Seth Majewski has spent the last four years here at Defiance College studying Exercise Science. While he didn’t necessarily know what he wanted to do with it, he knew that he wanted to do something related to sports because that is what he is passionate about. While he was talking about wrestling, the sport he’s involved in on campus, he pointed to how much he loved working with the younger athletes and helping them grow as wrestlers as well as people. He said that it really brought him joy to see them thrive. Later in the interview, he also mentioned how he would love to coach wrestling someday as a way of giving back to the sport and all that it gave him.
Seth said that his college experience not only helped him grow academically and as an athlete, but just as a person in general. He said that college helped him become a more outgoing person who is willing to try new things and push himself. He said that if he could give freshman advice, it would be to just “have fun because it doesn’t last. You can’t get a do-over, so just have fun while you can. And don’t wait till the last minute to do your homework. I’ve made that mistake a lot of times; even with all the free time, still don’t wait until the last minute. Doing it sooner is better than doing it later.”
He also said that college is “where you’ll meet your life-long friends.” He said that he rarely talked with his friends from high school, but talked to his friends from college every single day, even over the summer. Seth said that he believed that the friends that he’s made over the last four years will be the people that he still spends time with twenty years from now.
In terms of future goals, he wants to someday be a physical therapist, or at least in something related to sports, especially at the collegiate or professional level. Ultimately, he just wants to do well and be successful in whatever he ends up in. Seth also said that he wouldn’t change anything over the last four years, and everything that he has done had led to an opportunity or a connection that made him a better person.
As a final farewell to everyone on campus, he said, “Just go to everything because that’s how you’re going to make your friends and make your memories because if not, you’re going to look back on college and regret the things you wish you could have done.”
As always, come out and support Seth and all the other graduates at the May graduation!
Oh. My. Gosh. If you’re going to watch this film, I have a couple of tips. First, make sure you watch the first Black Panther (this is not optional. You need to watch it.) Wakanda Forever is a sequel. Second, BRING YOUR TISSUES. I know some people think movies aren’t worthy of crying over, but they’re wrong. The movie hadn’t even started, and I was already sobbing like a toddler who didn’t get to eat a popsicle.
The first five minutes of the film had me sobbing, but the Marvel logo intro had me hysterical. I think my date thought I was crazy (by date, I mean my 16-year-old brother, who was also crying even though it’s not ‘manly.’) With Chadwick Boseman’s passing in 2020, Disney announced King T’Challa would not be recast. I was a little bit worried about how the Black Panther films would continue, but that worry was unnecessary. Wakanda Forever was phenomenal. As a sister, I can’t even imagine losing one of my siblings. Letitia Wright portrayed a devastated Shuri so well. As powerful and impressive as Letitia’s performance was, it was nothing compared to Angela Bassett’s portrayal of Queen Ramonda.
Angela Bassett portrayed a grief-stricken mother amazingly. Naturally, her portrayal brought tears to my eyes. She also won multiple awards for her performance, as she should have. She has won a Golden Globe and has been nominated for an Academy Award. Her power and grief came across on film absolutely wonderfully. The line, “I am Queen of the most powerful nation in the world, and my entire family is gone,” will make you cry like a baby and want to hand her all the awards.
Another star of the film was Tenoch Huerta Mejia as Namor. I have friends of Hispanic descent, and they said the impact of having a Mexican actor in such a prominent role in such a big-budget film was so significant for their culture and people. The action sequences of the film were top-notch, and the fighting was coordinated expertly.
My absolute favorite part of the film was Okoye kicking butt on the bridge. have the fighting skills of an angry six-year-old, but I felt like I could fight off 100 men after watching her. If you do watch the film, make sure you stay until the very end. By ‘the very end,’ I mean the last end credit scene (all Marvel fans should know this.) Please find the time in your day to watch Wakanda Forever or the first Black Panther; I’m not saying it will change your life and perspective of the world, but it will.
I would like to introduce you to, Jeremy Taylor. He is the Dean of the Institute for Career Readiness and Lifelong Learning as well as the Dean of the McMaster School for Advancing Humanity. Dr. Taylor grew up in a small town in Texas called Copperas Cove. He attended Texas A&M and The University of Texas-Pan American. After securing his bachelor’s and master’s, he continued his education at The University of Arkansas, obtaining his Ph.D. During his undergraduate and graduate years, he studied history. Dr. Taylor has worked at Defiance College for ten years and plans to stay here forever.
