Volume 85 - Issue 4

September 28, 2012

BY SARAH WEDELNorthwestern’s Black V student improv troupe never

knows what sidesplitting antics it’ll get itself into at its next show. But that isn’t to say the group doesn’t come prepared.

Though Black V members make it look easy, improv acting has many challenges.

“The hardest part about improv-ing is probably trying to build off someone else’s idea for what they want to do in the scene,” said freshman member Jacob Christiansen.

The actors can try to anticipate another member’s next move and then be completely blindsided. Everything is truly made up on the spot.

However, the members said the longer they work together, the easier it gets for them to know what the others onstage want to do in a scene, and the easier it becomes to play off each other’s moves.

Another challenge Black V members face is refraining from pop culture references in their performances. They said they do this because they want their humor to be family-friendly and not cheap. Their desire is to keep the humor genuine, they said.

“We want the audience member to feel fulfilled and more honest about themselves after one of our performances,” said

senior Abraham Klafter.Black V members say they believe this is accomplished

through getting the audience to laugh at something truly funny.

Members of the group said being a good improv actor isn’t the same as just being funny. According to them, some people who don’t initially seem funny might still be good at improv acting.

“Many people believe that improv-ing is confined to the stage, but in reality everyone is improv-ing all the time,” Klafter said.

Although some people might be naturally witty, Black V members said anyone can learn how to be funny.

“The key to being funny is confidence,” Christiansen said.Ultimately, though, the power to be funny comes from

the audience, Black V members said.However, creating laughs isn’t Black V’s only goal. The

group also exists for another purpose.“We all share our faith and the desire to glorify God

through improv,” said sophomore Rachel Hanson. Black V members said they desire to grow closer in their

relationships with one another while bettering their skills as improv actors. They said they continually aim to create more

believable characters and imagine more hysterical scenes.The members said they believe improv helps them

remember that everything happens in the moment. They also said that learning about life through performing would be a sign that they’re becoming better improv actors.

Black V will perform their next show in late October. The group also performs at private events. For booking information, contact a member.

Dancers set unique tempo

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO The Brazilian dance group Contempo incorporates various cultural styles, modern dance moves and aerobic body and strength forms into a unique display of artful choreography.

BY MATT LATCHAWRUSH isn’t the only dance

event going on this week. To complement the

occasion, the professional dance troupe Contempo Physical Dance will be performing and teaching a unique style of dance on campus.

C o n t e m p o w i l l b e performing Motirô, its first full-length dance. Lightsey Darst of the Minneapolis Star Tribune wrote, “[artistic] Director and choreographer Marciano Silva dos Santos sets a whirlwind going with his unique dance, part Afro-Brazilian flow, part aerobic bounce, all muscular rhythm. Animal moves abound: dolphin-rippling torsos, bird-fluttering hands, tree frog jumps.”

T h e n i n e - p e r s o n company flocks, crowds or clouds together, but whether they’re a school of fish or a forest, a wave or a storm, they’re pure energy; the walls vibrate with it.

The group mixes Afro-

B r a z i l i a n d a n c e w i t h contemporary styles and adds elements of capoeira, a t radit ional Brazi l ian martial art. The result is a high-energy exhibition that is unequaled in the world of dance.

“ We d a n c e t o t h e r h y t h m , o n t h e b e a t , behind the beat, under it,” said dancer Orlando Hunter in an interview with the Star Tribune.

This critically acclaimed dance t roupe wi l l be performing and teaching in the Orange City area Sept. 29 through Oct. 2. Northwestern will be hosting two events with the group.

Dos Santos, the artistic director of the group, and Leonardo da Paixao, an expert ballroom and social dance teacher, will both lead sessions in learning dances from their homeland of Brazil.

On Sunday, the whole group will lead a Brazilian Social Dance class in DeWitt Theatre lobby from 7 to 9:30

p.m. with free admission.One in particular, the

Forró, is a popular dance among college students in Brazil. Other social dances such as the Samba will also be taught. A partner is not required—singles are welcome to join. The purpose of the dance is to meet new people, learn new things and have a great time. The dancers in the troupe also will be in attendance.

The group will perform its full show at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct.1, at DeWitt T h e a t r e . T i c k e t s m a y be bought in advance at Dove Christian Book S t o r e o r t h e O r a n g e City Arts Council at $8 f o r a d u l t s a n d $ 5 f o r s t u d e n t s . T i c k e t s w i l l also be available at the door for $11 for adults and $8 for students.

A question and answer session will be held after the show, and audience members will have a chance to meet and interact with the dancers.

Black V strives for laughs and more

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO From left, seniors Abe Klafter and Jesse Baldwin; juniors Honna Brown and Jordan Starkenburg and sophomore Rachel Hanson are some of the Black V members.

