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Vol. 94 // ED. 7 // February 13, 2014

By Dan RowEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

GRANTHAM, Pa. There are few sights more beautiful than the Mes-

siah College campus in the wintertime. All the trees are flocked with snow, the creek babbles gently through the cold, and as the sun sets the campus falls silent.

Despite its beauty, a great deal of dan-ger lies in this wintry weather. As we have already experienced several times this year, conditions can shift from calm to chaotic overnight, posing a serious threat for faculty, staff, and commut-ing students trying to get on campus as well as for any trying to traverse the campus by foot. Luckily, Messiah Col-lege’s grounds staff works around the clock in emergencies like this to make sure the campus is as safe as possible.

In an interview, Kathie Shafer, Mes-siah College’s Vice President of Op-erations explained what goes into keeping campus in top condition for the several thousand individuals who live and work here on a daily basis.

The process begins with vigilant monitoring of the weather condi-tions when snow, ice, or other in-clement weather is predicted. From there, Grounds Manager, Jared Rudy contacts and organizes the campus’s essential group of employees who must come onto campus de-spite the conditions to help clear the main roadways on campus as well as parking lots, sidewalks, and other ar-eas that may be blocked or hazardous.

If conditions are bad enough that a de-lay or cancellation may be in order, as was the case with last week’s round of storms, Rudy, along with Brad Mar-kley, the Director of Facility Services, will contact Shafer by 5:30 a.m. to ap-prise her of the situation and advise if any delays or cancellations should be considered. If cancellations or de-lays are deemed necessary, Shafer discusses it with the Provost and a decision is made which is then an-nounced to students, faculty, and staff.

Even if classes are cancelled for stu-dents, campus is not entirely closed

“After that,” Shafer says, “as soon as it’s done snowing, cleaning off cars is reallyhelpful.” It helps the staff clean up the parking lots so that students’ cars do not freeze into place and cause problems days or even weeks after the initial storm.

Another helpful thing students can do, is to report areas that need atten-tion. “So often we hear students com-plain through Facebook and Twitter that the grounds people don’t take care of the facilities,” Shafer says. With a limited staff, the grounds keepers can-not be aware of every area of the campus that needs attention and that is where students can play a role in helping out. During work hours, students can call ex-tension 6011 to let Facility Services know what areas might need more salt or ex-tra attention. After hours contacting dispatch is another helpful alternative.

With the difficulty of melting snow, conditions change frequently. Sha-fer said, “What melts during the day and becomes water on the ground at 5 p.m. will be ice by morning.” Because of this, students should be wary of damp areas that may be treacherous.

Shafer wanted to remind everyone on campus that safety is the grounds staff’s top concern and they work long, strenu-ous hours to make sure that campus is as clean and safe as possible. She also reminded us that the winter is far from over and forecasts predict more potential danger in coming months. Cooperation with the staff is key for ensuring everyone’s safety on campus.

and the work for the grounds staff is far from over. Campus Safety, Dining Services, custodial staff, and other es-sential employees must be able to make it on campus, so the grounds staff must make conditions as safe as possible for these employees to drive onto campus as quickly as they can because the later they clear the campus, the more difficult and dangerous conditions can become.

“Once students and people get out on snow and pack it down , it gets harder for us to clean up which leads to more ice issues. More ice issues lead to more falls. It’s that domino effect,” says Shafer.

Shafer also noted that the actions of students and others on campus can make a huge difference in the campus staff’s ability to clear campus pathways. One of the first things that is important for students to do is to keep themselves informed by signing up for text alerts, and reading emails sent out regarding these situations.

CAUTIONThe WAR

Messiah’s Grounds Staff Fights to Keep You Safe this Winter

Photo Provided By Danielle Gingrich

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on Winter

&Social Justice

Social Media

Olymp csSochi

Flappy Birds and

Angry People

February 13, 2014 News 2The Swinging Bridge

GRANTHAM Pa.- On Tuesday, Feb-ruary 18, at 7:30 p.m. in Parmer

Cinema, HOPE International CEO, Pe-ter Greer, and The Simple Way founder, Shane Claiborne, will be on campus for an event entitled “Beyond Left & Right: A Conversation on Social Justice with Peter Greer and Shane Claiborne.”

Greer is a Messiah College gradu-ate who went on to obtain a gradu-ate degree from Harvard Univer-sity in International Development.

He currently serves as the President and CEO of HOPE International, which is “a global non-profit focused on address-ing both physical and spiritual poverty through micro-finance,” says Dean Curry, Director of the College Hon-ors Program and Professor of Politics.

Claiborne is a highly acclaimed activist who founded The Simple Way, a faith-based community in inner city Phila-delphia, Pa. He graduated from Eastern University, performed graduate work at Princeton Seminary and received an Hon-orary Doctorate from Eastern in 2010.

Claiborne has served in the streets of Cal-cutta, India where he worked with Moth-er Teresa. He has also served at Willow Creek, an influential church in Chicago.

Both of these influential leaders are also authors. Greer’s most recent book is “Mission Drift: The Unspo-ken Crisis Facing Leaders, Charities & Churches.” Claiborne’s most recent book is “Red Letter Revolution: What

NEWS

Photo Provided By http://jefffig.wordpress.com/2010/04/12/shane-claiborne/

By Shannon CochranSTUDENT DIRECTOR

Photo Provided By http://sovereignscapital.com

if Jesus Really Meant What He Said.”

Curry, who has worked at Messiah since 1980, is excited to have these two leaders come to campus as he has a strong passion for social justice.

“For me personally, issues of interna-tional development are very impor-tant,” says Curry. Social justice encom-passes many global and local issues, but for Curry, no matter what cause some-one stands for, “social justice is about loving God and loving our neighbor.”It is for this very reason that Curry, and co-sponsors, the College Honors Program and the Messiah College Of-fice of the President, want to encour-age students to attend this event.

“The evening will consist of brief pre-sentations by Greer and Claiborne, conversation between them, and questions from the audience,” says Curry. It will focus on a wide range of social justice issues and what Christians should do in response.

Facing different social justice issues, Christians must respond in various ways. “Greer and Claiborne share a common faith but often differ on how

A Conversation on Social Justice

they believe Christians, and others, should respond to the important social justice issues of our time,” says Curry.

Throughout the evening, Greer and Claiborne will model how “Chris-tians who share ends can respect-fully differ on means,” says Curry.

There are many ways that students can respond now to social justice issues but the first step is “to get informed and [be] educated about the many dimen-sions of social justice, which include is-sues of politics, economics and faith,” says Curry. This event is a great way to start thinking about ways to respond to the many injustices in our world which include, but are not limited to, issues of wealth and poverty, war and peace, respect for the rights of women, free-dom and oppression, and many more.

Be sure to come out on Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m. for this informative, inspiring, and exciting event that has the potential to create positive change on campus and in the surrounding community. The event is free, but tickets are required and can be picked up at the Ticket Of-fice located in Eisenhower. Alternate Chapel credits will also be awarded.

