Volume 100 | Issue 22

Page 1

WED 04.20.16

VOLUME 100

ISSUE 22

Andrews Bids Andreasen Farewell Special Andreasen Insert -p.8

PHOTO BY DARREN HESLOP

HONORS STUDENTS PRESENT RESEARCH

FROM EARTH TO ARBOR GYMNICS HOMESHOW DAY “I had never been a part of such a

“It took me about a year to gather “If the first Earth will give way to enough information about the top- the new Earth, then what is the ic. The hardest part was making purpose of protecting and nurtursure that my topic was relevant.” ing something that will eventually be done away with?” P.3 P. 4

supportive and excited Gymnics crowd as this one.”

P. 6

A RENAISSANCE MAN-ATEE “You have to realize that being a scientist I walk a tight line between my faith and my science, but I find satisfaction and fulfillment in that.” P. 13

WIND SYMPHONY TOUR “(T)he cathedrals were huge and so it was really majestic playing there.”

P. 15

THANK YOU, FAREWELL, ADIEU “Our world church is growing, dynamic, and complex... and it desperately needs journalists and storytellers to reach out and bridge the gap…” P. 16


2

THE STUDENT MOVEMENT

News

NAD President: ‘We Will Lose’ Conference Subsidies in the Future Church officials and administrators face tough questions about the future of Adventist higher education Shenika K. McDonald News Editor

Samuel J. Fry | With educational costs continuing to skyrocket throughout the U.S., Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) institutions of higher education are particularly vulnerable, as most operate under a tuition-based model. While both inflation and the cost of living continue to rise, tuition increases have outpaced all commonly used indexes for the last 20 years. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Andrews University has seen an average increase in tuition, fees and student expenses from 2012 to 2016 of 3.3 percent. Figures on the Andrews website put the estimated expenses for undergraduates at $36,926 for the 2016-17 academic year—a 2.5 percent increase from 2015-16—showing that the rate of increase in tuition and fees is on the decline as administrators have sought to combat rising education costs.(2) However, the question remains: what are some of the determining factors behind the rise in the cost of an Adventist education? According to annual data released by the NCES, 62 percent of students at private nonprofit institutions and 51 percent of students at public institutions received student loan aid.(3) In contrast, 56 percent of Andrews’ students receive federal loans—even though the average annual cost of attending Andrews is 23 percent higher than the national average for a four-year, degree granting, private institution, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard website.(4) What is responsible for this discrepancy? It is difficult to discern, but one possibility is the significant number of Andrews students who receive conference educational allowances, or “tuition subsidies.” According to The Office of Student Financial Services at Andrews University, more than one-in-five undergraduate students receive tuition subsidies, paid for by various SDA conferences.(5) Full-time employees of SDA conferences are eligible to be reimbursed for up to 70 percent of the “basic tuition and registration fee” costs accrued by dependents attending Adventist universities.(6) It should be noted that the subsidy does not factor in student labor or early prepayment credits. Originally implemented to supplement the income of Adventist employees, conference subsidies provided a benefit that ensured dependents of denominational employees could receive an Adventist education.

Skeptics maintain that while wellintentioned, conference tuition subsidies are part of an aging Adventist education system that is ill-equipped to survive as educational costs continue to skyrocket, and one that puts an undue burden on students not receiving tuition subsidies by tipping the scales against them. When asked at the 2016 Adventist Intercollegiate Association Convention at Pacific Union College whether it was “fair for conferences to use tithe money to heavily subsidize Adventist education for dependents of conference employees when firstgeneration Adventists who pay tithe have to pay the full cost,” Dan Jackson, President of the North American Division (NAD), responded: “I think in the future we will lose it or it will become a part of the remuneration. The reason it is being done is because of the belief that the salary and wages of the Adventist employee is not commensurate with what is in the community. However, what is being experienced is that there are now some communities where without the educational allowance the salary of the teacher of pastor is higher than the people in the community.” Critics of conference tuition subsidies allege that they are pricing out Adventists who do not receive them from getting an Adventist education and ultimately inflating tuition prices. Administrators at Andrews maintain that this is not the case, but some prominent church officials acknowledge that conference tuition subsidies may not be an equitable system. “[It] raises a good question of fairness because Adventist education needs to be affordable for everyone,” says Daniel Webber, NAD Director of Communication. For tuition-based institutions like Andrews, the elimination of conference educational subsidies would force students receiving subsidies to find another way to finance their education, possibly through federal student loans. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal highlighted new figures from the Department of education showing that up to 40 percent of student borrowers are failing to repay their loans.(7) Student loans play a huge role at Andrews and similar private, tuition-based institutions. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard website, Andrews’ students on average graduate with $29,500 in debt, and an average monthly loan payment of $328 per month.(8) That figure takes into

account all students attending Andrews, including both those who receive conference tuition subsidies and those who do not, making it difficult to distinguish the average amount of debt accrued by students not receiving tuition subsidies. For students receiving conference tuition subsidies, costs may be much more manageable. Estimated expenses for beginning full-time undergraduate students at Andrews Universities for the 2016-17 academic year total $36,926, according to The Office of Student Financial Services’ website.(9) As a result, students receiving a full 70 percent tuition subsidy would pay only $8,037 in tuition, less any institutional scholarships or aid money from grants—which 98 percent of students attending Andrews receive.(10) Students receiving conference tuition subsidy would still be charged for room and board, dining, and other applicable fees— while students not receiving subsidy would be expected to foot the full cost, once institutional scholarships and federal grant or aid money is applied. Amidst growing fears that rising educational costs will make attending a Seventh-day Adventist institution financially untenable for average Adventist families, Andrews’ administrators have been working to curb the annual increases in cost. One of the areas that administrators are looking to scale back are personnel-related expenses. According to the U.S. Department of Education, nearly 75 percent of the cost associated with running a university are directly related to personnel expenses, including benefits. According to a source within the university administration, that percentage is significantly lower at Andrews—but still represents a portion of expenses. According to 2014-15 figures from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Andrews employed 237 full-time and 73 part-time faculty members. Andrea Luxton, Provost of Andrews University, confirmed the current student-to-faculty ratio is 9.5:1. This ratio is based on government calculations for 2014-2015; it had been 8:8:1 in 2013-14 and 9.5:1 in 2012-13. One of the largest differences between Andrews and other Seventhday Adventist institutions of higher education is Andrews’ large graduate student population, a result of Andrews’ School of Distance Education and the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary—both entities

which necessitate extra faculty members. The U.S. Department of Education maintains that low student-to-faculty ratios typically imply smaller class sizes, resulting in a better quality of education by allowing professors to give more attention to individual students. Still, many experts agree that reducing the number of faculty is one of the surest ways to cut educational costs. Opponents of this solution fear that reducing the number of instructors is tantamount to cutting corners on the quality of education students receive. “I think we recognize that ideally we should be at a 11.5:1 or 12:1 [ratio],” says Andrea Luxton, Provost of Andrews University. “A variety of things have impacted the reason why we are not there. Part of it is because of our online program—when distance education came to join us, it changed the way these things are counted. Another aspect of it is that we offer such a breadth of courses. When you look at universities that have high ratios their options are much less. So we have to ask ourselves, ‘are we willing to offer less options?’” The decline in enrollment that Andrews has seen over the past several years is also a determining factor in Andrews’ decision to cut costs by eliminating faculty or shifting to contract professors instead of full-time faculty. Administrators have sought to strike a balance between making necessary reductions of faculty and preserving a high quality of education. According to Dr. Andrea Luxton, Provost of Andrews University, the student-to-faculty ratio for graduate programs is much lower than the undergraduate ratio. “There are a number of issues and questions there, but over the last two or three years our greatest fall in enrollment has been in numbers of the traditional undergraduate student body,” says Luxton. “We have grown in our online markets. So the number of students we teach each year is the same, but the number that are regular undergraduates, the number that most impacts those figures is the group that has dropped.” Luxton maintains that the decline in enrollment is in line with the country as a whole, and that there is no easy and timely solution. “As those figures drop you can’t just automatically say ‘we are going to get rid of this number of faculty’ to keep up with the drop,” says Luxton. “There is an adjustment time when you have to say, ‘okay, how do

we make adjustments to what may be the new norm,’ and that takes a period of time because students who are already in a program or committed, you’ve got an obligation to follow through the expectations those students have. “When you have a rapid change in any demographic it takes a while to right-size, and we are in the process of right-sizing. That’s why we are taking a million dollars out of our budget for next year’s salaries.” Yet, the process of “right-sizing” is often slow, and Andrews is battling a combination of factors including lower undergraduate enrollment as educational costs continue to rise. How administrators respond will have a significant effect on the long-term viability of the institution. 1) http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigat or/?q=Andrews+University&s=all&i d=168740#expenses 2) https://www.andrews.edu/services/sfs/general_information/costs/, https://www.andrews.edu/services/ sfs/general_information/costs/1516_ index.html 3) http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/ indicator_cuc.asp 4) https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/ school/?168740-Andrews-University 5) According to Terrance Mann from The Office of Student Financial Services and confirmed by Lawrence Schalk, Vice President of Financial Administration. 6) For an example of a tuition subsidy form, please view http://www. flconf.org/treasury/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Education-TuitionSubsidy-Form.pdf 7) http://www.wsj.com/ articles/more-than-40-of-studentborrowers-arent-making-payments-1459971348 8) https://collegescorecard.ed. gov/school/?168740-Andrews-University 9) https://www.andrews.edu/services/sfs/general_information/costs/ 10) http://nces.ed.gov/collegenaviga tor/?q=Andrews+University&s=all&i d=168740#general 11) Ibid 12) https://www.andrews.edu/about/ facts/


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cial media network. Neu also made the announcement about the on-site photo booth and an art exhibit that was available for the students’ viewing pleasure. Following these announcements, AUSA Religious Vice President John Gonzalez gave a prayer. The meal was served as a live band and a variety of select students provided entertainment. One particular student that was both an attendee and a performer was Emmanuel Lapoterie. Lapoterie (freshman, Explore Andrews) shared his view of the event: “I had a really wonderful time with my friends. I thought the venue was absolutely beautiful, and jumped at the opportunity to get dolled up and take pictures. I liked the live music, and feel like people really enjoyed hearing good entertainment from their peers.” In regards to his own performance, Lapoterie added, “I was initially really excited for my poem but it seems like it didn’t have the effect I was looking for with my audience. I think my intentions were different from my delivery, and my audience wasn’t in the mood for the things I had to say and the way that I chose

to express them. It was a learning experience though, and I think that’s important as an artist. You’ve got to have bad pieces sometimes in order to continue creating a richer and more perfected craft.” Another individual that had positive feedback about the overall banquet experience was Rainbow Cunningham (freshman, finance), who stated, “The banquet gave us an opportunity to socialize outside of Berrien Springs, something that is not usually facilitated. I enjoyed the evening of elegance and I loved the opportunity to dress up. The venue was incredibly designed and very fitting for the event. As a freshman, I’m impressed by what was planned.” For others, whose Andrews journey is coming to a close, this year’s banquet showed a positive evolvement. Matthew Henry (senior, computer science) said, “It was great to see the banquet finally being held off campus. During my time here it usually took place in the gym or cafe, but the Uptown Center was such a big improvement from past banquets. Also, tickets were reasonably priced and that probably brought many students out. The venue allowed for us to take

many pictures to capture the moment and the photo booth was a great addition.” About all the planning that was done before the event, Neu commented, “The planning for banquet started towards the beginning of first semester. We had heard from the student body that they would like to see the banquet taken off campus so I began looking for a venue that would cater to our needs.” Neu continued, “It was right before Christmas break that I found The Uptown Center and knew that was the place. After Christmas break detailed planning started to happen. I met with those in charge of the venue several times to talk about the details such as food, décor, and how they could cater to our entertainment needs. The venue was very easy to work with and made sure everything was ready the night of the banquet. There were so many people who stepped in to make sure the banquet was what it was. From all the AUSA officers, to our AUSA sponsors, to wonderful friends, this banquet would not have been a success without them.”

