The Waltonian

Across the nation, colleges and universities are raising their tuition at staggering rates; a quick Google search of “tuition increase” and scroll through the News section will show that. Virginia Tech is considering a 2.9 percent increase on top of their 2.9 percent increase from the previous year. Yale has been increasing its cost of attendance by nearly 4 percent every year for the last decade, with an increase of over $3k for next year. Louisiana State University will increase by almost $1k for in-state students and over $2k for out-of-state students. And Wellesley University will see a 4.8 percent increase next year, raising total cost by a little over $8k in one year.

Eastern will raise its total cost by 3.95 percent next year, which is about $2k for the whole year ($1k per semester). However, while the increases have been an undesirable need, Eastern is doing its best to alleviate the cost that students pay. While this is difficult news for many, Eastern Provost Dr. Kenton Sparks helped shed some light on the issue.

“Pricing for students is a matter of justice,” Sparks said. “The fact that over the last few years we’ve kept tuition increases well below aggregate inflation is evidence that we’re committed to doing everything we can to slow down the effects on our students. When inflation pushed over 8% a few years ago, we didn’t even consider just passing that on to our students… To be honest, there’s no way to make on-campus study “inexpensive” because a campus and campus services cost a lot of money. But… we’re trying.”

While navigating rising costs each year may seem like an untenable situation for many, it’s how Eastern is trying to keep incoming and overall costs as low as possible for students. After all, it’s easier to work with financial aid and/or get an on-campus job once you make it on campus.

“You may have heard that some institutions have introduced four-year balanced pricing so that the costs for students do not increase during a four-year course of study,” Sparks said. “This sounds good, of course, but they achieve this by charging higher rates in year 1 that are then repeated for each year of study. Eastern has elected to manage pricing year-by-year because we believe this will more likely result in lower costs for students.”

At the end of the day, despite the tuition increases, Eastern is fighting to keep our tuition as low as possible, and one of the best ways we can help is by continuing to be Eastern Eagles.

“In principle, student success and retention result in higher University income and a lower need for tuition increases,” Sparks said. “Sounds basic, I suppose, but keeping the campus environment neat and clean and friendly can improve those results. Inviting friends to apply and study at EU can also help with this.

“Please know that we do realize that higher tuition costs will create hardships for some students,” he continued. “I can’t tell you how much we wish these increases were unnecessary, but, as I’ve said, they are inevitable.”

If you are struggling with the higher cost for the upcoming year, you should talk to your advisor and/or the financial aid office for assistance. Eastern offers many work opportunities and repayment options, and planning ahead of time can make securing these options more feasible. Eastern also keeps a list of current outside scholarships, jobs on campus, and part-time jobs in the local area on its website. And, if you haven’t already, you should file the FAFSA to be eligible for government aid, loans, and federal work study for the upcoming year.

Sources: Eastern University website, Reveille, The Wellesley News, WDBJ7, Yale Daily News

Last semester, my article “Girls just want to have funding” discussed the problem of Eastern’s lack of feminine products in public restrooms. Since then, rubbish bins and feminine product dispensers have been installed in public restrooms across campus, all free of charge. This move was brought under the collaboration of SGA Sarah Westmoreland with Eastern administration, and we wanted to share the update.

“Sarah worked in our offices last summer and did significant foundational work on Eagles Essentials,” Sally Kapner, the Office Manager of Student Development, said. “As part of her work, the need for feminine products in EU buildings jumped out as a big need… Sarah, along with Shelby Sweeney, worked on researching the need and cost of products. My role was really to support what they were doing, make the necessary connections with the vendor and facilitate approval and collaboration with multiple departments at the university.”

“I knew this was something on a larger scale that the school didn’t even know it needed,” Westmoreland said. “I started mentioning it in every meeting I had with administration regarding both Student Government and Eagles Essentials. There is nothing better than repetition.”

The leftover funding from the Eagles Essentials grant allowed Westmoreland to buy quality products in a shorter period of time. After months of research, Westmoreland chose the Aunt Flow brand, which is known for its accessible push-button dispensers that are free of charge and rust-free.

“There was real enthusiasm when the Aunt Flow products were installed and made available,” Kapner said. “Students feel heard and are grateful for the support. I think this was a worthwhile initiative by SGA and am glad I could assist and support them in accomplishing their goal.”

“When I started bringing it up… I was overwhelmed with how positive everyone was about this project,” Westmoreland said. “To our administration, this was an issue that hit home because all of them are female or have daughters or wives affected by the inequity often seen when females aren’t provided with these products… I have done many things since being here at Eastern, and these dispensers are one thing that makes me the most excited about how it will affect generations of Eastern students to come.”

For those familiar with sports journalism and Eastern’s sports history, Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson is not just a notable alumni; he’s a groundbreaking announcer and sports commentator both in Eastern’s history and the larger industry. But before Robinson was a well-respected sports announcer and journalist, he was a kid in his grandparent’s sneaker store and men’s shoe store in Harlem, New York City, meeting countless big names in the sports industry while sharing new shoe releases with his friends at school.

