Students who, earlier in the semester, had their orchestra course cancelled have succeeded into the ensembles they moved to, orchestra director Yali You said.

“Once we break into smaller groups, each individual group can pick what’s appropriate for their repertoire,” You said.

You herself is teaching an ensemble comprised of eight cellos (herself included) and one bass, a favorite mix of hers, since cello ensembles are rare. She said the group is doing well, since each student must pull their own weight and dedicate themselves to the ensemble because of its small size. She said she “[adores] every minute of rehearsal.”

“We work, we play and we laugh,” she said.

You said she feels that by placing more individual accountability on students and tailoring music selections to the skills of each ensemble the experience proved to be “a good lesson for everyone.” She will be incorporating this element of responsibility in the orchestra course she will be offering next fall by allowing three missed practices and requiring students to know their notes and rhythms one month before the concert date. She said she is excited and optimistic about next fall, and already has the orchestra pieces picked out.

In the meantime, there will still be a concert to highlight the work of the ensemble students at 4 p.m. on May 13 in Sundin Music Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.

Theresa Mason, campus chaplain and coordinator of the Religious and Spiritual Life Office (RLSO), will say goodbye to Hamline at the end of the current school year after 11 years of distinguished service. Three separate groups on campus have honored her for that service in the last month.

“[I felt] a combination of surprise, and honor, and humbled [for the awards], in the sense that I don’t do what I do by myself. I do it in connection with the RLSO office and staff, with all of Hamline, and with the help of God,” Mason said.

In her time at Hamline, Mason has worked to create connections between the RLSO and campus ministry groups. She has organized social justice movements and responses around campus, all the while highlighting and reinforcing the University’s history of diversity and its roots in United Methodism.

“Social justice has always been an important ingredient in my life and in my ministry,” said Mason. While reminding the university of its ties to the United Methodist Church has always been important to Mason (she received a Rhodes Grant for work in that field), she has never felt obligated to proselytize students.

“Theresa is probably one of the most noticeably inclusive people on campus. Whether it’s religion, race, or diversity in general, Theresa really strives for that,” said RLSO Program Coordinator Megan Dimond.

Mason is known for her approachability and tact in difficult situations.

“The places where she’s really made an impact ... is when we have dealt with emergencies, like the death of students, faculty, staff and alumni,” said Dean of Students Alan Sickbert.

That ability to deal well with crisis is tied to her faith.

“Religion is more than the outward rituals, but it is how we live our lives, and how we form community together, and how we respond to our immediate community and the world around us,” Mason said.

Though she’ll be leaving the Hamline community at the end of the year, Mason will still be present in the Twin Cities community at large. After leaving Hamline, Mason will begin a clergy sabbatical. Such sabbaticals are traditionally used to write, reflect, and travel.

“I always take a part of Hamline with me, especially the relationships,” Mason said.

“It’s hard to say goodbye, cause there’s a lot of great people here.”

While on clergy sabbatical, Mason plans to write the plays, books and articles she hoped to work on during her tenure at Hamline but didn’t have time for. She’ll focus on prayer and discernment, and will spend time with her family. As the campus chaplain, a faculty member in the religion department, a student affairs worker, and a wife and mother, she didn’t have much extra time for creative writing or scholarship.

“Theresa is just an all around amazing woman, and I think it should be known to everyone,” said Dimond. “I will very, very much miss her.”

Hamline will formally say goodbye to Mason on May 14 in Sorin A & B at a celebration in honor of her 11 years of service.

When sophomore Jan Kuboschek found the used book he bought at Hamline for $60 online for $5, he decided it was time to look for an alternative source for his academic needs.

“I’m wondering where those 55 bucks are going,” he said. His ideačto design a program where students can buy and sell books without the middleman.

Once it’s listed, students can find it by browsing through class categories and names, and can then write an offer to the seller. Each seller will be able to choose who they would like to buy from based off of the location and price offer of the prospective buyer.

Another function of the program is the watchdog feature. Here, students create a wishlist of books they know they will need for future courses and will receive an e-mail notification once someone places the book for sale.

The site will also allow users to exchange private messages and contact information. Buyers and sellers will both be ranked after the transaction, much like the process on eBay.

One thing that differs from eBay.com, and other sell-sites like Amazon.com, Kuboschek said, is that there will be no shipping or handling costs or time delays.

“How many people do you know that buy their books the first day of class? A lot of people do that,” he said, adding that if students are able to send each other messages agreeing on a place and time to meet on the first day or two of class (once they know for sure which books a professor will be using), it can get their book to them about a week earlier than having it mailed would.

The fact that all money and books must be exchanged in person could pose a problem, however, Kuboschek said.
If that process gets abused, it could potentially put students at risk of people who take advantage of others’ trust. To help protect students from this, Kuboschek is limiting the program to local college students, so those not involved with campus community will not be able to access meeting times or contact information. If it does expand in the future, it will only be to more campuses.

Kuboschek’s idea isn’t meant to replace the buying of new books and apparel from the university bookstore, only used text.

“I think, personally, the bookstore [at Hamline] is great, just not the buybacks,” Kuboschek said, adding that low buyback rates are what make many students lose money. By having a student-run book exchange program, he says both buyer and seller can profitčthe former because they will not be buying new text books and the latter because they will be able to get higher selling rates.

The site is being designed by CapStone Infoways, a New Delhi company that Kuboschek has worked with before as an information consultant. Although the site hasn’t been released yet, it is expected to go up in a month to a month-and-a-half.

“It will be live for sure before the next semester startsčpeople can count on that,” Kuboschek said.

While the project, like most, will cost money, Kuboschek has paid the fees as a donation to the Hamline community. He noted, however, that credit is also due elsewhere. The Hamline student body has contributed by offering ideas for new systems of book selling in his Facebook.com group Stop The Book Store Rip Offs, he said. Additionally, he said that University of Minnesota students Cory Hooyman and Quinn Kiley (who used to attend Hamline) have both assisted him in the project.

Kuboschek says that, while at some point in the future ads may appear on the site to help pay for the website server, he does not intend to take any side profits from the program. He says that the site “should not be commercialized,” as his idea in the first place was to save students money.

“The key is to get a lot of books on here and spread the word,” he said.

When sophomore Jan Kuboschek found the used book he bought at Hamline for $60 online for $5, he decided it was time to look for an alternative source for his academic needs.

“I’m wondering where those 55 bucks are going,” he said. His ideačto design a program where students can buy and sell books without the middleman.

The program is called MeBookSpace, a website where college students can create a profile and list books they are hoping to buy or sell. While PiperBabble offers student-to-student book sales, Kuboscheck says it simply isn’t working because the design is not user-friendly and many people do not use it. In order to sell books on MeBookSpace, students will have to enter the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and a price range they are willing to accept for it.

