Most of the hard work that goes into making every McDaniel theatre production passes by without acknowledgement.  Although many of the student actors dedicate a large portion of their time to each project, the techies—students who handle everything behind-the-scenes—often do not even receive applause from the audience but, rather, a name in the back of a program.

Their work and passion deserves to be recognized.

During a tech week (the week before the production’s opening), a techie can work an average of 41 hours.  And some, especially light crew, put in their hours not during the day, but late at night.

Such a large amount of man hours might beg the question: Why are they not being paid or at least protected by a labor law?  Athletes are protected in terms of amount of workouts.  Why not techies as well?

After interviewing multiple techies, we found that the answer was simple.  Techies were proud of the work they put into each and every production and could care less about what recognition or legal protection they get.  Money has never been a concern for them.   It is only about seeing their hard work come to conclusion on stage.

“We work until we are satisfied with what we have done because we know that there are people depending on us,” said senior sound designer Elizabeth Lucarelli.  “Most of us love being proud of our work because if we can’t do it right, then there is no point in doing it at all.”

On top of finding satisfaction in seeing the final product, many techies point to the tight-knit community that one becomes a part of when participating in a theater production.

“Even after all of the times I have complained, I will not regret it in any way. The knowledge, skills, and friends I have gained outweigh all else,” said junior light crew member Logan Otremba.

Techies often also receive credits for their work in the theatre, considering most of it is part of a class.  Putting in the extra work is simply a way to hone their skills.

“I think of it as their learning labs,” said Professor of Theatre Arts Elizabeth van den Berg.  “It is just like actors in rehearsal.  They are learning their craft.”

Lucarelli added, “We also use our real life experience on our resumes which show our skills in those areas.”

For those techies seeking to practice their craft with payment in return, there is an opportunity for work study under Professor Ira Domser and the possibility of working as a Teacher Assistant (TA) in any Theatre class.

Of course, being involved in tech would be easier for someone in the Theatre major as opposed to other academic pursuits.

Senior and President of Alpha Psi Omega Alexis Davis said, “Since I am a theatre major, a lot of my work in the theatre is included in the classes.”

But even non-theatre major techies feel the importance of showing up for their work on each theatre production, whether they’re receiving credit or not.

“If I wasn’t there then there wouldn’t be anybody else to do it,” said junior sound designer Dani Allen.  “That’s why I’ve never missed a tech week rehearsal.”

However, with such heavy responsibility comes a large amount of pressure.  To combat this high demand, the unwritten “Three Hour Rule” was implemented to let techies know it was okay to leave after three hours of work if they needed to.

While this has sometimes been effective in putting academic and health concerns first, in other situations it has left techies feeling guilty for having to leave “early” to get some shut eye.

“While I have been told time and time again that I can just stop and get my work done, there is always that sense of guilt one gains by not being there,” said Otremba. “It almost sometimes feels like a subtle way of guilt-tripping us into staying and working in the theatre when we should be doing school work. I don’t blame anyone in particular for that, though; working with my fellow technicians creates a certain kind of camaraderie between us.”

“The theater is so demanding because the show is going to happen,” said Allen.  “There are no extensions like for a paper in a class. There’s a definite deadline. Whether everyone is prepared or not by show time depends on everyone handling their responsibilities.”

Even if techies feel pressured to work longer then they can afford to, there are solutions available to them.

Professor van den Berg said, “If we hear from someone who was overworked, then we will talk to the people in charge of the crew at the time to manage time better to get everyone out in a three hour time window.”

Does working these late hours affect techie’s grades?  Benjamin Franklin coined the saying “early to bed, early to rise.”  But techies aren’t necessarily getting this opportunity because of their late hours.

Research shows that eight hours (possibly even six) are needed to have an alert and healthy day.  Techies would barely get six hours of sleep if they had a class at eight the next morning.

“At times it can affect grades very poorly,” said Lucarelli.  “Especially if you are in a leadership role as a designer or Master electrician or any role that you are responsible if something is not working right.”

Otremba said, “I have most certainly noticed that my grades drop, especially near opening night of a show where the hours get insane.”

However, many point to time-management as being the main issue in causing a loss of sleep and a drop in grades.  It sometimes just comes down to planning ahead.

“We all know when a production is going to occur,” said Lucarelli.  “We can, for the most part, plan our lives around it by doing homework weeks in advance when possible so that everything due during the week before the production is finished ahead of time.”

A main reason, though, that techies are forced to work so late into the night (especially light crew) is because of the lack of facilities open for work during the day.  The rooms that are used for work on theatre productions are also used as classrooms which prohibit any opportunity to come in during the daytime.

There are three rooms that are both used for classes and production work.  There is the Green Room, the Understage, and the Main Stage.

A possible solution is the future renovations of the theatre which are predicted to finish by 2013.  The theatre workshop will be turned into an acting studio after being moved to another building outside of the theatre, while the underlobby will become a light lab.

If circumstances allow, techies like light crew would have the opportunity to come in during the day and put some work done instead of coming in late at night.  It is obvious to both faculty and students the great need for renovations to the theatre.

“The theater is a wonderful space that the students and staff have done a great deal with, but it is need of some love,” said Lucarelli.

It is easy to see how much techies have to work through, besides long and late hours.  The McDaniel Theatre is in need of a major overhaul.

When asked what they would change about the theatre, many of the techies and faculty had a long list of possibilities.

“I honestly wish the department had a bigger budget,” said Alexis Davis.  “Over the years, Ira and Elizabeth have had their visions cut because they don’t have the time or money for it.”

Professor van den Berg said, “I would build a brand new performing arts center on campus.  It would have a gallery of fine art and classroom space for music, theatre, and dance.  What we have here in Alumni Hall is all converted space which was never designed to be a theatre in the first place.”

“A major thing I would add would be classes on sound and sound design as well as the technology to support it. The only audio call offered at McDaniel is that in the communication department taught every spring.  However, it only focuses on radio and television,” said Elizabeth Lucarelli.

“If I could change one thing in the theatre department,” said Logan Otremba, “It would be the safety hazards that pop up sometimes. I can think of several instances where even if I was paying complete attention to what I was doing, I still have almost fallen out of spaces and ladders that go up at least 18 feet to the ceiling where we hang lighting instruments.”

And under all of these circumstances, the techies and the theatre faculty still work and produce exceptional productions for the campus and Westminster community every year.

So next time you are about to go to sleep at night, just remember that while you are going to dreaming comfortably in your sheets, other students just like you are going to be working into the early morning.

And because of that, they aren’t just students.  They’re McDaniel Techies.

Reporting was contributed by Ashley Day and Sang Lee.

Men’Tennis Team member, Steve French, gets ready to return a serve at a match.

1. The team has a nickname for head coach Kastner; they call him Cash.

2. During the fall season, there were only six players on the team.

3. Before a match, all the players on the men’s team yell GFB-what it stands for is a secret.

4. The team plays mini tennis games at the end of practice or before a match.

5. The team calls assistant coach Hovorka, Hovo.

One North Village apartment celebrates the holiday season in it's entirety by featuring multiple religions. Photo by Lisa Vasapollo.

The theme behind this North Village apartment common room is the word “family.” During this holiday season it is most important to spend time with friends and family. This room is dedicated to the friends and family that we have made on campus together. On the tree, to celebrate holidays of multiple faiths, the multicolor lights symbolize the diversity of our campus. The wrapping of the Hanukkah garland around the Christmas tree symbolizes the intertwining of faiths during this peaceful holiday season.

The video below is of Gondek playing a mash-up of 4 songs: Perfect by Pink, ET by Katy Perry, Paparazzi by Lady Gaga and Poker Face by Lady Gaga. Gondek put this rendition of these songs together by herself.

“I was just messing around over the summer and already knew how to play all the songs by themselves. I figured out that some of the chord progressions were the same and was able to combine. I thought it sounded cool,” said Gondek.

If you want to here her live, you may be lucky enough to catch her playing in Ensor Lounge every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between 12:30 p.m. & 1:30 p.m.

On Top of the Hill

This feature is for all of the perverts at McDaniel College. I’m sure you skipped over the other sections of this newspaper and came right to this one, didn’t you? Sex intrigues you, doesn’t it? It’s in the songs you listen to and it’s in the TV shows you watch.

Don’t lie, you probably find Snooki and The Situation totally hot. It’s in the ads that get young people like you to believe that you’re incredibly ugly and need to be like the models that throw on 30 pounds of makeup and have been Photoshopped to death. Sex is also most definitely on college campuses. It could have possibly occurred in your room while you visited your grandmother over the weekend.