“ I think it was cool that my family was involved in the community in Harlem,” Robinson said. “Harlem was rich in history because of its culture… Those people were all entrepreneurs and were entrenched in trying to make the community stand out, but also do well for their families. And so to be around that group of people was great, but I’ll add that celebrities who did stop in the store or who did sneaker releases are people just like us.”

At just twelve years old, Robinson started his sports broadcasting career as a radio co-host on Nets’ Slammin’ Planet, beating out over 200 other applicants for the position. This gave him direct locker room access to big names like Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan and many others.

“ I think that when you’re a 12-year-old kid and you’re sharing locker room arm space post-game with Stephen A. Smith, Chris Broussard and Adrian Wojnerowski… you kind of look up and you’re the youngest and you’re like, this is what you want to do in life,” Robinson said.

Robinson also credits his interest and success in sports broadcasting to his Uncle Billy Rawls, who was a commissioner of a basketball league in New York City called City Wide. His uncle’s broad range of connections and passion for basketball fueled Robinson’s own endeavors, expanding his celebrity access and basketball knowledge.

While in high school, Robinson began announcing for his school’s basketball team, experimenting with what he had seen in the major leagues in his smaller setting. While Eastern wasn’t his first-choice school, the Communication Studies Department Chair, Dr. Julie Morgan, personally called and invited Robinson and his family to come visit. He credits her warm welcome as one of the main things that attracted him to Eastern. Plus, the environment allowed him to continue to experiment with his style.

“ I reached out to my [freshman] roommate and [found out] he was on the basketball team,” Robinson said. “We were talking and he name-dropped me to the coach. He was like ‘Yo, you might want to get this guy to do [announcing] cause he did it at his high school,’ and they said yes. So my freshman year, they threw me right in and it was wonderful.”

Even in college, Robinson’s announcing style was groundbreaking for its time. To this day, Eastern’s sports announcers can trace their history back to Robinson’s influence.

“ I think the basketball team definitely made me feel welcome,” Robinson said. “I was able to utilize being a big fish in a small pond by creating a culture within basketball games that is still talked about to this day.”

“ I kind of was doing a lot of [music] before a lot of other NBA and college teams were doing it,” he continued. “I would DJ, even little chimes during referee timeouts. You’re playing the Jeopardy theme, the think music, the Pink Panther chime or just a myriad of other things.”

While Robinson found a lot of success during his time at Eastern, he was, as he put it, “a big fish in a small pond.” For the first few years after getting his undergraduate degree and then his Master’s from Hofstra University, success no longer seemed like it would be a part of his story.

“ As much as it’s cool to tell my story, I have to admit that at one point I was freelancing at about 10 to 12 different publications at one time, serving as an adjunct professor on the side and money was tight. I was living in my grandmother’s basement. I had a double-door fridge where the refrigerator side did not cool any food and the freezer side operated as a fridge. I didn’t have an oven. I didn’t have a stove. I cooked on hot plates, microwave, a George Foreman grill and Crock Pots.”

Robinson continued to work hard until he was given an opening at The Source Magazine, building his way up from there. Along the way, he was a television broadcaster at Bally Sports Network where he was a national NBA Insider. In the past, he’s worked at CBS Sports, VIBE Magazine and Spotify, and has also contributed to various other publications. He says that “consistency in storytelling and engaging with people” became some of the most crucial things to his brand. His personal connections have allowed him to build a camaraderie that is reflected in his podcasts and interviews. And, as he hilariously and honestly put it, “I like to talk shit.”

“ You’ve got to give something to get something,” Robinson said. “It goes both ways. It’s not easy, but I think it just comes with holding your composure. There are times when you don’t always get it right. There have been times when I’ve been wrong, but I’ve been more right than I’ve been wrong.”

Before leaving, he addressed current Eastern students and gave them advice on entering the world of media.

“Welcome to what is the standard in media, print and digital. Welcome to that world, but also take something that you’re interested in and make it your own. I think that a lot of times people’s goal when creating a podcast specifically is ‘I want to go viral,’ but you gotta master the fundamentals first before you start. Find what you’re interested in and stay in the lane that’s not very congested. And sometimes you have to take an alternate route to still get to the destination. And guess what? You’ll still get to the destination.”

Even while many would say that Robinson has “made it,” he’s still on his way forward in the digital space as well. As Eastern celebrates its Centennial and looks forward as much as it does back, it’ll be great to see where Robinson is heading next in the sports broadcasting world.

I know that with the title of this article, I’ve already jumped into hot water with both administration and students. I’ll assume that off the bat, no one is happy with me; I understand. In conversation, I work best with examples, so let me open this with two experiences I’ve had on Eastern’s campus.

