The

FALL 2010

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1

The

FALL 2010

WOMEN’S WRESTLING1ST IN THE STATE

PLUS Waldorf Housing Goes GreekDr. Taylor’s Music Research in Iceland JAN. – FEB. 2011

MATT pELLINO TRAINS

MMA

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 3

The

AdvisorTiffany Olson

EditorMolly Lumley

Design/Photo EditorLoni Warner

ContributorsAndres Ballesteros

Jillian EischenKellie Grunzke

Andrew HartshornClaire Lawson

Matthew MaxfieldMamisoa Ranaivoson

Dean SafeDusty ThompsonAlejandra Vicuna

Abbie Wibe

Editorial OfficesWaldorf College

106 South Sixth StreetForest City, IA 50436

ColophonThe Torch magazine is produced in

Adode InDesign on Apple Macintosh G5 computers.

Department headlines use the font Eurostile, while Feature headlines vary

by story. Body text is set in 10 point Chaparral Pro. Photo captions are also

9 point Chaparral Pro.

In AppreciationA special thanks to President Joe

Manjone, Student Senate, the Lobbyist and the Marketing Department.

JAN. – FEB. 2011

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 3

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS(see page 26 for puzzles)

coNtENts

Departments

FeaturesMLK Jr. Convocation 6Dr. Taylor Receives Grant 8New Band Director 22Matt Pellino Trains MMA 24

Fine ArtsKiss Me, Kate 14

Student LifeCoed Housing 10International Students 11 RA conference 16

SportsWomen’s Wrestling 18Outdoor Recreation 20

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18

coNtENts

Dear Readers,

I’ve never lived anywhere as cold as Forest City.

I’m even from Iowa, not the West Coast or some place

that is warmer. I hate waking up every morning with

half my window filled with snow and watching the

other half slowly filling with the fluffy white powder.

The first morning after a hardcore snowfall is beautiful

though, before anyone has stepped in it or any cars

have splashed dirt on it.

Even though the snow is cold and gross and

everyone is tired of it, we all know that eventually it

has to melt, revealing green grass, leaves, and baby

animals. It’s gross and tiresome now, but without it,

we wouldn’t have a beautiful blossoming of spring to

look forward to.

The stories in this issue revolve around this same

idea of muddling through the hard work to get to an

end. The story about Matt Pelino’s art of fighting, for

example. He’s had to go through years of training and

practice to get to the point where he is able to teach

others what he’s passionate about. And Dr. Taylor’s

overseas trip to study the compositions of one person,

not to mention all the practice she puts into her piano

playing. So many situations around us involve a lot

more work than what may appear on the surface.

So don’t be discouraged with all the snow and

cold. It will be gone soon and spring with be here.

Make some last minute snowmen and look forward to

warmer weather.

Molly Lumley

Editor-in-Chief

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lEttEr From thE Editor

Thanks For Reading!

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Martin Luther King Jr.by Molly Lumley | photography by Jason Eck

There is a difference between simply retelling a historical experience that has been passed by word of mouth and textbooks, and actually telling it from personal experience.

Waldorf College celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. day traditionally, with a convocation speaker on January 17 in the Atrium. This year’s speaker actually spent time working with King on his campaigns of nonviolent protest.

Patti Miller shared personal stories of her work in the South during the Civil Rights Movement and shared her moments with King in her presentation, “What I Didn’t Know: A White Woman’s Journey Through the Civil Rights Movement.”

She began by explaining how the song “Jesus Loves the Little Children” has an impact on her when she was a child.

“Whenever I heard that song something in me knew that it wasn’t enough, there was more to it than that,”

and supporting King She emphasized King’s approach

towards nonviolence; especially how it affected the group she was working with when they were attacked.

“There was never any sense that the people who were being nonviolent were going to retaliate against them,” said Miller. “We were just so well trained in nonviolent actions.”

After her convocation speech, Miller ate lunch with students in the cafeteria. She was able to answer more questions from students. One student, Kenny Olson, said that he was impressed with Miller’s speech and presentation.

