the tackthe newspaper with a point

Volume 116 Issue 8Feb. 17, 2012

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ConverseShowcase

pg. 7

ValentinesOverdone?

pg. 3

New Equipment

pg. 2

Slam Dunkpg. 6

Pierce- White: Movin’ on Up

LOVE

News2 The Tack / Friday, December 5, 20082

newsThe Tack // Feb. 17, 2012

Earlier this year, Buena Vista University (BVU) aimed to fill five positions: Director of Athletics, School of Business Dean, School of Education Dean, Vice President of Student Affairs, and Vice President of Enrollment. Each of the people in charge of finding candidates went through an extensive interviewing process. The only committee still looking is the committee for a new Director of Athletics.

The new Dean for the School of Business is Dr. Ashok Subramanian. There is an extensive article about Dr. Subramanian and his wife, Julie, available on BVU’s website (search: Ashok Subramanian). Along with a new Dean for the School of Business, there was also a new Dean for the School of Education who was hired and will begin this summer. His name is Dr. Paul Theobald.

Both Vice President positions have also been filled. Mike Frantz is the new Vice President of Enrollment Management, and Dr. Meg McKeon is the new Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students. Frantz started at the university on Feb. 6. More information on Mike Frantz can be found on BVU’s website

(search: Mike Frantz). Dr. Meg McKeon, new Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, started with BVU on Feb. 1. More information was posted on BVU’s website (search: Meg McKeon).

The only position needing to be filled is the Athletic Director position. When interviewed about this process, Associate Dean of Faculty Dr. Peter Steinfeld said the search is still happening. The committee has hired Dr. Betsy Alden of Alden & Associates to help in the search for a new Athletic Director. There is an advertisement online that can be found under the Executive Search and Current Searches tab. The search committee, which is the same as last time except for the new addition of Dr. Meg McKeon, will meet with Dr. Alden this Thursday (Feb. 16). The meeting will take place over a conference call and during the meeting the semi-finalists for the position will be selected. After the selection has taken place, phone interviews will begin. After phone interviews, each of the finalists will be invited to campus.

While the search continues for one committee, the committees for four of the five positions have found their candidates. Best of luck goes out to the committee looking for BVU’s next Director of Athletics.

Did you know that the Buena Vista University’s (BVU) Pierce Residence Hall was established in 1965? That means the building is a little older than most people perceive. While speaking with Director of Residence Life Dijon DeLaPorte, he reported that the recent remodels were extremely necessary for the stability and safety of the building structure. DeLaPorte stated that the majority of the pipes needed to be replaced, the walls needed to be redone because of cracking paint and holes, and the overall aesthetics of the building needed to be drastically improved.

It is always important to the Resident Life Staff to improve the living conditions of residential students, and it is equally important to ensure that there is a lasting sense of pride and appreciation school-wide. Some new features include chrome Xcellerator hand dryers, indoor trash and recycling rooms, and CFL low energy light bulbs. The idea was to promote more sustainability to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards.

The biggest additions include the kitchen

on the fourth floor, and the “sky box” which overlooks the football field.

“The idea of the sky box and kitchen overlooking the football field is to help create a sense of pride in watching football games while being able to enjoy the scenic view of the lake. It is overall a great gathering space, and all students are welcome,” DeLaPorte stated.

Although there have been many positive changes, there have been a few concerns from the residents themselves. One of the biggest complaints are the automatic closing doors. However, many students are unaware that the reason why the doors are designed in this way is to meet fire safety standards. Because the dormitories are not considered “normal living situations,” the doors have to automatically shut after entrance not only to protect occupants from the possible threat of fires, but to protect personal belongings as well. BVU wants to promote community without altering the design of the doors. This may include door stops, but there are no final decisions at this time regarding that subject.

It has also been expressed by the students that the new water-saving, low flow shower heads are less than ideal.

“The showers are slacking, but in a quest to

meet LEED certification, the implementation of the showers has been a challenge,” DeLaPorte explained.

One of the biggest reasons why the showers have been less than stellar is directly related to the fact that some may not have been installed correctly. Another big fault in the showers is the lack of education the residents received on how to use them properly. This mostly includes communicating to the students why the showers are set up the way they are, as well as the fact that the theme of the building is to promote environmental sustainability.

However, it is important to understand that most of the complaints have derived from the delayed construction time. The building was forced to open without being 100% complete, which was frustrating for many different staffing departments on campus. DeLaPorte noted that the complaints from the students are reasonable and that they are working diligently in the Resident Life Department to resolve the issues to the best of their ability. Projects such as adding completely recycled bulletin boards to all the doors are projected to occur at the end of the semester.

“Although Iowa has very high standards and codes for the new buildings, the local level

suggests that we maintain higher standards, which is what we chose to do. These higher standards include less power usage, more recycling, less water usage, and more efficient building materials,” DeLaPorte stated.

There will be few differences between Pierce and the upcoming renovations of White Residence Hall. It will not have a “sky box”, but will instead have more multipurpose rooms. However, the building itself will look the same as Pierce.

“As a team, we have learned a lot through renovating Pierce which will ultimately assist us while renovating White. Overall, we have been impressed with the way that the building has turned out. We are addressing the complaints and the speed bumps we have run into as efficiently and effectively as possible. We appreciate students’ feedback as far as what we need to address and how to improve living situations. I want people to be happy where they live and I do not want minor things to impose on this. We are also working on educating more students on specifications, so that they better understand the reasoning for some of the aspects of the new renovations DeLaPortes said.

Dangerous: K2 drugs on campusA Buena Vista University (BVU) student

came into possible contact with an illegal drug substance known as K2, a type of synthetic marijuana, during BVU’s Interim this past winter. Campus Security sent out an email stating the fatal effect it could have on its users.

“Among the dangers of K2 use is the effect of the drug on the heart, causing spasms in the heart valves which can result in cardiac arrest,” Director of Campus Security Mark Kirkholm said.

The Drug Enforcement Administration describes K2 as herbal ingredients that are sprayed with chemicals that give off a similar effect as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC.) Unlike the THC found in marijuana, K2 can have a more severe effect.

