THE DEFIANCE COLLEGE DEFENDER

Category: 2022-23

  • Yellow Jackets Sports Weekly Recap (Dec. 5- Dec. 11)

    By: Brandon Unverferth

    Wrestling: Thurs. Dec. 8

    Defiance 40, Wilmington College 12 (Wilmington Dual)

    The Defiance College wrestling team welcomed the Wilmington Quakers to the Karl H. Weaner Center Thursday evening for the Wilmington Dual. Both squads were short-handed in this matchup, which led to numerous forfeits. The 125 weight class saw no result, as neither team had a wrestler present for this weight class. In the 133 weight class, senior Seth Majewski won by forfeit, while sophomore Kliever Joseph was victorious via forfeit in the 141 weight class. In the 149 weight class, junior Brent Eicher won by forfeit, while freshman Daniel Gravette was the fourth and final Yellow Jacket victorious via forfeit in the 165 weight class. In the 157 weight class, senior Alejandro Castro faced off against sophomore Garrett Simmons, where Castro took the victory by fall (5:52). In the 174 weight class, Wilmington senior Adrian Salomone won by forfeit. In the 184 weight class, sophomore Joey Perez competed against freshman Alexander Ruth. Joey won by a major decision of 15-1. In the 197 weight class, senior Jack Minner won by fall (1:54) over Quaker freshman Brayden Smith. Finally, in the 285 weight class, freshman Lesly Fleurissaint faced off against junior Mo Sissoko. Sissoko won by fall (2:07).

    Men’s Basketball: Sat. Dec. 10

    Hanover College 73 (5-2), Defiance 46 (2-5)

    The Yellow Jackets men’s basketball team traveled to Hanover, Indiana, Saturday afternoon for an HCAC conference showdown against the Hanover Panthers. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Kiewaun Graham, (senior) Te Jones, (junior) Easton Lewis, and (sophomore) Landen Swanner. Forty-one seconds into the game, senior Marell Jordan got the scoring started for Defiance as he knocked down a midrange jumper to tie the game at 2 early on. Following Jordan’s basket, the Panthers went on a 13-0 scoring run over a two-and-a-half minute stretch (15:42 left in the 1st), to push the Hanover lead to 15-2. Midway through the first half, Defiance was able to trim the Panthers lead to six (19-13). In the next six minutes, Hanover went on quite an impressive scoring run as they scored 15 straight unanswered points (4:45 left in the 1st) to stretch the lead to 34-15. At the half, the Panthers had a lead of nineteen (42-23). Sophomore Landen Swanner was the first Yellow Jacket to find the scoreboard in the second half, as he connected on a long-range jumper. Beginning at the 3-minute mark of the second half through the 7-minute mark, Hanover went on a 11-0 scoring run to stretch the Panthers lead to twenty (58-28). At the midway point of the second half, Hanover had a comfortable lead of 62-39. The Defiance bench saw a large amount of action in the final seven minutes of this contest. In the end, Hanover captured the victory 73-46. Senior Marell Jordan led all players in scoring with 27 points. Jordan also recorded four steals and six rebounds. The Panthers had a trio of players in double-digits, including senior Ty Houston (20), sophomore Coleman Sater (17), and junior Brice Gilman (11). Hanover shot 50.9% (28-55) from the field, while Defiance shot 33.9% (20-59). The Yellow Jackets were perfect from the free throw line (2-2), while the Panthers shot 70.6% (12-17) from the charity stripe. Hanover out-rebounded Defiance 40-29, including a 12-10 offensive rebound advantage. The Panthers dominated the points in the paint category 44-14.

    When senior Grant Johnson was asked by The Defender about his thoughts following Saturday’s matchup at Hanover, he expressed, “It was great to see us compete from the start to the very end of the contest, but we gotta execute better if we want to start seeing the results we know we are capable of. We have a trio of non-conference games to figure it out.“

    Women’s Basketball: Sat. Dec. 10

    Hanover College 68 (6-2), Defiance 54 (1-5)