A couple of weeks ago, I was on my way to work at Zime when I saw a student smoking a cigarette outside of Walton. I was rather startled, as I had never seen someone smoke so blatantly on campus. The student caught my surprised gaze (which, paired with my spin top hat for work, must have been the epitome of professionalism) and asked “What, is something wrong?” and I yelled back “Dude, it’s a smoke-free campus,” as I walked into the building. Later, the student caught up with me and let me know they had no idea Eastern was smoke-free. I said that in their defense, I didn’t blame them.

My second experience was as a student worker over the summer in one of the multiple meetings we had about the continual smell of weed in the summer dorm hallway. As someone with a severely limited sense of smell, I can confirm that the smell was getting ridiculous. During the meeting, after the RDs across the buildings had read the riot act about campus policy, one of the guards on duty had the chance to speak. With some justified colorful language, he let us know that it was ridiculous that we were smoking on this campus, that doing it in the dorms was rude, and that at the end of the day if we really wanted to smoke that badly, there were other places we could do it. He was tired of having to write and report us to local authorities.

Now, I know I’m more of a “read the rulebook” kind of person than a lot of other people; as much as I think you should have read our student handbook before coming here, I understand that a lot of people may not have paid attention to the anti-smoking policy postings on our student conduct, overnight guest, new student orientation, or campus catalog pages. But if you’ve made it past it being noted in the mandatory hall meetings at the beginning of the year, that one might be on you.

On another note, I’m also big on community discussion and creative alternatives. I argued in an article last semester that Eastern didn’t need to be a dry campus. So, with all of my biases and experiences out in the open, let’s get to the main point of my argument.

In our Student Handbook, the statement on smoking policy is that “Eastern University has been a smoke free campus since 1991, an effort led by the student body.” Now, I don’t know about you, but it would appear that the policy that was once student-led really doesn’t seem to be that student-led anymore. Given that the original conditions of how this policy was upheld have fallen, it may be time to figure out what role this policy is playing in our community.

To make my opinions on the matter clear, I think that Eastern should remain a smoke-free campus. I want to let anyone who is struggling with addiction know that our university offers multiple counseling services if you need help and that people like your RDs are there to help connect you with university and local resources to beat addiction. However, I am one person in this student body, and furthermore, I am not one of the people who is directly involved with upholding this policy. If Eastern switched its policy to become smoke-friendly, I’d be less than amused, but I’d also understand that it would simply be a policy of the university I am attending.

My problem with this policy is how largely it has been ignored and how impossible it has been to do anything about it. Beyond the occasional meeting with a Resident Director reminding everyone that we are a smoke-free campus, I have yet to hear anyone truly crack down on the importance of being smoke-free. Given Eastern’s disciplinary procedures, they could remove any students they found in violation of this policy. It doesn’t seem like they want to do that. The responsibility truly rests on the student level of RAs who can’t do anything without the backing of the administration, security guards who are getting tired of dealing with the violations and students on both sides of the argument are getting increasingly frustrated about the policy.

Eastern is certainly not new to changing its policies to reflect the larger student body and local church opinion; after all, it was during my freshman year here that Eastern stepped back from its non-affirming stance on the LGBTQ+ community for those reasons. While marijuana in particular remains a matter of state law, smoking does not. In the same way that Eastern’s LGBTQ+ policy became a matter of discussion and change due to student opinion on the matter changing, it may be that we need to open discussion once more on whether or not this policy holds the same importance that it once did.

Perhaps the Eastern administration wants to keep this policy and needs to change its procedures about how it addresses the issue. Maybe our university as a whole has moved away from the original principles that created this policy. My point is that if Eastern is wrestling with a policy that doesn’t seem to be cared about or upheld by anybody, maybe it’s time we open up discussion about what it’s doing and why it is or is not important to our overall goals as a university.

If you’re a college student living on campus, there’s a good chance you or your friends may have a plant in their dorm room. Whether it’s due to a love of gardening, a desire to improve the environment or just for the vibes, it’s not unusual that keeping a little green friend alive is part of the typical college student routine.

So, how do you keep a plant alive in a college dorm? And why would you even want to try? I asked some Eastern students about their plants to see how they make it work!

“I have 12 plants on campus,” Sarah Westmoreland said. “There are only two of them that have names; one is a snake plant named flora and one is named Jesus.”

“I only have five plants right now, but I have a few water-propagated stems that all live in a few glass jars together,” Grace Nealy said. “None of my plants have names, unfortunately, I just never got around to naming them.”

“All of the water-propagated plants are pathos, and I recently picked up a $5 planted pathos at Terrain this past weekend,” Nealy continued. “The other two plants were gifts, so I am not sure what they are but they live very well with medium sunlight and little water.”

“I have 26 plants on campus!” Soleil Torres-White said. “They don’t have names, but some of them are snake plants, a ZZ plant, a money tree, aloe plants, and rosemary. I also have a few vases around my room with flowers and Eucalyptus that give me comfort while I study, and they smell so good!”

“I have three plants on campus,” Josh Steen said. “Their names are Vinnie Jr., Jorge, and Frank.”

