THE
THE HUBCAP ›› pg. 6-7
Expecting more
• SCU faculty and staff share
need for broader family-
oriented services
By Bre Berg and Jennifer
Quayle
staff writers
Martha Malinski, the director of the Center
for Community Work and Learning, is the
quintessential picture of an expectant
mother--and with the baby bump to prove
it. Something Malinski has to contend with,
however, is that St. Catherine University
(SCU) does not have a formal, paid parental
leave for its employees. As a result, Malinski,
who is due in late May, will rely on the paid
sick days she has accumulated over the six
years she has worked at SCU in order to
have paid time off during the birth and
early care of her child.
The lack of a parental leave policy at SCU
is “a social justice issue that is not reflective
of women’s lives and the multiple realities
and identities that women have,” Malinski
said. “It also is the social justice part of [the
university’s] mission that compels us even
more to create a healthy and respectful
work environment. I believe things like paid
leave to lactation spaces to flexible work
hours lead to more productive employees
and that’s in the students’ best interest.”
In accordance with the federal Family
Medical Leave Act (FMLA), SCU offers unpaid
leave of six weeks to faculty and staff that
qualify as natural or adoptive parents. SCU
also offers unpaid parental leave to regular
employees that work at least part-time.
Although employees can use their paid sick
and vacation days as well as file for short-
term disability take time off to prepare and
care for their children, many employees feel
that if SCU is to live up to its claim of being
the “most innovative college for women in
the nation,” it should take the lead on this
News in brief
• Updates on headlines from
around town and around the
globe
By Becky
Doucette
and Alexa
Chihos
Census data shows shift in childrearing
Results from the 2010 Census Bureau
reveal that women who get their college
degree are waiting longer to have children
in comparison to women who did not
finish high school. The 2000 census showed
that 42% of women with college degrees
between the ages of 25 and 34 had children.
Ten years later, 76% of the same women,
now between 35 and 44 have had children.
This could be linked to the rise in women’s
higher education since the 1980s, which has
led to women seeking career security and
marriage before having children.
WHEEL
ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY STUDENT NEWSPAPER
thewheel-scu.tumblr.com
women-centric issue by implementing a
formal paid parental leave.
Currently, Macalester College and Hamline
University are the only two Associated Colleges
of the Twin Cities (ACTC) schools offering
their employees a six week paid parental
leave. At the University of St. Thomas, an
employee can request up to two weeks of
paid leave when the birth or adoption of a
child occurs.
“We make an effort to meet with people
who have concerns by sitting down and
explaining their options,” Susan Sexton,
director of Human Resources, said. “We
strive to do that with each employee.”
While there isn’t a paid parental leave
available for employees, there are other
means of compensation.
“Five years ago, SCU began offering
employees short-term disability, [leave]”
Sexton said. “More people who are preparing
to have a child choose this.” Short-term
disability is paid at 60 percent of full pay
and excludes taxes.
Navigating the options available can seem
complex and confusing for an employee
as she or he prepares for parental leave.
When employees take a leave of absence
from the university, they typically elect to
use any paid sick and vacation days they
have accrued in order to cover the time
they are gone. Each full-time employee
receives 12 days of sick time per year, while
a part-time employee receives six sick days
per year. After those sick and vacation days
are used, the employee will no longer be
paid for the remaining time of her or his
absence.
“Financially it’s hard to sift through what
the best option is as an employee, and every
family situation is different,” Malinski said.
“Many people are reliant on the income
and can’t take that time off.”
Paid sick time and vacation days are
not available to every employee; adjunct
professors, for example, are excluded.
When Jennifer Adam, adjunct Family and
Michigan students walk out on
commencement ceremony
Over 100 recently graduated lawyers
from the University of Michigan Law
School walked out of the commencement
ceremony in protest of a speech delivered
by anti-gay Ohio Sen. Rob Portman
(R). Portman has formally opposed gay
adoption in Washington, D.C. and openly
opposes gay marriage. Students who
took part in the protest claimed that the
views portrayed in Sen. Portman’s speech
were incompatible with human dignity.
Minneapolis stadium ‘game changer’
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has
proposed a one billion dollar plan to
rebuild the Vikings Stadium, renovate
the Target Center, and cut property
taxes. Rybak requested that the Vikings
pay $400 million – 45 percent – of the
total cost of the proposed plan, while
the city and state would make up the
difference. The two to three years it will
take to proceed with the plan will open
up 9,000 construction jobs. The proposal
is still being negotiated with the Vikings.
The Wheel Sims, awards, and stories.
LIFT AND SEPARATE
Bosom buddies: how to find the ultimate bra.
Consumer Nutrition Science professor
and slide librarian for the art department,
was preparing to welcome her son Jorgen
three years ago, she was informed that
while she had a limited amount of paid
sick and/or vacation days as a part-time
adjunct professor, once she used those
she eventually would not be paid at all
during her leave. Adam was on leave for
Martha Malinski in her office in the
Center for Community Work and
Learning. Photo by Heather Kolnick.
A change
of space
•University additions underway
to improve student experience
By Devon Arndt
senior staff writer
As the end of the academic year approaches,
many administrators are hard at work
designing a strategic growth plan for St.
Catherine University (SCU).
Performa Higher Education, an external
consulting team composed of higher education
professionals, campus planners, and designers,
is currently collaborating with SCU to consider
how the campus may develop over the next
three, five, ten, and even twenty years.
“The university has educated women to lead
and influence over the past 100+ years.  The
Master Space Plan seeks to continue that
tradition by preserving key features and
facilities. These include investments in
academic, residential and co-curricular facilities
and fostering a sustainable environment on
our campuses,” Tom Rooney, Vice President
for Finance and Administration and Chief
Financial Officer, said.
Rooney, Jim Manship (Director of Facilities),
and the President’s Cabinet have been
developing a Master Space Plan (MSP) for
many years. The 2020 Strategic Plan was
approved by the Board of Trustees in fall
2009, and Rooney and Manship have since
been receiving input from students, faculty,
administration, alumnae, board, neighbors,
and the Sisters of St. Joseph.
On May 5 and 6, SCU students, staff,
and faculty had the opportunity to attend
workshops held by Performa. Participants
had an opportunity to discuss future campus
development opportunities with the aid of
›› pg. 10
MAY 13, 2011
VOLUME 78
ISSUE 14
This newspaper, like many other things, is recyclable.
three months and “was relieved to return
to paid employment.”
Macalester offers a six-week paid leave for
all faculty men and women who are full-time,
have worked at the school for at least two
years, and have two years left on their contract.
Part-time faculty are offered over one-half
time if they have worked at Macalester for
more than two years continuously. Staff who
are regular full-time employees and have
worked at the college for two years are also
eligible for this paid parental leave.
“It’s a very well received and appreciated
benefit,” Patrick Stephen, benefits manager
at Macalester College, said. “It supports
our overall philosophy of our approach
to a work-life balance. It is rare to not
be gender-specific. It does speak to our
progressive values at Macalester.”
When she first came to work at SCU,
Malinski was aware of the unpaid leave.
“I think it probably does keep prospective
employees from either applying or accepting
positions,” Malinski said. “Or it is a reason
why people leave and pursue other options
elsewhere for employment.”
For example, when assistant professor
of Psychology, Jamie Peterson, was a
prospective faculty member, she made it
a point to review the SCU parental leave
policy.
“I was dismayed,” Peterson said, “I was
especially disappointed because I expected St.
See EXPECTING, pg. 2
a working model of the campus and share
their ideas and concerns about the project
plans. Many participants expressed concerns
about parking, housing, and sustainability.
While the issue of parking was not specifically
addressed, Performa is aware of the issue. As
for sustainability, Performa is “aware of the
President’s Climate Commitment (PCC) and
will take sustainability into account once
the plan is implemented,” Carolyn Glime,
Vice President/Owner of Performa Higher
Education, said.
Upcoming changes include increasing
student enrollment in Undergraduate and
Graduate Program. Under Vision 2020,
SCU would provide additional on-campus
housing for students (including student-
parents) by building new residence halls
and using the top three floors of Whitby
Hall as housing. The plan also includes an
athletic field house and a STEM building.
The Minneapolis campus will also undergo
changes, including expanded food service.
Performa and administrators are hopeful
that despite the growth, SCU will be able to
maintain a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio and
thus plans to increase staff growth by 2%.
As for fore s e e a bl e ob s t a cl e s , t h e
administration is optimistic. “I do not forsee
any obstacles working with Performa and key
stakeholders in delivering an approved Vision
2020 Master Space Plan by October 2011.
However, we can expect implementing the
plan recommendations will require several
years and many dollars.  Each need will be
prioritized given the time and financial
resource constraints,” Rooney said.
As always, students involvement is
encouraged. Students interested should
contact student Senate Resident Senator,
Brooke Dahler (First Year) and Curt Galloway,
Associate Dean and member of the Project
Leadership Team.
Devon can be reached at
dvarndt@stkate.edu.
2 | The Wheel NEWS & OPINION May 13, 2011

