Swinging Bridge Magazine: December 2016

Karibu Night PAGE 8

Haiti

through the eyes that call it home PAGE 12

Volume 97 // Edition 3 // Dec 2016

Resilience:

The Hunter Zondory Story PAGE 28

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volume 97 // edition 2 // dec 2016 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

Ashlyn Miller Bree Whitelock Maddie Crocenzi Alyssa Burd Stephanie Bricker Mimi Pedercini Willie Hope Jimmy Gibbons Kerri Denton Chalmers Port Grace Demmer Jacque Sauder Austen Bower Becca Simon Ryan Emerick Dan Husmann Raquelle Gonzalez Erin Zakin

Monday - Friday | 1pm - 5pm (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 Honesty has become a huge part of these letters over the last year and a half, and I feel like it would be wrong of me to change that now. So I have to be honest with you – I don’t feel like writing this letter.

That’s a pretty hard thing to say coming from a girl who writes for a living. I love the fact that I can use written words to encourage a friend, tell a story and even write news. But it’s hard when the very thing you love turns into a blank screen or piece of paper and a surging sense of frustration.

That’s what this letter feels like to me, a blank screen that reflects disappointment.

Now before this becomes too melodramatic, I also have to say that I’m a hopeless optimist. The optimist in me isn’t weighed down by the despair of a blank screen, but for once, I’m encouraged by it. It’s nice because this time around writer’s block gives me a chance to rest.

Rest is something I need, and I think we all need it during this busy season. My word block gives me an excuse to finally rest – to close my laptop, drink a cup of coffee and watch some

TV - or pick up the phone and finally call my mom. What I want most for this issue of the magazine is for it to be an excuse to rest. It’s an opportunity to close your books and take a few minutes to read, eat a snack and really rest.

There’s also a lot happening in this issue that makes it worth taking a break for. Read about friends that are graduating in December and lots of holiday stories that will (hopefully) make you forget finals are coming up. There’s also more serious topics like the first time people on campus knew they were different or the relationship between Haiti and the U.N. Maybe you’re looking for something different in sports, and you can read about current graduate assistants or how athletes at Messiah juggle dating and sports.

My point is there are so many different things to read in this magazine that there’s bound to be at least one that causes you to take a pause. Now the task for you is to find a great place to sit and take advantage of it.

Madeline Crocenzi, Editor-in-Chief

SBM // 1

table of contents: Student Life

Culture

Sports and Rec

4. Growing Pains 5. Lottie Life Hacks 6. December Grads 8. Karibu Night

12. Haiti Through the Eyes that Call it Home 14. Remembering December 15. WYMHMLM 16. Interreligious Dialogue 18. Recapturing a Historic Election 20. The First Time I Knew I was Different

22. Athletes Dating 24. Follow in my Footsteps 26. The Not-soTypical Life of a GA 28. Resilience: The Hunter Zondory Story

in this issue

on the web

SAB Cultural Engagement:

Ken Burns spotlights

Beyonce’s Lemonade

stories not himself

What Are You

Holidays, Family & Break

Thankful For?

Campus Closet:

From Civil Rights

Chill Winter Looks

to Black Lives Matter

visit us online at pulse.messiah.edu to read more 2 // DEC 2016

Student Life

25 Things to Do in

By Erin Zakin

It’s December, which means it’s time to start the Christmas countdown! Here are 25 things to do in December:

Decorate a Christmas tree

Make Christmas cards

Put up a Christmas tree

Start a “Secret Santa” gift exchange

Tour the first-year dorms during Deck the Halls

Attend a B-Sides concert

Check out Get free Attend SAB’s the tree pancakes Christmas lighting from Lottie Tradition ceremony in at night dance Eisenhower during finals Circle

Go sledding on Cemetery Hill

Christmas

Make Christmas ornaments

Use Google’s Santa Tracker on Christmas Eve

Start Break!

Drink eggnog

Go to SAB’s Family Christmas

Build a snowman

Watch Freeform’s “25 Days of Christmas”

Fill a box for Make paper Operation snowflakes Christmas to decorate Child your room

Go Christmas caroling

Attend the Winter Acclamation Dance Ministry show

Eat Christmas dinner in Lottie

Make Christmas cookies

Make peppermint cocoa: hot chocolate with a candy cane

Reunite with your friends from home

Buy scented pinecones for your dorm

Wish your friends and family a Merry Christmas!

DECEMBER SBM // 3

Student Life

Growing Pains

Flemmens with her mom, sister and father after a Christmas service.

By Lindsey Horner

It’s

no secret that Christmas is often the best holiday growing up. Preparing cookies for Santa, decorating the Christmas tree, wrapping presents and staying up all night waiting to hear jingle bells on your roof or a mighty “Ho-ho-ho!” coming from your chimney (if you even had a chimney) are just some of the many reasons why children love Christmas growing up. Unfortunately, as we grow older and more mature, Christmas often loses its magic.

However, that shift of focus can give way to a deeper understanding of the true value of Christmas.

First-year middle education major Kayla Flemmens can clearly attest to changing feelings about Christmas. Growing up, her family would always get together and draw names from a basket. Each family member would then get a gift for their “pal,” eat a big meal and celebrate Christmas evening with the exchanging of presents.

4 // DEC 2016

When she was little, Flemmens and her sister would always want to know who got each name and what the presents were. Now, she admits, “it’s not as important to know.”

Today, she stresses how it’s more important to her for her family and friends to be together. “The meaning of Christmas is more special now. When you’re little, it’s about presents and Santa, but when you’re older, you realize it’s special due to Jesus.”

One thing Flemmens misses about being little during Christmas is the excitement about Santa. She and her sister would always put out special cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer and lie awake for hours, asking each other “Did he come yet?”

Although the sisters don’t expect Santa to enjoy the final product, they still continue to treasure baking Christmas cookies with their grandmother.

Rachel Peters, a senior marketing major also had her share of fantastic

Student Life Christmas memories. “My favorite Christmas memory would have to be the first Christmas after my mom remarried. Dad gave me a baby doll; it was the first gift he ever gave me, and it represented the bond between Dad and me. I still have it.”

For Peters, Christmas was always a great time to spend with her family, including her three brothers. When she was little, however, she was mostly excited to have days off from school and receive presents.

As she’s grown, her faith perspective has now focused less on gifts and more about being appreciative of time spent with loved ones and acknowledging the gift God gave to us.

“I think little kids have such innocence and unconditional hope, like anything can happen,” she reflects. “As adults, we can lose that joy, and Christmas can become more like a burden. Cooking, shopping, buying things can add to the stress. We forget that Christmas is meant to celebrate the coming of the King.”

Growing up and maturing in our faith often helps us shift our focus from “I’m getting presents!” to “I’m getting Jesus!” ‘Tis the true reason for the season.

However, as we grow older, Christmas does lose some of its magic and child-like innocence. When asked what she wants for Christmas now, Peters laughs and exclaims “Erasing my college debt!”

Flemmens with her grandmother baking Christmas cookies.

By Elizabeth Gutman

“Peanut Butter and Jelly Banana Boats” With their colorful appearance, bananas are a popular snack for college students everywhere. Bananas have many health benefits, including their excellent source of potassium, which aids in lowering blood pressure. Due to the amount of fiber and Vitamin C they contain, bananas can contribute to a healthy heart as well. Here is a recipe that combines a popular sandwich with this well-known and healthy fruit.

Step 1: Take one banana from the fruit stand, peel it and cut it in half lengthwise.

Step 2: Head over to the spreads section, and, with a knife, spread peanut butter and strawberry jelly on each half of the banana.

Step 3: Make your way over to the salad bar, and grab three strawberries.

Step 4: Cut each strawberry into about three or four slices, place them on top of the strawberry jelly and enjoy!

