Culture Fest Celebrates Diversity

News: Perspectives: Arts: Creative fiction Learning to Luke Mosher with the new know and enjoy reviews John writer-in-res. God from Piper. Mayer in concert. PAGE 3 PAGE 7 PAGE 5 thebagpipeonline.com VOL.56 NO.16 BAGPIPETHURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18 PHOTO BY NATE CARL CULTURE FEST CELEBRATES DIVERSITY by Anna Clare Freel Julie Moore, Director of Student Life, who Audience members particularly remarked people need to know what’s going on in Haiti & Lindsay Burkholder oversaw the event. “Culture Fest is designed to on the performance of Shakira’s “Suerte” by and what Covenant is doing on and off cam- celebrate the grand diversity of God’s creation, an entourage of singers and musicians. Sopho- pus,” she said. To the beat of an African drum, the partici- and provide a fellowship opportunity for the more Rachel Young belly-danced to the song, Overall, Culture Fest was a big production, pants of this year’s Culture Fest marched down Covenant, Lookout Mountain, and greater returning after an appreciative response to her with a budget of several hundred dollars for the aisles while waving flags from all over the Chattanooga communities,” she said. dance routine at last year’s Culture Fest. food and decorations. Preparation involved world, including Mexico, Russia, Japan, Swe- Senior Christina Canche said “it [Culture There was also a guest performance by the coordination of numerous departments, den, and Haiti. There were over 60 participants Fest] is really valuable, because this is the one alumnus Andrew Russell, who works in the such as the chapel and music departments, representing more than 20 different countries. thing that can maybe possibly convince the Admissions office. He joined his sister, junior tech support, and the diversity program. Nearly all were members of Covenant’s Di- student body that we’re not, like, Affirmative Jamila Russell, to host the fashion show and Jamila Russel was in charge of decorating versity Program, a group created to celebrate Action in disguise.” perform a Bob Marley song. Russell said that and the closing slideshow, junior Laurel Le- the diversity of the student body, as well as “to The first half of the program opened with he “appreciated the diversity in the music and sondak organized the fashion show and junior connect people from other cultures with one a scripture reading from Psalm 96:1-4, the also in the languages.” Maaika Joyce was in charge of the array of eth- another and with other students from this cul- theme passage for this year’s event, to show Freshman Sam Bestvater sung a Canadian nic foods provided afterwards. ture,” said senior Joey Veloz, this year’s student God’s people coming from diverse back- folk song that featured neither moose nor snow. Students participating prepared extensively diversity leader. grounds to worship Him together. Senior Rachael Olivier closed with an up- for the event. There were four to five hour-long “This is really a student-led event, and it is The acts were many and various, ranging date on Haiti. “We’re celebrating different cul- prep days on Saturdays, and three-hour dress exciting and humbling to watch the amount of from musical numbers in foreign languages to tures and different interaction and it’s good to time and energy students invest in this,” said a mock Aikido battle. be aware. It’s good to be happy and fun, but SEE CULTURE FEST PAGE 3 2 | News Education Program Works Towards a New Masters Program by Lana Nelson lnelson@covenant.edu most of the education courses in the fifth year. Students planning to enter the M.A.T. program The Education Department is reorganizing will add a minor, called Pre-M.A.T, for their first itself to include a graduate program, scheduled four years. The following summer and school year, to begin in Summer 2011, which has the poten- they will attend classes in order to graduate with tial to become the largest program in the whole their certification and M.A.T. the following May. department. Over the years, the elementary edu- Creating a five-year Masters program for certification (middle grades) and five secondary education is not a new idea. The University of Notre cation programs have each turned into more of Dame and Emory University, for instance, no lon- a double major, requiring 150 hours of course- ger have a four-year option for education majors. work averaged over five years. In addition, Cov- “We’re not reinventing the wheel,” Drexler said, enant would like to add other programs to the “we’re just following what’s already happening.” secondary education major. There is already a successful graduate program These reasons prompted the initiative of in place at Covenant, the Master of Education. graduating these six programs into a five-year The program has been in place for over 20 years program that would not only give