This is the first time the event has ever been held at Adrian College. MYLCs are usually held at large, Division 1 schools, so AC was very excited about the opportunity to hold the conference. Brit Rowe, a Theta Chi Regional Director, said he wanted to bring the event here for four main reasons. Rowe wanted the event held here because AC has a good chapter, an active alumni base, good facilitates, and for the geographic reasons.

“It was really great having the conference here,” said senior  Derek Rymill. “I really enjoyed seeing all the brothers, alumni, and other chapters come together for this great event.”

The theme for this conference was “Building Better Men.” The idea behind this theme is to build better men by emphasizing creativity, and exploring the creative process to achieve the goal of thinking differently. To help explain this idea, the conference featured keynote speaker and AC alumnus Peter J. Lund ’86. Lund is a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, commissioner of Macomb County, and former regional counselor of the Theta Chi fraternity. He spoke to brothers during a lunch banquet about his personal experiences as a brother and also expressed to undergraduate members what it means to be successful in Theta Chi.

“The best decision I ever made besides marrying my wife was joining Theta Chi,” said Lund.

Lund expressed that when he was young his thoughts about fraternity life came from what he saw in the movie “Animal House,” but he came to realize it is so much more than that. For Lund, being in Theta Chi prepared him for life. Lund’s main message to his brothers is to know that there are many ways to serve our community, and to ask how to make the community a better place.

“A person at that age is looking for someone to turn to for advice,” said Lund. “This conference gave them the opportunity to get advice from the fraternity to help them improve what they’re doing.”

Lund later received an award from his fellow brothers. He was awarded the Citation of Honor, which recognizes his outstanding service to the fraternity.
“Coming back always feels good,” said Lund,.“I love the college, and I love Theta Chi.”

Lund wasn’t the only brother to receive an award. AC alumni, Peter Tomasek ’11, received the Regional E.F. Colley First Runner-Up Award. The Regional E.F. Colley  Award is given to the most outstanding undergraduate member of Theta Chi.

During his time at AC, Tomasek racked up a considerable amount of accomplishments and achievements which contributed to him receiving the award. Tomasek’s idea of changing someone’s life everyday was a perfect example for the MYLC’s “Building Better Men” theme.

The rest of the conference was made up of breakout sessions and roundtable discussions, which helped Theta Chi members learn how to improve their leadership skills. Subjects in the breakout session included learning life skills, building credit the right way, and creating continuous improvement.

“I thought the event went great. Zeta Beta has always been proud to call Adrian College home, and this was a wonderful opportunity to show on a large scale within Theta Chi what a great place this is,” said Theta Chi president and junior Garret Beitelschies. “I cannot be happier with how the event turned out.”

The chapter is currently working on spring semester recruitment and is looking forward to welcoming new members at men’s runouts on Feb. 18.

Throughout that time period, 25% of the profits made went to the GAC and their efforts to make AC a greener place. More specifically, the money is helping the GAC fund hand-dryers for the bathrooms around campus, which will help to avoid wasting paper towel.

“The outcome was actually a lot better than we had hoped for,” said junior and president of GAC, Tyler Chase. “We estimated to get about $125, but we ended up making about $170 at the fundraiser.”

“I wanted to go to Cancun and show my support for the Green Action club because I think what they are doing is really great,” said freshman Emily Kipp, who attended the fundraiser, “I really appreciate the effort they are putting forth to make our campus more environmentally friendly. I think it’s important to try to be ‘green’ because this is our Earth and if we ruin it there’s no going back.”

In the past, the GAC has provided AC with many “go green” opportunities. The GAC is the reason that we see the recycling bins in all of the academic buildings and in Caine.

GAC was started on AC campus in 2009. The group’s main goal was to implement green programs on AC’s campus after noting a lack of environmentally friendly initiatives. The group has been working to further this goal ever since.

They also made it possible for residents in the dorms to recycle. If a resident wants to recycle, they can ask their RA for the green recycling bags. Once the resident’s bags are full, they should take them to their trash room, and plant will separate them out when they collect the trash.

