after we students recede from sight, know that I also wrote for you, and tried to give your experience and perspec-

PhotobyKimM cElheny

tive a voice.

I don’t know that my Elmhurst Experience transformed me in all the ways I had expected.

But it made me realize that

education should never be the end of learning, but rather, fuel for its sustenance.

I’m reminded of these lines from the poem “Messenger” by Mary Oliver.

Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect?

Let me keep my mind on what matters, which is my work, Which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.

Paul Roumeliotis copy editor

Photoby KimM cElheny

FUN FACT ABOUT ME: Aside from English and Greek, I speak a third language. I’m one of over three million other people in the world who speak it. It’s a language that came to me naturally, and no one who speaks it can teach it.

And it was my best-kept secret until my junior year at EC. Stuttering.

Yes, I’m a person who stutters. No, I don’t care that you know. If you’re confused as to why I just admitted my biggest flaw, then what the hell are you still doing in your comfort zone? GET OUT, QUICK. If I didn’t get out of mine, I wouldn’t be publically writing about this in the school newspaper.

During my first two years at EC, I thought I had it pretty good. I joined a fraternity (and became 200 percent Greek), I had a great group of friends, and I was straight up living the life. I didn’t have any complaints, except maybe one.

I was an undeclared major and had gotten pretty good at

avoiding the one that fit me best.

In the classroom, I was a quiet guy. I rarely spoke and often looked as unhappy as I felt because class increased my chances of speaking, and speaking could lead to me to — heaven forbid — stuttering.

It wasn’t until summer 2012 when everything changed. At the annual National Stuttering Association conference, I had lunch with my lifelong speech therapist, who I hadn’t seen since my last conference in 2007 when I was in high school.

During a catch-up lunch session, she asked me a question I initially thought I knew the answer to.

“So, Paul, what’s your dream job?”

I quickly responded, “Well, I’d like to be a behind-thescenes guy, involving sports.

Maybe a camera operator.”

I paused for a good 15 seconds…

As each second ticked off my mental clock, my eye con-

tact faded and my smile began to disappear. It eventually led to me staring at the ground with a blank face.

“I want to be a sports journalist,” I said in my head.

“I really want to be a sports journalist.”

I reached a point where I couldn’t keep lying to myself. Since then, I’ve been on a mission to not be afraid to speak my language.

And you shouldn’t be afraid to speak yours — even if it’s not a language.

A 12-year-old girl once told me, “I used to hide the fact I stutter, but it made me feel bad because I was hiding a part of who I am.”

That’s better advice than anything I could’ve given.

Accept, embrace and take advantage of your flaws.

You’ll do things you never thought you were able to do. I did half way through college, and now, I’m graduating at the end of May with a Communications major.

Ian Walker beat editor To any and all of the people who are reading this, I just want to say: Hi, my name is Ian, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.

Why am I introducing myself as I’m about to walk out of the big, black Elmhurst College front gates? It’s because, chances are I’ve probably never met you before. Don’t feel bad about it though, it’s not your fault. It’s mine, and I’m sure if I had gotten the chance to know you I would have found out that you are quite pleasant.

Why didn’t I make the effort to get to know you? That’s an easy one: I’m terrible at making friends. That’s the lesson I’m taking away about myself as I step out into the post-college world.

I know that sounds morbid, but don’t worry, I’m more at peace with this part of myself than I was a year or two ago.

When I first came to EC, I had the normal pre-college combination of anxiety and excitement that any incoming freshman has. When I got here, I had a mission: to make some new, close friends. It was something I did not have a whole lot of success with in high school (maybe something I should have picked up on) so I was eager to find more success in college.

Fast-forward four years to this moment, and I can’t say I was as successful as I originally wanted to be. But that’s OK. Sure, I’ve met some people

that I’ve gotten along with really well and bring a smile to my face every time I see them, but the more important thing I’ve gained at EC is what I’ve learned while looking inside myself.

I’ve learned that I’m really, really quiet, and fade into the background easily. I’ve learned that I’m pretty bad at carrying conversation, and that my brain works overtime just trying to find things to relate to others about. For the longest time, these things used to frustrate me, and I wondered how I got to be this way. Is it the way my brain is wired? Is it due to lack of experience from my childhood? I just couldn’t figure it out.

While I still haven’t figured it out, I’m more OK with that part of who I am. I don’t mean to be complacent with the amount of friends I have in my life, I just know where my weaknesses are and know I have the capacity to practice my socializing skills where and whenever I want to. Some people have trouble dribbling a basketball, I have trouble making friends (though I also can’t dribble a basketball; I was never very good at sports).

All of this leads to why my time at The Leader has been such a tremendous experience for me. Working with this paper allowed the quiet guy the opportunity to have a voice (I’m

Photo by Kim McElheny

a much better communicator through the written word than spoken, mostly because I was born with the most addled, unorganized brain on the planet).

I also got the chance to be part of a group that works together to achieve a common goal.

The way I meet most people is through arbitrary settings like

Leader staff meetings, and I got to meet people who were interested in the same kinds of things that I was. I got to know most of my Leader peers really well by working so closely with them; I don’t know how well I’ll keep in touch with them, but I will always remember the experiences we shared.

So, all of this is meant to say: don’t feel sorry for me. This is not meant to be some sad tale of a lonely college guy. It is a deeply introspective tale from the perspective of a guy who doesn’t say much, but is constantly thinking about the best way just to say hello to you.

Charlie Roumeliotis sports editor Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming a sports journalist, so when I came to college, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

When I joined The Leader in the fall of my junior year, I already thought I was a good writer and assumed I knew it all.

Boy, was I wrong.

Khaled Hosseini once said, “[It’s] better to get hurt by the truth than comforted with a lie.”

Dr. Ron Wiginton provided me with the honesty I needed. I felt great about the first story I ever wrote for the paper — a feature on Elmhurst College welcoming the men’s lacrosse team to campus — and showed it off to everyone. The next day, Ron ripped it to shreds and I’m pretty my editor at the time, Kelsey Plefka, worried she had just lost a writer.

“Don’t be a cheerleader, Charlie. Be a journalist,” Ron told me.

“Tell them what they need to hear, not want to hear.”

So I did. But I certainly wasn’t

perfect, as a writer, editor, or human.

Embrace the mistakes you’ve made, and learn from them.

Get an email from the women’s cross-country coach because you screwed up their season preview by forgetting about a transfer student who turned out to be one of the most dominant runners in the history of EC. (Really sorry, Alyssa Poremba.)

