Last Friday night, 21 Loras students faced a lockdown in Hoffmann Hall. Stuck inside, they were divided into four teams, assigned classrooms and restricted from going out of the building. All night long, they fidgeted and banged their heads, scrambling for ideas. They had too many things in their minds- writing, rehearsing, and performing original, short one-act plays, all within 24 hours.

The 24-hour-theater project brought by the Guild of St. Genesius Theatre Honor Society was a fundraiser for Dubuque’s St. Stephen’s Food Pantry. The audience voted for their favorite one-acts for Audience Choice Award by donating money that went to the food pantry. This was the first time the Guild did this kind of project.

Each team in the project was given a setting, line, character, and a prop. The challenge appeared to fixate on the idea while fighting the sandman at night.

“We didn’t come up with idea for a long time last night and so we started watching a soccer match online,” said sophomore Sajjan KC, a member of Stargaze Dramatists during a rehearsal on Saturday afternoon. It was his first time taking part in a play at Loras.

“Let’s not worry about the semantics,” he smiled, uttering his lines from the one-act.

Dressed up as Steven Spielberg, junior Stephen Brandt said, “I always wanted to take part in a play, but never got a chance because of time constraints. This is a great opportunity.”

KC and Brandt’s team came up with ‘E! True Hollywood Story: The Making of E.T.’

“We just wanted to have fun. This is not about winning, but about showing we can do this. We also want to provide fun to the audience,” KC added.

Meanwhile, in the other classrooms, teams comprising Loras Players, who had had experiences of doing a number of shows were hell-bent on making last minute changes to their scripts and rehearsing.

“There is an adrenaline rush in my head right now with only sporadic naps and bursts of laughter all night long. But we all know that as soon as this is done, we’ll all crash,” remarked senior Whitney Arnold from the team The Three Little Women and a Man. Their story ‘The Calamity at Feudalin’s’ had to incorporate the line ‘I’m not even sure what calamity means.’

“Theater background has certainly helped in this 24-hour project,” said first-year Anna Spoden, also a part of the team. “We had so much fun doing this and we’re enjoying every bit of this,” she added.

While the teams showed a concoction of frustration and delectation in their rehearsals, the show host Steven Dobihal said, “I’m excited to see how everything turns out.”

The teams had the freedom to use internet, phones, or laptops for their scripts. Memorizing the script wasn’t required and costumes and additional props were provided.

Loras Players director and a judge of the show Doug Donald said, “I’m amazed that everyone’s been getting along. Tonight is going to show all their hard and sleepless work.”

…And the awards go to:
Most Creative Use of Prop = Edutopia “The Bear Truth”
Most Creative Use of Character = Three Little Women and a Man “The Calamity at Feudalin’s”
Most Creative Use of Line = Stargaze Dramatists “E! True Hollywood Story:  The Making of E.T.”
Most Creative Use of Location = TGS “The Modern Woman”
People’s Choice Award = Stargaze Dramatists
Critic’s Choice Award = Edutopia

After the show, host Dobihal said, “I am absolutely surprised and amazed by the quality of all four plays. They were very well written in my opinion. I am impressed by the acting ability of both theater veterans and those who had never done anything like this before.”

The Guild of Saint Genesius has the “Magic of Christmas” lined up next for Saturday, Dec. 3. The show entails tales of the season with a recreation of a “live” radio broadcast from the 1940s. It includes many classic Christmas stories such as “A Christmas Carol,” “The Night before Christmas,” and “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

The show is a fundraiser for the Guild.

 

 

David Kagan (’71) recently was appointed as the Bishop of Bismarck, N.D.

“I was completely surprised and at first, I just stood there staring out the window until he asked me if I accepted the Holy Father’s appointment,” said newly Bishop-elect Kagan. “I said ‘yes’ and, as the saying goes, ‘the rest is history.’”

Kagan was born on Nov. 9, 1949 in Waukegan, IL, and grew up in Spring Grove, IL. Since his ordination, he has served at over ten parishes, including his most recent assignment as pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church, the largest parish in the Rockford, IL, deanery. Before that, he was named by Bishop Doran as vicar general for the diocese of Rockford, and has served as associate publisher for, the newspaper for the Rockford Diocese, the moderator of the curia, and as a diocesan counselor.

