Baseball: VanRanst named MIAC Athlete of Excellence

By Katie Krull

Cardinal Staff

     

Teddy VanRanst, a returning senior pitcher for the Saint Mary’s Cardinals, is being recognized as one of the best pitchers in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Like many collegiate players, VanRanst has been playing baseball since he was about five years old and is currently using his aim and precision skillsets to lead the Cardinals into yet another successful season. Although this climb to success was not an easy one, VanRanst and his teammates have proven themselves to be the team to beat this season. 

VanRanst grew up playing baseball in West Saint Paul, Minn., and attended Highland High School. Upon graduation, VanRanst considered playing for a number of other colleges, but none of them made the same connection that Saint Mary’s University made. VanRanst was familiar with Head Coach Nick Winecke through family ties and was confident that he could do some damage on the mound for the Cardinals.

VanRanst’s first two seasons were rough years for the Cardinals, ending both at the bottom of the MIAC. He started nine games as a freshman, but was moved down in the ranking his sophomore year. After two consecutive seasons at the bottom of the pack and an unimproved record, VanRanst, along with many other players, dedicated himself to building a more successful future for SMU baseball. 

“I was sick of losing, and so were a lot of the guys,” said VanRanst. “So we made a conscious decision to change it.” 

Building off of that drive and motivation, the team was able to turn their losing record of 3-17 into a 10-10, 0.500 conference season.

“I was still hard-headed pitching in the Saint Paul State Conference, where I could blow it by people,” VanRanst said. “But at the college level, no matter if you are division I, II or III, without overpowering speed you can’t do that.” 

Now, as an experienced collegiate pitcher, VanRanst has found that power is not always the solution and models his game after Barry Zito, a finesse pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. VanRanst is no longer known for his overpowering speed, but for consistently hitting his spots and working hitters out of their comfort zones. His most consistent pitch is his fastball, which sets up the count for him to throw other pitches. His favorite pitch is a knuckle ball because not many pitchers still use them. 

Outside of baseball, VanRanst will graduate with a degree in sports management and plans to manage his own team. Over the past years, he has worked summers at baseball fields in Saint Paul and has been offered an internship by one of the coaches, where he will gain the experience needed to achieve his goal. This coming summer, VanRanst along with former Cardinal baseball player Ryan Tester and current Cardinal baseball senior Matt Tessmer, will coach a U18 baseball team in Saint Paul. 

VanRanst has been a key player in revolutionizing the Cardinal baseball team’s losing record into that of a winning one. He, along with many other players, has left his legacy of pitching at SMU and has helped set the Cardinals up for a bright future with only continued improvement to come.

“You’re only as good as the work you put in,” said VanRanst. “And if you trust yourself, you’re going to get a lot out of it.”

Weather challenges spring sports

By Samantha Borawski

Sports Editor

The spring sports season has been in shambles as spring sports have been experiencing cancellations and makeups for most of their games, especially for the Cardinal Baseball and Fast Pitch Softball teams.

Both schedules have been drastically altered from their original schedule because of snow, rain and poor field conditions throughout the conference. The teams began their seasons in February with indoor practices and have been indoors for the majority of the season.

“The challenges of practicing indoors is keeping the practices fresh and the athletes engaged,” said Softball Coach Jen Miller. “When teams are practicing this late in their season, they need to be on the actual playing surface and an actual field size.”

One thing this difficult spring season has taught both teams is flexibility. For the softball team, all of the games they have played, except for two against St. Thomas, have been held in Minnesota domes.

“The biggest difference between playing in a dome and playing outside is the rubber turf. The turf causes the ball to bounce more and come at you faster because it is short and combed,” said sophomore softball player Mel Hamilton.

The softball team has felt right at home in the dome, winning 11 of 12 games and 8 of 8 conference games that they have played indoors. However, they have not competed on their home field at Saint Mary’s University.

For seniors, it is especially difficult to not play home games this season since this is the last time they will be playing.

“Being unable to play home games is definitely disappointing, especially during my senior year,” said senior Julianne Bartosz. “However, I’m thankful that we’re at least able to play and having such a successful season thus far makes it worth it.”

The baseball team, who has played even fewer games, understands the term flexibility as well. Like the softball team, all of the games they have played, except for a double header against St. Thomas, have been played indoors at the Huber H. Humphrey Metrodome.

