The Woods

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% [?]

By Emma Campbell
Editor-in-Chief

Welcome back to another semester and another issue of The Woods. I am personally very excited to be starting the semester refreshed after a long break. We here at the newspaper are in the process of continuing to improve our content and our connection with the SMWC community.
This semester means several things for the newspaper. Soon we will be selecting the best of our previous year’s content and submitting it to the Indiana Collegiate Press Association for consideration in their annual contest. Winners are invited to attend the ICPA conference, which includes guest speakers, lectures, and an awards luncheon.
Last year was the first in several where The Woods placed in three categories. This is a great honor considering we are in the same division as Rose Hulman Institute of Technology, Wabash College, and DePauw University.
This year we are looking forward to choosing from a wide variety of material to submit and are proud of the work our staff members have done. The staff members who went to the conference last year had a great time and we hope to part take in it again.
We are also welcoming two new members to the staff in this new semester. First we welcome Sierra Shepard who will be taking the position as Copy Editor for the Woods. Sierra is a junior and Professional Writing major. Her talent in writing and editing is a huge asset to the paper.
The second position being added is that of a staff writer…with a twist. Ali Mahloch, an Equine Business Management Major, is writing as an Equine Liaison, exclusively covering team events, shows, and other happenings at the barn and in the equine program.
The Equine Liaison position is something I created in an effort to reach out to parts of the campus that we haven’t covered as well as we would have liked in the past. We would like to expand and make similar connections with other areas of campus. If you are in a sport or program who would like to see more or better coverage of in the paper, please contact us so that we can plan how to change that.
Lastly, due to a great influx of suggestions and submission to our three columns, Le Fer Living, Commuter Corner, and our anonymous advice column “Miss Terious”, there is now an email account you can send your questions and comments to; columnsuggestions@gmail.com. You can also email us your letters to the editor and other comments to newsroom@smwc.edu.
We want to continue to hear from the campus community. Please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Once again, welcome back.

Popularity: 9% [?]

By Sherry Bube
Student Senate President

In the last couple of weeks Student Senate has brought new things and events to the campus community, including the long awaited coin machine, and has updated students on recent developments like the first annual Leadership Summit.
On Nov. 9, Student Senate finally unveiled the new coin machine, which was in the works for about six years. Senate held a ribbon cutting ceremony where they served cookies and about 20 people attended. The coin machine will exchange 1, 5, 10, and 20 dollar bills to quarters and is located in the basement of Le Fer Hall by the ATM.

Photo by: Emma Campbell/ The Woods

The commuter branch of Student Senate’s Forum Committee held the first Commuter Lunch Forum, which Student Senate may make a monthly event.
This will help keep commuters in the loop of what is happening on campus and give them a chance to get to know each other and share their concerns. At the lunch commuters were given an update of the Board of Trustees meetings and shared concerns including being escorted on upper floors in Le Fer Hall and about meal tickets for the Senior Dinner.
Nicolette Cisarik spoke to commuters about how to get more involved on campus. The lunch was in Sullivan Parlor, Le Fer Hall, where nine people attended.
Student Senate’s first Leadership Summit, titled “Leaders Under Construction,” will be on Saturday January 21, from 10a.m. to 3p.m. Attendees will take a leadership assessment quiz to learn more about their own leadership styles and will choose sessions to attend to help them develop their skills.
There will also be an etiquette lunch where students will practice keeping calm while discussing some controversial subjects and making polite conversation, as well as learn which forks, spoons and glasses to use when.
Keep on the lookout for more information!

Popularity: 26% [?]

