Cardinal baseball back in season

By Cale Pieczynski

Cardinal Staff

Saint Mary’s University’s baseball team is working hard toward the launch of their season in hopes of repeating their appearance in last year’s Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) tournament. 

In 2012, the Cardinal baseball squad had one of its best seasons of the past decade finishing 22-20 overall while earning a tournament birth. The Cardinals seemed to have surprised many teams around the MIAC with their first conference tournament appearance since 2002.

“We don’t stress worrying about the outcome, we like to focus more on the process (practices, team energy, etc.),” said Head Baseball Coach Nick Winecke. “If we do that, the results will handle themselves.”

The Cardinals are picked to finish sixth in the MIAC, according to the 2013 MIAC Baseball Preseason Coaches’ Poll.  This low rank is an extra motivator for the team. 

The team’s main motto or slogan for this season is W.I.N., which stands for “What’s Important Now.” 

Looking back on the 2012 season, the Cardinals’ biggest Achilles’ heel was their pitching staff, which finished last in the MIAC in team ERA and runs allowed. This year, however, the pitching staff is looking to improve by adding eight freshmen pitchers, losing nobody to graduation and having a different mindset of focusing on the process rather than the outcome. The 2013 pitching staff is led by a core group of five upperclassmen, including last year’s emerging ace senior Teddy VanRanst.

Along with the pitching staff, the Cardinals are also excited to be returning two-thirds of their starting lineup in the field.  This lineup includes three juniors who earned 2012 All-MIAC honors: designated hitter Jon Schlemmer, first basemen Kevin Gannon and second basemen Paul LaNasa. 

“We have a lot of guys that do a lot of things that don’t show up in the box score of a game,” said Coach Winecke. “And they’re ultimately the reason why our team is successful, because they compliment everyone else.”

The 2013 Cardinals are determined and ready for the season to begin as they try to build on a successful 2012 campaign. With the mindset of focusing on what’s important now and not looking too far ahead, there’s no telling how far the Cardinals will go. 

Dread exercising no more!

Zumba and yoga offer alternate workout options at SMU

By Corrine McCallum

Cardinal Staff

Not part of a sports team? Don’t enjoy engaging in running countless miles to lose that freshman fifteen you may have gained? Getting in shape does not have to be tedious or boring; it can be fun and enjoyable! A common way young adults are staying in shape these days without the endless amount of time on the treadmill is by joining classes that include the highly popular zumba and yoga exercises.

Zumba is an easy and fun way to get your heart rate up. It involves doing different dances that get the core and leg muscles moving, which you may not be able to work out by just simply running. Zumba classes are offered at fitness clubs, community centers and even here at Saint Mary’s. Zumba Club is open to SMU students on Monday and Wednesday nights. 

Sophomore Andrew Lee is an avid zumba participant at Saint Mary’s. He said, “I enjoy zumba because I like to dance. I would rather do zumba because it’s fun to have fun working out and having an exercise seem like it’s not an actual gear-grinding workout.”

Yoga is also seen as an enjoyable way to work your body in different ways. Yoga is a little different than zumba or just working out. Yoga includes stretches of the body that range from easy to complex. It also is used to control breathing habits and relax one’s mind and body. 

“Yoga is a relaxation and a way for me to escape reality and be with my thoughts,” said Mary DeBartolo, a sophomore student-athlete. “It helps me with my flexibility for other sports and helps to calm me down after a long day or hard week.”

Working out does not have to be a chore anymore, or something that is dreadful. With creative and amusing new workout plans, getting that perfect beach bod for the hot summer season is easy and fun!

Saint Mary’s adds two new science majors

By Megan Hafner

Cardinal Staff

Saint Mary’s University’s science department has added two new majors in radiography and echocardiography that will be offered in affiliation with Mayo School of Health Sciences.