    The Defiance College women’s basketball team traveled to Hanover, Indiana, Saturday afternoon to take on the Hanover Panthers in HCAC conference action. The starters in this contest included (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (senior) Nicole Sims, (junior) McKenzie Cooper, (junior) Cait Good, and (sophomore) Kaitlin Paul. Senior Lauren Criblez got the Yellow Jackets scoring started 3 minutes and seven seconds into the game, as she found an open lane to the basket for the layup. Hanover followed Criblez’s score with a 5-0 scoring run, which extended the Panthers lead to 8-3 (4:07 left in the 1st). A few moments later (2:49 left in the 1st), junior Cait Good was able to find an open lane to bucket for a layup, thanks to an assist from senior Taylor Steinbrunner. Following Good’s basket, the Panthers went on another 5-0 scoring run to end the opening quarter with a 13-5 advantage. Eight seconds into the second quarter, junior McKenzie Cooper knocked in a midrange jumper from the top of the key, which cut the Hanover lead to six. Midway through the second quarter, junior Reese Sexton for Hanover connected on a pair of free throws following a Defiance foul by junior McKenzie Cooper (21-11). At the half, Hanover was able to maintain a double-digit lead of ten, 29-19. Ten seconds into the third quarter, junior McKenzie Cooper splashed home a three-pointer, which cut the Hanover advantage back to single-digits (29-22). Hanover quickly answered off Cooper’s triple as they went on a 7-0 scoring run to stretch the lead to fourteen (36-22). Midway through the third quarter, the Yellow Jackets went on a 9-0 scoring run of their own, as freshman Kalista Friday punched in a pair of three pointers and junior Cait Good connected on a shot from downtown as well (3:29 left in the third). The Panthers concluded the third quarter on a 8-0 scoring run, which stretched Hanover’s lead back to fourteen (48-34). Just like the first quarter, senior Lauren Criblez found an open lane to the basket to start the fourth quarter with a layup, as she capitalized off an assist from senior Taylor Steinbrunner (48-36). With 6:42 left, freshman Ali Mowen splashed home a three-pointer from the left wing, which cut the Panthers lead back to single digits at eight (52-44). Thirty-two seconds later (6:10 left), senior Lexie Sparks capitalized off a steal from freshman Ali Mowen by finishing the fast break opportunity with an open layup, which cut the Panthers lead to six (52-46). In the next four minutes, however, Hanover went on a 7-0 scoring run to stretch the lead back to thirteen, with a pair of jumpers from junior Taylor Heath and a three-pointer from sophomore Katherine Benter. Junior Cait Good responded with a three-pointer of her own thirteen seconds later (2:08 left), to cut the deficit back to ten (59-49). The Panthers ended the game on a 9-5 scoring run, to take the victory 68-54. Hanover finished with a trio of players in double-digit scoring, including junior Reese Sexton (12), senior Callie Wilder (11), and junior Taylor Heath (10). The Yellow Jackets finished with two players in double-digits, including junior Cait Good (13) and senior Lexie Sparks (10). Hanover shot 37.9% (22-58) from the field, while Defiance shot 33.9% (20-59). The Yellow Jackets knocked down eleven 3-pointers, including nine in the second half alone, while Hanover was only able to connect on five opportunities from behind the arc. Hanover scored 19 points from the charity stripe, while Defiance took just five attempts in the contest from the free-throw line. The Panthers out-rebounded Defiance 46-28, including a 15-8 offensive rebound advantage.

    When senior Nicole Sims was asked by The Defender about her thoughts following Saturday’s matchup at Hanover, she expressed, “We played hard from start to finish. Our defense was starting to come together, but we just couldn’t hit shots this afternoon that we normally capitalize on. We kept it a close game and had great runs, with help from their turnovers. Once we are able to consistently execute on both ends of the floor, we will see the results we are looking for.“

    Home

    Wednesday, Dec. 14

    Men’s Basketball (2-5) vs Olivet College (2-4)

    Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

    (7:30 pm)

    Sunday, Dec. 18

    Women’s Basketball (1-5) vs Wooster College (1-8)

    Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

    (1:00 pm)

    Away

    Tuesday, Dec. 13

    Women’s Basketball (1-5) at Adrian College (3-4)

    (7:00 pm)

    Thursday, Dec. 15

    Women’s Basketball (1-5) at Hiram College (4-3)

    (7:00 pm)

  • Interesting Christmas Facts

    By: Elizabeth Patrick

    With Christmas being right around the corner, I thought that writing an article on interesting Christmas facts would help to get people in the Christmas spirit.

    To start with, one interesting fact is that the popular song Jingle Bells was not originally a Christmas song. The song “Jingle Bells” was originally a Thanksgiving song. According to “35 Interesting Christmas Facts for a Fun Holiday Trivia Night,” “ James Lord Pierpont wrote the song called “One Horse Open Sleigh” for his church’s Thanksgiving concert in the mid-19th century.” In 1857, the song was then released as “Jingle Bells” and is still one of the most popular Christmas songs.

    Another popular Christmas song called “Silent Night” is known as the most recorded Christmas song. According to “35 Interesting Christmas Facts for a Fun Holiday Trivia Night,” “Silent Night earns that title as the most recorded Christmas song in history.” “35 Interesting Christmas Facts for a Fun Holiday Trivia Night” also states that “It’s had more than 733 different versions copyrighted since 1978.”

    A third interesting fact is that Christmas decorating sends thousands of people to the emergency rooms each year. According to “35 Interesting Christmas Facts for a Fun Holiday Trivia Night,” “In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 14,700 people visit hospital emergency rooms each November and December from holiday-related decorating accidents.”