Depending on the time or skill level you have for your plants, you might want to start off with easier plants or planting with a friend. Nealy suggested starting with water propagation if you’re a first-time plant parent, and Steen suggest other low-maintenance plants.

“Cut a piece of an existing plant off under a node then place it into water to regrow its roots! This will allow for multiple, low-maintenance plants to grow as you don’t need to constantly water them. Eventually, you will have to plant them back into the dirt, but plants can live in just water for quite a while! I also got plant food, which I put into the water propagation and it gives the plants nutrients similar to soil, allowing them to stay in the water for even longer,” Nealy said.

“Growing plants does not take a lot of work if you start small and build your way up,” she continued. “Many garden centers have cheap or discounted plants that are perfect for a dorm, so start there to try it out without breaking the bank.”

“My tip for keeping plants on campus is to get plants that are low maintenance so you can still have plants while being busy or forgetful,” Steen said. “I recommend snake plants, pothos and succulents as starters!”

The plant parents agreed that the most difficult parts of keeping a plant on campus are the sunlight, room temperature, and watering needs over breaks. However, there are still ways to keep plants alive with these limitations.

“One thing that can be difficult is having light mold & bacteria form on the surface of their soil,” Westmoreland said. “I water all my plants once a week with filtered water and feed them with an indoor replant food diluted in water.”

“Most plants are fairly similar as they require the same light and water levels, which I think is helpful for first-time growers,” Nealy said. “I will say, it takes a bit of trial and error when growing plants as they can have dramatic reactions. There have been a few times where I thought I killed one, but some sun and water later and it was fine.”

“Before getting any plants, definitely make sure you have the space and right amount of lighting to keep them alive,” Torres-White said. “Having plants is an easy responsibility because they really only need minimal attention once a day, and watering once or twice a week.”

“If you don’t want to commit or have as much responsibility for a plant, I would recommend a succulent,” she continued. “These, along with plants that have low watering needs, can be super easy to take care of, while also giving off all the great benefits!”

With plenty of options for plants and tips to keep them alive, it may not be as difficult as you think to keep a plant. Our plant parents agreed that all students should try to keep a plant on campus. However, if you’re a brown thumb like me, you might be hesitant.

“I would highly recommend having at least 1-2 plants on campus,” Westmoreland said. “The best part about having my plants on campus is the joy and life they bring into a space and the story they tell.”

“Plants help me to enjoy the slower motions of life,” she continued. “I live a pretty chaotic life when I’m here so having them literally helps to ground me.”

“I decided to keep plants on campus because they brighten the space and taking care of them reminds me to take care of myself,” Steen said. “The best part of having plants on campus is watching them grow and loving on them.”

“I think a lot of students should have plants on campus, especially if they try water propagation first and see the amazing results!” Nealy said. “When I first got my plants they were smaller or only began as a single stem, and now they are thriving. It’s great to see the result of long-term work and care.”

“I decided to keep plants because I love the benefits; my room feels cleaner and more homely rather than just a dorm,” she continued. “Plus, they make great decorations!”

“I strongly believe everyone should have at least one plant in their room,” Torres-White said. “I love keeping plants in my room to make the air quality fresh and clean! Plants almost instantly make the air in your room better and your space much more calming.”

“My favorite part is that I feel like I’m partially living outside, which helps to strengthen my connection to nature,” Torres-White said. “My plants make my room a stress-free environment, while also giving me something to be responsible for. I find myself sleeping a lot better with plants in my room!”

Unsure of where you should start? There are plenty of friends on campus willing to help you keep a plant in your dorm, including our Earthkeepers club, which Torres-White runs! But at the end of the day, whether you’re a first-time plant parent or a seasoned plant veteran, there are many benefits to keeping a plant in your room. We hope to see more greenery in our dorms!

If you’re interested in seeing behind-the-scenes of this article, check out our Reel on Instagram as we travel to the dorm rooms of our plant parents! Thanks again to our friendly students for sharing their space and plants with us!

It’s a taboo topic that no one wants to talk about: women’s menstruation cycles. In most settings, the situation is reserved for the individual, but menstrual cycles are a regular biological process.

At Eastern, this regular biological process affects over 60% of the campus population. Despite this, something as basic as menstrual products (such as pads and tampons) and rubbish bins are missing from female restrooms across campus, including academic buildings and dorm halls.

“I believe that this issue affects our entire student body,” Student Government Association President Sarah Westmoreland said. “If females don’t have basic support, then how can we be expected to operate during the same hours as men on campus? We can’t.”

The crossover between women’s need for menstruation products and educational access has become more prevalent with Act 55 of 2024 being signed into Law in July, allowing an allotment of funding for public school health services to be used for menstruation products. (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) Since Eastern is a private school, though, there is no public funding that could be used.

