THE MAGAZINE OF GORDON COLLEGE
STILLPOINT FALL 2020
A CRISIS AND A CLASS TO REMEMBER Also in Also ThisinIssue This Issue 10 Faith7Rising New Board Campaign of Trustees Milestones Chair228Peace Celebrating in Politics: Roger Fruitful Green Dialogue 37 16,000 Across Stories Party Lines
Going Green (And Pink?) For any local residents who have driven north on Route 128 after dusk and wondered about the neon pink lights radiating from Gordon’s campus, wonder no more. They’re keeping Gordon’s greenhouse alive. The glow emanating from the third floor of the Ken Olsen Science Center is a combination of red and blue wavelengths that supply the plants with most of the light needed to grow. While traditional white greenhouse lamps use all ROYGBIV wavelengths, only red and blue (the R and the B) are needed for plant growth. So, by limiting the wavelengths, these lights use significantly less energy and give off less heat, allowing them to be placed closer to the plants for faster nutrient absorption.
CONTENTS
STILLPOINT
The Magazine of Gordon College VOLUME 36 NUMBER 1
FEATURE
Heather Korpi, Editorial Director Mary (Hierholzer) Jacobs ’15, Staff Writer Bri (Young) Obied ’14, Staff Writer Rebecca Powell, Art Director Selina Taylor ’18, Graphic Designer Mark Spooner ’14, Photographer Marilyn Helgesen, Alumni News Rick Sweeney ’85, Vice President for Marketing and External Relations ADDRESS CHANGES Alumni Office | alumni.office@gordon.edu
A CRISIS AND A CLASS TO REMEMBER Meet the Gordon alumni who have stood on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19—and the graduating class whose final six weeks of the college experience were upended by the global pandemic.
Page 12 IN THIS ISSUE
Up Front with 4 President Lindsay
Rising Campaign 10 Faith Milestones
Inspiration 5
Chris Jones ’99 Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Emergency Management Coordinator
Student Spotlight 6 Callum Owen ’22
On the Grapevine 8
Accomplishments in academics and athletics
24 Class Notes
Alumni news and stories
Editor, STILLPOINT | Gordon College 255 Grapevine Road, Wenham, MA 01984 stillpoint@gordon.edu PRINTING Flagship Press | North Andover, MA Opinions expressed in STILLPOINT are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Gordon College administration. Reproduction of STILLPOINT material is permitted; please attribute to STILLPOINT: The Magazine of Gordon College.
MISSION
IN EACH ISSUE
If 2020 Were Hindsight
OTHER CORRESPONDENCE
The stories and successes of Gordon’s five-year comprehensive campaign
ARTICLES
22 Peace in Politics
A counselor, a professor and a nonprofit leader share tips for fruitful dialogue this election season.
and Athens 23 Jerusalem Forum Essay Contest JAF students tackle this year’s topic: “Seeking Wisdom in the Information Age.”
STILLPOINT magazine is one of two keynote communications (along with Gordon’s website) that exist to connect the extended Gordon community to the life of the College. STILLPOINT offers meaningful, relevant news and stories to educate, inspire and engage Gordon and Barrington alumni, parents, donors and friends. Send feedback and story suggestions to stillpoint@gordon.edu.
ON THE COVER Samantha Wallis (left) and Ariana Pitaro (right) stood on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and on the (virtual) Commencement stage this spring. When senior year took an unexpected turn for Wallis, an EMT, and Pitaro, a neuroscience ICU personal care assistant, they launched into new careers with valuable—and sobering—experiences. Read more on page 16. A special thanks to Chris Jones and the Town of Wenham for helping to arrange this issue’s cover shoot.
STARTERS
NEWS
FEATURE
ARTICLES
ALUMNI
UP FRONT with President Lindsay
If 2020 Were Hindsight
“Walk through today as well as you can . . . and God will take care of the future.” —Rev. Adoniram Judson Gordon When our creative team first started planning this issue of STILLPOINT, COVID-19 hadn’t even been given its formal name. We distantly knew of the “coronavirus” and the provisional “novel coronavirus” and “2019-nCov” monikers that had been assigned to an outbreak in China. But apart from a few canceled trips east, not much had changed in the western hemisphere. What would eventually become a global pandemic had barely touched our shores. But then, at an alarming rate, the world began to change. The physical world entered into crisis as the virus rapidly infiltrated more than 200 countries, infecting millions and overwhelming healthcare systems. We ran short on masks, hospital beds, ventilators and toilet paper. Our hearts broke for those who became ill, and we grieved the devastating loss of loved ones. Businesses shuttered, schools moved online and the economy plummeted. An unnerving period of
4 STILLPOINT | FALL 2020
panic ensued—compounded a short while later by national unrest over racial inequality and injustice. Grief developed new layers as we ached for and with our Black brothers and sisters. At Gordon, we began the hard work of listening, learning and changing. As the pandemic altered the global world, it also changed our own little worlds. Here in Massachusetts, we spent the better part of three months inside our homes, forming new rhythms, overcoming new challenges and dealing with heightened anxiety. Those with milestones on the horizons— graduations, weddings—faced a specific grief over stolen experiences. The Gordon College Class of 2020 was among them. So, in this issue of STILLPOINT, we celebrate them: the culmination of their academic work, the memories and milestones over the past four years, and the words we wish we could have spoken during our final days together.
Class of 2020: I know that no virtual celebrations or printed congratulations can replace a lived community experience. The end of college didn’t go as any of us imagined. I was heartbroken to see your time on campus cut short, to miss the traditional celebrations and to not be able to share in the beautiful mix of nostalgia and excitement that percolates as we approach Commencement. I was impressed by the ways you rose to the challenge in your final six weeks, embracing your new normal and committing with resolve to finish strong. I was grateful for your graciousness and support as we all navigated a truly strange, unprecedented and rapidly evolving situation. Thank you, Class of 2020. You have been beloved members of our campus community for the past four years, and you now join a new community as newly minted Gordon alumni. I am so proud of you. (Read more on page 18.)
IN EACH ISSUE
INSPIRATION I’m proud, too, of the many other members of the Gordon community who demonstrated courage in a time of crisis. Healthcare workers—like Dr. Carrie Tibbles ’93, an ER physician and Gordon trustee—and those in other support and service roles risked their own lives to save lives and provide care. As Dr. Tibbles eloquently put it in an interview with a Boston-area newspaper, “While the virus is very contagious, goodwill and generosity are too.” (You can read about Gordon’s many COVID-19 heroes, including a few from the Class of 2020, starting on page 12.) There may, understandably, be a part of each of us that wants to fold up 2020 and put it away. But, as Heidi Forget of the Gordon College Counseling Center wrote in a letter to graduating seniors, “Whatever you have lost, whatever you watched dissolve away and whatever is yet to disappear in the coming months, please do not allow expectancy to go, too . . . Gather up your strength, wrap your arms around hope and expectancy and drag it with you into the days to come. There is work to be done in this new day. There is learning and exploring ahead. And there is purpose and meaning calling you forward.” So, while it’s tempting to wish that this year and its many challenges were behind us, that hindsight was 20/20—or 2020, as it were— let’s choose to be deliberately hopeful. Let’s find the good, celebrate the successes and look ahead with great expectation.
