THE
THE PULSE MAGAZINE
TRAILBLAZERS:
HONORS RESEARCH
14
MUSIC IN OUR
SCHOOLS MONTH
30
WOMEN IN
10
MEANT FOR THIS Meet Sharon Berger: part-time cosplayer, full-time hero
SPORTS
7
STANDOUT
MARCH 2020
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THE
SWINGING B R I DG E VOLU M E 1 1 0
EDITION 16
LETTER FROM THE
MAR. 2020
STUDENT DIRECTOR
ASST. STUDENT DIRECTOR
AMY LINT
NAKIAH BAKER
I love feeling inspired.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Whether it’s by something I saw, heard, experienced or learned about, I love the feeling of inspiration. It brings so many ideas into my mind, most of which I have to write down before I forget them.
CHARMAINE LIM ART DIRECTOR AMELIA MARKEY AUDIO & VISUAL MANAGER KATHARINE CHAMBERLAIN
COVER ART ADRIAN GIBBS
STUDENT LIFE EDITOR
CULTURE EDITOR
SPORTS EDITOR
CELICA COOK
KENDRA SOMMERS
BRIAN SHERMEYER
BUSINESS MANAGER
DESIGN ASSISTANTS
WEB MANAGER
SARAH BLESSING
ANDRE FRUEH
REBEKAH MCCLELLAND
CORINNE YOUNGBERG YEARBOOK MANAGER
ABIGAIL ZOEBISCH
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER ALLYSON HUFFORD
ABIGAIL ZOEBISCH
EDITOR
RADIO MANAGER
AUDIO & VISUAL ASSISTANT
MUSIC MANAGER
NOLAN HOGENBOOM
JANELLE BARGERSTOCK
MATT DEKONTY
1 COLLEGE AVE SUITE 3058 MECHANICSBURG, PA 17055 (Downstairs South Wing of the Larsen Student Union)
It serves me well to be inspired. I’ve always considered myself more on the creative spectrum, and while I can’t draw to save my life, I can write. And I write best when I’m inspired. My problem is finding inspiration and maintaining it. There are a few lifelong constants, like my family and my best friends. Then there’s my favorite author, who is one of the most hardworking people I’ve come to know of. There are movies, books and music that make me want to work harder to get where I want to be. And there are people like Sharon (pg. 10) — the ones who stand out because of how powerful their stories are. I’ve known her story since sophomore year, but I never found the right way to share it until now. Her art, work ethic, passion and goals have stuck with me, inspiring me for two years. It’ll continue to inspire me for the rest of my life. Whatever it is that inspires you, I hope it continues to do so. I hope that we all become people who inspire other people. Because I think we can achieve some pretty powerful things when we’re inspired.
The Swinging Bridge Magazine is published through The Pulse: Messiah College Media Hub, run by students. The Pulse consists of Pulse Radio (90.7), The Clarion yearbook, and The Swinging Bridge Magazine. The Swinging Bridge staff strives to publish quality student writing, photography, and design.
Charmaine Lim THE HEARTBEAT OF MESSIAH COLLEGE
To learn about job and volunteer opportunities, email thepulse@messiah.edu.
Editor-In-Chief
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
STUDENT LIFE 7
CULTURE 14
5
14
BOOKS FOR A RAINY WINTER AFTERNOON
6
MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS
16
SPORTS & REC 30
20
STANDOUT WOMEN
FEATURING MESSIAH'S CHAMPION FEMALE ATHLETES
24
CAMPUS CLOSET
SEASONS OF CHANGE
MAMBA MENTALITY
DANCE EDITION
DEALING WITH ANXIETY IN A TIME OF TRANSITION
REMEMBERING KOBE BRYANT
7
18
26
INTL DAY OF HAPPINESS
HOW TO GET MOVING AND STAY ACTIVE
TRAILBLAZERS
PIONEERING HONORS RESERACH
10
MEANT FOR THIS
LIBRARIAN BY DAY, COSPLAYER BY NIGHT
HAPPIER TOGETHER
DAILY WORKOUT
28
HEALTH TIPS FOR THE SPRING
30
PAIN AND GAIN
INJURY...OR OPPORTUNITY?
4
MARCH 2020
STUDENT LIFE
Books for a A
Rainy Winter Afternoon
s we enter the spring semester, rainy days are becoming more and more common. Take advantage of those days by using it as an opportunity to curl up with a mug of tea (or your choice of beverage!) and read something new! Here are ten book suggestions from librarian Sarah Myers, all available in Murray Library.
1.
4.
“Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine” BY SARAH LOHMAN
“Hobbit Lessons: A Map for Life's Unexpected Journeys” BY DEVIN BROWN
Learn about flavors that have shaped historical and contemporary American cuisine such as black pepper, garlic and sriracha. Then cook up some of the recipes in each chapter. This book is a good read and a good way to learn about some new recipes you may be able to try out with friends!
Discover valuable truths from Bilbo’s journey — without the danger of being eaten by a dragon.
2. “The Guernsey Literary and Potato
Peel Pie Society” BY MARY ANN SHAFFER & ANNIE BARROWS
A serendipitous stroke of chance brings Guernsey (UK) islanders together with a London writer. In reading their correspondence, it tells of the tragedies, resilience and joy experienced during and after WWII. Find out what goes into a potato peel pie. Be sure to watch the movie adaptation on Netflix after finishing this book!
3. “Austenland: A Novel” BY SHANNON HALE
Jane Hayes is the ultimate Jane Austen enthusiast and signs up for an immersive vacation at an Austen-themed resort in England. Will Austenland be as enchanting as she thought? Enjoy with some tea, a good laugh and a modern twist on Austen’s classic tales.
5. “The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy” BY DOUGLAS ADAMS
If Monty Python had been science fiction, it might have been like this. Follow the misadventures of the last surviving man, Arthur Dent, following the demolition of the Earth. After a human-like alien writer of the eccentric travel guide saves him, the adventure begins.
6.
“Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” BY TREVOR NOAH
As the child of a white father and a black mother in South Africa during Apartheid, his birth was literally a crime. Both humorous and heartbreaking, comedian Trevor Noah’s anecdotes are compelling, inspiring and wittily uplifting. A movie adaptation is in early production.
BY CAMRYN WIMBERLY
7.
“The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World” BY HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA AND ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU, WITH DOUGLAS ABRAMS
Two leading spiritual masters share their wisdom about living with joy through their personal stories and teachings about the science of profound happiness. You’ll be entertained, encouraged, educated and hopefully filled with joy!
8. “Hello, Universe”
BY ERIN ENTRADA KELLY
A Newbery Medal-winning novel about the unexpected adventures of four middle schoolers that celebrates bravery, being different and finding your inner hero. Unlikely friendships are formed in this playful and thoughtful story for all ages.
9. “Early Riser: A Novel” BY JASPER FFORDE
In an alternate reality, strange things happen when humans begin hibernating during ice age-like winters. There is a Winter Consul Service responsible for the safety of dreaming people, but when dreams start getting bizarre, Charlie must seek out the truth.
10.
“Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster” BY JON KRAKAUER
Krakauer, an experienced climber and accomplished writer, recounts the tragic 1996 climbing season on Mount Everest. No book on mountaineering better describes the emotions and physical sensations of being in that brutal yet exhilarating environment.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CASSIDY BARLOCK
THE SWINGING BRIDGE
5
STUDENT LIFE
CAMPUS CLOSET DANCE EDITION BY CELICA COOK
D
ance requires passion of mind, body and soul. So much goes into a dance routine. Between learning choreography and putting those movements into practice until it feels just right for the final performance, dancers have a lot to think about when it comes down to the details. One of the details less talked about is the costume. The costume, for the dancer, is the one of the final touches for the perfect performance. Without the right costume, the dance itself may not even look right! Aimee Kulp and Mikayla Broome are two dance majors who shared costumes they wore for recent performances.
AIMEE KULP Junior Dance and English Double Major Kulp wore this costume in a couple of dance performances last year. The wrap and free-flowing skirt is very Roman-esque. When she stands still, Kulp almost looks like a statue from ancient Rome, with the skirt falling loosely and lightly around her legs. The costume represents gentle strength, which was the theme of the dances the costume was meant for. Kulp loves the free flowing skirt of this costume because it is beautiful and adds to the purpose of the dance. The design of the costume also gives her a free range of mobility as she moves in it.
“I wore this one for The Humanities Symposium last year, and then again for Culmination. I like that it flows, and since it’s a wrap dress, there are two different colors and we all wore it with a different wrap.” “For this dance, we were trying to show strength as prayer warriors, so it was a warrior-esque costume without actually being tough and hard-looking. The flow of it also helps with the motions as well.”
day without fail, so I really like that about it. I also like how it spins.” “I think the costume can change so much because dance is a visual art. The colors change how the dance is perceived. It would change the aesthetic if I’m wearing a really bright color versus if I was wearing black. Sometimes it can change the whole point of the dance. If I had a really serious dance but I was wearing a silly costume, it could change how the dance is perceived. It can change everything.”
MIKAYLA BROOME
Sophomore Dance Major
Broome used this costume in two performances. The costume itself is supposed to represent an autumn tree. The leaves are attached as a skirt that twirls freely as she spins around. It is yellow like a fallen leaf, and reminiscent of a cool autumn day. Broome loves the feel and the color of this costume as it represents happiness to her, and within the dance itself.
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MARCH 2020
“I wore this costume first for the drum and dance collaboration in November 2019, and then I wore it recently for The Humanities Symposium. I really love the dance that this was for. It’s a really happy dance called ‘Enough.’ It’s about us coming together and making friends with each other. I really love [the costume] because it’s yellow. I had a dance teacher who would wear yellow everyPHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHARINE CHAMBERLAIN
STUDENT LIFE
TRAILBLAZERS PIONEERING PROJECTS IN HONORS RESEARCH
BY AMELIA MARKEY
If
you’ve never attempted a research project of your own, you might have only a vague idea of just how daunting it can be. Often, it’s a bit like blazing a trail through the forest: first, you’ll set out on paths that others have trod before you; but eventually, you must break loose and hack your way through uncharted underbrush. Armed with nothing but raw data, others’ research and your own conviction, you must pack to be ready for anything – because no matter how well you prepare, there’s no way to pinpoint exactly where you’ll end up. By their fourth year, students enrolled in the Messiah College Honors Program are given the chance to take their first steps into the field of independent research. Not every student takes that chance – some may opt for a semester-long, honors-level course instead, which fulfills the same requirement to graduate. Those who choose the project option know they’re in for twice the time commitment, but will have the freedom to turn any of their passions into real-life projects. However, before anyone takes off into the forest of questions, databases and citations, they’ll need to find exactly which passion will direct their course.
THE SWINGING BRIDGE
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STUDENT LIFE
HEALTHY LIVING What does a wellness program look like that cares for your mind, body and soul? Sessions from Glatfelter's honors project J-term class, "Thrive," featured body weight exercise, reflective journaling, and even introductory kickboxing!
ARTWORK & PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMELIA MARKEY
For senior Emily Falkenstein, the honors project is a chance to reconcile her economics major with her theatre minor. In order to bridge both her passions, she settled on a single question: Why does a theatregoer choose one Broadway show over another? “Because I keep up with the Broadway theatre world,” Falkenstein said. “I’ve noticed recent trends with the increasing popularity of shows based
"I rarely had the
final
destination
mapped out clearly."
8
MARCH 2020
on movies or including music by a famous recording artist. I wondered why this shift was occurring and if it was actually working...I discovered that I could use economic tools to try to answer this question.” Like Falkenstein, other students use the honors project to dig deep into their own unique curiosities, which makes for a vast and varied range of projects. Take film major Keara Kobzowicz’s driving question, for example: How should the church navigate its reputation for outward perfection, when inwardly it’s filled with fallible sinners? She plans to address that tension in her film project “Unstained Glass,” a collage of interviews and stories from local pastors. Or consider the question motivating Alexa Glatfelter: What does a wellness program look like that cares for your mind, body and soul? As an applied health science major, she has the right background to treat the first two; but it’s her Christian faith that enables her to care for the latter. When it came to constructing such a program, Glatfelter acknowledges it took some wandering and plenty of trust.
“I rarely had the final destination mapped out clearly, and still don’t,” Glatfelter said. “But I’ve seen the Lord guiding my training, my learning, my opportunities and giving me ideas to pursue this field in a way that will help people the most.” Pioneering your own research project is sure to come with challenges. Sometimes, your straightforward trail of questions opens up to a clearing with 20 different trailheads, each with branches and rabbit holes of their own. At this point you must, like senior history major Ben Baddorf, choose only one trail to go down. Baddorf found his biggest challenge has been narrowing down all the possible leads generated by his original question: How did the first Irish-American immigrants come to be accepted as simply Americans? Between digging through firsthand accounts, poring over archived documents, and taking cues from books like Noel Ignatiev’s “How the Irish Became White,” he’s amounted quite the mountain of information to sift through – not to mention entire intersecting discussions like race, relative whiteness and colonialism.
STUDENT LIFE
"Understanding how compounds react with one another is like a
big puzzle."
REAL RESEARCH
But the research isn’t without its successes or its joys.
Below, Herr displays a promising test sample. She admits she's forunate to have these facilities and opportunities: "Most people wouldn't ever
For others, the biggest struggle is that progress is simply hard to predict. Courtney Herr, a senior double-major in biochemistry and Spanish, is completing her honors project by tagging on to a research project two years in the making. “Since this is a medicinal chemistry project,” Herr said, “My research has a clear, direct objective: Creating a potential treatment for Type 2 diabetes and obesity.” But figuring out the right combination of compounds is anything but obvious, short of rigorous testing and dedicated documentation. Originally started by her project advisor, Dr. Anne Reeve, the research has moved on to the lab-intensive phase of “method development,” which calls for plenty of trial and error — sometimes heavy on the error. For example, a compound may “aggregate,” or clump up, which blocks many helpful, as well as harmful enzymes, so it won’t make for a successful drug. In that case, all that’s left to do is try again.
“Understanding how compounds react with one another is like a big puzzle, and I always found it fascinating,” Herr said. “It’s also really exciting to make a compound that no one else has ever made before!”
get to do [research like this] in undergrad."
Finally reaching the summit of a project looks different for almost every student. The final form of Falkenstein’s Broadway analysis project will be a culminating presentation, while her “reach” goal is to eventually get her findings published. For Herr and her research in the lab, the end looks less like a finish line and more like a passing of the baton – once she graduates in May, future students will be able to pick up where she left off, refining the compound still further. Glatfelter, meanwhile, has turned her focus on mind, body and soul health into a semester-long wellness class, which she offered again over three weeks this past J-Term. As these students continue on their journey, what lies just up ahead on the trail may still be foggy. But if they ever tire, or reach a dead end, or if their supplies of motivation happen to run low, the remedy might be simple. They might stop to catch their breath and admire the view. They might take a moment to trace everything that brought them to where they are now. Or they might — briefly, and perhaps with surprise — glance back and see just how far they’ve already come.
