The Anchor: October 2022

October 2022

On the Cover: The Hope College annual Pull ends in 62 foot win for Even Year (p. 4-5)

THEANCHOR

Hope College Student Newspaper

News, p. 7

The cleanup of Hurricane Ian & the reponse to the death of Mahsa Amini

Arts, p. 10-11

The creation of Rumba Latina & a theatre student profile

Features, p. 12

The tradition of Nykerk & celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

Spera In Deo

Opinion, p. 14-15

Immigration in America & jumping in

CoverphotobySarahStevenson

Meet our Staff

Elijah Maxwell Lauren Schiller

Parker Cote

Julia O’Halla

Madeline Kenney

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Aubrey Brolsma

Editor-in-ChiEf

Editor-in-ChiEf

ProduCtion ManagEr

BusinEss ManagEr

MEdia ManagEr nEws Editor CaMPus Editor

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Sarah Stevenson, Photo Editor

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Elijah Maxwell & Lauren Schiller, Editors-in-Chief

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Claire Dwyer, Staff Writer

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Jonah Hill, Staff Writer

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Gabrielle Krause, Staff Writer

Maggie Haeussler, Staff Writer

Elijah

In my last letter to you, I was heading south to Cincinnati to spend an extended weekend with my partner. It was a lovely weekend. Cincinnati has lots of coffee shops and places to buy bagels. I took lots of pictures and dropped the film off to be developed. I found a copy of a book that I’ve been looking for (Richard Powers’ “The Overstory”). My partner and I ate shawarma on her couch and drank hot rum cider at our favorite late night spot. I could not have asked for anything more.

This morning I made the opposite drive, northbound back to Hope College and the Martha Miller newsroom. I listened Kurt Vonnegut read abridged versions of his novels and short stories. I watched the trees fall deeper and deeper into autumn the farther north I drove. I got my first speeding ticket passing through my home county. I saw lots of roadkill. So it goes.

A five-hour drive gives you lots of time to think. I mostly thought about the pain of paying a speeding ticket. When I wasn’t thinking about my own mistakes, though, I was thinking a lot about autumn and how campus might have changed in the five days I was away. It has changed. The leaves haven’t turned quite yet, but they leaning closer to golden than they were last week. The temperatures haven’t dropped completely, but there is a new chill in the air that is indicative of what is to come in the next few months.

Though my love for autumn runs deep, it finds me every

three o’clock, with the exception of dinner. All afternoon, the Anchor office has been abuzz with section editors and copy editors but now, as the sun has disappeared and the lights have flickered on across the street in Phelps, it’s just Eli and me. We’re getting down to the wire and I am so excited and so proud to bring you the first print edition of the semester. It is special to see the hard work of all of the staff writers materialize on printed pages. And there is something satisfying seeing pages on pages of stories marked up with edits sprawling across the tables. And it is just short of magical tracing articles from their beginnings to their final forms: printed, in a newspaper.

year in a state of panic. This year, I’m deep in the mystery of grad school applications and coming to terms with the reality of decision making. Lauren and I have been overhauling the Anchor, especially the look of our physical issue, the one you must be holding in your hands right now. We made a new logo and everything. Really exciting stuff.

Every autumn I find myself in my own cycles, coming back to the same music, the same books, the same TV shows and movies. I’m approaching my oneyear anniversary with Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari” and my third read of “Norwegian Wood.” Every autumn I find myself exhausted by the beginning of a school year and hanging on for dear life as the semester continues.

The same is true this October; I’m tired. I’m working hard and very rarely hardly working, but the end is in sight. Lauren will mention that this is week six of classes— no wonder we’re tired. This week, give yourself a present. I did. It was worth it.

Lauren

Remember how I said to ask me in October if I’m still excited for print days? Well, it’s October. You can ask me now.

As I predicted, I am running on very little sleep and ink. Not red ink, however. I couldn’t seem to find a red pen. And yet, despite the long hours, print day, so far, has been rewarding.

We still have a little ways to go.

As I write this, it is 8:13 p.m. on Oct.

3. I’ve been in the newsroom since

It is strange to think this is our first print day, when it is already week six of the semester. Summer has come and gone. Fall is taking its place and beginning to color the leaves. By this point of the semester, school picks up and everything else starts to drag. It’s colder in the mornings, and darker in the evenings and I start to feel like I’m just going through the motions. But even though a quarter of the semester has passed, there are still so many firsts up ahead. For one, I suppose, this print edition.

But also, the first tree to change colors completely. The first snowfall. The first time Lake Michigan freezes into cold, wild sculptures. But before that, our first break, fall break, which I am eagerly anticipating. The monotony of everyday life can be overwhelming. And, for me, it’s important to recognize that even though every day may feel the same, there are still so many new things just beyond the horizon. All it takes is a shift in perspective. Maybe this print edition can help be that shift, as we cover what’s new in the world. Print day, an extended break from my daily routine, has certainly shaken me awake. By now, it’s 8:45 p.m. A few more lights have blinked on in Phelps. A few more pages have been finished. And we’re a little bit closer to getting you our first print edition.

ElijahMaxwell

LilyMcClelland

It was very exciting to meet Margaret, the cat who lives outside my partners apartment building. Margaret always looks angry .

Lake Michigan frozen, a first I am looking forward to.

