Category Archives: Student Life

Have a Ball at Fall Ball

Lela Ball, AJ McKay, and Savanah Townley pose for a picture in costume. Photo by Sarah Combs.

Fall Ball? This old-new tradition full of fun and games was held October 18 in The J, and many students came to this celebration to have fun and mingle. This year’s Fall Ball included seven fun-filled booths run by members of the Student Government Association (SGA). Freshman Lela Ball said she had a wonderful time at Fall Ball. “I loved Fall Ball,” she said. “My favorite part was the costume contest because I got to dress up as a zombie.”

Becca Carver also had fun at the event, noting it gave her a break from all the stress of school and classes. “My favorite part was watching all students try to win a fish at the game fish pong.”

Jyasmine Torres poses with her newly-won goldfish. Photo by Sarah Combs.

Leslie Wheat, who is a member of the SGA, helped work the ring toss game along with her friend Cassidy Padgett. Wheat liked how smoothly everything went and how everyone was having a good time. Though she was working the whole time, she had a little fun herself and won a new friend in the fish pong game. “My favorite part of the whole experience from Fall Ball was winning my new fish-friend Shrimp,” Wheat said.

Fall Ball has been around for many years, according to Courtney Tindale, who is Judson College’s director of student activities. The tradition was around when she was a student here, but Fall Ball now is a little different than what she remembered it being. “The biggest difference that I see in this year’s event compared to when I was a student is that the money went to an outside organization instead of being used as a fundraiser for SGA,” Tindale said. Marissa McNamara, publicity coordinator for SGA, said that was a group decision. “There will be more than games, we are having a basket-raffle full of fall decor, treats and fuzzy socks, a costume contest, and there is even a ‘pie a professor’ contest where anyone can pie Dr. McConnell and Ms. Peek.”

One of the participating students in the costume contest is Jr-Soph Savanah Townley, who decided to be the spirit of fall. “I decided to come because all my friends were going to come and so was my big,” Townley said. She also was the winner of the costume contest. “When I stood in line with all the other competitors, I didn’t think I would win, because everyone had amazing, creative costumes. The time and effort put into everyone’s costumes really showed.” She continued, saying, “I know AJ and Lela both made their costumes themselves and spent a long time doing their makeup. Joy’s costume was also very well thought out. I can’t wait for the next Fall Ball to come back around next year.”

The pumpkin contest was a big success as well. Erin Harrison came in first place with her camper pumpkin. Harrison said that she was not as prepared for the contest as she would have liked to be, but for winning first place, she did just fine. “It was exciting; I actually forgot I entered the contest until an hour before they were due, so that was pretty funny.” Joyce Lavata’I came in second place with her cute recreation of Stitch from Lilo and Stitch. “Now the fact I came in 2nd place was a little shocking, because my Stitch pumpkin was pretty cute!” Both contestants won a mug with all sorts of goodies in it, but what is really great about these two
winners is that they are roommates. However, they did not let the competition get in their way. Lavata’I said some really nice things about her experience at Fall Ball and about Harrison. “I really enjoyed Fall Ball and the fact that we all got to come together as a student body and just fellowship with each other. I love that the faculty and staff are so involved and are willing to take time out of their busy schedules to get pied in the face! But the first place winner was my roommate, so I guess I couldn’t really complain! In all, it was a great time, and I can’t wait until we do more activities like it.”

Even though Fall Ball has been around before, it was a new experience to many. Everyone loved the games, the prizes, and even a chance to pie their favorite teachers.

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Student Life•The Triangle

Operation: Fall Semester Recovery

For many students, the fall semester of college is a time of new beginnings: it’s a time for freshwomen to first experience their college career, a time for Jr.-Sophs. to experience the excitement of Pageant and little-sister hunting, and a time for seniors to reflect on their tenure at Judson and embrace their inevitable graduation. Consequently, fall semester (and college as a whole!) has the tendency to become a bit overwhelming for any student, but with Christmas break on the horizon, students finally have the opportunity to “kick back” and relax. As a result, the staff of “The Triangle” would like to provide a few different ways for you (yes, you, the reader!) to relieve some stress after the close of the semester.

