Students attend diversity conference

By Samantha Borawski

Co-Editor-in-Chief

On Jan. 24-26, 2014, Saint Mary’s University students attended the Power in Diversity and Leadership Conference. St. Cloud State University and the school’s office of Multiculturalism and Inclusion host the conference. The conference helps develop personal growth and leadership for students of color and underrepresented students through workshops, keynote speakers, and programs. SMU has attended three out of the five years since the inception of the conference.

“This conference offers a powerful and unique opportunity for students who do attend a predominantly Caucasian institution, to experience a variety of cultures, activities, and ideas to bring back to their respective campuses” said senior Keotta House. 

The theme this year of the conference was: “Today’s Vision: Tomorrow’s Reality.”  There were a variety of keynote speakers ranging in ethnicity, race, and sexuality, including Laverne Cox, the star of the hit Netflix TV show “Orange is the New Black.” 

“I liked the keynote speakers because they were powerful and had experiences that related to everyone” said junior Mae Yang. “A message I took away from the speakers was that you have to know yourself before you can lead.” 

Sophomore Taylor Lehmann expressed the same sentiments that everyone is a leader. Her favorite part was seeing different cultures come together during the conference.

Senior Miles Dunna quoted a phrase that Laverne Cox said at the conference, “I am not one thing and neither are you.” 

This was also Keotta’s favorite lesson from this year’s conference. “Do not let people put you into one layer. Be who you are and all of your layers.”

Cardinal Corner hits record sales for a good cause

By Samantha Borawski

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Last semester the Cardinal Corner broke record sales when it broke even and made over $2,300, which was donated to the First- Generation Initiative at Saint Mary’s. The Cardinal Corner is an on campus store that is student run and located in the basement of the Toner Center next to the Barnes and Noble Campus Bookstore. Every semester there are new products designed and sold by the Department of Business’s entrepreneurship class, in order for students to gain hands on experience into what it is like to own and operate a small business.  Currently Professor Michael Ratajczyk is in his second semester of teaching the class. 

Some of the products that were available last semester included the red, white, and black winter hats that everyone was wearing by the end of the semester, the Pass, Shoot, Cure pink breast cancer awareness shirts, Saint Mary’s tote bags and mini footballs, and red Saint Mary’s College t-shirts.  

Sam Kleese, a junior entrepreneurship major that was a part of the Saint Mary’s College t-shirt group said overall positive things about her experience. “I learned that you really need to communicate with your 

group members and advertise not only your product but all the other groups’ products and those from previous semesters.”

Junior Luke Kubic, who was a member of the Breast Cancer Awareness T-shirts said, “The best part of the experience was working in an actual business and getting used to handling real money. Overall, we sold 80 percent of the shirts we had, which translated to over $1,000 in sales. Our group is proud and feels we were pretty successful.” The group with the most products sold was the winter hat group, which had a turnover rate of 10.4. 

Group member and senior, Jen Tobroxen, said in response to determining hats for their product, “Our team took a tour of Excel Imaging and saw the hat in the product sample room. We talked about it, looked at some prices, and asked a few people if they would be interested in it at the price we wanted to sell it for. Finally, we decided to go for it.”

This semester current students in the entrepreneurship class are excited to have the opportunity to be just as successful.  The class is in the early stages of developing product ideas and learning the ins and outs of how to run the Cardinal Corner successfully. 

“I am mostly excited to learn how to manage a small business because I would like to open my own one day. I think being able to work in the Cardinal Corner will give me the necessary experience I need for the future,” says junior, graphic design major Audrey Ferris who is a student in the current class. 

Another current student, Courtney Euerle said she too is excited to see the inner workings of a small business. “I am excited for the opportunity to see the details of what it takes to make a small business survive over the long run,” Euerle states. 

The Cardinal Corner opens this semester on February 10. Times of operation are yet to be determined.

A Trip to the Holy Land: A Reflection

By Theresa LaValla

Cardinal Contributor

      Over Christmas break I was privileged to travel with six other St. Mary’s University students, Brendon Dolan, Ellen Bergler, and students from Lewis University to the Holy Land. For ten days, we were given the opportunity to not only experience a growth in our own Christian faith but to also develop a greater appreciation and understanding for the other two Abrahamic faiths (Islam and Judaism). 

Just mere days after Christmas, we found ourselves exploring the streets of Bethlehem and visiting sites such as the Church of the Nativity and Shepherd’s Fields where the Bible says God first entered our world as an infant.

