The Pulse September 2019

THE

PULSE twitter.com/saupulse facebook.com/saupulse

S e p t e m b e r 2 7 , 2 0 1 9 • I s s u e 2 • Vo l u m e 7 • t h e s a u p u l s e . c o m

PREVIEW

TAB LE OF

CONTENTS NEW S C H O OL DI VI S I ON S PAGE 4

DAV E M CCA L LU M PAGE 7

ALBUM R E VI E W PAGE 1 2

2

DAV I D BREYETTE PAG E 5

ST U D E N T A LU M N I CO U N C I L PAG E 9

F L AT L I N E PAG E 13

thesaupulse.com • September 27, 2019

BRIAN WA L RAT H PAG E 6

CO L L EG E ST U D E N T S & CREDIT CA R D S PAG E 10

AIDEN TAY LO R PAG E 16

Sales Manager Kaelyn Hale

Design Editor Celeste Fendt

Sales Representative Caytie Sprague

Associate Editor Caralyn Geyer Section Editor Jared Boekenhauer

Designers Marissa Auxier Caralyn Geyer

Staff Writers Christina Cherian Ellie Brugger Jewell Hall Rylie Hasselbach Luke Richardson Brittany Roemer Conner Williams Sarah Williams

PREVIEW

The Pulse Staff & Contributors 2019-2020 Editor-in-Chief Celeste Fendt

September 27, 2019 • thesaupulse.com

3

News

Academic CHanges: New School DIVISIONS within SAU Celeste Fendt | Editor-in-Chief As of August 1, several changes have come to the structure of Spring Arbor University’s (SAU) schools and departments. SAU now has eight separate academic schools, each led by a dean. The eight divisions are Business, Communications & Creative Expression, Education, Engineering, Humanities, Nursing & Health Sciences, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences.

Carol Green, Vice President of Academic Affairs, initiated these changes for three main reasons. The first reason, Green said, was to improve communication throughout the faculty. One tangible way this has been accomplished is through her creation of a Dean’s Council.

Some leadership roles were rearranged and now each school has a chair and a dean, which created an opportunity to form the Dean’s Council.

The council typically meets every other week to address updates and concerns.

The group also functions as an advisory council for Green. Since they meet regularly, the deans are able to provide input on matters like institutional events. It is also a time for them to offer feedback based on what they have heard from the faculty and students within their schools.

“This way they’re not just bringing it to me individually, but other people on the council can weigh in, too,” Green said.

The second main reason was so Green had fewer direct reports. When she started in the role of Vice President of Academic Affairs, 24 people reported to her directly. Green said this new arrangement has helped her manage her role more effectively and efficiently.

Third, Green wanted to increase

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS - DEAN CHAN COMMUNICATIONS & CREATIVE EXPRESSION - DEAN SHELBY EDUCATION - DEAN SHERRILL ENGINEERING - DEAN DELAP

4

thesaupulse.com • September 27, 2019

collaboration and synergy between similar academic areas. For example, communications, art and music now fall under the same school.

“It’s working really well,” Green said.

“It’s helping give the faculty a voice beyond their department and a place to raise issues or questions.”

Dorie Shelby now serves as the Dean of the School of Communications & Creative Expression and the Chair for the department of Communications and Media. According to Green, some of the duties of deans include facilitating ongoing communication between faculty, staff and academic affairs, supervising chairs and overseeing the budget. “[The Dean’s Council] includes a lot of different perspectives represented and it is a really productive group,” Shelby said.

Humanities - Dean Bowen Nursing & Health Sciences Dean Kauffman Natural Sciences - Interim dean Weakland Social sciences - dean Darling

News

Resident Life Ministry: David Breyette Caralyn Geyer | Associate Editor From Illinois, to Oregon, Thailand, Sweden and Indiana, Spring Arbor University (SAU) introduces new Resident Director (RD), David Breyette. In addition to this position, Breyette will be working with intramural student programmers involved in Student Government Association.

Breyette received his bachelors degree from Taylor University, with minors in Bible and business. He also received a masters degree from Taylor, writing his thesis on how student church involvement impacts individual student belief.

Breyette is no stranger to life in the dorm. While in his undergraduate program, he worked as a Resident Assistant (RA), which helped him to become accustomed to not just living, but working in a resident life environment. While in his Masters program, he worked under a full-time RD to get some experience.

“I never really thought of what else I’d do. Whenever I was asked the question, ‘What do you want to do when you’re older?’ I thought, why wouldn’t I just work in the church and do ministry?” Breyette said.

