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MOUNT MARY UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE PROGRAMS Did you know that 525 Mount Mary students are enrolled in master’s or doctoral programs?

Continue your Mount Mary education and advance your career by enrolling in one of our graduate programs. Each of our graduate programs educate students who are committed to being critical and creative scholars, ethical and just human beings with a global perspective, and leaders who put knowledge into transforming action.

Mount Mary Graduate Programs • Professional Doctorate of Art Therapy • Post- Professional Doctorate of Occupational Therapy • Master of Arts in Education • Master of Arts in English • Master of Business Administration • Master of Science in Art Therapy • Master of Science in Counseling • Master of Science in Dietetics • Master of Science in Occupational Therapy You’re invited to attend an upcoming Open House or stop by the Office of Graduate Admissions. We’d love to talk with you about your educational and career goals.

Or, explore our programs online at mtmary.edu/grad

CONTENTS | WINTER 2016

22 24

16 Campus

Reviews

Signing Up to Learn a New Language

Read It or Watch It

4 6

Amazing Grace Scholars

10

20 22

(Crate)tivity at the MAM

Black Student Union Then and Now

Creative Works

Features

Student Photography and Short Prose

12

Getting to the Meat of It

16

Thinking on Your Feet

24

Perspectives 28

Food for Thought: Choose Your Words Gingerly

29

Horsin’ Around: Confront Your Fears, Find Your Strength

Winter 2016 | Arches

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LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

STAFF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nhung Nguyen

MANAGING EDITOR

We

are women who care.

It starts in the newsroom; it is shared around campus. It is the culture that Mount Mary embodies.

We care about education. “Amazing Grace Scholars,” the cover story on page 6, personifies this mission.

These women believe in improving their lives by seeking higher education, to make a difference in the world.

We care about the impact of our words. This is especially important for Sandrea Smith, whose new column on page 28, “A Native Voice,” reminds us to use our words wisely, for our words matter.

We care about art. Our review of the uncrated pieces at the Milwaukee Art Museum on page 22 showcases that. Art is a creative form of expression shared not only at the museum but throughout the grounds of Mount Mary.

We care about our food and where it comes from. In “Getting to the Meat of It,” on page 12, reporter Brynn Herbert takes an inside look at the meat industry and its changes due to the growth of factory farms. We care that the food we eat is sustainable and healthy. We have a choice to make wise decisions in how we eat.

We care about our bodies. To be fit and in good health helps our minds remain active and perceptive. “Thinking on Your Feet” on page 16 explores the impact of sitting and encourages us to stand up and make strides toward a healthier lifestyle.

We care about the larger world and how we can become an active part of the full picture. This starts with being able to communicate with others outside of our native country. “Signing up to Learn a New Language” on page 4, a story about the Milwaukee Area Collegiate Language Consortium, teaches us the value of learning a new language and how to do so.

This was a magazine full of firsts – first generation students, first time staff members, first partnered editors. Our dedicated reporters and designers will continue to provide the voice of our student body. No matter how many fresh faces there are, one thing hasn’t changed: it is put together by women who care.

Editor-in-Chief nguyenn@mtmary.edu

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Thinking Thinking on Your on Your FeetFeet 16 | 16 (Crate)tivity | (Crate)tivity at the at MAM the MAM 22 | 22 Food | Food for Thought for Thought 28 28

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Megan Ivanyos

BUSINESS MANAGER Nhung Nguyen

SECTION EDITORS Erica Chang Brittany Seemuth Brynn Herbert Termeria Taper WRITERS Erica Chang Suzie Skalmoski Amanda Cibulka Sandrea Smith Brynn Herbert Termeria Taper Brenda Reasby Shannon Venegas Brittany Seemuth DESIGNERS

Sophie Beck Emily Chapman Emily Gaggioli Liza Goetter Denisse Hernandez

Lisa Perow Sheila Suda Shannon Venegas Dalas Xiong

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Sophie Beck Emily Chapman Brenda Reasby

Suzie Skalmoski Shannon Venegas

FACULTY ADVISERS Linda Barrington Laura Otto Arches is written and edited by the students of Mount Mary University, who are solely responsible for its editorial content.

Arches is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press.

Contact Arches at Arches, Mount Mary University 2900 N. Menomonee River Pkwy.

Milwaukee, WI 53222 414-930-3027 Email: mmu-arches@mtmary.edu Stay updated at www.archesnews.com

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Cover image: Berenice Jurado is a Grace Scholar graduating this May with a double major in Spanish and communications.

Sophie Beck

WEBSITE MANAGER

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To get To get connected, connected, follow follow thethe MMU MMU Alumnae Alumnae Association Association on Facebook, on Facebook, LinkedIn LinkedIn or email or email us atusmmuat mmualumnae@mtmary.edu alumnae@mtmary.edu For For more more infoinfo today! today!

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Managing Editor venegass@mtmary.edu

Shannon Venegas

ART DIRECTOR

COVER DESIGN BY SOPHIE BECK FOLLOW US! @MountMaryArches

LIKE US! Arches

THE WOMEN BEHIND THE MAGAZINE

Nhung Nguyen

Sophie Beck

Shannon Venegas

Megan Ivanyos

Erica Chang

Brynn Herbert

Brittany Seemuth

Termeria Taper

Amanda Cibulka

Suzie Skalmoski

Sandrea Smith

Emily Chapman

Lisa Perow

Brenda Reasby

Dalas Xiong

Denisse Hernandez

Liza Goetter

Winter 2016 | Arches

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CAMPUS

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Signing Up to Learn a New Language Words Amanda Cibulka | Photos and Design Emily Chapman

When Erika Maqueda, a sophomore majoring in education and minoring in bilingual Spanish education, learned the French course she was enrolled in was canceled, she didn’t let that stop her from continuing her language education.

Maqueda discovered she could enroll in a French course at Carroll University through the Milwaukee Area Collegiate Language Consortium.

The MACLC is an agreement between Mount Mary University, Carroll University, Alverno College and Wisconsin Lutheran College that allows Mount Mary students to take world language courses at the other three insti-

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tutions for credit.

Students can take one MACLC course per semester. The credits are added to the student’s course load without requiring transfer paperwork and additional tuition to be paid to the other school.

“Instead of all of us offering, for example, Chinese, and each having five students, we do it all at one place and we all send our students to them,” said Dr. Mary Ellen Kohn-Buday, full-time Spanish professor and chair of Mount Mary University’s World Languages Department. “Mount Mary students can still study languages like French, German, Chinese, at one of those schools.”