CAMPUS&BEYOND

Annual Pull ends in 62 foot victory for Even Year

Anna Koenig Staff Writer

Three hours. Two teams. One rope. Every year, odd year and even year face off on a fall afternoon in a fierce, emotional battle to pull more rope than the other team. The Pull, a Hope College tradition since 1898, just like every other year saw an intense fight this year between the freshman and sophomore classes. Alumni, students, faculty and the community all gathered together behind orange barriers to watch and support their teams. If you didn’t attend, here’s a picture of the scene: behind DeVos fieldhouse in the grassy area on the other side of 11th Street, a 600 foot rope weighing 1,000 pounds laid on the ground. On either side of the rope, a team of 36 freshmen or sophomores (eighteen pullers, eighteen moralers) dug pits that the pullers lay in while pulling the rope for three hours. The morale team

was above ground giving cues to the pullers who couldn’t see the coaches because they were pulling the heavy rope as much as they could to steal it from the other team. On one side, you had the even years in red and white and on the other side you had the odd years in maroon and gold. Their coaches were at the front of all their pits giving cues for when to strain and when to pull. All together they made a well-oiled machine.

The experience is different depending on what role you have in the event. Ava Arendt (’25), who pulled last year, talked about the experience saying, “I would be in my pit and I would cry because I was telling myself ‘I can do this’ and that made me cry. It’s so emotional, you push yourself so far. This is so meaningful to people, and bystanders might not understand that.” As a bystander you can experience the intensity, but you might not grasp the full meaning behind what is actually

going on behind the scenes. Arendt elaborated, “It’s a lot more than just a rope. You’re pushing yourself, and you believe that you can do it.” Arendt pulled last year, but this year she got to cheer the 2-5 team on instead of being in the action. She says, “It’s kind of weird to see everyone running around and you’re not a part of it, but, at the same time, I can enjoy it a lot more now that I’m on this side.”

A lot more people than just students come out to see this tradition take place. Faculty and staff attended the event as well. Dean Starkenburg, who experienced her first pull this year, commented, “It’s amazing; it exceeds expectations.” To the pullers and moralers on both sides she says, “I love seeing the teamwork, I love seeing people encourage each other and I just hope the best team wins.” The Pull is certainly an experience

and it’s one you can’t miss as the new Dean of Students. President Scogin, who was even year when he attended Hope College, now comments, “I was an even year when I graduated, but I’m every year now.” President Scogin, who has experienced three Pulls as president and four when he was a student, says, “I think this is the ultimate gritty sport. I think you have to show real grit to win the Pull.” With the amount of training and effort that goes into the Pull, President Scogin makes a great point, it takes grit and determination to be a part of such a physically taxing event, but it bonds you as a team. In regards to everyone who participated, President Scogin said, “I’m proud of everyone on both sides. It’s hard work and it’s a long, long day and obviously it’s been a long three weeks preparing for this. We’re proud of this tradition,

The Pull, now held in the field next to Devos Fieldhouse, took place on Oct. 1. The annual tug-o-war competition takes place between Odd Year (the class of ’25 coached by the class of ’23) and Even Year (the class of ’26 coached by the class of ’24). They fought for three hours over the 600 foot rope. By the end Even Year were crowned the victors having taken more than 62 feet.

quite like this in the world.”

The tradition of the Pull has been going on for 125 years, give or take a few years. When it started, we lived in a very different world. “When the 1898 Pull (the first on record) was held, Victoria was queen of England, and William McKinley was president of the United States. Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders had charged up San Juan Hill just a few months before. Closer to home, the founding of Hope College in 1866 was still a living memory — as, for that matter, was the 1847 founding of Holland. Gerrit J. Kollen, Class of 1868, was Hope’s president” (Olgers). The

Pull is also a way for the freshmen to prove themselves as “newbies” and break out of that label by being given a chance to beat the sophomores. In the Pull’s first years, the freshman wore green beanies that were called “pots” to show that they were newbies and if they won over the sophomores, they didn’t have to wear the “pots” anymore (Olgers). The chance to prove yourself is a common theme that still lives on today as freshman, sophomore, juniors and seniors all have something to prove by taking part in the event. Whether it is proving to yourself that you can do it, proving to your opponent that you’re more than

they think you are or proving to your coaches and year that you deserve to be there and you worked hard for that position, there is a lot of historical pressure on your back. No matter win or lose though, hard work lives on and you are a part of a living tradition, that’s something to be celebrated. Although the event has been moved from the river to the grass, along with other tweaks in the process along the way, the spirit of the people who participate and the history that unites everyone remains alive. The people who started the Pull couldn’t have had any idea that it would continue into 2022, but this is a tradition that is a hallmark of

the college and something that is held on to with great pride.

Dean Starkenburg told a story of someone she met while experiencing the Pull. She says, “Today as I was watching, I talked to a morale girl from 1960 who’s 82 years old here watching the Pull with her prospective student granddaughter. So, that just speaks to that 125 year tradition.” This is an event that brings young and old together to enjoy a tradition that says “Hope College.” President Scogin summed it up best by saying, “There’s a ton of alumni who come back and it becomes a grand uniting event of people who went to Hope.”

