Gabrielle Reports

English Lessons in Lynn: Gordon Students Teach The Vocabulary of Opportunity

2011-12-06T07:56:00.000-08:00

When Claire Crane became principal of the Robert L. Ford Elementary School in Lynn, Mass. in 1989, it was not a welcoming place. Dysfunctional and disorganized, Crane says neither students nor teachers wanted to be there.

But her vision was for a school where the voices of her students would count – regardless of race, citizenship, color, or creed. Now, 22 years later, 48 different languages are represented in the halls of the Ford School each day. Twice a week, Gordon College students go to Ford to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at its night school program. Crane says nearly 200 adults are enrolled, many of whom came to the U.S. from poor and desolate places throughout the world.

Photo By Gabrielle WItham

“These immigrants have been so repressed in their home countries,” said Crane. “At the Ford School, I believe in educating the whole family and acquainting them to U.S. culture so they understand that they won’t be killed for having a voice.”

Secondary education and Spanish major Ashlie Busone ‘14 recognizes that it’s hard to speak up without speaking the language, and that’s one of the reasons why she chose to become a Gordon IN Lynn intern for the 2011-2012 academic year. One of 12 interns working with 10 community partners this semester, Busone tutors at ESL to help her non-English speaking neighbors. Every week, she brings 15 Gordon students to lead ESL lessons for adults throughout the Ford School’s surrounding community.

“English opens a lot of doors, especially for immigrants who are new to the country,” said Busone. “In these classes, we get to meet new friends from around the world.”

Crane, 73, started the ESL classes in 1990 to reach out to the families of her students. With origins from Haiti, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic to Somalia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Bangladesh, the adults of the night classes form a United Nations of sorts where classes of 40 to 50 immigrants join Gordon tutors to learn English.

Photo By Gabrielle Witham

“The hope is that the parents will not only develop a proficiency in class, but go home and practice with their children,” said Crane. “This translates to improved communication within families, and often children perform better on tests.”

Over the past 20 years, Crane has worked to transform Ford into a “community school,” meaning she partners with volunteers on the North Shore to offer educational and social support to its students, their families, and the surrounding community. Crane says the school’s volunteers organize everything from multicultural potluck dinners and clothing swaps, to the ESL program.

“I wouldn’t be able to run the night school without Gordon students,” said Crane. “When they can’t come, I have to cancel class.”

It’s not always easy for Gordon volunteers, most of whom are freshman without educational teaching backgrounds, to teach English to such a diverse group. Busone says there isn’t a standard lesson structure, and students don’t attend consistently. Crane has also set high goals. She hopes that students will not only learn the language, but use what they’ve learned to exercise their voice in the community.

Because many of the immigrants are in the country illegally, Crane said people in Lynn take advantage of them, knowing they can’t report the injustices. She said thieves target Guatemalan neighborhoods, and landlords on the block where the Ford School is located charge their tenants more for rent than they earn in a month. But she is hoping to help the community change that.

“Many people assume that immigrants don’t care about voting,” she said. “In their home countries they don’t have power, but if we’re going to solve the problems in this city we need to encourage them to participate here.”

Dr. Karl Crisman, 36, is an assistant professor of mathematics at Gordon who has lived with his family in Lynn for six and a half years. Crisman has close friends of Guatemalan, Bosnian, Mexican and Cuban descent, and says he loves living among such diversity. However, he still sees a division that isn’t going away.

“There seem to be two different populations, the white and African American communities of ‘old Lynn’ and the swell of recent immigrants, all of whom are struggling,” he said. “These two groups interact a surprisingly small amount.”

Crisman said that much of ‘old Lynn’ is in an unending cycle of poverty and low educational achievement, while newer immigrant populations have difficulty learning English and engaging with city politics.

Photo By Gabrielle Witham

Though the Ford School doesn’t look special, once inside the peeling blue doors it is clear it’s a refuge. Colorful murals of children’s faces brighten the halls– faces from all races that are mirrored by the real children sitting in the classrooms. Painted above the murals are the words “Welcome to the Ford School. Every voice counts.”

“I don’t ask questions about where anyone came from or whether or not the law tells them they belong,” said Crane. “Everyone is welcome here.”

