IN-STUDIO INTERVIEW: Reporter Matt Linden sat down with senior Molly Hanten to get an in-depth look into her experience with the VISION program.

For more than two decades, St. Thomas students have spent their J-Terms and spring breaks giving back to communities in need through the student-led organization, VISION. This year was no different.

Students who attended VISION trips this J-Term had the opportunity to immerse themselves in cultures across the world, such as South Africa, Guatemala, Mexico, Laos, Venezuela, Uganda and California.

Rather than spending their J-Term lounging or taking a class on campus, these students dealt with issues of intense poverty and social justice. Some painted schools, and others repaired food shelves. All were shown a new perspective, far from the normality of the “real world” at college.

Jacob Cunningham, VISION director and a St. Thomas alumnus, has directed the program for eight years. During his sophomore year in college, Cunningham got involved with VISION and has been devoted to service work ever since. He said VISION gives students a unique chance to find something in themselves by helping others.

“It’s really just stepping away from your life,” he said. “It’s having the chance to reflect on your life’s meaning and where you find hope and where you find joy.”

When students are entrenched in their fast-paced college lifestyle, Cunningham said VISION gives them an opportunity to step back and think about how they can give back to those in need.

“I think it is really easy to go to a four-year college like St. Thomas and have it be very insular unless you really branch out and seek out opportunities,” he said. “These trips give a venue for students to say, ‘OK, what do I have to give here?’ You see gifts just emerge out of students when they are asked to give.”

Through the years, Cunningham has received many grateful letters and e-mails from the communities VISION works with, but one of the most rewarding things for him is watching the friendships made students make when put in a new situation.

“I really edify by the relationships that come out of this,” he said. “You see students connect with other students in the context of something really substantial.

“The relationships, I would say there is a depth to them that only comes when you are doing a common project together. You can see in students how grateful they are for each other.”

This spring break VISION has planned service trips to Colorado, Virgin Islands, Montana, Kentucky, New York and Illinois. The program is open to all undergraduates. Students are selected through an application and interview process.

Matt Linden can be reached at mdlinden@stthomas.edu.

Reporter Matt Linden sat down with senior Molly Hanten to get an in-depth look into her experience with the VISION program.

Hanten spent her January Term in South Africa with VISION.

Matthew George directs the Symphonic Wind Ensemble during rehearsal this week. The ensemble travels to Italy Jan. 16 - 26 and will play five concerts. (Aaron Hays/TommieMedia)

This is the first international trip for the Symphonic Wind Ensemble since their trip to China in 2007. From Jan. 16 – 26, the ensemble will travel throughout Italy, making stops at major cities such as Rome and Venice and spend nearly half the trip on the island of Sicily.

“It should be a very fulfilling experience for students,” said director of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble Matthew George. “Every time we do international performing I always consider it the idea of serving the culture.

“We are actually immersing ourselves and performing for that particular audience in that country. It’s a little bit of a different spin on how to experience a culture.”

The 45 students that make up the Symphonic Wind Ensemble are the most accomplished woodwind, brass and percussionist performers at St. Thomas, according to George. Each member must have prior performance experience and tryout at the beginning of each year.

The trip will count as a one-credit course, with 50 percent of the $3,600 funded by St. Thomas and the other half coming out of students’ pockets.

Why Italy?

As director, George gets a say in the where the group will perform and he said he wanted to go with a destination less exotic and one with a rich musical history.

“I’m excited because it’s an area that is very passionate about music,” George said. “Italy seems to make very good sense with the connection to St. Thomas and there is also some very good instrumental music going on in Italy.”

Junior saxophonist Matt Potter said he is excited to visit a part of the world he has never been to.

“For me, I’ve never been to Europe, so I’m just excited to see what it’s like and see some cool places in history,” Potter said.

Before setting off, the ensemble will learn a handful of new arrangements that will make up their full concerts. They are set to perform four pieces that were played during the fall semester and will learn the new ones in the week leading up to the trip.

To master the new pieces before Italy, George said preparation will likely include a week-long stretch of daily rehearsals from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. He said this should be enough time to learn the new repertoire.

