The Woods

Softball team works VIP room, raises money

By Amira Jaradat
Interim Editor-in-Chief

Lucas Oil Stadium was packed. More than 68,000 people had turned up for Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis. And while the women of Le Fer congregated around a television in Sullivan Lounge, some of their fellow Woodsies were much closer to the action.
The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods softball team was inside the stadium – not to watch, but to work.
The SMWC Pomeroys spent Super Bowl Sunday working in the stadium’s VIP room, hoping to earn enough money to fund a trip to Florida for a tournament during spring break.
“It was basically catering,” said Libby Wright, senior. “We were banquet servers. I was in charge of a buffet line.”
Their day started with an early trip to the “old airport,” where school buses were waiting to take them downtown. They were dropped off a couple of blocks away from the Indiana Convention Center, where they lined up among the crowd to receive their credentials.
“They set up a restricted perimeter around the Lucas Oil Stadium so that you couldn’t get in unless you had the credentials,” Wright said. Each person’s ID featured different colors, letters and shapes, indicating the different areas workers were authorized to enter.
After putting on vests with a “Super Bowl” insignia and their credentials, the softball team headed to the VIP room, where they would be working the pre-game and post-game parties.
“The room we were in was beautiful,” said Leah Miller, senior. “It was insanely large. It was like three O’Shaughnessys.”

Photo provided by Kelsey Rosselli

The VIP room, which held 3,000 people, was decorated according to a “Football Winter Wonderland” theme, including snow-covered turf.
“Everything was white. They had an ice rink in there and they had ice skaters performing,” Miller said.
There was also a stage for live musical performance and an autograph station where Wright spotted Eli Manning, New York Giants quarterback, before the game.
The VIP room opened for the pre-game party at 2 p.m. and then closed at 5:30 p.m. before the 6:30 p.m. kickoff.
“We served sliders, miniature hot dogs and chicken and we were in charge of taking them out and putting them on hot plates,” Wright said. During the actual game and in the lull between pre- and post-game parties, the servers were told they had half an hour to eat anything they could. “I didn’t eat anything at my station because I had been looking at it for too long,” Wright said.
“We got to see the halftime show on the screens, but we were pretty much working the entire time,” Miller said. The team was busy flipping the room, preparing it for the crowd that would be soon coming for the post-game party. “We were scrubbing these white tables, we were trying to clean the floor and the chairs and we had to switch out all the food,” said Miller. “I don’t understand how they could be so messy,” she added.
“We were told that these people paid a lot so we needed to give them a good experience,” said Wright. The VIP room guests were a varied bunch, some with painted faces. “They weren’t like all in suits or anything like that, which is what I expected. It was like a typical tailgate party in a really nice room,” she said.
Following the game, the second party of the day didn’t end until midnight.  Near the end, the exhaustion pushed the team to get creative and entertain themselves by doing a little line dace. “We were trying to enjoy it,” said Miller. “We wanted the time to go as quickly as possible at the end.”  They finished cleaning the room at 12:30 and by the time they had gotten back to campus, it was 3am.
“If you had walked out of the room we were in, we were maybe a hundred feet from the run-in tunnel,” said Libby Wright, senior. “We walked by the locker rooms. We were right there.”  However, despite their proximity, Wright said she didn’t feel as though she was really at the Super Bowl. “The room’s under the stadium, but it was so quiet. Even during the game, you couldn’t hear anything,” said Wright.
“It was still a cool experience,” said Wright. “Not that I would want to do it again, but I’m glad I did it once.”

Popularity: 28% [?]

The Woods Staff Report

Saint Mary of-the-Woods College hosted the final Western show of the season Jan. 28-29.  After all the points were totaled, SMWC claimed High Point Team of the region, winning with 30 points.
The SMWC team started its final show last weekend –15 points away from becoming number one in the region. After a long day of hard work, the team was ecstatic to hear that they narrowly won the regional championship title by 5 points.
SMWC coach Sara Schulz was also shocked that the team succeeded in this feat.

