If you’ve ever frequented the Brick House Facebook page, you would see this description: I’m a fun-loving house on the campus of Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, ID. I’m open to hang out pretty much all the time.

Well folks, that’s the truth. If you’ve never been to the Brick House, Thursday nights at 8:30 are the best time to get to know the cool house and the cool new Brick House Direc-tor, Joshua Ryan Mast. After the pre-vious Brick House Directors Laura and Davis Halle happened upon job opportunities in a different location, Mast was approached by Karen Pear-son, Director of Residential Life, who offered him the director position at the Brick House.

Mast, Alumni of NNU [Class of 2013], said this job opportunity was an answer to prayer but he admits he did have a

moment of reservation: “Days leading up to the offer, I had been feeling as if my family back home needed me to be back home. So I walked through this offer with everyone and unanimously everyone was in support of it.”

There is no doubt that Mast is glad to once again be a more active part of the

NNU community. “This community is unparalleled in my experience,” he said, “and being back on campus brings me joy knowing that I can invest more of my time in it.”

Mast now works at the Fly-ing M as a barista, at the Brick House as the director, as an assistant to International Stu-dents on campus, and is even taking a few classes at NNU. In his free time, you can also find Mast watching various Youtube videos, playing video games, or playing outdoor sports. “Don’t be deceived if you see a book in my hand,” he stated, “I am no reader, but I do read for fun every so often!”

So what does Mast do as the Brick House Director? The no brainer answer is that he is pre-paring for the popular Thurs-day night Brick House events! He does the grocery shopping, gathers supplies for the drinks, and finds decorations if the event is themed. And don’t forget the Brick drink; he is in charge of making the mixture and freezing it to perfection just in time for Thursday eve-

nings. Mast is assisted at the Brick House by seniors Caitlin Curtis and Jordyn Pelt-zer, and junior Paul Zukowski. When asked what

THE

Northwest Nazarene University

What’s Inside? What’s Online?campus cont.

campus

news

features facebook

sports

guests

arts and entertainment

Website Link

CMC - Wilson & Knox...................pg. 2Brick House Continued....................pg. 3Seussical.....................................................pg. 3 Senate..........................................................pg. 4

Around the Globe................................pg. 7

Kirkeide RA’s...........................................pg. 5Career Fair..............................................pg. 6Writing Contest....................................pg. 9

NNU Crusader Newspaper

issuu.com/crusaderonline

Women’s BBall & Softball............pg. 10Men’s BBall & Baseball.................pg. 11

The Vocal Local....................................pg. 8Wow, That Was Random................pg. 8

Top Ten.......................................................pg. 12

volume 69 issue 8

see Brick House on pg. 3

“The Brick House is a Place To…”Joshua Ryan Mast Wants to Meet You!

Avery Russelleditor for The Crusader

BRITTANY MCCARTY

Joshua Ryan Mast, Brick House Director

This community is unparalleled in my experience and being back on campus brings me joy knowing that I can invest more of my time in it. ”Josh MastBrick House Director

“

Campus Events.....................................pg. 9Student Highlight..................................pg. 4

2 | Wednesday, February 18, 2015Volume 69 Issue 8

Picture Nashville, Tennessee, the music capital of the United States since the 1800s, when it was dubbed “Music City.” Now pic-ture you are a musician and you are given the chance to study music and the music industry in Nashville, would you hesitate to take that opportunity? Miles Wilson and Nathan Knox didn’t.

Last semester, Wilson and Knox, se-niors at NNU, jumped at the opportunity to spend a semester studying at the Con-temporary Music Center in Brentwood, Tennessee, a suburb located just outside Nashville. The CMC is a place specifical-ly designed for one semester of study, and is open to college students from around the country. It is a school that is “in effect, owned by the 100+ schools that make up

the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.” Their website states:

“We are home to 30 college students each semester who write, record, perform and tour in community.”

Last semester it was home to Knox and Wilson who got to experience the wonders of learning about and making music in the context of community. Music has al-ways been a large part of Wilson’s life, and he was thrilled to have the opportunity to study music and music technology for an entire semester. Unfortunately, Knox was unavailable to comment on his experienc-es in Nashville. But what Wilson had to say spoke volumes for his experience and the quality of the school.

“Upon our arrival we were told there was no homework or tests and that we had twenty-four access to the facilities and that it was going to be the busiest semester of our lives,” Wilson said.

A busy semester with no homework or tests? At first, I was unconvinced. But Wilson con-tinued, saying that the students had weekly performances every Thursday. To prepare for these performances Wilson and the 35 other students at the school spent “countless hours in rehears-al rooms,” designed lights, wrote songs, and recorded tracks, every single week. With all that work to do, it’s no surprise that there was no homework or tests.

