The Knight Times

Knights become No. 1 ranked team in NAIA

2011-11-11T04:45:00.001-08:00

By Michael Schrader

The SceneIt was a brisk November afternoon under a cloudless sky when the titans clashed to see who would come out number one in the NAIA. The number two Marian University Knights hosted the St. Xavier Cougars.

The opening offenseThe Knights were quick in their crusade, scoring with a rushing touchdown by freshman running back Tevin Lake on the opening drive of the game.

However, after a punt that went wrong, giving St. Xavier University great field position, the Cougars were able to push through the Knights’ goal line stand and score on a three-yard run. The PAT was no-good, giving the Knights a one-point lead.

The Knights went several series on offense and defense in the first half after the Cougars’ touchdown without any results until an interception by senior Dustin Craig placed the Knights’ offence on St. X’s 41-yard line.

It was off this drive that Junior Mike Josifovski knocked down a 23-yard field goal to put the Knights up by four.

The setbackWith the half coming to a close and Knights’ offense out on the field with one play left, junior quarterback Adam Wiese threw the ball to senior Eric Duncan, Duncan then flipped the ball to senior Dexter Taylor, who flipped to Lake who, unfortunately, was pushed out of bounds by the St. X defense at about the one-yard line.

“We’ve been practicing that since August,” said Head Coach Ted Karras, “if he scored it would have been a dagger for St. Xavier.”

The resurgenceBut it did fuel the crowd and momentum for the rest of the game, Karras admitted.

The Knights took an amplified spirit into the second half, scoring off of four offensive drives, two rushing touchdown and two field goals.

The strategy
Marian’s defense was not baffled by the Cougar’s no-huddle offense. Before the game, Karras expressed that this was going to be tough: “it’s fast tempo, so we are going to have to disguise our coverages; we have to get pressure on the quarterback, hopefully making him make some mistakes and forcing them to make some turnovers turning into big plays.”

The Knight did just this, forcing three turnovers and permitting the NAIA’s number one ranked offense only nine points.

“Just playing our game: to keep on hitting them, not to get too up or too down,” said Craig about the keys of the defense during the game.

The stats
Lake ended the game scoring all of Marian’s touchdowns with three rushing touchdowns and 139 total yards.

Lake is currently the leading scorer in the NAIA.

“This means we’ve been running the ball effectively. We’re blocking well, and we’ve been breaking tackles and making big plays,” said Karras.

Quarterback Adam Wiese capped the game with 198 total passing yards, going 20 completions in 32 attempts with one interception.

Gaining 66 yards in seven receptions, Julian Williams lead the receivers.

Craig, who was named NAIA Defensive Player of the Week, led the defense in tackles, racking up ten (five solo, five assists), and also made two interceptions.

“It’s a great recognition—It’s a team recognition. I didn’t get those interceptions without the line putting pressure on them (the quarterback) or the linebackers doing their part,” he said.

Junior Dan Brunke’s three sacks also helped out the defense in stopping the Cougars.
With their victory over the formerly number one ranked St. Xavier, the Knights are now number one in the NAIA and are Conference Champions.

“It feels great. I feel really proud of our team and our players efforts throughout the 2011 season have been fantastic,” said Coach Karras.

The future
The team is also moving into the playoffs as number one in the nation and teams will be gunning to take them out. The first game is November 19.

Marian’s football team is waiting to hear who they are going to open the playoffs against, but will find out on Sunday during the NAIA selection show at 3 p.m. The show will be broadcasted live on victorysportsnetwork.com.

IN BRIEF - ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING

2011-11-11T04:38:00.000-08:00

SGMU MUCOM CEC SPORTS

SGMU
Social MediaSGMU is now on Twitter and Facebook in effort to create timely updates on events and initiatives. The page is titled “The Student Government of Marian University.”

Follow on Twitter with @_SGMU.

For suggestions or questions, contact Jessica Williams, VP of Marketing and Communications, at SGMUSecretary@marian.edu.

Service project todaySGMU will perform their first service project as an organization today 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. The Make Marian Beautiful Campaign intends to promote the Franciscan value of responsible stewardship by beautifying campus.

To participate, meet in the Ruth Lilly Student Center at 3:30 before walking together to the Ecolab. For more information, contact Joann Derbiszewski, VP of Mission Effectiveness, at SGMUMissionEffectiveness@marian.edu.

Leadership: Keys to SuccessJerry Jones, a CEO and board of trustee member, will speak on leadership on November 29 at 8 p.m. in the RLSC community room. Food will be provided; all are welcome. “It will be an interactive and fun learning experience,” said sophomore Matt Duncan.

Town hall meetings Would you like an opportunity to voice your concerns as a resident or get questions about student life answered?

Resident Representatives Kyle Downs and Nate Truitt will host town hall meetings on November 20 in each of the residence halls. Clare Hall’s will start at 6 p.m. University Hall, 7 p.m., Doyle Hall, 8 p.m.

Refreshments will be served.

Commuter Student Appreciation DaysThey took place on November 8 with a Panera breakfast and November 9 with Little Caesar's pizza for lunch.

About 70 people turned out between the two meals. Students were also able to fill out a survey concerning different aspects of Marian's campus and where they would like to see improved. Nick Holt, Chris Murray, Jessie Tawney, and Laura Miller won Speedway gas cards for participating.

CAMPUS EVENTS (CEC)

Blood Drive WednesdayTwo Marian student athletes and the Office of Health and Wellness Services will team up with the American Red Cross Wednesday, November 16 to sponsor an on-campus blood drive from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the P.E. Center.

