The Tabor View | February 2020

THE

TABOR VIEW

FEBRUARY 2020

INSIDE: Sidewalk Prophets New Volleyball Coach Neuroscience Mission Trips

Table of Contents 2 3 4 5 6 7 8-9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Campus News Student Opinions Opinions Food Insecurity; Sidewalk Prophets Satire; Opinion Super Bowl; Cheer Update Sports Updates Tabor Volleyball’s New Leader Linking Education and Neuroscience Interterm 2020; Black History Month The Kreke-Aekyad Story Nepal Learning Trip; Peru Mission Trip Portugal Mission Trip

Student Senate February Update

by Maddie Gallagher

From December and into this spring semester, Student Senate has accomplished some major goals. Our most recent success has been adding new whiteboards in the Lohrenz and Science buildings, with the help of Terry Ens and his amazing team.

Senate has also contributed financially to a plan to replace the bleachers in the gym. The opportunity to help with this much-needed project was brought to Senate by Rusty Allen. We, along with many of you, are excited to see how Tabor is updating and growing.

Thanks to votes from the student body, Senate has also added two ratified amendments to our Student Senate Constitution. These new amendments add the

Student Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) and a new Students of Color Organization as voting members on Senate, expanding representation of Tabor’s campus.

Other successes include sending over 70 signed letters to Washington, D.C., last December, advocating for a change in immigration laws. Senate is also proud to assist MSU in bringing back gospel singer Jermane C. Milton this month.

All students are welcome to our meetings this semester during the following dates at 6:30 p.m. in the student conference room below the caf: Feb. 27, March 12 and March 23. Feel free to come to us with all your ideas, cares and concerns.

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STUDENT VIEW

What is your favorite day to eat in the caf?

Taco Tuesday Salads on Mondays and Wednesdays Gyro Thursday Chicken Nugget Friday Chicken Pasta I’m not a huge fan of any of those None

Who was your Valentine’s Day boo?

My SO- my favorite, everyday honey Me, myself and I, thank you very much The new variety of chocolates in the Walmart candy section My homies

What’s the first thing you want to do when it snows?

Build a snowman Have a snowball fight Make a snow angel Hide indoors

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**Mamba’s Living Legacy**

by Terran Hoyt

Basketball legend Kobe Bryant passed on Jan. 26. I’ve since wrestled with how his legacy, every part of it, has impacted me. Kobe has influenced me as a basketball player, a daughter, a friend, a mentor and even a follower of Christ.

When Kobe was on the court, if it came down to the final seconds and relied on a buzzer-beater to win the game, there was no doubt about who was taking the last shot. Every person in the gym knew it would be Kobe, and one person knew it was going in: Kobe.

That’s what “Mamba Mentality” was all about. It was about wanting to take the last shot in the game because he knew he was going to make it. It was bold confidence, it was guts, it was trusting that all the work and practice you had poured in would spill over when it mattered most.

I know it sounds a bit trivial to compare an NBA player’s mantra to Christianity, but I’m going to do it. Because the truth is, the same qualities that the “Mamba Movement” embraced are the same qualities that God has called us to. Kobe’s death pushed me in a place to question and sort through the legacy he

left behind, and what I arrived at is that if I applied “Mamba Mentality” to my faith, my relationship with Christ would grow rapidly.

Kobe was great for many reasons, but what I narrow it down to is his passion for the game, the endless hours he spent in the gym practicing and his confidence.

Aren’t those great ingredients for a follower of Christ?

If those things made Kobe a great basketball player, a heart on fire for Christ paired with endless hours studying God’s word and the confidence that comes from knowing we’re equipped with the Holy Spirit (Luke 10:19) equals a Christian who is called, chosen and faithful (Revelation 17:14).

So brothers and sisters in Christ, what is Mamba Mentality in faith? It’s praying with bold confidence, it’s following Christ to the depths of the ocean, it’s spending time in scripture and reading the living word so when the clock ticks down and the final buzzer sounds, you’re on the winning team. Because, well, we are. “But thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Opinion pieces are marked with ** for readers’ convenience

**Impeachment Woes**

by Kerensa Holler

Though I may possess what is called a “left” opinion, I don’t have any problems with people who are Republican, and I love a difference of opinions because it allows us to grow as people.