Kagan was ordained a priest for the Rockford Diocese by Bishop O’Neil in 1975. “A great deal has happened in my life since I graduated from Loras, the best, of course, is being ordained a priest,” he said.

His new diocese in Bismarck, has, as he says, “98 parishes, 89 priests, 3 Catholic high schools, 13 Catholic parish grade schools   …  (and) 70,000 Catholics.”

As bishop, Kagan will be ordained into the “fullness of the sacred priesthood” and says he “must teach, sanctify and govern God’s people with the mind and heart of Christ.” He will be succeeding Bishop Paul A. Zipfel who served as bishop since 1997. “Try not to hear merely my voice saying thank you for your ‘yes,’” Zipfel told Kagan at a press conference, “ but hear the thousands of people  … who will be touched, and wonderfully changed by the faith, service, and the love that you bring.” At the conference, Kagan told reporters that, “I have tremendous shoes to fill, and I only hope and pray that I am able to do that.”

Kagan says he thinks the most rewarding part of being a bishop will be, “ordaining other men as priests for the Church and confirming young people in our Faith to be active Catholics no matter their vocations.” On the other hand, he says that the most difficult aspect of being a bishop is hard to answer justly.

Bishop-elect Kagan will be ordained on November 30, and will bring his dog, Dash, to Bismarck.

“Dash gets to relocate and I think he will like it since one forecast has us receiving snow — he likes the snow,”  Kagan says.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to him.

“Don’t just be for me. Be with me,” said Republican presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich, during a visit to Loras on Monday.

The former Speaker of the House and his wife, Callista, were greeted by 150 people. Gingrich took questions, signed books and showed their documentary “Nine Days That Changed the World.”

The visit was organized by the president of the Loras College Republicans, Patrick O’Grady.

“It was an exciting opportunity for the Loras College Republicans and the greater Loras campus to have a candidate of this caliber come to talk about not only the contemporary issues of today but his Catholic faith,” said O’Grady.

Gingrich first fielded questions from the audience for about 20 minutes. The questions ranged from the war, to climate change, to the Occupy Wall Street protests to abortion, and jobs to campaign strategy.

In  response to a question from sophomore Ryan McCarty, Gingrich told the group that he will curb abortion by “defunding Planned Parenthood.”

“I wanted to ask him about abortion because as a Catholic, that is the most important issue when voting for president,” McCarty said. “I was very satisfied with his answer … and was impressed with his knowledge of the issue.”

Gingrich told the audience that despite a lack of campaign funds, he believes that a grassroots movement will allow him to secure the nomination.

“Compared to the other nominees, he lacks funding, but his confidence, wisdom and knowledge of Washington will make him a very good candidate,” said first-year Matthew Koch

Gingrich said that if he wins the nomination, he will challenge President Obama to seven three-hour-long “Lincoln-Douglas-style” debates, a comment that drew much applause from the audience. Koch said the GOP should embrace his debate idea, which would highlight Newt’s debating and lecture skills and showcase his political rhetoric.

In the meantime, GOP candidate Herman Cain has agreed to do one “Lincoln-Douglas-style” debate with Gingrich.

According to a recent CBS/New York Times poll, Gingrich is a distant third among the eight candidates, polling 10 percent of those surveyed. Even though Gingrich has low numbers now, current polls do not necessarily mean that he cannot secure the nomination. Three years ago, in October 2008, Rudy Giuliani was the GOP front-runner. However, within weeks, he plunged to the bottom of the polls.

After questions, Gingrich signed books and took pictures with perspective voters.

“Throughout the evening and especially while signing books, he spoke freely and laughed genuinely,” said first-year Hannah Way. “He is truly a beacon of hope in the upcoming election.”

The 94-minute documentary shown after Gingrich’s book-signing, depicts the nine-day life-changing voyage that Pope John Paul II took to his homeland, Poland, in order to help liberate his people from the bonds of communism.

“The film was a lot more than I expected,” McCarty said. “It showed how terrible communism can be, and how Pope John Paul II transformed the world in a non-violent, Catholic way.”

O’Grady said the film was, “a wonderful example of the power one man can have when he commits his life to God.” The film is available for purchase through film’s website: ninedaysthatchangedtheworld.com.

by Zach Altfillisch and Carolina Rusinque

“What you have received as a gift, give as a gift.”