The current executive board of GAC consists of six members. Chase serves as President of the organization, while junior Annie Gigowski serves as Vice President. Senior Sasha Gale acts as Secretary for the group, junior Tara Camper is the groups Treasurer, freshman Adrian Krauss does the Public Relations for the group, and rounding out the Eboard is sophomore Justis Cummings, who serves as Recruitment Chair.

Gale is a first year member of the Green Action Club. “I am really happy that I am a member of the club,” said Gale “I love recycling and keeping the environment clean, and I think the club has a great head start on that for the campus.”

One of the main events that the GAC is planning for this semester is a “Go Green” week, which is likely to happen throughout the week of Saint Patrick’s Day. During the week, bracelets will be handed out in Ritchie as a “pledge to go green,” among other exciting and educational events.

If anyone missed the fundraiser at Cancun, there is a possibility of another fundraiser that will occur during the “Go Green” week.

“We are thinking of partnering up with Re-Bicycle Lenawee and maybe having a raffle to give away a free bicycle. More details to come on that, though,” said Chase.

The GAC meets every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Alumni Skybox in Caine.

“We’re always looking for new members! The more the merrier! We would like to have everyone participate at the very least by doing their own recycling,” said Chase.

If anyone has any further questions regarding GAC or how to be more environmentally friendly, please contact president Tyler Chase at tchase@adrian.edu.

Members of TAP don’t necessarily have to be theatre majors or minors, but they do need to have ample experience in the art. The group uses a point system in order to assess how much experience each member has, based on what productions they have participated in and their role in each particular show. Students need to be sophomore standing to join TAP. Theatre classes also count towards points for eligibility.

In the beginning of the year, TAP puts on an ice cream social to introduce freshman to their fraternity. The group participates in some improv games to get to know each other better. While some theatre professors attend the event, TAP is the sole host.

Members participate in all aspects of theatre including acting, writing, directing, and working as a crew member backstage.

“I joined TAP because it’s a resume builder and it allowed me to get involved in the things they do on campus and with the community. My favorite part is the one acts,” said junior Alexandra Myers.

Every year TAP puts on one act plays which take place at the beginning of the fall semester. This also serves as TAP’s biggest fundraiser. All members of the organization are required to participate in this event, whether it be selling tickets, acting or actually directing the play.

“This is Theta Alpha Phi’s main way of making money for the year,” said senior Shelley DeHosse. “All [of] the members have to participate somehow and it’s a really great way to show TAP and theatre to the AC campus.”

Another interesting aspect of the one act plays is that the plays themselves are written by students, many of which are members of TAP. The group holds a contest in March where the TAP play-writing committee sits down and picks two plays to be produced the next year.

Aside from the one acts, TAP also puts on an event  in conjunction with the chemistry department where members help a group of Boy Scouts earn their showmanship badge. The Boy Scouts learn things like staging, background of theory, learning how to draw clefts, musical theatre history, and opera history. Not only does this event raise extra funds for TAP, but it also helps the group to get their name out in the community.

Another way TAP strives to maintain a good image in the Adrian community is by working closely with the Croswell. The theatre department borrows a lot of costumes, props, and other theatrical elements from the Croswell, and in return members of TAP sell concessions or usher during their plays.

Junior Emily King serves as president for the group, and junior Ian Hudgens is the vice president. Myers is the secretary, junior Kellie Fisher is the treasurer, and the historian is junior Amber Nethercott. There are also multiple other positions within the organization.

“We’re looking forward to receiving and reading submissions for the annual play writing contest and picking the final shows for next year’s one acts,” said King.

One of the most known activities that TAP partakes in is the “tapping” of new members. Once the group has decided who they will be inducting into their society, they “tap” them and force them to wear themed outfits. Last year, the theme was hats, and this year it was gaudy necklaces. The new member must wear their new accessory to class for a whole week after being “tapped.”

At the end of the year, the juniors of TAP host the “Normies,” which is an award ceremony where they honor all the productions during the year. The juniors plan the theme, decorate for the event, and coordinate costumes.

