MC Baseball Team's Season Opens in South Carolina

The Manchester College baseball team’s season started this week.

Although in recent years the team has gone to Florida for the start of the season, this year will be different. The team will be traveling to Myrtle Beach, SC. They left on Thursday, Feb. 28 and will be gone through Sunday, March 2. Their opening game was Thursday against Concordia College (MI).

Several of last year’s varsity players graduated in the spring of 2007: Scott Tarnowski, Matt Talarico, Tyler Wolfe, Marcus Miller, Jordan Adams, Jason Carmichael, and Zac Bireley. As a result, this year’s lineup will include several first-year students: Wes Bucher, David Tatham, John Smolinski, Trey Forbes, Jay Sheets, Eric Roof, Curtis Mallory, JT Podell, and Andy Hughes will all be joining the team on its trip to South Carolina.

This year’s players expressed excitement about the upcoming trip, particularly because it offers a chance for them to spend time together as a team. “I’m excited to go and get to know the first-year players a little better, and to spend time with the team,” said junior Shawn Baker. “We always have a good time on road trips because we are so close.”

It is also particularly exciting for many of the players precisely because it is the start of a new season. “I’m excited about starting the season!” said junior Jared Baker. “There’s nothing like opening day. It’s a new year; everyone has a chance to go all the way.”

One anticipated benefit from the trip is the chance to leave the grey, cold and fickle Indiana weather. “I am the most excited about leaving the snow behind,” said senior Shaun Carrico, “and
replacing it with some decent 60 degree weather.”

But that coin has two sides; the dismal Indiana weather has meant that their practices have, so far, all been indoors. “The thing I’m the most nervous about is going from practicing inside to playing games right away without having a single practice on the field,” said sophomore Kaz Kalita. “Everything is different outside: throwing, fielding groundballs for infielders, reading the ball off the bat for outfielders, and even hitting.”

“But I’m confident that my teammates and I can adjust quickly down there in Myrtle Beach,” Kalita concluded.

Sophomore Adam King is not only excited about the prospect of playing baseball and seeing the east coast; this trip is giving him a chance to meet members of his family for the first time. “I have family in Myrtle Beach who I’ve actually never met,” he said. “They’re coming to watch me play.”

Like many of his teammates, King started playing baseball when he was four or five years old. “It’s a great game, the best in my opinion,” he said.

Nevertheless, he hasn’t lost his perspective. “It took an ESPN: The Magazine article about Morgan Ensberg, a major league ballplayer, to make me realize how minor baseball was compared to some other things in my life. Striking out or making an error doesn't mean the end of the world,” King said.

This perspective helps him sustain his joy for the game, which he said has “always been a means of pure enjoyment.”

The time on the road is a great way to start the season, according to junior Jeffrey Mendenhall. “We’re going to have a few days of thinking about nothing except for baseball,” Mendenhall said. “I believe that it will help to set a tone for the rest of the season.”

(This article appeared in the February 29 edition of The Oak Leaves)

Destruction of Snow Phallus Bemoaned by Its Creators and Their Fellow Students

There was a new arrival to the MC campus during the evening following the Super Bowl. Although the visitor seemed cold and hard, there was an air of artistry and dedication surrounding the area. By the morning, there was no remaining trace of the visitor ever having come at all. What was this mysterious stranger? It was a giant snow penis, constructed by Manchester College art students.

Very few members of the MC community got a chance to see the snow construction, however, because it was destroyed by campus security and maintenance before the start of Monday’s classes. It had existed for less than seven hours before it was removed.

The demolition of the snow phallus has since been protested by the students who created it, as well as by their fellow students who wanted to see the campus’s infamous penis.

Sophomore Chris Webster conceived of the idea for the construction of the snow phallus. “No one that I called wanted to just go outside and play in the snow, but when I changed my request and asked if they wanted to help me build a big, giant, throbbing [penis] on the mall, they were all for it,” Webster said. “It started out as play, and ended up as art.”