“She was a phenomenal woman. How she talked about serving the other community and becoming a part of it has been exciting,” said Olson. “I learned more from sitting down and eating with her. She talked about the incongruities of other races and I thought it was really fascinating.”

said Miller.While she was a student at Drake

University in Des Moines, Miller became partially aware some type of civil injustice existed in the South, but until she and several other students decided to spend their summer in Merdian, Miss. in 1964 with an initiatives known as Freedom Summer, she had no idea of the huge impact of the issue.

Her first impression of the South included viewing segregated train waiting platforms and water fountains. She had brought a camera with her on the trip and shared pictures with the audience of some of the first things she witnessed.

“I became an activist overnight because of these signs. I wanted to go sit in the black section of the train platform but my best friends pulled me back because I would have been arrested,” said Miller.

Miller spent that summer working with groups to teach black children to read

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HERITAGE PROVIDESMUSICAL

INSPIRATIONstory by Abbie Wibe | photography by Abbie Wibe and Kristin Taylor

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Kristin Taylor started playing the piano when she was two years old. Now, she has a Doctor of Music Arts, and has taken her knowledge overseas to Iceland, conducting research for the past six months.

Dr. Taylor is originally from Kansas City, Miss. She received both her Bachelor of Arts and her Master’s degree in music from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Music Conservatory. She then received her doctorate from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Recently, Taylor returned from Iceland, where she had been living in the capitol city of Reykjavik for several months researching an influential Icelandic composer, Thorkell Sigurbjornsson. She was given this extraordinary research opportunity upon receiving her second Fulbright Scholar grant in 2010. Taylor accepted her first grant in 2004, to conduct research for her doctoral thesis on Jon Nordal’s Piano Concerto. Although Taylor loved being in Iceland, she stated that around 99 percent of her time overseas was spent doing research, which included finding and reading newspaper articles on Sigurbjornsson, interviewing various composers, and interviewing Sigurbjornsson himself. She believes that her research on Sigurbjornsson is important, because he is Iceland’s most prolific composer, and has composed over 350 pieces of music. Taylor states that her research of Sigurbjornsson has been beneficial both in her understanding of Icelandic music and in understanding her heritage as an Icelandic-American. Taylor’s mother is from Iceland, so Taylor understands the culture very well. “It’s something that’s very much a part of who I am,” stated Taylor. In addition to her research, Taylor was busy recording her second CD. Her first CD, entitled “The Well-Tempered Pianist,” was released in the spring of 2010, and the second was scheduled for release in January of 2011. For Taylor, music is much more than just something she listens to and plays. She believes music making is important in letting out feelings and emotions. “One goes into this field because they are drawn to it, and they stay in this field because, one, they stubbornly believe in its benefit to society, and two, they couldn’t think of doing anything else,” Taylor said.  “I love being a pianist, it’s a passion and a reason to get up in the morning. This research I’m doing is such an inspiration to me because it’s something that has not been done, and it really does need to be done.”

Top: After returning from her overseas research, Dr. Taylor plays an impromptu song on her piano. Middle: A beautiful autumn in Thingvellir National Park, Iceland. Bottom: Dr. Taylor smiles at her piano.

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There is a buzz around Waldorf’s campus about the new and first ever fraternity coming here. It is going to bring more opportunity and chances for students to live out of the ordinary dorm rooms. It will also offer male students a chance to have a “big” school experience by living in the fraternity but still go to a small school. The new fraternity hopes to bring in more students. Currently there are no fraternities, just theme houses. The fraternity maybe the start to bring in sororities for women as well. “In my opinion, the fraternity will help

Waldorf to become a tighter knit group,” says Katie Mullaly when asked about how the fraternity house will help out Waldorf. “A new fraternity would be another social organization on campus. It’s always good to add social opportunities for our students,” said Jason Ramaker. He believes that the Fraternity will offer “structured academic requirements, leadership opportunities, service requirements and they will contribute to higher retention rates for students.” It is hard to say when the new fraternity would be open. There are groups

in contact with a national fraternity but nothing at this point is official. It looks like next fall will be the earliest, because developing these fraternities takes time. Currently Waldorf is not at the point to start reserving spots in the fraternity but membership usually involves a GPA requirement, a semester fee and a commitment period. Anyone who is interested can contact Kyle Hoover who is the student helping set this organization up. Hopes are high for the fraternity to be successful, but only time will tell.

