The Anchor: October 7, 2020

OCTOBER 7, 2020 SPERA IN DEO HOLLAND, MI

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Claire Buck

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Claire

arguments and the jumble of mail in some distant post office that holds my still-undelivered absentee ballot. It’s harder to see the order and the beauty that still underpins our world. And that’s why, more than ever, we need poetry (and, of course, music and theater and painting and all of the other forms of art that reminds us of the goodness that still permeates our reality). So instead of trying to argue you into hopefulness, I’ll simply leave you with this poem by Elizabeth Bishop, and encourage you to pay special attention to her tender final line:

Filling Station

Letter from the Editors

she would have to quarantine as a precaution. My phone buzzed, and another text came through: “I don’t know what comes next or what the restrictions will be,” it read.

Oh, but it is dirty! —this little filling station, oil-soaked, oil-permeated to a disturbing, over-all black translucency. Be careful with that match!

Since the start of this all, I haven’t understood why everyone else was fixated on the fact that we were living in “unprecedented times.” Isn’t every age unprecedented; every new beginning a surprise; every morning ripe with uncertainty?

I am grateful. I’m grateful for the late-afternoon light that falls past the teal curtains across my bedspread. I’m grateful for whoever made the turkey wrap I ate for dinner and sealed the paper packaging with a flower sticker. I’m grateful for my lab professor, who took a dozen videos of the experimental procedure so that I could still get credit for the in-person organic chemistry lab I was supposed to attend tomorrow. I’m grateful for my mother, who is right now buying me snacks to fill a care package. I’m grateful for my roommate, who has agreed to feed my fish and water my bamboo in my absence. I’m grateful for the white blood cells that even now are roaming my arteries to apprehend whatever microbial invaders might have found their way inside.

In this moment, you don’t have to look hard to see chaos. It’s in the news and on our campus, in the storms and the fires and the

Father wears a dirty, oil-soaked monkey suit that cuts him under the arms, and several quick and saucy and greasy sons assist him (it’s a family filling station), all quite thoroughly dirty.

Do they live in the station? It has a cement porch behind the pumps, and on it a set of crushed and greaseimpregnated wickerwork; on the wicker sofa a dirty dog, quite comfy.

Some comic books provide the only note of color— of certain color. They lie upon a big dim doily draping a taboret (part of the set), beside a big hirsute begonia.

Why the extraneous plant? Why the taboret?

Why, oh why, the doily? (Embroidered in daisy stitch with marguerites, I think, and heavy with gray crochet.)

Somebody embroidered the doily. Somebody waters the plant, or oils it, maybe. Somebody arranges the rows of cans so that they softly say: esso—so—so—so to high-strung automobiles. Somebody loves us all.

Ruth

When I woke up Monday morning ready to tackle a long day of helping to lay out and edit this print publication, I was not expecting to end the day in isolation housing at the Haworth Inn. I won’t go into details that would violate anybody’s privacy, but I was named a close contact of someone who tested positive. Once I found out about her positive test, the tickle in my throat and the slight wheeze at the end of my exhale seemed serious enough to warrant removing myself from the rest of my roommates until I could have a long swab stuck up to the back of my nose the next morning. Tomorrow, I will know whether I spend the rest of my two-week quarantine in this isolation room or back in my apartment. For now, I wait. After a long and anxious day, I was surprised, as I set my bags down on the floor of my hotel room, to find that my fear had faded. Now, mostly, Love,

I left my house around 8:00 Monday morning, knowing that it was going to be a long day, but in no way anticipating what was about to happen. Claire’s text came through about two hours later while I was sitting in Senior Seminar. In it, she explained the ongoing situation: a close contact had been infected and

From March to August, I took quiet pride in the fact that I was perfectly fine–happy, even–all by myself in my mother’s two-room apartment. Although I understood how privileged I was to have a job, my health, and a home, the urgency and uncertainty of the world beyond did not feel real to me.

But tonight, in the empty newsroom, I think I am starting to understand. Amazingly, this month’s print product has come together with relative ease–the page editors came through, we made bad jokes, and everyone hurried off to dinner. It was about 8:00 when I began to write this, and I am only waiting on final edits from one section, which has to be a new record. Yet, in spite of today’s apparent success, I feel hollow. I know that in all likelihood, Claire will be okay–her heart will continue to pump blood and her lungs will expand and detract, unencumbered by the virus. Still, the fact remains that I do not know if that will prove true, and I don’t have any control over what happens next.

There are a thousand thoughts racing through my uneasy mind this evening, and not a soul in this room to tell. I suppose I will tell all of you: take care of one another. Do not spurn others as they struggle, even if they won’t stop saying that these are “unprecedented times.” Claire will be back from the Haworth eventually, be it tomorrow or in two weeks, but there are some among us who will not–100,400,000, to be precise. Friends, let’s do better. Let’s love recklessly but live mindfully, knowing that life is fragile and that we are the keepers of our brothers and sisters.

Ruth Holloway & Claire Buck Editors-in-ChiEf

Claire’s room, which she described as “lovely and comfy.”

Hi Claire, it’s me (and Morgan, who kept me sane today)!

CAMPUS&BEYOND

Bias incident reported at Schrier Cottage

Zachary Dankert Campus Editor

Sometimes, political propaganda is just that: propaganda. A flyer or button with a name and a year, something small enough to hand out that offers a casual expression of opinion. Sometimes, it’s a bit more than that. A simple political advertisement, in the right hands, directed toward the right people, can say more than a simple “vote for me.” The devil is in the impassioned details, in the subtext which can be translated in a thousand ways. A pro-Trump sticker slapped on the side of a house can just be a conservative’s odd show of support. It can also be a pointed taunt, one that draws a very deep power from the modern American psyche. For several residents of Schrier Cottage, this was the ringing interpretation when they found a Trump 2020 sticker over their cottage’s sign last Saturday morning.

“I was just so furious,” said Sylvia Rodriguez (’21), an art history major and peace and justice minor, who calls Schrier Cottage home, “especially because of the counterprotest I was heading to that morning.” The counterprotest in question being against the Evangelicals for Mike Pence event at Baker Lofts. It wasn’t until after Rodriguez had returned that her housemates were informed of the incident, and their reactions varied from mad to taken aback to confused. To them, this wasn’t a random act of vandalism; they felt they had been marked specifically. It could have been for several reasons, namely two flags: one in support of Black Lives Matter and the other displaying the Pride rainbow, hung from their secondstory windows. Schrier Cottage is also known as the Spanish cottage, and the students living in it are largely women of color. No other cottage in their neighborhood had gotten a sticker. To Rodriguez and her house, this wasn’t simply Trump supporters playing a prank; its connotation was a little more potent.