Marian hosts four drives each year. They are eight weeks apart, two every semester, so students are able to donate at each one. For more information, contact Angelia Zielke.

Open Mic Night tonightA Knights After Dark Coffee¬house & Open Mic Night will take place tonight at 7:30 in the library auditorium.

The event will host artist Jason LeVasseur. “Jason is, if you see him performing live, really goofy and interactive and fun,” said President of Campus Events Committee Karen McNulty.

The event includes free refreshments and invites students to showcase their talents.

Arsenic and Old Lace playStudents can attend the comedy from November 16-19. Each show is at 8 p.m. in Peine Theatre.

Thanksgiving dinner at AllisonAll students, faculty, and staff are invited to the annual Thanksgiving dinner at Allison Mansion on Monday, November 21, 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The dinner is free.

MUCOM

The Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine makes visible progress on the south side of campus and in their accreditation process.

By November 15, the Higher Learning Commission will review Marian's application to introduce the new school. This is routine for institutions seeking to make “substantive change” to their structure or diploma-granting ability. As the COM would grant doctorates, this is required procedure.

Upcoming events:
MUCOM leadership, Drs. Evans, Henley, and Larsen will attend the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) National Conference in Orlando, Fla. from October 29 to November 3 to represent MU-COM at various meetings, greet visitors at our exhibit booth and recruit faculty for the new school.
Dr. Evans will speak on Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy for Marian University Spirit & Place on November 10.
Dr. Henley will represent MU-COM at the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians Fall Conference on November 11 and 12 here in Indy.
Dr. Evans will speak at Marian University Senior Seminar on November 16 in Marian Hall
Dr. Evans will speak at the Indiana Rural Health Fall Forum on Nov. 18 at a Bloomington Convention.

SPORTS

BasketballThe men’s team duked it out with IUPUI with an exhibition game on November 7. They lost 50-85. The season opener is tonight and tomorrow at the Bethel College Tournament.

The first home game is on November 15 at 7 p.m. against IU-Kokomo.
The women’s team is now 2-0. They beat Asbury College 77-64 and Berea 85-62 on November 4 and 5, respectively.

Their next game is on November 18 and 19 at the Centre College Classic.
The first home game against Indiana Wesleyan is at 7 p.m. on November 22.

BowlingThe men’s bowling team has been rolling in success with a placement of 10 of 24 at the Bollermaker Classic in Lafayette, Ind. on October 29 and 30 and placed 6 of 37 and 5 of 23, respectively, at the American Heartland Conference II and III in Wickliffe, Ohio on November 5 and 6. They bowl next in Allentown, Pa. for the Roto Grip Keystone Quaker Classic on December 27 and 28 and the Nittany Lion Kegler Classic on December 29 and 30.

At the same competitions, the women’s team placed 6 of 18 both days at the Bollermaker; 2 of 20 and 2 of 16 at the AMC; and anticipates the same tournaments in December.

Cross CountryThe women’s team placed 5 of 10 on November 5 at the MCC Championship in Goshen, Ind. They will run on November 19 at the NAIA National Championship in Vancouver, Wash.

The men’s team placed 8 of 10 on November 5 and will run in Vancouver on November 19 as well.

CyclingThe mountain bike team placed 16th in the Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships in Angel Fire, N. M. at the end of October.

Bate breath for Collegiate Cyclo-cross National Championships in Madison, Wis. in January and Collegiate Road National Championships in Ogden, Utah in May.

Football
This past Saturday, the Knights tacked their way to the top by smashing against Saint Xavier University for a sure 27-9 victory. The MU Knights are the number one ranked team in the NAIA.

The Knights will kickoff at their playoff game on November 19.

VolleyballThe volleyball team will continue to compete tomorrow in the MCC Tournament.

After multiple wins and losses at the Aquinas/Cornerstone Tourney from October 26 to 29 and a loss to Spring Arbor on November 8, their record stands at 18-13.

Women’s soccerAfter defeating Huntington University 2-1 on October 29, the Lady Knights halted their season with the MCC Tournament Semifinals on November 5. They lost to Spring Arbor, 1-2 which brought their overall record to 12-6-2.

2011-11-11T04:36:00.000-08:00

By Matt Duncan

Marian University Sophomores Matt Duncan and Sabrina Valli are working in conjunction with the Office of Campus Ministry in organizing Marian University’s annual Crop Walk. The three-mile walk around campus will take place this Sunday, November 13 from 1 to 3 p.m.

The Crop Walk will circumnavigate the campus twice. The meeting spot will be at the Clowes Memorial Amphitheatre. In order to walk, participants must pay $2. A registration table by the amphitheater before the walk begins will accommodate students who have not yet registered.

A donation of $10 or more award secures the donor an official Crop Walk T-shirt. All proceeds will be sent to food banks, pantries, community gardens, and other local efforts across the U.S. According to its website, churchworldservice.org, up to 25% of the proceeds can go directly back into the local community.

The students decided on this project for their Sophomore San Damiano service project, although traditionally, Sr. Norma has been the sole Marian organizer for the event.

Since being involved, she has helped recruit students to participate in Indianapolis’ annual Crop Walk, which takes place during Marian students’ fall break.

Sr. Norma said she is very grateful that Marian is having one on their own campus at a time that will be more convenient to students.