Junior percussionist Jon Dostal said that although the rehearsals will be tough, the end reward outweighs the stress.

“My attitude is that even though those rehearsals are going to suck and be long, we are going to Italy. So it doesn’t even matter,” he said.

‘Bringing an American program’

George said the ensemble will play a piece by well-known Italian composer, Puccini. But for the most part, the arrangements will be by American composers to display the true essence of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble.

“Generally speaking, I’m trying to bring an American program, so composers like Leonard Bernstein and Copeland,” George said. “But there are also some that are more modern-day composers to show off the different abilities of what the Symphonic Wind Ensemble can do.”

During the 11-day trip, the ensemble will play in a variety of venues for various audiences. Most of the concerts will be held in churches that double as concert halls and some will be connected to conservatories where they will perform to students and faculty. All of the performances will be open to the public.

“It will be fun to play in some real nice venues like churches and old cathedrals,” Dostal said. “We are playing with a few other colleges and high schools over there so it will be nice to see what the music is like over there.”

Experience in performing abroad

Dostal has experience performing internationally with his high school jazz band as he has traveled to France, Switzerland and the Netherlands. He said he knows what to expect from the foreign audience.

“I feel like people are more welcoming over there than over here,” he said. “The towns we played in it seemed like everyone was there and that was the place to be.”

He said this trip is a great opportunity.

“This will be our only international trip at St. Thomas,” he said. “So I don’t think I will have the opportunity to do something like this ever again.”

George is confident that the ensemble will do St. Thomas proud.

“This is good group and the demeanor in the group is very positive,” he said. “I think it’s a group that will be enjoyable to travel with because they are just great people. They worked very hard and by the time we perform I think we will represent the university very well.”

Matt Linden can be reached at mdlinden@stthomas.edu

Drawing influences from the likes of Girl Talk and RJD2, freshman Anthony Kasper, aka “Kasper,” started mixing, sampling and being a disc jockey only a few years ago. But he’s already turning heads in an industry where only the highly technical and skilled can thrive.

Between mixing since 2005, scratching since 2006 and self-educating himself in the art of mixing by watching pros through YouTube videos, Kasper has already made great strides in getting his name on the airwaves from Miami to Liverpool, England.

After completing a few mastered tracks he was happy with, Kasper sent a few songs to DJs on an online radio station – Bassdrive.com – with the hopes of getting just some words of wisdom, if anything, from some of his DJ idols. But instead of pointers, Kasper was given praise.

“I got in contact with a few DJs, Kasio, Methodist and Flaco,” he said. “And I sent them my stuff more on the grounds that maybe I would get some feedback and what I do to improve it. But they liked it and, low and behold, my stuff is getting played.

“Kasio is playing a show, and he is going to be playing my song and that’s really hard to believe for me. Right now [DJ-ing] is mainly just for exposure, so it’s cool just to know that they say, ‘Kasper did this bootleg.’ It’s cool hearing that.”

Currently, Kasper said he has 15 original tracks he is “proud of” and that for now, DJ-ing is just a hobby while in school. But with the recent attention, things are getting more serious.

Gaining popularity on YouTube

“I do take it more seriously now. Instead of playing ‘Call of Duty’ for four hours, I’ll go mix and produce something,” he said. “Most of them are remixes. I’ve tried to fuse hip-hop and drum and bass to get my friends to listen to it more. My YouTube has some crazy views on it, 15,000 [views] on my ‘Going Back to Cali’ remix. I didn’t really expect that.”

Nic Bonewell, Kasper’s roommate and friend since their freshman year of high school, said that he’s used to his roommate DJ-ing and mixing. Although Bonewell personally enjoys country music and mainstream rap, Bonewell said he is coming around to Kasper’s drum and bass.

“The music is usually good,” Bonewell said. “I’m not really so into the drum and bass, but I’m getting used to it. I have no problem listening to it. It’s just new.”

Kasper has also experienced the best rush for any DJ – the live show. He has been the DJ for house parties, a nightclub show and recently was picked up for a wedding. All of the shows have been paid gigs, but Kasper said the most rewarding thing is getting the dance floor moving.