Photo by Beth Allard/ The Woods

“It was overwhelming that the team did the unthinkable. They never quit, kept a positive attitude and worked hard,” Schulz said.
In the Jan. 28-29 Regional Championship, SMWC competed  against Ball State University, Butler University, Eastern Illinois University, Indiana University, Parkland College, Purdue University, Purdue-Calumet, St. Mary’s College and University of Illinois, all teams from the region or Division I programs.
The SMWC team goes directly to the IHSA semifinals March 24-25 in Tallahassee, Fla., to compete. If they place between 1st and 4th they will then advance to Nationals.
The riders who will compete at the semifinals in Florida are Whitney Mahloch, Jordyn Perrott, Karen Cannon, Sarah New, Paige Harvey and Shelby Harbor.
SMWC will host the Regional show March 2 for individuals to qualify for semifinals. Nine SMWC students will compete that day.

 Jena Thralls contributed to this article.

Popularity: 21% [?]

By Amira Jaradat
Staff Writer

On April 9, 2011, the lights were dimmed in Indiana State University’s north gym. Participants in last year’s Relay for Life event, each carrying a glow stick, were given instructions. If you’re a cancer survivor, light your glow stick. If you’re a caregiver, light your glow stick. If you know someone that’s had cancer, light your glow stick. One by one, glowsticks were lit. By the end, the gym was dotted with their light.
Relay for Life is an annual, overnight event held in more than 5,100 locations nationwide. It is the culmination of what is, for some teams, a yearlong fundraising process, with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.
Teams have been fundraising for months for this year’s event on March 24-25 at Indiana State University.
“It seems like almost everybody these days has been affected by cancer in some way,” said Krista Steinmetz, Hunt Seat coach at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
Steinmetz, who lost her mother to cancer in 2006, heads the SMWC Equestrian Teams relay team, which is made up of all of the students of both the Hunt Seat and Western equestrian teams.  The SMWC Equestrian Teams compete in the fundraising event against teams at other Vigo County colleges. “Last year, we were the top online fund-raising team,” said Steinmetz, whose team raised more than $5,000 in 2011.
“I made, or I encouraged, the girls to send out Facebook messages and e-mails… Some students within a few days raised like $300 just by letting their family know what they were doing,” said Steinmetz.
Besides asking for direct donations online, the team also raises money through team fundraisers, many of which are held during equestrian events.
“We had a Pie Your President contest,” said Steinmetz, which pit her, the regional president, against her father, the zone president. “Whoever’s can of money by the end of regional’s had the most in it was going to get a pie in the face,” said Steinmetz. She was the “winner” of that particular contest, but her father, who wore a full-sized bunny suit to pie his daughter, ended up getting pied as well. “Just that event alone raised about $500.”
Steinmetz’s team is not the only group out of SMWC participating in Relay for Life. Besides the SMWC Alums and Friends, run by American Cancer Society Community Representative and SMWC alum Rachel Romas, the Just Smile Every Mile Long team has been the team to beat.
“I think the only team that’s beaten us in the last couple of years has been Just Smile Every Mile Long,” Steinmetz said. “Last year was the first year we really got into it and raised a lot of money and they still beat us,” she said, laughing.
Just Smile Every Mile Long has been participating in Relay for Life since 2005. “In total, we’ve raised well over $30,000. We start with our fundraising right after the relay for the next year,” said Jeanette Wrin, office manager and administrative assistant for SMWC’s Woods Online program.