Along with paranoia, hallucinations, panic attacks, and anxiety, K2 also increases the heart rate and blood pressure which could lead to cardiac arrest. These effects can last over a long period of time. Kirkholm says K2’s effect on the body can be dangerous because it’s unknown what exactly is in the drug.

“It can strongly affect a person’s health because they don’t know what’s in it,” Kirkholm said. “They don’t know what they’re taking.”

Synthetic drugs of any kind became illegal

in Iowa this past summer with the passage of the Synthetic Drug Control Act of 2011 which outlaws any kind of synthetic chemicals used to create the drugs.

Although the passage of the law was meant to control substances like K2, distributors and makers of the drugs are finding ways to get around the act.

Manufacturers of the drugs are able to forgo the law by slightly changing the formula for the chemicals put into the synthetic marijuana. Because of this, lawmakers will have to constantly ammend the Synthetic Drug Control Act just to keep up with the new chemicals being created.

Distributors aren’t having a hard time finding places to sell K2 either. Many convenience stores and drugs stores have been cited for selling the illegal products, normally marketed as “herbal incense”, with labels even reading that the product in not made for human consumption. Some other names for K2 include Spice, Pure Evil, K3, and more.

As for the BVU Drug Policy, any illegal possession of drugs on campus will result in disciplinary action that could include immediate suspension or expulsion. Any student, staff, or faculty member found distributing or creating illegal substances will also be subject to immediate suspension or expulsion.

Kimberly NelsonCo-Editor in Chief

Improvements needed on the improved?Molly PalsCo-News Editor

The Estelle Siebens Science Center at Buena Vista University (BVU) has received a $125,000 grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust to purchase new equipment. There were two new pieces of equipment purchased with the help of the money from the grant: a nuclear magnetic r e s o n a n c e s p e c t r o s c o p e (NMR) and a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS).

“The NMR is basically a giant magnet,” Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dr. Melanie Hauser said. “It acts like an MRI machine for chemicals instead of a body.” The NMR will be utilized in Organic Chemistry classes and also for student research.

The GC-MS is capable of detecting volatile organics in water and other substances. The machine heats up the substance until it is boiling and then measures the mass of the chemicals. It can then detect what chemicals are present based on their mass, using a library that is included within the machine. The GC-MS will be used in Environmental Chemistry and research as early as this summer with the MRBI grant students that Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Melinda Coogan completes during the summers. The MRBI students research aquatic systems before and after conservation programs are implemented to measure the

effectiveness of the programs. Students can look for application dates in BVU News.

The grant given to the school is a matching grant, which means that the foundation matched the amount BVU proposed to purchase the equipment. The Carver Trust Foundation is a private organization which gives grants to tax-exempt organizations. Most of the grants are given to organizations in Iowa and Illinois to

support scientific research.

“When you write a proposal for a grant, you justify the reason for the money. They take into account past projects you’ve done. It helps if you’ve had past success with grants. They don’t want to give their money away to someone who isn’t going to use it,”

Coogan said. The new

equipment will help BVU students to

be competitive when searching for graduate schools and even students going directly into the job market.

“You can go to a larger university and find similar, even better equipment, but the difference is, the undergrads won’t be able to use it,” Coogan said. Being familiar with the equipment will help students gain a competitive edge. “Even if students don’t do anything with research, they are still learning critical thinking skills from interacting with the machines,” Hauser said. “We are really excited about this.”

Exclusive pictures online at bvtack.com.

Shauna McKnightCo-News Editor

Sarah KoenenNews Co-Editor

Newly added science equipment

Job search update

PHOTO BY DAVID EKSTROMHalfway there! — Work continues on Pierce and White halls.

New experiments — BVU professors and students are testing out the new science equipment.

PHOTOS BY MAKENSIE BROWN

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opinion

commuting for services

Co-Editors in Chief:Kimberly NelsonRonald Forsell

Copy Editor:Grace E. Bodey

Assistant Copy Editor:Emily Fineran

News Co-Editors:Sarah KoenenShauna McKnightMolly Pals

Opinion Co-Editors:Kevin CoriolanErika Garcia

Arts & Life Editor:Sadie Quist

Sports Co-Editors:Kylie SwansonBo Darrow

Design Co-Editors:Brandy Zumbach Aphton Roberts

Photo Editor:Makensie Brown

Photo Assistant Editors:Liz Martinez David EkstromClair Lynn

Advertising Manager:Kacie Woodley

Social Media & Marketing:Kelsey Reitmeier

Online Editor: Alain Ndayishimiye

Columnists:Peyton BurchCrystal Davis

Staff Writers:Robert ElmoreLaura SchachtnerJessica FloresLaura PageGrady GallagherMichael ReedAndrew Schanbacher

Advisor:Jamii Claiborne

Letter to the EditorLetters to the Editor can be sent to BVU Box 2021, 610 W. Fourth St., Storm Lake, Iowa 50588. Signed letters must be received by Tuesday at 5 p.m. The Tack reserves the right to edit any letter before it appears in print and will print as many letters as space allows.

Tack PrinciplesThe Tack is dedicated to fair, accurate and concise coverage of campus events and issues that are of interest to the Buena Vista University community. Our primary objective is to maintain our integrity while creatively accelerating the flow of information on campus and promoting campus unity. By encouraging this type of communication, we hope to develop a more active and informed community.

The Tack Contact Info:tack@bvu.eduPh: 712-749-1246Fax: 712-749-2037(Please include “Attn: Tack”)

the newspaper with a point

Planned Parenthood recently made the local media buzz when it was announced that they were shutting down the Storm Lake location and relocating about 40 minutes away to the city of Spencer located at 19000 Grand Avenue. Within the last two years, the non-profit organization Planned Parenthood has made headlines and been the subject of conversation for multiple reasons.

In the fall of 2011, a campaign called “40 Days for Life” inspired pro-life advocates to gather and pray outside the hidden building located at 720 Erie Street. In my opinion, relocating to Spencer was a mistake.

The amount of women who depend on the resources of the non-profit organization is unknown. But what is known for sure is that women will now have to commute

if they choose to continue to use the services of Planned Parenthood.