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BY KALI WOLKOWThrough purposefully

designed cyanotypes and wallpaper, “The World Forgett ing,” a new art exh ib i t by S ioux Ci ty nat ive Kathleen Scot t , weaves a story of memory and sends a reminder of mortality to its viewers.

“A s p e o p l e a n d memories fade away, life takes over, “ Scott said.

“I wanted something that didn’t ta lk about ag ing ,” Scot t sa id . “ I wanted to give the viewer an exhibit with an ethereal quality but focused on the life, too.”

D e ve l o p e d o n s i l k , Scott’s cyanotypes (a type of cyan-blue print that dates back to the 19th century), each hold faces that gradually disappear upon their arrival at the largest print.

“The out-of-focus prints reference the fading of memory—similar to when you are no longer able to picture a person’s face,” Scott said.

The central print, a large cyanotype void of any face, demonstrates the pinnacle of the relationship between mortality and memory.

In her exhibit, Scott parallels the fading of the people and the waning memory of those deceased with an African belief in the two sides of death.

“When your memory fades, you forget about those deceased. But the same happens in reverse,” Scott said. “When the people pass away, they forget about you. It’s not sad or mournful. It’s a celebration of life.”

Scot t embodies th is celebration in her carefully d e s i g n e d “ T r a ve r s i n g t h e L e t h e ” wallpaper installation, a reference to a river in the Greek underworld that causes people to forget about life on Earth. The vines and designs of this backdrop g r o w i n p r o m i n e n c e as the sub jec ts in the cyanotypes fade.

Just as flowers appear a t t h e c u l m i n a t i o n of her piece, the l ife was punctuated by flourishes.

Each person who passed on encouraged and nurtured the life that continued after them, even though the memories of ancestors faded away.

Scott’s dad was one of these valuable contributors to her own life, and as a result, some of Scott’s older works were lovingly crafted in commemoration of him.

Within these exhibits, Scott preserved her father’s love for th ings o ld-fashioned. This contributed to the feel of the story of Scott’s own mortality, “The World Forgetting.”

In a way, Scott grew up in the 19th century. As a child, she attended reenactments, wore prairie dresses and participated in the Lewis and Clark Festival with her family.

“I thought that’s what c a m p i n g wa s — p r a i r i e dresses and shawls,” Scott said. “When I went to school , I t h o u g h t m y c l a s s m a t e s w e r e t h e s t r a n g e o n e s w h e n t h e y s a i d t h e y w o r e something di f ferent .”

She said this immersion into a past way of life, coupled with her father’s admiration of it, greatly influenced her work.

“It gives a person a nice sense of escapism and sense of nostalgia for a time they never knew,” said Scott, explaining her theme.

She said she wanted her audience to realize how fluid society is and at the same time show how we dance along the lines when it comes to the relationship between mortality and memory.

K a t h l e e n S c o t t ’ s “The World Forgetting” incorporates both the new and old to tell an intriguing tale of the passage of time.

It jogs the memory as well as makes a person w o n d e r a b o u t w h a t they’ve forgotten. It asks the question, “Who is the world forgetting?”

This exhibit will be available to the public from Sept . 21 through Oct. 19 in the Te Paske Gal lery o f the Korver Visual Arts Center.

New art exhibit explores mortality

PHOTO BY EMILEE BERRY Kathleen Scott talks to an NW art class about her exhibit “The World Forgetting.” The exhibit is now on display in the Te Paske Gallery.

PHOTO BY EMILEE BERRY Kathleen Scott’s exhibit “The World Forgetting” explores the relationship of memories and mortality. It can be viewed now in the Te Paske Gallery of the Korver Visual Arts Center.

BY KATI HENGA&C CO-EDITOR

It’s 2012; can we please all agree that banjos simply are not cool?

Sure, the idea of using something with more twang, something with a quicker and more hollowed-out sound than the standard guitar, is a fun concept—like deciding to only wear bowties with your suits is fun. Bowties and banjos will never be taken seriously, and for that reason, it’s hard to listen to Mumford & Sons as an album rather than a novelty.

After the success of 2010’s “Sigh No More,” Mumford & Sons came into the limelight of the folk, folk-rock and, subsequently, rock genres. For whatever reason, a larger following took to this Irish-brogue-tinted band than acts such as Flogging Molly (apparently bagpipes are too far gone even for fun’s sake) or Marcus’ ex-girlfriend, Laura Marling.

That dang banjo is partly to blame for their success, but admittedly, there were some great melodies on “Sigh No More.” We’ll never know if “The Cave” would have succeeded as much if played on guitar rather than banjo. Is it a great melody or just a unique little sound?

Perhaps their new album, “Babel,” released Sept. 25,

only two years after their debut, could have kept their reputation as melody-makers alive, but the problem is, their new stuff has nothing catchy about it. There’s nothing you’ll get stuck in your head, nothing you’ll spend hours trying to pluck out on a guitar back in your dorm room, nothing you’ll even try to sing along to and no refrain you’ll feel like belting out again and again like you did after listening to “Sigh No More.”

