The Anchor, Volume 136.01: January 22, 2020

WHAT’S INSIDE?

by Eli Maxwell

On the third Monday of every January, schools, businesses, and various other establishments take a day off from their regularly scheduled programming to commemorate the life and work of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In his 39 years of life, King’s work led to the passing of legislation on fair housing, civil rights and had earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.

This Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Hope College welcomed Xernona Clayton, a colleague and close friend of the King family. Clayton worked with King on the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and traveled with Mrs. Coretta Scott King on her nationwide concert tours. Clayton was responsible for organizing the Doctors’ Committee for Implementation in 1966, resulting in the desegregation of all hospital facilities in Atlanta, Georgia.

Clayton was also a regular figure on Atlanta’s local CBS affiliate, making her the south’s first Black person to have her own television show.

In addition, Clayton has received a multitude of achievements, the list of which goes on and on, acting as a testimony to her life of service and dedication to racial equality.

Love, faith, commitment and sacrifice

Clayton’s keynote presentation was focused on King’s character and how the love he preached is the same love he practiced. She said, “He [King] could never understand why we as a people and a nation could not learn to love each other.”

Dr. King believed that underneath the skin we are all the same. We all bleed the same color, and we are all created in the image of God. Racism and bigotry is something that has been manufactured by people, a result of living in a fallen world. We are all his beautiful children, but our exteriors make us wonder how to treat each other, making diversity and love seem like something that is more complex than they actually are. Love is not something exclusively given to people that are similar to us. Clayton pointed out that in Acts 10:34 God shows no favoritism, therefore neither should we. The Bible tells us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, regardless of whether or not they look like you.

Clayton said that how you treat people is a spirit and that King loved everybody. Your heart makes a difference in how you act, and Kings heart for love and equality led him to treat people with dignity and respect.

Before Clayton’s keynote presentation began, the chapel choir led a song titled Jehovah Sabaoth, which contains the lyric, “The God who governs angel armies has set encampments around me. Whom shall I fear?” King lived, fought and led fearlessly during a time in which there were many reasons for him to be afraid. He was arrested almost 30 times and faced violent opposition in his mission to bring justice and equality to people of color in America. Despite the pushback and the hatred spewed at him, King fought for what he believed in and for what was true; he knew he was being protected.

Clayton’s challenge to us as she concluded her speech was to help one person. She said that even King knew we couldn’t solve every person’s problems in the world. Let one person in your house so that you can build a village. Pick one person who’s hurting and take them to lunch; help your neighbors and genuinely strive to understand their perspectives; love one more person and your kindness will catch on. We may not live out the track record King did, but at the end of our lives, we should be able to say that we loved everybody and mean it.

Sarah Stevenson

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Dear Readers,

Here we are over halfway through the first month of 2020, and I still keep catching myself writing the wrong year. At the tops of papers, on the green sheets at the Writing Center, on checks, and on forms, I can’t seem to remember that we’ve crossed the threshold into a new decade. Maybe it’s just forgetfulness, but maybe there’s something deeper in my hesitance to acknowledge how fast we’re moving forward in time. In so many ways, the future is profoundly uncertain. Many of us are in the process of discerning our way forward after graduation and grappling with questions of purpose alongside our more practical financial concerns. When we look outward to the world, we see instability in the relations between countries, in the political tensions building toward the presidential election and in the rapidly changing global climate.

Although the uncertainty of it all can be overwhelming at times, it’s important to remember that your college years are a time for wondering and wandering, that Hope is a safe place to ask questions and that it is not necessary to have all the answers. Practicing this mentality is easier said than done, however, because taking note of

incremental progress rarely satisfies a need for instant gratification. Where Claire struggles with moving forward, my greatest vices stem from the desire to know all that I can and to figure out everything in advance so as to minimize pain and maximize success. Unfortunately, that is simply not how life works, no matter how many candy-colored Excel sheets I carefully curate. A fouryear plan will not protect me from the aching sensation of loss or the growing pains that accompany most, if not all, formative experiences.

As we live in this transitional space at the turn of a decade and on the edges of our adult lives, it’s tempting to get caught between looking back and looking forward. Both can steal our satisfaction. When we reflect on the past, we wish we had accomplished more. When we try to anticipate the future, we find ourselves unable to insulate ourselves from the unexpected. It’s easy to talk about moving through our lives mindfully and cultivating contentment right where we are, but it’s hard not to slip back into our default patterns of thinking. There’s no quick fix here, no simple trick for breaking out of this trap and returning our hearts and minds to the present.

During the last six months of 2019, I struggled mightily in an effort

to come to terms with the fact that I have little control over how my life unfolds. It was terrifying to realize after twenty years of living that I lacked the power to obtain security for myself or to protect those that I loved. At one point, I lived under the assumption that I was some kind of Invictus -- the “master of my fate” and “captain of my soul.” In an instant, however, my lofty notions of control were dashed, and I was left scrambling for something concrete to hold onto or some action plan to deploy. But neither holding onto my seemingly safe past nor grasping at the straws of a future I thought was already written in stone were going to save me from

spiraling into fear and self-doubt.

Gradually, I began to redefine my worldview by identifying those things in which I have a say. I can act rightly and live according to my convictions. I can surround myself with family and friends who will stick with me through thick and thin. I can choose joy even when it seems like everything is changing and my core beliefs are challenged. I can love those around me a little more because life is completely and utterly unpredictable.

If you are stuck between your past and your future but find yourself still unable to live in the present, take account of what you are holding onto. Attempt to release the baggage of your past and loosen your grip on your expectations of the future. Have fond memories and high hopes, but remain open to the unexpected gifts that life has to offer and flexible enough to deal with unexpected twists and turns. Change is not the end, neither is it your enemy. It could very well be a friend that you haven’t gotten to know yet.

Ruth Holloway & Claire Buck Editors-in-ChiEf

CAMPUS&BEYOND

Bring on the brotherhood: Hope’s fraternity life

By Chloe Bartz

There are not many beautiful things about a Michigan January. The snow is no longer fluffy and festive; rather, it bites at the exposed ankles and fingers of Hope’s students as they trudge to class, trying to avoid slipping on ice patches from the storm the night before. The wind no longer offers reprieve for those who live in a dorm. They now fight to find a happy medium between the winter outside and the sauna created by the heaters in their rooms. Instead, it pierces coats and gnaws at students’ resolve to get to an 8am class. However, amidst all the formidable elements of winter in Holland, comes the sweet relief of fresh starts and a time to try something new, like rushing a fraternity or sorority to meet some new people.

