Photo by: Simpson University Baseball Instagram By: Ronald Bolling At Simpson University we finally have Baseball in our own backyard. The Baseball field is getting ready to be finished. It has been a long-awaited addition to the Simpson University campus. I got a chance to speak to the Head Coach Dan Tating, to get his thoughts on the Baseball field finishing up and playing on the field. I asked Tating his thoughts on the baseball field, his expectations for how the baseball field being finished would affect the connection of the team? Tating stated, “I think it goes further than just like our team this year, this is like 20 years in the making, it’s important for our team, but also important for our community.” Redding has not had the chance to watch The Simpson Baseball team on their own turf. I asked Tating what is the biggest factor going into the seasons moving forward? Tating stated, “The fact is more than just the field, we’ll have the only field, us and La Sierra will have a field on campus. That is major, Simpson University will have a home field advantage, and not a lot of schools can say that is pretty awesome. I asked Tating Do you think this will help the community of Redding get behind Redhawk Baseball? Tating responded, “I think us having control of the field, be able to make decisions, and having to control how to field plays”. One questions during my time talking to Tating that I was waiting to ask is What kept you at Simpson for so many years even though other schools had their own baseball fields”? Tating responded “As a coach you want to be successful you want to win championships, but as long as you're progressing every year it helps you see that you don’t feel like you're going backwards and it helps you drive to be better every year also combine that with your relationships with your players, with your coaching staff you become more of a family.” A long-awaited moment that the Simpson University community has been waiting for over decade will finally happen.

By: Timea Horvath Photo by: @simpsonu_golf on Instagram Simpson University’s golf team, even though rarely talked about, has a unique story. This year, 11 out of the 12 students on the school’s golf team are international. Almost all of them come from different countries. The nations represented are Mexico, Kenya, Canada, England, Spain, Ireland, Norway, the Netherlands, and Germany. Such a vast variety of nationalities on one team has its advantages and disadvantages. “I have had trouble myself understanding their accents sometimes, but they all tell awesome stories and bring pieces of their culture here,” said Eric Norris, the team’s graduate assistant. Despite the possible cultural differences, Simpson’s golf team seems to be incredibly well integrated. Most of the guys on the team are roommates. This means that not only do they play competitive golf with each other, they also share their living space. The team is happy to share the multiple successes they have achieved this academic year. During the weekend of Oct. 9-11, the team competed in their first tournament of the season, the Oregon Tech invite at the Running Y Ranch Resort course in Klamath Falls, OR. “Jaxon Moon was five under par at some point in his round and settled with a two under par 70. Dean Knight has stepped up as a freshman as well and played great,” Norris said. According to the Simpson University Athletics website, the men finished in third place. Jaxon Moon was leading the way for the Red Hawks with a 3rd place finish. Dean Knight and Felipe Ferreira finished with 8th and 9th places, respectively, out of 27. The women also finished the tournament strong. Michelle Euan, a sophomore, took 11th place, and Brie Memeo finished in 15th place. Managing such a multinational team may sound very stressful and hard to some people. Coach Mike Phillips heard some of those concerns while he was recruiting the current team. The biggest one was that most high schools abroad do not have sports teams. Thus, Simpson University would be their first time of playing golf on a team. However, despite all the possible challenges, Phillips decided to bring this unique team into reality. And he doesn’t regret it. According to Phillips, his favorite aspect of coaching golf is that you always win as a team. This means that the players are rooting for their teammates to do as well as possible, which creates a deep bond between them. “Golf may not be the most exciting sport, but all of our players are excited to play for Simpson and represent the school well respectfully and professionally,” Norris said. The golf players are currently training for their next tournament which will take place between Nov. 6-8 in Rocklin, CA.