EXPECTING continued... Campus Ministry, and his wife are expecting

Kate’s, with its strong history of empowering

women, to be more financially supportive
of women and their families.”
“Right now it’s those subtle messages that
get sent… saying that I’m sick when I’m
taking care of a child,” Malinski said. “The
subtle messages that build up that are not in
the best interest of employees or the overall
institution or the students experience here.”
“I appreciate that there are some provisions
for faculty who go on maternity or paternity
leave,” Peterson said, “however, I dislike that
the leave is covered under ‘sick’ or ‘disability’
time. Caring for a newborn is not something
that should qualify as an illness, nor should
having a new baby at home be considered
a disability.”
Despite the lack of a parental leave policy,
many faculty and staff members say they have
found support within their departments,
“I found out I had to be on bed rest on a
Friday afternoon, and by Monday morning
my colleagues had mobilized: my classes
were covered and plans were in place to
meet my students’ needs,” Peterson said.
“Dean Alan Silva and my colleagues in
the psychology department and the core
department were amazing.”
Patricia Montalbano, mother of two and
part-time professor in the English department,
currently has a part-time contract.
“I’m getting a living wage and I’m
participating in the department and giving
what I can,” she said. “[SCU] never forced
me to work full-time and it’s just a really nice
balance of being able to be home part-time
and here part-time.”
Ned Moore, social justice coordinator for
their first child in July. For Moore, his built-
in benefit of summers off is essential for
his family.
“It’s such a critical time in the development
of your family, having that chance to put
other things aside and really spend that
time to bond and be together as a family
for those first couple weeks,” Moore said. “I
think that’s also important for society and
important from a social justice standpoint
that families are valued. As a culture, there
is so much of that rush to be productive and
get back to work.”
Moore is fortunate in that his child is
due while he is able to have time off. Some
faculty and staff have gone so far as to try to
schedule their pregnancies based on SCU’s
academic schedule.
“Colleagues have told me to try to time
things so that children are born in the
summer, thereby alleviating the need
for compensation while taking care of a
newborn at home,” Peterson said. “However,
after struggling with infertility for three
years, I had given up on timing the birth
of a child with my employment contract
and I resent the implication that the miracle
of pregnancy and childbirth should be
planned around an employment contract.”
Several of the faculty and staff members
interviewed shared ideas for a parental
leave policy.
Montalbano recognizes the hypocrisy of
an all-women institution not providing a
legitimate parental leave while providing
extensive resources for student-parents.
“There are so many support systems in
place for student parents that we should
have in place for faculty,” Montalbano said.
What is the Family Medical Leave Act?
-The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 is a United States federal law
which requires employers of 50 or more employees to provide unpaid leave and
job protection for its workers during a medical-related leave.
-In order to be covered under FMLA, regular full-time employees and part-time
employees must have worked for their employer for 12 months for 1,250 hours or
more within that year.
-According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “The FMLA entitles eligible employees
of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family medical
reasons.”
-An employee can take up to 12 work weeks of leave in one year for the birth of
a child, adoption, or foster care of a child.
Heidi Anderson-Isaacson, Director of has been on bed rest for seven weeks, per her
Residence Life, suggests a time-sharing doctor’s orders.
option. “I shudder when I think about what would
“I would like to see some kind of paid or have happened if I didn’t have eight weeks
time off option or a sick time sharing pool. of paid time accumulated,” Peterson said. “If
There are a lot of people who build up time this had happened during my first or second
but don’t use it,” Anderson-Isaacson said. year of teaching, I would have lost over a
“There are others who need the time because month of pay. That loss of pay, combined
of a family emergency or for bed rest.” with the medical bills, would have made for
Anderson-Isaacson was hired in June 2002 a really expensive leave.”
and gave birth to twins, Emma and Eleanor, “If a place like St. Kate’s isn’t willing to do
in July 2003. it, then it doesn’t give a very good argument
“I felt bad because I was getting pregnant to other institutions and corporations to do
so soon after getting the job and had been their part as well,” Adam said.
working only a short time,” Anderson-Isaacson
said. “I was scared about having to go on bed Jennifer can be reached at
rest because that’s even more time. If there jequayle@stkate.edu.
had been a maternity leave policy I wouldn’t
have pushed so hard to not go on bed rest.” Bre can be reached at
Peterson is currently expecting twins and bmberg@stkate.edu.

Theory to action:
This is not what I had originally intended for this column.
At the All-College Awards ceremony last week, President Andrea Lee (IHM) gave a
speech that seemed pleasantly appropriate for that type of event. She congratulated
Together at the end nominees, spoke highly of the faculty and staff whose daily encouragement and guidance
helped create a student body that succeeds, and recognized St. Catherine University’s

of the world (SCU) history of leadership and excellence.

By Elissa Johnson
political columnist
At the beginning of the year, I was presented with the idea of penning a political column
for this fine publication. I thought it’d be a great idea; it would keep me informed, help
to link campus, national, and global news, and, more often than not, provide a medium
in which I could share my political opinions with the broader campus community.
However, it became somewhat a creature of its own as my writing and thoughts turned
more toward various kinds of activism. I thought at one point that this column had
shirked its original duties and had become a forum for community organizing. The
connection can be made clearly enough: individuals are organized generally because
of or in opposition to some political matter.
ST. CATHERINE UNIVERSITY WHEEL STAFF
Volume 78, Issue 14
Editor-in-Chief: TREZA ROSADO
Layout Designer: SARAH WENTE
Associate Editor: RACHEL ARMSTRONG
Assistant Editors: BECKY DOUCETTE, ALEXA CHIHOS
Copy Editor: DANA BLOOMQUIST
Photo Editors: JESSICA JONES, HEATHER KOLNICK
Photographers: SARAH WENTE
Adviser: SHEILA ELDRED
Senior Staff Writers: CLAIRE DAVIDSON, DANA BLOOMQUIST, JORDYN
ARNDT, DEVON ARNDT, ELISSA JOHNSON
Staff Writers: BRE BERG, JENNIFER QUAYLE, MAGGIE WEISS, HEATHER
KOLNICK
If you would like to write for The Wheel, please contact us at
wheel@stkate.edu.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Wheel aspires to reflect the diversity and unique atmosphere that
comprises St. Catherine University. We strive to provide an inclusive
newspaper primarily for the students and by the students. The Wheel
promotes the vision of empowering women to lead and influence
as well as an understanding of the university community inside and
outside of the gates. As a staff we aim to meet the highest journal-
istic standards and stand in accordance with the 1st Amendment of
the Constitution of the United States of America and policies of prior
restraint. The Wheel is not a public relations vehicle for any SCU indi-
vidual, group, department or for the college as a whole. We welcome
feedback and encourage an open discourse. The Wheel is supported by
student funds and is distributed free of charge.
For a moment toward the end of her otherwise eloquent speaking, she seemed to
break from her prompt. With candor, she recounted seeing news coverage of campuses
across the nation with students taking to streets and quads, rejoicing in the murder of
Osama Bin Laden by American forces. These students were representative of a larger
American cry of satisfaction at the death of the most wanted terrorist in the world. More
so, the celebration of college students justified the jubilation as more than merely a
“Yeah! We got ‘em!” victory cry and placed the joy in higher education, an elite realm
where a greater level of analysis and accountability occurs. Surely, if these students
were celebrating, this was truly an undeniable victory.
President Lee did not stop with this. She described her wonder at why she had not
seen SCU students taking to the quad, shouting prideful chants, and basking in their
newly found American patriotism. She surmised that it was because SCU students
were reacting to the same event with a different level of analysis. She said SCU students
were capable of noting the complexity of this assassination and of digging deeper to
examine the effects of such an act beyond their hometowns, immediate families, or
this country. This kind of complex thinking warranted no shouting or assembly. I was
struck at this moment with a sense of hope that she was right.
I want to believe that the individuals who attend SCU do so for a liberal arts education.
I want to believe that SCU students strive to “think globally and act locally” and that they
go beyond simply noting the complexities of national and global matters by choosing to
live each day in a manner that reflects what they want for the world.
I want to believe that SCU faculty and staff promote a global community in their
classrooms and working environments and that they support diversity in the student body.
I want to believe that the faculty and staff will do more (even more) to expose the presence
of privilege and oppression in every lesson, from social work to biology, as these forces
work in our world to influence every piece of information.
I want to believe that the administration will support faculty in this mission and
make its own commitment to diversity in its hiring practices so that every student’s
identity is reflected in the examples of academic leadership. I want to believe that the
administration is still as connected to the student body as the first sisters who taught
classes themselves and ran the school with authority and grace.
It takes action to maintain this system of belief. I think this is why my political column
took shape as a call to action more often than not. It seems less taxing to merely keep
informed, but when one is thinking at the level of criticism that President Lee described,
one can’t help but be distracted by the breadth and depth of “politics”.
To sustain her hopes, we must move beyond keeping informed; we must push through
feelings of despair when the world seems too much. We must think and act with our minds,
hearts, and guts to create individual accountability. This personal accountability will grow
as more of us make the commitment to circumstances greater than ourselves. We will
construct a movement that not only stands for justice, but also knows what a task it is to
define precisely what justice means for each of us.
Years from now, when we will be asked what it was like to find out that the U.S. had killed
the most wanted terrorist of our generation, we will respond by noting what it felt like to
create one. When we are asked what it was like to elect the first African-American president
of the United States, we will recount what it was like for our nation to doubt his nationality
and capability as a leader. I want to believe that when we are asked what we thought about
the major events that have taken place in our lifetimes that we will respond with what we
did to promote what we knew to be right and good and just. I want to believe that each
of you share this hope with me.
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” – Annie Dillard.
Elissa can be reached at ejjohnson@stkate.edu.
May 13, 2011 NEWS & OPINION
Editorial:
A pre-commencement
address to the class of 2011
By Tréza Rosado
editor-in-chief
My least favorite question to answer over the last four years is also, unfortunately, one
of the most frequently asked.
“So, how did you decide on St. Kate’s?”
It seems like such a simple question. Perhaps you are here, today, because you wanted
to experience a nursing program celebrated for its integration of the humanities and the
sciences. Perhaps you are here as a result of your four-years-ago self ’s total devotion to
both biology and social justice. Perhaps you felt called by the mission statement we’re all
so familiar with: teaching women to lead and influence.
More likely however, you came to St. Kate’s because of the scholarships or because of
family or because you really, really loved the campus.
Most anyone who knows me (and even those who don’t know me particularly well)
know that the College of St. Catherine was never the school I imagined myself attending.
So whenever people ask me, innocently, “Why did you choose St. Kate’s?” my answer is
never the same and it’s never what they were probably expecting. Instead, this unsuspecting
conversant, some fellow student or barista or something, is treated to a philosophical treatise
on how I got here. How this place, over the course of several chance circumstances, chose
me. How it kept me and grew me and bent me entirely out of shape and is now sending me
off into the world with a diploma and a skill set mostly composed of critiquing literature
and avoiding unfortunate deadlines.
After a 22-hour car ride from northwestern Montana, I arrived on this campus with too
many books and a devastating lack of enthusiasm for meeting new people or touring my
new home. I decorated my (single) dorm room with the Gryffindor colors of scarlet and
gold and hung up a poster of Harry Potter preparing to defeat Lord Voldemort.
According to my admittedly limited emotional metaphor, I was Harry Potter and the
state of Minnesota was Lord Voldemort.
Clearly, something really dramatic happened to me between the ages of 18 and 22.
It’s nearly impossible to pinpoint what, exactly, changed for me about this place and
about my place, here. There is simply something about this College that creeps into your
fundamental framing of the world.
“It’s the education,” I sometimes tell people. And I don’t mean the required core courses
or the courses for your major or minor. I mean the experiential education of entering this
communion of women, learning and stretching, often uncomfortably, until the metaphoric
joints of our minds get used to the social, political, and spiritual revelations.
It’s the eye-opening realization, repeated every day for four years, that the injustices of
this world extend far beyond the state of our healthcare system or the plight of same-sex
couples in this country. What we had perhaps taken for granted as localized instances of
oppression are actually systemic, interconnected mechanisms of an oppressive hegemony
bent on maintaining the status quo.
That is to say, more simply, that this world is perhaps more lost now than ever before
and the education we’ve received at St. Kate’s has perhaps uniquely prepared us to stare
down that status quo and flip it on its head.
I say “uniquely” because St. Kate’s, in reality, is no Macalester. It makes no idealistic claims
about changing the world through a youth revolution. Its ethos is that of quiet, polite
excellence. But there is an undercurrent of activism here that I would challenge any ACTC
school to match. And that activist heart is kept beating by a faculty pushing and prodding
its too-polite student body, stoking the fires of active resistance over passive assimilation.
For that reason, sometimes, I’m convinced the allure of St. Kate’s actually lies with the
faculty: the professors who meet their students for drinks, who provide us with three
different numbers to reach them, who send us notices about film screenings and free shows
and poetry readings. The professors who don’t flinch when you announce that you’re an
English major taking general biology and you’re unsure what chemistry has to do with
anything, ever.
“It’s the professors,” I sometimes tell people. And I’m completely confident in that
response too.
But then I think about the students I’ve encountered in the last four years. These are
some of the mostly profoundly busy people you’re likely to come across in an undergraduate
setting. We are busy with so many equally valid and valuable things.
We are passionately living out the legacy of the Sisters of St. Joseph by fighting those
positions we find unjust and unacceptable.
We are busy putting out a student newspaper that attempts, without the aid of a journalism
department, to address the myriad concerns of our student and faculty population in an
objective, engaging way.
We are busy greening this beautiful campus, educating students on how to re-use and
recycle while challenging our administration to set a progressive example.
We are organizing events to celebrate our growing international population, introducing
an extremely Minnesotan student body to cultures and traditions we might not otherwise
ever encounter.
We are (occasionally) protesting administrative policies and ceaselessly fighting for
student rights.
Basically, we are busy making the oft-criticized multitasking tendencies of our generation
into something more useful than texting while taking lecture notes.
“It’s the students,” I sometimes tell people. And I mean it.
I have to reflect on all of these things when I try to address that question asked by my
friends and family and complete strangers:
“Why St. Kate’s?”
I have to walk them through this four-year process of maturing beyond the 18-year old
me and my idealistic dream of what college should be instead of what college could be. As
it turns out, college can be so many things. Too many things to list here. And this college
can still be so many things. Although it is out of my hands now, I would hope that the
administrators and professors and students I leave behind are left with an indelible imprint
of the passion of this year’s graduating class. I hope that we have left a radical example
for the direction this institution should take: that of action rather than passivity, progress
rather than stagnancy.
And, for us, this graduating class of 2011, our learning doesn’t stop with this diploma.
If anything, this bit of paper demands we give our full attention to the world around us; it
should serve as a constant reminder that we know better. We know better than to sit back
and allow the world to continue on, in the same way it always has, without the considerable
influence of our radical, youthful passion.
We know better because we are St. Kate’s women.
Tréza can be reached at tjrosado@stkate.edu.
The Wheel | 3
Breaking down walls:
Dead languages?
By Jordyn Arndt
international columnist
“Educating women to lead and influence.”
Sound familiar? It should. It is an integral component of the St. Catherine University
(SCU) mission statement. However, I question how well SCU graduates are actually
prepared to lead and influence in a complex, globalized world, when so few of them
have familiarity with a second (or third or fourth) language. While many of SCU’s
multicultural, international, and foreign language majors and minors have foreign
language proficiency, the vast majority of SCU students do not. Only eight percent
of the students graduating in May 2011 have a major or minor in a foreign language.
Learning a foreign language is about more than memorizing verb conjugations,
vocabulary words, and idiomatic expressions.
It is about learning another way of seeing the world, expanding one’s understanding
of other cultures, and thus reexamining one’s own language and culture. Aspiring
leaders are more effective when they can examine issues through multiple lenses. In
light of the Year of the Liberal Arts, learning languages is an integral component of
intellectual inquiry. Foreign languages innately facilitate these processes.
SCU is the only school among the Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities, Carleton
College, and St. Olaf College that does not implement a foreign language proficiency
exam upon entry; these schools require two to five semesters of language study.
Conversely, SCU students who have taken several years of high school foreign language
or ASL are permitted to fulfill their language requirement without demonstrating
their level of proficiency on an exam. Thus, foreign languages are the only liberal arts
requirement at SCU that can be waived based on high school performance. This is
concerning, due to the varying quality of high school language courses.
The argument for not implementing stricter foreign language requirements at
SCU is often cited as a financial and time concern for students. Thus, implementing
more stringent language requirements is perceived as a burden. Both are legitimate
concerns; however, I argue that the perceived value of learning a foreign language
needs to be reassessed. Learning a foreign language is a key component of the liberal
arts and enables students to connect with people, ideas, and regions of the world more
profoundly; other Minnesota private colleges recognize this.
Furthermore, there is actually no data that proves we would lose students by increasing
our foreign language requirements or implementing a language proficiency exam, as
we have never implemented this rule. Private colleges near us do not seem to be losing
any students with a more stringent foreign language requirement.
Students who study foreign languages are high achievers. Having foreign language
or ASL study is a requirement for nomination to Phi Beta Kappa, the most prestigious
liberal arts society in the nation. While foreign language majors only comprise five
percent of the day students graduating in May 2011, they comprise 20 percent of the
Phi Beta Kappa inductees. Furthermore, all three of the French majors graduating
in May 2011 are Phi Beta Kappa inductees. We represent a disproportionately large
percentage given that French majors comprise only one percent of students graduating
in May 2011. Of the 11 Spanish majors and nine Spanish minors, two are Phi Beta
Kappa inductees. Furthermore, Anika Bratt, a Spanish minor, was the salutatorian
for the December 2010 graduating class.
Studies have shown that studying a foreign language helps native English speakers to
better understand English grammar and improve their writing skills in English. This
is evident at SCU, as the winners of the top writing awards this year, including the
Excellence in Research on Women Award, Best Senior Honors Project Award, and the
Bonnie Jean Kelly and Joan Kelly Student Excellence in Writing Awards as well as the
two Kelly Award Honorable Mentions, were all foreign language majors, double majors,
or triple majors. The ability to communicate effectively is an integral component of a
liberal arts education. Foreign language majors demonstrate this skill par excellence.
Thus, I would like to ask the SCU administration if, while hosting the various award
ceremonies on campus this spring, they happened to notice how many foreign language
students were top award recipients. Is that not the kind of representation SCU would
desire in the international world?
My hope would be that the answer would be yes. Does it not highlight the need for
more legitimate curricular support from SCU for a program that is producing excellent
students with very little institutional support?
As I conclude this column and my year as the Wheel’s international columnist, I
would like to reveal my personal investment in this issue at SCU. I am a French double
major, have studied Wolof and Arabic, and teach language and culture at Lac du Bois,
a French immersion camp, during the summer. I believe in the power of language to
bridge cultural barriers, foster cross-cultural understanding, and improve one’s ability
to communicate in an increasingly intertwined and multicultural world.
Most importantly, I am deeply concerned by SCU’s proclaimed support of the liberal
arts, internationalization, and fostering of women’s leadership while concurrently
consolidating the foreign language department, failing to implement a language
proficiency exam, and waiving the language requirement based on high school
performance. Learning multiple languages is essential to responsible global citizenship.
Influential global leaders cannot truly address some of the world’s greatest challenges
if they are limited to one language and one way of seeing the world.
World peace would be better fostered if we understood it as paix, jamm, and salaam
as well.
Jordyn can be reached at jearndt@stkate.edu.
4 | The Wheel OPINION May 13, 2011

