SMU student publishes book

By Joua Xiong

Cardinal Staff

A Saint Mary’s University senior published his first book, The College Life Guide 101, to provide helpful tips and resources for students who are heading off to college.

SMU senior Brian Thomas published his book in March 2012. His book offers tips on handling student loans and the process of the financial aid application. The book also gives advice on how to manage and balance a college schedule as well as choosing the right major.

“The College Life Guide 101 is the perfect preparation tool for college,” said Thomas, who hopes to guide future college students. “I wanted to help future students with the same kind of struggles that I had coming to college.”

Thomas enrolled as a freshman at SMU in 2009 with some of his difficulties adjusting to college life. “College has a lot more responsibilities,” said Thomas. “It was a major transition from being a high school student.” He said his struggles motivated him to start the book in 2010.

According to Thomas, his goal is to have the book translated into other languages. In the future, Thomas hopes to create a new edition that features additional series of the college life guide.

Thomas, from Chicago, Ill., is majoring in English and minoring in art. He is the Student Senate’s vice president for public affairs and a member of the men’s varsity basketball team. He writes for the Cardinal newspaper and enjoys creating poetry.

The College Life Guide 101 is now available and can be purchased at www.collegelifeguide101.com and Amazon.com. 

Habitat promotes recycling

By Kelsey Hulbert

Feature Editor

Habitat for Humanity collected aluminum cans to fundraise and promote awareness of a more eco-friendly campus, according to SMU Habitat for Humanity President Desiree Caballero.

Habitat set up collection areas in each dorm to allow all students the opportunity to make a difference, said Caballero.

“Recycling does not get taken care of as it should,” said Caballero.

Caballero said she wants to spread awareness of an eco-friendly campus because the current recycling system is not convenient and is not used properly by students.  The aluminum cans collected, including beer cans, were given to Habitat to cover chapter fees and raise funds to help students go on a January trip to Fergus Falls, Minn., said Caballero. The trip will focus on building houses and teaching students home-building skills. 

“You can still make a difference even if you don’t know anything about construction,” said Caballero. “It’s a great way to learn to do something you wouldn’t normally do.” 

Habitat also participated in trick-or-treating for cans and change in the Winona community. They collected seven trash bags of cans and $170. 

“It’s great getting the word out and letting people know what SMU is about,” said Caballero. She said that Habitat will also be selling tool-shaped cookies to fundraise for supplies that Habitat is in need of.

Peace and Justice Club’s Fair Trade Friday offers free treats

By Kelsey Hulbert

Feature Editor

SMU’s Peace and Justice (P&J) Club promotes sustainability and supports small scale farmers by offering free Fair Trade coffee, tea and hot chocolate every Friday from 7-10 a.m. in Saint Mary’s Hall.

Fair Trade is an organized social movement that aims to promote sustainability and help producers in developing countries to make better trading conditions like fair and equal wages without exploitation.

“Fair Trade Friday is a club tradition that also raises awareness of a social justice issue,” said P&J Club President Meghan Campbell.

Even though Fair Trade Friday items are given to SMU students, staff and faculty for free, Campbell said that donations are greatly appreciated.  “We have received a record amount of donations this year,” said Campbell.

The donations collected help the P&J Club replenish supplies for their weekly Fair Trade Friday, which are bought at Winona’s Bluff County Co-op.  Additional funds are put toward other club activities like their trip to the annual School of the Americas (SOA) Vigil at Fort Benning, Ga.  

The P&J Club will also hold a Fair Trade sale Nov. 28-30. The sale will include items like coffee, candy, chocolate and crafts. Campbell said that all purchases will directly support the person or people who created the item, which can often play a major role in their survival.

Another future event is the club’s Common Threads clothing drive, which will take place second semester. For this event, the club accepts clothing donations from the SMU community and sells them to raise funds for the club.  Campbell said the remaining clothing is donated to Winona Volunteer Services.

Further club initiatives include promoting going green. The club has purchased mugs from the Salvation Army and urges students to use the reusable mugs to eliminate using paper cups. 

