Ogre₦ation

On my hunt for a “Morningside memory,” I wandered down to the Olsen Center and stumbled across the open door of the book store and found bookstore director, Duane Benson. I began conversing with Duane about his short time here at Morningside and some of the memories he has made. He gave me that “trying to remember” look and finally said, ” Chasing around my daughter when she played softball here are some of my best memories.” We talked some more about his time here, which I believe he said was 6 years. Before working here at Morningside, Duane had a career in the retail grocery business. Reflecting on his recent career, he said, “After working in the retail grocery business, working here is a lot of fun. The students here have a lot of energy.” I thanked Duane for his time and exited the bookstore, taking a quick peek at the clearance rack outside.

There were mixed reviews about last week’s lecture. Some found the speaker to be entertaining while others (mostly others) found him to be uninformational and unprepared.

I am a student who enjoyed the speakers thoughts. Fellow student Chris Levine had this to say, “I agree with new media being interactive media.” Michelle Kuester also spoke on the subject, “I liked the rape video and he seemed like a genuine fella.” Chris and Michelle were also in approval of what the speaker presented Wednesday.

Others, which sounded like most of the class from the uproar of criticism, were not so impressed. While none of the other students were caught on the record, Ross Fuglsang said the speaker was “not a very detail oriented person.” He also described the speaker as “very creative.”

On Monday of this week, Hall of Fame quarterback George Blanda passed away at the age of 83. Blanda played for the Raiders from 1967 to 1975. He was a key part of the franchise’s glory days of the late 60’s to the late 70’s. Blanda was a special player because in his record-long career, he played quarterback, kicker, and even some linebacker. He was one of the most versatile players the NFL has ever known. While I wasn’t even a thought back during George Blanda’s career, I’ve learned and heard all about his days with the Raiders. It kind of upset me to see the headline on SportsCenter that Blanda had passed even though I had never even seen him play. He was a fellow Raider, which is why I think I was feeling upset. Once a Raider, always a Raider. Rest in peace, George. Your legendary career will never be forgotten.

“This game will not define us. We will move forward from this.”

Coach Cable

This is what Coach Cable said after the loss to the Arizona Cardinals this past Sunday. I think this quote is more important to sports fans, more specifically Raiders fans. I think this quote is important because it I am a Raiders fan. This quote makes me look ahead to the future and helps with the pain of the heart-breaker we lost this weekend. We as a team and fan-base need to look forward instead of dwell on this game. We need to focus on the Houston Texans next Sunday.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16149609?nclick_check=1

Head coach Tom Cable made the decision to start Bruce Gradkowski this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals after a week of indecision. After Jason Campbell’s slow start the first two games this season, he was benched after the 1st half last week against the St. Louis Rams. Gradkowski came in and lead the team to a victory and earned himself the starting job for now. According to the article, Cable says it is Gradkowski’s job from now on, not just a one game audition. That is, as long as he plays at an “acceptable” level. Campbell has said that he realizes the NFL is a business and there are no hard feelings against Gradkowski or Coach Cable for benching him.

This was a well written article with a lot of relevant quotes that really helped tell the story. The article has all the information and stats from last week, along with in-depth description of Gradkowski’s career with the Raiders and his success last season when he was named starter. This was a good article all around.

Armed Robbery Hits Close to Home

An armed robbery took place last night at 450 Stanley Street. The burglars made away with approximately $382.65 from the store cash register. Fortunately, nobody was hurt in the incident.

Two masked men entered BJ’s Drug at about 8:30 p.m., one holding the owner of the store, Barney Joseph, Jr., 43, at gun point while the other extracted the money from the cash register. The men escaped driving a car parked outside with the engine running.

One of the desk sergeants stated that Joseph kept a pistol under the counter but decided it would have been unwise to use it during the robbery. Joseph told police the theft was over in under a minute.

