CIRCUITTheVol. 89 No. 8 • Benedictine College11

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F e b r u a r y PreviewBaseball and softball season outlookSee Pages 10, 11

ReviewAtchison’s new spice, Maria’s restaurantSee Page 6

Hip hip snow dayStudents enjoy the first snow days in five years

The Lovable LinEveryone’s favorite lunch lady

gives you her first editorial

Story Page 7

Don’t copyGet the scoop on the copyright

infringement policy

Story Page 3

Presidential scholars270 students came to BC for the

weekend. Hear why.

Story Page 4

bccircuit.comFriday, February 11, 2011 News82

News BriefsNew Raven Store items

The Raven Store is offering new items for today, Feb. 11, in honor of the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the Anniversary of the dedication of Mary’s Grotto.

The store is also offering merchandise for Valentine’s Day including:

• I Heart BC T-shirt• Valentine Bear• Heart Rosary• Heart Prayer Locket

Check out ravenstore.benedictine.edufor more info.

Discovery Project Abstracts Due

Submit Discovery Day abstracts between Feb. 14 and 18 to www.benedictine.edu/abstracts.

TheGlass Menagerie

The Benedictine College Department of Theatre and Dance will present The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams, from Feb. 20 - 26. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Mabee Theatre, located on the bottom floor of St. Benedict Hall.

The box office, also located on the bottom floor, is now open. Tickets are $5 for students and faculty.

For more information, visit www.bc-theatre.com.

Learn How to Fight Poverty in America

Dr. Jonathan Reyes will give a lecture on how college students can fight poverty.

The lecture will take place on Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. in Westerman auditorium.

Want to Be on the SGA Executive Board?

If you are interested, there is an informational meeting on February 9 at 9 p.m. in the Student Union Atrium.

For more information you can stop by the SGA office in the Student Union, Room 202, or e-mail SGA at sga@benedictine.edu

Students welcome unexpected snow days

Above: Ground crews work during the snow days to clear walkways and parking lots for students. Below: Students take ad-vantage of the snow and day off to go sledding on Benedictine’s various hills.

Samantha McIntoshNews Editor

For history majors walking around campus, the name Romano is a familiar one. Dr. John F. Romano, a native of Colorado, graced Benedictine with his presence this past fall as an addition to the school’s History Department.

When asked about the liberal arts and Catholic perspectives of the college, Romano said that

he loved it. “I think that having the

ability to read and discuss things are very important, and I really wanted to be in that kind of environment,” Romano said. “In addition, a lot of my work has to do with the history of the Catholic Liturgy and I really thought that Benedictine would be the right place to study that; where people would be really interested in its importance.”

Romano spent his undergraduate years at a liberal

arts institution, as well as guest teaching at Moravian College and Colorado College; both liberal arts institutions.

Romano also offered a piece of history advice that he thinks we could use today.

“We can learn from the past. It is very important to understand what other people’s cultures are and to understand what motivates them. In order to do that, we have to very carefully read what other cultures have produced,” Romano said. “When we interact with

other cultures, we understand what their basic assumptions are about life, and it also gives us a better idea of how they are going to act in the future.”

Dr. Romano also has a website, medievalliturgy.com, for those interested in learning more about him.

Romano specializes in World Civilizations. He can be reached in his office, room 323, in St. Benedict Hall or by e-mail at jromano@benedictine.edu

Thou couldst have new history professor

Abby Wilson/The Circuit

Trish ClinesmithOnline Editor

Classes were cancelled for a blizzard warning Feb. 1 and 2, marking only the second time the school has cancelled class in the past decade.

The last snow day was in February 2002. According to Dean of the College Dr. Kimberly Shankman, the weather warmed unexpectedly and many students injured themselves sledding that day. Administration hesitated to cancel classes again, deciding that students would be safer in class.

According to Shankman, cancelling class “is not something we do lightly because education is important, and we don’t want students to get hurt.”

However, when the weather service upgraded the storm from a winter storm watch to a blizzard warning, Shankman in consultation with the rest of the president’s cabinet decided students, faculty, and staff would be safer at home.

“We knew that it was not supposed to be that bad in the morning (of Feb. 1),” Shankman said. “We were afraid that the faculty and staff would come in and then not be able to get back home.”

While the weather was not as dangerous Feb. 2, road conditions created another snow day and more problems for the college.

According to Shankman, both the city manager of Atchison and Matt Fassero, director of

operations, told her that they could not get the roads or parking lots cleaned properly. They had to clear and re-clear the same areas.

She said the city manager asked her to cancel classes to help cut down on traffic, and she complied.

Unlike the snow day in 2002, many students remained indoors on Feb. 1 and 2 because of the low temperatures. Temperatures reached as low as -11 degrees during the night.

Even the cafeteria had limited clientele.

“It seemed few people

ventured out (to the Caf) except freshmen,” said freshman Maura Anderson.

Other students remained indoors because of illness.

Freshman Ean Henninger used the snow days to recuperate.

“I spent both days sick and playing a game on my computer,” Henninger said. “… If I was healthy, I would have been out in the snow.”

For whatever reason students stayed inside, Shankman said that far fewer students injured themselves this time.

Abby Wilson/The Circuit

bccircuit.com Friday, February 11, 2011News 3

Benedictine warned against piracy

Cray-Seaberg residents in leaky situation

Ryan Hurtado /The Circuit

Emma SawinSpecial to The Circuit

Residents of the new Cray-Seaberg Hall are swimming in troubles. The newly renovated residence hall that opened in the fall of 2010 has a leaky roof.

The Benedictine College Operations Department posted fliers that said “Cray-Seaberg will be receiving a new roof as soon as the roofing contractor can get it in his schedule. Due to the melting snow it has become increasingly worse, but please bear with us, we are doing everything we can at this time.”

The weak roof was a pre-existing condition.

“The building was donated to the college and the current condition of the aged roof was not foreseen by the college,” said Nick Poretta, Resident Assistant of Cray-Seaberg Hall.

According to Colin Chalk, a sophomore resident of Cray-Seaberg Hall, the leaky roof problem has been going on for

over a month. On Monday, he awoke to water dripping through the ceiling of the lounge and new water spots on the ceiling of his bedroom.

The leaking water in the dormitory is becoming increasingly worse as the snow melts. Andrew DeCarlo, sophomore, said that the living situation is “disappointing.”

“The tiles are bowing with the weight of the water and falling,” said sophomore Zach Keenan. Keenan explained that a tile fell from the ceiling directly outside of his bedroom door.

When asked if he thought that the College was doing all that it could to fix the problem, Poretta replied, “Benedictine will take good care of its students, the problem is on the top of the Residence Life Department’s and the contractor’s list.”

As the weather continues to get warmer as the months pass, BC can only hope that the roof will hold.

The weather will continue to

Abby WilsonPhoto Editor

Benedictine College implemented technology that prevents students from the illegal transfer, purchase, sharing, downloading and uploading materials protected by copyright infringements.

The enactment of the technology is a result of e-mails the college received from industries including Paramount Pictures and NBC. Randy Rowland, director of IT, was sent the first of six notices six to eight weeks ago.

In an e-mail sent to all students, faculty, staff and adjuncts, Rowland stated that the notices informed Benedictine College that, if significant action to prevent these illegal activities regarding entertainment media is not taken, the college and each student engaging in copyright infringement will be prosecuted.

“Every computer that is connected to the Internet has an IP address. All transmissions on the internet are done in packets,” Rowland said. “Much like postal mail, each packet has a from IP and a to IP address. These industries track the internet protocol (IP) addresses.”