Ok, so maybe you’re not a pervert. Maybe you’re just curious about sex. Maybe you’re reading this section to get a funny, yet educated perspective about it. You could possibly be wondering if young adults are really sex crazed or if the media is just exaggerating our daily lives.

Well, let’s refocus on the idea of your roommate possibly getting it on while you visited your 70 year old grandma. Wouldn’t it be interesting to get an idea of how many students at McDaniel College are actually having sex?

I took a small sample of 50 people (25 males and 25 females) and surveyed them. People of all races were included and not only the class of 2015 was surveyed but also some DMC-ers .  Even juniors got into the mix.

56% of both males and females are having sex while 44% are not. This may not be shocking, but what is shocking is that 42% of the surveyors are actually comfortable talking to their parents about sex.

Another big shocker is that 50% disagree that the media is doing a good job of portraying sex. Some may also find it surprising that 76% said that sex should happen between two people who love or care about each other, so it is less about physical attraction.

What blew my mind the most is that 52% actually believe that abstinence is the best way to prevent STD’s and pregnancy. Still, what is discouraging is that 80% know a teenage girl who has been pregnant within the past year.

What can be learned from this is that not everyone is doing it! Talking about sex, yes, even with your parents, may help you to make wise decisions. TV shows and movies are scripted, and sex can actually be awkward and the least romantic in real life.  Finally, with those who have good taste, buying a pack of condoms costs way less than a baby.

The Vagina Monologues will be coming to campus this year on Feb. 3 and 4.

With its 9^th show coming up, “The Vagina Monologues” is an important tradition on the McDaniel Campus. Every year around Valentine’s Day, a group of McDaniel women get together and put on a show to raise money and awareness for violence and rape against women. This year, led by Dr. Becky Carpenter, the show will take place on Feb. 3 and 4.

As the women prepare for this touching and empowering show, they must bond as a group in order to create an atmosphere for the show that really promotes its purpose: stopping violence against women.

“This show is about women’s empowerment and takes a real activist point of view that we do not have to sit in silence and feel powerless in the face of these horrible crimes committed against women,” said Carpenter about the show.

The bond that these women have is the means that conveys this important message to the campus.

“The Vagina Monologues” have been very successful here at McDaniel. With the first show nine years ago, there was doubt among the women about how the campus would accept the touching and somewhat racy monologues.

“I was pleasantly surprised over the years at how supportive the McDaniel campus was of the show,” said Carpenter. When their first show was so full it was standing room only, it was apparent that this was going to be a tradition that would touch the hearts of the women involved and anyone in the audience who has been affected by violence against women.

Even though it has been a production here at McDaniel for nine years in a row, “The Vagina Monologues” are never repetitive or boring.

“It’s like the feminist ‘Nutcracker,’ you see [the show] around Christmas, it’s a tradition,” said Carpenter.

Sarah Miller, a senior performing in the show, says the tradition is important to raise awareness in the community.

Miller says the show is “people coming together to say enough is enough, but we can say it in a way that’s funny. I guess that’s why I do it.”

“The Vagina Monologues” is an important tradition on campus, for the women who are involved and the staff and students on campus. Many people have been affected by violence against women in some way, and this tradition is an outlet for those people. It is a place for everyone to celebrate the empowerment of women and to acknowledge the existence of a problem that needs to be solved.

Be sure to come out next semester on Friday, Feb. 3 and Saturday Feb. 4 to enjoy the show and fight the crime of violence against women.

Lisa Breslin's FYS: Journalism in the 21st Century, poses for a class photo at Bear Branch Nature Center during one of their Flex hour Sessions. Listed here are I Believe statements from members of the class.

I believe in love, karma, manners, aliens and dinosaurs. I believe Elvis is alive and that impossible is nothing. I believe the Jets are good at football and everything happens for a reason. I believe most people in this world can do more to help. I believe in not stereotyping, best friends, and family coming first.

–Pelham McClellan

I believe there should be no regrets in life because your choices make up the beautiful person that you are. I believe you should have one hug a day. I believe that hearing you’re beautiful is necessary for an everyday happy life. I believe in responsibility and hard work. I believe in being silly and smiling and laughing often. I believe that there is good in everything and everyone. I believe everyone should be loved. I believe in the power of a day to rest. I believe that the smell of a new book can change anyone’s outlook. I believe in a baby’s cry and that the way they smell is the most precious thing in the world.  I believe wrinkles tell more stories than words. And I believe in life, the never-ending power of life and love.

–Erica Burzio

I believe that everyone is different and they should be treated accordingly. I believe that mental health is directly related to physical health. I believe in the Redskins. I believe that the political turmoil in the US is ridiculous. I believe in having 2 hours to yourself everyday.  That for every rainy day, there will be 3 sunny days. I believe in eating 3 meals a day and playing video games every once in a while is great way to stimulate the brain. I believe that coffee is terrible from both a taste and health standpoint. I believe a nice, juicy steak is great dinner. I believe time should not be wasted.

–Ryan Staley

I believe one should never quit, for it will never be the same. I believe you should follow your heart but always remember to think. I believe in asking the question “why not?” I believe the only way to listen to music is with the volume turned all the way up! I believe in staying up late and getting up early. I believe you can’t choose your own nickname.

–Alex Murchison III

I believe perfection is unattainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence. I believe that when you aren’t practicing, someone else is. I believe that hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. I believe that anyone’s finest moment is when they lay down exhausted and victorious. I believe I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. I believe in a strong work ethic. I believe in confidence as a way of life. I believe respect is the most important trait in life. I believe in the word Relentless.

–J.T. Kotowski

I believe in true love, but also true hate. I believe the legal drinking age should be 18. I believe in the influence of plaid clothing. I believe that today will always be a new day. I believe in living without regrets. I believe in making a statement through my words rather than my actions. I believe in the US Army. I believe in the bars and stars and bald eagle that represents our freedom. I believe that only God can judge me. I believe in using haters as motivations. I believe in good quality beer. I believe in the soldier’s creed. I believe in myself.

–Kyle Henderson

I believe that the unfortunate events that occur in our daily lives only makes us stronger. I believe that my parents have given up so much for me. I believe in my teammates. I believe that everyone should take time for themselves. I believe in my abilities to achieve my dreams. I believe in taking naps.

–Patrick Bivon

I believe that everyone should have the chance to succeed in life. I believe in equality and freedom. I believe that we are all capable of transcending our obstacles and accomplishing what you want to do on this planet. I believe that we all should learn from our own mistakes, because it’s okay to make them.

–Tiffany Patton

I believe colorful things make people smile. I believe doing your nails can relieve stress. I believe my family is the most special part of my life. I believe friends are the best gift of life.

–Sharina Taveras-Lopez

I believe in a good break after a hard week in school. I believe in shopping until I spend all my check. I believe in helping my mom as much as possible. I believe in working hard to achieve my goals. I believe in doing my homework to get good grades.

–Maria Reyes

I believe I won’t miss anymore classes until break. I believe I will get better organized. I believe I will be more independent. I believe I will be more responsible.

–Erica Diffendal

I believe that success comes through hard work and determination, not by luck or chance. I believe if you wholeheartedly pursue something, you’ll get it. I believe if you dream it, you can achieve it. I believe that settling for anything less than you want is foolish. I believe that nothing in life is perfect, but rather perfectly imperfect.

–Kelsey Burkhardt

I believe in the craziest nights with friends that soon turn into precious memories. I believe that a sister is a best friend for life. I believe that love isn’t real, but true lasting relationships are. I believe people can’t exist on their own, they need a support team to always get them through. I believe in an amazing God that always forgives me for the stupid horrible things I do while I’m in college.

–Miranda King

I believe in connections. Real connections that lead to hearty laughter and the sometimes rampant tears. I believe in the lessons my students teach me everyday about perseverance, randomness, fear, love, and humility. I believe in real Coke. Not Pepsi or diet. I believe in my girls – their future and their gifts to the world. I believe in Jim’s eggplant parmesan. I believe and live for peace.

–Lisa Breslin

The lecture’s guest speaker, William Noel, curator of manuscripts and rare books at the Walters, put it plainly when he said, “You’d have to be a nutcase to try and read this. It’s not easy.”