As Rush season kicks off, students are bombarded with numerous posters to encourage them to give Greek Life a go. Due to the eye’s natural inclination to be drawn to bright colors, students are more likely to be aware of the sororities on Hope’s campus and may not be as informed about their male counterparts, fraternities, that boast relatively the same recruitment process. In talking to David Hallock (’22), a member of the Centurion fraternity, his expressed concern was not the lack of pink or orange on their posters, but rather the time commitment many students fear when considering joining a fraternity. He noted, “I think people worry that being apart of Greek Life will distract from school, or that they are already too busy. One of the nice things about Hope is you can really be as social as you want to be. I started

my freshman year in 18 credits of core engineering and graduation requirement classes, often surrounded by juniors and seniors. I managed to do both the Pull and Nykerk while getting out enough to meet Greek organizations!” Hallock also indicated that others had similar experiences as he described the involvement of many of his fraternity brothers. According to Hallock, college life and Greek Life can absolutely be manageable if you are willing to work for it. He recounted, “Four of my fraternity brothers were involved in the Pull this year, Dylan Sherman, my cosocial chair, is in a Jazz Trio that plays during Coffeehouse ad Will, our president, regularly has a radio show through Hope broadcasting.” Being a member of a fraternity does not necessarily mean living in a frat house. Many members of Hope’s Greek Life choose not to live in their organization’s designated home. In fact, most frat houses are only fit for 5-7 students. However, Alexander Van Witzenburg (’22), who is also a Centurion brother, does recommend the experience. He stated, “I do live in the fraternity house, and I love living there because you get to be apart of the action all the time. I feel as though I never miss out, whether it’s unexpected visits from alumni, or simply having the actives come over. There is never a dull moment.” William Clinton (’22) completes the triplet of Centurion brothers who vouch for giving rush a chance. He said, “I would encourage anyone to rush because regardless of which organization you join, there is one out there for you. I was not going to rush initially, however, after seeing what

Greek Life was all about at Hope, I wanted to be apart of it. It is a way for students to find their place and find people who are just like them. College is a time for students to put themselves out there and try new things, Greek Life is a great place to start, especially for freshmen.” College is a time for making memories, and one of Hallocks favorites was as follows: “The night I got my Big, Jonathan Schoenhider, during Greek Orientation or “pledge” was definitely one of my favorites. I got to know him during Rush, and we really connected. The weeks following rush were really stressful, and after a particularly hard day, it was revealed that he would be my Big. After the unveiling of this information, I ran outside and made a snow angel on the front lawn of the Centurion House, Anchor Cottage. From there, we triumphantly paraded to Applebees for some half-off appetizers!” Van Witsenburg, while more conservative in his memory sharing divulged, “My favorite memory with my fraternity was during this year’s Pull, where we had 4 Centurions. in the Pull, and all the other actives and old Centurian alumni came to cheer them on. I loved showing up for our boys, we take brotherhood very seriously.” Clinton had a hard time choosing just one memory,

but he revealed his favorite aspect of the brotherhood was “hanging out with the boys, meeting people from all different walks of life, and discovering who I really am.”

If the snow angels and Applebees’ appetizers didn’t sell you, the support, friendship, and family described might. So even though this winter is bitterly cold, rushing and finding your new home could be that one beautiful thing you were looking for to keep you warm until spring finally arrives..

Alpha Theta Chi Fraternity

Alpha Theta Chi Fraternity

Downfalls of Greek life and why some say no

By Caitlin Babcock

Joining a sorority is often seen as a a positive and enriching hallmark of the college experience. However, many others feel very content with their decision not to rush. The influence of rush on Hope’s campus becomes increasingly evident as Greek posters adorn the walls of dorms and classroom buildings are filled after hours with closed and open rush events. Many students avoid all the excitement, preferring to continue with their relativelynormal lives. Those who opt out give a variety of reasons for doing so. Some students feel that Hope Greek life offers less options than a larger university. Paige Donnelly (‘23) says, “I would [rush] if it was a big Greek school. If everyone was in [a sorority] I feel like you could find your people.” Donnelly pointed out that at some colleges sororities would all live together, but at Hope many sorority members stay in their

separate dorms or cottages. For Donnelly, living separately from one’s sorority diminishes what she thinks of as the Greek experience. “It feels more like a clique than a home here,” she comments.

Donnelly also felt turned off by the stress she felt was created by rushing. Her sister had had a great experience in a sorority at a different school, so Donnelly attended the general sorority introduction meeting Round Robin, which is a chance for prospective members to meet the sororities, but afterwards decided not to continue with the rush process. She comments, “They just stressed so many times at all the meetings that you can’t interact with someone who’s in a sorority this month. [The process is about] waiting for them to invite you, and it makes all these girls feel bad about themselves if they don’t get invited.” For Don-

nelly, some of the expectations and uncertainty for girls who were rushing created “unnecessary pressure.”

Beverly Wong (23’) felt unclear about the sorority selection process. “I didn’t have enough information about it,” she says. Wong feels that hearing from more people in sororities would have helped her with her decision, saying that “Maybe I would consider it with the influence of more people.” She says the only information she got about the different sororities on campus was from the sorority posters around campus, which gave little information and didn’t help her discern if joining one of the seven sororities on campus would be right for her. In the end, she didn’t attend any rush events. She says she is content with her decision and felt no pressure to rush.

Other students don’t rush simply because they already feel plugged in on campus. Many find that there

are lots of other ways for them to stay involved and be a part of a community outside of a sorority. One sophomore pointed out, “SAC puts on events every weekend and residence halls usually have hall events. If you don’t like either of those options, you can always create your own fun with friends.”

Most students interviewed about Hope Greek life agree that it has the potential to be a very positive experience. This sophomore also said, “They’re a great way to be part of a community, but I think it is only appealing to some people.” One thing they all agreed on was the fact that none felt pressured to rush by Hope or their peers. At Hope, it seems there are plenty of opportunities for everyone to have a fulfilling social life, whether they participate in Greek life or not. That’s the great thing about college; there is something for everyone to get involved in.

Sold on sisterhood: A look at Hope’s sororities

By Chloe Bartz

If you have ever had the pleasure of watching the movies Pitch Perfect, Neighbors or Legally Blonde, you are privy to the cinematic depiction of sororities. However, these dramatized displays are nothing close to the tight-knit, philanthropic organizations found on Hope’s campus. Because of the Greek life stereotypes in movies and the media, students on the fence about rushing may be deterred from joining Greek organizations.

According to Lindsey Muller (’21), media manager for the Anchor and a member of Kappa Beta Phi, one of the seven sororities on campus, she believes these generalizations hold people back. Continuing, she said, “Greek Life at Hope seems to be very different than at other schools. Here it’s more personal, involved with charity organizations and focused on participation within the school and outside in the community. Another red flag for some people is the party scene, which I think turns a lot of people away- especially because this is a smaller Christian college. I won’t say it isn’t a part of Greek Life, but it is not a large focus, and there are certainly organizations that are more prevalent on that scene than others.”

As a sophomore returning after a semester off-campus in Oregon, Muller was encouraged by friends

to rush after not finding her niche during her first few semesters. She noted, “I didn’t know where I belonged or how to get involved. In high school, I always had a sports team I felt understood me, a group I could laugh with, grow with and support me.” Now, living in a house with girls who love and work with organizations like Dance Marathon, Compassionate Heart and CEC, the Council for Exceptional Children, she feels a stronger sense of community in her life. Muller hopes others can see past the movie screen haze that paints sororities in a negative light, and just go for it. She explained, “It’s not like you are stuck in the situation if you don’t like it, girls can drop out of the process at any time. However, I have met people I would not have met otherwise and developed relationships deeper than most others in my life. It’s not for everyone. I think everyone should give it a chance!”

