Being in the military is incredibly hard work, and that is quite the understatement. It takes bravery, strength, determination, loyalty, and dedication to serve and protect our country. It takes even more to pursue a degree at the same time. That is why Eastern University has made the decision to cut tuition rates for students who are currently serving in any branch of the military, a decision that was implemented this January.

Eastern has always welcomed military students through programs like the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) which allows students to train and gain leadership skills before joining the armed forces. In partnership with Valley Forge Military Academy and College and St. Joseph’s University, Eastern aims to foster a supportive environment for military students, something that is especially necessary at a small university.

There are also scholarships, awards, and benefits given to eligible military students and veterans when they apply. These depend on the degree the student is pursuing and the student’s living situation, much like any other scholarship and award. There are grants for active military families, scholarships available to families of military members who passed away while serving, and for members of the military discharged with a service-connected disability.

Though military students have always had a place at Eastern University, this new discount on tuition is meant to encourage more current military members to enroll at the university. With this discount, current military students will be able to pay a lower rate of $250 per credit as a thank you for their service to our country. Students who are eligible for this new discount must be currently enrolled in any branch of the military, and they can be in active duty, in the National Guard, or in the Reserves.

As online programs and classes, such as Eastern’s new Masters of Science program in Data Science, draw in more current military students who are interested in pursuing a degree from anywhere at any time, efforts like this one to make education more accessible and affordable to military students are crucial in maintaining student engagement. Especially this year, when stress and tensions are at an all-time high for everyone with pandemic guidelines and quarantine protocols, ensuring that every student, regardless of their situation, feels supported and appreciated is necessary, and military students are no exception.

To all of Eastern’s military students, thank you for your service to our country, and best of luck in your academic journey.

Source: Eastern.edu

When you think about how long it takes to write a play, you probably think of it taking days, weeks, months, or even years to finish and get to be stage-ready; however, a group of Eastern students and alumni, along with a production team, took on the challenge of writing a play within only 24 hours!

Students who were interested in participating in this event were assigned to a group and were given a specific role within the group: an actor, a writer or a director. Anna Davis, a sophomore Music and Vocal Performance major who participated in the event for her second year, was assigned the role of a writer for one of the two groups.

“I had never really written a play before doing the workshop, and for some reason, I’ve been a writer two years in a row. The energy definitely comes from your group. I got so much energy and so many ideas from the people that were around me, and with this virtual format, I actually got a lot of ideas in seeing what kinds of props they had,” Davis said.

With COVID mandates restricting what’s possible for theatre and stage performances, the entire event took place online and the final product streaming live on YouTube on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m.. However, spending 24 hours straight in front of a screen isn’t healthy or practical for students, so the 24 hour workshop took place over the course of several days.

On Thursday evening, the groups met for the first time and brainstormed ideas for a few hours. The writers then took some time to work on their scripts on Friday before practicing them with their group and doing a final round of edits. Saturday was focused on the last few practice run-throughs using the software that would be used for the live performance to make sure that everyone was comfortable using it and to minimize the risk of any technical difficulties at show time.

The live performance consisted of two plays: one, a comedy about a witch visiting the wrong person and trying to sell her potions and serums, resulting in unexpected side effects like growing taller, shrinking and turning into a child, and the other about a video game programmer trying to fix a bug in the game right before it launches, only for the hero of the game to come to life and resist being controlled by the game’s code, dealing with themes of free will, duty, power and identity. Though very different plays, both were highly entertaining and used the virtual platform creatively to get different plot points and ideas across.

“When my group started, we were mostly talking about ideas where maybe we could look small or we could use Zoom backgrounds of really big places so that we could look small. There were definitely a lot of ideas going around about things that we can’t necessarily do on the stage that we could explore over Zoom,” Davis said.

From moving cameras to different angles to create a forced perspective to using the different screens as different character windows in a video game, not only did the groups write, direct and perform a play under 24 hours, but they were able to use their “restrictions” to their advantage in this creative endeavor.

Overall, these students and alumni proved that it is completely possible to create wonderful and entertaining plays in only one day’s time with the added caveat of not being able to be with each other and perform in person. It is a feat truly deserving of a standing ovation and round of applause.

Look forward to events like these in the future and perhaps be reminded of the beauty of worship done in community.

