This year’s Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl was quite a show for the 6,027 fans who were in attendance as the No. 1 Mount Union Purple Raiders took on the No. 3 St. Thomas Tommies. There was plenty of pressure for the Mount Union senior class who had yet to see a Stagg Bowl victory in the last four years against Whitewater. Luckily for them, the only thing St. Thomas had won was the coin toss at the beginning of the game, allowing Mount Union to start off with the ball.

The Purple Raiders dominated the first quarter on the clock and on the scoreboard, starting with senior Jake Simon (Parma Heights, OH) scoring a one-yard touchdown at 2:10 into the game, making the score 7-0, Mount Union. They scored again with 3:37 left through senior Charles Dieuseul (Winter Haven, FL), possessing the ball for 10:10 and ending the quarter Mount Union 14, St. Thomas, 0. In between scores, the Purple Raiders received the first penalty for pass interference and broke two records- most first downs (125) in a tournament (124 set in 2008) and most rushing yards (1,473) during a tournament. They also tied the NCAA record for points in a season, with 78 points, which was set by themselves in 2007.

The second quarter was quite a different story, with the Tommies taking up 13:31 on the clock and scoring a touchdown through sophomore Dan Ferrazzo (Mahtomedi, MN) with a fake field goal attempt within the first two minutes, making the score Mount Union 14, St. Thomas 7. While the Raiders’ offensive run game seemed to momentarily falter, the rest of the quarter consisted of plenty of turnovers and punts on both sides, and no additional points, concluding the half with the same score.

It was a slow start in the second half, becoming more of a defensive game for both teams. St. Thomas started on their own 27, finishing the series 3rd and 23 with an incomplete pass, having to make a 54-yard punt, placing the Purple Raiders at their own 22 yard line. With a Hank Spencer (Greencastle, IN) tackle, the Tommies were put at the 14-yard line. The Tommies’ freshman running back Jack Kaiser (Prior Lake, MN) was stopped short by Purple Raider Nick Driskill (Wabash, IN) for a loss of yards, forcing the Tommies to punt again. Chris Denton (Plantation, FL) dropped the ball and it was recovered by St. Thomas. With a pressured, out of pocket quarterback rush, St. Thomas was forced to score a field goal with kicker Paul Graupner (Minnetonka, MN), making the score 14-10, Mount Union. Jake Simon earned his season high eleventh carry in the next drive and not long after did the Purple Raiders make their next touchdown with a 17-yard reception by Denton. The quarter concluded with Mount Union 21, St. Thomas, 10. Mount Union surpassed their tied record for most points in a season with 85 points.

In the final quarter, Jasper Collins (Geneva, NY) shattered the post-season reception record with 42 receptions. Isaiah Scott (Hamilton, OH) did a leaping catch to intercept the ball from St. Thomas and Mount Union capitalized with a touchdown with eight minutes left in the game. The Raiders’ defense sealed St. Thomas’ fate, concluding the Stagg Bowl with  the score Mount Union 28, St. Thomas, 10.

“It’s very heartwarming,” coach Larry Kehres said to the fans and players as Mount Union accepted their championship trophy.

With this Stagg Bowl title, Kehres is ranked fourth in the NCAA’s career wins list among all divisions, reaching 332 victories.

“It was a difficult three years, to see the seniors experience loss in the final game, I felt for them,” Kehres told D3football.com. “But this group inspired me… They were such a dedicated group.”

MVP sophomore Kevin Burke was the only non-senior offensive starter and it is Mount Union’s hope that he will continue to carry this momentum into the next season. All he had to offer as far as the secret to the Purple Raiders’ success this year was:

“We just played Mount Union football.”

_________

The Dynamo has printed a special commemorative issue for the Stagg Bowl victory which was made available to fans immediately after the Raiders were presented with the Walnut and Bronze.