titudes towards law enforcement, spoke about his experience while preparing for the event. Gonzalez said, “It took me about a year to gather enough information about the topic and get everything finalized. For me, the hardest part of my project was the overall timeline and also making sure that my topic was relevant.” Fellow presenter Shenika McDonald (senior, political science) spoke about how she chose the right topic for her honors thesis: “I began to think about something that I was interested in and relevant to my field; something that was meaningful to me and would also be useful for me in grad school.” Students also mentioned how their research mentor helped them during this process. “My mentor, Dr. Marcella Myers, was very helpful,” McDonald said. “I was very nervous about the topic I chose because it has never been done at Andrews or spoken about much in my department. However, Dr. Myers

helped me find the right resources and made sure that I was adding to the scholarly conversation.” Presenters also said that presenting their research not only helped them to learn new information about their topic, it also worked to prepare them for future endeavors. “The honors program really encourages us to do research at the graduate level. After my presentation, I feel more confident in speaking to grad students about various topics,” said Gielle Kuhn (junior, international language studies). Gonzalez said, “This opportunity gave me a strong understanding of the work that goes into research.” Dr. Pittman, who also mentored one of the presenters, spoke about how she helped her student collect information for their research. “When working with my student, I made sure that I gave them the right tools to prepare them for presenting, not only on campus but off campus as well.” Dr. Pittman’s mentee, Alaryss

Bosco (senior, political science) spoke about her overall experience with presenting her research. “It took me about two years to complete my project, which focused on a topic that grew out of two classes I took during my time here at Andrews. At first I was really nervous to present, but the audience was very supportive and it turned out to be a lot of fun and a great honor to work with Dr. Pittman.” In terms of her overall experience with presenting, McDonald said, “I think it went really well. This opportunity allowed me to be more comfortable with my work and be able to discuss my work with an interdisciplinary audience.” Gonzalez said, “The overall time of researching and presenting my topic was a great accomplishment, and I am grateful that I had the chance to be involved in both this event and the J.N Andrews Honors Program.”

3

News

AUSA Hosts a Night of Elegance

PHOTO BY JOELLE ARNER

Lydia Levy | On April 10, 2016, Andrews University students were given the opportunity to luxuriate in an evening dedicated to dressing to impress and commemorating the close of another school year. The annual student association (AUSA) banquet, this year themed “An Elegant Affair,” began at 5 p.m. at the Uptown Center, located in Michigan City, In-

diana. Upon arrival to the Uptown Center, students, clad in their very finest interpretations of black-tie attire, were allowed the chance to shed their shawls, coats and other items of that nature, mingle, and decide on a table. Once settled, a warm welcome was given by both Jason Shockey, AUSA’s President, and Ashley Neu,

AUSA’s current Social Vice President and AUSA President-Elect. Neu gave an explanation of the games to be played over the course of the night; examples included a scavenger hunt that would give students a fun opportunity to socialize and bond, as well as a “hashtag photo contest” which would allow them to share their very best photos with the Andrews so-

Honors Thesis Symposium

PHOTO BY DARREN HESLOP

Regine Senior | On April 8, the annual Honors Thesis Symposium was held in Buller Hall and showcased 22 honors students presenting research that which was conducted as an element of each student’s involve-

ment in the J.N. Andrews Honors Program. Each student, with the help of a faculty mentor, developed a succinct and informative project and collected enough information in order to present his or her findings at the end

of the school year. The research process requires dedicated commitment and allows students to increase their knowledge on the chosen topic and also develop research experience. For most honors students, this event is considered to be their defining moment in their undergraduate academic career. Dr. Pittman, professor of English and director of the Honors Program, spoke in more detail about the event. Pittman said, “The Honors Thesis Symposium is an incredible capstone to their four years in the program. It also allows students to think about the world around them and apply what they have learned both in and outside of class to their projects.” The presentations began promptly at 1:30 p.m. Students and faculty from numerous disciplines gathered to listen to presentations on topics that were unique and valuable to their areas of interest. Amante Gonzalez (senior, psychology), who conducted research on the exposure to video media and its effect on at-


4

THE STUDENT MOVEMENT

Ideas

Care for our World Daniel J. Fults

Ideas Editor

Christian Stewardship Requires Environmental Consciousness Jaime Vargas | Though I am not

quite sure if the thoughts were mine or someone else, I remember reflecting on the following idea: If, as Adventist Christians, we believe Jesus is going to return again one day and recreate the Earth, then it seems like it should not matter how I treat the Earth. If the first Earth will give way to the new Earth, then what is the purpose of protecting and nurturing something that will eventually be done away with? People may have several reasons why they do not see Arbor Day as being relevant or important. One could argue that taking care of trees is a misuse of time and effort in light of so many other issues that are urgent and severe, such as putting an end to human sex trafficking or assisting fleeing refugees. One could also choose to look at Arbor Day pessimistically and question the value of caring for trees when hundreds and thousands of them are cut down every

year for wasteful human consumption. As Adventist Christians, however, the idea put forward at the beginning of this article presents us with a legitimate question. What place does care for trees or for the Earth have in our priorities when it is understood that this same Earth will one day suffer many natural disasters and eventually go through a massive recreation? Does this future event render caring for the Earth a futile pursuit? Furthermore, spreading the good news about Jesus and helping to relieve human suffering are both responsibilities entrusted to us as Adventist Christians. In light of these two responsibilities, is it proper and wise to put time and effort into saving trees and caring for the environment in general? First, it seems like we make a mistake if we create a dichotomy between care for the Earth and care for humanity. The former is environmental stewardship while

the latter is stewardship of humanity and of the Gospel. Both of them, however, belong to the general stewardship that God calls us to have, and this God-given stewardship is not something we practice selectively as we are given occasion to do so. Stewardship is a lifestyle that is lived out consistently and faithfully. Reflecting Jesus and sharing the truth about Him does not cease when we are focused on our studies or on our jobs. Rather, witnessing to others about Jesus can happen through our studies and jobs while we are simultaneously engaged with those activities. Why, then, should our care of the Earth cease when we are engaged in the Gospel commission? The two do not cancel each other out. Rather, I believe we are called to harmonize both stewardships. Yes, serving humanity and sharing the knowledge of God and of salvation is of primary importance, but within that priority

there is room for taking care of our environment. Recycling, consuming responsibly and even taking an afternoon to plant a tree (consider using it as an object lesson, too) are a few steps you can take to positively impact the environment without negatively impacting our responsibility to point others to Jesus. Second, and finally, how you and I care for our environment speaks to the kind of people you and I are. Though this world has been blighted by sin, it is still our Father’s world, and our care for His world is a reflection of how His love is being recreated in us. As Creator, God does not rejoice in seeing His work abused and ruined. Thus, at the very least, those whose lives are shaped by God’s love will do all they can to avoid further damaging the environment. Furthermore, given that God’s love causes one to be selfless and others-centered, one can assume that such a love would also motivate people

to nurture the environment, if not for the sake of the environment itself, then for the sake of other individuals who will reap the consequences of the care given to the Earth they live in. Indeed, if God has the best interests of His creation in mind when He acts, then trees themselves are a blessing to us, and planting them is yet another way in which we can minister to future generations. Thus, as Adventist Christians, we can stand behind the cause of Arbor Day insomuch as it leads us to be faithful stewards of our Creator’s world. So whether you go and plant a tree on Arbor Day or simply go and sit under one, allow yourself to appreciate the gift of trees and of all nature, and in turn allow your love for your Creator to grow as you think of the fact that even trees were made to minister to the rest of creation.

produce a successful garden with large amounts of yield. Tomatoes require a trellis and water, root vegetables and vine vegetables (squash, cucumbers, pumpkins) simply need to be planted, and herbs are also known for their hardiness. As daunting a responsibility as a garden seems, it requires much less work than the current society seems to realize. It’s all well and good to urge a community to grow its own food, but this happens to be a college community, featuring three dorms and dozens of apartments with few or nonexistent yards. Some plants can be grown in very small quantities in pots in a room. I keep potatoes, sometimes a pot of rainbow carrots, and spices. Pots, seeds

and potting soil are cheap, and even less effort is required for indoor gardening than outdoor. Depending on the season, produce is expensive or not always fresh. It’s a small task to accomplish, but the experience gardening provides will be great. Gardening gets easier year-byyear, and produce yield grows with time as well. Learning to garden successfully not only provides one some independence from the fast food and grocery store industry, but also provides a new handson hobby for those who may need one, and bolsters confidence in having accomplished something that is a little out of the ordinary these days.

Practicality in Environmentalism Emily Cancel | With Arbor Day

and Earth Day coming around, one begins to hear a lot about how to be a good custodian of the Earth: recycle, use a refillable water bottle, go vegan, go green. With all of these hot ticket items relating to environmental conservation, the actual utilization of Earth gets lost amidst the clamor to preserve it. It is of the utmost importance to draw attention to the correct use of Earth, rather than focusing only on preserving it. As a college student, few things are as significant to me as food. Being vegan, vegetarian, or even splurging and maintaining an organic meat diet are all much more environmentally friendly than a fast-grocery or fast-food lifestyle.

Andrews University is notable in Adventist communities for its environmentally conscientious choices in food provision. The Andrews Student Gardens provides some produce, and seasonal produce is trucked in comparatively short distances from local farms. A favorite subject of mine this time of year is gardening. At home, it is a favorite summer project of mine, one that I plan for the rest of the year, to fastidiously plant and tend a garden. What is grown therein depends on the season, the weather, and the ground condition. I use natural fertilizer, (fall leaves and compost saved over the winter) and natural pesticide (lemon and rosemary, spiders, ladybugs). Much of our summer pro-

duce and our winter potatoes come from that garden. It started small with very hearty and easy-to-grow foods — a few tomato plants, then a block of potatoes and a few rows of carrots — and expanded on from there. Different plants use different amounts of nutrients, so growing different things every year and mixing in compost and ash ensures that the soil will remain healthy. When people think of growing fruits and vegetables, combine harvesters or countless hours spent in the sun getting blisters and sunburns come to mind. It’s a common misconception, mistaking large-scale farming with a much more moderate garden, but it takes very minimal effort to


THE STUDENT MOVEMENT

EVENTS CALENDAR Graduation Weekend April 28–May 1, 2016

THURSDAY, APRIL 28 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 30 (continuation)

Rehearsal, Pioneer Memorial Church (for graduating students)

FRIDAY, APRIL 29 11 a.m.