Breyette was drawn to SAU because of the community environment of campus. He said he had good interactions with the resident life team and found that he would fit well into a “smaller, community-oriented and student-focused environment.” He said he saw a future and a team he could contribute to [at SAU] and he resonated

with the moto of Student Development to know the rich history, tradition, and and resident life: “Love enough to culture of SAU, including in Andrews. challenge, care enough to support.”

Breyette said his favorite part of the Because of Breyette’s experiences in job is the energy in Andrews Hall and student life as well as a church internship getting to work with his team of RAs. during undergraduate, he sees resident If there is anything Breyette wants SAU life as a ministry. students and staff to know, it’s that he “Everything we do is formational. loves to meet people. He encourages Rather than pockets of development, anyone on campus to say “hey” whether [our lives are] all the time reflective of in passing or by talking and getting to Jesus’s ministry. He used all of that time know one another. intentionally and I’m taking the same “I love to celebrate people,” he said. approach in resident life,” Breyette said. “Whether we are new or old, there is He said what this means specifically great participation [at SAU] and in the for Andrews Hall is challenging the surrounding community that really dorm to stay engaged with one another, models how to love ourselves, love God, especially about faith. Breyette said and love our neighbors as ourselves.”

Andrews has an amazing level of energy and he wants to help channel that PHOTO PROVIDED BY David Breyette towards integrating faith with everyday life by means of having intentional conversations and by asking the hard questions.

Although it is odd to be back on a college campus and not have to worry about school work for the first time, Breyette said he is adjusting well to the transition to full-time RD. Though he is also one of the newest to campus, he looks forward to getting

September 27, 2019 • thesaupulse.com

5

News

Brian Walrath: From Worship Arts to Choir Brittany Roemer | Staff Writer

A

fter this year, Brian Walrath, current professor of Worship Arts and Wellspring, will be transitioning to the director of Choir due to the elimination of the Worship Arts major.

The usual fall choir activities will still take place: Hanging of the Greens and Thanks and Praise.

Walrath has many ideas for what he wants to do for the choir.

Specifically, for the spring semester of this school year, he wants to show the story of music, from early church, to the 21st century through the choir’s songs.

“This samples music from all across the centuries,” Walrath said.

His idea for spring semester is to bring worship music into the choir.

The choir will use singing, and narration to explain 2,000 years of choral music and how it evolved.

He hopes to open the eyes of his choir students because there is “more to worship than just music.” He wants everyone, especially his students, to see the new world of worship he saw.

“I like working with young people, they keep me young and energize me,” Walrath said.

‘‘ ’’ “I like working with young people, they keep me young and they energize me.”

Brian Walrath, Professor of Worship Arts and Wellspring

6

thesaupulse.com • September 27, 2019

PHOTO FROM arbor.edu

Jared Boekenhauer | Section Editor

D

avid McCallum, or as he is known among guys in Andrews Hall, “Saint Dave,” is the custodian for Andrews Hall.

McCallum holds an associate degree from Lansing Community College, but he did attend Spring Arbor College as a freshman back in 1990 where he majored in philosophy and religion, and minored in music. In 2012, he completed his bachelor’s degree in organizational management through the Spring Arbor University (SAU) adult studies program.

Today, McCallum helps keep Andrews Hall clean and running

properly. He also interacts with the men of Andrews Hall, talking to them about issues they may be facing in college.

“I like to think I’m kind of like the barber,” McCallum said. “A person that people can talk to about anything without feeling judged. Sometimes I have to take the dad role with guys I have a bit of a relationship with. I also feel the need to insert a dad joke whenever I find the opportunity.”

McCallum often prays with guys in the middle of the hall and has learned almost every name of who resides in Andrews Hall.

Features

Community profile: Dave McCallum He said physically, the hardest job is shoveling snow, however mentally, it is keeping up with his daily cleaning stuff along with extra stuff that can come up throughout the day.

Occasionally he will clean up the mess caused by pranks that occur.

McCallum said that his favorite part of his job is “watching guys grow and develop into men that are ready to make a difference in the world.”

“ ”

“I also feel the need to insert a dad joke whenever I find the opportunity.”

Dave McCallum

PHOTO PROVIDED BY Dave McCallum

September 27, 2019 • thesaupulse.com

7

Features

SEPTEMBER POLL Have you ever had a meme rejected by SAU memes?

Favorite Paul Patton quote?

Do fish deserve funerals?

