By: Eric Norris When Doctor Norman Hall took the job as President of Simpson in 2019, his famous motto was “Simpson Rising.” This motto meant that Simpson was going to turn the corner in terms of quality…then COVID hit. Before COVID, there were 300 to 400 students gathered in the Grant Center on Campus intently listening diligently to a guest speaker. During COVID being allowed to live on campus was a gift for many students who struggled to focus on school while living at home. The staff and faculty at Simpson had to get creative. Simpson had to maintain COVID protocols but still bring chapel and worship to students during a difficult time. The original strategy was chapel on Zoom. Chapel staff had a set up in the student union and broadcasted chapel online via Zoom. Jacob Vincent, 6-foot-5 sophomore wrestler, said, “I only went to the chapels in person, now I am on chapel probation for not going to them on Zoom.” Simpson noticed that not enough students were attending online so they made an adjustment that required the faculty to help. Less time was spent on the chapel message so that when it was over, there was time for small groups. Each student chose a professor or faculty member that would ask questions about the message after it was given. Each group would contain about 12 to 15 students. “It was a difficult transition going online. I loved greeting my friends with hugs,” said avid chapel goer Soledad Torres, “Simpson really made the most of going online and I appreciated how they adapted.” Chapel is back in person this school year. For now, online chapels are in the past.

By Daisy Brenegan COVID-19 has majorly impacted many small businesses all over the world. According to Yelp.com’s Local Economic Impact Report, “97,966 businesses have permanently shut down due to the pandemic.” We as a community need to step up. We need to support local small businesses. We got to keep our local businesses open. Junior Chris Lacayo, encourages all his friends to eat and shop locally. “One of my favorite locally owned restaurants back home got closed down permanently due to Covid, since then I have only been supporting locally,” he said. Below are some local businesses in the Redding area that students have suggested you go support: The Chicken Shack Smokin Joes BBQ Pasta Pronto Bogbean Books & Music A & Sea Creations For the Love of Pie Sky Nails Fat Daddy’s BBQ Heart & Soul Nutrition Damburger Anthony’s Mediterranean Cuisine Candie’s Bags Nate Minami recommended the Chicken Shack. “It’s good food at a pretty decent price, you can do a mobile order so you can just show up and pick up your food,”he said. “I would recommend the habanero chicken fries or the buffalo chicken fries.” Another recommended spot is Bogbean Books & Music. “My Favorite thing about Bogbean is the chaotic art energy that fills the place. It's full of books, vinyl records, old video games, movies and CD’s.” Senior Mallory Knight said. “I recommend Bogbean because they have great prices on movies. Plus it’s fun to go through stacks of vinyl records and see what artists you run into.” Check out some of the places listed above. There are so many more local businesses in the area to check out too. Grab some friends and go support some of our amazing local businesses.

By Haley Endraske Many students wonder what happens on campus or why things happen the way they do. Susanna Talley is the Associated Student Body President at Simpson University. She shared what she does and what the ASBSU role is here on campus! ASBSU meets weekly on Wednesday nights with all 10 of their collective members, including President Susanna Talley and Vice President Jessalyn Lankford. There are 8 representatives from different areas on campus such as Residence Life, Commuters, Spiritual Formation, Intramurals, Athletics, Diversity, International, and Student Activities. This semester they are working on different monthly campaigns and have started an initiative to work more closely with Dr. Hall, Simpson University’s president. Recently, all of the Student Leaders on campus attended the Christian Student Leadership Collective via Zoom. This conference was for student leaders all over the country to connect and talk about what each school has been experiencing during this time. New ideas and different ways of doing things were learned from this time and the goal was to apply those learned ideas to Simpson. One of those ideas was to have a new focus for ASBSU. They want to shift their leadership style and to hopefully improve communication. “We want to increase communication between our team and administration, and one way I learned about that at the recent Christian Student Leadership Conference that we went to was learning how to transition from reactive leadership to proactive leadership,” Talley said. In addition to clarifying the direction for ASBSU this semester, Talley shared some secretive (but not so secret) information. Once a month, anyone from the student body can come sit in on the ASBSU meetings. If interested, be sure to watch out for Zoom links in your email for when they meet!