Mark Bryce, the Assistant Resident Life Director, and Kristyn Bochniak, the Associate Dean of resident Life, contacted Schrier Cottage quickly afterward, offering support and submitting bias reports. Campus Safety reached out as well,

and Rodriguez filed an official report with Officer Chen. Officer Rios and the cottage’s Spanish department advisor were also quick to contact the students, and President Scogin himself sought Schrier inhabitants out with well-wishes. “It was nice to hear something from President Scogin,” Rodriguez reflected. “In my time, anyone who has experienced a bias incident hasn’t been contacted by the president.”

Alongside the support of faculty and staff was the support of students and neighbors. Rodriguez, like her housemates, found she didn’t know what to say to these expressions of solidarity besides simply voicing her appreciation. She laughed about needing time to soak the situation in and explained, “it’s different; when I came in as a freshman, I heard all the stories about what happened during the [2016] election, and then [now] being a senior, and living out a small, very very small piece of what other people had experienced.”

Rodriguez and Ana GamboaAndrade (’21), the Schrier Cottage RA, discussed what the results of the 2016 election inspired on campus, such as the threats to

Scott Hall that, days after the election, caused Campus Safety officers to patrol the inside and outside of the building. Gamboa-Andrade, who had been a freshman at the time, recounts when her friend “was trolled by a group of boys, yelling at her ‘to go back to where she came from,’ and that ‘Trump was gonna get her out of here.’” It’s this sensitive past of the campus, and of all of America, that inspired the reactions of Schrier Cottage.

“It’s not just about me and my incident,” Rodriguez insisted, in response to the many messages she received which did not show support of her situation. People seemed to be asking whether the magnitude of the crime deserved such a response from Rodriguez, particularly her Facebook post articulating her outrage. Isn’t it just a sticker? Gamboa-Andrade argued that “the way people were minimizing it, they were trying to push the situation under the rug, and for me that was, ‘if we let something like this go by, where’s it going to stop?’” Rodriguez and GamboaAndrade implored students to see the larger issues at play. For better or worse, many marginalized groups have come to associate “Trump’s

America” with prejudice, bias and at times even violence. Inspired by this incident, Schrier Cottage residents have brainstormed proactive measures Hope and the community can begin taking for the future. For one, they said that Hope should send out bias incidents when they occur, just as they do for COVID-19 updates and instances of sexual harassment. “And they actually did it!” Gamboa-Andrade commented. A few days later, a campus-wide email was sent, alerting everyone to Schrier Cottage’s incident. GamoaAndrade remakred that “I was really taken aback by, and I just really appreciated that. I think that’s a step in the right direction.” Rodriguez mentioned how some students don’t report bias incidents because they don’t believe something will actually happen. But, she argues, “Hope will listen to numbers. We need to push it forward. Things are going to be done about it, and I think that encourages students.” They have already discussed designing a system of support for students of color in majoritywhite housing on election night, in case the situation turns sour.

Rodriguez and Gamboa-Andrade ended on the importance of protest and activism in the current world, and the positive effect it has often had, both in history and today: “I think activism spreads a message and gets people more engaged and motivated.” In light of the current incident, Rodriguez stated that when biases occur, even after protests, they only add to the reality of a world that needs to change. “I think it really pushes the administration; it’s kind of like a dog on the heels of a rabbit. When we have demonstrations, it lets the administration know that they need to do something about it.” She and Gamboa-Andrade believe it to be a dynamic force on campus, and this is why they are glad that the Schrier Cottage incident, as small as it may seem, is being acknowledged by many. Rodriguez concluded with this question: “if students can’t express their needs through activism or demonstration without being threatened, or without fear of being threatened, then is this really a safe campus?”

Sylvia Rodriguez

BIAS INCIDENT -- Rodriguez noticed the sticker on her way to the Evangelicals for Mike Pence counterprotest on Sept. 25

Food truck fleet comes to campus

Cameron Geddes Staff Writer

In a time of stress, little is better than some really good food. And on October 2, Hope College’s Student Activities Committee (SAC) organized a Food Truck Frenzy as a fun way to provide free food for studentsto kick off the weekend. The event was held across campus, with trucks and tents all around the Pine Grove. All that was required to attend was registration, adherence to the campus’ social distancing rules and patience with the huge lines of students looking to get a nice cider, donut or sandwich. Lo mein, donuts and hot cider were offered (part of the “Anchors Away” tent) near the Bultman Student Center (BSC). A Knot Spot food truck nearby offered a selection of delicious pretzels. At the top of the hill in the Pine Grove, hundreds of students flocked to fried foods such as cheese curds and small sandwiches, served by Taste Buds. Finally, in the rear of Dimnent Chapel, Palazzolo’s served a variety of gelato. The Anchor talked with Matt Severino (’22), a member of SAC. He advertised that if students got all four stamps from the vendors, they would be entered into a gift drawing. He also commented on the only significant disappointment of the event: it was scheduled until 9p.m., but all of the trucks ran out of food around 8p.m., a full hour before the official close of the event. Severino commented that “people really showed up; it was

out fast. It was a really great event; it was scheduled until 9, but literally every truck just flew through. It was an awesome event though!”

The popularity of the event stood testament to Severino’s statement. The “frenzy” was aptly named in that it drew vast crowds, with hundreds of students in the Pine Grove. People were playing frisbee, students were chatting in line and the rush of life was the most obvious quality of the event. A rare event for modern-day college campuses, who

now work overtime to provide fun yet safe activites for their students. And this event did, in fact, present a challenge in terms of COVID-19 restrictions, with SAC announcers patrolling the event and encouraging people to socially distance by way of a bullhorn. This had mixed effect, with most students bound and determined to enjoy one of the last tolerable days of Michigan weather for the season. Still, students largely honored their commitments, wearing masks until they were at a safe distance to begin eating. The sense of community provided by the event was much-needed and appreciated, authentic to the feeling of Hope events prior to COVID-19. The Anchor spoke with two freshman students, William Novak and Rory Campagna, who had been enjoying their lo mein. “I think it’s a great splash of flavor in an otherwise flavorless year so far,” Novak commented in an overtly cheeky tone. “You gotta give people grace,” Campagna noted, likely referencing the necessity of hosting communal events despite the potential health hazards. When asked about how the pandemic has affected his outlook, Novak had this to say: “I guess we have nothing to compare it to, so it’s… I’d say it’s kind of easier for us, maybe because sophomores know what

it’s like to be here without COVID. We don’t have any reference.”