“I’m pretty good at tune selection,” Kasper said. “I think in terms of what song should come next and what flows well,” he said. “It’s kind of a guessing game a lot, but it’s fun to see that reaction on the dance floor.”

Turning dust into gold

For DJs and producers, especially those like Kasper who use “old time” samples for filler in their songs, there is nothing like rummaging through boxes of vintage vinyl to find the perfect diamond in the rough.

“I’ll go to my grandma’s house and put records on the turntable and listen to the most random polka music and say, ‘Hey, this might sound cool,’” he said. “Vinyl has the best sound for scratching, so it can’t be beat.”

Like most DJs in the game right now, Kasper’s set-up incorporates both new and old forms of DJ-ing. He uses an “old school” Numark TT1910 turntable for scratching, while his Numark IDJ2 mixer is equipped with an MP3 slot that allows him to play and mix songs off his iPod.

Kasper has a collection of about 100 vinyl records, but he said it pales in comparison to the “walls of records” most DJs have. Although he believes MP3s are more economical in today’s electronic world, he said there is nothing better than vinyl.

Securing a signature sound

Looking at Kasper’s musical past, it may seem strange that his heart was set on the art of electronic music.

His earliest musical experience came in the classical tradition. He played violin for five years and piano for several more before his ear was more in-tune with the hip-hop culture.

Although he has yet to fully incorporate his classical experience into his producing, he said he uses it minimally but would like to do more of it in the future.

Kasper cites several hip-hop and mash-up artists as influences in his mixing, but said Europe’s drum and bass form of DJ-ing is what has caught his eye recently.

“Recently I’ve been real big on the ‘liquid’ side of drum and bass, which is more of the chill kind of jazz meets Breakbeat,” he said. “Guys like London Electricity and New Tone over in Europe – that really does it for me.”

Working with PULSE

Kasper is also the DJ for PULSE, the performing arts club on campus. PULSE co-president Jazz Hampton, who went to the same high school as Kasper, knew using a live DJ would be a great opportunity.

“It was a pretty unique opportunity,” Hampton said. “Once I heard he was coming here I thought I’d call him to come and fill gaps at our shows. He has a great selection of music and digs and finds very good music. I know that he is dedicated to that and just has a love for music and comes out especially when he’s scratching.”

Although Kasper is content playing at the occasional house party, wedding and with PULSE, he said there are big dreams that come with the added exposure.

“My life dream was to sign one song to any label,” he said. “In terms of right now that’s seeming like it could possibly happen with the exposure I’ve been getting. But it’s still a long ways off.”

Matt Linden can be reached at mdlinden@stthomas.edu

For the second year in a row, St. Thomas received an overall grade of ‘C+’ on the college sustainability report card. Meanwhile, the University of Minnesota, Carleton College and Macalester College each received an ‘A-’.

The grade is calculated through greenreportcard.org, an interactive Web site that provides in-depth sustainability profiles for colleges in all 50 states and Canada. Its goal is to identify colleges and universities that are leading examples, so they can provide information to help other schools initiate more effective sustainability policies.

The overall grade is based on a four point scale, which is calculated using the scores for nine subsections: administration, climate change and energy, food and recycling, green building, student involvement, transportation, endowment transparency, investment priorities and shareholder engagement. The data for this grade was gathered between June and August 2008.

In the summer of 2008, the Rev. Dennis Dease, university president, signed the Presidents’ Climate Commitment, which initiated the development of a sustainability committee on campus.

Bob Douglas, chair of the sustainability committee and coordinator of recycling and central receiving, said the committee’s main challenge is to create a Climate Action Plan (CAP) that will lay out a plan to help St. Thomas reach carbon or greenhouse gas neutrality within two years of signing the presidents’ commitment.

‘Change is difficult in institutions that have been operating for a long period of time’

“That’s the big one because it will mean reallocation of the institutional funds, reprioritizing how we do business, how we build buildings, how we educate,” Douglas said. “It’s a big step and it’s a difficult step. But change is always difficult in institutions that have been operating for a long period of time.”

