by Lauren Hines

Katie Winne is helping to tackle cancer.

“Everyone will be touched by cancer in some way in their life. It may be them, a family member or a friend, but they will be touched by cancer,” said Winne, a former Cornerstone resident director.

Winne, 29, earned her master’s degree in leadership and counseling from Crown College in Minnesota.

She worked with incoming freshmen for three years as Crown’s resident life director.

Winne followed God’s calling to Cornerstone University in April 2006. This move was somewhat of a promotion, making Winne not only a resident director, but also the area coordinator in charge of all freshman dorms.

But after the five years of living in a freshman residence hall on top of working as an admissions counselor for two years prior to that, Winne was “ready to leave college world.”

As she was searching for a new job, she just happened to stumble across a position opening with the American Cancer Society on CareerBuilder.com

After a seven-part interview, Winne was hired as manager of the Hope Lodge in Grand Rapids.

The Hope Lodge is a complementary adult residential facility for adults going through cancer treatment who are traveling from outside of the area to get treatment in a Grand Rapids hospital.

“Not having to worry about where to stay or how to pay for lodging allows Hope Lodge guests to focus on the most important thing: getting well,” according to the American Cancer Society Web site.

But more than providing free lodging, the Hope Lodge is a community where cancer patients can meet with and be encouraged by care-givers and others who are going through the same experiences.

Winne knew that her past experience with residence life would be an asset to her as she took her new job.

“I’ve been in the community living arena for seven years. It helped knowing how to manage a building and to interact with people,” she said. “Community gets messy. We all know that, and to have had the experience of managing a community setting really helped.”

Her experience with managing buildings and residence life and applying that to people who were in need of housing while going through cancer is what attracted Winne to her new position.

But despite the blessing it is to people, it’s not always easy.

“Sometimes you see people come in, and they are positive they will beat cancer; and then as the weeks go by you see them decline and look frail,” Winne said. “It’s hard to watch that.”

But the hope it instills in people makes it worth it.

“I always hear that Hope Lodge is a Godsend. People have literally cried in front of me saying that they didn’t know what they would have done without Hope Lodge,” Winne said.

“I had one lady share that she wouldn’t have gotten treatment because she couldn’t afford the drive back and forth to treatment every day until she heard that Hope Lodge was free and available to her.”

In the few months that she’s worked there, Winne said she has learned a lot.

“There is joy in everything. I’ve never experienced such joy in such a hard time,” Winne said. “The people here are so happy to be here to be with others that are going through the same diagnosis. They help each other. It’s amazing to see people from all walks of life rally around each other.”

“I’ve actually always wanted to sing,” Fall said, “but I became overly shy about singing around junior high. I wouldn’t even sing in front of my parents.”

In fact, sometimes she still finds herself insecure in her singing.

“I still struggle with confidence in knowing if … I can sing,” Fall said.

She decided to take voice lessons to improve her singing.

“I had had the desire to take voice lessons for a long time so I could learn how to sing … or sing better since I didn’t even know if I could or not,” Fall said.

So she did.

“I was homeschooled, and decided to start voice lessons as part of my high school credits,” Fall said.

Fall has been taking voice lessons since her freshman year of high school. 

“As far as training, mostly I worked on singing beginner classical pieces, and some contemporary things,” Fall said.

The first piece she worked on was “Only Hope” from the movie “A Walk to Remember.”

“I remember it seeming so high for me, and now I realize it wasn’t high at all,” Fall said.

Her voice teacher at Cornerstone is Kathy Wagner, who has appreciated her diligence as a student.

“Dana is an excellent student who already exhibits the trademarks of a professional musician,” Wagner said.  “I think she will be successful in whatever life adventures come her way.”

Until college, Fall didn’t sing in front of people often.

“Before I came I Cornerstone, I could count the times I had sung publicly on one hand,” Fall said.  “I am proud to say that I’ve lost count of on the number of times I’ve sung publicly.”

Fall said coming to Cornerstone was simply following God’s direction. 

“I knew I wanted to get a music degree from a Christian school,” Fall said.

Fall said one of her favorite things about Cornerstone is the people in the music department.

“I know God directed me to be at a community college for the first two years of my college life, but I wish I had more time than just the two years of getting to know the ‘music family’ here at Cornerstone,” Fall said.  “There are some incredible people here.”

Initially she intended to study music education.

“I chose music education as my major since it was “safer” than a contemporary music degree,” Fall said.

But God had different plans for her.

“[God] really began to press upon my heart the desire to go into contemporary Christian music,”

Fall said.  “I felt him saying to me, ‘Don’t go into something because it’s safe. Are you going to trust me enough to lead your future in a career that is not as stable as music education?’”

Fall decided to trust God and change her major to contemporary Christian music.

“I know that God wanted me to go into contemporary Christian music,” Fall said.  “How he is going to use that, I don’t know, but it’s increasing my faith all the time.”

Fall said she a desire has been growing in her recently to get her master’s and teach in a college setting.

“I have a feeling I’m never going to have one particular job, but be involved in a lot of things from teaching lessons, to songwriting, from working in a church to possibly teaching at a college,” Fall said.

For now, she would like to perform more, “Anywhere from coffee shop gigs to leading worship in church,” Fall said.

One sure performance is her upcoming senior recital on April 18 at 7:30 p.m., beginning with a classical repertoire in Cornerstone’s Gordon Music Building followed by her contemporary performance in the Corum.

As she leaves Cornerstone, Fall will remember one of the biggest lessons she has learned here: the difference between excellence and perfection.

“Saying I’m a singer does not have to mean that I have the best voice,” Fall said.  “What it should mean is that I am using my voice to the best of my ability in order to bring glory to God.”

Brown said she’s been singing for, “as long as I can remember.”

Her family attributed to her passion for music.

“All my sisters are musical in some way,” Brown said. “Whenever we get together, all of us girls, we will get together and sing harmonies and stuff- usually Disney stuff because that’s what we grew up on.”

Growing up, she was involved in music. She joined choir through elementary and middle school.

“I’ve basically been doing [music] ever since,” Brown said.

While at Cornerstone, Brown was a vocal performance major.

“If you’re a vocal performance major, you’re classically trained, studying more opera and art form,” Brown said.

However, initially she didn’t plan on pursuing opera.

“When I first got to college I … thought opera was kind of weird,” Brown said.

As a transfer student, she wasn’t sure what to expect when she got here.

“Dr. Hines was my professor, and he kind of challenged me and let me try some opera areas that were more challenging,” Brown said. “I guess his enthusiasm kind of wore off on me that opera could be pretty cool.”

