The Anchor: March 2023

March 2023

Campus, p. 4

Behind the scenes look in Phelps Dining Hall

THEANCHOR

Hope College Student Newspaper

Spera In Deo

News, p. 7-8

The 2024 Presidential Election: Where we stand and the rise of deepfake technology

Arts, p. 10-11

A look at Dance 49 with Chloe Yonkus (‘24) and PhotoVoice: Telling our story

Features, p. 12

Empowering women in STEM: Hope College leading the way

Opinion, p. 14

A discussion with Max Marchione and an urgent message from college students in Ukraine

CoverphotobyMadelineKenney

Meet Your Staff

Greta

Our Mission: The Anchor strives to communicate campus events throughout Hope College and the Holland community. We hope to amplify awareness and promote dialogue through fair, objective journalism and a vibrant Voices section.

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Natalie Glover

Owen Harries

Audrey Wells

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Kate Lawrence

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Owen Harries Campus Writer

Madeline Kennny Co-Editor-in-Chief

Aubrey Brolsma Campus Editor

Lindsey Muller, Media Manager

Sophia Vander Kooy Production Manager

Claire Dwyer Co-Editor-in-Chief

Jonah Whalen Copy Editor

Anna Snaeder News Editor

Natalie Glover News Writer

Maiya Santiago Features Editor

Claudia Hwang Production Manager

Kate Lawrence Arts Writer

Greta VanDenend Features Editor

Abby Doonan

Editor

Audrey Wells News Wrtier

Natalie Stringham Copy Editor

Anna Koenig Opinions Editor

Lily Shergill Features Writer

Claire

Spring is just around the corner (despite all the snow). I could not be more excited! It feels like it has been cold forever, and I am so ready for the sunshine and warm weather to settle in.

I believe the worst of winter is behind us, and although that does seem very exciting, I must admit that I am a little sad. The school year has been flying by, and the last few weeks have truly shown the best Hope has to offer. There have been so many times the Hope community has come together in recent weeks for both fun and serious events, and it reminds me of how unique this community is.

Winter Fantasia brought together students and gave them a chance to celebrate, for no real reason at all, but that was what made it fun. Just having an event to get dressed up for with friends was reason enough to celebrate. The Catalyst Summit with the amazing author Malcom Gladwell helped continue the conversation surrounding the Hope Forward initiative and the many other things Hope is preparing for in the future.

At Dance Marathon, the Hope community came together to raise a record breaking $384,336.24 for Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, far surpassing the goal of $365,000. Dance Marathon brings so much energy to campus, and even participants who dance all 24 hours. It is such a joy to see Miracle Kids and their amazing families get to spend time with Hope students. I am always so overwhelmed by this event, and I genuinely can’t think of another school that has an event that even

begins to compare.

Hope also had so many wonderful events and performances hosted by students, from the many incredible artists featured in the Dance 49 performances, to the Women Of Color United’s Art of Storytelling exhibit banquet that drew a crowd that filled the whole of the Kruizenga Art Museum, and of course the weekly coffeehouse performances in the Great Room.

As for The Anchor, I feel so lucky to see all the different parts of this newspaper come together to make one incredible piece of journalism for our community. In this new role as Co-Editor-in-Chief, I am so thankful to get to see how the hard work of every individual on staff becomes a piece of the puzzle that becomes our newspaper. I am so grateful to be a part of such an amazing and talented staff, and I am so proud of the work we do together.

Happy spring, Hope College! I hope you all enjoy the little (and big things!) that bring our community together.

Madeline

In my opinion, March can be an underrated month. Yes, as a fellow Michigander, I understand the frustration of pulling out the snow boots one day to lugging umbrellas around the next. Meanwhile, you’re continually pulling out the snazzy shades hidden in the back of your desk drawer when a high of 43 degrees and sunshine is projected in the next 4 days. But just think of the wonderful experiences the month of March offers! From decking out in all green attire while whipping

out your best jig on St. Patrick’s Day to seeing the words “Spring Recess” on the academic calendar as you simultaneously book a flight to Florida, March is full of reasons to celebrate! However, there is one event that stands out among the others: March Madness.

As both a college sports fan and college athlete, I find the experience to be fully immersive and energizing! I become highly invested in the process as I meticulously strategize my March Madness bracket (or base it off of team colors and mascots – an equally successful method in my experience) and place bets against my brothers on who will rise as the ultimate tournament winner. While sporting the sweatshirt of my favorite college team that season, I sit on the couch and flip between the different channels, anxiously catching the scores of each game. However, for me, March Madness also represents a sense of joy and beauty amid the intensity. I find joy in watching an underdog team of the tournament defeat a number one seed team just as the overtime buzzer echoes through the TV screen. I find beauty in witnessing the camaraderie of an entire collegiate league and segment of society coming

together for a 3-week event.

As the Anchor prepares to print the first edition of the semester, I experience this similar amalgamation of feelings. As the team spends hours tweaking articles, finding just the right formatted pictures, and adjusting the pages of InDesign, the levels of intensity, sweat, and hardwork permeate throughout the Anchor newsroom – our ‘home court.’ However, as the articles advance to new rounds of edits, I become energized by the prospect of the edition’s end product. Equally as exciting as the final buzzer beater shot, the compilation of our work so far this semester sparks cheer and conversation throughout the campus community.

