Page 2 – The Waltonian

On Friday Oct. 25, the Student Activites Board (SAB) put on the event titled: Coffee and Canvas. This much-anticipated event took place in the evening, in the lobby outside of Jammin’ Java. SAB provided canvases and watercolor paper to all the attendees, as well as paints and paintbrushes. Java was kind enough to stay open during the event and provide tea, coffee and snacks to the students who attended the event. Students gathered around the tables at 8:30 p.m. to chat and paint and expend creative energy. While this style of event seems fairly simple, the effect can be quite therapeutic.

According to one study, even just engaging in making art for 45 minutes can significantly reduce the amount of stress hormones in the bloodstream. Students spend much of their time on campus stressed out over various things. Everyone has classes to worry about, but many–if not all–have additional stress outside of school-related stress. This does not even include those who struggle with mental health-related issues and the stress that can cause. By the end of a week, students are exhausted and it can be difficult to want to attend a particularly adrenaline-inducing event. However, hosting events such as Coffee & Canvas allows students to have a place to come to unwind and destress, without even having to leave campus. This is crucial as many students do not have cars and cannot simply leave campus whenever they wish. Through this event, SAB provides a place for students such as these to release some of their tension and stress in a creative way.

Additionally, this event provides a space for those who are less sports inclined or don’t like the large crowds a party invites. Part of SAB’s mission is to serve every member of their student body. The best way for them to do this is to provide events that will appeal to every type of student, not just the more extroverted. Coffee & Canvas was a great example of this.

Source: Huffpost

It’s no secret that Philadelphia offers much by way of the Arts. But as broke college students, it can be intimidating to buy a ticket for the train into the city and back on top of a ticket for whatever attraction we are going to see. Thus, we crave Arts closer to home. Home being Wayne. Lucky for us, Wayne is host to a number of artistic venues seldom talked about. For instance, the Wayne Art Center. The Wayne Art Center, located on Maplewood Avenue, is home to a number of artistic ventures ranging even into the culinary arts.

First off, Wayne Arts has a vast education program. Members of the Wayne Art Center have access to art education classes in almost every field. Adults can relax with painting or cooking or even sculpture making, while children and young adults can dip their hands into studio work and summer art camp. Private lessons are also an option. However, Wayne Art is also interested in giving back. According to their website, “Offering art instruction to those with undeserved or special needs–no matter their age, abilities or financial status– is a key part of Wayne Art Center’s outreach mission. Our outreach programs allow us to form partnerships with schools, groups, and special needs populations in order to provide arts enrichment activities, field-trip opportunities, and increase access to the arts.” Therefore, they have specific classes offered for those who fall into this category.

Yet, education is not the Wayne Art’s only purpose. They also provide exhibitions for all. These exhibitions range from art created by students at the center to exhibitions focused on specific local artists. Every year, they do a “CraftForum” around Christmas-time. This started out as a tiny craft competition but has grown into something that is now internationally acclaimed. Artists from around the world display and sell their work each year right here in Wayne. This year, the forum hosts 89 works from 92 artists. 2019 will be the 25th anniversary of this exhibit. Alongside the Craft exhibit, the Center will be hosting Westward Ho! which, according to their website, is a “look at contemporary craft from the Southwest.” These exhibits open Dec. 7 and run through Feb. 1, 2020.

Of course, Wayne Art Center is not the only artistic venture in Wayne. For those who wish to try their own hand at art, but maybe in less of a formal setting, Wayne offers Painting With a Twist. Painting with a Twist is a BYOB studio that offers all the materials needed for a class- you just need to bring yourself and some friends. Don’t let that BYOB fool you. Not all of the classes are alcoholic in their twist. In fact, many of the classes are all ages classes. Each class is hosted by a local artist who will guide you through the process of painting a masterpiece for the evening. Prices for classes can vary depending on the materials needed, but the average is around $27. And before you start screaming in college-student-broke, I may remind you that this around $30 covers all of the supplies necessary for the evening as well as the cost of the teacher. So, really, it’s a steal.

Creativity is the expression of the soul. Plus, it helps to relieve stress. Essentially, it’s essential for college students to engage in some sort of creative expression. Otherwise we just might blow during finals. Wayne Art Center and Painting With a Twist both offer unique opportunities for even the most unskilled artist to try their hand.

Source: Wayne Art Center, Painting With a Twist, CraftForums

Christian Knaub is a senior music major here at Eastern University. He chose music because it is the thing in the world that he is most passionate about. He says that anytime he thought about doing anything else, he just kept returning to music. Knaub is a transfer student who came to Eastern last fall after attending two other schools.

Knaub began his time at Eastern as a commuting student, but last spring decided to make the move onto campus full time. He says he made this choice because he liked the people and community found at Eastern. At community college, it can be hard to make real connections with fellow students, despite the ‘community’ in the name. However, Knaub ﬁnds that at Eastern he has been able to make solid friendships with people that he feels actually know him.