Night school students Rony and Deborah (last name withheld) are expectant parents who immigrated to the U.S. from Guatemala. They believe they’re giving their unborn daughter chances she may never have had in the family’s native country.

“She won’t have to feel the violence, or be afraid or alone. She’ll have opportunities and an education, and learn things she never could have at home,” said Rony. “Here, I can give her the sky.”

OP ED: Closed Doors Call for a Creative Approach to Urban Engagement

2011-12-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

When President Lindsay was inaugurated in September, his address highlighted Gordon’s place in the “power corridor” and our proximity to cultural hubs like Lynn and Boston. “We have to articulate a vision for serving not just our own interests but also the interests of others,” he said. But with the close of Barton Hall in Lynn this year, and the recent announcement that Gordon IN Boston will be suspended after December, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for Gordon students to take on Lindsay’s challenge and immerse meaningfully in these culturally rich cities just a few miles off the Grapevine.

Unfortunately, lack of student interest has closed the doors of Barton Hall and Dorchester’s Parrish House. These programs provided valuable and unmatched opportunities for local urban engagement and now Gordon will need to look elsewhere.

That’s not to say that opportunities don’t still exist. With Homeless Ministry in Boston and The Great Conversation (TGC) service learning sections in Lynn, Gordon does take advantage of its location. But true service requires a deeper understanding of the communities we serve, one that can’t necessarily be obtained in an afternoon. While short-term participation can still facilitate worthwhile relationships with our urban neighbors, we cannot truly dwell in their lives until we see the world from their perspective. And immersion in an urban environment is the first step.

While Wenham is, in many ways, an ideal place to spend our college years, its 97.3 percent white population presents little opportunity to broaden our cultural horizons. But have we really tried to go beyond the Grapevine? How many Gordon students can name ten things about the city of nearly 90,000 only a few minutes up Route 128? Apathy may be the problem, but more likely there’s uncertainty about where to begin.

With the opportunities narrowing each semester, we need to be creative about finding ways to reach out to nearby communities, whether attending a multicultural church or volunteering even after we’ve finished our TGC service requirements. It’s important, not only to fulfill our biblical (and presidential) call to serve our neighbors, but also to burst the bubble that sometimes shields us from the outside world. Just beyond this idyllic domain is a place where meal points are replaced with food stamps, and Judd’s Suds aren’t served in the pubs. It may be a challenge to relate, but once we are willing to take on that challenge, we can begin to grow into what Lindsay called in his inaugural address “faithful leaders of the common good.”

‘I Do’ Too Soon? Gordon Students Defy National Marriage Statistics

2011-12-06T07:44:00.000-08:00

Bryan Cerrone says his friends call him “the old married guy.” On Dec. 19, he and his wife Victoria will celebrate their second anniversary. A junior at Gordon, Bryan is 21. Victoria, who graduated from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I. in 2011, is only 20.

Courtesy Photo

At Gordon, the phrase “ring by spring” is common jargon, so young married couples don’t necessarily seem out of the ordinary. This year, 15 married students are enrolled at Gordon, 6 of whom are under the age of 23, according to the Center for Student Development (CSD).

But marrying in the early twenties is not the national norm. U.S. Census data from 2009 showed the average age of first marriage as 26.5 for women and 28.4 for men.

Just four miles away at Endicott College, there are zero married students attending classes this semester, according to residence director Brian Falter.

Dr. Ivy George, professor of sociology, believes people in surrounding communities are often surprised at how early Gordon students marry. “We don’t realize how much of a subculture we are,” she said.

Gordon and Endicott College are similar in size, enrollment and academics, but with one notable difference: Endicott does not have a religious affiliation.

This is no coincidence, according to Jan Holton, dean of counseling and student care.She said marriage is a higher priority for evangelicals, and that they are more likely to believe they need to be married in order to have a good life.

Students often feel pressure, from themselves and their parents, to find a spouse at a Christian college, Holton said. “If they graduate without finding one, they worry that they will never get married because it will be much harder to find good, single Christian men and women in other settings.”