SBM // 5

Student Life

December Grads

By Stephanie Bricker

When May rolls around and students finish up their year-long journey toward summertime, graduation plays a huge role in the various festivities of the season. We love celebrating the seniors we’ve come to know, and we enjoy calling ourselves by our new class rank now that the “top dog” has moved on.

Through the excitement of that time of year, we often forget that many students graduated months ago, at the end of the fall semester. Whether or not you are familiar with December graduation, it’s always good to get to know some of the faces that will be ending their college career in December.

Senior Christina Miller will take part in this year’s December graduation as she earns her teaching certification in 4th through 8th grade with a concentration in social studies. Miller hopes to earn a fulltime position teaching middle school social studies in one of the local school districts.

Since December is a bit of an off-season for schools to hire teachers, Miller recognizes finding a job right away may be a challenge. However, she says, “I am planning on taking the spring semester to be a substitute teacher. This way, I will be able to gain more experience and interact with school districts that I might be interviewing with later.”

As she approaches the end of her college journey, Miller would like to thank the many people who have helped her reach this point in her career.

“My parents have always emphasized the value of education and hard work. The

6 // DEC 2016

professors in the Education Department have been instrumental in getting me to the point where I feel confident in my ability as a teacher, “ she says.

Korin Martin, who majors in accounting, will join Miller in the upcoming December graduation. Martin looks forward to August when she will begin her accounting career at the firm of Trout, Ebersole & Groff in Lancaster. Until then, Martin will stay on campus to study for her Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification.

Like Miller, Martin recognizes both the challenges and benefits to a graduation in December. However, Martin’s benefits seem to outweigh the challenges since an early graduation gives her a head start from the May graduates when it comes to studying for the CPA. She does say, however, that fitting in all the necessary classes to graduate a semester early sometimes posed a challenge. For being able to accomplish that scheduling, though, she would like to thank her academic advisor.

Martin advises other students looking to graduate in December to “focus on the baby steps that will lead you to the overall goal. Talk to as many people as possible who have been through this process.”

Ashlyn Miller, a journalism major with a minor in urban studies, will graduate next month and finish her Messiah College experience. After graduation, she plans to go into a broadcasting production career, using her experience with MC-77 and the Pulse as a springboard toward career success.

Right now, Miller is in the interviewing stage of many job applications including a producing fellowship with Hearst Television. She says, “I’m ready to put things in God’s hands and see where He takes me next- whether it’s at a local station or somewhere unexpected.”

One advantage Miller sees in December graduation is the timing: ending 2016 and her undergrad days at the same time and starting the new year with a new adventure.

Miller has also had her own share of challenges with December graduation, though. She says sometimes December grads get focused on what little time they have left before their May counterparts have to start worrying about those things. Miller warns it’s easy to get caught up in the things you’re involved in and when you look up, all of a sudden you have a month until graduation.

Miller would like to thank the various people at Messiah that played a variety of different roles in her experience here: her supportive roommates and friends, her encouraging mentors and her supportive team that she works with at the Pulse and MC-77.

Finally, Luke Gibson, also an accounting major will officially earn his degree before the end of the calendar year.

Like Martin, Gibson plans to study for his CPA after graduation, followed by a move to Chicago where he will work for EY (a Big-4 accounting firm).

He says of his career plans, “I hope to have a very diverse career com-

Student Life bining my passions for food, business, people and culture.”

Christina Miller, Teaching

Gibson especially appreciates the financial benefits and the career advantages graduating early offers. He says the benefits of graduating early are often attainable, but the decision to end one’s college journey early is often a personal one. Gibson also owes thanks to his many mentors, including his academic advisor and people at Messiah who have encouraged him along the way.

He adds, “College is a wonderful and transformational time in our lives, but ultimately God has us at Messiah for a brief moment. But God has a very distinct calling for everyone, and despite loving it here, it is not our calling. Graduating is an incredibly exciting time in our lives—to begin using the gifts, talents and abilities we have been given to glorify God in all that we do and become.”

Korin Martin, Accounting

“Focus on the baby steps that will lead you to the overall goal.”

“I am planning on taking the Spring semester to be a substitute teacher.”

Luke Gibson, Accounting

“I hope to have a very diverse career combining my passions for food, business, people and culture.”

SBM // 7

Student Life

Welcome to

AFRICA

Karibou Night Showcases Different African Cultures

By Maddie Crocenzi

8 // DEC 2016

Student Life

“‘Karibu’ in Swahili means welcome”

November 5 - a date that could represent any other Saturday night, however for those filling into the Union that night it was the beginning of a night in Africa.

Going on its third year, Karibu Night hosted by the African Student Union (ASU) offered some students a taste of home, and others a chance to experience new cultures. From the food to the dancing to the fashion show, the night served as an invitation to experience something new.

“I don’t know who started it, but I know that ‘Karibu’ in Swahili means welcome,” ASU President Irebe Umusangwa explains. “I don’t know who decided to name it like that, but it’s a very good name for the night.”

Throughout the night, people were welcomed in a variety of ways. One perfor-

mance of a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony welcomed individuals on stage to try some coffee and “gossip” as many Ethiopian women do while drinking coffee.

Additionally, in the final performance of the night - a collaboration between ASU and Black Student Union (BSU) - Umusangwa welcomed the crowd on stage to dance and explained that Africans never dance alone.

Sharing that dance and other pieces of her culture is important to Umusangwa who is from Rwanda. “I really wanted to share my culture to the rest of Messiah students, and I’m very passionate about learning new cultures and sharing my culture,” she says. “That’s what got me joining African Student Union.”

Another portion of the night included a video that featured students with a connection to Africa. Some were born and raised in African countries; others were Missionary Kids (MK) and one spent time studying abroad in the continent.

One of the students featured was Katie Heidenreich, ASU’s secretary and a MK that grew up in Ghana. In her video segment, she talked about the two different cultures she’s experienced throughout her life.

“I’ve lived in the States for about six years now, so my cultures are kind of coming together but I still very much so feel drawn toward the Africans on campus,” she explains.

Heidenreich says meeting and connecting with other African students at Messiah was one reason she joined ASU. “Being around them made me feel like I was at home. I wanted to be a part of something that also gave me that feeling.”

After living in Ghana, Heidenreich also joined ASU to educate students about Africa. “I really wanted to be able to be an educator on campus about the continent and all of the cultures that are there.”

“It’s a welcoming invitation – an invitation to laugh, to dance, to eat good food and to join a club that so beautifully exhibits a continent many people like to think they know about.”

SBM // 9

Student Life

The event was catered by Mariama’s African and Jamaican Cuisine on Market Street in Harrisburg. The West African food included jollof rice, white rice, rice and beans, jerk chicken, chicken yassa and plantains.

Education about the continent was another big part of Karibu night.

During the video, many students said they were initially offended by questions they received about Africa.

“There are many misconceptions of Africa, and that harms the way students on campus see us Africans,” ASU Vice President Keza Nzisabira, who is from Rwanda says.

“There is a lot a lot of miscommunications because of these stereotypes. I would encourage Messiah students to come (with an open mind) and learn about our continent.”

One misconception is that all of Africa is similar, although Africans will tell you the culture varies depending on which country you’re in.

10 // DEC 2016

That was one thing Blen Asres, who handles ASU’s public relations and is from Ethiopia, found when she came to Messiah.

“My freshman year when I went to ASU, I saw the different cultures even within Africa, and it made me realize how much I hadn’t learned,” she says. “I only knew the culture in Ethiopia by itself.”

Despite the wide variety of cultures across the continent, ASU’s Cabinet worked to provide a sample of many of those beautiful cultures during Karibu Night through food, performances and fashion.

“Africa is a huge continent, and there’s so many different cultures and so many different variations of food,” Umusangwa says. “We only have West African food because the only restaurant available here is West African but it’s really good food.”

Asres offers some advice to students about the food – “See and enjoy the African culture. And try the food,” she laughs.