The distance or lack of resources to reach the center may discourage young women from choosing the proactive approach of birth control. Young women may now have to turn to their local clinic or family doctors for birth control and other services which are not exactly cheap.

According to the article in the Storm Lake Times, CEO of Planned Parenthood Jill June said, “Consolidating our health centers will allow us to increase our scheduling hours and provide expanded services to those patients.” This may be true, but only for those who live in Spencer or close to that area. It’s also only practical for those who can make the commute over.

The next nearest Planned Parenthoods are located even further away at about an hour and a half in the cities of Fort Dodge and Sioux City. It will be interesting to see how the relocation of the organization will affect the Storm Lake school districts, the Buena Vista University campus, or even Storm Lake itself. For example, will the City of Storm Lake see an increase in pregnancies? Will the relocation of Planned Parenthood bring more business to local clinics such as United Community Health Center, causing further crowding in an already busy location? Only time will tell.

All services will end in Storm Lake on the first of March of this year, giving women less than a month to visit the Storm Lake location before it ceases to exist.

“I hate Valentine’s Day.” I have heard this nonchalant line spit out by many types of people over the years and, to be honest, it aggravates me every single time. People should be able to show love when and how they want to, but I think the current divorce rate is reason enough to not reserve all your love and gift-bestowing for one day in February.

No matter if you believe one of the legends about St. Valentine or not, his passion for relationships has evolved into the American lover’s holiday: a holiday that has become a multi-billion dollar industry. Hallmark estimates that half the U.S. population celebrates Valentine’s Day by buying and sending at least one greeting card. It’s definitely worth the trip to Walmart to see the pink and red aisle filled with boxes of chocolates starting at $1.

The holiday is marketed to every age, marital status, and economic level. I can fully understand and empathize with those people who label February 14 as “commercial.” The problem with this label is that some people who do buy things

for their lovers are actually trying to show affection; they aren’t trying to make up for being horrid companions or coax sexual favors from their darlings.

The common misconception and stereotype is that all the people who hate Valentine’s Day are unromantic, undesirable, and undoubtedly single.

Of course all the people who will spend the holiday “alone” will hate it, right? They must just be jealous of all the couples out there who are truly “happy.” (This is a falsehood in its purest form.) It has actually become accepted that single people do not hate Valentine’s Day because they are single; they actually hate it because it’s an excuse to only show love one day a year.

Countless couples follow this mantra as well. They argue that love should be shown every day, in every

way possible, all year long. These couples aren’t bound by chocolate or card companies. Furthermore, they don’t think love should be faked one day a year in order to keep a dead relationship afloat.

I wholeheartedly agree that sweet nothings should be whispered every day of the year. I think that unrequested favors should be done just because you care. I think date nights, forehead kisses, post-it note letters, lunches together, and couples pajamas should be staples. (Okay. Maybe not the pajamas.)

You shouldn’t wait until the middle of February to tell your other half that they still mean the world to you. You should be reassuring

them and encouraging them to fall deeper in love with you every single day so that you can continue to grow. However, I don’t see any harm, foul, or bruise in giving your sweetie a surprise on Valentine’s Day.

It gives people a reason to do more extravagant things than they would normally do on a Tuesday night: the opportunity to impress, surprise, or cheer up the one who knows your heart. Don’t get me wrong. I know that not everyone has hopelessly fallen down the romantic

well. However, everyone is capable of giving and receiving love in their own personal way.

Homemade gifts with meaning and time spent together are the best gifts you can give on Valentine’s Day. You don’t have to blow your pay check telling someone you care,because if they love you as much as you love them, they won’t even care what you got them. They will just be honored that you thought of them. Here’s to healthy relationships and unbroken budgets this Valentine’s Day.

Every morning before class, I look out the window and ponder about what I should wear. As I gaze out at the campus parking lot, a couple of things run through my mind: “How cold is it?” “Is it windy?” “Do I need to wear my coat or just a light jacket?” Most mornings I can’t really tell due to the mild weather, so I make the best educated guess possible and head out for class.

However, the ironic thing about this winter is that I often find myself overdressed, and personally, I love it! In all honesty, I do not mind the winter months, and I actually love the snow. It’s the cold bitter air, the wind, and the ice that I dislike. My perfect winter day would consist of snow on the ground, the sun shining down and warming my face, and absolutely no wind.

To my delight, for the most part, this winter has been just that. “I love the warm weather because I don’t have to deal with the hassle of having the snow,” said sophomore Matt Gross. Being able to wear shorts and a warm jacket outside, as I did on January 31, or run to my mailbox at the end of my driveway at home with no shoes on is not only great, but it allows me to save time and energy from putting on layer after layer. “Because it was warm out, I was able to go fishing during J-term as if it were summer,” said Gross.

Not having to worry about slipping and falling on the ice or about scraping the ice off my car every time I need to drive makes having this beautiful winter weather even better. Although I do miss the clean, white fluffy snow, I do love having this beautiful, “warm” winter weather.

In order to receive the key to their dorm room, every single Buena Vista University (BVU) student must sign a Residence Life contract. However, there seems to be miscommunication. It’s understandable that most students don’t even read the text and thus don’t fully understand what the agreement encompasses. The contract details certain terms of the tenant’s required residency, overall policies, and what the contract doesn’t pay for. In all capitalized letters under Section IV, the paper states the following: “This contract does not include payment for room and food service when the university is on officially closed breaks (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Interim, Spring, and Easter Breaks).”

Notice the excerpt includes Interim Break as a time when students must have a particular reason (also known as a University Obligation) to stay on campus. Opposition to this agreement has been voiced by some students on campus recently. Not wanting to cough up cash for flights home some hundreds of miles away,

many residents requested to stay on campus. Some were denied. Being a self-proclaimed broke, Midwestern college student myself, I feel for the frustrated.

Director of Residence Life and Housing Dijon DeLaPorte (the third director in the last three years) showed me that during this past Interim Break, 348 students had requested to stay on campus, with 343 of them being approved. Of these, 343 were approved right away while others had the opportunity to visit Student Affairs and discuss their issues of not finding a place to stay off campus. In certain cases, students were given a one-time pass allowing them to stay on campus for the weeklong break. The next time they will be required to accommodate themselves through their own pocketbook.