Photo by: Spencer Crandall (Spotify) Written by: Caitlin Chavez Country singer, Spencer Crandall continues to capture more hearts through his first tour, The Western Tour with his music and story. Crandall, 27, began his songwriting career after he had to end his college football career due to a shoulder injury. He shared that he questioned his purpose after that decision because he loved playing football, and pursuing that career was part of his plan. He saw his guitar sitting in his dorm room, “grabbed his guitar and started playing,” Crandall said. He shared that he went from singing covers, to writing his own songs and sharing his music on social media. Shortly after, his little sister introduced him to Tik Tok to check out. He responded, “I’m not a 13-year-old girl.” However, he shared that decided to investigate Tik Tok for himself and realized there was more than just trending dancing videos. As but people sharing their music as well. “I think there’s something there,” Crandall said. One of his songs he posted on Tik Tok, My Person, went viral hours later. He even made a wedding version of My Person; and people used the song to share their relationship stories and first wedding dances on Tik Tok. He shared that he had no idea one of his songs going viral would bring him to the place he is today within his career. In the beginning of October, he started his first tour, The West Tour. performing throughout most of the United States. Even though a few of his venues were not super big, a few of his shows were sold out, including one of the venues in Los Angeles. One of his fans, Teagan Haubrock, shared her experience after attending Spencer Crandall’s concert in Los Angeles. “Meeting him for the first time, I was filled with excitement. Spencer talked about some of his songs, and why he wrote them. Most of his songs really inspired me and helped me get through my day,” Haubrock said. From this point in Crandall’s journey, he shared that his hopes are to continue to create the music people love and enjoy.

Photo by: Caitlin Chavez By: Caitlin Chavez Money has been going to waste for Simpson and affecting the environment due to trash, but there is a solution. Simpson University has been facing a trash crisis due to ongoing styrofoam take-out containers being tossed after one use daily. Seeing trash continue to pile up in the cafeteria, in dorm halls, stairways, even outside around campus from the to-go boxes is not a good look for Simpson. It shows lack of hospitality and poor reflection to potential students who arrive on Simpson campus. If we look at the numbers from Simpson student, Daniel Martin’s research, there are at least 3,500 styrofoam food boxes tossed after one use weekly, that is $1,050 total spent. This total spent on to-go boxes is from students who grab one to take food from the cafeteria within the Monday through Friday time period alone. To keep up with the trash, there were 4 more dumpsters added to help with making Simpson campus look more appealing. The dumpsters must be dumped more often than before, meaning SU must pay the garbage employees for picking the trash up. Martin proposed in his essay the cafeteria stops buying 700 take-out containers a day for students completely. As a result, it can not only save them money buying $210 worth of plastic containers every day, but it will benefit the environment as well. Furthermore, it can help decrease trash production from Simpson University’s dumpsters. Is Simpson University planning to solve this issue? According to Noah Bryerton, ASBSU President, “Simpson University is actively working on reducing amounts of producing trash.” To replace the styrofoam boxes, the cafeteria was thinking about executing a reusable food container program next year that gives students their own to-go containers. Instead of grabbing a to-go box from the cafeteria, students would have to bring their own to-go box in if they want to take food on the go. Bryerton said, "A big point of conversation has been the styrofoam “to-go” containers used in the Caf. Styrofoam is awful for the environment and the containers take up lots of space”. The Sustainability Club, established and led by Kia Flack and Sophie Actis, encouraging others on campus to be more “environmentally sustainable." If you want to start helping the environment but do not know how, you can start off by following their Instagram to receive helpful tips.

Photos by Cole McMahon By: Jacob Greene Cole McMahon bleeds red and gold. He created his own podcast, immersing himself in the sports world. McMahon was born in Las Vegas, Nevada but has lived in Menifee, California for the last 16 years. His father’s family is from San Francisco but moved around a lot–living in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania at one point. McMahon’s father was a Pittsburg fan, but eventually became a San Francisco 49ers fan. McMahon talked about how he got the idea of his podcast, “One time when me and my dad were going up to the championship game, for the 49ers, we were listening to the 49ers radio–KNBR–and I thought, ‘Dang this would be a really cool job to have.’” At that time McMahon was planning on becoming a History teacher. Instead, he decided he wanted to pursue something in the sports world. He now lives in the sports world. McMahon built his very own podcast to showcase his love for the red and gold. It takes McMahon approximately two and a half hours total, per episode. McMahon said, “I’ve gotten a little quicker. It is not too bad now. I kind of have a process.” This process includes rewatching the game after it is finished, taking notes during the game, and editing the audio for the podcast. McMahon has about 50 weekly listeners to his podcast. He also has almost 3,300 followers on his Instagram page, as well as 133 subscribers on YouTube. Through all the hard work and dedication McMahon is aware that there are always improvements to be made. McMahon knows he needs to promote it a lot better but also stated, “It would be great to have a lot of listeners, but just having the experience of doing it is really what I'm in for.” McMahon draws inspiration from other 49ers fan pages such as Oursf49ers, Niners Nation, and of course the radio network that started it all, KNBR 680. McMahon talked about his inspirations, “My dad definitely helps me a lot, gives me lots of ideas and knows a lot about sports stuff.” Although football is his favorite sport, he does not know all the different plays, zones, and coverages-unlike baseball. McMahon currently plays baseball for the Simpson University Red Hawks. McMahon depends on his dad for any extra knowledge he wants to use for his podcast. McMahon’s biggest achievement was getting 22,000 views on a hype video he made for the 49ers’ 2021-2022 season. Not only that, but at one point was also tagged in a Trey Lance post by Sports Illustrated on Instagram. First and 49ers was tagged in the post along with a few other successful fan-run 49ers accounts. If you would like to follow Firstand49ers on Instagram, Spotify, and YouTube the links are listed below. Do not forget to also check out the First and 49ers website. For More Information: https://www.instagram.com/firstand49ers/ https://open.spotify.com/show/39vZUlbGNVlakqke68jwMi?si=593f620327fe45f8 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmALG6ObnnFO8fxS9ltljCA/featured https://www.firstand49ers.com/

