April 26, 2012 Volume 108, Issue 20

Most OutstandingCollege Newspaper

in the U.S. ASPA

Thursday Friday SaturdayTGISPages 2-3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 7

Special Event Issue

Campus Map & Key on back

TGIS Special Issue April 26, 2012EtownianThe

Ashley E. WrightStaff Writer

Thank God It’s Spring (T.G.I.S.) was not always an event on the Elizabethtown College campus that

lasted from Thursday through Saturday night. In fact, T.G.I.S. is still a relatively new event on campus, as it was created in the mid-1970s.

According to former Director of Alumni Relations and 1969 Etown alumnus, Barry Freidly, T.G.I.S. originally was a one-day event held on a Saturday in the spring. Since Freidly’s friend, Don Yoder, created this popular and fun event, it has become more extravagant and builds upon themes stemming from the branches of its root-rich origin each year.

The event began with Yoder, who was the director of Dining Services, when he noticed that there was no major event on campus that brought all of the students, faculty and staff together. While there was a bowling alley and large game room (now, the dance studio and theater offices), it just didn’t combat the boredom felt by students in their all too familiar environment. In addition to this, television sets were not allowed in dormitories and computers didn’t exist at the time, so Etown students had fewer activities to occupy their time compared to the present.

“Yoder started it all,” Freidly said. Yoder began the creative tradition of delicious themed dinners, beginning with the Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts, followed by the concept of T.G.I.S. Yoder and Freidly began T.G.I.S. plans in 1968, as they worked to think of events, coordi-nate times and delegate responsibilities.

Freidly and Yoder collaborated on all of the events to be held for the first ever T.G.I.S. in 1975. In addition to this “happening” experience taking place, Freidly cre-ated the Activities Planning Board [present-day Students Working to Entertain E-town (SWEET)], which helped cater to students and rejuvenate student life on campus. Flyers, posters and announcements, using the WWEC radio station and dining hall PA system, were used to spread the word.

Originally known as T.G.I.F., the event later became known as T.G.I.S. Despite T.G.I.S being a smaller setup for the first year, it was exciting and refreshing for students and staff alike. The biggest part of T.G.I.S. was the picnic held on Brinser Field and then following it, the spring dance. There was always a live band performing during the evening and, he may or may not have known it at the time, but Yoder set a precedent and created a much loved tradition for Etown students, faculty and staff.

Of course, times are ever-changing and Etown 2008 alumnus, as well as Assistant Director of Financial Aid Eric Kopp described his most memorable experience, us-ing the pugil sticks during the 2007 T.G.I.S: “We started and I lasted about 10 seconds. I got the top of my head bumped and ended up biting my tongue. There was blood but I was okay, nothing major.” Soon after, he enjoyed eat-ing a big turkey leg. Kopp noticed the changes between the programming at T.G.I.S. during his Etown student years and what is happening this year.

Kopp expressed interest in the sailing trip to Annapo-lis, Md. and his surprise at the lack of a big name concert. “There was always a concert. One year we had Third Eye Blind perform. I never really went to those for some reason but they were nice for everyone.” He mentioned that, during his time at Etown, there was always a dance in the Event Space (now known as the Koons Activity Venue or the KĀV). The theme he enjoyed most as an undergraduate was the “Renaissance” experience, which is when the pugil stick activity occurred. “Sometimes it got a little crazy Monday through Friday that week,” Kopp said.

Despite not having a concert on campus, T.G.I.S. 2012 will be a unique and exciting experience for various inter-ests. The theme for this year is “Going for the Gold,” and it incorporates the Olympics. Intramural coordinator and planning committee member Sean Post commented on the Olympic connection to each day: “This summer the 2012 games will be in London and in 2016, the games will be in Rio. On Thursday, we have events related to London; on Friday, our events relate to the games in general; and on Saturday, our events relate to Rio.”

From 1975, when T.G.I.S. was simply a well-attended picnic on a Saturday in the spring, to 2007, when students enjoyed a concert, and finally to 2012, when it is a three-day event including a sailing trip and a variety of cultural activi-ties, T.G.I.S. becomes bigger and more extravagant each year thanks to OSA and many others working together to put on an impressive and fun schedule for everyone to enjoy.

“Etown would be unrecognizable from today,” Freidly commented, reviewing the differences from the first T.G.I.S. and Etown present-day student life.

Thank God It’s Spring (T.G.I.S.) is an annual event at Elizabethtown Col-

lege celebrating the end of the semester. T.G.I.S. is a three-day weekend when students can relax, unwind and have some fun before finals week. T.G.I.S. is held at the end of April or beginning of May each year here at Etown and has become one of the students’ favorite events over the years.

Every year the Office of Student Activi-ties (OSA) comes up with a new theme for T.G.I.S. This year they came up with the theme “Going for the Gold” in light of the upcoming 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Toni Villella, Etown director of Student Activities, who oversaw the meet-ings, said that OSA brainstormed and just fell onto the idea of “Going for the Gold.” Past themes have all been successful, in-cluding last year’s “Rumble in the Jungle.”

What sets this year’s theme apart from past themes, however, is that not only are there games in which you can participate but there are also games to watch. “We will have people coming in to show how

to play rugby and other types of sports,” Villella said.

