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Students to Make Sisters of Mercy DocumentaryJake AlleruzzoNews Contributer

One of Saint Xavier’s upcoming Fall courses is letting students obtain skills in film-making while learning the history of the Sisters of Mercy. This art and history course is a dual enrollment course meaning both sections must be taken, Historical Documentary Film-Making and Creative Documentary Film-Making. The course is rather versatile in the view of instructor Dr. Graham Peck who explains how the course covers art, history, and general education requirements. The course counts as an IDS credit since it is taught by two faculty members, and the course also offers a community based learning credit as well. What both Professor Nathan Peck and Graham Peck hope is that students enrolled in the course can acquire skills in multiple areas in regards to film-making and historical research. The course is intended to teach students the technical side of the software and equipment necessary to make a documentary, as well as teach students how to do the necessary historical research to produce a documentary.

But, the question now is what is the documentary going to be focused on for the twenty students enrolled in the course? G. Peck stated that the focus of the documentary films will be on the history of the Sisters of Mercy. “With so many resources on campus including access to current members to the Sisters of Mercy, students can utilize many resources to make their films.” stated N. Peck, who believes the course is prime to create quality documentaries among students. The exact design of the course is to separate the twenty students into four pods, each with a certain topic concerning the Sisters of Mercy. Through these pods, professors N. Peck and G. Peck hope that students can share information they find and develop skills in both historical research and documentary research. G. Peck stated that over ten years ago a course such as this could never exist because the equipment and skills training necessary to produce a quality documentary was not achievable in a semester’s time. Today however, Dr. Graham Peck

Documentarypage 2 Editing Bay The Xavierite

SXU Professor Weighs in on Ukraine UnrestJake AlleruzzoNews Contributer

The past few weeks have marked a period of serious turmoil and unrest in the Ukraine, where both government protests and Russian excursions into the area are causing destabilization of the region. While most of the world spent the past few weeks watching the Winter Olympics in Sochi, many people did not pay attention to or notice the protests in Kiev, Ukraine. The protests were aimed at now ousted Ukrainian President Viktor F. Yanukovych, whose corrupt practices and government mismanagement have driven the former Soviet Bloc country into a downward economic spiral. Protests that began weeks ago ended with over 80 dead from violent clashes with Kiev police. Eventually, the highly publicized violence and destruction wrought from the protests forced President Yanukovych to flee the country and enter Russia where he pleaded for help against the civilian rebellion. At this time the Ukranian parliament has elected Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk as acting Prime Minister, who had previously served as a speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament and Economic Minister. Dr. Matthew Costello, a Saint Xavier History and Political Science professor, stated during an interview that Yatsenyuk,

“has advocated for association with the EU and opposed acknowledging Russia as a national language,” which Dr. Costello warns can upset Russia, regions of Eastern Ukraine, and the Crimea territory of Ukraine. Costello does not believe that Yatsenyuk is capable of maintaining a united Ukraine given his political views on where the economically strapped country should turn for financial help. Under former President Yanukovych, Ukraine was prepared to receive a 15 billion dollar bailout from Moscow, which is now being withheld due to the turmoil within Ukraine. Costello believes the question now is whether the Ukraine will align itself with the powers of the European Union or Russia to help avoid defaulting on their debts. This key decision for the Ukraine is not simple and with the Russian invasion of Crimea having just occurred such a decision has grown more tense. The parliament of the Ukraine must now decide whether their ethnically divided people must side with which world powers in order to continue their independence as a nation. With Russia’s presence in the immediate region and within the country

Ukrainepage 2Kiev, Ukraine CIA Factbook

The Xavierite Wednesday, March 5, 2014

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The Xavierite

Documentaryfrom page 1

explains that easy access to facilities such as Saint Xavier’s new CIDAT and editing software such as Adobe Premiere allow for students to take on the undertaking of a full fledged documentary film. The creation and design of a historical documentary is nothing new to G. Peck who has worked with professor N. Peck in the past to produce a historical film on Stephen Douglas. The work on the Stephen Douglas documentary began with another course G. Peck taught, and the film was partially constructed and researched by Saint Xavier University history major students. When the time came to edit the final film G. Peck reached out to art professor N. Peck to help finish the film’s editing. It was around this time when the idea for this documentary film course was formed. Both professors G. Peck and N. Peck hope that the course being offered this Fall semester will attract students from both the art and history departments who are willing to gain experience in documentary film-making. Their other desire is that students who take the course can produce a film during the Fall semester that is of the quality of the Stephen Douglas documentary, which will be shown at Saint Xavier in an April Stephen Douglas symposium. Any students wishing to take part in the upcoming course should register soon and be available to take a six credit hour course in the Fall.

For more information on the Stephen Douglas symposium keep your eyes open for more information in an upcoming issue of The Xavierite.

Ukrainefrom page 1

of Ukraine itself, Costello believes that the Russian government will play a large role in the future of the country. Costello stated that the overall endgame for the Russians is for the entire country of Ukraine to become part of, the “Greater Russia” that Vladimir Putin is seeking. “Russia has a very fine line to walk--to maintain its position as defender of Russian nationals everywhere, but also to stop short of dismembering Ukraine and watching half the country go to the West.” remarked Costello, who made this statement when speaking on the desired outcome Russia has for the current situation in Ukraine. With political tensions rising and pressure being put on Russia from the West, only time will tell how this geopolitical conflict will unfold. President Barack Obama has just this past weekend spoken with Russian leader Vladimir Putin over the phone for 90 minutes and voiced his disapproval over Russian military movements into the country of Ukraine.

Writers WantedCatlyn HicksSenior News Editor

Saint Xavier students can submit their writing, either creative or academic, to be considered for the Saint Xavier University Excellence in Writing Award by Monday, March 17. According to Eileen Doherty, the Dean of Students, the award, which is sponsored by both the Office of Academic Affairs and the Office of Student Affairs, has been around for over 35 years. The ability to communicate clearly through writing is a skill that serves students well both here at Saint Xavier and beyond. According to Dr. Gina Rossetti, the lead judge for the award, “The purpose of the award is to celebrate student achievement in both academic and creative writing at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.” There are four categories that students can apply for and they are: Undergraduate Academic Writing, Graduate Academic Writing, Undergraduate Creative Writing, and Graduate Creative Writing. Academic writing, at both levels, may include documented research papers, literature reviews, case studies, and analyses of either a literary text or work a work of art. Creative writing, on the other hand, may include personal narrative or other creative works of non-fiction, fiction, or poetry. A panel of nine judges, including a lead judge who is noted as having experience in evaluating papers, review the entries. Once received, all submissions have names removed from the papers, catalogued,

and then distributed to two colleagues on the panel. These members of the panel rank the papers and then give their recommendations to the lead judge who makes the final decision. When it comes to the judging process Dr. Rossetti states, “The use of blind review ensures the integrity of the process, as well as it mirrors the process for any faculty or staff member who submits their academic or creative writing samples for publication.” The four winners will receive both cash awards and recognition at the University Award Ceremony in April. All students are eligible, which includes

both graduate and part-time students. Any work submitted must have been used for a class between March 15, 2013 and March 15, 2014. Every entry submitted must be a clean-physical copy without student names, grades, comments, or marginal annotations and will be accompanied by the SXU Excellence in Writing Awards Submission Form. Four clean copies along with a submission form must be submitted to the Office of the Provost in A-219. The submission form can be found at: h t t p : / / w w w. s x u . e d u / a d m i s s i o n s /scholarships/wide/writing.asp.