Photo provided by Krista Steinmetz

“The equestrian teams are a Facebook group; that’s how they raise their money. We kind of raise ours the brick and mortar way,” said Wrin. “They’re doing great. I think it’s going to be pretty close,” she added.
The team, which is mostly made up of Wrin and her relatives, has members ranging from 14 to 70 years old. Besides their yearly yard sale and children’s books sales, one of Just Smile Every Mile Long’s biggest fundraisers is the Shop for a Cure event held every November.
“We have about 35 vendors who come, set up and sell their items and a percentage of their profit goes to the American Cancer Society,” said Wrin. A lunch is also served, last year to about 200 people, all prepared by Wrin’s two daughters.
“About 10 years ago, my daughter developed Hodgkin’s lymphoma,” said Wrin. After her diagnosis, the family heard about Relay for Life and decided to form a team.
“The Relay for Life event is a way to honor the people who are going through cancer,” said Wrin. “It’s also a way to remember people who were lost to cancer and it’s a way to fight back to raise money for research.”
Relay starts with a Survivors lap, in which cancer survivors celebrate their successes by taking to the track. There is also a special lap for Caregivers, or anyone who has offered help and support to a cancer patient.
“I definitely walked with my mom when she was surviving, so that was something that meant a lot to me,” said Steinmetz. “I’m an only child. My dad was always there to help too, but I was with my mom a lot when she was in the hospital.”
Because of the nature of the cause, both teams find many people willing to donate.
“I don’t usually feel bad asking people to get involved and donate because most people have a story,” said Steinmetz. “If you just sit there and ask them, they’ll tell you a personal story about someone in their life who had cancer. It seems like it touches a lot of people.”
“I’m just very, very thankful that my daughter’s doing well,” said Wrin. “And there are a lot of people who have not done so well. I think, even if you’re not on a team, just to come to relay, just physically being there for the relay is a support to someone.”

Popularity: 28% [?]

Pomeroy Basketball Schedule

Friday, Feb. 10    at Robert Morris-Springfield @ Springfield, Ill.  7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 11     at Lindenwood University @ Belleville, Ill.  2 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 16     Principia College @ SMWC  7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 20     Robert Morris-Springfield @ SMWC   7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 25     Oakland City University @ Oakland City, Ind.  2 p.m.

USCAA National Tournament: March 6-10, 2012 @ Uniontown, Penn.
**All times are EST unless otherwise indicated

DIRECTIONS TO CLINTON RECREATION CENTER
Hwy 63 South
Take 63 South to the Hwy 163 intersection in Clinton (at stoplight). Turn left on to 163. Go to the next stoplight (about 1.5 miles) at 9th Street and turn right. Take the next immediate left on Blackman Street. Take this to the stop sign at 4th street. The Center is ahead on the left. Park on the street.

Hwy 41 North
Take 41 North through Terre Haute, to where 63N and 41N split (63N veers left). Go approximately 14 miles to the stoplight in Clinton, Ind. Turn right on Hwy 163. Go to the next stoplight (about 1.5 miles) at 9th Street and turn right. Take the next immediate left on Blackman Street. Take this to the stop sign at 4th street. The Center is ahead on the left. Park on the street.

SMWC launches redesigned website

Dee Reed, executive director of College Relations, announced that the college’s redesigned website will launch today after months of preparation and planning
According to Reed, the redesign will improve the user experience by making it easier to navigate. Administrators also hope the new site will more effectively engage prospective and current students.
A few of the new features include:
• Academics tab designed for easy access
• Admission tab quickly directs prospective students to critical information
• Drop-down menus
• Streamlined design

To see the new site, go to http://www.smwc.edu

Popularity: 17% [?]

