Tommy Housman
Paris Himes
President
Jasmine Brents
Creative Lead
Alex Halbrook
CreativeLead
Minton, Baylee A.
Design
Chloe Ferguson
Design
Madison Adams
Design
Abbey Kyle
Design
Maddi Krohn
Design
Mikayla Duffy
Illustrator
Hannah Addison
Writer
Jackson Caudill
Writer
Hayden Chrapek
Writer
Myia Danek
Writer
Troy Schroeder
Podcast Host
Heather Rak
Writer
Emmett Bowman
Content Creator
Bev Rowley
Member at Large
Iryna Tsesiul
Video & Photography
HARLAXTON HAZE
Dani Parisi
Editor - Writer
Maddy Webb
Social Media Manager - Writer
Mayray Sung Writer
Sam Tarter Writer
Liam Allen Writer
Emma Ault Writer
Alexa Davis
Sam Fowler
Tiva Frushour
Chasity Carner
Callie E. Meinel
Paige Radel
CRESCENT MAGAZINE
is the University of Evansville’s student magazine. It is written, edited and designed by and for UE students and published six times during the academic year.
Circulation is 1,500 distributed to 18 campus locations and housed online at www.cresceent.evansville.edu
The Crescent it is funded through advertising sales and a subscription fee paid on behalf of students by the Student Government Association.
LETTER SUBMISSIONS:
Crescent Magazine welcomes letters from UE students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumni, but material the CMEB regards as libelous, malicious and/or obscene will not be published. Letters should not exceed 250 words. For verification, letters must include the author’s name, class standing or title and email address. Crescent Magazine does not print anonymous letters or those that cannot be verified. Letters will be edited as needed.
Commentary expressed in unsigned editorials represents a consensus opinion of the magazine’s Editorial Board. Other columns, reviews, articles and advertising are not necessarily the opinion of the CMEB or other members of staff.
SEARCHING FOR SOLACE AS A CHINESE AMERICA -1
YOU WILL NEVER KNOW-2
HOW TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHIER MINDSET DURING COLLEGE FINALS-3
MORE THAN A SHOW: A LOOK AT FANDOMS-4
GEO WOODSTOCK; THE WORLDS LARGEST TREASURE. HUNT-9
STUDENT MEDIA 2023 LEADERSHIP AWARDS-11
THE MIDWEST DRIFTERS-14
YWCA IS ON A MISSION-15
DRAG US DOWN-17
3 SECONDS OR LESS;
COVER
HOW TIKTOK IS MAKING IT HARDER TO KEEP PEOPLE FOCUSED-21
A FRESHMAN AGAIN-23
THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN HERE…BUT IT DID-25
THE ECHOS OF SOLITUDE-38
MEMBERSHIP ON THE DOWNFALL-29
MY TIME IN BRUGES, THE VENICE OF THE NORTH-33 HOMESICKNESS-36
TO THANK A GRAVESTONE-37
WHAT KIND OF TRAVELER ARE YOU?-38
THE JOURNEYS JOURNAL; EXCERPTS FORM TRAVELS ABROAD-39
HOW
SOBA
Editorial
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Asa Chinese American there is a lot of discrimination and isolation that I face in the States by White Americans and other people of color. Though it has dwindled as I have gotten older, it still affects how I see these people. Authorities making disparaging comments to me, I was not able to celebrate my own holidays properly in Evansville. I also do not have the ability to omit foreign language classes that my international counterparts are able to get out of while having similar proficiency in another language and culture here at UE. They do not even have my own language as an option to take here while a few major European languages are available. Most of local Asian Americans do not come here as we do not have much to do here since COVID-19.
I have had to live being called slurs and listen to jokes based on xenophobic ideas of my ethnicity. I have had to help a Chinese teacher teaching abroad to get out of her situation when her host family committed a hate crime against her. My mother has been called slurs by her patients. At the start of COVID-19 my mother did not want me out of the house for fear of my safety as a Chinese person. A Chinese student was fatally stabbed January in Bloomington this year for her race.
Though now that I’m in Harlaxton, there is a sense of freedom. I finally get to celebrate Chinese New Year properly in London. There were more people that were like me. It brought a bittersweet melancholy with tears to my eyes. Americans have Christmas, but I never was back in China to celebrate our holidays. I had to compensate here in the New World with our smaller communities. It was a place I belonged. Though there is still the same sentiment of hatred by the people.
I met a Chinese Singaporean who felt fear for presenting as a Chinese person for the first time coming to England. He heard that someone had been assaulted
for wearing a mask as a Chinese person in London and therefore never wore a mask since he arrived.
My experience with such racism here has been that people have gossiped over my coughing as everyone else was also as sick as I was. I’ve had British children spout racist things at me. This all still reminded me of the United States. It’s almost like it never changed for me. Then again, the town Grantham near Harlaxton is comparable to Henderson which is only 30 minutes from Evansville.
The Singaporean did not believe that America has issues with Sinophobia until I recounted my life in the States and what has happened to the people in the Chinese community around me, which relates to Chinese in Chinese dominated countries do not realize that it is an issue in nations like the UK and the US as they believe that they just have similar issues and that we are weak without knowing what we go through as they usually never hear personal accounts or had to encounter it. Though I met a Chinese from Manchester that wholly understood and knew what it was like to be discriminated in a similar light being a British citizen. Though with all being part of the Chinese diaspora, it felt like we were very far removed from the nationally Chinese people as we were thoroughly westernized in America, Singapore, and England. Though I felt I was the least removed, partly due to the fact my mother refused to let me lose my heritage by telling me that she would ignore me when I spoke English to her.
I don’t know when I will reconcile these feelings and find peace, but I hope one day…
that I belong somewhere.
extremely exciting time, as well as a slightly sad one, as they not only are done with their undergraduate studies, but it’s also the end of a significant chapter of their lives since the end of their time in college usually marks the end of their athletic career as well. Unfortunately, not every athlete gets this chance for their last shining moment. Whether it be due to difficulty maintaining the delicate balance between classwork and training, or simply getting burnt out, not everyone can reach the end they had hoped for in their athletic career.
In the case of Michael Whitehead, however, his final season was cut short by injury – news he only received just a month before what would have been his final competition. “It absolutely crushed me,” said Michael. “It’s like spending 4 years on making a cake, only for it to never be fully made. I can at least say I gave it my all, but it deeply saddens me that I can’t see how far I’ve come.” Michael hit the ground running when he arrived in Evansville, consistently dropping time in his events in his first year on the team. While he had been doing everything he could to stay at his best, he noticed that was beginning to struggle in his events. When he finally found out that he news that he had a tear in his shoulder, the news was unfortunately not entirely surprising. “Leading up to this point I was consistently performing worse than my teammates and the pain I had to deal with made me feel like it was my own fault. When I found out that it wasn’t my own mistake, but rather a lingering tear in my shoulder, I felt a bit better about myself.” Of course, this was still devastating news to hear. “Knowing that no matter what I did, I would be unable to swim after 4 years of giving everything I had in the water. It’s just like losing everything you had right at the finish line. If I could go back in time, I would get a scan done much quicker, rather than blaming myself for struggling in the pool.”
One of Michael’s closest teammates, Griffin Hammett, was also disappointed at the news. “I was so sad about losing such a close friend when we were so close to the end of our careers as swimmers. I know how tough he has been for fighting through his injury to keep swimming, and it really made me sad since I wouldn’t be able to see him close out his career with the end of our season being just a few weeks away. Michael truly is the glue of our team that brings all of us together and keeps us in good spirits. Griffin and Michael met in their first year at Evansville, and have been friends ever since. “Our old coach had recruited both of us here and thought it would be a good idea for us to room together since he believed we would get along. We first met at a pizza restaurant called Pangea which is just a little bit off campus. It was definitely an awkward feeling at first, but after 5 minutes we really clicked since we realized that we had so much in common, and our conversations came so easily.” Griffin and Michael have spent years training and competing together, and have helped to push each other through all of the challenges that came with their training. “Swimming is an extremely tough sport, and it makes me sad knowing that he won’t get to see all of his hard work finally pay off. If the roles were reversed, I know I would be feeling just the same way. Years and years of hard work, early mornings, and time consumed, and not being able to see it through and being unable to finish would leave me feeling hollow since I would never know what I could have accomplished. We’ve lived together all of our college careers and I couldn’t have asked for a better roommate and friend these past four years.”
With the end of the season still coming up for his teammates, Michael has resolved to still support his friends. “While I enjoy supporting my teammates, it is greatly saddening to not be with them in the water,” he said. “It has been difficult even just to watch, especially knowing that it was my last year ever in the water. A lot of my teammates often like to joke around and act like I got out easy, but what they don’t realize is what comes after you finish. For me, once I realized I had lost all the chances of seeing all the improvement I had worked towards, it ended up being quite sad since swimming would always remain an unfinished chapter of my life.” Swimming, like any sport, takes a lot of time, commitment, and patience to reach the goals you set for yourself, and not getting to finish what you started is ultimately a heartbreaking moment. “I wish it wasn’t an injury that ended my career since it’s the one thing I can’t overcome without giving up the thing I enjoy the most.”
•Check your exam times and project due dates
Preparing yourself for deadlines and exam times before finals is the first step to mapping out your schedule and making sure you know what you have ahead of you.
P.S. it is also important to check so that you don’t miss a final;)
•Write it out and create a schedule
Sometimes writing out your tasks and creating a time frame/ schedule for studying can help put your mind at ease and make the chaos feel manageable.
•Find different settings to study in
Finding quiet and comfortable places to study can inspire the mind to keep going, and changing it up will keep you feeling focused and ready to take on the studying. Note: it is also important to set apart your “study spaces” and your “relaxing spaces”, so try not to do any studying in your bed or bedroom.
•Team up with people
Study groups are a great studying strategy to bounce ideas off each other and quiz each other. Just be sure to avoid distractions and stay on task.
•Fuel your body properly and get a good night’s sleep
It’s plain and simple… the way in which you fuel your body directly affects your mental performance. Getting good sleep before a test is more important than staying up late to study. Take care of your body and mind.