Dr. Taylor decided to be a faculty member at Defiance College because he really enjoys developing relationships with students and focusing on teaching. He was a professor at the University of Arkansas prior to Defiance College. During the interview, I asked Dr. Taylor what his favorite part about working at Defiance College is. His reply is that “working with the students because they keep him young and teach him the new slang” is his favorite part about working at Defiance College.
The last part of the interview was focused on Dr. Taylor more personally. If Dr. Taylor could travel anywhere in the world, he would travel to Italy. He has been to Italy before, and he loved it. His favorite thing to do in Defiance, Ohio, is to go eat at Sweetwater Chophouse. He says there is not much to do in Defiance. The last question that I asked was if he was a superhero, what would he want his superpowers to be? Dr. Taylor answered, “Flight, because he likes to travel, and he would not have to pay for airline tickets.”
Dr. Taylor can be found in the basement of the library.
2/1: Manchester University 81 (12-8), Defiance 67 (6-14)
Freshman #2 Ried Jury spots up for a one-handed fadeaway jumper vs Manchester
The Defiance College men’s basketball team welcomed the Manchester Spartans to the Karl H. Weaner Center Wednesday evening for an HCAC conference matchup. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Te Jones, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, (freshman) Cole Wojciechowski, and (freshman) Ried Jury. One minute and twenty-seven seconds into the contest (18:33 left in the 1st), sophomore Ty Lynas scored the first points of the game for either team, as he connected on an open layup off an assist from sophomore Quentez Columbus (2-0). Nearly a minute and a half would tick off the clock before the next basket (16:58 left in the 1st), and it was Manchester with the bucket once again, this time coming off a layup by sophomore Bryant Smith (4-0). Sophomore Logan Willoughby extended the Spartans’ lead to six (6-0) with 16:25 left in the opening half, as Willoughby was able to connect on a pair of free throws following a foul by Yellow Jackets freshman Cole Wojciechowski. Finally, nearly four minutes and fifteen seconds into the game (15:48 left in the 1st), Defiance made their way onto the scoreboard as sophomore Landen Swanner connected on an open layup (6-2). Sophomore Bryant Smith for Manchester quickly responded to Swanner’s layup with a layup of his own, just thirty-eight seconds later (15:10 left in the first), as he was able to find separation in the Yellow Jackets’ defense (8-2). The Spartans would stretch out to as much as an eight-point lead (14-6) with 12:06 left in the first half, but Defiance in the ensuing four and a half minutes went on an 8-2 scoring run, which tied the game at 16 with 7:23 left until halftime. The Yellow Jackets would continue, as Defiance tacked on other three-straight points to take their first lead of the contest at three (19-16) with 6:21 left in the first half. The Yellow Jackets would remain ahead by three (25-22) with 4:11 left in the first half, but this time Manchester would respond by going on an 8-0 scoring of their own, to take a five-point lead (30-25) with 2:41 left until the break. With 2:05 left in the first half, sophomore Landen Swanner cut the Yellow Jackets’ deficit back to within two (30-28), as he splashed home a three-pointer from the left wing. Both teams would trade baskets in the remaining two minutes of the opening half, as Manchester led by four (34-30) into the locker room. One minute and eleven seconds into the second half (18:49 left), sophomore Bryant Smith capitalized off another relaxed defensive look from Defiance, as he drove his way to the rim for the layup to put the Spartans back up by six (36-30). Smith’s basket started what would lead to an 8-2 Manchester scoring run over the next two minutes (16:27 left), which put Manchester up by double-digits at ten (42-32). Fifteen seconds later (16:12 left), Senior Te Jones ended the Spartans’ run, as he splashed home a deep three-pointer from the left wing, off an assist from senior Marell Jordan to cut the deficit back to within seven (42-35). Manchester would respond to Jones’s triple, with another quick scoring run over the next minute (15:13 left), this time a 4-0 run, which put the Spartans up by eleven (46-35). Defiance did not let the Manchester scoring run’s bother them, as the Yellow Jackets found some traction and momentum in the next minute and a half, as Defiance went on a 7-0 scoring of their own (13:39 left) to cut the deficit to just four (46-42). Sixteen seconds later (13:23 left), sophomore Ty Lynas was able to connect on a pair of free throws following a foul by Defiance freshman Ried Jury, which put the Spartans back up by six (48-42). With 12:18 left, the Yellow Jackets found themselves only down by three (51-48), following a layup from senior Marell Jordan, which came off an assist from freshman Jakob Trevino. Nearly a minute later (11:23 left), Ty Lynas scored via a layup once again, as this time he found his way past senior Jabryis Heidelberg for the bucket, to put Manchester ahead by five (53-48). Just past the midway point of the second half (9:57 left), senior Jabryis Heidelberg trimmed the Defiance deficit once again to within one score, as he managed to sift through the Spartan defense for the layup (55-52). Manchester would follow Heidelberg’s free throw up with a 3-0 scoring