The menu is full of delicious steak choices, chicken dinners, seafood,
sandwiches, and homemade desserts. Meals come with your choice of a potato side,
Texas toast, and the salad bar. Ordering is just half the fun because you get to watch
your food being grilled right in front of you.

The choices are vast, and choosing the right combo can be tough. Claire
DeRoin, senior at Morningside, said, “I usually order ribs, but sometimes change it
up and get steak. Everything there is delicious! It’s hard to choose some days, but no
matter what I order, Hungry’s amazing pina coladas go with it well.”

Now, this steak house is not like your big, name brand franchise steak
houses, it has a hometown feel, with a homey atmosphere. The prices are a bit more
than the franchise businesses, but well worth the money. DeRoin said, “Hungry’s is a
great little steak house that college kids probably don’t know about. It doesn’t have
the corporate feel of franchised restaurants. Because it’s family owned, it is a
friendly place. It is a steakhouse, so it’s a little more expensive than McDonald’s. The
food is definitely worth it and worth the trip over to Dakota City.”

If you are a gamer, nerd, or strategic mind or all of the above, you might know it is hard to confront the sad truth there just aren’t many good places around Sioux City you can just geek out and enjoy a good strategy game or RPG. However, local game store M.I.A. Gaming Lounge is Sioux City’s savior for games, collectible, Role-Playing, and virtual.  Aside from hosting fun and interactive events, they are the sole gaming Mecca in the Sioux City area.

Sure, getting around a table with friends and playing Dungeons & Dragons or strategy games like Dominion, Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan or Magic: the Gathering are all possibilities, but there is only so long before that gets old.

Over time, games may get boring. Interactions between the same players get stagnant and stale. You can ask any competitive player who devotes a large amount of time to any game and they would tell you about their desire to play against better people in order to become better themselves.

This is especially true on here campus where only a select few people actually play these games, more particularly Magic: the Gathering.  If you aren’t familiar or nerdy enough to know what Magic is, last year CR Contributor, Jasmine Dirks, wrote an article about the card game.  You can read more about it here.  More or less it’s the Chess version of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

M.I.A Gaming Lounge is a game store recognized by game conglomerate Wizards of the Coast, to host sanctioned tournaments of their product Magic: the Gathering.  MIA is also a retail carrier of this collectible trading card game.

Whether you are into fantasy themed things like the Lord of the Rings, or you enjoy strategic games in general, is perfect for your tastes, as it falls somewhere in the middle.  Many people are drawn to Magic for several different reasons.

Some people play for the strategic properties of the game, some enjoy the collectible aspect the cards provide, some for the art, which is depicted on each individual card. Some people come to the game for the sheer purpose of monetary gain (as some of the cards are worth a pretty penny).  Whatever the reason, this game attracts a lot of college-aged gamers to its demographic audience, and right now is a perfect time to get into it.

The way Magic works is that about every four months a new expansion set of cards is released usually titled something epic like Gatecrash or Worldwake. These expansions are then considered legal to play within different gameplay formats.  There are three constructed formats in Magic: the Gathering.  Constructed simply means that you buy cards and build your deck out of those cards.  There are also two “limited” formats which means each player opens brand new product game packs and attempts to build a formidable deck with that limited pool of cards (hence the name of the format).

Usually every time a new set comes out a Sealed format Pre-Release event occurs at local game stores.  Pre-Release events are the perfect opportunity for new players to go to their local game stores, meet new people, and learn how to play new games that might interest them, and potentially win prizes. New comers will find that Pre-Releases are hugely convenient in order to learn the game and play it with a competitive crowd.

This upcoming Saturday is the perfect time to get into the game Magic: the Gathering for one reason; Dragon’s Maze.  Dragon’s Maze (or DGM) is the third set released from the Return to Ravnica expansion block from Magic: the Gathering.  The reason for this date being so relevant to the game is that it is the Pre-Release for the expansion set.

