For the past four years, I’ve had one consistent passion — The Saint. After dedicating hours and hours to each issue beginning in my freshman year, my career in the lower corner office in the Wege Center is about to come to a close.

Arriving at Aquinas fresh out of high school, I had the strong desire to make a difference in Aquinas College’s student newspaper. I feel that by putting my skills and journalism background to work — though not always easy — I truly made an impact on how The Saint has been perceived by the Aquinas community, especially with these past two years.

But as I look back on my time as an editor, whether that be sports editor, assistant editor or finally editor-in-chief, I realize that there have been some very important people in my life who have helped me in making a difference in the quality of each issue of The Saint that I participated in.

First, our editorial board. Though many might not be aware of it, the editorial board spends countless hours in the newspaper office with each issue. Section editors sacrifice their weekends and nights to make sure that The Saint is the best it can be. We’ve certainly had our laughs — whether it be photo-shopping me into a dancer’s body or drawing photos of me whipping an AP Stylebook at the window with the intention of killing a fly…only to…well, you know. It’s been a lot of fun, and without your help, The Saint wouldn’t be where it is today.

Secondly, our adviser, Dan Brooks, has been there through the thick and thin. He consistently has offered advice when the editorial board (and myself) most need it. Most importantly, he’s believed in me ever since I joined The Saint, and working closely with him these past two years has been a blessing.

Third, my predecessors, Jamie LaDronka and Chris Epplett. I learned a lot from both of you, and you helped me prepare to be the best editor-in-chief that I could be when my time finally came.

Lastly, I have to thank our writers. Without you, there wouldn’t be a paper, and The Saint could not be a successful newspaper. To those that have come to those 10:30 Wednesday night meetings, I applaud you for devoting your late-night time to us.

In the future, I hope that The Saint will continue to flourish year after year. We’ve made a lot of successes since I’ve joined the staff, including a re-design and new web site this year alone. Under Dan Treul, my successor, I know that The Saint will continue to flourish.

As I wander off into the distance and into my professional career, I certainly won’t forget about The Saint and how I have learned so much from the many experiences I’ve described above, and more.

This year certainly has been exciting, and I look forward to seeing what the future can bring. Thank you.

Click here to check out the Ultimate Top 50 list.

With the end of the academic year upon us, we thought it would be appropriate to reflect on the 2007-08 school year.

Beyond the usual Homecoming, Spring Formal and St. Thomas Aquinas Week that occur annually, this year proved to be very eventful.

It started out before most students even arrived on campus — over the summer interim president and provost C. Edward Balog was named the new permanent president of the College, and the following fall festivities would prove to be some of the biggest that the campus had ever seen.

The College also switched from Coca-Cola to Pepsi this year, an effort led by the Social Action Committee.

Also, Aquinas finally decided to take care of the problem of a quickly growing student body by pursuing a new apartment complex, a building that is scheduled for completion this summer.

Then there was the infamous “peeping tom” who gazed into Regina Hall windows, and kicked off a mini-crime spree around the Aquinas campus. Two students were also mugged in nearby Eastown and Fulton Street.

But Viva! brought some light to campus once again, celebrating Balog’s appointment to the presidency. Viva! was a common word heard throughout campus this fall, and everyone remembers the night when English Chair Gary Eberle got up on stage and recited an ode about president Balog, while Sociology Chair Michael Cushion entertained with an Elvis rendition in Balog’s honor.

Balog discussed the “garages of creativity” in Google and Apple in his address to the campus, saying that “the core mission of the College should be liberal arts…and the Dominican tradition.”

The College reflected on Spanish professor Mary Orlicki, who died of cancer in early October. She was remembered in early November with a tree planting. Aquinas graduate Courtney Myers described Orlicki as “a friend, a mentor and a role model for all women out there, young and old.”

Later in November, theology students and representatives from the Center for Inquiry debated the ultimate question — does God exist? The event sparked interest throughout campus, and The Great Debate, as it was called, was considered an immediate success.

Crime struck again on the Aquinas campus in late November, this time with a thief entering the Academic Building. Sara Cox of the Academic Achievement Center had her purse stolen from her lower level office. The thief was described as “bold,” as he was spotted on all floors of the building walking around with a cell phone in hand.