“As a member of the Interfaith Hunger Initiative in Indianapolis, I have become even more aware of the dire need of so many persons, not only in foreign lands but here in our own country and state.”

According to Sr. Norma, 18,000 children go to bed hungry in Indianapolis; over 200,000 children go to bed hungry in Indiana. She recommends participation in the Crop Walk, as the Marian University community upholds the Franciscan values of peace and justice and dignity of the individual.

Campus Minister Jeanne Hidalgo agreed. She said she sees the service project as a wonderful opportunity for the Marian community.

“By participating in the crop walk, Marian students, faculty and staff have opportunities to be in solidarity with those who are hungry,” she said.

“We are joining in the national movement to grow in awareness and be inspired to work for change so that all people can have access to those basic necessities that speaks to human dignity, value and worth.”

While much time has been spent organizing the event and reaching out to various groups on campus, Sabrina Valli is happy that she picked the Crop Walk as her service project and feels that it has been both an excellent way to interact with campus ministry and a meaningful project.

Besides the personal benefits of the Crop Walk, Valli also feels very strongly about the social justice message that is inherent in the event.

“One of the Franciscan values is responsible stewardship. If we are able, we should share our time, talent, and treasure with others, and I think the Crop Walk is a great way to do that.

“I'm excited for our campus to come together and walk to help end hunger,” she said.

On Sunday, the Crop Walk will come to Marian’s campus as a way to show witness to the Franciscan values and raise money for the poor and hungry. All are invited to walk and/or donate money. For questions about the event, feel free to contact Matt Duncan at mduncan644@marian.edu.

Marian offers special topics courses for spring ’12

2011-11-11T04:32:00.000-08:00

By Michael Schrader

In the spring 2012 semester, the university is offering, in all, seventeen special topics courses from the Schools of Business, Liberal Arts, Nursing, Sciences and the Honors Program.

BUSThe School of Business is offering both Business Plan Implementation (BUS 280 A) and International Finance (BUS 480 A).

In International Finance students can expect to learn about capital investment and potential problems with cash flows generated in foreign currency.
Lib Arts The School of Liberal Arts is offering a course that combines studies in English and French through The Franco-American Connection: Paris and Provence (ENG 380 A/FRE 380 A/HON 380 B).

Students will examine the cultural relationship between France and the United States, starting with the French and American Revolutions and moving to the Impressionist period and the Jazz Age. The course will also look at influences in architecture, lifestyle, literature, music, politics, etc.
Great BooksThe Honors Program will hold two Great Book Discussions (HON 380 A or B)

One will discuss the Noir genre, which includes mystery novels such as the Sherlock Holmes series and the Sam Spade series. Students will read “The Valley of Fear” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and “The Maltese Falcon” by Dashiell Hammet, along with short stories written by both authors.

This course will explore identity, gender, sexuality, and their manifestations through the text in the characters of Holmes, Spade, and others.
THE Next semester promises two courses: Directing (THE 380 A) and Film Production (THE 380 B).

Directing will teach students the basic principles involved in directing for the stage. This class will go into the artistic translation of the script to its formation on stage, and students will learn how to work with actors, designers, choreographers, etc.

Registration is ongoing now.
All special topics courses: - BUS 280 A: Business Plan Implementation: Kershaw
- BUS 480 A: International Finance: Gjerde
- COM 380 A: Rhetoric of Identity: Kelsey
- ENG 380 A/FRE 380 A/HON 380 B: The Franco-American Connection: Camblor, Prenatt
- ESS 380 A: Structural Anatomy: Cope
- ESS 380 B: Coaching of Wrestling: Wetherald
- HON 340 A: Great Book Discussions, Noir Sherlock Holmes: Bruther
- HON 340 B: Great Book Discussions, Democracy in America: Goldfinger
- HON 380 A: Toward a Theology of Marriage: Schemenauer
- LAW 380 A: Law School Application I: Goldfinger
- MUS 380 A: History of Musical Theatre: Kern
- NUR 480 A: Communication and Therapeutic Relationships: Peabody
- POL 380 A: Marxism: Hoffman
- POL 380 B: Model United Nations: Hoffman
- THE 380 A: Directing: Leagre
- THE 380 B: Film Production: Leagre

Marian should ban bottled water

2011-11-11T04:31:00.000-08:00

By Brendan Dugan

A number of amenities and activities have been banned from US college and university campuses from tobacco and alcohol to pets in dorms, from hazing to demonstrating and rioting.

Even bottled water gets the boot.

From Seattle to New York, colleges are kicking the plastic habit.

As of September 2011, eleven US colleges and universities have banned the sale of bottled water and removed them from vending machines, dining halls, and campus events.

Eleven more have area, school, or department-specific bans.

At another seven, student-led campaigns fight to remove the sale of bottled water.

And for good reason: the Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that roughly three-fourths (76%) of common plastic bottled water containers in the US went unrecycled in 2006.

That amount ranges from 632,655 to 999,001 tons of common plastic waste. Altogether, this makes up from 26 to 41 percent of the 2.4 million tons of plastic the US discarded in that year.

Peter Gleick, a freshwater expert and author of "Bottled & Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water," observes the alarming trend of bottled water dependence in the US. Thirty-five years ago, only a gallon and a half, or a dozen sixteen-ounce bottles, of bottled water was consumed per person each year.

"By 2008, the number had grown to about 30 gallons of bottled water per person in the US, " which is "close to 9 billion gallons," he said. That’s 240 sixteen-ounce bottles.

"Americans now drink more bottled water than milk or beer," he said.

