253 ORGANIZATIONS BOWLS OF BONDING Healthy Eating Active Living and Campus Life partners together for an alternative to club week. For students who chose not to participate in the club process, Fall Bash took place in the fall semester. This was the second year this week-long event took place, and organizations such as Healthy Eating Active Living and Campus Life planned a week filled with fun activities for students to participate in. Dr. J.D.Yingling, professor of kinesiology, created this event after he heard about the negative impact of club week on the mental health of students, whether they participated or not. Senior Deanna Hutson was part of the student steering committee for Fall Bash and was passionate about what this week meant to others. FRIENDSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP Students mingle at President Mike Williams’ house enjoying a night of fun. There were opportunities for students to come together all week. Photo by: Julianne Baker “It creates a space of inclusion instead of exclusion, and I don’t think that the point of the club process is exclusion, but I think that it is easy for people to end up feeling that way,” Hutson said. “I think it’s just countercultural almost, in a way of creating a space of inclusion and creating a space of community, and that is what Harding is about. It’s supposed to be a community of mission, and so I think this is something that really embodies that.” Sophomore Lydia Radke, another member of the student steering committee, felt similar to Hutson. “Our goal is to help students build community,” Radke said. Some of the activities planned for this week of festivities were a service project; glow-in-the-dark dodgeball; a session at Nooma, the local yoga studio and time spent with President Mike Williams and First Lady Lisa Williams. Fall Bash not only connected students with different organizations, but also with faculty. Senior Hannah Ireland was also a part of the student steering committee for this week. “I think it’s promoting faculty and student interactions outside of class,” Ireland said. “They know we’re talking to professors in the Bible department, English department, people that students are familiar with, people in the Honors College and getting them to come hang out with students outside of class.” Dr. Britney Finley, assistant professor of kinesiology, was also involved with Fall Bash. “I like that there’s new organizations that are involved,” Finley said. “I like that it’s more of a community effort to do something.” In a week that could be filled with high emotions, students and faculty worked together to strengthen the campus community. Written by: Mattie Powers
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