By: Timea Horvath Photo By: Neighborhood Church in Chico, CA From a small East Texas town of Nacogdoches, through the constantly bustling Chicago to Redding, California, Thomas Middlebrook has experiences like no one else. A long journey of first being a timber framer to then becoming a graduate assistant and a pastoral fellow and elder has eventually drawn Middlebrook to Simpson University. He has been an assistant professor of Old Testament here for more than two years now. Most Simpson students already have or will have at least one class with Professor Middlebrook during their time in college. He is known for his never-ending smile and those new, bright red glasses. His passion for teaching is visible during every class and students are often inspired by his lessons. “He teaches in a way that inspires delight. He also cares about his students and creates space in the classroom for us to be there for one another in community,” said Kia Flack, a Biblical Studies major. Dr. Middlebrook, however, didn’t always plan on becoming a professor. He is what some might call a true “renaissance man.” His numerous interests include sports (especially Frisbee Golf and Ultimate Frisbee), comics, board games, poetry, archeology, and more. The passion for archeology, as Dr. Middlebrook said, began during his childhood when he started learning about Native American archeology with his father. During his graduate studies, Middlebrook went on several archeological excavations in Israel. He said that it perfectly combined his love for the Old Testament with archeology. He was part of leading multiple tours in conjunction with Jerusalem University College (Simpson also takes students there every other year). While excavating requires a lot of manual work and patience, Middlebrook said it was worth it. One day he found something very unusual. “I’m cleaning off this one find with my thumb and I’m rubbing the mud off a very normal broken piece of pottery (probably spending too long cleaning it). I thought my fingerprint was on it when I realized that it was actually an ancient fingerprint. I was staring at an Israelite woman’s fingerprint from 3,000 years ago,” said Middlebrook. “That’s a human being with a story and just connecting to that story blew me away. That’s why I love it and I would love to get back to it one day.” Despite his many talents, experiences, and deep connections with the people he met in different parts of the world, when Simpson University offered Middlebrook a job, he accepted it immediately. “To move and get hired was a dream come true and this really is my dream job. Everything I do is so fun, exciting, and valuable that I can’t imagine doing anything else,” said Middlebrook. Having such devoted, kind, and experienced professors is a rare find, like an ancient woman’s fingerprint, but many agree that Dr. Middlebrook is one of them. Simpson University is lucky to have him as part of the faculty.

Photo by: Simpson University By: Timea Horvath Simpson University is officially launching a football team. On Sept. 27, all students received an email that proved the rumors to be true. Dr. Norman Hall, Simpson University’s president, announced the launch of a football team. After months of thorough research on the resources needed and steps to be taken, the decision has been made to add football to our sports department. The exciting news quickly spread over the school community, and many students started wondering what the first season will look like. However, before we are able to enjoy those games, Simpson has to go through the long process of preparations. “The current model includes what is called a “zero” year next fall where the new team will participate in non-conference scrimmage games,” Dr. Hall said, “We have started recruiting, will play the “zero” or scrimmage year next year and expect to play NAIA sanctioned games Fall 2024.” According to Dr. Hall, the most important step right now is finding a head coach. The coach then will work together with Simpson’s admissions office in the process of recruiting players and hiring an assistant coach. When it comes to the location of the football practices and games, the plan is still being shaped. There are two main possibilities that the university is considering. The first one includes adding Astro-turf and lights to the current soccer field for practice and possibly games. The president and other Simpson employees are also in the process of talking to nearby high schools about using their fields Saturday games. This addition to the Simpson University’s athletic department will certainly change a lot when it comes to the community feeling, campus life, and student body. When done properly, this could bring a lot of good publicity and new students to school. “Universities that are successful in this endeavor are those who pull together to make it a success.  As a community we will need to move carefully, ask good questions, and launch this program bathed in prayer,” Dr. Hall said. Students are also engaged in the preparations for the football team. Noah Bryerton, the ASBSU President, shared his role in the project. “I had the privilege of joining Dr. Hall and some other faculty on a trip to Caldwell, Idaho the weekend of October 6-9,” Bryerton said. Bryerton then shared the story of the College of Idaho which (similarly to Simpson) started as a small school deciding to launch a football program. After 10 years of hard work, they have the No.1 attendance in all of NAIA football and have put together an amazing team and gameday experience. “Simpson can do the same!!!” Bryerton said. Launching a football team is surely a bold decision which requires a lot of hard work and determination, but when done correctly, can have a huge, positive impact on the university and the city of Redding in general. Let’s hope that this is what will happen with Simpson.

