... MARIAN UNIVERSITY'S ONLINE NEWSPAPER Fall 2020 LARK JONES: A Resource for Inclusion: The Unity Center LINDSEY ROUSSEAU: Bigger Than Us: Marian University's Fight Against Covid-19 @themarianphoenix 21ST CENTURY WEDDINGS A THREE-PART SERIES ON WEDDINGS CHILDHOOD FEARS - SHORT STORY/ THE DPC A RESOURCE FOR INCLUSION AND COMMUNICATION / + MORE INSIDE CREATIVE KNIGHTS MEET THE NEW LOGO DESIGNER LucyWahnsiedler is a junior Communication major, with minors in Pastoral Leadership and Graphic Design. She is a Presidential Ambassador, a Speaking Studio Consultant, and a San Damiano Scholar. Lucy is honored to have her design chosen as The Marian Phoenixs new logo. ABOUT THE L.DGD As a Chinese American, I meshed Fenghuang, the Chinese Phoenix, with a European Phoenix design. The logo is in the Marian colors, to make it cohesive with social media and the current Marian Phoenix website. This phoenix is holding a feather pen, which alludes to the Christian symbol of a dove with an olive branch, as Marian is a Catholic University. Additionally, the feather pen represents the painstaking writing process, as writers use and convey parts of themselves when they put pen to paper. OPINION Social Justice By Lark Jones A couple months ago, players in the NBA chose to boycott their games, grabbing millions of people's attention across the world. Why were they boycotting, you ask? They were fed up and tired. Tired of the same revolving door of social and racial injustice. So, the players in the NBA chose to do something about it, they boycotted playing. This boycott got me inspired to think about how me being an athlete and African-American has an effect on bringing light to social justice. I wrote an essay on what the conversation of social justice and athletics means. I communicated how all of the fans watching the NBA players boycott are seeing a true example of what it means to fight for what you believe in. I want to continue that conversation. A couple months after writing my reflective essay I have realized even more things about athletics and social justice. It takes real leadership to step up and take action. Athletes like Lebron James are not leaders because they are MVP's or because they have the most points on the team. They are leaders because they never shy from continuously projecting their messages out as loud as they can. In my opinion, using your power for the good is what makes a real leader. There are countless athletes who have the influence to raise awareness about an issue, but choose to ignore the opportunity to change what they see is happening. They sit back in their bubble of privilege and choose to let the chance to do something pass over them. To me that is not what makes a leader, and it isn't inspiring. What gives me inspiration is change and dialogue, no matter how small. My dad was an athlete all his life, basketball was his sport of choice. I often have conversations with him about the social and racial injustice that is hurting this country. He explained by him being an athlete he knows so many people and has received many resources from basketball. Even with his career today, basketball has acted as a partner in his success. There has not been one moment, where my dad has not used the influence that basketball gave him to aid in the conversation of racial injustice. He is always implementing factors into his daily life that are fighting for justice. People are able to listen, and he wouldn't be able to do that in the same way without his relationship with basketball. I recently had a discussion with him about a criminal justice reform program that he is leading at his place of work. It was extremely eye-opening to speak with my dad about all of the ways that people of color can be discriminated against in this society. By my father leading this criminal justice reform program, he will show how injustice affects a portion of America's system. He was given this opportunity to lead this movement as a successful black man in America, trying to guide other black kids, for instance, who might not have the resources to be their most successful. I find it inspiring to see my dad continue to be a role model and use the platform that sports have given him to create a dialogue. Basketball has allowed my dad to communicate with so many organizations and communities across the state of Indiana. As the criminal justice reform program continues, there is hope for improvement in our justice systems and the people so bluntly affected by it. For him and so many other athletes it is about enacting substantial change in the U.S. It is about not just saying we need change, but actually going out and creating change. My hope is that the actions of black athletes continue to disrupt the narrow-minded and dangerous justice system that I see today. I hope that one day athletes like Lebron James will not have to boycott an NBA game, over a life that was so recklessly taken. Sometimes greatness is hard to achieve, but that doesn't mean that the fight to achieve greatness is impossible. It is eas whe bring joy anted. By Jazilyn Richardson Oftentimes through this pandemic plenty of experiences have been altered in our everyday life