Events will be held at the M.I.A. Gaming Lounge, 1523 Geneva Street in Sioux City on Friday April 26th at midnight and Saturday April 27^th at 3:00 PM.  Entry is $25 and will include tons of door prizes and free Dragon’s Maze themed cookies, and the opportunity to win some packs of MTG Dragon’s Maze, a week before it is released for sale.

M.I.A. Gaming Lounge owner Matt Stansfield looks forward to the festivities planned for this weekend.

“Our Pre-Release event is set to be one of the biggest and most fun events ever held at M.I.A. Gaming Lounge.  We’ll be giving out free products and gaming accessories.  We’ll even have cookies depicting the image of the ten Guilds of Ravnica for participants in the Pre-release tournament, provided by GTS Distribution.  There will also be tons of competitive Magic being played if that’s your cup of tea,” said Stansfield.

Vine is the best way to see and share life in motion. One can create short, beautiful, looping videos in a simple and fun way for your friends and family to see. These videos are made by the touch of a finger to record certain moments of time.

Junior Caitlin Casey enjoys watching her roommates waste time with the entertaining new app. “The Vine app can really bring out the best in my roommates. It’s a good study break. Even for me, the only roommate without an iPhone.”

Senior Cora Kugler just discovered this app Monday night. “It took a while to get used to, but then became so entertaining. Probably was a bad idea as far as procrastination, but it was still fun!”

New and entertaining apps are coming out every day. Now will Vine remain in the mainstream? We will have to wait to find out. At least for the last few weeks of school, Vine is a prevalent part of many students’ Spring semester at Morningside.

You can see his finish here.

After more schedule changes due to weather the rest of the Mustangs traveled to Crete, Nebraska for the Doane Relays. Despite the cold, windy day the Mustangs added three more athletes to the qualifying list.

Andrew Christen placed second in the high jump with a jump of 6’9, which automatically qualified him for nationals (video below). Jay Welp provisionally qualified in the 800-meter run. He placed first in the event with a time of 1:53.08.

Breanna Mathes was the other qualifier for the Mustangs. She placed first in the 800 with a time of 2:14.03. Neeia Cooperwood was the other first place finisher of the day in the long jump with a jump of 18-7 ¼. Other second place finishes included Mike Huseman in the 400, Garret Ehlers in the steeplechase, and Taylor Kube in the 5000.

Martin is retiring after 24 years of teaching chemistry at Morningside College. He is one of six professors retiring at the end of this semester. “They call me the kid, since I’ve only taught 24 years. Most of them have been here over 30 years,” he says.

He is not originally from Sioux City, which is evident from hearing his accent.  Martin grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, where he experienced an early interest in chemistry. “I was always interested in figuring out how things worked. It intrigued me.” He received a chemistry set as a child, and his curiosity and hunger for knowledge grew. Martin attended the University of Louisville. He got married in 1997 and has three step-grandchildren who live in Orange City, Iowa, the oldest of whom is a senior in high school.

I noticed a set of three massive books. “They are a collection of books about spectra data, “ Martin said. He opened one of the books and showed me.  Other topics in the set included infrared light and detailed discussion of carbon and hydrogen. Next, he showed me a few plastic molecular models, which he explained were tetrahedral and octahedral molecules. The black pieces represented atoms of oxygen. When asked what his favorite element was, he said carbon, because “organic chemistry is centered around it and carbon can bond to itself.” Martin said his second favorite element is sulfur and commented that he did his Ph.D. thesis.

Surprisingly, Martin said that changes in technology have not affected his teaching very much. “The biggest change for me was the transition from using the overhead projector to making Powerpoint slides for class lectures,” he recalled.  Because taking notes in chemistry involves writing equations and symbols, and drawing compounds, students in Martin’s classes don’t use their computers for note taking. “There is a lot of group work in the classes. Students don’t spend much time working individually,” Martin said.

Another major change during his 24 years at Morningside was the complete remodeling of the science building in 2001. He recalls a 30-foot that moved trash out a window into a construction dumpster.