She also realized that, as she became more interested in theater, that there was still acting involved in opera.

“There’s just as much acting with opera as music theater,” Brown said. “It’s just a different kind. And there’s a lot more singing, which I like, so it kind of worked out.”

She also took part in several musicals at Cornerstone, including Meet Me In St. Louie, The Boyfriend, The Old Maid and Pirates of Penzance.

“I was nominated for a Grand Award in Pirates [of Penzance],” Brown said.

Brown is thankful for the experience she had at Cornerstone.

“The theater work that I did while I was here, and obviously the music work, was very influential in how I became an artist,” Brown said.

Her professors played an important role as well.

“Jennifer Hunter and Randy Burghart were wonderful mentors and teachers and directors,” Brown said. “And they did a lot to shape what kind of actress I have become to this time.”

In 2005, Brown took part in their vocal competition and took third place; the next year, she took first. After graduation, she auditioned for the chorus and was cast in two productions.

“I will probably stay with opera for a while, just because my voice is better suited for opera,” Brown said. “Musical theater is really fun, and I wouldn’t rule it out for the future, but if I wanted to pursue a professional track, my best bet is with opera.”

Someday, she would like to move to New York to pursue a career in opera there.

“I could get a manager and have more opportunities,” Brown said. “I would just like to perform a lot more, as far as a goal goes.”

But she isn’t locked-in to any definite plan.

“I don’t have a final goal of what it means to be successful in the opera role,” Brown said. “That can just increase as God allows.”

When I told my parents that I wanted to study psychology in college, I did not get the reaction I expected. “Just because you like to help people doesn’t mean you have to make it your job,” my mom said. “And where are you going to get a job?” My dad piped in. The idea was quickly shot down, and I regretfully gave it up.

While my parents brought up good points, they neglected to ask me one very important question. They never asked me what I was passionate about. So I hopped from major to major, hoping I would learn to love what I was studying. Obviously, that did not happen. My heart was never truly in any of those subjects.

It took the constant push of a friend and eventually a big shove from God to really get me thinking about it again.

Now, I understand the logic in considering your personality, gifts, talents and values. It would be unwise not to take those things into account.

“You should choose a career where you enjoy the work,” said John Warren, director of career services. “Your passion for it will play a part in that choice. However, you should always consider the many other aspects that go into choosing a career.”

Frederick Buechner is famously quoted saying, “God calls you to the place where the world’s greatest need and a person’s greatest joy meet.” That is talking about passion. God gives each of us a passion and then calls us to use it for His glory.

“I think that following your passions is extremely important when choosing a career,” said Reagan Boomershine, sophomore. “God has given us passions for a reason, and it is our responsibility to be good stewards of the things that God has blessed us with.”

I know my parents, and maybe yours too, have good intentions when they question your future income or job security. But ultimately, you have to follow your passion and where you feel called; God will work out the details. All it takes is a little bit of faith.

Problems relating to snow removal can cause tension on either side. Students may want every inch of the snow and ice cleared, while people on the snow crews may understand well the near impossible nature of clearing everything. Despite the obvious tension and possible misunderstandings, there should be a different way to view snow on campus and how we deal with it.

Parking lot etiquette may be a new term to some people, and this may point to the lack of it. When snow covers the parking lines, it creates a difficult situation for parking. Exercising a thoughtful attitude toward other drivers can enable easier parking.

If the parking lines are not available, do your best to not occupy multiple spaces or leave an extreme amount of room between cars. Do not pull up much farther than you normally would if there was not snow. Use the small islands of trees in the parking lot as a guideline for how far you should pull up.

A positive part of snow removal on campus is the availability of salt. When the snow crew or campus services are too busy on other parts of school, the buckets of salt allow for employees and students to combat the prevalence of ice. Campus services does an excellent job of keeping campus clear and safe with this helpful measure.

With the positive parts of snow removal also comes the negative side. Some students are not always satisfied with the degree of snow and ice left on campus. Senior Josiah Staggers feels snow removal is sometimes lacking on campus.

“I feel like we have to walk through piles of snow,” Staggers said. “Sometimes [snow removal] is not done in a timely manner.” He recognizes when a large storm hits that clearing all the snow can be difficult, and it is sometimes understandable.

Staggers said increasing the size of the crew can help cover all of campus better. He has also heard stories from other students about people slipping on the ice. Concerning the upperclassman apartments such as Babcock or Crawford, Staggers said the parking lot is not being cleared.

Josh Thayer, a sophomore who has been working on Cornerstone’s ground department and snow crew for the past year and a half, said in an e-mail that there usually are not too many complaints.

“When we get complaints, it will usually be the day of the snow storm hitting us,” Thayer said. “Complaints consist of maybe administration calling us to have us get over there early, but honestly [there are not] many complaints.”

When students examine the work of the snow crew, Thayer wants them to understand the workers’ dedication.

“I want people to know that we as a snow crew work extremely hard the morning of the storm. Our crews are filled with dedicated individuals who signed up to get up at 5 a.m. to make sure that the walks are ‘walkable’ for their fellow students,” Thayer said. “We are often gone and done before students are up. I feel that snow crew is often taken for granted.”

Although there can be some disconnect between the desires of students who want more of campus cleared on a timely basis and the actual labor that the snow crew can give, major issues have not surfaced recently. Not everyone is always pleased with the prevalence of snow and ice, but campus services puts in hard work to keep the Cornerstone community safe.

“I’ve always wanted to get on the cover of [Biblical Archaeology Review] since I was a kid …” Wheeler said.  “I didn’t think my goal would come so soon.”

During the fall semester of 2007, Wheeler had the opportunity to study abroad at Jerusalem University College.  While there, she got involved in the Leon Levy Expedition in Ashkelon, Israel.

“My friend told me that the site was rich with artifacts,” Wheeler said.  “I concluded that this site would be perfect for my first archaeological dig.”

Because Ashkelon is just a mere 10 miles north of Gaza, Wheeler said many people, and especially her mom, were concerned for her safety.  Wheeler’s excitement, on the other hand, only fueled from knowing this.

“It gave me an added bonus sense of adventure,” Wheeler said.  “Get the artifacts before the terrorists get ‘em.”

And Wheeler did just that.

Wheeler was on the dig for six weeks, on her hands on knees, looking for treasures from ages past. 

“I found donkey teeth,  a spindle made of ivory, lots of pieces of pottery, the hydria that made it to the cover of BAR, and a head to a figurine,” Wheeler said.