“I got to work with some of the most talented people I’ve ever met,” Wilson said, “This place was the real deal.”

At the Contemporary Music Center there are three tracks that students can choose from: busi-ness, artist, or technical. Wilson chose the technical track, which gave him the opportunity to work with industry standard gear both on stage and in the studio. As a self-starter – Wilson taught him-self to play guitar as a teenager - being able to work with a group of passionate individuals surround-ed by music was an exhilarating adventure.

“Nashville gave me the experience of a lifetime. What I’ve learned about music, the industry, and life in general has forever influenced me.”

Perhaps the most amazing ordeal was the “final” – a ten day tour through Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, and Minnesota. Ac-cording to the CMC website, the final tour “is planned, performed, and technically ex-ecuted entirely by the students.” Through-out the tour, the students “featured a live interactive hologram” that played on stage with them. Most notably, Jon Guerra, a

Christian artist, performed from remote locations through the hologram.

“It was pretty mind-blowing at first, but it was pretty amazing being a part of it,” Wilson said.

No question about it, working with ho-lograms, musical instruments, and technical equipment sounds like a once in a lifetime experience, one in which Wilson and Knox will never forget. If you want to gain an un-derstanding of a typical semester at CMC or if you’re interested in applying to the pro-gram, check out student videos and addi-tional information at cmcnashville.com.

BRITTANY MCCARTY

Miles Wilson

BRITANY MCCARTYNATHAN KNOX

featuresMarina Rose

assistant editor for The Crusader

Contemporary Music Center: A Once in a Lifetime Experience

| 3Wednesday February 18, 2015 Volume 69 Issue 8

he does outside of preparing for Thurs-day nights, Mast exclaimed, “I make sure the house is moderately clean. I also report any damages or problems so they can get fixed as soon as possible. Really, I am just some dude who gets to throw mini parties every week and make friends!”

The Brick House is a place to…Here was Mast’s answer: “The Brick

House is a place to gather together for any occasion, whether it be for a Bible study, to watch a movie, work on home-work, or simply play a really obnoxious game.”

Now, as the semester is just getting into full swing, Mast wants as much in-put from the student body as possible. He wants to cater to the needs of the students and provide them with a place to “be” because it truly is essential to a positive college experience.

“There is a theater room—bring a huge crowd, plug in a movie, and pop some popcorn for me. There is a big kitchen—come bake me some cookies.

There is a stage—pretend you are good at the instrument you play and sere-nade me.” That’s right, Mast wants to hang out with you!

Mast is giving the student body an offer they cannot turn down. If you are looking for some time to relax or a place to hang out and do homework, the Brick House may become your new best friend. But watch out, while Mast loves every part of his job, his favor-ite part is making situations awkward when couples are hanging out in the Brick House. It might be worth heading over there to find out exactly what it is he means by that!

Mast encourages everyone to come meet him at some point this semes-ter; he’d really like to get to know the students in person! “I think it is fair to claim that I am a ‘social butterfly’ and love spending time with people and getting to know them!”

If you find yourself walking by the Brick House, make sure to stop in and get to know Mast! You will be in for some good, humorous, and intelligent conversation with a pretty cool guy!

BRITTANY MCCARTY

Cast members rehearsing for “Seussical”

I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them, Sam I am!

But would you like a musical? A hap-py, sappy, Seussical?

Green eggs and ham sounds like a scam but the show is not a sham

If you are Sam, or Jane, or Joe, then to the show you have to go!

Well, the cat’s out of the bag (and into the hat): the NNU Music Department will proudly present their spring musi-cal, “Seussical,” March 5-8. “Seussical” combines many of Dr. Seuss’ well-be-loved books into one story, but it mainly centers around “Horton Hears a Who.” The Cat in the Hat narrates the story of Horton the elephant, who discovers the world of the Whos on a tiny speck. The other jungle inhabitants think Horton has gone crazy when he tries to protect the Whos, but his elephantine-sized heart won’t let him allow anyone to be mistreated. After all, we can never be reminded of simple life lessons like this too often: “A person’s a person, no mat-ter how small.”

The show stars Carlyn Jones as the Cat in the Hat, Matt Bonner as Horton,

and Luke Zane as JoJo, a character who Zane describes as “a young boy with a rampant imagination, who is constantly getting in trouble for thinking outside of the box.”

The cast has rehearsal six nights a week and has been practicing very hard to make this another memorable show. Brittany McCarty plays the part of a Who—a What? you say, but no—a Who! McCarty says being a Who is fun because “You get to bring Dr. Seuss’ il-lustrations to life.”

The musical will be performed March 5-7 at 7:30pm, and March 8th at 3pm in the Brandt Center. Tickets are $10 for students.

