The Woods

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% [?]

By Lacey Henson
Staff Writer

The St. Mary’s Village Church celebrated its 175th anniversary on January 8th, making it the oldest Catholic Church in Vigo County.
The St. Mary’s Village Church is historically significant to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and the surrounding community. Its rich history helped lay a firm foundation of Catholicism in Vigo County and surrounding areas which is still prevalent 175 years later.
The history of Catholicity in Vigo County and the Village Church can be traced back to 1837. The combination of people of faith and a pastor to minister them built the first Catholic faith community on the western side of the Wabash River.
A Joseph Thralls and his family, who practiced Catholicism, acquired a significant piece of land in 1835 west of the Wabash River.
Records show a purchase of land transferring from Joseph and Sarah Thralls to Bishop Simon Brute of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Vincennes for a sum of fifteen dollars.
It was there that Bishop Brute built a small frame church in what is now the Village, the first in Vigo County, to establish the site for a permanent place of faith.
In 1840, Saint Mother Theodore Guerin arrived in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods with several companions.
The Thralls family provided housing for Mother Theodore and the sisters.
The Village Church was also where Mother Theodore first had mass after her arrival.
Keeping its values alive are today’s members of the parish, who are planning different activates to celebrate its 175th anniversary.
Read the next issue of The Woods for more about the Church’s historical significance over the past 175 years and coverage of the festivities that will be taking place to celebrate the presence of the St. Mary’s Village Church.

Popularity: 24% [?]

By Sierra Shepard
Copy Editor
sshepard@smwc.edu

One black kitten with green eyes sits quietly in a pet cage in the front room of the Terre Haute Humane Society, while its sibling plays in the litter box. The room smells of a mixture of dog, cat and filth. Five more cats play and rest in two other cages to the left. A tortoiseshell colored kitten chases its tail and spins around in circles in its litter box. Another lays by itself and hisses at any people or other cats who come by it.  The others reach between the spaces in the cages to paw at the children admiring them, struggling to pick out their favorite kitten.
Dogs bark, whine and growl in a room down the hall.  Some lay asleep on their pet-cots, and a few sit quietly and wag their tails at people passing by. One of the quiet ones is an emaciated Mastiff.
Some of the dogs have notes on their cages that warn of traits like jumping fences, aggression or chewing. Other notes have happy faces drawn on them and say the dog has been adopted.

Photo by Sierra Shepard/The Woods

The puppy room is the most crowded, with kids and couples searching for a pet to love and care for. The puppies are just as eager to love back, wagging their tails and jumping to get as close as they can to people leaning over the gate, then licking hands and chewing sleeves of sweatshirts and coats.
“A lot of them have never known love,” said Jessica Hoffman, manager at the Terre Haute Humane Society.
Hoffman graduated with a Master’s in Leadership Development from SMWC in 2011.  Hoffman said she entered the program “specifically so I could do this job.” She started out as a volunteer, but said “giving animals a second chance” inspired her to do more.
Hoffman’s own dog came from the Terre Haute Humane Society. He was aggressive, she said, and was about to be put down. The dog had burn marks on his legs and sores from over-licking them. Hoffman took him in with the intention of just fostering the dog, but fell in love with him.
“He went from scared and insecure to secure and loving,” Hoffman said. “When you’re scared you want to put up a wall.” Hoffman said that is where her dog’s aggression stemmed from.
“You’re really saving a life [when you adopt from a shelter],” Hoffman said.
The Terre Haute Humane Society helped over 6,400 animals in 2009 and 2010 and found homes for 93% of those animals, compared to saving 33% of their animals in 2000.

