Northwestern College, Iowa NWCommons The Beacon, 2012-2013 The Beacon 9-21-2012 The Beacon, September 21, 2012 Beacon staff Follow this and additional works at: https://nwcommons.nwciowa.edu/beacon2012 This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The Beacon at NWCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Beacon, 2012-2013 by an authorized administrator of NWCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Volume 85 - Issue3 September 21, 2012 Crossing cultures on campus BY JOCELYN VAN DYKE “Nationwide, the idea together. We don’t usually FEATURES CO-EDITOR of [cross-cultural] housing get outside our social N o r t h w e s t e r n is on the rise and is always sphere, but it’s the best thing College’s Cross-Cultural debatable regarding its you can do for yourself.” Community House aims potential to retain students Junior Gee Daka said she to create a community and/or alienate them from also saw the cross-cultural that respects, values and the campus community,” housing as a way to branch celebrates differences as Franklin said. out from her normal group well as similarities. The hope is that the cross- of friends: “I thought living According to Multi- cultural housing on campus here would be really cool. Ethnic Student Counselor will create a place where As an international student, Rahn Fanklin, this idea was community can thrive. I was hanging out with the set into motion after much Located on the second same people and I wanted to research was completed. floor of Bolks Apartment meet new people,” Daka said. “Northwestern survey B (East), the Cross-Cultural “You never know what you data reveals that despite Community House is home can learn from someone, and increasing diversity to 22 students from a I wanted to learn new things among the student body, wide variety of racial and about myself, too.” students have few positive cultural backgrounds. Still others weren’t cross-racial interactions,” Students found out about immediately sure about Franklin said. the opportunity to live in what to do for housing. The survey indicated this community through “Last year the cross- that NW students are more friends, roommates, La cultural housing was comfortable interacting Mosaic meetings and the mentioned in La Mosaic. It with their own racial or Day of Learning. For senior sounded cool, but I didn’t ethnic groups than other Samantha Bender, living really want to do it because I groups. It found that in another country made wanted to stay in the dorms. I students of different cultural her realize the importance had a few roommate offers, backgrounds are less of what this type of but I was still struggling likely to have intellectual environment could offer. with where I wanted to discussions outside class; “I spent a semester and live,” said sophomore Talitha share personal feelings and a summer in Romania. Witt. “I was praying and problems; eat, socialize or Something I found to asking God, ‘What do I do study together; and have be really valuable was for housing?’ After that, I just honest discussions about spending time with people saw the words ‘cross-cultural’ racial and ethnic relations who are different from you,” everywhere I looked. I took it outside of their classrooms. Bender said. “Although we as a sign from God.” NW’s cross-cultural approach life differently in Living with people from housing is fashioned after different situations, there’s other cultural backgrounds PHOTO SUBMITTED the Antioch community at a lot of beauty in diversity. is already beginning to Liz Burton, Isaiah Custer, Patricia Daka, Talitha Witt, Genesis Torres and Gee Daka work together to make breakfast. Starting at 10 a.m. on September 29, in Bolks apartment East Room 223, the group Northwestern College in St. I was excited to just do life transform opinions. will be serving breakfast for anyone on campus interested in attending as a way of encouraging others Paul, Minn. on campus to visit and get to know the students in the cross-cultural housing community. See “Learning” on Page 4 King-Vilsack debate brings oppurtunity for both parties to visit NW BY GILLIAN ANDERSON and informative. “How a debate works is likely topic; Vilsack says retrospective view, which debate] is a good experience, Political candidates “It will be different from they decide on the issues she wants to preserve the means we can measure and it broadens our exposure will be on Northwestern’s the Romney rally because they want to talk about, Pell Grant, and King has a what he says against his to politics,” said sophomore Campus once again when at a rally it is more to then go through the rules history of voting against past actions. Christie Vilsack Joleen Wilhelm. congressional candidates get people hyped up and and decide on the location,” acts such as the College Cost has a more prospective Professor Ann Minnick Rep. Steve King (R) and not go in depth about the Raysby said. “They will Reduction and Access Act. view in the fact that we will be the representative Christie Vilsack (D) debate in issues,” said junior Ethan decide who the moderator M a n y p r o f e s s o r s , will have to listen to what from NW on a panel that also Christ Chapel Sept 27. Raysby, a political science will be and what questions including Jeff Van Der she has to say. We have no includes representatives The debate will be major. “At the debate the can be asked.” Werff, have encouraged past evidence since she has from KTIV and N’West notably different in tone candidates won’t be able to One of the issues that their students to attend the never sought office.” Iowa REVIEW, co-hosts of from the Romney rally that avoid questions, and they will possibly be brought debate and to research the Recently, there has the debate. There will likely was held on campus two will go more in depth.” up during the debate is candidates’ positions. been much debate around be media outlets from Des weeks ago. In contrast Unlike the Romney healthcare; King says he “King has a record,” Van campus about whether NW Moines and Sioux City as with the pep-rally feel of rally, NW sought out the wants to repeal Obamacare Der Werff said. “He has should be hosting political well as other locations. Romney’s event, the debate opportunity to host this and Vilsack says she does been in congress for about candidates at all. “I am curious to see if will be more issue-focused debate on its campus. not. Education is another 10 years. He has more of a “I think [hosting this students are sick of political See “Debate” on Page 8 2 West RD makes music to connect to God BY JEFF HUBERS “It’s funny that people think I’ve played a lot this year already,” said West Hall Resident Director Corey Kundert. “To me, it feels like I haven’t played in a long time.” Since the semester began, Kundert has performed for The Red Letter Festival and a night of music at The The Killers released Battle Born, their first album since 2008. Old Factory. Those that have seen West Hall’s R.D. Killers latest doesn’t perform know he is also a singer/songwriter. K u n d e r t i s k n o w n have enough heart around Northwestern for ALBUM REVIEWW his solo act, but everything BY MATT LATCHAW he has done for the NW Few bands can claim success like The Killers. With audience remains only a each of their three previous albums selling in the multi- portion of a much fuller platinum category, people respect what they have to say. and distinctive experience. PHOTO SUBMITTED The Killers released Battle Born, the long-awaited “The things I’ve played West RD Corey Kundert plays his own brand of music, a genre he would define as “post-indie rock.” follow-up to 2008’s Day & Age on Tuesday, Sept. 18, but here are really watered- held it, I was glued to it,” through a couple different time he plays before an fans of the fast-paced punk feel of their first album, Hot down compared to their Kundert said. band names and styles, but audience, he blocks them Fuss, will only find tiny elements of favorites like “Mr. sound as part of a band,” For the first year, Kundert always playing with the out completely. Brightside” in the latest record. Kundert said. stuck with the four-strings. same people. Kundert’s “A lot of things are going In the same way, the glam and pomp of Day & Age has Back in Kundert’s home This way he learned weird brother was the person to on during a performance,” been pushed to the fringes. Instead, the band has taken in Indiana, his collaborations chord progressions and play with; the music they Kundert said. “I recall the grandiose storytelling of their critically acclaimed with his brother and friends taught himself to make made together was some of the past, where God has sophomore album, Sam’s Town, and made it even bigger. are truly the treasures in music from eerie but his best. taken me.” No band member takes the backseat in this endeavor. his musical experiences. melodious sounds. “I’ve asked myself that “It’s not ‘radio’ music,” Pounding drums, powerful guitar, plinking synth and Kundert started making “The guitar was all I a lot of times, and always Kundert said, when asked persistent bass all take turns driving.