Alumni honored, share memories-by Ruth Robinson, Staff Writer
Memories, achievements and change were all honored at the homecoming alumni luncheon on Saturday.
Relationships were the focus of many alumni memories.
“It’s nice to come back and see people,” said Kathy Furlong ’94. “The best part of my college experience was the relationships.”
“The best part about Eastern is the warmth and the one-on-one,” Merrill Hendler ’79 said.
Diversity also characterized the luncheon. The graduating years ranged from the class of 1964 to the class of 2003. The graduates have gone on to diverse careers all over the United States, from Carolivia Herron ’69, who wrote the controversial children’s book Nappy Hair to Furlong who is a homemaker and freelance writer. Nearly all the graduates agreed that the biggest change at Eastern is the addition of buildings to the campus.
“I’m not quite sure what it all is,” Jennifer Metzler ’94 said.
Some also pointed out a greater focus on justice present at Eastern. According to Herron, there are more peace groups associated with Eastern now than when she attended.
“They’re committed to helping people. The commitment is to something higher than the government,” she said.
The achievements of the graduates were honored in a Lamplighter Society induction and in the the Alumnus of the Year award. The Lamplighter Society was founded to honor “those whose lives and work have been exemplary in Christian service,” according to Derek Ritchie ’89.
The inductees this year were Dr. John Ruth, a previous English professor at Eastern, and Carol Tatta, whose nursery school has provided Eastern students with internships for over 25 years.
The recipient of the Alumnus of the Year award was Danny Cortes, the senior vice-president of Nueva Esperanza.
“It was a surprise. We don’t get anything for just doing our work, so it’s kind of cool,” he said.
His focus, however, was not on fame.
“It’s about the work, not the recognitions,” he explained.
Every alum had the same piece of advice for current students; enjoy the time spent at Eastern.
“It’s a great time of formation. Don’t squander it,” Cortes said.
Homecoming Court-by Shannen Shadel, Staff Writer
Wild applause erupted from the crowd as Sarah Chaffe and Jarmaine Fisher were named this year’s King and Queen during half time at the men’s soccer game.
“I am honored, although I feel all the people on the court were good representatives of the community and are gifted individuals,” Chaffee said.
“It will be a positive memory of Eastern,” she said.
“I am so glad I was able to do it. The best part of being at Eastern is the support from my peers and the real love they show; I love the community,” Fisher said.
A well-known Eastern Homecoming tradition, the Homecoming Court is organized by the Student Activities Board
The purpose of the court is to honor seniors who have contributed positively to the Eastern Community.
“It’s a nice way to recognize some model seniors,” said Shannon Hartsock, director of SAB.
The voting began two weeks before Homecoming weekend. The student body picked eight potential candidates for court and then voted once more for the King and Queen.
This year’s court nominees were: Sarah Chaffee, Shellie Mtika, Frenika Mudd, Suma Stephen, Jarmaine Fisher, Tyrone Holland, Jonathan Marshall and Nathaniel Stutzman.
“It is a privilege to be on the court this year. And I had fun dressing up Jarmaine,” Stutzman said.
After the ceremony, Fisher reflected on his participation.
“I am so glad I was able to do it,” he said.
“The best part of being at Eastern is the support from my peers and the real love they show. I love the community.”
Tennis team loses to rival Cabrini, 8-1-by Sara Parisi, Staff Writer
Eastern’s womens tennis faced a tough match against Cabrini this Saturday. The women played with a lot of heart and conviction.
“Our biggest rival is always a fun match – especially at homecoming,” said senior Christine McCaig.
During the doubles matches, the girls worked hard and showed great team work. There was a large crowd of family and friends offering support.
Senior Sheri Mease and sophomore Danielle Schildt faced a tough match where they stayed ahead the entire match only to have Cabrini come back and win the match 9-7.
McCaig and junior Krista Sirois lost 5-8, but played hard and fought throughout the very close match.
Sophomore Jamie Barnickel and freshmen Ellie Gallagher faced a tie breaker that ended in a loss for Eastern.
While they faced an equally difficult match, they played with a great deal of determination.
“It was frustrating. We played their game, not ours,” Barnickel said.
Gallagher added, “We beat ourselves.”
Assistant coach Angela Sprock said, “I see their heart and they have a lot of passion, not just for tennis. Win or lose this season, it’s a great team.”
During the singles matches, the tennis court began to heat up. The tension between Eastern and rival Cabrini was apparent.
Once again, the girls played with everything they had and demonstrated a great deal of skill.
Despite the valiant effort and the supportive crowd, the girls unfortunately lost all of the singles matches, except for one win by McCaig.
“I’m proud of the way all the girls played. We played well but they played better,” McCaig said.
“We played with a lot of heart today,” Schildt said.
Mease added, “We tried really hard and everyone played well.”
Head coach Gershwin Sandberg said the girls were having a tough day and Cabrini was a very difficult opponent. He commended the girls for their hard work.
“We fought to the very end. The score is going to be an unfair reflection of the game,” Sandberg said.
The final score was in favor of Cabrini, 8-1.
“We’re struggling a bit this year, but still playing with all our heart,” Sirois said.
“We’ve come together as a team so this is not as big of a let down as it could be.”