Sources also report that Joseph’s father was killed during a holdup in the same store almost 25 years ago. When asked if he recalled the shooting, Joseph responded, “Yes, Dad resisted, I guess. Anyway, they found him shot to death, his own gun in his hand, and a bullet in the store’s ceiling. I’d rather part with my money than my life.”

Suffolk Downs Barn Burner

Fifteen horses were killed last night in a suspected arson, completely destroying a barn at Suffolk Downs Race Track in Boston.

A barn where 25 horses were stabled started on fire at Suffolk Downs Race Track at 4’oclock this morning killing 15 horses. Ten escaped, including two that stampeded through the barnyard with their backs on fire. Arson is the suspected cause of the accident.

The barn was a one-story, wooden structure, however, only several rows of charred wooden supports remain. An arson squad was called to the scene to investigate.

Dan Bucci, assistant general manager of the track stated, “It could have been of an incendiary nature because if started in the middle of the barn, not at the end. The only heaters and electrical outlets were in the tack rooms at the ends of the barns.”

A jockey, Albert Ramos, Miami, FL, watched workers as they cleaned up the area after the fire was put out. “Those are my best friends,” he said pointing to the surviving horses, “I love horses more than I do people. I feel like I want to cry.”

Fire Chief Jim Connery stated, “The fire exploded near the center of the barn. Flames were shooting out of the building when we got here. The fire is definitely suspicious.” Investigations are still underway.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/09/16/nr.tuchman.pope.murphy.cnn?hpt=T2

CNN reported a story today about a man named Terry Kohut who is suing the Vatican for being sexually molested by a Father Lawrence Murphy. Terry Kohut has been deaf since birth and was sent to St. Johns School for the Deaf. There, he and up to 200 other deaf boys were sexually molested by Murphy. The main reason Kohut is suing the Vatican is because Pope Benedict, then a cardinal, knew all about all of the molestation cases all around the country, yet did nothing about it when asked to defrock priests. There is actual documentation that Benedict himself signed about the molestation cases that have been hidden for years. Things like this make me sick. I do not follow the Catholic Church at all, so what I want to know is how Benedict is still the Pope. Isn’t there a way he can be defrocked just like a priest?

This story really informed me about all the goings on with the molestation cases in the Catholic Church. Someone definitely needs to do something about Pope Benedict and get him to either resign, or overthrow him. Why would Catholics want someone like Benedict to be their Pope?

This story was covered really well, so I wouldn’t change a thing. To me, this was an all around very interesting and informing story.

Sioux City resident killed in car collision

The Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office has announced the death of a Sioux City resident. Moyer Quick, age 65, was killed in a two car collision two miles east of Sioux City on Highway 20.

Quick’s vehicle, heading westbound, collided with a truck driven by a Randy Radin, age 17, of Sioux City at 11 a.m. yesterday morning. Two passengers in the Quick vehicle, Dorothy Quick and Maxine Steuerwald, also suffered injuries in addition to Quick. The three survivors of the accident were transported by ambulance to Marian Health Center.

Dorothy is reported to be in “good” condition, Maxine in “fair” condition, and Radin listed in “critical” condition, suffering from a fractured skull and internal injuries.

Iowa Highway Patrolman, Patric Stewart, said both vehicles were heading westerly on the two-lane highway when Quick passed Radin’s vehicle, clipping Radin’s front end when completing the pass, sending both vehicles rolling into the ditch.

Weather does not seem to have been a factor as the road was clear and dry at the time of the crash, though the accident is still under investigation.

Fire Fighter Injured in Rescue Mission

Fire fighter Bob Harwood suffered a broken left leg attempting to rescue a cat stuck in a tree at 102 11^th Ave. The calico belonged to Suzanne and Samantha Decker, twin daughters of Charlie and Kim Decker.

Harwood climbed 50 feet into an oak tree to rescue the cat, only to have a dead limb break under him with 15 feet left to his descent, breaking his left leg. Harwood is doing “just fine” at St. Lukes Hospital.