1 Grab a buddy and take a late-night drive to admire some stunning Christmas lights!

2 Curl up with a hot drink, a furry friend, and some Netflix (or a good book, if you’d rather!).

3 Have a bonfire and invite all your friends! Roast some hot dogs, make some s’mores, and use your class notes as kindling!

4 Host an ugly sweater party with your family and don the ugliest of your ugly sweaters!

5 Eat until you drop at your family reunion. Who cares if this is your fifth plate of Aunt Fanny’s Famous Christmas Dressing? You’re in college; you deserve that dressing. Bon appetit!

Congratulations, reader! You’ve almost made it through the semester!! No matter what the fall semester has thrown at you, Christmas break is a time to de-stress, regroup, and spend time with those closest to you. Be sure to treat yourself well, and use your break from college to recover and prepare for the next step in your college career. Have a wonderful, relaxing Christmas break!

bonus | kassi’s fancy hot cocoa

Few things soothe the soul like a cup of fancy hot cocoa! Photo by Cassidy Padgett.

Heat a half-cup of water and a half-cup of milk in your favorite mug.
Pour in one packet of hot chocolate mix (preferably the kind with marshmallows!).
Add a spoonful of chocolate hazelnut spread; mix well.
Add a swirl of whipped cream on top.
Drizzle a little caramel syrup over the whipped cream.
Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Enjoy!
Enjoy!

(Note: For an extra-festive twist, use a candy-cane as a stirring stick!)

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Opinions•Student Life•The Triangle

Judson and Francis Marion High School Play Collaboration

Judson crew and FMHS cast members. Photo by Dr. Stacey Parham.

The Judson College English Department had the chance to work together with students from Francis Marion High School for a production of a play called “Wedding Bell Blues” on November 15, 2018. The director of the production was Dr. Billie Jean Young, along with managing director Dr. Stacey Parham, and 14 crew members from Judson drama classes.

The “Wedding Bell Blues” drama production was a success under the lead of the two professors from the Judson English Department. They created this service learning project for drama class students to obtain field experience and to interact with people outside of the Judson community. All 14 students and both professors went to FMHS for drama workshop on every Friday at 1 p.m. starting on the third Friday of September. Through the professors’ efforts, there were 24 FMHS students and their teacher, Ms. Francois, a faculty member of Francis Marion High, who volunteered to participate in the workshop together with the Judson crew. On the day of auditions, students were excited about landing actors’ and actresses’ roles when Dr. Parham divided all of the students into different theater position groups according to their preferences—drama publicity group, set designer group, costume design group, lights/sounds group, stage crew group, and actors and actresses. The publicity group was responsible for making posters of the production and programs for the production night. The set designer group, led by Sam Queijsen, a senior art major at Judson, designed the background and set, while the costume and stage crew crafted clothes for the casts. Energetic high schoolers participated with all of their hearts in hopes that the production would go well and without any interruptions.

Laura Grace Terry, a Jr.-Soph at Judson, shared that her greatest takeaway from the workshop “would be better understanding of the role of teamwork and communication in theater. Not only do actors and actresses need to take direction, but the crew and directors must also collaborate to have the best performance possible.” She was assigned to be the student director of the play who does in-depth training with actors and actresses while being watched by Dr. Young. As a current actress at Judson College, Grace explains her “experience has been a great opportunity to instill an interest in drama into high school students. Along with having the ability to collaborate with Francis Marion High School, we have been able to give students a taste of the theatre, which may eventually produce those who are willing to perform in plays in local community theaters or even at Judson, should any Francis Marion students decide to enroll into Judson College.” The purpose of doing this service learning project is, according to Parham, that “we would be able to understand drama from multiple different perspectives from the lens of directing, getting props, getting the set design, and casting the actors that we otherwise would not necessarily be provided understanding of just through reading all the plays that we’ve been assigned.” The production of the play was a success as all participants from both schools went back home with great satisfaction.

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Community•Student Life•The Triangle

Dealing with Stress

by Bama Porter

Rejeana Milligan studies for her upcoming exam.

With finals looming ahead, knowing how to deal with stress will be helpful in the coming weeks. In a survey of Judson students, 63% rated their stress to be an 8 or greater on a 1 to 10 scale while 50 percent of them worried about their grades.

When asked which of the following general subjects cause the most stress for them, students answered science, math, history, or English. Science (followed closely by math) caused students the most stress.