I had the opportunity to sit in on an upper-level chemistry lab. The students were measuring the amount of nitrogen in substances such as cereal. They boiled a brown liquid that passed through tubes into a flask. Then a machine spun the liquid around, giving it a tornado effect. There was an environment of camaraderie among Martin and his students. Ariel Gass, senior physical science major from Valentine, Nebraska, hopes to teach high school chemistry in the future. She’s gotten to know Dr. Martin well, because she spends between 12 and 16 hours a week in the chemistry department. Lydia Bienlien, a senior double majoring in chemistry and biology, recalled that organic chemistry was a very difficult class with a large number of students. She has enjoyed being in smaller classes. “In small classes, there can be more humor. You can’t get that in organic chemistry. Dr. Martin is hilarious!”

Dr. Martin will be greatly missed by his colleagues.  Dr. Jim Stroh recalls the days that Dr. Martin was proud to wear a slide rule holster. Dr. Mary Leida said that Dr. Martin has been very active with Interfaith Food Resources. He has helped to raise money for and delivered frozen meat to the Siouxland Food Bank. Professor Pat Bass praised Dr. Martin as a “diligent member of the faculty. He believes in doing the right thing, even if it is not the most popular decision.” Professor Pam Mickelson echoed those comments. “He’s very detail oriented and dependable.” She is impressed that he walks over three miles from his house to campus. John Pinto knows Dr. Martin as an avid poker player and a great conversationalist. Dr. Martin is also known as a welcoming person, hosting parties for new faculty in the science building.

When he retires, Martin said he will miss interacting with the students the most. He and his wife are looking forward to going on vacation in the Black Hills. He also hopes to volunteer for his church and build houses for Habitat for Humanity. Martin is excited about his plan to make a soft drink additive called Shaka. He and a friend have submitted a patent and hope to market their new product at the mall someday.

BioLife Plasma Services in Sioux City is where most students go for this service. BioLife collects plasma that is later used to save lives.

Freshman Kara Bentz began selling plasma at the beginning of this year. She goes as often as twice a week when she has the time. Two times a week is the maximum allowed and there has to be at least a day in between each plasma collection.

The amount of time it takes depends on how much a person weighs and their circulation. Typically it takes about an hour, but for Kara, it only takes around 40 minutes.

One thing some students might be skeptical about is the pain factor. Kara says, “It hurts sometimes. Obviously the initial prick of the needle hurts, but you get used to it.”

Kara advises students who are thinking about starting to give is to bring something to work on. It can get boring, but it is a good time to get some homework done.

Senior Gustav Hollnagel has some different reasons as to why he gives his plasma. He started selling plasma in the fall of 2010. Gustav is originally from Germany; therefore he is not legal to work in the US due to his student-visa status. “Its just nice to have some sort of dispensable
income.”

He also gives twice a week. This can get him 50 to 60 extra bucks a week. Gus strongly encourages other students to go because it does help for research in today’s scientific society.

As this year comes to an end, whether staying on campus for the summer or gaining some extra cash ideas for next year, consider this unique way of making money that is becoming more  common at Morningside.

Getting married and graduating from college is no easy feat. Most college
students wouldn’t want to take on both of those tasks. However, Alisa Christensen,
senior Mass Communication major at Morningside, is graduating in May after only
being in college for 3 years and getting married in June to her high school
sweetheart Josh Winkle. Alisa said, “Not only am I trying to graduate on May, 11 but
my fiancé is as well. I don’t recommend graduating and planning a wedding within
two months.”

Alisa chose her major because she said, “I enjoy learning as much as I can
about different things. My major allowed me to study design, computer science, and
mass communication.” Christensen has recently finished up her internship at KTIV.
“I worked with Christy Batien who is their Internet Director. I worked on writing
and posting stories to the website, I also was able to follow a reporter on a shoot as
well as their meteorologists during a big storm” Christensen said. So, needless to say
keeping busy is her forte.

On top of graduation and getting married, Alisa is also applying for jobs. She
has no offers yet, but has applied to be the multimedia person for Tiger Rock in
Dakota Dunes. Alisa said, “It is the perfect job for what I am looking for, but almost
like any job they want 1 to 2 years experience so we will see if that pans out for me.”