This quote stuck to the hearts of the sophomore group of Breitbach Catholic Thinkers and Leaders during Fall Free Days as they were giving back to their community. Every year, the sophomores in the program do a service trip over their fall break. This year, the group stayed at the Shalom Retreat Center, and began with yard work around the center. The sophomores reached out to those who were in need of clothes, food, manual labor, and just all-around service. Along with doing yard work at Shalom, the group of 14 helped a garage sale for Dubuque/Jackson Co. Habit for Humanity, moved a family out of their home, spent time at a Girl Scout event, and did yard work at the Hope House in Dubuque. 

On Thursday, the group went to a Catholic Worker Farm south of Dubuque, and helped with farm projects. That night, the group split up and went to multiple sites. One group of sophomores went to the St. Stephen’s Food Bank, another to the Maria House to help women and children, and another group went to the Hope House. On Friday, the group traveled to the Quad Cities. Half of us helped prepare a meal for over 100 people, while the other half worked on a house that serves homeless women with children.

Sophomore Ally Satterlee said, “It was a great experience. The trip opened my eyes to the community and you can never stop helping those in need.” The group helped so many people in so many ways over the three days. Each participant had their eyes opened up to the community and was shown that you can never do too much service because “the poor you will always have with you …” (Mark 14:7).

 

 

 

 

The Loras College Duhawks took on the Luther Norse at Luther. The Norse won 20-13.

BY HANNAH BREHM

What is Antioch?

While many students have heard of this student-led retreat, there still are many questions that surround the weekend.

So, I am going to try and clear up some of the confusion without giving the whole weekend away. To do this, I thought I would try and think of one word that would represent Antioch for each letter of the alphabet. After spending a few minutes trying to come up with the 26 perfect words, I decided I only really needed the A, B and C.

A — Awesomeness.

Antioch is filled with amazing awesomeness. There are awesome people, awesome talks, awesome food, and awesome times. Basically, pure awesomeness. Also, A is for Aaron Junge, our director and homecoming king.

B — Break.

Antioch is a great way to get away from campus. It will take place at the beautiful and rural town of Placid, Iowa (population 10). Throw away your worries. Take a break from school.

C — Christ. 

Come and grow in your relationship with Christ and grow in community with your fellow students.

Spend time making friends and eating tasty meals. There is time to spend on your own, time with small groups and time with large groups. This semester the Antioch retreat will be held Oct. 21-23. Students will be back to campus on Sunday afternoon.

If there are any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Aaron Junge, Debbie Gross, or Hannah Brehm.

And if none of these reasons are enough to convince you, I have come up with a word for D: Debbie’s Famous Scotcheroos.

The sky is falling, the sky is falling! Grab your hard hats, sports helmets, umbrellas or take cover underground. Can you imagine something the size of a school bus falling from the sky?

The 6.5-ton UARS climate probe plummeted to Earth on Sept. 23, a day earlier than previously reported. The remnants of the UARS probe re-entered Earth’s atmosphere at some point late Friday night or early Saturday morning. Even though it has landed, NASA officials are either uncertain of where it landed, or they are choosing not to disclose the information. No reports of injuries or debris of the satellite have come in at this time. 

UARS stands for the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite. This probe was deployed into space in 1991 from the space shuttle “Discovery” and decommissioned in 2005. The mission of the UARS probe was to measure the ozone and other chemicals found in the Earth’s ozone layer to better help scientists understand how the upper atmosphere affects our planet. UARS also recorded wind speeds and temperatures in the stratosphere as well as the energy Earth was receiving from the sun.

What makes this satellite such a big deal? Ken McLaughlin, professor of physics and engineering explained, “This satellite was used for scientific purposes, so it is a bigger deal, but it is not uncommon for satellites to fall.” He went on to say with the hint of a smile, “However they won’t report when a spy satellite falls out of orbit.”

“Satellites travel around the earth at around ten to twenty thousand miles per hour.” McLaughlin stated. “As the sun heats the atmosphere, it expands, and if a satellite is close enough it will get clipped and thrown out of orbit.”

“It would have been a spectacular light show for those that saw it,” stated Alan Boyle, Loras alum and science editor for MSNBC.

This satellite in particular is one of the largest to have plunged to earth in the last 30 years. Scientists stated that there was a 1 in 3,200 chance that any parts of the satellite actually struck a populated area due to the fact that 75 percent of the Earth is covered in water.

