Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Northerner
Part one of a four-part series detailing the Downtown East redevelopment project PHOTO PROVIDED BY RYAn COMPAnIES US, InC.
North Central moves on from partnership with Capital Education with the hopes of accreditation in summer 2014
BY KAYLA TRuLSEn
After being denied by the Higher Learning Commission in the summer of 2013, the graduate studies program at North Central has undergone many changes. It will be up for reapplication this summer in 2014. Last year, during the development of the program, North Central was working with Capital Education, a third party company, to design the program. Since the program was denied, North Central is no longer working with Capital Education (CapEd). CapEd understood our approach and our dilemma, said vice president of academic affairs Thomas Burkman. In fact, the door is open if we ever wanted to go back and start up with them at some point in the future. CapEd was designing the graduate program to be completely online. However, North Centrals accreditation agency, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), recommended that graduate classes be offered on campus with professors from North Central for a year or two before offering them online. In addition, HLC also recommended that North Central not hire continued on page 3
ISSuE 5
The development of Downtown East has been largely left untouched, until the recent construction of the new Vikings Stadium brought attention to the blocks of untapped infrastructure. In union with the Vikings Stadium, a mixed-use redevelopment of commercial and community space, spanning five blocks along South Fourth Street between Fifth Avenue South and Chicago Avenue South, is predicted to transform the area. There are about to be some big, big changes, said Rep. Raymond Dehn, a supporter of the redevelopment project, at a downtown neighborhood meeting in January. The Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved the $400 million redevelopment plan in July 2013, making it one of the largest development construction plans in Minneapolis history. The Ryan Companies US, Inc. is heading the redevelopment construction, which will include two 17-story office buildings, a 1,625 stall parking garage, up to 400 units of housing, more than 28,000 square feet of commercial space, and a two-and-a-half block park, according to the Ryan Companies website. Wells Fargo has committed to invest more than $300 million in the building of the new office skyscrapers that will house 5,000 of Wells Fargos 7,000 employees working in Minneapolis. The two buildings will equal more than 1.1 million square feet and have connecting
BY AnnA KOcH
An artistic rendition of the redevelopment project by Ryan Companies US, Inc. skyways for easy public access to the Vikings Stadium. Retailers and restaurants are expected to open in new commercial spaces in and around the Wells Fargo office buildings once construction is complete. This project will singlehandedly do more for the area than all development in the area before, said Dan Collison, president of the East Downtown Council and lead pastor of First Covenant Church, in a phone interview. Its not just a commercial space, or a housing development or a park its all of them. The park will span 4.2 acres, making it the largest green space in downtown Minneapolis. It will sit right next to the Hiawatha light-rail line, with the Downtown East/Metrodome Station stop predicted to see an increased flow in traffic. Park Avenue South and Portland Avenue South will remain open, however, splitting the park into three smaller sections. The park will also help the stadium not become a station that doesnt connect with anything else, said Collison. There will be a synergy (between the park, office buildings and stadium) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The groundbreaking of the redevelopment project is set for May 2014, with most of the construction completed by the summer of 2016. The construction will bring in 1,000 to 2,000 new jobs over a 24-month period, with 32 percent of those jobs filled by minority workers and 6 percent by women, according to the Ryan Companies. The redevelopment project has, however, been speckled with controversy including two lawsuits, which were largely dismissed. Last week Ryan Companies made a deal with the Star Tribune, paying $30.8 million for four blocks of the Star Tribunes land, and The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority paid $7.7 million for the remaining block. This deal will ensure the demolition of the Star Tribunes buildings, which would interfere with the proposed construction. Members of the Elliot Park neighborhood, just blocks away from the redevelopment site, are hoping to see the increase in investment and developments revitalize their community as well. Anything positive that happens in Downtown East will also enhance the opportunities in Elliot Park, said Lynn Regnier, executive director of the Elliot Park Neighborhood, Inc. The redevelopment will bring a lot of vitality and activity to the area, which is important to the community. Many members of the Elliot Park neighborhood, including Collison and also Lawrence Ligocki, adjunct professor for the Institute of Biblical and Theological Studies, have been involved with the city, serving on various planning committees and attending public meetings to discuss the redevelopment project. It will be a great change, said Ligocki. The surface parking lots will be gone and the green space will be much better for the environment. A resident of the Elliot Park neighborhood for more than 20 years, Ligocki has witnessed the neighborhood and downtown Minneapolis change dramatically over the years. While he is excited about the prospect of a new park in Downtown East, he and several others are concerned about the challenges that lie ahead, including the cost and upkeep of the park. Just having a large green lawn is not going to work well, said Regnier. It needs to be programmed so basically every day of the year there is a reason to be there. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the Park Committee are working together with the city to smooth out all of the details surrounding the park and the rest of the redevelopment project. If its smart development it will enhance the community, said Regnier, but if we dont get it right now its going to be wrong for a long time. Several questions regarding the project are still unanswered, but many members of the community are responding positively to the promised redevelopment. This is a time of unprecedented growth within the city; its exciting to see it happen, said Collison. Look for part two of the redevelopment series in the next issue of the Northerner.
