Alma College buys historic opera house

By Brittany Pierce

Copy Editor

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Alma College recently purchased a historic building downtown that eventually will be used for student housing, retail and meeting space and much more. 

The 55,000-square foot Wright Opera House, located at the corner of State and Superior streets, was originally built by lumber baron Ammi Wright, according to a college press release. 

The cost of the purchase was not revealed.   

“Initial funding (to purchase the building) has come from the college’s capital fund,” said Alan Gatlin, the chief operating officer and vice president for finance and administration.   

“The college has also received a Community Re-development grant from the state of Michigan and the project will also qualify for federal tax credits for historic building preservation from the National Parks service.   

The college also hopes to raise money from community members and Alumni who believe the project would add a tremendous value to the college and the community.” 

However, the building is not currently ready to be used by the college. It needs to be further renovated before use.  

“We expect the total project cost before considering the state grants and tax credits will be in the $5 to $6 million range,” said Gatlin.  After the project is complete, the building will be far more than just another residence hall.   

“The basic plan is for retail space on the first floor, some performance and meeting space on the second floor and apartments on the second and third floor. There would also be space for a classroom or two as well.  

The performance space could be used for small concerts, wedding receptions and business meetings,” said Gatlin. 

As of now, it is unclear when the project will be finished and there is no timeline set in place.  

“A time frame to finish the project has yet to be determined, we need to secure all of the necessary remaining funds before we re-start construction,” said Gatlin. 

“Once we re-start we will move as quickly as possible but renovating a historic building that has suffered a major fire is a challenge and does not lend itself to a strict timeline,” he said.   

This is not the first time that someone has attempted to convert the Wright Opera House into housing. In the past, a developer took on the task but failed to complete it.   

“Previously a developer not related to the college purchased the property and was trying to redevelop it.  The college had agreed to lease all of the apartments from the developer if he was successful.   

The college had not tried to buy or develop the property until the current developer failed,” said Gatlin.  

“A few years ago, the current developer experienced problems completing the project and eventually the project stalled.”  

The lender and contractors were not paid and eventually a lawsuit between the lender and the contractors who had been renovating the building and the developer was started. 

“As part of the settlement of that lawsuit the college entered into an agreement where it paid the contractors and the lender certain amounts and the developer in turned signed over ownership of the building to the college. The terms of the agreement between the college, the developer, the lender and the contractors are confidential so we can not disclose the amount of the payments,” said Gatlin.   

As for the other college apartment project downtown, it is unclear when that will be finished or whether that is still an ongoing project at the college.  

Trump’s communication explains time in office

By Caden Wilson

News Editor

Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, American presidents have capitalized on technological innovations to communicate with their citizens and promote their systems of belief.  

Roosevelt’s Fireside Chats of the 1930s and 1940s nursed the nation through the Great Depression and most of World War Two. John F. Kennedy’s appeal on national television secured his victory against Richard Nixon, just as Barrack Obama’s utilization of social media did against John McCain in 2008.   

Saturday will mark the end of the first year of President Donald Trump’s administration. Like his predecessors, Trump’s use of modern communication technology has greatly influenced the political atmosphere, although in the sitting president’s case it may not be for the better. Donald Trump’s first year in office is most telling through his biggest obstacle- communication.   

Dr. Joanne Gilbert, Chair of Communications and New Media Studies at Alma College expressed concern with the White House’s rejection of the example set by previous administrations.  

“The Trump dministration does not so much communicate with the press and the media as it condemns them so I find it deeply troubling and problematic because the messages I see coming out of the Trump administration are generally not founded on truth,” Gilbert said.   

David Leonhardt and Stuart A. Thompson of the New York Times, a publication often criticized by the sitting president, have kept a comprehensible list of every untruth or falsehood expressed by the White House since Trump’s inauguration in an article entitled “Trump’s Lies,” which cites sources refuting every inaccurate statement.   

“We are using the word ‘lie’ deliberately. Not every falsehood is deliberate on Trump’s part. But it would be the height of naïveté to imagine he is merely making honest mistakes. He is lying,” Leonhardt and Thompson stated on the NYT website.   

