May 2019 Swinging Bridge Magazine

THE

THE PULSE MAGAZINE MAY 2019

26

CONVERSATIONS

RETURNS & REMAKES

30

THE SCIENCE OF GETTING HYPE

LEAVING A LEGACY

23

COURTSIDE

10

PSYCHED

Live and Learn

Make the most of your summer and earn the college credits you need.

Messiah College

undergraduate courses Explore a new place, take that summer job you want, spend time with family and friends … and still earn college credit with flexible online courses that work around your schedule!

PLUS, YOU’LL:

• Save a significant discount off fall/spring course costs.

• Cover the same quality course material in eight weeks instead of 15.

• Add more flexibility to your fall/spring schedules.

• Learn from Messiah professors you know and trust.

• Choose from nearly 35 courses — many meet GenEd requirements.

NOW ENROLLING messiah.edu/online Online | Flexible | Affordable

Courses run June 3–July 26, 2019

see anew

To learn more or to register, visit: messiah.edu/online.

THE

SWINGING B R I DG E VOLU M E 1 0 5

EDITION 11

LETTERS FROM THE

STUDENT DIRECTOR

ASST. STUDENT DIRECTOR

DAKOTA VAUGHN

AMBER CLEMENS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I

s it just me, or did this semester just fly by? At this point in the year, I am willing the minutes to tick by faster and the weather to remain at an ideal 75 degrees.

MEGAN BOMBA ART DIRECTOR AMELIA MARKEY AUDIO & VISUAL MANAGER KAI YUEN LEONG

ONLINE EDITOR

DESIGN ASSISTANTS

STUDENT LIFE EDITOR

MADDIE CONLEY

JUSTINE SANPHILLIPO

COSETTE SCHULTIES

MEGAN SPORY CULTURE EDITOR CHARMAINE LIM

ABIGAIL ZOEBISCH DESIGN VOLUNTEER

SPORTS & REC EDITOR LILLIAN KASHISHIAN

GRACE BUTSCHER WEB MANAGER KELLY WEBBER

EDITORS

MAR. 2019

AUDIO & VISUAL ASSISTANTS LAKE BENDER

BUSINESS MANAGER SARAH BLESSING

JOSH YODER RADIO MANAGER

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

MUSIC DIRECTOR

JOSHUA STANLEY

MARISA HARRIS

HANNAH MCGARVEY

Monday - Friday | 1pm - 5pm 717-691-6081 1 COLLEGE AVENUE SUITE 3058 MECHANICSBURG, PA 17055

(Downstairs South Wing of the Larsen Student Union) The Swinging Bridge Magazine is published through The Pulse: Messiah College Media Hub, run by students. The Pulse consists of Pulse Radio, The Clarion yearbook, and The Swinging Bridge Magazine. The Swinging Bridge staff strives to publish quality student writing, photography, and design.

To learn about job and volunteer opportunities, email thepulse@messiah.edu.

What I have come to realize is that I am wishing this precious time away. Afterall, you only get to be in college for so long— and I’m even graduating early.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

This verse was a good reminder for me to take in and be thankful for what is around me as I tend to look ahead. This magazine has come far this year, and I need to rejoice in the work I’ve completed to get it to this point.

As we wrap up this semester and school year, I want to thank you all for reading this publication.

I hope that we have helped give a voice in some form to every walk of life on campus. It has been such a pleasure and a growing experience to serve as Editor-in-Chief for the past year. The Swinging Bridge is in good hands with Charmaine and the rest of the staff.

T

he end of the school year always has me feeling excited and nostalgic.

I celebrate being done with classes while looking forward to what opportunities summer has for me. This time, summer has me preparing for my final year of college and everything that comes after that.

Going from Culture Editor to Editor-in-Chief will be a new experience for me. Beyond the responsibilities, it’s a chance for me to grow as a person and a writer.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.” I hope to do both.

In my last year, I want to grow more conscious of the things I do and how it makes me think.

More than anything, I want this to challenge me to get out of my comfort zone and try things I wouldn’t normally want to do.

Whether that’s running a 5K or talking to someone new, I want my last year to be just as full of firsts.

I hope to continue what Megan, and Becky before her, have established and also build something of my own within these pages.

Keep the pages turning,

One final time: Race me to the back cover, Charmaine Lim Incoming Editor-in-Chief

Megan Bomba Editor-In-Chief

THE SWINGING BRIDGE

3

TABLE

OF

STUDENT LIFE

CULTURE

5

17

WISE WORDS FROM PROFESSORS

6

2020 US ELECTIONS

20

CAMPUS CLOSET

BECOMING LIKE KATNISS

MAKERS AND MENDERS

DYSTOPIAN-INSPIRED ACTIVISM

8

23

NEW PREZ + VP

10

LEAVING A LEGACY

SENIOR IMPACT SPOTLIGHT

12 ETHAN'S GIFT

14 MY STORY

LUZ NIETO

4

CONTENTS

M AY 2 0 1 9

RETURNS & REMAKES

SPORTS & REC

26

PSYCHED

THE SCIENCE OF GETTING HYPE

28

ULTIMATE COACH

COACH CHARLIE HOPPES RETIRES

30

COURTSIDE CONVERSATIONS WITH ALEX MANTSEVICH

STUDENT LIFE

wise words FROM PROFESSORS

BY HALEY MONG

I

t’s that time of year when students wonder how they arrived at May even though September feels like just yesterday. For seniors who are graduating, they may be filled with excitement, ambition, nerves, and thoughts of all the job applications left to submit. Professors have carried senior students through four years of lectures, seminars and last minute emails about the paper due the next day. Now, they offer one final piece of advice to the graduating class of 2019.

KAREN PAULUS KATE OSWALD-WILKINS

Adjunct Instructor in Chemistry

Professor of Communication

“Surrounding yourself with encouraging and uplifting people is the best advice I can give so that you aren’t discouraged very quickly, because it’s easy to become discouraged.”

“Go to the dentist, because you’re going to graduate and you might not have good health insurance at first and you’re going to think, ‘I have good teeth. I’m going to know when there’s a problem,’ but you won’t. Just go to the dentist because when your teeth rot, they are gone forever.”

Professor of Old Testament

JOHN HARMS Professor of Biological Sciences

DOUGLAS CURRY Worship Pastor and Professor of Music and Worship

“First, memorize Romans 12:1-3 and remember it in difficult times or in times when you have significant decisions to make. Second, find or buy a copy of Jerry Sitzer’s book The Will of God is a Way of Life: How to Make Every Decision with Peace and Confidence. Read it, re-read it, and read it again.”

JENNY DOSE Professor of Management

ERIC SEIBERT

“Life is a journey. We get preoccupied by the destination, but life [and its dynamic] changes. Maintain your versatility to migrate between jobs and careers. As you discern, and you get this concept of where God has wired you and you hold things loosely, hold to vision because that’s what guides us.”

“Try to keep a good balance in your life between work and relationship[s] and friends and fun.”

JENELL PARIS Professor of Sociology and Anthropology

“Love is real, and life is real, and joy is real. Live your life from the center of those things.”

DIANE BROCKMAN Senior Lecturer in Psychology

MICHAEL ZIGARELLI

“Be true to yourself and what you want to do.

