It’s that time of year again: the last issue of the Waltonian is now on shelves, and the senior staff members are walking towards Walton Hall to pick up their final issue. Mixed emotions flood the air as their names appear in print for the final time in the Waltonian: Happiness, because of the phenomenal job that the staff has done; yet sadness, because leaving is never easy. However, as the senior editors pass on their roles to someone new and returning staff members step into new roles (or return to prior ones) the Waltonian’s future is looking very bright.

The Editor-in-Chief role will be filled by rising senior Lauren Murphy. Murphy is a Youth Ministry major, and has been involved with the Waltonian since her freshman year. She started as a staff writer before taking on the role of Features editor during her sophomore year and Opinions Editor during her junior year. Murphy has brought a lot of fresh ideas to the table, and her thorough approach and passion for the paper will doubtlessly lead the Waltonian to even greater heights.

The Editor-In-Chief’s right hand person is the Managing Editor, a role to be filled by rising senior Jordan Kolb. Kolb is an English Literature major currently studying abroad in Oxford. Kolb was the Features editor during the fall 2015 semester. Kolb brought a kind heart and a wide variety of ideas to the Features section, and will undoubtedly bring a wonderful energy as well as wonderful feedback to next year’s staff.

Of course, there would not be a paper without section editors! These positions will be taken over by the following students: rising senior and History major Russell Risden (News); rising senior and Philosophy major Madeleine Harris (Features); rising junior and English Writing major Eliza Brown (Arts & Entertainment); rising sophomore and English Literature and History double major Anthony Barr (Opinions); and rising senior and Psychology and English Writing double major Shelly Lister (Sports). All of these new editors have been on the staff previously as staff writers and have consistently written phenomenal pieces. There is no doubt that they will all produce stellar work as editors.

Last, but certainly not least, are the copy editors and photography editor. Due to the amount of work required of a Copy Editor the Waltonian has chosen to bring on two Copy Editors for the new year. Rising junior and English Writing major SaraGrace Stefan and rising senior and Spanish major Anastasia Carroll will both be copy editing for the new year. Both of these ladies have written for the Waltonian in the past. Even though several of the positions for the coming year are changing there is one returning editor. Rising Senior and Economic Development major Matt Wolek will be returning to his position as Photography Editor. Without Wolek’s photography skills the Waltonian would not look half as stunning as it does.

With these changes in mind, one thing is certain: the Waltonian is in good hands  in the coming months.

Jessie Nichols
Jake Hughes
Khalil Martin

For the past two years, Eastern conducted an official “Conversation on Human Sexuality,”a conversation that included faculty, students, and staff. The conversation began in the fall of 2014, when President Duffett called for the formation of a Human Sexuality Task Force. Dr. Duffett charged the Task Force to make recommendations regarding EU policies related to issues of sexuality. On April 8, at the final official event of the Conversation on Human Sexuality, the Task Force announced their recommendations.

Each recommendation was a response to a specific question. The first was an answer to the question of whether Eastern should add the words ‘gender’ and ‘gender identity’ to its statement of non-discrimination and equal opportunity. The Task Force collectively answered “no.” One member explained their reasoning: it’s not that Eastern wants to discriminate against people on the basis of gender or gender identity, but adding these words to the statement would legally require Eastern to begin collecting data on the genders of all students, staff, and faculty, which would in the end be rather invasive.

The next question that the Task Force addressed was  the following one: Should the phrase “homosexual conduct” be removed from the examples of “moral turpitude” in the faculty handbook? The Task Force unanimously answered “yes.” Homosexual conduct, Dr. Phillip Cary explained, is a very vague term, and is not the kind of obvious example that should be included in such a list. The Task Force shared that they found the entire list rather vague, and they recommend that it be removed.

Next, the Task Force asked whether the qualification “anatomical” should be removed from the policy stating that students are assigned housing on the basis of sex. The answer was “yes.” Eastern will continue its policy of working with transgender students on a case-by-case basis to figure out what is best specifically for them and the students in their halls.