January 20 to November 11 of 2017, Leonhardt and Thompson refuted 90 lies. They state that there are many more untruths or exaggerations, which are not directly lies and may include unfounded evidence. It is stated that from January 20, Trump’s first day without misleading the public was March 1.   

Gilbert cited this rhetoric as: “potentially extremely damaging to deride anything the media say as false because I believe that Americans will be confused about who exactly to believe and whether or not facts are up for grabs.”  

The New York Times reports that of the days in which the president said nothing misleading, he is usually absent from Twitter, golfing, or vacationing at Mar-a-Lago.  

Unlike President Barrack Obama, Trump prefers his personal Twitter account over the official president’s twitter and mostly rejects the possibility of a social media manager, letting him convey his thoughts instantly with his 46.6 million followers.   

“The current president’s twitter feed has been and perhaps will be the downfall of his administration,” said Gilbert. “I think discourse that is based in ignorance, fear mongering, hatred, and vitriol does nothing to communicate important information but rather emboldens the very worst instincts of people and enables them to feel justified in actions that range from ugly and abusive to absolutely unconscionable or reprehensible.”  

Trump’s frequent outbursts caught the attention of the world as the creation of a call-out culture never seen before by a sitting president.   

“Rather than communicating about specific policies and issues, much of the information that comes out of the Trump administration is name calling,” Gilbert says.  

Gilbert cites Ad Hominem, a phrase used by many involved in the communications field, which translates from Latin into “mud-slinging.”  

Jasmine C. Lee and Kevin Quealy of the New York Times assembled an article entitled “The 424 People, Places and Things Donald Trump Has Insulted on Twitter: A Complete List.” It does as the title says, up through January 3, 2018.   

Gilbert states that she believes there is intentional hostility on part of the White House against the mainstream media and anyone else who contradicts the president.   

“I do think that an administration that uses phrases such as ‘Alternative Facts’ should be deeply suspect and should be a great concern to all of us regardless of the side of the aisle we’re on.” 

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Daniel’s, Cahill’s top 25 albums of 2017

By Paige Daniel and Zac Cahill

Thoughts Editor and Copy Editor

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Zac and I joined forces for a special installment in the opinion section to share each of our top 25 albums of 2017. I know I said I hate lists, but this seemed like a necessary evil — there were too many great albums in 2017 to not compile a list!

Zac ranked his top 25 albums, though you should note that I am still raging against the list by not ranking mine with numbers. I guess that is some kind of protest. I hope our blurbs will compel you to check out an artist or band you haven’t listened to yet.

Now that 2017 is a wrap, it’s time to look back on some of the strongest releases of the year.

  1. Big K.R.I.T. – “4eva is a Mighty Long Time”

Bursting at the seams with nearly equal parts Southern-rap bangers and Gospel tracks, this is K.R.I.T.s largest, most ambitious and most exciting album yet.

Favorite song: “Subenstein (My Sub IV)”

  1. Phoebe Bridgers – “Stranger in the Alps”

Meditative and searching, Phoebe Bridgers’ debut is a unique and personal look at the highs and lows of relationships and their subsequent fallouts, whether positive or negative.

Favorite song: “Scott Street”

  1. Kendrick Lamar – “DAMN.”

Coming after his groundbreaking record “To Pimp a Butterfly,” Kendrick’s latest is a victory lap without any of the complacence as he strives, once again, to prove his place as one of hip-hop’s greats – DAMN. doesn’t quite rise to its predecessor, but it finds Kendrick still at the same technical/songwriting peak.

Favorite song: “DNA”

  1. Julie Byrne – “Not Even Happiness”

Quiet and understated, Julie Byrne’s latest is a beautiful collection of acoustic folk tunes that vary from the blissfully serene to the utterly heartbreaking.

Favorite song: “Natural Blue”

  1. Björk – “Utopia”

One of the great musicians of our era, Björk’s new album finds her in the throes of love, and with much-appreciated production from Arca added to the mix, “Utopia” is a dense yet glistening art-pop album and a welcome addition to her catalogue.

Favorite song: “Losss”

  1. Thundercat – “Drunk”

A jazzy and invigorating hip-hop album, “Drunk” is playful yet profound, balancing the mundane of day-to-day actions with the complex emotions which arise as a result of these things; as affecting for its performance and composition as for its content.