Even after finding all those objects, Wheeler never thought it would get any recognition.

“I signed a waiver before going to the dig that allowed any pictures of me taken by those in charge of the dig to be used for whatever they wanted,” Wheeler said.  “When the pictures were taken people mentioned that it could make it to BAR magazine, but even then I figured it wouldn’t happen to me.”

But it did.

“I found out from some of the friends I made who attend Wheaton and who participated in the excavation,” Wheeler said. “They told me through Facebook, and I didn’t believe them at all. I figured they were playing a joke on me.”

Wheeler’s picture with the hydria, an ancient artifact used for serving liquids, was entered into a contest for being on the cover of BAR. 

“I campaigned for myself shamelessly on Facebook, and my friends and family from Hawaii to Iraq voted for me,” Wheeler said.

While Wheeler’s dream of making the cover of BAR has come true, she isn’t stopping there.  She plans to attend Wheaton College for graduate school and eventually become an archaeologist.

“My new future goal is that I would like to get into the magazine again by writing an article or finding something that really impacts the archeology and Bible community.”

Mollhagen is back in the states on a short furlough and looking for more support for the children’s home.

The orphanage has many needs.  Currently, OAFA is seeking to purchasing land in which to build an orphanage.  Until now, OAFA has rented buildings in which to house the children. 

Unlike previous years, Mollhagen pushed the need for a partnership between OAFA and Cornerstone.

“This can be like another arm for Cornerstone,” Mollhagen said.  “We want a partnership so they can come teach us.  A one-time thing is not going to cut it.  We want to hold hands together in the knowledge of Christ.”

“Thomas has a heart for Cornerstone and knows the climate here,” said Erin Jewell, senior.  “By just knowing people from Cornerstone, and seeing the character that people possess, that’s why he wants involvement so much.”

“Basically, we are supported by [Cornerstone] students,” Mollhagen said. “We’d like to see Administration get involved.”

Gerald Longjohn, director of ministry development, said he is interested in working with OAFA.

“We are so excited about what Thomas is doing, and we’d love to look at India as a place of partnership for cornerstone,” Longjohn said.

But the partnership is in the “early stages.”

“It has potential,” Longjohn said. “We’d love to continue looking at how we can partner with OAFA… It’s a little early to tell, but I certainly love the entrepreneurial nature of what Thomas is doing.”

Many of the children at OAFA have been molested and experienced abuse both physically and verbally.

“If we can have social workers, we want them to come,” Mollhagen said.

Mollhagen also hopes education majors can come teach the children English.

“The kids need to know English to be successful,” Mollhagen said.

Beyond that, Mollhagen is working to make the orphanage sustainable.

“Our goal is to buy land and build farms that sustain and support it,” Mollhagen said.

According to Mollhagen, “Crossroads Bible Church promised three acres of land,” in which to build housing for the children.

Jewell is passionate about Mollhagen’s mission because of its natural, spirit led beginning.

“It was completely grassroots,” Jewell said.  “That’s why I love it … and I’m sure to that community, that someone of their same ethnicity who left and came back from ‘prosperous America’ is back and helping his own [is huge].  Any ministry class you go in, they always say that the people have the most impact are those who are one of their own.  And that’s what Thomas is doing.  So it’s great.”

While the needs for OAFA are great, everyone can help somehow, whether by going on a trip to India and getting their hands dirty, or by opening their wallets and giving a donation.”

“A chicken costs $2,” Mollhagen said.  “A lot of people can give $2.”

Why? Why do we love music so much? Why do some people walk around with their headphones in all the time? Why have we gotten to the point where music pervades countless aspects of our everyday life?

I have a guess.

Music gets us. It doesn’t ask questions. It doesn’t judge us. It lets us be honest. Take these lyrics from “Beauty from Pain” by Superchick for example. “My whole world is the pain inside me.  The best I can do is just get through the day.” That is gut-level honesty. I daresay that without putting music to those words, no one would say them, at least to anyone else.

Sometimes our emotions are so strong that we don’t know what to say. Music is the canvas on which those feelings are painted.

“Music is inherently emotional,” said Reagan Boomershine, sophomore.

She is right. There is something about the art of stringing words together with a tune that touches people in a way nothing else can. There have been times when I’ve been driving and listening to a song that hits me so hard I have to pull the car over and catch my breath.

Music is also strongly tied to our memories. I’m sure most of you hear songs or entire CDs that will remind you of a specific time in your life. For me, whenever I hear the song “Flat on the Floor” by Carrie Underwood, I can’t help but get a dorky smile on my face because that was the first song I heard her sing in concert. It brings back a feeling of unparalleled excitement.

Beyond that, music can be a spiritual experience.

“Music, for me, is one of the ways I connect with God,” said Jeanette Banashak, instructor in youth ministry. “There’s something about the rhythm and lyrics that help connect my head and heart. Sometimes it’s hard to describe what it does for me because music does something to me that’s indescribable, you know?”

I think Banashak hit the nail on the head. Music is indescribable. It has a profound effect on people unlike anything else. It is a gift. So, maybe the next time you’re singing along with the radio, you’ll appreciate it a little more.

With the various reasons for departure, Admissions found itself three counselors short.  Thankfully, those roles were quickly filled with people who are passionate about working with high school students and growing the Cornerstone community.

Kaleb Klotz joins the Admissions team after working in various psychiatric organizations, such as Pine Rest Christian Mental Health.

“I worked on a variety of different inpatient units on the hospital, ranging from the child and adolescent unit to an older, adult unit,” Klotz said.

From there, Klotz found a similar job, with more reliable hours, at St. Mary’s Hospital in their Psychiatric Medical Unit.

But Klotz was not content there.

“It was a stressful job and not what I wanted to continue pursuing for a vocation,” Klotz said.

Reflecting on what he liked to do, Klotz realized that he loved working with high school students.  Initially he began searching for a job in youth ministry.  However, he heard that Cornerstone was hiring admissions counselors.

A Cornerstone graduate himself, Klotz decided to apply.

“I was very excited from the get go since I knew what a great place this was to be at,” Klotz said.

Upon his hiring, Klotz says he is looking forward to growing the West Michigan area that he has been put in charge of.  In order to accomplish this, Klotz is seeking to create relationships with youth pastors to “tell them about who Cornerstone University is and what our mission is as we educate students,” Klotz said.

Also new to Admissions this year is Christina Prince.  Prince graduated from Cornerstone in 2007 with a degree in Family Studies and Communications.

