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SAU Model UN Simulates Current Events at Conference
As Russian troops amassed on Ukrainian borders in early 2022, students from St. Ambrose's Model United Nations team were in the thick of studying the viewpoints of each country, such as their stance on women's rights, economic recovery from the COVID crisis, and the tense relationship between the two countries.
On Wednesday, Feb. 23, those students began a days-long mock United Nations conference in St. Louis. Some SAU students were tasked with representing Russia; others represented Ukraine. After the conference began, they heard the news: Russia had begun its invasion of Ukraine.
"My stomach dropped to 45-feet below the ground," said Hannah Knowles. The sophomore was the lone St. Ambrose student playing the role of Russia's Security Council representative at this year's Midwest Model United Nations Conference. "I thought I was going to have to come up with ways to defend [the invasion] immediately with no time to do research, no time to form thoughts."
But she soon learned that in this simulation of the United Nations, time had already stopped.
"Selfishly, I felt better because I didn't have to pretend to be the one responsible for that," she explained of learning about the rule. For the purposes of this conference, time "stopped" on Tuesday, Feb. 22, two days before the invasion.
"I'm really glad time stopped because even though it was a simulation for me, it is real to the people that are having their country invaded and are seeing their family members die. In breaks in sessions, we could all kind of look at the news together and talk about it as humans and not as our country, so I was still able to be sympathetic and not have to try and justify Russia's actions."
The February conference was tough for all of the SAU students involved as they represented two countries at war. Now that it is over, they are ready to stand in solidarity with Ukraine.
During the week of March 7-11, Model United Nations is sponsoring several events to support Ukrainians. Monday through Thursday, Model UN members will be at different locations across campus to help students learn where they can donate money and how they can write letters of support. Then on Friday, the group will lead a solidarity march beginning at 1:30 p.m. on the Rogalski Center patio.
Samantha Sancen, a sophomore studying Political Science and Theology, served on the General Assembly Second Committee representing Ukraine during the conference. Although she says it was easier for her to play this role than her classmates representing Russia, the conflict in the region still offered a unique learning perspective.
"You know, you work so hard to represent a country and then you see what's happening; it's just very saddening," Sancen said. "But, I mean, a very interesting learning experience to see what can escalate by the minute."
"It's definitely an ongoing research process," Knowles explained. All 19 years of my life I've been learning U.S. history. So, I may get to a conference and understand what my country's position is, but I may not understand why. I have to make sure I can justify those things as well because other countries are naturally going to try to target my weakness and really try to understand why I believe the way I do and try to get me to change that."
St. Ambrose Model United Nations faculty advisor Duk Kim, PhD, says this type of learning is difficult to achieve during lectures.
"Regardless of what our major is, international affairs are closely related to our daily lives, so our students find this opportunity very useful to learn about things we don't discuss in the classroom."
Dr. Kim is a Professor of Political Science who teaches a little about United Nations, but there isn't time to take a more intimate look at how the international body works in addition to ever-evolving politics in real-time.
"Obviously we talk about like current events that are going on but we're never really in detail about what that would entail for the future or how we can solve that issue," Sancen said. "At Model UN we write certain resolutions, so we work with different countries to kind of solve a problem that's going on."
Problem-solving and understanding the viewpoints of others is something all students can benefit from.
"I just have a much more open mindset because I've had to sit in other countries' shoes in the last year and a half, so it's just made me more open to change and also encouraged me to better develop my 'why' and my justification for why I believe the things I do," Knowles, an International Studies and Data Analytics major, said.
"It's not just for political science and international studies majors," Sancen said. "We're always open and accepting new members and getting different perspectives. Every major has different skills that they learn and we're always open to new learning experiences as we've seen when we represent different nations all the time."
Solidarity with Ukraine Events
Donate and Write Letters:
Monday, March 7: Beehive, 1-3 p.m.
Tuesday, March 8: Beehive, 2-4 p.m.
Wednesday, March 9: Cafeteria, 12-1:30 p.m. and 5-6:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 10: Cafeteria, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 5-6:30 p.m.
March in Solidarity:
Friday, March 11: Rogalski Center Patio, 1:30 p.m.
Daniella Hawkes: Finding her voice
Grad Stories: Winter ‘18
Voiceless. This is how Daniella Hawkes described her 39-year-old self. She was suffering through uncertainty in her marriage and had no way to provide for her or her kids. That summer, in 2016, she enrolled at St. Ambrose University.
The non-traditional student chose to study Graphic Design. Hawkes believed the program would allow her to have fun but was also a practical career. Hawkes quickly realized that her time at St. Ambrose was meant for more than just her studies. It was a journey of self-discovery.
"I just had all these emotions inside me that I did not know how to deal with," the now 41-year-old said. "One day, I just took some paint, the grossest colors I could find, and I started scraping them across the page. I found an image of a bear that I collaged and glued on there. After I was done, I started to understand my emotions and sort through them."
Chris Reno, Art Department faculty member and curator of the Catich Gallery, said that Hawkes' experience is not uncommon.