•Reach out to professors or tutors
If you have an exam that you do not feel super confident in or may have questions about the material, it is a good idea to reach out to professors for any help that you may need. Professors and tutors are there to help you and want to see you succeed in your finals.
It is important to take breaks from projects and studying to clear your mind and refocus later. The recommended study break time is 20 minutes, which is the perfect amount of time to regroup and remotivate yourself when you get back on task.
It is important to remember that grades do not define you and finals are only one week out of the whole semester. Be kind to yourself as you approach each exam and project and keep things in perspective.
Finals week has notoriously caused an insane amount of stress in college students. The mental health of a college student takes a huge plumet during the weeks before, during, and after finals. It seems to be the week that most students have the worst mental break downs, don’t get enough to sleep or eat, and feel the lowest in their selfesteem. In other words, finals suck. But fortunately, there are a few tips and tricks to make the upcoming weeks of finals manageable and less stressful.
more than a show:
Hidden in the corners and hushed whispers of the Internet lingers the home of thousands of superfans, people obsessed with analyzing and interacting with their favorite TV shows, movies, bands, novels, and more. In these spaces, Julianne George, Dean Giorgio, and Becky Sabetta find their place in fandoms, and are free to post their art, their writing, or to just interact with others. For Becky, the fandoms she interacts with are a place to make friends and enjoy new content for things she already loves. But for Dean, fandom can make a huge difference in a person’s mental health and how they see themselves in the world around them. Fandoms are defined as a community of fans that share a common interest. Maybe they all listen to My Chemical Romance. Maybe they obsess over the CW show “Supernatural.” These fans take to online spaces, and create more content for the source material they’ve been given. They write their own stories with the show’s characters, called fanfiction. They create artwork of book characters, or fanart. They create gifs, fan songs, animatics, and anything else you can think of, and they post it to fandom friendly sites like Tumblr, Wattpad, Fanfiction.net, or, the queen jewel of the fanfiction community– Archive of Our Own (AO3). It’s hard to fathom how much fan-made content exists for something as small as a stand alone novel like “Red, White, & Royal Blue,” or something as large as “Star Trek.” On AO3 alone, over 52,940 fandoms are represented, and over 10,000 fanfictions have been written for a single couple from “Supernatural.” But it’s not just the fanfiction and art that keeps people like Julianne, Dean, and Becky coming back for more. It’s the life-changing community that goes along with the fandom. It’s all of the people that create the content and how they interact with each other. “If I was talking to a writer,” said Becky Sabetta, 21 years old and member of the “Cute Mutants” and Batfam fandoms.
“I would compare fandom to an open mic, where you go up and perform in front of people. But it’s like an open mic where anyone can walk into the room and leave at any time they want to, if they really like your stuff or if they go into the room and they don’t really like what you’re reading, then they just leave and don’t say anything.”
“It’s just like, ‘Hey you like this?’” said Julianne George, 19 and member of the “Wings of Fire” and “Minecraft” fandoms. “‘Yeah, you like this?’ Yeah, and then you know, you either become friends or you have a very lovely chat and forget each other’s existence the next day.” They describe fandom as a magical thing and something that can have a lasting positive impact on people. Through commenting, kudos, and interacting with other people in the fanbase, it is easy for people to make lasting friendships and find a place for themselves in an online space dedicated to something they love.
“I can’t imagine not being in a fandom,” said Julianne. “Just something fun and positive to do and I don’t know, it brings a sense of community with people based off of their interest.” “My two best friends only happened because of Supernatural, so I’d be lonely without them, the fandoms and my friends. They bring meaning to life,” said Dean Giorgio, 23, of the “Supernatural” and Marvel fandoms.
And in many cases, the fandom bond goes beyond average friendship. While some fandoms are better than others about fostering a healthy, positive community, there are a few communities that stick out as so close-knit that the online community, and the one you find in person, has become a family.
“I think I build little families in them, like I have a group of friends in the Batfam fandom and we’re all just really really close, but I also love the entire fandom,” said Becky.
“If I was on the side of a road,” Dean said. “Like if my car broke down and I wanted a fandom to save me, it would be a Supernatural fandom person, because we travel in packs.” Out of all the fandoms, “Supernatural” has the strongest family reputation of taking care of their fandom and the people involved in it, to the point where multiple charities, originating from both the actors and fans, have been started in order to help fans with mental health struggles. Named after a character on the show, a fundraiser called The Castiel Project has currently raised over $71,000 for the LGBTQ nonprofit the Trevor Project, showing that fandoms aren’t just about chatting online about the latest episode– they can also create a huge impact for good causes, and create a home for fans.
Interacting with the creators of the fandom source material, or in person with other fans, can also be a life-changing experience for people involved in fandoms. Julianne frequently attends fan conventions, where she and others are free to dress up as their favorite characters and have one of a kind interactions with people that would otherwise be strangers.
“This happened at a con once, where I dressed up as Ruby,” Julianne said. Ruby is the title character from one of Julianne’s favorite fandoms– an anime called “RWBY.” “There was one guy who dressed up as her uncle, Uncle Crow, and one year that guy walked up to me and said he was doing photos where he gave every single Ruby a piggyback ride, so we took a photo where he gave me a piggyback ride.” In any other context, the idea of a stranger offering to give you a piggyback ride would be absurd, but in the context of fandom, it’s not. At conventions, fans look out for each other amongst the chaos of panels, and if the character you’re dressed as has a relationship with the character another person is dressed as, like a John Watson cosplayer finding a Sherlock, it’s normal to form a relationship with that person, if only for the day. The bond found between fans is something that cannot be found anywhere else, and getting to interact with creators, authors, and actors of the fandom’s source material is life-changing to a fan.
“Meeting them, seeing what they’re like backstage definitely gave the fandoms a lot more of a positive feel,” said Julianne. “I don’t think I stopped internally screaming for like five days,” said Dean, after merely receiving a social media message from a creator. “that someone that I have dressed up as and admired and overwhelmingly looked up to for so many years actually responded to me– I shriveled as a person. There is no other feeling that you can get in the world besides that. That it feels so fulfilling; like you could work at your career for a very long time and just not get that feeling. You could be a lawyer and maybe you do get that feeling, I don’t know, but I just do not see myself getting that feeling with anything else. But getting to meet the people that you look up to for the most ridiculous reasons?
It’s amazing.”
The interactions, both with fellow fans and with creators, are what sticks with the fans, and something as simple as a like on an art post or a comment on a fanfiction can make all the difference in the world.
“Sharing your work with other people, just putting it out there,” Becky said, “You don’t know who’s going to find it, but you hope that when they find it, they’ll really enjoy it, and for the most part they usually do. It’s kinda like sticking your story up onto a bulletin board full of other stories, and if you’re lucky someone will be bored and stop by
Julianne George with fellow cosplayer.
the bulletin board and look over the stories and then they’ll take a little sticky note out of their pocket and draw a little heart to show they like it, or just write a little message and just stick it on the side and forget about it and go about their day. And sometimes they’ll take a picture of the story and they shove it into their pocket, and every so often they pull out their phone and look at it and they’re like “Yeah, that’s a good story,” and they’ll put it away again.”
Sharing your works with a fandom, or simply taking in the source material, can be a major confidence boost to fans. When a show or a book means so much to you, it’s only natural that it will have an impact on how you see yourself.
“It lets me live my inner child and my inner fantasies, and it inspires my writing,” said Dean. “Supergirl gave me a lot of confidence, and now with Marvel, when I watch Ms. Marvel or Gal Gadot, it just radiates confidence so much that it instills confidence in me.”
“I think when people interact with whatever I put out, it makes me feel like I belong,” said Becky. And it’s not just about confidence. Fandoms can be a source of comfort for people, a cozy escape from the difficulties of the world that makes them feel happier and safer than they would without it.
“When I’m feeling down or something, I can look at fandom content to feel better,” said Becky. “Like, I’m getting over a cold right now and I literally just watched a fandom video on YouTube last night to make me forget for like twenty minutes that I had a cold, so that was nice. I think it’s very fun, very uplifting a lot of the time.”
“I’ve got my comfort animes,” said Julianne. “Either when I’m bored or anxious, just flip on Ouran Host Club, because it’s impossible to feel sad while watching Tamaki make a fool out of himself.”
Fandoms can have a huge impact on fans’ mental health, and while providing comfort and escapism is one side of the coin, the other
can be more difficult to explain. For some communities, it is easy to get very attached to the source material. When the community is a family, when every person is so close-knit to each other and to the work, it can be difficult to pull oneself away. Many fans don’t want to, as they embrace the closeness of the fandom, even when every episode is impacting their mental health. A prime example of a fandom being both an extremely positive community and a place where you can get in too deep, is the “Supernatural” fandom.
“Supernatural is the worst for your mental health.” Dean declares. “There are some shows you can watch that will make you feel better about yourself. I don’t know which ones, but I’ve heard that some people are happy in their fandom. It’s like being in a house, like a Hogwarts House, and one of them is not depressing, but you don’t know which one.” Even though the “Supernatural” fandom is a close family, the source material and the fandom by extension, can have a lasting impact on the fans and their mental health. Fans become attached to the source material, until the characters are so real that what happens to them affects fans the same way it would if it happened to their family in real life. People grieve fictional characters just as hard as they do any other loved one. They form a bond with the characters, become their friend until their story is so intertwined with the fan’s own that it’s hard to know where one ends and another begins.
“I am just getting over Supernatural.” Dean said, and it’s hard for him to get the words out.
“And I feel like it’s been long enough where I can look at a picture or a TikTok or a video or whatever of Dean and Sam and not want to cry. My breath still shudders, but I’m getting there. I’m close to being–saying– I’m okay.” At this point, fandom is no longer about simply enjoying the show or liking the music– it’s about being a part of something greater than yourself. People
Dean Giorgio, in cosplay as Dean Winchester from “Supernatural.” (Photo/Dean Giorgio)become attached to the community they interact with, and by extension to the content that fuels the fandom. Suddenly you have to watch every new episode or you won’t understand what’s going on, you have to like the latest album or defend your opinion to the masses. Fandom has become a way people express themselves, a way people find themselves, and, sometimes, a place where people use that vulnerability to tear people down.