While this was no surprise, considering the amount of complaints over stress one can hear daily about both classes, the time students actually spent studying for these classes was impressive. While students often spend an average of 6 or more hours studying for science, they only spent an average of 3 to 4 hours studying for math. This revelation might be a bit surprising for some; since both subjects caused a nearly equal amount of stress, one could assume that students would spend the same amount of time studying for each subject.

Knowing how to deal with stress can help students be happier, healthier, and more willing to come back next year. The following list contains a number of ways that Judson students say that they have dealt with stress on a daily basis:

Cry
Sing/listen to music
Pray
Nap
Breathe
Scream
Avoid
Exercise/walk
Call parents
Stress eat/stop eating
Vent
Drink water
Write stories
Read

From Judson professors….

While the students shared their own methods of dealing with stress, I also gathered suggestions from professors because, as professional adults, they know how to better deal with stress than students. Here are their recommendations:

Think positively
Exercise/eat healthy
Read
Give your problems to God
Nap
Have confidence

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Opinions•Student Life•The Triangle

Fun, Food, Faire

The King being guarded by his loyal knights and servants. Photo by alrenfaire.org. — The King being guarded by his loyal knights and
servants. Photo by alrenfaire.org.

Once a year, people from all over the state of Alabama come to Florence for the Alabama Renaissance Faire, a wonderful and colorful experience. This year’s attendees included a group of students from the history and English departments of Judson College.

According to the website, “The Alabama Renaissance Faire is a not-for-profit, non-commercial faire, organized by a Roundtable of volunteers who plan all year to transform Wilson Park in Florence, Alabama, into Fountain-on-the-Green. Fair-goers celebrate their favorite time periods, from 12th through the mid-17th centuries, as Vikings hobnob with Buccaneers and fairies frolic with pirates.”

Two classes got invited to go: World History and British Literature. Two teachers were asked to chaperone the group of students: Dr. Joe Frazer, head of the history department, and Dr. Kem King, head of the business department.

The students, who mainly went for the extra credit, actually had a wonderful time. Toria Mendow, a third year senior, went as part of Dr. Frazer’s history class. She had a wonderful time, it was a new experience, and she had so much fun.

“It was a fun experience, until the after-lunch crowd came. The cheese fries and buying my new ring was my favorite part of the whole trip” she said. “I would definitely go again, seeing all the different people dressed up was so fun.”

For members of the English Club, this event is one of their absolute favorites, especially for President Arienne Borowski. When all her friends (who have now graduated) would go, she would just tag along, and she had so much fun that she always goes now. “This was my second time going to this particular faire, and it was wonderful both times! I was in a group with a junior and a freshman, and getting to watch the marvel that I will be leaving behind when I graduate was priceless.”

Freshman Emma Veitch, a member of the English Club, said, “I love that I got to spend time with my friends; I really enjoyed it. I loved the food and all the different crafts the vendors were selling. I would love to go back because of how colorful and upbeat the environment was the entire day.”

Freshman English Club member Kaitlyn Smith said the Faire was a whole new experience that she greatly appreciated. “My favorite part was when a theater group came up to my friends and me and recited poetry. They did a whole scene in under a minute; it blew my mind,” Smith said. She said she would definitely go back to the faire and would love to participate in other events like it. “I loved the whole atmosphere and the people I enjoyed it with.”

Karen Hernandez went as a member of the English group and volunteered to drive a group of students. Hernandez had a lovely time hanging with her friends and would love to go back again. “I really enjoyed the Faire a lot. Seeing everyone all dressed up was pretty cool, but my absolute favorite part was when I got to see a man walking around with a bald eagle on his arm. I would love to go back, but not for educational purposes though, just to have fun.”

Lastly, Becca Carver, a Jr.-Soph, went for British Literature. It gave her a good reason to get out and experience something she had never seen before. She was a little upset about how cold it was, but she did not let the weather stop her from enjoying herself. “I enjoyed seeing all the people dressed up and all the interesting vendors. I would love to go again, maybe if it was warmer, but other than that it was still a lot of fun.”

Yes, the weather might have been cold, and yes, it might have been a long drive up to Florence, but we all had fun. It was a cultural experience that we will never forget— and who knows, maybe when we all have a family of our own, we might take our children up to the Renaissance Faire to have the same experiences we did.