As our team rallies around for our final moments of edits, I cannot wait to reveal this semester’s edition. Even among the madness, there is joy and beauty – and that’s worth celebrating!

Madeline Kenney

Madeline Kenney

A behind-the-scenes look inside Phelps Dining Hall

Owen Harries Staff Writer

Melissa Smith does not have an easy job. Every day, she is responsible for feeding more than three thousand students at Hope College. She’s responsible for sourcing food from a variety of different sellers, as well as accounting for dozens of dietary needs. All the while, she has to make sure that Hope dining remains a varied and appetizing option for students.

Smith works as the director of residential and retail dining, putting her in charge of both Phelps and Cook Hall as well as any other on-campus dining, such as the Kletz Market and Cup and Chaucer. She works with Hope’s two executive chefs, Ben Mokma and Tom Hoover, to decide what makes it onto the menu every day. However, everyone in the kitchen chips in to the decision.

“[The executive chefs] are the masters of the menu,”

says Smith, “but we have all of our employees, all of our sous chefs and cooks… to have a say.”

Generally, menus are created in five-week cycles in order to give the kitchen enough time to properly stock ingredients. With each semester being sixteen weeks, students can expect to see menu items, especially fan favorites like orange chicken or enchiladas, around three times each semester. There are exceptions, of course. Meals like burrito bowls are weekly staples, while others are one-offs in honor of specific events, like the various options inspired by Black History Month.

At the end of every cycle, Smith and her staff take into account feedback from both the student and kitchen side to improve the dining experience. If a meal at Phelps was particularly popular, for instance, it may be served at both the globe and comfort corner in the next cycle to compensate for demand.

Once the menu is decided, Dining Services reaches out to a

variety of different companies to stock their kitchen. The largest vendor is Gordon Food Service, a large wholesale retailer that provides the majority of the dishes served at Phelps and Cook.

However, Hope Dining tries to supplement this with local options whenever possible. For instance, a lot of Hope’s produce comes from a local farm by the name of Crisp Country Acres. All of the coffee used by dining services is sourced from Simpatico, a family owned business out of Holland, Michigan. Phelps sources some of its baked goods from New Earth Bakeries, and all of the milk on campus comes from local farms.

“I don’t know if you know Anu Sushi, [it’s] the sushi over at the Kletz market” says Smith. “They’re a local company, and for every purchase that a student makes a meal goes to an orphan. It’s a really cool program to be participating in.”

All of Dining Services’ food purchases are made with the

environment in mind. According to the dining services’ financial records, the budget for dining was just over three million dollars during the 2021/2022 school year. Out of that, over eight hundred thousand was spent on “plant based ingredients,” items with minimal or no animal products. Furthermore, thirty-six thousand dollars of Hope’s protein came from third party certified sources, like USDA certified organic.

All of the food brought to Phelps Hall is then processed by its massive industrial kitchen. A dedicated staff of cooks work the selection of grills, ovens and fryers required to keep the kitchen running. They have a few specialized pieces of equipment up their sleeve to keep up with demand: massive amounts of rice and pasta can be prepped at once in giant custom pots over three feet in diameter.

On top of the specialized equipment, most items can be

Most students know but don’t see all of the work that goes into making thousands of meals everyday. The staff at Phelps Dining Hall gave The Anchor an inside look to see what goes into a normal day at Phelps.

Owen Harries

cooked in advance and then kept warm until serving time, allowing workers to stockpile large amounts of food that can be pulled out quickly during rushes. Some items make this tricky, like vegetables that become soggy if left in the oven too long, according to Smith.

“Anything that we can hold, like potatoes,” says Smith, “we get prepared ahead of time so when the door is knocked down at five pm we’re ready.”

The end of the meal is equally important for the Phelps Hall staff. Food disposal is a difficult part of any dining service, and Phelps works hard to keep it a

seamless experience while also keeping the environment in mind.

Workers begin cleaning dishes and silverware almost immediately after it slides around the rotating wall of the dining hall. Food waste is disposed into a flowing trough of water, which takes it to the pulper, a machine that breaks it down for composting. Plates and silverware are put into a large conveyor dishwasher that scrubs away any remaining grime.

As of now, Hope is regrettably unable to compost any food due to complications with the waste management company that normally hauls waste. Dining

Services is currently working with Hope Advocates for Sustainability and Hope’s Physical Plant to reestablish composting, but in the meantime the kitchen services still follow all of the same procedures and prepare all food waste for composting as normal.

“We haven’t stopped any of our processes,” Smith explains, “so when composting is picked up again we’re already in the habit of it.”

Above all, Smith explains that her favorite part of the job is simply keeping dining interesting. She meets with her management team often to come up with special

events, like cheese curd burgers on game day or a popcorn bar. Opportunities to provide creative and innovative dining experiences are what makes the job what it is.

“Every day is different,” says Smith, “[but] my favorite part is the student experience… and being able to find fun and creative new foods and events.”

Dining Services is currently running a survey to improve their dining. Students are encouraged to respond so that they too can influence the decisions of Hope’s dining.

Alongside all of hardworking employees of Phelps is a vast array of machinery and equipment involved both in making and serving food at the dining hall.

Owen Harries

What’s the deal with that big bird book in the library?

