The Waltonian

Stepping outside during the day these past few weeks may not have felt too much like the fall we all know and love. This has not stopped it from looking the part with all of the wonderful colors and leaves adorning the trees and walkways across the campus. The crunchy sounds of the leaves underfoot solidify in our hearts and minds that it is in fact, Autumn. Despite the warm weather, Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Personally, Thanksgiving embodies the feelings and flavors of this season filled with reflection. The time spent with family, friends, and food is timeless and priceless. Not every Thanksgiving looks the same for each student. Every person and family has some Thanksgiving traditions, whether that is a strange dessert or not celebrating at all. I interviewed a few different students around campus to gather some fun stories about Thanksgiving to get everyone thinking about the season coming upon us. Perhaps, you will find a tradition that you want to incorporate into your celebration!

“Every Thanksgiving morning, my family gathers to the living room and we watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade together. We laugh at some of the crazy things they do but also get to relax and enjoy each other’s company.” – Emma Spanjer, 2028

“One of our traditions is we gather as a huge family and we just eat a bunch of times. We eat a lot, and near the end of the day, we put our names in a hat and pick them out for our Secret Santa in preparation for December.” -Jacinth Tran, 2025

“One thing we do is say what we are thankful for at the dinner table and break the wishbone of the turkey.” -Diane Pak, 2026

“Every single Thanksgiving morning we wake up and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and we eat cinnamon rolls, sausage rolls, and hashbrown casserole. Then Football!” -Alison Harris, 2025

“One of my favorite family traditions is every year for Thanksgiving, my sisters and I gather with my grandmother. We get together to make her unique apple pie. We can’t do it on our own! We have tried it and we cannot replicate it how she does it we just don’t know how. So we are relying on her to keep this tradition going.” -Matthew Giunta, 2021

“Some Thanksgiving traditions of my family are we will all make food together and sit around the table. Then we will figuratively pass out because of all the food and then watch a movie together. Although, we are usually all sleeping by then because of the food!” -Sarah Hopkins, 2026

“Some of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions are watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade in the morning. We then go to my Dad’s side of the family with all of my cousins and have a Thanksgiving meal together. Then we all watch football!” -Mary Kulp, 2027

“My family’s tradition is having lots of drinks. Anything. All types of sodas all types of juice really anything!” -Zachary, 2027

“My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is going to my aunt’s house with all my family and just celebrating Thanksgiving.” -James Ugorgi, 2027

“We usually do a Turkey Bowl. It’s usually lowkey if it’s just our immediate family. If we have our extended family, it’s more fun because we have our uncles, cousins, and aunts playing. We also have a dish that some people know about, but it is a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top. It is a very controversial dish so you either like it or you don’t. Personally, I am not the biggest fan of it but it is kind of like a staple, so you have to make it every year.” -Ellie Folga, 2027

“A silly thing that my family does, is we always get a rubber chicken out, for my papi because he doesn’t eat any birds. He doesn’t eat turkey or chicken. So, we always have ham and get a little chicken out, a little squishy toy.” -Alice Van Eman, 2026

From cinnamon rolls to rubber chickens, there are lots of different ways to celebrate Thanksgiving. These are just a few of the stories of different ways to celebrate Thanksgiving, but hopefully, they reminded you of your own traditions and got you hungry to celebrate soon!

Fall is upon us! As one looks outside the windows of the dining commons they can see leaves swirling around outside. The beautiful colors of fall grace our eyes as we walk through the wandering paths of this beautiful campus. If you are looking for some tips on fun things to do in the coming days, then you have come to the right place. I will attempt to make a comprehensive list of all of the Fall festivities that you will not want to miss out on.

Fall Walks:

The first suggestion on this list is to partake in a lovely fall walk. With the sound of crunching leaves below one’s feet and a crisp breeze keeping the heart beating, a fall walk could be the one good thing that you are missing in your life. As a college student, there are many stressors that we fill our lives with, some intentional and some unintentional. My suggestion for you is that you also try to fill your life with some destressors. We are graced to live in not only the beautiful state of Pennsylvania on this campus but also be surrounded by the wonderful town of Wayne. A walk into town will not only give you a new perspective on the idyllic place that we get to reside in. There is a small path out behind Doane that takes you right out to the road towards Lancaster Ave, a great place to start if I do say so myself.