Once it’s listed, students can find it by browsing through class categories and names, and can then write an offer to the seller. Each seller will be able to choose who they would like to buy from based off of the location and price offer of the prospective buyer.

Another function of the program is the watchdog feature. Here, students create a wishlist of books they know they will need for future courses and will receive an e-mail notification once someone places the book for sale.

The site will also allow users to exchange private messages and contact information. Buyers and sellers will both be ranked after the transaction, much like the process on eBay.

One thing that differs from eBay.com, and other sell-sites like Amazon.com, Kuboschek said, is that there will be no shipping or handling costs or time delays.

“How many people do you know that buy their books the first day of class? A lot of people do that,” he said, adding that if students are able to send each other messages agreeing on a place and time to meet on the first day or two of class (once they know for sure which books a professor will be using), it can get their book to them about a week earlier than having it mailed would.

The fact that all money and books must be exchanged in person could pose a problem, however, Kuboschek said.
If that process gets abused, it could potentially put students at risk of people who take advantage of others’ trust. To help protect students from this, Kuboschek is limiting the program to local college students, so those not involved with campus community will not be able to access meeting times or contact information. If it does expand in the future, it will only be to more campuses.

Kuboschek’s idea isn’t meant to replace the buying of new books and apparel from the university bookstore, only used text.

“I think, personally, the bookstore [at Hamline] is great, just not the buybacks,” Kuboschek said, adding that low buyback rates are what make many students lose money. By having a student-run book exchange program, he says both buyer and seller can profit-the former because they will not be buying new text books and the latter because they will be able to get higher selling rates.

The site is being designed by CapStone Infoways, a New Delhi company that Kuboschek has worked with before as an information consultant. Although the site hasn’t been released yet, it is expected to go up in a month to a month-and-a-half.

“It will be live for sure before the next semester starts-people can count on that,” Kuboschek said.

While the project, like most, will cost money, Kuboschek has paid the fees as a donation to the Hamline community. He noted, however, that credit is also due elsewhere. The Hamline student body has contributed by offering ideas for new systems of book selling in his Facebook.com group Stop The Book Store Rip Offs, he said. Additionally, he said that University of Minnesota students Cory Hooyman and Quinn Kiley (who used to attend Hamline) have both assisted him in the project.

Kuboschek says that, while at some point in the future ads may appear on the site to help pay for the website server, he does not intend to take any side profits from the program. He says that the site “should not be commercialized,” as his idea in the first place was to save students money.

“The key is to get a lot of books on here and spread the word,” he said.

The congress passed the non-binding resolution by vote of 54-16 after over an hour of debate on the floor May 1.

“We are simply debating on the stance of HUSC as a whole, a body,” HUSC treasurer Pete Winiecki said during debate.

In general, the resolution charged Elliott with unprofessional conduct in his interactions with vice president-elect Ed Elfmann, university administrators and current HUSC members.

“It’s time to demand accountability,” Winiecki said during his introduction of the resolution.

Winiecki also charged Elliott with a lack of knowledge and an unwillingness to learn about HUSC, its procedures and its committees.

“I don’t like that it had to come to that,” Elfmann said in an interview on May 3. “The message had to get across somehow.”

Referring to Elliott’s lack of HUSC knowledge, sophomore representative Deanna Borth said in an interview after the meeting,

“He talks about respect when he has no respect for the system.” Borth applied for Elliott and Elfmann’s executive board as Student Organization Committee chair and Public Relations Committee chair. She has not been selected to serve in either position.

Winiecki, during his authorship speech, also detailed a long list of what he saw as personal attacks by Elliott toward HUSC members.

Junior representative Carley Luse felt she was attacked indirectly by Elliott. She said she got into a verbal fight with Elliott over the Economic Affairs Committee (EAC) in a phone conversation.

According to Luse, Elliott allegedly said that “EAC was for show; that everything EAC planned they did in advance, and their job is a joke, and they are power hungry.” Elliot has repeatedly denied saying those words.

Luse said she defended her committee.

“We consider each budget individually,” Luse said she replied to Elliott’s allegations. “We don’t have personal iniatives. We look at budgets based on past spending and the leadership of past years. I defended the committee.”

During his rebuttal, Elliot appeared unprepared. “You can’t prepare for that,” Elliot said in an interview on May 3. During his speech, Elliott addressed some allegations of unprofessional conduct relative to his interactions with Student Organization chair Tina VanSteenbergen and Winiecki. However, he ran out of time and was cut off by HUSC faculty member Prof. George Gaetano, who Maxfield assigned to enforce the speaking time limits.

In addition to Winiecki, 27 others were listed as authors on the resolution. Including Winiecki, 12 were HUSC representatives.

Elfmann’s name was mentioned only once in the resolution, when it alleged that Elliott’s communications and interactions with his vice president has been “ignored, ineffective and entirely inappropriate.”

Vote doesn’t exist in Robert’s Rules

A vote of no confidence is not present in Robert’s Rules of Parliamentary Procedure, the set of rules that governs HUSC general assembly meeting, HUSC vice president Addie Maxfield said.

“It doesn’t exist formally in Robert’s Rules, but people who have knowledge of Robert’s Rules keep it in the back of their minds, because it has happened before,” Maxfield said.

Although the vote may not exist as a formal vote, it nonetheless was allowed to continue. Also, because Robert’s Rules do not specify a vote of no confidence, it is a main motion and thus the entire gathered assembly, including non-HUSC members, can vote pursuant to HUSC’s by-laws.

Congress questions relentlessly

The atmosphere in GLC 100E was not forgiving to Elliott and Elfmann. Nearly every commentator directed a question at one or both of the elected leadership pair.

Because of the expected length of the debate, Maxfield declared that each person could only speak twice on each main motion, and limited speaking time to 45 seconds. She limited Winiecki’s authorship speech, where the author of a resolution is given an opportunity to explain the motion in front of the congress, to four minutes. Because of the seriousness of the allegations, she granted Elliott four minutes of rebuttal immediately following Winiecki’s introduction.

Maxfield also warned the assembly that she would immediately stop a person who she deemed was verbally attacking another. Senior representative Tim McDonald warned the committee that they should not vote for no confidence merely because Elliott was contemplating not appealing a line item in his executive board budget.

Those warnings were hardly necessary, as Maxfield only halted one speaker, Elliott, for what she construed as a personal attack. Except for calling time, the debate went on uninterrupted for nearly 70 minutes.

Winiecki and the resolution’s co-author, VanSteenbergen, said they will bring another resolution calling for Elliott’s resignation at HUSC's final meeting on May 8. Winiecki and VanSteenbergen were prepared to bring that resolution after the congress determined its confidence in the president-elect. That resolution was drafted before the meeting and sent to Maxfield in preparation for its presentation.