But now the hard bit of my opinion could be considered polarizing. So, you’re welcome to take my opinion with a grain of salt as this is just my opinion on the whole impeachment trial.

Trump should have definitely been removed from office. He’s done a lot of things that I don’t agree with morally. He’s sexist, he’s racist and he’s done so many things that are just disgusting.

I can keep giving numerous examples, but I won’t.

It’s not that hard to use the Internet to do your own

sleuthing. Be cautious, though; it’s also easy to get caught up in news that actually isn’t true. Both sides are guilty of peddling fake news to their audiences.

There’s only one way to change this come November: vote. As the people of the U.S., we have the power to change the things that we don’t like via showing up to the booths.

If you feel the need to make a change, this is a powerful way to do it. But if you don’t want things to change then keep them the same, and that’s OK. Your opinion matters as much as mine.

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Tabor Theater Tackles Food Insecurity

by Kerensa Holler

Spring theater season has arrived, and the first play of the season is Mark Twain’s “Diaries of Adam and Eve.” The director of the play is Lauren Carlton, and she has teamed up with Caring Hands Humane Society for this production.

Not only will an adoptable dog play the role of “Wolf ” as a cameo, but there will be many chances for audience interaction with the cast. The play stars Madie Hill as Eve and Nathan Kemling as Adam.

The production is March 10, 11 and 12 starting at 7 p.m. each night. In partnership with the Humane Society, audience members can bring one bag of either Purina ONE SmartBlend Healthy Formula Dog Food or Purina Kitten Chow in exchange for free tickets to

Tabor Theater’s next performance, “Twelfth Night” (limit of three per household).

“Adam and Eve” has a run-time of nearly an hour, and prices for tickets are $8 for general audience, $5 for non-Tabor students and free for Tabor students.

Originally this production was not a play at all, but it was comprised of pieces written in Harper’s Bazaar.

It was adapted into a play after Twain’s wife, who had changed his view on gender roles in society, passed away.

“This production is less about the Biblical versions of Adam and Eve and is about what the Victorians thought about men and women,” said Carlton. “It’s indicative of what they were grappling with and what Twain himself was grappling with.”

Sidewalk Prophets at Tabor

by Benaiah Rundus

“Bubba the bus broke down,” said Dave Frey, lead singer of the Sidewalk Prophets, midway through the show. On Feb. 14, the Sidewalk Prophets’ “Smile Tour” faced a roadblock on the way to Tabor College for the first show of the tour.

Tabor responded to the issue, sending vans and trailers to bring the group and part of their equipment from Kansas City. The band arrived around 1 p.m., five hours later than expected.

After five hours of setup– a job rushed by the morning mishap– the stage was set for the performance. The musicians checked sound and lighting, then prepared themselves for the night’s performance.

The Richert Auditorium was almost completely filled with travelers from as far south as Texas and as near as the city of Hillsboro. The excitement and joy were as thick as the mist from the smoke machines.

After a gameshow and a plug for World Vision, a child sponsorship organization, the concert began. Each song was carefully crafted with a mixture of instruments, rhythms, highs, lows and worship. The artists displayed extreme talent and wowed their audience.

After a stunning performance, the crew packed up, and the team piled into a repaired Bubba to continue the tour.

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Satire: Students Find Knowledge Invaluable

by Beniah Rundus

“I’m glad my degree will be worth something when I get out,” said Brittney Black, a college junior, “or else it would be harder to rationalize selling my kidneys for my physics books.”

For most students, selling a kidney is a small price for useful college knowledge. Some students would even sell both if they were assured of getting double the information.

STEM study courses have long been recognized as the most important part of a liberal arts education. The invaluable information contained within easily-read, exciting textbooks draws students like flies to dung.

Some books come with additional online resources– for a price. Of course, to the studious, what’s an amputated arm or leg?

“I’d sell both, if I had to!” said sophomore Michael Smith when asked if he would sell an arm for access codes in classes besides science and math.

His investment into a code wound up being extra, too, when the school already provided a code with his book. Now he has two and is even more pleased.

“Twice the codes, twice the learning! And only at the cost of an arm!” Smith said.

Some at the Christian school have noted that the missing limbs are in keeping with scriptures.

“If a limb causes you to sin, cut it off from you,” said Charles Tan, a school administrator. “Everyone knows that ignorance is a sin, and you can only learn from expensive books.”