Accidentally call Ryan Prater, Elmhurst’s national champion wrestler, “Matt Prater,” the kicker for the Denver Broncos, on the back page of the sports section.

(My bad, Ryan!)

Mistakes are part of life. So get them out of the way early ... and don’t make the same ones I did. You’ll develop thick skin by learning how to accept them, and once you do, you’ll write a column that’ll make a football player call you a “frat douche.” (I’m in a “fraternity,” bro).

But the most important advice I want to give to Elmhurst College

students: take advantage of this school. The good far outweighs the bad, and the opportunities here aren’t available anywhere else.

If you attend a large university, it’s almost impossible to become sports editor for the college’s award-winning newspaper, station manager for its radio station, and a radio show host at the same time without totally sacrificing your personal life or watching your grades suffer.

The experience you can get here will land you a job before you even graduate if you take advantage of them. You’ll create connections at EC, and the most important resources are right in front of your eyes.

If I went somewhere else, I’d probably only have one foot in the real-world door by graduation. But EC allowed me to get both my feet in the door as a sports journalist before I’ve even accepted my diploma.

Photo by Kim McElheny

Brandon Porter staff writer There are way too many things I can say about the experiences I’ve had Elmhurst.

4 years honestly does go by so fast, and it’s hard to cherish some moments. I still remember the first day I came to this school and the transformation from then till now is astounding. I was so nervous and scared my freshman year thinking about how I would be away from my parents and would have to do everything on my own. Now I love living on my own and being independent. A quiet, shy kid, who has grown into a mature, well-versed man, that story reigns true.

My journey through my four years as a writer has lead me here to The Leader, where I’ve been able to branch out and try different things as a writer. My creativity has grown and the responsibilities have as well, but I welcome them with open arms. A lot of things have been said about us, as writers and staff members for the Leader. Sometimes, I think people forget that we are students too, and we only want to bring news to our fellow classmates. We are the ones that are willing

to go out on a limb and report those things that may not be pleasurable or make the college look good. However, we also the ones that never want to see our friends or classmates in bad positions, or in situations that could hurt them. The sometimes double standard that is thrust upon us is understood, and we know that it comes with the territory.

“My creativity has grown and my responsibilities have as well, but I welcome them with open arms.”

This has been my first and only year writing for The Leader, and writing for the sports section has been probably one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life.

Even the meetings we have

are fun and I’m going to miss reporting with my fellow sports writers Charlie, Paul and Luke. These experiences will be a nice bow on top of my college career as it is winding down.

I honestly have no regrets about coming to Elmhurst College. I’m the type of guy that looks at every experience that I have as an opportunity to gain and grow from it, and that is what Elmhurst has been for me. The times that I have had here will be great things to reflect on 10 years from now. 1 thing that I wish I would have done is live in West Hall. The decision not to live there, haunted me for a year but now I know to take advantage of certain opportunities when they are there.

If you are reading this, just know, you are the only one that you have to prove anything to. Know Yourself.

Cherish the Moments you have with your loved ones.

Take Care, Brandon Porter

Photo by Kim McElheny

Joseph Kok staff writer & staff photographer

Photo by Kim McElheny

Over the course of several years (and three different schools), I have been a returning adult student, with a number of different life experiences beyond the characteristic college years.

I returned back to school full-time after service in the Navy and several years in the working world. I’m graduating from EC as a 31-year-old now. I have been reminded far too many times over this semester that when 9/11 happened, I was 18-years-oldand a high school graduate, while most of my peers were in third grade.

I have given myself the fullest college experience that I desired, while also working a part-time job helping to put me through school and plan for the future.

So, my first shred of wisdom to impart to you is that showing up for class is important, as is doing the reading. At times, it will benefit you to do a cost-benefit analysis in your head as to whether or not you should go to class at all — this is most useful, though, when

you haven’t finished the required paper and need more time to do it.

My second shred of wisdom is to seek out new and interesting ways to meet people.

EC has so much to offer in terms of organizations and activities. In finding friends during this time, seek out those people that are interesting, intriguing, and ones in which you honor/respect their viewpoint and thoughts.

These are people that could become lifelong friends.

If you don’t know what you want to do with your life, this is the time to explore different areas and determine what excites you. What would make you enjoy going to work every day – as an adult, in a career? This is your time to explore your interests, passions, and find ways to foster your growth as an individual and a member of society.

What you learn here and take advantage of will impact you for the rest of your life.

EC has been an amazing experience for me. Through various activities, I explored

my creative side, which I doubted that I even had at all, at times. I explored the city and used it to supplement my education. I took advantage of almost all that the CPE has to offer (really, it is there for you and will give you such a big step ahead to explore the working world).

Another thing that has meant the most to me at EC are the cultural lectures that are offered every season, every year. Take advantage of the opportunity to see worldclass speakers and renowned experts on campus to think critically, decide what you believe, and figure out the world around us.

That’s all I’ve got. Enjoy your time here, and don’t waste it! I’m going to start getting alumni magazines in the next six months. If and when it comes to be your time to be featured, I hope to read great things about you and your accomplishments. I’ll try to give you the same.

Chicago summer music fes Ian Walker,

Chicago is a city vibrant enough to p any kind of music fan, whether it be those that still haven’t drafted up th val novice looking to get their first ta around the Chicago and Midwest are val goer the chance to see what they

Bonnaroo

Chicago Blues

Millenni

Festival Often considered the best blues city in the world, the Chicago Blues Festival is the place to see soulful guitar solos and mournful piano riffs. Taking place at the Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park, this year’s lineup includes headlining performances from New Orleans voodoo king Dr. John, Aaron Neville, Bettye LaVette and Billy Boy Arnold. Expect multiple rousing renditions of “Sweet Home Chicago” to prove that no city does the blues like the Windy City.

Downtow

June 12-15 Admission: $250 & up

the Beat

June 13-15 Admission: Free

Graphics by Nikki Smith

This one isn’t so much way to hear live music nium Park holds free Jay Pritzker Pavilion This year’s roster i Joe Pug, Omar Sou Thompson. Attending is a chance to visit on ing parts of the city, there early. Free mus sures a battle for the b wants to be the late to watch from the w

Like a countrified version of Lolla and Coachella, Bonnaroo is one of the biggest festivals in the U.S., except this one takes place out on a sprawling 700 acre farm called the Great State Park in Manchester, Tenn. Going to this one can feel like a camping trip as much as a music festival, but roughing it can be worth it when some of the acts play as late as 4 a.m. This year’s headliners include Kanye West, Jack White, Vampire Weekend and Elton John. Being one of the higher profile festivals, this one comes with a hefty price tag, so anybody taking the trip down south should start planning now.