students their and draws 60 to 70 students every summer. This certification, but would also give them a Master program cannot be used in place of the M.A.T. PHOTO BY GARRETT REID of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T). because its specific goals are for educators who The elementary education (early childhood) wish to advance their education, not new stu- As the education department prepares to expand, major, along with its adult degree program, dents who want to gain their certification. Professor Rebecca Pennington teaches “Teaching Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Edu- Vice President of Academic Affairs Jeff Hall Reading in the Early Grades.” cation (BSECE), will not be affected by any of listed three approvals still needed for the pro- these changes. gram. The first is the approval of the Board of Between the middles grades and secondary Trustees, who will meet to discuss the program tion for teachers.” Drexler highlighted this aspect Also, as Drexler explained in a presentation to education programs, there is an average of 11 in mid-March. The Education Department also as well, noting that it would “allow students to the faculty on January 28, the M.A.T. program to 12 students per class year. “These numbers needs to submit a report to the Georgia Profes- enjoy the full BA experience, with room for elec- will be open to recent graduates from Covenant made it a low-risk plan to graduate them into sional Standards Commission, as well as a report tives, while also pursuing a degree in education.” and other institutions who decide they would an M.A.T. program,” said Jim Drexler, Chair of to the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondly, Hall said, the program will make like to pursue a career in education. This has the Education Department. In fact, 28 students Schools Commission on Colleges. They need the education component available to more ma- the potential to bring in many more students currently taking education classes have indicated the approval of both of these groups in order to jors. It more than doubles the potential programs. to the department from other universities, and their interest in the M.A.T. program. recruit and enroll students. Instead of only five programs, students may also also gives recent graduates more options for The new program is scheduled to begin in Sum- Hall called the program a “positive change in major in biology, chemistry, economics, com- post-college. “To be a little cliché,” Drexler com- mer 2011. Its structure places the focus of the first two regards.” First, he said, the M. A. T. program munity development, English, French, history, mented, “we’re confident that ‘if we build it, they four years on a particular discipline, and adds will “strengthen the liberal arts content prepara- mathematics, music, physics, and Spanish. will come.’” James Calvin Schapp as 2010 Writer-in-Residence Wisconsin professor wows selink first contacted Schaap and was in tations, including Every Bit of Who I Am, a adoring students with writing charge of the program until this school year, devotional, and five novels, including Rom- know-how and witty wordplay. when professor of English Sarah Huffines ey’s Place, In the Silence There Are Ghosts, took the role. and Touches the Sky. He also wrote three to by Lianne Visser lianne.visser@covenant.edu Hesselink first heard of Schaap because he four collections of short stories, and Things was reading a compilation of his short sto- We Couldn’t Say, a biography of a young James Calvin Schaap, the 2010 Nick Bark- ries entitled The Secrets of Barneveld Calva- Dutch woman during WWII named Diet er Writer-in-Residence, is teaching Creative ry. “Years ago I was looking for stories—I’d Eman. Writing: Fiction at Covenant this semester been asked to read a Christmas story at the In the 80’s, he also wrote a play with and says he wants students “to understand faculty Christmas party,” Hesselink said. Covenant’s own James Ward entitled “The and to experience the creative process.” Jim Wildeman, professor of English, and House of the Lord.” Performed at Covenant Schaap is Dutch, hails from Wisconsin, Robert Siegel, the Writer-in-Residence at between 1980 and 1985, it was about the has a great reformed name, currently teaches Covenant in 2008, had also heard positive story of David. at Dordt College, and has graciously agreed things about Schaap. Schaap is currently teaching “Creative to teach a class here as well. The English department was searching for Writing: Fiction” at Covenant and Dordt The Nick Barker Writer-in-Residence pro- a good fiction writer to teach for 2010 in College simultaneously. When asked how he gram enables the English department to in- order to incorporate different genres into was dealing with teaching both of these class- vite a professional writer to teach a writing the program.

Load more