THE SWINGING BRIDGE
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STUDENT LIFE
10
MARCH 2020
COSPLAY: CAPTAIN AMERICA Photo by Adrian Gibbs.
STUDENT LIFE
A
s children, we might enjoy wearing Halloween costumes or playing pretend in our parents' work clothes. Even now, dressing up is a novelty that most of us enjoy. But for a few people, it goes far beyond. Sharon Berger, former serials technician at Murray Library, is one of those people.
Origin Story Before stepping into her costumed career, Berger graduated college with an art degree. Her college friends introduced her to the world of comics, where she fell in love with serialized storytelling. Though she loved the world of comics, it wasn’t until she and her husband Dan met a cosplayer at a convention that she thought about cosplaying. In 2012, Berger debuted a punk rock spin on the White Rabbit. From there, her love of creating and wearing costumes grew into a second career that she’s built through passion, hard work and a love of the community. Diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) in the same year, Berger used cosplaying to rediscover herself. “It was a lot to process,” Berger said. “It affects my energy levels, my body, my weight. I’m now at a place where I’m comfortable saying that I’m a bearded lady. But at the time, it was a little bit embarrassing. I didn’t really recognize myself in the mirror.” Her first version of Captain America is what Berger truly considers her first hardcore cosplay. The first time she assembled her cosplay of a pin-up Captain America, she didn’t see her insecurities or anger about her PCOS. She saw a strong, confident superhero. “That really helped set me on a path to reclaim my body confidence and artistic confidence,” Berger said. “From that day forth, I realized that this was a community and art form that I absolutely want to dive head first into and be a part of.”
Empowerment As a member of the Central Pennsylvania Heroes Coalition, a non-profit cosplay group, Berger speaks at hospitals and events about what it truly means to be a superhero.
SHARON OFTEN STARTS WITH MORE INTUITIVE MATERIALS, LIKE PLASTIC TRASH BAGS, BEFORE MOVING ON TO FOAM
“Even though [body positivity] is a conversation we’re having now, we have a problem in this society with idealism of certain body types and not embracing the fact that we come in all different shapes and sizes,” Berger said. Her outspokenness about her struggles with mental and physical health have given her numerous opportunities to connect with other cosplayers and comic lovers within the community. At a convention where she was a guest speaker, Berger was approached by a girl in cosplay. The girl had attended her panel in the previous year and had been afraid of cosplay because she was a plus-sized woman. But Berger’s encouragement pushed her to design her first cosplay — Melisandre. “I don’t remember the girl’s name, but I remember her joy at that moment,” Berger said. “I was so happy to have been a part of her journey. I love those moments.” In the age of social media, it’s getting harder and harder to reconcile the idea of a perfect image with what we see in the mirror every day.
This empowerment is something she wants to share with younger generations. “Literally in our pockets, we have access to what can be idealized images of men and women,” Berger said. “It can feel like an internal pressure to look a certain way. I’m always transparent when I talk at schools and conventions that I have professional makeup and photography of me in cosplay on my feed. That image that you see? That’s three months of making a costume, three hours of makeup, a photographer who is a wizard with lighting, and post-edits. That’s okay, but me covered in foam dust with no filter at 2 a.m. is also me.”
“You have to bear in mind that everything you see is curated,” Berger said. “Don’t hold yourself up to some standard that doesn’t exist. If I held myself to the standard of everyone’s professional cosplay photos, I would never think of myself as valid or worthy.”
SHARON AS SHE-RA Photo by Dan Scott. Artwork by Andre Frueh.
THE SWINGING BRIDGE
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STUDENT LIFE
Art Expression Though she had been attending conventions, the lack of a creative outlet in her life had taken a toll on her mental and emotional health. It wasn’t until she began working on her White Rabbit costume that she realized how much she needed to have that outlet. “It was really cathartic,” Berger said. “It kind of re-taught me what it felt like to be a creative person, to be an artist. It has opened a door to an art form I never knew I could enjoy. I’ve learned so many things — how to sew, sculpt, resin cast and apply makeup effects. I think I’ve kept up with it because it challenges me as an artist.” For most costumes, it takes her a month and a half from start to finish. In rare cases, like her She-Ra costume, it can take as few as 12 days.
To keep her work from taking over the house, Berger and her husband converted the garage into a workshop. It’s not just a workspace; it’s her bat-cave. “95 percent of cosplay is problem-solving,” Berger said. “It’s ‘How do I, a 3-D human, recreate something that was drawn in 2-D?’ or ‘How do I get this costume piece to work?’ I feel like with cosplay, you are the three dimensional canvas. It’s like a puzzle and I love that. It’s fulfilled me creatively and professionally and I love the community.”
Comic Community One of Berger’s greatest inspirations is Steve Rogers. Her love stems his natural instinct to stand up for the “little guy,” even before he became a superhero.
2D PATTERNS THAT WILL GUIDE THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ELBOW GUARD. FLAT PATTERNS AID IN THE TRANSITION BETWEEN WORKING TWO-DIMENSIONALLY AND THREE-DIMENSIONALLY...
“He was a weird kid from Brooklyn who then became a superhero,” Berger said. “That resonates with me because I think it relates to my journey. Here I am now, getting incredible opportunities to cosplay professionally. But when I first started, I didn’t know what I was doing and I was this weird art kid trying to better myself and fight my own demons.” The responses she’s received from being open about her mental and physical health struggles have empowered and encouraged her to embrace the vulnerability. “I have found that there are so many in this community who, like me, have used cosplay to overcome self-esteem issues,” Berger said. “Maybe they never saw themselves as strong or beautiful or handsome, but through this lens of becoming a character they admire, that’s where they shine in their confidence.” The community of comic lovers and cosplayers has become a safe space for many to express their love of geek culture and express themselves and their interpretations of a shared art. Berger also shared this love when she was the serials technician. Her position allowed her to recommend comics and graphic novels to Sarah Myers, the Collection Developments Coordinator at the library. “We’ve been trying to curate more themes that honor the readership on campus,” Berger said. “Even slowly getting faculty to incorporate it into their curriculum. If you read something like The Walking Dead, you’ll realize that it’s talking about morality, life, death, society, violence, the patriarchy and even what it means if you’re a person of faith in a world of zombies.”
ADJUSTABLE WRIST GAUNTLETS THAT CAN BE USED FOR MANY DIFFERENT COSPLAYS - A MERIDA OR PIRATE COSPLAY, FOR EXAMPLE.
Though she no longer works at Messiah, her love of comics brought a new perspective for readers and librarians on campus. The contributions she made were a reflection not only on her love of comics, but also her personal faith. “One can argue that there’s faith commentary in a lot of [the comics and graphic novels] we have,” Berger said.
PHOTOS BY AMELIA MARKEY ADDITIONAL ARTWORK BY ELI FORD
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MARCH 2020
STUDENT LIFE “I think cosplay is the most accessible format of performance art available today.”
Though simple, the statement was meaningful. Berger believes that her husband saw something in her that she hadn’t seen in herself yet. From that point forward, they did everything they could to make her career work.