Battle of the Floors: A Glimpse into the Popular North Central Tradition
The popular school-wide event undergoes a change for this weekends competiton
BY CHRISTInA SkEESIck
Battle of the Floors is the center of the brother/sister floor relationship and occurs every year. This year, it is being held this Saturday, Feb. 22. The competitive event requires creativity and ultimately brings forth a sense of community among the North Central staff, students and even alumni. Year after year, Battle of the Floors continues to impact the community of North Central. It has become a big part of student life, but why and how is this tradition still relevant? Its a fun event. It gets people involved and allows people to meet with their bro/sis floor more and build relationships, said Student Activites Committee (SAC) director and senior youth ministries major Alex Langer. He shed some light on why this event is important and meaningful to the community of North Central and how it brings the whole campus together. As far as relevance, Langer believes that Battle of the Floors is still enjoyable and fresh. Although it is a tradition, each year it consists of new concepts, people and a sense of reinvention. Ryan Motl, a senior yourth ministries and member of SAC, recontinued on page 4
NEWS
PAgE 2 The future president shares his goals for the next school year BY REBEkAH JAcOBSOn
On Feb. 11, junior interdisciplinary studies major Caleb Brose and junior business administration major Tiffany Larson were voted in as the new student body president and vice president, respectively, for the 2014-2015 school year. The duo ran as the only candidates, making the election victory an easy win. Brose is excited for his term as student body president. He loves people and he loves to empower them to do great things. His slogan for his presidency is, Empower the individual to better the whole. Leading up to this point, Brose was a discipleship leader (DL) in Phillipps Hall during his sophomore year and is currently one of the interns on the student development team. This will be Larsons second term as vice president. She was a senator for Miller Hall during her freshman year, and is currently the vice president for current student body president and senior English writing major Nathan Hirsh. I truly have fallen in love with being in student government, said Larson. It correlates with who I am as an individual. Broses goal is to continue the work that Hirsh began a year-and-a-half ago. Since Hirsh became student body president, his main project has been restructuring student government. Brose seeks to continue this process, as he does not want Hirshs two years of work to be wasted. My vision isnt for big, drastic changes, but its small, subtle changes that will continue to feed the fire of things that have already been started, said Brose. Although Brose wants to continue the work that Hirsh
CONNECT WITH US
Comments? Questions? Concerns? Interested In Getting Involved?
WWW.ncunORTHERnER.cOM
@ncunORTHERnER
/ncunORTHERnER
2014-2015 student body president Caleb Brose and vice president Tiffany Larson look forward to building community within the student body next year. executed, he also wants to place a stronger focus on communication between students, faculty and student government. His desire is for student government to become more known on campus. Senate doesnt have a clear objective of who they are and what theyre supposed to be doing, said Larson. As a result of this, Larson claimed that Senate has been ineffective as a representative for the student body. Larson hopes to empower her team of senators by outlining a clearer perspective of each senators role and duties. Because of this lack of clarity, among other reasons, many students do not know what the Senate does or what the student body president and vice president do. The mission of Senate is to facilitate communication and effectively translate students needs between the administration, faculty and staff of North Central University. Similarly, the student body president is the representative of the student body to the administration and faculty. Brose seeks to make his role more known to students. With communication as his focus, he hopes make an impact on the 2014-2015 school year.