The final and most controversial issue revolved around the question, “Should the words ‘between a man and a woman’ be removed from the sentence ‘sexual intimacy is prohibited outside of marriage between a man and a woman’ in the student handbook?” The Task Force could not come to a unanimous decision. At the meeting on April 8, they announced that they would present two proposals to the president: one in favor of the removal, and one against. These were respectively labelled “A” and “B.” Proposal A reasons that the definition of marriage should be left undefined and up to the judgment of the individual Christian according to her tradition, in the same way that the definitions of “baptism” and “communion” are left undefined. Proposal B reasons that by “marriage” Christians have always meant “a specific and sacred union between a man and a woman,” and  Eastern should not depart from it due to recent cultural pressure.

However, at the April 13 Refuge event, “LGBTQ Voices of Eastern: A Student Panel,” Dr. Landi Turner, a member of the Task Force, announced an update. The Task Force recommends an addendum to Proposals A and B: whatever the final decision may be, Eastern must find a way to keep all voices at the table. If Proposal A is chosen, conservative voices must not be silenced, and must still be respectfully heard. Alternatively, if Proposal B is chosen, progressive voices must also be protected and respectfully heard. Dr. Turner acknowledged that this does not settle the question at hand, and announced another change: rather than calling the proposals “A” and “B,” the Task Force will call them “the majority opinion” and “the minority opinion,” reflecting the different leanings of the Task Force members. The majority opinion is to remove “between a man and a woman,” and the minority opinion is to retain it.

At that same Refuge event, LGBTQ EU students responded to the Task Force recommendations. While many expressed gratitude for the Conversation on Human Sexuality, many were also dissatisfied that two years of talking has taken such a emotional toll on LGBTQ community members. Students expressed frustration that Eastern had not established something like the Task Force’s amended recommendation two years ago. The final decisions lay in the hands of Dr. Duffett and the Eastern Board of Directors.

Kesha Sebert, known mononymously as Kesha, decided to speak out in February 2016 about the inappropriate actions of her producer, Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald. Kesha claimed that Dr. Luke sexually and mentally abused her over a 10-year period, and because of this she requested an injunction from her label, Kemosabe Records, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. The injunction would have forced Dr. Luke to leave the company because he was harming Kesha. However, a New York judge denied the injunction, forcing Kesha to continue to work alongside her abuser. There was a rumor that Sony was going to drop Dr. Luke from the brand, but that turned out to be just that: a rumor. The only way in which Dr. Luke’s contract can be terminated a year before it expires is if there is a mutual agreement of some sort between Dr. Luke and Sony.

Various people have spoken out about this, including Lena Dunham, who writes that Kesha’s case is about “the systemic misogyny of the entertainment industry, or the way that women in music and film have long been controlled and coerced by abusive Svengalis and entities larger than themselves.” Kesha has also gained the support of artists like Adele, Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, Lady Gaga, and Kelly Clarkson.

On top of that, this fall PBS plans to air an eight-episode documentary series about pop music entitled “Soundbreaking.” The first episode is supposed to open with an interview with Dr. Luke. However, because of these recent allegations PBS is considering pulling the interview as well as any other segments that feature Dr. Luke.

Rape is not something that should be taken as lightly as it has been in this scenario. So many women feel as if they cannot speak out about their rape stories because they are scared. They are scared that their abusers will do them more harm if they speak out about the situation. But remaining silent should not be an option. I commend Kesha for speaking out about Dr. Luke’s abuse. Men should be called out when they try to treat women as sexual objects because there are no circumstances in which that is acceptable. Because this case involves a celebrity like Kesha, it is a great opportunity to bring public awareness to the issue of rape. So many people act as if rape does not occur, when in reality a woman is raped every two minutes, and 22 percent of victims are under the age of 12 when they are raped for the first time. Pretty shocking, right?

