By: Sarah Williams

SAU Senior, Jada Kyle, runs the YouTube channel JadaKaay. She does makeup tutorial videos. Kyle’s most recent video was a Halloween Bat Wing Look.

Kyle said she mainly gets requests to do simple makeup looks, but occasionally does dramatic styles as well. She hopes her audience learns some makeup skills and how to be creative.

She started the channel as something fun to do in quarantine this past summer and as a way to showcase her looks. Her friends encouraged her to start a channel so other people could see her makeup skills.

Kyle struggled with starting the YouTube channel at first.

“I had a little bit of nervousness for some reason,” Kyle said. “I knew that I always wanted to do it. But I was like, I don’t even know if people were going to watch me…but a way that I overcame that was just saying if people were going to support me, they are going to support me. And I will just do it for the people who are watching me.”

She learned to be creative and consistent. The consistency helps motivate Kyle to post more videos.

In the future, Kyle hopes the channel could become a side job. She wants to branch out to hair, lifestyle, and travel videos. She is currently applying the makeup onto herself, but in the future, she would like to do other peoples’ makeup and hair.

“I just hope that it can grow enough that I can be able to see myself as I see other YouTubers now,” Kyle said.

Kyle’s next video may be about her Guatemala trip she took last semester. She will showcase what she did there in a vlog style.

She learned about makeup from watching her mother when she was younger. During her freshman year of high school, she started to get into YouTube videos and trending makeup styles.

“Watching my mom and aunt really inspired me to really get into it. I wanted to be creative and be able to enhance my looks like that,” Kyle said.

Watching other YouTube videos helped Kyle with her own videos. They gave her the basic steps of how to start her channel.

When Kyle gets an idea of a makeup look, she records the tutorial using her iPhone and a ring light. She considers this the easy part. She does the editing on her iPhone or laptop. The editing takes a long time and a lot of planning. She struggled with finding uncopyrighted music. It takes Kyle hours to apply her makeup, but the video will only end up being around 10 minutes. After uploading the video, she promotes it on her Instagram and Facebook.

Kyle uses makeup from both Sephora and Ulta, but her favorite is Ulta because it is more affordable and inclusive.

To anyone who wants to start a YouTube channel, Kyle says:

By: Merry Castle

In-person chapel is canceled, face-to-face interaction is limited, and the stress of this school year is finally catching up to us. What we need now more than ever is a connection to the Spirit and fellowship with other Christ-followers. Here are several Bible studies available on campus to help you get your Jesus fix.

The Human Condition and God’s Nature

The Human Condition and God’s Nature is run by Spiritual Life Leader Ryan Northup. The Bible study is for students living in Andrews Hall.

“It is about focusing on certain aspects of people and God illustrated throughout the Psalms,” said Northup. “I hope that people will learn from my Bible study that people are not perfect, but we should always be inspired by God’s character.”

Northup wants his Bible study to be a place where Christians of all stages of faith feel welcome and comfortable.

“I want people to know that at my Bible study, there is nothing wrong with bringing up our questions and doubts,” said Northup.

The Human Condition and God’s Nature meets on Thursday nights from 9 PM to 10 PM. The Bible study will continue to meet on Zoom after Thanksgiving Break. Students can find the Zoom link on the SAU App under the Spiritual Life tile or contact Northrup at ryan.northup@arbor.edu for more information.

Journeying Through James

Journeying Through James is a Bible study led by Andrew Phelps and Jessica Pepper. Phelps said anyone is welcome to join the group “guy, girl, freshman through senior.”

Phelps said each of the five chapters of James are separated into two sections. During the meeting, they read through and discuss one or two of these sections.

He hopes the members will learn that there is always room to grow as Christians. Also, he hopes they learn the benefit of studying scripture together and the community that is built around that.

“We also hope those who come will learn that Scripture is just as true today as it was in biblical times,” said Phelps. “There are so many similarities between the passages we read, meant for the ancient audience, and our own lives today.”

The Bible study meets Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30 PM in the upper level of Lowell.

“Unfortunately, we will not be continuing after Thanksgiving break,” said Phelps. “But we hope to offer more opportunities for similar types of studies next semester.”