Low Foreign Language Enrollment When Kohn-Buday started teaching at Mount Mary 25 years ago, the school offered a major and minor in three foreign languages: German, French and Spanish. Of these three, only the Spanish program is currently available as a major and minor.

French, American Sign Language and Italian are only offered as elective classes.

According to Kohn-Buday, Mount Mary’s German program was discontinued when the professor at the time decided too few students were interested in a German major or minor. Mount Mary continued to offer German classes until course enrollment became too low.

Even though dropping German was the professor’s decision, the same was not true for French.

“With French, it was not the professor’s choice; it was the University deciding that there weren’t enough majors to sustain the program, and so it was canceled,” Kohn-Buday said. “We still offer classes in it, but there’s no major or minor.”

Spanish Program Remains Strong Despite the elimination of the German and French majors, the Spanish program at Mount Mary is thriving. According to Kohn-Buday, when she started in 1990, the Spanish program had five to 10 students majoring and minoring in Spanish. Now there are close to 100 in the program.

“Spanish has been picking up people all the time, growing very healthily,” she said. “We now have two full-time faculty in the department in Spanish.”

Dr. Jason Meyler, assistant professor of Spanish, said he wants to continue to expand Mount Mary’s Spanish program. He has been working to increase the participation of both native Spanish speakers and those who began studying Spanish in high school.

“The word is getting out that they’re good classes to take; they’re hard classes, but you learn a lot — you don’t learn just the skill,” Meyler said. “You learn

about the the cultures, and you learn how to use that skill to go into the workforce or to go into more academia, just to be able to communicate with friends and family.”

Meyler said he sees many opportunities for students in the Spanish program to become more involved with the community, both locally and globally.

“Students at MMU should really consider learning another language,” Maqueda said. “It makes you appreciate your own culture and that of other people.

You really get in touch with who you are. I think that students should really take advantage of this partnership we have with other schools and explore different languages.”

Signing Up for Signing American Sign Language, commonly referred to as ASL, is another language offered at Mount Mary that has drawn strong interest from students.

The courses are taught by Dr. Patti Gondek, adjunct professor of ASL at Mount Mary.

“When I first came here, there were a little bit smaller classes, but this semester we had a waiting list,” Gondek said.

Mount Mary offers two courses in American Sign Language. But after taking ASL I and II, some students are pushing for Mount Mary to expand the ASL course offerings.

According to Gondek, her American Sign Language classes also attract a few students from Wisconsin Lutheran College each semester, who are able to take ASL through the MACLC. Mount Mary is the only college in the consortium that offers ASL. Gondek said that several Mount Mary students take the course for no credit, “just because they love signing.”

To participate in the MACLC, download and complete the Milwaukee Area Collegiate Language Consortium Registration Form, which is available on My Mount Mary. r

Key

Milwaukee Area Collegiate Language Consortium Options Mount Mary University

Carroll University

Alverno College

Wisconsin Lutheran College

Spanish French American Sign Language German Mandarin Chinese Italian

Winter 2016 | Arches

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CAMPUS

Amazing Grace Scholars First-generation college students discuss their journeys to a diploma Words Brittany Seemuth | Photos and Design Sophie Beck

Each year, 30 students are selected to be a part of Mount Mary University’s Grace Scholars program, which provides 85 percent of tuition to incoming freshmen who have financial need and demonstrate leadership potential. The Burke Foundation has funded the program since its founding in 2005. This year, the Burke Foundation pledged $1 million to the program.

At full capacity, there are 120 Grace Scholars at any given time on campus.

The program has been in existence for 11 years. Previously called the Midtown program, it was re-named the Grace Scholars program in 2012 when Mount Mary decided to move the program from its satellite Midtown location to the main campus.

“Students expressed an interest in being on the main campus full-time,” said Eileen Schwalbach, president of Mount Mary.

“They appreciated the beauty of our 80acre campus, and we have more services to support students here. Therefore, we made the change in location and in name.”

According to Mount Mary’s website, the name Grace Scholars was selected because “the name encourages participants to live with grace – strength, wisdom and divinely imparted ability.”

Dick Burke, one of the founders of Trek Bicycle Corporation, was on the board of governors and the board of trustees for Mount Mary during the 1990s and started the Burke Foundation in 1995. Its goal

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is to support urban education and youth leadership in the greater Milwaukee area.

“When he was creating the Urban Education Fellows program, he invited Mount Mary to partner with Alverno in creating and implementing the program,” Schwalbach said. “That was our first grant from the Burke Foundation.”

Karen Friedlen, vice president for academic and student affairs, worked with Grace Scholars for over 20 years in the classroom when she taught psychology courses.

“Over the years, I have seen many Grace Scholars grabbing on and participating in everything the university has to offer,” Friedlen said. “I’ve seen really amazing transformations. Seeing their leadership potential grow and where they will go after they leave us – that has always been so inspiring to me.”

Berenice Jurado, senior majoring in Spanish and communication, said the program’s impact on her life far exceeds the financial help.

“The Grace Scholars program is not only about the financial help, but you also get another resource, another family here on campus with all of the cohorts,” Jurado said. “The advisers, Choya and LaCretia, have really helped me with my journey here on campus ... not only have they helped me grow as a student, but an individual as well.”

Winter 2016 | Arches

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CAMPUS

Z

ahra Said is the oldest of 10 children who fled a civil war in Kenya with her parents over 11 years ago. When she first arrived to the U.S. at age 9, she could only count to 10 in English. She recalled sitting in a corner at school alone as a child, uncomfortable that she could not understand the language of her peers.

“When I started to wear my headscarf, it was even more difficult because I could see myself as an outcast,” Said said. “I had to figure out a balance between religion, my culture and the American culture. That in itself was difficult growing up.”

Said applied to Mount Mary University in 2012 and was soon accepted into the university and the Grace Scholars program. Her acceptance into Mount Mary made her the first in her immediate family to go to college. Said is majoring in communication.

“Mount Mary was the big-pick school for me because I have a huge family,” Said said. “They’re used to depending on me. I didn’t want to go far from them.”

After graduation, Said plans to open a women’s studio, catering to art and creativity.

“I am really proud to make it to college,” Said said. “Some of the girls in my culture, because of family pressure, get married at a young age. I’m really grateful that I’m in my second year of college. I know where I’m going and I know where my dreams are.”

B

erenice Jurado is a first-generation college student. Her parents were given the option to either go to high school or work and support their family. They chose to work.

