Page 2 – The Waltonian

Sitting in the Jammin Java, it is easy to notice how much technology has taken over our lives. Students can be seen sitting at tables typing their assignments on laptops, scrolling through social media feeds on their phones, and ordering a sandwich from the newer kiosk in the corner. We cannot deny the focus society has for technology, let alone, the advancement of technology. Take for instance the recent Super Bowl LIII. Almost one out of three commercials had a machine or artificial intelligence as the topic of interest.

However, I have come to realization that even though technology allows us to connect to people better, it also isolates us for multiple reasons. First, it makes us more focused on responding to people rather than listening to them. Texting is a common form of communication and usually involves immediate gratification. We text to get a response. Think of the conversations you had in person recently, were you listening to respond or listening to understand? There is a blurred line between the two which we have to take notice of. Especially, as the main technological ways of communication are non-interpersonal.

No wonder young generations are growing up have skyrocketing depression rates; no one is listening to them. I believe this creates a greater sense of FOMO (fear of missing out). Technology, and social media, allow us easy access to look at the “could-be’s” or “what-if’s” more closely. Think of the most recent social event you went to. Did you take out your phone to take a picture or record the moment you were living in?

Did you post it on social media to share with your friends and/or followers? Even though we desire to be in the moment, we are also afraid of others not seeing that moment we recorded. It is a circle of social media. Teenagers are growing up in a society where having as many followers as possible is more important than having friends. Does quantity actually equal quality?

So while technology is helping to save lives in the medical field and connecting people from overseas through Skype, it can also create a sense of loneliness in society. Keep note of how many times you feel lonely in the week to come, and really witness how technology either creates or breaks connections within your daily life.

The morning of Jan. 25, families had seconds to run from their homes with their loved ones in the town of Brumadinho, Brazil. Vale, a well-known mining company, had an iron ore mining complex right outside of the town of Brumadinho which ruptured, releasing sludge and mining waste throughout the valley, covering houses and destroying the landscape.

Fire brigades searched the lands, knowing that many workers and citizens were covered in mud. However, the issue that occurred was due to the lack of alarm for this incident.

According to the authorities, alarms should blare when the possibility of a rupture happens within the mining complex.

There was no alarm for the incident as it happened too fast; many citizens only warning was hearing the screaming from other families seeing the mud come flooding towards their houses. Authorities were still worried there would be a second incident of a dam collapse and rescuers searched more vigorously, evacuating all citizens.

The water leveled within the second dam but it did not collapse. All in all, over 85 people have been confirmed dead with about 276 people still missing. The explosion of the dam was a horrible incident, but many believe it could have been stopped . The mine had passed safety inspections in June and Sept. of 2018.

Within a week, government agencies have been acting against Vale by freezing the accounts of the company.

They have frozen over three billion dollars to pay for victims’ families and costs of the damage to the town. Vale is not the only company in trouble for this incident, families are mad at the government officials who had promised better safety protocols.

“Seconds after we left, I saw a wave drag away everything, the house, everything,” Dari Pereira said, an operator, whose house was destroyed from the flood.

Taking into consideration the number of victims from this dam collapse, the protocols have not been fixed. There have been incidences when dams were considered unstable yet still ran accordingly. However, according to officials, this dam was considered stable.

As an action towards justice, the Brazilian police have arrested five people who would have been directly involved with the dams recent safety inspections. Families are still weeping for the loved ones, desiring actions to be made to better protect the environments surrounding the mines within Brazil.

Source: NPR.com, The New York Times

Fly, Eagles, Fly! On the road to an almost victory, that is. As many Eagles fans know, the team had a disappointing season towards the beginning. After winning the LII Super Bowl, it seemed as if the Eagles under performed for the start of the season. They began the season with the same players as the year before. Therefore, people believed they would improve. Instead, they caught the contagious disease called the Super Bowl Slump.

After winning a Super Bowl, some teams feel disappointed that their season is not like the champion season as the year before, which results in below average performance. There were many different opinions on why the Eagles were in the Super Bowl Slump. Such as Carson Wentz not playing up to his standard due to his injuries, or was it the loss of confidence and accuracy? Was it because Nick Foles wasn’t playing? Or was it because the teams defense was not as good as last year?