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

You may notice a few new features in our newspaper this edition. I am pleased to announce that we are continuing to expand and improve on the content of The Woods.
First, we have included three new columns into our content. Two of them will be written by students – one from a student living in Le Fer and one from a commuter. Each column will give our readers an inside perspective on what it is like to either live in the dorms or commute from home.
One of my goals as editor has been to increase campus community presence in the paper. This includes students, faculty, staff, and the rest of the campus community.
We are fortunate as a school to have amazing members of both faculty and staff. Unfortunately, they are so busy giving us an education that their stories often go unnoticed. For this reason, we have decided to include a faculty/staff spotlight section.
In addition to the spotlight section, our third column is an advice column written by an anonymous SMWC staff member. Students can submit questions anonymously to our email, newsroom@smwc.edu or write and submit them to me via campus mail addressed to Emma Campbell, box 764.
If I want to achieve anything in my time here as Editor-in-Chief, it’s to make the campus community want to read the paper; to make everyone feel that there is something within our pages that they would enjoy reading.
Though we have a small staff, we continue to improve on our reporting and coverage of events on campus. However, sometimes we need help knowing what our readers want.
Letters to the Editor are not reserved for complaints or rants (although those are welcome), they are also for any comment or question about the paper. Did you like the last issue? Did you have a problem with something? Do you feel like we aren’t covering something adequately? Is there an event coming up that you want to make sure we cover? Do you have any ideas on who we should cover in our next faculty/staff spotlight?
Feedback is the key for us to create a better paper. We need you as our readers to not only hold us accountable when we make a mistake, but to also let us know what you want to read.
So, once again, I invite you to fill our newsroom e-mail’s inbox. Send us any and all feedback you have to newsroom@smwc.edu and we will do our best to address all of it.
I’m proud of our staff and what we’ve accomplished so far, but we can always do better. We need your help to continue to grow and expand our coverage of campus events and news.
We look forward to hearing from you.

Popularity: 21% [?]

By Emma Campbell
Editor-in-Chief
ecampbell2@smwc.edu

While dimmed blue lights illuminated the faces of two travel-worn men, the audience in Cecilian Auditorium held a collective breath as John Steinbeck’s classic, “Of Mice and Men” performance began.
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College students, faculty, and staff, as well as the surrounding community, were treated to a performance by the National Players, the nation’s longest running classical touring company, who returned to campus after last year’s production of “Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
The play, adapted from the Steinbeck novel of the same name, follows two migrant workers, George and Lennie, and they begin working on a California ranch.
Though humorous moments are distributed throughout the performance, the play focuses on much deeper emotions and humanistic themes including happiness, devotion, racism, morality, mental disabilities, and death.
Though many could have been upset by the forwardness of the plot, sophomore Heather Ennis believed the performance to be very realistic.
“I thought that this production of Steinbeck’s Mice and Men handled the ethical issues surrounding death and dying in a very gritty, but honest way. It was a very realistic portrayal of both life and death.”
With such intense ideas being portrayed, it was very important that the actors played their parts convincingly.

Photo by: Colleen Daum/ The Woods

Junior Ashtynn Masterson believed the National Players achieved that goal.
““I thought that the actors portrayed the characters very well – the body language and facial expressions were amazing. They stayed true to the book and captured the most emotional scenes very well”.
The National Players opened to a large crowed containing everyone from students to Sisters of Providence and members of the outside community.
“I think this play can really speak to students”, said Graduate Student Assistant of Campus Life, Nicolette Cisarik. “Many of them have already read the book in high school, so it’s familiar to them. It also deals with real life topics”.
Ennis agrees, “The sadness of the play is in the realism–there are no strictly good and bad characters. The lines between right and wrong are not always clear”.
Both years’ performances were a part of SMWC’s 4 Star Series. According to the SMWC website, the purpose of this program is to “bring esteemed speakers who inspire, challenge and stimulate the imagination”. It is also used to “enhance the College’s curriculum and to enrich cultural exploration”.

Popularity: 22% [?]

