September 2016/ Vol. 23 - No. 2

Lions’ Roar A Student Voice Periodical

Getting Involved

September 2016 Vol.23 No.2

This month, The Lions’ Roar attended the Involvement Fair, organized by Student Life Director Justin Martin, and signed up many aspiring journalists to join our team.

Amy Lee wrote an informative piece on the Pokemon Go craze on Normandale’s campus. Katharine Menning contributed an article on the fears of freshmen students attending college for the first time. We are happy to have them both as new monthly contributors to the student voice.

For any video game enthusiast, Edmund and I have written reviews regarding Counter Strike: Global Offensive and No Man’s Sky. I have also included a biography of Introduction to U.S. Politics professor, Todd Kruse, which is a must read for anyone who knows the head-strong political science guru.

If you would like to submit writing to The Lions’ Roar, please stop by the office during our office hours (across from US Bank in the Kopp Student Center) and let us know how you would like to contribute to our writing team.

Sincerely, Michael Achterling Lion’s Roar – Editor-in-Chief

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Involvement Fair

Normandale’s Annual Involement Fair

Christina Pettit (left) and Bridget Fitzpatrick represent the Anthropology & Archaeology Club at their artifact filled table. (photo by Edmund Sykes)

Story by Edmund Sykes

(Sept. 12, 2016) - Clubs and organizations are a huge part of student life on campus, and to support this ideal, Student Life Director Justin Martin continued the tradition of the Normandale Annual Involvement Fair. Held in the courtyard, many student-run clubs and organizations gathered to spread information regarding their clubs and to recruit new members. The fair hosted

Joe Hynes informs students about the resting & relaxing to be had during the Meditation Club. (photo by Edmund Sykes)

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Involvement Fair

Andrew Burkard encourages other students to sign up for the Traditional Games Club. (photo by Edmund Sykes)

live entertainment, free popcorn and candy, and Normandale’s 30 clubs for a span of two hours. Students had the opportunity to sign up for organizations, learn

Q&A

information about joining found on the Campus or starting a club, and life page (Normandale. enjoyed the free food and edu>Campus Life>Get entertainment. Additional Involved) or in The Zone information on clubs at K1425, where there is and organizations can be information on the walls.

With Student Life Director Justin Martin

Q: Why should a student join a school organization?

A: A lot of research shows that if students are more involved in clubs or organizations on campus, they perform better academically and they feel a much stronger connection to campus… it is a good opportunity to have some fun and meet other people on campus as well as develop other skills one might not otherwise learn.

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Q: What are the steps to becoming a club?

A: There’s a club packet to fill out, as well as some waivers that have to be submitted in addition to a club constitution, and once they have an advisor, Student life and the potential club meet with the Student Senate executive board to approve the club and make it an official club. Then, the club may request funds, reserve space on campus for meetings, and have events. There is also information located in The Zone that describes the process and gives additional information.

Q: Why is the Involvement Fair an important event to attend?

A: The Involvement Fair is our way to pull together all of the clubs and organizations and people that are looking to start clubs and organizations, and its just a good opportunity for students to come through and get a quick glance at all the clubs and organizations that are here and if they want to join one they can find out how.

Freshman Fears Story by Katharine A. Menning

(Sep. 14, 2016) - We all remember that day; donning the cap and gown, walking down the auditorium or gymnasium aisle, receiving our diploma in front of the sea of smiling faces of our friends and family. And then come the questions: “Where are you going to go to school?” or “What are you going to do with your life?” Those questions repeated over and over again until our answers become rehearsed. Then comes fall, we students are thrown into the crazy thing called college. With starting college, many incoming students may and will have fears of all kinds.

As a current freshman at Normandale myself, I have and currently face what I like to call, “Freshman Fears”. Some of them are logical and some are illogical.

You know the ones I’m talking about.

-Will I do well in class?

-What if I fail?

-Will I make new friends?

-Will I pass the class?

-Will I be popular?

-Will I have fun?

Those voices seem to take over our thoughts and constantly whisper in the backs of our minds, causing us to doubt ourselves and worry about things that don’t really need to be worried about.