Tan also took a moment to explain the new improvements to the textbook system. “We’ve decided to manage textbook purchases for students,” he said.

“And then just charge them in whatever organs or limbs they’d like to trade.”

The new system works especially well because now it’s the only option. The cripples and beggars particularly enjoy seeing how the money from black market organ deals is used.

“I was worried that the school was going to waste the money that put me in a wheelchair,” says Cara Pelagic, a sophomore. “But I never should have worried. They spent it on new sports seating.”

She thinks the new seats are particularly necessary since it’s hard to sit through a men’s game, and at least the space underneath could someday be a women’s locker room.

Opinion pieces are marked with ** for readers’ convenience

**Valentine’s Day**

by Kedarius Flowers

$19.7 billion. That’s how much people spent on Valentine’s Day in 2015. Valentine’s Day is the most pointless “holiday.” Every year people go all out for that “special” person. All for one day, and they spend on average a little over $150, according to the National Retail Federation.

Valentine’s Day is just a “holiday” that America made up to get people to spend extra money. Your significant other shouldn’t have to feel that special only one day a year.

Valentine’s Day is all a show. It’s all about showing other people how much you got for your other half.

You shouldn’t have to buy a bear or chocolate, amongst other things, just to let them know that you love them.

If they need that to know that they are loved, it’s not real in the first place.

I also want to remind everyone that this is my personal opinion. You can love it all you want, but I just personally think it’s a plot for America to capitalize on and make more money.

The Super Bowl of the Half-Century

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by Toby Penner

As the year 1969 came to a close, Richard Nixon was president of the United States, the American public was celebrating Apollo 11’s successful moon landing, and the Kansas City Chiefs were basking in a Super Bowl victory. But the latter of these events would not be repeated for another half century, until the recent events of Feb. 2.

Riley Ballou-Lyngstad, senior, and Billy Wiser, junior, both hail from the Kansas City area and have been lifelong Chiefs fans.

Ballou-Lyngstad grew up in Wyandotte County and remembers first becoming a passionate Chiefs fan when quarterback Matt Cassel led KC to a playoff berth after the 2010 season. One of his favorite memories from his early days as a Chiefs fan was witnessing the Chiefs beat the undefeated and defending Super Bowl champion Packers from the seats of Arrowhead Stadium in 2011.

When asked to determine the event or person that most directly enabled the Chiefs to be crowned champions, he immediately said, “Two words: Patrick Mahomes.”

Wiser grew up in Independence, Mo., only a sevenminute drive from Arrowhead Stadium. His first Chiefs memory is of watching Trent Green quarterback the Chiefs’ teams of the early 2000s. He said he believes that the team’s recent success can be traced back to the hiring of head coach Andy Reid after the 2012 season.

The support from the team’s fan base (known as “Chiefs Kingdom”) has been rock solid, even through the 50-year Super Bowl drought. But now that the Chiefs have reached the pinnacle of success, the celebration is underway in Kansas City.

Ballou-Lyngstad said the city fed off the energy that the Chiefs brought to every playoff game. Wiser said he remembers fans celebrating in the streets the night of the Super Bowl and described his own reaction: “I cried. That’s it.”

The Chiefs did not only win a Super Bowl this month. They gave Kansas City and all of Chiefs Kingdom a reason to celebrate for years to come.

Cheer Update

by Benaiah Rundus

“The team is in a rebuilding phase,” said Alyssa Matney, student assistant coach for Tabor College Cheer in her junior year. Tabor College cheer team has four members–just four.

The mighty four members are two freshmen, a sophomore and a junior, Alysson Foos, Layci Froese, Rolonda Reed and Madison Sheppard, accordingly.

The team was larger earlier in the semester; cheerleaders left the team for individual and varied reasons, from financial to personal and/or academic.

Numbers stayed relatively steady through most of the fall term but dropped suddenly at Interterm.

The change within the team is not limited to just the cheerleaders, though. The leadership of the team has changed quite a bit recently, too.

Cindy Ziesmer is the team’s third coach in the last five years. The previous coach, Jordyn Lott, only held the position for one year.

Ziesmer became head coach of the team during this season. Until she was hired, the team was led by Alyssa Matney with the support of Ziesmer and Michelle Ediger as sponsors.