story by Matt Maxfield | photography by Molly Lumley

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Zekarias Negassa, a Senior from Ethiopia shares some of his experiences and feelings with us:Q: What brought you here to Waldorf College?A: “I heard about it through a friend who went here.”Q: What were your first impressions?A: “I didn’t expect it to be this small but I liked how the campus looked.”Q: What do you think of the difference in cultures?A:“It’s more individual life here, but they are closer home.”Q: What’s your favorite/least thing about Waldorf?A: “My favorite thing at Waldorf are the students and my least favorite thing is the size of the town; too small.”Q: What do you take from your experience here?A: “I think one of the things I can take from my experience here is the basics of being on my own and all the memories with my new friends.”

s the school years go by, Waldorf College opened its

doors to international students from approximately 15 different countries, giving them the opportunity to grow in a different environment, coexist with different cultures while at the same time maturing not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. As an International student I can say that Waldorf has brought to me some of the most amazing experiences. I am from South America where everybody is as friendly, but when I got here, I noticed a completely different atmosphere and attitude that was not the same to the one I’ve been accustomed to. To me, it is a pleasure to be part of Waldorf’s family, where everybody is willing to learn from each others’ cultures and traditions, and in the end, making best friends. I have to thank Waldorf for giving me the opportunity to come here as an athlete tp play soccer, and also for helping me through my adaptation progress, not only learning a different language, but also living with people from different places all around the world.

WALDORF’S SPIRIT WELCOMES

STUDENTS FROM AROUND

Zekarias Negassa, Ethiopia

THE W RLD

story and photography by Alejandra Vicuna

Daniel Deblaere, Australia

Also, I got to catch up with Daniel Deblaere, from Sidney, Australia:Q: What brought you to Waldorf College?”A: “I applied to a number of schools looking for a soccer scholarship and Waldorf came up as a good option. I liked the coaches and the college itself looked nice.”Q: What will you take from your experience here?A: “I think I’ll grow as a soccer player and a student and hopefully become a better person,

make friends and get a degree.”Q: What were your first impressions?A: “When I first arrived I was bit shocked because I really did not think it was this small, but now I have adjusted and really enjoy it.”Q: What about the difference in cultures?A: “Big difference in culture for me. People in USA are very friendly but I do miss having barbecues and being out in the sun at the beach!”

Thanks to the international blend and diversity here at Waldorf, students learn to appreciate different cultures and languages as we interact with one another to make Waldorf and its community a better environment for all to live in.

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WarriorsUndergo an

athleticrenovation

story and photography by Andres Ballesteros

“ This is about a three year project where all outs ide fields wi ll be looked at for improvemen t, all thanks t o the collaborat i on of the cit y and the Hans on fami ly along with the college. ” - Fabi o Dos San t os

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sports

“ I thi nk the reconstruct i on of the athlet i c fields would be a necess it y t o further the athlet i c excellence of each program. ”

- Drew Shaffer

A fter several years of intense competition, Waldorf

will be partnering up with the city of Forest City

and the Hanson family for the latest upgrade

regarding the school’s athletic facilities. This project will consist

of building an artificial turf field for football as well as the

improving of all of the current fields including soccer, softball,

and baseball. The project is set to begin as soon as this spring

lasting through the next couple of years until all of the natural

surface fields are rebuilt and improved. With the addition of

the extra turf field, the soccer program will overtake what is

now the football home stadium as their official field with the

addition of a lighting system for evening games. With more

to say in the matter, head coach of the soccer program, Fabio

Dos Santos added that “this is about a three year project where

all outside fields will be looked for improvement, all thanks to

the collaboration of the city and the Hanson family along with

the college.”

A mock up re-construction schedule is as follows:

2011 – re-building of the football and softball fields (Waldorf’s

teams will be playing at the Forest City High School).