With her plate full Alisa loves finding time to ride her motorcycle. Yep, that’s
right, her hobby and joy is riding a bike. She said, “I enjoy riding motorcycles. I ride
with my fiancé as well as my dad. That is a big thing that Josh and I enjoy together as
a couple.” In less than a year she can say she is an Alumni, wife, and motorcyclist.
With Alisa’s ambition and drive her future after college is looking eventful and
fulfilling.

The cold weather didn’t stop the Mustangs from competing in the Sioux City
Relays this past weekend. The meet began Friday night, the high for the day being
35 degrees, with snow still on the ground. Saturday was a little better, with the sun
finally making an appearance. Despite the not so perfect weather the Mustangs
managed to qualify three individuals and 2 relays for nationals.

taylor chapman in the Steeplechase

Neeia Cooperwood, who was recently named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/
GPAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, was named the Sioux City Relays MVP in
the women’s collegiate division. She also punched her ticket to nationals with a
jump of 19-3/4 in the long jump. She won the 400-meter run on Friday with a time
of 59.56 and the 100-meter dash Saturday with a time of 12.29 seconds.
Cooperwood was also part of the sprint medley relay that finished second with a
time of 4:19.49.
On the men’s side Monte Larson brought home the MVP award. Larson was
the anchor leg in the sprint medley, 1600-meter relay, and the 3200-meter relay. All
three relays finished first. Individually Larson won the 800-meter run on Friday
and finished second in the 400-meter hurdles on Saturday with a time of 52.53.
Larson automatically qualified in both individual events.
Garret Ehlers was the other individual qualifier for the Mustangs in the 3000-
meter steeplechase. Finishing second in the Sioux City Relays with a time of 9:16.79,
he is currently ranked first in the nation.
Both men and women’s 4×800 teams (indoor national champions) qualified
for outdoor nationals on Saturday as well. The women provisionally qualified with
a first place finish time of 9:30.62. The relay was made up of Jennifer Petsche,
Shelby Hall, McKenzie Reece, and Breanna Mathes. The men’s relay team of Brad
Wright, Jacob Willey, John Harris, and Monte Larson automatically qualified and
finished first with a time of 7:48.21.

Breanna Mathes, McKenzie Reece, Jen Petsche and Hailee Heitkamp receive their medals.

By Lauren Sorenson–As you walk into Mr. Stirfry you automatically get the sense that you’ve walked into the wrong restaurant. The décor is definitely a lot nicer than what you would expect for a buffet.

After being greeted at the front desk, the host will take your drink order and then let you pass along into the buffet area. The restaurant has wood tables and booths that are large enough to accommodate any party size. Two chandeliers hang above the ten buffet bars located in the middle of the restaurant, and a Hibachi-style grill is on the opposite side of the restaurant from the host stand.

Mr. Stirfry has a medley of foods, including Chinese, Japanese, and American.  If you enjoy sushi, you’re in luck! There is a bar just for fresh sushi. Also, for those who are feeling daring, they offer foods like breaded frog legs. Do you have a sweet tooth? Then you will love their dessert bar that is packed with pastries, cookies, and ice cream.

Mitch Sorenson said, “I enjoyed Mr. Stirfry. The staff was very fast; plates were cleared almost immediately after customers left the table.”

By Brittany Conolly–Do you have a sibling, babysit, have younger family members, or have a child of your own? The Children’s Museum of Siouxland has an event for you.

The museum is hosting a fundraiser April 21 at Emma’s Event Center from 1 to 3. This event isn’t an ordinary fundraiser. The theme is pirates and princesses.

The day will be packed with balloons, sweets, a magician, story time, and a free book for each child who comes. The tickets are available for $10, and you can buy a ticket by contacting Kari Kellen at 712-224-2542, or by going online at http://
www.childrensmuseumofsiouxland.org/pirates-princesses/.

So, bring a sibling or special child in your life to raise money in a fun way. Dress up as a pirate or a princess and expect to have a storybook experience. All of the money this fundraiser brings in will help go towards the creation and building of the Children’s Museum here in Sioux City.