These products are practical for females on campus, many of which are academic and hygienic. A 2021 study commissioned by Thinx and PERIOD looked at the availability of period products to students and the impacts it had. According to the study, “38% [of students] often or sometimes cannot do their best schoolwork due to lack of access to period products” and “51% of students have worn period products longer than recommended.” (State of the Period 2021)

“One student expressed to me that there’s a problem with the students having to go back to their dorms to change menstrual products because there’s, especially with tampons, a bit of urgency to change tampons. People are missing class as a result or they’re late to class and that’s bad,” a female professor who wished to remain anonymous said.

For many women, cycles don’t happen regularly, and they could be caught without the necessary products. This happens for a variety of health reasons, including medication use and conditions like PCOS. Women also need to change menstrual products to avoid reactions like Toxic Shock Syndrome or urinary tract infections. Furthermore, women need access to nearby rubbish bins for sanitary and privacy reasons.

“I was in the women’s restroom in Walton, and I noticed there was a [lack] of the rubbish bins in the women’s restroom stalls. I had to awkwardly carry waste into the public trash can in the women’s restroom, and I felt really uncomfortable,” the professor said.

“I had reproductive cancer, and I’m going to be bleeding for the next three months as a result of the surgery I had to get,” she continued. “I’m constantly running around for tampons on campus and I’m frequently running to the restroom in between classes, and it’s problematic that I don’t have some kind of receptacle to toss waste products in. It’s a basic thing that people may regard as trivial, but at the end of the day, it isn’t. I have to go teach a class. We all have to do our jobs.”

The professor contacted the Plant Ops department to see if the rubbish bins could be installed in the bathrooms. In response, she was told that Plant Ops needed a list of which bathrooms did and did not have the bins, including the dorm bathrooms. She sees the issue as a disconnect between the needs of Eastern’s female community members and the pillars of the institution’s mission statement.

“Jesus taught that all people are equal and deserve dignity and respect. He showed how we ought to practice compassion, heal the sick, subvert racism and even promote women. Jesus was pretty into that. So the fact that Eastern University is not acknowledging this pretty gaping discrepancy is fundamentally antithetical to what it advocates,” the professor said.

According to Westmoreland, the university needs to hear from more students about the issue. She is meeting with many administrators about the topic and has received positive feedback about how it could benefit Eastern students.

“So far the reach of the student involvement only involves those in Student Government and around two dozen people that signed a petition showing support,” Westmoreland said. “This is my petition to all students of Eastern University to stand up and talk about this issue more with professors, staff and administrators that you know. The first step in solving any problem is to have open and clear conversations about it.”

Dr. Anne Filippone, the interim Vice President of Student Services at Eastern, shared her perspective on the issue from the administrative side.

“I think there is more awareness around the need for products to be provided, but funding can be an issue,” Filippone said. “There is also a wide range of products to choose from, so offering quality products that consumers will use that are also cost-effective can be challenging.”

“I believe SGA is currently focused on this as one of their initiatives this year,” she continued. “I think funding and oversight of ordering/restocking, as well as having dispensers in place, would be the major obstacles, but I believe that is being considered as part of a grant application process that has been submitted.”

Westmoreland has been involved in the Eagles Essentials project for the past year, getting crucial funding for the university and setting up the food pantries in all of the dorms over the summer. She and Filippone believe the university could receive supplies through this same project.

“There are currently some things in the works and I’m hopeful there will be movement on this initiative soon,” Filippone said. “In the meantime, there are products that are offered in the restroom on the first floor of Walton and through the campus Health Center.”

Westmoreland is expecting to hear about the status of the grant by the end of October. In the meantime, the next thing for the community to do is stay involved in the conversation moving forward.
“Student Government is looking for more feedback from the student body. We look forward to host town halls, student round tables, senate events and collaborating with clubs this coming year,” Westmoreland said.

If you’re an Eastern student on Instagram, there’s a chance you may have seen a pastel or pink-themed post from @saobetaiota, the page for the Eastern chapter of the Sigma Alpha Omega sorority. The group, which is not officially recognized by Eastern, was started in the fall of 2019 by nine girls looking to form a community of sisters. The group managed to survive through the trials of the pandemic, and today it proudly boasts 16 members in various stages of admission.

“I got involved last year, as I was looking to grow my faith on a deeper level but also wanted to have a connection with a group of girls who have God at the center of their events,” SAO President Morgan Owens said. “I got here today as I wanted to make a change for SAO and work towards making it a known sorority on campus.”

“This is my third year within the sisterhood; I joined during my first semester here at Eastern,” SAO Judicial Board Chairwoman and Vice President Anika Budlow said. “My favorite part about being in a Christian Sorority such as SAO is that I get to talk about my love of Christ with like-minded young women who also share the same values that I have.”

The group hosts Bible studies twice a month alongside their weekly chapter meetings. The girls also host fun events such as outdoor game days, pumpkin patch visits and lunch visits, among other events.

“SAO volunteers for a few different events, including the Special Olympics that take place at Villanova or Night to Shine,” Owens said. “We also do different service projects which include cleaning up around or by campus and donating products needed for different food pantries or local women’s shelters.”

