The Waltonian

On Saturday, April 22, EU Men’s Lacrosse defeated King’s College with a score of 9-7. During the match, senior Tim Lamb became only the fourth Eastern Men’s Lacrosse player to reach 100 career goals. Lamb, Matt Martin and Bryan Goetz all finished with two goals each. The Eagles have an overall record of 9-6 and stand second in the MAC Freedom Conference with a record of 4-1. Their only conference loss comes from Misericordia University, who stands undefeated in the conference. The Eagles will begin their post-season run on May 3 in the MAC Freedom Conference Semifinals.

[/media-credit] EU Softball vs. Misericordia University.

That same day at King’s College, the EU Women’s Lacrosse team squared off against the Monarchs. Despite the high-scoring match, the Eagles lost with a final score of 13-15. Junior Liz Brennan netted six goals, senior Anna Charlebois added another four and junior Julie Haggan finished with a hat trick.

The Eastern Softball team split their double header against Misericordia on Saturday, April 22, winning the first game 10-9 and losing the second 5-9. First-year Jess Snader has collected the most RBIs for the Eagles this season with a total of 12, followed by senior Kelsey Clever with 10.

Eastern Baseball lost to Misericordia on Friday, April 21 by a score of 5-7. The Eagles have an overall record of 10-16 and fall fifth in the MAC Freedom Conference with a record of 6-7.

EU Women’s Golf began competing in the MAC Championship at the Hershey Country Club. After day one, the Eagles led the tournament with four strokes ahead of Stevenson University.

On Thursday, April 20, EU Men’s Golf completed the regular season in a tournament at Stevenson. The Eagles finished sixth with Andrew Barbin shooting the team-low score 81.

From Thursday, May 4 to Saturday, May 6, the EU Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams will compete in the MAC Championships in Center Valley, Pennsylvania.

For real-time updates on the Eastern Eagles postseason, follow @EUEagles on Twitter or check goeasterneagles.com.

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On Monday, April 24, Eastern University welcomed Philadelphia Phillies pitchers Jerad Eickhoff and Jeanmar Gómez, presented by 610 Sports/ESPN Radio. Eastern athletic teams, students, faculty and other members of the community packed into the EU gymnasium to hear Eickhoff and Gómez explore their identities as both professional athletes and people of faith. Joining Eickhoff and Gómez at the table were the Phillies team chaplain, radio host Rob Maaddi, Pastor Phil Moser, EU faculty member Doug Horton and EU Baseball Head Coach Jed Morris.

Eickhoff attended a private Catholic high school in Evansville, Indiana. He played college ball at Olney Central College in Olney, Illinois. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2010 but opted not to sign and continued his college career at Olney. In 2011, Eickhoff was drafted in the 15th round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Texas Rangers but remained in the minors. It was not until 2015 when Eickhoff was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies that he made his Major League debut.

Gómez is from Caracas, Venezuela and was signed by the Cleveland Indians in 2006 as an undrafted free agent. Gómez made his Major League debut in 2010 when he was called up by the Indians for merely a spot start. In 2013, Gómez was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates and was able to make his way into the Pirates bullpen rotation. In 2015, Gómez was signed by the Phillies as primarily a relief pitcher.

During the Faith on the Field event, Gómez and Eickhoff were interviewed about the role of faith in their lives as professional athletes. Maaddi first inquired about Gómez’s choice of walk-in song: a Spanish version of “The Great I Am.” Gómez commented that the song was particularly special to him because he first heard it during a time when he and his wife were undergoing spiritual difficulties. When Gómez enters a game with the powerful message of his walk-in song, he is reminded that, ultimately, God is in control. Maaddi added that Gómez is a player who remains both thankful and humble, no matter if he walks away with a win or loss. When asked about the source of his humility, Gómez remarked that Jesus is the greatest role model. Gómez said, “To be humble is to live every day like Jesus.”