Photo by Sierra Shepard/The Woods

“The importance of getting your pets spayed and neutered cannot be stressed enough,” said Tiffany Rusin, an SMWC senior.
A goal of the Terre Haute Humane Society is to “control animal overpopulation by spaying and neutering every animal that goes out our doors.”
Rusin sometimes works with her mother, a veterinarian, at the Clay County Humane Society.
Shelters also stress the importance of “adopting pets, rather than buying them from a breeder,” said Rusin. Hoffman also made this point.
While the animal shelter does not ask for donations particular to the winter months, they always appreciate donations from their wish list, which be seen in complete form on their website.  One of the best ways to help, though, is to volunteer, according to the Terre Haute Humane Society.
Volunteers must first go through a volunteer orientation. Orientations are the fourth Saturdays of every month. SMWC students are sometimes involved in volunteering with the Terre Haute Humane Society, including at PetSmart’s adoption events.
“I had some free time, and I know how much humane societies appreciate help. There are always so many animals and usually so few people, so helping a humane society really means a lot to both the animals that live there and the humans that work there,” said Lauren Sutton, a junior at The Woods.
“I’ve adopted two pets from the shelter in my hometown,” said Sutton. “One was a two year old dog named Lexi. We’ve had her about four years now, and she loves us as much as we love her. The second was a little black kitten named Peri that my mom and I fostered this past summer. We were supposed to give him back to the Humane Society to be put up for adoption once he was old enough, but we fell in love with him and decided to keep him.”
For more information on how you can help out, go to www.thhs.org and look for emails from SMWC to see when other students are helping out.

Popularity: 27% [?]

Dear Miss Terious,
    I’m having a problem right now and I’m not really sure what to do about it. I’m a newish student here and I’m not getting along with the food in the dining room so well. Since    
I’ve been here, I’ve gained at least 20 pounds. They lied about the freshman 15. I’ve tried to make healthier decisions at lunch and dinner, but I’m usually so tired from the day that I just grab whatever sounds good. What is really killing me is that if I don’t like the meal, I just grab a bowl of ice cream and call it dinner. Snack isn’t helping very much either, I’m eating chicken nuggets and wings and grilled cheese sandwiches at 9:00 at night! I want to go to the gym, but I’m always intimidated by the athletes and healthy people working out. I don’t want them to see me get out of breath after 5 minutes. I know there’s probably an easy fix out there somewhere, and my jeans need an answer soon. Do have any advice on how to gain some willpower and not be so workout shy?

-Worried About My Waistline
Dear Worried About My Waistline,
You are not alone! Several college students fight the battle of gaining weight while in college.  I know when I was studying for my undergraduate degree, I gained weight too.
What I noticed was that meals were a social time for my group of friends.  We would stay past the time we were finished eating and just talk (and eat a little more!).
The first thing you should do, is keep track of what you are eating. Are you eating past the point of being hungry at meals, just because it is sitting in front of you? If so, when you are finished, take your tray up so you will not be tempted.  If there isn’t anything you want for dinner find an alternative to eating a bowl of ice cream.  Instead, make a sandwich, have a bowl of cereal, or salad.  It is okay to have ice cream, but eat it in moderation.  Have A scoop and not 4-5 scoops.
Getting healthy and fit is a lifestyle change too.  Watch what your liquid intake is, drink a lot of water! Watch the amount of soda you are drinking (that is empty calories!) and keep the alcohol to a minimum (more empty calories!).
The next thing to focus on…snack time.  It is okay to have a snack after dinner (especially if you did not have dinner). However, you have to make smart choices about it.  Anything ‘heavy’ or fried is not a smart choice. It is okay to have these items occasionally as a treat to yourself, but not every night.  If you think you will be too tempted to make un-smart choices, DO NOT GO TO SNACK! If you know it is chicken nugget night and you know you cannot eat just one, just stay in your room.
The next item to concur…working out.  Working out can be intimidating to any new person, especially if you are surrounded by fit athletes.  My first word of advice is to start out slow, do you overdo it and get discouraged.  Here is a link to getting started. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/tipsandtricks/a/gettingstarted.htm
Also, if you do not want to use the weight room there are other ways to exercise.  You live on a beautiful campus with wonderful outdoor facilities! You can: go for a walk, play tennis with a friend, take a bike ride, play a little basketball, or go for a run.
If you want to use the weight room, USE IT! Find a buddy to go with you.  There are so many great things in there and you should not be embarrassed! I am proud of you for starting the year out on a great foot and trying to get healthier.  A few quick pick me up quotes to leave you with…
“No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch.”
“A year from now you will be glad you started today.”
YOU CAN DO THIS!
Miss Terious

Popularity: 13% [?]