Petition used to gather interest

Many of the names on the resolution were listed a petition calling for the vote of no confidence. Luse gathered the petition, which contained 48 names, 31 of which were non-HUSC members.

Of those names, Luse said all but approximately 20 signed the resolution.

Luse said this was because some of the signatures were gathered after Winiecki submitted the resolution to Maxfield. Luse said six people signed the petition after the HUSC general assembly meeting last week.

Pair plans to continue as Pres and VP

Despite HUSC’s lack of confidence in Elliott, Elliott and Elfmann each said that they still plan to take over leadership of HUSC next year.

“I fully intend on working with each of you next year,” Elliott said.

“I plan to finish out the term,” Elfmann said.

Elliot reaffirmed on May 3 that he was not planning to resign.

“Not a chance,” Elliot said.

However, Elfmann admitted that it was going to take some work.

“It’s going to take a lot of work to communication down,” Elfmann said in general assembly.

Elliott has been criticized for what HUSC members see as ignoring the congress. At the meeting he was directly asked by Tara Stephanson about his intent to continue on despite the congress’ lack of confidence.

Elliott responded that he felt that the basis for the allegations were personal in nature and thus did not warrant the vote of no confidence.

“Personal feelings are behind this,” Elliott said.

Others rebutted this characterization.

VanSteenbergen reiterated that the motion was solely about Elliott’s alleged unprofessional conduct and not a byproduct of personal feelings.

“It is not personal,” VanSteenbergen said in an interview after the meeting. Previously, VanSteenbergen worked with Elliott on his honors project, called First Hand, where college students mentored high school students who were mentoring middle school students.

“He gave direction well,” VanSteenbergen said.

The resolution itself, in its second-to-last paragraph, states that the call for a vote of no confidence is “based solely on the overall and obvious lack of professionalism demonstrated by president-elect, Michael Elliott.”

However, almost immediately after Elliott characterized the allegations as personal in nature, the congress displayed its lack of confidence for him by a vote of 54-16.

Executive board worries many

As the Oracle reported last week, Elliott and Elfmann were expected to present their executive board. However, the executive board was still incomplete. As of press time, Elliott was waiting for confirmation from four nominees. Despite that, Elliott, responding to a question posed by HUSC president Kristen Falde, declared that he would present an executive board at the congress’ next meeting, its last scheduled meeting of the general assembly for the year.

Of Elliot’s proposed executive board, only one person, Matrika Bailey-Turner, (Coalition for Social Change chair) has prior HUSC experience. Bailey-Turner was previously a member of CSC. The general lack of experience worries some.

Junior Representative Paul Sawyer said he believes Bailey-Turner is perfect for the position as Coalition for Social Change chair. However, he has reservations about the other proposed executive board members.

“Everyone else, nothing against them personally, but they don’t have the experience to hold those positions,” Sawyer said on May 3.

VanSteenbergen said Elliot cannot put together a board the congress will approve.

“I don’t think it will pass regardless of who he brings forth,” VanSteenbergen said on May 3.

In the assembly meeting, Elliott declined to answer a question posed by the Oracle about who is on his proposed executive board, their positions and who has resigned from what positions, instead deferring to a later interview. However, he did mention that a second person had resigned from a selected position but declined to name the person. Sophomore Dahmon Romness said he was the other person to resign. Romness was to serve as HUSC secretary next year.

“I did not ethically believe I could stand before the body and say that this is good for the students,” Romness said.

However, Romness said he would still serve on Elliott and Elfmann’s executive board. In order for that to happen, Romness said, Elliott would need to reconsider his decisions as of late.

“He’s a fully capable and smart person, but he’s been pissing off so many people, and the wrong people,” Romness said in an interview on May 2. “He’s a smart person who’s making lots of stupid decisions and I’m not sure why.”

Despite the congress’s lack of confidence in Elliot, people are still applying to be on Elliot and Elfmann’s executive board.

While James Yin did not specify if he has confidence in Elliot, he said he was nonetheless applying to be chair of HUSC’s Poltical Affairs Committee because he was doing a service to the congress.

“I’ve got parlimentary procedure experience,” Yin said. “HUSC is in need; it's a call to help HUSC,” Yin said.

Can Elliott restore confidence?

Despite the allegations, many say Elliott does have some hope of restoring the congress’ confidence by improving his communication skills and proposing an executive board the congress will approve.

“He needs to start talking to his VP, start talking and listening to the administration and current HUSC members and propose an exec board that is worthy,” Luse said.

“He needs to propose a group of people that is functional and competent enough to [be executive board members],” Romness said.

“If Michael doesn’t make changes in how he is acting, a resolution for the resignation of the president elect will probaly be proposed,” Luse said.

Sawyer said he believes Elliot cannot regain the congress’s confidence.

“I think he should resign,” Sawyer said in an interview on May 3. “When the voice of the students speak, he needs to listen.” Sawyer is signed on as a co-author of the anticipated resolution calling for Elliot’s resignation.

“Everyone who does not support them now I can’t see them changing their minds over the summer,” Sawyer said.

If Elliot wants to regain the congress’s confidence, Elfmann said, he needs to put together a good executive board.

Luse said she would rather Elliott adapt to the criticisms because of the chaos a resignation would create.

“I would be more happy if he changes what he’s doing, but if (Elliot) resigned that’s fine,” Luse said.

Elliot himself believes that the congress has never had confidence in him.

“I never had it,” Elliot said.

Senior Martin Staehnke said he thinks Elliot should resign.

“Most definitely, at this point he hasn’t given me a reason or another student to think otherwise, especially those who have been involved this year.”

Yin said believed the congress will again have confidence in Elliot’s leadership.

“Eventually, as long as he follows the rules and regulations of HUSC and procedures, then he’ll end up getting along with the members,” Yin said.

CORRECTION: In the May 1 issue of the Oracle in the story "HUSC pres and VP-elect embattled," Caitlin Rose Polivoda's name was misspelled.

Who does Hamline serve? That’s a question that seems to have different answers depending on who you ask. The student body and faculty would, I suspect, say that it is the students. The Hamline administration would claim the same. Their actions, however, suggest otherwise.

The Hamline bookstore fiasco provides an illustrative example of the administration’s priorities. As reported in the April 17 Oracle earlier this year, Dave Young, who has run the bookstore for 22 years, was told his contract would not be renewed. The cited reason was “to request a proposal to see if applicants exist that have a more efficient method of managing the bookstore.”

This is the height of doublespeak. Why, while praising the job Young has done, would anyone look to replace him?

