Students gathered Monday night in the basement of Murray-Herrick Campus Center to celebrate the Chinese New Year. STAR hosted the event in the campus square and Scooter’s.

The nationally acclaimed step team Step Afrika tour the country, seeking to expand students’ cultural view of the African form of dance known as stepping.

Group member Delaunce Jackson auditioned for Step Afrika, which was started by college fraternity students, and has been a part of the team for two years.

“It’s not required that you have to be Greek, but you do have to love to step,” Jackson said. “This is my second season. Every cast member has a different number of times they can participate from one to five years.”

Step Afrika performed for St. Thomas students on Wednesday night in Brady Educational Center auditorium as a part of Black History Month.

Senior Anthony D’Ambrosio came to see the team to compare them to previous step shows he has attended.

“I really wanted to broaden my cultural horizons,” D’Ambrosio said. “Actually, my high school has a step team, and they were pretty sweet, so I thought a professional version of it would be pretty cool to watch.”

Audience interaction builds energy

Before the show, a member of Step Afrika introduced the team and encouraged the audience to get involved. The team said that the more energy the audience gives to them, the more they will give back.

“I really liked the energy and the humor of the show,” D’Ambrosio said. “The guys had a ton of energy and a lot of enthusiasm, and that’s pretty hard to do.”

During the show, volunteers came on the stage to learn a step routine and perform it for their friends.

“It was a little embarrassing trying to get energy but really cool,” D’Ambrosio said. “We didn’t do anything too difficult, so I wasn’t too scared. And the crowd was really warmed up at this point. I didn’t feel like it was a judgmental atmosphere.”

Two volunteers remained onstage to be part of the traditional African segment of the routine in which the members exhibited dances of the Zulu tribe, which started the art of step dancing.

Cultural traditions add to the show

Although the moves performed by Step Afrika are modern, they originated from dances performed by African tribes.

During the second half of the show the team showed dances including the Gum Boot dance, which involves slapping on rubber boots. This technique was created by coal mine workers from Johannesburg, South Africa.

Step Afrika also performed a tribal dance using spears and shields similar to the kind Zulu warriors would have used.

“I really enjoyed the tribal warfare dance,” D’Ambrosio said. “It was really intense and warlike, aggressive even.”

Professional training, varied art forms

Some of the Step Afrika members have been taking professional dancing lessons since the time they were able to stand.

“[Member] Ryan Johnson has been tapping since he was born, and I’ve been training in African dance for 10 years,” Jackson said. “We encourage people to have dance experience because we have many varied forms of dancing that are displayed in the show. So, everybody brings their own flavor to the mix.”

The team members exhibited many different forms of art, including ballet and drumming.

Stepping out to reach many

Step Afrika travels extensively in order to touch as many lives as possible, performing mainly for young people.

“We have shows six to seven days a week give or take the city we’re in, so we keep a very busy schedule,” Jackson said. “It’s a mix of audiences, but we love to do a lot of children’s shows.”

Despite the hectic schedule, Jackson enjoys seeing new places and people.

“My favorite part is to travel,” Jackson said. “We get to see more of the country than I would have ever imagined. We reach five to 10 thousand children through schools or university shows in a given year.”

Dancing only to the music of their stomps, the members of Step Afrika aim to teach a valuable lesson to young people.

“We teach the message of education and pursuing your dreams through school,” Jackson said.

Ellie Galgano can be reached at agalgano@stthomas.edu.

Books sold to the sophomores Joe Prescott and Michael Ed are stacking up. (Ellie Galgano/TommieMedia)

At the end of the fall semester, two students decided to create their own book buyback program to give St. Thomas students an alternative to selling their books back to the bookstore.

Sophomores Joe Prescott and Michael Ed decided that the students are not receiving enough money when they sell their books to the bookstore and created what they believe to be a more cost efficient option.

“Last year we brought some books back and realized that people are getting ripped-off, essentially,” Prescott said. “So we thought, ‘There’s got to be something better than this. We can do better than this.’”

Ed said the final straw for him was when he sold a book back for a fraction of what he paid.