By Ali Mahloch
Staff Writer

Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Nationals is a prestigious competition where only the best of the best equine enthusiasts qualify and riders are out for the win. Over 8,300 students represent 370 or more colleges every year and the sole goal of all of them is to make it to Nationals.
Both the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Western and Hunt Seat teams compete in the IHSA each year, traveling to about 20 shows per season.
Western Coach Sara Schulz has high hopes for the team going to Nationals this year.
“Highpoint team for sure!” she said.
“My expectations are that each individual rider be the best that they can be.”
These expectations follow a single rider, current senior Whitney Mahloch, making it all the way to Nationals and placing 3rd in the Western event.
The 2011 IHSA National Competition was held May 5-8. It had been a tough season for both the hunt and western teams but Mahloch found her way there as an individual competitor for the Advanced level in Western, the second highest level one can compete in.
To get there she placed 3rd at the semi-finals competition held several weeks before. Only the top 4 riders of the semi-finals go to the national competition. Admittance to semi-finals required she get 1st or 2nd at the regional competition.
Mahloch also made it to nationals for Hunt Seat as the Cacchione Cup Rider for SMWC’s region. This qualification meant she had the most cumulative points throughout the season and was therefore the top rider.

Photo provided by Karen Cannon

Only riders in the Open Division, which is the highest Hunt division one can be in, can win this award.  Winning this immediately qualified her for the national competition where she would compete against all of the other Region winners.
In the Cacchione Cup competition, Mahloch didn’t have her best ride.
“I rode in the jumping class, however I did not get called back for the flat class ride off. I was just so thrilled I made it that far!” she said.
That left her Western competition. During the pattern portion of the ride, her horse became difficult and began to buck. The judges allowed her to ride a different horse and try the pattern again. As her parents, grandparents, coach and teammate Erika Stanley watched anxiously as the placing’s were called out. Mahloch secured 3rd place and was ecstatic.
This year’s National Competition will be held May 3-6 in Raleigh, North Carolina. When Mahloch was asked about the chance of getting to Nationals 2012 she proudly said “If I am fortunate enough to make it to Nationals this year, I will once again miss the biggest day of the year – graduation”
“Graduation is something we all look forward to, but given the choice I’d rather do a sliding stop down center or jump around a course, than walk across a stage.”
Sophomore Karen Cannon, who made it to the Semi-finals last year as a freshman in the Intermediate division, hopes to give Nationals another try.
“I hope to qualify for Semi-finals again, and this time I want to make it to Nationals!” she said.
To follow both the Hunt Seat and Western team events, visit their website at http://www.smwc.edu/athletics/equestrian/. Look for future Equestrian team coverage in The Woods.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Jan. 21st – Western Show hosted by Purdue University @ Foxton Farm
Jan. 28th – Western Show hosted by Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Feb. 11th & 12th – Hunt Seat Shows hosted by Ball State @ Black Dog Farms
Feb. 18th & 19th – Hunt Seat Shows hosted by Purdue University @ Foxton Farm
Hunt Seat Regionals – February 25, 2012 at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Western Regionals – March 2, 2012 at Gordyville OR Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (TBA)
Western Semi-Finals – March 24-25, 2012 at Floriday State University
Hunt Seat Zones – April 1,2012, Black Dog Farms
Nationals – May 3-6, 2012, Raleigh, North Carolina

Popularity: 16% [?]

Sat. Jan. 28
SMWC vs. Lindenwood University – Belleville
@ Clinton, IN
Starts at 2:00 p.m.
For directions, visit http://
www.smwc.edu/athletics/basketball/

Popularity: 15% [?]

By  Lindsay Whitehead
Staff Writer

Junior Stephanie Runyon beat out more than 130 runners while facing bitter wind, snow, and freezing temperatures, to win the USCAA Cross Country National title for the first time in Lake Placid, N.Y., on Nov. 11.
Taking the title at the Olympic training facility, where the meet was held, means Runyon also earned a spot on the All-American Team.
It was a close race.  Runyon, with a time of 25:16, was a mere 7 seconds faster than the 2nd place competitor, Tori Faulkner, from Southern Virginia University.
This was Runyon’s first time winning Nationals: for the past two years she took second place.
“I think I worked the hardest for it this year and I wanted it more this year,” Runyon commented.
The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College cross country team had a positive turnout.
Although the team woke up at 4 a.m. on Nov. 9, to catch a flight to Albany, they were well prepared to race on Friday.
SMWC as a team claimed 3rd place out of twenty-six schools.