Students who want to major in radiography will work with ionized radiation creating x-rays, CTs, and MRIs to further their education and become a radiation therapist. Students who want to major in echocardiography work with cardiac ultrasounds, which use non-invasive procedures to look at a patient’s heart to see if the blood is flowing correctly and if the muscle is working. 

The Mayo School of Health Sciences programs allow students to experience classroom lectures, lab settings and clinical practice with patients. Both programs accept students based on the outlook of the need in the workforce and the amount of outside experience with patient care.

Director of the Allied Health Program at Saint Mary’s Dr. Jeanne Minnerath said, “I would encourage students to take more classes before entering these programs to better prepare themselves for the future and become more competitive when it comes time to apply.”

These programs are part of two-plus-two year and two-plus-three year programs. This means that students will take science and math courses, as well as general education requirements, for two or three years at Saint Mary’s and then apply for one of these two programs at Mayo. Once students graduate from these programs, they will receive their bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s.

The radiography program is 62 credits and the echocardiography program is 66 credits.    

Finding faith through Lent 4.5

By Carissa Hahn

Cardinal Staff

A seven-week faith program called Lent 4.5 will be offered on campus through the Office of Campus Ministry (OCM) during the Lenten season and will focus on creating a more sustainable world. 

The purpose of the program is to give participants the opportunity to pray, fast, give alms and become more environmentally aware through their faith, said OCM Director Chris McLead.

“Faith has something to say about the environment,” said McLead. “College students can make personal changes within themselves and make a difference.” 

The program will be open to all students and is scheduled to start on Feb. 13 and run until Easter. 

This will be the second year of Lent 4.5 at Saint Mary’s, but this year there are two different types of groups offered. One group is Catholic based, and the second will be a Christian, multi-denominational group.  

McClead said that the plan is to incorporate at least three large group action steps based on volunteering or performing environment-related service projects. 

The name of the group relates to the idea of our world becoming more sustainable. “There are about 7 million humans on the planet, if we divided the usable planet evenly, every person would be entitled to 4.5 acres,” said McClead.

Students who are interested should use this link to indicate which group they would like to participate in: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/lent45. Students are encouraged to sign up before Feb. 6. 

New crucifix completes work on Saint Thomas More Chapel renovation

By Samantha Herbst

Cardinal Staff

The Saint Thomas More Chapel renovation was finally completed on Oct. 1 with,a 352 pound, 62 by 51 inch, bronze crucifih. 

The crucifix was created by artist Alec Smith,  who started to work on it in March of 2012. Smith also painted the images of our Patroness, Mary, and Saint John Baptist de La Salle, which were in place when the renovated chapel was unveiled last spring.

Liturgical designer for the chapel renovation Father Jim Notebaart sought Smith for the project after seeing his paintings and sculptures for the Church of the Holy Redeemer in Marshall, Minn.

The manufacturing process of the bronze cross is complex and.time consuming, said Smith. First, a clay sculpture is made then a shell of wax, and a hard shell over the wax is applied over the clay. Smith compared this last part to a chocolate Easter bunny. Then, the wax is melted creating a space where the molten bronze is poured. After this, the bronze sculpture must go through a heating process before the final finish can be applied to its surface.

Smith, a University of Minnesota graduate, currently lives in Saint Paul, Minn., and has been working as an artist in multiple media since 2005.

Smith said, “It has been a tremendous pleasure to work with President Brother William Mann and his immediate staff as well as all the others at Saint Mary’s whom I came in contact with while working on this project. I am fascinated by the concept of sacred space and the objects within that can help facilitate a spiritual experience. It has been an honor for me to be part of this stunning renovation.”

More details about the work that Smith did for our chapel are featured on his website, www.alecmsmith.com.

SMU updates attendance policy

By Regina Barbosa

News Editor

The Saint Mary’s University attendance policy has been updated to include more detail on procedures for absence due to personal health and well-being.

The updated policy includes typical reasons for absence, procedures for accommodating of absences and procedures for documenting absences.

