Author: Hanna Young

In order to get bigger, you need to eat more calories but healthy calories. There is a difference between a handful of almonds and a handful of gummy bears. 

“Have a plan,” Chris Shank, a Strength and Conditioning Coordinator at Defiance College. He states, “A lot of people will sit there, especially young athletes, with working out very little and eating whatever they want. That’s why you need to have a plan. {You] need to know how many carbs, protein, and fats per week, per day, per meal,” Shank said. “There’s good weight, and there’s bad weight,” Shank said. To reach your goals of getting bigger, you have to have a plan of what you eat for every time you put food in your mouth. 

Supplements are something people all around the U.S. take to help them bulk up like protein powder and creatine. But supplements are not always the best thing for your body and can also be unsafe. “Anyone can, if you have the right marketing, just put a label on a supplement and have it say get big,” Shank said. Be sure to do your research on what is in the supplement you’re using because there could be something in there that you don’t like the way your body feels when taking it. 

Nate Hall, a Junior Education and History major at Defiance College, intakes 4000 to 5000 calories a day and works out for about an hour and a half per day. “Best thing for building muscle is diet, it’s about 80% diet, and 20% is lifting,” Hall said.

It is recommended to work all your muscles to bulk up evenly, such as biceps, triceps, chest, legs, back, etc. But you should work them at certain times of the week. “Generally, if you take three days off of lifting for a certain body part or muscle group, then that’s when you start to see gains,” Shank said.

There’s a facility on campus that allows you to work out just for being a Defiance College student, which is the George M. Smart Center. Another option, however, is not on campus. The local Defiance YMCA, located at 1500 Palmer Drive, supplies students with a free membership using your student ID. For more info visit: https://defianceymca.org/

Written by: Seth Pearson

With a special appearance by the 1969 Alumni team and a week set with activities, homecoming is bound to be full of great experiences. 

Talking with Head Football Coach Manny Matsakis, he remarked, “We should have a good crowd with alumni coming back. The 1969 undefeated football team with a Record 9-0 is coming back for their 50th anniversary.” The team will be getting inducted into the Hall of Fame. 

According to Coach Matsakis, the focus heading into homecoming week for the team is to continue “working on us instead of worrying about what opponent we are playing against. We will be playing the defending conference champions Hanover College at home.” 

“It’s the first actual home game in the stadium because the first game of the year we played Thursday night at Defiance High school.” Kick-off for the game is at 1:30 pm. 

The students can look forward to multiple activities this week as well.  Along with students receiving free entry to all events with their student ID, there are many other adventures planned. Lisa Marsalek, Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator said in an email the homecoming events will be as follows: 

• Monday night will be a movie night at the Northtowne Cinema  
• Tuesday will be Axe throwing, giant corn hole, Human billiards  
• Wednesday Homecoming T–shirts will be given away 

• Thursday there will be a bonfire between the residence Halls with S’mores  
• Friday is Lunchtime Bingo in the Café and ScreamAcres in Napoleon, Ohio. Transportation will be provided. 
• Saturday is tailgating Before the football team takes on Hanover. 

Homecoming week is also about the Homecoming court. 

 One of last year nominates, Brooke Gostomsky, an Exercise Science/Pre-Physical Therapy Major, explained the nomination process.   got an email that she was on the ballot and needed to head over to the office of student life. There she had her picture taken for the ballot that is emailed to all students. After she got selected to represent her junior class, she was invited to the alumni dinner on the Friday before the homecoming game. On the Saturday of homecoming, before the game began, all of the selected students are announced in order of their class-leading up to the homecoming court King and Queen.   

This year’s court consists of Julia Yeager and Noah Svanvery representing the freshman class, Kelsie Shafer and Matt Cline as our Sophomore attendant and escort, Kayln Pickens and Lucas Thomeier for the Junior Class. The Senior Attendants are Jessica Mello, Blake Newman, and Whitney Webb. The Senior Escorts this year are Zac Brazen, Chris Keys, and Jason Santora.  

For more information on all the activities this week, check out the DC website at http://www.defiance.edu/student-life/activities/homecoming.html. 

Written by: Aubrey Griggs

This season, the Women’s Golf team faces what some people might consider a setback–the number of players on the roster.

The Women’s Golf team consists of just two members; Shelby Mercer and Maricella Najar. Mercer is a Sophomore and Najar is a freshman. 

DC’s roster number can be discouraging at times, but with a positive attitude and hard work, Najar and Mercer are determined to make this Fall season a season to remember.  

The members of the golf team have been working together to compete at a high level despite the talent and numbers that are present in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC). 