June 2Admis mon.

Pitchfork Music Festival

Taste of Chicago

Kind of like the one friend that you have that is always “in the know” about the next big thing, the Pitchfork Music Festival, spun-off from the music website of the same name, features several of the new and emerging acts on the music scene. This one takes place at Union Park, which isn’t quite as big as Grant Park, but still manages to generate a loud, hardrockin’ sound. Beck, Kendrick Lamar and Neutral Milk Hotel are all serving as headliners this year, highlighting the indie rock and hip-hop feel that the festival is known for.

This event packs a one-two punch, providing great music and great food. The Taste holds the distinction of the world’s largest food festival, allowing attendants to gorge on Chicago-style pizza, hot dogs, Italian beef, and other regional dishes, all while listening to live music. Headliners this year include Janelle Monae, Jeff Tweedy, Aloe Blacc and AWOLNATION. This is another festival that hangs out at the Petrillo Music Shell, making Grant Park one hoppin’ place during the summertime.

july 18-20 Admission: $60 1-day pass $120 3-day pass

july 9-13 Admission: Free

stivals that are sure to rock beat editor

populate concert festivals for almost from heavy metal to smooth jazz. For heir festival plans yet, or for the festiaste, here are nine of the best festivals reas that will hopefully give any festiy’re looking for.

ium Park

Summerfest

Lollapalooza

wn Sound

a festival, but a great c nonetheless. Millene concerts at its own every Monday night. includes Bob Mould, uleyman and Richard one of these shows ne of the better lookjust make sure to get sic almost always enbest seats, and nobody ecomer who is forced way back of the lawn.

Touting itself as “The World’s Largest Music Festival,” Summerfest is a beast of its own. Located in Milwaukee Wis., the festival is an 11-day event, occurring over the Fourth of July holiday, which boasts 11 different stages, allowing for over 700 different acts to come through the festival each year. Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Dave Matthews Band and Outkast are among this year’s headliners, all playing at the park’s main stage, the Marcus Amphitheater.

General admission here is only $17, making this one of the few non-free summer festivals kind to a college student’s wallet.

This is the big one; thousands of people from all over the country flock to Lolla, taking over Grant Park for a three day weekend full of blaring, hyped-up music amongst throngs of sweltering, sweaty people. Eminem, Outkast and Kings of Leon headline this year’s show, with more performances featuring Arctic Monkeys, Foster the People, Skrillex and Lorde. By this time of the year tickets are usually sold out, so hopeful attendees will probably have to resort to the second-hand market for any chance of soaking up the Lolla action. For those that don’t want to shell out the cash, most of the bigger acts have been live streamed on the festival’s YouTube channel for the past few years, allowing music fans to rock out from the comfort of their own air-conditioned homes.

aug 1-3 Admission: $100 1-day $250 3-day pass

June 28-29 july 1-6 Admission: $17

-Aug 11 ssion: free

Chicago Jazz Festival

Riot Fest

For those that love attending EC’s own Jazz Festival every February, the Chicago Jazz Festival takes place at Millennium Park’s Cultural Center over Labor Day weekend. A plethora of smooth and upbeat jazz sounds will be heard by this year’s headliners, including Terence Blancahrd, Gary Burton, Rufus Reid and Dave Holland, the latter of which will lead his jazz quartet Prism, which includes former “Tonight Show” band leader Kevin Eubanks. The infectious, toe-tapping rhythms emanating from this event are enough to put a smile on any jazz-lover.

Closing out the festival season in Chicago is Riot Fest. Calling Humboldt Park its home since 2012, this event boosts a heavier punk rock and alternative flair, making this a great place to do some serious headbanging. Headliners haven’t been announced as of this printing, but acts that filled out last year’s event included Fall Out Boy, Blink-182 and Sublime with Rome. Since classes will be back in session by the time this event rolls around, jamming to all of the hard-rocking tunes found here could be a great way to forget about the new school year jitters.

aug 28-31 Admission: Free

sept 12-14 Admission: tba

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Beat

May 13, 2014

ecleader.org

New ‘Spider-Man’ not quite as amazing Kevin Garcia staff writer

“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” swings in with what seems to be the biggest battle for Peter Parker yet. While the movie boasts an interesting premise, it ultimately gets bogged down by too many subplots and a controversial ending, but still manages to set up interesting things for the future “Spider-Man” films.

This movie sees Peter graduating high school and having to come to terms with being more of an adult. He does struggle with growing pains, but that is what makes Spider-Man so lovable as an icon. He is an everyman that the audience can root for.

Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone do a stellar job with creating the realistic relationship of Peter and Gwen Stacy. Marc Webb, the director, knows how to create great romance, thanks in part to his work in his film “500 Days of Summer.” The audience can see both struggle and “aww” sentimentality between Peter and Gwen similar to what was in “500 Days.” It also doesn’t hurt that Garfield and Stone are dating in real life to add to the romantic tension.

While this film does well with its young heroic couple, it does a poor job with its main villain, Electro, played by Jamie Foxx.

VERDICT: 3 PEANUTS

Unfortunately, Electro was pretty expendable; he looked cool but he was style over substance. His powers of electricity were fun to look at, but he had no personality, thus allowing the audience to not be invested in the character.

The more interesting villain was Harry Osborn, aka Green Goblin. Dane DeHaan is given the best story arc in the whole film and brings to life a really slimy quality in the Goblin. His origin story, tragic and sinister, was given some real substance and was very compelling to watch. DeHaan had some experience playing a villain thanks to his performance in “Chronicle,” another superhero film where he played the troubled kid gone horribly wrong. DeHaan was quite impressive.

In terms of classic high-flying, web-slinging action, this iteration of Spider-Man is only so-so.

All of the action is beautiful to look at, watching all of the acrobats Spidey can do, but it can also be over stimulating and repetitive at times because of the constant combination of slow motion and rotating cameras that can be dizzying.

The film also gets overly com-

plicated because of the different scenarios Peter has to deal with: his girlfriend, his Aunt May, his friend Harry, Electro, and the long lost question of what happened to his parents? That last issue was poorly handled, which is disappointing considering its importance to the overall Spider-Man story. In this sequel the truth about Peter’s parents

is revealed but it really doesn’t amount to anything and ends up being a true buzz kill. It makes it hard for the audience to get invested in Peter until the very end of the movie.