Campbell said her favorite part of being in involved in the club is educating others and learning about social justice issues.  “I’m big on social justice, equality and helping people become aware of things that are going on around the world,” she said.  

S.O.U.L. trip to Milwaukee teaches students about urban agriculture

By Kelsey Hulbert

Feature Editor

On an October Serving Other United in Love (S.O.U.L.) trip to Milwaukee, Wis., ten SMU students learned about problems in agriculture today while working at Growing Power.

Growing Power is an organic farm in the heart of the city that focuses on providing healthy food to urban areas.  The organization focuses on sustainable food production and the growth of communities through local gardens.

Present agricultural problems that SMU students learned about center around the reliance on processed and pre-packaged food.  By furthering the reliance on processed food, people are giving up their right to have safe, affordable and plentiful food.

­­­SMU students also had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience like mucking chicken pens, picking tomato plants, spreading mulch, sifting dirt and weeding.

Will Allen, the CEO of Growing Power, is hoping to create a foundation of urban agriculture in order to bring the benefits of a community food system to the needs of a large city.

Agriculture has become increasingly more industrialized and reliant on unsustainable practices while creating a huge gap in between the food source and the consumer.  This forces people in large urban areas to buy inexpensive and low-quality food and sacrifice fresh fruits and vegetables for low-cost processed food.  This has an avalanche affect on healthcare and social welfare and especially harms the poor.

Tips for Going Green

By Kelsey Hulbert

Feature Editor

     •  Ride a bike into town instead of driving and plan ahead to combine your weekly errands into one           

         trip 

     •  Make use of the recycling facilities around campus

     •  Unplug cell phone chargers when not in use

     •  Power down your laptop when not in use

     •  Turn the light of in your room when you leave for more than one minute

     •  Reuse containers and bags

     •  Use reusable coffee mugs and water bottles

     •  Turn the water off while you’re brushing your teeth

     •  Reduce your paper use by utilizing e-mail more

     •  Donate and shop at the thrift shop 

Blue Angel stuns once again

By Keotta House

Cardinal Staff

The Brothers of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Eta Nu Chapter hosted the annual musical variety show Blue Angel and once again it left the crowd stunned and awed by the talents this year.

The show was held in the cafeteria of the Toner Student Center on Nov. 2 and 3. Students performed the live musical acts from a wide variety of genres, from Taylor Swift’s newest hit single to one of Aretha Franklin’s old time classics.

There were three shows on Friday and two on Saturday. The late Saturday show was standing room only. Half of the proceeds from the show were donated to charities aimed at fighting men’s cancers. 

Juniors Rebecca Krueger and Eli Arnold had the honors of being the mistresses or hosts of ceremony. They kept the crowd laughing in all three shows. The two even performed an act of their own singing Starland Vocal Band’s hit single “Afternoon Delight.”

Although every performance was special there were some standouts.

The Trio of Shelby Clarke, Colleen Morgan and Jessica Drake performed a crowd-silencing rendition of Kelly Clarkson’s hit song “Dark Side,” garnering a standing ovation.

Bill Van Wagner brought the crowd to their feet with a mash up of Beyoncé’s hit song “Halo” and The Notorious B.I.G.’s classic “Juicy.”

Jessica Ingvalson got the crowd singing with her rendition of Taylor Swift’s hit “Never Ever Getting Back Together.”

Charlie and the Keys wowed the audience with their rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing.”

The Oldie Moldie All-Stars wrapped up the exciting show with their performance and nearly had the whole cafeteria out of their seats. 

At the Movies: ‘Argo’

By Brian Thomas

Cardinal Staff

The critically acclaimed film Argo starring Ben Affleck (The Town), Bryan Cranston (Emmy Award winning actor from AMC’s Breaking Bad) and John Goodman (The Artist) manages to please its audience without complicating its plot.

Based on actual events, Argo is the amazing story about a CIA mission to rescue six Americans held captive during a conflict with Iran and the people who were brave enough to make it happen.

