Swinging Bridge Magazine: April 2017

Acclamation Dance Ministry

The Evidence

A New Era for Men’s Volleyball

PAGE 10

PAGE 18

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Volume 97 // Edition 5 // April 2017

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volume 97 // edition 5 // apr 2017 Swinging Bridge Magazine Staff

Student Director Assistant Student Director Editor-in-Chief Online Editor Student Life Editor Culture Editor Sports & Rec Editor Design Manager, SBM Design Manager, Clarion Design Assistants

Audio/Visual Manager Audio/Visual Assistants Business Manager Social Media Manager Web Manager

Bree Whitelock Gabby Kurtz Maddie Crocenzi Alyssa Burd Stephanie Bricker Mimi Pedercini Willie Hope Jimmy Gibbons Kerri Denton Chalmers Port Grace Demmer Jacque Sauder Austen Bower Ryan Emerick Paul Smith Dan Husmann Kaitlyn Wolf Katie Piette

Monday - 1pm - 5pm Tuesday - 11 am - 3pm Wednesday - 1pm - 5pm Friday - 10am - 3pm (717) 766-2511 ext. 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 FM, 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.

Letter from the Editor The biggest problem with magazines is the timing. Because of deadlines, I have to write this at the end of February even though I know people won’t read it until April. This time around, though, my mind is fooled into thinking it really is April as I step outside in this sunny and 75-degree weather in February. But hey, there are no complaints here as I type this out in shorts and a t-shirt before going kayaking… in February.

Even though I wouldn’t trade this weather for the world, it has me feeling out of sorts.

I’m used to the odd dynamic of speed walking to class in sub-zero temperatures, then sweating when I finally get there. In my mind, I’m supposed to be drinking hot instead of iced coffee, sledding on cemetery hill and living in fuzzy socks. And while it’s nice to have the appearance of April weather in the winter, it’s fooling me into thinking I lack something critical: time.

As a senior, I’m already feeling the graduation time crunch.

There are so many people to spend time with, many Messiah bucket list items to check off (I’m looking at you sleeping in a hammock by the Breeches) and yes, even so many jobs to apply for. And during all of this, I’m questioning if the last few

years were spent wisely. How many times could I have gone to that soccer game instead of studying? And how often did I take advantage of the things Messiah has to offer?

I think the magazine is an opportunity for all of us to see what we can do with our time.

The stories that recap important events like The Evidence’s new album or the gap years that changed people’s lives can inspire you. Then there are the stories about changes ahead like the Men’s Club Volleyball Team becoming a varsity sport, the next Acclamation concert and the Department of Theater’s newest show, offering you the chance to do or see something different.

When you think about it, this magazine comes out in April, and there will be about a month left of the semester—so go out and enjoy it. Have that cookout with friends you’ve been saying you’ll do for a year, or go tubing down the Breeches one last time before the summer hits.

Now’s the time to do something great, and whether you’re a senior or not, don’t waste it.

Maddie Crocenzi, Editor-in-Chief

SBM // 1

table of contents: Student Life

Culture

4. Campus Closet 5. Lottie Life Hacks 6. Spring Road Trips 8. A Year Off 10. Acclamation 12. Backstage 14. Barefoot Tribe

16. New on Pulse 90.7 22. A New Era for 17. WYMHMLM Men’s Volleyball 18. The Evidence 24. FCA Highlights 20. Environmental Racism 25. Senior Athlete Spotlight 26. The Pulse Tries: Athletic Training 28. Years of Resilience

in this issue

Sports and Rec

on the web

Tattoo Tuesdays

Get to Know: Your New SGA President & VP

New ID Cards

Networking Tips

International

Christian Rap

Banquet Preview

visit us online at pulse.messiah.edu to read more 2 // APR 2017

Student Life

30 Things to Do in

Start a new book to celebrate the new month!

By Stephanie Bricker

Round Practice up some Go see “The some spring friends for a Shaughraun” cleaning springtime in Miller in your bar-b-que Theatre dorm or on the apartment Breeches

Visit Hersheypark’s Springtime in the Park

Buy some rain boots and splash around in puddles from April showers

Pick up some Dunkin’ coffee

Celebrate National Caramel Day with a caramel latte from the Union

Celebrate Easter

leftover Easter candy

Dye eggs with family and friends

Participate in a service project on Service Day

Go see “A Monster Calls” at Lost Films

Enjoy a Union smoothie outside

Read our feature on Acclamation Dance Ministry and attend their spring concert!

Put a volleyball team together and play outside behind Mellinger or Kelly

Go see “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” at Lost Films

Attend an friends along SAB B-Sides the Yellow concert picnic with

Breeches

Stargaze after one of the warm spring days

Get ready for May!

Tell your soongraduating senior friends how much you appreciate them

Explore Harrisburg in the spring weather

Cheer on Go see your Falcons “Fences” at at one of Lost Films many home games

Finish Take a hike Take a walk up some at White through the homework Rock or Pole fitness trail before Steeple Easter break

Set up a Enjoy some

Buy or pick some flowers to decorate your dorm or apartment

Snag some ice cream from Bruster’s

APRIL SBM // 3

Student Life

Campus Closet:

Where do your clothes come from?

By Bree Whitelock Ethical consumer: Two words that carry a lot of meaning and at the same time, two words that often get overlooked.

I’ll be the first to admit; I often find it incredibly easy and almost tempting to purchase the $12 t-shirt from Forever 21, H&M or T.J. Maxx. However, there’s a big overarching problem with many of these clothing chains that many of us don’t know about or are choosing to overlook – where are these clothes made?

Often, clothes for big name retailers are produced in places with poor working conditions, commonly referred to as sweatshops. Until the news tells us a sweatshop went down in flames, killing more than 100 people as did a sweatshop in Bangladesh in 2012, do we begin to pay attention to this criminalizing act. Out of sight, out of mind.

What if I told you 85% of 77 California-based clothing manufacturers who supply to big-name clothing brands were recently found guilty of labor violations by the U.S Labor Department? Even more so, some of these workers were receiving a $4 an hour wage compared to California’s $10 an hour minimum wage, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The concept of “sweatshops” isn’t merely an international problem; it’s happening right here on U.S soil.

4 // APR 2017

So why is it important to shop ethically?

“I think it’s important to shop ethically because whenever you buy something you aren’t investing in a product, you’re investing in a person,” explains senior dance and English major Sarah Kistler.

“It’s important to invest in companies that care about their workers. It makes products more expensive because workers are getting paid a fair wage and working in safe conditions, but where we put our money says a lot about what we value.”

“I think we typically have a very narrow view of clothing,” junior digital media major Sam Bernhardt goes on to say.

“Our perspective of it is solely focused on clothing as an end product that you shop for, buy and wear with other pieces of clothing. But I think it’s important to remember that all items of clothing come from somewhere. It has a story — just as you and I do. And every person that is involved in that story also has a story.

Every seamstress and factory worker has human hands and a beating heart. They have very real emotions like you and me.”