The baseball team hasn’t played a game since their game against St. Thomas on April 7. Because of this, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Association Conference (MIAC) decided to overhaul the remainder of the baseball schedule. This means, beginning on April 22, each team will attempt to compete in all 20-conference games by May 8.

Rescheduling all the games is a huge challenge for the coaches. “Having to juggle player schedules, bus schedules, the opponents schedule, weather forecast, playable dates and field conditions is one big puzzle that needs to be hashed out every time a game is cancelled,” said Miller.

Not only is the rescheduling frustrating for the coaches, who have to constantly change dates, times and locations for games, but for the student-athletes as well, who constantly have to change their schedules at a moment’s notice.

Hamilton said, “The most frustrating part about the weather is being mentally prepared for a game and missing classes, especially since you have to constantly alter your schedule for a different day on short notice if the game gets rescheduled.”

“I think our team has responded very well and [will] do whatever it takes to play,” Miller said. “This spring is unlike any I have ever been a part of as a player or a coach. This late in the spring and there is still snow flying is a mystery to me.”

The softball team is scheduled to have their senior day at home against Macalester on Sunday, April 28. The baseball team hopes to get on their field for a four-game homestand starting Saturday, April 27.

A semester in Washington, D.C.

By Kelsey Hulbert

Cardinal Staff

Being that I am on the final stretch of the semester in Washington D.C., I’ve discovered that the life of a The Washington Center intern entails a lot of “self-reflecting.” Yes, roll your eyes all you want, but it really does help you figure out what it is that you’re actually learning here in D.C. While doing my midterm reflection I had a breakthrough. I’ve realized that I really don’t like working in non-profit sectors such as the Peace Corps as much as I thought I would.

While I’m proud to say that my internship has taught me the proper etiquette for a Twitter hashtag and I can now write a press release like a pro, I’ve had a much bigger lesson learned in figuring out what I want to do as a career. For example, I have learned that I do not like sitting in front of a computer all day. I do, however, enjoy interacting with people and corresponding with the returned Peace Corps volunteers. I’ve learned this through shadowing different offices and stepping out of the comfort of my “intern cave,” exploring all that happens within the headquarters building.

Being that I am the only intern on the 8th floor of the Peace Corps building, my supervisor hears this a lot: “Sooo...I hear you have an intern? Mind if I borrow her?” While most of the tasks that I’ve done for different offices have been menial things such as filing or data-basing, being able to bounce around in different offices and talk to different people has made my experience as an intern well-rounded.

My favorite experience so far has been helping the Office of Congressional Relations to draft a letter to Joe Kennedy III. The Peace Corps is coordinating with Kennedy to pass a bill that commemorates returned Peace Corps volunteers. Joe Kennedy III is a representative for Massachusetts and JFK’s great-nephew. After the letter was finished, the director of Congressional Relations came to me handed me twenty dollars and said: “Use the money to take a cab to the Capitol. Find the Longworth building and deliver the letter to Joseph P. Kennedy III by 3:00.”

“What?!”

Growing up in suburban Minnesota I have never had to use public transportation before – much less had to catch a cab by myself – so my first experience was an interesting one. As it turns out, however, the big city is fairly easy to navigate. And D.C., while intimidating at times, does have a small-town feel in that it’s easy to strike up conversations with people. I had a pleasant conversation with the cab driver; he was a former surgeon in the Ukraine who moved to America in order to give his kids more opportunities and had to resort to cab driving because his doctor’s license was invalid in America.

Finding Joe Kennedy III’s office also went smoothly. I had envisioned him to be stuffy, workaholic politician with no time to talk with anyone. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Joe Kennedy III is a thirty-something year old redhead with a boyish grin and a very pleasant demeanor. He stopped what he was doing to come out and talk about the good-old-days of being a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic.

While my mom seemed to think I had a much more glamorous experience than it actually was (“Kelsey, you met a celebrity!” “No, mom. JFK’s great-nephew isn’t actually a celebrity.”), it was still a neat experience. It was great to see the letter that I drafted go full circle and (good news!), the bill was passed. I’ve learned that I may have an interest in doing something completely unrelated to working for a non-profit. Three months ago, I would have told you that I’d probably rather have my teeth drilled than to be involved with politics as a career. Now, I’m not so sure.

So, I guess this was a very long way around saying the next time you’re given the opportunity to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new, take it. Because it may just end up doing something that you never thought in a million years would interest you.