As mentioned earlier, T.G.I.S. this year is themed around the 2012 Lon-don Olympics. What Villella and the rest of OSA are really excited about, however, is that they will also have things pertaining to the upcoming 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

T.G.I.S. is well-known around campus, and students really love the events that go on during the weekend. “Students who have been to Etown already know the fun they can have getting involved in all the activities that T.G.I.S. brings,” junior OSA member Adam Thompson said. He added that first-years will have fun making their own memories as well: “First-year students will enjoy the different things they can do, as it’s a big blowout before finals week to go crazy and let loose.”

Students seem to enjoy the idea of hav-ing a relaxing break on the College’s time. While the students here at Etown would most likely find time to unwind while studying, there is something comfort-ing about knowing that you are not just walking away from your studies. OSA has

planned a bunch of activities in which the students can participate and because the school has set up the whole event, the students do not feel as much pressure to take all of their time to study. While it is important to study, finding time to have fun interacting with friends is almost as important. That is what T.G.I.S. does for the students here at Etown; it gives them a chance to have some guilt-free, safe and legal fun while doing some pretty outra-geous things in the process.

The biggest part of T.G.I.S. is that it is a three-day weekend to get away from the stress of finals. The last few weeks of school are notorious for be-ing hard on students as the final pieces of schoolwork are crammed in with the important projects, tests and the pressure of looking for a summer job.

T.G.I.S. is built for fun, and stu-dents here at Etown need that before finals week. So when you are study-ing this weekend, remember that go-ing out, having some fun with your friends and forgetting about your schoolwork for a few hours is okay. T.G.I.S. is here to help.

history

Alumnus sheds light on previous T.G.I.S. experience, events

“Going for the Gold”

T.G.I.S. events feature Olympic theme

Barry Freidly, class of ’69, shares how T.G.I.S. was once a one-day event on a Saturday in the springtime

Image: momentchannel.comThis year’s T.G.I.S. theme is “Going for the Gold,” based on the 2012 Olympics being held in London and the 2016 Olympics being held in Rio de Janeiro. Events on campus during the three-day weekend promise to be enjoyable for all students.

Hunter T. NollStaff Writer

April 26, 2012 EtownianThe 3

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Thank God It’s Spring, or T.G.I.S., is that glo-rious week at the end of April when Eliza-

bethtown College students can cut loose one last time before they sell their souls to flash cards, late nights at the library and staring blankly at notes. They’re pumped for the inflatables, food and lounging on Brinser Field. But how does T.G.I.S. stack up to other colleges’ spring fests?

Etown rival Lebanon Valley College (LVC) has a unique sort of bash celebrating the beginning of the end of the semester: Dutchmen Day. Dutch-men Day, which has been taking place on LVC’s campus in nearby Annville, Pa., for the past 10 years, is a surprise day off from classes when the students, faculty and staff celebrate and compete with and against each other. The students get a secret wake-up call around 7 a.m. and have to report to their Academic Quad. Upon arriving, they receive Dutchmen Day t-shirts and the fes-tivities begin. Like T.G.I.S., each year has a differ-ent theme, inflatables and fun food. Stacking up against Etown, however, is Dutchmen Day’s bands, bonfire and fireworks.

LVC senior Ryan Humphries, student govern-ment president of the College, described the event. “It’s really cool thing to do,” he said, and added, “It’s a way to welcome spring.”

Humphries cited LVC’s small student popula-tion as a factor of its success. “I think it’s a huge community thing,” he said. “We’re very tight-knit here. It goes beyond student-student to student-faculty as well. It’s a way to enjoy each other out-side the academic realm.”

James Madison University (JMU), of Harri-sonburg, Va., also holds a spring festival, called Madipalooza. This has been the second year that the university has sponsored it. Like T.G.I.S., there are inflatables and field day activities, and the university’s purpose is the same — to give the students a breather before taking the plunge into finals. Steve Bobbitt, Associate Director for Programming at JMU, claimed that, because there were events taking students off campus as the

Other college spring fests can’t compete Ellen C. WilsonFeatures Editor

“Invictus,” a 2009 movie directed by Clint Eastwood, is featured for Thank God It’s Spring (T.G.I.S.) weekend. It is a story of politics, rugby

and the determination of two men to unify South Africa. Based on “Play-ing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation” by John Carlin, it is the story of how President Nelson Mandela partnered with South Africa’s rugby team, the Springboks, to bring the nation together.

In 1994, Mandela was elected president of South Africa in the coun-try’s first fully-representative democratic election. The movie opens with Mandela, played by Morgan Freeman, on his first day in office. All around him, aids and staff of the former president are packing up their various belongings as they prepare to quit. In the scenes that follow, we learn about the division between the citizens of South Africa and Mandela’s goal to unify them.

After watching the Springboks get defeated by England, Mandela realizes that he needed to create solidarity between the people and the government in order to unite the nation. As he puts it, “All the whites cheer for South Africa. All the blacks cheer for England.” Mandela reasons that if he can restore the people’s faith in the Springboks, it would serve as a means to bring them together. However, the only way for this to happen is for the currently failing Springboks to win the Rugby World Cup.