As a Grace Scholar finishing the program, Jurado hopes to use her leadership experience to give back to her community by providing support to parents whose children are going through the college application process.

“Because I was the first to go to college, my parents didn’t know much about the whole process — the application, the aid,” Jurado said. “Even though I knew I had their support, they weren’t able to help me much with the process. I knew I had to do it myself.”

Jurado is finishing up her last semester at Mount Mary as a Spanish and communication double major.

“I’m proud of pushing myself to go to college and apply,” Jurado said. “After almost four years of finishing up the program I’m in and then being the first in my family to graduate from a university, I’m really proud of myself for that.”

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N

ataly Tolentino is the first of her siblings to not get married at age 17 and have children. “(My sisters) would have liked to finish college,” Tolentino said. “I’m proud of proving my family members wrong because they had another perception of me not finishing. My cousins all have kids and are married. They thought I was going to be the next one. I proved them wrong.”

Some might say her opportunity to become a Grace Scholar was serendipitous.

“Mount Mary was one of my first options to apply to because of the small classes,” Tolentino said. “(The program) was full already when I applied, but then I got an email a couple weeks later saying some students did not accept the Grace Scholars program (scholarship).”

After graduation this May, Tolentino wants to put her health communication degree to work.

“I plan on being an event coordinator with preventing diseases and those organizations,” Tolentino said. “I am also a nursing assistant. After I graduate, I want to look into completing a nursing degree, but even with my communication degree, I know I can find something in the hospital setting.”

For more information on the Burke Foundation, visit www.theburkefoundation.org.

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CAMPUS

BSU Then and Now: Celebrating Black Women at Mount Mary Words Brenda Reasby | Design Liza Goetter This ribbon represents the Coretta Scott King Achievement Association, the original name of the BSU.

Reasby

other students on campus,” she said.

Dr. Shawnee Sykes-Daniels, head adviser of the Black Student Union, said she’s very proud of all the things the group of women is accomplishing.

The Black Student Union has partnered with the Sojourner Family Peace Center to help collect coats for homeless men, women and children. The members also host discussion panels, black history open readings and black history bingo on campus.

Daniel-Sykes said it’s important to be a part of a particular cultural racial group that understands your experience.

“I know what it means to be a black woman,” Daniel-Sykes said.

The BSU is open to students of all backgrounds and ages. The club meets twice a month on Wednesdays at noon on the main floor of Haggerty Library. To join the BSU, contact Jasmine Sneed at sneedj@mtmary.edu.

Photo by Brenda

When Teyah Thompson, a sophomore studying fashion, first came to Mount Mary, she was happy to find a place where she felt like she belonged: the Black Student Union.

Thompson, the BSU’s event coordinator, said her mother had also belonged to a BSU in college; her parents were excited that she was carrying on the tradition. The BSU, Thompson said, made her feel comfortable, and she could relate to others in the club.

“You not only learn about culture, but you learn about diversity,” Thompson said.

The BSU has a long history at Mount Mary. It is not certain, but the BSU might have been founded in 1977, but eventually became inactive in 2004 due to lack of advising and student leadership. It was reinstated in 2014 to give black women a voice on campus; at the time, it only had three members.

Today, the BSU has 15 members and continues to grow.

Jazmin Sneed, president of the BSU and junior majoring in fashion design, said the organization pertains to her as a black woman.

“We just want our presence as black women on campus to be known since there’s not a lot of us,” Sneed said.

Sneed said it took a lot of work to bring the organization back, but it was worth it. In order to establish a club on campus, students must form a constitution, seek two advisers and have a certain number of students interested.

“It’s been nice to make connections with different people, whether it is friends of faculty, friends of our family members or just connections we’ve made with

“You not only learn about culture, but you learn about diversity.”

Teyah Thompson, BSU Event Coordinator

Photo provided by the BSU

The BSU advocates for a sense of community awareness through diverse activities on campus.

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History of BSU

Photo provided by Donna Mines

Donna Mines was one of the first advisers and directors of the BSU at Mount Mary.

BSU’s Beginnings When Donna Mines stepped foot on the Mount Mary University campus in 1981, it never dawned on her that her decision to join the Black Student Union would influence the lives of so many women. She would later on become the adviser and director of the organization and mentor to many.

Mines was elected president of the organization; at the time, she was a nontraditional student in her early 30s, mother of two children and wife of a physician.

Mines said she never sought out the position; instead, her peers encouraged her to run after getting a feel for her nurturing spirit.

“I just felt if we were going to help out one another, we need to step up and do that,” Mines said.

Glenda Holly, who became head adviser for the organization on Feb. 17, 1981, said in a letter found in Archives that the administration was concerned about black student enrollment being at an all-time low.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 1980 African-American students made up 15 percent of the student population. That was 73 students out of a total of 1,170 that were enrolled at Mount Mary.

Mines explained that Holly wanted to help the issue by informing students what the campus had to offer academically and socially.

According to a letter from Archives, students appeared in radio interviews discussing what minorities can gain by enrolling at Mount Mary. Topics of discussion were about scholarship opportunities, information about the BSU and the opportunities to develop leadership.

“The goal was to get the word out that AfricanAmerican students were going to Mount Mary to get degrees and not feel intimidated in a college setting,” Mines said.

The organization underwent several name changes.

It was first called the Coretta Scott King Achievement Association. To honor King, the members had written a passionate letter to express their sympathy for the crimes occurring in Atlanta where King resided with her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The letter was sent to The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change Incorporation, headquartered in Atlanta in 1981.

On February 5, 1981, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center replied to the letter, saying, “Mrs. King is heartened to learn that the women chose to name their organization in her honor, and encouraged to learn that they are committed to the ideals of Dr. King.”

Making Strides on Campus Mines was not only was civic on campus but in her community as well.

“I wanted the women to know from my perspective that they could do things even if they had not done them before,” Mines said.

The Black Alumnae Tea was one event that was held to honor alumnae. The event enabled current students to network and mingle with the alumnae who could share their stories and experiences at Mount Mary.

The group of women also organized health care seminars, showcased black art exhibits in the Marian Art Gallery, held annual dinners for the club and hosted panel discussions. The women had the support of the Mount Mary community and helped students with expenses when they didn’t have sufficient funding.

After Mines graduated with a degree in ministry, she was hired to take on the position of adviser of the BSU after Glenda Holly stepped down.

“We wanted to say something about AfricanAmerican women, who they were and what they were,” Mines said. “We let other women know that we honor and cherish their capabilities.”

Early members of the BSU attend the Black Women’s Education Conference at the University of Michigan.