The fun and excitement of the event was not strictly for underclassmen, however. Senior Caleb Graybill, a business major who is primarily studying remotely in his hometown of Dallas, Texas, was briefly visiting over the weekend. “I enjoyed it… I got an Italian beef sandwich. As far as Italian beef sandwiches go, probably one of the better ones I’ve had! I got to meet my friends . . . It’s good to see some people. COVID has made, I think, a lot of social interaction hard, so I think it’s cool that this can happen, and people can get out and meet some people so… it’s really cool.” Jake Lindell, a senior nursing student (“Check me out on Spotify”), described his pizza pocket as “a better version of a hot pocket.” And these were not the only students enjoying their food.

Seeing so many people outside enjoying their free time and taking their mind off of the pressures of being a student was a rewarding experience, and the warm food enjoyed on a brisk fall evening was a great complement to the social atmosphere. The great effort expended by SAC to make it possible was surely appreciated by all of the students who were in attendance last Friday, even those who showed up too late to get food.

SAC

Cameron Geddes

FOOD FRENZY- The SAC event was scheduled through 9 p.m., but due to the amount of students taking part, the food trucks ran out of samples an hour into the event.

FREE GELATO — Palazzolo’s Artisan Gelato & Sorbetto was giving out free gelato samples on the street side of Dimnent Chapel.

CAMPUS&BEYOND

Perspectives on 2020’s first presidential debate

Morgan Brown Production Manager

On Tuesday, Sept. 29, Cleveland, Ohio hosted the first presidential debate of 2020. Moderated by Chris Wallace of Fox News, the debate provided an opportunity for both President Donald Trump and his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, to clarify their positions on important policy issues. However, upon the debate’s arrival, news outlets and citizens alike found the debate to be nothing short of chaotic. CNN termed the debate “a hot mess inside a dumpster fire.” The Guardian called it a “national humiliation.” Hope College’s very own Dr. David Ryden, chair of the political science department, said, “To call it a trainwreck would be too complimentary.” Did this debate, in what both major parties have called the most important election cycle in recent history, have any effect?

Dr. Ryden doesn’t seem to think so. “If the goal was to educate the public and to draw out the distinctions between the candidates, I thought it utterly failed,” he said. “I think spectacles like this contribute greatly to Americans’ distaste, no, disgust, over American politics.”

With frequent interruptions, petty insults and attacks on character coming from both sides, the debate gave practically no time to political substance and much to unprofessionalism, allowing for Trump to remind Biden that no one shows up to his rallies, Biden to call Trump a “clown,” Trump to tell Biden that “there’s nothing smart about you” and Biden to tell Trump to “just shut up, man.”

Most media pundits blamed the debate’s upset on the president.

However, Trump’s interruptions, rhetoric and attitude may have been pieces of a larger political tactic. After all, Trump’s unrestrained, tell-it-like-it-is attitude contributed to his victory in 2016. This appeal was reflected by Reed Rosado (’23), president of the Hope Republicans: “Donald Trump was the Donald Trump we know. Unpolished, undaunted and unapologetically Donald Trump.” Despite the chaos, Rosado felt that Trump was still successful in expressing his “America First” agenda and believes he will continue to do so along the

campaign trail. Consistent with the anti-establishment attitude that he expressed in 2016 debates and rallies, much of Trump’s rhetoric focused on exposing radical elements of Biden’s agenda and highlighting its contrast from Biden’s record.

“Joe Biden has spent 47 years in politics,” Rosado said. “One can only wonder how he miraculously came up with these fresh new ideas now.”

However, Trump’s tactics didn’t work for everyone. “I think Trump thought he could use aggression to throw Biden off and that he would make some grand misstep,” Dr. Ryden said. “It didn’t work… I think Trump ended up making Biden look somewhat sympathetic.”

Martha Beattie (’21), speaking on behalf of herself and the Hope Democrats e-board, seemed to agree with this sentiment, citing her distaste for the president’s personal attacks, especially his comments about Biden’s sons. Beattie reacted positively to Biden’s performance, saying, “He was calm and collected. He did a wonderful job of addressing the American people by directly looking into the camera as though he was speaking to each individual viewer.” One of

Biden’s clear tactics throughout the debate was this direct appeal to Americans, attempting to convince viewers that this election is not about the candidates but about the people. “We felt as though Biden did a better job of making the viewers feel reassured,” Beattie said. What does this debacle mean for upcoming debates? Dr. Ryden seems to think that the candidates’ performances damaged the effectiveness of future debates, barring a significant overhaul of debate rules and an agreement among the candidates to adhere to the new guidelines. Citing Tuesday’s debate as a blown opportunity, he said, “I would anticipate the viewership will be far less for subsequent debates.” Whether this statement proves accurate is yet to be seen. The next presidential debate, which will be held in Miami, Florida, is scheduled for Oct. 15 at 9 p.m., but it is unclear whether the event will still take place in light of President Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis and subsequent hospitalization. The Commision on Presidential Debates has yet to offer a definitive answer but is anticipated to do so in the coming weeks.

Remembering Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Alli Mitchell Staff Writer

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of the nation’s most influential and iconic Supreme Court justices, passed away in her Washington D.C. home on Friday, September 18, at the age of 87. Ginsburg suffered from a number of health problems throughout the last 20 years of her life, the most recent being pancreatic cancer. Ginsburg worked tirelessly despite many adversities and never let anything hold her back from the job that she loved. Known for her liberal views and eloquent dissents, History.com writer Erin Blakemore wrote that Ginsburg possessed “unwavering beliefs and a taste for compromise.” She continuously fought for the things she was passionate about, such as eliminating gender discrimination and enforcing the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

Ginsburg was born on March 15, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents were both first-generation Jewish immigrants and often struggled financially. Ginsburg had discussed multiple times the impact that her mother had on her education. Celia Bader had always dreamed of an education but was never given the opportunity. Thus, the importance of education was instilled into Ginsburg from a young age. Unfortunately, her mother passed away the day before Ginsburg’s high school graduation.

Ginsburg then attended Cornell University for her undergraduate degree in government. There, she met her husband, Marty Ginsburg, and they were married in 1954. Ginsburg’s first job out of Cornell was one that defined her later career. While working for a social security office, she was demoted to a typist because her employer found out she was pregnant.

Ginsburg continued to face discrimination as she pursued her law degree. She originally began at Harvard University, where she was frequently mocked by professors and questioned as to why she should be in the law program taking up a spot that could have been filled by a man. Ginsburg was one of nine women in a class of over 500. After moving to New York

to take care of her husband as he battled cancer, Ginsburg finished her studies at Columbia University, where she tied for first in the class of 1959 and received her Juris Doctor. Due to her sex, she struggled to find a job, even with an advanced law degree. Ginsburg was denied by many firms, clerical positions and teaching opportunities because she was a woman. Rutgers University eventually hired her to teach for their law school, but she was paid significantly less than her male counterparts.

