The Beacon - November Issue

ARTS WEEK: A TRADITION IN THE MAKING

by Mari Kadri

CRANDALL’S OWN GUINNESS WORLD RECORD HOLDER

by Faith Howe

THE BEACON

REMNANTS OF WAR

NO.3

by Alley MacDonald

FIRST-YEARS: REFLECTIONS THUS FAR

by Abeni Knowles

NOVEMBER 2023 ISSUE NO. 3

OCTOBER 2023 ISSUE NO. 2 Front cover photo credit: Matt Cook @mcook_photos and Crandall Student Association @CrandallCSA

Arts Week: A Tradition in the Making

by Mari Kadri If you’ve been to chapel recently, you may have seen the announcement on the big screen: Arts Week, November 13 - 17 The week we come back from Fall reading break has been dubbed “Arts Week” - but what does that really mean? I sat down with Steve Watts, Dean of Chapel to find out.

According to Steeve, Arts Week is exactly what it sounds like - a week that celebrates art in our community.

Arts Week is a passion project for Steve. He shared that although Crandall is a small university, there are a lot of people with artistic giftings.

There will be lots going on during Arts Week. Join Chapel on Tuesday to hear Matt Brouwer, our Director of Worship Arts and Juno award winning musician, share his story. He will share is music and the story behind it in a “Storytellers”-style format, which I’m told was a popular MTV program back in the day. Jeff Somers from Lewisville Baptist will accompany.

Another notable attraction will include an art exhibit featuring work from Crandall students, including Faith Howe.

Thursday evening, join the English and History Societies for their Coffee House event in the Student Lounge in the basement of Stultz Hall. Free coffee, hot chocolate, and treats will be provided along with live entertainment as Art Week wraps up.

This is definitely a fun way to get involved and celebrate our community, but that’s not all it is.

Steve sees this as a way to “contribute to student life - broadening and deepening it through faith and creativity.” He likens the opportunity Arts Week brings with the Worship Apprenticeship that Crandall offers: it is a way for us to celebrate the art and help artists hone their skills while acknowledge God as the source of creativity and the ultimate Creator.

Starting a new project or event can be very difficult, but once it’s started it can much more easily gain momentum. Steve shared, “it is my hope that it becomes a bit of a tradition.”

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Abeni is a 2nd year Biblical Studies and Psychology Major who enjoys serenading her podmates with Adele at the most inopportune times.

Announcements & etc.

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Crandall’s Very Own Guinness World Record Holder

by Faith Howe My name is Faith Howe. I’m a fourth-year Bachelor of Arts in Psychology student at Crandall University, and I hold a Guinness World record. I built the Largest LEGO Brick Playing Card.

How did I build this? One piece at a time. Perhaps it’s the Psychology major in me, but I find the why much more interesting than the how.

Let’s delve into the why.

My mom was a big fan of the Ellen show when I was younger. I clearly remember watching the show one night. There was a talented guest on the show, and I thought to myself, “wouldn’t it be cool if I could be on the Ellen show?” This thought was quickly shot down by another. “Too bad I don’t have any cool talents or skills. I’m not special enough, I’m just me.”

At seven or eight years old, if you had told me I’d hold a Guinness World record at 21 years old, I’d look you in the eye and call you a liar. I believed I had nothing to offer. I don’t have many clear memories from my childhood, but this is one that I remember vividly, and I believe it is key to understanding the why.

Why did I decide to beat a world record? Why didn’t I give up and call it quits after the first stress injury or even the second? I needed to prove me wrong. I wanted to show little eight-year-old me that I am special. I’m special because I never give up - I dream big, and I persevere, and you know what? I think you’re pretty special, too.

If I can prove myself wrong, so can you.

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George A. Rawlyk Library’s Grand Reopening

by Mari Kadri This past summer, our beloved Crandall Library underwent some renovations to make it bigger and better. With the growth of Crandall’s student body over the past number of years, the expansion and remodel was well needed. Later this month, the grand re-opening will take place.

The evening will feature speeches from Dr. Bruce Fawcett, the President the university, Ivan Douthwright, the library’s first librarian, and David Purdy, our current head librarian. Following that, there will be tours of the newly renovated library. Refreshments will also be provided.

David Purdy says that he hope this event can foster community surrounding the library and serve as a way to celebrate it. In his speech, he will highlight what has changed, as well as the plans he has for the future.

As a special added bonus, the Rawlyk Library will also be launching library-branded computer and water bottle stickers, with a design based on the stamp George A. Rawlyk’s wife designed for his collection. This unique design is an exciting way to celebrate the library’s history while looking forward to the future.