Wheel Readers The St. Catherine

Letters to
University
community continues

the Editor
to respond to the
tenure case of Sr.
Catherine Michaud

Dear Editor:
The chronology of events described in the story “Tenure Denial Divides” suggests divisions far greater than can be fully captured in print. The actual
truths of Dr. Catherine Michaud’s tenure denial may never become clear to anyone outside of a few very private conversations. However, positive and
supportive statements about Dr. Michaud from the past and current theology department chairs indicate that something is terribly amiss in the University
administration’s denial of Sr. Catherine’s request for tenure. Transparency is lacking, or at best, is a misplaced value in an institution that celebrates
multiculturalism, nondiscrimination, and ethical policies and procedures.
It is incomprehensible that the past theology department chairs and the Faculty Personnel Committee would have recommended Dr. Michaud for tenure
if they had any reason to doubt it would have been granted. A successful outcome was anticipated, even expected. After all, Dr. Catherine Michaud, CSJ
had received “exceptional” evaluations by two theology department chairs during her 18 years of teaching at SCU, served for several years as Director of
the Masters of Arts in Theology (MAT) Program, and actively served on numerous university committees that benefited from her expertise and talents.
Something isn’t adding up to equal the administrative rationale to deny tenure!
The search for truth and justice are at the heart of Catholic social justice teaching. To act in any other way trivializes the gospel we preach and teach.
Hang in there Dr. Michaud! Truth sets us all free and justice eventually prevails.

Tanya Williams
tfwill@earthlink.net
As a new certificate seeking student, I am distressed
that a Catholic institution of higher learning, especially
one with the stellar reputation of St. Catherine’s, would
be so unjust in their practices of granting tenure.  As
a woman of similar age to Sr. Catherine, I can’t help
but wonder if this is a carefully veiled situation of age
discrimination.  She is an exceptional educator and
mentor for her students, as has been attested to by the
many letters in the last issue of the Wheel.
 
Carole Zempel
Director of Children’s Ministry
Transfiguration Catholic Church
6133 15th Street N.
Oakdale, MN 55128
czempel@transfigurationmn.org
May 9, 2011
Dear Editor,
I am writing this letter in response to your
article in the April 29, 2011 issue of The Wheel
regarding the tenure denial of Sr. Catherine
Michaud. I am shocked, saddened, and in
disbelief at the Administration’s decision to
deny tenure to Sr. Catherine.
I am very fortunate to have taken the three
classes Sr. Catherine teaches at the graduate
level in the MAT program.  Simply put, Sr.
Catherine is the finest teacher I have ever had.  and hold her in the highest regard, however,
She brings out the best in me and makes me
want to live up to her expectation of what I
am capable of. Some of the moments in her
classes when we are talking about God are so
reverent, they feel like holy moments, God’s
time.  She will have a lifelong effect on me.
Besides making me a better student, she
has made me a better person. 
When I weigh the profound impact that Sr.
Catherine has had on her students and fellow
faculty against the Administration’s decision
to deny tenure to her, it’s like a math equation
that just simply doesn’t add up. How can
they deny future students the opportunity
and the life-changing experience of having
Sr. Catherine as an instructor? Sr. Catherine
is a prophet who speaks the word of truth.
I cannot help but wonder if this is the true
reason that the Administration wants to get
rid of her. Those of us who love Sr. Catherine
will always remember her and will never forget
the injustice done by this Administration.
Sincerely,
Mari Taffe
mtaffe@comcast.net