It was while working at Rutgers that Ginsburg took her first steps into gender discrimination law.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) New Jersey branch was representing Sally Reed in the Supreme Court case Reed v. Reed (1971). Reed was trying to become the executor of her son’s estate rather than her ex-husband, but she was denied on the basis of her gender. This was the first Supreme Court brief that Ginsburg wrote, and the court ruled in favor of the ACLU. Throughout her career, she wrote opinions on more than 300 gender discrimination cases. When reflecting on this case later in life, Ginsburg said that “the 14th Amendment guarantee of equal protection applies not just to racial and ethnic minorities but to women as well. The Supreme Court woke up to that reality in 1971.”

It was evident that Ginsburg was a powerhouse. As her name began to buzz around Washington, D.C., she was nominated in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter to the Appellate Court for the District of Columbia Circuit Court. In 1993 President Clinton nominated her to the Supreme Court. From the beginning of her tenure, it was evident that she would be a phenomenal justice, as she was confirmed by the Senate with a 96-3 majority vote. She was only the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court, and the first Jewish woman to do so. When asked in a 2015 interview how she wanted to be remembered, Ginsburg stated, “As someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability, and to help repair tears in her society; to make things better through the use of whatever ability she has.”

In the days after her passing, the nation has mourned Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Now, all eyes are turned to the Senate since President Donald Trump has promised to fill her seat before the November election.

In the official statement from the Court, Chief Justice John Roberts made an articulate and earnest statement regarding Ginsburg’s passing, saying: “Our nation lost a justice of historic stature. We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn but with confidence, that future generations

will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her, a tireless and resolute champion of justice.” If President Trump is able to fill Ginsburg’s seat, this will be the third justice that he will have appointed during his administration. The first was the seat of Justice Antonin Scalia, who passed away in January of 2016 during the Obama administration. President Barack Obama had selected Merrick Garland; however, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell delayed the Senate confirmation hearing on the basis that it was an election year. McConnell is not following the same course of action for this scenario and is determined to fill Ginsburg’s seat before the election, which is a mere four weeks away.

Many of Hope College’s political science majors and pre-law students have been contemplating and discussing Ginsburg’s legacy since her passing. Freshman Carly Mursch commented on the impact that Ginsburg has had on her life and how she has shaped her intended career path. Mursch stated that she has always wanted to be a lawyer, but has frequently been told that the field of law is only for men. She described Ginsburg as her role model, saying, “[Ginsburg] is everything that I aspire to one day be: a trailblazer for women’s rights and an advocate for those whose voices are silenced.” It is evident that after an illustrious legal career and 27 remarkable years on the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg has secured her legacy by inspiring generations of Americans to pursue their passions and stand for what they believe.

U.S. News

Columbia Universty Club

COVID-19, crisis and Coltrane: We will thrive again

Dr. Jordan VanHemert Guest Writer

In my life as a musician, I have three primary streams of income: composition, education and performance; most of what I do on a daily basis can be filed into one of those three cabinets. Usually, these things keep me very busy— sometimes to the tune of having performances every day. However, in mid-March, everything changed. As the college shut down last spring, so too did many of my opportunities to perform. With a major disruption in my life as an artist, I was forced to reconsider what it meant to me to have a career in music. I watched helplessly as friends and colleagues suffered during the shutdown and venues closed. All of this plunged me into a deep despair. I was still practicing every day, but I couldn’t bring myself to write any new music for a month. I had planned a recording session for mid-July prior to the stay-at-home order, and as I saw my first Hope College Jazz Summit get canceled, it looked like this session would go the same way. What does an artist do who feels frozen in time? The shutdown gave me time to think about my career. Who had I been working to become for my entire life? Who was I at that point? Did it even matter? I may have stopped composing, but I started reading. Writing. Listening. Learning. I remembered the advice of one of my teachers: “Writing and performing music is about humanity. If you get stuck composing—work on becoming a better person outside of music. Read. Travel. Live. The music will come again.”

I read several books. I re-read some more. I pondered what I really wanted from my career— what was really important to me.

And the music did come again. The music came when I had least expected it. In early June, I played a livestream concert with my colleague Prof. Jeff Shoup and our friend Jim Alfredson. Jim had been hosting concerts from his basement after the stay-at-home order had been lifted. On the way to the gig, I was not feeling up to performing. George Floyd had just been murdered, and my despair was a pit from which I could not escape.

Every time I heard names or saw the news— I just saw my friends. My colleagues. My teachers. My heroes.

It is no secret that the pandemic has adversely affected BIPOC both directly and indirectly. For Asians and Asian-Americans such as myself, we were vilified for a pandemic that we neither created nor controlled. Emboldened racists shouted profanities and slurs at me from their vehicles as they sped by me— as if they knew that what they were shouting was wrong, but the hatred in their hearts consumed them and they did not care.

I had tried several times to document my anger and frustration at our current events. With each crumpled piece of manuscript paper I thought—what could I ever write that would be enough to honor the memory of those who had been murdered before their time due to injustices in our system?

Then I played the livestream gig at the Alfredson residence. There was nothing inherently special about the basement where we recorded, save for some cameras and high-quality microphones. However, the emotion was palpable—the three of us needed this gig. All of a sudden, being in a space with such raw emotions

transformed me from the inside out. Playing music with friends who were listening and not with a metronome or a drum track, I felt myself come alive again. It was far from a perfect gig, but that did not matter—what mattered was the opportunity that I had to build community with others through music again.

When I got home, I started composing. I wrote four new starts— not necessarily introductions, but beginnings of new music. These starts would eventually become fully realized compositions, and I quickly finished them to keep my recording session alive.

When emoting through performance is a core part of one’s being, the absence of this core is debilitating. When the shutdown started, I felt lost; I did not even know who I was again. However, music always finds a way, and it found a way to replenish my soul.

On July 16 and 17, we cut the record—right here at Hope College studios. I poured my heart and soul into this record, and two months later, the record, a snapshot into my life at this point in time, is almost ready to share.

As I examined my own life, I remembered the words of John

Coltrane: “My goal is to live the truly religious life and express it in my music. If you live it, when you play, when you play, there’s no problem because music is part of the whole thing. To be a musician is really something. It goes very, very deep. My music is the spiritual expression of what I am— my faith, my knowledge, my being.”

This quote consumed my consciousness when I started writing again. I was no longer plagued by my worry of making a good record or writing compositions that fit my lofty expectations of what I had imagined that my teachers and colleagues thought a composition should be—I simply wanted to make a record that represented as much of who I am as a person as it did who I am as a musician.

BIPOC artists are still in crisis right now, especially musicians who typically perform as their primary means of income. However, the pandemic will not last forever, and our society will find new ways to satisfy its need for musical communication. Even now, musicians all over the world are finding creative ways to express themselves. Music is a gift that transcends the artificial boundaries of time that we have set for ourselves, and musicians are survivors. And someday soon—we will thrive again.