The Grand Re-Opening takes place on November 14 at 7pm! We invite you to come on out and celebrate with us!

CU Serves and the Jr. Chef Program are Looking for Crandall Student Volunteers!

What?

Hosted by the Medavie Community Kitchen in the Peter McKee Community center, this

Who? Any Crandall student who wants to help kids in the community learn how to cook and gain important

program gives kids the opportunity to spend the morning learning how to cook! This opportunity is both fun and informative for the kids as they get to learn about different ways to cook, food safety, and more.

life experience!

When?

Every other Saturday morning from 9:50-12:00 How? More information regarding how to volunteer

CU Serves is looking for volunteers to help with this process! All that is needed is willing

coming soon via your student email and Moodle.

For now, anyone interested should contact Bekah

people who can help with crowd control and be a friendly face!

Swanson at swansonreb@crandalluniversity.ca for further details.

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Local Lore: Remnants of War

by Alley MacDonald Tucked in the very back corner of a quiet gallery in Resurgo Place is a simple, unassuming statue.

It depicts a woman with outstretched hands and a downcast gaze, her face and body chipped and scarred. I’ve always been fascinated by her beautiful, damaged simplicity. Who is she, where did she come from, and how did she end up in Moncton’s museum? As it turns out, this statue’s story is interwoven with the First World War, the life of a Canadian baker, and Spanish religious history.

Private, later Sergeant, Abraham Hughes was born in England in 1863 to a family with six children. There, he married a woman named Phoebe, and the couple immigrated to Minto, New Brunswick in 1904, where Abraham took up work as a baker and carpenter.

When the First World War broke out in 1914, Abraham quickly enlisted in the 26th Battalion. There was only one problem—in 1914, Abraham was fiftyone years old, six years over the maximum age for enlistment. This apparently posed no problem for Abraham, who simply listed his age as forty-two instead. (He may not have counted on a certain history student digging up his service files and discovering this...)

Sergeant Hughes’s mysterious statue.

Photo courtesy of the Resurgo Place Collection.

On June 15, 1915, Abraham left his wife and four children in New Brunswick and sailed back to the country of his birth aboard the S. S. Caledonia. By September, he was serving in France as a third-class cook for High Command. However, this position didn’t keep him from facing the dangers of the Western Front. Abraham spent six weeks in the trenches; the gas attack he experienced there would leave him with shellshock and respiratory issues for the rest of his life.

The bombed St. Martin’s Church, where Sergeant Hughes found his statue.

n late 1916, Abraham found himself in Ypres amidst the ruins of an ancient cathedral. The building, formerly St. Martin’s Church, dated back to 1230 but had been destroyed in a bombing, leaving nothing but doorways that led to nowhere and piles of broken stone. Abraham, however, found something worth saving. A broken statue of a woman he gathered to be the Virgin Mary was lying in the rubble, along with a damaged string of rosary beads.

He picked up both, keeping them with him as he recovered from bronchitis and influenza and ultimately carrying them back across the ocean to Minto.

Abraham died of bronchial asthma in 1939 and was buried in Fernhill Cemetery in St. John. However, the statue and rosary he so carefully brought back from war-torn Europe did not end up there.

Rather, in 1986, an elderly Frederick Hughes (Abraham and Phoebe’s oldest son) donated both to Moncton’s museum.

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But the statue’s story doesn’t end here—or at least, the history nerd tracing its past (me!) wasn’t content with leaving it at that. I was desperate to know what the statue originally held in her outstretched hands, what her gaze was fixed on so serenely. So, I reached out to our very own Dr. Steve Watts, who tracked down a similar figure dating from nineteenth-century Spain.

From early modern Spain to a bombed medieval Sergeant Hughes’s gravesite. cathedral to a baker-soldier’s knapsack to a small city museum, this statue has had quite a journey. Who knows what stories are tied to the remnants of the past in your life? This Remembrance Day, I invite you to look into the histories of the things around you. You never know who or what you might discover.

Alley is a third-year history major who always checks wardrobes for Narnia.

Every year we see an influx of the distinctive red poppies adorning the outerwear of Canadians.

These poppies, which are centered over our hearts, serve as a reminder of the sacrifice that countless men and women have given to protect our country and its people.

November 11 is Remembrance Day. Let us not forget it in the busyness of our own lives. The poppies we wear are not just for show or to conform socially - they are a reminder to remember.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13, KJV).