After she graduated from Cornerstone, Prince spent a year working at Holland Pediatrics. 

“It was a difficult and challenging year, but I grew tremendously from it,” Prince said.  “God used that time to further shape me and help me discern my passions.  It was a year of waiting and listening.”

And God not only showed Prince where her passions were, but he also provided her with a career in following them.

“With this job, I am able to speak into their lives,” Prince said.  “It’s so fun to connect with them and see the excitement and apprehension they have about a new season in their lives.”

Prince loves every aspect of her job.

“The variety in this new role is great because I love traveling and doing different things every day,” Prince said.  “The Admissions team is absolutely wonderful.  It’s the type of working environment that you wake up and want to go to work.”

Brett Buckingham, a Grand Rapids native, graduated from Cedarville University in 2002.

After he graduated, Buckingham worked at St. John’s Home in Grand Rapids, which is “a home for abused and neglected children,” Buckingham said.

“I worked in both the Emergency Shelter, where kids are directly removed from their abusive and neglectful homes, as well as being the House Manager for a longer term residential home for 6-12 year old boys,” Buckingham said.

Even though he loved the job, Buckingham says it was trying and difficult.

After enjoying working as a Student Assistant in college, and desiring a career change, Buckingham decided to pursue a career as an Admissions Counselor.

“I figured it would be a logical step to enjoy it as an actual Admissions Counselor,” Buckingham said.

And Buckingham is looking forward to the new season at Cornerstone.

“I think that there are a lot of exciting things happening at CU with Dr. Stowell as president, and the growth that I have seen at Cornerstone over the years.”

Buckingham looks forward to meeting new students and seeing the Admissions process through their eyes, so as to better serve them.

So despite the sadness that followed the counselors who are no longer part of the Admissions team, the staff looks forward working with the new members who are certain to continue providing excellent care for future Cornerstone students.

Obama received 349 of the 512 electoral votes, leaving McCain with only 163.  However, the election didn’t always look like a sure-fire win for either side.  In fact, this election was one of the most controversial the United States has seen in decades, especially on Cornerstone’s campus.

Many students voiced their opinion in classes, conversations in the Corum and even on the “Corner Stone.”  Now, with the polls closed and the winner announced, the debate has changed from ‘who will win’ to ‘was the right man chosen.’

“It will be interesting to see what happens,” said Laurie McLaughlin, senior.  “I hope the change that is promised is a good one.”

Many students are confident that Obama will follow through on his commitments and are looking forward to the changes that will result.

“I’m looking forward to the beginning of the pendulum swinging back the other way from the Republican [dominance] that America has been in the past,” said Jon Shotwell, senior.

Also, now the House and the Senate are democratically dominant.  Shotwell looks forward to the change that will bring as well, specifically in the area of poverty.

“I think that having the majority of Democrats [in the House and the Senate], it will shrink the poverty gap between the rich and poor,” Shotwell said.  “When Republicans are dominating the House and the Senate, the poverty gap increases; when Democrats are running the show, poverty decreases.”

Ryan Kielbasa, former Cornerstone student, was able to attend the rally for Obama in Chicago on Tuesday.  He said being there was “almost unreal.”

“You could feel in the air that something amazing had just happened,” Kielbasa said.  “I saw people of different minorities; they had hope in their eyes.  It’s clear to them that he symbolized just how far we’ve come in our country.”

On the other end of the spectrum, some of the students who voted for McCain are worried about what the next four years will bring.

“I don’t know how a senator with no experience who spent a good portion of his life not in the U.S. is going to help our country,” said Ashley DeWitt, junior.

Other students question what will happen to the moral structure of the country.

“The majority of politicians who were elected seem to lean in the opposite direction of my moral code,” said Lauren Root, sophomore.  “I’m just afraid of certain things I believe this country was founded on being completely ripped from us.”

Regardless of if we are satisfied with our new president, we must come together and truly remain the “United” States of America.

In his CUBE posting, President Stowell addressed this issue.

“For all of us, he is our president, and as such, it is time to put our own preferences behind us and to rally in support of our country’s choice,” Stowell said.

Lau, a first year student at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary pursuing a masters in divinity created an art exhibit in Kalamazoo that ran for a month last April at the Henderson Castle.

In January of 2007, Lau attended Urbana, a missions conference drawing 20 thousand students from all over the world.  One of the main issues at the conference was the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

“God put it on my heart and gave me a burden for that,” Lau said.

Despite her desire to help, she was unsure how she could help.  As an artist, she didn’t feel as though she had anything to offer.

“I thought, ‘God, this is a big issue, and I don’t know what I can do.  I’m just an artist,’” Lau said.

But God had a plan.

“The Lord gave me this vision to create an art exhibit that would raise awareness,” Lau said.

However, after Urbana, Lau says that she “put that vision aside for a while.”  Even though she thought it was a great idea, she didn’t believe that it would work.  For a year, she did not act upon her vision.  Then God gave her a little push.

“I was at Western Michigan University where I did my undergraduate as an art major,” Lau said.  “And halfway through the year I felt like God was saying, ‘You know, Bette, I gave you this vision a year ago, and now I want you to act on it.”

But still, Lau had doubts.

“I had a pretty full plate, and my response was kind of luck, ‘Uh, God, really?’” Lau said.

After much time in prayer, Lau felt God leading her to talk to different art classes and see if any would be interested in creating pieces for an art show.

“I remember praying before going into one of the classes,” Lau said.  “I was saying, ‘God, if no one signs up to create a piece, can I just drop it?’”

God gave her an answer.

“To my surprise, the first class I went to, everyone signed up,” Lau said.

In total, 40 students signed up to create artwork for the show.

Students weren’t the only people who got involved.  Dave Biskie, arts and training coordinator for Inter Varsity Christian fellowship at Western Michigan University quickly joined ranks with Lau.

“When Bette told me the vision God had given her for the exhibit, it was clear she thought she had heard from God,” Biskie said.

Biskie had a duel role in helping Lau.

“Mostly it was encouraging her and supporting her,” Biskie said.  “The other half was helping her see how it could be more than just her event, and making that happen.  The question I was trying to help her think through on this was ‘what can this event lead into?  What is the next step?’”

For Lau, the whole process was about trusting God to provide.

“There was no way I could do it with everything going on in my life,” Lau said.

When Lau began to feel overwhelmed with all the work creating an exhibit required, she began to pray that he would provide people to help.

“I had students get in touch with me saying they thought it was cool and wanted to help,” Lau said.  “It was amazing because these students weren’t Christians, but they were helping.”