Later on, Maaddi asked the players about their experiences being on teams with other players who do not identify as Christians. He asked what it was like when other players put on popular music with negative messages or engage in behaviors that may not coincide with their practice of faith. Eickhoff responded that he tries his best to lead his teammates, but he recognizes that it is not his sole responsibility to change every person he encounters. Eickhoff said, “Once you establish yourself in what you believe in, a lot of the negative stuff has less of an impact.”

Eickhoff and Gómez also spoke of the importance and value of having a team chaplain. During the season the athletes are unable to attend church on Sundays, and so scheduled gatherings with a team chaplain are crucial to staying accountable in their faith.

By sharing their testimonies and experiences, Eickhoff and Gómez encouraged members of the EU community to life out their faith unashamedly. Attendees were reminded to trust in God in every situation and to constantly pursue the Lord, even if this is unpopular.

In eighth grade English class, the last period of the day, I kept myself busy by passing notes with my friend Allison. We’d spend every free moment of the school day writing long letters to document our inside jokes, tease each other about our crushes and make plans for the coming weekend. We worked hard to fill every blank space on a sheet of bright white printer paper and then folded the paper into tiny, self-taught shapes mimicking origami.

Allison and I didn’t need to give notes in order to keep tabs on each other’s lives. We spent almost every day together. We had the same classes, played on the same basketball teams and frequented each other’s houses for weekend sleepovers. We talked nonstop when we were together, memorizing all the facts of the other’s life. There was no communicative reason for Allison and I to write notes. Rather, we wrote these letters for the mere art of putting words on a page. We liked to doodle our funny lines said at basketball practice and sketch out our names in bubble letters. We worked hard to document our friendship, logging our favorite memories, dreams and appreciation for each other.

After moving away to college, I’ve learned to be more intentional about keeping up with friends. With smartphones, this has become relatively simple to do. I can maintain contact with long-distance friends by sending a few texts each week, and I can view the content they post on Facebook or Instagram. Thanks to the Internet, we have never been more connected to friends so far away.

But sometimes, when I’m away at school for months at a time, I miss the connection of having face-to-face contact with my friends. Though we have the option of connecting through online video chats, we remain separated by our two cell phones and hundreds of miles. This is why writing letters and sending cards has become such an important part of my long-distance friendships.

As I pull out the long drawer that hovers above my lap at my dorm room desk, a shuffled pile of opened envelopes floats forward. I take the collection in my hands and page through the words my friends have sent me through snail mail. Each friend has different handwriting, perfect depictions of their personalities. I imagine my friends writing these letters–working at their kitchen tables with their tongues pinched between their lips as they carve out words in ballpoint.

Dear Shelly,

You won’t be getting this letter for a while, so I guess I could write about last night as a sort of time capsule experience for you. I was with a boy, Shelly. *nervous giggle* …I love when we talk about that kind of stuff and react like teenage girls– the small things I love about you and I, Shelly…

Hi… Here are a few things that have been on my mind:

I’m still awaiting my return letter…

I truly adore your servant’s heart. The way you bless others with your time and company.

Please, please, please come VISIT MEEEE!! I …I got a freaking apartment in hopes that I’d be more frequently visited by a friend of mine (…I’m speaking of you)

…..I love ya, Shell! …and the color of this pen… that I love as well

Shell,

… It’s a long and rough journey. Thoughts, prayers, and check-ins are appreciated. BUT, how is the semester? I bet crazy busy especially now since you are approaching the end. Are you remembering to take time for yourself? #selfcareSaturday

… Stay safe and be kind.

Love you always…

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens.

I enter the winter season with optimism. In November I begin collecting gear—headbands, gloves, thermal leggings. I fully believe that I will run the entire winter, that nothing but a full-out blizzard will keep me off the trails. In December I enjoy a few runs, but the holidays slow me down. Life gets busier, and I’m left to choose between running or studying, running or sleeping, running or snuggling up by the fire with a hot cocoa between my frozen fingers.

At this point my runs have already begun decreasing. My muscles have lost their tone, and I have lost my interest. I forget how difficult it is to run in freezing temperatures—how much harder it is to suck in full breaths of air, how my quadriceps and hamstrings tighten because they are unable to keep warm enough.