Winter 2016 | Arches

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FEATURE

Getting to the

of it An inside look at the changing meat industry and the growth of factory farms in the Midwest Words Brynn Herbert | Photo and Design Shannon Venegas

I

n 1994, a meat company built an 80,000head hog factory next to Scott Dye’s family farm in Northern Missouri, spurring him into action to help save traditional family farms.

“It literally butts up against my 130-yearold farm, and now in five county areas they raise 2.3 million hogs a year and 30 miles away from my home is a slaughterhouse where they slaughter 7,000 hogs a day,” Dye said.

Dye is a Missouri native and is passionate about keeping conventional farming and family-run farms from being put out of business by large meat factories.

“This is a battle for rural America,” Dye said.

Ninety-nine percent of America’s meat comes from animals that spend their entire

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lives on a factory farm, according to Laura Cascada, evidence analyst for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

A factory farm, as defined by aspca.org, is a “large, industrial operation that raises large numbers of animals for food. Factory farms focus on profit and efficiency at the expense of animal welfare.”

Factory farms, also known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs, are the biggest suppliers of meat in our country, providing 99.9 percent of chicken, 95 percent of pork and 90 percent of all beef and dairy products, according to Cascada, whose evidence analyst role consists of examining and compiling evidence gathered during field observations at sites suspected of being cruel to animals. Legal complaints and public edu-

Photo provided by PETA A mother pig and her piglets are confined in a farrowing gate during nursing at a factory farm in Iowa. The farm, which was investigated by PETA, raises pigs for Hormel products, and several former employees were convicted for abuse or neglect for some of their practices. While a small farrowing gate may be inhumane in the eyes of PETA and other pro-animal activists, some farmers say this is a common practice with pigs the first 30 days after birth to prevent the mothers from rolling over their babies.

cation materials are developed from this evidence.

According to Cascada and Dye, with the rise of consumer demand for meat at a lower cost, factory farms have become the standard way of producing meat, resulting in a significant decline of family farms and the traditional farming techniques.

“There are fewer and fewer small farms and more of these factory farms,” Cascada said. “Basically, the farms cram animals, often by the thousands, into small spaces where they never get to see sunlight, can barely turn around, if at all, and are kept in their own waste for the rest of their lives until they’re chucked up to slaughter.”

Factory farms are similar to any other major business and are controlled by select few corporations and large conglomerates, such as Smithfield Foods (controlled by a company in China), Tyson and Cargill. These companies are responsible for supplying almost all of the meat in our country, Cascada said.

“Nowadays these factory farms feed these animals to fewer and fewer corporations, so there’s a few big meat

companies out there that are producing the meat you see in grocery stores, and they really have control over the industry,” she said.

Cascada said animals in these large operations have no federal laws protecting them from cruel treatment, and there’s very little monitoring of these farms regarding inspections for cruelty.

“They’re kept in filthy, crowded sheds or cages, and many of them are drugged to grow rapidly, and they’re denied their basic natural relationships and adequate veterinary care,” she said.

Cascada explained that PETA’s work has led to investigations being opened by state and local officials.

Their main sources are from eyewitness investigations by employees of factory farms who act as whistleblowers.

“We’ve got these observers who are lawfully employed at these companies and reporting things they see, and they always take it to management, and often management does nothing at all to address their concerns, and so they come to PETA, and eventually we have enough

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FEATURE

Farm Animal Density

Wondering where the smell of manure is wafting from? This map shows the density of farm animals, including dairy, beef cattle, chickens and pigs, in each county.

More than 16,000 animals

4,000-8,000 animals

0-850 animals

* These numbers are estimates based on the Food & Water Watch analysis of U.S. Department of Agriculture Census of Agriculture data found at factoryfarmmap.org.

evidence of horrific cruelty to bring to officials and get them to take action,” she said.

Benefits of Large Animal Operations Jerry Huth is the owner and operator of a family-run beef cow/calf operation in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and manages a 100-cow registered Hereford beef herd on 650 acres. He is also a Wisconsin certified general appraiser, specializing in agricultural properties of all sizes in East Central Wisconsin, including factory farms.

Huth does not believe that factory farms exist. An operation that is over 900 animal units in size, what PETA

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deems a factory farm, is considered a CAFO, Huth said.

“These diverse operations are very conscientious in producing a product that is safe and wholesome,” Huth said. “The operators pride themselves in land stewardship and sustainability.”

CAFOs and larger dairy operations and feedlots are regulated by a number of different agencies, including the Department of Natural Resources, Huth said. They’re also environmentally conscious, producing a much smaller carbon footprint compared to prior agricultural manufacturers, utilizing technology and genetics to improve their animal products.

Huth explained how these large animal operations, due to size, are more able to compartmentalize and have professionals in different areas and positions throughout the process such as calf care and development, feeding, animal care, milking and machinery maintenance.

“They are very sustainable and they take their job of producing a quality, safe, wholesome product very seriously,” Huth said. “They are generally the most profitable type of agricultural entities.”

Environmental, Economical Effects While large pro-animal organizations such as PETA are anti-factory farming for reasons relating to improper treatment and conditions, Dye and his organization hold more of a personal grudge.

Dye works as a field coordinator for the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project, an organization based out of Missouri devoted to empowering rural communities to protect themselves against the devastating health, environmental and economic impacts of factory farms, according to its website.

“Essentially the entire organization is composed of people like me who have experienced something horrible (due to a factory farm),” Dye said.

Communities will contact SRAP with a concern about a nearby factory farm, asking for help fighting back.

Members like Dye, including lawyers, grassroots coordinators and consultants, will provide assistance to the community in any way they can.

The SRAP also does a lot of research to see the effects factory farming has on the environment, economy and people’s health, with one project highlighting Wisconsin.

In 2015, after a year-long investigation, the SRAP released troubling findings regarding water quality as a result of nearby factory farms. Dye addressed this and said that the main reason people contact the SRAP is for this reason: quality of life.

“Do we want to see sustainable family farmers on the land producing safe, healthy, wholesome food?” Dye asked. “Or do we want to farm this out to foreign investors and huge conglomerates who quite frankly have no interest at all in the (community)?”

poultry is bought from Pilgrim’s Pride, though all meat products, beef, pork and chicken are branded as Roundy’s for marketing purposes, Dicken said.

Roundy’s does offer antibiotic-free, vegetarian-fed and humanely-raised products in its out-of-service meat counters and under its Simply Roundy’s brand, but prices are higher.