Ziesmer is fairly new to cheer coaching but is pursuing more knowledge on the job. According to Matney, Ziesmer started to study the sport of cheerleading during the fall semester.

Along with coaching knowledge, recruitment will be a key component of her ability to take the team to competition. As of right now, the team has two recruits. The team will need at least two more recruits to participate in competitive meets.

SPORTS UPDATES Baseball

by Benaiah Rundus

Tabor College baseball is playing a tied season. The team went 1-1, losing a game versus Baker University Feb. 16, but winning a game versus Olivet Nazarene.

The team journeyed to Kansas City for Sunday’s games. The Bluejays first scored two runs against Baker, met with two of Baker’s runs. The game stayed tied until the 11th inning, when Baker took the win with two extra runs.

Against Olivet, Tabor reversed the score, winning 4-2. At a deficit of two runs in the sixth inning, the Bluejays scored four runs in the seventh.

On Feb. 17, the team never found a groove, losing 1-4 to Central Methodist College.

The Bluejays also fell to MidAmerica Nazarene, losing 1-0.

With these wins and losses, Tabor’s record is 5-5, with an away record of 4-2. Thus far, the team has not played any KCAC games.

The Bluejays still have 41 games in the regular season, plenty of time to make it a winner.

Softball

by Micah Richert

The Lady Bluejays kicked their season opener off in Fort Worth, Texas, for the Cowtown Classic, Feb. 7-8. The team had a successful outing, going 3-1 for the weekend.

In Game 1, the team came out hot at the plate with 12 hits and 17 runs to beat Southwest College 17-8. Everyone’s eyes were on the prize as 10 Bluejays ended the game with a base hit. Juniors Madison Primrose and Summer Sorice led the team in base knocks with two a piece. Sorice also led the team in runs batted in with five, alongside Analeisa Bejarano knocking in four runs.

The next two games gave Tabor a run for their money in the early season. The women pulled out on top in both games defeating SAGU 3-2 and William Woods 7-6.

The Bluejays tried to continue their hot streak facing Oklahoma City for the final game of the tournament. The team couldn’t get the bats going, finishing with only four hits and a 10-1 loss.

After the weekend, Primrose led the team in batting average at .500; Alicia Lopez led in RBIs with five; Vianay Ortega led in stolen bases with two. For the pitching leaders, Marlee Baxter held down her earned run average at 1.40, while Hannah Jones leads the team in strikeouts with six.

Tennis

by Terran Hoyt

February initiated the spring season for the Tabor tennis team. They traveled to Nebraska for a meet versus Midland University on Friday, Feb. 14.

The women’s team earned a 5-2 victory over the Warriors. Three Lady Bluejays won their singles matches. Junior Olivia Brubacher swept her meet, claiming a singles victory and a doubles victory with her partner, senior Tessa Isaac. Following suit and completing a clean sweep was sophomore Kayla Roth. Kayla partnered with sophomore Abigail Berggren to contribute to the Tabor victory. Junior Rebecca Kaufman also won her singles match.

Coming off of their impressive 5-2 win against defending GPAC champion Hastings, the men’s team lost 0-7 to the Midland Warriors. In a notable singles match, freshman Pierce Klaassen forced a third-match tiebreaker before falling 10-7.

The team will travel to Barton County Community College on Feb. 26.

Golf

by Avery Unruh

Coach Michael Jamieson is excited to kick off the spring season.

“I am looking forward to this spring because I really feel like both teams are coming together and building some chemistry,” Jamieson said.

Valdisa Andov started her college career strong winning her first tournament, shooting a 76. She will lead the women’s team into the season, hoping to have a serious run at the conference championship.

For the men, Logan Mathews and Zach Gibson have shown a lot of talent, going back and forth as the number one man.

“It will be exciting to see how these two can help lead the team to a couple of victories,” Jamieson said.

Moving forward, both teams are setting small goals early so they can get off to a strong start.

The women’s first tournament will be a duel against Friend’s University Feb. 29. As for the men, their first competition is a duel against Bethel College March 7.

Track

by Terran Hoyt

The Tabor track team competed at Concordia University on Feb. 14. The meet was highlighted by new school records, finals appearances and season bests.

Junior Jacob Skinner made the finals in the 60-meter high hurdles with senior teammate Parker Findley, who ran a season-best time of 8.5 seconds. Conangela Senior, a senior, broke the school record in the women’s 1000 meters with a time of 3:09.30.