The Palimpsest is comprised of seven treatises written by Archimedes which were erased and written over by a monk during the twelfth century A.D. It was converted to a prayer book which was kept in Jerusalem for the next several hundred years. This, in combination with water damage, fire damage, bookworm damage, wax residue from the candles used to write it, and decay of the pages themselves (which were made from sheep hide), made the Archimedes text only readable under ultra-violet light—and even then, there was guesswork to be done in certain sections.

According to Professor Reviel Netz of Standford University, who has penned a book with Noel entitled “The Archimedes Codex,” the treatises present in the Palimpsest contain “key mathematical proofs…conceptual fields of calculus, and of infinity.”

Included in the treatises is the only known surviving copy of “On Floating Bodies,” written in Greek—detailing Archimedes’ studies of the famous “eureka” moment of dropping gold in his bathtub, and noticing the displacement of water. Archimedes also included many puzzles and diagrams in his writings, one of which consists of a square divided into 14 fragments, which can be re-assembled in 17,152 different ways.

The exhibit will be showing at the Walters Art Gallery until January 1st, 2012 and will reveal the history of the Palimpsest’s journey as well as the resurrection of its ancient knowledge in much greater detail.

Masha, a part of Kidsave International, in a 2006 photo at her home which happens to be an orphanage in Kardymovo, Russia.

Statistics show that there are between 143 million and 210 million orphans worldwide today. Studies have shown that each year, approximately 14 million of those children worldwide grow up and age out of orphanages by approximately 18 years of age.

In Russia and the Ukraine, 60% of the girls become prostitutes, and 70% of the boys become hardened criminals. Most people are completely unaware of that fact. Even Terry Baugh, who traveled to a Russian Orphanage to adopt an infant, was unaware of this fact.

It was not until Baugh heard about her friend, Randy Thompson’s experience while visiting an orphanage in Kazakhstan that she realized this truth.

During her visit, Ms. Thompson saw face to face the older children that the world had ultimately forgotten about.

Together the two friends teamed up and created “Kidsave International,” a non-profit organization whose mission stands on the motto, “Because every child needs a family.”

As an adoptive mother, Baugh was aware first hand of the obvious statement that, “Parenting a child from an institution is full of joy and challenges.” She also realized how children are poorly treated in orphanages.

“It is not okay that children are able to languish in government care without stimulation,” added Baugh.

Studies show that children who are not stimulated by loving parents as infants have higher chances of suffering from brain damage, not having enough growth hormones, and having cognitive problems.

It sounds unrealistic, but most of us are not aware of what happens in orphanages, especially in developing countries.

Russian orphanages are massive, cold institutions with an insufficient number of caregivers to properly take care of all of the children.

In the summer of 1999, Kidsave International brought 177 children from Russia to Washington DC and Los Angeles with the hope of finding these children families. That following summer, 97% of those children found families through their host-families or became children of the host-family themselves.

As of 2011, Kidsave has catered to children in orphanages in Russia, Kazakhstan, Peru, Columbia, Sierra Leone and the United States. To date, approximately 2,700 children have found homes through Kidsave. In addition, through Kidsave Sponsored programs; more than 10,000 kids have been helped worldwide.

Although it might seem like all good news, Baugh has surely had her share of hardships and struggles with being the co-founder of the organization. One of the largest issues has been public awareness, both locally and globally.

When the public is not aware of an issue, they do not care, and when they do not care it usually leads to the government not caring as well. That leads directly to the second problem faced by Kidsave. This problem is the lack of government funding for the program.

The United States Government has not made the issue a top priority regardless of numerous tests, which have been conducted such as the Bucharest Early Intervention Study.

This test has proven that children lose intellect after being in an orphanage for two years or more.

Kidsave currently has two major successful programs. The first program is Summer Miracles which takes place during the summer. This program which is promoted and advertised as their signature program, involves children coming to major cities in the U.S. and staying with a host family for six week periods. The hopes are that the children will find permanent families.

The second program, which is short term, is called Weekend Miracles. This program is targeted towards children in foster care located in the Kidsave focus cities, Washington DC and Los Angeles. Because the kids are American natives, the need for a long-term stay is eliminated because there are no language or culture barriers. Both programs have been very successful.

With the awareness aspect taken care of, I thought I would touch base on a more personal note.

Kidsave really stands out to me because I was once in the same situation that many children worldwide are in today. I was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in May of 1993 and adopted in April of 1995.

Fortunately, I was young enough not to remember much of anything from the orphanage. My earliest memory was of my “Thomas the Tank Engine” themed birthday party, which is nothing abnormal to any other American six year old.

My family’s involvement with Kidsave began in the year 2000, when we agreed to step in as a backup host family to a young boy named Sasha (Russian equivalent to Alexander). He came to us with nothing but a single outfit and a roll of toilet paper. We quickly nourished him with what was probably an absurd amount of clothes and personal items, some of which he surely had not seen or heard of before.

It was quite an experience and although we did not decide to make him our own, a different family we knew took the initiative and went through the grueling adoption process and made him a member of their family by the end of that year.

A few years passed and in the summer of 2003, two children, Masha and Ruslan, came into our home and we immediately fell in love with them. At the end of the summer we made a life changing decision and decided to make them a part of our family.

The following May, we traveled to Russia to finalize the adoption plans. Unfortunately the adoption did not work out for reasons pertaining to the Russian Government. However it was a life-changing experience and it would not have been possible without Kidsave.

This experience showed me what I potentially could have been like had I not been adopted. I also received a huge culture shock. Coming from an average American household, I gained a much broader view of how other people live and all of a sudden everything seemed to have more value.

Following that experience, my family continued to host children from other countries. However, 2006 marked our last summer of participating in the Summer Miracles program.

We still continue to support Kidsave in every way we can. Terry Baugh and her three children have grown up with me and it is something I would not take back under any circumstances. I firmly believe in Kidsave as an organization because “Every Child Needs a Family.”

Dr. Madsen points out that the McDaniel community and staff has been very supportive of the changes to the Program. Using the National Collegiate Honors Council’s requirements as a guide, Dr. Madsen hopes to “build the strengths” and “refresh” the curriculum of the Program. In fact, she points to the Potz Assessment Grant that the NCHC gave the school to see how to make the program as successful as possible. She hopes that changes to the course offerings and different expectations of students achievement will help to “highlight the great work [students] are doing.”

Dr. Madsen wants McDaniel to have all of the “basic characteristics of a fully-developed Honors Program,” which includes extended library loans and Honors dormitories. New additions to Honors students’ perks that Dr. Madsen points to include “space to meet social and academic needs, so that’s our Room of Requirement” and “priority registration to accommodate Honors students’ busy schedules, major(s), and Honors requirements.”

If you want to say that Dr. Madsen has ‘what Honors can do for you’ covered, then Honors Club President Rhaelynn Givens has ‘what you can do for Honors.’

After having previously served on Executive Board as Liaison to the Program, Rhaelynn made the transition to President a smooth one. Her main goals for the Honors Club were stated from the onset of the semester, which included her desire to focus on re-channeling the often negative stigmas attached to students in Honors through good, old-fashioned hard work, and active participation in leadership positions on campus.

“As the president, I am working with the Exec Board to change the community service hours so that they work more to foster community within the program, and hopefully help to bridge the gap that exists between upper and underclassmen.” Furthermore, increased opportunities for community service (thanks in part to Service Coordinator Marisa Hrbal) will help the Honors Program connect more with the rest of the McDaniel campus.

“I would like to help promote positive attitudes towards the liberal education we earn, and also help students to realize that despite frustrating elements of any institution, the essence of education is valuable,” and while she knows some Program requirements do frustrate students, she says, “Students of Honors should remember why they were invited into the program in the first place, and act accordingly.”

But those worried about Honors becoming ‘all work and no play’ can rest assured that there is plenty of fun still to be had. Rhaelynn adds, “With the ideas of Catherine O’Keeffe, our lovely Events Coordinator, and other members, we are looking to hosting a Literary Masquerade which will be open to all campus next semester!”

Jim Minick, poet and blueberry farmer, returned to McDaniel College on October 4, 2011 to celebrate and share his works since he was enrolled in Dr. Kathy Mangan’s poetry class over 20 years ago.

After Dr. Mangan introduced her former student with pride, Minick quoted from “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman:

I am the teacher of athletes,

He that by me spreads a wider breast than my own proves the width

of my own,

He most honors my style who learns under it to destroy the teacher.

It was apparent how appreciative he was of Dr. Mangan for pushing him in her class and helping him begin his successful career.