George believes sex is often a primary motivator for evangelicals, who are more likely to believe that it should be reserved for marriage.

“[For evangelicals] it appears that the gateway to sex is through marriage,” she said.

George added the desire for sex is a terrible reason to get married. “There’s more to marriage than sex,” she said.

But Holton said that sex is often not a big factor when Gordon students marry.

“Most students I’ve worked with do not identify the desire to have sex as a major reason for getting married,” she said. “Often they want to be able to move in together after college, and don’t see any reason to wait.”

Cerrone said he and his wife got married when they did for a simple reason: because they loved each other.

“The age limit the world has set is ridiculous,” he said. “I don’t see a problem with marrying young, because we understood that it was not always going to be easy. Love is more than just a fantasy.”

Whatever the reason, the statistics indicate that marriage may be more difficult in the early twenties. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), only 64 percent of first marriages last at least ten years, and age is a factor. Those who marry before 25 show higher divorce rates than those who get married at 26 or older.

George believes that young college students may not necessarily have the maturity to sustain a marriage, partly because the human brain is not fully developed until age 25, but also because college is the time to develop important life skills.

“When you graduate at 21 and haven’t had a chance to explore the world and have false starts, you’re missing out on a lot,” said George. “These experiences are what provide you with many of the skills you need to survive in a marriage.”

Holton said that many young people think maturely about their decision to get married and are prepared for how difficult it can be. In these cases, she doesn’t believe age should be a reason not to get married.

Caitlin Montville ‘13 has been with her fiancé, Doug Belley ‘10, since 2008. They plan to get married this summer, before Montville’s senior year at Gordon.

“We know we want to be together,” she said. “So why wait?”

However, Holton also said that marrying young may not be the best decision for other students who do so out of insecurity, and have unrealistic, and often idealistic, expectations for marriage.

But she added that even for those who are ready for it, being married in college comes with a cost that some are better equipped to handle than others. Gordon is primarily designed for single students who are focused on their studies, and any serious relationship can detract from that, she said.

“Marriage requires other commitments of time and resources,” said Holton.

The rate of marriage and engagement at Gordon may be relatively high, but it's not as common as it once was, according to Dr. Marv Wilson, professor of Biblical studies. He's been at Gordon for 41 years and believes there are fewer engagements and marriages now than ever. Concerns over money, pursuit of graduate degrees and the country's high divorce rate may all have something to do with it, he said.

“I believe an increase in failed marriages has caused men and women to give greater pause before ‘taking the plunge,’” he said.

When Bryan and Victoria Cerrone were married in December 2009, Bryan was a freshman at Gordon, and Victoria was in a culinary program at Johnson & Wales and worked over 60 hours a week in a bakery.

The two lived together on the weekends in West Springfield. Cerrone said much of his first year at college was spent driving that 326 mile round-trip from between Wenham, Providence and West Springfield. Even when he was with his wife, he often found himself staying up half the night doing homework.

“Getting married young was very difficult,” said Cerrone. “But we grew together and learned a lot.”

Rini Cobbey, associate professor of communication arts, said popular culture is certainly skeptical of young marriage, citing the criticism directed at actors such as Macaulay Culkin and Kate Hudson when they married at an age people thought was too young. But she added that the attention given to Grace, Diana and Kate, may show that women want to relate to these royal brides.

“We do love a good, young princess wedding,” she said.

Watergate, Jonna and Journalism

2011-11-28T18:29:00.000-08:00

The lengths Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein went though in All the President's Men to "get the story" were impressive enough to make the movie. The movie showed investigative journalism at its best - writers committed to revealing the truth to people who deserve to know it. The movie showed nearly every "element of journalism" in the book - from finding a story and convincing an editor why it matters, to investigating and verifying facts with multiple sources, and ultimately serving the reader by producing a balanced and interesting story. Because of their faithful service delivering the truth to the people, Bernstein and Woodward changed history by uncovering one of the biggest government scandals of modern times.

I can't say I'd want to be Jonna Lightfoot McLaughlin's coworker. Arriving late, drinking a lot of coffee, and smoking cigarettes seems to get her through her day, and it seemed as though her roommate and coworker Hannah had the skills and backbone she hoped to have but never quite achieved. I was disappointed that, in the end, Hannah made a stand for the story Jonna so faithfully followed throughout the whole novel, but did find myself cheering Jonna on as she interrogated Evan Hartmann at Regal University.