That really makes you begin to think about who made the outfit you’re currently wearing, huh?

Bernhardt finishes by saying, “So, unfortunately, buying a shirt or pair of jeans isn’t simply an addition to your closet, it’s also a passive message sent to the company you bought it from. And the message is that

Student Life

By Elizabeth Gutman Many of us have a go-to snack that never gets old, and, for me, peanut butter rice cakes is just that. A good source of protein and easy to make, peanut butter rice cakes are the perfect combination of sweet and salty.

Peanut Butter Rice Cakes Step 1: Grab a plate, head over to the dietary

alternatives section and take a rice cake out of the container on the counter.

Step 2: Bring the rice cake over to the spreads section, and, with a knife, spread peanut butter on the top of the rice cake.

Step 3: Head over to the yogurt bar, take a small scoop of chocolate chips to put on top and enjoy!

Optional: Add cut-up bananas, granola, almonds, coconut or honey.

Sarah Kistler, senior

‘I don’t really care how this clothing got here and what means it took to get to me because I’ll buy it if I like it.’ If that’s not a message you want to communicate, then I feel it’s important to act in a way that actively goes against that notion. Otherwise, our perspective of clothing may be just as thin as our wallets after a trip to the mall.”

Here’s my challenge for you: Starting with a clothing line we’re all guaranteed familiarity with, Messiah College apparel, ask yourself – where are my clothes from?

SBM // 5

g n i r Sp

Student Life

{

Road Trips

BY Jessica Henry

T

h e weather is starting to warm up in Central Pennsylvania, and you may be itching to get off campus and enjoy it. There are plenty of options no matter what your preferred recreational activity is. Here’s a list of seven road trips you can take within two hours of campus:

}

SPRINGTIME IN THE PARK HERSHEY, PA 30 min. from Messiah

Hersheypark is open for two weekends this month, April 8-9 and 14-16, before opening for its regular season in May. More than 50 of the park’s 70 rides will be open on these weekends. A new choose-your-thrill ride, Hershey’s Triple Tower, will have its grand opening on April 8. Tickets run $34.95, which may seem pricey but are a bargain compared to summer prices when regular admission costs $64.95.

KING OF PRUSSIA MALL KING OF PRUSSIA, PA 1 hour 30 min. from Messiah

For serious shoppers, King of Prussia has multiple buildings, each with multiple floors. The largest shopping center on the East Coast has recently expanded, adding 450 shops and dining options. The stores range from mid-range to high-end.

Getting off campus for a day can give you something to look forward to and help you de-stress in the midst of a crazy semester. It might take a little research and planning, but the memories made will be worth it. Grab a few friends and get going!

6 // APR 2017

PA R K C I T Y C E N T E R LANCASTER, PA 45 min. from Messiah

For those who prefer to stay indoors, Park City Center is a mall less than an hour from campus. The mall has five department stores and over 170 stores and restaurants. If you are trying to save money, it can still be fun to go and window shop or organize a mall scavenger hunt for you and your friends.

Student Life

PHOTO: JACQUE SAUDER

D O W N TO W N L A N C A S T E R LANCASTER, PA

INNER HARBOR BALTIMORE, MD

50 min. from Messiah

1 hour 30 min. from Messiah

Take a trip to Amish country, but, instead of going to the farm, go to the city. You could visit Lancaster Central Market, rated the eighth best fresh market in the world by CNN Go. It will require a little planning, as the market is only open Tuesdays and Fridays 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you visit the city on the first Friday evening of the month, you can take part in First Friday, an arts extravaganza that runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

If you’re feeling like getting out of PA, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is close by with lots to see and do. You can see all types of marine life at the National Aquarium or catch an Orioles game at Camden Yards. One place visitors might miss is Federal Hill Park, a must-see location with a view of the entire harbor. If you want to get out on the water, there are a variety of options to see the sights by boat.

POLE STEEPLE GARDNERS, PA

P H I L A D E L P H I A ZO O PHILADELPHIA, PA

35 min. from Messiah

1 hour 45 min. from Messiah

If you like hiking but have been up White Rock more times than you can count, you may want to check out Pole Steeple. The 0.75 mile trail ending with a beautiful view is perfect for hikers of all skill levels. The trail is well-marked, and you may even see a dog or two! Pole Steeple is one of the multiple trails located in Pine Grove Furnace State Park, which also features two lakes and opportunities for picnicking, boating, biking, fishing and camping.

Pretend you are a kid again and take a trip to the zoo. Philadelphia Zoo offers a unique attraction called Zoo360. It is a campus-wide network of see-through mesh trails that allows animals to roam around and above the Zoo’s grounds. Tickets are $23, and parking is $16 per vehicle. A variety of special presentations take place daily and are included in the price of admission.

P H OTO : G R A C E D E M M E R

SBM // 7

Student Life

A Highlight of Students Who Take Gap Years

By Lindsey Horner For a lot of people, graduating high school means immediately packing your bags, selecting a major and moving into the college of your choice. However, gap years are growing in popularity whether they occur before or after graduation. A gap year is whenever a student takes a yearlong break between high school and college. For these students, taking a gap year is about much more than “taking a break from school;” it’s about pursuing a passion, growing, maturing, becoming more independent and learning about who they are as individuals.

Lorena Reinert, a junior with a double major in sociology and anthropology and Spanish, took a gap year following her graduation from high school. According to Reinert, her gap year adventure led her everywhere. From living in Thailand through a program called Cadence Discipleship Ministries, where she studied theology and volunteering on the side, to backpacking across Europe with her roommate, to working at a café and department store, Reinert describes the whole experience as “eye-opening.”

8 // APR 2017

“I fell in love with the people I met and the places I saw, and I found that when I moved beyond the borders of my own expectations, my eyes were opened up to a whole new way of life,” Reinert says.

Reinert says she learned that life in Asia seems to be centered around relationships and how that broadened her perspective concerning people and her own worldview.

Often when transitioning from high school to college to a job, it’s easy to go with the flow and never stop to wonder if that process is the best option. Reinert says she believes social pressure “pushes us to one from one stage of life to the next.”

Reinert also says she wanted to live in different spaces and learn in unfamiliar ways,

and her gap year experience provided just that. “After spending thirteen years of my life learning and growing intellectually, I wanted to dedicate the next part of it learning and growing in new ways. There’s a lot more to us as human beings than just our minds, physical bodies or capacities for emotion. When we focus too much on any one of these at the cost of all the rest, we begin to starve aspects of our humanity.”

Faith Beattie, a sophomore biology major, also took a gap year. With God’s call burning in her heart, she felt led to embark on the World Race Gap Year. Unsure of what career choice to make after high school, she felt God calling her to missions. As a result, Beattie embarked on a nine-month missionary journey to three different countries to serve as “the hands and feet of Jesus.”

The type of service Beattie and her team did varied in each country. In Guatemala, they focused on working in orphanages and street evangelizing while in Thailand, the team’s outreach was mainly through construction. In Zambia, they taught English to local children and had soccer ministry in the afternoons.