Wired for Action Chris Jones ’99, Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Emergency Management Coordinator Gordon’s own superhero, Chris Jones, springs into action when an emergency occurs. Equipped with spreadsheets instead of a cape, the associate vice president for human resources has been wired for action since childhood. As a boy, he would switch on his police scanner at the first sight of flashing red and blue lights to follow the action; and today, he can be found listening to the fuzzy dialogue of dispatchers and officers over his radio—welcome white noise in his MacDonald Hall office. “A lot of kids will see a fire truck or a police car and be interested in it, but some of us just never grew out of it,” says Jones. With an appetite for a fast pace and unpredictable environments, Jones moonlights with the Wenham Fire Department and Manchesterby-the-Sea Police Department, in addition to serving as Gordon’s emergency management coordinator. So, when the crisis of COVID-19 arrived in Massachusetts, Jones found himself in his element once again, voluntarily spending countless hours working overtime to organize Gordon’s response (detailed on page 13). Whether fighting fires or a pandemic, Jones’ core desire is to humbly live out God’s command to love your neighbor. Though 911 calls give him a thrill, he is respectful of the pain and shock people experience in an emergency and uses these moments to show Christ’s love to those who are suffering, whether that means accompanying a student in an ambulance or offering hope and encouragement to a survivor of a car wreck. “Do you think that the good Samaritan got blood on his hands? Do you think he could have gotten a disease from this person who was on the side of the road? Absolutely,” says Jones. “We’re called to the sick and the lame, not just the people who are clean and look like us.”
D. Michael Lindsay is the eighth president of Gordon College and professor of sociology. For him, an unexpected joy during quarantine was nightly family meals and walks around the quad with his girls as spring turned to summer on the North Shore. president@gordon.edu www.gordon.edu/president Twitter: @DMichaelLindsay
FALL 2020 | STILLPOINT 5
STARTERS
NEWS
FEATURE
ARTICLES
ALUMNI
SPOTLIGHT
Callum Owen ’22 FINDING HUMILITY WITH A “BROKEN” MIND “IT WAS A COLD NIGHT-GAME UNDER THE LIGHTS,” REMEMBERS CALLUM OWEN ’22, WHO WAS IN ELEVENTH GRADE AT THE TIME. HE WAS GOALIE THAT MATCH, READY TO THROW HIMSELF BETWEEN THE BALL AND 192 SQUARE-FEET OF NET AT A MOMENT’S NOTICE, CONDITIONED TO OVERRIDE ANY IMPULSES FOR SELF-PROTECTION.
When a player on the rival team made a long pass over the heads of Owen’s defenders, the ball curved down toward Owen and the opposing forward. With the goal exposed, Owen headed the ball out of bounds a split-second before their heads collided and they fell, inanimate, into the grass. The unconscious forward was loaded into a blinking ambulance. Owen sat on the bench for the rest of the game. He didn’t realize he was badly hurt until he got home. That night, he sat in the shower for six hours with the lights turned off. Nothing was ever quite the same.
Still “every psychiatrist and neurologist said they’d be stunned if there was no connection between those two things,” says Owen. “I’m never going to really know. There was no single factor. Mental health problems run in my family. Injuries likely made me more susceptible to it.”
Between eighth and eleventh grade, Owen got four concussions from playing soccer. Each injury was followed by seven days of headaches, confusion and lethargy. By day eight, he was back to normal—until the fourth concussion. After that, Owen says, “I was much more emotional. One day, I got very irritated with my teacher when I was struggling to understand a concept in my calculus class. I’m normally a patient person, so this lashing out concerned me.”
Although the cause is still a mystery, Owen knows how to take care of himself now. As a Gordon student, that looks like taking medication, making use of Gordon’s Counseling Center, getting plenty of exercise and enjoying the great outdoors. “My mental health challenges helped me grow up,” he says. “It’s something I’m grateful for. It made me realize how much I need prayer, other people and knowing that the Lord is always there for me. He’s not going anywhere.”
During his junior year of high school, Owen started to have panic attacks and went through periods when he wouldn’t remember to eat, shower, comb his hair, brush his teeth or do his homework. He slept most of the time.
After two years of playing soccer at Gordon, Owen is retiring from the sport, but not from the team. This semester he’s making the switch from goalie to team manager. He knows it’s important to respect his limits, especially if he wants to be ready for medical school and a career in emergency medicine.
When Owen showed up to an appointment for bronchitis with bags under his eyes and scars on his arms, the family doctor knew it wasn’t just his lungs that needed treatment. He referred Owen to a crisis center. Owen stayed in the hospital for two weeks until his psychiatrist was certain he wasn’t a danger to himself. Owen wanted to know if his concussions were responsible for the changes to his mental health. We know now, thanks to researchers at the University of Texas’ School of Public Health, that male athletes with a history of one or more concussions are
twice as likely to attempt suicide and three times more likely to receive medical treatment as a result of a suicide attempt. But this research hadn’t been published yet.
Although Owen has a clear vision for his future and healthy rituals in place, depression and anxiety are still a part of his life. The battle—to get out of bed, or, on the worst days, against suicidal thoughts—comes and goes in “slow waves,” he says. Whether we share in Owen’s mental health struggles or wrestle with something else, rarely do any of us take on a challenge once and “win.” We often face the same problem again and again, not because we’re weak, but because it’s in relearning the same lessons that we eventually gain humility. Owen is proof of that.
COVID-19 may have canceled official Commonwealth Coast Conference fall athletic games, but Owen and his teammates are using the extra time in their schedules to commit to deeper levels of physical, spiritual and mental care.
6 STILLPOINT | FALL 2020
IN EACH ISSUE
Photo Ben Rowe
STARTERS
NEWS
FEATURE
ARTICLES
ALUMNI
NEWS: ON THE GRAPEVINE
ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN ACADEMICS AND ATHLETICS
Gordon Garners Two Fulbright Awards Spring brought news that two members of the Gordon community had received Fulbright awards that would take them to Indonesia to study forgiveness, and to Colombia to support educational systems.