It looked as if the Eagles had no shot at the playoffs during the middle of the season. Many fans believed the Eagles season was over at that point…until Nick Foles stepped onto the field. As the Eagles were nearing the end of the season, they started performing more like their 2017-2018 season. Entering into the last game played, they were on fire. They miraculously beat the Bears due to the Bears “double doink” missed field goal at the end of the game.

However, the Saints were the number one seed at this point. The Saints previously beat them in a regular season game. Chances were not the greatest but fans were rooting for another miraculous happenstance as in the last game. The Eagles had a great lead in the beginning of the game, bringing many fans to joy. A 14-0 lead in the first quarter, to be exact. The Saints played their best, improving their defense and not allowing the Eagles to score for the rest of the game.

The biggest moment of the game was when the Eagles had the ball with the chance to drive down the field and score with some time on clock. It would have allowed very little time for the Saints to score in response. Nick Foles threw a ball to Alshon Jeffery which flew straight through his hands. It wasn’t ruled a drop, but it wasn’t Nick Foles’ fault either. The ball was intercepted by the Saints, which, in the end, concluded the game. As Eagles fans, we had a rather surprising season with many ups and downs. But you never know, we could possibly be Super Bowl LIV champions, right? Let us hope for another miraculous comeback story as before.

1. Russian Doll

At her 36th birthday party, Nadia dies and comes back to life. As a result, she relives this day over and over again in this dark comedy. Natasha Lyonne, who one may recognize from “Orange is the New Black” plays the comedic yet surreal character of Nadia. A great aspect of the show is that it was made by an all-women writing and directing team, created by Amy Poehler, Leslye Headland, and Natasha Lyonne. If you are one for witty characters and mysterious plots, you will be able to watch this comedy drama starting February 1st on Netflix. If you’re up for the challenge, binge watch the hour long eight episodes within a day.

2. Shrill

Annie, played by Saturday Night Live star Aidy Bryant, is a heavy set woman who wants to change who she has become, without changing her body. There are many who would say Annie is not good enough because of her weight, but this series embraces the concept of loving the body you are in. You will find Annie juggle her pursuit of journalism, a horrible boss and keeping relationships in this comedy. This six episode series on Hulu is based off of Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman, a 2016 memoir written by Lindy West.

3. Pen15

We all remember the awkward days of middle school. Well, so do Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle who star in the comedy Pen15. They play their 13 year old selves in the year 2000 where hallways were filled with gossip through written notes and AOL was still popular. You will be able to witness school dances, sleepover, bullies and teenage development within the 10 episode series on February 8th on Hulu.

4. White Dragon

An Amazon Prime Original Video, White Dragon depicts Professor Jonah Murray’s journey to China after his wife dies in a car crash in Hong Kong. But not everything is as it seems once Murray arrives in China. He soon finds out his wife had another side to her which ultimately lead to her murder. This new series will be available February 8th.

5. The Umbrella Academy

If you’re getting tired of Marvel but love superheroes, The Umbrella Academy, based off of a graphic novel, is a show for you. After their father’s death, a diverse group of adopted siblings come together to unveil the mystery of his death. Raised training to save the world, they reunite as a dysfunctional family with flaws to save the world from apocalypse. You’ll be able to witness this dark comedic family with 10 episodes on February 15th on Netflix.

Sources: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon

On the southern Philippine island of Jolo, twenty people were killed in a twin bomb blast the morning of January 27th. During a Roman Catholic mass in the Cathedral of Our Lady Mount Carmel, the first explosion went off sending sharp wood debrew throughout the cathedral and shattering the windows. The second bomb went off outside the cathedral as the government officials were responding to the first attack. At the moment, twenty people have been killed and more than 100 injured.

During this sad time of mourning, the President of Philippines promised to rise to the challenge to pursue and end the terrorists who acted with violence. Pope Francis also spoke words of reproach and sadness, as with many other world leaders.