2012 – current football stadium will become the soccer

stadium with an addition of evening lighting. Football will

move to the turf field shared by Forest City High School.

2013 – probable addition of a track around the current football

field and renewal of the baseball field (Baseball team will play

at the Forest City High School for the time being).

Student athletes also had a few opinions of their

own to say. Soccer player, Drew Shaffer said, “I think the

reconstruction of the athletic fields would be a necessity to

further the athletic excellence of each program.” When asked

about the new project, “I believe that having new athletic fields

would help keep the players in better health because of the

poor quality fields that we have now.” This renewal also brings

other benefits apart from the obvious upgrade of the playing

conditions; “I don’t think that there would be any drawbacks,

having a turf field between Forest City High School and

Waldorf would be great drawing more attention to our athletic

programs through the high school and the community” in

other words drawbacks in this improvement are non-existent

at least from an athlete’s perspective.

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Kiss Me Kateby Dean Safe | photography by Molly Lumley

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FiNE Arts

“Kiss Me, Kate” was the musical chosen for the 2010-11 Waldorf College Theatre season. The show stars Steven Pals and Sara Harper, along with a large supporting cast and a pit ensemble leading the songs in the production.

The acting was very well done. The entire cast worked well together and presented a very strong dynamic on stage. For example, Harper’s and Pal’s characters are ex-husband and wife who constantly argue, even on stage, and they are very well portrayed; all of the dialogue and action is entirely convincing.

Professor Blair Buffington and Dr. Robert AuFrance play the role of gangsters in the performance, who never fail to

provide comic relief during moments of tension during the show. Samantha Kohner and Victor Schultz are also a pair in the show with great acting chemistry.

The acting, overall, compared to where the Theatre Department was with the first mainstage show in September, as drastically improved; the actors are much more aware of themselves in their roles and everything runs much more smoothly in this production, the lines are all remembered and the music ran smoothly.

The lighting in the show was interesting; it called for red lights to be cast on stage during a piece entitled “Too Darn Hot,” creating the effect of a warm evening. Lighting was used in this instance to provoke a feeling of heat.

The set was a bit detrimental to the flow of the performance. Scene changes often took up to a minute or two, which is much longer than a normal scene change should take. Panels are moved around, dressing rooms are assembled and taken

apart for various scenes; if certain things could be reduced or eliminated it would make the transitions from scene to scene much smoother and not cause a breakup of the action. The pit band covered for many of the scene changes, which made up for some of the scene change, but it does cause the audience to become pulled out of the story a bit.

The music was a large part of the play that made the performance. The tunes were often upbeat and in a swing style, creating for a fun atmosphere. The pit band was comprised of a piano, three clarinets, two trumpets, a bassoon, bass clarinet, an electric and bass guitar and a drummer. As a whole it sounded great.

The pit band used Broadway production scores and only had two weeks to get everything prepared and polished for the show’s opening, compared to professional Broadway pit musicians who rehearse for a month. The pit was what made a lot of the show.

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On Friday, January 28, a van load of seven resident assistants, two area coordinators and two assistant hall directors departed from the Campus Center and headed southeast to Cedar Falls, Iowa for the 21st annual RA Conference at the University of Northern Iowa. Ahead of them lay a time of sessions, networking possibilities and opportunities to mingle and interact with other resident assistants and advisors. Upon checking in to the conference, each school had the opportunity to take a group picture in front of the year’s logo which was “Minute 2 Win It,” and receive the traditional long sleeve conference shirts. This year’s were golden yellow with purple writing donning the phrase “UNI am an RA: 2011 RA Conference.” To get the atmosphere of being at a RA conference, all of the delegates and advisors had the opportunity to experience more residence life atmosphere in their living arrangements for the weekend. Each school, depending on the number of delegates, was separated into males and females and the groups would stay in the study rooms of the appropriate dorm building. The women from Waldorf stayed in Hagemann and the men stayed in the conjoined building, Noehren. The schedule for Friday night was the social at the Wellness center where there