Photo taken by: Lana Lucin “Living Life on the EDGE” By: Jacob Greene Blame it all on her roots, she showed up in snow boots. Freshman Lana Lucin had never been an outdoorsy person, but now she is. Unprepared and unshaken Lucin stepped out of her comfort zone in snow boots. The EDGE program was an outdoor leadership experience that took place before school started in September, 2022. It was created for new students who were interested in Simpson University's Outdoor Leadership program. The program also gave students the opportunity to get a weeklong head start on creating friendships with people before school started. Dr. Scott Barnett, Associate Professor of Outdoor Leadership at Simpson University, said that, “It [the EDGE program] was designed mostly to help freshman transition into their time at Simpson. I’ve seen a lot of people come out with really good friendships, really good community, but also getting a sense confidence and strength as they have gone into the wilderness and taken on these challenges.” Lucin did just that, coming back from the EDGE program with good community, ready to start her freshman year. “We are all actually cool friends now,” Lucin said. Lucin is used to being around boys. She is the middle child, with 2 brothers close in age, and two sisters. So, for Lucin being around all boys for a week during the EDGE program was nothing new. “I’d say from 6 grade under [I was a tomboy], 7th to 8th grade, whatever, but from sophomore on, I flipped a switch and was pretty girly,” said Lucin. The previous time Lucin found herself being on an outdoor trip was in 5th grade with her outdoor education class. A week before school, she was outside of her comfort zone, enjoying a week in the great outdoors. The EDGE program entailed two days camping, three days rafting, and two days backpacking. It took place at Kidder Creek Campsite and the Russian River. Everyone that took part in the program came back the Friday of Welcome Weekend. Although Lucin came home with blisters, she still loved her experience. The blisters came from wearing snow boots, rather than traditional hiking boots. “A few days before, me and my mom went to go buy me shoes, and I ended up buying a pair of shoes. I come there, get ready for the first day of hiking, and all the boys are like, ‘Why are you wearing snow boots?’” Despite the lowlights of blisters and a flipped white-water raft, the trip was all worth it. Lucin’s highlights included when she saw her very first waterfall and that she grew closer to God. Lucin explained, “It was a really amazing experience…it was a different connection, getting to be outside and truly seeing His creation, I feel like it really helped my relationship with Him.” Lucin highly recommends doing the EDGE program for students. When asked how much she recommends doing the program Lucin said, “Oh, my–100%, like a 100%, it was just so amazing, an amazing detox before school, my relationship with God–I had a whole new aspect of it.” Lucin hopes that next year, if they do it again, instead of 5 people, 10 people will go. She also voiced her opinion about the program and how she would love to do it again. Students who participated in the EDGE program received 3 credits, but for Lucin credit is not necessarily a factor for her experience. “I would love to do it again next year…even if I was to get only one credit for it,” Lucin said. Dr. Barnett stated that the Outdoor Leadership Department is making the EDGE program available for current students toward the end of this school year. Keep your eyes peeled, Red Hawks! Not only will it be available for current students, but also, it will be cheaper than the previous $650. If you are looking to live life on the EDGE--keep your eyes peeled for announcements about the program. Simpson University offers degrees in Outdoor Leadership and has many amazing opportunities offered through their program. If you are interested in Outdoor Leadership or outdoor events, contact Dr. Scott Barnett by email or during his office hours.