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Anticipating Immanuel, God with us

by Evan Carr Though it is still one month away, Christmas is beginning to seep into the air. Just a few weeks ago, I recall walking though a grocery store and spying some Christmas-themed products. It wasn’t even Halloween yet! People love anticipating Christmas. Don’t you love decorating your home with Christmas lights, garland, bows, and stockings? Or maybe you are that person who loves filling your house with the aroma of ginger and molasses and sweetness. Perhaps this is your first time in Canada, and you cannot wait for the first snow. Then there is the Christmas music. In fact, one of my friends a week ago attempted to play a Christmas song to the horror of another one of my friends.

Yeah, maybe that was too early.

We only have to wait 365 days (or 366 in a leap year) for each Christmas to roll around – just enough time to unpack and pack our decorations. Imagine waiting for nearly 1000 years.

That was the case with the Jewish people who through Isaiah and other prophets learned of this coming Messiah – this figure who would be called Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23). Isaiah 9 speaks of this figure hundreds of years before his birth. He writes, “for a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Or how about Isaiah 7:14? Isaiah says “‘Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’)’”. Micah 5:2 also gives us an insight into this coming Messiah: “‘But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.’”

These are just a few examples of prophecies pertaining to this coming Messianic figure who would help the Jewish people and the world. Jews heard these prophecies and were amazed and wondered and waited for this man to come. We can see one example of a “righteous and devout” man who longed to see this figure, and he finally did at the end of his life (Luke 2:26). As he gets to hold baby Jesus, Simeon proclaims, “‘For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations’” (Luke 2:30). When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the wait was finally over.

Immanuel, God with us was here.

Another aspect that must be considered is the nature of the prophecies. These were written hundreds of years before Jesus came on the scene, yet they are incredibly accurate in their descriptions concerning him. For instance, Isaiah 7 predicts that the Messiah would be born from a virgin, and we see in the Gospel accounts that Jesus was indeed born of a virgin (Matt 1:20-23; Luke 1:26-38). Or what about Micah’s prophecy of the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem? The Gospels also report that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and they even give the context behind it (Luke 2; Matthew 2).

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There are also many other prophecies regarding Jesus’ crucifixion that came true, but these will have to be addressed in another article. For a sneak peak, I challenge you to read Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 and compare them with the accounts of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion in the Gospels. Isaiah can also be found in Acts 8:26-40.

So, this Christmas season, as you are waiting for December 25, reflect on these prophecies of Jesus and imagine waiting for centuries for them to be fulfilled. Though it may have taken generations of waiting, they came true in the end. This demonstrates that God is faithful to His promises. If He was faithful then, He will be faithful now. Also know that the fulfilled prophecies are yet more evidence that the Bible is God-inspired and therefore accurate and trustworthy in its accounts – try making a precise prediction for 2500 AD and see if you get it right.

As the Christmas season approaches, keep your eyes on Jesus, the one who came down to a manger to be Immanuel – God with us. He is with you today through the Holy Spirit. Seek him and his perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).

Evan Carr is a third year Biology Major (BSc) who enjoys Star Wars, Lego, and guitar.

Sports Roundup

by Noah Miller It’s only November, and yet two of our sports teams are already done with their seasons.

Our Men’s Soccer Team had a competitive season, only missing playoffs by three games! The team was defined by its strong defensive style, while being quick and strong on their counter attacks. Our Women’s Soccer Team had a strong rebuilding year with the addition of Reese Crocker and Jamie Hicks, standing out from the rest with their performances this season. Captain Maya Clapperton led the league with 124 saves this season, displaying her never-give-up spirit to the team every game she played.

The Chargers Cross Country Teams dominated again last Saturday with both the Men’s and Women’s Team at the ACAA Championship. The Women’s Team became back-to-back ACAA Championship, while the Men’s Team collected their third straight Championship.

Our Crandall Chargers have a busy weekend ahead of them with the volleyball teams kicking off their seasons with a double header. Friday Nov. 3rd with the Women playing at 6:00pm and the Men playing at 8:00pm. Saturday Nov. 4th the Women start at 2:00pm and the Men start at 4:00pm.

Our Basketball teams have their home opener on Sunday Nov. 5th, the Women’s team tipoff at 1:00pm and the Men’s tipoff at 3:00pm.

Noah is a third-year Business major who enjoys impromptu snow ball fights.

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Film Review: Coraline (2009)

by Hayley Cook “When you're scared but you still do it anyway, that's brave.”

How much would you sacrifice to have everything you want? This is a question that is presented to Coraline through the various efforts of Other Mother to ensnare Coraline in her twisted dimension.