This was not the first time the square in front of the Cathedral of Our Lady Mount Carmel has been bombed. This brings into question why the the island of Jolo was bombed. Many believe it was due to the island’s decision of not joining the expanding autonomous government of the Moro nation. Majority of people believe that this new government could bring peace to the violence between the rebel groups and government. But there are some regions that have criticized this government for the lack of control and care for the violence that has been happening in the Philippines for the past fifty years. The conflicts of violence have led to more than 120,000 deaths.

The Muslim rebels believe this is the homeland of their Arab 13th century traders which settled along the Philippines coasts. Due to this, there are rebels that use violence, killing many innocent people along the way, in order to gain independence. One of the most famous groups is the Abu Sayyaf. This group has lead two attacks in the recent year, and were the ones associated with the 2017 invasion of Marawi, the largest Muslim city in the Philippines, killing more than 1,000 militants and citizens. The regional government, at this time, believe Abu Sayyaf was responsible for this act of terrorism.

Source: Aljazeera.com, CNN, The Guardian

As the semester is slowly being chaotic and there are those who need to take a break from the stress of finals, we have a list of local Christmas and holiday activities. We hope these activities and events give you a break from studying and put you into good spirits.

First. If you’re struggling with what to buy family and friends, head on down to the Christmas Village at Love Park in Philadelphia. The Christmas Village hosts a market with many unique vendors so you’ll be sure to find something to buy. Delicious sweets, crafts, homemade jewelry and ornaments, are some of the few purchases you can make at the Christmas Village.

Second. One of the largest and longest light shows in Philadelphia is hosted at the Macy’s on Market Street. The show has been around since 1956 and you’ll be sure not to miss the light show every two hours, daily, during this holiday season. After the show, you can head up to the second floor to see a doll reenactment of Dickinson’s The Christmas Carol.

Third. You can attend a winter wonderland right next to the Delaware River. RiverRink’s Winterfest is hosted at Penn’s Landing where you can ice skate, shop, eat and play games with the most beautiful view. Go ice skating on their rink, walk around the beautifully lighted gardens, play arcade games inside their tents, and make sure to stop in at the Lodge to cozy up next to a fire with hot chocolate.

Fourth. Go on down to City Hall and you’ll find Dilworth Park lit up like a Christmas city. An ice rink is open where you can rent skates. There is a light show synchronized to everyone’s favorite holiday music on the facade of City Hall. Buy yourself something nice at the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market where all the vendors are local. Want to stay out of the cold? Head into their Cabin where they have nightly karaoke and quizzo with warm drinks and good food.

Fifth. If you feel like taking a mini road-trip, head to Longwood Gardens to view the spectacular lights. Anyone will have their breath taken away as they glance at all the beautiful flowers, trees and plants covered in lights over four acres. Fountains and fire pit flames are synchronized to classic holiday tunes.

Sixth. If you love the classic music and arts which the holiday season brings to television and movies, then you’ll want to spend a couple extra dollars to attend Pennsylvania Ballet’s The Nutcracker at the Academy of Music. It runs from December 7th to December 31st, so be sure not to miss this classical masterpiece.

Source: MainLine Today, Visit Philadelphia

Soad Poagoda, if you ask around for her on campus, calls herself Ali. Her parents and brothers are immigrants from Honduras. Ali grew up in a very Latino household and takes her culture seriously, even when she is living as a student at Eastern.

Ali attended a Christian high school that was respectful to her family’s religion, and so she desired to continue an education at a Christian college. After her youth pastor mentioned Eastern, Ali stated, “I knew this was the place for me. I loved my Bible classes in high school and Eastern would be able to give me a deeper understanding of my beliefs.”

Ever since she was two, Ali knew she wanted to be a doctor. “I would run around my house in a doctor’s hat when I was really young,” mentioned Ali. Ali heard that Eastern was a Christian university but it also had a great science program. “I didn’t know what major to pick when I arrived on campus but after talking to my advisor, she suggested biochemistry and I love it,” Ali said. Ali plans on going to medical school but still hasn’t quite decided what type of profession she wants to study, but pediatrics, gynecology, urology and STI researcher, are the few options she is choosing from.