Last spring, Bobby Grinnell ’20 (Spanish and secondary education) received news that he had received a Fulbright award to carry out work in Colombia. There, he will be an English teaching assistant at a host public higher-education institution, working with teachers to develop curricula, plan various classroom activities, give presentations, and improve pedagogical practices and methodologies. In addition to teaching, Grinnell plans to partner with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Colombia, where he’ll use his experience teaching ESL to support individuals seeking to gain citizenship and/or work visas in the country. Kaye Cook (psychology), pictured second from right, became the fourth Gordon faculty member in four years to receive a Fulbright grant when she was awarded a Fulbright Research Scholarship. On this grant, she will delve into a new chapter in her extensive study of forgiveness. According to Cook, forgiveness literature is primarily built on Western research, and she aims to add substantial data about an Eastern culture to the conversation. So, January through June 2021, she will research the unique understandings of virtue in Indonesia in a study titled “Virtue in Indonesian Culture: Forgiveness as a Paradigm for Cultural Understanding.” Alongside five collaborators, Cook’s project examines the relationships between forgiveness and Pancasila (Indonesia’s national ideology), and outcomes will include a training manual for forgiveness in an Indonesian context. While in Indonesia, Cook will divide her time between collaborating institutions Atma Jaya University in Jakarta and South East Asia Bible Seminary in Malang. There, she will collect and organize data from 60 demographically diverse participants, who will have completed a set of surveys measuring forgiveness and religiousness. Their responses will be analyzed on a Social Harmony Forgiveness (SHF) scale that Cook and her colleagues developed, measuring characteristics of forgiveness that are particularly important in Indonesia’s generally collectivist culture. They will assess whether forgiveness and religiousness in Indonesia show the same patterns of interrelatedness as in earlier research Cook conducted in the U.S. Beyond data, Cook hopes her study will provide a window into pluralist culture. “People who encounter others from unfamiliar interfaith or cultural contexts,” she says, “inevitably transgress against them and must learn to manage these relationships while maintaining their faith and living together in peace.”
8 STILLPOINT | FALL 2020
The period of Grinnell’s grant is scheduled to begin in January 2021, but may be subject to further adjustment due to the ongoing concern of COVID-19. Despite the uncertain nature of his duration abroad, Grinnell is eager to begin his work in Colombia. “My inspiration for serving in Colombia is largely attributed toward my love for the Spanish language and culture,” he says. This passion for cross-cultural learning was fostered during his time interning in Global Education. Grinnell’s first experience teaching English came while studying abroad in Spain, when he volunteered to work alongside three highschool English teachers in Seville. “I loved this experience so much that I transitioned halfway through one major to a double Spanish and secondary education major with an ESL concentration,” even though it added another year to his college career. Now with a dual licensure to teach Spanish and ESL at the middle- and high-school level in Massachusetts, Grinnell hopes to pursue a Master of Social Work and teach Spanish and/or ESL within the context of an urban high school after he concludes his Fulbright experience.
ON THE GRAPEVINE
Men’s and Women’s Basketball Net New Records Three Fighting Scots finished their basketball careers by making basketball records—and national headlines.
Eric Demers ’20: The nation learned the name “Eric Demers” when Sports Illustrated featured his record-smashing senior season. At 32.4 points per game, he led all divisions of NCAA basketball for the 2019–20 season and finished with 2,553 points—breaking both Gordon’s and the Commonwealth Coast Conference’s all-time records. As Men’s Basketball entered playoffs, Demers was named the CCC Player of the Year and to the All-CCC First Team. After the season concluded, he was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division III All-District Team and the D3hoops. com All-Northeast Region First Team, and was named a National Association of Basketball Coaches Division III All-American.
Meghan Foley ’20: The 2019–20 CCC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, named to the All-CCC First Team, Foley led Division III scoring with 24 points per game. She is the second-highest scoring athlete in Gordon Women’s Basketball history with the record for season points, 624, and 1,734 career points (second to Sarah DeLuca ’05 with 1,956). Even after the season concluded, honors continued rolling in for Foley. She was nominated to play in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association NCAA DIII Women’s Basketball All-Star game (canceled due to COVID-19 precautions), named to the New England Women’s Basketball Association All-Region Second Team and to the D3hoops.com All-Northeast Region Second Team.
Sarah Gibbs ’20: With three Gordon records to her name, Gibbs was the 2019–20 CCC Defensive Player of the Year and named to the All-CCC Third Team. She led DIII in rebounds with 13.2 per game, and holds Gordon’s records for career rebounds with 1,035, the most rebounds in a game with 24, and the most rebounds in a season with a total of 344.
Women’s Basketball Breaks the Spell: Foley, Gibbs, Jess Wall ’20 and Alisha Henderson ’20 stepped onto the court for Gordon Women’s Basketball in 2016, the same year as Head Coach Carter Shaw. The new Scots were inheriting a program that had not seen a winning record since 2005–06. But steady improvement since the Class of 2020’s and Shaw’s arrival has edged the team up by one spot each season in the CCC, from eighth in 2016–17 to fifth in 2019–20—with 15 wins and 11 losses overall—for Women’s Basketball’s most successful season in 15 years.
FALL 2020 | STILLPOINT 9
“And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.” —Luke 17:5
Faith Rising Milestones Quiet Phase: July 2017– October 2019 July and August 2017: Formation of Campaign Working Groups. Five groups meet regularly about funding priorities, with representatives from faculty, staff, alumni, donors and trustees.
Public Phase: October 2019–Now October 4, 2019: Launch of the Public Phase. Celebrating 130 years since its founding, the College publicly unveils Faith Rising during Homecoming and Family Weekend and announces the anonymous $75.5 million gift.
January and February 2018: Confirmation
October 2018: Enhancements to the
of a Comprehensive Campaign.
Student Experience. Early donor support
A feasibility study gauges donor
enables the launch of the Career and
engagement with funding priorities and
Connection Institute with new space in
sets campaign goals. Campaign name
Jenks Library, a track and turf upgrade at
and guiding Scripture verse (Luke 17:5)
Brigham Athletic Complex, and renovations
are chosen.
in the Lane Student Center dining hall.
October 5, 2019: Athletics Rising Begins.
November 15, 2019: School of Education
A $2 million commitment from the
Established. The College announces the
Kanas family supports Gordon Athletics,
School of Education, inaugural Richard F.
including capital improvements in the
Gross Endowed Chair in Education (now
Bennett Athletic Center.
held by Dr. Priscilla Nelson), Margaret C. Wright Alumni Memorial Award and Grace Evelyn Hinshaw ’65 School of Education Endowed Scholarship.
10 STILLPOINT | FALL 2020
Friends,
Campaign Pillars
As we mark one year into the public phase of Faith Rising: The Campaign for Gordon College, we are both eager to cross the finish line and profoundly grateful for the support and generosity of our community. Thanks to all of you who have made this happen—you are a blessing, and we wouldn’t be this far without you.
The five-year comprehensive campaign will raise $130 million in gifts and pledges to support three main pillar goals:
We look back and see more than 130 years of courageous leaders and servants who have come through Gordon’s doors and gone on to make their mark on the world for the cause of Christ. We look forward and see their legacy living on. Faith Rising ensures that Gordon, the flagship Christian liberal arts institution in the heart of New England, can continue to deliver on its mission and provide all students with an education that is affordable, adaptable and anchored in Christian community. As we work to complete this comprehensive campaign over the course of the next year, we echo the apostles’ prayer in Luke 17:5, “Lord, increase our faith!” We are grateful for this opportunity to walk toward the future God has for Gordon. Faith Rising is a comprehensive campaign for the College. Every single gift—both large and small—is vital in reaching our goal and supporting the next generation of Gordon students. Thank you for joining us. Gratefully,
Affordable Dramatically increase merit- and needbased scholarships to recruit and retain top Christian students and graduate them without significant debt.