By Daisy Brenegan What is “Give Big to the Pig” you may ask? Here are all the details. Starting on Jan. 18, the Give Big To The Pig campaign kicked off. This is a fun way for Simpson students to share in the spirit of philanthropy as a means of stewardship training. By participating in this campaign, students give a little something back. All the funds raised in the piggies will support the university’s student scholarship fund. “You can come pick up a piggy from my office on the third floor of the owens building #304 or get one at any of the events we will be holding this year,” Raymond Van Gilst, Director of Alumni and Church Relations, said. To participate, pick up a piggy bank and fill it up with any type of change or dollar bills. When your piggy is full, you can bring it to any of the Big Pig Round Ups throughout the school year. There will be competitions throughout the semester including grade competitions, blinging competition and much more! The first competition was a drawing. Pablo Ortega, a sophomore student from Valladolid, Spain, won a box of Simpson Swag. “Sometimes things aren’t fun to do but the outcome matters more than the action itself,” Ortega said. There are many piggy events planned for the semester, including regular pig weigh-ins, pig hunt, pig-n-a-poke midnight corn hole contest, pig-n-a-blanket midnight breakfast, piggy round up and county fair. Stay informed by checking your school email or by contacting Raymond Van Gilst with any questions you may have. Start filling those piggies!

By Tom Higdon Even a global pandemic won’t stop Simpson University’s Annual Research Symposium to take place for its 11th time. This year's theme: relationship. The Symposium has been a piece of University Academic culture since 2011. It was then that Dr. John Ayabe, the current History Department Chair, had an idea for his history students. “There was no opportunity for these students to present the work they were doing,” said Ayabe, “I was planning to create a session where history majors could present their senior theses.” Once word got around to the other departments though, what was birthed as a small gathering of history majors quickly grew into a campus wide event. Students from all departments could come together to present research projects that they had worked on throughout the semester. The first Symposium would give way to another 10 events in subsequent years. All culminating in this year’s Symposium. While the event comes in the middle of the CoronaVirus Pandemic, Ayabe says that it will still continue with some minor changes in format. All presentations will be done through zoom as well as live streamed and archived on the Symposium website. Mathew Mendoza, a senior Psychology major at Simpson who presented in last year's symposium, says he remembers the experience fondly despite some stress over presenting his research to a crowd. “It looks great on a resume and it felt really cool to be in that environment with everyone talking presenting all the work they had done,” said Mendoza. Mendoza was given a group research project for his Human Sexuality class and was asked by his professor to present that project at the symposium. He says that while he had a touch of nerves the day of, he felt a sense of accomplishment once all was said and done and he wasn't alone. According to the 2020 Symposium program over 70 students including Mendoza participated in the event. Ayabe believes that those 70 students as well as the ones planning to participate this year will get to feel themselves gain valuable experience. “You see this maturing of the student when they are able to share what they know in front of an audience,” said Ayabe, “It’s one of the highlights of the year for me.” For those who may be on the fence about participation, Ayabe had some encouraging words. “I have yet to meet a participant who said, ‘I wish I hadn’t done that,’ in fact it's quite the opposite,” said Ayabe. The deadline for applicants to submit their proposals is February 15. Both Ayabe and Mendoza say they look forward to seeing what Simpson students are able to show off this year.