Left and Right

”

Beyond

February 13, 2014 News 3The Swinging Bridge

By Alejandro Alba STUDENT WRITER FOR SHFWIRE

WASHINGTON – A new program will allow thousands of young

immigrants to go to college without having to worry about money.Donald Graham introduced TheDream.US, a new scholarship fund, at a press conference Tuesday. It will give full-ride scholarships to more than 2,000 DREAMers over the next decade.

“It will be terrible for them and for our country if we don’t help them,” Graham said. “There is no telling what many of them will achieve in their lives.”Young people described as DREAMers are those brought to the United States when they were children.

They would qualify for legal residency if Congress passes the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act. DREAMers cannot receive federal financial aid for college, although some states provide aid and charge in-state tuition.

TheDream.US has raised more than $25 million. Donors include the Graham family, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Inter-American Development Bank. The program was also funded by Henry Munoz, an activist and philanthropist, and former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.

Graham, CEO of Graham Holdings, and his family recently sold The Washington Post to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

“This is a bipartisan effort. There are Republicans, Democrats and independents,” Gutierrez said. “Everyone sees the power of this effort. This is right for our country, our economy and our society. … We want these DREAMers to succeed.”

Manuel Luna, a DREAMer and one of the scholarship recipients, came into the U.S. at the age of 3 from Mexico and grew up in Brooklyn.

Luna, 18, a liberal arts major at Kingsborough College in New York,

Photo and Caption Provided By shfwire.com

Photo and Caption Provided By shfwire.com

Gabby Pacheco, a DREAMer and program director for TheDream.US, shares her success story with fellow DREAMers. She said that being where she is a dream come true, and now it’s her turn to help others have their wishes come true. SHF-Wire photo by Alejandro Alba

Diego Luna, a Mexican actor and director of the new film, “Cesar Chavez,” speaks about his support for DREAMers and says how they are part of American history. SHFWire photo by Alejandro Alba

said he was taking only two classes at a time since more classes would have been a burden on his family, but he didn’t want to put his dreams on hold. After going to his college counselor to seek financial help, he was able to submit a TheDream.US application.

“I got approved two days before Christmas,” Luna said. “It was the best Christmas present ever. It was the best feeling I have ever had.”

Luna said he wants to be a lawyer and eventually give back to his community by focusing his career on helping immigrants.

Gabby Pacheco, DREAMer and program director for TheDream.US said it’s an obligation for her to help others have their dreams come true.

“My commitment and my promise that I made to myself when I graduated from college was that I was going to ensure that other people had the opportunity I had,” Pacheco said.

“It’s just amazing to see your dreams come true. We are going to be impacting the lives of so many people. It’s really fulfilling.”

Pacheco said she is thankful for all the support TheDream.US has had. The founders had expected to raise $1 million and they surpassed the amount by millions.

“It’s a testament of what it is to dream, it’s a testament of what it’s like to fight, and it’s a testament of humanity,” Pacheco said. “When people come together we are able to move forward.”

Pacheco said that 400 full-ride scholarships will be awarded this year. The program has already given 39 scholarships.

Applicants must meet the minimum 2.5 grade point average and be eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

DACA allows young immigrants to remain in the country. go to school and hold jobs.

Twelve colleges and universities partnered with TheDream.US. These schools are located in California, D.C., Florida, New York and Texas. They include Trinity Washington University, the University of Texas at El Paso and the City University of New York.

College Scholarships To Dreamers

New Program To Give More Than 2,000

February 13, 2014 News 4The Swinging Bridge

As the snow starts to clear and spring semester begins, so do we here at the News section of the Swinging Bridge. We are happy to bring you

spring semester’s first edition of the Two-Week Outlook, a list compiling all the can’t-miss events happening in Grantham in the next couple of weeks.

Carnaval Dance - Brazilian Masquerade: This Saturday, Feb. 15, Students Activities Board (SAB) and La Alianza Latina are teaming up to present a Messiah College dance version of the Brazilian festi-val, The Carnaval. The dance will take place at 8 p.m. at the Union, featuring student DJ auditions for the upcoming Spring Fling. En-trance is free and no tickets are required.

SAB Excursions - Harrisburg Day Trip: On Saturday, Feb. 22, SAB and the Harrisburg SaLT House will take participating students on a day trip to Harrisburg. This includes a visit to the Susquehanna Art Exhibit, a walk around the Midtown area and finally a tour of Messiah’s own SaLT House. This is a free event but tickets are re-quired. Students can reserve tickets at the Union desk.

Home(town) Security: This is the title of the Spring Humanities Symposium Keynote Lecture, which will be delivered by the inter-nationally-renowned Majora Carter. An urban revitalization strat-egist and philanthropist, Carter’s lecture will center on the 2014 Symposium Theme of “Resilience, Sustainability and the Humani-ties: Reimagining the Future.” Attendance is free but tickets are re-quired and can be reserved via the Messiah College Ticket Office.

Beyond Left and Right: A Conversation on Social Justice: This event will feature two prominent speakers, Peter Greer and Shane Claiborne as they facilitate a discussion with Messiah students and faculty on the issue of social justice. For more information regard-ing this event, check out Shannon Cochran’s article “Beyond Left and Right”

As always, if you want your event to be featured on our Two-Week Outlook, contact the News section of the Swinging Bridge at hn1169@messiah.edu. Stay warm!

Week Outl k:

Compiled by News staffFeb. 13 - Feb. 27

2Photo Provided By Messiah College Student Senate

By Huy Nguyen NEWS EDITOR

GRANTHAM Pa. Following a brief J-term break, the Student Government Association (SGA) resumed their duties this past Thursday with the first Student Senate of the spring semester.

The Senate opened with an introduction from Tim Sensenig, the newly-appointed Vice President of the Student Body. Sensenig was voted to the cabinet last December and also served the same role during the 2012-2013 academic year.

As part of his position’s responsibilities, Sensenig orchestrated the Senate’s discussion. Since this was the first Senate of the semester, Sensenig briefly explained the operation of a Senate to new members of the organization and familiarized them with an official list of parliamentary procedures.

Senate continued with a few minutes of open discussion. Student leaders of various clubs and organizations around campus were encouraged to propose goals and potential discussion topics for future Student Senates.

Suggestions ranged from the frequently discussed topics such as the meal plan or visitation hours to fresh topics such as the practicality of course evaluations. Senate members then broke into their respective committees to discuss their own goals for the upcoming semester.

On the agenda for the Feb. 13 Senate will be a discussion on budgeting led by Vice President of Operations Ben Hemphill. Attendants will cast their votes on a new budget plan for this coming semester.

There will also be discussion regarding governance procedures as Senate members review the current election policy and propose suggestions for improvement.

In anticipation of a potential increase in attendance,

Feb.13 Senate will be held at Parmer Cinema, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday Roundtable

Feb. 6 Student Senate

“To represent the student body by creating an open, trusting environment for students to voice concerns and to provide them with direction for further action.” -SGA

OPINIONSFebruary 13, 2014 Opinions 5The Swinging Bridge

By Dan RowEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The social media revolution has brought a lot of good to the world.