One of the unique qualities of the Pull is its longevity and the commitment still shown by previous years’ participants. At the front of each year’s trench line, there were the current coaches giving instructions. They were surrounded by the people who were their coaches. In the crowds, Pull clothing from decades ago can be seen. The stakes of this competition become all the more important with the pullers and moralers of past generations looking on.

Anna Koenig

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Hurricane Ian ravages Florida coast, massive cleanup underway

Jonah Hill Staff Writer

Since 2000, almost 40 Category 4 or higher hurricanes have formed in the Atlantic Ocean. According to the National Hurricane Center, a government organization that tracks and attempts to manage hurricanes, Category 4 hurricanes are marked by “catastrophic damage.” The description of said hurricane reads as follows: “Wellbuilt framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.”

Hurricane Ian, which hit the coast of Florida in the middle of last week, is one such storm. According to CNN, the death count hit 67 on Sunday, Oct. 2, and the hurricane has caused property damage all along its path through the southeast. After

moving through Florida, Ian began losing steam, and was being downgraded to a Category one hurricane and then later a tropical storm. However, as it began to move north towards South Carolina it regained its hurricane status and seemed to be gaining wind speed as time went on.

Hurricane Ian is the second Category 4 Atlantic storm this month after Hurricane Fiona, which was the first in over a year. Fiona narrowly missed Haiti before traveling up the Atlantic Ocean, only contacting North America in

the Gulf of St Lawrence, in between Newfoundland and Northern Quebec. Fiona, however, devastated Puerto Rico, and according to NPR, 100,000 people are still without power, even two weeks later.

In the coming weeks, we will see how the federal government and individual states handle this crisis. Florida governor Ron DeSantis has defended his decision to evacuate individual areas as the storm’s path changed. “I think from southwest Florida’s perspective, as the storm shifted, they made calls and they were helping people

get to shelters,” he said, “They opened up their shelters, they did what they needed to do.” Between his hurricane response and the Martha’s Vineyard snafu, DeSantis has been in the news a lot lately. His desire to make a name for himself in the Republican party is being fulfilled, likely much faster than he expected. As this crisis progresses and more information is gathered we will see if that name is one of admiration or condemnation.

Thousands protest over the death of Mahsa Amini

Claire Dwyer Staff Writer

Protesters have recently flooded the streets in Iran in the wake of the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s “morality police.” Amini was arrested for improperly wearing a hijab and died a few days later in police custody.

The 22-year-old Kurdish woman was traveling in her brother’s car in Iran’s capital, Tehran, when she was arrested on Sept. 13, and officials reported that she died of a heart attack after slipping into a coma on Sept. 16. Her family, however, disputes a heart attack as her cause of death, and has reported that the young woman had no heart issues or preexisting conditions. Photos of Amini after her arrest show her bruised, and eyewitnesses claim to have seen her beaten by police while she

was in custody. The police have strongly denied this, saying she was taken to the hospital after she collapsed. The “morality police” in Iran are responsible for enforcing strict modesty dress codes, including the proper wearing of a hijab, a traditional head covering worn by some Muslim women.

Protests began in the following days, demanding a formal investigation and more answers as to what really happened to Amini. Iran’s President, Ebrahim Raisi, and Iran’s Chief Justice, Mohseni Ejei, have both promised full investigations into the matter and expressed sympathy to the family, according to NPR.

The United Nations has also addressed the incident and has called for an impartial inquiry.

Calls for a formal investigation

are what sparked the protests, but they quickly spiraled into more demands for reform and women’s rights. Some women began burning their hijabs and cutting their hair in front of crowds during protests in defiance of strict laws that are monitored by the “morality police.” These

laws have existed since Iran’s 1979 Revolution, but criticism has been growing. The protests in recent days are at an unprecedented level, and Amini’s death has caused a new social movement to form in Iran.

The Iranian government has been swiftly cracking down on the protest, and at least 41 people

CNN

A protestor holds up a printed sign of Amini.

Bloomberg Residents of Fort Myers, Florida, inspect the damage wrought by Hurricane Ian.

CNN

DeSantis gives hurricane updates in Tallahassee, Florida.

have died in clashes with police as of Sept. 25, according to The Guardian. Due to the increased interest in the case across social media platforms, the government has also been cracking down on internet access across the country. Videos and images of protests and of Amini have spread rapidly across social media, and the government has responded by restricting internet access, specifically targeting platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp. As a result, some Iranians have been turning to VPNs to attempt to get around such restrictions, according to CNN.

Jacob Desenberg, the Vice President of Hope Interfaith Youth Alliance, or HIYA, spoke about the situation in Iran and HIYA’s

response. “At HIYA, we do stand for the women of Iran and the struggles they are going through right now with the unjustified killing of [Mahsa Amini]. And we also wanted to give a look into, Islamically

speaking, her death is unjustified and doesn’t make any sense. It is a deep problem that is going on in the world right now, so we do stand with them. If you first look into what is going on in Iran you may think that this is just a strict, like, Islamic Republic justification of the killing, but it’s not.”

The tragic situation in Iran is important for the Hope community to address and understand, especially in understanding the differences between the decisions Iran’s government makes and what the beliefs of the Islamic faith are. HIYA works to promote learning and understanding across campus. HIYA hosts discussions, panels, and other events that are welcome to all students interested in learning about new

cultures and religions. “We try and do some outreach,” Desenberg added about the organization’s mission. “We do try to do things to let the community know.” For example, at a recent meeting the group shared their interfaith experiences with one another. “Hope is a Christian college, but there are a lot of students here with different denominations, different beliefs, so it is interesting to see,” Desenberg said.

