HAMLINE UNIVERSITY | ST. PAUL, MN | 9.29.21 | VOL. 133 | NO. 2 | HAMLINEORACLE.COM
Being an anti-racist on campus
HUSC welcomes new year Hamline University’s Student Congress has entered fall elections with changes both internally and externally for how they are operating. Anika Besst News Editor abesst01@hamline.edu
SOURCE | AMAZON.COM Ibram X. Kendi’s book, “How to be an Antiracist,” published in 2019, was chosen as the Common Read book for first-years this school year. The book was meant to start and support conversations.
“Black people are apparently responsible for calming the fears of violent cops in the way women are supposedly responsible for calming the sexual desires of male rapists,” writes Ibram X. Kendi author of “How to Be an Anti-Racist,” this year’s Common Read. Jack Fischer Senior Reporter jfischer12@hamline.edu Hamline’s Common Read selection for the 202122 school year, “How to Be an Anti-Racist,” by Ibram X. Kendi, has been met with mixed feelings. The Common Read is part of the curriculum for incoming first-years that allows FYSEM courses to have a shared curriculum to focus discussion and activities around, while keeping in mind Hamline’s core values of social justice and community. This year’s selection comes after “You and I Eat the Same,” edited by Chris Ying last year, and “On the Come Up,” by Angie Thomas, two years ago. “We began engaging that book with faculty and staff [last year], and there was so much excitement around wanting to delve into it more, that we felt creating a space to engage students would be extremely helpful for the community and the
campus,” said Dr. David Everett, the Associate Vice President for Inclusive Excellence at Hamline. Staff and faculty engaged with the book in 2020, when it had been part of their professional development program. According to Everett, staff had been excited and enamored about the conversation and the timeliness of the book; himself, college leadership and the First-year Seminar program decided it would be a great Common Read choice. Everett said this conversation does not end when students finish reading the book or at the end of this semester, but that he and other leadership staff see a real need for this work and to change campus for the better. “At the board level, there’s been conversations around ‘what does this mean in terms of institutional change?’” Everett said. “And what are some of the implications of that moving forward and how can that be represented at the macro level as well as some of the micro levels.” Still, some students, specifically students of color, felt uncomfortable with the book. Particularly in light of the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who was killed by police in Minneapolis. First-years first experiences on campus have been having conversations about the trauma of
see COMMON READ page 2
Hamline Undergraduate Student Congress’ (HUSC) fall election is underway starting September 27 and running through September 29. This election will complete the HUSC executive board. Since the beginning of the 2020-21 school year, HUSC has undergone some changes related both to procedural and public matters. One of these procedural and cosmetic changes includes how the titles for HUSC president and vice president have been changed to internal and external president respectively. This was voted on during the 2020-21 year, fully being put into effect this fall for External President Raina Meyer and Internal President Ruben Dominguez. Other changes relate to the way HUSC plans to operate, recognizing the evolving COVID-19 situation and the congress’ involvement with students. HUSC has been utilizing hybrid models for general assembly (GA) and internal meetings. While GA meetings also take place in-person, they offer a virtual option for the Hamline community. Dominguez chairs these meetings and ensures any online attendees have the opportunity to be heard. “We should try to push the idea that everyone belongs to campus, whether that’s virtual or in person,” said Dominguez. “I feel like at the end of the day, we all love each other and really care about everyone’s health and betterment, trying to incorporate those models are important, and we don’t know how long [COVID-19 is] going to last, you know, so I think the sooner we start practicing that, the better.” During GA meetings, HUSC encourages student feedback regarding their COVID-19 experience and how it is impacting their student experience. Co-presidents incorporate these stories into their conversations with administration and the Board of Trustees in order to emphasize these real experiences students have been having. They also hope to continue to be a source of support and connection for students and organizations on campus. “In terms of interacting with the student body, I’d say that we are a lot more open and accessible than we have been in previous years,” Meyer said. “When hiring our [executive] board, and training them for the upcoming year we really wanted to emphasize accessibility and making sure that student organizations especially feel like they can come to us for whatever help they need.”
see CONGRESS page 2
“MONTERO:” A review on Lil Nas X’s latest album. See page 4.