“For a long time it just made me feel like, I don’t know, like it was a homey feeling,” Dean said about “Supernatural.” “It was just so comforting to be in pain with everyone that was watching that show and to just... it was my thing. And it ended. And now I have no thing to cling onto.”
For Becky, fandom is a balancing act. “I think if you know how to navigate it safely, then it can be fun. It’s like drinking alcohol, you know? It can be a good experience in moderation. As long as you know how to balance it, you can have a pretty fun time.”
But regardless of whether you get in too deep or not, fans agree that fandoms are something worth keeping around and supporting, so that others might experience the same life- changing community they have.
“Support AO3,” Becky said simply. “Because AO3 deserves all the love, because AO3 is a fanrun, volunteer-run site. They take donations to keep it running and it literally is an archive of everything. When a fandom archive goes down,
you put the fics on AO3 so someone can still find it...Just respect the fandom side of the internet, regardless of whether you’re a fan, because without it there won’t be a fandom online.”
And despite the impact it has on their mental health or the strange looks they receive when they talk about fandom-specific topics outside of fandom circles, Julianne, Becky, and Dean all say the same thing when asked “Should people join fandoms?”
“100%. Definitely. It’s a fun thing to be a part of so you can do fun things with other fun people.”
“Yes! Absolutely. If there is a thing you love and you’re going “I wish there was more of this,” well I promise you there is. You can always find content.”
“If your life feels full, then no. But if your life feels empty, then yes. Be empty with other people.”
You’re hiking through a forest, checking every nook, every cranny, every possible spot where the treasure you seek could potentially be hidden. You glance down at your phone, seeing how close you are, and feel your heart race with excitement.
You spot it. Your hawk-like eyes have trained for the camouflaged hiding places of your prizes. You slide the container from its place, exchange an item, and sign the logbook with your name before replacing it for the next person to find. You log your findings in the app on your phone, then prepare yourself for the next location, ensuring that your presence is not traceable.That is the most basic rule: leave no trace.
Geocaching is an outdoor activity where players essentially participate in a treasure hunt, aided by either their smartphone or GPS. The X on faded parchment is replaced with a dot on your device, and the “buried treasure” is a cache of interesting items left by previous users. The items can be taken and replaced by something of equal or greater value. A logbook accompanies these items, often signed by various other players.
Geocaches can be tracked with a smartphone or Global Positioning Receiver (GPS) with a geocaching feature. Geocaching starter kits can be purchased, as well as individual GPS devices. Many of these devices come equipped with the means to receive live updates from Geocaching Live, consisting of logs, hints and clues, and a cache description.
The Geocaching app by Groundspeak Inc. allows cachers to place their own and rate them in difficulty, how easy the terrain is to navigate, and the size of the cache itself. It also includes a place for a description of the cache, an activity log of other users who have discovered it, attributes of the cache, a photo gallery, waypoints for navigation, and a log for trackable items.
The Geocaching app describes trackables as “...physical game pieces that move from geocache to geocache.” They can include t-shirts, tags, geocoins, and other items. Unlike standard geocache items, these items have a separate area to log their location.Geocaching includes a short list of rules and etiquette, all based on common sense. Be safe, respect private property, be kind to the environment, and leave no trace of your travels so that the path is not given away to the next cacher.
Durng Memorial Weekend in May 2023, Owensboro, Kentucky will play host to the nineteenth annual GeoWoodstock, the world’s largest geocaching festival. GeoWoodstock was founded in 2003 by a cacher named Joe Armstrong. He had a dream to host an event that would bring the best geocachers from all over the country to one place. He eventually chose Louisville, Kentucky as the location for this event, and was shocked at the turnout.
Though Armstrong originally expected the event to be national, people from all over the world traveled to be part of the first GeoWoodstock. The success of the event
brought in a plethora of exciting achievements. GeoWoodstock was the first event to be awarded the title of Mega-Event in 2006, obtained the first “event geocoin”, and was the first event in the United States to be titled a Giga-Event, an event garnering attendance expectations of over 5,000 people, in 2018.
GeoWoodstock has been previously hosted by cities in Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, California, Washington, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Maryland, Colorado, and Ohio.GeoWoodstock in Owensboro is estimated to attract over 8,000 attendees and bring in just over a million dollars to the area. Hotels are expected to fill fast, not only in Owensboro but in Evansville and Bowling Green as well.
Alexis Berggren, President and CEO of Visit Evansville, mentioned, “They’ve been scouting locations in fields, farms, and forests between here and Owensboro.” She also noted that the event is speculated to fill 1,500 hotel nights.
Owensboro was among many locations to submit their proposal for hosting the event. Brad Simmons from the GeoWoodstock committee said, “The primary factors in their selection were the strong geocaching community in the area, the city’s longtime commitment to geocaching as a tourism draw, and their previous history of hosting successful large geocaching events such as MOGA, the Midwest Open Geocaching Adventure.”
The event will also include other activities for people to enjoy. In an online article for Message Inquirer, Mark Calitri, President and CEO of the Owensboro Convention and Visitors Bureau, states they have already planned activities like hay rides at Reid’s Orchard, visits to Marengo Cave and Mammoth Cave, a drivein movie night, and visits to the USS LST-325. Other businesses involved with the event are the Evansville Zoo, and Friday After 5 in Owensboro.
Calitri stated in the same article that he is working with Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari, which would add many more attractions and activities to the event.“I look forward to a wonderful event showcasing the area,” Simmons commented, “especially the Bourbon, BBQ, and Bluegrass they are known for.”Registration is not open yet, but anyone interested should keep an eagle eye out for the information and bundles of merchandise on the event website.
“No matter your intent to attend this event or simply geocache in your spare time, always remember the most basic rule: leave no trace.”
Student Media produces and creates content for The Crescent Magazine. The Crescent Magazine is an online publication delivering web content and digital publications during the academic year by and for the students at the University of Evansville. The magazine serves as an open forum for University of Evansville students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni through its editorials, columns, and letters to the editor. With a focus on student life, the magazine provides coverage of campus news, features, sports, and select local and general-interest items to our audience. The Crescent’s aim is to present relevant content in a fair, accurate and unbiased manner, to keep news items free of editorial comment, and to use editorial comment as a tool for informing and persuading using factual information and opinion. Since the Crescent Magazine has moved online Student Media has expanded their use of photography, video, and sound to produce a more engaging experience for our audience. Student Media is dedicated to our digital evolution and will continue to explore new and exciting ways to connect with students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni.
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This years THE GLUE Award goes to Student Media’s Jasmine Brents.
Jasmine joined Student Media as a freshman, and this is her 5th semester. Jasmine has stepped up and taken charge this semester. She has become a true leader taking on the responsibility of ensuring everyone on our team is keeping pace with our rigorous deadlines. It has been an honor watching Jasmine grow as a designer and a leader. Jasmine is THE GLUE that delivered the final product of everything that was published this semester.
THE HUSTLER – This recognition is awarded to a student that is willing to go anywhere, cover anything, and put the hard work in to every task they are assigned. This student displays an eagerness to learn and push themselves to produce high quality content for Student Media.
This years THE HUSTLER Award goes to Student Media Writer and content creator Myia Danek.
This is Miya’s first semester working with Student Media. Myia has gone above and beyond to cover interesting and engaging topics this semester. She has assisted in content creating and recruitment, Miya has been a real asset and I look forward to working with her more in the future. Miya is THE HUSTLER of Student Media ensuring we have a variety of topics and content to include on our website and in the Crescent Magazine.
THE ROCK – This recognition is awarded to a student of exemplary character and an unreproachable work ethic. This student is always willing to go to work, ensuring that Student Media covers a vast array of topics. This student displays an eagerness to learn and expand their repertoire of skills and talents.
This years THE ROCK Award goes to Student Media’s Writer and Content Creator Hannah Addison.
Hannah joined student media with an eagerness to learn and expand her skill set. She is always ready and willing to dedicate her time to ensuring Student Media is producing high quality content. Every team needs to have someone they can count on, Hannah is The ROCK of Student Media.
To be a source of inspiration among peers is laudable enough. To do so with style? Now that requires an artistry which must be examined. The Midwest Drifters, a collaboration of student-owned clothing businesses, works to “inspire creativity and art,” among students in the Midwest area. Consisting of Peter Sullivan, Emmett Bowman, Steven Burkhart, and Josh Wong, The Midwest Drifters are making themselves known with their 2023 spring tour, an idea that Burkhart explains came, like all great ideas do, at 3 AM. After a successful launch of merch made by Burkhart and Bowman, with a stocked inventory selling out in just two hours, the two entrepreneurs decided to recruit a couple more to their crew and take their business off-campus. With the addition of Sullivan and Wong, the Midwest Drifters plan to travel to Bloomington, Indianapolis,
Louisville, and conclude their tour with a stop at Chicago. Their inventory will be composed of the personally designed merch made by Bowman for his business EveryBody as well as vintage pieces hand-selected by Sullivan and Wong, the former being the owner of Cardinal Vintage and the latter owning Ace Vintage. Burkhart, an independent artist, plans to energize this tour with some freestyling at each stop. This eclectic crew of four artists from different domains, hopes to make new connections as well as inspire those who are hesitant to share their own creations. Burkhart challenges all artists who have an idea for something to “lock in and chase it. Nothing is stopping you.” The Midwest Drifters are certainly allowing nothing to stop them as they prepare to stock up and head out for what they hope will be a tour of great opportunities.
by Myia Danek
The YWCA strives to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice freedom and dignity for all. Established in 1911, this national organization originally provided housing for women and young girls who were working or attending school, as well as women who worked in defense factories in WWI. This program has evolved immensely over the years as the needs of women have changed, but they have continued their legacy of empowerment through a variety of new programs. They still provide housing and services to young girls and women as needed, but they have also created new housing programs, racial justice and women empowerment groups, youth programming, and so much more. The YWCA is not only a great resource in the Evansville community, but also nationwide, having over 200 locations in the country and servicing around 2 million women, men, girls and their families each year.