The policy states: absences related to health and well-being may include responsible rest and seclusion during illness, medically recommended activity limitation due to injury, participation in a funeral or memorial service related to a death in one’s immediate family, participation in ordered Emergency Responder or military training or service, participation in observances of their faith (e.g., Ramadan, Passover) and unavoidable engagement of Residence Life staff in their duties (e.g., attending to emergency situations).

The policy also states, “Accommodations such as make-up work, due date extensions and exemption from a performance related to such absences are not required, but may be requested at the discretion of the student and granted at the discretion of the instructor.” Requests for accommodation should be made in advance when possible, according to the policy.

“Students must also notify the Student Success Center of absence,” the policy states. “And provide any documentation that office may require to confirm that the absence is or was necessary for the student’s health and well-being.” After that, the Student Success Center will electronically send confirmation forms to the student’s instructors, according to policy.

The previous attendance policy had one paragraph on the subject, and the newer attendance policy includes four.

Brother Leopold Hall, so far, students pleased with new hall

By Alexi Lund

Feature Editor

Brother Leopold Residence Hall’s different options for living arrangements and new features appeal to students, according to two of the building’s first-ever residents.

With a semester into the year already, residents have experienced all the perks of living in Brother Leopold, which include large, comfortable common areas, study rooms, computers and printers, flat screen TV’s, fireplace, big kitchen and cardio room.

“The thing I like best about Brother Leopold is that it is a dorm building, but also has an apartment kick – it feels very homey,” said sophomore Mary DeBartolo.

The idea of having different options for living arrangements is one of the building’s main appeals to students. Brother Leopold has a variety of different set-ups compared to other dorms on campus including singles, apartment-style rooms, triples or Gilmore-style housing.

“I wanted to live in brother Leopold to have the luxury of a brand new building [and] the idea of having three separate rooms was appealing to me,” said junior Tina Valle.

As a student ambassador, Valle hosts and entertains prospective students who come to visit SMU. “I like hosting a lot more in Brother Leopold because there is more room for more prospective students,” said Valle.

With all the common spaces available to students in Brother Leopold, some rarely leave to go to the library. Both Valle and DeBartolo agreed that the study rooms were very convenient compared to the usual trek to the library to fight for study space. The new study rooms in Brother Leopold are equipped with flat screen TV’s, comfortable chairs and access to a computer and a printer. 

“I get a lot of my work done in there and it’s almost like having your own room in the library without having to leave your dorm,” said DeBartolo.

With a new building, comes new technology. Brother Leopold uses student ID’s to get access into the building, where other buildings require a metal key. 

“I like the ID keycard better because I carry my ID with me everywhere, so it’s convenient to not have to carry more items with me,” said DeBartolo. “Plus, it’s easier and quicker to get into the building during cold times like we’ve been having.”

In the first semester of a new building, improvements inevitably will be proposed. Valle, DeBartolo as well as Brother Leopold Resident Assistant Riley Sinn had a few suggestions, which included moving the garbage cans closer to the building, more accurate ventilation systems and desks that are equipped with shelves or drawers to put school materials.

With student housing registration around the corner, students should keep in mind all the perks and benefits that come with living in Brother Leopold.

Lack of snow puts breaks on cross country skiing

By Midge Reller

Cardinal Staff

Winona’s erratic winter temperatures and little snowfall have had a substantial impact on outdoor activities, specifically cross-country skiing.

“We have one of the best trails in Southern Minnesota,” said Br. John Grover. “A lot of people come here from La Crosse, Rochester or the Twin Cities if they have bad snow because we have such a good trail.”

Although his primary job at the university is working with computers in the IT department, Grover also works in the Environmental Awareness Center and has provided the facility with outdoor equipment. 

“I’ve been doing this for about 45 years. I don’t get money for it, this is just something I do because I like the outdoors and I like to share it with people,” he said.

According to Grover, a lack of snow has made the trails more difficult for skiers. “We have machines that go around and make grooves for skiers to use—to make cross-country skiing a little easier—but the snow isn’t deep enough for us to use the machines that make the grooves,” Grover explained.