2 News
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
COMMON READ
(continued from front)
EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION Editor-in-Chief Andrea Lindner Managing Editor Elizabeth Lowe News Editor Anika Besst Business Manager Julien Halabi Multimedia Editor Jacob “Coby” Aloi Web Editor Aidan Stromdahl Opinion Editor Vacant Sports Editor Cathryn Salis A&E Editor Olivia Koski Variety Editor Eliza Hagstrom Copy Editors Lydia Meier, Jordan Perzichilli Illustrators Abdirahman Ali, Sena Ross Senior Reporters Robin Doyscher, Jack Fischer, Kathryn Robinson
racism they are forced to confront on a daily basis. In the aftermath of the Floyd killing, Black activists called attention to the trend of white folks relying on Black voices to teach them about racism. “If you simply open your eyes you can see the disparity. Black people have lived so long in this oppressive, violent system that having a white person ask you how they can care now is almost offensive,” Melissa Wright wrote in an opinion piece on The Red & Black. Activists instead prompt white folks to simply use Google, go to the library and research themselves, instead of putting the burden of teaching on people of color. Everett acknowledges the unintentional retraumatization of students of color in these conversations. “How are we creating the understanding and the empathy of what that feels like for those students? In addition to that, what’s the responsibility of not just students of color, but other students and other persons in different roles in terms of engaging that topic [of racism],” Everett said. The work isn’t done, Everett says. “We’ll continue our community conversations that have been, I think, really well received and really effective in terms of timely topics and sharing,” said Everett. “We’ll also look to develop some particular courses, along the lines of leadership, and some of those which will be really interesting as we incorporate some of this work as well.”
Join the Oracle newsletter to stay up to date with the latest articles and podcast episodes.
Reporters Mia Chiang, Ethan Hermann, Lydia Meier, Ma Shwe Senior Columnist Emily Brown, Will Nelson Columnists Robin Doyscher, AJ Washington, Dean Young Senior Photographers Aidan Stromdahl Photographers Taleah Alldritt, Nathan Steeves Distributor Robin Doyscher Advisers Trevor Maine
CONGRESS
(continued from front)
HUSC’s social media has also evolved to become what Meyer describes as a “more relatable” platform. Senior Mya Severson, the Public Relations Chair, is in charge of these additions. Co-presidents are excited for the election to both interact with students through the voting as well as to meet their other elected
representatives. “[People] join HUSC to make campus better, to make campus more inclusive and the fact that we see people applying and caring about that from such different backgrounds, I seriously can’t wait, ‘’ Dominguez said. “At the end of the day, for a lot of them who are applying... this is the future of what Hamline is.” Co-presidents encourage students to reach out with any questions, concerns or ideas they may have. HUSC can be contacted at husc@hamline.edu, huscexternawl@hamline.edu (Meyer), huscinternal@hamline.edu (Dominguez) or during office hours, with information accessed at husc.hamline.edu/.
POLICIES
T he Oracle has been published by Hamline
students since 1888. The paper is funded through a student fee levied by the university’s Student Media Board. We are a public forum. The opinions expressed within are not necessarily those of the student body, faculty or staff. We do not discriminate in employment. Our mission To cover news, trends, events and entertainment relevant to Hamline undergraduate students. We strive to make our coverage accurately reflect the diverse communities that comprise the student population. Corrections The Oracle welcomes corrections of quotational and factual errors. Please send such commentary to: oracle@hamline.edu and place “Correction” in the subject line. Direct advertising inquiries to oracle@hamline.edu. The Oracle accepts most print and insert requests. 1536 Hewitt Ave. MB 107 St. Paul, MN 55104 oracle@hamline.edu hamlineoracle.com issuu.com/theoracle1888
PHOTO | COURTESY OF RAINA MEYER Co-presidents Raina Meyer (senior) and Ruben Dominguez (junior) are HUSC’s external and internal presidents, respectively. They plan to continue HUSC’s support of student organizations and accessibility on campus.
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
News 3
A new chaplain and new opportunities Hamline welcomes new chaplain Kelly Figueroa-Ray to the Wesley Center after previous university chaplain Nancy Victorin-Vangerud retired this summer. Lydia Meier News Reporter lmeier05@hamline.edu
The third floor of Anderson is seeing a change this fall. After former chaplain Nancy Victorin-Vangerud retired this summer, the new chaplain, Kelly FigueroaRay is moving into her own office at the Wesley center, decorated with “migration is beautiful” stickers and plenty of books. “I feel like I’ve found my home. I am excited about being here for the rest of my life,” she said. “It’s just great to start to get to know everybody.” The Hamline chaplain role has responsibilities connected to Hamline and the community, those of which Figueroa-Ray has prior experience with. As chaplain, Figueroa-Ray “guides Hamline University’s spiritual and religious life and leads our engagement with Saint Paul and the wider community,” according to the Faculty and Staff page on the Hamline website, which explains that “she is experienced in community organizing, project management, and teaching.” Figueroa-Ray comes to Hamline from St. Olaf College. After earning her PhD in religious studies at the University of Virginia in 2018, she began teaching at St. Olaf as a visiting assistant professor in the religion department. “I taught a lot about how the Bible [is] used by politicians,” Figueroa-Ray said about her time at St. Olaf. “So scripture comes out a lot in the public sphere. And I’m really interested in looking at, like, the meaning behind that.” She also focused on multicultural ministry, and taught a class called Religion at the US-Mexico border, which included students learning about who lives in Northfield, building relationships and working with a local priest. In class, “the students actually had to walk twenty minutes to go to the catholic church where there was a Spanish mass, and even if they didn’t speak Spanish… they got to talk with actual people living in the community,” she said. The students in that class also had the chance to be involved with “Hostile Terrain 94,” a communal art project hosted by the Undocumented Migration Project. According to their website, “the exhibition is composed of over 3,200 handwritten toe tags that represent migrants who have died trying to cross the Sonoran Desert of Arizona between the mid 1990s and 2019. These tags are geolocated on a wall map of the desert showing the exact locations where remains were found.” Figueroa-Ray explained how this project began in the class and then led them to reach out to other students. She added that the Spirituality Scholars from Hamline will also be involved with the art project. “Hopefully the Hamline students will go down there and help with the installation and be part of that sort of creation and then we’ll bring the wall up here in April,” she said. Figueroa-Ray’s work at the Wesley Center will be partially in events and programming through supervising the Spirituality Scholars, Catalyst trips and the annual Mahle lecture series. However, Figueroa-Ray isn’t limiting her work at Hamline to just the Wesley Center. “This job offered a hybrid sort of position where I could continue to do things that I am passionate about in the academic world but also do what I am passionate about with community organizing and project management” she said.