The YWCA second floor is a domestic violence shelter and emergency housing. The third floor is the “Yes Program: which is transitional housing for women in recovery from substance abuse. The building is very different from what it was years ago, but is still driven by that same message to empower women.
Youth service director Courtney Edwards has been with the YWCA in Evansville for 28 years now, currently working as the Youth Services Director. She earned her degree in education but was hooked on wanting to work with kids,
especially after seeing the work that this program does. “The program had existed based on a different set of skills and values. When I stepped into this role, we started with a blank that evolved over the years.” said Edwards. The YWCA works with several different schools in the surrounding area, elementary level all the way up until senior graduation. Edwards is involved with after school programs where the kids are bussed to the main building for a couple hours after school, as well as summer programs, field trips and mentorship opportunities. The lessons and tools that each grade receives varies of course, but the program strives to see these kids succeed from the time they enter the program, to the time they leave. Edwards said, “In 3rd to 5th grade, we give them those little pieces that come less easily, like self-esteem, respect and anger management, conflict resolving, communication skills, etcetera,”
As they get into the middle school levels, they begin one-on-one mentoring. This part of the program relies heavily on volunteers because the YWCA tries to get each student
“We try to instill those values early while they are still young, and we can build that respect and mutual trust.”
who wants a mentor paired with one. “We find women in the community we think will be a positive role model and influence in their lives,” said Edwards. Since the one-on-one mentorships often lasts until the students’ senior years, mentors can help a range of different things as they get older and navigate through school. A lot of these kids in the YWCA program are the first in their families to graduate high school or attend college. Mentors can assist students with college applications, FAFSA paperwork and other things that they may not have the resources for at home. The YWCA has scholarship opportunities, not just for college but also trades and other paths that a student might take. “We have had a tattoo artist in the past,” said Edwards.
“We just want to motivate them to go through the process and hope that it keeps them connected to us during that transition into early adulthood, so we can help them navigate that.”
Edwards states that the biggest part about this youth program is providing a safe space for the girls and giving them the resources, they need to succeed. “We let them know they can approach us with anything and that they have a safe space here,” said Edwards. “We set big goals for our students and to see them achieve these things and avoid some of those generational setbacks is amazing.”
This program has been so influential over the years, and recently they have even begun to see generational effects on families. “It’s exciting to see them successful, especially the ones who are coming back to become mentors for this program,” said Edwards. “Some of our students are hitting their 30s so they are just starting to see that turnaround over the years and feel stable enough to share their experiences with the program.” She said that past students have started to return to the YWCA and talk with the current students about the opportunities the
program gave them that they wouldn’t have had otherwise. To see that kind of reciprocity in an organization is amazing, especially regarding the struggles most students face.
“Everyday is different and totally crazy,” said Edwards. “When you see kids you weren’t sure if they would make it be your ones that graduate from college and make more money than you ever will, those times are excited.” Stories and experiences like these show the impact and passion involved in the YWCA. The Youth Services are only a portion of the work, but you can see the message resonate through each student story.
The YWCA has recently started a youth program for boys as well and are always in need of positive role models and mentors as the program continues to grow. You can visit their website, ywcaevansville.org to learn more about the organization, volunteer to influence young lives or donate. It also has contact info for all departments, links to their social media and more details regarding field trips and other learning opportunities.
By Chasity Carner
Imagine living a life where every last aspect of your daily routine is monitored, tyrannized, ridiculed and judged. Society walking past you in despair - pure disbelief that they may be unable to dictate your gender based on your physical appearance. Standing in the checkout line at the local grocery store, hearing snarls from the heterosexual couple standing behind you. Making a mockery out of the art in which you were able to paint across your face, because that was once something that brought you happiness.
Until the world got a hold of you. Telling you that who you are as a person is wrong. Creating irony out of how you were born - to love those who love you. Isn’t that what we are taught as children while sitting around in the primary school classroom? Reading fairytale stories, learning the alphabet, counting to one hundred - all of the aspects that will ultimately teach you every last inkling of what grooms our adulthood. Never once reprimanded by who we had our first crush on, or what color of clothing we wore to school that day - if pink was too feminine for the boys, and blue being too masculine for the girls. Not once.
At age 6, we have no idea who our classmates return home to. A mom and dad, two moms, two dads, a single parent household, or grandparents - or if they have a home to return to at all. At age 6 we are taught how to barricade a door when an active shooter enters the school building. By age 7, we are fully equipped in the routine of trusting adults to keep us safe - even with the chance that the P.E. the teacher is a pedophile, and the librarian holds a stack of child pornography in their desk.
Today children are taught not to express themselves, limiting the word “gay” in an educational environment. Withholding potential information of clarity and resources from children who will eventually indulge in their truest self - regardless of the lack of proper terminology that is necessary to do so safely. No, today our school systems have taught children that playing dress up is limited to heterosexual people; Disney princesses are only to be portrayed by straight white women, yet prince charming is open to little boys of any race, age, or ethnicity. Involve sexuality into the equation and, well.
It is becoming a pattern.
On June 26th, 2015 the United States legalized same sex marriage - normalizing a human right, followed by the 14th amendment that advocates for the right of Americans to marry whomever they choose. That is two hundred and twenty-nine years of being told by an entire nation that you are not accepted because of whom you give your heart to.
For the last two centuries, heterosexuality was the only “normal” that the U.S. legislation agreed upon. Believing that by prohibiting a fundamental right to anyone who did not meet the standards, the possibility of anything different would disappear. Within that time, those who were not accepted began finding resources that made them feel as if who they were as a person was enough. Female impersonations have been a popular source of entertainment for over three centuries. In 1903, a formerly enslaved African American known as William Dorsey Swann was named the first Drag Queen after he and his friends began hosting cross-dressing events where he referred to the guests as “drags.” His role of leadership later gave him the nickname “Queen.” This has now elevated into what has recently started one of the biggest current uproars of the year 2023.
Lolita (she/her), a local Evansville Drag Queen, shed some light on her knowledge in the realm of drag by stating, “I believe that all children should get the privilege of seeing the art of drag in schools, libraries, and family friendly places! Being a queer kid and being lonely and feeling “different” from everyone, I never thought I’d have the love, acceptance, creativity, and ability to be my authentic self until I discovered drag at a very early age... Drag artists were my main
reason for staying alive when I was younger, and now that I’m a drag performer myself it’s my duty and goal to make every child/ teenager feel like they can do anything they want in the world. I want kids to feel like they are loved, important, and valued for being themselves.” She went on to say,
“We are never trying to force anyone to be gay, transgender, or a drag queen, we just want to express our art and get our emotions out through performance and teach others that it’s okay and there is no danger in what we love to do!”
For years, Drag Queens have been viewed as a source of empowerment and acceptance to the LGBTQIA+ community. Since legalizing their right to marriage in 2015, Drag has grown majorly into a state of normalization within the queer community by performing street shows, festivals, birthday parties, and many other events. Drag is to be viewed as a form of self expression beyond sexuality, as many people in the community are not directly queer - many new performers are associated only by being an Ally, yet often join the queens in their performances in resourceful manners within theatre programs and artistry.
Over the years, drag has become scrutinized for being “too provocative.” Thus, parents have become concerned that by letting the queens into the school buildings, their children may be victimized. A recent social media post went viral across many platforms where a fully clothed Queen was presented reading a picture
book to a classroom full of adolescents. This snowballed into parents demanding that legislation revokes their rights to drag as it could be “harmful” to the students; making parents believe that by allowing a man dressed as a princess to enter the school building, their children may mock the behaviors. Fearing that their child may to explore different parts of themselves, seeing someone so comfortably present themselves to society dressed as the nonacceptable.
Despite the media uproar for change, presenting possibilities of the queer community to children does in fact have its benefits. Allowing children to see the authenticity of the real world does not mean an impression amongst their minds - it opens a door for education, resources, and answers that may not be possible for all. A local Evansville Queen from the wellknown “Dolls of the District” has most recently became involved in volunteering with a local high school theatre program to which she spoke out on her opinion and stated, “When I first started working with the group of high schoolers I work with, I was honestly kind of nervous to share that I am a drag queen.” She went on to say,
“But then I thought about how I would’ve loved to have someone like me be so open about themselves to look up to when I was their age. I would’ve known who I was and felt comfortable sharing it with the world sooner if I would’ve had an example, or if I simply had known the vocabulary.”
Children have been placed on the forefront of defense while Queens across the nation have quickly begun being stripped of their rights, both as a performer and a human. As we have entered the early months of the newest year in the 21st century, it has been explicitly shown that legislation and government are moving backwards in time.
School shootings remain the leading cause of death for children in adolescence, school systems have stopped requiring a degree to become a teacher, and lessened the background requirements for hiring as a result of dire need.
If safety of the children was the biggest concern, why are the only changes in legislation being implemented upon those in the LGBTQIA+ community? Policy and change has yet to occur amongst firearms, precaution and security of those hired in as trusted school building officials are still being arrested for heinous crimes upon children; yet society is suffocated in the depths of slowly shredding away every last inkling of evolution that the U.S. has implemented in the last decade.
“If it’s about protecting the kids, why are we not doing anything about gun violence, the number one cause of death for American children? Why do the people concerned for a child who attends a story read by a person in completely appropriate clothing, who think that kids are too young to learn about queer people, who believe it is inappropriate for a child to be made aware of these things.” Bradlee Thomas stated.
We send our children to school to receive an education, direably wishing that our daughter becomes a doctor and our son an entrepreneur. Kissing their heads as they walk out of the front door and to the bus stop, promising an “I love you,” and wishing for them to have a good day - because you will be standing in that exact spot if they return home.
With a list of possibilities as to what your child may grow up to be, the fear that buries deepest inside of modern parenthood is surrounded by a singular haunting noun, “Hey mom, I’m gay.”
“They deliberately use vague language to be homophobic and transphobic and not have to outwardly explain it. It’s not about protecting kids, it’s about keeping the power on their side, because in our modern reality, all of us feel powerless.”