Student Life

“Whether sitting at a coffee shop in the city or playing with kids in a village, I had the opportunity to share the love of Jesus and to experience the Holy Spirit in new ways,” Beattie says.

When asked about her experience, Beattie says she got to witness physical healing through the Holy Spirit, explore how the locals lived in the villages they visited and observe how the Lord provided for their needs.

“Just by witnessing a smile spread across their face was enough to know that our whole lives should be about one thing – loving others the way Jesus did and ushering people into a plentiful and everlasting life with Jesus Christ,” she says.

Sophomore public relations major Miriam Thurber also experienced living life on the edge for God between her high school and college years. When she was 16, her dad became a chaplain in the Air Force, so, rather than doing her senior year of high school

Faith Beattie Sophmore through the day, the whole world opens up to show His hand,” Thurber says.

in a new school, she doubled up in credits, graduated early and moved to Central Asia.

While there, she taught drama and speech, high school choir and middle school science in an English-speaking school, while homeschooling her little cousin and helping the local children speak English.

“I was able to become an independent adult amidst a foreign culture with an ancient language, and in a community of deeply loving people,” Thurber says.

Thurber encourages anyone who is considering or feels called to take a gap year, travel overseas or even on a local mission trip to push aside doubts and worries and respond to the call.

“The world is such a big place, and our God is such a great, big, wonderful God just waiting to show the expanse of His love, provision, and power. Go, go, go see the world!”

Because the Central Asian culture is vastly different than in America, much of Thurber’s worldview was shaped through her time overseas. She now has a deeper appreciation for diversity and unique perspectives, and her relationship with God is more tangible now than it was before.

“Once you have to unrelentlessly trust in God’s guidance and provision to get

Lorena Reinert Junior

Miriam Thurber Sophmore SBM // 9

Student Life

G E T T O K N O W ...

ACCLAMATION

DANCE MINISTRY

By Kelly Webber

10 // APR 2017

Student Life As far as other classes, Acclamation currently offers three levels of ballet, jazz, tap and modern, classes in musical theater and pointe, and ensembles such as Footprintz (hip-hop), Outreach, fall ensemble, senior dance and flags. All Acclamation members also take part in spring ensemble, the cumulative finale of the spring concert.

A

s one of the largest student -run organizations on campus, Acclamation Dance Ministry is difficult to miss. Performing a variety of genres from modern to jazz, Acclamation brings a creative form of worship to campus.

As a student-run organization, all classes are taught by students dedicated to dance ministry. Students in Acclamation even hosted their first workshop in February called “Embrace Fullness,” focusing on how to live a life in God’s fullness through sessions in ballet, contemporary jazz and choreography.

The mission of Acclamation is, according to Head Choreographer Chloe Stokes,

With such a variety of opportunities, Acclamation opens the world of dance to all students. Any student can participate in Acclamation regardless of previous dance experience. Classes are taught at a variety of levels, but all come together for the winter and spring concerts to worship as a community through dance.

“TO PROMOTE CREATIVE EXPRESSION THROUGH THE ART OF LITURGICAL AND EXPRESSIVE DANCE, TO PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGE FOR THE WORSHIP OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST AND TO USE THE GIFT OF DANCE AS A FORM OF MINISTRY TO THE MESSIAH COLLEGE COMMUNITY AND THE

GIVEN TO US.”

“If you are ever looking for a place to connect with others, get a small workout and worship our creator through movement, Acclamation is the club to join,” Wuertz says.

Carrying out this mission statement has been well-received by the student body. Over the past few years, Acclamation concerts have grown in attendance, with the recent Winter Concert selling over 500 tickets.

One way Acclamation worships through dance is song choice and choreography based on the year’s theme.

“We worship through the stories we tell while we are dancing or the song choice and meaning we put behind the pieces we do,” Wuertz says.

“Acclamation as a club has been growing, but also because we have been reaching out to local studios as well, and so more community members have been attending,” Artistic Director Courtney Wuertz explains.

The 2017 theme is “fullness,” based on the John 10:10 verse “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” The theme will be showcased in this year’s spring concert on Saturday, April 22. Footprintz will have its own performance on Friday, April 21.

COMMUNITY AT LARGE. GRANTING THAT THE LORD HAS GIVEN US HEARTS FOR DANCE, WE ARE SIMPLY GIVING BACK TO HIM WHAT HE HAS ORIGINALLY

Acclamation has recently partnered with Révérence Studios and Encountered Heart Ministries International. Connecting with local dance ministries is one of the ways Acclamation reaches out to the community.

Another way Acclamation connects with the community is through the outreach ensemble.

The outreach ensemble participates in Messiah chapels and local church services in addition to the two annual Acclamation concerts.

Outreach Coordinator Courtney Donah teaches a class for the ensemble, which, according to Donah, has a “more immediate focus on worship than technique” compared to other Acclamation dances, which specialize in specific genres such as ballet or tap.

“

If you are ever looking

&

CONNECT WITH

for a place to

get a

small work out,

OTHERS

,

worship our creator

through movement, Acclamation is the club to join

”

-Courtney Wuertz

photos by Lacey Reapsome

SBM // 11

Student Life

Backstage: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Messiah’s Theatre Department

By Emma Miller

WE

go to their shows, watch them perform and become engrossed in the storyline they work so hard to display, but how much do we really know about the actors behind the play? So much time and preparation go into every performance in Messiah’s theatre program, facilitating deep friendships and a family-like atmosphere among the teams that put the shows together. Now, Messiah’s very own theatre experts talk about what it all entails.

Senior Tobias Nordlund and junior Elena Rosetto are both students in the theatre major and have been involved in several productions on stage. For Nordlund, theatre is especially important in understanding one’s “imago Dei” as each actor embodies the physical art form to “explore our creativity, imaginations and emotions.”

“After all, I believe we were created by the Creator to create,” Nordlund says.

12 // APR 2017

Student Life

Rosetto appreciates the relationships and community that theatre builds - a space where each actor uplifts and encourages the group’s success.

“We all want to see each other succeed and love to see someone nail an audition or callback,” Rosetto says. “Our casts are always so supportive and grow into a family as we all see each other at our highs and lows during the rehearsal process.”

Department Chair Tymberly Whitesel echoes the importance of building relationships in theatre, saying, “When we all work together on a Saturday painting scenery or hanging lights, we are working towards a common goal… singing along to the goofy songs on the radio, using paint brushes as microphones - it’s fun.”

Whitesel loves the relationships that grow between people as they work on a show together. “Those bonds that develop often continue well beyond the closing night.”

It’s good the cast and crew become so close because, during a live performance, anything can happen. Unforeseen circumstances can cause difficulty in a show but are often the best stories to tell later.

Rossetto talks about one such moment during Radium Girls this past fall, when she had a dramatic crying scene on stage. She says there was one crew member who didn’t exit the moving platform in time, and had to “inch herself by crawling on the floor at what seemed like molasses speed to get herself off stage for the next scene change.”