We can even let them overtake us and cause us to do things we wouldn’t normally do.

Fellow freshman student, Thanh Nquyen, shared with me some of her fears she had starting college classes this semester. Those included wondering how she would balance school, life, and a job or if she would have any time left for personal life after finishing homework and work. Nquyen also expressed a fear of making friends at Normandale as well.

“It’s a lot different than middle school or high school,” she says. “In those places, you are around the same people every day for four years. Many of those people you have known from grade school or your neighborhood. But here at Normandale, it’s completely different.

You may know one or two people or you may know no one at all. Sometimes, you are so busy that you have no time at all

to talk and meet people and make new friends. Thankfully, I have professors that help other students and I bond. The activities cause interaction and force students to talk to each other so that we get to know our classmates instead of being a wall flowers.”

Fortunately, Normandale has services that can help students deal with their fears and worries. The Nath Advising Center as well as the Tutoring Center are just two of the places that students can go to talk to counselors and tutors to get help with stilling their fears. A few days ago, I had the pleasure to talk with Garance Blanchot-Aboubi, Interim Associate Director of Advising and Counseling and Njia LawrencePorter, an academic advisor at the Nath Advising Center. One of my questions was what do students come to see and talk to you about?

“Usually just practical things, concerns for their classes or schedules, personal problems, etc,” BlanchotAboubi told me. Students are also able to come and talk to the advisors about fears they have.

“Some students are afraid of being able to handle the course load. They don’t realize how much work it’s going to take. They come in thinking that college

Students study in Normandale’s College Services Building. (photo by Katharine A. Menning)

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A s t u d e n t w a l k s d o w n a h a l l w a y i n N o r m a n d a l e ’s S c i e n c e B u i l d i n g . ( p h o t o b y K a t h a r i n e A . M e n n i n g )

will be a piece of cake and that they can handle all these classes. It actually quite hard to get students to take a balanced load of classes,” said Lawrence-Porter.

A lot of the fears that freshmen tend to have come from the new responsibility they now have as an adult.

“They suddenly realize that they now have to be the adult, make all these decisions, and be in charge, which is a lot different than when they were in high school. Unlike high school where

the teachers will contact the parents, the student now has the responsibility of talking to the teacher and reaching out for help. We don’t expect to hear from your parents if something is going wrong. We expect to hear from you,” Blanchot-Aboubi explained.

As you can see, everyone at one time or another has “Freshman Fears”. We all struggle with the doubts and voices in our heads, causing us to wonder if we did the right thing or question our

choices. Sometimes we allow ourselves to give into and listen to those fears. In doing so, it might cause us to mess up or fail. But there is nothing wrong with that. It is through failure by which we learn, grow, and overcome that fear. And thankfully, we are not alone. There are people here at Normandale who are going through the exact same thing and want to help us overcome these doubts and fears. All we have to do is ask.

Students study in Normandale’s Kopp Student Center. (photo by Katharine A. Menning)

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Todd Kruse: Master of Normandale’s U.S. Politics Story by Michael Achterling

(Sep. 22, 2016) – U.S. politics, in an election year, can be divisive.

Our family and friends may not share our views about the country, or how it is governed; however, it is these differences that shape the conversation about our future as Americans.

Todd Kruse, a U.S. Politics Instructor at Normandale Community College, uses his one-hour, twenty-minute class period twice a week to inspire students to learn about the true nature of their most cherished beliefs, and how those beliefs, in general, have evolved as our

Todd Kruse, Political Science Instructor, teaches at Normandale. (photo by Michael Achterling)

country changes.

“We’ve had a peaceful transfer of power every four years since 1788,” Kruse said. “[Today], two different parties, two different world views, but completely peaceful, and that is the American tradition.”

