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The Delta
Missouri Valley College, Marshall, Mo.
Volume 15, No. 3, October 16, 2009
Top: Little Harp (Lance
Weinhardt) and Big Harp
(Bradford Scott) sing “Two
Heads”(Photo by Yalimar
Vidal); Right: Jamie
Lockhart (Will Van Wig)
and Clement Musgrove
(Joshua Schwartz) talk
about Rosamond
(Photo by Yalimar
Vidal); Bottom: Clement
ignores step-mother
Salome (Crystal Mann) to
please daughter Rosamond
(Jessie Greenfield).
‘Steal with style...’
Theater season opens
with ‘Robber’ play
A robber disguised in bear
grease, a talking head in a
box, a naked girl with long
blond hair, a step-mother with
nefarious intentions, a scoundrel on
crutches, and lots of music and dancing set the stage for an entertaining
time at the Eckilson-Mabee Theater
last week.
“The Robber Bridegroom” started
the season for the Theatre, Music, and
Dance Departments with a rousing,
Southern good time.
The head in a box, played by
Bradford Scott, wasn’t really decapitated and the girl, portrayed by Jessie
Greenfield, wasn’t really naked, but
the scoundrel, played by Lance
Weinhardt, did comically navigate the
stage with needed crutches because of
a pre-existing foot injury. Will Van
Wig played the lead role as the robber
and Crystal Mann portrayed the stepmother. They were all fun to watch, as
were the others in the cast: Joshua
Schwartz, Iva Wright, Sarah Webb,
Catie Combs, Charlique Rolle, Nick
Aragon, Zach McKinney, Kloee
Shipp, Raymond Banks, and Desiree
Groff.
The director was Harold Hynick, the
musical director was Diana Malan,
the choreographer was Janie Ross, the
technical director was Jay Rozema,
and the costume designer was Dyan
Rozema. The musicians with instruments were Diana Malan (piano),
Sarah Love (violin), Charles
Ferguson (bass) and Rob Dittmer
(guitar).
Page 2
The Delta
FEATURE
Oct. 16, 2009
The Delta
Co-Editors:
Ralitsa Gospodinova
and Devon Wade
Sports Co-Editors:
Matt Ellis and Phillip Hamer
Special reporter:
Samuel Njuguna
This edition of the Missouri
Valley College Delta was produced with the assistance of the
Newspaper class, the Copy
Editing class, and other classes
and students.
Faculty Advisers: David L.
Roberts and Harry Carrell
MVC students are put into a deep sleep during the hypnotism entertainment program. (Photo by Yalimar Vidal)
Hypnotist creates comic reactions
Yalimar Vidal
DELTA-CONTRIBUTOR
The crowd buzzed. There was chatting. Students sat waiting for the hypnotist.
Some wanted to volunteer. Others
wanted to watch. They had come to
see a show unlike any other.
The hypnotist stood by the door. The
crowd hushed as the event coordinator, Emily Skellett, took the stage.
Skellett is Student Activities coordinator.
Hypnotist Daniel James entered. He
talked to the crowd about the misconceptions of hypnotism.
“You can’t be made to do anything
against your will,” said James. “You
can’t do anything that goes against
your ethical and moral values.”
He said that hypnotism was an
altered state of consciousness. It can
only be reached by wanting to be hypnotized and paying attention.
James asked for volunteers. He
wanted people who could concentrate. People who wanted to participate and people who wanted to have
fun.
James picked 16 volunteers, using
these three criteria. The 16 volunteers
were seated and told to look into the
light positioned in front of them. They
watched it, waiting for James’ instructions.
Music came on. James spoke to the
volunteers. He told them to concentrate on the light and relax. They were
motionless. Their breathing was slow
and heavy.
The audience was silent as three students were awakened and moved.
When seated, James told them to
“sleep.” The music continued to play
in the background. It helped set the
scene.
Each song was tailored to what
James asked of the volunteers.
After a few minutes, it was down
The Delta reserves the right to
edit or reject any articles or other
material submitted. Opinions in
the Delta do not necessarily
reflect the views of MVC or the
Delta newspaper.
The Delta is published by
Missouri Valley College
500 East College Street
Marshall, MO 65340
(660) 831-4211
Email: robertsd@moval.edu
The Delta is a publication project
of the MVC Mass Communication
Department. It is printed by the
Marshall Democrat-News. It is a
member of the Missouri Collegiate
Press Association.
Hypnotized students prance around.
(Photo by Yalimar Vidal)
to 10 volunteers. Some were rearranged and seated. Then the entire
group was asked to visualize a beach.
The music changed to a tropical tune.
