For sophomore Amanda Abla, helping kids was a priority and a talent. At Harding, Abla found the perfect outlet, a way to combine her gifts with her love of acting: Theatron. Theatron was a Christian drama ministry organized under the Youth Corps charter whose members were selected by audition each fall. The goal ofTheatron was to present the message of Jesus through drama and focus on reaching teenage students specifically, which is where Abla made herself right at home. Abla was inspired to take the stage and join theater while in high school. It was during her first major production, "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten," that Abla was able to take part in the bonding that goes on among actors and members of a play. It was the first time she had gotten to know the cast members on a personal basis. "We just bonded and became a family," Abla said. "And I think that in itself was something that piqued my interest." Abla tried out and joined the "family" ofTheatron her freshman year and loved the experiences of that close-knit group as well. With her acting talents, it made sense for Abla to feel right at home with the group, especially after the amount of time they spent together in practice, on the road and in shows. Some of her favorite memories were made while traveling, such as on Theatron's Florida tour in summer 2010. She also loved working with the children for whom she performed one-on-one in settings Bethany Fleming Ryan Foster Daniel Foucher jenno Fox Corey Fraley Taro Fuchs jessica Futrell Alexondro Golbier Koyleen Conn Deloney Giles jocelynn Goff Alonnoh Gonda Kristopher Gordon Heather Gould Amy Graham like the camp they visited in Missouri during the fall2009. "I just love that [Theatron] kind of put together my love for goofing-off on stage and then just getting to know kids," Abla said. Abla loved getting to know the kids' stories and speaking with them after shows, a process she described as "planting that seed." "Where Amanda has always shone is in her interactions with the teens," junior Jacob Brown said. "That is what our ministry is really about, and she took to that so naturally." Theatron certainly required individuals to step out of their comfort zones to perform, but it also required them to think about their faith. It helped them develop skills like teamwork, patience and time management in a creative way while utilizing the talents that God had given them. For Abla, Wlio majored in psychology with a minor in social work,~is experience through Theatron was invaluable because it was with the age group that she planned to wor~· wtf:h in the future. More importantly, perhaps, was thr;<way Theatron helped shape her faith. Abla also loved 'the way Theatron brought individuals with different talents and majors together. According to Abla, this "common passion" uniting individuals was one of her favorite things about Harding, and she summed up her feelings in a few words. "It's really taught me to be an example and not just be able to tell people about my faith but to live it, so they can see it," Abla said. Gabrielle Pruitt sophomores 9 3
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