At this point, Francis Pienarr, played by Matt Damon, the captain of the Springboks, is formally introduced. Mandela meets with him, and places his hope for uniting the nation on Pienarr and the team. Pienarr imme-diately realizes the magnitude of what the president is asking of him and that it will be an uphill battle for the Springboks to get from where they are to the World Cup. With the support of the Springboks, the government launches the “One Team, One Nation” campaign, designed to increase the Springboks’ reputation with the people.

The acting by Freeman and Damon was very well done. The role of kindly Mandela fits Freeman like a glove. (It is also worth noting that Freeman bears a close resemblance to Mandela.) Throughout the movie, it becomes apparent that no one, not even the lowest security officer, is invisible to Mandela. He even goes out of his way to keep up with the whereabouts of everyone he meets. Mandela cares about each and every person in South Africa as if they were his own. When asked about his family, he responded “My family is very large. 42 million.” Freeman portrays these encounters so well that they feel absolutely genuine. I found myself nodding and smil-ing along, completely drawn in by how sincerely he cared for his people. One particularly touching scene stands out: The day before the World Cup, Mandela makes a special trip to wish the Springboks good luck. As he goes to shake hands with them, he greets members of the team by their first name, showing how much he cares about them.

Damon’s role as Pienarr is harder to critique, because he has less screen time. While Damon plays the part of an inspirational and supportive team captain well, I had a hard time connecting with Pienarr. Overall, his char-acter felt a little flat.

Finally, the only thing I felt that “Invictus” fell short in was providing the viewer with a proper history to the events in the movie. While it draws on Mandela’s time in prison at Robben Island, it is never really mentioned why he was imprisoned, or why South Africa is so broken. This is a crucial piece of information that may confuse or alienate viewers because it was left out of the film. The only clue the audience was given of Mandela’s past besides his imprisonment is a throwaway line at the beginning of the movie, when a high school rugby coach refers to him as a “terrorist.”

The situation, in short, is that apartheid was enforced in South Africa between 1948 and 1994. During this time, black and colored (people of racially mixed descent) citizens were not allowed to vote. In 1962, Mandela was arrested as a member of the militant branch of the African National Congress (ANC), an anti-apartheid party. His charges included sabotage and treason. Mandela was sentenced to life in prison, much of which he spent on Robben Island. However, he was released in 1990 due to local and national pressure. In the following years, when internal conflict grew worse, leaving South Africa on edge, the ANC entered talks with the ruling government to end apartheid and hold a full, representative election. In the end, Mandela (who was by then the leader of the ANC) was elected in 1994.

Overall, I give this movie 3 out of 4 stars. The cinematography is engaging and the World Cup rugby matches are very exciting. The music is fitting, but

nothing special. T h e c h a r a c t e r interaction, es-pecially between Mandela and his staff or Pienarr and the Spring-boks, is where the movie shines.

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7:00 p.m.Rugby unites divided nation in film “Invictus”

Julia M. SpilkerStaff Writer

Photo: Keith Bernstein/Courtesy Warner“Invictus” is about rugby’s role following the end of aparthied in South Africa.The film will be shown Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Gibble at 7 p.m.

collegiate comparisons

semester came to a close, “we wanted to create a positive on-campus event.”

JMU also booked local bands, and Bobbitt claimed that the free entry and musical perfor-mances are how they attracted students.

T.G.I.S. will feature three bands, BritishMania, a Beatles tribute band, a Celtic band called Fire in the Glen and a samba band called Philly Bloco. The Office of Student Activities (OSA), however, relies heavily on their own original ideas.

“We don’t look at what other schools do,” Sean Post, Student Senate representative and OSA in-tramural coordinator and member of the T.G.I.S. planning committee, said. “Our process from start to finish is all our own ideas.”

Post claimed the big event this year will be the rugby tournament on Saturday. Teams from the Harrisburg Rugby team will play on Wolf Field from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. But the vast array of other events seem to be equally interesting — there will be a sailing trip on the Chesapeake Bay, kayak races in Thompson Pool and a sand volleyball tournament by Wolf Field.

Outside the realm of these more athletic and physical activities, there will be more leisurely ways to spend your days, like spreading out on Brinser Field for the Rio Carnival, representa-tive of the upcoming 2016 Rio Olympics. Various Brazilian-themed foods will be served in conjunc-tion with this theme.

Of the theme and T.G.I.S. itself, Post said, “T.G.I.S. is the most solid tradition we have. No matter what the theme is, people have a good time.”

This is the best thing about T.G.I.S. — the theme doesn’t particularly matter, the bands don’t need to be big, and there doesn’t have to be an event to top the rest. Everyone has a different event they want to do the most. Unlike Dutchmen Day, we don’t need to be surprised into having a good time, and unlike Madipalooza, we don’t need bands to prevent us from going off campus. As long as T.G.I.S. rolls around each spring as promised, it seems as though students don’t need a centralized activity at which they all need to be. T.G.I.S. is in itself the main event.

TGIS Special Issue

Elizabethtown College is lucky enough to host British-Mania to help ring in springtime. BritishMania is a

Beatles tribute band which will be rocking out today in the KĀV as part of the Elizabethan Public House.

Band member Jon Ferris formed BritishMania in 2003 because of his love for the Beatles’ music. According to BritishMania’s website, www.british-mania.com, the group is “more than just a Beatles cover band;” they are “one of today’s most authentic Beatles tribute bands.” They have played at the legendary Cavern Club in Liverpool, Eng-land, as well as in London and at the Amsterdam Hilton.