This is the third college I’ve attended. I hear a lot of people complaining about the bookstore. Yet relative to any other college bookstore I’ve seen or bought books from, Hamline’s does an amazing job of serving the students.

My previous college, Normandale, had a good bookstore in my opinion. Yet the only used books they had were books they had bought back the previous semester, usually no more than 10 or so. I was amazed to find the Hamline bookstore providing entire classes with used books. Everything I can see about Hamline’s bookstore is as good or better than any other store.

So Hamline administration’s sudden decision not to renew Young’s contract, inexplicably circumventing the bookstore advisory committee, is peculiar. What’s going on?

The same Oracle article got it right when it said that “it seems that this move is more about institutionalizing an effective process of university management than about improving the bookstore’s methods of management.” Although I would disagree about “effective,” this sounds right. Hamline’s management definitely has a corporate, “institutionalized” feel.

For instance, the bookstore-who decided this? President Hanson? The Board of Trustees? No one knows. We are a small enough campus that there is no excuse for this shameful and cowardly hiding. Many of the decisions on this campus are made anonymously.

Who bought the President’s mansion on Summit Avenue? Who decided that this was more important than fixing some of our decrepit buildings, or giving our faculty a raise, or providing more financial aid, or any of the many other ways the $2 million or so it allegedly cost to buy and fix it up? I certainly don’t know who made the decision, nor do I believe any students’ concerns were addressed in this instance, or that of the bookstore, or in any instance I am aware of.

Yes, we occasionally get surveys asking us what we think. But these look more like the administration trying to find out what we want only so they know how to sell us on what they’re already intending to do, just like political polls in election years. If the Hamline administration was actually in touch with the student body they wouldn’t need phony, Target-style surveys.

But they aren’t in touch. Hamline administration exists in a separate world from Hamline students. Some of our administrators appear to be much more concerned with our image, our U.S. News & World Report college rankings, and our stock portfolio than about the students on this campus, and they make decisions accordingly.

For instance, the bookstore decision. What would happen if we replace Dave Young with one of the two chains that run most college bookstores? If we get a corporate chain, we will see many fewer used books, prices will go up, service will go down, and it will be run by someone in, say, New York, instead of someone at Hamline. There will be virtually no transparency and accountability, but our administration, which apparently despises transparency and accountability, will profit (but not students).

This suggests what our administration’s ultimate decision on the bookstore will be. If it replaces Young with a chain under the false guise of “efficiency,” the Hamline administration will prove that it serves not the students, but an empty image and a corporate ideal.

As I approach the end of my 22nd year as a member of the Hamline campus community it seems appropriate to express my thanks and appreciation for the opportunity to be a part of all this for all of these years.

I arrived here in June of 1985 and haven’t had much of a chance to look back and reflect on the time that I’ve spent here. The days have been full. I’ve reached a point where, for the first time in those 22 years, I’m uncertain that I’ll be back to continue my work at the Hamline Bookstore in the coming September. I’m working my way through the process of submitting a proposal for my extended operation of the bookstore and waiting for the decision as to whether that proposal will be accepted by the university. I’m doing this with the utmost regard for how the work I propose to do affects so many others on this campus.

I’m proud of the work that’s been accomplished in the bookstore over the past two-plus decades. The co-workers that I’ve had the pleasure to spend my days with have been some of the most committed and hardworking people that I can imagine. Whatever success the store has enjoyed has come from these employees’ time and energy and good humor and their realization that service to our community is what makes us tick. Students, alumni, faculty, staff and administration have been far more than abstract constituencies. These groups have provided the framework to build the bookstore around and it has never been less than a privilege to work with and for all of the people who have formed these groups.

The recent support that the bookstore has received and the concerns that have been expressed of the hopes that I will be able to return to this work next September have been gratifying beyond measure. I’d like to thank everyone who has made time in the middle of their own busy schedules to make those expressions of support and concern. This has only strengthened my own hopes to be able to move ahead with the work that has occupied me here.

Being at Hamline has been far more than selling textbooks and sweatshirts for me. My greatest pleasures have been the friendships that have been formed and the opportunities to do good work beyond the walls of the bookstore.

I want to be able to build on my contributions to the Bush Library and scholarship funds. I want to be able to continue to provide support to the student and staff organizations that have come to the bookstore hoping for that kind of support. I want to be able to continue to plug Hamline in my contributions to our local jazz public radio station.

I hope that you can sense my gratitude and accept my thanks for the chance to work with all of you here. And I hope that you can understand and share my wishes to be back for more of the same.

-Dave Young
Hamline University Bookstore

Bringing professionalism, high expectations back

At the end of this school year, your representatives, the executive board, and I will begin preparing for the next school year. It is my challenge and pleasure to lead this endeavor over the summer.

Before we all go home, start new work schedules, and try to forget about the late nights of finals week I would like to remind you of our plan for the coming year.

Ed Elfmann and I were not elected by HUSC members, but rather by individual members of the student body. We believe our vision and platform for the activities of HUSC reflect the importance we place on the many beliefs, ideas, and interests of our fellow students.

Despite the onslaught of resistance from within HUSC itself, we are determined to make HUSC an organization that works for and with you in a compassionate and mutually respectful way. We intend to bring professionalism back into the general assembly and to the relationships between the students and the administration. We will strive to help HUSC overcome the fighting and pettiness which have tarnished its image and all of its relationships for so long. We will challenge ourselves to rise above pettiness as well.

But we can do none of these things on our own. Our strong leadership depends on a strong student body that is willing to voice its opinion, ask tough questions, and maintain high expectations not only of HUSC but also of themselves.

Gandhi said “be the change you seek.” Over the summer I ask that you reflect on what changes you wish to seek on campus and think about how we can all work to be that change in the fall. I will do the same.

For now, I seek to live up to HUSC’s charge to be tolerant, open, and accepting of individuals of different backgrounds, perspectives, and persuasions with the hope that members of HUSC, the student body, and I can continue to do so throughout our work together.

-Mchael Elliott
HUSC President-Elect

HUSC members should support students' choice

On March 7, 2007, Michael Elliott was elected President of HUSC for the ‘07-’08 academic year. This was an unprecedented election in which the student body spoke more loudly than ever, electing a candidate by write-in vote after HUSC members removed his name from the ballot.

From the moment this election was announced, current members of student congress began working to undermine the students’ choice for the coming year. Those individuals sought support from several members of the university’s faculty and staff and attempted to undermine the students’ choice for president by intimidating his supporters and executive board candidates using Facebook to spread their erroneous accusations.

Last Tuesday-May 1-members of HUSC further invested themselves in the struggle to maintain the status quo by voting no confidence in the students’ choice for leadership, despite the dissenting opinions and votes of several reputable members of HUSC.