6 p.m.

Ethics Oath Ceremony—School of Business Administration Garber Auditorium, Chan Shun Hall

5 p.m.

Teacher Dedication, Andrews Academy Chapel

8 p.m.

Consecration Service, Pioneer Memorial Church (for family, visitors & graduating students)

SATURDAY, APRIL 30 9 a.m.

11:45 a.m.

Graduate Baccalaureate Church Service Pioneer Memorial Church (for family, visitors & graduating students) Undergraduate Baccalaureate Church Service Pioneer Memorial Church (for family, visitors & graduating students)

Dedication and Pinning Services (for family, visitors & graduating students) 4 p.m.

Department of Nursing Pinning, Pioneer Memorial Church

4 p.m.

Seminary Dedication Service, Seminary Chapel

4 p.m.

Department of Religion & Biblical Languages Senior Dedication—Newbold Auditorium, Buller Hall

5:30 p.m.

6 p.m.

(stream will be available at the time of the event)

Open House for Architecture Graduates Architecture Resource Center

8:30 p.m.

Sabbath Vespers, Pioneer Memorial Church (for family, visitors & graduating students)

9:15 p.m.

President’s Reception, Great Lakes Room, Campus Center Immediately following vespers (for parents & graduating students)

SUNDAY, MAY 1 8:30–10:30 a.m.

Commencement—School of Health Professions and Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Pioneer Memorial Church (for family & visitors—reserved seating only)

11 a.m.–1 p.m.

Commencement—College of Arts & Sciences Pioneer Memorial Church (for family & visitors—reserved seating only)

2–4 p.m.

Department of Social Work Recognition Service University Towers Auditorium

Watch Graduation Live!

Department of Public Health, Nutrition & Wellness Dedication Service and Reception Howard Performing Arts Center Lobby

To order announcements and graduation gifts, please consult the University Bookstore link to graduation—andrews.edu/ bookstore

www.andrews.edu/graduation

Commencement—Department of Aviation, School of Architecture & Interior Design, School of Business Administration, School of Distance Education & International Partnerships and School of Education Pioneer Memorial Church (for family & visitors—reserved seating only)


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THE STUDENT MOVEMENT

Pulse

Reflection of a Gymnics Home Show Tim McLean | On April 4, 2016, the

Ali Reiner Pulse Editor

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY BRIAN TAGALOG

Andrews University Gymnics team put on a home show at Johnson Gymnasium. The home show has always been a popular event on campus, as it involves a majority of the student body, whether students are performing or watching their friends perform. The home show also brings others together, such as alumni (usually former Gymnics members) and family members of the performers who visit Andrews solely to witness this event. As a senior, I have watched and enjoyed the show each time. However, I can easily say that the fourth and final show I have seens as an undergraduate was the best one that I have witnessed. The first reason is because their practice and hard work showed itself. The routines were all tightly run with minimal mistakes. Each of the team members showed his or her mettle and performed excellently, both in individual routines and as a part of a cohesive unit. Because of these things, the crowd appeared to enjoy the show as much as I did. I had never been a part of such a supportive and excited Gymnics crowd as this one. The next element that made this show excel was its uniqueness. While I still enjoyed them, each of the previous years’ shows were basically the same, with the only difference being the order in which the routines were performed each year. With this show, however, the only routines that seemed the same were the poi and the wallwalking. Even though some of the routines had similar elements as past years, they were presented in a very different way. Even the traditional closing routine of acting out famous Bible stories through gymnastics had some

surprises. I have to admit that going into the show I was not looking forward to this final routine, since I assumed it would be the same as the previous three years. Fortunately, I was caught off guard with some of the stories that were chosen (the Last Supper, Jesus saving Peter from drowning) and some of the ones that were left out (Samson breaking the walls). Eric Paddock, coach of the Gymnics team, had a full year to prepare for this home show. While there was nothing wrong with last year’s home show, Paddock had only six weeks to train the team beforehand. This year, with a full twelve months to plan ahead, it allowed Paddock to make whatever changes he felt best suited the team. Most important to Gymnics is their love for Jesus. This was shown in everything that they did. This event opened with prayer and included a reenactment of Bible stories through gymnastics, a brief devotional before the Biblical reenactments and a closing prayer. The show revolved around the team’s faith, which reflected their overall attitude as well. They all seemed very inspired by their Savior, which certainly added to the overall performance of the members of the team, both individually and as a whole. If you did not attend this show, then I’m sorry to say you missed out. The team showed an inspiring effort, the routines felt like they were brand new and the crowd was fully engaged—all of which are keys to a successful show. Here’s to hoping that next year’s show provides the same high-quality experience that this year’s show brought.

The Life of a Gymnic Name: Michael Gray Year: Freshman Major: Mechanical Engineering Interviewed by: Torian Hill

highlight of my year in terms of gymnastics, even more so than most of the other things I took part in and events I attended.

Did you do gymnastics in high school? No, but I did do parkour with four of my friends.

Why was the home show so important to you? I got to show all of my friends and family what I’ve been working so hard for during this entire year. I enjoyed it so much.

How was your first year as a part of Gymnics? Not only is this my first year in Gymnics, but this is also my first year on a gymnastics team ever. Parkour uses similar dynamics, but nothing compares to the Gymnics experience. Was the home show the highlight of your year? The home show was definitely the PHOTO PROVIDED BY MICHAEL GRAY

What was your favorite part about the home show? My favorite part was definitely the wall-walking. This was the first time in the entire year that I got to perform wall-walking. It takes so much work that we literally had to practice for an entire year before we got a chance to perform it.

How important is communication during the show? It is very important. When we have shows it is extremely important to have communication. For example, when we’re going through a routine, all the team members silently count and make sure that other team members around them are on the same beat. It puts teamwork to practice. When we complete tasks successfully, it shows that teamwork is not only important, but that the time we have spent together is worth it. Are you considering remaining on the Gymnics team next year? I will without a doubt try out for the team next year because the experience was great. I felt that Gymnics was not just a great experience physi-

cally but, I believe as a result I grew spiritually as well. We call our teammates the ‘Blue Church’ because we tried to use the skills that God has given us to be a blessing for others. It also feels like a second family or home away from home. Based on a health perspective, do you feel that Gymnics is beneficial? Gymnics helps me maintain a healthy and fit body, and I strongly recommend it to every athlete.


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Pulse

Cardboard City: Understanding Adolescent Homelessness Ed Brennan | When you wake up from a shortened night of sleep, especially during finals week, you may say to yourself, This is really not like my room at home. Of course, no dormitory room, even these resplendent rooms we have at Andrews, can replace your bed and home where you grew up. However, even though you wake up to that annoying alarm clock in your dorm room, you can be assured of two things: No snow has fallen on you in your bed, even in the dead of winter, and no small, furry creature has decided to become your roommate without your permission. This is not the case for many adolescents across the country, or even for some adolescents right here in Berrien County. There are homeless young people all across this land,

and in even greater numbers, young people who have inadequate housing. So, while you may not agree with all of your accommodations in Lamson or Meier Hall, it’s important to remember that you still have accommodations. How does one begin to understand the plight of homelessness across our great country? What becomes even more difficult to understand is how our young people become homeless, sometimes even when there are family members who have homes. These reasons usually fall into three different, but interrelated categories: family/relational difficulties, economic realities or some type of unstable home life. These broad categories usually cover any number of specific problems from parents losing their

jobs, familial abuse or neglect or in another situation that is becoming more common—rejection of LGBT individuals by their parents. To highlight this situation during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, several faculty, staff and students decided that Andrews University could also participate and raise awareness of this subject on our own campus. The event commenced with couches being set up around campus in high traffic areas to illustrate the phenomenon known as “couchsurfing.” This is how adolescents are able to cope with unstable housing while still in school. They no longer have a home to live in, so they usually stay with friends or other family members and sleep on their couch. However,

couchsurfing is not a stable situation, so many youth end up moving from home to home for as long as their host can accommodate them. During our couchsurfing demonstration, students knowledgeable in the statistics of homelessness would spend a few hours on the couch answering questions and asking other students to sign up for our main awareness event: Cardboard City. We had approximately 75 people sign up for Cardboard City; however, the weather shifted and God had other plans for us. The idea behind Cardboard City was to provide plenty of large cardboard boxes for students to design and build a cardboard shelter for the event. This would allow the students to experience, at least for one night,

the life of someone with no other housing options. Other events included watching a documentary film title “The Homestretch” that illustrated homeless youth in Chicago. This was followed by a panel discussion from experts on the realities of homelessness. There were also barrel fires to help people stay warm. Soup and bread, common staples for homeless persons, were provided by the cafeteria catering staff. Hot chocolate and pastries followed in the morning. Unfortunately the weather was not as cooperative as we had first hoped, causing participation numbers to be lower than we had expected. Maybe God wanted us to see what people really dealt with when living on the streets. Every student who at-

tended the event had the option of sleeping in a warm bed, with walls and a roof, and the all-important bathroom. But they chose to experience the opposite. For several of the legitimate homeless young people that night, there were no options. Only cardboard, maybe a blanket, and hopefully no other unwanted guests. The event provided a great lesson for those in attendance. Hopefully, the next attempt will provide better weather and maybe a greater audience who could gain some understanding of the plight of over a million young people across the United States.

Seminary Students Take Santiago de Cuba by Storm Why did you choose to go to Cuba? When we first began our trips to Cuba in 1998, no groups, study tours or mission trips were going there, perhaps because it was a “closed” country. But precisely because it was a closed country we sought ways to “open” paths to communicate the gospel to them and to bring hope to a discouraged nation. People there in many ways are hopeless. They have nothing in terms of personal possessions or property, and listening to the gospel gives them an incredible amount of hope. That’s why this year’s meetings were entitled “New Hope in Christ.” Churches filled to capacity, and as people coming from the United States, it feels incredible for us to experience a vibrating church ready to grow. In essence, we wanted to provide a fresh and vigorous venue for seminary students, and we found that in Cuba.

PHOTO BY FERNANDO ORTIZ

Name: Fernando Ortiz Interviewed by: Ali Reiner Fernando Ortiz, director of the Master of Divinity Program, led a group of 31 seminarians to Santiago de Cuba over Spring Break in hopes of ministering to the people of Cuba through evangelism. What was the main goal the mission trip? Equip. Inspire. Evangelize. That’s why this was more than a mission trip. It was a study tour with a heavy component of evangelism. Students who went on the tour took classes on personal and public evangelism beforehand, and the whole experience

was meant to equip them to obtain an evangelistic mindset and to enlarge their worldview.

By immersing in the world of the local church, participants were able to learn valuable lessons on how the Cuban church does evangelism the “New Testament way” and how they have been so successful despite the repressive communist system. We wanted both locals and students to be inspired to live a life of witnessing. The idea was to take the city by storm. We chose five different sites, each one holding their own evangelistic meeting. Dwight Nelson, pastor of Pioneer Memo-

rial Church, preached at one site, but our seminary students led the meetings in the other four. Another goal was to give local workers the resources necessary for evangelism. We do this through Care for Cuba (careforcuba.org), a project to collect funds to buy much-needed resources for Cuban workers. This year, we were able to buy 100 bicycles, 23 laptops, 10 tablets, four video projectors, four horses, and two mission outposts that will house three missionaries in remote villages in the Cuban mountains and also serve as house churches for the newly planted congregations.