Most institutions make the move alongside students and faculty as a practice of sustainability. Director of sustainability Judy Purmanat of St. Benedict in Minnesota said, “a committee of students, faculty and staff proposed the idea last year. Nearly 1,000 students [roughly half the student body] signed a petition supporting the ban.”

Many campuses, including St. Benedict, have installed "hydration stations," additional fountains specifically for students to fill their individual containers. Students can buy bottled water from other local vendors.

Such policy has met resistance, however. At St. Benedict, a private catholic college where the ban was recently enacted, a Republican student group objected to the ban on the grounds that it "takes away students’ free choice.”

The source of complaint and resistance is that the "free choice" to buy bottled water on campus is no longer an option. The very fact that relatively clean and easy-access water is within walking distance highlights a monumental privilege these students have likely never gone without and apparently take for granted.

Here, petty consumer concerns are weighed against one of ecological conservation. You don’t have to hug trees to understand that trash piles up, and not just in landfills. The problem of our collective waste won’t resolve itself.

Marian would do well as a community to consider reducing or banning bottled water sales on campus and use by campus events. Not to walk in the shoes of a typical liberal, but as a member of an institution that heralds responsible stewardship as a fundamental value, Marian should join similar schools and spearhead the ecologically sustainable college movement.

Study Abroad Program sends students ‘anywhere on the map’

2011-11-11T04:30:00.000-08:00

By Kristen Pugh

Marian University’s study abroad program makes visits to ideal destinations while earning credits for your degree—possible.

“Point anywhere on the map and I will find a way to get you there,” said Sister Margaretta Black, Director of Study Abroad.

Black discussed the importance of study abroad and how learning about another culture can help shape your future.

“It’s important to expand your mental ability by becoming engaged, learning, and appreciating another culture,” she said. “We go beyond ‘inside Indiana thinking.’ The world is much bigger. It’s good to know other customs and how to exercise their values for whichever career path you choose.”

Senior Tim Hendricks participated in Maymester, a study abroad program which lasts a few weeks, and traveled to Turkey, Greece, and Italy last summer.

“The entire experience was surreal,” said Hendricks. “I took away so much from the whole experience that it honestly made me a different person, a better person. I learned a great deal about the world. All of us learned what it means to be a part of humanity and we have in common with people we live oceans away from.”

There are opportunities to explore the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Costs for trips vary with length of time spent away, location, and the standards of living; however, discounts, scholarships, and grants are all a possibility for the trips.

Along with sight-seeing and learning the history behind your destination, students earn credits toward their degrees or internships

“Students should study abroad because they can,” said Hendricks. “I never thought I could do something like this.

“It will be the greatest experience of your life thus far, I can promise that.”

For more information or questions, contact Sister Margaretta Black. Her office is located in the basement of Clare Hall. Call (317) 955-6026 or email marga@marian.edu.

Crystal Vicars-Pugh showcases art at MU

2011-11-11T04:27:00.000-08:00

By Kristen Pugh

Since October 10, the Marian University Art Gallery in Fisher Hall has featured artwork of Crystal Vicars-Pugh. Her exhibit “Hanging on by a Thread” has caught the eyes of many by the unique structures of her work and message being portrayed on the world around us.

Vicars-Pugh received her MFA in painting at Indiana State University in 2009 and is currently a visual arts instructor at KIPP Indianapolis College Prep. She’s also showcased her art at various galleries in Indiana located in Terre Haute, Indianapolis, and Portland. With much success, Vicars-Pugh was honored for her exhibit on Thursday, November 10.

“I am honored to have a solo show at Marian University,” said Vicars-Pugh. “I have enjoyed working with faculty and students.”

Jenny Pauckner, art professor at Marian University, has been the Gallery Director in Fisher Hall since fall 2010. Pauckner has been arranging the reception and enjoys the process of showing work to students.

“It’s really a creative job,” she said. “I get to brainstorm new ideas, do research, document everything that occurs, and show work to people for the first time.

“I chose Vicars-Pugh to be showcased because her use of mixed media and scale of work is unique and has made her stand out.”

Vicars-Pugh’s art of Abstract Aerials and Mystical Landscapes are mostly constructed of acrylics and oils on canvas. Her most recent work Tiny Maps, which is featured in “Hanging on by a Thread,” is constructed with gouache, pieces of thread, and atlas pages on canvas. Her current work is an examination of cartography (the study and practice of making maps), as well as the temporary nature of our world.
Students and faculty gathered at the reception to hear Vicars-Pugh explain her work in detail.

“As we become more and more of a global society our lives are impacted by something that may have happened thousands of miles away,” said Vicars-Pugh.
“The maps are a visual interpretation of… different parts of the world connecting and intertwining together to break the invisible barriers that once separated us. Some may see the strings as roads or an artistic expression of a line connecting one place to another.”

Vicars-Pugh feels her art has many interpretations, and it’s up to the observer to decide how it’s supposed to affect. Her source of inspiration came from listening to NPR daily and constructing her feelings of the world today by sewing different parts of the world together to represent connection. She described the process of making these Tiny Maps “tedious, as they were whimsical and fun.”

If you missed the reception and would like to view Vicars-Pugh’s work, please visit crystalvicarspugh.com.

Sophomores hold nondenominational worship service and plan for more

2011-11-11T04:25:00.000-08:00

By Katie McConnell
“Tonight is about you and God. It shouldn't matter what anyone else thinks,” said sophomore Lauren Hacker as she invited students to

worship however they would like on November 3 in the St. Francis Chapel.