“Our sisterhood is a space for girls involved within our chapter to come together to celebrate the love that we have for Christ while also serving our community in a variety of ways,” Budlow said. “I think that SAO is a beneficial way for us to share not only the love of God with students at Eastern but also to bring awareness of our philanthropy, which is ovarian cancer awareness.”

This year has been a big year of growth for the sorority, with nine new members joining the ranks. However, that growth has been difficult for an unrecognized group on campus, as they do not receive any funding from Eastern and cannot fundraise or advertise on campus.

“Unfortunately, since we are not Eastern-affiliated, we are not able to advertise SAO at different club events. We do our own fundraisers such as Double Good popcorn and Chipotle fundraisers,” Owens said.

“My short-term goals for SAO include growing the sorority and successfully initiating the new candidates,” she continued. “My long-term goals for SAO is to be approved and considered a sorority on campus to bring back Greek Life on campus!”

“One of the short-term goals is to continue to grow and bring in new sisters who want to grow in faith each semester,” Budlow said. “The biggest long-term goal for our chapter is to build a solid foundation and relationship with God and each other that continues for years after graduation.”

For now, SAO is looking for more support and involvement from other girls on campus looking to be a part of the sisterhood.

“I would encourage [potential members] to join as it is a great way to bond with other women and have God be a main point of what we talk about,” Owens said. “I cannot be grateful enough for my sisters within this sorority; the way we work together is truly something amazing and I would not be here without them all!”

“For anyone who might be interested in joining our sisterhood, there is so much support and love that we have for each other, and we want to create an environment that allows every girl to have a group to help each other grow closer to God,” Budlow said.

If you’re interested in getting involved, the winter/spring recruitment for the chapter begins in January, and you can reach out to the group over Instagram as well for more information.

“Be on the lookout for upcoming announcements on our theme and events that we will be hosting,” Budlow said.

I was almost done with my first semester of college when ChatGPT was released. Immediately, the world was thrown into a frenzy as we asked “How will AI impact the world?” Were we allowed to use it in classrooms? Would it replace our jobs? How would we be able to compete with the labor output of a computer that seemingly held the world’s knowledge and didn’t need to sleep?

As a journalist, I’ve thought about these questions a lot. How do I plan to use, or purposefully avoid, AI in my work? What do I provide as a journalist that can’t be replaced by AI? Is a robot better at being unbiased, and if so, should I be working?

These questions came up again this past summer after I saw a post on LinkedIn from a woman named Simpy Harwani. Harwani claims that an article she had spent much time writing for Forbes was flagged as 60% likely AI-generated. Out of curiosity, Harwani ran articles from Forbes and Reuters through AI detectors and saw similar likely AI-generated rates.

“It’s as if these tools have set the bar so low for human writers that when they come across concise, grammatically flawless writing, they assume it must be AI-generated,” Harwani said.

I’m nowhere near a perfect writer. My grammar could certainly use some improvement, as a blue Grammarly line under this sentence indicates to me (I thank our good Lord for copy editors). An AI chatbot could pull facts for an article quicker than I could research them, and with a few details, it could spin those facts together into a concise article. While AI is not entirely unbiased, it does a pretty decent job for the most part. I don’t doubt that an AI can pull together a well-written article with important facts.

So, it would appear that my job as a journalist is at risk, right?

Not entirely.

Is unbiased journalism just a collection of well-placed facts? No, although facts and their placement are crucial to a good news story. But for journalism to be unbiased, you need to be informed by both sides of the story, not neither.

Think about it in terms of politics. If I’m writing an article about a bill that is facing opposition, I’ll have to start with the basic task of explaining what the bill is and who it impacts, both negatively and positively. Then I’ll share which party is voting to pass it and which party is looking to block it.

This is where it gets more complicated; I have to share why each party is voting the way that they are. Is it because one party is evil and doesn’t want its citizens to flourish? Usually not. Is it because one of the parties is stupid? Also no. Is it because humans are complicated beings that must always deal with nuance?

Yes.

I’ve noticed a trend where “unbiased journalism” has come to mean journalism with no opinions in it. While a list of facts can be helpful, this doesn’t cover the fact that we are beings with stories that impact how we live. Yes, part of my job as a journalist is to tell you the basic facts behind a story, sometimes even the history behind current issues. In our political examples, there are other important questions I need to ask. Why are the parties voting or not voting for the bill? Do they want to replace it with something else? Does this vote fit into or against a larger plan that could help citizens? If we focus on specific lawmakers, how have their personal or political experiences shaped this vote? These are questions with personal and sometimes opinionated answers for sure, but giving both sides a place to speak is what keeps things balanced. It’s also my job to present both the pros and cons of a solution and who it impacts the most.

