The Woods

By Grace Dubrowski
Staff Writer

Witches, vampires, police men, and even a stick of juicy fruit gum stalked the halls of Le Fer hall on Oct. 26 for  the Sophomore-Freshmen Leadership Council (SFLC) event, Trick-or-Treating.
This event was created for students attending the Wabash Valley’s elementary schools, staff and faculty children, and children of Woods students.
This is the 14th year that SFLC has sponsored a Halloween event on the campus of SMWC.
For the past four years this Halloween event has consisted only of trick-or-treating in Le Fer Hall. However, this year’s SFLC decided to do something new.
“This year we hosted a Halloween party, which was something new for all of us since this hasn’t been done for a couple of years,” said Kirstin Strow, president of SFLC for the 2011-2012 school year.  “Along with candy that was set out at each RA table, we also purchased prizes.”
The most positive outcome of the event was that it brings the SMWC community together to make the event work, said Strow.
But what are some of the benefits of this event for the participants?
Of course, for the children who walk door to door, their biggest prize is a bag filled to the brim with candy.
But, there are some perks to the evening that don’t come in brightly colored wrappers, especially for the parents of the trick-or-treaters.
“I know that my children will be in a safe and protected environment when I bring them here for trick-or-treating,” said Jacqueline Forrester, who has brought her two children to the event for the past three years.
“Plus, they say they always get more candy here then they do in our own neighborhood on Halloween, so it’s a win-win,” she said.
Kevin Greene, a single father, and his four-year-old daughter were newcomers to SFLC’s trick-or-treating this year.
“I plan on bringing her back here every year that we can,” Greene said. “The girls passing out candy were so friendly and welcoming to her. The students were great role models for my daughter, even if she only gets to interact with them for a few seconds as she puts her hand in a candy bowl.”
For the SMWC students who pass out candy in the halls, the evening has a whole other set of positives.
Noelle Hingsbergen, freshmen at the Woods, talks about the nostalgia she experienced through the event.
“Being in college, we are no longer little kids who go out trick-or-treating with our families,” she said.  “I got to relive part of my memories through giving out candy to the little kids. I may not have the Halloweens that I used to, but it helps to participate and still be part of the night that is known and loved by everyone.”

Popularity: 18% [?]

By Grace Dubrowski
Staff Writer

If you’re even slightly familiar with Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College athletics, you’re probably aware of the long-standing rivalry between the SMWC Pomeroys and the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Fighting Engineers.
Games between the two teams are always high stakes, high energy, and highly competitive.
The game between SMWC’s and RHIT’s women’s soccer team on Oct. 5 was no exception.
Although the game resulted in a 4-1 loss for SMWC, the outpouring of support for breast cancer awareness through the  Pomeroy team was a definite win.
However, this game was special for another reason as well.  It marked the first annual SMWC Breast Cancer Awareness Game.
To show their support for breast cancer awareness, the Pomeroys sported pink jerseys, bows, and socks, rather than their usual blue or white uniforms.
The driving force behind the creation of the Breast Cancer Awareness Game was Kayla Leuthold, senior at SMWC and four year veteran on the soccer team.
“Being at a women’s college, breast cancer awareness is very important,” Kayla Leuthold said. “We hope for this to become an annual event at The Woods.”
Her sister, Paige Leuthold, also believed that it was important to bring the awareness of breast cancer to The Woods.
“Breast cancer is a major issue that we obviously need to raise funds and to try and find a cure for,” Paige Leuthold said.  “So many people have been affected by it; both people that we know and people that we don’t.”

Photo by Shauna Lampley/The Woods

Paige added a personal touch that hit close to home.
“My mom’s best friend just finished her rounds of chemo for her own breast cancer,” she said. “I’m going to rock her initials on my bow for her!”
The Leutholds, however, aren’t the only Pomeroy soccer players that are passionate about breast cancer awareness.
“I’m a cause-freak in general,” says Samantha Morrison, sophomore. “Our game is going toward a good cause and it’s important.”
Amanda Payton, freshmen goalkeeper for the Woods, has also been previously involved in breast cancer awareness.
“Participating in Breast Cancer Awareness games is something I’ve done since sophomore year of high school,” Payton says. “It’s something that will most likely affect me or women that I’m close to in the future, so it’s a great organization to raise money and awareness for.”
Information packets about breast cancer and the Susan G. Komen Foundation were given to spectators as they arrived.
During halftime, both Rose-Hulman and SMWC spectators were encouraged to pay $1 to take a penalty shot on goal in attempts to win t-shirts that had been attached to the net.
Many spectators took multiple shots in their attempts to earn a shirt, raising additional money for the local Komen chapter.

Popularity: 41% [?]