On May 8, in Giddens Learning Center room 100E, HUSC will hold their final general assembly meeting for this academic year.

At this meeting the same members of HUSC who have sought to undermine the student body throughout the previous months behind closed doors, through secret channels, and most notably via Facebook will make their intolerance and close-mindedness official by rejecting the incoming president’s chosen executive board and attempting to impeach him before he has served a single day in office.

Their intent is to replace the president with his vice-president elect, who has been actively working to undermine the president by working directly with these malicious individuals to accomplish their goals.

Vice President-Elect Ed Elfmann publicly raised two hands in front of the General Assembly to support the vote of no confidence in the president-elect thus lending his support to the libelous, disrespectful, and unprofessional activity of certain members of HUSC.

This sort of intolerant, reactionary behavior and activity is what the students of Hamline rejected when they elected Michael Elliott, who clearly plans to bring new life to Hamline and its student congress in the form of professionalism, strong leadership, and a real commitment to improving campus life.

HUSC members who choose to work against him work against the constitution of their own organization and the policies of their school both of which support the involvement of individuals of various and diverse perspectives and experiences. They work against building that real community to which HUSC members have paid so much lip service over the years.

Amrit Sharma '08

Mob mentality judges unfairly, lacks respect

Ridiculous is the only word that comes to mind when I hear about current affairs in HUSC. When I think of HUSC, I think about a governing body using decision-making power over a great deal of money to create great opportunities for Hamline students. More so, it is a representation of how Hamline students should work when it comes to proposed advocacy work.

HUSC is not a minority group of people trying to discredit a hard working president-elect. Michael Elliott won; he is the HUSC president for the academic year ’07-’08. He would not have won if the student body did not believe in him. He did win by an overwhelming amount.

It’s not the student body that has no confidencečit’s a mob of people “playing” politics who are offended that Elliott defied the odds and won. I am using strong language here because it appears that people are not trying to work with Elliott, that they just want to push him out, even to the point that his own vice president won’t support him.

When Elliott won, I was a told by a HUSC rep. who was in talks with other reps. that Elliot was “going to have a hard time feeling comfortable in HUSC, because people are not going to work with him willingly.” Now, this was said to me one day after the announcement of Elliott’s victory, way before the so-called communication issues came into the picture. However, I believe that the mentality of this young rep and her fellowship reflects the attitudes that Elliott has been facing.

I can’t speak much on the communication issues, but it would be very hard to communicate effectively with a group who doesn’t want you around. Even before knowing what he stood for, people had their judgments and minds made up about how they were going to treat Elliott, all in an effort to push him out.

That’s not right. No HUSC experience may be a good thing. Most students think HUSC is a joke-which, if you were to look at the current situation, that thought is confirmed. Maybe if the E-board did not have HUSC experience it would be a good thing. It could mean a renewing of the true values of HUSC, and it would also mean that the people are removed from the immaturity which is currently present.

Elliott is not getting respect. Yes, he has to earn respect; he has not been welcomed into HUSC but met with extreme hostility. Instead of respect, Elliott is met with members walking out of his appeal proposals. Disrespectful.

Now I find this disheartening, because I, Tony Wilson, Pete Winiecki’s most vocal critic, do have respect for what Winiecki has done to EAC and the integrity he has brought to the position of treasurer, but his actions were extremely unprofessional and disrespectful. The same with Tina VanSteenbergen. The examples provided do not reflect no confidence, they show personality differences that the aforementioned people have with Elliott. These are personal attacks.

Now draw in the quote from earlier which shows the mob mentality out to make Elliott so miserable that he steps down and Elfman steps up. That’s not going to happen. I personally believe in the passion, integrity and overall advocacy that Elliott plans to bring to HUSC; a lot more than the other candidates would have done.

Basically, behind-the-back debates about Elliott should stop. Elliott is open to meeting and discussing the issues people have, as long as mob mentality doesn’t accompany. Round table discussions will be scheduled where everyone will be invited to discuss issues that currently exist; they will serve as a workshop to learn how Elliot can work for HUSC better, but also how HUSC can work with him. It has to be a two-way street.

I am not saying that Elliott has done everything perfectly, but everyone has to hold themselves accountable for their adult decisions and actions. I am leaving myself open for any comments or discrepancies that people may have with this piece. Please contact me: awilson02@hamline.edu

Tony Wilson ’08

Longevity does not allocate

P.J. O’Rourke phrased it succinctly when he said, “Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.”

Unfortunately, this dilemma is one aggravated by the existence of student councils everywhere. They may not have much power, but they do have money-at least to some feeble degree-and the positions it offers represent dominance of one’s social environment. To say the least, it is an alluring prospect to many of the frumpy creatures seen stalking about college campuses, seeking to reaffirm their ability to “fit in” to a changing world.

However, when reasoned debate degenerates into inane squabbling over who deserves what more, the line between student council and cheer squad becomes uncomfortably blurred.

This brings us to the thesis of my argument: in the democratic system allegedly used to govern HUSC, power is rightfully manifest in a few individuals selected by voting folk.
In democratic systems, power is not allocated according to who has been around the longest. Such a system is based on the premise that seniority inspires wisdom and virtue, and it is properly known as oligarchy. To those fond of such a system, I say simply: move to Europe. America is not accustomed to or accepting of emperors and fiefdoms.

With regard to the issue of whether the committee chairs being advised by president-elect Michael Elliot should be approved, the answer is unequivocally yes. They may not have extensive experience with the specific organization of HUSC, but those who insist they must are those whose lives consist only of HUSC. They believe that their involvement with that organization has made them so enlightened that no one who has not been involved for as long as they have is as qualified.

I have found that in bureaucracies, the extent to which people generate conflict varies inversely with the degree of value they bring to an organization. Those who insist on insurrection are those unable to win elections.
It is interesting to note that those most prominent in objecting to Elliot’s selections are those who have been most unable to attain power through honest and forthright means.

If nothing else, O’Rourke’s analogy was a fitting one. So long as students are to have this “money and power” with which to deal, it would make sense for them to have the accompanying whiskey. Rather than focusing on insignificant trivialities, we should unite in seeking broad initiatives which would benefit us all-a minibar in the HUB, perhaps?

-Rudy Takala ’08

Every spring at Hamline, students flee their professors’ classrooms, shed their sweaters and jeans for shorts and tank tops, and lounge on the mall. It’s a right of passage on any college campus. Spring means less work and more play.

While graduating seniors may think they have to hang up their shorts and sandals after entering the workforce, the spring can offer some twists to the every day routine of pushing paper, deleting e-mail and listening to your co-worker’s sad story of remodeling his bathroom over the weekend.