Before the KCAC Indoor Championships on Feb. 21-22, a number of Bluejays have been at the top of the rankings. For the men’s team, sophomore Chris Ruffino and freshman Ronald Barnes are first and second in the pole vault, respectively.

Sophomore Toby Penner ranks second in the 800 meters.

The women’s team features two athletes in first entering the meet: senior Marah Franz in pole vault and junior Kaileigh Dill in the 20-pound weight throw. Dill also ranks third in the shot put. Also sitting third is sophomore Shania Steptoe in the high jump, and Senior in the 800 and 1000 meters.

Basketball

by Kedarius Flowers

Women’s basketball has an 17-11 record since coming back from winter break.

They’ve been on a hot streak lately.

The last game of the regular season was Feb. 19 against rivals Bethany College. The last time they played the Swedes, they lost 57-54, but this time around, the Jays were ready for a comeback. The women took the home-court win 47-43.

The men’s basketball team, who has struggled this year, have seen some bright spots this season. This last stretch of the season has been the best for the men, winning three games since coming back from winter break.

The final game of the regular season against Bethany College was refreshing for the Jays. The game thrilled fans and the bench, and a buzzer-beating shot by Dezmond Barnes won the game 89-88, with Tyler Zinn paving the win with 45 points.

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Tabor Volleyball’s New Leader

by Avery Unruh

Mike MacNeill graduated from California Baptist University with a bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and great success on the Lancer’s volleyball team. He then went to National University, San Diego, Calif., where he earned his master’s degree in education.

Before moving to Hillsboro, MacNeill resided in Marshall, Texas, as the head coach of women’s volleyball at Whiley College. MacNeill coached at Whiley for three seasons, posting a winning record each season.

Before coaching collegiately, MacNeill was a high school math teacher where he also led the boys’ and girls’ volleyball programs. He and his wife also owned a volleyball club, which displays their family’s dedication to the sport.

The MacNeill family was drawn to Tabor because of its Christ-centered athletics.

“Being intentional with faith-based devotionals and prayers… and challenging people in their faith,” as well as Tabor’s “academic rigor and reputation” are the most important qualities to his family, said MacNeill, also noting the volleyball program’s winning records as a “huge plus.”

Moving forward, MacNeill is setting high standards for the 202021 season.

“We want to make good people… and make sure their academics are good,” MacNeill said.

MacNeill also said he wants to develop the character that athletics can reveal, cultivating integrity, responsibility and sportsmanship.

A large part of MacNeill’s focus next year will be creating selfless servant leaders. To him, the game is all about “becoming less in a group to make the group become more.”

MacNeill said he believes that the group of studentathletes he has right now can win the championship.

“It is exciting to see the culture that is here within the women, their work ethic, and resilience to change,” MacNeill said. “The expectation for me is to win. We want to win, and we want to win now.”

MacNeill loves the competitive team atmosphere that volleyball brings.

“I love practices and the constant improvement and striving to become your best,” he said. In MacNeill’s eyes, volleyball is a great fan sport that has something exciting every play, and he wants to incorporate the community, “bringing in people to support Tabor and the volleyball program.”

MacNeill is also a family man.

“I love being with my wife and kids,” he said, adding that he is a part of a silly family, and his goals go beyond the volleyball court.

He also said he has “the dream of owning one cow, not plural, just one cow.”

Besides his claim to fame in volleyball, MacNeill has a reputation in ping pong.

He said he is committed to finding involvement opportunities in the Hillsboro community and making an impact in his players’ lives.

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Linking Education and Neuroscience

by Johannah Hastings

What would it be like to overcome obstacles and setbacks through discovering truth?

Dr. David Stevens, one of Tabor’s new professors, has researched and studied just how people can do this specifically as teachers and then help their students to do it as well.

“About 12 years ago, I started studying neuroscience and cognitive sciences in an effort to inform my own teaching,” said Stevens, chair of the Education Department.

Stevens began to use what he was learning in his own classroom.

“I started understanding the science behind how the brain worked and why some of my methods worked, and I also started developing some of my methods based on what I was learning about how students deal with stress not only in the classroom but at home,” he said.

At the time, Stevens was teaching at Pepperdine University and tried to get some of his methods added into the education curriculum and classrooms for the college students. But few faculty were really interested and on board with the idea.