Don’t be influenced by what you think other people want to do, because you’re the one living your life. Just stay true to yourself.”

Professor of Leadership and Strategy

“Never forget that excellence is a virtue, and it’s a virtue that elevates all the others. So if you’re serious about honoring God with your life, get serious about pursuing excellence in everything.”

“You’re not done learning! You’re probably going to go to conferences or continuing education and gain informal learning from your colleagues.”

THE SWINGING BRIDGE

5

STUDENT LIFE

CA MPUS CLOSET

BY LEANNE TAN

NAOM I CUSIMANO

A

s a Senior Studio Art major, Cusimano, '19, already had the skill set to create her own pieces, but they were also a result of a class project for Wearable Art with Professor Christine Forsythe. She enjoys the freedom that is associated with making clothes that cater to her personal style, which she describes as minimalistic and modern.

“I could make it specific to my taste, whilst controlling the amount of drape it had and the embellishments and color. I also very much enjoyed drawing out the possible designs for it,” explains Cusimano.

For those interested in getting started making their own wardrobe, Cusimano suggests practicing on spare fabric before taking a needle and thread to the fabric you plan to use.

“Do mock ups with cheap fabric before you sew with your real fabric, sparing yourself lots hassle,” she said.

1

2

6

M AY 2 0 1 9

THE PROCESS Sketches are crucial for visualizing "mock-up" prototypes. Cusimano works on this preliminary stage in the company of fellow art major Poh Ann Goh, '19 (top right).

STUDENT LIFE LOCAL ROOTS After designing costumes for theatre and dance here at Messiah, Lyon had enough experience to take with him to his current position: designing costumes at Sight and Sound Theatres in Lancaster County, PA.

SOLD! The happy owner of this Lyon bag, Hannah Schwartz, '21, enjoys its quirky asymmetry and convenient size.

S A M LYO N

S

am Lyon, '18, a former student-turned-instructor, got his start making clothes as part of the Wearable Art class offered at Messiah. He developed an appreciation for the art and would encourage people to do the same.

“First hand knowledge of the work put into making your own clothes is a greater appreciation for the clothing itself―something I feel is often missed in a society where the latest ready-to-wear trends seem magically to appear on a rack at the mall,” explains Lyon about his perceived benefits.

Lyon drew his inspiration for these pieces from, “the beauty of transformation.” He explains this as turning old into new or adorning a garment with new features.

“Making something old into something new is one such transformation - as with the jacket made of a table runner or the vest made from curtains and the remnants of a quilt. I also enjoy sprucing up my existing garments by adding pockets, patches and appliqués or by shortening/removing sleeves and pant legs,” said Lyon.

PERFECT PAIRING Lyon models his outfit, handmade head to toe — including a reversible vest.

Photos on this page courtesy of Christina Kha, pictured in dress on right, also handmade by Lyon.

THE SWINGING BRIDGE

7

“

STUDENT LIFE

TETSUO TAKAHARA Incoming SGA President

JORDAN SPONSLER Incoming SGA Vice President

MEET THE NEW PREZ & VP You know the platform - now get to know the people.

T

he students of Messiah College originate from different backgrounds, each one having their own unique story. Newly elected Student Government Association President Tetsuo Takahara recognizes the importance of these individual stories. He hopes everyone will have the opportunity for theirs to be heard, especially those who aren’t used to being heard. He and his running mate Jordan Sponsler based their campaign on celebrating diversity through these individual stories.

8

M AY 2 0 1 9

“Storytelling and sharing the power of testimony is, I feel at times, really underestimated.” Takahara said. “There’s so much that can happen in a person's life just because someone decided to share and be vulnerable and share their experiences, even at the risk of rebuke or rejection.”

Takahara came to Messiah as an international student from Malaysia, but also has some Japanese heritage. His platform of diversity is supported by his encounters with many other

BY MARIO COSETINO

countries and cultures. Before coming to Messiah, Takahara attended the Methodist College in Malaysia and had no intention of going to Messiah. He originally wanted to study Marine Biology somewhere in the United States, but God had other plans.

“Messiah initially was not my first choice,” Takahara said, “but it ended up being the only college I applied to.” He also changed his course of study to Psychology in the process.

“

STUDENT LIFE

It’s important to form a culture that is less scared to be vulnerable and less afraid to operate in the gray area, to disagree and be okay with that.”

Takahara transferred to Messiah in the Spring of 2018 and stayed on campus throughout the summer. It was around then that he met Jordan Sponsler in a game of pickup soccer on the rec field. Sponsler, a Biochemistry Major, was on campus at the time for research.

Like his newly found friend, Sponsler has a unique background. Sponsler’s parents moved to Budapest, Hungary for missionary work when he was only six years old. From there, he spent the majority of his life traveling abroad and he has now visited 28 different countries.

“Throughout the blessing of traveling to different countries, you see a lot different forms of human expression and a lot of different traditions and cultures and the way people live life,” Sponsler says.

While people may look alike, their stories and the way they live life could be radically different, Sponsler explains. Both he and Takahara learned to dig deeper and to get to know people on a more personal level before making any judgements. They stress the importance of having an open mind and getting to know others.

remain, so to speak, in ignorance or do not feel that the word diversity pertains to them.”

This attitude leaves little room for growth. This is perhaps an area for improvement on campus.

“What we want to focus on is creating an environment where people want to hear, want to listen. We want to try and foster an environment on campus where people are willing to listen to people who believe differently than themselves,” says Sponsler.

The duo hopes to achieve this by creating a culture of vulnerability and openness. This will be accomplished in part by creating opportunities for people to be heard. They plan to implement a town hall that will give students a chance to express their concerns and to be heard by their peers and by members of the SGA. By listening to students in the campaign cycle, they already have a good idea of how they could better provide for the students of Messiah.

Sponsler’s calling to serve and empower others is displayed in a unique way, by a tattoo on his right forearm. The top shows two angled lines

lifting up a kite that represents his wanting to support others through the field of medicine and to fight for social justice. The bottom half is a dagger pointed towards his wrist which shows that “a life lived for others requires sacrifice and death to self.” At the center of it all is a triangle because this life of service to others must be rooted in Jesus.

“This tattoo represents my daily commitment to sacrifice my own personal gain for the pursuit of God’s will for my life and serves as a reminder each day of why I’m here. The day that I regret or become ashamed of this tattoo is the day I forget who I am.” Sponsler said.

Something, people might not know about Tetsuo is that he is an only child.

This has affected his outlook on how he sees relationships.

“Being an only child has taught me that family can be more than just blood relatives.

My friends are especially important to me and many of my best friends are like siblings to me.”

Both he and Sponsler stressed the importance of making Messiah feel like a home, and that starts by making Messiah more of a family. Takahara and Sponsler look forward to the coming change of next school year and hope their impact as SGA leaders will positively benefit everyone from all corners of campus.

“You can’t tell unless you get to know the people or you immerse yourself in their cultures by being there or if you can’t be there, just by simply listening to their stories,” Takahara says.

While Messiah has a lot of diversity, Takahara believes that there is still a tension on campus.

He says some students’ experiences may be forced or, in some cases, not acknowledged at all.

“The biggest issue that Jordan and I feel on campus is that people are sometimes content to TAKAHARA AND SPONSLER discuss their upcoming decisions over a plate of fries.