Adaptable Elevate opportunities for practical, hands-on learning experiences for students and enhance Gordon’s educational technology and faculty development.
Anchored in Christ Foster deeper community and spiritual connections through opportunities like the Career and Connection Institute, La Vida and Gordon Athletics.
Britt Carlson Eaton ’03 Associate Vice President for Advancement
September 28, 2018: Two Endowed
April 12, 2019: Expansion in Online
August 2019: A History-making Gift. The
Faculty Chairs Installed. Dr. Elaine Phillips
Learning. The College receives an
College receives a $75.5 million gift from
is formally installed as the second holder of
anonymous $10 million gift to the
an anonymous donor, designated for the
the Ockenga Professorship in Biblical and
unrestricted endowment, which enables
College’s endowment and directed to fund
Theological Studies and Dr. Sarita Kwok as
further progress on Gordon Global,
student scholarships.
the inaugural holder of the Adams Endowed
Gordon’s online learning program.
Chair in Music.
December 15, 2019: Bringing Gordon to
January 10, 2020: Progress in Online
the Bay Area. Gordon partners with Pat
Learning. Donor support allows the
Gelsinger of VMware, Ted ’88 and Sara
College to hire a director of digital
Lucas, and Dante ’80 and Melanie ’82
learning, invest in upgrades to its
Rutstrom to develop the three-year Bay
digital learning platform and make
Area Project that includes internships,
strides in online learning for allied
career expeditions and an intensive
health professions.
summer program.
Support Faith Rising: The Campaign for Gordon College When you support Faith Rising, your gift goes directly to making a Gordon education more affordable, adaptable and anchored in Christian community for today’s students as well as future generations. Visit www.gordon.edu/faithrising or return the enclosed envelope to make a gift. Thank you!
FALL 2020 | STILLPOINT 11
STARTERS
NEWS
FEATURE
ARTICLES
ALUMNI
A CRISIS AND A CLASS TO REMEMBER RESPONDING TO A GLOBAL PANDEMIC In early March, it became clear that COVID-19 wasn’t just a virus on the news. It was in our country, in our state and before it got to our county, Gordon had to take measures to protect the campus and community. Chris Jones, Gordon’s emergency management coordinator, took the helm and quickly assembled a task force to assess the situation and formulate a plan of action.
What started as a plan to delay students’ return from spring break very quickly morphed into a decision to move classes online and cancel all events (or create virtual versions) for the remainder of the semester. Financial adjustments were made for residential students; move-out was delayed; a new grading exception option was introduced. A Student Care Team formed a robust “Living and Learning Remotely” resource to support students during the transition, including biweekly phone check-ins with every student.
Learn more about Gordon’s response at www.gordon.edu/coronavirus, and get a taste of “campus” life at www.gordon.edu/samegordon
12 STILLPOINT | FALL 2020
But not surprisingly, distance meant anything but disconnection for the Gordon community. Faculty, staff and students mustered their unbridled resilience, tapped into deep wells of creative juices, and found ways to not only survive but thrive during quarantine—continuing the academic excellence, spiritual formation and community connections that define a Gordon experience.
COVID AND THE CLASS OF 2020
A Good Neighbor on Grapevine Road
Masked and Mighty
Thanks to the science faculty, Gordon Police and Physical Plant Departments, who dug through storage closets and emergency supply stashes, the College was able to donate much-needed personal protective equipment for healthcare workers fighting hard in our own backyard.
While the majority of Gordon employees remained home between mid-March and early June, 57 continued regularly reporting to campus to ensure safety and sanitation for the small population of students who could not return home. We are tremendously grateful for them. “We had to be more vigilant in our work since there were fewer eyes on our community . . . [and] we have had to be ever mindful of wearing a mask and maintaining appropriate distance when interacting with people on campus.”
To Tufts Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital:
20
8
cases of gloves
regular protective goggles
David Kim, patrol officer
To Beverly Hospital
400
N95 masks
60
isolation gowns
“We are working hard to defend Gordon from the coronavirus . . . I've been so surprised at how beautiful Gordon's campus truly is, and how this season of separation hasn't tainted that beauty.”
10
hooded gowns
Jessie Alexander, custodian
20
regular protective goggles
20
hooded coveralls
“I’ve seen a lot of collaboration and willingness to innovate and create together across departmental boundaries as we try to make the best experience for students in this situation . . . [but] I think in this season we have all seen that community over Zoom just can’t match the real thing.”
10
hooded gowns
To the Wenham Police and Fire Departments:
200
N95 masks
Jeff Carpenter, director of Residence Life, Nyland Hall RD
493
8,000
380
2,500
undergraduate classes transitioned to an online format
notes were handwritten from staff to alumni
notes were handwritten from staff to donors and friends
phone conversations happened between students and faculty/staff
FALL 2020 | STILLPOINT 13
STARTERS
NEWS
FEATURE
ARTICLES
ALUMNI
COURAGE IN THE FACE OF COVID-19 Stories of Alumni Making a Difference When Physical and Mental Illness Meet
James Kulig ’03 James Kulig, a physician assistant at Boston Children’s Hospital, and his colleagues are providing medical care to many of Boston’s sick and injured children. During the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in Boston, many major hospitals had to close their pediatric ICUs and pediatric floors to create room for COVID-19 patients. Kulig says, “We have received many transfers and are handling the influx of referrals that would typically be spread out among Boston-area hospitals.”
Kate Wiebe ’01 As executive director of the Institute for Collective Trauma and Growth, Kate Wiebe is training leaders how to help their communities deal with collective trauma and the mental, emotional and spiritual challenges that come with COVID-19. She says, “Sometimes the things we love—our homes, our work, our school, our church or our community— are wrecked in such a big way that we cannot have them the way they used to be. We help community leaders identify what has happened, how they are impacted or can help, and what they can do to be as healthy as they can through what is often a long road to rebuilding.”
14 STILLPOINT | FALL 2020
A positive COVID-19 diagnosis is devastating for anyone—but for mental health patients, it can be particularly complicated. And the quality of care they receive is critical. So, when a section of Vanessa Torres-Lacarra’s floor at the North Shore Medical Center in Salem, MA, converted to a COVID-19 unit for adult psychiatric patients, she volunteered to step in. As the only mental health specialist or counselor in the COVID unit, Torres-Lacarra ’19 continues her usual role of checking in on patients, running therapy groups and consulting with physicians to monitor patients’ overall health. But, she says, “it is definitely harder [now] as many, due to their psychiatric conditions, have forgotten they have contracted the virus or know full well and are extraordinarily anxious about it.” One patient even tried to spit on Torres-Lacarra and her colleagues in an attempt to spread the coronavirus. The greatest challenge she encounters in the new environment, though, is finding a healthy balance between caring for her patients and maintaining her own mental health. Oftentimes, “healthcare workers stretch themselves thin because many of us have servant hearts,” she says. “We often are so enveloped in what others need that we forget about ourselves.” In the face of heart-wrenching conditions and exhausting work, Torres-Lacarra is motivated by her patients’ progress. “We recently discharged a patient who [had been] COVID positive, as she was not showing symptoms of either COVID-19 or her mental illness, which was such a miracle of God to witness,” Torres-Lacarra says. “I feel very blessed to help these patients through a very difficult time in their lives.”
