Author: Hanna Young

Many of my days here at DC start off or end with a trip to Schauffler which is where I am currently writing right now. Many music students find ourselves here very often, especially in 117. There is one person though that I see more often than not and that is Dr. Jim Watson.

Dr. Jim has only been with us for a semester. He moved up here from South Carolina with his wife, Hannah and his two kids, Ben and Kate. He just recently received his doctorate from the University of South Carolina in Choral Conducting. I have had the privilege of getting to know Dr. Jim through working for him, being in Chamber Singers, Choral Union, Marching Band, and Pep Band. Dr. Jim or Dr. Lavender as the band kids call him( if you want to know why he is called that join the band) is a great director.

I have learned quite a bit from taking a few of his classes. He is extremely passionate about music and it shows. Many times when I have went up to his office for a meeting he will tell me that he wants to show me something. He will pull up something about music or tell me a fun fact about a piece we are doing and his eyes just light up. He puts in countless hours in order to help us succeed. He truly cares about each one of us. Countless times when I am getting ready to leave for the night Dr. Jim has told me to have a safe trip back to Stryker which is where I live. Many people don’t remember those kinds of details. He also has a unique sense of humor.

The band decided to give him a prank gift at the end of the season. Dr. Jim would always tell us that he spent thousands of dollars on his hands, that we should watch them, and then he would proceed to laugh. We gave him some golden gloves to protect his golden hands and he started to laugh when we gave them to him.

Overall it takes a pretty special person to be able to be at the helm of an entire music program, choral and instrumental included. He has done a great job with us so far and I am looking forward to seeing where the programs go from here. If you want to learn more about Dr. Jim, don’t be afraid to go say hi to him at his office in Schauffler 210 or join one of the ensembles. Dr. Jim, if you are reading this, thank you for all that you have done and will do for these programs. It means a lot to us.

Written by Keira Grandey

The way a person perceives their future, where they come from, and what their interests are, all have an effect when picking a school to further their education after high school. Some students see themselves at a big university post graduation, other students enjoy a small town feel and will go to smaller colleges. So what is the difference from a student’s perspective on big and small colleges? I sat down with two students, Meghan Pier and Ely King, to see what they think of big colleges and small colleges, what decisions they have made, and why they made them.

First, I sat down with Meghan Pier, a student at a Division I University.

Q1. What school do you go to?

MP: Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

Q2. What year are you?

MP: I just finished my first semester of sophomore year.

Q3. What has been your experience in the classroom?

MP: Intro level classes are large lectures but classes for your major are a lot smaller, they are about 20 people. Sometimes you do feel less inclined to go to classes that are larger lectures because the professors don’t know you and don’t take attendance. There is less 1 on 1 with professors because lectures are so large.

Q4. What has been your experience outside the classroom? What do you do in your free time?

MP: BSU has a lot of different activities around campus. The individual dorm buildings have their own events as well throughout the year like once, my building made toys for the humane society. You can work out at the rec center and there are also concerts on campus. I spend my free time going to bible study and watching Netflix, also attending some campus events.

Q5. What kinds of things are there to do in your college town?

MP: There is a movie theatre, a decent sized mall, farmers market, people hang out at the park along the river, a bowling alley, the Escape Room Game, and the nightlife at the bars for 21 and over students is also very popular.

Q6. What do you imagine a small school is like?

MP: The classes are probably the same size as the classes for our majors, there are probably shorter walks to class, there probably are not as many food options as well. I do feel like there would be better relationships on campus because of the close proximity and you see more of the same people daily. I also feel like relationships with professors would be better.

Overall, Meghan enjoys the atmosphere at Ball State more than she feels like she would at a smaller college because she said she comes from a bigger highschool of about 3,000 students. She looks forward to this coming semester and the years to come!

Next I sat down with Defiance College’s own, Ely King. Ely is a very involved student around campus and really enjoys the atmosphere at DC. Here is what she had to say about her experience at Defiance and how she views a bigger university in comparison.

Q1. What has your experience been inside of the classroom?

EK: Classes are very small, they are definitely more personalized, and there is a lot of 1 on 1 time with the professors. The positive part of the smaller class sizes is that the professor is willing to set the pace of the class at the pace that the students themselves feel comfortable with and professors are very attentive to students individual needs.

Q2. What has been your experience outside of the classroom? How do you spend your time?

EK: I am very involved. A small school allows me to be involved in a collegiate varsity sport, which is softball. I am involved in greek life with APO, service projects, Campus Activity Board, and more. The whole campus community feels more like a family.

Q3. What kinds of things are there to do in your college town?

EK: Ice cream trips, small mall and a movie theatre, small businesses and shops, sporting events, and there is a river and a dam to go visit.