Photo provided by: Stephanie Runyon

Among the runners who competed were Runyon, Danika Espinoza, Kat Williams, Lauren Sutton, C.J. Barnett, Corianna Frederick, Logan Fry, and Jen Hughes.
For the SMWC cross country team, competing in New York was a new experience.
The last two years, Nationals has been held in New Hampshire.  Every two years a different school hosts the competition.
“Last year, we knew what to expect, but this year it was completely different,” Runyon said.
For Kat Williams, this was her third year competing at Nationals.
Her goal was to place in the top 20 and she exceeded that goal by placing 18th with a time of 27:34.  Williams’ only expectation of the race was that it was going to be a tough course.
“It was interesting going to a new place, but it’s always a little stressful,” Williams remarked.  “Cross country is a very hard sport because there are no time outs; it is pure all out running from start to finish.  There is no ‘I need a five-minute break.’”
The course at Lake Placid was a 6K with lots of sand and hills.  For the SMWC team, this was the farthest they have raced all season.
“The longer the distance, the more mental the race becomes.  It is all about pushing yourself to perform well,” freshman, Corianna Frederick said.
Frederick was nervous racing at her first Nationals, especially since she is new to the sport.  But she knew she had the team with her the whole way.  Frederick took home 29th place with a time of 28:18.
Runyon shared that this season overall was tough.
“I felt like I had a lot of ups and downs; the second half of the season went a lot better,” she said.  “Looking back I learned a lot about myself this season and what things to improve upon next year.  Having the National Championship is like the cherry on top.”
An important quality that Runyon has gained from being on the team is that even though you’re out there by yourself running and training, everything you do is for the team.  It’s easy to be selfish and only think of yourself, but what I learned is that you are never alone.
Frederick said the best advice she received was from her teammate Runyon.
“When you go into a race, you cannot worry about how good you are going to do.  Instead, you have to maintain an attitude of ‘let’s show these girls what we’ve worked for,’” Runyon advised.
Corianna has high hopes for next year’s Nationals.  Her goal is to earn the All-American title.
From a press release by Sara Palmer who is the communications manager for Publications, SMWC cross country coach, Danelle Readinger noted, “I am so privileged to coach such talented, smart girls.  They stay on top, stay strong and they love what they do.”

Popularity: 18% [?]

November, 2011
Tues., 11/15      at Franklin College                                            Franklin, IN               7:00 p.m.
Sat., 11/19         Judson College                                                  SMWC                         2:00 p.m.
Tues., 11/29     at Rose Hulman Institute of Technology     Terre Haute, IN         7:30 p.m.

December, 2011
Sat., 12/3         Brescia University                                    SMWC                        2:00 p.m.
Fri., 12/9         at Greenville Classic – vs Greenville     Greenville, IL             7:00 p.m.
Sat., 12/10      at Greenville Classic -vs Principia        Greenville, IL             12:00 p.m.
Tues., 12/13   at Spalding University                             Louisville, KY             7:00 p.m.
Wed., 12/14    at Indiana University – Southeast         New Albany, IN         7:00 p.m.
Mon., 12/19    at Transylvania Classic vs. Transy        Lexington, KY           6:00 p.m.
Tues. 12/20    at Transylvania Classic                           Lexington, KY            12:00 p.m. or 2:00p.m.
Fri., 12/30      Taylor Classic vs Taylor                          Upland, IN                 8:00 p.m.
Sat., 12/31      Taylor Classic vs Huntington                 Upland, IN                12:00 p.m.

January, 2012
Thurs. 1/5     at MacMurray College                             Jacksonville, IL         8:00 p.m.
Sat. 1/14        Oakland City University                         SMWC                          2:00 p.m.
Tues., 1/17     at University Cincinnati-Clermont     Cincinnati, OH           6:00 p.m.
Sat. 1/21        Indiana University – Northwest            SMWC                         2:00 p.m.
Sat. 1/28       Lindenwood University – Belleville      SMWC                         2:00 p.m.