Minick began with an excerpt from his first published book, “Finding a Clear Path.” Published in 2005, Minick says the book poses the question “how do you find a clear path in this world?” The book consists of nature essays that debate this topic.

He then moved on to his book “Her Secret Song,” published in 2008. While reading his selected poems, Minick had to take his time and gather his emotions. He told the audience that this book was inspired by his aunt’s battle with disease.

“One of the reasons I write is to keep people alive” said Minick.

The audience’s emotion could be felt as Minick described the events that lead to his aunt’s death.

Moving on from this emotional part of the evening, he discussed his many other works and continued on with his newest book Blueberry Years.

The book is a compilation of anecdotes from life on his blueberry farm located in the Appalachian Mountains. Minick proudly described the place that he and his wife call home: the first certified organic blueberry farm where people can come to spend the day and pick their own berries.

Many of these stories are centered on the people who come to visit the farm and those who are employed there.

Minick said “the love of the play with words has shaped my prose writing,” making Blueberry Years an interesting novel that differs greatly from his poetry.

While Minick is “following this blueberry dream,” he is also working on another novel based on family stories.

His visit to McDaniel was meaningful to the current students in the audience who were looking for inspiration to work hard in classes and pursue their dreams.

Of his newest work, Dr. Panek explains, “This book essentially rewrites the history of American detective fiction by looking at a ton of new stuff that has never been available before. Well, it was in 1870, but not since then.”

The reason for the long stretch in which many early detective stories were not available to the public lies in their format. Early detective stories were published in magazines and newspapers, and though they were wildly popular among their immediate audience, people forgot about the precursor to what was for many years considered the original work of detective fiction: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, a series of 12 stories originally printed in 1891.

Panek’s fascination with detective fiction was sparked in the 1970’s by two events: the creation of Jan term classes at McDaniel and the expansion of the literary canon. Dr. Panek decided to teach a course on detective fiction and came to a stunning realization.

“There were tons of detective stories, but nobody had taken them seriously as literature,” he recalls.

These early detective fiction stories, printed in newspapers and magazines ranging from the New York Times to The Railroad Locomotive Engineer’s Monthly, highlight cultural elements from views on women to cigar smoking, yet remained latent and unread by the public for years after their initial popularity among readers. Thus, Dr. Panek teamed up with his colleague Dr. Mary Bendel-Simso to create the Westminster Detective Library, an online compilation of detective fiction.

“It is our intention to find and digitize every detective story printed in America before 1891,” Dr. Panek explains.

The 1,100 stories currently in the Westminster Detective Library served as raw material for Dr. Panek’s newest book, but the compilation process is far from over. Dr. Panek claims to find at least ten new stories a week, and these stories must be transcribed in order to go on the website. For about 2-3 hours each day since 2007, Dr. Panek has spent time transcribing the stories he finds so they can be posted online.

“It’s not easy,” he admits. “It’s like Edison with the 1,000 kinds of filaments, but maybe not quite as eloquent. But if you want the payoff, you have to do the work.”

To visit The Westminster Detective Library, check out: http://www2.mcdaniel.edu/WestminsterDetectiveLibrary/Home.html

“Glar eggs soak up all the alcohol consumed the night before, making me sober when I leave.”

Amber Slater

“Looking around, everyone looks the same. Even I wear the same clothes that I had on the night before.”

Meghan Shatz

“People are angry when you’re loud.”

Hillary Deweese

“I’m miserable and hung over at like 8 am, Glar doesn’t open until 10:30 on the weekends, it’s a problem.”

Liam O’ neill

“Some people walk in still drunk, sit down and slowly eat their eggs and potatoes.”

Cari Sledzic

“I always double fist my water.”

Forest Fleisher

“Prospective students should never be allowed in Glar on a Sunday.”

Christine Jubinski

“It’s the quietest time of the week.”

Brad Heavner

In 2007, FLICC was created in order to meet the needs of the Carroll County citizens who love film. FLICC shows a variety of foreign and independent films that inspire hope and entertain audiences! FLICC member Frank Baylor says “attendance for film presentations at the Arts Center had been erratic since the Center was opened in 2002. There seemed no rhyme or reason to what the community wished to see. Showing films at the Arts Center was always considered to be a part of the programming mix but it should be able to support itself with enough attendance to at least break even. The intention for creating a group, which became FLICC, was to try to present films that would appeal to the Arts Council members and the rest of Carroll County.”

What kind of impact has FLICC had on Carroll County? Mr. Baylor also states “I hope we have brought more of the community into the Arts Center by providing an alternative film experience that is not available nearby. If you wish to see small budget, independent or foreign language films on the big screen you would otherwise have to travel to Baltimore, Silver Spring or Gettysburg.”

In the past, FLICC has shown The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series (which is hugely popular) and sentimental foreign pieces like “The Way Home.”

Please join FLICC at the Carroll Arts Center for A Touch of Spice on Friday evening, November 18th 2011 at 7:30 PM. Cost: $6 adults / $5 CCAC Members, Seniors 60+, Students under 18. Check FLICC out on Facebook and visit the Carroll Arts Center website at www.carrollcountyartscouncil.org

Academically, the first year of college is often a struggle for most due to the added rigor of classes and freedom to do work or simply avoid it. Beyond the new academic challenges that college poses for all students, Caitlyn deals with an extra hurdle: dyslexia.

Megan Henry, Caitlyn’s academic coach in Student Academic Support Services, or SASS, explains that dyslexia occurs because of problems with decoding and encoding, which are phonetic identifications that interfere with reading fluency.

“Let’s see that you or I might see the number 21,” Megan says. “She might only see the number 12, or just the one or the two, and that’s just the way the mind sees it.”

Caitlyn refuses to let dyslexia keep her from achieving, though. In fact, through her hard work and dedication to academics, Caitlyn has been recognized by the Maryland branch of the International Dyslexia Association. While Caitlyn was among eight total students to receive honors from the association, she was the sole recipient of the Finish Line scholarship, a $1,000 award.

To her coach Megan, the award was no surprise. “She has an extreme amount of maturity. She always comes prepared, is always open to suggestions, and she doesn’t let her disability define her. Caitlyn is very actualized,” Megan states.

Caitlyn’s character shines outside of the classroom as well as through her community service. She has gone on several mission trips, volunteered at a horse farm for kids with special needs, and functioned at her high school as the President of Best Buddies, which she explains is “a program that promotes friendship for people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

Caitlyn says that “small class sizes that allow you to interact closely with fellow students and professors” drew her to McDaniel during her application process last year.

For Caitlyn, dyslexia does not limit her ability to shine as a student, a volunteer, or a role model. Karen Hamilton, Acting Director of SASS, feels that Caitlyn’s ability to overcome her disability exemplifies the nature of all students in the SASS program.

Karen says, “For all students at SASS, [their disability] is a small part of their makeup, but it doesn’t define them.”

Caitlyn is an example to the entire McDaniel community. From her achievements and award from the International Dyslexia Association, it is apparent that perseverance leads to success, hard work has benefits, and a disability should never be viewed as a disadvantage.

Boys and Girls Club Members in the Writing Center

Over the past 5 weeks, members of the Boys and Girls Club of Westminster have been coming to McDaniel College to work with student consultants on essays they will be given recognition for.

The idea for this partnership between the McDaniel writing center and Boys and Girls Club of Westminster (BGCW) started last year when Lisa Breslin was the writing center director. She had done a program with the students that involved them entering a scholarship contest by writing an essay.

Owen Horton, the current acting director of the writing center, was approached by Beth Tevis, one of the Boys and Girls Club’s Honorary Board members, and they talked about what they could do for the students since there was no scholarship contest that they could point them to this year. The result was a six week program that would allow the BGCW members to work with current McDaniel students on an essay.

“I really wanted a program that would get the students to think about academic achievement by celebrating their academic achievement. Too often their athletic achievement or extra circular achievement is what is celebrated, so I wanted something that would make them think about their writing as a special thing that they can do,” said Horton.

In order to recognize these students, Horton came up with the ideas for a “prose-slam,” which is like a poetry slam but has stories being read instead of poetry.

“We wanted to celebrate but also wanted them to sort of have this sense of ownership and performance with it. I also wanted them to have something to work toward like a goal that would keep them interested, motivated, and engaged throughout the process,” said Horton.

McDaniel junior, Ben Azat, got involved last semester by working for the writing center and Lisa Breslin.