Stack of Notebooks The Xavierite

As well many countries such as the United States, France, and Britain have threatened to pull out of attending the upcoming Sochi G8 Summit. While these snubs may be aimed at embarrassing the Russian leader, we still do not know what actions will be taken to further punish Russia for its actions. Though, most speculation is that the sanctions planned to be handed down to Russia will be economic in nature. With the tensions of the Ukrainian people growing everyday it seems it will only be a matter of time until something comes to a head in the affairs of Ukraine.

Map of Ukraine The Xavierite

Ukraine’s flag The Xavierite

The XavieriteWednesday, March 5, 2014

SXU’s Dining Services on Par David RodriguezNews Editor Much like a debit system, Saint Xavier University’s dollar per dollar meal plan system appears straightforward. When a student purchases food, the dollar amount is subtracted from the student’s meal plan. However, this system, whose rollover policy is not widely agreed upon, is not very commonly used by other universities. There are six higher education institution that Chartwells services in the Chicagoland area: Dominican University, DePaul University, Elmhurst College, Saint Xavier University, the University of Illinois at Chicago and North Central College. Only DePaul University and Saint Xavier University use the aforementioned debit-type system. Elmhurst College uses a similar system, but instead of using dollar-for-dollar currency they use “meal points.” The remaining schools offer students the meal plans with a fixed number of meals per term. Saint Xavier University’s debit system does not usually receive criticism except toward the end of semesters. This is because if students have a positive balance on their meal plan remaining at the end of the semester, then that balance does not rollover to the next term. This policy raises complaints from Saint Xavier University students every term although not many students find themselves in that situation. The meal plan policies and food prices are constantly discussed and evaluated according to Saint Xavier University’s Director of Auxiliary Services, Linda Moreno. She stated that the Department of Business and Finance is charged with establishing those policies. Moreno

continued by saying that she did not see the rollover policy changing any time soon. This policy, however, is not uncommon among Chartwells-serviced schools. Out of the six schools perviously mentioned, only one, DePaul University, allows unused meal plan funds to rollover to the subsequent semester, but only within the same academic year. Moreno attributes this to DePaul University’s much larger student population. Compared to Saint Xavier University’s, DePaul University’s student population is almost six times as large. Because of the small size of Saint Xavier University and the plethora of dining options it offers its students, it takes more business to reach “critical mass,” according to Moreno. Moreno explained that the “critical mass” is defined as the amount of sales need by dining services to cover its operating costs. She went on to explain that Saint Xavier University’s operating costs in relation to dining are high because there are many dining options available. Moreno also added that students’ funds support the dining system in place. At Saint Xavier University the dining system is relatively extensive. There are six dining locations on-campus at Saint Xavier University. Those locations are the SXU Diner (which has six stations within it), Starbucks, Subway, Rhubarb’s, Coffee Cats and Gilhooley’s Grande Saloon. This is indeed a large amount of options when compared to the other schools mentioned earlier. Dominican University has two on-campus dining locations, DePaul University has three, Elmhurst College has four, the University of Illinois at Chicago has twelve, and North Central College

Starbucks and Rhubarb’s The Xavierite

has three. If you remove the University of Illinois at Chicago and DePaul University from that list, the remaining colleges are similar to Saint Xavier University in size and commuter versus resident ratios, yet they all offer their students less dining options. Moreno went on to say that at a large school, such as DePaul University, the funds in student meal plan accounts can be much more liquid. That means that its size allows it to pay Chartwells without much worry about how much students are spending at any given point in time, because it has so many students and, therefore its critical mass is relatively low. This allows DePaul University to give its students the flexibility

of rolling over meal plan funds at the end of academic terms, according to Moreno. Where any unused meal plan funds go is also a point of controversy among students. Most students believe that those unused funds go straight into the university’s pocket. However, Moreno clarified this misconception. These leftover funds are used to pay Chartwells, if not at that moment then at later time. This is especially true during the summer months when Chartwells still runs the dining at Saint Xavier University, but there is not much student traffic so critical mass is much harder to reach at that time.


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The Crusader of SanityBrian LaughranSenior ViewpointsEditor

A Belated Farewel l to Harold Ramis

The Mount Greenwood Chronicles will resume post-Spring Break. The following article, I felt, must be written and printed within The Xavierite. On February 24, 2014 comedy filmmaker and Chicago resident Harold Ramis died. I imagine many of you reading may not know the name Harold Ramis or be able to associate that name with any particular films. True, Ramis’s name may not carry the cache of a Woody Allen or even a John Hughes, but it certainly should. Ramis created some of the most culturally important films of all time. There’s not a time in my life where I can remember not having knowledge (and a deep love) for a film called Ghostbusters. Ramis was the genius, along with fellow comedic geniuses Dan Aykroyd and Ivan Reitman, who created the team of rag-tag paranormal investigators. I have fond memories of running around my Grandma Donna’s basement with my brother, pretending we were the Ghostbusters and acting out scenes from the movie. As I got older, I discovered more of Ramis’s work. There’s not a day I go golfing

with my dad or brother where lines from Caddyshack (both written and directed by Ramis) aren’t liberally thrown out, even when they don’t apply to a given situation on the course. Even on days when my mom has fallen into routine, you might ask her “How’d your day go mom?” and she’ll respond, “My life is like Groundhog Day. I just did the same old stuff.” Some of the greatest comedies from the 1980s and 1990s have Ramis’s touch. A few of most notable include: National Lampoon’s Animal House, National Lampoon’s Vacation, Ghostbusters II, Groundhog Day and

Analyze This. I am a film fanatic and Ghostbusters is one of the first movies that I remember having a strong liking for. For the longest time I probably would’ve called it my favorite movie. I rewatched the film on Saturday of last week and you know what? It’s still one of my favorite movies. Then that got me thinking back to another Ramis film – Groundhog Day: one of the most original films ever made. In the picture, Bill Murray plays a Pittsburgh weatherman sentenced by some unknown power to relive the most recent

Groundhog Day over and over and over again, until he learns the error of his ways. It’s a sweet film in which Bill Murray gives one of his best performances and perhaps one of the best performances in a comedy/fantasy film. But at the film’s core is the razor sharp writing of Ramis and the pleasantly witty direction he employed with every film he made. Where many film publications and scholars rank the movies of Harold Ramis, I am not sure. What I am sure of, however, is that Ramis was a filmmaker who touched my life and I know the lives of countless others who fell in love over and over and over again with Groundhog Day, who can’t step on a golf course without shouting “IT’S IN THE HOLE!” or who learned through Ghostbusters that there truly is not a sight more terrifying/hilarious than a seven-story marshmallow man. I never knew Harold Ramis personally, yet his films touched me in a very personal way. In fact, I’d dare say they touched me in the way that is most personal: they made me laugh. Anyone who uses their talent and resources to make people’s lives a little better by making them laugh is OK in my book. So, by that standard, Ramis is great in my book for making me and millions of others, laugh countless times.