Now, I am not talking about taking off work an hour or two early for a round of golf. Golfing requires you to cut short your eight-hour workday, which means less money for happy hour. That’s bad.

Spring in the workplace should provide you and your co-workers with “team-building” activities and opportunities to let your hair down.

Sitting at your desk for four months during winter has left you and your colleagues a little stuffy and full of bottled-up energy. The longer hours of sunlight and the melting snow are the catalysts your office needs to celebrate spring.

When you think spring, the first thing that comes to mind is barbecue-the smoky smell of burgers and brats on the grill. But grilling is not for weekends anymore. There is nothing stopping you and a few of your co-workers from having a tailgating party during lunch in your office’s parking lot. Throw the Weber in your trunk and store a few pounds of meat in a cooler. And make sure you save a little for the bulky security guard. It always helps to be prepared.

With the warmer air, the craving for some afternoon delight-ice cream-grows stronger. When the clock hits 2:30, you really don’t want to be in the office anymore. Trust me: that feeling never goes away. Load up a few of your friends in a car, preferably a convertible, and head down for a little Grand Ole Creamery, Dairy Queen or Cold Stone. Ice cream is the best mid-afternoon treat to get your creative juices flowing.

The workplace can be a little stressful at times, especially when it’s really nice outside and you are buried under a mound of paper. Sometimes you need to pull out your beach ball or rubber ballčyou’ll need one at your desk for a multitude of reasons.

A quick game of dodgeball in the front lobby can work out a lot of energy and aggression. The idea is to be playful, not to harm anyone and anything. You should make sure breakables are put away.

It doesn’t matter if you are age 21, 31 or 51; the challenges of working in the spring never go away. It all comes down to how you manage your work commitments and springtime yearnings. Just remember to work hard and play hard.

-Darin Broton ’99

In the past four years I have interacted with a wide variety of student leaders and governments. Serving on the Economic Affairs Committee (EAC) at Hamline, as President of Minnesota’s 17 private college student governments, and consulting on the east and west coasts have brought me into contact with regional, national, and European student leaders. HUSC is in good standing, but has room for improvement. While my time as an undergraduate draws near an end, I note 11 ways HUSC can grow stronger and increase its relevance.

We must respect athletes and serious students, and give them their due. Often the finest and most accomplished undergraduates are in athletics, difficult or challenging disciplines, or both. Hence they are not “involved,” and we need to recognize this.

Our conception of service must also be broadened. Volunteering man-hours is a noble, but simple commitment. There are individuals and groups in the college that create sustainable programs, achieve outstanding feats of social justice work on their own terms, coach, and bring Hamline’s name to the forefront at national events and competitions. They do this without massive budgets allocated to “volunteering.”They do this because they think outside of the box. We should not ignore student-athletes and student-scholars because they have found light in areas outside of the mold.

Recognize that the scope of HUSC is limited. There are three essential purposes for student government: act as a bank and administrative body for organizations, make the occasional statement on behalf of the students, and cultivate the skills of bright young people when they come through. By its nature and structure, student government is not meant to be involved in everyday lives of students. That is the purpose of student organizations.

Increase stipends and add graded credits for those who serve in important positions. This will aid in attracting talent. Many schools do it, and they are consistently the finest. We should too.

“It is easier to sign the back of checks when you’re not writing the front." This, from two-year HUSC Treasurer Pete Winiecki (my, and your, “unsung hero” of the decadečthe backbone of student organizations for two years), accurately describes the spending habits of many student groups. As it stands now, we are fostering entitlement.

No more condoms. Free contraception should only be provided through Counseling and Health Services. There are three arguments for this. First, the rate of usage cannot be more than one in 20 of those taken, and thus it is expensive. Second, there are significant moral issues with requiring Johnny to pay for Billy’s sex through his student fee. Johnny may have religious objections or a respect for dignity and modesty, which are legitimate concerns and should be respected. Thirdly, from the perspective and reasoning of an economist (which I like to pretend I amčright behind a Republican and rock star), such coddling only encourages a lack of responsibility.

The MPIRG fee should be opt-in, not opt-out. Even this Democrat recognizes that they are partisan, and it is inappropriate for all students to be automatically billed to support their activism. Three years ago the student government voted to recommend that the administration not renew the group’s campus membership until they abide by honest funding mechanisms. If students had to decide on their own to donate, MPIRG (and their lawyers) argued, the group would receive far less annual funding. Correct.

Bring in more high quality, academic speakers. This can first be achieved by axing the $30,000+ allocated to the End of the Year Party. Let's bring more scholars and host more debates. During my time at Hamline I have traveled to St. Olaf five times for great events. They are our competition.

We need a strong executive in the President and Treasurer, more willing to fire complacent or ineffectual members of the Executive Board when necessary.

Confront the Diversity Cabal. There has been outstanding faculty, administration, and student of color support for this message. We must not be coerced and made subordinate to a single conception of multiculturalism or diversity.

In the words of President Colin Haley in 2004, “put HUSC first.” People are quick to criticize the organization, and usually it is deserved. But we should keep in mind that the purpose of a student government is so people can learn by tripping over themselves. If nothing else, it serves as a good Darwinian tool.

We’ll try not to get too cliche here we all know we’ll always remember and hold close our friends that we met at ol’ HU, etc., etc. But sometimes it seems like yesterday that we were wandering, wide-eyed and lost first-years, alternately filled with trepidation, excitement, and anticipation for the years ahead. As commonplace as it sounds, it’s truečthis place is our home and all we’ve known for four years. While we raged about homework and classes, were homesick and wished we were finished with college, the time has gone by faster than we could have ever anticipated. We’ve gone from uncertain first-years to equally uncertain but still graduating seniors with hardly a moment to think about it.

The biggest change, of course, was President Linda Hanson joining the Hamline community. With Hanson, the days of the unapproachable president were over. Hanson has been seen mingling with students at sporting events and all sorts of other campus events during her time here. We applaud Hanson for connecting with the students on a much higher level than her predecessor. Former administrative practices often left some of us with sour tastes in our mouths, and Hanson’s commitment to student life and her active presence on campus has diminished our distaste for the President’s office and helped us value that office much more.

While these external changes have been taking place, there have been deeper changes at work, too. The way we think, the way we perceive one another has changed in our four years here. Professors have sometimes made us angry, sometimes crushed our will to studyąbut ultimately have made us think about what we believe and start to articulate the ethics and principles by which we have started to live. A greater challenge will be to continue communicating these values in our lives after we leave the academic insulation of Hamline. We won’t be challenged in the same ways to think critically about our everyday choices and their implications in the same way; instead, it will be up to us now to keep those guiding ideas at least in the back of our minds as we make our own inroads into the world beyond collegiate life.