May 8, 2011
Dear Editor,
In a recent Wheel article entitled
“Tenure Denial Divides” regarding
Sister Catherine Michaud, I find it
questionable on the administrative
end that in all of Sister Catherine’s
evaluations no prior mention was
made of any deficiency in her
scholarship before tenure was
denied, as reported by Thomas
West.
Proper protocol in cases of tenure
would have provided Sister Catherine
with the chance to rectify any
The Wheel would
like to extend
a thank you to
inconsistencies barring her from
tenure. However, if this was not
the case, then an injustice has
been served.
I can only suspect that this lack
of observing proper protocol
was irresponsible—or worse yet,
intentional—on the part of St.
Kate’s administration.
Unlike [theology faculty Ed]
Sellner’s evocative response—
redolent of blind acceptance—that
protocol was followed, I am wary
of such short-sighted acquiescence
regarding authority. Can we afford
such compliant postures as this?
Could there be another agenda at
work at St. Kate’s, one that feeds
institutional coffers rather than its
professed claim of social justice?
So I must ask, has social justice
become a barren byword at St.
Catherine University, evacuated
of the very ethics upon which the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
[CSJ] originally founded this college?
Where have all the CSJ’s gone?
Why is their presence waning in
this school while injustice, like in
Sister Catherine’s case, seems to
be on the rise? Could it be that
this school appears to be drifting
away from its foundational vision
of social justice? Sister Catherine
is a poignant reminder of this
dynamic at work.
In a January 5, 2005 MPR interview
on the 100th anniversary of St.
Kate’s, President Lee—a sister of
the Immaculate Heart of Mary
order—asserted that it was the
Sisters of St. Joseph’s determined
and pioneering spirit that echoes
through this community, stating,
“There’s a wonderful quote that
we’ve used over and over in the
centennial year . . . ‘The soul of
a pioneer woman is a beautiful
thing,’ in terms of her willingness
to break new ground, take risks,
seek adventure and to do things
that hadn’t been done before.”
Is not Sister Catherine exemplar
of a pioneering woman, the very
woman that President Lee applauds?
Willing to break new ground,
taking risks, seeking adventure.
All of these qualities, purported by
President Lee as quintessential of
the founding spirit of St. Catherine
University, are the very qualities
found in Sister Catherine—qualities,
I opine, unwelcomed by St. Kate’s
current administration.
Patricia Chandler
patriciachandler1969@yahoo.com

everyone who
submitted letters.
May 13, 2011
Dear Editor,
Kudos to the staff of The Wheel for
the “Tenure Denial Divides” story.
Without this serious journalism,
most of us wouldn’t know about the
tenure denial travesty happening
on our campus.
The facts are that Sr. Catherine
Michaud:
• began teaching here in 1994
after her doctoral work in
Systematic Theology at the
Jesuit school within the Toronto
School of Theology, University
of Toronto
• headed the Master of Arts
Program in Theology for
seven years in two consecutive
terms plus the final year of her
predecessor’s term
• developed and taught 17 different
courses at the undergrad and
graduate levels since she came
to St. Catherine [University]
• was nominated several times,
and then voted Teacher of the
Year in 2006
• was invited by the theology
faculty to convert her rolling
(renewable) contract to the
tenure-track in 2007-08
• was endorsed without question
by her peer reviewers, the
theology department chair, the
Faculty Personnel Committee
and the administration during
the initial tenure process (2008)
• was recommended for tenure
by her peer reviewers, the
theology department chair
and the Faculty Personnel
Committee 2009-10, but was
denied by the administration
• is beloved by her students as
a teacher and advisor
and, to the point of criticism
from the administration (echoed
by the Board) who say she didn’t
publish enough, Sr. Catherine
published book chapters and
delivered scholarly papers while
she was carrying challenging
teaching loads, serving as advisor
to graduate and undergraduate
students, serving as administrator
of the MAT program, and directing
two certificate programs in the
theology department.
Yet, after this wonderful record
of accomplishment over seventeen
years of dedicated service, Sr.
Catherine Michaud is now facing
unemployment, while this university
will be without one of its finest
leaders and outstanding faculty
members.
Shame on the administrative
decision-makers who have brought
about this failure.
Jennifer Pedalty
Master of Arts in Theology Student
OPINION The Wheel | 5
May 8, 2011
Sister Catherine was very instrumental Dear Editor,
in my being able to finish my certificate  
in spiritual direction this past year. I had I am writing in response to the front-page story
graduated with my MA in theology in about my being denied tenure by the Administration
2000 but had not completed one class for and the Board of Trustees at St. Catherine.
my certificate. Last summer, I appealed  
to the department and she met with
me. She helped me determine how to
As someone who assiduously avoids the limelight,
I thank you for the professional, respectful way you
proceed and I will receive my certificate
in spiritual direction this spring. researched and presented the story. At no point do you
throw your journalism into question with hyperbole
or bias. You cannot be accused of “creative writing”;
I have not had the privilege of taking
you truly tried to get to the heart of the matter and
a class from Sister Catherine. My
in the process revealed some of the inconsistencies
fellow students, however, cannot say
causing the “divide” in my regard, and perhaps laid
enough about her teaching skills and
her determination to have everyone open for inspection the “divide” that is cutting to the
succeed. It would be a real injustice if core of St. Catherine. This is good reporting.
she could not continue the work she is  
known for here at St. Kate’s. My thanks, too, to The Wheel reporters who
conducted the interviews around campus in the most
Sincerely,
Karen Brubak
professional manner, and to your talented layout
editor. Your fine work makes us all proud!
 
Of course, my story is not finished yet so I want
to keep in touch with my faithful students, alums,
colleagues, and Sisters of St. Joseph who have not
let me forget for a moment that I am deeply cared
for. My new e-mail address is crmichaud@aol.com.
 
With gratitude,
 
Sister Catherine Michaud, CSJ
Graphic courtesy of http://www.aperfectworld.org/.
Dear editors of the Wheel:
Kudos to you for the excellent, well-balanced story about Dr. Michaud’s tenure denial in your last
issue.  You articulated the situation clearly and sought voices from all sides in a very difficult and
private personnel matter.  I would like to suggest for those of us who are very upset and confused by
the university’s action to ask the college with the permission of Sr. Catherine to address the issue
that they say was cause for her denial.  Rightfully so, [Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts and
Sciences] Dr. Silva acknowledged her excellent teaching and her very hard work leading the St. Kate’s
graduate program in theology.  I’m a two-time graduate of St. Catherine [University] with my MA in
theology. I also enjoyed many years of employment at the college where, as part of the administrative
staff, I celebrated the tenure of many excellent teachers, leaders, and scholars.  At the end of each
academic year, all faculty who had published an article, book, or had directed a presentation were
recognized and celebrated.  I know from attending these celebrations each year and from reading
many years of internal staff notices celebrating faculty, that Dr. Michaud did a large share of publishing
articles in theological and pastoral ministry journals and contributed a thoughtful article to a well-
received book on Vatican II and late Bishop Raymond Lucker.  I have read all of these plus have kept
up-to-date on the countless presentations Sr. Catherine has made on pastoral ministry, Vatican II,
lay ministry, and spiritual direction, both locally and nationally to church groups and her professional
scholarly associations.  Her CV, as I understand it, stands strongly with her other outstanding tenured
faculty peers at St. Catherine.  I’m confused and puzzled that the reason given by Dean Silva and the
college for her denial of tenure is her lack of scholarship.  As a long time supervisor and manager who
understands the importance of privacy in all HR decisions, I wonder if her considerable scholarly work
was judged fairly, etc. by the exact same criteria as all other St. Catherine faculty who were awarded
tenure in terms of quality and quantity.  I would be terribly disappointed and angry to think that others
with less scholarly credentials were granted tenure while a scholar just as deserving were denied if
ever this came to light.  As this probably will never be disclosed, as it hasn’t been to Sr. Catherine, I
hope and pray that the destruction of a long and distinguished academic and scholarly career was
truly justified by a tenure system that was completely just based on the mission and Catholic social
justice foundation of St. Catherine University.  I would also hope that those who made this decision,
one that is terribly confusing and hurtful to all who know and support the fine work of Sr. Catherine,
feel completely at peace with your decision regarding Dr. Catherine Michaud’s case.  
Sincerely,
Julie Balamut
BA ‘80, MA ‘08.
6 | The Wheel THE HUBCAP May 13, 2011

The couch: How the Wheel Can you put in

office got a groove
By Rachel Armstrong
associate editor
I really hate IKEA.
It’s something about the multiple escalators,
the arrows on the floor directing you where
to go, the displayed living room sets full
of thirty-dollar pillows I can’t afford, the
cardboard pizza and rubbery mac n’ cheese
available in the most awkwardly situated
restaurant I’ve ever visited. It’s the warehouse
feel. The fluorescence. The smell of rubber
and carpet cleaner. It’s contrived, as if the
dining room tables and chairs displayed are
telling me: buy us. This is what your house
should look like, and if it doesn’t, you’re
doing it wrong.
IKEA just stresses me out.
So when our Editor-in-Chief, Tréza,
suggested the staff take a field trip there to
find a couch for our poor excuse for an office,
I didn’t want to go. I complained, dragged
my feet, tried to make myself completely
unpleasant to be around so someone would
say, “You know what, Rachel, you’re an alright
editor, but you complain more than Luke
Skywalker in A New Hope. You can’t come.”
It didn’t work. Instead, we piled into Tréza’s
Suzuki and drove to one of the most anxiety-
inducing spaces ever designed.
The rest of the staff really likes IKEA.
And, since I was there, I tried too. I sat on
the couches, pointed at pillows, pretended to
cook in fake, overly-clean kitchens like that
one scene in 500 Days of Summer. And it
was okay. We discussed potential couches,
discussed the cost of potential couches,
despaired at the overly priced Swedish pillows,
and, sadly, left with only a rug, a few of those
pillows, and a surprising number of plants.
My first trip to IKEA left me only despairing
over the fact that I’d have to return again
another day. But, when we got back to the
office and put that rug on the floor for the
first time, put the pillows in their places,
and set the plants next to the computers, I
imagined myself enjoying the Wheel office.
I though about walking through the door
without panicking over the amount of work
there was to do; envisioned a couch under
the windows where we could sit comfortably.
And I thought if IKEA could deliver me
this vision, we could try again. The second
time, we knew what we were looking for.
We found it almost immediately, as if that
magnificent, tan suede couch was set near
the top of the escalator for a reason.
Ignoring the arrows directing us through
the displays, I sat on the couch. It wasn’t
perfect, but I could imagine it sitting under
the windows in place of the looming grey
table. I could imagine editors coming into
the Wheel office of their own free will to talk,
check in, even just sit for a while.
It was decided. We hurried through the
rest of the arrows, into the warehouse area
to pick up our couch. This was it. We did
it. I would never have to enter an IKEA ever
again. We stuck it on a cart, paid, wheeled
it out to Tréza’s Susuki and realized....there
was no way we were getting a couch and four
women back to campus in one trip.
Tréza and Sarah drove back to campus, and
Heather and I went back into IKEA. I was
practically inconsolable, so I bought a slice
of pizza. At a small red table against large
windows that looked out into the parking
garage, Heather and I ate cardboard pizza,
talked, and waited.
What seemed like an eternity later, we
were finally out the sliding glass doors and
driving away from IKEA. Finally.
As we sat in the office later, music
playing, pictures on the walls, twisting
the legs onto the couch, it seemed
possible to enjoy this space. Obviously,
the hideous filing cabinets in the
corner still need to go, but the couch
allowed a new softness into the office.
There’s now a place for power naps in
the middle of chaotic layout nights,
a place to sit between classes and eat
lunch (ever mindful of the delicate
suede, of course).
headphones?
• Editors share top
music picks
By Rachel Armstrong
associate editor
I can always tell who’s working in the
Wheel office by what type of music is playing
when I open the door. In all reality, I spend
way too much of my time with the Wheel
staff. Sometimes, that’s a good thing, like
when Sarah listens to Jeopardy while doing
layout, or when a Radiohead song plays on
Pandora and everyone stops editing for a
mandatory Radiohead break. Other times,
usually around the fifth time Sarah has
replayed “Welcome to the Black Parade,” I’m
pretty sure everyone in the office is thinking,
“Can you put in headphones?” We all have
our go-to editing favorites. For me, it’s the
slow-slide of Adele’s voice as I scan for comma
splices. For other editors, it’s the screamed
chorus of “Make Damn Sure.” Regardless, if
you hang around the Student Organization
Center long enough, you’re sure to hear a few
of these tunes floating from the Wheel office.
Editors’ go-to songs:
• Sarah: Welcome to the Black Parade
- My Chemical Romance
• Dana: Anything Mozart (if just
for a break from so many words)
• Rachel: Rolling in the Deep - Adele
• Treza: Make Damn Sure- Taking
Back Sunday (for the screaming)

There’s color in the office, green • Alexa: Meddler - August Burns Red
things, soft things. And while the pile • Becky: The Moment I Said It -
of work seems to never end, there is at
least a comfy place to sit while we do it. Imogen Heap

It was worth it. And the great part • Heather: CocoRosie station on
is, I never have to step foot in IKEA Pandora
ever again.
• Jessica: I Don’t Like It Like This -
Rachel can be reached at Radio Dept
rmarmstrong@stkate.edu.
The Wheel’s long-sought couch/bed/workspace, acquired after months of planning and Rachel can be reached at
extensive searching. Photo by Sarah Wente. rmarmstrong@skate.edu.