“Now in five county areas, they raise 2.3 million

hogs a year, and 30 miles away from my home is a slaughterhouse where they slaughter 7,000 hogs a day.”

- Scott Dye Missouri farmer commenting on a hog factory in his area While Dicken said antibiotic-free and organic products are growing in popularity and demand, Roundy’s could not only carry those products because it would be costprohibitive.

“You have to have what I call more of a conventional type buffering, otherwise you’re going to price yourself out of the market, and you have to give consumers a choice,” Dicken said. r

What You Get at the Grocery For cities like Milwaukee that are removed from rural farming communities, grocery stores are where the majority of people purchase their meat. When purchasing meat products, it can be difficult to see behind the labels and packaging.

Brian Dicken, vice president of meat operations for Roundy’s Supermarkets, provided some insight as to what’s in the Roundy’s packages. According to Dicken, Roundy’s beef supplier is JBS Swift, and Dicken explained that Roundy’s doesn’t cut corners when it comes to its beef.

“All of our ground beef is steer meat, which means it’s Photo by Liquid Emulsion from Flickr Creative Commons cow blended and is a better eating experience,” Dicken said. “(It) costs more money, but we believe in it.”

Smithfield Foods supplies Roundy’s pork, and its

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FEATURE BACK:

Inflexible spine, long-term back pain, herniated disks

BRAIN:

Slowed thinking, decreased production of key brain chemicals

ORGANS:

Increased insulin production, higher risk of diabetes & cancer

HEART:

Slow-moving blood, increased risk of clogged arteries

LEGS:

Varicose veins, poor circulation, blood clots

Effects of Sitting too much 16

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THINKING

ON YOUR

Feet Why quitting sitting improves mind and body Words Erica L. Chang | Design Dalas C. Xiong

Every hour at the 50-minute mark, Dr. Kari Inda gets to her feet. “I have an Apple watch,” she said. “It’ll give me a ding and tell me, ‘You need to stand up.’”

As an occupational therapy professor and department chair at Mount Mary University, Inda is keenly aware of the effects prolonged sitting can have on the body. She explained that people who sit for two hours in the evening — watching TV, for example — “are at a greater risk of death earlier in life than those who didn’t have these prolonged sitting periods.”

The average adult in the U.S. sits for eight hours each day, as reported by Bonnie Berkowitz and Patterson Clark in the Washington Post’s 2014 report, “The Health Hazards of Sitting.” This habit directly impacts the spine, legs, brain, heart and other organs.

Prolonged sitting is linked to major health problems such as “being overweight, having metabolic syndrome (which includes obesity), diabetes and cardiovascular issues,” Inda said.

Picture the many opportunities you have each day to grab a seat: in class, on the bus, in the dining hall, while studying. We sit to eat, to drive, to relax. Some classes, especially evening courses, require several hours of sitting. Research proves the hazard inherent in prolonged sitting, but how does that play out for a student who seems to have no choice?

Maximize Learning Dr. Deb Dosemagen, chair of the Mount Mary education department and director of the graduate

program in education, said that getting up from a sitting position is crucial to maximize student learning.

According to Dosemagen, learners are not made for enduring long lectures without a break to stand and stretch. “A rule of thumb,” she said, “is about a minute a year” for attention span. So a 6-year-old could be expected to stay completely focused for about six minutes; presumably a 20-year-old could focus for 20 minutes.

When students primarily stay seated while learning, Dosemagen explained, they are less engaged with the content. “It is related to learning theory about student engagement,” Dosemagen said.

She explained that movement helps with attention, and attention in turn aids learning.

“The reality is, if [students] stop moving, it will be hard for them to pay attention,” Dosemagen said.

“They’re going to move … and we can either fight it or channel it.”

Freshman Jasmine Sodowsky, a psychology major, said that when classroom work involves moving around, “more of my brain is active.” When Sodowsky stays seated throughout class, though, “I zone out,” she said.

Tools to Help The solution, according to both Inda and Dosemagen, is simple: get up and get moving. A student or office worker has ample opportunities each day to combat the health effects of sitting. She just must be armed with a complete arsenal of tools that enable and encourage movement.

“Use apps,” Inda said. “(They) can set little goals for you.”

Apps like Stand Up! and Move track daily movement and can help “identify how sedentary you tend to be,” Inda said.

Another option Inda suggested is simple timers. “Set it for one minute and that’s how long you have to stand up,” she said. “Or set it for an hour while seated and make sure to stand up when the timer sounds.”

“Every time you’re on the phone, I want you to stand up,” Inda said. Choose an activity you do a lot — reading, talking, watching Netflix — and decide to regularly stand or walk while you do it. “If your phone call is long, you’re going to be standing longer,” Inda said.

In the midst of a long lecture, take advantage of breaks granted by professors. “If I give my students a break, some of them will get up, but lots of them just take out their phones,” Dosemagen said.

Instead, take your phone on the go and walk to the nearest window, or take a lap down the hallway.

Dosemagen said students will sometimes collectively opt to skip a break in order to get out of class 10 minutes early.

“That’s probably not a good idea,” she said. “The brain … does need to shift gears a little bit, and the physical movement can help them do that.”

In group projects or class discussions, try a new way of talking, or walking, through concepts. Professor Michael

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FEATURE Maguire, faculty associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, incorporates walking meetings into his classes. Rather than sitting in a circle of desks, students walk through campus while discussing a group project.

“It’s a different way to approach a very traditional setting,” Maguire said. “Students seem to like it. There’s a real sense that it can create more focus.”

Stretch Your Muscles Inda also suggested following “the rule of opposites.” If you find yourself hunched forward in a seated position, “you need to stretch back,” Inda said. “If you are bending over, you need to stretch up.” Pay attention to how you consistently move your body and make sure each muscle group is exercised.

For leaders and teachers, incorporating movement for a group of college-level learners can be

simple.

“Be more intentional about changing locations in the classroom,” suggested Dosemagen.

“Have them physically get up and transition into different positions.”

She said it’s the college version of “going to the carpet” for reading time — a moment to stretch and a new location in the classroom can hone focus and foster engagement.

Maguire suggested that instructors who use PowerPoint “insert a slide with a graphic symbol of someone stretching,” he said. Or try a standing meeting during class.

Maguire added that it even makes a difference to walk down the hall to the school cafe and meet around the tall (chair-less) cafe tables. The point, he said, is to have students “get up, move around and interact.” r

Stand-Out Apps Stand Up! (iOS) – Free Stand Up! is essentially a beefed-up timer with helpful visuals and an easyto-use interface. Users set it to remind them to stand at intervals throughout the day. It’s colorful, clean-cut and does just what it’s supposed to.