Rossetto managed to get through the scene without breaking character but collapsed to the floor laughing the second she was offstage. “Ask any theatre major or a friend who did theatre in high school stage mishap stories because odds are they are hilarious,” she says.

Nordlund has also had his share of mishaps, including a wardrobe mal-

function when he was supposed to rip part of his dress shirt off. Unfortunately, the shirt wasn’t ripping properly.

“Like thirty seconds later I was still struggling with the shirt,” he says. “I started freaking out a little bit, so I had to think quickly. I ripped a final time, and it gave way. I then looked at my scene partner’s face; they were stifling a smile. I had ripped my shirt in half, so I was on stage with half a dress shirt. It was embarrassing, but that is the beauty of live theatre.”

Still, despite the mishaps that come with the job, Rossetto and her fellow theatre majors love the program. “We love everything we do and our dedication to our craft is why we are in our department that allows us to grow and become more skilled performers,” she says. “Basically we are a big happy family, and of course we have drama (what’s a theatre department without a little drama), but we all love each other no matter what.”

photo by Felix Mooneeram

SBM // 13

Student Life

The

Barefoot Tribe

By Naomi Paluch

During this time of year, you are bound to come across students that are missing a seemingly essential article of clothing - shoes.

Just walk across campus in the spring, and you’ll see at least one person traveling without shoes.

14 // APR 2017

“I hate shoes,” explains first-year film and media arts major Keara Kobzowicz.

Kobzowicz has been going without shoes “ever since she can remember.”

She’s even gone barefoot in an abandoned barn in the woods by her house and has come out splinter free.

She says her favorite aspect of going barefoot is feeling everything below her feet. “It’s so cool; it’s like having a sixth sense on your foot.”

And she’s not alone. First-year engineering major TJ House also goes barefoot around campus. “I like feeling the earth beneath me,” he says.

House says he has been going barefoot off and on since the beginning of high school. He has even made friends through their mutual bare footedness.

Student Life

Despite these benefits, House says there are still some struggles of going barefoot. “Anything that is extremely pointy, rough or hot is relatively difficult [to walk barefoot on].”

There are also places across campus you can’t go barefoot like Lottie and the Union. For people wanting to avoid these negative aspects of going barefoot, there’s always Chacos. There are some Chaco wearers who will wear their Chacos anywhere and at any time.

Mya Markley, a first-year adventure education student, can be found at the Breeches wearing Chacos no matter the weather.

“If there is no snow and it’s just cool, the socks keep you nice and warm and dry,” she says.

Going barefoot across campus may not be for everyone, but who doesn’t want a sixth sense? So go ahead, try it for a day and join the barefoot tribe traveling shoeless around campus.

“It’s like having a sixth sense on your foot.”

SBM // 15

Culture

By Jordan Tiburzi

As part of a new way to generate more interactions with the Pulse and the radio station, I’ve decided to make weekly Spotify playlists based on what’s trending with students at Messiah.

Playlist 1: “TGIF”

My goal was to create a playlist that really channels some of your favorite artists that I enjoy as well. The playlist is a fun mix of music to play in your car when you go on a Friday afternoon drive to Dunkin’ Donuts, hang out by the breeches with friends or go for a run on a nice sunny day. Some of the artists featured on the playlist are Saint Motel, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Young the Giant, Colony House, Vacation Manor, COIN and more!

Playlist 2: “Second Semester Pump-Up”

The goal I had in mind was to create a playlist featuring songs that would make people want to get up and dance, have fun with their friends and just have a good time with some good music. This playlist is focused on fun songs to listen to on weekend nights or when you are trying to get amped for a big game. It features artists like AJR, Zara Larson, The Weeknd, The Knocks and more.

w Y M H M L M

Playlist 3: “Lecrae & Pals”

I created this playlist because I’ve recently noticed an increase in popularity among Christian rap, specifically with rappers from Reach Records. As a big fan of rap music, I was really skeptical about Christian rap because it seemed a little cheesy to me growing up, but lately, I’ve been more open to it.

Artists like Lecrae, Tripp Lee, KB and Tedashii have really opened my eyes to see the similarities between Christian and secular rap music. Minus the lyrics, the production is just as good, if not better than some secular artists I listen to. This playlist’s purpose is to normalize Christian rap as a popular genre among students and to give those who really love Christian rap a playlist of great songs.

Here’s what I need from you, the students:

As I’ve been running the Pulse’s Spotify, I’ve followed a handful of people from Messiah to try and segment what songs people are listening to and generate playlists based off what you all enjoy. However, that can only get me so far.

By sending me song/playlist recommendations through either Spotify or the radio’s Facebook page, I can create playlists that will reach each demographic on campus.

If you would like to hear songs you like in a playlist, feel free to follow us on Spotify @messiahpulse and send us some selections you want to hear. Be sure to follow the 90.7 Pulse FM radio station page on Facebook as well!

16 // APR 2017

BEING THE LAST FULL MONTH OF THE SEMESTER, IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE YOU D O N ’ T H AV E T I M E F O R PLEASURE IN APRIL - T H AT A C A D E M I A , EMPLOYMENT AND LIFE-PLANNING ( E S P E C I A L LY F O R SENIORS) WON’T L E AV E Y O U A S PA R E MINUTE TO RELAX. FOR SOME OF US, T H AT M I G H T B E T R U E . . . B U T, F O R T H E R E S T, I F Y O U F I N D T H AT S PA R E MINUTE, HERE ARE SOME THINGS I’D RECOMMEND YOU U S E I T T O E N J O Y:

MARCH

What’s new at Pulse FM:

(what you may have missed last month)

By Megan Hess

Culture Bang, Barry Lyga Of the current hot-button issues, gun control has been blazing pretty fiercely for the past couple of years...which means it’s the perfect time for Lyga - a writer with a history of embracing polarizing social concerns in his work - to take it on. He’s been a writer to watch since his first novel in 2006, The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, but a lot more eyes are on him now. The success of the I Hunt Killers trilogy has caused Lyga to stray from Brookdale - the fictional town where all his best books are set - but now he’s coming home again. The story of a teenage boy haunted by his own childhood crime - accidentally killing his younger sister with his father’s gun - Bang is Gail Giles’ Lighter Than My Shadow with a Lyga twist. It has all the typical elements a tortured young hero with an inability to remember the truth, parents that just don’t understand him, a friend/romantic interest that tries her/his hardest and, of course, Easter eggs to the other Brookdale Books (The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl; Goth Girl Rising, Boy Toy and Hero-Type). After 2016’s The Secret Sea, a book which didn’t quite satisfy many of his regular readers, it’s good to see Lyga returning to familiar territory.

“Mean Tweets - Oscars Edition” Jimmy Kimmel Live, YouTube Jimmy Kimmel is well-known for the “Mean Tweets” segment on his show. For the Oscars, he enlisted nominees and attendees to read unkind tweets about themselves for the sake of art (and possibly to help the audience get through the long wait for winner announcements). This collection has some real knee-slappers and features some of the trendiest famous faces - from Lin-Manuel Miranda (pictured right) to Eddie Redmayne. “Mean Tweets” works because of how absurd a premise it is, and the way it takes power away from social media negativity.