The Ghostbusters (from left to right: Harold Ramis, BIll Murray, Dan Aykroyd. Not pictured: Ernie Hudson) flickr.com

Despite the fact that the Olympics – a display of international harmony through sport – ended just a week ago, tensions are high between the United States and Russia. If you are unaware, allow us to bring you up to speed. The country Ukraine is facing economic collapse. Their former prime minister decided to seek help from Russia (who under the Soviet Union once held Ukraine and robbed it of its resources), despite the fact that roughly half of the country wished to seek aid from countries in Western Europe and the United States. Ukrainian protestors overthrew that prime minister. Now, Russia has invaded Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula. Now President Obama and the United States is faced with the dilemma of how to handle Russia. According to the Reuters article “Obama must carefully calibrate Russia response, rhetoric: Gates” by Phil Stewart, Robert Gates – “a Russia expert and former CIA chief” – had much insight into the situation.

Stewart writes in his article: “Gates said Obama also needed to be mindful of his rhetoric in the days ahead, noting that ‘the stronger the rhetoric, the greater expectation of strong action - even if it’s limited (to) the political and economic arena.’” The last thing that the United States needs is to engage in another military action. President Obama is at a cross roads at the moment. Should he step in and intervene, this could turn into a massive conflict between two world-wide super powers. Should the United States not intervene, the people of Ukraine are faced with the challenge of fighting against Russian forces on their own and escaping the tyranny of Vladimir Putin who seems interested in setting himself up as a Russian czar. Any action taken is going to lead down a path that could greatly change the course of history for not only those involved, but for the entire world. Russia remains a very important ally in several conflicts the United States is

involved in, including Syria and Iran. Damaging relations with Russia could also inflame these two conflicts even more. Perhaps the most prudent thing to do would be to allow Prime Minister Putin to make the first move. As dangerous as that may sound, Russia has yet to declare an official invasion of Ukraine or any other official military action. Freedom should be protected, but when the situation remains hazy it is not time to act with any sort of measures as drastic as a full-on military counter-offensive. This is a situation that deserves the utmost attention and care. If we are to avoid another Cold War then this hotbed of questions must be handled with well-thought and carefully crafted maneuvers and rhetoric. Now is not the time to act first and ask questions later. Now is the time to think carefully and plot a well-constructed course of action should things either turn sour or unexpectedly go well for those involved in this situation.

We try to voice the opinions of the St. Xavier Community through our Viewpoints secrtion. If you would like to voice your opinion directly please write us a Letter to the Editor. If you are a student, please include your full name and major. If you are a faculty/staff member please include your name and title. Send your letter to [email protected] with “Letter to the Editor” written in the subject line. Letters may be edited/printed at the editor’s discretion if they include profanity, libel, profanity, or do not otherwise meet the standards of ethical journalism.

LettertotheEditorPolicy

Ukraine, Russia, The US and YouBy

The Xavierite Staff


The College DiariesBridget GoedkeViewpoints Editor

My dear readers, it is finally time for me to write about something that has been bothering me for quite some time. “Why put it off so long if it irks you so much?”, you might ask. The answer to that is simple, I needed time. Time to see if my difficulties with this particular issue might just pass and also to discover if my peers were experiencing these same type of difficulties. If you’re in happy long-term relationship, you might want to turn the page and skip this article because it is likely that you will not currently relate to the struggle I am about to express. And after all, connecting to my readers is a primary goal of my column. Many college students, myself included, find ourselves single and active in the dating scene. Now, when I say dating I mean meeting people, going on dates, having several different connections with several people and most importantly, not being currently committed to one specific person. In a rather non-journalistic fashion I am going to cut right to the chase and

ask…..does anyone else find the modern dating scene and dating practices to be totally confusing and exhausting? Due to our extremely advanced and numerous technological avenues of communication, there’s about a hundred different ways to keep in contact with dating prospects and each avenue (text, message, IM, phone call) seems to mean something different to each person. I cannot even express the amount of times I have heard a peer or friend say or even said myself “So I’ve been talking to this guy (or girl)....” I think I speak for an entire generation when I ask…What does that even mean? Well you’ve been texting back and forth, he sends you snapchats, he Facebook messaged you, you tweeted at him. But how often do you actually have a conversation in person or spend any extended amount of time together...rarely in most cases. How well can you really get to know someone via text? Is it wrong for me to long for the days when the person you were interested had only one way to reach you, by phone? And that phone was used to determine the next time you would see each other in order to get to know each other a little better. It’s simple; it’s to the point. If they’re interested they will call and make an effort to see you. No indecipherable texts, no random Facebook messages, no suggestive snapchats,

no sly sub tweets, no confusion. Similarly, we are constantly in contact with friends, acquaintances and romantic interests, so how exactly do we distinguish those who are genuinely interested in us from those who aren’t. At any given point during a text conversation we are sifting through slang and emojis that seem to mean something a little bit different to each person all while only assuming the tone and mood of the person on the other end. As I type this my mind is immediately drawn to the ever-disputed winking smiley face as an excellent example. It is more than possible that you view your relationship with this person one way and they view it completely differently. It seems as though person-to-person interaction has become a little too “awkward” and uncomfortable for most of my generation and understandably so. We’ve been given a much less nerve racking and potentially less embarrassing route...

who wouldn’t take advantage of that? We say we are putting ourselves out there, but we are never fully putting ourselves out there because social media and texting allow us to maintain a constant hint of ambiguity within our messages if we wish to do so. It’s much easier to get a “No thanks’’ in text then to get one right to your face. But back in the day (wow, I sound like my Dad), that was the only way they had and somehow they survived the humiliation and rejection and still managed successful dating and relationships. I, and I am willing to bet most of my peers, would much appreciate any guy that is interested in me walking up to me and starting a conversation. Never underestimate the value of a little straightforwardness and courage. Put down your phones and computers and actually talk to someone...let’s cut down the confusion.

So I ’ve Been Talk ing to th is Guy. . .

How Well Can You Really Get To Know Someone via Text?