Kesha was treated as a sexual object in this scenario, which is never under any circumstance acceptable. Why is it that if a female is raped it is automatically assumed she was dressed in a way in which she was “asking for it”? Why is it that a woman like Kesha is being forced to work with her abuser when it is continuing to harm her mentally? Why does the man get to use a “get-out-of-jail-free” card? Now, if the roles were reversed, the woman would probably get fired in a second for actions like these, yet for men this has almost become socially acceptable. As a man, Dr. Luke does something like this and continues on with his everyday life. It is absolutely appalling that Sony values money and fame more than a woman’s safety. Sony needs to work towards granting Kesha the safety she deserves by letting go of Dr. Luke.

Sources: cnn.com, vanityfair.com

It’s that time of year again: the last issue of the Waltonian is now on shelves, and the senior staff members are walking towards Walton Hall to pick up their final issue. Mixed emotions flood the air as their names appear in print for the final time in the Waltonian: Happiness, because of the phenomenal job that the staff has done; yet sadness, because leaving is never easy. However, as the senior editors pass on their roles to someone new and returning staff members step into new roles (or return to prior ones) the Waltonian’s future is looking very bright.

The Editor-in-Chief role will be filled by rising Senior, Lauren Murphy. Murphy is a Youth Ministry major, and has been involved with the Waltonian since her freshman year. She started as a staff writer before taking on the role of Features editor during her sophomore year and Opinions Editor during her junior year. Murphy has brought a lot of fresh ideas to the table, and her thorough approach and passion for the paper will doubtlessly lead the Waltonian to even greater heights.

The Editor-In-Chief’s right hand person is the Managing Editor, a role to be filled by rising Senior, Jordan Kolb. Kolb is an English Literature major currently studying abroad in Oxford. Kolb was the Features editor during the Fall 2015 semester. Kolb brought a kind heart and a wide variety of ideas to the Features section, and will undoubtedly bring a wonderful energy as well as wonderful feedback to next year’s staff.

Of course, there would not be a paper without section editors! These positions will be taken over by: rising Senior and History major Russell Risden (News); rising Senior and Philosophy major Madeleine Harris (Features); rising Junior and English Writing major Eliza Brown (Arts & Entertainment); rising Sophomore and English Literature and History double major Anthony Barr (Opinions); and rising Senior and Psychology and English Writing double major Shelly Lister (Sports). All of these new editors have been on the staff previously as staff writers, and have consistently written phenomenal pieces. There is no doubt that they will all produce stellar work as editors as well!

Last, but certainly not least, are the copy editors and photography editor. Due to the amount of work required of a Copy Editor the Waltonian has chosen to bring on two Copy Editors for the new year. Rising Junior and English Writing major SaraGrace Stefan and rising Senior and Spanish major Anastasia Carroll will both be copy editing for the new year. Both of these ladies have written for the Waltonian in the past, and have put forth strong pieces. Even though several of the positions for the coming year are changing there is one returning editor. Rising Senior and Economic Development major Matt Wolek will be returning to his position as Photography Editor. Without Wolek’s photography skills the Waltonian would not look half as stunning as it does.

Author Note: Instead of a regular conclusion I have decided to write a thank you. Thank you to the Waltonian staff for welcoming me with open arms at the beginning of the fall semester. As a first semester freshman I was unaware of what being on a paper like this entailed, and each and every one of you helped me out along the way. While I am sad that I will not be here next semester (seeing as God has other plans for me) I know that the Waltonian will continue to publish cutting edge stories. Again, thank you all.

Love Always,

Bri

Dr. Duffett has released the final recommendations of the Organizational Design Task Force (ODTF). These recommendations address five key goals to the strategic plan set forth by the ODTF: first, to celebrate teaching and learning excellence; second, to become the premier destination for Christian talent and career development; third, to provide pathways to academic success for diverse communities; fourth, to make Eastern University a great place to work; and fifth, to optimize stewardship of the university’s resources.

Under the first goal, to celebrate teaching and learning, only two changes have been recommended. But they are very large changes. The first was the elimination of the French minor, the reduction of the Dance major to the Dance minor, and the elimination of various staff and faculty positions. The second change is currently underway: Eastern is working on a Center for Teaching and Learning, now called Chalk & Table, to provide support for faculty members.