It has provided us a great boost in spreading information, increasing glo-balization, and providing general ease in many areas. However, along with these benefits come some very clear problems. One problem area is the ac-tivist groups on social networking plat-forms fighting for social justice issues. Hundreds of users on the social blog-ging site, Tumblr use their blogs to pro-mote awareness of a variety of causes: from gender and racial equality, to po-litical and economic reform, to ending the international human trafficking problem. While social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr can be used to promote awareness of

How the Internet Helps and Hurts Social Causes

The citizens of the United States are facing a plethora of health problems

that threaten to become pandemic in the near future. Obesity is one such disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 35.7% of U.S. adults were obese in 2009-2010 while 16.9% of children and adolescents were obese in the same time period. To complicate matters, obesity is merely a gateway to a slew of other health pre-dicaments, such as type 2 diabetes. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and CDC report that cases of type 2 diabe-tes have soared in the United States, affecting 90-95% of the estimated 25.8 million Americans currently diagnosed with diabetes. Furthermore, 79 million more are estimated to have pre-diabe-tes – the condition of elevated blood glucose levels slightly below diabetes limits. Furthermore, over 11% of Ameri-cans suffer from heart disease and it is often listed as the number one lead-ing cause of death in the nation. With trouble at hand, what has the United States government done to monitor and regulate food safety and nutrition?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was established in 1906 to ensure the sanctity of its food and drug products traded within the United States. Today, it still maintains its original purpose, but with a greater range of foci. Given the health troubles Americans face, the FDA is tasked with developing mean-ingful solutions to these problems. A step in the right direction is noted in the bill outlawing the use of artificial trans

By Nicholas TayFEATURES EDITOR

Food, Fat, and the FDA

Photo provided by http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1295646/thumbs/o-DONUTS-facebook.jpg

fats in consumer foods. Trans fats have been known to increase the amount of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or col-loquially “bad cholesterol,” in the hu-man body. This leads to arterial clogging and eventually heart attacks. With the apparent danger at hand, the FDA inter-vened and dismantled the once-popular trans fats. It is estimated that this law may prevent 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths caused by heart disease per year. However, is the FDA the white knight it appears to be? What about the controversy surrounding genetically modified food sources identified by food purists as the leading cause of obesity?

Genetically engineered (GE) foods have been in the consumer supply chain for almost 20 years, with the FDA oversee-ing the safety of these materials. They claim that all products derived geneti-cally modified organisms (GMOs) are safe for consumption. Yet, there is dis-agreement from the organic camp. Ac-cording to the Organic Consumers As-sociation (OCA), an organic agriculture advocacy organization, genetically engi-neered (GE) corn has shown to increase obesity rates in test animals, namely cows, mice, rats, pigs and salmon. They claim that animals on a GE corn diet gained and retained the weight faster compared to animals fed a non-GE grain diet. Noting these observations, one can conclude that there might be a link between obesity in humans and GE food. Yet, the FDA has refused to take a more definite stance in regulat-ing GE foods. The OCA claims that the FDA never fully tests the health impact of GMOs as they place full responsibil-ity for its safety on biotech companies.

Since biotech companies are for-profit, the OCA has suggested that their studies may be biased. The OCA has also lob-bied for the labeling of GE foods. They invoke the example of GMO labeling in the EU as a success of such a program. Yet, the FDA refuses to follow Europe’s lead as it believes GE foods “substan-tially equivalent” to their non-GE coun-terparts. They counter that the safety considerations prepared by biotech firms are strictly evaluated by federal employees. The FDA even quotes that a GE food is permissible for consumer use “only when its team of scientists are satisfied with the developer’s safety as-sessment and have no further questions regarding safety or regulatory issues.”

Without concrete evidence, it appears that the FDA will not move against the use of GMOs. However, we can antici-pate that this already relevant debate will become increasingly important in the near future as studies explore the relationship between GMO foods and the United States’ health problems.

We have yet to scratch the surface of the FDA’s involvement in our food supplies, but from the examples given, we know that the government does play a complex, yet important, role in regulating our nutritional safety. Despite our government’s best ef-forts, the best we can do is to remain vigilant; our health depends on it.

How Does the United States Government’s Food Regulations Affect Your Health

various social justice issues, it can also be a real breeding ground for danger.

One obvious difficulty with the move-ment for activism on social media is that it can breed misinformation. While information is readily available online, misinformation is in even bet-ter supply, especially on social media. While journalists and authors must back up their information on other Web-based sources, no such citations are needed on social media. People can create information as they please or may accidentally spread falsehoods by incorrectly or insufficiently explain-ing what they are trying to fight for.

Another danger when championing so-cial justice online is that people can ac-

tually lose interest in a cause they feel passionate. This “slacktivism” as it has been called is due in large part to the ease of social media. While it feels like one is really helping out by spreading awareness, nothing is actually being ac-complished. Anthropologist and digital analyst Brian Solis says, “Retweets and Likes don’t bring about change. While I believe social media is a strong plat-form for raising awareness, the rela-tionship between cause and effect is de-fined by action regardless of medium.”

There are some very serious issues fac-ing our world today and it is clear that we need to handle them as best we can. Founder of the non-profit organization, Share Our Strength, Billy Shore says, “Social media can’t ensure social jus-

tice. But it can affect the invisibility that is the first barrier to achieving it.” While social media may not always bring about the best results it is important in that it can bring about some results.

While there may be some who are mere “slacktivists,” just sharing information but doing nothing, their message may reach out to someone with the drive and the resources to do something about it. It is important, then, to be careful when engaging with social justice on the Inter-net. Be sure to check the facts you find and use these posts to lead to further re-search and better understanding. From there, you can see how to get involved and make a real difference for our gen-eration and for generations to come.

Week Outl k:

&Social Justice Social Media

February 13, 2014 Opinions 6The Swinging Bridge

By Lynda HellerOPINIONS EDITOR

Susan Collins’ Hunger Game series may have been written for young

teens, but it has been enjoyed by a startlingly-large range of age groups. Because Collins paired an angst-filled love triangle, with some thrilling adventure, medieval weaponry, and dynamic settings, it is not hard to see why this series would appeal to a diverse group of people. Yet, what I think captivates many fans is Collins’ critic of the human condition. One has little difficulty comparing the post-apocalyptic dystopia of Panem with the trajectory of contemporary society. Collins was far from subtle, but somehow, her message has been terribly corrupted by CoverGirl and its new “Capitol Beauty Studio.”

CoverGirl is capitalizing on The Hunger Games trilogy by producing a makeup and nail polish collection that is inspired by the 12 districts. Ignoring the fact that almost all of the districts are supposed to be in a survival state, CoverGirl portrays them with all the opulence of the capital.

Capitol Beauty Studios:CoverGirl’s

The images are absurd. For example, the Fabric District features a woman swathed in a blue cotton-cloud. The Lumber District is represented by a woman with thick green eyebrows and a crown of birch-bark. A woman with blue lips and sequined eyebrows with fins fanning out from her head depicts the Fishing District. Her only garment appears to be a net. It is disappointing but not surprising that the models are being portrayed as resources rather than humans.