By Halee Hamilton
Columnist

The New Year has swiftly arisen, and healthy living is the number one goal of people everywhere, including commuters here at The Woods. According to statisticbrain.com, only 8% of people are successful in achieving their New Year’s resolutions. Let’s try and boost this percentage, and successfully achieve healthy living as commuter students here at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
Here are some ways in which we can follow through with our New Year’s resolution of healthy living. First of all, I know McDonalds is cheap and easy, but this eating habit has got to stop! As a commuter, we have the luxury of getting to choose what we are going to eat, opposed to eating what is offered in the dining hall. Packing your own lunch is a great way to begin achieving your healthy living goals.
Try and include all of the food groups when deciding what to bring. If you want to pack a sandwich, use a nice lean meat like turkey, and try not to add too much dressing. Also, chips are great, but they are not very healthy. Instead of packing chips, use veggies as an alternative. I know soda is delicious, but it is not easily included in a healthy lifestyle. Instead of soda, I suggest water or even tea. Finally, and this is the most difficult tip for me to follow, skip desert. Eating a desert every once in a while doesn’t hurt anyone, but we don’t need sweets every day.
Not only do we need to eat healthier to stick to our goals, we also need to exercise more. There are several facilities that are available in Terre Haute that we could easily attend after class, but if there is a break in between classes, you can go to the fitness center in the basement of Le Fer. This facility is free of charge and it is, conveniently, right on campus.
As an alternative, if you don’t want to work up too much of a sweat in between classes, take a long walk around campus. It isn’t called Saint Mary-of-the-Woods for nothing! We have a beautiful campus surrounding us, and we need to take advantage of it.
Another great way to add a small amount of activity into your daily routine is to take the stairs instead of the elevator. I understand that the last thing you want to do, first thing in the morning, is trudge up the stairs, but stairs are calorie burners and this will help you follow through with your New Year’s resolutions.
Finally, make sure you manage your time wisely and get plenty of sleep. This is one of the most important things you can do to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is difficult for campus students to get enough sleep, let alone commuter students. Not only do we have to stay up all hours of the night doing homework, but we have to get up earlier than most, to make the long commute to campus.
Again, it is important to manage our time wisely. If we are tired all of the time, then there is no way that we will feel like exercising, and the lack of energy will cause us to consume more food to make up for it. This is why it is so important to get enough sleep.
A great way for us to manage our time is to do homework in between classes, and if you don’t have time for that, then do homework early in the evening when you get home, so then you can relax at night, and get to sleep at a reasonable time.
In conclusion, let’s make our New Year’s resolutions a reality, let’s try and stay healthy year round, and let’s raise that 8%. I know that the commuter students here at The Woods can make this goal a reality, especially if we follow these few simple tips. Happy New Year everyone, best of luck sticking to your resolutions!

Popularity: 15% [?]

By Beth Allard
Columnist

Ever watched the show “Buried Alive”?
For some sick reason, we flock around the television to observe the lives of hoarders, and the professionals that come in to help dig them out of their clutter-filled grave.  I don’t know about you, but after watching that sort of hysteria for an hour, I’m ready to purge my room!
Three trash bags and a can of Pledge later, I feel a little less hoarder-like. And yet, somehow the laundry and wrappers and paper and books and mysterious-thing-in-the-bathroom-that-no-one-wants-to-touch keep coming back with a vengeance. Let’s face it: dirty, cluttered dorm rooms are not fun. When you have to crawl over piles of stuff to get to your desk, or spend an hour trying to find your bed at night, it kills the atmosphere.
If you’re one of those awesome (and slightly irritating) clean people, congratulations for having solved the mystery of housekeeping! I admire you greatly.  If you’re like me, and can’t even spell orginzation organization, I’ve gathered a few tips for keeping your dorm room a healthy, restful, fun place to be this semester. Yes, you’ve heard all of these before; but we all can use a little refresher course once and awhile!
Admit you have a problem: Hello, I’m Beth, and I lied on my housing form. I’m not a neat person. Your turn!
Toss, recycle, donate: You won’t believe how much space you’ll have in your room once you take a trash bag to it. Put on some motivating music, and start pitching. Don’t look back. Items that don’t need thrown away, but you never use can go to Goodwill. Or your favorite Le Fer Living columnist.
Make your bed: This is a simple step that will really help. Not only will it look better, but then you have a nice, clean surface to lay stuff on as you organize.
Finding the floor: According to the room check-in sheet, you should have a floor in your dorm room. If you haven’t seen yours in awhile, it’s probably hiding under the laundry and the pizza box. Once you find it, run a Swiffer or mop over it. The Swiffer Wet Mop cloths work wonders on these wood floors, and come in a lot of great scents.
Reality check: Your room doesn’t have to be Martha Stewart perfect to be clean. If you’re like me (so sorry!) organized piles do way more for you than everything put away out of sight.  If you prefer to have everything strewn on the floor… well, just think of the hoarders, and go back to step one.
Make a schedule: and keep it! If you have an open hour or two, determine to make that time to work on your room. After awhile, it will just become habit. The clean room feeling should be all the motivation you need.  I started off last semester super-tidy, and ended it living in a pit. Don’t let your room go the way of your notebooks.
Love your Le Fer life, ladies!