I don’t know how well it would go over with thin-skinned normal humans, but it works well enough with star power behind it that we may never have to find out.

“Journey to the Past,” Anastasia: The Musical Fans of Anastasia (Bluth & Goldman, 1997) 20th Century Fox’s answer to Disney’s princess films, were thrilled to hear about a Broadway musical adaption coming this year. “Journey to the Past” is the first song from Anastasia: the Musical fans got to hear. It sounds - both surprisingly and unsurprisingly - like the version from the movie, which is probably why it was so well-received by fans of the original. Christy Altomare has a crystalline soprano that makes her vocally perfect for the role - but she’s well-suited to act it as well. Prior to Anastasia, Altomare played Wendla in the national tour of Spring Awakening, as well as Sophie in the Broadway production of Mamma Mia! The character of Anya blends Wendla’s innocence and naivete with Sophie’s determination and optimism. With all this preparation, Anastasia will very likely be a springboard for Altomare into notoriety.

The Thief, Megan Whalen Turner If you’ve never read a Megan Whalen Turner book before, this is the perfect time to start. Thick as Thieves - her first book since Conspiracy of Kings in 2010, and the latest in the series which The Thief starts - comes out in May. Those lucky enough to discover The Thief and its sequels - The Queen of Attolia (2000), The King of Attolia (2006) and Conspiracy of Kings - are opening a chest of jewels: witty and eloquent, with compelling characterization, and a unique, realistically subtle love story guaranteed to turn the most stoic reader into a romantic.

The Thief is the first precious stone in that chest, introducing the reader to most of the primary cast in Whalen Turner’s universe - most importantly, Eugenides (otherwise known as “Gen”). Whalen’s history-fantasy blend shouldn’t be missed by any fantasy fan or just anyone who likes to read good books. She’s a skilled writer (a Newbery Medal winner, in fact, for The Thief) and her characters are top-notch - especially Gen, which makes reading The Thief and its successors a treat.

SBM // 17

Culture

The Evidence

BY MADDIE CONLEY

T

h e E v i d e n c e : it’s a name that has been circulating across Messiah’s campus lately due to their Father // Son // Holy Ghost album release concert held at the Union in February.

Now this band formed by Messiah alumni is recognized for their ambient, worshipful sound and honest lyrics.

PRO DUC ES FUL L- LEN G TH ALBU M :

FATHER // SON // HOLY GHOST

The Evidence recently charted on Billboard in the top 50 albums sold in the Christian/ Gospel genre and 9th on their Heatseekers chart. The band members include Diana Kleinmanns on piano, synth and vocals, Dana Miller on acoustic and vocals, Kevin Shea on electric guitar and Brian Gallagher on drums, percussion and acoustic.

The band unofficially started when the group decided to meet up regularly to play their music just for fun. At their first concert, they handed out Garageband-produced CDs with Sharpie designed covers.

“People just started to hear about us, we never advertised or anything,” Kleinmanns says.

Their first audience was simply empty chairs in Parmer Hall when these group of acquaintances started jamming during down time at a youth workers conference in 2013. Surprisingly, none of them were music majors.

The first song they developed that day in Parmer Hall, “All You Need,” actually landed on The Evidence’s first EP titled Recycled Love. A successful first concert at Mechanicsburg Brethren in Christ Church, lead to The Evidence producing their EP through GoFundMe. “Once we released Recycled Love, we knew we had something special,” Miller says.

However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing from there. “The different life stages are what has been most difficult for us,” Kleinmanns says.

18 // APR 2017

Scheduling times to write and record was challenging due to the one-year difference in class rank between each member. But this hasn’t been unbearable for The Evidence.

“We all get along really well and don’t really notice the age difference when we are playing together,” Kleinmanns says.

The Evidence found their unique sound through influences such as All Sons & Daughters and Bethel Music. Their music stems from a love of corporate worship and ambient music.

“We have this interesting fusion of songs that are written between us and the Lord, that can be corporate worship, but they’re also a little produced sounding,” Kleinmanns says.

Because none of The Evidence’s members were music majors, they’ve had to figure things out along the way. “The process has been a learning curve,” Kleinmanns explains. “There has also been a lot of Googling.”

After releasing the EP, churches started reaching out to The Evidence in response to the band’s music. The band was overwhelmed with support and encouragement from fans.

“From there, we prayed for discernment to where God was leading us, and it felt like we were about to embark on a new journey that involved us creating a full length album,” Miller says.

With their recent album, Father // Son // Holy Ghost, The Evidence gained popularity through fans and charting on Billboard.

Culture “It’s still so surreal,” Kleinmanns says. “It’s weird because I feel like I’m still under the impression that all of our music sales are just my mom buying copies, but now it’s like, no, people are actually listening.”

Seeing the numbers on the charts is both motivating and exciting for the band, but that’s not what keeps them writing.

“EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY OF THOSE AWARDS HAS BEEN THE STORIES AND TESTIMONIES OF HOW OUR MUSIC HAS ENCOURAGED PEOPLE IN THEIR FAITH,” MILLER SAYS.

“All of this music is just the prayers of our hearts and us worshiping, but if that’s having an impact on people

then we are going to just keep going,” Kleinmanns says. “It’s like God’s got something to do through what you have to say, which is the craziest feeling.”

Songs from Father // Son // Holy Ghost have evoked strong responses.

“Ribcage,” “Hope is Here” and “Steady” serve to encourage and remind fans of God’s consistency.

“There are people we don’t know that are telling us that our songs are ministering to them,” Kleinmanns says.

“We have even had quite a few people who don’t believe in God who have reached out and told us how encouraged they were by our music,” Miller says.

Despite the huge response from the new album, the in-between times are equally important to The Evidence. This is when the band can observe where their music is going and how it is being used.

“You never know where the little threads are being woven in the meantime,” Kleinmanns says.

Ultimately, The Evidence does not set expectations for their band, but rather they give it everything they’ve got and trust in God. “We are holding the dreams that we have loosely enough to be able to follow where God is leading,” Kleinmanns says.

Miller echoes this saying, “It’s amazing what God can do when you are simply a vessel making yourself available to Him.” While the band’s goals may be intentionally ambiguous, The Evidence does have some logical next steps in mind. They will continue to play shows and hopefully expand out of Pennsylvania. Kleinmanns even mentioned touring and festivals as possibilities. Another album is most likely in The Evidence’s future as well.

Through it all, The Evidence members have kept their heads on their shoulders. They never want to get “too big” to interact with fans.

“We are very intentional about community and connecting with the people that listen to our music,” Kleinmanns says. “I think a lot of that mindset came from the community at Messiah and the emphasis on doing life together.”

