The Anchor: December 2022

Campus, p. 4

Study abroad experiences widen horizons

THEANCHOR

News, p. 7-8

Updates on the war in Ukraine and the 2024 presidential election

Arts, p. 10

A retrospective on Lauren Gunderson’s ‘Silent Sky’

Features, p. 12

Inside Opus, Hope’s own literary magazine

Opinion, p. 14

President Scogin shares his thoughts on “The Middle Way”

CoverphotobyElijahMaxwell

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Elijah

Tradition at the Anchor demands that the final letter of a semester be one of gratitude. This is my last letter, and I have a lot of people to thank, so I’ll waste no time.

I’m thankful for writers who have published books for me to read and cherish: Kurt Vonnegut, Haruki Murakami, Ben Winters, Richard Powers, Paul Kalanithi, George Saunders, Raymond Carver, Toni Morrison, Wendell Berry.

I’m thankful for downtown Holland: Lemonjello’s, Readers World, Knickerbocker Theatre, Good Time Donuts, Sperry’s Moviehouse, R.I.T. Music, Our Brewing Company.

I’m thankful for my Res Life staffs at Wyckoff and Cook Hall, for Shanely and Holly, for safety from the Michigan winters. I’m thankful for Res Life prostaff members who were not my supervisors but still talked to me about Pinegrove or film photography and gave me baklava. I’m thankful for the Wyckoff Howl. I’m thankful for anyone who’s ever attended or performed at Wystock.

I’m thankful for fellow Writing Assistants for their commiseration and shared grievances with the infamous First-Year Seminar

Liberal Arts essay: Safia Hattab, Anna Scott, Ty Overhiser, Onnah Dereski, Grace Gruner. I’m thankful for the study rooms on the fourth floor of Van Wylen.

I’m thankful for Anchor CoEditors past, present, and future: Sophia Vander Kooy, Ruth Holloway, Claire Buck, Lauren Schiller, Claire Dwyer, Madeline Kenney. I’m thankful for anyone who’s ever worked at the Anchor.

I’m thankful nobody copy edits these letters, which allows me an Oxford comma here and there. I’m thankful for student journalism.

I’m thankful for any educator who has taught me anything about writing: Bethany Stewart, Hilary Duvall, Mandi Bielanski, Bill Kenley, Joe Akers, Bethany Zilligen, Lisa Logsdon, Susanne Davis, Susanna Childress, Rhoda Burton, Tom Sura.

I’m thankful for educators who taught me about things other than writing: Stephanie Potter, Steven Olson, Stephen Clark, Bethany Hanlin, Andrew Wilkins, Jason Jasper, Alison Cole, Kevin Cole, Bethany Robinson, Peter Luttrull, Leslie Ringle, Ellie O’Neal, Steve Maiullo, Bram ten Berge, Jordan VanHemert, Andrew Gall, Rakesh Peter-Dass, Daniel Zomerlei, Sonja Trent-Brown, Charlotte Witvliet, Lindsey Root-Luna, Lauren Janes, Choonghee Han.

I’m thankful for the near strangers who came on my radio show: Trygve Johnson, Bruce Benedict, Annika Dekker, Frankie Kronewetter, Adriana Barker.

I’m thankful for my friends who have made Hope College a home for the last three and a half years: Jack Slevin, Grant McKenzie, Katy Smith, Nick Gersonde, Matt Severino, Lexi Seifke, Jack Davis, Katelyn Mark, Zach Pickle, Josiah Peterson, Jackson Vanderlaan, Sam Bachwich.

I’m grateful for the artists I’ve met at Hope College who continue to make things that inspire me: Grant McKenzie (again), Katy Smith (again), Claire Buck (again), Kelsey Sivertson, Houston Patton, Clif Metcalf, Sarah O’Neil.

I’m thankful for Gwen Goizueta

for coming to visit me so many times in the last academic year and for watching “Lost Highway” with me in a packed theater, for letting me take lots and lots of pictures of her and for reading the books I give her.

I’m thankful to have come from a big family where I often either get to be quiet or I have to be very loud. I’m thankful for friends from home who will still get dinner when we’re in Indy: Seth Ramsey, Annie Rose, Cam Todd, Erilyn Briggs, Camryn Barnett. I’m thankful to be from Indiana.

I’m thankful to be done with production nights, and I’m thankful to have done so many over the last few years. I’m thankful for the chance to be something other than a student for a few months. I’m thankful for my time at Hope College and for an education that I believe to be more valuable than the piece of paper that proves my completion of it. I am thankful. I am thankful.

Lauren

The holiday season is in full swing. My family are staunch believers that Thanksgiving is the bulwark against Christmas, so we are a no Christmas music, no Christmas movies, no Christmas decorations household through November. Until the Friday after Thanksgiving, that is. Then, there is an explosion of Christmas. Bright and early on Black Friday, my family cuts down our Christmas tree, drives home blaring Harry Conick Jr.’s Christmas albums (at my mom’s behest), and basically turns our house into the North Pole. Lights go up, baby Jesus in the manger takes center stage on the mantel, and garlands of cut pine branches decorate the banister. The bulwark is breached and the onslaught of Christmas begins.

But this holiday season is bittersweet.

This year has been one of loss and healing for my family. On Nov. 30, 2021, 5 days after Thanksgiving and 25 days before Christmas, the unimaginable happened in my hometown. At the high school where my two younger siblings were in class, a school shooter opened fire and killed four students. And the world changed.