Stevens went on to present his research and ideas at Azusa Pacific University where he was able to lend his ideas to the design of a new program there.

He decided that he wanted to leave California and come to a small school where he could have influence on the people. This led him to Tabor.

“People seemed open to my ideas here, and I shared some of them in my interview (at Tabor),” he said.

The Education Department has seen some updates and changes since Stevens’ arrival at Tabor.

“Since I have been here, we have already revamped the Ed Psych (class) a little bit to include more of this,” he said. “We are going to start pushing more into a Stevens is pleased about another positive change for Tabor’s Education Department.

“The biggest thing I am excited about is I have been given the green light on a master’s program in neuroscience and trauma-informed education,” he said.

This unique master’s program is hoped to be up and running by fall.

“I don’t think anything online exists,” Stevens said. “You can go to some of the Ivy League schools and do it in residence, but for most teachers, that’s not an option.”

This program will be mostly online except for two separate week-long residencies, the first on Tabor’s campus and the second in Montana as a writer’s retreat.

“I think the main thing that I want them to get from day one is the fact that they have control over their own brains, not just their thinking and learning, but He said he believes people can access and change their brains.

“You’re not a victim of your brain–– your brain is a victim of the choices you make and what you do with it,” Stevens said.

An example, he said, is meditating on the same scripture for 21 days. One can actually see changes made in the brain through an MRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and/or EOG (Electrooculography) of the brain with the growth of new proteins and neurons, which is changing the brain physically.

Stevens said he believes this process should be a major focus of education and teacher training. This is especially important for future teachers to understand cases of trauma and even disabilities.

“This whole master’s (program) is like a mission to actually transform teachers to go become transformational in their own students’ lives,” he said.

“Not to just take knowledge that will give (students) more content or help them know stuff, but to actually be the kind of teachers that go out in the mission field and change lives forever.”

Stevens definitely has a passion for neuroscience, and he has a passion to share that with teachers who can help their students through these methods.

“I studied this stuff for 12 years and realized I wish I had known this when I was a new teacher,” he said. “I want to share this with people that are new so they can get excited about it.”

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Interterm 2020 Combines Faith and Vocation

by Avery Unruh

Over the years, Interterm has slowly changed shape from its unique, innovative idea to a mini semester, which has not settled well with Dr. Frank Johnson, Tabor College’s academic dean. Johnson said he “threw the flag a couple years ago,” knowing that Interterm wasn’t serving its intended purpose.

In 2019, Tabor College conducted a makeover on its academic curriculum.

“This was a refresh and reframing of our distinctives,” Johnson said.

He said the new curriculum led to a brainstorm on how to incorporate vocation into classrooms. This idea then shaped a new Interterm would offer classes dedicated to merging faith and vocation.

Tabor exchanged the original Interterm 200-level class with a 300-level class “specific to vocation and linked to connecting faith to the major and the career,” said Johnson.

The college will continue to incorporate its international trips, but Tabor is having some initial conversation on how to move forward with Interterm.

Johnson said one idea being discussed about Interterm’s place in the year would move the month-long course from January to May. This would allow students to start searching for jobs earlier and open up additional travel opportunities.

Aside from the new faith and vocation classes, there were also new lower-level classes that were incorporated into Interterm. Classes on genealogy, John Maxwell’s

invaluable laws of growth, personal finance and the history of the Black Press were offered during interterm.

Dr. Aleen Ratzlaff was given the opportunity to offer Giving Voice, a history of the Black Press, which was her line of doctoral research. This class was offered as a 200- or 400-level, dual-credit class for either history and communication credit. This class was unique and allowed students to go on field trips to experience African American culture in surrounding communities.

“There is something about being with new people and being in new settings that is really important to learning,” Ratzlaff said.

Both Johnson and Ratzlaff were excited about the student evaluations after the month. Ratzlaff said she was “pleased with the student response and overall student engagement during the class.”

Johnson said that the course evaluations revealed that “many students desire more scripture integration.”

Moving forward, administration and faculty would like to strengthen the idea of being “decidedly Christian.”

“We would like more students to know that this is what we give ourselves to,” Johnson said. “We wish more students would understand that and buy into that.”

Adding faith and vocation classes to the curriculum is one way that Tabor is helping students engage in the “decidedly Christian” culture and carry that culture out into a majority secular world.