Capitol Beauty Studio is an absurdity. In the Hunger Game novels the reader is invited to be horrified by economic inequality and injustice. The capitol of Panem is wasteful and decadent, ignoring the poverty that it is, quite literally, surrounded by. Citizens of the capitol are so self-obsessed that they spend vast amounts of money on their appearances and entertainment. Now, as admirers of this critique of human nature, we are invited to participate in

the very evil that the Hunger Games condemns. CoverGirl urges us to splurge, spending our money on ourselves even as the economy plummets.

I have one final reflection on the consequences of this makeup line. CoverGirl markets to a young female audience. By putting out these district looks, CoverGirl assumes that their consumers are either to stupid or too uncaring to be offended by the obvious contradiction. Presumably, if one is buying Hunger-game themed makeup then one is a fan of (and therefore familiar with) the story. So really, the only assumption that can be made is that young women lack the mental capacity to be offended. This is insulting.

Photo provided by 1.bp.blogspot.com

of the Hunger Games

When I consider the fact that Susan Collins must have agreed to allow CoverGirl to use her stories as inspiration, I am saddened. I wish I could continue to see this author as follower of Orwell, a societal critic and idealist to the core. Instead, it would seem that she is willing to be bought out, and has quickly submitted to the same kind of attitude that she was once directly opposed to.

Mockery

February 13, 2014 Opinions 7The Swinging Bridge

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Three Things I was not Told About

By Grant MeckleySTUDENT WRITER

Anyone who has returned to Mes-siah after studying abroad in some

distant corner of the world can relate to the utter banality that is being asked dozens of times: “how was your trip?” The ubiquity of this platitude may stem from the fact that awkward reunions with old friends after months apart are, well… awkward. It’s easy to take for granted the common culture that we share with our peers and nothing re-minds us more than this the obligatory “how was your study abroad?” I know people are well meaning when they ask it; the answer they anticipate (and I in-variably give) is terse and unequivocal: “It was great!” However, I feel like I’m only giving them a half truth. The ques-tion in and of itself is absurd, something akin to asking: “How were the past three months of your life, your personal growth, your achievements, your fail-ures, and your new perspective on life.” I might prefer words like “challenging” or “inspiring” to describe my trip. As such, I wish to set the record straight on what expectations to take (and not take) into study abroad. One caveat I confess is that my experience is limited to my experience for six months in Chile with International Studies Abroad. My sentiments are more reflective of a se-mester in Valparaiso than it is of other programs in far flung parts of the globe. I wish to share the top 3 things I wished I anticipated about study abroad.

Scheduling ConflictsI know that academics (i.e receiving academic credit) are not the sole im-petus that drives Messiah students abroad, but it is a factor nonetheless. In fact, for nursing and engineering majors specific course requirements ei-ther forbid study abroad altogether or channel students’ wanderlust into a few programs. Whatever your major may be, I offer a word of caution about the academic aspect of study abroad specifi-cally for semester/year long programs.

First of all, if you’re not prepared with a litany of contingency courses, you run the risk of being stymied by the system should your tentative plan not be avail-able. This can place one as the middle-man between the entities at Messiah, their study abroad organization, and the host university. When student pro-

tests struck soon before I left for Chile, information about course offerings was spotty. I arrived to discover most of my classes weren’t being offered because of the demonstrations. A great deal of stressful email correspondence finally ensured that I could enroll in class-es that would go towards my degree.

Easier than usual academicsInterestingly enough, these scheduling woes did not adumbrate the difficulty of academic work. A three credit class at Messiah theoretically demands at least 6 hours of work outside of class. This was not the case at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso, where I may have averaged 4 hours of work outside class for all of my coursework. This makes for lots of idle time, so try out new hobbies and meet new people while you’re abroad. Expect to have free time, but don’t squander it. Timothy, my roommate and travel companion, spent many hours bird watching in Viña del Mar, honing his ornithology skills in a new environment while develop-ing an impressive list of species. I found great satisfaction through volunteer-ing with a neighborhood organization I found through www.workaway.info. Most of my learning was outside the class. My FYS professor once told me there are two times in life to completely re-invent oneself: high school and col-lege. I’d add study abroad to that list.

Clash of worldviews Before my newfound free time during study abroad led me to a mini existen-tial crisis, I quickly noticed that the people around me didn’t think alike (more so than at Messiah). Obviously a lot of this kind of shock hinges on where you choose to study abroad. From For-eign to Familiar by Sarah Lanier juxta-poses hot and cold climate cultures and the worldviews unique to each- a must read for exchange students. While we deliberately study abroad to experi-ence these views, I was not prepared for the diversity of backgrounds of the US students who were part of our ex-change. Naturally, foreign exchange students turn inwardly to one another for support. Oddly enough my Ameri-can peers’ views on drinking, dating, and regular class attendance were more of a culture shock to me than my new surroundings. Some came from huge

public universities while others came from colleges smaller than Messiah.

It took a while before I found a church home: in an overwhelmingly Catholic country, diversity in congregations and worship styles was limited. The local Chilean youth took to us quickly, even-tually inviting us to come to discipleship group. The exchange students and I had limited Spanish vocab in terms of spiri-tual matters and I was disappointed with the superficial “Christianese” dialect that was used as a lingua franca. A clear dichotomy struck me: Christians from large secular universities are often more emotive in their faith while those from small liberal arts colleges tend to have a faith more grounded in introspection.

I realize neither faith is better than the other, but the disparity in worship styles came as a shock to my fledgling faith.

I hope my reflections on study abroad are not seen as foreboding or critical. Despite initial setbacks, I had a very productive and enjoyable time in Chile. I strongly recommend international travel or study for those students who haven’t been abroad, those who are seeking direction, or people who have grown tired of the superfluities of West-ern culture. You may find three totally different views of “what to anticipate” from three different exchange students, but I hope my observations are repre-sentative of all study abroad programs.

Studying Abroad

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February 13, 2014 Opinions 8The Swinging Bridge

Do you remember watching Ani-mal Planet when you were young?

Did you find the different animals fas-cinating? I’m sure that like me, you too were fascinated with the amaz-ing creatures starring in shows like The Crocodile Hunter when Steve Ir-win would gasp, “Ah, she’s a beaut, isn’t she,” as he admired the croco-dile that was sunning on the bank.

But Animal Planet is no longer about admiring God’s creation. It’s no longer about witnessing people’s active support of endangered animals, or protecting and respecting their habitats. It’s about the reality TV shows set up in various ways that cater to the wide range of viewers.

Call of the Wildman, one of the many reality TV shows on Animal Planet to-day, involves one man, Ernie Brown Jr. or “Turtleman,” who catches ani-mal pests with his bare hands, and releases them, in an attempt to save them from euthanization. However safe it may seem, the Mother Jones magazine’s investigative article, “Drugs, Death, Neglect: Behind the Scenes at Animal Planet,” has shown otherwise.

First, to classify this as a reality TV show, one needs to look behind the scenes at how the show works. Initially, the story is fabricated when the animals are cap-tured from the wild, and brought to the scene. The scene is prepared by sprin-kling Snickers bars, Nutella, and rice to

By Jen DaviesSTUDENT WRITER

imitate animal feces, and then the ani-mals are recaptured during the perfor-mance, as mere stage props for the play.