A penalty for violations varies from a $10,000 fine per incident, per student to possible incarceration. Incarceration is a possibility for those that are considered flagrant violators.

This includes people who have stolen entertainment media in large quantities and then sold it as well as those who have been warned to stop

and have not. Based upon the school’s analysis, there are 15-20 BC students that could be considered flagrant violators. Jail time for this crime is usually six months to one year, according to Rowland.

“We fully realize how regulation of any Internet usage can be a very sensitive issue. The BC network infrastructure is provided to all students, faculty, and staff for a multitude

of uses,” Rowland said. “BC can’t condone, let alone assist, in allowing violations of law of any nature.”

According to Rowland, Benedictine has software and a device that looks at the IP address of all the incoming and outgoing packets. The software compares those addresses against a list of known possible violation sites like Limewire, Vuze, and BitTorrent.

If the sites match, the software then looks at the encryption of the packet, determines what it is and then sends a red flag to the system administrator. If the site is determined to be a violation, all access to it will be blocked from the campus network.

“The rule of thumb is that if you pay money for what you are downloading and using, it’s legal,” Rowland said. “If you download, not just view, music, movies, and TV shows onto your laptop and you haven’t paid to do so, you are most likely in violation of copyright laws.”

Rowland openly admits that the school’s technology is not sophisticated enough to count the number of songs or movies downloaded, but he estimates that the college network has approximately 50 violations of copyright materials each day. This could be downloads of movies, TV, or music.

“Two of the programs used to download and upload the copyright material often take

up between 30 and 50 percent of our bandwidth,” Rowland said.

Junior Nick Pilla was not surprised when he received the email from Rowland.

“I used to download music but I don’t anymore because the copyright companies are getting better at tracking who is downloading what,” Pilla said. “The sites also have a lot of viruses which can destroy your computer and when we all share a network, it can affect everyone. I guess the cons just outweigh the benefits.”

The school will work hard to eliminate all pornography access, not just music and television entertainment downloads. Rowland’s e-mail said sites such as Netflix, iTunes, Napster, Amazon and other legal entertainment media rental or purchase sites would not be affected by the new technology.

“You may not think that the laws are fair or necessary, however they are still the law and we are not only legally responsible to obey, but morally and ethically responsible to adhere to them,” Rowland said.

Corrections to The CircuitJoe Dobrynski was mistakenly

identified as the president of Raven Respect Life and leader of the March in the Jan. 28 edition March for Life story. David Burkemper is the president of the organization. Gina Sanders led the March.

Also, no more than 250 students signed up for the march.

The March for Life also defends life from conception until death, and is not solely an anti-abortion march.

The men’s basketball photo published on page 12 of the Jan. 28. edition was taken by Robyn Rogers.

Please submit corrections to circuit@benedictine.edu.

play a major roll in how soon the roof over the heads of students living in Cray-Seaberg hall will be fixed.

“BC can’t condone, let alone assist, in allowing violations of law of any nature.” - Randy Rowland, Director of IT

Thank the grounds crew...It takes a lot of hard work to

maintain our campus, and not just during the winter.

The effort of the grounds and maintenance crews does not go unnoticed. They are a crucial part to our campus and The Circuit would like to congratulate them and emphasize their importance.

We encourage students and staff take a second to say thank you to the people keep this campus beautiful and safe.

Abby WilsonPhoto Editor

A swarm of Raven parents from all over the country visited the Benedictine College campus the annual Mother-Son Father-Daughter banquet.

In keeping with the tradition, the event took place on campus with dinner in the cafeteria and dancing in the old gym. The cafeteria was decorated in black and red, an upscale change from its usual college feel. Dinner consisted of sundried tomato chicken and pistachio-encrusted pork loin. Dessert was a cherry cheesecake.

Senior Lindsey Wilmoth and her father Mark have attended the dance for the past three

years.“With BC being such a family

oriented college it’s one of many such events I feel privileged to be a part of,” Mark Wilmoth said.

Wilmoth also mentioned how much he loves the atmosphere of the event.

“It was all done up so well,

but I would say my favorite part is definitely the dance and where everyone just kicks back and enjoys the evening.”

Sophomore Cole Thomas, along with his mother, attended the dance for the first time this year. His mother, Carol, came from Beloit, Kan. for the event.

“It was cool seeing all the students dance with their parents,” Thomas said.

All of the near 500 guests who attended received a wine glass as a parting gift and souvenir to remember their special night, a night many said they would not have had a chance to have at other colleges.

successful despite problems that arose in the preceding week. A number of applicants could not attend due to weather. There was also some difficulty finding enough overnight hosts for the record number of participants.

Despite the amount of problem-solving involved, admissions counselor Paul Clark was happy with the results.

“It was an extremely successful weekend, especially considering the numbers,” Clark said. “All of the students I talked to at the end of it were very positive.”

He added that although the students were focused on the competition, they truly seemed to enjoy their visit to Benedictine.

“It’s a scholarship competition, but the fact that they can just have a great time at Benedictine College is awesome,” Clark said. “That’s exactly what we could have hoped for from the weekend.”

bccircuit.comFriday, February 11, 2011 News84

Mick FinneganStaff Writer

Ravens Respect Life (RRL) has started fundraising to get a tomb for the unborn built on campus.

Michael Green, RRL treasurer, came up with a preliminary design for the tomb. It is a granite box about 2x5x3, with four pillars on the sides and a five foot cross on top. He sent the design in to two different memorial companies, one in Atchison and the other in Wichita, Kan. The estimated cost is $10,000. Green said RRL would acquire the money through fundraisers, donations and any extra money left over from the March for Life trip. This should be a “fairly decent amount,” Green said.

RRL is one of the biggest student groups on campus which leads Green to think the tomb will accurately reflect the views of Benedictine students. He believes it will not cause much controversy

on campus but can understand if students would argue that the money could be spent on something else, like emergency pregnancy centers.

Sophomores Alyssa Elmenhurst and Lailee LaBarbera feel that the money should probably not be spent on a tomb for the unborn.

“As a Catholic school, awareness is good but most of us are aware [of abortion],” Elmenhurst said. “So it might not do a lot of good. The awareness might do better somewhere else.”

In the Jan. 28 edition of The Circuit, Brandon Boesch wrote an opinion article titled “The Trade-off of the March” where he mentions an Atchison crisis pregnancy center shutting down due to a lack of funds. LaBarbera thinks fundraising to reopen the center would be a much better way to spend $10,000. Her home parish holds a ‘pro-life weekend’ occasionally where everyone

wears a rose and prays for an end to abortion. She suggested that RRL should hold events like this if they want to raise awareness on campus.

“Ravens Respect Life could do something much more dramatic than the tomb for much less money,” LaBarbera said.

The location of the tomb will most likely be at the bottom of the hill where the grotto is, next to the practice soccer field. This location was chosen in a meeting with members of RRL and President Minnis because it is next to Mary’s Grotto and the Raven Walk which means many people will walk by it on their way to and from class.

“Also, it is appropriate to have it placed near Mary, for she is the mother and protectress of us all,” Green said.

The fundraising has already started and Green hopes to have the tomb built by either late spring or fall of 2012.

Ravens Respect Life proposes tomb for the unborn

Parents flock to Mother-Son Father-Daughter BanquetRebecca Maples

Staff Writer

More than 270 high school seniors visited Benedictine College for Presidential Scholars Weekend. 36 states were represented in the competition’s largest turnout ever.

The applicants were required to have an ACT score of 27 or higher or SAT score of at least 1210 and a minimum grade point average of 3.2. Five students will be selected to receive full-tuition Presidential Scholarships, and five will be awarded Dean’s Scholarships for three-fourths tuition.