What part of Cuba were you in? Santiago de Cuba, which is the second largest city in Cuba with almost one million inhabitants. This city has a lot of Santeria, which is a form of witchcraft with hundreds of thousands of followers. We were able to work with families who made the decision to leave their “saints” or “idols” behind and embrace Jesus as their personal Savior. How many people attended the mission trip? There were 31 participants, including three faculty. Can you share a cool experience/ story from the trip? During our scouting trip, in October,

we met by chance an accomplished pianist who worked at a prestigious hotel in Santiago. When she played a Christian hymn in a secular setting, we decided to invite her to our March meetings. When we returned for the actual evangelism, she surprised us by inviting us to her Pentecostal church…to preach! When she asked permission from her pastor, he said, “It simply feels right, and if it feels right, it must come from God!” So, up we went to the Pentecostal church on a hot Sunday morning where Dwight Nelson preached a powerful message of hope in the cross. After that it was our turn to invite the whole congregation to our meetings. We were pleased to see some of the members attend a few of our meetings. So, was all of this a coincidence? No. Providence and a Divine appointment? For sure! How did you see Jesus the most during the week? I saw Jesus in our Andrews students working side by side with Cuban Bible workers, going door to door and being transformed as they shared their own faith.

I saw Jesus in Miguel who has only one leg. His house was destroyed by hurricane Sandy in 2012 and counts himself “rich” now that he heard about Jesus. When our AU students gave him a Bible, he came the next day with the Bible so underlined you would think he has had it for years. A veteran for his country, now he has turned into a soldier for Jesus. I saw Jesus in Liuska’s mother, who, as a Santera, had many idols, but surrendered them to follow her newfound faith. I saw Jesus in a man who was

bedridden for 37 years and when AU students went to visit him, he started singing so beautifully, that he rather ministered and encouraged our students and gave them a much-needed boost of joy, strength and hope. How did the people respond to your mission work? Extremely well. They were open, cheerful, excited and happy to come to the meetings. Each one of the five sites was packed to capacity each night. After each meeting, dozens came forward to altar calls. Some of them decided to accept Jesus as their personal Savior for the first time. As a result, 277 people were baptized on the last Sabbath, and another 50 are preparing to get baptized in the next month or so. What is one thing you will always remember about your trip? I will always remember Isaac, a 17-year-old, who is the pathfinder leader at this church and who studies the Bible with 16 people. When he arrives home from school every day, his priority is his Bible studies, and if there is time he says, “I’ll do my homework.” He is an “A” student. But more than anything he is an “A” soul-winner. Anything else you’d like to share? The doors are opening in Cuba! Visit www.careforcuba.org and be a part of this movement! Let’s help usher a new era of gospel preaching by being the protagonists of an unprecedented event that mirrors what the Lord did in Russia in the 1980s.


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Flashback Articles Niels-Erik Andreasen says “YES!” to Andrews

PHOTO PROVIDED BY IMC

Michelle Jacobson | Printed in March 30, 1994 issue of The Stu-

dent Movement

Niels-Erik Andreasen, 52, has been appointed the president of

Andrews University as of July 1, 1994, according to an announcement made on March 21 by University Board of Trustees Chair Robert Kloosterhuis. Andreasen will succeed W.

Richard Lesher, who has served as president of Andrews University since 1984. Lesher announced his plan for a June 30 retirement at the beginning of this school year. Andreasen is currently presi-

dent of Walla Walla College, College Place, Washington, a position he has held since 1990. During his presidency there, college enrollment increased by 25 percent, a $5.75 million capital campaign was launched, construction of a new $1.4 million chemistry facility began, a student housing complex was completed, and fundraising was initiated for an engineering expansion project, according to Kloosterhuis. He also said that regional accreditation was reaffirmed for ten years and financial stability of the college was achieved. Previously, Andreasen was dean of the School of Religion at Loma Linda University where he had also been professor of Old Testament and associate dean. Andreasen has also held teaching positions at Pacific Union College in Angwin, California, and Avondale College in Cooranbong, N.S.W., Australia. He was a visiting lecturer on short term appointments in England, El Salvador, Costa Rica, France, Germany and New Zealand. In 1963, Andreasen received a B.A. in religion and history from Newbold College. He earned a bachelor of divinity degree in 1966 and a MA in Biblical studies in 1965 from Andrews University. In 1971 Andreasen received a doctor of philosophy degree in religious

studies from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Regarding his appointment, Andreasen said, “I am honored by this appointment to the university which awarded me two degrees during an important period of my life, and I very much look forward to becoming better acquainted with the faculty, staff and students, as together we keep on building Andrews into the premier Seventh-day Adventist university.” A presidential search committee, comprised of 11 members, compiled a list of candidates and interviewed them extensively. Andreasen was chosen as a finalist by the Board of Trustees at their February meeting. In making the announcement of Andreasen’s appointment, Kloosterhuis said, “Dr. Andreasen brings to the campus a rich background of educational experience- an excellent blend of faculty and management skills acquired through a variety of faculty and administrative positions. Dr. Andreason and his wife, Demetra, bring to our community an outstanding match for the challenges and opportunities facing the university in the years ahead.”

cal commitment to SDA values. He also recognizes that communication is the “first order of business.” He has always enjoyed an open and honest relationship with college students and was a popular president at Walla Walla College. He says, “Just stopping someone under a tree and saying hello makes a difference. Little things. That’s all I’ve done.” When asked why they accepted the call to Andrews, Demetra Andreasen replied, “We consider Andrews University the center of mission for our church. The Seminary is here and so are the highest academic dreams for Adventist

students to pursue, because of the facilities and the mission of the university… A lot of people leave different places to come to Andrews University with the objective to go on and serve the church.” According to Andreasen, “The Seventh-day Adventist Church needs a Notre Dame for itself. Our church needs this comprehensive university, one that has an international reputation as well as being a leading educational institution.”

Andreasen Inaguration Lori Engel | Printed in October 26, 1994 issue of The Student

Movement Niels-Erik and Demetra Andreasen bring to the Andrews community a variety of strengths and a reputation for interfacing and mingling with students.

The Andreasens are a harmonious blend of European cultures, appropriate for a multicultural campus such as Andrews. Friendly, articulate and committed are descriptions that come to mind after spending time with them. They enjoy traveling and getting to experience many cultures. They also

enjoy music and attend concerts whenever possible. According to Dr. Andreasen, one of his wife’s strengths is her ability to relate to people on a oneto-one basis. He said, “I don’t do quite so well, I guess I’m more reserved. Friends of ours respect me, but they tend to love my wife more. She possesses empathy and understands the concerns of others. She’s a good hostess and is very creative at decorating.” Demetra Andreasen is quick to mention that she and her husband may not be what one expects. She explains that sometimes when they are met at airports, people

look a bit surprised. “They expect a Danish man to be married to a tall blonde woman.” She’s a short brunette with a Greek accent and a love for people, benefiting her own career in social work. Demetra Andreasen describes her husband as a man of integrity. “He has a sense of benevolence; he does not keep grudges. My husband is highly organized and very methodical. God has given him a good mind and he makes rational, practical decisions. He’s a man of civility.” Niels-Erik Andreasen sees the need to continue a strong academic emphasis along with a histori-


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How well do you know President Andreasen? Take this quiz and find out.

22 Years of Excellence: A Timeline of President Andreasen’s Legacy at Andrews University

By Stephen and Dalry Payne

Editor’s Note: Assistance in compiling this timeline was provided by the Center for Adventist Research and Andrews University’s Integrated Department of Marketing & Communication.

How well do you know Dr. Andreasen? Take the quiz and find out. 1. Who is Dr. Andreasen’s favorite composer? a. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart b. Johannes Brahms c. Arvo Pärt d. Antonio Vivaldi 2. What is Dr. Andreasen’s favorite food? a. Potatoes b. Bread c. Pasta d. Danish pastries 3. What was Dr. Andreasen’s first job? a. An assistant in a health care sanitarium b. A colporteur in Scotland c. Teaching high school d. A factory worker in Chicago 4. Did Dr. Andreasen have a family pet at any time? If so, what was it and what was its name? a. Yes, a dog named Jody. b. Yes, a cat named Blixen. c. Yes, a horse named Kierkegaard. d. No, he never had a family pet. 5. What is Dr. Andreasen’s favorite vacation destination? a. Greece b. California c. Denmark d. Italy 6. What is Dr. Andreasen’s weekly/ regular house-cleaning assignment? a. Lawn mowing b. Vacuum cleaning c. Washing the dishes d. Making baklava 7. What was Dr. Andreasen’s favorite college class? a. Hebrew b. New Testament c. History d. English Literature 8. What was Dr. Andreasen’s least favorite college class? a. Trigonometry b. Logic c. Old Testament d. Physical Education 9. What is Dr. Andreasen’s favorite Michiana restaurant? a. Tosi’s b. Panera Bread c. Tippecanoe d. Steak ‘n Shake

10. Where do the Andreasens like to go during a weekend off? a. Grand Rapids b. New York c. Home d. Chicago

October 1994 - Dr. Andreasen’s first Convocation at Andrews University Oct. 31, 1994 - President Andreasen is inaugurated at Pioneer Memorial Church April 25, 1998 - JN Andrews Sculpture Unveiled A gift from the Alumni Association, this cast-bronze sculpture by Adventist artist Alan Collins inspires all who see it with the legacy of leadership of JN Andrews, who is considered the foremost intellectual of the earliest Adventist church and the first missionary to be commissioned by the General Conference to serve outside of North America. Andrews’s service was also inspiring as he was, by that time, a single parent, and his children, Charles and Mary, were dedicated missionaries in their own right.

11. What is Dr. Andreasen’s favorite book in the Bible? a. Romans b. Amos c. Hebrew d. Leviticus

1999 - Commemoration of 125 Years Andreasen led campus commemoration of the 125th year since founding at Battle Creek (1874) and in 2001 the campus commemorated 100 years in Berrien Springs

12. Who is Dr. Andreasen’s favorite author? a. Abraham Heschel b. Thomas Hardy c. Isak Dinesen d. Aristotle

August 29, 2001 - Seminary Hall Addition Ribbon Cutting First major addition and renovation to the building since the seminary moved from Takoma Park 40 years earlier. Seminary enrollment has grown to nearly 1,000 students and nearly a third of those students are female. 2003 - Howard Performing Arts Center completed Introduced by President Andreasen as the campus “hello” building, the Howard Performing Arts Center has, indeed, welcomed thousands of people to our campus in ways that no other facility could.

FOR ANSWER CHECK PAGE 16 SCORING GUIDE: 9-12 6-8 3-5 1-2

Honorary Vice President Danish Roots AUSA Officer Well, you have another week to get to know him!

June 2, 2008 - JN Andrews Boulevard and Welcome Globe Ribbon Cutting The new entrance provides a long-overdue, stately approach to the campus.