It’s been a year full of deep hardship for so many in my hometown. It’s been confusing and scary and overwhelming and sad. We’ve been heartbroken. We’ve been angry. My hometown, my family, my friends haven’t been

alone in those feelings. Terrible things happen every day. No one makes it through life unscathed. But I believe that in spite of everything, there is still light. There is still hope. I think there has to be. Maybe it is too naive or too Hollywood to think that the good guys always win, especially because we all know that’s not true. Even so, I believe, in the end, the good will overcome the bad. The light will prevail over the darkness. Hope will always find a way.

I see hope in my family as we put the star on top of the tree. I see hope in the little baby Jesus in our mantel manger. I see hope in the lights in downtown Holland, in the shoppers rushing home with boxes of presents. I see hope in the way snowmen litter campus after a snowfall. That is light. That is good. That is hope. After a tragedy, it seems like normal life can never resume. It seems like all that is good has been sucked away, and you’ll always stay in this horrible limbo. You feel guilty for eventually feeling happy. You feel guilty for getting better. You feel guilty for hoping for the future. This, I think, is just human nature: the guilt and the hope. It’s ok to have both, I’m realizing. This holiday season, I am embracing hope. I am chasing after it, and looking forward to better days and better years. I am grateful for the hope I have regained this year. I am grateful for the light and for good. And I hope you find it for yourself. Happy holidays, Hope College.

Gwen Goizueta

I’m thankful for this gazebo in Saugatuck, MI, where I’ve visited a few times during my trips to Uncommon Coffee.

My family with our prized Christmas tree.

Sarah Schiller

Study abroad experiences widen horizons

Anna Koenig Staff Writer

An integral part of some undergraduate college experiences is the ability to learn new things everywhere you look. Whether it is learning how to do your laundry in the dorms, cooking your first real dish in one of the cottages or just learning how to be independent for the first time, college is a great time to try new things you’ve never done before. One of these things could also include going to a new place. Either domestically or abroad, college is a great time to travel and explore the world while earning credit towards your degree. Hope offers great opportunities to study abroad in many different places and at many different times. You can do a semester or just a few weeks abroad depending on your preference, availability and financial situation. People will go anywhere from New

York City or London to Tokyo or Buenos Aires. You can really pick your place with what you’re looking to get out of the experience.

Sacia Gilbertson (‘23) spent 18 weeks in Copenhagen, Denmark last year. She explains why she chose that location saying, “I chose Denmark because I have a lot of heritage in Norway and Germany, so it was a good halfway point for me to get an idea of the cultures of both of those places. Also, Denmark is consistently named one of the happiest countries in the world, which was definitely a draw. It was also a place I hadn’t really heard of many people I knew going to, so it was fun for me to do something completely my own!” There are many reasons why people choose to go different places. Laura Prince (`24) explains why she chose to do the Liverpool May Term saying, “I chose this place because it was somewhere completely new and different I had never been abroad and I wanted to step out of my environment, and I chose this

trip because it was with the Comm Department.” While it is fun to go with a department that you feel comfortable with, it is also fun to be able to connect with the faculty members who attend the trip with you. You have a great opportunity to connect with different faculty members in a setting that you might not otherwise have been able to. Just as students are different outside of the classroom, the same applies for faculty and staff.

Oftentimes a draw factor for people to study abroad is being able to experience another culture or just to do something different you would never do. With new things comes uncertainty and periods of uncomfortable cultural shock sometimes. It depends on where in the world you choose to go and how similar the culture is to what you already know, but some people have a difficult time adjusting, especially if you go for a long period of time. Gilbertson mentions, “It was not too hard to

adjust. Since I was in Northern Europe, the culture was not too different from American culture. A lot of people speak English there as well, which helped a lot! It was tough for me to be away from my family and friends, but I talked to them pretty much every day so I adjusted pretty quickly.” Prince shared a similar experience saying, “I adjusted great! At first it was a little different, but it was awesome getting settled into my space. I felt that the lifestyle and general way of living was so nice, everyone was kind and friendly in most cities we visited, especially when they gave us advice and recommendations about being abroad.” The tough time adjusting usually comes when you go to a country where you don’t speak the language and many of the customs and traditions are vastly different from what you’re used to, but all it takes is a little bit of time to adjust and appreciate your new surroundings.

Studying abroad gives students the ability to experience and photograph new and exhilirating places. Sacia Gilbertson used her time in Denmark to grab these pictures of the life and scenery of Copenhagen

Sacia Gilbertson

While abroad, you do many things depending on where you go including cultural experiences like visiting castles or palaces, eating good food, going shopping, visiting beautiful locations, and so much more. Prince talks about her favorite part of the trip, saying, “My favorite thing I did on the trip was hiking a mountain called the Caw in Lake District. It was a time to be completely unplugged and see such a beautiful place. There were so many wonderful and powerful moments, but this one tops!” Beautiful places in nature are not hard to find anywhere you go and contribute to your experience while there. They also make for great picture spots. Gilbertson

mentions her favorite part, “I had lots of favorites. My favorite thing in Copenhagen was probably finding the places you don’t really get to see as a tourist, like the little coffee shops/restaurants or neighborhoods that aren’t necessarily as Instagram-friendly as the more mainstream locations but have the coolest people. But in general I also loved being able to travel to other cities/countries really easily and inexpensively!” There is no shortage of fun things to do wherever you end up.