He attended planning and zoning commission meetings with his father by the age of 11, and was an active boy scout who eventually achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the small town of Idagrove, Iowa. Then, in the mid-1980s, decided to

Todd Kruse, U.S. Politics Professor at Normandale, poses for a photograph with a sign. (Illustration by Michael Achterling)

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study Engineering and attended Iowa State University, joining the student body of more than 26,000 degree-seekers. With more than 350 student clubs,

by Kruse’s sophomore year, he realized “getting involved” was going to be a priority.

“I got involved in campus politics,” Kruse said. He joined a campaign to honor a 1920s Iowa State African-American football player Jack Trice, who was beaten so badly during a game with University of Minnesota, he later died in a Minneapolis hospital. Kruse’s campaign petitioned the school to fund a statue of the gridiron great which was ultimately placed next to Carver Hall, named after ex-slave and famed AfricanAmerican peanut farmer George Washington Carver.

After college, Kruse found various jobs throughout the political spectrum. He volunteered at major party conventions, worked for political lobbying firms in the United States and abroad, and ended up finding the time to teach Normandale students about how their government works; including the political conversations that shape it.

However, he too has concerns about the future of this nation.

“I’m concerned because of this famous quote,” Kruse said. “When the Philadelphia convention ended, and Dr. Benjamin Franklin, who I like to call President Franklin just to confuse students because he was never President, leaves the

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Todd Kruse, Political Science Professor, teaches Introduction to U.S. Politics at Normandale Community College. (photo by Michael Achterling)

convention hall, a women yelled, ‘Dr. Franklin, what kind of government have you given us?’

Franklin replied, ‘A Republic, if you can keep it.’”

Franklin’s powerful words ring true for any citizen who cares about the future of the United States. Moreover, in one of the most divisive elections in modern history, keeping our republic intact and protected for future generations of Americans

should be the focus of all political parties regardless of ideology.

Overall, Mr. Kruse is a knowledgeable, direct, “no nonsense” professor.

He encourages students to expand their horizons and view the world from a different set of eyes. I strongly encourage any students who have political ambitions or passions, to enroll in his classes; you may learn something.

Pokémon Go! at Normandale Story by Amy Lee

Millions of people were ready for adventure this summer, and Pokémon Go managed to catch ‘em all. With 100 million downloads over the past three months, it’s no surprise that nearly everyone has heard of this app. But how has the Pokémon craze affected us here at Normandale?

You may have noticed people around campus staring at their phones as they walk. Sure, they could be texting or browsing through Facebook, but chances are they’re actually on a quest to capture virtual creatures.

Normandale is littered with these Pokémon, as well as several PokéGyms and PokéStops. At PokéGyms, app users can challenge each other and claim the gym for their own team. PokéStops are where players can go to stock up on supplies, such as PokéBalls, which are needed to catch new Pokémon. PokéGyms and PokéStops can be found in all of the Normandale buildings and in the Japanese Garden. While having these integral parts of the game so conveniently placed is fun, it can also be a distraction. Like I mentioned earlier, you’ve probably been seeing people looking at their phones when they walk, instead of where they are going. This can be dangerous and has even drawn Pokémon Go media attention, as people injure themselves while playing the game.

Pokémon isn’t just a distraction while walking; It can also rob professors of students’ attention. While in class, it can be extremely tempting to pull out your phone and catch that Pidgey, or collect items from the PokéStop that’s just barely within range. As long as

Dan Christy, a Normandale student, playing Pokémon Go in the Japanese Garden (photo by Amy Lee)

students have smartphones, they’ll have a ready distraction in class.

Pokémon Go is one more thing to do instead of listening to the professor.

But the app has its advantages as well. Students are venturing outside of their normal paths and exploring parts of the campus they wouldn’t otherwise visit in search of Pokémon, PokéStops, and PokéGyms. I headed to the Japanese Garden, and there I met Dan Christy, a student at Normandale and a level 21 Pokémon Go player. As we discussed Pokémon Go, he said, “It gets people in here, to realize the beauty of this Japanese Garden.” Pokémon Go draws people away from the comfort of their classrooms and out exploring the campus. Eventually, the students will enjoy the campus not just for its Pokémon. Dan has become a regular

at the Japanese Garden, and goes there often after class. He said, “I’ll just walk in and take a couple laps, even if I don’t need PokéBalls.”