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Student Life•The Triangle

“Agnes of God” — Audience Perspective

by Kris Bradley

Actresses Kassidy Giles, Lela Ball and Grace Terry in "Agnes of God." Photo by Sarah Combs. — Actresses Kassidy Giles, Lela Ball and Grace Terry in “Agnes of God.” Photo by Sarah Combs.

A hush fell over the audience as Dr. Young, the play’s director, walked onto the stage. She introduced the play and, after giving a brief summary, exited stage right. “Kyrie Eleison,” a soft, sweet classical song, started the play. It was beautifully sang from behind stage as the curtains opened to reveal Dr. Livingstone, a psychiatrist in charge of a case, sitting in her office. After inhaling deeply from her (unlit) cigarette, she begins a soliloquy that helps the audience better understand the setting of the play.

A troubled young nun, Sister Agnes, had been discovered in the convent, covered in blood with a dead newborn baby in a wastepaper basket. The police were called, and the case for the twenty-one-year-old girl’s sanity began. As the play progresses, we slowly discover many new and interesting details, most of which make it more difficult for Dr. Livingstone to determine whether Agnes is of “sound mind” or not. The Mother Superior of Agnes’ convent, Mother Miriam, campaigns for Agnes’ innocence and faith in God.

Mother Miriam has difficulty believing in the science of psychiatry due to her strong religious beliefs, and Dr. Livingstone struggles to diagnose Agnes fairly, without ignoring the young girls’ beliefs. Dr. Livingstone is caught in the midst of this battle, attempting to diagnose this seemingly quiet and innocent young girl. While Dr. Livingstone fights to rouse Agnes’ memory, she discovers many deep, dark secrets of the girls’ past. With the new information, she goes to Mother Miriam, who seems reluctant to speak of what she knows of Agnes’ past.

Finally, the truth is revealed while Agnes is in a hypnotic state during a session with Dr. Livingstone. The play ends with an epilogue from Dr. Livingstone stating the outcome of the case and how it affected her personally. The audience is left questioning if the diagnosis was right because of how Dr. Livingstone questions herself. This leads the audience to believe that there is more to the case than what was discussed, or that Dr. Livingstone doubts her own ability to diagnose people with strong religious beliefs, such as Agnes.

The history of religious beliefs has been surrounded with questions of mental illness, due to the hysterical and hallucinogenic quality of the visions seen by prophets, saints and such. There are many cases of seemingly psychologically ill behavior in the name of religion, due to the state of the people proclaiming their beliefs. An example of this is a religious fervor stating that a god has spoken to them. While this is a normal act in the Bible, there are other factors to consider when checking the accuracy of the statements made. A person with a history of drug or alcohol use might claim to “hear from God,” but did they? There is a fine line between psychological illness or strain and religion, and this play elaborates on that thin line.

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Student Life

What Family Are You In?

Amoeba family members. Photo by Shelby Lauzon.

by Kai Bu

As the semester begins at Judson, many new faces walk around campus and sign the honor code at the second week of chapel. As newcomers officially become Judson students, Jr-Sophs and some seniors start their mission: look for their little-to-be through activities or dining hall chats. School activities such as Back-to-school Bash and Game Night offer Jr-Sophs the opportunity to get to know more about freshwomen.

After that, the Jr-Sophs’ next moves are leaving invitation signs in front of freshwomen’s rooms asking them to sit on their blankets for the first serenade, where they spend time together and learn about traditions together. Finally, on the night of the Big-Little Banquet and Signing Ceremony, freshwomen sign to become an official little sister of her respective Jr-Soph for the rest of her time at Judson. This has been how sisterhoods are born between loving Judson sisters for decades.

While many Jr-Sophs ask freshwomen to join their previously-existing families, other Jr-Sophs might ask their little sisters to join in creating a brand new family. Judson’s big-little tradition is not all about following what has already existed, but it is also about creating a new route that makes the tradition even more exciting and loving.

Judson is a place where one can become a pioneer of tradition by creating her own family under the lead of a god-big (a senior who is currently participating in traditions). Shelby Lauzon, the 2017-2018 senior class president and 2016-2017 Chemistry Club president, created the “Amoeba” family in her junior year with three amoebae family members. When asked the reason for building a new family, Shelby answered,“Noaf I. Bader [a graduated senior] has no little and I was really close to her. So, we decided to create a new family, but she didn’t want to create so I made her my god-big and I started the ‘Amoebae.’”