Studying abroad not only offers you a fun experience but also a new life perspective. Gilbertson shares something she learned, “My biggest takeaway from being

abroad was that our perspectives as individuals are very limited. Living in one place really restricts how one sees things, and it’s easy to forget that there are many ways of doing things and perceiving the world. For example, the US is very individualistic-- everyone ultimately hopes for themselves to succeed, and other people tend to be an afterthought. This works for most people in the US, and there isn’t necessarily anything wrong with that, but it is very different from how Denmark sees life. In the US, someone being homeless is seen as a moral/cognitive failure. In Denmark, helping other people is seen as just an expectation. If

someone in Denmark is homeless, it is interpreted as a societal failure. As a result, there are really low poverty rates, which leads to very low crime and homelessness rates. This attitude benefits everyone and is something that the USA tends to neglect.” Being in a new place opens your mind up to new ways of life and takes you out of your worldview and into the shoes of another. On a final note, Prince shares the same sentiment saying, “there is so much of the world we are separated from when we only exist in our own shell, seeing other perspectives and ways of living is so beneficial to us. I would advise anyone, go abroad!”

Prince also took photographs of her favorite experiences in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Isabel Santos (’23) offered photos from her time in Santorini, Italy, to further showcase the opportunities offered by studying abroad.

Left: Photo Credit to Laura Prince

Right:PhotoCredittoIsabelSantos

Development Day inspires, informs RA cohort

We have hit November. The leaves are falling from the trees, there is a chill in the air and Thanksgiving has passed. We made it through midterms and are on the flip side of the semester. At the beginning of the year, we took a microscope to Residential Life to learn about what some of their terms mean and what each staff position does. The week before everyone arrives on campus, RAs are trained on every possible topic they might need in the role that they are about to take on. They go through excessive training that often feels overwhelming, as there is a mass amount of content presented to them during that week. Throughout the first month of classes, it gets put in action, and RAs see their training come to fruition.

It does not end there, though. In the middle of the semester, RAs have the opportunity to go through personal and professional development through a morning session called RA Development Day, or RADD. On Oct. 29, your campus RA staff gathered for around 5 hours together to further their growth in topics related to their position, as well as for personal growth. It was also a way to have a mid-semester check in with staff and other people on the team. Dykstra Hall RA, An Ha (‘24) talks about how her role has been going: “Being an RA has been one of the most fulfilling mentorship roles I have ever done. I truly

enjoy the connections I am able to make with all of my residents. Being able to act as a resource plug, guide them around campus and cultivate a caring community has all been very fulfilling.” When asked about what she likes about the role, she continued, “I love getting to hang out in the cluster and hearing about what residents have been up to. I am probably too invested in their lives, but I find it so sweet that they get excited to share their lives with me. I feel like an older sister, especially since my younger sister is their age. My clusters have turned into my little home away from home.” Being able to connect with residents is a common comment when talking to current RAs. Holleman Cottage RA Jairus Meer (‘24) comments, “I love that I get to see my residents. I love that I can cater to their needs because that’s just me as a person and just being able to educate them too…the things that we learn at RADD or during our first days of training we can share with our residents, and I love that aspect to being a really good communicator and messenger. Being there for them and building new relationships with students is something I love because it gets you out there and provides the full college experience.”

Being an RA is not all sunshine and rainbows. There are challenges. Between balancing RA responsibilities, challenges with academic commitments and outside activities, lots of people struggle with time management and balance. Meer talks about this

struggle saying, “I’m a junior and so even though my course load is a little bit lighter this semester, it’s been rough to manage all my commitments and to be there for my residents. Another thing I really struggle with is space, so finding a space for yourself and a space to be around other people… definitely good to have an equilibrium.” One of Residential Life’s mottos for RAs is that you are a human first, student second, and an RA third. Finding time to take care of yourself and cover that first base can also be a struggle even though the hierarchy tries to be communicated. Ha elaborates on this with her experience, “Something difficult is taking time to myself to be a human,” Ha said. “I play a lot of roles on campus. A student, an RA, a friend, President of Women Of Color United, CASA administrative assistant, Courageous Conversations Global Foundation fellow, the list goes on. Often I can get so swept up in the roles I play to others that I forget to take time to just be An.”

As for the actual event itself, there were many different sessions that people could attend to further their education. There was a session for RAs looking to apply to the Student Leadership Team positions, cottage and apartment RAs went through fire safety training again, and there were even some “adulting” sessions. Meer talks about the sessions he went to. “I went to the budgeting session so I got to learn about how to manage my finances,” Meer said. “Learning about good debt,

bad debt,and also just knowing how to manage my money even better. I also went to the sexual health session and I got to learn more about sexual health and the resources we have in the area and Ottawa County because we can get a lot of free stuff and education That’s important for residents because sex is so stigmatized in society so we can improve that, so I think I got to learn more about those aspects as well.” Additionally, there were good sessions for organizational help that are helpful for the role itself. Ha comments, “Something I learned during the Google session was that you could schedule meetings through Google calendar. I’ve had a hard time scheduling one-onone with my residents. Usually I use Calandly but that comes with a whole host of other problems. Using Google to schedule my one on ones will allow me to streamline everything into one place, making meetings easier to keep track of.”

Continual sessions for personal and professional development help RAs stay on a track of continual growth. Growth is a core Res Life value, and the impact that these sessions can have goes further than the self. Meer says, “I’m a shy guy, but RADD and overall RA training really pushed me further as a student to really think outside the box [...] the RA role really pushed me to think deeper and share it with my family, too, so it’s also educating them and people around the community.”

Hope College’s RAs take a Saturday every semester to further develop their skills and listen to speakers who can provide them the information that will best support their residents.

Anna Koenig

Anna Koenig Staff Writer

Russian missiles explode in Poland: updates on Ukraine

Claire Dwyer Staff Writer

On November 15, a serious development in Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine occurred when a Russian missile landed in Poland. The missile landed in Przewodow, a rural village in Poland about four miles across the border from Ukraine. The missile strike killed two people, and sparked fears that the war in Ukraine could expand further into Europe.