“Babel” puts Mumford & Sons on level with The Proclaimers or Dexy’s Midnight Runners—fun, big-hearted guys with more charm than musical talent. Maybe it was impossible for Mumford & Sons to replicate

the success of their debut album simply because that’s all the good stuff they had.

“Babel” drags on in the same sad, brewing fashion, this time driven by guitars, the banjo more subdued in the background. Although we enjoyed the way “Sigh No More” wavered between folk and rock, Mumford & Sons’ decision to embrace their rock side only makes us wish they’d have gone to the other side, embraced their originality, maybe got out another hit song (remember, “Come On Eileen” was a sophomore album success for

Dexy’s) and got us over our infatuation with the banjo.

At “ B a b e l ’ s ” b e s t , “Whispers In The Dark” gives the crowd something to stomp its feet along to, but most of the track seems like something the guys put out as quickly as they could. The guys should have waited and worked on some melodies that would blow away the audience’s minds, rather than simply satisfy their thirst for a little banjo fun.

3

Marcus Mumford, leader of the folk-rock group Mumford & Sons, plays some low-key guitar for fans.

Rating: Key Tracks: “Whispers in the Dark” “Lover of the Light”

BY TOM WESTERHOLMA&C CO-EDITOR

Contrary to what one might believe before watching a movie entitled “House At the End of the Street,” which, ironically, didn’t bother to prominently feature a particular house or a street, there were redeeming factors that made the movie almost watchable. Unfortunately, the negatives outweighed the positives by a pretty wide margin.

Jennifer Lawrence stars as a teenager who has moved into a new area with her single mother. She befriends a young man whose parents were murdered by his disturbed sister—because who doesn’t want to hang out with the unsmiling recluse still living in the house in which his parents were brutally bludgeoned to death? Creepy things begin to happen, predictable horror movie formulas begin to unfold and plenty of startling moments are doled out, although nothing frightening truly sticks with the viewer.

“House At the End of the Street” struggles on many important levels on which horror movies have historically struggled. The writing is painfully bad. The plot progression is clumsy and forced. The acting is mostly wooden, although Lawrence is at least mostly capable of looking scared at the proper times.

But the biggest problem with “House At the End of the Street” is the twist. Not the twist itself but rather that, in a movie this formulaic, it’s obvious that there is going to be a twist, and given the movie’s inability to develop characters in any kind of meaningful way, the twist could only happen with one character. An analytical viewer will pick up on this quickly, and although parts of the twist remain mysterious (indeed, parts remain obtuse well after the movie finishes), the main gist of who is good (basically three people) and who is bad (everybody else in the entire movie) can be deduced after the first half hour.

The most interesting theme “House At the End of the Street” presents is a complete disregard for a viewer’s innate desire to cheer for the underdog. Hollywood has conditioned us to cheer for the underdog and that the underdog is inherently worth the cheers. “House At the End of the Street” manages to challenge this rather basic idea, albeit in a clumsy, heavy-handed way.

But “House” won’t (and shouldn’t) attract much of an audience, mostly due to its inaccessibility. It won’t appeal to horror buffs, who will see the lack of true scares as a weakness. It won’t attract a casual audience because it’s too startling. It won’t attract gore fans because the producers were spectacularly careful to avoid an “R” rating. The only group that might be attracted to this movie would be fans of Lawrence’s performance in “The Hunger Games,” much like Harry Potter fans were attracted to Daniel Radcliffe’s excursion into to the horror/thriller genre in “The Woman in Black.”

Although less worthwhile horror movies have been released in the past few years, “House at the End of the Street” fails to deliver enough worthwhile content to warrant the price of admission.

Rating:

Mumford’s new album stirs somber brews ALBUM REVIEW

‘House’ fails to deliver frightening moments

“You want me to tell you about seminary? It’s a bunch of people discussing the word of God and making babies. Faith and love. That’s all it is.”

-Professor Tom Truesdell, proponent of faith.

QuotesCampus

Five Star GuideClassic:Excellent:

Good: Fair: Poor:

‘Borderlands 2’ captures the spirit of videogamesBY MICHAEL GUTSCHE

“Borderlands 2” is, if nothing else, deliberate.

It’s still the same basic formula of “shoot man, get fancier gun to better shoot man with,” just polished more thoroughly. The experience, though, is much more entertaining when played with other people. So if you have friends, bother them incessantly until they purchase the game. If you don’t have friends, then stop playing so many videogames by yourself.

Everything about the game has been tuned up. No new ground is being broken in terms of interactive fictional exposition, but the narrative is fairly compelling.

The general plot is as follows: Players aid

in the resistance against Handsome Jack, the sleazily charming antagonist who has overhauled some of the desolate planet of Pandora into a sort of totalitarian work-camp utopia.