 All of the Yellow Jacket’s competitors in the HCAC all roster five or more members to a team. With the decrease in rostered players for DC, the team realizes just how important it is to stay focus and determined. Keeping a positive mindset going into practice and matches is key for the program. 

According to Mercer, the Yellow Jacket’s season is going well. Practices are the best for getting more work in on fixing their swings, correcting their grip and posture, improving ball control, and perfecting putting and chipping. 

These practices allow them to encourage one another to keep pushing to reach their goals. Practices put the focus on each member’s strengths and weaknesses. By determining those and working hard to improve them, the Yellow Jackets grow together as a team.  

“The season is going well. I have had some amazing shots and every time I play, I just keep getting better.” Mercer remarks.  

As the season continues on, Najar and Mercer maintain their focus, determination, and competitiveness. The team has big plans for their upcoming matches as they approach the end of the Fall season. 

By far, the Yellow Jackets are most determined to beat conference rivals, Bluffton.

According to Mercer, the Women’s Golf rivalry between Defiance and Bluffton runs deep. “I take rivals seriously so I make sure I play my very best going up against them.”  The team wishes to outscore Bluffton and overtake the Beaver’s standings within the HCAC.  

Like any team in the HCAC, the Yellow Jackets wish to finish at the top of the conference this season. According to the HCAC Women’s Golf Standings, Mount St. Joseph University Lions (Cincinnati, OH) is top of the pack, holding the first place spot.

Following behind the Lions, is Anderson University (Anderson, IN), Hanover College (Hanover, IN), Franklin College (Franklin, IN), and Manchester University (Manchester, IN). 

DC’s rival, Bluffton sits one spot ahead of the Yellow Jackets, ranking seventh overall. The Yellow Jackets are determined to bump their standing prior to the offseason and tournament action.  

Working hard day in and day out, constantly pushing themselves to better their swings, and dedicating themselves during practice and matches, the Women’s Golf team strives towards excellence.  

For additional information on the men’s or women’s golf team, contact Coach Allen Curtiss at (c) 419-956-7055 or acurtiss@defiance.edu

Written by: Hailey Krawczyk  

There are currently 39 people on the Esports roster at Defiance College and Head Coach Corey Parks is looking for more. 

The focus of Coach Parks has this year is to recruit as many people as he can. “If you like video games, come on down to the esports program,” Parks said.  

Esports is any electronic game that has a group of people to play. Much like any sporting event, there are set dates for when the team plays. “You compete throughout the course of one or two months; then you have playoffs and if you make the top eight…[those] teams will go to one specific spot to compete and that’s your league,” Parks said. 

 “The thing about esports is that games can pop up left and right; it really just comes down to the communities,” Parks said. 

The games that the esports team play throughout the year include: Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Super Smash Brothers Ultimate and Melee, Counter-Strike, Fortnite, and Rocket League. 

Coach Parks plans to incorporate the streaming platform called Twitch this year. “So being able to increase our stream for people that know what’s happening is probably one of the biggest goals right now along with the great overall experience in the program,” Parks said. 

  Along with Twitch, Parks wants to recruit a broadcaster to talk about what’s going on throughout competitions. “Most programs have a Twitch and they also have a broadcaster, but I really want to push to the next level and get people out here that know their stuff so we can really grow our stream,” Parks said.  

Parks explains how he came to the realization that the people watching need a broadcaster to know what’s going on during competitions, “I was so caught up in the world of esports that I thought everyone else knew what I knew.”  

Along with his big goal to set up a stream, Coach Parks just wants everyone in the program to have fun.  

Parks is very experienced in the world of esports, and even just gaming in general.  

Parks started playing video games at age 10 years old, entered his first competitive scene at 15 for Counterstrike, and went professional at age 18.  

For more information contact Coach Parks at cparks@defiance.edu.  Or stop by the esports arena which is located in the downstairs area of the Pilgrim Library. 

Written by: Seth Pearson

Last week the country celebrated National Voter Registration Day. It falls on the fourth Tuesday in September. The holiday is to promote awareness to eligible adults about voter registration so that no one misses the deadline to register.  Everyone can then vote in the upcoming elections without interruptions.  

First celebrated in 2012, National Voter Registration started its campaign to get the word out. As stated by the National Voter Registration Day website, “Every year millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss a registration deadline, don’t update their registration, or aren’t sure how to register. National Voter Registration Day wants to make sure everyone has the opportunity to vote.” 

To be eligible to vote, according to USA.gov, adults must be U.S. citizens, meet their home state residency requirements and be at least 18 years old before election day. They are also required to be registered. Unless you are from North Dakota as they do not require registration, everyone else that is eligible will need to register to vote.   