While in Bethlehem, we teamed up with our sister school, Bethlehem University, some of its faculty, and a handful of the students. We traveled together in areas of Palestine and were given a more personal look at the social injustices occurring in the area. 

We met with Palestinian women working with Catholic Relief Services to run their own businesses in hopes of providing for their families. We walked among the cluttered, crowded alleys of a refugee camp.  We drove through checkpoints in the Wall to reach certain sites, and as Americans on a tour guided bus, we were able to come and go between Israel and Palestine very easily. Our Palestinian friends, however, had to wake up hours earlier to cross through the checkpoints on foot, meeting us on the other side, with the constant uncertainty of whether they would be permitted to travel or not.

This was not the only instance in which we were allowed opportunities over the Bethlehem students. At one point, we had to leave our friends in the streets outside a temple because they were not allowed to enter, and there were Israeli soldiers stationed outside who would stop them if they tried. There was a pit in my stomach as we walked away from our friends. I didn’t feel privileged, I felt that I was being given more worth over another human being, and it made me feel sick and uneasy. It was difficult to see a land so revered for its religious significance to, not one, but three religions, in such contention.

In Jerusalem, we truly experienced the three faiths. We walked the way of Christ as we traveled the Stations of the Cross, ending on Calvary and reflecting on the suffering he endured in the crucifixion. We visited Yad Vashem, the national Holocaust museum, prayed at the Western Wall, and witnessed the joyous processions of young boys experiencing their bar mitzvahs. We woke early two different mornings in order to see the Dome of the Rock, and while we were there, we observed countless Muslims praying toward Mecca. It was such an incredible opportunity to witness such important places and practices of each religion.

From Jerusalem, we traveled north to Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee where Christ began his ministries. We all enjoyed a beautiful boat tour in the waters where he called his first disciples and celebrated mass where he multiplied the fish and loaves of bread. We read the Beatitudes on the mount where they were first preached and passed through Cana where Christ performed his first miracle, turning water into wine. We even ran into some St. Mary’s University graduates who were also staying at our guesthouse! Before we knew it, our ten days had come to an end, and we were making our long trek back across the Atlantic. 

As I reflect on our pilgrimage, I continue to think how appropriate it was for us to end in the area of Galilee and Christ’s ministries. For as pilgrims and disciples of our Lord, we are called to continue spreading the teachings and word of Christ. It is our turn to take what we have learned over in Israel and Palestine and bring it back to the United States, to campus, and educate others, to spread the message of love and bring about the end to injustices in our world.

Trip to Cuba brings samba vibe to SMU jazz

By Madeline Puppe

Cardinal Staff

Over winter break, from Dec. 15 to 21, music faculty Eric Heukeshoven and John Paulson were two of 22 musicians and composers sponsored by the American Composers Forum to travel to Cuba. The purpose of the trip was to make contact with Cuban artists in the hope of making opportunities for future collaborations, as well as to learn more about Cuban music culture and Cuban history. 

While in Cuba, Heukeshoven had the opportunity to see a rehearsal for the National Philharmonic Orchestra, and a rehearsal for the National Ballet. There were a lot of opportunities to see local music as well. Heukeshoven noted, “They are a very ethnically diverse culture and it shows in the music.” Heukeshoven was able to explore this culture by attending many workshops and listening to premier musicians and other experts lecture on Cuban percussion, culture and religion. 

As the director of the Jazz Ensemble and Combos on campus, he plans to use the information that he learned in Cuba to bring a deeper dimension to the spring concert. “I know a little more now,” said Heukeshoven. He says the concert “is my way of giving back.” The spring Jazz Ensemble concert “A Night in Havana” will be April 4, at 7:30pm in the Page Theatre. The concert will feature music directly from Cuban composers and will show aspects of Heukeshoven’s trip. 

SMU students March for Life in D.C.

By Mary Nordick 

Cardinal Staff 

The March for Life, an event that takes place every year on the anniversary of landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade,  took place on Jan. 22 across the United States as thousands of people flocked to their respective state capitals in hopes of raising awareness of the pro-life cause.  