Each profession was decided by figuring out what she loves most in life. “I realized I had the patience and love for children that you need to be a pediatric practitioner,” said Ali about her time in middle school. The other three options became clear to her when she became interested in sex education in high school. When asked what she loves most about these professions, she said, “It is really interesting to me how men and women are so different and, yet, they come together so beautifully. Growing up in a Christian environment, I found it really important to educate myself on sex and wanted to educate those around me who tend to make uninformed decisions.”

Besides science, one can find Ali dancing with ETHLES, Eastern’s Swing Dance Club. Dance is a big part of Ali’s life. She found her love for dance by partaking in gymnastics and signing up to dance during art nights that her elementary school would hold. Ali smiled and said, “I can express myself in dance by putting emotions into the song and movements. I express myself more in dance than science!” So, if you see Ali on campus be sure to hi!

Some do not recognize Halloween has a history dating back about 2000 years ago. The holiday was first associated with the Celtic festival of Samhain; a festival of light verses dark, how summer has ended and winter has begun. It also marked the end of the year, an equivalent to New Years Eve. On this night, October 31, saints were allowed to pass through the division of the world allowing family members and friends to enjoy the presence of their departed loved ones.

To protect themselves during the time of transition for spirits, people would wear masks for disguise to protect themselves if the harmful spirits passing through were vengeful in their desires. Believers would allow Druids, or Celtic Priests, to make predictions of their future. This would provide comfort for those expecting the worst of the year to come, and have their fears of the harmful spirits silenced.

One would find houses darkened as very large bonfires were lit on hills and fields. Families would eventually light the small fires within the household after the festival to commemorate the start of the new year. The population would celebrate this festival with a very large bonfire on the Mound of Hostages, the mound dating back to 4,500 years ago. Food played a large part in the celebration of familial spirits, as livestock were slaughtered and meals were prepared for the living and the dead. This was one of the most crucial pre-Christian Irish.

As years went on, the holiday soon combined All Saints Day designated by Pope Gregory the Third around 735 A.D. The holiday honored the saints and Christian martyrs on November 1st, and slowly integrated itself into the traditions of Samhain. In an attempt to provide more church related holidays, All Souls day was established. It was the celebration of the dead taking place on November 2nd, the day after All Saints Day. Parades, bonfires, festivities, would all take place, very similar to Samhain. During parades, the poor would beg hoping to receive some of the extra food from the festival. Those who were well-off would hand the beggars Soul Cakes, pastries, and in return make them promise to pray for the families departed loved ones. It was encouraged by the church, as people were taking care of those who are less blessed than them. It was called “going-a-souling” and, soon, one could find children begging on doorsteps for sweets. This created the tradition of Trick or Treating. The holiday was also known as All-Hallows Eve and has turned into, as we are now familiar with, Halloween.

Source: history.com

Here at Eastern University, Dan Mouw is the Director of Athletic Communications. His title consists of many different jobs relating to Eastern’s athletic department to help create the best possible environment for athletes to thrive in and Eastern’s body to become part of the experience. On any normal day you can find Director Mouw updating the athletic website, planning game programs, keeping statistics, photographing games and sharing events on social media.

Dan Mouw is the guy behind the scenes creating an efficient atmosphere possible for our Eastern Athletic events. He believes the best possible atmosphere includes a large amount of the student body coming out to the events. “The more fun events Athletics can have, then more relationships and opportunities will arise for the Eastern’s body to take part in,” states Mouw.

Even though Women’s Volleyball lost to John Hopkins on September 21. Although, it didn’t feel like much of a loss as the entire gym was filled with the reminiscent of the eighties. The nights theme was “Turn Back the Clock: Eighties Style” and every student was to come to the game in their best eighties outfit. Director Mouw wanted to make sure the Women’s Volleyball team had a large attendance at their home game as “looking at my schedule and noticed that [they] have a huge break between home games. The best way to get the student body to games is to make them different: themes nights.” My question for Dan Mouw was, why the choice of the eighties out of all decades? He noticed the eighties has never really disappeared from culture. One can look at the newest movie adaptations of Predator and Ghostbusters for an example of the eighties in modern culture.