Another memorable part of the night were the various performances. This was the first year Karibu Night showcased Messiah students after ASU brought in outside talent for the first two years of the event.

“Most of them (the performers) are African, but this year we also collaborated a little with Black Student Union because they are the African diaspora,“ Umusangwa says. “One of the performances will be ASU and BSU performing together.

Everyone who had an affiliation to the continent was allowed to perform.”

The performances included spoken poems, various songs, a traditional Rwandan dance, a modern African dance and more. There was also a fash-

Student Life

“The best part of the night was seeing different students feel at home, whether they grew up in an African country or spent time studying or working in one.” ion show featuring men’s and women’s clothing from various parts of Africa.

Although the food was delicious and the performances were moving, arguably the best part of the night was seeing different students feel at home, whether they grew up in an African country or spent time studying or working in one.

That sentiment is at the heart of ASU’s mission – to give students a home away from home.

“I joined ASU as a member, and what I found there was a small family, a home away from home,” Nzisabira says. “I was with people who understood me and my culture. I joined the cabinet to help nurture that experience for other Africans on campus. And to also showcase and educate Messiah about Africa and its people.”

Heidenreich echoes Nzisabira’s sentiment and says her favorite part of ASU is “being with people that I share similar culture to and understanding of the struggle of being on a campus that maybe doesn’t always understand that part of who we are.”

Ultimately, Karibu Night is a night for ASU to shine and show Messiah all of the things to love about Africa. However, it doesn’t have to end there. ASU exists as a continuing resource for all students on campus whether they’re African or not.

It’s fitting that Karibu Night means welcome because it’s a welcoming invitation – an invitation to laugh, to dance, to eat good food and to join a club that so beautifully exhibits a continent many people like to think they know about.

“I would definitely say that ASU is not only for African students. ASU welcomes any students that want to learn about the African culture,” Asres says.

“The purpose of this is we know that there are issues around the continent and when you look at the news a lot from here you only see a lot of negativity going around the continent and that definitely happens, but there’s also a lot of fun, a lot of things that are alive and everything,” Umusangwa says.

ASU is also big on having fun. “There’s some meetings we’ve had, and some of them have been really inspirational,” Umusangwa says. “We’ve had inspirational discussions. There’s dancing and games, and we have fun.”

Heidenreich says this part of ASU is something she wishes to share with more students. “It’s super fun. It’s not just for African students; it’s a place for people to feel at home and form relationships where people understand what they’re going through. A lot of African culture is very welcoming and open and accepting of others, and we embody that in our club.”

The next time you find yourself discouraged by the sometimes negative news regarding Africa, visit an ASU meeting or join the club to experience how wonderfully alive the culture is.

Nzisabira sums it up simply with the word of the night. “Anyone eager to learn about Africa is welcome.”

SBM // 11

Culture

Haiti Home

Through the Eyes that Call it

By Myriam Pedercini

O

nly 838 miles away from Florida is the country of Haiti and despite what mainstream media may portray, it is a country full of beauty in its landscape, culture and people.

On the Island of Hispaniola shared with its neighbor the Dominican Republic, Haiti is a nation with an interesting and complex history tied to colonialism and exploitation. It has risen above its oppressors, being recognized by historians as the first and only successful slave revolt and the first independent nation of Latin American and the Caribbean.

Haiti holds cultural riches which blends festivities and their delicious foods such as the celebrated Independence Day on January 1 where their traditional soup joumou (a savory pumpkin soup) is served. For some students on campus, these traditions are treasured, as is their beloved home.

“Haiti is a beautiful country, the people are loving, so inviting, they’re always trying to feed you,” says Esther Rosier, a junior politics major who is a Haitian-Cuban American student. “They’re people prideful in their country, pride in our history and continue to be independent if you allow us to be. We’re not begging you for funds; we’re begging for information on how to help ourselves.”

Junior civil engineering major and international student from Haiti, Erwens Fleurant also shares warm sentiments on his home country.

“The first thing that comes to mind is love,” says Fleurant. “I’m walking down the street and the person telling me ‘Hi, how are you?’ and their smile, love is already shown.”

Millie Jean and her mother on a beach in Haiti

12 // Dec 2016

A vast majority of individuals may not know Haiti as intimately as Fleurant and other students around campus. In 2010, the world seemed to know Haiti through the lens of tragedy. On January 12 an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude devastated the country. People all over the world watched the progression of events through the news. Mainstream

media coverage focused on the devastation, the foreign aid flooding the nation and a portrayal of a country in turmoil.

Eventually, mainstream media moved on, shifting everyone’s focus to another breaking news story, and eventually, Haiti seemed to be off everyone’s radar, kept in the back of their minds as “one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere.” When Hurricane Matthew struck predominantly the southwestern region of Haiti - leaving its traces in other parts of the country - the world seemed to be focused once more on the Caribbean nation.

“There’s a lot of natural disasters happening lately. I don’t know why it seems to always be happening to Haiti,” says senior biopsychology major Millie Jean who is of Haitian decent. “I feel like it’s a series of unfortunate events, but there’s more parts than what you see on the news.”

Although these disasters are a hard reality for the people of Haiti, what the mainstream media neglects to show is the resilience and reconstruction coming from the Haitian people.

Haiti continues to endure through some unforeseen misfortune. One of these hardships comes in the form of cholera; a bacterial disease which spreads through contaminate food and/or water sources. The controversy of cholera rests in how it came to Haiti and subsequently spread.

Culture

After the 2010 earthquake, the United Nations (UN) – which already had a presence in Haiti with their peacekeepers known as MINUSTAH - had one of their peacekeeper camps where Nepali peacekeepers stayed. Months before the arrival of these peacekeepers, a cholera outbreak spread throughout Nepal, and found its way in Haiti through the peacekeeper camps, devastating thousands. Peacekeepers’ waste from this camp was leaked into the local waterways in Haiti, and the country responded by advocacy for justice and compensation while keeping the UN accountable.

Many frustrations of the lack of a response from the UN fully taking responsibility for the past six years echoes in many Haitian communities.

“My church community have had people in their family who have died, a real thing when you know people mourning the loss of something preventable,” reflects Rosier.

“Maybe it was an accident, but you don’t even want to take responsibility, it’s [the UN] supposed to be caring about everyone.”

Fleurant echoes these frustrations and includes various other controversies surrounding UN peacekeepers misusing their role. Even though their actions do not represent the message or goal of the UN, there is still a need for the organization to respond and be held accountable to stop this abuse.

“I think that they’re [the UN] there for a good cause but they have to take responsibility and be held accountable,” says Fleurant. “They know that it happens. I’m against injustice.”

The path for justice and reconstruction is something Haiti knows. Now, the people and community of supporters continue advocacy and the road to change.

“As soon as people heard about it, the UN had to speak up; they had no choice but to act. It forced them into action and sometimes that’s how change happens.

Everybody can be an activist,” says Rosier.

These students urge the fellow student body at Messiah to educate themselves on these issues and take action.

“If you believe in something, you have to fight for it all the way. We’re against injustice but isn’t the stuff that the UN does is injustice? So what do you do about it?” asks Fleurant. “Make people know about it, make people aware of that, maybe someone in some way that is high rank enough to take action. Some people get to write to their representatives and that’s one thing that can happen. Start by raising awareness and take it to the next level.”

With these realities and difficult circumstances in Haiti, it is easy for individuals to disconnect themselves from the people, simply seeing the country as “one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere.” However, Haiti is so much more, and the overall petition these students want to share with us is the untold truth of this country.

Esther Rosier

“They’re people prideful in their country, pride in our history and continue to be independent if you allow us to be. We’re not begging you for funds; we are begging for information on how to help ourselves.”