In addition to the small amount of land that is actually populated by humans in comparison to water or deserted land, a good majority of the space probe disintegrated upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. NASA scientists expected approximately 26 large pieces to survive the firey plummet through the Earth’s atmosphere. Those things could have been anything from empty propellant tanks to titanium pieces.

So what is space junk? When a shuttle launches, they have the two rocket boosters that help propel the shuttle in all of its glory into the unknown. However, the shuttle can not return to earth with those big tubes of highly flammable rocket fuel residue attached, so the rocket boosters are released into space.

This is a problem because of possible threats to space missions. It is a little known fact that a fleck of paint less than 1 mm put a crater in the windshield of the space shuttle Endeavor half the depth of the glass. A fleck of paint does not seem like much but there are many other things that are “lost in space.”

A NASA tool bag, about the size of a briefcase, and all contents, a glove from astronaut Ed White, a camera lost by Michael Collins on the Gemini 10 mission, garbage bags from the Mir space stations’ 15 years of operation, a single wrench, a toothbrush, and a pair of pliers .

So the next time something looks like it is falling from the sky, grab your protective gear and get ready because you just might have to dodge a wrench.

As a college student, there are just some things in life that can’t be ignored: food, sleep, money, and fun. However, one important aspect many tend to overlook, and even ignore, is transportation.

So many dilemmas surface for students who lack a means of transportation, and they miss a chance to truly experience what the tri-state area has to offer. They cannot eat a delicious local meal, have a job off campus, etc.

Having a vehicle has its downsides too: payments must be made in order to maintain it, and gas, oil changes and other repairs also empty the wallet. And God forbid there’s another hailstorm. In the end, cars require time, stress and money.

But that’s where The Jule, the city of Dubuque’s new-and-improved busing system, comes in. It doesn’t operate 24/7, but it should resolve some of your transportation needs. The city has made some significant changes to hopefully accommodate passengers who might not have been served by the bus system’s previous routes and schedules.

And the city is brainstorming of ways to better serve college students.

“Things are afoot and starting to take place,” said Barbara Morck, the city’s director of transit operations.

Right now, The Jule doesn’t have specific stops, routes, and rates designed specifically for college students. But the city is working with Loras, The University of Dubuque, and Clarke University, in order to develop a bus route that could pick up and drop off students on a regular basis.

“Right now, The Jule has a route called the Green Route that goes up and down Loras Boulevard on schedule, allowing students to catch a ride,” Morck said. “The buses are fully accessible with lifts and ramps, and they include a bike rack in case someone riding a bike gets caught in the rain.”

Although the Green Route is the nearest route for students on Loras College campus, the nearest stop is Finley Hospital near Grandview Avenue.

“Within the next couple of weeks, the college administrators of Dubuque are meeting in order to start gearing towards the students’ needs and meet them where they are at. We would also like to meet with student governments to make sure we’re on the same page.”

Making a bus route available to students at Loras has been a large part of Daniel McDermott’s “to-do list” as Senior Class Student Union President. He has been a strong advocate for reaching out to make arrangements between Dubuque’s bus system and the college ever since he began his campaign for presidency.

“Right now, we’re trying to get everyone on the same page,” McDermott said, “It’s challenging to get the ball rolling on this because, to my understanding, the final thing holding up the project is finding out where the money is coming from, which is a major issue.”

McDermott’s concern is apparent to Morck as well.

“Loras’ student government is very active in getting this into action,” Morck said. “In the future, we want to bring stops to campus where it’s easy and accessible for students, such as dorms and major buildings. Our goal is for students to be able to show their college ID and ride for free, but money is a major factor in making this a success.”

Morck is hoping to have the project will be complete so that students will have a reliable way to travel across town to their jobs, doctor appointments, etc..

“I would definitely use the transportation,” McDermott said when asked if he would use The Jule. “It’s a great way to get around and explore Dubuque.”

Currently, a bus ride on The Jule only costs $1 and it can take you to Hy-Vee, Kennedy Mall, and various other locations throughout Dubuque. Those who are interested in leaving their vehicles at home in order to save a few dollars can ride The Jule’s buses more frequently by purchasing a 10-Ride Pass or even a Monthly Pass.