“No one down here gets cell phone reception,” said Cox.

Bad news struck the campus in the coming weeks, as Aquinas prepared to go on Christmas Break. The College got word of the Grand Rapids Planning Commission denying its plan to build the new apartment. Though Aquinas planned to appeal the decision, the College eventually gave in to the Commission and made changes in order to start construction.

As Aquinas was breaking ground on the new apartment over Christmas Break, another project was well underway — the second floor of the Academic Building. Despite banging and falling ceiling tiles during classes, the nearly finished work has excited many.

“There will be furniture, tables, vending machines, etc…a place where students can gather, chat and eat,” said then-interim provost Don Chafee.

In January, Aquinas added to its news — this time all the way from Las Vegas. Former Miss Michigan Kirsten Haglund — who was coached by Dave Weinandy, Special Assistant to the Provost for Campus Life — won the Miss America contest.

Adding to the excitement in the Campus Life office, the department put on the Wake Up People Blowout, featuring musical guests Josh Rouse and Matt Wertz, as well as the final round of AQ Idol 2.
MarQuinn Curry topped off the night of festivities and won the Idol crown, in an event that was comparable to the excitement of fall’s Viva! Balog party.

Confusion soon struck the campus, however. For the first time in the College’s history, a Student Senate election was forced to go into overtime. With John Kalinowski and Brad Bosserman securing the Chair and Vice Chair positions, respectively, the Secretary spot was still up for grabs between Kasey Baker and Amanda Chatel.

After a run-off vote, however, Baker took home the title and succeeded Kara Martin as secretary.
Thursday, April 3 was a day for the history books, however. The College announced that, after a long and tedious process, History Chair Chad Gunnoe would take over as the permanent provost.

The excitement, however, soon diminished when Aquinas announced the postponement of gay-rights moralist John Corvino’s event that was scheduled for that night.

The postponement drew concern for future campus events, and eventually led to the cancellation of Corvino’s visit, sparking controversy with students, faculty and staff. It’s still considered one of the “talks of the campus.”

This year will certainly be remembered for quite a few things — Viva Balog!, the Wake Up People Blowout and the John Corvino cancellation to name a few.

But what else does the College have to look forward to? There’s Spring Fest on Thursday, graduation on May 3, and in the coming months, the College should set out a policy in order to make sure that a repeat of the John Corvino incident doesn’t occur in the future.

For my very first column for The Saint, I wrote about my love for the game of hockey. As this is my final column for The Saint, I feel it only appropriate that I leave in a similar manner.

With that said, let me take you down the road of greatness.

Inspired by Chris Berman’s “Greatest Moment Ever” on SportsCenter, I have decided to wind down the numerous memorable sports moments in the state of Michigan — at the professional and college levels. Now, of course, I’ve only been a part of this world for 21 years. So it would be inappropriate for me to label anything before my birth as a “great moment.” Therefore, let’s call this the “Greatest Moments Ever in Michigan for College Students That I Can Remember.”

Championships

Let’s start with the championships. On the hard court, we’ve got the Pistons’ 2004 NBA Championship and Michigan State’s NCAA Championship in 2000. Behind a cast of all-stars, and after adding Rasheed Wallace during the trade deadline, the Pistons dominated in the playoffs, beating the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, 4-1. Chauncey Billups led the cast of Pistons, many of whom had never been heard of before. When the team came together to win, what was truly a great moment in history, and officially puting the “teal era” in the backseat.

Michigan State’s win was likewise a great win, behind the leadership of Mateen Cleaves, who was injured in the final minutes of the championship win against Florida. Cleaves went to the locker room, coming back to the court moments later, and limped for the rest of the game.

On the football field, Michigan dominated in the 90s, sharing a NCAA National Championship by winning the Rose Bowl in 1997. Charles Woodson led the team, and eventually won the Heisman. Brian Griese was behind center, and current New England Patriots’ quarterback was a backup.

That’s right — a backup.