In January and February I take time off—not because I’ve chosen to, but because I just haven’t been able to push through the cold. It’s easier not to run. I am defeated. I tell myself that I am too weak to run in the winter, that I was never much of a runner at all.

In the spring I am born again. I am given another chance. When the earth warms and the sun begins sticking around for longer and longer each day, I am encouraged to get back out there. I am eager, even, to slip my shoes back on and to relearn the trails I had known in the fall.

My first few steps are energizing. I could go for miles, I tell myself. It feels so good to breathe in the spring air, to smell the dewy grass. I smile at the other joggers, walkers and movers on the paved path. They have found the trails again too. We are excited to inhabit our bodies once again, to pretend that the winter season never happened.

But after a while my breaths become shallow. My legs are already cramping up. My body is not used to this type of exertion, and I have to cut my run shorter than expected. I realize it will take a few runs before I build up my stamina.

Suddenly I am beating myself up for my lack of will to run in the winter, for it has made it more difficult to find my legs again. But the truth is that I am not meant to move all of the time. There is a time to run and a time to rest. The seasons we cycle through are a gift, and my lack of grace keeps me from enjoying each season for what it is.

In the spring I am forgiven. I am no longer weighed down, no longer thwarted by my own thoughts. I am free to move, free to run, free to be.

He has made everything beautiful in its time.

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I have an on-again, off-again relationship with makeup. We often go steady for weeks at a time. I flirt my long, black lashes with rapid blinks and flash a smile finished with highlighted cheekbones. When I decide that it’s time we take a break, I wipe my eyes with a cotton pad soaked with cleansing minerals and splash my face with cool, clear water. I relish in the freedom of rubbing my eyes and blowing my nose without leaving tan residue on the white tissue. After a weekend apart or a random Thursday in the middle of a busy week, I reunite with my powder brushes and deep red lip stains.

My mom wears makeup everyday. It’s so ingrained in her morning routine that even when she sleeps in and lounges at home on a Saturday morning, she begins her day with a shower and a full hour seated at her vanity. Growing up with two brothers and my father, my mother was the person I looked to for cues on how to be a woman. Based on the rigid routine I witnessed of my mother each morning, I was led to believe that every lady sits at a vanity and paints her face each morning.

I was two years old when I took my first ballet class, and even at that age the dancers were required to wear makeup in the recitals. I remember my mother holding my chin in the palm of her hand as she fought to apply mascara to my baby lashes. “Look up,” she’d remind me as she stroked the brush through the tiny hairs. It was hard to keep my eyes open as she held the wand so dangerously close to my eyes. I blinked rapidly, my eyes providing an innate protection from the intruder. Finally she’d color my lips a Barbie pink–a shade that stood in direct contrast to my blue eyes. My face felt hard and heavy by the time she finished.

During first-year orientation at Eastern I befriended girls who walked around without a lick of makeup on their faces. Some of them had naturally clear skin and bold, bright eyes, and others were sprinkled with freckles and blemishes. Each of these girls carried a confidence that I had never seen. They laughed with their mouths cracked wide open, revealing teeth that ranged from brightly whitened to a little crooked on the bottom.

As a woman who fully believes that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, I am at a crossroads with makeup. While I often wish I could confidently walk around campus with a natural look, I am more likely to think of my face as a fresh canvas. The whole ritual of making myself up provides me with both a sense of calm and the power to take on the day ahead.

I begin with a small tube of concealer, working over the blemishes and red spots like patchwork. I then finger-paint a creamy layer of foundation and apply my warpaint of contour and highlights. Sweeping over my cheeks and forehead with a big, fluffy brush, I blend the brownish colors and brush on an even tone. I take a small angled brush and trace over my eyebrows, giving a little pop to their light blondness. Next–my favorite part–I paint my upper lids with a jet black liner. For the finale I swoop my top and bottom lashes with black mascara, my eyes obediently remaining open. I take a step back from the mirror and admire both my natural quirks and my completed work of art, noticing how the blue hues of my eyes peek beneath the black curtains of liner.