Moves (iOS and Android) – Free Moves automatically tracks everyday movement like walking, biking and running. It allows users to set simple goals to achieve a daily step goal and maps out a timeline of the places where the user spends the most time.

Sworkit (iOS and Android) – Free Recently featured on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” Sworkit equips users to get moving in whatever spare moments of time they can find. The app allows users to customize their workouts by length, type (strength, cardio, yoga or stretching), body area and even the length of the transitions between each exercise. Sworkit guides users through a significant workout in as little as five minutes, making it a practical tool for those trying to fit exercise into free moments.

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Winter 2016 | Arches

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REVIEW

Read It or Watch It Students explain their personal preferences

Words Termeria Taper | Design Sheila Suda The long-contested debate of whether to read the book or see the film is one that many have strong opinions about.

There is an underlying conflict among book lovers when a cherished book is in the works of becoming a film adaption.

The students and staff of Mount Mary University had a certain list of criteria that needed to be met before they would consider watching a movie: consistency of plot, characterization and audience appeal.

DISCLAIMER: The “Watch Its” are still great stories to read, but if pressed for time, the movie still packs a punch.

Read it or watch it criteria Consistency of plot “The plot, conflict and characterization — if they’re going in-depth or if they’re just skimming the surface. If they’ve skipped a whole bunch of things and just concentrated one of the conflicts instead of all of them.” ~Dr. Debra Brenegan, associate professor of English

Characterization: effectively captured characters “Accuracy, consistency, capturing the characters, making sure it’s the same. It’s always disappointing when you watch a movie and the characters are completely different.” ~Maria Diny, graduate student in occupational therapy

Audience Appeal: connects to viewers “A book that makes the best film adaptation is one that has a character that connects to other people well. For me, I like it when it has a strong human element.” ~Sarah Klippel, Haggerty Library librarian

Read AND Watch “The Fault in Our Stars” Book by John Green (2012), movie directed by Josh Boone (2014) “I had seen the movie first, and I liked the movie, so the next day I went and bought the book. I disliked how much of the actual emotion and detail that they took out of the movie from the book.” ~Heather Briley-Schmidt, senior majoring in business administration and English – writing for new media

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M o v i e s T h a t M e t Crit e ria – Wa t c h T h e m “Mockingjay” (Hunger Games Trilogy) Book by Suzanne Collins (2010), movie directed by Francis Lawrence (2014) “I like that it was a thriller and I loved the cast … that was great. I think that it was pretty accurate … they can’t get every detail, which sucks. I didn’t think that the last book had to be split into two movies, but that’s just me.” ~Tiffany Ouwerkerk, sophomore majoring in fashion merchandising

“Gone Girl”

“Fifty Shades of Grey”

Book by Gillian Flynn (2012), movie directed by David Fincher (2014) “The movie captured [the book] perfectly.

No one really knew the name of the actress who played the main character, but I thought that was what made it perfect. I personally like Ben Affleck as well, so I thought that was perfect, too.” ~Courtney Furlow, sophomore majoring in fashion merchandising and management

Book by E.L. James (2011), movie directed

by Sam Taylor-Johnson (2015) “The movie was very visual and did the book justice.” ~Teyah Thompson, sophomore majoring in fashion merchandising

M o v i e s t h a t D i d n ’t M e e t Crit e ria – Re a d T h e m “Twilight”

“The Scorch Trials” (“The Maze Runner” series)

Book by Stephenie Meyer (2005), movie directed by Catherine Hardwicke (2008) “The actors and actresses were bad, especially Kristen Stewart. She didn’t fit the persona of the character and didn’t show enough effort.” ~Iyanna Turner, junior majoring in psychology

Book by James Dashner (2010), movie directed by Wes Ball (2015) “I liked the book better than the movie because of the details in it and I liked how there’s more conflict between the characters.” ~Zakia Wells, freshman majoring in art therapy

“The Great Gatsby” Book by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925), movie directed by Baz Luhrmann (2013) “I thought (the movie) was kind of disappointing. It was a long movie, so of course they had to cut stuff out. They just cut out scenes that were in the book that I wanted in the movie.” ~Maria Diny, graduate student in occupational therapy

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REVIEW

] y t i v i

t ] e t A r

[C

At the Mam

The unveiling of the renovated Milwaukee Art Museum Words and Photos Suzie Skalmoski | Design Denisse Hernandez Once hidden in the Milwaukee Art Museum vaults, freshly uncrated works of art fill the renovated museum’s new spaces.

In November 2015, the museum concluded a $34 million renovation and expansion project, which made room for 1,000 additional pieces of art, many in storage for decades.

Storage Process According to Rachel Vander Weit, a curator of “Uncrated, Unveiled,” the previously uncrated but valuable pieces were stored in special temperature-controlled vaults and racks, which secured their safety and preservation.

In addition to these vaults, some works were stored off-site in protective buildings in Milwaukee and Chicago.

To ensure the safety of the art, the museum’s registration and conservation departments oversaw the pieces regularly.

As with collections at other large museums, it is critical that the registrar keeps track of each work of art, whether exhibited, stored or being shared with other museums, Vander Weit said.

The art museum has “security components where the doors are locked and only certain people have access,” she said. “They have a museum database that records all of the current locations of every single object.”

Vander Weit said this is crucial because the museum must keep the location of all of their works of art updated, whether they are on display or stored

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in the vault. The valuable and delicate pieces must be treated with care when moving around the art museum.

This key task belongs to the registrar, who tracks everything —­such as where and when a piece moves to a different space — and is ultimately responsible for the safety and preservation of the works of art as they are on display.

With so many pieces available for viewing, the museum staff rotates the works of art on display to ensure every piece sees a few rotations every year.

Vander Weit said these works might be a watercolor, a photograph, a print or a drawing.

“Something that is susceptible to light exposure, we rotate those out typically every three to six months, just depending on the object and how much exposure it has had in the past,” she said.

In addition, many popular and precious works are requested to be borrowed by other art institutions. The endless viewers keep the works rotating between art museums, showcasing the masterpieces around the world. The pieces on loan will ultimately make their way back to the Milwaukee Art Museum once finished with the rotation.

Benefits of Renovations While the uncrated works are certainly one of the highlights of “Uncrated, Unveiled,” the renovations are visually inspiring in their own right.

The museum staff has updated parts of the building, creating a new entrance and new spaces for more artwork to be

displayed.