Disclaimer: Every year, Eastern University has an event showcasing the community’s creativity by hosting the 24 Hour Play Workshop in which students and alumni work together to create skits in under 24 hours. Normally, the event takes place in the auditorium in groups; however, this year looked a little different due to COVID-19. Pictured is a skit from a previous workshop.

Dear My Long-Distance Love,

Though we’re not really long distance – you’re just a few miles away – this year has certainly felt like we live several states apart. I know it’s not what we pictured a year ago: going on picnics in the park, having board game marathons on weekends, and making homemade pizza as we dance to Disney songs when I inevitably get tired of eating in the Dining Commons day after day. We’ve replaced all of that with nightly video calls and sending each other encouraging messages and memes throughout the day.

It’s definitely not the same, but I am so grateful that we have made it work during this odd whirlwind of a year with all of its ups and downs. I am grateful that I get to hear about your day: the good, the bad, and the mundane parts of working and studying from home. I am grateful that you are always there for a phone call when I get stressed and discouraged. I am grateful that despite the challenges, we have grown stronger together.

While I cannot wait to spend time with you in person again, I think I will always look back at this time with some level of fondness and appreciation, as crazy as it sounds. It hasn’t been easy for either of us (or any other couple in our situation, I’m sure), but we still loved and supported each other through it all, and that to me makes it all worth it.

So while I am here, and while you are there, know that whatever distance – big or small – between us is not enough to keep me from letting you know how much you mean to me.

Love,
Erin

Valentine’s Day: the day where you tell that special someone how much they mean to you, whether they’re a romantic partner, a friend, a sibling, a mentor, or anyone else. In a time when we are told to stay physically distanced from one another, it may seem like a challenge to celebrate love on the 14th, but there are some creative ways to show your appreciation for the people in your life that make you smile and have helped you to grow.

One way to express your love this holiday is by writing letters. There’s something that seems more special and sentimental about receiving a letter in the mail than simply receiving a text or an email. Maybe it’s because it’s something tangible, something that takes more time and effort, or because it’s something that has become more and more rare as time has gone on.

Either way, taking the time to handwrite a letter of gratitude and love is sure to be well worth it, and there are so many ways to get creative with it as well. You can include a poem you like, a playlist of songs that remind you of the person you’re sending it to, drawings, a small piece of candy, photos, and more to make it even more personalized and heartfelt.

If you’re not one for writing and prefer spending quality time with the ones that you love, try arranging a virtual movie night through Zoom or using applications like Gaze or the Teleparty Chrome extension that allow you to watch shows and movies simultaneously while still allowing viewers to talk with one another. This also works for game nights, as there are many games online that can be played by sharing a link with friends.

Another way to show people you care during this time is to order them a heartfelt gift from a small business and have it shipped to them. You can watch them open it over video chat to see their reaction, and you can feel even better knowing that you helped support someone in doing what they love. It’s a win-win if giving gifts gives you joy.

Some unique gift ideas include: a book that you think they’ll love filled with your notes, a hand drawn portrait of the two of you, a customized bracelet with their name, your name, or a favorite quote on it, and a box filled with self-care items and encouraging notes.

Have dinner with each other over FaceTime, even if it’s only take-out. Dress fancy, make each other laugh with silly costumes, or keep it casual.

However you choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, make sure that you extend your love, appreciation, and gratitude to those around you. We’re all living through a challenging time, mentally, emotionally, physically, politically, and potentially academically, and your words of affirmation and gratitude or a kind gift or gesture could make someone’s day significantly brighter.

Remember that you are loved, you are valued, and you are appreciated this season and every season.

Recently, mental health has been talked about more and more, especially as we’re learning about how much it affects behavior, mood, and performance in work, school, social settings, and self-esteem. Eastern’s brand new Mental Heath Mondays workshops are meant for everyone at Eastern to learn about different topics surrounding mental health and also talk about their own experiences if they feel comfortable.

The workshops are led by Tiffany Walker, a licensed social worker with Journey Therapy Center, and are held over Zoom from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. There are a total of 6 workshops, the first of which took place on February 1 and covered the topic of building mental health literacy.

Personally, I only really know the basics of discussing matters of mental health, so this first workshop helped me set up a strong foundation to build more knowledge on. The interactive style of the workshop also helped me retain information and stay engaged, as Walker used a presentation program that allows participants to anonymously answer questions and apply what they’ve learned so far in real time.