Favorite song: “The Turn Down”

  1. Bleachers – “Gone Now”

A fun, emotional (Jack Antonoff could write a hit ballad with both arms tied behind his back) pop-rock record – a masterclass in the redemptive power of chorus vocals and larger than life pianos and simply one of the most entertaining albums of the year.

Favorite song:  “Everybody Lost Somebody”

  1. Iglooghost – “Neō Wax Bloom”

None of the instrumentals on Iglooghost’s latest are looped or sampled. Colorful and schizophrenic; jazzy and electronic; free-forming and expansive, “Neō Wax Bloom” is a mind-altering journey into itself and the best instrumental album I’ve heard in ages.

Favorite song: “Bug Thief”

  1. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – “Polygondwanaland

Impeccably performed and written, with their usual trademark prog-rock jams and end-of-the-world prophesying, “Polygondwanaland” is King Gizzard at their best (at least of 2017, in which they released a total of five albums) and most interesting.

Favorite song: “Crumbling Castle”

  1. Mount Eerie – “A Crow Looked at Me”

The most heartbreaking album of 2017. Phil Elverum’s descent into the raw emotions that consumed him following his wife’s death, “A Crow Looked at Me” is a real, palpable meditation on death and its effect on the living.

Favorite song: “Soria Moria”

  1. Paramore – “After Laughter”

Paramore’s best album to date, an out-of-left-field pop-rock album loaded with one good tune after another – not the technical peak of 2017’s music, but certainly a high point purely from a songwriting standpoint.

Favorite song: “Hard Times”

  1. Lorde – “Melodrama”

More bold, mature and artistic than we’ve previously seen her, Lorde’s “Melodrama” shifts her from young popstar to a more immediately affecting songwriter with an excellent ear for production and a lyrical attention to detail that is most praiseworthy.

Favorite song: “The Louvre”

  1. Vince Staples – “Big Fish Theory”

Vince Staples’ latest record is a brash, smart hip-hop album with some of the best production of the year. From its more EDM-inspired tracks to its slow-burners, “Big Fish Theory” is nothing if not a showcase of the sheer scope of Vince’s personality and technical skill.

Favorite song: “745”

  1. Fleet Foxes – “Crack-Up”

Their most sonically dense album to date, “Crack-Up” finds Robin Pecknold and company more introspective, musing about inner thoughts amongst perpetually swelling and receding instrumentation; Fleet Foxes’ best record to date.

Favorite song: “I Should See Memphis”

  1. HAIM – “Something to Tell You”

Some of the sweetest, catchiest soft rock of 2017; HAIM’s distinct personality and skilled performances make for one of the most simply fun albums of the year.

Favorite song: “Right Now”

  1. Charli XCX – “Pop 2”

A late-year release that helped solidify Charli’s position as one of the most exciting new voices in pop, “Pop 2” is an expansive, brilliant pop record, chock-full of self-confidence and relationship woes and drug use against some of PC Music’s most forward thinking, sweetly seductive production yet.

Favorite song: “I Got It”

  1. Alvvays – “Antisocialites

Shimmering and sweet as candy, featuring Alvvays’ signature jangly, dreamy guitars and keyboards, “Antisocialites” feels so sincerely wide-eyed in its indie-pop sentiments it’s impossible not to instantly fall in love.

Favorite song: “Plimsoll Punks”

  1. The National – “Sleep Well Beast”

The National’s best album since 2007’s “Boxer,” “Sleep Well Beast” finds Matt Berninger’s whiskey-soaked baritone crooning opposite some of the best-composed songs the band has ever compiled – the result is an album with such a deeply felt sense of mood and presence it’s difficult to shake off even after multiple listens.

Favorite song: “Nobody Else Will Be There”

  1. Brockhampton – “Saturation II”

One of the greatest breakout successes of 2017, “Saturation II” is one of three albums released by hip-hop boyband Brockhampton, and in my opinion the best. Stellar, energetic and full to the brim with the group’s infectious vibe; impossible to listen to without dancing.

Favorite song: “JUNKY”

  1. Father John Misty – “Pure Comedy”

Josh Tillman’s most bare-bones album to date, and certainly his most dense in both lyrical subject and diction, “Pure Comedy” is ultimately immensely rewarding – Tillman’s witty ruminations on modern entertainment and capitalism are varied and chock full of timely lyrics alongside its lowkey yet gorgeous instruementals.