For all of the hectic loopholes and over stimulation, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” has enough zest to overcome obstacles, mostly because of the relation-

ship between Peter and Gwen, visceral action, and a refreshing performance from DeHaan. Also, not to mention Spidey is arguably the most relatable hero in comics lore, and that shines through in this movie. It’s not the greatest entry in the “Spider-Man” franchise but hey, at least it’s not “Spider-Man 3.”

Internet Photo Spidey swings through New York City and fights baddies like Electro and Green Goblin in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”

Rogen, Efron make for wild ‘Neighbors’ Kailey Hansen staff writer

Let’s face it, as college students — whether we live in the dorms or commute from home — we’ve all had bad neighbors. But the newest slapstick comedy “Neighbors,” starring Seth Rogen and Zac Efron, takes the definition of bad neighbors to a whole new level.

The story follows young married couple Mac and Kelly Radner (Rogen and Rose Byrne) as they strive to fit in as a grown-up couple living in suburbia and raising a baby.

Envious of their single friends living the wild life, Mac and Kelly try to recapture their glory days by taking their baby with them to a rave...and fail.

Depressed over their mundane existence, things get interesting when a group of frat brothers move in next door and the couple sees a golden opportunity to relive their younger years.

Rogen plays his familiar dopey, average guy but adds a new dimension to his persona in this film by playing the awkward dad, trying to fit in with a hip, young fraternity. Byrne plays his edgy wife who goes back and forth from doting mother to badmouth party girl.

Her mismatched partnership with Rogen ironically works and becomes the crux for the film’s comedy. Efron’s portrayal as the president of his fraternity is fittingly casted but is relatively immemorable. He

VERDICT: 3 PEANUTS

has a few funny moments with his greek brother, played by Dave Franco (yes, that’s James Franco’s little brother), but all

of the fraternity brothers eventually blend together into one wild character.

While the beginning sets up the unique plot, the movie quickly devolves into scene after scene of excessive partying and over-the-top college ragers that seems to fill over half the movie. It’s a comedy that

appeals to the audiences of films like “The Hangover” and “This Is The End” due to the raunchy humor and graphic misadventures, but it’s definitely not for those wanting a real storyline to follow.

It’s clear that in the story, both the frat brothers and the the Radners are considered

the bad neighbors. Interestingly enough, it’s up to the audience to decide who they root for. However, it is Rogen and Byrne’s performance as the past-their-prime couple that make for a comedic adventure of unfortunate events.

It’s calm, suburban life vs. party hard fraternity life when Seth Rogen and Zac Efron wage war in “Neighbors.”

Internet Photo

ecleader.org

Beat

17

May 13, 2014

As we near the end of the year, and graduation, for some students, Sound Roundup asks: What song represents “goodbye” or an ending for you?

1

Ian Walker, Beat Editor, The Leader: There’s not really any one song that represents goodbye for me, but is there any song that better encapsulates the idea of coming and going than The Band’s “The Weight?” I think not. An all-time classic rock song, “Rolling into Nazareth” could stand for beginning a journey anywhere, and with graduation approaching I will be sure to “send my regards to everyone” who helped me through four years of college.

Plus, The Band put on one of the greatest farewell concerts of all-time, documented in the 1978 film “The Last Waltz,” so this group knows a thing or two about saying goodbye.

1 Internet Photo

2 Internet Photo

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Alysha McElroyHodges, DJ at WRSE: I can remember graduating high school last year and having “Go the Distance” from “Hercules,” stuck in my head.

Even though it’s a Disney song, the lyrics are extremely engaging and meaningful. Oh, and the chorus is really catchy! Second on my list is, “Unwritten”

by Natasha Bedingfield, so as [we] graduate, it makes perfect sense to sing, or shout “Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten...” Also, Mandy Moore’s “Extraordinary”, which sends this message of spreading your wings and flying to new heights to become “extraordinary.” And “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas.

This is an all-time party starter and summer jam. It just brings so much joy into my life when I feel like something is going to be amazing!

3 Internet Photo

4 Internet Photo

3

Jaclyn Abdul, DJ at WRSE: [It probably sounds] so dorky, but I’d say “Graduation” by Vitamin C. It makes me tear up.

And it reminds me of almost every goodbye I’ve ever had.

5 Internet Photo

6 Internet Photo

4

Patrick Erwin, News Editor, The Leader: As a graduating senior, it’s definitely an ending for me. Two songs come to my mind. One is Donny Hathaway’s “Someday We’ll All Be Free,” a fantastic, cathartic song that can be interpreted a million ways. It’s the song of someone who’s making their way through a lot of challenges and a lot of things that make you question who you are. The other is “We Will Never Pass This Way Again” by Seals and Crofts. It’s total cheeseball easy listening from the 1970s, but it’s warm and bittersweet and somehow, the music manages to get all of that across.

5

Zach Bishop, Staff Writer, The Leader: “Let it Go,” from “Frozen” is my favorite goodbye song because it is a powerful expression by an outsider who finally decides to stop hiding her differences and leave her ignorant community. It has also been played, remixed, and covered so many times that I want to say goodbye to the song before it’s ruined by popular culture’s obsessive nature.

6

Craig Engstrom, EC Communications Professor: I like endings. They remind me to pause, to breathe, to reflect, to appreciate life’s journey, to look forward. Perhaps this is why I have a playlist. Arriving to Chicago from a trip? Kanye’s “Homecoming.” Am I saying goodbye? Sia’s “Breathe Me.” Was the ending unjustified? Hanni El Khatib’s “Build.Destroy.Rebuild.” Did I come to a crossroad?

Louise Attaque’s “Du Nord Au Sud.” Am I having a “magical” ending? Mika’s “Happy Ending” or “Any Other World.” But the catchall is “How it Ends” by DeVotchKa. This mellifluous song is perfect for both moments of self-actualization and moments of significant failure. I cry every time I listen to it.

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Beat

May 13, 2014

Joseph Kok staff writer

l

MiddleGround l

Getting you through the dull days separating our bi-weekly issues... Because we care.

Internet Photo

Internet Photo

Spring Capstone Exhibition

Through Sat., May 31 FREE Frick Center – Founders’ Lounge, Kieft Accelerator ArtSpace.

ArtSpace open Tues., Thurs., and Sat. from 12-4 p.m.

Elmhurst is hosting author and Univ. of Virginia English professor Mark Edmundson in the final cultural lecture of the semester. He views teaching as a vital and important calling in shaping lives. For people who are interested in education or not, this could be an interesting lecture to attend to reflect on how teachers and professors are able to help guide students and enable them to seek out their identity and sense of purpose.