DON'T FORGET TO COVER YOUR EARS! A SCREAMING "MANDRAKE" FROM HARRY POTTER... EACH ONE HAS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PERSONALITY.
Live on Screen It’s no wonder that she draws most of her inspiration from the characters that first appeared on the pages of a comic book. In the same way she advocates for comics and graphic novels to be part of wider literature, she does the same for cosplaying to have a place in the art world. “I think it’s valid because it’s in the public eye as much or as little as you want it to be,” Berger said. “I think cosplay is the most accessible format of performance art available today.”
The Bucky to her Rogers Previously, her part time library job gave her the flexibility to spend time at home working on her costumes. It also allowed her to be intentional about spending time with her husband. Berger’s husband is her biggest supporter. He reminds her to eat and stay hydrated during long nights of costume-making, helps her fit props and costumes in the car for conventions, and works the booths. Though he loves the community too, he rarely cosplays. He has only made two exceptions. First as the King of Hearts, and years later as a fusion of Hades and Batman for a group cosplay that Berger created. “I could not do this without him,” Berger said. “I can’t stress that enough. I know other people who do this and they don’t have as good of a support system. It’s a lot of work even with a support system.” One late night, while she was making a costume in the garage, Berger’s husband told her, “This is what you’re supposed to do.”
That hard work paid off when Berger was hired by Marvel as part of the “Marvel: Becoming YouTube” series. Creating a screen-accurate version of Captain America pushed her skills as an artist and also increased her admiration for cosplayers who choose to do screenaccurate designs. “I think being invited to the Avengers: Endgame premiere with the purple carpet and getting to meet Brie Larsen while I’m wearing my Captain Marvel cosplay and having that moment to interact with her is something that will stick with me forever,” Berger said. “There were only so many cosplayers who could be at the event and it was wild. I never thought in a million years that I would be asked to be a part of a Marvel project. It’s surreal.”
A MODEL OF A "BOWTRUCKLE" FROM THE HARRY POTTER WORLD...
Future Though nothing is likely to beat being at the Endgame premiere, it doesn’t stop Berger from bringing her career high and further, though not quite faster. “I think for this year, I’ll pick two or three cosplays and just go for it,” Berger said. “I used to put all this pressure on myself to do a lot of cosplays in a year, but I’ve learned that I much prefer to do bigger, more elaborate cosplays and just pour my time into the details. Then I feel happy with them and not burnt out or rushed.” Outside of her work, Berger continues encouraging people to pick up comics and try their hand at cosplaying. No matter the reasons, the empowerment achievable from putting on a costume and playing a part is something Berger thinks everyone should experience. “You are enough. It has taken me a very long time to reach a place where I feel like I’m enough, and that is fine. I don’t need anyone else’s approval but mine.”
"I CAN'T MAKE THEM FAST ENOUGH!"
Follow Sharon: @Sharonrosecosplay www.sharonrosecosplay.com
THE SWINGING BRIDGE
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CULTURE
MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CASSIDY BARLOCK
BY HALEY MONG Music appears throughout all of our lives whether we were sung a lullaby as a baby, played in the fourth-grade band or continue to create new Spotify playlists. Known as “Music in our Schools Month,” March not only opens us up to spring, but initiates the celebration of the unique intersectionality of music and our education. Starting as a one-day celebration in 1973 and extending into a week, “Music in our Schools Month” progressed to include the whole month by March 1985. With an increase in budget cuts in schools, “Music in our Schools Month” aimed to articulate the significance of all children receiving music learning opportunities. Celebrations during the month include local performances and songwriting as well as music teachers speaking about the benefits of music education.
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Junior music education major Hannah Weller desires to be a music teacher in response to the lack of musical care in her own school growing up. She considers music education a necessity for all ages. “Music education, more than any other subject, teaches us what it is to be human,” Weller said.
When other disagreements separate us, music mends. Senior music composition major Sam Brown discovered music through his family, learning the guitar from his dad and watching his parents sound check every Sunday morning. Now a guitar teacher, Brown said, “[Music] goes past the line of culture, goes past the line of religion, and it goes past the line of language.”
As humans, we desire life-giving connections. Music provides us with a means to connect with and understand others.
Weller emphasizes music’s contribution towards unity, saying that music is for everybody.
Nelson Rockefeller, former United States Vice President and an advocate for “Music in our Schools Month,” highlighted the month as a time for music to mend intellectual and emotional forces and “strengthen international and racial bonds.”
“[It] uniquely allows us to interact with different cultures and time periods, and with people that are different from us,” Weller said.
CULTURE
Intrinsically flowing through us, music influences our ability to reveal a sense of grace and humanity. Music professor Dr. Timothy Dixon refined his musical abilities while teaching music to students and conducting diverse groups and ensembles. His biggest inspiration derives from seeing his students achieve their musical goals. “It is built in us to do music and be musical,” Dixon said. “Everyone has the ability to develop or appreciate music in some way,” Brown said. Education allows us to take our inherent sense of music even farther. There are many methods to teaching and learning music. Brown even argues that there is no such thing as bad music because music is anything we make it. As long as we are music-making, we are building our musical skills. One of the best ways to learn music is to listen to it. Growing up listening to music gives us a grasp on what music can be to us personally. Weller said we become increasingly familiar with music and can “contribute a lot more musically” to ourselves and others.
Improvisation is a method that promotes instinctual and spontaneous music-making. Having fallen in love with music through improvisation, Brown explains that this technique teaches us to be vulnerable in our musical abilities. “[It allows us to] get rattled in the musical moment,” Dixon said. “[And] to be fully present with the people [we are] with and making really good music with.”
PERSONAL POSTS The Messiah Music Department is a close community. Even lockers aren't immune to becoming messageboards!
Weller said musical participation sanctions us to “partake in self-expression.” Whether through writing our own music or listening to others, music gives us a deeper sense of ourselves. Learning music also improves our cognitive and social abilities as well as the expression of emotions. “[Music gives us the] ability to experience and express things emotionally and not through words,” Dixon said. Dixon said that music is the closest thing to spirituality for people who are not part of an organized religious group. He said music is the “experience of being alive.” Weller adds that music is “an escape from the mundane,” elevating us from our circumstances.
When asked to describe the celebration of music in a few words, Brown, Weller and Dixon decided upon these: unifying, intimate, intentional, life-giving, hopeful, imperative, listen and express. “Music in our Schools Month” celebrates the growth of musical opportunities in schools and in our lives so we can experience the hopeful and life-giving powers of music. Weller encourages everyone to carry a positive experience with music and become advocates of its unifying and expressing form. “We can learn to appreciate music by thinking about what it would be like if it didn’t exist,” Brown said.
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BY JOY HAMMOND
SEASONS
DEALING WITH ANXIETY IN A TIME OF TRANSITION **Trigger warnings for mentions of anxiety, panic attacks/disorders and phobia-related disorders**
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s the weather begins to warm up in preparation for spring and we get further into the semester, our anticipation and worry can grow. Even though the sun is starting to peak out from behind the clouds, anxiety and worry are prominent issues during this season, especially amongst college students either graduating or dealing with issues back home. “Anxiety and depression are common during any time of transition,” Eden Willis, President of Minds Matter and senior social work major, said. “Whether that’s students who will return to school in the fall, or seniors who are graduating, it’s normal for changing environments to cause anxiety.” Though there is a distinct difference between worry and anxiety, sometimes the small worries can come together and become a certain type of anxiety. The National Institute of Mental Health says this kind of mental health issue can interrupt everyday interactions for those who have been diagnosed with it, such as feelings of restlessness, fatigue, irritability, worry and trouble sleeping. These problems can last all year round. Anxiety is a lot more common than many people realize, but sometimes it can be belittled and reduced to feelings of worry.
