The Northerner

NORTH CENTRAL UNIVERSITY - MARCH 11, 2015 VOL. 55

ISSUE 6

Changes for
Fine Arts
Department
Kevin Mills has been let go starting
next fall semester.
BY KRISTIN WILEMAN

Buzz Brookman leads

off 1stThingsLast
Conference
Old Testament professor discusses innate skills and passions, development
communication skills and humble attitudes towards humble beginnings.

BY MATT MARCINIEC
Buzz Brookman, who holds a
Ph.D. in ancient studies led off
North Centrals 1stThingsLast
conference on Feb. 17 where he
discussed with students about
finding what drives their passions, and not being afraid to
start from humble beginnings.
This conference also featured
messages from Amy Anderson
and Phil Mayo.
Brookman titled his message
The Mummy, The Artifact, and
the Fox in Socks. It was not a
sermon, nor a homily, not even

a little mediation according to

Brookman.
Brookman did not base the
majority of his message from
scripture, but elected to take
a closer look at the first three
objectives listed in the student
handbook. He elected to compare it to a pre-graduation address.
For in a commencement
speech, one usually challenges the graduates to take what
theyve done over the past four
of five years and go change the
world, said Brookman. The

No matter the
color: page 3

premise, of course, is that they

have changed, that they are not
the same people that came as
freshman, thrashing about in a
kettle of ignorance, boiling over
onto the kitchen floor of society,
so that teachers like me need to
mop up the linoleum of civilization.
Brookmans first point was
a metaphor based on the film,
The Mummy. He described
nightmares he had after watching this movie as a young child,
but how it became a catalyst for
his fascination of the ancient

past. After seeing a real mummy,

he realized his innate God-given interests and talents.
Students were treated to clips
of Brookman humorously being
edited into trailers for both versions of the movie. This resulted
in a roar of laughter from the
congregation.
He then transitioned to discussing The Artifact, his second
main point. An artifact, according to Brookman, is something

continued on
page 2

Kevin Mills, a North Central

professor for 13 years, will be
losing his position as a member
of the music faculty with the
coming of significant department changes for the 2015 Fall
Semester.
Mills was informed of the
elimination of his position on
Jan. 13, 2015. It was announced
to the students of the music
department on Jan. 24. Its
certainly a bitter pill to swallow, Mills said. It did take
me aback. Mills has served
a major role in the Secondary
Instrumental Music Education
Program, a major that will no
longer be available after this semester.
The main thing, as I understand it, is that vocal music
education continues to grow,
while instrumental education
hasnt taken root, Mills stated. With the elimination of instrumental programs, the music
department will have funds to
hire a full time Vocal Music Education professor. While Mills
was surprised at the eradication of instrumental ensembles,
he sees it as a response to the
way it is already leaning. Interest is booming for vocal instruction, while wind players
are not as prevalent within the
school. When the changes were
explained to Mills regarding the
termination of his position, it
made sense from the position
of an administrator. He doesnt
take it personally, but it sure
stings.

The effects of the programming modifications will be

noticeable among the student
body. Changes will include the
elimination of both the concert
band and jazz band. Current
students and incoming wind
players will no longer have opportunity to participate in wind
ensembles, but will have the
prospect to be involved in jazz
workshops, Soulful Praize and
Worship Live World. Methods
classes, some of which Mills
teaches, will continue for Vocal
Music Education majors.
Mills is now applying for director of bands positions across
the country. A lifelong Minnesotan, the thought of uprooting
is less than appealing, but necessary. Itll be weird if I have
to start over, Mills said. Very
interesting life changes could be
at my door step. As Mills looks
to the future, he sees realms of
possibility, but a world of unknowns. If anyone out there
wants to pray for Good Old
Kevs future career, Id certainly
welcome that, Mills stated.
Looking back over his time at
North Central, Mills is pleased
with what he has experienced.
The interpersonal thing weve
got going on here in the College
of Fine Arts really is beautiful, Mills reminisces. Itll be
very interesting to see if another place can compare in terms
of being edifying and in quality interpersonal relationships
throughout the faculty.

North Central
Matt Allen and
Diversity: page 5 swim club: page 8

NEWS
PAGE 2

The Northerner | March 11, 2015

Buzz Brookman Northerner STAFF

leads off
1stThingsLast
Conference
NORTH CENTRAL UNIVERSITYS
STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1960
910 ELLIOT AVE, MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55404
NCUNORTHERNER@GMAIL.COM