Review: Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary

By Wilson Kubwayo

Cardinal Staff

Many students at Saint Mary’s University are curious to know more information about the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Seminary. Graduating students of the IHM Seminary are planning to continue to various major seminaries (Catholic graduate schools) to study Theology.

Senior Greg Bim-Merle shares his experiences after spending all four years at the IHM Seminary. The IHM Seminary is a place where college students go to begin their preparation to priesthood. However, seminarians do not have to know for sure that they are going to become a priest to go to the college seminary.

According to Bim-Merle, in order to become a seminarian you do have to feel a sense that priesthood would be a good fit or enjoyable for you. He said, “Through the seminary experiences, we are able to get the sense as to whether the seminary is the right place for us and whether priesthood is something we are called to do.”

There is not much difference between university education and the education seminarians receive. The seminarians are required to study philosophy and are encouraged to study some theology.

“Philosophy helps us to think clearly and consistently and helps us to have a better understanding of human person,” said Bim-Merle. Whereas colleges and universities only focus on academics and how well a student does in his/her studies, seminary education focuses on human, spiritual and pastoral formation.

Seminarians are also involved in college social life. They are able to join any sport activities at the college or university they attend, as well as other extra-curricular activities. According to Bim-Merle, the advantage of being a college seminarian is being part of a supportive environment, where all aspects of human growth are encouraged.

Opinion: Lobby Day, freedom to love whomever you want

Brendan Cahill

Cardinal Staff

The majestic Minnesota state capitol building, was a little more colorful than usual on April 18. The law-makers at the capitol in their formal business attire were contrasted by people of all walks of life. Advocates filtered off of yellow school buses that came from all over the state, wearing colorful clothing to match the colorful signs they were holding. They were all gathering to support Out Front Minnesota Lobby Day, which was not slowed in any way by the unseasonal spring wind and snow.

The day started out with a gathering on the lawn, where the leaders of Out Front pumped up the supporters to go into the building. Inside, people started to make appointments to meet with their representatives, either to encourage, support or thank them for their support of equal marriage rights in Minnesota. 

At the visitors entrance of the capitol building everyone was greeted by the singing of a hymn: “We want the whole package for love/to be married takes love/we want the whole package for love.”

Janet Anderson, who has been a big activist in the gay community along with her partner, wrote these lyrics especially for the day. Her motivation for writing it was to bring some order to chaos.

“Every time I went to a day of action, both sides were shouting at the other side and not listening to what the other side had to say. With a song, it is a more peaceful and harmonious way to communicate and help everyone maintain positive mental attitudes and open minds,” said Anderson. 

Two cheerful supporters were pastor Lloyd Heroff and his wife Doris. They are from Herman, Minn., where he is currently an interim pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church. They have been supporting the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender (LGBT) community for 30 years at various churches he has served at, including one in the Boys Town/Lake View neighborhoods of Chicago.  Certain parts of the Lutheran church have been progressive on including the LGBT community in their parish. Some of these actions have included accepting gay clergy who are in committed relationships and recording same-sex ceremonies.  

The Heroffs inspired a member of their congregation, Beverly Hoernemann, to come with them for the day’s events. Hoernemann was excited to be at her first freedom rally. She has been happily married for 37 years and wants to share the joy.

“How could I possibly deny people the same privileges that I have enjoyed and why should anyone get to tell another person who to love?” said Hoernemann.

Bushlack is ‘country strong’

By Corrine McCallum

Cardinal Staff

The 13th annual Taylor Richmond Benefit Dance (TRBD) will benefit Saint Mary’s University senior Sabrina Bushlack on Saturday, March 23, from 8:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. in the SMU gymnasium.

Buchlack was chosen as the benfeciary of this year’s TRBD after being injured in a serious car accident in Indiana this summer. She was rushed to the hospital with a serious skull fracture and major brain swelling. 

Through many tests and trials, today Bushlack is back at SMU where she attends classes and plays on the women’s volleyball team. The accident left Bushlack with speech setbacks and physical difficulties. With the amount of help Bushlack needed to get back to her normal ways, came a debt of hospital bills.

The Saint Mary’s community has been there for Bushlack through this whole experience, from checking up on her while she was in the hospital to raising money and participating in a 5k walk for her. Bushlack was unanimously selected to be the beneficiary of the TRBD, which is held every year at Saint Mary’s to help raise money for a person in need.

“There were four applications turned in this year for beneficiaries for the benefit dance, and all four were for Sabrina,” according to Connie Budin, the TRBD committee chair. “It is the 13th annual benefit dance which is kind of cool since Sabrina’s volleyball number is 13.”