Pokémon Go can help students find new parts of the college that they will enjoy. The game also provides students with a way to quickly and painlessly relate and strike up conversation with each other. I was able to do this when I met Dan in the Japanese Garden, because I saw him playing Pokémon Go. When students see another student playing the game, they instantly see that they have something in common, and they have some simple questions that they can ask to break the ice. Questions like, “what team are you on?” and “what level are you?” help spark a conversation that can lead to a more intellectual discussion or at the very least provide the student with a sense of community. So is the presence of Pokémon Go at Normandale harmful or beneficial? I would argue despite the fact that it can be a distraction, it is still beneficial because of the community it provides and the opportunity it gives students.

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Counter Strike: Global Offensive

One of the old Counter-strike startup image. Screenshot retrieved from on-winning.com

Story by Edmund Sykes Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO) is a development of the hit multiplayer first-person shooter series Counter-Strike. Released in August 21st of 2012, the game is officially over four years old, but through constant updates and support, CSGO is able to sustain a rather large fan-base. Call of Duty (CoD), the biggest first person shooter franchise of all time, has to release a new game every year in order to sustain relevancy. CSGO has somewhat of an advantage over CoD, as it has a massive cult

following, consisting of hardcore gaming enthusiasts that enjoy the challenge posed with playing CSGO. In CoD, players respawn once killed, cannot hit other friendly players, and regenerate health; in CSGO, players only have one life per round, can hurt and kill teammates and themselves, and also cannot regenerate health, meaning once a player is killed, they must wait the remaining duration of the round until respawning with only a pistol. Players have to use elements of sounds and visuals to catch their opponent’s off guard and gun them down before being found and eliminated. Most CSGO players play in competitive mode, a thrilling 30 or so rounds of 5 vs.

5 gameplay, where each player

manages their money effectively, purchasing the right guns at the right rounds using the in-game cash earned from following teambased objectives and eliminating enemies. By managing you and your team’s economy effectively, your team will have accessibility to useful weapons throughout the duration of the game. There are two main teams in every game, in which teams are randomly assigned and then switch at half time: the Counter-Terrorists (CT), and the Terrorists (T). The Counter-Terrorists strategically position themselves to protect bomb-sites A and B, while the Terrorists use tactics to move their bomb carrier and team onto bombsites in order to plant the bomb.

The writer’s Case Hardned Butterfly Knife. In-game screenshot taken by Edmund Sykes.

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Once planted, the Terrorists will reposition to defend the bomb for 40 seconds before detonation, and the Counter-Terrorists will attempt to retake the site and defuse the bomb, eliminating any terrorists in their way. The game has an incredibly large professional following. eSports have developed massively in the last few years, and many teams have been formed to battle head-to-head in annual tournaments that are streamed worldwide. One of the game’s most impressive features, is its massive underground market and economy, composed completely of virtual skins that can be used ingame. Although these skins give no in-game benefits and are purely cosmetic, meaning that a Factory New StatTrak M4A4 Howl, priced at approximately $1,500, has the exact same stopping power as the default free vanilla M4A4.

These gun skins range from $0.01 to $10,000 depending on the rarity and wear of the skin, and are acquired through in-game drops, trading, buying, or opening cases that contain random skins.

Until recently, these skins used to be gambled online in various roulette, duel, and raffle games until shut down due to lawsuits generated from rigged bets and underage gambling. The game also has a community workshop, in which members of the CSGO community can create maps for others to play, and design skins

