By SARAH MACK
Staff Writer

Another school year is coming to a close. Graduating seniors are anxiously awaiting the day they will walk across the stage, receive their hard earned diplomas, and start the new season God has for them.

Senior youth ministry major, Zach Mueller, is excited and awestruck about what God is leading him to do once he walks across the stage.

“In December, God incredibly blessed me and I accepted the position of Student Ministries Pastor at Poplar Creek Assembly of God Church in New Berlin, Wisconsin,” Mueller said.

After attending North Central for four years, he will be returning to his Wisconsin roots.

“I will be heading up a youth ministry with ten super awesome youth leaders, a school evangelism program that started in Poplar Creek Church and has spread to six other states across the map, a booming FCA group, and a brand spanking new youth facility. I’m excited about this crazy journey that God is getting me ready for once I graduate,” Mueller said.

When asked what things he will miss about North Central, he said,

“The opportunity to have some awesome youth ministry professionals teaching me new things daily, all nighters doing nothing school related just to hang out with friends, and not taking my ring by spring more seriously.”

Some advice he would leave for incoming freshman would be to stay humble and be teachable.

“Come in and take advantage of every moment and every opportunity here,” said Mueller.

After the much anticipated walk across the stage, senior intercultural studies/international development/TEFL major Annie Laurie Anderson plans on grabbing her diploma, raising her hands up in the air and screaming, “I made it! – and then sitting down to enjoy a nice cup of coffee with her fiancé.

“But seriously, after graduation I plan on spending a few weeks here in Minneapolis then heading home for a month to spend time with my little sister. Then, in July, I am getting married to the best man that I could have ever asked for,” said Anderson.

After getting married, the two will be leaving for overseas work.

“We are heading to China to teach English at a University for a year. I am excited about what God has in store for my fiancé and I. The last four years at North Central have changed my view on how to operate overseas and NCU has given me a deep desire to go to the hard places around the world and live there,” Anderson said.

Senior mathematics major Taylor Molenda doesn’t have his life mapped out quite yet.

“I don’t know if I plan on doing anything with my major, which is mathematics. I think that my time here at North Central was more for the journey and the lessons learned and the friends made more than anything,” said Molenda.

One of the most important decisions he has made while being at North Central was having a quality group of friends.

“Because of my friends, I have been challenged to step outside of my comfort zone and do something great,” said Molenda.

He is currently planning on going overseas in the fall for a few months with the relief organization, Convoy of Hope.

“After that I am not sure where the Lord will take me following that time. I pray that wherever I go, I can be used as His hands and feet,” said Molenda.

There also is a possibility that he goes overseas to teach English as a foreign language.

“I am not sure if that will happen or not yet. I go back and forth on a lot of the possibilities, but whatever I do, I will try to be appreciative of where I am and give God the glory.”

By KAYLA GRELL
Editor in Chief

Have you checked your facebook home page yet? Is 140 characters not enough to tweet about how tired you are and how you long for summer to be here?

The end is in sight.

Congratulations to the 2012 graduates. You made it. Now, your mission if you so choose to except it; go out into the world, follow your dreams and spread God’s love.

Freshmen, a job well done for surviving your first year of college, can you make it to your fourth year?

To those of you who are tying the knot this summer, have a great time on your honeymoon and I wish you two the best.

Make the most out of this summer as possible. Soak up ever ray of sunlight your body can handle, because when September rolls around, kiss your tan skin goodbye.

Stay up till the early morning hours, just for the soul purpose for wanting to grab breakfast after you see the sun rise.

Remember to conduct yourself wisely through out the summer. Although you are not on campus grounds, it does not give you a free ticket to act as reckless as you please.

I suggest taking an abundance of pictures this summer to give you something to reminisce through to help you look forward to warm weather when December chills arrive.

Shout out to all those who will be employed; work hard, pay off those loans and save up for that new iPad you have been eyeing up.

Looking forward, the Northerner has big plans in store for the publication. We are going to be changing things up. Are we going to still be print or stay just online or will we do both again?

Have an adventurous summer that you will look back with smiles across your face instead of regret.

By Loren Wright
Production Manager

It’s the final countdown. (For those of you who now have that song stuck in your head, I’m sorry. Better yet, you’re welcome.) Anyways, within a matter of a few days, summer will be upon us, yet again. It’s a good time to soak in some rays, get the proper 12 hours of sleep that every student deserves and start the four month span where the only new information learned is through endless tweets.

I love the sound of all of those ideas as much as the next guy, but what if instead of wasting the next couple months we made it a point to be productive this summer? As I see it, summer is not just the time to rest, but also the time to think about the future.

This fact especially holds true as it relates to those who are graduating within the next week. As school ends, summertime is the prime time to put that fresh degree into action by venturing out and searching for that dream job. (I promise the job is out there, you just have to find it).