Mr. DeLaPorte provided the Residence Life Contract and the Break Request Policy to show why many students are confused. The acceptable reasons students may have to stay on campus include athletics, work study, university employment, faculty assistance, office affiliations

(i.e. SAB, Student MOVE, and CLC), Guardian Scholars, and some unique exceptions. The Guardian Scholars Program allows a few students to stay on campus who are in certain guardian debacles.

Some unique exceptions may be for American students who have family living overseas at the moment. Mr. DeLaPorte elaborated that international students themselves are allowed to stay over breaks because of the trouble concerning flying, finances, and visas. It is possible that after going home, an international student would not be allowed back into the States for some time.

The dispute comes up debating

why international students are being allowed to stay on campus but American students from California and from Florida are forced to leave. The main reason that us Beavers can’t stay at the “dam” is for maintenance reasons; during breaks most of the security, custodians, and resident advisors leave as well. For them to stay requires more pay for them and the contract doesn’t cover this extra expense.

From the lack of stability from the last Directors of Residence Life and Housing, there have been proposals that are still on the table to change the policy.

Senior Secretary for Student Senate Lauren Whitt is currently discussing a change in the policy that would allow students in the States to stay on campus if distance was a problem. The topic will be brought up in the next Senate meeting and she hopes to get a meeting scheduled with Mr. DeLaPorte by then.

Hopefully through the process, BV can be home to students who don’t have spare change for a round trip.

GRAPHIC BY BRANDY ZUMBACH

Valentine’s Day: Seeing red, feeling blue

Kevin Coriolan Opinion C0-Editor

Erika Garcia Opinion Co-Editor

Grace E. Bodey Copy Editor

Break request policy costs students

Brandy Zumbach Design Co-Editor

Overdressed for winter

GRAPHIC BY BRANDY ZUMBACH

GRAPHIC BY KEYLA SOSA

News2 The Tack / Friday, December 5, 20084 The Tack // Feb. 17, 2012

Interim Travel

Makensie Brown: Chile“The most memorable part of my trip was becoming very

acquainted with the Chilean mountains during our five-night-and-four-day camping trip. Our group carried all of the items we would need to survive for a portion of a week on our backs up the mountain on a three hour hike. The trips, falls, and army crawls under branches with a 20 pound pack made for a bonding experience between the six girls that went on the trip.

The best part of the trip for me personally was viewing the beautiful sites of the vast country of Chile and capturing it with my camera. I enjoyed striving to make photographs of Torres del Paine National Park that could draw similarities from Ansel Adam’s landscape images.”

Bri Funte: Florida & California“Santa Monica Beach was one of my favorite parts of California. The

pier was amazing and I loved the ocean view!

Both of the castles were also very memorable. As my first trip to both Disney parks, I was in awe. Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in California was impressive, but it’s much different when you see Cinderella’s huge castle in Florida. It was like being a little girl again and, honestly, I might have gotten a little teary eyed.

It’s hard to choose my fondest memory, but a day at Hollywood studios always sticks out in my mind. Amanda, Kayla, and I had taken off on our own to get on some rides. When we were at Hollywood Tower of Terror, one of the bell hop cast members asked if we’d like to go on the ride again, jumped us ahead in line so that we got on the next elevator and gave us free fast pass tickets! We were super excited about the whole situation and we used our tickets on the Aerosmith rollercoaster, which was one of my favorite rides!

Angela Holstedt: India“One of the greatest pleasures of my first few

days in the classroom was my time spent in the dance therapy room. I can best describe it through the phrase ‘dance speaks where words cannot.’ The teacher spoke hardly any English and I speak almost no Telugu. However, through the help of an interpreter, we were able to share dances of each other’s cultures. I got to introduce the Hokey Pokey to Lebenshilfe.”

Hannah Ingles: EuropeSearching for Dracula

My most memorable part was learning about the Romanian culture, which I had no clue about before I went, and the Underground in London.

The learning experience was one of the best parts and the people that went with. We all got along very well. Trying new foods was also one of the best things I had done whilst over seas. Also, all of London, I love Brits, and a lot of Romania.

“I think everyone should at least look into one J-term trip, if not more. It is a great way to learn more about the world and become more of a global citizen.”

“This trip was an experience of a lifetime and provided me with some amazing classroom experiences. I have gained confidence as a teacher and have learned a lot about how to prepare real lessons and plan a curriculum. I student teach next semester, and after this experience, it is no longer a scary thought; it is exciting.”

Jen McDaniel: South Korea

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Interim TravelKevin Coriolan: Europe

“The Europe trip was amazing and allowed me to receive a new perspective on culture. I tried a lot of new food, acquired a taste for art, and saw many European icons.

Most memorable part was when I visited Stamford Bridge, the stadium of my favorite soccer team Chelsea Football Club. The tour included the museum, the press box, the megastore, the bench, and both the home and away locker rooms.

The best part was exploring city life with my BV friends, navigating the metros, and experiencing European culture. The Europe trip was amazing and allowed me to receive a new perspective on culture. I tried a lot of new food, acquired a taste for art, and saw many European icons.”

Ross Jobst: Hawaii“My favorite part was North

Shore and body surfing in the ocean.”

Brandy Zumbach: Costa Rica & Nicaragua

“The Costa Rica and Nicaragua trip offered many excitng and eye-opening experiences. During my trip, I got to try many new foods, enjoy many adrenaline-rushing experiences, swim in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and learn some new Spanish phrases.”

There were a few highlights from my trip that I will forever remember. For the first time ever, I got to experience zip lining. Hundreds of feet above the rainforest, I got to ride in the sky reaching up to 50 miles per hour. I also was able to go white water rafting, and hiking around active volcanos. Another very memorable part of my trip was getting to body surf in the ocean and watching baby sea turtles waddle to the ocean.

Through this trip, not only did I get to enjoy very exciting experiences but I also got a taste of a culture very different from my own. Seeing a lifestyle so vastly different that what I am accustomed to has made me very thankful for the many things I have in my life.”

Emily Erickson:New York City & Washington D.C.

