– Page 15 – student news at Spring Arbor University

SAU Sticker Shock

By Carly Thompson
Director of Campus Safety Scott Krebill announced a new $50 fee for parking permits this year.

Director of Campus Safety Scott Krebill announced a new $50 fee for parking permits this year.

Prior to this semester, parking permits were free for all students. Krebill made this change in order to provide better service to campus.

“We have been aware that other schools charge a permit fee, and we could no longer afford to provide quality services while issuing the permits for free,” Krebill said.

Krebill researched other Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and found that most schools charged more than what Spring Arbor University (SAU) settled on.

“Parking permits at other schools range from free to up to $300 per year,” Krebill said.

Although parking permits have a cost, the price of parking tickets will remain the same. According to Krebill, SAU has some of the lowest fines for parking tickets, and a 50 percent break is given if paid within the first three days.

“I understand that we have a cheaper fee than most schools. What is frustrating and upsetting to me is that we were not informed until two weeks before school. There was no way to make appropriate plans for the year,” senior Emily Wilcox said.

According to junior Campus Safety officer, Lexi Horn, it was time for this change to occur, in order to continue providing necessary services. Campus Safety has needed more funds to update their equipment.

Funds from the permit charge are designated for Campus Safety use, not the general budget. Campus Safety plans to use these funds for improving some parking signage, replacing worn out equipment used to keep parking lots safe and every vehicle running smoothly.

This year, Campus Safety is able to add service hours on weekend mornings and replace their worn out patrol vehicle.

According to Horn, this new cost has nothing to do with the demolition of the tennis court parking lot, but more to do with a change in funding for Campus Safety.

Another parking lot is already in the works adjacent to the freshman lot. Juniors and seniors are being asked to park in the Gainey, Ogle and sophomore lots, as well as in the overflow lot behind the Fieldhouse.

All students are welcome to attend the “Know Parking” education blitz plan advertised the first two weeks of school. Posters and flyers will explain the changes and educate people on where to park and how to obtain the proper permit.

“Our goal is compliance, not enforcement, but this is how we have to manage a parking system with very limited space. It works if everybody does their part,” said Krebill.

Students are asked to take any complaints, questions, and concerns to Krebill at scott.krebill@arbor.edu. Campus Safety can also be contacted through the SAU mobile app.

Enrollment down: Faculty, staff suspect nostalgia

By Elise Emmert
Enrollment is down by 30 percent this year and it has not taken long for faculty to identify the reason.

Enrollment is down by 30 percent this year, and it has not taken long for faculty to identify the reason: a media-supported nostalgia for childhood.

“We haven’t seen numbers this low in over 20 years,” one admissions rep said. “It just wasn’t making sense. But then we started looking at what was going on in pop culture and I think we found our answer there.”

Many adults have been quick to blame the app Pokémon GO for making young adults more interested in gaming than in studies because of the app’s intense media coverage. But the app was released in the United States in mid-July, and student interest in responsibility and growing up had begun decreasing long before then.

“We were starting to see general decreases in student motivation as early as the end of the last school year,” one professor said. “It wasn’t just the typical ‘end of the year blahs,’ either. I believe the problem lies in something I’m calling the ‘childhood reboot.’ Movie remakes of childhood favorites are having just as much of an impact as apps like Pokémon GO.”

The sequel “Finding Dory,” for instance, found as much support from children as from the teens and young adults who grew up on “Finding Nemo,” the original film released in 2003. Disney’s live-action remake of their 1967 movie “The Jungle Book” had a similar reception, with 48 percent of the viewing audience being adults flooding the theaters to relive a part of their childhood, this time with better animation.

“Young adults are being encouraged by the media to hold onto their childhood and avoid growing up and taking on adult responsibilities, like getting jobs and planning for the future,” said another professor who looked into the issue. “That’s why fewer students are signing up for college.”

The nostalgia can take longer to catch up to some young adults than for others, but the effects are almost immediate. For example, one student was found by his Resident Assistant (RA) sitting alone in his room on move-in day because his roommate failed to show up.

“He seemed excited to come,” he said. “But a couple of weeks ago he started posting stuff about Pokémon GO, and I haven’t heard from him since. I think he dropped out or something.”

Another student was overwhelmed when her roommate carted in her complete collection of Disney movies.

“She had, like, 70 DVDs and 40 VHS tapes,” she said. “Who even has VHS tapes anymore?”