Black History Month

by Kedarius Flowers

It’s February again, which means it’s Black History Month. We have to thank Carter G. Woodson for the month being recognized.

Woodson was an educated Black man, which was very uncommon in his time. He obtained a doctorate in history while at Harvard. His journey began because he didn’t like that Black people weren’t noticed or recognized in history books, so he set out to make sure they would be acknowledged.

In 1915 Woodson and Jesse E. Moorland created the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History.

The new organization focused on studying Black history as a discipline and celebrating the accomplishments of African Americans who had come before them.

Woodson was quoted, “If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition; it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.”

13 In 1926 Woodson and the organization created “Negro History Week” to help bring attention to the cause and to help the schools jump on board with him.

The reason he chose the second week of February was it is the same week as the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abe Lincoln -- the 14th and 12th, respectively.

Woodson’s impact was phenomenal.

But going from “Negro History Week” into a Black History Month didn’t come until the second Civil Rights Movement. Certain schools in the South taught the curriculum and made the most of it.

In the 1960s, colleges and universities started to recognize Black History Month instead of just the second week of February.

President Gerald Ford finally made it a national observance in 1976. About the new Black History Month, he said, “In celebrating Black History Month, we can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

So in total a Black man made it possible for Black History Month to be celebrated. We must have deep appreciation for Carter Woodson: a true American hero who doesn’t get mentioned at all.

The Kreke-Aekyad Story

by Emily Crow

“It is hard to describe the meaning behind a sculpture,” said Douglas Abdell. “If it were easy, then that thought would have been written, not sculpted.”

Kreke-Aekyad is a word that few would recognize, and yet the oddly shaped sculpture is a symbol that most Tabor staff and students would be able to recall.

Right next to the library is the home of Tabor’s first outdoor piece of art.

The statue was donated by the Price R. and Flora A. Reid Foundation and was created by Abdell. The artist, who had previously studied art in Italy, has similar pieces that can be found at KU and WSU. The pieces in the Aekyad series are an average of 6 to 7 feet and can weigh up to a ton.

Tabor’s sculpture was revealed at the 1990 homecoming festival,

though the series of art can be traced back to 1973.

Kreke-Aekyad is valued at roughly $65,000 and shares a concept just as valuable.

Abdell was working to communicate a new thought.

A previous Tabor article discussing the statue said, “Art evolved into monumental abstraction with a strong emphasis on mass, crisp angularity of form and pointed, projecting planes resulting in directional movement.”

Abdell went above and beyond when it came to his art. He worked to create a new language using a newly invented alphabet and imagined letter shapes when naming his pieces of art.

So next time you are off to the library to study or the cafeteria for lunch, take a moment to give the Kreke-Aekyad another look and appreciate the work of the esteemed artist.

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Nepal Learning Trip

by Kara Schlotthauer

Eight Tabor women embarked on a January adventure that would take them almost exactly halfway across the globe and completely out of their comfort zones.

As a learning trip led by Dr. Lara Vanderhoof, the women experienced Nepal in full force in the course of two weeks in January. Upon arrival, the Tabor group teamed up with another group of about 10 fellow Americans interested in the foreign country.

A major focal point of the trip was sex trafficking, a major threat to Nepal’s safety.

Sophomore Mei Kirchhoff said that their stop at one particular organization was most influential.

“We went to the head office of Shakti Samuha, and we got to talk to the founder who started that,” Kirchhoff said. “Their mission is to fight against human trafficking. Not only do they work for the women, but they work with the women to reintegrate them into society and to their families.”

In addition to visiting and learning from the forces fighting against sex trafficking, Tabor’s women also experienced parts of the dominant Nepali religion: Hinduism.

Through the two weeks, the Tabor troop walked through a few Hindu temples, even observing a Hindu worship ceremony.

“It was packed with people who wanted to get some blessings from their gods,” Kirchhoff said. “It

Pictured left to right: Dr. Lara Vanderhoof, Hannah Funk, Tessa Isaac, Maddie Ediger, Olivia Brubacher, Mei Kirchhoff, Madison Brown and Madison Sheppard.

was really hard for me personally because I’d never experienced spiritual warfare, so going to that, I just felt so attacked.”