run over the course of just over a minute (8:55 left), which put the Spartans back up six (58-52). Following a layup from freshman Evan Park moments later, sophomore Ty Lynas once again buried a pair of free throws at the line (8:19 left) to return the Manchester advantage to six (60-54). Following a media timeout with 7:11 left to play, senior Te Jones was able to cut the Defiance deficit back to within four (60-56), as he canned his own pair of free throws at the line. Once again, Manchester had a response as sophomore Bryant Smith came up big once again (6:54 left), as he returned the favor and buried a pair of free-throws to return the lead to six once again (62-56) following a Defiance foul by freshman Evan Park. Moments later (6:09 left), sophomore Quentez Columbus punched in a bucket from close range, and this put the Spartans up by eight (64-56). The now six-straight-point Manchester scoring run did not stop there, as moments later, the run extended to 12-2, which allowed the Spartans to extend their lead to twelve (70-58) with 3:53 left to play. Twenty-eight seconds later (3:25 left), sophomore Landen Swanner cut the Yellow Jackets’ deficit back to single-digits at nine (70-61) as he connected on a deep three-point shot from the right wing. Manchester regained a twelve-point lead (75-63) with 2:03 left, following a quick 5-0 scoring run, and that turned out to be the game-sealing moment for the Spartans as they went on to take the victory 81-67. Manchester finished with four players in double-figures, including sophomore Ty Lynas (27), sophomore Bryant Smith (17), junior Mitch Mendenhall (12), and sophomore Logan Willoughby (10). Defiance also finished with four players in double-figures, including sophomore Landen Swanner (18), senior Marell Jordan (17), senior Jabryis Heidelberg (12), and senior Te Jones (12). The Spartans shot 43.3% (26-60) from the field, while Defiance shot 41% (25-61). Defiance shot well from the three-point line shooting 28% (7-25), compared to Manchester’s 0% (0-10). Both teams shot well from the free-throw line as the Spartans shot 82.9% (29-35), while the Yellow Jackets shot 66.7% (10-15). Turnovers played a major role in the outcome of this game, as Defiance committed 15 turnovers which led to 20 Manchester points, while the Spartans only committed eight turnovers, which led to 10 Yellow Jackets points. Manchester out-rebounded Defiance 41-36, including a 13-11 offensive rebound advantage. The points in the paint category was also dominated by the Spartans, as they led this category 48-34. Defiance had a slight advantage in the bench points category 18-12.
When senior Grant Johnson was asked by The Defender about his thoughts following Wednesday’s loss against Manchester, he expressed, “We played with good effort and fight tonight, but we just need to execute better on a few plays. If we can find a way to execute on plays here and there, then I think we will start seeing the success we know we are capable of.“
2/4: Transylvania University 88 (12-9), Defiance 76 (6-15)
The Yellow Jackets men’s basketball team traveled to Lexington, Kentucky, Saturday afternoon for an HCAC conference showdown against the Transylvania Pioneers. The starters in this contest included (senior) Marell Jordan, (senior) Te Jones, (sophomore) Landen Swanner, (freshman) Cole Wojciechowski, and (freshman) Jakob Trevino. Thirty-four seconds into the first half (19:26 left in the 1st), senior Marell Jordan got Defiance on the scoreboard first as he connected on a mid-range jump shot off an assist from freshman Jakob Trevino. The score went back and forth for the majority of the opening ten minutes before Transylvania went on an 11-2 scoring run to take an eleven-point lead (26-15) with 9:56 left before the half. Senior Dejsani Beamon put an end to the Pioneer’s scoring run, as he was able to fight his way to the rim for a layup (26-17). Defiance would outscore Transylvania 23-14 for the rest of the half, which tied the game at 40 into the locker room. The Pioneers responded in the second half, though, as they buried their first four three-point attempts, which allowed them to extend out to a six-point lead (56-50) at the first media timeout break. Transylvania would extend their lead out to as much as eleven near the midway point of the second half, and from there, the Pioneers would not look back. Senior Marell Jordan would cut the Yellow Jackets’ deficit to eight with three minutes left, but that was as close as Defiance would get as Transylvania came away victorious 88-76. In the loss, senior Marell Jordan made history as with 3:14 remaining in the first half, he knocked down a pair of free-throws, and those two points gave him 1,500 for his career. Jordan became the 10th Yellow Jacket to reach that milestone. Transylvania finished with a trio of players in double-figures, including sophomore Colby Napier (22), junior Jaylan Green (21), and junior Simon Smith (15). Meanwhile, Defiance finished with four players in double-figures, including senior Marell Jordan (24), freshman Cole Wojciechowski (12), senior Te Jones (11), and senior Jabryis Heidelburg (10). The Yellow Jackets shot 53.8% (28-52) from the field, while the Pioneers shot 45.9% (28-61). Transylvania shot 45.5% (10-22) from the three-point range, compared to Defiance’s 23.5% (4-17). The Yellow Jackets shot 76.2% (16-21) from the free-throw line, while the Pioneers shot 64.7% (22-34) from the charity stripe. Defiance out-rebounded Transylvania 35-33.