In all, a total of 12 freshmen students failed to show up to campus for move-in day. Many more left their parents to unpack their things so they could go outside and see what Pokémon were hiding among the squirrels on campus.

Most professors believe there is no way to undo the effect of the nostalgia wave, and the only thing to do is wait for it to pass.

“Hopefully, people will get tired of playing the Pokémon game and we can get our numbers back up,” said one professor. “But until then, I have to defend my gym. Go Team Mystic!”

Save

SAU App Centralizes Information

By Katie Shotts

Spring Arbor University (SAU) launched a self-titled app this summer featuring information on all campus activities.

The iOS and Android app is free and available for download for students, staff, and guests alike, so parents or friends can stay connected to campus life. Its many features will improve communication and safety between students and campus groups.

Assistant Dean of Students Bobby Pratt was largely responsible for the development of the app. He said the goal behind its creation is taking information and “putting it in students’ hands.”

With the app, students can find schedules and locations of all campus events. A master calendar is also available from sports events to chapel speakers to club meetings. There is also an option to buy tickets for events such as Homecoming or shows.

Clubs and groups have their own page on the app and can keep students informed about meetings, practices and announcements through notifications by email or straight to a phone. A campus wide feed, similar to Facebook, also includes categories like “Buy & Sell,” “Lost + Found,” “Housing” and “Ride Sharing.”

Under “Campus Services,” students can find office times and locations including the Dining Commons, Cougar Den and Holton Health Center.

In the past, Pratt said, communication to the entire campus during potential emergency situations could be difficult and possibly ineffective. Now, the app can send out campus wide notifications at a moment’s notice. The app also allows students to call Campus Safety with a touch of a button.

“It’ll be handy,” says Campus Safety Officer, Alexis Horn. “You can call us straight from the app. It’s a lot easier.”

The app is a continual work in progress, with a plan in place to add coupons from local businesses.

The administration hopes the app will be valuable to students, according to Pratt, they, “hope that it is another element to add to the community.”

Save

MCU Catch-Up (Part 3)

Marvel’s latest blockbuster “Captain America: Civil War” opened in theaters this weekend and intertwined multiple Marvel cinematic universe (MCU) stories. The plot brings back the usual Avengers gang (minus Thor and the Hulk) while introducing new members Black Panther, Ant Man, and Spiderman.

Because the conglomeration of these stories can be a bit confusing, staff writer Heather Clark and guest writer Lily O’Connor have written summaries of every Marvel movie leading up to “Civil War” in chronological order. “The Pulse” will be posting these summaries over the next couple of days to help refresh your mind before seeing “Civil War”, or to help you connect missing links you hadn’t caught after seeing the movie for the third time.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

In the 1980s, a young Peter Quill is kidnapped from Earth. Years later, he is part of a band of intergalactic thieves and goes by the name Starlord. While stealing a mysterious artifact, he is targeted by two bounty hunters—Rocket, a surgically enhanced raccoon, and Groot, a humanoid plant. An assassin Gamora, working for terrorist Kree leader Ronan, also wants the artifact, the Orb. They are all captured by authorities and sent to a space prison, where Gamora is attacked by an alien called Drax the Destroyer, who is seeking revenge for Ronan killing his family.

Quill manages to convince them all to work together long enough to escape the prison and deliver the Orb to a buyer. They agree, but when they prepare to sell the Orb to a man known as the Collector, the Orb is revealed to contain one of six Infinity Stones, which also include the Tesseract and the Aether. The stone causes an explosion and the group realizes it needs to be given to the Nova government authorities, but Ronan has tracked them to the Collector’s home. In the battle, Ronan takes the Stone and Quill and Gamora are captured by Quill’s old employers, the space thieves, the Ravagers. Quill convinces the Ravagers to help him get back the stone, and they ally with the Nova fighters to stop Ronan. The stone is recovered and Ronan is destroyed, but Quill discovers that he is not entirely human. He and the others decide to continue working together.

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

While taking down Hydra outposts, the Avengers discover Loki’s scepter as well as two enhanced siblings. While fighting against Hydra and the Maximoff twins, Clint Barton is shot and is airlifted to Helen Cho, a doctor who works closely with the Avengers. Meanwhile, Stark is attacked by Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, who has the ability to manipulate the mind, causing Tony to see a horrible future. The Avengers are able to retrieve the scepter and return to Stark Tower, which has been renamed Avengers Tower.