Another need that Lau brought to God was a venue to hold the exhibit in.  Right about this time, Lau’s parents were staying at Henderson Castle, a bed and breakfast in Kalamazoo.  After conversing with the owner, they learned that she frequently held exhibits in the bed and breakfast and was looking for one about a social issue.  And when Lau contacted her regarding the exhibit, she eagerly agreed to providing the venue.

Eventually, all the details were put in place and the exhibit was ready to open. 

“Four hundred people ended up coming,” Lau said.  “The place was packed.”

Biskie said he was surprised by the outcome.

“I think part of it was that it was so obvious that God was part of this every step of the way,” Biskie said.

Not only did the exhibit raise awareness, over $2,000 was raised in a silent auction and sent to World Vision.

“What’s amazing is that now that the show is over, God is still working,” Lau said.

The artists who submitted pieces saw how their gifts could help others.  And they learned to work together, rather than focus on making a name for themselves. 

“Most of these artists weren’t Christians.  But in a way they were kind of acting like Jesus,” Biskie said.  “For a lot of artists, I think it was maybe the first time they were sacrificial with their art.”

Also, a friend of Lau was inspired to create a similar art show, which will be at Hope College for two weeks, starting Oct 24.

And not only was the exhibit a way to help AIDS victims, it was a ministry tool for the city of Kalamazoo and those who attended the art show.

“The non-Christian world in Kalamazoo really vibed with what Bette was doing, and was really intrigued by this call to help people across the world.  It made Christianity very attractive,” Biskie said.  “People know what Jesus is supposed to look like, and they don’t always see that in Christians.  Through this event they see ‘this is what Jesus is supposed to look like.’”

But the biggest lesson that Lau learned was “faithful obedience.”

“I think that more and more it has given me a vision for what God can do when he calls us,” Lau said.  “He just requires us to be faithful.”

“The Associates Human Services degree is designed for people who desire to work in a not-for-profit or human services field,” said Linda Haveman, director of education programs at PGS.

The program was added because “based on feedback from students, faculty and a community focus group, PGS identified the need to offer an associate’s program which integrates human services helping skills development, leadership development and practical experiences,” Haveman said.

The target market for the program is career and goal-oriented professionals with a high school diploma and experience in a related field.

In order for student to be accepted into the program, there are several requirements.  Some of these include two years of full-time work experience since high school and 20 hours of transferable, college-level credit from an accredited college or university.

According to the proposal submitted to the Academic Council, the Human Services program will provide “substantial practical and experiential learning accomplished through interaction with local human service organizations,” the document stated

Furthermore, students are placed in groups of three to five other class members, which are similar to those that would be found in the work place.  These groups meet outside of the scheduled class time for projects and to share, as the catalog says, “learning resources.”

The human services program is “a 62 credit hour undergraduate program designed to teach students how to meet human needs through an interdisciplinary knowledge base, focusing on prevention as well as remediation of problems, and maintaining  a commitment to improving the overall quality of life of service populations.”

It is important that students are equipped with core helping skills.  Some of these include interviewing, conducting groups, implementing treatment plans, problem solving and advocating for clients.

The program also has several learning objectives.  By the time a student graduates, he or she should have obtained the basic helping skills for a career in human services.  It is also vital for the student to develop communication and problem solving skills to be an effective leader and facilitator.  Students develop their Christian worldview in order to learn effective leadership principles as well as ethical decision making.  Finally, the student will learn “sensitivity and [the] ability to work effectively with diverse needs and populations,” the proposal stated.

“An Associate’s degree in human services will help prepare the graduate for entry-level positions in many helping professions,” said Leslie Iverson, enrollment counselor at PGS.

Some of these professions include youth workers, alcohol counselors, child advocates, family support workers, life skills instructors, and more.

Currently, the only venue for finding information about the new program is on the PGS Web Site.  However, Haveman said there will soon be marketing pieces to help promote the program.

While there are only a few inquiries for the new program, PGS looks forward to the future of human services and is confident that it will be a success.

What do you get when you combine the brains of a technical engineer and a creative business woman?  According to Brad Porter, 2008 Cornerstone University graduate, you get a media-savvy son.

When he was just a teenager, Porter began working with media. 

“I’d make James Bond movies with my dad’s camera,” Porter said. 

But he didn’t take it seriously until high school.

“It really picked up the summer going into my junior year of high school,” Porter said.

Porter attended Compass Arts Film Academy.  While studying there, Porter met Dave Anderson, associate professor of media studies.  The two developed a close relationship.

“When it came time to pick a college, I asked Dave what he recommended,” Porter said.  “He said Cornerstone.”

At Cornerstone, Porter’s passion for film continued to grow.  And his biggest inspiration was “the people here.”

“Since the department was so new and changing, everyone was open,” Porter said.  “And since it was small enough, everyone knew each other.  So professors can have a huge impact on you outside of the classroom.  That’s where all the learning happens anyway.”

While Porter’s education in all aspects of media has made him capable of working in many areas of media, he specializes in directing and shooting.  He is passionate about telling stories in a visual and effect way.

“I can’t think of a better way to connect with an audience,” Porter said.

According to Porter, creating films is the “best way to communicate a message.” 

And unfortunately, Christian films have a notorious bed reputation for low quality films.

“We have this message we are trying to communicate- the love of Christ- and I can’t think of a better way to communicate that than a story form,” Porter said.

Even though Porter graduated last spring, his face is still frequently seen on campus.  He was recently hired to help run CAMS.

Porter says the transition was smooth, but “odd at first.”  Previously, Porter’s relationship with the media faculty had been student and professor, rather than employer and employee.

“The curtain kind of drew back and I saw the gears of how this operation runs, which got me even more passionate about what’s happening here,” Porter said.

And now, Porter can help “alleviate some pressure,” in the media department.

“I can step in and help teach a class when someone needs to do something else,” Porter said.  “I can help students rather than Pete [Muir] having to do it.”

Pete Muir, assistant professor of media, agrees.

“Teaching, plus running CAMS has been pretty demanding on my time,” Muir said.  “So having Brad on staff will allow us to up our quality of service in CAMS and allow me to spend a little more time specializing in my area of post-production …”

And Muir doesn’t take Porter’s skills for granted.

 “[Brad] is an extremely talented film maker with an amazing future ahead,” Muir said.  “I’m pretty honored that he decided to stay for a while when he could have probably walked into a Hollywood internship or job.”

In fact, Porter had initially considered moving to Los Angeles to start his career.