COVID AND THE CLASS OF 2020
“I am acutely aware that we are, for the first time in history, across the world, all impacted in similar ways.”
Heidi [last name withheld for security] ’97 Missionary (Haute-Savoie, France)
Perspectives from a War-torn Country When Brent Fryling ’92 returns home from the Lynn Community Health Center in Lynn, MA, the evening routine begins: The scrubs come off and go in a plastic bag. He washes off, eats dinner at a distance with his wife and two sons, and then resigns for the night to a room over his garage—his new home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though Fryling went weeks without physically touching his family, he considers the opportunity to practice social distancing with them a “luxury.” “There are areas in Lynn where folks don’t have options to quarantine,” he says, even if a family member tests positive for COVID-19. As a family physician, Fryling regularly cares for patients experiencing hardships—many are uninsured, speak English as a second language or have varied citizenship statuses. On a typical day before the pandemic, he and a team of nearly 40 providers saw 1,000 patients who battled challenging diagnoses including HIV, Hepatitis C, depression and PTSD. Now those hardships are compounded by the pandemic. But for Fryling, the apocalyptic scenes at grocery stores and widespread grief over lost jobs, experiences and loved ones are not entirely unfamiliar. As a medical project manager, he spent five years detecting and treating tuberculosis with a nongovernmental organization in Afghanistan, during which time he became accustomed to conditions like the ones currently causing alarm in the U.S. Despite the many hardships, Fryling says, Afghanistan persevered—and their example gives him hope amidst the coronavirus’ impact in the United States. “The majority of the world is a day-to-day economy where if you don’t work that day, you don’t have food that night,” he says. “Seeing these things firsthand gives me hope that even if the consequences of this pandemic are really bad, it is possible for a society to continue but maybe just different than what we’ve known in the U.S.”
“I am beyond grateful—I get out of the house, I have purposeful human interaction and I have an opportunity to help. Nurses have always been there to care for the sick and we always will be. This is our job. We love healing.”
Christine Monaco ’12
RN in COVID-19 unit, Hartford Hospital (Hartford, CT)
“Focusing on the present—that which is in front of me for the day or the moment, or that one patient I am working with— enables me to have greater compassion and see the individual through God’s eyes.”
Anna (Jonker) Vasquez ’13
Community Health Nurse, Lawndale Christian Health Center (Chicago, IL)
“Ministry is a 24/7 focus now. Since we’ve been forced to be intentional with investing in the community due to social distancing, this season presents an incredible opportunity for us to be the Church.”
Scott Kearney ’08
Lead Pastor, The Well Church (Nashua, NH) FALL 2020 | STILLPOINT 15
STARTERS
NEWS
FEATURE
ARTICLES
ALUMNI
THE COVID CLASS When the finish line of college collides with the frontlines of a pandemic
16 STILLPOINT | FALL 2020
Incoming 911 calls and the subsequent cry of sirens aren’t a standard study interruption for most college students. But for Samantha Wallis ’20, pictured left, they’ve been part of everyday life since she became an emergency medical technician (EMT) during her first year at Gordon. Wallis says, “I wanted to be able to help people and make a difference in the world,” and she didn’t want to wait until graduation to do so. But when COVID-19 hit, making a difference in the world took on a new layer of significance for Wallis—and a new layer of personal protective equipment (PPE).
COVID AND THE CLASS OF 2020
Wallis’s classmate Ariana Pitaro, pictured right, who had finished her kinesiology major in December, had just settled into her new job as a patient care associate at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital neuroscience intensive care unit (ICU) in Boston. The future physician was assisting neurocritical care nurses by taking blood sugar levels, feeding patients and ensuring their tubes and IV lines remain in place while turning them over in bed. “I never imagined that just two months into my employment a global pandemic would break out,” Pitaro says. As Wallis and Pitaro both straddled the worlds of college student and recent grad, COVID-19 expedited their transition, nudging them to the frontlines where they stood with thousands of other essential heroes in the fight against the virus. The pandemic introduced new protocols and dilemmas for Wallis and her colleagues in Wilmington, MA. If a 911 dispatcher reported that a patient had tested positive or showed symptoms of COVID-19, the EMTs donned a gown, N95 mask, gloves and eye shield, and gave a surgical mask to the patient—five additional steps between call and treatment they didn’t previously have to take. Frequently, Wallis had the heartwrenching task of stopping worried family members at the ambulance doors. No guests could accompany patients, even if their condition was unrelated to COVID-19. Understandably, says Wallis, “This can lead to lots of anxiety or anger. It can be difficult to defuse these situations and it extends the amount of time we are on location, which can put us at risk.” Pitaro’s days became equally unpredictable and risky when her downtown Boston
unit was converted into a COVID-19 ICU in late February, while still providing beds for non-COVID neuro patients. On her commute to work she wondered, “Which unit will I be deployed to today? Will we run out of PPE like other hospitals?” Her first few months on the job, caring for both COVID and non-COVID patients, have been “a sobering learning experience,” she says. “Holding the hand
“My father and stepfather have been great guides for me when I have questions about a particular situation and offer moral support after really hard days,” she says. “Bob was able to guide me out of a dark outlook on the future and how God could allow this pandemic to occur,” she says. “In the midst of all that chaos, he comforted me with reminders that we can only do our best for the next person and that God is on the frontlines with us. His
WHICH UNIT WILL I BE DEPLOYED TO TODAY? WILL WE RUN OUT OF PPE LIKE OTHER HOSPITALS? of a sick patient while they struggle to take independent breaths or assisting nurses with patient care during stressful moments has allowed me to truly experience the frontlines of healthcare.” Life off the job presented predicaments for Pitaro and Wallis, too, as they attempted to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Moving into an isolated room on Gordon’s campus was particularly painful for Wallis. “I would see people be afraid to come near me,” she says. “I don’t hold anything against them for that, but it was still very hard to feel like I could possibly cause harm to somebody else.” For wisdom and encouragement, Wallis leaned on others with shared experiences—her stepfather (an EMT and former fire chief and firefighter), father (a paramedic and former volunteer firefighter) and Gordon Chaplain Bob Whittet ’78 (another EMT, firefighter and Rye, NH, Fire Department chaplain).
words empowered me to go back to work and keep on fighting!” Pitaro hopes to be a source of encouragement for her patients, too. “Working in medicine,” she says, “my whole goal is to help people and to be comforting. If I can do that through providing treatment to someone who has an incurable disease and making them feel as comfortable as possible, I’ll do everything in my power to make them feel that level of compassion.” It’s that steady mix of compassion and courage, rooted in faith, that’s guided Wallis and Pitaro each time they’ve loaded COVID-19 positive patients into ambulances or entered their negative pressure hospital room to check vitals. “Yes, we are medical professionals and yes, we are scientists,” says Pitaro, “but these patients are people and this is humanity.”