PHOTO | TALEAH ALDRITT , ORACLE Chaplain Kelly Figueroa-Ray has joined Hamline University beginning August 23, 2021. She takes the place of former chaplain Nancy Victorin-Vangerud, who retired this summer. She will be out in the Hamline community, serving on various task forces and committees, presiding over university events like invocations, and advising a knitting club on campus. Although Hamline will miss former chaplain Victorin-Vangerud, the community looks forward to it’s future with Figueroa-Ray.
PHOTOS | COURTESY OF KELLY FIGUEROA-RAY This project, Hostile Terrian 94, came out of Figueroa-Ray’s class Religion at the US-Mexico Border and will be brought to Hamline in the spring in partnership with the St. Olaf team as part of the 2021-22 Spiritually Scholar program.
4 A&E
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
“MONTERO” makes meteor-sized impact Lil Nas X’s debut album, “MONTERO,” dropped at the current peak of his career, and the discourse it has created is ever-present in music discussions today. Robin Doyscher Senior Reporter sdoyscher01@hamline.edu Lil Nas X is one of the most widespread, provocative and markedly successful artists to come from the current era of TikTok stardom and highly circulated yet short-lived viral hits. Alongside his contemporaries Doja Cat, Olivia Rodrigo and MeganTheeStallion, Lil Nas X has engineered a type of self-sustaining success propagated by his unique social media presence, and increasingly outlandish marketing techniques. Of course this begged the question if his stardom was just a flash in the pan, which is easy to think because “Old Town Road” was a sort of a lightningin-a-bottle situation. It had this whole marketing push thanks in part to Billboard’s own controversy of removing the song from the country charts, and the subsequent collaboration with “Achy Breaky Heart” songwriter Billy Ray Cyrus catapulting the song back to the top for seventeen weeks. The singles from this album cycle are definitely solid high points to hear. Starting with the flamencoesque guitars and pulsing basslines of “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” the album opens with its most popular song and its thesis statement. This was the song that launched Lil Nas X’s status as a trailblazing gay artist, and also the ensuing
conservative backlash because the “old town road kid” was doing provocative stuff now. Songs like “DEAD RIGHT NOW,” “INDUSTRY BABY (ft. Jack Harlow)” and “SCOOP (ft. Doja Cat)” shows Lil Nas X’s skill at flowing over conventional rap beats, and the amount of credit he deserves as a new school vocalist. Especially the anthemic horns of “INDUSTRY BABY,” and the forefront piano of “DEAD RIGHT NOW” really drive home the effectiveness of these songs. The features on this album are also so well placed. “ONE OF ME (feat. Elton John)” perfectly blends the generational differences of queer men in music into a very emotional and compact song. I’d also give a special mention to “SUN GOES DOWN,” which draws the curtain back on Lil Nas X’s image and allows a quieter vulnerability to shine through in songwriting. It’s easy for an artist to throw together an album full of hard-hitting anthems, but Lil Nas X has a great balance between the sincere and the image he portrays. The run of “TALES OF DOMINICA” to “LIFE AFTER SALEM” allows the album to flow really smoothly between catchy bops, and yet the tracks still stay really distinctive. If there’s one weak point of the album, it’s that it feels a little hollow at times when it comes to songwriting. As much as I could gush over the production of the album, the actual lines can leave a lot to be desired. This feels more present in the middle part of the album, where a lot of the one-liners tend to fall a little flat compared to the earlier tracks. I think Lil Nas X is still finding himself songwriting wise, and for a lot of debut albums it still strikes as an early foray into establishing a sustainable brand. Overall, the importance of this album cannot be understated. This is really a highly publicized and
SOURCE | SPOTIFY Lil Nas X’s debut album “MONTERO” was released on September 17. The artist first grabbed the world’s attention with his number one Billboard hit “Old Town Road” in 2019. Lil Nas X has since proven himself to be more than a one hit wonder, and “MONTERO” portrays an honest and vulnerable self-reflection on his rise to fame. circulated album by a gay Black man in America, and it’s common to forget how little space queer Black men are afforded in the greater hip-hop sphere. This album truly blew away my expectations, and despite not being my perfect demographic, really resonated with my own views on popular music.