(Continue on page 3)
Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the
freedom of speech, or of the press;
or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition
the government for a redress of
grievances.
--First Amendment to
the U.S. Constitution
Oct. 16, 2009
The Delta
FEATURE
Page 3
Traditional Halloween design wins pumpkin-carving contest
Ashalyn Ellis
DELTA STAFF WRITER
With Halloween right around the corner, people are
getting into the spooky spirit.
Emily Skellett, MVC Student Activities coordinator, organized a pumpkin-carving contest recently
and the winner received a prize of pizza for 10.
There were 13 entries, said Skellett, but only one
could win. The winner was freshman Ronald Hill.
“That was the first time I had ever carved a pumpkin,” Hill said.
Students had about two hours before the home
football game against Graceland on October 3 to
come up with the idea and carve their pumpkin. It
didn’t have to be a spooky design. A lot of the contestants showed their Valley pride by incorporating
it into their pumpkin-carved designs.
Hill kept with the spirit of Halloween for his
design, carving a vampire wearing a hat. “The contest was real fun for me,” Hill said.
Skellett is not planning on doing another one this
year but it is definitely an activity to do again next
year, she said.
“I plan on defending my title,” Hill said.
While dressing up in fun costumes, trick or treating, and telling ghost stories are all part of
Halloween, carving pumpkins is also a fun part.
Some students say they carve pumpkins every
Halloween season. It’s a tradition for some students
and their families.
Jack-o-lanterns used to be carved into turnips or
gourds and a piece of hot-burning coal was used to
light them, according to the Pumpkin Carving 101
website. Now they are replaced with pumpkins
which are easier to carve and for easier placement of
candles. Halloween didn’t catch on big in America
until the late 1800s.
Pumpkins have been grown in America for
more than 5,000 years and they come
in all shapes and sizes. This means
that there has to be that perfect
one out there for everyone’s
carving ideas.
Other than the favorite
spooky patterns for carving, there are patterns
for all ages, with anything from Disney
princesses to Nickelodeon characters.
Many people get excited about Halloween and
are eager to carve their
pumpkins early in the month.
There are some tips to keep carved
pumpkins looking their best, according
to the Pumpkin Masters website.
• Place petroleum jelly on the carved edges of the
pumpkin to help keep it from drying out.
• Spray the carved pumpkin with water and then
wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator when it is not on display. This will help keep the
pumpkin looking fresh much longer.
• To help ward off mold and insects, soak or spray
the pumpkin with water mixed with a little bit of
bleach.
• Dried out pumpkins can almost be revived
completely by soaking them in water
for several hours. The more dried
out the pumpkin, the longer it
will need to soak. It’s even
O.K. to let soak overnight,
and then dry from top to
bottom.
Load up on candy, get
out the costumes, and go
find the perfect pumpkin
for your idea. Patterns
work well for carving
pumpkins or coming up
with an original idea like
Hill did also works. Happy
Halloween!
Ronald Hill’s first-ever pumpkin wins
the competition (Photo by Emily Skellett).
More about Campus entertainment
Hypnotist persuades students into ‘Chippendale’ dance
(Continued from page 2)
James asked all the hypnotized volunteers to
extend a right hand and wait for him to pour sunscreen onto each one. Then they were to put it on
their most important areas.
The audience laughed as the group put sunscreen
on feverishly as James told them it was getting hotter and hotter.
Then James’ attention turned to the audience. The
audience watched as James walked over to people
who had been hypnotized while sitting in the audience. There was a hush.
James tapped them on the shoulder, telling them
to visualize different scenarios. The students acted
out their scenarios and returned to their seats. The
audience watched closely, turning back to the students onstage.
James returned to the volunteers as well. He now
told some of them that they were in odd situations.
Some were told they had to do something or
change.
Another person was told that his underwear was
constantly tightening whenever James said, “Is it
hot in here or is it just me?”
The same person was then told he had to show off
his fictitious pet monkey.
The show ended with the group dancing. Some
were Chippendale dancers. Others were just dancing for a prize on MTV.
The group was told to sit and wake up from the
hypnosis on the count of three.
Once awake, none seemed to recall that they had
been hypnotized. All they remembered was waiting
for the show to start.
James said he started out studying hypnotherapy.
Then, 10 years ago, he applied it to the stage. He
has been doing shows for college students, private
parties, and cruise ships ever since.
He said his favorite audience is a college group.
“They’re more creative,” he said.
“I think it was good,” said Chelsea Clapsaddle, a
senior Mass Communication major who attended
the show.
“I have never seen this kind of show before,”
Clapsaddle added.