Owen Harries Staff Writer

The Bird of the Month sign hangs over the stairs between the first and second floor of the Van Wylen Library. Hundreds of students walk underneath it, many without acknowledging the sign and the ever-changing selection of hand-drawn birds. However, a few may stop and wonder who is drawing the bird of the month. And more importantly, why?

As Allison Van Liere, the User Services Coordinator for the library explains, Hope’s Bird of the Month is actually related to a much more historical feature of the library: John James Aubdon’s “Birds of America,” a collection of photorealistic sketches that was originally published in 1860. The book has been in Hope’s collection since 1896, when it was donated posthumously from the personal library of Nathan F. Graves. The copy was passed around campus for several years before ending up in the library’s collection in the 1910s.

The main selling point of “Birds of America” is its size, with each page being over two feet tall and three feet across. All of the birds within the book are drawn to scale; this large size is necessary to accommodate the American wild turkey and the flamingo. The

latter is depicted in a now iconic print with its neck bent downwards in order to fit within the print. Interestingly, the flamingo is missing from Hope’s copy of the book, having been removed from the print at some point before it arrived in the library’s care.

Van Liere recalls seeing the book tucked away in its protective glass case. Nobody had turned the page in over a year, and Van Leire felt the need to take up the job herself. To do so, she had to receive both permission and training from Library Director Kelly Jacobsema. She describes how “there’s a certain way you have to turn the pages, because they’re so big and you don’t want to damage them.” She began with page one, turning to a new bird every month.

“I wanted to draw attention to the book,” says Van Liere. The display case is somewhat hidden behind the stairwell, in a low foot-traffic area. To combat this, Van Leire put up a large poster alerting people to the existence of the portfolio.

To go with the poster, Van Leire enlisted the help of then administrative assistant, Melanie Rabine-Johnson to sketch the birds. Johnson, in her own words, “loves drawing anything.” At the time she was working in the dean’s office, a position that didn’t offer many opportunities for social

interaction. Van Leire would come to her office on the first of each month, declaring “Happy Bird Day!” and telling her the new bird.

“It was really fun to have a... tradition every month where Allison and I were doing something creative together,” recounts Johnson.

The birds are sketched each month on a whiteboard, which presents a couple artistic challenges. “Dry erase markers [are] not my favorite medium for drawing,” says Johnson, “so there was a little bit of an intellectual challenge.” Johnson used both sides of the board, and had to design a special technique to avoid smudging one side while working on the other. It became “very complicated for dry erase birds.”

Some birds were more challenging than others. Since the pages are so large and every bird is drawn to scale, small birds like warblers are often drawn two to a page in order to fill up the space. Two birds on either side of the whiteboards leads to a total of four birds per month, greatly increasing the amount of work required to avoid smudging the drawings. The bald eagle was also difficult, with its antique style not translating well into dry erase markers and leading to a cartoonish-looking sketch.

Despite its challenges, Bird of the Month holds a special meaning

for Johnson, who learned to draw by copying the pictures from an abridged version of Birds of America. She recalls always being surrounded by birders while growing up. “There was always a bird book around,” she says.

As of January, Johnson no longer works with the dean’s office and has passed the responsibility onto Van Liere. Johnson’s sixyear-old son, Wesley, drew her final bird as a farewell to the Bird of the Month tradition, something he had been dreaming about since first seeing the book.

When asked why she continues the project, Van Liere responded that she wanted to draw awareness to the Audubon’s “Birds of America,” as well as giving students a taste of the historical collection the library contains. “This is just one of many examples of really cool historical pieces we own,” says Van Liere. “I would hope that people would interact with it.”

Plus, as Johnson points out, it is fun to “geek out about something once a month.”

The current bird of the month is the Mockingbird. It is visible on display on the second story of the Van Wylen Library, underneath the large banner and the Bird of the Month sign. It will remain until March 31, when the page is turned and a new bird is revealed.

The Bird of the Month display can be found right behind the stairs on the second floor of Van Wylen library.

Owen Harries

The 2024 Presidential Election: Where we stand

Natalie Glover Staff Writer

Although 2024 may seem a lifetime away, it will be here before we know it, along with the 2024 Presidential Election. In the United States, elections are a time of division. Politicians throw arguments and criticisms between one another while the American people huddle in the middle and look for shelter. While many of us try to make sense of everything, election years end up feeling quite overwhelming. No matter what party you support or where you stand on the political spectrum, knowing the presidential candidates early can help you keep everything and everyone straight.

Candidate Lineup

There are currently four people who have officially announced their candidacy for the 2024 Presidential Election. First is former President Donald Trump, who announced his campaign in November 2022 and is looking to reenter the Oval Office. Competing against Trump for the Republican spot are Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy. While President Biden has not formally announced a plan to run for reelection, he has stated it is his “intention” to run again. Also vying for the Democratic spot is Marianne Williamson.

Republican Candidates

Former President Donald Trump announced his campaign after a reportedly “lackluster” performance by the Trumpbacked Republican candidates in the midterm elections. Recently, Trump won 62% of votes in a straw poll for the 2024 GOP nomination at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Even with this support from GOP members, Trump continues to face criticism and controversy surrounding the Jan. 6 US Capitol insurrection in 2021. After the insurrection, Trump was impeached twice–though he was never removed from office–and investigations concerning his involvement in this event have continued.