Northerner STAFF
NORTH CEnTRAL UnIVERSITYS STuDEnT NEWSpApER SIncE 1960 910 ELLIOT AVE, MInnEApOLIS, MN 55404 ncunORTHERnER@gMAIL.cOM
EDITORIAL
Rebekah Jacobson Brooke Vikla Joy Yerrick Shannon Hill Blake Mayes Hunter Baugh Editor-in-Chief Copy Editor Feature Editor Reviews Editor Sports Editor Opinion Editor
WRITERS
Anna Koch Alyssa Wallace Kayla Trulsen Crystal Goutierez Christina Skeesick Eddie Chisham Caleb Convey Josh High Kirsten Crouse Jake Tverberg Lindsey Sheets Marissa Wichersheim Allison Williams Stephanie Xiong Durety Biramo Questions, comments or concerns about something printed in this issue? We want your response. Write a letter to the editor. Email ncunortherner@ gmail.com with your submission to be considered for publication in either print or on the Web. Anonymous letters to the editor will not be considered for publication.
Do you have something to say? The Northerner wants to be your voice. Write an article, take photos, or make videos.
Contact ncunortherner@gmail.com if you want to get involved!
DIgITAL MEDIA
Paul Brunner
ADVERTISIng
Business Manager
NEWS
PAGE 3
impression. Shes a good addition, said Volpe, a very good addition. Brown has a masters in social work, is a licensed social worker, and she is a licensed minister with the Assemblies of God. Brown graduated from North Central in 2002 as an intercultural studies major. Volpe and Brown knew each other while they went to school at North Central. Angela was actually my RA my first year here, said Brown. During her time at North Central, Brown volunteered for Inner City Church Minneapolis (ICCM) as a youth leader and mentor to a group of girls she spent a lot of time with, even outside of her volunteer hours. I got really invested in them and fell in love with working with them, said Brown, and God confirmed over and over again that he wasnt calling me over seas, into missions anymore. Brown explored this passion she developed working with the youth from ICCM, which eventually lead to social work. Brown later completed grad school at the University of Southern Indiana. While I was in grad school, I got a call asking if I would start a youth group at a church that only had 50 people, said Brown, so I started pastoring the youth group. While finishing grad school and pastoring a youth group, Brown started working as a therapist, eventually transitioning into becoming a full-time pastor. Brown volunteered for various organizations such as teen challenge and offered pro bono counseling for the past three years. Her main focus at North Central is the internship aspect of the social work program: touring the facilities and making sure the students are fulfilling their requirements in that area, doing site visits, and meeting with their supervisors. Im trying to be the best that I can be for the students graduating in May, said Brown, making sure we give them all the skills we can possibly give them, to go out and be the best professionals that they can be. Brown is very impressed with this years seniors with whom she has been able to work. Just the positive feedback and remarks site supervisors have made about our students, saying that they kind of stand out among the pack, said Brown, Im proud to be a part of that. The hopes of the social and behavioral sciences department is that the program would continue to grow by continually collaborating with the other departments to raise up students recognized in the marketplace as loyal, trustworthy, and Christ-like.