“Winona has a lot of very avid skiers out every day that use our trails. There’s probably a group of maybe 30 Winona people, plus the Winona High ski team, that use the trail every day, but with these conditions right now aren’t really safe for the average skier,” said Grover. 

Snow has made a great difference in the amount of skiers using the trails, said Grover “Last year, on a nice weekend, we’d probably have a hundred people or more out on the trail per day. This is probably the worst year since I’ve been here,” he said.

Outdoor Leadership Coordinator Gary Borash has provided opportunities for students to get involved in a wide range of outdoor activities for the past two years. Although there may still be plenty of outdoor activities available for students this winter, a lack of snow has caused Borash to cancel two ski races, which were originally scheduled for Dec. 16 and Jan. 27. Borash said, “We’re still hopeful that we can have our ski race on Feb. 17.”

According to Borash, “The snow that the high school ski team has been using was artificially made, and they were able to manually cover a loop back in Yon’s valley with it. It’s a lot harder for cross-country skiing to be fun and interesting when it’s just a little loop, though.”

In addition to skiing, lack of snow has inhibited a few other winter activities. “Since there hasn’t been snow, I can’t plan snow activities and there are fewer people doing things like sledding and snowshoeing,” said Borash.

Despite the current weather conditions, both Grover and Borash are optimistic about snow in the near future. “As soon as we get some snow we’ll get people out,” said Grover. “Maybe in a week or so we’ll get a good snow and be able to ski for a month.” 

“I would love to see snow so we could get skiers out on the trails again,” said Borash. “We also have sleds and snowshoes that haven’t been used last year or this year, and I would love to see it work out for people to be out skating on Yon’s field where they’ve been trying to make an ice rink,” said Borash.

Weather permitted, students can go to the Environmental Awareness Center to rent equipment, free of charge, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on weekends.       

“There’s no better exercise than cross-country skiing,” said Grover. “Students wait until their senior year to go out and try it and they think, ‘why didn’t I do this when I was a freshman?’”

‘Canada nice’ not much different than ‘Minnesota nice’

By Keotta House

Cardinal Staff

Saint Mary’s University is like a quilt with many different patches binding the university together. If a person on the outside were looking, they would see a section on the quilt with many different flags representing the different nationalities of the international students. When many people think of the term “international student” they often look to other continents, but SMU houses international students from our northerly neighbors in Canada.

Many people who have never been to the “true north” may believe that the two countries are very different. However, according to Calgary, Alberta, native sophomore Greg Gardiner, there is not that much of a difference. 

“The difference between Canada and America is minimal, especially in Minnesota.  Minnesota nice and Canadian nice are pretty close to one another,” Gardiner said. “Except Canada might win by a slight amount. Minnesota should really just think about joining onto Canada as another province.”

Every culture has its own customs and traditions, and Gardiner said some of the most noticeable differences are holidays.

“Our Thanksgiving days are somewhat different,” he said. “Americans celebrate Thanksgiving in November. We, Canadians, celebrate it in October. Also we celebrate Boxing Day, which is basically the Black Friday of Canada, on Dec. 26.”

The hard transition has been nearly non-existent for Gardiner because, according to him, there really was no language barrier and SMU has been a very welcoming community. 

“Having a hockey team really helped me to feel welcome,” said Gardiner. “Coming into the school without knowing anybody was kind of scary, but when I was introduced to all the other international students, as well as having an entire hockey team, I managed to fit in pretty quickly.”

SMU students from Saudi Arabia experience cultural differences

By Allison Christensen

Cardinal Staff

Moving to college is typically a big step for everybody, especially if you are coming to Minnesota from Saudi Arabia. This is exactly what Mohammed Hadi and Anas Almowallad, two English as a Second Language (ESL) students did.  