McCarty says, “Regardless if you like musicals or not, it will be an enjoyable experience. Between the costumes, the sets, and the Dr. Seuss-inspired dancing, it will put you in a great mood!” Zane adds, “I highly recommend coming if Dr. Seuss is something you love, which everyone should.” Well, there you have it folks.

You’re off to great places!Today (if it’s March 5, 6, 7, or 8) is the

day!The musical is waiting…So get on your way!

Sarah Blumwriter for The Crusader

Music Department Presents ‘Seussical’Brick House

BRITTANY MCCARTY

4 | Wednesday, February 18, 2015Volume 69 Issue 8

You’ve all heard the stereotype about engineers. They’re socially awkward and they can’t carry a conversation that doesn’t involve some abstract concept they’re working on. Well, that stereotype just doesn’t ring true for Drew Johnson, a senior physics engineering major from Tacoma, Washington.

Currently, Johnson is on a student engineering team that has been working on a project with NASA. This team, along with several other engineering teams from across the United States, has been working with flexible circuits and the use of electronics in space. For the last two

years, the team members have been work-ing on their designs and are now at the end of their project.

“I worked a lot on this project last summer with Lukas Rieke. It can be a frustrating process of making, testing, and remaking, but when you finally get something that is tactile and works, that’s an exhilarating feeling,” Johnson said.

The team turned in their designs on February 13th.

Although Johnson is a physics engi-neer at NNU, he plans to study nuclear engineering in grad school. He has al-ready been accepted to three different schools and is excited for the future. John-son has a passion for nuclear power, call-ing it “a more sexy power than solar ener-gy.” Through his research in grad school and beyond, Johnson wants to be part of designing safer, less wasteful nuclear reac-

tors. He believes that people should not be afraid of a nuclear plant explosion, which happens seldom; but he does believe in creating more efficient ways to dispose of radioactive waste.

While Johnson is very involved with the engineering department – he’s the President of the Physics and Engineer-ing Club and a team leader on the NASA project, he also finds time to be involved in the greater NNU community by play-ing on intramural teams and participating in SGA events.

“My advice is to participate in all of the extracurricular activities that you can. You’re paying for them with your student fees, so you might as well take advantage of them.”

So if you’re looking for a way to get connected, or if you want to learn more about 3-D printing, flexible circuits, and other exciting technologies, find Johnson, strike up a conversation, and make a new friend.

campusStudent HighlightDrew Johnson

Marina Roseassistant editor for The Crusader

These past few weeks in senate have seen two pieces of business come to the table. SB15-2-1 “Frogger Avoidance Bill” as well as a resolution: SB15-2-2 “Non-Discrimination Resolution.” The Frogger Avoidance Bill sought to gain funding for four pedestrian crossing signs that would be placed on East Col-orado Avenue. The bill noted the dan-gerous crossing many NNU students have to make every day to get from the

Kirkeide apartments to campus and vice versa. Writer of the bill, Senator Spencer C. Hassman, estimated the four sign kits to cost $750 in total.

SB15-2-2 “Non-Discrimination Res-olution,” as shown in the name, is not your regular bill; it is a resolution. Reso-lutions may be presented to either ratify an organization’s constitution or make recommendations. This particular bill sought to put into writing a statement of anti-discrimination that would be ap-proved, and therefore backed-up, by the ASNNU Senate. The resolution cited that “[t]here is no statement of non-discrimi-

nation in either the ASNNU Code or the ASNNU Constitution,” and as the ASN-NU Senate represents the NNU commu-nity a statement of anti-discrimination would go a long way towards “more ac-curately representing our constituents” and “express[ing] the Christian values of this institution.”

Also, the ASNNU Senate welcomed new freshman senator Jacob Wombach-er to their ranks. Senator Wombacher is taking over the position previously held by former Senator Levi Watson.

William Roemhildtwriter for The Crusader

Senate: Bills PassedBRITTANY MCCARTY

| 5Wednesday February 18, 2015 Volume 69 Issue 8

There is way more to being an RA than having a free room; it also involves fun events, bonding with the other RA’s, and just making an impact on the student body as a whole. Samantha Lundberg and Brandt Bullock explained all the intrica-cies of keeping NNU campus life running smoothly.

Beyond having your room and board completely paid for, there are many re-sponsibilities that come with the title of “RA.” RA’s, or Resident’s Assistants, are responsible for making dorm life eas-ier for the rest of us. Stuff that happens behind the scenes that we never really think about is taken care of by the ded-icated staff of RA’s for their own respec-tive dorms or apartments. Simple things like changing light bulbs and putting in work orders whenever it is necessary are just part of the daily grind of being a Res-ident’s Assistant. One of the most com-mon jobs an RA does is unlock rooms for students that have locked themselves out.