For more information, students can contact Andrew Phelps at Andrew.phelps@arbor.edu or Jessica Pepper at Jessica.pepper@arbor.edu.

Freshman Girls’ Bible Study

The Freshman Girls’ Bible Studyis led by Spiritual Life Leader Lilli Keehn. It covers the Gospel of John. Freshman girls from both Gainey and Lowell are invited to join.

“My hope for people in my Bible study has been that they learn more about Jesus and his heart,” said Keehn. “I’ve hoped that they would be able to continue to solidify their faith and grow in it while having real and authentic conversations with everyone else in the group.”

Keehn said there isn’t a strict outline for the Bible study every week. “Instead of lecturing or preaching a message every week, I’ve tried my best to make our group time an open space and allow everyone to feel comfortable sharing what’s on their heart and what they were receiving from the part of Scripture we went over,” said Keehn. “All while having a type of guideline to go off of for me to make sure we don’t rabbit trail too far!”

The Bible study meets on Tuesdays at 7 PM in Lowell Lobby. Keehn said that she is still undecided if the Bible study will continue to meet on Zoom after Thanksgiving break.

Students can contact Lilli Keehn at Lillian.keehn@arbor.edu for more information.

Elizabeth Pruitt

My name is Elizabeth Pruitt and my major is Communications.
I chose Spring Arbor University (SAU) because it was close to home and I enjoyed the small campus size.

My favorite thing about it is the people I’ve met, both friends and faculty. I’ve truly found the people I want to do life with and it’s all thanks to SAU. I had a really difficult Junior year and the faculty at SAU were so kind and understanding. They gave me some great encouragement to make it through the issues I was facing in my personal life.

A fun fact about me is that I run a vintage and early 2000’s clothing Depop shop!

By: Merry Castle

As a basketball player, senior Communication Studies major Brandon Durnell understands the importance of setting goals for oneself both on and off the court. He is working on a digital influencing project called OWN OCTOBER. OWN OCTOBER is an online community designed to help people accomplish their desires through goal setting and accountability.

“The idea is to create goal categories, set goals within those categories, challenge two others to do the same, and make that group of people your accountability group,” said Durnell. “The idea is to accomplish the goals on your list and check in with your accountability group weekly.” 

Durnell posted his personal categories and goals on his website as well as weekly updates on whether or not he completed these goals. His five goal categories include: sobriety, diet, mental, basketball, and spiritual. Each of these categories has a list of goals he would like to achieve ranging from sleeping at least 8 hours a night, drinking a gallon of water every day, completing a daily devotional, and practicing basketball shots.

Durnell recommends finding incentives to help people achieve their goals. Although he hasn’t decided which one yet, Durnell said he plans to donate money to charity for every goal he misses.

Durnell hopes OWN OCTOBER will inspire others to achieve their goals. “I wanted to find a way for people to be able to accomplish the things they wanted and to live a joyful life every single day,” said Durnell. “I love goal setting and, in a year where a lot of crazy things have happened, and a lot of distractions are going on, I felt it was very good timing for something like this to happen.”

Durnell feels that goal setting and accountability are important at all times, but especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There are many distractions in a ‘normal year,’ but especially now, with everything going on in our society, we are as distracted as ever,” said Durnell. “I want to bring people together and help people that have dreams accomplish something, no matter what it is.” 

This project is part of Durnell’s Digital Influence course, and he said he is learning a lot from the project so far. “I am learning how to build an audience and get people on board with what we are doing,” said Durnell. 

Durnell hopes OWN OCTOBER will influence those who interact with it. “I hope people will join our movement and start owning life and doing the things they want to do,” said Durnell. “Own this moment. Own this day. Own this week. Own this month. Own the rest of this year. Own your life!”

Durnell plans to do online events for the months of November and December as well, so keep an eye out for updates on his website.

More information about OWN OCTOBER is available on Durnell’s website, Facebook page, and social media accounts at the handle @brandondurnell.

Students can contact Durnell with questions about OWN OCTOBER by visiting the contact page on his website or emailing him at brandondurnell@ymail.com.

