Monday, May 9, 2011

Leinenkugel speaks on legacy

By Lauren Rothering
Editor in Chief

Thomas Jacob “Jake” Leinenkugel spoke at Saint Mary’s University about entrepreneurship and the business of brewing on April 28.

Jake is the fifth generation of Leinenkugels to act as president of Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company. Located in Chippewa Falls, Wis., Leinenkugel’s was founded in 1867 by Jake’s great-great grandfather, Jacob Leinenkugel. After starting with just one beer—now called “Leinenkugel’s Original”—the brewer now offers 11 different styles of lager, including the ever-popular seasonal selections, such as Oktoberfest and Summer Shandy.

“Beer is one of life’s simple pleasures, and most of you have done your market research,” said Jake with a laugh.

In his speech, Jake explained that the craft beer industry is different from “big beer” in many ways. Beer giants, like Anheuser-Bush and MillerCoors, control about 80 percent of the market. Imports, like Corona and Heineken, control another 10 percent, leaving just 10 percent for domestic craft beers.

Despite this, the craft beer industry is growing rapidly. According to Jake, 97 percent of all new breweries opened in the U.S. in 2010 were craft breweries. While U.S. beer sales were down in both 2009 and 2010, craft brewing sales increased dramatically.

According to Jake, a driving force behind the “renaissance of craft brewing” has been college-aged students. Because the millennial generation is always looking for variety, said Jake, they are always looking for the newest beer selection, which many times are new craft brews.

Aside from the business success of Leinenkugel’s, Jake also emphasized the company’s dedication to the environment, specifically water conservation.

Leinenkugel’s made a pledge to reduce their water usage by 50 percent over five years. Just two years into the project, they have already reduced their usage by 54 percent.

Ultimately, Jake said, Leinenkugel’s is not just a brewery—it is a family company strongly rooted in the Midwest that will never lose its hometown base.

“The story of who we are is Chippewa Falls,” said Jake. “I want Leinenkugel’s to be famous for family, friends and fun.”

SMU history will not be a mystery

By Becca Sandager
News Editor

Saint Mary’s University Class of 2011 has announced the creation of the “Heritage Project” as its senior class gift to the university. The “Heritage Project” includes a chronological mural design of SMU’s 100 years of history that will include pictures and inserts from significant SMU historical events, including a picture of the 2011 senior class.

“Currently, our campus displays almost no history about Saint Mary’s, but thanks to the class of 2011, the rich history of SMU will be proudly displayed for all students, faculty, and alumni to see and learn,” said Senior Gift Committee member, Ben Eirikson.

The “Heritage Project” will be designed by graphic design professor Brother Rod Robertson, and will measure approximately 25 x 10 feet. The mural is proposed to be located along an inside wall of the Toner Center and be in place by May 2012, just in time for the SMU Centennial celebration.

“The timing for the Heritage Project is ideal with the Centennial right around the corner,” said Eirikson. “It is a project the Class of 2011 can be proud of for years to come.”

Senior Gift Committee members have been asking for pledge commitments from the senior class to help fund the “Heritage Project.” Pledge payments do not need to be made immediately and can be done over a span of three years. Payments may also be deferred for seniors who are attending graduate school or long-term volunteering.

“I hope all seniors will pledge money to this project, which ensures SMU’s history will no longer be a mystery to the current, past and future SMU community,” said Eirikson. “The ‘Heritage Project’ is something the entire SMU community can be proud of.”

Student Life Awards given

By Emily Dee
Cardinal Staff

Saint Mary’s campus recognized seniors Hilary Ethan and Sean Ohl as the 2011 Outstanding Seniors, as well as other individuals in the SMU community for Student Life awards, according to Chris Kendall, vice president of student life.

The women finalists for Outstanding Senior were: Hilary Ethen, Jennifer Koezly, Ali Kremer, Libby Perkins and Sami Traxler. The male finalists were: Santiago Escobar, Lukas Holland, Benton Kodet, Sean Ohl, Dan Streefland and Ryan Wockenfus. Kendall said six finalists were selected for the men’s side due to a tie for the fifth spot.

According to Kendall, members of a committee selected finalists from the first round of votes from students, faculty and staff who submitted candidates’ names.