Quick BitsThe Internet and the Movies

The Internet is a breeding ground for people who don’t want to have any fun. Recently, I saw the film The Monuments Men. To give a brief review, the film is flawed but is ultimately a good time. Director George Clooney made a film reminiscent of movies like The Dirty Dozen or even Sands of Iwo Jima. It’s a men-going-off-to-war romp where the real fun lies in hearing Bill Murray and Bob Balaban exchange witty one-liners instead of the wartime action sequences. The film is ultimately a harmless good time at the movies. But if you go online, it would appear that those blogging about it seem to have had everything but a good time. Complaints range from the boisterous (and truly great) score by Alexandre Desplat to the cheeky to humor to the loose way that Clooney plays with history. People have a right to voice their opinions, but jeez…sometimes people should keep their rage to themselves. Writer/director/producer/star George Clooney wasn’t trying to make a stark film like Saving Private Ryan. He was trying to tell a simpler, lighter story. There should be room for both kinds of films within our culture. For those complaining about historical inaccuracies, I invoke the spirit of the late, great Roger Ebert when I say, “The movies are not a history lesson.”

Besides, it seems hypocritical to criticize Clooney and co-writer/co-producer Grant Heslov for historical inaccuracies when Quentin Tarantino’s World War II epic Inglourious Basterds was largely applauded, despite the fact it depicts Adolf Hitler and most of the German high command being killed off in a fictitious movie theater explosion. I just don’t understand why we can’t just take movies for what they are – entertainment. I can understand disliking something if it didn’t entertain you, but why on God’s green earth do people online always feel the need to tear something apart if they personally didn’t like it or take exception with the treatment of history. The same could be said of complaints given to Gravity and American Hustle, both films dinged by people online complaining about historical inaccuracies. Perhaps one instance that truly bothers me is the people complaining about 12 Years a Slave. Some even question whether Solomon Northup was even ever really a slave. That’s not the point of the film, or even Northup’s book. The point is to demonstrate for a an audience of free people how devastating slavery truly was (and in some corners of the world, is). So the next time you walk out of a theater, remember to take what you’ve seen with a grain of salt. It’s just pretend.

By Brian Laughran

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Alright, alright, alright…. This past Sunday the 86th Annual Academy Awards were held at the Dolby Theatre. It’s no surprise to many of you who read my column “The Crusader of Sanity” I love movies and look forward to the Oscars every year. As with all Academy Awards ceremonies, there were highs and lows, winners and losers. This is the official Brian Laughran – The Cinematic Sultan – Oscars in review. The night started out very promising with a witty and sharp monologue by host Ellen DeGeneres – setting a vastly more welcoming and warmer tone than last year’s host, Seth Macfarlane. Ellen’s monologue was promptly followed up by a hilarious segment in which Jim Carrey rattled off a few quick one liners and an impeccable Bruce Dern impression. That segment, however, quickly degenerated as Carrey introduced a montage of “animated heroes” – the first of many lame hero montages throughout the night. Among the early winners, Jared Leto graciously took home the first award (Best Supporting Actor) of the night for his performance as an HIV positive transvestite in Dallas Buyers Club. The night then became a flurry of technical awards (mostly belonging to Gravity) and recognition for short films, both animated and live action, and documentaries, both feature length and short subject. These very technical awards that seem to be a blur in my mind were interrupted by a few moments of sheer brilliant entertainment and passion. The first came as Lupita Nyong’o accepted her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as a sexually abused slave in 12 Years a Slave. Nyong’o’s exuberance was infectious and simply exuded grace and good will to all those watching as she gave her speech. Another of these moments was an impromptu one from what I can figure. It was a small moment and not one likely to be remembered by many. But after Amy Adams and Bill Murray announced the nominees for Best Cinematography, Murray simply took over the microphone for a split second and said, “…And Harold Ramis, for Caddyshack, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day.” This loving tribute to the late Chicago filmmaker, comedy legend and friend of Murray garnered much applause from the audience despite its odd placement in the show. The rest of the show moved along at a disjointed pace. Some of the gags by DeGeneres landed; others did not. One gag that irritated me, yet I’m sure entertained millions others watching was one involving the host taking selfies with stars and ordering a pizza. They were sweet and well-intentioned, but brought the show to a stand-still. Pharrell Williams gave a high-energy and fun performance of his Oscar-nominated song “Happy” from Despicable Me 2 – the only one of the Best Original Song nominees to really keep my attention. Karen O gave a good, if brief performance of “The Moon Song” from Her. U2 and Idina Menzel both over performed their songs from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and Frozen, respectively. Both Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Screenplay winners - John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) and Spike Jonze (Her), respectively – gave emotional and succinct acceptance speeches.

And the Oscar goes to... Then there were deep lulls in the show, including a well-intentioned, but overly long tribute to the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz and to the career of Judy Garland. There were several more of the aforementioned hero montages, each well assembled, but random (one in particular featured costumed heroes yet neglected to include Christopher Reeve’s Superman, Michael Keaton’s Batman and Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man). These moments were some of the slowest and most disjointed of the night. Alfonso Cuaron’s acceptance speech for Best Director for his work on Gravity was light and warm – even thanking fellow Spanish speaking directors Pedro Almodovar and Guillermo Del Toro. Cate Blanchett’s acceptance speech for her Best Actress trophy for her performance in Blue Jasmine was high in energy, but too long. Matthew McConaughey perhaps gave the best speech of the night for his work as a leading man in Dallas Buyers Club. McConaughey is a guy who wears his heart on his sleeve and shows his true, Good-Ol’-Boy colors any time he gets the chance. The final prize of the night went (justly) to Steve McQueen’s brutal historical drama, 12 Years a Slave in which McQueen and producer Brad Pitt accepted the award. All-in-all in was a night that could have definitely moved at a much quicker pace, could have done without a few of the jokes, montages and songs, but awarded the right people and isn’t that really what the show is all about?

Author’s Note: I was struck by how many great people in movies we lost in 2013/early 2014 when the ‘In Memoriam’ segment ran during this year’s Academy Awards. Two of the nominees in particular meant the world to me. The first being Chicago and national film critic Roger Ebert. Ebert was the man who got me reading film criticism and his show “At the Movies” was a staple of Sunday morning viewing. I owe my love of analyzing movies to Roger Ebert. The other is film great Harold Ramis – a comedic genius who made me laugh from when I first saw ‘Ghostbusters.’ If you would like to read more about my thoughts on Ramis, see my column in the Viewpoints section.

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Article by Brian Laughran & Layout by Lauren Dwyer


SXU Invites Students to Apply to be Commencement Speaker

Graduating students interested in delivering the student commencement speech must meet these guidelines:

-Graduating in May 2014 and planning on attending the ceremony-Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0-Good disciplinary standing-Record of academic achievement, service, and campus involvement

In order to apply, submit the following information to [email protected] by 4:30pm on Monday, March 17:

-Letter of interest that includes contact information (phone and SXU email)-Draft of speech-Current resume that includes academic achievements, research, campus involvement, and volunteerism

Speeches should address the following:

How have your personal experiences as a student shaped your educational journey at Saint Xavier University?Use examples from your collegiate life, possibly including course work, co-curricular involvement, service, reflection on Core Values, relationships developed, etc., to illustrate the transformative power of a SXU education.