Italy's first female prime minister: Giorgia 'Mussoloni?'

Jonah Hill Staff Writer

On Sunday, Sept. 25, the Italian right-wing party

“Brothers of Italy” won a clear majority in Parliament. This places party leader Giorgia Meloni as the next Prime Minister. She would become the first woman to win Prime Minister as well as the most right-wing Italian leader since Benito Mussolini in 1945. According to a speech she gave in Spain earlier this year, her main priorities are “Yes to the natural family, no to the LGBT lobby, yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology... no to Islamist violence, yes to secure borders, no to mass migration... no to big international finance... no to the bureaucrats of Brussels!”

All of these points are reminiscent of the growing trend of right-wing populism in Europe. France, Sweden, and Poland are just a few other examples of this shift. In recent years democracy has also lost its grasp on Hungary, with the country becoming more and more autocratic under the rule of Viktor Orbán, with whom Meloni has a close relationship.

That said, Meloni’s election doesn’t come out of nowhere. The Brothers of Italy party has been slowly gaining traction over the years, and part of their appeal comes from addressing problems that Italy has been suffering under

for decades. One of the most pressing is the overall decline in the native Italian population. According to Carlo Cottarelli, an Italian economist and former director of the IMF, young people are leaving because “The Italian economy is not growing. The Italian per capita income is the same as it was 20 years ago. In terms of economic growth, this past decade has been the worst since 1861.” This leads to young people seeing little reason to stick around, especially when neighboring countries are performing so well. Additionally, Italy is tied with Japan for the world’s lowest birth rate. These two factors

combined lead to an increase in immigration to keep up with the demands of the Italian economy, a policy towards which many in Italy have hostile feelings.

In fact, anti-immigration policies have made up a large part of Meloni’s political framework, and it’s entirely possible that it led to her election. The Overseas Development Institute, a think tank aiming to combat global inequality, has done a number of studies on Italian immigration polls. They found that, during the pre-COVID-19 era, Italians saw immigration as the second most important issue facing their country. While that has since

declined, those with explicitly positive views on immigration haven't increased in number. They also found that Italians consistently overestimate the number of non-EU immigrants in their country—24.6% instead of 7%—the highest rate in Europe. Before COVID-19, ODI also found that more than half of Italians believed that more immigrants would increase the risk of terorism in their country, and just under half believed that refugees were more likely to commit crimes.

Clearly Meloni’s rise to Prime Minister was not a fluke. She won a democratic election because she was expressing the same views as a plurality of the people in Italy, and she is just the latest in a trend of farright leaders winning elections in Europe. What Meloni represents is not an undemocratic takeover, but rather a very democratic triumph of populist opinions. Extremist rhetoric is almost always based on populist talking points meant to demonize the ruling classes while appealing to the common man, many of whom genuinely agree with the opinions expressed by these leaders. While it may feel like authoritarians are taking over, the bitter reality is that there’s nothing more democratic than a populist.

HopeCollege HIYA trives to provide a safe place for students from all faith backgrounds.

MSNBC Meloni during an election rally in Naples, Italy.

Same-sex marriage legalized in Cuba through historic referendum

Claire Dwyer Staff Writer

On Sept. 26, in a historic referendum, Cubans voted to legalize same sex marriage in a family code that includes measures that allow same sex couples to marry and adopt children. Approximately four million Cubans voted in favor of the measure, allowing the referendum to pass with a majority of nearly 67%. Voter turnout was nearly 75%, according to CNN.

The historic referendum also includes many new measures, including the allowance for surrogate pregnancies, new protections for women, children and elderly people, as well as protections against gender violence, according to the New York Times. Cuba’s National Assembly previously passed the legislation, but it still required at least 50% support from the referendum. This new family code replaces an existing family code from 1975.

The referendum marks a historic moment for the LGBTQ+

community in Cuba. During the leadership of Fidel Castro, homophobia was widespread. During the 1960s and 1970s, many LGBTQ+ individuals faced

persecution, and some were even sent to labor camps. This referendum and new family code is the result of the work of LGBTQ+ activists, including Mariela

Castro, the niece of Fidel Castro and daughter of Raul Castro.

Despite strong support, there was some opposition, notably from evangelical leaders and also some Catholic leaders. Although the referendum was passed with a strong majority, it was lower than past referendums, which have seen support as high as 90% or higher.

The referendum also coincides with Cuba experiencing financial difficulties, with long lines for food and other resources, according to Reuters. Additionally, the nation was also preparing for Hurricane Ian to make landfall.

Still many leaders, including Cuba’s President, Miguel DiazCanel, were excited about the referendum passing. In a tweet, he said, “Justice has been done. It is paying off a debt with several generations of Cuban men and women, whose family projects have been waiting for this law for years,” according to Reuters.

CNN Mariela Castro, daughter of Cuban former President Raul Castro participates in the gay pride parade in Havana.