but one thing has stayed the same for many Marian students, the ability to find joy on campus. Joy is an extremely ambiguous term. However, many people perceive joy over all in a similar light. It holds an individual meaning from person to person. Students around Marian University's campus were asked about how they perceive joy. All of their responses were unique. Yet they all had a similar theme, but each definition seemed individualistic. Overall they were all they all had a similar theme but still individualistic. Brittany Watson, a nutrition major, described joy as an intense feeling that includes happiness and leads to that classic warm and fuzzy feeling everyone knows and loves. Along with her feelings of joy she acknowledges that it revolves around great pleasure. Another student, Calvin Taylor, describes joy as something that makes you want to have fun. Meanwhile, Julian Johnson, a sophomore studying graphic design, said "I define joy as the absence or at least numbness to pain." Julian was able to further explain that joy is a sense of freedom. No matter how temporary that feeling last, it offers an escape from what you may be stressing about in your life at the time. Oftentimes college students feel overwhelmed and feel robbed of their joy because of an overload of work to complete, however they still are able to seek it out. As the Marian community has to continue to adjust and adapt to living through a pandemic, being able to seek out joy has still remained important. As for how students find joy on campus, count on each student having a different response since joy can be described in various ways. The most popular answer from the students interviewed was that they found joy from simply linking up with their friends. This pandemic has given the opportunity for many to find a greater appreciation for personal contact with beloved friends. Along with finding joy in being around your own personally selected friends on campus, individuals have also expressed how the Ecolab has given them the ability to experience joy in that moment. It is easy to forget what can bring joy when it is taken for granted. It is easy to get caught up in the craziness of being a college student. It is important to remember what brings you joy. Take time out of a busy week to be able to get a moment of bliss and partake in whatever brings you joy. Take care of yourself and find your joy. RUGBY 1S BEGINNINGS By Riley Ferguson It all started with just a whisper to President Dan Elsener from Marian University graduate Brian Sweany '95. Sweany recommended that since Rugby is growing at such a rapid rate, that Marian look into forming a varsity rugby team. Many conversations transpired into how this would promote Marian along with giving interested student athletes the ability to play a new sport at the school. Marian University ultimately hired Coach John Harley to lead the path in forming an outstanding varsity rugby team at Marian. Coach Harley comes from Fishers, Indiana where he was a head coach for their youth rugby program. Coach Harley, along with his wife Heather, has spent months figuring out how to successfully implement a new sport at Marian. Their hard work and determination were efficacious in the preparation of the first season of the sport. Harley said that the team will start at the Division II level. Practice started this semester instead of last semester because of COVID-19 policies, but they believe that this team is destined for championships. He plans to measure the success of the program by "climbing the ladder to a Division I spot and hopefully winning a couple national championships along the way." Harley also pointed out that since Marian is centrally located in the country, it will give them the opportunity to travel and get Marian's name out there. Harley also mentioned rugby offers an advertisement opportunity for Marian because it is televised. Harley has done an outstanding job at recruiting players around the world. Jacob Carroll from London, England, is a freshman at Marian. Carrol was recruited by Coach Harley and he is so excited about this season. Carroll said that he did not know Marian University existed prior to being reached out to by Coach Harley, but that he is happy to be a part of such an amazing school and rugby program. Carroll said that he knows that Marian's rugby program is going to thrive because of how exceptional practicing is going. Carroll has been playing rugby for 12 years, so he has seen how many programs are run and how they can excel. Carroll said that he has no doubt in Marian's rugby program and that he is so excited to see how the team will perform. Over 800 rugby clubs exist in the United States, but only 32 of those are varsity teams that give out athletic scholarships. Marian is one of those 32 varsity teams. Coach Harley said that once he gets everything the way he wants it to be, that he has plans to eventually partner with other collegiate rugby programs. So much hard work and dedication have gone into making sure that the team will prosper. The team brings excitement to this campus in the next era of Marian athletics. He plans to measure the succe of the program by "climbin