The speech should utilize sophisticated and inspiringThe speech should utilize sophisticated and inspiring, yet accessible, language; appeal to and capture the attention of a broad audience; include creative and appealing techniques such as metaphors, stories, quotes, or humor;illuminate the universal experience of being a student and be structured around a theme using descriptive examples reflective of the broader student experience at SXU.

Any questions may be directed to the Office for Student Affairs, L-208, [email protected] or (773) 298-3123

Student speaker semifinalists will be required to present their speeches to the committee prior to the final selection. The Commencement Ceremonies are on Saturday, May 10, 2014. One undergraduate student speaker will be selected for the undergraduate ceremony (10 a.m.) and one graduate student speaker will be selected for the graduate ceremony.


You Gotta Watch This!: Murdoch Mysteries1890’s Canadian murder mysteries? Yes, please.

Becki BrownEditor in Chief

Over the break, my mom told me about a show called Murdoch Mysteries. She told me it was about a detective that solved murders in 1890’s Toronto. Great, I thought to myself. It’s another one of her boring shows about history (in case you don’t know me, it’s hard for me to get into history unless it’s about dinosaurs). Since this show was obviously not about dinosaurs, I didn’t really want anything to do with it. After some persistence from my mother, I finally agreed to watch an episode. This was one of the best decisions of my life. After just watching one episode, I was hooked on Murdoch Mysteries. In the first episode, “Power,” Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) has to investigate the murder of a young lady who was electrocuted during a demonstration. Murdoch is aided by Constable George Crabtree (Johnny Harris) and none other than Nikola Tesla (Dmitry Chepovetsky). Tesla isn’t the only historical figure in the show. Murdoch and his friends also get to meet Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Buffalo Bill Cody, Harry Houdini, and Henry Ford (just to name a few). Every episode is filled with drama and excitement. Each plot has many twists, turns and surprises. Each season finale has a cliffhanger bigger than the last, and each first episode of the season is even more action-packed.

While each episode of Murdoch could stand alone, at least in my opinion, you would lose something if you don’t start at the beginning and go in order. There are several running storylines, including the on-again, off-again romance between the Detective and the coroner, Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy). Also, almost every season has some sort of thread that ties it together. The series covers a range of controversial topics, such as abortion, racism, sexism, religious intolerance, corruption, and, of course, murder. They also have episodes based around the battle between direct current and alternating current Sherlock Holmes, Alice in Wonderland, the Klondike Gold Rush, and even Jack the Ripper. There are constant allusions to future inventions, which, of course, we know about but the characters don’t. One time, Constable Crabtree tells Murdoch about “micro” waves and how they can be used to cook food. He says that they could be used to cook a potato in mere minutes. He goes on to say that in the future, he could see every house having one of the “micro” wave cooking rooms (at the time, it took a whole room to do what a tiny Kenmore could do). Right now, there are six complete seasons on DVD, and the seventh season is currently airing in Canada. You can watch episodes from the first six seasons on Ovation, or you can watch the DVDs either by buying them or renting

them from the public library.

The cast of Murdoch Mysteries (Top row l-r) Constable Crabtree, Detective Murdoch, Inspector Brackenreid, (Bottom row l-r) Dr. Grace, Dr. Ogden.

Murdoch uses science to uncover clues. theladyinwaiting.org

lj3.org

I Really Hate the InternetLauren DwyerSenior Features Editor

Maybe my headline is misleading, but it’s not that far off from my truth. I don’t hate the entire Internet, but I do a good part of it. I’m sure you are wondering, “But Lauren, how could you hate this vast technological network that has endless amounts of information and pictures of cats?” Because, reader, it is filled with a lot of horrible things. Trolls, Internet “activists”, and the same memes we have seen a million times overrun the Internet. The Internet is a great place if you have the intense need to be an anonymous jerk. Behind the mask on anonymity you can essentially say whatever you want to someone with little to no remorse. This is why many anonymous message boards are so popular amongst society’s scum. These websites have produced some of the most popular content on the Internet, while destroying lives. No, I don’t mean that the “Philosorapter” and “Forever Alone” memes have destroyed lives, but they have distracted users from the real damage that these websites can cause to people. When you have a group of like-minded individuals that are all called to action against someone or something, they can do a lot of damage if they want to. But trolls are not the only reason why I hate the Internet. There are a few websites themselves that make me cringe every time I see them. Buzzfeed, Tumblr, and good ol’ HuffPo are just a few sites that make me go, “ewwww.” I will admit, for a short time I went on Tumblr and even Buzzfeed for a few laughs.

But then I realized that they are such a complete waste of time. Buzzfeed is just lists upon lists of garbage that no one should spend time looking at and sharing all over social media. Just take a glance at Buzzfeed’s front page. Currently, I see “11 Reasons Figure Skating Is The Most Magical Thing On Earth”, “6 Moms Who Totally Stole the Show at the Oscars”, and “16 Stylish Products for Pizza Lovers”. I would love to contribute an article to Buzzfeed called, “1 Reason why Buzzfeed is the Worst.” It will look just like the example I have made to the left. It even has some random picture I pulled from Google Images. However, at least I took the five seconds to cite the legitimate picture source. Maybe I am just a jealous hater, because I have to actually write articles in order to get paid. Tumblr is just an entire different story. The website is filled with “social activists” who think that reblogging a picture with some words is going to change the world. Newsflash: it is not. If you want to really be an activist, get off your computer and go out in the world and do something. Meet other activists in person, form real relationships, and then maybe you can change the world. There is a particular part of Tumblr that really upsets me. It is the subculture of “Fat Activists”. Having been overweight my entire life, I know that it can suck to have people make fun of me. I have heard all of the names and felt all of the lows. But I will never identify with “Fat Activists”. Some of them are okay, but many of them are not. The ones that are great are those that are working towards acceptance

for all body types, not just those that are overweight. On the other hand though, there are the people that just shame women for being thin. They say things like “real women have curves” and “meat is for men, bones are for dogs”. How does it make sense to just turn the tables on people that may have tortured you in the past? Oh wait, it does not. I also believe that Tumblr, and, well

I suppose the Internet as a whole, has become a catalyst for this overly sensitive ,ultra-politically correct society we now live in. Be careful with every word you openly say because even the most innocent thing could suddenly be misinterpreted and turned against you and you will be labeled sexist, racist, homophobic, etc. We so freely label people with these words that they are starting to lose all meaning. One day, being called sexist

or racist is going to be synonymous with someone telling you that you are a “poohead.” The Internet is not an entirely horrible place and it is not worthless. In fact, it is a tool for us to wield wisely to better ourselves and maybe even the world around us. However, when we are spending too much time focusing on “30 of the Cutest Things Cats ever Climbed on”, we are not using the

internet to full potential that it is meant to have. So instead of sharing the umpteenth Buzzfeed quiz on which movie character you should marry, share an article that will expand your mind and the mind of others. Use the Internet for good, never to harm others and the future will have a better chance at being all right.

