VOL 102 ISSUE 14
APRIL 18, 2012
WHITPICS
SPORTS
OPINIONS
ARTS&CULTURE
NEWS
CONTENTS
6
in the
Distraction fast helps break chambers by Melinda Leavitt
ASWU is excited to be done with elections and begin getting the new folks ready to serve you all next year and to be the best leaders they can be for you all! All of the new coordinators, media heads, and executives will be going through the budgeting process during Budget Committee (April 23-24) in order to learn the process of getting money from ASWU and to start creating their budgets for next year so that they can put on awesome events next year. What else is coming up at the end of the year? Good question! Springfest of course is the event you all should attend. April 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. will be the official time for this monstrous event of fun and raising money to support BELIEF. At 10:30 a.m. there will be a Superhero themed Fun Run, 1 p.m. the craziest mentalist I’ve ever seen will be in the HUB, and at 2 p.m. the amazing Mr. Whitworth pageant will be going on. On top of all of these attractions, there will be a rock wall, lunch picnic on the lawn, smooth jazz band tunes, booths of craziness, bouncy toys (because we’re all still children at heart), shirts being sold, games and Frisbee in the Loop and much more! Rain or shine, this event is going on. Oh, and I hear there are also rumors of a car show possibly being a part of the event. Tickets will be sold in order to participate in the booth events and activities in order to raise money for BELIEF. Come support the group by scraping together all of the change you can find in your pockets, drawers, wallets and cars and come buy a ton of tickets to be able to participate. Lastly, I would like to thank all of you who came and attended all of the town halls that occurred during the week of April 9-April 12. The administration appreciates your feedback and they love hearing your questions. Take advantage of those opportunities in the future as they come up in the coming years. It’s a great way to learn about the university and to mingle with professors, administrators, and of course, Beck A. Taylor himself. Until next time, keep drinking water and don’t get dehydrated from all of the wonderful sunshine.
Contact Melinda Leavitt at mleavitt12@my.whitworth.edu.
Scan this QR code with your smart phone to see the ASWU weekly minutes.
dependence on technology
cially need,” Fetzer said. “Growing up, I didn’t have cable; I got a Gamecube when I was 12 but we were only allowed on it for a certain amount of time. I think when I was 13 I got MySpace, and I was on it Students at Whitworth are fasting technology for for hours and hours a day. It was really bad, but I a week to concentrate on “real life” relationships. was addicted.” Distraction Fast is an event which encourages Fetzer said she watches TV shows, such as “How people to give up as much technology as they can. I Met Your Mother,” as she gets ready or cleans her The Distraction Fast, which kicked off April 9 at room. 7 p.m. in the Hixson Union Building multi-purpose “I think I’m going to give up Facebook and TV room, was lead by senior Caleb McIlraith and se- shows,” Fetzer said. “I probably watch one or two nior Jenna Hansen. TV shows a day.” Hansen told the audience how she was brought Sittser said people fast to break a strong-hold up without much technology, especially without and to create a new kind of habit. The fast should social networking sites. Hanincrease one’s awareness of bad sen said she felt that college habits and show behaviors that life pressured students into become addictive. “I think technology and have using sites such as Facebook. “Our culture is too self-indulMcIlraith expressed a conthings like social media gent,” Sittser said. “The goal is to cern for the lack of time we use technology, not to be used by give us a false sense of spend with our friends, and it.” said he hoped that students Sittser warned the audience accomplishment and who take part in this program that technology would always be satisfaction...” will gain a sense of freedom a part of their lives and they have from technology. to learn how to live with it. — Jerry Sittser “I think technology and “The ultimate benefit from this professor of theology things like social media give fast is a greater presence,” Sittser us a false sense of accomsaid. “I call this ‘The fast of replishment and satisfaction pentance.’” with a relationship by allowing us to connect with Sittser went on to give audience members adpeople virtually without actually having to enter vice about how to break their bad patterns, such as into a relationship with the person,” McIlraith said. never allowing yourself to text in front of another McIlraith went on to describe how he hoped person, or to turn your phone off when in the comstudents wouldn’t always depend on technology pany of others. for entertainment and social activity. McIlraith invited participants to come together “It’s something that people do without even re- every evening this week, between 5:50-6:30 p.m. ally thinking about it,” McIlraith said. “I remember in the HUB, to get dinner and to discuss the chalmy freshman year being really frustrated because lenges and successes of their fast. we’d just watch movies all the time. We didn’t even McIlraith summed up his goal for the week as question it.” having more people living in the moment rather Hansen and McIlraith invited audience mem- than being connected to people all over the place bers to share their experiences with technology at one time. with each other before inviting professor of Theol“What I’m hoping people will realize is how ogy Jerry Sittser to speak. great it can be just to be present where you are,” Junior Veronica Fetzer who attended the event McIlraith said. said technology becomes too much of a distraction from work and sometimes damages her friendships as she is more likely to text friends rather than walk across the hall to talk to them. Contact Samantha Payne at “I think this is something college students espe- spayne15@my.whitworth.edu.
Samantha Payne Staff Writer
This week: “Now concerning the collection...”
WhitPres
Worship 8:00 a.m. - contemporary 9:30 a.m. - contemporary 10:45 a.m. - traditional 11:01 a.m. - contemporary Blog