If you are not graduating this spring, summer still remains as the prime productivity season. Times like this are perfect to start thinking about growing up. Pick up a summer job and start saving money for next school year. This is a good time in life to start becoming financially independent from your parents. Taking small steps to become independent now will help in a very big way later in life.

With summer right around the corner, many are thinking about what it will be like to have no obligations. Though the thought of this sounds nice right now, in a few years you’ll be happy you made the choice to not waste yet another four months.

By JESSIE TRAUDT
Feature Editor

I’m planting a garden. When I was a kid in Nebraska there were a few summers that my mom and I would take care of a garden together but it was her thing more than mine. I was the fair weather gardener between us two, only being present to put the seeds in the ground and eat the veggies when they were ready. When the thousands of weeds popped up after the first rain, I had had enough.

This summer is going to be different though. With the help of my boyfriend, we are going to turn an overgrown 22 x 13 garden plot into the Garden of Eden. We have grand plans of having enough vegetables and herbs to keep us from going to the store for months; in our minds we see this grand scheme of becoming self-sufficient, saving tons of money, and harvesting Food Network worthy picturesque produce. Once July hits though, I have a feeling we will just be praying for a few tomatoes to pick and if we’re lucky, an edible green bean or two.

Whatever happens, it will be an experience. Our plot is a community garden area right behind Z House, so come check in on how progress is going if you feel so inclined.

All this to say, we’re starting our summer off as optimistic as possible and excited for what will come of our efforts. I always try to have a purpose for my summer and use it as something other than a time to be, ironically enough, a “vegetable”.

By AMY LAMBERT
Staff Writer

Crown College held its sixth annual Symposium on April 14. “Symposium” is a fancy way to say “conference.” This year, Crown invited North Central University to participate.

There were 30 student presenters along with keynote speaker Carolyn Tennant, former North Central English professor. Dinner and desert was provided.

“I became interested in the event because I love learning, sharing what I learn, and hearing others share what they learn. I also think the Symposium is a great opportunity to interact with people from Crown College and promote unity within the Body of Christ,” said Anthony Johns, senior English-writing major, who presented on William Tyndale and his translation of the Bible at the Symposium.

North Central students had the opportunity to submit written work to Assistant Professor of English Desiree Libengood, the main North Central contact to the Symposium. Of the 25 North Central students who submitted piects, 16 were selected to present at the conference.

“The main theme was on C.S. Lewis, and about half of the 16 North Central student presenters who read their papers were selected from my three sections of C.S. Lewis and the Inklings last semester. I, of course, spoke on Lewis, specifically on his ideas of heaven and hell,” said Tennant.

Academic Affairs defrayed the $10 admission for North Central students who attended for $5.

By JENNIFER SCOTT
Staff Writer

After two years of housing female students,  Phillipps One West is reverting back to a male housing floor for the 2012-2013 school year.

The change is necessary to accommodate an increase in the number of male students seeking on campus housing.

“I am very excited for the change into a guy’s floor next year. It gives me an opportunity to start from scratch in terms of building a floor atmosphere,” said Isaac Van Proosdy, junior music pastor major and next year’s resident advisor for One West.

With the change, Phillipps Hall will have  three floors for men and four for women.

“I think that having a new floor for guys to live on will be positive for our environment,” said Brittany Mather, the resident director of Phillipps Hall, resides in an apartment on one west. Mather said,

Phillipps Hall opened in 2000 as a men’s floor. In 2009, when TJ Jones closed its residence floors and the Zimmerman House temporarily closed, One West Phillips became a women’s floor to meet the housing needs for female residents.

“One West had a history of being a very unified men’s floor two years ago and after it changed to a girl’s floor it has held onto being a close floor atmosphere. I am looking forward to being challenged and helping represent a part of North Central’s community,” said Proosdy.

By BAYLEY ANDERSON
Staff Writer

There are over half a million apps for smartphones. Choosing which smartphone to buy is a bit of a “first-world” problem, but choosing which apps to purchase and download is an essential skill. Apps range from managing your social networks to managing your bank accounts, from editing photos to using a virtual slingshot to launch birds at pigs. In an endless world of apps, it is a notoriously comlicated battle to determine the apps worthy of the date space on that computer-in-your-pocket?

According to the iTunes store and North Central students, Draw Something, a Pictionary-esque drawing and guessing game, has knocked off Angry Birds from the top game spot. The free version has advertisements and the player has to earn 200+ coins before they can get more colors to draw with. The $.99 version already comes with an assortment of colors for the drawer to select from.

This game was addicting for a short time; however, playing is very time-consuming from watching your opponent guess your drawing, to guessing their drawing and then actually drawing (whew!).  I’ve had 10-plus Draw Something games going on at once, and it is overwhelming to the point where I stopped playing altogether.

Another popular app by the same makers of Draw Something is Words with Friends, a back-and-forth Scrabble game with other smartphone users. I happen to love Scrabble and words, so this game is right up my alley.