The next goal, to become the premier destination for Christian talent and career development, has one on-going change, which is the creation of the Center for Student Success. This Center will be housed in Academic Affairs and will improve the services that Eastern has to offer students. The Center will capitalize the functionality of various units and programs on campus.

None of the ideas to achieve the third goal — the goal of providing pathways to academic success for diverse communities — have begun yet. But they have all been approved. There are four actions that Eastern plans to take: to develop and implement an institution-wide diversity plan, including a strategy that supports targeted efforts to enhance recruitment of underrepresented individuals for leadership and faculty positions, as well as student advisement positions; to conduct a comprehensive external review of Student Development functions, positions, and policies to increase effectiveness and student satisfaction; to reallocate funds to Enrollment and Marketing to support graduate level and CBL advertising to increase enrollment; and to create a “one stop shop” for Financial Aid and Student Accounts.

For the fourth goal, to make Eastern a great place to work, actions have been taken, are currently taking place, and will take place in the future. The titles of senior leaders have been changed to reflect their job responsibilities accurately. Eastern is currently implementing a university-wide maternity leave policy. Many more actions, like evaluation of the faculty pay scale, have yet to start.

The final goal, to optimize stewardship of university resources, is the largest and most comprehensive. Once again, some actions toward it have been completed, while others are either in progress or are yet to start. Some of the completed actions include organization of colleges across the university to complement disciplines, provision of oversight on the general education and core requirements of the college, and relocation of the Philosophy department from the College of Biblical and Theological Studies and Ministry to the College of Arts and Science. Some of the actions in progress as well as the actions that have yet to start include exploring collaborations with neighboring institutions as well as assessing the budget of study away programs.

While some of these changes may impact some students more so than others, this is a time of change for the university as a whole. By implementing these changes, Eastern is trying to ensure that it will have a successful future.

Why I Am Voting For Hillary Clinton

I am a feminist. That’s right, I just started out this article by identifying myself with a very controversial statement. However, allow me to make it even more controversial. I am a feminist, and I will be voting for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. Surprised by this statement? You’re not alone if you are absolutely shocked, but allow me to explain why I believe that Hillary Clinton is a solid choice for all feminists—despite the recent negative attention she has been getting from feminists nationwide. Hillary Clinton is one of the only women who has consistently fought for women’s rights, and this is not something that should be overlooked.

Hillary Clinton has fought for years on the grounds that “human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights.” This is a quote from none other than Clinton herself. A human is set apart from the rest of the living organisms in the world by its ability to use reason. This ability lies in all humans, regardless of gender. Therefore, since the main quality that defines a human is their ability to use reason, women in fact are humans and do deserve the same rights as men. Human rights are fundamental to what it means to be human. When someone takes these rights away from women, it is as if that person is saying that women are not humans.

Beyond this basic principle Hillary Clinton has improved women’s rights in America. One way in which she has done this involves the Global Health Initiatives (GHIs). The GHIs were designed with a focus on infant and maternal health care, and have improved medical facilities and reduced the spread of HIV, as well as lowered infant and maternal mortality rates. The GHIs have placed an emphasis on the importance of the mother as well as the child during a very vital time in the infant’s life. Clinton has been the one to start and lead these initiatives in order to guarantee that women are receiving the health care they need and deserve.

Hillary Clinton has also helped in the fight for equality for women and men in the workplace. She has fought for equal pay in scenarios in which women are doing the same job as men. In her current campaign for the presidency she has frequently mentioned the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would allow women to have the information they needed in order to fight discrimination based on gender in the workplace. Clinton even called for an investigation on the Bush administration when she was a senator because there was suspicion that they were not paying attention to the equal pay laws. This accusation was proven correct, and information was released regarding the wage gap. This is just one of many occasions on which Clinton has fought for equal pay for women and men.

Hillary Clinton has also stood up for women who have experienced domestic abuse. Women are not inferior to men based on a biological factor, and there is never an excuse for violence in any situation. She has and plans to continue to strengthen the laws against domestic abuse in order to hopefully eliminate domestic abuse altogether.