The Wheel presents: 2010-2011 editorial awards

Best Headline Maker: Rachel Armstrong
Best/Only Ukelele Player: Heather Kolnick
Best Bromance: Heather Kolnick and Sarah Wente
Best Couch: The New One
Most Entertaining Editor on Vicodin: Alexa Chihos
Most Unanswered Emails: Tréza Rosado
Most Consecutive Hours Spent in the Wheel Office (12+): Sarah Wente
Best Fashion Sense: Jessica Jones
Best Common (or Comma) Sense: Dana Bloomquist
Best at Chasing Down Interviews: Becky Doucette
May 13, 2011 THE HUBCAP The Wheel | 7

The Wheel Sims Created by Alexa Chihos

After getting all four of my wisdom teeth removed and being on various medications, I decided to create a Sims version of The Wheel
editorial staff.  The Sims version of the editors may not be completely physically or mentally accurate, but they are a replication of the
Wheel family that I have grown very fond of and enjoy being with.  Oddly enough, the Sims Wheel family acts very close to the real
editorial staff and has made for an enjoyable gaming experience.
Heather’s first completed painting.
Introducing...

Tréza Rosado - Editor-in-Chief
Traits: Bookworm, Genius, Charasmatic,
Flirty, Computer Whiz
Lifetime Goal: Renaissance Sim
Favorites: Cookies, Indie, and Irish Green
 
Rachel Armstrong - Associate Editor
Traits: Natural Cook, Hopeless Romantic,
Good Sense of Humor, Bookworm, Genius
Lifetime Goal: Professional Author
Favorites: Pancakes, Indie, Aqua
 
Sarah Wente - Layout Designer
Traits: Computer Whiz, Bookworm, Handy,
Genius, Good Sense of Humor
Lifetime Goal: Become a Creature-Robot
Cross Breader
Favorites: French Toast, Classical, Blue
Sheila Eldred - Adviser
Traits: Athletic, Bookworm, Friendly,
Genius, Good Sense of Humor
Lifetime Goal: Star News Anchor
Favorites: Spaghetti, Classical, Turquoise

Alexa Chihos - Assistant Editor
Traits: Virtuoso, Good Sense of Humor,
Workaholic, Genius, Hopeless Romantic
Lifetime Goal: Rock Star
Favorites: Lobster. Indie, Green
 
Becky Doucette - Assistant Editor
Traits: Bookworm, Excitable, Ambitious,
Genius, Charismatic
Lifetime Goal: Leader of the Free World
Favorites: Hamburger, Indie, Blue
 
Heather Kolnick - Photo Editor
Traits: Artistic, Virtuoso, Vegetarian,
Charismatic, Excitable
Lifetime Goal: Master of the Arts
Favorites: Spaghetti With Veggie Sauce,
Latin, Red
Jessica Jones - Photo Editor
Traits: Artistic, Bookworm, Good, Friendly,
Lucky
Lifetime Goal: Illustrious Author
Favorites: Waffles, Indie, Purple
 

Dana Bloomquist - Copy Editor

Traits: Bookworm, Friendly, Good Sense
of Humor, Handy, Genius
1
Lifetime Goal: World Renowned Surgeon
Favorites: Mac n’ Cheese, Indie, Green
1 - Alexa, Becky, Tréza, and
Wente talk while Rachel gets
up to join the conversation.

2 - Tréza converses with Becky

about books while Alexa talks
to Heather about trees.

3 - Heather enthuses Becky,

Tréza, and Alexa about a park
bench.

Treza stares longingly at freshly made

2 All Sims and screencaps by
Alexa Chihos.
3 mac ‘n cheese.  
8 | The Wheel FEATURES May 13, 2011

Listen local: Student art surveyed

Flying high on
Weights and Wings
By Claire Davidson
music columnist

I recently had the opportunity to interview Matt Wertz, a singer-songwriter and veteran
of the booming Nashville music scene. I have to admit, I was pretty nervous; my little
groupie heart almost skipped a beat when his publicist informed me he’d be calling me
from the road. Wertz was someone I listened to in high school and his apropos “Counting
to 100” was the song I had my first kiss too. (Although now extremely comical of course,
it was deeply romantic at the time).
Still, it’s that genuine sentimentality present in Wertz’s music that undoubtedly makes
girls swoon over his downplayed Southern charm and smooth voice. (And no doubt, my
boyfriend at the time suspected it would get him some play). Wertz visited the Twin Cities
last month as part of his nationwide “Weights & Wings” tour.
Wertz opened up to me about where he gathers his inspiration, how his practice of
meditation has helped shape his music, and how he best connects with his audience.
I mentioned to Wertz that I had followed his career over the past several years and that
his latest release seemed to be a noticeable departure from his previous work.
“What would make you say that?” he asked, catching me off guard.
Stumbling over my words, I nervously suggested that the themes on this album presented a
bit more depth and perhaps darkness than the light-hearted romance present in past albums.
“That was definitely intentional,” he agreed. “I wanted this to be a departure from my
older stuff but I still wanted the fans to connect with the music, so it was about straddling
that line between the new and the old.”
I heard Wertz had gotten the idea for the title of his album from a meditation book
Junior Anna Garski’s self portrait “I Just Want to Know” won a Research and
called “Stranded in the Desert.” I asked him if meditation was a newer habit he’d picked
Creative Work on Women award through the Abigail Quigley McCarthy Center for
up or a long-time practice.
Women and is featured in this year’s gallery.
“It’s actually something I’ve been practicing for a long time…while reading this book, it
really hit me that the weights are as integral as the wings; the dark periods are as important
as the light times and you need to be comfortable with both,” Wertz said.
It’s an ease that one picks up on quickly while listening to “Weights & Wings”; an
understanding that it is the yin and yang of life, which support and give meaning to one
another. I really got a sense that Wertz attempted that with this album which was recorded
in his hometown of Nashville, just a few blocks away from his home.
As we concluded the interview, he disclosed that he was currently driving through sunny
California.
“It’s 75 and sunny here,” he said.
Looking out my window at another April frost, I told him I was justifiably envious.
To end the interview, I asked him who some of his favorite musicians of today are.
“I love Lissie,” he said, and I agreed she was a new favorite of mine as well.
“How does that one song go?” he asked cheerfully. “When I’m alone with you, you make
me feel, you make me feel.”
Yep, I decided still got that Southern charm.

Claire can be reached at cedavidson@stkate.edu.

Student-parents with the pressures of motherhood.