Amanda Kirk, a senior education major, said, “I have experienced anxiety as I take a giant leap into the big open world. I often think about whether I will be hired or not and how I will best help my future students.” It is important for people to be educated and aware when dealing with anxiety or any other mental illness, either for yourself or your friends who may be struggling. Just like with depression, friends can mean well when they are trying to help, but without proper understanding, can end up doing more harm. Some of these actions may seem harmless at first. Feeling may be invalidated by people who say that a person’s anxiety is simply worry. It’s important to understand that regardless of the actual condition, validating their feelings can go a long way. If you are a friend who wants to help a person with anxiety, ask them if there is anything you can do to help and walk alongside them through their time of anxiety. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, there are several different types of anxiety: generalized anxiety, panic disorder and various phobia-related disorders. For panic disorders, symptoms are exhibited more physically, such as heart palpitations, sweating, trembling or shaking, shortness of breath and feelings of being out of control. People with phobia-related disorders may
“I don’t know what I’m doing with my life,” said every college student
BY ROSEMARY JONES 16
MARCH 2020
ever. And though it’s usually coupled with a sheepish grin, there are self-deprecating thoughts tucked behind that grin. Maybe it’s the bad grade on your exam or the blowout fight with your roommate. Whatever it is, you’re exhausted. So, the thoughts are spinning through your mind — I am pathetic. I am going nowhere. I’m worthless.
CULTURE
of CHANGE PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMELIA MARKEY
have an irrational or excessive worry about encountering the feared object or situation and will try to actively avoid it if they can. It is important for anyone experiencing these signs and symptoms to develop positive coping strategies and go to places where they can get support and assistance. There are several places where a person with anxiety can receive help. Therapists can teach positive coping strategies and an outlet for discussions around mental health. Trusted friends and family members can be a great support system and provide regular check-ins. The Engle Center on Messiah campus is available for any and all students to utilize health and counseling services, including both group and individual counseling. The Career and Professional Development Center is also available if you’re experiencing career-related anxiety, as they can help give you resources and realistic expectations during potential transition from college to the workforce. Willis particularly advises engaging in restorative activities and said, “These are different for each person, but they can include journaling, exercising, prayer, being outdoors, creating art or music, playing sports, being with animals, etc.” The important thing is finding what works best for you.
We all know that feeling, the one when we doubt whether we have any talent at all. But take heart, dear brothers and sisters! We do not need to know it all, for our Father has His hand on our lives and is leading us through the darkest valley. You may feel unequipped and unskilled for your future, but our God has been guiding us since the beginning. Friends, the Lord does not call the qualified to do His work; He qualifies the called.
Anxiety is important to be recognized as something that affects many lives to varying degrees. Staying informed in order to help someone else can make conversations around anxiety easier for those who have it. Clubs like Minds Matter try to engage their members and the public in ways to stay more informed about mental health and host de-stress events, such as their annual De-stress Fest on April 25. The week-long program includes events like yoga, paint night and dog therapy. For those who need something different, stress relief can be finding something active or people-related. The Outdoors Club regularly hosts events that are physically challenging and can distract from anxious thoughts. Bible studies can provide spiritual comfort and support. Even small social events can temporarily ease anxiety. “God is always there for us,” Kirk said. “He gives us what He knows we can handle and make us stronger. He never leaves His children during their most troublesome and trying times.”
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. — PROVERBS 3:5-6
Do not be afraid to speak out if you feel like something is affecting your behavior or daily life. If you have experienced any of the signs and symptoms listed so far, don’t hesitate to look for help.
As Christians, we are not called to an easy life, but we are promised a God who is with us through all times and makes our paths straight. So, you don’t know what you’re doing with your life? That’s okay, because the Lord has a plan for you, and it is good and right and true.
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HAPPIER TOGETHER INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HAPPINESS BY CONNOR CIGRANG
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very year, the world celebrates happiness on March 20th. Created by the United Nations, the International Day of Happiness is a celebration of the unique human trait of being happy. The UN established this holiday because it felt happiness wasn’t being prioritized. Calling happiness and well-being “universal goals,” they introduced the holiday in 2013 as a way to recognize how important happiness is to human life. As the name suggests, the International Day of Happiness is all about bringing happiness and the UN makes it clear that they seek to reach all people through this holiday. Their Happiness Day website features a comprehensive list of 10 Steps to Global Happiness including things like “Tell Everyone” about the day and bringing awareness through social media.
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Along with global happiness, the UN recognizes that happiness is not an isolated issue and encourages everyone to also participate in Earth Day and work towards the “well-being of all life on Earth,” including our environment. They also advise people to do what makes them happy, as the emotion is infectious. The Happiness Day website said, “Focus on the positive energy around you, and your attitude will spread quickly.” The UN believes that it is also important to reflect and meditate on one’s blessings so one can be aware of what they have and therefore what they can give to help others. In addition to its general outreach, the International Day of Happiness also brings awareness to a specific world issue, each year centered around a new theme. Previous themes include “Reclaim Happiness” in 2014, which sought to share and promote authentic happiness. Their goal was to expose “fake commercial images of happiness” that society so often seeks and replace that with authentic images of
what makes people happy. After collecting photos from individuals across the world, they created an array of images which served to accurately represent global happiness. This year, the theme is “Happier Together.” Their website said the theme calls for people to focus on what they have in common, rather than their differences. Though the day has passed, the theme can be carried into the rest of 2020. By choosing to look at the similarities among humanity, more people can come together to celebrate this feeling. Authenticity is what makes happiness last, yet studies show that people often search for happiness through inauthentic sources. Author Emily Smith wrote a Quartz article about how when crafting her book, The Power of Meaning, she spoke to many people who defined their self-worth and happiness by career and educational achievements.
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“Focus on the positive energy around you, and your attitude will spread quickly." Smith reported discovering through these conversations that the entirety of peoples’ self-worth was based on their achievements. When they succeeded they felt happy and meaningful, but when they failed they felt worthless and in despair. Smith’s study exposes a glaring truth: happiness based on success is not true happiness. Dr. Malcolm Gold, the Department Chair of Sociology, described happiness as something deeper than material success. “There is a kind of happiness that is connected to the notion of where we are with God, attempting to live a life that is balanced, and the considerations of others,” Gold said. “I don’t think that happiness is a fleeting feeling; it has much more to do with a substantive inner reserve or spirituality.” The reality is that true, authentic happiness is not solely linked to professional achievements. Yes, one’s professional life is important; but it is certainly not the only significant thing in life. Dr. David Dixon, Chair of the Department of Communication, describes aspects of his happiness coming from the smaller moments. “Often, happiness comes in just the small, ordinary things of the day,” Dixon said. “A cup of good hot coffee on a cold morning or the warm sun on that first spring day.” Similarly, Dr. Kate Oswald-Wilkins, Assistant Dean of General Education and Common Learning and professor of communication, said that her happiness is found in smaller moments.