Pictured from left to right: Drew Elliot (mixing/recording), Professor Lisa Sung (piano), Rob Smith (trumpet), Dr. Jordan VanHemert (saxophone), Andy Wheelock (drums), Kazuki Takemura (bass), Johan Sung (videographer)

Jordan VanHemert

We cannot afford to lose the war on truth

Ruth Holloway Co-Editor in Chief

On Friday, October 2, at 1 a.m., the White House announced that President Trump had tested positive for COVID-19, as had First Lady Melania Trump. The president has since been admitted to Walter Reed Medical Center, where he is receiving experimental and therapeutic treatments as he recovers. People of stature like politicians, celebrities and journalists of all stripes have taken to Twitter with their blue checkmarks, wishing the president and first lady a speedy recovery. The general consensus is that no one should have to suffer from COVID-19, even the man who has been quoted saying that the vast majority of Americans will be unaffected, that he “wanted to always play it down... because [he doesn’t] want to create a panic.”

It seems as though this philosophy of withholding pertinent information to not cause a panic is a hallmark of the Trump administration. The morning of October 3, Dr. Sean Conley, White House physician, stated that the president was “72 hours into the diagnosis,” which indicates that he was diagnosed sometime around noon on Wednesday, September 30. If 72 hours had elapsed between the president’s diagnosis and the press briefing, that leaves 35 hours in between the stated time of the positive test and the announcement that the president and first lady were sick. In 35 hours, the president traveled to Minnesota for a campaign rally, after which former Press Secretary Hope Hicks began exhibiting symptoms. Then, the Trump campaign learned of Hicks’ positive diagnosis and still opted to hold an in-person fundraiser at one of the president’s golf resorts, despite the fact that Hicks had been on Air Force One the night before. Between noon on September 30 and 1 p.m. on October 3, at least three journalists, two White House staffers, two senators, two advisors and the president of the University of Notre Dame were exposed to and infected with COVID-19.

The best-case scenario is that the White House physician does not know how to do basic

math. Otherwise, the Trump administration would be responsible for spreading a virus to at least 12 individuals and endangering countless others. But I anticipate that making claims of reckless endangerment and gross negligence on the part of the president and his colleagues will be futile. There’s a high likelihood that President Trump will recover from COVID-19, and once he does, this incident–barring, God forbid, any deaths among his close contacts–will be waved off. My concerns, as well as those of more seasoned and better-educated journalists, will be cited as a product of the “fake news media,” and those who want to believe him will.

It is evident that the president and his colleagues do not have faith in the American people and would rather engage in active censorship than trust in our citizenry to weigh the facts as they are and take measured, thoughtful action. The White House has become a fortress in which “truth” is a dirty word. Any compromising information that makes its way to the public

is decried as “fake news,” and the anonymous leakers labeled losers and cowards. This has been stated and demonstrated repeatedly over the course of Trump’s presidency, and he will continue to lie to the public so long as there is a subset of the population that is willing to put their faith in him.

Admittedly, I am a cynic when it comes to human nature. Human beings are rarely rational. We prefer stories to statistics and selfselect our friends, our news and, unfortunately, our facts. Anyone who fancies themselves an unbiased thinker is wrong—in fact, they are likely an extremist. Some might balk at my use of that word, but what else would you call someone who is so convinced of their own objectivity that they refuse to consider alternative points of view?

President Trump, however, is not an extremist, because he quite does not believe in the version of reality that he has fabricated. It is evident that the president knows that COVID-19 is a threat. It is not necessary to downplay something

that is not dangerous. If the virus were not a threat, there would not have been widespread panic among the White House staff and a sudden reverence for masks in the wake of the president’s diagnosis. If the virus were not a threat, the forces of heaven and earth would not have mobilized to ensure that the “leader of the free world” was given immediate, cutting-edge treatment. If the virus were not a threat, 209,000 Americans would not have died, afraid and alone, since the onset of this pandemic. Thus, the president is not an extremist–he is a fabulist, a prevaricator, a deceiver. To put it simply, he is a liar.

This is the war on truth. Do not be fooled by promises of policy changes and personal favors. There are causes in this world worth dying for, but there is not one single thing that justifies willful ignorance; nothing for which we should trade our integrity, our sense of righteousness and the knowledge of the good, the true and the beautiful. All else is forfeited when we knowingly abandon the truth.

ARTS

Let’s think about art: Sol Lewitt’s vision of conceptual art

Timothy Embertson Staff Writer

Welcome, readers, to this incredibly momentous article that will leave you feeling a bit funky. Hopefully this intro doesn’t come off too punny. Hey, do you like flamingos? If so, you will love Sol Lewitt. If you like dreaming you, better keep reading!

2

You have happened across this somber sentence blissfully unaware of what titillating talents lie ahead; welcome, dear reader. In the paragraphs that follow conceptual art will be espoused, art that vows to hold concept over matter. Sol Lewitt flamboyantly and flagrantly disregards the object as he is creating work. Read on and don a new perspective, as the art may make you introspective, but never fear: the article’s end comes near with every syllable of dribble. 3

I appreciate the curiosity that led you to these jumbled and unrefined thoughts, dear reader. Have you ever tried to make art with rules instead of by observation? It’s much more moving than any old still-life painting. Sol Lewitt believed that ideas are what enable creation— for example, even if the end result happens to be a flamingo, Lewitt was more interested in the choice that led to the color pink or the reasons behind an elongated neck than the image of a flamingo itself. Dearest reader, don’t let me lose you now, I’d like to explain if you will allow it.

So to give a smidge of context, three individuals were approached to create the opening to this article: a psych student, an art student and an art professor, all of whom will remain anonymous. They were given the following instructions: Task: Write the intro to this article in four sentences following these guidelines.

1. First sentence: Welcome readers to the article (must use three different adjectives)

2. Second sentence: Introduce conceptual art (must include a pun)

3. Third sentence: Introduce conceptual artist Sol Lewitt (must include the

word flamingo/flamingos)

4. Fourth sentence: Tell the reader to keep reading (must include a rhyme) And that, my friends, is how you get other people to write your articles for you. Now of course I’m having a bit of fun here, but this starts to explore the dense topic of “conceptual art” or “conceptualism.” I want to be clear, I am not a professional artist, but every artist has to consider the concept of “making.” What does it mean to create something? Is it about the end result or the journey? For conceptual artists, the emphasis is front-loaded. The gist of it is that the initial plan or idea (maybe even the CONCEPT) is the focus. The ensuing physical creation of that idea matters, but it mainly serves as a giant blinking arrow that directs back to the idea. Here we have an idea of what an “introduction” to an arts column should be, guided by my specific instructions. The results were vastly different for each person, despite having the same prompts. Similarly, the real artworks themselves can look like almost anything. A list on a piece of paper? Check. A cow sawed in half and placed in preservatives? Okay, sure. The artist’s own excrement taken and put in tin cans? Umm... I guess? Italian artist Piero Manzoni made that particular canned conundrum to comment on the commodification of creative craft (five times fast; I will wait). Concept, meet your slightly unsanitary new friend, the result.