Russia launched 96 missiles that day, but 77 were shot down by Ukrainian forces, according to the Washington Post. The missile was from the Soviet era, which both sides have been using frequently throughout the conflict.

The significance of this missile landing occuring in Poland as opposed to Ukraine is due to the fact that Poland is a member of NATO and Ukraine is not. As a result, a missile landing in a NATO country could bring every other NATO country further into the conflict, including a military response. This would include the United States, which is also a NATO member.

Although initial reports were alarming, the missile was later understood to have been accidentally fired by the Ukrainian military in response to other ongoing Russian missile attacks. The Polish President, Andrzej Duda, explained that although the rocket was Russian made, the strike was likely an accident with no intention of escalating

the war further, according to CNN. Additionally, the Polish government is investigating further. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky denied that this missile was launched from Ukraine and called for more investigation. The Russian government also denied any involvement with the missile strike. Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations said, “We have long ago stopped being surprised by your attempts, in any circumstances in spite of fact or common sense, to blame Russia for everything,” according to CNN.

The missile attack was a part of a wave of Russian missile strikes against Ukraine as Russia tries to recapture territory is has lost across Ukraine. Recent strikes have targeted Ukraine’s infrastructure, with around 10 million losing electricity, and around 40% of

Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, according to the Associated Press. More outages are expected, according to CNN, which has led many to worry about how these outages could impact Ukrainians as a cold winter nears. Overall, Ukraine has regained a lot of territory in the past few months, but Russia has still been responding aggressively. This includes a wave of new soldiers from the nearly 300,000 men Russia called up to serve in the war. Despite backlash against these new conscriptions, Russia has been moving forward with this new phase of the invasion. This includes bringing many of these new soldiers to the front lines with little training to continue the invasion, despite many recent setbacks as a result of the Ukrainian counter-offensives.

The response from world leaders was swift, especially from

Donald Trump announces 2024 presidential run

Jonah Hill Staff Writer

Justlast week, former president Donald Trump officially announced that he will be running for president in the 2024 election. The news came as a shock to many who assumed that the rumors were just speculation, but Trump had been dropping hints up to the day of the announcement.

Three weeks ago, during a rally

in Iowa, Trump said that “In order to make our country successful and safe and glorious, I will very, very, very probably do it again, OK,” referring to his previously successful run in 2016. One month earlier he said something similar, that he “will probably have to do it again.” One Trump’s senior advisers anonymously said that ““I think like a moth to a flame, Trump will run in 2024. I think that he wants to run and announcing before

Thanksgiving gives him a great advantage over his opponents and he understands that.”

Despite all the confidence and grandiosity characteristic of Trump, he clearly has a difficult path ahead of him if he intends to run and win the election. Perhaps most importantly, Trump is no longer a political blank slate. Whereas voters could, in 2016, project their hopes for future change onto the clearly change-

leaders such as President Biden. Many were attending the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia when the news of the strike broke. In response to the news, President Biden gathered world leaders to respond. The US has been a key ally for Ukraine, with the Associated Press reporting that the US has spent $18.6 billion to support Ukraine. Other supporters of Ukraine include the UN Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who responded to the news of Ukraine’s accidental strike by saying, “Let me be clear, this is not Ukraine’s fault. Russia bears ultimate responsibility as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine.”

focused Donald Trump, he now has four years of a presidency under his belt. There are concrete policies that he supported or struck down, making him a less chameleonic and more tangible figure. For a candidate whose platform is based around change and unpredictability, this could be a drawback for him. Another problem facing Trump is his association with the January 6th Capitol Hill riots. Contrary

Foreign Policy

An aerial view of the missile’s impact in Przewodow.

Addressing the Ukraine Parliament in May 2022, President Duda called for a complete removal of all Russian troops in Ukraine. BBC

wto popular belief, Trump never explicitly told his supporters to storm the Capitol building. His biggest faux pas was the constant reiteration and belief in election denial, the idea that the Democrats stole the 2020 election from him. While there is plenty of evidence to the contrary, this was enough to cause his supporters to believe that democracy had died in the United States, leaving violent uprising as their only option. This of course wasn’t helped by Trump’s explicit organization of a protest in order to, as he said, “peacefully and patriotically” make their voices heard. With that many angry people in the same area it’s no wonder violence broke out.

All of this may be forgiven, however. Joe Biden’s approval rating has been steadily declining over the course of his presidency,

starting at 57% and slowly trickling down to the current 37% approval. This is just barely higher than Trump’s record low of 34% immediately after January 6th, which not only opens the way for Republicans but Democratic challengers as well. If Trump and Biden were to face off again the results may be different. However, the Republican party is not without suitable presidential candidates. One of the biggest names in recent months has been Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida. He has shown himself able to handle crises such as Hurricane Ian. He also represents the same grassroots, populist ideals that Trump supporters have expressed. The Martha’s Vineyard fiasco also was able to make him a household political figure, adding to his own personal marketing, as well as showing off his “lib-

dunking” prowess to conservatives nation-wide. If Trump wants a real shot at winning the presidency, he would need to find a way to beat DeSantis first.

All that said, a second Trump presidency a la Grover Cleveland is by no means impossible. He has already made a clever strategic move by announcing his run this early. He is the first major candidate to announce his intentions, and therefore has 100% of the media coverage about said candidates. While Trump has never been starved for media attention, it was clearly a factor in his victory the last time, so more time in the minds of the American people couldn’t hurt.

Additionally, Trump has always pushed for policies favored by conservatives. While Democrats loathe both the person and the policy, Republicans tend to favor the actual policies he pushed. Up until the pandemic, Trump presided over nearly uninterrupted economic growth, which is a big deal for most conservatives. In addition, Trump had the opportunity to appoint three justices to the Supreme Court, a major factor in overturning Roe v. Wade and fulfilling a longtime Republican goal. Since these policy positions are likely to remain unchanged in such a short time, it’s probable that the ones who voted for those reasons would still vote that way.