Bushlack could not believe she was the only person nominated. “Well, I am just kind of astounded because I never in a million years would have seen it coming,” said Bushlack. “I am just incredibly grateful and I know my family appreciates it a ton.”

Not only will Bushlack receive the money from the dance, but also the proceeds from a silent auction before the dance. Budin said, “The one big thing to plan with the dance is the silent auction, which is a two-day auction on the Thursday and Friday before the dance. Donations from all around Minnesota have come in to help Sabrina as well.”

“Sabrina wanted a country theme, so between ‘Strong is the New Beautiful’ and the country theme, we came up with ‘Country Strong,’ ” said Budin. The gymnasium will be decorated in a country theme with checkered colored tablecloths and farm decorations, according to Budin.

“I am going with the flow, and they keep me informed. I did not realize how much planning went into it and now I do because I get all of these emails asking me, ‘Would you like this? Would you rather have this?’ I am just surprised,” said Bushlack. With the dance quickly arriving there is a lot to plan.

Bushlack said she is excited for the dance. “I will be going with all of my roommates and their significant others so I am going to be the eighth wheel.”

Students started the TRBD in 2001 in honor of Taylor Richmond, son of SMU staff member Nikki Richmond and Nick Richmond.

The TRBD and its silent auction will help Sabrina with both her college debt and hospital expenses. Tickets to the dance cost $18 per person or $30 per couple. Tickets can be purchased prior to the event by contacting Director of Student Activities Lance Thompson or at the door.

Relay for Life, Saint Mary’s University rallies to fight cancer

By Kelsey Haugh

Cardinal Staff

The Saint Mary’s community helped fight cancer on Friday, March 15, at the annual Relay for Life event on the Saint Mary’s University campus.

The event was hosted by SMU’s Colleges Against Cancer (CAC), a student club on campus that works with the American Cancer Society to fight cancer. There were 19 teams signed up for this year’s event, with a total of 168 participants. The event raised $17,478.02, with money still coming in. Of the 19 teams, the team that brought in the most money was “Team Eddie,” with an outstanding $2,537, but the SMU women’s hockey team wasn’t far behind with $2,238.51.  

The event lasted from 6:30 p.m. on Friday night to about 3 a.m. on Saturday morning. It included many different events. There was live entertainment from an Irish dancer, the SMU dance team, The Sirens acappella group and The Plaza Kings.  Relay for Life also included a Zumba session and a special Open Mic Night. Games like the Newlywed Game and Heads and Tails allowed participants to win prizes like gift cards to local restaurants and a Kindle Fire.

Each team was required to have a silent auction basket and a booth or table at the event where they sold items of their choice. All proceeds went to the American Cancer Society for cancer research.

Throughout the night, three speeches were given. The first speech was given by Tim Radermacher.  This “celebrate speech” acknowledges the survivors who attended the event, including Radermacher’s daughter. At least 17 survivors attended this year’s event, according to CAC’s Survivorship Chair Lexi Hamiliton. 

The second speech, the “remember speech,” was given by Laura Wotta. Right after the remember speech, candles were lit in paper pages lined around the track to honor, support and remember loved ones who have battled cancer during the luminaria service. According to sophomore CAC member Mary Barthel, this is always one of the favorite parts of Relay for Life.

The third speech, “the fight back speech,” was written by Abbey Steinle but was given by Mary Samson with Steinle’s permission.

The Relay for Life event was considered a success by CAC members, who will begin planning next year’s event very soon.  More information about CAC and how to get involved is available by emailing CAC member Kristen Gustafson at KDGUST10@smumn.edu.

Movement to impeach student senate president closes

By Paul Schmitt

Cardinal Staff

A petition began circulating within the Saint Mary’s University student body in recent weeks with the intent of impeaching Student Senate President Robbie Doyle. Accompanying the petition were a number of concerns regarding Doyle’s ability to govern the body, including the priority of following policy over listening to the people themselves.

The impeachment efforts were officially put to an end on Feb. 26, when statements were made at the senate meeting that night.

Doyle began by saying that he is “more than willing to listen to what is said. He added, “But if I don’t know what I’m doing isn’t working, then I can’t change. As a body, as a whole, we can work together so that at the end of the day we can better represent the body as a whole.”