“It is clear that there’s poverty in Haiti,” shares Fleurant. “That doesn’t mean that every single Haitian is poor, or rebels or every place in Haiti is unstable. Come to my hometown; I’m pretty sure you will see love in people. Haiti is not all about poverty, Haiti is more than that, it has a culture, is a country that’s fighting to get itself out of the way it is. Like any other country with political issues, get to know something better before you share it. There’s a lot of people who share how Haiti is bad, but they don’t really know what Haiti is about.”

Erwens Fleurant

SBM // 13

Culture

Remembering December

by Alyssa Burd

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing on December 14, 2012? Were you still in high school or were you completing another semester at college? Perhaps you were cramming for finals, packing for Christmas break and counting down the days until you could kiss 2012 goodbye. For most, December 14 was a typical school day for students across the nation—or so it should have been.

On December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut and fatally shot 20 school children and six staff members before taking his own life. In less than 11 minutes, Lanza had single-handedly committed one of the most deadly school shootings in United States history.

The rise of mass school shootings in the U.S. has unsettled many individuals across the nation. According to the Washington Post, a 2015 analysis conducted by Everytown for Gun Safety shows there were approximately 95 school shootings reported on K-12 and college campuses between 2012 and 2014—that means for two years, the United States was averaging about one school-related shooting per week.

So what is the cause of the constant threat to our educational systems? Why are countless students being targeted as victims of violence and school-related crime?

“Media effect is a prime factor in [shootings],” says Lynn Maynard, Messiah’s director of Safety and Administrative Services. “When you’re talking about the early 60s, 70s and even early 1980s, you did not have a 24-hour news cycle. When you have cell phones, computer networking, television—cable, satellite—it all plays 24 hours a day, so it replays all these [shooter] events, which reinforces the fact that we live in a very dangerous culture.”

With the ever-growing technological aspect of U.S. culture, Maynard mentions it is relatively easy to become somewhat

14 // Dec 2016

desensitized to the threat of violence.

With the death and destruction that is frequently portrayed in movies, television, video games, etc., Maynard notes, “The argument is ‘Does art imitate life, or does life imitate art?’ There is a balance between the two, and that’s something that we all need to be aware of.”

As a result of the threats imposed on students, many schools and college institutions have implemented a variety of safety precautions including I.D. access locations, situational emergency training and even metal detectors at building entrances.

According to Maynard, there is an occasional struggle with knowing how to effectively protect students on college campuses without infringing on the school’s educational value. “Schools are soft targets because you are dealing with people. It’s also a shocking statement— you have a typical layer of trust when it comes to the schools where they are educational environments. So if we start putting bars and barbed wire and things on the school buildings, it becomes more of a jail than an educational facility.”

“If [students] feel like they are being penned in,” Maynard continues, “if they feel that bars are on the windows to keep people out, they will learn less, and they will be less engaged because they will feel like they are in a constant state of fear.”

Even with necessary precautions in place, shooters have still found ways to force themselves into school environments. Even Adam Lanza was able to break through Sandy Hook Elementary’s buzzer-secure doors. So how are students expected to protect themselves, especially on a campus like Messiah’s where there is an open and trusting environment and community is the norm?

There are text alert systems in place to notify students of emergency situations and required active shooter training

for all first-year students provided by the Department of Safety each year— but how many individuals on campus take these precautions seriously?

“Statistics indicate that [shootings] can happen anywhere,” says Cindy Burger, Messiah’s director of Investigations and Compliance. “It’s not just K-12 or an elementary school, high school, college—it’s businesses, it’s professional companies. It can literally happen anywhere. You need to pre-plan and prepare so that in case it does happen, we’re prepared for how to respond to that.”

“I think it’s important for individuals to know that we don’t do these shooter training because we don’t have anything else to present,” Burger continues. “It’s a requirement—the Department of Education now requires active shooter training on all college campuses as well as K-12 schools. I’ve been here for 23 years. 23 years ago, did I ever think we would be providing active shooter training on this campus? Never.”

The events of December 14, 2012, serve as a reminder of what can happen to anyone at any moment. Within minutes, innocent children became not only victims but statistics of a trend of mass school shootings.

Even on a campus as peaceful as Messiah’s, both Maynard and Burger stress the importance of understanding the different ways in which both students and faculty can help to protect themselves: sign up for the text alert system, attend the active shooter trainings, report any situation that poses a threat, be open to conversations about the cause and culture of violence and always remember the events of December 2012 to actively protect the campus we call home.

w Y MH ML M

“Pretty Bird” by Steady Rush

Culture

When Top 40 stations start playing “Pretty Bird,” you heard it here first: The newest chart-topping female empowerment anthem is here, and it comes from a band you’ve never heard of before. Despite their initially deceptive EP cover, Steady Rush is “a female pop rock duo that believes music should inspire all that is good and honest in humanity,” according to the band’s website. “Pretty Bird” certainly delivers on that front; it’s uplifting, catchy and clean: in short, a song you’ll be happy to have stuck in your head. For fans of Fifth Harmony, Little Mix, Halsey and Daya.

December (What you may have missed last month)

By Megan Hess 2016 was a wild, crazy, amazing, frustrating year! We went ape over the death of a gorilla (RIP Harambe), spent too many waking hours playing Pokemon Go and had to elect a president from two equally polarizing candidates - all on top of classes and jobs! Whether you started college this fall (we’re glad you’re here!) or are finishing four years this spring (congrats for making it this far!) you deserve a rest. Here are a few things you might want to spend some of that wellearned free time enjoying during Christmas break.

“Tabby Cat,” Google Chrome Think that - thanks to campus policy- you can’t have a cat in your dorm unless it’s an emotional support animal? Not true!

With the “Tabby Cat” extension for Google Chrome, you can have a plethora of cats. Each new tab you open brings a new cat - each with its own quirky moniker. Over time, you gain accessories for your virtual cats. It’s all the fun of phone games with 1% of the work. For people like me who need a minimum of ten tabs open to function, “Tabby Cat” is almost like being rewarded for that particular neurosis. It’s the small things in life.

The Fireman by Joe Hill When you’re Stephen King’s son, making a name for yourself in the world of American fiction purely on your own merit seems like an insurmountable goal. Having a pen name helps. Being a great writer is better.

Joe Hill, the best living proof that good writing is both genetic and environmental, has had no trouble distinguishing his own work from his father’s. As such, it’s ironic that his best book is the one that feels the most like a typical King novel, with its punchy female protagonist and deaths upon deaths. (Hill hasn’t shied away from death in his earlier works, but The Fireman has a higher body count than anything he’s ever done - an almost incalculable number, in fact.) As far as King’s shadow falls over the book, The Fireman still stands on its own as a completely original work.

A blazing, Contagion-esque thriller, The Fireman is simultaneously a perfect starter book for readers just getting into Hill’s work and all that longtime fans wanted and needed. It unseats Horns as the crown jewel of Hill’s oeuvre (fairly enough; Horns is highly overrated, anyway), and I would not be surprised if, like Horns, it gets a film or television adaptation soon.

SBM // 15

Culture

Why You Should Care: Interreligious Dialogue

By Caitlinn Betteridge

In a pluralistic world that grows increasingly more diverse by the second, Christians are faced with the challenging question of “How on earth are we supposed to interact with those of other religions?”

The tactics we used in the Crusades to interact with Muslims are disgustingly less than ideal, but a universally inclusive soteriology is considered blasphemous by most sects of the church. So what then? What options are we left within the middleground? How are we, as the church, supposed to love our neighbor? What would Jesus do?

There is, despite the polarization of the topic by many, a golden mean that doesn’t conflict with systematic theology on either side of the traditional liberal spectrum: dialogue. Interreligious dialogue is becoming ever more relevant, necessary and unavoidable. And Messiah College students are raising their voices to participate in the vital conversation.

Jamie-Claire Chau, more affectionately called JC, has called the Multicultural Council to action on this topic.

“Engage with cultures different than their own,” Chau challenges Messiah students. “Most importantly [we need]

16 // Dec 2016

to move students to love the people who claim those cultures as their own.”