Favorite song: “So I’m Growing Old on Magic Mountain”

  1. Tyler, the Creator – “Flower Boy”

The hip-hop album of the year. A bright, creative new direction for the young rapper, one which ultimately proves itself to pay off in spades. “Flower Boy” improves on every aspect of Tyler’s repertoire – his flows and delivery are near-perfect and his production has never felt so in sync with his songs and which his self.

Favorite song: “Glitter”

  1. Feist – “Pleasure”

The most lo-fi yet best written of Feist’s albums, “Pleasure” is a collection of brilliant songs brilliantly performed; a catalogue of emotional meditation and an expert example of pure song-crafting.

Favorite song: “Any Party”

  1. Perfume Genius – “No Shape”

Ranging from musically stark to sweetly shimmering, “No Shape” is an intensely metaphysical record, an odyssey of sorts into the varied and complex elements of Mike Hadreas’ psyche. An album which feels simultaneously rooted in tradition and leagues ahead of its time.

Favorite song: “Valley”

  1. LCD Soundsystem – “American Dream”

An album about the death of our ideals, of our idols, of our own notions of self-fulfillment; a wise and necessary album of exciting sonic ideas and throwbacks as well as some of LCD Soundsystem’s best songwriting to date.

Favorite song: “how do you sleep?”

  1. St. Vincent – “MASSEDUCTION”

The glam-rock of the future. This latest bold statement of one of the most exciting artists of the 21st Century, St. Vincent’s latest album (and incarnation as an artist) is her boldest and most interesting work yet. It is an album which is bolstered simply by its across-the-board amazing songs and tangible aesthetic. The best collection of tracks released in 2017, period.

Favorite song: “Young Lover”

 

Fleet Foxes – “Crack-Up”

Robin Pecknold and co. pull no punches when it comes to the multi-layered instrumentals and dense lyrics on their most challenging album to date. Timely, complicated, and beautiful, “Crack-Up” is a necessary piece of art in uncertain times.

Best Track: “Third of May / Ōdaigahara”

Marika Hackman – “I’m Not Your Man”

Hackman deftly tackles romance, illness, dependence and youth on her second album that  nds her testing new sonic territory. Her way with words is enough to propel the heavier topics into a mangled gorgeousness that is worthy of great drama.

Best Track: “Gina’s World”

Japanese Breakfast – “Soft Sounds From Another

Planet”

Michelle Zauner brings ethereality down to earth with her unflinching attention to memory, trauma and loss. Outer space has a new soundtrack.

Best Track: “Till Death”

SZA – “CTRL”

On an endlessly re-playable and relatable release by one of R&B’s best new talents, SZA hits the sweet spot of emotional depth and catchy songcraft with “CTRL.” This album is like hanging out with your friends.

Best Track: “Drew Barrymore”

Kelela – “Take Me Apart”

Kelela definitely isn’t a mere mortal like the rest of us. There are far too many great moments on this risk-taking and intense album. Kelela makes statements, not songs.

Best Track: “Enough”

St. Vincent –

“MASSEDUCTION”

St. Vincent is a bona  de star and mixes sharp pop with her trademark oddball rock. Clever, touching and intelligent. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Best Track: “Slow Disco” Lorde – “Melodrama

Lorde is a pop prodigy with magical powers. “Melodrama” is about a party and its aftermath, its glitter and trash and popped balloons. She captures joy, euphoria and heartbreak in a matter of 40 compact minutes, but you’ll wish it never ended.

Best Track: “Perfect Places” Phoebe Bridgers

“Stranger in the Alps”

You’ll probably need some tissues for this one. Should come with a warning label.

Best Track: “Motion Sickness”

Hippo Campus “Landmark”

Sun-dappled and full of youthful vigor. There are a lot of fun guitar sounds on this album that make it perfect for a sunny day in May, but it holds up even after it gets dark out thanks to the depth of feeling and intent this young band provides.

Best Track: “Epitaph”

 Paramore – “After Laughter”

Hayley Williams graduated from a young emo to an adult emo who likes new wave now and she’s not afraid to cry in front of you. “After Laughter” is a happy album about being sad and you can dance to it, too.