Tony begins scientific experiments on the scepter, which he discovers has a computer inside. His attempts to link it to J.A.R.V.I.S. are eventually successful, although the new intelligence proves to be an adversary to Stark and his companions. The creation, named Ultron, takes over Tony’s collection of Iron-Man suits and attacks the Avengers, later disappearing into the internet when he is defeated.

The Avengers travel to Africa to meet with an arms dealer about a supply of Vibranium, the same metal that makes up Steve’s shield, which Ultron wants so he can build an infallible body. They arrive too late, and the Hulk, under the influence of Scarlet Witch, wreaks havoc on the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. With nowhere else to go, Clint takes the Avengers to his safe house, where they discover that Clint is married with children.

The Avengers try to figure out what to do next, and eventually realize that Ultron is attempting to build a flesh body for himself with the help of Helen Cho, whom he took control of with the use of the mind stone, an infinity stone contained in Loki’s scepter. The Avengers steal Ultron’s body before he can be fully integrated into it, and Tony decides to input JARVIS into the body instead. This creates the being known as the Vision. The Avengers, plus Vision, hurry off to Sokovia, the home-country of the Maximoffs, to face Ultron one last time.

The Maximoffs, realizing Ultron only wants war and death, switch sides and team up with the Avengers. In the midst of trying to evacuate the city is forced into the air, and S.H.I.E.L.D. sends help to save the civilians. During the battle, Pietro, one of the twins, is shot saving Clint’s life and dies. A grieving Wanda is able to destroy Ultron’s body, but he narrowly escapes. He is eventually defeated by the Vision. The movie ends with Steve training a new set of Avengers, including Tony’s friend Rhodey, Sam Wilson, and Wanda.

Ant-Man (2015)

Recently released from prison, burglar Scott Lang is trying to work and live a normal life while attempting to get visiting rights for his daughter. When he loses his job, some of his old friends talk Scott into robbing a safe in a mansion. The only thing in the safe is what looks like a motorcycle suit. However, after trying the suit on, Scott realizes it has the ability to shrink a person to the size of an ant. Freaked out, Scott tries to return the suit, and is arrested for breaking and entering. He is able to escape jail by using the suit, which was given to him again, and he discovers that his ‘release’ was caused by the suit’s owner, Dr. Hank Pym. Dr. Pym used to work with Howard Stark until he tried to get Pym’s shrinking particles to be used as a weapon.

Pym’s protégé, Darren Cross, is attempting to recreate the particle, something Pym is trying desperately to stop. With the help of Scott, and Pym’s daughter Hope, Pym plans to steal the prototype suit. In order to steal the suit, Scott needs to break into the new Avengers facility to get a part and ends up fighting with Sam Wilson. He is able to escape and heads back to the Pym household. He enlists help to break into Cross’s facility, but is unable to steal the suit before Cross takes it out of storage. Scott must then fight Cross, which alternates between normal size and ant size in Scott’s family’s house. He is eventually able to defeat Cross. The movie ends with Sam Wilson asking around about this new “hero.”

By Heather Clark and Lily O’Connor

MCU Catch-Up (Part 2)

Marvel’s Avengers (2012)

S.H.I.E.L.D. is conducting experiments on the Tesseract at a secret facility when the cube opens a portal and Loki arrives through it. He takes the Tesseract and takes control of some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, including Clint Barton/Hawkeye and Eric Selvig. After Loki escapes Nick Fury sets the Avengers Initiative into action. Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanoff and Steve Rogers arrive on the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, where a search is being conducted for Loki.

Iron Man and Capitan America capture Loki, only to have him stolen by his brother, Thor. After a fight, the team discovers Loki is planning to lead an army of aliens called the Chitauri to take over Earth. Loki manages to break free during an attack on the helicarrier which causes the Hulk to appear and Thor to be thrown out of the ship. Natasha and Clint fight and she hits him in the head, causing Loki’s mind control to break. Together with the help of Steve and Tony, they realize that Loki is planning on using Stark Tower to power the portal and race to New York. Loki has already created the portal when they arrive, and they are forced to battle the aliens. S.H.I.E.L.D. tries to send a nuclear missile into the city to destroy the aliens, but Tony sends it through the portal and Natasha is able to close the gateway. The aliens are defeated and the team splits up, with Thor returning his brother to Asgard for punishment.