The movement first gained traction in the 1960s following the massive spikes in abstract expressionism (ab-ex) and minimalism in the decades after the second World War. There were “conceptual artists” that came before like iconic Marcel Duchamp, but the real shift happened when Sol Lewitt entered the picture. Throughout a long career, he created a variety of works taking various forms. However, he soon developed the concept of his “operational diagrams,” a style of creation that didn’t actually involve him creating the work. They were sets of instructions sent to individuals, organizations and institutions that detailed a specific result. He came up with the concept and the idea, but the actual creation was almost an afterthought in comparison. But why does it matter? Why does conceptual art matter? And why does Sol Lewitt matter? Well, it explores art beyond simple emotion. In addition to making various forms of his art, Lewitt also wrote a decent bit on both the nitty-gritty of the process and conceptual art en masse. He noted via a publication of art forum in 1967 that, “this kind of art is not theoretical or illustrative of theories; it is intuitive, it is involved with all types of mental processes and it is purposeless.” So often art is approached from a purely emotional perspective. How does it make me feel? What does it mean to me? Here we have art that, beyond engaging the mind, isn’t tied down. The idea of thinking about art is similarly not new, but conceptual art is a distillation of one entire camp. It’s open in aim, but focused in approach. And we need that. We need an entire spectrum of art.

Krakow Witkin Gallery

Exploration of the Day Close-up of a Sol Lewitt original, Wall Drawing #797. Created October 1995.

Sol Lewtitt original, Wall Drawing #815. Created March 1997.

“It doesn’t really matter if the viewer understands the concepts of the artist by seeing the art. Once it is out of his hand the artist has no control over the way a viewer will perceive the work. Different people will understand the same thing in a different way.”

- Sol Lewitt

Mr. E and The Boy

Katy Smith Arts Editor

and Timothy Embertson Staff Writer

‘Red as Blood’

“You do not have to, you know,” she whispered back, and Cade couldn’t tell whether it was on purpose or not, but he felt the scuffed leather of her glove reach for his hand, and their fingertips brushed lightly. For a brief second, he wanted to encase her hand with his in an attempt to try and make the fear go away, to ignore the worries pacing around his mind, but he moved his hand away instead.

He did not want to ignore what she said and the reassurance that called out to him as if offering a home in its welcoming arms, but the scene unfolding before him herded him down a different path.

“Actually I do.”

“Must you argue with everything I say?”

“Makes it more entertaining.”

“It also makes it more frustrating.”

“For you.” She grumbled unhappily at his words, clearly disliking the truth in them.

Cade shook his head and blinked rapidly, quickly forgetting about their bickering and getting distracted by the woods around him. He thought his sight was adjusting to their damper surroundings, but he could

still barely discern the different shapes. He couldn’t tell whether his frightened thoughts were impacting the images appearing in his view, but he was certain something was wrong with what he was seeing.

“Ivory.” His voice trembled slightly when he spoke her name, and he could feel her tense against his back. “I think I’m hallucinating.”

“What? What are you talking about?” She sounded like she was uncertain whether the boy was trying to trick her or not.

“I can’t tell what’s real or not. I think I’m seeing things that aren’t there.”

“What do you mean you cannot tell what is real? Cade, how could you possibly be hallucinating?” She let her voice rise slightly, tied back with a rope that she tugged on so that it returned back down without question to the level of a whisper for only their ears to hear.

“Well obviously I don’t know,” he bit out in frustration that quickly shivered back down to worry.

Cade was trying to figure out how to explain that he was seeing two red eyes situated in between a set of trees in front of him. The way

they moved was surreal, as if they were gliding in open air without being attached to a body. Then they would shift so stiffly that he knew they had to be real. But quickly after, they would glimpse out of existence without a trace, and it seemed as though they were never there at all.

“Come here.” Cade did not give her a chance to respond before tugging her hand in order to bring her to stand at his side, facing the endless void of darkness ahead of them. His breathing picked up tremendously, his shoulders growing and dropping like waves crashing against a rocky shore.

Whatever lurked in the darkness was thoroughly enjoying its prey being driven mad by the apprehension. “You,” he had to stop to swallow, “you see that right? Right in between the two giant trees right over there. Please tell me you see that.”

Maura McCoy Apprentice

Want to read more? Head to our website, anchor.hope. edu, for the rest of this gripping piece of creative fiction by McCoy (’24).

Maura McCoy Author, Maura McCoy (’24) is a freshman at Hope College, hoping to major in creative writing.

FEATURES

Sustainability at Hope: What you can do to help

Do you ever wonder what you can do for the environment as a student? Or how to easily recycle on campus? The co-presidents of Hope Advocates for Sustainability (HAS), Jacob VanderRoest (’21) and Zoe Gum (’21), and the co-president of Green Hope, Sarah Pelyhes (’22), have a lot of answers for you, as well as some really great advice for living a more sustainable lifestyle.

VanderRoest and Gum work as interns who initiate awareness for environmental issues and organize events to give students the resources and knowledge to make sustainable choices for themselves. Not only do they work on campus, but they extend their reach with events in the greater Holland community as well. VanderRoest said this unique organization takes a holistic approach to make “ecologically friendly initiatives on campus, whether it is structural change within the college or personal change within ourselves.”

I spoke with them to learn about what they do and how students can work to lessen the waste they produce.

Although Gum felt that COVID-19 has decreased many environmental initiatives, she focused on the positive aspects of this pandemic and said that “students are becoming more aware of the waste that they are producing.” This semester has also generated a lot of interest in their organization; just last week, they had more events than they normally would in a whole semester. They have received tons of emails with concerns about sustainability from fellow students. Although this semester has been more wasteful than most, this isn’t an issue that students are unaware of.

When I posed the topic of the dining halls, they had only positive things to say. VanderRoest had previously worked closely with Dining Services while forming the Meatless Monday initiative in the past and said they are “very receptive to feedback from students, and they really listen to students’ ideas.” They both noted the many changes that dining has already implemented this semester, even though both of them live off campus. Gum added that “Phelps is doing their best right now to accommodate everything

going on with COVID restrictions as well as sustainability.” VanderRoest also mentioned that although it is easy to point fingers when you see plastic bags, Dining Services has had to adapt to a lot this semester and are truly doing as much as they can.