From just four friends jamming for fun, to a band on a stage overlooking a full house at the Union, The Evidence shows testimony to the unpredictability of the future and the reliability of God. “We never thought we would be putting out a full length album,” Kleinmanns reflects. “But, we are the evidence of what God can do with open hands and dreams that are offered to Him.”

PHOTO BY CALEB BORNMAN

SBM // 19

Culture

W h y Yo u S h o u l d C a r e :

Environmental Racism & Justice

By Myriam Pedercini

Social justice issues are not hard to find. We see various articles and videos circulating our social media or the news. We hear conversations on climate change and the human impact on our environment every now and then to remind us we have to take care of this earth as well. However, what seems to be lacking is shared dialogue between social justice and environmental issues.

“Our generation is noticing there’s a lot of issues in this world,” shares junior Madilyn Keaton, president of Messiah College’s Earthkeepers. “We see a lot of [these issues] as separate instead of one big systemic problem.”

What Keaton is referring to is the conversation of race and the depth we fail to acknowledge. Beyond stereotyping and mass incarceration, there is the reality of environmental racism, the degradation of marginalized minority communities, which are disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards and/ or denied the access of ecological sustenance.

photo by Fibonacci Blue

20 // APR 2017

Movements like #NoDapl have been highlighted this past year as one of these social justice/environmental racism issues where the Dakota

Access Pipeline have been trying to place a pipeline within close proximity to the Standing Rock Reservation and their main water source. The Pipeline was originally proposed to build within close proximity to Bismark, but was rejected because of the closeness to municipal water sources, waterways and residential areas. Now constructing near the Standing Rock reservation, the pipeline company keeps denying the environmental hazard or the recognition of the concerns of the Sioux people.

Issues such as #NoDapl have been around for a while. The environmental justice movement began in 1982 in Warren County, North Carolina when the NC state government was transferring truckloads of soil that contained carcinogens into a rural, poor minority community. The community’s concern was of hazardous runoff into their waterways and spent weeks protesting.

Similar confrontations have taken place across our country throughout history such as the Houston Garbage Dump of ’67, Memphis Garbage Worker Strike of ’68 and Toxic Wastes and Race of ’87. All of which are instances where a majority African American community protested the landfill in their communities, demanding safer regulations and working/living conditions.

“This knowledge is not without deep connection to my study of the profession of social work over the past four years,” shares senior social work major Brooke Heilman. “With the introduction and recognition of Environmental justice as a major barrier for clients and communities, I have found great development in both my understanding of the necessity for the incorporation of environmental justice perspectives into practice at any

Culture

level. I have been convicted of my ethical responsibility to be competent in this area as a social worker attempting to uphold the ethical principles of social justice and dignity and worth of a person.”

Environmental justice laws in ’92 and ‘94 have been implicated by the federal government and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This demands “fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color…” according to the EPA. Reconciliation from racism includes the recognition of our part in the problem and care for environmental justice.

“It’s very real. We often like to blame environmental degradation on other factors like poverty,” says Hannah Hernley, senior sustainability and student waste coordinator on campus. “I think it should be more front and center, communities fighting for justice should work together.”

The #NoDapl is a movement still struggling to protect their communities from a hazardous oil spill and the integrated racism towards native people that comes with the placement of the pipeline. Other Recent crisis such as the Flint Water Crisis of 2015 are left unresolved as people in that -57% black population- community still cannot drink from their tap water. These issues are all around us even from years back and need more attention in order to change.

“In our classes about race, in our classes about sustainability, we need to be talking about things from both sideses,” says Keaton. “Especially here at Messiah we’re taught Jesus loved the marginalized communities, we talk about poverty and hunger but we’re not going far enough beyond them. There are other areas that need the Church’s attention a well.”

SBM // 21

Sports & Rec

A New Era Messiah Men’s Volleyball Makes the Move to NCAA

By Stephanie Bricker

game photos provided by Chipi San

Around this time of year, it’s difficult not to start looking forward to next year as we plan for housing arrangements and schedule classes. We are hopeful for increased opportunities for our academic and extracurricular endeavors. For Messiah’s men’s club volleyball team, a recent announcement has increased this excitement: next year, they will be a NCAA Division III team.

In its more than twenty years of existence, the Messiah men’s volleyball team has always dreamed of becoming a varsity team.

However, the absence of other competitive teams left Messiah without a place to participate. Last spring, though, Jack Cole, Messiah’s executive director of athletics and fundraising, President Kim Phipps and other movers-and-shakers in the athletics realm attended a Mid-Atlantic Conference meeting. The meeting focused on potential developments in a variety of sports, such as ice hockey and men’s volleyball.

“From the very beginning, we discussed our interest with the president and the

22 // APR 2017

provost and did research about the other teams in NCAA,” Cole says.

the regulations for the NCAA,” Cole says.

“The team is involved with the search for a new coach, and there will be open tryouts to determine next year’s team.”

As of March 21, the search for a new coach is over. Justin Beachy, a 2013 Messiah grad and former men’s club volleyball player, will coach next year’s team. According to GoMessiah, Beachy was a three-time Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Volleyball Conference (MACVC) MVP and led Messiah to two National Collegiate Volleyball Federation (NCVF) Division II National Championships.

Though the men’s club volleyball program has become well-developed and supported over the years, the process to become a varsity team took time, research and proper preparation. Once the whole process was underway, the first people to find out about the change were the players and coaches. Then, it was officially announced on gomessiah.com.

“We have been working towards getting a D3 team for many years, and to finally get one is a huge accomplishment,” senior libero Cole Hoover says.

Even now, the team and the department still have some work to do. “Steve King is meeting with the team members about

Hoover has been playing volleyball since sixth grade, and he’s been on the club team for four years. Though he’s

The transition is ultimately excit- ing for everyone who has ever been a part of Messiah men’s volleyball.

Sports & Rec

above: Cole Hoover, libero right: Logan Hunsberger, outside hitter

excited about the team’s future, the news also feels bittersweet for him, the other graduating seniors, past players and the soon-retiring coach.

“It is very bittersweet,” Hoover says, “Since we, as seniors, put so much time and effort into the team, only to miss out on a D3 team by one year.”

On the other hand, current players can’t wait to become a recognized varsity team next season.

Logan Hunsberger, the team’s outside hitter and this year’s conference MVP is excited for this change as he will be a senior on the team next year.

“I’m ready,” says Hunsberger. “Everyone will be working harder for the more intense, consistent competition.”

Hunsberger hopes graduating seniors and alumni can appreciate all the benefits the club team offered. “I think they’re happy with their four years of club,” he explains. “We have a great team dynamic and a tough but friendly and knowledgeable coach. Club really allows a relaxed feel on the court.”

Cole is also expecting the new program will receive much support from alumni, as well as the many people who have helped

bring this dream to life. Additionally, now the women’s volleyball team will have an official team to grow and learn with, building comradery between the two. Like always, Messiah’s team spirit will only increase after this change is made and the volleyball team enters into a new era.