“I remember last year I bought a book for $120 and only got $20 back for it,” Ed said. “So we spread the word around and received 130 books immediately, and sold all of those in two weeks. We sold so many books so quickly that we couldn’t control it.”

Building credibility

Prescott and Ed think they have found large success with their small business, although many were initially skeptical of their idea. They said they faced opposition to their plans from disbelievers who doubted people would be willing to invest.

“We took in those 130 books that people gave us, and sold them, and then we were able to pay those people back,” Ed said. “So the biggest change is that we’re paying out now.”

Although it was not difficult to find students to offer books, some wondered whether Prescott and Ed would be able to sell those books in order to pay back their investors.

“A lot of people were asking ‘Can you really guarantee that?’ and we can now,” Prescott said.

An offer students can’t refuse

Ed and Prescott believe that their way is a surefire method of promising students a larger payout than the bookstore offers.

“This is for when the school has the book buyback so students can check the price of the book,” Ed said. “So we just use this Web site, and so far it’s been really spot on.”

On the online buyback Web page is a link to the bookstore Web site that allows students to check the amount they will receive for their textbooks.

“So basically what we do is type in the ISBN number, and see how much the bookstore offers to guarantee that we can give the students more money than the bookstore,” Prescott said.

The two have been able to offer at least 10 percent and even as high as 50 percent more than the bookstore, a method that has proven to be effective for their business.

“That’s what we guarantee to make people come to us,” Prescott said. “Then we’ll turn around and sell the book cheaper than the bookstore will sell it.”

And the same goes for students who wish to buy books. Ed and Prescott promise to sell books for less than the bookstore asks for used books.

“There was a book yesterday I sold to one of my buddies. It was $75 at the bookstore, but we sold it for $60,” Ed said.

Extra benefits

Although Prescott and Ed have been able to pocket some of the profits from their business, they have found the experience to be invaluable in other ways.

Prescott is a double major in Business and Engineering and has enjoyed learning about the world of business first hand.

“It’s been a great experience learning how to run things in a business setting and not mess it up,” Prescott said.

Handling money and goods has also taught them important lessons and life skills.

“As stupid and simple as this, sounds we’re learning how to use mail and use the bank,” Ed said.

Aside from financial lessons, the pair has gotten a chance to meet new faces and get around campus.

“We get calls from new, random people all the time. It’s actually really cool,” Ed said. “It really keeps us busy and keeps us meeting new people.”

Ed and Prescott accept and sell books at any time during the semester. They plan on running the buyback as long as they are students at St. Thomas.

Ellie Galgano can be reached at agalgano@stthomas.edu.

St. Thomas dance team took first in jazz and placed second in hip-hop. (Photo provided by Rachel Chadima)

National titles and championships have been a trend in University of St. Thomas sports over the past year, and the dance team is no exception to victory.

The team headed down to nationals in Orlando, Fla. from Jan. 16 to Jan. 17 for a packed weekend of competing in front of friends, family and of course a panel of judges. After a demanding couple of days, the women brought home first place in jazz and second place in hip-hop for the open division.

According to junior captain Rachel Chadima, there were 27 teams in the Jazz semi-finals, and 18 teams in Hip-Hop.

“There is a lot of pressure going into the final performance,” Chadima said. “We all have our routine before we perform and there is nothing like that last Tommie circle before we step foot on that floor.”

Managing practice with Construction

Although the team has already won five national titles, senior Kristin Seifert, who has been a part of the team for three years, said getting the team ready for Nationals was a different story this year.

During the peak of their practice season the team was unable to practice in their usual spot – the third floor gym. Fortunately, a dance studio in Chanhassen became available for the women to use.

“The studio in Chanhassen was actually a blessing for us, since we were the only team there,” Seifert said. “We were able to be efficient and productive, preparing us very well for performances at basketball games, and ultimately the national stage.”

Starting in August and throughout the fall, the team held practices three days a week, and lifted two or three times a week.