Information related to campus management is gathered first from public documentation including university Web sites, media coverage and data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in addition to the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). After the public data is gathered, the university’s president is sent a survey to update, add to or correct the data that was gathered.

Dease and the St. Thomas administration received an ‘A’ grade in the administration category for having a formal sustainability policy and a strategic plan of action for dealing with key issues including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing public transportation access and institutionalizing a car-share program.

HOURCAR possibility

Currently, the car-share program also known as the HOURCAR program is one of the top proposals the sustainability committee will present to the steering committee.

The HOURCAR program will have two vehicles on campus for students, staff and faculty use. Funding will be provided by a McKnight grant, a grant from the West Summit Neighborhood Advisory Committee and the additional $5,000 – $7,000 would come from St. Thomas.

St. Thomas received a ‘B’ in the food and recycling category. This grade was assigned because St. Thomas spends $900,000 annually on food that is grown or processed in a five-state area. Also, dining services diverted more than 290,000 pounds of food from landfills by sending pre- and post-consumer food scraps to area hog farms. This high grade could also be attributed to the success of last year’s Recyclemania competition.

Campus buildings pull up the rear with a ‘D’

On the low end, St. Thomas received a ‘D’ in the green building category. Although St. Thomas has an 80 percent diversion rate on construction projects, it has a 100 percent diversion rate of nonhazardous materials on the new Anderson Athletic Facility, which is a direct result of the fact that the facility will not be LEED certified. In fact, no buildings on the St. Thomas campus are LEED certified. According to USGBC.org, LEED certification means that a building project meets the highest green building and performance measures.

St. Thomas received a ‘C’ for student involvement. St. Thomas has five student environmental organizations and employs four paid internships for students to work on campus for sustainability initiatives.

Although the overall grade was low for St. Thomas, Bridget Kapler, chair of the USG sustainability committee, said the first and most important steps are taking place on campus.

Kapler said just starting the conversation is a good step

“I think that we are getting the conversation started,” Kapler said. “I’m kind of a big go-getter and I was that way at the beginning, but I’m starting to realize that if we are having the conversation that’s a step forward.”

Kapler also said that St. Thomas is in a different position than Macalester, the University of Minnesota and Carleton when it comes to calculating the green report card.

“I think the tough part about the report card is that we are not Macalester and we are not the University of Minnesota,” she said. “The questions were phrased to best portray what those schools are doing because that is sustainability in its truest fashion. We are working towards sustainability, but we are following in a Catholic intellectual tradition and are following in the fact that we want to get things done. It is very important in keeping the university going.”

Good grades for other Minnesota schools

University of Minnesota – overall grade: ‘A-’

The U’s transportation fleet includes approximately 175 alternative-energy vehicles. The university is awaiting LEED certification on the new TCF Bank stadium. Campus dining facilities collect 125 tons of pre- and post-consumer compost annually.

Carleton College – overall grade: ‘A-’

Carleton has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 9 percent since 2004. All major buildings are equipped with computerized energy management and lighting control systems. Both dining halls compost pre- and post-consumer food waste and compost bins are available on every floor of the residence halls. All new construction projects aim for LEED Silver certification.

Macalester College – overall grade: ‘A-’

Macalester employs a full-time sustainability manager. The college buys renewable energy certificates and carbon offsets equivalent to 100 percent of emissions from the newly constructed Markim Hall. The Farm to Fork program dedicates 20 percent of its budget to locally sourced foods including an on-campus garden and local dairy. Dining facilities divert 80 percent of their waste to be recycled and composts 100 percent of its landscaping waste. There is a Web site dedicated to sustainable living specifically for students.

Matt Linden can be reached at mdlinden@stthomas.edu

The night before Election Day, I walked back to my apartment a few blocks from campus to find not one, but three different leaflets slapped under my car windshield, urging me to get out and vote the following day.

I looked down the block and every car was hit. Some were still attached to windshields, but others whipped around aimlessly in the wind.

