5.4.12 archive

Debate examines hydraulic fracturing PAC event sheds light on prevalent environmental issues

By Ethan Hiedeman Managing Editor

At 6 p.m. on Monday, April 23, two teams met in the Sun Ballroom to debate the issue of hydraulic fracturing. Arguing in favor of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking” for short) were PAC Coordinator Jon Riley ’12 and Pawel Benedykcinski ’14. Arguing for greater regulation of fracking were Will Lutterman ’15 and Will Reilly ’14.

Benedykcinski is a president of the campus chapter of Conservatives for a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT). According to its profile on the student organizations web page, CFACT is a national non-profit organization whose student chapters seek to “educate their peers on issues such as global warming, clean air and water, saving wildlife, energy independence, safe food and the effects of government regulation, among others.”

Kevin George ’13, who will replace Riley as PAC coordinator next year, opened the debate, framing the issue of fracking to the audience in the context of the wider environmental issues facing the world. George mentioned global climate change in his opening address, then amended, “I mean the debate of global climate change – sorry Pawel.”

Reilly gave the opening statement for the anti-fracking team. He framed the central question of the debate as whether or not the EPA should regulate fracking. “Is fracking dangerous enough to warrant regulation?”

Reilly asked. Reilly went on to answer that indeed, it is. He pointed to the dangers of methane gas emitted by the fracking process leaking into groundwater or homes. He also cited statistics that within 20 years methane gas will account for 44 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas

HANNAH RECTOR/MANITOU MESSENGER

PAC members Pawel Benedykcinski ’14 and Jon Riley ’12 argue in favor of the use of hydraulic fracking as a fuel source. The debate took place in honor of Earth Day.

emissions, since methane is a much stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Reilly ended his opening statement by saying that an economic model based on finite fossil fuels was doomed to fail. “I don’t believe [fracking] is politically viable or economically viable,” he said.

Next, Riley cross-examined the anti-fracking team. He asked whether or not it was viable to switch from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy overnight. Reilly responded that it was not, but that the emission of methane gas and other harmful health effects linked to fracking made it an unacceptable source of energy in the interim.

Benedykcinski took the podium next to deliver the opening remarks for the pro-fracking team. He cited the work of a professor from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, John M. Deutch, who said, according to Benedykcinski, that “the shale gas revolution will change the world.”

Benedykcinski got a laugh when he said that it was time to clear up some myths about the “F word” – fracking, that is. He said that with natural gas production, the U.S. will be able to overtake Russia and Saudi Arabia as the world’s leading energy producer by 2020.

Benedykcinski said that natural gas is much cleaner than coal, and that the EPA claims that fracking is not harmful to society and is not polluting groundwater.

Next, Lutterman and Reilly cross-examined the pro-fracking team. Lutterman asked how the other team accounted for the documented environmental and health concerns associated with fracking. Lutterman and Reilly grew visibly frustrated when Benedykcinski said that there was no scientific proof of such harmful effects. Lutterman held up a packet of papers waved it in the air, saying, “Here it is!” to laughter from the audience.

It was clear that Benedykcinski and Riley

had their work cut out for them, speaking to an audience full of members of St. Olaf ’s environmental coalition who were not receptive to their conservative message. During the cross-examination, Riley made the case that people were already protected against polluted groundwater by laws protecting personal property. According to the pro-fracking team, another level of government bureaucracy was unnecessary. The anti-fracking team responded that this was reactive, rather than a proactive, solution.

Lutterman took the podium next and said that the oil and natural gas industry are “destroying billions of years of geological resources in the geological blink of an eye.” He pointed out that it only takes one instance of pollution to harm an entire aquifer.

When Riley took the podium, he said that he had always wanted to host an Earth Day debate with the environmental coalition, “although I’m on the wrong side.” He stressed, however, that while a renewable energy future is the ideal, fossil fuels will be necessary until that future can be made a reality. According to Riley, natural gas is preferable to coal because it is cleaner.

At the end of the debate, Riley said that his views of fracking had evolved. He said that he considers himself an environmentalist, but that humans disrupt nature by their very existence and that we cannot disregard every technology because it has an environmental impact. “Humanity’s survival and economic well-being depends on our ability to use technology to meet our needs,” Riley said.

While the debate may not have changed many minds that were already made up, it was an insightful look into two different approaches to environmental issues and solutions. hiedeman@stolaf.edu

Window seats Relay for Life confronts cancer slated for removal

By Ashley Belisle News Editor

By Kate Fridley Opinions Editor

For years, first-year students have moved eagerly into Ellingson and Hoyme halls, excited by one especially luxurious feature of the dorms: the window seats.

Next year’s incoming class, however, will unfortunately be unable to enjoy them. The seats, which stand up against the heater and obstruct the circulation of heat, have allowed moisture to build up in some of the rooms, increasing the risk of mold and mildew while simultaneously causing the rooms to become especially cold during the winter months. Due to these maintenance problems, first years will no longer be able to install window seats.

The seats are a feature unique to the two first-year dorms.

In past years, residents could choose to build their own or purchase one from a previous resident and install it on top of the plain wooden bench beneath the dorm room window.

The cost of a seat depends on how much effort and materials went into building it: Some are simple platforms with plain cushions, while others are more elaborate and include extra shelving space beneath them. Before arriving on campus for Week One, first-year students connect with current residents online to purchase a seat.

While not all residents choose to incorporate a window seat into their dorm decorating plans, their removal has led to some disappointment on the part of students who particularly enjoyed the benefits of the additional pieces of furniture.

“We use our window seat like a second bed, and it has been really useful for extra seating during corridor meetings,” said Daniel Perucco ’13, a current JC in Hoyme. “I feel like the rooms would seem a lot smaller without them.”

Others value the seats for the sense of style and atmosphere they add to the rooms. “I think the window seats are such a charming, retro addition to the dorm rooms, and I wish they could continue to spread a sense of home and history [in the dorms],” said Johnna Purchase ’14, an Ellingson JC. Plans for each dorm are slightly different: In Hoyme, summer renovations to rework the heating in the building will result in the complete removal of the wooden bench from under the window, leaving an empty space with the heater higher up against the window.

Eventually, the same will happen in Ellingson, but for next year the benches will remain. Residence Life will instead tell students that they are not allowed to install a

Window Seats... continued on A7

On Saturday, April 28, the Northfield community rallied around to relay for a cause that has impacted every member in some way: cancer.

From noon to midnight, more than 400 people comprising 55 teams gathered in Tostrud to celebrate Relay for Life, a program that involves community members in raising money to combat cancer, remember those who lost their lives to it and honor those who are survivors.

The American Cancer Society coordinates hundreds of Relays throughout the country each year. Participants raise money from donors during the months leading up to the event. Then, teams come together the day of the Relay to walk or run around the track, so that one member of each team is on the course at all times.

The first Relay for Life took place in Washington in 1985, and Relayers have raised millions of dollars for the American Cancer Society in subsequent years. Kristen Latta ’12, the student coordinator of the event at St. Olaf, is passionate about the impact of Relay for Life on this campus and beyond.

“Relay for Life is a very special event because it provides an opportunity for the St. Olaf, Northfield and Carleton communities to unite together for a good cause,” Latta said. “At Relay, it doesn’t matter if you’re a student, faculty or staff member, if you’re an athlete or involved in music, if

you’re 18 or 80. The only thing that matters is that you are at the event because you believe in fighting cancer and raising funds for pivotal research and patient advocacy programs.”

Latta works with American Cancer Society officials as well as the 12 Relay for Life planning committees to help ensure a successful event. Her most recent challenge has been expanding the reach of this particular Relay. “I’ve had a large role in working to get the Northfield and Carleton communities more involved,” she said.

Last year’s Relay for Life at St. Olaf raised more than $50,000. On this large scale, Relay means a great deal to those battling cancer and those searching for new treatments and a cure. But it also has a significant impact on a personal level. Jackie Rath ’14 has been involved in Relay for Life for much of her life and was happy to find that she could continue her work to help fight cancer when she enrolled at St. Olaf last year.

“I am a member of St. Olaf Cancer Connection and was excited last year to find Olaf runs the Northfield division of Relay for Life,” Rath said. “Before St. Olaf, I had participated in the Lakeville Relay for Life because my mom is a six-year breast cancer survivor, along with other family members who are still fighting the battle.”

Like many of her peers, Rath has been dramatically impacted by cancer, especially after her mother’s diagnosis.

Relay...

continued on A7

NATE BISHOP/MANITOU MESSENGER

Students and community members walk around the track in Northfield’s annual Relay for Life on Saturday, April 28.

From noon to midnight, participants celebrated cancer survivors, honored cancer victims and pledged to fight back.

www.manitoumessenger.com

Opinions

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MANITOU MESSENGER

THE

Fancy admissions events withstand scrutiny

MANITOU MESSENGER Established 1887 Olivia N. Koester Executive Editor

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May 4, 2012

KATIE LAUER/MANITOU MESSENGER

By Emelia Carroll I like to grumble about Admitted Student Days as much as the next Ole. Those young-faced and anxious prospies are not inherently annoying, though when they dither through the halls and lengthen the Saturday Caf lines, their ignorance about the way the Ole Machine works sometimes throws a wrench in it. While the Crossroads makes a lot of sense as a location in which to register admitted students for the day, it doesn’t help anybody trying to get up to the first floor of Buntrock from the parking lot.