Most people would agree that moving to college, usually hours from home, with new people and more responsibilities can be a stressful rite of passage. Imagine moving halfway across the world to go to college! Both students chose to come to the United States because of the high quality education and the opportunities that would arise in Saudi Arabia for English speakers.

Besides the language barrier, there were many other cultural differences that Hadi and Almowallad had to adjust to when they arrived in America. 

“Women can drive in the United States, but not in Saudi Arabia,” said Almowallad. “In Saudi Arabia, all people are Muslims; but, in the United States, there are many different religions.” 

Almowallad said another difference is that alcohol is illegal in Saudi Arabia, but not in the U.S.

“I enjoy having many friends from many countries. I also like seeing the change of seasons, especially winter,” said Hadi. “I have never seen snow before and in Saudi Arabia we don’t notice the leaves change color in the fall as much as we notice it here in the United States.”

Learning a second language has its pros and cons. “I like the way that the teachers here use technology to teach and the length of classes,” said Almowallad. 

Hadi said, “I don’t like getting a lot of homework, but I like the teachers and students here; they are friendly.”  

Almowallad and Hadi agree that studying in America has been a great experience thus far. 

Almowallad said, “There is nothing I hate about St. Mary’s. I can’t say if there is a specific experience that is my favorite, but the most obvious one is that everybody around the campus wants to help me learn the English language.”

Vietnamese student gets involved at SMU

By Mary Nordick

Cardinal Staff

Saint Mary’s has a great reputation of being a culturally diverse community that encourages all students to get involved with many different activities in order to get the full college experience.

“Saint Mary’s does [really] well recognizing culture,” said Minh Nguyen, sophomore resident assistant (RA) in Saint Benilde Hall. “My friends don’t look at me with different eyes; they just look at me as a friend.”

Nguyen is from Vietnam and has “felt very welcomed on campus. “I [think] that I really fit in because the people here are very accepting,” said Nguyen.

Nguyen is an example of a student who is involved in a variety of campus activities. In addition to being an RA, Nguyen is also a centennial student leader and a member of both the Saint Mary’s choir and The Oldie Moldies.

“It’s a balancing act between schoolwork, being an RA and other activities,” said Nguyen.  With a busy schedule, “I always make sure to find time for school and time for fun,” said Nguyen. 

Being an RA also requires Nguyen to be a leader and set an example. “I like to be pretty chill, relaxed and have fun with my residents,” said Nguyen. 

Battle of the Bands scheduled to take over the Page

By Anna Segner

Cardinal Staff

Five bands will be competing in the Battle of the Bands at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Page Theatre. 

Each of the five bands will play a set of four songs, mostly cover songs, with at least one original song. The judges panel will include four SMU faculty members and four students. The bands are competing for cash prizes: $550 for first place, $200 for second place and $100 for third place. The winner of the competition also gets an automatic spot to perform at the centennial student celebration.  

This year, Student Activities Committee (SAC) is taking the battle to the Page Theatre. The new venue for the competition will bring a new light to the performance. Mike Miller, SAC member in lead on making Battle of the Bands possible, said, “The venue will be more formal, but in a good way, because if you want to be an active crowd you can, but you can also sit and watch.” 

The Page Theatre will offer “a better production and better sound qualities” for the performance, said Director of Student Activities Lance Thompson. The first Battle of the Bands competition was in the spring of 2002, which was Thompson’s freshman year at Saint Mary’s.  

On the new venue for the battle, Thompson said, “I think it will bring a lot more respect to the show, and we are hoping for more diverse group trying out to get the battle built up again in the future.”

Since this is the first time for the Battle of the Bands to take place at the Page Theatre, there will be SAC members in security shirts available to answer questions and make sure everything goes smoothly. “We are very appreciative that the performance center is allowing SAC to use their facilities” (Thompson).

Miller said, “The bands are all talented, with a wide variety. There’s acoustic to rock to punk to a jazzy blues sound.” 