It was a three- to five-year process, and the 4,000 square feet used for periodically rotating exhibits adds a whole new dimension to the museum.

The additional space will be enhanced at a yet-to-be-determined time in the near future, as the employees of the Milwaukee Art Museum have had their hands full with the fresh and improved exhibits currently on display.

The Milwaukee Art Museum’s renovations add an artistic element to the classic taste and visual experience.

In addition to the new works of art, the general structural renovations increase the quality of the experience.

The museum’s accessibility for the public has also improved by adding bathrooms on every level; a new, beautiful entrance; and a coffee and wine bar.

Even though these features have been added, most of the famous works of art, such as the hand-blown glass sculpture

by Dale Chihuly, the realistic “Janitor” by Duane Hanson and Alex Katz’s iconic dog painting “Sunny,” are still on display.

Hours Tuesday - Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Friday until 8 p.m.

Open Mondays, Memorial Day-Labor Day, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas day

While many works of art in the new “Uncrated, Unveiled” exhibit are significant, three pieces have been most intriguing and fascinating to viewers since the November 2015 reopening. This has not escaped the notice of museum staff, and they recommend a visit to take in the following pieces.

[uncrated works] “Street Corner” (1899) by Robert Henri: While the painting looks like an artist’s rendering of a typical day in the city, the image itself is not one to pass up. The perfect balance, lighting and color are achieved in the scene, adding special character to the piece as it tells a story of an urban day. The realistic colors and action going on in the street describe 1800s city life just as it would be. With the detail added to the buildings and the people, it is a memorable piece because it portrays that idea of what the city actually looked like in that era. This painting illustrates a charm to the old city life, and a viewer should not leave the museum without taking it in.

“High Rise” (1983-1984) by Claire Zeisler: An immense sculpture made of strong, heavy rope captures your attention as soon as you lay eyes on it. The piece arrests your eyes. The height of the piece adds a completely new dimension to art, as viewers stare at it in awe because of its great size and composition. The piece’s incredibly heavy material contributes to the diversity of the museum, as it is able to stand on its own with an elaborate contrivance. The viewer cannot help but be grateful that it was uncrated.

“In Drydock” (1942) by Georges Braque: The sailboat, the beach, and the subject give this painting a moving quality, as beauty is depicted in thick brush strokes, minimal color and simple lines and shapes. The eye is drawn to the blending of colors as the painting tells a perplexing story of why the subject might be near the sailboat. While it is somewhat simple in its portrayal of the beach, a sailboat and a person, the color and the movement of the piece give an entirely new perspective to simplicity and beauty, as the two join to create a moving and emotional canvas.

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s k r o W e v i t a e Cr CREATIVE WORKS

a Perow Design Lis raphy, rk, photog rsity! o w rt a t p . We acce ary Unive your work t body of Mount M re u t a fe here we e studen ection is w iving a voice to th s s rk o W g ive The Creat flash fiction. We are d n a poetry

CECILY CONARD

PHOTO GRAPH

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Y

is a junior in the art therapy program with fine art and psychology minors.

Conard cherishes simplicity, even though her mind tends to make things complex. She tries to push beyond the expectations of society and learn to be happy with herself.

FICTION

WINDOWS

NICOLE WINKLER

grew up in Oregon, Wisconsin, with her parents and older brother. She obtained an associate degree in criminal justice at Waukesha County Technical College and is currently studying justice and psychology at Mount Mary. She has been writing poetry since 2007 and recently began experimenting with prose.

The day she said, “yes,” to his proposal was the happiest day she’s had for the last 17 years. Dreams rushed her mind in the beginning; dreams of white picket fences, children in the backyard, and arguments about ugly curtains. But they never came true.

While she dreamt of an ordinary life, he dreamt of the extraordinary. Her husband had always been an idealist, a wisher, and a regretful soul. His eyes always lingered a little too long on the things that were out of reach for a man of his means.

On this day, their anniversary, his mind was lost on work. He thought, if I work just a little harder, I can make enough to buy her that ruby ring. And, when he walked in the door hours late for dinner, she thought, this man does not love me.

“Sorry I’m late,” he called from the doorway, but she did not answer.

Upstairs he caught her packing her things. His heart was caught in his throat, he had known this was coming for so long, yet he never thought it would happen.

She didn’t look up, knowing that if she saw his pain she would not be able to leave him that way. Staring out the window, she started looking for the words she had to say. Only a moment ago she had novels to speak to him, but now all she could think of was staying. But, she closed her heart to him and said,“You make me feel like a window on a cold winter day. For 17 years I’ve been stuck in frigid glass, forced to see what I have and what I want. I look outside and I see parents and children playing in the snow, and inside, a dark home that’s been absent of laughter for 16 and a half years. Outside there’s the smell of hot chocolate and Christmas cookies, but inside is just a faint linger of bitter coffee and cigarette smoke. I know you feel the same. Just as I am, you’re a window too. You look outside and see our neighbor’s patio set, their landscaped lawn, and the Mercedes Benz. I’m not happy and you want more. I only have a few more years of childbearing in me, and I want to touch the outside so bad.” Her voice cracked and her throat was raw. She had to stress her vocal cords just to be heard. “I hope we can both make it outside after this, because it’s,” another crack in her voice sounded and a whimper followed, “so much colder in here than it has ever been outside.”

He didn’t stop her from walking out the door, but held on to the ring box inside of his jacket a little tighter, remembering how he did the same thing 17 years ago on a cold winter day.

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CREATIVE WORKS

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PHOTO GRAP

HY

ANGELA MAE PARKER

was born in Park Ridge, Illinois, and has used art as self-expression ever since she could hold a colored marker. She uses a wide array of media and tools for her art. She works with concepts that she believes can build a better world and evoke a deeper realization of life.

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PERSPECTIVES

Twitter Reactions

A Native Voice

Words Sandrea Smith | Design Lisa Perow

Food for Thought: Choose Your Words Gingerly There is a bakery in Melbourne, Australia, that took the traditional Gingerbread man cookie recipe and altered not only its ingredients but also revamped the name of these vegan delights to the “Organic Genderless Gingerbread Figures.” These little treats look nothing like the traditional little brown men with red hot eyes decorated with icing and candy buttons that we have all come to know and love.

This idea, though a thoughtful one, sparked a bit of backlash after going viral. It seems to raise the question: Can you be too politically correct?