Mesopotamian artifact, a tablet that he wanted to be able to

read.
He would go on to the University of Minnesota to study
ancient languages. He encouraged the student body to find
your own artifact.
Brookmans third point used
The Fox in Socks as metaphor for his third point. This Dr.
Suess book is designed to teach
children basic communication
skills.
He described us living in a
video game age where less
students are mastering skills in
reading and writing. Brookman
used a powerful quote by Mark
Twain to further emphasize this
idea.
The man who doesnt read
good books has no advantage

over the man who cant read

them, said Twain.
Brookman has noticed a
gradual decline in students
reading and writing abilities
and suggests placing on emphasis on practicing these skills in
all classes, not just in English
courses.
Brookman used a childrens
book in this instance to relay a
message for students that is ok
to start from the very beginning.
He describes a danger to feel
too proud to begin at the bottom
level.
You dont start with third
year Greek, said Brookman.
You go to class, you do the exercises. You ask for help, and so
on and so onthe transformation doesnt happen over night.
He told a story in which he

was attending a seminar at Harvard University to learn how to

better use Macintosh computers.
He was asked to help an individual at this conference who
he later found out was a Nobel
Prize winner Brookman shared
this story to show someone being humble and not ashamed to
start at the beginning stages.
He finally asked the students
to respond, but acknowledged
that each individual was to respond differently. Some students
will avoid skipping classes so
often, while some will work on
their communication skills.
There is more to being a
good leader, than simply being
a spiritual person, said Brookman.

Tiffany Larson, new student body

president, shares her voice for NCU
students and discusses her plans for
BY JOSIAH MURPHY
2015

Steven Carver
Matt Marciniec
Olivia Davis
Shannon Hill
Eddie Chisham
Calah DeLaurentis

ART AND DESIGN

Lindsey Sheets
Christina Skeesick

DIGITAL MEDIA

Jacob Tverberg
Lindsey Sheets

ADVERTISING

HAVE A PERSONAL AD? PUT IT IN THE NORTHERNER!

EACH AD MUST HAVE A MINIMUM OF 15 WORDS.
THE RATE IS $2 PER WORD.
STUDENTS, STAFF AND FACULTY ARE
WELCOME TO ADVERTISE WITH US.
STAFF AND FACULTY CAN PLACE ADS FOR HALF THE PRICE.
CONTACT AHMED KHAMASSI AT
CONTACT@NCUNORTHERNER.COM
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND QUOTES.

New
student
president
plans for
next year

EDITORIAL

Tiffany Larson, a senior Business Administration major, was

elected student body president
of North Central on Feb. 9 with
running mate Mekeyah Wright
as vice president.
One of Larsons major goals
for her term is to better inform
the student body on the role of
student government. She described it as a funnel, where
the government represents the
opinions of the student body to
the staff and lobbies for changes
in policy. The staff then communicates to the student body
through the government by asking questions and explaining
the reasoning behind existing
policies.
As the student body president, Larson will meet with
President Gordon Anderson on
a monthly basis as the voice of

Ahmed Khamassi

WRITERS

Editor-in-Chief
News Editor
Feature Editor
Reviews Editor
Sports Editor
Opinion Editor

Photo Editor
Designer

Online Editor
Videographer

Business Manager

Corrections from previous issue:

Caleb Convey
Hollly Pieper
Stephanie Xiong
Curtis Vaughan
Caleb Kari
Josh High
Kristin Wileman
Josiah Murphy
Casey Benish
Karlie Groves
Katherine Lapinski
Marissa Sipes
Nikita Skorykh
Todd Peterson

Questions, comments or concerns about something printed

in this issue? We want your
response. Write a letter to the
editor. Email ncunortherner@
gmail.com with your submission to be considered for publication in either print or on the
Web. Anonymous letters to the
editor will not be considered for
publication.

There were a handful of typos throughout the Feburary 2015 issue. In the news story regarding
Matie Meyler, we misspelled Libera as Libera. Additionally, Anissa Godfreys name was misspelled in the Letter from the Editor.
In the story about the new Segue Cafe location, we reported it was location on 11th Street. It is
instead on 11th Avenue, at the end of 14th Street.
the student government. She
hopes that as students gain a better understanding of the governments function, more students
will get involved. For the past
three years, presidents have run
uncontested, and she would like
to see multiple people running
for office next year.
The main reason that I am
doing this is because I have a
heart for students and who they
are as individuals. I want to
make myself as available and
approachable to them as possible Larson said. She emphasized the importance of students
voicing their opinions because
she wants to accurately represent the student body as a whole
instead of promoting her own
personal agendas.
Im never one for changing
for the sake of changing, I want

to say I did things because its

what the students valued and I
knew it was the right time for
North Central, Larson said.
Larson, who transferred to
North Central as a sophomore
from Des Moines Area Community College, served on the
student senate her first year in
attendance. She then served as
vice president two years in a
row under Nathan Hirsch and
Caleb Brose, giving her extensive experience in the student
government.
A problem for student government in the past has been
the amount of time it takes to
get trained into the office and
learn the functions of their role.
Larson plans to address this issue by providing documentation
and better training so future
members of student government

can walk in with a better understanding of their purpose and get

to work sooner.
Larson describes herself as a
planner and an organizer, and
though she believes past governments have been creative in
changing policies, she differentiates herself by having the
administrative skills that were
previously lacking.
Larson wishes to challenge
the student body to get more involved.
Larson states, If students
dont agree with something on
campus, come talk to us. Dont
just complain, do something
about it, thats my challenge to
them.