Image from Google: Photo by Mark Brown NJ.com By Christian Valdez Music fans across the globe congregate to stadiums and event centers to witness Dua Lipa’s powerful presentation of her long awaited Future Nostalgia tour. The 26 year old singer is one of the hottest topics in music at the moment. Lipa’s second album, Future Nostalgia, has placed in the top ten since its debut in 2020 according to spotifycharts.com. One of her newest songs “Cold Heart” is in the top ten according to the billboard global charts. Fans cannot stop listening to the three time Grammy winner’s music. The pop star is touring right now and Lipa recently performed four hours from the school on March 27. Lipa performed at the SAP Center in San Jose that is home to the Sharks hockey team. The small complex made everyone in the arena feel within touching distance of the stage. You could see everything from the second level. Lipa proved to be a master of anticipation as it took some time for her to take the stage. Audience members exploded with excitement once the pop star took the stage. Lipa established her mesmerizing stage presence early on by strutting up and down the extended stage singing her opening song, “Physical.” The arena was rocking the whole time as fans sang along with the pop star. Lipa engaged with the audience by encouraging fans to sing along and by singing songs to specific people in the crowd. The singer was also elevated onto a moving platform that soared over the crowd. This choice was perfect considering that she was singing “Levitating” during this time. Lipa enthralled the audience during the one hour and forty minute performance. The artist delivered a speech mid concert that captured the hearts of her fans. Lipa said, “I’m feeling a bit emotional and excited,” while talking about her tour being delayed for two years by the pandemic. The artist began to tear up as the crowd roared with support for her. The artist’s voice was truly on point and her dancing along with her backup dancers created a captivating environment. The dance choreography was fun and dynamic. The light show and videos displayed on the huge screen supplemented the performance. The vibrant light colors varied based on the mood of each song, which was clever. Overall this concert was incredible. Fans were entertained and captivated the entire duration. Concerts post COVID are looking great especially the Future Nostalgia tour. This was a solid 9/10 and the only issue is that Lipa did not come out for a second encore. Lipa's voice is better in person by far. Spotify does not do her musical talent justice. The power that her voice has can only be truly experienced in person. Next time she is in northern California, make sure to see her. Image from Dua Lipa’s Instagram All images not labeled were taken by Christian Valdez

Photo by: Care Net “Running with Purpose” By: Kayla Reiss Care Net is hosting their annual 5K Run at Turtle Bay. This is a community involved event that is open for Simpson students to enjoy. Care Net is a Christian nonprofit Center that aids women facing unexpected pregnancy in California. Their website explains more about their purpose. Care Net exists to be a haven for women and men facing an unexpected pregnancy in Northern California. The event on October 22nd is open to those who would like to race for prizes, run, or even walk. The website explains that there will be three sections catering to each of these categories. The 5K is a fundraiser and an unveiling of the new mobile ultrasound unit. The current director Wendy Reasner shared some of the benefits of the new unit, “The unit is the first of its kind and will offer free ultrasounds to rural communities in Redding and the greater Redding area. The unit will provide services in a huge radius; Burney, Mount Shasta, Hayfork, and Weaverville. Although the run came to a halt from 2015 to 2020, the number of attendees reached 120 last year. This is an exciting event for the community to connect and play lawn games. This is also a great time for the Care Net Staff to meet their donors. Reasner shared more about the efforts of the donors, “We are excited because this is one of the two opportunities to see all the donors in one area. We normally only get to meet our donors twice a year. It’s a great opportunity to thank people.” The mobile ultrasound unit was funded entirely by donor contributions. It took a year to fund and create the unit. Reasner also commented on the appeal of the event for Simpson students, “Since Roe v. Wade, everyone has been looking for an opportunity to do something. People are asking “How can I help and volunteer?” Care Net is a great place to help. At the run, you can buy raffle tickets for gift cards, cheer people on, and even run or walk with the participants.” Shasta county is in a critical position to receive help. Brenden Ojala, another employee at Care Net mentioned that the teen pregnancy rate is higher in Shasta County in comparison to the rest of the state. In fact, the rate sits at 17.7 per 1,000 compared to the state average of 12.3. Ojala also explained more about how Care Net services clients in difficult circumstances. Clients can drop in or schedule an appointment. The organization is dedicated to sharing the love of Christ with anyone who comes through the doors. If you are interested in serving the community, Care Net may be the place for you to get involved. The first link is a website including statistics on information regarding state demographics. The second is a link to Carenet. Resources: https://californiayouthpartnership.org/local-data http://carenetredding.org/5k