The first challenger of Trump’s campaign is a former member of his staff – Nikki Haley. Haley was the former Governor of South Carolina and was the administrative ambassador of the U.N. under Trump. After originally saying she would not run against Trump, Haley announced her candidacy. Along with her criticisms of Biden’s foreign policy, she has called for the ushering in of a “New Generation” of younger politicians. Topics such as Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare have already secured their place on the chopping block in Haley’s campaign.

The third Republican candidate to officially announce a run for President is 37-year-old, Vivek

Ramaswamy. Ramaswamy was a former tech and finance executive with no previous political experience. So far, his campaign has categorized itself as “anti-woke” as he argues against the environmental, social and governance (ESG) movement. Ramaswamy also believes our country is too divided and emphasizes national pride and community. So far, these three candidates are the only Republicans to have formally announced their campaign.

Democratic Candidates

On the Democratic side, Marianne Williamson is the only candidate who has officially announced a campaign for the 2024 Presidential election.

Williamson ran for the Democratic president nomination in 2020 but gained little traction. Now she has returned and continues to base her campaign on anti-corporate populism.She has decried corporate culture in America and tweeted that she wanted to bring an end to the era of government “of the corporations, by the corporations, and for the corporations.” She has taken stances on the side of universal healthcare, free childcare, a wealth tax and creating a green economy. Even though Williamson is the only Democratic candidate to formally step forward, she is largely being dismissed by the Democrat Party. Even so, there is much still in the air concerning whether or not President Biden will run for reelection. At 80 years-old, many question Biden’s ability to withstand another Presidential term. According to a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, only 37% of Democrats nationwide want Biden to pursue a second term. This is a large decrease from the 52% standing prior to the midterm elections. While Biden has seen his fair share of criticism in his term, he has also made landmark decisions such as protecting marriage equality. With so few Democrats stepping forward so far, it is hard to say who Biden might run against if he chooses to run for re-election in 2024.

45th president and 2024 candidate Donald Trump

The New York Times

Current President Joe Biden DrewAngererGettyImages

2024 Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy

The New Yorker

2024 Republican Candidate Nikki Haley

Rolling Stone

The Political Landscape Going Forward

With constant changes in the election field, there may be more candidates announcing their campaigns in the coming weeks and months. For example, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence have expressed interest in running for the Republican spot. The Democrats remain largely

up in the air as they continue to assess their options. In the end, there is still a fair amount of time for new candidates and campaigns to appear, so voters will have to stay up-to-date as these new developments occur.

Politics can be troubling and complicated waters to sail, especially as a college student. Having constructive and safe conversations around

this subject and monitoring the consumption of politics will be helpful when navigating this stressful political season. Even so, students await the final line up for the big political race to come.

They may look real but they’re fake: A rise in deepfake technology

Audrey Wells Staff Writer

NBC's hit show “America's Got Talent” concluded its 17th season in summer 2022. Alongside the typical lineup of singers, dancers and comedians, the fourth place winner showcased a new talent all together. The group, named Metaphysic, focused on the use of deepfake technology. In their first audition, they edited judge Simon Cowell's face onto a singer that was onstage. Projecting the video onto the auditorium's screen made it appear like Cowell himself was auditioning for the show. While wildly entertaining for fans, the rapid growth of this technology has raised concerns for many around the world.

History of Deepfake

Deepfake is an extension of the technology used in photoshop or face swap filters on Snapchat. The term "deepfake" originated on Reddit in 2017 by a user who posted sexually explicit videos with faces of celebrities such as Taylor Swift or Scarlet Johannson edited in. The technology allows users to make video and audio samples to create the illusion that a certain person said or did something that never happened. Deepfake technology is currently capable of editing an existing face onto a speaker in a video, creating content with AI generated faces, and recreating someone's face and voice.

Accessibility

The general process of deepfake could be completed by anyone who has the correct software– a high-speed computer would be preferable to minimize

processing time. However, websites and apps have also been available for public use and have provided ways for consumers to create their own versions of deepfake. Companies also could be hired to create deepfake media for clients.

The Deepfake Process

The Guardian provides details on the general process. First, hundreds or thousands of images of two faces are processed using an encoder–a type of AI that identifies what is similar between the faces. Then, a decoder is used, separating the qualities of the faces. Once both of these steps are done, the algorithms are ready to combine the faces into one piece of media. The Guardian explains that "a compressed image of person A’s face is fed into the decoder trained on person B. The

decoder then reconstructs the face of person B with the expressions and orientation of face A."

Positive Effects

Metaphysic's feature on “America's Got Talent” showed that deepfake technology can certainly be used for entertainment. The act was well-received, earning a standing ovation from audience and judges after the initial audition. Judge Heidi Klum even said that "...it was the best thing [...she'd] seen all day." According to the Washington Post, this group hoped to market itself in the entertainment industries, creating believable replicas of late actors for movies. Metaphysic has also released their own platform called everyany.one. Their website has allowed any user to

create deepfaked, artificial icons of themselves starting with a single image that can then be processed by their artificial intelligence. This technology has allowed anyone to access this digital technique. Beyond entertainment, CNBC points out how deepfake could be used positively in numerous other professions such as in education or healthcare.

Criticism from the Public Many criticize the prevalence of this technology, its accessibility and even the way it was publicized on America's Got Talent. Past patterns such as the Reddit publications of 2017 show that deepfake platforms have the potential to be used for harm.