Internet Photo

Ice Cream Social

As the last week of classes wind down, the Elmhurst Jazz Band and Vocal Jazz groups offer the opportunity to kick back, relax, and hear an evening of great music. Students not quite ready to start the massive amounts of finals studying that needs to be done, consider checking out this night of free entertainment.

Enjoy an end of the year Ice Cream Social, with sundaes served up by President Ray and his cabinet, as well as other college staff and faculty. What’s better than free ice cream and hanging out with friends?

Thurs., May 15, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Thurs., May 15, 7:30 p.m.

FREE Frick Center – Founders’ Lounge

Thurs., May 15, 7 p.m.

FREE Frick Center – Founders’ Lounge

l cartoonist

File Photo

Live Jazz

Why Teach?

Take a break from all of the papers and projects that are piling up to see some of the incredible work that students from the Art department have done over this semester. These students’ work is on display in both the Frick Center and the Kieft Accelerator. Be sure to check out the info posted next to the works of art, and read the story of the art’s creation and the artists’ visions.

Tyler Kerr

ecleader.org

Off the Wire l

Politics boring you? Sick of hearing about #thirdworldproblems? Tired of seeming like an ignorant slob?

Off The Wire compiles the worlds’s quirkiest news to help avoid that uncomfortable lull in conversation.

Cameron Crowe Releases “Almost Famous” Notes In light of Empire magazine’s 300th issue, Cameron Crowe released a three page set of notes that simply lists prospective titles for his semi-autobiographical hit movie “Almost Famous” and, yeah, they fucking suck.

Apparently, Crowe really likes the word “word,” drafting some titles like “A Thousand Words,” “Words of a Song,” and “Words and Music.” Some are sickening, like “Rewind Forward” or the even better “Rewind to the End,” which just sounds like some 15-year-old’s creative writing assignment (ohhhh, wait). Looking over the list just makes everyone really happy that Crowe stuck with the obviously best title on the page, and not the obviously original “Untitled.”

Will Ferrell and Adam McKay to Reinvent “The Flintstones” Since John Goodman and Rosie O’Donnell just couldn’t cut it (nor Seth MacFarlane), Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are trying their hand at the Hanna-Barbera classic. Yes, a collective sigh can be exhaled — it will be animated. “The Campaign” screenwriter Chris Henchy is reported to be writing the featurelength cartoon, a striking difference to the team of 35 writers of that shitty 1994 live action reboot. While not much has surfaced on the project yet, something still left to wonder: what’s wrong with “The Jetsons?”

Wasp Named After “Harry Potter” Thingy Since “Harry Potter” fandom means never dropping the subject of “Harry Potter,” or even letting the subject die down just a smidgen, a wasp has now been named after one of HP’s beloved creatures — Dementors. The name Ampluexdementor was chosen for the winged insect (the freak picked from an immensely large collection of yet unnamed species, because this exists?) due to its magical power to turn its prey into a zombie and then suck out its life with weird ass lips. The big news is that, yet again, “Harry Potter” fans have found a way to remind us that “Harry Potter” is still a thing.

“Simpsons” Misses to Get Own Makeup Line MAC Cosmetics is planning a limited-edition line inspired by Marge Simpson, reports Women’s Wear Daily, because apparently people want to look like a cartoon character.

The makeup giant is releasing the selections in commemoration of the animated sitcom’s 25th Anniversary, but no words yet on what exactly the collection entails. Here are some prospective (and OBVIOUSLY MADE UP) shades of makeup products: “D’oh Desire;” “Crimson Cromulent;” “Cadet Craptacular;” and “KwikE-Maroon.”

Cartoon by Tyler Kerr

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Beat

May 13, 2014

ecleader.org

THE FUN PAGE This issue’s crossword puzzle celebrates the end of the TV season. We gave you the actor, you have to name what show they’re on in the puzzle.

Across

Down

4. Andy Samberg

1. Adam Levine

5. Kerry Washington

2. Jon Hamm

6. Jennifer Lopez

3. Amy Poehler

7. Jim Parsons

7. Ashton Kutcher

9. Norman Reedus

8. Sofia Vergara

12. Nina Dobrev

10. Kevin Spacey

13. Zooey Deschanel

11. Peter Dinklage

Leader Horoscopes Tyler Kerr

staff cartoonist

Helping you with the little things like what to have for lunch, and the more important things like your non-existent love life.

For answers to last issue’s crossword puzzle, go to ecleader.org

Your cup runneth over. JK, shit’s damn empty.

Try something new just for the halibut.

Is now listening to “Wooly Bully” on Spotify

Go thrifting for those dirt cheap deals (Get it? You’re an Earth sign, dumbass).

Great minds think alike.

Too bad there’s two of you.

Stars, planets, bullshit, you got it.

Getting a little pudge?

Skip the “mane” course.

Everyone knows you stole those oak saplings from the Grounds Crew’s nursery.

DoES thIs UNeEveN SentENce bOTheR YOu?

Drop the modesty. Toot your own horn for once.

Reiny and Neebs partake in a classic summertime game of catch, with disastrous results.

#lame

Just give up already.

Cartoon by Tyler Kerr

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sports

May 13, 2014

ecleader.org

EC WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

Poremba breaks record, becomes school’s second-fastest runner in 1,500 meter run PAUL ROUMELIOTIS staff writer

EC concluded their season on Saturday, May 3 at the CCIW Championships, but for one runner, it continues.

Alyssa Poremba’s stellar season extended Thursday after she placed first in the 5,000 meters at 17:41.33, shattering her personal best by 27 seconds. She now ranks fifth on the school’s all-time list.

Poremba, senior, also clocked in a 4:38.07 in the 1,500 meter run, the secondfastest time in EC history, behind Lauren Williams, who’s

held the record since 2012 with a time of 4:33.15.

Poremba expected a challenging race, but wasn’t expecting the finish she had.

“I was honestly expecting girls to pass me towards the end since I knew their times going into the race,” she said, “but I am happy I took first with an awesome [personal record].”

Bluejays assistant coach Kelsey Plefka had high praise for Poremba’s finish in windy conditions.

“She did excellent,” said Plefka. “She just continues to prove her talent week af-

ter week. She’s had a stellar season and I really can’t wait to see what she can do in two weeks at Nationals.”

Poremba has one more race in both the 5,000 meters and the 10,000 meters on Thursday at North Central College before Nationals in two weeks.