Students seemed to enjoy the show and some
said, if they got the chance again, they’d volunteer
to be hypnotized.
For days after the event, some students talked
about the hypnotism of Daniel James and how the
hypnotized students had responded.
Page 4
The Delta
SPORTS
Homecoming ceremony
Oct. 16, 2009
Stadium named to honor college football Hall of Fame coach
Chad Jaecques
MVC MEDIA RELATIONS
The Missouri Valley College Board of Trustees
have announced the naming of the football stadium
as Volney C. Ashford Stadium at the official dedication ceremony, which is set for Saturday, Oct. 17 at
the MVC Athletic Hall of Fame Luncheon.
Gregg-Mitchell Field will remain the namesake of
the field where the stadium stands to honor the families of the original donors.
In July Coach Ashford was posthumously inducted into the National Football Foundation College
Hall of Fame. From 1941-47, Ashford led the
Viking football team to a 41-game winning streak.
Ashford coached the Vikings for 34 years from
1937 to 1971.
According to the research of the NCAA and the
NAIA records, the MVC win streak ranks 5th alltime for all divisions of college football.
Ashford graduated from MVC in 1931 and
became head coach of the Vikings in 1937.
Following the 41-game winning streak, Ashford led
the Vikings to unanimous national acclaim as the
number one small college team in the country in
1949. He was named Little All-American Coach of
the Year in 1950 and twice received the NAIA
Award of Merit.
In 1959, he was named NAIA Coach of the Year,
and his overall record of 197-55-12 ranks him in the
top 10 of all-time college coaches.
“Coach Ashford was an incredible coach, teacher,
administrator and alumni to the institution, and his
loyalty and devotion to our college has earned him
this honor, which will forever be a part of MVC history,” said Bonnie Humphrey, MVC president.
“This honor will forever memorialize the standards
and ideals of the true Viking spirit.”
Ashford is a member of the MVC Athletic Hall of
Fame, the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, the Helms
Foundation Coaches Hall of Fame, and the Helms
Foundation National Association of Collegiate
Directors of Athletics Hall of Fame. He helped
found the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and
received the Rockne Award for his contribution to
athletics. Ashford passed away in 1973.
John Ashford, Coach Ashford’s son and 1971
MVC alumnus, will be at the official announcement
to comment on his father’s behalf.
Missouri Valley College Homecoming is set for
Oct. 16-17. For a complete schedule, visit
http://www.moval.edu/ALUMNI/homecoming.asp.
For more information on Homecoming activities,
contact Jodi White at whitej@moval.edu or call
(660) 831-4177.
Football coach Volney Ashford is pictured in
the 1967 Sabiduria yearbook.
Valley teams raise money during NASCAR weekend
Matt Ellis
DELTA STAFF WRITER
Raising money through fundraisers at Missouri
Valley for different organizations is a major issue.
Sports teams at Missouri Valley rely on fundraisers
to produce money for equipment, traveling expenses, and other items not covered under their budgets.
When NASCAR rolls into Kansas Motor
Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas for a weekend
full of oval track racing, Missouri Valley students
from different sports find their way to the track as
well to work as isle ushers for the weekend.
The Missouri Valley Wrestling team has attended
NASCAR weekend in Kansas since the fall of
2001. “It’s team unifying. It forces the team to
come together,” Coach Mike Machholz said about
NASCAR weekend. The wrestling team worked at
Kansas Motor Speedway for four days coming
back to Missouri Valley on Sunday evening.
The NASCAR weekend fundraiser helps the
wrestling team cover different types of expenses
form wrestling equipment to gas for traveling
throughout the season. Since it is the only fundraiser the wrestling team participates in, it plays a vital
role in their budget every year.
There have been major cutbacks in open spots for
students at NASCAR. “At one time there were
around 125 students and coaches attending the
fundraiser; around 80 spots have been cutback,”
Machholz said. Machholz added that other schools
in the past had attended the NASCAR fundraiser as
well but Missouri Valley is the school that attends
every year.
Two other teams from Missouri Valley that
attended NASCAR were the women’s basketball
team along with the golf team. Each team took
MVC shuttle buses to Kansas and stayed at Richard
W. Warren Middle School in Leavenworth, Kansas.
The coaches arranged a meal plan for the attending
athletes for the weekend.
Dustin Jordan, junior at Missouri Valley, experi-
enced the NASCAR fundraiser last year while
playing baseball at Valley. “The atmosphere was
fun, as a NASCAR fan it was finally nice to actually be there and experience it yourself....When we
made it to the track the view was something else,”
Jordan said. He also said that it was nice being able
to see some of the race while ushering his sections
of the stands.