Aside from my obvious contempt for the act of anonymous littering, I couldn’t help but think about how many hundreds, if not thousands, of these glossy leaflets would either be blown off the windshield or would simply be tossed aside by an annoyed car owner.

In a predominantly college neighborhood, and near a school whose on-campus polling station was a ghost town, how effective or necessary was it to put these pamphlets on every single car in Merriam Park?

It’s understood that political campaigns cost millions of dollars, and much of that money gets used for things like flyers, buttons, letters, phone banks and lawn signs. But in a time when environmentally conscious issues are supported across party lines, I find it hard to justify leaving trash bags full of paper in the city’s streets.

There has to be an alternative. Luckily for me on Election Day I was able to ask one of the trash sources about the issue face-to-face.

I was discussing this issue with a few friends in the Grill about the absurdity of blanketing our already clean neighborhood when St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, who was encouraging the college demographic to cast their vote, approached us while proudly wearing a “I Voted” sticker on his suit’s left lapel.

After a handshake and some encouragement, I asked Mayor Coleman if I could ask him a question, too. Although hesitant at first – I don’t think he was ready for a question from any Grill patrons – he accepted. I asked him if he thought it was really a good idea to handout the campaign materials if most of them would end up in the streets.

He looked for a second and said, “Well, that’s a really good point. I see where you are coming from. It is the best way to get the word out.”

From there he started talking about tweeting and that’s where he lost me. I told him thank you and promised I would vote.

I shouldn’t call it a “cop out,” but I certainly didn’t get the answer I was looking for. And if the conclusion is “it is the best way to get the word out,” maybe this column is a lost cause.

Minnesota led the country in voter turnout between 2004 and 2008. And according to Augsburg College, Minnesota is the most civically active state in the country. With these numbers it would appear that most registered voters are well aware of when and who to vote for, and they will know it before they are forced to recycle.

It’s not an overnight solution to alter a common form of traditional campaigning in the United States, but as our resources diminish and environmental issues are part of the political discussion, it may be time for a change. Nowhere on Mayor Coleman’s Web site does it list his support for any environmental issues. But if he wants to keep his city as clean and beautiful as it is, maybe he should be the one to set the example.

Matt Linden can be reached at mdlinden@stthomas.edu

Personal computers on campus will be upgraded to Windows 7 this summer. (Mary Kenkel/TommieMedia)

On Oct. 22, Microsoft released its new, sleek and much-improved operating system, Windows 7, in hopes of curing any disdain left by its predecessor, Windows Vista.

Where Windows Vista tried to splash unnecessary features into the mix, Windows 7 looks to combat those with a more stable, standard form of Windows-type operating system, much like St. Thomas’ current system, Windows XP.

Information Resources and Technology (IRT) will hold off upgrading current campus systems to Vista because of the many issues people ran into. But with Windows 7, IRT is confident that an upgrade will happen in the next year when the new computer roll-out begins in the summer.

“At this point, our plan is to begin implementation of Windows 7 starting with our computer replacements next summer,” said Lori Christianson, associate director of client services with IRT. “It will take us three years, which will take us close to when XP will officially be no longer supported, and we want to make sure we get them out before that.”

Currently, Windows XP does not have a direct upgrade path to Windows 7. If a computer is running Windows XP, Microsoft recommends that you back up data on a separate drive and then reformat the drive before installing Windows 7. This is one reason why IRT will be waiting for entirely new systems before upgrading to Windows 7.

“It’s not really realistic for us to do that with 3,000 machines when we already do backups when new computers are coming in,” Christianson said. “So we’ll just do the backup, move it to the new machine, and it will be configured with Windows 7.”

IRT has begun informal testing of Windows 7 and will begin formal testing in the coming months.

“The biggest issue is really testing with our enterprise systems [like Blackboard and Murphy Online] and getting departments to do some testing with departmental-specific products because we need to make sure that it works within the university,” Christianson said.

Freshman Joe Case has “always been a PC user” and admitted while his Windows Vista lacked simplicity he looks forward to upgrading to Windows 7.

