Weekend Scene 12-1-11

[12.01.11] [VOL. 96 ISSUE 24]

WINTER SPORTS AND RECREATION

WMU SKATING TEAM pg. 3 ICE SCULPTOR pg. 5 HOLIDAY MOVIE REVIEW pg. 7

MEN’S BASKETBALL PG. 2 & 7 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PG. 5

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�e Western Michigan Uni-versity men’s basketball team looks to get back on track against the Titans.

�e Broncos have just �nished what is arguably the toughest stretch in their schedule facing Temple, Purdue and Gonzaga, all top 25 teams. �e Broncos are currently 1-5 on the season with a win coming Wednesday against D-III power Hope.

To move to a 2-5 record and to get back on track, the Broncos will have to beat in-state rival Detroit Mercy. Mercy is cur-rently at 5-4 and has had tough showings against Notre Dame and George Washington.

If the Broncos are to get their �rst win this season against a D-I opponent, they will need to contain point guard Ray MaCul-lum. Macullum was a Mc Don-ald’s and Parade All-American team member in 2010 who turned down o�ers from UCLA, Arizona, Florida and Oklahoma. MaCullum is currently second for the Titans averaging 13.1

Bronco basketball season preview By Bryan E PaasSta� Reporter

Katrina Murphy/Western HeraldOn fast break, junior forward Nate Hutcheson (11) drives through the paint for the Broncos.

Katrina Murphy/Western HeraldWMU senior forward Flenard Whit�eld (33) pulls up for a quick jumper over Pur-due’s Robbie Hummel (4).

points per game along with 4.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

�is will likely be the biggest test for the Broncos, especially a�er losing starting point guard Mike Douglas to injury. �e

Broncos will have to see a great defensive e�ort not only in the back court but also in the post. Stainbrook and Whit�eld will be matched up against former WMU Bronco Lamarcus Lowe

and Chase Simon. Stainbrook and Wit�eld should match up well against the two. Lowe stands at 6 feet 10 inches tall while Chase stands at 6 feet 7 inches tall.

�e game will take place on Dec. 8 at Calahan arena in De-troit. �is comes just three days a�er the Titans face o� against a young St. John’s team out of the Big East. �is could be extreme-ly bene�cial for the Broncos get-ting the Titans a�er what should be a hard fought game, as well as having a week to prepare.

A win against the Titans might also give the Broncos, as well as head coach Steve Hawk-ins, some closure. In the last three seasons the Broncos have lost two players to Detroit. �is includes standout freshmen from last year Juwan Howard Jr. who is red shirted this season following the NCAA guidelines for athletes who have transferred schools. �is will also be the last scheduled game in the series for the two schools.

Early morning practices, late night workouts and hours of on-ice conditioning are all things that make up the life of the West-ern Michigan University Syn-chronized Skating Team.

Waking up each morning and being on the ice by 6:30 a.m. is just a part of the routine once you’re a part of this team, and sometimes staying on the ice until 9:30 p.m. is part of the deal as well. While skating every morning before a long day of classes may just seem like tor-ture to some people, for Victoria Helmus, senior on the collegiate leave team, it seems that it is ac-tually quite rewarding.

“Some are tiresome and some are rewarding,” said Helmus. “We have a competition in Ann Arbor and all the main competi-tors will be there, so it is impor-tant to include the daily morning and night workouts.”

At WMU there are two teams

that students can be on, a senior and a collegiate level team. Some might even skate on both of them and be cross-skaters. “�e senior team is the highest level

and is based on age and skill,” said Helmus. Just being on one team is a huge commitment; the girls must attend all practices.

“�e practices are manda-tory and skaters are �ned $100, unless they are sick,” she added. Although there are �ve cross-skaters total, there is only one freshman cross-skater.

“�e hardest part of being a cross skater would have to be that I never really get a break. I have to be focused for each pro-gram, and give the same amount of attention to all of them and be there for both teams 100 percent of the time,” said Jordan Kurry, the only freshman on both the senior and collegiate teams.

Kurry has practice �ve days a week for multiple hours each day and also works out twice a week with the team, and once on her own. Even though this may sound like a huge commitment and a hassle, Kurry, and the other skaters love every moment of it.

