Seeing injuries differently

Written by: Christian Swanberg
Junior, Lindstrom Minn.
Track and Field

In true fashion of a college student, I am writing this at some absurd hour when I should probably be sleeping. However, unlike most college students I am also an athlete. As a student-athlete it can be a challenge to find enough hours in a day to get everything done. In a previous post, Jessica Churchill, talked about the issue of time and being an athlete; so I will stop here as to not bore you, the reader, with repetitive information.

Seeing that I have not introduced myself my name is Christian Swanberg; I am a track and field athlete of the sprinter variety. With that out of the way, I suppose we could transition to the main thoughts of this blog post. When trying to think of a topic to write about it took me a little while but I finally landed on talking about injuries.

Injuries are, unfortunately, a part of almost every athlete's career. It is hard to escape the undeniable fact that at some point in your career you might become injured. Being injured does not have to be such a depressing topic, it can be a point in your career when you become more motivated. It is important that everyone, not just athletes, takes the time to realize that we have a gift. Injuries can temporarily take away that gift you have been given but in that time you can realize how precious your gift is. The word gift is a bit of a generic term but it could be anything such as being able to: walk, run, throw, swim, etc...

If ever you are feeling down, take some time and think about all the gifts that you have been given. As athletes we should be doing things that will help to build upon the gifts that we have been given. That means working hard during practice; doing all the small things. It also means making good decisions on the weekends, but also being able to have fun from time to time.

We all have gifts and it's important that we can recognize and appreciate not only our own but also our teammates'.

The next start for a Piper pitcher

Written by: Jessalyn Weaver
Senior, Eagan, Minnesota
Softball

This fall, I will be pursuing my Ph.D. in Dr. Reuben Harris’ lab at the University of Minnesota in the biochemistry, molecular biology, and biophysics program.

The focus of the lab is on beneficial mutation and innate immunity, specifically for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The project that I have been working on and will continue to work on as a graduate student is elucidating the binding characteristics of two proteins involved in the HIV infection and replication.

Vif (Viral infectivity factor) is a protein that is produced by HIV. It functions by binding to APOBEC proteins (proteins produced by human T cells) and degrading them. In the absence of VIF, APOBEC proteins cause hypermutation in the viral DNA, rendering the virus unable to replicate. It will be my goal to more fully understand the binding characteristics of APOBEC and Vif, and ultimately determine a mechanism to prevent Vif from binding to and degrading APOBEC. This research could potentially lead to new ways to treat HIV infection in humans.

I received the Walter A. Kenyon scholarship that I will be putting toward my graduate education, but as a graduate student in the field of biology, my graduate tuition is paid for and I receive a yearly stipend to conduct research. I will also be applying for grants to fund my research.

Being a student-athlete at Hamline has been challenging but at the same time has been a great experience. I am really glad I made the decision to transfer here after my freshman year. There have been several professors at Hamline that have significantly helped me in getting to the point that I am at now. Two of these professors that really stick out are Bonnie Ploger and Irina Makarevitch.

Bonnie was the first biology professor that I had at Hamline and was my advisor my first year here. Her class really reinforced my decision to become a biology major. It was unlike any other class that I had ever taken; it was interesting, fun, and most importantly it taught me the basic skills that are needed to be a good scientist. Bonnie has also provided me with a lot of good advice throughout my first two years and gave me the opportunity to be a teacher’s assistant in the biology department which was a great opportunity.

Irina was my genetics ad biochemistry professors, two of my favorite biology courses that I have taken at Hamline. She really sparked my interest in the area of genetics, molecular biology and biochemistry. Irina advised me throughout my honors project and wrote me several letters of recommendations.

Not only have I enjoyed my academic experience at Hamline but I have also really enjoyed playing softball for Hamline. When I decided to transfer to Hamline I had no expectations for softball at all, I really just hoped that I could make the team. I really wasn’t expecting to come in my first year and be the starting pitcher. I was fortunate that I could join the team and make an impact right off the bat.

I owe a lot of my success on the field to the coaching staff here at Hamline. Coach Jim Rubbelke has a lot of knowledge of the game and has been one of the best and most knowledgeable head coaches I have ever played for.