Kendall said finalists wrote an essay based on the following questions: What has an SMU education done for you? What have you done for SMU? How have you supported the mission of the university?

Students, faculty and staff voted a second time, and the committee determined the winners according to their essays, GPAs, the amount of votes and co-curricular involvement, according to Kendall.

Ethan and Ohl were chosen as Outstanding Seniors during the Founder’s Day ceremony on April 5 and will speak at graduation on May 14.

For Student Life Awards, Kendall said recipients were chosen on non-academic based criteria, unlike those recognized at the Senior Honors Banquet. Recipients of the Student Life Awards are recognized for making a significant impact on student life at SMU through co-curricular honors and accomplishments.

Kendall said Dr. Marilyn Frost, Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs, received the Brother Finbar McMullen Award. This award is given to the individual who unselfishly meets the needs of the students.

Dan Streefland, senior, was awarded the Winona Community Service Award and Santiago Escobar, junior, received the Brother James Miller Award, according to Kendall.

Other awards included were: Charlene “Char” Tjaden Outstanding Resident Assistant Award, Club and Organization Advisor of the Year, Organization of the Year, Intramural Official of the Year, Volunteer of the Year Award, Outstanding Student Senator of the Year Award, and Student Service Award.

Three's company for Traxlers

By Andrea Allis
Copy Editor

For this year only, siblings Sami, Jake and Matt Traxler all call Saint Mary’s University “home.”

Sami, a senior, said she really likes having the support of family present on campus.

“It’s fun to actually see the things they’re involved in!” she said. “I can go watch Jake run cross country or track whenever he has a home meet and I got to watch Matt play intramural volleyball.”

Jake agrees that it’s fun to support his siblings: “I've gone to more band concerts for Matt this year in college than I did in high school, which makes me feel better about how many I missed last year.”

Jake, a sophomore, and Matt, a freshman, have their own reasons for choosing SMU, but having a sibling—or two—to show them the ropes certainly didn’t hurt.

Sami said she may have had some influence on her brothers’ college decisions but did not want to pressure them into attending SMU.

“I know I had a strong opinion and said lots of positive things about Saint Mary's,” Sami said, “but I wanted it to be their own decision. I stopped talking to both of them about it once they were ready to get serious about choosing a college.”

Jake agreed, saying he would “avoid talking to [Matt] about the subject so he didn't affect [Matt’s] decision.”

But Matt admits that Sami and Jake played a large role in his college choice.

“Even if I pretended I made the decision by myself, it would be a total lie,” Matt said. “Sami and Jake always talked about all the fun they had here, and they made me really interested in the university. Whenever I came here, I felt really welcomed and I really liked the atmosphere.”

Although the Traxlers say they don’t see each other too often, they do share a few things in common at SMU. Sami and Matt are both involved in Student Activities Committee (SAC) and see each other at weekly meetings. Matt and Jake are both science majors and have a few mutual friends.

All three agree that it’s important to make a point of catching up from time to time, even if it’s only for a few minutes over lunch.

Streeflands reflect on time together

By Kassondra Burtis
Cardinal Staff

Saint Mary’s University has been called “home” by many siblings in its almost 100 years, and one of those sibling duos is a familiar name to many in the Saint Mary’s University community today – the Streeflands.

Lynn is a current co-director of Campus Ministry and Dan is a senior theology major. Both Lynn and Dan believe that having a sibling that is also a part of the Saint Mary’s community has been a great experience.

“My sister and I have been able to grow closer as siblings and have been able to enjoy many of the same experiences,” Dan said.

“For us, we are sharing some of the same experiences rather than just sharing the stories about the experiences,” Lynn added.

One of those experiences Dan mentioned was the T.E.C. – Together Encountering Christ – Retreats.

“Working closely together on T.E.C. 63 will forever be one of my fondest memories with her,” Dan said. “It has also been nice to have a family member that is always there to help out.”

Lynn and Dan have two more siblings who are between them in age, both of whom also attended SMU. Dan sees this as a positive experience that many students aren’t fortunate to be a part of.

“Not only having a sibling present during the majority of my college experience, but also having other siblings that have attended the university before me has allowed my experiences to be relatable,” Dan said. “We are able to share stories of college experiences.”