Finally, the hockey rink. The Wings broke a 42-year streak and finally won the Stanley Cup in 1997, sweeping the PhiladelphiaFlyers 4-0. The Wings went on the next year and won a repeat championship, this time for Vladimir Konstantinov, who was injured in a limousine crash only days after the ‘97 Cup win, making him permanently disabled. Under a similar all-star cast, the Wings won again in 2002.

This one’s a no-brainer. As much as I loved the Pistons winning in ‘04, I’ve got to go with the Wings in ‘97. Breaking that kind of streak, which reached back to the days of Gordie Howe, is absolutely amazing and was long overdue.

Most Memorable Game

This one’s a toughie. We’ve got the Pistons’ brawl in 2004 against the Indiana Pacers, which is still talked about often today. Then there’s Michigan State’s “one second victory” over Michigan in football, 26-24, behind the likes of Jeff Smoker and T.J. Duckett. But there’s one that stands apart from all of these.

The timeout.

That’s right — in 1993, Chris Webber called a timeout against North Carolina in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. The problem? The Michigan Wolverines didn’t have any timeouts left. The result? A technical foul, which resulted in extra points for the Tar Heels, who eventually won the game, propelling them to the Championship win.

But, according to the NCAA, Michigan never even participated in the tournament, after a scandal involving the “Fab Five” (which included Webber) and a Michigan booster wrecked the school of its basketball history.

Most Memorable Players

Michigan has been full of successful athletes in past years, in every aspect of every sport. There are the obvious ones — #20 Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions, who despite never winning a Super Bowl, is considered one of the best NFL running backs ever. Then there’s #19 Steve Yzerman of the Red Wings, who led the Wings to three Stanley Cups and was the youngest player in NHL history to be named a team captain. And there’s #45 Cecil Fielder of the Tigers, who seemed to hit home run after home run in his time with the team (1990-96). And with the Pistons, there were the “Bad Boys” of 2004. Likewise, with Michigan, there was the “Fab Five” of the early 90s, and with Michigan State, there were the “Flintstones” in the late 90s and 2000.

So who’s the best? That’s an easy one — Stevie Y. One of the most well known sports figures to step foot in our state, let alone the game of hockey, #19 had an amazing career with the Wings. Over his 23 years as a Red Wing, Yzerman scored 692 goals and 1755 points, not to mention three Stanley Cups.

So, there you have it — my list of thegreats. With that, I leave you for my love of the game.

The voting is finally over.

After a process that took much longer than expected due to a secretary run-off election, members of the Aquinas community finally know who their new Senate leaders are.

Beginning Senate’s March 26 meeting, outgoing Chair Josh Marko praised Aquinas President C. Edward Balog, the Senate Cabinet, adviser Dave Weinandy and the Senate at large.

Balog praised Marko’s term, saying “I had a great time working with Josh.”

Taking over for Marko will be John Kalinowski, who greeted the assembly via a short video. Kalinowski was unable to attend the meeting as he is studying in Germany until the end of July. Senators were greeted with a surprise, however, as Kalinowski had shaved his signature beard for the presentation.
Kalinowski beat out former Vice Chair Brandon Sexton for the position by just 10 votes — taking 207 to Sexton’s 197.

Leading the assembly until Kalinowski’s return will be Brad Bosserman, who was elected vice chair. He won the post handily with 260 votes compared to freshman Sam Granger’s 131. Bosserman will serve as acting chair until Kalinowski’s return.

Interestingly, the secretary vote was a statistical dead tie at the time of the meeting, and so Bosserman was the only member that could be sworn in. Secretary candidates Kasey Baker and Amanda Chatel participated in a run-off election last Thursday, with Baker eventually coming out on top, 224 to 195.

Baker will be sworn in at the next meeting.

Interim Provost Don Chaffee continued the meeting, focusing on a new mission statement regarding academic integrity. The statement had been approved by both the Aquinas Board of Trustees and the Faculty Assembly. The motion passed the Senate without incident.

Chaffee additionally provided Senate with the results of the recently conducted survey on academic integrity at Aquinas.

“What I found was that most of the responses were pretty similar,” Chaffee said, referring to the similarities between faculty and student responses.

He noted that academic cheating occurs “seldom” or “very seldom,” according to the survey taken by approximately 50 faculty and 300 students. Overall, however, the survey’s results confirmed what Chaffee described as a decidedly more “pessimistic” attitude of the faculty regarding cheating.