the ladder to a Division I spo and hopefullywinning a coupl national championships along th wa A CELEBRATION OF DIFFERENCES By Linny Rousseau Hispanic Heritage Month on Marian University's campus has been lively and active despite restrictions from COVID-19 Guidelines. Students on campus have filled the month with food, dance, and celebration of diversity on campus. From September 15th until October 15th, Marian University's Student Organization of Latinos (SOL) and the Latin@ Leadership Initiative created an encouraging atmosphere for our Latin@ population on campus. Manuela Higgins, Executive Director of Latin@ Leadership, spoke about the efforts in making this a year to remember regardless of the circumstances. September 15th kicked off the month with an 'Orange Day' celebration at the Franciscan Heritage Fountain. Attendees all wore orange to promote the kickoff event. Higgins explained this as a "celebration of differences" in which campus could highlight all Hispanic cultures while being united as human beings. That united community atmosphere would continue throughout the month. A popular hit on campus celebrating Hispanic Heritage was inside the Dining Commons. Every Friday, the featured meal was a dish that originated at different Hispanic countries such as Cuba, Mexico, and Venezuela. While they may have had to look beyond the plexiglass and limited seating, students could still share a meal with their friends and engage into the Hispanic cultures. Other events held were The Oranging of the Fountain and Fiesta Latina. Both events were in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month and highlighted diversity well. Fiesta Latina began with traditional Hispanic party games and ended with some more traditional food. This event allowed campus to celebrate Hispanic cultures in their own traditions. Secretary of the SOL, Fran Cardenas, spoke about the growth in diversity Marian University has seen in recent years. She said that because of this; she has actually grown in her Hispanic roots. The junior Public Health and Social Work major has family from both Mexico and Honduras. However, she grew up in the United States and did not know much Spanish. Coming to Marian has allowed her to pick that skill up to speak with other students with Hispanic backgrounds on campus. Higgins and Cardenas both encourage the people on this campus to get involved with Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond. Higgins said she wanted this to "become an institutional celebration." They both want to see students of all backgrounds to attend events and learn about diversity. To do so, students may take part in several ways. Following SOL on social media is a first step. Individuals can discover what is going on in SOL and other events on campus and off campus to celebrate Hispanic culture. For those Spanish-speaking members of the community, SOL and Higgins have created a new page called 'MU Latinos' to connect Spanish speakers to the Marian University community. The page is all in Spanish to accommodate for those individuals. Cardenas also noted that students can get on an email list to stay connected with SOL. To do so, they would need to email her at fcardenas762@marian.edu. Students can see more on Hispanic Heritage Month and SOL on Connect. THE EHCHANGE A Top Resource for Student Success By Lark Jones THE SON From the time that people are young, they think about what it is they want to do in life. What career path is right for them? What are the qualities needed to be my most successful? Many college students experience obstacles and uncertainty when it comes to determining the right job for them. At Marian University, there is a resource that guides students with the skills and abilities to be successful. The Exchange is a service that provides a way for students to get connects and learn more about what it takes to have a great career. Many aspects of the Exchange help students learn to reach their full potential. Jenny Morris, Executive Director for the Exchange at Marian University, explained, "Our work in the Exchange centers on promoting Experience that Matters: connecting students to experiential learning opportunities of all types (on-campus employment, internships, community engagement, special projects) to help them hone their communication, problem solving, teambuilding, and leadership skills." There are many unknown resources for students available on campus. For instance, students can use the Exchange as a guide it they want to find an internship but are uncertain on where to begin the internship process. So, what does the typical process at the Exchange look like? There are multiple ways for students to get in contact with the Exchange. Students can contact the Exchange via email or by going to their location on the first floor of the Mother Theresa Hacklemeier Memorial Library. Students can also connect with the Exchange by scheduling an appointment on Handshake, Marian's career services website. Students can request what they want to talk about in meetings specifically when they make the appointment. The Exchange is catered to whatever need the student want to work on. Jenny Morris explained