That mob of lingering, chatty and youthful angst blocking my path up to the Fireside (I like to put “the” in front of “Fireside” because it’s a phenomenon as well as a place) is enough to make me want to skirt to the right and take the elevator up. And, let’s face it, complaining about such days brings us current students

together – a little spice to kick up that small-talk conversation that keeps going around in circles about the weather.

The kvetching acquires a new edge (perhaps raising the level of complaint from “kvetch” to something more like “genuine concern”) when the conversation turns to the apparent extravagance of the Admitted Student Days events. The tent attached to the home of President David Anderson the weekends of April 14 and 21 caught the skeptical eyes of many. Similarly, the large number of students on campus comprising the sophomore class, apparently due to the unexpectedly large number who decided to become Oles that year, has given us complainers a bit more fuel for the fire.

Is the college solely interested in making as much money as possible and doing whatever it can (including buttering up prospective parents with buttery Bon

App goodies at lavish tent events) to secure more students, and thus secure its future as a glittering and limestone-y institution?

I didn’t pose this exact question to admissions counselor Michael Kyle, but I did glean some clarity on these issues from his responses to my less loaded and snarky inquiries. Here’s what he shared with me: During yield season, the agrarian jargon for when the admissions team is wearing its most persuasive hat to convince prospies to become Oles, activities such as receptions for parents are not uncommon. This year, there was a tent at PDA’s house due to the nice weather and the large number of RSVPs to his reception. OK. Should I still be skeptical about the intention behind the reception? It was pointed out to me by a student employee of the admissions office that on the Friday and Saturday nights of Admitted Students Days, many of

those poor prospies are sleeping on some futon on the Hill. Might there be some sense in hosting a reception on those evenings to give parents something to do once they’ve exhausted the contentment and quaintness that is downtown Northfield? Probably.

Regarding the large size of classes, Kyle defends, “we aren’t trying to have larger and larger classes, and in fact, the current first-year class ended up – intentionally – smaller than the current sophomore class.” He added that anticipating the number of students who will decide to join our big scholastic club (my term, not his) is “an art, not a science.”

The goal is to get enrollment right around 3,000. Perhaps my feistiness is melting in this nice spring weather, but I’m convinced by that response.

Nonetheless, there’s no harm in taking a step back and reminding ourselves of the real focus of this place. I asked Kyle what makes St. Olaf sellable. He responded: “Our engaged and engaging students, the depth and breadth of department and course offerings, a committed and talented faculty and a spectacular campus are the most appealing and noteworthy aspects of the college’s value proposition.” PDA, the captain of this Norwegian ship, was heard at a recent Honor Society event saying that, yes, we have nice facilities, but “at the end of the day, our focus is academic excellence, and that is a measurable phenomenon.”

Despite my secret desire to continue to kvetch, I don’t think Admissions deserves reprimanding for its approaches to its job.

That being said, there’s nothing wrong with a little reminder to make sure that our activities and projections towards prospective members of our blonde community highlight and are truly aligned with that ultimate focus.

Emelia Carroll (carrolle@stolaf. edu) is from Minneapolis, Minn.

She majors in philosophy.

Discovery’s ‘Frozen Planet’ fails to avoid bias

By Madeline Carpenter

if the Discovery Channel truly tried to present an unbiased view of global warming in “Frozen Planet,” this does not seem to be the motivation behind their decision. We have seen the Discovery Channel put forth some very biased pieces

We live in a time when discussions about the environment, especially discussions about environmental topics like climate change, are politically charged. People have made preserving the environment a political issue and a huge point of tension in partisan politics.

This conflict becomes extremely evident in the Discovery Channel’s new seven-hour series called “Frozen Planet.”

The show focuses on portraying the beauty and power of the polar regions, which have natural strength unlike that of any other area on earth. In an effort to show them to the world before they are lost forever, the show brings to light the wildlife found in these areas. The polar regions are threatened by climate change, yet the show fails to include information about the contributions that humanity has made to global warming.

According to the producers of “Frozen Planet,” this lack of dis- DANIEL BYNUM/MANITOU MESSENGER cussion results from the political debate surrounding the issue. The show’s goal is to present in the past, such as “Whale Wars,” an unbiased view of global warm- which provided a one-sided view ing changes in the polar regions of Japanese whaling practices of the world. The documentary through the eyes of die-hard whale ignores the hot-button issues as to enthusiasts.

This precedent of presentwhy this is happening, ostensibly ing one-sided material reveals to avoid a slanted show when many Discovery’s decision to exclude viewers do not believe that humans political discussion about climate contribute to global warming. change to be questionable.

One Although it would be honorable would think that if the channel

really wanted to present an honest view of the changing of the polar regions, all of the causes for such changes would be included. It is not that there is a lack of support for the view that humans contribute to climate change; that idea

is well supported in the scientific community. Rather, it is the fact that many of the show’s potential viewers refuse to believe in their own participation in climate change.

So, it’s about the ratings. It’s about the success of the show and the group’s ability to make money off the information it presents.

That seems to go against the whole

point of giving an “unbiased” view of the changing of our planet. The Discovery Channel hurts the very animals it claims to represent by only giving viewers the information they want to learn.

I think that with this exclusion of material, the Discovery Channel is doing a great injustice to everything the show represents and even to its own reputation. The very name of the channel indicates a hope that by watching you will discover something that you weren’t informed about before.

In order to truly educate people about how the polar regions are changing, we cannot continue to ignore the causes. We must accept that in order to try to change what is occurring, facing reality is a necessity.

There will always be conflict in the media, but part of utilizing its strength is recognizing this conflict and using it to grow. The debate about the role of humans in climate change is important not only because it informs us about how to take better care of our planet, but also because it keeps climate change within the media’s attention and makes sure that people are continually reminded of its real and immediate effects.

Madeline Carpenter ’15 (carpente@ stolaf.edu) is from Duluth, Minn.

She majors in Norwegian and sociology/anthropology.

Opinions

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May 4, 2012

MANITOU MESSENGER

Congress should extend lowered college loan interest rates

By Carly Tsuda

One of the few things that almost all students at St. Olaf have in common is concern for their financial future. Debt is a real issue for many students, and they are not going to get a break any time soon. As a result of the end of the Stafford loan subsidization program, many students’ interest rates will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent after July 1 unless Congress takes action.

In 2007, President Bush backed largely Democrat-approved legislation that would subsidize Stafford Loans through July 1, 2012.

With that legislation set to expire in just under a month, Congress will need to act soon to keep the rates low, or students will be faced with up to $1,000 added to their already considerable debt. Student debt is a growing problem, and not just on an individual scale.

At nearly $1 trillion, student loan debt has grown to eclipse credit card and housing debt.

The government has not done a stellar job of supporting citizens pursuing higher education. Student debt is also one of the few kinds of debt that cannot be erased by declaring bankruptcy. In an effort to keep bankruptcy abuse lower, Congress passed legislation saying that student loans, unlike car loans, housing loans and credit card debt, do not disappear when an individual declares bankruptcy. The thinking behind this legislation is that education, unlike cars and homes, cannot be repossessed. While the law makes logical sense, it ignores the reality of debt for many graduates who receive no relief even after declaring bankruptcy. Should the rates rise as expected on July 1, the government will yet again force current and former students

into unfortunate situations.

It is true that the expiring legislation will not affect all students with federal loans.

Students with unsubsidized Stafford loans or PLUS loans will be unaffected. However, subsidized Stafford loans are usually need-based loans given to low- or middle-income students. These students are the ones who need the most support, particularly when they are attending private colleges like St. Olaf.

Schooling should be accessible to all deserving students, not simply to the students lucky enough to be able to afford higher education.

Furthermore, less privileged students bring an important perspective to the St. Olaf community. We should be concerned about the burden this legislation will place on members of that community.

Critics of renewing this legislation also claim that schools are over-enrolled, and that most students exit their undergraduate schooling into careers that do not require bachelor’s degrees. While many students are underemployed after leaving school, these students need their credentials to remain competitive even in fields that do not usually demand the skill sets acquired in higher education. Students who are underemployed earn more even if they are working in a lessthan-ideal job.

Renewing the law would pose a financial burden on the already-struggling government budget. Each year the government continues to subsidize loans costs $6 billion in government funds. Critics of renewing the law claim that students receiving the aid are posing an undue burden on the average taxpayer. Yet the government has an interest in creating an

educated population. Improving the education of citizens is one of the best investments a government can make with its funds.

The implications of this legislation are significant. So why has nothing been done about it?