ARTS

Rumba Latina: A hidden organization unveiled

Abby Doonan Arts Editor

Last Saturday, Sept. 24, the Latin Student Organization (LSO) hosted a Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration in the Pine Grove. There was food, games, a mechanical bull and even a special performance put on by Rumba Latina. Rumba Latina also partnered with LSO on Wednesday, Sept. 28, to host a Merengue Dance Lesson in front of Keppel House.

The Birth of Rumba Latina

In her freshman year, director and founder of Rumba Latina, Mary Urdaneta (‘22) participated in Images, a multicultural showcase hosted by the Center for Global Engagement. She participated through a native assistant in the Spanish Department, who hosted an exchange student from Mexico who wanted to dance. Urdaneta and her friends joined the group only a week before Images, so it was a vigorous process trying to learn the dance.

But they must have had fun because the next year Urdaneta and her friend Carmen Rodriguez (‘22), decided that they were going to put together a group to perform at Images for the second time. This was the first time that they had performed under the title of Rumba Latina. Urdaneta added, “Rumba Latina was the name that we used on stage; it just happened.” But it stuck because after that performance, they realized how much interest they had generated. People walked up to them and told them that they’d love to get involved.

From these interactions, Urdaneta realized that it’s not something that only I want to do. It’s something that the entire campus could benefit from because they want it. So, that’s how I started actually pulling together Rumba Latina, which was already functioning as an entity, but was not recognized yet as a student organization.”

From that first year, the organization has grown exponentially, starting at around 10 members, they have climbed to 27 members this year.

Common Myths Debunked

First, you don’t have to be Latinx to be a part of Rumba Latina, and you don’t have to be an international student either. Urdaneta told me that there are many members of the group that are not Latinx at all. Urdaneta said, “In that scenario, it’s more to connect, by teaching them about our culture.” You just have to be “respectful and interested in learning about the Latino culture.”

In reference to international students and domestic students that are Latinx, she said, “There’s a lot of people that can benefit from [Latin Dance], because there’s a lot of Latinos in general who are either from abroad, but also domestic students, and most people from abroad do it like me– to be still connected to their culture, because they like it. But, I’ve realized that a lot of the people who are born here and do it, that have that heritage, they were a little bit disconnected and they were trying to find where their roots are from.”

Second, people think that the group is your typical faculty sponsored dance company. Diaz explained that this is not the case. “People think that we’re this serious dance company, and we’re not. We’re just trying to have fun with everyone. It’s really not that serious.”

The group’s stylist, Alegria Guzman’s (‘25), favorite thing about Rumba Latina is that, “Rehearsals don’t feel like rehearsal, it’s just having fun.”

You also don’t have to be female-identifying to be in Rumba Latina. Urandeta commented on the lack of guys in Rumba Latina, saying, “I wish more guys would be up to doing it… Right now we have six. I think that guys usually are stressed or they just think about it too much. When in reality, (if there’s any guys reading this), guys, you barely do anything. You just move and help the girls show off.” So, if you were looking for a sign to join, do it.

Hopes and Dreams

One thing that the members of Rumba Latina are really looking forward to is, one, being involved in Images again, but they are also putting on a performance of their own near the end of the semester. This is exciting for because they are able to be free, without

parameters, when it comes to expressing their culture. Urdaneta and I had a long conversation about this at other organizationsponsored events: “There is a very bad stigma around Latino dancing, that maybe we do some moves that are not inherently bad– they’re not supposed to be overly sexy… it’s just a pretty way of showing our culture,” she says. “Honestly, everything that we do on stage is tamed down a lot. We’ve had encounters before where we’re told at the last minute, like the day of tech, if we can change some dance moves because they’re ‘provocative.’ So, hosting our own event allows us to have the opportunity to say ‘this is it.’ This is not supposed to be something that you’re uncomfortable with. This is not supposed to be something that you deem that your kids should not be watching. This is just culture.”

On top of this, Sydney Clements (‘23) said that one thing that they wished about the club was that more people came to watch or be a part of the organization.

They said, “I think I just wish that it had more support, whether that’s being involved or just coming to performances, because a lot of members are international students. Or me, I don’t get to visit my family a lot– like it’s a culture that I am not connected to as often, and a lot of us tend to find Rumba because we don’t tend to find a space in LSO, which is one of the only spaces that Hope College has

Rumba Latina at Images

MaryUrdaneta

Rumba Latina dancing

MaryUrdaneta

made for us.” They add on top of this, “It’s because of that, and it’s showing our culture in a way that we feel proud of, and we put in the work, and we want people to see the performances for a reason. I kind of just wish that people could appreciate that for what it is, and go out and show it support, because it’s where we feel we belong and we want to show that… A lot of us, our parents can’t come, our

friends are busy. We want to show it to somebody and we want to show it to somebody that cares or that might care after watching us.”

On that note, make sure that you are looking out for their performance dates. This group has worked tirelessly to make sure that their culture is shared with Hope’s campus in an enlightening way. Also, make sure to check out their instagram @hope_ rumbalatina for more information about dates and getting involved.

“The Winter’s Tale,” and a spotlight on a new theatre student

Kate Lawrence Staff Writer

AShakespearean play, “The Winter’s Tale,” will be the first fall semester mainstage production this year. It will be directed by Daina Robins and will run October 14, 15, 16, 20, 21 and 22, featuring Hope College students from all years.