“The most memorable part of my trip was meeting Aaron Carter (my teenage dream finally came true!), sitting 100 feet away from President Obama, going to two broadway shows, skating on Rockafeller Plaza, and the NBC studio tours...I could go on and on. The best part was everything. There was never a dull moment on the trip. We were always on the move - it was exhausting, but so much fun!”

Kristen Braker : EuropeSearching for Dracula

“The most memorable part of my trip was when our bus broke down in a small village. Everything was closed down for the season, and it looked like a ghost town. We found out that we had free WiFi somehow, so we had a great time just sitting on the bus hanging out. We decided to go to the local pub and have some sodas. We ended up being stuck for a few hours and it looked like a storm might be coming in. The local people were all so nice to us. They were offering to bring us food and even arranged for us to stay the night if we needed to. It was so nice that these people were doing this for us-complete foreign strangers. It was so cool.

The best part was the whole thing. I learned so much about the history of Romania and about the people who were on the trip. It was just awesome to be around so many great people. Everyone just had a great attitude about everything.

This was the best travel experience I have ever had. There were so many things that I wouldn’t have expected, and I really learned so much. One other really awesome thing was when we were in Bucharest, they were protesting their president. It was like we got to witness the beginning to a revolution, the people wanted change, and they were doing whatever it took to make it happen. It really made me appreciate the people who stood up against government in history.”

Tes Posekany: Chile“The most memorable part of the

Chile trip was exploring an area of the world that not many people have experienced. The best part of the trip for me was stepping outside of my comfort zone and into an experience that challenged me socially, mentally, and emotionally.”

Molly Pals:New York City & Washington D.C.

“Being in New York and D.C. was a memorable and educating experience. We were so fortunate to have two very intelligent and knowledgable leaders. It was definately a trip that was worth taking because we gained an immense amout of perspective.”

Deni Peters: Europe“I loved Pompeii because you got

to see a massive ancient city that was preserved so well. I also liked London because it was the only place where people spoke English so I got to know alot of local people and learn their opinions of America.”

Alex Brown: Costa Rica & Nicaragua

“My favorite part about Costa Rica was the fact that we were constantly outside in a tropical environment that I usually don’t get the chance to be in. I also really enjoyed being around the central american culture and getting to practice my Spanish.”

6

sportsThe Tack // Feb. 17, 2012

The Buena Vista University (BVU) men’s basketball team is keeping their hopes alive of sharing the Iowa Conference regular season title as they blew by Luther College on Wednesday night, 67-49.

Junior Wes Nordquist was influential in the win as he scored 22 points for the Beavers, grabbing nine rebounds and having four steals and two blocks.

To make sure Senior Night was one to remember, seniors Jeff Janssen and Doug Bissen put on quite the performance. Janssen added 12 points including a pair of vital three-pointers which bumps him up to 150 in his career.

Finishing just shy of a double-double, Bissen contributed to the winning effort as he scored nine points and matched a season-high with 13 rebounds.

Nordquist gave the Beavers the first double digit lead of the game as he hit the shot that put them up over Luther 22-11 with just under ten minutes to go in the first half. After Luther came back within

three points, senior Andy Puhrmann hit a three that put BVU back up by double digits.

The closest Luther College would come after that was 11 points with 11 minutes left in the game before Janssen hit a three and Nordquist added another bucket to push the lead to 16.

“Last night was the perfect way to finish our regular season home schedule. We played great, and our fans were awesome. It all went together to make senior night really special,” said Puhrmann.

The win is the seventh in the last nine games for BVU and moves the team to 14-10 overall (10-5 IIAC).

This game also marks the 15th time under Coach Van Haaften that the Beavers have won at least ten conference games in a single season.

The team will finish the regular season this Saturday afternoon with a road contest at Cornell College (3-21, 1-14 IIAC).

A win by the Beavers along with a Luther win over Coe College (17-7, 11-4 IIAC) would give BVU a four-way share of the regular season crown.

Beavers win key game against Luther College

Kylie SwansonSports Co-Editor

STORM LAKE – The 2012 Capital One Academic All-District Women’s Basketball Teams, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), have been released, and Buena Vista University senior forward Laura Hilby has landed a spot on the First Team.

These teams are made to recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Capital One became the entitlement rights holder to CoSIDA’s Academic All-America teams programs in 2011.

Hilby, a mathematics major who holds a 4.0GPA, is currently second on the team in scoring at 11.3ppg and is shooting 37 percent from long range (31-of-83). She came into the final season of her collegiate campaign averaging only seven points and

making only 27 three-pointers.The Johnston, Iowa native is currently

ranked eighth in the Iowa Conference in three-point field goal percentage this season and ninth in three-pointers made per game. She’s made a career-best four three-pointers in a single game twice on the year.

Hilby, who was one of four Iowa Conference individuals selected to the six-member First Team, will now be put on the ballot for Capital One Academic All-American voting where first, second and third teams will be selected later this month. She is looking to become the sixth CoSIDA Academic All-American in program history and the first since Margo Muhlbauer was selected to the Second Team in 2010.

Hilby named to Capital One Academic All-District First Team

STORM LAKE – The Buena Vista women’s basketball team nailed nine first half three-pointers to help build a 10-point halftime lead, and never looked back from there en route to an 86-71 home win against Luther College, on Wednesday night. The win moves the Beavers into a tie for sixth-place with Cornell College with only the match-up against the Rams remaining on Saturday afternoon.

Senior Jessica Christensen, who was one of five seniors playing her final career home game, turned in a game-high 23 points, on 7-of-16 shooting, to go along with seven rebounds. Sophomore Susan Kies buried a career-high five three-pointers and followed with 19 points, while senior Laura Hilby drilled four from beyond the arc and posted 14 points, to go along with a career-high seven assists, as well as five rebounds and four steals.

BVU’s Christensen scored 17 of her 23 points in the first half, as she and Kies each connected on three long range buckets.

BVU led 16-9 in the early going before the Norse used a 14-4 run to take a 23-20 lead midway through. Kies then knocked down a three-pointer to tie the game at 23-23 before Christensen nailed a long range shot to break a 25-all tie and jump start the Beavers on a 27-17 run to close the half.