“The way the business works is that you climb the ranks,” Porter said.  “So I wanted to go out there and get more hands-on experience.  LA has a lot more working opportunities …”

However, when the offer was made in March for Porter to stay, he chose to take it.  And since he is only on a one-year contract, Porter says once his contract is up, he will “re-evaluate.”

So while Porter doesn’t know with certainty where his career is headed, he is sure of one thing: he will continue to pursue his passion of telling stories.

“As soon as there’s a better way to [tell stories], I’ll do that,” Porter said.

When Joe Stowell took his role as president, he was eager to look for changes to improve the school.  One such change was extending students’ summer break until after Labor Day.  So a task force was assembled of various faculty members, division chairs, cabinet members and a representative from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary to make it become a feasible reality. 

This committee met several times with various departments on campus, including Spiritual Formation, faculty groups, division chairs, enrollment management and campus services in order to work through various issues until a workable schedule was established.

According to Timothy Detwiler, associate provost for traditional programming, there were several reasons the later start was desired.

“This will allow students to work longer in the summer,” Detwiler said. 

This past year, incoming freshman arrived on August 9 for Leadership Journey.  For student leaders, such as resident assistants, it was August 2, “which is way too early,” Detwiler said.

In order for the later start to work, a few changes had to be implemented.  Classes that meet on Monday, Wednesday and Friday will now be a full hour, rather than 50 minutes.  Similarly, classes on Tuesday and Thursday will meet for an hour and a half, rather than an hour and 15 minutes.  Furthermore, the times that classes meet will change as well, with Monday, Wednesday, Friday classes starting at 7:40 am and Tuesday, Thursday classes starting at 8:20 am.

Brent Rudin, associate vice president for university communications, doesn’t think that this will prove to be an issue with students.

“I don’t know that adding 10 minutes to a class will be horrible,” said Rudin.  “It will just take some getting used to.”

Another change is that Christmas break will be a week shorter than it has been in the past.  And Rudin thinks that students will actually prefer this.

“We have found that students who don’t do J-term are ready to come back before classes begin,” Rudin said.

However, these, essentially, will be the only changes due to the post Labor Day start.  More importantly than the changes, there were several key features of the current calendar that the task force was adamant about maintaining.

“We wanted to protect fall break,” said Detwiler.  In addition, the committee wanted to keep the “three-day Thanksgiving break.”

It was also important that the seat minutes for students were not affected.

“For every hour a student gets credit, they have to be in their seat in class for a certain amount of time,” said Detwiler.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle for the task force to overcome was the classroom utilization needs.  The schedule had to ensure that there were enough classrooms where classes could be held.

“It’s a huge puzzle piece to put together,” said Rudin.

It was also important that extra pressure was not added to administration offices.  Rudin said that offices such as financial aid has “specific deadlines” they have to meet, and the new schedule could not interfere with those.

Also, according to Detwiler there were “Cornerstone University variables that were unique” to making the schedule work, mainly the Leadership Journey program.

“We find [Leadership Journey] to be a very important part of a freshman’s experience,” Detwiler said. 

With the new scheduled start of classes, the Leadership Journey program allows freshman to maintain nearly the entire month of August for their summer break before arriving on campus.

And Cornerstone isn’t the only school implementing the later start.

“The governor, maybe two years ago said ‘all public schools are going to start after Labor Day,’” said Rudin.  “We’re following suit now.”

“[Reagan] would definitely be like South Dakota,” sophomore Rebekah McNay said.  “Because you’re like, ‘Who would go there?’ and then you find out, ‘Oh, what a beautiful place!’”

When Boomershine, sophomore, was barely in her teen years, she discovered her singing voice.  Since then, she has pursued her undeniable talent and passion for music.

In high school, Boomershine took voice lessons.

“[My voice teacher] helped me to be more comfortable as a performer,” Boomershine said.  “A lot of it was helping me stage presence-wise.”

Boomershine competed.  Her first competition was Voice of Choice.

 “It was kind of like American Idol,” said Boomershine, who won it two years in a row.

As her voice continued to mature and she excelled in competitions, Boomershine hoped she would do well enough to steer clear of college.

“I really didn’t want to go to school, so I was doing all the competitions I could,” Boomershine said.

The summer after her senior year of high school, Boomershine traveled to Colorado for a competition called Music in the Rockies.  It was this competition that “leads to the rest of my life,” Boomershine said.

“I was the highest score that didn’t get into the top finalists,” Boomershine said.  “I was ticked, and didn’t know why God brought me there.”

But she didn’t give up.  Boomershine decided to take advantage of the workshops offered to the contestants, and met with David Bunker.  Bunker is known as a “middle man” who helps artists connect with writers and producers.

But during the time when Boomershine was scheduled to meet with him, Boomershine forgot her mix tape.  She didn’t let that stop her, however, and so she chose to use the time and sing for him in person.

Bunker was so impressed he gave her an e-mail address to get in touch with Dave Mullen, a Christian producer and songwriter.

Back at home, Boomershine’s parents insisted she go to college.  This led her to Cornerstone.  She didn’t like it initially, but sees now that it was a vital part of her growth.

“My parents forced me to come, but I choose to stay,” Boomershine said.

 “[In high school] I was a good girl, but my heart wasn’t for Jesus,” Boomershine said.  “I came to [Cornerstone] and had to learn to have faith … I was challenged to love God.”

Over the course of her first semester, Boomershine developed strong relationships with the women in her section.  These women have provided a great support group for her which Boomershine said has been one of the most encouraging aspects of Cornerstone.

“Having God-centered relationships is a big difference,” she said.

In January, Boomershine traveled to Nashville, Tenn. to meet with producer Dave Mullen.  Mullen, who has worked with artists such as Nicole C. Mullen, Joy Williams and Jaci Valesquez, agreed to work with Boomershine on producing and writing for her first album. 

“God absolutely worked through every detail of it,” she said.  “If I hadn’t gone to Cornerstone and gotten faith in the first place, it would have never gone that way,” she said.  “I had to lose those other competitions and go to Cornerstone and then go to Nashville, otherwise I wouldn’t have been ready.”

Once back at school, Boomershine auditioned for the musical “Little Women” and was cast in the lead role, despite the fact that she had no previous theater experience at Cornerstone.

“This role was about proving myself,” Boomershine said, “and I wanted to prove myself legitimate.”

Just like her character Jo in “Little Women,” Boomershine believes she’s meant to do something with her life.  She has a deep passion for leading worship with her peers.  This year, Boomershine has been given the opportunity to lead a chapel worship team. 