“I love cross skating and being able to be a part of both teams. I would have to say that the best part is getting to know all the skaters on both teams and learn-ing all of the di�erent programs,” said Kurry.

Although there are times when the girls are over-tired, upset and stressed, they all push through these moments to keep their team improving and being the best teams they can be.

“I feel like I have to go to bed earlier and be a lot more orga-nized than most college students in order to stay on top of my studies and be as productive as I possibly can be for both teams, but I wouldn’t trade cross-skat-ing for anything,” said Kurry.

Thursday, December 1, 2011 3

Courtesy photoThe Bronco synchronized skating senior team performs at Wing Stadium.

Courtesy photoSkating team president Maria Tanney skates with team-mates at a competition.

WMU offers synchronized skatingBy Katie KrausmanSta� Reporter

WMU graduate joins Olympic bobsled teamBy Matt BuckSta� Reporter

For many student-athletes at the collegiate level, being an ath-lete ends as soon as the diploma is received.

For others, such as former Western Michigan University and current National Football League stars like Greg Jennings and Jason Babin, a career is born from college athletics.

Even more of a rarity, though, is Katie Eberling, a former WMU volleyball player whose career as an athlete has taken a dramatic turn.

A�er playing her �nal season on WMU’s volleyball team in 2009, Eberling pursued a colder endeavor: bobsledding.

Eberling said that the op-portunity to become a part of the winter sport came about in a relatively random fashion.

“I received a recruitment e-mail from a member of the 2010 Olympic Bobsledding Team, Elana Meyers,” she said. “At �rst, I didn’t think about it as a serious option, but then I realized I had nothing to lose and everything to gain by giving it a try.”

Giving it a try turned out to be a worthwhile pursuit for the WMU graduate. Now, Eberling is on the United States Olympic Team and is currently compet-ing in Europe.

Eberling said that living in the Midwest was an excellent precursor to competing in win-ter sports.

“Growing up near Chicago and going to school in Kalama-zoo is a de�nite winter sport ad-vantage,” she said. “My skin has become a little thicker which helps me out in the freezing bob-sled world. I have had a fascina-tion with every Olympic Sport since a very young age, winter or summer.”

Being an athlete was never something Eberling expected to pursue at a professional level. In fact, the 2010 graduate was expecting to be utilizing her education degree as an elemen-tary school teacher. Instead, she’s schooling opponents on the track, as she’s already taken a gold medal en route to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia.

Meyers, who moved from

brakeman to driver a�er the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, re-cruited Eberling to �ll in the gap she had le�. As the brakeman, Eberling is given the role of get-ting the sled o� to a quick start, while making sure the sled stops at the end of the race.

While the constant travel takes its toll on most Olympians, Eberling said that she does what she can to recuperate.

“We train all week at each track, race at the end of the week, and then pack up all of our sleds and equipment and head to the next track; it can get a little taxing at times,” she said. “Travel and competition always take a toll on the body, but I just make an extra e�ort to recover properly.”

Eberling attributes her rise into Olympic contention to the constant push from her trainer, as well as the solid work ethic that she learned from her time on the WMU volleyball team.

“I think the biggest thing that has transferred from one sport to the other is work ethic and discipline. I trained really hard all summer with WMU Strength Coach, Tim Hermann, in order to pass the physical test required to bobsled and also to e�ectively push a sled,” she said. “It was up to me to prepare for this oppor-tunity, so I could work as hard or lax as I wished. However, I knew what my ultimate goal was and I also knew what it would take to get me there.”

With winter rapidly approach-ing Western Michigan University’s campus, the inevitable winter dol-drums might not be too far be-hind.

While some college students may resort to a ritualistic hiberna-tion of sorts—heading outside on an as-needed basis before bunker-ing down and watching a Gilmore Girls marathon—there is a way to avoid the frigid air while still stay-ing active.

Climb Kalamazoo is provid-ing WMU students and the com-munity with an alternative to the outdoors and the gym.

Climb Kalamazoo’s Phil Grimm said rock climbing provides a very reliable way for students to stay �t.