    During the time from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, millions of packages will be mailed and shipped each year. According to “35 Interesting Christmas Facts for a Fun Holiday Trivia Night”, “Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, the U.S. Postal Service delivered an estimated 910 million packages in 2019- in addition to 15 billion pieces of mail.” These numbers included gifts for loved ones, cards and Christmas Letters, and holiday credit card bills.

    Even though most people believe that Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year, that is actually not true. According to “35 Interesting Christmas Facts for a Fun Holiday Trivia Night”, “The most hectic days of the year are actually the Friday and Saturday before the conclusion.”

    In conclusion, Christmas is a time of year for celebrating with family and friends and spreading the Christmas spirit.

  • Welcome to Finals Week

    By: Caia Bevins

    Anyone who has survived finals week can tell you that it is an experience like no other. People you haven’t seen all semester except in the dining hall suddenly start popping up in the library and even make it to class, everyone is carrying around a cup of coffee while looking permanently exhausted, and office hours suddenly become a busy time for professors. It’s truly magical what can happen when one assignment is worth a third of your grade.
    So, let’s talk strategy. You can’t make it through finals without some sort of plan, so how are you going to manage your time because all-nighters and seven shots of expresso per hour aren’t going to cut it? In fact, research has shown that it is better to go to sleep and take an exam on a well-rested brain than to stay up all night to study. One of the worst things you can do is not get enough sleep.
    The first step to being successful during exam week is to check your exam schedule. If you’re not sure, here is a link to a PDF with all the dates and times: Microsoft Word – Final Exam Schedule Fall 2022 (defiance.edu). Put it on your calendar.

    The next thing you need to do is prioritize studying for the earlier exams and schedule time to study for later exams later in the week. In a perfect world, you would have already studied and be relatively prepared for the exam because you took notes and went to class throughout the semester, so you shouldn’t have to cram too much. If not, make sure to pace yourself and take breaks. Giving your brain a chance to absorb the information you are reading will help you retain that information for the exam.

    You can also choose to study with other people. Now, if you’re like me, you can’t study with other people because you won’t get anything done, but it can be useful if you want to test your knowledge or to see if you understand a concept. You can also keep each other on track and help each other focus.

    Utilizing the quiet rooms in the library or finding a quiet place around campus to study is also a good way to get work done. In the end, just study whatever way you are most productive and stick to a schedule.

    Finally, talk with your professors. Try and find out everything you can about the exam and prepare for it that way. When is your exam going to be taken? How long will you have to take it? Is the exam taken in class, or is it a take-home? Is it a written exam or multiple choice? Is there even going to be an exam? Some professors choose not to do an exam and instead assign a final paper that is due during finals week.

    The bottom line is to make sure you know exactly what the exam is going to be so you can prepare yourself for it and budget your time. Exam week is stressful for everyone on campus, so make sure you are ready to meet the challenge with every advantage possible. Good luck!

  • Book Review: Where the Crawdads Sing

    Where the Crawdads Sing, by Best Selling author Delia Owens, leads readers through Kya Clark’s story of life, love, and coming of age. The story covers the years 1952 to 1970 in Barkley Cove, a quiet fishing village. The book’s continuation of life-changing events keeps readers turning the pages of this book.

    “Marsh Girl,” or Kya Clark, spends her time in the Marshes of Barkley Cove, ruling the wild and her family’s rundown, abandoned shack. Living in the marsh, she has avoided going to school and interacting with others. However, she captures the attention of two young men from town with her wild beauty. When a popular town figure ends up dead in the marsh, she is the town’s first suspect. Kya is not what the town thinks she is, though. She learned how to read and write with help from Tate, an older family member’s friend. She paints and collects feathers, shells, and other wares. She keeps detailed records of the birds, shells, mushrooms, and other wildlife that can be found in the marsh.

    I could not put this book down; I continued to want to know what was going to happen next. There were so many different things that were thrown the reader’s way, from family drama to failed relationships. I was continuously amazed at the descriptions of the marsh and the beautiful poetry that was found between the pages of this book. There was enough kindness that was shown between some of the characters to open your eyes to what the world could hold if we were all just a little nicer to one another.

    Overall, I give this book a 5/5. This book was heartbreaking in a few ways, but it truly kept me engaged and gave me a new outlook on life.