“I was initiated into TAP during the fall semester of 2010,” said junior Jeff Clark. “It’s been a great opportunity for me in my professional career to have this boost to my resume. I love participating in the one acts and all of the other little events we take part in during the school year.”

For more information about TAP and their upcoming events contact the president at eking@adrian.edu.

Pi Benio, professor of art and design, believes that even students and faculty not interested in art might enjoy the show.

“Both artists’ work have lots of interesting content—comments on the world,” said Benio. “[T]here’s a lot of fodder for thought.”

Benio brought the two artists to Adrian College primarily because their styles focused on developing complex textures on the surfaces of their ceramics, a concept she is working into her Ceramics II class.

“I think [the contrast between their works] is a great teaching tool for students,” Benio said.

After she introduced Freeman to Fisher’s art—and Fisher to Freeman’s art—both men agreed that grouping their work would create ‘good synergy,’” said Benio.

The works displayed in the Valade Gallery were chosen because of their unusual surface textures (hence the name of the show) as well as the continuity with the other pieces in their series.

“He works in a series,” senior Mary Selden said, “which means he starts out with an idea and continues to work with it as it shifts in each piece. Similar elements get repeated but changed as he goes along. As you follow the series, you can see his ideas grow.

“His work is really impressive because I thought he used a mold and that’s why his work was so perfectly rendered. But to find out he did it by hand, combining hand-building and throwing, made me appreciate his skill and work more.”

Sophomore Meredith Maniscalco agrees with Selden.

“For someone of his age, starting as late in his life as he did, his work is amazing,” she said.

Fisher’s work seems to be just as well appreciated, if not as well understood. Maniscalco enjoys his images and decorating technique.

“A lot of his pieces are really basic and his images enhance his work,” Benio said.

Selden says that she “doesn’t know too much about his work and process, so I’m looking forward to his artist talk.”

Fisher will be on campus Feb. 7 at 3:30 p.m. to demonstrate his techniques. This will be followed by an artist talk at 6:30 p.m.

Benio had originally discovered Fisher’s work in a couple of national magazines before seeing a show in person. Freeman, on the other hand, has been a stable figure in the area and is “really connected” to AC, said Benio.

After Freeman retired, he moved near Adrian and took a few community clay classes and college classes in ceramics before building a studio for himself in his house.

Both artists began their careers as businessmen.  At his artist talk, Freeman told students and faculty he had always had an interest in art, but decided not to pursue it in college because he didn’t think there was any money in it. Fisher’s artistic career, in contrast, stemmed from his advertising career.

For more information about either artists’ life and art, please visit their websites: jamesfreemanstudio.com (Freeman) and frankjamesfisher.com (Fisher).

“When I was young I thought everybody thought the way I thought. I didn’t know I was different,” said Grandin. “For me, language is my second language. I am a photo-realistic visual thinker. It’s literally movies in the head…That’s what visual thinking is.”

In her lecture Grandin discussed the various ways that people process information. She compared the way she thinks to an Internet search engine full of pictures.

“My thinking is associative, it’s not linear,” she said. “Not every person with autism is a visual thinker.”

According to Grandin, the various ways that people think should be encouraged and challenged to help everyone succeed.

“The world needs different kinds of minds to work together,” she said. “We’ve got to help students with unique minds to be successful. We’ve got to give these different kinds of minds an opportunity.”

The day before Grandin came to Adrian College there was a special showing of the movie “Temple Grandin” on campus, which depicts a condensed version of Grandin’s life.

Junior Katie Thacker found the film to be very beneficial and enlightening.

“I thought the movie depicted autism very well, especially in the sensory aspects,” she said. “I would encourage students to watch the movie because it opens your eyes to something you might not otherwise see.”

Thacker hopes to one day work with children who have autism. She also went to hear Grandin speak on Thursday.

“Temple Grandin allows those with loved ones who have autism to understand their world,” said Thacker. “Her speech inspired me to continue researching the autism spectrum of disorders.”