Another fear many students have regarding Rush is the unfamiliarity of the process. Grace Alex (’21) broke down the process to make it a little less daunting. She revealed, “Rush for sororities consists of open and closed events hosted by each sorority on certain days and certain

times during the Rush Season. Everyone and anyone is welcome at open events as it is a time when the sorority can spend time in a positive and friendly environment getting to know potential new members. Closed events are by invitation only. At the end of the Rush Season, the bidding process proceeds, and bids are given out to potential new members who can accept or decline the invitation to join the organization.” As a member of Alpha Gamma Phi, Alex is well versed in Greek Life and is involved

in Dance Marathon, Relay for Life and other various service projects. She encourages anyone interested in Rush to give it a chance, saying, “I would encourage people to rush because it can be an experience in which you get outside your comfort zone and meet new people. You never know who you could meet that may end up being your lifelong friend.” Rush is a chance to find your own little family of sisters at your home away from home, and also be a part of a fantastic way to serve the community.

Kappa Beta Phi Sorority

CAMPUS&BEYOND

Pension plan breaks Paris and ignites protests

Emma DesLauriers-Knop

Politics in America has been complex, particularly in these last few weeks since a controversial airstrike killed Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian military general. With worries about another World War, the third presidential impeachment in American history and the debut caucus of the 2020 presidential election on the horizon, it’s easy to focus just on American politics. However, the United States is not the only country in the world struggling with political unrest.

France, it seems, is a permanent resident on every world traveler’s bucket list with good reason. The country boasts some fantastic destinations like the historic Normandy Beaches, the sunny seaside city of Marseilles and, the most popular of them all, Paris. But while France is a hub of things to do for tourists from all over the world, recently, the destination has had to disappoint. The Louvre, the former chateau of French king Philippe Auguste and now the most visited museum in the world, did not open its doors on Friday due to a strike, much to the chagrin of thousands of its would-be visitors. The closure comes as a part of a much larger movement across France.

Last year the gilets jaunes, “yellow vests,” took to the streets of France on Saturdays. Their goal? A reversal of a deal brokered by President Emmanuel Macron that raised the prices of diesel gasoline. The price hike was an attempt to dissuade people from driving vehicles that consumed diesel gas and to encourage the use of public transport. It was a necessary step in order to reduce France’s CO2

emissions in accordance with the Paris Climate Agreement. As nice as it is to encourage the use of public transport, it just isn’t going to work for those who aren’t wealthy enough to live in city centers with great metro systems. Even after Macron’s swift reversal of the decision, protesters continued their march, claiming that Macron was an elitist and did not represent his everyday working citizens. The yellow vest movement died down after several months but returned with a fervor in December 2019. This time they had company.

One of Macron’s key campaign points was to reform France’s pension system. Under the former system, France had 42 different pension plans that varied by career and would result in different retirement ages for those of differing occupations. His new idea was to create one single pension plan for all of France, one that would create equality across the board for those of all different domains of work. This, however, was not how the rest of France saw it. By changing the system, Macron, in the eyes of French workers, would make some people work longer only to receive the same amount of money in the end. Unlike the yellow vest movement, which was largely comprised of populists who felt that the government only really catered to the wealthy elites, this strike has people from all occupations and economic statuses, including workers in transportation, museum attendants, teachers and even members of the Paris Opera’s orchestra. While the yellow vests focused their protests on Saturdays (because they were working the rest of the week), this new protest

has been an everyday event.

I studied in Paris, France in the spring of last year, right as the yellow vest movement was gaining real traction. My day-to-day life remained largely unaffected; however, on the days of the protests, their presence was very apparent. In an attempt to contain the protesters and keep them from disrupting important landmarks, the French government closed certain metro stops. So long as you didn’t need to change lines at a closed station and you kept your distance from the protests, it wasn’t entirely noticeable. On the other hand, these new protests are far more rattling for daily life in France, especially in Paris.

Hope College student Michaela Stock (’20) is studying for a full year in Paris. She recounts, “Since I arrived in Paris in the beginning of September, there have been transportation strikes. However, on December 5, a severe strike with no end date started. It‘s the largest industrial walk out since 1995.” While one could drive, walk or even scooter to where they need to be in Paris, the metro is quite arguably the fastest and most cost-efficient way of navigating anywhere in or out of the city. Thus, with all of the metro workers striking and the system almost entirely out of order, tensions were running high.“The energy in the city was terrible when the strikes began,” Stock says. “When you crack its fairytale façade, Paris tends to be a little cold and grumpy on the daily, but this strike made everything worse. Everyone was on edge, tense, and at times aggressive.” With intracity travel a nearly impossible feat,

most of Stock’s classes were moved online to prevent the need of having to leave home and face the worsening situation in the streets. Now, just over a month since the initial outcry, the strikes continue, though Stock says, “I’m happy to report that the air in the city is much lighter… and many metro lines are running limitedly throughout the week.”

Aside from its impact on transportation, the pension strikes have claimed two more victims: business and the arts. Stock explains, “Artistic shows, such as plays and concerts, are still happening, though their attendance rates are regretfully low. Sales at small businesses have gotten so low that some may have to close their doors because of the strike.”

It’s clear that the pension strikes have an unprecedented effect on life throughout France, and, while the connection with Hope College may not be as obvious, what is happening in France is directly related to us here. French citizens are actively engaged in ensuring that the government they voted into power continues to represent their own interests instead of just one group of people. While voter turnout for both the 2016 and 2018 elections were the highest recorded for decades, America still struggles to bolster its citizens to remain civically engaged. The French demonstrate, in a more extreme fashion than most, that politics matters. Civic engagement is not just for the old, white and wealthy. It’s everyone’s business and right to see themselves represented in government. So with caucuses and primaries just around the corner, ask yourself: how will you engage?

Workers protest Macron’s new pention plan outside of the Louvre.

AP Photo/Francois Moris

One protester’s sign reads: “Macron the thief of retirment.” AP Paris

A Guide to Civil Political Conversations

Kate Chupp DC Correspondent

Politics: a loaded word that makes some cringe, others puff up and most retreat—including myself. Like the 65% of millennials who report a desire to avoid politics, I have invested time into avoiding the divisive, angry rhetoric often surrounding political discussions. At Hope College, I study peace and justice and have taken exactly one political science class. Yet, I find myself this semester in the middle of America’s politics: on Hope’s Washington D.C. semester, hosted by the Political Science Department. I’m learning that engaging in politics doesn’t have to be terrifying. So, to all my fellow avoiders, you can do it! College is a time to explore your beliefs, and political views are included in this safe space. With the conversation so divisive, it’s more important than ever to voice your own opinions.

Here are some ideas to create that safe space for the political discussion:

Dialogue, not Debate

Often, talking about any political view turns into people shouting their views at each other, each side convinced of their own “right-ness”, both closing their ears to the other’s argument. This approach, where one enters a conversation with the intention to “convert” the other person to their beliefs, is painful for all involved. To save yourself from that fruitless end, entering political conversations with a dialogue mindset can be helpful. Instead of trying to convince an opponent, dialogue means that you are seeking to understand and be understood by the other person. A mindset of working towards the same goal—to be heard and understood— provides the foundations for good, difficult conversations. As Stephen Covey, author of the best-selling “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” advises, “Listen with the intent to understand, not the intent to reply.”