Immediately following Christmas, practice times increased to seven hours a day, in order to prepare the girls for the National Competition. The team also performed at basketball games, the University of Minnesota and the Mall of America.

“J-Term for us consists of eating, dancing, sleeping and dancing some more,” Chadima said.

Seifert feels the team worked hard not to burn out before the big competition.

“It is a lot of work, not only physically, but mentally, to stay prepared to peak at the national competition, and not in the weeks before,” Seifert said. “We really did a great job this year of keeping the team motivated, and everyone did their part to have positive attitudes at practice and take feedback in a positive manner.”

Gaining support

Despite their numerous national titles, lack of local recognition is not a letdown for the team.

“Our mission is to support [the St. Thomas athletic teams] since we are a school spirit organization as well,” Seifert said. “Although we aren’t able to get much attention from the school, we don’t think it should be a reason not to give back, so we support the teams in any way we can.”

But the women are doing their part to get their name on the radar.

“We are getting the word out through The Bulletin and by still performing at games throughout the spring, hosting a high school dancers clinic, and by hopefully being recognized through local newspapers and TV stations,” Seifert said.

For Chadima, the moment of her team’s victory will always be a memory for her to cherish.

“Hearing our names as the 2010 Open Jazz National Champions is a moment we will all remember forever,” she said.

Ellie Galgano can be reached at agalgano@stthomas.edu

Eric Weslund shoots some puck with friends at Groveland's outdoor ice rink. (Ellie Galgano/TommieMedia)

1. Lace up those old skates

Located just a few blocks down the road from campus, the Groveland outdoor ice rinks are a great place to show off your wicked slap shot or triple axel, like any good Minnesotan should.

But for those who don’t find balancing on a thin blade the easiest feat, just slipping your way around the rink – hopefully sans major wipeouts – can also bring hours of fun and laughs.

For sophomore Eric Weslund and his friends, the rink is a place to head for a game of pick-up hockey. This group of St. Thomas students has come out to the rink multiple times during the long winter break to take out their pent up energy.

2. Check out winter works of art

The St. Paul Winter Carnival is an age-old tradition for Minnesotans to gather and do what they do best – hack chunks of ice to tiny bits. Why only scrape ice off your windshield when you could create a masterpiece to be admired by thousands of onlookers?

Or for those of you who are artistically challenged, grab a group of friends and munch on some mini donuts while you check out the ice sculptures in the heart of downtown St. Paul.

Sophomore Caroline Johnson went with her friends to check out the festivities a couple days after the carnival started. Her favorite was a giant dragon sculpture. The carnival features live bands, parades, events and a medallion hunt. Join in the fun before it ends on Jan. 31.

Blaine Beck works on a perfect snow angel. (Ellie Galgano/TommieMedia)

3. Snow business

What better feeling is there than pelting your friend in the face with a tightly packed snowball? Take off some of that winter stress and embrace the abundance of snow. Fort building competitions to prepare for an epic battle will make that sticky cold stuff a bit more bearable.

Sophomore Blaine Beck enjoys creating his own masterpieces such as a beautiful snow angel.

The only trick is getting up without stepping right in the middle of your beautiful creation. Master that trick and impress all your friends with your amazing snow abilities.

4. Hit the slopes

You could either think of winter as the endless months of coldness and short days, or the limited time you have to go shred the mountains.

OK, maybe Minnesota is lacking in actual mountain ranges but there are plenty of hot spots to go show off your new gear and sweet tricks. Challenge your friends to a race and the loser buys a round of those quality chalet cheeseburgers.

Juniors Matt Scott and Billy Hanlon like to snowboard at Buck Hill when they’re not able to make it out to Bridger Bowl in Montana.

Ellie Galgano can be reached at agalgano@stthomas.edu

After winning a national title last year, the men’s lacrosse team is gearing up for another season both on and off the field.

St. Thomas women’s basketball lost to Gustavus Wednesday night 77-63 after leading the game at half-time.

A TSA agent stacks bins at a security checkpoint. (Ann Johansson/AP)

For some St. Thomas students, a frigid Minnesota winter was far from their minds as they packed to spend their January Term studying abroad.