2008 - Dining Services Renovation Dining Services experienced the complete renovation of their kitchen, servery and dining rooms. 2008 - New Milking Parlor Upgrade to state-of-the-art milking parlor for the Andrews Dairy decreased milking time and produced profits that exceeded expectations. Advanced technology elevated the agriculture program to a higher level. 2009–2010 - 50 years as Andrews University Niels-Erik Andreasen, fifth president of Andrews University, led the campus in remembering the historic institutional transition from Emmanuel Missionary College to Andrews University. 2011 - Undergraduate Learning Center Ribbon Cutting (new construction of Buller Hall and renovation of Nethery Hall) Connecting Buller Hall to Nethery Hall via an interior walkway and exterior courtyard was both philosophical and practical. The bridge links academic disciplines together, creates ownership for the undergraduate experience for those teaching and learning in both buildings and, in a practical sense, provides comfortable passage during inclement weather. These two buildings create an undergraduate learning center par excellence. July 2011 - Acquisition of Lake Union Conference Properties The physical relocation of Griggs University to Berrien Springs has allowed Andrews scholarship to continue across the entire world. October 1, 2011 - Damazo Hall Ribbon Cutting As a part of the University Towers residence hall complex, Damazo Hall provides housing for female graduate students and also 20 up-to-date guestrooms for campus visitors. November 15, 2012 - Andreasen Jumps in the Pool In September of 2012, Andreasen challenged the faculty and staff of Andrews to double their donations to the University’s United Way campaign. As an incentive, he pledged to jump into the Beaty Gym pool fully suited up — in a business suit, that is. True to his word, when the donations totaled $14,000, he took the plunge amidst a crowd of cheering students and faculty. 2014 - President Andreasen awarded as an Honored Alumnus for Andrews University June 2016 - Dr. Andreasen Scheduled to Retire To find out more about Andreasen’s visionary impact at Andrews University, please visit: https://www.andrews.edu/president/president/andreasen/andrews-footprint.html


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How the Andreasens Got Together

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY DEMETRA ANDREASEN

Interviewed by Scott Moncrieff | Looking ahead to President An-

dreasen’s retirement, we thought it would be interesting to talk with Mrs. Andreasen about their college days and how the Andreasens met. Where should we start the story of how you met President Andreasen?

I need to start with why I went from Greece to Newbold College, in England. I believe that God opens doors. Two weeks after I graduated from high school, I got a phone call from a family friend to take over a job that she was vacating, as a secretary in a prestigious law firm in Athens. I had never seen a typewriter; I had no training to work for a law firm; but in those days, when you are young and naïve you want to try, so I accepted this job. I stayed there for five years. In those days in Greece they had “siesta,” so from 1-5 p.m. offices were closed, because of the heat—there was no air conditioning. I had to do something with that block of time, and it was too far to go home,

so I decided to study English. In high school I had studied classical Greek and French, but not English. And sometimes while I was studying English, I went to the National Gardens, in the center of Athens, and there I met a young girl. To me, she was an angel sent by God. I told her, “I wish I could practice my English; I can write and I can read, but there’s no chance to communicate.” “Oh,” she said, “I know someone.” That “someone” happened to be, much later, the wife of Alan Collins (who created the John Nevins Andrews statue that stands in front of Pioneer Memorial Church). Her name was Aliki, she was Greek Orthodox, and she was hired by the Adventist church to be a secretary, perhaps because there were so few Greek Adventists that they didn’t have someone else who was qualified. So I met her and we became friends. A year or two later Aliki decided to go to Newbold, and later on she invited me to go to Newbold. She had become an Adventist by that time, but she hadn’t told me.

I saved money for a year to pay for one year’s tuition. I didn’t know anything about Adventists. I remember going to the priest of my (Greek Orthodox) church, who I respected very highly. I stood at his door, and I saw him sitting in his office, and I thought, He is not going to let me go. I probably thought something like I won’t let these apostates (Adventists) interfere with my faith. I’ll just go and learn English, because that’s how I was taught. So I went to Newbold and the year in England went by and I was planning to come home. I told Aliki that was all the money I had. She spoke to her roommate, who was from Portland, Oregon. Verla (the roommate) had rather well-to-do parents through a medical laboratory business. They were very visionary minded, and they helped a lot of other people, and they decided to sponsor both Aliki and me. I thought, Well, it’s free tuition, I might as well stay one more year. Erik (the future Dr. Andreasen) had shown an interest in me the

first year, but I was not even an Adventist. I stayed for the second year, through the summer of 1961 and the next school year. That summer I worked at the Greek embassy in London. I thought, Staying at Newbold, they hardly pay you anything, and I wasn’t an Adventist yet (to worry about Sabbath-keeping). Then I worked at the national tourist organization for a couple of months. During the second year at Newbold, I began to realize that God was calling me and I could not turn my back on him. To me, it was emotionally difficult, because I came from a very traditional family; we never heard of anybody being anything but Greek Orthodox. It’s a state religion, so it was like I was betraying my family and my country. My older sister was so upset when I told her I was going to become an Adventist. My mother didn’t say much, but my sister, being a very traditional person, was not so flexible. She thought, What are people going to say?, that it was propaganda, and that “I was young,” and she wished she could come and pick me up and take me home. Emotionally it was not an easy thing to do, but I felt I did not have a choice. I was baptized in May of 1962, and that summer I went to do canvassing in Scotland. It was mostly to make money to buy my ticket to go home. Erik, with a friend of his from Norway, also went to Scotland. They were canvassing in a different town, but they had a car. They were in a big city, but my friend Gloria and I were out in the villages. We had to use bicycles to go from one farm to another. I had to learn how to ride a bicycle. I fell so many times. There were a lot of hills, and I would get going very fast, with books in a basket on the front, and I would fall, and people would look at me. I would say to myself, “Who cares? They’re not going to see me again.”. We would see Erik and the other man, sometimes, on weekends. And Erik told me, “I would like you to come and visit my family, in Denmark, before you go to Greece.” Had you gone on any dates before? Not by ourselves, but we had been out with groups. One time we went to Royal Albert Hall (in London)—it must have been Christmas time (of 1961)—to hear “The Messiah.” And for Easter of 1962, we went with another couple to Wales. At Newbold, they had a dining room, and the students were directed where to sit by a host or hostess. I remember one time seeing Erik at another table, looking very intensely at me. When it became obvious that things were serious, I went to ask a Danish woman that was living there, who knew Erik’s family

well, about him. Erik and I were both learning English, just to communicate. We knew some English, but not enough. “How can you marry someone you cannot communicate well enough with?” I asked. She said to me, “Don’t look at him as he is now. Think of the potential!” That really stuck in my mind. I had no idea of his potential then, and to this day I continue to be impressed with his character.

There were several things that impressed me very positively about Erik. First, he is always very neat. His shoes will always be polished. The heels will never be broken down. And although none of us at that time had enough clothes to change, his clothes always looked well. He had very good manners. He was not a particularly social person, but I was always attracted to tall, skinny intellectuals. I always appreciated Erik’s good manners, his civility, the way he spoke, the way he walked. To this day, he will say to me, “Your mother did not teach you to polish your shoes.” Even when his shoes are already very shiny, he still has to polish them. And sometimes he even polishes my shoes. So, after canvassing in the summer of 1962, we took the train toward Denmark. I didn’t tell my mother. How old was Dr. Andreasen at this time? 21. We took the train, and I had made a mistake: I had renewed my passport to stay in England, but not for travel outside of England. We passed through Holland and they didn’t say anything. Then we went to Germany. The conductor there was so rigid: “I’m sorry. You have to get off at the next stop and go back and renew your passport.” So we got off at a train station. Memories of World War II flashed in my mind (the Germans had occupied Greece). I opened my suitcase and I took out my blankets and set up on a bench, to wait for the train the next morning, to go back to Holland and renew my passport at the Greek Embassy. Erik was very patient. He didn’t say anything. You never see him get angry or upset. Sometimes, when I speak loudly, he will say, “Please don’t speak so loudly,” but that’s the Greek way. In fact, when we were at Newbold, Aliki and I were asked to take care of the dining room. And people would look at us and say, “Look at them, they are arguing,” but we were just talking. We came from a different culture than the Scandinavians. So you stayed overnight on a bench? Yes. We couldn’t afford to go anywhere else. So the train came, and we went back to Amsterdam, and we found the Greek embassy. It was a Sunday, but fortunately, the ambas-


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the school year, so in the summer of 1965 my sponsors told me they would help with the wedding, either in Portland, or in Chicago, where Erik’s aunt was. We decided to go to Portland, because I knew more people there (from Newbold days), and also they had offered me a job as a secretary for their lab. So I worked there during the summer and saved all the money for going back to school, and as a way to say thank you I would clean their house. Sometimes I would cook, but I was not a very good cook. I lived with them June, July and August. On the fifth of September we got married, and they had invited 250 employees to a sit-down dinner. The younger daughter of the family made my wedding dress, which I still have. It was overwhelming. It was a family of doers, hard working people. The mother said, “Well, there’s plenty of fruit around our yard. Maybe you could can some fruit and take it to Andrews.” I had never canned, but didn’t dare say no, so I ended up canning a hundred jars of peaches and such. And the question was how to bring the jars to Andrews. The father of the family said, “I’ll ship them with my labels, and it will be cheaper.” When they arrived at the airport in Benton Harbor one jar was broken, and I got a call saying, “Please come and identify this chemical,” because the jar had a United Medical Laboratories label.

What do you and President Andreasen enjoy doing with each other? What keeps you close? We like the same music, we like to travel, to keep our home organized, to philosophize, to learn new things. We prefer quieter activities and we are not sporty people. I always needed to be a person of faith, and Erik’s training as an Old Testament professor provided many opportunities for theological discussions with him and his colleagues. Also, we both came from very strong, traditional families, with strong values, and that helps us to be connected. There’s a lot of respect that one has for the other. When we met each other, and when we have lived together all these years, there is this respect for each person’s personhood. We do not try to change each other. I remember when we first got married, Erik said “Demetra, I’m not your father.” I must have expected something that I did not have from my childhood, because my father died when I was seven. But I learned to rely a lot on my inner strength. It took me some time not to be intimidated by being married to a scholar, an intellectual. As I matured more, I thought, Ok, Erik has certain skills, but I have some other skills that he doesn’t have. Sometimes he says, “People respect me, but they love my wife.” I think I help Erik to be more social. When you are a PhD student you live in a different world. I would tell him, “Why don’t you call your mother, or write your mother?” Or I would encourage him to go and visit. I am not a possessive person. Neither of us has to depend upon each other to the point that we cannot break away and keep our individuality. We have a very open, transparent kind of relationship. We have absolute confidence and trust in each other.

