La Vie Collegienne Vol. 85 Issue 9

LA VIE COLLEGIENNE LEBANON VALLEY COLLEGE’S STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1924 VOLUME 85, NO. 9 | APRIL 12, 2018

ValleyFest 2018: A look at what’s new

COLIN ALBRIGHT ’18 STAFF WRITER This year’s ValleyFest will bring significant changes to the weekend schedule, which features a concert and day festival.

ValleyFest is an important weekend at LVC as it represents the annual Spring Arts Festival. Arts and craft vendors from the surrounding area come to LVC to share their creations with the campus and community.

Food truck vendors, children and student activities and the headliner concert are also a part of the weekend festivities.

Since the first Spring Arts Festival in 1971, ValleyFest has constantly evolved and adapted to better suit the students and community. This year, the ValleyFest Committee has announced that the headliner concert will be on Friday instead of

on Saturday night as it was in prior years.

“Some changes we made this year are quite significant,” Jess Zeiner, ValleyFest president, said.

“This year, our concert is on Friday, April 20, and our day festival is on Sunday, April 22.”

The changes in the schedule of events will allow LVC students and the community to attend Lebanon’s Day of Caring, which is being held on Saturday, April 21, without missing ValleyFest events.

“We opted to have events available

Information Technology: Text for help JALEN CLIATT ’18 STAFF WRITER The Office of Information Technology adds one more way students can access tech help; students can now text the IT Solutions Center for assistance.

To take advantage of this new service, simply text a question or problem to 717-685-LVC0 (717-6855820). IT Solutions Center staff will respond during office hours and work to provide solutions tailored to a student’s need.

Students can still call IT at 717-8676072, email (solutions@lvc.edu) or drop by during office hours (Monday

Photo provided by: Jalen Cliatt

through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.,

for our students to reach out and help at [Lebanon Day of Caring],” Zeiner said. “ValleyFest is open to the public and the community, and by moving the food and arts festival to Sunday, this might allow more community members to experience w h a t ValleyFest is all about.”

Although the entire weekend is popular among the student body, some students feel that the headliner concert, which will feature pop/rock band “We The Kings,” is a highly anticipated event.

“We initially had to choose between genres, among which country and pop/rock received the highest number of votes,” Zeiner said. “We ended up sticking with the Pop/Rock category and made a list of possibilities. After trial and error, ‘We The Kings’ accepted our offer and we couldn’t be more excited.”

Most students and community members who attend the ValleyFest events do not see all the work that goes on behind the scenes in order to make the event a success.

The ValleyFest Committee works diligently in order to stage events that will be appealing to students and community members.

“I am excited to see our students and community have smiles on their faces and enjoy the entertainment and food of the weekend,” Zeiner said.

VALLEYFEST CONCERT

DAY FESTIVAL

FRIDAY, APRIL 20 8 P.M.

SUNDAY, APRIL 22

GINA ABRACZINSKAS & HENRY DEVORICK

FOOD TRUCKS CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES CRAFT VENDORS

LVC STUDENT PRICE WITH PROMO CODE VF2018

TICKETS AVAILABLE ON EVENTBRITE

11 A.M. - 5 P.M.

Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) for help.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE OF LA VIE

SUSTAINABILITY PAGE 2

FOOD FESTIVAL PAGE 2

WIG & BUCKLE PAGE 3

WORLDS DANCER PAGE 4

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FEATURE

April 12, 2018 La Vie Collegienne

Pursuit of sustainability HUNTRE KEIP ’20 STAFF WRITER Each year, Lebanon Valley College's Sustainability Advisory Committee holds events in celebration of Earth Day. The celebration of awareness begins with the Sustainability Oratorical Contest, which took place April 4 in the Bishop Library Atrium. Interested students submitted their scripts and brief bibliographies. The top contestants were chosen to present their oration for this event. The contestants were judged by a panel of four judges within the LVC community.

This year's topic was "Explain a global environment issue and discuss how our local behaviors and actions contribute to it. What are the best ways to address this issue, in your view?" Students were asked to follow this topic, but they were able to explore different topics and variations while discussing the environment.