A number of Saint Mary’s University students bundled up on the cold January day and went to Washington, D.C. to do their part in raising awareness. SMU student Lauren Salonek said “the March for Life was an amazing opportunity to come together with over 500,000 people to stand up for the dignity of life. It was absolutely freezing this year, but was worth it. The trip showed me how many inspiring people there are in this country who want to share their stories and stand up for the Pro-Life movement.” 

among those of shared belief. SMU senior Alex Davis said “the March for Life was commonly referred to as an ‘anti-abortion protest’ in the newspapers and news networks. But the March cannot be compartmentalized simply as a protest. The march was centered on the sheer joy and respect for all human life, and that we are all called to affirm the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death.”

Citizens from all over Minnesota came to speak their beliefs and come together as a community. The demonstration was meant to be peaceful in nature but still be forceful enough to bring attention to the cause, and peaceful chants and signs helped people convey their beliefs, their voices acting as an instrument to draw attention to the issues at hand. Students were able to go to the capital and march among citizens as well as fellow students. The March is also meant to serve as a means to make friends 

S.O.U.L. takes SMU students to India

By Kaeli Todd

Cardinal Staff

A group of Saint Mary’s students and faculty traveled to Madurai, India over winter break to volunteer as a part of the Serving Others United in Love (S.O.U.L.) Program. The group stayed and worked at an orphanage called Boys’ Village, which is run by the Christian Brothers in Southern India, according to SMU student Joe Graphenteen.

“There were buildings at Boys’ Village that needed to be painted so they could be rented out to people to make more money,” said Graphenteen. The group would spend about half of the day working and painting, and the other half was spent socializing and playing games with the boys who live at the orphanage. 

“The most common game we played there was soccer – those boys really love to play soccer,” said Graphenteen. “We also got to play some Indian games with them that were a lot of fun too.” 

“The boys also taught us their Tamil dancing moves,” said SMU student Miranda Halling. “We did a lot of dancing!”

Graphenteen said the volunteer experience didn’t change his view on volunteering, but reinforced it. “The reason I like to volunteer and travel on S.O.U.L. trips is because of the relationships you gain and seeing the smiles on the faces of the people you help,” he said. 

The group performed one act of service that brought smiles to a lot of faces – purchasing soccer uniforms for the boys of the orphanage..

“We purchased the jerseys as a Christmas present for the boys,” said Halling.

“I will never forget handing these jerseys out,” said Graphenteen. “There were about 60 kids, so each member of the trip got to hand out about 8 jerseys. We had all of the kids in a bunch right in front of us. They waited as we called each kid one-by-one to receive their jersey. The look of excitement in each of their eyes was an image that I will never forget.”

The students who went on the trip suggest that anyone who is interested in a S.O.U.L. trip apply to attend one.

“Time is running out to be able to travel the world,” said Graphenteen. “There is so much to see and so much to learn, and there is a lot you can learn from yourself when you step outside the box and take advantage of these trips while they are still here.”

For more information about S.O.U.L. trips, contact Campus Ministry. 

Art exhibit showcases faculty talent

By Ena Moats

Cardinal Staff

The Lillian Davis Hogan Art Gallery, located on the lower level of the Toner Center, now hosts a wide variety pieces created by Saint Mary’s own faculty including Preston Lawing, Matt Winkler, Rob McColl, Roderick Robertson, Lisa Truax, and Tony Calabrese.

Each artist has a collection of pieces displayed, some of which are cohesive and others of varying themes and mediums.  Lisa Truax commented, “The faculty show gives the opportunity to try different things and see how they’re going.”  Truax has several sculptures in the show made from different materials, including pottery from clay found in her own backyard.  All of her work, however, has a common idea of the contrast between nature and human development as explained in her artist’s statement. 

 The statements of each participant, which can be found in a folder beside the guest book at the front of the gallery, offer a new lens from which to view the art: the unique perspectives coming of the artists themselves.  A line from Rob McColl’s, “Past, present, future: all jockeying for attention with the gaze outward from the vortex,” gives insight into what his work is all about.  His painting, Annunciation: Kitchen 1990, and his mixed media piece, Annunciation 2014, created twenty four years apart, were contrived from this same idea of emergence.

Also in the gallery, the community can find iPhone photography snapshots by Rod Robertson, unaltered macro photography by Tony Calabrese, location-inspired compositions by Matt Winkler, and oil paintings based on a study abroad trip to Florence, Italy by Preston Lawing.

Senior theatre students show talent via original play

By Paul Schmitt

Co-Editor-in-Chief

The Page Theatre’s black box studio was transformed into a psychiatric ward recently for the showing of “He Who Fights With Monsters,” a play produced exclusively by Saint Mary’s University students.