AI can’t replace my job because it can’t tell human stories with the grace of a human touch. It can’t intersect the political facts with the historical context and the social/economic impact within those human stories. Can I use AI to gather information? Perhaps; it can be a good place to start. But for journalism to truly help average citizens access what they need to have productive conversations and be informed voters, people like me are going to need to keep working with humans and their messy stories. AI may know how to answer questions, but it doesn’t know which questions to ask, and that’s why it won’t replace what I’m doing.

Living on a college campus is an amazing experience that offers many opportunities in a short period of time. Whether you want to get involved in a community group, go to fun events, or even find more ways to expand your educational opportunities, Eastern’s campus offers plenty of options for its students. Now that we’re back into the swing of the semester, we asked students about their Eastern campus experience.

“I’ve enjoyed the people I’ve met and everything the dining commons offers: the people, the food, all of it! I’m excited for the end of the semester so I can see my GPA and to take new classes next semester,” Ramzi Musallam said.

“One thing I like about Eastern is that the professors are so welcoming. I also love how they have Breezeway open late at night so that you can get food. I also love all of the open events because of all the resources. This year, I’m looking forward to breaking my personal record in track,” Tiana Miller said.

“The people here are very welcoming, the staff specifically. There are a lot of great programs, and they motivate you to keep pushing! I’m looking forward to passing my classes and taking the next steps in getting my degree,” Julianna Etumnu said.

“Being back on campus is great because I enjoy experiencing our nice community. I love how everyone can come together and experience the events, and I’m looking forward to having more events and chances for everybody to come together. I like how we can connect not only as students, but as a family,” Hudini said.

“I like the diversity and culture here. Growing up, I went to a Christian-based school, but coming here has been the first time I’ve been able to experience having friends outside of my faith. I’m looking forward to stepping out as a leader in faith as a Student Chaplain this year. I’m really excited to be able to reach people spiritually and have life-applicable Bible studies,” Matthias Brockington said.

“I enjoy the events, especially the Health and Wellness fair we just had. It was great for attracting people, especially new students. I’m trying to make Dean’s List for the fall semester, so I’m looking forward to working towards that goal,” Esther Kim said.

“I stayed here over the summer, and seeing the campus empty made me miss everyone. I’m glad to see familiar faces and make new friends. It’s great to see everything that’s happening as a ministry leader. We have a lot of new leaders and I’m looking forward to seeing what we do, especially since I wasn’t always involved,” Nick Lenhart said.

There are plenty of ways to get involved on campus, and you shouldn’t be afraid to check something out!

“Go to the gym! It’s good for you. And try Breezeway; a lot of people sleep on it, and it’s really good,” Musallam said.

“We have a lot of good resources and opportunities that you should take advantage of. Also, check out Zime! I love how you can use your meal swipes there,” Miller said.

“Try to get involved, because you might feel lonely if you don’t. You want to make sure you have people by your side!” Etumnu said.

“For the new people, get involved in as many things as possible, because it will open up the horizon to yourself and your major,” Hudini said.

“Eastern is what you make it. If you dig your roots deep, you’ll be able to grow a strong tree,” Brockington said.

“Try to go to study groups! That’s how I survived chemistry. Try to see what clubs we have on campus and pick one or two. Go to our events! That’s a good way to become a part of the community,” Kim said.

“After classes, it’s easy to be tired and go back to your room, but try your best to stay awake and hang out in places where you know other people will be,” Lenhart said.

It’s amazing to have everyone back on campus and our clubs up and running once more! If you’re looking for a place to start to figure out what’s going on, check out the Student Activities Board (@sabeastern) on Instagram to stay up to date on all of our events!

This past March, Eastern University had the pleasure of hosting famous historian Carlos Eire on campus for a series of lectures. Eire is a graduate of and professor at Yale University, specializing “in the social, intellectual, religious, and cultural history of late medieval and early modern Europe, with a focus on both the Protestant and Catholic Reformations” according to his bio on Yale’s website. He has been awarded for his famous memoir “Waiting for Snow in Havana,” which details his experience as a survivor of the Cuban revolution.

However, despite this impressive background, Eire came to Eastern for an entirely different discussion, surrounding his interest in the supernatural and its presence in Christianity and history. His internal dialogue on the matter has become public after the 2023 release of his book “They Flew: A History of the Impossible,” which explores the tension between modern scientific thinking and the historical accounts of seemingly impossible events. I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Eire and ask him about his journey on this matter, exploring the boundaries of both Christian and historical thought.

Eire shared that the idea for “They Flew” started 40 years ago when he was visiting St. Teresa’s convent in Avila. He described the rather “mundane” tour; here was the kitchen, here was where everyone ate, here was the staircase, and here was the room where St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross levitated together for the first time.

Eire paused, and after a few seconds he verbalized the question I was about to ask: “Excuse me, can you say that again?” Certainly; this was the room where St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross levitated together. Eire explained that the way it was presented as a fact so simply kept him thinking about how in all religions, particularly Christianity, people grapple with the intersection of the physical and spiritual realms.