The day of the competition began in St. Benedict’s Abbey with an invocation by Abbott Barnabas and opening remarks from Benedictine College’s President Stephen Minnis, Dr. Ruth Krusemark, Dr. Adam Buhman-Wiggs and Dean of Admissions Pete Helgesen. Helgesen noted the importance of having the group on campus, as they likely represent many of Benedictine’s future student leaders.

The participants then completed an hour-long essay and faculty interview. Throughout the day they also attended a current student panel facilitated by Sarah Swafford and a presentation on Discovery Day given by Dr. Terry Malloy. The day concluded with 3:30 p.m. Mass at the Abbey.

The competition was

Record turnout of competitors for Presidential Scholars weekend

Abby WilsonPhoto Editor

Members of the Benedictine class of 2011 embarked on a landmark journey many of them have anticipated since they were freshmen- the 100-day march.

The tradition, started by the class of 2005, calls for all of the seniors to gather in the circle drive in front of the Haverty Center. The crowd then “marches” to a local bar, Mueller’s Locker-room 100 days before graduation.

“What is so great about the march is that it brings all of the seniors together so that they can cherish the precious time

they have left on this campus,” said Molly Laughlin, the senior class president.

Despite the frigid 11-degree temperature, the seniors showed up to laugh, cheer and shiver their way to the bar. Holly Culver and Sarah Knutson were two of those students.

“My friends and I were toward the back of the line and realized we probably wouldn’t get a table,” Knutson said. “We started jogging but pretty soon everyone caught on to our idea and was running towards the door and to get drinks. It was pretty funny!”

With a seemingly short 100 days left of their senior year, many students in the class of

2011 are starting to feel the pressure of the real world.

“After graduation, I am not for sure what my plans will be,” Culver said. “I am applying to grad schools and going to look for jobs. I want to have options.”

Culver emphasized the unique chance to see so many members of the senior class together, possibly for the last time until graduation.

“A lot of people went. People who you never see out were out,” Culver said. “It was such a great bonding experience for all the seniors.”

Seniors brave cold for 100-day march

No shadow, no more snow...according to groundhog

Punxsutawney Phil made his 125th annual weather forecast in Pennsylvania - we will have an early spring! Phil has seen his shadow 98 times and hasn’t seen it only 16 times since 1887, according to the Kansas City Star.

Photo taken from www.guardian.co.uk

Photo by Marian Karam

Abby Wilson/The Circuit

bccircuit.com 5Features

Rebecca MaplesStaff Writer

“You’ve made it into the chapel. Now what?”

This is the question Dr. Matthew Ramage, theology professor, and Fr. Justin Damien Dean, OSB, are helping students answer. In their five-talk series titled “How to Pray like a Saint,” they will advise students throughout the semester on how to develop a healthy interior prayer life.

The series began Jan. 27 in St. Martin’s Chapel, where Ramage explained the basics of meditative prayer and the Catholic’s need for an interior prayer life.

“An interior life is that communion with God in the depth of your soul that is constant prayer,” Ramage said. “Having this deep encounter with the Lord every day is important because then you can begin to discern and hear His voice more clearly all the time, and you apply that concretely to your life.”

The program continued on Feb. 6 with a talk on overcoming the obstacles that come with the interior life.

In each of the talks, Ramage’s informational portion is followed by a half-hour of prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament, a short question-and-answer session, and Vespers led by Fr. Dean.

According to Ramage, Dean provides a necessary liturgical dimension to the program that allows students to practice what they learn by praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament and participating in Vespers.

Sophomore Robyn Theisen, who attended both talks, appreciated the chance to use the tools she had just been taught.

“We had just received a lot of information that we could process and find out how to

apply it to our lives,” Theisen said. “Adoration was a good time to do that.”

Ramage, who discerned with the Apostles of the Interior Life for three years, became involved with the series when Fr. Brendan Rolling approached him about it during the Fall 2010 semester. This semester’s program is a repeat of last semester’s syllabus. The same program will be held every semester, constantly providing students with the tools to develop an interior life.

Ramage’s doctorate in theology and experience with the Apostles and campus ministry provide him with insight into how and why college students should begin living a life of prayer.

Among other reasons, Ramage highlights that taking the initiative now enables students to deal with trials in life, even after they leave the security of the Benedictine College community. It also aids vocational discernment and helps prepare one for spiritual direction, for which the series may become a prerequisite at Benedictine.

Overall, Ramage wants to communicate to students the importance of committing to a solid prayer life now.

“Faithfulness is the key,” he said. “God always wants to give us His grace. Prayer becomes difficult, it becomes hard to do; but if we are faithful to Him, we trust in His mercy that no matter what comes, He will bring us to holiness.”

“I would challenge every student to take just one half of an hour every day and devote it only to God,” Ramage said. “Live that out every day and see where He brings you.”

Future talks are scheduled for March 6, April 3, and May 1 at 3:15 p.m. in St. Martin’s Chapel.

Lecture series encourages an interior prayer life

2011 Academy Awards promise heated competitionMitchel Finnegan

Staff Writer

If you have been keeping up with the Academy Award nominations and hype, you probably know that this year has been full of surprises. But the one category that everyone is holding their breath over is the best picture.

The nominees are:“Inception” (directed by

Christopher Nolan): Described by Nolan as ‘a contemporary sci-fi action thriller set within the architecture of the mind.’ This film about entering people’s dreams blew away audiences and critics worldwide with its complex story structure, incredible special effects and mix of action and drama. Some

would say that “Inception” was 2010’s “dream movie.”

“True Grit” (directed by Joel and Ethan Coen): A western about a 14-year-old girl sets out to find her father’s murderer with an old, drunken marshal and a Texas Ranger. With strongly written characters and classic revenge story line, “True Grit” aimed high and many would say hit the bulls-eye.

“Toy Story 3” (directed by Lee Unkrich): The latest installment from Disney-Pixar, the beloved toys are donated to a day care center but try to break out. With a strong theme of growing up, this movie reached children and adults alike. It toyed with our hearts and funny bones.

“127 Hours” (directed by

Danny Boyle): Based on a true story about a mountain climber who gets his hand trapped under a boulder, Boyle sought out to capture the human spirit. The emotionality of this movie really trapped the audience in their seats.

“The Kids are Alright” (directed by Lisa Cholodenko): A comedy/drama mix about two kids raised with two mothers, trying to find their biological father. This story about finding family and love was thought to be more than just alright by audiences nation wide.

“The King’s Speech” (directed by Tom Hooper): A period piece set around World War II, King George VI gets help in establishing his

power an overcoming a speech impediment. Nominated for 11 other awards, this movie is the talk of the town.

“The Fighter” (directed by David O. Russell): A biopic about boxer Mickey Ward and his brother who helped Mickey start his career, while they overcome their own personal struggles. This movie will be a big contender against the other nominees.

“Winter’s Bone” (directed by Debra Granik): a 17-year-old girl sets out to find her father, who is dealing drugs and breaking up her family by putting their house up for collateral. The strong spell of mystery and love of family really chilled audiences to the bone.

“The Social Network” (directed by David Fincher): The story about the origins of Facebook and the many troubles Mark Zuckerberg faced during these times. Praised for its stand-out dialogue and acting, this movie makes a real connection to the audience.

“Black Swan” (directed by Darren Aronofsky): A psychological thriller about a ballerina who tries to prove she is the best, but loses herself in her role as the lead of “Swan Lake.” The artistic direction this movie takes makes the audience unsure of what is real and what is hallucination. This movie really soared high in critics lists of best movies of 2010.

View the results on Feb. 27.