The first band on the stage will be Jake Bruce and Petey Brown’s band Pseudo Sonic Motion, which will be playing punk pop music. The second band on stage will be the punk band, FNL Delivery Service, with Doug Leonard and Clinton Nienhaus. Third to take the stage will be John Fitzpatrick and Josh Carlson’s System of a Down cover band. The fourth band will be Trevor Woggon and Charlie Keyes’ classic rock band, Half & Half. Last to take stage will be the Ryan Weis and Tim Ellis’ band, Plaza Kings, with their pop ballads. 

“There will be a nice variety of music and the opportunity to see peers in a different setting,” said Miller.

Doors will open at 6:45 p.m. for the 7 p.m. performance.  There is noc ost to attend the event.

The Hornheads to perform at SMU

By Josh Carlson

Cardinal Staff

Most recognized for their tour with Prince and the New Power Generation, the Hornheads are much more than a talented group of horn players; they have performed over two million concerts in over 20 countries and, on Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m., they will be performing at the Page Theatre.

In addition to Prince, the Hornheads have also been featured on national and international artists’ albums such as Carmen Electra and the Jonas Brothers. They have performed with artists such as Janet Jackson, Rod Stewart and Lenny Kravitz, along with several others, as show players. 

The members of the group consist of trombonist Michael Nelson, trumpeters Steve Strand and Dave Jensen and saxophonists Kenni Holmen and Kathy Jensen. 

When performing as an ensemble they bring a distinguishing finesse to their jazz and funk music. Q Magazine reviewed the Hornheads while they worked with Prince. “The row of horns punching with a staccato precision beyond the grasp of science or Synclaiver,” said Q Magazine. 

Movie Review: ‘V/H/S’ rates a 6.0

By Petey Brown

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Looking for a movie on Netflix Instant Queue that will scare, entertain and confuse you? Well look no farther than the found footage film, V/H/S. 

V/H/S is based around the style of a found footage film, where the movie takes place from the first person perspective of a video camera.  Such famous films that also do this are Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield.  The plot is based around a group of misfits who film themselves causing havoc and crime for money.  They receive a new job from an unknown group and are asked to acquire a rare VHS tape.  Though, the story doesn’t really begin until they find the tape.

The film consists of six found footage videos that the misfits find in an abandoned house.  The films do not really fit together that well, which can be confusing while watching.  Each film is about 15 minutes long and follows a new set of characters.  

The short films were enjoyable because the stories were interesting and not long enough to get boring.  The films each had different stories as well, so the movie did not feel repetitive. However, the movie seemed random at times.  Each different film was interesting in itself, but it did not help the film progress at all. 

The film was enjoyable, but there was hardly a story involved besides the six random movies.  It gets a six out of ten stars, which was also common from most of the movie’s reviews. 

If you want a horror movie with some cool gory scenes, suspense and no plot, then V/H/S is your movie. It is worth a one-time watch with some friends to help cure a boring night. Check it out if you have Netflix Instant Queue on a computer or a video game system.

Quarter Sale gives back to community via thrift

By Paul Schmitt

Cardinal Staff

The Winona Volunteer Services’ (WVS) Clothes Shop held its monthly Quarter Sale on Jan. 25 with every item in the store priced at only 25 cents. 

The sale, which runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the 25 of every month, offers reduced prices that benefit WVS in quite a few ways. 

“To have a monthly sale that reduces our inventory is helpful because we do get quite a bit of items in,” said Sandra Burke, executive director of WVS and SMU class of ’81 graduate. “The sale also helps boost our income, because we can gain anywhere from $700 to $900 in that day.”  

Such a raise in income is crucial to a non-profit organization like WVS.  All the money made  from the Quarter Sale and from day-to-day sales goes right back into the operating expenses. “We not only run a food shelf program, but we’ve got client education programs, we run the home-delivered meals program and other emergency assistance,” Burke said. 

With prices so low, the sale also acts as a marketing piece for the organization.  “With the competition we have, it helps us attract customers that may not have known about us,” Burke said.