THE SWINGING BRIDGE

9

STUDENT LIFE

As this year's senior class graduates, we celebrate their accomplishments and look ahead to new leadership.

BY COSET TE SCHULTIES ver the past four years, Messiah experienced several changes. From newly erected buildings to newly elected officers, each class is awarded its own unique experience compared to its predecessor or successor. As witnesses and makers of change, the class of 2019 has made an impactful difference, sourced from the progress of executive clubs.

Messiah offers more than 70 clubs for students to express their interests and grow outside of a classroom environment. However, only a handful qualify as owning executive status. The Student Government Association and Multicultural Council are among those select few.

This year, six out of the seven cabinet members of SGA are seniors. Director of Student Involvement and Leadership Programs Kevin Villegas has the pleasure of overseeing administrative operations. His role allows him to witness the rise and maturation of leaders of the student body.

“I’ve been here long enough that I remember a lot of the seniors when they were first year students,” Villegas says. “To see them grow from being maybe more timid, unsure and grow into confident, competent

10

M AY 2 0 1 9

leaders is really inspiring to me, and that’s one of my favorite parts of the job.”

acy they leave is just a legacy of excellence and healthy pride in their work.”

One of those leading seniors is none other than Student Body President Todd Abbott. Throughout the past year of his administration, he and his team managed to fulfill all their campaign promises – from real fruit smoothies to the FalconLink Master Calendar.

Adjacent to the SGA office is the Multicultural Council room, where an array of diversity clubs operates to intrigue conversation and thought throughout campus. The executive members of MCC – also known as Core – consist of the presidents of the five multicultural clubs, the chair of the council, and the chair’s vice president and treasurer.

“More than anything, the cabinet we have this year is filled with most dedicated, wonderful, kind, people,” says Abbott. “We support each other, and we have a great team dynamic which has made the whole year so much easier. We got lucky.”

In addition to working towards and achieving set goals, Villegas notes that the executive cabinet diligently organized critical files and documents which, since then, has allowed SGA to operate more efficiently.

“This senior class of SGA leaders in particular has been a really good team, very focused,” says Villegas. “They definitely have different gifts, strengths, and abilities, but they all seem to mesh well. I think the leg-

STUDENT LIFE Cherisse Daniels, Assistant Director of Multicultural Programs, works closely with Core to help execute ideas for events and provide mentorship for seniors preparing for the professional, business world. Through their positions in MCC, Officers own the ability to influence campus climate and topic discussions with others other than club members. “[Core] is full of individuals who are passionate about their work and their cause,” says Daniels. “They let majority people know it’s important to know who we are and to know what we do; they foster conversations on difficult topics. I think they are going to leave behind something so beautiful because of how hard they worked.”

Though this is her first year employed at Messiah, Daniels says she quickly connected with the students she works closely with.

She approaches her duties from a holistic mindset and stresses the importance of appreciating the complexity of her all-female staff.

instill the importance of using one’s voice when given the chance. This skill will help leaders remain influential well after they have graduated.

“The one important thing that I stress to my students is don’t let anyone silence your voice, no matter what happens,” says Daniels. “You’re going to go into many different spaces where people may look like you, or they may not look like you. Either way, you always want to make sure that your voice is heard.”

Gloria Igihozo has been involved with MCC since her sophomore year. As chair, she interacts with roughly 50 individuals who have various positions within the umbrella of Multicultural Council. She speaks to her favorite part of being chairwomen as the people she’s gotten to know throughout the year.

“They are more than just students of color,” Daniels says. “They are women who are going out into this world to make a difference, they are leaders, they are strong, they are sisters and daughters.”

“Hearing their stories, and aspirations, and everything that they’ve been doing just gives me hope that the future is better,” Igihozo says. “Even when I leave, there’s still going to be wonderful individuals who are going to make this campus better.”

In terms of providing real-life advice for her executive council, Daniels makes sure to

Igihozo adds, “my hope is that they take on the resources that we have and the work

that we have done and make it better. Not just leave it where it is but improve on it, have their own educational platforms, have their own events. And also prepare another generation of leaders.”

As seniors prepare to pack their belongings for the final time, next year’s leaders are already in the process of accepting their new roles. The work accomplished by the senior class, whether in the past few months or the past few years, has undoubtably made a difference to Messiah.

With sincere gratitude, we can appreciate the legacy they left behind and build upon their success for those who come behind.

“I would just pray for anyone to be challenged and stretched the way that I was this year,” says Abbott. “There’s so much that a position like this offers in terms of personal growths and ways that you can leverage that to faithfully serve the people you’re elected to represent.”

“When the seniors graduate and I see them ready to soar, I feel like a Messiah College education has really done what it’s supposed to do,” says Villegas.

TEAM TIME Igihozo directs a Multicultural Council meeting, then poses with Laura Almeida, who will be taking over her position next year.

GAME NIGHT Abbott acts as MC for Falcon Feud, Messiah's annual multi-team gameshow.

THE SWINGING BRIDGE

11

STUDENT LIFE

ETHAN’S Gift

senior scholarship honors the legacy of Ethan Van Bochoven

s

BY MEGAN BOMBA

uffering a loss is never easy. For the Messiah community, the loss of Ethan Van Bochoven was felt campus-wide by his friends, professors, teammates and classmates. His memory will forever resonate in the hearts and minds of those with which he came in contact. The Senior Gift Committee seeks to create a way for future generations to be impacted by his story with its scholarship in memory of Van Bochoven.

As planning began for the senior class gift, the committee intended to create multiple buckets to which seniors could choose to donate based on their preferences.

“We had started off the semester playing around with a bunch of different ideas. We had wanted to be able to give to causes that resonated with them... When Ethan’s accident happened, we thought that would be a great way to not only unite the senior class, but to also allow to give to a cause that affects everybody in the senior and that could impact future students,” explained Ashley Sider, Assistant Director of Alumni and Parent Relations.

“We said, ‘Hey, we have a chance to really bless this community that has given so much to us and take the time to honor [Ethan] and remember him,” said Becca Hegman, member of the Senior Gift Committee with a focus on fundraising.

12

M AY 2 0 1 9

Once the idea was planted, the committee contacted the Van Bochovens to discuss the potential scholarship. Sider and the committee wanted to ensure that they had the family’s support and that the fund would be aligned with what would best honor Ethan.

“We tried to approach it very strategically, and with a lot of empathy and grace. We reached out to Ethan’s family before ever pushing any kind of agenda for it because in reality, if they’re not on board with it, then it is not something that we would want to continue with,” added Sider.

Following their conversation with the Van Bochovens, the committee continued to put together the details of the scholarship. They decided that since Ethan was heavily involved in the Music Department, the scholarship would be best suited for a student pursuing a similar degree to Ethan.

“Once his family was on board and once we had the support of the Music Department, we figured that we had enough people who were directly impacted by it approving it that we thought we’d give it a shot,” said Sider about the support for the fund.

A proposal was drafted and submitted to the Development Office who handles scholarships, and the Ethan Van Bochoven Memorial Scholarship was approved. Following the announcement of the senior gift, support came flooding in from not only the senior class, but alumni, parents and community members alike.