With the post-season near, the Purple Raiders prepare to enter the 2012 NCAA Division III Playoffs. Now that Wisconsin-Whitewater is out of the picture, Mount Union has clinched the number 1 spot in the playoff bracket, making this their 24th NCAA playoff appearance. Mount Union will start out its road to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl on Saturday as they host the Christopher Newport University Captains.
The Captains are 6-4 overall for the season and have received an automatic bid into the playoff picture after they won the USA South Conference title. For the season, they averaged 24.1 points per game while also allowing 24 points per game to their opponents. Overall, Christopher Newport made 32 touchdowns this season while their opponents averaged 32 touchdowns against them.
In terms of yardage, The Captains have made 16 touchdowns by rushing and gained 2,132 yards overall. While the Captains are skilled in rushing, they lack in their passing game. They completed 121 passes and allowed their opponents to complete 164 passes and 15 interceptions. They only made 15 touchdowns by passing.
The player the Purple Raiders should watch out for is sophomore running back Marcus Morrast. As a freshman, he led the Captains in rushing average of players over 50 attempts with an average of 5.1 yards per rush. Morrast also accounted for 176 passing yards throughout the season including a 29-yard touchdown pass during a game against Maryville College. For this season, Morrast showed his passing skills by leading the team in completed passes and with a total of 772 passing yards.
This week could be the deciding factor in whether or not the Purple Raiders will bring home the Stagg Bowl trophy this Christmas, and the Christopher Newport Captains will try their hardest this Saturday to make sure that the Purple Raiders won’t make it that far.

Still on a mission to win their record 11^th NCAA Division III Championship, the Mount Union football team returns for the 2012 season with fire. After a close loss against Whitewater in last year’s championship game, the Purple Raiders are ready to settle the score with a victory this time around. And with a remarkably large class of 35 returning seniors who have yet to witness a Stagg Bowl win, qualifying for and winning this year’s championship is of the utmost importance.

There is not much room for improvements however, because the Purple Raiders have proven themselves as quite a force to be reckoned with already, possessing two of the longest winning streaks in college football history. With a current run of 20 consecutive Ohio Athletic Conference Championships (1992-2011) and an experienced roster much like last year’s, the team is in a comfortable position to be able to pull off such a feat again. Also, by having a 27 year veteran on the sidelines as coach with more than 300 victories to his name, the chances of achieving a championship title appear even higher.

The Dynamo contacted head coach Larry Kehres to see if he had any new strategies in mind to improve the chances of the already successful team taking home a championship, but he could not be reached for any comments.

However, according to senior linebacker Daniel Allen (Mason, Mich./Mason), the team has been focusing on the Stagg Bowl since the off-season began by working exceptionally hard throughout the spring and summer and keeping the championship as their sole focus while they train.

“Seeing as it is our last year to win one, finally doing so would be the best possible send-off for this senior class,” Allen said.

Senior Quarterback Neal Seaman (Louisville/Louisville) seems to think that if the team focuses on getting better every day and staying healthy, it will ensure a better outcome in the post-season. He personally takes responsibility by improving his quarterback skills to further the odds in their favor.

“It’s a role I don’t take lightly,” Seaman said regarding his important position. “I realize that since the ball is in my hands every play, I have to make good decisions to help our team win.”

Seaman also shares the same opinion as Allen regarding the titleless senior class.

“Our class has been through a lot the last three years and for whatever reason, we have come up short. So my wish for the team is to finish and bring in a national championship to them and the university. I feel very proud to have the opportunity to play with such a great group of guys.”

This season will be one spent mostly on the road as The Raiders will host only four games at home. They kicked it all off on Sept. 1 against The Franklin College Grizzlies in Franklin, Ind. and won 45-7.

The Lady Raider’s just keep rolling, and now they will carry their momentum into March after clinching their third straight OAC title with a convincing 77-60 victory over the Polar Bears of Ohio Northern.

The Mount Union women’s basketball team; ranked #6 in the nation, has now won 21 straight games (23 straight at home), improving to 26-1 for the season. With the win, the Raiders clinched the OAC auto-bid to the NCAA Division 3 tournament and will most likely host the first two rounds of the tournament at the MAAC in Alliance*.  On Saturday, they left little doubt they were the best team in the conference. After the Polar Bears hung tough in the opening minutes, Mount Union unleashed an all-out assault from the 3-point line; making nine, including five by Senior Kori Wiedt, who led all scorers with 16 points and was named the tournament MVP for the second straight year.

Mount Union set the tone quickly, using a swarming defense which forced the Polar Bears into fourteen turnovers, and also recording ten steals. Along with Weidt, Rosa LaMattina and Amanda Rose also scored in double figures with 14 each. All three were honored as members of the All-OAC Tournament team. It was a game in which the Raiders led by double figures much of the way, leading by as many as 27 in the second half. The Raiders used their fast passed, aggressive offense to outscore ONU 16-0 on fast break points.