Despite Poremba’s recordbreaking finish in the 5,000 meters, Jays head coach Erik Guta knows she has to improve her time as the competition gets tougher.

“Everyday she is with us is a bonus,” Guta said. “She has always been a great runner for us, but has really come on in

the past few months.”

Although Poremba continues to break school records and shatter personal bests every week, she echoed Guta’s sentiments, and understands the competition will continue to get better.

But improvement is something she’s done all season.

“I am just going to go in with the mindset that I have made it this far and I’m meant to be there (since sometimes it stills seems surreal),” Poremba said. “It’ll be my last collegiate race and so I just need to lay it all out on the track.”

Poremba also earned an all-

Alyssa Poremba (18) has shattered numerous amounts of records this season, and added another one during the CCIW Outdoor Championships.

conference accolate for her third-place finish in the 1,500 meters while a pair of others Jays athletes were rewarded as well.

Sophomore distance runner Caitlin O’Mara placed seventh in the steeplechase with a time of 12:21.13, good enough to win an all-conference honor.

Freshman Cynthia Mote earned all-conference honors after registering 2,350 points in the heptathlon, good for seventh place, respectively.

EC totaled 22 points to place sixth at the 2014 CCIW Outdoor Championships.

Photo courtesy of Kelsey Plefka

EC BASEBALL

Jays conclude season on three-game losing streak, seek vast improvement in 2015 CHARLIE ROUMELIOTIS sports editor

At the beginning of the season, the Bluejays were talking conference championship or bust. EC, at the very least, planned to take a step forward, but instead, took two steps back.

“If things go the right way, we could win the conference,” senior outfielder David Wolak said before the season. “But our margin for error is slim.”

Indeed, it was.

The hitting was certainly there — the Jays hit .302 as a team, and led the CCIW with 25 homeruns — but the pitching remained an issue, much like it did last year.

EC’s Achilles heal started and ended on the mound — 6.80 ERA ranked second-tolast in the conference — and it showed in the Jays’ 15-22 overall record.

And head coach Joel Southern knows it has to improve next season.

“We generally swung the

bats well, and the pitching was quite good during our hot stretch,” he said, referencing the Jays’ nine conference wins out of 10 in the middle of the season. “That being said, we still need to get better on the mound, and we need to tighten up the infield defense.”

EC’s goal of winning a conference championship, a title they haven’t claimed since 1982, won’t get any easier next year.

They’ll have to look to turn the ship around without its top

hitters, Tyler Wargo and Wolak, the preseason All-American candidate, due to graduation.

But Southern is confident the senior class showed the young players the ropes for 2015.

“This was the biggest and most experienced senior class that I’ve had at Elmhurst, and they’re a very special group to me and to the program,” he said. “We will certainly miss them, but I’m definitely excited for the future.”

The Jays left more questions

than answers following this season. But Southern believes they have the roster to answer them.

“We had a number of freshman play major roles here this year, and there are some others that didn’t receive as much time as they otherwise might have because the opportunity wasn’t there playing behind a senior,” Southern said. “We have some questions we’ll need to answer next year, but I believe we have the talent to answer them.”

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May 13, 2014

The Leader grades the Bears’ 2014 NFL Draft

23

1st round, 14th overall: CB Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech

3rd round, 82nd overall: DT Will Sutton, Arizona State

4th round, 131st overall: SS Brock Vereen, Minnesota

6th round, 191st overall: P Pat O’Donnell, Miami (Fla.)

2nd round, 51st overall: DT Ego Ferguson, LSU

4th round, 117th overall: RB Ka’Deem Carey, Arizona

6th round, 183rd overall: QB David Fales, San Jose State

7th round, 246th overall: OT Charles Leno Jr., Boise State

LUKE TANAKA staff writer

PAUL ROUMELIOTIS

BRANDON PORTER

staff writer

staff writer

CHARLIE ROUMELIOTIS sports editor

B

A

B

B+

The Rams snatched up Aaron Donald one slot before the Bears, but I like the versatile corner Kyle Fuller because Tim Jennings (30-years-old) and Charles Tillman (33) won’t be around forever. Both defensive tackles, a need that could have been filled with Donald, have a lot to prove.

Ego Ferguson hasn’t had success and will be a work-in-progress, while Will Sutton needs to keep his weight around 285 to be as effective as he was in 2012 (23.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks).

Going back-to-back defensive tackles makes me wonder whether the Bears truly believe in either selection. But Phil Emery and Co. did snag some nice late-round prospects in running back Ka’Deem Carey, safety Brock Vereen, and quarterback David Fales. Carey and Fales should fit in as solid backups, while Vereen is good in run support and has a year to feel out the NFL with M.D. Jennings and Chris Conte in the final year of their respective contracts.

Phil Emery addressed some of the Bears’ needs through free agency, but he capped off the NFL draft in every way possible filling many open holes.

Since defense was the primary concern last year, Emery used his first round pick on Kyle Fuller, to help balance the wide receivers who Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, and newly-drafted Teddy Bridgewater, will be throwing to.

The Bears also added two defensive tackles, both whom will make immediate impacts, yet are considered projects.

Emery also found backups for Jay Cutler and Matt Forte with David Fales and Ka’Deem Carey following the losses of Josh McCown and Michael Bush.

The selection of safety Brock Vereen will help ease the pressure off Chris Conte, who’s in the final year of his contract.

They even drafted a punter, Pat O’Donnell. Emery got it all.

To top it off, he added some depth to their offensive line in Charles Leno Jr. I didn’t question any of the picks.

The Bears were able to seemingly lift themselves into the forefront of the NFC North along with the Packers. They addressed burning team needs with their draft picks, and for now have done what they can to put themselves in a contender position.

Drafting a young cornerback in Kyle Fuller allows the Bears to have flexibility with their aging and somewhat bangedup secondary. Also, drafting safety Brock Vereen in the fourth round erased the bad taste that Chris Conte left in Bears fans’s mouths.

Ego Ferguson and Ka’Deem Carey add depth to the defensive line and running back position.

The Bears picked up a quarterback that probably won’t add much to the team, and a punter that will just be another member on the bench.

Overall, the Bears improved through the draft and free agency, and should compete strongly for the NFC North crown this year.

Phil Emery reached for Kyle Long in the first round of last year’s draft, and it certainly paid off. Will it pay off the second?

Kyle Fuller is a phenomenal corner, who’s made to be a Bear.

Ego Ferguson was a reach in the second round, but Will Sutton may have made up for it. The two should push each other to formulate a brick wall at the line.