Even though she isn’t completely sure of what the future holds for her, she knows it will involve music.

“I desire to bring people to the Lord,” said Boomershine.  “And I think that since God has gifted me in music and given everyone else the gift of emotion and love for music, then I should be bringing something to the table.”

After having gone to Israel two times previously, Kristopher Rolls, sophomore, felt led to live in the Israeli culture for just over two months.  Initially, he was attracted to Israel because of passion for history and historical context.  On those first two trips, he became increasingly aware and interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

While he was there, he worked with an organization called Paidia.  According to their Web site, Paidia exists “to engage individuals, especially youths, in recreational education, empowering them to transform themselves, their communities and their environments.”

Coincidentally, Rolls’ father serves as the president on the board of directors.  Paidia, like Rolls, understands that the youths of today are the leaders of tomorrow.  And with 43 percent of the population being under 18, and 70 percent being under the age of 21, they are a large group to reach.  The boredom the teens face often leads them to violence.  So from his own research and conversations with his father, he knew that he should spend his summer investing in the lives of Palestinian children.

 “Paidia is a Greek word that Plato would use to talk about children and how they learn,” Rolls said.  “It’s best for children to learn through experience and activity.”

Paidia said that they “mobilize groups of children and young adults to help the relief development effort within their own community.”  It allows the young people to “cultivate leadership and business skills for the future development of their community.”

While Rolls was there, he worked with Palestinian children on climbing tours, and various high and low rope courses.

“We ran a summer camp with initiatives that taught [Palestinian children] problem solving skills, leadership skills, and peace-making skills,” Rolls said.  “The camp provided a fundamental outlet for the kids.”

But the kids aren’t the only ones who learned and grew this summer.  Between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Rolls was dedicated to investing in the lives of the children.  After that, he was focused on his personal relationship with Christ.

“A thing I really took away from [my experience in Israel] was just my need for God,” Rolls said.

Most days, after working at the camp, Rolls would pack up his things, hike into the desert, and spend hours alone with God, praying and reading the Bible.

One the way to Israel, Rolls read The Rule of Benedict, a book about living a monastic life.  From that, he made a commitment to live as closely to a monastic lifestyle as possible.

 “I’ve been going through a stint of emptying myself,” Rolls said, “because I realize the more I fill myself with God and his law, the happier I am as a person.”

Carrying this over now that he is back in the States, he has taken on a sort of “Nazarite vow.”   As a form of long-term fasting, he is eating strictly kosher.

Kyle Juresich, sophomore and close friend with Rolls, said he has noticed a difference in Rolls since he has returned.

“Kris is the kind of guy who, without meaning to, will inspire the crap out of you,” Juresich said.  “even if he starts the sentence with the word ‘dude’.”

Beyond growing in his spiritual walk, he was refreshed by the culture.  Rolls explained that Israeli is “untainted with Western culture.”

“Israeli hospitality is awesome,” Rolls said.

He explained that they have no concept or concern for time.

“I couldn’t go to the market without scheduling like two to three hours because people would want me to talk to them, or come into their home and have a drink,” Rolls said.

The root of Arab culture believes in the Bedouin law, which requires people will take in strangers into their homes for up to three days, protecting them unquestioningly, to the point of death.

Because of the deep impact that his time in Israel had on his life, it was hard for him to leave.

“If I didn’t have to finish school, I’d still be there,” Rolls said.

“This is just part of our proactive approach to campus safety that has been going on for well over 5 years,” said Richard Honholt, director of campus safety.

Many faculty and students volunteered to put Mock Disaster together. One of these students was sophomore Ashley DeWitt.

“In high school I was part of Students Against Destructive Decisions, and I was part of a committee that organized a mock car crash for the student body,” said DeWitt. “It hit home with a lot of the students and I just remember feeling like we had really done something to make people think twice. I wanted to be part of that again.”

The process that went into the mock disaster, which started last August, included a total revamping and redesign of Campus Safety’s emergency response plan.  In its beginning, Honholt and his team planned to have 15 or 16 “disasters.”  However, only two that were “most applicable to today’s times” were chosen to be carried out.

The first situation that was dealt with was a chemical spill.  A disgruntled student in Daverman Hall took two potentially hazardous chemicals from an unlocked cupboard in one of the science classrooms.  He then proceeded to go into another classroom, full of students, and smash the bottles on the ground.  Some victims were fatally wounded, whereas others only had minor injuries or were walking around in shock.

In the next “disaster,” there was a shooting.  A student got a hold of keys to a storage room, and took a ladder.  He climbed up to the roof of Bolthouse and began to fire a semi-automatic weapon as students headed between classrooms.

After the exercises were conducted, there was a time to debrief what had occurred.

“We have to remember that the purpose is to learn our strengths and weaknesses,” said Honholt.  “Like everyone else, we have them.”

Many other colleges in the area, such as Aquinas and Calvin, had their own campus safety members present to watch the events unfold.  In addition, Channel 3 News, Wood TV 8, WZZM 13, and The Grand Rapids Press each had reporters on the scene.

Honholt believes that, because of the world we live in today, it is important to have exercises, such as the Mock Disaster in order to be prepared for potentially hazardous situations.

“Twenty years ago, I don’t think anyone thought that sending their children or themselves to school could possibly be their last day on earth due to catastrophic events.  That’s what this is all about.”

Joseph Stowell, president, agreed.

“If we are aware of what a serious event like a real disaster can be on our campus, in terms of the precious lives of our students, faculty and staff, we cannot be too well prepared,” said Stowell.  “I applaud the efforts of the security team to ready themselves to be ready if our lives and well-being are threatened.”

Through the exercise and the debriefing, Honholt said they found out that their system works well.

“The winner [in this situation] is the students, guests, staff, faculty and campus as a whole,” said Honholt. “We’re doing everything we can to use the gifts God gave us to make a better, safer place.”

“I was always entertaining and doing voices or stupid stuff,” said Niemchick.

Even when he was in elementary school plays, he was always dubbed “the goofball.” And when he was asked to read aloud in class, his peers looked forward to hearing the funny voices he would make up for the characters.

Since then, Derek has taken his talent for making people laugh to a new level. Just this year, he has started doing stand-up comedy at various venues.

“I’ve always been telling jokes and being a goofball, but I finally took it to the stage,” Niemchick said.

One night, while at The B.O.B., he heard comedian Emo Phillips perform.  After the show, Niemchick was able to talk to him and received a piece of advice he says he will never forget.