As a reporter, there are things we can learn from Jonna, both positive and negative. Although she allowed her personal life and perspective to get in the way of her reporting (especially regarding David Rockley), she eventually did some respectable investigative journalism. Readers can learn valuable lessons about having to pursue stories that they might not be interested in, in the name of pleasing an editor and gaining respect as a reporter. And she's constantly looking for stories - listening, thinking, and exploring the world around her.

A Day at the Newseum

2011-11-10T17:10:00.000-08:00

Like most others I've talked to, the exhibits that impacted me the most were the Pulitzer Prize photos and 9/11. I was overwhelmed by the emotions in the photos and having lived through some of the events I think amplified those emotions. But also, in the FBI exhibit, I read the 9/11 terrorists' letter from the night before the attacks. It referred to the treasures in heaven for the hijackers who complete their mission, and the great service they were doing for their faith. This really struck me that they believed in terrorism the way I believe in my Christian faith - that we will ultimately be rewarded by God for devoting our lives to it. It stirred a lot of questions about why I believe what I believe, and how the 9/11 hijackers could believe so strongly that what they were doing was the will of their God.

I also was surprised by the journalists' memorial. As Becky and I were reading through the bios of the deceased reporters, we noticed a link between their nationalities and causes of death. There were many Latin American and Middle Eastern journalists who met violent demises at the hands of someone else - they were killed because they were journalists. But most, if not all, of the American journalists died accidental deaths due to danger on the field or natural causes. This really brought to my attention how much I take for granted our right to freedom of the press. I couldn't imagine living in a country where people were killed daily for serving their communities by seeking and reporting on the truth. We are so fortunate to live in a place where our freedoms are preserved, and we can speak freely without fearing for our lives.

Lauded Writer Speaks at Princemere Writers Series Event

2011-11-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

By Gabrielle Witham '12

Reported by Dorien Van Woerden '13

Although he once had high school fantasies of becoming an author like Jack Kerouac, Sven Birkerts now has an impressive, though very different, literary repertoire of his own. On Nov. 2, the Princemere Writers’ series hosted this poet, essayist, author and professor who read from his latest book, “The Other Walk,” to an audience of nearly 70 students and faculty members.

“I’ve wanted to bring Birkerts to Gordon for many years,” said Mark Stevick, associate professor of English. “He was the keynote speaker for a conference at Taylor University in 2007, and that’s when I first discovered his talents.”

Students and faculty with varied familiarity of his work attended the event. Many said that they appreciated how present Birkerts is in his own writing, and Bekah Jordan ’12 was encouraged to begin a new project with this style of self-narrative.

“I think every art form works this way,” said Jordan. “An artist creates what they know, and the connection they have to their work is what other people relate to as well.”

Birkerts, who lives in Arlington, Mass. has authored nine books and reviewed for publications like “The New York Times Book Review” and “The Washington Post.” Although writing hasn’t always been an easy journey for him, Birkerts believes the process is still worth the struggles.

“You can hear the sound of yourself on the page and that’s the wonderful stuff,” he said. “Then sometimes that goes away and you desperately want to write, but nothing sounds good and you have to keep writing anyway.”

Rachel Bell ’12 has attended two other readings similar to the Nov. 2 event. She understands that their value is not only to showcase the author’s work, but also to entice student writers to learn from someone with more experience.

“At these readings I get just a taste of the author and can pick out certain flavors I like in their words,” said Bell. “It’s not enough to feel like I’ve had a full meal, so afterwards I want to discover more.”

Birkerts’ most recent book, “The Other Walk,” examines how technology increasingly overwhelms the value of reading. He believes that aspiring writers must first be active readers before they can fully understand and practice the craft.

“Writers must read the stuff that really moves them and keep reading it to see where it leads,” said Birkerts. “They will inevitably be influenced by it before they break free and do their own unique thing.”