BritishMania can take you back in time and let you ex-perience the Beatles days. The band members wear colorful costumes that help the audience relive the past. “They also recreate a high quality theater-like concert” which includes: “The British Invasion/Ed Sullivan Show era,” “The 1965 Help/Shea Stadium era,” “The Sgt. Pepper/Magical Mystery Tour era,” and “The Let it Be/Abbey Road era.” To help rec-reate these different moments in musical history, the band members will be use “Vox amplifiers; Hofner bass, as well as guitars by Rickenbacker, Gretsch and Epiphone; and an authentic Ludwig drum kit for Ringo.”

BritishMania has over 25 cast members throughout the United States who perform at theaters, concerts, outdoor festivals and private shows. Ferris performs as

John Lennon; he has played the guitar for over 25 years, and his founding of the band really shows his love for the Beatles’ music. Throughout the show, he plays multiple guitars to go along with the different eras the band portrays. He plays a Ricken-backer 325v63 and a Gibson J-160e and uses the “leg-endary” sunburst Epiphone Casino.

In an email interview, Ferris expressed how the Beatles’ legacy has affected his life: “They have brought nothing but constant joy be-cause of the way their music has touched everyone.”

The original Beatles in-cluded Lennon on rhythm guitar and vocals; Paul Mc-Cartney as the bass guitarist; George Harrison playing the lead guitar; and Ringo Starr on the drums.

The Beatles are not only known for their music but as icons as well. According to beatlebay.com, the Beatles not only changed the music scene but influenced cul-ture and lifestyle, as well as hair and clothing trends. When the Beatles started, they were greatly influenced by Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Bud-dy Holly, Gene Vincent and many others. Today, the Beatles are the most collected and celebrated group in rock and roll history.

According to www.beatles-history.net, “the Beatles released 13 original albums in only 8 years.” Even today,

4 EtownianThe hursdat Y April 26, 2012

British beatsBeatles band BritishMania sparks magical, musical invasion

cultural event

Bari RosensteinStaff Writer

Join OSA for Tea Time, scones, photos

The English Tea event on Thursday, April 26 at 4 p.m.

in the Blue Bean will offer photo opportunities for students as well as finger food.

Senior and OSA Publicity Coordinator Elissa McNicholas explained, “The purpose of hold-ing the English Tea is to kick off T.G.I.S. with something fun to do with friends in the BSC, focused around the country in which the 2012 Summer Olympics are be-ing held: England.” The event will have tea and different finger foods and snacks for students, along with photo-opps with different London landmarks.

This event is beneficial for col-lege students and the College in general because of its convenient

Jacob K. Moore IIIStaff Writer

Photo: british-mania.com

Bound together by their love for Beatles music, BritishMania does more than simply “let it be” as they go above and beyond as an authentic tribute band. BritishMania has played in legendary venues such as the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England, the Amsterdam Hilton and will be playing at Elizabethtown College as part of the first day of T.G.I.S.

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no other rock band has been able to accomplish this. They changed the way album covers appeared, the way songs are written, and the way bands record their music. The Beatles became an international phenomenon, and they are still influencing the way music is played and listened to, in addition to affecting “as art, photography, literature, fashion, politics and belief systems.”

Junior Kevin Berkheiser enjoys listening to the Beatles. “My friends listen to the Beatles all of the time, and they got me hooked. I think [the Beatles] have produced some of the greatest music of all time. They have influenced music incredibly because they were one of the first bands to make pop music popular. My favorite song is ‘Lady Madonna,’” Berkheiser said.

BritishMania will perform tonight, April 26, at 10 p.m.

location. “The students will ben-efit from this event because it is located in the Blue Bean, a high traffic area around dinner time on a Thursday evening, and will be a great way to start the weekend,” McNicholas explained.

T.G.I.S. is a big weekend for students on campus because it is one of the final events before summer. McNicholas also re-marked, “Focusing on the culture of another country, England in this case, will help everyone that passes through [to] start to gear up for the other Olympic-themed events to come.”

Student participation is also very important for the English Tea. “Students will be able to get in-volved with this event by enjoying the variety of English teas, scones and tartlets that will be provided, while beginning to document their

T.G.I.S. weekend by taking photos with a London phone booth, Big Ben, a Buckingham Palace Guard and our very own Olympic torch,” McNicholas said.

The event connects very well with the 2012 T.G.I.S. theme of “Going for the Gold” because it gets students thinking about the culture of the city in which this summer’s Olympics will be held. Beyond that, the event also pays tribute to other countries that have hosted the games in the past and will host them in the future.

Another event that will take place is the Elizabethan Public House on Thursday, April 26 at 10 p.m., which will feature pub-style food and drinks, giveaways and music late at night in the KĀV. There will also be a Beatles tribute band performing. A lot of prepa-ration goes into planning such an event for the college. According to SWEET Coordinator Katie Gantz, “[OSA] chose to have the Eliza-bethan Public House because we felt it would be a really fun event which captured a quintessential aspect of London culture.”

She also added, “We actu-ally brainstormed this idea with Kathy Christopher [Dining Ser-vices Catering Manager], who helped us create our pub food menu. From there, we added elements to make it feel like an authentic public house such as booking the Beatles tribute band BritishMania.”