  • Yellow Jackets Sports Weekly Recap (Nov. 28- Dec. 4)

    By: Brandon Unverferth

    Photography: Hanna Young

    Women’s Basketball: Wed. Nov. 30 and Sat. Dec. 3

    11/30: Manchester University 80 (4-2), Defiance 73 (1-3)

    Graduate #24 Taylor Day looks to score in the first half vs Manchester

    The Defiance College women’s basketball team hosted the Manchester Spartans (HCAC conference opponent) Wednesday evening at the Karl H. Weaner Center for a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference matchup. The starters in this contest included (graduate) Taylor Day, (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (senior) Nicole Sims, (junior) Kylie Brinkman, and (junior) Cait Good. Two minutes into the contest, graduate Taylor Day got the scoring started for the Yellow Jackets, as she capitalized on an open layup. Thirty seconds later (7:28 left in the 1st), freshman Mia Shields knocked down a bucket from three-point range to give the Spartans an early 6-2 lead. The Yellow Jackets took their first lead of the contest just past the halfway point of the first quarter (10-9), as senior Lauren Criblez found an open lane to the hoop for a layup. Senior Taylor Steinbrunner scored the final two points of the first quarter for either team, as she splashed a pair of free throws to give the Yellow Jackets a 20-16 lead to start the 2nd quarter. Just like the start of the 1st quarter, graduate Taylor Day got the scoring started for the Yellow Jackets in the 2nd, as she found herself an open lane to the basket for a layup to stretch the lead to six (22-16). With two minutes and forty seconds left in the second quarter, the Spartans found themselves back in the lead, as freshman Hailee Kline knocked down a huge three-pointer. Into the halftime break, Manchester led 37-36. The Spartans built off their momentum from the end of the second quarter, in the early stages of the third quarter, as they were able to put up the first points of the second half off a (freshman) Maddison Smith layup (24 seconds in). Near the midway point of the third quarter (5:45 left), the Yellow Jackets were able to retake the lead off a pair of free throws from senior Lauren Criblez 44-43. The difference in this game occurred in the 4th quarter, as the Spartans went on a massive 11-2 scoring run to take a nine-point lead (70-61) over Defiance with only 6 minutes and 25 seconds left to play. The Yellow Jackets were able to close the gap numerous times in the final six minutes of the contest, but in the end, the Manchester fourth-quarter push was just too much for Defiance to overcome. Most of Defiance’s points were scored in the paint (40) thanks to a 15-point night by senior forward Lauren Criblez. Fifth-year senior Taylor Day, senior Taylor Steinbrunner, and freshman Kalista Friday, each scored 11 points for the Yellow Jackets. Junior McKenzie Cooper narrowly missed double-figures with nine points, while junior Kylie Brinkman hit two of Defiance’s five three-pointers in the contest. Manchester finished with four players in double-digits including freshman Hailee Kline (17), freshman Jessie Ringen (13), graduate Bridget Nash (12), and freshman Mia Shields (11). The Spartans shot 50% (25-50) from the field, while Defiance shot 43.3% (29-67). The Yellow Jackets shot 76.9% (10-13) from the free-throw line, while Manchester shot 63% (17-27). Manchester outrebounded Defiance 39-29. The Defiance defense forced 27 turnovers, compared to Manchester’s 17. Defiance dominated the points in the paint category 40-24.

    When junior McKenzie Cooper was asked by The Defender about her thoughts following the conference opener, she expressed, “I think we did a lot of things well. We made some defensive mistakes throughout the night that cost us. Their 3-point shooting killed us and we weren’t able to capitalize off their turnovers. That being said, we’re looking to get back into the win column this weekend and correct our mistakes.“

    12/3: Franklin College 58 (2-3), Defiance 51 (1-4)

    Senior #20 Lexie Sparks moments before recording an assist vs Franklin

    The Yellow Jackets women’s basketball team welcomed the Franklin Grizzlies to the Karl H. Weaner Center for an HCAC conference showdown. The starters in this contest included (graduate) Taylor Day, (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (senior) Nicole Sims, (senior) Lauren Criblez, and (senior) Lexie Sparks. One minute into the contest, graduate Taylor Day got the scoring started for the Yellow Jackets, as she knocked down a pair of free throws following a personal foul from Franklin’s (junior) CiCi Bailey. In the first half, Defiance built up a comfortable lead after a 12-0 scoring run. The early momentum opened up a Defiance lead of 16-6, at the midway point of the first quarter. That run was fueled by a 3-point play via junior Mackenzie Cooper (4:17 left in the 1st), as she splashed home a 15-footer plus a free throw. Senior Taylor Steinbrunner later capitalized on an open three-pointer from the left wing (2:00), which also helped spark the Yellow Jacket scoring run. The Grizzlies were able to knock in a pair of buckets to close the first quarter, which cut the Defiance lead to 16-11. The Grizzlies went on to outscore the Yellow Jackets in the second quarter, 15-12, with the help of a layup by sophomore Taylor Cooney in the final few seconds before halftime. Defiance held a 47-43 lead after three-quarters of play before they went cold in the fourth. The Yellow Jackets only scored four points in the final 10 minutes of the contest, while Franklin was able to put up 15. The Defiance fourth quarter drought was the true difference maker in this game, as the Grizzlies went on to win 58-51. Franklin finished with a pair of players in double-figures including sophomore Taylor Cooney (13) and freshman Lauryn Bates (12). The Grizzlies’ leading scorer on the season, freshman Jordan Coon, was limited to just eight points. Seven Yellow Jackets put up points in this contest including senior Lexie Sparks (12), junior McKenzie Cooper (11), junior Cait Good (8), graduate Taylor Day (6), senior Lauren Criblez (5), senior Taylor Steinbrunner (5), and senior Nicole Sims (4). The Grizzlies shot 42% (21-50) from the field, while Defiance shot 25.5% (14-55). Franklin shot an impressive 50% (7-14) from behind the arc. The Yellow Jackets shot 80.8% (21-26) from the free-throw line, compared to Franklin’s 50% (9-18). Franklin out-rebounded Defiance, 47-29, despite committing 13 more turnovers (25-12).