Just as Congress’s political back-and-forth caused it to fail to pass a budget this past summer, the upcoming election has formed a stage for all hot-button issues, such as student loans. Both sides of the aisle have been attempting to pass legislation to keep the budget low, with caveats that are politically unappealing to the opposing party. When the other party refuses to support the bill, they appear to be against lowering the rates.

Regardless of your personal party politics, the fact that legislators are playing games with your personal finances should not sit well with you. Both sides are angling to appeal to constituents. Meanwhile, the time on our reasonable rates is running out. If Congress fails to come to a decision soon, many students will be faced with increased debt simply because politicians were too concerned with setting themselves up for reelection to take care of their constituents.

Students should not feel helpless at the hands of

politically-minded legislators. It is possible to make your voice heard. To protect yourself and your friends from additional financial burden, you can call, email or tweet your hometown legislator to show your support for timely legislation to keep interest rates low.

Carly Tsuda ’15 (tsuda@stolaf.edu) is from Fullerton, Calif. She majors in American studies.

KATIE LAUER/MANITOU MESSENGER

Personality tests in hiring not representative of candidates

By Brittany Murphy

For some of us, the hiring process for life after college seems a lightyear away. In all truthfulness, some students are more concerned about losing their “freshman 15” than losing sleep over a life-changing decision like selecting a vocation. Admit it: Even though the majority of us would rather cling to the worry-free bliss of our childhood, this decision is right around the corner. Some of us have years to consider our choices, but for others, the job search is constantly on the mind. For those currently graduating, the job application process is like a hideous monster that has been forever stalking them at every opportunity. As if these students already didn’t have enough to worry about, employers have added a twist to the equation of determining the perfect applicant: the personality test.

In the past two decades, the personality test, originally meant to measure the aptitude of an applicant, has become a controversial phenomenon and spurred immense debate. Generally speak-

ing, personality tests are designed to indicate to employers which applicants provide the skills and personality traits most suitable for a position. These tests are meant to dissuade discrimination based on gender and race in the application process and are considered to be helpful with maintaining a high retention rate of employees.

In recent years, personality tests have become so widespread that numerous companies, including Epic Systems which has hired many Ole alumni, are using them as the first step in the hiring process. Although personality tests are promoted by human resources departments as an unbiased manner of hiring, they are a pretense for judgement. We have all heard the phrase, “never judge a book by its cover.” However, that’s exactly what personality tests do.

As a psychology major, I can’t quite wrap my head around the reasons that use of the personality test is permitted so frequently in the workplace. In psychology, personality tests are used to determine behavior and mental

processes, but they can also hint at the presence of possible mental disorders. The Supreme Court has outlawed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and similar tests that explicitly indicate the presence of a disorder during the hiring process. However, other personality tests can still damage an applicant. Through the use of these tests, employers are implicating prejudgement before they are able to conduct a well-rounded impression of the applicant.

In fact, some companies use the personality test to weed out any “weaklings” before they even conduct interviews. If too much focus is given to personality tests in the first stages of the hiring process, an individual’s accomplishments may be overlooked.

A few years back, when I was applying for a job at Starbucks, I was shocked to learn that they, along with over 30 percent of large corporations, have joined the personality test frenzy. As I was filling out the survey, I couldn’t help but notice that I was tempted to put down answers that might seem

more appealing to the employer. I never got the job, and although my resume wasn’t exactly impressive at age 16, I wondered if something about my personality had made the employer immediately dismiss me as a candidate. I was never given an interview, and I was denied the chance to verbally convey why I felt I would make a diligent employee.

Since many applicants are concerned about what personality qualities are most impressive to a company, employers can never be certain that they are receiving an accurate representation of their candidates. Instead of the applicants conveying their own opinions and behaviors through the test, the employers are more likely receiving a spectrum of conformist responses. Another issue that I have with personality tests is that the tests claim that various personalities are geared towards certain types of occupations. If an employer sees that a person with certain personality traits has not been deemed “appropriate” for the position, there will be immediate

bias. Although an employer might dismiss someone whose personality does not fit the mold of the company, he may be missing out on a diligent worker. We are capable of choosing our own paths in life, and our personalities should not indicate which occupation we would be most successful in.

Personality tests deprive applicants of their individuality and fail to provide insight on their actual skill level. The danger of these surveys is that instead of being able to define ourselves in the application process, our worth as human beings has been predetermined by a single test. As part of a nation that stresses equal opportunity, we need to eliminate the use of these biased tests that give people yet another label. With a personality test, we are assuming that the cover of the book is more relevant than the story that lies between the pages.

Brittany Murphy ’15 (murphybe@ stolaf.edu) is from Libertyville, Ill. She majors in psychology with a concentration in management studies.

Chevy’s new advertisements take ‘end of the world’ theme too far

By Katie Haggstrom On Dec. 21, 2012, the world will end.

At least, that is the rumor floating around.

But this is not the first prediction of the end of the world in the 21st century. It was also supposed to end Jan. 1, 2000; June 6, 2006; May 21, 2011 and Oct. 21, 2011. This means that in my short lifetime, I have survived four apocalypses.

Believers in the apocalypse are adamant that Dec. 21 is the date to mark down on the calendar. They refuse to listen to the voice of reason. To them, it is going to happen. After all, the Mayans predicted it over 3,000 years ago. And by predicted, they mean that the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar comes to an end on Dec. 21, 2012. Either way, Doomsday believers deem that the Mayans foresaw some drastic shift in the world after Dec. 21 that should be taken seriously. Or maybe they simply ran out of space on their finite rock and decided that they had probably calculated far enough ahead, but who am I to rain on the Doomsday parade?

Many companies have eagerly taken advantage of the “end of the world” hype to promote their sales. Chevy’s big Super Bowl commercial did not hold back on drawing from the approaching apocalypse theme.

It wasted no time touting that only Chevy cars have the endurance to survive a global disaster.

If you haven’t seen the commercial, it begins by zooming in on a large metropo-

lis that lies in shambles. The bustling city life has now been taken over by calamity and destruction. Suddenly, a Chevy truck emerges from a pile of debris, soon meeting up with the driver’s friends – all fellow Chevy drivers. But the group of survivors

nothing can slow down a Chevy, not even Doomsday. As the company motto alludes, “Chevy runs deep.” But does this promotional device go too far?

Recently, the National Geographic Channel premiered a new series call

LIBBY KOEHL/MANITOU MESSENGER

soon realizes that someone is missing. He drove a Ford truck.

The overarching goal of this commercial is to scare the consumers into buying a Chevy car. Just as it’s been said nothing can harm a cockroach, they pledge that

“Doomsday Preppers.” This show follows typical Americans as they prepare themselves for the end of the world. Some of these people have gone to extremes in order to ensure their survival once the apocalypse strikes. What is National Geographic’s pur-

pose? To spark a sense of panic in people who were not concerned to begin with? I don’t see any good coming from this show.

America has been hit with times of mass frenzy before. While none of us were alive for the radio broadcasting of “War of the Worlds,” it managed to instill fear into the minds of countless Americans. People who tuned in partway were uninformed that the radio transmit was merely a fictional story read aloud. Nationwide panic quickly ignited as helpless listeners thought aliens had invaded our planet.

But who knows what portion of society will fall prey to the Doomsday hubbub, or how deeply these ideas will be ingrained in the minds of our society? On the one hand, most Americans will understand that the Chevy commercial was meant to be creative and enticing, not to instill panic in its viewers. But businesses need to be conscientious of the amount of propaganda surrounding us. If there is too much buildup about Dec. 21, chaos could settle around us.

“Doomsday Preppers” seems to cross that line. By seeking other Americans dedicated to ensuring their survival from this looming threat, the fear could spread like wildfire.

We don’t need to be bombarded daily with images of the end. What’s next, a government issued-instruction manual for surviving 12-21-12?

Katie Haggstrom ’14 (haggstro@stolaf.edu) is from Omaha, Neb. She majors in English.

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Entertainment

May 4, 2012

MANITOU MESSENGER

Instagram app instigates new online frenzy

By Madeline Carpenter Contributing Writer

In the age of social media, almost everything has become a public and shared experience. Social networking grows and changes to incorporate various aspects of our lives – from the Facebook Timeline, which chronicles important life events and organizes Facebook profiles by year, to Twitter, which allows people to share their random thoughts with the world.

A new social networking application that has become extremely popular is Instagram.

An application designed for smartphones

DANIEL BYNUM/MANITOU MESSENGER

recently purchased by Facebook, Instagram allows people to edit their photos in different and artistic ways. It then allows its user to share them with family and friends.

With an account, you can post photos, as well as like and comment on the photos that other people post. You can also use your account to share photos not only on the Instagram website, but also on other social networking sites. For all intents and purposes, Instagram acts as a more functional and efficient Flickr and allows its users to stay completely attached to multiple social networks.

With new, easy-to-use editing tools and fun sharing opportunities, Instagram has changed the way young people use photography. Instead of taking the time to edit photos using advanced software, more and more people are turning to the efficiency that Instagram offers.

The application has more than 15 filters, as well as the choices to add a frame, change the focus of the photo and more. Instagram is most efficiently used on people’s phones, taking away from the use of actual cameras.