were opportunities to use the rock climbing walls, play volleyball, go swimming, play basketball or simply hang out and meet new friends. The Waldorf group entered timidly at first, but later evolved into starting a game of Ninjedi, “the official game of the Waldorf Residence Life.” After one round of the game, about ten other people interested in learning and playing Ninjedi also joined. We played a total of about six rounds of the game before people started dissipating from lack of energy; it was a workout. The Waldorf group then started their own game of Knockout and five-on-four basketball. Saturday was the day packed with the bulk of conference activities. Breakfast was bright and early at 7:45 a.m. and the Waldorf group had the opportunity to eat

in UNI’s Rialto Restaurant at the Tower’s Center. They enjoyed the typical breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes with availability to cereal, donuts, and cinnamon cake. Drinks included coffees and juices. After breakfast, everyone migrated over to Lang Hall where the sessions and large group activities would take place. Several UNI RAs led large group energizers and taught how to make it rain using hands and feet before the keynote speaker Kevin Hansen, a graduate of UNI and the author of the #1 Amazon bestselling book “Secret Regrets: What if you had a Second Chance” came to speak. Hansen spoke on his book and how he started a blog several years ago which has led to him receiving 10,000 anonymous emails from all over the country from people telling of their

Above: Mariah Hunnington, Christine Wellendorf and Mike Polstopher

walk from building to building during the RA conference in Cedar Falls.

Left: Members of the Waldorf Residence Life Staff enjoy a meal during

the conference at at the Univeristy of Northern Iowa.

Resident Assistant Conference Held at UNIstory and photography by Mamisoa Ranaivoson

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regrets. Hansen attempted to tie that into the fact that as resident assistants and assistant hall directors, we would run into opportunities to talk to and befriend our residents, a lot of whom are probably dealing with secret regrets of their own. Throughout Saturday, delegates and advisor had four opportunities to attend different sessions offered. Several sessions that members of the Waldorf group attended included “Let’s Make a Baby” where attendees received a new identity and had to try to create the best possible life for their newborn based on common stereotypes. Another was “Personality Picnic” where those attending received the Myers-Briggs, Five Factory Personality Inventory, and Love Languages tests to help them realize what personality types they were so they could recognize their best way of communicating with others. Another session option was “Staff Infection: It Will Catch You Too” where

those attending could learn about how to strengthen bonds within their staff by doing things such as setting aside one night a month where the entire staff leaves campus and goes to do something fun not involving their work. Each session varied in type, capacity and content and most sessions had creative titles to draw in the most amount of attendees. There was one session time titled “Pick-Me Ups” which took place after lunch and aimed at getting delegates and advisor’ blood pumping again after a lunch catered by UNI in Maucker Union. Kara Oman, a first-year RA from 2nd London enjoyed the sessions. “I learned a lot from the four sessions I attended and I can now use what I

learned in my RA experience,” Oman says. Saturday evening consisted of a Spirit Dinner at the Piazza center. Afterward, an awards ceremony, Swap Shop and a dance took place in the Commons. At the Swap Shop, people had the opportunity to trade shirts, lanyards, hats, Frisbees, merchandise from their school with those from another. You would walk up to someone who was holding up a shirt you liked and barter with them to trade shirts. While this was happening, a dance was taking place where attendees could dance the “Interlude” dance they were taught. “Overall, I enjoyed it, it was a good time,” Oman says, “if I were to change one thing though, I would have less programs to choose from.”

Top left: Samantha Chin, Kara Oman and Mariah Hunnington show off the shirts they aquired

during the T-Shirt swap event at the UNI RA conference. Top right: Resident Assistants from all

over Iowa take part in a motivational seminar held during the RA conference. Above: A view

inside one of the many sessions held at the conference.