FALL 2020 | STILLPOINT 17
STARTERS
NEWS
FEATURE
ARTICLES
ALUMNI
CELEBRATING OUR SENIORS SENIOR SHOWCASE A (Suddenly) Virtual Culmination of Four Years of Work If the spring semester had gone as planned, Rachel O’Connor ’20 and Daniel Webber ’20 would have been practicing in Phillips Music Center, preparing for their violin and voice recitals, respectively, which would have been performed before family and friends. MaryKate McKinney ’20 would have set up shop in Roosevelt Studios, with eight yards of tulle and a borrowed projector. Lucas Sousa-Ross ’20 and Olivia Neal ’20 would have met up in Barrington Center for the Arts to collaborate on their musical theatre cabaret featuring their friends, family and themselves. And Katie Simpson ’20 would have brainstormed bits of her English honors thesis on Toni Morrison as she commuted to her internship at the Bostonbased WBUR news station. Instead, the COVID-19 pandemic came barreling through, forcing these six and more than 300 of their classmates to return to or stay home after spring break, and find creative workarounds to complete and present their senior projects. Some turned spare rooms at home into art and performance studios; others spent countless hours on Zoom, collaborating with teammates on songs, podcasts, websites and even church services; and others holed up with online research resources to crank out dozens of pages of final papers. (MaryKate began chronicling her senior thesis creation from her bedroom on Instagram: @bedroomthesis. And Katie wove harp practice into thesis breaks.) Visit www.gordon.edu/seniorshowcase for a virtual version of the projects, presentations, papers and performances that would have been displayed around campus—or, at the very least, consumed minds in corners of Jenks Library and Chester’s Place late into the night—for the final quad of the academic year.
Making, Unmaking and Remaking As Meredith Free ’20 sands the wooden surface of her painting of her mother sitting under a red maple tree, the image is destroyed. But the more Free removes, the more she discovers. New layers of the panel reveal what she calls a “third creation”—something deeper and more beautiful than her original impression. The new graduate, a Kenneth L. Pike scholar who studied the history of ideas and fine arts, is putting the final touches on the paintings as part of her senior thesis. Free’s thesis paintings and accompanying essay explore the theme of tree imagery in relation to grief. It’s a topic she knows personally, having grieved her mother’s passing just months before Free’s first year at Gordon. Her thesis is more than an intellectual connection between grief and art—it’s a physical immersion in the process. “I’m, in a way, actively destroying the piece, just as grief feels like it’s actively destroying us,” says Free. “But by doing that— unmaking as I’m remaking—I’m creating something better than both the creation and destruction. It’s a third creation that captures something deeper and something more beautiful than just my life lived with my mother or my life lost with my mother.” Free’s collection features nearly a dozen paintings of trees— abstract branches, an impression of bark, a forest scene sprinkled with forsythia—and portraiture. Some of her work uses Nihonga, the traditional form of Japanese painting she learned as an intern for world-renowned artist Makoto Fujimara, that uses crushed semiprecious minerals. Ground up and destroyed then suspended in animal hide glue, the minerals refract light in a way that again illuminates the beauty in destruction. “I want to impart to viewers that the experiences that they’ve had— which may seem like the most traumatic or scarring ones that they’ve had—are valid, not just in the horrific things that they’ve undergone, but in the ways that they’ve grown from them,” she says. “And those are beautiful.” www.gordon.edu/seniorshowcase/art
18 STILLPOINT | FALL 2020
COVID AND THE CLASS OF 2020
Penning a Human Connection
The Sanctity of Smartphones
Last spring, real actors got hired to play the TV characters Jes Mabanglo ’20 had penned herself. She says, “It was crazy to watch other production teams put real people into the roles I’d made up in my head.” Although her time as a student in the L.A. Film Studies Program and chance to work with a Hollywood production team was cut short when the pandemic hit, it gave Mabanglo a foot in what some would call a fairly well-guarded door. Already, a Hollywood producer has asked to see more of her writing.
In northern Tanzania, where paved roads are hard to come by and houses are made primarily of mud and grass, the Maasai people can be found checking weather forecasts on their smartphones. The World Bank estimates that, in many developing countries, more people have access to a smartphone than they do to clean drinking water or electricity. “And so, the best way to get Scripture to them is in the form of a Scripture app,” says Evan Platzer ’20, a computer science and linguistics double major and the first graduate of Gordon’s Bible Translation Program. “But building a Bible reading app is a pretty tricky process.”
Over the last four years, Mabanglo’s pen has been rather busy at Gordon—writing sketches for the late-night comedy show Exit 17 and class comedy competition Golden Goose, some of Kai’s dialogue and character arch in the performance As I Am, a speech for the JUD Talks competition, an oral story for the Public Story Symposium and two short films that each won first place in their categories at Gordon Globes. One of these short films, “Talk Up the Talk,” also won the People’s Choice Award at an international film festival run by ConnectHER (where Mabanglo got on a first name basis with Pamela Ribon, one of the screenwriters for Disney’s Moana). Right now, Mabanglo is in her first semester of graduate school at Emerson College in Boston, where she’s pursuing an MFA in writing for film and television. Someday, she hopes to write for HBO, Amazon or Netflix. Behind every story Mabanglo tells is a desire to connect with others. She explains, “I think to really make a change or move on with my life, I have to share my experiences with someone else. Even if I write a blog post, I will turn to the person next to me and ask, ‘Do you want to read this?’ Only after that exchange does writing become therapy. It’s not so much affirmation that I need; it’s connection. It’s knowing I’m not alone in this experience that I’ve had.”