Would the blue-haired child sacrifice her world as she knew it, along with her real parents, just for the instant gratification of the enthralling lifestyle in Other Mother’s dimension? Or would Coraline do the right thing and realize that life is not about everything being perfect, that perfection is an unattainable and misleading trap? Life is messy and complicated, and the things you want will never be handed to you. Coraline’s home life may not have been perfect, but she knew that easily getting everything she wanted was worse, and this bravery of Coraline’s gave her a great reward: parents and new friends who love and cherish her.

Now, it’s time to dedicate an appreciation toward the art of Claymation and stop motion animation.

Coraline took four years to animate due to the tedious process of building, moving, and photographing each piece of what you see on screen. Each of the 35 animators of the film completed between 2-6 seconds of footage per week. Before production even commenced, it took 4 months to build a Coraline puppet, and there are 28 of them, all created at different heights and for different needs. Coraline’s gloves alone took 6 months to knit and were created by needles as fine as a human hair. Talk about commitment! While other forms of animation may have been cheaper, or quicker, Claymation allowed Coraline to be executed perfectly because it adds to the unusual and unsettling atmosphere of the film. This is just another example of how the easy way isn’t always the right way, and that effort and bravery are worth the reward.

When you hear the word Coraline, the first image that may pop into your mind are those haunting button eyes, and it is also the memory that will stick with you the longest. If you are interested in seeing other Claymation or stop motion animation films that also have iconic imagery, great movies to explore would include LAIKA Studio’s four other feature films: ParaNorman (2012), The Boxtrolls (2014) Kubo and the Two Strings (2016), and Missing Link (2019).

Thanks for reading and keep your button eyes out for an upcoming event in November! And make sure to check out our Instagram and Letterboxd @crandallfilmclub.

Hayley is a first year Education student who has watched “A Cinderella Story” more times than she would care to admit.

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The Creator Cares

by Malcolm Ohlhauser “The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil; It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?

Generations have trod, have trod, have trod; And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil; And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent; There lives the dearest freshness deep down things; And though the last lights off the black West went Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs— Because the Holy Ghost over the bent World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.”

These lines of poetry, which are from “God’s Grandeur” by English poet Gerald Manley Hopkins, were shared by Dr. Watts on Foliage Day. They prompt us to reflect on God’s beauty in creation. As we look around at the last leaves falling, one can only imagine the meticulous persistence God demonstrated in our world. Creating the largest mountain peaks to the smallest creatures, God’s hand has been in it all the time. His work is still to be seen in nature if people will only concern themselves to look.

Fall Foliage Day happened on the 20th of October last month out on the Dobson trail in Riverview.

Surrounded by the East Coast’s beautiful colors, we were given a chance to take a look at our surroundings and ponder our Creator and His art. Members of the English Society led the crowd in a call and response reading of James Weldon Johnson’s “The Creation” which gave the audience a chance to call back, saying “And God saw that is was good.” This practice centered us to hear Dr. Steen talk about how God’s creation is incomplete, and to remember two key things. First, he beckoned us to enjoy the creation around us and to remember the Creator of it all and his love for us. And secondly to understand that nature is imperfect and that it is groaning after every loss and destruction, yearning each time to be made whole by God - “a masterpiece is lost.” Even despite this, we should be aware that God did not abandon his creation after sin entered the world. No! Instead, God sent Jesus to bring us back into perfection by dying on the cross for us.

Take time to look at the beauty of nature and it will reveal God’s love for us and open our eyes to see him working around us and through us to be his hands and feet to the world around us.

Malcolm is a first year Sociology major who loves frolicking in the Crandall woods while singing his favorite songs.

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SHALLNOT a place for poetry

Tree Lament Flat upon the ground

If you listen and look closely

Lies a fallen tree

Despite its fallen self

Branches snapped, limb from limb

You can see, this “tragedy”

A breeze rustles the leaves

Has become something else

It was no breeze that struck it down

Space… more room for growth

This mighty, wooden man

Home… for those down below

Nor axe… machine that felled this wood

Rest… for the weary traveller

Upon the soft, moist land Yet, there it lies, Cloaked in moss Housing bugs and birds A tree, once tall, among them all!

I wonder… when it fell… who heard… …Who heard the mighty groans and creaks Of nature’s steel tremble Amidst the thunder, lightning, rain Who heard the deep roots rumble?

Who mourned this fallen masterpiece As I am mourning now?

Once tall and proud, now it lies

So, maybe… take a pause, then after Look upon the ground See what was and is What God plants strong, He also brings low But, despite it all, it’s His And despite the storms of life His plans are always right So, see the beauty of what was And the beauty that is now Learn from this tree, trust His mastery Sing His praise, even from the ground

Hidden on the ground But

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- Bekah Swanson