“�is is an adventure sport that’s not subject to the winter. People can come here any day of the week because we’re open ev-eryday,” said Grimm. “�ey get to participate in an adventure sport.

It’s great exercise, so it’s nice that it’s open all year.”

While many WMU students may �nd the idea of rock climb-ing very intimidating, Grimm said that Climb Kalamazoo o�ers a va-riety of di�erent options for vari-ous skill sets.

“We o�er a wide range of routes. We have 34 di�erent top ropes. �ere are a wide variety of di�culties, from the absolute be-ginner routes—we’ve had kids as young as two climb to the top of the walls—and di�cult training routes if you’re more serious about your climbing,” he said. “�e top rope basically eliminates the fall potential because your partner can keep the rope as tight as you want. So, it’s a great way to get started.”

Grimm said that many WMU students already climb on a fre-quent basis, so the college atmo-sphere runs abundant.

Another concern from students may be that the cost of climbing is too high. In a nation that spends nearly $100 billion a year on fast food, the cost of climbing is both

miniscule and a much healthier alternative.

“Most people are surprised that climbing is not as expensive as you’d think to get into,” Grimm said. “With all the gear and an-chors used outside it can get re-ally expensive, but in here you just need a harness, shoes and a belay device.”

To make the cost even less, Climb Kalamazoo holds a college night twice a week, where students can go get a free belay lesson and climb at a discount rate on Mon-day and �ursday.

Even for students who are very active, Grimm said that climb-ing provides another great way to work out di�erent parts of the body.

“Climbing is a great way to cross train for a lot of sports. If you run or bike, you’re probably looking for a shoulder work out,” he said. “�is is a lot more fun than going to the gym and pulling on weights. Climbing is also very social. It’s a good time to come in with friends and train.”

Thursday, December 1, 20114

Dan Morgner / Western HeraldMichigan State University student Lauren Knupp plans her next move while switching from one wall to the next.

Dan Morgner / Western HeraldWMU graduate Ray Farmer looks for his next handhold to climb to the top of the wall. “Climbing is just a lot of fun. It’s a great workout too,” said Farmer.

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Students climb up to new heightsBy Matt BuckSta� Reporter

Dan Morgner / Western HeraldHigh school student David Knupp has no fear of heights as he climbs more than 20 feet o� the ground.

When most people imagine a chef, the setting is usually a kitchen. �e focal point might be a pastry, meat or vegetable. And a chainsaw is usually not part of the status quo.

�en there are chefs like Randy Finch. Finch swapped the kitchen for a freezing cold ware-house, the pastries for a large block of crystal clear ice and uti-lized the chainsaw in a way that most chefs utilize the spatula.

But Finch and his crew at Ice Sculptures Ltd. aren’t making your grandma’s ice sculptures. �e Grand Rapids-based com-pany is replacing the typical ice swan with fully-functional casi-nos, pinball machines and pool tables, all made entirely out of ice.

Finch said that the idea of be-coming an ice sculptor is some-thing that he always found to be very appealing.

“I really enjoyed it. It’s the cream of the crop to do as a chef,” he said. “It’s very exclusive. I just felt that I had a knack for it.”

Food Network must also think that Finch has a knack for it. �e television station started “Ice Brigade,” a weekly show that fol-lows Finch and his crew in their di�erent ice-related endeavors.

Finch said that the new show has turned his company into a bit of a trailblazer.

“We’re the only ones that have ever had a TV series on ice sculpting. We wanted to make sure we represented our industry well,” he said. “We want to cre-ate sculptures that people have never dreamed of being made out of ice. We wanted to take the industry to the next level.”

�e descent to the next lev-el has been a fairly rapid one. �e group has taken its talents abroad, coaching ice carving teams across the world, while be-ing used as a resource for many publications that teach up and coming chefs how to sculpt.

As far as his best work, Finch said that his idea of “master-piece” changes on a project-to-project basis.

“Each time I make a new one, that’s the new masterpiece,” he said. “It’s very hard to choose just one.”

Finch said that the di�culty of ice sculpting is not just in the carving.

“You really have to be dedi-cated and really want to do it,” Finch said. “We shovel snow 365 days a year.”

Finch said that many people think that his sculptures are re-ally expensive, but he said that many start out at about $85.