    Men’s Basketball: Wed. Nov. 30 and Sat. Dec. 3

    11/30: Manchester University 86 (2-4), Defiance 76 (2-3)

    The Defiance College men’s basketball team traveled to Manchester, Indiana, Wednesday evening to kickoff HCAC conference play against the Manchester Spartans. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Kiewaun Graham, (sophomore) Clayton McCorkle, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, and (freshman) Evan Park. The Spartans started the game off “hot“ as they scored ten straight points, to open up to a 10-0 early lead. Junior Mitch Mendenhall got the scoring started for Manchester 14 seconds into the game before he followed that up with a jumper from the left wing. One minute later (17:50 left in the 1st), sophomore Logan Willoughby completed the 10-0 scoring run for the Spartans with a bucket from downtown. Sophomore Clayton McCorkle put up the first points of the contest for the Yellow Jackets shortly after the three-minute mark, as he was able to splash home a three-pointer of his own. At the midway point of the first half, Manchester led by 12 (23-11). To end the first half, the Spartans went on a 6-0 scoring run to build up their largest lead of the game at seventeen. In the second half, Defiance was able to trim the Manchester lead down to eight (62-54) with 9 minutes and 23 seconds left, thanks to a step-back jumper from senior Te Jones. Twenty-one seconds later (9:02 left), however, sophomore Bryant Smith was able to stretch the Spartans’ lead back to double-figures (11) as he capitalized on an open three-pointer from the right wing. Defiance continued to ”fight” in the remaining nine minutes, but in the end, Manchester was victorious 86-76. Defiance finished with a pair of players in double-figures including senior Marell Jordan with 15 points and senior Te Jones with 12. Senior Jerome Johnson shot 75% (3-4) from three-point range. Overall, Manchester shot 46% (29-63), compared to the Yellow Jackets’ 38.3% (23-60). Defiance shot 38.7% (12-31) from three-point range, while the Spartans shot 38.2% (13-34). The Spartans outrebounded Defiance 40-38, while the Yellow Jackets held a slight edge in the offensive rebounds category 14-13. Defiance’s bench outscored Manchester’s 38-9. The points in the paint differential played a huge role in the outcome of this contest, as Manchester dominated inside 30-14.

    12/3: Franklin College 111 (4-3), Defiance 77 (2-4)

    Senior #12 Jabryis Heidelburg avoids a double-team vs Franklin

    The Yellow Jackets men’s basketball team hosted the Franklin Grizzlies (HCAC conference opponent) at the Karl H. Weaner Center for a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference matchup. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Kiewaun Graham, (sophomore) Clayton McCorkle, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, and (sophomore) Jake Segulin. Three-pointers and points after turnovers dug Defiance into a hole against the Grizzlies. In the opening two minutes, Franklin knocked down a quick trio of three-pointers (sophomore Trey Flatt (2) and freshman Nathaniel Hoffman) off two Defiance turnovers, which helped the Grizzlies jump out to an early 9-0 lead. Senior Marell Jordan put up the first points of the contest for the Yellow Jackets. It was all Franklin during the first 20 minutes as the Grizzlies took a 62-33 lead into the halftime break. In the early stages of the second half, Franklin senior Carter Crowe continued off the Grizzlies’ first-half momentum as he connected on back-to-back 3-pointers after each team exchanged triples to start the half. Franklin was able to build up a 37-point lead, (73-36) at the 17:30 mark of the second half before the Yellow Jackets surged back. A 14-2 Defiance run forced a Franklin timeout with 14:10 left in the game. Defiance chipped away further to cut the Franklin advantage to 20, off a (senior) Te Jones layup with 13:50 left, but that was shortly followed by an 8-0 Grizzlies’ scoring run. The run consisted of two straight 3-pointers (sophomore Ryan Bostic and senior Carter Crowe) and a dunk (freshman Nathaniel Hoffman), which pushed the lead back to 28 for Franklin. From that point on, the Yellow Jackets were not able to cut into the Grizzlies’ lead. Franklin finished with four players in double-figures including senior Carter Crowe (30), sophomore Ryan Bostic (17), sophomore Trey Flatt (16), and junior Logan Hudgins (13). Defiance meanwhile finished with a trio of players in double-digits including senior Te Jones (19), senior Marell Jordan (18), and sophomore Landen Swanner (11). The Grizzlies shot 54.7% (41-75) from the field, while Defiance shot 43.3% (29-67). Both teams shot well from behind the arc, as Franklin shot 52.3% (23-44) and the Yellow Jackets shot 50% (13-26). The Grizzlies shot a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe. The points in the paint category was dominated by the Grizzlies 34-22. Bench points came in large numbers for each team, as Franklin had 38 and Defiance had 35. Franklin outrebounded Defiance 38-35.