Get to the Core of Beliefs

If you (or anyone around you) are getting riled up about an issue, it’s likely that there are personal

stories and faces coloring the issue at hand. Maybe your neighbor has been affected by gun violence, your sister is a member of the LGBTQ+ community or you’ve seen welfare misused. Experiences shape beliefs, and, therefore, emotions are often connected. Know where your beliefs lie and what’s molded them. What are the issues that fill you with passion? Why are you so willing to defend that cause? Knowing what triggers an emotional response in you, whether that be anger, joy etc, allows you to control unintentional (though unsavory) facial expressions or reactions in conversations.

When conversing with someone else who holds strong beliefs, also try to understand the core of why they believe what they do. Ask about what has made them so passionate about the issue. What are their connected stories?

Want to try the 200-level class on navigating difficult conversations? Validate the other person’s experiences and their perspectives. It doesn’t mean that you are agreeing with their view, just that you hear them. Comments like, “I can see how that impacted you,” or “Thank you for helping me understand your view better” can de-escalate emotional conversations. It’s natural to take things personally and assume the worst of the other

person. However, people have reasons behind what they believe. Assume the best and get to the core.

Be Shapeable (to a Point)

We can’t know the whole story on an issue. Listening to people who hold opposite views as you can help bring light to the bigger picture. Often, there are deeper factors at play or stories you haven’t yet heard. Be open to hearing and assessing all of it. That doesn’t mean

that you change your mind on your opinions, just that you have humility and confidence in your views to reevaluate them from time to time.

However, we each need places to ground our beliefs. Know your unshakable convictions—the roots you can cling to. Like playdough, you can be shapeable without changing what your metaphorical dough is made of. Another point to note: your opinion matters, even when you don’t have all the facts.

Given the current fault lines between political parties, the desire to either retreat or explode in the face of politics is tempting. Feelings and identities are hidden underneath any political conversation, making the terrain difficult to navigate. However, understanding this and seeking common ground can change destructive conversations into vital ones. There are many political groups on campus to be involved in, including Hope Republicans and Hope Democrats, that foster this healthy environment. Additionally, the communication department’s “Intergroup Dialogue” class provides foundations for navigating any difficult conversation. As we anticipate the upcoming presidential election, creating a culture at Hope for safe political conversations is more important than ever. Your voice matters.

Democratic candidates Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders vy for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 presidential election

STEP and At the Heart of Gold spark conversations about sexual violence

by Claire Buck and Ruth Holloway

One in five women and one in 71 men will experience sexual assault in their lifetimes. On college campuses, 11.2% of all students will be victims. Many of us have heard statistics like this before, but when Melody Posthuma of the Army of Survivors told students about the scope of sexual violence, the numbers struck in a new way. Given those odds, Posthuma told the audience, it’s likely that there are individuals in the room who have been victims. It’s also likely that there are individuals who have been perpetrators.

The “At the Heart of Gold” documentary, which tells the story of the USA gymnasts who survived sexual abuse, prompted conversations and reflections that lingered long after the showing ended. For Jannae Nutter (’21), the stories of these gymnasts hit close to home because of her own experience. “I felt like as a dancer I could’ve easily fallen into that trap, which was terrifying,” she said. Because of the nature of a training in which coaches frequently physically correct technique, dancers and gymnasts often acquire a desensitization around being touched. This, paired with the close emotional bond that can form between coaches and students over years of long and intensive practices, can make these relationships fraught with the potential for problems. Many of the gymnasts interviewed in the documentary explained how these dynamics contributed to an environment in which their abuser was able to go undetected and unchallenged for far too long.

The documentary is not the only event that’s been creating dialogue around the prevention of all kinds of interpersonal violence. Students

Teaching and Empowering Peers (STEP), an organization committed to raising awareness and providing information around these issues, held its annual training this past weekend. Through days packed with lectures, panels, and discussions, members of STEP gained new knowledge and ideas. According to Maggie Houseman (’22), who recently completed the program,

“Although the weekend of training for STEP was filled with emotion and heavy subjects, the training was filled with tons of great information on sexual assault on our campus, in the community, and in our broader society.” Her training left her empowered not only to bring light to the pervasiveness of sexual violence but also to provide meaningful support to victims: “I think that students at Hope should know these three of the most important things to do when someone discloses something like this to you are to 1) tell them “I believe you,” 2) listen to their story (do not ask questions or probe for more information) and 3) ask them what you can do to support them. It is essential that you do not offer advice, rather offer your time, attention, and resources when appropriate.”

Aidan Jones (’23), who also completed STEP training this past weekend, discussed the importance of responding compassionately and helpfully to those who have experienced sexual assault. “We learned about how to correctly respond to a victim but also how to empower them and help them give a piece of their freedom back,” he said. “Victims can often feel like they no longer have a choice in their decisions and it can be a result of the trauma they experienced or how others could’ve told them what to do.”

Like Houseman, Jones emphasized the importance of reminding victims that they are believed, supported, and have agency to make their own decisions as they move forward.

Christian Gibson, who works as Hope’s Victim Advocate and Prevention Educator as well as the STEP advisor, expressed similar thoughts: “Survivors/victims know no age, race, gender, socioeconomic status, ability or religion. They can hold a multitude of identities and be in various stages of life. If students at Hope College begin to take survivors seriously and recognize that they do not fit into the boxes we like to place them in, they will be better supporting and advocating for them.” Gibson works in her advocacy and education

roles to combat all forms of powerbased interpersonal violence (PBPV), a term which encompasses sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking. According to Gibson, PPBV is preventable, and organizations like STEP can play a critical role in eliminating it. She told us, “STEP is grounded in bystander intervention, which means recognizing a potentially harmful situation or interaction and choosing to respond in a way that could positively influence the outcome. The more that we take responsibility for intervening when we observe that another person is at risk of harm, the less that PBPV will happen on our campus. Your voice and your actions matter!”

Gibson concluded by passing along words she deemed applicable to every student on campus, saying, “We tend to think of this [sexual assault] as a large-scale, societal and civil rights issue, and although it is, it is also a personal and communal one.” She went on to cite maintenance of one’s own physical and mental health as a necessary facets of a community united against instances of sexual violence:

“I strongly believe that practicing healthy self-care and self-awareness

and learning how to press pause, are the first steps toward prevention of violence and healing for both individuals and communities.”

STEP is a great resource for those interested in learning how to take care of themselves and becoming a better advocate for others, as is the Press Pause campaign, described on blogs.hope.edu as “an initiative by Student Development to provide honest resources for students about all aspects of their health, from self-care to healthy relationships.”

Sarah Stevenson

Dr. Kristen Gray leads Q&A with survivor and advocate Melody Posthuma

Are you thinking of taking a gap year?

by Emily Voss

I have never been a homebody, and here is my story. I am a current sophomore at Hope College at age twenty-three. I decided to take a gap year at age eighteen, deferring my acceptance to Hope College. I moved from my high school classroom to Thailand. After teaching English in schools and living in a Christian community outside of Bangkok, my worldview slowly began to turn. Not everything was about me anymore. After getting deported from Thailand, due to visa issues, I stayed in Cambodia for a short while. My eyes were fixated on the state of the village I remained in for close to a month. The recent genocide had detrimental effects on the villagers, and many were tortured by starvation. From Cambodia, I moved to South Africa for a three-month period. There, I lived in a segregated

community that was considered to be the slums of Cape Town. It was there that my worldview changed forever. God gripped my heart for children and families impacted by violence. It was there that I realized I had made the best decision of my life.