In true Hollywood fashion, a CIA operative played by Affleck hatches a plan to film a movie in order to disguise the hostages as the production crew and safely transport them out of the country. The film’s best moments come during the planning and setup of the mission in hilarious exchanges between veteran actors John Goodman and Alan Arkin. They both portray Hollywood big shots that use their connections to assist the CIA.

If a movie is being made about a CIA mission, it is a success. The overall execution of the plotline and script accompanied by superbly acting by the all-star cast. Affleck, who stars and directs this spy-thriller, manages to display the key roles of a real event and capture the raw emotions of each character. He once again shows that he belongs in the same conversation with Hollywood’s elite directors with his other films, especially his The Town in 2012.

The very fact that the CIA approved a mission like this may raise some eyebrows of the American people, but the film itself will warm the hearts of moviegoers around the nation. With a certified fresh rating of 95 percent approval from the movie critic site RottenTomatoes.com, audiences are guaranteed to enjoy it. 

Movie Review: Not taken by ‘Taken 2’

By Petey Brown

A&E Section Editor

Yet again Brian Mills (Liam Neeson) and his family are in another situation overseas where someone has been taken in the hit movie Taken’s sequel, Taken 2.

Mills is a retired CIA operative who is working security in Istanbul.  He invites his ex-wife and daughter to come visit him after he finishes his job.  Mills ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen) is upset because she is going through a divorce with her husband and accepts Mills’ offer to visit.  Lenore and her daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) come to Istanbul for a nice visit. But that is not in store for them.

Albanian human traffickers are targeting the Mills family. They are seeking revenge for the family members that Mills killed to save his daughter in Taken. The Albanian traffickers manage to capture Leonor and Brian, but not Kim.  Brian manages to warn Kim to watch out for the takers, and she evades them. 

In this movie, it is now Kim trying to rescue her father.  Kim does not go to the United States Embassy. Instead, she tries to help her father herself.

Taken was awesome, but its sequel is a bit disappointing.  The movie did not seem as realistic as the first. It was just plain silly at times.  At one point in the movie, Kim throws grenades to try finding her father.  She does not get arrested doing this either.  It was as if Director Oliver Megaton was trying too hard to one up his last film and it did not end well. 

Many critics were not fans of this movie. RottenTomatoes.com, a website that compiles movie reviews together to make a rating for the movie, gave Taken 2 a 21 percent.  However, viewers gave this movie a 57 percent, which is not bad at all. 

The movie was not awful. Liam Neeson he did a good job in this movie. The plot was too much like a generic action movie.  This movie is a good mindless action flick. If you liked the first movie, then go see it.  Taken 2 had a lot of good things from Taken. It just did not do anything special.   

Music Review: ‘Night Visions’ by Imagine Dragons

By Allison Christensen

Cardinal Staff

Emerging from the chaos of showgirls, slot machines and bright lights in Las Vegas, they call themselves Imagine Dragons.

They have broken away from typical casino entertainment and have created a new, intense sound that captures listeners with its throbbing percussion and emotional lyrics. Each song on their debut album, “Night Visions,” emits a certain mood that manifests emotions in the listeners that enable them to connect with the music on a deeper level then just listening.

Formed in 2008, the band consists of frontman Dan Reynolds (drums and vocals), Dan Platzman (drums and viola), Wayne Sermon (guitar) and Ben McKee (bass guitar).  Imagine Dragons blends rock and synthetic instruments to create a fresh, contemporary sound.

“We are gearheads. We do a lot of experimenting with percussion that’s electric and acoustic on top of each other,” said guitarist Wayne Sermon.

Each of their songs has a powerful beat that gives the listener a sense of forward motion.  This is especially apparent with the pounding bass drum in their songs “Radioactive” and “Demons.” Emotional pain inspires each song written by Imagine Dragons.

Their first hit “It’s Time” was inspired by front man Dan Reynolds’ struggle with discovering who he is and figuring out how seriously he wanted to take music. It is featured in The Perks of Being a Wallflower movie trailer.

Their goal is to channel their pain into songs that will inspire others. Songs like “It’s Time” and “Underdog” address common issues that everyone can relate to, such as moving on and being misunderstood.