"She certainly has a pragmatic need to provide for her family, but she was also, in my experience, willing and able to express the poetic possibilities of art and sort of find out what art means to her," Reno said.
Reno added that art can offer a powerful therapeutic experience.
Hawkes' new journey of self-discovery served as inspiration for many of her projects at SAU.
One of these projects was designing and building a website that could assist victims of verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse through art journaling.
"It's something that's always near and dear to my heart because I've been digging my way out of the emotional and verbal abuse that I've experienced," Hawkes said. "So, this is something that I'm always thinking about all the time and I'm always thinking of a new way to explain it, or to help someone."
The mother of two's latest art exploration of self-worth will come in the form of a children's book, set to be on display in the Catich Gallery from April 18 through May 10. The book will focus on a captured lightning bug who is seen as annoying and distracting by the child holding it but is eventually set free by a friend who recognizes the beauty that the lightning bug has to offer the world.
"I love to encourage people that are hurting and help give them words that bring healing to their lives, so I'm hoping that someday this book could be published," Hawkes smiled. "That would be a dream."
Reno hopes that Daniella's project will serve as a model for students who are just beginning their journey with art. Although a December graduate, Hawkes was one of two seniors who was selected to have their artwork displayed in the Catich Gallery in Spring 2019.
"It's basically a professional opportunity," Reno explained.
Although Hawkes does not currently have a job lined up, she says she has achieved what she enrolled at St. Ambrose for.
"I think getting your education is something that strengthens you and gives you a lot of tools to use in so many ways, not just financially," Hawkes said.
Hawkes will consult with art faculty and staff in the spring ahead of her April/May gallery show. A reception with the artist is set for April 25.
Promotional flyer for KALA-FM’s 2021-2022 scholarship. Copy written by Shelby.
West Burlington Little Leaguer keeps on pitching despite amputation
If you ask Garret Nichols, he says he is just like any other 10-year-old.
“I’m sort of not different than anyone else actually,” Garrett said as he sat in the dugout preparing for his team’s season opener.
The starting pitcher for the Falcons has been practicing hard in the offseason to earn his spot.
“I feel like his velocity has picked up quite a bit since last year and he's actually developed a curveball this year,” said Garrett’s dad, and coach, Darren Nichols.
But keeping his batting average and pitching arm up to speed was not the only challenge Garrett faced.
On Jan. 18, the 10-year-old had his right leg amputated.
Garrett was born with premature lungs and spent the first three months of his life at the University of Iowa Hospital. He was also born with a club foot. Doctors have done therapy with Garrett for years but deemed the nerve damage too much leading to his amputation.
Four days after his surgery Garrett was back in school. Two months later he was fitted for his prosthetic.
“The therapists, when we went out, they knew what our goal was,” Darren said. “Our goal was to get back on the ball field.”
Wednesday, May 23, Garrett stepped up to the mound and threw the Falcons first pitch of the season. The umpire called a strike.
Despite his success, Garrett’s parents say his recovery is not complete.
“He's got to work on strengthening the quad muscle because he complains about the leg being heavy so he's not able to run too good yet,” said his mom, Kelly Nichols.
But Garrett has a can-do spirit. One that’s made losing a limb seem almost fun.
“One day a student came up to me and he [told] me, ‘I want to have an amputated leg so I can be like you,’” Garrett explained. “I said, ‘are you sure about that,” he laughed.
The Falcons lost their home opener 2-1, but Garrett pitched the two full innings the league allows, and he got a hit every at-bat.
Dad says Garrett has a great season ahead of him.
“I think we'll see some good things out of him this year,” Darren said.
Watch the video version of this story here.
St. Ambrose’s radio and television stations earn top awards
Years of recognition for excellence in broadcasting lines the shelves at KALA Radio. The conference room displays awards dating back to the early 2000s. It is hard to find a year the station was not honored.
“KALA has won awards in sports and news and public affairs for several years and those are areas we’re very strong in,” said KALA Operations Manager, David Baker.
The 2019 awards season was no different.
Journalism and broadcast groups around the nation are in the midst of announcing awards for work done in the 2018 calendar year. On April 13, KALA Radio earned top honors from two organizations in the professional and student divisions.
The Iowa Broadcast News Association awarded Carter Foley, a junior at St. Ambrose University, first place for “Sports Play-by-Play." This is his second first-place honor from the IBNA in the student radio division.
“It shows that my hard work paid off throughout the long football season,” Foley said. “Prep takes a lot of time to do since it's important to know everything that will be happening in the game. To win first place, it makes it all worth it.”
Foley lends his skills to SAUtv and professionally as a part-time employee for MC22, a Mediacom channel that produces local sports programming. All of it, he said, is preparing him for a future in broadcasting.
“I've learned so much while being a student here at St. Ambrose,” Foley said. “I've been taught how to reduce saying ‘um’ or not explaining what's happening on the field/court. Just the practice that I've done throughout the years and the advice I’ve been given has helped me out.”
“I hope to one day be working behind the camera or in front of the camera for live television and covering professional league teams. I love sports so it really is just a dream job that I'm getting closer to every day.”
