Emily Allen
Published: April 30, 2009

CHICAGO, IL - Thirty-two Loras College students volunteered to be abducted this past Saturday. They marched in the rain, and stopped traffic in downtown Chicago all in an attempt to be the voice for the voiceless.

Hans Sleichter was one of the 32 Loras Students who was tied with 2000 strangers across the Midwest with nothing in common except a piece of rope.

“To see how passionate people were about it and coming together for the cause of people they don’t even know, it’s just that love for humanity that just kind of moves me and it was really exciting,” says Sleichter.

Students traveled to Federal Plaza in Chicago were they were “abducted” as part of the World Wide Invisible Children Rescue.
“When we walked up the crowd started cheering it was just like one of those moments that gives you goose bumps,” says Joel Allen, a fellow abductee.

“We marched 1.7 miles to Grant Park where we stayed the entire night,” says Sleichter.

Participates in the march held on to a piece of twine reenacting the children in Uganda’s struggle for survival.
“This was just unbelievable, the cops were in on it they were stopping traffic for us on their segways,” recalls Sleichter.

The march blocked the Chicago streets and sidewalks, affecting the entire city.

“Traffic was blocked up 8 blocks. It was just such a cool feeling because it’s like we are forcing you to see what we are doing. You see the buses they are off their routes time wise and people in taxis are paying just to sit there,” says Sleichter.

But an angry crowd and honking vehicles wasn’t the only issue abductees had to face.

“The rain started happening and I was just like, man this is horrible. It went from 40 degrees and rain and you could see your breath, it was horrible,” says Allen.

Allen admits his shorts, short sleeve shirt, and flip-flops weren’t exactly weather appropriate, but he says it was all for a good cause.

“There was a point in time when I just wanted to give up. It had rained about two inches in thirty minutes and I was dripping wet, I couldn’t feel my feet anymore. I didn’t know if I could do it. But Hans reassured me and reminded me that the kids in Uganda don’t have a choice. They don’t get to say it’s too cold let’s just go home,” says Allen.

But despite harsh weather, lack of media attention and multiple location sites Joel and Hans believe the event was a success.
“Spreading the word is what has got the organization as big as it was,” says Sleichter.

It’s been 4 days since the abduction and Chicago is the one city out of 100 cities across the globe that is still in need of a rescue. Sleichter says he is going to back to Chicago tomorrow and along with the rest of the Chicago abductees is going to continue to wait for a celebrity or political figure comes to the rescue.

Today at 11:00am the troop marched to Oprah’s Harpo Studios and moved their location to Lincoln Park Zoo. Currently individuals from the Invisible Children headquarters based out of San Diego are headed to the windy city for the rescue.

Emily Allen can be reached at emily.allen@loras.edu

Molly Menster and Tina Sio are looking to get legally married in Iowa.

Felicia Carner
Published: April 15, 2009

DUBUQUE -The unanimous Iowa Supreme Court decision on overturning the same sex marriage ban is being questioned by some Iowa citizens.

Lou Oswald, 2008 Republican candidate for Dubuque’s 27th District for the House of Representatives, says “It’s not about my opinion; we all know what that is, marriage is between a man and a woman. The issue here is hearing the voices of the citizens.”

Oswald says that he is working with other citizens that share the same view to get the vote back to the people. They have until May 1st to appeal this lawsuit.

Oswald and others who oppose the new law are taking advantage of their democratic rights.

Although lesbian couple, Molly Menster and Tina Sio, feel the Iowa Supreme Court made a wise decision they feel it is the Iowa citizens right to push for the vote.

“It is their right to work to get this put on the ballot and have a vote by the people, if that is their prerogative that is their right,” commented Menster.

For those who do oppose the legalization of same sex marriage and want a vote, Menster suggests for them to read the decision.

“It is so well written and so thought out they made a decision that is firmly rooted in our Iowa constitution,” said Menster.

You can find the Iowa Supreme Court’s Decision here: Full Decision

The couples believe the court made their decision based on the roots of the Iowa constitution and the separation between church and state.

Sio comments, “The judges have done their research on it and know the constitution and know whether or not this denying same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.”

Menster says the court set aside their personal beliefs and values and strictly looked at the constitution. “It has nothing to do with religion it’s about a set of rights that has been denied to a class of people, gay and lesbian people, without any good reason. There is no good legal reason to deny us these rights.”

Menster and Sio feel this is victory is not just about having a wedding reception but about the emotional and physical protection the law gives them. The couple has already committed a ceremony to dedicate their lives to each other but is looking to become legally married in the near future.

A complete interview with Ingrid Evans-Olson, one of the women named in the lawsuit regarding same sex marriage that reached the Iowa Supreme Court can be read on our blog: Full Interview

Felicia Carner can be reached at Felicia.Carner@loras.edu

Katrina Berning
Published: April 15, 2009

DUBUQUE- In 1773, American colonists boarded ships of the East India Trading Company and threw tea in the Boston Harbor to protest the tea tax imposed by Britain.