Another place to take a nice fall walk is Valley Forge. Being only about 20 minutes away from campus, this historical park is a treat to walk around in as one can gaze upon not only the historical grounds but also the changing trees in the distance across the rolling hills. At Valley Forge, there are a few walking paths, biking paths, and a welcome center to help get you started. Bring a coat because it can get quite chilly out in the open!

Visit an Orchard:

If you have Instagram or any form of social media, you may have already stumbled upon people visiting orchards and fall festivals this season. These orchards which we are blessed to be near quite a few, offer a unique and fun activity for the weekend or early afternoon. Not only are they a great way to get outside and enjoy the trees in addition to the walks that you can enjoy there, but there are also usually other small festivities to partake in at orchards, most notably, picking apples! If picking apples is not your style, orchards also usually have apple cider to try as well as the occasional pumpkin patch, which brings us to our next activity.

Pumpkin Carving:

Pumpkin carving while it can be messy, is a must-do staple of the season. There are a few opportunities on campus to carve pumpkins as well as many places to purchase kits and pumpkins in the town around campus. This activity, best enjoyed with friends and cider, is one that I most strongly associate with this time of year. Some people may not like the feeling of gutting a pumpkin, getting the juices and slime all over the place, but that is what friends are for! Once you prepare a pumpkin for carving, the whole ordeal becomes a lot cleaner for those who do not like messy hands. If you are not an artist, this is a great time to try your hand at carving because if you mess up it’s par for the course. Cutting out stencils and tracing them on the pumpkins is a great way to get started if free-hand carving is not an option. If you have been around campus for the past few days you will have seen the wonderfully carved pumpkins sitting atop Walton, why not add to the festivities with your pumpkin?

Trick-or-Treating:

Now this one may not resonate with all of the the people reading this article, but there are a select few that I am speaking to, particularly freshmen. There will not be many more times that you can go trick-or-treating with your friends, and arguably that time has passed. The wonderful thing is though when dressed in a costume, no one can tell who you are, so go out and enjoy one last year of festivity. If going out into the town is too daunting, many dorm rooms will have candy put out their doors or in the lobbies on the night of Halloween allowing students to still partake in trick-or-treating from the comfort of their dorm rooms. If collecting candy in any way is against your moral code, try giving out candy this year! It is a great way to meet new people and enjoy the spirit of Halloween as people circulate campus.

Visit a Haunted House:

Now these are not for the faint of heart, but they are most definitely a fun way to make sure that you are still alive. There are numerous haunted houses in the general area which are all good options if you are looking for a scare better than a scary movie. In fact, there will be a haunted house on campus this year hosted by the Student Government Association. A tradition from the past that is returning should be a great way to enjoy the holiday without going too far. I cannot exactly pinpoint what the joy is in having your socks scared off, but it should be a fun way to spend an evening away from thinking about schoolwork.

Rake Leaves:

There might not be anything more satisfying than raking leaves in the fall. As a young child raking leaves always seemed like a bit of a chore, but recently I have come to a new understanding of the joy that raking leaves can bring. You might be saying, “I have no rake and no leaves to be raked.” But, that is where you are wrong. Many people in the surrounding community could use some help raking their leaves. So if you find yourself bored in the coming days and want to do something kind, find a messy yard and ask if you can assist. The time that is spent outside smelling the aromas of fall and the crinkling bunches of leaves will undoubtedly make it worth it. I will caution against jumping in leaf piles through. While seemingly fun in comics and movies, they do little to cushion hard falls.

Above are just a few of the ways in which you can hopefully find some time to unwind in the coming days. Ensuring to slow down and enjoy the weather is one of the best ways to keep yourself from getting burned out while hitting the books. Fall will not last forever, but endless piles of homework seemingly will, so taking some time to enjoy some cider seems like the only logical thing to do.