Students must meet all requirements to vote in future elections.  

For students that are not registered and wish to become a valid voter,  there are the many ways to register.

For those unable to register in person, most states now allow online registration. It is available for 38 states and the District of Columbia. Check here to see if your state has online registration. Other options for students not registered is to “download the National Mail Voter Registration Form. You can fill it out on screen and print the completed form, or print the blank form and fill it out by hand.” Then mail it to your local election office. 

For those students who would rather register in person, there are many options in location to visit and sign up to vote. Head to your local Board of Elections office where they can help you fill out the proper forms to get registered. Also, check your local department of motor vehicle office or armed forces recruitment center as most of the location can register you. Your state and county public assistance offices may also be able to register voters. 

To check if you are eligible to register, are already registered or to find out more information, go to https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote or visit https://vote.gov/ to find out how to register. To find out more about National Registration Day, check out their website here: https://nationalvoterregistrationday.org/ 

Written by: April Johnson 

Despite no turnout at all, Meaningful Movie Mondays continue into the Fall 2019 Semester at Defiance College.

M&M Mondays show documentaries and other films that are purposeful and thought-provoking, with plans to follow the screening with a discussion on the topic within the film. The lack of turnout has made both that and the passing out of free M&M candy ineffectual.

Created by Lisa Crumit-Hancock, Assistant Dean of Student Success, M&M Mondays began in the Fall Semester of 2018, making this the second consecutive year of its existence. Despite its establishment, turnout at the first presentation of the fall semester was zero.

“This (the lack of attendance) shows that we haven’t been getting the word out as well as we could be.” Lisa Crumit-Hancock commented. “Emails don’t seem to be cutting it, so we are very open to suggestions from students when it comes to marketing the event and getting the word out.”

“We kept the event going because it wasn’t costing anything really,” Brandon Ripke, the Academic Support Coordinator at Pilgrim Library, explained while he was setting up the first film of the semester. “Kanopy is something that Defiance College uses, so we figured that this could be a way to further implement it.”

Kanopy, as Ripke mentioned above, is a service for documentaries and films. The site’s byline claims it has a focus on “Classic Cinema, Indie Films, and Top Documentaries.” The Kanopy service is free for students with the use of their Defiance College ID. Every film that has been used for Meaningful Movie Mondays and that is planned for the future is hosted on Kanopy. To check out the movies available go to https://www.kanopy.com/ for free access.  

The first showing of the semester was at 7 pm on Monday, September 9th. The movie was a documentary called “Girls Rock,” which followed a group of girls, ages 8-18 during a week-long stay at the aptly named Rock and Roll Camp for Girls.

The next showing of the semester will be on Monday, September 23rd, in the Media Room in the basement of Pilgrim Library, at 7 pm. The documentary this time will be titled “Geek Girls: The Hidden Half of Fan Culture,” and will “open up about the lives (of women) in the world of conventions, video games, and other rife-with-misogyny pop culture touchstones.”

Written by Camrin Santchi

Professor Jo Ann Burkhardt is a part of the Education department at Defiance College. She previously studied at Bowling Green State University, The University of Toledo and the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Science. She has a bachelors in education, a masters in administration and supervision, a specialists degree in leadership,  a Ph.D. and a culinary degree–that was her favorite to obtain.

  Professor Burkhardt is from the Cleveland area and came here for her first teaching job at Tinora Schools.  Being in the area, she became familiar with Defiance College. 

When Professor Burkhardt is not in the classroom helping students, she says she is a ‘fiber-artist-wannabe.’ She dyes fibers, spins, weaves, knits, sews, and makes dye baths out of natural ingredients. 

Professor Burkhardt’s philosophy of teaching is that “all students can learn.” She believes, “you must teach who you get, not who you want or who you think you should. A teacher must accept everyone and help eliminate barriers [with] their students. A teacher has an active role in a student’s learning and needs to keep them engaged.”

When asked why she chose the education field, she states, “…I chose to become a teacher [because] at the time, there were not a lot of options for women. You could be a nun, a nurse, or a teacher. I went to [an all girls] catholic school, and so I knew [becoming] a nun was out of the picture, and I knew nursing was [out also]—so I went with teaching. And I’m so glad I did. It was really for me!” 

In the current generation, Burkhardt wishes that colleges and universities had a voice in how they teach and structure their teacher education programs. “All teacher education programs across the United States are the same because we all have to teach the same stuff,” Burkhardt said. “Academic standards may vary from state to state, but in order to train teachers, you have to be accredited by a national body—and there is only one. In order for us to continue training teachers, we have to be approved by [the national body]. Licensure programs have to do things a certain way ”. 