After half a year of volunteer service, I decided to come home, thinking my gap year had come to an end. Lansing was home to me at the time, and the public-school system had captured my heart. It was the children once again. My community grew from an urban church in Lansing, and one gap year turned into two. After my second gap year of serving in ministry and working, I still felt a call to missions. I took off for a Christian missions school called Youth With a Mission in Kona, Hawaii. From Kona, I went on outreach to work with local missionaries in Uganda.

During my time in Uganda, I once again grew to see the world through a lens other than my own. For close to two months, I lived near the border of South Sudan and the Congo. I stayed with families that had been recently broken, lost everything, or ambushed by the civil war happening in the bordering regions. The cry I heard from the people of South Sudan became my cry. I adopted the broken hearts of the ones around me.

I returned home after my third gap year, feeling led to return to my education. I had confidence after my experiences that I knew what I cared about, what broke my heart and what I wanted to change in the world. I had a sense of purpose greater than I could give myself, one that God had revealed to me. It is essential that we answer the call on our lives, whether it’s for college or a gap year. One is not better than

another, but both are valuable and should be highly regarded.

If this is you in any way and you feel a gap year would suit you well, do not be afraid. One can turn into three, but it’s not always the worst thing. You will begin to understand the world around you with a raw heart instead of just hearing about it second-hand. There is often a stigma attached to gap year programs, that it’s an “opt-out” or a “resolution for the dummies.” It’s the opposite, actually. I see it as an “opt-in” and a move of wisdom. Depending on what you do with your gap year, it can be a choice to invest in the lives of others and an opportunity to gain a tender heart for the world. Knowledge comes many ways, and experience is one of them. Whether it be during or after your college education, taking a gap year, or three, could do wonders for your future.

A tribute to recent alumnus Blake Parmer

by Emily Voss

Blake Parmer (’18) went home to meet his Heavenly Father unexpectedly in his sleep on December 29, 2019. Many students and faculty on campus were blessed by his presence. As we grieve the tragic loss of a dear friend, we can only scratch the surface of what his beloved family is feeling. Blake continuously showed up with a piece of God that no one else could bring to this world. He was charismatic and brave. He refused to leave love at the door; rather, he brought it everywhere he went. The Business Department was widely encouraged by his pioneering spirit. He was a prominent contributor to Hope’s Ski and Snowboard Club, and a bright light to his fraternity brothers in Fraters. Blake was an entrepreneur with a rich soul for people. He was the VP, COO and CDO of the consulting company Safe Response, LLC. Working closely with the business department, Blake operated, managed and developed Safe Response, LLC during college.

Prior to his accomplishments in higher education, Blake was known for his personality that could never be matched. His demeanor was light-hearted and joyful. He loved to laugh and make the people around him laugh. There was a sense that he knew what it meant to live, finding a bypass around the facade of life’s seriousness.

Even as an adult, he found a way to play. Blake loved to snowboard, skateboard, go for drives in his Alfa Romeo convertible, and anything else outdoors. He played soccer, rode dirt bikes and experimented with many other adrenaline-related activities. Blake practically froze time when he wanted to. Many students remember this of Blake: he saw us. He saw us when we spoke. He listened when we needed it the most. Blake was a friend to many. The presence of this man was refreshing. Blake Parmer was widely known for his generosity. If something was given extra or overboard, Blake did it. Even as a college student, he found a way to serve immensely. His type of service was anonymous, but everyone knew it had to be him. No one else had a heart like his. It was always Blake to be bountifully generous.

Blake Alexander Parmer was a man worth knowing. This hope in Christ remains: as his brothers and sisters in Christ, we will one day meet with him again. Remembering Blake reminds us to smile widely because he taught us that not everything is as serious as we make it out to be. College is difficult and can be wearisome, but we have Blake as a prime example of a student that did not waste his joy. Find a moment to smile today. Blake would.

Photo courtesy of the Parmer family

Hope Theatre shines at regional competition

Katy Smith

This past weekend, many of Hope College’s Theatre majors and minors traveled to Madison, Wisconsin to participate in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) Region III, a five day extravaganza created to help encourage and teach theatre students across the country. Over the course of the weekend, students were invited to participate in workshops, compete for awards — such as scholarships or entries to larger competitions — and watch and support other artists. Said awards and workshops varied in type, ranging from playwriting to stage combat knife fighting. Many of Hope’s students took the festival as an opportunity to shine.

Throughout the academic year, Hope’s Theatre Department puts on four faculty-led productions and a number of student-led productions. During one performance of each of the productions, KCACTF sends in a representative to view and critique the show in order to decide which students, if any, they will nominate for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship. Students nominated for this scholarship then choose a partner and prepare two scenes and a monologue to perform for judges at the festival to compete for the earnings. The competition begins on the festival’s first day with a preliminary round. This year, the preliminary rounds housed over 200 talented competitors. Forty

of the nominees were chosen to move on to the semi-finals, which yielded sixteen finalists. This year, Hope brought seven Irene Ryan Nominees to compete: Megan Clark (’20), Maxwell Lam (’20), Madison Meeron (’21), Zach Pickle (’22), Cameron Baron (’23), Adam Chamness (’23) and Katy Smith (’23). Megan Clark and her partner Emi Herman (’22) moved on to semi-finals.

Similar to the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship, students at the festival are given the opportunity to audition for the Musical Theatre Intensive (MTI). Finalists of MTI get the chance to work one-on-one with Broadway alumni and perform at the closing ceremony of the festival, making them eligible for multiple scholarships. Senior Katie Joachim and freshman Cameron Baron both moved on to the final round and serenaded the audience with their angelic voices. Baron, who sang “Astonishing” from the musical “Little Women,” said her favorite part of the experience, interestingly enough, wasn’t making it to the finals, but Hope’s theatre students themselves. She gushed, “I was really nervous about going to the festival.

I was nervous about performing, I was nervous about being around all the theatre upperclassmen in that setting. But I was blown away by how genuinely supportive everyone was. Everyone wanted to go watch one another and cheer them on. It

sounds cliche, but I really felt like we were one big family.” She went on to talk about the MTI finals, saying, “I don’t usually get nervous for performances anymore, but I was really nervous that night. Truly, the one thing that calmed me down was knowing all of [Hope’s students] were in the audience somewhere, cheering Katie and I on.”

As formerly mentioned, KCACTF provides opportunities for many talents in the field, not just acting and singing. Emily Sandstedt (’20) and Katie Joachim (’20) participated in KCACTF Stage Management Fellowship, an opportunity to interview with and show off their impeccable organization through the script books they kept while stage managing productions. Gracen Barth (’20) presented in the Regional Crafts, Engineering and Management category, speaking on production managing repertory changeover. Directing student Makeya Royer (’20) participated in the Student Directing Competition with her scene entitled “Ye Ole Flame” with her actors, Maxwell Lam (’20), Megan Clark (’20), Madison Meeron (’21) and Alex Johnson (’22). Royer moved on to the SDC finals.