Although he has taught at prestigious institutions like Harvard University and Amherst College and received accolades and grants from organizations like the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Book Critics Circle, he doesn’t write for the recognition. Birkerts writes because of his love of language.

“What’s important is to have a feeling for language, loving to use it and to read it,” he said. “It is how painting comes forth out of the love for color, and music comes forth out of the love for sound.”

The Princemere Writers Series, which was established at Gordon in 1988, hosts speakers once or twice each semester in events that are open to the public. The purpose, according to Stevick, is to introduce writers of all genres and at different stages in their careers to Gordon audiences.

“The series helps facilitate the growing network of writers,” said Jordan. “But it also gives students and faculty a good reason to gather together in support of the arts.”

A few points from The Elements of Journalism

2011-10-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

"Rather than a watchdog of powerful institutions, the press is vulnerable to being their tool. Reporting on investigations requires enormous due diligence."

"The solution [to isolation] is to recruit more people from a diversity of classes and backgrounds and interests in the newsroom to combat insularity. The journalism that people with different perspectives produce together is better than that which any of them could produce alone."

(one more!)

"The journalist's role is predicated on a special kind of engagement - being dedicated to informing the public, but not to playing a direct role as an activist. It might be called 'engaged independence.'"

Holy Batman! Student Studies Bats In Gordon Woods

2011-10-22T17:37:00.001-07:00

Thomas Horsley knows what lurks in the Gordon woods after dark. Most don’t even notice these night-dwelling insect eaters, but Horsley is well acquainted with Myotis lucifugus, known also as the little brown bat. This semester, with the guidance of associate professor of biology Dr. Greg Keller, Horsley is catching these creatures on campus and studying them to find out how humans have impacted their already dwindling population.

At the beginning of September, Horsley ‘12 set up mist netting (similar to badminton nets) at nine locations throughout the Gordon woods. Over the course of several weeks he caught, counted and measured the size and weight of the bats entangled in each net to determine their health. Now, Horsley will study the data to understand how human development has affected where bats choose to live. This project adds to his already diverse experiences studying and working hands-on with the species.

“Last year, Dr. Keller’s mammalogy course sparked my fascination with bats,” said Horsley. “Then this past summer I went on a biodiversity research expedition in South America and spent much of my time studying them at a reserve.”

Horsley spent a month at the Iwokrama Wildlife Reserve in Guyana researching biodiversity in the bat populations. Horsley chose to specialize in bats for the program because he was interested in their behavior and role in the ecology. He learned ecological survey techniques, how to safely handle the animals and the proper steps to reduce stress during their capture and release. This training helped him design a project that reduced the danger of being bitten. Since the unpredictability of live animals always presents risks, Horsley was vaccinated and those who handled the bats were also trained.

Keller believes this project is timely because bat population sizes have plummeted in recent years, and it’s partially caused by preventable factors.

“Human activity contributes to the decline,” he said. “Even the paths through the forest on campus may, at a minimal level, affect population structure because it fragments their habitat.”
Considering the critical role bats play in the ecosystem, their decline could have potentially disastrous results, according to Keller.

“They consume huge quantities of insects, specifically mosquitoes,” he said. “So this issue does impact us.”

Bats play a far bigger role in some regions than here at Gordon. By pollinating flowers and dispersing seeds, they help to maintain and regenerate forest ecosystems. Although bats near Gordon don’t feed on pollen, Horsley says we still feel the impact of their loss – on average one bat eats about 1,000 mosquito-sized insects on any given night.

The Trustees Reservation at Long Hill in Beverly, Mass. has even taken an interest in Horsley’s work.

“They are intrigued by what I’m learning about the ecological role of bats,” said Horsley. “The project speaks to the overall health of bat populations here at Gordon, but it also shows trends in the northeastern part of the U.S.”

Horsley has also recruited other science majors to help with the project. He is offering these students a chance to see how real research works. Horsley, who plans to study tropical ecology in graduate school, says the project gives him the hands-on experience most admissions officials want in a potential student.

He will present his research at the Sigma Xi Research Conference held at Gordon in Feb., and at the Gordon College Undergraduate Research Symposium in the spring. Horsley and Keller hope also to share their results with the broader scientific community and contribute to the conversation about the effects of habitat modification.