With all sorts of strategic planning changes afoot, campus may be on the brink of some major transformations. Such changes could be the start of things we’ve been wanting to see on campus during our time here. They could also mean things like more focus on professor scholarship (and therefore less attention to students), increasing the campus population, and getting rid of the FYSEM program. These potential changes could lead to many more options to enrich the lives of students, but some of the changes could potentially detract from the quality of student life.

Whatever comes, seniors of the future, be prepared to face them with minds that are open, inquisitive, and attentive. Act for the changes you want, and challenge things that worry you. Don’t fear change, but be aware of it, recognize it for what it is, and be ready to bring your own ideas and ideals to the situation at hand. The trick is to figure out what they are first and then have the courage, the drive, and the wherewithal to apply them. As long as you know who you are and can preserve that identity above all else, things will work out.

With an 8-10 record overall, a 3-7 record in the MIAC and a new playoff format, the Pipers had little chance of making the playoffs when the season ended last week. As a team, it was a difficult season for tennis. The men’s team is a primarily veteran group that experienced the transition of a coaching change late in their careers. Although the transition could not have been easier because of the familiarity with Coach Klonecki, it is still an adjustment and competition is stiff in MIAC tennis.

Even though the team didn’t win many matches, the MIAC took notice of the play of seniors Andy Carlson and Jon Breimhorst. The number one doubles team and top two singles players on the team were honored with All-MiAC accolades last Wednesday. The two Pipers were selected for both their play in singles as well as in doubles competition. Carlson was 11-7 overall in number one singles while Breimhorst was 9-9 (5-4 in MIAC play) in number two singles. As doubles partners, they were 6-3 in MIAC competition.

This Breimhorst’s first selection to the All-conference team and Carlson’s second in as many years.

Talk about deja vu; after finishing 7-18 overall in 2007 and 5-17 in 2006, the athletic administration at Saint Mary’s University found themselves in a familiar position, rifling through stacks of applications and pondering potential candidates to head up the women’s basketball program. For the third time in three years, the Cardinals were in the market for a new coach. In the wake of first-year coach Shawn Stimmel leaving to take the same position with Mount Mercy, Saint Mary’s named Piper assistant Mandy Pearson the new Cardinals’ head coach last Monday.

As an assistant to head coach Melissa Young-Kruse, Pearson was a part of the best Piper team in school history. Hamline reached the MIAC conference playoffs for the first time ever two years ago. Although the success of the Pipers was not repeated this past season, the Pipers finished the year with the third-most-winning record in school history. Before serving two seasons as an assistant with the Pipers, Pearson was an All-American point guard during her senior year at Concordia-Moorhead in 2004-2005. Also that year, she was named Minnesota’s Intercollegiate Athletic Conference player of the year for the second time. She received the honor her junior season as well. Pearson was a three-time All-MIAC first teamer. As a player, the point guard was a rare talent that not only scored but distributed the ball too. She capped off her career with 1,346 points and 640 assists; the first Cobber ever to surpass the 1,000-point and 500-assist benchmarks. Pearson was consistent as a conference leader in both categories throughout her four year-career.

In addition to having the credentials of a great player and the recognition of being an assistant for a program on the cusp of changing its culture of winning for the better, Pearson brings more to the job. The new coach should be able to relate to her new players in a way her predecessor could not. Pearson has had the first-hand experience of being a player and having to endure the transition of having a new coach on a seasonal basis. At Concordia-Moorhead, Pearson had three different coaches in four years. With every changing of the guard comes not only a new coach with a new personality, but also new play books with new plays, new practice routines, new training programs, new assistants, new energy, and new philosophies of game management. Coaches may even see fit to shift the positions of players. It goes without saying, all can be and are stresses on college athletes but Pearson’s players should be able to benefit from their coach’s ability to empathize and make adjustments.

Whether it is just coincidence or something that Pearson brings to the table, she is successful at whatever task she accepts. Her time spent at Hamline is invaluable and her presence surely will be missed in practice and on the sidelines in 2008 and beyond. Although the head coach for the Cardinals may not be the most desirable job in college athletics, some of the best coaches in history have started from humbler beginnings. In any event, if former Cardinals’ coach Shawn Stimmel can parlay one season and a losing 7-18 record into a head coaching position at Mount Mercy, then one would assume that Pearson’s impressive pedigree should translate into many future hirings.

Women’s tennis finished their season on a positive note, defeating Bethel 6-3 in a MIAC dual match. Despite the solid win, the Pipers missed the playoffs with a 3-7 conference record and a new playoff format instituted by the conference offices this year. Regardless of record, all teams made the playoffs in past seasons and then participated in a MIAC tournament.

“I’m honored and surprised,” said Bothun. “I wasn’t expecting [the accolade].”

At Bethel last week, Hamline swept all doubles matches, never letting up against an overwhelmed Bethel squad. The number one doubles team of Bothun and Gust improved their record to 10-7 on the year. It was the swan song of matches for the long-time doubles partners, as Bothun is graduating. Bothun also went on to win number one singles too, defeating Bethel’s Kari Blair 6-1, 7-6 (7-4). Number two doubles team, Eilertson and sophomore Liz Gunderson played their last match together too and improved their season record to 8-2 in the process.

“I thought that the season went well, and I thought that we would make it to the playoffs,” said Gust. “I’m disappointed but I was really glad to receive the award because I worked so hard in the off season...I enjoyed this season and look forward to future seasons.”

Gust will be co-captain for the Pipers next year along with sophomore Liz Gunderson. Gust and Gunderson will also be doubles partners in 2008.

The MIAC Tournament began on May 4 and the Pipers were there but not as spectators. The first round took place at Bethel last week. The Pipers lost to St. Thomas 0-8 in the first round before being eliminated by St. Mary’s. The Cardinals defeated Hamline 7-1.

Unlike many athletic programs at Hamline, the softball program is regularly a preseason pick for playoffs. The season started out shaky but when the Pipers got into the thick of the conference season, the team turned on the burners and rattled off an impressive stretch of quality play. At one point, the Pipers had won nine of 10 games. The burners seemed to have cooled just before the season ended though, as the Pipers limped into the playoffs losing two non-conference games to Stout (1-2 and 2-10) three days before going toe-to-toe with the MIAC’s best. St. Thomas entered last Friday’s game as the number one ranked team in Division III fast pitch softball.

“We just played really good teams on Friday. Their is a reason why St. Thomas is number one in the nation,” said Hamline softball Coach Janelle Tieken.

In both games, the Pipers found themselves in a four run deficit by the second inning. The Tommies offense came down hard on sophomore starter Theresa Boleen and capitalized on three Piper defensive errors early in the second to take the lead and keep it. Hamline allowed four runs that inning before allowing another four before the game’s conclusion.