Besides the organizations and administration, there is a lot students can do to combat the amount of waste they produce. Recycling is the obvious one. Gum said that “in a lot of academic buildings there are trash and recycling places.” She added that in Lubbers Hall and the library there is TerraCycling (almost any plastic that normal recycling centers won’t take), and the Bultman Student Center also has several different options. Most residence halls have places to recycle in the building, and if they don’t, the ones around campus aren’t far. For students living off campus it is even easier: you put it all in the yellow bag, and the city does the rest. So with the increased amount of plastics this semester, it is more important than ever to recycle, and doing so as a Hope student doesn’t take too much effort.

Beyond simply recycling on campus, there are lots of things students can incorporate into their routines to be more sustainable. Gum suggests lessening meat consumption

and shopping local as much as possible. Decreasing single use plastics is a big one, and buying from thrift stores is a great way to find quality and inexpensive clothes while

supporting your community (and it’s a lot of fun). Both of them agree on the importance of simply spending time outside. VanderRoest said that “it just makes you more aware of your surroundings, and it lessens the disconnect between you and the outdoors.” Gum added that “people who spend time outside live much more fulfilling lives.” She went on to say that living a sustainable life is a lot about simply enjoying the practice of doing things that take a little more time, like walking to class or taking a trip to the farmers market. That extra time is both for individuals and for giving back. The more people enjoy the planet, the more effort they will take to preserve it.

Although adopting these might seem hard at first, VanderRoest reminded that “sometimes the idea of doing something seems a lot harder than actually doing it.” That rings true with having a sustainable lifestyle. He added that the small things are not hard at all once they are a part of a daily routine. He suggested starting by not having meat in one meal every day, making a habit of going to the farmers market and/or bringing reusable bags to the grocery store and taking shorter showers. And

Hope Sustainability via Facebook

Sarah O’Neil Staff Writer Facebook Cont. on pg. 13

even though it is getting increasingly cooler, he still stresses the importance of continuing to walk or bike to class if able. VanderRoest shared an interesting way to help reduce waste: “Put a sheet of paper on your fridge and mark down what you throw away.” By doing this, you’ll become more cognizant of what you throw away, and you will pick up on your patterns. It can be too easy to just put things in the garbage, since they might seem to go away, but they never really do. Writing those things down is a good way to become more aware of the waste you are producing and ways that changing your routine can help. Awareness is the first step; once you make the initial effort to put sustainability into your routine, it gets easier from there.

I also spoke with Sarah Pelyhes, the co-president of another sustainable organization on campus: Green Hope. The difference between this club and HAS is that Green Hope is fully run by students that put on small events like the break day plant-a-thon a few weeks ago. They are even trying to get an indoor campus garden! She agrees with Gum and VanderRoest that the surplus of waste this semester is obvious, and that there is a lot that students can do to help.

“I think there are students who have always been really actively engaged,” said Pelyhes. However, she added, “I also think there are a lot of students who like the simplicity of throwing things away.” She remarked that there aren’t a lot of students who rinse out plastics or make the extended effort before putting them in the recycling

bin, and like VanderRoest said, people think that it is a longer process than it is. There are a lot of places around campus to recycle and compost, but her go-to is the BSC, a central location that is easily accessible. She also said that she remembers recycling in residence halls to be really easy. By looking for these spots while out and about, students can notice that there are more opportunities for recycling than previously assumed. She suggested having open conversations with your roommate about how you can be conscious of not only waste but things like leaving lights on or windows open during colder months. Those things can dramatically lessen the waste students produce. By being on the same page as those around them, students may find it easier to achieve sustainability goals.

Even after implementing sustainable practices, there are still plenty of other things that students can do to help. One of the most important?

According to Pelyhes: “Vote.” She believes that climate change is no longer a looming threat but is now in our faces, and it is up to us to choose who we think will be able to handle this in the most constructive way. This obviously goes for federal decisions, but she also brought up the importance of wisely choosing candidates on a local level too, and that “it is important to see who is actually doing the work in your community.”

Sometimes as a college student it can be daunting to make these changes, especially when most of your money goes toward tuition. But with research and planning, she finds

that choosing sustainability costs the same, if not less, than normal. It requires what Pelyhes called “mindset shift.” She realized her freshman year that she had to be actively aware of her habits and to be flexible enough to change them. The main thing she wants her fellow students to know about attempting a sustainable lifestyle is that you don’t have to do it perfectly: “Give yourself some grace, and give yourself some patience… it’s going to take time.” She added that everyone has their own personal way of going about their environmental practice, but once you settle on a routine it gets easier.

Gum said that she is very excited for the future of the organization and sustainability at Hope: “The voices of sustainability are really coming out of the student body right now, and it’s amazing to see.” There are lots of upcoming events for student involvement. On Thursday, October 22, there is a Michigan campus Earth Day virtual event. It teaches students different sustainable practices, environmental justice for college students and different career opportunities for those interested in helping the earth. They will be posting the links to that on their social media profiles.

It is good for students to be aware that there is still a lot they can do to help the environment and make a difference, even starting with bringing your own bag to the dining hall. Gum, VanderRoest and Pelyhes’s advice can help develop habits for a more sustainable lifestyle. Even with this challenging semester, students can control the change they want to see with everyday thoughts, actions and habits toward being more sustainable now and in the future.

October is National Campus Sustainability Month!

There is no better time to get involved with a sustainable organization on campus. Contact greenhope@hope.edu or sustainability@ hope.edu for more information!

Hope College Biology Department

@hcgreen via Twitter

SPORTS & WELLNESS

Hopes ride high that the Pull will pull through

Gillian Skiba Staff Writer

The flip of a coin determined whether she would go to the first practice. She was having trouble deciding because she had heard about the craziness and the unique challenges that it presented, which were things that were right up her alley. However, she had also heard a lot of negative things about it as well. After the coin sent her to the first practice, though, she never looked back. Sophomore Brynn Anderson was a puller for the 2-3 Pull team last fall. She didn’t know it at the time, but that one flip of a coin would completely change her college experience.

The Pull, a three-hour long tug-ofwar that takes place across the Black River, has been similarly impactful for many who have participated in it. It is a huge part of a fall semester at Hope College for many students. However, the Pull will not be happening this semester due to health concerns with COVID-19. According to Even Year Pull Rep Cole Manilla, this is only the fifth time in the 123 year history of the tradition that it has not happened. He said the previous cancellations were because of low enrollment due to World Wars I and II, as well as a flu pandemic one year.