As technology evolves, it usually follows a similar pattern: a new invention or concept is born, which is refined into a better version of itself, which is then further and further refined. Take photography for example. What started as the ability to capture a moment in time evolved into a
rapid captures displayed at once, which is now a near-ubiquitous media we all consume through television or sites like YouTube: videos. In more recent years though, the way we consume this content has begun to change. Rather than people watching more traditional content like shows or movies, more and more people are beginning to switch to watching more and more on TikTok, a social media site that primarily focuses on much shorter content, with most videos being under ten seconds. Because of how short the average video is, it’s easy to just scroll through without really thinking about it, and not giving what we’re seeing much of a thought during the three seconds in which we decide if we want to keep scrolling or not.
Of course, we can’t just go through all our lives scrolling through the things we don’t care about. When we have to focus after being able to skip through things we don’t care about, suddenly, it becomes a lot more difficult to stay engaged, and our minds begin to wander off. For a lot of people, focusing on your studies is already enough to worry about, but the more you get used to just swiping away what you don’t want to see, the
harder that can become. This issue can especially be seen when working with younger children, as Dawn Justice, a third-grade teacher, has noticed. “I’ve been teaching either part-time or full-time for thirty-three years. The biggest hurdle I have always had to deal with is being able to keep their attention. I used to be able to do things like change my voice or have my kids move around, but these tricks just don’t work anymore. In a way, it just feels like they look at me for a few minutes, and think ‘Oh, she's kinda funny,’ and then they just start to get bored and stop paying attention.” The easiest comparison you can make here is that her children view her as another TikTok. After listening to her for a bit, they feel that same urge they normally do when they are swiping through videos, only this time they just can’t get away. This change in the way students engage with their material has led to new strategies in how educators are taught as well. “I’ve noticed that professional development opportunities have begun to change as well, where it used to be focused on knowing the content you’re teaching, which is of course very important, but now it’s all about student engagement. One of the biggest changes I’ve started to do is teaching in chunks. Rather than it all being 'sit and get', we might start with a more traditional lesson, then for the second activity I have them work with a partner, and for the third, we usually do some kind of technology activity, like a Kahoot.” This strategy makes education almost into a game itself, where you have to plan out what strategies would work to make sure your students aren’t just tuning you out. It also takes advantage of the same idea that TikTok uses, that the more stimulation you provide, the more people are engaged with your content. Of course, there’s a reason why we’re all on TikTok instead of Kahoot. Simply put, TikTok is just more fun. Kahoot has winners and losers, but on TikTok, everyone’s a winner. You’re being
shown just what you want to see, and if you aren’t enjoying what you’re seeing, you can just swipe on by giving people a sense of instant gratification. Every swipe brings something new, and the more time you spend on the app, the more it learns what you like, keeping you more engaged and essentially making the problem worse. As much as this new style of content has its issues, there’s one surprising benefit: it ironically works as a teaching tool, as Caleb Bramel, a systems engineer for Netgain Technologies shared with me. “I’ve seen mechanics do videos about how to change your tire in just ten seconds, or other people do something like how to tie a tie in fifteen seconds. It’s a very handy way to help explain things. I’ve even made a few myself, for what I do in system administration. I don’t publish them outside of the company of course, but it’s been really helpful for training new hires, or even just for when I need a quick refresher on something I’m working on.” By meeting students where their attention spans are, it would be much easier to teach them the content they need to learn. As difficult as it would be for older teachers, creating short videos that can explain the concept well, then focusing more time on applying the content in the classroom could be a very effective method for getting students to retain the material as it could prove to be a more effective method of explaining the content.
As Sydney Kalonihea reluctantly climbed into the passenger seat of her beloved Toyota beside her father, she couldn’t help wondering about her future life 386 miles away, and the Milwaukee life that she was leaving behind. The family minivan, driven by her mother, was leading the way to Evansville, Indiana, stuffed to the brim with every college essential except Sydney’s two younger brothers and their dog, Fia. As the mighty waters of Lake Michigan slowly disappeared from the rearview, reality started to sink in. It would be months before she spent a summer night beside a beach bonfire with her boyfriend, swimming past where her feet could touch, or watching her dog’s sandy paws chase after a tennis ball. The opportunity to play Division I softball had been a dream of hers since she was a little girl, and since then, countless weekends on the dirt, thousands of sweaty hours in the gym, a hundred sacrifices, and a couple trophies, all spelled out one word: prepared. But college was so much more than softball, and it would take stepping up to the plate to find out if she was ready.
Junior Abby Kellams makes the twenty-minute commute from her family farmhouse on the West side to the University of Evansville each day in her Ford, blasting One Direction the whole way. The 18-year-old transferred with junior credits thanks to the direct admission program offered at her previous community college down the road, Ivy Tech, in hopes of earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology and working towards becoming a Child Specialist. Her love of kids shines through her fitting career choice; Kellams spends almost twenty hours per week as an after-school care teacher and is always on call as a babysitter to two girls under three. Her caring and attentive personality makes her a warm and comfortable presence for children, especially those needing support and attention.
The two young women live completely different lives, and yet they both wound up in a small town on the Ohio River. While choosing UE was a very practical decision for Kellams,
something I’ve always wanted to do. After receiving an offer, UE stood out to me over other schools I was choosing between because of the small class sizes and ability to build close relationships with my professors, new residence hall, weather, downtown Evansville, and distance from home.”
With softball season in full swing, Kalonihea’s alarm goes off almost every morning at approximately 7 am. She’ll throw on the team practice jersey of the day, put her hair in a braid, eat a Chobani flip, and use the three-minute walk from her dorm to the weight room to call her boyfriend. Depending on the day, she’ll go the cafeteria for breakfast with a teammate, spend some time in class, and go to physical therapy or the athletic training room until practice starts at 3 p.m. When practice ends at 6 p.m., she’ll go back to the cafeteria for dinner, take a shower, go to tutoring, do some group or solo studying, and maybe find some time to FaceTime her boyfriend at 11 p.m. before getting up and doing it all over again the next day.
Kalonihea’s new life in Ace Country, while her activities are more involved (she calls the university workload a “wake up call”), is not much different from the life she left behind.
“In high school I had classes all day and then softball practice at night. I like that that routine is similar to the one that I have in college because I have gotten used to doing my homework later at night, which is what I do now. I do have more free time during my day in college since I’m not in class from 8-3 p.m. every day straight; however, I have more responsibilities in college that I didn’t have in high school, so that fills my free time up. I love college so much more than high school. I hated how much some people cared about high school, all the petty friend group drama, and just the fact that I had been going to school with the same people since kindergarten. I also love the independence that college brings, and I love that everything that I am studying really pertains to what I want to do in the future.”
to stay busy.
“On days that I have work, I go to my morning class (Intro to Family Therapy). Afterwards I go straight home and get ready for work, grab lunch, and then head out. I’m an after-school care teacher and I work from 12-6 p.m. I am in charge of preschool nap time and then at 2:15 p.m. I take the aftercare kids (preschool through 6th grade) and am with them until their parents pick them up. On days that I don’t work, I am usually on campus for most of the day and I like to go to the library in between classes. These days I have classes spread out throughout the day from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Since I was doing dual enrollments for all my classes in high school, it doesn’t feel too different. I had a group of friends that I took classes with because we were all in the homeschool program [through high school]. I also took a lot of classes online during high school, which I didn’t enjoy. I definitely feel more independent now and I have more classes each day, which is different. I would say I like college better than high school because I enjoy the routine more.”
When she’s not working hard in the classroom, or needs a break from her family at home, Kellams can be found cozied up with a new romance book or searching for concert tickets to her favorite music artists- Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, and Joshua Bassett. Despite her close relationship with her family, especially her little sister, Kellams recalls sometimes feeling lonely at UE, since she is not living on campus.
“My transition was definitely rocky in the beginning and I 100% questioned whether or not I would be able to keep doing it. Once I adjusted to my new schedule and met a couple people, I felt a lot better about it. It can be hard to get into the groove of things, but once you feel comfortable it’s not bad.”
Kellams accredits part of her transition to the dual enrollment classes she took in high school and part of it to the welcoming and friendly atmosphere she felt at the University of Evansville. She found it surprising that she has yet to “encounter any unfriendly people on campus” and has even “found so many people that are really similar to me, which has been amazing.” If she could do it all over, “I definitely wish I had gotten involved in groups and activities right away, I think that would have helped a lot. And I don’t necessarily regret it, but I think if I had chosen to live on campus, I would have made more connections easier. When you live in a dorm, you’re kind of forced to interact with people.”
“Something I had to learn [when I got to college] was to adjust to not knowing things and being uncomfortable in situations. It was a huge adjustment because I didn’t know what I was doing at first and I didn’t know anyone. I learned to put myself out there, which was hard at first, but I’ve definitely gotten better at it.”
Adaptability and vulnerability aren’t the only important life skills that Kellams has started to master.
“I would say I’m pretty good at managing my time. One of the biggest things I got out of taking college classes in high school was learning to manage my time on my own and stay on top of things. Online classes especially, because it was up to me to make sure I got everything done when it needed to be. Now I am pretty good at prioritizing things and scheduling my time really well.”
Being a collegiate athlete, Kalonihea must plan her days out by the minute, adapt quickly to change, and be aware of how she spends her time. In only a few short months away from home, she’s learned so much more about herself and those around her.
“I think the biggest lesson that I have learned is that everyone is going through the same sort of struggles. Everyone is tired, everyone is in hard classes, everyone misses someone back home. This has helped me with my mental toughness; it’s steered me away from using things like these as excuses for getting behind on things, because I’m not the only person in the world who is tired or who misses their boyfriend.”
One thing both girls can agree on is their opinions on the college experience. Both willingly chose a school with a small student body and intimate class sizes, attesting to their priorities and views on education.