Oswald-Wilkins said. “Hot coffee on a rainy day makes me happy…hearing my children laugh makes me happy.” Those little things in life are often overlooked, but they prove to be the places where happiness can often be found. However, while happiness may be a universal human trait, it looks different from person to person. Sean Campbell, a junior film and media arts major, said his happiness often stems from his passions in life. “I think doing what I love makes me happy,” Campbell said. “I think if you’re not doing what you love in life, you won’t be fully happy with where you are. [...] Doing what makes you happy is what is going to get you far in life.” Professor Wilkins said, “If I didn’t have joy, meaning and peace in my life, then I would chase after happiness and make happiness more than what it’s supposed to be. I think happiness is supposed to be ephemeral; it’s supposed to be an emotion. If we don’t have joy and peace, if we don’t have basic resources that we need to live, if we don’t feel safe, then maybe we try to make happiness do more than it was supposed to.” While happiness can at times be difficult to come by, it is commonly hidden in people’s day-to-day routines. By dedicating a day to happiness, March 20th is only the beginning to a lifelong celebration of all the little things that make this life special.
“Being with my family on a Friday night, watching a movie and having my puppies cuddling with me makes me happy,” THE SWINGING BRIDGE
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STAND
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SPORTS & REC LEAH SPRINGER Messiah's Champion Female Athletes Get Their Turn in the Spotlight BY MARK LEACH
WOMEN S
tandout athletes can sometimes get overshadowed by the successes of their teams. Some of these athletes are once-in-a-lifetime players who are currently shattering program records and penciling themselves in the record books. Senior basketball player Leah Springer is one of these standout players. As an athlete who grew up close to campus, Springer knew about Messiah College from a young age. “I felt pulled to Messiah but hoped God would lead me to another place,” Springer said. “I wanted to go to a school farther from home, that wasn’t Christian so I could be a light.” Prior to the spring of her senior year of high school, Springer had several options to play basketball at other schools that were much larger than Messiah. Eventually, after committing to play for Coach Mike Miller, Springer said that “committing to Messiah in April of my senior year was one of the best decisions of my life.” Springer became a Falcon, making an immediate impact on the court. She increased her point average after her freshman year and played in every game during her sophomore year. Springer was honored to Second Team All-MAC Commonwealth while also winning the MAC Commonwealth Championship with her team in the past three seasons.
Springer was presented with one of the biggest challenges she has faced in her entire basketball career in 2018. She tore her ACL over the summer, causing her to miss her entire junior season. As hard as it was, Springer was able to expand on the process of it all: her rehabilitation, the support from teammates, friends and family, as well as her faith in God. After fully recovering from the ACL injury, Springer picked up her play on the court as if she never left off. This season, she has been averaging a career-high 18 points per game. She, along with her teammates and coaches, looks to win the conference for a fourth straight year and earn yet another NCAA tournament bid.
TOP: Springer on the court at the Messiah v Arcadia game BOTTOM: Springer with coach Mike Miller
Springer was able to cement her legacy in the Messiah College record books by scoring her 1,000th point on February 12, 2020. She became the 24th player in Messiah’s history to reach that milestone.
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Also familiar with setting records is dual-athlete sophomore Esther Seeland. Having made a name for herself as a two-sport athlete on the women’s soccer team in the fall and the track and field team in the winter and spring, Seeland is no stranger to pushing herself. She went from appearing in 21 soccer games as a freshman to being the starting defender on the national championship team in December 2019. Seeland also made her presence known quickly on the track where she won the 800m and the mile at 2019’s MAC Indoor Championships. She was also a part of the first place
4x800m relay team. All of these feats earned her the 2019 MAC Indoor Rookie of the Year award before earning All-American honors in the outdoor season at the MAC Outdoor Championships. She would go on to win the National Championship in the 800m. Coming into college, Seeland had no plans to run track. Though she knew she could compete at a high level, she had no idea what was in store for her. Choosing to be on both teams allowed her an experience unlike any other.
“It's really been awesome to see things unfold over my time here so far and I'm excited to see what the future has in store,” Seeland said. While the balance of two sports is difficult, she is grateful that Messiah has given her the opportunity to compete year-round. I'm surrounded by two different teams that are both unique and special and yet so very different,” Seeland said. “And I'm supported by two coaches who are willing to do whatever it takes to make my experience here what I want it to be.”
ESTHER SEELAND IS
" N O STRANGER TO
PUSHING HERSELF." SEELAND gives it her all at the outdoor NCAA Track and Field Championships
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THOSE are the
GOALS
CELEBRATION after
that are going to feel amazing when they are broken.
a personal recordbreaking high jump
TAYLOR JUMPS her all-time highest: 1.72m (5' 7.75")!
Senior Taylor Wiederrecht is also familiar with being a two-sport athlete. For her, the commitment started much earlier. “I played field hockey and ran track all through middle school and high school, but fell in love with the sports in high school,” Wiederrecht said. It only took a few years of playing high school sports for her to be sure that she wanted to play field hockey in college. She expressed that running track “would be a plus.” Wiederrecht was able to be a part of some incredible stretches of success both on the team and on her own. In fact, she had some unexpected accomplishments in the process. “I had no expectations coming into college with sports, more so just to have fun and enjoy playing college sports,” Wiederrecht said. “So being a national champion my freshman year was amazing and set the tone for the rest of my athletic career.” Wiederrecht also won a national championship with her field hockey team when she was a freshman. She has become an every-game starter in 2019 and was tied for second on the team in goals and assists.
With early success comes early confidence in skill, training, work ethic and future success in competitions, which is exactly what Wiederrecht detailed as she set specific goals as the years went on. Wanting to win the 400m at conference pushed her to train harder and allowed her to qualify for nationals individually in track.
SPORTING a smile on day one of the outdoor NCAA Championships
“I now have very high goals set because my coaches encourage me to set high goals, because those are the goals that are going to feel amazing when they are broken,” Wiederrecht said. “The culture of athletic teams here is just so different than anywhere else,” Seeland said. “It's about more than just times and numbers and wins [...] It has been really special to be surrounded by teammates and coaches who love God first and pursue excellence for His glory.”
TAYLOR WIEDERRECHT PHOTOGRAPHY BY MESSIAH COLLEGE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
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R E M E M B E R I N G KO B E B RYA N T A N D H I S L E G A C Y BY BRIAN SHERMEYER
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motivator, leader, role model, baller, coach and dad: these are just some of the roles Kobe Bryant played during his life. He has inspired countless amounts of young men and women of an entire generation. “He has become so synonymous with sports in general,” senior marketing major Charles McKean said, “that you don’t even have to say his last name to know the name Kobe.”
The biggest reason Bryant became so famous during his lifetime was his work ethic and mentality that was coined as “Mamba Mentality.” This mentality can be transferred across platforms, from basketball to academics to life.
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“On the court, I think it means doing whatever it takes in order to be the best at your craft,” Jayneisha Davis, a junior basketball player, said. “Off the court, I think it applies the same. No matter if you play a sport or you’re just really focused on your academics, really tuning into the little things.” Bryant was a five-time NBA champion, 18time All-Star, the 2008 NBA MVP and a twotime NBA finals MVP. He finished his career third in scoring in NBA history. Bryant did not just get there overnight. “I was listening to an interview where he was saying how he went to a tournament when he was younger and didn’t even score a point,” Will Young, a junior basketball player, said. “After that, he thought
it out like simple math. If the average player works out this amount a day for this amount of time, all he had to do was put in the extra work.” That is exactly what Bryant did. He was infamous for showing up six, seven, even eight hours early on game day just to shoot around and watch film. It was this effort and drive that has inspired McKean, Davis, Young and countless others. “It’s hard to find someone who is willing to give every single minute and every single ounce of themselves to stay dedicated to something,” McKean said. “To see someone who is able to put that into real life action, that’s what is the most inspiring.” Bryant trusted the process and pushed himself beyond what anybody ever thought was possible for him to achieve.