Although there may not be any evi-dent harm in hosting this performance, there has been some harm in the han-dling of the animals. One specific case of endangering animals on the show involved three baby raccoons who were removed from the wild, and set up in the scene for “Baby Mama Drama” episode several days before the shoot-ing of the scene. The separation from

their mother and the proper care they needed put them in critical danger, and in the end, two out of the three sur-vive by the scrape of a mere miracle.

Mother Jones’ investigation created a spark in the article, “‘Call of the Wild-man’ mistreatment accusations spur call from USDA.” CNN writes that both Animal Planet, and Sharp Entertain-ment have disputed these claims, and that the U.S. Department of Agriculture that enforces the Animal Welfare Act is still searching for facts. They haven’t launched a complete investigation, and can’t prove whether or not Animal Planet or the production company is in-volved with any of the activities. Animal Planet states that, “the life and welfare of all animals is of paramount impor-tance to Animal Planet. It is core to our ethos that every animal’s life has value.”

Every animal’s life seemed to have more value in the past, when Animal Planet presented shows with a larger focus on the animals themselves. The shows ranged from educational with The Crocodile Hunter, to funny with The Planet’s Funniest Animals which fea-tured hilarious home videos of animal bloopers. Now, the focus has shifted to animals becoming a source of entertain-ment in reality TV shows from Call of the Wildman, and Naked and Afraid, to science fiction documentaries like

Photo provided by http://images.tvrage.com/shows/30/29757.jpg

Reality Television Programing Takes Over Animal Planet

http://qa.americanprofile.com

ANI

M

AL PLANET

Mermaids: The Body Found, which pre-sented a myth in a very believable way.

The shift to filming TV dramas on Ani-mal Planet has drawn a larger audience, involving not only a change in the chan-nel’s logo, but also a change in the mot-to, as a channel that is “Surprisingly Hu-man.” The focus is no longer entirely on the animals, but on attracting us view-ers, who feel this is a show we would like because it’s on a channel that is more human than it used to be, and therefore as something we could relate to easier.

Knowing that some of the shows fea-tured on Animal Planet today may have placed some animals in harm’s way, decreases the integrity of the channel that we used to love. We lose sight of the past when we could witness some-thing as truly spectacular as watching hippos battle in the blazing heat. Once we could see something real and spell-binding like a cheetah racing across the plains, but now we watch fake sce-narios and overly dramatic humans.

The Plunge f

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTFebruary 13, 2014 Arts & Entertainment 9The Swinging Bridge

By Jeremy ZimmermanSTUDENT WRITER

On the final Sunday of J-Term, instead of preparing for

impending papers and presentations, many Messiah students lined up and packed into Brubaker, bursting with anticipation for the semester’s biggest concert event. The band of the evening? Dynamic duo Twenty One Pilots, an Ohio-based group whose rock/pop/rap fusion defies being placed into any single genre of music. Composed of frontman and multi-instrumentalist Tyler Joseph plus drummer Joshua Dun, the pair has been gaining international notoriety in the wake of their critically acclaimed third album: 2013’s Vessel.

However, Messiah students were not the only people in the audience. The band’s incredibly loyal fans began lining up in Eisenhower commons as early as two in the afternoon, more than five hours before doors would open for the show. With hard-hitting lyrics tackling with themes ranging from battling suicide to caring for an aging mother, Tyler and Josh have created a group of die-hard fans whose lives have been deeply touched by the music. Even though not

overtly a “Christian band” per se, the band’s lyrics make constant references to faith as a preferential option and a road out of pain and darkness.In addition to solid lyrical content, the band also brings a fierce energy to their live performances, and endeavors to make each concert unique and get the audience involved. Messiah’s show was of course no exception to that rule, and Twenty One Pilots brought their A game to an eager crowd of students and travelling fans alike. Pulling stunts like crowd stands, backflips and more, Tyler and Josh easily had the crowd jamming out and singing along to alt-radio hits like “Holding On To You” and “Car Radio.” The band also added an entire string of several short covers of pop songs, which found both old and new fans alike singing and laughing along.

Twenty One Pilots show at Messiah came during a quick stopover in the United States sandwhiched between an Australian tour with Paramore and an upcoming headlining European tour. Although Tyler and Josh were napping just before the show to fight off jet-lag, it didn’t show in the slightest as the pair blasted through a setlist full of crowd-pleasers, interspersed with Tyler’s semi-awkward-yet-charming dialogue about the nature of the songs. Just before they played the last song of their normal set and would have left for the encore, Tyler began to bemusedly deconstruct the idea of the concert itself and its encore, saying “if you want us to play one or two more, we will, just let us know.”

One of the highlights of the show was when the band took an unexpected pause during “Semi-Automatic” in order to bring out a platform with a drum kit on it, which they placed on the crowds’ hands for the rest of the song, Josh

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drumming out an incredible solo as the crowd supported him and his kit. At the end of their encore, both Tyler and Josh got on individual platforms supported by the crowd and had a competitive

drum-off during “Trees”, the crowd roaring in response. Re-taking the stage, the pair bowed, and Tyler grabbed his mic, yelling “Messiah College, we are Twenty One Pilots and so are you!”.

Photo by Jeremy Zimmerman

Photo by Jeremy Zimmerman

February 13, 2014 Arts & Entertainment 10The Swinging Bridge

AMERICAN

By Sam BodenSTUDENT WRITER

David O. Russell’s latest film, American Hustle, remains at

the top of the box office a month and a half after its release. It delivers on its promise of scandal, intrigue, and Oscar-worthy performances, but its strongest feature is Russell’s close examination of our basic instincts and the lengths we’ll go to in order to survive. The story follows the escapades of hustler Irving Rosenfeld (played by a combed-over, pot-bellied Christian Bale) and his partner in crime and love, Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams). When a bad move gets them involved with the FBI agent Richie DiMasio (Bradley Cooper), they are coerced into the infamous Abscam scandal and forced to destroy the careers and ambition of New Jersey politicians who have been involved in illegitimate fundraising. Carmine Polito (played

by Jeremy Renner), a beloved local politician and family man, gets caught up in Abscam, and Rosenfeld is forced to betray one of his closest friends—in order to survive. Irving’s wife, Rosalyn Rosenfeld (Jennifer Lawrence), provides many of the one-liners that keep the movie truly entertaining, but she ends up holding the power of life or death for her husband and his partners. I don’t think that the struggle to survive is more evident anywhere than in the life of Adams’ character, Sydney Prosser. She remains a mystery throughout much of the film—constantly flitting from man to man and changing her voice and a llegiances. In spite of her disguises, she does some of the most raw, exposed soul-searching of any character I have ever seen. Blinded by her tears, she is confronted with the truth of who she is and the events that have brought her to this point in her life and reduced her to hustling for survival. In fact, the only character in the entire film that doesn’t seem

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Re views

Going in blindly, it wasn’t obvious that this production lacked a final

dress rehearsal, or recently dealt with a tragic loss; two unfortunate happenings that this team of dedicated individuals overcame to achieve their final prod-uct. Working through an ice storm, and the unexpected passing of one of their cast members, well-regarded actor, Jay Miffolouf, 62. Mifflouf was a member of the surrounding community who had been contracted to join the cast late last year. Despite the setbacks, this cast persevered to prove the old adage: “The show must go on.” And on it went!