In fact, because one of the focuses of Instagram is efficient sharing of candid and short-lived moments, it is marketed specifically for use on people’s phones. Many now forgo owning a separate camera because Instagram insures that people can take quality pictures on their phones.

Instagram, although utilized by many, has become a central part of the culture of college students. Instagram albums pop up all over Facebook within college networks, people constantly tweet their coolest new photos and college students utilize the social networking offered by the application itself more than ever.

The application perfectly targets the college-aged group because it provides a relatively cheap and easy way to take artistic photos. It also effectively allows people to share their photos so that college students can share everything relatively easily on their own social networking profiles.

College students place a lot of value on these opportunities, and subsequently, the application has done really well within that age group.

Instagram is becoming more present on the St. Olaf campus every day. Many students recognize the unique opportunities it presents to create and share photos, and as more students discover the application, more begin to use it.

“I think that Instagram is a fun way to make phone pictures interesting,” Catherine Gailey ’15 said. “I love how a filter can completely change the feeling of a photo. It’s a fast, simple way to turn a bland photo into something that looks more aesthetically pleasing.”

Gailey is not alone in her fascination with Instagram’s ability to completely change the style of the quick phone photos that are so characteristic of college.

“I think that Instagram is becoming more present on the Olaf campus, especially since it helps people have the opportunity to take good photos at events that you normally wouldn’t want to bring your camera to,” Aaron Dunphy ’15 said. “We always have our phones with us, so if you have a phone that offers Instagram as an application, that is the best choice for taking pictures.”

With the ease and fun that it provides photo enthusiasts, Instragram is gaining more support among Oles up to all sorts of activities. Would it really be that surprising if we were to see Instagram photos of Pause dances next? carpente@stolaf.edu

Arts Guild showcases young alumni talent

By Ally Lynne Staff Writer

Nearly five years after first setting foot on campus, five St. Olaf art apprentices are celebrating the capstone of their art experience at St. Olaf in the show “Five Years Here” at the Northfield Arts Guild. The 2011-2012 apprentices, Kathryn Weaver ’11, Becky Carlson ’11, Ann Erickson ’11, Zoe Klosterboer ’11 and Jane Meyer ’11 joined forces with Carleton fifth-year art intern Megan Nishi to set up their work for the May 2 opening in the main gallery.

The Fifth Year Art Apprentice Program provides four to six St. Olaf graduates with one additional year of independent studio experience via studio space, a stipend for supplies and feedback from art professionals. For Meyer, the community of apprentices represents a huge benefit in and of itself. “The five St. Olaf apprentices share a studio and feed off of each other, and while there’s definite differences in our work, you can see the overlap,” Meyer said. “You can see how we’ve been pushed farther.”

Once a Carleton fifth-year art intern herself, Gallery Coordinator Juliane Shibata spoke enthusiastically about the tradition of the Emerging Artists show at the Northfield Arts Guild. “I just loving seeing how they set the show up,” Shibata said. “The apprentices really get to take ownership of a space outside of a school context.”

Shibata described “Five Years Here” as one of four huge shows that the Northfield Arts Guild hosts each year. “Along with the All School Art Exhibit and the High School Honors Exhibit, the Emerging Artists show is big component of the community shows that we do,” Shibata said.

My own visit to the gallery during the show set-up revealed a wide variety of themes and media in the apprentices’ artwork.

Starting in the back corner, Weaver’s paper cut and intaglio images strike the viewer with the intricacy of their patterns and the juxtaposition of the female form and avian imagery. Just around the corner, Erickson’s mixed media on wood mingles with Meyer’s prints and a book that the two created collaboratively. Another turn toward the front of the Guild brings the visitor face to face with Meyer’s series entitled “XXX Apocolympics 2012.”

Erickson’s and Klosterboer’s ceramic work fills the center of the gallery. The two blend together nicely as Erickson’s small blue porcelain bowls give way to Klosterboer’s hand-built porcelain bowls of various sizes. No two pieces look the same, yet the continuity is graceful with neutral colors on the outside and a cool blue- or green-toned glaze on the innards.

My circuit of the gallery concluded with Carlson’s “Word of the Day,” a series of 27 archival inkjet prints that document a sampling of the 151 days she spent abroad on Global Semester. One piece, entitled “(T)here,” features a collage of flight ticket stubs along with the text “When there becomes here.”

Northfield Arts Guild Executive Director Ann Mosey anticipates a broad audience at the show as it runs from May 2-26. “We have around 400 members here, so there is a lot of traffic in a month,” Mosey said. “Also, lots of tourists see these exhibits because of the reputation the Guild has earned for high-end work.”

The opening reception for the show, from 7 to 9 p.m. on May 4, seeks to provide a special opportunity for the Northfield community, Oles and Carls alike, to celebrate the apprentices’ accomplishments. lynne@stolaf.edu

Seniors sprint to the finish with final recitals

By Olivia Koester Executive Editor

There is no shortage of creative advertising campaigns on campus. Posters with pithy slogans confront students at every corner – many featuring cellists, vocalists, composers, flutists and other musicians prominently. These posters are promoting a St. Olaf staple: student recitals.

Every year, recitals pack the calendar.

This year, there have been 97, according to Barbara Barth, the music department’s academic administrative assistant. This number includes official junior and senior recitals, general recitals, faculty recitals and guest recitals.

Junior and senior music majors must participate in recitals as they factor into lesson grades that count for the major, though specific requirements vary. A music performance major needs to put on a junior and senior recital, whereas education majors are only required to perform in their final year. Composition students, too, need to showcase the skills that they have developed through study at St. Olaf.

April is the sprint to the finish since everyone is trying to fit his or her recital in before the final deadline, said Annie Deering ’13, a performance major who gave a recital with Eliza Snortland ’12 on April 29 in Studio A. “This time a year, you could go to four a day,” Deering said. “You kind of juggle it.”

However, as Barth sorts through applications, she finds that fall and interim are

becoming more popular. “[Recitals have] been evening out over the last few years with many students wanting to do their recital in the fall since they’ve been working on it all summer,” Barth said. “Interim is also getting more popular as it’s a lower pressure time to get this requirement done.”

Majors applying for distinction have specific requirements, but for the others, there is just one “unspoken rule,” Deering said.

“To make a well-rounded recital, you want variety.” For vocalists, this might mean an aria, an English set and art songs all rolled in to one performance. All pieces are selfselected, though professors are certainly there to encourage and guide their students.

These professors are often the ones evaluating students. According to Professor Charles Gray, viola and violin, evaluating student recitals is a complicated process that involves many factors. Still, “Basically, I want to leave a recital feeling that the performer did their best and that I heard a satisfying musical performance,” he said.

The performer selects his or her evaluators when he or she submits the recital application. Three evaluators sign off on each application, promising to attend and assess the performance. Additionally, the application asks for date and venue, Urness and Studio A being the most desirable, according to Deering. Boe Chapel is the place for student organists to perform, Barth said.

To receive preferred date and venue, there is a small window of time to submit

an application – within the first month of the school year. There is a recital fee to cover recording costs and other miscellaneous expenses. Student recitals are professionally recorded, and copies are given to the music library, evaluators and the performer. Students also pay for their own programs and posters, plus a post-recital reception.

Deering and Snortland’s reception featured Dippin’ Dots and lefse. Some of the more creative spreads in Deering’s memory include an ice cream sundae bar and world cheese sampler, she said.

Though logistics start to come together in September, musicians start practicing and perfecting their performances long before that time. Deering started a year ago. The process begins with brainstorming, usually during lessons: Should there be a theme? Should the recital center on a specific composer? Explore a particular era?

After months of rehearsing the repertoire and practicing with other musicians, an accompanist – either self-selected or St. Olaf-appointed – and occasionally other vocalists or instrumentalists, it’s time to take the stage. Nerves play into the experience, but excitement hopefully takes over.

“It goes so quickly that you don’t even realize you’ve done half an hour [of music],” Deering said. “All that work goes by so fast.” koester@stolaf.edu

Another year’s end is upon us. Once again, I find myself sitting here with another year of experience, all kinds of experience: life, friends, love and sex. Experience can come from doing things right, but more often than not, it comes from mistakes and failures.

This can be hard information to digest.

After all, we live in a society that praises having success, being the best and reaching the top of every pyramid imaginable. But what if for one moment we stop and decide that failing is good for us?

To go a step further, what if we decide that we actually need failure to move forward in life? I know, I know, it sounds too philosophical for a sex column, but the thing about sex is that it sometimes reflects what goes on in the rest of our lives.

Whether you are in a serious relationship, a new relationship or a random hookup with your cute friend-with-benefits, there is too much pressure about being “perfect” or having the “best” relationship.

Life is messy. We are flawed. And instead of embracing those aspects, we constantly push them away in favor of perfection.

Just remember: You are not perfect.

And if for one second you think you can convince your partner otherwise, you are wrong. But see? That’s where the tension rests. We spend so much time trying to do everything “right” in our sexual and/or romantic relationships that we never actually figure out what it is that we want.