that, "We'll base our conversation on their unique needs and appointment goals to empower students along their path of career exploration/development." Every resource at Marian University has had to alter itself in some way due to the global pandemic. The Exchange is one of them. There have been many changes set up for social distancing, but they still allow students to utilize the Exchange. All of the meetings and social events have transitioned to be accessed virtually. Kayla Fisher, a senior Communication major at Marian University, explained that the Exchange has looked very different for her this semester. Although there are changes, the Exchange has still provided Fisher with the help that she needs. She explained, "The quality of service and help is just as good if not better because they can give tips on how to navigate balancing a career with this new virtual life." The events conducted by the Exchange have transition to online as well. Events that are happening within the upcoming 2021 year include Career Fairs and Networking Knights. Events like the Career Fair open up opportunities for potential internships and jobs. This event has already taken place for the fall semester, but it is an event that students can directly speak to a variety of employers. This event can be accessed through the Career Fair Plus App. This app will act as an extremely helpful guide during the Career Fair. Jenny Morris explained that Networking Knights is a great opportunity to practice interactive professional speaking in an online setting. Students who attend this event will get to talk to Marian University alumni and community partners. This event will be help through WebEx, and it will be a great opportunity for students to communicate with a variety of professional workers. Like many resources on campus, the Exchange is designed to help students achieve greatness. There are multiple things that someone can learn from their experience at the Exchange. It is essential that students feel like they are getting the most they can out of their college career. Having access to the Exchange will hopefully make students a little bit more prepared for what their career has in store for them. If students hav the qualities and guidance from the Exchange, it is setting them up for success. I I fortunate :without Follett's :website, values around P,eOP,le clarence rack that Inclusion Communication w ere all of ost their Happy Holidays By Jazilyn J. Richardson My grandmother has recently moved into a new apartment. My grandmother has decided to make the theme of her kitchen roosters. Some may ask, why roosters? The answer is, no one knows, not even my grandmother herself. She just thought it would be nice to have a rooster kitchen. Me being the amazing granddaughter I am, I just went with it and supported her idea. She went to go shopping for her new kitchen look so I tagged along. She was looking at paintings of roosters that were quite expensive for the quality the artist gave to the painting. So I began thinking it'd be pretty cool to paint her one myself! But I'm pretty shy about sharing my art with others. I kept thinking and leaned more towards the idea rather than away from it. She was considering a piece of art that I knew deep down I didn't want her paying for because I knew I could create something that she would be able to enjoy without having to pay for it. Finally, I was able to find some courage and speak up. I offered to paint her a picture of a rooster. I was so scared because she has never seen any of my art before so I thought that she would rather buy one. Turns out I was scared for no reason! She loved the idea and agreed to it. Now that I look back who could turn down a customized free painting? I then had to take it a bit more seriously since it was my granny and I really wanted her to like her painting. I'm not exposed to roosters much in my everyday life so I had to do some research. I knew overall what a rooster looked like, but when it came to the bird's legs, I didn't know how they worked. I looked up videos of roosters running like they tasted freedom and had to go back for desert. The roosters were definitely not graceful but they did looked blissful. After watching a bunch of roosters running for about 30 plus seconds, I was able to figure out how their little chicken legs functioned. This helped me achieve a move accurate painting. This painting took about 3.5 hours to complete. I created this piece using oil paint on a stretched canvas. Today the painting has a happy home in my granny's kitchen right above her sink. She is able to enjoy it every time she looks up ... and everywhere else in the kitchen and living room. This was only intended for my granny to enjoy but it's been a long year, so I hope everyone can enjoy this painting of a rooster. As the holidays begin to approach please remember roosters are friends, not food. Go vegan. Spread love. And indulge in peace. Happy holidays! - ~ _<-yf!/t; ,,1 lj/ V '>: ," - .,. .- ,,, . -~- ,, I~ ~. / / ~ r' / Accordl,. to the History Channel website, the first dlMloncl ........... rt,. IMfltoU.,of luraund,IIJ~ Mulmlllan of Aultrta. It symbollzed his new OWMl'llllp t/lllW his IOOft to be wtre. lettlna .. odl9f men know that she . . 