Caf: new semester, new lookPatrick Schnieders

Staff Writer

Benedictine students returned to campus after winter break to find a welcomed change: a tweaked layout to the cafeteria interior, plus some minor improvements.

Shifted serving stations, breakfast nook improvements and different table arrangements have given the cafeteria a new feel.

“We know the school year can feel long, so we want to give students something different to come back to,” said Ned Price, director of food service. “Part of our focus is also trying to seat as many people as possible. There’s always a slight dip in the student population during the spring semester, so that gives us a little more freedom to move stuff around.”

The most obvious changes included the relocation of the salad bar to the middle of the room and the shifting of the deli and “international exhibition” serving stations to the service line.

While the movement of the salad bar and serving station were the most noticeable, they were not the most significant.

“Our biggest changes were definitely to the breakfast nook,” Price said. “We were able to work new cereal dispensers and toasters into the budget for the semester, so we went ahead and got them.”

According to Price, another important addition is the promotions calendar.

“The calendar shows what the featured meals are each week for the entire semester. We’re trying to be more consistent with our signs for featured food

and trying to lessen confusion,” Price said.

Student and staff reactions to the changes appear to be positive, according to Price.

“We’ve received nothing but compliments for the new layout. We’ve gotten positive remarks from the administration as well, and even the staff working in the kitchen seems happier,” Price said.

“We’re always open to suggestions and comments. The feedback is really helpful,” Price added.

As the last big piece to the cafeteria changes, the kitchen staff received new uniforms on Jan. 28.

However, this isn’t speculated to be the end of the changes. Price says there are some plans for after spring break but cannot go into detail about them in case they fall through.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Abby Wilson/The Circuit

Tweaks in the cafeteria are a welcome surprise and receive praise from students and staff.

bccircuit.comFriday, February 11, 2011 Features6

Maria’s Restaurant ReviewKelsey PerryStaff Writer

Look out Lopez! It looks like there is new competition in town. Maria’s Mexican Restaurant recently moved in next to Snow Ball in downtown Atchison, replacing the Maid-

Rite diner. The moment you sit down,

you are greeted by warm chips and salsa to enjoy while you look over Maria’s extensive menu. They offer all of the Mexican classics from beef enchiladas, taco salads and burritos to chile rellenos and chicken fajitas. Maria’s menu even includes multiple vegetarian and seafood options.

The favorite entrée at the table was the fajita quesadilla: a monstrous tortilla filled with peppers, onions and chicken or

steak covered in a warm queso sauce. Delish!

If you still have room for dessert at the end of the night, you won’t be disappointed. Standard Mexican desserts such as fried ice cream and sopapillas are offered for $3-4. Or if you are feeling more adventurous, try the cheesecake chimichanga for around $5. The cheesecake comes wrapped in a fried pastry and is surrounded by mounds of ice cream and whipped cream. Needless to say, it was gone in about five minutes after being set down at my table.

From what I can see, Maria’s is here to stay and seems perfect for college students. The chips and salsa are free and unlimited: as soon as your basket is empty another quickly replaces it. Most items on the menu are between $8-12 and any leftovers could

easily become another meal. Overall, the service is quick and friendly.

Maria’s lacks slightly in atmosphere, as some of the décor seems to be left over from Maid-Rite such as the red colored booths and the textured walls. Our entrees came out at different times leaving some people with their food in front of them for about five minutes before the rest of the meals came out.

Maria’s offers a delicious, new and inexpensive alternative for eating out without having to leave Atchison. Judging from the crowded parking lot out front, it looks like it will be around for a while.

Maria’s is located at 801 Commercial Street and is open for lunch and dinner.

Maria’s Mexican Restaurant is in the space next to Snow Ball in downtown Atchison.

Jacob SnyderAdvertising Manager

Attention all men. Roughly 72 hours left. In case you are wondering, I’m talking about Valentine’s Day.

Because the day is so close, one can safely assume most of you men already made dinner plans. But for those of you who like the “high” one gets from, for lack of a better term, improvising … read on.

Before the worry sets in, know it is perfectly fine to take her to one of the places suggested in this article. She does not ever need to know where you got your idea from.

Here are my three suggestions of romantic places to take your significant other. These are only ideas, but take them into consideration. What have you got to lose? Well, besides her.

Make her dinner at your humble abode, pending you can accommodate with preparing and eating the dinner. One of the first pros: you can choose exactly what you want to eat and how you want to cook the food.

Another incentive is that it is typically less expensive to make something yourself because let’s face it the majority of you college men do not have a lot of extra money.

On the other hand, a negative would be the food might not be “restaurant quality,” depending on the cook. Thus, it would probably be in your best interest to choose a dish that is fairly simple to prepare. Do not try to impress her and make something super complex.

One other downfall that may occur is, depending on the girl, the excitement of getting ready and going out on a date may appeal to her. In that case, you may want to consider one of the

next two options.The Riverhouse, located in

Atchison, is another option. It is located, as its name implies, on the banks of the Missouri River. The menu ranges from soups and steaks, such as rib-eye and top sirloin, to burgers and sandwiches, such as a tenderloin or chicken club.

While the food may be delicious and satisfying, there are a few matters you may want to think about. Going to a restaurant may mean waiting and being amongst a crowd, which means there might be noise. This could limit the romantic aspect of your evening, but it could also provide an opportunity to people watch and spark conversation.

One final suggestion would be a restaurant called Figlio’s in Kansas City. Figlio’s is an Italian restaurant that, according to their website, “serves authentic Italian fare, including pizzas baked in a wood-burning oven, handmade pastas, and freshly prepared desserts.”

Again, you might have to deal with crowds, noise, and a waiting period, depending on how busy it is. The prices are also a little bit higher than your typical restaurant. Since Figlio’s is in Kansas City, you will have to drive 40 minutes.

Depending on the mood of the night, you can choose, if any, which one would suit you both.

These three ideas are somewhat romantic ways to spend Valentine’s Day. If you do not choose any of them , maybe they may just spark another idea.

Women look forward to this day so go out of your way to make it special.

Men, make this Valentine’s Day affordable and romantic

Across1. 60s rock group, with Corner5. Slight9. Partition14. Lion’s beard?15. Type of insurance for owners16. Pointed arch17. Nose out18. Tapi endings19. Rich tapestry20. Place for pessimists23. Virgo mo.24. Cries at a circus25. Keen28. Swimmer’s gear30. Banned pesticide, for short32. “Star-Spangled Banner” prepo-sition33. Tongue35. Conundrum37. Invest in a risky fashion40. Witch41. Bean42. Greyhound, e.g.43. Magazine revenue source44. Come back again48. Go up and down51. Supporting

52. Grassy area53. Investing term that came from poker57. Salad oil holder59. Old audio system60. Horse course61. Where to get a fast buck?62. Fall locale63. Anatomical network64. Experiments65. Used to be66. Four’s inferior

Down1. Cells in the sea?2. Improvised3. Captivate4. At no point in time, contraction5. Native American people6. Scottish water areas7. Mosque V.I.P.8. City in Arizona9. Drenches10. Wading bird11. Great musicians12. “Desperate Housewives” ac-tress, first name13. Court matter

21. A chemical salt22. Deserter26. Romeo or Juliet27. Blunder29. Distinctive flair30. Beach sights31. Angry outburst34. Investor’s alternative35. Inquisitive people36. Look at flirtatiously37. Constant38. Flower starts39. Belladonna poison40. ABC’s rival43. Amazement45. Plant46. Fertility goddess47. American sharpshooter49. Driving hazard50. Common carriers51. Flute player54. Consider, with on55. Cover up56. Legal wrong57. PC component, for short58. Delicacy

Crossword by Myles Mellor

Abby Wilson/The Circuit

Review:

Review:

bccircuit.com Friday, February 11, 2011Features 7

Patrick SchniedersStaff Writer

Adoration, a concept that was introduced at Benedictine College roughly four years ago, has gone through multiple versions during its time on campus. Campus Ministry wants to take it a different direction.