So, I have a proposal for the St. Olaf community. Let’s go out there and fail to our hearts’ content for the rest of the academic year. With only a few weeks left, this is the perfect time to put your all into everything. Be brave, be daring and make mistakes.

I’ve often heard the quote, “A life without regrets is not a life worth living.” Don’t end the school year with, “If only I had ...”

No! Instead, speak up about what it is you want.

Listen to what your partner wants. Make mistakes. Hope that you and your partner get angry and frustrated with each other, because you have somehow messed things up. But don’t give up and walk away.

Communicate with each other. Tell the other person what they did to make you upset, and maybe you will realize that you and your partner are not meant to be with each other, or maybe that you are.

I can guarantee that the sex in your relationships will be more passionate, rewarding and fun because you’re not willing to stagnate. You are pushing, making mistakes and gaining experience. You are failing and growing.

Life is hard, complicated and confusing.

Most of us have no idea what our futures hold. Some of us don’t even know where we will be living on campus next year, or what classes we will be taking, but at least we can know that we are gaining experience and some important life lessons along the way.

There is more to life than college. After all, college is only four years in the vast scheme of things. So, take this time to make the biggest mistakes and fail the most because it is relatively safe to do so while in the college bubble.

Arrive with a big bouquet of roses at someone’s door. Tell your partner exactly what you want them to do so you can have the most amazing orgasm and say exactly what you are feeling at the moment.

You can do this! You can fail and life will go on. You will go on, and you will have learned something new, which can only help, not hurt, your chances in the world beyond St. Olaf.

To submit questions, comments or concerns to the sex columnist, email sexcolumnist@stolaf.edu.

page A5

Entertainment

May 4, 2012

MANITOU MESSENGER

‘IN BLACK’ overcomes glitch and delivers comic relief

By Abby Grosse Arts and Entertainment Editor

I wasn’t even inside Haugen Theatre when I realized that this was going to be a bit different from other theater productions at St. Olaf. It was 9:40 p.m. on a chilly Saturday night, and dozens of people had formed a half-line, half-mob outside the theater door. The audience from the 8 p.m. show started to trickle out, dazed and exhilarated, shouting “It’s worth the wait!”

“IN BLACK” was a complete mystery to me as a first year. The promotional posters for it were vague, to say the least. But the enigma of it all made me even more determined to go. Apparently I wasn’t the only one with my heart set on going; the managers of the final Saturday show filled every seat within minutes and squeezed people into every open square of floor space.

After the house lights dimmed, we were immediately assaulted by thumping music, strobe lights and aggressive dancing by the ensemble cast. The demure, still audience of a typical Haugen production was replaced by a screaming, flailing, fistpumping mass. It was frightening in a good way.

Through a brief introduction, I learned that “IN BLACK” is the sum of 28 short skits, which are performed in whatever order the audience demands. Therefore, between sketches, whichever audience member insists most obnoxiously determines the next act. Dramatic monologues were sprinkled into the medley of comedic scenes, some of which appealed to girls (registering for a boyfriend!) and some of which spoke directly to the guys (penis names!). In case the latter was not enough of a hint, the show quickly established itself as unsuitable for younger siblings and grandparents.

Highlights included the rant of a “Global douchebag,” who informed us that we could not possibly understand what she

has experienced; a Week One competition that devolved into the Hunger Games for the one remaining spot in the first-year class; the internal monologues of a guy and girl at the gym and 2012 apocalypse activities. Almost all of the skits were written over the past few months, with some concepts reused from last year’s show.

Writing the show – no small feat, given the sheer quantity of ideas – was both a collaborative and individual process.

“We brainstormed a bunch of ideas,” Sari Abelson ’13 said. “Some skits were written together, some on our own.” Of course, creating the content was only stage one; rehearsals have been sapping hours from the cast members for months.

“We started at the end of NATE BISHOP/MANITOU MESSENGER the February,” Abelson said. The cast of “IN BLACK” pumps up the crowd with its energetic dancing. The eight-person “In the beginning, it was cast performed eight sold-out shows to the delight and general acclaim of audiences. The four hours during the week show consisted of 28 skits, mostly humorous, but a few of which had a more serious edge. with a three-hour weekend. up with the idea right away to add another Towards the end, it was every show. Things happened pretty quickly.”

“IN BLACK” is nothing like any other day.”

To remedy the situation, an urgent email production on campus. Although I was In what may have been the worst possible timing, the cast was informed short- was sent out informing “IN BLACK” fans initially intimidated by it, I walked out not ly before the first performance that they of an additional Thursday performance, only stoked from a night of laughter, but had oversold their shows and were going pleading for some ticket-holders to choose feeling like I had experienced a tradition that celebrates our common ground. It to violate maximum occupancy rules in that show and free up space at the others.

I was astounded by the performers’ may have been raunchy and immature half Haugen Theatre.

“We were under the impression that 145 endurance. On Saturday, the final night of the time, but it was our own, special, was the maximum number of people, and of performances, the cast had only 15 Malt-o-Meal-scented brand of immature then we had a meeting to go over logistics minutes between each of the three perfor- raunchiness. with the person who manages scenery and mances. “We didn’t really get to feel how grosse@stolaf.edu everything,” Abelson said. “He told us that exhausted we were,” Abelson said. “We 125 was the maximum number the day of only had enough time to put our props the show. It was pretty stressful; we came away and get a drink of water.”

LUTE-WHAT? LUTEFEST! This Saturday, May 5. This year, campus bands play all afternoon, from noon to 7 p.m. in the quad. Also stay tuned for creative festivities, such as piñatas, scavenger hunts, frisbee art, caricaturists and Judah Friedlander of “30 Rock” fame. Don’t forget to wear sunscreen!

Throwback Track “Brown-Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison On Campus The Companydance Spring Concert takes place in Kelsey Theater this Friday, May 4, and Saturday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m.

TED Talk to Check Out Brene Brown speaks about human connections and their implications in her brief talk titled “The Power of Vulnerability.”

Find it at http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o and prepare to be amazed!

Musical Recommendations “Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men “Cinema” by Benny Benassi, featuring Gary Go Theatrical Thrills Check out the Quade One Act Festival. The Intermediate Directing students will be putting on half-hour shows in Haugen Theatre on May 10, 11, 12 and 13.

By Wyatt Engl Staff Writer

Jack White and I have a love-hate relationship. As a general fan of alternative music, I have more or less followed the development of his career over the last decade whether I wanted to or not. I love his work with the White Stripes because they were the closest thing to punk the mainstream has seen since Suicidal Tendencies were on MTV. Frankly, he bores the crap out of me but since “Blunderbuss” is poised to be the over-hyped letdown of the year, I figured I may as well review it. As self-indulgent and musically-masturbatory as White may be, one insult I could never hurl his way was laziness. Sadly I may now have to add that adjective to the pile.

“Blunderbuss” is just another Raconteurs or Dead Weather album under a different name. The standardissue ugly Jack White guitar solo on album opener “Missing Pieces” could have been lifted directly from

“Level” from the Raconteurs’ debut. This air of staleness seems to permeate the whole album. Too many times, I found myself asking, “Haven’t I heard this before?”

Honestly, it sounds like White took the most boring rejected songs of the Dead Weather and The Raconteurs and threw them on a CD released under his own name.

Mercifully, the second track and lead single “Sixteen Saltines” bears a remote resemblance to the balls-out blues-rock Jack White became known for. However, White’s perpetual unwillingness or inability to write hooks forces the song to wallow in anticlimax and dissonant guitar screeches that serve no apparent purpose.

White has always been a good lyricist, but as I said before, the total lack of hooks makes it difficult pay any attention to them. “Love Interruption” seems to be the lone exception to this rule, making excellent use of internal rhymes and assonance coupled with the haunting line, “I want love to change my friends to enemies.”

Jack White helped blast the doors wide open for noisy garage rock in the early 2000s, but frankly he has done nothing but fart around in the intervening period. He seems to have fully embraced his status as a living guitar god in the worst possible way, by becoming complacent.

Despite my not being a fan of his, until now I could never accuse him making the same album twice. And technically speaking, he hasn’t done so here.

I can’t help but get the vibe that White is cashing in on his credibility to just dump out whatever he come up with and have critics and the public eat it up.

I know I sound like a broken record saying this in every other review, but while Blunderbuss isn’t terrible, it will likely be forgotten by this time next year. engl@stolaf.edu

Sports

page A6

May 4, 2012

MANITOU MESSENGER

Softball completes season with sweep Seventh-place Oles rally to defeat Carleton 7-2, 10-2 win. St. Olaf ended their season with an 18-22 overall record and a 10-12 record in the MIAC. At seventh place in the MIAC,

By Brad West Contributing Writer

the Oles did not qualify for playoffs.

west@stolaf.edu The St. Olaf softball team finished its 2012 season with two solid wins against cross-town rival Carleton College.

Although they lost a tough double-header at Bethel on April 25, the Oles were more than ready to face the visiting Knights on April 29.