While the lessons linger with importance, the team was able to live on the lighter side of Nepal, including chasing the sunrise and sunset, making mountainous treks and even participating in a Nepali dance.

Now back in the comfort of America, the women have held tightly to their experiences in Nepal, each carrying a piece of the country’s own heart.

Peru Mission Trip

by Toby Penner

When most students think of Interterm at Tabor, the first things that come to mind might be the lengthy three-hour classes or the extended cafeteria lines during the lunch hour. But for four young women on Tabor’s campus, the month of January was a life-changing experience.

Students Alyssa Matney, Jessica Buller, Kate Reimer and Taylor Quiring chose to be a part of Tabor’s ACTION program and travel to Piura, Peru, for nearly three weeks in January.

The Peru team was led by Catherine Christie, a former Tabor student. The team’s main goal was to be an

encouragement, to spread joy and to show the heart of God to the Peruvian people around them.

“God showed me the power of leaning on and walking with other people,” said Reimer, who was especially affected by this approach.

Another objective for the team was to support Joanna Chapa and Stacy Kuhns, both of whom live in Peru as full-time missionaries. Buller praised these women, describing them as “two of the best people on the planet.”

The Tabor team accomplished these goals using three specific avenues of ministry. They helped organize and

15 lead a VBS program for mothers and grandmothers of all ages, and they provided daycare services for the children whose parents were part of the Peruvian Mennonite Brethren annual conference. The team also joined young Peruvian girls on a weekend retreat, which served as a preview to a discipleship program overseen

by Kuhns and Chapa.

The team experienced various barriers and successes during their time in Peru. Each team member faced and overcame hindrances such as sickness, personal fears and a language barrier.

Among the many successes of this team, unity was a characteristic that defined them. The support and camaraderie within the group is still evident even after their return to Tabor.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the trip for this group was the personal transformation that took place.

“He broke lies that I had believed for so long, and He taught me how to listen to His voice,” said Quiring of God’s work in her life during the trip.

Matney said, “God used this trip to encourage me to embrace three things: my identity in Christ, vulnerability, and the story God has given me.”

All four women said that they continue to stay in contact with friends in Peru and confirmed that they would return to Peru in a heartbeat. The time spent in Peru was truly special for this group, and it is a time they said they will never forget.

Pictured left to right: Taylor Quiring, Catherine Christie, Alyssa Matney, Jessica Buller and Kate Reimer.

Portugal Mission Trip

by Emily Crow

Students Mariah Litton, Ariana Miller and Whitnee Patterson packed up their bags and their love for Christ and traveled to Portugal this past Interterm. Upon arrival, they soon discovered that the trip may not be what they expected a mission trip to be.

Pictured left to right: Mariah Litton, Ariana Miller, Portugese student Alena and Whitnee Patterson.

A country’s culture plays a huge role in the experience and the outreach of missionaries. Tabor’s team worked in a business setting and used those skills to connect with the locals.

“It’s super important that you stay open and flexible, and that you focus on what God has for you then and there,” Patterson said.

Patterson said that the trip opened her eyes to two important things.

“The first was that you don’t have to know someone to love them,” she said. “Going to Portugal made my heart crave to love more as Jesus did. The second thing is that you can serve God outside of the church and ministry organizations.”

This team was successful in showing God’s love and helping the people. They embraced the idea of celebrating the small victories and each individual whose life was touched. Patterson said she was challenged to continue this practice here at home.

“I know that it will not be easy, but if I can just plant a seed in people’s hearts, God will take care of the rest.”

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Advisor: Aleen Ratzlaff; Editor: Kara Schlotthauer; Graphic Designer: Brenna Peters; Writers: Benaiah Rundus, Micah Richert, Toby Penner, Terran Hoyt, Kerensa Holler, Maddie Gallagher, Johannah Hastings, Kara Schlotthauer, Avery Unruh, Emily Crow and Kedarius Flowers; Cartoonist: Josh Johnson. Cover photo by Michael Klaassen and other photos by Toby Penner, Olivia Brubacher, Ariana Miller and Michael Klaassen.

The Tabor View offers students and faculty a window into the happenings on campus. Our student writers uncover stories behind the scenes, keep people updated, and inform with accuracy and clarity. We strive to present precise, detailed information in our articles. Opinions expressed in the articles do not reflect the opinion of The Tabor View.

When the path before you looks uncertain,

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