NEWS
PAGE 3

March 11, 2015 | The Northerner

Weinhold
transitions
to new
department

After two years in the English department, Professor Gail

Weinhold will be teaching Education classes in place of Dr.
BY STEVEN CARVER
Margo Lloyd

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MARKETING

No matter the
color
Mama, played by Latanyua Gordon, opening a housewarming gift.

BY OLIVIA DAVIS

A Raisin in the Sun sparks questions about diversity and

community
according to Matthews, This is begin with awareness.

PHOTO
SHEETS

BY

LINDSEY

Next semester, Professor Gail

Weinhold will be moving from
the English department to the
School of Education where she
will help teach classes previously taught by the late Dr. Margo
Lloyd. Professor Weinhold was
hired two years ago as a fulltime English professor, and she
quickly gained a lot of respect
and love from both English
majors and non-English majors who took her classes. The
Northerner conducted an interview with Professor Weinhold
to hear about how she came to
North Central and her excitement for working in the School
of Education. This interview has
been edited for clarity.
Q: Why did you move to the
School of Education?
A: I had hoped to teach a
class or do some supervision
at some point for the School of
Education because of how much
I love working with teachers.
However, when the need arose
to have a new faculty member,
I really had to pray. I asked God
to take away the desire if the
move was not His plan. Over
and over, He brought people
into my path that inspired me to
work with teachers even more.
Teaching has been a blessing to

Professor Weinhold will be moving from her office in Kingswriter to the Education wing in Miller Hall.
me in more ways than I can explain, and I believe I can pay the
blessing forward exponentially
by equipping the next generation of teachers.
Q: What do you bring to the
School of Education?
A: First and foremost, I
bring a passion for the ministry.
Teaching is a full-time mission
field. Students, especially at the
secondary level, are forming
their identities and searching
for truth. They no longer want
to believe something simply
because is it what their parents
taught them. Literature and stories provide such powerful tools
for discussion, as well as opportunities to go beyond the text
and into the message. God uses
Christian teachers to reach those
students at critical stages in their
personal and spiritual growth.
The impact a teacher can have is
not only in the lives of his or her
students, but in the lives those
students touch as well.
Q: You have been honered
with many teaching awards
that would allow you to teach
anywhere, so how did you end
up at North Central?
A: Being a part of Emmanuel Christian Center for years,
I had heard about North Cen-

tral University, but I was very

happy teaching in public education. I still feel it is critical
to have Christian educators in
public schools. However, I was
contacted by one of my former
teaching colleagues to teach a
course in St. Kates masters program. Through that class and
the many education conferences
I had spoke at over the years, I
found it so incredibly rewarding to work with teachers. I
firmly believe that if God gifts
you with abilities and you learn
things along the way that will
make others more effective, you
have a duty to share what youve
learned. I decided to look at local universities, first out of curiosity, to see if they had any open
positions. Funny enough, I was
actually looking to become an
education professor! However, Gods timing is perfect and
when I saw that a full-time English position was open here at
NCU, I immediately reached out
to Dr. Crabtree, the chair of the
English department. Then God
started to open doors and make
his plan clear.
To read the rest of this interview, visit ncunortherner.com

The college of Fine Arts out- what makes good drama. The
did themselves this winter when moral question isnt answered.
they chose A Raisin in the Sun We get to grapple with right and
as one of their spring semester wrong.
After the play, the audience
productions. Partnering with
Mosaic, the college of Fine was given the opportunity to ask
Arts decided it was important questions and generate discusfor this American Classic to be sion about the production and
performed at North Central. Ac- the moral questions surrounding
cording to the director, Wayne racial discrimination. Desiree
Matthews, A Raisin in the Sun Libengood and the plays prohas been performed on Broad- duction team facilitated the disway for over 70 years and has cussion.
During the discussion, the
been performed over 540 times.
The play portrays the struggle cast had the opportunity to disof a black family trying to find close some of the symbolism
identity in American society. in the set. They were also able
The underlying truth in A Rai- to share their personal feelings
sin in the Sun is that the dream about diversity both in the Unitof freedom, equality, and justice ed States and at NCU.
In response to a question
belongs to all-no matter the colabout the plays impact on NCU,
or or race, Matthew noted.
The plays opening night, Matt Allen, Joseph Asagai in
February 19th, was packed as the play, said that, The play is
students anticipated one of his- great to educate NCU on racist
torys most produced dramas. issues. In response to another
The cast included NCU stu- question, the cast agreed that the
dents from a variety of majors, best way to start building comincluding Worship Leading, munity around diversity is to
Music Business,
and Communications.
Each
of them believe
in the value and
importance
of
putting on a show
like A Raisin in
the Sun for the
questions it raises
about racial diversity in the 50s
and today.
The play never
gave the audience
an answer to the
moral questions
it raised. However, Walter, played by Parker Thibodeaux, and
a large sum of money.