“I think the biggest impact that this gift has had is not only in the senior class, but how it’s really connected with community members and [alumni] and parents. Typically the senior class gift is geared towards seniors-- we focus heavily on senior participation, we want to give them an opportunity to leave their legacy.

This gift in particular has extended so far beyond the senior class,” said Sider of the community support for the scholarship.

“We’ve had a lot of really great support from alumni just because Ethan did touch so many people’s lives. That has been really great to see, even during Homecoming being able to talk about with the younger alumni who returned,” said Hegman.

The Messiah Alumni Council has also pledged to match funds to a certain amount in support of the scholarship.

Arguably the best part of the scholarship is its potential for growth. With opportunities to match funds and the scholarship having an interest component to sustain it throughout the years, the Ethan Van Bochoven Memorial Scholarship can impact future falcons for many years to come.

“We hit our goal for matching funds pretty early on. The gift, as it stands, has the additional matched funds added to it. What they do then is they take a percentage of it each year to give to a student in perpetuities, so forever and ever, as long as it is accrued,” explained Sider about the details of the fund for the future.

STUDENT LIFE Those interested may still contribute to the fund through the Crowd Shark website at https://crowdshark.webapps.messiah.edu/ seniors19/donate/104 or accessing it by scanning the QR code until May 31, 2019.

“While there is a monetary goal, our goal is to have 50 percent of seniors participate,” said Hegman of the need to increase senior class participation.

“We would love to have more seniors participate… You start to think about the legacy you will leave towards the end of your career, not in August,” said Sider. “I know it’s hard to ask any student to give because each person has a different financial situation. Everybody has something to give at any capacity. It helps people think strategically about how they can make an impact. Any way we can teach students to live a life of generosity is what we want to advocate for.”

The senior gift is a way to leave a legacy at your alma mater. This particular senior gift does not only that, but also honors a life well lived.

If interested in contributing to the Ethan Van Bochoven Memorial Scholarship, please scan the code and make a donation before

May 31 st , 2019.

THE SWINGING BRIDGE

13

STUDENT LIFE

M Y STO R Y :

Luz Nieto

BY COSET TE SCHULTIES s assignments receive their final touch-ups and students organize summer plans, the senior class has more to look forward to than simply another year ending. Graduate schools may attract some, but very few plan to spend the rest of their lives in a classroom. For Early Education major Luz Nieto, moving from a college campus and into an elementary school is not just a short-term goal, but represents the significance of familial accomplishments.

“My parents are first-generation immigrants, so they really value education,” Nieto says. “They see that without an educational background you’re basically nothing. You either break your back physically working or you have an education and do something you’re passionate for. You don’t want to be drained by something you don’t want or like.”

As the daughter of a part-time factory worker, part-time field hand, and housekeeper, Nieto is well aware of alternative

14

M AY 2 0 1 9

options that were available to her instead of a college education. Her decision to earn her undergraduate degree allows her to express her passions while bringing honor to her parents’ dreams.

“I will be the first in my entire family to graduate. I was the first to graduate high school as well so it’s going to be a super important and proud moment in my life,” Nieto says.

“Education is something that I knew I had the opportunity to take, but it was also hard to accomplish given the circumstance that my family is in.”

Nieto admits that enrolling in college wasn’t simply a matter of deciding between schools but whether or not to attend anywhere at all.

With five kids, Nieto’s parents find themselves stretching every dollar. Between groceries, remittances, emergency funds and other expenses, the cost-benefit analysis of higher education included much more than the tuition’s price tag.

STUDENT LIFE

When discussing the future with her parents, Nieto says the debate fluctuated between short term and long term benefits.

“Seeking higher education was them saying ‘you have the opportunity to go because we are in America and we came here for this,’” Nieto says. “A lot of people back home in Mexico have their kids – as soon as they’re done with high school – work.

They live at home and they help out.”

Better opportunities for Nieto and her siblings motivated her parents to leave their families in Mexico and relocate to the United States. By coming to Messiah, Nieto interrupted a long history of entering the workforce immediately after the completion of mandatory education Nieto adds, “[My dad] said that would be more beneficial to him because I would be bringing in money and helping out.

We could make more money when there’s three people working in the household.

Instead of going to college and spending money, pulling out loans and getting into debt, he could keep me home, but that would be selfish of him.”

When Nieto still lived at home, she helped her family around the house while her parents were both away at their full-time jobs.

Her roles as first born and a female brought on the adoption of many responsibilities.

In addition to cooking meals for the family, Nieto often tutored her four younger siblings with their ESL assignments.

“These weren’t things that my parents demanded from me but things I wanted to do because I saw how hard they were working.

So, I helped them out in that way. Me leaving was a struggle for them but they had to adjust like every family does,” Nieto says.

“I’m happy my parents encouraged me,” Nieto adds. “They wanted me to seek higher education in a sense like, ‘we want you to, but it’s going to be really hard on us.’ You feel guilty about coming to school when you know your parents are struggling, but I wanted to do something I actually love and something that is meaningful to me.”

The high expectations and support from her parents allowed Nieto to take advantage of opportunities the United States offers. Unfortunately, with Spanish as their sole language, Nieto’s parents struggled to complete necessary college-related forms available only in English.

“I had to seek help from teachers so that’s why I think they are so important,” Nieto says. “That wasn’t their job requirement or duty. They went out of their way to help me fill out forms because my parents didn’t speak English, so they weren’t able to do that. The teachers I had in my life really impacted and believed in me.”

Nieto credits luck for her record of inspirational teachers throughout her life. During senior year specifically, she received guidance from college applications to FAFSA forms. As she knows that not every student is as fortunate as she is, Nieto hopes to continue the cycle and leave a positive impact on her future students.

Her decision to earn her undergraduate

degree allows her to

express her passions

while bringing honor

to her parents’ dreams.

Though the significance of completing a degree is a prominent step forward for every graduate, Nieto recognizes that her accomplishment speaks more to the importance of representing a minority population.

THE SWINGING BRIDGE

15

STUDENT LIFE

“I’m going to be really proud. Not a lot of people like me are in college,” Nieto says.

“There’s more diversity now but whenever I first came in as a freshman, there was a lot less and it was a real struggle for me.”

SHARING STORIES As president of La

Nieto says she found refuge in core relationships that blossomed from the Multicultural Council. As she reflects on the highs of her college career, those relationships helped Messiah feel more like home and further motivated her to chase her dreams.

Alianza Latina, Nieto (right) coordinates events such as "My American Dream," featuring a panel of Dreamers who shared memories of arriving in the United States.

“I loved meeting those people who had the same views as me in terms of wanting to go out into the world and changing it in a way that will benefit humanity as a whole,” Nieto says.

sylvania mainly consists of two people groups: Caucasians and Mexicans. She feels a strong connection to the people there, as she has lived in the area for practically her whole life.

“I want to go back home and teach just because of the population back there,” Nieto says. “There are a lot of migrant workers and students that I relate to and want to inspire. But I also live 35 minutes away from Messiah so anything around the area here is an option – Harrisburg, Gettysburg, anything within an hour away from my home.”

Working full-time – possibly even with former teachers – while living at home will alleviate the pressure of additional expenses for Nieto. Like most students, she looks forward to getting her loans paid off and helping her parents around the house again when she can.