“We want to disassociate from the previous worship organizations and just be a simple praise and worship hour without a real name,” said junior Annie Nickels. Nickels is the evangelization coordinator for Campus Ministry.

According to Nickels, the reason for disassociation with previous worship organizations was the lack of student participation.

“A few years ago we had Raven Worship hours with a choir and instrumental accompaniment, but it proved

to be too overpowering. Last year, SPO and Campus Ministry together tried Divine Praise, which was similar but still didn’t work. So this year we are really just trying for a different dynamic with just guitar, piano and some vocals,” Nickels said.

Rebecca Lambert, the praise and worship music coordinator for Campus Ministry, said that they are going for a more relaxed feel rather than the “showy and loud worship” BC had last year.

Nickels also said that the relative namelessness is to prevent upperclassmen who remember Raven Worship and Divine Praise from not attending.

“I really think this will last longer,” Nickels said. “We’ve got a lot of freshmen and sophomores involved this year.”

“We’re trying to attract students who don’t know about

the previous attempts and leave a good impression,” Nickels added.

Lambert said students who have already attended the holy hours seem fine with it.

“The way we have things set up really allows for more focus on Christ than anything else,” Lambert said.

Other changes introduced by the new “holy hour” include relocation from Guadalupe Chapel to St. Martin’s Chapel and a reduction in size to the worship group.

Lambert said changes will be added as needed, but she does not have anything else in mind for now.

“It’s been going really well. We’ve found good aspects with this, and we just want to keep going with it,” Lambert said.

Ministry tries new Adoration approach

Members of Benedictine’s theatre department participated in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival this January in Ames, Iowa. Senior Sarah Buse won first place in the theatre management challenge.

Suzanne Hammons/The Circuit

Suzanne HammonsFeatures Editor

Benedictine is quickly becoming recognizable for quality theatrical work among various schools in the Midwest region.

For the second year in a row, the college has taken home top awards in a select area of competition at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, during which various academic institutions across the country are divided into regions and come together for a week-long conference.

The festival took place this year in late January at Ames, Iowa, and a group of students tied to Benedictine’s Theatre department traveled together to participate in the conference.

This year, Senior Sarah Buse entered into the theatre management challenge. After a week of competition and intense activity, it was announced that she had won first place.

“I had to put together a business marketing plan for a fictional black box theatre,” said Buse. “I knew I had a chance – I had a business plan, but as theatre people, I didn’t know if the judges would relate.”

Benedictine alumnus Corbin Hernandez made it to the final round of the festival’s acting competition in 2010, and also beat out hundreds of other students and numerous schools to win the classical acting award.

With this second achievement, Buse feels that Benedictine is starting to make a name for itself across the region.

“I think people are really starting to notice Benedictine,” said Buse. “Maybe someday we’ll be one of the big schools [at ACTF]. Right now we’re the little school that can.”

Theatre department chair Ryan Morehead agreed. “This is the second year in a row where we go to compete and we beat schools that are bigger,” he said.

“We can be the David to other schools’ Goliath.”

Sophomore Peter Wostenberg is not a theatre major but nevertheless attended the festival due to his ties with the department.

“I did some dramaturgy for the department, and the professors thought I could benefit by going,” Wostenberg said. “I saw all the other dramaturgs and what they were doing, and it was great to get a concrete example of what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Wostenberg explained that the role of a dramaturg is as a social researcher who helps to set the historical setting of a play. Two of his majors, history and international studies, help him with his involvement in the theatre department.

Freshman Theresa Kelly was also able to attend the festival and witness what Benedictine had to offer.

“A larger ratio of students got to go from Benedictine than other schools could bring, especially freshmen,” Kelly said. “At the festival I got to be around people who were getting PH.Ds and Master’s degrees.”

Ultimately, the students were able to take inspiration from the win and from the experience and bring it back to campus with them.

“We’re now one step closer to putting on great shows, therefore enriching the campus,” said Buse. “We’re trying to educate people and make them more well-rounded, which is what BC is all about.”

“I saw how powerful an audience with a sense of awareness could be,” said Kelly, referring to the large number of plays which were put on during the conference.

“If we took that same sense of awareness into class, into Mass, into Discovery Day presentations, we could get so much more out of it.”

And the award goes to... Benedictine theatre department

bccircuit.comFriday, February 11, 2011 Opinion8Ask a Catechist

Managing Editor - Melissa KeatingOnline Editor - Trish ClinesmithNews Editor - Samantha McIntoshFeatures Editor - Suzanne HammonsSports Editor - Ryan HurtadoPhoto Editor - Abby WilsonAdvertising Manager - Jacob Snyder

Staff Writers Rebecca Maples, Kelsey Perry, Patrick Schneiders, Mick Finnegan, and Ann

Heschmeyer

Advisor - Dr. Kevin Page

Letters can be contributed to The Circuit at circuit@benedictine.edu

and should not exceed 400 words in length.

The

Cir

cuit

Career CornerWith Becky Gilmore

What’s Your Problem?With Dr. Adam Buhman-Wiggs and Kerry Marvin, BC Counseling Center

Internship Seminar rescheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 22, Cray-Seaberg, Room 224. Pizza served starting at 5:30 p.m. Panel begins at 6:00p.m.

RSVP to Career Development (even if you already RSVP’d for the previous date).

Federal Career Day rescheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 23, Cray-Seaberg Hall, Room 224.• 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. – Panel of Federal

employees• 5:00 p.m.-6:00p.m. – Networking with

Federal representatives• RSVP to Career DevelopmentOther upcoming events: • Feb. 16 – Point O’ Pines recruiting for

summer counselors in the Student Union 1st floor hallway, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

• Feb. 17 – A Christian Ministry in the

National Parks recruiting for summer help in the Student Union 1st floor hallway, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

• Feb. 17 – Resumes for Students Leaders – Workshop from 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. in Amino Center Classroom.

• Feb. 21 – Resumes for Students Leaders – Workshop from 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. in Legacy Hall Classroom.

• Feb. 23 – “Effective Job & Internship Search Strategies” by guest presenter, Dana Keys, BC Alumnae, in Bishop Fink, Room 401.

• Feb. 23 – Deadline to apply—Federal Reserve Bank full-time & internship positions. Must apply by noon – See Career Development for application instructions.

Q: Why do Catholics kneel towards the crucifix at Mass?

A: To begin, Catholics do not normally kneel or “genuflect” towards the crucifix. Upon entering the Church, a Catholic genuflects towards the tabernacle, which is the usually gilded receptacle for holding the consecrated hosts (i.e. the Eucharist). Catholics take Christ at his word when he commands that “this is my body” (cf. Matt 26:26; 1 Cor 11:23-30). Thus, Catholics are genuflecting out of reverence for Christ himself, present in a uniquely physical way in the Eucharist, which is in the tabernacle.

Normally, the tabernacle is behind the altar, and often directly below the crucifix. Thus when a Catholic genuflects in Mass, it may appear to be towards the crucifix, but it is not. However, sometimes there are valid options for placing the tabernacle away from the altar proper. In such circumstances, one ought to genuflect in the direction of the tabernacle. Many, however, will genuflect towards the front, where the crucifix usually remains, out of force of habit, from ignorance of that to which they genuflect, or out of ignorance of where the tabernacle is located (especially if one has not been in the church before). Such uses of genuflection are technically inappropriate.