LaMattina was ecstatic about winning a third straight championship and feels the Raiders can go deep into the tournament. “We are so thankful to have won the championship 3 years in a row. It’s a great feeling to know to what extent this team can go and exactly what we are capable of. This is our year to put a national championship under our belt!”

Morgan Dumbaugh led the Polar Bears with eleven points along with All-OAC team member Kara Dysert who finished with 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists for the game.

For seniors Wiedt, Rose, Erin Schmidt, and Kelly Evans, it has been an incredible four seasons. Combined, they have won 94 games, and Rose, Wiedt and junior LaMattina have each scored over 1,000 points for the Raiders. The Raiders end the season as the top ranked team in the Great Lakes region. Wiedt was elated with winning another championship and praised the chemistry on the team. “The championship game was an amazing feeling. We came out ready to win and we worked incredibly hard for the 3 peat. Our team is extremely close outside of basketball which is why we have so much chemistry on the court- we work together and are willing to sacrifice for each other day in and day out at practices and games. As a senior, I can say I wouldn’t have asked for a better last season!”

*Article completed before bracket was announced

In a stunning turn of events the Republican race is now once again very much up for grabs.

Just two weeks ago it seemed Mitt Romney was the sure bet to lock up the Republican nomination, as he had convincingly won Florida and Nevada with approximately 50% support in each state.

Suddenly, Romney hit a snag-after a series of struggles in nationally televised debates, as well as a few interview blunders that have hurt his reputation slightly among the American public. Romney’s slips have opened the door right back up for Rick Santorum and Ron Paul, who have fought back strong over the past two weeks, rattling the Romney camp with several crushing defeats.

In the process of winning Florida and Nevada, Romney may have made a crucial mistake. In a live CNN interview he stated that “he was not concerned about the very poor.” While Romney could have meant that he didn’t feel some Americans should receive government handouts, the comment came across as very tasteless to many.

Now, it is Santorum with all of the momentum in his corner as he put together three solid victories in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota, effectively erasing any advantage that Romney had in this race. Romney’s biggest struggle in this campaign has been garnering strong support from his followers as his past reputation as a businessman and a flip-flopper on political issues have turned off many. In the most recent CNN poll, Santorum now leads Romney 34% to 32% nationally.

Santorum and Romney appear to have similar beliefs on some of the major issues Americans are most concerned about in the upcoming election. Both feel that the Health Care law should be repealed, both are pro-life and both are anti-amnesty.

Furthermore, they also think the military should remain strong in order to maintain the defense of our nation. The two candidates disagree on several key issues though. First, Santorum believes that businesses should be granted tax cuts as this will allow for more job creation, while Romney feels an open market system is the best way to remain competitive.

In terms of the U.S’s role in the world, both Romney and Santorum both believe in American exceptionalism and that the U.S must protect its interest to preserve its place as a superpower.

Meanwhile, Ron Paul’s grassroots campaign continues to have strong reception across the country. However, he hasn’t been able to garner the support that Romney and Santorum. Paul differs from the Santorum, Romney and President Obama in that he wants to stay out of foreign interventions all together.

Paul believes that by bringing troops home from overseas and ending conflicts with other nations, federal spending could be cut and the U.S could end its days of pre-emptive wars. Like the other candidates, Paul opposes the idea of amnesty to illegal immigrants and that the 14^th Amendment should be changed to restrict immigrants from coming into America illegally.

Ron Paul’s plan to preserve the American economy is to end Social Security and put in its place a program only for the elderly. With regards to unemployment, Paul would eliminate government influence in the free market, which he feels would enable creation of more jobs.

There are people all over the world who are greatly in need of help. It is often hard to understand the benefits of being able to help these people without first seeing how in need they truly are.

For Abby Honaker, Mount Union alumna and Ohio Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA in the Ralph and Mary Regula Center for Public Service and Civic Engagement, she was able to see first-hand what kind of help the people of El Salvador needed.

Honaker was one of the many students who went on Dr. Kramer’s Social Responsibility Trip, something that has been occurring for nearly 30 years.

After learning about El Salvador’s needs, she has taken it upon herself to collect shoes from the Mount Union community and beyond to send with the students when they go back this year.