The students will be able to come and get their free T.G.I.S. giveaways, enjoy some delicious pub food and listen to a pretty awesome band. Gantz said, “This event provides a fun, safe late night activity for students to enjoy with their friends.”

Both of these events connect very well with the 2012 T.G.I.S. theme of “Going for the Gold” because they will get students ex-cited about London and this year’s summer Olympics.

Photo: Vanessa L. AndrewThe changing of the guard outside of Buckingham Palace in London, England is always a sight to see when visiting Great Britain. The English Tea and the Elizabethan Public House will give students the opportunity to feel like they, too, are visiting London.

digitally-altered image: fanpop.com

rida EtownianThe 5April 26, 2012 F y

Come visit our gift shop!

As part of T.G.I.S. weekend, the Office of Student Activi-ties (OSA) is hosting a sailing excursion in Annapolis, Md.

Students are invited to register in the HUB in Brossman Com-mons with transportation leaving at 2 p.m. and returning at 9:30 p.m. The cost of the trip is $20, and it is open to all students. The sailing trip ties into the theme, which has incorporated many different activities that connect to the Olympic games. The trip is be-ing held through The Schooner Woodwind: Annapolis Sailing Cruises company, located on the Chesapeake Bay. Students will get to experi-ence a popular Olympic sport. “Sailing is one of only a few sports that has been in existence since the very first Olympic Games in Athens in 1896,” Woodwind representative Deanna Griesemer said. “Annapolis is often known as ‘the Sailing Capital of the United States’ and is the home of the National Sailing Hall of Fame.”

Throughout the excursion, students will get to raise the sails, steer the boat or just relax and enjoy their time on the water, according to Griesemer. “We have been working with the Office of Student Activities to plan a two-hour sailing trip leaving from downtown Annapolis… and sailing from the Annapolis Harbor, into the Severn River and the Chesapeake Bay,” Griesemer said of the itinerary. The boat being used for the trip is the Schooner Woodwind, a 74-foot long, wooden sailboat.

The boat was used in the movie “Wedding Crashers.” According to Gri-esemer, “[The boat] starred as Christopher Walken’s private sailing yacht [in the film].” To sign up for the sailing excursion, students can visit in the HUB located in Brossman Commons to check for availability.

Amy E. MalloyStaff Writer

This year’s T.G.I.S. theme “Going for the Gold” is inspired by this summer’s Olympic games. One

of the more anticipated events of the 2012 T.G.I.S. is the “Olympic Village,” which will take place on Friday, April 27.

The Olympic Village will feature a number of activi-ties from countries all over the world. Each country was chosen from top-placing countries in the previous Olympics. There will be approximately eight booths that students can visit, each representing different countries. Japan, Spain, Italy, France, Ukraine and Australia are just a few of the countries that will be represented. Each of the countries’ booths will feature something different such as a game, food item or craft.

“Those of us on the T.G.I.S. committee put a lot of individual time and research into bringing the student body a fun and interesting taste of each country,” ju-nior Julia Hodge, the OSA publicity student assistant, said, “It should be a great event.”

According to OSA, there will be “authentic Olympic prizes” available for students. Hodge mentioned that one of the T.G.I.S. planners has a personal connection to someone with access to authentic souvenirs and apparel. “We are so fortunate to get to offer them as prizes,” Hodge said. “I can’t tell you everything that we have, but some prizes include Olympic fleece jackets and journals … we have even more exciting giveaways that’ll remain under wraps until that night.”

On top of the exciting games and prizes, the Olym-pic Village will feature live music from the Celtic band Fire in the Glen. Fire in the Glen will spice up the night and create an electrifying atmosphere for spectators. The Irish band will also be a nice contrast to the Beatles tribute band, BritishMania, the night before at the Elizabethtown Public House. “We really wanted to make this a truly special event,” Hodge said, “one that students would definitely want to come out for, and between the prizes and the band … we feel we have done just that.”

Because of the live band, the visiting of booths, and all the opportunities to win fun prizes, there won’t be a dull moment at the Olympic Village. Whether it’s origami lessons, dancing, body painting, or even scoring a cup of Italian ice, the activities seem end-less. The variety at the Olympic Village will keep the students entertained throughout the night.

“I think what’s great about the event is that you can experience several different international cultures all within a few feet of each other. The key to this event isn’t found in any particular booth, it’s in the variety,” Hodge said. “I personally can’t wait to attend the event, and highly suggest that the student body comes out to see what we have in store for them.”

Carly B. SchriderStaff Writer

In an effort to fully embrace the Olympic theme, on Friday, April 27, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., members of the York Fencing

Club will hold a fencing demonstration on the Baugher Student Center (BSC) terrace.

The event will be an interactive fencing demonstration in which students can watch a fencing match, learn the rules of the sport, ask questions, and experience swords and different fencing techniques.

The Office of Student Activities (OSA) was determined to bring in a variety of engaging activities to fully convey the Olympic theme. When deciding on what events to include in this year’s T.G.I.S., members of OSA considered which Olympic sports would be possible to offer, in terms of safety and functionality. Fencing was offered as a unique sport that students do not usually encounter.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, sword fighting, dates back to 1190 B.C. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, sword fighting duels were a common method of solving dis-putes. Today, sword fighting has evolved from a form of military training to the far less lethal sport of fencing.