There is one time when Catholics will directly show reverence to the cross, however. Normally, on Good Friday, the day upon which we remember Christ crucified most significantly, Catholics will “venerate” the cross. Veneration of the cross usually shows reverential respect to the cross upon which our salvation was wrought. In some parishes, a simple wooden cross is used; in others, including the parish where I reside presently, a small relic or fragment of the true cross (the cross upon which Christ was crucified) may be embedded in the wooden cross. One approaches the cross and then either kisses it or touches it, praying and remembering the death of Christ. In certain Eastern rites, this is even more pronounced, with a series of prostrations. All of this is done in remembrance and honor of Christ’s passion and death.

On a related note, it is liturgically appropriate to bow towards the altar when approaching it, and to genuflect when crossing between the tabernacle and the altar when the tabernacle is located behind the altar.

Justin West (‘03) lives in Virginia with his wife, Beth (‘04) and their three children. He is writing his MA Thesis at CUA presently. Questions can be sent to jmjwest@gmail.com.

Q: We’ve heard it’s difficult to make friends in “the real world,” especially since there may not be people our age where we find a job and many people there may already have an established social group. Can you give us some advice?

ABW: Stay for a couple of master’s degrees.

KM: Hoo, boy. Maybe we’ll get some cash bonuses for that one. You know, college may be one of the last times you’ll be living with/interacting with primarily people approximately your own age.

ABW: Ugh. You mean it’s one of those “becoming an adult” experiences.

KM: Your “adult” life will find you with people of a variety of ages. But what you’ve been doing up to this point has been preparing you for this. What have you done to develop friendships before? Likely the skills that worked well those times will work well again. Do you tend to make friends easily? If you typically require more time, don’t become discouraged if it still takes more time for you.

ABW: Just remember most friendships start around activities. Find places to go and do what you love (church, YMCA, etc.), and other potential friends who enjoy the same things will be there. You’ll discover that age differences don’t matter as much

socially, once you’re no longer labeled by class; what matters more are the generational differences, which gives you a good shot at connecting with a crowd within 5-10 years of your age.

KM: Although you may begin a job where employees have established cliques, if those groups are closed to outsiders it is probably a group you may not want to join anyway. Take advantage of being the “new guy.” You provide something different to the mix. You’ll provide “mystery” to the “old hands.”

ABW: I think another reality lurking out there is that you’ll probably be surrounded by people who don’t share the religious/moral beliefs that unite many of us here at BC, and in fact they may be completely uninterested or rejecting of them. Consequently, if you want to connect, focus on being interested in learning about other people, because people who are interested are interesting, and that can help you draw others to you.

KM: I’m willing to bet you won’t be living alone in a cave-unless, perhaps, the economy doesn’t improve. But, that may be another question?

Send your questions to abuhman-wiggs@benedictine.edu or kmarvin@benedictine.edu.

Want to be a member of The Circuit?The Circuit is a student-

run publication and members receive class credit.

It is a one-credit hour commitment, but requires work outside of class as well as

class time.To enroll, check your

course catalog for a mass communications class called “News Practicum”.

http://bccircuit.com

The Executive RamblingWe’re in college, we can do whatever we want...right?

Everyone does it. We all set well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions, but few ever make it a full year. In my experience, mid-February is the time when they really start to slip. For example, one of my resolutions for the year was to make this article less “dogmatic and preachy,” and as you are about to see, I failed miserably.

It seems that being a college student is a catch-all excuse. “It’s okay if she sleeps to 4 p.m., she’s in college.” “Yes, he’s hungover on a Tuesday afternoon, but it’s okay, he’s in college.” Although being in college is a perfectly legitimate excuse sometimes (“I’m poor, I’m a college student”), it shouldn’t be a catch-all for every

mistake we make, and society should not be so willing to give us that leeway.

One thing that I’ve heard a lot lately is, “Sorry I’m so

disorganized, but it’s okay, we’re in college.” I’m not saying you need to color-code and label everything you own or that ever comes into your

possession, but for the sake of those who

interact with you, try some form of organization.

Part of being in college is getting ready for the “real world,” and the “real world” is not going to accept the excuse “I was just in college.” Students should hold themselves accountable, but professors need to realize this as well. Professors aren’t

doing us any favors by letting us get away with things like missed deadlines. I don’t know why some college students are so opposed to the idea of organization, but I’ve never read an article in Forbes or Fortune Magazine about someone in the real world who was able to be successful because they were disorganized.

Being a college student, particularly a student at Benedictine College, should not be an excuse, but rather a call to higher standards and to overall greatness.

Joe Humphrey is the Executive President of the Student Government Association and is majoring in political science. He can be reached at sga@benedictine.edu.

Genu-reflect on when to kneel in Mass The best vitamin for making friends is B1

Joe Humphrey

bccircuit.com Friday, February 11, 2011Opinion

The Circuit Editorial

Tree Hugger in Training

A column by Abby Wilson

9

“Today, one of my best friends, Charlie, shot himself in the head at approximately 2 p.m. And I just noticed that I have a missed call from him on my cell phone with a timestamp of 1:56 p.m.”

I read this anonymous quote on a website called makesmethink.com.

My initial reason behind writing this column was to help my peers reduce their negative effect on the environment and become healthier, but on further examination I realized something: You must first be well in your mind and in your thoughts before eating right and exercising will ever make you truly healthy.

There are students at our school who have made decisions they will forever regret and have been through incredibly traumatic things like losing parents and siblings. People all around us suffer from things like depression and eating disorders.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health site updated on Feb. 4, “an estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older - about one in four adults - suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.”

We have 1909 students enrolled at Benedictine. That means approximately 478 students could be dealing with something they may not be able to control or understand.

As a person who has lost someone to suicide, watched friends endure eating disorders,

and seen the effects of alcoholism, I encourage you not to sit back and watch. Approach people; offer your help. A good way to start the conversation is to say, “Help me to understand what you’re going through…”

I’m not saying that accidentally missing a phone call from a suicidal friend, like in the quote above, makes you a bad person. But you should never be too busy to console someone or let him or her vent. It could be something you one day regret. Encourage people to seek help if they are having problems. It is not something to be embarrassed about or something to be ignored.

Everyone has the right to be heard, even if they are different. Friend or not, we have no right to contribute to the hurt of another person. We do have the right to live out one of the pillars of the college to be a community: a supportive community, a place where people feel needed and important.

The telephone number for the Benedictine College Counseling Center is (913) 360-7621. Other helpful locations in Atchison include the Valley Hope Alcohol & Drug Treatment Center and the Mental Health Center-Ne Kansas. The facilities can be reached at (785) 233-1730 and (913) 367-1593, respectively.

Abby Wilson is a junior from Palmer Lake, Colo., and is majoring in mass communication and minoring in Spanish. She can be reached at wils1228@ravens.benedictine.edu.

Want some water? Go take a hikeJust like any other dorm on

Benedictine’s campus, Ferrell Hall lives up to its strict “no men allowed before noon” policy. I understand the purpose of the policy itself, but should the restrictions on this policy be waived for certain circumstances?

I have classes at 10 and 11 a.m. in Ferrell. The ratio of men to women in both classes is about 5:1. We have a ten-minute break in between classes during which a good chunk of the students, guys included, like to walk through the connecting hallway between the lower classroom and the main area and down the stairs to Ferrell’s bottom floor to the bathrooms and water fountains by the

elevator. The only areas where guys aren’t allowed to venture are the residential hallways on each floor. Unfortunately, the

hall on Ferrell’s main floor is between the lower classroom and the main area.