While some of the shows view-ers may be under the impression that having a television show has made the company forget about its hometown, Finch said that he still does a variety of local work, although he has started to a bit more nationally, as well.

“�ings have changed. We still do a lot of weddings and birthdays, but we’re also doing

a lot of bigger projects,” he said. “We’re going to be at the Super-bowl this year doing interactive displays and demonstrations for people. We’re doing a lot of na-tional projects, but we’re still do-ing a lot of local stu�.”

For anyone that is thinking about becoming an ice sculptor, Finch said that focusing on using the right habits immediately is

very important.“Really the best thing to do

is get an apprenticeship. You have to �nd someone that does it right, because it’s hard to �x the bad habits later on,” Finch said. “You need to know what you’re supposed to be learning. �ey say practice makes perfect, but really perfect practice makes perfect.”


Courtesy photoRandy Finch works on an ice sculpture with a chainsaw.

Local chef dishes out sculpturesBy Matt BuckSta� Reporter

Women’s basketball yearns for �irst victoryBy Matt BuckSta� Reporter

�e Western Michigan Uni-versity women’s basketball team traveled to Ohio on Wednesday in hopes of �nding its �rst win of the season against a Youngstown State team that has seen its own fair share of struggles so far.

�e Broncos never gained much momentum, though, and fell to 0-5 on the season, drop-ping a 55-80 contest against the

Penguins.Youngstown St. (4-3) domi-

nated in many facets of the game, outscoring the Broncos 34-18 in the paint while outshooting WMU 43.8 percent to 31 per-cent.

One of the more alarming statistics against the Broncos was YSU’s ability to score on the fast break. �e Penguins were seem-ingly able to take the ball up the court on every rebound, and their fast paced style of play led

to a 12-4 Youngstown St. advan-tage over WMU on fast break points.

�e loss puts the Broncos in a bit of a frenzy going into Mid-American Conference play, as the team has struggled to �nd an identity from a defensive stand-point.

For the Broncos, Maria Iaquaniello saw the most action, as she took 14 shots from the �oor. Despite this, she was only able to score 11 points in the

loss.�e Broncos were able to do

well on second chance points, though, as WMU outscored Youngstown St. 12-4.

Perhaps the most encourag-ing aspect in a pretty bleak out-come is the team’s bench play, led by Julia Henson.

Henson scored 12 points o� the bench, despite only being on the �oor for 13 minutes.

�e Penguins were able to hold WMU star Miame Giden

to a surprisingly low nine points in the game, marking one of the �rst times in the young season that a defense has been able to shut the player down.

�e Broncos will hope to �nd their �rst win of the season at home in a contest this Saturday against University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. �e Broncos have three more games before their �rst tournament of the season, a three-game clash in Long Beach, Calif.


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Check us out online at www.westernherald.com

Many on campus have seen snow every year, but there are undoubtedly a few who don’t get snow very o�en at home, if at all. While there are a variety of activities on campus, there are also popular places to visit o� campus, two of these are Timber Ridge and Echo Valley.

Timber Ridge was �rst opened to the public in 1961, according to their website. It featured one li� which was powered by a 1949 Chevy. Now, they have eight li�s and 15 trails. �ere are three dif-�culty levels which are spread all throughout the park. Some of the easier trails are Willow and Dean’s pass; the toughest ones, marked with black diamonds on their map of the park, are Walnut and Hemlock.

Timber Ridge also features a racing department. �e adult Racing League runs every �urs-day night (beginning Jan. 6). Ski-ers must be 21 or older and each team has eight skiers. Timber Ridge is highlighted for the skiing and snowboarding, but tubing is also available on weekends. Tim-ber Ridge is located in Gobles, Michigan, about 20 minutes from Kalamazoo.

Echo Valley is a winter sports park in Kalamazoo. �ey o�er tobogganing, tubing and skating. �ey are primarily open on week-ends, according to their web site, and they are open on weekdays during Christmas break.

�eir skating is on an ice rink of over 43,000 square feet, the tubing hill has been expanded and they advertise tobogganing speeds of over 60 miles per hour.