8

Where is the elephant? (selected responses) 1. “In the bottom of the now filled-in pool” 2. “Patiently waiting for his next appearance.”

3. “Up north.”

4. “Chase knows.”

5. “President Ellis Grandmothers Sister’s best friends cousins half sister’s uncle’s grandfather’s mailman’s basement.”

6. “I’m never telling.”

7. “Chase Lunde’s room.”

8. “Boy do I wish I knew.”

9. “Deep in the bowels of Ormston.”

10. “Non kopicko has it”

thesaupulse.com • September 27, 2019

Jewell Hall | Staff Writer

E

ach semester, Spring Arbor students take one step closer to finishing their college degree at Spring Arbor University (SAU) and preparing for life outside of SAU. Yet, a student’s time after Spring Arbor is not finished once they receive their degree.

The Spring Arbor Student Alumni Council (SAC) makes it their mission to build relationships with their current students and alumni. The council focuses on helping current students transition to alumni by focusing on partnership, preparation and philanthropy.

Haley Fulton, head of the partnership sub-committee, gave insight on different ways the Student-Alumni Council is able to help current students with the transition. When examining the multiple resources available to

aid student transition, Fulton said, “We do this by hosting Dollars and Donuts, creating the MAP of alumni on our website, organizing the senior Scholarship/Celebration and providing students with information through Senior Coffee.”

Fulton also said that the council works on facilitating and maintaining the feeling of thankfulness and community through their social media campaigns and social events.

Throughout the school year, students are able to attend weekly Dollars and Donuts events to gather together to listen to alumni speak about a wide range of topics that will help students with their career, personal life and faith after SAU. The SAC also hosts Senior Coffee where seniors can receive free coffee and learn more about the

Features

Spring Arbor’s Student Alumni Council resources available to them. The council also has a wide range of resources on the Spring Arbor website where students are able to connect to alumni through the Mentoring Alumni Program (MAP).

The MAP allows students to build relationships with current alumni by searching different careers and locations that are most relevant to them.

The SAC’s goal is to make sure that SAU students know they are always a part of the SAU community and will always have a group of people who care and are supporting them, as they branch out into life outside of SAU. For more information about Spring Arbor’s Student Alumni Council, visit www. arbor.edu/alumni or email the council at alumni@arbor.edu to learn how you can be a part of what they do. Follow them on Instagram @springarborsac.

Members of the 2018-19 SAC

PHOTO BY Bekah Zraik

September 27, 2019 • thesaupulse.com

9

Features

Credit Cards and College Students Sarah Williams | Staff Writer

O

ne of the responsibilities many new adults take on is owning a credit card.

According to American 1 Credit Union’s Development Specialist Janis McCleery, credit cards are a line of credit, or a signature loan, that gives the user the ability to buy something now and pay later.

Credit cards can be useful because the owner does not have to disclose their bank account to creditors or other merchants; if the card is breached, it is easier to replace them than routing an account number.

“Credit cards can be too easy to use…. If you do not keep track of your balance, you could end up spending more than you can pay back,” McCleery

10

said.

According to McCleery, unlike debit cards, charges made by credit cards have to be repaid on a later date. If any amount is not paid within the grace period, interest will be added. Credit cards can be dangerous, however, if the owner does not keep track of their spending.

To use a credit card responsibly, McCleery said the owner should monitor their balance, don’t spend more than they can pay back and, if purchasing online, use a reputable website.

“By paying attention to their due dates and making the payment on time, you are demonstrating responsibility.

thesaupulse.com • September 27, 2019

This responsibility comes with rewards—better interest rates.”

McCleery said.

As credit card owners pay off their balances, they build credit. The credit determines the rate they receive on insurance and loans, what type of apartment they can rent and if they can get a home or automobile loan.

McCleery said some people believe credit cards are bad, but they can be good as long as they are used as a tool for helping build and maintain a good credit rating.

Ellie Brugger | Staff Writer

L

iz Pence and Luke Richardson took script writing together their sophomore year. During class, Richardson read a scene from his play, “Man of the Woods,” and Pence told him, “If this is your senior show, I want to direct it.” Now, two years later, this plan has come full circle, as Man of the Woods will be performed in October, written by Richardson and directed by Pence.

This production is special because it is the second ever student-written production at Spring Arbor University (SAU), in addition to being student directed. “It’s nice to have walked alongside of a project for two years and get to see it to fruition,” Pence said.