The MIT Sloan School of Management offered that deepfake was a threat to corporations and businesses. They cited a situation in March 2019 where a deepfaked voice, programmed to mimic the head of a U.K. energy firm, was able to request a transfer of money. This example of deepfake was allegedly employed by thieves, who used the technology to carry out their crimes.

Deepfake could also be used in a political setting, making believable videos where politicians appear to make claims or commit actions that never happened. This technology could have the potential to influence public perception of politicians and damage reputations. For this reason, Facebook banned deepfake videos from their platform prior to the 2020 election in the USA.

Additionally, deepfake influences the journalism industry by lowering trust in the media. Since any professional video could have been manufactured artificially, the public may begin to assume all

"Simon Cowell Sings on Stage?!" America's Got Talent Youtube Channel

2024 Democrat Candiate Marianna Williamson CNN

videos are fake and manufactured and disregard credible videos.

In China

In late 2022, two videos of deepfaked, fabricated newscasters were published online by proChina bots. The New York Times reported that these videos were “intended to promote the interests of the Chinese Communist Party.” Small details such as newscasters’ hair and slightly unsynced mouth movements led to the discovery of the manufactured videos. In January, the Cyberspace Administration of China introduced laws to control the use of deepfake. These laws included identifying

any content as modified, obtaining consent before using someone’s face and abstaining from spreading fake news.

Moving Forward

Even with an entertaining deepfake presentation on “America’s Got Talent”, its availability and potential to influence reputations, politics and many other fields proves concerning to many. At Hope College, our mission is “to educate students for lives of leadership and service in a global society.” Knowledge about deepfake is integral as our global society continues to advance.

Deepfake with Mark Zuckerberg

ARTS

Tap dancing, a guest choreographer and

Dance 49 with Chloe Yonkus

Kate Lawrence Staff Writer

Dance 49 took place in the Dewitt Main Theatre March 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11. This was a showcase where dance students are cast with a choreographer who creates a piece for them to perform. This year, there were seven dance numbers that featured a broad selection of dance styles such as hip-hop, contemporary and pointe ballet.

bigger responsibility that’s why I’m minoring in it and I’m not sure exactly what I’ll do with that little degree but for now it’s fun to do.”

Yonkus plans on using her business major to potentially start her own dance studio after college. She currently works at a clothing store in downtown Holland, which has given her more experience in business. Yonkus is also involved in other areas around campus such as Student Congress as a social media coordinator, Nykerk, where she is involved with even-year play and she is on a Dance Marathon committee doing photography and other work.

One of the dancers in Dance 49 this year was Chloe Yonkus (‘24). Yonkus is a business major, with double minors in communication and dance. She commented on her experience and why she chose to minor in dance, saying, “I’ve been dancing since I was three or four years old. I’ve been dancing my whole life, basically. I did it all throughout high school and wasn’t sure if I wanted to [major in it] in college just because it’s a

For dance, Yonkus has been involved in the department since her freshman year, and last year, she was involved in Dance 48. Yonkus remarked on the process of how choreographers pick their dancers, saying, “You audition and the choreographers fight over who they want in each of their pieces, it’s kind of funny.” Last year, Yonkus was in the tap piece choreographed by Heather Cornell. Yonkus said, “[Cornell] is a really really brilliant tap artist and musician, she’s really very talented. So I was in her piece last year until I got injured... I hurt my knee in a skiing accident so I didn’t get to be in the show, so that’s why I wanted to do it this year.”

Just as Yonkus had hoped, she was cast in Cornell’s tap piece once again. However, this year’s piece was choreographed by guest artist, Mark Yonally, and Cornell was the

rehearsal director. Yonally is an established tap choreographer and the founder and artistic director of Chicago Tap Theatre.

The seven Hope dancers in the tap number had the opportunity to perform their piece at Chicago Tap Theatre’s 20th-anniversary tap performance. Yonkus was excited about their invitation to perform the number. She said, “It was super cool, so now I’m excited to do it onstage here. It was really cool too with a tap company and to be in their show and see what they do. It’s a nonprofit [company] so they do get paid but a lot of [the tap dancers] have other jobs. It’s pretty cool because if I do something like that after college, that’s probably what I’d do, is do [dance] in conjunction with my real job.”

On getting to work with a new guest choreographer, Yonkus said that the tap dancers have done a lot with Cornell, “It was nice to get a new style and technique of choreography even though it’s still tap dance, every choreographer is unique in the way they teach it and Yonally’s brilliant and Heather’s brilliant. It was stressful for sure, because we had to learn it in one weekend. But it was cool to meet him and he took us to lunch one day. It was cool to bond with him and learn about his experiences.”

Yonkus shares that the tap piece is special, not just because of the guest choreographer this year. “Our piece is the only one that has live music on stage. That’s really important to a lot of tap dancers, dancing with live musicians. We have a drummer, a bass player and a singer and all three we are

close with because we practice a lot. It’s something special to dance with live music and it’s something special to watch too.”

Yonkus concluded the interview by saying, “The Dance Department at Hope is one of the best in Michigan and a lot of people don’t know that. It’s really spectacular to see these artists put their all into one number for a whole year. A lot of people don’t know a lot about tap dance but even seeing the other groups that do contemporary and ballet and hip hop, it’s entertaining.”