Women’s Basketball: Wed. Feb. 1 and Sat. Feb. 4
2/1: Defiance 90 (7-13), Manchester University 63 (8-11)
The Defiance College women’s basketball team traveled to Manchester, Indiana, Wednesday evening to take on the Manchester Spartans in HCAC conference action. The starters in this contest included (graduate) Taylor Day, (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (senior) Nicole Sims, (senior) Lexie Sparks, and (junior) Kylie Brinkman. Thirty-six seconds into the game (9:24 left in the 1st), senior Taylor Steinbrunner scored the Yellow Jackets’ first points of the contest, as she splashed home a three-pointer off an assist from graduate Taylor Day (3-0). Just thirty-four seconds later (8:50 left in the 1st), Steinbrunner splashed home another look from downtown, this time off an assist from senior Nicole Sims, to put Defiance up 6-0. With 8:07 left in the opening quarter, graduate Taylor Day found open space to the rim for the layup, to conclude an 8-0 start for the Yellow Jackets. The Spartans would finally put themselves on the scoreboard with 7:33 left in the first quarter, as freshman Alison Graber splashed home a three-pointer from the left wing (8-3). Defiance responded well to Graber’s basket, as in the next two minutes (4:23 left in the 1st), the Yellow Jackets went on a 10-5 scoring run to take a ten-point lead (18-8). The next basket would take place nearly a minute and a half later (2:50 left in the 1st), as senior Hannah Lindsey was able to fight her way through the Defiance defense for the open layup (18-10). Freshman Kalista Friday returned the Yellow Jackets’ lead to double-digits with 2:13 left in the opening quarter, as she converted a layup off her own (20-10). Forty-one seconds later (1:32 left), freshman Hailee Kline trimmed the Manchester deficit to seven, as she was able to splash home a deep three-pointer from the right wing (20-13). Freshman Kalista Friday would respond, however, as she ended up scoring the final four points of the quarter to give Defiance a 24-13 lead heading into the second quarter. Eighteen seconds into the second quarter (9:42 left in the 2nd), junior Alyssa Pfell helped the Spartans cut the deficit to nine (24-15), but this would be the last time Manchester found themselves down by single digits in this contest. With 8:44 left in the second quarter, senior Taylor Steinbrunner splashed home yet another bucket from downtown, this time from the left wing, to give her a trio of threes in the contest. Steinbrenner triple put Defiance up by fourteen (29-15). Senior Lexi Sparks scored a quick five points near the midway point in the second, as she canned a pair of pull-up jumpers and converted on a free-throw opportunity from the charity stripe. In the second quarter, the Yellow Jackets outscored the Spartans 21-14, which allowed Defiance to walk into the locker room with an eighteen-point advantage (45-27). Just nine seconds into the third quarter (9:51 left in the 3rd), senior Lexie Sparks found separation in the Manchester defense and drove to the rim for the finishing layup, which put Defiance up by twenty (47-27). Both teams traded baskets for nearly the next four and a half minutes of the contest (5:16 left in the 3rd) until Manchester went on a quick 5-0 scoring run to trim their deficit to seventeen (57-40). Just past the halfway point of the third quarter (4:49 left in the 3rd), senior Taylor Steinbrunner quickly returned the Defiance lead to twenty (60-40), as she once again splashed home a shot from downtown. The next basket would come from Steinbrunner with 3:26 left in the third quarter, as this time she connected from mid-range, to score her 26th point of the contest (62-40). Manchester would cut the deficit down to nineteen (65-46) following a triple from freshman Hailee Kline with 2:27 left in the third quarter, but Steinbrunner would not let that last very long, as she once again connected on a deep shot from three-point range (her fifth) to put her at 31 points on the night (68-46). From this point on, Defiance would outscore the Spartans 22-17, to take the victory 90-63. Defiance finished with a trio of players in double-figures, including senior Taylor Steinbrunner with 31 points (off 11-13 shooting from the field, 5-6 shooting from three-point range, and 4-4 from the free-throw line), graduate Taylor Day with 20, and freshman Kalista Friday with 12. Manchester failed to record a double-digit scorer in this contest, but freshman Hailee Kline led the way with 9 points. The Yellow Jackets shot the ball well, shooting 59% (36-61) from the field, while the Spartans shot 32.8% (20-61). Defiance was able to capitalize on open looks from three-point range as they shot 40% (6-15), compared to Manchester’s 25% (7-28) from downtown. The Spartans shot 64% (16-25) from the free-throw line, while the Yellow Jackets shot a very similar 63.2% (12-19) from the charity stripe. Defiance out-rebounded Manchester 40-35, including a 30-20 defensive rebound advantage. The Yellow Jackets dominated the points in the paint category 46-22.
