A Celebration of Spring – Ostara

March 25, 2019

At 5:58 on Wednesday, March 20th the Spring Equinox arrived, or as it is called by many Pagans/Wiccans, Ostara. According to an article by Peg Aloi, entitled “You Call it Easter, We Call it Ostara,” “Easter gets its name from the Teutonic goddess of spring and the dawn, whose name is spelled Oestre or Eastre (the origin of the word ‘east’ comes from various Germanic, Austro-Hungarian words for dawn that share the root for the word ‘aurora’ which means ‘to shine’).”
For Pagans/Wiccans, this is a time of year when we are at “a point of perfect balance on the journey through the Wheel of the Year. Night and day are of equal length and in perfect equilibrium – dark and light, masculine and feminine, inner and outer, in balance. But the year is now waxing and at this moment light defeats the dark. The natural world is coming alive, the Sun is gaining in strength and the days are becoming longer and warmer” (The Goddess & The Green Man).
There are two key symbols of Ostara that will be familiar to many, eggs and rabbits/hares. The eggs are the promise of new life, and rabbits/hares are well-known to be associated with fertility. The celebration of Ostara brings us in close with the animals and plants, and helps us feel connected to the Earth, which we see just coming to life around us.
For a local celebration of Ostara, the members of the New Age Circle club held our annual Ostara/Spring egg hunt last week on the Batavia campus. We hid over 200 paper eggs across the first floor of campus. Every paper egg could be redeemed for a chocolate egg, and there were 3 glitter eggs that netted grand prize chocolate bunnies. The egg hunt usually brings out the competitive side of students, with groups of students often banding together to peek into the nooks and crannies around campus. If you’re a Batavia-based student next spring, we hope you’ll join us for the hunt!

Have you ever seen that one movie with those kids?

by Rikki Ettinger

March 25, 2019

Movies like 22 Jump Street, Accepted, American Pie 2, Road Trip, Stealing Harvard, and Van Wilder, all depict college life as a huge party montage. That list goes on and on forever. However, some aspects of these films do mimic what real life college is like. For instance, almost everyone has a clique or a club to belong to.
Almost every interest the student body has, there is a club for it at GCC. You want to fix broken phone screens? Join Computer Repair Club. Are you interested in Pagan Religions and the Occult? There’s a club for that. Maybe you’re more into relaxing and kicking back? Film Club is for you.
The Film Club is small group of students with a common purpose…to create. They’re like the Breakfast Club except they aren’t in detention and are a lot less problematic. Do you have a fun idea for a short film? Want to learn the ins and outs of a camera and recording equipment? Want to try your hand at acting, writing, or directing? The Film Club has a spot for you.
“Since I was a little bean of a child, I’ve enjoyed making videos, so this lets me make more,” Hanna Butcher, a communication major, said. Butcher may be considered the quietest one in the group, but don’t let that mislead you. If film club were A Nightmare on Elm Street, she’d be Nancy Thompson.
If film club were Guardians of the Galaxy, Adam Howard, also a communications major, would be Drax. Not only because he’s freakishly buff and covered in weird markings, but also because he’s a man of few words and is always ready to make things happen. Howard joined Film Club “to make movies.”
You may be reading this and wondering, who is Film Club for? It may seem like the answer is communication majors. Or as Howard put it, for “production nerds.” The real answer is the Club is for everyone. “Anyone who is interested with filming or editing or anything else is welcomed,” Butcher said.
Anyone interested should consider joining. There is room for more members. When asked if I could still join, Butcher said, laughing, “Yes, the club is desperate.”

CSU Club Events

by Persephone Hudzinski

March 25, 2019

There is a definite change in atmosphere from the stress-filled hallways during common hour to room T122 on Thursday. The scent of coffee hits the nose strong and the music dances on the ears soft; it is peaceful.
“We promoted it as Christian students getting together, creating a fellowship, and encouraging each other; [a] building-of-a-community kind of thing,” Says Anna, President of Christian Students United. Her short, anxious words drag towards my phone which records her every comment. Their mission from last year has their fellowship for 2018 ready for a party, a party she had to plan. Last year on November 6th, the CSU club celebrated their one-year anniversary with a Christian Music night held in the forum.
This Christian music night is one of many to come as the club discusses plans to host a concert every semester. The party last semester had performers from different churches like Alexis Logsen and Laura Guiste who sang with heart and passion in front of a crowd of 50 plus people. Everyone enjoyed cake and refreshments after the memorable show.
I recall the event unfolding in dim lighting. Alexis Logsen takes the mic to say a prayer and speak some words of encouragement. It’s beautiful, the way the lights are shining behind her on the stage, how her heels click as she runs up to give her message and how the piano carries the ending of her statement away to everyone’s ears. She prays for freedom and expression. The next performance begins so smoothly. It doesn’t feel like church—it is something more spiritual than that.
“Christian Students United in their love for Jesus to edify and encourage one another to be the light of Christ at GCC for the glory of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior”, their energy of kindness, acceptance, and support for one another—even strangers—is beautiful, and hopefully the upcoming events hosted by this club meet the dazzling standard set by its previous show.