'off the market.' J\'V)f\: ~ ~ iti,~E . 1,)tOJ\S ~ "6'~ ~V\1\~ ~ ~PDiNCr~ '(')\157'' ~A\Je Dr~~l>s i~ ~- I' I how WE want. industrr, tak:es these 'traditions' to take control of our sr,ecial daxs. I ended up going back to Sophia's to try on the dress I originally loved so much. I couldn't get it out of my head, which is why it was so hard walking away from it. I just hated spending so much money on it. Before leaving the store, I ended up buying the dress of my dreams for a pretty penny; but when it was all said and done-there were a million other things that I ended up having to pay for that I was not expecting to. The dress itself was only HALF of the bill. There was a bridal shipping cost, an extra shipping cost for the veil, and my favorite-a layaway fee-so I could keep my dress at the store instead of letting it get musty in my closet. As I left the store, I kept staring at my receipt in dismay: the final cost was over $2,000. The staff for sure was able to sweet talk me into things I wasn't planning on getting, including a tiara to go with my veil. It felt like they exploited my special day because they made it seem like for my look to be complete; I needed to buy their long list of essentials. It wasn't about me and my budget, which I explained to them firmly at the beginning of the appointment, it was about them making money. Speaking of dresses, when my fiance and I went bridesmaid shopping with his sister and my younger cousin, we experienced another hardship. Sophia's gave us a $20 dollar discount for each bridesmaid dress that we bought through them. We went and were amazed at all the adorable styles they had. The girls thrilled with the dresses they chose; the only problem was the price. It was $200 for each dress, and that's including the discount, before tax, and not including accessories. Being shocked at the price, we went to David's Bridal only to receive very poor service. We had to pick out dresses ourselves because a walk-in group wanted to see dresses as well, and our consultant spent most of her time with them instead of helping us-even though we had made an appointment. The dresses were another issue. They were honestly cheap looking and, get this, for only a few bucks less. These dresses were $150 dollars before tax for much less quality. We finally decided to go back to Sophia's because we knew we would at least get quality dresses for our money. But, since all of our bridesmaids are too young to have a job or are in college and struggling to make ends meet as it is. Ben and I decided to allocate some of our wedding money towards helping them purchase their dresses because we wanted them to have a dress they loved and were comfortable in. It was a hard decision, but at the end of the day we thought it was best to fork up some extra money to have everyone look uniform at the altar. It may seem like a lot of negative has happened as we have gone along our wedding journey, but they have been a few unexpected positives. For one, my engagement ring. We went to Shane Co. because of their amazing insurance on their rings. They are pricey compared to other ring places, but I will say this is worth the extra buck. Our sale's consultant, Nikki, became concerned with our wellbeing and not just our wallet contents. The difference between Shane Co. and other places is that these reps don't work off commission, so they can focus on the customer and their needs. And this is exactly what happened when we told Nikki what we were looking for. We looked at rings in the engagement box only to find that we saw nothing we liked in our price range. She then went to a box on the other side of the store and came back with my engagement ring saying, "This is actually labeled as fashion jewelry, but I think it's perfect for you." And it was! The traditional engagement ring (as seen above) was more expensive than my engagement ring and it was twice the price (seen above .. . on my finger). Why? Because of the label 'engagement ring.' This is yet another example of how the industry manipulates couples. Just because they label something as wedding fashion, doesn't mean you HAVE to buy that one . .. there are other options out there for less money and just as beautiful, if not more beautiful, than 'wedding' products. "This is actually labeled as fashion jewelry, but I think it's perfect for you! 11 THE WEDDING UENUE Venue hunting was the bane of our existence. ,, o...._ A THREE-PART SERIES ON WEDDINGS PART THREE This time, I will talk about what I, along with some other Marian couples, are planning on doing in weddings or have done in weddings to overcome manipulation seen in our wedding industry. My previous pieces explored how traditions used today were set through history and how our current wedding industry exploits these traditions to make couples spend oodles of money and add pressure to the day that is supposed to be magical. Today's article will tie everything together to give tips and share ideas for you on how to navigate our wedding world today. Another way that Ben and I saved money on our wedding bills was to buy a budget friendly wedding book guide. The