“We feel that we have finally created something we are all truly proud of and that can hopefully inspire others and help them feel a little less alone. That’s what music is about. It’s the greatest communicator I know,” explained Reynolds. 

Check out Imagine Dragons’ official site, www.imaginedragonsmusic.com, where you can listen to the album “Night Visions,” check tour dates and purchase merchandise.

Second Page: The laughter never ends

By Skylar Finkelstein

Cardinal Staff

Saving laughter and humor, one joke at a time was the goal of the Second Page Super Hero clan.

Second Page is an improve group at Saint Mary’s University that specializes in actors doing improve comedy. The club puts on a production before Halloween to showcase their talents and bring a laugher to SMU’s campus.

This production had a theme of super heroes with ludicrous powers like Haley McComb being “Snack Pack Girl.”  She flew around the world bringing people joy in the form of a simple pebbling cup. These hilarious powers brought tummy-tickling happiness to the audience.

The cast left the crowd laughing long after the act was complete.  This was accomplished by a lot of crowd interaction. Second Page members had a bowl full of games that audience members picked for the cast to act out.

One game included was “Inner Thoughts,” which creates a scene where two actors have to act out a thought given to them.   The game continues with two acts and two people stating thoughts to be acted out.

Also, a crowd favorite was the picture scene portion of the show, which was also the grand finale. This is when Kylie McElarth and Molly Nocera told a story of a vacation they took based on what the other actors positioned themselves in. This sent Second Page out with bang.

Second Page meets every Wednesday in the Common Room at Saint Mary’s Hall from 10 p.m. until midnight.  SMU students are welcome to join in and act out scenes or be audience members. 

Open Mic Night encourages all students to perform

By Midge Reller

Cardinal Staff

All Saint Mary’s students are encouraged to perform at Open Mic Night (OMN) whether students have no performance experience or ample amounts of it.  It takes place one Thursday each month at 9 p.m.

OMN Co-President Andy Bauer said, “It is a place for performers of all sorts of talent varieties, performance abilities or performance histories to perform with an encouraging audience.”

Paul Schmitt, OMN social media guru, described OMN as casual and open to all sorts of acts.  He said, “You can read poetry, do something musical, a comedy sketch or whatever you want to do—we’re very open.”

Both Bauer and Schmitt said one should expect free coffee, a variety of talents and a very accepting atmosphere when attending OMN. 

Each OMN is a different experience with different performers and performances, said Bauer. He said, “The best thing to do is to go in with an open mind.”

Schmitt encourages students to go to support not only friends that might be performing but other people, too. “It’s a good outlet for a lot of people,” he said. “People who wouldn’t typically perform get to, and it helps to get that out.”

Bauer added that OMN builds community.  “You’ll see a lot of people there that you didn’t know had talent,” he said.

The group plans to try new things this year to increase OMN attendance. Bauer said this may include doing an event off campus. He also said he would like to get both WSU and Saint Mary’s involved because it “would help build more community between campuses.”

If interested in performing at OMN, simply show up to the event and sign up for a slot that night. Schmitt said that the event will go as late as necessary to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to perform.

Bauer encourages people interested in performing to take advantage of the opportunity. He said, “There’s no other place where you’ll get the support or the ability to go up and put yourself out there and have that much support and positivity coming from the audience.”

Chamber and Concert Choir to perform annual Lessons and Carols

By Anna Segner

Cardinal Staff

Saint Mary’s University’s Concert Choir and Chamber Singers will present the Christmas service of “Lessons and Carols” on Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Chapel of Mary of the Angels, located in Winona, Minn., on Wabasha Street.

The Chamber and Concert members will sing various Christmas carols and hymns. “Lessons and Carols” will also include some short readings in the Christmas spirit.

“Both choirs have been working very hard to prepare for the service,” said sophomore Lauren Salonek.  Salonek is a soprano in both choirs.

Chamber Singers is a group of 25 students that perform their pieces a cappella. Concert Choir is a group of about 70 students that will be performing accompanied by both piano and organ. 