All of this is just the beginning of what Hope’s wonderful theatre students participated in this week. They return with a fire in their bellies to create new art. Emily Dykhouse (’23) returns with new ambitions, saying, “[She] was inspired to explore playwriting for the first time

after the playwriting workshop [she] attended.” Congratulations, Hope Theatre students! Your remarkable work has not gone unnoticed.

To witness their talents for yourself, look out for their upcoming productions “Doubt” by John Patrick Shanley and “Twelfth Night” by William Shakespeare, which are coming to the DeWitt Student and Cultural Center in February and April, respectively.

Emily Sandstedt

Megan Clark

Madison Area Technical College

Murder on the Royal Canal: The beggar’s plight

Zachary Dankert

Editor’s Note:

Zach Dankert is a junior majoring in biology and English. After working as our Arts Editor last semester, he’s back to share his writing with us in the form of a serial story during his study abroad experience in Ireland. Look for the next three installments in our upcoming print editions this semester!

7th of November, 1866

As the assigned documenter for the Garda, it is my duty to record the details of this case to the best of my abilities. Here is the information of the murders as we know it.

The curiosity of this case lies in the fact that the same woman, a beggar by the name of Isabell Byrne, discovered both bodies. She stumbled upon the corpse of Lord Gerald Griffiths, then, if you will, proceeded to scream and flee the scene drawing a crowd of passersby. So it was that several witnessed her discovery of blood leading into the house of the esteemed Daniel Wallace. Inside was the unfortunate man in question, his body lying awkwardly in the welcome hall, his throat slit.

The beggarwoman was initially questioned about any familiarity she might have with either of these men, to which she refused to

give an answer. The Garda did not push further, as both Griffiths and Wallace were esteemed members of Dublin’s high society, and for a lowly woman like Byrne to have familiarity with them would be not only unlikely, but scandalous.

Lady Claire Griffiths, the Lord’s daughter, was alerted of his murder and brought in for questioning, along with Mr. Clarke, a family friend and, now, her guardian. Lady Griffiths provided that she herself was a regular acquaintance of the beggarwoman and asserted that Byrne had indeed met Lord Griffiths on rare occasion. But the question remained; why had she fled immediately to the house of Mr. Wallace, a man to whom she did not currently have a link? Byrne, either in shock, grief or with adverse motive in mind, was still refusing to talk, and Lady Griffiths had no clue.

Isabell Byrne discovered Griffiths’ body at 19:23 on the 5th of November under the North Strand bridge of the Royal Canal. Griffiths had been absent from his manor for three hours, according to the servant of the house, Benjamin McFadden. McFadden states Griffiths had left in light mood, eager for a walk and fresh air. After finding his body, Byrne was then witnessed to run down Charleville Mall to Killarney Row and finally to Buckingham

Street Upper, where Mr. Wallace was found at 19:36. Amelia Collins, Wallace’s maid, had been told to leave early for the night, and she had left the residence by 17:50. Both victims suffered a slit throat. Lord Griffiths is believed to have been killed where he was found, while Mr. Wallace had been moved. Both, due to the condition of the bodies, are believed to have died within minutes of each other. We cannot be sure whether these murders are related. Both men are of high society, though on vastly different sides. Indeed, these men had been enemies in

various political movements in the past. Wallace had long been a champion for the rights of the Irish people, while Griffiths always had Britain’s interests in mind.

Ambrose Wright, the famed detective from England, has been called in for consultation. He has asked for a young, inexperienced officer to act as his assistant, and this role has unfortunately fallen upon me. I must say I am somewhat uneasy with this partnership. It is a common belief across the pond that, when Ambrose Wright overturns stones, you never know what he will find under them.

Meet the award-winning writers visiting campus

Claire Buck

The long gray Michigan winter may have settled over our campus, but four talented andnationallyrecognized writers are arriving to lift us out of the dullness. Over the next few months, two events will bring our college community together around the power of poetry and story. Get ready to be surprised, moved, bewildered and delighted: the Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series is back for the spring.

Coming up first on February 4 are Marcelo Hernandez Castillo and Lesley Nneka Arimah, two writers whose work represents a wide span of genres, cultures and experiences. A poet and activist, Castillo was born in Mexico and immigrated to California. In an interview with PBS, he describes that as he navigated the

United States as an undocumented person, English fluency and writing became “a way to kind of offset any questions or any suspicions about my documentation status. By way of fear, along came poetry.” The poetry that flowered out of his childhood fear is now critically acclaimed for the way Castillo has been able to capture diverse voices through fragments of striking imagery. In addition to the numerous awards he has earned for his writing, Castillo has also drawn recognition for his work in eliminating barriers to success for undocumented poets.

Having spent her childhood moving back and forth between Nigeria and the United States for her father’s military work, Arimah

is also familiar with the feeling of being an outsider in a new country. Talking about this experience to the Star Tribune, Arimah said, “You learn to be an observer. And as somebody who eventually moved into documenting the human experience, being an observer is a useful tool.” Her debut collection of short stories, “What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky,” features characters set in a wide variety of places, from Africa to a magical alternative reality to a post-apocalyptic dystopian world. Although her stories cross physical and figurative boundaries, they are unified around Arimah’s powerful ability to portray the tensions and complexities of human relationships.

The VWS events will feature

a Q&A with the authors at 3:30 p.m. in the Fried-Hemenway auditorium of Martha Miller and a reading at 7 p.m. in the Jack Miller Recital Hall. To learn more about the events and volunteer opportunities, visit he Hope website and find @jrvws on Instagram.

Abby VanderVliet

“Sarah’s River,” Public Domain

Student feature: Veganism in the new year

Only half of New Year’s resolutions last until February of the new year and even less accomplish their true goal or last through the entire year. Personally, I have never stuck to a New Year’s resolution, or even taken them seriously before this year. Now, as a senior approaching graduation, I have decided to set concrete goals with my family: exercise at least three times a week, do yoga or stretch at least two times, eat at least one fresh fruit or vegetable each day and be sure to journal or read a chapter of a book at least every other day. These goals are moderate and concrete, two things that I believe are important in defining truly achievable, lifestyle-changing goals. You can see more of the Anchor’s staff resolutions on the back page.

Other students on Hope’s campus have decided to take a more radical lifestyle change as their New Year’s resolution: becoming vegan. Vegan is defined as “a person who does not eat or use animal products,” but many people choose to define the term for what fits their lives and dietary habits best. Plantbased diets are becoming widely recognized as promoting weight loss, prevent a variety of diseases associated with intake of highly

processed foods and is better for the environment. This lifestyle helps reduce carbon emissions and water usage associated with raising animals for meat.

I will be using the term “diet” in this article as it is defined here: “the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.” I do not intend for the phrase “vegan diet” to be mistaken as something the interviewees have partaken in as a restrictive course of food intake for weight loss. Perhaps rebranding the word “diet” could be useful in your own New Year’s resolution. Instead of restricting yourself to a diet, you could instead think of your food choices as a lifestyle and try to implement the habit of eating healthier instead of a regiment.