For more information about The Jule and its pros and cons, routes, etc., visit www.cityofdubuque.org.

by Michael Splittgerber

The men’s soccer team had a weekend to remember as it dominated its two games, scoring a whopping total of 13 goals while shutting out its opponents.

It started the weekend out with a 6-0 win over Nebraska Wesleyan and followed that up with a 7-0 rout over St. Norbert. That apparently was enough to lift the Duhawks to a No. 14-ranking in NCAA Division III.

In Saturday’s win over Nebraska Wesleyan, Loras’ first goal came when senior Chris Comstock found Brad Joiner, who timed his run correctly and punched one in for the first score of the match.

First-year Tom Fluegel also had a big day for the Duhawks, as he scored twice during the match.

The final two goals of the day came from the feet of juniors Forrest Olson and Ryan Schneider, who both tallied assists as well.

Coach Daniel Rothert was satisfied with the scoring outburst.

“It was nice to find the back of the net,” he said. “These goals give us the confidence we need going into conference play. I think this was something we wanted to start finding.”

A cold rainy day did nothing to stop the hot Duhawks on Sunday against St. Norbert.

Donald St. George got the ball rolling with a goal just three minutes into the game. St. George, after a ball was played into his feet, was able to turn on the doorstep of the St. Norbert goal and put the Duhawks ahead.

The Duhawks added four more scores and held a 5-0 halftime lead. In the second half, St. George scored his second goal of the game, while Comstock and Louie Oswald added a couple scores of their own to the Duhawks tally. Schneider continued an impressive weekend by adding a goal and an assist in the second half to cap off his four-point weekend.

The shutouts also pleased Rothert.

“The shutouts were nice to get,” he said. “(We) came out strong, scoring early, and really just ending the games early.”

With the shutouts, the Duhawks wrapped up most of their non-conference play, and they will open Iowa Conference play against the University of Dubuque on Saturday night.

Not much can be done if you’re an opponent and you look up at the scoreboard and see 9-0.

The women’s soccer team wreaked all kinds of havoc Saturday in the Rock Bowl versus the visiting Prairie Wolves from Nebraska Wesleyan.

From the very start, Loras outworked, outplayed and simply dominated every aspect of the game.

And even when Coach Daniel Rothert put in his second line, Loras’ opponents had no answers.

Loras kicked off the scoring in the fourth minute of play, when junior Jayne Eslinger took the touch and sent the ball to the back of the net.

Little did she, or any of the other players know, what was about to occur in the next 86 minutes of play.

Only three minutes later, senior captain Kate Young added herself to the scoring sheet with a goal of her own, courtesy of a breakaway set up by senior Tonya Lohmeyer.

The Duhawks would close out the scoring in the first half with a breakaway by senior Jess Kern.

Most teams would be satisfied with a 3-0 lead going into the half, and Rothert was no different.

Opening the second half, Loras would have a lot of the second- and third-string players seeing playing time.

The scoring would not stop there, however. In the 59th minute, senior Brittan Rooney headed in a free kick from Kern to make it 4-0.

After many missed header attempts, first-year Danielle Vujovic earned her first tally of the 2011 season with a breakaway set up by Young, who also contributed a goal later in the game.

After the game, Coach Rothert said  his team “connected” and finished their chances.

“We came out and tried to finish this game early, and that’s what we did,” said Rothert. “The first 10 did what they needed to.”

Unlike previous seasons, Rothert has instilled a new technique when his teams take the field. No longer are the starters called on to play 60 to 75 minutes straight.

Now, Loras can be seen making line changes throughout both halves. This is a strategy that he does not expect to abandon once Iowa Conference play starts.

On Sunday, the cool weather and constant rain could not cool down the Duhawks. As a part of the Loras/UW-P Invitational, St. Norbert’s stepped into the Rock Bowl to test its luck at breaking Loras’ home winning streak.

The Duhawks added five more goals to their weekend tally, courtesy of sophomore Ali Schmitt, first-year Danielle Vujovic, senior Kate Young, and senior Lisa Walt, who scored twice.

Waltz feels like the two matches will give a huge boost to the team as they prepare for conference play this weekend, when Loras hosts the University of Dubuque.

“I think we needed this, especially after the rough week we had prior,” said Rothert. “Now we’ve got the confidence needed to start conference play.”