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

The Woods recently received a letter from a student expressing concerns about the paper. As much as we would like to publish it in this issue, as we do all our letters, we are unable to do so because the author did not submit her name.
While we can’t run an unsigned letter, I’ll try to address the issues raised by the author.
The letter expressed a deep concern for the integrity and overall design of the paper, especially in the presidential inauguration coverage. Specifically, the writer felt the coverage was a “disservice” to President Dottie King. The writer suggests adding quotes from guests at the ceremony and more pictures.
The writer also expressed concern about incomplete coverage of campus, including the lack of sports stories and too few staff members contributing stories. The author feels that advertisements are used to “fill pages.”
The student also expressed concern about smudging and poor print quality in the paper. The message of the letter is concern about an overall decline in quality of the paper.
In the interest of clarity, I will say that our paper is printed off campus, formerly at the Danville, Ill., Commercial News and now at the Tribune-Star in Terre Haute. We have no control over smudges or other print flaws.
But every other issue raised by the letter writer is feedback that we, as a staff, take seriously.
Furthermore, several of the concerns of the writer are concerns that our staff shares.
We have 11 students listed as staff writers, including our managing editor, Jade Scott. Of those students, about five contribute every week – a very small number to cover the entire campus. To remedy this, we advertise to fill open positions. We need more people to shoot pictures, write stories, help with layout and design and our website content. We invite the letter writer and anyone else who wants a strong newspaper to contribute to it. The more, the better.
Layout and design takes place over three days. I personally spend about four or so hours each night on the paper. Again, more copy editors and page designers are always welcome.
As for the advertisements, let me explain how they work. The Woods newspaper, in an effort to focus our community involvement to our campus and local community, only takes advertisements from campus based programs. Most of them come from the Sisters of Providence.  Ad sales help pay for newspaper expenses, including equipment and training.
I hope that addresses some of the particular concerns of the letter’s author. We love to receive feedback from readers. Our staff needs to be held accountable when we make mistakes, when we don’t print quality material, when we don’t adequately cover events.
There are many areas where we fall short, and there are many areas in which this paper can improve. We take on each new issue with the attitude that it should be better than the last, as we all learn and grow in our skills.
If you are a reader who would like to take us to task, share your thoughts or just drop us a line, below is our policy:
E-mail comments with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject line to newsroom@smwc.edu.
Be sure to include at the bottom of your e-mail your name and a phone number where we can verify your identity. We do this to reduce the chances of anyone impersonating someone else.
We reserve the right to edit letters for space or for legal considerations, including libel. We do not publish mass-mailed letters from activist groups or companies.
We do not publish anonymous letters or those written under a pseudonym.

Popularity: 14% [?]

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

To ask a group of college students, “who here has ever been stressed?” seems like a pretty stupid question.
Of course college students are stressed. Between academics, a social life, extra-curricular activities, family, friends, relationships, and everything else going on in our lives, the life of a college student can be exhausting and demanding.
When students are stressed, they just want it to go away as soon as possible; and many try to defeat it through damaging behavior. Ignoring the problem doesn’t make it go away, and neither does drowning it in a cocktail of bad choices and irresponsible behavior.
In my opinion, the best way to beat something is to understand it. Stress can be examined, evaluated, and subsequently reduced if you approach it from the right viewpoint.
There are four main causes of stress.  Environmental, physiological, personal thoughts, and social stressors.
Environmental factors can include things like persistent noise, pollution, the weather, and even lighting in a room. Physiological includes illness, injury, and poor nutrition. Your outlook on life or a situation can also lead to stress, such as a need for perfection or negative self-outlook.
Social stressors can be the most common for college students. These include financial problems, work demands, academic demands, social events, and interactions with loved ones.
Some physical symptoms of stress can include muscle tension, illness, high blood pressure, ulcers, insomnia, fatigue, headaches, and other body pains.
Emotional and mental symptoms of stress include depression, anger, fear, anxiety, mood swings, forgetfulness, repetitive thoughts, and difficulty concentrating.
Imagine adding just a few of these symptoms to already feeling overwhelmed. Stress can be more damaging than people think if it goes uncontrolled for too long.
So what do you do as a college student to reduce the amount of stress in your life?
Balance is the key. For every two hours of studying, take a 30 minute break. If you eat healthy all day, allow yourself to have a small dessert at dinner (good nutrition is a key factor in reducing stress levels), and remember that you can’t do everything at once and perfectly. Give yourself credit for the good work you do.
It’s also important to remember to speak out. If you’re feeling stressed and someone asks you to join their club or help them with their homework, say no…but nicely. It’s okay to limit yourself and not stretch yourself too thin.
I know first hand how crippling severe stress can be.  To be honest, from the beginning of this semester I have questioned whether I will ever get a good night sleep again. So, from the Editor to you, I know how you feel.
I’m a psychology major. I have studied, in-depth, the causes, effects, and remedies for stress. I know them backwards and forwards, and I’m the first to lecture someone when I know they’ve been putting too much on themselves.
However, I’m also the kind of person that seems to rarely take her own advice. The last few weeks have been especially difficult and I’m sure I haven’t been all that pleasent to be around. But I’m working on that, starting with this article.
Stress can be good. It can keep us on track and motivate us. It can help us see situations from a new perspective. It can also hurt. So please, take time for yourself, give yourself some credit, and take time to relax when you can.
Perhaps most importantly, know that if you are ever feeling overwhelmed to the point that you are experiencing psychological distress or cannot handle the stress levels you are under there are people you can talk to.
The Campus Counselor, Jennifer Smith, is located in Le Fer Hall, room 148A, and can be reached through phone or email listed on the College’s website. Never feel ashamed or embarrassed if you need to reach out to someone.
Take care, and take it easy.