“Lisa Breslin approached me saying that they work with BGCW on Wednesdays and asked if I wanted to help out,” said Azat who gladly agreed.

That interaction brought him to continue working with the BGCW and help out with the current program. Azat loves the experience and enjoys that it will help him with his education minor.

The Boys and Girls Club members involved with this partnership come from East and West Middle Schools and are a mixture of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders.

6th grade East Middle school student, Matthew Weller said that he enjoys working with the student consultants on his essay.

“It helps me learn how to set up a story and it’s fun to write and have this experience. It’s also cool to meet older people and get their point of view on things,” said Weller.

The stories the members of the BGCW are writing are about an important or special day in their lives. The titles of the stories have ranged from “The Game Tag,” to “How I Broke My Leg,” and “How I Burnt My Toast.”

West Middle School 6th grader, McKelly Carnes, says that she likes doing the program because it “gives me something to share with others and helps me add detail to make my story sound better.”

The BGCW members will be reading their stories on November 9th in Hill Hall at 4p.m. The event is open to the McDaniel and Westminster communities.

“We are really hoping it is a positive experience, it’s only an hour we have 9 young writers and I think they are really excited to show their stories,” said Horton.

Jim Minick, poet and blueberry farmer, returned to McDaniel College on October 4, 2011 to celebrate and share his works since he was enrolled in Dr. Kathy Mangan’s poetry class over 20 years ago.

After Dr. Mangan introduced her former student with pride, Minick quoted from “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman:

I am the teacher of athletes,

He that by me spreads a wider breast than my own proves the width

of my own,

He most honors my style who learns under it to destroy the teacher.

It was apparent how appreciative he was of Dr. Mangan for pushing him in her class and helping him begin his successful career.

Minick began with an excerpt from his first published book, “Finding a Clear Path.” Published in 2005, Minick says the book poses the question “how do you find a clear path in this world?” The book consists of nature essays that debate this topic.

He then moved on to his book “Her Secret Song,” published in 2008. While reading his selected poems, Minick had to take his time and gather his emotions. He told the audience that this book was inspired by his aunt’s battle with disease.

“One of the reasons I write is to keep people alive” said Minick.

The audience’s emotion could be felt as Minick described the events that lead to his aunt’s death.

Moving on from this emotional part of the evening, he discussed his many other works and continued on with his newest book Blueberry Years.

The book is a compilation of anecdotes from life on his blueberry farm located in the Appalachian Mountains. Minick proudly described the place that he and his wife call home: the first certified organic blueberry farm where people can come to spend the day and pick their own berries.

Many of these stories are centered on the people who come to visit the farm and those who are employed there.

Minick said “the love of the play with words has shaped my prose writing,” making Blueberry Years an interesting novel that differs greatly from his poetry.

While Minick is “following this blueberry dream,” he is also working on another novel based on family stories.

His visit to McDaniel was meaningful to the current students in the audience who were looking for inspiration to work hard in classes and pursue their dreams.

Over the past 5 weeks, members of the Boys and Girls Club of Westminster have been coming to McDaniel College to work with student consultants on essays they will be given recognition for.

The idea for this partnership between the McDaniel writing center and Boys and Girls Club of Westminster (BGCW) started last year when Lisa Breslin was the writing center director. She had done a program with the students that involved them entering a scholarship contest by writing an essay.

Owen Horton, the current acting director of the writing center, was approached by Beth Tevis, one of the Boys and Girls Club’s Honorary Board members, and they talked about what they could do for the students since there was no scholarship contest that they could point them to this year.  The result was a six week program that would allow the BGCW members to work with current McDaniel students on an essay.

“I really wanted a program that would get the students to think about academic achievement by celebrating their academic achievement. Too often their athletic achievement or extra circular achievement is what is celebrated, so I wanted something that would make them think about their writing as a special thing that they can do,” said Horton.

In order to recognize these students, Horton came up with the ideas for a “prose-slam,” which is like a poetry slam but has stories being read instead of poetry.

“We wanted to celebrate but also wanted them to sort of have this sense of ownership and performance with it. I also wanted them to have something to work toward like a goal that would keep them interested, motivated, and engaged throughout the process,” said Horton.

McDaniel junior, Ben Azat, got involved last semester by working for the writing center and Lisa Breslin.

“Lisa Breslin approached me saying that they work with BGCW on Wednesdays and asked if I wanted to help out,” said Azat who gladly agreed.

That interaction brought him to continue working with the BGCW and help out with the current program. Azat loves the experience and enjoys that it will help him with his education minor.

The Boys and Girls Club members involved with this partnership come from East and West Middle Schools and are a mixture of 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders.

6^th grade East Middle school student, Matthew Weller said that he enjoys working with the student consultants on his essay.

“It helps me learn how to set up a story and it’s fun to write and have this experience. It’s also cool to meet older people and get their point of view on things,” said Weller.

The stories the members of the BGCW are writing are about an important or special day in their lives. The titles of the stories have ranged from “The Game Tag,” to “How I Broke My Leg,” and “How I Burnt My Toast.”

West Middle School 6^th grader, McKelly Carnes, says that she likes doing the program because it “gives me something to share with others and helps me add detail to make my story sound better.”

The BGCW members will be reading their stories on November 9^th in Hill Hall at 4p.m. The event is open to the McDaniel and Westminster communities.

“We are really hoping it is a positive experience, it’s only an hour we have 9 young writers and I think they are really excited to show their stories,” said Horton.

You are wearing the same outfit, but your hair, and if you are a girl your makeup, does not look as good as it did yesterday. And although you know it will be your most embarrassing moment of the week you still force yourself to get up and walk back to your room, which of course, is on the other side of campus.

As much as you try to avoid your peers, it is inevitable that someone will not watch you do the infamous Walk of Shame. Everyone has either observed someone else doing the walk, or has participated in the walk themselves.

But what is so shameful about this walk? Is it because you must pass what feels like everyone on campus in the same outfit as last night or is it because you are ashamed of who you stayed with?

Boys have it easy. This is because what most guys wear out to parties is no different than what they would wear on a day to day basis.

For girls it is the opposite.

Also it is not always easy to borrow clothes form someone you may never see again because in reality they may never get those clothes back. To solve this problem one senior girl says she always packs “flip flops, a generic t-shirt that is typical of weekend college students, and either yoga pants or shorts depending on the weather” all in a bag. She says that she never has to worry about what people will say about her because the outfit she wore out the night before is safely tucked in the bag she carried along all night.

While this is a crafty idea for girls to hide their actions from everyone on campus, it is also not easy to keep track of a bag at a party when people have been drinking.

What is it that makes leaving someone’s room in the morning a bad thing? Usually, the person went there to have a good time and if they leave in the morning they most likely succeeded in doing so.

A lot of guys said that when they left a girls place in the morning no one ever noticed. Other guys said they only worry about people seeing them walk when they leave certain girls’ rooms.

What seems to be the pattern on this campus is that any girl who leaves a boys room, and makes it obvious that she does so, should feel shame. Hence shame in the title.

If men can feel proud of what they did the night before, than so should girls.

Perhaps we should really celebrate the Walk of Shame and begin calling it the Walk of Fame.

After all, as students cross Red Square on Sunday morning, whether they are dressed in someone else’s clothes or their own recycled outfit, they are still the ones who had the successful night.

Scream

After a series of multiple subpar horror movies released in the 90’s, Wes Craven was desperate for a new hit. Ironically, he found one by parodying the “slasher” genre he helped invent with Nightmare on Elm Street. Making the characters and the film’s narrative self-aware of the “rules” in “slasher” movies, Scream transcends regular horror and becomes a masterpiece in satire of the state of horror films today. As a masked killer preys on teenagers in a small town, slasher clichés are uprooted and mocked. The killer even asks his victims over the phone what their favorite scary movie is. However, just because the movie has its fair share of funny moments in it does not mean it does not scare. The movie is violent and unpredictable. Laugh at horror on Netflix now.

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Television

The Walking Dead

AMC is the HBO of cable television. Knowing this, Netflix recently bought the rights to stream every single AMC original show. This includes masterpieces like Breaking Bad and Mad Men, but especially The Walking Dead. Based on the hit, long-running comic book series of the same name, this show treads surprisingly new ground by putting a human face on the zombies. No longer are these simply flesh-eating monsters. And as the main character learns when he wakes up in a hospital and is greeted by the abandoned streets and zombies of the apocalypse, these soulless killers used to be humans, used to have families and used to smile, laugh, or cry. The pilot episode hooks you from the very first scene. Frank Darabont of Shawshank Redemption and The Mist fame directs, using amazing cinematography, great acting, and superb writing. This show isn’t about getting a headshot off a zombie, it is about the life that they lost and now are forced to live.