“I’ve been at SMU with both Bryan and Dan,” Lynn said. “During these times, we make an effort to have brother-sister dinners…the purpose was to spend time with each other and be there for one another.”

Lynn and Dan’s overall experiences at Saint Mary’s have been great ones that have been made even better by having someone as close as a sibling to share it with.

Ethens strengthen bond at SMU

By Andrea Allis
Copy Editor

While many Saint Mary’s University students are close with their siblings, very few can say that going away to college has made them even closer; Hilary and Dylan Ethen, however, have seen SMU bring them together.

For Hilary, a senior, this is the first year she’s spent at SMU with Dylan, a freshman, and she had nothing but good things to say about the experience.

“My favorite part about having my brother here at SMU is being able to share the college experience with him. It’s a lot of fun to play on the same sports team, go to the same events and have a lot of the same friends,” said Hilary.

Dylan said it was comforting to know that Hilary would be at school with him. Dylan said, “I knew I already had some friends here before my first day on campus.”

Their time here has only strengthened their relationship. “I feel like we’ve grown a lot closer and developed a pretty special bond,” Dylan said. “It’s nice to know that we’re always here for each other.”

Hilary and Dylan said they run into each other fairly often around campus: on the way to class, in the cafeteria, in the plaza. But they also try to set aside time to hang out. “We plan a lunch or dinner every so often, and occasionally we’ll go to a game or event on campus together,” said Hilary.

It’s clear that they both enjoy having each other around. But Dylan’s least favorite part of sharing campus with his big sister? “That everyone knows how much cooler she is than me.”

Mocklers build a stronger friendship

By Jenna Capelle
Feature Editor

The great friendship between the Mockler siblings can be seen throughout campus of Saint Mary’s University.

Michael “Mocha” Mockler, a junior, and Katherine Mockler, a freshman, were born in Worchester, Mass. and raised in Dubuque, Iowa. They both run for the Saint Mary’s University Cross Country team and Track team.

The siblings share Spanish minors but are majoring in different types of biology. Michael is an environmental biology major and Katherine is a biology pre-physical therapy major.

Michael and Katherine share some of the same friends and frequently see each other around campus because of their similar interests and activities. “I see her a lot at practice and at church,” said Michael. “Every once in a while we see each other on our own time.”

The Mocklers agree that attending SMU has made their friendship stronger. “We’re closer (now), even though we got along well in high school,” said Katherine.

Joking around as kids, the Mocklers accidently sustained some physical injuries. “When we were little, I pulled a chair out from under him and he had to get stitches in his chin,” said Katherine. Michael remembers spinning around, holding hands with his sister when she slipped from his grip, bit her lip and had to get stitches.

Michael decided on SMU because he wanted a small, Catholic school. Katherine visited her brother a few times before she chose SMU. “I wanted to go far from home, but once he had the brain tumor, it kind of put things into perspective,” said Katherine. “I wanted to be closer to him and I could run here.”

This summer, Michael will stay on campus and work for the SMU Office of Admission. In his free time, he’ll be doing field research with his favorite professor, Dr. Cochran. “I’ll be driving down to Iowa and shocking fish to study the distribution of lamprey in a river,” said Michael.

After finals are over, Katherine is going on the Serving Others United in Love (S.O.U.L.) mission trip to Montana with other SMU students. She’s hoping to volunteer at a summer camp for low-income families called the Christian Appalachian Project located in Kentucky. If she does not go to camp, she will work at Culver’s in her hometown.

Spitzmueller sisters run side by side

By Jenna Capelle
Feature Editor

The Spitzmueller sisters, Jill and Amy, are great friends who have grown closer since attending Saint Mary’s University together.

Both Jill, a junior, and Amy, a freshman, run distance for the SMU Cross Country team and Track team.

“A majority of the time we spend together is related to cross country and track practice… or with our friends on the teams,” said Jill.

The sisters, being runners, science majors, and even similar looking, caused doubt in Amy’s mind about choosing the same school as Jill. “Part of me worried that coming here would make us the same person, but I think that it’s worked out a lot better than both of us had ever imagined,” said Amy.