“Customers in the environmentally-friendly shop have expressed ‘enthusiastic admiration’ for the genderless cookies,” said Jeanette Taylor, an organic food, wine and deli owner from Melbourne, Australia, in a blog post on Melbourne’s Herald Sun. She added, “It’s more about not offending people by writing ‘man’ than someone saying, ‘Well it’s not a man or woman.’ We’re organic, and we like people to think about what they say and do and be responsible.”

I find the idea of a genderless cookie to be novel. This idea that cookies are neither man nor woman creates a conversation about equality. The attention it brought to such ideals is good; from time to time, people tend to forget to be conscious of such things. It is all too common for people to speak without thinking. The name of this little treat alone will have you thinking before you eat.

My definition of being politically correct is a complex and flexible one. When you are acting or speaking in a politically correct fashion, you are doing so with not only the intent but the action of trying to avoid offending others. If you are speaking the truth, and the listener takes offense, you still could be politically correct.

Per the dictionary definition, nothing about being politically correct says you have to be factual in your speech or action. It only implies that if your speech isn’t offensive, it could be considered politically correct.

For me, there never really seemed to be much importance in the labels themselves; it was the intent behind them that concerns me.

I woke up an Indian, and tonight I might fall asleep a Native American. Weird as it may sound, as a biracial woman and member of the Ojibwe tribe, these labels have always been interchangeable.

There are terms whose definition alone is derogatory or offensive — being called an Indian in my generation was more of a common term than a derogatory statement. Members of older generations might not feel the same way as I do about being called an Indian and might very well become offended if you referred to them as such, as they interpret words in a literal sense. Since they are not from India, being called an Indian might feel offensive.

Such terms and verbiage tend to change, and time alters the seri-

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Esteban

12h

@steven_johno @RitaPanahi @GreenJ @Caroline_Butler That biscuit has 2 arms and 2 legs and discriminates against people with physical disabilities! PROTEST

CrowForm @CrowForm

16h

@RitaPanahi red heads may find the use of ginger offensive IMO

wendy.

19h

@its purpl @BBCtrending @BBCWorld <American butts in> if i liked gingerbread, i would buy a DOZEN :D

ousness of them — some in positive ways and others in negative — but the intent in which the words are being used remains constant.

Oh, how grand would that be if everyone would take a moment before they speak and analyze their thoughts and words to ensure that no one would be offended. When the boulder of reality comes crashing down, it is clear the definition of the term is not tailored to please everyone.

If we compiled individual opinions with no facts to back them up, just basing them on the reaction of others, they leave a greater opportunity for confusion about what is politically correct and what is not. Being politically correct could possibly overflow into not just what you say, but how you say it.

The preferences of what a Native American wants to be referred to vary from state to state, reservation to reservation and generation to generation. To be safe instead of sorry, I advise others to use the term Native American for natives indigenous to America and save the label of Indian for those who are of Indian descent or from India, as not all Indians are okay with being called an Indian.

Author Pearl Strachan Hurd said it best: “Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs.” r

Confront Your Fears, Find Your Strength Words Shannon Venegas | Design Lisa Perow | Illustration Emily Gaggioli

More than a year ago, I wrote a column about my horse, Hi Phi, who had recently passed away. At the time, I said the only regret I had was not spending more time with him before it happened.

But I lied, that’s not my only regret.

See, this is not the only animal I have ever owned. In my lifetime, my family has owned many animals, some of which we have had to make the tough decision to euthanize when they reached an advanced age.

For each one, I could not handle staying there for the actual euthanization. I would say my good-byes and walk away crying.

Then my mom (also in tears) and I would usually go for a drive while my brother or husband stayed with the vet.

I always felt comfortable having my brother or husband there, but I promised myself with Phi, it would be different, that I would toughen up and stay by his side during his final moments.

I have to own up to my cowardice and admit that I could not fulfill this wish of mine. In the end, I was too afraid to see it happen and instead went and hid in the barn, bawling like a baby while my husband stayed with Phi. I knew between him and the vet, he was in good hands, but it didn’t matter. To this day, every time I look at his picture, I regret not having the strength to stay with him. It was cowardice, plain and simple. It wasn’t that I couldn’t bear the emotion of staying with him, I was just afraid of seeing the process of euthanization, and in the end, I couldn’t just wait with him in his final minutes.

Sometimes my cowardice in moments like these makes me question my strength.

This isn’t the first time I’ve let my fear overcome me. My senior year of high school, I was supposed to go on a two-week trip to France with my French class. I will admit that I was scared out of my mind. I had never been on a plane, let alone been out of the country, and I had always been a bit of

a homebody. The thought of spending two weeks in a foreign place was exciting but also daunting.

Some time before the trip, my dad ended up leaving and my parents faced an impending divorce. On top of it, my horse ended up getting an abscess in his foot that required care. I used these two things as excuses to back out of the trip when, deep down, I know my mom would have battled through on her own and someone else could have cared for my horse.

These situations of weakness have made me consider how much strength I really have. I always considered myself tough because I could get back on my horse the day after getting kicked in the leg or because I could stack 200 bales of hay. But physical strength is very different from the tests our minds have to endure.

I hear stories of martyrs, and I admire them for their courage. I always figured, if that happened to me, I could handle it, and I could stand up for my beliefs. But if I’m not even brave enough to travel to Europe, how could I ever be brave enough to stand up for my faith?

In the most extreme examples that many of us cannot even begin to imagine, there are Christian Syrians who struggle to leave their homes for fear of being berated, assaulted, raped or even killed by Muslim extremists.

Yet they do it; they gather their courage and try to live out their lives.

If we bring it a little closer to home, in the Columbine High School massacre, there were reports that one of the students was asked if she believed in God, right before she was gunned down.

I don’t know if I would have had the strength to say “yes.”

I probably would have buckled under the pressure and tried to save my life by answering “no.”

I have a husband and a 4-year-old daughter. Would I want to leave her motherless just to prove something with a verbal confession?

Could I live with myself if I didn’t tell the truth? Would God forgive me? These are the tough questions I ask myself sometimes.

I hope I am never faced with these tough decisions, but I also hope that I can gather more mental strength in the future. I am proud to admit that I did finally get on a plane several years ago and leave the country, but that was just a baby step. Moments of weakness typically lead to moments of regret, and I don’t want to live my life like that. r

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Really, how?

She doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t graduate until May.

Hey did you hear?

Sally joined the MMU Alumnae Association!

To get connected, follow the MMU Alumnae Association on Facebook, LinkedIn or email us at mmu-alumnae@mtmary.edu For more info today!

Yeah, I heard they have a huge network of alums with great information about our future career!

Gee whiz, I better get in touch with them now!