�ese are just two of the many places around Kalamazoo that become popular during the win-ter season. With so many activties to choose from, winter can be a very exciting season.

Hit the slopesBy Tyler PeaseSta� Reporter

As the holidays approach, Christmas music begins to belt out and shoppers begin hustling around looking for the best deals and network television starts spreading holiday movies, spe-cials and holiday cheer.

With the plethora of holiday movie o�erings to choose from, a trip to the movie store has be-come daunting. So, a few expert opinions later, here’s how holiday movies stand.

One of the early classics for Christmas movies is “‘It’s a Won-derful Life.’” �e movie was re-leased in 1946 and is the story of a depressed man on Christmas learning to appreciate his im-portance in the lives of others, as well as himself.

With James Stewart in the lead role, the acting is solid, believable and passionate. �e movie can be found updated for color, but black and white might feel more authentic.

It comes recommended by many, but Professor Casey McKittrick, a professor of �lm appreciation at Western Michi-gan University, �nds the experi-ence to be a little bit too sweet at times.

“�ough personally I’m in-clined to punch the kid Clarence who ends the �lm with, ‘Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings’,” said professor McKittick.

While “It’s a Wonderful Life” continues to warm the hearts of viewers everywhere and the message may have been slightly diluted over the years, it is still worth the watch.

Moving forward in time, “A Christmas Story” may have de-�ned the Christmas experience for an entire generation.

“‘A Christmas Story’ has emerged as the quintessential Christmas �lm for generation X,” said professor McKittrick. Released in 1983, the �lm takes place in the 1940s, but shares narrational cues with “�e Won-der Years,” which aired starting

in 1988. �e movie is a comedy re-

volving around one boy’s quest for a bb gun, despite the ire of his parents and the insanity of life around him. It’s just as much a coming of age story as a funny comedy, and the values still ring true today.

However, in the 1990s, a new cadre of Christmas movies be-gan- “�e Home Alone” series.

�e First movie, simply titled “Home Alone,” was released in 1990. It featured Macaulay Culkin in the lead role, fairly pummeling Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern in this �lm themed to the importance of family.

“If I had to pick a favorite holiday movie, I think I’d go with Home Alone. I mean, it could be mostly because I watched them as a kid, but I have lots of memo-

ries of them, you know?” said Ian Cooper of Green Light Music.

�ere are also holiday movies that came out in recent years. �e movie “Elf ” starring Will Ferrell is perhaps the Christmas movie for the 2000s.

It is still funny. It is still Will Ferrell (albeit, much more re-strained than usual,) and it is still a heartwarming tale.

At the end of the day, holiday

movies are an important part of the Christmas tradition. But, holiday movies can also be good movies, and are worth the time to cuddle up on the couch, and enjoy.

“My fellow �lm colleague Nic Witschi and I both agree that ‘Die Hard’ is probably the great-est Christmas movie ever made,” said McKittrick.

For many collegiate teams stocked with younger players, starting the season with a losing streak could be detrimental.

For the Western Michigan University men’s basketball team, expectations were high as the Broncos had their home opener on Wednesday against Division III Hope College.

Despite being undefeated, Hope was an underdog going into the contest against the win-less Broncos.

�e Broncos did not dis-appoint, and carried the lead

throughout the matchup, taking down Hope College by an 80-58 �nal.

Forward Flenard Whit�eld, who scored 22 points en route to the team’s �rst win of the season, led the team in scoring.

Center Matt Stainbrook also had another big game, scoring 21 points with eight rebounds.

�e Broncos outscored Hope in nearly every statistical aspect of Wednesday’s matchup. �e biggest advantage WMU took was in fast break points, as the Broncos outscored Hope 16-2.

WMU was also big in the paint, scoring 30 points from close range.

Stainbrook was able to start the game o� with huge momen-tum, scoring 10 of the team’s �rst 12 points for the Broncos.

Whit�eld passed the 1,000 point mark in Wednesday’s game, making the forward the thirty-��h player in Western Michigan University history to accomplish this feat. Whit�eld also recorded a double-double in the contest.

�e Broncos travel to Detroit today to face the University of Detroit-Mercy—a team that has recently taken two of WMU’s highly-touted players—before returning home to face Southern Illinois on Sunday.