Fencers use one of three types of swords: a foil, an épée, or a sabre. Each sword type varies in length, weight and shape. The type of sword used determines the number of touches necessary to establish a winner.

To avoid injuries, fencers wear protective gear including a wire-

Erin E. McLaughlinStaff Writer

Thank goodness it’s spring. Yep, that’s right, T.G.I.S. is here. One more aca-

demic year is just about done. For most, between the papers, interviews and weeks of studying, it’s a godsend. This year’s theme centers on the 2012 Summer Olympics, and to emphasize that theme, two of the many activities that will be held will be a sand vol-leyball tournament and kayak races.

Senior Katie Gantz,Students Working to Entertain E-town (S.W.E.E.T.) coordinator, is looking forward to her final T.G.I.S.. “I’m really excited. I think the theme is really unique. I think it’s interesting how it makes a journey from the Olympic games in London this summer to the games in Rio in 2016,” Gantz said. “We were able to pull in multiple ideas, not only from London but also to Rio.”

Kayaking was introduced to the Olym-pics in 1936. It consisted of four events including the single 1,000 meter, pairs 1,000 meter, single 10,000 meter and pairs 10,000 meter. Since then, several more races have been added, such as the flatwater sprint,

Carolyn LukiewskiStaff Writer

5:30 — 7:30 p.m.

Fencing demonstration sparks excitement

2:00 — 9:30 p.m.

Sailing event delivers unique experience

9:00 p.m.

Olympic Village offers authentic experiences, fun souvenirs

4:00 p.m.

Sand volleyball tournament, kayaking extravaganza inspire Olympic competition

mesh mask that shields the head and neck, thick canvas or nylon jackets and pants and a padded glove on the hand holding the sword. Fencers also wear an electronic scoring device to determine when a fencer has contacted and scored against their opponent.

OSA leadership team member and Director of the Body Shop Elly McCarthy contacted over 15 fencing organizations. The York Fencing Club was highly interested in sharing its pas-sion for fencing with the local community and Etown students. The Club trains both beginners and advanced fencers, both competitive and non-competitive.

“I think it’s going to be something different that you don’t usually see, plus it is free of charge and a great experience,” McCarthy said.

While not common in the everyday life of most Etown stu-dents, fencing is one of the most popular Olympic games. Ac-cording to olympic.org, it is one of the few sports that has been played at every modern Olympic game. Matches are conducted on a strip, or piste, measuring 46 feet long and 6.5 feet wide. If a competitor steps off the strip, they are penalized in a loss of a touch or distance. Competitions are categorized by foil, sabre, or epee. Each sword type has its own competition, with it its own set of rules. Contestants can also compete in a team or independently. While fencing is a sport, it is also an art form making it different from the athletics students usually observe.

The fencing demonstration will occur every half hour on the BSC terrace. The rain location for the event will be the Brossman Commons concourse.

slalom races and white-water races. In fact, the Olympic trials for the flatwater sprint were held April 20-21 in Oklahoma City, Okla., where the USA Canoe/Kayak organization is based.

Etown will replicate this Olympic event in the Alumni Pool, located right next to Thompson Gym. Four kayaks are being rented from Shank’s Mare Outfitters. There is no pre-registration; students just need to be at the pool by 7:30 p.m. on Friday, when the kayaking event is scheduled to begin. Similar to the Olympics, there will be vari-ous events including single and paired races.

Toni Villella, Office of Student Activites (OSA) advisor, came up with the idea of kayaking as an activity for T.G.I.S. Gantz helped to organize the events and prizes.

“You’ll be competing for actual Olym-pic gear, which we had donated to us,” said Gantz. “It has all the actual USA logos on it and whatnot.”

These prizes may also be awarded to winners of the sand volleyball tournament Friday at 4 p.m. The tournament will consist of roughly 16 teams, and they will be orga-nized by a bracket determining whom the

teams will play and at what times. Four people are allowed on a team, although each team can have one alternate. The tournament will be single elimination, and teams can go to the HUB at any time to sign up. Teams don’t need a uniform or matching gear in order to participate.

Junior Maura Faherty, intramural stu-dent assistant and coordinator of the sand volleyball tournament, is looking forward to the event.“The tournament will be a great time to get your friends together and enjoy being outside. Even if you don’t have a team, everyone is invited to watch the tournament,” Faherty said.

Both the men’s and women’s USA teams are the reigning champions in beach volleyball. Misty May and Kerri Walsh won the women’s gold medal both in Beijing in 2008 and Athens in 2004, while Phil Dalhuasser and Todd Rogers won the gold in Beijing in 2008. All four athletes will return to London to compete.

Between the kayaking and the sand volleyball tournament, there is no doubt that T.G.I.S. 2012 will be a tremendous hit. Here’s to spring!

TGIS Special issue April 26, 2012EtownianThe6

Near the end of each school year there is one thing that stands between stu-

dents and summer break: finals week. From hours of studying sessions to last minute cramming, finals week is hardly exciting. With the end of April approaching quickly, Elizabethtown College students look forward to the semester’s most anticipated tradition: “Thank God it’s Spring” (T.G.I.S) Weekend.