“When I think of ‘the college experience’ I think of joining a sorority, living on campus, partying a lot, and things like that. But some of those things are just not my style and I knew going into college that’s not what I wanted anyways. I think the point of college for me is working towards the career that I want. Although I don’t enjoy school at some points, I can recognize that I’m getting so close to being where I want to be, which makes me really excited.” - Abby
Kellams“When I think of ‘the college experience’, I think of the
stereotypical movies with the parties and frats and all of that. That is not the college experience that I am getting nor is it the one that I want; party life isn’t exciting to me and I would rather spend my energy on other aspects of my life. I think that the point of college is to get an education at a high level and set yourself up to be successful in the future. I think college is where people learn the most about themselves. I don’t think every person is fit for college; I know that some people just aren’t built for school and would be successful on a different route in life. However, I think that being away from home at a young age is something that is essential for learning about yourself and is a necessary bridge to cross when growing up and maturing.” -
Sydney KaloniheaIf Kalonihea had any doubts about her life at Evansville before she arrived, all of them have dissipated by now. If she could describe her transition to college, she would say:
“Smooth. I love the independence, I love the friends I’ve made, and I feel so privileged to be able to get an education while playing the sport I love. Whenever I feel stressed or miss home, I remind myself how lucky I am. The hardest part of my transition has been maintaining a long-distance relationship on top of all of the other things on my plate. However, my boyfriend and I both put in the effort necessary to make our relationship work because of the future that we want together, so at the end of the day, though I miss him a lot, we remind each other that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that everything we are doing now will benefit us in the future.”
In a small town settled on the far outskirts of Toledo, Ohio, a village tallying up just over 630 people was enjoying what began as a calm summer day. The local school was hosting a soccer camp and the farmers were tending to their growing cornfields, all was well in the rural world of Metamora.
Life would never be the same for that tightknit community again.
Among the few residents, Sierah Jougin, a twenty year old college student, was home for the summer. She spent her time riding her bike through the backroads she grew up on alongside her long-term boyfriend. Right before arriving back to her house, her boyfriend drove off to his leaving her to finish the last half mile to her driveway alone.
She never would make it back to her house.
Students attending the local school’s soccer camp can recall the confusion of learning someone had gone missing and that their parents would be joining search parties. Snapchat stories flooded with pictures of the beloved girl as everyone attempted to wrap their heads around the fact that their Hallmark town was no longer so cozy and safe. Some of those middle school-aged students at the camp are now turning twenty this year, the same age Sierah was when she was taken.
“When we found out what was going on, it felt like that thing that you never thought could happen where you live. It was a combination of fear and disbelief, knowing that it very well could have been you,” said Mackenzie Mitchey
By: Paige Radel
who was attending the International soccer camp.
It was “what if” for everyone else, but for Tara Ice this was real life.
What if scenarios flooded into everyone’s heads, “What if that was me?” “What if that was my daughter, my sister, my niece?” For Tara Ice, this was not a “what if” scenario. She was forced to face the reality that her niece had lost her life due to incomprehensible violence.
Sierah was abducted and murdered while riding her bike a half a mile from her house.
Melissa Andrews is shown at the podium speaking at Sierah’s Birthday Soiree, a fundraising event in 2022.The backroad was surrounded by cornfields that measured to over six feet tall making it difficult for police to find her bicycle, but shortly after learning she was missing the community sprung into action. The FBI made their way into the little town and soon had headquarters set up at the high school just a short three miles down the road.
Tara Ice had been talking to Sierah about a year earlier when the two were on vacation, Sierah had asked her, “What is your passion, what do you want to be remembered for?” At the time Tara had no response. Now, her answer is much different.
“She knew exactly what my passion and my purpose was going to be after what happened and that is how I started it,” said Tara Ice, founder and president of Justice for Sierah.
Tara established Justice for Sierah, a nonprofit organization with a mission to share information regarding violent offenders, offering self-defense classes, and implementing a new curriculum in schools to educate children of the dangers that often go unthought of until the unthinkable happens.
Her first priority became Sierah’s law, also known as Senate Bill 231, which would create a database of violent offenders that not only law enforcement would have access to, but specifically those who live in close proximity of offenders found guilty of aggravated murder, murder, voluntary manslaughter, abduction, or kidnapping. In December of 2018, just two years after Sierah’s abduction, the Ohio House unanimously passed the law.
Passing the law was only the first step, so much more was to be done.
In addition to establishing Sierah’s Law, Tara Ice paved the way for Sierah Strong for the Community, a self-defense class geared towards any boy or girl aged six through sixteen that also included KidPrint IDs. Tara had said that, “[Her] sister was asked by the police if she had anything that had Sierah’s fingerprint on it.” Thankfully, she did thanks to a KidPrint ID, because fingerprints never change, this was able to help the police when looking for her.
“It was still nagging at me though, that this wasn’t enough,” Tara Ice.
This nagging did not go away and Tara Ice went on to create a school curriculum, Sierah Strong for the School. This program is intended for elementary and middle school aged children, but high schools have also incorporated aspects of the curriculum. It consists of three health lessons and four lessons of self-defense and is repeated every year, so it becomes second nature for these students. These lessons have been taught to over 2,500 students in Ohio and Michigan and that number continues to grow.
“When something tragic happens, that does not have to be the end of that person’s story and that person’s impact,” Melissa Andrews.
Melissa Andrews, a journalist for WTOL, an Ohio news station, has taken it upon herself to not just report on Sierah’s story, but to bring awareness and education through her platform. Melissa has an abundance of connections and has used them to broaden the horizons of Justice for Sierah. She has said, “The power of journalism can be advocacy too.” Andrews has served on the board of directors for Justice for Sierah and now is on the advisory board. Through her commitment of sharing Sierah’s story and with the approval of Tara
Ice, Melissa Andrews interviewed Sierah’s murderer on death row in an attempt to gain justice for other possible victims as he was a repeat violent offender. Through this interview, another woman was able to be identified and another family was able to receive long awaited answers on her disappearance. While countless questions continue to swirl around the ins and outs, Melissa like many others has decided to focus on the good that has come out of this tragedy rather than the bad.
hopeful to reach all 50 states and pave a path towards protection through education across America.
After all, knowledge is power.
She may not be here anymore, but her impact is far from gone.
Sierah’s life on earth may have been cut short, but her presence surrounds her community every day. Her story has empowered and educated thousands extending far past the small Ohio town, bringing opportunity and education to those of all ages in the fight against violence. As of December 2022, 2,985 violent offenders can be traced through one of the five categories the database Sierah’s Law created. Sierah’s legacy is able to live on and protect many others by having this information public and readily available in Ohio, but Justice for Sierah is
For more information on Sierah and her story, visit justiceforsierah.org
Bio: Paige Radel is a Metamora, Ohio native currently attending the University of Evansville. She is studying communications in addition to playing on the women’s soccer team. Paige is the daughter of Joshua and Carrie Radel and also has two younger sisters, Raegan and Lyla. Her family is very involved in their community, so Sierah’s story has impacted her and many others she knows on a personal level. With this article, Paige hopes to share more and continue growing Sierah’s legacy.
Tara Ice is pictured with Sierah.
By Hayden Chrapek
Dark greens and browns surround me while the silence suffocates me as if a singular noise would break me. Wind rocks the brown beneath me. I grasp the black ropes at my sides to try and stabilize myself, but they only flutter helplessly throwing my balance off. The smell of fresh water wafts through the air meeting the silence in a battle it can’t win. The day breaks creating shades of greens, blues, and golds in the darkness, but still silence prevails. I just want it gone, so I let out a scream.
The Resident Student Association is a crucial part of the University of Evansville’s campus. However, the organization has been struggling since the beginning of the year, and has only since been on the further decline for members. Upon arriving here at UE, the organization’s dedication to ensuring a fun and welcoming atmosphere to all members and event participants, especially newcomers, has been undeniably clear.
As a current freshman, I attended welcome week at the beginning of the year, where I was first introduced to RSA through their monthly bingo, this one of which had been held solely for incoming students. Immediately, I knew this was an organization striving to make the best of everything despite their lack of members present. However, at the time I believed that they would likely have more members, just ones of which were not yet actively participating as classes had yet to even start by that point. I was later shocked to discover that the few members I had seen running bingo, was the totality of their current members. Seeing such a small organization making such a huge impact on campus by planning both large and small-scale events that are interactive and inclusive for any and all participants is something to be admired as it is not an easy feat. However, soon after joining the organization at the beginning of that semester, it grew steadily, eventually leading to a total of 16 members— double
compared to the 8 it had starting out the year. This became the regularly attending members that then took on chair positions during the fall semester. Albeit, upon returning from winter break, seven members dropped from RSA and one member had left to spend their spring semester in Harlaxton, leaving the organization yet again down to a total of eight active members.
Due to lack of members, we have struggled to continually put on events. For instance, in past years RSA has hosted a campus wide Easter egg hunt, but was unable to do so this year. Furthermore, due to the lack of an adequate number of members to fulfill the chair positions, residence hall-specific events and improvements have been at a struggling low. If there’s no one available for the positions, then there’s no one to coordinate improvements for the hall and plan programming events.
Improvements Chairs, contrary to some belief, are not the ones responsible for or limited to basic maintenance of the residence halls. Rather they serve to enrich the quality of life spent in college housing by using their budget to implement the residents’ collective desires. This could range from putting up white boards in lounge/study areas to purchasing a Nintendo Switch for the collective use of all residents in the lobby.
Programming chairs utilize their budgets by hosting events which can make use of purchasing food, prizes, items for entertainment, or anything else they can think of. For instance, chairs have hosted events such as the karaoke nights in New Hall, crafts and cookie decorating in Powell, game nights in Hale, door decorating contests in Moore, holiday parties in Schroeder, sip and paints in the Villages, or costume contests among many other things.
RSA hosts campus wide events such as Tacos and Tie Dye, monthly bingo, Build-A-Buddy (partnered with SAB), among others, such as Shark Week that was created this year as an advertising week of fun events themed around our organization’s mascot, the shark. The organization is designed to function off of large group collaboration and the leadership of individuals. Ideally, RSA is to have a full executive board, a Programming Chair and an Improvements Chair for each residence hall and the Villages, as well as Hall Committees. In total, that should be an absolute minimum of 19 members before even considering those that would participate in hall committees and solely attend general assembly meetings. Yet, we are currently making do with 10 members, and for much of the spring semester before this subtle increase, there were only 8— a full exec board and me, serving as Schroeder’s programming chair.