“They’ve advertised Windows 7 as simpler and easier to manage,” Case said. “Because I bought my laptop from Best Buy I’ll I get a free update to Windows 7.”

The home premium edition of Windows 7, aimed at U.S. consumers, is priced at $120 if bought as an upgrade to Windows XP or Vista. But all St. Thomas students can purchase the new system at Win741.com at a discounted student price of $29.99.

Windows 7 does not run well on older computers, so students whose computers are two or three years old are not advised to upgrade.

When the roll-out is complete, IRT plans to host both online and classroom training sessions for Windows 7.

Matt Linden can be reached at mdlinden@stthomas.edu

Tracy Ertl and her daughter Christine Ertl have put their painful past to paper in their book "When the Easter Bunny is Naked." (Photo provided by Christine Ertl)

In Rome, Tracy Ertl went before Pope John Paul II to forgive her father for what he had done, find closure and move on with her life. But it wasn’t long after her confession that she discovered her daughter, St. Thomas sophomore Christine Ertl, was scarred by the same man who had devastated her life so many years before.

A year after her trip, a few girls came forward in Howard, Wis., with allegations that Tracy Ertl’s father, who lived in the neighborhood, had sexually assaulted them. In the investigation, Christine Ertl was questioned and confessed that she had also been sexually assaulted by her grandfather several years earlier.

For the first time in her life, Tracy Ertl had to disclose and relive her experiences of sexual assault that she had never told anybody, not even her husband.

“It was a trying time for my mom because she had never told any of the authorities and having to go from such an extreme childhood and getting out and then having to relive all of that,” Christine Ertl said.

Christine Ertl was initially taken to the courthouse for questioning and, because she was a minor, she later testified her accounts of sexual assault on a tape recorder. She was not present during her grandfather’s trial because her parents did not want her face him. Her recorded interview was played during the proceedings.

“It was very difficult, very challenging,” Christine Ertl said. “I didn’t understand a lot of what was going on. Both my brothers had a very good relationship with my grandfather and it was very confusing for them why grandpa was being sent away.”

In the end, her grandfather was tried in three states, Nevada, California, and Wisconsin, because the family moved throughout Tracy Ertl’s childhood. He was convicted in two states and sentenced to 30 years in a maximum security prison, where he still is today. He will be up for parole next year, but because of his health, his future is still uncertain.

‘When the Easter Bunny is Naked’

(Provided by Tracy Ertl)

As the dust settled on the trial, Christine Ertl and her mother decided they didn’t want their story to end there. Through their own experience, they realized there were few resources for women to turn to in their situation and they wanted to change that.

They decided to put their experience on paper in an autobiographical first-person narrative, weaving through both generations, using Christine Ertl and her mother’s accounts in a book titled, “When the Easter Bunny is Naked.”

The title of the book is based off the first case of rape Tracy Ertl endured on an Easter morning by her father and continues the progression of abuse that followed throughout her childhood. Although striking, the title also holds a stronger meaning.

“The basic premise of it is that no child deserves an Easter bunny that is naked,” Christine Ertl said. “No child deserves role models in their lives that take advantage of them and belittle them and take away their dignity.”

They began writing while Christine Ertl was in middle school and started critically writing while in high school, with her mom collaborating, writing and editing with her along the way.

“It’s written by both of us, edited by both of us,” Ertl said. “It’s really been bonding for us because I’m learning what makes her who she is and she’s learning where I’m coming from and how the same situation can affect us in the same way and differently.”

Though reliving the trying events documented in the book was difficult, Christine and Tracy Ertl used it as a way to rehabilitate and bring closure to a chapter in their lives.

“It definitely has its hard days because there are things you don’t want to think about again and there are experiences that you wish hadn’t happened,” Christine Ertl said. “But by admitting on paper that they did is really a step in the right direction into healing and self-respect and self-dignity.”

“So by making the effort to make yourself public and putting ourselves out there it’s breaking down all of those walls and all those barriers that the abuser can put on a victim and truly become survivors through it. You are never done feeling the effects until you fight back; until you say, ‘I’m going to move on now.’”