“We need to know how inadvertently changing natural habitats affects a species,” said Keller. “The more we understand, the more we can alter our behavior to limit our negative impact on valuable populations like this one.”

Tom Lake

2011-10-22T17:35:00.000-07:00

Tom Lake's story about digging through meeting minutes to uncover unjust proceedings really struck me. He read through that monotonous material, day after day, hoping to find a story - and he did. But this story hardly made an impact on the public. Yes, it did end their practice of making decisions behind closed doors when it wasn't warranted, and that was important. But the townies reading his investigative report over their morning cups of coffee probably weren't dropping their jaws or rushing to tweet about the story.

I think I'd have a hard time putting so much time into a story that's just another drop in the bucket. But fortunately, Lake had a bigger reason for telling the story. His editor would be interested, but more importantly, it made "his skin tingle." He cared about whether or not these proceedings were common, and wanted to expose their illegality even though it required hours of boring work, possibly all for nothing. I think this is an important thing to remember as a journalist. Caring about a topic enough to write about it is one thing. But caring enough about a topic to do the work required to tell a story well is another thing entirely.

New Writers Workshop Offered at Gordon IN Boston

2011-10-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

He has spoken from lecterns at the Vatican, Oxford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but now Dr. Karl Giberson plans to teach at a more modest venue. This faith-and-science scholar, speaker and writer will mentor a small group of students at Gordon IN Boston’s first Writers Workshop during the spring 2012 semester. Students of all disciplines, from genetics to geology, are encouraged to join this unconventional classroom in Dorchester, Mass.

“Dr. Giberson is one of the foremost authorities on science and faith in America,” said Dr. Cliff Hersey, dean for global education. “I’ve known him and followed his career for 35 years, and chose him to direct this program based on his expertise in the area, his network of connections, and his ability to teach.”

Giberson, 54, of Hingham, Mass., has discussed the possibility of leading this workshop with Hersey for three years, but this is the first time his career left an opening to dedicate a full semester to it. He brings a myriad of credentials, from a Ph.D. in physics from Rice University to the authorship of eight books, including “The Language of Science and Faith” and “Saving Darwin.” He writes regularly for the “Huffington Post” religion page and has spoken at Gordon’s Forum on Faith and Science.

“I enjoy teaching and interacting with young people,” said Giberson. “This workshop will be unique because students will be part of a small, intimate group that’s almost like a graduate student program, with more mentoring and less anonymity than in a regular classroom.”

For the six to eight students accepted to the Writers Workshop, the “classroom” will be in Gordon IN Boston’s Parish House in Dorchester, a cultural hub on the outskirts of Boston. Giberson will teach a seminar that explores the intersection of science and religion, focusing on topics such as the Scopes Trial, Galileo and intelligent design.

“Science in religion is an important cultural conversation,” said Giberson. “It becomes an issue when evangelicals are fearful of science and find it threatening, with science on one side and religion on the other. It’s more complicated and nuanced than that.”

The readings, lectures and discussions for the four-credit seminar will form the foundation for students’ individual research and writing projects over the course of the semester. Hands-on experience in concept development, chapter arrangement, editing, and promotion will bring the process full-circle, and students’ names will appear in the acknowledgments section of Giberson’s book, “Creating Adam.”

His book focuses on how the Adam and Eve story has been portrayed over the past few centuries. As contributors, students may research topics ranging from the myths and legends that informed the Biblical story, to divine linguistics and Adam’s spoken language, to the geology of America during the Age of Exploration. They may travel to Boston-area colleges to interview Old Testament scholars and even draft their own chapters. Giberson plans to help students craft the program around their strengths and interests.

“The best educational experiences are those when a professor can give the student a challenging project that hits the sweet spot of the student’s interest,” said Giberson. “I want to work with some young people who love writing, are fascinated about the process, and welcome this opportunity.”

According to Hersey, the writing program will introduce an intellectual element into Gordon IN Boston’s focus on urban life. For him, the program’s location provides an incredible opportunity to accomplish this mission.