While some may be skeptical of the potential first female president, the one group of people that should not be skeptical are the feminists. There is no one willing to fight harder for women’s rights than Hillary Clinton. She has made great strides for women already, and if she becomes president she will only continue to do so. I am a feminist, and I will be voting for Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Sources: aparchive.com, thinkprogress.org

Picture this: March 2015. The weather is alternating from warm to cold more often than most people go shopping for groceries. President Barack Obama has a year and a half left in his presidency and, while there is speculation of who may run for president, no one is certain. Then, after the months of speculation, on June 16, 2015, Donald Trump officially announces that he will run under the Republican Party for President of the United States of America.

At the beginning of his campaign most American citizens wondered whether Trump’s announcement was a joke. Now, nearly 9 months later, Trump is leading the other Republican candidates in the polls. He has formed a campaign on the promise to “make America great again,” which was also the promise of Ronald Reagan in 1980.

The voters siding with Trump come from various backgrounds. However, a majority of them are fed up with the Obama administration. They feel that Obama has focused more on the poor and minority groups than on America as a whole. Trump’s supporters are also sick of politicians, so seeing a businessman like Trump provides them a breath of fresh air.

At this point, Trump is running against Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, and Governor John Kasich of Ohio. After 23 primaries, Trump led the way with 458 delegates, while Cruz held a steady second with 359 delegates. Rubio held third place with 151 delegates, and Kasich trailed in fourth with 54.

On March 1, 2016, “Super Tuesday,” Trump won 7 out of 11 states in Republican primaries. Cruz won 3 of the states, and Rubio won 1. So while it is undeniably true that Trump is the Republican frontrunner, he is not invincible. Only 8 of the 23 states that have cast their primary votes run under a closed primary system instead of an open primary system. (A “closed primary” means that a person has to register with a party affiliation when he or she registers to vote. This permits them to vote solely in the primary associated with their party identification. An open primary allows someone to vote without declared party identification.) In the 8 closed primaries Trump only won two out of eight, and Cruz has won the other six. So the question in everyone’s mind is: can one of the other candidates win the nomination?

Quite simply, the answer is yes—the other candidates have a chance, though it is a narrow one. The next group of primaries will be based on the “winner takes all” system where it does not matter if the candidate only got 30% of the vote—if 30% is the highest amount of the vote that any candidate got then he will receive all of the delegates for that state. Rubio must win Florida to stay in the race. If Rubio grabs the 99 delegates in Florida he will almost guarantee that Trump will not be able to get the 1,237 delegates required to win the nomination due to the small amount of delegates that will still be available after Florida

Cruz also needs to bring his A-game to the upcoming primaries. He needs to focus on winning Missouri and North Carolina, under the assumption that Trump will focus on stealing Florida from Rubio as well as winning Illinois because Illinois is the only open primary in this group—which means Independents and Democrats will be able to vote. The open primaries are where Trump has been shining. If Cruz is feeling extra gutsy, perhaps he will make the bid for Illinois as well to try and grab those electorate votes.

If Cruz and Rubio are able to gain the states laid out above, there is a chance that Trump will not get the nomination. The question left on the table right now is: Can Rubio and Cruz stop Trump, or is it just too little too late?

Sources: Theatlantic.com, Politico.com

Approximately 75% of Americans recycle. While this is a high number, perhaps it is not high enough. If everyone in America tried to help the environment, there would be a greater chance for improvement. Even as a college student, there are many ways that one can have an impact—especially at Eastern University, where there have been several initiatives to help the environment.

One way in which Eastern has helped the environment is through recycling. Eastern has a single-stream recycling program, which is a very user-friendly system. Instead of having to separate each material into various receptacles, a person is able to place all paper fibers, plastics, metals, and other containers into one bin. The convenience of this method encourages busy college students to recycle.