Popularity: 15% [?]

By Emma Campbell
Editor-in-Chief
ecampbell3@smwc.edu

I spoke with sophomore Sherry Bube after the announcement of her landing the leading role of Maria in the spring musical. She shares her excitement and expectations on being a part of her third SMWC performance.
Emma: What was your initial reaction when you heard that the spring musical was going to be The Sound of Music?
Sherry: My initial reaction to finding out that the Spring musical was “The Sound of Music” was excitement! I couldn’t wait to tell my family because the book was a favorite of mine and my family and I love the movie. Having the opportunity to be part of a production of it is a dream I’ve had ever since I was a youngster. I understood that I would have other commitments, such as work and school, to consider, I knew that this was an opportunity that I did not want to miss out on.

When you decided to try out, did you specifically want the role of Maria?
Truthfully, I did have a preference for the role of Maria. Her character has always fascinated me as her story interweaves throughout “The Sound of Music” with the other characters. Not only that, but the setting during World War II offers an exploration of topics that were faced by many individuals during that time period (such as loyalty to country and social changes).

Photo by Colleen Daum/The Woods

What piece did you use for your audition? Why did you choose that particular song?
For the music section of the audition, I sang a portion of the song “If I Only Had Brain” (lyrics by E. Y. Harburg, music by Harold Arlen) from “The Wizard of Oz”. I had prepared and learned this piece last semester as part of my vocal studies and felt comfortable with the song. I choose this particular piece because it utilizes some of the similar musical composition characteristics found in the music for “The Sound of Music”. An additional bonus is that it is an enjoyable piece to perform!
Now that you’ve gotten the part, how are you feeling?
Excited and nervous! I am nervous about being able to meet the expectations held by the audience (as is common with more well-known theatrical selections), but I am excited about exploring my own interpretation of the role, as well as working with what I know will be a wonderful cast and crew.
How do you think The Sound of Music and your role as Maria will compare to past productions you’ve been a part of?

Photo by Colleen Daum/The Woods

In regards to comparisons, some aspects such as memorizing lines and remembering blocking will be similar to past productions, but there will be new aspects. These include having a significant musical and dance components to the production, as well as a much larger cast. With previous productions at SMWC, the environment is one of support, constructive direction, and community. In this case, I have no reservations in saying that although there will be challenges for all involved, the moments of success and validation will truly make the effort and work worthwhile!
What’s the one thing you want other student to know about taking part in the drama club or working on a production?
The one thing to know is that life itself is no dress rehearsal. If there was ever an opportunity to add another facet of meaningful experience to your life, do it! For some, it means becoming part of the drama club or a theatrical production and contributing in that way. You have the opportunity to be creative, supportive, and provide enjoyment through entertainment to others. This is a chance for one to put in time, effort, and concentration, and be able to come out with an end result that is not only gratifying for those involved in the production, but also for the audience as well.
On behalf of the cast, crew, and directors, we’ll be looking forward to seeing you there for another unforgettable performance!

Popularity: 16% [?]

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% [?]

Psychology and Human Services majors are invited to attend a luncheon forum and/or guest lecture presentation featuring
Scott Ripple, MD.
Scott Ripple, MD
Advice about careers in medicine & related fields.
Rooney Library, Faculty Lounge, 3rd floor
Thursday, Jan. 26
12:00 – 12:50 p.m.
Registration deadline:  noon on Monday, Jan. 23
Register:  career@smwc.edu or (812) 535-5188

Popularity: 14% [?]