So what are the guys supposed to do in between classes if they need to go fill up their water bottle, visit the bathroom downstairs or aid a bloody nose?

Chase Brunick, a junior enrolled in two back-to-back classes in Ferrell’s lower floor classroom thinks that there should be an asterisk placed next to Ferrell’s policy concerning its main floor.

“I actually hadn’t really thought about the policy before I actually got written up for it

one day, about five feet away from my classroom. I think that professors should be able to come out and vouch for their student’s whereabouts, in order to avoid being unnecessarily penalized.”

As for filling up his water bottle in the future, Brunick opted away from any possible trouble.

“I definitely won’t be risking getting written up again. If I have to walk outside and around like the RA suggested, then so be it.”

Samantha McIntosh is a senior from Lees Summit, Mo., and is majoring in political science and minoring in mass communications and economics. She can be reached at mcin1117@ravens.benedictine.edu.

Samantha McIntosh

About two years ago, I found some old family pictures and took them into Wal-Mart to get copies. As it turned out, some of the pictures were taken professionally. The clerk would not give me copies even though the studio had closed 25 years ago and the photographer had passed away.

Apparently, the only time you do not need written permission is if the shop has been closed for 100 years.

In cases such as these, copyright law seems ridiculous. I did not wait 50 or 60 years after the photos were taken to cheat the system. Just because the artist cannot benefit from my appreciation of their art, I think I should still be able to appreciate it.

That being said, I firmly believe in paying people for their art.

I am sympathetic towards the photographers, musicians, and

writers whose work is routinely stolen-even at Benedictine, it seems from the e-mail sent out Monday.

Even ignoring the moral problems with illegal downloading, it seems counterproductive.

If you really enjoy a song or movie, why steal it? Looking at it from a practical standpoint, illegal downloading cuts into corporations budgets to produce more hits.

As ridiculous as copyright laws may seem, they serve a purpose.

Besides, you can face stiff penalties if caught; a $10,000 fine for each item and jail time. Follow the law. It just makes sense.

The Circuit Editorial Board consists of junior mass communication major Melissa Keating junior mass communication major Trish Clinesmith. They can be reached at circuit@benedicine.edu

I used to love to write but have not written anything in thirty years. I was given an excellent opportunity and told that I could write about anything. After much deliberation and thought, I have chosen to write about love, admiration, and relationships, leading up to Valentine’s Day.

The legend of how Valentine’s Day originated was about an ancient Roman emperor who forbade young couples to marry and a priest by the name of Saint Valentine who risked everything and continued to perform the rituals. He was caught, incarcerated, and sentenced to death. A jailer’s daughter befriended him and gave him special attention.

Before his death, he wrote the young maiden a note telling her how much he appreciated her acts of kindness and then signed the note, “Love, Saint. Valentine. “

The execution took place on Feb. 14.

Heart-wrenching as that story is, I would like to share with you my own personal Valentine memory.

When I was thirteen years old I tenaciously pursued the man of my dreams. Two weeks later he asked me to go to our school’s Valentine dance. The night before the dance, I spent quite a bit of time teasing my hair and was deciding on a style when I noticed headlights turning on to our street and the car stopped in front of our house. I recognized the car as my true love’s sister’s car.

I flew down the stairs and went directly to my granny. As I was pushing her ever so gently but purposely closer to the front door, I pleaded my case. I beseeched her to tell the young man that I was not at home.

Granny did not condone nor support distorting the truth in any way, shape, or form. Just then, there was a light tap, almost inaudible, then a louder knock. She opened the door and sure enough, there was Roger holding a large heart-shaped box of candy and a single pink rose.

She graciously accepted the gifts, surveyed the room, and stepped over to a nearby table

and picked up her own half eaten box of candy. Before I could think of a way to stop her, she handed the box to Roger saying, “Linda Lee wanted you to have this, Happy Valentine’s Day to you” How do I describe the look on Roger’s face?

I don’t mean to sound cynical or bitter but I would like to offer you an alternative to the conventional celebration of this particular day.

Use Feb. 14 as a day to honor someone who has shown you an act of kindness or made a difference in your life. It could be a smile or a hug when you were wrestling with a personal problem or simply having a bad day.

Let’s “pass it on,” either by an explanation of what their random act meant to you or perhaps a single piece of chocolate and a brief description of how they made a difference to you. Corny? Perhaps, but that is my challenge and I think that we could all use some positive reinforcement.

Let me leave you with this to ponder over. Do skunks celebrate Valentine’s Day? Of course they do, they are very scent-imental.

Love you now and always and best wishes for today, tomorrow, and forever.

The Lovable Lin A column

by Lin

Cameron

“My favorite was the e-trade baby commercial with the tailor. That was by far the funniest.”-Kelsey Mueller, Junior

“The Old West Budwieser “grab some Buds” commercial got me. Didn’t see the blue-eyed baby, midnight

lady coming at all.”-Mark Saxby, Junior

“What was your favorite commercial from Super Bowl XLV?”Compiled by Ryan Hurtado, Sports Editor

“I loved the Doritos commercial with the pug. When it jumped through the door, I

couldn’t stop laughing.” -Lexi George, Junior

“The Volkswagen little Vader... it reminds me of my youth.”-John O’Grady, Senior

“raven chat”

Copying, the most sincere form of flattery?

bccircuit.comFriday, February 11, 2011 Sports12

Ryan HurtadoSports Editor

The Ravens women’s and men’s basketball teams have been hot with the turn of the new semester. This past Saturday in the national games of the week, they both suffered losses to Lindenwood University.

The Lady Ravens were in an up and down contest trailing by as much as 11 in the first half. A scoring fury by senior guard Kaela Stratman closed the gap to two at half.

It was not until 15 minutes were left in the game that the Lady Ravens took the lead with a Stratman 3-pointer. The Omaha native led the Lady Ravens with 16 points. Teresa Zienkewicz also contributed with 11 points and five rebounds.

The Lady Ravens could not hold off Lindenwood. LU then went on a 17-point run.

By that time it was too little, too late. BC Lady Ravens lost 60-70. The loss drops the Lady Ravens two spots to fourth in the HAAC. Benedictine was tied with Lindenwood for second prior to the loss.

Coach Chad Folsom said the loss hurts, but it won’t deter his squad.

“It is a tough one to lose, but this league is not decided yet,” Folsom said. “We made it a goal to win our games at home and pick some up on the road. I’m pleased with their play, but we got beat on loose balls and rebounds. We all know our opponents now; we just have to be better than them.”

The women were on a three-game win streak prior to the loss. In the stretch, the Lady Ravens defeated Mid-America in overtime 86-82.

The men’s hoops game seemed promising early as they jumped out to a 12-6 lead. They fell out of gear offensively after that.

The Ravens only managed 45 points, which is 15 below their conference average. Junior forward Alex Miller led the Ravens with 10 points and seven rebounds. Benedictine’s only 3-pointer came from Chris McFaul late in the game.

Alex Miller said that the men know they can continue to get better. They just need to grow offensively.

“We have to continue our defensive intensity and we need to execute more precisely on offense” Miller said. “If we continue to play solid defense and continue to improve on offense we will be a tough team

Men’s and women’s hoops suffer slip-ups against Lindenwood

to beat.”Men’s hoops were coming

off three consecutive wins as well. The men pulled out an emotional come-from-behind victory against Avila University.

In the win against Avila McFaul hit five consecutive

3-pointers to lead the Ravens to victory.

The Raven’s defense has continued to be stifling. The men are still sixth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 62.127 points-per-game.