“I thought, ‘What’s happening here? Did that really happen?’ These were questions I was trained not to ask, much less answer. Those questions have always driven me in my work, but in this one [“They Flew”] especially,” Eire said.

Eire kept that interest in the back of his mind for a while, focusing instead on other projects and writings that kept coming up. He would occasionally circle back to the topic in a lecture or article, and once the pandemic hit, he found himself with a lot of time to start writing.

“When you think about the question of if they flew, does it feel like there’s a war between you as a Christian and you as a historian?” I had asked.

“No, it’s not a war. It’s not a conflict at all,” Eire said.

Eire shared that his main challenge in writing the book was sharing his perspectives as a professional historian and person of faith in a way that would “get readers to question their attitude towards these weird events.” He explained that the goal wasn’t to convince readers that these events did or did not happen, but rather more so that they aren’t necessarily impossible. For Eire, that question begins with the testimonies of these events that have been passed on.

“What criteria do you use to judge whether the testimony is credible or not? Same as you would in a court of law. Well, these phenomena that I studied all took place during a time when new methods and criteria were being established for veracity of verical cuts and wonders and anomalous events. The Catholical church became much more scientific about the handling of evidence. Those testimonies are different in kind from the testimonies from the 16th and 17th century because of the criteria that should be applied to the judging of testimonies; they’re more credible,” Eire said.

While it might seem like Eire’s work would struggle to find supporters or even willing skeptics, he has started receiving emails from people interested in paranormal and psychic phenomena. After all, how long could one really resist stories of flying monks and bi-locating saints? One of the most interesting interactions was from someone who had participated in “remote viewing” during the Cold War – an activity where someone in one room can reportedly see things in remote locations under special training. As crazy as it may sound, this practice was used by both the CIA and the KGB during the Cold War. Perhaps even crazier: it worked, and the person reaching out claimed that he had bi-located during one of the remote viewing sessions.

In the email, the remote viewer shared that during his bi-location experiences, he would leave where he was and go to the other place. He claimed he could talk to other people there and they would talk back. While the CIA didn’t seem to enjoy these experiences according to his accounts, he said it happened quite regularly.

“So I’m entering a whole new area. Talk about weird. This puts me on the same end of the spectrum of paranormal activity as UFOs, near-death experiences, clairvoyance, all of these things that are quite often exploited for entertainment value. It’s an unknown territory for me,” Eire said.

I asked Eire if he thought it was unhelpful for people to be able to describe exactly what was going on, and he shared that sometimes he did, that he was afraid of crossing certain lines. Part of it was a fear of losing his credibility, of becoming “known as a historian who chases after UFOs.” But another part was due to his loyalty to remaining skeptical to these phenomena outside of his experience.

Eire’s skepticism, though, isn’t one of disbelief, but rather comes from encountering evidence and testimonies that he has “no place to put in [his] mental structure.” He did share that he felt more comfortable with the topic of flying monks and bi-locating saints since he had been studying Christian mysticism and the 16th/17th century time period for the whole of his professional life.

“There’s a long tradition of, I would say ‘coping with’ this type of weird stuff in the Catholic tradition. I find it very interesting that at the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, the major leaders were convinced that if these things happened, they didn’t have a divine art. I think Protestants no longer cringe when they hear about these things because they understand that the challenged being posed is like a domino effect; if you knock this one down, everything falls down. Maybe it’s good to think that there are ways in which spiritual realities can manifest themselves in such strange ways,” Eire said.

As stated before, Eire’s quest when writing isn’t to get his readers to believe, but to get them to ask. You might wonder, especially when encountering phenomena such as flying monks, “How do we ask questions?” Eire begs his readers to simply keep asking questions, over and over again. You might get answers that make sense to you, but you’ll get even better questions when you get answers that don’t make sense.

At the end of the interview, I felt a little overwhelmed by all of the skepticism I had entered into. I mean, here I was talking to a historian, someone who I’ve been taught is supposed to be one of the people who “knows”, telling me he couldn’t and wouldn’t claim to.

“How would you define the difference between saying ‘I know’ versus ‘I believe’?” I asked.

Eire paused, smiled, and let out a small “Ooo” before answering.

“I know is when you’ve had a personal experience of something that’s otherworldly. I know. I believe. What’s the line there? Can I explain the Trinity? Can I imagine what it’s like for Jesus to be fully human and at the same time fully divine? There are things that the religion itself has ascertained to be true, but all those deepest truths about the Christian faith are highly paradoxical and incomprehensible. As a historian and as a thinker, that’s what makes me believe. I believe because it is absurd. If I understood it, then it wouldn’t be transcendent. There’s no getting around the weirdness of it all.”

I know. I believe. I’m skeptical. After emptying my list of questions into my interview with Eire, I left feeling ready to ask a million more. It was a wonderful experience having Eire with us at Eastern, and perhaps his honest questioning about history and Christianity can teach us something about what it means to be a Christian who asks questions and believes.