For reference:
● Exec. consists of…
● President
● Vice President of Area Committee Programming (VPACP)
● Director of Special Events (DSE)
● Director of Housing Improvement (DHI)
● National Communications Coordinator (NCC) / Parliamentarian
● Treasurer
● Secretary
● There should be both a Programming Chair and an Improvements Chair for…
● Schroeder
● New Hall
● Moore
● Powell
● Hale
● Village housing
● Hall Committees are…
● All members that meet with and assist their hall’s corresponding chair holders with planning and running events (in the case of programming chair) or asking recommendations from residents and requesting/ purchasing the items to ensure such improvements
All students that live on campus are technically, in the loosest definition, “members” of Resident Student Association as they are resident students that attend our events and benefit from our efforts. However, many don’t even realize who it was that hosts these events and coordinates the improvements that lead to the betterment of their campus experience. Additionally, while RSA general assembly meetings are open to all residents on campus, very few know who we are and what all we actually do, and even fewer ever attend meetings. Consequently, this is something Resident Student Association strives to change and has decided to dedicate themselves to the campus regardless of, only hoping to gain more enthusiasm and membership from their efforts.
while saving energy
#1: Hydrate!
Days are quickly getting longer — and hotter. With summer right around the corner, and people spending more time outdoors, it’s important to keep in check with our temperatures. Overheating and heat stroke are very real things, as is global warming. Whatever we can do to keep cool over the summer while also trying to reduce our carbon footprint helps both us and the planet stay a little healthier and cooler!
Hydration is key to regulating nearly everything in your body, internal temperature being one of the most important things. Staying hydrated with water is crucial in helping your body naturally regulate your temperature, including through sweating. It’s also incredibly refreshing to have an icy drink on a hot day anyways! If you’ve been exercising, doing intense work outside, or just anything that causes you to sweat a lot, replenishing electrolytes is also important. Drinking a sports drink or a water infused with electrolytes can help.
#2: Dress the Part
Just the thought of wearing a dark, thick hoodie and fuzzy sweatpants on a humid, 95 degree day is enough to make you cringe. Being choked by tight clothing is also not very ideal, even if you wear shorts. Any lightweight clothing that puts a little space between your skin and the fabric is very useful, especially if you are staying modest in your wear. That way, the air can keep you naturally cooler. Just make sure that you put sunscreen on any exposed skin when you’re outdoors! Hats will shade your face and keep your scalp protected from sunburn, too.
#3: Be Open (window) Minded
Though it really depends on the weather, opening up a window during the late night or early morning can really cool down a room. With it being less humid and cooler during those hours, (plus fewer bugs and less pollen being scattered) an open window can let in some fresh, cooler air to naturally lower the temperature in your house, also minimizing your need to turn on the air conditioner. During the hotter hours of the day, closing the blinds will help your space to keep the heat out, especially if the sun comes directly through your window.
#4: Get Used to It
Maybe it sounds harsh, or even cruel, but you can get yourself used to the hotter weather if you spend more of your time out in it. Though, it is important to know your limits and not overdo it. Spend as much time as you feel you can take outside. A brisk walk in the morning or evening when the sun isn’t at its highest can help you gradually acclimate to the temperatures, especially if you’re planning on spending a lot of your time outside, either for a job or for other activities. This greatly reduces your need to have the thermostat turned way down, saving energy and money.
By Sam Tarter
Nowadays, filmmaker Martin McDonaugh is most known for his most recent directorial effort, “The Banshees of Inisherin,” a film that—while failing to win big at this year’s Academy Awards—won over the hearts of many and saved Searchlight Pictures from another box office dud. But for years, I have known him, along with actors Brendan Gleason and Collin Farrell, for the dark-comedy independent masterpiece “In Bruges.”
I don’t remember what made my family and I watch it many years ago; I think it was a rainy summer day and my Mom saw “comedy” under the Netflix description, along with a poster featuring a young and dashing, Collin Farrell, and she was sold. I didn’t expect much, since I was young and didn’t understand or appreciate much about the art of filmmaking at the time (usually, if a movie didn’t have superheroes, my thirteen year-old self wasn’t interested).
But instantly, I was transported into what I now consider one of my favorite films. The dialogue was superb, realistic, and genuine. Having now taken two semesters of Screenwriting, one of my favorite things to write is dialogue. I used to dread it, but this film (along with the guidance of my incredible teacher) taught me that all you need is to base it around the characters and their environment.
And what an environment to put your characters in: described as the Venice of the North, Bruges is the most well-preserved Medieval city in Belgium. Various characters throughout the film describe it as “a fairytale town,” or that being in Bruges is like being “in a dream you don’t want to wake up from.”
So for years, it’s been my dream, to visit a city I fell in love with through film, and to explore one of the best uses of “on-location” sets I had ever witnessed.
I’ll save you all of the boring details of how I booked what and where I found certain tours and opportunities. Half the fun of Bruges is discovering the mystery of it for yourself, and taking it in as you get there, not reading/ learning about it before you go. However, I will tell you some must-sees, must-dos, along with my story of how this trip almost didn’t happen, but why I’m so grateful that it did.
If you read anything about Bruges, you’ll hear the same things every time: climb the Belfry Tower, take a river tour, walk around the city as much as you can, and eat as much Belgian chocolate and fries as you can handle. All of this, to no surprise, is true. The Belfry is, in my opinion, the most beautifully designed structure in the city, and without questions will give you the best view of the great city, either in the early morning or towards sunset at night. The only way to buy tickets is online through the Brugge Musea website, where you can not only get a student discount, but also select which time you want to climb (time slots are available every 15 minutes). Boat tours are found everywhere in the Main Street, so there’s no need to reserve online.
For the last three highlights, however, I do have some options for the best experiences you can find. For walking around the city, there is a guided historical tour provided by the Legends tour company. Known for their red umbrellas, tourists can find this tour option in the main market square and the best part is that it is totally free!
This tour company understands how many young college students are traveling to so many great places, and how tight their budgets are, so their belief is that anyone, of any budget, should be allowed to explore Europe, Bruges included. I won’t spoil the tour, since it was truly a delight that taught my friend and I about various Bruges mysteries and showed us a multiple of hidden gems, but there is one specific highlight that I want to acknowledge, that being the Begjinhof. Absolutely, hands down, visit this “city within the city” even if you can’t go on this tour. A tour guide will explain its story and history, but just be prepared for the most beautiful flower field in Belgium, and the coolest church you’ll visit in Bruges.
Speaking of Churches, right next to the Holy Blood Chapel (known for a relic which supposedly houses a drop of Jesus Christ’s blood) is a small chocolate shop simply entitled Chocolaterie de Burg, which in my opinion had the best chocolate in the whole city. Always fresh and known for its melt-in-your-mouth consistency, Belgian chocolate was never better than at this little shop run by a very kind owner with free samples and tons of great suggestions.
If you’re looking for something more filling, the Casa Patata (which translates to Potato House) will not only give you some delicious Belgian fries, but some incredible toppings and a great lunch view that you can’t anywhere else in the city. Obviously, feel free to select your own variation of the classic Belgian dish, but my personal favorite (and the restaurant’s #1 seller) is the beef stew option, topped with fresh braised beef, gravy, garlic mayonnaise, freshly shaved onion, and parsley. Is it a lot?
Yes. Is it messy? Absolutely. But, with how much you get for less than ten euro, and the view of the Rozenhoedkaai lookout point right behind you, you can’t beat the experience. My friend and I ate Belgian fries while sitting on an ancient bridge, looking out at a beautiful river and an incredible medieval church. If that isn’t heaven, I don’t know what is.
Lastly, I want to leave you with some honesty: Bruges is not easy to get to. Unfortunately, its not next to an airport, and whether you fly into Brussels or Charleroi, you’re still a couple hours ride away either via train, bus, or shuttle. However, it’s worth it, and if me gawking over it isn’t proof, maybe this brief story will be.
It took me two days to get to Bruges. Yes, two whole days. Should it have? No, absolutely not. I was supposed to leave on a Thursday and arrive on Friday morning in the great city. But, train strikes were scheduled on the day of my arrival, and my flight wasn’t refundable or able to be switched for an earlier time. So, I left on Wednesday
Wednesday night, spent about 24 hours in Manchester, flew to Charleroi, spent the night in Charleroi, and then finally left for Bruges via train that Friday morning. By the time I arrived, I had already been traveling and sitting around for 48 hours. I was exhausted, upset, and all I wanted to do was just be there.
I could have, and probably should have, taken an easier way to get there and back. I would’ve saved time, gotten more sleep, and been a lot less stressed. But when I look back on it, I wouldn’t change a thing. In the end, I got there on time, I got back to Harlaxton safely, and I didn’t get lost or bankrupt because of it.
Because when I look back on my time in Bruges, the three days that I spent there, along with the three days it took getting there and back, I’m not gonna remember everything. God only knows the name of the restaurant I went to on my first night or the amount of Belgian fries I ate. The departure and arrival times of my train and plane tickets are long forgotten, like the receipts I threw in the trash the second I arrived back in my dorm at Harlaxton.
Even if I tried to think back on it now, I couldn’t tell you what was so special about Belgian chocolate, only that it tasted amazing. With how much I accomplished in 72 hours, a multitude of memories will be lost to the oblivion
But I’ll always remember how out of breath I was when I got to the 366th step of the Belfry tower, and the pure sense of awe shone across my face when I saw the entire city I had dreamed about for years. I’ll never forget the tears of joy that started to form in my eyes once my friend and I walked upon the Main Street, taking in the smells of waffles, the sounds of vendors and cyclists, and the sight of the most beautiful architecture I had ever seen. My heart will forever yearn to walk across the ancient bridges that go across Reie River, and my tastebuds will always long for the best arepa I will ever have.