Around campus, Knaub can be found involved in the choir and the men’s volleyball team. He is also frequently hanging out with friends, both new and old. It isn’t uncommon to ﬁ nd him engaged in conversation with a variety of people throughout the day. Outside of music, he enjoys drawing, which he admits that he hasn’t done much of recently, and snowboarding, which is hard to do in this area. He also enjoys almost anything athletic, whether that’s playing an actual sport or simply working out in the gym. If he’s moving and active, he’s happy.

When asked about his favorite music artist and genre, he laughs. It’s hard for a musician to pick any one favorite artist. Knaub describes himself as a ‘moodlistener.’ Whatever mood he’s in, he ﬁ nds the genre to match. For him, a bright sunny day with the windows down means country, while a grueling workout in the gym equates to rap, and so on. He also enjoys artists whose sound spans a wide range of emotions. It’s the kind of sound he wants to have in his own music.

“I don’t want just one sound, I want to be able to do a ballad and the more hype music,” and all of the inbetween sounds, Knaub said. He sees this style of song writing as more accurate to the human experience, since we don’t just experience one emotion at all times. One artist he admires is OneRepbulic.

“I would love to write with Ryan [the lead singer of the band] one day…it’s a life goal,” Knaub said.

While Knaub graduates in May, he won’t be around campus next semester. As part of the music program, he has the opportunity to study music in Nashville, Tennessee. The time spent in the city will consist of songwriting workshops, learning about production of music and making connections within the industry. Those types of connections are crucial for an aspiring musician—they can make or break an entire career, which is why he is extremely excited for this opportunity. After graduation, Knaub is open to God’s plan for him.

“I could live [in Nashville] or I could move back here, it’s all about where God opens up the opportunities,” Knaub said.

He expressed that he is excited, whichever possibility the future holds for him. He’s just ready to dive into God’s plans for him.

Eastern prides itself on being a community of acceptance, where everyone can find their niche. This is true even among their many clubs. Audacity is a spoken word club that meets on Thursday nights at 7:30PM in Howard Center Room 105. Spoken word, by definition, is poetry intended for performance. It is a poem written specifically to be performed orally for an audience rather than written on paper to be consumed individually. Spoken word is often about incredibly powerful emotions, events, and ideas of the speaker. Thus, the mission statement of the club is “Empowered to speak logos,” logos being the Greek word for “word.” They are a club dedicated to empowering students through the intricacies of poetic language. Eli Echavarria, one of the leaders of the club, describes the club as a “community of writers, poets, students who want to express themselves in a comfortable and friendly atmosphere. You never have to share if you don’t want to, just come, sit and listen to poetry!”

Upon arriving at a session, one of two styles of meetings will occur. In the first, there will be a prompt given by one of the two leaders, followed by a time of writing. During this time, one can either edit a poem they already have, or write a new poem based off of the prompt. Afterwards, those around the room share what they’ve written—if they feel like it. Audacity is a positive space, therefore, no one should ever fear rejection because of their opinions or work. The other session one can attend would be a revision session, in which you revise and edit the poems written based off the prompt the week before.

People from all walks of life attend the meetings and join Audacity for different reasons. For example, Eli explained that he joined because he was “bold enough to let someone else read my journal. They encouraged me to share the things I had written because, ‘you never know whose life you may change.’”

Kerry Phillips, a freshman on the soccer team, stated that she joined because she “had heard spoken word videos on Youtube and was drawn to them. I also recited my own poetry at my church and I knew I wanted to continue to do so. I joined Audacity and it is amazing to hear what words and phrases people are speaking and thinking. Their messages come alive and speak to the soul, gripping onto it and soaking everything in. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Through these two different members, it is easy to see how different people from different circles can come together, in this open place, and create powerful poetry.

Based on this, Audacity fits well with the school’s mission of faith, reason, and justice. Eli claimed that “Eastern advertises itself as a university that is Christian, however, it is home to so much more than that. It is the birthplace of ideas, the playground of stories and great people. I think spoken word can help Eastern students have their ideas, stories, and greatness be recognized. Audacity is built upon faith, defended by reason, and is constantly advocating for justice.”

To anyone looking for a place to find community, a warm atmosphere, and a space to safely share what’s in your heart, Audacity might be the place for you.

Society today is obsessed with the idea of ‘self-care.’ Mental health awareness is on the rise and everyone wants to learn how to better take care of themselves. To me, this has been a relief. I am not the best at recognizing when I need to take a break, which generally leads to me meeting deadlines at two in the morning and ignoring my anxiety until it envelops me in a panic attack. Part of that is sheer obliviousness, but part of it is also that when I do take time just for myself, I feel a little bit guilty. Perhaps this is because I have always attended a church where the message is, essentially, that we should always put others before ourselves. After all, that’s what the Bible says.

Even upon arriving at Eastern I was met with this message in classes. In one class, I read a chapter in the textbook in which the author argues that a Christian who is truly a servant can never be manipulated or abused as they have surrendered all their rights away, just as Christ did on the cross. This all sounds incredibly humble and righteous but in practicality, it does not make sense. It is true that Christ calls us to be servants, but he also calls us to be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matt 10:16). Which means to me, that we should look to serve those around us, but also be careful of how we are serving. If our ‘serving’ is doing more harm than good, is it really serving? For me, this generally means analyzing how my service is affecting me and those around me. If my ‘serving’ is causing me anxiety or making me bitter, then it is not service. I am doing the act but not following it through with the love of Jesus. Personally, checking my motives for serving is a form of self-care.