Burke encourages students to shop at The Clothes Shop for inexpensive clothing, as well as donate extra or unused apparel. “We appreciate the folks who reuse and re-wear these items,” she said.

For many, these prices mean a new wardrobe.  SMU junior Samantha Casillas said she “loves that there are always new items in stock even if they are old.”

Among her favorite finds is what she describes as a “Dr. Mutter sweater.”

The Clothes Shop is located at 416 E. Second St., Winona, Minn.  More information is available at WinonaVS.org.

Movie Review: Tarentino strikes gold with ‘Django’

By Brian L. Thomas

Cardinal Staff

Much of America’s past dating back to the 19^th century has left some deep wounds in the hearts of many citizens. When addressing the sensitive and controversial issue of slavery in America, most would rather avoid the topic in fear of being offensive or politically incorrect. 

Director Quentin Tarentino (Pulp Fiction) overcomes this fear for all American moviegoers by tackling the issue of slavery in America with his latest film, Django Unchained, starring Jamie Foxx, Christopher Waltz and Leonardo Dicaprio. 

Django, the main character, is played by Foxx with incredible intensity and bravado. After being freed from slavery, he joins Dr. Schultz (played by Waltz) on a fantastical and heroic adventure of bounty hunting. Written and produced by Tarentino, the film does not make an attempt to skirt around the cultural problems of the time period as both Django and Dr. Schultz encounter the viscous racism of the 19^th century South. 

What truly contibutes to the film’s success is Tarentino’s ability to humor audiences with ironic and often sarcastic situations. He does not attempt to dumb down the cultural and ethical issues of slavery. In fact, he does the exact opposite, which permits audiences to see the clear absurdity and feel comfortable. 

With explosive performances from Foxx, Waltz and Dicaprio, Django Unchained just might be the best movie of the year. 

Fireside hosts a mix of performances

By Petey Brown

Arts & Entertainment Editor

The sisters of the music fraternity Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI) selected acts for the acoustic/coffee shop show called Fireside, which will take have two sets on Feb. 8 and 9 at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. in the Common Room.

“There are many more and different types of people interested this year than any other year in being a part of the show,” said Fireside Co-Chair and SAI sister Jessica Ingvalson.

The auditions took place Jan. 25-26 in the Phi Mu Alpha room in the Toner basement. Prospective performances were judged 

by five students and two SMU faculty mem-

bers.  Each show will have 12 acts per set.  

“The acts that tried out involved a lot more people than the normal two to three people acts,” said SAI sister Kalinn Bangasser.  “Some acts that tried out had five or more people, which was very cool to see.” 

The tradition of pie being served at intermission will continue, offering audience members French silk and apple pie.  

“French silk is always the crowd favorite,” Bangasser said.  “The pie makes our show unique and different from other shows on campus. Fireside is dessert and a show.” 

The 15 student members of the women’s fraternity SAI and two faculty advisers will put on the ninth annual Fireside with the help of the men’s fraternity Phi Mu Alpha.

“The show has been getting better every year,” Ingvalson said.  “Come out for a great night of music and pie.”

Preshow tickets will go on sale Feb. 4-8 in the Toner Center at the bottom of the cafeteria stairs during the lunch and dinner meal hours. Tickets cost $6 before the show and $7 at the door.  

“Buy your tickets early because we sold out last year and you don’t want to miss out on a great show,” said Bangasser.  

Music Review: The Lumineers, a rising folk-rock band

By Skylar Finkelstein

Cardinal Staff

An American folk rock band, The Lumineers, recently gained popularity since December 2012 with their depute of their first single “Ho Hey.” 

The band is made up of three members: main vocalist and guitarist Wesley Schultz, drummer Jeremiah Fraites and Neyla Pekarek is on cello and does vocals as well. The band is based in Denver, Colo.  The Lumineers independently self-titled album was released through Daultone Records, which gives them more artistic freedom. 