This is an important part of Chau’s mission for the Multicultural Council. “The first step we - the Multicultural Council - take is to address the fears, the phobias, the implicit and explicit biases that prevent us from trying to engage. By creating safe spaces to have an open dialogue about necessary issues, we can shed light on the assumptions that have laid hidden within our minds to question and consciously choose to keep, rid or change them.”

Recently, events like the Open Council on Islamophobia have opened doors for interreligious dialogue.

“We also want to connect our students with our neighbors, with the hope that these relationships will continue after the event,” Chau says. “We did this through our recent Open Council on Islamophobia, where 60+ students came to share a meal and converse with Samia Malik, Saima Mumtaz and Ann Van Dyke, community leaders advocating for peace with the Muslim community.”

Ben Talbot, a senior who lived in the Buddhist-majority country of Thailand for ten years, affirms the notion that interreligious dialogue is important.

“We can learn so much about ourselves, our culture and our religion through conversations and relationship with people of other faith,” says Talbot. “Learning how Muslims or Buddhists are devout and faithful in their practice can inspire us to emulate that and reevaluate how we think about God and our faith.”

Interreligious dialogue is also instrumental in combating religious stereotypes and breaking down barriers that hurt and divide people.

The question for many, though, arises from deep within the particularities of the Christian faith.

Culture

Many fear sully of the Christian tradition by learning from and deeply engaging those of other religions without a purpose for conversion. Junior Mia Kuniholm defies this exclusivist claim.

“When we observe the life of Christ, we see that He in no way cloistered Himself away from the full range of humanity—regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender, social status, profession—Christ initiated relationship with and received relationship from, anyone who wanted to be in relationship with Him,” says Kuniholm. “He was not afraid to jump into the muddle of humanity. Likewise, in engaging in interreligious dialogue, we enter further into the life of Christ by entering further into the lives of our fellow humans. These connections are ends in and of themselves.”

Adding to Kuniholm’s point, Talbot references scripture. “We are compelled as Christians to love our neighbors,” reminds Talbot. “True and authentic love requires dialogue - you cannot love someone if you do not know them. This dialogue demands that we understand and are understood, and this relationship is the precursor to fully loving our neighbor.”

That phrase and ideology are exactly why we should care.

“Loving our neighbor is impossible without knowing our neighbor. Knowing our neighbor requires us first to step into the unknown,” says Chau.

All this to say, our neighbors will likely have different beliefs than our own, different religions even. If this is untrue, then look to the next town, the next city. Or move somewhere else where not everyone is like you. Because if your neighborhood is filled with clones of yourself, that misses Jesus’ whole point, doesn’t it?

So who is our neighbor? Our neighbor is a Muslim woman who raises her three children on kindness and good humor and gets ingredients for their lunches at your grocery store. Our neighbor is the atheist student in the back of your Bible class and who doesn’t understand why Christians would follow a God who allows evil.

And if we never think twice, we wouldn’t even realize that our neighbors are right next to us. Jesus had dinner with people that hated Him. Jesus had dinner with people that were hated. And Jesus loved them each.

What if we do that? What if we sit down with our Muslim neighbor, sharing a common state of hunger, of vulnerability and have a conversation with them as if they were human? What would happen?

Now, this may be far fetched- but perhaps, we would find that we could love as Jesus did, as He does.

photo by Peter Hershey

SBM // 17

Culture

Recapturing

a Historic Election

By Sharlene Oong In one of the most astounding elections in history, Donald J. Trump was elected as the next president of the United States.

With key wins in Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, Trump commented that Hillary Clinton had “fought very hard” according to USA Today.

Some students on campus are excited, and others are frustrated about some of the new steps they believe Trump will take as president.

Kevin Wilcox, president of MC Republicans, is looking forward to the decreasing of taxes as he believes it will benefit the working middle class.

However, Esther Rosier, a junior politics major, fears Trump will implement anti-immigrant policies, which includes building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

18 // Dec 2016

“Dealing with the lives of people, you don’t treat them as people, you don’t see them as people,” says Rosier.

What America will look like in the next four years is another mystery yet to be unfolded.

Hadassah Howard, a sophomore political science major, predicts racial issues will be taken into higher consideration.

“I think a lot of issues about race and inequality are going to be more visible among politicians,” says Howard. “Congress has to talk about that more.”

On the other hand, Jake Ford, a junior Chinese politics major, believes the government is not set up for immediate action, which means that what Trump wants to accomplish, will take awhile to be completed.

Even though there may be mixed feelings about our president-elect, there’s still space to make your voice heard no matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on. More than 57.6 million people - 28.5% of estimated eligible voters voted in the Democratic and Republican preliminaries, according to Pew Research Center. For those who are interested in voting, a good place to start would be digging up information on what goes on in your local county.

Rosier recommends taking note of what is going on in your county and the laws that it upholds. If one is trying to determine how they should decide on voting for a candidate, Ford suggests recognizing personal convictions.

“The candidates in the election appeal to the emotions of the voters, rather than giving policy plans,” says Ford.

Culture

“As Christians, we should not do anything that makes worse or intensifies the situation, as we are to be healers and reconcilers.”

Much of the focus of the election was based on the judgment of the character of the presidential candidates, instead of the judgment of the policies they advocated.

“As Christians, we should not do anything that makes worse or intensifies the situation, as we are to be healers and reconcilers,” says Curry.

According to professor of politics, Dr. John Harles, the projection of the image of America was lost in both candidates.

Alexandra Chandon, a junior English major, suggests another way to look at the situation is to remember to accept people as they are - no matter who they voted for.

“If you look at the debates, so much of the stuff people will remember, is that one tells the other, ‘you’re terrible,’ and the other says ‘no, you are,’” says Harles.

While there are both satisfied and unsettling feelings towards the election results, Dr. Dean Curry, professor of politics, suggests reminding each other of our common identity in Christ.

“As Christians, we need to accept everyone no matter their beliefs or opinions, we do not have to agree with each other,” says Chandon.

“I think a lot of issues of race and inequality are going to be more visible among politicians.”

SBM // 19

Culture

The First Time

Yosep Youn Sophomore, English Major with Teaching Cerification

I Knew I was Different

By Hannah Rauhut

Here at Messiah, there are countless students whose childhoods and backgrounds have labeled them as “different” whether they grew up overseas on an army base, as a missionary kid, are an international student or from a different part of the country. Their different experiences contribute diversity to the student body.

Here are glimpses into the lives of three Messiah students as they respond to that all-encompassing question:

“When was the first time you knew you were different?”

Trust Milyango Year: First-Year Major: Communications “The first time I knew I was different was when I was with a family, and they were talking about Pop-Tarts, and I asked, ‘What’s a Pop-Tart?’” laughs Milyango. “They literally just stopped what they were doing and stared at me!”

Milyango is from Tanzania in East Africa. Not only is she new to Messiah but to America, as well. After having lived in Tanzania her whole life, she came to the United States for the first time at the beginning of the semester to pursue a college education.

“I remember the first time I got here three months ago, and I knew this was going to be so different,” Milyango says.

Though the adjustments were difficult at first, Milyango says she loves Messiah so far.

“It’s great. Everyone is so friendly, and people are interested to know about my culture.”

20 // Dec 2016

Yosep Youn Year: Sophomore Major: English with Teaching Certification

During Milyango’s experience, she has not “I really got to travel a lot when I was encountered any direct racism on campus young, and from the very start, I knew since her arrival in the States—but she has that I was different,” says Youn. been subject to a few off-putting comments.

Youn’s parents are missionaries who “A lot of people don’t know I’m from Tanza- love to travel with their children. As a nia—they think I’m African American just result, Youn has lived in five different because of my accent,” Milyango explains. places and visited around 20, includ“They’ll ask, ‘Where did you learn English?’ ing Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, And in a way, it’s kind of offensive.”