The move to a varsity sport is something the men’s volleyball team has been dreaming of for years, but this change also brings exciting opportunities for the athletic department as a whole. This addition means Messiah will be participating in a total of 23 NCAA sports. For the College, this new change shows consistent investment and development of athletic programs as we continue to “Pursue Athletic Excellence” and “Develop Christian Character.”

SBM // 23

Sports & Rec Follow FCA on Instagram @messiah_fca.

You can also join the Facebook group, “Messiah Fellowship of Christian Athletes.”

H I G H L I G H T S

By Madeline Crocenzi

If

you walk by Frey 110 on a Monday night you’ll see the same scene: a group of athletes holding hands in a circle and praying. This small group of athletes from various sports are a part of Messiah’s chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), a national organization making a difference for Christ in the lives of coaches, athletes and local youth.

“Our goal is to just spread the love of Christ to everyone on campus,” Co-President Derek Beitz says. “Our biggest thing is just to get other athletes involved with each other.”

FCA isn’t just for varsity athletes. The meetings and activities are open to athletes on club teams, rec teams and anyone with a passion for athletics and the gospel.

“There’s just so many really neat people here and FCA has allowed me to meet a lot of those neat people,” Co-President Jennifer Rusling explains. “I just love the relationships that have been formed and the friendships that have been formed through it and I just really encourage people to dive in.”

Diving in is easy to do. Most meetings include worship, a game and a speaker that ranges from coaches to alumni to off-campus guests. And every meeting ends the same way – the members all in a circle praying for whatever needs come up.

“Sometimes before that we split up into small groups and share something maybe personally we need prayer for or something our team could use prayer

24 // APR 2017

for,” Secretary Tara Freeman says.

“When we’re in a big group circle, we’ll mention one team on campus whether men’s or women’s that we’re going to focus in on praying for that week.”

Prayer is so important for this group that it’s a part of their mission statement – Love God more. Love people more. Love prayer more.

Beitz says this vision came from his home church, and when he presented the idea to the FCA leadership team, they were all sold. “Those three are the most important in your relationship as a Christian,” Beitz says. “We think prayer is very underrated. People overlook it a lot. So that’s one thing we focus on a lot with FCA.” Besides prayer, FCA focuses on connecting athletes with the local community through its high school outreach program.

“This year, FCA has joined with a couple high schools around the area and a

bunch of the athletes that are a part of FCA go to FCA meetings at local high schools and meet with their high school FCA program,” Freeman says. “The goal is to get some of our athletes to invest in the lives of the high school athletes and foster those relationships.”

The athletes in FCA are also fostering relationships with each other. Freeman, Beitz and Rusling all say getting to know other athletes from different teams is one of their favorite parts of FCA. “The culture here at Messiah is very athletic, our sports teams are very successful, but unless one person knows another person on a team it’s hard to have people interact,” Rusling says. “You’re so invested in your own team that sometimes it’s hard for people to take the step to go into someone else’s team and invest in them and get to know them.”

That all changes at FCA where players routinely support each other. Freeman says they send cards to injured athletes, encourage each other in the hallways and go to each other’s events.

“It’s so cool to be able to be in the room together and have a focus on worshipping God and also just encouraging one another to keep using their athletic gifts and abilities to glorify God,” she says.

Now, FCA is looking toward the future. Rusling says there are plans for sunrise worship and prayer walks as it gets warmer. Overall, she hopes to make a difference in individual lives, stressing “quality over quantity.”

“Ultimately the big dream is that it just makes people on fire for the Lord,” she says.

To learn more about FCA, attend a weekly meeting at 9 p.m. every Monday night in Fry 110.

Photo taken by Abigail Keenan

Sports & Rec

Senior Athlete Spotlight:

Stephanie Athens

C

hange is inevitable. Some people struggle to adjust to it, while others embrace it. For senior women’s lacrosse player Stephanie Athens, change is nothing new. Athens grew up moving from city to city because her father is in the Navy. The one thing that has not changed for Athens is her love for lacrosse.

Athens began her college career at Pfeiffer College, a secular school in North Carolina.

She planned on returning to Pfeiffer after her freshman year, but then she met Claire Stikeleather, a current second year senior on the lacrosse team here at Messiah.

“She sold me on Messiah, Coach Greer and the atmosphere of the team,” Athens says.

“I ended up transferring, and I’m so happy with the transition of having teammates that care about you not only as a player on the field but people who generally care about each other off the field.”

Playing for a new team can be an adjustment. New teammates, a new coaching staff and a new routine can make it quite difficult to adapt. However, Athens remembers one moment she realized she was right where she belonged.

By Lillian Kashishian

“My sophomore year we played F&M in Florida, who is always a talented team and it was going to be a tough game,” Athens explains. “But our team came together in a way that I’ve never seen. I realized that these girls want it, these girls want to fight and these girls care about me. We were playing knowing that we are loved by the Lord, and we aren’t defined by our sport, but He gives us joy through that even though it didn’t turn out how we wanted it to.”

Athens’ faith has guided her to become a leader both on and off the field. One thing she has learned throughout her college career at Messiah is it’s not about her, but it’s about the other girls she is playing with.

“I’d love to leave a legacy of just respecting one another, loving one another and accepting one another for who they are,” Athens says. “No one person is the same; no one likes to be encouraged the same way and no one likes being criticized the same way.”

Head Coach Heather Greer has noticed Athens’ natural leadership style. “Steph is a tremendous leader for us. She sets the

tone for us each and every day in how she trains, practices, competes and how she serves the team,” Greer says. “She continually strives to be her best and does it with a desire to honor the Lord through lacrosse.”

Now, as Athens begins her final season, she has the same goal as almost every other senior collegiate athlete: to win a National Championship.

“It’s the team that wants it because it’s not going to be easy to do,” she says.

“I’d give up any individual award or honor for a team win. It would be huge for our program and for this team.”

Although her college career may be winding down, Athens wants to begin a career in coaching as a way to give back and stay connected to the game.

“Lacrosse will forever be in my blood and coaches have made such a big impact in my life. I hope to do that through the sport I love glorifying the Lord that I love” Athens says.

SBM // 25

Sports & Rec

THE

TRIES

ATHLETIC TRAINING

By Willie Hope, III

“W

explains how to tape an ankle and wraps one slowly for all of us to see.

ait, so what are we doing?”

Grace Demmer asks before we walk down to the training room. She and Mimi Pedercini are both in for a surprise.

Demmer, a design assistant at the Pulse, Pedercini, the culture editor of the magazine and myself, are about to try athletic training just to see what their job entails. Nate Nester, an assistant athletic trainer at Messiah, agrees to let a couple of Pulse employees try out his job for a few hours.

Nester, who is the trainer for the men’s soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams as well as the swim team,

26 // APR 2017

When he finishes, all three of us are reluctant and nervous. “As a graphic design major, I was out of my element in the athletic training room, and I’m quite sure that showed,” Demmer says.

But as each of us starts to try to wrap Nester’s ankle, we realize it’s not as scary as we thought.