ILLUSTRATION | SENA ROSS, ORACLE
A&E 5
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
An update on the Wind Ensemble The Oracle reached out to Music Department Chair and director of Hamline’s Wind Ensemble, professor Janet Greene. Students had heard that the Wind Ensemble will not be taking place this semester, but Greene announced its upcoming return. “I plan for the Wind Ensemble to be back in action in spring term and will welcome all returning and new members! In the meantime many of the woodwind, brass and percussion students are enjoying themselves in Jazz Ensemble, Orchestra, and Chamber Music, or taking a semester off, which is fine, too,” Greene said over email. Students interested in the Wind Ensemble can look forward to joining next spring.
STAFF PICK OF THE WEEK TOPIC: Reality TV Olivia Koski A&E Editor
RuPaul’s Drag Race
PHOTOS | AIDAN STROMDAHL, ORACLE
“It is certainly reality TV, with over-thetop production and a fair share of controversy. Where the show stands out is with its display of genuine creativity and talent. Many deserving artists have had their careers take off following their time on Drag Race.”
6 Opinion
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
Why men should take women’s studies classes
Will Nelson Senior Columnist wnelson08@hamline.edu
“It’s just a joke.” sexual harassment free real estate The sign hanging above a printer on the first floor of GLC--which usually stops at replacing ‘just a joke’ with ‘sexual harassment’--had been defaced by some jumped-up child in an embarrassing attempt at humor. Though it was a reference in remarkably poor taste to an old meme from a couple years ago, the implications of the statement were appallingly obvious. There’s no dancing around it, Hamline has a misogyny problem. Historically, a large percentage if not all of misogyny can be traced back to the demographic of cisgender men. This isn’t to say that other demographics can’t
be misogynistic as well, but the root of the problem really comes down to them. Hamline has spaces designed to prevent and counteract the spread of misogyny through gender education--women’s and gender studies classes, the Women’s Resource Center, gender politics classes-but the problem is that men tend to be largely absent from these spaces. One possible explanation as to why so few men are present in these spaces is in naming. “I think because it’s called Women’s Studies, men don’t feel like they fit into that. ‘Why learn about women when I’m a man?’ they think,” senior women’s and gender studies major Aoife Zamacona said. While the women’s studies major has just recently undergone a name change and become women’s and gender studies, the misguided assumption that classes in that field aren’t for men still exists. And even when there are men in said spaces, discomfort can drive them to a lack of engagement. “Cisgender men typically tend not to talk at all,” senior women’s and gender studies major Caelyn Androsky said. A lot of this discomfort can be traced to the stigma that women’s and gender studies classes seem to have. “I think that there is such a stereotypical belief in today’s society that any female-identifying person that takes a women or gender studies course or is just proud to be a feminist is just bashing men… That stereotypical belief that all the women are going to be like ‘f — you’ is something that definitely holds [men] back from even having the thought to be part of it,” Androsky said. Though this belief is fictitious, it’s also not the responsibility of gender education to make men feel comfortable. Discomfort can even be productive. “Embrace the awkwardness and it goes away,” Jen England, an assistant professor in the English
Department and former director of the Women’s Resource Center said. The question remains: how can gender education better reach cisgender men without catering the curriculum to their comfort and changing the space to suit their demographic? “I think the best way to reach people who aren’t signing up for classes focused solely on gender would be to integrate gender modules into other kinds of classes,” Alina Oxendine, professor and department chair of the Political Science Department said. Incorporating gender education into all departments is an excellent step, and an entirely feasible one, considering the interdisciplinary breadth of the field. But why stop there? Gender education should be commonplace… expected… mandatory even. “I’ve always wished that there was a womens and gender studies letter on the Hamline Plan,” Androsky said. It’s not an unreasonable request. With the Diversity Credit--responsible for gender studies--covering everything from renewable energy to Russian history, there’s really nothing incentivizing students to take courses in the field. Ideally, our gender education system would be completely reformed, starting in elementary school. Unfortunately change like this takes time and, as illustrated by the vandalized flier, we don’t have that luxury. “Women are such a big part of men’s lives every day, so if you don’t know about how we’re systemically disadvantaged, it’s hard for you to not be part of that problem,” Zamacona said. Upending gender inequity is the responsibility of all of us, and doing so takes learning. So if you’re a man who’s never considered taking a womens and gender studies class, give it some serious thought. The future will thank you.