As aforementioned, there are very few rules and regulations to create a family. Current senior class president, Megan Matthews, said, “You just come talk to me and Dean Susan Jones. We have to make sure whether the family name is appropriate and different things.” According to Matthews, there are 15 families on campus and the estimated count for students participating in traditions is about 170 students out of over 300 students. Students are not the only participants in traditions—some staff members are participating in traditions as class sponsors. Ms. Courtney Tindale and Mr. Joshua Pickens are class sponsors of Jr-Soph class while Ms. Katlin Bailey (a Judson alumna) serves as senior class sponsor for the 2018-2019 academic year.

Creating a new family is also an option for transfers, depending on their situations. “Oftentimes we have transfer students that come in and they cannot find a big sister in time, so they decide to make their own family,” explained Matthews.

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Community•Student Life•The Triangle

As the Ivy Twines

Underclassmen students hold the ivy chain as the senior class walks through. Photo by Mary Amelia Taylor.

by Kassidy Giles

On September 19, 1915, the Judson College senior class strolled down the stairs of Jewett Hall and through the chain of ivy reverently held by their underclassman sisters for the very first time. The seniors, clad in their rose-pinned academic regalia, followed their college president down Early Street to Siloam Baptist Church, with faculty, staff and their fellow sisters following close behind. Nearly 103 years later, Judson students still process side-by-side down to Siloam to worship together, just as their predecessors did. This event is now known as Rose Sunday and is revered by students as one of the most defining traditions of Judson College, as it symbolizes binding together upper- and lower-classmen in sisterhood and faith as the new year begins.

Since Rose Sunday is set at the beginning of each school year, it is consequently the very first Judson tradition that freshwoman students experience. During this time, freshwomen have the opportunity to meet their future big sisters, bond with their fellow classmates, and officially begin to transition from a high-school career into a college one. At the time of their first Rose Sunday, new students are often still adjusting to their new life at Judson College. Despite the confusion the tradition might cause newcomers, freshwomen such as Jaylyn Martin still express appreciation for the event and eagerly await the next year’s ceremony. “Rose Sunday was such an amazing experience. Getting to spend time with my new sisters was a lot of fun,” she notes excitedly. “It really is a beautiful tradition that I will look forward to every year.”

As the result of proceeding in her college career and receiving her big sister, a Judson girl’s own personal opinion of Rose Sunday begins to evolve and take on new meaning. Ti-Ara Turner, a Jr-Soph in the Frog family, explains. “For me, Rose Sunday made more sense this year,” Turner expounds. “When I was a freshman, I thought it was cool to honor your elders; this year, it was even cooler because I got to honor my big sister—not just as someone who leads me through traditions, but as someone who I can count on in rough times. This year, Rose Sunday had more meaning, and I paid a lot more attention to what happened.”

After her second year at Judson, a student’s perspective of Rose Sunday changes even further, as demonstrated by third-year senior Cassidy Harrison. “Although I have loved Rose Sunday from the very beginning of my college career, my feelings towards it have changed as my time here draws closer to the end,” she reflects. Harrison, a member of the Frog family, walked through the ivy chain in her regalia for the first time this past Rose Sunday. “My opinion of Rose Sunday can be summed up with one word: sisterhood. Last year, I was going through Rose Sunday as part of a family, so I had a better grasp on where I belonged. This year it was definitely more bittersweet, because it was my last one with my big sister class and served as a reminder of the first of several last traditions with many of my friends.”