Iron Man 3 (2013)

Several years before the events of the first “Iron Man” movie, Tony attended a New Year’s party in Bern, Switzerland where he met Aldrich Killian and Maya Hansen. In the present, Tony suffers from PTSD after the Battle of New York, and also faces the new threat of a terrorist called the Mandarin. After an attack by the Mandarin puts Tony’s bodyguard in the hospital, Tony challenges the Mandarin and his house is attacked. Tony is assumed dead and is able to go after the Mandarin covertly. In the meantime, Pepper is kidnapped by Killian, who along with Hansen has been developing a serum to create super healing, which he calls Extremis. Tony attacks the Mandarin’s mansion only to discover that the man called the Mandarin is an actor hired by Killian to cover up accidental explosions from the unstable Extremis. Killian kidnaps the President of the United States and Rhodey and Tony attack the oil tanker Killian is using as a base and rescue the president and Pepper. Later, Tony undergoes an operation to remove the shrapnel from his heart and throws away his arc reactor after destroying all of the suits he created.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013 – current)

Agent Phil Coulson, an agent who was killed by Loki during the attack on the helicarrier in the “Avengers”, is mysteriously revived, puts together a team of agents, and begins to investigate alien occurrences and a growing threat from inside the agency itself.

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

While investigating gravitational anomalies occurring around the world, Jane Foster comes in contact with a mysterious substance that invades her body. Thor takes her to Asgard to try to find a cure, and they discover that the substance is known as the Aether, a weapon of the Dark Elves, who want to use it to turn the world to darkness using the Convergence, which causes gravitation anomalies. To remove the Aether from Jane’s body, Thor enlists the captive Loki’s help to travel to the Dark Elves’ world. The leader of the Dark Elves, Malekith, removes the Aether, but steals it for himself and Loki is stabbed in the battle. Believing him dead, Thor and Jane return to Earth and battle Malekith in London, finally managing to retrieve the Aether. Thor returns to Asgard to tell his father that he cannot be king because he has chosen to guard Earth. Odin agrees, but when Thor leaves, Odin is revealed to be only an illusion covering up the real person on the throne, Loki.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Steve Rogers, who had moved to Washington D.C. after the Battle of New York, is still working for S.H.I.E.L.D. when he is assigned to infiltrate a captured ship. While retaking the ship from pirates, Steve realizes that Natasha Romanoff, on the mission with him, is secretly gathering information from the onboard computer for Fury. When Steve approaches Fury, the director shows him the new Helicarriers being built as part of Project Insight, a new weapon designed to take out threats before they begin. Fury, however, is concerned about the project and asks senior S.H.I.E.L.D. official Alexander Pierce to postpone the project.

After his request, Fury is ambushed on the road by a group led by the Winter Soldier. Fury escapes and hides in Steve’s apartment, but is killed by the Winter Soldier after giving Steve information on Project Insight. Steve and Natasha follow Fury’s directions to Steve’s old army training camp, where they discover an underground bunker filled with supercomputers. When they access the computers, they discover that Hydra was not destroyed after the Red Skull’s death in “The First Avenger” but instead has been infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. ever since.

Returning to D.C., Steve and Natasha ask Steve’s friend Sam Wilson for help, and they are attacked by the Winter Soldier whom Steve recognizes as his best friend Bucky. When S.H.I.E.L.D. tries to take them prisoner, the three are rescued by Agent Maria Hill and taken to a bunker where Fury reveals himself to be still alive. Steve and the others realize that Pierce, the Hydra leader inside S.H.I.E.L.D., is planning to use the Insight Helicarriers to take out threats to his own group. Steve, Natasha and Sam break into S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters and destroy the Helicarriers, although Steve fights Bucky and is thrown into the Potomac. Bucky drags him to safety and then disappears. Afterward, Steve and Sam begin to search for Bucky, with S.H.I.E.L.D. having been completely dismantled.