On Thursday, Feb. 10, men’s

and women’s basketball took on William Jewell University at the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium. The game was a blackout, in which all students and fans wore black. The scores were not available when The Circuit went to press.

Photos by Robyn Rodgers

(Left) Senior guard Chris McFaul puts up a 3-pointer for the Ravens against Lindenwood University. (Right) Senior Kaela Statman is contested on a dribble-drive to the basket.

bccircuit.comFriday, February 11, 2011 Sports10

Optimism on deck for Benedictine College baseball team in 2011

Kelsey PerryStaff Writer

One more week stands between Benedictine College track and field and their weekend at Graceland. No, not Elvis Presley’s mansion, but Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa. The site of the 2011 HAAC indoor championships.

The weather conditions have Benedictine at a disadvantage going into the championships.

“The team has had a huge disadvantage this season,” Coach Rex Lane said. “They have not even seen an outdoor track since before Christmas break due to the continuous snow and ice storms.”

The team has had to modify their workouts by swimming and lifting weights to stay in shape.

“Luckily they are maintaining without the benefit of event specific practices,” Lane said.

Even without being able to properly train, the BC track and field team performed well at Kansas State University’s Wildcat Invitational on Jan. 22.

Abby Wilson took second place in the 300-meter run with a time of 47.47 seconds. Hannah Francescan and Katherine Zachary also had strong performances taking first and third, respectively in the 400-meter run. Abigail Wolberg

Kate Zachary passes the baton in the 4x400 meter relay during the Missouri Southern State Invitational on Feb. 5.

Abby Wilson/The Circuit

Track’s last kick before HAAC Championships

took third in the 300-meter and sixth in the 60-meter dash.

For the men, Michael Brubaker took third in the one-mile run while Greg Danner finished second with a time of 2:08.51 in the 800-meter run. Josh Beckman finished fourth in the shot put, while Louis Pick also got fourth in the high jump.

With little resources, the team has been resilient.

“The team has done a great job with what we’ve been able to do in practices,” Lane said.

For Lane, the indoor season has essentially been an extension of the team’s basic conditioning.

“As soon as the weather will allow it, there is no question that there are really good performances to come during the 2011 outdoor season,” Lane said.

The BC track and field team will compete in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Indoor Championships on Feb. 18 and 19 with the possibility to compete at the NAIA National Championships on Mar. 3-5.

Ryan HurtadoSports Editor

Just as the seasons have changed drastically, Coach Doc Beeman looks for the same with his baseball team. Optimism is the word that embodies Beeman’s outlook on the 2011 season.

Beeman said that the guys are working hard with a new focus this year, given a sub-par season in 2010.

“Off season training is going well,” Beeman said. “These guys are doing a great job. The guys who were around last year know we didn’t have the year we wanted to. The guys came back with a specific focus to not be out-worked and not be out-prepared.”

Benedictine is coming off one of the worst seasons in recent history. BC went 9-35 last season.

Last years trials have given the younger players a season to develop. Beeman said that when bringing up talent there is going to be some lumps.

“When developing talent from freshman up, you are going to experience pain,” Beeman said. “The thing is no one told us how much it was going to hurt. What ends up happening is you have those guys who took those lumps and they now have that as experience, so that should

make us stronger.”The Ravens look for

experience on the mound as their biggest strength. The Ravens get back all-HAAC pitcher Brian Poland from a medical-red shirt. BC also returns pitchers John Huber, Madison Rochon, and Michael Rowland. Huber led the team with a 5.20 ERA. Rochon led the team with 35 strike outs.

The Ravens also brought in three transfers who look to contribute. Gordon Welliver is a strong hitter coming out of fall. Josh Piper looks to start at shortstop for BC. Alex Hiedeman will be able to spell senior Pat Richards at catcher and play outfield.

The Ravens have already missed their first games this past weekend due to weather. Baseball will start league play over spring break. Beeman said that the game they are always most excited for is William Jewell.

“It always seems to be a nice day with good crowd support,” Beeman said. “We are getting them a little earlier this year and a strong showing there in the heart of league play will really catapult the team.”

The Ravens are unsure when they’ll actually start their season. Unlike the weather, their broadcast seems brighter this season.

Illustration by Ryan Hurtado/The Circuit

Ravens baseball is only looking up going into this season. The Ravens boast an abundance of returners as well a handful of talented junior college transfers that look to contribute.

Baseball players to watchPoland is coming off a 09’ season where he threw a 3.89 era and 60 strikeouts. In that same season Poland was nationally ranked in innings pitched per game.

The two time all-HAAC performer is back for his senior year. Richards has 112 career starts behind the plate.Richards also has a .962 career fielding percentage.

Ravens by The Numbers- The Ravens were 9- 35 in 2010- Scored 150 runs last season for an average of 3.409 runs a game- They allowed 319 runs for an average of 7.205 runs a game- The team batting average was .260 with a .363 slugging percentage

bccircuit.com Friday, February 11, 2011Sports 11

Strides in defense create a bright outlook for Lady Ravens

Photo courtesy of the Sports Information Desk

Sophomore pitcher Michala Green will be part of an improved defense in 2011. Coach Tim Crowley says the Lady Raven’s pitching will be a key to their upcoming seasons success.

Ryan HurtadoSports Editor

The old sports mantra, defense wins championships, echoes through all locker rooms. If that’s the case the Lady Ravens are looking for a better season in 2011.

In 2010 the Ravens were nationally ranked in five categories offensively. Defense is where Benedictine softball struggled.

Coach Tim Crowley is optimistic about his defense this season, though.

“You will see some big strides for us defensively this season,” Crowley said. “We are practicing really well, we are making a lot progress, especially challenging our hitters.”

Crowley said that pitching will be key for the Lady Raven defense.

“Two of our starting pitchers are juniors and are really challenging people this offseason,” Crowley said. “Michala Green and Hannah Dusil are really looking good in practices and they really look to help us.”

Pitching is not the only Benedictine strength. The Lady Ravens feature a lot of youth with potential.

Coach Crowley is looking for Katelyn Nill, Jenna Fitzpatrick, Collen Dees, Jordin Burford and

Morgan Wilson to contribute early in their careers.

Hitting has always been a strong point for Raven softball. Last year they hit 20 home runs and had 186 RBIs. The Lady Ravens were in the top half of the HAAC in all hitting categories except one.

The strength comes from all-HAAC performers Katie Bachakora and Cheyenne Bush. Bachakora led in home runs last season. The sophomore Bush was valuable in center field.

Outside the all-conference performers Coach Crowley looks for other girls to step up.

“Other contributors are Ashley Dobbie at third base, who is playing real well as well and Sarah Laskares who has improved since we have restructured her swing,” Crowley said.

Crowley is looking forward to the season. The Lady Ravens will get their first real test in early March.

“Realistically, the first chance we get to do something is in early March,” Crowley said. “We are going to a tournament in Wichita (Kan.) and the fun thing is the first teams we will play were in the national tournament.”

Benedictine’s first game is scheduled for Feb. 19. It’s uncertain if they’ll play due to weather.

Lady Ravens to keep an eye onLady Ravens by The Numbers

- Softball was 17- 24 in 2010 (8-12 HAAC)- Lady Ravens had a team ERA of 3.99 in 2010.- Softballs fielding percentage was .955 for the 2010 season.- Lady Ravens hit .301 with a .418 slugging percentage.

Bachkora was number seven in the NAIA in doubles per game. She also led the Lady Ravens in home runs in 2010.

Dusil is coming off of a 55 strike out season. Dusil is also a solid veteran with 38 career starts for the Lady Ravens.