Here is some more information about the production:

“How Insensitive”

Choreographer: Mark Yonally

Rehearsal Director: Heather Cornell

Cast: Paige Augustyn, Isabella Ensworth, Alexis Erickson, Josie Farrell, Sarra Lacour, Jackie Rodriguez, Chloe Yonkus, Taylor Lee

“What Remains”

Choreographer: Kara Madden

Brems

Cast: Allison Fulton, Kate Greif, Anna Harrell, Emma Lord, Morgan Mohler, Madeleine Popp, Sloane Provost

“Rendezvous”

Choreographer: Lindsey Hanson

Cast: Elizabeth Park, Leah Fritts, Maia Travis, Mattie Klomparens, Maureen Cole, Miriam Czaja

“It’s Not a Move, It’s a Culture”

Choreographer: Deavondre Jones

Cast: Zoey Cappatocio, Stacy Devine, Skylar DeWitt, Monica Neba, Cali Smith

“Untethered”

Choreographer: Julie Powell in

Chloe Yonkus (‘24)

“What Remains” choreographed by Kara Madden Brems Larissa Brooks

“Better Days and Calmer Nights” by Matt Farmer Larissa Brooks

ARTS

in collaboration with dancers

Cast: Seanna DeWitt, Evann Fischer, Natalie Glover, Deborah Hegg, Mackenzie Kellogg, Harlee Scholten

“Conform Me Not”

Choreographer: Jasmine Meija

Cast: Kaleigh Estby, Marguerite Hartman, Allison Mclntosh, Jillian Reitzel, Shannon Rodriguez, Miranda Stepchuk

“Better Days and Calmer Nights”

Choreographer: Matt Farmer

Cast: Emmeline Barry, Jordan

Dillabough, Anna Hammond, Claire Knodel, Madison Korff, Bethany Lawrence, Hannah McGrew, Madeline Williams

Director of Design and Production: Erik Alberg

Lighting Design: Eric Van Tassell

Sound Design: Ken Chamberlain

Costumes and Shop

Management: Anna Hill

Stage Manager: Cindy Alberg

If you missed the opportunity to see Dance 49, make sure you keep a lookout for more upcoming performances!

PhotoVoice: Telling our story

Hailey Cote Staff Writer

PhotoVoice is a method of research that uses participant photography to show an issue in society. It poses meaningful questions to the audience in the hopes of enhancing the community by finding possible solutions to the problem presented. The Kruizenga Art Museum says this about the project: “This exhibition offers a window into the lived experiences of seven LGBTQIA students at Hope College. The students’ photographs portray images of safety, identity, belonging and pride, as evident in their daily lives.”

Dr. Liz Sharda, the faculty advisor for the exhibition and assistant professor of social work, shared information about the project.

First, Sharda discussed photo methodology, saying, “I received training on it at MSU. It is looking over an opportunity to get to the population. It has been around for awhile; I was previously interested in it. A couple of research students helped me come up with the ideas and the research behind it.”

She then talked about how students could get involved. Sharda said, “So, the research term is ‘snowballing’, but essentially [students could get involved] through word of mouth. Some flyers went up around campus, which is how we got some of the students. Some of the other students were my previous students. The newsletters that went out to the student population included flyers about PhotoVoice. Overall, there was a lot of verbal communication. I also met with all of the students who were interested and had one on one interviews with them, prior to the 6-week project.”

When conducting projects that

center around raising unheard voices, there can be fears about accomplishing the goal that made you want to start the project in the first place. Luckily, Sharda said that there were barely any difficulties with running the project. “There have been little to no difficulties. Seven students participated, representing their fears. They were all super open and communicative about what they wanted to present. It was really wonderful to witness all of the ways that the students supported each other and their understanding for one another. There were a lot of relationships formed throughout this research process.”

Finally, Sharda opened up about how great of an experience this has been and how impactful she hopes that PhotoVoice will be, “This was an opportunity to change fears and [...] embrace being different from your peers. I find myself coming

Student piece titled, “Elena Identity”.

Liz Sharda back to see courage to challenge the campus community [...] the students also created captions to go with the photos to provide insight on their experiences. I am thankful for the students for being so honest with their experiences

and being so open. It is a great opportunity to learn and to receive from the students around you.”

If you would like to visit this exhibit, it runs from now until May 13 at the Kruizenga Art Museum.

Empowering women in STEM: Hope College leading the way

Lily Shergill Staff Writer

Last Thursday during community hour, WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) got together to talk about work, life and school while being women in STEM. Many students and professors came to this event in order to ask questions and seek community. WISE is a club on campus that many women enjoy being a part of. A couple of events are put on each semester, including social and educational events that are designed to encourage and unite women in the Hope College STEM community. During this specific event, two professors, Dr. Kristeen Dittenhafer-Reed, professor of Biochemistry, and Dr. Meagan Elinski, professor of chemistry, spoke about their experiences as women in STEM. There was a Q&A in which women asked the two professors for advice or about their understanding and wisdom on the topic. As they spoke about being women in their field, they focused specifically on how they navigated graduate school, how

they balanced family life, bias and personal unique circumstances that are a part of their story. They also highlighted mentorship as one of the most important contributions to their success. They told the audience that having a mentor who has gone through the systems, education and experiences before them is helpful in order to encourage and support them: the next generation of women in STEM.