Hacker and sophomore Allie Schmieman led The Aftermath, a night of contemporary nondenominational worship.

During the service, Hacker, Schmieman, freshman Philip Ryan, and junior Matt Cannaday performed 8 songs. The lyrics were shown on an overhead projector. And anyone who was comfortable was invited to sing along. In addition to songs, readings and prayers were done by Tyler Stinn, Sammie Walsh, and Colleen Curtin.

Although nondenominational services are rare on campus, Hacker and Schmieman hope for more in the future.

“My dream is to do the Aftermath once a month starting in January. I'm hoping it will grow and become something people look forward too,” said Hacker.

Email Lauren Hacker at lhacker860@marian.edu. for more information.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-30T19:36:00.002-07:00

Campus Events!

2011-10-30T19:36:00.001-07:00

Fall Formal is on November 4 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Montage, 8580 Allison Pointe Blvd.
A free shuttle will leave from Marian at 6:15 p.m.
The student event involves music and dancing, a cash bar, a two-entrée buffet with “delicious dessert” according to Campus Events Committee Karen McNulty.

A Knights After Dark Coffeehouse & Open Mic Night will take place on November 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Peine Theater.
The event includes free refreshments and invites students to showcase their talents.

The Performing Knights Club will perform A Knight In Alcatraz featuring “Detective Sketches” by Douglas Post tonight and tomorrow night. Doors open at 7:30; the show begins at 8.
The show details a mystery told in a jazzy bar and club.
Admission for students is free. Refreshments range from $1-2.

Raising the scholastic bar: an investigation into education

2011-10-30T19:32:00.001-07:00

By Michael Baumann

Perhaps you’ve noticed it, too.

This semester is hard. Students across the board are singing the same song: this semester is the hardest I’ve ever had.

Why?

“I know for me and almost everyone I’ve talked to that it will be glorious when this semester is over,” said senior Justin Alvis.

“This semester is by far the most difficult.”

But that’s not a bad thing, said Alvis.

Junior Rachel Horan agreed: “The teachers are asking a lot more of the students lately. I think that’s good. It’s holding me more accountable, helping me to improve and push myself.”

And it’s not an accident, either.

Although not explicitly instructed to instruct differently this year, during a faculty retreat this past summer, most of your professors read the book “Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses” by sociologists Richard Arum and Josipa Roska.

The book asks the primary questions: in the face of ratcheting tuition rates, why does college enrollment continue to increase? More importantly, do the undergrads learn anything once they get there? Is forking over fortunes for a four-year degree ultimately a fair trade?

During the second half of the retreat, your professors discussed the Lumina Foundation Degree Qualifications Profile.

The Lumina Foundation for Education is an Indianapolis-based organization that aims to enroll and graduate more college students with quality degrees. The Higher Learning Commission, the largest of six national college accreditation agencies, is backing the Lumina Degree.

The Lumina Degree focuses on not only specialized knowledge (a major or minor), but also applied learning, civic learning, broad knowledge, and intellectual skills. Unlocking the secret to expanding these five areas of learning will hopefully generate undergraduates with real-world credentials that far exceed those current.

On September 21, President Elsener addressed the university, stating that the Lumina Degree will “clearly define how students… see the world and the human person in terms of our career goals, gifts, and calling.”

After reading “Academically Adrift” and discussing the Lumina Degree, Marian’s teaching team reflected on Marian’s image as an educational institution and how we size up compared to other schools.

Of course, the idea of accreditation is “not new,” said Dr. Tom Enneking, Marian University’s Provost.

“Marian has been looking into this since the ’90s,” he said. But now, Marian is looking into direction from a regional accrediting body (the HLC).

“We’re reevaluating what makes us produce good students and how to measure it,” he said.

The application of the Lumina Degree to Marian will be a long process, according to Enneking, The faculty hope eventually to create individual assessments and strategies for each student, “but we’re lightyears away from that,” said Enneking.

Another driving force to improving education is, of course, financial accountability. “It’s a public saying: ‘are you accountable?’” said Eneking. “Who is holding you accountable to doing a good job?”

The answer? Buyers. Students and their parents want to get what they’re paying for, and at Marian, that diploma is worth about $850 a week. Tuition, fees, and books for the 2011-2012 school year total at $27,200.

Enneking made the important distinction that students “are not buying a diploma; they’re buying the opportunity to earn it.”

Alvis agreed: “I’m thrilled at my education thus far at Marian. Growing and being challenged is part of the game. Part of what we’re paying for.

“I mean, that’s why we’re here.”

This past Tuesday in the Ruth Lily Student Center, an education open forum included presentations about academia and enrollment updates and plans from deans of every school at the university.

According to Enneking, more meetings are to come this year. Although faculty focused, Enneking hopes to incorporate student life.

“At a school like Marian? We have to,” he said.

President Elsener also said, “It’s profoundly transformational to be educated so you can be a profoundly transformational figure in this world.”

But who ever said that would be easy? This semester, it seems, is hard—but for a reason: Marian teaches students to become world-changers.

“I’m all about that,” said Alvis.

“I would be absolutely thrilled if the level of expectation were raised so students can raise their game, too, if that’s fair.”

MU basketball to open by facing IUPUI

2011-10-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

By Michael Schrader

On November 7, the Marian University Men’s Basketball team will open their season at IUPUI.