A Raisin in the Sun attempted

to give the community the skills
to have conversations about diversity, racism, and stereotypes
in a safe environment. As far as
cultural plays go, Wayne Matthews stated that his attempt to
produce a cultural piece every
other year was challenged by
Matt Allen, who said that every
piece of theatre is cultural.
Although the play touched on
deep cultural and moral issues,
bringing some to tears, it also
fostered community, and the actors enjoyed performing it. They
agreed that the best part of practicing was watching each other
mess up. According to Gordon,
though, A Raisin in the Sun is
much more than a play. Sometimes we have ideas about people, but when we sit in front of
them, we realize theyre not that
different from us. The actress
went on to say that if the audience were to get one thing out of
the play it would be to realize
that people are people no matter

the family greive the loss of

FEATURE
BATTLE OF THE FLOORS 2015

PAGE 4

The Northerner | March 11, 2015

On February 21, 2015, 10 bro/sis communities came together and performed 10 minute sketches in the yearly event
known as Battle of the Floors. We asked you to talk about some of the biggest moments of the night,
and we captured them in comments and photos.

More pictures can be found on our Facebook page at facebook.com/ncunortherner. Videos of each sketch and a highlight
reel can be found on YouTube or on our website, ncunortherner.com
Photos and videos by Lindsey Sheets and Jake Tverberg

FEATURE
Matt Allen and Diversity
PAGE 5

The Northerner | March 11 , 2015

An honest conversation about the problems and progress of diversity at NCU

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MATT ALLEN

After the opening night of A Raisin in the Sun, the audience

had an opportunity to ask the cast some questions about racism and
diversity in a safe environment. Matt Allen, a senior Music Business
major, had a few things to say about how North Central University
interacts with racial diversity. After the play, The Northerner caught
up with him to ask him a few more questions about North Centrals
diverse community
Q:What do you think diversity is? What does it look like at
NCU?
A: I think diversity is the variety of life, culture, and/or thought
pattern that keeps us from being a homogeneous collective. At NCU
diversity seems veryrace focused. Not to say that racial diversity
isnt an amazing thing, but anytime I hear the word diversity at
NCU, it is in reference to race (maybe because Im black and I tend
to have more race related conversations). But there are many different kinds of diversity that dont get attention. For instance, there is
religious diversity, sexual diversity, economic diversity, etc.
However, given the nature of NCU, we really only allow certain
types of diversity to be openly accepted here in order to maintain
our status in the AG, the majority of the Christian community, and
politically Right that resides in both. The problem with this is that
racial diversity is still not something that has made it to the ok list
just yet, not in practice anyway. Which is why we find ourselves in
the discussion we are in now.
Q:Why is diversity important? And why is it important to foster a healthy diverse community at the school?
A: Diversity is important because we live in a world where people
are not the same. Since people are not the same, we will not be able
to reach them for Jesus all the same way. Their speech patterns, values, dreams, and physical safety are all at different levels. If a Christian school has no black students or staff, it will not be an effective
tool for ministering to black people. You can replace black with any
other thing youd like and youll get the same result.
Diversity is also important because it allows us to use all the different gifts and talents that God has given us. A singer who grew up
in Texas their whole life, and a singer who grew up in North Korea
their whole life, bring two unique and needed perspectives to the
Kingdom, even though they share the same physical gifting.
When people feel like they are okay to be themselves, they can
open up and allow God to make them better people. However, when
people are constantly trying to conform to a man-made image of
what a community member should look like, they lose that opportunity to grow and the world loses something unique.
Q: What are some of the ways that NCU promotes diversity?
A: There a lot of ways that MOSAIC promotes diversity with
their different events. There are also some short films I have seen out
of the DOXA film festival that have highlighted cultures in unique
ways, so thats nice. Worldgate, the Halloween event, and the
Prayer Nation of the Day, are also some other ways. The production
of Raisin in the Sun by the NCU theater department was a fun
and meaningful way of promoting diversity, though I will admit to a
smidge of bias on that one.
I want to point out that a lot of these ways are more or less about
diversity as a global/ countrywide ideal, as opposed to showing

how diverse the NCU campus is.

