STRIKE OUT CANCER
‘AVENGERS’ MOVIE REVIEW
Loras and UD softball teams join forces against cancer Page 22
The end of the 10-year Marvel journey is here Page 14-15
Chemistry Olympics: Putting the ‘pro’ in proton May 2, 2018 — Vol. 96, Issue 15
Loras hosts annual Chemistry Olympics to high-schoolers for a day of science by AUDREY MILLER | staff writer
On Friday, April 20, Loras’ chemistry department hosted approximately 80 high school students in the St. Joseph Hall of Science for the annual Chemistry Olympics. These students were from local high schools, such as Dubuque Senior, as well as from farther locations such as Mt. Vernon and Davenport. A total of 17 separate teams from nine different high schools were in attendance — the highest number of participants that these games have ever seen. The number of attendees has been rising every year as the Olympics increases its reach across Iowa. “I think it’s awesome that high schools are able to get involved,” said junior biochemistry major Skye Miller about the Chemistry Olympics after helping out with events during the day. “When I was a student in high school, I had no idea the Chemistry Olympics existed. Now my high school is here competing.” One team from Beckman Catholic, Miller’s alma mater, took third place overall in the competition after a member of one of their teams took first place in the Solution Density Drop, just one of the events of the day. The Chemistry Olympics is a day full of chemical reactions, scientific techniques, and fierce-yet-friendly competition. It includes a variety of chemistry-based competitions including a solution density drop, chemical jeopardy, a titration race, solution identification and a game medley. Stakes were high as each team used their chemistry knowledge to compete in each game for the Olympic Title and potentially win a scholarship to Loras. Each member of the winning team received a significant scholarship, as did the overall winner of each game. But the financial incentive was not the only positive outcome of the day. The Chemistry Olympics reaches out to high school students and
photo by AUDREY MILLER
Two local high school students conduct an experiment as they compete to win the Loras scholarship prize and to have a day in a college science lab. gives them opportunities to use and enhance their science background, opportunities that they might not have gotten otherwise. “It gives them great exposure to college, and to Loras,” sophomore Sarah Krieger said. “I wish I would have had the opportunity to do this when I was in high school — to be in a college lab setting and use the tools that we have here.” The directors of the Chemistry Olympics — students Zach Ney and Sarah Krieger, along with chemistry faculty member Dr. Adam Moser — have been working hard for months to make this day a success. The overall winning team from the day was a team from Dubuque Senior, defending their 2017 title and six-year winning streak, tak-
ing the 2018 title as the top chemists of the competition. Second place went to a team from Potosi, and third went to a team from Beckman. Dr. Speckhard, a chemistry faculty member and seasoned Chemistry Olympics leader, knows how important these games are for promoting the chemistry field. “It’s a positive day for the high school students to encounter other students ... who are farther along in their science careers,” Dr. Speckhard said. “It makes a generally-perceived ‘dry’ subject more engaging. The Olympics are also positive for Loras because it promotes our science program, as well as reinforces the alumni connections we have at local high schools.”
Rolling the (base)ball of history by NATALIE DROESKE | sports editor
On April 26, a group of Loras students and faculty attended a ball game on the third floor of the ARC. They welcomed Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick who walked them through almost 40 years of honest and great ball play. As part of the Francis J. Noonan School of Business Speaker Series, Kendrick spent the day touring various sports management classes in Sports Government and visited with students from the black student union, baseball team, the Boys & Girls Club in Dubuque. A good storyteller, Kendrick’s lecture consisted mainly of highlighting major players that rose from the Negro Leagues during the peak of play between 1920-1960. These included Andrew “Rube” Foster, Oscar Charleston, Leroy “Satchel” Paige, John “Buck” O’Neil, and Kendrick’s favorite Josh Gibson. “The goal here was to educate a different audience … on how the Negro Leagues changed Major League baseball and how it had an impact on America,” said senior Brian Wulf, the student ambassador for the faculty board of the School of Business. The mood for the event, despite underlying heavier topics, was a light one centered
photo by NATALIE DROESKE
more on storytelling and the celebration of America’s favorite pastime than anything else. Kendrick, who had started as a volunteer at the Negro League Baseball Museum before moving up to his current position, would launch into both stats and character highlights of each of the players he mentioned in addition to their lasting effects on the future of baseball in this county. “The story of the Negro leagues is not an African American Story, it is an all American
story … it is a story about pride, courage, perseverance, and determination,” said Kendrick. “(It was a) league born out of segregation that brought about major social change.” The conversation then took a natural turn to Jackie Robinson, a recognizable name definitely related to the topic at hand. The relation, though, was one not often talked about. “They (the major leaguers) did everything imaginable to break Jackie but Jackie did not break,” said Kendrick. “It wasn’t just a part of the civil rights movement; it was the start of the civil rights movement … (it got) the ball of social progress rolling in our country.” This connection between the familiar name and the new ideas Kendrick was bringing to the table about the Negro Leagues was a powerful one, sharing “so many stories that have never been told” as Kendrick put it. “Having a different perspective and being able to educate this particular audience on the Negro League, on something that might not get a whole lot of national attention or something that not many people know about was just a great opportunity,” said Wulf.
Police officers protect ... and play by KAYLA THOMPSON | news editor
St. Mark’s Youth Enrichment has been a staple in the Dubuque community for the last 30 years. Their before and after school programs provide local school-age kids with interesting and educational programs to give participants experiences they would not normally have in the classroom. This extends beyond the schoolyard property. The Dubuque and surrounding communities, including Loras College, have acted as volunteers, benefactors, and held various positions to keep this non-profit running at full-speed. One community member, Officer Luke Bock, is one of the many volunteers. He recently delivered an anonymous donation of dodge balls to Marshall Elementary School and spent some time testing them out with the kids. He has been a frequent visitor to the after school program during To Brock the quietand the er parts of his policing other police shift. The officers in the kids light up community, when he and other poteaching lice officers kids to not come to visbe afraid it, and they are not pasof them sive observand to be ers. Whencomfortable ever they are around, they coming are reading to them stories, playnot just in ing games, and even emergencies helping with is crucial. homework. Brock’s regular appearances are not just for a break in his shift, but they are for a bigger purpose. “We set one simple goal at the beginning, we want the kids to be excited when they see us,” Brock said. “I have seen this goal come to fruition. I am greeted with hugs and high fives and excitement that the police officers will be participating in whatever activities are planned for the day.” With different news stories and protests outpouring from traditional media outlets, the reputation and public perception of police officers has been at an all time low. Understaffed police stations are a problem all over the country, so they do not get as much time as they would like to interact with community members. These interactions also are important to the officers as well. To Brock and the other police officers in the community, teaching kids to not be afraid of them and to be comfortable coming to them not just in emergencies is crucial. “I cherish the times when I can spend some time with the community members, especially youth, not because they called 911 when there is an emergency,” Brock said. “My hope is that these interactions can help the St. Mark youth recognize police officers as more than just a uniform, but people that want to engage in their lives.” To learn more about St. Mark’s Youth Enrichment and their mission and programs, visit, http://stmarkyouth enrichment.org.