Martin Yohn, a first-year student, was one of the friends that received a call to come help. “I immediately put on everything warm that I owned and met Chris, followed closely by Brian [Kunze] and Joe [Dwars],” Yohn said. “It must have been amusing for any passersby to see four figures, spaced evenly on the sidewalk around the mall, each with a 40 pound ball of snow being pushed and forced along the path in front of them.”

Dwars’ sense of humor and desire for novelty contributed to his participation in the construction of the penis. “I decided to join in because I thought it was hilarious to do a snow penis when everyone else was just making snowmen, and I wanted to make something everyone would be talking about, kind of like immortalizing us and the penis.”

Construction of a snow phallus of such a magnitude required some creative problem-solving in order to achieve the right shape and level of realism that was envisioned by its creators. “You would be surprised at the amount of consideration that is involved in sculpting a hard-on out of snow,” Yohn said. “We had to ask ourselves questions like, how big should we make it? How long? Should it be vertically or horizontally erect? Should we even tackle the issue of hair?”

“The shaft was multi-balled, and then unified—we put three or four balls in a line and then filled in the spaces,” Webster said. “Marty and I demanded that it be huge; we didn’t want just a tiny [penis] for the corner.”

“Once we had it together, it was all about rubbing the [penis] thoroughly to make sure it had the right shape—you know, good and strong,” Webster continued. “Then, from there we added on veins, to make it throbbing.”

All of the people who were up and around on campus late enough to witness the creation of the phallus were amused, supportive and impressed. “Everybody who saw the penis loved it and loved the idea,” Dwars said. “We even had a bunch of people stand and watch and even pack some snow on.”

Kunze and Webster agreed that their fellow students seemed more enthusiastic than offended. “While we were making the penis, a group came to the mall, and we all threw some snowballs back and forth,” Kunze said. “After a while, they went off to make a wall across the road in front of the Union. Everyone who walked by or stopped to watch was amazed by the snow penis.”

“The people who witnessed the assembly of the [penis] were all pretty supportive,” Webster said. “Some people rode it, but that was before it had the veins on it yet. Others asked us why we were making a giant penis on the mall in the first place. Still others joined in and helped with the construction. Some other people were talking about making a giant vagina, too, but then they realized it would be too difficult.”

Although students’ opinions regarding the snow penis were varied, there seems to be a consensus among many students that it was not necessary to destroy the snow art. “I can see how the penis could seem offensive, but college is a time for people to be more explorative and open-minded,” said sophomore Maggie Winey. “I’m a little pissed off that I didn’t get a chance to see it in person.”

First-year student Zachary VanWinkle sees the destruction of the phallus as an indication of the power dynamic between students and the administration. “I think that the way the college reacted to the snow penis reveals that anything that is deemed inappropriate is subject to censure by the college’s administration and staff,” VanWinkle said. “Although this may be their right, we live here, and we should have the right to freedom of expression.”

Junior Natasha Miller was one of the most outspoken students in favor of the existence of snow phalluses on campus. “I have no problem with penises,” Miller said. “In fact, I am very fond of them. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of them (like this snow penis) around campus.”

Likewise, first-year student Epigmenio Sanchez regrets that the penis was destroyed so promptly. “A big snow penis on campus is actually pretty funny,” Sanchez said. “It would have been nice to be able to see it myself, and maybe even get a few photos of myself with the penis.”

The creators of the snow penis were saddened by the removal of their creation. “When it was tore down we were all upset, because we really didn’t feel like anyone had the right to demolish our snow penis,” Dwars said. “After all, there’s a bunch of art that has penises and other genitals in it. We were also pretty pissed that not a whole lot of people got to see the penis, because what we wanted to do was make the campus laugh.”

Chris Webster agreed. “I felt a great disappointment towards this college when our penis was destroyed,” Webster said. “It was art, and I had hoped it would be respected, but it wasn’t. It was throbbing—I mean, c’mon, you have to at least respect that.”

Webster also had advice to offer to other potential snow artists. “If I was to give any advice to future snow masons, it would be this: wear gloves. Good ones.”

(An edited version of this article appeared in the February 22 edition of The Oak Leaves)

Scout Fuller Fund for Social Justice to Provide an MC Student with Opportunity for Service-Oriented Internship

On March 1st, applications for the 2008 Scout Fuller Fund for Social Justice Summer Service Award are due; all Manchester College students who will still be enrolled for the 2008-2009 academic year are eligible to apply.