When asking WISE e-board member Rachel Thomas (‘24) why it is important to have events such as these and talk about women in STEM she said:

“Representation is so important. Historically, STEM fields have been very maledominated. Through creating community and encouraging young women, we can offset some imbalances between men and women in science fields.”

Rachel talked about WISE and the general community of Hope women in STEM having a passion for these subjects due to the various ways in which they affect

the world. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics are all things that are continually evolving and shaping our world into a better place. Many of the students at Hope are very passionate about using these skills, and their education to contribute to the global society. Another female student at Hope studying biology, exclaimed, “This passion for science brings beauty. I see it in all my classes and every day and I want to be a part of it.”

Women at Hope are excited and passionate - ready to commit to being a part of the mechanics of this world. Charlotte Turner (‘24), a biology major at Hope stated that “Women in STEM should be talked about and one must advocate for themselves and others so we can all learn as a society and

achieve the best efforts.” This aligns with the motivation behind the WISE club and events - advocating, encouraging, and making a community for women in STEM.

STEM majors that are both members and non-members of WISE, have spoken about how women at Hope College are grateful to be here. As Hope strives to be an increasingly inclusive and uplifting environment, the college is taking steps every day to create conversation and community for those who need it and strengthen those who seek to be strengthened.

M O R E M O R E T H A N T H A N A G Y M A G Y M

Contrarian philosophies: A discussion with Max Marchione

Therese Joeffre Guest Writer

Mainstream thinking leads to mainstream results. Many people follow these preordained rules of society. However, someone who intends to leave his mark on the world by advocating against this philosophy is Max Marchione.

Marchione is a young founder, investor, creator and contrarian based in Sydney, Australia. At the young age of 22, he graduated from the University of Sydney, did an exchange at the University of California, Berkeley and worked at Goldman Sachs, along with other venture capital groups.

He founded a rolling fund called Ultraviolet Ventures that consists of an angel investing syndicate of creators. For those who aren’t in the venture capital world, angel investing is the investing of small amounts of money in early stage startups.

Currently, Marchione is working on a health tech startup to fix a broken part of healthcare: preventive medicine. He and his team have realized that diseases like heart disease and diabetes are preventable, but there isn’t a great system to facilitate prevention. Thus, his idea is to gather the best solutions in the world for preventive medicine and then pair patients and doctors to choose the best solution for each patient, providing highly personalized care.

How did he do all of this at such a young age? His lifestyle promotes an uncommon and contrarian way of thinking that has helped him be successful.

Right after high school, he decided to take a gap year before starting university. He used this time to “learn how to learn.” He went out to discover the things that you can’t at university. When you’re locked into a set path towards a degree, generally, a narrower education is received. He strived to learn what made the most sense to him—as opposed to what he was told to learn—so that he could enact the greatest impact on those around him.

In doing this, he advocates for

multidisciplinary learning—the idea of learning about a broad myriad of topics. He explains that having knowledge in multiple fields across the board can help you find what you are passionate about, what you are good at and even aid you in making complex decisions within whatever job you may have.

I wholeheartedly agree. As a chemistry major, I have elected to take classes in philosophy and political science to broaden my own understanding of how our world is built and run. It is vital for us to step out of our disciplines and into other perspectives to become informed members of society.

Give in to that child-like curiosity that still lies inside of you. Jump down the rabbit hole of endless YouTube videos discussing topics from economics 101 to quantum physics. Listen to a few different podcasts while working out or taking a drive; you never know what you may learn and how it may help you in the future. There’s never a better time than college to fall in and out of love with the many intricacies of the universe.

Marchione went on to the University of Sydney where he studied law and commerce. He climbed to the top of his class in his law school. Despite this, he decided to forgo law to pursue finance, math and statistics. Why did he do this? Simple: he didn’t want to be a lawyer. Studying law, he explains, is just a resumé stamp to help graduates obtain the best jobs.

These “resumé stamps” are yet another norm that has grown rampant throughout our society. They are a manifestation of signaling. Every college counselor and teacher will tell students what “stamps” they need to have to show potential employers that they are most qualified for the job. Marchione said no to this, and instead took a path that he thought would be more interesting. He wanted to obtain skills and experiences instead of a potentially meaningless “stamp” gained by a law degree.

Although these credentials may be necessary for careers like medicine or engineering, for some people—especially those in entrepreneurship—they

those in entrepreneurship— they aren’t important. College can be a positive experience for many people, but it can also stifle creativity and the ability to build something new.

I’m not saying to drop out of college. Dropping out only makes sense for a small percentage of students. I am recommending that you look at what takes up your time and decide if it is actually something you are interested in. Don’t just do things to check off a list. Do things out of authentic passion for them rather than obligation. Use the time in college to create a network of other people who are just as driven as you. During this time, allow yourself the ability to learn and explore what you can do to change the world.

In addition to Marchione’s unique education pathway, he deliberately preaches ideas that are polarizing. He believes there are enough people in the world that echo the same mainstream ideas. But when you elevate opinions that are contrarian, they add to the conversation and allow for people to rethink their own thoughts. Controversy helps to spark change and an evolution of ideas.