Budget Director Karen Harag then presented the assembly with an update, stating that there was $1,043 left in the unallocated account.

The Political Affairs Committee also presented senators with a consensus of the Senate Cabinet that the Clubs and Organizations Committee be eliminated. If this occurred, Campus Life would take over and consolidate its former duties.

Some expressed concern over the plan. “I would just like to keep clubs and orgs in touch with Senate,” said Special Events Director Ian O’Brien.

Finally, Student Affairs Director Alex Getz presented the results of the Co-Educational Survey. In response to the question, “Have you ever broken the co-ed policy?,” approximately 80 percent of students said they had. Getz concluded by saying he would take the results to Residence Life for future consideration.

Tree Top Productions said that it was trying to “learn and reach outside our boundaries” when it booked philosopher, moralist and gay-rights advocate John Corvino to come to The Moose last Thursday night.

Little did they know that the booking would cause such an uproar — both within and outside the College — about the topic and who should be involved.

As most of the Aquinas campus found out last Thursday afternoon, the John Corvino presentation was postponed due to what was described as a “misunderstanding” for something that Tree Top Productions began advertising about three weeks ahead of time.

Despite the attempts by Tree Top Productions to make known that Corvino was coming to Aquinas only to teach respect, tolerance and compassion, President C. Edward Balog made the decision early Thursday that John Corvino’s visit would be postponed, due to the fact that the Catholic viewpoint could not be represented at the event.

Tree Top Productions, which had the event on its schedule far in advance, was approached by Mary Clark-Kaiser of Campus Ministry, who suggested that the event present a Catholic perspective following Corvino’s presentation.

“I was for that 100 percent,” said Sara Frees, adviser for Tree Top Productions.

Corvino was also willing to work with the opposing viewpoint. “He’s interested in what they have to say and working with them,” added Frees.

Frees and student representatives from Tree Top Productions asked both Dennis Marshall of the Aquinas Theology Department and Rev. Jim Chelich of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish to present following Corvino’s lecture.

According to Clark-Kaiser, “[Rev. Chelich's] main concern was that at a Catholic College when controversial topics are being discussed, which seem to give a position contrary to the church’s teachings, both sides should be present to give their views.”

In addition, the administration is said to have received pressure from Bishop Walter Hurley. “From what I was told, the bishop was not in support of this,” said Frees. “Father Jim was in support of this, but he just couldn’t make it.”

When it was found out that neither Marshall or Chelich could attend the event on Thursday evening, a group consisting of Aquinas students, Tree Top Productions and administration officials met to discuss plans.

The meeting was led by Balog, with Aquinas staff members Frees, Dave Weinandy, Don Chaffee, Greg McAleenan and Marty Fahey also participating.

“The [postponement] suggestion was made because of the response from the outside community and to make sure everyone’s happy,” said Frees, adding that members of Tree Top Productions spent nearly three hours in the Grace Hauenstein Library the evening before the meeting to discuss plans.

“The College subscribes to academic freedom — you should have the freedom to explore an issue from many sides,” said Balog. “The fallout from something like this could be fairly serious if we deviate from the notion of freedom of expression,” he added, noting that he had received more than 30 voicemail messages over the course of three days regarding the event.

“It was difficult because there were people who thought I was trying to stifle certain ideas, which is clearly not the case,” said Balog. “I think we discovered a policy gap in student programming.”

Instead of the event that was planned, more than 50 students showed up for an open discussion at The Moose to let their feelings be known. While many views were heard, one consistent theme came across — “[students] didn’t like how the alumni and outside community affected the decision,” said senior Ashley Perrin, president of Tree Top Productions.

Perrin added that there were no negative communications before the event from students.
A committee is scheduled to meet this week with recommendations regarding the event. “I think we need to make a policy that supports freedom of expression,” said Balog.

Frees agreed. “I believe that this is right and necessary.”

Regardless, Tree Top Productions is already planning for a retry of the event — tentatively scheduled for April 22.