Coach Jason Iuli joined the coaching staff my junior year at Hamline. Not only did Jason really help my with my pitching but also made practices and games a lot of fun. In addition to getting the opportunity to play under a great coaching staff, I also had the opportunity to play with a great group of girls.

As a biology major and a chemistry minor I have taken several lab courses, and on many occasions games times and lab times conflicted. Being a student-athlete was challenging, but it would have been much more difficult if I wouldn’t have had such great professors who understood my commitment to my sport and such great coaches who understood the importance of academics.


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Note from the Sports Information Department: The Pipers would like to thank Professor Ploger and Professor Makarevitch for providing some thoughts and background into Jessalyn's academic career:

Professor Ploger: Jessalyn is an outstanding biology student who was recognized by the Biology Department for her academic excellence, research potential and service to the department when we awarded her the Ruth Sullivan Scholarship for the outstanding junior biology student of the year, and again this year when she was awarded a Walter A. Kenyon Award for outstanding senior biology students. When she served as a teaching assistant for me in one of my introductory biology lab sections, Jessalyn was a delight to work with. The students in her lab section appreciated her clear, well-organized talks and kind, friendly help during the labs.

Jessalyn successfully defended an impressive honors thesis this spring based on collaborative research that she conducted with Dr. Reuben Harris in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics at the University of Minnesota. This research will be submitted for publication. She will continue research at the University of Minnesota next fall when she begins the Ph.D. program in the same department.

Professor Makarevitch: Jessalyn Weaver '10, is one of the best biology students. In addition to her major in biology that she completes with Honors, she graduates with Chemistry minor. Jessalyn has an outstanding research record. For over a year, she diligently worked in the University of Minnesota Lab under Dr. Reuben Harris investigating HIV viruses and the mechanism of HIV infection. After graduation, Jessalyn will be writing up her work for a publication and will start working toward her PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics Program at the University of Minnesota.

End-of-year awards...already??

Written by: Stephanie Harris
Sports Information Director

In my role as sports information director at Hamline, I spend most of my time writing about names, numbers, "Ws," and "Ls." Also in my role as sports information director at Hamline, I decided to indulge myself today and take the opportunity to write about what a joy it is to see our athletes' work rewarded as we wind down the academic year.

I have been fortunate enough to work at Hamline for nearly four and a half years now in a couple of different positions - meaning that this year's graduating class is the first group of student-athletes I have known since they arrived for orientation in August of 2006.

Although I saw it coming for weeks as award nominations rolled in, voting took place, and plaques were prepared - it still seemed to come as a shock that today was our year-end awards ceremony.

Our student-athletes started rolling into Sundin Music Hall at 8am for the Honors Day Ceremony, and I found it hard to believe that many of them will be graduating in just a few weeks (May 22, to be exact). I also found it just as hard to believe that many of them will no longer be "first-years" in a few weeks - they have made it through that scary inaugural season with flying colors!

There were athletes who entered Hamline as unrecruited players who just wanted to try out for the chance to play a collegiate sport and there were athletes who had been highly pursued by their coaches. Walking in were athletes with multiple All-American honors and some who had never played a minute in an official varsity game.

All together, however, they are the Pipers - and it was great to have them all in one room to celebrate their seasons.

Hamline honors eight athletes each May with "departmental awards" - a male and female rookie of the year; the male and female senior with the highest GPA; the senior male & female athlete of the year; and the male and female seniors with the top four-year career in athletics, academic, and service.

You can see the list of honorees by reading this story. Watching their surprised faces, hearing the pride in their coaches' voices as they are presented with their award, and hearing the applause of their teammates is the best part of the day.

Every one of these athletes has provided one of those "WOW!" or "Holy cow!" moments for our fans. They are all outstanding people who say "Hi!" to familiar faces in the hallway and they are all great students who truly exemplify the phrase "student-athlete."

I was told by a couple of coaches on stage that while I was taking pictures of our award winners, I had a huge smile on my face like I was on the other side of the camera. And I realized later that there are a couple of reasons for that! 1) I, unlike my colleagues on stage, could hear some of the whispers and comments between athletes in the audience during the "down time" - and we have some pretty funny people! and 2) How can I not smile as I think about some of the hard-fought games/meets/contests in which I have watched them compete, or the great conversations and work interactions I have been privileged to have with them off the field?