Photo by: Nichole Martinez By Jacob Greene The newest ASBSU administration is ready to get to know students and enhance the student experience at Simpson University. The Associated Student Body of Simpson University is led by President Noah Bryerton and Vice President Gianna Smith. During the ‘22 Fall semester Smith, upon hearing that Bryerton was interested in running for ASBSU President offered to be his Vice President. Smith wanted to be a part of Student Leadership after stepping down as Resident Assistant (RA) before beginning her student teaching in Spring ‘23. “I loved Simpson so much my first year here and thought it would be a great idea to apply for the Presidency and convey my love for the school to other students,” Bryerton said via email. When asked what three things people should know about you Bryerton said via email, “I love the Lord, I love meeting new people, so if I don't know you yet, let's change that! I love Simpson.” When Smith asked what people should know about her, she said that, “I love people, I love country music, and my dream grade to teach--is 1st grade.” Bryerton and Smith said they wanted to be President and Vice President because of their love of Simpson and their Christ-like love of people. “I love having people around, please come to the office hang out,” Smith said. The duo has a unique feature that fully encapsulates their mutual love for Simpson and people. When someone new visits their office (found on the bottom floor of the Student Union) they get to take a picture of themselves and put it on the wall. “If people come to say hi, chances are you will have your photo taken and put up on our ‘Simpson Family Board,’” Bryerton said via email. Smith also oversees the rentals, which are recreational equipment for student and club use. Bryerton and Smith both love having office hours and working closely with people like Sarah Jobson, Mark Endraske, and the President of Simpson University–Dr. Hall. Smith explained where the administration is at on executing their initiatives, “We have not really started working on initiatives at all. We just have office hours where we’re getting to know students and then we’ll have cabinet meetings starting up later this month,” Smith said. The first cabinet meeting was held on Oct. 2. The administration is excited to see what initiatives their cabinet brings to them and how they can better the school. “With our cabinet, we will ask them what the student body is passionate about changing, and then we have a small budget to make changes to Simpson’s campus,” said Smith. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with Simpson, but there is room for improvement. Bryerton wants to enhance the students’ experience with Simpson University. “I want to help bridge the gap between the students and the upper administration,” Bryerton said via email. If you want to stop by to borrow a rental, meet your President and Vice President, be added to the “Simpson Family Board,” or help call attention to any improvements you think may be needed on campus their office hours are: Bryerton, Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-10 a.m.; Smith, Mon.-Fri. 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

Photo by: iStock photos “Tidbits From the First Fireside Chat” By: Noah Bryerton The first “Fireside Chat” of the year has come and gone. Let me catch you up on what you missed! Hosted in the Bean Scene, the “Fireside Chat” was an opportunity for students to come and ask Dr. Hall questions/ and offer suggestions about the school. Dr. Hall also summarized what has been happening at Simpson. The first topic talked about at the event was football. Dr. Hall let the students know that Simpson has fundraised more money in the past two years than ever before. Hall also mentioned that football brings many students in, all while providing a major source of weekend entertainment. The future Business Technology/Engineering building was discussed next. Students who attended were able to see multiple architectural drawings of the building. Included in the plans was a 300-seat theater and a massive Simpson sign that lights up in the evening. It was then time for students to ask their questions to Dr. Hall. Jack Morgan asked, “Do you think football will change the culture on campus?” Dr. Hall reminded us that God is not going to hand us anything that we cannot handle. Hall assured us that the future coach of the football program will be an amazing leader who is able to evangelize to players. The next question came from Jacob Greene who asked about getting the pond restocked with fish. As he asked this question, Dr. Hall received a phone call from his mom, which he promptly declined and said to the students “I just hung up on my 83-year-old mom to talk about your fish.” Hall said that they are already working on stocking the pond. Michael Bray asked the next question “What does the alumni association look like?” Students learned that before Dr. Hall entered his role, Simpson did not connect with alumni. Simpson is in the process of creating a “Young Alumni Association” that targets students who are four or less years out of school. Hall then taught those in attendance the saying “learn, earn, return.” The final question of the evening was asked by David Berry (from Zimbabwe) which was “What is homecoming?” Hall explained how alumni and their families have an opportunity to come back on campus to celebrate Simpson. Attendees were also told about the plans to have a ribbon cutting ceremony on the baseball field paired with an alumni game and fireworks. Dr. Hall’s last words of the evening were a reminder to be kind to people and trust God. If you missed this evening of conversation and Mrs. Hall’s cookies, do not worry. There will be a few more “Fireside Chats” throughout the year. Keep your eye out for posters detailing when the next one will be.