“Our jobs were easy. All we had to do was stand
there ushering people in our sections to their seats...
but one bad thing about NASCAR was the long
hours standing on my feet and how loud the cars
were,” Brady Dean, junior baseball player at
Missouri Valley said. “It’s something to experience
once but I wouldn’t want to work the event again,”
Dean said.
NASCAR weekend produces a large amount of
money for several different Valley athletic teams.
The event helps cover season-long expenses for
each team on a limited budget and also helps promote team unity among the athletes.
Oct. 16, 2009
Breast cancer
The Delta
FEATURE
Page 5
Young women CAN and DO get it
Megan Shephard
DELTA STAFF WRITER
October is designated as National Breast Cancer
Awareness Month to promote awareness and share
information about the disease.
As part of the observance at Missouri Valley
College, a breast cancer honor wall, with photos
and stories of survivors or those who have died of
the disease, was organized in front of the cafeteria
in Ferguson Hall for the week of Oct. 12-16.
The MVC Barnes and Noble bookstore also was
selling Breast Cancer Awareness T-shirts and pink
2GB travel drives.
Pink ribbons were worn on campus
as symbols of the awareness effort.
Breast cancer is a disease “in
which malignant (cancer) cells form
in the tissues of the breast”
(www.nationalbreastcancer.org).
According to the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women and second most common cause of cancer death. Men also
can develop their own form of breast
cancer.
Although most cases of breast cancer occur in women over 60 years of
age, the disease is not prejudice
against age. According to Young
Women Coalition, “Young women CAN and DO
get breast cancer.”
Breast cancer in women under 40 years of age
can be difficult to detect because “their breast tissue is generally denser than the breast tissue in
older women” (www.ClevelandClinic.org). It is
important that young women pay attention to any
warning symptoms as the disease may be more
aggressive and less likely to respond to treatment.
Though the disease cannot be prevented, early
diagnostic is key. According to Cleveland
Clinic.org, “More than 90 percent of women
whose breast cancer is found in an early stage will
survive.”
The statistics have found that “one in every eight
women will be diagnosed with breast cancer”
(www.bettyconfidential.com). Nearly 10 percent of
women (24,000) who will be diagnosed with
breast cancer this year will be under the age of 45
(www.bettyconfidential.com).
The risk of getting breast cancer increases with
age, among other factors. Family history also has
an impact on the risk. This does not necessarily
mean people will get the disease, but that they are at
greater risk and should be
aware of changes and symptoms.
A woman’s menstrual history also poses as a risk factor.
“You have no control over
the amount of estrogen that
your ovaries produce over
time” but more exposure to
estrogen does mean a higher
risk of getting the breast cancer disease (www.breastcancer.org). A woman is
exposed to more estrogen and
other hormones if they had
their first menstrual cycle before age 12 or went
through menopause after age 55.
Race is actually another factor, beyond one’s
control. In the United States, breast cancer occurs
more often in white women than Latin, Asian, or
African-American women. However, for women
under the age of 40, African-American women are
at greater risk.
Women with “dense” breasts, which contain
more glandular and connective tissue, are more
likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer. This is
because “breast cancer itself is dense and starts
from glandular tissue. Estrogen makes breast tissue more dense. So, the connection between breast
density and breast cancer may be related to higher
levels of estrogen in the body” (www.breastcancer.org).
Another contributing factor is pregnancy. A fullterm pregnancy offers protection against the disease as it stops the menstrual cycle for nine
months. Women who never had a full-term pregnancy or had their full-term pregnancy after the
age of 30 are at higher risk of getting the disease
(www.breastcancer.org).
Although some factors just can’t be controlled,
individuals should be happy to know that there are
some things they can change to lower the risk. Be
sure to watch what you eat and maintain a healthy
weight. Avoid gaining weight at this stage in your
life because it can “help reduce breast cancer risk”
(www.aarp.org).
There is also a moderate link that exists between
breast cancer and alcohol. “Studies show that
omen who have one or more alcoholic drinks a
day are 40 percent more likely to develop breast
cancer than women who don't drink at all”
(www.aarp.org).
What can people do if they are at higher risks of
getting breast cancer? Change those things in their
life that they have control over. “If you are 20 to
39 years old, have a clinical breast exam very
three years and consider doing a monthly breast
self-exam” (www.aarp.org). Also, talk with your
doctor about any other preventative measures.
Breast cancer in young women can be treated by
lumpectomy or mastectomy. A lumpectomy
involves removing the lump and some surrounding
tissue whereas a mastectomy is the removal of the
breast.