It is about that time of year when the sun starts disappearing earlier every evening. Brisk cold drafts creep into our houses and our bones. The ground fills with crunchy leaves that alert the world of every step. It is about when skeletons crawl out of attics and find their way onto the front porches of many houses across America. In addition to this, on one particular night, masses of children (and some college students like ourselves) take to the streets in search of candy. Masquerading as anything from ghosts to princesses, children reach out little hands and candy flows like water from the doorways of strangers. This night is the culmination of the spooky season that befalls us every year with houses decked out in spiders, monsters, and creepy lights gracing almost every street corner.

As the spooky holiday, Halloween swiftly approaches us, one should take the time to consider where this tradition comes from. Fondly, I remember dressing up on Halloween and visiting neighbors with friends and family on chilly evenings. The question of why or to what end this festivity existed never crossed my mind until recently. Another question to consider when thinking about this holiday is how it interacts with the Christian faith. There seem to be a handful of people that one can find who oppose the holiday. People cite reasons such as paganism, consumerism, and just plain silliness. Can Christians celebrate Halloween in good conscience? There does seem to be a large emphasis on vaguely dark things such as witches, ghosts, and skeletons.

Halloween when it is not contextualized sounds rather strange. Dressing up and knocking on strangers’ doors is not something that could be considered normally acceptable. In most cases, people would probably be pretty terrified. So how did we get here? It is understood that the tradition of Halloween finds its roots in Celtic tradition. A day known as Samhain marked the turn of the weather in between seasons and was associated with the return of ghosts and the dead to the living world. It was understood that on this day, the spirit world was closer to the living world than on any other day. As Celts commemorated this day, they wore various masks and animal skins to help scare away the dead in addition to lighting large bonfires and having great feasts. One can see how this is analogous to the idea of costumes that we commonly wear when we dress up and venture out in search of candy. The origin of the candy or trick-or-treating aspect of Halloween is less understood than other parts of the tradition. It is suggested that treats and food may have been left out to appease the dead or that trick-or-treating comes from people collecting food for prayers on All Souls Day, a Catholic holiday following Halloween.

So far, this whole event does seem rather pagan, but what relation does it have to the Christian faith? You might have heard of All Saint’s Day and the above-mentioned All Soul’s Day. These are part of the Christian tradition instituted by Pope Gregory III in addition to All Martyr’s Day. These three days are in remembrance of the dead and are typically holidays in the Church calendar. The beginning of these three days falls on none other than Halloween. So in this, one can see that the tradition of Halloween is not entirely separate or devoid of relation to the Christian faith.

If you keep up with the Waltonian regularly (as I know you all do), then you might know that I wrote an article, “Big Splash For Big Fish,” promoting the show before its opening day. While reflecting on the sentiments expressed, I realize that the article did not properly do the production justice. This musical put on by Eastern University was a pleasure to watch and filled with beautiful moments, costumes and singing. It far exceeded my expectations and it engendered in me a sense of pride knowing that such a production was put on by my peers.

The play was very reminiscent of “Our Town” in its setting of the stage. There was nothing particularly defining about it or indicative of any particular place, though the setting was split between New York and Alabama with most of it taking place in the latter. It was a rustic set with a large wall of pallets serving as the backdrop which fit the atmosphere and filled the room with its presence. This small town feel was further enhanced by the lovely Southern accents used by a few actors throughout the play. It should not be said that the set was boring in any way though, the props brought on stage and the rolling bed brought the scenes to life. One particular scene that I enjoyed was the circus with the colorful lights, stilt-walking giant and dancing.

A large part of the musical was dedicated to the songs which were performed with excellence by the performers. In addition to the music, one surprising element of the play was the fanciful dancing that graced the stage. From a mermaid in the corner to a whole circus, the dancing present enhanced the lively atmosphere. This was not only impressive but a pleasant union between the dance and theater department.