They are also expected to be on desk at night and keep track of who’s coming in and going out of the dorm; no easy task for a tired student with 8:00 am classes in the morning!

To Samantha Lundberg, being an RA means being a friend to those who are new to the NNU campus and just need someone to help them figure out where to go for their daily activities. She also takes great pride in keeping the cam-pus safe and being friendly to any and all visitors. The amount of patience that is required to keep a group of college stu-dents under control is truly astounding, but the RA team here on campus sure does make it look easy.

But with every job, there are both easy and difficult tasks. Brandt Bull-ock, one of the Kirkeide RA’s, describes the harder parts as “discipline.” It is ex-pected that every RA on NNU campus will hold their peers accountable to the lifestyle agreement. If they find that any-one has broken the agreement, they must confront the student about the problem, and if it’s beyond their power, may have to contact their Resident Director about

the issue. No one likes dealing with these kinds of problems, so do your RA a favor and just abide by the rules!

If there is one part of being an RA that is totally rad, it’s working with an amazing team of RD’s. Both Lundberg and Bullock were adamant about how great the people they work with are. They all have a passion for people that shines through their work as RD’s. Even their fellow RA’s work especially well together and create a very close-knit group of stu-dents that want to see campus life be as enjoyable and safe as it possibly can be. “It’s just like summer camp,” says Lund-berg. She loved going to lead retreat and being able to bond with the other RA’s and RD’s.

One of Bullock’s favorite aspects of being an RA is planning events. “I re-ally enjoy putting things together that I know people are going to like.” Kirkeide has weekly events every Sunday. These events can be as simple as cookies and

milk to much more elaborate outings in downtown Nampa. Keeping so many people comfortable comes with its ben-efits since they also get to partake in the fun. In addition to planning events, they also help out with setting up big cam-pus-wide shenanigans like the recent Su-per Bowl party in the Dex.

If this sounds like the kind of job for you, now is the time to apply! Ap-plications will become available starting February 23rd and are due on March 6th.

To Protect and Serve: Being a Resident AssistantEric Ostyn

writer for The Crusader

BRITTANY MCCARTY

Sam Lundberg, Kirkeide RA

BRITTANY MCCARTY

Brandt Bullock, Kirkeide RA

6 | Wednesday, February 18, 2015Volume 69 Issue 8

HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE CAREER FAIR

Dress for success! Many recruiters comment that stu-dents can enhance their employment opportunities by the quality of their initial impression.

Have your resume reviewed before coming to the Career Fair – participate in Resumania from 11:00am-2:00pm either Monday, February 23 or Tuesday, February 24.

Be familiar with organizations attending the Career Fair. Visit the Career Center’s website (nnu.edu/career) to find out who will be in attendance. It would also help to do some additional research by visiting the companies’ web sites.

Have a 30 second “commercial” ready. In some in-stances, you will only have a few minutes to “connect” with the employer representative and your first impres-sion is important.

HOW TO APPROACH A RECRUITER

Introduce yourself in a positive and confident manner. Smile, make eye contact, project enthusiasm, and offer a firm handshake. Give the representative your resume and be ready to discuss your background, qualifications, and career goals.

Ask questions about career opportunities, specific job openings, and the organization. Don’t leave a table with-out obtaining a business card.

Don’t approach an employer simply for the giveaways at their table. Only accept giveaways if the employer of-fers them after speaking with you.

Speak/network with as many representatives as possi-ble. There is no excuse to leave the fair without talking to at least 10 companies. Keep your options open.

Put Your Best Foot Forward at the Career Fair

ScheduleFriday, February 20

Summer Ministry Fair 9am-2pm Student Center Lobby

Monday, February 23 Resumania 11am-2pm Career Center

Tuesday, February 24Resumania 11am-2pm

Career Center

Reality 101 Dinner 5:30-7pmHarter Lecture Hall, Helstrom

Wednesday, February 25 Behavorial Interview Workshop 6-8pm Harter Lecture Hall, Helstrom

Thursday, February 26Career and Graduate School Fair 9am-2pm

Johnson Sports Center

Friday, February 27 Post Career Fair Interviews per request of organizations

$tart $mart Workshop 5:30-8pm Harter Lecture Hall, Helstrom

Career Weekhow will you be moving forward?