Grieving the small, but the important heading towards the library, a new feeling washed over me. A feeling of complete heartbreak. In my sophomore year, I got something I’ve wanted since I was a small child; a small, but strong and healthy friend group. We would eat in the cafeteria almost everyday and even go to the movies and order
Emily Brown Senior Columnist ebrown15@hamline.edu
Why moving forward without our friends must be processed. Being on campus for the first time for something besides picking up textbooks in 18 months brought a lot of complex emotions. I was overjoyed that I finally got my freedom back. I was grateful for the beautiful weather. I was scared to death that I was making a huge mistake being on campus as a high risk individual. I was stressed about how people who didn’t know me and my disability would stare at me. But as I was passing Drew Science Center and
“I know I’m not alone in this feeling. Current juniors and seniors were forced off campus in a matter of a couple days. We didn’t get the time to say our proper goodbyes or even knew we needed to say proper goodbyes.” takeout sometimes. But, sometimes it’s the small things that get me through the day. One of my best friends graduated this past May and now has his own job. I’m so proud of him. But as Old Main Lawn came into view, I got memories of us walking to the art studio last spring so he could show me his sculptures for the class he was taking at the time. We would go after lunch
sometimes, laughing and chatting all the way across campus before me heading to class and him heading back to his dorm. One of my absolute favorite memories of my college experience (so far) is when I saw him on the last day of J-term my sophomore year. I was headed to Anderson and he was headed back to his dorm. We were both so happy to see each other and we must have hugged for a minute or two straight before he tagged along and just sat with me while I ate. This had never happened to me before. He could just go back to the dorm to take a nap or chill out, but instead, he decided to just sit and catch up with me. I know I’m not alone in this feeling. Current juniors and seniors were forced off campus in a matter of a couple days. We didn’t get the time to say our proper goodbyes or even knew we needed to say proper goodbyes. Some crap advice would be just to text our old friends and plan a night out or a Skype hang out. But, here’s the thing. We’ve been doing that for the past 18 months. My friend and I Skype whenever we can with our busy schedules, but we both miss being together on campus. We can’t go forward like nothing happened, cause it has. We are living through a world pandemic and now dealing with the Delta Variant. This sucks! It’s okay to miss your friends and be angry about this. That’s healthy! Take care of yourselves because there is no end to this pandemic anytime soon.
Opinion 7
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
Feel the beat: how music affects our brains
Dean Young Columnist dyoung04@hamline.edu
Findings on music, empathy and your brain. I’ve been told that music is a great study aid, though for me, it always ends in distraction (a side effect, perhaps, of being a music major). While music is a popular tool for studying, it also has a frequent use when we aren’t working to study anything--when we simply want to reduce stress and let our mind wander. A few years ago a group of researchers from Germany and Norway decided to take a look at the use of music for mind-wandering, and their findings were much farther-ranging than I had initially expected. We say music is good for mind-wandering, but what exactly is this “mind-wandering” anyway? We can think of it as a form of open thought; or as the researchers put it, “self-generated thought, which involves overcoming the constraints of the ‘here and now’ by immersing in one’s own stream of consciousness.” This type of thought is common
to our species, representing almost a basic need for our brains. Further, this time of self-reflection often touches on issues we hold nearest: “about matters of self-importance, social relationships, future planning, and autobiographical memories.” It is easy to see how pivotal mind-wandering can be in the college years. But why do we use music to mind-wander? That’s what the researchers wanted to find out. The group had people listen to both sad and happy music, and found sad music was substantially better for activities of mind-wandering, with it being more self-referential. This much might be intuitive: we tend not to contemplate deep truths of our existence while rocking to Pat Benatar. However, they also found that sad music affects the emotional outcome of our mind-wandering. This is key: given the sensitive and personal topics we touch on during self-reflection, the exercise sans music has been linked at times to greater unhappiness - but when guided by sad music, the self-reflection becomes more enjoyable! Participants’ mind-wandering facilitated by sad music became “melancholic but pleasurable.” What is going on? When researchers peeked under the hood, they found not one “music area” of the brain glowing, but rather an entire network of brain patches lighting up and talking to each other. One area in particular caught my attention: the dmPFC. I was fascinated when I first heard about this study, which occurred my first year at Hamline, and I even presented the results to my FYSEM. At the time, I was especially interested in a spot in the middle front of your brain, the dmPFC (why an abbreviation, you ask? Because the full name, dorsal medial prefrontal cortex, uses 10% of my word count every time I type it, and makes my readers gag). Normally, the dmPFC is used for empathy--specifically, for intuiting others’ mental states. When you see someone looking sad