After a quiet first inning in the first game, Carleton scored one run in the top of the second. However, the Oles quickly took the lead within their half of the second. They scored five runs on three hits, two stolen bases and one error. Among the highlights from this rally was the wellplaced single of catcher Maggie Scholer ’13, which was good for two RBIs. Carleton had to pull their starting pitcher, Chelsea Yost, in order to contain the Oles’ second inning rally.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Oles further improved on their lead. The double of right-fielder Kayla Gronli ’12 gained the Oles two more runs, making the score at this point 7-1.

In the top of the seventh, the Knights gained momentum by scoring one run and loading the bases with no outs. However, starting pitcher Amy Prok ’13 managed to quell the Knights’ last inning rally without giving up any more hits or runs. The final score was 7-2.

In game two, St. Olaf gained a quick five-run lead in their first two innings. Scholer hit a home run in her first at bat of the game. Jess Wilson ’13 followed suit in the second inning, with a deep homer to left field that was good for two runs.

Carleton scored two runs over the third and fourth innings, but the Oles rallied for another five runs in the bottom of the fifth. Christiania Miller ’14 hit a three-run homer early in the inning. Kari Zimmerman ’12 later hit a single, and through some creative base-running, advanced to third base before stealing home. Julie Fergus ’13 ended EBRU YAYLA/MANITOU MESSENGER the game with a single good for TOP: #12 Haley Schreier ’15 prepares to catch a grounder.

BOTTOM: #3 Kari Zimmerman ’12 slides in her last game as an Ole softball player. one RBI. The St. Olaf women swept Carleton in a doubleheader at home on Saturday, April 29. The In the end, St. Olaf defeated Oles ended the season 10-12 in the MIAC and 18-22 overall. In addition to Zimmerman, Carleton 10-2, with pitcher the team loses Esti Zimmerman ’12 and Kayla Gronli ’12. With eight first years on the Jessica Green ’14 earning the team, the women are sure to build on this year’s experiences.

Men’s tennis team stumbles against Gustavus

By Alana Patrick Sports Editor The St. Olaf men’s tennis team fell to Gustavus Adolphus College 0-9 in its regularseason finale on April 28. While both teams are regionally ranked, only Gustavus has received a national nod, finishing the regular

ST. OLAF SCHEDULE Baseball vs. Hamline University (2) on May 5

Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Hamline’s Meet of the Unsaintly @ St. Paul, Minn. on May 5

ST. OLAF SCOREBOARD

Baseball

Opponent/ Tournament Gustavus Adolphus College (2)

Result

Date

W 7-0 W 4-3

5/2

Men’s Golf SJU Invitational 11th/16

Women’s Golf

Men’s Tennis Women’s Track and Field

Carleton Invitational Gustavus Adolphus College Macalester Janis Rider Invitational

ing four in straight sets. Gundersen lost a first-set tiebreaker to Donkena 6-7, falling in the second set 6-4. Only Catania was able to momentarily thwart the Gusties, winning one set against Chu only to be defeated in a superbreaker 5-10.

With the loss, the Oles final record stands at 14-3 overall and 7-2 in the MIAC. Claiming the third seed in the upcoming MIAC playoffs, the Oles will face St. John’s University, the sixth seed, on May 4. During the regular season, the Oles defeated the Johnnies 5-4.

All playoff matches will take place at the firstseeded Gusties’ Brown Tennis Courts in St. Peter, Minn. patrick@stolaf.edu

Harper succeeds on and off the court

Men’s Tennis vs. St. John’s University @ Gustavus Adolphus College on May 4

Team

season ranked 20th in the country.

The Gusties dominated both singles and doubles play. In all three doubles matches, the Gusties contained their Ole opponents to less than four wins. Amrik Donkena and Mya Smith-Dennis, the Gusties’ nationally ranked doubles team, defeated Knute Gundersen ’12 and Stephen Nolan ’15 8-3. Meanwhile, Oles Jon Foss ’12 and Charlie Reinertsen ’13 managed to put four wins up against Gusties Juan Luis Chu and Daniel Pomeranc, but ended up losing the match 8-4. Andy Catania ’13 and Ryan Abdella ’13 fell to Joey MacGibbon and Bradley Entwistle 0-8.

In singles play, the Oles suffered similarly.

The Gusties won all six matches, dominat-

4/284/29

1st/8

4/284/29

L 9-0

4/28

6th/8

4/29

NAME: Caitlin Harper ’12 FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Yum! SPORT: Tennis Kitchen & Bakery in Minneapolis, Minn.

HOMETOWN: Rochester, Minn.

THREE FAMOUS PERSONALITIES I’D HIGH SCHOOL: Rochester Mayo INVITE TO DINNER: Roger Federer, MAJORS: Mathematics, biology Thomas Jefferson, Mitt Romney WHY I CAME TO ST. OLAF: Close to FAVORITE PUMP-UP SONG: “Boyfriend” home, great for science and math and a fun by Justin Bieber tennis team FAVORITE PROFESSIONAL TENNIS HISTORY: I ATHLETE: Roger Federer played singles for Mayo for BIGGEST DIFFERENCE six years, then came to Olaf BETWEEN HIGH and have played singles and SCHOOL AND COLLEGE doubles for four years.

ATHLETICS: My college PRE-CONTEST RITUAL: team is mainly about supportRelax and enjoy the fun ing each other and having a van rides with my team and great time. coach MOST MEMORABLE FAVORITE BOOK: “The MOMENT AS AN OLE Fountainhead” ATHLETE: Beating Carleton RANDOM FACT: I like to two years in a row in the MIAC Harper ’12 bake (but could never be as playoffs good at it as my mom is).

BEST ADVICE RECEIVED: FAVORITE SPORT The only thing that is entirely OTHER THAN TENNIS: Golf under your control is your own attitude.

FAVORITE TV SHOW: “Downton Abbey” PLANS AFTER OLAF: I’ll be a first year FAVORITE SPORTS MOVIE: “Happy medical student at Mayo Medical School.

Gilmore” -Alana Patrick

LIBBY KOEHL/MANITOU MESSENGER

SPM courses offer mental, physical relief

By Rachel Palermo News Editor

When I reminisce on the darkest days of my high-school career, I think of those hours spent completely embarrassing myself in front of my classmates during gym class. Any fellow athletically-challenged soul understands what a negative toll those semesters had on our lives. Once I learned that the nightmare of physical education classes was going to follow me into my college career through mandatory general education credits, I said farewell to any dignity I had retained and prepared to once again make myself the laughingstock of my gym classes. To my surprise, after looking into the Studies in Physical Movement (SPM) options, I realized that not only would these classes be bearable, but also enjoyable!

St. Olaf’s classes are unique in the sense that many entail activities you might partake in for fun. Classes range from typical gym classes, such as jogging, running, swimming and weight training, to uncommon ones like day hiking, ballroom dancing and in-line skating. The range of possible classes gives students the opportunity to release endorphins in a stress-free environment where the purpose is not to dominate the competition, but instead to focus on a mode of movement that can promote lifelong health and wellness.

Judy Stromayer, Director of Recreation, explained that SPMs are a crucial part of the total learning experience within the liberal arts. She said that now is the time for students to develop healthy habits and exercise routines that will continue after college.

“Learning about how to take care of your body, provide physical and mental stress relief and general all-around wellness helps to enhance your entire life,” Stromayer said. She said that once exercise has been implemented into daily routines, you feel better, sleep better and are more productive with school and work requirements. Exercise has even been proven to contribute to a higher overall level of happiness and to cause you to live longer.

The wide scope of available SPM options makes the process of selecting particular classes difficult. Stromayer shared that her advice for students is to take an SPM that will be different from what they already know in order to learn a skill they can use the rest of their lives.

“Hopefully, students will choose to learn some new activities that they can use in their exercise regime from now until old age,” Stromayer said. Taking advantage of classes such as canoeing or rock climbing can lead to lifelong hobbies that could help sustain a fun way to stay active.

From now on, I challenge the student body of St. Olaf to approach the SPM requirement with a new attitude. Rather than complaining about fitting all of the GEs into your schedule, appreciate the fact that we are able to improve our physical health in ways that bring us joy. Go out on a limb and take a class such as archery or bowling – the options are endless.

“People need to be able to set aside time to take care of themselves before they can take care of anyone else or tackle projects that require focus and lots of energy,” Stromayer said.

Once you learn how to make yourself a healthy person, you will be more successful in all aspects of life. Not only will you be more productive in school, but you will be a happier person, guaranteed. palermo@stolaf.edu

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News MANITOU MESSENGER

May 4, 2012

Online security threatened by phishing attacks

By Paula Skaggs Staff Writer

Thanks to more sophisticated technology and to more cunning hackers, Oles this year have been more likely than ever to encounter phishing – and not in the traditional way. Phishing – which MerriamWebster’s dictionary defines as “a scam by which an email user is duped into revealing personal or confidential information which the scammer can use illicitly” – has hit campus in a big way this year, tricking students into falsely giving their usernames and passwords to unknown sources.