Every April, Etown holds a carnival dur-ing T.G.I.S. weekend to celebrate the arrival of spring. The carnival offers plenty of food, drinks and musical entertainment. Inflatable obstacle courses as well as other activities are featured for students to enjoy. Each year T.G.I.S. takes on a different theme. Some themes from the past years include “Rumble in the Jungle” in 2011 and “Life’s a Beach” in 2010. The T.G.I.S. theme for this year is Olympic: “Going For the Gold.”

Saturday of T.G.I.S. will feature a Rio de Janeiro, Brazil theme because the 2016 Olympics will be held there. The activities and food offered at the event are designed to reflect the theme. Dining Services and the Office of Student Activities (OSA) worked together to decide what food to serve at the carnival. Instead of eating in the Mar-ketplace, students can enjoy eating their meal outside in Brinser Field. The menu for this year’s T.G.I.S. carnival will feature Brazilian-style foods such as Brazilian co-conut marinated chicken, potato salad and peanut fudge.

Along with the food, the activities fea-tured this year will have a tropical theme. The company in charge of providing ac-

tivities this year is Phantom Entertainment, which is celebrating its 32nd year of business. The family-operated business is owned by Dean and Katie Yaukey. Currently, Phantom Entertainment offers over 100 inflatable games along with many entertainment ser-vices, such as disc jockeys and karaoke.

The inflatable games brought to campus will incorporate the Brazilian theme. Some of the activities that Phantom Entertain-ment will provide for the carnival include an inflatable tropical obstacle course, bouncy boxing, full court press (basketball) and wacky trikes.

In addition to the games, the carnival will provide musical entertainment. T.G.I.S. planning committee member and intramural coordinator Sean Post metioned that “there will be a samba band play-ing during the carnival.”

Popular events over the past years included a Poly-nesian interactive dance, casino night and, of course, the inflatables on Brinser field. Students who attend the carnival are given the chance to enjoy the spring weather, while participat-ing in activities, games and enjoying themed food that normally would not be served in the cafeteria.

T.G. I .S . weekend i s something students look forward to each year.

Sophomore Maria Spo-erl shared: “I’m looking forward to the dinner on Brinser field. If it’s a nice

day it will be fun to sit in the sun with my friends, eat good food and participate in the cool activities [OSA] put on the field.”

Even alumni still remember the fun mo-ments they encountered at T.G.I.S.

“T.G.I.S. is the weekend of all weekends,” Etown alumnus and former OSA member Kevin Smith said. “I still reflect with friends on T.G.I.S. memories, even though I gradu-ated in 2010.”

The ultimate objective for T.G.I.S. is for everyone to have fun. The carnival will be held this year on Saturday, April 28. Activities and events for T.G.I.S. begin on the evening of Thursday, April 26 and will end Saturday evening with the dance. The rain location for the carnival is Thompson Gymnasium.

Starting at 8:30 p.m. on Wolf Field, teams from the Harrisburg Rugby Club will present the student body with a Rugby Sevens tournament.

Men’s and women’s teams will participate in the event, and there will be T-shirt giveaways and Philly pretzels. Although this is not yet officially an NCAA sport, Rugby Sevens has been accepted into the summer Olympics and will debut in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is important to remember that rugby is a full-contact sport played with minimal or no padding and can get extremely physical. If you like hockey, soccer or football then you will likely enjoy Rugby Sevens.

This year, OSA wanted to bring something new and exciting to campus, and the students have done a tremendous job, working tirelessly over the last few months to get the rugby team to Etown. OSA brought this fast-paced sport here to give students a feel for what the new Olympic sport looks like when played and to support the Olympic theme for the T.G.I.S. event. Toni Villella, the director of student activities and campus recre-ation, said, “We really wanted to hit the Olympic theme from every angle.”

The Rugby Sevens game is a testament to the dedication of the

students working on T.G.I.S. “Rugby Sevens is going to be the event on campus that I think everyone will enjoy, and we are really excited to see it come to life,” Villella said.

Rugby Sevens has gained popularity in this area, as there are rugby club teams in Harrisburg, Lancaster and York with which anyone can get involved.

Rugby Sevens is different than traditional rugby in many ways, beginning with the attire. Usually Rugby Sevens players wear skin-tight uniforms; however, for this tournament the Harrisburg Rugby Club has agreed to wear the shirts that OSA provided, which will be loose, normal T-shirts. The players wear the tight clothing because it doesn’t give their opponent a grip by which to grab them. The normal T-shirts do just the opposite; the shirts will give the players a handle and make the game a step more physical. Heavy contact during a game should give students plenty for which to cheer.

Joseph Tallis, an international student from England studying at Etown this semester, commented, “The thing I like most about rugby is the fact it’s physical, and very team orientated. Being here at Elizabeth-town has meant I haven’t been able to watch any rugby, so I am looking forward to watching it this weekend at T.G.I.S. I think most students will enjoy the physicality of the sport and the pace at which it’s played.”

The supreme sport in the U.S. is American football. The Super

Bowl is always one of most-watched events on television, and the me-dian NFL player salary, reported by Business Week in 2011, is $770,000. However, this isn’t true for the rest of the world, where another sport, the very sport that American football was modeled upon, is much more popular: rugby.