When senior Nicole Sims was asked by The Defender about her thoughts following Wednesday’s victory at Manchester, she expressed, “Tonight was fun. We played the way we know how to play and it definitely made the game easier. We played well together, shot well, and moved the ball to get the best shot possible each possession. Our energy and hustle each play led us to win this game.“
2/4: Transylvania University 76 (21-0), Defiance 33 (7-14)
The Yellow Jackets women’s basketball team traveled to Lexington, Kentucky, Saturday afternoon for an HCAC conference showdown against the #2 nationally ranked Transylvania Pioneers. The starters in this contest included (graduate) Taylor Day, (senior) Taylor Steinbrunner, (senior) Nicole Sims, (senior) Lexie Sparks, and (junior) Cait Good. Transylvania held Defiance scoreless for the first seven minutes of this contest, and through this time the Pioneers quickly extended out to a 24-0 advantage. Senior Taylor Steinbrunner would finally put the Yellow Jackets on the scoreboard with 2:46 left in the first quarter, as she connected on a free-throw following a Pioneer foul from sophomore Emilie Teall (24-1). Transylvania exploded for 33 points in the first quarter alone, with nine of the Pioneers’ 12 baskets coming from behind the three-point line. Seven different players connected on those nine threes for Transylvania in the opening ten minutes, including senior Kennedi Stacy (2), junior Sydney Wright, senior Madison Kellione, sophomore Sadie Wurth, freshman Sierra Kemelgor, junior Kennedy Harris (2), and sophomore Emilie Teall. Defiance shot 3-for-11 to start the game, while Transylvania went 12-for-16. The Pioneers out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets 9-4 and forced Defiance into six first-quarter turnovers. It was a tough day for the Yellow Jackets, as they only managed to score 33 points in the entire 40 minutes of the contest. The Pioneers outscored the Yellow Jackets 43-26 in the remaining three quarters as they took the comfortable forty-three-point victory 76-33. Transylvania finished with four players in double-figures, including senior Madison Kellione (17), senior Dasia Thornton (12), senior Kennedi Stacy (10), and freshman Sierra Kemelgor (10). Senior Lexie Sparks was the lone Yellow Jacket in double-figures as she finished with 15 points. The Pioneers shot 46.7% (28-60), while the Yellow Jackets shot 25.9% (14-54). Transylvania shot well from beyond the arc at 40.7% (11-27), while Defiance shot 6.7% (1-15). The Pioneers were 9-14 (64.3%) from the free-throw line, compared to the Yellow Jackets 4-7 (57.1%). Transylvania out-rebounded Defiance 48-24.
Wrestling: Thurs. Feb. 2
Defiance 34, Marian University-Ancilla 6 (Senior Night)
The Defiance College wrestling team hosted the Marian University-Ancilla Chargers Thursday evening at the Karl H. Weaner Center for a dual matchup as a part of senior night festivities. Defiance seniors Alejandro Castro, Seth Majewski, Keringten Martin, Jack Minner, and Rigo Villa were recognized during the festivities. In the 141 weight class, Ancilla freshman Bryan Chavero defeated Defiance sophomore Kliever Joseph by decision, and in the 149 weight class, the Chargers were once again victorious by decision as freshman Reese Hamblen defeated junior Brent Eicher. Junior Shamique Bryant (157), senior Alejandro Castro (165), sophomore Joey Perez (184), and freshman Kelvin Ruffin (197), all won by forfeit. In the 174 weight class matchup, senior Keringten Martin earned a major decision victory over sophomore Jaybreon Litsey, while in the heavyweight class, senior Rigo Villa won by fall over sophomore Sergio Bueno. Meanwhile, Ancilla freshman Chris Bullock defeated freshman Brandon Ruiz in 141 weight class exhibition action by the result of a fall. Senior Alejandro Castro also won in exhibition action by fall, and senior Jack Minner was victorious with a major decision in the 184 weight class. Freshman Lesly Fleurissaint was victorious in a heavyweight exhibition match via a pin.