Jordan, Singapore and America.

But that’s not all Milyango has heard.

“I’ve had people ask me if I live near the Serengeti or if I have lions in my backyard.

A lot of people refer to Africa as a country, and I’ll have to correct them [and tell them] it’s a continent,” Milyango smiles.

“But I understand where they’re coming from, I guess, because they might not have ever had to leave their country, so they’re not really as exposed to what I know because I’ve been [in Africa] all my life.”

And being from Tanzania isn’t the only thing that sets her apart. According to Milyango, her decision to study communications distinguished her from the rest of her peers.

Trust Milyango First-Year, Communications Major

ence or engineering, so it’s been a kind of motivation for me,” she explains. “Of my entire graduating class, I’m the only one who went to a college this year, and for me, that’s a sense of accomplishment—that despite what they told me I still went after my dreams.”

“Back home, people won’t see you as a smart person unless you’re taking sci-

“When I would go to [other] places and countries, I definitely didn’t speak their language or look like them, so I knew I was different.”

But even when he returned to his home country of Korea, Youn still felt out of place. “When I actually did go back over summers or for a visit, I wouldn’t understand slang words or songs,” Youn explains. “Back in Korea—even though I was a Korean myself—I really struggled with my identity, since I was Korean but accustomed to American ways.”

While most are surprised at the number of places Youn has been to in his 19 years of life, he has encountered comments from others that have caught him off guard.

Culture Dayren Soto Senior, Elementary and Special Education Dual Certication Her freshman year was not so easy. “My first year was hard. I was a bit homesick,” she explains.

It was especially hard on the weekends.

“Back home, everyone is up to something [on Friday night]. So that was hard,” she says. “I was homesick, I just wanted to be home, I just wanted to be doing something—and there was only so much.”

“During the first week of my first year, someone told me ‘Oh, your English is not broken!’” Youn chuckles. “I didn’t know if [that] was a compliment, or offensive, but I was just surprised at how blunt they were about it.”

Despite the cultural ignorance Youn has faced, he feels that he is not one to be judgmental about occasional uneducated and “blunt” responses. “I feel like I can’t really say anything to [them],” he explains, “because I would be the exact same person if I stayed in Korea all my life.”

But Youn wouldn’t trade his traveling experiences for any other background.

“If God gave me the chance to relive my life, I’d probably do the same thing.

My experience [and] my perspective [are] wider, and I can definitely relate to more people—that’s shaped who I am, and I like how it’s shaped me.”

Dayren Soto Year: Senior Major: Elementary and Special Education Dual Certification “Coming to Messiah, I knew it would be different—it was really the first time that I would be in an environment where the majority is white American or Caucasian,” says Soto—who you might know as “DayPop,” Messiah’s 2016 Homecoming Queen!

Soto grew up in the Bronx, New York where, as she acknowledges, the majority of the population is Hispanic and African American, while the minority is white. Still, Soto applied to Messiah.

Soto, who is a member of the AMIGO program here at Messiah, says her experiences with the group were really helpful in her transition to college and in learning more about diversity and race.

“From [the group] I did start to make more friends,” Soto continues, “but the AMIGO program was really helpful because it ignited a desire to pursue issues concerning race and culture.”

It was also her first year when Soto first encountered an offensive remark made by a fellow student in her major. The two are now very friendly with each other and have since reconciled, but Soto acknowledges that the comment did “throw [her] off.”

“We were just talking about my hometown being in the Bronx and how I was an English-language learner—basically, I entered preschool as a Spanish speaker, and I learned English in school,” Soto explains. “I don’t know how it came up, but she made a comment along the lines of ‘well, coming from the Bronx, your vocabulary is very good.’”

“I kind of just paused. It was a little awkward,” Soto admits. “But I took it as ignorance— [the student] might genuinely have never thought that [what was said] could have some deeper implications.”

During Soto’s second year at Messiah, she was exposed to another trace of racism that trickled into a conversation when Soto asked if the student was Hispanic. The student was not,

and told Soto that a lot of other people had inquired about that before.

“But this was what really tore me down—[the student] said ‘I should just say that I’m Mexican and hopped the border,’” Soto says.

She was taken aback. “I think in those immediate moments walls could build up, and I get really discouraged,” she admits. “Someone once referred to [those comments] as little papercuts, that, after being touched and picked at, eventually become a wound.”

Soto’s most recent “papercut” was during her junior year, when she brought her tambourine to Powerhouse. “I go to a Puerto Rican church back home, and that’s what we use to worship,” she explains. “And so I brought it over, and occasionally I play my tambourine.”

She had taken her tambourine to Powerhouse a few times before, and that night at worship, one of the band members approached her in the crowd and told her she needed to stop playing it because it was distracting the rest of the band.

“It was like an assault on my culture, and what it implied to me was a standard form of worship,” Soto says.

Since then, Soto has spoken with the band member who approached her that night at Powerhouse. Reconciliation is the main theme of Soto’s message.

“I’m passionate about diversity that’s inclusive of all,” she says. “Diversity and race are really important to me. My mission is to be inclusive.”

Whether they grew up in East Africa or traveled to over 20 countries, or call home the Bronx, these students have been through it all—and Messiah College is now also a part of their stories.

SBM // 21

Sports & Rec

Athletes Dating How student athletes make their relationships work

By Valerie Bell

B

eing a collegiate athlete can be very time consuming when trying to balance team practices and activities, along with achieving academic success, serving in other activities around campus, working a part-time job and maintaining a social life. However, within these busy schedules, athletes still find ways to make a relationship a priority while growing closer to their faith and their sport.

Whether the relationship involves two athletes or an athlete and someone not involved in sports, there are still numerous challenges that come with sports and relationships. According to some athletes, the biggest obstacle in the relationship is simply time.

“It can be hard to find a balance between everything, but it’s all about time management and what your priorities are.

Luckily my girlfriend understands my crazy schedule and everything going on, and we make it work pretty easily,” says junior baseball player Kyle Schoen.

Jocelyn Chavous, a senior guard on the women’s basketball team, says one of the biggest challenges within her relationship is not being able to spend some weeknights or weekends with her boyfriend Josh Clippinger, a senior forward on the men’s basketball team.

22 // DEC 2016

“Sometimes practice, team devotions or other types of team activities can limit your availability and free time,” Chavous says. “Both my boyfriend and I have had to either change plans or work around our team schedule which can get challenging, but we usually figure something out.”

Chavous and Clippinger are both athletes who are in a relationship, which works as an interesting dynamic because they both have limited free time throughout the day. Despite this shortcoming, the couple always perseveres through the tough time constraint.

“Every day for me is busy, busy, busy!

Balancing a relationship with school, basketball and other activities surely is not easy,” says Clippinger. “We make the most of moments we can meet throughout the day. For example, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays we often see each other in the library or the Falcon. Other than that, we are pretty content with seeing each other over the weekend and not expecting too much.”

Despite the challenges, the constant support system is always appreciated by each partner and it positively affects their performance as an athlete.

“The positive things are that you have so much support that is with you all the time, from the small text messages wishing you good luck to having someone to vent to when things get hard, they’re always there to support you and help you stay the course and stay focused,” says Schoen.

Kyle Schoen - Photo by Messiah Athletics

“They’re always there to support you and help you stay the course and stay focused.”

Sports & Rec

“Pull Quotes Here.

Not very long, choose interesting portions of the article to highlight” The demanding schedule may be a challenge to student athletes, but with a strong foundation, they can use this time to grow.

“It’s important to be intentional in everything you do and dedicating time to things like school work and a relationship,” Chavous explains. “You need to plan ahead and carve out time each week that you can give to things outside of your sport.

Usually, my boyfriend and I will try to find gaps in our weekdays and evenings that we can spend some time together.”

Finding time can be difficult, but Chavous and Clippinger often spend time doing simple things together like eating a meal or doing homework with one another.