By Heather Clark and Lily O’Connor

MCU Catch-Up

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Brooklyn native Steve Rogers participates in a scientific experiment designed to create super-soldiers. When the program’s creator is killed by German Hydra agents, Steve, the only one to complete the program, is considered a test subject and relegated to selling war bonds under the title of “Captain America.” When he travels to the warfront to perform for the soldiers, he discovers his best friend’s company has been captured by Hydra. Steve disobeys orders and with the help of Agent Peggy Carter and inventor Howard Stark, travels into Nazi territory where the men are being held for scientific purposes. The territory surrounds an energy source Hydra has discovered, called the Tesseract. Steve liberates the POWs and several of them form a unit to fight Hydra. On one of their missions, Steve’s friend, Bucky Barnes, falls off a train to his apparent death. Steve then goes head-to-head with leader of Hydra and arch nemesis, Red Skull, and must crash the airplane they are in into the ocean to save humanity from destruction. This causes the Tesseract to be lost for many decades, until Stark finds it while searching for Steve’s body. Almost 70 years later, Steve’s body is discovered in the ice, still alive. He later wakes up in modern day New York and is approached by S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury.

Agent Carter (2015 – current)

After the events of “The First Avenger” Agent Peggy Carter is now working for the Strategic Scientific Reserve (S.S.R) and Howard Stark has been branded a fugitive for allegedly selling weapons to American enemies. With the help of Stark’s butler, Jarvis, Peggy is set on a mission to clear Stark’s name. While going behind the back of her superiors, Carter’s mission leads her to discover a remaining Hydra faction bent on revenge.

Iron Man (2008)

Stark’s son and weapons developer, Tony, is captured by a Middle Eastern terrorist group known as the Ten Rings. During the attack, he is too close to a missile and has fragments of metal blown into his heart. In order to survive this, Tony creates an arc reactor to prevent the metal from impaling his heart. To escape, he builds a metal suit and realizes its potential to become a line of defense. He improves the design with the help of his AI, J.A.R.V.I.S. When he discovers his business partner, Obadiah Stane, is selling Stark Industries weapons to the Ten Rings, he uses the suit to destroy the weapons. Stane builds his own suit to fight Tony, and although Tony is able to defeat Stane, the secret is out. Tony reveals himself at a press conference as Iron Man.

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Scientist Bruce Banner is on the run from authorities in Central America after a failed Gamma ray experiment caused him to transform into a green monster when his pulse was elevated. He is seeking a cure and travels to visit his former love interest, Betty Ross, who was involved in the experiment as well. Betty’s father, General Ross, is obsessed with capturing Banner and creates his own monster in order to defeat Bruce. Bruce and Betty visit a scientist who believes he can cure Bruce from his affliction, but the cure fails and Ross’s monster attacks Banner. After their fight, Banner disappears, still on the run from the military.

Iron Man 2 (2010)

Tony Stark reinstates his father’s expo to bring together scientific minds. In the midst of the expo, Tony faces his own mortality as he realizes that the arc reactor keeping him alive is also poisoning him. Tony searches for an alternative power source while under investigation by the government, which wants to appropriate his suit as a weapon. Tony is then attacked by the son of his father’s former Russian coworker, Ivan Vanko. Vanko is arrested but Tony’s rival weapons manufacturer, Justin Hammer, recruits him to help create Iron-Man style suits. Stark hands control of Stark Industries to Pepper Potts and hires Natalie Rushman, who is later revealed to be S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, as an assistant. At a party, Tony and his friend James “Rhodey” Rhodes get into a fight which ends with Rhodey stealing one of the Iron Man suits and Tony being put under house arrest by S.H.I.E.L.D. With the help of Nick Fury, Tony is able to manufacture a new element to power his arc reactor, saving his life. Meanwhile the suit Rhodey took has been modified by Justin Hammer, and Ivan has built an army of drones. The drones, when displayed at the Stark Expo, begin to attack, controlled by Vanko who is seeking revenge. Tony, Rhodey, Pepper, and Natasha team up to defeat the drones, Vanko, and Hammer.

Thor (2011)

Thor is about to be crowned King of Asgard when a rival alien species, Jotuns, break into a royal vault to steal an ancient weapon. Thor, angry that the Jotuns ruined the celebrations, decides to take his friends, the Warriors Three and Lady Sif, and his brother, Loki, to attack Jotunheim in retribution. When defeat is imminent, Odin comes to attempt to renegotiate a peace, but peace is lost. Odin takes Thor, Loki, and their friends back to Asgard, where he then banishes Thor for his ignorance in nearly starting a war. Thor is sent to Midgard (Earth), along with his mighty hammer, Mjolnir, and is immediately hit by a car belonging to scientists studying atmospheric phenomena.