Jill has seen her sister grow and gain independence during her first year at SMU.

“It’s nice having someone here who understands my home life, too,” said Amy.

Besides athletics, Amy is involved with Campus Ministry’s Together Encountering Christ (T.E.C.) retreats and the Buddies program. Buddies allow students to spend an hour with disabled adults and includes activities like playing basketball or coloring, said Amy.

In her spare time, Jill is a member of the Serving Other United in Love (S.O.U.L.) Council, which plans volunteer-based mission trips for students at SMU. She also helps raise scholarship money for CTIE in Nairobi, Kenya. The money raised aids students in achieving an education degree so they can teach in their smaller tribes and villages, said Jill.

For the last few summers, Jill and Amy have gone strawberry picking in a field by their house. They’ve made it a tradition to make strawberry jam at their house by cutting and mashing the strawberries and adding sugar.

“It gets really intense” said Amy. “We’ve entered our jam into the Minnesota State Fair and have won a blue ribbon and two pink ribbons.”

However, this summer will be different than ones past for the Spitzmueller sisters. Jill has accepted a 10 week pharmaceutical internship with the University of Kentucky.

“I’ll be working on a research project of developing a better way to administer drugs,” said Jill.

Amy will be working at Metropolitan Mosquito Control near her hometown, New Brighton, Minn. “I’ll be treating water sources to reduce the number of mosquitoes,” said Amy. “I’ll also spread awareness of the possible diseases that people can get from mosquitoes.”

Although their paths will be different this summer, they are looking forward to coming back to SMU in September.

Senior Art Show on display

By Trisha Stachowski
Cardinal Staff

Part two of the Senior Art Show is currently on display in the Lillian Davis Hogan Gallery.

Senior art majors Rachel Sievers and Cody Harvey are two students who have work on display.

For Sievers, a graphic design major with an emphasis on photography, her interest in art began in high school.

She explained, “Discovering the dark room and being able to develop my own photos was an amazing experience and technique that helped me to find my love for photography.”

Sievers said finishing her artwork was a long process, but there was a reward in seeing her art hanging in the gallery.

According to Sievers, she started to prepare for the art show the first week of the fall semester and worked up to the show itself.

Sievers stated, “I think the student art show is a great way to end four amazing and crazy years of learning, experimenting, designing and finding your inner creativity.”

Harvey, also a graphic design major, was always interested in media art, animation and film. Harvey explained that preparing for the final show was his most memorable art experience at SMU.

According to Harvey, “not only do you get to show off what you are good at, you get your name put out there for potential jobs.”

Harvey said that he was both nervous and excited to have his artwork displayed in the gallery. To Harvey, the Senior Art Show gives SMU seniors who are not necessarily art majors the chance to showcase their talents and express themselves creatively.

Part two of the Senior Art Show, “Through the Lashes,” is currently on display in the Lillian Davis Hogan gallery in Toner Center. The artwork will be up until May 8.

Gaslight 2011 in review

By Alex Conover
Sports Editor

Another Gaslight has come and gone. For this writer, it was bittersweet — the show was good, but it was a little sad to watch my last Gaslight from the audience instead of the stage.

Every year, there are concerns raised about how the graduating seniors will be replaced in these sorts of shows. The great thing about Gaslight 2011 was that plenty of young talent stepped up and proved that the campus variety shows will be strong for years to come.

Best vocals — Tied between Matt Kirk (“Highway to Hell”) and Dan Streefland (“Love Shack”)
Kirk’s British swag was a great way to kick off the show. Streefland wowed me in his Gaslight debut with an impressive robotic singing/talking combination that was highly appropriate for “Love Shack” (complete with Hawaiian shirt and safari hat).

Best keyboards — Kalin Bangasser (many songs)
Bangasser held down the keyboards in the corner for several tracks, most notably in the cover of Cee-Lo Green’s “Forget You.” She proved her versatility by immediately playing a hip-hop cover afterwards.

Best drums — Rachel Lamberty (“No Scrubs”)
While her friends rocked TLC’s vocals up front, Lamberty kept the groove going with a NASTY hi-hat pattern that could only be described as mid-90’s. Ever since transferring to SMU this year, Lamberty has repeatedly impressed me with her rock-solid play on the drumset.