“We support each other in everything. We like to text encouragements to one another throughout the day, and when we have really busy days, we’ll make meals for each other. It’s great to have a support system like that on campus,” Clippinger says.

Schoen echoes this sentiment, “The time is the biggest challenge. Even in the offseason, there are a lot of meetings and workouts going on through the week, and with working on campus as well, time becomes an issue. But you kind of work a routine into your schedule that is your time to see each other even if it means studying and doing work at that time, it’s when you get to see each other.”

Despite the challenges of playing on a sports team, athletes find a way to make their relationship work. At the end of the day, it’s all about having someone else there to understand the drawbacks and rewards.

“It’s been amazing to have someone understand the ups and downs of sports and pressures that comes with being a student athlete and wanting to succeed both on and off the field.”

“It’s been amazing to have someone understand the ups and downs of sports and pressures that comes with being a student athlete and wanting to succeed both on and off the field,” Chavous says.

Photo by Messiah Athletics

SBM // 23

Sports & Rec

Follow in My Footsteps

By Ashlyn Miller

Country music, growing up in Lancaster County, and a love for joking around with one another—these are just a few of the things that brought senior forward Gillian Glackin and sophomore forward Alecia Rohrer together.

The pair are a formidable force for an already deep Messiah women’s basketball team, and predictable comparisons have already been drawn between the two.

Both players earned Rookie of the Year honors and an All-Conference mention during their first seasons, and the most obvious similarity, they both stand at 6’2’’ and work the post for the Falcons.

Before even playing on the same court as Falcons, Glackin and Rohrer faced each other as opponents. Glackin played for Solanco High, a league opponent of Hempfield, where Rohrer played out her high school career.

“I played against her my sophomore year of high school, when she was a senior, and at that point, she was the top forward in the league,” says Rohrer.

Glackin went on to start her freshman year at Messiah, providing a boost to the offense averaging 12.1 points per game, second on the team that year. She also grabbed 241 rebounds, 8th best in program history, en route to her Rookie of the Year honors. She followed that up with a similarly impressive sophomore season which saw her lead the team in points per game, rebounds and minutes played, which earned her a First-Team All-Commonwealth spot.

This is the point at which Rohrer joined her, following an AAU team-

24 // DEC 2016

mate’s heads-up to Coach Mike Miller that Rohrer would be a good fit.

“As I was thinking about Messiah, I’d always hear about Gillian Glackin, Messiah’s star forward, so coming in under that, it was humbling being able to watch her in practice and learn from her,” says Rohrer.

Glackin and Rohrer were quickly able to connect over their common history in Lancaster County. They found they had many shared connections and knew some of the same people from back home.

“It gave us a lot more to talk about initially (being from a similar place) which was nice because when you are a junior and someone else is a freshman, you don’t always have that immediate connection because of that separation that can sometimes show between upperclassmen and underclassmen,” says Glackin.

Rohrer was off to a quick start with Messiah, producing a fantastic opening weekend to her season that resulted in MAC Commonwealth Player of the Week honors.

She sustained that throughout the rest of the season to earn MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year and Honorable Mention All-MAC Commonwealth honors. Glackin was there throughout the whole process, starting in preseason where Rohrer says Glackin taught her some of her positioning before the season began, and then pointed out tips in-game once the season started.

“Alecia has a very high basketball IQ, and (her freshman year) she was handling it on her own. Passing encouragement onto one another is the main way we would help each other,” says Glackin.

At that point, Glackin and Rohrer were not seeing much time together on the court, most often being used as subs for one another. Miller wanted to avoid the “dynamic duo” tag and give each player time to develop, as well as fully utilize the talented guards and depth that the team has.

“We don’t ever really try to rush freshman no matter what our needs are.

We don’t want them to come in with that pressure that we’re ‘counting on them to be great,’” says Miller.

This gave them time to focus on other areas of their work as teammates, particularly helping each other develop a good mindset and simply enjoying each other’s company.

“We’ve kinda struggled with similar things—we’re both very hard on ourselves when we play, so we’ve both helped each other with that,” says Glackin. “Off the court, I’m a goofy person, so being able to pick on her and have her pick on me back, it’s a lot of fun. It’s a pretty lively conversation when we get going.”

Rohrer agrees that conversations they’ve had off the court have been some of the most impactful for her.

“The other night, we went to the Union after practice, thinking we were just going to get a bite to eat and we ended up sitting down and talking. An hour and a half later we were like, ‘Where did the time go?’ We talk about anything and everything. She’s definitely one of the people on the team that I trust a lot.”

Sports & Rec

Near the end of last season, Miller started to experiment with moving Gillian out onto the perimeter defensively, setting up potential situations for this year where both players could be on the court at the same time.

“Gillian’s more on the defensive end because her lateral movement is good.

Very few other teams have two big kids, so who’s guarding that fourth guard? Alecia is more of a pure center,” says Miller.

In the offseason, Miller says Glackin was able to work on her range and moving out farther to take shots—even expanding into 3-point territory. Meanwhile, Miller and the coaching staff were able to come up with some plays that were built to have Glackin and Rohrer together on the court.

“98 percent of everything we’re doing (as far as plays) is new to everyone. The team feels confident it matches them, their personalities as well as their talent,” says Miller, “When we have (Glackin and Rohrer) together (on the court) that’s great, but we have other really good players as well. So it’s not like they will be playing 30 minutes together—they’ll only really be together about 15 minutes a night.”

off the court,” says Rohrer. And those comparisons? Both players see them as well, but are ready to show opposing teams more than that this coming season. “(Alecia’s) her own player. She has a lot of things that she can do that I can’t, just like I have my own strengths. I think it just becomes more so that she will just have to find what works for her in regards to future seasons. More than anything, I’m excited for her because she’s a very talented player and she’s only a sophomore. She has a lot of good things in store for her,” says Glackin.

One thing is for sure—opponents will be facing more than one tall challenge this year when they match up with the Falcons.

“We’ve had some really great forwards, we’ve had some 6’ 2’’ kids, but we’ve really only had one of them at a time. To have two, it’s wonderful,” says Miller.

As far as the future, specifically when Glackin graduates, Glackin and Rohrer aren’t worried about that right now—they are focused on making those limited possessions together on the court count.

The larger focus remains on this season, where the Falcons are tabbed number one in the MAC Commonwealth preseason poll.

“I’m ready to assume (a different) role whenever that comes, but for right now I’m trying to focus on this year and what I can do to help the team this year on and

SBM // 25

Sports & Rec

Athletes, Coaches and Students: The Not-So-Typical Life of a GA

By Maddie Crocenzi

Graduate assistant coaches represent a small population of the Messiah community that is frequently overlooked by those outside of the athletic circle. Their schedules may ring a familiar tune among undergrads since they frequently split their time between work, school and for some, more work. However, they also have the unique opportunity to further their education while pouring into the lives of their players and the programs they love.

The opportunity to coach is one they don’t take lightly. Take Zac Hoy - a 2015 Messiah graduate and a three-year starting point guard for the men’s basketball team.

Now in his second year as the Graduate Assistant Coach for the men’s basketball team, Hoy is living a lifelong dream.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to be a collegiate basketball coach somewhere,” he explains. “To get to live it and truly experience what it’s like for two years gives me an understanding of the great parts of it and also the drawbacks and the challenges that come with it.”

One of those challenges is juggling coaching with school. Hoy has undergraduate degrees in sport management

26 // DEC 2016

and marketing, and is now pursing his Master’s in higher education with a concentration in college athletic leadership.

“With being an athletic GA there’s so much you can do that it can become very easy to totally immerse yourself in that and put school on the backburner,” he says. “It really comes down to time management.”

Time management is a common theme for graduate assistant coaches at Messiah, including baseball GA Joe Saufley. Also pursuing a Master’s in higher education with a concentration in college athletic leadership, Saufley balances school, coaching and two extra jobs to make ends meet.