By Paulina Diaz Some students graduate early, others double major. Senior Isabel Harris from Colorado Springs, Colorado, has done both. After taking many AP classes in high school, Harris was able to skip her entire first year of college and attend Simpson University in Fall 2018. Three years later, she will be graduating in Spring 2021 as a political science and cross-cultural major. “I chose Simpson because I wanted to go to a smaller Christian college on the west coast! I also got offered pretty significant academic scholarships and so it became a pretty clear choice!” she said via email. Harris has received a number of academic awards during her years at Simpson. According to the Simpson University Merit Page, Harris received the 2019-2020 Rotary Honor to Youth Award. The award is given to a traditional undergraduate student of any year who has made the highest contribution to service and their community during the student's tenure at the university thus far. Harris is currently planning on attending law school in the fall to study international law. She has already been offered admission at the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law in Fall 2021. Even though she says there is a lot that she would love to do, her dream job is to become an international diplomat working to bring development and justice systems to underdeveloped areas around the world. Her passion for politics has caught the interest of news outlets such as KRCR News, an ABC-affiliated television station licensed to Redding and also serving Chico. In October of 2020, the news channel published a story featuring Harris’ participation in the U.S. 2020 presidential election. There are a lot of people who have inspired Harris to pursue a career in both political science and cross-cultural studies. Some of the most inspirational people in her life have been her professors at Simpson University. Professors like Dr. Bailey, Dr. Slane, and Dr. McCabe (all of whom are no longer at Simpson) have played a very influential role in Harris’ development as a student. “I have been so shaped and formed by their lives and the work they have done. They were all very influential in my development as an individual and my career goals,” she said via email. Harris has become an inspiration to those around her. According to Admissions Counselor Sarah Bartow, Harris is very confident in her skills. “I love that she does not come off as cocky, she is very mature and confident,” Bartow said. “She encourages me to think creatively and critically.” As a part of the ASBSU (Associated Student Body of Simpson University), Harris represents Commuter Relations. She is also a leader in the outdoor adventure club, and a student counselor assistant in the admissions team. She loves the outdoors, and really values getting outside and going on trips whenever she can. She enjoys rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, and many other outdoor activities. Harris’ friends say that they admire her ambition. Junior Kailey Donovan, who also works for the admissions team and is part of the ASBSU, says that Harris inspires her to pursue her identity in Christ with courage and passion. Donovan has been friends with Harris for more than three years. They frequently go on hikes and backpacking trips. “Since Isabel is my closest friend, I really enjoy making memories and the joy these trips bring. We are able to adventure and truly embrace the outdoors!” Donovan said via text message. Harris says she hopes to be a good role model for high school seniors who aspire to go to college. “I think everyone is in a different place in high school, and it is a daunting season to move on to college,” she said via email. “I would say to seniors there are two main pieces of advice I would offer. The first is to decide what is most important to you and be intentional to cultivate that in your life. Be it becoming better at your sport, learning a lot in your major, or forming really good friendships, nothing is gained in passivity. Be intentional. The second I would say is do not put so much pressure on yourself to have your life figured out, or even yourself figured out. Enjoy each season without feeling pressure to have the next one figured out.” Even though Harris has already been accepted into her dream school, Pepperdine University, she says she is still impatiently waiting for admission decisions from University of Oregon and Lewis & Clark College.

By Ariana West Playing with no fans, having to get temperature checked for every practice, and not knowing whether or not the season will even happen are daily realities athletes in 2020 face everyday. In high school athletics, to college, and even professional, mostly every sport in America has undergone drastic changes since the outbreak of the global pandemic known as COVID-19. Athletic Director Tom Seitz said in an email that almost all fall sports schedules have been moved to the spring.  What happens in the spring still remains to be seen based on what happens with Covid.” This will lead to difficulties scheduling games and practices if all fall sports will be played in Spring, as almost all fall sports utilize the gym during their seasons. Not only will scheduling be difficult, but eligibility will also come up as an issue. Seitz hopes by Spring there will be better testing and, even better, a vaccine by spring. According to Seitz, there will also be either no fans or very limited numbers of fans for the Spring sports seasons. However, these rules are very fluid and constantly changing so what things will look like in the Spring is not for sure. The NAIA released new recommendations that colleges will continue to follow throughout Spring and Fall. Some of these recommendations included; “A student-athlete will be charged a season of competition when the student participates in more than 50% of the maximum allowable number of intercollegiate contests in any sport. Any participation in NAIA-approved postseason will result in a season charged.”Also, “A team may exceed the traditional limitation of three break periods within its 24-week season, and use an unlimited number of break periods.” According to the NAIA website, the latest update was on September 21st which means schools such as Simpson, are anxiously awaiting more news to come forth.