Influenza confirmed, no vaccinations to be available on campus
The MVC nurse has confirmed that influenza A
is on campus, though the college will not be getting any H1N1 vaccinations for distribution.
Nurse Diane Weinreich of Student Health
Services said they get their recommendations
from the CDC and they state that if a person tests
positive for influenza A, it will be assumed that it
is H1N1 since seasonal influenza is not here yet.
According to the CDC, the people who need to
be getting the vaccine are pregnant women, people who live with or care for infants younger than
6 months of age, healthcare and emergency medical personnel, anyone from six months through
24 years of age, and anyone from 25 through 63
years of age with certain chronic medical conditions or a weakened immune system.
Weinreich said students who contract the influenza A are encouraged to go home to recover. If the
student cannot go home, then they are told to isolate themselves socially and there is a follow up
for daily assessment.
Page 6
The Delta
NEWS
Gee’s Bend quilters visit Marshall
Samuel Njuguna
DELTA STAFF CONTRIBUTOR
The history, personal struggles, and
the accomplishments of famous quilters
were part of the discussion at a reception held at Missouri Valley College.
The event, held on Friday, Sept. 25 at
the R. Wilson Brown Room, was hosted
by the MVC Art Department and sponsored by the local Country Patchwork
Quilt Guild. About 80 people from
Marshall and the surrounding areas
were in attendance.
Three members of the Gee’s Bend
Quilters from Alabama, known for their
intricate designs of quilts that have been
exhibited in major American cities were
present. They included Ruth Kennedy,
Lucy Mingo, and Louisiana Bendolph.
The Gee’s Bend Quilters group was
founded in 1820s on a land that was formerly a cotton plantation.
Norma Jean Ferguson, the co-chair of
the Country Patchwork Quilt Guild,
described the long process of getting the
group to Marshall and thanked the
Guild committee for listening to her
about bringing the group.
“It took about one and half years,”
Ferguson said. “I have bugged Matt
Arnett since last July.”
Matt Arnett, who spoke on behalf of
the group, talked about the group’s history from slavery to civil rights movement to the present. Arnett said that
despite the verdict in the Brown vs.
Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas,
and the passage of the Civil Rights Act,
most of the people of Gee’s Bend didn’t
enjoy many economic or social benefits
until late into the century.
Arnett also showed a PowerPoint
presentation of pictures of numerous
quilt designs, exhibition events, and the
past and present living conditions of the
people of Gee’s Bend.
Arnett talked about the group’s tight
traveling schedule. “We are always
traveling but we can’t go everywhere,”
Arnett said. “We say “no” a lot.”
The group’s exhibitions have been
held in different cities that include
Louisville, Denver, Milwaukee, San
Francisco, Ft. Lauderdale, Philadelphia,
Guest speakers from Gee’s Bend included (from left) Matt Arnett, Louisiana
Bendolph, Lusy Mingo and Ruth Kennedy. (Photo by David L. Roberts)
Toronto, and Houston. The group has
also been featured on a European TV
show and PBS. There’s also a theatrical
play called Gee’s Bend.
Louisiana Bendolph, the youngest of
the three, talked about her personal
struggles while growing up in Alabama.
Bendolph’s family farmed for livelihood.
“We only went to school only when it
was raining,” Bendolph said.
Life changed for Bendolph when she
went to Houston for an exhibition in
2002. It was in Houston that she found
her name in a book and her mother’s
and grandmother’s quilts on exhibition.
From then on, she learned the importance of quilting and that was the turning point in her life. Since then,
Bendolph has committed her life to
quilting.
Bendolph talked of the need for society to be appreciative of what it has and
for people not to pursue material gain.
“Don’t be obsessed by worldly stuff and
content,” Bendolph said.
Lucy Mingo said there are no specific
designs prior to making a quilt.
“It starts off from the mind,” Mingo
said.
The group didn’t learn much of their
history from parents but they are now
trying to pass it along to their children.
The Gee’s Bend members work
Monday through Thursday. They quilt,
pray, and sing together. The group is
mainly composed of women and a few
men. There are about 40 active members.
At exhibition sites, some members of
the group perform modern music that
has replaced spirituals and old hymns.
Asked why they came to Marshall, a
small town compared to big cities that
the group visits, Arnett said, “We don’t
have to only go to big cities. We came
to Marshall because it’s an American
story.”
Some of Gee’s Bend quilt designs
have been used by AT&T for architectural purposes. The Gee’s Bend members were guests at the Democratic
National Convention (DNC) in Denver
last year courtesy of the Alabama delegation. The group has also been recognized by the Mississippi state legislator
and their designs featured in U.S.
postage stamps.