Women’s Track & Field: Sat. Feb. 4
The Yellow Jackets women’s track & field team traveled to Angola, Indiana, Saturday afternoon for the Dick Gollnick Invitational at Trine University. Ten schools competed in the Dick Gollnick Invitational including Trine University, Olivet College, Franklin College, Concordia University, Rochester University, Baldwin Wallace University, Adrain College, Madonna University, and Calvin University. Defiance finished in tenth place as a team. Freshman Shyla Pemberton finished eighth in the 400 meter and recorded a personal best time of 1:06.84, while sophomore Lexi Coward recorded a new personal best in the 800 meter. Senior Lisa-Maria Markau finished second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.52 seconds.
Men’s Track & Field: Sat. Feb. 4
The Defiance College men’s track & field team traveled to Angola, Indiana, Saturday afternoon for the Dick Gollnick Invitational at Trine University. Ten schools competed in the Dick Gollnick Invitational, including Trine University, Olivet College, Franklin College, Concordia University, Rochester University, Baldwin Wallace University, Adrain College, Madonna University, and Calvin University. Defiance finished in ninth place as a team. Freshman Marlon Brown won the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.07 seconds. In the men’s 60-meter, sophomore Jonathan Wright-Daniel finished with a time of 7.62 seconds, and freshman Landon Sensmeier completed it in 7.97 seconds. That was a new personal best for Sensmeier. Freshman Isaac Miler completed the long jump at 5.90m. The 4 x 400m relay team consisting of sophomore Johnathan Wright-Daniel, sophomore Gavin Maratea, freshman Isaac Miler, and freshman Marlon Brown finished in seventh place.
Home
Tuesday, Feb. 7
Wrestling vs Ohio Wesleyan University
Location: Karl H. Weaner Center
(7:00 pm)
Wednesday, Feb. 8
Women’s Basketball (7-14) vs Anderson University (14-7)
Location: Karl H. Weaner Center
(7:30 pm)
Thursday, Feb. 9
Men’s Track & Field (Dick Small Invite)
Location: George M. Smart Center
(6:00 pm)
Women’s Track & Field (Dick Small Invite)
Location: George M. Smart Center
(6:00 pm)
Friday, Feb. 10
Men’s Track & Field (Dick Small Invite)
Location: George M. Smart Center
(10:30 am)
Women’s Track & Field (Dick Small Invite)
Location: George M. Smart Center
(10:30 am)
Away
Monday, Feb. 6
Women’s Basketball (7-14) at Albion College (14-7)
(7:30 pm)
Wednesday, Feb. 8
Men’s Basketball (6-15) at Anderson University (13-8)
(7:30 pm)
Saturday, Feb. 11
Wrestling at Olivet College (Mid-States Invitational)
(10:00 am)
Women’s Track & Field at Wittenberg University (All-Ohio Championships)
(TBD)
Men’s Track & Field at Wittenberg University (All-Ohio Championships)
(TBD)
Men’s Basketball (6-15) at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (12-9)
According to “FACTRETRIEVER 31 Interesting but True Poetry Facts” states, “Poetry is one the oldest forms of communication, dating back to prehistoric times with hunting poetry in Africa and ancient Egypt.”
Poetry is believed to have originated from ancient rituals and chants used for storytelling purposes when performing religious ceremonies or rites of passage such as weddings or funerals. Some of the earliest examples of poetry include cave paintings. Humans typically created these paintings to illustrate spiritual stories or as a way to connect with their environment. Poetry has become a powerful and significant medium that tells stories about love, loss, and life experiences with deep meaning to readers everywhere.
There are a variety of different types of poems. The oldest known form of poetry is ancient poetry which began over 5000 years ago in Mesopotamia with the invention of cuneiform. These forms of poems were found on clay tablets detailing how the ancient kings would rule their people. The oldest known poem today, The Epic of Gilgamesh, was created in Mesopotamia, and it’s believed he copied them from earlier works that have been lost or never found for future generations to enjoy.