“Not only am I going through transition, but this whole life transition of being able to focus on improving the Messiah baseball program and utilizing my strengths there, but also tending to myself with my off-campus responsibilities too,” Saufley says.

Still, Saufley says he wouldn’t trade the experience for the world. “When I say I have a passion for baseball it’s true, but I have a passion for Messiah baseball and getting players into this school and into our program. I love being around the guys on the team.”

That passion comes to play with recruiting – one of Saufley’s major responsibilities as a GA. He describes himself as an extrovert, which helps with recruiting and overall player relations. Now, he’s acting as a mentor to the players he knows and loves.

“I wish I had more time to study and research the game. I could sit down and study the game or go over the video or have lunch with a player. That is so worthwhile that I almost want to forsake taking care of myself.”

Sports & Rec While Hoy and Saufley transitioned from Messiah players to coaches, other graduate assistant coaches are new to Messiah. Women’s lacrosse GA Rebecca Sheinfeld played midfield at Campbell University before graduating with an exercise and sports science degree and psychology minor in May 2016.

“My senior year I was looking for graduate assistant positions and my head coach told me about Messiah,” she says. “I realized that this is a really amazing community to be a part of and a great lacrosse program to learn in.”

Now studying higher education with a concentration in college athletic leadership, learning is a large part of Sheinfeld’s day to day life. Besides learning in the classroom, she’s found two great role models in Head Coach Heather Greer and Assistant Coach Katherine Athens.

“Honestly the two other coaches here are just such unbelievable people to learn from that I’m just trying to gain any knowledge I can from them,” she says.

Sheinfeld has also found rewarding relationships with girls on the team.

“They’ve been so welcoming to me here. They’re just an awesome group to coach and just to get to know.”

While Sheinfeld loves coaching, she’s also looking into different paths for the future.

“I’m still looking into coaching, but I would also really love to find a way to help student athletes have a better collegiate experience, whether it’s through student services or the athletic department.”

At the end of the day, these three graduate assistant coaches and others like them are gaining not only a graduate degree but relevant career experience. In that respect, Saufley sums up the position nicely – “I get to study my passion and my hobby.”

“It’s always been a dream of mine to be a collegiate basketball coach somewhere. To get to live it and truly experience what it’s like for two years gives me an understanding of the great parts of it and also the drawbacks and the challenges that come with it.”

“I’m still looking into coaching, but I would also really love to find a way to help student athletes have a better collegiate experience.”

“I get to study my passion and my hobby.”

SBM // 27

Sports & Rec

RESILIENCE

By Willie Hope

The Hunter Zondory Story There are moments in our lives that change everything. Good or bad, these moments affect and change us for the rest of our lives. When they go the wrong way, we have one of two choices: we can quit, or we can choose to keep fighting.

Hunter Zondory chose the latter.

On Friday, September 16, the wrestling team was holding a preseason voluntary workout, just as most athletic teams do.

Zondory was wrestling teammate Hunter Harris. As Head Coach Bryan Brunk describes it, “The two got into a scramble. They were on the ground, weren’t up in the air, and Zondory landed on the side of his head, kind of his shoulder.” Through a perfect storm of circumstances, Zondory fractured a vertebrae in his neck and bruised his spinal cord.

Immediately after it happened, Zondory’s teammates went to get the athletic trainer and Brunk, who isn’t allowed to hold organized practices because of NCAA regulations.

28 // DEC 2016

“None of his teammates tried to move him,” Brunk says. “There was a lot of God’s grace involved.”

Still, Brunk immediately knew something was wrong. “He (Zondory) was immediately complaining about not being able to move his legs, so we knew something bad had happened.”

Zondory was flown over to Hershey Medical to have surgery that night. He was given an MRI first and then went through six hours of surgery. It wasn’t until 4 a.m. that his parents finally saw him.

“My wife and I had just gotten off of work,” says Hunter’s father, Steve Zondory. “My wife went to a game with my youngest son and her family, and I was just getting home. She received a phone call from

a paramedic saying Hunter was in an accident and being taken to Hershey.”

At first, Hunter’s parents didn’t know what to think. The week before, they had received a similar call saying their youngest son was in an accident, but that turned out to be a scam. However, Coach Brunk’s call to the Zondory’s confirmed this accident was serious.

“I’ve been involved in wrestling for 30+ years, and no one has ever fracHunter and his father Photos courtsey of the Zondory family

Sports & Rec tured a vertebrae around my program. No tournament, no camp, no practice,” Brunk explains.

After receiving Brunk’s call, the Zondory’s packed some clothes and went straight to Hershey Medical.

“It felt like the longest two-hour trip we’ve ever made,” Zondory continues. “Once we got there, reality kind of hit us once we saw Coach and his (Hunter’s) teammates around him in the trauma unit. We got numb, didn’t know what to say or what to do.”

The Zondory’s weren’t allowed to see Hunter much before his surgery. They just had enough time to talk and pray for him.

“The hardest thing I had to do was look a parent in the eye and accept that someone got hurt on my watch,” Brunk adds.

This is the point in the story where the choice happens. As a whole, the Zondory’s chose and are still choosing to fight.

“It took about a week before my wife and I hit our low point. But we didn’t lose our faith, in fact, our faith was strengthened by this,” Mr. Zondory explains. “We believe everything happens for a reason; all good things will come even out of a bad situation.”

Hunter is currently in a rehab hospital in Philadelphia. When this magazine went to print, Hunter was just removed from his tracheotomy and could eat whatever he wanted, which boosted his spirits according to his father. He was also starting to Hunter and his teammates

“we didn’t lose our faith, in fact our faith was strengtened by this” -Hunter’s father move his legs a little bit more, an encouraging sign to his parents. And though it’s a slow process for Hunter, his father says that he’s the one who keeps them upbeat.

“It’s hard to see him struggle with things, picking up his food with a fork,” Mr. Zondory says. “But it doesn’t get him down, and we have to keep doing the same thing. We’re supposed to be the strong ones, but it’s him. He’s our hero, it’s not us, it’s him. He keeps us going. Sitting and crying is not going to help it. It breaks our heart to see this vibrant, strong young man broken down, yet he still smiles.”

The support for the family has come from everywhere. The movement has a Facebook page, “Prayers for Hunter Zondory,” which was started with the help of some of Mr. Zondory’s co-workers. The page helps alleviate some of the costs the family is facing. So far, it’s helped Mr. Zondory stay at the rehab hospital with Hunter, where he’s been 45 out of the 49 days.

Hunter and his parents Photos courtesy of the Zondory family ance does. Besides monetary donations, there have been supportive videos. One of the biggest videos came from Central University in Iowa. They started the “Help Hunter” Wrestling Challenge and challenged Wheaton College, Northwestern College and Ohio State University to have everyone post on Hunter’s page, make a donation to the GoFundMe page and challenge three other schools.

“When they broke on ‘Falcons,’ it was pretty cool,” Brunk adds.

From these social media pages, to bake sales, to bowling fundraisers, the support for Hunter and the Zondory’s is through the roof.

In addition to the Facebook page, Hunter’s wrestling teammates put together a GoFundMe page, which Mr. Zondory said has resonated nationwide.

“We could never go face to face, hand to hand and thank each person. It’s incredible,” Mr. Zondory adds. “Messiah has been fantastic: the staff, student body, student programs, sports programs. He was only at this school for a short period of time, but they still support, and they don’t even know him that well.”

“The wrestling community is amazing,” he says. “There are donations coming in from all over from people we don’t even know.”

Mr. Zondory said Hunter has the option to come back next semester but will forgo that option and come back in the fall.

Most of these donations will go towards therapy and other hospital costs, which will eventually run out when the insur-

In Hunter’s own words: “I don’t want to roll in there in a wheelchair, I want to walk back with my brothers and sisters.”

SBM // 29

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