BY ALYSSA WALLACE
Within the current 2013-2014 school year, North Central has added two social work professors, Angela Volpe and Beth Brown, to its program. Both are alumnae of North Central, who have made their way back from other parts of the country. Angela Volpe was hired in the fall as an assistant professor and program director of social work. A graduate of the 2001 class, Volpe got her undergraduate degree in deaf culture studies with an emphasis in psychology. While she was in Connecticut as her husband got his masters degree in Divinity, she worked as an interviewer for a study involving homeless women. I wanted to be able to do something, and help, so that sort of pointed me in the direction of social work, said Volpe, I knew I wanted to go into a helping field. She pursued a masters degree in social work through a joint masters of social work program. Her classes took place between North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, a historically black college, and University of North Carolina Greensboro, a historically womens college. It really gave me a fantastic, diverse, masters program, said Volpe. After grad school Volpe got a job working for Child Protective Services. Child welfare is a very intense job, said Volpe. One of
The graduate studies oce remains closed during program redesign. a dean for the graduate studies program. Instead, it is being run by Burkman and the Graduate Studies Academic Affairs Committee. The committee is made up of faculty members, a couple of supporting staff and four of our deans, said Burkman. So it is a group of about nine people, who were handpicked by the Presidents Cabinet to help guide the program and curriculum side of this. The Graduate Studies Academic Affairs Committee is narrowing down which graduate program will be the first offered at North Central. Among these options are masters programs for organizational leadership, biblical studies, theology, counseling and education. It is possible for someone to get a bachelors degree and a masters degree in five years, said Burkman. And, the accrediting agency, HLC, encouraged us to pursue this model. The structure of the program is called a four plus one model, which means that an undergraduate may take one graduate level class in the fall of his or her senior year and one in the spring. These classes will count toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees. The student will then finish the degree over the following summer, fall and spring semesters so that he or she may finish two degrees in a total of five years. According to a survey conducted by North Central in the fall of 2013, 88 percent of current students who responded stated that they were interested in taking classes in the four plus one model. Some people are not so sure that they want to get into their career right away, said Burkman. Theyre not as committed to a long-term relationship with a job. If thats the case, and theyre not sure what they want to do, then they can stick around one more year and get another degree. According to Burkman, North Central has approval from HLC to begin teaching certain graduate level classes. The plan is to have the first 500-level class available in the fall of 2014. In the same survey given in the fall of 2013, 78 percent of students who responded stated that if North Central had the masters program that the student was interested in, he or she would get that degree at North Central. As of now, the cost of the degree will be about $450 per credit, and the development of the graduate studies program will not affect the tuition of undergraduate students. North Central does have a long range academic strategic plan, and what we would like to see is the development of several masters degree programs over the course of the next five to seven years, said Burkman. But then after that, quite frankly, we would be looking at a doctorate level program. So, we would be a full-fledged graduate university.
$35/semester increase in On the search for a new laundry vendor or system housing cost for unlimited BY JAKE TVERBERG & STEPHANIE XIONG laundry
ment system, a smart chip card payment system, free play (increase the cost of living per semester for unlimited laundry), or leaving the laundry system at its current state. In a survey, North Central students were asked what kind of change they would desire. 72.5 percent of students vouched for a $35 per semester increase in housing costs for unlimted laundry, whereas 27.5 percent of students vouched for a credit/debit card payment system. If students were given unlimited laundry, 74.5 percent
72.5%
PAgE 4
Hungry or bored? A walk through the skyway might be what you need
BY CALEB COnVEY