    Wrestling: Tue. Nov. 29, Fri. Dec. 2, and Sat. Dec. 3

    11/29: Adrian College 54, Defiance 0 (Adrian College Dual)

    The Defiance College wrestling team welcomed the Adrian Bulldogs to the Karl H. Weaner Center Tuesday evening for the Adrian College Dual. In the 125 weight class, Adrian’s (graduate) Zach Phifer won by forfeit, while in the 133 weight class, Adrian sophomore Tyler Davis won by fall (0:57) over Defiance freshman Evan Gray. In the 141 weight class, Adrian sophomore Sam Ross won by a major decision (8-0) over Defiance sophomore Kliever Joseph. In the 149 weight class, Adrian sophomore Zachary Platte won by fall (1:39) over Defiance freshman Jake Scoville. In the 157 weight class, Adrian senior Trent Rector pulled off a close victory (17-14) over Defiance freshman Daniel Gravette. In the 165 weight class, Adrian graduate Zach Altman won by fall (4:09) over Defiance senior Keringten Martin. In the 174 weight class, Adrian graduate Derick DuVall won by technical fall (16-0) over Defiance sophomore Matthew Beard. In the 184 weight class, Adrian sophomore Blake Williams won by fall (0:40) over Defiance senior Jack Minner. In the 197 weight class, Adrian senior Dylan Wellbaum won by fall (1:31) over Defiance sophomore Joey Perez. Finally, in the 285 weight class, Adrian senior Kyle Emery won by fall (1:39) over Defiance freshman Lesly Fleurissaint.

    12/2 and 12/3: (Blithe Duals)

    The Yellow Jackets wrestling team traveled to Grand Rapids, Michigan, Friday morning for the two-day Blithe Duals at Cornerstone University. Defiance was short-handed and lost all six duals they competed in over the weekend. On Friday, the Yellow Jackets competed in a trio of duals against Albion College (L 42-9), St. Ambrose University (L 39-17), and The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (L 52-3). In the opening dual versus Albion, sophomore Kliever Joseph won by forfeit in the 141 weight class, while senior Alejandro Castro was victorious in the 157 weight class over redshirt freshman Thomas Potter (6-3 decision). The Yellow Jackets forfeited against Albion in weight classes 125 and 174. In the second dual matchup of the weekend versus St. Ambrose, senior Seth Majewski won in the 133 weight class over sophomore Ariel Vega by technical fall 16-0. Sophomore Kliever Joseph won by forfeit in the 141 weight class and freshman Lesly Fleurissaint won by forfeit in the 197 weight class. To conclude Friday’s action, Defiance competed in a dual versus The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Senior Seth Majewski defeated (#7 nationally ranked) junior Tyler Fleetwood with a 9-4 decision in the 133 weight class. The Yellow Jackets were forced to forfeit in the 125, 165, and 174 weight classes. On Saturday, the Yellow Jackets competed in a trio of duals against Liberty University (L 54-5), Wheaton College (L 45-10), and Siena Heights University (L 43-9). To kick off Saturday’s action, Defiance competed in a dual versus Liberty. Senior Seth Majewski won in the 133 weight class by technical fall 17-0. The Yellow Jackets had to forfeit in the weight classes 125, 165, and 174. In the second dual on Saturday, the Yellow Jackets faced off against Wheaton. Senior Seth Majewski won in the 133 weight class over senior Brendan Johnston with a major decision of 17-4, while senior Jack Minner was victorious in the 184 weight class over freshman Hunter Kazmierczak (fall 2:43). In the final dual of the weekend versus Siena Heights, freshman Brandon Ruiz was victorious in the 141 weight class via forfeit, while sophomore Kliever Joseph defeated freshman Kynan Savoie. Senior Seth Majewski defeated sophomore Randy Frailey in the 133 weight class with a 4-1 decision. 