By: Merry Castle

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted everyday life in America. For college students, this causes increased feelings of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and stress. Carrie Dashner, the Director of Counseling Services at Spring Arbor University (SAU), and Cecilia Said, the Masters of Arts and Counseling (MAC) intern, have some advice to help students cope with the anxiety of COVID-19.

“COVID-19 has had a major impact on mental health globally with a rise in depression and suicide,” said Dashner. “Here at SAU, we are seeing a higher number of students who are experiencing anxiety and depression related to COVID-19.”

Dashner and her team have noticed a trend. “We have noted a decline in the negative stigma toward counseling services, as evidence by an increase in the number of students seeking counseling,” Dashner said. “More students are making it known to their friends that they have sought our counseling services.”

Dashner said students are experiencing grief, loss, loneliness, and fear. “Our freshman students are missing out on typical activities that help encourage friendships, such as Cedar Bend experience, traditional activities at SAU, such as Arbor Games, the Chapel experience, Spiritual Life Retreat,” said Dashner.

Seniors are also experiencing losses. “They are losing their senior year experiences; some are missing their CCS trips, traditional activities they have engaged in over their years here at SAU, and graduation.”

Students are experiencing fears that often develop or result in anxiety. “Students are experiencing fear of testing positive for COVID-19, having to go into isolation, causing others to quarantine because of them, and missing out on activities, athletic events if in quarantine,” said Dashner. She said there is an added fear of passing COVID-19 to fragile family members or transitioning to online classes when they do not learn well online.

Dashner said many students are feeling lonely and isolated from friends and typical student interactions. “Not being able to hug or be close to friends is taking a toll on many students and their feeling of connectedness,” said Dashner. “Having to wear masks and just missing the facial expressions and smiles of others can feel lonely and create distance from others.” 

Dashner has some tricks and tips when it comes to coping with anxiety brought about by COVID-19. She said a balanced diet, adequate sleep, and daily exercise are key to managing anxiety, stress, and depression. Other management strategies include:

• Stay Organized:  Use a planner to organize your day or make lists to prioritize what needs to be accomplished. 
• De-clutter your space:  Many students are spending most of their time in their rooms.  Organize your space and create fewer distractions. 
• Find humor in each day.  Incorporate laughter into your day, google some jokes or funny memes
• Take breaks during the day:  Listen to music or a podcast or a short show, color, do a craft, write a letter, read a book, take a walk, shoot some hoops. Find what helps you relax.
• Engage in breathing exercises.  Breathe in slowly to the count of four and then exhale slowly to the count of four.  Repeat this several times.  There are also many Apps for breathing and relaxation techniques.
• Grounding techniques:  Use your five senses to focus on what is present and diminish anxiety.  Focus on what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch.
• Partake in spiritual practices:  Meditate, pray, read scripture, listen to a sermon online or worship music, or speak to a spiritual mentor to receive peace from the Lord.
• Journaling:  Use a journal to write out your feelings and emotions.
• Gratitude journal:  Write out things that you are thankful for or that the Lord has blessed you with.
• Reaching out to others:  Connect with others at least once daily through FaceTime, Skype, text, or phone call to seek and provide support.
• Helping others:  Take the focus off yourself and do something thoughtful for someone else.  Text a friend or family member, send a note, set up a social distancing coffee or lunch date.

Dashner and Said know spending time away from friends and family can be difficult. Said said, “Setting up FaceTime’s, House Parties, phone calls, text threads, Zoom meetings can help students feel connected to others even when they must be apart.” Dashner said, “Watch online church and chapel services together, have Zoom study groups, board game nights, or movie nights to help connect with other students.”

Students can also send letters, notes, or cards to friends and family members. “This can be helpful at this time,” said Dashner. “It gives the receiver something tangible.”

“There is a feeling or assumption that we will never get to be close to our loved ones ever again, but we need to have a positive mindset about this pandemic,” said Said. “We need to adjust our thinking in order to see that, eventually, we will be able to move forward and be with our loved ones as we once were.”