By Paulina Diaz OPINION As an international student, the U.S. is has become my second home. My experience as a college student has been as normal as anyone would expect, except for my senior year. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit back in March, I watched seniors pack up their whole lives and go back home with nothing but an unfinished semester. I also watched my fellow international friends desperately book flights to go back home as we were getting kicked off-campus. I booked my flight on the same day international students were given a final notice to leave campus. My friends left a week after. It was March 31st when I hopped on a plane to go back to my country, Mexico, with a mind full of uncertainty and distress. I had lost my job, my friends, and my plans. The airport looked like a warzone. Empty hallways, closed restaurants, and extreme safety measures were all I could see on my way back. During the summer of 2020, I did not know what to expect. I went home not knowing when I would be able to come back to the U.S. A couple of weeks of quarantine became a month, and a month became four. As a Mexican citizen, I watched my Spanish and Australian friends come out of quarantine way sooner than me, making me question if I should have left the U.S. in the first place. The day finally came when I knew I was going to be able to come back. However, I came back to a completely different campus. Most classes were now online, the cafeteria only offered take-out options and all Fall sports had been postponed to the Spring. Now, athletes have to wear a mask to practice, and no more than six people are allowed in the weight room at once, something that completely changed team dynamics. Also, no visitation is allowed, and students are highly encouraged not to leave the county. As an athlete, I am scared that the Spring season will get canceled, not allowing me to play in my senior year. As a student, I am scared that graduation will not happen, as occurred last year. There are still many questions surrounding this year. Our school, however, has made an incredible effort to have all students make the most out of this very unpredictable year. The Bean Scene and the Student Union are still open, in case you want to spend some time with your friends and get out of your room. Stay vigilant for student activities and other events!

By Tom Higdon OPINION Endings are always weird but the ending of this school year takes the crown. Amidst one of the more eventful years in recent memory, it can be easy for many seniors like myself to feel cheated out of their final year of school. When I transfered to Simpson last year, I had the perfect plan. My classes were laid out for the next two years and the bachelor's degree at the end of the tunnel felt like it would be a cherry on top of a time of fun and growth. Then, Covid-19 decided that those plans should change. My major, which relies heavily on face to face interaction, had to switch to an online curriculum overnight. Comfortable meals with all of my friends at the table turned into sitting in my room with a styrofoam box at my desk. Giving presentations to my peers and adapting to their feedback on the fly turned into asynchronous writing assignments and a monthly zoom call. A season of swimming went from having countless opportunities to compete to hoping for a single meet to come along and break the monotony of staring at a black line in the YMCA pool. Through all the change I have realized that none of this was going to go away as quickly as it came, so what is there left to do? Well fellow seniors I am here to tell you that you can still make the most out of your final hours as a redhawk and here is how: consistent effort towards creativity. As much as it may seem like Covid put a “Do not Resuscitate” tag on all of your favorite things, it really just hid those things behind a gauntlet of inconvenient obstacles. Take spending time with friends as an example. Pre-Covid, this simple part of our lives was as easy as going to the next dorm over and taking a seat or grabbing a bite to eat in the Caf with five of your best buddies. In this new normal though, it is not so simple but it's also not impossible. All you have to do is put a little more effort into finding creative ways to get together with your favorite people. Find some space in the union and play some charades. Drive up to Lassen and find a hike. Break out the spikeball net and go wild. The possibilities are as endless as your creativity is. As you sing your academic swan song don’t let anything, Covid especially, get in the way of you making memories that will last forever. Keep an eye out in the coming issues of the Slate for ways that you can look past the countless inconvenient obstacles that stand in the way of a perfect senior year.

By Ariana West OPINION According to a Medical News Today article, before the pandemic, 8.5% of U.S. adults reported being depressed. That number has risen to 27.8% as the country struggles with COVID-19. Not only have numbers risen among the entire population, but particularly among college students. The coronavirus pandemic has brought an onslaught of challenges for college students: virtual learning, financial responsibilities in the face of unemployment and an unwavering worry over possible infection, according to an August article by the Sacramento Bee. As a college student, I can say the Sac. Bee is right. This summer I lost my job because of the virus and I was forced to go on unemployment. Coming back on campus, despite having to wear masks all the time, was very exciting for me. I was thrilled to be able to have in-person classes, especially when most universities were completely doing virtual learning. However last week, because of a spike in cases in Shasta county, Simpson was forced to go completely virtual for classes and other events such as chapel. For me personally, it is hard to get out of bed sometimes just to get on my laptop and log into my first zoom class of the day. Being in class and actually getting to see my peers and professors face-to-face is definitely something I miss greatly and it’s only been one week. However, some students on our campus have been quarantined and cannot even leave their dorm rooms. When I asked Senior Victoria Mukisa how being on quarantine has affected her mental health she said, ”It takes a mental toll on me because I can’t really have any in-person socialization as I would like to, and not being around people is very hard for any human. I feel isolated and missing human interaction besides my RA who brings me my meals.” Many students like Mukisa have been quarantined because they have been possibly exposed to someone who has tested positive for the Coronavirus. When comparing her mental health before quarantine and after, Mukisa said that her mental health hasn’t necessarily worsened, but it’s definitely been challenged because she has to stay in a room with four white walls and she almost feels like she is in prison. Hopefully, we will be able to stay on campus and return to in-person classes after Christmas break, but only time will tell. If you are having any mental health issues or would just like someone to talk to, the Simpson University Community Counseling Center is located within the Wellness Center in the Owen Center, Suite 208. Regular office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Please call our office at (530) 226-4667 or come by to schedule an appointment. Also, Mark Endraske said in an email, “It’s normal to experience many different emotions during this pivotal time in our nation's history. Please remember to reach out for help when you’re feeling stressed or anxious.” Simpson Care’s TalkNow service is available 24/7 at no cost to give you the tools to address any symptoms or situation. Just go to www.simpson.care to start your visit. Providers can discuss: Stress Anxiety Loneliness Depression Anger Relationship Issues Much more It’s ok to ask for help! There’s no better time than now to take care of your mental health and wellbeing. Go to www.simpson.care for more information or to start a visit.