The EU Women’s Golf Team began their spring season on March 17 and March 18 in the Browngolf Intercollegiate Invitational, hosted by Mercyhurst University. In the fall season, Paige Hollingsworth led the Eagles in average strokes with 88.50 in six rounds of golf. Sofia and Summer Frantz trailed closely behind, averaging 88.83 and 89.17, respectively.

The EU Men’s Golf Team started their spring season on March 25 and March 26 in the McDaniel Spring Invitational, hosted by McDaniel College. At the end of the fall season, Andrew Barbin led the Eagles in average strokes with 76.88 in eight rounds of golf, followed by Brady Erb with 79.88 and Nate Brown with 80.00.

On March 25 at Ursinus College, the EU Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Teams competed in the Ursinus College Invitational. In her first collegiate track meet, Regie Robinson “hit the league-qualifying standard in the high jump and the triple jump.” In the 800-meter run, Kierra Zack and Megan Bernotas finished first and second, and Nicole Weenink placed second in the triple jump and the 100-meter hurdles.

In the Men’s events, Rusty Batykefer, Bryton Henry and JC Garges finished within seconds of one another in the 5000-meter race. In the triple jump, Frantzy Sainvil qualified in spite of the fact that it was his first time competing in the event. Coach Mike Wilson was satisfied with his teams’ efforts, saying, “We looked focused, and the whole group responded well.”

Source: goeasterneagles.com

Each year as the winter months fade and the weather grows warmer, we find ourselves in the midst of madness: March Madness, that is. For many sports fans the latter half of winter can feel like a drag as the NFL has wrapped up in early February and baseball won’t start until early April. Within that two-month gap, however, many fans find solace in the hype of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament. While there are certainly a number of college basketball fans who faithfully watch their teams for the entirety of the regular season, the NCAA Tournament attracts millions of viewers. In 2015 over 33 million people tuned in to watch Duke defeat Wisconsin for the championship. Though only about 11 million viewers tuned in for the 2016 championship, the Philadelphia area was given a lot to celebrate when Villanova defeated North Carolina with a buzzer beater.

We fill out brackets for amusement and money, and we enter tournaments of our own with coworkers, friends and even online communities. We compete against one another just as much as the NCAA athletes compete for the championship title. But why do so many people go gaga for college basketball for one month out of the year? What is it about March Madness that makes it so exciting?

It’s unpredictable. No matter how much research and statistical analysis we do to prepare our brackets, we can never fully predict the outcome of the tournament. Though we dream of creating a perfect bracket, mathematicians show us that the odds of such perfection are microscopically slim. In 2015 Forbes released an article stating that the odds of making a perfect bracket were one in 9.2 quintillion. Professor Jeff Bergen of DePaul University, however, calculates that our odds are much better: one in 128 billion. And though the seeding assigned by the NCAA may be a place to start, we must always be on guard for upsets. The greatest upset of 2016 came when no. 15, the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, defeated no. 2, Michigan State.

We get to watch stars-in-the-making. Before Earvin “Magic” Johnson became a Lakers legend, he led Michigan State to the Elite Eight in 1978. In 1979 Johnson took the Spartans to the Finals, where he faced Larry Bird of Indiana State, earning Johnson the title of Most Outstanding Player. Before Steph Curry became the first NBA player to receive unanimous MVP recognition in the 2015-16 season, he was playing for Davidson College. In his sophomore season he helped the Wildcats earn their first NCAA tournament win since 1969, climbing the ranks to play Kansas, the eventual champion, in the Elite Eight.

There’s always something to watch. Beginning on Tuesday, March 14 and ending with the championship game on April 3, there will be a total of 67 games of basketball played. March Madness provides us plenty of opportunities to gather with friends and socialize. We can meet up with friends at sports bars or stream the games online while trying to write essays.

Basketball gives us instant gratification. Not only are there games upon games during the month of March, but the game of basketball itself is so fast-paced and energetic that you can’t help but love it. With constant scoring and nonstop back-and-forth play, basketball always gives fans something to cheer about. Each minute of the NCAA Tournament is an emotional roller coaster that is bound to thrill us at some point.