Winning isn’t everything

By: Samantha Borawski

Sports Editor

Seventy-five percent of Saint Mary’s University students participate in some type of intramural during the academic year as a fun and competitive way to get involved on campus.

Intramurals offer a variety of sports each session. Session one offers a selection of outdoor sports such as sand volleyball and flag football. Sessions two and three offer indoor sports like soccer, volleyball, bowling, wiffleball and hockey. Finally, session four offers softball and other outdoor activities.

There is a lot of diversity in participants involved in one or more of the sessions, including student-athletes. Some of SMU’s varsity teams like to make their own individual team for certain intramural sports.

“The best part about playing intramurals is the relaxed setting and being able to be with my team in a different environment,” said sophomore Jessie Burns, who is a member of SMU’s cross country team. “We put together a team because we like to hang out and find fun things to do outside of practice.”

Intramurals are unique because of the difference in teams. There are teams that have played together since they were freshmen and dominate one particular sport.  There are also teams that serve solely as a social opportunity as they include a mix of students who have never met one another.

“Intramurals are about just having fun and playing with friends,” said sophomore Luke Buehler.

For each sport in each session, there are playoffs and a championship game that can be very competitive. Only the top teams get to compete, and the winner receives a student-designed intramural champions t-shirt.

“We strove to make it to the championship game all season,” said sophomore Sadie Lange, who is a member of current sand volleyball championship team “French Toast Mafia.” “It was exciting to win the championship game, but it was also cool to get a free t-shirt.”

Aside from a creative student-designed shirt, each team entered in a session needs to pick its own name. Teams normally have creative and catchy names that are a play on words. Such names during this current intramurals session include: “The Boston Three Party” for 3-on-3 basketball, “Dodge Fathers” for co-ed dodgeball and “Take a Wiff of This” and “Wiffle While You Work” for co-ed wiffleball.

Intramurals are offered for anybody who wants to get involved, regardless of their physical activity level. 

A new look at the game

By Haley Jung

Cardinal Staff

Senior Erin Stenseth has traded her days as a player on the Saint Mary’s women’s hockey team for a role on the team’s coaching staff after suffering a torn labrum.

This season the women’s hockey team has a new assistant coach with a familiar face to the players. It was only last year that Stenseth was a member of SMU’s women’s hockey team as well as the fastpitch softball team.

However, Stenseth is unable to play both sports this year due to a shoulder injury that occurred during last year’s softball season. She said the doctors found she had a torn labrum, which required surgery to fix.

“The whole view of the game has changed for me,” said Stenseth.

Knowing that she was unable to compete after her surgery, Stenseth said women’s hockey Coach Terry Mannor offered her a chance to be on the team as a coach. Still wanting to be part of the team and be around her friends, she accepted the role.

“It is still fun to be around the team,” said Stenseth. “At practice, I am comfortable telling the players what they can work on because I know they will give me feedback so I can improve as a coach as well.”

Stenseth said the hardest part about being a coach is seeing the frustration the team is feeling.  “Seeing them struggle is hard to see,” she said. She said she knows she can’t be out on the ice playing with them and helping them in game settings.

Good health knows no season

By Carissa Hahn

Copy Editor

Working out in the off-season is crucial because this time presents the biggest opportunity to make gains, according to Saint Mary’s Performance Coordinator and Instructor Jamie Herrick

“Many athletes have an off-season of four to six months, which is a great amount of time to improve,” said Herrick.

SMU baseball player Paul LaNasa agrees that working out in the off-season is important. He said, “I think it is important for athletes to work out in the off-season because it provides the physical strength and endurance that will allow an athlete to be ready to go 100 percent on the first day of practice.”

Herrick said that it is important for athletes to tailor their workouts to their sport. He noted, for example, that athletes don’t want to do a lot of long distance running if their sport is mainly power or aerobic. Instead, he said it’d be more beneficial to focus on training with sprinting or jumping.

For most sports, Herrick said he implements two days per week during the off-season to focus on quickness and agility. As the season approaches, he will make the workouts more specific to the sport.