“If you do [stand-up], don’t use profanity,” said Phillips. “If you do, they’ll be laughing at the words, not at you. So don’t do it.”

With this advice in mind, Niemchick decided to talk to the emcee after the show about how he could get involved. After being put on the soonest date available, Niemchick began to run through materials with family and friends to see if it was “crowd worthy.”

Even though he had never done stand-up comedy before, he said that he was not nervous.

“I’ve never had stage fright, or problems in front of large crowds,” Niemchick said.

After a successful first performance, Niemchick was asked to return for another performance. While this performance was not as good as his first, he did not let that stop him.

“I told myself, ‘50 percent [of the crowd] will be drunk by the time they leave, so they won’t remember me,’” said Niemchick. There are the loyalists who are there every week, but only five or 10 who might remember [you]. You have a new palette every time you go.”

Finding assurance in that, he began to prepare for a third show, which Niemchick said “was one of the best nights.”

Since then, Niemchick has done four other shows at The B.O.B., as well as shows at several churches, at The Laughing Club in Kalamazoo, Schuler Books, and for the Haiti Benefit on campus.

But despite his talent in comedy, his real passion is acting.

“Even if I’m just hanging out with friends, and any time I do a joke, I’m usually imitating someone.”

This has proven to be an aspect of the freshman that his fellow residents of Van Osdel Hall have truly appreciated.

“There have been days where I have been down, and his humor has made my day a lot better,” said Kyle Szucs, freshman. “It is really cool to have someone in our hall who can do that for me, who can take a really crummy day and turn it into something better.”

Unfortunately for his friends, next year Niemchick will not be returning to Cornerstone. Instead, he will most likely be transferring to the New York Film Academy or the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. At either of these schools, he would like to get his bachelor’s in acting or possibly communications. However, at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, he would have to be invited back for a second year, depending on how well he does his first year.

But if attending those schools does not work out, Niemchick still has plans.

“In about a month, I’m starring in a movie that’s being made right here in Grand Rapids,” Niemchick said.

The film is being submitted to several film festivals, including the San Antonio Film Festival, where the winner receives $100,000.

While much of Niemchick’s future is still unknown, anyone who knows him is certain that he is on the road to glorious fame.

The first weekend of Road Trip, Feb. 29-Mar. 2, hosted a single youth group from Evart, Mich.  After the instant popularity that weekend, it was not surprising that it grew in attendance.  When the second weekend for Road Trip rolled around, in the last weekend of March, six different youth groups signed up, bringing 32 more high school students to Cornerstone.

“We set a goal to host 30 students over the course of the two weekends, and God blessed us with a total of 48,” said Darci Irwin, hospitality coordinator.

While the high school students were here they not only got a dose of what it’s like to be a student at Cornerstone by eating meals in the cafeteria and sleeping in the residence halls, but also were able to experience the larger Grand Rapids community.

“Our guests outwardly want to know what it would be like to live and learn at Cornerstone, but we anticipated that they were subconsciously asking themselves ‘what would it be like to live in Grand Rapids,’” said Jon Shotwell, junior and Program Assistant on the Hospitality Team.  “Students were able to go beyond the streets that border the university to experience how this institution affects the greater Grand Rapids community.

Irwin explained that Admissions had desired to form a new way to connect with churches.  Road Trip was the answer.  And she said that seeing Road Trip unfold and the excitement of the youth groups that participated meant that “the dream had become a reality.” 

“There were so many moments during Road Trip where I sat back, and with a contented, blessed grin, observed all that was going on,” said Irwin.  “Youth groups were on campus.  They were connecting with current students, and they were having a blast.”

“From a recruitment standpoint, this is a great new addition to one way that a student might get to know and explore Cornerstone,” said Dana Nixon, associate director of admissions.  “We’ve found a creative way to connect with their youth groups and youth pastors which, in turn, should lead them to consider Cornerstone when they are making their college decision.”

With the success of the first year of Road Trip under their belts, the hospitality team is already looking forward to more Road Trips in the future.  Laine Comegys, sophomore, and next year’s program assistant for the hospitality team will be in charge of Road Trip, and is excited about taking it “to the next level.”

“I want them to see more of the city and other places that Grand Rapids offers,” said Comegys.  “I want them to experience what the students of CU are experiencing now.”

If Irwin has it her way, this will become an annual tradition for youth groups across the nation. 

“I believe this can become the type of ministry that will outlive me and bless hundreds of youth groups to come,” said Irwin.  “I envision our community linking arms to provide the best possible weekend for the students.”

It can be hard for commuters to connect with other students on campus — even other commuters. Commuter Assistants have worked hard in order to create opportunities for commuting students to get involved. One of these such activities was the pool tournament held March 26-28.

“This event got many different people involved and attempted to expand the community of the pool area,” said David Mann, a sophomore who took part in the tournament.

Jonathon Houskamp, sophomore and also a competitor, agreed.

“I played a couple of games against people I didn’t know, so it helped me get to know a few more people.”

The tournament boasted 20 students, most of whom were commuters, but several of which were not. On Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, the first rounds were played. Participants were given an opponent and had to set up a time to play a series of three games.

Then, on Friday, the winners from the first rounds played. To get to the final four, participants had to play for the best out of five games. When it was down to the final two, the championship was played in a best out of seven game series.

Houskamp won the tournament, receiving a $25 check as his prize. Houskamp admitted that the only reason he joined was because his friends were, and has only recently become a frequent pool player.

“It was exciting to win,” said Houskamp, “even though the people I played at the end are normally better than me, and everyone expected them to win.”

But people did not have to be good pool players, or even in the tournament to get involved and have fun.  Many people, after being eliminated from the competition stuck around to watch.

“Some stayed, and some left,” said Donny Irving, commuter assistant. “It was about half and half.”

One reason many students stayed was because of the bracket challenge Irving put together. While competitors played, others were attempting to predict who would win the round.

“A lot of students who didn’t play watched just to see if their brackets were predicted right,” said Irving.

And the winner of the tournament was not the only one to get a prize.

“Whoever predicted the most right answers got a free pizza,” said Irving.

Mann won this contest.

“I have not yet received my pizza, but when I do, I will share it with my buddy Jon …” said Mann.

Irving planned the tournament to coincide with the March Madness NCAA college basketball tournament. Irving said that they wanted to do it at this time because it is “during the hype of tournament season.”

This event is one that Irving hopes will continue to be an annual event. Not only are students able to win prizes, they are able to come together in order to build community both within the circle of commuters and other students on campus.