“I can’t believe I was here for four years, and now we’re how many days away from graduation?” Nieto says. “It’s nerve-racking but I’m excited about it. And, I’m excited to see that my siblings are seeking higher education too.”

“As the years went on, I was blessed to know more people who have a passion for their own roots and culture, but also an ability to open their mind and seek others who Serving her second year as president of La need support. ” Alianza Latina, Nieto is able to inspire the next generation of leaders on campus and pass on the same contagious excitement that was given to her years ago.

In addition to motivating underclassmen, Nieto wants to pour into the children in the same area she grew up in. The demographic population of New Oxford, Penn-

16

M AY 2 0 1 9

The importance of education instilled in her from a young age inspires Nieto to leave her unique impression on future students. Although the journey of working towards her undergraduate degree challenged her in many ways, Nieto looks forward to applying what she has learned here to real life.

“Being a college student is draining but becoming a life-long learner is so important,” Nieto says. “That’s what I’m going to be teaching my kids: Be a life-long learner and love it.”

CULTURE

BY KENDRA SOMMERS

E

ven though November 3, 2020, may be over a year away, candidates are already announcing their official statements running for presidency. These are some of the most prominent candidates so far and their platforms.

THE SWINGING BRIDGE

17

CULTURE

IND E P E N DEN T Bernie Sanders Sanders is registered as an Independent when he announced he would be running in the 2020 US election; however, he will participate in the democratic primaries. Sanders’ main slogan is, “Not me. Us.” The Senator of Vermont has described himself as a democratic socialist and some of his main policies relate to health care, labor and education.

For healthcare, Sanders hopes to transition to Medicare for All Act where all Americans would have access to health care through the government. Sanders aims to raise the minimum wage, heavily pushing for $15 per hour becoming the new minimum wage. He has also placed pressure on bigger corporations to raise their minimum wage, saying $7.25/hr is “starvation wage.” Continuing on his Twitter he said, “If you work 40 hours a week, you should not live in poverty.”

Concerning education, Sanders has spoken frequently about his plans to make college more affordable, including eventually having community college and four-year universities be free for students with families making less than $125,000 a year. Overall, he wants to also increase student loan forgiveness.

Besides these main policies, Sanders has plans to reduce the wealth inequality in America by having higher taxes for the wealthy and to keep reducing the taxes of the middle class.

He has also endorsed forms of the Green New Deal concerning climate change, aiming to reform the amount of carbon emissions in the U.S. For more information on Bernie Sanders, read up on his Twitter where he talks a lot about his future policies.

DEM O C R AT I C Kamala Harris While some early polling shows Joe Biden to be the leading choice of the Democratic Party for the 2020 election, he has yet to make a formal announcement about his candidacy.

Besides Sanders usually being in second after Biden, there is much fluidity with the rest of the Democratic nominations and their standings in the poll, however, a very prominent candidate surfacing towards the top is California Senator Kamala Harris.

Her campaign rests on the phrase, “Kamala Harris, for the people,” showing her main initiative being to represent the people of America. She has backed similar Medicare initiatives as Sanders. Besides healthcare, some of her other key policies include her new tax plan, housing and education. “Under Harris’ [tax] plan, the federal government would pay tax credits that match a person’s earnings up to $3000 (or $6000 for married couple),” where these tax credits would become high earnings encouraging Americans to work and without changing the minimum wages. Harris said, “Americans are working harder than ever, but stagnant wages means they can’t keep up with cost-of-living-increases. We should put money back into the pockets of American families.”

Harris has also proposed legislation concerning the increasingly high cost of rent in American cities. The legislation outlines tax credits for those with an annual income of less than $100,000, when over 30% of income is used for rent.

Harris has also expressed her want to increase teachers’ salaries by $13,500 in her first term through government spending from the taxes of wealthier estates.

18

M AY 2 0 1 9

CULTURE

RE P U B LIC AN Donald Trump

We asked a few politics professors for some advice concerning candidates, elections and voting, and this is what they had to say:

As of right now, Donald Trump is the only substantial Republican candidate to have officially announced his run for presidency in the 2020 election. There is much speculation over who else will run in the Republican party, but as of right now, it is not certain. However, the Republican National Committee has already stated their “undivided support for President Donald J. Trump and his effective Presidency,” so it is very likely that Trump will get the Republican nomination.

“I think that Trump’s presidency has presented us with larger, more existential questions about who we are as a people, what are values are and our commitment to [America’s] institutions and processes … I hope these would be important considerations for voters.”

Trump will continue on his platform of “Make America Great Again,” from the 2016 election, and continue endorsing policies he’s been trying to enact while in office. Some of his main concerns have been related to immigration, national security and defense, and healthcare.

“Voters should be galvanized and inspired to go out and vote and inform themselves about these candidates and about these issues that affect them at a more local basis … especially if, it seems already decided one way or the other at the presidential level.”

During his first term, Trump has spoken to Congress concerning “The Wall” on the southern-Mexican border to help reduce illegal immigration, as well as his hopes to eliminate the “visa lottery program.” With the help of the Department of Homeland Security, Trump repealed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program as well as Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) program. Under Trumps direction, Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested 110,568 arrest of illegal immigrants.

With healthcare, Trump has tried to repeal Obamacare and wants to introduce further alternatives to “increase competition and bring down costs for consumers.” Trump has also repeatedly expressed his lack of interest in climate change, declaring it nothing more than “fake news” and having little concern over his policies.

D R . PA U L R E G O

D R . J O HN HA R L E S “I had a professor when I was in undergrad that said, ‘The price of democracy is constant vigilance.’ … And I think when students look at the political process, they have to remind themselves that they can’t do it casually.”

“Really, to me what the political process should be about is how we determine the kind of life that we want to have together . . . to absent our self from the discussion about that is really a mistake.”

D R . J A SO N R E N N “You should consider what you get out of participation in politics. Not whether or not your candidate wins or loses because of your vote, but what part you can play in the process and what benefit you get from not just voting, but talking with your friends about political issues, participat[ing] in a primary or caucus…, and becoming more educated about the political system. The decision to vote shouldn’t just come down to whether or not you alone will make a difference.

THE SWINGING BRIDGE

19

LIKE

CULTURE

20

M AY 2 0 1 9

CULTURE

When dystopian futures inspire positive changes in our generation

BY MAGGIE SHIVE

W

Adapted from 2019 Humanities Symposium Presentation

hether the thought of Suzanne Collins’ trilogy, The Hunger Games, makes you smile or roll your eyes, it’s hard to deny the impact the book series had on culture. If someone didn’t read the books, they almost certainly watched the movie adaptations, which make up one of the highest-grossing film franchises of all time in North America according to an article from Box Office Mojo.

As time went on, The Hunger Games began to lose its footing in popular culture as other novels and their films fought for attention, but it still remains a vital part of bringing people, regardless of age, into the world of young adult fiction, particularly dystopian novels.

The popularity of YA dystopian fiction preceded the growth of social activism among young people, including the well-known March For Our Lives movement, but also other forms of activism as well. These novels – particularly their main characters – have served as inspiration for teenagers, encouraging them to take a stand for what they believe in.

