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Volume 15, Issue 3 | November 2, 2020
Campus News
The UNW COVID-19 Resurgence Plan has indicated based on the number of students with confirmed cases of COVID and those in quarantine due to contact tracing have caused for Northwestern to advance into Phase 2: Yellow of the plan. 
Some of the causes that have been identified for the resurgence in our campus have been: 
  • Students participating in off-campus activities without proper distancing. (This has driven the vast majority of cases). 
  • Other cases have resulted from students attending classes or events while experiencing mild symptoms that they did not believe were related to COVID-19.
What you can do: 
  • Physical distancing, wearing face coverings, and hand sanitizing.
  • Limiting how often you ride in a car with another person or visit in close quarters, such as dorm rooms.
  • If you choose to participate in study groups, please remain at least six feet apart from others.
  • If you have been tested for COVID-19 off-campus and are awaiting results, please inform Health Services and do not return to normal activities until told to do so.
To stay updated with the cases on campus check out the UNW COVID-19 Dashboard.

Also if you missed the "Words of Encouragement" message from President Cureton and the Student Body President Qashr Middleton. Make sure to check it out here.
Student News
Public Relations major, Olivia Raun ('21), recently landed a job at U.S. Bank headquarters as a Corporate Affairs Communications Representative. Olivia will be joining U.S. Bank after graduation this December.
 
Congratulations, Olivia!
Alumni News
Alumna Kimberly Mills ('13), Digital Media Arts major,  recently landed a job as a Storyboard Director for Nickelodeon Animation. Kimberly helped create Trash Truck, which premieres November 10th on Netflix!

While at Northwestern, Kimberly's film Digg'r won Best Animation AND Audience Choice at the Five16 Film Festival!
Note from the Faculty
Covid funk. Covid fatigue. Covid burnout. Covid blues.

Whatever we want to call it, we’ve all experienced it to some degree this year. Whether it’s a fear of the future, an overwhelming sense of loss, a general malaise that seeps into every area of our lives, or a variety of other manifestations that are outside our normal experiences.

The effects of this condition can be barely noticeable for some or debilitating for others. And somewhere in between for most of us.

I’ve had my own version of Covid blues. A sense of loss blanketed my emotions and motivations. Looking to the future with any semblance of hope took effort that many days seemed out of reach.

But during these Covid blues days, I kept coming back to one word.

When I saw something on the news that made me question when we would ever see the end of these days. Gratitude.

When I couldn’t do the things I’d normally do because of restrictions or health concerns. Gratitude.

And when my daughter graduated high school, and we wanted to invite family and friends over for a party—but couldn’t. Gratitude.

Gratitude for what we have or are promised.

Gratitude—or more precisely, Christ—taught me to reorient my thoughts and attitudes. It was a new way to look at my surroundings and circumstances. This looks different depending on the scenarios, but here is what I found myself doing:

Feeling frustrated with the zillionth Zoom meeting, I caught myself before I complained and said (or prayed): “I’m grateful for the job that I have, which allows me to have Zoom meetings.”

Tired of remembering to put on my mask before I entered the grocery store, I caught myself and said (or prayed): “I’m thankful I can physically go to the grocery store and have the means to purchase groceries.”

Downcast over the future and when we will again see things back to normal, I’d say (or pray): “God holds the future in His hands. We have hope in Him. Let it sink into my heart the hopelessness that so many others experience on a daily basis, so that I might be more aware of their burdens.”

The Apostle Paul, who as we know experienced much hardship and even imprisonment, said, “… Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8, NIV).

And that verse sticks in my mind every time I want to slide again into the Covid blues.

I’m certainly nowhere near perfect in this reorienting of my thoughts. I still get frustrated, anxious and sad. But then those words from Paul spring to my mind. They encourage me to “think about such things” that are good, that we are thankful for, that we have hope in. That as believers we can live in.

And as professional communicators—writers, filmmakers, designers, media experts, announcers—what better way to serve Christ, our students and the world than to offer them this same gratitude and hope.

Professor Scott Noble, M.S.
Adjunct Professor of Communication
Featured Student
Emma Davis ('23)
Media Production, Film & Video Track 
Voice Performance |
Music Performance
What are your plans for the future?

I plan to graduate from Northwestern with my three majors in Spring of 2023. From there I'm hoping to go to grad school for composition or something in film (probably both). The dream is to compose film scores for some of my own movies, and maybe even teach college someday!

What opportunities have you had at UNW?

UNW has given me some pretty cool opportunities in regards to filmmaking. Freshman year I was a part of Northwestern Productions when it made a short film called “My First Funeral”. It was really fun to get to work with industry professionals while getting a real life sense of what a larger film set is like. I was also on Exec Staff for Northwestern Productions and the equipment room manager last year, which has helped prepare me for jobs outside of school. On a side note, my time at UNW has made me a little addicted to coffee and Dr. Pepper. Gotta stay caffeinated.

What is your favorite thing about UNW?

My favorite thing about UNW is probably the faculty and their commitment to their students. It's obvious that they genuinely want the best for us. The way they incorporate their faith into their teaching is more impactful than they probably think, and I'm thankful that I go to a school where the professors take advantage of that freedom.
 
Featured Alumni
David Kalsow ('18)
Electronic Media Communication
Where has life taken you after UNW?

Since UNW, it’s been a fresh start in a new city with my beautiful wife. We moved close to her family and I hunted for a nearby radio job but God had different plans! I couldn’t find a radio job that could get us debt free so I started with a small, family owned AV integration company as an install technician. In a year I worked for and received my CTS certification and moved into a sales/marketing role. I also started as a freelance podcast producer and have grown to produce/edit 8 podcasts, with more on the way. Through it all, we have been blessed so much to be able to become debt free in May of this year, 29 months since graduating and even in the pandemic. In my sales role, I currently help churches and schools be good stewards with their AV technology with cost effective system designs. My gorgeous wife, Lindsay, and I love making food, watching food, and going out to watch other people make food which we then eat. I’m also obsessed with birds now so if you see a cool one, send me a picture.

What advice do you have for current students?

Post college, God challenged every plan I thought I had. Let Him work in you and be willing to go where He calls, despite our puny human attitudes.
Also, birdwatching is great for mental health. And no they are not government drones.
UNW Communication Department
UNW Communication Department
UNW Communication Department
UNW Communication Department
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