February 20-27, 2015

Sarah Smith

| 7Wednesday February 18, 2015 Volume 69 Issue 8

world newsGreek Debt CrisisFor newly elected Greek Prime Minis-

ter Alexis Tsipras and his newly appoint-ed Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, the first few weeks of their terms have been filled with frantic negotiating in an effort to solve Greece’s financial bailout deal. The existing deal is set to expire on February 28th, and the European Central Bank—one of Greece’s three main credi-tors, known as the “troika” —has been putting pressure on Greek banks, threat-ening to cut off ECB credit. The current debt is at $272 billion dollars. This move by the ECB is seen as added incentive for Greek leaders to get a deal done before the end of the month, as the rest of Europe and especially Germany, the biggest Euro-pean contributor to Greece’s bailout plan, are getting impatient with Greece’s debt situation. German finance minister Wolf-gang Schaeuble has been openly critical of Greek attempts to right the ship. Finance ministers Varoufakis and Schaeuble met face to face in Berlin on the 5th to discuss a new plan. The election of Tsipras has given much hope to the Greek people who have suffered through devastating recession the past six years. Unemployment has risen over 25%, and one report claims 44% of the country is living below the poverty line. Jordan Retaliates Against ISIS

On February 5th, two days after ISIS released a graphic video of a Jordanian pi-lot being burned to death in a cage, Jordan launched decisive air strikes on the radi-cal Islamic militants. Jordan also executed two ISIS linked prisoners who were being used as collateral in trade negotiations for

Moath al-Kasasbeh, the pilot killed in the video. Government spokesman Moham-med al-Momani told CNN: “We will not let this crime of killing our pilots with the horrific way it was done pass without punishment,” adding “These people will be punished.” Reaction to the video has prompted anti-ISIS expressions across the Middle East, even with prominent pro-jihads denouncing the actions. If the militants hoped images of the pilot’s ago-ny would prompt greater opposition for a U.S.-led military coalition, they certainly miscalculated.

In other ISIS news, the Islamist radi-cals have been driven out of the Syrian border city of Kobane as of late January. They launched a siege of the city in August of last year. ISIS claims that a U.S. hostage, aid worker Kayla Mueller, was killed in the Jordanian air strikes of February 5th.

Boko Haram Enters Cameroon, Niger The Islamist militant group Boko Haram,

has branched outside the borders of Ni-geria, where it has been growing in pow-er over the past six years. On Wednesday the 4th they launched an attack on the city of Fokotol in Cameroon. At least 70 were killed in the attack. Chadian soldiers were in pursuit as the militants retreated from the town, and they claim to have killed over 200 and lost only nine. Two days later, on February 6th, Boko Haram also crossed into Niger and attacked the border city of Bosso. Niger’s government repulsed the attack and says it killed more than 100 of the group’s fighters. Defense minister Mahamadou Karidjo said the only casualties on their side were one ci-vilian and four soldiers. A multi-national force of 7,500 has been approved by Afri-can leaders and is expected to aid Niger, Cameroon, and Nigeria’s forces later this month in the fight against Boko Haram. Intelligence experts estimate their cur-rent force to be over 6,000, with a large majority of them having much fighting experience. Though still small in number they are well funded, and their exploits in eastern Nigeria have given them access to Nigerian weaponry. These turns of events have shifted the tide on Boko Haram, who have been extremely active since capturing the town of Baga in early Jan-uary. If the reports are correct, the group has not seen these kind of losses in years. Argentina

The country of Argentina has been in outrage over the January 18th killing of judge Alberto Nisman. His death came just days after submitting a 350 page in-vestigatory report to Argentine judiciary officials and mere hours before he was set to appear before congress. The 350 page report was the culmination of a probe into the 1994 attack on the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AIMA), in which 85 were killed. Nisman spent more than 10 years compiling evidence that Iran was behind the attack, and his investigation

apparently found that Argentine’s Pres-ident Cristina Fernandez may have been involved in some sort of cover-up in ex-change for Iranian oil. A spokesperson for Fernandez was first to say that Nisman committed suicide, but as forensics found no traces of gunpowder on Nisman’s hands to support such a theory they then pointed at the country’s former spy chief Horacio Antonio Stiuso. To add to the drama, Stiuso is nowhere to be found.

Shia Houthis stage coup in Yemen

The Shia Houthis, who have controlled the capital of Sanna since September, have made a move to dissolve the Yemeni par-liament and form their own government, after talks between the Shia minority group and Sunni majority government broke down. “The Houthi coup marks a grave and unacceptable escalation... and endangers the security, stability, sover-eignty and territorial integrity of Yemen,” said the UN’s Gulf Cooperation Coun-cil (GCC). The UN warns the Houthis to resume peace talks with the now for-mer Sunni government. Funded in part by Iran, the Houthis are in combat with al-Qaeda forces along the northwest bor-der of Yemen, Their takeover of Sanna is of great concern to their neighbors who are critical of anyone with ties to Iran. Occu-pying a large majority of northern Yemen, the Shia Houthis have long sought separa-tion from Yemen and this is seen as action towards that end. Their main complaint being that the government in the south, of Sunni majority, does not represent them fairly. Southern Yemen is responsible for more than 70% of the country’s production.