Today, a group of activists echoed that idea as they took a stand with a Tax Day Tea Party of their own.

Hundreds of people listened to speeches and waved signs in Washington Park, located right across from the Dubuque Federal Building. Organizer Jeff Luecke said the location was intentional.

“We’re hoping that as people drop their taxes off at the post office, they’ll see things and realize how much money the government is taking from them,” he explained.

Luecke was joined by people who said they had “had enough” with the government’s excessive spending. One of them was Dubuque resident Maggie Curry.

“We got audited twice in the last year for different years – 2005 and 2006- within months of each other. They hadn’t finished the first one when they started the second one,” Curry explained.

Curry deemed the audits unfair and unnecessary.

“You pay your taxes; you do the right thing; and they still jump on you,” she declared.

Lisa Walton, of Dubuque, echoed Curry’s concerns.

“I think people in Des Moines and in Washington have forgotten who they work for and I think they’re power-mad. They need to listen to us. We don’t spend money we don’t have in our house. The government shouldn’t be spending money they don’t have,” Walton said.

These two women are not alone. Their complaints are shared across the nation.

“This is one of literally thousands of tea parties going on across America today. This is a national campaign and I think there are enough people waking up across the country that just aren’t going to take it anymore,” Luecke said.

Luecke criticized the past Bush administration and the current Obama administration, declaring that his protest is a bi-partisan issue.

“We want change that we as taxpayers can truly believe in. We heard a lot about hope and change in the campaigns. What we’re seeing now is not right. It’s not left versus right, conservative versus liberal. It’s right versus wrong.”

Bishal Thakuri
Published: April 1, 2009

Vanceburg, KY - Glenmary Farm, a Catholic run charity, in Lewis County, Kentucky opens its doors each spring to college students who choose to spend their spring breaks helping others.

This year Loras students, along with 42 other students from five different colleges, headed to Kentucky to volunteer.

“Some of these students came here, instead of spending spring break in vacation places; they decided to give back to the people of Kentucky” says Connie Rey Rodriquez, the Assistant Dean of Students at St. Edward’s University, Texas.

The Farm is located in one of the poorest counties in counties in Kentucky with a population of 14,000 residents, of which only three percent are Catholic.

For farm manager Patrick Robertson, students who make trips like these mean a lot to her.

“It is really special that complete strangers take time out of their lives to travel all the way from Iowa, New York, and Texas to come and work in the county,” said Robertson.

The entire week consisted of cutting wood, hammering nails, and painting a farm and the food pantry around the community.

Each day started with a bell-toll and then the volunteers gathering for a morning prayer. Unlike many other service project opportunities, Glenmary farm has offers a retreat-like experience for those who volunteer in the area.

This alternate spring break experience held a common theme among the students who participated.

“Simplicity; we just got back to the basics,” said Pat Moore, a junior at Loras College.

“Simplicity, and being able to go in to the community and help others; those were great experiences,” said Ashley Gezelle, a student at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse.

The Farm divides up the students into different work groups which visit different sites throughout the week. The work these volunteers do does more than help the community, it helps both the people that are helped and the students who volunteer their time to understand each others cultural backgrounds.

“You’re not going to save a whole city or a whole town in a week, you come here to understand the culture, not to save them,” said Daniella Pettinari, a junior at Canisius College in New York.

For more information on the Glenmary Farm and how to volunteer visit their website: Glenmary Farm

Bishal Thakuri can be reached at Bishal.Thakuri@loras.edu

Andrew Huck
Published: February 20, 2009

DEKALB – The Northern Illinois University community gathered to remember the shootings that happened one year ago today.

Hundreds came to remember by writing messages, reading acts of kindness, and looking at the now vacant building where the shootings took place.

Greg Zanis, a local carpenter, made the crosses that stood on this hill. After the shootings the hardest part for him was taking them down.

“I came out a Saturday night around three in the morning it was just so hard to take them down,” said Zanis.

He returned with new crosses he made special for this day that he will give to the victims’ families.

Northern Illinois students Ashley Blair and Valerie Silverstein helped paint tiles that will be put together to make a memorial mosaic. Since the shootings Ashley always knows where her friends are on campus.

“We actually give each other our schedules so know I know what building they’re in and what time they’re in so if it happens again I know where they are and I don’t have to worry about them,” said Blair.

Valerie appreciates her friends and family more. “I don’t really take anything for granted anymore. I kind of live each day as it is and I appreciate my friends and family more who were there for me,” said Silverstein.

For Talal Alqahtani and Haitham Felemban, two friends from Saudi Arabia, the school has become a safer campus community over the past year.