Anyone can replicate a BuzzFeed article! nuevasmamas.net

@glaurendweer


Need Advice?Go to surveymonkey.com/s/TWJLF3J to

send in your anonymous questions!

Your fantasy world will be especially active this week and you should feel free to take off into dreamland.

Aries 3/21-4/19

A task that you’ve been working on could come to a standstill due to circumstances beyond your control.

Taurus 4/20-5/20

Boredom and restlessness may plague you. The walls may be closing around you at home and on the job.

Libra 9/23-10/22

Your imagination is especially active and you might find yourself playing out scenes from your dreams.

Scorpio 10/23-11-21

Your physical vitality is extra strong this week, Gemini, although your thoughts may be a little clouded.

Gemini 5/21-6/20

This could very well be one of those weeks in which you forget to put on your shoes before heading out the door.

Sagittarius 11/22-12/21

Your concentration should be high this week. You’re likely to be more observant than usual.

Capricorn 12/22-1/19

You’re asked to spring into action so don’t resist it. Be aware of the fact that things may not be as they seem.

Cancer 6/21-7/22

Enjoy a spirited week in which you indulge in everything your heart desires, Leo.

Leo 7/23-8/22

You may have suffered some financial setbacks and wonder how you can muster enough funds to get over the hump.

Aquarius 1/20-2/18

Profligate spending in the past may come back to haunt you now with regard to money, Virgo.

Virgo 8/23-9/22

Setbacks on the job might have you a little depressed and worried. Don’t worry, Pisces; all will be well.

Pisces 2/19-3/20

Dear Lauren,

Spring break is next week and I have no idea what I can do for it. A lot of my friends want to go on a road trip, but I am way too poor to go and do something like that. How can I still have fun this break on a tight budget?

Sincerely,Fun on a Budget

Dear Fun on a Budget, Spring break is not all about spending as much money as you can, so don’t worry about being broke as a joke. Spring break is about having fun and relaxing though. So that means that if you are sitting around worrying about how much money you have (or don’t have), then you are not doing spring break right. The weather outside is crappy this week, and it will most likely still be crappy next week. So, going on a long road trip won’t even be that

fun, so if that is indeed what your buddies will be doing, then you aren’t missing out. Hanging out at home and sleeping excessively, catching up on all of your favorite television shows and maybe even reading a book for fun are all awesome things that you could involve yourself in. Chances are your friends won’t actually go on some crazy road trip this break, because, like I said before, the weather outside is just terrible. If that is the case, drag them over to your house for a...SLUMBER PARTY! Yes, a slumber party.

Remember those awesome nights with friends you had when you were young? Well, this would be a great time to relive those memories. Grab some DVD’s from the closest RedBox, bust out all of the junk food and sleeping bags, and you are on your way to having a great time with friends. Nothing is better than just spending some quality time with friends. Have a great spring break!And remember, listen to Lauren!

The New Hunger Games

Years in the future, war and violence ravage the Chicagoland area. Fences rise around the border and the people behind the walls were divided into five factions, each faction holding values they believe should be the most important in life. There is the Abnegation who believe in selflessness; Erudite, who believe in a search for knowledge; Candor, who believe in honesty above all; Amity, who believe in peace, love and laughter; and finally Dauntless, who believe in bravery above all things. This story follows a young girl named Beatrice. Her tale starts when she leaves for school the morning of her placement test. The test is given to help young teens make the decision on what faction they wish to be a part of for the rest of their life. During her placement test Beatrice was found to be a Divergent; a person who does not fit in to just one faction. If having second thoughts about what faction she was going to join wasn’t hard enough, Beatrice had this to deal with too. With a quick and final judgment, she decided to leave her life behind and follow her heart. D i v e r g e n t piqued my interest when I found the movie trailers online. The instant I started to read it, however, I was hooked. I guarantee that if you loved the Hunger Games trilogy, you will love

Divergent. With intense drama and heartwarming scenes, this easily became one of my favorite books. From what the trailers have shown, the screenplay is going to be just as good. The action and suspense is going to be leaving me at the edge of my seat, even if I know what’s going to happen next. One of the cooler aspects of the book, to me, is the fact that it is based in downtown Chicago. It’s kind of fun to read a paragraph describing the setting and understanding exactly where everything is. The movie looks suprisingly well casted. Each character seemes to have walked right off the pages. The only issue I had with any of the casting was for one of the Dauntless instructors who doesn’t exactly have the correct amount of facial peircings. Although many movie adaptations butcher their written counterparts, this film looks like it will be great. I highly recommend this book series to anyone who loves drama and post-apocalyptic worlds. Add it to your reading list and look for it in theaters next month!

Kristen MabryFeatures Editor

Divergent is awesome, right? thimble.webmaker.org


Tim CarrollSenior Sports Editor

SXU Pleased with Current Drug System“Unless there was mandatory legislation put on us by the NAIA, am I satisfied with the way things operate right now? I guess we are, because we haven’t had anything called to our attention that would make us unsatisfied.”

–Bob Hallberg, A.D.

As the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) gets ready to contemplate implementation of a universal drug policy, Saint Xavier University is content with the policy it has in place for athletes. Readers of The Xavierite learned last week (“NAIA Considers Universal Drug Policy”) that the NAIA has no official drug testing policy, instead allowing member schools to make an autonomous decision on drug testing. So, what does Saint Xavier’s drug policy for athletics look like? “First of all, we follow the policy of the

student handbook. Student-athletes are students first, and at the present time, no, we have no drug testing and no drug policy for athletes here on campus,” said Bob Hallberg, Saint Xavier’s director of athletics. When asked what factors played a role in Saint Xavier not adopting a drug testing policy, Hallberg reiterated a concern that the NAIA held about drug testing: it is expensive. “Depending upon what you’re testing for, it could be as low as $6,000, most schools spend about $15,000 and some of the [National Collegiate Athletic Association] Division I schools might spend $80,000 a year, so cost is a factor,” said Hallberg. “It’s also invasive,” added John Pelrine, Saint Xavier’s Vice President for Student