Setting goals is another factor that Herrick said is important. He suggests that athletes not only write down their goals but also post them somewhere they can read them every day.

Working out in the off-season can also help build team unity, according to SMU volleyball player Lexi Assimos. She said this is because teammates are working toward a common goal that does not directly involve the sport they play. “Having goals can help push one another to have a better and stronger season,” said Assimos. “Pushing one another creates unity and comfortableness on and off the court, field or rink.”

Herrick also said working out is not only important for athletes but for non-athletes as well. He said working out is important to one’s overall health and fitness, and the exercise can relieve stress as well.

One last piece of advice from Herrick is to not be scared to ask people why they are doing things. He gave an example about being in the weight room and observing someone working out. Ask what the purpose of the activity is, or why a particular exercise is helpful. Herrick said it’s important to never stop learning and asking questions. 

Work out tips

By Carissa Hahn

Copy Editor

Saint Mary’s Performance Coordinator and Instructor Jamie Herrick offered three tips for students interested in working out:

1. Create a plan: have someone help you design a workout plan. Make sure to institute a logical focus or goal.

2. Listen to what your body tells you: If you’re working out and you are in pain, stop. If your body is tired, make sure to take the right steps to restore your energy.

3. Eat well and get eight hours of sleep: doing these things can help you with your physical and mental health. It can help you with your schoolwork and help you better retain information. 

Women’s hockey geared for success

By Julianne Bartosz

Editor in chief

Saint Mary’s women’s hockey team’s chemistry and talent are expected to lead the Cardinals to a successful season, according to Women’s Hockey Coach Terry Mannor.

The Cardinals are 3-1-0 (overall) at the beginning of their season.  Two of their wins were consecutive conference games against Hamline University on Nov. 9 and 10.  This was the first time since 2003 that the Cardinals opened conference play with a sweep.

“It’s always great any time you sweep anyone,” said Mannor.  He said the team did not play well on Nov. 9, but the girls came together on Nov. 10 to prove themselves with their 4-3 win. 

Mannor said that the team needs to learn from their mistakes to improve and work hard because the women’s hockey team can be as good as anyone in the west.  He also emphasized that the team needs to keep in mind that anything can happen.

This uncertainty is something that the returning members on the team know too well after playing nine over-time games last season.  The eight freshmen on the team got a glimpse of this in their first game of the season against St. Norbert College, which the Cardinals lost 6-3 after having a two-goal lead.

Mannor said the new players bring individual talent, including freshman goalie Tori Herrmann.  “We have a strong goal tending tandem, which we haven’t had in a while,” he said.  Mannor added that freshmen have raised the bar while returning players have also shown improvement.  He said, “Our new players will impact the season in a positive way because returners are leading them in a very positive way."

Junior captain Haley Coolsaet said the new players are willing to work hard and that they have a will to win.  “The best part is that the team chemistry is amazing,” she said.  “We all get a long well.  We are a family.”

Freshman Katie Ehlenfeldt said she is excited to be on such a close team that is dedicated to working hard.  She said, “I want to help the team out as much as possible, not necessarily with points but as a whole.  I want to help the team grow.”  After scoring her first goal against Hamline, Ehlenfeldt said, “It feels good to prove to the team that I can make an impact on the ice.”

The Cardinals are using their conference wins as a boost into their next games, said Mannor.

    

Coolsaet said, “We couldn’t have asked for a better start to our season.  We have definitely set a good tempo for it.”

As the Cardinals move forward in their season, both Mannor and Coolsaet expect the team to continue to work hard. 

“Just because we won doesn’t mean we can’t keep improving,” said Coolsaet.  She said her goals for the season are to never take a shift off, play all three periods and be prepared for anything that may come her way.

Ehlenfeldt said she looks forward to showing the SMU community what the team is capable of doing.  “Hockey isn’t an easy sport,” she said.  “Students should come to see how hard we work and to share the pride we have when we win.” 