“Phishing attacks have been around for years, but we’ve seen an increase lately, particularly more sophisticated ones,” St. Olaf Webmaster Daniel Beach said. “Phishing attacks are only successful when people respond to them. If they can get a response, they keep targeting us hoping to trick more people into responding.”

Phishers disguise their emails to look as official as possible. An attack on April 14 was sent from a St. Olaf email account and was signed by the “St. Olaf College Security Team,” with a link to a seemingly legitimate website. Director of Information Systems

Craig D. Rice noted that the link led to a web page that resembled a St. Olaf page and asked students to log into their accounts, thus giving the spammers the students’ usernames and passwords.

Beach noted that falling for one of these phishing attacks can result in a series of negative consequences, ranging from spyware to users’ personal information being exposed.

“Clicking on any link in an email message puts you at risk for malware and spyware,” Beach said. “Providing information to the phisher not only exposes all of your information (email, grades, financial information, etc.) but also allows the phisher to leverage your St. Olaf access to use our servers to launch attacks on other sites and send spam.”

Spam being sent from St. Olaf accounts can result in the official school email addresses being rejected by other email platforms, disrupting both personal and professional communications. This actually occurred during a March 13 attack, leading to outside email services blocking St. Olaf emails as spam.

Catherine Haines ’13 was one student

among many who almost fell for an attack.

“It looked like a legitimate email because it said that I had exceeded my limit of emails in my inbox and that I would no longer be receiving any emails until I clicked the link,” she said. “I’d been expecting it; I have 6,000 emails in my inbox and was wondering if this would happen. Then I found out that one of my friends got the exact same email, and she realized it was an attack because she didn’t have any unread emails at all.”

Some students are growing increasingly concerned when responding to any emails, due to the recent wave in attacks.

“They’ve gotten pretty clever,” Madeline Frick ’12 said. “I’ve thought official emails were phishing scams, and almost reported one. IIT did tell us [our first] year to never reply to an email with your password, but I understand how people fall for them.”

Noah Anderson ’12, a student worker in IIT, noted that the department always has to try to be a step ahead of the phishers.

“We’re always getting better at identifying phishing attacks on our campus, but as we get more sophisticated, so do the phishers,” Anderson said. “We work with OpenDNS

to block sites we know are phishing attempts, and [try] to get the word out about a new phishing attack as soon as we are aware of it.”

IIT blames poor education as the reason for the rise in phishing attacks, noting that people don’t always understand that their email isn’t completely secure, and their information can easily fall into the wrong hands.

In an email on March 13 regarding a wave of attacks, Josh Pioske, manager of Helpdesk Services, noted that “IIT will never ask for your username of password – or for any other confidential information.”

Anyone who receives a suspicious email should contact the IIT Helpdesk at x3830 or at helpdesk@stolaf.edu. Those receiving the emails should also click “Report Spam” in their Gmail to help prevent such attacks in the future. skaggs@stolaf.edu

Food Week raises awareness

By Amy Lohmann News Editor

You may have noticed colorful stickers adorning various items in the Caf and the Cage drawing attention to the food categorized as “real.” These stickers were designed to remind the student body to be mindful about what they consume and were displayed for an entire week. This past week marked the celebration of St. Olaf ’s very first Food Week, courtesy of the organization Real Food St. Olaf.

The aim of the week was not only to raise student awareness for the organization, but also to shed light on what constitutes “real food” and why this concept may be important for the St. Olaf community. “We wanted students to start asking questions, to start talking. Essentially, we wanted to open up conversation,” Hana Ferronato ’14 said. “Ultimately we want students to have a sense of pride and feel more connected to the food they eat.”

The organization hosted several events to bring attention to its cause. The week kicked off on Monday, April 23, with an opening party in Crossroads. The evening event was co-sponsored by the Wendell Berry house and showcased examples of “real food” and offered the chance to screen print T-shirts among other activities.

Later in the week, the organization hosted a workshop on corporate food systems, where speakers emphasized the importance of a “real food” movement. Thursday featured a presentation of the movie “Harvest,” and Friday allowed students the opportunity to tour 1000 Hills Cattle and Lorenz Meats.

The event that Ferronato enjoyed the most was a dinner with local farmers in the Caf on Tuesday. The four farmers present represented Laughing Loon, SEEDS, Springwind and STOGROW. “Our ‘Dinner with a Farmer’ event was a total blast,” Ferronato said. “I got to eat with Dayna from Laughing Loon Farm and see her interactions with Randy, who had his adorable little kids with him, and Chef Matthew. It was beautiful. It was like seeing our vision on a smaller scale: each talking with each other, sharing stories, laughing and planning future get-togethers,” she said.

One activity that was hard for the student body to miss were the changes the

organization made in Stav (one day eliminating all cheese from lunch in the cafeteria) in order to draw attention to the foodthemed issues featured that week. “One thing we hoped students would be aware of are the factors influencing food choices they make in the Caf,” Annelise BrandelTanis ’14 said. “We labeled foods as real (local, fair, ecologically sound, humane, etc.) according to Real Food Challenge guidelines. We’d like to continue labeling food as well as find a good way to communicate about what these labels are and why they are important. Ultimately, the goal is to get students talking about what they’re eating and where it comes from.”

Brandel-Tanis added that while the labels were effective, it was hard to fit the information the group wanted to convey in a format that would be quickly and clearly interpreted by the student body. The organization hopes to continue labeling foods in the future and will work on an efficient way for the markers to convey the important facts of the food.

In addition to tweaks to the menu in the Caf, the organization also used posters and tabling to get the word out about “real food.” The entire week is connected to the national Real Food Challenge (RFC).

The Real Food Challenge is a national organization whose goal is to promote campus food systems that truly nourish the environment, communities, consumers and producers.

To do this, students involved in RFC calculate the percentage of food purchased on campus that is local, ecologically sound, fair or humane. These results allow them to promote a dialogue between food service providers, farmers, administrators and students regarding what foods are eaten on campus.

“Our group just came together this year and are very excited to foster conversation about food justice on campus,” Ferronato said. “We also recognize that promoting social change involves constant learning and a need to effectively communicate and adapt.” lohmanna@stolaf.edu

JAMES DALY/MANITOU MESSENGER

Students celebrate Real Food by sharing a meal with local farmers from Laughing Loon, SEEDS, Springwind and STOGROW. Food Week at St. Olaf recognized the Real Food Challenge by encouraging increased awareness of food consumption on campus.

Relay - students run for loved ones Continued from A1

But she has, through Relay for Life, found a way to fight back, and to foster the community that St. Olaf holds so dear in doing it.

“Relay for Life at St. Olaf is fantastic because it allows you to bring your friends together and share in the emotional and personal event,” Rath explained. “It is always wonderful when you can not only get closer to your friends on campus, but also maybe meet new friends who have a lot more in common with you than you think.”

Cancer has played a large role in Latta’s life as well, which drove her to become so involved in Relay for Life at St. Olaf.

“I first got involved in Relay For Life when I was 13 because my friend Christie was fighting acute myeloid leukemia,” Latta said. “My friends and I rallied around her and joined our local Relay. Since my first Relay, I have lost my friend Christie, my fifth grade teacher Brenda and, most recently, my grandma.” She said that her involvement comes from a drive to stop cancer from further affecting her loved ones and herself.

“Cancer has had a huge impact on my life, and I Relay to prevent cancer from making an impact on my future,” Latta said.

Katie Hanson ’14 is one of the event

committee members and agreed that her involvement in Relay is both global and personal.

“There are many community members that have been affected by cancer, and this is a great event for them to come out to and see how much the college and other community members support them in their fight,” Hanson said. belisle@stolaf.edu

Correction

In the April 20, 2012 edition, the article “Tri-college forum examines food justice on campus” incorrectly listed the direction of spending as Bon Appétit Management Company Foundation Fellow Vera Chang’s responsibility. Additionally, the company will begin using 100 percent cage-free eggs by 2015, not 2016 as stated in the article.

Bon Appétit is calling for at least 25 percent of its meat, poultry and eggs to come from producers whose animal welfare practices are third-party certified by 2015, not USDA-certified as the article reads; all of Bon Appétit’s meat is USDA-inspected. The new policy also requires that all pork will be gestation crate-free by 2015 and that foie gras and veal from calves confined in crates will no longer be used, effective immediately.

Window Seats - the end of an era Continued from A1 window seat.

Ellingson Hall also underwent renovations this past summer. With the new tightly-sealed windows, air circulation problems would only increase if students were to pile additional wooden boards and cushions atop the heater, according to Director of Residence Life Pamela McDowell.

While the change in Residence Life policy is unfortunate for those who now have to throw out their useless seats rather than sell them back to the new class of first years, the incoming residents of the two dorms will hopefully enjoy better air circulation in their rooms.

The frigid temperature of the rooms during the winter, and in some cases the building-up of moisture causing mold and

mildew in some Ellingson rooms, will also be solved.