Though certainly not perfect, our ankle taping jobs aren’t terrible for our first time.

Each of us takes at least five minutes to wrap the ankle. According to Nester and the other trainers, in that time an athletic trainer has wrapped two to three ankles.

Our slow process can’t keep up in an athletic training room that right now deals with the nine spring sports teams.

Five minutes an ankle isn’t cutting it in a jam packed training room. It makes the “simple” task of wrapping an ankle even more important.

Sports & Rec

“It was fun learning how to wrap with the trainers, and it helped me to appreciate what the trainers and students do,” Pedercini says. “We forget their importance at times because they’re behind the scenes, but seeing them in their element and helping to guide us through a ‘simple’ wrapping was a great reminder.”

Athletic trainers hold a position that is essential to the team’s success; if the athletic trainer is not performing up to their standards, players won’t be healthy, and the entire team’s success will suffer.

Seeing the process from the eyes of the trainer helped myself as an athlete to understand just how vital their role is.

“It’s amazing how complex this seemingly simple task can be and how important it is that you do every step properly,” Demmer says. “Although wrapping an ankle is such a small role in an athletic trainer’s job, struggling through wrapping Willie’s ankle gave me an even bigger appreciation for athletic trainers than I’ve already had.”

In the training room, even the smallest tasks are important, like making sure the wrap is done properly. “If you mess up and leave wrinkles, it will cause blisters and athletes will be mad at you,” Nester explains.

At the end of the day, the experience was both eye-opening and nerve wracking for Demmer, Pedercini and I. But for Nester, it was just another day at the office. Trust us: athletic training is a lot tougher than it looks.

Pictured top: Pulse designer Grace Demmer finishes wrapping Willie Hope’s ankle

Pictured left: athletic trainer Nate Nester assists Mimi Pedercini, Pulse editor

SBM // 27

Sports & Rec

Years of Resilience: Zach Luman and Tommy John Surgery

By Curtis Seaman

P

laying baseball at Messiah has been a roller coaster ride for senior Zach Luman.

“Freshman year I was supposed to be a conference starter, and I got mono the week before the season, so that was a struggle in itself,” Luman says.

He only pitched fourteen innings his freshman year due to mono, and the physical blows continued. Junior year, Luman was healthy all the way up until the end of the year.

“By our last game of the year my arm… felt like it was just going to blow out,” Luman says. It turned out that he had a sprained UCL and a bone spur in his elbow.

In August before his senior year, Luman went on an AROMA trip to Zambia and heard stories of people being healed there.

Danny Thompson, AROMA’s local ministry coordinator, prayed over Luman’s arm.

“He prayed for me there, and I hadn’t thrown a ball all summer,” Luman says.

“I really experienced God’s healing in that moment. I wouldn’t know until I threw something and there was a pile of rocks there, so I just started chucking rocks as hard as I could. I went to the doctor the week after I got back, got an MRI and they said I was good to go.”

God’s healing allowed Luman to begin the ascension on his roller coaster ride, but that roller coaster dipped in January.

“Over J-term we have pretty extensive workouts,” Luman says. “I was feeling good, and then one day something just popped. I got two opinions, and both doctors said I should get Tommy John surgery.”

28 // APR 2017

Tommy John surgery, common among pitchers like Luman, is done when there is a torn ligament in the elbow. Doctors replace the torn ligament with a tendon from somewhere else in the body.

“They took my gracilis tendon out of my left leg, then cut my elbow open and took out my ulnar ligament completely and replaced it with the tendon from my leg,” Luman explains.

The post-surgery rehab requires twelve months of careful, detailed exercises.

Luman won’t even be able to throw a ball until about four months into the rehab. He also has to do rehab on his leg where the tendon was removed.

“I’ll be able to bike after three weeks, I can do an elliptical at six weeks and I can run at eight weeks,” Luman says.

In the midst of physical injuries hampering his college career, Luman knew he had to place his identity into something worth much more than baseball.

“I know that this injury isn’t something God gave me, but He’s going to use this situation for His glory,” Luman says.

Now, Luman is grappling with an unexpected senior season. This will be his first time not playing a single baseball game in a season since he was four years old. However, he still helps out with the team and goes to every game.

“If I can show up and be an example of Christ and a leader, and have a good attitude, then that would be really good for the team,” Luman says.

Patrick Lightle, head baseball coach, had one word to describe Luman’s journey: resilient.

“He’s just resilient. He’s learned to bounce back,” Lightle says. “He’s shown so much maturity, and I’ve been blown away by how he’s responded and how he’s grown.”

After he graduates from Messiah, Luman wants to pursue his Master’s degree in college athletics leadership.

Despite the injuries he’s endured, his passion for the game has never ceased.

“After those two years, I’d love to be a college baseball coach and do sport ministry on the side,” Luman says.

Luman’s dream of coaching at Messiah, combined with his love of baseball and never quit attitude, is proof that anything is within his reach.

“I know that this injury isn’t something God gave me, but He’s going to use this situation for his glory.”

Meet the Author!

Independent Bookstore Day!

Thursday 4/6 @ 6:30 pm | Novelist Elizabeth Wein signs copies of Rose Under Fire, Central PA’s One Book, One Community 2017 Pick of the Year.

Saturday 4/29 | Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day at the Midtown Scholar! We’ll have literarythemed raffle prizes, special discounts on used books, and FREE events all day long, 8 am – 10 pm.

11 am – 3pm | Children’s Author Day with award-winning children’s book illustrators Lauren Castillo, Messiah alum & faculty member Jonathan Bean, Amy June Bates, and Stephen Fieser. We’ll have storytimes, signings, and more!

Sunday 4/23 @ 2 pm | Historian Erica Armstrong Dunbar discusses her book, Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge.

2:30 – 3:30pm | Spring Storytime with the Popcorn Hat Players | Using creative comedy and improvisation, Harrisburg’s Popcorn Hat Players write original adaptations and breathe new life into classic stories. Entertaining families since 1993.

+ 4/23 @ 4pm | Local activist Jonathan Smucker discusses his new book Hegemony How-To with Elizabethtown College Professor Michael Long, author of Jackie Robinson: A Spiritual Biography.

3:00 pm |Meet and Greet Central PA Authors | Enjoy a FREE reception with local authors, poets, and storytellers from around the region. We’ll have refreshments, snacks, and books on sale!

3:30 pm | Acclaimed author and Dickinson College Professor Susan Perabo discusses her new novel, The Fall of Lisa Bellow, with a leading book critic.

All Events are FREE and Open to the Public | 1302 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg PA 17102 | (717) 236-1680

Our Mission...

Promote honest journalism Provide timely and accurate news Act as an outlet for student voices and perspectives Help students gain skills in newswriting, radio, design, communication, and more.

Open Hours: Monday - 1pm - 5pm Tuesday - 11 am - 3pm Wednesday - 1pm - 5pm Friday - 10am - 3pm 717-691-6081 facebook.com/MessiahPulse twitter.com/MessiahPulse