In the end, Trump is a notoriously surprising man. His first 2016 campaign announcement was surprising, his nomination was surprising, and his election was more than surprising. Trying to predict what will happen in the coming years would be a fool's errand for even the most informed political commentators. The only thing we can really do is sit back and wait for the results.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas: Kerstmarkt begins

Claire Dwyer Staff Writer

Holland’s annual Kerstmarkt is open again for the 2022 season. Kerstmarkt, or Christmas Market in Dutch, is a favorite Holland area tradition to celebrate the holiday season. This year’s market will be open on weekends from November 19 to December 10. The Kerstmarkt is located where the Holland Farmers Market is located,the 8th St. Marketplace at the end of 8th St. in front of the Civic Center, and it is run by Holland Friends of Art.

The market is inspired by classic European Christmas

markets in the Netherlands and throughout Europe. Extensive research was conducted by the Holland Area Convention and Visitors Bureau to prepare to start the event in Holland as a way to honor the city’s Dutch heritage. The signature feature of the event is wooden booths for food and holiday gifts, modeled after the booths in European markets.

The Kerstmarkt is a popular event, attracting visitors from across Michigan and even from the Chicagoland area and beyond. It first began in 1997 in Centennial Park, and ever since it has been a major staple of the holiday season. This

“My biggest risk is that we don’t win lawsuits,” said Trump in relation to his chances in winnning a reelection. “If we don’t win those lawsuits, I think — I think it puts the election at risk.”

Holland.org

Christmas decorations spread holiday cheer at the Civic Center.

As part of his rhetoric against DeSantis, Trump has called the Florida governor “Ron DeSanctimonious.” NBC News

year, special events include the Dogsled Demo on December 3 and 10, as well as Handbell Concerts throughout the seasons. Additionally, there is a Sinterklaas Procession on December 2. Sinterklaas is the Dutch name for Santa Claus. For Hope students, the

Kerstmarkt is a wonderful escape from the stress of final exams and a great way to get into the holiday spirit. For Junior Lindsey Schaffer, the Kerstmarkt sounds like a fun opportunity to spend time with friends and to celebrate the holiday season. “I would go. I think it would be a fun thing

to do with friends. It is probably really good for families with kids too,” Schaffer said. Kerstmarkt is also a great place for students to get some Christmas shopping done before going home for winter break. Overall, the Kerstmarkt is a fun event for students to check out this winter.

Lindsey Schaffer plans to visit Holland’s Kertmarkt

ARTS

‘We measure it all in light’: Hope Theatre mounts ‘Silent Sky’

Hailey Cote Staff Writer

The second Hope College Theatre Department production of the Fall 2022 semester was “Silent Sky.” The play focuses on Henrietta Leavitt and her work in the field of astronomy. This was the first piece by playwright Lauren Gunderson that the Hope College Department of Theatre performed. Gunderson’s play “The Revolutionists” will run the spring of 2023.

The play was written by Gunderson in 2011. It begins in Wisconsin, where Henrietta lived with her sister and father, and then quickly moves to Boston, Massachusetts where Leavitt pursues a career as a “computer” at the Harvard College Observatory. Here, she is both challenged and encouraged by Peter Shaw, Annie Cannon and Williamina Fleming. Henrietta Leavitt was known for her astronomical discoveries of finding 2,400 variable stars and being the first person to ever measure the distance of far away galaxies through her work with Cepheid stars. Hope’s production of “Silent Sky” involved many people who worked diligently to allow this production to live up to its full potential.

ProductionInsightsfrom the Director of Theatre: a ConversationonLightingDesign

To get a better insight about the behind the scenes of the production, I interviewed Director of Theatre, Eric Van Tassell, the lighting designer for Silent Sky.

When asked about what the most difficult part of working on the production team was, he responded, “We are installing nearly 150 individual pinpoints of starlight, and that is not hard work, but time consuming work. There are a lot of steps involved in this, even with the work with our fantastic student crew, it still takes a lot of time. There are certain things that have to be done more than once, due to the crew being in the learning period. There is also a brief moment where we are using media designs. While I have experience in this field, it isn’t my primary research area, therefore meaning

it takes time and attention.”

Following up on this, Van Tassell explained what his favorite part about working in the theatre department is, and why. He responded with, “I love my job, I genuinely love working with the theatre and dance departments. Getting to work with students is a gift. Getting to work on thought-provoking material is a joy. Getting to work with talented colleagues enlightens me.”

The last question I asked Van Tassell was, what is one thing that you would like people to know about the show? He took a moment to respond before saying “‘Silent Sky’ is particularly appropriate for a liberal arts college in the tradition of the historic Christian faith. Hope students are asked to engage with science, art, and faith in many ways during their time at Hope. This show invites conversation and reflection on those same topics, and how they interact either by reflecting with each other, or living in attention with each other.”

A Conversation with a Cast Member-- Freshman Addition

I also was given the opportunity to interview a cast member. Freshman and English major Claudia Hwang played Henrietta’s sister, Margaret, in Silent Sky. She first provided an explanation of her character: “I

play Margaret Leavitt. Margie is Henrietta’s older sister. She is a devout Christian and is content to live in a traditional manner, unable to understand Henrietta’s desire to step out of the quiet, passive role that women played.”