She actively helps students pave their way to success. Professor Burkhardt has encouraged many students to pursue their dreams by helping them along their journey to becoming teachers. If you haven’t had the chance to cross paths with her Professor Burkhardt, take the time out of your day to get acquainted. 

Written by Tessa Wall

Post Malone is undoubtedly one of the most popular and successful musicians of our generation. His music has topped the Billboard charts the past three years with hit singles playing consistently on the radio and streaming services. On September 6th, 2019, Post dropped his third studio album, Hollywood’s Bleeding. The collection features 17 songs, comparable to his other records.

Arguably, Hollywood’s Bleeding is his best work thus far. On this album, we get a “softer” version of his music. Post’s vocals range from his traditional raspy tone, a softer pitch, and a smoky howling voice. With the diversity in his vocals, changing from song to song makes the form of the album more attractive to fans. Post also has begun to use a soprano in a few tracks like “Allergic” and “A Thousand Bad Times.” “Allergic” features some alternative rock influences, similar to songs written and produced in the early 2000s, helping it to stand out from traditional-sounding Posty creations.

The album opens with the title track “Hollywood’s Bleeding.” The song discusses how rough the Hollywood lifestyle can be and offers us an insight into how Post feels about his lifestyle and the world around us. Other tracks like “Internet” provide us with insight into how Post thinks about how the internet has impacted our daily lives.

Other tracks like “Circles,” “Goodbyes (Feat. Young Thug), and “A Thousand Bad Times” discuss everyday challenges. The chill vibes of the tracks, from Hollywood’s Bleeding, are expected to be fan favorites.
Hollywood’s Bleeding also features an astronomical number of celebrity features including SZA, Meek Mill, Young Thug, Halsey, DaBaby, Travis Scott and even Ozzy Osbourne. Coming as a shock to most fans, Ozzy Osbourne is by far the most unique of the collaborations. Osbourne was Black Sabbath’s lead singer in the ’70s.

Osbourne and Scott are both features on “Take What You Want.” This track discusses wanting to be released by a toxic relationship. The mixture of artists on this track makes it one of Post’s most unique and different sounding songs.

The range of his vocals, diversity in the album’s features, and range of beats and influences make it stand out from his other work.

Students can listen to Post’s new album online using Spotify, Amazon Music, iTunes, or most streaming services.

Post also has a specialty line of Crocs and runs a music festival, PostyFest.

Written by: Hailey Krawczyk

If you’re interested in pop culture, art, and dressing up in costumes, check out the Defiance ComicCon

The 5th annual “DefCom5”, presented by the Defiance Public Library, is being held at the Defiance Northtowne Mall on Saturday, April 13th from 10 am- 2 pm.

This free, family-friendly event welcomes people of all ages. Cara Richards, a librarian at Defiance Public Library, said, “We will have some horror artists, anime artists, and also a ‘geeky’ bakery. There will be face painting and crafts for kids. People can also sign up the day of to participate in a Doctor Who escape room.”

An event like this allows students to experience local artists and join in on a community event. Richards explained “It’s a nice chance to see art in the local area. If you’re a college student that’s into the arts, it’s a great chance to talk to local artists to get a feel on art after college.”

Wanting to participate further than the crafts and the escape room, sign up for the cosplay competition. “Students can register or just show up in your cosplay the day of to sign up.” Be prepared to see plenty of people dressed up. Richards stated, “We are pretty heavy on cosplayers this year, so we will have a lot of people walking around in costumes, as well as some professional cosplayers.”

Participating in the cosplay competition, there will be many prizes offered as a reward. Richards added, “We’ve received tons of donation from many local shops as well as ones in Toledo and Fort Wayne too. We’ll be giving away pop vinyl figures, posters, and other pop culture-themed prizes.”

Anyone needing some assistance with their cosplay costume, there’s a space available to use at the Defiance Library. Richards said, “The maker space is free for anyone who has a library card. You can use the 3D printer, sewing machine and the silhouette that cuts out paper and vinyl. This space is available upon appointment to make sure I am here to help.”

Richards also stressed this event, saying “You can’t always make it to Chicago or even the Toledo to a big ComicCon, and this one doesn’t cost you $60 just to get in the door.”

Richards and her coworkers started this event five years ago. “It all started with all of our love for comics. We had around 300 people attend, so we decided we would bring this event back. It’s a big event for the library.”

The Defiance Public Library, located on 320 Fort Street, is a free space that anyone in the community can use by signing up for a library card. “The library cards are free for students to sign up for, and there is a college student card too if they are not an Ohio resident.” Stopping in to sign up for a library card will give someone access to help create their costume, but also many more opportunities.

Written by Kenzie Hall