Even Jesus practiced self-care occasionally. He would pull away from the crowds and stop teaching so that he could commune with his Father. Therefore, if Jesus is supposed to be our example in all things, shouldn’t we follow this as well? Working until we collapse in the name of ‘service’ is not conducive to effectual service. Compassion for others must start with compassion for yourself. The way that I put this into practice is to–like Jesus–pull away from society for a little while and do something I enjoy. Often I will read a book or listen to music, nothing too over the top or difficult, but something that will rejuvenate me. That way, when I do go back into society, I have the energy and the heart I need to show Jesus to the people around me.

I believe that Jesus has called us to serve others and that yes, we should put others above ourselves. However, I also believe that Jesus would fully support self-care if our motive for self-care is to keep ourselves healthy enough to continue His service.

On Friday September 28, David Garlock who is a former student of Eastern came to speak at the Windows on the World event. His speech centered around his life story framed through the University’s motto of “Faith, Reason, and Justice.” He began with how this motto interacted with his life before he came to know Christ and then showed how Jesus changed those three attributes within Garlock’s perspective.

Garlock described himself and his relationship to faith without Christ as being a “faithful faithless churchgoer.” He attended church his entire life but he never knew Jesus. His reason, he explained, was that he got lost in all the alcohol and drugs he consumed to deal with the trauma and abuse he suffered on a daily basis as a child. Garlock described his feeling of isolation and not seeing any way out of the situation as leading him to decide to enact his own act of justice: killing he and his brother’s abuser. At the age of twenty, Garlock found himself booked into prison on a murder charge.

However, prison helped reshape his views of faith, reason and justice in ways that Garlock could not have imagined. He was given new faith, as it was in prison that he met his Savior. It was through this fledgling faith that he found the ability to handle whatever sentence mankind’s version of justice handed him, even when it meant spending twenty-five years in prison. He restored his sense of reason by earning his GED, taking advantage of any and all opportunities to take classes and generally worked on improving himself during his time in prison.

It was this work ethic and self improvement that allowed Garlock to win the Good Citizen scholarship upon applying to attend Eastern University. Garlock concluded his speech with a look at how his current life is an example of God’s justice. God’s justice, he claimed, is the business of redemption and restoration. Where man would have kept Garlock behind bars for a full sentence, God allowed Garlock early parole in 2013.

It is through this mindset that Garlock is able to perform his current job of working with sex-offenders looking to set their lives aright. Garlock’s job is to offer them the same redemption and restoration that he found in Jesus by helping these people build new lives and become better people.

“We have to change the narrative…and the way we label people” Garlock said. He discussed not looking at those spending time in prison by what they’ve done but by who they are. “What I did doesn’t define who I am,” Garlock said and it is this kind of thinking that Garlock would have all those who hear his story possess.

Growing up as a Christian can mean a lot of things, mostly good things. You grow up—in most cases—in a family that cares about you, that teaches you right from wrong and that makes the Bible the focus of family life. Growing up as a missionary kid includes a lot of the same wonderful values, but at the end of the day there’s also an additional set of rules and expectations thrust upon you. You must always represent Jesus and Christianity in the best light; you must never make public mistakes for fear of besmirching the name of your church, and you must always be ‘spiritual’.

At least, in the church I grew up in, that was what it meant to live on the forefront of the ministry. While there were many issues with this way of thinking and the church I was attending, one of the biggest problems was their belief that, as a Christian, especially a Christian heavily involved in the ministry, one must never struggle with mental health. If you had any sort of metal health issues it was, at best, a sign that you were not trusting in Jesus as much as you should, and, at worst, a sign of demon possession. This became increasingly difficult to grapple with as I watched my mother deal with her increasing depression and anxiety.

For a long time, we were told that, as Christians, we must always be joyful and happy because Jesus gives us the “ultimate joy”. While this is true, it is hard to match these party lines to the reality of having a medical condition that affects the way you see the world. Such was my mother’s case. She spent a long time struggling with the idea that she could have depression and still be a Christian. It made her feel that she was not as spiritual as a missionary’s wife should be and, in the long run, made her condition worse than if she had sought help immediately. Finally, she sought Christian counseling and was placed on medication.

My mother’s story proves that being a Christian alone is not enough to prevent mental health disorders. The joy that Jesus promises is not a perpetual happiness, but rather a knowing that He is always there for us as a “friend that sticks closer than a brother.” So even when depression tells you that you are alone and anxiety tells you that you are not enough, Jesus is there to remind you that He is with you and that you are valued beyond measure in His kingdom. God never gives us a challenge we cannot face, or throws us into a fight unequipped. God guided man in the scientific study of psychology so that man could develop medications to help our brains function properly. Therefore, it is not difficult to draw the conclusion that, for those struggling with mental health, the tools God has provided for their struggle are prayer and clinical therapy and medication. After all, you cannot be an effective servant for Christ if your mental health is prohibiting you from serving Him.