Pin curls, vintage garb, and hay bales abound in this rollicking production of the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes in Arms. The plot centers on a group of young apprentices working in a playhouse, hoping bolster their own dreams while dodging the ever-impending thumb of the controlling playhouse owner Flemming, played by director Ed Cohn who filled in last minute after the death of Jay Mifflouf. .

From start to finish, the audience’s gasps and laughs are clearly indicative of the show’s deeper focus, the turbu-

lent romance between Susie and Val, played by Shannon Spreen and Josh Fickes. Young Susie, convinced she’s old enough for love and no longer in need of coddling, successfully catches Val’s eye, and Val is quick to uncork his passion for her with a spontane-ous kiss. All at once, their hearts beat tenderly for one another. Then all at once, Val’s roving eye soon lands on another, a young movie star named Jennifer Owen, (Rachel Ballasy) who is plagued by a hilariously overbear-ing mother (Kaylee Schofield). This love triangle prompts Susie to perform several songs of longing and regret. Yet we find ourselves thankful for Susie’s sorrow when we hear Spreen’s voice for the first time. She plays the role with utmost tenderness, carrying each note with the delicate intricacy and ardent gusto of a stage professional.

Val and Susie’s dramatic relationship is perfectly complimented by the up-roarious counter couple played by Eric Hartman and Kari Lochstoer. These two unlikely kids, wishing “they were in love again,” pair up to concoct some knockout comedic relief. Alongside them, adopting a molasses southern accent and an ego with a life of its own,

Bob Colbert does a wonderful job

playing the blunder-ing villain, the south-

ern playwright Lee Calhoun. Freshman Aislin Feathers plays the

role of Bunny Byron with stage wis-dom and vocal performance beyond her years. In addition, the show is punctu-ated by several other incredibly prac-ticed, talented Messiah actresses and actors, who fit so naturally into their roles. And boy, can they belt it out!

In addition to the vocal performances and splendid dance routines, many at-tendees might be drawn to the show

by the songs them-selves. Any pop culture enthusi-ast will recognize the feisty tune “The Lady is a Tramp,” recently reprised by Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett in 2011. The show also features the poi-gnant single “My Funny Valentine,” and the amusing “Johnny One-Note.” All of this is tremendously comple-mented by the brilliant Messiah Col-lege orchestra, conducted by Erik Forst.

Don’t miss this fantastic musical. You won’t be disappointed, and you’ll leave with a revived appreciation for early twentieth century musical theatre.

HUSTLE:

to be constantly grasping for life’s meaning is the politician Carmine Polito (Renner). He has a large family and voters that love and respect him. Unfortunately, he gets tangled up in the triangular struggle of Rosenfeld, Prosser, and DiMasio, and pays dearly;

he ends up just as trapped as the rest of them.

One of the most

poignant scenes in American

Hustle takes place near

the end,

between Prosser and Rosalyn Rosenfeld. They look deep into each other’s eyes—eyes that have shared longing for the same man—and let the accusations fly. Both blame the other for ruining their relationship and being manipulative; they are equally at fault and equally lost in what their lives have become. Rosalyn stares Prosser down and says, “Sometimes all you have in life are poisonous choices.” Beyond the screaming, the bad hairdos, the glamor, the scandals, the low-cut dresses and bedazzled suits, American Hustle explores the basest form of our humanity: our need to survive, no matter the cost. For that reason alone, David O. Russell’s latest film is one worth experiencing.

By Heather BurdsallSTUDENT WRITER

Babes In ArmsBabes In Arms

Photo by Jess Ploszaj

AngryBirds

February 13, 2014 Arts & Entertainment 11The Swinging Bridge

Flappy Birds and

By Jen MorganSTUDENT WRITER

The new gaming app called Flappy Bird has caused quite a stir around

campus and all over the country.

Kids and teens of all ages are trying their best to keep their bird afloat without running into those pesky green pipes. With leaderboard high scores of 9,999, it seems like an impossibly high standard to meet.

Unlike other games where it is very easy and quick to receive lots of points, Flappy Bird is a game in which you gradually earn one

point at a time, and you definitely earn the points that you receive.

In addition, you are only given one life, rather than three or five lives. Once you mess up, the game is instantly over and you must start from the very beginning. On the bright side, if you receive 10 points or higher before you die, you will temporarily receive a shiny gold medal.

The basic premise of the game is to keep your character, a small yellow bird, in the air by tapping your phone screen repeatedly. Then, you must allow your bird to pass through a series of green pipes without crashing to the ground. The hard part is maintaining a proper altitude that allows you to pass through the pipes properly, as they vary in size and spacing.

Angry People

Photos Provided by i-cdn.phonearena.comPhoto by Jess Ploszaj

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As soon as you take about 57 tries to at least get a score of one point, or maybe three if you’re lucky, the pull to continue playing soon becomes all too real. You begin to tell yourself that you’ll keep doing better, and that since it’s such a simple concept, you should keep going. That’s when you’ll realize that yet another hour has passed.

The sound effects in the game are what make it so humiliating for many players. While you’re flying through the air, the noise of flapping wings is made (hence the name), but once you fail an abrupt and infuriating crashing noise makes itself known. This serves as an unpleasant reminder that your bird just died, which may or may not take a quick blow to your self-esteem in the process. For less damage, try turning off the sound and turn up the self-talk.

The style of the game contains an old-fashioned design that brings forth nostalgia of late nights playing Mario back in the ‘90s. The graphics allow you to reminisce back to a time when not every video game was in high definition, and that you can still have just as much enjoyment from an old school style game.

In addition to frustration and anxiety, Flappy Bird has provided an entertaining topic for Vine users to create relatable videos for other users to view. The popular Vine rap about Flappy Bird has become a viral hit among Flappy Bird users.

2014 may not be the year in which the game Angry Birds will rise back to popularity, but there are certainly plenty of people feeling angry about Flappy Bird, which gives a whole new meaning to the word.

EDITOR’S : As of Feb. 9, 2014, the creator of Flappy Bird has deleted the game from the iTunes app store and Google Play so that new purchases of the game cannot be made. A final edit of the game was also made so that players can no longer share their achievements on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media. The game’s creator, Dong Nguyen said on his Twitter account that he was removing the game due to excessive flak he received for the game’s difficulty and simplicity which some accused him of stealing from Nintendo’s Super Mario series.

“I cannot take this anymore.” Nguyen said in a tweet on Feb. 8. He announced the closure of the app 22 hours before the game was removed after which he announced that the app would not be for sale anywhere. He did announce that he would still be working on game development but the Flappy Bird project would be over. As of the time of publication no further announcements regarding the app have been released., meaning that only those who currently own the app have access to it and no new updates would be made.