Following up, I asked Hwang what she thought was the hardest part about being in this production. She said, “For me, the most difficult part of being in Silent Sky is having my night hours taken up. Being a freshman on campus is a new and exhilarating thing, and I want to be able to explore what independence means, as well as hang out with the people I’m befriending. This being said, I would not trade rehearsals for anything. They are what I most look forward to every day.”

Within the cast of Silent Sky, Hwang is the only first

year student. Due to this, I was interested to see what her input would be, and how she feels within the department. She responded to this question by saying, “Being the only freshman has been intimidating, but it has allowed me to act alongside and learn from some absolutely brilliant actors. It has been stretching, but in a good way. Working with people who have been in the department for a while has been such a blessing. They have shown me the ropes and taught me their craft– it’s truly an honor.”

I also asked Hwang what her favorite part of working within the theatre department was, and she said, “I adore our theatre department. I have been so lucky to be able to be in this show as a freshman, and I feel as though I have already learned so much from this experience. Hope’s theatre is different from other schools, as non-majors and minors are allowed to participate in the shows. At the moment, I do not intend on pursuing a degree in theatre, but the department has still opened its arms wide.”

The last question I asked was what her favorite part of the production was. “My favorite aspect of ‘Silent Sky’ is the wonder. From the very first scene, Henrietta’s passion about the universe is contagious, and it only grows as the show goes on. Rhett [the director] and the rest of our staff and crew have done an excellent job of bringing our wonder to life.”

Even though the run of “Silent Sky” is over, don’t miss out on Hope College Theatre Department’s mainstage productions next semester.

The final scene of “Silent Sky.”

ErikAlberg

Hwang as Margaret and Katy Smith (`23) as Henrietta.

ErikAlberg

Taylor Swift laments Ticketmaster monopolistic fiasco

Abby Doonan Arts Editor

Last month, on Oct. 21, countless fans stayed up until late hours of the night to be one of the first to listen to Taylor Swift’s new album, “Midnights.” Within days after the new album release, Swift announced her next tour which would include songs from all eras of her music. Fans were over the moon as they attempted to obtain tickets, in which they waited hours for, only for Ticketmaster to crash, resulting in many true Swifties not getting tickets.

AllaboutTaylorSwift’snewalbum

First, Gabbie Crone (‘24), a fan since the beginning, said that her favorite song off of “Midnights: Lavender Edition” is “Hits Different.” She said, “That one sounds almost like a ‘1989’ type of song.” She also liked the song “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” off of the Midnights (3am Edition). But, her overall favorite song off of the album is “You’re on Your Own Kid,” explaining, “It definitely speaks to me more… being an eldest daughter, of having a lot of expectations on you, especially because neither of my parents went to college. So, I have to lead by example.”

I also asked her about the sound of the album as a whole. She said, “I like that it changes. I like that it’s not consistent sound-wise because I feel like I’m able to gravitate towards different songs and enjoy the experience, as opposed to something like ‘Evermore’ where it’s all very soft-pop/soft-indie.”

I also spoke with Mallory Jackson (‘23) about her experience with the album. Overall, she felt a lot of emotions towards the album, “Some songs made me sad, while other songs were more sweet and cheerful. A lot of the things Taylor talks about I can relate to in my own life.” Jackson’s favorite song off of the album

was also “You’re on Your Own Kid” because of the “great bridge.”

What’s up with Ticketmaster?

An eager Jackson waited several hours only to not obtain tickets. She commented on her experience saying, “[I feel] very frustrated. I waited 7 hours Monday and several hours Tuesday, to have tickets sell out both times while I was experiencing glitches and was unable to check out with my tickets.”

Crone, on the other hand, accepted her fate and didn’t even bother to take on the site.After presale, many people got more tickets than they needed and decided to resell them for way more than they were worth. Concert tickets for The Eras Tour are now selling for up to $20k in some locations due to price gouging.

After the whole debacle with Ticketmaster, Swift came out with an apology to her fans. There were mixed reactions to this apology as a lot of people have not yet forgiven Swift.

Crone commented on the size of the concert venue in Chicago and how all three days

are already sold out. She doesn’t understand how that couldn’t have been anticipated better on Ticketmaster’s part. “You can’t say that it wasn’t the most highly anticipated tour of the decade so far. So I appreciate that she did apologize because I think that it seems that she usually does it herself or comes up with a way to buy tickets on her own site. But, Ticketmaster was like, ‘Oh no, we got it, we have it all under control,’ and then fumbled the bag.”

The whole situation with Swift and Ticketmaster was a disaster and hopefully it is never repeated again. This just goes to show how decisions that artists make can have both positive and negative impacts on their fans and it also shows just how corrupt monopolies like Ticketmaster can be.

The cover of Taylor Swift’s new album, “Midnights.”

Inside Opus, Hope’s own literary magazine

Gabrielle Krause Staff Writer

Hope College has many organizations and clubs that students can participate in, and for those who are drawn to the arts, Opus is a great fit. Opus is Hope College’s literary and arts magazine and is one of the oldest organizations on campus, founded in 1954 originally as a section of the Anchor.

This organization allows students to submit their art and literature and have it featured on the Opus website and in a larger print at the end of the academic year.

Abi Vanderwall (‘26) is a freshman at Hope studying English and Communications. She has been a part of Opus since August and is also involved in Student Congress and is a part of the Phelps Scholars Program.

“Opus is Hope College’s literary and arts magazine. It is a group of students who come together and edit various artwork submissions and poetry submissions that get

sent to us and we create a book! We have a team of student editors as the program is completely student run with no adults.” Vanderwall has been a part of Opus since the beginning of the school year and is works specifically as an art editor. The program is fully funded by students through various donations and purchases of the Opus book at the end of the year. Vanderwall says, “Technically speaking we are sponsored by the English Department but anybody can apply to submit their artwork so everything about it is student lead.”