The Residence Life Office has not yet heard any feedback or complaints about the removal of the window seats. The change will most likely have the biggest effect on JCs who plan to live in the dorms next year and were expecting to install one. But regardless of any disappointment expressed by students about the absence of the valued window seats, future residents of Ellingson and Hoyme will hopefully live in increased comfort in their newly renovated dorms.

Students agree that living on the Hill is a treat, with or without window seats. fridley@stolaf.edu

HANNAH RECTOR/MANITOU MESSENGER

At the end of this school year, Hoyme and Ellingson will say goodbye to one of their most beloved traditions: window seats. This summer’s renovations will include removing the seats in order to prevent potential problems with air circulation, mold and mildew.

“

“Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.”

-Zora Neale Hurston

Features

page A8

May 4, 2012

MANITOU MESSENGER

Summer Learnin’

By Shannon Cron

Tell Me More, Tell Me More

Features Editor

After hours spent in the reference room, a semester’s worth of reading completed in less than two days and mass amounts of caffeine consumed, students anxiously await the sweet release of summer. Though most Oles pack up and head home to friends, family and summer jobs, some students choose to stay on campus to participate in research projects conducted by faculty members.

The St. Olaf Collaborative Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (CURI) program offers research opportunities across a broad range of academic disciplines. “The work space will vary greatly from biological field work, to a dance studio, to the library, to a computer lab, to a physics lab, to the community of Fairbault,” incoming CURI Director Mary Walczak said.

In the summer of 2011, 72 students and 49 faculty members participated in CURI’s summer research projects. This summer, new and returning participants will develop as researchers, preparing them for graduate school and the workforce.

“Undergraduate research has been identified as a ‘high impact practice’ shown to promote academic excellence and enhanced student learning,” Walczak said.

Somatic Networking Assistant Professor of Dance Sheryl Saterstrom and Julia Moser-Hardy ’14 will continue last summer’s work: creating and developing a website designed to inform and spark conversation about the growing field of somatics.

The website – www.simplysomatic.com – defines somatics as “an embodied philosophical approach to life, dance, education and anything else.” It is based on personal experience and emphasizes “sensing, feeling and perceiving the world from the

inside out.” With its holistic perspective, somatics aims to connect body, spirit, emotions and intellect.

“A wide range of somatic practice has been influencing dance and movement training for a number of years,” Saterstrom said. “Last year, in a survey that launched the first phase of this research, we discovered that there was little consensus around what a somatic foundation in a dance program looks like. This summer, Moser-Hardy will be adding to and organizing the site to make it representative of the range of perspectives we encountered in the initial investigation.”

Saterstrom is most excited about continuing the work that the pair began last summer. “[Moser-Hardy] also will be adding interactive components so that the site can be a place where somatic educators and researchers as well as students interested in learning about somatics can interact,” she said.

Ecology of the St. Olaf Natural and Agricultural Lands Led by Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies Kathleen Shea, “Ecology of the St. Olaf Natural and Agricultural Lands” seeks to determine optimum levels of nitrogen fertilizer and to decrease nutrient runoff into local water systems through hands-on research.

“We are also studying the process of restoration in both forest and prairie ecosystems,” Shea said. “We are learning what species to plant initially, how biodiversity changes over time, how the soils change over time and how best to manage the areas.”

After completing an independent study compiling resources for research projects in sustainable agriculture, Emma Cornwell

’13 felt inspired and wanted to participate in Shea’s projects. “I’m very interested in sustainable agriculture,” Cornwell said. “I also wanted to apply for a summer research position at St. Olaf because being at my own college would allow me to build stronger connections with professors and potentially continue my research into the school year.”

Shea plans to compare their results with conventional tillage, no-till and sustainable farms, including the rotational production system developed by the Rural Enterprise Center.

“It will be interesting to compare my summer research with the research I did while studying abroad in Costa Rica this spring semester, looking at soil quality on an organic cacao farm,” Cornwell said.

Kirsten Maier ’13, Haley Flom ’14 and Christal Johnson (Arizona State University) plan to join Shea and Cornwell this summer. Research Experiences for Undergraduates, St. Olaf ’s summer program, is funded by the National Science Foundation and will support Johnson over the summer.

“The grant was awarded to St. Olaf to encourage research in Environmental Science,” Shea said. “St. Olaf advertises the program throughout the U.S. and must include a certain number of students in the program from outside of St. Olaf.”

CURI sponsors social events during the summer, to which all students – Oles and visiting students alike – are invited in hopes of helping everyone on campus get acquainted.

“CURI sponsors a weekly lunchtime series of conversations about research-related topics, including the responsible conduct of research and communicating about research,” Walczak said. “There are two symposia that bookend the summer. Early in the summer there is a ‘Research Plans’ sym-

posium that highlights the projects being conducted. Late in the summer there is a final symposium in which students present their results of their work.”

Ice and Climate Geophysics Group Physics Professors Bob Jacobel and Knut Christianson along with Brian Craig ’15, Rebecca Gobel ’14 and Ben Keisling ’13 will examine ice and climate geophysics.

“This is my second year on Professor Jacobel’s project, and I am really excited about coming back,” Gobel said. “I originally decided to apply as a way to figure out what I might be interested in doing with my life, and Jacobel’s project was so different and outside of anything that a class at St. Olaf could cover. This summer, I am really looking forward to taking on more difficult tasks and discovering more about the subglacial lake we are researching.”

Keisling will return for his third summer on Jacobel’s research team. “I’ve gained a much deeper respect for the complex coupling between ice sheets, our atmosphere and our oceans, and that’s something that I’ll definitely continue to study in my future career,” Keisling said. “This summer I’m presenting a poster at a conference of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research in Portland, Ore., and right now, that’s what I’m most looking forward to.”

From fine arts to natural sciences, social sciences to mathematics and humanities to computer science, projects span across numerous disciplines. With so many intellectually driven students on campus this summer, discoveries are sure to be made. cron@stolaf.edu

Calendar of Events: May 4-10 Friday, May 4

Mellby Murder Mystery 9 p.m., Mellby Hall What do Fred Astaire, Bette Davis and Charlie Chaplin have in common? Sure, they’re all Hollywood celebrities from the 1930s, but more importantly, they are all possibilities for your Mellby Murder Mystery costume. Come dressed as your favorite glamorous figure of the era and enjoy a high-class evening, complete with dancing lessons and a mystery to solve. This year’s theme is The Grand Opening of Mellby Hotel during the golden age of Hollywood.

Sex, Stress, Sleep, Skin and inSobriety 7:30 p.m., Buntrock 142 According to the Wellness Center, if you have an issue, it probably falls into one of these categories. Come to this event to get some perspective on how to solve all your problems. A series of skits will give a lively and active view of these important and alliterative aspects of college student wellness.

Saturday, May 5

Lutefest: An opportunity to lose your board plan All day, Stav Hall Amidst the joyous hullabaloo of Lutefest, Randy Clay will be on the prowl.

Grapes, mashed potatoes, full plates of food; none of these are acceptable projectiles in Stav Hall. In other words, if you throw food, you’ll lose your board plan, so try to contain yourselves. Students unable to resist the temptation should plan to eat outside on the quad.

Sunday, May 6

KSTO Presents: The Current 7:00 p.m., Viking Theater You may have heard them on the radio, but now you can watch Lindsay Kimball, assistant program director, and Jade, host and producer, from 89.3 The Current present about the history of their station’s success. This is an opportunity for all radio fans to learn about the radio industry and what two experts in the field are doing to keep radio alive in today’s society.

Monday, May 7

Documentary: “We Were Here” 7:00 p.m., Tomson Hall 280 Like documentaries? Informative discussions? Join Professors Mary Carlsen and Tom Williamson for a screening of “We Were Here,” a 2011 Sundance Film Festival selection. The film sheds light on the beginnings of the HIV epidemic in San Fransico. Discussion will follow.

Tuesday, May 8

Truth Values 7:00 p.m., Kelsey Theater Former Harvard President Lawrence Summers’ controversial comment that women play a less prominent role than men in the sciences inspired “Truth Values: One Girl’s Romp Through M.I.T.’s Male Math Maze.” This production tells the true tale of one woman’s experience sustaining a career in a male-dominated field. Using minimal costume pieces, “recovering mathematician” Gioia De Cari makes more than 30 characters come to life through her performance.

www.manitoumessenger.com

Wednesday, May 9

HIVardy (HIV Jeopardy) 7:00 p.m., Viking Theater Think you know your stuff about HIV transmission, prevention and treatment? Want to use your knowledge to win a prize? Come to HIVardy (HIV Jeopardy). A part of AIDS awareness week, the trivia will be informative and the competition top-notch. Put on your game face and come ready to dominate.

Thursday, May 10

Federal Loan Repayment 5:30 p.m., Black and Gold Ballroom National Financial Literacy Month may be over, but there’s no better time than Thursday, May 10, to learn how to repay your loans. Come to this session for information about loan management, repayment options and what to expect in the future. Let’s face it, no one needs this lesson more than financially unstable college students.