    Women’s Track & Field: Fri. Dec. 2

    The Defiance College women’s track & field team welcomed Trine University, Anderson University, and Concordia University to the George M. Smart Center Friday afternoon for the Early Bird Open. Two Yellow Jackets set new personal bests during this meet including sophomore Ashanti Elkins (400-meter dash- 1:05.88) and senior Lisa-Maria Markau (60-meter dash- 7.99). Sophomore Hailey Haynes finished second in the 60-meter dash with a time of 8.23. Sophomore Ashanti Elkins and freshman Shyla Pemberton finished first and second in the 400-meter dash with times of 1:05.88 and 1:07.53. Senior Lisa-Maria Markau won the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.78, while sophomore Ashanti Elkins came in second, and sophomore Hailei Haynes finished third.

    Men’s Track & Field: Fri. Dec. 2

    The Defiance College men’s track & field team welcomed Trine University, Anderson University, and Concordia University to the George M. Smart Center Friday afternoon for the Early Bird Open. Sophomore Gavin Maratea set a new personal best in the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.27. Freshman Isaac Miler finished first in the long jump with a time of 19-04.25, while senior Ja’Qway Janvier won the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.18. Freshman Marlon Brown finished second in the 400-meter dash with a time of 50.58. Senior Ja’Qway Janvier finished second in the 200-meter dash, while freshman Marlon Brown finished in third.


    Home

    Thursday, Dec. 8

    Wrestling vs Wilmington College (Wilmington Dual)

    Location: Karl H. Weaner Center

    (7:00 pm)

    Away

    Saturday, Dec. 10

    Men’s Basketball (2-4) at Hanover College (4-2)

    (12:00 pm)

    Women’s Basketball (1-4) at Hanover College (5-2)

    (2:00 pm)

  • Thanksgiving Dinner

    By: Elizabeth Patrick

    Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to gather together to appreciate what they have and be thankful for one another. Every Thanksgiving, Defiance College has the tradition of hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for its students.

    The annual Thanksgiving dinner served family style to students by faculty and staff, likely started in the late 1970s and from the mid-1980s until 2016 and was organized by the Chaplains office. This family-style dinner is usually served the week before Thanksgiving.

    A typical Thanksgiving dinner consists of roast turkey, turkey stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.

    After returning to campus last year after taking a year off due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Defiance College is happy to announce that their annual Thanksgiving dinner was presented to students on November 17th.

    For the people who have not yet had the opportunity to experience this tradition, the meal is served family style in the dining hall. In order to make this event extremely special, the staff fancy things up with linens and china. Members of the Defiance College staff will serve different food to the students at the different tables.

    This year’s event took place on Thursday, November 17th, at 5 pm in the dining hall. Residential students were required to bring their current student IDs. Those commuter students who wish to attend should have picked up a meal ticket from the Office of Student Life at 128 Hubbard Hall.

    For those students who play basketball and oftentimes cannot make it at 5 pm due to practice, there was a buffet set up at 630 pm in the banquet hall room. Just like in previous years, it was a very fun experience, and the students enjoyed a Thanksgiving family-style dinner.

  • It’s Not Quite Christmas

    By: Caia Bevins

    We all know what time of year it is: Christmastime. It is one of my favorite times of the year, personally. But everyone knows about Christmas. Do you know what people don’t know about? Hanukkah. So, let’s change that, shall we? Buckle your seatbelts, my fellow yellow jackets, as we go on a little trip through history.

    Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. It starts on Kislev 25 (no, I don’t know how it’s pronounced) and lasts for eight days, and guess what? There is a cool story that explains why.

    When the temple was being dedicated, Judas Maccabeus walked into the temple and found only one jar of oil that could be used for the eternal flame. This oil should have only lasted one day, but it lasted eight, which was long enough for more oil to be found. Pretty cool, right?

    Today, Jews celebrate this holiday by lighting the Menorah, playing games, and eating fried food. The Menorah is like a large candleholder with four branches on either side and one in the middle for a total of nine candles. The center candle is called the shammash candle and is used to light all the others. Each day, a new candle is lit until all nine are burning.

    Because Christmas isn’t a Jewish holiday, some Jews don’t celebrate it. However, some families do give gifts to each other. Even though the Temple did burn down, Hanukkah is still a big deal in Israel. It is actually a national holiday which means that schools are closed, some people don’t work, and there are massive parties, plays, and songs sung.

    In Jerusalem, people run through the city with burning torches to the only remaining wall of the Temple in remembrance of the flame that burnt during those eight days Hanukkah celebrates. One of those torches is given to the chief rabbi, and he uses it to light the first candle of an enormous Menorah that kicks off the celebration.

    That said, I want to invite you all to the Hanukkah event hosted by the Religion Department. It is Wednesday, November 30, in Defiance 102 at 4:30 p.m. (if you don’t know where that is, it’s the room with all the furniture that moves), and there will be donuts, hot chocolate, and other snacks. You’ll also make your own dreidel and learn how to play!