Cultural groups on campus would
be around the lines of Soulful
Praize, Worship Live World (a
redundant title but still), and our
amazing Deaf culture programs, to
name a few.
Q:What are some of the problems that you have noticed concerning diversity at NCU?
A: Outside of the conscious and
intentional racism or the non-intentional ignorance, is the idea that
we should be in some way color
blind. The basic concept is that
because we believe in Jesus, there
is no need to acknowledge or celebrate our different cultures. Since
the idea is that we are all the same,
any problems that occur in connection to race are dismissed.
I also notice that with the exception of the W.O.V.E.N. program
and our Community Outreach Day, NCU does not do a whole lot
to embrace the diversity we have in our own backyard. I mean how
often has One Accord gone to an inner city summer camp to perform
and tell kids that NCU is a viable option for them? Do we have
our traveling speech or acting teams go anywhere that isnt firmly
planted in the safe sections of the suburbs, 30 minutes away from
our campus at least?
Q:What are some possible solutions to the problems surrounding diversity at the school?
A: I think it would be nice to see a wider variety of diverse leadership with active speaking roles in the facility. I know thats hard to
do because you dont want to say Hey we need you to talk because
youre a Latino or something like that, but it would be nice to create
opportunities where people of other cultures can be regularly represented in front of the student body. This includes Democrats, Calvinists, and other viewpoints outside of the majority, whether political
or denominational. So often students with these view points feel like
shamed outsiders in their own hallways. Showing these minorities
that they are valued members to the
NCU community would definitely
help with that.
As much as it would be cool
for this to come out of the student
body, if all goes right, the students
are only here temporarily. The staff
and faculty, however, are more
permanent and can form a lasting
bedrock. They should be the ones
really pushing for this.
Q:Do you think there is a rift between what is said about diversity at the school and what is actually happening?
A: Yes, there totally is. So often we hear the school celebrate
diversity, but many times I see the exact opposite. Some students
are actively and purposefully promoting racism, sexism, and other
horrible things. Since the concept of this is not something we talk
about from the pulpit exists, they are allowed to do this with impunity.
I find it hard to believe that Dr. Anderson can talk about the dangers of homosexuality slipping into necro/pedophilia on an almost
yearly basis but when it comes to racial issues in our country suddenly there is a line that must not be crossed. NCU seems to only
like diversity when they can benefit from it in a public relations
standpoint.
If you were to ask me Matt, if someone gave the NCU staff a
button that would change everyone on campus to the majority do
you think theyd push it? my answer would be Of course and
thats sad.
Q:How should NCU address ignorance?
A: Attack it. Not the person, but the ignorance that comes from
that person. When someone speaks ignorance, it should be called
out. Every act of ignorance that is not stopped begins to take root in
the mind of the person. This goes for both sides of the desk. Many

BY OLIVIA DAVIS

faculty and staff members have said some pretty ignorant things to
me, as well as to others. We, as students, should live in an atmosphere where we can safely and respectfully call them out in these
moments.
Also, we have to stop treating ignorance as racism. Its not the
same thing. If I were to say that you are being ignorant I am not
calling you racist or sexist or whatever horrible thing you may think
it means. I am saying that you are not fully informed about what the
topic in question.
I am ignorant. I may not know everything about a policy or a
program, but thats okay. Once I am informed about it, I can change
and move on and get better. Thats the attitude we should carry-- not
one of social self-preservation. We combat ignorance by first being
willing to be wrong, and secondly, to educate ourselves on things we
may be wrong about.
Q:We hear a lot about diverse unity in regards to the Christian church. What does this look like to you, or what should this
look like? How does NCU address this topic?
A: Well I think that diverse unity looks like a bunch of people
with different backgrounds and cultures coming together to achieve
a common goal. Its about embracing what makes us different and
seeing where we can use our unique strengths to benefit certain situations. No matter how different we are, its important to remember
that if Christ is the center of our lives, then we are on the same team.
We may come from different angles, but when we are both equally focused on lifting people up, it doesnt seem as inflammatory. For
example, if you had a football team full of kickers, you wouldnt do
well. There needs to be diversity in order for that team to do all that
its meant to do.
Now as to how NCU addresses diverse unity, I think there are
certain staff members who do speak positively about the subject.
There is a growing amount of the student body who want to promote
unity as well, but I wouldnt say that NCU is really on that band
wagon whole heartedly for now. Its talked about around February
and then its pretty much done with until the next time Black History
Month comes around. However, there have been significant steps
in that direction, so well see what happens with that in the future.
Q:What is one thing that NCU students should be aware of
concerning diversity?
A: It doesnt mean that if you are
in the majority you are no longer
special or important. Often times
those new to diversity are like
new born babies. The concept of
diversity sounds great to the new
born because diversity is healthy,
and I think, most of NCU wants
that. However once the layers are
peeled back and the labor to actually achieve diversity has begun,
people start to feel like their voice
is no longer being counted. They feel that they are no longer getting
the attention from mommy and daddy that they are used to getting
and resentment grows towards little baby diversity. When their hallways begin looking different than the ones they grew up in, they
begin to feel uncomfortable. These are the same students that want
to fly around the world and tell people about Jesus.
We need to remind people that everyone has something unique
and amazing to bring to the table. We, as a student body, have to
realize that its a process and that it is not going to happen overnight.
Every time I hear an ugh this again, it shows me that someone has
not grasped the concept of diversity.
For those in the majority, fostering diversity might seem exhausting, but they are not harmed if nothing changes. For others, desperately climbing up the mountain, there is so much at stake. This is
something that is going to take time. We need to ready ourselves to
slowly have our walls taken down brick by brick, and we have to be
ready to be tired. Its our turn to fight for this. If we want change,
we can no longer ask for it; we have to start demanding it. Without
us, this whole institution crumbles. If we, as a generation and as a
student body, demand a higher level of diversity and social competency, then NCU has to change because we are its life blood.