The NAIA champions of character logo. naia.org

Affairs, the division of the university administration that oversees athletics. “It’s highly invasive and there should be a reason to drug test. Just randomly testing someone because they’re an athlete strikes me as a way of singling out a group unnecessarily.” In light of this position, Pelrine and Hallberg were asked how they would respond to the changes that the NAIA is proposing to its drug policy. (The NAIA will be discussing a drug education policy and testing at championship events at their national convention next month.) “That’s the first I’ve

heard, as the athletics director, that they would be testing at championship events, so if that is the case that’s news to me,” said Hallberg. But both Hallberg and Pelrine thought that the system currently in place for Saint Xavier athletes was adequate to deter drug abuse. “Unless there was mandatory legislation put on us by the NAIA, am I satisfied with the way things operate right now? I guess we are, because we haven’t had anything called to our attention that would make us unsatisfied,” said Hallberg. While there is no formal drug policy in place, the administrators said that the champions of character program that the NAIA requires member schools to employ solidifies what coaches teach their athletes. “I can’t speak for [President Christine Wiseman] directly, but in the past she’s been enthusiastically supportive of [the champions of character program],” said Pelrine. “She believes that it has a positive effect on our athletes.” The program is now an online seminar in which coaches must participate when they are hired. Coaches then give access information to athletes, who are encouraged

to participate as well. “But [the program] is just one tool,” said Pelrine. He said that athletes have other support systems for positive values, including “a good coaching staff, a good athletic administration, a student handbook—the whole ethos of what it means to be a student-athlete at Saint Xavier.” But the champions of character program is not expressly about drug education. Rather, it deals mostly with athletes’ behavioral choices. “Most of the stuff deals with conducting yourself, what a student-athlete representing the NAIA is supposed to be: good grades, community service, even the proper handshake before and after a ballgame,” said Hallberg. The NAIA convention in April may well mean dramatic changes to the system that Saint Xavier uses for drugs and drug education in athletics. But until that time, the university and the athletics department are pleased with the values and support systems currently in place.

SXU athletes need’nt worry about drug testing unless NAIA required.watchdog.org

@TimCarroll_XAV

Blackhawks Win at Soldier Field; Trade Deadline Wednesday-Playoffs on Horizon!Frank MarkasovicSports Editor

Now that the playoffs are over, the NHL is back in full swing.

The Regular-Season is winding down to the end as teams prepare to advance into the Stanley Cup Playoffs or, for those less fortunate, start preparing for next season.

The Blackhawks have played two games in the last week and one will be played on Tuesday, March 4.

However, this article will already be submitted Monday night so the outcome will be known after the paper is printed.

The two games played, as of writing this column, have been against the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Hawks visited the Rangers at Madison Square Garden in the hopes of starting the last stretch of the season off with a win.

However, the Rangers had something else in mind as they defeated the Hawks in a 2-1 battle of an Original Six matchup.

New York’s goals came from goal-scorer Rick Nash and forward Derick Brassard.

Both goals were even-strength goals but were more than the Blackhawks could score.

The Blackhawks’ goal came from newly acquired forward Peter Regin late in the third period with just 12 seconds to go.

It was too late for the Hawks to come back.

Though New York bested the Hawks on that night, the Hawks would take out their revenge on another Eastern Conference foe in Pittsburgh.

This next game was no ordinary game.

This game would be played outside, under the lights at Soldier Field in Chicago as apart of the NHL Stadium Series Games.

The Hawks and Penguins had to endure the weather as the skies continued to spew out thick snow showers.

Aside from the snow, another outdoor factor that played a part in the adversity of this game would be the Chicago cold and frigid wind.

The cold and snow wouldn’t hinder the Hawks’ play as they defeated the Eastern Conference leaders 5-1.

This was a high scoring game considering the puck visibility was notably difficult with all the snow covering the ice.

The Blackhawks goals came from Jonathan Toews (2), Patrick Sharp, Kris Versteeg, and Bryan Bickell.

These goals were more than enough to push past the Penguins.

The only Penguins’ goal came from a goal credited to forward James Neal.

It was credited to James Neal because Blackhawks’ defenseman Brent Seabrook accidentally threw the puck into his own net.

The Blackhawks will go into Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche with a record of 36-12-14 and a point total of 86.

The Blackhawks are now in 2nd place behind the St. Louis Blues who have 86 points as well but have played 2 games less than the Hawks.

Trailing the Blackhawks are the Colorado Avalanche with 83 points, Minnesota with 73 points, Dallas with 66 points, Winnipeg with 66 points and

Nashville with 62 points.

Blackhawks News

There have been some recent developments for the Blackhawks as of late, some good and some not so good.

On the bright side of things, The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that they have come to terms with the contract extension of forward Brandon Bollig.

Bollig’s contact has been extended an additional three years, which will run through the end of the 2016-17 NHL season. Congrats to Bollig!

He has definitely improved from when he first entered the Hawks’ lineup and I cannot wait to see him continue to grow.

In other news, I am sad to say that Marian Hossa has been dealt another injury.

Hossa was injured during the Stadium Series game against the Penguins.

His injury is classified as an upper-body injury that will keep him sidelined for up to three weeks.

Hopefully he is back in the lineup as soon as possible!

Hossa has contributed a lot this season and missing him in the lineup will definitely make an impact.

Coach Quenneville claims that with this injury dealt to Hossa, more ice-time will be opened up to more players.

This can be a good thing considering that the Hawks have so much talent just waiting to be unleashed in the lines below Toews, Kane, and Sharp.

After the game that took place at Soldier Field Saturday night, March 1, goalie Corey Crawford noticed something

was missing.

That something was his white-based goalie pads and some other accompanying goalie gear. Someone actually took Crawford’s gear!

If I had to guess I say it was Sidney Crosby, that guy is always doing something irritating at any given time.

But seriously, Crawford is upset and was forced to wear his black and red goalie pads from the Stadium Series at practice since he has no other pads as of right now.

Lastly, there has been another development that I am not very fond of.

And that is the trade made between the Florida Panthers and the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Hawks dealt rookie forward Brandon Pirri to Florida in exchange for a 2014 3rd Round Draft Pick and a 2016 5th Round Draft Pick.

Brandon Pirri is a young and talented center that was drafted by the Hawks in 2009 a 59th overall pick.

In my opinion, Pirri had more value than a 3rd and 5th round.

I believed that Pirri would really step up for the Hawks next season, as he did not play too much this season.

But, unfortunetly that is how it goes when it comes to the Trade Deadline.

Hopefully those picks acquired from Florida end up being worthwile in the future and I hope that Brandon Pirri gets more playing time down in Florida.

The Trade Deadline is Wednesday, March 5, so stay tuned to NHL News or wait until next issue to see which teams, including the Hawks, made trades that will benefit their teams!

photo: sportslogos.net


SUMMER SESSION 2014EARN THREE EARN THREE CREDITS CREDITS IN THREE IN THREE WEEKSWEEKSMAY TERM (MAY 12 - 30)

For more information, visit goto.sxu.edu/summer.Admitted students in the School of Education must have their advisor’s approval in order to register on CLAWS. All other students do not need this approval to register for summer, but should check with their advisor regarding course options.