Opus art can be viewed on the Opus website where they include past issues of prose, poetry and art. However, students can attend an Opus meeting if they are interested in being a part of the organization or would like to know more about the submission process. “Opus Soup is the end-of-semester celebration for the magazine’s new issue,” Vanderwall notes. “The event is

the main place to pick up a copy of the magazine. The published authors and artists will read their work or speak about it.” Along with meetings, Opus hosts events such as the Opus Workshop, where artists and writers can receive feedback on their pieces before the submission deadline.

Opus meetings happen every Tuesday and Thursday from 7-8pm. Those who attend these meetings can expect to see how editors review the work to see what will be included in the semesterly publication and what will not. The art that is included in the book is always inspiring and demonstrates clear dedication and passion. Those who show their talents and hard work will be featured for their efforts.

Vanderwall makes sure to clarify, “Once you have attended three meetings for Opus and are either an editor or a contributor then you can have a vote as to what goes into the book or not, so there’s about six editors and outside of the editors we have about six or seven contributors that show up.” Opus’ next event takes place on December 8th (Opus Soup) at Graves Hall, 112 Winants Auditorium and Gallery. More information about Opus can be found on the Opus website and the Hope College website: opus.hope.edu/

Our favorite photos from Sarah this semester

Abi Vanderall, Art Editor for Opus

Abi Vanderwall

Sarah Stevenson has been the Photo Editor at The Anchor for the last three years. The Anchor thanks her for her work and wishes her well post graduation.

The ‘Middle Way’ is following Jesus to spread hope

President Matthew Scogin Guest Writer

Andy Stanley, a pastor in Atlanta, says “Difference is inevitable, but division is a choice.”

Our nation has clearly chosen division. Tragically, the Christian Church seems to have made the same choice.

I believe difference is not just inevitable: It is beautiful. God uniquely knit each of us together, and His vision is that we would be unified in our diversity.

In fact, unity without diversity isn’t unity at all…It’s uniformity. That’s easy. And it’s boring. God has called us to something much harder and more beautiful. He has called Hope College to be a beacon of hope to the world, and one way we can live into this calling is by modeling this kind of unity.

At the Critical Issues Symposium earlier this fall, I introduced this concept known as Hope’s “Middle Way,” and I shared a little about why I believe this is where Hope should be.

There’s a passage from the Bible that has been on my heart in support of this. In Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth, he says this,

19Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone,towinasmanyaspossible.

20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the

law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law),soastowinthoseunderthelaw. 21TothosenothavingthelawIbecame likeonenothavingthelaw(thoughI am not free from God’s law but am underChrist’slaw),soastowinthose not having the law. 22To the weak I becameweak,towintheweak.Ihave becomeallthingstoallpeoplesothat by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel,thatImayshareinitsblessings (1Corinthians9:19-23).

He is saying some remarkable things in that passage. First, he is putting himself underneath everyone. He’s making himself a “slave to everyone”. In other words, he is serving others as a way of leading them. He then lists these different categories and says he becomes like a Jew to the Jews…like those under the law to those under the law…like one not under the law to those not under the law…weak to the weak.

One might read that, especially in today’s context, and say, “Pick a side Paul! We need to know where you stand!” At the end of this list of categories, Paul then says, “I want to be all things to all people.”

That’s where he stands! And that is exactly where Hope College needs to be. All things to all people. Why? Because all people need hope.

If there’s one thing we can agree on, it’s that everything seems broken right now. Nothing in our world seems to be working. Hope is needed in all corners of creation…and all corners of every human heart...and at every point along every ideological spectrum.

And it’s our job to bring that hope, in Jesus’s name, to those places. We can’t do that if we’ve allowed ourselves to be boxed in. We can’t risk alienating half the people in this country by positioning ourselves as right or left politically. We can’t allow ourselves to be defined by the categories of this world. We can’t let ourselves be labeled as one thing, but not the other. We have to be all things, to all people, in order that we might win some.

Admittedly, some may see this middle way as being nothing more than

a politically-expedient compromise. And compromises are often the worst outcome of all. They are advertised as being a way for both sides to get what they want, but in reality, that’s usually unattainable. A compromise is actually when neither side gets what it wants, which means settling for a reality which no one wants.

This doesn’t have to be the case here at Hope.

For example, I am NOT suggesting that we as individuals must be “in the middle” on every political, ideological or theological issue. To the contrary, we should each hold our own convictions, and I hope you do! What I am saying is that institutionally we will not tilt to a particular side and that we will remain “in the middle.”

This means we can’t condemn those who hold different convictions. And we can’t ask that Hope College pick a side and align with one group’s conviction. As soon as that happens, we’ve lost our middle way.

We can be a community held together by a common set of convictions about who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Around the core Christian beliefs, as expressed in the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds, there is a lot of room for disagreements on political, ideological and theological issues. At Hope, we won’t choose division. We will follow Jesus.

Tragedy to activism: One year after the Oxford school shooting

Rachel Wozniak & Natalie Schiller Guest Writers

On November 30th, 2021 a mass shooting at Oxford High School took the lives of four students: Hana St. Juliana, Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, and Justin Shilling. Six students and one teacher were also injured and nearly 1,800 students were left traumatized.

We, Natalie Schiller and Rachel Wozniak, are both survivors of the Oxford School Shooting. In the months following the shooting we have been working to heal our emotional wounds. While they are starting to scab over, they are constantly being ripped open again and with each mass shooting in the news. Again and again we are met with broken hearts and “thoughts and prayers.”