Sources: CBS Sports, ESPN, Forbes, NCAA.com

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Paul Pierce, 10-time NBA All-Star and the 2008 Finals MVP, announced his retirement from the game of basketball on Sept., 26, 2016. In a video released by The Players’ Tribune, Pierce said he would ride out the 2016-17 season, giving himself the opportunity to play in each of the NBA stadiums one last time. Pierce said, “Just like any difficult decision, I think you’ve got to be at peace with yourself. I’m at peace with retiring, but I’ve got one more ride left. One more season. One more opportunity.”

On Feb. 5, 2017, Pierce played in Boston, Massachusetts for the very last time. Although Pierce will be finishing out his career with the Los Angeles Clippers, he has Boston to thank for launching his professional career. In Pierce’s goodbye game in Boston, fans were given the opportunity to show Pierce their thanks and appreciation, and Pierce was able to breathe in all that gratitude.

Pierce entered the NBA draft after his junior year of college in 1998, when he had played for the University of Kansas. Selected as the 10th overall pick in the first round of the draft, the Boston Celtics took on the young Pierce. Game by game, season by season, Pierce built up his reputation in the NBA.

On June 17, 2008, Pierce led the Celtics to an NBA Finals victory by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers four games to two in the series. Among big-name teammates like Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, Pierce was crowned the Finals MVP.

In 2013, Pierce ended his Celtics career when he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. Pierce played only one season for the Nets before heading to Washington for a year, and then finally to Los Angeles where he has played since 2015.

Even as a member of the opposing team, Boston’s stadium was packed on Feb. 5 to give Pierce the goodbye he deserved. Pierce gave Boston an NBA Championship and 15 years of his career, and Boston showed him nothing but their utmost respect as he closed out his career at TD Garden. Pierce’s name was announced before the game as if he were a member of the home team, and fans stood and applauded for their beloved athlete.

In very unusual fashion, Pierce went scoreless for most of the game. With 11 seconds remaining on the clock, however, Pierce netted a three-point shot to leave his first-ever NBA home-court with a swish. Boston won the game 107-102, but Pierce was celebrated for so much more than that single-game performance. Fans jumped and cheered as Pierce made his final bucket in Boston, giving the star the sweetest sort of closure.

Sources: NBA.com, The Washington Post

[/media-credit] New England Patriots at Washington Redskins 08/28/09

On Sunday, Feb. 5, the New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons to take home the title of Super Bowl LI with a final score of 34-28. This victory marked the Patriots’ fifth Super Bowl win as a franchise, winning titles in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2015 and now 2017. Tom Brady is the quarterback who has led the Patriots to all of these victories. He has now been awarded Super Bowl MVP a record four times, the most of any quarterback.

Early on in Super Bowl LI, chances were not looking too good for the Pats. After a scoreless first quarter, the Falcons scored three touchdowns to jump ahead of the Patriots, 21-0. The first score was made by Falcons’ Devonta Freeman in a five-yard run to the end zone. Less than four minutes later, the Falcons’ quarterback, Matt Ryan, connected to Austin Hooper with a 19-yard touchdown pass. The third and most exciting touchdown came when Falcons cornerback Robert Alford intercepted Brady and ran 82 yards for another six points. It was a Patriots team we had never seen before. The Falcons played with ferocious momentum, and the Patriots were unable to defend themselves. With just two seconds left in the first half, the Patriots were able to net a field goal and avoid a first half shut-out. The Falcons went into halftime with a 21-3 lead.

If the Patriots wanted a fair shot at a comeback, most football viewers would have argued that the Pats needed to return for the second half with renewed energy and dominance. Several minutes into the second half, however, the Patriots were still looking flat. After another drive down the field led by Ryan, the Falcons scored yet another touchdown when Ryan connected to Tevin Coleman for a six-yard pass. The Falcons were now up 28-3, and it was looking nearly impossible for the Patriots to make a move. During the third quarter, the Patriots’ defense finally awoke and began stopping the Falcons on each possession. The Falcons would not score for the remainder of the game, and the Patriots were given their chance to make a comeback. Little by little, the Patriots began adding points to the board. They chipped away at the 25-point deficit one score at a time. At the end of the third quarter Brady threw a short pass to James White in the end zone for a touchdown. When kicker Stephen Gostkowski went for the extra point, however, the kicker missed—a lost point that the Patriots would surely miss as time ticked from the clock. At the end of the third quarter the Falcons maintained their lead with a score of 28-9.