Zombies!

The Crazies

Very few recent zombie movies (with the exception of 28 Days Later) have been able to capture the political subplots and psychological fear that was elegantly conveyed in George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. However, The Crazies comes close to capturing it. Remaking a previous Romero film of the same name, the movie is able to convey both the infected monsters and the government agents sent to “protect” as villainous. Taking place in a small mid-west town, a sheriff and a small band of people are forced to survive when a virus begins to infect the small town, turning normal humans into insane monsters. While it is not technically a zombie film, it still works like one. The best part about the movie though is it doesn’t give you a chance to take a breath. It just keeps pulling you deeper and deeper into the ruined lives off this small American town with no hope and no escape.

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B-Movie Glory

Dead Snow

This is one of those films on Netflix that you might look at the cover, laugh and then go about your day, wondering who the hell would make a movie about nazi zombies. Well, this group of Norwegian filmmakers did, and it is well worth your time. Throwing plot accuracy and logic out the window, the film focuses on the subtle parts of zombie movies: the guts and gore. As it is a foreign film, you will have to read subtitles. But please don’t complain. You are in college. The film will surprise you scene by scene as the Norwegian teenagers use a variety of weapons and vehicles to fight off the Nazi zombies. Don’t go into this expecting intellectual meaning. Go into it for the blood.

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Guilty Pleasure

Deep Blue Sea

I will go ahead and say it at the start. This movie is mediocre. It is average horror and average scares and average plot. But even with all that in mind, I love this movie. It never portrays itself to be more than what it is. It is a movie made for fun about mutant sharks that hunt down action stars with a few funny or badass lines mixed up with it. The film also pulls the carpet under your feet a few times. It isn’t as predictable as you might think. That main character in the beginning might not be the main character for very long. Here’s looking at you Samuel L. Jackson.

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Underappreciated

Red Dragon

Released in 2002 as a prequel to Silence of the Lambs, this film features Edward Norton as the FBI agent Will Graham who works with Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter to hunt down a serial killer named the “Tooth Fairy.” Although it was a commercial success when it came out, it was received with mixed reviews that it did not quite deserve. Although it isn’t as effective as some of its predecessors, the movie acts as an engrossing thriller that keeps you guessing. The twist at the end is enough to give it four stars.

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Re-make

Let Me In

Rarely do remakes become better if not just as good as the original, but, in this case, it does. This film is the remake of the Swedish masterpiece Let the Right One In. Set in a wintery New Mexico, the movie centers on a boy played by Kodi Smit-McPhee who develops a friendship with a vampire next door played by Cloe Grace-Moretz. While the Swedish counterpart is an elegant and beautifully shot film, the American remake is darker, more violent and more emotional. Each has its benefits but any movie that conveys bullies just as villainous as murdering vampires deserves a golden star. This movie is more than a horror movie. It is a twisted, but authentic love story. The end will send shivers down your spine.

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Classic

The Thing

This movie is, hands-down, the best horror movie of all time. Some others will name movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Halloween or even The Exorcist, but none of those movies achieved what this film achieved. The music is atmospheric and creepy. The acting is superb and real. The effects are revolutionary. The cinematography is chilling (no pun intended) and pioneering. The premise is new. What scares you is not the violence or monsters that you see on the screen, it is the ones you don’t see or can’t quite put a finger on. Directed by John Carpenter and led by Kurt Russell, this movie is about the simple conflict of friends turning against one another. There is no true resolution to this movie, only guessing. Watch American scientists in the Arctic try and fight off an alien creature that copies their DNA and appearance on Netflix today.

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Honorable Mentions:

Audition

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Cronos

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The second Westminster Bookstore: Electricity -- Arts, Books, Music...and More.

Just last week a poor soul believed that McDaniel College had the only bookstore in Westminster. When Locust Book Store on Main Street went out of business a little over a year ago, such a statement became truth. However, disguised in a brick building, a Westminster bookstore emerged silently from the shadows called Electricity. Within the store, Ms. Shawn Lockhart, conducts her collection of books, CD’s and art. Much of the art she has for sale has been crafted by local artists, including jewelry, paintings, ceramics, and robots. Need an opportunity to take a browse? In the store on Oct. 8, a local writer, Bob Porterfield, had a signing event for his book, “Westminster the Way It Was.”

Sounds interesting? Here are a few more new stores that have popped up in the past year:

In Downtown Westminster we have:

The Main Arterie – Settled at 51 East Main Street, the store sells arts and crafts by local artists. Many items are handmade, such as quilts, paper earrings, and cheese trays made from flattened wine bottles. A line of handmade U-Grow Girl Dresses can fit toddlers as dresses and 8-10 year-olds as shirts.

Furnace Hill Coffee Co. – Located at 71 West Main Street, this business ensures that its coffee is organically grown, purchases the coffee through direct trade, and employs the developmentally disabled. For more information: www.furnacehillscoffee.com

CUP Tea Bar and Café – You can find delicious tea at 7 East Main Street along with coffee, baked goods, salads and panini sandwiches. Available teas include black, green, white, rooibos, oolongs, and herbals. Drop by for a pot of tea for you and your friend in the casual atmosphere. Check out the facebook page: http://on.fb.me/oHlcCT

Seed of Difference Boutique – You can find Hats by Marjae for both men and ladies at 234 East Main Street. Displayed are hats that range from fancy to casual. Cowboys sit next to French ladies, and Fedoras are lounging near Facinators who sit primped and pretty by the window. There are also fans, gloves, jewelry, and “Sex in the City” perfume. For more information: www.marjaehats.com

J Café – This breakfast and brunch restaurant just opened at 172 East Main Street. You can grab a scrumptious sandwich, a salad, or baked goods. Also on the menu is a Chicken Quesadilla and the option of designing your own cold sandwich. The Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/r4Su8Z

And of course,

Electricity Arts, Books, Music…and More located at 13 John Street. Website: http://eclecticityart.com/

Right Along MD 140

Chipotle Mexican Grill – Salads and Tacos and Burritos Oh My! Located at 631 Baltimore Blvd., Chipotle focuses on “food with integrity,” which involves raising animals naturally, being respectful towards the farmers, and working towards buying organic food from local family farms. To learn more take a look at: www.chipotle.com

The Vitamin Shoppe – Nutritious vitamins, supplements, herbs and more all available at 631a W. Baltimore Blvd. Online store: www.vitaminshoppe.com

IHOP – Pancakes anyone? For everyone who missed the memo, The International House of Pancakes opened Nov. 9 of last year. Hiding up on a hill at 490 Meadow Creek Drive, the restaurant is a great place for a delicious meal. The Facebook page can be found at: http://on.fb.me/nlfent

Cold Stone Creamery – Ice Cream. What more can I say? Opened this past July, the store is at 410 Meadow Creek Drive. Website: www.coldstonecreamery.com

As an extra reminder to everyone, there is a Downtown Westminster Discount Guide on the McDaniel College website located at https://www.mcdaniel.edu/2339.htm. Check out all the cool savings available in Westminster!

Skype is a free online video chat that gives people a way to talk and see each other while speaking. This is where all the advantages lie. A junior girl says Skype was helpful for her long distance relationship, especially because she could only see her boyfriend two or three times a semester before Skype. Now, using Skype, they are able to get intimate every time they feel the urge. While it is fun for both of them, she finds that it is a taboo subject to talk about in front of others because it is a newer concept.

This becomes evident as more girls are willing to speak out about tech-sex experiences than boys. Many guys on this campus claim to never participate in it and assume that no other guys do either. Some men admitted they did not feel comfortable giving up any information about sex through Skype. One junior male said, “Men have Skype sex, but only as a last resort or a desperate resort to see a woman.”

He also reasoned that “only men faithful to their girlfriends would have any interest.” Generally men are more open about their sex lives than women. What is it about having Skype sex makes a man feel uncomfortable or ashamed?

Perhaps the fear of someone finding racy pictures or videos makes men want to avoid informing others?

But what keeps men from confessing their video chat secrets is really what is preventing a lot of women from doing it at all. A sophomore girl expressed her apprehensiveness, “even if the guy is your boyfriend, he has the power of taking pictures of you and possibly using them against you if you are to break up.” For a couple to participate in Skype sex, there has to be a strong bond of trust within the relationship.