SMU student Bryan Lampkin spoke on behalf of the petition movement. He said that the petition “was intended not to maliciously attack Robbie’s dignity,” but was “intended to spark greater interest in what the body does.”

“Circulating the petition sparked discussion,” said Vice President for Student Development Chris Kendall. “I did have these two gentlemen get together and talk in great length,” he said, referring to Doyle and Lampkin, who had met earlier that day to resolve the issue, with Kendall present. The topics discussed at the meeting included “communication, flexibility and about senate being about more than just policy,” said Kendall. 

Doyle, Lampkin and Kendall were all unavailable for further comment.

Elections for next year’s student senate president were held on Tuesday, March 19, after this edition went to press.

Saint Mary’s bells ring for new pope

By Timothy J. Smith

Cardinal Staff

The bells on the campus of Saint Mary’s University rang long and loud on Wednesday, March 13, as the announcement of the new leader of the Holy Roman Catholic Church was made. 

Students, faculty, seminarians, priests, religious brothers and sisters waited in excited anticipation as white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. This proclamation of the College of Cardinals in Rome, guided by the Holy Spirit, announced the 266th successor to Saint Peter the Apostle. 

The Church was blessed by the leadership of former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires Argentina, who chose the papal name Francis in honor of the beloved Italian Saint Francis of Assisi.

“It was a touching and emotional experience,” said Brother Pat Conway, FSC. Many students watched the emergence of the new pope in class by streaming online media. 

As stated in Matthew 16:18, Jesus Christ instituted the papacy over 2,000 years ago when he chose Saint Peter as the first leader of the Holy Catholic Church. Pope Francis is the representative of Jesus Christ on earth not just for Catholics, but the whole world.  His selection as the new Holy Father includes several firsts in the history of the papacy. He is the first pope from the America’s and also the first who is a member of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits. 

One of his first actions as Supreme Pontiff was a humble request from the whole world to join him in prayer. The elevation of Pope Francis is a great source of joy and sign of hope for the Church, which looks forward to continuing its mission at bringing people into communion with Jesus Christ in the third millennium. 

Pope Francis shares a great love for the poor and those in need, much like the founder Saint John Baptist de la Salle.  Pope Francis lived a simple life while Archbishop of Buenos Aires, including riding the bus to work and wearing an ordinary priest’s robe. He also lived in a simple apartment where he cooked his own meals, rather than living in the luxurious residence where he was entitled to have servants.

SMU hosts first dance marathon, proceeds benefit hospitalized children

By Regina Barbosa

News Editor

The first dance marathon at Saint Mary’s University was a big hit on Feb. 15, with about 250 people in attendance and $1,200 in funds raised for families with children in the Gundersen Lutheran Children’s Miracle Network (CMN), according to Dance Marathon Club President Serica Rowley.

Dance marathon is a nationwide movement, involving college students at more than 150 schools across the country to raise money for the CMN Hospitals in and near their local communities.

“The money goes directly to families to help pay for medical costs,” said Faculty Advisor for the Dance Marathon Club Shelly McCallum. She said the event was “very successful for the first time through.”

It was also the first time Gundersen Lutheran CMN benefitted from a Dance Marathon event.

Former Winona Mayor Jerry Miller was a special guest at the dance marathon along with Gundersen Lutheran representatives for CMN and local families aided by Gundersen Lutheran CMN.

“We had a young family from Eau Claire with a darling little boy who is now 3, and he was born with tumors on his brain. He had to have a bunch of surgeries,” said McCallum. “He’s doing really well and his two siblings were there with his mom and dad. They stayed and danced until about 12:30 a.m.”

The Oldie Moldie All-Stars performed and attracted a crowd to the event.      

The Dance Marathon Club hopes to host another dance marathon to benefit Gundersen Lutheran CMN next year.

Housing options change for 2013-2014 academic year

By Mary Nordick

Cardinal Staff 

Saint Mary’s University students will see some changes on campus for the 2013-2014 academic year as the Office of Residence Life changes student housing options, according to Director of Residence Life Brendan Dolan. 

Pines Hall, Brother Leopold Hall, Heffron Hall and Saint Yon’s Hall will be housing options for sophomores through seniors, said Dolan. However, La Salle Hall will return to offering single housing options to seniors.

As for apartment-style housing, Dolan said both the Ek Family Village and Residencia Santiago Miller will remain junior and senior housing. Meanwhile, Watters Hall will be housing for graduate students. 