Platzer spent months improving Wycliffe’s Scripture app builder as a language software developer intern last summer. “Every translation that Wycliffe produces, we can then make an app for,” He says. “The builder I’ve helped to program works with every language you give it. It’s extremely flexible and was created specifically for minority languages and for all ongoing translations.” This project and the Bible Translation Program have introduced Platzer to a kind of work that uniquely blends computer science and linguistics—programming languages and human languages. And programming a Bible reading app builder is just the start. In the years to come, he aspires to join in the work Wycliffe is already doing to utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning to speed up the translation process. He explains, “The machine could take a really small sample [of a minority language] and do a rough draft of the entire Bible. It would still need refinement. It would not be the inspired Word of God at that point, but it would be a framework to work from. That’s the dream for me.” www.gordon.edu/seniorshowcase/cs
www.gordon.edu/seniorshowcase/comm
FALL 2020 | STILLPOINT 19
STARTERS
NEWS
FEATURE
ARTICLES
ALUMNI
DEAR CLASS OF 2020, “My dear friends: Many congratulations to you on graduating. This is a big deal. Seriously. Take a moment and think about your first-year self—how much has changed in such a short time! You’ve struggled and overcome. You’ve learned from failures. You’ve stretched beyond your limits. You’ve learned new ideas. You’ve expanded into new arenas of expertise. You’ve engaged with your faith in new and profound ways. I’m not willing to let a pandemic overshadow this really big deal. You’ve accomplished something extraordinary and even though things are challenging right now, know that you are amazing and that we need you. The world needs what you’ve learned, your expertise, your heart—we need you. I’m so proud of you. Congratulations!” —Amy Brown Hughes, Assistant Professor of Theology
“I’m thankful for you, proud of you and excited to see what God has done and will do in and through your lives. Even though we continued on Zoom and had some regular interaction, I missed the closer and informal contact of being in person. And now, I just miss you. My main sadness is that you didn’t get those last weeks with each other. Perhaps, having grown accustomed to video conversations, you’ll be able to stay in closer touch with some distant friends (and me). That would be a silver lining.” —Russ Tuck, Professor of Computer Science
“You were one of the best classes I ever had mainly because of how well you adapted to our switch to remote learning. Some people have referred to your generation (Gen Z) as soft and easily distressed. That’s certainly not true of you. You faced up to and fought through an extremely difficult challenge. Your adaptability will serve you well in your future careers and lives. I’m very proud of you.” —Kent Seibert, Professor of Economics and Business
“Your world needs you. This is not a test; this is life. But this is what you have been preparing for. You are entering a world of unprecedented suffering and loss and isolation and violence. Makes you wish you could hole up in Chester’s and cram for exams again, right? But this is the real test: How much are you willing to trust God and his unfailing promises? He has been faithful to you in the past.
20 STILLPOINT | FALL 2020
He won’t leave you now. Remember to listen attentively. Speak boldly. Act kindly. Love deeply. Give sacrificially. Laugh generously. Pray unceasingly. With God’s help, you’ve got this.” —Christy Gardner, Associate Professor of Communication Arts
“Congratulations on completing your first Gordon journey! Welcome to your continuing journey—joining the long blue and white line of fellow alumni around the world (or right next door). Be faithful and generously lend your strengths to whatever community you are part of! It makes all the difference.” —Chris Carlson ’87, Dean of Student Success
“Congratulations on finishing college! You have faced a challenge this spring that no other group of students has ever encountered. Not only was your last semester of college disrupted by a pandemic, but all the communities you were invested in were plunged into uncertainty. Just as you are owning adulthood, all the patterns of your life have unraveled. Some of you have suffered illness; all of you have experienced some manner of loss. Yet in this isolating experience, you are not alone. Even in these circumstances that none of us would have chosen, your Creator is shaping your hearts and minds, equipping you to be his hands and feet in a broken world. While the suffering we witness today takes new forms, the reality of fragile human bodies susceptible to disease and destined to die; societies beset by racism, violence and poverty; and families and churches prone to dysfunction are nothing new. But God is not aloof from this messiness. The incarnation means that Christ chooses to dwell with us in our human weakness. This is true throughout history, for the Hebrews carried off to exile in Babylon, for the companions of Jesus in Roman occupied Palestine, for the women and men empowered by the Holy Spirit to face persecution as the Body of Christ. God has promised to be sufficient for all our needs. I am grateful to have been alongside you for a portion of your journey and witness you grow. I look forward to seeing how God will use you in the years to come. May God bless you and keep you!” —Jennifer Hevelone-Harper ’92, Professor of History
COVID AND THE CLASS OF 2020
Memories and Milestones for the Class of 2020 “What a joy and privilege it has been to work with so many of you over the last few years! Although no one could have predicted how your time in college has ended, no pandemic can tarnish the amazing things you’ve accomplished. As you depart Gordon to begin this next phase of your life, I encourage you to remember God’s faithfulness and love, to rest in the finished work of Christ on the cross, to rely on the wisdom and strength of the Holy Spirit, and to rejoice in the Lord always. Soli Deo Gloria.” —Chad Stutz, Associate Professor of English
“It has been an honor to walk alongside each one of you over the last four years. We are SO proud of you and everything that you’ve accomplished. More importantly, during your years at Gordon we have witnessed how each of you has grown in character, demonstrated perseverance, shown care and concern for your peers, used your musical gifts to serve others and developed a clearer sense of the Lord’s calling in our life. Your future is bright, and you are ready for what it holds! May the Lord guide you and bless you!” —Sarita Kwok, Adams Endowed Chair in Music
Congratulations from the Gordon community!
The pandemic may have altered the final quad of senior year for the Class of 2020, but it didn’t erase the significant moments from the 15 quads that preceded it. Here are a few things that happened in the 1,366 days between their move-in on August 19, 2016, and virtual graduation May 16, 2020.
Class of 2020 By the Numbers
Lecrae gives a concert on campus.
Chapel services attended
The beloved Marv Wilson (biblical studies) retires. Dear Neighbor is founded at Gordon to fight racism and inequality. Donald Trump is elected 45th president of the U.S. The global #MeToo movement begins. Several spots on campus undergo significant renovations—Tupper dining hall, Brigham turf and track, and Jenks Library. Men’s Soccer wins the CCC championship and Men’s Basketball becomes a CCC finalist. Multiple nationwide protests against racial injustices erupt—including at Gordon, with ALANA’s “Say their Names” and “DACA Solidarity” marches. Teen activist Greta Thunberg speaks out against climate change. Rev. Bob Whittet (biblical studies and Christian ministries) is named Gordon’s chaplain. Gordon launches the five-year comprehensive Faith Rising campaign. Films like Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, LaLa Land and Crazy Rich Asians steal the big screen.
55,350 18,450 papers written
55,350 jogs taken around Coy Pond
2.9 M
hours of studying
40,066
credit hours completed
Brexit happens. The Eagles win the Super Bowl against the Patriots. The last two Star Wars episodes come out. Colin Kaepernick kneels during the National Anthem. A.F.R.O. Hamwe, La Raza and A.S.I.A form to serve Black, Hispanic and Asian students, respectively.
93,000
cups of coffee consumed at Chester’s and Bistro 255
A.F.R.O. Hamwe launches the “Black Excellence” awards at Gordon. Tim Tebow and the Harlem Globetrotters star at the Celebration of Faithful Leadership event at Gordon. FALL 2020 | STILLPOINT 21
STARTERS
NEWS
FEATURE
ARTICLES
ALUMNI
Peace in Politics: How to Have Fruitful Dialogue Across Party Lines The Experts
Reid Swetland ’89, mental health counselor at the Gordon College Counseling Center Mike Jacobs, associate professor of political science at Gordon College Sarah Dawn Petrin ’98, founder of Protect the People and peace operations analyst at the Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute
As the 2020 election approaches, so do opportunities to turn partisan squabbles into moments of personal growth. Wherever you may fall on the spectrum between cagey and zealous, we all can find ways to step outside of our comfort zones and meet one another in the middle. Here’s how: 1.