T h e g a m e w a s meticulously created by the developers, and although many of the small details will likely go unnoticed by almost everyone, they are still there for the finding.

“Borderlands 2” possesses a rather strange beauty. As the variety of environments increase, they become more interesting to explore and shoot things in. Even the ramshackle areas of the planet are bright.

And the guns ! Oh good heavens, the guns! “Borderlands 2” without guns

would be like a ham sandwich without the ham. Shotguns that shoot rockets. Sniper rifles that electrocute things. Pistols that get thrown like grenades when reloaded. There’s such a variety at play here that much of the game will likely be spent deciding what weapon to use.

The best part of the game, however, is that it only gets better. “Borderlands 2” opens slowly, but it never slows down. Enemies become crazier. Landscapes become grander. Guns, naturally, become giddy nonsense.

“Borderlands 2” might not be a brilliant work of art, but the value doesn’t lie there. What makes this game worthwhile is the spirit of video games in one of its purest forms—the screaming

madman bellowing his message for all to hear. And woe to his listeners, for his sermon is bullets.

BY PRIYANKA FERNANDO Freshman Amber Beyer started the school year a little differently than most of her class. After marrying her husband, Brett, last summer, Beyer has had anything but a typical semester. Like most freshmen, Beyer had fears and excitements about her first weeks of college. “ I wa s e x c i t e d f o r classes,” she said. “But I was more afraid I wouldn’t meet people or people would be like, ‘Look at her, she’s the one who’s married.’” Beyer lives on campus in the married housing with her husband, Brett, w h o i s a f r e s h m a n a t D o r d t College. For many f reshmen, missing out on dorm life would be disappointing. Fortunately for Beyer, she’s found a home in Fern Hall on First South. “One of my f r iends

from high school l ives on the wing, and during orientation week they went on a donut run. I joined to meet people, and they were like, ‘OK, we’ll adopt you.’” Sharla De Bruin, Beyer’s high school friend on Fern First South, said Beyer still makes time for friends even with the demands of married life. “She seems like she’s really busy,” De Bruin said. “Being married is a whole different responsibility in itself—from planning out your day to where you’re going to go after classes—but we’ve been able to spend a good amount of time together.” E v e n t h o u g h i t ’ s more d i f f i cu l t for her to m e e t o t h e r s , B e ye r s a i d s h e s t i l l s e e s b e n e f i t s i n h e r s i t u a t i o n . “I’m getting to know people in different ways,” she said. “If I’m not intentional, I won’t meet people.”

De Bruin said she also sees benef i ts in Beyer’s marr iage. “She won’t have to worry about the pressure to be married by the time we graduate,” De Bruin said. “And she doesn’t have to worry about the boy drama. From what I hear, there’s so much pressure to be married by graduation, the whole ring by spring. It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, I need a ring!’” Beyer seemed amused by the drama experienced b y m o s t u n m a r r i e d college students. “ W h e n I s e e o t h e r s dating, I think, ‘Oh, they’re kind of doing something really stupid,’ ” she said. A l t h o u g h s o m e m a y question Beyer’s decision to marry so young, she said she’s confident in her decision. “Some people want to live by themselves, but it wasn’t like that for us,” she said.

“We really thought about it, and we wanted to focus on doing what God’s calling us to do. Everything’s fallen into place.” Although Beyer might be ahead of her friends when it comes to relationships, she’s otherwise similar to other freshmen. As the year progresses , Beyer said she looks forward to learning new things. “I’m excited to learn the things that will help me prepare to graduate,” she said. “I want to use freshman year to figure out everything, to integrate fully into college. I just want to grow as a person, both in my career and in my faith.” A l t h o u g h B e y e r ’ s freshman year has begun unusually, she doesn’t seem to have any regrets. “It’s cool to see how God has helped me grow and changed me,” she said. “And I’m excited to go forward with it.”

beacon.nwciowa.eduSeptember 28, 2012

4Features

PHOTO SUBMITTED Brett and Amber Beyer were married this past summer on June 23 at Stoney Point in Reasnor.

Newly wed and new to campus

Freshmen participate in semester of pilot FYS BY KATIE KREBS

This semester is the trial run for the First-Year Seminar (FYS) at Northwestern.

The class syllabus begins with a scripture passage from the Gospel of Matthew and a quote from Homer Simpson.

“How i s educat ion supposed to make me feel smarter?” the cartoon character asks in the quote. “Besides, every t ime I learn something new, it pushes some old stuff out of my brain. Remember when I took that home winemaking course, and I forgot how to drive?”

The purpose of this seminar is to ask questions while introducing new s t u d e n t s t o t h e p a c e o f c o l l e g e c o u r s e s . It is intended to foster effective writing, reading and speaking skills while exploring the importance of a liberal arts education and the Reformed tradition.

The class will take the place of college writing and public speaking courses. Both disciplines will be covered in the FYS.