Having sex through Skype can be a fun way to stay sexually involved when you are in a long distance relationship, but if you begin to become causal, it can also become dangerous. If you are looking to have a fun sexual experience but are not in a relationship, the best way is to find someone available to you physically. It’s always the better sex to begin with.

Breslin received her Bachelor’s degree in English and Teacher’s certification from Colorado College. She then received her Master’s degree from the University of Indiana. Coming form a big family, Breslin attributes some of her mediation skills to this fact. In June, Breslin was offered her new position and fully became the Dean in August.

Some of you may be wondering what exactly the Associate Dean of Student Academic Life does. Well, the answer to that is fairly simple. The Dean is the person who works with upper-class students to help them work out the demands of the College. The Dean also supports faculty and staff in resolving academic issues as they are presented.

Although having left the Writing Center, Breslin states that she will still continue to be in touch with the Writing Center consultants and the people who work there.

“Any mother will tell you that your babies are never completely grown up,” says Breslin.

Being the former director of the Writing Center, she said that she never truly left the program mainly because of the constant contact that she has with all the people who work there.

Additionally, Breslin was the beloved advisor of the McDaniel Free Press, and she still continues to stay in touch with the staff.

Because of how comfortable and safe her old position was, Breslin stated that there was some hesitation on accepting the new job as Dean: “It’s similar to a kid moving away from his childhood home and coming to a new home, new school.”

Although in the end, she says that she loves her new “family” and is glad to be still near her old family.

“I enjoy the shake up and unpredictability of the day,” says Breslin.

With her new position, Breslin has a lot of aspirations of what she wants to do to be more proactive. She wants to move away from the idea that coming to see her is a bad thing due to “screwing up.”

To help with this, she started some new programs, the first being “Dinner with the Dean.” This event is where Breslin invites group of students, such as the commuters, to her own home to have dinner with her and her husband.

With these new programs, Breslin hopes to help students connect with each other and create lasting relationships.

Not only is Breslin trying to get the students to connect more with each other but she hopes to help get the various departments on campus connect as well.

Besides being the Dean, Breslin still has many other projects that she works on such as the Summer Academic Enrichment Program (SAEP). This program helps prepare rising seniors from underprivileged high schools in Washington, D.C. prepare for college. This program helps out the students in many ways to help improve them for the future.

To the ever-busy Dean Breslin, our new Associate Dean of Student Academic Life, we wish you the best of success.

So what is The Save Point about? Well that’s an easy question to answer.

One of the founding 3 members of Save Point, Eric Holniker, said that Save Point is “a multipurpose gaming center” and it “focuses on every aspect of gaming that you don’t see today, especially in a retail environment.”

Having things ranging from various arcade machines to networked Xbox consoles, Save Point hopes to make playing games a bit more social than it is now.

“We are creating a community that sort of existed but it’s coming to the surface in the store,” says Holniker.

Save Point is trying to bring back that time where the whole family or groups of friends would gather around together to play games rather than just be alone in your room and play online with a group of strangers.

All of this started with just three friends, Holniker, Kat Huffman and Rodger Voter. But due to the work schedule, Voter is rarely at the store. You will find Huffman and Holniker there every day though.

Focusing mainly on retro gaming, The Save Point buys and sells games and systems that would fall under that category. This includes the Atari 2600, which came out in 1977. They say they are avoiding the games for the newest generation such as the Xbox 360, Wii and the PS3.

Ever notice the arcade machines in the mall before the store opened? Yup, those were all owned by the people who own Save Point.

Before Save Point, those arcades were moved around to conventions such as Otakon in Baltimore and were placed in the mall when at those locations.

Eventually, they were offered a store location to put all those arcade games in; that expanded to what Save Point is now. Most of the games that they started out with were all owned by Eric and expanded from there.

Eventually, they hope to expand to PC’s and other systems for the LAN and create a genuine LAN store that won’t follow the trend of all the others and fail. But for now, until the store gains more popularity, they state that the Xbox seem to be enough until they are able to get their other ideas rolling.

Due to the nature of the type of games that they sell, the employees at Save Point don’t think that they will get any competition from Game Stop nor do they wish to compete with them.

Now, buying and selling retro games is not all that Save Point does. They also offer networked Xboxes that allow for up to 7 people to come in and play together, for a price of course.

They also said that they hope to have various tournaments either weekly or bi-weekly ranging from a Gears of War 3 tournament to a Dr. Mario tournament.

They are also considering a good grades reward system, where students could bring in their report cards, show their good grades, and receive various rewards for it like a free game time.

The store is open to having people come in and “renting out” the space for personal LAN parties and such.

Save Point is an awesome place to find old games that you happen to be dying to play or just too even go hang out with friends and play. You should definitely stop by and see what’s up. Bring some friends, have a little fun, and relax from all the school work you may have piling up on your desk.

Save Point, where retro gaming comes back to life.

So, this week we are talking about music. Everyone loves music. I think that this is a fairly basic statement that is almost universally true, whether it be nice, smooth jazz, or perhaps a bit of heavy metal. Either way, music seems to be a part of most people’s lives. However, the question that both She and I would like to raise is whether or not music is a part of our sex lives.

The way I go about this topic is actually sort of amusing, so I am going to share… as if you expected less. Basically, when someone asks me about “mood music” I start thinking about the kind of sex that I would want to be having in reference to whatever song that happens to come up.

For instance, say you throw your iTunes on shuffle and you start going with your man or woman. The first song that comes on happens to be “Hedwig’s Theme” from Harry Potter. Now, considering you are already engaging in foreplay, you really don’t want to have to go over to your damn computer to change the song before your childhood is ruined forever.

That is, assuming you don’t have some weird fantasy involving those times where you know people got it on between the chapters, cough cough, Harry and Ginny, cough cough, Ron and Hermione, cough cough, Hagrid and Madame Maxime, cough – okay, that was too far, but isn’t that the point?

See this is what you run into when you just let the music go where it wants, and I am sure so many other terrible examples exist in that world of oh-shit-this-just-got-awkward-change-the-song-and-get-back-to-it.

Now, She will tell you to prepare a playlist to your liking, eliminating the random factor, but I think that just takes too much time. I don’t want to spend hours slaving over a nice, romantic opera playlist, to then get going and want to have a gritty tie-your-hands-to-the-bedposts S&M encounter. I recognize the fact that no playlist will ever really match the exact motivations and desires of any given sexual engagement. So, why try?

I would so much rather just let the sex speak for itself, or perhaps moan for itself, or scream for itself. Whatever floats the boat that you ride. That way, you aren’t pinned to the playlist, and you can flow from grit and grunge into the sensually sweet or any other preferences as they come to you and your partner in real time, satisfying every need that you need as you need it.

SHE SAID: Noise

So, He thinks that playing music in the background is unnecessary or counter-productive. I personally think that playing music whilst in the throes of passion – or, let’s face it, whilst banging triumphantly – adds a personal touch to the experience. Putting together a playlist of songs (which can be put on random!) says, “Hey, I thought about bumping uglies beforehand. I’m a nurturer-caregiver. Let’s do this!”

The method to my playlist madness is as such: when I hear a song in my iTunes that makes me think, “Hey, this would do a good job of cancelling out all the weird sex noises I do,” I add it to my “Sexyfuntime” playlist (which I can neither confirm nor deny is called that). Beyond just caring for my partner-of-the-moment, I think it shows me caring for my residence hall neighbors; they don’t want to know what I do or what who I’m with is doing. I know this because I don’t want to know what they’re doing either. So, since everyone knows everything about everyone on a small campus, I think it is only right that we at least can’t hear exactly what is going on next door. It’s polite.

And while I like music, and appreciate that putting these pre-selected songs on shuffle adds to the serendipity of the sexual experience, putting your entire music selection on random is admittedly bad. Then, next thing you know, “Happy Happy Joy Joy” from Ren & Stimpy comes on and you have some explaining to do.

But really, I think I might just be a music elitist. Maybe I just want someone to walk by and think, “Yeah, someone must be getting railed in there, but that song is tight!”

Now, as a parting gift to you, our faithful readers, I will share a playlist that hopefully you will find appropriate for just such an occasion. Remember, put it on shuffle and let the music help guide your experience!

1. Missile by IAMX: This has a controversial, sexually-charged music video for people who like that kind of thing. Although, the song has some great lyrics, for those that like to sing-along during the act.