Most importantly, I’ll never forget the utter joy, the bliss and jubilation, of having a destination, a goal of a lifetime, and making it work. Sure, upon arrival I was tired, sweaty, and more stressed than I should have been for a vacation. All I wanted to do was take a power nap and rest my feet that had been walking upon train platforms and rough cobblestone sidewalks for more hours than I had slept that day. But instead, once I was in the heart of it all, all I could do was gawk and admire everything around me: the Belgian language, the incredible views, and some of the most friendly and inviting instances of culture I’ll ever experience. To get to say to myself, in spite of train strikes and last minute changes, that I made it; in the end, that was more impressive than any building I saw or any historical fact I memorized. Did it mean I was fastly approaching adulthood? Sure, but for once, this was a moment to be proud of that, and not to dismiss it.
So, if you get the chance, take a couple trains, a bus or two, and a round-trip flight to my city of dreams. I’m sure you won’t regret it.
I am not someone who is well versed in the art of travel. The farthest I’ve gone is down south to Florida. I have never even traveled out west. Signing up to go to Harlaxton was both exciting and absolutely terrifying. How was I, a girl from Ohio who has never even gone past Illinois, supposed to go overseas and live in a mansion in the UK? I had no idea, but I was determined. I t’s been my dream to do something like this. I am not immune though. I’ve learned a lot about myself this semester over here in Harlaxton. Things that have enlightened and changed me. For better or for worse I don’t exactly know yet.
By Maddy WebbOne of the major things I have learned is I love seeing new things but hate traveling. I cannot stand waiting in the airport or taking public transportation and ultimately getting lost because you got on the wrong bus. It also frustrates me that most of my time traveling is traveling and not seeing. This stems from my naivety to travelling in the first place but until I calm down I’ll complain.
The problem when it comes to traveling is that I am someone who deals with homesickness. I never thought I would be, considering all I’ve wanted to do is get away from Ohio, but I do miss it. I loved seeing new things and meeting new people, don’t get me wrong. I do though miss my family.
I’ve found ways though to deal with this. I remind myself that I can’t go home without a story. Or a few stories. I have to have something to prove that I’ve done this. That I’ve taken the leap. So, I have some stories.
Like when everything kept going wrong on a trip going to Dublin, Ireland. We did make it there and it was amazing! Or like wandering the streets of Rome with our suitcases because we couldn’t get in our Airbnb early. Or almost waltzing right into a riot actively going on in Athens because we weren’t paying attention and all we wanted to see was the Parthenon. I also have stories that are not so frustrating.
I got to see all of Athens when we finally did see the Parthenon. That was a feeling I don’t know if I’ll get to feel it again, but it was wonderful. These stories when I head home along with the souvenirs remind me that I did get to do this. That I did get to see so much and experience so much.
So, it’s okay to fall into homesickness sometimes. I still traveled out of that little Ohio bubble of mine!
MY companions and I rose early in the morning to get a taxi to the Grantham train station. Our tickets would take us down to King’s Cross where we would transfer to Paddington to catch a second train to our final destination of Oxford. My friends were going down to see the city and university, but that was of secondary importance to me. I was going to see a grave. They knew, once we had finished visiting the Bodleian Library and the university shops, I would drag them on a 15-minute bus ride downtown to a stop at Wolvercote Cemetary. I don’t think they minded as it was because of my interest that we booked those tickets and commenced this leg of our adventure in the first place. The bus dropped us off at the cemetery gate, containing a trunk-like path that split off to allow access to every part of the graveyard. I noticed a patch of wildflowers growing just outside the gate and decided to take one with us for later use. A somber mood fell upon us, as any conversation we had cultivated on our bus ride over, quickly faded away as we stepped foot within the threshold. There was a small display at the entrance bearing the name of our destination with a helpful arrow to show us which path we should take. Though not a solitary soul marked the paths around us,
fresh flowers of multiple contents were laid upon the gravestones, providing clear evidence of earlier visitors. The path from the cemetery gate to our destination remind quiet, as we followed the occasional signs each bearing a direction to keep us on track, passing by graves grouped by family. We passed by both towering works of marble, expertly carved and lavishly made, and more simple graves, containing only a single flattened stone. In the back of this cemetery stood a grave bearing two names that had been visited for decades. While it was decorated it was far from some of the extravagances we had seen earlier, carved simply from stone with minor ornamentation on the edges. “There it is,” I said softly as we reached the end of our adventure. There was the grave of a man I had never met and yet owed so much. We stood there for a moment before my friends wandered further down the path. I stayed behind for a moment and kneeled to place the wildflower I had picked earlier beside many others decorating the stone. “Thank you,” I said not knowing what more I could say to him. Then I stood up, and with a goodbye followed my friends away from the gravesite of J.R.R. Tolkien.
By Danielle Parisi
When traveling, people have different things that they like to see and do. Different places have different things to offer, and not everyone will see the same sights in any given place. In my own travels, I’ve witnessed many different types of travelers, and even been a few different kinds myself.
The types of travelers listed below are just a few of the common ones; there are many different types. Additionally, they aren’t exclusive. Someone could identify with multiple different travel personalities. There is overlap, and people can have a broad range of interests and goals while they’re traveling.
With all of that said, here are some of the top travel personalities I’ve experienced.
The Historian
This person knows the historical significance of a place before going. They frequent the museums and galleries, looking for cultural and historical significance. Luckily for them, the UK has many castles to offer for exploration into the past.
The Foodie
Do you smell that? It’s the signature dish or pastry that the place you’re in is known for. This traveler knows exactly what foods are must-try’s for any given location. You may end up in a nice restaurant for a warm meal, a pub for a refreshing pint, or a street market for a delicious snack!
The “Wild One”
Watch out around these types of travelers! They’ve got their eyes out for all the party spots. As long as you’re responsible though, they’re quite a fun companion! Night life is usual a large part of their adventures, taking advantage of all the clubs, pubs, and bars that a city has to offer. For students, this is a common type of travel to get lost in, as the drinking age in the UK is 18, compared to the higher age of 21 in the US.
What are the most popular stops to make in the city you’re going to? That’s where these travelers will be. They’ve scoured the internet and travel books for the must-see locations. Get ready to see museums with world famous paintings, monuments standing at record heights, and everything you might see on a postcard with the caption “wish you were here”!
These travelers are here for the memories. Usually flexible with whatever adventures their friends want to go on, they simple want to have an adventure. They crave experiences, no matter how simple or complex. You can find them anywhere, from a small, out-of-the-way coffee shop to the most famous museums and monuments. What matters most to them is the experiences they gain along the way.
I leave for Harlaxton in three days. Two sleeps. Tomorrow will be my last night at home for the next four months. We leave for the Chicago airport on Tuesday. I’m terrified. I’ve never been away from home that long, let alone a brand-new country. I know the airport will be absolute hell, I’m afraid of the long flight, and I really don’t want to cry in public. So I’ll try to get all that out now. I can’t stop time. I can’t stop the tears. Honestly, it’s probably good that I’m crying. Healthy, even. But, good God, I’m going to miss my family. I’m going to miss the drive home every Sunday. I’m going to miss a quiet afternoon with my dad and my dog in the chair and my mom taking a nap on the couch. I’m going to miss Gram. I’m going to miss playing drunk Jenga with my pals. All of them. Time will pass by. I’ll meet amazing new people. See places I may never get to see again. I’ll look forward to it.But right now, I need a moment. To grieve and celebrate that passed time. What a life. Happy New Year.
I’m a little tipsy on Stiegl writing this, but at least it’s helped me text my friends back. Today has been quite eventful.First, we got up an hour later than we were supposed to (good thing we planned ahead). We had breakfast at our hotel, and it was delicious. I look forward to it in the morning. After, we met up for The Sound of Music Original Tour. It was absolutely amazing! We saw most of the places where they filmed, but some of it was closed for the season and some closed to visitors. Still, we got to see quite a bit of Salzburg. We took quite a few pictures in iconic places as well. We actually had to jump a fence to take a picture of the terrace in Do Re Mi. We wondered for a bit before getting some Euros and grabbing lunch at a street spot. I had a Stiegl and a hot dog sort of thing with mustard and onion. Delicious!We saw some pieces of the Domquartier and Mozart residence. They were very cool, but didn’t take all our time and attention. Finally, the Mozart Cup, an international figure-skating competition, was taking place in Salzburg this weekend. It was so fun! After a meal of sausage and sauerkraut, I drank Stiegl at the Red Bull
Arena until the end. We met a few Americans watching their kids skate, which made us feel a bit closer to home. We got a little lost on the way home, but some very nice Austrians helped us on our way. I just hope tomorrow goes okay!
February 5, 2023
Bath was really cool! I wish I had more time there. We only really saw some of the city, the Jane Austen Centre, and a play, but I kind of wanted to see the Roman Baths and go to the spa (it was all booked). The play was a wonderful alternative, though! It was called Pride and Prejudice (sort of), a jukebox musical consisting of five women alternating parts throughout the play. Although there was a pillar obstructing some of my view, it was still one of the funniest plays I’ve ever seen. 10/10 would see it again. Stonehenge was also neat! Honestly, for the first 20 years of my life I thought it was in Ireland, but I was obviously wrong. There were lots of crows and sheep, which I loved, but I didn’t get to lick the rocks, which I did not love. We’re driving home most of the day today, and the seats make my back hurt, so I’m hoping to go back to the Manor and get some good sleep. I’m lucky and good things happen to me.
March 19, 2023
I got on the Liverpool trip this weekend! Friday was St. Patrick’s Day, so the streets of Liverpool were packed. We went to get drinks at Tesco to pre-game, then hit the town. Quite the fun night. Yesterday (ha ha), I took the walking tour of the city and visited The Beatles Story museum. So neat! That evening, we hit a few pubs, had some beer, then went to The Cavern, the club where The Beatles got their start. A cover band was playing some of the hits. The entire club began singing Yellow Submarine at the top of their lungs, and I had a moment. It was a joyful experience. I’m probably going to get the Sunday Scaries, so I might write them down later! Or, I’ll keep them bottled up until I die! Who’s to say?