Last year the Knights ended their season 16-11 with a 7-9 record in conference play. However, the Knights did not make it to the NAIA National Tournament and lost in the first round of the Conference tournament.

“The most disappointing thing about last season, and I’m still not sure I’m over it, is we lost two home games in over time,” said Head Coach John Grimes.
“If we would have won those two games at home, we would have been able to play in the (NAIA) National Tourney.”

The Knights had a good indication on how they fared in the conference last year. They beat Grace College twice and split with Indiana Wesleyan. IWU and Grace finished one and two in the conference.

With the end to their ’10-'11 season, the team lost four seniors, one of which was leading scorer Jordan Tucker. The team also graduated Anthony Furlin, Brandon Malone, and Matt Allee. These seniors brought a defensive intensity and a physical toughness to the team, a trademark of last year.

These roles, however, will not go unfilled. The Knights are returning three seniors and several players that were significant to last year’s season.

“It’s hard to pinpoint a player,” said Grimes.

“we’ve got two or three returning players that had great years last year.”
Of those:

Last year’s MCC All Conference point guard junior Aaron Evans, will return to the court this year.

Senior Alex Sylvester, in his fourth year with the team, is expected to continue his role as a predominant scorer and amplify his defensive intensity.

Junior transfer student Jake Sullivan will take on some responsibility for the defensive intensity and inside toughness, a gap necessary to fill.

Another inside man, Curtis Clem, is out with a face injury and won’t return till late in the season.

Fifth year senior Tyler Kleinschmidt will be coming back from a redshirt year, in which he chose to take an accounting internship last year.

But with the returning experience, it does not mean the season will be easy.
“The biggest struggle is getting to the conference season and competing in the conference,” said Grimes.

Coach Grimes went on to say each year their goal is to win the conference. But if they are unable to win conference, he said, they would like to be in the top four so they can host a conference tournament game.

Grimes is also in his thirty-sixth season with Marian and says it is a rewarding experience to have stayed with the program for so long.

“To see things grow and develop into what we have now is very rewarding,” he said.

The season starts off with an away game against IUPUI on November 7, and a tournament at Bethel College on November 11 and 12. The Knights' first home game in the Dungeon will be on November 15 against IU-Kokomo at 7 p.m.

Learning about learning: SOC 380A surveys students

2011-10-30T19:29:00.000-07:00

By Michael Baumann

“All of these are implications for the future of Marian, leading to the question: Who are we?”

By “these,” professor of Sociology Dr. William Mirola meant tidbits gleaned from conversations the university at large has had about education and how the university may start revamping its image as an academic institution.

Mirola teaches SOC 380A, a special topics course entitled Social Class & Higher Education. The course, he said, was inspired in part by a book, “Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses,” which observes how recently colleges and universities are pumping out more undergrads than ever, but not necessarily with the highest quality degrees and education.

The book was written by two sociology professors, Richard Arum and Josipa Roska who collected data from about 2300 students at 24 colleges and universities ranging the spectrum.

“The earth shattering thing (in the book) was that reading and writing were radically associated with higher performances—much more than originally believed,” said Mirola. The book asserts that students will perform better if they write 20 papers a semester and read 40 pages a week.

The student research involves a survey conducted to examine the academic experiences of students at Marian, considering background, family, and education history.
“This (survey) is going to tap into various kinds of social differences and how they affect education,” said Mirola.

“It’s a massive survey,” he said. 145 senior seminar students, about 200 COL 111 students, and 265 juniors and seniors in the Humanities courses—about 600 students overall took the 12 page, 62 question survey.

With the data, students will write about a self-designated research topic, including academic performance, parent education and effects, religious differences, stress levels, high school background, and class dynamics.

Mirola feels that Marian is a good place to research because “the case of Marian has so many aspects intersecting it.”

Mirola hopes to discover interesting and important information about Marian’s academia that will become part of a greater conversation of accreditation and self-articulation for Marian’s academic image.

For example, relationships between socioeconomic status and a liberal arts versus professional fields institution impact enrollment.

“There is an association between students with good backgrounds who view an undergrad as just a stepping stone to a real job,” said Mirola.

In short, high income families typically don’t want to see Big BEN—Business, Education, and Nursing—and Marian looks like it only offers those majors. They pass right over Marian—downplaying the other facets of Marian’s academia. Ultimately, enrollment suffers.

According to Mirola, “How we emphasize (other degrees) when Marian’s identity is a school that produces nurses and teachers could simply be off the radar of high SES families whose interests are in other areas.

“A class—upper, middle, lower—comes looking for a particular culture that’s familiar to them. They don’t ‘think’ of Marian in those terms.”

Mirola hopes the results of the survey will help Marian articulate for itself and for the community what it has to offer.

The SOC 380A class conducted all surveys and will record the data. A summary report should be ready by the end of the semester.

SGMU updates

2011-10-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

Click if interested!

Members of SGMU attended two leadership conferences in the last several weeks.
Student Body President Kevin Kolb, Senior Class President Amy Bueno, Assistant Student Activities Director Matt Nelson, and two students from campus ministry attended the Indiana Campus Compact (ICC) Networking Meeting on Friday, September 30 at the University of Notre Dame.

The conference included workshops on working with state legislators to resolve issues, working with school administrators, utilizing resources on campus, and emphasizing service work.

Marian University has worked with the Indiana Campus Compact on events in the past such as ICC lobbying day, which lobbies the state legislature for the funding of higher education financial assistance.