The Norse were able to get within 62-56 eight minutes into the second half, but it was Kies nailing yet another triple to put BVU back up by nine.

Tara Lehner’s jumper then put the team up by double-digits with 11 minutes to play. After Luther got back within eight three minutes later, Brooke Wehle put the Beavers back up by ten and the team led by at least that same margin the rest of the way.

BVU finished the game shooting 43.7 percent from the floor, while burying a season-high 13 three-pointers, to go along with an 11-for-13 effort at the free-throw line.

Rachel Stenhaug scored a game-high 24 points to lead Luther College (6-18, 3-12 IIAC).

The game marked the final home contest for Christensen, Hilby, Amanda Roder, Kiara Bogan and Crystal Davis.

Buena Vista improves to 11-13 overall (6-9 IIAC) and will travel to Mt. Vernon for a 2 p.m. contest against C o r n e l l C o l l e g e . The winner of that game will earn the sixth and final spot into next week’s Iowa Conference Tournament, which begins on Tuesday night.

STORM LAKE – Following a week in which he averaged 17.5 points, 11 rebounds, and reached the 1,000 point mark for his career, Buena Vista junior forward Wes Nordquist (Adel, Iowa/ADM) has been recognized by the Iowa Conference as the league’s Men’s Basketball Performer of the Week for the period ending Feb. 5.

Nordquist finished 10-of-14 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line while becoming just the 10th player in program history to have scored at least 1,000 career points and grab 500 career rebounds, when he sank a pair of free-throws to reach the 1,000-point mark. His 27 points scored were just one shy of his season-high.

He also turned in eight points and 11 rebounds during the team’s 68-65 road victory over Loras College on Wednesday night.

Buena Vista is 12-9 overall this season (8-4 IIAC) and will travel to Simpson College (9-11, 6-6 IIAC) on Wednesday night for an 8:00pm tip-off. The Beavers are just a win away from securing a spot into this year’s Iowa Conference Tournament.

Nordquist is thrilled about this accomplishment. He knows it is not, however an individual award.

“As with any sport, it takes a team effort for any recognition,” he said in an interview with The

Tack. “Without the support of my teammates every day, we wouldn’t get anything achieved,” he said

Nordquist and the team are looking forward to the rest of the season and accomplishing all the team goals they set earlier in the season.

Nordquist named IIAC Men’s Basketball

Performer of the Week

Beavers One Win Away from IIAC Tournament Berth

The Human Performance Student Organization (HiPSO) hosted a triathlon where participants were able to choose what events in which they wanted to participate. The triathlon had 85 participants compete. The event was held on Feb. 12 in the Lamberti Recreation Center and Finkbine Pool. The triathlon organizer, was junior Tyler Huntsman. “The event was an extreme success for it being the first one on campus. I was very pleased with the turnout and look forward to doing it again next year. The volunteers were great, and we couldn’t have done it without them,” Huntsman said.

Making the shot — Doug Bissen makes two of his nine points for the Beavers.

Academic All-Star takes the court — Hilby displays her skills on and off the court.

Consistent shots — Nikki Hanish adding to the Beavers’ lead over the Norse.

Perfecting the dunk — Nordquist added two more points to his run agains Luther on Wednesday, scoring 22 for BVU.

PHOTO BY SADIE QUIST

PHOTO BY KYLE SHADE PHOTOS BY SETH MOELLER

PHOTO BY SADIE QUIST

PHOTO BY SADIE QUIST

BVU Hosts Triathlon

arts & life7bvtack.com // facebook.com/bvtack

STORM LAKE UNITED--Storm Lake and the Storm Lake area will be featured on the Fishing the Midwest television show the weekend of Feb. 4 and 5 in most markets throughout the Midwest. The show was taped last May. Bob Jensen, host of Fishing the Midwest, fished with Executive Director at Storm Lake United, Gary Lalone, and “The Fishing Professor,” Jim McDonnell.

“This was my second trip to Storm Lake. We came back because the fishing was so good on our first trip. We caught lots of walleyes—big ones and eater-size ones. The fishing has been outstanding on both of my trips to Storm Lake. The slot limit that was imposed there several years ago has done a great job of turning Storm Lake into one of the hottest walleye fisheries in the Midwest,” Jensen said.

“On this trip to Storm Lake, we also got to check the area out. Buena Vista University was very impressive. So were the other opportunities for outdoor activities. The walking and biking path around the lake with the wood carvings, the golf opportunities, [and] just the general feel of the community made Storm Lake a place that I look forward to returning to sometime soon,” Jensen said.

Fishing the Midwest with Bob Jensen is an award-winning television

series that features Midwest fishing hotspots and techniques. The theme of each episode is that Midwest anglers don’t need to travel long distances to experience outstanding fishing success. Each show reveals Midwest fishing locations and the techniques that will enable anglers to experience fishing success at those selected locations.

The episode featuring Storm Lake will be seen on Midwest-based network affiliates and cable carriers and over satellite systems nationwide beginning the weekend of Feb. 4 and 5. In the Storm Lake area, catch Fishing the Midwest on Fox Sports North at 11 a.m. on Saturday, and on KCAU-TV in Sioux City at 5 p.m. on Saturday as well. For a complete listing of times and stations for Fishing the Midwest, visit fishingthemidwest.com Also, check out Facebook.com/fishingthemidwest.

During the fall semester, junior Bailey Schafbuch and I had the privilege of interning for the Minnesota Vikings on their Game Day Intern Team. This internship allowed me to be at the home games on Sundays, deliver statistics at the end of each quarter, and then record post-game interviews. I can say it has been one of the best experiences I have ever had.

Minus the many snow storms and extremely early mornings, the experience was fantastic. Before the game began, I arrived at the stadium at around 8:30 a.m. with a noon kick-off time.

When I arrived, I would start putting together media folders for local, regional, and national media. This included ESPN, the New York Times, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune. I then set up the two media booths and waited until kick-off at noon. At the end of each quarter, I would print off quarter or half statistic sheets and hand them out to the media personnel

throughout the stadium. At the end of the game, I was

assigned someone’s post-game interview to record and then type out the quotes which were then edited, approved, and distributed. After that, it was time to clean the press boxes and head home. On a typical Sunday, I spent nine hours at the stadium working for the team.