“I like taking speech and writing at the same time. It’s nice getting both done at the same time,” said freshman Megan Fuchser.

The course focuses on the questions “Who am I?,” “Who are my neighbors?” and “How will I live in the world?”

“I love talking about these questions because these are questions they’ll be asking their whole life,” said Fern-Smith Hall resident director Alyssum Roe, who is observing the seminar.

T h e r e a d i n g s a n d assignments are tailored to he lp answer these questions. Students read a variety of poems, novels, memoirs, nonfiction and theological texts.

“The books we read are really awesome,” Roe said. “They are books that teach you how to read college literature, but you can also connect to them on a deeper level.”

The seminar’s format has received positive reactions from students as well.

“It’s a good class for figuring out who you are

and learning to take the time to invest in others,” Fuchser said.

Students take time to get to know their surrounding community and classmates. They are assigned specific speeches and essays that encourage in tent iona l interaction with one another.

The “My Neighbor Presentat ion” includes interviewing a peer who has significant differences and then introducing that person to the class orally and in writing.

E a c h s e c t i o n i s l e d by a different instructor but fol lows a uniform syllabus with identical r e a d i n g m a t e r i a l a n d speech assignments.

“What happens in each class is very similar, but each instructor has their own style,” said Tom Truesdell, director of academic support.

The FYS includes an honors section taught by Professor Laird Edmund.

“The purpose of the honors course is to push each other,” said Edmund. “It’s the most important part.”

Students applied for

the honors section during scholarship days. The honors students study the same material as all the other students but spend more time on deep conversation.

This year, only a portion of the freshman class is taking the FYS. Next year, every freshman will be required to take it.

Eventual ly the FYS

will be a bookend course that is completed with a senior seminar. The senior seminar will be discipline-specific and will revisit some questions asked in the FYS.

Because this is the first year of the seminar, kinks are being worked out.

“All instructors meet once a week to talk about what went well and what needs

to improve,” Truesdell said. “This is still a pilot.”

“Because it’s the first time they’re running this c lass , there’s going to be problems, but it will definitely be beneficial in the long run,” said freshman Isaac Horigan.

“It’s ending up being better than any of us expected or hoped,”Edmund said.

PHOTO BY EMILEE BERRYFreshmen in Professor Mitch Kinsinger’s First-Year Seminar class break into groups for discussion.

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beacon.nwciowa.edu September 28, 2012beacon.nwciowa.edu

6

BY SARA VAN GORPAt the beginning of the

school year, freshmen are anxious and excited about the new relationships that will be formed during t h e i r f i r s t y e a r o f col lege. Whether these r e l a t i o n s h i p s involve t h e o p p o s i t e g e n d e r , classmates, wing mates or team members, they are all important to establish.

The real question is, how soon i s too soon to date someone upon arrival at college? The informal October Rule

that is encouraged a t N o r t h w e s t e r n m a k e s the a n s w e r t o t h a t q u e s t i o n simple.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the October Rule, it states that no one should start a dating relationship before

the month of October. If two p e o p l e d e c i d e t o break the October Rule, they become the victims of hazing by the members of their dorm.

Is this a fair rule? Why does anyone have the right to say when someone else should date? If two people get to know and like each other in the middle of September and want to date, shouldn’t they be able to?

In my time at NW, I have known many couples who have decided to push the limits, be daredevils

and date before October. I h a ve e ve n h e a r d o f people dat ing multiple people before the month of October, but I have only heard about the October Rule being enforced twice.

I think that the October Rule is an unnecessary

rule to have in place; no one should have to live in fear of being “October Ruled.” Although i t i s unnecessary, i t can be an appropriate guideline t o f o l l o w . S t a r t i n g a dating relationship before the month of October can be detrimental and have some serious social consequences. Waiting to start a relationship might be beneficial.

Pe o p l e a r e s o excited about meeting new people that they rush in to th ings and make poor choices. This is often called the freshman frenzy.

As much fun as dating relationships are, it is very important to establish good relationships with wing mates first. If a dating relationship is formed right

away at the beginning of the school year and two people are constantly spending time together, they are not going to have time to bond and develop relationships within their dorm. Then once the fling ends, they are not going to have any shoulders to cry on because they did not spend t i m e g e t t i n g t o k n o w o t h e r people.

Dating at NW is a very common thing. Many of t h e s u c c e s s f u l l o n g -t e r m relationships that have f o r m e d d i d n o t begin until later during freshman year or in their college years.

The success rate of

c o u p l e s w h o m e t i n August and started dating before October of their freshmen year appears to be small. I know that some couples have lasted and journeyed the long haul together, but a majority of the relationships just end in heartbreak, confusion and shattered friendships.

I encourage students to make smart decisions when it comes to forming dating relationships. Do not fall into the freshmen dating frenzy. Take time to be friends first and establish good relationships with d o r m m e m b e r s . I t w i l l probably pay off in the end.