Having seen the play now, I can now say that the story driving “Big Fish” forwards is more touching and heartbreaking than ever imagined. In addition to this, the genuine performances put on by the actors brought the story to life and strengthened the messaging of the play. Not only did the reconciliation between Will (Luke Baker) and his father, Edward (Richie Izzo), bring tears to the eyes, but the anguish felt by all the characters at various moments was unbearable in some ways. The character of Edward grows not only in stature, but in his character as it becomes more and more clear that he is a good man. Even in the moments of doubt, his charisma and disposition lend towards his innocence from all accusations of wrongdoing. The stress and anguish is often felt by Will throughout the play. His character is not just a callus son who rejects his father outright, the struggle was felt on the stage.

The entire play wasn’t all stressful or upsetting. There were many moments of beautiful interaction accented by melodious tunes that were stuck in my head for days. Touching moments were found in the soulful pursuit of Edward’s wife. His determination engendered a feeling of awe and hope in their eventual love. Another beautiful moment was the closing song in which Will sang with the reprise of “Be the Hero” and echoed his fathers words in light of his death.

One thing that was done during this production exceptionally well was the use of the pallet-backed bed that emerged from the backdrop and became a main prop on the stage. This was a creative use of the backdrop and made for seamless transitions and fun scene changes. Overall, the whole stage in many of the scenes was filled with fun props and great stage design.

This production was a great success and did a great job at promoting the Arts. Eastern continues to impress after their past few productions and it leaves much to be expected of future productions.

As you look up to the night sky you might feel a sense of wonder blossom in your mind. The distinct awareness of your feeble existence may dwarf the problems of the day as you ponder what is up above. Fascination with the sky is nothing new as people throughout the ages have been enraptured by the heavens writing stories, poems and mythos inspired by the stars. The term starstruck comes to mind when describing the kind of feeling that is engendered by the stars. “October Sky” is a movie that I recently watched that perfectly encapsulates the feeling that is so common to us all.

The movie is a biography centered around the life of Homer Hickam and his gang of friends as they embark on a journey to become amateur rocketeers and make their own way in the world. It is a true story which makes the ending all that much more gratifying, but the journey that the movie takes along the way is delicious in a way that I haven’t seen in a movie in a long time. While this movie is a coming of age story of sorts, it has its own distinct feel. It could be compared to the likes of “Dead Poets Society” in its feel, but I am apprehensive to make such a claim. So take that comment with a grain of salt.

A watchthrough is definitely warranted for this movie perhaps a few, the blend of heartbreak combined with joy makes this movie a rollercoaster of emotions. There is little left to the imagination as the movie portrays the real raw feelings of its characters with the setting in a small mining town in Virginia. Money is tight, tensions are high and Sputnik had just launched and streaked across the night sky. Leaving behind in its wake a revived fear of the Communist party, and in Homer’s case, a newly found dream. As the movie progresses these feelings are transferred from the screen into one’s own life.

The use of rain and dark scenes help underscore the death that is found in the coal mines; everything is covered in a sort of black soot, and this contrasts the joyous faces of the boys at every triumph and turn in the movie. The movie does not shy away from the harshness that can be found not only within the family unit, but within a community. Throughout the movie the boys are fighting against their parents, the economy and even the surrounding town. As the boys continue to hold onto their dreams, the story becomes not only a coming of age story, but a story of triumph with a moral undertone. The message being to follow one’s dreams, as well as to lean on others in the process.

One part of the movie that I thought was particularly well done was the scenes in which characters were angry with each other, particularly when Homer’s mom smashes their telephone out of frustration. Much of the fighting that happens within the family due to rocketry is messy, but it isn’t portrayed as just shouting matches. Silence is found in these scenes, frustration and weariness. The feeling of anger is palpable as these characters express their feelings. There remains a humanistic element found in the way that John Hickam puts Homer’s things out in the rain out of frustration. He is unreasonable, but not portrayed as an unforgivable monster, just a person who cannot find a good way to express his anger.

The empathy that this movie draws from its viewers allows for an experience that brings the movie much closer to the heart than I would have expected. This movie could have been a cheesy biopic that highlights the real story of Homer Hickam, but instead it tells his story convincingly and artfully.