Featuring senior Brian Pipal as a government inspector charged with evaluating the conditions of psychiatric wards across the country, the play focused on one hospital in particular, the director of which was performing illegal and unethical experiments on his patients.

After visiting with a couple patients and learning about their conditions, Pipal’s character comes to realize the issues inherent in treating the mentally ill and is faced with the dilemma of how to most effectively help the patients and stop the illicit experimentation.

For many of the students involved, such as playwright Alex Green, the play served as a senior project and the culmination of their studies in theatre. Due to this added importance, planning for the show began after the sophomore year of this year’s graduating class.

The involvement of so many people in the creative process did have drawbacks, however. “The initial idea was that our entire senior class would use the piece as a grad project, and so at the beginning I felt compelled to include everyone’s wishes in the script. While that made for some great characters to be studied, it also made the plot very disjointed and weak,” said Green. “In later drafts, after it was clear people wouldn’t be using the show for their projects, I was able to make adjustments in favor of a stronger storyline.”

Guiding the direction of the play, said director Lydia Munroe, was a quote from German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche: “He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you.” Because Green stepped out of the creative process once his script was finished, Munroe was largely responsible for knowing Green’s intentions regarding the play, and said that she strove to “take that knowledge and apply to the show so that all of the elements he worked on would be present and clear.”

A notable aspect of the play was the ethical issue raised about mental health treatment, though Green said that “any issues raised dealing with faults of the mental health system were secondary, at least in my mind, to the crafting of engaging characters and an entertaining story.”

Regardless, the play saw great attendance at each of its three free showings, boasting a full house for both Friday and Saturday nights.

KSMR features local musician on-air

By Paul Schmitt

Co-Editor-in-Chief

In an effort to reinvigorate Saint Mary’s University’s campus radio station, local blues musician and 2003 SMU alumnus Mike Munson was brought into the studio on Jan. 15 for a live interview and performance.

Nick Novotny, a sophomore music industry major and host of his own show dubbed “Knarly Tunez,” contacted Munson in early December about coming into the studio the following semester as a way to add something new to the station lineup.

Guest artists have been featured on KSMR in the past, but Novotny said “fans can expect to see a lot more live music on my show. I’ve actually already got Craig Weatherhead of The Weathered Heads coming in on March 12 and I am working with Twin Cities’ artist Jake Ilika about coming in as well. And the nice thing about our studio is that fans on campus can come down to the Toner basement and watch it all happen.”

Though Munson has been playing music in the area since he graduated, his popularity has seen a spike in the past couple years with a standing gig every Sunday at Ed’s No-Name Bar in downtown Winona, and, most recently, the release of a self-titled album in early November. 

Munson said on the radio show that he thought his recording process was “kind of slow,” that “it felt good to take the time and feel like we did it right.” 

His patience seems to have paid off in the form of attention from MPR’s The Current, who asked him to participate in last year’s Caravan du Nord tour, for which Munson played at SMU’s own Page Theater with Duluth-based band Southwire and the Twin Cities’ Night Moves. 

Beginning in March, Munson, accompanied by Ilika, will set off on a sixteen-stop, three-week tour out west before returning to Winona just in time for Midwest Music Fest.

Southern roots, Minnesota appeal: The Travelin’ McCourys visit the Page

By Ena Moats

Cardinal Staff

Bluegrass band The Travelin’ McCourys traveled all the way from Nashville, Tennessee to the Page Theater for the snowy Tuesday night of Jan. 21, bringing their fiddles, banjos, and foot-tapping beats along with them.  Despite the cold weather and slippery conditions, a full house greeted the group.

Band members Ronnie and Rob McCoury, sons of the iconic Del McCoury, carry on the tradition of bluegrass, a genre characterized by its complex playing of a variety of string instruments.  Bluegrass music includes a rapid tempo and twangy vocals, with acoustic instruments accompanying each other as each takes a turn with the melody. Ronnie on mandolin, Rob on banjo, Jason Carter playing fiddle, and upright bass player Alan Bartram stayed true to this style, while also making the sound their own.

“The Travelin’ McCourys have their heritage--their father, Del McCoury, is Nashville royalty.  They are now the next generation with the foundation of bluegrass and the ability to expand,” said General Manager of the Page Theatre Patrick Grace.

The Travelin’ McCourys will tour throughout the United States during the year, the Page Theater being one of their first stops.  With so much time spent together on the road and the stage, bassist Alan Bartram made clear that a good group dynamic is “very important.  The less tension on the stage, the better we play.”