The first meeting focused on the impact that mental health challenges have on students and ways to empower them to cultivate healthy coping skills, maintain their resilience, and respect their boundaries and values, a focus based off of Walker’s definition of mental health literacy.

“Mental health literacy can be defined as, ‘knowledge about mental disorders which aid in their recognition, management, and prevention,’” Walker said after having the workshop participants make their own guesses as to what mental health literacy is.

The next part of the workshop involved us discussing what it looks like for a community to have low mental health literacy. There were a few outcomes that I guessed would be on the list as someone who isn’t diagnosed with a mental illness and is still trying to improve my mental health literacy, such as increased risk factors for other ailments and risky behaviors and the perpetuation of spreading and feeling shame, however there were other results that I hadn’t ever considered, such as increased rates of chronic illness, decreased use of services, and increased health cost.

The bulk of the workshop centered on how to recognize mental health challenges – things that impact our ability to live, love, laugh, and learn – by noticing uncharacteristic changes in our own behavior and the behavior of others.

“If we want to encourage people to get help and get support, then they have to know what to look for,” Walker said. The four categories of live, love, laugh, and learn are good path markers that can let us know when we’ve started to stray. If anything begins to hinder your daily living, your relationships with others or yourself, your ability to enjoy experiences that you normally do, or your ability to do what’s necessary to learn, it’s important to talk to someone about it and get support, either from a counselor at CCAS or a therapist or doctor that you trust.

Finally, the workshop ended with ways to support mental health literacy in a faith community and a preview of a topic that will be covered in the next workshop which is what to look for in a credible therapist or counselor.

Overall, I found the workshop extremely beneficial to my journey in learning more about mental health, and if you are interested in partaking in future workshops, keep an eye on your Eastern email inbox for more information and Zoom links.

Without fall free days this year, the weight of the end of the semester feels especially heavy. There are papers upon exams upon projects and presentations, plus homework, classes, and extracurriculars on top of all of that. Many of you have been hard at work for weeks on end, and are likely feeling that you
need to take a break or relax but aren’t sure how.

Fortunately, there are some easy ways to kick back and get some rest at the end of the semester.
This first suggestion may not feel relaxing at first, but the result is well worth it. Take time to tidy up your living and study space. Make your bed, wash your dishes, do your laundry, reorganize your desk, sanitize anything that you use often, and maybe even vacuum. While it may seem like a lot of work, the end product of a clean room leads to a brighter mind-set that can motivate you to get work done when you’re ready to. The process of tidying up and cleaning can be relaxing as well. Turn on some music, an audio book a podcast, call a relative or a friend, pray, or just let your thoughts run free as you clean to make the tasks go by quicker and feel more fun.

If your space is already neat and orderly, try setting aside all technology for an hour or a few hours. With so many assignments, classes, and meetings taking place online and the increasing amount of time spent on social media to stay connected with friends, family, and what’s going on in the world, it’s easy to associate your computer or phone with stress or worry, even if it can be a good tool for distraction most of the time. It’s important to not just take a break from work when you need it, but to also take a break from the tools and space you use to get that work done. Make a conscious effort to take a walk without listening to music or talking on the phone. Journal or create something with pen and paper. Even if it’s not for long, disconnecting from the internet may prove to be beneficial for your mental health and prepare you better for when work does need to get done.

As awareness about the importance of sustainability is on the rise, one term that is being used more and
more often in relation to sustainability is “fast fashion.” If this is a new term to you, then you are not alone, and there is much to be learned about this area of sustainability.

1. Fast fashion refers to clothing manufactured for immediate sale in retail stores like Forever 21, H&M, Kohl’s, Target, Urban Outfitters, and more. These clothes are constantly being produced to keep up
with the latest fashion trends, with new styles and designs being brought out quickly, hence the name “fast fashion,” in order to keep up with supply and demand. As long as there is a desire to remain trendy, stylish, and in- season at the current rate of new fashion trends, there will be fast fashion.

2. Much of fast fashion is produced cheaply and sold for a much higher price in order to gain the most profit. It’s common sense that clothing companies need to make money; however, this becomes a problem when the manufacturing of these products takes place in factories that underpay and overwork their workers as a way to make the profit margin bigger.