Arthur Rothstein, the renowned
American photographer, took pictures
documenting Gee’s Bend Quilter’s and
their work which gave the group much
needed limelight in the early 20th
Century.
Among notable figures that have paid
the group a visit include Martin Luther
King Jr., who talked to them about voting rights, and Senator John McCain
during last year’s presidential campaigns.
After the reception at Valley, the
Gee’s Bend quilts were also available
for viewing at Salt Folk YMCA.
Oct. 16, 2009
MVC Events
Two MVC fundraisers will be held
this weekend. The Art Club will be
conducting a face-painting fundraiser
at the Homecoming football game
and MVC Cheerleaders will be selling coupon cards for Domino’s pizzas
for the cost of $10.
The October care packages for soldiers Max Mason and Erika Chew
were sent. The care packages are sent
to soldiers in war zones who are
alums or friends and family of MVC
students, faculty or staff. Tamara
King, MoVal Cares Project coordinator and associate professor of History,
said there were 18 soldiers who
received packages last year and they
all returned safely home from Iraq
and Afghanistan. Financial donations
as well as items for the packages are
always appreciated.
“Nanook of the North,” the first
documentary from 1922 which features members of an Inuit tribe near
Hudson Bay in Canada, will be shown
Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. in the R.
Wilson Brown Room.
The Renaissance Science and
Religion Seminars, set for 7 p.m. in
the R. Wilson Brown Room, begin on
Oct. 19 with a presentation by
Chemistry Professor Stephen Patton.
The Oct. 26 presentation will be by
Jon Duke, assistant professor of
Criminal Justice.
A Valley family night tour of the
“Harry Potter World” exhibition is set
for Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. in the Murrell
Memorial Library reading room.
The Advanced Potion-Making Lab
for young people, ages 8 to 17, will be
conducted on Oct. 24 and Oct. 31 at
2 p.m. in Science Center 211.
The upcoming extra pages of the
Delta Online next week will include a
story about the visit of Kathy
Fairchild, Marshall Democrat-News
reporter, to a Mass Communication
class to talk about her crime and court
beat. Delta Online editions are in full
color at the MVC website home page.
The Delta
NEWS
Oct. 16, 2009
MVC at the YMCA
Page 7
Students socialize with free night of sports activities
Megan Shepherd
DELTA STAFF WRITER
Missouri Valley College Vikings were given a free
night of recreation on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Salt
Fork YMCA.
For the evening, the YMCA was available to college students from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Students
had to show their school ID and they
were granted access to every part of
the YMCA.
Staff member Kyle Anderson said
this is the second Valley Night held at
the YMCA and he is very pleased
with the number of students in attendance. Anderson said Valley Night
started because it is “a good way to
be able to have the students come by
to see the facilities and also to better
themselves physically as well as
mentally.”
Katie Tyler, YMCA Spanish translator was
impressed at the level of respect the Vikings displayed. Tyler said, “The college students were
tremendously courteous.” It was a good turnout and
the students were polite, she said.
The YMCA had all of its facilities opened to stu-
dents, including the upstairs gym, heated indoor
swimming pool, basketball court, racquetball room
and more.
Students were grateful for the Valley Night
because it gave them a chance to see the facilities
and interact with old friends as well as meet new
students.
Sophomore Josh Parker said he used the opportunity to play basketball with friends
he has not seen in some time. “It’s
my second year here. I’m having a
lot of fun. I get to talk to people I’ve
never met before,” said Parker. He
added, “Right now, I’m playing basketball but I’m going to swim later.”
Junior Ryan Lewis took advantage
of the upstairs gym to get in some
extra workout sessions. “I’m enjoying being at the Y and I’m trying to
workout for the next football season.”
The basketball room seemed to be a favorite for
the night. The basketball room has 6 rims and all
were in use. Some students even had to sit out some
games!
The Vikings were also appreciative of the heated
indoor pool, considering the cold temperatures outside. Valley students played pool basketball and had
some swimming races. Other students were just as
content sitting on the sides and getting only their
feet wet. The YMCA also had two lifeguards on
duty for the safety of the Vikings. There were some
students who could not swim and felt very comfortable with the presence of the lifeguards. Students
also were provided with floating pool noodles.
Another popular activity at the YMCA for the
night was the racquetball room.
Sophomore Steven Roland was in line for the
game and was excited for his turn and he planned
on winning a game against his roommate.
There also were Valley staff members getting in
on the action. Dean of Students Heath Morgan was
in attendance at Valley Night participating in a very
competitive game of ping pong.
Junior Demeko Nesbitt is a regular at the YMCA.