Beacon AbroadBY LEAH WIELENGAFOREIGN CORRESPONDENT

Days in this small mining town of the Jiu Valley offer glimpses of two worlds: the old and the new.

Arriving in Lupeni late on a Sunday evening, our group first noticed this after the eight-hour car ride into town when the quaint countryside, which perfectly emulated a rustic air, abruptly morphed into an industrial cityscape laden with smokestacks and concrete buildings.

Our first few days abroad involved nothing but tours and treks through medieval cast les and forts overlooking breathtaking mountain views. It all suggested this picturesque place, our new “home,” was a change of pace.

Attempting to picture Romania without much information, a person’s mind can jump to something resembling a scene from “Fiddler on the Roof.” Many perceive a society so far behind in Western ways that they think any interaction with Americans resembles something like a stern point and simple phrase of “Goat. Milk.”

Before leaving for the semester, some pre-trip comments from others included “That’s r ight by Latvia, isn’t it? Or, some country that ends with an ‘ ia’” and “Oh, I bet you’ll miss things like pizza and watching TV.”

Although these are based in polite small talk,they show how little people know about present-day Romania. Aside from those who are aware of its once Communist state under Nicolae Ceaușescu, one doesn’t initially know what to dist inguish as “Romanian.” I’ll be the first to admit that I m y s e l f d i d n ’ t h a v e a c l e a r p i c t u r e o f w h a t t o e x p e c t g o i n g i n t o t h e semester.

Upon starting homestays with my now much beloved Romanian family, I was pleasantly surprised to see this fuller picture of the blending of the o l d a n d n e w worlds.

First and foremost, there is surely an aspect of simple and organic living off the land. The farm I find myself on is like many around Lupeni. It’s plush with pear, plum and apple trees. Those who l ive outs ide the town still highly regard tradit ional farming ways and take advantage of everything their animals and gardens offer.

Yet one step into my home’s kitchen and you’ll find the television (yes, we do indeed have one) switched to either the music video channel, which cons is tent ly p l a y s b o t h t o p R o m a n i a n and American hits, or the D i s n e y C h a n n e l f o r m y 10-year-old host sister.

Contrasts such as these are found all throughout Lupeni. An Orthodox Church service is filled with devout elderly women who cover their heads while the junior priest’s daughter dons jeans and texts friends on her cellphone. A restaurant features the traditional Romanian dish of Sarmale along with a side of french fries . Amidst the speeding cars on the main road, a horse-drawn wagon weaves in and out of traffic.

Essentially, a person’s view of Romania quickly becomes a whole lot different. The scene presented here is one that cannot be fully understood until l ived, as is the case in each new scenario we find ourselves.

As time passes, I wholeheartedly look forward to continuing to truly discover this unique d y n a m i c i n w h i c h I f i n d myself.

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Online this week @ beacon.nwciowa.edu• Women’s soccer stays hot• Golf teams take second

• Dakota State crushed in football

BY JORDAN DYKSTRAThe Raiders clashed with

GPAC rival Dordt College on Wednesday night, and came away with a 1-0 victory in Orange City.

The Raiders outshot the Defenders 24 to 11, with 8 to 6 on shots on goal.

Senior forward Graham Kinsinger scored the lone Raider goal in the 67th minute

on a great individual effort through the back line.

NW was led in shots by sophomore midfielder Gabriel Goncalves with f ive, including one on target . Junior forward Jeriah Dunk and junior defender Harri Edwards each had three shots.

Freshman goalkeeper Austin Stoesz notched six

saves during the match.The Raiders hosted

Nebraska Wesleyan in their first GPAC match, a frustrating 3-1 loss on Saturday night.

In a match that was statistically dominated by NW, the Raiders failed to capitalize on opportunities that cost them the victory. The Raiders outshot their

opponent 28-13 overall and 10-8 shots on goal.

The first Prairie Wolf goal came courtesy of a controversial yellow card penalty kick, and then NW allowed two goals within the last five minutes of the first half.

Though trailing 3-0 at halftime, the Raiders did not appear shaken.

The Raiders outshot Nebraska Wesleyan 13-3 in the second half but managed only one goal.

The lone Raider goal was tapped in by junior forward Jeriah Dunk, who was assisted by junior defender Justin Lehman in the 76th minute.

“ We n e e d t o p l a y the entire 90 minutes in order to win,” sophomore defender Zack Schornack said. “ We felt that we controlled the game for the majority of the time, but they capitalized on our missed opportunities.”

Five Raiders did not suit up due to illness or injury, dwindling the depth.

“It definitely tested the depth of our team by having guys out,” Schornack said. “It was a good experience to deal with the adversity but next time we hope the results are better.”

The team was led by senior forward Jono Taves with five total shots and two shots on goal. Freshmen forwards Koray Karakas and Ryan Johnson each had four shots respectively.