By bringing together an eighties themed night, it must have taken some planning. I asked Mouw how much planning took place in order to make the night a success. “I was trying to figure out how to make this marketing different from any other game. And I was looking at athlete headshots one day and decided to place one headshot onto an iconic pop culture movie in the eighties. I started laughing at how good it looked and wanted to make more,” stated Mouw. We mentioned how those who saw the movie promotions, shared on EU Athletics Instagram page, would have laughed knowing that some of their friends were being chosen.

From the very beginning of planning the “Turn Back the Clock” night in late August to after the game, I asked Dan Mouw if he thought the night was successful. “Yes! We had giveaways, we saw amazing throwback outfits, and the crowd was really loud. Overall, a really great success!” Mouw stated smiling. The only regret he mentioned was that the themed night was planned with coffee house going on at the same time.

With that in mind, I asked if we are going to be seeing similar events happen again in the near future. Mouw answered, “Of course! Anything to get the campus out and about. We have plans for a Halloween themed night at the end of October, most likely October 26th. We have plans for other theme nights during the basketball season.” Mouw is trying to plan different ideas that are cheap and fun while utilizing the athlete’s home games, as we all know a college student’s budget.

Director Mouw does not want the athletic events to only benefit athletes but the campus as a whole. He wants students to reflect, in years to come, on the fun times they had in college and remember the great events Eastern had available to them. “By generating great enthusiasm, it can bring in perspectives and donors who associate the University with a swell of student pride,” mentions Mouw. “Athletics can be a touchstone for helping Eastern grow. As we continue to excel, we can see some really good things happening to benefit all students.”

Eastern’s students and staff should be on the lookout and ready to partake in more athletic theme nights in the near future. Let us boost our Eagle pride!

Recently, the Men’s Lacrosse team took time out of their week to volunteer at the BMW Championship at the Aronimink Golf Club that took place September 6th to the 10th. We wanted to hear about their opportunity and experience from the coach himself, Coach Kevin Wallace, the Associate Athletic Director and the Head Lacrosse Coach here at Eastern. He states that “both positions here on campus allow me to be very interactive and bring many different opportunities.”

A question of opportunity that many of us asked, was why the lacrosse team would be at a golf tournament out of all places. Coach Wallace laughed and said “the team went to the Championship in order to fundraise for their spring break trip to Florida.” Not many students realize but sports teams are not allowed to stay on campus during breaks, which creates the dilemma of having to fundraise to travel as a team during that time. And to be able to get a team of fifty to Florida, it will take some hefty fundraising.

Out of all the ways to fundraise, I asked Coach Wallace how this opportunity arose. He stated that there are organizations who look for volunteers when large events come to local communities. Local college sports teams are usually the first to accept. The Men’s Lacrosse team worked at a concession stand on the course which kept them on their feet at all times, an average of 16 players per day volunteering.

For those readers who do not know what is the BMW Championship, it’s a very large golf tournament where 75 of the world’s top golfers compete. Many people already know that Tiger Woods was at the Championship. With that many well-known players, it brings a rather large crowd. Coach Wallace mentioned that “Tiger Woods had a four thousand person wave to come along with him to every hole. We took these large crowds in stride as it is a big way to advertise Eastern and the Men’s Lacrosse team.”

By fundraising in a public sphere, it allows openings to advertise for Eastern, and Men’s Lacrosse. “People would ask us where we are from and why we’re at the Championship. This created conversations about Eastern, why the boys decided to play there, and what they plan to do in the future,” stated Coach Wallace, “The conversations we had with customers were probably the most important thing about our fundraiser as we were representatives of our university. We had a great group of guys who have a passion for service without having to be told twice.”

They play as a team and they want to make sure they travel as a team.

“We are the largest male team on campus and are trying our best to integrate our guys into the community, and a great way to do so is by fundraising,” said Coach Wallace. When asked whether he encourages off campus bonding, such as fundraisers, he stated, “God has given us a gift of service and we should use it. Helping others and the community is important. It is also a way to fight the lacrosse culture on a daily basis. We want to be different from other lacrosse teams and Eastern has helped with the Christian atmosphere and passion for service.”