“There are over 350,000 college students and nearly 70 colleges and universities in Boston and the surrounding area,” he said. “That makes it unlike any other place in the country.”

Answering Tough Questions: Spiritual Life Groups Provide an Open Forum for Faith Discussions

2011-09-18T09:41:00.001-07:00

With so many opportunities to get involved on campus, Spiritual Life Groups could easily be mistaken as just another meeting to mark on the calendar. But as many of SLG’s leaders agree, these groups give Gordon students a unique chance to raise new questions and grapple with issues that connect to their lives.

“I’ve heard people say that it’s easy to forget about your faith, even at a Christian college, because you are constantly surrounded by a Christian atmosphere,” said Gabrielle VonPaternos ’12, who will lead an SLG called “Women in the Old Testament.” “I think SLGs are a great way to combat that.”

Leaders will cover a spectrum of topics relevant to Gordon students, ranging from “Disappointment with God,” and a “Freshman Survival Guide,” to “Film and Faith” and “When Teachers Pray.” As they integrate scripture and books by Madeline L’Engle, Sharon Jaynes and others, the groups will engage discussions to help clear the muddled waters of their particular theme, and will challenge one another throughout the semester to fortify their faith with the new knowledge they uncover.

Cristin Gordon ‘14, who will lead a group called “Your Scars are Beautiful to God,” chose her particular topic to help other students who are asking the same questions as she is. “There are other people just like me, suffering what I’ve suffered, and longing for someone to connect to,” said Gordon. “And when we reach out to help our fellow sufferers, we turn our pain into purpose.”

The objective of Spiritual Life Groups is not to coach students in self-help, or provide a pity party for the afflicted. Instead, they focus on providing a forum for discussion, growth, and spiritual renewal, and seeking real, applicable answers to tough questions.

“I hope this group will serve as a safe haven to open up and be real,” said Gordon. “I want to use our time together to discuss our pain, learn how to let God heal it and use it, and laugh about the joys of the life we’ve been given.”

SLG leaders returned from a retreat at Camp Brookwoods in Alton, N.H. on Sept. 11, where Gordon College Student Ministries leaders were able to prepare together for the coming semester. Steve Garber, director of The Washington Institute, and author of The Fabric of Faithfulness, Weaving Together Belief and Behavior, spoke throughout the weekend on how to work for Christ in any setting – ministry-related, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations.

“The highlight of the retreat was being able to connect with other leaders and realize our united vision for growth at Gordon,” said Rebecca Kearney ’13, a member of GCSM’s Worship Cabinet. “We came from different ministries, but all share one passion to see our campus grow.”

The NY Times according to Rossi

2011-09-18T09:39:00.001-07:00

Page One - Inside the New York Times interesting, engaging, and a wealth of random facts about the NY Times throughout history - but the last thing it inspired in me was a desire to work for the paper. It seemed a reactive response to the 'survival of print journalism' question, and unsurprisingly concluded that yes, the death of the NY Times would be bad for everyone - its employees and the general public included.

What this documentary did well was take viewers through a history of some of the most important milestones for the paper - Watergate, the Jason Blair and Judith Miller scandals, WikiLeaks, the iPad (and the digital age), and Jill Abramson's role as first ever female executive editor. Narrated with David Carr vignettes, we understand the gritty, comic perspective of 'the man' working for the NY Times - an ex-coke addict and single parent, who rose from the ashes to write for the most important paper in the nation. His appearances are the entertainment factor in Page 1, and provide real, uncensored commentary about how to "get" a good story for the Times.

The New York Times' review of Page 1 was negative, and focused on the unmethodical storyline of the film, that in no way parallels the structure of your typical NY Times article. Everything they criticized was true - the documentary jumped back and forth from topic to topic, resembling more the equivalent of a supermarket tabloid than the organized, reader-centric paper. This might be in response to the sound byte culture that is killing journalism, but it is possible to keep your audience focused on a single storyline for more than a minute of that story is told well. But, unlike the Times, this did not make or break the film for me. I thought it was still an interesting glimpse into the history and life of the New York Times, one that is littered with scandal, triumph, and an ever-present battle to combat the plague that is killing modern journalism.