Q4. What do you think your experience would be at a big university?

EK: I don’t think it would be for me, I think I would feel less like a student and more like a number. It wouldn’t be a personalized structure. While there would be more opportunities to do stuff and meet new people, I would have a large group of friends as opposed to a small group of best friends like I do now.

There are positives and negatives to all schools, it all just depends on the environment students wish to surround them as they go on to further their education. For me personally, I think Defiance was the right choice for me and for what I am looking for out of my education. Regardless if the school you chose or need to choose is big or small, go out and make memories with the people around you you’ll never forget!

Written by Haleigh Parrish

The Serrick Center was still new when this Thanksgiving dinner took
place in 2002.  Professor Harper is in the center (under the TV)
serving drinks to students.  Don’t forget to partake in this year’s
Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday Nov. 17 at 5:00PM.

From Barb Sedlock, Archival Librarian

At this point in the lives of college students, finding internships and working towards a career is very important. Students are learning to be professional, make connections and network, and reach out to potential employers that could determine their future life course. The following are a few tips to make students stand out to potential employers.

Emailing is the most simple form of contacting a business or employer. If you have questions on who it is that should actually be contacted, emailing is an easy way to do that. The email will typically be redirected or replied to with the correct person. But the next steps are crucial in creating a solid email that can get students one step closer to their dream job.

Step 1: Write a clear subject line

According to Business Insider, cold emailing to inquire about a job requires a pretty catchy subject line. It will help the email to stand out among all of the other emails they receive.

Step 2: Address your message to the correct person

Put in the effort to make sure about who it is the email is being sent to. Nothing can give an employer a bad impression like addressing the wrong person. Employers like people who do their research, it bodes well for a potential employee.

Step 3: Talk about what you can provide an employer

Shana Lebowitz from Business Insider says “talk about the value you can provide — for example, ‘would love to share my ideas on increasing sales team productivity.’ Consider what the person you’re emailing cares about and why she would want to read your message.”

Step 4: Customize the email to the individual employer

It is not good to just copy and paste the same general email for every employer. Customize the email and make it look original. An employer can usually tell if it is the same email other employers receive because it will be very generic. Employers are looking for reasons to cut down the number of applications they receive, so they may pick at little mistakes.

Step 5: Don’t copy and paste your resume

Students should attach their resume as a pdf or external document. It is easier to read, the format will be correct, and it looks more professional.

Step 6: Send your email as soon as you can after the job is posted

Lebowitz says it is ideal to send the email within 72 hours of the job posting. It assures that applications will not already be narrowed down by then.

Step 7: Follow up promptly  

Try to follow up after about a week of sending the application, and even include in the email that you plan to follow up in about that time. If the application has a date that it closes, follow up within a week of that date.

Tips for Phone Calls

Calling on the phone can be much different. Some people are very well spoken, and some may not be. This can make calling a potential employer much more difficult. Before calling, the number one tip which may seem obvious is being prepared. A caller must be prepared to answer any questions the employer may ask and also be prepared to ask the employer questions as well. The steps to follow will give students a little more confidence and be a little more prepared to potentially start their future!

Step 1: Know the job

It is very helpful to know the details of the job being inquired about. Being informed and doing research can impress a potential employer and leave a good impression, giving them confidence in you.

Step 2: Write down what you want to say

It is important to write down some important points to be made. They can be informative towards character and personality, or they can just be facts researched about the company to prove the knowledgeability of the job. Just make sure to not sound like the conversation is completely scripted.

Step 3: Set yourself up

Find a quiet room where interruptions will be very limited if not non existent. Try and use a landline to ensure the call will not drop. Josie Chun from Career FAQs says to remember that “it’s also important not to chew gum, eat or drink while talking, but have a glass of water on hand in case your mouth gets dry.”

Step 4: Don’t forget the niceties

Ask first to make sure you are speaking to the right person. Once that is addressed, ask if it is a convenient time to call and if not, ask when to call back. Jot notes down in order to prepare questions for the employer. At the end of the call, always thank them for their time.

Step 5: Keep a record

Chun also says “keep a record of all the calls you make – note the date, who you spoke to and what you discussed.”

Step 6: Follow up

Just like with emailing, always follow up the call. Follow up the call with an email, thanking them again for their time, and attach a resume and cover letter in the email as well.

Putting yourself out there is never an easy thing to do in any context. But it is very important in order to attain the life you have planned for yourself. Both methods of contact are just a small step on the path to bigger and better things in the future. Taking the first step towards the future is never an easy thing, and it does take courage, but following these steps can make things just a bit easier for students who may not know where exactly to start. Be bold and start your future, because eventually the future is going to be happening, and you never want to look back and regret the times you decided to play it safe and not reach towards your dream opportunities.