“We have more structured responsibilities:
I have to be home for dinnertime,” Farrall
Student made artwork, including
“Comfortable” by Laura Wiering
thrive said. “Group projects are the hardest time
for me because I don’t have the flexibility. I
and “Untitled” by Anna Garski, are
• SCU works to accomodate can’t just cram out a paper in a day because on display in the Ariston exhibition.
I have to share my day with someone else.” Copies of the Ariston are avalible
growth of student mother Senior Weekend College student Kristin
population Lau, a mother of four and soon-to-be mother around campus. Photos by Heather
of five, has had similar experiences. Kolnick.
By Becky Doucette “Everything is a balancing act. I think
that after a person becomes a parent [her
assistant editor or his] priorities change and [she or he]
adjusts as needed; this comes naturally for campus, the Abigail Quigley Center for Women pregnant. Even though Mother to Mother
As St. Catherine University (SCU) reaches most,” Lau said. conducted a survey that documented student is not an admissions event, students have
an enrollment of nearly 900 student mothers, Access and Success began in 1993 on SCU’s parents on the St. Paul campus. attended SCU because of the inspiration.
the university is working to make resources Minneapolis campus, aided by research and Colleen Hegranes, the Dean of Students at Outside Access and Success, SWAP, an
and opportunities increasingly available. Some grant funding. Joan Demeules, the program the time, established surveys to identify the on-campus club, holds luncheons to discuss
of the programs include Students Who Are director of Access and Success, was hired to students and their needs. Out of this survey, resources and provides child-friendly events
Parents (SWAP) and the Access and Success implement the program. Access and Success became available to both on campus. Farrall, who is the student parent
Department. There is also a student parent “It started out [as]two staff people who campuses during the 1999-2000 school year. representative to Student Senate, meets with
representative in Student had heard about a The 2003 renovation of the CdC incorporated SWAP to voice any concerns or suggestions
Senate. program on the East a child-friendly study space and and office back to Student Senate. This semester, Farrall
Access and Success is “We actually serve more Coast who were serving space for Access and Success. joined her senate forum with SWAP and
located on the fourth student-parents than the student parents, I think “ We were in the [Abigail Quigley] Center 25 eager children for an Easter Egg Hunt.
floor of the Coeur de particularly single for Women for a while, then Campus Ministry, Events like these give students’ children an
Catherine (CdC), and University of Minnesota...” parents,” Demeules bouncing around for a home, and then we exciting view of SCU.
provides resources for --BethHammer,Coordinator said. “And anecdotally got this,” Hamer said. “They love going to mommy’s school;
student parents who are they started hearing that The child-friendly study space, on the its huge and they get so excited when they
either expecting or currently for Access and Success and Day more single parents fourth floor of the CdC boasts large windows come here,” Farrall said. “And it’s nice that
have children. The four were enrolling on the to fill the room with natural light. On one we can bring them here and say ‘you know,
part-time staff members
Student Specialist Minneapolis campus side, students can work on one of the four this is where I spend so many hours of my
in Access and Success are in the associate degree computer stations. On the other side, children day,’ because they are very aware that you
licensed social workers programs.” can play with toys, play dress up, watch DVDs, are in school and it’s important for them
who reach out to student parents through One of the initial projects, a collaborative and participate in other activities. to have a role model, seeing others studying
a consistently updated email list. effort of Access and Success and CommonBond, “I know if I have to do a group project and doing the same thing their mom does.”
“We actually serve more student-parents was the construction of an 8-unit apartment but I have to bring my daughter, I can say Overall, SCU has worked to provide a place
than the University of Minnesota and we complex near the Minneapolis campus. ‘hey could you meet me up there.’ And they of support for both mothers and children
have a more comprehensive program [than “The focus initially was on single parents, usually say ‘Oh that’s fine, I never knew this on campus.
that institution],” Beth Hamer, Coordinator providing services that would help retain them was up here,’”Farrall said. “If you are willing to invest [in] St. Kate’s,
for Access and Success and Day Student and help them be successful in completing their An off-campus leadership opportunity St. Kate’s is willing to invest in you,” Demeules
Specialist, said. education. Our focus was on housing, child through Access and Success is the Mother said.
Senior day student and single mother care, and supportive services,” Demeules said. to Mother program which began in 1996.
Shannon Farrall discussed some of the After five years of student parent programs Student parents can go and speak about Becky can be reached at
difficulties of balancing a full course load and services available on the Minneapolis available resources with teenagers who are rjdoucette@stkate.edu.
May 13, 2011
In line
with
Latifah
• Student Senate president-
elect shares vision
By Rachel Armstrong
associate editor
Voting is over and the results are in. Junior
Latifah Kirribeda, president of the Student
Senate for the 2011-2012 school year, sat
down with the Wheel to talk about her
plans for next year, and how excited she is
to get started.
The Wheel (TW): What are your plans
for Senate next year?
Latifah: That’s a big question. I don’t
like thinking of them as plans, because they
change. It’s [one thing] to say, “I’m going to
do this,” but you really need to be aware that
you’re going to work with a team of people
who have different needs, different goals,
different things they need to bring together.
I thought about it two ways: I have internal
goals for the Senate and I have external goals
and visions for the student body. As Senate
president, you need to have people invested in
the mission and values of the Student Senate
and student body right from the beginning.
I’m thinking of doing leadership assessments
where people find out what their strengths
are as far as working in a team or as leaders,
DDB Quiz
• Find out what’s in store for your experience at Dew Drop
Bop. Take the quick quiz and compare your results with your
friends.
By Dana Bloomquist
copy editor
1. Will you attend Dew Drop Bop?
a. Yes, all of it!
b. I’ll stop by, but no guarantees
c. No
2. What are you most excited for
about Dew Drop Bop?
a. giant slide/rock climbing wall!
b. I’m just glad classes are over
c. Dew Drop Bop is exciting?
3. Should there be a beer tent at Dew
Drop Bop?
a. Heck yes, it’s about time I was allowed
to let loose on campus!
b. Maybe, but I’m not 21/don’t drink...
c. No, they would probably charge too
much for beer anyway
If you answered...
Mostly a’s:
You are going to have a blast at Dew Drop Bop!  You know how to have a good
time and you’re probably going to show it.  Get there early to so you can make
sure to enjoy all the treats and attractions.
Mostly b’s:
Dew Drop Bop is going to be pretty fun for you, but it will not the be-all, end-all
social event of the year. Go with friends, avail yourself of the three free food tick-
ets you get, and bring home a souvenir.  If all goes well, you’re in line to to have a
blast at next year’s Dew Drop Bop! 
Mostly c’s:
You’re a party pooper.  The University went to all the trouble of bringing a carni-
val to campus, and you’re not going to have a great time?  Maybe you should join
SKAT so you can make it better next year...
Dana can be reached at dlbloomquist@stkate.edu.
FEATURES
Latifah Kiribedda, future senate presi-
dent, being interviewed for the Wheel.
Photo by Heather Kolnick.
then having a discussion around how we
all may be different people, [but] we are all
working towards the same vision, which is to
be the voice of students on campus. That’s
one of my big [goals], to let people know that
we’re in this together, irrespective of people’s
differences or what people’s priorities are. At
the end of the day we need to focus back to
the student body and their voices and their
issues. That’s why we’re in place.
As far as the student body is concerned,
there are a lot [of goals] that the students
have, from parking to sustainability initiatives
to public safety. At the end of the day it’s
4. Your idea of a good time at Dew
Drop Bop is:
a. having a mosh pit in the inflatables
while eating tacos in a bag
b. walking through and seeing your fellow
students make fools of themselves on the
giant trampolines
c. waiting patiently in line for an hour to
paint a flower pot, and two hours to get a
funnel cake
5. Your outfit for Dew Drop Bop:
a. is already planned: a SKAT-sponsored
official DDB T-shirt and booty shorts, no
matter the weather
b. will be a practical ensemble, including a
poncho in case it rains
c. will be whatever I throw on in the
morning; and I don’t plan to stick around
and get soaked if it starts to rain!
beyond what I care about; it really goes back
to what students care about.
TW: Have students approached you with
ideas or goals already?
Latifah: What I’m thinking of doing at
the Senate Fall Retreat is using the input of
people who represent particular student
voices, like resident students, commuters,
or international students. They’ll need to
come forward and talk about the different
things that students care about overall. We
could have a list of 20 things, but we can’t
do all that.
I’m a strong believer in having goals that are
smart. We need to prioritize certain things.
I will need to challenge the group to come up
with two to four big theme goals. You can
only do so much when you’re working in a
team. You can only provide a proposal and
have other people put in their input, and it
will probably blossom into something much
bigger and better.
TW: What has Senate done in the past
that you would like to continue or build on?
Latifah: I liked the idea of lunch with
the administration. I thought that was a
really good initiative. It went really well; we
had students come. That’s pretty powerful,
because many times when you have Senate
events only Student Senate members and
members of the administration [attend].
It doesn’t make sense; it’s people who are
already involved. We need students voices.
We need students to be able to interact with
the administration. For students to know the
administrators in the university and be able
to utilize them, [they need to] understand
who they are, know where they work. I think
that’s pretty powerful.
Interested in getting
involved?
The Wheel is
now accepting
applications for
the 2011-2012
academic year!
Available positions include:
• Copy Editor
• Assistant Editors
• Staff Writers
Contact Becky Doucette
at rjdoucette@stkate.edu
for more information
The Wheel | 9
It’s mostly things that [previous Senate
leaders] have done that I think we can either
continue doing or do better. Every group,
every team has its own leadership style and
I think that we’ll be able to do that.
Because this is a student position, apart
from work I do “behind the scenes,” it’s about
talking to students. When I’m in the Student
Organization Center, when I’m in class, or
when I’m somewhere and an issue comes
up, ... I’ll engage students in conversation.
TW: Anything else you want to tell the
student body?
Latifah: I’m just really excited to be honest.
I’ve gone through a series of emotions: this is
really happening! And I’m ready to work as
well. I’ve always been that kind of person to
take up a leadership role and serve, something
that has to do with the community. [As]
an international student, this is a major
accomplishment. You don’t think about
it that way until you hear other people say,
“Wow!” At the same time I also think that
“wow” amounts to how big of a challenge I
have. Not just for me but for the students
that I have to serve. But I’m up to it. I’m
ready to serve. I like talking to students, I
think at the end of the day that’s why I’m
there. That’s my job now.
I want to encourage students to be actively
involved in this journey too. It’s not enough
to just say what we voice, but we need to be
proactive in what we are suggesting. I think
that to have effective leadership really you
have to liberate the voice and the leadership
in everyone.
Rachel can be reached at
rmarmstrong@stkate.edu.
10 | The Wheel FEATURES May 13, 2011

  your breasts are peeking out from where

they shouldn’t, you need to move up a size.

If a bra fits you the way it should, the seam

between your breasts should lie flat on your
sternum. There shouldn’t be a gap between
the center seam and your chest. Also, it’s a
center seam for a reason--it shouldn’t drift
onto either of your breasts.

Your bra should not maim you. If your

bra leaves marks and lines, it’s likely not a
good bra for you. Burn it! Kidding...but
really, toss that bra aside.

The band of your bra should fall higher

• Your complete guide to
finding and learning to love the
right bra for you
By Tréza Rosado and Dana
Bloomquist
Inspired by “The Bra Issue” recently posted
on autostraddle.com, the Wheel editorial staff
has come together to stage a university-wide
bra intervention. That’s right, we know that
70% of women are wearing bras that do not
properly fit them and are struggling with the
physical consequences, not to mention the
potentially damaging effects of an ill-fitting
bra on their emotional health and self-image.
Furthermore, women must contend
with the myth that all breasts should be
evenly sized, perky, and “proportional” to
their build. Frankly, that’s just not the case
for most women (as you’ll see), which can
make shopping for these undergarments an
oftentimes negative pursuit.
The Wheel wants to encourage you to
explore your options. If you’ve always
been a lace-and-bows type of person, we
want to tell you that there are some trendy
(and supportive) athletic bras out there. If
you have rarely ventured from the realm of
full-coverage cotton, we’re here to say that as
long as you know what you’re doing, a little
underwire might not be so bad.
It’s time to stop settling! The Wheel is
here to provide some advice on what to
look for when you get fitted, what to look
for when choosing a bra, and how to find an
undergarment that fits the way you choose
to perform gender.
What’s My Size?
Bra sizes are usually noted with two
components, a band number and a cup
size. The band number is an even number
roughly between 30 and 50, and the cup size
is a letter roughly between A and G (where
A is small and G is large).
Bra sizes are not standardized. This might
seem counterintuitive but you could measure
as a 36 DDD and find that a bra labeled as a
34 G fits you better. Don’t panic! And don’t
get too stuck on sizes--if a bra feels right on
you, it likely is right for you.
Get yourself fitted, and don’t assume
Victoria’s Secret is the only option. The
best way to find out your size is to get fitted
by a professional. If you’re uncomfortable
being seen or touched in that way, you can
use a variety of websites to determine your
size without taking your top off for a stranger.
The typical do-it-yourself bra fitter (like the
perfectly adequate one on herroom.com), will
give you a simple formula for figuring out
your correct bra size, similar to the one below.
Bra sizes are a ratio, not a single
measurement. Put on a bra without padding
and get a measuring tape. Measure the
Photos courtesy of http://media.kohls.com.
circumference of your torso at the bottom
of the bra. This measures your band size.
Then, measure the circumference of your torso
around your nipples, or the broadest part of
your chest. Subtract the first measurement
from the second. The difference is your cup
size--the bigger the difference, the bigger
your cup size.
Unfortunately, there can be a few glaring
omissions on bra-fitting websites. For
example, the bra you are using to measure
your cup size could already be the wrong
cup size which could throw your whole
measurement off. Additionally, contrary to
popular belief, many women’s breasts are not
completely even: one may be larger, lower, or
perkier than the other. Furthermore, breasts
don’t come in just one shape; they can be
high or low, firm or fleshy, pointy or round.
Different bras fit different breast shapes as
well as different breast sizes. And last but
certainly not least: the nipples. Just like the
rest of your breasts, nipples vary greatly in
size, shape, position, and color. Bras need
to take into account how well they will
cover the nipples and where yours will fit
within the bra.
This feels right...I think?
The bra should fully contain your breasts.
This might seem obvious but so many women
settle for bras that don’t fully cover the breast,
leaving parts of the breast bulging over the
top or sides of the bra. Don’t do this! If
up your back than you probably think. The
band should align with your crease of your
elbow when you hang your arms at your
side. Tighten your straps if it falls any lower!
If one breast is larger than the other, buy
for the larget breast.
Bras make me feel weird
I’m not the lacy-bra wearing type/I don’t
know how I feel about my boobs/I want
to wear men’s button-down shirts. All of
those feelings are fine. However, you should
still get yourself fitted, even if you plan on
exclusively wearing sports bras, racerbacks
or the like. Although there is more leeway
with sports bras, having a specific size for
yourself can go a long way in getting one that
will provide support and comfort.
My breasts are practically non-existent
but I’m not into the padding thing. That’s ok
too! Try a triangle cup bra or a wrap bra for
those days when going without a bra seems
inappropriate/uncomfortable. Autostraddle
also suggests demi-cups (“have the coverage
of a normal bra”) and balconettes (“slightly
less coverage than a demi cup”).
To read the original “Bra Issue” by
autostraddle.com, visit http://www.
autostraddle.com/the-bra-issue-what-the-
f-should-i-do-with-these-boobs-77172/ .
Tréza can be reached at
tjrosado@stkate.edu
Dana can be reached at
dlbloomquist@stkate.edu.