Heaven on Earth: Chapel Series to Address God’s Rule among His People

2011-09-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

“Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.” Easy to say, but harder to do. Many of us struggle with how to live out our faith and answer God’s call in tangible ways. Fortunately, hope is on the horizon, as Gordon welcomes a series of Kingdom-focused Chapel speakers who busy their hearts and their hands with God’s work here on Earth, and may be inspirations to those of us still wrestling with what a “Christian life” really looks like.

“The question at hand is: What does God’s reign look like today?” said Greg Carmer, Dean of Chapel. “Our goal is for students to hear a combination of Jesus’ parables in Scripture and be able to compare them with contemporary stories told by our guest speakers.” This Chapel series will shed light on the question “The Kingdom is like . . . “ with guest “experts” ranging from Dr. Steven Garber, Director of The Washington Institute, to Thomas Lake ’01, Editor of Atlanta Magazine and a writer for Sports Illustrated. Though their work is different, the speakers all share one vocation, living and working for Christ, and are bound to give compelling insight to the discussion “The Kingdom is like . . .”

Gordon students can look forward to hearing “voices from Africa” the last week in September, as two individuals who have dedicated their lives to bring much-needed help to one of the most poverty-stricken places on Earth visit the A.J. Gordon Chapel. Jey Mbiro, a Kenyan who received aid from Compassion International as a child, and now works for the same organization, will speak on September 26. And Cynthia Bauer, the Founder and Director of Kupenda for the Children, will visit Gordon’s campus September 28. In addition, Carmer will deliver a four-part series over the course of the semester with his insights on the “Kingdom on Earth” question.

“The guests we host this semester will show how the Kingdom is here today,” said Megan Wigton, Administrative Assistant in the Chapel Office. “Their stories will reflect how the Kingdom shines through in their amazing work., despite overwhelming challenges they may have faced.”

Writing Well

2011-08-30T09:05:00.001-07:00

"Don’t try to visualize the great mass audience. There is no such audience—every reader is a different person." - Uncle Will

Real news for Chris O'Connell

2011-08-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

Real, fluff-less news is what Chris O'Connell '13 wants, and this year, real news he will get. With the resurrection of the print edition of The Tartan, and a whole new editorial staff this semester, O'Connell anticipates a more interesting, relevant student paper in Gordon College's future.

"Students may be more interested if their peers are contributing" said O'Connell. For the staff and the writers, he believes the updated Tartan will be a learning experience as they take on the responsibility of writing, managing, and editing news for the entire campus and beyond.

An avid reader of the news, Portsmouth, NH native Chris O'Connell relies on broadcast outlets such as CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, and The Daily Show for his information. He believes that it is important to stay up-to-date on world affairs because they still affect our lives, regardless of proximity. Over the summer, he took a special interest in the Whitey Bulger case because of the roller coaster-like excitement of the story.

Back on campus, O'Connell hopes to see Gordon's student newspaper include a wide range of stories - from local community events and campus happenings, to student perspectives on world news. Luckily, he will play a big part in deciding the stories that make each issue, as he assumed the role of Arts & Entertainment editor for this academic year. With O'Connell in charge, it is likely that we'll see many "real" stories, sans fluff, hit the Tartan newsstands very soon.

Irene Coverage

2011-08-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

Living off-campus in Gloucester, my roommates and I experienced very little of Irene's wrath. A few fallen tree branches, some wind, a 45 minute power outage. Our preparation took far more time than our recovery. We walked down to the water, expecting to at least see some rough sea, but coast was calm.

We were prepared for the worst.
Photo credit: Gabrielle Witham '12

A few broken tree branches was all we saw.
Photo credit: Amy Hammond '12

Calm waters in Annisquam.
Photo credit: Amy Hammond '12

I spoke with a few friends on campus; one was Gabriel Hammond '14, who was evacuated from Drew Hall to stay in the Chase basement. He called the move the "dumbest thing ever" and an "overreaction." He and his friends left campus Sunday afternoon to see how the storm was brewing at Singing Beach, which he said was "amazing," with waves 10 ft. and higher.

Singing Beach during Hurricane Irene on Sunday
Photo credit: Gabriel Hammond '14