Written by Haleigh Parrish

On October 6th, the Arts and Humanities departments hosted its “Stone Soup” event, which is hosted annually. The event consisted of food, intellectual conversations, and drinks. The turnout for
such a small event and space was pretty large for the maximum of people being in the space at once being about fifteen people. Students and staff alike were satisfied with the company and to share thoughts with one another while enjoying great food.

The soup made by Professor MC Harper was simply amazing, a sentiment stated by students and staff alike, consisting of all sorts of veggie goodness. MC put a lot of effort into the main dish and “Thank you MC!” echoed off the walls and were distributed appropriately. Professor Todd Comer slaved his way through his own kitchen the previous day of the event as well, to bring to the event chocolate chip cookies and a mystery nutty kind that did not survive the event as intended.

The conversations at such an event being deep is one of the best parts, which you will get with a
Arts and Humanities event. Thoughts flew through the air and burrowed through students and staff
after filling up on soup and cookies. Ideas and thoughts jumping back and forth. From talk of film,
adapting book to film, and ideas of how to engage students interest in subjects. The conversations being one of the reasons you would attend, were educational and useful for students working on their degrees in these fields.

These events are good for students to meet others in the same field of study and to meet the Professors you will be working with to achieve your goals and should consider attending future events to receive such great knowledge from the Professors that work for The Defiance College.

People tend to look negatively upon sequels, especially animated sequels as being
inferior to the original product. This isn’t without reason, as sequels are often pushed out the
door with far less thought and effort then the movies that spawned them, with executives
attempting to milk as much viewership out of the product’s reputation as they can. The reason I
believe this is so often been a problem with animated films is because of how animation is
believed to be for children, and children make for such a rich demographic who are seen as
willing to eat anything up without questioning its quality.

Even though I disagree with this viewpoint, whenever I think of an animated movie I
liked growing up, I have to question my own judgement about whether it was really as good as I
remember or if it will fail to stand the test of time. One such movie I remember very fondly,
which happens to also be a sequel, is Balto: Wolf Quest. I actually grew up with the sequel movie
rather than the original, which I didn’t see until I was an adult. I decided to do a bit of a
throwback review this week for a sequel I still believe, even after watching it earlier this week,
gets far less credit then it deserves.

Balto, the original movie, deals with a straight-forward but heavily fictionalized version
of the historical wolf-dog and his heroic efforts to lead a sled team bringing medicine to the
people of Nome, Alaska. If I could compare it to anything, I’d have to draw a parallel between
this movie and Don Bluth’s Anastasia. Both movies feature historical figures and events that are
heavily distorted from how they actually happened, but still manage to thrill and entertain and
most importantly, tell a good story. That said, the first animated Balto movie is fairly par for the
course for what it is, and it might be hard to imagine that such a movie could lead to any quality
sequels without stretching its source material.

Balto: Wolf Quest almost certainly does stretch the material beyond belief, to the point
where the fabric gives way and the contents spill out in a completely original, unexpected
direction. The sequel movie stars the fictional daughter of Balto, Aleu, as she and her father
embark on the titular vision quest to discover her destiny. What makes this sequel unique is the
complete change in atmospherics from the original. Rather than being a colorful but down to
earth adaptation of a historical event, this movie plunges us straight into a mystical world of
ghostly creatures, strange dreams and even apparent magic. Eventually, Balto and Aleu find
themselves placed in charge of deciding the fate of a starving wolf pack, which will in turn help
decide Aleu’s true destiny.

This radical departure from the original story is ironically what saves this movie from
being just another lazy sequel. A description of all this may seem a bit strange for those only
familiar with the first film, but in motion it makes for a graceful, deeply spiritual adventure that’s
as much a journey of the heart as of the body. I was bizarrely transfixed by this movie as a child,
and I was pleasantly surprised to see that it still holds up even today. If you’re looking for a new
but old animated movie to watch with your children or even just for the sheer sake of watching
it, I highly recommend Balto: Wolf Quest as an example of an animated sequel done right.

Visuals

3.5/5. There’s some conspicuous CG here and there that hasn’t aged as well as the rest of
the movie, but at the same time there are parts of this movie where the animation is still stunning,
even eerie.

Story

5/5. The bold new direction that this sequel takes from its predecessor only does it favors,
as it manages to be compelling and atmospheric at the same time.

Voice Acting

3.5/5. Kevin Bacon does not reprise his original role as Balto here, his voice instead
being filled by career voice actor Maurice LaMarche, although the difference is hardly
noticeable! I was surprised that Aleu’s voice acting was much more grating then I remember as a
child, which is what prevents this from having a higher score.

Final Score: 4/5

Written by Alisa Pescosolido