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WOMEN’SWOMEN’SWRESTLINGWRESTLING

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“I love the crowd and how it really pushes me to win” — Dana Karkar

sports

Wrestling…When most people hear that word they automatically think of WWE or MMA where two men beat up on each other in a ring. But Waldorf College is changing that perspective. There are only 60 colleges nationwide that offer Women’s Wrestling as a sport, and only one in the state of Iowa. This year, for the first time in, not only Iowa history, but also Waldorf history, we have a Women’s wrestling team. During the fall semester there were five women on the team and since the start of the spring semester it has grown to nine women in total with the hope of more in the coming years. Alex Kovalic, a sophomore transfer from California, says that, “It’s an honor and a privilege to be a part of something new.” Kovalic said that the main reason she chose to transfer to the icy-cold weather here in Forest City was to be a part of this growing phenomenon and so far she has been representing women and t college proudly. Her teammates say that she is one of the hardest working and one of the best ones on the team. Recently the women’s team went to an international competition in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Because there are not many women’s teams in the US, Waldorf women were graced with the opportunity to duel international competitors. Some of the women in these international competitions are as old as 30 years, and even though that

may not seem too old to most, compared to the 19-20 year olds at Waldorf, these older women have a lot more experience and training. However, Waldorf’s women never give up without a fight. “I love the crowd and how it really pushes me to win,” says Dana Karkar, a sophomore transfer student from California. Karkar says that they work hard in training and it showed a couple weeks ago during the women’s first home wrestling match. The team came through winning 3 out of the 4 individual matches to come out on top with the first win in Waldorf history. Waldorf College’s Women’s Wrestling team has a bright future ahead of it. It has started a new tradition in the state of Iowa, which is a state where some of the nation’s best male wrestlers come from, including Waldorf’s campus. Waldorf can only expect to get larger, better, and stronger from this moment forward, and give Women’s Wrestling a name that stands right alongside that of Men’s Wrestling.

story by Claire Lawson | photography by Loni Warner

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Zach Van Cleave, the Director of Intramurals and Recreation has been working diligently to start a new club. He is attempting to get more funding by appealing to the college to try and get them to recognizes the program as an actual club. He has already come up with rules and guidelines that will meet the requirements for the school to acknowledge the program as a club. The club would be run by the students under the observation of a faculty member. It would be open to any and all students but there would be a limit as to how many can join. A benefit for the college accepting the program as a club is that they could have their own budget. The club would be responsible for taking part in volunteer and community service projects. The goal of the club would be to engage students in meaningful outdoor recreational experiences, while teaching them leadership and responsibility.

The new club if approved and accepted will give the students new opportunities to partake in outdoor activities that may include camping, hiking, canoeing, skiing/snowboarding and possibly some out of state trips that go beyond the realms of Iowa and Minnesota. Currently, the club is run through intramurals. One of the highlights of last semester was a canoeing trip down to Boone, IA where they canoed the Des Moines River. Van Cleave said that they had great weather while canoeing. During the adventure they witnessed a majestic Bald Eagle and enjoyed the beautiful

scenery. Afterward they ate lunch at Hickory Park in Ames. A highlight this semester was a trip to Mankato, MN where students partook in some skiing or snowboarding, which ever they preferred. According to Van Cleave, this trip filled up quickly and would consider it a success for the program. Six out of the nine students that went were experiencing these winter sports for the very first time. One student has even told Van Cleave that it was the most fun he had since coming to Waldorf. It was a great day for skiing and there were a lot people hitting the slopes that day. Van Cleave is hoping that more students will get involved with the program. He was a little disappointed that the majority of those showing interest so far are men and is hoping

that more women will show an interest in the future. The club, in its beginning stages, has already captured the attention many. There are a few more trips in the making that will be coming and

announced through e-mail.

story by Dusty Thompson | photos by Zack Van Cleave

NEW CLUB HOPES TO GET STUDENTS INVOLVED IN OUTDOORS ACTIVITIES

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Doing anything this weekend? How about this semester? For anyone who has enjoyed the events so far

this year, SWAT is preparing months of fun. Some are repeats and some are new. Christina Watkinson, the president of SWAT, is hoping to keep everyone entertained this semester. She is looking forward to everything coming to campus,

especially Kookoo Kangaroo. This band gives performances of a childlike essence with spinoffs of the alphabet song and other pieces. Through events like this, Watkinson wants students to take a break from class work and loosen up. She also plans on bringing in the crowds. “We want to broadcast to everyone,” Watkinson said. “We want