Thacker is the vice president of the organization P.R.I.D.E., which stands for Promoting the Rights of Individuals with Disabilities Everywhere. During the movie night and Grandin’s speech, P.R.I.D.E. ran a table with bracelets and posters that were available for a donation. Over $1,000 was raised, and all the proceeds went to the HOPE Community Center and the Lenawee Therapeutic Riding Center.

Senior Kim Palmerton, treasurer of P.R.I.D.E., helped with the donation table. According to Palmerton ,speakers like Grandin are an important asset to bring to the college because they offer a firsthand experience.

“I thought she was amazing,” said Palmerton. “It was interesting to hear from her perspectives [and] I loved how she brought humor into it. She was able to express herself in a way that we could understand.”

Senior Tiffany Taylor, president of P.R.I.D.E., introduced Grandin on Thursday and Danielle Ward, disabilities specialist at AC, gave opening and closing remarks at the event.

“Today is a great day to be a Bulldog,” said Ward. “We have been reminded tonight that we all have different gifts. We are, as Temple says, ‘Different, not Less.’”

When Wozniak finished her song and walked off stage, faculty, staff and a few students ran on stage with a fire extinguisher to see what the problem was.

The curtain was lowered down to the stage, exposing a burnt hole. After the curtain had been removed and the auditorium aired out, the recital continued. It was this event that showed how strong a performer Wozniak truly is.

“A musician’s focus is one of the most important aspects needed to succeed,” said senior Jason Ransom.

After an incidence like the one that happened, some performers would decide not to continue the performance due to nerves or air quality. But Wozniak kept her focus and continued her performance, playing even more strongly than before.

When asked why she chose to pursue a vocal music performance degree, Wozniak’s response was simple. She loves singing and cannot see herself doing anything else.

The person in Wozniak’s life that had the most influential hand in her music was her high school teacher, William Boggs, who engaged her interest in classical music.

Although “À Chloris” was Wozniak’s favorite piece, both Daniel Steinkopf and Stephanie Pridgeon, juniors at Adrian College that attended her recital, agreed that their favorite piece was “Nixe Binsefuß,” written by Hugo Wolf.

“Andrea is dedicated to music, and she could go anywhere she wants after she graduates from Adrian College,” said Steinkopf.

Pridgeon, Wozniak’s roommate, explained that Wozniak was a “diva extraordinaire” and works hard at everything she does.  Pridgeon helped Wozniak prepare for her recital by driving her to Dawson Auditorium on the day of the performance so she did not have to walk in the snow, and was a great moral support to her.

Although Wozniak wrote thank-you notes on the back of her program, she wanted to say thank you once again to her “friends and family for unconditional love and support along with the Adrian College music department faculty.”

“I thought this was something different that we hadn’t done before. [We did this] so that the students could meet with other Christians from other schools,” said junior Sondra Bryan, the president of the Religious Life Counsel (RLC) at AC.

This year there were roughly 50 people at the retreat, including people from Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University, Central Michigan University, and 12 AC students.

“I decided to attend this event because I was interested in the opportunity to go on a retreat with my friends who attend the chapel services,” said junior Zachary Wilson.

Wilson said that this retreat offered a means for people to get involved with various spiritual organizations on campus and get to know one another.
The retreat focused on the book “Manna and Mercy,” which is a paraphrase of the Bible.

“[It is] a very interesting summary of the Bible as a whole,” said Bryan. “From what I’ve read of it, I was very pleased with how it was presented.”
Fincom covered the $25 attendance fee. Most of the meals for the weekend were also provided for.

“I hope that [those who attended the retreat] learned more about their faith and looked at scripture with different eyes than they have in the past,” said Bryan.

Besides the Bible studies and group discussion, students who went on the retreat could also attend a gospel college chorus, and there was a communion service after the performance.

“It was really hard not to be overly joyous about what they were singing,” said Bryan.

Choirs from a number of colleges performed at the concert.

“My favorite part was the communion and hymnal session,” said Wilson. “That was the one moment it seemed like we all just put aside our denominations and acted as followers of Christ.”