The oldest form of poetry was Medieval poetry which took place around 400 AD. During Medieval times, new forms of poetry were formed, including rhyming couplets and ballads with refrains. Around 1500 AD, during the Renaissance era, poets rediscovered many classical texts from ancient Greece and Rome. During this time, poets wrote about love, nature, and religion, and there was an emphasis on writing poetry for public performance. To wrap it up, the earliest forms of poetry date back over 5000 years.
As history continued to evolve, the following type of poetry occurred during 1660-1800 and was known as the non-classical poetry era. During this time, poets wanted to explore writing with integrity, leading them back towards more traditional forms like epics, odes, and sonnets instead of experimenting with new styles such as rhyming couplets or free verse.
The following form of poetry occurred during the Romantic Era, which lasted from 1798-1850 AD. The poets of this era were considered to be more accessible than those before them because they wrote about everyday life rather than lofty subjects or themes that were not relatable to most readers. One of the most famous poets from this era was William Wordsworth, who wrote about the natural world and its connections.
The final era of poetry was the modern era which started in 1850 and went to the present day. This era began with Walt Whitman, whose works were some of the most innovative and influential poems ever written in America. In conclusion, poetry has evolved into many different forms and genres throughout the years.
The Love Hypothesis by New York Bestselling Author, Ali Hazelwood would leave nothing to be desired if you were into science and fake relationships. This story begins before the main character, Olive Smith’s first year in the graduate program at Harvard. This book’s continuous love story gives readers something to look forward to, it is a good mix between a bright character as well as a grumpy character.
Olive Smith, Ph.D. student, thinks that she will never have a lasting relationship. When Anh, Olive’s best friend, needs convincing that Olive is not completely hopeless when it comes to romantics, Olive has to prove to Anh that she is not hopeless. Trying to prove this to Anh she kisses the first person that she sees. Olive ends up kissing Adam Carlson, hotshot professor. Olive and Adam come up with a plan that will benefit the both of them and they begin fake dating. The more time they spend together the hotter that their little experiment got. Olive is suddenly thrown into a big science conference that takes a turn for the worst. Adam shocks Olive with how caring and compassionate he is, which furthers the feelings that their little experiment might be heating up.
This book was definitely not my style. Apparently I am not super into romance books. I feel as though I did not like this book just for that small fact. I also think that this book was very slow coming, there are a lot of pages for a story that could be told in half as many words. It was a good book, however, it was not my favorite.
Overall, I give this book a 3/5. This book was not for me and I think that is reflected in my rating.
I would like to introduce you to Steve Engel. He is the Assistant Professor of English and Director of Composition. Dr. Engel has been a professor at Defiance College since 2019. He decided to work at Defiance College because he has always been drawn to small liberal arts colleges. He stated that he went to a smaller school as an undergrad and liked the strong sense of community. Before he came to Defiance College, he was a professor at the University of Michigan.
In the interview, I asked him to state what his favorite thing about Defiance College is. He responded, “Right now, I am really enjoying hosting the English Teas. We have one once a month. We bring in a guest (usually virtually) and talk about English things. Personally, I love being able to interview some really fascinating people.”
Dr. Engel was asked what his favorite class is to teach at Defiance College. His favorite class to teach was a course that was offered last semester, “Making Writing”. During that class, they got to do many different writing technologies. They learned how to write in cuneiform, make their own ink, write poetry on a papyrus scroll, and construct a hard-covered book.
The last couple of questions of the interview were focused on Dr. Engel outside of the classroom. A fun fact about him was he was in a sketch comedy group, and they performed with a Canadian group called The Vacant Lot. A hobby that Dr. Engel has is traveling, cooking and letterpress. During the interview, I asked who was his role model growing up and why. He responded, “Growing up, I really admired Steward Copeland (the drummer of The Police) because I was a percussionist (and not a very good one), and I wanted to be able to play the way he did. I also Looked up to the comedians on Second City Television, like Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, and Martin Short. They had a certain level of commitment to their characters that was impressive.”
Desire is a Senior here at Defiance College and is a self-design major in Business Administration and Music. When I asked her about the combination, she talked about her future goals in life. When asked to describe herself in one word, she said ‘goal-oriented,’ which became abundantly clear as we continued to talk. While discussing her career goals, she said she wants to start her own business, design her own clothing line, and eventually produce music. Her goal is to someday own multiple businesses and have a diverse income in order to give back to all the people and institutions that helped her make it to that point. Desire talked a lot about her family and how they had really impacted her career decisions.