Best guitar — Andy Bauer (“Around the World”)
While the lead guitar was… inconsistent, Bauer tackled the incredibly tough bass groove made famous by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Look this song up on YouTube and then imagine a mere college student playing the bass part. Yeah.

Best stage presence — Ben Scott (“Wake Up”)
I admit it — I’m a sucker for songs with over 20 people on stage. I’m even more of a sucker for songs where the lead vocalist is arbitrarily beating a large drum with an angry passion. With shades of Gaslight 2008’s Flaming Lips cluster-jam, Scott looked like he could have led a revolution.

Best energy — Cook ‘Em Up (“All the Things I’ve Done”)
Following up a powerful performance at Relay for Life, SMU’s latest cover band came with a solid sequel. Rookie Tom Conry impressed on lead vocals while supplemented by the electric duo of Matt Polum and Katie Sapper on backup.

Best marriage proposal — Lance Thompson
After performing a song by a certain teenage Canadian sensation, Thompson climbed down from the stage and whipped out a ring for his girlfriend, who said yes. Massive amounts of “awww” and “oh my gosh” comments emerged from the female portion of the crowd. I have to say that this is the best wedding proposal I have ever seen at a SMU Gaslight show.

Jazz performance is a success

By Jessica LaCanne
Arts and Entertainment Editor

The Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo I performance in the Page Theatre on April 15 featured a guest soloist and was a success, according to one of the directors.

Eric Heukeshoven, music instructor at Saint Mary’s University, said he co-directed with Dr. John Paulson, who normally directs the performance.

“Jazz is a very collaborative endeavor,” said Heukeshoven. The students were very flexible and willing to make it work.

With the collaborative work of Heukeshoven, Paulson, Dean Sorensen (the trombone soloist) and the students, everything came together and worked out. According to Heukeshoven, Sorensen is the head of jazz studies at the University of Minnesota. Having Sorensen there really made the students rise to the occasion, said Heukeshoven.

“Students go away with a sense of pride and accomplishment” after performing so well, said Heukeshoven, which makes the professors happy. Heukeshoven said “it was a really nice crowd,” especially for a Friday night and with it competing with all other events.

Each semester there is a jazz performance, including a performance by the Jazz Ensemble during family weekend. There will still be another performance this semester on May 8, from 2-4 p.m. at Acoustic CafĂ©. Heukeshoven said this performance is “a lot of fun because it is a very relaxed Sunday afternoon.”

Can’t make it to a performance? The SMU Jazz Ensemble released a CD last year, called “Staycation,” that is still available for purchase. Contact either Dr. John Paulson or Eric Heukeshoven for more information.

2nd Annual Woody's Sports Awards

Male athlete of the year: Andrew Brueggen, Track and Field

Even with the Track and Field season still in progress, this pick was a no-brainer.

Brueggen, winning this award for his second straight year, earned MIAC Field Athlete of the Week for the third time this season after automatically qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the hammer throw. Brueggen also set the school record in the process.

During the indoor season, Brueggen traveled to Columbus, Ohio to compete in the Division III Indoor National Championships in the weight throw. He finished 10th in his event, which was a disappointing mark, according to him. He won a MIAC conference championship during the indoor season with a school and conference-record throw of 19.68 meters; if he would have thrown that distance during the National Championships, he would have taken home the national title.

Female athlete of the year: Sarah Gardner, Volleyball

Winning the same award for the second consecutive year, Gardner was an easy pick.

Her accolades are numerous; she was named First-Team All-MIAC, AVCA All-Central Region and Honorable-Mention All-American. She led her team in kills (429) and service aces (47). Cardinal volleyball achieved a 21-10 record, finishing just shy of the national tournament. Their season ended with a loss to Saint Benedict in the MIAC tournament.

Gardner finishes her career near the top of several school records, including third in all-time kills (1419) and fourth in kills per set (3.20).

Newcomer of the year: Austin Balko, Hockey

Balko, a freshman from Midland, Mich., did very well for the men’s hockey team in a conference that is often dominated by upperclassmen.