The recipient of the award will receive up to $2000 of expenses directly related to a service-oriented internship, as well as up to an additional $3000 cash award to help cover expenses during the 2008-2009 school year.

This fund is in memory of Josephine “Scout” Wollman Fuller, the daughter of Abby Fuller (associate professor of sociology) and Neil Wollman (former professor of psychology), who died following a seven-month-long battle with cancer on July 7, 2007 at the age of eight.

“The idea for the fund originated very soon after Scout’s death out of a desire to perpetuate her legacy of concern for others and strong sense of justice,” said Abby Fuller. “We have all found it very meaningful to create and run the fund; it has given us something positive to do in the midst of our grief.”

In a tribute written for Scout’s Caring Bridge website, Abby said that “Scout was scrupulously honest, and could be indignant when others were not. She had a strong sense of fairness and was troubled when people were not treated equally…. She had philosophical discussions with her dad about evolution, about the spiritual world, about the importance of helping others…. It is Scout’s sensitivity to others, though, that was perhaps her defining quality.”

“We decided to give an award to an MC student for a summer internship or volunteer experience because as an MC prof, I know that there are many capable and motivated students who must work during the summer,” continued Fuller. “So, we decided to not only pay for the internship/volunteer experience but also to award extra money for the student to use the following year.”

“Scout inspired me,” said Neil Wollman. “We learned from each other, and she’s continued to inspire me in a lot of ways even after her death. For instance, I’ve been thinking more about how I interact with others, becoming calmer in certain ways, so there’s definitely been a personal involvement…. But there’s also been an effect in my work with social concern projects. Wherever I can, I try to think about Scout and how I can remember her and honor her in certain ways. This fund, likewise, is a way of remembering her and honoring her.”

“I feel that there are still a number of ways where it seems as though Scout is still around, helping other people,” Wollman continued. “It seems impossible to completely accept her death, but it is made easier to accept because of this sense that she still has a presence that reveals itself in ways that are helpful to people, and creative, and to a fair amount that means that she is showing her power continually and carrying on some of her character.”

A touching account of Scout’s story, told by members of her family, can be read at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/scout.

Information on the Scout Fuller Award for Social Justice, including a link to the application, can be found at http://www.scoutfullerfund.org/pages/apply-for-the-2008-summer-service-award.php.

(This article appeared in the February 15 edition of The Oak Leaves)

Growing Divide between Liberal and Conservative Students Results in Conflict, Conversation

On January 28, a message titled “Some Nice Conservative Opinions about Manchester” was circulated on Facebook. This message, written by a self-avowed “Conservative [sic] Republican,” damned Manchester as a “Hippie Palace… controlled by gay liberal vegans,” and declared that “the bottom line is basically that people need to grow the [expletive] up.”

Although the majority of Facebook notes stand on their own, without response, this particular message yielded almost a dozen replies within the first 18 hours. Remarkably, many of these responses were from liberal students who felt empathy over the writer’s sense of alienation, and included many offers for further conversation.

These messages indicate that dissent within the student body regarding politics and lifestyle is more prevalent than is apparent from the average classroom discussion. Because these matters are primarily discussed in informal settings and online forums, it is likely that much of the faculty and staff are unaware of the disputes at all. However, there is clearly both a need and a desire for a forum for discussion between liberal and conservative MC students.

The original message stated that the writer’s experience at MC has led her to feel that “if your [sic] not a liberal then the gays basically assign you as to what you are supposed to believe and think and if you don’t do as they say they degrade [you] as a human…. They order you to recycle and never eat meat and to stop buying name brand clothes,” she wrote. “I can understand the hate of soldiers and the abuse of children from parents, but for one Caucasian HUMAN to treat another Caucasian HUMAN so badly for how they dress and for what they eat? That’s terrible.”

She also expressed confusion regarding the presence of Christian homosexual students; “Last time I checked Christianity protested against homosexuality.”