As a sport that split off from soc-cer, rugby has been played since its conception in England in 1823. First played in the United States in 1874, rugby is now played in over 100 coun-tries and was featured as an Olympic sport in 1900, 1908, 1920 and 1924. Although the 2012 London games will not feature rugby, Rugby Sevens, a short-sided version of the game, will be introduced at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

For those Etown students who hope to attend the Rugby Sevens tour-

nament Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. on Wolf Field, but are unfamiliar with the rules and terminology of scrum, ruck, maul and lineout, the objective of the game is simple enough: touch the ball to the ground in the opponent’s in-goal. The in-goal is comparable to the end zone in American football, and a try is worth five points. Also similar to football, the team who has just scored a try also has the opportunity to score two additional points via a kick.

Each team can move the ball down the field by either running it forward or passing the ball either laterally or backward. Also, any player is eligible to kick, pass, run or tackle, which is much simpler than the NFL’s rules about eligible receivers and passes behind the line of scrimmage.

As the ball moves down the field, the opposing team attempts to get it back by tackling the ball carrier. To prevent injury for rugby players, who wear little protection, legal tackles are made from below the shoulder line. There are many more rules about appropriate play, most of which are

common sense (i.e. no kicking op-ponents, no punching opponents, etc.) Also, players may become en-gaged in scrums, rucks and mauls as players are tackled and the ball hits the ground. For more specific infor-mation on these situa-tions and more, check out the International Rugby Board’s Laws of the Game at www.irblaws.com.

While the sport it-self is definitely a change of pace for Americans, the culture surrounding rugby around the world is huge. Junior Mollie Mares, who is currently studying abroad in New Zealand, described rugby as “absolutely huge” and “comparable to American football … only bigger.” Her host in New Zealand, Sasha Ward-Faint, com-mented on the rivalries between international rugby teams. “New Zea-

land and Australia games are big for us,” she said. “New Zealanders and Aussies are very lines drawn when it comes to All Blacks (NZ) vs. Wallabies (AUS) games.”

The tournament on Wolf Field

cannot be expected to compare to the international phenomenon that Mares and Ward-Faint described, but it will be a great starting point for Etown students to learn about the game and enjoy the different pace.

aturda EtownianThe 7April 26, 2012 S Y

Editor-in-ChiefRoss M. BenincasaManaging EditorEmily M. ReigartAssistant EditorBrianna E. WiestNews EditorHuntley C. McGowanFeatures EditorEllen C. WilsonCampus Life EditorVanessa L. AndrewOpinion EditorAllison M. RohlandSports EditorAlexis L. MorrisPhotography EditorMatthew P. ButeraCopy EditorElizabeth A. Enwright Layout EditorCraig H. Meaney IllustratorSarah M. KnightAsst. News EditorJessica L. SwankAsst. Features EditorAgnetha C. SerrameAsst. Campus Life EditorShana M. MihovicsAsst. Sports EditorAdam N. MooreAsst. Photography EditorJacqueline E. QuidortAsst. Copy EditorsHannah C. BleckerJoanna P. GruberTara B. HayesJulie A. KlaskiStacey N. KrestonMarie A. LoiseauAmanda R. ShankFact CheckersStéfon J. MarquetteDanielle M. MitchellBusiness ManagerBenjamin L. FreyAsst. Business ManagerAmy M. BerdanierAdvertising ManagerChelsea A. BensonAdvertising RepsTrevor N. BowerJennifer A. HughesKrystal A. TalleyFaculty AdviserKelly L. Poniatowski

The Etownian is the student newspaper of Elizabethtown College. All editorial decisions are made by the student editors. With the exception of editorials, opinions presented here are those of quoted sources or signed authors, not of the Etownian or the College.

The Etownian is published most Thursdays during the academic year by Susquehanna Printing.

Submissions to the Etownian are always welcomed. We will make every effort to print submissions, but we do not promise publication. Submit letters to EDITOR@etown.edu.

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Joshua W. WheelerStaff Writer

the rules of the game

Beginner’s guide to rugby: 189-year-old-sport comes stateside

Heather N. MetzStaff Writer

Alexis L. MorrisSports Editor

8:30 — 10:30 p.m.

Harrisburg rugby teams compete on Wolf Field

2:30 — 6:30 p.m.Carnival features Brazilian food, inflatable games

Courtesy of Biff WiffletonThe Harrisburg Rugby Club women practice a lineout. This inbound play was one of many characteristics that makes rugby very different from other sports.

TGIS April 26, 2012TheEtownian8

on-campus events

1. Blue Bean CafeEnglish Tea (Thursday, 4 p.m.)

Midnight Breakfast (Saturday)

2. KAVElizabethan Public House(Thurs., 10 p.m.)

Closing Ceremony (Sun., 12 a.m.)

3. Wolf Field

Sand Volleyball Tourney (Fri. 4 p.m.)

Olympic Village (Fri. 9 p.m.)

Rugby 7’s Tourney (Sat. 8:30 p.m.)

4. Brinser FieldRio Carnival (Sat. 2:30 p.m.)

See Page 4

See Page 4

See Page 5

*Look inside the issue to learn more about these and

other events, such as the off-campus sailing trip and

an “Invictus” movie review.

See Page 5

See Page 7

See Page 7

+ more!

5. Thompson Pool

Kayak Races (Fri. 7:30 p.m.)

6. BSC Terrace Fencing (Fri. 5:30 p.m.)