The Lumineers song “Ho Hey” became a hit instantly across America, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. “Ho Hey” reached number one on the “U.S. Hot AC” airplay chart and number two on the “U.S. Top 40 Hits” aired on Kiss FM radio stations with Ryan Seacrest. 

The band also ranked high on the alternative charts reaching number one as well. Also, on Spotify, The Lumineers song “Ho Hey” was the most played song. All concerts were sold out immediately after tickets went on sale. 

The Lumineers have had a lot of success so far and seem to be at the very peak of their career. This suggests they are in for a bright future and will be reaching number one a lot morezz.

Fourth annual Multicultural Show to have a week celebration

By Mitch Lawler

Cardinal Staff

The fourth annual Multicultural Show will be held in the Toner Center cafeteria on Friday, Feb. 15, at 7:30 p.m. with performances by the World Drum Ensemble, the Jazz Workshop Combo and many more.

Previously known as the International Showcase, this year’s Mutlicultural Show will be featured as part of an entire week dedicated to multiculturalism.

Throughout the week, SMU’s International Center in the Heights building will be hosting an open house from 4-6 p.m.  On Tuesday, Jan. 12, an all-female a cappella group named “Traces” will be performing in the cafeteria at 8 p.m.   Also on that day students will be giving various presentations on different cultures.

Then on Thursday, Feb. 14, a group of first grade students from the Adams Spanish Immersion School will be performing a dance in the cafeteria during dinner from 4-5 p.m. All events during the week lead up to the Multicultural Show, according to Student Activities Director Lance Thompson. 

“It is not required to audition,” said Thompson. “If someone wants to perform, they would just need to show up for rehearsals.”

The performances originated five years ago when international students sought to share their culture with SMU.  Since the first stage was set up for several students to perform, the show has become increasingly popular.

In addition to watching peers perform and share their culture, audience members will also be offered free food at the show, including churros.

Fearless: SMU alum participates in Crashed Ice

By Samantha Borawski

Sports Editor

Traveling at speeds close to 40 mph along a 1,280-foot length track, approximately 200 athletes competed in this year’s Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship Event in St. Paul, Minn., from Jan. 24-26. 

Crashed Ice is an ice cross downhill or extreme downhill skating competition that is internationally known. It originated in Sweden in 2001; since then, it has grown into a well- known event, especially with part of the championships taking place in the Twin Cities. 

The sport requires athletes to compete at four different locations. This year’s locations are Niagara Falls, Canada; St. Paul, Minn.; Quebec City, Canada; and Lausanne, Switzerland. At each race, competitors earn points that are totaled together with only four athletes competing in the final title race.

One of the athletes hoping to reach the final four is former Saint Mary’s University hockey player and alum David Gross. How does one decide to compete in an event like Crashed Ice? 

“After watching the event last year—and the athletes flying down the course at extreme speeds, I knew it was something I wanted to do,” said Gross in an interview with SMU Sports Information Director Donny Nadeau. Gross was amongst 400 other competitors and needed to be in the top 60 to advance to the competition in St. Paul. Racers received two runs; the best time is counted to be in the top qualifiers, with only top times moving on to the actual event. Gross advanced last January and has since been training for the course. This year’s track in St. Paul consists of a three-story tall starting hill, jumps, banked turns and an “ice wall”. 

Having years of hockey experience and playing for SMU for four years is definitely a bonus. “I think playing collegiate hockey will certainly work in my favor,” said Gross.

Gross had his work cut out for him, competing against the best of the U.S. as well as internationally. The top three competitors so far in the competition are: Kyle Croxall from Canada, who is also 2012 World Championship winner; Cameron Naasz of the United States; and Kilian Braun of Switzerland.

Though Gross had a huge hill to climb or actually skate down, he told Nadeau, “I’m going to approach this challenge the same way I approached every game I played at Saint Mary’s—fearless.”

Nadeau’s full interview with Gross is available at saintmaryssports.com.