Best Track: “Fake Happy”

Jay Som – “Everybody

Works”

If you feel lost in your twenties, Melina Duterte can relate. Fuzzy bedroom pop for when you call in sick and stay inside.

Best Track: “The Bus Song”

Declan McKenna – “What Do You Think About the

Car?”

A 19-year-old wrote a rock album about… everything? Politics, religion, drugs, interpersonal relationships, generational anxiety, LGBTQ+ issues, suicide, poverty, corruption in the international sports community… it’s all there and handled with care by McKenna who is nothing short of a huge talent.

Best Track: “Brazil”

Laura Marling – “Semper

Femina

Friendships between women are the best. Laura Marling agrees with me and wrote some poetry about it.

Best Track: “Always This Way”

Demi Lovato – “Tell Me You Love Me”

Lovato ditched the vestiges of her Disney stardom for good this time and delivered a mature, cohesive collection of songs that successfully showcase the nuances of her powerhouse vocals.

Best Track: “Tell Me You Love Me”

Sampha – “Process”

Sampha takes alternative R&B to another level with his intricate compositions that are nearly futuristic in their grace and have a whole lot of heart.

Best Track: “Reverse Faults” Syd – “Fin”

Deliriously good pop R&B from a woman who knows exactly what she wants.

Best Track: “Know”

Perfume Genius – “No

Shape”

A glorious, delightfully wonky and o -kilter exploration of where exactly love begins and ends.

Best Track: “Wreath”

Land of Talk – “Life After

Youth”

Elizabeth Powell’s underrated band made a comeback that is as meditative as it is impulsive.

Best Track: “This Time” Grizzly Bear – “Painted

Ruins”

Ominously dark stuff  from a band that is constantly growing older and wiser.

Best Track: “Three Rings” Charli XCX – “No. 1 Angel”

Is this an album? Is this a mixtape? It doesn’t matter. Charli XCX is pushing the boundaries of pop and giving it her all. “No. 1 Angel” is a seriously wild and playful release that gets better the more you listen.

 Best Track: “ILY2”

Muna – “About U”

Muna is an all-girl synth pop band with an overwhelming amount of love to give. “About U” is less about others and more about the relationship we have with ourselves.

Best Track: “Everything”

 Remo Drive – “Greatest

Hits”

This whole album is so recklessly fun you’ll forget where you are for its duration. Pop punk for when you  nd yourself thinking about home too much.

Best Track: “Art School”

Allie X – “CollXtion II”

Allie X plays into pop clichés and turns it into an art form – her smart and meticulous electropop is not to be tampered with.

Best Track: “Casanova” Kendrick Lamar – “DAMN.”

Lamar has been the one to beat for the past few years and this album proves he is not going anywhere soon. “DAMN.” seems like his response to the (racist) backlash against his second album, “To Pimp a Butterfly.” He will not let them have the last word in his story, and he lets the  ames fan his exit.

Best Track: “DNA.”

Tei Shi – “Crawl Space”

On her  first album, Tei Shi makes a mysterious contribution to the gallery of sleek pop that is in abundance these days.

Best Track: “Keep Running”

Scots work hard over winter break

By Joelle Fisher

Staff Writer

Christmas break is filled with family, friends, holiday traditions and for many of our winter athletes on campus, a series of competitive games. Four winter sports teams spent their holiday breaks traveling near and far to compete against various teams throughout the country.   

The men’s basketball program played a series of games over its holiday break. The team traveled to Daytona Beach, Florida, to compete in the Daytona Beach Shootout in which they went 1-1 and traveled to Ohio to play in the Wooster Kiwanis Classic where they went 0-2.   

“We did have a wonderful team bonding experience traveling to Daytona together,” stated Sam Hargraves, head men’s basketball coach.   

“Having games over Christmas break helps me connect with all my teammates,” explained Ethan Apsey (‘18) 

“It is nice to be able to work on our skills and relationships together when we don’t have to be focusing on our school work as well,” added Apsey.  

Despite these distant trips, the team was able to play a few closer to home games as well. Overall, the team went 3-5 over the break, putting its record at 4-9 for the season thus far with many games to come.  