[Diverse unity] is about

embracing what makes us
different and seeing where
we can use our unique
strengths to benefit certain
situations.

OPINION
Wanting to be advised
PAGE 6

March 11, 2015 | The Northerner

With no faculty or staff solely devoted to the urban department, a student is left confused

BY MERCEDEZ MATHE
I came to North Central for
urban studies. I had been looking at Northwestern and had
found out about the urban studies program so I applied there,
but financially I couldnt commit to Northwestern so I waited a year before applying anywhere again.
I went on google and looked
for a faith based college with
an urban studies program and
North Central was the only 100
percent match. When I saw the
location and visited the campus I fell in love with NCU and
came here the next semester.
Ive had the best experiences
inside and outside of the classroom by being an urban major.
I love this program. Normally a
class over Spring break would
be torture, but the two Ive been
on for classes have been my favorite classes during my time as
a student.
But, that isnt to say that the
urban program is perfect. In four
years, I have had four different
advisers and at this point have
0 profressors in my department.
Every year the people who end
up being my adviser dont know
me, dont know what I want to
do with my life, and dont know
what classes I should be in to

fulfill my goals - not just fulfill

my graduation audit.
I imagine that if someone
would have advised me during
my program my education
would look very different. I
didnt know exactly what I
wanted when I first started(who
does?), and without that partnership with a staff/faculty member
I had no idea how to begin to
build the program that would
help me most. Its my senior

ment students. In my time here

we have had stints of fantastic
urban leaders, but we need stability. The urban program has
flourished at different points and
a large part of that can be accreddited to having phenomental professors and department
staff. We need someone to get to
know us and who is consistent
really, we need just someone
at all.
Future students who come

year and I am just now

realizing I was more
interested in being a socialwork major with an
urban track. The whole
point of an adviser is to
know me and pull that
out of me so I get the
most out of the college
experience.
I am graduating and
I havent gotten connected to any single
professor in my department, because there arent any. As much as I
love this program and
it has been leaving me
feeling gipped.
We really need
someone who is there
for the urban depart-

into the urban program would

enjoy it more if there were stable advisers and teachers. I am
sure current staff and faculty
members would also enjoy having smaller amounts of students
so they can invest more in them.
Thats the best part of a small
campus!
I am confused and dont know
why our department seems so
off track, but I am not upset with
my time being apart of it. How

it stands now is far off from the

pot lucks and community Ive
heard about from previous years
in the urban department, but I
am hoping with new hirings and
expansions of the program it
will return to its former glory even if students are left feeling
gipped now.

CONNECT
WITH US

Comments?
Questions?
Concerns?

Respond to this article by

emailing ncunortherner@
gmail.com.

WWW.NCUNORTHERNER.COM

@NCUNORTHERNER

/NCUNORTHERNER

PHOTO BY REBECCA JACOBSON

But, God gave us meat!

Contact the Northerner at ncunortherner@

gmail.com for more
information.

Personal convictions that led me to go vegan

BY MATT MARCINIEC

was the true heart of

the matter. One year
after this decision, I
took it even further
and adopted a vegan
lifestyle.
I
should
note from the start that
I dont necessarily believe killing an animal
for food is wrong.
Eating meat has
been an integral part of
human evolution from
the very start. They eat
meat and animal products althroughout the
Bible!
However, as we
have moved from a
PHOTO BY LINDSEY SHEETS hunter-gatherer sociTwo years ago I made a rath- ety to a mass production society,
er significant life decision to the methodology of animal congo vegetarian. Health consider- sumption has become drasticalations were a factor to an extent, ly less humane and civil.
I specifically remember one
but a personal ethical conviction

instance last semester when another student criticized my decision and told me that through
God we have dominion over
animals and we have direct permission from God to eat them,
which is true.
Let us unpack that word for
a second. Merriam-Websters
defines the word dominion as
a power to rule, mainly used in
regards to control over a country or region. Being given dominion over something does not
justify or permit the frequent
torture and monstrously poor
living conditions that animals
now face in slaughterhouses,
dairy-factories, and other places
where animal products are mass
produced.
God gave us permission to
eat animals, but he never intended for humans to abuse his
creation.
Because of what I now know

about the food industry and the

inhumane living conditions of
animals, I have chosen to not
support it. I now adhere to a strict
diet free of eggs, dairy, meat and
other animal-based products
such as gelatin and carmine. I
also do not wear anything made
of silk, wool or leather, even
though I have a number of vegan leather (pleather) items in my
wardrobe.
Is it difficult? Perhaps at first
it was. I am not going to pretend
that the chicken strips in the caf
or the shakes in the deli dont
taste delicious. I am not going to
pretend it is not annoying going
to events where there is often
nothing for me to eat.
All I have to do is remember
the anger I felt the first time
I learned of animals living in
overwhelmingly small cages
their whole life. I remember the
anger I felt when I learned of

cows being artificially inseminated, causing them a life of

pain so they can produce milk
that humans will consume instead of their young. Or remember male chicks, who are useless
to egg production, are usually
discarded and killed immediately after birth.
All of this deeply saddens
me, and it makes my decision
very easy.. I can spend a large
amount of time providing specific examples of how animals
are mistreated, but that is not my
intention for right now.
I do not wish to judge any
meat eating leather wearer who
reads this piece. My resentment
is not aimed at people who havent also made this decision.
People who arent vegan arent
terrible, but animal product industries are.
I wish the treatment of animals was addressed more in