and feel prompted to say something kind to them, chances are your dmPFC is at work. Why is this socially-driven part of the brain at work when you are looking inward? Could there be a connection? Unfortunately, my first-year self had no way of knowing unless the above researchers conducted another study, say, on the connection between sad music and empathy. Fast forward to this year: the same group published another study. Their topic? Sad music and empathy. In the new study, the researchers tested participants for empathy levels, and had them listen to sad music. They found the high-empathy individuals experienced greater emotional impact and enjoyment from the sad music compared to their less-empathetic counterparts. Not only so, these individuals held a more compassionate attitude towards the sad music. Their dmPFC was lighting up, while the areas of the brain for empathy of pain were peacefully quiet. The connection with sad music is there, but why with the dmPFC? Where is the social aspect coming into play? When you listen to sad music, your brain - specifically the dmPFC - is working to understand and empathize with the message of the music. Your brain is treating the music like the emotions of another person, and it is enjoying being able to harmonize with the mood. The researchers noted it’s similar to the enjoyment from putting yourself in the shoes of a novel’s protagonist; only now, it is your own story unfolding. Your brain is working to understand the music, and in the process, understand yourself. If I’ve learned anything from my investigation of this study, I learned that it’s never a bad idea to use some somber music to let your mind wander. I’d encourage you to dedicate some time this week to do the same-- your brain is more than ready to help you feel the beat.
ILLUSTRATION | SENA ROSS, THE ORACLE
8 Word Search
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
HOMECOMING
BOOGIE
ROYALTY
PEP BAND
KARAOKE
FOOTBALL
COMPETITION
SPIRIT
PIPERS
LIP SYNC
HALFTIME
FALL
TOUCHDOWN
GRAPHIC | ANDREA LINDNER, THE ORACLE
Sports 9
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
Weekly Piper round-up Cathryn Salis Sports Editor csalis01@hamline.edu
Women’s soccer at Northwestern 9/22 W 2–0 at Bethel 9/25 L 1–3 The women’s soccer team broke even with this week’s record, taking a game from Northwestern College last Wednesday and giving one to Bethel on Saturday. In the first 20 minutes of facing Northwestern, the Pipers had scored the only goals of the game and their defense was able to hold and secure the rest of the game. Four saves on goal were made by senior Laura Sicora throughout the entire game. Dissimilarly, the Saturday game did not go as smoothly for Hamline women’s soccer as one might hope. Maya Dempsy started the game off with a goal in the 25th minute for the Pipers, but Bethel answered with three which resulted in an
unfortunate loss for the team. However, Sicora made seven saves for the Pipers over 90 minutes and the Pipers led shots overall by one. The Pipers have a full schedule in the upcoming week and look forward to more opportunities for success. Women’s volleyball at Saint Benedict 9/22 W 3–1 at Crown College 9/24 W 3–0 vs Gustavas Adolphus 9/25 W 3–2 Be it in three, four or five sets, the women’s Hamline volleyball team took home wins all week in their three back-to-back nontournament games, two of which being league play. The Pipers were on the road to play Saint Benedict, a team the women’s volleyball team hasn’t beat since 2016. This first league game was only taken to four sets total after the Bennies took the third set with a three-point differential. The Pipers shut that down immediately and ended the game in the following set, bringing the Pipers to 1–0 in the
MIAC and the Bennies to 0–1. The Pipers then faced Crown College on Friday on the road, finishing the game quickly and neatly. The Storm never scored over 16 points in a single set, hardly earning 36 points in three sets total. The Hamline women’s volleyball team was home in time for dinner on Friday, giving this non-conference team no mercy. Returning to league play, the Pipers faced off against Gustavus Adolphus in Hutton Arena on Saturday in a thrilling, back-and-forth match. The Gusties took set one and three, but the Pipers were able to hold them off in the fifth set ending at 16–14. Football at Carleton 9/25 L 7–35 The football team earned their first loss of the season on Saturday while facing off against Carleton College in Northfield with a 28-point deficit. The Carleton Knights scored early and with only 11:24 left in the first quarter. The Pipers remained scoreless for the first two quarters but
with less than three minutes left in the third quarter, sophomore Alec Ralph scored from seven yards out. The Pipers play again on Saturday against St. Scholastica at Klas Field for the Hamline homecoming game at 1:00 p.m. Admission is free for Hamline students. Men’s soccer at Bethel 9/25 T 1–1 Men’s soccer also faced Bethel on Friday in an intense 110-minute game with two overtime periods and a 1–1 final. The Pipers scored in the first ten minutes of the game and it wasn’t until the second half that Bethel finally put one away from 18 yards away. Sophomore Luke Rimmington made eight saves over the entire game and the leading scorer, senior Robert Cooper, was Hamine’s only scorer of the game. Bethel outshot the Pipers both overall and on-goal, but Rimmington led in saves overall.