3 SGMU sent three members to the IUPUI Project Leadership Day on October 1. Among those attending the conference were Student Body President Kevin Kolb, Vice President of Finance Andrew Kolb, and Student Representative At-Large Caleb Ringwald. The IUPUI team presented about communication, effective marketing, and goal setting.

To promote student leadership, SGMU launched a leadership library in the SGMU office, which is upstairs in the Ruth Lilly Student Center. Students can research leadership inspiration, games, and mission effectiveness to help with clubs or organizations.

Recent selections in the growing library include “Good to Great,” “Leading Change,” “Lincoln on Leadership,” “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” “The Essential Student Government Guide,” and over 20 others.

The SGMU suggestions box in the community room of the Ruth Lilly Center welcomes anonymous comments or suggestions to improve Student Government or student life in general. All comments and suggestions are checked and considered on a frequent basis. SGMU encourages everyone to have a voice heard and to “step up, speak out.”

Where did Civic Theater go?

2011-10-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

By Kristen Pugh

The Indianapolis Civic Theatre (ICT) at Marian University has now moved its location to Carmel, Ind. It is now known as the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre.

Questions are beginning to rise as to why the location has changed and how Marian will occupy the empty theater left behind.

Back in 2004, Marian University welcomed The ICT to its campus bringing in many visitors and lovers of the arts. This is the Civic Theatre’s third location change; before Marian University, its original home was at the Indianapolis Museum of Art from 1973 to 2004.

“The Indianapolis Civic Theatre moved for many reasons,” said Deborah Lawrence, Vice President for Administration and General Counsel.

“Among them was the need for more space for performances, rehearsals and educational programs.”

Marian University’s partnership with the ICT brought in thousands of patrons. Lawrence feels that Marian University has lost a vital connection to the larger Indianapolis community and a cultural resource for the students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

With feelings of abandonment and disagreement of moving away from Marion County, the Civic Theatre lost 10 percent of donors and subscribers.

Bob Sobera, artistic director, and Cheri Dick, executive director, signed a 100-year lease at the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre. They plan to reach to different audiences and provide various classes in the arts.

“We will use the rest of this academic year to assess the needs of the university for the now renamed Marian University Theatre,” said Lawrence.

They don’t plan to have a resident company like Civic Theatre, but “many academic departments, including the theater and music programs, would like to be able to use that space more frequently,” said Lawrence.

“Once we have determined the needs of the Marian community, we will reach out to the local arts community to offer this venue to them for performances.”

Students tour historic Irvington... Ghost tour, that is.

2011-10-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

By Kristen Pugh

On October 24, students from Marian University got in the Halloween spirit and ventured through Indiana’s most haunted community, Irvington, on a ghost tour.
Alan Hunter, a columnist for the Eastside Voice, led the students through Irvington, educating everyone on the spirits that haunt the neighborhood and sharing famous ghost stories that shape its culture.

Irvington, named after Washington Irving who wrote the famous ghost story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” holds quite an exquisite history that haunts its citizens.

Spirits such as Bona Thompson (a student who once studied at Butler College), George W. Julian (a politician who served in Congress who really doesn’t want drinking, drugs, or cursing nearby his house), and even Abraham Lincoln’s train (which carried his corpse to Springfield, Illinois after his assassination) remain on the grounds where they once lived and make frequent appearances.

Hunter discussed and showed a few houses which contain disturbing facts and stories for those living in Irvington. Students learned about D.C. Stephenson, who was Indiana’s leader of the KKK, and the madness that occurred in his mansion.

Stephenson was charged for second-degree murder of Madge Oberholtzer, who lived down the street, which led to the deconstruction of the Klan in Indiana.

Hunter also told students of the haunted cottage where H.H. Holmes once stayed and the murder of a boy traveling along with him. The stories remain famous; however, people rarely go near these locations due to fear, especially when the sun has gone down.

Travis Ybarra, a student who took the tour, liked learning about the paranormal in Irvington and plans to return to take pictures and recordings of the various haunted locations.

“I really enjoyed the tour guide; I felt he was well-spoken and likeable,” said Ybarra. “I’m really interested in the paranormal and what happens after life, so the experience was really cool. I enjoyed the H.H. Holmes story and found it to be most fascinating.”

Learn more about the spirits that lurk through Irvington and its history. Irvington Ghost Tours will offer their last tours of the year tonight at 7 and 9:30 and tomorrow night at 7 and 9:30.

Irvington will also be hosting their annual Halloween Festival tomorrow, which will include a costume parade, a five mile run, performances, and readings.

2011-10-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

By Michael Schrader

In mid-October, after the ground blessing of the new residence hall, the cemetery attributed to Wheeler-Stokely Mansion was moved. The cemetery was relocated to behind the concrete bench next to the dog walk.

Each headstone is marked by a name.

Some list the years the animal live and other’s simply listed the age. While the types of pets are not all marked by the head stones, there is one bull-dog.

The bull-dog is Jack Wheeler and was the pet of Frank Wheeler, the proprietor and first resident of Wheeler-Stokely Mansion.

On the head, Jack Wheeler is honored as “a Noble Gentleman, a Faithful Comrade, a Great Warrior.”

Jack Wheeler lived to be sixteen years and six months.

The Wheeler family owned all the pets that are buried in the cemetery: Duchess, Peter, Chancellor, and Asara.

While their eternal rest was disturbed in the replacement, they can now sleep soundly underneath the great oak by Stokely Mansion.