The band members, along with Del McCoury, also make up the grammy nominated group The Del McCoury Band, recognized on Sunday, Jan. 26 at the 56th annual Grammy Awards for their album, The Streets of Baltimore.

Column: Hey, Beautiful, redefining beauty

By Allison Christensen

Cardinal Staff

My name is Allison Christensen and after three years of struggling with anorexia and calorie counting I am finally able to say: I am beautiful. 

The moment that defined the end of my struggle occurred during Blue Angel 2013. I was having fun with my friends and listening to all the awesome music when a thought struck me: “Who cares?” Who cares if my stomach isn’t perfectly flat or if my thighs don’t have a gap? 

For years I felt like everyone was scrutinizing my every flaw. But there’s so much more to care about: music, art, travel, school, work, relationships. Life is too short and too busy to be constantly worrying about how many calories are in this food, how many calories have I eaten today, what I look like, and “am I fat am I fat am I fat?” Who cares? Stop worrying about it. Embrace what makes you YOUnique. Do the things you enjoy and have fun! This is the best way to find your moment, the moment that turns your negative body image into a positive one. 

I want to help myself and others live a  happy and healthy life instead of going to dangerous lengths to achieve the impossible beauty standards defined by the media. In December, with the help of my excellent Principles of Marketing professor, Steve Bachler, I started a blog about positive body image. You can find it online at hey--beautiful.blogspot.com. I will be writing about body image issues here in the Cardinal every month, but if you want to read more (and see cool videos that I can’t put into print) please check it out and tell your friends! You will also find links to my Tumblr and Twitter there. 

Let’s write a new definition of beautiful: natural, comfortable, and healthy!

Movie Review: Disney’s “Frozen” warms hearts

By Elizabeth Hayes

Cardinal Staff

“Frozen,” which won Best Animated Feature at the Golden Globes, hit the big screen on Nov. 27, 2013 and since then it’s been the comedy-adventure of the year.  

Disney has really outdone itself when it comes to this musical feature starring Kristen Bell as Princess Anna and Idina Menzel as Queen Elsa.  In the movie, the kingdom of Arendelle is trapped in an eternal winter and the only person who can bring back summer is Elsa, who runs away to isolate herself.  Because of this, Anna braves the perilous weather to not only save the kingdom itself but her sister, the Snow Queen, as well.  Along the way she teams up with a daring mountain man, Kristoff, and his trusty sidekick, Sven the reindeer, for an epic journey.  Encountering Olaf the humorous snowman, magical trolls, and enduring harsh winter conditions, Anna and Kristoff battle to free the kingdom from the icy spell and bring Elsa home.  

“Frozen” is unstoppable overall with a not-so-typical villain, awe-inspiring songs, and a relatable tale of two sisters that demonstrate feminine power. Personally, I debated on seeing it myself but after hearing such great things about “Frozen,” I decided upon watching it.  I had no regrets. Whether a child or adult, one will be blown away with this traditional and not-so-traditional Disney princess movie. 

One of the best features of “Frozen” is the soundtrack.  With actors and actresses with such charming voices and a delightful plot to match the upbeat songs, it’s no surprise that the soundtrack was so rewarding. This icy movie will warm the hearts of children and adults alike.   

Team building: Men’s basketball

By John Kaiser

Cardinal Staff

The Saint Mary’s men’s basketball team has struggled to find wins this season. This season can best be described as a rebuilding year: new coaching staff, young players, and not one senior on the roster. 

Wylie Ferron, a freshman, said that the team is competing and getting better every game, with hopes of winning conference games over the second half of the season. Ferron believes that the team will keep improving enough so that in two years, they will be competing for a playoff spot. 

Despite struggling to win games this season, Ferron said that there are some positives that can help the team in the future. Amongst them are the competitive spirit and strong defense style that the team plays.

“There is a lot of potential for the future,” says Ferron. For a team that has had many changes in the past year, it seems that this year could be deemed a rebuilding year. Perhaps the biggest change was bringing in new Head Coach Jamison Rusthoven and Assistant Coach Zach Malvik. Ferron described the coaching staff as “excellent.”

Ferron also noted that the team is rather small. Ferron said that this could pose a problem on the court. The best way to improve is for the players to lift and work on their game over the summer. 

The team has no seniors currently, and often that can be difficult to overcome. However, Ferron also mentioned that everybody brings different leadership skills to the team and that there is good chemistry amongst the players. 