SPORTS & REC “It’s not just in that moment, it’s a process. He’s giving everything up until that point,” Young said. “He’s doing everything he can when they win or lose, when he scores a lot of points or not. It just inspires people to try to even come close.” As a little girl, Davis’ first NBA game she attended was one where Bryant was playing. “I remember looking at my uncle and saying, ‘I like him.’ He was like, ‘You like Kobe?’ I was like, ‘No, I want to be Kobe,’” Davis said. “Because he did things that were never done before.” One of those things was his fade-away. Bryant’s patented shot inspired youth all over the world to shoot trash into the trash can and exclaim, “Kobe!” More important than his basketball life was his life as a “girl dad.” Because of that, Bryant was extremely influential in women’s sports.
Sarah and Payton Chester, John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser and Ara Zobayan all left behind families.
“I would probably just tell him thank you for everything he has done with the game,” Davis said.
While these people may not have had the fame and fortune of the Bryants, they all played an integral part in the life of Gianna and those around them. Their legacies will live on through their families and those lives in which they had touched. Kobe and Gianna Bryant’s will undoubtedly be carried on throughout their fans across the world.
“I definitely would’ve said, ‘Thank you for teaching people what the definition of hard work really is,’” McKean said. To Kobe, Gianna, Sarah, Payton, John, Keri, Alyssa, Christina and Ara, you will not be forgotten.
“From what I’ve seen him do and heard him preach, I would say just to keep working hard at what I love,” McKean said about carrying on Bryant’s legacy. Had they been given the opportunity to speak to Bryant, Davis and McKean did not hesitate when it came to their responses.
“He not only impacted the NBA, but he also impacted the WNBA and women's college sports,” Davis said. “So, you have people growing up trying to emulate what he has done, which is ultimately part of his legacy.” Bryant’s second daughter, Gianna, also passed away in the helicopter accident. His other daughters, Natalia, Bianka and Capri have a big legacy to live up to. Davis believes that Bryant has laid the foundation for his daughters to follow in his footsteps. “I think he left a great picture for them of what it means to be great,” Davis said. “He left those steps along the way, so they have something to follow.”
INSPIRATIONS Hanging in Will's room is a poster of Kobe and
Bryant and Gianna died on their way to something they loved. Some of Gianna’s teammates were unfortunately on the helicopter with them.
Michael Jordan — his two favorite basketball players of all time, who he’s always looked up to.
IMPACT Jay’s shoe is Kobe’s official shoe. She has "Kobe" and "Gianna" written on them to always remember them and the impact they’ve had on her.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHARINE CHAMBERLAIN
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DAILY WORKOUT BY JESSIE MORGAN Spring semester seems to have already taken its toll on the Messiah community. As we struggle to balance work, grades and social lives, it can be a struggle to find space to fit in physical exercise. Fortunately, the Fitness Center has created a quick and simple bodyweight workout that can be done by anyone, anywhere and anytime. This workout focuses on strengthening certain core muscle groups. This is done by placing an overload of resistance on each specific muscle. “Participating in muscle strengthening exercises has a range of benefits from muscle and bone health, to stress relief, increased self-confidence and more,� Kevin Ogden, the director of the Fitness Center, said.
Cardio Circuit: 1)
2)
Jumping Jacks (15 reps)
Mountain Climbers (15 reps each)
3)
Line Hops (15 reps right to left)
4)
Line Hops (15 reps left to right)
These four exercises are a great start to any workout, increasing the heart rate and placing a heavy demand on a large group of muscles.
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Full Body Lift: 1)
Any type of physical exercise works the core muscles but targeting these specific muscle groups has a range of advantages, including improving posture, back health and the ability to transfer force from the lower body to the upper body. While it is tempting to work only certain muscles of the body, increasing the strength of all core muscles is important to achieving maximum fitness potential.
Body Weight Squat (10 reps) This exercise strengthens the front and back legs.
2)
Push Up (10 reps)
“Make sure to target all muscles of the core, not just the popular ‘sit up’ or ‘six pack’ muscles,” Ogden said.
This exercise works the arms, chest, triceps and shoulders.
3)
Body Weight Reverse Lunge (10 reps each) This exercise focuses on the glutes and back of legs.
4)
Resistance Band Rows (10 reps) This exercise focuses on the arms by placing resistance on the upper back and biceps.
5)
Foot Elevated Hip Bridge (10 reps)
6)
Resistance Band Bicep Curls (10 reps)
This exercise focuses on the glutes and back of legs.
This exercise strengthens the biceps.
7) Core Finisher Exercise: 1)
Slow Bicycles (10 reps each side)
2)
Side Plank (30 seconds each side)
3)
45 Degree Mason/Russian Twist (10 reps each side)
4)
Reverse Sit Ups (10 reps each side)
Bodyweight Lateral Lunge (10 reps each side) This exercise focuses on the inner thighs.
For a full workout, Ogden recommends completing each section one to three times before moving onto the next section. Another option is completing each section once before repeating the entire set. Starting off a morning with a quick workout promotes consistency in our everyday routines. Daily exercise helps us to be more comfortable and balanced while juggling a busy routine and can improve our commitment skills exponentially. Why not start right here, right now?
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HEALTH Spring TIPS for the
BY LEANNE TAN
Spring has officially sprung! After months of cold and dreary weather, we can now look forward to some warmer weather, bright skies and blooming flowers. The start of a new season is also a great time to pick up new healthy habits. Here are some tips to help you “spring” into wellness and feel your best in the coming months. Engage in movement every half hour. A huge part of maintaining our health is taking care of our bodies, which includes making sure our bodies get enough physical activity. “The latest research suggests that...if we’re inactive to a certain point, we increase our risk of 40 different chronic diseases,” Doug Miller, wellness director and professor of health and exercise science, said. As college students, a lot of what we do on a regular basis, such as studying, require us to remain in one position for extended periods of time. Thus, breaking up sitting into chunks of 30 minutes with intervals of three minutes to partake in some form of movement or exercise can be beneficial in various ways. “The effects of exercise are just as good on the brain as they are on the body,” Miller said. “All of the cognitive functions are improved with exercise. Not just memory and creativity, but the ability to focus on a task.”
Exercise is beneficial to mental health, too. “When we exercise, blood in the brain shifts from one place to another,” Miller said. “The areas that it shifts to are related more to cognitive skills, and it shifts away from areas that are highly focused with worry and anxiety.”
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Make use of the fitness center and other on campus exercise facilities. Senior applied health science major Zhuang Lin Mok believes that exercise has become increasingly important in recent years. “As the human race has progressed, we have engineered so much physical activity out of our lives,” Mok said. “I think exercise is more important now because people have been moving less.” Generally, a person should aim to spend 40 to 45 minutes a day exercising, five times a week. A way for students to achieve this is by utilizing exercise facilities like the fitness center, Sawyer Gymnasium, fitness trails, outdoor and indoor tracks and the disc golf course in the Back 40s. “Our fitness center staff has really worked hard to make it a safe place,” Miller said. “It’s a little bit intimidating to first walk in sometimes but that’s where our staff can help and show people how to use pieces of fitness equipment.”