As for those concerned, Tree Top Productions isn’t worried about the content or the way it will be presented. “We were very impressed with the way he presented himself and the subject,” said Perrin, referring to the trip to the National Association of Campus Activities fall conference, where Tree Top Productions first made contact with Corvino.

“It speaks volumes that the student body cares about this issue,” said Frees and Perrin. “That shows exactly why this needs to be here.”

St. Patrick’s Day has come and passed, with a blink of an eye for most of us.

Most of us think of only a few things when the holiday comes around. But what tickles my fancy is a little bit of history about the Irish culture — sports style.

Sure, America is definitely the sports capital of the world. But Ireland has some pretty unique athletic activities.

Gaelic Football
Much like soccer, this sport involves one thing that is different from its U.S. counterpart, which involves the use of hands to score a goal.

The ball is similar to that of a soccer ball, but is heavier and resembles the look of a volleyball.
The H-shaped goal post reminds me of those old football field goal posts that many high schools still sport today.

There are distinct rules having to do with the sport, which resemble those of Ultimate Frisbee as well as having to use one hand with the ball, and one hand only.

Wouldn’t want to get a technical foul.

In fact, even something like throwing the ball isn’t allowed. You can do a “hand pass” or a kick.
Funny for a sport that involves scoring with your hands…

However, Gaelic football isn’t played professionally. We’re talking about an amateur league. While the sport may raise scholarships for some players, it rarely goes beyond that.

The season is much like what you would expect from any other sport — you start with a pre-season, move on to the regular season and then host playoffs.

But the playoffs are determined by provinces throughout Ireland, which lead to the All-Ireland Championship.

This alone can create some pretty intense competition, and at the same time, some heavy tradition.

Hurling
No, this does not involve making a trip to the restroom or anything even close to it.

Instead, hurling is another sport native to Ireland. The game is much like field hockey, but is known as the fastest team sport on a field.

Hurling is played with a wooden stick and ball. Imagine being whacked across the head with one of those.

Greyhound Racing
Gosh I wish America was into dog racing more.

Greyhound racing is just that — a bunch of greyhounds (dogs, not busses) race around the track just like horses would at the Kentucky Derby.

This phenomenon has been replayed throughout several movies and TV shows, even here in the States.

It even had a huge impact on “The Simpsons,” in which Homer and Bart found Santa’s Little Helper right at the race track.

The dog happened to be an absolute loser, but it did help save Christmas.

And heck, Santa’s Little Helper’s sport is pretty frickin’ sweet too.

Olympic Sports
Okay, so this isn’t an exact sport, but the Irish do have some Olympic history too.

Ireland has won 20 medals, with the most recently being taken away because banned substances played a role in the win.

It was a showjumping competition.

The horse tested positve for a banned substance.

Guess that baseball’s not the only screwed up sport.

I’d love to see how fast horses could go on steroids.

In comparison, the U.S. has won a total of 2,407 medals.

The Irishmen have quite a lot of catching up to do.

So, I guess Ireland isn’t exactly as well-known as the U.S. with its sporting endeavors. But it still gets some recognition for its sports (most of which take place on — you guessed it — green grass).

It’s only a matter of time before sports like Gaelic football, hurling and greyhound racing become popular here in the States.

…right.

Women move on after beating Cornerstone

The Aquinas women’s basketball team finally shot down the Golden Eagles and moved on in the WHAC Tournament on Saturday, 62-53.

Leading the Saints was Joslyn Narber with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Carrie Abdo added 12 points and 13 boards.

Jenna Plewes scored 26 for Cornerstone.

From here, the Saints will take on Madonna on Tuesday night for the WHAC Tournament Championship. Action starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Aquinas field house.

Men can’t go perfect against Golden Eagles

Despite 19 points from John Lierman and 17 from James Telman, the Saints couldn’t pull off a perfect record against Cornerstone, who stopped them in their tracks on Saturday, 84-79.

The loss for the Saints ends their run for the WHAC Tournament Championship and puts their chance at nationals in jeopardy.

Ted Albert and Dominic Allen scored 15 points for the Golden Eagles.

Although the Saints kept in the game, it proved difficult to stop Cornerstone’s shooters. The Golden Eagles shot 58 percent from the field. Aquinas also had difficulty toward the end of the game with making free throws and three pointers.