In the fourth quarter of the game, the Patriots played with the kind of heart and passion that fans thrive on. The Patriots added another three points with a 33-yard field goal by Gostkowski. Another touchdown was scored with 5:56 left in the game as Brady completed a six-yard pass to Danny Amendola. Brady then converted two more points with a hand-off and run by White, making the score 28-20.

With just 57 seconds left in the game, the Patriots scored the final touchdown of regulation, now trailing the Falcons by only two points. The Patriots were forced to attempt a two-point conversion with the hopes of sending the game into overtime. In a play that would be reviewed by the referees to draw out the moments of suspense, White successfully broke the plane of the end zone to score the two-point conversion. The game would now go into overtime.

Super Bowl LI became the first-ever Super Bowl to ever go into overtime play. In this sudden death overtime, the first team to score a touchdown would be crowned the victor. In four minutes Brady was able to drive his Patriots down the field. With 11:02 on the clock, White carried the ball into the end zone to end the game and secure the Patriots’ win.

Brady threw for 466 yards and two touchdowns and threw just one interception. Ryan earned 284 yards, made two touchdown passes and threw two interceptions. White collected 110 yards receiving and finished with 14 receptions. Brady and the Patriots proved their resilience and fully earned the title of Super Bowl LI in one of the most hard-fought battles in football.

Source: ESPN

When I began my search for colleges back in 2012, I developed certain criteria for what I wanted in my future school. I knew I wanted to attend a smaller school; I would feel lost and overlooked at a big state school. I wanted a school in a suburban setting where I could easily access the city without having to deal with the hubbub of daily city life. I wanted to stay relatively close to home, within a three-hour radius by car. There was a whole list of standards on which I based my college search, and Eastern fit each one and then some: the campus was beautiful, and I had the opportunity to openly grow in my faith.

However, soon after moving into my dorm and beginning my life at Eastern in the fall of 2013, I noticed a glaring flaw in the criteria I used to choose a college: I realized I was part of the minority sports fandom. I moved far enough away from home that I was no longer surrounded by the camaraderie of Baltimore fans that was so deeply a part of my identity. At home I was blind to the privilege of being a part of the majority. At Eastern I quickly formed bonds with anyone I met sporting an Orioles hat or a Ravens jersey. I coped by clinging to my roots and becoming more intentional about expressing my Baltimore pride.

I faced many challenges as I adjusted to life outside of the Baltimore zone. The local stations didn’t play my favorite teams, and I was only able to catch random games here and there. I had to find new ways to support my teams. During baseball season I subscribe to the At Bat app and listen to Orioles games on the radio. During football season I try my best to budget time on Sundays to watch the Ravens at a sports bar. At the very least ESPN has the courtesy of sending play-by-play updates to my phone, and I can count on my dad to give me an update whenever I’ve missed a game.

Though I still cringe each time I spot someone wearing a Roethlisberger jersey, I have become more open to the idea of cherishing your home team, even if we’re not rooting for the same team. Although I certainly hold my sports team prejudices (and I will refrain from calling each of them out), I could never fault a person for supporting their home team. Rooting for my teams as part of the minority has only increased my devotion to my beloved Baltimore teams.

As strange as it has been to adjust to sports life away from home, attending college has only made me more appreciative of home teams. I have loved meeting new friends from all over the country and hearing about their love for their home teams. Philadelphia teams will never replace the love I have for my home teams, but living near Philly has given me a greater appreciation for rooting for the home team (free coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts when the Eagles win is also a good incentive). I appreciate the devoted Eagles fans on campus, and I smile at the smorgasbord of jerseys I see in the Dining Commons during Sunday brunch. Although most people I’ve met don’t root for the same teams as me, I share with many friends a passion for our home teams—and that is a beautiful thing.