As a Judson girl’s college life nears its end, memories of past Rose Sundays and the inevitability of graduation often supply further appreciation and sentiment for Rose Sunday. “It’s the kick off of the new year, and a million things are happening at once, but we still come together as a community just like we do every year,” explains Lauren Neary, a graduating senior in the Duck family. “Rose Sunday has taught me to definitely hold on to the little things. Judson is a temporary home for me, and having watched my friends (and family, in my eyes) leave and go be wonderful in the world, I have learned to appreciate what Judson has done for me [and] is [still] doing for me. [. . .] I cherish every second of it, because my time at Judson may be temporary, but the community and the love I have gotten from this college will last forever in my heart. As a third year, I didn’t understand, but now, I think I do.”
Even as a Judson girl graduates and leaves the perimeter of her second home, Rose Sunday still remains as a part of her. Sarah Green, a Judson alumna, is an example of this. “Now that I’m out in Colorado, I probably won’t get to go to another Rose Sunday weekend. It’s bittersweet because it reminds me of all the J-Days and other events I’ll be missing from 20 hours away, not to mention the secret traditions I have passed down to my little that I’ll never participate in again,” she laments. “However, it also reminds me of the cherished friendships I have because of Judson and all the beautiful traditions I was honored to be part of. Rose Sunday is symbolic of that unity and those traditions that caused me to fall in love with Judson almost five years ago, so it will always hold a special place in my heart.”
When the ivy chain weaves together on each Rose Sunday, Mother Judson welcomes her incoming students into her sisterhood and entwines their lives into those around them, as well as reminding returning students of their place here amongst each other. Each woven ivy chain, while simple and temporary, is more than just a simple tradition—it is a symbol of the strong bonds of the faith, integrity, and sisterhood that tie us together through Judson College. Whether freshman or senior, Jr-Soph or alumna, each of us are bound together in Judson’s sisterhood as the ivy twines.

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Student Life•The Triangle

JCAA Adds Ivy Chapter for Out-of-State Alumnae

by Kate Wright

The Ivy Chapter is the most recent addition to the Judson College Alumnae Association (JCAA). It is made up of alumnae from outside Alabama, and a few from within Alabama who do not have local alumnae chapters. As of the time of writing, it has gained 116 members since its start on August 1 but is steadily growing. As part of its activities, the new chapter is encouraging 24 current students who live out of state.

Peggy Darby ’90, Judson’s current director of development, is the president/coordinator of the chapter. Cathy Kelly Stolle ’05 of Virginia is the membership coordinator, and Patricia Darby Dennis ‘91 of Florida is the chair of the communications committee.

The idea for an alumnae chapter serving alum outside of Alabama has been in existence for at least 20 years, but it finally came to fruition this summer. When in discussion with Beth Poole, alumnae director, Darby decided that social media and technology may have made such a long-distance chapter possible. The JCAA requires that five or more alumnae come together to make a chapter. Darby reached out to eight potential members, and with the creation of a Facebook group, the numbers snowballed from there. Facebook group chat is also how the founding members made initial decisions about the chapter, such as the name. As Darby mentioned, “the Ivy Chain binds us all together,” and is an important symbol for Judson sisters. Facebook continues to be a main mode of communication for the members, though they will begin to use email more in the future.

One of the students the Ivy Chapter supports is Hope Langkow, a third-year senior who hails from Bothell, Wash., a suburb of Seattle. It takes her about 12 hours of travelling to fly from home to school. She says coming to Alabama was a “huge culture shock” to her, citing differences in slang, football teams, openness to spirituality, and humidity. She is enthused about the new alumnae chapter, which has already put together Labor Day treat bags for their students. Hope said, “All my friends from in state would always show off the goody bags they got from their local chapters and I have to admit it made me pretty jealous!” Apart from the current benefits, however, Hope is excited for her time in the JCAA post-graduation: “I used to joke that my alumnae meetings […] would consist of me sitting along in my living room telling my cats all about the good old days at Judson [….] it will be wonderful to have a chance to connect with the other students who experienced Mother Judson in the same fantastically different way I have!”

When Hope becomes a part of the Ivy Chapter, she will be alongside other alumnae from Washington, as well as members from California, North Carolina, Colorado and Pennsylvania, just to name a few. The chapter also boasts a member from Scotland, so they truly have no geographical bounds.

In the words of Kayla Smith ’07, the Ivy Chapter will “continue to encourage current students, academically and spiritually through cards, notes, emails and goodie bags at different times of the year.” They also hope to connect more with students on campus by attending out of state athletic events and having alumnae events during major Judson holidays. For instance, the Ivy Chapter is partnering with the Baldwin County chapter to help put on the 2nd Annual Alumnae Tailgate Party on Hockey Day, and there is the possibility that the Ivy Chapter ladies may host an event for their students during J-Day weekend, when many alumnae return to visit their alma mater. As a more long-term goal, Sandra Fowler ’82 is working on a way that students and alumnae can network with each other based on their career aspirations.