The Saints will now await their fate on whether or not they make the NAIA National Tournament.

For more details on both games, stay tuned for the March 18 print edition of The Saint.

Click here for photos of the Wake Up People Blowout, featuring Josh Rouse and Matt Wertz.

A short guy with a crazy old man hat that has a red pom-pom. Corduroy pants and white Vans-type tennis shoes. A suit jacket, complemented by great glasses that sport green plastic frames. A collared shirt, tie and a green sweater vest.

That’s what you notice when you first see Josh Rouse.

The somewhat blending in (or out, depending how you look at it) musician from New York toured Aquinas College last Friday, opening up the festivities for the Wake Up People Blowout, presented by Campus Life.

Known for his indie-acoustic rock style of music, Rouse recently released his sixth solo album, entitled “Country Mouse, City House.” The album name alone describes Rouse’s somewhat vibrant lifestyle for a guy that seems extremely laid back, and that trend continues throughout songs such as “Sweetie” and “Hollywood Bass Player.”

Rouse had a relatively routine start for any musician — he began playing in college bands when he was in high school, and once he reached his twenties, he knew that music was for him, which motivated him to keep working. He valet parked cars for extra money.

And soon, he finally was able to start recording. That was 1998.

Now, with a few more albums behind him, he’s opened for big-time musicians such as John Mayer, Guster and Gavin DeGraw. He’s only just recently been married, with his wife occasionally traveling with him. He cooks a lot of spaghetti, and says his favorite food is Korean — especially their soups.

The 35-year-old loves the hard work and persistence that has paid off for his career, but hates not having much of a routine.

Despite a successful career so far, Rouse doesn’t have too many of those crazy fans (although one did follow him around on a cruise and talk to him for what seemed to be forever). Maybe that’s a signal alone to his relaxed attitude both on the stage and off.

His inspiration? Well, it goes back to his latest album. “A lot of different things…people, places.” That might be why he’s the perfect country mouse — living in a city house.

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Opinion Editor Cheyna Roczkowski contributed to this article.

The Detroit Red Wings have brought back number 25.

Darren McCarty, last seen in the NHL last season with the Calgary Flames, signed a one-year deal with the Wings as the NHL trade deadline was approaching.

McCarty will spend two weeks with the Grand Rapids Griffins for conditioning.

The 35-year-old was a member of the Red Wings until the 2004 lockout. He then joined Calgary after Detroit bought out his contract, and did not duplicate his success up north.

“I think he has his focus and passion back for hockey, he’s got his priorities of sobriety in order, his family and hockey. Again, we’re going to take a flyer on him. There’s no guarantee that he’s going to come in and be the answer. But let’s see,” said general manager Ken Holland in an interview with DetroitRedWings.com.

Until now, McCarty had been playing with the IHL’s Flint Generals.

In his 11 years with the Red Wings, McCarty was a part of three Stanley Cup Champion teams, and played pivotal roles in each championship. He was known for being a part of the “Grind Line” and often was involved in fighting incidents on the ice.

Usually I don’t review these types of things.

But I was so impressed when I first heard Scotty Don’t that I felt like I had to review their EP album.

Their self-titled EP has only six tracks, but each of them have a unique, rock alternative style.
It starts right off with “Back Porch,” which incorporates guitar and drums with some great lyrics.

The third track, “…Different Kind,” is a mix between the first two tracks and isn’t as upbeat. It features lyrics about a changing life — “Just like our master plans a disaster / and we need a life of a different kind” — is sung throughout the chorus.

But my favorite song has to be “Everything’s Alright,” with lyrics such as “Gotta get me high and dry under that big blue sky / with a slow down circle and a body of a goddess / that’ll tell me everything’s alright.” It has a great guitar solo to end the song, too. The song as a whole kind of just reminds me of going with the flow of life.

Overall, Scotty Don’t can be compared to your average garage band in the way they approach their music, but they actually sound good.

The band is also playing at the Intersection on March 2.

Scotty Don’t has a unique sound to them that sets them apart from the rest, with perfect harmonizations. Their music is perfect for that car ride home or when you just need to chill out.

Rating: 4/5