Sarah Grimes (’23) and Alaina Streberger (’20) have both shared

their experience with veganism this far into the new year. I asked each similar questions about their goals and reasons for becoming vegan, and how the experience of veganism changes from making one’s own meals and getting meals from Phelps Dining Hall.

Grimes, a freshman who regularly gets meals from Phelps, said that “my New Year’s resolution was to eat vegan at least six days a week. I am going vegan rather than vegetarian because I have already been a vegetarian for seven years and want to eat healthier and limit my impact on the environment.” As her sister, I will tell you this: she went vegetarian to spite my mother, who didn’t think she could go meatless for longer than a week. Grimes’ intentions changed over the years as she discovered an interest in environmental science and how producing meat has high greenhouse gas emissions and leads to deforestation and many other environmentally impacting side effects.

chooseveg.com

impact of chronic diseases in my nursing clinicals, I began to see that our healthcare system is not looking at preventing diseases, but looking for easy fixes and bandaids to place over the root of the problem,” Streberger said. “I am passionate about the functional medicine approach to healthcare, and if I will be promoting this to patients in the future, I thought I should be an example myself. The final push of motivation that inspired me to take the leap is the effect that meat production has on our environment. When I learned how much water, energy and land is used to produce meat and dairy products, my mind was blown. By reducing my meat intake, processed foods and plastic use, I can have an impact on the health of our planet and inspire others to do so as well by setting an example.”

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF LIVESTOCK ANIMALS - Livestock, most notably production of beef, has an enormous environmental impact on the Earth. Along with the gallons-of-water per pound-of-meat ratio, raising cows for meat also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, the rise in antibiotic -resistant bacteria through use of antibiotics in animal feed and land consumption simply in the space the animals take up that could be used for other purposes.

Streberger’s drive to live authentically and begin a career in nursing has motivated her to pursue a vegan diet. “There are many reasons why I have decided to eat plant-based (vegan). Truly my interest began with personal health, cleaning my skin and athletic performance. I began to look into the benefits that this way of eating can impact chronically ill patients and many diseases that strike our processed food addicted society. Seeing the direct

Streberger also incorporates learning about plant-based diets in her lifestyle: “I have been listening to the coolest podcast called “Plant Proof,” where the host interviews a plethora of qualified individuals talking about all things plantbased diets and sustainable lifestyle. I have learned a lot by listening to this podcast, and I would say it has been my biggest inspiration to go plant based.”

Grimes sounded positive about her experience with going vegan for the first few weeks of the year: “So far, it has been going well! I have only ‘cheated’ a few times, generally for foods containing eggs, such as different types of bread. It has not been as

Megan Grimes

VEGAN FOODS - These are just some of the many fruits, vegetables and grains that make up avegan or plant-based diet.

difficult as I expected, perhaps because I had already been a vegetarian for so long.” I asked her about how easy it was to eat vegan at Phelps. “At Phelps, I tend to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. For lunch, I generally have carrots and hummus, salad and then some other vegetables such as broccoli or cauliflower,” Grimes told me. “I am pretty satisfied with what Phelps offers because they do a good job of offering a variety of vegetables and vegan food. However, I think it would be easier to have a bigger variety of vegan foods if I made my meals from home. Phelps could make it easier if they had more vegan meals, rather than just a lot of vegetables and salads.” On the other hand, Streberger thinks that “living off campus and cooking my own food has made going vegan more realistic for me compared to eating in the dining halls.”

Streberger has the luxury of making her own meals at her off-campus house. “My goal is to limit the processed foods I eat by adding in a lot of fresh fruits and veggies to all of my meals. This can be challenging as a college student on a budget and time crunch, but it has been very doable so far. My cupboard is always stocked with rice, beans, chickpeas, sweet potatoes and hummus. I love to roast a lot of veggies at a time to have ready to mix in with the staples throughout each week. I enjoy making big pots of soup because I can add all of my favorite veggies and beans and spices, and it lasts a while in the fridge. I love roasting chickpeas, making oatmeal with all the good toppings, smoothies, guacamole and salsa, peanut butter with anything. I think eating plantbased is fun because it can open your eyes to so many new recipes and foods,” Streberger told me.

Grimes takes an off day once a week, where she “tend[s] to eat banana or apple bread with butter. I also will eat popcorn too.” Streberger had a lot to say on the topic of “off” days: “I try not to be so hard on myself. I don’t really crave meat anymore because I have been vegetarian for about two years. Eggs has been hard for me. It was the hardest food to eliminate

because it was such a staple in my meals and I love the taste of a good scramble. I always crave chocolate and dessert foods but there’s many yummy options out there to satisfy those cravings. One of my favorites is “Sweet Loren’s” cookies. I find that when I fill up on all of the hearty veggies, grains, and legumes, I do not crave other foods because my body is well nourished.”

“I generally have enjoyed the things I’ve eaten; it has forced me to try new things I probably would not have tried otherwise,” Grimes said when I asked her about how she enjoyed her new diet.

Streberger and Grimes both lead active lifestyles. Grimes, who participates at Hope College’s cross country and track and field teams, found that “so far my diet has not impacted my energy levels or my workout routine.” Streberger also loves to run and

leads the Hope College Yoga club, regularly teaching classes and practicing on her own time. “I do feel very energised when I work out,” she told me. “Cutting out dairy has eliminated bloating and stomach aches.”

Grimes’ friends “think it is impressive that I am trying to eat mostly vegan, but don’t really do much besides that [in terms of support],” Grimes said. Streberger, on the other hand, lives with a group of girls with different dietary restrictions that enforce a more highly plant-based diet than what an average college student could be found eating regularly. “My friends do support me very well,” Streberger said, “Being gluten free for eight years and vegetarian for about two, I think they understand my passion for eating the way I do and we often make meals together.”

nosh.com

If you want to know more about plant-based diets, Streberger recommends checking out some documentaries. “I have watched all of the documentaries there are to watch,” Streberger told me. “My favorite ones are “Game Changers,” “What the Health,” and “Forks over Knives.” I highly recommend game changers for college athletes! It talks about how we get all (if not more) the protein we need from plants.” “Game Changers” is on Netflix, so it is easily accessible Approaching any change in your diet by viewing what you intake as a lifestyle can make for a much easier transition. Think about how the food you consume is making you healthier and giving you energy, and take pride in what you eat! You need to be happy to be healthy, so find the right balance of foods that will keep you fulfilled to tackle each day.

SWEET LOREN’S COOKIES - These gluten and dairy-free cookies are an example of a widely available dessert for people who follow a plant-based diet. The cookies come in several flavors including fudgy brownie, sugar cookie and oatmeal cranberry.

THE GAME CHANGERS - This documentary, which discusses the benefits of a vegan diet for athletes, is available on Netflix.