One of the first replies, written by sophomore Zach Blatz, warned future readers to avoid automatically responding in a judgmental and hostile manner. “[The writer] is obviously saying this because something happened,” he said. “Why are we, as accepting ‘liberals,’ going around attacking people for not being just like us?”

First year student Zachary VanWinkle was easily able to see the parallel between the writer’s sense of alienation in a liberal environment and his own experience of alienation as a homosexual in a conservative environment. “There are some very misinformed and troubling arguments in this piece,” he said. “But if I reverse the role, I can try to understand. Kendallville is not a liberal heaven, and especially not a place to be gay or vegetarian.”

“I am not sure where [the writer] came from, but know this-- I never felt safe or at home in Kendallville,” VanWinkle said. “I am safe and can be who I want to be here. I can be gay, liberal, and a ‘label whore’… But you should speak out. Voice your opinions, or else how will you and I communicate and find common ground?”

Senior Anna Simons, referring to another poster’s comment, wrote “Thanks for the reminder that ‘mean people are suffering.’… I think it’s probably [one of] the easiest truths to forget. I think we forget it because we get angry, too, because we suffer also and then we get mean sometimes.”

“I can understand this person’s feeling that she is surrounded by differing assumptions and wanting to rail against those,” Simons continued. “I often feel that way too, and sometimes
feel like the only response I can make is to take just as strong a position on the other side and act like just as big an asshole. One of the scariest and most important things we can do as members of a human community is to learn to really listen to each other.”

John Fagan, a sophomore religion major, spoke out on behalf of moderate and conservative students here at MC. “I will be honest about the letter written by the first year student; I don't disagree on every point made,” Fagan said. “Yes, I think that her letter was racist and narrow minded and all around poorly thought out, but a valid point was made [regarding] the overwhelming unbalance in the liberal to conservative population of the student body.”

“In my experience here, I have found that it is to be expected that if one is to express a conservative view point in a group setting, one should be prepared to be attacked much more aggressively than [if a liberal student were to express] his/her point,” Fagan continued. “Furthermore, in my opinion, I feel a forum of discussion between the two sides would be excellent. I would have much to say, given that the discussion was properly mediated.”

“I have learned so much already about people and how different they can be,” said sophomore Erica Nisley, a self-professed conservative Mennonite. “In no way, however, have I ever felt that a certain group of people has overbearing control of the environment here.… As for the groups on campus who support clothing not manufactured in sweatshops, recycling, and encourage us not to waste as much food, they're just being proactive with their values. It may not be your style, but its their's. They're doing something to better the lives of others in a way they see fit.”

“As far as Christianity goes, the Bible contains passages that don't condone homosexuality, but then there are also the passages that speak about the love of your fellow human beings,” Nisley said. “Which matters more, your orientation or your common humanity? No matter where you go to school, no matter where you live, you'll come into contact with people whose views are so much different than yours. You're going to have to learn to live with them.”

First-year student Matthew Bennett said “I am a conservative Christian…. However, I have adapted to the culture of the school, and am not angered by it…. While I believe homosexuality is immoral, I do not believe hatred and violence against those who choose that lifestyle is warranted.”

“The note spoke of the way the author felt that certain groups were seeking to force her to adapt to their points of view. I have not felt that I have been pressured to accept their agenda or to conform to their beliefs,” said Bennett. “While the sort of tolerance I possess may not be what some want it to be, I am tolerant on several levels…. Not all conservatives are full of hate, just as not all liberals are full of hate towards others. Hopefully more of us will realize that, and we can all go through our days without hard feelings towards one another.”

Kendal Sue Kosta Mikel, an MC alum from the class of 2007, observed that prejudice tends to produce conflict rather than knowledge. “I feel sorry for this person, who seems to be completely misinformed,” Mikel wrote. “It’s sad if she was mistreated by someone in a certain social group, however, she should probably understand that generalizing people is not going to solve her problems. She does not want people unlike her to say that because she is a conservative
she fits into a specific ‘box,’ so why does she believe this about others?”

Mikel concluded by observing that some of the important things that students are able to learn during their time at MC include a deepening understanding of “who [we are], what [we] really believe and, most importantly, why [we] believe those things.”