If the event were to not happen at all this year, that could greatly affect the amount of experience each team would go into the next Pull with. “It presents a unique and difficult situation where neither class will have coached or pulled before,” Manilla said. Nevertheless, those involved with the Pull are working to stay optimistic in the midst of all of this. According to Manilla, they are working to see if

a spring Pull will be viable. He also says that he is very hopeful that this will be able to happen at that time.

Despite the physical absence of the Pull from campus this semester, the passion for it can still be felt by the participants. “Pull’s still gonna be a big part of Hope College regardless,” Manilla said. “The tradition’s not gonna die.”

The leadership teams from both Even and Odd Year are working hard to uphold whatever traditions they can to keep the spirit alive. For example, Manilla noted that the 2-3 and 2-4 Pull banners have still been put up in their usual spots on the outside of Kollen and Phelps Halls.

The bonds that are formed between team members are another big sign of the Pull’s continued presence on campus. These bonds are one of the main reasons that many of the participants are so passionate about the event. “When I tell people about Pull, it’s more than just the act of like doing the Pull. It’s like the friendships you make and the connections you make with people,” said Caleb Bronner, one of the 2-4 Pull coaches.

One of the most important bonds within the Pull family is that between a puller and their moraler. These two people form a little team of their own, with the pullers in their pits physically pulling the rope, and the moraler closely watching the coaches so they can relay instructions to the puller. “That’s all you have,” said Jess Pack, Brynn Anderson’s moraler from last year. “Like, you have your team, but when it comes down to it, they’re not gonna help you.”

Success is a team effort and

depends on each and every person doing their part. For example, Pack explained that a puller maintaining the proper positioning of their body and keeping their feet straight can help to ease the strain that is put on the other pullers around them.

However, they aren’t able to actually come over and physically or verbally help a teammate get through the pain. Team members have to focus on their own jobs. That leaves a puller and a moraler as each other’s only support during the competition. Anderson was adamant in stressing the importance of the moraler’s role. “A lot of people looking at The Pull, they think that [Pack’s] just like a cheerleader, in a way, and they’re just like keeping you going, but they’re literally telling you exactly what to do,” Anderson said. “Like, I physically couldn’t do it without her right there next to me. And a lot of people don’t realize that.”

Pack, too, spoke of the necessity of each of these roles. She said that trust that both people will fulfill their essential jobs is the key to making this relationship effective. “There’s no Pull without her and she can’t do it without me,” said Pack. “The understanding of that is where all of the trust has to come from.” For Bronner, trusting his moraler meant trusting her to literally hold him upright. Taking on the role of the anchor his sophomore year, he had to stand at the end of the rope, in contrast to other pullers on the rope who are positioned in their pits on their side, parallel to the ground. In his position, there were times when Bronner would be instructed to lean back, and his moraler would have to be there to physically support him.

It is this complete reliance on each other, as well as the physical limits that they exceed together, that bonds not just a puller and a moraler, but the entire Pull team.

“You form these connections that you just can’t form in any other way than just watching each other absolutely suffer,” Pack said. “And like, having to pick each other up, like physically holding somebody else while they’re planking while planking yourself, like you just form these connections that just run so deep, and I feel like that’s hard to come by in other ways.”

The physical challenges that are involved in the Pull are undeniable. However, their passion for this tradition and their dedication to their teammates helps participants push through. “I remember one of my coaches at practice one time told me to get off the rope because, like, I was crying and I couldn’t stop crying and I yelled at her and said I wasn’t gonna get off,” Anderson said. “I guess just knowing that if I were to stop it would be hurting the other people on the line more than it would be helping me, so you just have to keep going.” Pack also spoke of the motivating power that comes from knowing her teammates are suffering so much. “The people in pain aren’t quiet, so like hearing people that you love scream and be in pain, and watching 19-year-old men cry, it motivates you,” Pack said.

Despite the physical and emotional strains that come along with the Pull, students continue to be drawn to it. Coaches and participants alike are already looking ahead to the next Pull.

“Right now we’re like waiting and ready, is how I would describe our staff as a whole. We’re waiting and ready,” Manilla said. “We know it might not look exactly the way it has in the past, but any way that we can have a Pull, we will have a Pull.”

Valerie Dien

Dow Center opens with restrictions

Gillian Skiba Staff Writer

The Dow Center and DeVos Fieldhouse both reopened to Hope College students on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

The news of this change was announced in an email to students from Assistant Athletic Director Lindsey Engelsman on the previous day. According to the email, the reopening of the two facilities occurred on the first day that all fitness centers in the state of Michigan were allowed to open their doors per Governor Whitmer’s executive order.

While the Dow and DeVos are open again, some changes have been made to how they operate. First, they are only operating at 25% of their capacities.

In order to regulate the number of people that are in each space, students must sign up for a time slot to go and work out. The Sign-Up Genius link to reserve a time is on the webpages for both the Dow and DeVos. Students must then have the confirmation of their reservation ready to show to the employees at the door in order to be allowed in.

“You have to, with SignUp Genius, have that pulled up at the door and ready to go and be able to show that to the supervisor at any time when you’re asked throughout your signup time,” said junior Whitney Wegener, a supervisor at the Dow.

In addition to showing proof of their reservation, Wegener said that students need to have their daily health screening form filled out and show the confirmation of that to the door guard before entering.

On top of regulating who is coming into the facilities, there are other policies that students must follow while working out to keep everyone healthy. For example, while there were always spray bottles with cleaning solution in the various rooms, the enforcement of cleaning equipment after use is a lot stricter now.

“Every student must wipe down their equipment as soon as they are finished using it. This includes everything from dumbbells to weight bars to cardio machines,” said Engelsman in her email.

Another change that has been implemented is regulating the flow of traffic into and out of the buildings and the various rooms throughout them.

There are a number of policies that make going to the Dow and DeVos a new experience. However, Wegener said that students have been doing well with all of the changes.

“I think everything has gone pretty smoothly. People want to stay on campus. They want to be back in the weight rooms and everything like that,” Wegener said.

Wegener said that she thinks the Dow is doing everything they should be doing to keep everyone safe. Additionally, she said that it is all of these precautions and the planning behind them that has allowed the reopening to go so smoothly.

“The students and the faculty are all taking all the safeguards seriously and they’re doing a really great job with it so far,” Wegener said. “As Dow members, we wanna say keep up the good work.”

As of now, the Dow and DeVos are only open to student use. According to the email from Engelsman, this will remain true until Oct. 1, which is when they will decide if it is practical to open up to employees of the college as well.

Reverend professor

time traveler

American Society of Church History Awardee

Royal Historical Society Fellow

Author of Calvin Meets Voltaire

Understanding Christian history is vital to our present faith. As a historian, Dr. Jennifer McNutt brings the past to the present, guiding students to understand and apply Christian history and theology to their work today.

wheaton.edu/MA-History

Dr. Jennifer McNutt