  • Book Review: In Five Years

    By: Hanna Young

    In Five Years, written by New York Times, Best Selling Author Rebecca Serle pulled readers into her twisting love story. The story is set in Manhattan, it started off in 2020 but the story ends in 2025. This love story brings readers down a winding path that seems almost never-ending.

    Dannie Kohan has her life completely planned out, or at least she thinks she does. Dannie is a Manhattan lawyer that just completed her first step in her five-year plan. She is on track to complete her goals: land her dream job, get engaged, move into her dream apartment, and get married. December 15 is the day that her five-year plan gets put into play, but what happens when she goes to bed and wakes up five years in the future? She spends an hour in the future, and then when she wakes up, she is back in her apartment. Will things be the way that she always imagined them, or will they be way different?

    This book was very slow-paced; each chapter seemed to drag on even though they were only a few pages each. My attention was not grabbed, and sitting there reading this book felt mundane. Finally, after reading the first 15 or so chapters, my interest peaked. The book proceeded to hold my attention for the most part. However, the ending was so unpredictable it almost seemed impossible.

    Overall, I will give this book a 3/5. This book managed to keep me somewhat entertained; it just took a little perseverance to make it through some of the more boring chapters. I also gave it a lower rating because the ending seemed kinda forced.

  • Thanksgiving: You’ve Got it All Wrong

    By: Caia Bevins

    Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! It is that wonderful time of year when we wake up late, watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade in our pajamas, and eat a lot of food. This is a tradition that has been going on for centuries, or at least people think it has.

    It actually wasn’t made an official holiday until 1789 by George Washington, and it wasn’t celebrated for another eighty years when Abraham Lincoln made the last Thursday of November a holiday. This holiday wasn’t Thanksgiving, though; it was just a holiday Franklin D. Roosevelt moved it to the third Thursday another eighty years later after that and made holiday Thanksgiving two years later in 1941. This is the day that we celebrate Thanksgiving today. Confusing, right?

    Well, it gets worse. Did you know that turkey wasn’t even considered a Thanksgiving dish until the late 1800s? While it may have been at the original Thanksgiving in 1621, it would have also been served with other poultry, or it may not have even been there at all. We don’t actually know. The only reason that Turkey is synonymous with Thanksgiving is that a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale wanted to have a modern menu for this dinner and shared it with the readers of Godey’s Lady Book, a magazine for women.

    Now, if you remember, Thanksgiving wasn’t a holiday at this time so having a Turkey for Thanksgiving is basically a tradition grounded on a magazine article published one hundred fifty years ago.

    Now, you’re probably sitting there thinking that your life is a lie, and I do apologize, but I’ve got some more interesting stuff to talk about. For example, there is no record of the Native Americans being invited to Thanksgiving. That’s right. The only reason that they were there is that the pilgrims were firing their guns in celebration, and Massasoit thought they were being attacked. He sent people to aid the Pilgrims and happened upon the feast. The Pilgrims then invited them to join, and it became a symbol of peace between the Pilgrims and Native Americans. I hope you have learned a little bit about the holiday we’re all about to celebrate, and if you go home, you can impress your family with your newfound, relatively useless knowledge about Thanksgiving. Have a great holiday!

  • Book Review: All Good People Here

    By: Hanna Young

    All Good People Here, a debut mystery novel for Ashley Flowers, host of the CrimeJunkie podcast, left readers wondering what plot twist would happen next. The story is set between two different time periods, 1994 and 2019, in Wakarusa, Indiana. This book’s continuous twists and turns make everyone seem suspicious; no one is safe from the rumor mill that is Wakarusa.

    Margot Davies is a true crime journalist who comes back to her hometown of Wakarusa to take care of her ailing uncle; however, she doesn’t realize that coming back would be like stepping into a time capsule. When Margot was six years old, her childhood best friend and neighbor, January Jacobs, was murdered, and the culprit was never found. Coming back to Wakarusa after all those years of away throwing her right back into the mystery surrounding January’s murder. Especially when another young girl, Natalie Clark, goes missing under mysterious circumstances in the next town over. Margot spirals into what-ifs about a connection between the cases and finds herself deep in a rabbit hole. The farther Margot digs into the case, though, the more secrets she finds.

    While the twists and turns left me wondering what was gonna happen next, my attention was drawn toward similarities from other notorious true crime cases. There were almost too many similarities; anyone with a set of true crime knowledge would be able to make the connection between famous cases that this book seems to have a resemblance to. Some of the characters were very underdeveloped, and I felt that they needed more to transform them from good characters to great ones. The book did seem to keep me on my toes, though, and the big plot twists that came my way were still surprising.

    Overall, I would give this book a 4/5 while I found some shortcomings, it did not fail to entertain me.