What Honaker experienced on this trip was something that inspired her greatly. In the time she spent there with her peers, they were able to help the families and the communities of El Salvador and see how grateful they were for the help of others.

“The people there were incredibly loving and thankful,” said Honaker. “I was in the group that worked on building a house and even though I felt like I was in the way more than I helped, the men we worked with and the family we helped were so gracious.”

It was obvious that the amount of time and help they put towards these people made a difference. Being able to see the effects that come from your time and effort is greatly rewarding.

“Through smiles, jokes, broken Spanish, a translator and lots of laughing we made a difference,” said Honaker. “Additionally, I do not speak Spanish and they didn’t speak English so I was amazed at how well we communicated and understood each other.”

While simply seeing the graciousness of these families inspired Honaker, there was much more that she witnessed that inspired her to do as much as she could to help.

“While we were there we spent some time in the city but then went to a rural community to build a house and latrines,” she said. “The people there have less than I would have imagined with little or no electricity, animals that roam outside their homes, etc…  The children do go to school but some have an extremely long walk.  It is all very hard to explain without actually seeing it.”

Honaker would love to return to El Salvador someday, but for now, the collection of shoes is the best option.

“Since I can’t go back, I wanted to make sure I did something,” she said. “I am still in contact with our translator, but I have no way of knowing how the people in the village are doing or what they need. I knew I would do whatever I could to help them for the rest of my life but I didn’t really know how I would do it.”

For now, Honaker is collecting any type of shoes. Tennis shoes, boots or sandals are the most helpful, while shoes such as heels are impractical. However, any size and condition will work.

She will be sending down the donations she receives with the group that is going on this year’s trip.

“My hope is that they will all go to the village Mount Union students work in every year,” she said. “I want to know that I am still doing something for the precious children I met and their families.”

Another way to help the children of El Salvador is to donate money to Dr. Kramer and support Jail and Bail later this spring.  He only charges each student $400 to go on the trip and students and Dr. Kramer raise the rest.  It costs over $1,000 for each student to go because of travel expenses and the group pays for the supplies to build the projects that are worked on by the students.

“Last year I held a soup and salad lunch at my church that put $3,000 towards the trip,” said Honaker. “Things like donations and supporting fundraisers or friends who are going is a huge help. Even if it is only a couple of dollars, it all adds up.”

For more information or to learn where to donate shoes, contact Honaker at honakeal@mountunion.edu.

After nearly 30 years of teaching at the University of Mount Union, theatre professor Dr. Doug Hendel is preparing for his retirement from the institution.

Ever since his arrival on campus in the fall of 1982, Hendel, or “Doc,” as he most commonly known among students and faculty, has been an inspiration to many students thanks to his kind demeanor and obvious passion for both teaching and theatre.

“I really enjoy teaching and working with the students,” said Hendel. “I’ve also enjoyed directing the plays. It has been the kind of thing that has made me want me to keep coming back year after year.”

Through instruction both in the classroom and in the director’s chair, Hendel has connected with many students on some important lessons in the world of theatre and about life in general.

“Probably one of the most memorable things I’ve learned from Doc is to always live in the moment and to never be afraid to be too big,” said Nicole Alponat, a sophomore communication major. “He gives lots of people chances, and regardless if they’ve had theatre experience or not, he’ll give them a shot.”

Hendel estimates that he has directed nearly 70 plays while at Mount Union. Many people seem to agree that the shows he directs are often big hits for all audience members alike.

“His shows are always poignant,” said Jon Baley, a recent Mount Union graduate. “He always seems to pick shows that are not only great stories, but always hit home with the audience in one way or another and are never forgettable.”

During the summer, Hendel enjoys being involved in community theatre. He often participates in the Ohio Shakespeare Festival at Stan Hywet Hall in Akron, Ohio. Tom Stephan, a retired English teacher from Stow, Ohio, has acted with Hendel in several Ohio Shakespeare Festival performances.

“Doug is one of those guys you truly enjoy working with onstage,” said Stephan. “He’s pleasant, does his homework with line-learning, takes direction well and gives the audience 110 percent.”

Hendel says that he will continue to try to be involved in community theatre after retirement and even audition for some small professional theatre work in the area. On top of this, he has many plans to keep himself busy.