Sources: IMBD, Wikipedia

Who doesn’t love some good family drama? Perhaps not in your own family, but if you are looking for some, look no further than Eastern’s upcoming musical! “Big Fish” is the place to be this upcoming March 15-16 at 7 p.m. and March 17 at 2 p.m. in McInnis theater. You can see all the family drama unfold in a heart wrenching musical about the relationship between a son and his father. Luke Baker, who is playing Will has this to say about the show, “It’s a nice story about a family, in some way or another everyone has a family. So everyone should watch this family have their struggles live on stage.”

This complex story involves some playing around with timelines and some surprisingly fantastical elements. Throughout the play not only will you get to see your lovely peers play some expected roles of the family, but also fill roles such as a witch and a giant. These characters will be dressed in what Megan Odlan considers an exciting wardrobe that includes stilts for the giant.

After talking to Megan Odland who is director of education, an ensemble dancer, and a doctor in the play, I learned that this is the “first musical since COVID that has a full storyline” that is being put on by Eastern’s theater department. For seniors out there, coming to see this show would be a great opportunity to not only support the arts here at Eastern, but experience them in their full glory with a musical.

Following the productions of “Hamlet” and the musical “Working,” this production has big shoes to fill, but I am personally very excited to hear the melodious voices of Eastern’s theater department grace our ears again. Some big roles are being filled by Luke Baker, a freshman ready to hit the big stage. Richie Izzo, a fan-favorite, is also playing a large role as the father, and should not disappoint.

While the play does not actually have any fish in it, much to Baker’s chagrin, it does include a mermaid which might be close enough. The storyline follows Will (Baker) and his journey to uncover the stories about his dad that seem a little too good to be true. The musical switches between the present and the past as more stories come out about Edward (Izzo), who is Will’s father. These fantastical stories not only make this production a spectacle, but allow for some fun moments. Baker describes Will’s father as “His dad is larger than life.” According to Megan Odland, the story is heart wrenching and she struggles not to cry as she participates in the musical.

This whole production will be accented by the lights which are run by the production team on which Ethan Goonewardene resides. He is very excited to show off the new lighting setup that they have for this production. According to Goonewardene, “Lights are going to be great, a whole new design for this play.”

If any of this sounded interesting to you, then you know where to be this coming March as “Big Fish” takes the stage. Feel free to tell them that I sent you. If you see any of the cast members offer them a “break a leg” and support them by coming out to see the show!

What do good baguettes and surfing have in common? Not much! Just wait though, because the two will come together in the biggest event this summer, the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. If you haven’t seen the Olympics before, there is no time like the present. Keep reading to get the where, the when, and the how on watching the games.

Personally, I enjoy the summer games a lot more than the winter games. The Olympics operate on a two year schedule, with the summer/winter games switching every time. So every summer Olympics takes place every four years, just like for the winter games. The games date back to Ancient Greece and have continued to this day. With over two hundred countries and four hundred events, the games bring the world together and transcend borders and politics. To signify this, the games are started with an opening ceremony, where the eternal flame of competition lights a pyre. If you can’t wait for this fantastic spectacle, then you don’t have to wait long! Although the games officially run from July 26 to August 11, the torch relay race starts much earlier. This tradition dates back to 1936 and has been happening ever since then. This historic tradition occurs in Greece, where the games were originally held, with the lighting of a torch that will be brought to the hosting city via relay. The participants in this relay are various athletes from every sport and country who carry the torch toward the hosting city. This torch is never extinguished and the same flame lit in Greece will light the pyre on the opening night of the games. If you want to watch this beautiful spectacle this year, the relay starts the 10th of this May and continues until the start of the games. Sixty-nine teams of twenty-four people will participate in the relay this year with each sport representing showcasing their skills and advancing the torch each day.

While the torch relay is exciting, it only builds towards the actual games that will be hosting over ten thousand athletes to compete this year. If you are interested in watching, you can make an account on olympics.com for free to watch the games with an email. Other than that, a lot of news stations will be showing the games. Schedules, athletes, and rankings can all be found on the official website. If you can’t even wait for the relay, currently there are still qualifying events being held so if you really need something to watch tune in and choose your favorite athletes early!

Sources: olympics.com