2. WWIII by K.M.F.D.M.: The title is unusual, but not many German industrial bands would start a song with dueling banjos or GWB sound-bites either; trust me, it’s awesome.

3. Get It Up by Mindless Self Indulgence: So this is a song about sex that doesn’t try to hide it’s a song about sex not going well, but the beat is sweet.

4. French Fries w/ Pepper by Morphine: A little jazzier than the other songs on this list, but the late, great, Mark Sandman’s voice and lazy bass lines just hit all the right spots – especially with the sax.

5. Supermassive Black Hole by Muse: I think we all know this song has a really bizarre music video. But the bass is dirty and crunchy and when you see it played live – oh, baby. You have to have this song playing.

6. Closer by Nine Inch Nails: Okay, so this is a bit obvious. But it’s a classic for a reason. And that reason is that it’s so wrong it is right.

7. Tristan by Patrick Wolf: You’d think that a wispy Englishman with an acoustic instrument couldn’t sound so close to being venomous, but drum machines? They make great things happen.

8. Bionic by Placebo: I’m completely honest when I tell you that the majority of the lyrics are just the words, “Harder, faster.” It’s definitely meant for getting down.

9. I Turn My Camera On by Spoon: Please, don’t take the song title as a suggestion. Then things get messy.

10. Sex Bomb by Spinnerette: This rock song is great on the self-titled album by Spinnerette, but the ‘Adam Freeland Remix’ of the song (which can be found on iTunes) is a must listen. It deftly blends the hard rock and techno-club influences – which leads to better forking.

11. Tear You Apart by She Wants Revenge: Really amazing live band. And their music just makes you want to do bad/good things to people that you find attractive. It’s just right.

And that’s what I want you guys to walk away with; when you are taking the step to have sex with someone, especially when it’s your first time with the person, don’t you want all the elements around you to be perfect? And that should apply to your taste in music. If you can’t agree on what you’ll listen to when you screw, what the fuck else are you supposed to agree on?

Where in Westminster are these simple shadows?

The afternoon sun seeps through the room’s windows, framing the plants upon the cushioned ledge. Simply serene as it is, I knew I wanted a photograph. I’m afraid my skills at capturing this photograph may be lacking, as I couldn’t capture the entire atmosphere. Should you feel adventurous and in need of a laid-back afternoon, slide from the hectic street scene into a relaxed state of mind. If you find yourself slipping in with the sun, please send me an email about where you are. The first person who can identify where I found this scene will be awarded a free latte from the Budapest Cafe. Email me at kis001@mcdaniel.edu.

Members of the new dance team in action. Photo by Kaitlyn Vadenais

One of the newest groups on campus is the McDaniel Dance Team.

Directed by sophomore Shelby Toler, the novelty of the group has no correlation with the goals that the group members have set out for themselves.

Toler says the goals of the group are to “put on good performances and eventually have new routines each game.”

Her ultimate goal is to get the team to compete in Reach the Beach in Ocean City, MD, a beach cheer and dance competition with national participants.

The dance team performs hip-hop and jazz mixes as well as kick line and pom routines. You will be able to see the team perform at half-time during football and basketball games. The dancers are making their debut at the October 15 football game. The team gave the campus a sneak peak of their routine to the pop hit Blow by Ke$ha at the pep rally on September 30.

Currently, there are nine girls on the team. However, the team is always looking for new members. There will be another round of formal tryouts just in time for basketball season as well as a workshop or two for prospective dancers.

The team has a variety of levels of experience. While some girls are members of both the dance team and the dance company, the organizations are separate and unrelated. The most important traits Toler is looking for from interested dancers are dedication, personality, and commitment.

Toler, a sophomore at McDaniel, is everything for this dance team. She is the choreographer and leader of the team. Seeing her level of dedication makes it hard to believe that she started dancing as late as high school. A member of the McDaniel Dance Company as well, Toler says she “fell in love [with dance] and continued through into college.”

Jahncie Cook, a freshman, joined the team because she wanted to continue her hobby of dancing in college. Many of the girls on the team share the same sentiments.

Megan Powell, also a freshman, took time off from dancing due to bad experiences with her teams in high school but joined the Dance Team here at McDaniel because she decided to try it again.

Although Toler says it has been difficult for her to “step up and be in charge,” she is getting the team off to a positive start.

“We’re all going to get along awesomely,” said Powell.

If anyone is interested in joining this new and exciting team on campus, contact Shelby Toler at slt001@mcdaniel.edu.

Although the mission of the night was serious, music filled the quad as students played volleyball, made t-shirts, and slept in tents. The money raised from t-shirt and food sales went to purchasing nets for children in Africa to help prevent the spread of malaria.

Night of Nets is a national movement to raise money and awareness about malaria and its global effects and implications.

According to the Acts to End Malaria’s website, approximately 2,000 children around the world die every day from malaria, which is a disease carried by mosquitos and contracted through their bites.

Sophomore Amanda Webster says, “I personally did not know that many children died for malaria; that statistic is shocking to me.”

The organization’s goal is to end malaria by the year 2015 through the purchase of insecticide-treated bed nets, each of which costs about six dollars and can save the lives of two children.

Clubs like the Advocacy Team and the Outdoors Club worked together to put together McDaniel’s Night of Nets 2011. Students who attended were encouraged not only to donate to the cause, but to speak up by calling or writing a letter to Senators and Representatives to support the issue.

Mike Webster, director of campus safety, believes that “even if someone doesn’t participate in Night of Nets, they [the clubs] put up so much advertisement, it’s impossible not to be aware of the situation.”

Webster’s opinion speaks directly to the goals of the event; to make the issue of malaria so prevalent that it is impossible for people to ignore. To learn more about the cause and how you can help, go to actstoendmalaria.org.

When the group hosting the clubroom does not have a designated area then the forum may be reserved. Some groups also ask other groups for the use of their clubrooms.

Many of the clubrooms offer themes like “prep,” LGBT, etc. They usually start around 10p.m. and last until 2 a.m.

Of course, just because the “party” starts at 10 p.m., doesn’t mean people will be there at that time. With clubrooms, you might notice many will not show up until midnight. The reason for this varies amongst the groups of people that go to the clubrooms. Sometimes it might just be because they want fourth meal before leaving. Other times people just want to start the “party” later.

Now at this point, you might be wondering what the point is of going to one of these clubrooms would be. The answer to that would be that clubrooms allow for more social interactions and help you to meet new people on campus.

Personally, I know a couple of people who found their current partners at a clubroom. They also help in relieving stress that has been piling up for way too long. So grab some friends, go to the clubroom, and enjoy.

Unfortunately, the fact that all the clubrooms are on a Thursday sometimes causes complications. There might be times when you have something important due on Friday and don’t have the time to go to a clubroom.

Even though that week’s clubroom is not possible for you, there are still other activities on campus that might be available to you, and there will be plenty more clubrooms that you might be able to go to.

So, should you go? Why wouldn’t you? It is a fun new way to meet new people and a great way to end the week.

Andrew Horbal has now taken over the position of Access Service Librarian with a very enthusiastic and helpful attitude. Horbal is responsible for connecting people with books and often time works at the circulation desk. He is a very valuable asset to any student looking to do some research, whether it is for a paper, buying a new or used car or any other interest a student might have.

“What’s great is that the same techniques used to find information for school work are ones that can help you in a number of other areas and help expand your knowledge base for any interest you may have,” explains Horbal.

As an alumnus of the University of Pittsburgh with an undergraduate degree in film studies, art, and architecture as well as studying Children’s literature, it’s not surprising that Horbal has a wide range of knowledge.

His experience with libraries started when he began college working as a student employee in the Pitt’s Hilman Library. As an employee for all four years he worked in the Stacks Department. In 2004 Horbal was hired as a full-time circulation Assistant while he completed his BA and MLIS in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Pittsburg.

In 2007, Horbal transferred jobs to a position at Stark Media Services Center, his most recent job before coming to McDaniel. His job there was to manage an entire collection of more than 30,000 DVDs, videos, audio CDs, laserdiscs, and 16mm films. He also served as the library liaison to the film studies program.

Horbal is excited to begin working with students here at McDaniel College and welcomes them to contact him anytime they need help navigating the library.

“It is great knowing that I have the librarians help when doing research. It’s really such a privilege to have such an enthusiastic staff at the Hoover library,” said junior Elyse Hyle.

Horbal encourages students to email or find him in library if they are in need of any help with research.