Here is a quick synopsis of the play: “The Winter’s Tale” is a dramedy romance in which King Leontes’ jealousy causes the death of his son and wife, and exile of his newborn daughter, whom he believes is born of King Polixenes. An old shepherdess raises the girl, a prince falls in love with her, a statue comes to life and the play ends with a friendship and family restored.

Kelsey Sivertson (‘24), is playing the character Paulina, a noblewoman married to Antigonus who defends Hermoine, the king’s wife, when she is accused of cheating on him. Paulina is described as a very loyal character, and Sivertson says that Paulina is “the voice of truth in the story” who is “fierce in her defense of virtue,” as Sivertson has found from her research into the

character. Sivertson says that she “endeavors to be more and more like her” in her “candor to speak into situations and bring a good healthy and honoring resolution to all involved”. Sivertson really connects to her character and aspires to “actively advocate for goodness and justice” just like her, even saying that Paulina’s characteristics and truth telling is a “lifelong pursuit” for her.

One challenge for the cast of “The Winter’s Tale” is the difficulty of performing Shakespeare, given that actors can find lines difficult to comprehend. This is a challenge in that it could create a disconnect with the audience if the actors are unsure of the meaning behind what they are saying. In order to prevail against this difficulty, the cast of “The Winter’s Tale” has the extra resources of reading “No Fear Shakespeare” books to comprehend lines and a dramaturg, Emily Dykhouse (‘23), who researches the play and provides the cast and crew with vital knowledge and interpretations. Sivertson says that the help of Dykhouse and director Robins has been “instrumental to my understanding” to “ensure that I know what I mean when I say those lines” because then “the audience can know what I mean too.”

This is Sivertson’s first production and year at Hope, and she feels that so far her theatre experience here has “been a dream realized.” She “couldn’t have imagined a more beautiful experience,” clarifying that it has been “beautiful in the way that the gift of an excellent education is when it pushes you and it grows you.” Sivertson has found

that because the professors and students here at Hope are so passionate about the theatre art form. According to her, it has brought forth a “plethora of opportunities to be challenged and bettered, and I am seizing every opportunity that I can.”

While this is her first year doing theatre at Hope, she is not new to the theatre world. Sivertson participated at Saugatuck Community Theatre, in productions such as “A Christmas Carol” and “From Here to Our Destination”. She is also not new to the college experience, having just graduated from Grand Rapids Community College in spring of 2021 with a literature degree. She came to Hope to study creative writing and theatre, knowing that Hope College Theatre is renowned for its excellence. It is safe to assume that Sivertson is glad to be here, given that she says “I keep pinching myself that I get to be involved in it!”

Because Sivertson elegantly states, “Shakespeare is a master of storytelling,” she is looking forward to audiences seeing a “good story well told” in “The Winter’s Tale.” Sivertson explains

that the “immense amount of people” involved in this production are “investing blood, sweat, and tears” to form “something quite special.” Her plug to readers is: “if you want a masterclass in project management, if you’re a lover of 70’s music and fashion, or if like me, there’s something about theatre that has attached itself to your heart and refuses to let go, go get a ticket and spend a couple hours with us.”

Here is who you can look forward to seeing, as part of the cast of “The Winter’s Tale”:

Leontes… Adam Chamness

Mamillius/Perdita… Eden Comer

Camilla… Ashley Lauraine

Autolyca… Ella Harris

Emilia/Mopsa… Elliana Johnson

Lord… Theo King

Hermione… Danai Mandebvu

Polixenes… Shane Mockbil

Shepherd… Rachel Scott

Paulina… Kelsey Sivertson

Florizel… Shane Sygiel

Jailer/Clown… Rey Tello

Antigonus… Meg Voetberg

Lady/Dorcas… Sofia Wake

Check out Hope Theatre’s social media sites for more information on how to acquire tickets.

At Winter’s Tale Rehearsal AnnikaDekker

Rumba Latina in rehearsal

MaryUrdanata

Kelsey Sivertson (‘24)

The Nykerk Cup and the importance of tradition

Maggie Haeussler Staff Writer

One of Hope College’s annual events is Nykerk, a song, play and oration competition between the freshman and sophomore women of Hope College. Similar to the Pull, another even versus odd year tradition, Nykerk has been around for many years, instituted in 1935 by Professor John B. Nykerk. His vision for the competition was involvement for new students, leadership for upperclassmen and a celebration of creativity for all.

Junior Kate Kalthoff (’24) describes Nykerk as “a really cool place for women to come together, to join a family, for their voices to be heard and to grow a community. And that’s a really special thing that I think a lot of campuses don’t have, but we do.” Kalthoff joined Nykerk Play in her sophomore year and now serves on the Executive Board, a team of ten juniors and seniors that work from March through October to make Nykerk happen.

Kalthoff notes that “My favorite thing about [Nykerk] is just the community and the life that it gives. Now being on Exec, I get to

see that community in a different way.” Every member of the Exec Board participated in either Play or Song sometime during their first two years at Hope, and Kalthoff remembers her Nykerk Competition day fondly. “We’re all up super early, putting on god awful makeup, we’ve been practicing long hours the week of [the play] and we’re all just, like, laughing. A couple of us were on the floor of our dressing room laughing so hard we couldn’t breathe. When I think of college and what I wanted college to be like, that’s what I envisioned.”