The ever-popular Instagram, a fun and artistic way to share your pictures, is my favorite app right now. You snap a picture and choose from a wide variety of photographic filters and other creative effects. The main reason I purchased my iPhone was for Instagram. It makes every picture you take look like you are on track to becoming a professional photographer.

This app has recently caused some controversy. iPhone owners were the exclusive members of this app until I was available for Android users on April 3. A tweet war broke out between vocal team iOS and Androiders.

But is it really that big of a deal? Whether you’re team iPhone or team Droid, I say we all just establish a happy medium and Instagram beautiful beach sunsets. Or we let Siri duel it out against Android’s SpeakTolt.

By DANIEL ERICKSON
Staff Writer

An influx of new students will visit campus this summer as North Central hosts the fifth annual Pure Worship Institute (PWI)—a music camp to be held on June 18-22.
The ‘mini university’ will feature seminars, workshops, jam sessions, listening panels, and worship encounters as opportunities for students to develop their musical skills and be mentored by experienced Christian musicians.
It was worship arts specialist and PWI founder Jeff Deyo’s goal to “stir up true worshipers” from the start.
“Since a large part of the leadership in worship comes through musicians and singers, I realized it was best to begin equipping and teaching those up front how to be the worshipers and worship leaders God has called them to be,” said Deyo.
“We’ve all seen musicians, pastors and high profile Christians who have had major public moral failures,” said Deyo. “I hope to catch these up and coming ‘artists’ before they jump on the American Idol/rock star for Jesus train.”
The inspiration for PWI came back in 2005 when Deyo put on a mini traveling worship conference called the Pure Worship Tour. The idea then came to fruition in 2008 and has been a place for singers and musicians to come and receive practical musical and spiritual training ever since.
“I am excited to see what God will do this year. The best part is watching the transformation. So many come in, tired from ministry, worn out, jaded…I get to watch as God restores them, as the light returns to their eyes, as they remember why they started doing music and ministry in the first place,” said Deyo.
Special guests for PWI include worship leaders Jared Anderson from Desperation Band, Mia Fieldes from Hillsong, Ross Parsley from New Life Church, Jonathan Lee, Lou Santiago Jr., Brian and Ramey Whalen, internationally recognized producer Mark Heimermann and NCU’s own One Accord.
Students who register by April 30 pay $275 in registration fees. Afterwards, registration will go up to $350 until the deadline on June 18.
The weeklong worship school will be put on by a partnership between North Central, 95.3 Praise FM and worship arts specialist Jeff Deyo’s WorshipCityMinistries.
For more information, go to PWI’s official website at http://pureworshipinstitute.com/

Under the direction of Fine Arts Professor Larry Bach, the College of Fine Arts is preparing to put on a performance called Mostly Mozart. The various choirs (tell us what choirs they are) will perform the music of Mozart. The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. April 27. Admission is free for students, faculty, and staff. Tickets are $5 for others.

A full professional orchestra will also be joining the choirs. The performance will take on the appearance of a classical music concert, which will set it apart from most modern music. The songs performed will mostly those originally written to be sung in small local settings and in churches. Many come directly from the Psalms and bring a spiritual aspect to classical music.

“The goal is to give the audience an experience of church music from an older era, but deliver it with the same passion of today’s worship.” said Bach.

The members of the choirs have practiced three times a week to prepare for their performance. The music is technically difficult, and  Bach challenged the students to break beyond what they are used to.

“Practices are energetic and intense. He really pushes us to learn our music, to create music, and to be the best musicians we can possibly be,” said junior biblical studies and worship leading major Ericka Moore..

The hard work being devoted to the performance should make for an interesting and exciting experience.

“Everyone should come!” said Moore.

“The goal is to give the audience an experience of church music from an older era, but deliver it with the same passion of today’s worship.” said Bach.

The members of the choirs have practiced three times a week to prepare for their performance. The music is technically difficult, and  Bach challenged the students to break beyond what they are used to.

“Practices are energetic and intense. He really pushes us to learn our music, to create music, and to be the best musicians we can possibly be,” said junior biblical studies and worship leading major Ericka Moore..

The hard work being devoted to the performance should make for an interesting and exciting experience.

“Everyone should come!” said Moore.

By DAVID RISDALL
Staff Writer

The Glow music event continued as plan even with the threat of rain. Capped by One Accord’s exhilarating performance, the event showcased several North Central students’ bands as glowsticks filled the Trask Word and Worship Center. Glow, originally planned to take place outside but the event was moved inside due to the threat of rain.

North Central’s musical talent was on display as Stephone, We Are Wells, Andrew Jay and the State Boys Rebellion, Jake Plaunt, and One Accord all played a few of their songs. SAC’s Improv team provided comedy as well.

North Central President Dr. Anderson, donning a necklace made of glowsticks, also offered words of inspiration and encouragement to those in attendance.

Glow was an opportunity to showcase the musical and comedic talents of North Central. The rain could not prevent the talent from shining through. Everyone in attendance was able to hear a variety of original music.