one we chose is called "The Budget Savvy Wadding Planner Organizer" by Jessica Bishop. She walks through different areas involved in a wedding in each chapter and outlines what every couple needs to know. The chapters have check lists and tips to help the couple save money and create a day centered around them. We 10/10 recommend! Traditionally, the photographer is the vendor that couples are wanting to splurge on the most because pictures are memories the couple and their families will cherish forever, and if tht pictures turn out bad, then there is no way to make them up. Because of this, photographers gouge the prices and take advantage of the people getting married. That is why Ben and I went with a Marian student. His name is Gabriel Trevino, and he has been doing amateur photography for a couple years now. We loved how the pictures turned out and Gabe not only did our engagement session, but he will also be photographing our wedding day for 8 hours. His photography partner will also be videoing and editing the whole day. Normally, photography services charge in the ballpark of 2,000-2,5000 dollars for all of this, and we are paying half of that for a lifetime of memories. As I talked about in my 1st article, the tradition of the engagement ring started after a member of royalty in the 1400s gave his soon to be wife a ring that would show all other suiters that she was 'off the market' so to speak. It showed ownership of the woman by the man. Thankfully today, things are different. The engagement ring is a sign of love and commitment, but couples are taking this one step further today by having both members in the party have engagement rings, not just the woman. In my example, Ben was the one to first surprise me with my engagement ring. He took me to our high school, and he asked me to marry him in the same spot he asked me to be his girlfriend 5 years prior. A few weeks later, when he wasn't expecting it, I told Ben I wanted to play a word game. At the end, he found that the phrase we were spelling out was "Will you marry me?" and of course, he said yes! Family sentimental items are always fun to use in weddings. Not only do they save money for the couple, but they add a personalized touch to the wedding. The picture here shows my future mother in law's crown that she wore to her wedding. She said that I could wear it if I wanted to, and I was honored that she trusted me enough with her wedding item to let me use it in ours! It created a bonding moment for the two families and it also played into responsible stewardship because we didn't need to buy something extra when we had something that worked right here at home. Another way we chose to add customization in our wedding was to make our own welcome sign. This helped us save money and add personalized decorations to our venue. Pictured here is our welcome sign that I designed and painted. It took an hour to make (that includes drying time) and I painted with our wedding colors. When I first started looking on Pinterest for wedding signs, they had these elaborate signs that cost anywhere from 100 to 500 dollars, to which I think is ridiculous. Ben and I both agreed that this was nicer to do since it gave me something fun to do during quarantine, but it also helped us save money and make our wedding personalized. Obviously, these are only a few of the million different ways to save money, create your own traditions, and customize your wedding to make it your own. In fact, I talked to Michelle, a first semester junior student here on campus that just got engaged. She said that she is going to have her wedding mass in Latin because they believe that while others may view it as outdated, she and her fiance believe it represents the pure and true beauty of the church. Another couple on campus, this one in particular are both professors that have been married for a few years now, said that a way they took control of their wedding and made it their own was to have it in a public park. This allowed them to bring their own food, dodge the booking fee, and enjoy nature. They only spent $75 on their reception and they had an amazing day. So, as you can see, at the end of the day it is important to deliberately choose what you and your fiance want to incorporate into your wedding. It doesn't matter what you do as long as it means something to you, and you have an amazing day. The fallowing pages focus on poetry and fiction MEMORIES--A POEM By Yvette L. Clemons Contributing Author By Riley Ferguson Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall Sweetwater Lake sees it all! Spring fed, the water so clear. The cleanest lake in the Indiana is right here. The temperature effects all who are near unless you live 'round here. Bonfires are lit in the evening air, Telling ghost stories and spreading fear Karaoke in the evening when neighbors are here, pour a drink and let us hear. Boats are dashing and children are splashing, talk about relaxing. Friends and family gather here to enjoy the lake vibes all year. The DPC BY MICAH A. SCHUTTI.EA More stories coming Spring 2021 For more information or to get involved go to www.themarianphoenix.com Instagram: themarianphoenix ...