Balko was named to the MIAC All-Rookie Team along with being selected honorable-mention All-MIAC. He was the only first-year player in the MIAC to average more than a point per game, as he accumulated six goals and a team-high 12 assists during conference play. Balko was part of a large freshman recruiting class that will contribute to Cardinal hockey for years to come.

A few MUTS leave the pound

By Nick Bravos
Cardinal Staff

Now that spring has finally woken up from its hibernation, birds aren’t the only things flying around.

The SMU Ultimate Frisbee Club, the MUTS, hosted its third annual Hilltop Huck-A-Thon outdoor tournament recently.

While the MUTS ended up on top of the Hilltop Huck-A-Thon, it will be the last time the founders lace-up and go long. In 2007, when the MUTS became an official club, nine of the 14 original members were freshman, and since then they have been braving the rain, snow or shine together for the past four years. Over the years, the number of players steadily increased and now has a dedicated group of 25.

In the beginning, there were a handful of freshman that were invited to play in some scrimmages and pick-up games by a few other upperclassmen.

“After that, we all just loved it and ended up starting a club,” said senior captain John Delmundo. “I just love how far we've all come.”

Just last year, the MUTS traveled to Illinois for their first on-the-road tournament, and since then the growth of the team has showed more than ever.

“Now we are a legit Frisbee program that hosts tournaments and we have coordinated, strategic practices,” said senior Captain Nick Sweeney. “We have jerseys, casual apparel and travel to tournaments; on top of that, we compete at a high level.”

This year’s season is the best the MUTS have ever had in tournament play, with a final record of 34-26. The team also upset large schools to come in third in the HalloWinona tournament with a 6-1 record, and winning the Hilltop Huck-A-Thon with a 3-1 record were high points for all of the seniors this year, said Sweeney.

Although the SMU campus played host to the D-III College Conference Championships April 16 and 17, due to “some very disappointing misunderstandings and miscommunications,” the MUTS were not among the competitors to go head-to-head on the field.

“This was a huge blow to all of us; this tournament was very important to us all, not just the seniors,” senior Tim Sheedy said.

A team-wide vote was taken to decide whether to remain or withdraw as hosts for the tournament after hearing they would not be competing, and the team unanimously concluded they are to remain as the original host to better the future image of the club.

“It stings that we’re not competing in our own Conference Championships,” said Sheedy. “But still hosting the tournament will progress the image of the club and may create future opportunities.”

Next fall, however, after the seniors have left, the MUTS will be lacking the same caliber of leadership it’s been used to.

“New people are going to have to step up and become leaders of the team,” said Sweeney. “I think Santiago Escobar, Adam Billings and Tim Sheedy will be great captains who can recruit new players, and I know they will do a great job.”

After graduation this spring, the founders will part ways, leaving behind the foundation of the team, deepened friendships and unforgettable memories.

“Over the past four years we have played together, lost together, won together, traveled together, grown together, matured together and even studied together,” said senior Captain Ben Eirickson. “We’ve become arguably one of the most successful athletic teams on campus.”

Men’s hockey shares success off-ice

By Julianne Bartosz
Cardinal Staff

SMU’s men’s hockey players are often recognized for their skills on ice, but they also deserve recognition for their work off ice in the community of Winona.

These Cardinals work hard in their off season to make a difference in the SMU community. They have done so by painting two local elementary school cafeterias on Make a Difference Day, by helping sand bag for flood prevention, and by reading to elementary students. Furthermore, these skaters see volunteering as a privilege.

Hockey Captain Vince Unklesbay said, “The coaching staff does not need to twist arms to get people to volunteer, guys are usually willing to help out.”

Sophomore goalie Jason Horstman also supports the various ways that the team volunteers for its advantages on the ice. He said, “This impacts our team in a positive way. Things like this bring our team together as a group off the ice which can translate to our play on the ice.”

The men’s hockey team also included SMU in its good deeds during its first annual Teddy Bear Toss. Fans were encouraged to bring teddy bears to their game on Nov.19, 2010, against Hamline to toss on the ice after the Cardinals’ first goal.

Unklesbay said, “It was good because it made all of us want to work hard to score the first goal so we could see all the fans throw the bears on the ice. Also, from the fans’ point of view, I think they were excited to see the first goal so that they could throw stuff on the ice without getting yelled at!”