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sador lived at the embassy building and took care of my passport and we got back on the train toward Denmark. That was an adventure. I was very impressed with how orderly and neat Erik’s parents’ home was. My mother-in-law would get up on Friday, fix her hair, take a shower and have the whole house clean long before sunset. My father-in-law was a pastor. He was a shepherd, a real shepherd of his flock, a very caring kind of person. Erik had brothers that were five and seven years younger. I remember how impressed I was that the whole home was clean. So before sundown we all sat around and studied the Sabbath School lesson. It was very helpful for me to meet his family. How did the family feel about a Greek girl coming home with their son? I have no idea. Erik’s younger brother was thirteen at that time, and his hair was very blond and straight as straw, and I put rollers in his hair. How could I do something silly like that? Bananas didn’t grow in Denmark and were very expensive. His mother bought some for the youngest

son and not for the rest of us. I said to him, “How come you’re the only one who can have the bananas?” I think that men are, in general, more tolerant than women. I think my future father-in-law was having more fun with another person who was different in the house. I’m sure my future mother-in-law must have had some questions. In general, the Greek people are friendly and open. I would assume that it was easy for them to accept me. But many times I asked Erik, “What did your parents say?” And he said, “Oh, they just said you were different.” Even if his mother said something stronger, he wouldn’t tell me that. So after that, how did things progress? I went back to Greece, and I stayed there for two years, and Erik became the president of his graduating class at Newbold, but he got sick and was not able to participate in the graduation exercises. They wired in the audio of the service so he could hear it from his room. Then he went back to Denmark for the summer of 1963, but he came by train to Greece, for two weeks, to meet my family.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY DEMETRA ANDREASEN

Were you writing letters to each other at this time? Yes. When I returned home, the president of the Greek Adventist mission hired me to be a Bible worker, from September of ’62 to the summer of ’64. So Erik came by train in the summer of 1963, to meet my family, before he went to Andrews to start his Master’s. He bought his train ticket and was sitting in the train, and when he arrived in Germany, there were many Greek immigrants who lived in Germany, and they came with their sandwiches, and they squished him and they squashed him, and he almost lost his seat. In Athens, when we were waiting for the bus, he would be standing in the line, and the moment the bus arrived the line would break and everybody started pushing. And he would look around, not knowing what to do. I said, “Erik, if you want to get to your destination you have to do the same thing. Otherwise you will be left out.”

The family from Portland that sponsored me to stay an extra year at Newbold said, “If you would like to come to America, we will

help you.” They had sponsored Aliki, and she went to Walla Walla. I had to pay $700 to come with a student visa. Erik came with a green card. There were quotas for each country, and not many Danes were coming, so he fit in under the quota. As a seminary student, Erik lived in the Garland apartments. I was in Lamson Hall as an undergraduate. The summer of 1965 Erik was living with his aunt, his father’s sister. She was a graduate of Andrews, and she taught nutrition in a high school in a suburb of Chicago. She and her husband, an American, lived there, and had no children. So Erik had free accommodations there and worked in a factory, painting. When I came from Greece I met him at the Chicago airport, and stayed a couple of weeks at his aunt’s house before we came to Andrews. My benefactors from Portland not only bought my airline ticket; they kept helping me financially all the way to 1970 with my scholarship needs.

Erik was working all that summer in Illinois, and found a car there that needed to be driven to Seattle, so he and another person drove all the way there, and then came down to Portland. There were 17 young people from Newbold who attended our wedding. Neither of you had any family at the wedding? No. That is a price we have paid to work in the United States. We have always been away from both our families. So I have had to make “family” out of the friends I have met.

When did you get married? We were not allowed to marry during

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY DEMETRA ANDREASEN

Note: The Andreasens have a son, Michael, who lives with his wife Marie and two children, Caleb and Jordan, in Eugene, Oregon, where he works as a vice president for advancement at University of Oregon.


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Humans

Isabel Stafford Waves Goodbye to Andrews

Andrei Wayne K. Defino Humans Editor

Chris Wheeler | Isabel Stafford

(senior, physics, math studies) was one of several students to present her honors theses at the Honors Thesis Symposium on April 8 this year. “I applied to the Honors Program,” she said, “when I first got accepted to Andrews. When I sent

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JN ANDREWS HONORS PROGRAM

in my application, I never considered that I might not get in or that I might want to take the regular suite of general education classes rather than the Honors equivalents. It seemed like the sort of thing you just did: you went to college, you got good grades, you joined whatever Honors Programs

there were.” Although Andrews University was not her first choice, she has found the academic programs to be challenging and rewarding, and she is glad to have met the friends she made here. Throughout her time at Andrews, Stafford has studied physics, mathematics, and even English on the side. “Of those subjects, physics was the only one I consciously sought out,” Stafford said. “Math came about because of physics — no one can get a physics major without also getting at least a math minor, so I ended up majoring in math studies as well; English was more of an inevitable side interest.” In her thesis, Stafford analyzed the BayesWave algorithm, testing to see which parameterizations are best for studying gravitational waves and extracting them from the “background noise” that oc-

curs when scientists attempt to detect the waves. Stafford describes gravitational waves as “ripples in the fabric of spacetime caused by gravitational events,” which “propagate outwards at the speed of light and warp space as they go.” “Physicists want to study them,” Stafford explained, “because they carry information about their sources, which include everything from supernovae to colliding black holes.” This is why LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) was created, and its discoveries are what the BayesWave algorithm aims to analyze. “I approached Dr. Summerscales about researching with her,” Stafford said, “both because I was already interested in LIGO and because I had always enjoyed her classes and hoped she would agree to be my research mentor.” The LIGO research team is made

up of over one thousand members, Stafford said, and so when Dr. Summerscales contacted other researchers from LIGO, they recommended to her what an undergraduate research could use for an honors thesis. “She was pointed towards parameterizing BayesWave,” Stafford said, “and my thesis topic was born.” Stafford will be graduating this upcoming May. According to Stafford, her future plans are “nebulous.” “I’m not currently planning on going to grad school, although I suppose that might change at some point, and I don’t have a long-term job lined up,” Stafford said. For now, Stafford says that she’ll be applying to jobs and deciding on her future.

Andrews Abroad: A Year of Self-Discovery

PHOTO BY BENNETT SHELLEY

Bennett Shelley | The ultimate

goal of the college experience is to continue to discover oneself. Achieving a degree and receiving a diploma are only mere steps in putting together a person’s identity. In doing so, people hope to find, discover and know themselves more fully. Moreover, they look to obtain social acceptance and genuine love by sharing their identity with others. In a word, they look to be-

come vulnerable. Most of the time, people are successful, though often much later in life. They continue to find the pieces of their being by choosing avenues of life that interest them, by traveling the world, by sharing new experiences, and by meeting new types of individuals. They flourish in furthering the self-discovery that began at the commencement of life. Though this is all mere opinion according to perspective, it is my belief that it remains the general truth. At the very least, it has been entirely my experience thus far. In choosing to spend a year studying abroad, I carried with me some of the very same hopes and goals. I was out to see what I truly wanted to become in life and what most interested me within my myriad interests. In addition, I found the idea of learning to live within a different culture very attractive. The entire concept was a challenge; more so, a curiosity that I had to satisfy. The decision to study in France

was very much influenced by those who came before me; both of my French professors at Andrews spoke highly of the Adventist university in France. Already, out of all the Adventist Colleges Abroad (ACA) schools, Campus Adventiste du Salève—Salève Adventist University in English— attracted me most, due to the geographical location and the language offered. French always intrigued me; it was a language forever associated with class and eloquence, and out of every other language, it was the one I found most beautiful. Additionally, Campus Adventiste offered the most time for travel, which I knew would allow me the opportunity to see much of Europe. After much deliberation with my parents, it was agreed to make the year a possibility for me, and the rest remains history. Though it is hardly a good story, it is the truth of the way things happened, and there’s so much more that has happened since. Today, I find myself sitting in the

business lounge of some European hotel, gazing out the window at the endless apartment buildings that make up the city of Barcelona, Spain. I’m on vacation, writing this article for the purpose of sharing my ACA experience, but this assignment has proven to be more than another storytelling moment. It has provided me with the rare opportunity to simply sit and reflect on everything that this past year has consisted of. It all seems so very distant to me now. The thought processes, decisions, application submissions — even my departure for Europe — all seem to have happened years in the past. I suppose that in itself is something very remarkable to be said for studying abroad. In no other situation could so many experiences occur simultaneously. You might say that it is a sort of year where time is accelerated, but where time is still given the same restraints and boundaries; a year faster but longer lasting than others. For me, it has definitely been as such. The

time spent traversing the continent or days spent enjoying time with friends has flown by, while the days of homesickness and the lingering feeling of loneliness have seemed to pass at a snail’s pace. Ultimately, words cannot convey all that has been learned and experienced during these past eight months abroad. I’ve had my disappointments, my highs and lows. I’ve lost friends and have made new relationships. I’ve struggled with things I’m sure I would never have faced at home in America. Yet not once have I regretted the decision to spend this time abroad. I can’t say for sure how my former self would have responded if I had known all that was to accompany a year in Europe. I’m sure that it was for the better that I had the preconceived notions that I did. Yet, as in any other case, the driving factor was, and remains, the hope for and the continuation of self-betterment; the opportunity at further self-discovery that forever comes with such a chance at

Understanding Our Muslim Neighbors Paris D. Rollins | This coming Thursday, April 21, six Muslim Andrews University graduate students will hold a panel discussion entitled “Understanding Our Muslim Neighbors.” All six panelists are physical therapists pursuing their Doctor of Science in Physical Therapy with an emphasis in orthopedic manual therapy in Andrews’ post-professional Physical Therapy Program. The discussion will fulfill a requirement for the men’s community leadership projects.

The majority of the men are at Andrews through the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (SACM). SACM has a scholarship program called the King Abdullah Scholarship Program, which was created after the terrorist attacks of 2001 as a way to combat extremism and build bridges between Saudi Arabia and Western countries. The event’s sponsor, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy Caryn Pierce, said in an email that the program will cover a variety of topics, ranging from the students’ hobbies to their culture’s way of valuing and

respecting women. They will give advice about building relationships with Muslims and will even teach the audience some Arabic words. After the program, there will be Middle Eastern refreshments and the opportunity to mingle with the panelists. One of the panelists is Mohammad Talafha, who came to Andrews at the beginning of the 2015-16 school year. He moved to the U.S. from Jordan five years ago to get his Master’s at Western Illinois University and found out about Andrews from an Internet search. Talafha also teaches a

course in the Department in Health and Wellness. He has enjoyed his time at Andrews and appreciates its diversity. “Students here understand that there’s people coming from different places,” Talafha said. “There’s more understanding, more diversity here.” One of Talafha’s hopes is that people will be more accepting of Muslims in American culture. “In the United States, there’s many Muslims. They should be accepted in this culture as American citizens...people differentiate them,

like ‘Oh, they are Muslim, we are American,’ like it’s not considered (they) could be Muslims and Americans at the same time” Talafha said. Pierce holds similar hopes for the panel. “I hope that people will begin to look at Muslim people as individual human beings rather than applying media stereotypes to a whole group,” Pierce said. “Isn’t that we all want for ourselves? Let’s extend it to them as well.” The event will be held in Chan Shun Hall’s Garber Auditorium at 6:30 p.m. this Thursday.


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A Glimpse into Research: Faith, Science, and the Hu(Manatees) In fact, a typical trait of developing countries is the lack of resources and internal funding for marine mammal research, so we saw an opportunity for progress. Partnering up with Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge, we began an attempt to answer some questions about the unknown status and distribution of manatees in Honduras. It just so happens that with manatees, I work with a species that is highly cryptic, difficult to study, but very rewarding.