Stoesz collected five saves during the match.

The Raiders return to action at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Morningside.

BY LACY GREENT h e N o r t h w e s t e r n

volleyball team had a tough loss against Dordt on Wednesday night in Orange City. The score was 3-2, with set scores of 19-25, 16-25, 25-18, 27-25 and 9-15.

This loss made NW 3-2 in the GPAC, and 13-5 overall.

NW was down after the first two sets but rallied to win a dramatic third set 27-25.

The fifth set held even until Dordt had a five point run to make it 8-14. The Raiders managed one more point, but Dordt ended the game with a kill to earn the win.

The Raiders hit .168 with 53 kills in 155 attempts. S o p h o m o r e K a i t l i n Floerchinger hit a career best of 17 kills for the match and had 13 assists.

Freshman setter Madeline Hanno led the team with 22 assists and had 94 percent serving for the match.

F r e s h m a n m i d d l e hitter Karlie Schut also had 11 kills.

Sophomore Alexis Bart went to 32-32 serve receive.

The volleyball team’s winning streak came to a

bitter end when it fell to host Hastings on Saturday. The Raiders lost 3-0 (25-20, 25-23 and 25-21).

The game was tight, but NW lacked the necessary spark to make up the deficit.

“We played really hard, but had a couple of spots that we were not energetic,” Bart said.

The overall stats of this game did not reflect the score. Floerchinger had 10 kills and Bart had 25 digs. The whole team hit .272 for the match.

This is the eighth straight match this season that Floerchinger totaled double digits in kills.

“Hastings was a good team to come up against,” Bart said. “It showed us where we stand in the conference and what we have to do to get higher.”

T h e R a i d e r s w e r e moving fluently, but near the ends of the sets lost fight. The communication was lacking, and as the sets went on the energy of the game fell.

The Raiders will play No. 21 Midland at 3 p.m. on Saturday at home.

BY DALTON KELLEYThe Northwestern cross country teams traveled to

Crete, Neb. to compete in the Dean White Invite on Saturday morning.

Both the men’s and women’s teams finished in second place. The women scored 52 points and the men tallied 44 points. Doane College took the top spots in both the men’s and women’s races.

“Doing as well as we did, it is encouraging to know there was still room for improvement,” said head coach Scott Bahrke.

Leading the way for the women’s team was senior Amy Van Skike, who finished seventh overall with a time of 19 minutes 58 seconds She was followed by sophomore Amber Sandbulte, who placed ninth with a time of 20:08.

Another top finisher for the women was senior Leslie

Stover, who finished 11th with a time of 20:14. Right behind Stover was junior Dawn Gildersleeve, who finished the 5K in 12th place with a time of 20:15.

For the men’s side, sophomore Skylar Giddings led the way for the Raiders in fourth place with a personal best time of 26:56. Sophomore Logan Hovland crossed the finish line with a time of 27:23 and took the eighth spot.

Other notable finishers in 19th and 20th place for the Raiders were senior captain Andrew Lichter and junior Taylor Bodin, who with finished with times of 28:15 and 28:17, respectively.

“It was encouraging to see the team run some of their best times on a tough course,” Bahrke said. “Now we just want to get the second group to push their pace and have the confidence to be up near the leaders.”

The team’s next meet will be held on Oct. 6 McCook Lake, S.D., for the Briar Cliff Invite.

PHOTO BY EMILEE BERRYSophomore libero Alexis Bart receives a serve against Dordt on Wednesday night. The Raiders rallied against the Defenders from two games down but fell in five sets. The rematch is on Nov. 1.

Raiders’ rally falls short in five

PHOTO BY LISA POSTFreshman forward Koray Karakas takes a header in the air on Wednesday night against Dordt. The Raiders got their first conference victory of the season with the 1-0 win.

Personal records set in cross country meet

Kinsinger goal leads to conference win

BY JULIA LANTZAt the most recent city

c o u n c i l m e e t i n g h e l d in Orange City a traffic o rd inance was passed that wil l l imit student p a r k i n g i n t h e c i t y ’ s residential areas adjacent t o N o r t h w e s t e r n ’ s student housing.

The traffic ordinance i s i n r e s p o n s e t o complaints the col lege and c i ty counc i l have received from residents of Orange City about the surplus of cars parked on the sides of the street.

According to Mayor Les Douma, the ordinance is in response to years o f f rus t ra t ion by the homeowners in and around the areas close to campus.

T h i s b u i l d - u p o f frustration has heightened this year as the construction of the Learning Commons restricts the amount of parking lots and spaces for students on campus.

“We lost the gravel parking lot next to the F r a n k e n C e n t e r , t h e parking down Centra l Avenue toward Christ’s Chapel and all the parking o ve r w h e r e H e e m s t r a used to be,” said dean of students John Brogan.