Dashner wants students to know there are opportunities available for them. “Many students sought help from counselors in their hometowns during the initial quarantine and have continued meeting with their counselors via teletherapy while on campus,” said Dashner. “For students who don’t have that support, we do offer counseling services through Holton Health and Wellness.”

“Counseling is confidential and free of charge for traditional undergraduate students,” said Dashner. Students can make an appointment by emailing carrie.dashner@arbor.edu.

Another opportunity available to students is Conversations with the Counselors. This event is hosted via WebEx twice a month on Wednesdays from 10-11 am. “This time of conversation is where on-campus students can come to learn about a specific topic related to mental health,” said Dashner. “This group is psychoeducational, which means that the purpose of it is for learning about these topics in order to more deeply understand them.”

Dashner said, “We are blessed to be on campus and in person.”

“By being able to be in community with each other right now, even if things are different, there is a social component that brings us happiness,” said Said. “Not many college students are getting to do this.”

Dashner understands that this is an unprecedented and stressful time, but she urges students to remember their faith. “Realizing that God is still in control amid all this uncertainty and fear allows us to have a more positive mindset and outlook on things,” said Dashner.

“Don’t be afraid to share with a trusted friend or family member that you are feeling depressed or anxious,” said Dashner. “Telling someone is the first step towards healing, and often, others are experiencing similar things, and it can be nice to share those feelings with others.” If you need additional assistance or counseling services, email carrie.dashner@arbor.edu.

By: Elizabeth Pruitt

As podcasts grow in popularity, it is not surprising that some creative Spring Arbor University (SAU) students have begun to create their own. One of these student-produced podcasts is Seth Gorveatte and Kyle Koerner’s Big Brain Time Debate Podcast. The podcast, which features a rotation of five hosts and guest hosts, centers around semi-seriously debating frivolous topics. Some topics they debated include pineapple on pizza, the morality of the campus squirrels, and if cyclops wink or blink.

The regular hosts of the podcast are SAU students Seth Gorveatte, Kyle Koerner, and Ira Thiessen, as well as former SAU students Joey Sass and Jared Boekenhauer. As a way to breathe new life into the podcast, guest hosts have been invited to participate in these debates. So far, SAU alumni Luke Richardson and Liz Pence have made appearances. 

Big Brain Time Debate Podcast started as a creative outlet for Gorveatte. 

“A little over a year ago, I was frustrated that I wasn’t making anything outside of class. I just didn’t feel like I could commit to some new project, but it felt wrong to only do what classes required,” said Gorveatte. 

After a lengthy debate over Star Wars with his friends, Gorveatte realized how easy it would be to record and edit these debates for other people to listen to. This idea resulted in their first episode: Is Jar Jar Binks a Good Character? Quite a few of their episodes revolve around film and other pop culture references.

“I find pop culture’s impact on people really interesting,” said Gorveatte. “Like, movies like Star Wars become centerpieces of weird college conversations, but what are these movies even about? “The Force”? And which movies become popular can be such a random thing. I think that’s why I like these debates. They expose some sort of endearing absurdity about how humans interact with the imagination.”

“Are BIRDS government SPY Drones?” is the first Big Brain Time Podcast to feature a video, as Gorveatte is attending SAU remotely from Canada. The hosts recommend first-time listeners begin with this episode, as it is a perfect mixture of an absurd topic and semi-serious debate. 

Gorveatte does all the editing and social media management for the podcast. While the project is mostly for fun, the experience has helped him gain valuable career skills.

“It’s been a good experience because I currently intern doing social media-content creation for a local business,” said Gorveatte. “The same principles from running the podcast often apply to real companies, so this has been a good introduction. I’d recommend people who want to work in media make something like this. My only word of advice would be to not take it too seriously. Make it simple so you don’t find yourself dreading the extra work. Don’t be disappointed if people don’t listen.”

Big Brain Time Podcast is currently available to listen to on their YouTube channel, linked here. You can also follow them on their Twitter, linked here. 

Have a podcast, YouTube channel, Instagram, small business, blog, or any other media project you’d like highlighted in The Pulse? Contact Elizabeth Pruitt at elizabeth.pruitt@arbor.edu.