Popularity: 10% [?]

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

Ten years ago today, Americans were waking up, reeling from one of the worst attacks on U.S. soil. On Sept. 11, 2001, attacks against the United States were carried out in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Excluding the hijackers, 2,977 people lost their lives as a result of these terrorist attacks.
I remember that day. I was 11 years old and in the 5th grade.  I remember our gym class being suddenly interrupted and we students rushed back to our homerooms. I remember several of my classmates being pulled out of school by worried parents who didn’t say much, but left clutching their child’s hand.
Most vividly, I remember my teacher, leaning forward on her elbows, trying to explain to us in a hushed, yet overwhelmingly emotional voice, that the United States was under attack.
An unusual and eerie silence followed as a classroom of 18 5th graders tried to understand what that meant. We were not allowed to view the attacks on TV and we were not required to finish our classes that day. We students who were not taken out early were left in free time for the remainder of the day. My teacher brought out some board games, and I remember that no one played.
Seeing the attacks on TV when I got home that night was one of the most surreal moments of my life. I honestly cannot say that I processed it then. How can you process the consequences of these events at 11 years old?
Ten years have passed and I believe that most Americans are still trying to process the consequences of Sept. 11, 2001. The emotional and political effects of this day still weight heavy on the hearts and minds of the American people. A country that was then united in a declaration of patriotism now stands seemingly divided by politics.
I debated with myself about whether or not to include a feature article about the anniversary in this issue of The Woods. The conclusion that I came to is that it would not serve the purpose I wanted it to. It could not fully represent what Sept. 11 means to the students or the campus community.
So I decided to let you speak for yourself. Share your stories with us. How did Sept. 11 affect you? What were you doing that day? What details can you remember? What does it mean to you now?  You can reply by sending us an email at newsroom@smwc.edu or by leaving a comment on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/page/The-Woods-Newspaper.
There will be a memorial service in front of Rooney Library Mon., Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. In the event of bad weather, it will be moved to the sacred heart chapel in Le Fer. All students, faculty, and staff are There will be a memorial service in front of Rooney Library Mon., Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. In the event of bad weather, it will be moved to the sacred heart chapel in Le Fer. All students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to attend.

Popularity: 17% [?]