Although the competition has lasted for over 80 years, it has shrunk a lot due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think Nykerk is in almost a make or break moment, along with many other traditions on college campuses all over the country,” says Kalthoff. “Our involvement as college students on campus kind of took a nosedive, and I think Nykerk was one of the things that really suffered from that. But I think it is unique and really beautiful in a way that deserves to be preserved. I don’t think there are a lot of things that

should be preserved just because it’s tradition, but I think Nykerk is one of the things that would fall under that category and there’s something beautifully quirky about how illogical it is sometimes and how all over the place some of it seems from the outside. But being a part of it or even just witnessing it is something magical and is something that I think we can’t take for granted because if we start to forget about it, it would disappear.”

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month was first proclaimed by President George H.W. Bush on Sept. 14, 1989, and has been celebrated ever since. From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, Hispanic Heritage month celebrates and recognizes the diverse cultures and history of the Latino community. The month also celebrates the independence days of several Latin American countries, including: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and Chile. The theme selected for this year is “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation.” The National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers states that this year’s theme “encourages us to ensure that all voices are represented and welcomed to help build stronger communities and a stronger nation.”

Hope College is celebrating Hispanic Heritage month with numerous events throughout the month. The Latino Student Organization hosts many of these events throughout the year in order to spread awareness of the Latino community. One event in particular allowed students and the Holland community to share their stories about their experiences and was a great opportunity to learn about Hispanic culture and heritage.

Hispanic leaders and famous names celebrated during this month include Cesar Chávez and Dolores Clara Fernández Huerta. Cesar Chávez was an influential leader for civil rights and labor unions. He was born in Arizona on March 31, 1927, and moved to northern California in the late 1930s. Chávez and his family became migrant farm workers during industrialized agriculture, and he

then dropped out of school to help support the family in the fields. Eventually, in his later years after working in the navy, Chávez formed the National Farm Workers Association, whose goal was to unionize farm workers to fight to improve wages and working conditions. He was adamant that his union followed a strict policy of peaceful and nonviolent protest, and led the boycott of all California table grapes, an influential strike in Latino history. Because of this strike, the Farmers Union was seen and they were granted higher wages and the right to unionize.

Dolores Clara Fernández Huerta, more often known as Dolores Huerta, was the co-founder of the United Farm Workers Association. In 1962, Huerta and Chávez founded this association together from their shared passion for farmers unions, and Huerta has since become an influential leader and figure in the Hispanic

At one point in time, Nykerk involved nearly two hundred girls from each year. Now, those numbers are closer to twenty five. “I just hope that people don’t forget about it,” says Kalthoff. “Just because it’s smaller than it once was doesn’t mean that it can’t grow again.”

This year’s Nykerk Cup Competition will take place on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 7:00 to 11:00 pm. Stop by the DeVos Fieldhouse to watch!

community. Huerta was born on April 10, 1930 in Dawson, New Mexico, and eventually moved to California, like Chávez. Her first role in activism was co-founding the Stockton chapter of the Community Service Organization, which fought for economic improvements for Hispanic people. Through her association with other organizations, she met Cesar Chávez and became part of the National Farm Workers Association, going on to revolutionize the Hispanic community.

Hope College has been celebrating Hispanic Heritage over the past month, and desires to make a welcoming environment for all students. Throughout September, Hope displayed a Chicanx Art Exhibition and hosted a Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, and the college continues to encourage this celebration as the month of October continues.

Song girls celebrate a win with the coveted Nykerk Cup. hope.edu

Gabrielle Krause Staff Writer

America’s immigration system has failed

Joeseph Fogt Guest Writer

America’s identity is a set of principles. In our beginning, we cited our belief that every person has the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. Over the years, we have tweaked and repaired parts of our country to better fit these ideals. Slavery was abolished, women gained the right to vote and we ensured the humanity of every person who sets foot on American soil. We still aspire for a better future for all today, right?

No. The vast majority of the United States is descended from immigrants, willing or otherwise, yet we seem to so often forget this. Immigration is a perennial issue in politics, yet nothing ever seems to improve. When President Trump was “building the wall” in office, he spoke with hostility towards immigration and undocumented immigrants throughout the nation. He reduced legal immigration by 49% purely through presidential powers, and introduced bills that floundered in Congress and achieved nothing. This, however, is not a President Trump exclusive issue. The immigration issue has been simmering for decades, without resolution.

Countless presidents have talked tough about immigration, but no major reform has passed since 1986. It has been 36 years since any significant action has been taken on the border. 36 years of pressure building, and now the bubble has popped. There were almost 2 million encounters with illegal immigrants by federal law enforcement over the past year, far more than the average of 1 million immigrants admitted legally. This surge has pushed border governors to the limits, and they now claim that the situation is growing out of their control. In order to draw attention to the border, Governors DeSantis

A slice of assessments

Joshua

Haddad

Guest Writer

At Hope College, we are told we are more than just a number.

One of the benefits of living at a small liberal arts college is the deep integration of students and faculty. We the students know the ins and outs, the whos and the whats, and ultimately the drama within each department. While nothing in our student handbook says to read between these departmental lines, our “student experience” is shaped by how welloiled this institutional machine is.