The city council and police department have

worked together to come up with a solution that will respect college students, assist homeowners and clear streets for authorized emergency vehicles.

T h e o r d i n a n c e w i l l mainly l imit overnight parking in the vicinity o f r e s i d e n t i a l a r e a s ; h o w e v e r , a f e w n o -parking zones will be put into effect to eliminate parking on both sides of the street. The restrictions will be applied during the nine-month period of Aug. 15 to May 15.

“We don’t have much of a say because these are city streets,” Brogan said. “We did go to the city because we were getting so many complaints from people in the community right around the Bolks apartments; however, we have to leave it in the city’s hands. All we can do is offer suggestions.”

According to Douma, he understands this will affect students at NW and that fewer parking places might cause frustration.

“ I d o n ’ t b l a m e s t u d e n t s . T h e y w a n t to park closest to their dorms,” Douma said.

Brogan said he also understands the concerns of students having to park

farther away. “Whenever we go to

the grocery store or mall, what do we do for five minutes?” Brogan said. “We spend time looking for the closest spots. It is the same with students on campus. They want to park closest to their home.”

Brogan said he sees convenient parking as a privilege for students in a small town.

“At Duke University, I was ecstatic if I could

f ind a parking spot a half a mile away from my residence,” Brogan said.

N W s t u d e n t s a n d s taf f members wi l l be fur ther informed once the ordinance is finalized by the members of the city council and police department. Douma does not intend for students to be penalized immediately af ter s igns are posted in the residential area. Instead, he would like people at the college to be

well informed of the new system and have time to adjust to the ordinance.

B r o g a n i s h o p e f u l that by next fall , with the construction of the L e a r n i n g C o m m o n s c o m p l e t e , a d d i t i o n a l parking lots and spaces will be available.

Unti l then, students are encouraged to park in the lots offered at NW and to become accustomed to the restrict ions of this upcoming ordinance.

Guest RecitalMusicians Wolfgang David and David Gompper will perform a guest recital in Christ Chapel. The event will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28.

RUSHNW’s annual dance performance, RUSH, will be held in the England Theatre at the DeWitt Theatre Arts Center. There will be performances at 7 and 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28 and 4, 7 and 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29.

Brazilian DanceThe Contempo Physical Dance troupe will offer a class in traditional Brazilian social dance at the DeWitt Theatre Arts Center from 7 until 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30. The troupe will perform at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 1 in the DeWitt Theatre Arts Center. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students in advance. At the door tickets will be $11 for adults and $8 for students. Tickets are available at Dove Christian Book Store, the Orange City Arts Council and the Northwestern College theater department.

AroundCampus

ChapelMondaywChaplain Harlan VanOort

TuesdaywChapel Music Team

WednesdaywBrittany Caffey, Resident Director

FridaywRev. Bob Bouwer, Dyer, Ind.

8

NW to lose more parking

STORY IDEAS.BREAKING NEWS.PHOTOS.CAMPUS QUOTES.

@NWC_BEACON IS NOW ON TWITTER.

PHOTO BY EMILEE BERRYAn ordinance passed by Orange City will greatly the amount of parking available on streets near campus. The number of student vehicles parked on city streets has increased with the loss of several campus parking lots because of construction.

PHOTO BY EMILEE BERRYJunior Emily Wohlers, freshman Hana Spangler, senior Toben Archer and freshman Jan Latchaw rehearse for “Trickster Tales.”

Culture shared through theaterBY GILLIAN ANDERSON

Approximately 2,000 grade-schoolers will watch Northwestern’s comedic children's theater production of “Trickster Tales.”

“It is a collaboration of different Native American folk tales about tricksters,” said junior Emily Wohlers, who plays a firefly and a rabbit.

“Trickster Tales” is in the format of other common children’s stories. “It is like Aesop’s Fables but in Native American style, “ said junior Isaiah Custer,who

plays a bear and a coyote. The tales are meant to teach kids how to treat people and what not to do in different

situations. It is a comedy designed to get the audience involved. “It’s fun. It reminds me of a Disney movie because it is great for all ages,”

Wohlers said.“Trickster Tales” is part of the theater’s ongoing effort to put on performances

that will introduce the students and community to new cultures.“People live in Sioux County, but they don’t have a lot of interaction with the

Sioux tribe,” said theater Prof. Robbert Hubbard, the play’s director. “I have an interest in Native American culture.”

Because it is children’s theater, the play has an aspect of improvisation.“We have kids interacting in the production, so we never know what they are

going to do,” Wohlers said. “Trickster Tales” will be performed for school groups every Tuesday beginning

Oct. 5 until Nov. 15 in the England Theater’s Black Box. There will be two performances for NW students and the community, 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 5 and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6.

To reserve tickets for this performance, contact the box office, which is open from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The box office can also be reached by phone or by email at boxoffice@nwciowa.edu.