3. With some exceptions, most fast fashion clothes aren’t made to last a long time. Made alongside the most current trends, once a piece of clothing is deemed out of style, the goal of fast fashion is to get you to buy new clothes to stay on top of the latest fashion trends. Since trends, by nature, come and go
relatively quickly, the quality of the clothing produced by fast fashion companies reflects that, only being made to last a few years before becoming worn out, loose, shrunken, or damaged.

4. Fast fashion is one of the main contributors of pollution, as to cut production costs further many companies opt for synthetic fabrics like polyester which are entirely made of plastic and are not very
environmentally sustainable. Fabrics like polyester are also less breathable than fabrics made from natural materials like cotton, linen, and wool, further adding to their shorter lifespan in people’s closets.

5. Though this issue surrounding fast fashion may seem overwhelming as it is so widespread throughout American culture, there are ways you can be more sustainable in your clothing choices. The most sustainable option is to wear what you have and to make it last as long as you can. Trade clothes with
friends if you’re the same size. If you want or need new clothes, look for brands that are fair trade or sustainable. These brands are more expensive, but their quality is higher. If that’s not a feasible option, thrifting or buying vintage is a great way to avoid purchasing directly from fast fashion brands as well.

It’s important to note that changes to this system aren’t going to happen overnight, but every little bit you can do to be more aware of what you buy, where you buy, and when you buy can help with the issues of justice wrapped up in fast fashion.

With restrictions on leaving campus this semester as well as different churches having different reopening plans and policies, for many on campus going to church on Sundays has become increasingly complicated. While many students on campus have been participating in virtual church services, the general consensus seems to be that worshipping virtually isn’t the same as gathering together and worshipping in community with one another.

OneGeneration, a club on campus centered around community and worship, began the process of making more students aware of their Sunday worship services as well as making them more accessible for more students in conjunction with the school and state’s COVID-19 safety regulations.

Xeyah Martin, one of the student leaders of OneGen, was able to sit down and talk with me about what
the process was like in putting together these bigger worship sessions in the midst of a pandemic.

In preparing for this semester, the student leaders of OneGen met with their advisor, Dr. Jackie Irving. In this meeting, the topic of trying to keep students on campus on the weekends came up.

“If we expanded the Sunday service and make it more churchy and church-friendly, that’s one way we
can keep people on campus on Sunday mornings. The Sunday service grew because of that,” Martin said.

Moving from holding services in McInnis Auditorium to under the tent outside of the Kea-Guffin Residence Hall, to a now virtual format to accommodate for the colder weather, OneGen hoped that more students would get involved in worship while staying safe and socially distant whenever possible.

Choosing a location is only one of the parts of the planning process for these services. “We have to find a speaker, a guest speaker – we like to bring in a minister or a preacher – and then we have to book the locations, we have to make sure the time and space is available … and then I have various meetings with Dr. Irving, and Dr. Modica about the service,” Martin said.

Though there is quite a bit of planning that goes into these services behind the scenes, there is even more planning when it comes to the program of the service. Worship leaders have to choose and practice the songs they will lead, guest speakers have to prepare their sermons, and the event has to be advertised to students.

With each service, there is also a desire to keep improving their services to better meet the students’
spiritual needs. “We talk about what we want [the service] to look like, we talk about what went well last
time, what could improve on, how was the speaker. We basically grade ourselves and see how we can improve every time,” Martin said, regarding OneGen’s weekly planning meetings.

All of that planning and preparation is well worth the pay-off, and Martin has been impacted by the services himself. “When [Dr. Modica] spoke, that was my favorite one, because I was just kind of going through a lot, and I started crying and just breaking down, and my team came and surrounded me, started praying for me, and things just started changing from that moment,” Martin said.

Now more than ever, finding time and space to worship and reflect on your relationship with God is
important for Christians. Martin offered words of spiritual encouragement for students in this time of
stress and uncertainty. “Take this time to rest and don’t try to take on everything because you can’t handle it. You’ve got to give it to God, you’ve got to let Him fight for it, and remember to keep praying for others, because there are so many people going through so many things that we can’t even see in this time,” Martin said.