Another of EU’s environmental efforts is its partnership with Keystone Solar. Keystone Solar’s partnership with Eastern is the largest solar project in Pennsylvania. This partnership started in 2012, and has led to EU’s commitment to 100% clean energy at the St. Davids campus until at least 2018. EU has been purchasing wind power from Community Energy since 2006, and also installed a solar system through them in 2009. Community Energy has provided a portion of the clean energy from their Keystone Solar project in Lancaster, Pa.

Outside of this partnership, EU has initiated several other environmental efforts. For instance, the Eagle Learning Center on the St. Davids campus is entirely powered by the solar panels on its roof. As of January 2016, the ELC had generated 419,457.2 KWH. This converts to 419,457,200 hours of solar power.

The latest in a line of eco-friendly movements at Eastern has been sponsored by Enactus, a student group dedicated to entrepreneurial movements. They have installed water fill-up stations around campus to help cut down on waste. There are currently two stations: one is directly outside of the library in the HHC, and the other is in McInnis Hall on the first floor. Plant Operations helped with the installation and ordering of the water fill-up stations.

Now, the next big question here is how did this start? Where did the idea for the water fill-up stations come from? There was a general consensus among the students that they did not like filling up their water bottles at the regular water fountains. The students did not think that the water tasted filtered. The new stations not only satisfy students but also help to reduce pollution by encouraging reusable water bottles.

This movement by Enactus was only the beginning of their plan to make EU a more eco-friendly campus. Their ultimate goal is to rid Eastern of plastic water bottles all together, as well as continue to increase recycling awareness on Eastern’s campus. This is only the start of what could be a very green Eastern!

Body of Zen, a local massage parlor in Wayne, has been shut down for undercover prostitution. The Radnor Police department decided to investigate the case after seeing some of the parlor’s “risqué advertisements.” These advertisements consisted of pictures of underage women surrounded by hearts and stated that “new girls” were waiting for customers. Cops decided to do an undercover sting and were offered sexual services, after which the employees of the massage parlor, two women, were charged.  The identities of the women have not been released to the public.

Detectives are currently investigating whether other people were involved in the parlor’s illicit activities. If so, such people would be charged for misdemeanor solicitation – the same charges given to the two women. However, those charges would be increased if it were discovered that human trafficking was involved. Some officers do suspect this, though it has yet to be confirmed.

This was the second location of “Body of Zen.” It opened in 2013, after the Manayunk location had been open for 13 years. According to an 2013 interview with Zylan Zhang, one of the owners, Body of Zen is a family business. Historically, Zhang’s father has taught the “correct techniques” to his employees during a six-month training period in “traditional Chinese healing practices.” Zhang’s mother has handled the finances.

The Zhang family members have not commented on the situation. It is unclear whether they are facing allegations.

Sources: 6abc.com, mainlinemedianews.com

In December of 2015, Dr. Larycia Hawkins, a political science professor, and the first tenured black female professor at Wheaton College, posted several controversial statements on Facebook relating Christianity to Islam. She also posted a photo of herself wearing a hijab. Both of these actions, especially the statements, were percieved by some Wheaton administrators to have violated Wheaton’s statement of faith, which caused Hawkins to be suspended. Hawkins was suspended while the college discussed whether she had broken the statement of faith and thereby made her own termination necessary.

On Feb. 10, 2016, a press conference was held to announce a final decision. Despite the fact that Wheaton’s provost withdrew his recommendation to revoke Hawkins’ tenure, Wheaton and Dr. Hawkins decided that they would “mutually part ways,” with Hawkins voluntarily resigning. As a response to this students started a protest. The students decided to start a 40 day fast that coincided with Lent, which was announced and started in front of the school at their schoolwide chapel session after the press conference.

Part of this mutual separation involved an agreement between Hawkins and Wheaton, which included two things: the launch of a new scholarship for a student to study peace and conflict, and the promise that Wheaton will invite a Muslim or Jewish scholar to campus every year to speak to faculty and students. Wheaton’s board of trustees has also said that they plan to review this case with their faculty in order to figure out how to be better prepared should a situation like this arise in the future.

Sources: abc7chicago.com, christianitytoday.com

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