Ka’Deem Carey was a sneaky pick — a younger, cheaper version of Michael Bush — who will give the Bears some spark when Matt Forte takes a breather.

Brock Vereen might quickly become the most popular Bear, solely because it’ll mean less of Chris Conte.

I’m not a fan of David Fales, but the Bears needed to add a young quarterback to a thin depth chart.

Pat O’Donnell can’t be any worse than Adam Podlesh, so there’s an upgrade.

And Charles Leno Jr. gives the Bears versatility and depth on a line that’s still trying to establish themselves.

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24

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May 13, 2014

ecleader.org

FEMALE TEAM OF THE YEAR : VOLLEYBALL THIRD CONSECUTIVE NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE

Marci Novak (senior): “Of the four seasons I was lucky enough to spend with ECVB, this season was by far my favorite. The success of the season was incredible, but there were plenty of bumps along the way we had to work through together, and there was never a time we felt unsupported or unloved. Losing in the Sweet 16 was obviously not the finale we dreamed of, but ultimately it won’t be the final stamp on our season. Our season was the feeling of love and support from the entire campus community, and knowing when we played at home the environment would be incredible. ECVB was incredibly blessed this year, and it was a great end to the last four years.”

Katie Rueffer (senior): “We had a successful season and we were all sad to see it end. We mad a lot of lasting memories and shared some of the best moments with our teammates as we accomplished so much, not only this season but the past couple seasons. Being nationally ranked top 10 in the country is quite the accomplishment, but what we accomplished was a lot more than that. It goes far beyond what we did on the court together.”

Julie Hall (head coach): “At the time, we were disappointed just because we had set such high standards and fully believed we could get back to the Final Four and beyond. But looking back, it’s tough to fault such a great record, hosting the CCIW and Regionals again and proving to everyone this team belonged in the national spotlight.”

THE 2014 LEADER Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Johnson

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: ALYSSA POREMBA ALL-REGION RUNNER

Favorite moment of the season?

“My favorite moment this year was probably racing at Drake. It was the coolest stadium to race in, I ran an amazing race, broke a record, pretty much qualified myself for Nationals, won a free bag, got a huge hug from my coach after but to top it off a little girl I didn’t even know approached me after and shook my hand to congratulate me, it was by far an amazing feeling.”

Most challenging moment of the season?

“My most challenging moment was probably when I got injured during the start of outdoor. I had to cross train for a while and all that was on my mind was how I should be running and if I was going to be able to race where I wanted for my last season.”

Pre-game ritual?

“Mine are a little strange. The night before I race I always have a chicken caesar salad/wrap and 2.5 hours before my race I eat a peanut butter sandwich.”

Favorite quote?

“Do It with Passion or Not at All.” Photo Courtesy of Kelsey Plefka

FEMALE COACH OF THE YEAR : JULIE HALL

RECORDED HER 500TH WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL WIN LAST SEASON

Favorite moment of the season?

“Seeing the gym packed for the CCIW championships. There were a lot of people there for the “first time” and they couldn’t get over how exciting it was. It was fun to see their reaction on how good this team was and the overall electric atmosphere of the crowd.”

Most challenging moment of the season?

“Sitting in a classroom together mid-season and figuring out strengths and weaknesses and how much we needed and appreciated each other.”

What’s it been like coaching this group?

“Amazing. They believed in each other and worked really hard for all the accolades they received. Nothing was taken for granted and their tight knit belief in each other and support helped them attain another championship. It was just fun watching them “grow up” together and hopefully one day, they’ll grasp what all they accomplished together. I really don’t think it’s hit them yet.”

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ecleader.org

May 13, 2014

25

MALE TEAM OF THE YEAR : TENNIS

FIRST EVER NCAA POSTSEASON BERTH

Vince McPherson (senior): “I couldn’t be happier with the way the season went. Our main goal was to repeat the conference title and qualify for nationals and that’s exactly what we did. The highlight of the year, for me, was hosting the CCIW Championships and having so many people out to watch. It meant so much to the team to have all the support we did, and we wouldn’t have traded one thing about this season for the world.”

Photo by Peter Flockencier

Alex Harbert (senior): “Going to nationals was my favorite moment, and even though we didn’t advance, just being there in my senior year couldn’t have been a better experience. I’m happy with the way the season ended and my career at Elmhurst ended.”

Will Jung (senior): “I would definitely say that this season was a success. It was great to win [the CCIW Championship] last year because that showed that we could do it, but winning it this year was so much sweeter because we proved that we deserved it. It was a great experience being part of the process of rebuilding a tennis program, and to be a part of the team that brought Elmhurst tennis to its peak was more than I could have asked for.”

SPORTS AWARDS MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: RYAN PRATER

DIVISION-III NATIONAL CHAMPION

Favorite moment of the season?

“My first practice with the team after being out of the sport for 3 and a half years because then I knew it was all real and I really had a chance to compete for a title.”

Most challenging moment of the season?

“By far, when I hurt my knee and had to miss six weeks. Coming back took a little longer than I expected.”

Pre-game ritual?

“I don’t really have one. I just try to stay relaxed and make sure I’m mentally prepared for my matches and I’m thinking clearly.”

Favorite quote?

“Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy.”

Photo Courtesy of Ryan Prater

MALE COACH OF THE YEAR : ANTHONY MCPHERSON

BACK-TO-BACK CCIW TITLES

Favorite moment of the season?

“My favorite moment and most challenging moment so far this season was our last match of the CCIW Tournament. It’s always tough to beat Wheaton twice in a season. It was an all out team battle. It was unique in that all of our guys contributed to a point in us getting to five points. If they lost in singles then they won in doubles and vice versa.”

What’s it been like coaching this group?

“It’s been challenging, enjoyable and a learning experience for all, including me. We had such a great recruiting class that year when Will [Jung], Vince [McPherson], Alex [Harbert] came in that they not only started but also were in the top spots. But the challenge was very talented individuals coming in to play a team sport. We set the tone early with those guys and as the years have gone on our growth/maturity has spoken for itself. We have one of the most unselfish teams.”

Photo by Peter Flockencier

Favorite quote?

“The strength of a team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” - Phil Jackson

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MEN’S TENNIS from the back page

Sewanee won two of three in doubles, and took three singles matches to take care of the Jays.

Senior Alex Harbert believes the team could have won of their doubles matches.

“We just needed to execute better,” he said. “We had chances to win all three doubles con-

Photo by Kim McElheny Jays senior Alex Harbert wrapped up his collegiate career with a 16-6 record in singles.

tests and only getting one didn’t help.”