It is Christine Ertl’s hope that the book will give other victims the strength to stand up and break the silence they know so many are holding in.

“I would say first and foremost that the silence is broken not only for us personally, because every time we talk about it we take back that control that was taken away from us,” she said. “But also that other people know that they can break the silence.”

“As alone it feels in the end and as degrading as it feels, there’s power and strength and there is grace in coming forward and knowing you’re not alone.”

The Ertl’s business: TitleTown Publishing, Green Bay, Wis.

In the process of writing their book, Tracy Ertl decided they didn’t want their story in the hands of a publisher who may manipulate it.

Tracy Ertl, who is a police dispatcher and former reporter for the Green Bay Gazette, started exploring the publishing world and realized she had a knack for the business. Two years later, Christine Ertl and her mother started TitleTown Publishing in Green Bay, Wis., becoming the first women-owned publishing house in the region.

To date they have released four titles that fall into non-fiction, true crime, inspirational and survivor genres and have four confirmed titles for 2010.

“When the Easter Bunny is Naked” will be the first release of 2010 and will be distributed nationally and internationally in April.

Matt Linden can be reached at mdlinden@stthomas.edu

The undefeated Blue Ox had defeated St. Olaf in the semi-final (26-11) match Saturday before advancing to the championship match against Viterbo.

“I was kind of tearing up a little,” co-captain Sam Prenevost said. “For me, senior year, to be at this level and have this championship happen has been best experience. This is going to define my college experience.

“I can’t even put words to it exactly yet. I was in so much shock. I couldn’t stop smiling and just knowing all the work that went into it and appreciating all the guys that put this team together.”

Before Saturday’s match against St. Olaf, the Minnesota Rugby Union surprised the team by announcing that the winner of the tournament would automatically qualify for nationals in the spring. The top two Minnesota teams will be invited to the invitation-only tournament in April. Nationals will be in Nebraska and the Blue Ox will be joined by the runner-up, Viterbo University.

As previously reported, the team would not be able to go to the national level because the Blue Ox is not affiliated with St. Thomas. But because of the growth of Division III rugby, U.S. Rugby has opted to create a tournament for all eligible Division III clubs.

“We have an opportunity and we need to capitalize on it,” co-captain Sam Glynn said. “We need the funds for it and we need to work on that now. We need jerseys, but we need to keep our perspectives straight. We have the opportunity to show ourselves on a national level.”

The team plans to raise enough money to pay for expenses needed to get the 25-man team to and from Nebraska and pay for hotel rooms. The team hopes the few thousand dollars needed for the trip will be raised through fundraising and the team’s sponsors.

The team will play two more “friendly” matches this fall against Carleton College and Gustavus College before looking ahead to the spring season.

Matt Linden can be reached at mdlinden@stthomas.edu

While some students luck out by finding loans through banks, state grants and scholarships, some may inevitably have to face a heartbreaking reality: dropping out of college.

A student’s experience with the recession

When junior Shane Sletten came to St. Thomas, he never thought that he would be thrown into the financial whirlwind that has been his life since early last spring.

Sletten’s father, a construction worker, was laid off about a year-and-half ago because of the recession. As a result, Sletten had to find a way to pay tuition while dealing with parental unemployment on his financial status.

“He’s 48 now and in the construction world your work expectancy is really until you’re about 50 and then they can just hire some new guy to do the exact same work,” Sletten said. “He has no other training besides construction, so he’s like, ‘What do I do, work at Wal-Mart?,’ which is a sad fact that I think a lot of Americans are facing.”

Starting in February, Sletten began his battle with different banks to secure a loan that would, in the end, keep him at St. Thomas. As several months went by and rejections from banks piled up, it seemed that there was little hope.

“They didn’t accept [my dad] because he didn’t have income,” Sletten said. “He had unemployment, but it wasn’t stable. The bank is looking for an income that they can trust and know that you’re going to be making it.”

Sletten’s father lost both his job and health insurance, which eliminated Sletten’s insurance, too. During the summer months, Sletten had no insurance and had to seek emergency medical care that ended up costing $5,000.