Being able to be a part of this internship was truly amazing. I met so many great people and developed a large network of contacts. The job was demanding and required a variety of skills.

Verbal and written communication was essential to performing any task

with the Vikings. Through whatever I was doing, I had to communicate with other interns to be sure we were staying organized and getting everything done on time.

Written communication was used primarily when typing post-game quotes. It was extremely difficult to listen to a recording, type what they were saying, and correct grammar all at the same time. Being able to do this has helped me to multitask better than in the past.

I would recommend this internship to anyone! Although it may not fit into every major, it helped me within my marketing major. Public relations are a large part of marketing anything so it fit well and added an additional skill set. Many companies that I have interviewed with are impressed to see an internship with such a prestigious group. My recommendation to everyone is to do internships, especially with the Minnesota Vikings!

“My experience with the Minnesota Vikings over the 2011-12 football season was truly amazing. I was blessed to work with such a cohesive staff that had an evident passion to see the Vikings organization succeed,” Bailey said. “Getting to be behind the scenes at such major events, specifically one like the Vikings versus the Packers game, was an honor. The experience as a whole opened my eyes to the world of professional sports and definitely confirmed my interest in wanting to pursue a career within the sports industry.”

At every meal, students flock to Sodexo to eat. Sometimes students can find enough change in the couch to go get a McDouble, but sometimes we all have to survive on the food mom and dad bought us last time they came.

Instead of dreading the cafeteria on Saturday morning, an alternative may seem necessary. On Tuesday, when you have class at 8 a.m. and nothing afterward, the same old thing may be deemed inappropriate. For these times, The Tack has compiled a list of some of the best dorm foods. Some of these foods will be obvious, and some will not.

A few of the essentials include the following: Ramen, Mac & Cheese, popcorn, chips, Pop Tarts, and peanut butter. Some of the less obvious choices could be soup, pizza rolls, juice, pasta, eggs, Mexican anything, and every college student’s favorite: coffee.

Soup comes in any form you could ever want these days. No student should worry about servery alternatives if they’re a soup eater. You can get any soup in a can, put it in a microwave safe bowl, heat it up, and call it

a meal. Sometimes you can purchase it pre-packaged in said bowl, making life even easier. Plus the variety is unimaginable. You only eat beans and ham in your meals? There’s a soup for that.

You like pizza? Then you will like pizza rolls: a perfectly decent alternative for getting documented for your Pizzaz. They make whatever kind suits you, and you don’t even need to steal utensils from Sodexo.

Pasta and eggs are two foods that your mind doesn’t automatically think of when you think of dorm room foods, but both can be cooked in the microwave. Just put two or three eggs in a bowl, some salt and pepper, and a little milk. Stir it together and cook it for 30 second intervals until it’s done. Pasta cooks just like it does on the stove, only it takes longer. Just don’t forget to use a strong, microwave-safe bowl.

Some college students absolutely love coffee. The best investment many students say they have made is a Keurig. It makes single cups of coffee, and it’s open 24 hours a day. Flavored coffee, hot chocolate, and tea are among its specialties.

Mexican food is a college student’s dream: bowl, cheese, salsa, microwave, chips, feed.

Another option: tortilla, cheese, microwave, fold, salsa (optional), feed.

Option number three is seven layer dip. Get a big plate, spread refried beans on it, followed by sour cream, salsa, lettuce, tomato, jalapeños, and olives (in some sort of order). You can leave out or add whatever you’d like and eat it with chips.

The dorm options are endless, depending on what cooking utensils you find to be helpful or useless. Google is the best resource one could ever imagine. Just remember to check the handbook before going to purchase that toaster (or any other illegal appliance.)

Sadie QuistArts & Life Editor

Kelsey ReitmeierSocial Media & Marketing Director

STORM LAKE TO BE FEATURED ON FISHING THE

MIDWEST TV SHOW

Senior Mei-Lien Converse has presented her senior show. The graphic design major titled her series Passionate Gamechangers. The series opened on Feb. 6 in the gallery of the Social Sciences and Arts Building. The soccer-based series is something Converse has been working and thinking about for a very long time. Playing cards, photos, posters, and hands-on activities filled the gallery with sport-oriented art. Video clips projected onto the wall showed snippets of a soccer clinic Converse had conducted earlier.

On Feb. 5, Converse and her team of helpers put on a clinic for local elementary students at Storm Lake High School. Her goal for this clinic was to share her passion of soccer with younger kids. Converse

asked Buena Vista University (BVU) soccer stars to help her at the clinic. Six of the players who helped with the clinic were featured in Converse’s entire series.

Through its interactive mission, Passionate Gamechangers and its main characters showed the children of the community that there are mounds of emotion in one game.

This emotion can all come together to make the sport an

incredible time for all.The children had fun with the

volunteers. They played games and did drills that the players do in practice. The students seemed to look up to the players by the end of the clinic. The players helped local students with form, technique, and skill building.

In her show, Converse decided to choose key words that describe a great soccer player. Among the words were supporter, playmaker, fighter, beast, hard worker, and heart. These words were chosen to express the following BVU soccer players Turissa Moreland, Eric Karita, Shelby Ripperger, Dustin Dobbels, Jerome Middlebrooks, and Beau-Darian Hirita.

“For my show, I used my two passions in an interactive way through visual communication using my graphic design skills. My final

senior show was a great success as my clinic and my show were both extremely engaging,” Converse stated in her interview with The Tack.

Converse says she has learned so much from her time here at BVU and is prepared to enter the working world.

“Keep living the dream and working hard to graduate. If I made it, you can too--never give up,” Converse said.

Fall Internship — Kelsey Reitmeier and Bailey Schafbuch with BVU Alum Jeff Anderson.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KELSEY REITMEIER

BVU students experience the Minnesota Vikings

GRAPHIC BY APHTON ROBERTS

GRAPHIC BY BRANDY ZUMBACH

Converse presents senior show

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEI-LIEN CONVERSEClinic — Turissa Morelund, Shelby Ripperger, Eric Karita, and Dustin Dobbels ready for the clinic.