Thanks to a botched grounder by the Pipers, St. Thomas had its first runner aboard. Said runner promptly and successful stole second base and then was advanced to third thanks to ground out. The Tommies got lucky on a sacrifice bunt that became a single and they scored their first run with one out in the second inning. An error due to sloppy defense allowed another run to score. The runner that Boleen put on base by hitting with a pitch would later come around to score. A pattern developed. A Tommie single would be followed by a Piper error and an RBI would ensue. Yet again, the Tommies reached on a single and the next batter hit a ball to left field that was not fielded cleanly. The left fielder, sophomore Grace Weinrich, was officially charged with an error. The Tommies scored their fourth run of the inning.

The Pipers were clearly over matched. The Pipers could not muster any offense against the St. Thomas pitchers. The Tommies struck out once in the game compared to Hamline’s ten. The usually serviceable Piper defense was not coming together. Boleen, the Piper’s top pitcher, was not as effective as Hamline may have hoped. Boleen pitched a complete game loss, struck out one batter, allowing 10 hits, four earned runs, and three walks in the game. Boleen pitched both games because first-year Rachel Roberts was “unavailable” according to Coach Janelle Tieken.

One loss away from elimination, the Pipers next game was against St. Mary’s. The Cardinals (17-5) claimed the third seed in the conference. Once again, the Pipers were down by four runs in the second inning. The Cardinals scored two runs in the first inning and scored another two runs in the second, off the seemingly rubber-armed Boleen. The Pipers just couldn’t get anything started for themselves all day.

In the first inning, sophomore Jourdan Ulrich was thrown out at second by the Cardinal catcher. An unusual scene, considering Ulrich had not been caught stealing all season. She was 12 for 12 in steals. Further proof that nothing was going Hamline’s way. That’s not to say St. Mary’s wasn’t heping their own cause.

The Cardinals are a very good offensive club. Timely hitting was abundant for St. Mary's as they teed off against the Pipers. A single, a walk and a base clearing double put St. Mary’s on the board in the bottom of the first inning. later in the bottom of the sixth, St. Mary’s would score again after reaching base thanks to poor defense.

The Pipers’ only run of the 2007 MIAC Tournament, came after a Cardinal error. The Pipers scored in the sixth inning. After reaching base on a single early in the inning, Ulrich advanced to third on a sacrifice ground out. Ulrich was rescued from third base when Weinrich reached second base on a defensive error. The Pipers went on to lose the game 7-1, thus eliminating them from the MIAC post-season.

The loss was Boleen’s second complete game loss of the playoffs. The pitcher gave up 10 hits, allowed six earned runs, walked seven batters and only struck out two in six innings of work. “We have complete confidence in Theresa [Boleen]. She just faced really good hitters,” said Tieken.
The playoff appearance was the Pipers’ third in the last four years. This team is likely to make another run next year too. The only graduating player is senior Holly Wiborg. The team currently has no juniors on the roster either. It is primarily a class of sophomores, who are competing with the best of D-III softball in the country. Without a doubt this will be a learning experience for the players and can only make them better as they make future playoff pushes.

“[This season] was a very rewarding coaching experience. I was very proud to be a part of Hamline softball this year. This young team really means a lot to me...I won’t make any predictions but we had a lot of sophomores and freshmen get a lot of playing experience and they can use that only to get better and it is only going to create good things for the future.” said Tieken.

In the final doubleheader of the season, Hamline baseball swept Concordia 3-2 and 5-0 last week.

Although the wins failed to propel the Pipers to the post season, the contests did bear fruit. In the first game, junior shortstop Andrew Bennett hit his 10th home run of the season. After spending most of the season leading or nearly leading the MIAC in home runs, Bennett’s tenth dinger tied the shortstop for the single season record at Hamline. Alumni Kyle Aug and Tom Gothmann previously held the single season record with 10 home runs. Aug hit 10 home runs in 1985 and Gothmann hit 10 in 1981. Bennett had an all-around good game and Bennett finished game one with two runs, a double, and was three for three at the plate.

In game two, another Piper senior playing in his final game, Derek Rundquist, ended his career with a strong performance. Rundquist was all deuces. The senior was two for two in the game with two doubles and one RBI.

Junior pitcher Josh Roiger received his fifth win of the season (5-2) after pitching five innings, striking out three and only walking one batter. Fellow junior Brian Martin relieved Roiger. Martin threw two innings of scoreless baseball, insuring the Hamline win.

The 2007 season began with high hopes and expectations for a baseball program that is looking to change the reputation of Hamline baseball and athletics as being perennial losers. Despite winning their final two games of the season, the Pipers find themselves on the outside looking in when the MIAC Tournament started this week. The Pipers went all the way to the MIAC Championships last year after winning 26 games on the year; success that they were not able to recreate in 2007. Hamline defeated baseball juggernaut St. Thomas 4-1 in 2006 before losing 3-2 to St. Olaf in the championship game.

“We had a lot of guys have career type years [last year],” said head baseball coach Jason Verdugo. Sometimes players have breakout years and sometimes players have years that they will never be able to recreate statistically. The Pipers had quite a few players play better than anticipated in 2006.

In addition to losing a few key players to graduation from the 2006 Pipers, in 2007 the Pipers found themselves in a conference with much parity. The top three teams in the conference-St. Olaf, St. Thomas, and Gustavus all finished the season with 14-4 records. The competition improved this year and the Pipers weren’t able to win those close games that they won last year.

“We lost five conference games by a run,” said Verdugo. Those five games could have meant the difference between a playoff season and a respectable season. The frustration of losing close games created other problems for the Pipers to deal with for much of the season.

“I think we some chemistry issues a little bit, having 27 different personalities and trying to get them to gel as one, as a team. I think some of that was frustration that we didn’t win those one-run-games and a year ago we did,” said Verdugo.

Overall, it was a very respectable season for the Pipers. The team finished sixth in the conference standings. The top four teams with the best record make the post-season, but Hamline gave them a run for their money. In the MIAC Hamline’s record was near .500 (8-10) and their overall record of 20-18 is a winning record nonetheless. This year, coach Verdugo recorded his 100th win as the Pipers’ skipper; an impressive feat for such a young coach.

“Defensive and pitching have been our thing all year,” said Verdugo. On the field, the Pipers had the third best fielding percentage of the conference and the third-best earned run average.

Next year, the Pipers will be without seniors Aaron Thompson, Kyle Foster, Same Wiener, Derek Rundquist and Jason Juntunen. All are integral cogs in the Hamline machine and will be missed. Coach Verdugo is confident that replacements for such core players are already in place on the team.

The MIAC Playoffs begin on May 11 sans the Pipers.