Name: Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske MS Biology, PhD Ecology Assistant Professor of Biology Interviewd by: Andrei Wayne K. Defino

On April 22, over 192 countries around the world will be celebrating Earth Day, a national and worldwide event dedicated to the planting and care of trees. With an added focus on ecological conservation, it is important to remember that what we do, buy, and eat affects the world around us. Dr. Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske is an Assistant Professor of Biology here at Andrews University who centers his research on conservation ecology. I had the privilege of sitting down with him to learn more about his research efforts and his philosophy as a biologist, an educator, and a man of faith. Can you tell me a little more about yourself, Dr. Gonzalez? Where did you study before teaching? I’m an Andrews alumnus; I studied undergrad biology here under some of the professors who I work with today. After I graduated from Andrews with my bachelor’s degree in zoology, I took a missionary year in between to refocus and then I pursued a master’s degree in biology at Loma Linda University. Subsequent to that, I attended Duke University in North Carolina for my PhD working with a well-known new world primatologist.

So do your efforts and study go towards informing others, or rather, non-biologists about conservation and ecology? I don’t do so much educational lecturing when it comes to my studies, but there is some aspect of education that happens with my field of study. A lot of my research revolves around using science to create scientifically based and sound management strategies that governments and local organizations can implement to protect those species. Basically, I work hand in hand with protected area managers and local officials by giving them the information that they need, baseline or otherwise, to understand what their species populations are and what they can do. Now manatees are really difficult to surPHOTO PROVIDED BY DANIEL GONZALEZ-SOCOLOSKE vey. Even in Florida, where we have had almost 40 years of research, it is How long have you been working still really hard to come up with acat Andrews University? tual estimates. Florida has so many I’m completing my third year of privileges that other countries don’t. teaching at Andrews; it’s hard to be- Number one: they have the necessary lieve that it’s gone by this quickly. funding. Number two: the manatees Being an alumnus, working here has naturally aggregate, once a year, durbeen like a coming home feeling for ing the winter months when they are me to become a part of this depart- cold; they don’t do that anywhere ment. else in their distribution range. Outside of Florida, you’ll never see 100It seems that biology has al- 200 manatees all clustered together ways been your thing. What in- so that you can go and count them. spired you to do your research Because of their overall cryptic nain vertebrate conservation and ture, it’s hard for us to really dictate in turn, your studies with man- their populations -- which is the first atees? thing park managers ask us. We can I actually started my undergraduate only ever provide relative abundancresearch in the plant world working es and other relative trends. with Dr. Steen for one year. Later, I ended up doing research with Dr. That sounds incredibly frustratGoodwin after taking his Mammalo- ing and exhilarating! Coming to gy course. I’ve always liked working this point in your professional with animals and I knew that zool- career you must have some nugogy was more of my route. However, gets of wisdom for the students Dr. Goodwin is more of a paleontolo- you mentor and teach. What gist so he was working with squirrel would you have to say to other teeth when I was more interested in upcoming biologists in terms of animal behavior, ecology and living getting a hands on experience animals, not so much studying fos- with research? sils. At Loma Linda the idea was to While the lion’s share of my research transition into a field-based project. focuses on manatees, for sure, I do I was able to go to Honduras with a have a local research study that I’m faculty member, Dr. Ford, to contrib- initiating; I’ve recently become more ute to his research. During our visit interested in becoming more locally we went to a protected area that was involved. Currently, I have one Mashome to manatees in the north coast ter’s student working with an enwhere nobody had been working in. dangered rattlesnake species here

in Michigan, the Massasauga Rattlesnake, the only venomous snake native to the state. It’s really important to know how vital rattlesnakes are to a habitat and that they are not nearly as dangerous as people think they are. Even these species that we don’t think are important still have vital roles; once they’re gone, only then do we see how important they were. Do you think student mentorship and research experience is vital to their undergraduate and future professional experience? As far as undergrad research goes, I think I would encourage students to get involved with as much research as they can. I have a bias since that’s something I genuinely enjoy; it’s something where I can receive a tremendous amount of self-worth. We have a lot of opportunities here at Andrews. In the Biology department we have 10 faculty that conduct research and while we try to make it as accessible to students as possible, but we do understand that research is not for all students. For me, research made a difference in my undergraduate education. It provided me with great experience and exposure to the field, a lot of one-on-one time with the faculty mentors and even some undergraduate publications. That really opened doors for graduate schools. From your research experience, what can we as Christians, world citizens, and Andrews University take from it? From the research that I’ve done, and again, I’m a fairly young scientist who’s only been working for 12 or so years now, it’s incredibly rewarding to be a part of something that’s incredibly larger than myself and the institution I work in; I feel like I’m very much part of a global community. I enjoy going to research conferences. The Sirenian World (the order manatees belong in) is fairly small and consists of about 100 scientists. This small community creates a familiarity of sorts that is comprised of people who are genuinely interested in this group of organisms; it really makes me feel like I’m a part of something bigger. Furthermore, it is something completely out of my denomination, which I feel is important. I become a sort of witness to individuals who may never have been exposed to Adventists or maybe even Christians. You have to realize that being a scientist I walk a tight line between my faith and my science, but I find satisfaction and fulfillment in that. While the work I may be doing is difficult and frustrating at times, it has been incredibly rewarding and I know for other people that can be the case as well.

You mentioned you walk a fine line between science and faith. Can you unpack that a bit more? When I was hired here, I remember vividly, in Dr. Andreasen’s office, him asking me if I was a true believer and a true scientist, meaning was I honest in both my pursuit of faith and scholarship. My answer was yes to both and I really admired that approach because he emphasized that neither should trump the other and that we should be authentic in pursuing both. That’s very much been my life; I work with atheists who I consider deep friends that are passionate about people and selfless acts and it puzzles me philosophically on how that can be when they are juxtaposed with my friends who are highly religious yet can be incredibly selfish. For me I walk a fine line in the sense that I don’t really feel accepted by either of the groups that I belong to. Am I 100% accepted by my biologist peers? I’m not sure, because they know I’m a religious person. Am I 100% accepted by my Adventist colleagues? I’m not sure, because they know I’m a scientist. I feel that our Biology department does a good job of doing just that and we try to instill in our students a sense of curiosity and awe, but also a sense of scholarship, rigor and inquisitiveness. Any parting thoughts? I would appeal to students to think larger than themselves and to value the opportunities they have before them. College is such a unique time; you have, arguably, the most time available. I know most students feel like they’re incredibly busy and that they have so much to do, but believe me, it only gets much busier than that. This is actually the time you’re most free to travel and experience these kind of chances. I’m actually designing a study tour to Cuba starting May of 2017 that’ll happen every two years. It will be a biology-based field excursion where I will teach students about ecology and go island hopping in the southern archipelago of Cuba working with Cuban colleagues and students; there will be an exchange of cultural and biological richness that some can rarely experience. I just think those memories are absolutely critical for expanding our world and for helping us realize that there are so many more things outside of our own ambitious career paths and our own financial ambitions; it can teach us that we can be a change in the world and one of those ways is to be a scientist and most definitely if we don’t go into science, to be more conscientious consumers and citizens.

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Arts & Entertainment

Nikki Weis Discusses Fiddler on the Roof How long has the cast been working on this play? Auditions took place in September, and our cast’s first meeting was Oct. 16. What are some of the things you guys had to do to prepare for this? The actors did some character analyses to learn more about who these people were and who we were going to do our best to portray; we studied our lines, we practiced our music. I remember getting together with my two “sisters” and practicing “Matchmaker” in the aerobics room in the basement of Lamson Hall one Friday afternoon! The acoustics are great down there! And there were many, many, many, many hours of getting together to practice.

Shanelle E. Kim Arts & Entertainment Editor

What are the main messages you feel like this play is trying to get across? Personally, I resonated with learning how to deal with “the Other” in our lives. This was especially important with how Tevye interacted with the constable and Fyedka (a Russian soldier). It’s important to us to remember how divided people were in the past and to see how detrimental it was. Just because someone has a different background from your own doesn’t mean that they should be treated badly. We can learn so much from people who are different from us. Another message I saw addressed learning how to adapt when life throws trials into our paths, and learning how to trust God in spite of it all.

PHOTO BY TANYA EBENEZER

Name: Nikki Weis Interviewed by: Maria Wixwat The Andrews University Theatre Wing held three performances of the play Fiddler on the Roof this past weekend, April 8 to 10. I interviewed one of the main performers, Nikki Weis, about her experience practicing for and performing in the play.

What is Fiddler on the Roof about? (It’s about) a Jewish community in pre-revolutionary Russia in Anatevka, Ukraine (sadly, a fictional place), whose residents are ruled by community and cultural traditions. I would say it’s a story of a close-knit community of people who cling to their

traditions and have to painfully discover how to live their lives when their world and their traditions start to change around them. What part did you play? Tzeitel, Tevye and Golde’s eldest daughter.

Are you satisfied with the outcome of all the hard work that has gone into this? Yes! But truly, on my part, with how exhausted I was, I couldn’t have pulled off what I did without God’s help. It was amazing how much He helped pull me through.

An Operatic Parable of Piety: Susannah Comes to AU Demetri Kirchberg | In 1955, a Florida State University professor, Carlisle Floyd, released an opera that challenged societal pressures on young women and questioned the morals of leaders in the religion-steeped American South. On March 31, the Andrews University Singer Actor Studio and Orchestra, directed by Professor Charles Reid and conducted by graduate student Meriel Lora, brought this popular and ever-relevant opera Susannah to the Howard Performing Arts Center in a production that, while showcasing the very best of the arts on campus, also shared a modern parable on the dangers of piety. David Ortiz, (senior, music: vocal performance) was one of the students who brought Susannah to life; Ortiz answered a few questions about the production. Who was your character and how did you connect to him through this opera? I played Sam, Susannah’s brother. He is a hunter by trade, and he struggles with alcoholism. Despite his character flaws, which are revealed as the opera goes on, he definitely loves his sister. I connected to him through the care he feels for her. He really believes in her, and wants for her to get out of their current situation. He knows he won’t go anywhere, but he wishes that her life will end up com-

pensating for whatever their family lacked. He loves her so much that he ends up killing for her (although at first instance, one might think he does that in a drunken rage).

Katharina Burghardt, (sophomore, music education) played the part of Mrs. McLean; Burghardt took some time to answers questions on her notso-accepting character.

Is there anything about Carlisle Floyd’s work that you think sets him apart from other opera composers? Outside of the musical language, which is different than Verdi’s or Wagner’s, I’d say that Carlisle Floyd is set apart from them by his ability to translate speech patterns into music. The text drives the opera, and it shows in the rhythms. Also, the way he writes lines of dialogue paints a good picture of conversational inflections. He’s willing to break legato for the sake of expressing accurate inflections whether they’re sad or angry or joyous.

How did you connect to Mrs. McLean? At first it was hard to connect to her. She is such a legalistic and pharisaical person that it was difficult to reach into myself and connect with

the parts of myself I try to suppress. However, everyone has a part of them that is dark and not acceptable in today’s society. Once I accessed that part of myself, it was easier for me to understand her point of view. Of the themes in Susannah, are there any that you believe to still be relevant today? Oh absolutely! One of the most prevalent themes is that of blaming other

people or creating outcasts instead of looking into yourself and your own problems and sins. In the same way that the elders project their lust onto Susannah and make her a sexual object, we project our fears and hatred on to other people. As Ortiz said, “Operas do explore human relationships, and even the human psyche. It’s not just about lovely arias and people falling in love.”