He uses the upstairs gym Monday through Friday
for general fitness along with his roommate Drew
Palacious. At Valley Night however, Nesbitt decided to go into the swimming pool and have some fun
with friends. “I’m enjoying my Valley Night by
swimming and I plan to go in the sauna a little later
to relax,” Palacious said.
on-field recognition of Hall of Fame inductees.
Football isn’t the only sport going on this weekend. Both men’s and women’s varsity soccer
teams play also on Saturday.
Here is a rundown of the events for
Homecoming weekend.
a.m.
•
HOMECOMING PARADE, 10 a.m.
•
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME LUNCHEON – Ferguson Center, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
•
CAMPUS-WIDE LUNCH - R. Wilson
Brown, Ferguson Center, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
•
VARSITY WOMEN’S SOCCER vs.
Baker University, 1 p.m.
•
VARSITY FOOTBALL vs. Evangel
University, 2 p.m.
•
VARSITY MEN’S SOCCER vs. Baker
University, 3 p.m.
•
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL – ALUMNAE GAME - Burns Athletic Complex, 4:30 p.m.
•
MEN’S WRESTLING – ALUMNI
DUAL- Burns Athletic Complex, 7 p.m.
•
STONE HEDGE GOLF CLUB OPEN
TO ALUMNI & FRIENDS, postgame.
“I’m having a
lot of fun. I
get to talk to
people I’ve
never met
before.”
Preview of this weekend’s Homecoming events
Ashalyn Ellis
DELTA STAFF WRITER
The theme for Homecoming this Saturday, Oct.
17, at Missouri Valley College is “Follow the Old
Brick Road…There’s No Place like Valley.”
The bonfire will take place Friday night near the
Burns Athletic Complex. Activities will include
welcoming torch runners from the 51st Annual
Torch Run. The MVC cheerleaders and other students will be on hand to support the Viking athletes.
On Saturday morning, the festivities continue
with the Homecoming parade. It will begin at the
square downtown and move toward the Valley
campus.
The Viking football team will play Evangel
University on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the GreggMitchell Field. During the game, there will be an
Friday:
•
ALUMNI & TRUSTEE RECEPTION Stone Hedge Golf Club, 4:30 p.m.
•
ALUMNI DINNER - Ferguson Center, 6
p.m.
•
BONFIRE - Burns Athletic Complex,
8:30 p.m.
•
STONE HEDGE GOLF CLUB, OPEN
TO ALUMNI & FRIENDS, 9 p.m.
Saturday:
•
50- PLUS CLUB- Ferguson Center, 8:30
Follow the old brick road...There’s no place like Valley
Page 8
The Delta
NEWS
Oct. 16, 2009
The Rev. Mary Lien
Nyugen; the Rev. Pam
Sebastian, who is also
the MVC chaplain;
Betty Lou Dotson, former missionary volunteer from Houstonia;
and MVC student
Yalimar Vidal gathered
in the chaplain’s office
after Nyugen’s speech to
talk more about ministry
issues in Vietnam.
(Photo by David L.
Roberts)
Peace designee serves Vietnam Christians
Talya Barr
DELTA-CONTRIBUTOR
Vietnamese minister Mary Lein
Nyugen delivers a message reminding Americans of religous freedoms
that should not be taken for granted
(Photo by David L. Roberts)
America is a blessed nation to have
freedom, a Vietnamese minister, designated as a Presbyterian
International Peacemaker, said in a
presentation in the R. Wilson Brown
Room on October 8.
The Rev. Mary Lien Nguyen, a
United Presbyterian pastor in Ho Chi
Minh City in Vietnam, said there is
limited freedom, including religious
freedom, in her country. She said that
they “can’t show their Christian faith
on the street.”
Nguyen and her husband are the
pastors for a group of 62 congregations in Vietnam. With no church
buildings, “house” churches were
allowed as of 2008, though the government continues to engage in strict
monitoring. Every month, the
“house” church has to be recertified
by the government. About 100 people come to worship in their home
every week.
She said, “We were persecuted,
police came to stop the worship,”
and her husband was imprisoned
many times in the earlier years that
they opened their home for worship.
“My people, the Vietnamese, need
me in many areas,” she said. She
said one of her missions is to help
the members of her church groups.
Her purpose as an International
Peacemaker is to help women and
youth within her country and to seek
a better understanding of peace, justice, religion, and other issues
through the ministries in their homes.
The Rev. Nguyen grew up in the
Catholic religion and, at 21, she
became a Protestant. Her husband
and she were later ordained by visiting Presbyterians. They have relatives in America.