Collins’s trilogy was not the first or the last of its kind. In 2005, three years prior to The Hunger Games’s publication, Scott Westerfeld’s dystopian novel Uglies was released and became a critical success. Similarly, a few years after The Hunger Games reached popularity, Veronica Roth published her dystopian novel Divergent, which was also well received and adapted into a film franchise, albeit a less successful one.

All three of these novels bear the marks of dystopian fiction: They take place in a notso-distant future in an oppressive society of

some sort. In Uglies, people’s appearances are controlled at certain stages of their lives through forced plastic surgery. Tally Youngblood is considered an “ugly,” but she longs for the day that she will turn sixteen and receive the surgery to become “pretty.”

The Hunger Games is named after the yearly event that takes place in the nation, where twenty-four teenagers are forced into an arena to fight to the death until one victor remains. Katniss Everdeen is the protagonist of this novel, and when her younger sister Prim is chosen for the games, Katniss volunteers to take her place.

In Divergent, teenagers are given a test that assigns them to a specific faction in their society. When it comes time to make that decision herself, Beatrice “Tris” Prior leaves Abnegation, the faction she was born in, and has to survive initiation into her new faction, Dauntless.

It’s safe to say that none of these societies sound like ideal places to live in. So why are these books so popular and well-received?

In a word, it’s because of their relatability.

An article in Forbes by Debra Donston-Miller says that teenagers perceive these fictional worlds as representations of the real world, which they believe has been messed up by their parents’ generation. When reading novels like The Hunger Games, these young adults find a kindred spirit in the protagonists, who also live in societies that have been destroyed by their elders.

These characters don’t sit by in their societies either – they create change by defying the structures that oppress them. In Uglies, Tally is blackmailed into searching for THE SWINGING BRIDGE

21

CULTURE

"

a group of rebels known as the Smoke and report back to the government – otherwise, they won’t let her become pretty. When Tally does find the Smoke however, she chooses to side with them instead, even when it means she’ll never receive the surgery she has always dreamed of.

Tally, Katniss, Tris, If

and the hundreds of other dystopian protagonists can change the world, then . . .

so can we.

Similarly, Katniss also defies the expectations that her society has set out for her.

Competitors in the Hunger Games are expected to be emotionless killing machines. When Katniss loses one of her allies, however, she disregards this and chooses to honor her fallen friend instead of acting cold hearted.

Finally, the characters in Divergent believe in a saying: “Faction before blood.” When someone transfers to a new faction, they are expected to forget their past attachments, including their families. Contrary to this, when Tris gets caught in a conflict between her faction and her parents’ faction, she chooses instead to side with her family and defend them.

Is it possible that the young people reading these books and relating to these characters are also being inspired by them? The recent examples of teen civic and social activism, particularly in the United States, seem to suggest that is the case.

Just recently, the United States recognized the one-year anniversary of the March For Our Lives movement, which occurred in March 2018. While certainly not the only example of teen activism in the twenty-first century, it was one of the largest and most widely recognized teen-led movements in recent memory.

March For Our Lives came about following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School in Parkland, Flori-

22

M AY 2 0 1 9

da, which left seventeen students and staff dead and seventeen others injured. This marks it as the deadliest high school shooting in United States History. In response to this tragic event, students from the school organized a rally in Washington D.C., with hundreds of similar demonstrations taking place across the country and around the globe. According to some estimates, around 800,000 people were at the main march in Washington D.C. In the March For Our Lives mission statement, specific attention is paid to the student involvement in the movement: “The Parkland students, along with young leaders of all backgrounds from across the country, refuse to accept this passivity and demand direct action to combat this epidemic.” The March For Our Lives became one of the biggest and most widespread movement led by young people, but it is certainly not the only way that teens have been active in their society.

Hundreds of other teens have taken steps to create change, and while it may not be on the same scale as March For Our Lives, it is not less important. Students have looked for ways to promote mental wellness in their schools, such as Allison Tu, who founded the Student Alliance for Mental Health Innovation and Action (StAMINA).

Others have taken steps to prevent bullying, like Natalie Hampton who created a mobile app called Sit With Us that allows students to find peers to eat lunch with. Young people have also tackled issues such as literacy – Maria Keller founded Read Indeed, an organization that collects books to distribute to children worldwide. She cites Lois Lowry’s The Giver – a classic dystopian novel – as one of her favorite books.

While our world is still a far cry from the worlds of The Hunger Games, there are still plenty of issues that we face, even in our everyday lives. For young people growing up in an often harsh reality, they find a bond among the protagonists of their favorite books. In turn, these characters provide inspiration for their readers – If Tally, Katniss, Tris, and the hundreds of other dystopian protagonists can change the world, then so can we.

CULTURE

A IN

BY CHARM

E L IM

tions

a r gener e w e n sics to s a l c g aking in c m u m d l o fi r Re-int nges in a h c g n plori and ex

S

tories are created to be told time and time again. As far back as we know, they were passed down verbally from generation to generation. Only very recently did we start writing them down, and even more recently that we combined them with moving pictures to make movies.

THE SWINGING BRIDGE

23

CULTURE

admi

One of the first movies to get adapted was The Wizard of Oz back in 1939. The story was first published as a book by L. Frank Baum in 1900, quickly becoming a children’s classic before it was brought to the big screen. What made it successful was not only the visual take on the story, but the use of Technicolor that famously made Dorothy’s shoes red. Still considered a classic, it was the first of many remakes that came to the screen.

Remakes within the film and television industry have existed for years, with some of the most famous being the variations of superhero movies, adapted from original comics. Most recently, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) takes this mantle by adapting well-known comics into a long onscreen narrative. Similar to how the comics interact with each other, the movies build on stories we’re already familiar with and connects them to tell a larger story.

But what makes a good remake stand out from all the others?

For senior film and media arts major Shaun Kam, it all comes down to how the story of the remake is told. He uses the MCU as an example of great storytelling from both the writers and directors who are clearly fans of the original comic books.

24

M AY 2 0 1 9

Within the MCU, remaking the origin stories of the team of Avengers not only expands the storyline, but also allows writers to explore the direction they can take the franchise in. The different trilogies within the MCU storyline tend to also follow specific themes and genre elements that set them apart from each other, but still being able to blend together easily.

Particularly, the three versions of Peter Parker’s origin story as Spiderman have been strong examples of how the same character can have three origin movies and still be considered the most popular superhero. Marketed as the “friendly neighborhood Spiderman,” Peter Parker’s journey from student to hero makes him unique in a universe of billionaires or aliens. Each version of Parker’s origin focuses on a different aspect of heroism and humanity, creating its own success through different markers of a popular fiction trope.

“The remake is kind of a popular tool for guaranteeing success,” Fabrizio Cilento, associate professor of film and digital media, said. “I think part of the reasoning is that when you do a remake of a famous movie or TV series, you have a ready-made audience.

You have all the fans of the original.”

t 1

Along with the existing fans come the nostalgia factor. Many people will likely experience a remake of a popular film from their childhood later on in life. The memories of the original film are one of the biggest reasons why people tend to be both excited and hesitant about remakes.

Junior film and English double major Bill Fridell said that part of what makes remakes and adaptations easier now is how nostalgia-based our culture is.

“I would say people are generally more accepting [of remakes] just because of the nostalgic element,” Kam said. “People will look forward to it.”