The Wheel’s bosom buddies tell all...

Photos courtesy of http://penelopeillustration.com/blog/.

Dana
I think I hate bras. Since I was in sixth grade, I have had a hard time with bras. “You should go
and get fitted,” people invariably say when I begin my bra saga with them. Oh, I’ve been fitted.
Every once in a while, when my current bras are so uncomfortable I tear them off as soon as I
get home and can hardly stand to open my closet and look at them when I get dressed, I decide
that maybe they made a mistake or maybe I didn’t shop carefully enough last time. So I go and
get fitted again. And the attendant once agin comes up with the same verdict: 32F or G. The
thing is, though, bras are about more than size: My breasts happen to not be shaped like the bras
seem to think they should be, so I can’t just pick up one of the half-dozen (if I’m lucky) bras the
store has and have it fit. Sure, there’s a lot out there for most body types--sports bras, triangle
bras, plunge bras, contour bras, lifting, minimizing, cleavage-izisng (believe me, I could continue).
But at least for now, I’ve come to the unfortunate conclusion that I just can’t find one that really
works for me. Don’t get me wrong: by no means do I dislike the twins on my chest. I think they’re
great--as long as I’m not exercising, thinking of wearing a tank top, or going to a respectable public
establishment. Because that means I have to wear a bra.
Becky
As a 34C size, I have had little to no trouble in buying bras,
especially as my mother enjoyed teaching me everything there
was to know about bra shopping. This, I have discovered
entering college, was beyond lucky. Now, without my mother’s
help, I had to go shopping for bras for the first time alone. When
shopping, I wanted to cry as I tried on a lacy, girly bra, my dirty
little secret of bra choice. I wanted to cry because I was pinched
and prodded at places on my body I didn’t even know existed
by wires or fabric I had once thought were “cute.” In fear of
this same experience, I now rotate between 4 different bras of
multiple sizes, colors, and comfort levels…and only one that
fits correctly can be seen through most of my clothes. I need
to go shopping…but I can wait until my mom comes with me.