1
Don’t Conflate Your Political Views with Who You Are
If we get angry during a political exchange, Reid Swetland says, it’s likely we identify too much with our political views. When we conflate the two, “a different opinion feels like a personal threat” and we find ourselves asking the question: “Is there something wrong with me or is there something wrong with them?” In counseling, Swetland teaches his students to self-monitor—to check in with how they’re feeling during tense conversations. They pay attention to their tone, volume and body language— all of which have the potential to really escalate a conflict. “Conversation,” he accentuates, “is much stronger than debate.”
22. Remember, People Matter More Than Politics People love winning arguments, not because they want to hurt the other person, but because they’re afraid of appearing weak or unintelligent. Winning a political argument may seem like a good opportunity to show your opponent how strong and savvy you are, but that’s not the point—nor is that a demonstration of real strength. Sarah Petrin emphasizes, “Your relationship with this person comes first. Are you being kind? Can you stop and appreciate another person’s point of view, recognizing the values that person is trying to communicate?” 3. Move Beyond Stereotypes and Caricatures to See 3 Real People
Often, we make assumptions about people based on how they vote. Mike Jacobs says, “Research from the ‘Hidden Tribes of America’ project demonstrates that these stereotypes are often caricatures, producing what researchers call ‘the perception gap’— the difference between what one thinks those on the other side of the aisle believe and what they actually think.” To bridge this gap, Jacobs urges us to “consume a range of news sources, log off social media, make a friend who holds different political beliefs and cultivate self-awareness of the echo chambers you’re likely to inhabit.”
22 STILLPOINT | FALL 2020
4. Find the Story Underpinning a Person’s Political Viewpoint
4
Political conversations sometimes escalate because the wrong questions are being asked. We may assume that our political views are logical and objective, but Swetland suggests the reality is that, more often than not, they’re tied to our emotions and life experiences. So instead of asking, “Why do you believe that?” he says, ask, “How did you come to believe that?” Even the most seemingly far-fetched viewpoints have a story behind them, and that’s worth appreciating. “Why?” is a question that feels like an accusation, says Swetland, but “How?” is an invitation.
55. Before You Initiate, Check Your Motivation On many occasions, people “talk politics” because they are frustrated by something they saw on the news or are looking for validation. “The most common way for people to fuel division is through social media,” says Petrin. “Think about why you want to start this conversation,” counsels Swetland. “Do you want consensus or do you need to blow off some steam?” If you’re on the receiving end of a conversation in which someone needs to vent or find agreement, you can still provide emotional support without agreeing with him or her. 6. Be Gracious to Others and Realize Some of Your Own Legalistic Tendencies
6
Sometimes, Jacobs reminds us, our emotions can be driven by legalism. “Legalism loves company and produces a critical attitude.” As Paul reminds us in his letter to the Galatian church, Jacobs says, “The problem is that the law requires complete adherence—an impossible feat for fallen humanity (e.g., Gal. 3, 5:3-4). The solution is to focus on God’s new covenant. When God’s grace becomes what you value most, you won’t hold yourself to legalistic standards. Chances are you’ll be more gracious to others and not feel threatened by their political views.” These tips don’t have to stop with political conversations. With a little intentionality, any conversation topic can be an opportunity for unity rather than division.
ARTICLES
Jerusalem and Athens Forum Essay Contest Pleading Guilty: Dwindling Literacy in the Information Age Yesterday, in the mid-afternoon, I was found guilty. The prosecutor was an intriguing older fellow by the name of T. S. Eliot, and his claim was this: Catherine Caulfield Corbin, age 19, is indubitably “distracted from distraction by distraction.”1 I scoffed. Surely, I could not be convicted of such an offense. But I refrained for a moment . . . How could I not be? To be an occupant of the Information Age is to be “distracted from distraction by distraction.” I will be the first to plead guilty. I do not think the way I used to. // I remember those days often. They were snowy . . . [and] spent dreaming of tending rabbits with Lennie, sneaking through the graveyard with Huck and Tom, and seething with resentment alongside Mr. Proctor. A dear little fox would inform me that, “Anything essential is invisible to the eyes,”2 and Bilbo would exhibit that heroes come in all different shapes and sizes. Atticus would impart that it is a sin not to protect the vulnerable at all costs. The bold and self-determined Randle McMurphy and the noble and just Aslan would teach, in varied manners, the principle of self-sacrifice. All this and more would occur as I sat snuggled up adjacent to a big window—only taking an occasional hiatus to gaze earnestly at the glistening flakes as they fell. 1 Thomas Stearns Eliot, Four Quartets, (San Diego, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1943), 17. 2 Antoine De Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince, (Boston, Mariner Books, 2000), 63.
These characters and their authors were apostles of sorts, whether or not it was their intention. Through these novels, the Lord spoke truth, beauty and goodness into my life—all before I even knew his name and his claim. // Even the most voracious readers have perceived a shift in recent years. It appears that we read differently now. Moreover, we think differently. In days gone by, I would remain absorbed in long stretches of prose, dominated by a call to gallivant further. That is rarely the case anymore. To read is to haul along a wayward mind and confront an indoctrinated will. The deep reading that was once innate has become an arduous task. Novels are not solely objects to be studied in the English classes of adolescence. They are inwardly experiential modes of contemplation. Their purpose is to create for the reader an arena of liberation, an escape from reality that illuminates reality. Their realm, which stands parallel to ours, has a way of engaging our minds and sensibilities, cultivating connection and virtue. The ramifications of the Information Age are explicit: attention atrophy, a buzzing brain and a diminished tolerance for contemplation. In other words, Mr. Eliot’s charge was warranted. We need the soulful ruminations of Lewis, Tolkien and Twain more now than ever.
Honorable Mention | excerpt Is it Noise, News or Knowledge?
I have interacted with news content that reaffirms my worst beliefs about the opposing political party before brushing my teeth—as have my peers on the other end of the political spectrum. While it is clear this has degraded discourse and heightened tensions, less ink has been spilled exploring the impact on the pursuit of wisdom . . . In a world dominated by fear of tomorrow, biblical wisdom requires courage and perseverance. Cam Grinnell ’22 (political science and economics)
Honorable Mention | excerpt Fact or Fiction: The Role of Humility in Seeking Wisdom
We love to know, and even more, we love when people see that we know. We’re all anxiously trying to absorb information. We use knowledge to prove our worth and prevent any embarrassing exposure . . . We seek such fulfillment because we are created to seek wisdom. Ah, wisdom. That troublesome, rather unattainable word that we place on a pedestal, only for the select few. Wisdom provides a contrast to our love of information. Joanna Sheldon ’22 (history and English)
Catherine Corbin ’22 (political science, biblical studies and history)
Illustration Carlos Eduardo Peixoto
Full versions of these abridged and excerpted essays are available at www.gordon.edu/jafessay
FALL 2020 | STILLPOINT 23
255 Grapevine Road, Wenham MA 01984-1899 www.gordon.edu
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
A bright future for a steadfast mission We have rising faith that the same God who began a good work in us will allow us to continue and advance our foundational mission—both timeless and timely—to graduate men and women distinguished by intellectual maturity and Christian character, committed to lives of service and prepared for leadership worldwide. They are the very men and women this world needs.
www.gordon.edu/faithrising