Gilmore Creek Hall and Hillside Hall will remain sophomore housing.

Freshmen housing options will include Skemp Hall as an all-female residence hall and Benilde Hall as an all-male residence hall. However, Saint Joseph’s Hall will also be added as a freshmen housing option.  According to Dolan, it will be co-ed by floor.  

Saint Edward’s Hall will also be co-ed but it will be turned into a Living Learning Community. Dolan said that these communities will include “four different themes with four different communities for incoming students next year.”

An open house to check out and tour different residence halls will be on Tuesday, March 26, from 5-7 p.m. Also, additional information on upcoming student housing is available on the Residence Life website: http://www.smumn.edu/undergraduate-home/about-smu/student-life/residence-life/residence-halls.

SMU holds community Easter egg hunt

By Carissa Hahn

Copy Editor

The first annual Easter egg hunt, sponsored by the Saint Mary’s University Office of Residence Life, invites Winona-area children to campus and allows SMU students the opportunity to give back on Sunday, March 24, from 1 to 3 p.m.

The Winona community is invited to the event, which will be held in Gostomski Fieldhouse.  Children in grades four and under will have the opportunity to play games, search for Easter eggs and win prizes. Local businesses have contributed by making donations.

“I am really looking forward to seeing the Winona community families that show up. I am also excited to see everything come together,” said Saint Mary’s senior Julianne Bartosz. She has been planning the event as part of a public relations campaign for her capstone public relations course. 

Bartosz is planning the event with Hall Director Marc Hartmann and a committee of volunteers, mainly SMU resident assistants. They have worked to recruit volunteers, plan games and activities for the community children, collect donations from local businesses and advertise the event in the community.  

“I am thankful to have been working with a great group of volunteers,” said Bartosz. “It will mean a lot for them as well to see our work come together.”

More recent planning has been involved with converting the event from an outside event to an indoor event.  According to Bartosz, the amount of snow on the ground has prevented the Easter egg hunt from being in its originally planned location, Saint Mary’s Park.

SMU students are encouraged to show up at the event to volunteer.  Volunteer opportunities include overseeing the games and activities, helping children during the Easter egg hunt and assisting with parking. Interested volunteers can arrive at the Gostomski Fieldhouse at 12:30 p.m.

The Easter egg hunt is based on the Office of Residence Life’s Halloween Fun Night. The 2012 fall event brought about 800 community children to campus.

Students share distinct perspectives at Lent 4.5

By Alexi Lund

Feature Editor

The 2013 Lenten season brought a new opportunity for students of the Saint Mary’s University community by offering multi-denominational group Lent 4.5 as an option for students who do not practice the Catholic faith.

Lent 4.5 is a group offered through the Office of Campus Ministry (OCM) that meets during the season of Lent to discuss global environment issues and how Christians have a responsibility to care for God’s creation.  

“The significance of the number 4.5 is that we should be living off of 4.5 acres rather than the average 22.3 acres that Americans use to support themselves,” said SMU senior and Lent 4.5 Group Leader Jenna Putz. She also said that the group discusses the small steps it can take to care for our Earth. 

This group is small but consists of people with different experiences, allowing students to learn from each other and get to know new people on campus. A member of the group, senior Stephanie Solland, said, “I chose to participate in the multi-denominational group because I wanted to learn more about what other Christian faiths do during the Lenten season and what their perspective is on sustainability issues.”

This is the first year of the non-denominational group.  Putz said, “Our biggest challenge is to get the word out about the group, because it really is for anyone who is interested, not just those who practice the Catholic faith.”  

This group is a great addition to OCM because it encourages students of all faith traditions to be a part of OCM programs. They look at various Christian views including Presbyterian, Lutheran and Methodist. 

“I think this group provides an opportunity for all students to come together to discuss religion and its relationship to sustainability in a safe environment,” said Solland.

This group has helped students to see Lent in a different way because of its focus on sustainability, according to Solland. She said, “It has given me an opportunity to think more about what I can do personally to help care for the environment.”

“To put it simply, Lent 4.5 is an awesome and valuable group,” said Putz. 

Chamber Choir tours France

By Paul Schmitt

Cardinal Staff

The Saint Mary’s University Chamber Choir traveled across the ocean during spring break for their annual tour, which took place in France this year.

The group, consisting of 24 singers, sang at a variety of Lasallian institutions as well as the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Basilica of St. Remi in Reims, which is east of Paris.