Christian culture, as God does

care about it (Prov. 12:10). I am
not trying to convince anyone
to agree with me or to make a
drastic life change. That is neither my intention nor my right.
Do I want you to go vegan? Well
yes, I want the whole world to
stop supporting inhumane animal treatment. Thats unlikely,
andfor now Id settle for a more
vegan accepting and accomodating campus. I am more than
willing to discuss this matter
with anyone who is interested.
Being vegan is in no ways a
popular or well catered to lifestyle, but it is one I am very
proud to stand by.
Opinions expressed in the
opinion section do not
necessarily reflect the views
of administrators, faculty or
North Central University.
Editorials reflect the views of
the Northerner editorial board.

OPINION
Letter from the Editor: Lets
PAGE 7

March 11, 2015 | The Northerner

share our deepest secrets

I mean, share them in private, but do share them.

BY STEVEN CARVER

This last January, North Central took the student leaders off
campus for a day or so for a
Student Leadership Retreat. I
wasnt exactly looking forward
to it, partly because I didnt
know what to expect, mostly
because I just wanted to hide in
my room and read comics. However, its probably been the most

significant part of my year.

At the retreat, Dr. Carolyn
Tennant was brought in to teach
on spiritual disciplines. I wont
go into everything here, but if
you werent there, ask a DL, RA,
or any organization member to
tell you about the retreat; theres
a lot to be learned. We had three
sessions on various spiritual dis-

ciplines that we can incorporate

into our lives for the purpose
of having a deeper relationship
with God. There were two disciplines that I was pretty cool
with: study and silence/meditation. The third was confession. I
was not as cool with that.
Ive seen different forms of
confession during my time as a

Christian. Ive seen the Catholic system of confession, where

a Christian sits across from a
priest and confesses their sins
through a wooden lattice. Its a
very formal system, and it works
for some people. Ive also been
to AG summer camps where the
youth groups engage in mass
confession. I remember one
instance in which the speaker
named the sin of addiction to
pornography and tons of teenage
boys flooded to the altar. Theres
also the act of confession in
private, to your most trusted
friends. I was not as familiar
with that form because, naturally, I never wanted to sit down
and talk about all my failures.
Whenever I was in a situation
where I was asked to confess,
I ether lied my way out of it or
just avoided it entirely.
So when I was told wed be
practicing the act of confession,
I was terrified. Like many humans, I have things in my life
that I would rather keep secret.

I went into the time of confession beyond scared of what was

about to happen, but also knowing that if I walked out of there
having not talked to someone,
I would be cheating myself out
of whatever was on the other
side of confession. I had to give
myself multiple pep talks, but I
eventually sat down with a trusted leader and gave up the darkest, deepest secret that I ever
held. Lo and behold, theres a
lot of healing and freedom when
you do something like that, but
thats not actually my point in
writing this.
See, Ive come to believe
that confession in an intimate,
private setting is better than
mass confession at the altar.
These confessions in Pentecostal churches that do a great job
of hyping up the emotion of an
altar call, but, for one reason
or another, the altar calls lack
spiritual impact. Ive seen this
happen time and time again, in
my life and in the lives of my

friends.
If I had just responded to
a vaguely related altar call, I
could have faded into the crowd,
prayed the generic prayer, and
walked home feeling good
about myself, only to fall back
into the trap of sin the next day.
Now that I have sat down with
someone and fought against everything in me screaming to not
give up what is most incriminating, I have a small network of
close friends fighting beside me.
Yes, deciding to be the most vulnerable that I could be was terrifying. I dont really enjoy doing
it. But its better than trying to
beat sin by standing in a crowd
of people.
I know that when I stop pretending to be perfect, when I
identify my fear of shame, when
I put myself in a dangerous, vulnerable position, the results are
very real. My challenge to you
is that you would do the same.

Theres NO SNOW and

its ALWAYS SUNNY
at ACR HOMES...
Okay, thats not true...but it can warm your hearts!
Rewarding job or careers working with people who have disabilities.
Now hiring for after GRADUATION, this SUMMER, or next FALL !
Contact Phil Baumgarn for more information
at 651-294-4727 or recruiting@acrhomes.com

www.acrhomes.com

ACR is an EEO/AA employer

SPORTS
North Central takes some laps
PAGE 8

March 11, 2015 | The Northerner

Student starts a swim club through rec and wellness

BY HOLLY PIEPER

PHOTO BY HOLLY PIEPER

The North Central swimming club meets in the Aquatic Center at the University of
Minnesota. Roma Dickey arranged this as the venue for the swimming club through the
Rec and Wellness department at North Central.