people to have fun and to get more people to come. No matter how many come, you always hope for more the next time.” However, she’s not the only one excited. Amy Scott, adviser for SWAT, said she plans on attending as many events as possible. For the most part Scott enjoys the fun around campus, but “there also needs to be a chaperone present.” Amy also says she believes students will enjoy things, mostly because of the variety and consistency. There is something set for each weekend, and in a small town like Forest City, students beg for something to do or attend. “We’re planning a trip to the Mall of America and the Minnesota Zoo,” Scott said. “We’re also playing Think Fast again this semester.” As enjoyable as it sounds, students aren’t the only ones having fun. Some events are open to faculty members and the general public, such as comedians, musicians, and the annual Culture Fest. However, not everything is like this; the events are geared toward students and thus are student-only. Examples are trips to the mall or zoo, which can only handle a limited number of people. The second semester at Waldorf College is shaping up to be a fun time both on and off campus.

Singer Javier plays guitar during an event at Gatsby’s February 4.

story by Jillian Eischen | photography by Molly Lumley

Coming Soon: Every Friday and Sunday: Free movie at Forest TheaterFebruary 27: Off-Campus trip to the Mall of AmericaMarch 18: Think Fast!March 19: Off-Campus trip to the Minnesota ZooMarch 25: Comedy EventApril 9: Off-Campus trip to see comedian Tim HawkinsApril 15: Koo Koo KangarooApril 16: Talent ShowApril 19-21: De-Stress Days before semester finals

Go to the CIC for more information on these events.

Bringing the fun to YOU

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“My vision is to play music that you didn’t play in high school, play music that typically the drum corps plays, and or music that is sophisticated, fun, powerful music that you get excited about”

— Steve Pederson

FiNE Arts

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you get excited about,” Pederson said. Pederson hopes to get the marching band numbers up to 150 students in the future. He has really high hopes for this new program. Directing marching bands is not something new for him, he has done so for many years. Starting a marching band from scratch is something else that he has done in the past. He also thought that if the band didn’t have the right instrumentation at the beginning they wouldn’t march on the field right away, but they would start to play more marching band sort of songs. He would also want a lot of input from the students in the band on what they would want to play and how they want to would play it. Being technical was something else that Pederson was about. What that means is that marching style meant a lot to him. Pederson was really excited about starting a marching band next year and would do a lot for the music department. Steve Shoop is the other candidate for the Athletic Music Director position. Shoop said, “Giving both music majors and non-majors a good college experience is something that I hope to do.” He has a different perspective than Pederson. Starting with a pep-band first is something that Shoop wants to do. Shoop is also about the technology that could be used with music. For example using Skype for lessons is something that he is up for. He also said that it would take only thirty-five to forty students to be in the marching band. He didn’t necessarily need to have sixty or so student compared to Pederson. He thought it would be do-able with just thirty-five. Shoop hasn’t done much recruiting in his past, but he has done the opposite. He helps his high school students to find a school that would be good for them. The decision was almost a unanimous vote for Pederson. He will be moving here very soon to start recruiting for next year’s school year.

Top: Nicole Grisham plays her flute during band practice. Left: Steve Pederson talks about what he’ll do as the new director. Right: Steve Shoop talks about what he would bring to the plate.

Waldorf music department is getting a new faculty member next year and a marching band might

be in the Wind Symphony’s future. This is a new feature that is being added to the music department. This director would be in charge of both the pep-band and the marching band. The committees that are

hiring the new director are down to their last two candidates, Steven Pederson and Steve Shoop. The first candidate is Steven Pederson. “My vision is not to play Boogie Down, but to play music that you didn’t play in high school, play music that typically the drum corps plays, and or music that is sophisticated, fun, powerful music that

photos and story by Kellie Grunzke

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FIGHT TO THE

TOP Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA as it is known in the fighting community, is the fastest growing sport in the world. It involves a mixture of different fight techniques such as wrestling, boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and many others. It originally started as an Olympic combat sport back in the time of ancient Greece known at Pankration. But no one knows about this sport better than Waldorf College’s very own Matthew Pellino. Pellino has been studying a variety of martial arts including kickboxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and catch wrestling. “My favorite movie growing up and to this day is Bloodsport feat. Jean Claude Van Damme. I kind of thought of him as an idol growing up and I wanted to do kickboxing so bad,” says Pellino. When he was 12 years old a friend of his older brother took him to Gracie Barra gym in Orlando, Florida, Pellino’s hometown, “and since then I just could never leave.”