Summer at SXU is accelerated, affordable and convenient. You can’t afford to miss out.§ Choose from over 30 courses

§ Many classes include unique off-campus experiences

§ Housing and meal plans available

Earn 3 credits in 5 or 8 weeks in June and July§ June Term: June 2 – July 2§ 8-week Summer Term: June 2 – July 26§ July Term: July 7 – Aug. 8


Cougars Crowned CCAC ChampionsMen’s Team Avenges Stritch Losses

Tim CarrollSenior Sports Editor

The Cougars pose following their CCAC Championship win. SXU Athletics

SXU Beats Stritch for CCAC Title The Saint Xavier University men’s basketball team won an 85-74 thriller at Cardinal Stitch University on Saturday. The Cougars really came to play in Milwaukee against the team that handed them two of their four regular season losses. The Stritch Wolves first beat the Cougars in Wisconsin on Nov. 20 by a final score of 82-74. Then Cardinal Stritch came to Chicago on Feb. 1 and shot 59.6% from the floor as a team, picking up a 93-84 win against the Cougars. But on Saturday, Saint Xavier was in control from the onset. With 17:37 left in the first half, Wolves’ big man Garrett Borgrud made one of his free throws to go up 3-2. Fourteen seconds later, sophomore Darius Draper knocked down a jumper to put the Cougars up 4-3. From that point on, Saint Xavier would never see a deficit. The closest they would come was a three-point lead with 9:07 left in the game. Junior guard Jack Krieger led both teams with 25 points. He also tied with senior point guard (and former Wolf) Michael Simpson for most minutes, as each played 36. Senior guard Brad Karp did not see

his usual workload. He played 31 minutes and scored 19 points, second most behind Krieger. Karp also tied Krieger, sophomore forward Josh Mawhorr and Simpson for most Cougar rebounds with four. Simpson was the only other player to score in double-figures. He scored 17 points, 11 of which came from his 12 free-throw attempts. Krieger was 6-for-7 on free throws and Karp finished at 6-of-9. As a group, Saint Xavier did a good job getting to the line. They attempted just eight free throws in the first half, but they got to the charity stripe 21 times in the second half and buried 17 of those.CCAC Quarterfinals and Semifinals Saint Xavier breezed through the quarterfinals and semifinals of the CCAC

T o u r n a m e n t against the University of Saint Francis (Ill.) and Roosevelt University on W e d n e s d a y and Friday, respectively. Four Cougars scored double-digits against the Saints at home on Wednesday, helping SXU to

an 84-61 win. The leader was Karp, who scored 25 points and tied for the game-high with six rebounds. Simpson and Mawhorr each scored 13 points, and Mawhorr tied Karp with six boards. Krieger, despite going 1-for-6 from three-point range, still managed 10 points. On Friday night, Saint Xavier traveled to (CCAC regular season champ and tournament host) Cardinal Stritch to play Roosevelt. The Cougars got double-digit scoring performances from Karp, Krieger and Simpson. Mathematicians will be pleased to know that they scored 20, 18 and 16, respectively. Karp and Mawhorr again tied for the team lead with seven rebounds in that

contest, which ended in a 73-59 victory for Saint Xavier and resulted in the game against Cardinal Stritch. Looking Ahead The games that Saint Xavier played against Saint Francis and Roosevelt turned out to be relatively easy victories. But it was not because of free-throw shooting. The Cougars shot 60% from the line against Saint Francis on 20 total attempts. They shot an even more dismal 55.6% against Roosevelt on nine total attempts. That all changed on Saturday. Getting to the charity stripe 29 times against a quality opponent like Stritch is a good thing in itself, but then the Cougars converted 81% of their opportunities, which should bode well for the Cougars in the national tournament. The final poll comes out today, but as of last Tuesday’s top-25 coaches’ poll, the Cougars were ranked No. 7. After having beaten the No. 1-ranked Wolves on Saturday, Saint Xavier’s stock should rise. Depending on today’s poll and their seeding, the Cougars will face an as yet undetermined opponent in the NAIA national championships a week from today.

@TimCarroll_XAV

Buzzer Beater By Tigers, Corals Cougars Damone Griffin

Sports Editor

It is officially March which means let all the chaos and madness commence. The SXU Women’s basketball team found out last Friday that the craziness of March even rubs off on February. The team entered the CCAC tournament quarterfinals last Wednesday against Calumet College of Saint Joseph in front of the home audience. The Cougars got off to great start in the tournament by routing the overmatched visitors by the final score of 64-42 in their last home appearance this season. SXU held only a 34-25 edge at halftime but a 16-1 run to start the second half blew the game wide open. An incredible defensive effort was put in by the Cougars shutting down the CCSJ offense limiting them to just 27 percent shooting for the game and only 17 second half points. SXU also dominated the glass finishing with 56-31 edge in rebounding.

Junior guard Suzie Broski was the leading scorer for the Cougars finishing with 18 points on 9-for-18 shooting from the floor. Junior forward Morgan Stuut ended up with 12 points, five assists and pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds. Freshmen guard Sidney Prasse was instant offense off the bench putting up 13 points and going 3-for-6 from beyond the arc. After dispatching CCSJ it was off to semifinals in Hammond, Ind. to take on Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.). The Cougars and Tigers competed hard in a dramatic thriller but a late jumper and a resilient Tigers team ended the Cougars conference championship hopes and dreams. SXU lost a hard fought game, which saw them lead by as many as 17 points at one point, 91-89. The loss eliminated the Cougars from the CCAC tournament and now they must wait and hope for an at-large bid to the NAIA National Tournament. The team played excellent basketball in the first half especially offensively shooting a scorching 56 percent from the field en route to a 54-47 halftime lead but they struggled in the second half shooting just 37 percent from the floor. The game became a nail bitter in the second half as the Tigers clawed their way back. It boiled down to big plays being made in the last few possessions of the contest. Senior guard Miranda Geever gave the Tigers a two point lead with about 15 seconds left to play in the game. Stuut had a response scoring a lay-up with seven seconds left in the game to knot the score up at 89.

Geever would have one final answer by hitting a running jumper with time expiring to send the Tigers into a cheerful roar and reduce the Cougars to a disappointing silent whimper. Stuut led the Cougars in defeat finishing with 33 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists for her 24th double-double of the season. Stuut continued to shatter records finishing the year with 667 points breaking the single season record of 646 held by former star player Erin Hannemann. Broski had 27 points in the defeat while senior guard Niara Harris came off the bench to chip in 13 points on the evening. Even though the Cougars were eliminated from the CCAC Tournament they received some good news on Saturday. Suzie Broski was named to the 2013-2014 All-CCAC Women’s Basketball Honorable mention team. She averaged almost 15 points a game on 53 percent shooting from the field. Morgan Stuut won her second

consecutive CCAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year award for her tremendous play this season. She averaged 21.6 points which was second in the conference and her 2.9 steals per game was also good for second in the conference. Stuut has also become known as a rebounding machine in her college career. She finished the season with 24 double-doubles, surpassed 1,000 career rebounds, and had 414 rebounds this season making her the only SXU women’s basketball player to ever have more than 400 rebounds in a season. Based on their top 25 ranking the team will probably earn an at-large bid to the 32-team NAIA tournament in Sioux City, Iowa. The Cougars did not come out successful in the conference tournament but they will look to regroup and compete for the biggest prize of them all a national title.

Coach Hallberg talks to his players during T.O. SXU Athletics

CCAC Player of the Year SXU Athletics

march 5th, 2014

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