Classmates of Foley’s won top awards from the IBNA as well.
Junior Brad Burton and senior Collin Leddy were awarded first and second place in “Sports Coverage” for their show “Unsportsmanlike Conduct.” The sports talk show airs from 7-9 p.m., Wednesdays, on KALA-HD2, 106.1FM. The student-produced newscast “This Week,” which is currently off the air as the station restructures the program, also received first-place honors for “Best Newscast.”
“I think that this is just an example of the quality of work that our students are experiencing here at St. Ambrose in our communication department,” Baker said. “I think that the real-world experience is paying off.”
KALA also won a top honor from the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. The competition is much larger than the IBNA which only covers the state of Iowa. MBJA covers six states.
“The MBJA you’re looking at literally hundreds of stations that participate in the awards process, and dozens and dozens of universities, some with enrollments much larger than St. Ambrose,” Baker said.
The students did not win any first-place honors from the MBJA, but “Unsportsmanlike Conduct” did earn an Award of Merit in the “Sportscast/Program” category.
Professionally, though, KALA’s “Relevant or Irrelevant” talk show was awarded first place in the "Talk/Public Affairs" category - small market division - for their discussion about civility in the political process. “Relevant or Irrelevant” was also honored with an Award of Merit for a discussion about evangelical masculinity.
The show airs on Fridays at 9:30 p.m. on 88.5FM and 106.1FM.
“Locally produced public affairs shows being done at a station our size - with a staff our size - are pretty rare to find,” Baker said.
Baker is the station’s only full-time employee.
“We have a faculty member that has some release time to help us and we have a production assistant that helps as well,” Baker explained.
But most of the shows are hosted by volunteers or students.
“We’re going up against stations that have many more people, much bigger deeper pockets and resources," Baker said. "That really says a lot about the quality of what we’re doing."
Baker himself earned an Award of Merit in “Talk Public Affairs” for his interview on election rights related to the 2018 midterm elections. His colleagues in the St. Ambrose Communication Department, Don Schneider and Shelby Shepherd collaborated on a Veterans Day special for the station that also won an Award of Merit.
“I’m very proud of our students and our volunteers that make KALA what it is in the community,” Baker said.
The station’s long-standing successes encourages Baker to push for new and better content, and he’s already got some ideas for what’s next.
“We are looking to expand our news coverage to a daily newscast and return to what I would call the glory days of the 1980s and 90s when we did that on a regular basis and we did city news,” Baker said.
He also sees the next year as a prime opportunity to immerse students in election coverage.
“I am very excited to see what kind of coverage we’ll have for the caucuses and as candidates come to campus we’ll have a lot of prime opportunities coming up.”
SAUtv was awarded two honors from the IBNA. Junior Natalie Johnson won second for “Excellence in Anchoring.” SAUtv earned an honorable mention for “Best Newscast.”
Trudy Appleby’s family begs people who know something to come forward
Tuesday marked the 22nd anniversary of Trudy Appleby’s disappearance. Police say she was last seen on Campbell’s Island in East Moline. And they believe someone knows something about her disappearance.
“I don’t know every detail of what the investigation is trying to get to but seems to me like somebody’s hiding something,” said Ray Eddleman, Appleby’s uncle. “I doubt that this is one person that’s holding this. I think that this has got to be a couple of people, two or three people, maybe not in a family, maybe in a group of friends.”
Eddleman says the days leading up to Aug. 21 are difficult. But the date itself is a burdensome reminder.
“Aug. 21 is just a reminder that another year has come around with no answers,” he said. “And that the person that’s holding the key to it is choosing not to come forward.”
This year, Appleby’s disappearance coincided with a story making national headlines. The body of 21-year-old Mollie Tibbetts is believed to have been found. The Brooklynn, Iowa woman had been missing for nearly a month. It brought raw emotion to Appleby’s family.
“My heart really goes out to Mollie Tibbetts’ family,” Eddleman said with tears in his eyes. “When I seen that in the news today, it just broke my heart because I know that her family has been hurting like we have for 22-years.”
And he continues waiting for the day it will be his turn to grieve.
“The heartache that they’re feeling today is the one that I fear. I truly, truly fear finding out the truth, but I got to know it.”
Eddleman agrees with police. Someone, he says, knows something. And Tuesday night, he had a message for them.
“Gee whiz after 22 years if it hasn’t eaten you alive by now what more is it going to take? I mean I don’t know how else to ask you,” he stated staring straight into the camera.
Eddleman’s mom and sister do not get to see how Trudy’s story ends. But he says, he’s determined to get answers.
“I’ll be damned if it’s not going to end before I’m gone.”
Over the past year, there have been developments in the search for Appleby. In October 2017, police dug up land on Campbell’s Island and named William “Ed” Smith, a deceased East Moline man, a person of interest. In July 2018, police posted billboards in East Moline and handed out missing person fliers on Campbell’s Island. Both were attempts to prompt someone to come forward with information. So far, Trudy Appleby remains a missing person.