Photo by Justine Robillard

February 13, 2014 Arts & Entertainment 12The Swinging Bridge

Last semester’s B-Sides lineup did not include one single solo acoustic

guitar- playing singer-songwriter. This was an intentional decision I made in the booking process. The solo trouba-dour is the musical act we are prob-ably exposed to most here at Messiah, whether it be at coffeehouse, worship settings, or heard as we pass through

By Matt Wagner B-SIDES EXECUTIVE

February 12th ASTR

February 28th

February B-Sides: the halls of our dormitories. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but within this genre it is hard to find diversity and originality. So, ironically, the some-times incalculable booking process for this semester yielded a first month of almost entirely acoustic singer-song-writers. However, it somehow turned out that this month showcases how the acoustic singer-songwriter act can be a medium for a diverse range of genres as well as new, original, creative ideas.

The first show of the semester is Koji, a singer-songwriter and political activ-ist from Harrisburg, Pa. Koji uniquely blends the intimacy of folk music with a persevering punk energy. His unique sound makes him a common favorite among fans of punk, folk, and indie. Koji explained in a recent interview with MTV that the DIY punk scene is the “tribe [he] was raised in.” For Koji, art and activism have always been in-terconnected. His longing for social

change makes way in his sound, often giving his songs a sense of urgency. His music is frequently featured on punk rock compilation albums, and his last album, entitled Crooked in My Mind was released on Run for Cover Records.

On February 12 comes the Brooklyn electronic duo, ASTR, the only non-acoustic act of February. The duo has been getting a lot of attention lately for their sensational cover of Drake’s

“Hold On We’re Going Home.” ASTR takes cues from recent trend-setters like Purity Ring and CHVRCHES; they use hip-hop-esque beats and have an obsession with 80’s synth sounds. What sets ASTR apart from the rest is their mainstream pop sensibility and indelible hooks. Lead singer Zoe Silverman’s confident vocals sound as if they could be on a top 40 single.

On February 19, we welcome back Trey Overholt, a singer-songwriter based in Harrisburg who also happens to be a Messiah alum. Overholt’s style is a mix of soul, alternative country, and folk. His latest album entitled Goner is a folk rock record that tastefully culminates his influences which include Wilco, Denison Witmer, and The Black Keys amongst others. His solo show is espe-cially captivating. He has an exception-ally expressive and soulful live singing voice which he accompanies with elo-quent fingerstyle acoustic guitar playing.If you happened to catch Kishi Bashi open for Matt Kearney this past fall, you probably noticed the guy sporting a long

During his live show, he frequently uses a loop pedal to record beats and sounds he makes from his banjo. Those makeshift textures became the back-ground for his minimalist pop songs.

The last B-Sides of the month will take place on Friday, February 28 as part of the Black Student Union’s Black History Month Celebration. After a few student performances, Philadelphia R&B Soul singer, Ashley Phillips, will take the stage. Phillips has a unique guitar playing style which incorporates funk rhythms and a percussive tapping technique. Her voice can be equally dynamic as it can be smooth and soothing. She has gained comparisons to artists like Lizz Wright, Minnie Riperton, and Dionne Farris.

All of the artists featured for B-Sides this month can be categorized as an acoustic singer-songwriter (with the exception of ASTR), but each artist is of a different genre, has his or her unique playing style, and sings from their own perspective. A common criticism of B-Sides has been “all the bands are the same.” Perhaps this month will dem-onstrate that just because a few acts look the same or have the same set-up does not mean they sound the same.

beard and sunglasses, shredding on a light-up banjo. He’ll be coming back for B-sides on February 26. Tall Tall Trees

is the moniker of singer-songwriter and banjo player, Mike Savino. Savino is the most innovative solo act of the month.

February 19th

Tray Overholt

Photo Provided by www.reverbnation.com

Photo Provided by www.reverbnation.comhttp://www.last.fm/music/ASTR

February 13, 2014 Messiah Mini-Pages 13The Swinging Bridge

Comics!Are you artsy and funny?

Are you looking to get your work out there?

Feel free to submitt your comic strips to the Pulse

Stop by our office on the first floor of Larsen Student Union or email us at

thepulse@messiah.edu

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February 13, 2014 Sports 14The Swinging Bridge

Sochi Olymp cs

Photo Provided by hollywoodreporter.com

By Nikki RitaSTUDENT WRITER

This is the first time since the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing

that the famous sporting event has garnered so much controversy.

From antigay laws to corporate corruption, Sochi, Russia, where the Olympics are being held from Feb. 7 to 23, could be on the brink of disaster rather than sporting success. The threat of Islamic insurgents from the North Caucasus is never too far from anyone’s mind. While completion of rinks, tracks, and arenas were finished before the arrival time, the athletes and journalists have received less than five-star treatment in their accommodations according to ABC News.

According to the New York Times, there are several athletes predicted to dominate in their respective sports. With the absence of United States’ skier Lindsey Vonn, Switzerland’s Laura Gut stands a good chance of sweeping the gold in the Downhill, Super-G and Giant Slalom Skiing events.

Denis Ten of Kazakhstan is the favorite to upset Canadian Patrick Chen for gold in Men’s Figure Skating. The Czech Republic, Latvia, Sweden, and Russia have superstar hockey players expected to make big waves in the games. France is hoping Martin Fourcade’s second Olympic appearance goes as well if not

better in the Men’s Biathlon event (that is cross-country skiing and shooting). And for Women’s Snowboarding

making her Olympic debut is the United States’ Jamie Anderson.

In Curling, what is usually thought of as a Canadian dominated sport, Britain is expecting big things from Scotland’s Eve Muirhead for the team. Norway’s Stale Sandbech plays rival this year to the likes of United States’ Shaun White and Canadian Mark McMorris in the Men’s Snowboarding. For Women’s Ski Jump, Japan’s Sara Takanashi has emerged the favorite due to a knee injury suffered by United States’ Sarah Hendrickson. Dara Howell is the Canadian underdog

in the Women’s Slopestyle Skiing, a sport making its debut in Sochi.

So far, the Olympics have opened with Men’s Short figure skating, the qualification round for the Women’s Moguls in Freestyle Skiing and the qualification round for Men’s and Women’s Slopestyle in Snowboarding.

Japan and Russia lead in Men’s Short and Pair Short Figure Skating respectively. United States’ Hannah Kearney came out on top for the first qualification round of Freestyle Skiing Women’s Moguls. Men’s Slopestyle in Snowboarding qualification round went to Canada’s Maxence Parrot while the Women’s qualification round was won by Austria’s Anna Gasser.

Infostrada, the virtual medal table, has made the following predictions for the medal count of this year’s Olympics:

US is projected to take the most gold but will fall behind in overall medals won with the numbers being 16 gold, 9 silver, 4 bronze at a total of 29.

The county predicted to rack up the most medals is Norway with a whopping 37—second in gold with 14, 11 silver, and 12 bronze. Canada follows with the third most gold and the home country, Russia, is predicted to fall to fifth place in overall gold with a total of 17—six gold, seven silver, and four bronze.

Sochi opening ceremony

Photo Provided by scmp.com

Sochi, Russia where the Olympics

are being held could be on the brink

of disaster rather than

sporting success

February 13, 2014 Sports 15The Swinging Bridge

Player Profile:Brad Bolen

By Michael BrookhartSTUDENT WRITER

Messiah vs. Widener. Late in the game. Messiah player steals the

ball and is on the fast break. Approach-ing the hoop, the player hurdles through the air and throws down a Sports Center Top-Play worthy reverse jam in another Messiah win. Just another day on the court for the humble senior, Brad Bolen.