As Darby expressed, the Ivy Chapter will help “the out of state students to know how much they are appreciated and to know that there are alumnae outside of the state of Alabama that care about them. Hopefully this will open up the opportunity for alumnae and students to meet each other and widen the bonds of the Judson sisterhood!”

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Student Life•The Triangle

Let’s Get Connected

by Sarah Combs

Get Connected—what is the first thing that comes to your mind? If you’re a freshman, maybe you only came for your JUD 101 class, and if you’re an upperclassman, maybe you came because you are a part of the club and you had to. But maybe you came because you really wanted to feel a part of the Judson community. Join a club or organization and really feel more connected to the rest of the student body and the faculty. Some of the clubs and organizations we have here on campus are the Drama Club (also known as the Judson Players), History Club, Criminal Justice Club (also known as the Justice League), and Psychology Club just to name a few. We also have SGA and Campus Ministries. The best part about all these clubs is that you don’t even have to major or minor in them; just your interest is all they ask of you.

Many new students came to Get Connected which was on September 10, at 4 p.m. in The J. They were all asking the students in charge of the booths questions about the clubs and organizations that they were interested in and many signed up for them as well. One freshman, Lela Ball, signed up to be a part of the English Club and the Judson Players. Lela told me that she wants to be in the English Club because she loves to write, and she wants to write for The Scrimshaw and even The Triangle. “But maybe next year,” she said, “I have too much going on this semester.” She goes on to say, “the reason I want to be a part of the theater club is because I never got to do it in high school and would love to fulfill that dream.”

Next I had a chance to talk to Jr-Soph Jyasmine Torres, a biology major here at Judson. Jyasmine was looking at the biology and theater clubs. She says “I want to be in the theater club because it’s fun and I love to act.” She continued, “I also want to be in the biology club because it’s my major and they are my people.”

These clubs and organizations would not be possible without people being elected to oversee the operations. Kris Bradley, a psychology major, is president of the Psychology Club, sponsored by Dr. Harold Arnold, the psychology professor. Kris tells me, “the Psychology Club exists to help foster the love of all things psychology-related, and to learn about many aspects of the psychology field.” She went on to explain all the fun and exciting trips they are going to take. One of the big trips Kris has in mind for the group is taking a drive up to Tuscaloosa to Bryce Hospital, which has been newly refurbished into a museum. The Psychology Club also plans on watching movies like “Split” to analyze the characters.

What would a college be without theater club, or what is known at Judson as the Judson Players. Kassidy Giles is a graphic design major, and is also the club’s president. She has a huge love for the theater, seeing she has been on stage since she was six years old, so one could say the stage is her second home. The club is sponsored by Dr. Billie Jean Young, who was a member of the original Judson Players, which has been recently formed again. Kassidy tells me “You don’t have to into theater to be in the club, but we do need more actresses.” The club is discussing movie nights in The J, with hot chocolate and other yummy goodies. So if that doesn’t make you want to join, I don’t know what will.

The History Club is sponsored by Dr. Joe Frazer, Judson’s history professor. One activity the History Club includes is participating in the Renaissance fair, which seems fun. They are also a part of the Perry County Historical Society, and have programs so the members can study abroad. Shelby Cranford, president, and Sierra Driver, secretary, told me they plan to make some exciting trips to the Shiloh battlefield and travel to the Parthenon in Nashville.

Have you ever wondered who makes Engage on Monday night so good? Well look no further, it’s Campus Ministries. This group of people is also in charge of spring break missions that some of us go on. Audri Thicklin said “We are planning on creating new activities. We have a girl in the organization who is on a sports team, and she wants us to bring Campus Ministries and sports together.” She continued, “Another activity we are going to do is more student outreach for the campus. We will match an upperclassman with a freshman. We are going to call this ‘prayer partners’.” This idea can be really helpful for some of the freshmen who don’t feel like they fit in. As an upperclassman, I want to help the freshmen and let them know that someone is looking out for their spiritual welfare and will guide them through their college days.

I had a lot of fun getting to learn more about the clubs and organizations that are on this campus, and just because of going to Get Connected, I have joined many clubs, and I hope that many more will too.

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Student Life•The Triangle