PHOTO BY Shan Shan Akamu

The play is loosely based on the historical accounts that inspired Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. It is about Pedro Gonzolez, a boy with hypertrichosis (a condition that causes lots of hair growth) who is part of a circus until he gets adopted by Catherine de` Medici.

As a result, he becomes an accountant for the court of France and writes a treatise on equality, inspiring peasants to stand up for themselves and advocate for equal treatment.

Similarly to the lives of Spring Arbor students, it takes place in a community of learners who are empowered by scripture and are learning to love, and reflects the university’s concept to do just that.

Features

“Man of the Woods” Some of the challenges surrounding this production have been costuming and makeup, because of the depiction of hypertrichosis in three of the characters.

Pence explained that costumes are one of her favorite parts of directing because they tell “so much of the story without having to use any words.”

“Man of the Woods” premiers at the Prop Shop on October 10 and runs each day through the 12 at 8 p.m. It is three dollars for SAU Students and five dollars for the community.

“It’s a love story. It’s got political intrigue. It’s got Luke in a lot of hair,” Pence said.

PHOTO BY Luke Richardson

September 27, 2019 • thesaupulse.com

11

A&E

A Ballroom Underwater: The Chastened Slow Dance of

Titanic Rising Conner Williams | Staff Writer Natalie Laura Mering, known professionally as Weyes Blood, has always gravitated toward the melancholic in her music. Drawing her alias from Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood, she is preoccupied with complicated spirituality and how attachments to loved ones can simultaneously be painful and joyous. Her latest album, Titanic Rising, does not make a departure from her usual forlorn delivery, but its subject matter represents a chastened journey into happiness. The narrators of the songs on Titanic are concerned with friendship and community, and though they know community carries its own kind of pain, they see the joy in it anyway.

The sonic quality of the songs on Titanic suggests a landscape that is submerged in water. The album opens with Mering crooning over a slow, rhythmic piano and swelling strings in “A Lot’s Gonna Change.” Her sad repetition of “Cause you got what it takes / in your lifetime / try to leave it all behind” is reminiscent of Etta James singing “All I Could Do Was Cry.” The sliding music of the strings combined with the gloomy and clear tone of Mering’s voice seem to glide slowly through an underwater ballroom.

As the album progresses, the vocals become more choral and the lyrics begin to engage in a search for hope.

“Andromeda,” though destitute in its sentiment,

PHOTO FROM Facebook

12

thesaupulse.com • September 27, 2019

consists of gorgeous vocal harmonies fluttering over a steel guitar like that of Linda Ronstadt’s “Blue Bayou.” In “Everyday,” the chorus whips into joyful rhythm and Mering’s voice occupies a joyful beat like that of a Carpenters song as she cries “I need a love every day.”

Mering again adopts the mournful bluegrass styling of “Andromeda” in “Something to Believe,” though this time she delivers a new idea. Instead of resigning herself to hopeless loneliness, she pleads “Give me something I can see / Something bigger and louder than the voices in me/ Something to believe.” The final three songs before the instrumental are resolute in the tempered hopefulness of their desire to be together with the people they love, even in the face of pain.

Mering intones that she’s “Waiting for the call from beyond/ Waiting for something with meaning/ To come through soon” in the slow and melismatic jazz melody of “Picture Me Better.” Though she closes on a sad note, she refuses to surrender the hope that meaning will deliver a joy to her that will serve as the fulfillment to her pain. We are left with the wordless, complex harmonies of a jazz orchestra in “Nearer to Thee,” and get the sense that after a journey through loneliness, Mering is finally dancing with an old friend.

A&E

The Phantom of the Arbor Haunts Andrews Hall Luke Richardson | Staff Writer

E

veryone knows the strange story of the Phantom of the Opera, a disfigured musical genius who was best known for haunting the French Opera Populaire, kidnapping young sopranos and freaking out when someone else sat in his favorite chair.

Stranger still are the stories of The Phantom of the Arbor, a mysterious ghost who had chosen to haunt of all places…Andrews Hall.

“I don’t understand,” said David Breyette, Resident Director of Andrews Hall. “I always assumed it was Ormston Hall that had the ghosts.”

Residents of Andrews Hall have observed the Phantom of the

Arbor among other things, playing pool by himself, sitting alone in Andrews Theatre Room with an unusually large bag of popcorn and critiquing the paintings in the upper game room.

“That was the Phantom of the Arbor?” said Grant Slater, sophomore and resident of Andrews Hall 4 West. “I thought that was my roommate playing dress up.”