EC lost their matches at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles, and scored their only win from juniors Chris Harrison and Luke Tanaka who took home an 8-6 victory at No. 2 doubles. The Jays were looking for a spark in singles play, and got it briefly.

Down 3-1, EC senior Will Jung pulled the Jays within a point by winning his No. 2 singles match 7-5 and 6-2, respectively. However, shortly after, Sewanee gained control and eventually earned this victory as they defeated EC at No. 4 and No. 6 singles.

But the final score of 5-2 didn’t do justice on how tight it came down to.

No. 1 and No. 5 singles match went unfinished, even though Harbert and Jennings both took the first set and led late in the second set.

Harbert felt the team showed great dedication and perseverance.

“Our heart was great and we never gave up,” he said. “It was just a point here and there that could have been the difference.”

The Jays completed the most successful season in EC history, concluding the year with a 16-5 overall record — a two-win improvement from a year ago — and an undefeated 6-0 in conference play.

EC will look to extend their CCIW streak to three, but will do so without seniors Harbert, Jung, and McPherson.

EC MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD

Jays fall short of goal, place seventh at CCIW Championships PAUL ROUMELIOTIS staff writer

The Bluejays season ended with a seventh place finish on Friday and Saturday, May 2-3, at the CCIW Championships, but Will Cross isn’t done yet.

Cross, junior, ran personal bests in the 10,000 meters and 1,500 meters, earning two more all-conference honors for his career.

Cross was scheduled to race Thursday as well, but he was pulled due to an undisclosed illness. He still has an opportunity to qualify for Nationals Because the Jays were handicapped with late season injuries, including its top scorer, EC fell one place short of its goal of sixth place that could’ve been fifth.

“Our goal was to finish sixth and close the game on fifth place in the team standings, but we fell short of that,” said Jays head coach Jim Akita. “We had some late season injuries that we just couldn’t overcome, and because of that, lost out on points that easily could’ve put us in sixth place.”

Although it’s not the season

they had envisioned, Akita was pleased with the growth of his team.

“The outdoor season was really fun. We grew as a team and bonded well, which makes practice and meets more enjoyable,” he said. “We always are playing catch-up after indoors and the team responded well by finishing the season strong.”

Akita believes next season is looking more optimistic, considering all of his top scorers

will be back.

“We return all of our scorers from this year’s team next year and with the younger guys improving and any new freshmen we get in, I think we look to place 4th-5th next year in the conference,” he said. “It’s still going to take a ton of hard work and positive mental attitudes, but I think we took a step in that direction this season, I am proud of everyone on this team.”

Photo courtesy of Kelsey Plefka Will Cross (Elmhurst) qualified for Nationals as a cross-country runner in the fall, and will now have a chance to do so in track and field.

May 13, 2014

l Charlie’s

27

Angles l

AJ McCarron, the next Tom Brady CHARLIE ROUMELIOTIS sports editor

By now, you probably already know the stats AJ McCarron compiled during his four-year collegiate career at Alabama. You can count the number of losses on one hand, for crying out loud. But if you need a reminder, refer back to my Oct. 24 column when I called him the best quarterback in college football.

Now, as he begins his NFL journey with the Cincinnati Bengals — who drafted McCarron in the 5th round of the 2014 NFL Draft — I’m already leaping to the conclusion the he’ll become the next Tom Brady.

This has little to do with the eerily similar comparisons between the two quarterbacks — both wore No. 10 in college, both entered the NFL Draft at 6-4, 220 pounds, both plummeted in their draft classes — and everything to do with why Brady and McCarron were overlooked.

This is exactly what NFL scouts and general managers aren’t crazy about: the “game-managers.” The two-star athletes who aren’t as naturally gifted as the five-star recruits. The college kids who don’t have an “NFL arm” or “high upside” — which doesn’t make sense considering Brady fit that category coming out of college, yet has evolved into a future Hall of Famer. McCarron’s style doesn’t leap off your television screen, but it also doesn’t make you want to change the channel.

As an athlete, McCarron doesn’t belong in the same breath as Johnny Manziel. But it appears that’s how professionals are evaluating quarterbacks these days, and might be a reason why 31 other teams missed out on stealing the next Brady.

McCarron has Brady’s clutch guts and fiery passion with a heavy dose of Peyton Manning’s mind.

Like Brady, McCarron doesn’t get nervous in pressured situations.

He gets mad, which leads to greatness. Just ask his former teammate and roommate Barrett Jones. The two got into a shoving match late during the 2012 national title game against Notre Dame even though they led by four touchdowns. Now, they share multiple rings together.

McCarron out-dueled 2012 Heisman winner Manziel, throw for throw, in College Station two years ago. But the dagger happened in the fourth quarter, when McCarron threw a game-winning TD on third-and-goal at the 5-yard line after calling a Peyton-like audible seconds before the ball was snapped.

Brains, guts, and clutchness. It’s in his blood, and it was evident before he became a household name in Tuscaloosa.

In a Sports Illustrated feature story from late November, during his first intrasquad scrimmage, McCarron took the field with Alabama’s walk-ons going up against the defensive starters. He was bullrushed almost every play, and spent more time on his back than Jay Cutler did during his first four years with the Bears. As soon as practice ended, McCarron, a redshirt freshman at the time, stormed “pissed” into coach Nick Saban’s office, still in his gear, and said, “You want me to show you what I can do, how I can play? Well, I can’t do shit when you put me with walk-ons who can’t even block. I don’t understand why you don’t put me with the [starters].”

That’s the guy I want on my team, and that’s the quarterback I’ll win Super Bowls with.

It’s no coincidence McCarron will wear No. 5 — the round he was selected in — for the Bengals. He’s already making sure the teams who passed on him are aware of the mistake they’ll have made looking back 10-15 years from now.

So while NFL teams are foolishly drooling over the Blake Bortles’ of the world, McCarron will make the teams who drafted the 163 names before him look even more foolish, exactly like Brady did.

Follow Charlie on Twitter @CRoumeliotis.

Jays clinch first ever NCAA playoff berth, fall in opening round BRANDON PORTER staff writer

For the first time in school history, the Bluejays clinched an NCAA championship berth following their second straight conference championship. But that’s as far as they got, after dropping their first round matchup to Sewanee on Friday.

See MEN’S TENNIS on page 27

Photo by Kim McElheny

Will Jung secured the lone singles win for the Jays, defeating Sewanee’s Rand Jackson in two sets.