Amidst the recent apocalyptically arctic temperatures, downtown excursions in search of entertainment, shopping, and eating might seem far-fetched, or for non-native Minnesotans, even terrifying. Luckily, thanks to the Minneapolis skyway system, you dont have to risk hypothermia to quell your hunger. According to minneapolis.about.com, the Minneapolis skyways span eight miles across 69 city blocks, making the Minneapolis skyway system the largest in the world. This fact is both impressive and intimidating when comparing North Centrals skyway system that includes two skyways and four connected buildings, (although this doesnt detract from the feeling of seasonal superiority that comes from standing in the skyway between Miller Hall and Phillipps Hall, eating a cafeteria ice cream cone in your gym shorts while watching a Mensing Hall resident sprint across snow-laden Elliot Park.) When traversing the Minneapolis skyways, things can get a little overwhelming. There are very few maps and signs telling you where you are and where you need to go. But dont let this stop you from experiencing all the interesting and savory hotspots. The easiest way of learning how to navigate the skyways is by visiting skywaymyway.com. Here youll be able to search and find everything available, before ever having to step out the door. Exact directions to numerous attractions can be found while viewing an interactive map of downtown Minneapolis. For example, there are 191 food and drink retailers you can locate at the click of a button; and they are split up into 17 different categories: bar, Mexican, Chinese, pizza, cocktail bar, restaurant, coffee, sandwich/soup/ caf, fast food, tea house, gourmet, ice cream, Indian, Italian, Japanese, juice bar, and Mediterranean. If youre hungry for more than just a bite to eat, the walkway website also contains nine other categories from which to search, including: shopping, health and beauty, business and banking, miscellaneous, parking, hotels, apartments, attrac-
Skyway to Heaven
FEATURE
tions, and education and children. With all the options available, its difficult to know where to start, but first a skyway must be found. For a direct route to the skyways, take South Eighth Street to the skyway that connects the Accenture Tower and the NRG Energy Center. Otherwise, if you want to head straight into the melting pot of munchies and merchandise, you can take Ninth Street South to the Target Plaza where once inside, you will immediately see an escalator to a skyway. This skyway leads to the US Bankcorp Center, which contains several different food and drink retailers including: Orange Julius and Dairy Queen, Which Wich, Caribou and Subway. Little more than a footlong-sandwich away is another skyway that will lead directly into Macys, where students can spend that Christmas money they may have received from Grandma on a new coat, which can be worn on the frigid trip back to campus. Halfway through, on the right side of the Macys store near Thomas Pink, sits a skyway that leads to the heart of the Minneapolis skyway system the Crystal Court in the IDS Center. The skywaymyway.com website states that more than 50,000 people pass through the Crystal Court each day and it is the primary channel people use. If the skyways could be compared to a beehive with numerous corporate employees buzzing to and from work, the queen bee would probably head to the Crystal Court during her lunch break to cash her check at the US Bank before grabbing some sushi (assuming bees eat sushi.)
This skyway running across 4th Street South is one of the many Minneaopolis skyways spanning eight miles across 69 city blocks. In addition to a number of banks, clothing and retail stores including GAP and Banana Republic, the Crystal Court also houses a Potbelly Sandwich Works, Starbucks, Yogurt Lab, 1-2-3 Sushi, and a restaurant called Cosi, which according to ids-center.com, was described as Fabulous! by Ruth Reichl of The New York Times. There are a number of noteworthy nooks and crannies throughout the vast skyway system of Minneapolis and theyre just waiting to be discovered. You can spend hours in the skyways, only scratching the surface of the citys hidden shopping and dining secrets. So next time youre running through a North Central skyway in your flip-flops, trying to get to class on time, imagine how great it would be to see sushi or Starbucks waiting for you on the other side. Well, your dreams can come true. So stop sleep-walking through the North Central skyways, grab a friend and head to the Minneapolis skyways. You might want to ditch the flip-flops for some boots first.
Students participate in the 1996 Battle of the Floors. The photos are from the Northerners first coverage of the event.
OPINION
PAGE 5
less person or to give all of your Christmas money to a world relief organization. I strongly believe that as Christians, we should be performing these random acts of kindness and doing it often. It is absolutely necessary to care for Gods creation in a practical way. I also believe that these people who have needs should be treated like they are Gods creation. In all honesty, posting on social media in a very public place about another persons issues for your own selfish gain is technically a form of exploitation. Not only that, but it makes you appear like the hypocrites in Matthew 6. I am pleading with you all to remain silent about your good deeds on social media. It does not accomplish anything other than fulfilling a selfish need for approval. The only person who needs to see what you are doing for God is God and He does not have Facebook.