Why is it important for members of our generation to study and perform the arts of generations past? Because the music is great and it shouldn’t be cast aside and forgotten, and also, the message of operas such as “Susannah” is timely and important for audiences to hear, whether they are religious or not. People tend to forget that one can learn from the stories told in operas. It’s not just entertainment. PHOTO BY TANYA EBENEZER


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because I get to hear what she actually thinks. We’re surrounded by Adventists and people that are like us, but when you get to hear someone else, it’s great.

people in the United States act another way, because when you come back and go you to a diverse university like Andrews you don’t know everything about those unlike you but at the same time you can realize why they may react to something a certain way. I think that’s really really important because we sometimes just assume things about others and traveling is the best way to be more understanding as a human being. Also, this is just super extra because everyone always says this, but I’m going to say this anyways: I would encourage all Andrews students — because the thing is, college is not going to last forever and after this your life really, really begins and you become an official adult and you do “adult-y” things — I would encourage everyone to take advantage of all these opportunities, even if it’s like to Chicago but anywhere to just travel, just enjoy your experience, and expand your mind, not just stay here in Berrien Springs but go elsewhere and even study abroad. Those experiences provide you irreplaceable memories that you will treasure for the rest of your life.

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Arts & Entertainment

Joy Nyugi: Wind Symphony Goes to Italy What was your favorite part about seeing Rome, then? The Vatican. The Sistine Chapel is there, and I think it’s mainly because I studied so much about the landmarks in the Vatican so when I actually got to see them firsthand, they were that much greater, whereas if I had only studied about landmarks of different cities I wouldn’t have appreciated it as much. How long were you in each city? We did go to a lot of cities and everything was so fast-paced, so it’s not like we stayed in one place for a very long time. I think we were in Rome for at least two days and then we went to Venice for two days; some of the other cities we were in for a day or half a day, so we jumped around really often. We didn’t get to stay and see everywhere for a long, long time. PHOTO BY JOY NYUGI

Name: Joy Nyugi interviewed by: David Forner Over Spring Break, the Andrews University Wind Symphony traveled to Italy to perform in Rome, Venice, and SDJKFl. I sat down with Joy Nyugi (freshman, computer science) Where did you perform in Italy? We performed at the Chiesa di Sant‘Ignazio, a cathedral in Rome dating from the 15th century, as well as the Chiesa Santa Christina in Bologna and the Teatro Sperimentale in Pesaro. What was it like performing in a cathedral? Performing was great for the cathedrals just because there would be like a seven second hold — so if you played a note it would prolong for seven seconds — and the cathedrals were huge and so it was really majestic playing there. The theater was

okay, but it was the complete opposite where it would cut off your sound immediately. But playing in those places was fantastic just because it was also a huge audience and they really appreciated our music. What pieces did you play, and how long were your concerts? Our concerts were about forty minutes to an hour long, and we played encores at each location. Our pieces consisted of both sacred and non-sacred pieces, my favorite piece being “Rejouissance” by James Curnow, just because it was a kind of a hit-ormiss song — either you really really nailed it or you were really off — but when we played it really well I loved it. So were these concerts completely open to the public? They were open to the public, so we didn’t play specifically for any

Adventist groups. Local Adventist churches came and watched us, but we never performed in Adventist churches or anything. What was your favorite part about the experience? I think I would have to say Rome and also Venice but mainly Rome just because it was so majestic. It was pretty much what you would imagine Rome to be: you drive through and it just looked powerful. Please explain. You know all those movies that you’ve watched or history books that you’ve read about all the landmarks in Rome and when you kind of imagine a place and then you get there and it’s anticlimactic — that’s not how it was. It was just as climatic as you would expect, perhaps even more so.

How was your flight to Italy? I’m a super extroverted person, like, I love talking to people on airplanes, and on the flight back from Venice to London I was sitting next to these two strangers. I think I stopped and asked the one on the right a question, but after that we ended up talking the entire flight (which was three and a half hours). It was cool because I found out some stuff about her. She lives in Milan, the fashion capital of the world, and she works in fashion there, and she’s done stuff with fashion shows for Dolce and Gabbana and Prada, Versace and Armani, and it was a very down to Earth conversation and it was great because it was from another person’s worldview, which I really like. I like talking to people who have no idea how I grew up and who grew up completely differently from me, and her worldview and how she sees everything was 100 percent different so I really liked it

In that case, did you feel like the tour was a good witnessing opportunity? I think so, just because the places we performed and who we mainly performed for wasn’t the typical audience — people who already know what we stand for, what we think. We played music and they loved it so they came and talked to us and when they talked to us they found out what we think and how we act and who we actually are. Is there anything about the experience itself which really touched you as a person? Well, I love to travel, and every time I travel I feel like my worldview is expanding, so I think going on this trip was definitely an expansion of my worldview. I think that a lot of people need to travel more because you know how you live and how people around you live but when you really get to see how someone else lives — how they interact with the world, how they eat, how they dress and everything like that — you get to see further than yourself. I think that by doing that you realize the world doesn’t revolve around you, that everyone isn’t just like you. I’ve been to other European countries, and just because the countries are next each other doesn’t mean they interact the same way. They don’t talk to each other the same way, they don’t eat the same way and they don’t react to each other the same way. Instead, they’re very, very different, and I think that going on this trip helped me see why people in Italy act one way, or why maybe

What memories are you going to treasure from this trip? Traveling is one thing, but traveling with fantastic individuals makes everything better. Like for me, traveling on a family vacation without my siblings is mad awkward, but when they’re there it’s fantastic...so for this trip I think it was the people that made the trip. I think the people and all the memories that came with us hanging out together — that’s what can’t be replaced.

Whisk Review: Bonnie Doon 2704 Lincolnway W Mishawaka, IN 46544 (574) 255-9841 Bonnie Doon is a classic drive-in style restaurant with delicious food and a retro vibe.

Written By: Mercedes McLeanWheeler

PHOTO BY MERCEDES MCLEAN-WHEELER

Food and Price: Bonnie Doon provides quintessential American fare including a variety of burgers, hot dogs and various sandwiches. Locals mainly come for the homemade sodas, milkshakes, malts and ice cream sundaes. I was pleased to find that they offer a veggie burger, which can be swapped out in their specialty burger options (such as the peanut butter jalapeño cheeseburger)

or eaten as a plain burger or cheeseburger, if one isn’t up for the more adventurous options. I got a veggie cheeseburger, a grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich, jalapeño munchers and a pineapple pop. I was impressed with everything I got. The veggie burger was high quality and flavourful and the grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich was a treat, one of my personal favorites that is seldom on any menu. I loved the jalapeño munchers, which I switched out for the french fries that come with the burger basket. The munchers were akin to tatertots, but with pieces of jalapeño and cheese intermixed inside. I spent a long time determining what to get for dessert, as they offered a wide variety of ice cream fla-

vors, all which could be made into milkshakes or malts. In addition, they had a large selection of sundaes that were very tempting. In the end, I decided on a chocolate malt, a simple but satisfying option. The prices were reasonable with burgers ranging from around $3 to $7 (the veggie burger was $5) and the sandwiches ranged from $2 to $5. The shakes and malts were between $3 and $5 depending on size. Service and Atmosphere: The service was prompt and friendly. As a drive-in, we didn’t see our servers often, but having privacy and the ability to listen to the car radio while we ate was great. The atmosphere was fun and classic, reminiscent of an earlier era of American dining.

Conclusion: I had a fabulous experience at Bonnie Doon’s. The food was great and the atmosphere felt special. For anyone looking for a classic American treat during the last few weeks of the semester, Bonnie Doon’s is the right place for you. Score: 4.5 out of 5 Whisks


THE STUDENT MOVEMENT

The Last Word THE STUDENT MOVEMENT STAFF

Thank You For Your Readership, Farewell, Adieu most of all—a relentless passion for serving your fellow students, and I can say with absolute certainty that in the beginning I had very little of the former, and perhaps too much of the latter. Sometimes being editor means asking the tough questions of your elders and administrators, and other times it means learning to ignore critics. And yet, no matter how prepared you are, news has a way of throwing curveballs. Its unpredictability keeps you on your toes, and sometimes punches you in the gut— such as when you have to write about the death of a fellow student, or the Paris terror attacks. Altogether, it is a humbling experience to be the mouthpiece of a leading student publication at Andrews University, the flagship school of the Seventh-day Adventist church. Our world church is growing, dy-

namic, and complex—and much like our student body at Andrews, it desperately needs journalists and storytellers to reach out and bridge the gap between cultures and traditions, uniting people through faith and shared humanity. That is the very mission of The Student Movement, and I am confident that it will endure as long as this institution stands—a beacon of light and learning and a movement for change and continuous improvement that echoes the motto of Andrews University. It has been an honor to serve as your Editor-In-Chief this year, and I am thankful for all of the support, well-wishes and prayers that I have received. Yours sincerely, Samuel J. Fry, Editor-In-Chief

The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventhday Adventist church. Please address all correspondence to smeditor@andrews.edu. The Student Movement reserves the right to edit all letters for style, length or possible libel. Priority will be given to correspondence from students, staff and alumni of Andrews University. All letters sunject to publication

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CORRECT ANSWERS:

guidance, and in turn, we hired an incredibly diverse and talented staff. It required taking some chances, but we brought some extremely bright and skilled young editors on board. We produced timely issues with relevant content, and wrote about things that matter to our peers and community. We asked for your submissions and produced a student-content driven special issue on social justice in the United States. All of these accomplishments were good, but they are just a start of another century of excellence that we have all come to expect of The Student Movement—and next year’s Editor-In-Chief will have to pick up the baton, and continue our legacy. I have learned over the course of the past year that the Editor-InChief position requires both experience and a vision for the future, but

1. b 2.c 3.c 4.a 5.c 6.b 7.c 8.d 9.b 10.d 11.b 12. b

Samuel James Fry Editor-in-Chief

On behalf of the staff of The Student Movement, I want to thank our students, faculty, staff and alumni for their readership. I am proud of our newspaper, now in its 101st year, and of the 20 issues we have published throughout the past two semesters. I have been blessed with an extraordinary team, and all of the credit belongs to their hard work and relentless dedication. Producing a weekly newspaper with a circulation of 3400 students is no easy feat, but with a devoted sponsor and the right team—it is not only possible to do it, but to do it well. When I was elected last spring as the youngest Editor-In-Chief in The Student Movement’s 100-year history, half the newspaper staff was graduating. My first order of business was to create an assistant editor position to provide more oversight and

Samuel James Fry Editor-in-Chief Paris D. Rollins Assistant Editor Shenika K. McDonald News Editor Daniel J. Fults Ideas Editor Ali Reiner Pulse Editor Andrei Wayne K. Defino Humans Editor Shanelle E. Kim Arts & Entertainment Editor Joelle Arner Photo Editor David A. Forner Copy Editor Nichole A. Reid Layout Editor L.J. Robinson Multimedia Manager Scott E. Moncrieff Faculty Advisor

This issue was completed at 10:22 p.m. on Tuesday,April 19, 2016.


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