THE HEADSTONES READ:
Jack Wheeler: (Bull Dog) Died July 16, 1916, Age 16 years 6 months, A NOBLE GENTLEMAN, A FAITHFUL COMRADE, A GREAT WARRIOR
Duchess: Age 2 ½ Years
Pete Wheeler: March 26, 1914, July 13, 1927
Chancellor: Sept. 27, 1927, Feb 3, 1933
Asara: Aug. 1928, Aug. 1933

The Knight Times learns more about Marian's new athletic director

2011-10-30T19:19:00.001-07:00

By Bradley Levi

Students, faculty, and staff helped select the new athletic director Steve Downing this summer. Among additional interviews with administration, the six candidates attended open forums every day from August 8 to 12.

The community was also invited to evaluate each candidate based on institutional fit; athletic administration experience; and the abilities of fundraising and marketing, recruiting and retention, strategic planning, and management and supervision.

The Knight Times had the chance to ask Downing a few questions....

Question: Have you served as athletic director at a different school or university?
Answer: I was assistant athletic director at Indiana University and Senior Associate Athletic Director at Texas Tech.

Q: What were you looking for in a school when you were applying for this job?
A: I was looking for a university where athletics are very important to the culture. I wanted to work at a university where coaches are committed to winning and graduating the student-athletics.

Q: Will you keep things the same at the athletic department at Marian?
A: My goal is to improve on the things that are already going great here at Marian University.

Q: Would you like to see any change in the athletic department at Marian?
A: In my short time here, I am still learning about all that is important to Marian University. I will know and learn more as I continue to talk with coaches, athletics, students, staff, families and community leaders.

Q: What is your overall experience so far at Marian?
A: Marian University is a wonderful place. MU is a university on the move, and I am so happy to be part of it.

Q: From which college did you graduate?
A: I received both my degrees from Indiana University: a bachelor’s in HYPER and master’s in Guidance and Counseling.

Q: What are your favorite sports teams?
A: I am a sport’s fan, and I like all college sports.

Q: Did you play any sports?
A: I played basketball in college and professionally for the Boston Celtics.

Q: Fun fact?
A: Between my 9th and 10th grades, I grew 6 inches.

IgKnighted #1

2011-10-30T19:15:00.000-07:00

By Brendan Dugan

Marian students accompanied local organizers and community members in support of a city budget amendment, Proposition 241 at the October 17 City Council budget meeting. The amendment sought to channel nominal funds to hospitality workers in Indianapolis who often work extensive hours with minimal benefits.

Outsourcing companies fill positions at hotels with workers they hire temporarily – temporarily, that is, for over a decade, with no guarantee of a pay raise, vacation or sick days, promotions, or job security; in essence, hospitality workers suffer financially and struggle to provide for their families.

This speaks to a greater issue regarding both the city and Marian University students, particularly in light of the Catholic Franciscan values. The systemic injustice prevalent in the nature of this sector begs for action from the Catholic community.

It is one thing to tip the hat to those virtues – peace and justice, dignity of the individual, reconciliation, responsible stewardship – but it is another to embody them, to put them into practice systemically and locally.

Community involvement means more than volunteering once a week, or as part of a club requirement – it can, and arguably should, mean working to change the systems that preclude our Catholic, Franciscan values. No saints were made by occasional volunteering.

The point is not that all responsibility be tossed aside so the Marian community may wholly devote itself to serving humankind. That borders irrationality. Rather, a community espousing such values should take responsibility to ensure those values are embodied and enacted in this world.

IgKnighted #2

2011-10-30T19:03:00.000-07:00

By Michael Schrader

“How do they even consider it a sport?” he said, flailing his arms up in disgust.

This is a scene that has become too common here at Marian. Students ask each other how cross-country or bowling or bass fishing can be considered a sport and why the athletes receive scholarships.

However, students ask these questions in the wrong ways.

Students at any university shouldn’t question whether or not cross-country, bowling, or even bass fishing can be considered sports, but we should accept that they are sports and cheer on all student athletes.

Now, the good old dictionary defines a sport as an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

But questionable sports are just as much a sport as unquestioned athletics, such as baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball, track and field, tennis and volleyball.
While many view bowling as not being a sport but rather a recreational activity on Friday nights at the local ally, it does require recognition.

There is a physically demanding aspect to the game. It’s not easy to keep the same consistency when throwing a twelve to fifteen pound ball down the lane for ten frames in a match.

Bowling is just as mentally straining as it is physically. As in any sport, when a bowler misses their shot, they have to not allow their poor shot to affect their mentality ruining the match. Further, the bowler has to recognize and adapt to the different oil patterns that are laid down.

Cross-country fits these criteria, too.

It’s ignorant to say that cross-country is not physically demanding. To run at a constant pace for five kilometers (eight miles) requires a strength and endurance absent in most other sports.

There is a mental aspect to it as well. When athletes’ bodies begin to wear down around the seventh mile, their minds have to forget about limits and tell the body to continue pushing forward.

Bass fishing was newly added as a club at Marian. However, it deserves recognition as a sport as well.

Bass fishing is both physically and mentally demanding. Continuously trying to reel in fish that is still alive and fighting against you can wear on your muscles, not to mention keep a fifteen-foot boat still when weather conditions aren’t right. And, each fisher has to remain focused during an eight hour long day without the help of a coach.

These are just three of several sports ranked low on a legitimacy radar that should not exist at all.

Students at Marian need to get over the classic idea of university sports.
Be igknighted to accept all sports and root for all teams, not just the ones we like the most.