I am a huge proponent of this idea. I believe that the facilitation of these diverse ideas allows for people to continually develop their own ideals while simultaneously propelling society forward.

Put simply, if you have an opposing viewpoint, don’t be afraid to voice it. “Get people out of

their comfort zones,” as Marchione says.

However, on the flip side, he advocates for radical open mindedness. What does this mean? It means that any or all of your ideas or values could be wrong. Marchione puts it simply, saying, “strong opinions loosely held.”

So how do you implement this philosophy into your daily life?

Marchione notes that “If someone says something I disagree with, my default response is never ‘I disagree,’ it is always ‘Tell me more. Help me understand.’”

Our society has fallen into a pattern of making controversy turn into a debate. We should instead listen to each other. Try to understand why others believe what they believe, and most importantly, why we believe what we believe.

When we do this, one of two things can happen, explains Marchione. “You can learn something new and your view changes,” or you can change the other person’s view. This doesn’t mean viewpoints will completely change, but it means that they can be refined. “I believe in questioning rather than posturing.”

This is a call-out to question contrarian ideas instead of debating them. Don’t immediately say ‘I disagree,’ but instead ask people to explain why they have that opinion. When confronting or voicing contrarian ideas, have an open mind that you may be wrong. Stop debating and start listening.

Max Marchione Headshot

Photo by: Dan Gray, graynoise

Remember, Marchione is only 22 years old. He believes that he owes a lot of his success to his philosophy on learning and how he deals with interactions in his daily life. By leaning into a multidisciplinary process of learning, a hyper open mind and contrarian ideas, Marchione has become a notable young founder who has and will continue to positively impact the world. This is not an advertisement to completely change your lifestyle

to be as contrarian as Marchione. If everyone in the world was like him, our world would be dysfunctional.

Being contrarian for the sake of it isn’t helpful either. Instead, this is a reminder to follow your own path. Don’t just follow what others have done, but rather pave a unique trajectory that is authentic to yourself. Go out and learn a bit more about the world. Figure out what you are passionate about, and then don’t let it go. Stand up for what you believe in. Truly listen to others and try to maintain an open mind.

Marchione has made it his mission to try to better himself every single day. We should all embark on that same path to be more conscientious of how we conduct ourselves within society. If you want to learn more about Marchione, check out his website at maxmarchione.com.

An urgent message from college students in Ukraine

Tori Rathkamp Guest Writer

Stop and reflect upon your life as a Hope College student. You’re attending a prestigious institution of higher learning. Life presents challenges, but they’re mostly manageable. You’re excited about getting some rest and relaxation over the weekend. Or maybe you’re anxious about exams. Perhaps you’re nervous about how the fourto-three credit switch will affect you. Whatever the case, in Ukraine, college students who also want to finish their education, graduate and live successful lives, are caught in a life-and-death struggle. Simple tasks that we as college students do every day come with the constant risk of bombardment from air strikes, tanks, artillery, etc.

At the start of the 2023 spring semester, students in the course History of U.S. Foreign Policy participated in a discussion with Dr. Irwin Redlener, Founding Director

of Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) and co-founder, along with his wife Karen Redlener, of the Ukraine Children’s Action Project (UCAP). During this discussion, Dr. Redlener delivered a simple message from Ukrainian college students to their Hope College peers: “Your Ukrainian peers truly want you to be grateful for what you have because it can be gone in an instant,” said Dr. Redlener. “One day they were just like you, going to class, working hard, living life and looking forward to the future. Then the war came, and now, instead of focusing on the future, they just want to survive moment-to-moment”.

The same goes for Ukraine’s high school students. They and their college counterparts envy the United States because of its many opportunities and the durability of

its democracy, but the warning of our Ukrainian peers should not be ignored. Life is full of surprises. Those surprises often come when you least expect them. We all lived through the pandemic. We remember what it was like to not know when we were going back to school. We saw our loved ones die. Therefore, do not get used to moving comfortably through life. Be aware of the circumstances and the people that could transform life as you know it. Pay attention to what is going on in politics and the world. Be mindful of where you get information from and what sources you repost. As people who’ll be future leaders in faith communities, industry, government and society, we cannot afford to remain uninformed about the struggles of our peers in Ukraine, in another state or in our immediate community. Educate yourself about Ukraine. You can make a difference. Donate money and supplies. Help refugees. Send thank you letters to politicians who are supporting aid to Ukraine. Send letters insisting that politicians not supporting Ukraine change their stances. Educate politicians and your peers about the history of the Ukraine-Russian conflict. Help them understand that Ukraine’s fight for its democracy is just one of many global confrontations between freedom and despotism. Educate peers and leaders about what this conflict means for America’s democratic republic. We, the students at Hope College, are also part of “We the People,”

and we have power. It’s time to exercise that power. One of the greatest threats to democracy, at home and abroad, is indifference. Once indifference, or in Ukraine’s case authoritarian aggression, has wrecked a democracy, the price for its restoration far exceeds the cost of what would have been had you acted. Hope College students, we can make a positive difference. Learn! Get involved! Act now!

“Don’t just follow what others have done, but rather pave a unique trajectory that is authentic to yourself.”

Photo by Vitaly Sych

“As people who’ll be future leaders in faith communities, industry, government and society, we cannot afford to remain uninformed about the struggles of our peers”

Photo by Lazartivan

OwenHarries