This season’s Teddy Bear Toss was so successful that the team is looking forward to doing it again next year.

Success in the classroom, too
The men’s hockey team is balancing more than just their time skating and volunteering. The team is held to certain academic expectations by their coaching staff, who has set up weekly study tables in season to ensure the team sets aside time for homework. In addition to these study tables, many of the members of the team are frequently seen in the second floor of the library.

At the beginning of the year, five men’s hockey team players received MIAC Academic All-Conference honors for their success on and off the ice for the 2009- 2010 school year.

The team also demonstrated academic success this previous semester. Both the varsity and junior varsity teams finished the semester with a cumulative team GPA above 3.00. In addition, 17 players were on the Dean’s List for first semester.

Sophomore Kevin Wentland said, “Being part of a small school has really helped me become more focused when it comes to school. I have really wanted to thank all the professors at SMU because they have been so helpful and supportive for me and many other student athletes.”

Their bonding off the ice through their time spent volunteering and their dedication to their studying had a great impact on the team. Unklesbay said, “I have never been on a team in which every guy on the team is like a best friend, but this team I feel that way. This team is special and is such a good group of guys.”

‘April Fool’s’: an editor’s take

By Lauren Rothering
Editor in Chief

The “April Fool’s” edition is a long-standing tradition among many college and university newspapers around the nation. From college to college, spoof issues are undoubtedly the most popular issues all year. Private and public, large and small, nearly every higher-education institution with a newspaper produces a spoof issue.

This year, our staff decided to resurrect the April Fool’s edition, not seen at SMU for several years. If you were to take a look around at our racks, you would see that not a single April Fool’s issue is left. However, unlike most colleges, it is not only because of the issue’s popularity.

Only a few hours after being online, the paper quickly disappeared from our Cardinal publications site. After a mere four days on the stands, the hard-copy papers were likewise pulled. Currently, there are stacks of hundreds of unread April Fool’s issues (representing hundreds of dollars from students’ activity fees) sitting idly in the Cardinal office.

It’s situations like these that make my retirement from the Cardinal more bitter than sweet. This year will be marked as one of constant struggle to produce a quality paper, while at the same time adhering to the “guidelines” of the administration. The April Fool’s issue was no different—although I received support from our advisor, Bob Conover, ultimately it was the complaints of a few SMU administrators that overpowered the positive comments and appreciation from countless SMU students, families, faculty and staff.

I can honestly say that malice was not our staff’s intent—we merely wanted to join the hundreds of other colleges and universities who poke fun at themselves each year, giving you a fun, light-hearted look at SMU in 2011. I think the pulling of this issue represents a much deeper problem that continues to plague SMU. If we refuse to make fun of ourselves, how can we really see ourselves objectively? How can we make improvements if we cannot acknowledge our own faults?

But for now, I bid the Cardinal farewell, armed with a disenchantment of bureaucracy and enough leftover Cardinals to wallpaper my new apartment.

Misato: a student's own perspective

By Julie Frederickson
Guest Writer

In 2007, I had the privilege of being an ambassador to Winona’s sister city, Misato in the Miyagi Prefecture of Japan. Within hours of arriving in the small Winona-sized city, we were immersed in the culture of Japan. A band, the mayor, seemingly half the community, and an array of gifts and performances greeted us upon arrival.

The people of Misato were eager to share their culture with us and see to it that we were comfortable and cared for. They were equally as thrilled to hear about our culture. I cannot forget the remarkable compassion within the people of Misato.

When the earthquake hit, I frantically tried to contact my two home stay companions, Azusa and Hitomi. Both remained unharmed by the Earthquake, but Hitomi lost the roof to her family home. Azusa sent me pictures of the destruction in Misato that is still to be dealt with.

Misato will forever hold a special place in my heart and I wish to extend as much help as possible to my friends and their deserving community. I hope you will join me in this campaign.

Please support Misato Relief through the purchase of a Misasto band or making a contribution in one of our Red Misato jars.

Together, we can help this town rebuild itself. For more about relief efforts taking place in the city of Winona please visit
http://misatorelief.hbci.com