While international traveling was a breeze for some, a few Tommies found it difficult getting through security at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Air travel regulations have been dominating the news since Christmas Day when a Nigerian man failed to detonate a bomb onboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit. Some students noticed the tightened security measures.

“I left for Amsterdam on Jan. 5 and I remember a bunch of news crews outside of Lindbergh Terminal,” said junior Leah Renter, who flew to London for an English course. “I remember watching Obama’s speech on security right before leaving. Security was definitely tighter than I remember for international flights.”

But some students, such as senior Jonna Haddaway, hardly noticed any difference as far as airport regulations.

“The flight to London was not bad in terms of security, we went through pretty easily,” Haddaway said. “The security seemed routine and I travel a lot so I would be able to tell easily if there was a tense atmosphere.”

However, Haddaway said some of her classmates were nervous to fly following the recent attempted terrorist attacks.

Renter said she did notice some major differences traveling this year than in the past, such as random and more frequent security checks.

“I was stopped by security in Amsterdam for a random check,” Renter said. “I was asked where I came from and where I was headed.”

Haddaway said that the media build-up was out of proportion to what she experienced during her flight.

“The media seemed to play it up by saying there would be rules like not being able to use the bathroom an hour before landing,” she said. “This was not a requirement on our flight.”

Senior Robbie Brink traveled to Hawaii for J-Term after spending the fall semester in Chile. During his travels, he noticed many differences in security between countries.

“It’s funny how the different countries act,” Brink said. “Because in Chile there was no really no concern for terrorism, regardless of what happens in the U.S.”

But traveling after Christmas was a different story. Brink said he saw more extensive security at checkpoints.

“There was a gentleman in front of me who set off the metal detector and he was searched much more thoroughly than I had ever seen in the past,” he said.

Renter doesn’t mind the heightened security.

“Security is kind of a hassle,” she said. “But looking on the bright side, this is probably one of the safest times to fly because of it.”

Ellie Galgano can be reached at agalgano@stthomas.edu

President Nick Matecki hopes to have fellow BEAST members racing this spring. (Provided by Hans Pflaumer)

The president of Bike Enthusiasts at St. Thomas, also known as BEAST, has a passion for biking but said the club is missing one important part: racing.

As leader of St. Thomas’ bike club, Matecki is beginning to take on all the responsibilities that it entails.

Many know BEAST for its work to sponsor the Bike Share program in which students can rent and borrow used bikes supplied by the group. All of the bikes are donated, Matecki said.

“We just put them together and make them ride-able,” he said. “We have a bike rack, which is below Morrison and you can rent them out from the Wellness Center.”

But the president wants to turn the club in another direction. Matecki plans to enter interested members of BEAST into bike racing events to take the group to a new level.

Fellow BEAST member Hans Pflaumer is excited to be part of the racing team spring 2010. Biking has been a part of Pflaumer’s life since his junior year of high school.

According to Mateki, the team has already looked into available racing opportunities.

“We want to try to race collegiate in the spring,” he said. “But there’s a lot of traveling and everyone’s swamped with school, so we may just do local races.”

Matecki said the club has not received any budget yet, but one thing he plans on putting money toward is jerseys for the racing team. Currently most of the club money goes to the Bike Share program, but Matecki said he is trying to focus more on the racing aspect for the spring.

Along with planning a budget, the new president hopes to increase support from the school for his plans to get the bikers racing this spring.

Pflaumer said he is not sure what to anticipate as far as the school’s reaction to the team.

“Finding support for clubs, whether it is monetary or administrative can be a bit of a shot in the dark at times,” Pflaumer said. “One of the questions that comes back is, should we have UST Bike racing be part of BEAST or do we create a separate club?”

Mateki, however, doesn’t think that the two clubs will both be allowed to exist.

“We’re kind of just taking up a base because there’s no way the school is going to give us a bike racing club and the bike enthusiasts club,” he said.

Ellie Galgano can be reached at agalgano@stthomas.edu

This is News in :90 for Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009.