By Grace Dubrowski
Staff Writer

As a “Woodsie,” you may think that you know everything there is to know about the campus of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
Elizabeth Wright, current senior and Resident Assistant at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, thought she did too… until she took a step back and took time to think about it.
“I realized that there were so many places on campus I had never visited, and vowed to change that for my final year,” Wright says. “After thinking it over, I realized this may be the case for several others, and decided to share my exploration with others.”
And how did she decide to do just that?
By creating the “Explore the Woods” series, a brand new Campus Life event this academic year.
“Explore the Woods” aims to give campus students opportunities to explore areas of campus that they might not be entirely familiar with.
The list of places to explore this year includes, but is not limited to: the barn, Guerin Hall, the Conservatory, and possibly a two- or three-part series on “The Sister’s Side” and The Church of the Immaculate Conception.
The first installment of the “Explore the Woods” series was co-hosted by Wright and Erika Stanley, SMWC sophomore and Resident Assistant. The destination: the Mari Hulman George School of Equine Studies, more commonly known to SMWC students as “the barn”.
The 40-plus students who attended the event were met at the back of Le Fer hall by Stanley and other equine majors, who gave the group a hayride over to the barn.
Upon their arrival, the crowd was escorted into the indoor arena. There, they were seated on bleachers and were greeted by five riders, already mounted on their horses in the arena.
Whitney Mahloch, a senior, centered herself in the ring and kicked off the evening by giving the group a rundown of the differences between Western and Huntseat riding.
Both Mahloch and the other riders gave demonstrations of basic showing skills; they even gave the group a mock “horse show,” modeling techniques seen  during a horse show.
“I think for many people, they don’t like coming to the shows because they don’t know what is going on,” Mahloch says. “Hopefully this gives them a little more of an idea of what we do, and that this will encourage more school support at our home shows.”
While the show was going on, Wright was busy making warm apple cider and delivering it to the group of SMWC students on the bleachers.
After the mock show, the group was given a tour of the barn by the group of equine majors who had come to the event. The students were taken all around the area, observing the stables, arenas, and pastures. They also got the opportunity to interact with the horses themselves.
Amanda Payton, an admissions ambassador at SMWC, was surprised at how much new information she learned.
“As an Ambassador, we’re given a basic outline of the barn,” Payton says. “But being shown the barn by equine majors during ‘Explore the Woods’ gave me much more personal and interesting information to share on my tours.”
Wright said the feedback she received from residents was positive.
“They were glad to have a chance to see the girls in action and love on the horses for a little bit,” Wright says.
It was a worthwhile experience for those that already knew the barn, as well.
“I really enjoyed teaching Woodsies about the barn and basics of showing,” Mahloch says. “Many of the students had never been down to the barn, or had even seen the barn. I don’t think that many students have a good knowledge about what we do at the barn all day. Many think we just ride the ponies, but in reality, we do much more.”

Popularity: 21% [?]

By Grace Dubrowski
Staff Writer

Photo provided by Lauren Sutton

Most college students spend their summer lying out on a beach, attending summer classes, or taking vacations with their family.
But Lauren Sutton, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods junior, realized her dream summer practicum working with wolves at Wolf Park at Battle Ground, near Lafayette.
Anyone who is familiar with Sutton most likely knows about her passion and love for wolves.
“I first went to Wolf Park when I was in second grade on a school field trip, and I fell in love with wolves,” Sutton said. “Wolves are beautiful creatures. Once you really get to know them, you can see that each wolf has their own personality, and you can create a bond with them just like you would with a human.”
Sutton has this sort of unique bond with one wolf in particular.
“When I turned 18, I was able to sponsor a wolf named Eclipse,” Sutton explained. “After I got to meet her, I wanted to spend more time at the park, so I learned about their internship program and their practicum program.”
This turned out to be highly beneficial for Sutton, who is currently earning a minor in environmental studies.
“It was almost like killing two birds with one stone; by doing the practicum I was able to help out at the park while at the same time getting credit for it” she said.
Wolf Park, located about eight miles north of Lafayette, has been open to the public since 1970.
It covers approximately 75 acres of land, seven of which is the main wolf enclosure. But don’t let the name “Wolf Park” fool you; wolves are not the only animals that a visitor can encounter at the grounds.
Currently, Wolf Park is also home to two foxes, two coyotes, and nine bison, along with their 14 resident wolves, which range from ages 1-18.
The wolves at Wolf Park are “socialized”, or raised with humans, so they would be what most people would call “tame”.
However, they are not domesticated. The staff at Wolf Park likes to joke that “our wolves are not domesticated… a domesticated wolf is called a dog!”
Sutton highly suggests to any and all Woods students to participate in their own internship or practicum experience in their chosen career field, and to turn in your applications early.
And once you get there?
“Be sure take advantage of every opportunity,” Sutton said. “If you don’t take advantage of what you have, you might miss out on something!”

Popularity: 22% [?]