Beyond her academics, Desire is involved in Choir and the Defiance College Cheerleading Team. While she loves both, cheer seemed to be what she was most passionate about. She told me about her growth from just being on the team her Freshman year to really leading and being a mentor her Senior year. She also said that her view on cheer has really changed over the last several years and that now it’s really about “building the girls up and making them better as people and make it almost like a sisterhood.”
She went on to say that she wants them “to be able to take away those friends that they made on the cheer team after college and know that they’ll always be there for each other.” Ultimately, she wants “them to get the best results and be able to grow from the experience.” Desire also said that she would love to teach cheer someday in addition to her other career goals. She said that cheer had given her so much, and she wanted to give back to the program, no matter where she was at the time.
When I asked her what her most significant accomplishment was, she simply said making it this far and being able to be successful. She also pointed to becoming the leader of the cheer team here at Defiance College, as well as just developing into a better person throughout her four years here. To finish the interview, I asked her to say a final farewell to the students, faculty, and staff here at Defiance College. She said, “While you’re there, make a change. Instead of complaining about a situation, be the person who fixes and makes the change. Don’t put it on other people to make the change, do it yourself. While you’re here, make the best of it. For the students, go to class, do your homework, study, because there will always be another party. Just take advantage of the opportunities that you have in front of you. Make the best of each situation and call your parents. Call your family. As you get older, appreciate the people who brought you up in this world because there may come a time when you can help them.”
Don’t forget to come to graduation in the spring to congratulate Desire and her fellow classmates, and if you’re looking for a super easy gift, I heard from a very reliable source that her favorite candy is Reese’s.
Best Quote: “If you’re to gossip about me, at least spell my name correctly.”
Let’s get one thing straight, Wednesday Addams is an absolute QUEEN. From the first scene, she had viewers hypnotized. The outfit, the hair, and her deadpan voice are absolutely perfect. She is an inspiration, but you should probably take her actions with a grain of salt (especially regarding piranhas and men.) After the water polo team bullied Pugsley, Wednesday got her revenge. “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rein,” which translates to “No Regrets,” was a perfect piece to back her up. Iconic.
As for the casting, Jenna Ortega was the perfect woman to play Wednesday. If you saw interviews, she admitted she never blinked when the camera was on her. Talk about dedication. Luis Guzman played Gomez Addams, and he rocked. Gomez is 10000% dad goals. The weak link of the cast was Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams. She was not the supportive mother she was supposed to be, and Zeta-Jones’s attitude as the Addams matriarch fell flat. The young lady who played Enid, Wednesday’s roommate, is a rainbow personified. Emma Myers did a fantastic job playing Wednesday’s future best friend. If you’re a fan of Taylor Swift (and you should be), the lyric from her newest album, “Midnights,” says, “he was sunshine; I was midnight rain,” which describes their relationship perfectly. The main star of the cast, however, was Thing (give him a hand, everyone. That was a funny joke, please laugh.) Thing has so much personality and expresses it wonderfully. Especially considering he doesn’t speak with words. His sign language skills are on point. The show, as a whole, has an interesting sense of humor. The stoner jokes to match the Gorgons? Hilarious. Wednesday playing dead, and the mortician saying she had entered rigor mortis? Iconic.
If you still need to watch Wednesday, you need to ASAP. You’re really missing out. The casting, plot, and soundtrack are phenomenal (I’m still jamming to Vivaldi’s “Winter.”)
A Walk to Remember by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Nicholas Sparks, not just tugs, but yanks on the reader’s heartstrings. The story starts off in 1998 in Beaufort, North Carolina, then the book flashes back forty years to 1958. The love that the two main characters share is a major part that the reader keeps reading.
The town of Beaufort puts on a Christmas play every single year; however, it is not the typical A Christmas Carol; this one was written by Hegbert Sullivan the minister at one of the churches in town. Every year the high school puts on this play when Landon Carter is cast as one of the main characters, he starts to spend more and more time around Jamie Sullivan. The more time Landon spends around Jamie, the more, she teaches him about humanity. The depths of the human heart go deeper than what Landon could have ever imagined. Jamie also teaches him one of the biggest lessons yet, the joy and pain of living in this world.
This book truly is a tear-jerker; the character growth that Landon finds in this book is truly amazing. Even through some of the toughest adversities, he maintains everything that Jamie taught him. The ending drives me nuts every time; I hate that there is no complete conclusion, and there is room to kind of interpret the ending.
Overall, I give this book a 4/5. This book was truly a tearjerker, and there are many lessons that can be learned throughout its pages.