In my junior year, I joined the Student Congress with a burning passion to quantify the student experience. With the help of the Frost Center for Data and Research, the Student Congress will continue to assess three services

or entities on campus every semester moving forward. These robust assessments will measure how well the departments are serving the student body. From the gathered student data, the Student Congress entity will recommend changes to help the assessed departments continually meet student needs. This branch of the Student Congress was created as a way to better understand and empower the voice of the Hope College student body, mirroring the existing structure of facultyled academic assessments. Each assessment will result in a report and recommended list of action steps introduced by task forces and passed by the General Congress. The report will contain the data collected and analyzed by task

of Florida, Abbott of Texas and Ducey of Arizona have begun sending buses full of migrants to “Sanctuary Cities” across the country, including Chicago, New York and Washington, DC. Every one of these cities have declared humanitarian crises as a response to the buses.

To put the scale into perspective, the border town of Del Rio, Texas has a population of about 35,000 people. This town has been receiving tens of thousands of immigrants a month, who have little support or guidance other than a court date that could be weeks away. Chicago has a population of

2.7 million, Washington DC 700,000 and New York 7.8 million. Even New York City has a crisis where it’s considering a lawsuit regarding the arrival of 2,500 immigrants. One can only imagine how dire the situation is in border towns like Del Rio.

This is not an endorsement of the border buses or flights. Transporting vulnerable people hundreds of miles away under false pretenses is inhumane and should never be done. Nonetheless, the southern governors have made their point. The current system is failing everyone, but political lines have made it impossible to make progress.

Immigration is an issue central to the American way. If we continue to demonize those who wish to come to our country and have a better life, we will never be able to solve the problem we have created at the border. However, we can only move forward if we agree to put aside our differences and work together towards a better future for us all. I believe that the crisis at the border has the potential to remind us all of what makes America great, and close the distance we have put between ourselves.

forces from a series of student surveys, interviews and department documents. Assessments will occur on a 3-year cycle.

The motto is as follows: “Evaluate the ways that Hope College’s co-curricular structures and services serve students. The Assessments Committee, Frost Center for Data and Research and Student Congress task forces will partner with various departments to assess Hope College’s structures and services to determine how effectively they are serving all students at Hope College.”

These assessments will focus on various aspects of the department, examining things such as student involvement in decision-making, which students on campus are being served and the accessibility

of the department to all students.

Since the integration of Assessments into Student Congress last year, we have presented twice at the Hope College Board of Trustees meetings and spent countless hours engaged with upper-level faculty members. The future goal of assessments is to pursue growth in Hope’s ability to anchor new generations of students in lives of leadership and service, and we look forward to working with you all to achieve this mission. I am excited to share that the newest survey was sent out on Sept. 26, and features questions pertaining to the Admissions office, the Registrar’s Office and the Health Center.

If you have any questions about assessments, feel free to email me at joshua.haddad@hope.edu.

Immigrants waiting at the border with border control qugodesign.blogspot.com

Jump in and just say yes

Therese Joffre Opinion Editor

As an immensely busy college student at Hope College who tries to be involved in a wide variety of activities that span different corners of campus, I almost always say yes to people. This includes study meet-ups, extra tutoring sessions, helping with wedding planning, leadership roles in clubs or crazy adventures that bring me across the United States. The saying “work hard, play hard” is cheesy, but it is still one of my favorite mantras, one that echoes in my head daily. I attempt to apply it to every facet of my life.

Even though I try to make appearances across campus for different events or be part of organizations across many disciplines, my academic interest has always been in the STEM field. However, I strongly believe that people should also lean into their other interests outside their majors. Hope College’s liberal arts education helps to cultivate this idea on a broad scale. It forces students to get out of their majors—

whether that be communications, physics, music, art, etc.—and further their education while they still can. Now you may wonder why I say “while they still can”, and it is because I emphatically believe that your undergraduate education is the primary time in your life where you can invest time in multiple disciplines without any major detriment to your future. In graduate school, you are focusing on a niche within a broad topic, but during your undergraduate education you can major in something like chemistry while also taking philosophy and political science classes. Once you leave school and go out into the real world of nine to fives or 60 hour work weeks, we lose the ability to easily explore other disciplines intellectually. Students

be anything from political groups and religious life to Spikeball club or intramural sports. I say do what you love and nothing more. Say yes to being a part of anything that makes your heart beat faster, but do not put time and energy into anything that you don’t truly care about. Make sure you know why you are doing what you are doing. Life is short and time is our most valuable asset. Use that precious resource wisely by jumping into the unknown and saying yes to things that you care about, even if you think you may not have room for it. We are young and full of energy to do what we feel impassioned to do. At what other time in your life can you do that?

Along with obtaining a full, well-rounded education, college students should also say yes to

weekday at the expense of your daily obligations. I’m not saying abandon all your responsibilities and live recklessly, but I am saying jump out of your comfort zones and into the uncomfortable. Make sure that when you reflect on your college experience, it isn’t just filled with endless homework assignments and long lectures, but also fun memories of staying out late with your friends going on adventures that will serve you for the rest of your life. Say yes to the spontaneous experiences that come your way, especially if they fall straight into your lap. Here on campus, I am somewhat infamous for being crazily busy and always on the move. This attribute, in all honesty, is one of my favorite qualities that I see in myself. I think it is important to give into all the absurd adventures and opportunities that come my way. That’s why I am calling out to you, students of Hope College, to challenge yourself to just say yes.

SarahStevenson