After the communion event, a few participants in the retreat, including Wilson, took some of the leftover food and gave it to the homeless people outside the church. Wilson said that this act of giving was meaningful to him because it showed that service does not always have to be scheduled, it can be spontaneous as well.

According to Wilson, this retreat also confirmed that all Christian denominations share the same fundamental values.

“The main thing you can take away from this retreat is that we all share the same faith at the heart of it,” said Wilson.

Freshman Sarah Oladokun attended the retreat as well, and found it to be beneficial.

“It was a great experience,” she said. “I met a lot of people and learned a lot of things.

Oladokun would encourage others in the future to take advantage of opportunities to attend retreats.

“It creates a sense of unity among the groups,” she said.       “It’s a great way to meet people and learn more about yourself and God.”

This is the second year that AC has participated in this event, and the fifth time the event was held. Seven students from AC participated, and over one hundred students from 12 different teams participated.

A typical day at Battle of the Chem Clubs consists of several parts. The morning is made up of several rounds where teams earn points based on how well or how fast they complete certain experiments. Over lunch, rankings are posted as to who continues into the afternoon events.

AC Chem Club was ranked fourth after the morning rounds, so they continued to the afternoon events in the competition. The afternoon semifinals have the same type of content that the morning events have, but the final event is Chemistry Jeopardy.

The awards given out consist of The Illustrious Silver Sep Funnel Trophy, which is given to the winning team. This year, Hillsdale College won the trophy.

Though AC Chem Club didn’t win the trophy this year, they certainly did not lack in enthusiasm and personality, which encouraged their teammates.

“The other award that is given out is for the Most Loud, Annoying, and Obnoxious Team. Despite its name, it is given to the team that shows the most spirit in cheering on their teammates. This year, AC won the Most Loud, Obnoxious, and Annoying award, and placed 4th overall,” said David Bartley, assistant professor of chemistry.

Contrary to cheering on their teammates, it is the opinion of the team that they won the award because of their bright orange T-shirts.

The events of the day are different each year.

“This year, there were events which tested their ability to identify compounds based on spectra, a set of physic calculations, a knowledge of safety, and the ability to run a lab and write up their results,” said Laura Polchinski, lecturer of chemistry. “The events require the ability for students to make fast mathematical calculations and have knowledge of what is needed to do certain scientific experiments. AC provides the necessary transport for students, [but] besides that, no cost is required of the guest schools. The host school provides breakfast, lunch, and snacks throughout the day.”

Students who compete in Battle of the Chem Clubs are promised a busy and fun-filled day.

“The thing I like the most about [Battle of the Chem Clubs] is taking the knowledge we learn in class and being able to use it in a fun, competitive way. It is helpful to students to talk to the Michigan State University students about grad school and the options they have, and you learn something new through the events that take place!” said senior president Joanna Slisinger.

Chemistry Club is always open for individuals who are interested; you do not have to be majoring in chemistry, but simply have an interest for it.
For more information, contact Slisinger, at jslisinger@adrian.edu.

Today is Groundhog Day, a holiday dedicated to that exact love of superstition. On Feb. 2 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the groundhog dubbed Punxsutawney Phil will crawl out of his little hole. If he sees his shadow, he will retreat back into his hole, signifying winter will continue for another six weeks. However, if he does not see his shadow, winter will soon come to an end.

Now, we are all aware that the coming of spring has little to do with the actions of one little groundhog, and quite a bit to do with the position of the Earth in relation to the sun. No one actually puts any faith in the meteorological knowledge of Punxsutawney Phil, and yet his actions on Groundhog Day are significant enough to make national headlines.

The question then becomes, why do we go through with it? We are a nation that prides itself on being full of rational, logical people. We put large amounts of faith into scientific fact. Science has the power to, quite accurately, predict the weather of the future. So why do we put so much effort into Groundhog Day?

A large part of that is the simple fact it can be fun. An excuse for people to get together and celebrate a local mascot is always going to be something people will get behind. Even more than that, though, is because of the tradition involved. Of course, that begs the question, how did this become a tradition in the first place?