“You can talk to anybody on the campus and share the moments,” said Alqahtani. “The campus is more secure than before and that is good for us as students,” adds Felemban.

Over the past year it is events like this candle light vigil that brings the student body together and keeps the Huskie spirit strong and the community cheering for the red and black.

Andrew Huck can be contacted at Andrew.Huck@lctv13.com

Morgan Finke
Published: February 11, 2009

DUBUQUE - “Store closing”, “Blowout sale”, “Everything must go!” Signs like these are making appearances around Dubuque and across the country.

With Office Depot closing 112 of its stores nationwide, employees are left wondering what comes next

Ken Borzym, manager of Office Depot in Dubuque has a lot to consider,”I’ve been with the company for fourteen years and I got the severance package as well but I’d have to move myself to Pewaukee, Wisconsin.”

Right across the highway, Starbucks already closed their doors.

Employee Casey Kettmann at the Starbucks in Hy Vee explained the recent downsize, “A week or so ago they announced they were going to close more stores and get rid of 1000 employees which is a big number.”

But Rick Dickinson recognizes that the economic news in Dubuque isn’t all dreary. “The 1300 employees will only account for two percent of the population but it will have a big effect on the makeup of Dubuque and the way Dubuque is perceived,” said Dickinson.

Even though that is a nice boost, it is going to take time to see the difference.

“In fact IBM hasn’t hired any employees yet and it takes some time for a new company to ramp up even though it’s an accelerated time table for IBM,” Rick went on to explain.

In the meantime, Dubuque’s workforce is keeping its chin up.

From Kettmann’s perspective, we have a lot to be thankful for, “From what I’ve seen there have been some layoffs with Flexsteel and other companies like that but overall Dubuque has done very good in this rough time even compared to surrounding cities.”

Morgan Finke can be reached at Morgan.Finke@loras.edu

Emily Allen
Published: February 11, 2008

Dubuque - Nicole Hayden, a junior at Loras College, was one of millions who gathered in Washington D.C. on January 20, 2009.

“I didn’t have a view of Obama when he was speaking but I could hear the word. I couldn’t see everybody that was sitting up there, but I knew what was going on and I was surrounded by literally two million people all there for the same reason,” says Hayden.

Hayden and her twenty-four J-Term classmates, gathered to witness the Presidential Inauguration, but for her it was not just any inauguration.

“I worked on the Obama campaign for half a semester, being able to finish that process and see it actually happen, and seeing the inauguration was just something that I couldn’t imagine missing out on,” she says.

While Hayden and her classmates were in Washington D.C., other J-Term students were 4,000 miles away in Germany. There, Loras College senior, Scott Frank was focusing on a dimmer past.

“The holocaust has always sparked my interest. It’s just one of those things that you talk about and you are just like ‘how could this happen’,” says Frank.

Frank, along with twelve other Loras students, were documenting the holocaust and remembering the past.

“It’s just one of those things where if I could understand it better I think I could teach my students to understand it better and therefore everyone can have a better comprehension of it,” says Frank, who is a history major.

Frank plans on sharing his experience with future and Hayden plans on sharing her story as well.

“I look forward to telling my kids and grandkids about it. I think that’s probably when it’s going to be most exciting to me,” says Hayden.

For both Hayden and Frank, their J-Terms were not just a trip or a moment in history, but an opportunity that changed their lives.

“When this hard stuff came it hit us in ways that we couldn’t have expected and I think we’re all better for it,” says Frank.

To learn more about all of the different courses, you can attend the J-Term showcase during Common Time on February 18.

Emily Allen can be reached at emily.allen@loras.edu

The election took over two years to unfold with countless candidates stopping in Iowa to share their message. See what they had to say as seen through the lens of LCTV13.

Morgan Finke
Published: October 1, 2008

DUBUQUE - The number 777 is usually considered a lucky number, but on Monday the number took on a whole new meaning.

Financial advisor, Joe Bernardi explained why, “It was an interesting day because what we had happen was the bailout package that was being voted on to raise 700 billion dollars to free up the credit markets was voted down”

Bernardi continues, “As a result of that (Congressional Bailout Bill) being voted down, there was a panicked reaction which caused the stock market to crumble.”

With such a dramatic change, you can understand why the initial response was enormous.

But Dennis LeGrand, store manager of Truck Country, is looking at the bigger picture.

“It just kind of trickles down and it affects all of our markets so that’s more of the impact that I’m concerned with than the actual dollar amount that the stock market is,” said LeGrand

With all of this in mind, professionals around Dubuque have one bit of advice: Don’t panic, don’t panic, do not panic.

Banks and financial firms in Dubuque urge citizens to be hopeful.

“All is not lost, and these are cycles and its going to come back and it’s going to get better,” said Greg Nissen, a mortgage banker at Liberty bank in Dubuque.

Morgan Finke can be reached at Morgan.Finke@lctv13.com