Around the GlobeWilliam Roemhildtwriter for The Crusader

GOOGLE IMAGES

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras

8 | Wednesday, February 18, 2015Volume 69 Issue 8

Maybe you’d be surprised to learn that after nine years of living a mere hour from Bogus Basin (and just a few hours from Tamarack and Brundage ski resorts), I have never skied. It’s not like I don’t want to—because I do—but be-cause I don’t know how! Oh well...skiing is an expensive hobby anyway. Maybe I’ll pick it up when I can afford it….

While I may not have “hit the slopes” at any point in my life, I have snow-shoed before. It was awkward at first, dragging along a metal frame with my strapped-in boots, but I quickly got used to it. The place I was snowshoeing prob-ably only had eight to ten inches of snow. A foot or more would have been opti-mal, but I enjoyed trekking through the tall, snow-capped evergreens, enjoying the peace and beauty of God’s creation. Well, I was enjoying myself until my toes got cold and numb. Lesson #1—When snowshoeing, be sure to wear properly insulated winter boots. After thawing my frozen toes over a fire, I decided not to wear my snowshoes on the return trip. It was then I discovered their value. Lesson #2—Snowshoes are very helpful, especially when trying to travel through deep snow. Like I said, the snow wasn’t that deep, but I gained a new apprecia-tion for the ‘shoes’ as I slogged through, trying to keep up with the rest of my family. We were back-tracking our route into the forest, looking for my trendy pink and white sunglasses - which I had worn for protection against glare. I had carelessly lost them on our way in. Boy, did I feel stupid having everyone look-ing for my sunglasses, of all things! Les-son #3—If one brings sunglasses—or anything else, for that matter—one had

better wear, use, keep track, or otherwise take care of them! On the way out, we discovered what happens when you give a solid whack to a snow-covered twelve to fifteen foot tree. Lesson #4—Don’t stand under a snowy tree - especially if one of my brothers is around - if you’d rather avoid a “snow shower.”

All in all, snowshoeing was a fun and camaraderie-building experience with my family. I might do a few things dif-ferently if I go again, but who knows? I may be able to afford skiing by then!

Hey ya’ll! I hope everybody has been having an awesome couple of weeks! Whether you have been do-ing homework non-stop or have had a bunch of free time, I hope you have had a great first month back at school. Now, it is time to get down to busi-ness…or frivolousness. Okay, let us get down to frivolous business. Now just stand there, read on, and enjoy the facts!

Here are the latest, maybe greatest, and definitely not tastiest facts that I have for you:

1. Not including television shows or games, Liam Neeson has starred or voiced in 90 movies in his career.

2. 1,250 feet. That is how tall the Empire State building is (not includ-ing the architectural tower on top). However, it is not the tallest building in the world, as that title belongs to the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Burj Khalifa comes in at 2,717 feet tall, over twice that of the Empire State Building.

3. A piano has 52 white keys and 36 black keys for a total of 88.

4. Beethoven wrote his first con-certo at age fourteen. Now that is what I call “over achieving.”

5. The only person to score 100 points in bull riding in PRCA [Profes-sional Rodeo Cowboys Association] history was Wade Leslie in 1991.

6. Rodeo and cattle showing are two of the greatest sports ever…I’m just saying.

7. If you read this far down, con-

gratulations! Words of advice: If you ever have

the opportunity to go horseback rid-ing, I highly encourage it. If you have never done it before, you will be a bit nervous but it is well worth the expe-rience. If you have done it before, you probably know the feeling I am talking about, the one of joy, adrenaline, and excitement. The final feeling is fear, but that is usually when you notice that you are no longer sitting on the horse, but sitting on air. Sitting on air happens before you hit the ground with great force—kind of like going to a chiropractor where they realign your back with a hammer.

I have had some mishaps growing up with horses, and many experiences that are more fun than flying through the air unintentionally. Here is my ad-vice:

1. Don’t get off the horse at a speed faster than a walk. Especially when riding without a saddle. I do not care how soft the sand looks, it’s not. I know this, as I may or may not have done this multiple times.

2. Stay balanced, and stay calm. I know, you are thinking “duh.”

3. If you are my height, stoop when you go under enclosed gates…my horse tried to behead me a few times that way.

4. Praying is encouraged, prefera-bly before you hit the ground.

5. Finally, have fun!

The Vocal Local Wow, That Was Random…Esther Frederick

guest writer for The CrusaderWyatt Thanstrom

guest writer for The Crusader

ANGELA MONROE

guest

| 9Wednesday February 18, 2015 Volume 69 Issue 8

Who: All NNU students are eligible to enter. Where: All entries must be placed in a contest box located in the English Department lobby.When: The deadline for entry is noon, February 27.What: You may enter as many as 3 total entries across the categories. All entries must be typed and titled, without your name on the entry itself. On a cover page, give the piece’s title, category of entry, your name, Permanent Address, and E-mail Address. All entries must be typed in Times New Roman or Arial font and should be labeled as one of the following category:

The NNU English Department and Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society are sponsoring the Bertha Dooley Writing Contest!