SPORTS Athletes educate themselves on sexual abuse

Athletes, coaches, professors and students gathered in the Jack Miller auditorium on Monday, January 6th to view the documentary “At The Heart of Gold: Inside The USA Gymnastics Scandal.” After the viewing of the film, audience members witnessed an interview with survivor Melody Posthuma from the Army of Survivors. Dr. Kristen Gray, Associate Dean for Health and Counseling, conducted the interview. Throughout the viewing and post-documentary discussion, the audience was urged to put their mental health first, including leaving to talk to counsellors or take a break in the designated room. This shows just how powerful the presentation was and how important it is that these topics are addressed sensitively. Hope College did an amazing job keeping the audience as comfortable as possible, while still fully educating them on the horrific experiences of the Army of Survivors and the USA Gymnastics team.

Posthuma described how audience members could be better allies for survivors of sexual abuse, one ocusing on the language that is used or these topics and for peoples’ distressing experiences. She used herself as an example, expressing that she would prefer to be referred to as a “survivor” rather than as a “victim.” These are the types of subjects that Posthuma travels around Michigan talking about, specifically educating others about and advocating for sexual abuse survivors.

Melody Posthuma actually grew up in Holland and Lansing, MI. She

graduated from Grand Valley State and now works in Los Angeles. At the beginning her of her career, Posthuma worked at a local level, but soon realized that it was too hard for her and moved on to travelling. She switched to advocating around Michigan, rather than trying to target legal issues that were close to her own experiences. Posthuma has a website (melodyvanderveen.com) that explains her history with advocacy as well as her other interests, dance and photography. Along with the HBO documentary that was shown on Monday night, Posthuma took part in a series on Audible called

“Twisted: The Story of Larry Nassar and the Women Who Took Him Down.” Currently, Posthuma is working in Los Angeles with Global Sports Development, helping with advocacy for sexual abuse survivors through their program, Courage First. Courage First specifically focuses on sexual abuse in sports as well as predatory behavior. It is important to note that Hope athletes were required to go to this discussion because of the culture that surrounds athletics today. “Between two and eight percent of youth athletes find themselves victims of sexual abuse while engaging in sport, and

ninety eight of these cases find predators to be coaches, teachers, and instructors” (couragefirst.org). These numbers are startling, considering the high number of young people that participate in sports. Because education and prevention go hand in hand, it is important that Hope athletes attend these types of events to educate themselves.

“At The Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal” was focused on that scandal specifically, but did a good job of showing how predators are easily enabled by ignorance. With programs like Courage First, all people can be educated of the frequency of sexual abuse in youth sports and thus become more aware of the part they play in the larger picture. Unfortunately, athletics are too often a target for sexual predators, especially with youth sports teams. Thankfully, athletes are not helpless against their abusers. With people like Melody Posthuma, the world of sports is working toward being safer for future athletes.

Learning how allies can let survivors define their own sharing parameters was an important part of the discussion that followed the viewing. It takes a lot of courage for a survivor to disclose information, so it is vital that all people are prepared to receive it. And yes, there is a proper way to react to the information that

HBO

Matthew Dae Smith

Melody Posthuma recounts her story in film, “At The Heart of Gold: Inside The USA Gymnastics Scandal.”

Annie Kopp

one chooses to share. First off it is important to just listen. Hear what the survivor has to say without pressuring them for more information, then respond within the boundaries that they set. In the example above, it is evident that Posthuma would rather be called a survivor. In this case, it would be important for the person receiving the information to refer to her as a survivor rather than as a victim to ensure her comfort. Posthuma did an interview with HBO along with the documentary and stated that “by learning terminology, understanding the world of triggers, and how to talk (or not talk) to someone about their trauma are great places to begin.” This is great information because it is fairly universal for almost all survivors, which is exactly the interesting partthere is no universal answer or cure. The best thing that a supporter can do is to provide comfort and give help when it is requested. Posthuma also talked about her personal healing and the role of therapy in it. She took part in many different kinds of therapy including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Neurofeedback, Cranial Sacral and regular talk therapy. She also talked about therapy in the discussion with Dr. Kristen Gray and strongly recommended therapy to survivors, supporters, and anyone else that feels they would benefit from it. She stated that it has brought back “a sense of normalcy and stability,” as well as

helping to calm Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms and anxiety. While therapy can greatly help

survivors, supporters should focus on being advocating so that they can respond appropriately when the time

comes. Make sure that it is verbally affirmed that the survivor’s story is valid and that it is not their fault. This could sound like “I believe you.” or simply put, “You did nothing to deserve this.” Acknowledge that they are not alone in this event and there are plenty of people to talk to, but again never make them feel pressured. According to www.rainn.org, the top three ways to be a continued supporter are avoiding judgement, checking in periodically and knowing about resources if they are ever needed or requested.While the viewing and discussion following “At The Heart of Gold: Inside The USA Gymnastics Scandal” was heavy and difficult to process, it was an important piece of education that will prevent sexual assault in athletics. Although athletes were required to attend the event, the whole audience was encouraged to put their mental health first throughout the entire presentation. Hope College provides confidential Counselling and Psychological Services for survivors of sexual assault, and survivors, their supporters, and all students are welcome to use these services.

Sarah Stevenson

Melody Posthuma and Dr. Kristen Gray answer questions after the screening at the Jack Miller Center

Staff share their New Year’s resolutions

Sophia Vander Kooy: I want to be more present, listen more, get stronger, and spend less time stressing about what other people think. Catch me mediating, doing some pushups, and confidently doing my own thing a bit more this year!

Emma DesLauriers-Knop: Stop buying things I don’t need.

Lindsey Muller: Limit eating Taco Bell to once a month

Ruth Holloway: Call my grandmother once a week, write one page for creative/personal reasons every day and consume no more than one La Croix each evening.

Amanda Olson: To be healthier, which includes stopping toxic relationships, developing healthier habits and to be healthier to myself and mind.

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Katy Smith: To allow myself to have more adventures and say “yes and” to creative projects.

Grace Alex: Have thoughts of gratitude everyday.

Mikayla Zobeck: For this coming year, I want to cultivate healthier relationships, stop eating taquitos from Costco, lift heavier in the weight room, and take more time for mindfulness and peace...also more corndogs.

Eli Maxwell: Read and write for fun more. Also, more soup.

Emily Voss: Daily Poems. Weekly Hikes.

Liz Mathews: Read the Bible in a year.

Chloe Bartz: Learn to seek the bright side in all situations and pursue things that bring me happiness.

Sarah Stevenson: Become better at balancing my time; focus on more than just academics.

Katie DeReus: I want to work on being more content right where I’m at.

Claire Buck:

To spend less time on social media and more time reading, especially poetry

Annie Kopp:

Don’t get me wrong when I begin this fresh year without a resolution, but please hear me out. While defined goals work well for some people, I’m more of a list kind of person myself. If it gets done, I cross something off, if not, the sticky note gets crumpled up and thrown in the trash - ah a sense of accomplishment at even the smallest task. Yes, I have succeeded in cleaning one small note off of my desk. I have reorganized my life for success, redefined my parameters for happiness. You, too, can be just like me if you put your energy into the important things in life such as crumpling up your ‘to-do’ list as a way of ‘doing’ the things that need to be done.

Megan Grimes: I have decided to set concrete goals with my family: exercise at least three times a week, do yoga or stretch at least two times, eat at least one fresh fruit or vegetable each day and be sure to journal or read a chapter of a book at least every other day.