February, 2012
Wed. 2/1            University Cincinnati – Clermont            SMWC                      7:00 p.m.
Sat. 2/4              MacMurray College (Senior Day)            SMWC                      2:00 p.m.
Fri., 2/10           at Robert Morris-Springfield                    Springfield, IL         7:00 p.m.
Sat. 2/11            at Lindenwood University – Belleville     Belleville, IL             2:00 p.m.
Thurs., 2/16     Principia College                                          SMWC                       7:00 p.m.
Tues. 2/20       Robert Morris-Springfield                         SMWC                       7:00 p.m.
Sat., 2/25         Oakland City University                             Oakland City, IN     2:00 p.m.

USCAA National Tournament: March 6-10, 2012 at Uniontown, PA

Popularity: 12% [?]

By Amira Jaradat
Staff Writer

For more than half of the semester, while the rest of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College’s sports teams have been competing, the basketball team was getting ready.
Their season finally kicked off on Nov. 5 in a home game against Indiana Tech. But, in the months leading up to that game, the basketball team was practicing hard, preparing for the long season that was to come.
“We practice every day, usually for two hours,” said sophomore Jessica Taylor. Besides running plays and working on technical skills, the team has been spending time in the weight room and working on resistance training.
“We’re trying to build our stamina so we can be ready for the season,” said Taylor.
Another way the team has prepared for the season is by having scrimmages with other teams.
“They’ve been pretty intense,” said Taylor. “Nobody’s going to let us beat them. We work hard for every win.”
“Our scrimmage games have been really good,” said freshman Alaura McKemie. “We’ve worked together really good as a team.”
The Pomeroys won three out of the four scrimmages they played, a fact McKemie says is partly due to the team’s dynamic. “I think we get along really well,” said McKemie. “We’re really open with each other. It’s better than I thought after high school, after having all those little kids and more drama. We’re more responsible.”
Taylor is a transfer student and, like McKemie, she is a new addition to the basketball team this year. According to Taylor, playing scrimmages before the start of the season helped the team to perform better as a unit.
“We had to get used to playing together and get a feel for each other,” Taylor said. Now, we are more aware of where we are on the court. Every game, we progress in some area.”
The team will have plenty of games to hone their skills. Their season is jam-packed, including at least one game every week, sometimes two or three. Compounded by the time spent in workouts and travelling to and from the Clinton Recreation Center every day for practices, being a part of SMWC basketball can take its toll.
“I’m worried about December,” said McKemie. “I’ve heard that’s our longest month. Everyone else gets off… We’re off for five days and then we’re back.”
But according to Brittney Shaner, a junior who has been on the team for three years, five days off for Christmas is an improvement on past years. “We usually only get four,” said Shaner. “You kind of do get a little burned out, but coach always gives us breaks,” she added.
According to McKemie, Coach Deanna Bradley is the kind of woman who demands respect. “She really knows what she’s talking about,” said McKemie, who says she feels she can go to her coach with her problems or her questions.
“In practices, if there are things that you want to know, she stops the play, she goes through it step by step and she goes back and has everybody reset up the play,” she said.
The basketball team consists of only nine players, with five taking to the court at a time. Going into the season, the Pomeroys will be playing with eight while Jenni McLeish-Marietta recovers from ankle surgery.
The team’s small numbers haven’t been a determining factor in their scrimmages; one of their wins was against a team of 17 players. “It hasn’t affected us in the scrimmages,” said Shaner. “Teams I’ve been on in the past, we only had like eight players, and that’s when we did our best because we could rotate better.”
Shaner is already looking ahead to the Nov. 29 game against Rose Hulman Institute of Technology. The rivalry game draws crowds from both schools and is one of the team’s most anticipated games of the season.
“That’s like the most nerve-wracking game you play because there’s so many people there,” said Shaner.

Popularity: 21% [?]