SWB Club Pandemic The New Op: From a fills lead- docu- Abnormal senior ership mentary album roles review page 3 page 4 page 5 page 7 May 5, 2020 Issue 6 Follow us online What now? A look into the future of Dordt University Sam Landstra—Staff Writer to minimize the risks of a fully populated university. A considerable danger from this plan It’s evening at the empty campus of Dordt arises within the first few weeks of returning to University. As Vice President Howard Wilson campus. Over 1,500 students will be traveling and President Erik Hoekstra stand on the front from their respective 49 states and 24 countries steps of the Hoekstra household, not a car drives and have the possibility of carrying the virus by, not a student walks past and waves hello. It with them. He and his team hope to counter has been a week since the university ordered this threat by encouraging students to pack with its students to stay home after spring break as them a personal thermometer and “as many a protective measure against the COVID-19 fabric masks as they have pairs of underwear”. virus. Only 80 people remain on the campus. If students do show symptoms of COVID-19, All the academic buildings are dark. the task force is considering the possibility of “Where had all our friends gone?” Wilson blocking off a section of a residence hall for said. “A sense sunk in that the world had really these individuals. Should a sickly person decide changed.” to stay on campus instead of returning home, Since then, Wilson has been drawing up plans Contributed Photo they could continue their schoolwork from with his colleagues for a potential return to on- ten of these task groups have received direction While the future is uncertain, Wilson and there. campus learning in the fall. Him and ten others from research leader Dr. Kristin VandeGriend, his team are planning on a normal start for the Continuing into this world of hypotheticals, have met together twice thus far to discuss a a professor at Dordt who holds a masters in 2020-21 academic year with the original start- Dordt is exploring multiple methods of social “rolling quarantine model” that anticipates epidemiology and a doctorate in public health. date of August 25 still intact. This date does distancing. All fall classes have been capped at challenges with the virus next academic year. “We are looking at a wide variety of options.” hold the potential of being pushed back a week fifty students and a contact-tracing system that Separate teams have been formed to manage Wilson said. “I tell people that pretty much or two should a second spike in the virus occur uses assigned seating to track and curtail the residence halls, dining, sporting events, and everything I say should have an asterisk behind in the late summer months. virus is being discussed. Consideration is even more in the new normal of social distancing. All it because it could change.” As Wilson works with this mindset, he looks continued on page 8 English professors transfer to Letters to healthcare workers Evangeline Colarossi—Staff Writer thank them for the work that they do every day online learning that often doesn’t get recognized, but also the Two black plastic tubs sit outside of Ebby extra work and effort they do during this time to Lauren Hoekstra — Staff Writer the online learning experience. Especially for Prewitt’s house in Des Moines, where paper keep everybody healthy and safe.” students who struggle with concentration issues and ink turn into encouragements for healthcare Prewitt reached out to the spiritual life director In the English Department, Dr. Bill Elgersma or are not internally driven, online classes can workers, patients, and nursing home residents. and principal at Des Moines Christian, knowing is not shy in his dislike for Canvas. be a huge struggle. Even for students who have Prewitt is a senior Biology major at Dordt that the quarantine would greatly impact the “I am not a fan of Canvas and it doesn’t suit gone to working during the week, finding time University and a local CNA. She realized a service hours that students are required to my character and experience in education,” to do classwork can be difficult. student need at Des Moines Christian could turn complete each year. She suggested students Elgersma said. Dr. Bob De Smith, fellow English professor, into a blessing for many others. “write letters in order to fulfill their service He much prefers to interact with students face- has experienced some of the same concerns. Prewitt has worked in a nursing home for hour requirement”. The project has expanded to-face, and even if he has a carefully thought Many of his students are also working during several years and noted that patients’ visitors more than she anticipated, as students’ parents out lesson plan, students may bring up more this time, providing them with only weekends are the highlight of their day and part of their and siblings and Prewitt’s friends at Dordt have crucial points to the discussion that need to to do homework. If the semester had started off daily routine. Without these visitors, each day started sending in letters too. be worked through first. With Zoom meetings, with online classes, De Smith said he would can easily become mundane and Prewitt wanted “I have been blown away and encouraged by education is made simple and loses many of the “scarcely know them,” which would make to decrease the distance from the outside world, how many people have jumped on the project important concepts that face-to-face education teaching these students difficult. while still observing social distancing. For the and shared my information with their friends’ maintains. Throughout his online classes, De Smith sees workers that get to return home every day, the family or teachers in order to bless more “...We can’t talk over each other and we can’t some students thriving. They know what they increase in work and stressful conditions can be people.” see each other to operate off of verbal cues,” have to do and when they have to do it. just as hard, and Prewitt wanted to honor them The letters are sorted by recipient and Elgersma said. “[Canvas] is stilted where my However, he said that online learning is as well. distributed among five different facilities. classroom is fair game for all of us.” nothing like face-to-face teaching. “No matter what healthcare position they One collection box is for healthcare workers Elgersma’s main concern about online learning “...Classes become almost completely (workers) are in, every single part is important and the other is for nursing home residents or was that students “didn’t sign up to be online.” functional -- they are a means to an end rather from the doctors all the way down to the patients. If people are unable to drop off the Students committed to Dordt because of the than a community in which learning takes CNAs,” Prewitt said. “I wanted to find a way to continued on page 8 community and atmosphere of the school, not continued on page 3 Contributed Photo Photo Credit: Ebby Prewitt Feature page 2 News page 3 Graduation in a box Unexpected effects of Student Without Borders club fills leadership roles Hannah Van Otterloo — Staff Writer notebook from the Alumni Association. Allison Wordes — Staff Writer Delano Adamson as marketing, David Riadi as each event worked and the role each member While this abrupt ending has left many coronavirus graphic design, Siena Rose as graphic design did during our meetings.” Graduating from college brings to a close what seniors feeling as though their college career Because of the current crisis, Dordt’s Student trainee, There are a lot of events to plan for, including some consider the best four years of their life. is incomplete, Dordt’s attempt to recognize Katie Ribbens— Staff Writer like there’s a storm coming, because people Without Borders Club has faithfully been This year’s new president, Yeelim Shin, is Curry Craze in the fall and the Cultural Fair in For the class of 2020, the threat of COVID-19 their achievements has been appreciated. In right now are home and are in abusive situations conducting their regular meetings over zoom. taking over from Joy Kim, who led the team the spring. With huge events like this, the SWB has affected both the last few months of their addition to their online commencement, seniors Coronavirus. It started out as an obscure word, that things are going to escalate.” While other events and clubs have sadly fizzled successfully this past year. has to do a lot of planning and preparation, education and the graduation ceremony itself. look forward to participating in a graduation something happening on the other side of the Perhaps one of the most surprising effects of out because of the missed opportunity to gather “I enjoyed taking care of the different events, which is not for the weak. The minds of this Michael Vander Wal finished classes in fall celebration over Defender Days this fall with globe. Most people thought it would be like the coronavirus has been the surge of PTSD. in person, SWB has been on top of things even though as president I didn’t get to do the leadership team need to be creative, clever, and of 2019, but he is disappointed at not having a “Year 0 Reunion” concluding the festivities. common cold, or, at worst, influenza.