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

The summer brought many changes to the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College campus — the most apparent of which is a new student center in the the former reference room in the library.
The student center was funded by gifts from two alumnae. The room now includes a performance stage, complete with lighting, café tables, rolling study tables and armchairs, glass partitions, a computer bar and flat-screen TVs with semi-private seating.
“It doesn’t make you feel like you’re in a library anymore,” said Senior Kristen Hammonds, a commuter from Marshall, Ill.
Freshmen and new students were the first to use the new student center during their open mic night of orientation.
Returning students noticed the installation of air conditioning in the south and center areas of Le Fer Hall, the installation of new wireless Internet, pavement of the curved drive behind Le Fer.
Air conditioning units were installed on the second, third and fourth floors of Le Fer. Larger units were also installed in the hallways, center areas, and kitchens.
In addition to adding comfort, in some cases the cooler air helps with health problems. Junior Katelyn Duke, who has Type-1 diabetes, said the hot and humid move-in last year caused her insulin pump to “fall out.” The cooler air this year made move-in healthier for her.
“It’s amazing,” she said, noting that she wasn’t drenched in sweat like last year.
New units were also installed on the first floor of Le Fer, including the main hallway, classrooms, and office spaces.
The completion of this project has been greatly anticipated by students, faculty, and staff alike, since the only centrally air conditioned part of Le Fer had been the north wings of the student housing areas. Classrooms and offices used noisy window units in the past.
The IT Department took advantage of the installation of the air conditioning units this summer to begin the first phase of installing the new wireless system in Le Fer. According to Austin Freeze, Technical Support Specialist, because of increasing use of wireless technology, such as smart phones, iPods, iPads, and laptops, the old wireless system was becoming obsolete.
Because most of the ceiling tiles had to be taken down for the new air units, this made it easier for IT to run wires and install the new access points.
The wireless system will provide enhanced coverage, faster internet speeds, increased reliability, and better support for new generations of technology, Freeze said.“This upgrade is not only replacing the existing wireless access points, but increasing the amount on campus by 45 percent,” he said.
So far, Le Fer and the first floor of the library are the only buildings with the new wireless systems installed. The rest of the campus is expected to be updated within the year.
Vice President for Finance and Administration, Gordon Afdahl said the new system was paid for with student technology fees.
Outside areas of campus got a facelift, as well. The curved drive behind Le Fer was newly paved after workers addressed the drainage problem between the drive and the back parking lot.
As a finishing touch, workers painted new parallel parking spaces along the drive to address parking availability.

Popularity: 12% [?]

By Emma Campbell
Staff Writer

Theater enthusiasts are getting the chance another to flex their acting muscles at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College with the spring play.
For the first time since the 06-07 academic year, SMWC will be producing a William Shakespeare play.
This years installment of Shakespeare will be “The Winter’s Tale”.
As it is with all of Shakespeare’s works, “The Winter’s Tale” is a story of love, betrayal, loss, mourning, desire, treachery, reunions, and forgiveness.
It is a multi-faceted tragicomedy, which is to say that while the greater deal of the story is a tragedy, it has a happy ending.
Fifth year senior and women and theater major, Danielle O’Conner, encouraged students to try out for the play last semester, despite the fact that it is Shakespearean.
“Just relax! Shakespeare is too stilted, it’s been given a bad rap.” said O’Conner. “It’s so easy to understand once you take a deep breath and allow yourself to become immersed in his beautiful language!”
Auditions for the play were held on Wednesday, Dec. 1, and were open to all students. Even professors showed up, with Fr. Bernie LaMontagne cast in the role of Camillo and Sr. Rosemary Nudd acting the part of Mother Time.
Bernie said, “I am excited by the role of Camillo.  I did request that role because he is like me– loyal, very moral and always willing to help those that are victims.”
He continued, “ I could have played the roles of Leontes and Polixenes because I’m confident of my acting abilities and experience.  But it was Camillo that I wanted to play.”
Other roles include Sherry Bube, freshman, as female lead Hermione, Kelsie Uselman, sophomore, as her daughter Perdita, and guest artist Brandon Wentz, who plays the lead male role of Leontes.
Wentz is returning to the SMWC stage after preforming in the 2010 spring musical “Urintown”.
Female lead, Sherry Bube, shares her surprise at being cast as a lead.
“Being cast in a main role for the Spring production was surprising to me, but I am grateful to be given the opportunity to contribute to the community here at SMWC through the theatre.”
Bube also anticipates the work of learning Shakespearean performance.
“Having never before performed a Shakespearean play, I am anticipating much growth on my part as an actress as well as many educational moments,” Bube said.  “Overall, the new experiences of being a main character and performing Shakespeare will be personally rewarding for me – and I hope the audience can have an enjoyable time too!”
The spring play is slated to run starting Feb. 24 through Feb. 27.

Popularity: 42% [?]