Five contestants participated, including Courtney Betsock, Kristen Eberhardt, Keri Jones, Alexis Morace

and Lauren Wick. Each female's presentation covered a variety of topics involving environmental efforts created by the College, possible pollution in the Annville area and pollution effects of the world's oceans.

"I do not want to watch the world drown in garbage," Betsock, a freshman physical therapy major, said.

Betsock's proposed donating old clothing and not taking an excessive amount of food while eating in

Food, countries and cultures

ABOVE: Students serve food at the International Food Festival.

SHILESKY MONTALVO ’19 STAFF WRITER Food from 27 different countries filled the Lebergern Learning Commons along with hundreds of students.

LVC’s Global Education Club hosted its annual International Food Festival on April 4 in Lebergern Learning Commons. The event gave students the opportunity to try new foods and learn about different countries.

Photo by: Shilesky Montalvo

“I really enjoyed the food festival last year which is why I decided to come this year,” Ashley Snader, a junior business administration major, said. “It gets you out of your comfort zone, and allows you to try new foods and learn about different countries.

The environment during this event is great.”

Each country represented at the festival had a unique display depicting the country’s music, instruments, fruits, vegetables, flags and even posters.

the Mund Dining Hall. She stressed the importance of decreasing an individual's amount of garbage that goes into growing landfills across the state.

Eberhardt, a senior digital communications major, realized her desire for environmental change when she discovered how long it took for a single straw to decompose. She decided to write her oration about an individual's effect on pollution in oceans.

"When one person uses a single straw, that straw takes over 200 years to decompose," Eberhardt said.

"5.52 trillion pieces of plastic are in the world's oceans."

The winners of the 2018 Sustainability Oratorical Contest are: first place, Kristen Eberhardt; second place, Courtney Betsock and third place, Keri Jones. The prizes included an iPad, $100 gift card and a $50 gift card.

Reading between the lines HUNTRE KEIP ’20 STAFF WRITER To some college students, being a part of a book club may sound cumbersome, but one LVC student brings forth the importance of analyzing a novel.

Kahlil Brim, a freshman English major, is the president and founder of LVC's latest book club. Brim began the club during this spring semester, after he published his first book titled "The Flower of the Valencia."

The book club is currently studying Brim's novel, but he and fellow members are discussing potential books to read next semester. The club's goal is to read a book each month that is no longer than 400 pages.

"Each month, we want a book with a different theme, which could vary from women’s empowerment, relationships or real-life stories," Brim said.

The club is anxious to read more books and plans to use these books as resources to help them through college life.

The book club meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Fellowship Lounge located in the Frederic K. Miller Chapel.

April 12, 2018

FEATURE

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Final performance of season “The Man Who Came to Dinner”

CHELSEA MOYER ’18 STAFF WRITER Wig and Buckle Theater Company premiered its final production of the 2017-18 season on Friday, April 6.

“The Man Who Came to Dinner” is a comedic adventure set in the 1930s.

The play takes place in a small town in Ohio during the winter season.

Sheridan Whiteside, a famous radio personality, unexpectedly becomes injured by slipping on icy steps. He’s taken in by the Stanley family to give him time to recover. During Whiteside’s time recouping, he decides to make things interesting by intruding on the family’s personal lives.

Madison Lenhart, a junior vocal performance and English major, is the director of “The Man Who Came to Dinner.” She started out in theater at the early age of 8.

“My first performance was in 'Once on This Island' as Little Ti Moune,” Lenhart said. “I have always done at least one performance a year.”

This was Lenhart’s first time directing a play, and she's gained a new set of skills from the experience. She

ABOVE: Leedy Theater will host the comedy until April 15.

would like to continue working in theater after she graduates from LVC. “I plan on performing in local theaters as an actress, organizing my own vocal studio for private lessons and possibly directing at local theaters or high schools,” Lenhart said.

Community opens hearts to AHA event JANESSA CRUZ ’19 STAFF WRITER The Lebanon County Heart Ball was a night of giving and community held at Sorrentino Gymnasium on April 7.