This is not enough.. We need change. Through our pain, we have found the courage to fight the epidemic of gun violence in our country. We hope to share our story of our experience, and how it guided us toward our goals in activism.

*TRIGGER WARNING*: This piece mentions and describes mass shootings and struggles with mental health.

November 30, 2021

Natalie

It passed in a blur. I remember rushing out of my house that morning before school, quickly hugging my parents goodbye. I remember sitting in my history class, next to Justin, unaware it would be the last time I would see or joke around with him. I remember the sound of gunshots echoing through the halls and

Natilie Schiller protesting in June 2022 Natalie Schiller

President Matthew Scogin

OPINION

my teacher slamming the door shut. I remember frantically pushing desks towards the door for a barricade as my classmates screamed and cried. I remember texting my mom, “I love you,” and her begging me for information when I had none to give. I remember praying my brother was alive in the classroom two doors down from me. I remember a stapler being shoved into my hands to use like a “weapon” as a bullet went through my classroom door. I remember finally getting out of the school and trying desperately to find my mom or dad as ambulances whipped past me and helicopters flew overhead. Worst of all, I remember waiting. Waiting for news. Waiting for names: Tate. Hana. Madisyn. Justin. My heart broke every time.

Rachel

Every single day before school, my dad would say “have a good day” as my little brother and I walked out the door. It was an unconscious “You too” that slipped out of my mouth as I grabbed my coffee cup from the counter and hurried out the door. The day went by as it normally would. Time was ticking by, work was being procrastinated, and I was laughing with my friends. Before 5th hour, my friends and I split up in the hallway and said our normal “See you later”s and “I’ll text you”s. I sat down in my class and got situated. The next few moments went by in a blur. Gunshots in the distance. Screaming. Running. I remember pushing through the glass doors and meeting the cold wind. I remember stopping a few steps out of the door. My brother. I frantically checked my phone; I saw a text from him. He was in a classroom, safe. The next few hours went by in a blur. News channels broadcasted people injured. Was it 1? 10? 20? How many people died? 0? 5? 10? No one knew. We waited and waited for the dreaded texts and calls to come through. 4 children had died. Madisyn, Tate, Hana, and Justin. They were gone from this world, just like that. From that moment on, I knew that my life, my community, my world, would never be the same.

The Aftermath

Rachel & Natalie

In the weeks following the shooting we felt utterly lost. We couldn’t eat. We couldn’t sleep. We couldn’t laugh. And yet everyday we had to pretend like we were okay. After 42 nearly sleepless nights we returned to a school environment with classmates and teachers. The day was filled with hugs, therapy dogs, and lots of anxiety..

It was rough, but we persevered. Two weeks later we went back to the high school for the first time. Again we were met with more hugs, more dogs, and even more anxiety. Going to school became physically and emotionally exhausting. Every day we put on a brave face for our little brothers. Every day we had to go to school, knowing that 4 students never would again. Every day we had to stare at the empty desk next to us in history class that Justin sat at. Every day we woke up, went to school, and were terrified that it would happen again.

Natali:

The days passed slowly and I was restless. I wanted to do something. Something that would help me move forward and process what I’d experienced. My government teacher, Ms. Jasinski urged my best friend and me to use our anger to fight for change. At first I was confused, how could I do anything? She told us about an organization called March For Our Lives that was organizing a lobby group to convince legislators to pass laws to help prevent mass shootings. We went to Lansing in February with March For Our Lives and lobbied for legislation. Later that spring, I led a new group of lobbyists and met with more representatives. We asked for safe gun storage and mental health services in schools. We cried, we yelled, we urged representatives and senators for change. Some told us no; but some told us yes. They cried with us. They grieved with us. They promised to fight with us. We still await that promise to be fulfilled but I have hope. And I will continue to fight for all the kids who cannot.

Rachel:

I did my fair amount of sulking in bed (which was to be expected) but I also got to spend a lot of time with my cousins. I would hang out with friends and we would talk about our stories. We tried to bridge together gaps in time and storylines in the media that just did not make sense. I could not bring myself to watch the news on TV. I remember the fact that they repeated the gunman’s name and blasted his picture over and over again, and that was not what I needed to see. I could not watch the court hearings and press conferences. It was all too gruesome and felt even a little insensitive. In the last few months of my senior year, I had no emotional availability left for anything else. It wasn’t until the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that I realized I needed to put my pain to the side and do something. I could

not sit back and watch more children be murdered in their schools. It was time for me to join in the fight.

Oneyearlater

After graduation, we were relieved. It was all over. We could go to college and leave behind the tragedy in Oxford. However, leaving our town and forgetting our past was harder than we could have imagined. Our brothers, our friends, our teammates were still there. We still had a duty to fight for those we left behind. We still had a duty to fight for schools who will still yet undergo mass shootings.

Natalie’s sister, Lauren Schiller, laid the groundwork for a new student organization at Hope College called Student’s Demand Action (SDA) last spring, an organization dedicated to preventing gun violence. We knew that this was something we wanted to be a part of. At home, everyone was so focused on the shooting: keeping

the students safe at school, providing mental health services, creating nonprofit organizations. The transition to a new school was shocking. No one really understood the trauma that we faced, nor were there the numbers of support that there are in Oxford. We joined SDA with the hopes of spreading awareness of gun violence to students at Hope College to gain traction for a movement towards preventative legislation against gun violence. Through our suffering, we realized the only way to get through the grief is to help others along the way. We challenge Hope Students and faculty members to do the same. We ask that you use your life experiences and your struggles to find your purpose through activism. If you are interested in joining the fight against gun violence we ask that you join Students Demand Action to prevent any further tragedies like Oxford High School experienced.

Rachel (left) and Natalie Natalie Schiller

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