Cardinals take the shot

By Katie Krull

Cardinal Staff

Another promising year has approached for the SMU women’s basketball team.

Their season unofficially started Nov. 10 with a scrimmage against Winona State. The Cardinals held a steady lead to win 74-68. The Cardinals beat the Division II ranked Warriors on their home court, heading into the North Central Tournament with a win under their belt.

The roster has jumped from 15 to 19 over the last year, with 11 returners and eight freshmen.  The team has four senior captains: Courtney Athnos, Brittany Begrowicz, Jamie Stefley and Jessica Thone.

“We have the right people in the program, and we continue to get better just because of the kind of people that they are,” said Head Coach Mandy Pearson.

Over the past four seasons, the Cardinals have improved their record substantially. Last year, they had a .519 season. They are looking to continue their improvement with a young group of student-athletes.

This year the Cardinals have recruited eight new freshmen and only graduated one senior. Some would say that having a young team could bring about losses through lack of chemistry and inexperience, but the scrimmage against Winona State proved differently.

Pearson has been coaching the team for the last five seasons, helping transform the team into the fighting force they are today.

Fifth-year returning senior Brittany Begrowicz also saw the progression of this team and compares their success to their experience. “We are a really experienced team,” she said. “We have a lot of freshmen, but they are doing well in this first couple weeks.”

This season the Cardinals are hoping to improve their record and return to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) playoffs with some vengeance after last year’s loss to St. Thomas in the second round.

This year SMU’s greatest rivalry is against the Gustavus Adolphus Gusties. The Gusties were the Cardinals’ only substantial losses last season. There has been an upset in the conference though because top ranked Gustavus has lost four starters as well as their head coach.

The Cardinals are getting stronger and stronger with every practice. So come support your Saint Mary’s Cardinals this season!

B.T.’s Corner: The season of hibernation

By Brian Thomas

Cardinal Staff

One of the great aspects about being in the Midwest, especially in Winona, is watching the beautiful seasonal changes. The bluffs change from forest green to bright orange.

Nevertheless, every year it’s still a surprise to many of us to see the first snowfall. Once again autumn has come and gone, and the time of great hibernation, winter, is here to stay. Like bears in the frozen Tundra, we bundle up, stay inside for warmth and sleep more often.

The first snowfall brings both joy and sadness to college students. On one hand, it begins the countdown to family holidays and term break. On the other hand, it brings us one day closer to final exams and saying goodbye to dear friends for a short time.

Challenge: Embrace this winter season by coming out of hibernation. Cherish this time with friends and teammate, make the most of your opportunities to succeed and put a smile on your face. A new winter season awaits! What are YOU waiting for? P.S. Don’t forget your hat and gloves!  

SMU students eligible for same-day voter registration

By Regina Barbosa
News Editor

Saint Mary’s University students are eligible for same-day registration at election polls and will be provided transportation to their voting location.

Pre-registration for voting ended on Oct. 16 this year; however, Minnesota provides same-day registration at the election polls. Any U.S. citizen who is age 18 or older, has been living in Minnesota for at least 20 days prior to Election Day and can provide a current name and address to verify their residence in the precinct can register to vote, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office.

According to Lynn Theurer, chairwoman of the Winona league of women voters, current residents of Saint Mary’s University can provide their student ID and social security number to register to vote at Living Light Church, Winona’s Precinct 2 voting location, located 0.2 miles southwest of campus on Highway 14.

Minnesota polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. This year, transportation will be provided between SMU and Living Light Church for voting on Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to Brian Thomas, Student Senate’s vice president for public affairs.

Same-day registration positively affects voter turnout. According to the secretary of state’s office, Minnesota leads the nation in voter participation and has consistently done so since its same day registration began.

According to the Minnesota Secretary of State website, over 500,000 Minnesotans use same day registration in a typical presidential election year, and the Minnesotans most likely to use same day registration are between the ages of 18-38 and age 93 and older.

Www.iSideWith.com also aims boost voter turnout and education this election season by showing which presidential candidate an individual agrees most with based on a quiz. It is not affiliated with any political party, candidate or interest group.