As I turned from my seat and scanned the rest of the student-athletes, I couldn't help but smile - at least internally - as I thought of some of the great accomplishments and stories that they have to tell. I think I am very lucky in my job with the Pipers - I get to watch every single sport compete and get to know a little bit about nearly every athlete.

It's always bittersweet to see the seniors move on - there will be holes in line-ups and student work positions to fill, but they are definitely ready to take on the next challenges in their lives!

However, before they leave - we're not quite done with them. The Pipers have a baseball double-header left and at least three track & field meets - so they can't turn the tassel, yet!

Best of luck to our seniors - thanks for a great four years! And good luck to all of our returners in 2010-11 - may this be the greatest year for the Pipers yet!

Balancing Sports and Science

Written By: Jessica Churchill
Sophomore, Duluth, Minn.
Softball

Being a college student is a challenge. Being a student-athlete is an even bigger challenge; trying to juggle class, practice, and extra-curricular activities while also finding time to sleep is never easy. But when you throw in the demands of a science major (biology, chemistry, physics, etc.) you are presented with the biggest challenge of them all.

For everyone that is a science major and participates in a sport, they know exactly what I mean, everyone else will likely comment "Oh boo being a science major is no different and no more time-consuming that any other major". Let me tell you, unless you are a science major, it is very hard to grasp just how much time lab, presentations, seminars, and research suck out of the week and your life in general. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't be a science major if putting in all this extra time wasn't enjoyable, but I think it's important to recognize the incredible amount of time and effort expended on completing labs, assignments, and studying for exams (especially those fearsome ACS standardized final exams) while giving up your evenings for practices and games. I know that other majors definitely have their share of papers and work, as well as research projects and seminars but the sciences demand just a bit more of your time; lab, seminars, and research are usually year round for the science geeks. Summer vacation doesn't exist for us, it's just a convenient time to do our research projects. That adds up to a lot of hours spent ingesting chemicals, dissecting organisms, and analyzing numbers on a computer that could have been spent hanging out with friends, working out, or sleeping.

I believe that all the athletes here at Hamline work very hard, maybe even harder than regular students who don't have to sacrifice study time for game time. But I also believe that the athletes who are also science majors need to be recognized especially for the amount of work they take on as well as dedicating themselves to their sport(s). Although its a lot of work trying to figure out the multiplicity of each hydrogen peak in an HNMR and as time consuming as five games in a week can be, it's always worth it. The rewarding sensation of that A on an ochem test and the joy felt after beating St. Thomas will always be worth it.

Nothing like California to start the season

Written By: Lisa Harfield
Assistant Softball Coach

With the spring trip and first part of the season over, this year has proven to be very different from the previous years on and off the field. The last two, my first two seasons here at Hamline, were dominated by sophomores and juniors that were all seasoned veterans on the college softball field. This year we have lots of new faces filling important roles, some roles still being fought for. One thing for sure is that we are a very athletic team this year, mixed with upperclassmen and freshman, with a very exciting future. On top of it all, as a group we can have a lot of fun!

California was a jammed packed trip filled with new experiences. We had seven players step onto the dirt for their very first college softball games. Some girls got their first hits, and a couple lucky ladies hit their very first home runs of the season and their college careers. After every person on our team volunteered for the ARC chain of thrift stores, most of us were able to enjoy our first time at the magical world of Disney. Though the players that have been with us for three years have been to Knotts Berry Farm, more than half the team got to experience the amusement park for the first time. Then there was all the firsties to In n Out Burger, Jack in the Box, Chick-Fil-A, and let's not forget the ever enticing Yogurtland. It was a great trip of first times, but the best first to experience was how well each person involved with this team, players, coaches, friends and family, came from all over to be together. It's going to be a great year with many more firsts to come!!!

Dance Team: Beyond the Sidelines

Written by: Kara Eliason
Head coach, Dance team

When most people think of dance teams, they envision pep rallies and halftime shows.

Make no mistake, promoting school spirit is our No. 1 job. We support students, athletes, faculty and staff by performing on campus. But that’s just part of what we do.