“My wife and I are planning on doing a lot of traveling to places like Italy and Costa Rica, and some places out west in this country,” said Hendel. “I also thought it might be fun to get back into playing the trombone and try to recreate my skills and see if I could get involved in a community orchestra. I also want to ride my bike more and play some golf,” he added.

In his final production at Mount Union, Hendel will be directing and acting as the leading role of Martin Vanderhof in the upcoming performance of “You Can’t Take It With You” by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman. The show will be performed on Feb. 17, 18, 23, 24, and 25 at 8 p.m in Rodman Playhouse. Also, before the performance on Feb. 18, there will be a reception in honor of Hendel from 3-5 p.m in the lobby of Rodman Playhouse.

The Republican Party will hold its primary election in Ohio on Tuesday, March 6.

As part of “Super Tuesday,” seven states will hold primaries and three will hold caucuses. Mitt Romney, behind wins in New Hampshire, Florida and Nevada, is currently the leader in the polls with 91 delegates. Rick Santorum follows with 44 delegates, Newt Gingrich is third with 29 and Ron Paul is in last with 8 delegates.

While Romney is leading in the polls, Republicans have some differences in their personal favorite candidates but will support the party’s nominee even if he isn’t their personal favorite.

“My personal favorite is Newt Gingrich. I am definitely a Newt supporter, and I like Rick Santorum too,” said Nick Howley, a senior information systems major and vice-president of the College Republicans. “I’d vote for party unity. I think that most people in the party will agree that, despite all the stuff that goes on between now and after the convention is over and we’ve got our official nominee, everyone is going to support that nominee so we can get Barack Obama out.”

“I like Newt because I think that he’d do well in the debates,” said Zach Basel, a sophomore political science major and public relations chair for the College Republicans. “Regardless of who wins the nomination, you have to be behind them because the ultimate goal in this election is to beat Barack Obama.”

“Personally I support Governor Mitt Romney, but whoever the nominee is I think we have a very strong chance in November,” said Tyler Anderson, a junior political science major and president of the College Republicans.

In Ohio, like many other states around the nation, the economy is one of the biggest issues the voters are concerned about.

“On the minds of voters the most important issue is the economy and jobs, I think our candidates have very good economic plans and good vision to get the economy moving again,” said Anderson. “For example, Rick Santorum has a plan to zero out the income tax for manufacturers, and in states like Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania manufacturing is a huge issue, and I think that’s going to be very appealing.”

“I would say it’s between two issues, the economy and national debt. They’re kind of tied together; you have to get rid of the national debt to fix the economy,” Howley said.

“I think people are afraid, worried about the future. I think people want to make sure America keeps its place in the world economically and from a national security standpoint. People want to get the economy moving again and if we don’t cut back on spending, our entire economic survival is going to be in jeopardy and people’s children and grandchildren are going to have a lower standard of living,” said Anderson.

While it is already too late to register to vote in the primary, there is still time to register for the November elections. For information about registering to vote in Ohio, visit the Board of Elections website at www.co.stark.oh.us/internet/HOME.DisplayPage?v_page=boe_voterRegistration.

The last three Republican contests before the Florida primary were split up in wins for each Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, making this primary a crucial one.

For a while, it seemed Florida was going to be a toss-up between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, who are the two front-runners in the race and the biggest rivals as of late.

Anybody could have won, despite Romney’s surprising endorsement from Donald Trump, Gingrich’s recent string of successful debates and an increase of financial backing for his campaign–a jump of five million dollars in January alone, and Rick Santorum catching up in the polls after his win at the Iowa caucus. But Romney pulled ahead in the end, earning 46 percent of the vote and all fifty delegates, leaving Gingrich with a close thirty-one percent.

This was quite a feat after Romney came in second place in Florida in 2008, losing to Arizona Senator, John McCain by only five percentage points. He is now the top candidate in the race so far, passing Newt Gingrich, who was ahead of him just a week ago, proving just how vital this win in Florida was for his campaign.

“There are fewer candidates than when the race began, but the three gentlemen left are serious and able competitors,” Romney stated in his victory speech. “And I congratulate them on another hard-fought contest in this campaign. Primary contests are not easy – and they’re not supposed to be.”

These challenging primaries are such a pivotal point for each of these candidates and in the nation’s quest to find the main contender to go up against President Barack Obama in November. And because of the difficulties each candidate must face while debating throughout the coming months, caucuses and primaries like this should only prove who the real leader of the U.S. should be.