New to North Central this

year is its very own swim club.
Roma Dickey, freshman ICS
Major, started the swimming
club.
Before coming to North Central, Dickey said she had seen
something online saying there
was a swim club here, but when
she arrived, she realized the club
no longer existed. She took it
upon herself to talk to athletics
to start something up.
Dickey was redirected to
Paul Brunner, director of Rec &
Wellness who worked with her
to start up the club. Brunner and
Dickey meet often to discuss the
club, see how things are going,
and see if its something worth
continuing.
The club meets every Tuesday night from about 6:30 p.m.
to 8:00 p.m. at the University
of Minnesotas pool located in
their Aquatic Center. Two students, Curtis Vaughan and Kyle
Heinzen, drive the Ram vans to
bring the students to the University of Minnesota pool.
Currently the school pays
for the transportation and for
the students admission into the

pool. Dickey said that on the

first day there were about eight
people that showed up, and they
average about five to six people
every week.
It was nice to have something different to do to workout
instead of just going to the fitness center, said Olivia Brown,
freshman ICS Major.
Dickey is passionate about
swimming and has been on a
swimming team since she was
in middle school. She has done
plenty of competitions and
meets so she knows how to run
a practice.
Dickey also wants to help
people get in shape. (Swimming) was a great way to stay
in shape and it was great to be
on a team that supports you and
challenges you to do your best,
Dickey said.
Dickey said she would love
to see more involvement. Right
now the club is simply free time
to swim and most people just do
laps for about 45 minutes. In
the future, Dickey would like to
see the practice more structured
and more of a workout for people than a social event.

Athletics is committed
to looking after injuries
North Central searching for new athletics trainer in the
coming months

BY CURTIS VAUGHAN
North Central athletics is currently without a full time physical trainer and is hoping to start
their search to fill the position
by the middle of March. A full
time staff member had filled the
position for the past three years,
however due to a recent release
of the former trainer, there is
now an open position that needs
to be filled.
For the time being, athletics
has contracted with different
trainers from the Institute for
Athletic Medicine, which is a
service of Fairview Health Services and North Memorial Medical Center that provides athletic
medical training throughout the
Twin Cities area. North Central
has used this institute in years
past when the need for more
than one trainer at the same time
has come up.
The Institute for Athletic
Medicine has been known for
providing trainers for the Womens World Hockey Championships, the National Jr. Olympic

Boys Gymnastic competition,

and exclusively for the Minnesota State High School League
Championships. Due to the institutions popularity, the process of contracting individual
trainers for specific sporting
events has proven to be more
difficult than anticipated.
We havent been able to
cover practices as well as we
would have liked, said Interim
Athletics Director, Jake Smith.
But all of our games have been
covered so we have been able to
keep the contest going. This is
what we will be doing until the
end of the season.
Due to the short hand of trainers, practices will not be covered at the same rate as games,
however, NCU athletics will be
able to take care of any nagging injuries where they need
ongoing training such as taping
or consistent attention.
Baseball, tennis and softball
are heading into their respective
spring seasons and will likely

have similar shoulder, elbow

and other joint injuries due
to the nature and similar arm
movements of each individual
sport. According to Smith, these
sorts of injuries will comprise
self-recovery time and icing and
should not require much handson physical training.
Smith and the rest of NCU
athletics are optimistic heading
into the spring season. They
hope to consistently contract
the same people from the Institute for Athletic Medicine so
that players from each team can
have the same trainer as much
as possible in order to help build
relationship and trust between
the athlete and trainer.
Athletics and the school are
committed to having a trainer
and looking after our students
injuries in order to keep them on
the field as much as possible,
said Smith. Where we are right
now in no way reflects where we
are heading.

March 20 at 7:30 p.m.

March 21 (Alumni Night)
at 7:30 p.m.
March 22 at 3p.m.
March 27 & 28
at 7:30p.m.
March 29 at 3p.m.

Tickets:
$12 Adults
$8 Seniors & Students
Purchase tickets at

I would like to see the club

running all four years that Im
here, Dickey said about her vision for the club.
She also said that she would
like to see attendance grow and
is currently in the process of
brainstorming ideas of raising
awareness of the club.
Dickey would love to see the
club turn into a competing sport
for North Central, but she realizes that probably will not happen
for a while. It would be a long
process and there would need to
be more involvement and more
interest.
Currently the University of
Minnesota Morris (Cougars) is
the only school in the UMAC
that has a swimming and diving team that competes in the
NCAA.
The club started back up this
semester on Feb. 10 and it plans
on meeting at 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday night. There is no
commitment and no fee. Students can sign up for the swimming club in Student Life. For
more information contact Roma
Dickey.