The world of collegiate dance is competitive, especially in Minnesota. Two of the three reigning national champions—the University of Minnesota and the University of St. Thomas—hail from the North Star State. In addition, Minnesota has some of the best studio and high school dance programs in the nation. Hamline is proud to be part of this amazing dance community.

The dance team competes regionally, and the results have been great so far. The Pipers placed in the top 10 in every competition they’ve entered in the last two years. It’s no small feat, given that Hamline competes against DI, DII and DIII dance teams from across the Midwest.

College dance has an intricate scoring system, similar to that of gymnastics. Judges score routines based on several elements—from synchronization to technique to showmanship. It takes months to perfect a routine, from learning choreography to making sure every dancer performs in unison.

This season, we hired choreographer Rachel Doran to put together our competition routine. She incorporated new elements, including lifts, leaps and turn combinations. The dancers learned the routine in September and spent weeks perfecting it. It was the most challenging routine in the team’s history, but the hard work paid off.

Here's that routine:


Hamline took 3rd place in the DIII jazz category at the Tommie Invitational in November 2009. In addition, the Pipers competed against DI, DII and DIII teams at the Mall of America in January 2010 and earned 10th place overall in jazz. Of course, winning trophies isn’t our primary objective. We compete because it provides a forum for us to showcase our talent, and it pushes us to continuously improve as a team.

The dance team will start performing again in September, and we look forward to promoting school spirit on campus. But we also hope to make our mark in the competitive arena—and maybe win some trophies along the way.

From one sport to the next

Written by: Kara Poirier
First-year, Eau Claire, Wis.
Women's Basketball, Softball

The sun was finally starting to shine, the snow had begun to melt, I could walk outside without wearing thirteen layers of clothes, and I was sad and excited at the same time. My emotions had very little to do with the weather, and almost everything to do with my sports. At this time of year, basketball had just ended. The season that people say seems to last forever did come to a close, and it seemed all too soon for me. It’s always disappointing when the season ends. I had put so much time and effort into it, and practice and games had become a habitual part of every day. My schedule seemed all messed up now. Most people wouldn’t know what to do with all this extra time. Not me, though. This is where the excitement comes in. One day my season ends and things are sadly brought to a close, and the next day (literally) I’m at a new practice, beginning a new season.

The overlap of basketball and softball doesn’t allow for much down-time, or any for that matter, and it can be difficult to switch from one sport to the next overnight. I have to admit, the first couple softball practices were pretty rusty, and felt all wrong, but soon enough I got into the flow of things. I did have to go back to those feelings and experiences of being a first-year athlete again, not knowing what to expect or what was going on, like I had had when basketball first began, but nonetheless, I was grateful to be active. It took my mind off moping about basketball, and gave me the same type of schedule I had before. We’re now playing outside, and I’m excited to be a part of this new team, and have another season ahead of me. (Although I will continue to make appearances in the gym, of course.)

Being a first-year athlete

Written by: Kara Poirier
First-year, Eau Claire, Wis.
Women's Basketball, Softball

Being a first-year athlete in college was just about the best experience I could have asked for. Sure there were times when I felt like I had no free time; sleep, eat, class, and practice was basically my whole schedule, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I’ve met some great people because of my involvement and we’ve had some even better times.

At first I was always nervous for practice, not really knowing what to expect from day-to-day, and wondering how I was going to be able to move at all since I was so sore from Hartman workouts. I spent a lot of time cluelessly following the actions of the upperclassmen, really having no idea what was going on, and then getting yelled at for not doing the little things right in a drill (even though the drill was never really explained to me in the first place). But pretty soon I began to pick up on exactly how things were done, and before I knew it I wasn’t nervous for practice anymore, I was completely excited. Practice became my break from everything else.

The transition from high school to college is a big one, but for the most part, it’s a positive change. I went from riding a rickety old school bus to away games to nice coach buses (though no one cares to use the on-board toilet facility, which I didn’t realize until I noticed I was the only one to use it…the whole season), from buying my own food to team meals on game day that were paid for, from a team consisting of some people who didn’t really want to be there to a team full of dedicated athletes that share my passion. It’s exhilarating to be challenged to step up to the next level, even if you don’t succeed every time. I’ve definitely had my ups and downs this year, but the best part about being a first year is that I’m a sophomore next year.