Northwestern College, Iowa NWCommons The Beacon, 2020-2021 The Beacon student newspaper 4-9-2021 The Beacon, April 9, 2021 The Beacon Staff Follow this and additional works at: https://nwcommons.nwciowa.edu/beacon2020 BEACONNORTHWESTERN COLLEGE April 9, 2021 Volume 94 - Issue 15 Campus moves toward inclusion DIVERSITY IN Liaison was created to reach a part INCLUSION of the surrounding community that NW had found it was lacking VANESSA STOKES outreach in. This year, two positions WRITING AND RHETORIC were added on the Diversity Resource Committee (DRC) that “We embrace diversity in God’s did not exist. creation. We lament human Rahn Franklin will become the brokenness. We reconcile with one Director of Strategic Diversity another. We embody shalom.” Initiatives, leading campus-wide These four core statements in diversity efforts, promoting the Northwestern’s Vision for Diversity thriving of multicultural students are meant to lead the faculty, staff and working with students and students in a diversity initiative. and faculty to develop cultural Recently there have been crucial intelligence. Dr. Valerie Stokes conversations and steps forward will start as director of academic regarding NW’s reality when it diversity initiatives that will work comes to diversity on campus. to promote diversity initiatives “Scripture is clear that the within the academic side of NW, kingdom of God will include particularly with representation people from every tribe, tongue and curriculum. Both positions will and nation,” President Greg Christy come into effect fall 2021. said. “We long to see Northwestern “Over the past twenty years, PHOTO BY ALYSSA GLANZ College look like and more fully I have seen Northwestern make Dr. Valerie Stokes will be the new director of academic diversity initiatives. represent his coming kingdom.” intentional efforts toward inclusive Steps have been taken over the excellence,” Dr. Stokes said. “This it is happening. I have seen it campus. importantly it is missional toward years through various positions work has been incremental over happen.” “This is relational work that God’s redemptive work in the world added on campus. Martha Draayer’s time; so even though at any given Like Stokes, Franklin recognizes touches all of us both personally and extending what it really means position of Hispanic Community point, one might not see the change, the need for these changes on and professionally but most to stand out,” Franklin said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Unsung Heroes: MarComm Office KEEPING NW’S director of marketing and MISSION ALIVE communications. Beeson has been working in NW’s MarComm office ALLISON WHEELER for 35 years. GRAPHIC DESIGN “When I started, the web wasn’t even around, nor was social media,” When it comes to being involved Beeson said. in all areas of Northwestern’s Beeson also commented on how campus, the marketing and the college’s campus has physically communications office MarComm changed with the construction at the college has that covered. Their of new buildings as well as the responsibilities not only include increase in student enrollment. The promoting NW as a whole, but they technology used within marketing also take on public relations duties and communications has also for individual departments and drastically changed over the years. offices on campus. However, NW has continued The responsibilities and duties to be a tight-knit community that of the MarComm office range aims for excellence in academics from organizing photo shoots, to and strives to remain a Christian publishing the alumni magazine institution. known as The Classic, to managing “Northwestern and its mission the college’s website and social haven’t changed at all,” Beeson PHOTO BY JADEYN VELTKAMP media accounts, to drafting emails said. (Left to right) Duane Beeson and Juliana Pennings both work in the marketing and communications office. and writing news releases. Pennings is a NW alum who Two of the office’s staff members graduated in 2012 and has been “My favorite part of this job is allows Pennings to be a part of about NW, and she enjoys talking are Duane Beeson, director of working in the college’s marketing being able to tell Northwestern’s sharing about a college that has with others who have also been marketing and communications, and communications office for story,” Pennings said. deeply impacted her life as well as impacted by the college and sharing and Juliana Pennings, assistant three and a half years. Being on the MarComm team her family as a whole. Pennings cares their stories. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 beacon.nwciowa.edu 2|AJR Album 4|SOS 7|Chris Yaw Northwestern College - Beacon INSIDE 3|Senior Spotlight 5|Wheels 8|Leadership Minor @NWC_Beacon ARTS & CULTURE 2 AJR did it again, album of exuberance MUSIC REVIEW A MIXTURE OF with a mask mandate “Adventure Is Out and slipping anxiety There” is a song seemingly SKIPS AND FUN regarding quarantine. AJR perfect for our pandemic. acknowledges this with a AJR tells the story CAMBER HERRIG still cheerful anthem. As through a pair of socks, PUBLIC RELATIONS the band writes, “Cause a quirky move that is not you’re only going up from surprising coming from The distinct feature h e re .” the band. of their music is their “3 O’Clock Things” is “Bang!” was released multi-instrumentalist how your mind works in as a single in February aspect to every song. This the middle of the night. of 2020. There is a lot of rings true on AJR’s fourth Topics like politics, sex, mixed reviews about this album, OK ORCHESTRA, advertisements and song, and I truly don’t which debuted on March college are discussed in know why. If you could 26. a commentary or rant of categorize a song as a It’s theatrical meets sorts. AJR makes me smile “coming of age piece,” indie. Quirky meets because of their abaility this song would be it. The catchy. Electric pop meets to play a happy tune even chorus is catchy, dynamic orchestra. I can’t stop if they are talking about and loud. The band pukes from listening, humming scary things. The song over taxes and finds an and dancing to AJR on builds up until 3:15, with apartment across from the repeat. a major drop that leads park. Maybe the lyrics are There’s one word for into a chorus of brass, generic, but the piano and this album: exuberant. strings and electronic the build-up make up for The album opens with bass. The song takes a it. “OK Overture.” AJR is political stance, claiming “The Trick” is a skip. known for including that if you’re racist, don’t The track opens up with overtures to their albums. come to their show. This an annoying, wavering It’s the perfect opening is one of my favorites. voice, and it persists song, featuring a small "My Play” slows down throughout. sample of each individual the album, telling the The next track melody. Even in the first story of a parent’s divorce. makes up for the prior. minute, the trumpets It’s a sad song with a nice “Ordinaryish People” PHOTO COURTESY OF AJRBROTHERS.COM can be heard alongside melody, but it seems out features the Blue Man the electronic beat to the of place in an otherwise Group, a performance art Hiding your problems tempo, with the same hit, although a few skips songs. jazzed album. It’s a skip company, with characters is the theme of “Humpty themes of feeling a little are blended in. AJR’s Next is “Bummerland,” for me. who are painted blue and Dumpty,” using another better, or as the band puts unique storytelling and which was released as a The fifth song, “Joe,” never speak a word. The unique story to tell the it, feeling less sad. lyrics with the dynamic, single in August 2020. reflects upon asking impressive percussion is tale. The album ends with theatrical sounds and This song was on repeat someone you used to thanks to the group. This “World’s Smallest “Christmas in June,” a multiple instruments are here to stay, and with this as I started college in the know if they think you’re song sticks to a theme Violin” is a metaphor for song about missed events midst of a pandemic. I’m we will continue to see how small problems can but making it up for with album, I am way less sad. cool now. It’s a well- sure most of us thought blended song with the regarding the middle be invalidated. celebrating Christmas in we were in Bummerland, piano and electronic-pop ground and being just The second to last song, June. arriving to college sounds. okay. “Way Less Sad” is a slower Overall, the album is a Godzilla vs. Kong, the big creature feature MOVIE REVIEW STUNNING BATTLES adults, comic relief and worried However, when it comes to not easy to decide if the movie is WITH CREATURES parents. No character offers action, the movie promises on good or not. something audiences have never what it delivers and so much Nonetheless, for fans of action seen before. Yet, the movie is more. Action sequences are well and creature feature movies, MISAEL BRUZZONE clearly not about the characters thought-out and orchestrated. this movie will have everything ECONOMICS as they have no arcs or character The cinematography by Ben they could want. Fans of movies Godzilla vs. Kong is exactly development. At its heart, Seresin, someone used to big with more content will be left what the title describes, a this movie is solely about two budget action movies, captures disappointed. Nevertheless, the movie about two beloved and monsters fighting and not much everything perfectly and fact that some people will be iconic movie monsters fighting else.