For some franchises, the nostalgia is enough to return to a fictional world. Perhaps most notably, Star Wars uses nostalgia and strong storytelling to return to outer space twice over the course of four decades.

When the original trilogy was released between 1997-1983, movie-goers were given the chance to explore a complex original story taking place entirely in space. Not only did the visual effect turn the franchise into a classic, it was considered one of the most revolutionary films of its time for how much VFX was used.

CULTURE

With each new movie in the franchise, Star Wars built a large universe of storytelling that allowed writers to explore and add to the original trilogy. Advances in technology led George Lucas to reconsider making more films in the series, eventually leading to the prequel trilogy from 1999-2005.

“I think that in this sense, Star Wars did the best job in being a transgenerational product,” Cilento said.

Kam said that this franchise is an example of watching fans of the original trilogy grow up to becomes the writers, directors and producers of the sequel trilogy, which began in 2015 and will conclude at the end of 2019. The timespan between movies allows children who grew up watching the movies to become adults who write more stories in a world that has spanned four decades.

The ability to tell more than one story within the universe makes Star Wars special.

Few franchises are able to stand the test of time and create the opportunity for new stories at the same time.

“When it comes to Star Wars films, you want to see three things: a new world, new aliens and lightsabers,” Kam said.

Meeting the expectations of fans through storytelling often becomes one of the most important factors for franchises that are attempting to remake a previous idea or return to an existing world.

“I would say that whoever is directing it [the remake], they must have a huge passion for it,” Kam said. “If there’s already such a huge fanbase and someone decides to pick up a script…but he or she doesn’t have the passion for it, then I would say ‘stop it.’”

At the end of the day, fiction relies on a strong passion and good storytelling. What makes a remake or return is not the fancy effects, but the ability to take a well-known story and add just enough of something new to make it interesting for both old and new viewers.

Few franchises are able to stand the test of time and create the opportunity for new

stories at the same time.

THE SWINGING BRIDGE

25

PSYCHED: CULTURE SPORTS & REC

THE SCIENCE OF

GETTING HYPE

ENERGY

HO P R E PA RAT I O N

FORM

MADELYN YANNETTI BRINGS HER GAME FACE

ADRENALINE HEAD SPACE

BY LILLIAN KASHISHIAN OH

I

t is a term that has been around for a long time, but what does getting “psyched up” actually mean?

Getting psyched up for competition, whether it be a business endeavor or athletic competition, means to employ strategies in order to be mentally prepared for the task at hand.

H N

26

M AY 2 0 1 9

“I think part of what’s interesting with this topic is we assume sometimes that everybody needs to get to a really high emotional arousal level to perform well,” said Dr. Mindy Smith, senior lecturer of Applied Health Science and Director of Student Wellness. “One of the things that we know in psychology is that each person is different in how they best prepare [for competition] in order to be successful.”

Specifically, for athletes, they should aim to reach the optimal zone of functioning. This zone of functioning is unique to each individual and is the combination between the arousal and performance level of each individual in their quest to achieve success. To reach their optimal zone of functioning, athletes employ different techniques in order to prepare for their competition.

“For some, that actually involves keeping things a little more relaxed and calm,” explained Dr. Smith. “For others, that means they actually need to create greater stimulation. I think for a lot of people, music kind of ends up being the go to because of the nature of music which evokes emotion and it helps us feel excited about different things.”

HO

SPORTS & REC ADRENALINE

I think that’s something that both coaches and athletes need to be aware of again is that individual zone of optimal functioning. Where does each person need to be to be most prepared where there’s a kind of mental calmness, but yet the body is adequately warmed up and prepared and ready?”

So what techniques do our student-athletes use before game time?

MADELYN YANNETTI Softball “We are all challenged by our coach to find out what ‘number’ we function best at. I am someone who gets ready at around an eight, so I love to listen to music and be surrounded by other teammates who are hype for games.

We have the team locker room this year and it has been decorated and transformed into a space that has inspiring and motivational messages that bring positive softball memories to me.

When preparing to perform for a game, I feel that getting into the right head space is extremely important. You need to prepare your mind, body, and soul, as crazy as that sounds, because playing your sport can be taxing on all fronts.”

PREPPING FOR A PITCH

“For me I need to psych myself down. Don’t get me wrong I get excited and nervous for games but if I am psyched up I usually make a handful of mistakes. It’s more about having a level head than it is being too pumped up.

H N

Before each game I listen to music while I retape my stick. I try and re-tape it every two or three days and doing it before games has just always made sense. The music I listen to isn’t specific at all. Some days it will be rock other days it will be instrumental. After that, I take my headphones out and just hangout and talk with guys from the team either in the locker room or athletic training room.”

SPENCER MCCRORY Baseball “To get psyched up, I try and stay loose. Some players need to be angry or hyped up, but usually what gets me psyched for games by playing like a kid. When I’m told I’m playing, it brings back all the childhood memories of playing the game when it was fun and there was no pressure. So, to get psyched for games, I just act like a kid who is playing a game. At the end of the day, that’s all it really is! I set my goal on playing my best and having fun (as cliché as it sounds) and it keeps me loose and ready to see the field.”

AJ SWANSON Tennis

“In order to get psyched up I usually listen to some of my favorite songs and think about the match ahead. If it is a good team I prepare myself mentally for a tough battle ahead. I think getting psyched up for games does help my performance because I can usually handle the pressure of the match since I prepared for it mentally on the way, even if I lose, I often reflect on the match and use it as a learning experience in order to improve my game.”

THE SWINGING BRIDGE

HO

OH

“If we get to the point where we’re so stimulated at such a high arousal level, we can potentially struggle to execute things correctly,” said Dr. Smith. “We see that even at the start of a competition, where it just seems out of control, and there’s lots of energy and running.

Men’s Lacrosse

OH

H N

Exhibiting pre-performance strategies is important for athletes because it instills consistency which then becomes a part of their routine. However, if an athlete becomes too psyched up, detrimental effects on performance can be seen.

JOSEPH FRANKEN

HO

FOCUS

27

SPORTS & REC

Saying goodbye to CHARLIE HOPPES, the

ULTIMATE

COACH

BY LILLIAN KASHISHIAN

On February 26, 2019, a few days before the season began, Messiah Men’s Ultimate Frisbee Head Coach Charlie Hoppes announced that this spring season would be his last. After nine years as the men’s head coach and four years playing prior to that, Hoppes decided that it was time to retire, but not before a little bit of reflection.

Hoppes knew he was going to play ultimate from his first practice, but the moment he truly fell in love with the game was after an adventure with his teammates.

“We were out in Cincinnati and it was a disaster,” described Hoppes. “We forgot to book a hotel, and we got lost on the way there. And I just loved it!

“The car ride with the older guys was a good time, and to run around, compete alongside my teammates against other colleges, to go into games with my friends and how good it felt playing with those amazing teammates.”

Hoppes originally found Ultimate during his first year running cross country at Messiah when a few of his friends on the Bruderhof floor bought a disk that included an "Ultimate 101" DVD. After checking out a Messiah ultimate frisbee practice, Hoppes and his friends were hooked, and spent many nights learning new throws and ways to play.

From there, the rest was history.