Depending on the quantity and quality of submissions, up to three selections from each category will be published in a literary magazine called The Literary Gallery. Along with publication, exceptional pieces may be awarded the monetary Bertha Dooley Prize.

For further information contact Dr. Ben Fischer in the English Department at bfischer@nnu.edu

Short Story: should be no longer than 1500 words. Manuscripts should be double spaced.Essay: (critical or creative; explicit engagement with a topic) should be no longer than 1800 words. Manu-scripts should be double spaced.Poem: should be no longer than 30 lines and may be in any style.

Cam

pus E

vent

s Dates to RememberMr. NNU: Feb. 21SportsMen’s Basketball: Feb. 19Track: Feb. 20 & 21Men’s Basketball: Feb. 21Softball: Feb. 27-March 1 InvitationalWeekly EventsTimeout: Wednesday Nights 9pmBrick House: Thursday Nights 8:30pm

Crusader Staff ContactAvery Russell Editor in Chief arussell@nnu.eduMarina Rose Assistant Editor mdaily@nnu.eduSara Wren Design Editor saraoliver@nnu.eduEric Ostyn Writer ericostyn@nnu.eduSarah Blum Writer sblum@nnu.eduWilliam Roemhildt Writer wroemhildt@nnu.eduAngela Monroe Photographer aarcher@nnu.eduBrittany McCarty Photographer bmccarty@nnu.eduCurtis Mostul Business Manager cmostul@nnu.edu

Contact us with any questions or ways you can get involved!

10 | Wednesday, February 18, 2015Volume 69 Issue 8

W h e n asked what the highlight of the season has been thus

far, freshman Lexi Tubbs answers unequivocally: “Beat-ing Alaska Anchorage in their gym!”

Tubbs led the Saders with 17 points and 4 steals that day, and it was a very merry New Year’s Day indeed—topped with a moose-sighting—as NNU handed UAA their only loss of the season, and not by any measly mar-gin either. UAA, currently ranked first in conference and No. 3 in the nation, lost 79-64 to the Saders.

But in the following weeks NNU went through a slump, and as any athlete knows, it can be very difficult to find the motivation and passion to climb out of holes like that. Tubbs says having great teammates is essential to dealing with the stress of the season. “This team is like having 11 sisters that are ready to listen, or talk to you at any time of the day. Having that with these girls really helps to stay motivated with anything on or off of the court.”

Victory against University of Alaska, Fairbanks on January 29th was crucial, “a great way for us to gain con-fidence as we move into the second half of conference,” commented Tubbs. Kate Cryderman came in big for

the Saders, drawing two crucial charges late in the game, which Coach Ryan Bragdon called, “Huge, huge; just heads up, smart basketball play.” Ellie Logan scored 16 points, putting her in the double digits for the third game in a row and helping the Saders come back from a nine-point deficit for the victory.

NNU was unable to repeat the upset against UAA at home on January 31st, but not due to lack of effort. Logan put up 21 points, aided by a career-high of 23 points from transfer Kate Cryderman, and 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists from the ever-reliable Taylor Simmons. Although NNU led at halftime, the Seawolves capitalized on a few mistakes that gave them a strong lead early in the second half and sealed their victory.

But the grit shown by the women in games like the win over Alaska Fairbanks is a sign of their potential for this last surge, the last few weeks of conference play. Tubbs says, “An ulti-mate goal would be to play to our full potential, like we did against Alaska Anchorage in Alas-ka, and of course, going to the [conference] Tournament is another huge goal!” Having tasted what it feels like to play their best and to reap the rewards, the

Saders are hungry for more. NNU will face Seattle Pacific on Valentine’s Day for

Senior Night, with tip-off at 2pm.

sportsSarah Blum

writer for The Crusader

Sader Women Look to End the Season Strong

Women’s Softball Blurb:By William Roemhildt

NNU softball fans will have to wait until the 27th to watch their team play in Nam-pa, when NNU hosts the College of Idaho/Northwest Nazarene Invitational. In antic-ipation for the upcoming season I caught up with some of NNU’s returning seniors, Whitney Carlton and Kendra Day, to talk about some of their expectations. “This be-ing my senior season this is the last chance I will get to play competitive softball. With that said, I want to leave everything I have out on the field, and I know the girls on the team are wanting to do the same,” said Day, listing a conference tournament berth as a goal for this season. The ladies reiterated the mantras of “no regrets” and “I can, and I will” as mottos for this season. Carlton says, “we are all itching to start playing and winning games” after a long pre-season. The lady Saders kick off the home season against Concordia on the 27th of this month.