system. This means students will pay a flat rate at the beginning of each semester (similar to the technology fee currently paid by students at North Central) and have unlimited access to laundry machines on campus. In the survey the number was estimated at around 35 dollars, and though that is not necessarily going to be the amount, students can expect something near that price range come 2016 (the contract ends after spring/summer 2015). So what will this mean for students? For the most part,
dry on their own without the fee. Unfortunately, that leaves more problems than it solves. If the laundry is unlimited, there wouldnt be any accountability for students who opt out. One could say they are doing laundry off campus, and then use the services in a living area without paying for it. But even so, the amount of money students as a whole would be saving through being able to do laundry as often as they want would make this situation vastly better. Students who can usually only afford to wash laundry once every few weeks can wash every week without having to worry about putting a five or a twenty into a machine. Another question that arises is this: if the school is planning to have a new contract with a different company, will they replace the current laundry machines in the North Central living areas? Many of the machines are old, and often do not perform well enough to satisfy the students paying to use them. Currently students must take their chances that the dryer they place their laundry in will actually dry the clothes. Granted, with unlimited access the frustration of a machine not fully washing or drying a load of clothes will be lessened because drying again will not cost money, but the added fifty minutes of time would still be frustrating. This is a problem that many at North Central hope will be fixed, along with this new solution to the current card laundry system. But the change to unlimited laundry will make even malfunctioning machines easier to deal with.
PAGE 6
REVIEWS
dedicated runners and joggers pass by as well, while a man who was hastily trying to pay the parking meter and then ran to seek warmth. Walking into the theater the smell of cigarettes lingered outside of the front doors, but inside I was happily greeted with warmth and old, musty theater smells. The popcorn looked like it had been sitting out for a while, and that fresh buttery popcorn scent that most movie theaters acquire was almost nonexistent. The workers were all very nice, smiley, and cheery, making an effort to make sure I had a good experience. There were many different candy selections, as well as a variety of drinks and other food products from which to choose. The theater has a special charm and 1950s feel. The colors are darker and the layout and design make you feel like you are
BY CRYSTAL GOUTIEREZ
in a different era. Out of the six movies they had to choose from, my friend and I saw the movie Labor Day. We missed the first couple of minutes, but there was no need for us to be quiet walking in because we were the only ones in the theater. The theatre is not very busy in the middle of the week,
but it does get more business on the weekend. The screen was a nice size and there were plenty of seats. We sunk into our red seats right in the middle of the theater, and stayed in our coats throughout the whole movie because it was chilly.
The prices are reasonable for college students. If you bring your student I.D. you can get a ticket for $6. The St. Anthony Main Theatre is a great place to go take a break from school, relax, and enjoy a movie. Check it out!
$6.0 efore 6pm) (b s e e n ti a M $8.50 r 6pm) e ft (a g in n e Ev $6.00 h I.D) it (w ts n e d Stu $6.00 3-11) s e g (a n re d Chil 6.00 9 & over) $ 5 e shows g (a rs io Sen $5.00 most Tuesdays
BY JOY YERRICK
38 5 2 7 1
IN A M Y N O H ST. ANT 0
Tea Time
A little taste of exotic culture
BY KIRSTEN CROUSE
Imagine a local Minneapolis tea room where bridal showers are welcomed, as well as people who want to study, hang out, and sip fresh exotic tea. Such a local tearoom exists and its called Verdant Tea. All of the tea sold and made is air shipped directly from China. When I first walked into Verdant Tea, I noticed the dcor and people groups. This tearoom makes you feel in sync with your exotic tea as you are seated in a model of a Chinese tearoom. All ages and groups of people come to Verdant Tea, with plenty of young college students and older adults. Verdant Tea is a business that supports exotic elements of the Chinese culture through its original and amazing teas. From hot tea to iced tea, loose leaf or chai, Verdant Tea has the ability to more than satisfy your taste for tea. As mentioned in store and on the website, Verdant Chai is a completely different experience than anything else out there, giving this tearoom a phenomenal reputation for their chai. Knowing that their tea is imported from China should remind you that the chai is well harvested and has a rich, full body. Minnesota Monthly named Verdants chai one of the five best drinks of the year. I took the time to stop in and rate the tea myself. I spoke with one of the managers while I participated in a quick tea tasting. I tried Yabao tea, one with flavor notes of apple, pine needle, and cedar. This tea surprised me; I had never tasted something so delicious and refreshing. Verdant Tea does not choose to only rely on their tea. Every Friday night, live music is offered and private yoga or tea tastings are scheduled throughout the week and weekend. This tea business started and grew online for the first two to two-and-a-half years. The demand for tea with an authentic atmosphere became too great for the owners to refuse opening up a tearoom for making their tea, as well as a profit. Verdant Tea has already become my newest discovered study and hang-out spot. I hope that you will be able to experience the culture as well. It never hurts to experience a little taste of exotic culture through a simple tasting of tea.