The earliest references to Groundhog Day can be found in the diary of a storekeeper from Berks County, Pennsylvania named James Morris. In a diary entry dated Feb. 4, 1841 he explains that the previous Tuesday, which had been Feb. 2, was Candlemas Day. According to German folklore, if the groundhogs come out of their ‘quarters’ and see their shadows, then they will return to their homes for a six-week nap.

One of the proposed connections between Candlemas and groundhogs comes from an old English poem that states, “If Candlemas be fair and bright / Come, Winter, have another flight; / If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, / Go Winter, and come not again.” Originally, Germans believed hedgehogs were smart enough to tell how close winter was to its end. However, upon arriving in America, they discovered groundhogs were much more commonplace. And so, believing groundhogs were wise animals, they decided to replace hedgehogs.

From there, the tradition spread across the states. In 2011, there were over 20 groundhogs across the nation predicting when winter would end. Approximately 40,000 people made their way to Punxsutawney to see what Phil would predict.

It doesn’t matter that there’s no basis for this; it’s a fun tradition, and sometimes, that’s really all we need.

Some have trouble walking, and with heavy backpacks on their back, it’s no wonder they are exhausted by the end of the day! Some, like athletes, hurt themselves. So, I ask the question, what can AC do to help accommodate those with physical limitations and injuries? I simply answer, with one clear, concise word: elevators.

We’ve all had those days where carrying your backpack up and down three flights of stairs sparks a brief moment of inspired sanity. I think the phrase goes like this: “Man, I have to start working out.” When that backpack is filled with the $100 books that weigh more than Richie’s ‘healthy’ food put on a scale, that inspired sanity sometimes turns into cuss words galore.

These stairs and long distance walking can really injure people with scoliosis, problems with their knees, or even hurt shoulders. Just look around at how many students have backpacks bigger then them. It’s like watching the ‘Hunch Back of Notre Dame’ walking around campus, with myself included. It’s about time these students get some help.

Here’s a question, has anyone ever thought about putting in elevators in each dorm with three floors? What could it hurt?  Not only would the addition of elevators be beneficial for disabled students and athletes, but also for their families that come to visit as well. Just imagine Granny walking up those flights of stairs to see you;  give her a dose of adrenaline, and maybe she could make it to your room before she loses all feeling in those fragile legs.

Imagine how much easier moving in and out of the rooms would be? The first day back is always a little stressful, but with an elevator, it’ll be like the wings of angels carrying your stuff to your third floor paradise.

You know you’re a college student when you find a quarter on the ground and then perform a little happy dance. You think to yourself, ‘I can finally do my laundry I’ve been putting off for a month!’ My clothes will finally stop smelling like 20 cows died in my room! Then laundry day comes, and you just remembered that you have to walk all the way down to the basement. The basement where the furniture looks like “That 70’s Show” threw up everywhere.

It’s an enjoyable experience walking down four flights of stairs over three times, carrying 60 pounds of laundry and laundry detergent. Think about those lovely, steep stairs and how many times you must have tripped on them. Now, close your eyes, and envision walking into an elevator from the second or third floor, gently placing your laundry basket beside you, breathing in that fresh scent of dirty college resonating from your clothes. The door opens, and in just a few steps you’re doing your laundry. No hassle, no out of breath ‘Oh my gosh, I might die’ thoughts; just a calm, easy feeling, knowing that you don’t have to walk up four flights of stairs to get back to your room.

Think of how much time could be saved, as well. Riding in an elevator would be much more efficient, meaning that doing your laundry would become a much faster process. This would allow students to focus more on other things, like studying. It would also increase the number of students who could do laundry in a day, because they would spend less time waiting for other people to finish.

Putting in elevators in each hall with three floors, including the basement could really benefit AC. Students with disabilities will enjoy each day a little bit more. Injured athletes would be able to heal more quickly and with less stress. Family members will enjoy visiting their little kiddos, and doing laundry won’t be like trying to climb Mount Everest.