One of Nguyen’s challenges was
learning how to speak English after
studying in an all-girls French
school, before the government took
the privilege away of speaking the
language. It was also at the school
where she developed a concern for
women’s issues, which is a major
focus of her current ministry.
Nguyen said women make up more
than 50 percent of the nation and
there continues to be problems relating to domestic abuse and prostitution. She told the story of traveling to
Cambodia with $200 to buy back a
12-year-old Vietnamese girl that had
been sold by her father to a brothel.
The main occupation in Vietnam is
farming. Vietnam has a communist
government that embraces capital-
ism, particularly with new efforts for
tourism. Nguyen said there is a big
economic division between a small
percentage of rich people, who benefit greatly from capitalism and are
communists and part of the government, and a large percentage of poor
people.
Ho Chi Minh City has a population
of 10 million. More than 80 million
people in Vietnam are nonChristians, with Buddhism as the
largest religion. The first Christian
missionary arrived in Vietnam in
1887.
More than 100 MVC students and
others attended Nguyen’s presentation, including students from the religion classes of the Rev. Pam
Sebastian and David Van Horn.
“As a historian, it is always
intriguing and important to learn
about other nations through personal
perspective,” History instructor
Tiffany Bergman said after attending
the speech.
The Rev. Pam Sebastian, who
serves as the MVC chaplain, said
after she heard that Nguyen as one of
the International Peacemakers was
going to be available, “we made it
work” with a visit to MVC.
Sebastian said she was pleased by
the student turnout.
The Delta Online
Special additional pages to the October 16, 2009 edition
A Patchwork of
College Colors
Beautiful
A beautiful Missouri Valley College
campus, with new places like the
Hall of Fame Plaza at the football
field (right, center) and quiet places
like the Learning Center and the
benches and flower garden on the
quad (middle row), is enhanced by
the fall season and a patchwork, like
the Gee’s Bend quilts, of colors.
Page 2
The Delta
Online
Oct. 16, 2009
Reporter explains legal system, high cost of crime
Journalism, justice and the court system were topics that Kathy Fairchild, a columnist and
police/courts reporter for the Marshall DemocratNews newspaper, discussed with students of the
Mass Communication Media Law and Ethics class
on October 8.
Fairchild explained the terms of “misdemeanor,”
which means a jail sentence of less than a year, and
“felony” which means a jail sentence of longer than
a year with such disadvantages as losing the right to
vote.
She also talked about probation, parole, and probable cause.
Fairchild, who has covered four trials during her
time as a reporter in Marshall, said that 95 percent
Kathy Fairchild talks to Media Law students
about her court beat for the town newspaper.
of the resolutions of trials in
America are by guilty plea.
In explaining the “bail”
process, Fairchild said bail,
which allows a person out
of jail while awaiting trial,
is important and usually set
by the judge at a reasonable
rate because defendants “are
innocent until proved
guilty.” When bail is high, it
is usually because a judge
thinks the defendant is a
danger to the community or
likely to flee before a trial is Students in the Mass Communication Media Law class learn about legal
held, she said. The Eighth terms and reporting from Democrat-News reporter Kathy Fairchild.
Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution guarantees that bail will not be exces- her with knowledge about the legal system and its
terminology. Starting as a clerk at the newspaper
sive, she said.
Fairchild said that as of February 2009, there were office, she became a writer and reporter, and now
30,377 felons in the Missouri prison system at an covers the police and court beat and also writes feaestimated cost of $45 per day. That totals to more ture stories and a column, and is project editor for
than $1.3 million per day. Noting that crime preven- the “She” magazine insert in the newspaper.
Fairchild took the Media Law class, instructed by
tion and educational opportunities could help to cut
those numbers, she said that’s a lot of money for the David Roberts, assistant professor of Mass
taxpayers pay and for the state to spend on the back Communication, in the Fall of 2008.
In a recent e-mail, Fairchild provided information
side of crime.
Fairchild, who has a Business degree, had no jour- for the current Media Law class about an upcoming
nalism experience before she started working at the trial at the Saline County Courthouse later this
Democrat-News. But she did obtain paralegal certi- month. The class plans to attend the trial for a view
fication at New York University, which provided of courtroom procedure.
English honorary
Students and a faculty member were inducted into Sigma
Tau Delta, the English honorary. From left: Loren
Gruber, Harry Carrell,
inductee Lindsey Simmons,
Ryan Adkins, inductee
Jennifer Eimers, inductee
Rebecca “Joie” Young,
inductee Jacob Uhrig,
inductee Rachel Henke,
Yalimar Vidal, inductee
Kaitlin Buzzard, and Alayna
Palmer. Not pictured:
Inductee Audrey Durrill.
(Photo by David L. Roberts)