When you walk into Lolas, you feel as though you are arriving at a party to which you have been invited. Bursts of laughter bubble up around the warm, amber room. A large, gleaming copper wood stove takes center stage and above it, a disco ball throws bits of light onto guests. The bar reaches from the stove to the wall, allowing people to view the flames and fresh pizzas firsthand. Lolas did not start off with glittering beginnings, but with one Korean immigrants desire to create exquisite pizza and sound service. Ann Kim opened the pizza pie restaurant and named it after her Weimaraner dog. Since then, the restaurant has grown and, like most evenings, howls with happy patrons. While you wait, you are welcomed to take pictures in the restaurants photo booth. Hundreds of photos line the wall, connecting new visitors with previous ones. As you are seated, clean tables, set with mismatched plates featuring sleepy cats,
5 on 5 Baseball Coach
February 19, 2014 | The Northerner
Kenny Flermoen
Second-year coach shares expectations for the coming season
BY LInDSEY SHEETS
Coach Flermoen has been involved with the baseball team at North Central for four years. He started as an intern, became the assistant coach, and is now in his second year as head coach.
North Centrals mens and womens basketball teams prepare for postseason play
BY EDDIE CHISHAM
The North Central womens basketball team has had an up and down season so far. Despite some of the best shooting percentages, rebounds, and assists in the conference, the Rams are struggling to win at home and in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC). Our top five or six girls can beat anyone, said Coach Jeff Grenell. These top six have produced numbers on the top of the UMAC. Jorie Grenell, a senior youth ministry major, leads the UMAC in scoring and 3-pointers and is currently on the verge of breaking the Rams all-time scoring record. Senior psychology major Julia Skeesick is leading the UMAC in assists, and sophomore education major Jamie High is lead is rebounds. If we can continue to get our rotations and chemistry down, we can win, said Coach Grenell. Our bench players are going to be key players in our tourney runs. Our starters are so strong; I want our bench to know that I trust them too. According to Coach Grenell, the primary goal for the Rams this year is to make it to the UMAC tournament. To make the tournament, the Lady Rams will have to win all four of their remaining games (all at home) to do so. The secondary goal for the team is to win the regional National Collegiate Christian Athletic Association (NCCAA) championship. If the team passes this hurdle, they will go to nationals where they are currently ranked seventh. The North Central mens basketball team is going into the last part of their season after early season struggles at home and in the UMAC. Welcoming back starter senior business administration major Jordan Harrell from injury will help the team. Playing without Jordan Harrell is such a huge difference, said Coach High. He opens things up outside, because everyone on the other team really has to account for him. Harrell is a difference indeed. The Rams are 7-4 with Harrell, and 3-6 without him. Without Harrell, the team only has two players over 6-foot-5-inches tall, while five players are under 6-feet. We are smaller, but we work hard and were smart on defense, said Coach High. It is not the players; we just are not playing well. The Rams will need to win some key conference games in February. Encouraging the fans to come support the team, Coach High said, We need to create a home court advantage. The last four games of the season are all home conference games. Harrell returned February 7 in time for the four home games and the NCCAA regional tournament held at Faith Baptist from Feb. 28 to March 1. The Rams are currently on track to be the number one seed in the NCCAA tournament.
What are some of the goals you have for the baseball team this year? Coach Flermoen: The biggest goal is to improve in two specific areas. The first is to realize our potential. It is hard to measure that, but if we can reach our potential, it will help us grow as a team. A second goal would be to improve defensively to protect our pitchers. That way we can be effective during the entire season. What are some obstacles your team is going to have to overcome this year? Coach Flermoen: The biggest obstacle is going to be depth. Even though our team is growing, and we have great commitment, it takes more than 18 players to be effective. Its great to have the numbers that we have, and I can see that our skill has dramatically increased from last season, but I think when we play five games a week it is going to be tough for us to compete because of our depth. We can overcome that obstacle by our commitment and the work ethic.