PHOTO | AIDAN STROMDAHL, ORACLE Klas Field is an iconic scene for many student athletes at Hamline, and now with the lifting of spectator restrictions, new students can see the stadium for the first time while attending games.
10 Sports
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
The return of the intramural program Three semesters into the pandemic, Campus Rec has brought back the intramural sports program much to the excitement of the non-athlete student body. Cathryn Salis Sports Editor csalis01@hamline.edu Competition is the glue that binds together the throngs of students at Hamline who miss their high school sports or want to be active, but aren’t able to join a Hamline team for whatever reason. It is the pull that even golf is able to emit, it makes the hard work and pain that physical games present worth it. It keeps passion alive and rewards the hard work that folks put into any sport event. Healthy competition among students at Hamline, however, had been in short supply due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions and regulations implemented. The intramural program, which operated through Campus Recreation, was one of the first activities to be suspended. This decision was not without detriment and while necessary, many students felt they were missing out on key aspects of their social lives. “I enjoyed spectating intramural sports on my time off. It was exciting to root for my friends’ teams and a good way to take a break from academics,” junior Myrka Zambrano said. Zambrano, while not officially on a team, still enjoyed and benefited from the programs and misses its presence on campus. Additionally, intramurals are a wonderful mental health support. Countless medical professionals correlate moderate and regular physical activity to healthier and happier brains due to the release of a chemical called endorphins, which floods the brain and triggers happiness. “[Intramural volleyball] made me happier. It helped me not think about homework and also helped me focus on school more. I met a lot of good friends through intramural sports,” junior Emily Mackenzie said. These programs were more than an excuse to kick the ball around. They were important to the feeling of connectivity to the school and to other peers, and many sophomores feel they are missing out on this opportunity because of the lack of the
SCREENSHOT | CATHRYN SALIS, ORACLE The website Campus Recreation uses to facilliate sign-us for the Aerobic Center and intramural sports is accessible and clearly labelled.
“I feel like I missed out on a lot of opportunities to connect with other students and develop those relationships, so to be able to participate this year means a lot to me.” Liam Schwartz Sophomore
intramural program. Sophomores and first-year students often find themselves in the same boat this year due to their similar level of exposure to all the programs Hamline has to offer. The reintroduction of intramurals is enticing for many sophomores who feel they missed out their first year to make friends with similar interests. “This is really exciting because it means there’s another opportunity to connect with fellow students through a fun activity and competition,” sophomore Liam Schwatz said. “I definitely missed intramurals my first year which was something I was really looking forward to. I feel like I missed out on a lot of opportunities to connect with other students and develop those relationships, so to be able to participate this year means a lot to me.” Intramurals are viewed in a positive light by the majority of students who are looking forward to a more “normal” semester than Hamline has experienced in a while. They will provide an additional source of entertainment and a new activity to try out. “Other people that I’ve met say that they’d enjoy participating in some fun activities around campus as well. I’m super excited to join in.” sophomore Emma Coppola said. Students can register a team for different intramural sports on the Campus Recreation website, IMLeagues.com using their Hamline log-in information. For the fall season, Hamline is offering Bags, 7-on-7 soccer, Pickleball, 7-on-7 flag football and 3-on-3 basketball. Grab some friends and get involved in the intramural sports program on campus!
ILLUSTRATION | ANDREA LINDNER, ORACLE
Variety 11
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29,2021
What about the Sophomores? The class of 2024 are experiencing their first mostly normal year of college. Kathryn Robinson Variety Reporter krobinsson12@hamline.edu In the spring of 2020, the class of 2024 was graduating high school in a pandemic. The ceremony they had worked so long for was altered, if not completely online. College would not look the same for them. Now, a year later and a year of Zoom classes under their belt, how is the class of 2024 doing? Confused, over whelmed, disappointed and relieved are a few words to describe how Hamline’s sophomores are doing. Sophomores Raul Ortiz, Kate Kelley and Erika Albrecht all reflect on their lives one year ago as freshmen at Hamline and their expectations for the start of their first year. “I was expecting to be able to actually have class, to walk around on campus and actually know all of the buildings,” Albrecht said. Kelley expressed disappointment about how the current first-years seem to be having a more normal first year
of college. “I was expecting an actual freshmen orientation,” Kelley said. “They just chucked us into school and now the Freshman actually get to do stuff.” Making connections with others during their first year was a difficulty that they all shared. “I thought we were going to meet people in person rather than online, and that just wasn’t the case,” Ortiz said. Emme Nelson, a student athlete in both track and hockey, struggled with the difference in campus life, even though she was able to meet friends because of her sports. “I feel like under more normal circumstances, making connections would have been much easier,” Nelson said. “I was happy to have built in groups of people through my hockey and track teams, but it was still depressing to see how inactive campus was without any major events or sports games going on.” The mental health of students was affected by the pandemic and online classes, but not always in negative ways. The time alone forced many students to reflect and learn more about themselves, especially during their first year as independent adults.