This was the first year the College hosted the much-anticipated Central PA event. The Heart Ball was originally held at the Lebanon Country Club, but moved to the College because the attendance grew significantly.

The Heart Ball is held to honor those who have overcome heart disease, but also to remember those lost.

One child and his parents shared their story at the event.

Cody Truax was diagnosed with hypo-plastic left heart syndrome in utero.

“The time up to then [Cody’s birth] was very uncertain,” James Truax, Cody’s father, said. “Luckily the doctors and nurses were very involved,

Photo by: Jolie Winemiller

“Directing has been the most unique experience that I have ever had the pleasure of doing.”

With the absence of Dr. Kevin Pry, associate professor of English, things haven’t been the same in the Wig and Buckle community. Pry assists each

Visting poet: Aracelis Girmay

greeted us, got to know us by name JALEN CLIATT ’18 STAFF WRITER and still recognize him.”

Helping children like Cody wouldn’t be possible without the help of sponsors and chairs of the event. Candoris, a technology solutions company in Annville, sponsored the Heart Ball.

The company was personally affected by heart disease when an employee, Nate Kirby, passed away from heart disease.

“Believing that each day is a gift, we seek to honor his [Nate Kirby’s] memory through service and support of esteemed organizations like The American Heart Association,” Cari Maxwell, director of operations, said.

The College enabled the community to come together to enhance awareness, treatments and research of heart disease and stroke.

student-led performance and lends valuable advice to first-time directors.

“I have remained in contact with Dr. Pry since he started his absence,” Lenhart said. “He’s taught us well and we managed just fine.”

When the time came to choose which play Lenhart would direct, it was simple. She knew directing a comedy was on the top of her list.

“In every comedy, the most successful way to achieve ultimate laughter is to have excellent timing,” Lenhart said. “To me, this was a challenge I was dying to take on.”

Lenhart accomplished her goal during opening night. The performance was unique and worthy of a few good laughs.

“It was great seeing the audience’s reaction to the actors and for the actors to get their well-deserved applause,” Lenhart said.

“The Man Who Came to Dinner” will be shown in Leedy Theater until Sunday, April 15. Tickets for LVC students are free and $15 for general admission. Tickets can be reserved online through Wig and Buckle’s website or by calling the box office.

Poet, author and Hampshire College professor Aracelis Girmay visited LVC to work with students and to read some of her works on April 5.

As part of the “Writing: a Life” series, the College brings talented authors to campus to share their knowledge and projects with students and aspiring writers.

Aracelis Girmay was the guest speaker for the month of April, and she hosted a creative writing generative workshop before hosting a reading of her work. “[The workshop] was an interesting and fun way to get ideas for future work and to get to know other writers on campus,” Reann Walquist, a sophomore English and digital communications double major, said. “[Girmay] has great insight on many things that I had never considered before.

I’m grateful to have been part of her visit to LVC.” Girmay has written three books of poetry, earned a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2011, won an Isabella Gardner Award and received a Whiting Award in 2015 for Poetry.

“I’ve been reading ever since I was young, and I’ve been writing and sharing my work since I was an undergrad in college.” Girmay said. “Reading inspires me to keep on with writing since I work through my worldly questions through my writing, and I have so many questions.”

Girmay takes inspiration from authors such as Lucille Clifton, Gwendolyn Brooks and Vanessa Angelica Villarreal.

In addition to poetry, Girmay has published a collage book. Girmay’s works can be read on PoetryFoundation.org

SPORTS KURT HARNISH ’20 STAFF WRITER With spring sports coming to a close at the end of April, the men’s lacrosse team is looking to make waves with a strong finish to the season.

The LVC men’s lacrosse team has had a season of difficulties with a 6-5 record to date. However, the Dutchmen have pulled off some key wins against rivals Delaware Valley and Marymount University. The season has been plagued with rough weather causing injuries and the postponement of games.

“We have been fighting through some tough matchups this season, and we have been doing well, considering some of the injuries that have affected our team,” Kevin Beaver, a junior attacker, said.