Q. A.
Q. A.
about coaching. The first thing is developing people. Its part of who I am and how God created me. I love being able to sit down and talk with a player about life and how he can improve, not just as a baseball player, but as a person. The second part is the teaching aspect. I love being able to teach the game. As someone who knows a lot about how the game works strategically, I love the teaching aspect of it. Ive never been interested in being a formal teacher, so baseball has always been my avenue for using the gifts Ive been given in teaching. What do you want your team to take away most from this year? higher than they think. I want them to know that they can reach the levels that they think they cant get to. I want them to know that we are a developing team that is going somewhere, and that we arent stagnating. We are growing, we are becoming vibrant, and we are becoming an exciting team on campus thats going to make a difference in the future.
Q. What is your favorite part about coaching? A. Coach Flermoen: There are specifically two things I love
Q.
I need to have a good understanding of what my vision is for long term. As the head coach, Im looking at a perspective that most people arent looking at. Its day-to-day, but its also this year, next year, and the years beyond. I need to be able to carry out the vision of what I believe the program can be.
Q. What has coaching taught you about yourself? A. Coach Flermoen: Coaching has taught me to be prepared.
The Clark-Danielson Gymnasium received a huge upgrade last month with the installation of new bleachers. The new bleachers can seat around 450 people; 120 seats include backs for added comfort. The previous wooden bleachers had been in the gym since it was originally built in 1981. North Central athletic director, Jon High, said: The old bleachers were becoming more and more difficult to repair and keep up to the proper codes. So it was obvious that we needed an upgrade. On Jan. 20, the bleacher replacement process began. Over the course of four days, the old bleachers were removed, the wall behind was repainted, the floors were refinished, and the new Interkal Telescopic Seating System was installed just in time for the Rams basketball games against rival Crown College. The installation of the new bleachers was done by Seating and Athletic Facility Enterprises, LLC, a company located in Ellendale, MN. The projects total cost was upward of $60,000. The new bleachers are the latest part of an attempt to remodel the Clark-Danielson Gymnasium over the past 5 years. Previous upgrades were made in the
There are 120 seats with backs in the new bleachers. The new seats allow spectators to have a more comfortable experience when viewing games and events. form of new lights, scoreboards, backboards, and score tables. Its nice because my grandma can sit in the bleachers during our games now, says senior business administration major Ben Peters. They are definitely more visually pleasing to the eye, and hopefully they will get more fans out to our games. An increase in fan support is not the only benefit the new bleachers possess. According to High, the main convenience will be the motorized system, which allows the bleachers to be moved in and out remotely. A major problem with the old bleachers was the need to manually push or pull them in and out. With the new system, the bleachers can be moved in or out in a matter of seconds. This will make things easier for anyone using the gymnasium, including the North Central recreation and wellness department. Senior media communications major and intramural director, Paul Brunner, also raves about the convenience of the new bleachers. With the old bleachers, Id have to try and find some guys to help me pull them out, and then three hours later Id have to push them back in, says Brunner. Most of the time, we wouldnt pull them all out, just because it was too difficult, but now with the new bleachers, its so much faster, and I can do it all by myself. Intramural events like floor hockey, futsal, and basketball happening most nights in the gym, and the bleachers are used more by rec and wellness than athletics. Were very excited about the much needed upgrade for our students, said High.
www.acrhomes.com
SCHOOL
Northwestern Minnesota Morris Crown St. Scholastica Bethany Lutheran North Central Martin Luther Northland
OVERALL
12-10 14-8 9-13 9-13 7-15 10-10 5-17 3-18
SCHOOL
Minnesota Morris St. Scholastica Martin Luther Northwestern Bethany Lutheran North Central Northland Crown
OVERALL
13-9 14-8 12-10 16-6 7-15 7-12 3-18 1-19