With the team rebuilding and having a strong core of young players, this season has been a rebuilding process. How good the team will actualy be in the future remains unknown, but according to Ferron the future looks bright for the men’s basketball team. 

Women’s basketball: Soaring to new heights

By John Kaiser

Cardinal Staff

After having one of their best years, the Saint Mary’s women’s basketball team has come back with an encore this season. In fact, this is a team that was just recently ranked nationally. 

Octavia Brown, a junior, has said that the team has done really well this season and they keep growing. That says a lot for a team that is number one in conference and looking at making the playoffs for the third straight year. 

The team has numerous strengths. Brown said, “The biggest strength is the toughness and ‘never give up attitude’ the team has come to embrace.” Brown said that even if the team is losing, they do not quit. However, Brown noted that there is one major weakness this team has. Often towards the end of the first half they seem to slow down, and Brown said that they need to play better so that they do not have a hole to dig out of in the second half. 

For a team that only has two seniors, many of the younger players have had to step up with their leadership. Brown said that there are a lot of juniors and sophomores who have helped out with leadership roles for the team.  

One may wonder how good the team is going to be in the future, and Brown said that it’s a really strong program and it will probably 

be good in the future. She also said that the sky is the limit for this team.

Expect to see this team make some noise when the playoffs roll around. For a team that has one loss, and sitting atop the number one seed in conference, it would be fair to say that this team is going to go far in the playoffs. 

Women's Hockey Season update

By Keotta House 

Sports Editor 

The second half of the season is looking bright for the Saint Mary’s University women’s hockey team. The lady Cardinals have stepped into the second half of the season as if they were a brand new team. 

“We lost a game 5-1 to Lake Forest where we were up 1-0 going into the third and gave up five goals in a row,” said Assistant Coach Greg Moore. “I think all the girls hit rock bottom and from there they changed,” said Moore.The women’s hockey team answered the Lake Forest loss by winning two games in a row and picking up the pace of the team. 

“Since break we have been able to come together as a team with a common goal for the rest of the season,” said junior forward Kelly Seymour. Perhaps the team’s newfound chemistry has boosted their shots on goal and the intensity level not only in the locker room, but also on the ice.

  
“Our mindset now is to focus on one game at a time, playing a full 60 minutes, and turning the season around to make playoffs,” said Seymour.

The team is hoping the positive and focused attitude will bring the team up high enough that they can defy all odds and finally make the playoffs.

Even though the team has picked up the pace they still have a lot of hockey to play for the season with teams such as St. Olaf College on January 31 at home. They also have Hamline University coming up at home on February 21. That game will be extra special and emotional for the team because it also doubles as the team’s senior day where they will celebrate and send off five of their senior players.

In the mean time, the team hopes not to look too far ahead into the future and they are hoping to take the rest of the season one step at a time.

Other games to look forward to for the women’s hockey team are back-to-back “Pink the Rink” games against Concordia College February 14 and 15.

Column: Joe Knows Sports

By Joe Miskowic

Cardinal Staff

With the Super Bowl coming up, all the hype seems to be on either what the weather is going to be like or whether Richard Sherman is a thug or not.  Regardless of either of these, there is going to be a football game and it is going to be a good one. The leagues No. 1 offense versus the No. 1 defense should make things very interesting. 

The forecast for the game looks to be somewhere in the lower 30s with a possibility of rain and snow.  The coldest Super Bowl temperature at kickoff was 39 degrees in New Orleans in Jan. 1972.  

This year, Peyton Manning looks to shut up any critics that say he cannot win big games and Russell Wilson looks to become possibly the most successful quarterback through his first two seasons.  

Manning, who threw an NFL-record 55 touchdowns in the regular season, seems to have the edge in this game in my opinion. The Broncos simply have too many weapons to beat the Seahawks.  Although we all know Manning can throw seven touchdown passes in one game, if the Broncos focus on their running game it will keep the defense guessing and lead them to a big victory.

Wilson already has the most wins (27) by a quarterback through his first two seasons. The Seahawks won’t have the “12th man” at MetLife stadium, which has helped them be so dominant at home through the year.  

I think if the Seahawks have a chance at winning, it will have to be from not only the “Legion of Boom” secondary causing turnovers but also Marshawn Lynch going “Beast Mode” as he has done in past playoff appearances.  

In the end, I believe this will be an exciting high scoring game with Broncos beating the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII 34-27.