If you are online at all, chances are you’ve been exposed to “hustle culture,” which, in a nutshell, states that being productive and earning money in any way you can leads to a happier, more successful life. Do you have an extra couple of hours in your day? Drive for Uber or Lyft to make some extra spending money! Are you skilled at something that doesn’t relate to your main career? Start selling your products or services on the side in your free
time! Hustle culture focuses on making the most out of your time and your skills, but perhaps “making the most out of life” isn’t synonymous with “making the most money.”

Granted, hustle culture isn’t entirely about making a profit, but by encouraging people to keep working and not let themselves be lazy or complacent, a large emphasis is placed on the fact that things you do everyday can be turned into side jobs, making money a main motivator. There is nothing wrong with wanting to earn some extra cash, but if the main reason you’re doing something is for monetary gain and not enjoyment or self-fulfillment, even if it’s only a little bit, then participating in hustle culture can eventually start to drain you physically, mentally, and emotionally.

People need rest. It’s one of the basic, fundamental human needs in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Rest is more than just getting eight hours of sleep at night. Rest is recognizing when your body and mind are tired, and allowing yourself to relax and unwind without pressure. This is where hobbies typically come into play. They’re activities that make us feel better after a long day, and they can be creative in nature or not. I personally have a variety of creative hobbies, and I tend to gravitate toward them when I’m stressed and need to take a break from work or my phone and computer.

There have been times when I’ve considered turning one of my hobbies into a side job, but those periods are only really present after spending a considerable amount of time online seeing others opening an Etsy store for their creative projects, or starting a YouTube channel or blog to talk about and promote their hobbies. It’s hard not to think about the extra money I could earn if I were to do so.

Now, there is nothing wrong with doing any of these things. If you feel passionate about starting a YouTube channel or opening a small business to promote your craft, then by all means, go for it! There are people out there who want to hear what you have to say and want to support what you have to offer, especially if you put your heart and soul into your work. If you’re on the fence about it or feel like it’s something you have to do,
however, then I encourage you to take a step back for a while and examine why that might be the case. You may find hustle culture at the root of those feelings of obligation.

This is because hustle culture tends to look down on perceived laziness. Originally meant as a method to help people reach their goals instead of doing nothing to achieve them, hustle culture turned the idea of not sitting around twiddling your thumbs all day to an extreme where everything you do could be used to help further your career or financial standing.

If you take time to do something just for yourself, hustle culture conditions you into feeling like you’re doing something wrong, when in reality, it’s important to have activities that you do simply because you enjoy doing them with no stress and no strings attached.

When everyone is hustling toward success, the pace will keep on increasing as will the responsibilities and the stress to be the best and win the race. Only, life isn’t a race to the finish. It’s a path we all have to walk, and like the fable of the tortoise and the hare, you could race ahead and take your time and energy for granted, tiring yourself out along the way, or you can choose to take care of yourself in the time that you have.

This semester has not been easy on any of us, but I think it’s safe to say that your semesters have been extra rough. Not only do you have to juggle the responsibilities of being a full-time student while making your halls a fun and safe place to be, but you now have to ensure that social distancing guidelines are being followed in your halls, that students who are affected by the pandemic in any way are okay and have what they need, and take care of your own physical and mental health through it all.

First things first, many of you took on this role after the semester had already begun due to complications regarding COVID and other stressful factors, meaning that you had to go through training and build up community within your halls while getting used to new class schedules, building policies, and social distancing guidelines. That is no small feat, and we are so grateful that you willingly stepped up to the plate and took on these responsibilities in order to better the residential communities on campus.

There are also some of you who have been in and out of quarantine, and doing your job as an RA, let alone your schoolwork, while being away from your friends and your typical university environment can’t be easy. Thank you for continuing to promote community and friendly, safe behaviors even when you’re
not physically with those in your hall. You’re here in spirit, and we appreciate all that you
do.

You’ve been extra passionate and creative with hall events this year as well, and it’s so nice to see that now more than ever, there is still enthusiasm and willingness to be together, even if we all have to stay six feet apart. It can be daunting to get to know new people, and with a pandemic and people
being encouraged to keep to themselves more often, group gatherings are becoming more and more complicated but more and more necessary.

Your bulletin boards and hall decorations fill the dorms with brightness and joy in often overwhelming and lonely times, and it’s nice to know that there’s always someone like you there for us to talk to if we need it. Keep up the good work, even though it may not be easy. We appreciate you more than you
know.

Sincerely,
An Eastern Student

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