As the summer was coming to a close, Sletten was able to secure a loan through Wells Fargo. But he also had to pay off an outstanding $8,000 from the spring semester, which came out of his father’s savings.

Just before the loan was cleared, Sletten was at his lowest, most panicked point when he thought he might not be able to come back to St. Thomas.

“There was one day that I thought I would have to quit school and that was horrible feeling,” Sletten said. “It’s like getting held back in elementary school. It’s just tragic; just to be behind on credits and then graduate not with my class and my friends.”

Because St. Thomas requires that all students have health insurance, Sletten joined the 900 students who have opted for the $429 health insurance this year through St. Thomas.

St. Thomas by the numbers: debt, financial aid and retention

A survey conducted by U.S. News & World Report magazine on debt load of the class of 2008 reported that St. Thomas ranked No. 8 nationally with an average debt of $34,869 among the 68 percent of graduates who incurred debt. St. Thomas was ranked No.11 last year and No. 12 two years ago.

“We have seen an increase number of students filling out the free application fee for Federal Student Aid,” said Kris Roach, director of admissions and financial aid. “We have also seen an increase in the number of students requesting special circumstance consideration.”

“Special circumstance” consideration includes situations such as layoffs, foreclosures, struggling small business owners or anticipated medical expenses.

“The truth is that during the cycle of a whole year things can change and that’s when, even during the course of a year, they should come to us and bring to our attention circumstances that are changing,” Roach said. “We need to see the actual documentation, then we can recalculate it even midyear. In some instances, we are able to come up with additional aid midyear.”

A bulletin from the St. Thomas news service reported a 72 percent graduation rate, up from 71 percent the previous year.

The retention rate, the number of returning students from one year to the next, has shown consistent numbers from fall 2004 to fall 2009. But there was a slight dip from 2007-2008 that could be as a result of the recession. But while the rate dipped from 87.7 percent in 2007 to 85.5 percent in 2008, it climbed back up to 88 percent this year.

Roach said the financial aid office strives to keep students at St. Thomas.

“We are really taking things one year at a time and hoping to be able to help people see their way through a year and return and find their way to graduation,” she said.

President Obama and Sen. Franken seek aid for college students

On Sept. 17, the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of the biggest overhaul of college aid programs since the 1960s, which was included in Pres. Obama’s campaign promises.

The bill, approved 253-171, will end subsidies for private lenders, boost Pell Grant for needy students and pay for community college reforms and more.

If passed by the Senate, the bill would save taxpayers an estimated $87 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The bill would increase Pell Grants for needy students from $1,400 to $6,900 over the next decade.

On Sept. 12, Sen. Al Franken spoke at the University of Minnesota to discuss abolishing the Federal Family Education Loan in favor of direct loaning.

“Direct lending slashes administrative costs by cutting out the middleman and lending directly to the student,” Franken said.

In his campaign, Franken proposed a tax cut that would help Minnesotans seeking a college education. He said it would cost taxpayers $48 billion over five years and would cover up to $5,000 for five years to a student in a family earning up to $200,000 per year.

Searching for further aid?

Students looking for additional aid should watch for the monthly newsletter ScholarTips sent out by the financial aid office. It gives lists of various scholarships from outside donors that include general and major-specific scholarships.

“Last year, our students brought in over $1.8 million in what we call ‘outside scholarships,’” Roach said.

Sletten aims to combat his financial woes by looking across the Pacific for international studies in Japan, where his loan will be enough for five classes and room and board. At St. Thomas, the same loan would have barely gotten him through only two classes.

Sletten is also working three jobs. He works on-campus in the cafeteria and with Journalism ThreeSixty, a program that works with high school students interested in journalism. He also has an outside job working security at the Metrodome during Vikings games.

Though Sletten was one of the lucky ones who survived his bout with the recession, he realizes that many more are in the same position he was in.

“My advice would just try to stick it through,” he said. “It’s a lot of pressure, especially applying for loans. It’s tough, but you can’t skip out on an education.”

Matt Linden can be reached at mdlinden@stthomas.edu