Meanwhile in Asgard, Loki finds out that he is not actually Odin’s son, but instead was taken from Jotunheim, his home planet. His angry outburst sends Odin into a coma, and Loki takes control of the throne. Back on Earth, without his power or Mjolnir, Thor befriends scientists Jane Foster, Eric Selvig and Darcy Lewis. The Warriors Three and Lady Sif decide to travel to Earth to find Thor, and Loki sends a weapon called the Destroyer after them. In the ensuring battle Thor is wounded and sacrifices himself for the others. This sacrifice allows Mjolnir to return to him and his powers are reinstated. Thor defeats the Destroyer and returns to Asgard to confront his brother. This confrontation leads to the near death of Odin, apparent death of Loki, and destruction of the Bifrost, forcing Thor to remain on Asgard.

By Heather Clark and Lily O’Connor

Summaries of “The Avengers”, “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and the slew of sequels coming tomorrow!

Save

Flatline Voting

Vote for your favorite Flatline piece below! Voting will close at midnight on May 11!

Flatline Competition

You’ve seen the flyers, now get ready to choose! You can vote here for your favorite Flatline piece; the winner will be The Pulse’s new Flatline writer for next year!

You can view the final two pieces in the current issue of the Pulse, out now! We’ve also copied them below for your convenience.

FLATLINE #1

Student Actors Needed for Staged Dorm Rooms

In an effort to reduce tour traffic in the residence halls next year, Spring Arbor University (SAU) will be setting up “viewing rooms” for prospective students. But rather than let the rooms be lifeless and empty, SAU is looking for student actors to fill the rooms so prospective students can see a typical room without bothering other students.

Student actors will spend tour days in the staged rooms, doing their homework and acting happy. They will also be required to interact positively with visiting students and parents.

A tour guide said they “hope the new setup will keep the normal students from feeling like animals in a petting zoo during tours.”

“I never know what to do when people come by on tours,” one student said. “Like, I have to stop crying about my schoolwork so I don’t scare people away, and it’s exhausting.”

Other students agree.

“I just want to scroll through Facebook in peace, you know? I feel like I have to be productive when people are looking at me.”

SAU officials are planning on making staged rooms in Alpha 1 and on the 1 West in Gainey and Andrews Hall. Some housing changes may occur as a result, so students are advised to check their emails frequently over the summer.

Auditions for the positions of student actors will be taking place over the next week in the Student Development office. Applicants will be tested on their ability to ignore people snooping through their closets and dresser drawers and on how positively they respond to being interrupted while working on very important papers.

Flatline #2

University to Give Cats to Female Students

A pre-graduation press release from Spring Arbor University (SAU) stated the university would start appreciating female students more in 2016 than ever before.

Although International Women’s Day is March 8, two months before the graduation ceremony, SAU is trying to set an example for the rest of the community.

“It is never an inappropriate time to celebrate women,” a representative of the university said.

Faculty and staff scratched their heads for weeks deciding the perfect gift to celebrate the success of their female graduates. Finding a gift that would celebrate the different types of women represented on this campus was not the easiest task, but the faculty of SAU believes they’ve found it: kittens.

“They need something to love and nurture now that they’re officially adults,” the representative said. “We think cats were the way to go.”

However, there were some stipulations for those to receive cats.

“We realize that there are some women more… blessed than those who need cats,” the representative said. “So, those who are moving in the right direction in their lives, by getting married, can expect to receive a Babies-R-Us gift card.”

The news about the gifts brought new excitement and criticism for the graduation ceremony. Cat lovers were ecstatic about their good luck, while some women are questioning the university’s decision.

“Why are only the women getting gifts?” a particularly offended male said. “Why didn’t the guys get anything?”

Go here to vote for your favorite!

New SGA President and VP Q&A (extras)

You may have already seen Joey Dearduff (JD) and Alessandra Varelis’s (AV) interview in the current issue of “The Pulse” (go and pick up a copy if you haven’t yet!). Here a couple of extra questions that didn’t make it past the editing and cutting down process.

The Pulse (TP): What are some of the main goals you want to accomplish as president and vice president?