By Paulina Diaz Sierra Brenner is not a typical student at Simpson University. Brenner is a transfer student from Shasta Community College. She chose Simpson because it is close to home and because she got the opportunity to continue her soccer career while going to nursing school. At most schools, due to the workload, nursing students are not allowed to practice any sports. She says her favorite thing about the nursing program is that you get to know all the professors on a personal level and the class size is smaller than at most universities. “You are with your cohort all 2.5 years, each taking the same class and same clinical’s and you get to see the same people every day which makes it a comforting environment and you make really amazing friends,” she said via email. Brenner says being a nursing student-athlete is hard, but possible. As a third-semester student, she has two 12-hour clinicals and two days of class. When she is not at the hospital or in class, she is at soccer practice three times a week. Brenner’s favorite thing about playing soccer is her teammates and the fact that she is able to take the stress away from nursing. “I love the fact that we are almost like a family.” Brenner has been a part of the Simpson Women’s Soccer Program rebuilding process since Fall 2018. “It has come a long way and I truly believe we have a chance to take the championship with the team we have for this upcoming spring season,” she said via email. When people ask Brenner if being a nursing major is hard, she tells them that having good time management skills and dedication are key to success. “I try to take it week by week and write out on my planner what I have to do for that week. In nursing school, it’s hard to plan ahead because it takes up so much time just to write it all down on your planner and you feel like you’re wasting your time!” Sometimes, Brenner has two tests and up to 15 assignments in a single week. “I usually try not to focus on things so far ahead and just make sure what I need to get done in this day or week, gets done & go from there,” she said via email. When Brenner graduates in Fall 2021, she wants to apply to multiple hospitals in California, but also outside of California. She hopes to get a job at a hospital as quickly as possible. Her dream is to be an ER nurse or pediatric nurse. Brenner has some advice for those wanting to be both a nursing student and an athlete. “You can totally do it! Time management is really important and realizing that you probably won’t have a social life unless you're at practice. Practice is your break which means when you're not at practice, you are studying. Don’t allow anyone to tell you it is impossible to do both because it is not.”

By Ariana West With midterms and the stress of being a college student in the midst of a pandemic, everyone has seemed on edge lately. On Wednesday, Oct. 28, Simpson held a Day of Shalom. Classes and sports practices were cancelled for the entire day. Events included free hammocks and free drinks to the first 30 students, hamburgers and drinks during lunch in front of the Bean Scene, blessings and prayers in the Prayer Tent, and online Shalom activities for credit. Junior Caleb Gonzalez described his Day of Shalom as much needed especially because he has three midterms coming up. Gonzalez cleaned, slept, and used his day to study. Gonzalez also said that he would really like more Days of Shalom in the future because this one, “really helped student morale especially during these stressful and uncertain times.” While it is unknown whether or not there will be another Day of Shalom anytime soon, students have Thanksgiving break to look forward to for now. Students such as Communication major and golfer Eric Norris would like to see the Day of Shalom on a Tuesday or Thursday, the days he has more classes on. Tuesday and Thursdays are also days with no chapel, which would give students the entire day to rest, study, spend time with the Lord, etc. Good luck to everyone with their midterms. We got this!