Rachel
I used to pretend I didn’t have breasts. Which is no mean feat for me, because,
um, I really have breasts. I used to wear a sports bra, and then when didn’t hold
me up any more I wore two sports bras. At soccer practice, I wore three just so
they wouldn’t hurt so much when I ran. I didn’t own any real bras until my mother
staged an intervention in high school and I didn’t wear properly sized bras until my
friends staged another intervention about a week ago.
It’s always been pretty difficult for me to pretend they’re not there...but now, I
don’t really want to pretend.
I was really nervous about getting fitted. I mean, the last time I tried, the Victoria’s
Secret clerk made me feel so awkward and detached from my breasts that I just
bought a couple bras to get out of there. It was terrible.
So when my friend sat me down and said she was worried about my breasts my
mind flew back to that moment in Victoria’s Secret; to the pretty lace bras that
would never fit; to the clerk who chuckled when she measured me; to my blushing
face in the over-bright dressing room mirror.
I mean yeah, I was worried about my breasts too, but I was still trying to pretend
they weren’t there.
Luckily, my friends are annoyingly, endearingly persistent. That’s how I found
myself with a measuring tape around my chest, surrounded by four excited clerks
and two of my friends in Lane Bryant. It was like I was taking the training wheels off
my bike for these women, I swear. But no one chuckled. No one said, “Oh my god,
really?” No one said anything, except, “What colors do you want?”
Wait, they come in different colors in my size?
And that’s when I started to get a little bit excited about my breasts. I proclaimed
to my self-congratulatory friends that wearing my new bra was like someone hugging
my breasts at all times.
Better than multiple sports bras, I’ll tell you that.
May 13, 2011
Ask
Katie!
• The Ask Katie! peer health
advisers answer your health-
related questions
By Dana Bloomquist
copy editor
What is hookah?
A hookah is a water pipe that has been
used in the Middle East and Asia to smoke
tobacco (often called shisha) for centuries.
Recently, hookah bars and cafes have been
opening up throughout the United States
and are growing in popularity among teens
and young adults.
The hookah device consists of four parts:
• A base (smoke chamber) filled with
Submission:
Exercise can
be good for
your baby
• Working out while pregant
offers health benefits for
mother and child
By Sarah Tanvir
Pregnancy can be a time of enormous
change for a mother-to-be. Often, expecting
mothers may shy away from rigorous activity
in the midst of all these changes for fear of
jeopardizing the fetus’ health.
But what you may not know is that exercise
has many benefits for women during pregnancy.
Pregnancy is no longer a period of confinement
and restricted activity nowadays; the only
thing that is “confined” during pregnancy
these days is the unborn child. Expecting
mothers who are wondering about the benefits
of exercise during pregnancy should know
that gentle exercise is the key here. Exercising
while you are pregnant requires constancy
and diligence, especially if
you are not used to working
out on a regular basis.
Some of the symptoms that
“One study found
mother-to-be experience are
fatigue, stress, and various
that regular exercise
pains including pregnancy ... provides long
related pelvic pain and low
back pain. term benefits to the
Some pregnant women
do not exercise, and may expecting mother.”
be missing out on benefits
of maternal fitness and the
baby’s healthy development. One study found
that regular exercise may seem overwhelming,
but it provides long term benefits to the
expecting mother in terms of weight control,
resistance to fatigue, stress relief, improved
posture, and preparation for physical demands
of labour. Another study found that aerobic
exercise including jogging, stationary cycling,
and swimming can enhance psychological
well-being, helps prevent gestational diabetes
mellitus (GDM), and reduces sick leave as
back pain is reduced.
The onset of pregnancy is related to various
physical and physiological changes in the
body due to altered hormone secretions in
the mother-to-be. One of the major changes
is insulin resistance, which may lead to
intolerance of carbohydrates (glucose). The
reduced uptake of glucose causes GDM
along with increased risks of other associated
diseases during the later stages of pregnancy.
Controlling gestational diabetes is essential
for the health of the mother and the unborn
baby. This may lead to the increased risks of
non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus type
HEALTH
water
• A bowl containing tobacco and the
heating source (usually coals)
• A pipe that connects the bowl to the
base, dipping into the water contained
in the base
• A hose, acting as a second tube attached
to the pipe that does not touch the
water, but is open into air allowing
users to inhale the hookah smoke
Is hookah smoking safer than smoking
cigarettes?
Smoking hookah is not safer than smoking
cigarettes. In fact, hookah smokers actually
inhale more tobacco smoke than do cigarette
smokers because of the massive volume of
smoke they inhale. According to a World
Health Organization advisory, a typical one-
hour session of hookah smoking exposes
users to 100 to 200 times more volume of
smoke than inhaled from a single cigarette.
Many think that hookah smoking is safer
because the water pipe filters the “bad tobacco
product” as it passes through; however,
this is not true. Even after passing though
the water, tobacco smoke still contains
high levels of toxic compounds, including
II (NIDDM) in mother and in child’s later
life. Obesity, which is a growing concern
for the American population, could also
be a complication for the mother if she
gains more than 25-35 pounds during hte
course of pregnancy. Weight gain could lead
to gestational hypertension (high blood
pressure).
When glucose levels increase radically in
mothers, the fetus also starts producing higher
amounts of insulin to cope with the increased
glucose levels in the blood and this can create
problems such as higher levels of insulin in
the fetus causing macrosomia, a distinctive
condition in which a person develops an
abnormally large head. Macrosomia can lead
to subsequent problems, such as obesity in
the offspring. It can also cause problems with
respiratory functions, jaundice, metabolic
disorders including hypokalemia (low
potassium), hypocalcaemia (low calcium)
and hypoglycaemia (low glucose).
As an expectant mother, regular exercise
as suggested by her doctor could be one
of the most important methods to prevent
complications like miscarriage and associated
metabolic syndromes.
References
Ong, M.J., Guelfi, K.J., Hunter, T., Wallman,
K.E., Fournier, P.A., Newnham, J.P. Supervised
home-based exercise may attenuate the decline
of glucose tolerance in obese pregnant women.
Diabetes Metab. Nov 2009. 35(5):418-21.
Granath, A.B., Hellgren,
M.S., Gunnarsson,
R.K. Water aerobics
re d u c e s s i c k l e av e
due to low back pain
during pregnancy. J O
bset Gynecol Neonatal
Nursing. Jul-Aug 2006;
35(4):465-71.
Clapp, J. F. Exercise
during pregnancy: A
clinical study. Clinics in Sports Medicine
Volume 19, Issue 2, 1 April 2000, Pages 273-286
Wolfe, L.A., Hall, P., Webb, K.A., Goodman
, L., Monga, M., McGrath, M.J. Prescription
of aerobic exercise during pregnancy. Sports
Medicine. Nov 1989; 8(5):273-301.
Stanley, K., Fraser, R., Bruce, C. Physiological
changes in insulin resistance in human pregnancy:
longitudinal study with the hyperinsulinaemic
euglycaemic clamp technique. Br J Obstet
Gynaecol. Jul 1998;105(7):756-9.
Schmidt, M.I., Duncan, B.B., Reichelt, A.J.,
Branchtein, L., Matos, M.C., Costa e Forti,
A., Spichler, E.R., Pousada, J.M.D.C., Teixeira,
M.M. Yamashita, T. Gestational Diabetes
Mellitus Diagnosed With a 2-h 75-g Oral
Glucose Tolerance Test and Adverse Pregnancy
Outcomes. Diabetes Care. July 2001 24:7,
1151-1155.
Sarah can be reached at
sullah@stkate.edu.
The Wheel | 11
carbon monoxide, heavy metals,
carcinogens (cancer-causing
chemicals) and significant levels
of nicotine (addictive substance
in tobacco).
To learn more about the health
costs of using hookah, visit the
Mayo Clinic’s website on the
subject at www.mayoclinic.com/
health/hookah/
Please note that the Ask
Katie! advisers are not trained
medical professionals; contact
your health care provider
with immediate questions or
concerns. AskKatie! should not
be used in place of professional
consultation.
If you still have unanswered
questions, don’t forget to go to the
Ask Katie! stall in your residence
hall and write a question on the
anonymous notepad. If you live Photo courtesy of www.hookah-shisha.com
off campus, email questions to
healthwellness@stkate.edu.
The Melting Point:
Spring has sprung...
but how?
By Dana Bloomquist
copy editor
It seems that lately, all around us, spring is in the air. Just take a walk past the quad: trees
are turning green again, new sprouts are poking through the ground around the sidewalk,
and, of course, we are seeing the colorful blossoms of flowers.
So yeah, it looks nice. That’s all well and good, but how does it actually happen? There
must be something going on biologically to produce the lush quad we so admire. Lucky
for you, dear reader, the Wheel’s science columnist is going to get to the bottom of it!
First, plant biology 101:
Plants generally come from seeds. Under the right conditions, a seed will germinate
and start producing a stem and roots. The roots go under ground to gather nutrients
from the soil, while the stem usually develops leaves and stays above ground to conduct
photosynthesis. The roots help anchor the plant in place, and they act as little straws by
sucking up water and minerals from the ground. Stems support the leaves and also serve
as the plumbing system of the plant, moving substances up and down.
How do plants grow?
I mentioned photosynthesis above. But what is photosynthesis, and why is it important?
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants create fuel to do all of the things they need
to to, including grow. Basically, plants need three things to carry out photosynthesis: light,
water, and carbon dioxide (CO2). Light carries energy with it, which plants harness to turn
water and CO2 into its fuel. This process is called carbon fixation, and is ultimately carried
out by what is called the Calvin cycle. So water and CO2 go into this reaction, but what
comes out? The answer is not only the key component for plants’ growth, but also our own.
One product of this reaction is sugar, which the plant uses as fuel. The other product is
oxygen, which is what animals (including humans) breathe to stay alive.
What about flowers?
Plants can grow more than just stems, leaves, and roots. Some plants, called angiosperms,
can create flowers. The basic function of flowers is not to be pretty, but rather to ensure
fertilization of eggs (yes, just like people, flowering plants can have eggs and sperm!).
Flowers vary greatly in size, color, and number depending on the species of plant. Generally
speaking, though, flowers consume a lot of a plant’s energy. First of all, plants don’t usually
have flowers all the time; only when conditions are favorable (meaning that fertilization
is likely to occur) do they produce flowers. To actually produce a flower, a plant has to
go through many biochemical changes. Some of these are hormonal, and some require
the plant to make cellular changes in the leaves or stems to support a flower. Once the
flower starts growing, it begins to differentiate and develop several different parts. Some
are related to the egg, and include the ovary, style, and stigma. Others support the sperm,
and include the stamen and anther. The petals’ main function in the flower is to attract
pollenators (for example, bees) to bring pollen (which contains the sperm) of other plants
to its egg, and take its pollen to other flowers’ eggs.
Want to learn more? Consider signing up for a biology class on campus!
Dana can be reached at dlbloomquist@stkate.edu.
12 | The Wheel
• Local team drops the ball, fans hope for return to up-
to-par performance
By Maggie Weiss
staff writer
Baseball has been classified as America’s
favorite past time, the game that every child
on American soil and beyond knows how
to play. It doesn’t matter if you root for the
Twins, the Angels, the Sox, or the Cubs;
Americans love their baseball.
It holds true when it comes to us Minnesotans
as baseball fans. We’re just as likely to sit back
with a package of peanuts or Crackerjack
and root for the home team. And, for some
time, the Twins’ season was going really well.
On May 3, they shut out the Red Sox with
a score of 1-0 with six hits from the Twins.
May 4 marked another victory for the Twins,
albeit in a close 3-2 game. During a game
against the Boston Red Sox, we once again
brought the game home with a score of 9-2,
advantage Twins.
But then, May 7 brought major heartache
to Twins Territory when we lost a second
game to the Red Sox with a score of 0-4. And
May 8 didn’t bring much joy to Minnesota
either, as the Twins lost to the Red Sox yet
again with a score of 5-9. Just like that, we
There’s only “I” in team
• Ultimate Frisbee legend and co-photo editor Heather Kolnick
takes on SCU intramurals movie playing in the Pulse, or when the
By Heather Kolnick
photo editor
The average St. Catherine University (SCU)
student spends their day shuffling from
class to class through a sea of neon fliers
advertising events that they have virtually
no interest in.
I am the average SCU student.
However, there’s always that rare moment
when the cinephile sees a flier for a great
Heather waits patiently for Ultimate Frisbee to begin. Photos by Jessica Jones.
SPORTS
Photos courtesy of http://hmjds.files.wordpress.com/.
went from a winning streak to a two-game
losing slump against a team we had brought
to its knees just a few days prior.
Maybe the Twins weren’t on top of their
game that day or maybe Venus was in the
third house. Another possibility could be that
since so many of the players are currently
on the disabled list and have been injured in
such a way that the coaches have had to find
alternates until the players return; players
Jim Thome and Delman Young have both
been placed on the disabled list while their
teammates Trevor Plouffe and Ben Revere
have been called up and brought on board.
With the return of previously injured
players Francisco Liriano, Joe Mauer, and
Kevin Slowey, many Twins fans are hoping
this will be enough for the team to get back on
top of their game in time to pull themselves
out of this losing streak. We know the Twins
could use it and hope that it will be enough
to see another victory before long. Because
every Twins fan knows that a summer in
Minnesota isn’t complete with a few wins
under our belt.
Maggie can be reached at
maweiss@stkate.edu.
environmentally conscious Biology major
sees an advertisement for a campus cleanup.
For me, it was the flier for SCU’s intramural
ultimate Frisbee that caused me to stop dead
in my tracks. I have a strong background in
the very serious sport of ultimate Frisbee.
In middle school, this was the only sport
I was not picked last in. In high school, I
was somewhat of a legend in the sport. So,
naturally, I pulled out my planner and wrote
down the day and time of the game, which
would be happening on the quad.
Recruitment how-to
• Coaches and admissions
work to bring talent to SCU
By Alexa Chihos
assistant editor
As a National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division III university, the recruiting
process at St. Catherine University (SCU)
differs from that of a Division I or II institution.
Since recruitment at SCU involves athletics
coaches, the Admissions office, and potential
student-athletes, this process brings not
only talented athletes but serious students.
Head soccer coach Chris Citowicki
emphasizes the importance of the initial
contact between coaches and a recruit as
well as the development of a continued
relationship between the recruit and the
SCU community.
“The initial contact varies. Sometimes they
fill out the online form and we watch them
play, or we are at a tournament or game and
get to see them play there. From there they
are entered into our system (MATRIX). At
this point Admissions does their separate
mailings/calls and athletics does their own.
We both do our best to get them on campus
to visit, have them overnight, and hopefully
commit,” Citowicki said.
Head swimming coach Shana Erickson
expressed the significant role of the head
coaches of the athletic programs in the
recruitment process.
“Head Coaches are the primary source for
identifying and contacting prospective student-
athletes. We then work with Admissions to
strengthen the relationship they have with
SCU,” Erickson said.
However, the availability of athletic
scholarships between NCAA Division I, II
and III colleges and universities can impact
the recruitment process. Division I and II
schools can offer scholarships to potential
student-athletes while Division III schools
cannot. Cross country and track & field
coach, and Sports Information Director,
Mike Henderson, insists that the process
at SCU is similar in every way to Division I
and II schools with the exception of athletic
scholarships.
“The phone calls, visits to high schools,
sporting events, and prospective student’s
homes are all part of the process,” Henderson
said. “Emailing, sending letters, and getting
them to visit campus are all things we have
Heather practices her legendary moves on the quad.
I spent the next few days dizzy with
anticipation. When the day finally arrived,
I slipped into my short shorts, striped muscle
tee, and sweatband. For the finishing touch
before going out to battle, I smeared teal
acrylic paint under my eyes. (I later Googled
the health hazards of putting acrylic paint
on your face and quickly washed it off). I
checked my watch and started my journey
to the quad. This was my defining moment
as a human being—as a Wildcat.
Fast-forward three minutes. I am standing
in the quad alone. I decided to wait for a
May 13, 2011
to do to stay competitive, just like every
other athletic department in the country.”
Coaches at SCU work closely with both
prospective student-athletes and the Admissions
office in the recruitment process. Citowicki
explained the crucial relationship between
these two departments.
“Admissions and coaches work closely
here at SCU. The relationships and dynamic
between the two is the best I have seen.
Thanks to the close relationship between
Admissions and athletics, we do a great job
recruiting and can continue to bring in good
students to SCU,” Citowicki said.
Henderson emphasized the importance
of the recruitment process at SCU and
explained how it is an important aspect of
not only the athletic community, but the
SCU community.
“It has the potential to have tremendous
impact on the entire campus community; I
think that is why [recruitment] is so heavily
emphasized within our athletic department,”
Henderson said. “When it comes to recruiting,
we are basically a branch of the admissions
office. We have a great relationship with
them and work hard together to bring
students who are talented academically and
athletically, who are great leaders, and who
have the potential to enrich the entire SCU
community.”
Erickson describes the recruitment process
at SCU as a way to help the prospective
student-athlete become acquainted with
and adjusted to the SCU community before
their first year.
“The recruitment process helps the student-
athlete build a strong bond with coaches and
teammates before they arrive on campus in
the fall, which is a critical component for
the student-athlete to become well-adjusted
and successful in her first semester and
year(s) at St. Kate’s,” Erickson said. “On the
whole, I want their four-year experience to
be a positive one, one that is full of both
personal and athletic growth. The more we
can assist in nurturing that, the better their
experience will be.”
Prospective student-athletes can fill out
and submit the athletic interest form on the
SCU athletic department’s website (www.
stkatesathletics .com) or email coaches to
get into direct contact with them.
Alexa can be reached at
anchihos@stkate.edu.
little while. Ten minutes rolled by. No one
had even shown up with a Frisbee. I asked
myself, “Does anyone organize this?” I
wondered if there was possibly a different
quad on campus. A passerby suggested that
I walk to the field behind St. Mary Hall to
look for people. No one was there either.
Is my heart broken? Yes. But is my spirit
broken? Absolutely not. I will see you next
year, SCU intramural ultimate Frisbee.
Heather can be reached at
hakolnick@stkate.edu.