The most expensive CSGO skin to date. Screenshot retrieved from opskins.com

to vote on and possibly have ingame. The game’s ranking system has been perfected over the past year, ensuring that all players are ranked appropriately based on their in-game performance. There are about three main categories in the current ranking system: silver, low tier gold, high tier gold. In silver, players are much less skilled and much more toxic, meaning that your team is most likely going to be unskilled and contain trolls. In low tier gold, there are still a few toxic players, but quite a few players take the game seriously and try to win. In high tier gold, players are incredibly skilled, and the game is taken very seriously. CSGO is a game that takes incredible patience and skill. The first time I played it, I turned it off after about 10 minutes. But if you stick through the first few horrid steps and get the hang of it, the game becomes a blast and is almost

impossible to put down. The game can become somewhat repetitive over time, especially if you are stuck in a bad rank or consistently have awful teammates. I would give the game’s appearance a 7/10, as the game is very basic in its design, but has cool skins that mean a lot to the community. CSGO deserves a 10/10 for gameplay from me, as its hyper-realism and in-game mechanics are awesome, and it takes incredible skill to be a regular CSGO player. Overall the game receives a 9/10, as it is one of the greatest games I have ever played and has consumed the most of my time compared to any other game I have played.

CSGO does have its flaws, but through constant updating and community support, CSGO will continue to be one of the most challenging and fun shooters of all time.

The writer’s StatTrak Awp Corticera. In-game screenshot taken by Edmund Sykes.

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(Illustration courtesy of Pushsquare.com)

No Man’s Sky: An Epic…Fail?

Review by Michael Achterling

(Sep. 14, 2016) – Space. The final frontier. These were the promises of Sean Murray, founder of Hello Games and a principal creator of No Man’s Sky, who created an ambitious explorable universe for gamers across the globe. The firstperson exploratory adventure piqued the interest of many individuals, including myself.

More than 18,000,000,000,000 planets all brimming with life to be discovered, within a procedurally generated universe of design and programming. I was sold; however, that moment was more than two years ago in the summer of 2014. Hello Games’ staff is small, only 15 members as of August 2016. Therefore, it took a long time to complete

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and publish independently from mainstream developers. Moreover, in December 2013, the Thames River overflowed its banks in England, and flooded Hello Games’ Guildford studio causing damage to thousands of dollars worth of game designing electronics; the game would be delayed.

The game wouldn’t be released to the public until August 9, 2016, but the hype and promotion of its anticipated release placed the unrealistic bar of expectation out of reach. During my first 40 hours of gameplay, I was eager to discover new worlds and alien life. I scouted as much as I could, filled my exosuit and ship to the brim, and moved on to a new star system. This repeated again, again, and again. I started to become annoyed at the repetitive nature of each new world’s terrain and alien life. It became stale, but I pushed

forward towards the center of the universe like a good explorer.

However, the longer I played the game, the more I realized nothing has changed. The promises of new and unique life across the galaxy began to seem like a mirage of promotion, and I began to feel cheated.

My exploring started to seem like work; the exact opposite affect video games are supposed to induce. My playing subsided. I began trying to find other games to play, and revisit, but I still explored the universe on occasion with visiting friends to showcase the scope and promises of space exploration. Since my initial playing more than a month ago, I have invested no more than 10 hours into the space epic. Even with a fully upgraded exosuit and 29 inventory-slotted ship, with a fully functioning four-stage warp

drive, I haven’t traveled more than 10,000 light years of the 178,000 light year journey toward the imaginary universe’s center. I don’t think I will ever complete the adventure, and that doesn’t bother me one bit.

Games are meant to be enjoyed, not labored over. There is no creation element to the universe, unlike Minecraft. There is no multiplayer incorporation to share

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experiences with other explorers and friends. The ship flight controls are difficult to grasp which make ship battles less enjoyable, and generic. The non-playable characters, or entities, follow the same formula of interaction with every encounter throughout the game. No surprises. In my opinion, the very essence of space exploration is unpredictability, and No Man’s Sky became a half-eaten

stale bag of potato chips.

Overall, the game is very playable, and I did enjoy it. The replay value could be infinite, but the cookie-cutter planets and gameplay hinder the capacity for true emersion. Gameplay patches will be free and continuous from Hello Games; however, a game that needs too much work outside of alpha production should come with a warning label.

Playable adventure, but not the space epic that was promised.

(Illustration courtesy of Giantbomb.com)

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THE PAPER LANTERN e c i d u j e r P d n E a S e O R d i P r , S P M E O P ART,