The Dutchmen have had a strong defense this year and the team feels their defense is the strongest part of their game. However, the team has struggled on the road and needs to improve as they go forward with

April 12, 2018

Here comes the boom

Photo by: Kurt Harnish ABOVE: Action from LVC’s 12-0 win agaisnt Alvernia in the annual Cross Out Cancer game.

conference play.

“We need to do a better job of taking care of business when playing in another team’s stadium,” Koty Keefer, a senior midfielder, said.

Keefer was a MAC Commonwealth All-Conference First Team midfielder his sophomore year but had to sit out his entire junior season due to a

Racing to the top

torn ACL. Keefer is looking to reclaim that all-conference spot again, but his focus is still on the team succeeding.

“The main goal for this year is to earn a spot in conference playoffs, and contend for a conference title,” Keefer said.

The team is focused on earning a playoff spot. The team brings a lot of

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energy to all the games, which all the players can feed off. The players and coaches on the team feel that no team is ever successful with a quiet sideline.

“Our players on the sidelines are always hyped, even if they don’t get too much time,” Beaver said. “The energy they bring really helps to pump up our offense and defense.”

The players have been excited to be able to learn from their newest coach, Jack Crawford. Crawford played at Johns Hopkins University where he won three NCAA Division I National Championships. Coach Crawford’s focus is on the defense and also helps the face-off specialists.

“Crawford is a great coach and brings a ton of knowledge and experience to the team,” Beaver said.

The Dutchmen’s next game at Arnold Field is April 11 at 7 p.m.; it’s a conference game against Hood College.

Ranked #25 in the world

upcoming invitational with Messiah College on April 13.

On the other hand, the women’s Heartbeat racing, spikes pounding track & field team is a force to be the track, one step lunging in front reckoned with. During this year’s of the other -- Stephen Shelly rounds indoor season the team placed fifth the last bend of the track, closing in out of 13 teams, with a majority of on the finish line, and completing yet the team qualifying for ECACs. In another 3000 meter steeplechase for fact, a few of the women on the team LVC’s men’s track & field team.

“So far, the men’s side is having brought home medals from ECACs. “We have a blend of experienced a bit of a building year,” Shelly, a senior actuarial science major, said. returners and eager freshmen,” “During the indoor season the team Rebecca Dertinger, a junior track placed sixth and even though the athlete, said. “We are hard-working team is young, we’re looking forward athletes who continue to push to grabbing that 5th spot at the ourselves and each other.” conference meet in May.” The majority of the women’s team The men’s track & field team are underclassmen, but confidence graduated a majority of its seasoned is not lacking. The upcoming meet athletes, leaving this year’s younger team with experience to gain and with Messiah College will be a good Photo provied by by: Faith Ishler a lot of room to improve and grow. barometer of where the team stands ABOVE: Faith Ishler ‘19 placed 25th at the 2018 world’s Irish dance competition in March.

Although the team is young, the as it prepares for the conference athletes are eager to tackle the championship.

STAFF WRITER four times a week. Her hard work paid A LVC student spent Easter break off.

“I was so excited to place 25th this participating in an international Irish dancing competition in Ireland. year at the worlds,” Ishler said. “It was Women’s Softball v. Gettysburg College (DH) April 12 3 p.m.

Faith Ishler, a sophomore English a huge jump from my placement last Baseball v. Hood College April 13 3:30 p.m. major, danced her way to a personal year of 41st in the world.”

Ishler’s love for Irish dancing best performance -- she finished 25th Women’s Golf Spring Invitational April 14 12:30 p.m. started at a young age. There’s no rest worldwide in her age group. Ishler Softball v. Albright College (DH) April 14 1 p.m. competed against 82 other dancers. for Ishler. She said next year’s world Leading up to the competition, Ishler competition will be here before she Baseball v. Ursinus College April 15 2 p.m. *Home events listed practiced two to three hours a day, knows it.

MADDIE NOONAN ’19 STAFF WRITER

Dutchmen athletics