“I was able to focus on myself and improve myself, but sometimes being super independent was challenging,” Nelson said. Kelley echoes this feeling. “Isolation made me more aware of my insecurities and mental health, but because I was able to pinpoint my problems and I had the time to work on myself, I think I benefited from the excess alone time,” Kelley said. Albrecht feels the effects of isolation as well. “I was not drained and I got to know myself, but it was difficult for me to be so isolated,” Albrecht said. Now, with vaccines, campus life has been able to look more normal. Sophomores are experiencing much of college for the first time along with the class of 2025. This shift has been eye opening for many sophomores, and many of their expectations for college have shifted. “I had no expectations really, I was just like, I don’t want to get my hopes up for something that might get taken away again,” Kelley said. Once last year was far behind them, many students wanted to start anew this year and enjoy all that college has to offer. “This year I am trying to make up
for lost time,” Albrecht said. Many students share this view of the year here on campus. “After last year I felt like I did not have much of an experience with school, sports, or the social aspect of college, so this year has been a breath of fresh air. I’m very grateful to be a part of my sports teams as well,” Nelson said. The first few weeks of the semester have not seemed to disappoint. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how willing the administration is to let us be in person and do a lot more of the college experience,” Kelley said. With the vaccination mandate, most classes are in-person, so a schedule full of Zoom classes are hopefully a thing of the past. “It’s much more enjoyable to not look at my computer screen for three hours,” Ortiz said. The adjustment to in person college has been fairly smooth as well, thanks to the many events that are open for all students. “I’m already adjusting much better this year,” Nelson said. “Social interaction, whether that’s in school, activities or with friends is so important, especially for the college experience.”
GRAPHIC| ELIZA HAGSTROM ORACLE
Variety 12
The Oracle | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
Hamline student awarded artistic excellence award Hamline student enters and places in Art Show in Wyoming Minnesota. Eliza Hagstrom Variety Editor ehagstrom01@hamline.edu The first sculpture junior Emily Mckenzie made in her “Beginning Sculpture” class during her fall semester in her sophomore year here at Hamline was a ‘Skin and Bones’ assignment. Back then, in her second year little did she know that this sculpture would lead her to enter, and place, in her first art show. This past year her professor Allison Baker, associate professor of art, sent her the information about The Wyoming Area Creative Arts Community 2021 Art Show held at The Hallberg Center for the Arts, and encouraged Mckenzie to submit her art. This art show is an annual art show that features Minnesota artists. The bones of the piece were constructed from a mortar frame that was box shaped before the skin was laid over it. The skin was made from burlap that was laid over the mortar structure. “I wanted to create a piece that seemed very hollow,” Mckenzie said. That class helped Mckenzie decide to double major, in Studio Arts and Anthropology. And fueled her love for art. Mckenzie picked orange marigolds, which in some cultures represent death and loss. They also were a way to add a pop of color to the gray sculpture. After submitting her piece to be a part of the show, there was a public voting period. Artists from all over the state were involved. The opening night of the gallery August 28 also served as the awards ceremony for all artists featured. Mckenzie placed fourth over all, still recieved over one hundred votes for her piece. Along with this placement she received an award for Artistic excellence. The gallery was open through September 24 in Wyoming Minnesota. This is Mackenzie’s first show, yet she hopes to
PHOTOS | COURTESY OF EMILY MCKENZIE Above: Emily Mckenzie’s art piece “Remember Forgotten Memories” on display from the front and back. Below: A look at the sculpture from the back.
“I wanted to create a piece that seemed very hollow,” - Emily Mckenzie enter more given the opportunity. But in order to do that she needs to create more art pieces. “[I’m] sowly working on more, [I] need to produce more art,” Mckenzie said. “I’ve only been doing art for a year, year and a half,” Mckenzie’s piece is available for purchase on the Hallberg Centers website. “As an anthropology and studio art major,”Mckenzie said in her ‘About the Artist on the Hallberg website. “I want to capture human’s emotions, behaviors, and cultures then produce that feeling into my artworks. I always find humans interesting as there is no two humans alike. It is impossible to recreate the exact expression, but only to create a similar expression.” You can see her piece online on the Wyoming Area Creative Arts community website. https://wyomingcreativearts.org/
PHOTO | NATHAN STEEVES, ORACLE Junior Emily Mckenzie plans on making more art and plans on entering more shows.