Choir Director Patrick O’Shea said that it was “a very strong group musically this year,” and that he was particularly excited about the repertoire they performed in France, which included a set of three Italian madrigals written by O’Shea.

Kaeli Todd, a member of the Chamber Choir, said, “Overall, I think our performances went really well. At our only full formal concert, the room was very dry and hard to get used to acoustically. But by the time intermission arrived, we were all much more used to it, and we performed the second half of our concert probably better than we ever had before.”

Marking their return, the choir presented a homecoming recital for the Winona community on March 15 in Chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels. This performance consisted of the same repertoire that was performed in France.

‘Mosaic’ shares students’ talents

By Midge Reller

Cardinal Staff

Saint Mary’s University’s students and faculty can look forward to Mosaic, SMU’s literary and arts magazine, to be distributed free of charge before the semester ends.

Editor of the publication, SMU senior Echo Christian, said, “This magazine’s purpose is to showcase visual arts and writing done by Saint Mary’s students and occasionally its faculty members.”

The magazine’s release date is not set in stone, but Christian said she is hoping for mid-April.

Christian’s job as editor has been to compile submissions, advertise and run the magazine. For Christian, Mosaic has been a year-round internship that she began working on the week students arrived for the 2012-2013 school year.

“I talked with my supervisor about my goals for the year,” said Christian. “I started by going to the Club Carnival and promoting it [the Mosaic] there.”

SMU English Professor Dr. David Sokolowski is the Mosaic’s supervisor. This is his fifth year overseeing the publication.

“Sokolowski primarily advises me on issues such as the budget,” said Christian. “He serves as a liaison for the English Department, updating them on the progress of the publication.”

Christian selected a committee of students to aid in the process of selecting which submissions will be featured in the magazine. Then, the committee picks their top 20 pieces in each category. Christian said this year’s magazine features about 12 writing pieces and 20 visual art pieces.

According to Christian, one of her main goals this year was to have a committee that chooses pieces that showcase the poetry, fiction and visual artwork of students as well as they could. Christian said, “There are some really amazing pieces that should be recognized for what they are.” 

“This publication is important as a means of getting work by SMU students published and a means of putting together what we think is some of the very best creative work on campus,” said Dr. Sokolowski. “It also gives students and the publication’s editor valuable editing and publishing experience.”

Through working on Mosaic, Christian said that she has had a lot of fun and has learned a lot. “It’s great to know what our campus is capable of producing,” she said.

‘Wreck-It Ralph’ is fun for all ages

By Petey Brown

Arts & Entertainment Editor

When a boss/bad guy from a video game wants to be in the spotlight and be the good guy for once, Ralph breaks all the rules to try and accomplish his new dream in Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph.  

Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) had been a bad guy for 30 years in the arcade he was living in. His job was to essentially wreck buildings or anything that was in his way. His counterpart and the hero of the game, Fix-It Felix (Jack MyBrayer), is in place to fix what Ralph destroyed. Felix was always praised at the end of the day when the arcade was shut down, but Ralph was shunned and ignored. Ralph tries to cope with his support group of other video game villains but cannot shake the feeling that he is not meant to be the bad guy.  

So when Ralph sees an opportunity to win a gold medal in a modern war game, he jumps at the opportunity. The only thing is that video game characters are not supposed to jump games because they are gone forever if they die outside their game. Ralph manages to get the gold medal in the intense shooter game, where the enemy is a swarm of deadly robot bugs. Unfortunately, he accidentally unleashed them in another game and lost his medal.  This game is less intense than the war game; it is a game about car racers in a world full of candy and treats.  

Ralph’s goal is still to be the hero and he tries to find his medal in this new world but ends up teaming up with the outcast “glitch” in the game, Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman). The two make a fun team consisting of a giant bad guy and a little girl with a feisty attitude. They work together to win back the medal by winning the race. At the same time this is going on, Fix-It Felix must get Ralph back to his game or else his game will be shut down.  

Wreck-It Ralph is a fun comedy and adventure movie made by Disney that is a good movie for all ages. Video game lovers will enjoy the jokes and the cameos of other video game characters in the film. Others will also like it because of the jokes, characters and interesting story.  

This movie is now out on DVD or Blu-Ray.  Wreck-It Ralph is made for kids, but it is also enjoyable for “grown-up” college kids. This movie gets a 7 out of 10. It was a really fun movie to watch, which can truly be enjoyed by opening up to the movie’s goofiness.