“We’ve had a very up and down season so far by playing very good at times and not so good at others,” explained Hargraves.  

“Our goal with the new year and remainder of our season is to try and find a consistent effort and confidence level because if we can do that we’ve got a chance every game,” added Hargraves.  

The women’s basketball team also had a series of games over its Christmas holiday, playing a series of games in Ohio as well as locally in Michigan.   

“It is crucial for us to play games over break because we would lose a lot of ground in our game if we took the entire 3-4 weeks off,” explained Abbi Phillipson (‘18).   

“Having these games allows us to continue to improve our game and improve our team chemistry,” added Phillipson.  

The squad concluded its break with one win and six losses, altering its record to 1-12 overall for the season so far.  

“Our record does not reflect how good we are and how good we are going to be,” stated Kris Johnson, head coach for the women’s basketball team.   

“Our goal is to continue to play for one another, the love of the game and for the pride of the program,” added Johnson.  

Other teams that were able to travel to warmer weather over the holiday include the swimming and diving team as well as the men’s wrestling squad.   

Swim and dive traveled to Deerfield Beach, Florida, and placed two out of two teams while the wrestling team traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, and Chicago, Illinois, to collect one win and six losses over its holiday.     

“We were able to train at four different facilities while we were down there and we even had the chance to do an ocean swim by the pier in Deerfield Beach,” explained Jason Lintjer, head swim and dive coach.   

 

Football hires grad as head coach

By John Durga

Staff Writer

Jason Couch, an Alma College graduate who previously led the football program at Romeo High School since 2003, is the new Scot head Coach.  

“It is my honor to return to Alma College as the head football coach.” said Couch. Couch played for the Scots from 1993-1996. 

As and offesive lineman he earned All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association First Team accolades and was named an honorable mention All-American. As well he was given the Al Borgman Award for being best offensive lineman.  

Under previous head football coach Greg Psconda, the Scots held a 20-40 record over six seasons. The squad posted a 4-6 record last season.  

“We hate see coach P (Psconda) go,” said Dylan Zaborowski (’18). “The seniors spent our entire career with him but I hope the team finds success under a new coach.”  

In his 15- year tenure at Romeo High School, Couch posted one state championship as well as 14 playoff appearances. He also was voted the Detroit Lions Coach of the Year and the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Division 1 Football Coach of the Year when he lead Romeo to the state title in 2015.  

“We are thrilled to welcome coach Couch and his family back to Alma,” said athletic director Steven Rackley. 

“He has displayed great success at the highest level of high school football in Michigan and he has all the qualities we looked for in our next head football coach.”  

The Scots football team begins their season when they travel to Berea, Ohio, to face Baldwin Wallace University on Aug.. 30. Their first home bout is on Sept. 8  when the Scots will face non-conference opponent Manchester University.  

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Freezing temperatures causes Dow lab mess

By Rose Cyburt

Staff Writer

Back in December, temperatures dropped to the negatives. On Dec. 14, during the faculty Christmas party, a pipe in Dow froze and burst, flooding two chemical research labs.  

“This is the second time in three years that the same sprinkler burst,” said Melissa Strait, professor of chemistry. When she walked into her lab from the party, she said she immediately knew where the water was coming from.  

The first time the flooding occurred, Jackson Conner (’18) had gone to Dow early in the morning to prepare for a lab. The pipe had burst during the night, so the damage was more significant.  

“I was surprised and couldn’t believe that it had happened a second time to the same lab,” said Conner. The day it happened again during the party, he had to stop by the lab and pick up an instrument. “My initial reaction was mostly just disbelief.”  

Facilities discovered that there was missing insulation around one of the sprinkler heads in Professor of Chemistry Scott Hill’s research lab. The water seeped into the floor and eventually through to the ceiling tiles below.  

The ceiling tiles collapsed into (Melissa) Strait’s research lab. “Professor Mazzuca and I had to pull all the computers and instruments away from the walls where the water was dripping down,” said Strait.  

Fortunately, no computers or chemistry instruments were damaged, but the lab was drenched.  

“Dr. Hill’s office and lab was not as bad as mine below,” said Strait. “The pipes upstairs were already cleaned out from the first time it flooded, but the water that came down brought all the dirt and mold from the floor and ceiling with it.”  