FIGHT TO THE

TOPby Claire Lawson | photos by Loni Warner

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Left page: Matt Pellino prides himself on the drive that MMA fighting has given him. In the future he hopes to continue fighting and train

others in this fighting style. This page, top: Danny Minniti and Pellino practice sparring. Bottom: Minniti launches a kick at Pellino.

In 8th grade Pellino started studying the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Jiu Jitsu is a style of fighting that focuses on grappling and submission fighting. In 9th grade Pellino added Muay Thai to his MMA regimen. Muay Thai, according to Pellino, is a form of “dirty boxing.” It focuses on using punches, kicks, elbows, and knee strikes. Muay Thai is known as “Art of the Eight Limbs” because it uses eight points of contact instead of two (fists). “I have been able to travel a lot due to MMA. I have been to a lot of different camps and met a lot of people. I enjoy learning new techniques and it’s always great to surround yourself with tools that will make your fight game better,” says Pellino. Recently he has been invited to Sydney, Australia to compete in an international MMA competition. According to Pellino, most people see MMA fighting “as a cock fight with men,” but it is far from that. “There is so much training involved it’s a form of art, it’s called martial science. So we try to spread the word to the young and the curious.” And so far Pellino has been doing a great job spreading the word on campus. Towards the end of last semester Pellino started training some of his new found friends here on campus. “We were talking in English class one day about him being a fighter and I’ve always wanted to do it so we just started training” says sophomore Danny Minniti, a transfer from Washington. Starting mid-way through last semester Minniti and Pellino started training in empties rooms by the laundry rooms in both Ormseth and Johnson & London. Minniti enjoys training with Pellino because, “He has learned from some of the best so I know that I am getting quality training…” When asked how Minniti thinks Pellino will do in his fight this summer he said, “I think he will do great. He has all the tools he needs to win and once he goes through his training camp and gets into fighting shape, game over Pellino win!” For Pellino, the most enjoyable aspect of this sport is “the drive”. He says that it gives him “more of a drive then football and wrestling…” which is why “…so many wrestlers fight; there is something you get out of this sport that nothing else offers.” “My ultimate goal is to open up a gym, do some part time fighting but definitely be a striking coach and eventually have a stable of fighters like Greg Jackson,” says Pellino. Jackson is an MMA trainer who operates the Jackson’s Submission Fighting and MMA training camp in

“The work you put in is what you’re going to get out…It takes so much work to be perfect and it will help your work ethic in the classroom as well as in the real world.”

— Matt Pellino

Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jackson has trained many successful fighters, including UFC welterweight champion George St. Pierre. When asked what MMA has taught him about life, Pellino said, “The work you put in is what you’re going to get out…you can’t just be a great wrestler or a great boxer. It takes so much work to be perfect and it will help your work ethic in the classroom

as well as in the real world.” So even though to many this sport is seen as unreasonably brutal and bloody, according to Pellino there is a lot this sport has to offer. There is a lot of miscommunication and misunderstanding about MMA fighting out there, but hopefully with more fighters like Matthew Pellino

the world’s eyes will be opened to the great beauty behind this ancient art form.

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Across:

3) The capital of Ireland4) Third largest island in Europe7) An Irish ale8) Symbol of Ireland9) Color of St. Patty12) Little green man17) Founded in 190318) A very lucky cereal

Down:

1) Found at the end of the rainbow2) Festive Hare5) ____ of the Irish6) St. Patrick drove these out of Ireland10) Seen with the sun and the rain.13) April showers bring May _____14) Month St. Patrick’s day takes place15) Celtic language spoken in Ireland16) Waldorf’s Mascot

ENtErtAiNmENt

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