Photos Kallie Strazdas / Western HeraldWMU junior Aron Duymovic, and roommate, sophomore Zak Yamani, sit down together to watch “Elf,” one of their favorite Christmas classics. “My favorite part is when Buddy gets in a �ght with the fake Santa!” said Yamani.

Katrina Murphy / Western HeraldAfter drawing a hard foul, senior guard Demetrius Ward (1) goes to the line for two points for the Broncos on Nov. 23.

Men’s basketball wins in �irst home game

REVIEW: Best holiday movies By Baxter GillSta� Reporter

By Matt BuckSta� Reporter

Films to watch while the snow is falling over winter break


www.thecampusbeet.wordpress.comwww.ssewmu.wordpress.comContact [email protected] for more info

Western Michigan Univer-sity students have the oppor-tunity to change give back to Kalamazoo on Dec. 3. The event Endless Opportunities will be at the Adrian Trimpe building at WMU from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to help fundraise for children in Kalamazoo with-out winter apparel.

Endless Opportunities is a nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is to provide ap-parel such as hats, gloves and scarves. for the less fortunate children in Kalamazoo.

“We can always give a little more than what we have and you never know quite the im-pact a small gesture can have on a person,” said Alvin Hills, the executive director of End-less Opportunities.

“Changing the world, one

person at a time” is the or-ganization’s catchphrase and they want WMU students to help out the cause.

“We hope to provide up to 150 kids with hats, gloves and scarves,” said Hills.

Endless Opportunities is asking WMU students to do-nate new winter clothing, though mildly used clothing is just as important.

According to Kalamazoo County Health and Commu-nity Services, there are 692 homeless in Kalamazoo. Out of that number, 235 are chil-dren.

“We simply would like to play our part in helping the Kalamazoo Community,” said Hills.

For more information on Endless Opportunities con-tact Hills at [email protected] or (616) 498-1584.

Several Kalamazoo-based bands are taking a cost-effec-tive bus ride to their upcoming show in Battle Creek. Gunship Radio, Elm Street Riot, Jake Simmons and the Little Ghost, and Spacelift will be taking over Planet Rock’s stage on Dec. 2.

“It’s going to be a good time. The sound is going to be great and the venue is awesome,” said Tyler Berkey, lead singer of

Gunship Radio.The bands were able to se-

cure two 15-passenger vans for the trip. Those who want to see the show and have a safe ride home may be able to travel with the bands as well.

“We may have open spots,” said Berkey. “First we are of-fering it up to our friends, and then we are opening it up to Elm Street Riot’s fans.”

There will be something for everyone at the show. Whether a person is into alternative ga-

rage, progressive classical, or just jam bands in general, the vast array of genres will likely please every audience member.

The sets will be broken up evenly, with the exception of the first band to play.

“My main plan is the first band will be 20-30 minutes and they’ll go on at 8 p.m., and then each band will start on the hour and have 15 minutes between each band and play for 45 min-utes,” Berkey said.

There will be a $5 cover

charge at the door, but for the audience, it may be worth the expense.

“We tried pushing the cover as low as we can,” Berkey said. “We just want to bring people out there and have a good show and have fun.”

Beyond the Planet Rock show, Gunship Radio can also be seen performing at the Strutt on Dec. 17. The goal is to get Kalamazoo residents and stu-dents to support local music and try something new.

“The best part is the ac-knowledgment, just putting yourself into a song and playing it for people and having them like it, it feels really great,” Ber-

key said.For Scott Rinderknect, lead

singer of Elm Street Riot, it is the thrill of being on stage.

“It’s the rush for me, defi-nitely,” he said.

The bands said they would like to see students come out and have a safe and entertain-ing night.

“We’re hoping for a good turnout and a fun-tastic night of rock n’ roll,” Rinderknecht said.

To check out the bands mu-sic before the show, simply visit www.reverbnation.com/elm-streetriot, www.gunshipradio.net, or look them up on Face-book.

Warming hearts:

By Kathryn StapletonSta� Reporter

By Nathan PalcowskiSta� Reporter

Local bands touring out of town

Donate apparel to help children in need

Weekend Scene 12-1-11

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