By Nataleeya Baruwa
Co-news Editor
 
Tyler Klain was 13 when he was first diagnosed with leukemia. Eight years later, Klain is a survivor who relayed all night at the annual NDSU Relay For Life event in an effort to fight cancer for people like him.

The overnight event started Friday, April 18 and continued till Saturday morning. 338 participants and 38 teams relayed all night at the Sheppard Arena to raise approximately $20,604.

Relay For Life is an overnight event designed to celebrate survivorship and raise money for research and programs of the American Cancer Society. During the event, teams gather and take turns walking or running laps. Each team tries to keep at least one team member on the track at all times.

Klain, a senior majoring in agriculture, economics and Spanish, said Relay For Life is his way to get back to all those who helped him in his fight. Klain however said Relay For Life “is not just for cancer survivors or those affected by cancer, it is for everyone.”

Klain said three and half years of treatment did not keep him from living a normal teenage life. Being from Turtle Lake, N.D., a small town of about 600 people, Klain claimed he had “too many people” to worry about him.

The Relay For Life event commenced with an opening ceremony followed by a Luminaria ceremony that honored cancer survivors and those lost to cancer. About seven survivors were present at the ceremony. There was a special lap for the honorary survivors and an opportunity for them to speak. This year’s honorary survivors were Steve Symons, a mass communications major and Lance Haman, a sophomore majoring in accounting.  

By Dan Gunderson
Columnist

On February 3, the Minnesota Twins acquired outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra for the superstar Johan Santana. This trade, coupled with the release of Torii Hunter, prompted some Twins’ fans to complain about the franchise’s lack of aggression in signing the superstars.

Almost three weeks into the season, fans haven’t forgotten about these guys, but they have learned that life without them is not so bad. The Twins are 8-10, which is better than both the early season favorites, Cleveland and Detroit, to win the Central Division.

The best part about this team is that it is dripping with potential. The pitching staff is mostly young and homegrown, with pitchers like Kevin Slowey and Nick Blackburn. Joe Nathan has been solid, while the rest of the pen has been spotty at best, with everybody except three pitchers with an ERA over 5.

The two biggest surprises on the staff are Blackburn and offseason acquisition Livan Hernandez. Hernandez, who was brought in to anchor a young staff and eat innings, has gone 3-0 in 27 innings and has a 3.00 ERA. Blackburn, who is getting his opportunity because of the Santana trade, has been stellar in his four starts. He has a 2.49 ERA, a 1-1 record, hasn’t given up a homer and has only walked three batters in 25.1.

By Abigail Gaugert
Columnist

Discussions about abortion have led to more tears, frustrations and accusations than any other issue.

Whether or not NDSU students wanted to talk about it, they were confronted with it last week on Centennial Boulevard.

The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform says that the Genocide Awareness Project, “exhibits large photo murals comparing aborted babies with Jewish Holocaust victims, African Americans killed in racist lynchings, Native Americans exterminated by the U.S. Army, etc… to illuminate the conceptual similarities which exist between abortion and more widely recognized forms of genocide.”

Collegians for Life volunteers were available for discussion near the prominent signs.

To be certain, GAP is an incendiary, dramatic piece of visual rhetoric, and it was designed to be.

The use of the word “genocide,” in-your-face red and black signs, the cops standing watch and the barriers to protect the volunteers from would-be unruly protesters or vandalizers all seized the attention of passers-by.

I spoke with several volunteers from GAP as well as some students protesting, and I was pleased to see attempts to find common ground, clear-headed explanations behind opinions and generally respectful, challenging dialogues occurring.

In an environment that could have easily inflamed counterproductive conflicts, free speech was operating as it is meant to. 

By Steve Retka
Contributing Writer

It is undeniable that we live in a world saturated with technology.

But despite all the digital influence in our culture, its effects on art and music have been largely overlooked.

The Plains Art Museum in Fargo, however, is attempting to change this with their 2nd annual L.I.V.E. series event.

L.I.V.E., which stands for Listening Integrated Visual Experience, is a special event designed to celebrate the “new media” of electronically produced music and art. The event features a combination of live performances and art installations.

Participation in the event is open to any and all artists, musicians, and composers working with any electronic or digital media who are interested in sharing their work.

By Sarah Taylor
Staff Writer

Growing up in the northern plains west of Devils Lake, Minn., Dale Herman saw many difficulties in creating a livable environment.

“I remember my parents trying to landscape the sandy hill that we lived on. Back in those days if someone asked you what kind of vegetation would grow, a person could count them on one hand,” he said.

Seeing the limitations to types of trees and shrubs that could grow in the area encouraged Herman to challenge himself and research plants.

The horticulture professor and publisher of “Trees and Shrubs for Northern Great Plains Landscapes” has helped introduce 42 different woody plants to the region, including the Prairie Gem, Snow Lace, Japanese Tree Lilac and Spring Welcome Magnolia. Herman is especially proud of the Spring Welcome Magnolia.

“Twenty years ago we didn’t think we could grow these here, and now we have several varieties,” he said.

Horticulture is both an art and science to Herman.

“It is used to improve peoples’ well-being and to make a place more enjoyable to live in,” he said.