Have a balanced diet. In addition to exercising, it is equally important to take care of our diets. A balanced diet provides the body with the nutrients it needs to work effectively. One way students can achieve a balanced diet is to utilize the USDA’s MyPlate Plan available online to calculate their daily recommended calorie intake and amounts from each food group and plan their meals accordingly.
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For students without meal plans, the process of ensuring a balanced diet could even begin at the grocery store. “When you’re grocery shopping and have your cart of food, you can kind of evaluate your food cart – does it fit into a balanced diet?” senior nutrition and dietetics major Sarah Szmaciasz said. “You can get a grasp of where your diet stands just by what you’re buying.”
Find ways to reduce cooking times. Understandably, college students are often under a time crunch and may find it challenging to prepare healthy meals with little time. To overcome this problem, students can consider incorporating premade ingredients such as frozen vegetables and canned foods in their cooking, without having to worry about the quality and nutrient content of their food. “Sometimes, frozen fruits and vegetables even have a higher nutrient content than the fresh varieties simply because they are picked at peak ripeness and frozen right away,” Szmaciasz said. “So, in that way, frozen fruits and vegetables are equal [to], if not better than, their fresh varieties.”
NUTRITIONIST'S
CHOICE: Crock Pot White Bean Chicken Chili with Pumpkin RECIPE COURTESY OF NICOLE BENNER, REGISTERED DIETITIAN NUTRITIONIST
INGREDIENTS: 3 Chicken Breasts (1-1 ½ pounds) Olive Oil (½ teaspoon) 1 Large Onion Garlic (3 cloves) White Navy Beans (four 15 oz cans) Chicken Broth 4-5 cups Pumpkin Puree (one large can 29 oz) Green Chili, canned (4 ½ oz)
Additionally, students can meal-prep during the weekend. That way, they won’t have to worry too much about their meals during the week.
Bay Leaves (2 leaves)
“I find that meal-prepping sets you up for success during the week,” Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Nicole Benner said. “Soup and chili are great to have on hand. You can make that and proportion those into containers and grab those for quick and easy meals. And they’re very economical, too.”
Oregano (1 teaspoon)
Benner, who works in both dining services and the Engle Center, regularly meets with students to discuss their nutrition needs. Students interested in developing a sustainable diet to attain their health goals can call or stop by the Engle Center to schedule an appointment.
Learn to be alright with failure. “A lot of times when you try to make a lifestyle change, you’re going to face a lot of challenges,” Mok said. “You’re not going to get it right the first or second time because habits take a long time to form, so just seeing it as not something you’re doomed with but something you can learn from will really help.”
Cumin (2 teaspoons) Chili Powder (1 teaspoon) Salt and Pepper to taste Sour Cream (garnish) Green Onions (garnish)
DIRECTIONS: Place uncooked chicken breast in Crock Pot. Heat a large heavy sauté pan over medium heat and coat with olive oil. Add onions and cook until tender. Add garlic and cook for just 2-3 minutes; Add cumin and sauté another minute. Add onions and garlic mixture to Crock Pot. Add beans, pumpkin puree, green chiles, broth, chili powder, oregano, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Remove bay leaves and adjust seasoning to taste before serving. Add sour cream or Greek yogurt and green onions for garnish. Enjoy!
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TURNING INJURIES INTO LEARNING EXPERIENCES
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ny athlete who has been injured has the ultimate goal of recovering quickly and returning to the field of competition with their team. Sometimes athletes don’t get the opportunity to return to competition with their team after they get injured. That is what happened to senior women’s soccer player Sunny Gelnovatch last fall.
BY MARIO COSENTINO
“As an athlete it's one of the hardest things you go through, to be injured,” Gelnovatch said. “Unfortunately, it's the truth when you play for four years at that high of a level, training four times a day along with two games during that week, you’re gonna get injured.” Gelnovatch, a standout midfielder and All-American for Messiah, saw her season come to an end after she suffered a torn ACL during the Sweet Sixteen against Trinity University. She came back in the second half of the game but was taken out because her movement in her knee was limited. The Falcons went on to win the game and proceeded to play in the Elite Eight the next day. Gelnovatch tried to warm up and that was when her ACL tore completely. Even though this prevented her from playing in the final few games of the season, she refocused and kept a positive mindset for her team. “I had to take a step back, and I had to say ‘my role on this team is different now, so I’m gonna do that to the best of my ability,’ because it may be different than what I’m used to as a leader but it’s equally as important,” Gelnovatch said.
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MARCH 2020
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHARINE CHAMBERLAIN
She could choose to dwell on her situation or pick herself up and continue to support her team at practice and through an NCAA tournament run that ended with a national title. “It was an amazing feeling, it was unreal,” Gelnovatch said. “To carry on that legacy and to finish your last season on that high of a note as the top team in the country is unbelievable.” While she hopes to coach and play club soccer in the future, she must first endure the long recovery process of an ACL injury. Sophomore Kelsey Norton of the women’s lacrosse team also suffered a torn ACL, but she is nearing the end of her nine months of recovery. She sustained her injury at the end of the 2019 regular season. Norton, a defender, fell on the ground and immediately knew something was wrong. She heard a “pop” and knew from her teammates that this was a sure sign of a torn ACL. “I tried to get up and I couldn’t put any weight on my leg at all,” Norton said. “When that happened, the trainers came over because I was still on the ground.” It was later revealed that in addition to her torn ACL, she had a slightly torn MCL and a bruised femur. Norton would have to wait for these injuries to heal before going forward with surgery.
She finally had her surgery in July 2019 and has been on the mend since. The journey ahead of her would not be an easy one, so naturally she took it step by step. Just like Gelnovatch, Norton learned to have a positive mindset for her team. “For me it's working one day at a time, seeing how hard I can work in that one day and then if I just keep doing that every day, then I hope to see the progress go on,” Norton said. While her teammates start their season, Norton is focusing on conditioning and readying herself to return to the field. That date will most likely be sometime in early April, but for now she is doing what she can to support her team. “I can still impact my team in different ways,” Norton said. “I’ll be on the sidelines cheering everyone on, and when I do return, I’ll have a different purpose.” Sophomore wrestler Hunter Zacerous tore his meniscus during a “Singlet Friday'' wrestling practice, which is a team tradition before the first competition of the season. While wrestling a teammate, Zacerous felt a pain he wouldn’t normally feel in practice. As time went on, he suspected it was something more serious, like an MCL tear. Once he
SPORTS & REC
learned that he tore his meniscus, he was told that he wouldn’t be back on the mat this season. This was unexpected, but like Norton and Gelnovatch, he adapted. “When I realized that my role is not what I expected, I filled the role, I embraced the role and I did what was meant for me this season,” Zacerous said. That role included encouraging other guys on the team who are also injured and taking part in Monday morning devotionals, both of which are things that he would not have done if not for his injury. “Embrace your role,” Zacerous said. “And no matter if you’re injured, a backup or a starter, you play a major role on the team.” Gelnovatch, Norton and Zacerous have all embraced their new roles in their respective teams and have done their best to keep a positive mindset. Their work ethic and positive outlooks only go to show that sometimes, there is more to gain when faced with the pain of injury than meets the eye.
THE SWINGING BRIDGE
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