Strait called the physical plant and facilities which came and immediately turned the water off. After only about an hour, maintenance had already started cleaning up the water and brought fans.  

“The only place they could not clean was behind the carrels in the lab since I had stacked all the research materials on them,” said Strait.  

Over the winter break, flooding had also occurred in one of the themed houses.  

Students in small housing are to turn the thermostats down to 60 degrees during break periods.  

“One of the houses had completely turned off the furnace causing the pipes to freeze and inevitably burst,” said Karl Rishe, vice president of student affairs.  

The Theta Chi house also experienced issues as well when the members moved back in from break. Even though the furnace remained on, the sewage pipe had still frozen and burst.  

“We had our sump pump unplugged so it took a while to clean,” said August Tierney (’18). “The campus was pretty quick in responding, it only took about an hour, but it isn’t fully clean yet.”  

The house manager had to file another work order to finish the cleanup. Most items in the basement could not be saved.  

“When the house manager called the first time, he contacted the administrator on duty who happened to be Matt Jones at the time,” said Tierney. “I’m assuming that is why the school responded so fast.”  

Strait is still working to finish reorganizing everything in the lab and Theta Chi members are making sure to air out their basement until facilities can finish the cleanup.  

New year encourages self-reflection

By Cassie Florian

Staff Writer

With one year concluded and another beginning, Alma College students share their new year resolutions, how they’ve been sticking to them and if they are worth even making in the first place.   

When asked if he had made any new year resolutions, Seth Davis (’17) said, “Yes, [to read] 20 pages of a book that is not related to school eveScreen Shot 2018-01-15 at 2.55.54 PMry day and to read at least two articles every day about what happens in the world.”  

Davis continues by saying that this resolution will help him to keep up to date on political news and give him something more constructive and fun to do with his time.  

In regards to her new year resolutions, Marina Evstifeeva [Russia] said, “I want to live successfully for the next four months in America, be successful at the Model UN conference and catch the happy moments in life,” which she says she tends to “notice when they already pass.”  

When asked why she chose these goals, Evstifeeva said, “Being in America is one of the greatest events in my life and also to have a wonderful first half of the year.”   

When asked how she was doing on her resolutions, Evstifeeva said, “I’m trying; happiness comes from hanging out with friends and getting out and experiencing college life. I’ve also been working really hard for Model UN.”   

“I did make some new year resolutions,” said Naomi Oravitz (’21).  “My two main resolutions are to keep my room clean and to not worry as much.”  

Oravitz chose these because, she is “a super messy person and [her] room has also been an issue for [her],  

“Now I have a roommate who is very neat,” said Oravitz. “I decided that I shouldn’t worry as much because I’m constantly overthinking everything and in a lot of ways that ruins things. I worry about the things that I can and can’t control, so at the end of the day I’m left stressed and drained.”  

“So far I’ve stuck to my resolutions,” said Oravitz, “but I know something’s got to give. I’ll probably end up breaking one of them soon enough.”  

When asked why she makes resolutions, Oravitz added, “I feel like they’re a chance for me to better myself and start over. Everyone makes goals, so I guess I kind of figure it makes sense to make them at the start of the year rather the middle.”  

Davis stated that he tries not to make resolutions. 

“I try not to, so I don’t break them [but] this is a very different resolution; I have plenty of books and want to immerse myself in that.”  

“No, I did not make any new year’s resolutions because I believe that the new year’s ‘clean slate’ does not mean a new me,” said Brooklyn Dearing (’20).   

“I am the same person I was in 2017, I have my flaws that I want to improve, but it isn’t something that will happen overnight.”   

When asked if she thinks of new year’s resolutions as being beneficial or just something that people will eventually break, Dearing stated, “I believe that people can keep their new year’s resolutions but I find it very rarely. You begin change when you are ready for it and truly want to.”   

“I have made the typical resolutions in the past of working out more and eating healthier, but ultimately those failed because they weren’t something that I truly saw as a problem in my life that I wanted to fix,” said Dearing in regards to past new year’s resolutions.   

“If you want to change something about your life, do it. Don’t do it because ‘new year, new me.’ Do it because you want to fully commit to that change and improve your life.”

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