NNU ATHLETICS

Sophomore Ashley Pesek

NNU ATHLETICS

Freshman gaurd Lexi Tubbs

| 11Wednesday February 18, 2015 Volume 69 Issue 8

The NNU men’s basketball team earned the affectionate nickname “Clamp-down Crusaders” after a few key comeback wins in late January, and they haven’t looked back. Leading into February, 6 of their 7 GNAC wins were comebacks. One notable victory came on January 30th against Central Washing-ton. Senior Kevin Rima, the only Sader to have earned GNAC player of the Week so far this season, had a standout game, notching his 14th career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. (For those of you who don’t know, that means a double-digit number total in two of five statistical categories—points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots—in one game.) Rima is currently No. 2 in the GNAC in rebounds per game.

Alex Birketoft has also been monu-mental in helping the Saders put up W’s. Absent early in the season due to inju-ry, his presence is now keenly felt as he drains three’s and snatches up boards like

nobody’s business. Birketoft put up 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks in the Central game to help the Saders “clamp down” once again.

“All credit to my teammates who have been good at setting me up, finding me at the right time, and giving me good looks at the basket—other than that I just go out there and play with energy and hustle on defense to the best of my ability.”

In the first round of GNAC play, NNU lost only to Western Oregon and Univer-sity of Alaska Anchorage. After the loss to UAA, NNU was ranked fourth in the GNAC, but less than two weeks later, was tied for second. What is the strategy for playing teams the second time around, and advancing in conference? Birketoft says, “We have added some significant offensive firepower and defensive tenac-ity and a few new plays that have changed our confidence since the first time we played them.” But really, it’s nothing new: “Other than that it’s just going out there and playing NNU basketball.”

The NNU men’s basketball program had its best start in the 14-year history of

the GNAC, and momentum is building. Sophomore Pol Olivier says, “Right now we are in a really good position to make history at NNU, but still have a long way to go. We want to make the playoffs and of course win the league, but for this, we need to keep focus and get those import-ant W’s!”

Watching the men play St. Martin’s on February 5th, it would be hard to disagree. The comeback kings laid that title aside in a game in which they never trailed. A career-high 18 points from Bir-ketoft, another 18 from Bouna N’Diaye, and 19 from Erik Kinney were huge for the Saders. Marksman-like shooting and the ability to maintain composure were another sign of a growing confidence in each other. According to Olivier, the strategy is pretty simple: “We have to fol-low our game plan, play like we know and fight for every possession. We have a tal-ented team, and step by step we trying to reach our potential.” With this in mind, the Clamp-down Crusaders might even clamp down on a new title—the GNAC title.

Sarah Blumwriter for The Crusader

Clamp-Down Crusaders Climbing to the Top

Men’s Baseball Blurb:By William Roemhildt

Both NNU men’s baseball and women’s softball have gotten underway this month, and players are excited to get on the field. The baseball team opened the season strong at home on the 6th, splitting a double header. In the first game against University of British Columbia, NNU got a strong outing from junior Colton Loomis (1-0) who pitched 6 2/3 innings of one-run baseball. Loomis got plenty of run sup-port, highlighted by two-RBI games from Jesse Hilyard and Tucker Campbell.

In the second game the Saders took on nationally ranked Lewis-Clark State. Jake Reppert had a solid start for NNU and gave up only two runs in 6 innings pitched. NNU held a 3-2 lead into the 7th before LCSU tied it up, eventually going on to win the game 5-4. The finish was not without drama though, with the potential game tying run being thrown out at the plate after a wild pitch.

ANGELA MONROE

ANGELA MONROE

Senior Jake Reppert, LHP

12 | Wednesday, February 18, 2015Volume 69 Issue 8

a&eBy Eric Ostyn

Quote of the issueTop 10 Things to Do in the Learning Commons

Sudoku: easy

“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.”

John Lennon10. Hog one of the group study rooms all to yourself9. Fall asleep by the warm fireplace in the Quiet Reading Room8. Treat yourself to delicious life-sustaining drinks at The Bean7. Gaze in awe at the sheer power of the bathroom hand-dryers6. Escape the confines of your room and do homework in a public space5. Get another latte from The Bean. You deserve it4. Draw funny pictures on the whiteboard walls3. Use the elevator when you have perfectly capable legs to take the stairs2. Complain to TMR that the wifi is down1. Actually get some studying done or check out a book

Black TieMarch 6thmore info to come...