JD: Our slogan for the campaign and what it will be for SGA as a whole next year, is “Believe, belong, beyond.” Those three words encapsulate what we want to continue on campus and what we want to push for even more next year. Believe is Alessandra’s and my rootedness in Christ’s transformative power and the university’s desire to pursue Him, love Him and serve Him. Our belief in that empowers us to belong and to go beyond. What we desire for this campus next year is to belong, to build support among and between communities. Like Alessandra mentioned, empowering the people who feel as though their voice isn’t heard. To let them know that it is heard. So, belonging. Having people on campus know that they’re loved and taking that fellowship and that love we have for each other and having it transcend outside of these boundaries, outside of the Spring Arbor bubble into the world around us. That looks like service and worshipping not just in Chapel, and inviting the community here and going out and loving the community.

TP: Have Ty and Holly given you guys any advice on what to expect?

AV: We’ve talked a lot with them. They’re great and very encouraging. They’ve said if we have any questions we can call, email or text them; even next year, when they’re gone, if we need any help or advice. I’ve met with Holly and she told me the beginning of the year is super busy so make sure we take the summer and plan and think through things, which is helpful because a lot goes on in the beginning of the year.

JD: Ty has been very encouraging but also very real. He mentioned the campaign and how exhausting it would be and how taxing. When I was elected, he pulled me aside and congratulated me and said, “Hey man, just know that when times get rough, and they will get rough, I’ll be here for you.” I’ve been communicating with Steven Hlatky, who was the student body president my freshman year, and we built a relationship my freshman year. Even Ben Frederick here and there a little bit. It’s been really cool how encouraging, how supportive, and how real current and past presidents and vice presidents have been for us.

By Amber Cekander

Save

Roommates Choose Each Others Outfits: Day 5

Three Spring Arbor University (SAU) students decided to let their roommates pick their outfits for this week. Naturally, “The Pulse” is tagging along to see what happens. If you haven’t read the introduction post yet, click here to do so!

Day 5: Double-Teamed

Instead of just one roommate choosing the others, Friday was a day of combined forces. Two roommates teamed up to choose the third’s outfits, combining all three roommate styles.

Bekah

Today was (finally) the last day of this particular adventure. Today we did things slightly differently. Instead of Bri or Jessica picking my outfit, they did it together. I was thrilled to be back in my favorite black skinny jeans, which was casually paired with a purple t-shirt. I added the cardigan because, well, I’m always cold.

When people ask me about this week, I’m never really sure what to say. There were days where it was fun and I really enjoyed it, and there were days where I was eagerly waiting for Friday. Thursday night, the only thought going through my head was, “I am so over this.” However, I am glad we did it. This experience has encouraged me to start going outside my comfort zone and try new things (when it comes to clothes anyway). I feel much more confident in trusting my friends’ opinions on outfits, even when I’m not so sure about it. Will I do anything like this again? Probably not. That doesn’t mean, however, that I regret the experience. It was really… interesting.

Bri

I’M DONE, I’M DONE, I’M DONE! But really, this week has been one-of-a-kind and while I have no plans on letting someone else pick my clothes out anytime soon, it really was a good experience.

But more importantly, I FINALLY got to wear my black jeans! Let’s just say, I’ve missed them. As far as the outfit goes, I was pleasantly surprised! I don’t usually wear red, but I really liked the cardigan.

I think my favorite part of the whole experience was getting to see how Bekah and Jess incorporated their own style into what they picked out for me. While they used my clothes, they mixed and matched them in ways that very accurately represented who they are as individuals; and I love this. It reminded me of just how expressive and revealing of one’s personality clothes can be.

Jess

It’s the final day and I am happy to report, I am wearing leggings. This outfit is the closest representation to what I wear every day. Bri and Bekah both had a part in picking this outfit and all I can say is “thank you.” Originally, they picked out a pair of Bekah’s white flip flops for me to wear, which were a tad small, but I love it with the nude flats. I don’t really have anything negative to report, but I may have to steal Bekah’s cardigan (don’t tell her!)

Overall, this week was not terrible. I will enjoy being able to choose my own outfits again, but combating that with being able to choose my roommate’s outfits really helped. A couple of the outfits weren’t exactly my style. Although, I have to admit, I think my roommates dressed me betterthan I dress myself. I’m glad we had this experience.

By Bekah Kinney, Bri Loomis and Jessica Tower

Edited by Amber Cekander

The week is finally complete! Leave a comment below about how this experience influenced you? Are you going to try the experiment with your roommates? Or hold tightly to your personal style with all your might?

*all photos provided by the participants and used with permission*

Save