Flatline managed to speak to the Phantom when he appeared unannounced at the Lo-Down event at the start of the school year. Students were intrigued, but ultimately confused at the strange figure’s antics. Some even took selfies with the Ghost.

Our correspondent sat down with the Phantom and asked him why he was here.

“That was Andrews Hall?” said the Phantom. “I was under the impression that Ormston Hall was full of the ghosts!”

The Phantom of the Arbor has not been seen since, but any information on his whereabouts should be directed towards Flatline.

September 27, 2019 • thesaupulse.com

A&E

Top Seven Movies Every College Student Should See Luke Richardson | Staff Writer

1. Star Wars (1977) – If you’re unfamiliar with movies, this is a perfect starting point. The hero’s journey is very prominent in this film about a tyrannical empire, a scrappy band of rebels, a mystical space wizard and his fallen pupil and a young farm hand who dares to take his first steps into a larger world.

2. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) – This film is a great introduction to absurdist humor. King Arthur and his loyal knights Sir Lancelot, Sir Robin, Sir Galahad, Sir Bedevier, and Sir Not Appearing In This Film, embark upon a quest to secure the Holy Grail. Along the way they are forced to deal with Flesh Eating Rabbits, Rude French Guards, and the dreaded Knights Who Say Ni.

4. The Princess Bride (1987) 3. The Breakfast Club (1985) –This film discusses the trials of adolescence, disassembles social labels and sheds light into the private lives of five very different high school students spending a Saturday afternoon in detention.

14

– This movie has it all. Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles… This film is one of the most quotable films of all time with classic lines such as “Inconceivable,” “My name is Inigo Montoya” and “As You Wish,” pervading modern culture to this very day.

5. The Matrix (1999) – In this action film, the character Neo, a computer hacker is offered an impossible choice by the enigmatic Morpheus, either keep things as they are or wake up…and step into the real world. This film talks about the impact our perception has, with some theologians even using the film as an allegory of spiritual warfare.

6. Beauty and the Beast (1991)

7. Shrek (2001) – Somebody once

– This is Walt Disney Picture’s magnum opus. The first animated film to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, this tale as old as time tells the story of a girl named Belle whose sacrifice and understanding win the love of a cursed prince, and proves that true beauty lies within.

told me that Shrek was director Jeffery Katzenberg’s mockery of Disney, complete with a villain whose name sounds very close to something else with the face of his former boss Michael Eisner. Yet, Shrek also is a hilarious love story with a surprisingly touching moral about accepting people for who they are.

thesaupulse.com • September 27, 2019

Christina Cherian | Staff Writer

A

t the beginning of his fourth year, Aidan Taylor is looking forward to another season with his teammates, especially after an injury and some obstacles he faced last year.

Aidan started playing soccer when he was four years old. He continued to play as he grew up, but he was also involved in basketball, baseball and track up until high school, and then chose to focus on soccer because he knew he wanted to play in college and that it would be hard to foster the appropriate discipline if he stretched himself too thin by continuing to play other sports.

Since coming to Spring Arbor

University (SAU), Aidan learned that collegiate soccer is much more difficult than high school soccer, especially when it comes to balancing it with his school work and social life. He’s taken on a job at the campus coffee shop, Sacred Grounds, where he is a manager.

But despite all of this, Aidan has a few strategies to help keep himself focused and performing at the best level he can.

“First and foremost, timemanagement plays a huge role in being able to do everything I need to. I plan ahead, set a schedule and I stick to it no matter what. But besides that, I also focus on what I’m doing when I’m doing it. When I’m at practice, I make sure I’m mentally present, not worrying about my assignments or anything else. Same goes for when I’m doing homework, I focus on that, I don’t worry about training,” Taylor said.

Despite this focus and mental discipline, there were still obstacles

Sports

Athlete of the month: Aiden Taylor to Taylor’s soccer career. In the second game of his junior year, Taylor broke his ankle, which took a while to be diagnosed correctly. Though it prevented him from being able to play for the rest of the season, Taylor said he was able to find a silver-lining in the clouds.

“I learned perspective through that whole time, and I learned how to be on the sidelines. Even though I didn’t play, I still supported my teammates.

I encouraged the starters and pushed them to be better, the best they can be, just like they often did for me. And, because of my injury, I’ll be able to come back in Fall 2020 and play for one extra semester,” Taylor said.

Taylor said he hopes to be able to win a national championship with his team this year, something he would consider an ultimate achievement, not only for himself, but for his teammates as well.

PHOTO BY Chris Bauman

September 27, 2019 • thesaupulse.com

16