Wondering about the outcome of the rescue? The cat is doing fine also, having landed on top of Mr. Harwood.

East High “Alarmed” by Disgruntled Students

Three false alarms sounded at East High School this last Wednesday. The culprits appear to be a group of unhappy students.

The students say they were protesting the week long suspension of five fellow students after being caught smoking marijuana in the school parking lot. In all, 10 students were given week long suspensions.

To add to the disturbance, the cafeteria was closed the previous day after a food fight. East High principle, Laura Vibelius, commented there was noticeable unrest.

“Not so much unrest because of suspensions, but because of summer vacation being so near,” she said. Vibelius sees no continuation of these “incidents” in the near future.

Texaco Gasoline Floods Sewer Lines

A Texaco gasoline truck was overturned on the outskirts of Correctionville, flooding sewer lines for and entire two blocks. The spill occurred at the intersection of 48^th Street and Correctionville Road.

Cars have been rerouted through side streets because the gasoline still on the road and in nearby ditches. Four families were actually evacuated from their homes because of sewer-line gas, which was serious for about two hours until the gas was flushed away.

“The firemen followed catastrophe and hazmat procedures set up beforehand for just such an occurrence,” stated Fire Chief Charles Hochandel.

Dimmitt Hall sits atop a massive hill overlooking the tennis courts to the south and the football field to the west. The dark bricks seem to be near crumbling from age and the overcast sky gives the building an eerie appearance. I walk up the steep sloping sidewalk to the door, step inside, and walk up the stairs. The banisters are cracked and scratched with age. My body is warmed as I get inside and out of the wind. As I enter, there are other students making their way down the steps talking about how they will be late to class. The light in the lobby is dim as outside it is overcast and cool.

I sit down on a bench in the lobby that is built into the wall. The architecture of the lobby area you can tell is very, very old. The wooden doors are covered in scratches and are in dire need of a new coat of stain. There is a musty, humid heaviness to the air. Just from sitting in the lobby, I can really get a sense of the age of the building, it being the 3^rd oldest building on Morningside’s campus.

In the lounge, there is an old, oak grand piano that I doubt gets very much attention nowadays. Along the walls are two ancient radiators painted white that have most likely been here since Dimmitt was built. The room is pulled together by an assortment of old and new furniture ranging from comfortable chairs to seemingly antique tables. There is a dark brick fireplace in the center of the lounge that is most likely out of use for safety purposes and the lack of appeal, yet it gives the room a warm and cozy feel. Surrounding the mouth of the fireplace is a tarnished, blackened fire screen that looks to have been well used in its time. In the center of the room are two large support pillars that have a very 1800’s style about them. They too are cracking and could use some touching up. On the west wall of the lounge is a wooden trophy case with glass panels protecting the contents. Inside, there are a few old homecoming trophies from when Dimmitt was an all girl residence hall. There is also a collection of assorted pottery, a sterling silver serving tray, some aging glass decorative serving dishes, a tea set adorned with the letters MC for Morningside College, and a hall log book with yellowing, almost parchment-like pages with the last entry about spring cleaning on May 8th submitted by a woman named Karilyn Sralock. On the east wall is an oil painting of who I would guess is Lillian E. Dimmitt in a wooden frame just as old as the painting itself.

As I roam the halls, I can hear all kinds of conversations coming from nearby rooms. One room is hosting an argument about favorite college football teams. In another, the speaker seems to be bad-mouthing her roommate to her friends. I experience different scents ranging from lilacs in a girl’s hall to sweat in a men’s hall. It takes quite a while to roam all of the halls on all of the floors of the building. Dimmitt’s massive structure covers nearly 110,000 sq. feet.

As I walk back down the steps to leave, more students enter talking about the Midnight Movie this Friday. I’m chilled as I walk down the driveway and look back at the dark bricks and landscaping.