Before the soaring and dunking, Brad started playing basketball like most people: in the driveway shooting jump shots. This was where he caught the contagious love for the game. Bolen and his teammates currently have the Falcons nationally ranked with the MAC Commonwealth tournament ap-

proaching at the end of the month.

Brad originally was looking to go to a larger school, but a change of heart brought him to Messiah. “At the time I was looking at bigger schools, but I decided I wanted to go to a small school. The fact that it was a Chris-tian school was the deciding factor,” says Bolen. The rest is history as he has made a positive impact on the team since his arrival as a first year. This year Bolen is especially influential as he is averaging over 21 points per game and is having career high num-bers in numerous statistical categories.

Bolen’s accolades are in no way limited to the court as he was recently named 2013-14 Capital One Academic All-Dis-trict which is an honor given to athletes who have significant success on and off of their respective fields of compe-tition. Bolen is the first Messiah men’s basketball player to win the distinction.

His highlight of the season so far in-cludes a 82-72 victory at Guilford in North Carolina. At the time, the oppo-nents were ranked 17th nationally. This win accompanied with several other victories gave Messiah its best start in program history (12-0). Despite the hot start, Bolen and his teammates under-stand that good starts do not earn cham-

This year’s team has experience as their line-up is laden with upperclass-men leadership with players like Bo-len, David Fernandez, Taylor Groff, Christyan DeVan, and Zac Hoy all re-

turning from the team two years ago.

The team also brings some youth with heavy contributions from Geoff Boyle and Brad’s brother, Scott Bolen. When asked what it’s like to play with your brother Brad proclaims, “It’s great. I never got a chance to play with him as much in high school because he was struggling with injuries. I am glad that I am able to play with him now be-cause I think we make each other better since we know each other’s strengths.”

Brad and Scott may be connected by blood, but the whole team is very close as Brad predicts that the relationships with his teammates will outlast their time at Messiah College. After he gradu-ates this May with an accounting de-gree, his illustrious basketball career may not end as he is considering play-ing the game that he loves oversees. If not, he will enter the accounting field. But before this decision is made, Brad is taking a much bigger step than just the ones across the stage to receive his di-ploma. In August, he is getting married.

Even before this, there is still some work to do. Come on out to Brubaker Audito-rium to catch the Falcon’s in their pur-suit of their first national championship.

I am glad that I am able to

play with him now because I

think we make each other better since

we know each other’s strengths.

“

“The pentathlon is an indoor com-

petition for athletes consisting of five events which include the 60 me-ter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump, with an 800 meter run for the girls and 1,000 meter for the guys. Typi-cally women do the heptathlon during the outdoor season with the javelin throw and the 200 meter in addition to these five events with the hurdles ex-tended to 100 meters. The men, on the other hand, compete in the decathlon with the discus throw, pole vault, and 400 meter added to the above events.

For the pent. 60 meter hurdles there are five hurdles. For the high jump

athletes come in at a height that is com-fortable for them and continue to jump

higher and higher until they knock down the bar three consecutive times. For the shot put the athletes have three attempts to throw as far as they can and receive points based on their furthest throw. The long jump is where the athlete runs down the run way and jumps into the sand when they reach the board. They also get three attempts to jump as far as they can. If they take off after the board even by an inch their jump does not count. For every potential mark made in the jumps and throws and time in the races there is a corresponding score.

Coaches, athletes, and officials refer to a book where they can look up their score based on their performance so they don’t have to calculate every little point. At the recent pentathlon at Ur-sinus College Dane Cornelius, Andrew Ausel, Tim Hampton, Rebecca Quer-feld, Brooke Maneval, Andrea Fogel-sanger, and Alyssa Mills competed.

Pentathlon

pionships. They are hungry to earn their second MAC Commonwealth Confer-ence championship in the last three years. But their aspirations do not stop there as they want to make some noise in the NCAA tournament, and ulti-mately win the National Championship.

The team made the “Big Dance” in the 2011-12 season, but fell in an over-time loss at the hands of the Univer-sity of Scranton. That team was young.

By Andrea FogelsangerSTUDENT WRITER

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February 13, 2014 Sports 16The Swinging Bridge

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Soccer SummationBy Kristin WhiteSTUDENT WRITER

The Messiah College Falcons ended the soccer season with a strong fin-

ish from both the men’s and women’s teams. With a combined total of 44 wins, a national championship for the men, and plenty of awards for many players, both teams continued to keep Messiah’s tradition of excellence both on and off the field alive. Messiah is known for it’s first-rate soccer program, and this season did not disappoint. Despite the fact that the wom-en’s team was not able to come home with the championship this year, they still had a strong season. The women’s team finished the sea-son with 16 wins, two losses and one tie during the regular season. They then went on to win both Common-wealth Championship games to move on to the NCAA Championship. There, they won the first two games, but eventually lost in overtime to Ithaca College in the sectional semifinals.

Nikki Elsaesser, a sophomore for-ward, led the team in points, goals, and shots. She ended the season with 20 goals, 99 shots, and 46 points. Holly Burgard, also a sophomore for-ward, led in assists, with a total of nine.

Four players will be graduating in May and not returning next season. The se-nior teammates are Emily Schneider, Ali-cia Frey, Corinne Wulf, and Ali Rogers.Frey was a finalist for the 2013-14 Se-nior Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, and also honored as an All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Asso-ciation of America (NSCAA). Elsaess-er was also named an All-American.

The men’s soccer team took home its 10th NCAA Division III National Championship this season. The Fal-cons beat Rutgers-Camden 2-1. The game was close, and went into double overtime. During the overtime, the Falcons took eight shots, with Jeremy Payne making the eighth game win-

ning shot. This championship is the second straight and fifth in six seasons for the men’s team, and also a con-tinuing record for NCAA Division III.

During the regular season, the men’s team had 18 wins and one loss. They tied in the Commonwealth Cham-pionships against Lycoming Col-lege, and went on to win six games in the NCAA Championships, includ-ing the final championship game.

Joshua Wood, a senior forward, led the team in points, goals, and shots. He fin-ished the season with 21 goals, 49 points, and 117 shots. Jack Thompson, a junior forward, led in assists, finishing with 17. Wood is a finalist for the 2013-14 Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, and was also named Nation-al Player of the Year by the NSCAA. Wood was also honored as an NSCAA All-American, along with team-mates Payne and Carter Robbins.

Thompson was named Outstanding Offensive Player for the NCAA tourna-ment, and made the 2013 NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer All-Tournament Team along with Messiah teammates Brian Ramirez, Sheldon Myer, and Robbins. Six players on the men’s team are seniors this year: Myer, Wood, Drew Frey, Aaron Myers, Jar-rett Weaner, and Josh Kremers.

To find more information about the soccer season, and to keep up with all Messiah sports,

Messiah College Falcons ended the

soccer season with a strong finish

“

“The men’s soccer Team Took home iTs 10Th ncaa

Division iii naTional championship This

season!

check out GoMessiah.com“ “

Men’s Women’s &