28

M AY 2 0 1 9

During his time playing in college, Hoppes would go back home some weekends to help coach an Ultimate team at his old high school.

And in 2007, he began playing for a club team in Baltimore.

“They had a totally different way of talking about and thinking about the sport than the way I had been taught at Messiah, and it opened up my mind to researching and developing ways to play beyond what I had initially been taught,” said Hoppes.

In 2010, Hoppes was approaching the conclusion of his last collegiate season when the rising captains asked if he wanted to be the head coach for the next season.

“I thought why not,” said Hoppes. “I'll be in the area and playing club isn't until summer, so at least I'll have something to do!”

The transition between playing and coaching was fairly smooth as Hoppes took pride in being able to impact the game with his mind and field vision as a player.

“As a coach, my mind became an even bigger asset and a way to impact the game nearly every moment,” explained Hoppes. “And I deeply enjoy people. I am a competitive but empathetic person, and spending time with the players, the opponents, the assistant coaches gave me another opportunity to hone those traits into strong leadership qualities. Coaching was always just a perfect fit for me.”

SPORTS & REC

WRAPPING UP PRACTICE The team poses with Coach Hoppes, right, at practice during their last season together.

Overall, Ultimate has provided Hoppes with experiences and challenges that will be remembered for a lifetime.

“Ultimate has been everything for me,” said Hoppes. “When I was a kid, my captain, team founder Chris Schulze showed me what being a servant leader looked like. In my uneven battle with mental illness, the sport has been a constant. In learning how to better love others, I developed a deeper level of empathy for those players who are different than I am. In my working career, I've managed high levels of organizations and been successful through methods that look a lot like my coaching. Everything I am I owe to Ultimate.”

The thing he’ll miss the most about coaching Messiah Ultimate? The biggest games.

“There is something special about watching someone from their first attempt at throwing a flick,” explained Hoppes. “Sports, on their face, are more binary than most of life. Success and failure is on a scoreboard in front of you. But the success is earned in a very non-binary way. To see these players, how hard they work, all the hills they run in the cold, the throwing in the rain. To be there when they can't seem to catch anything or are getting beat on defense.

"And then to see them making big plays in important games, getting excited for each other, turning that hard work and the learning moments into memories - that's something you get at any level of the sport to some degree, but here in college, where these kids are turning into adults, living together, it's a special thing.”

While Hoppes does not know what is next for him, he does plan on staying involved with the game.

“I've coached several seasons of semi-pro Ultimate, and I have been the head coach of the top men's club team in Philadelphia, Patrol, where I've been fortunate to lead that team to the USA Ultimate Club National Championships three times,” said Hoppes. “I am going to continue coaching Patrol, and then I'm going to see what's next. I will be working on starting organized high school ultimate in the central PA area. I might coach college again somewhere else someday, but I'll be involved with Ultimate for a long time, absolutely.”

"Everything

I am I owe to

Ultimate."

No matter where Hoppes’ next adventure takes him, and no matter where the players’ journeys take them, the Falcons will always fly together.

THE SWINGING BRIDGE

29

SPORTS & REC

CONVERSATIONS with junior Men’s Tennis captain ALEX MANTSEVICH

G

BY L EANNE TAN

etting involved in athletics teaches us many things apart from the activity itself. It impacts our lives in ways we never imagined. For junior Men’s Tennis captain Alex Mantsevich, his college athletic experience has helped him to grow not just on the court, but in various areas of life.

Mantsevich decided to pick up tennis at the start of high school after watching the 2012 Wimbledon Championships men’s single final match between Roger Federer and Andy Murray on TV. Since then, he has developed a keen inteest and passion for the sport. He attributes his passion largely to his competitive spirit.

For as long as he can remember, Mantsevich has enjoyed competition, especially in sports. Like many children, he grew up playing a variety of sports with other kids in his neighborhood.

“I feel like I’ve always been a competitive athlete, even if not at the highest level,” said Mantsevich.

“And those kinds of sports satisfied the competition and athleticism in me.”

“Alex is very competitive, but it’s a good kind of competitive,” explained Head Tennis Coach Jon Arosell. “He wants to do well but his ego isn’t inflated. He just has a real sense of who he is.”

An aspect of tennis that Mantsevich finds attractive is the mental and physical strength it demands from players.

30

M AY 2 0 1 9

SPORTS & REC

“You need to be strong mentally in order to perform well. Every point counts and results in something different,” said Mantsevich.

“You have to be able to forget the previous point, even if you had won because every point could be a different result.”

He added that tennis is also physically demanding because a player must be in good shape to get through the matches, which can go on for long periods of time with few breaks in between.

The mental strength Mantsevich has gained from playing tennis has also helped him to persevere when being academically challenged.

“Tennis really teaches you to be mentally strong,” explained Mantsevich. “So, when I have a tough week ahead of me, no matter how much I complain, I can look forward to knowing that I will get through this.”

All student-athletes face the challenge of balancing their athletic careers alongside the responsibilities that come with being a college student, which can often be draining. For Mantsevich, this is no exception.

However, over the years he has learned to deal with it better.

“I think that I’ve definitely learned to manage my time better,” said Mantsevich. “I’m definitely better at using the small spaces of free time in my day to be productive when it comes to doing homework and such.”

In addition to academics, playing tennis has also impacted Mantsevich on a spiritual level. When competing on the court, he strives to represent not just his school, but God. “We have the word 'Messiah'- written on the front of our shirts. To me, that isn’t just the name of a school, but the name of my King,” said Mantsevich. “While I’m out there, I am representing Messiah and I want to be able to do that to the best of my abilities – to stay humble when I win and to be humbled when I lose, knowing I had done my best.”

Mantsevich has lately been drawn to the phrase “love like Jesus” and hopes to convey God’s love to his opponents and anyone watching his matches.

“Even when he’s competing, his opponents like him because he’s not combative,” said Arosell. “He’s a very respectful opponent and he brings that out when competing. I think people feel and see that.”

One lesson Mantsevich has learned from playing tennis is to look after his health because life is short.

“Before, I definitely didn’t really care what I needed to eat, drink or take,” said Mantsevich.

“But lately, [God] has been showing me that it’s my body and I should take care of it.”

Throughout his college tennis career, Mantsevich has struggled with multiple injuries, something he never had to worry about in high school.

“I’ve been forced to stretch more before matches and focus on what I eat,” said Mantsevich. “I’ve been going down to the trainer before matches and practice to see what I can do to fix myself up.”

“

I want to be known as the guy that gave his absolute all on the court."

With three seasons down and one more to go, Mantsevich hopes to improve his court performance to return stronger next year. Since there are no seniors on the team this season, he is looking forward to spending another year with the whole team. One of his goals for his senior season is to leave a legacy for future teams to look at.

“I don’t want to be just another guy that went and brought home titles; I want to be known as the guy that gave his absolute all on the court – physically, mentally and spiritually – in representing Jesus,” said Mantsevich. “Not to sound cheesy but bringing home a title is a temporary thing. [It’s] the impacts that I might make on people that would last forever.”

THE SWINGING BRIDGE

31

Open Hours Monday-Friday 1 - 5 pm 717-691-6081 facebook.com/MessiahPulse instagram.com/MessiahPulse twitter.com/MessiahPulse Pulse.Messiah.edu