Sadie QuistArts & Life Editor

Experiencing food boredom?

Senior of the Year Award— This year’s annual Senior of the Year nominations have been announced. The nominees this year are Shelby Bleeker, Laura Hilby, Kylie Woodley,

Kelli Bass, Michael Dirkx, Keifer Nevius, Scott Radke, and Marcus Rihner.

Congratulations to all of the nominees.

GRAPHIC BY KEYLA SOMA

The Tack // Feb. 17, 2012 8

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Story Title - Font Choice 1

Ron's Rambles

RONALD FORSELL

Ask any Buena Vista University (BVU) student what their favorite part of college is and they’ll probably tell you it's the weekend. Whether it's cheering on another BV basketball win in the Beaver Den, hanging out with your friends, playing video games, doing other “activities”, or simply doing nothing, Saturday and Sunday are what Beavers look forward to here in Storm Lake.

Well... not for all Beavers. Some of our fellow students look to head home or to Stanton, Omaha, Sioux City, or wherever else they go.

My question is why? I understand that people have work and family obligations, but other than that, why not stay on campus and for some fun? You need to give it a chance before you just write it off.

A lot of freshmen head home and hang out with friends from high school. To them I say: stay on campus and make some new friends. A lot of people enjoy college because they feel like they’re “free” from their parents, but how free are you if you go home every weekend? Why not take the plunge and meet some interesting people?

My freshman year, I went home about once a month. Every time I was home, I thought about what I was missing on campus and what kind of activities were going on, so my second semester I just stayed on campus and had a blast.

Living in Pierce meant I never had a boring weekend and the last three years in the suites have been the same. Maybe we get a little loud (sorry Briscoe 14,) but I wouldn’t trade that for any amount of “fun” in good old Norfolk, Neb.

I know that there are some people I only see on the weekends because of our busy schedules. If one or the other of us always went home, we wouldn't be as good of friends as we are now.

In addition to the fun you’re missing out on, think of how much money is being spent when you go away from campus. Let’s assume your car gets 20 MPG (a generous estimation looking at the vehicles in the Science Center parking lot) and you drive 180 miles to wherever it is you’re going. That’s nine gallons of gasoline, just going there; figure you use about two gallons while you’re home and then another nine gallons to get back.

That’s 20 gallons of gas and with gas prices at $3.25 a gallon, you just spent $65 a weekend. Do that every weekend and those numbers add up really quick. I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention the ecological impact of all that driving, often by yourself.

BVU offers a ton of activities on the weekend. This weekend for example AASU is hosting a belated Valentine’s Day dance in the Underground this Friday. AWOL is selling the always-delicious walking tacos during the late night on Saturday.

If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, make your own fun, there will probably be at least one pick up soccer game in the Recreation Center this weekend and, if nothing else, walk down the halls of your dorm and see what’s going on.

So what is my point? Sure some of you have family or significant others in far off places, but give weekends at BV a chance.

Give weekends

at BVU a chance

“The sky’s the limit.” That’s what people will try to tell you (if they don’t care about you.) We’re here to tell you that if you only shoot for the sky, you are settling, and settling is simply unacceptable. After all, we have been to space.

Thousands of years ago, saying that the sky is the limit would have been perfectly acceptable because, for all practical purposes, it was. At that point in time, airplanes hadn’t been invented yet, and people were constantly told about the dangers of the sky. Fear mongers told tales such as that of Icarus in order to keep people on the ground, away from their dreams and a brighter tomorrow. People were afraid of burning their wings if they got too close to the sun.

If you have ever seen a homeless person, chances are that they heard (and took to heart) the saying, “the sky’s the limit.” What did that saying leave them with? No home. Now that may be what they say they want. We would like to ask, why not be homeless…in outer space?

It’s not just homeless people, however, who have taken this saying to heart. When Evolution created birds, he intended them to fly; big birds,

little birds, happy birds and Angry Birds™. This was fine for a while, until space was discovered. Knowing that the sky is the limit is just an empty phrase, some species of birds such as the ostrich, penguin, and chicken. They refused to even bother with going into the sky anymore. People have even claimed to have seen them protesting with signs that read, “Go to space or go home, losers!”

What do people see in the sky anyway? What makes them stop there? Last time I checked, the sky was full of pollution and airplanes. If you get hit by an airplane, it’s pretty much game over for you. After all, they do travel at incredible speeds. If an airplane hits you, people will soon forget about you. It’s a boring and incredibly forgettable death. More lame than even dying of old age. If you go to space, you risk getting hit by an asteroid, spaceship, or even getting sucked up by a black hole. Now that’s a death that people won’t forget. It’s a certifiably “not lame” way to die.

R. Kelly once sang, “If I can see it, then I can do it. If I just believe it, there’s nothing to it.” This hip-hop/R&B superstar raises a very good point against the saying in question. We can see

the sky, which is something that we’ve already conquered. There’s nothing to it anymore. There’s no challenge left. On the other hand, there’s a lot of space that we haven’t seen, which means that there’s a lot to it.

The benefits of not settling for the sky, and shooting for space are numerous. Because pretty much everything on earth has been discovered, there are a lot of unemployed cartographers, also known as mapmakers. If cartographers were to shoot for space, we would be able to lower the unemployment rates astronomically and pretty much solve the economic crisis.

So what should we all take away from this mess? We’re not here to change the world or do anything earth shattering. That would be far too narrow of us. We’re trying to raise awareness across the universe to shoot for goals and dreams far beyond your own atmosphere: to shoot for things you can’t see.

-XOXOXO, 3 Wolf Moon

From the basal ganglia of... 3 Wolf Moon

Photo contest winner: David Ekstrom This photo was taken in Florence, Italy on one of the many bridges. A couple would carve or write their name on a padlock and attach it to a solid object. As long as the padlock would stay locked, their love would last forever.

Want your picture in the next issue of The Tack? Send us your best picture! Include a short description of the picture and a title and send it to tack@bvu.edu

Ti amero per

siempre.