Covenant Student Helps Save Dying Child

On Jesse Walter’s first medical call, he helped restart a human heart. After 15 minutes of CPR and four shocks from a defibrillator, the 14-year-old got a pulse back. Afterward, one of the paramedics assisting Walters told him that children or teenagers going into cardiac arrest only happens a couple of times each year and they are rarely saved.

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Brexit Accomplished

As of  January 31, the United Kingdom [UK] has officially left the European Union. Brexit has finally happened after three and a half years of uncertainty. How did the kingdom reach this outcome, and what will it mean for the UK’s future? 

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China's Coronavirus

The World Health Organization, or WHO, declared a global public health emergency on January 30 due to the coronavirus. GHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in an NPR article, “The main reason for the declaration is not what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries.”

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Around the World in 500 Words

In Nigeria, many Christians are still facing the threat of violence from radical Islamists. The Morning Star News, an organization specifically covering Christian persecution, reported that in the last week of January, in villages throughout the Plateau State, Muslim Fulani herdsmen killed around 32 Christians, including a pregnant woman.

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Intercultural Credit

Core 337, intercultural experience, is one of the less commonly discussed credits required to graduate from Covenant College. While freshmen are given a sheet of paper during orientation that explains what it entails and how to complete it, the intercultural experience often gets pushed aside until junior or senior year.

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New Year, New Priorities

Elected in November 2018, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) has begun his second of four years in his term as governor. 2019 turned out to be a contentious year for Kemp from charges of voter suppression alleged by Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams to controversial legislation. 

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The World on Fire

While the majority of the Covenant College student body enjoyed their Christmas break spending time with family, eating exorbitant amounts of food, and taking a much-needed respite from schoolwork, not everyone around the globe was experiencing the same restfulness.

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President Trump Impeached

On December 18, 2019, Donald J. Trump became the third president to be impeached in US history, after Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. The two articles of impeachment, regarding abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, were prompted by a July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

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Around the World in 500 Words

On December 1, suspected Islamic radicals killed fourteen Christians attending church in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. While traditionally a peaceful country, religious conflict has been increasing in the last year, according to the New York Times. Many northern parts of the country have been in contention as Islamic insurgency attempts to gain control. 39 mineworkers were killed in an attack on buses earlier this year on November 9.

The attack was decried as “barbaric” on Twitter by Burkina Faso’s President, Roch Marc Christian Kabore who went on to give “deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded.”

Marine archeologists around the Falkland Islands have recently uncovered the remains of a German cruiser, the SMS Scharnhorst, which was sunk on December 8, 1914, during World War I. German Vice-Admiral Maximillian Graf von Spee and 800 other sailors were killed when the British sunk the ship.

Archeologists have been searching for the wreckage of the German ship for the past five years, according to the BBC. Before being sunk, the ship had been involved in fighting off the coast of Chile during the Battle of Coronel.

“Suddenly she just came out of the gloom with great guns poking in every direction," archeologist Mensun Bound said. "As a Falkland Islander and a marine archaeologist, a discovery of this significance is an unforgettable, poignant moment in my life.”

Four suspects in a high profile, multiple perpetrator rape and murder case were shot dead by police in India on December 6. The week before, the burned body of a missing 27-year-old woman was found under a bridge in Hyderabad. It was while police were attempting to reconstruct the crime scenes in Shadnagar that the conflict broke out. With one suspect attempting to take a weapon from one of the police officers, the investigation turned violent and the four suspects were shot according to an anonymous police witness.

India had experienced large protests against the crime prior to the shooting of the suspects. In response to the shooting, flowers were given to police officers by about 300 people in Shadnagar. They also chanted, “Long live the police,” according to the AP.

Just off the coast of Mauritania, a migrant boat capsized on December 4, leading to the death of 63 people so far. The incident occurred near the city of Nouadhibou where members of the coast guard and other rescue workers are still searching for people.

Of the nearly 150 African migrants who had been on board the boat, eighty-three of them swam to shore. Spain’s Canary Islands was the original destination for the boat which was primarily composed of people from Gambia and several from Senegal. The migrant boat had been running low on supplies around the time of its capsizing.

"Many drowned. The ones who survived swam up to the Mauritanian coast close to the city of Nouadhibou," said Laura Lungarotti of the U.N. to the AP. "The Mauritanian authorities are very efficiently coordinating the response with the agencies currently present.”

One Semester In: The Blink Café or Starbucks?

Over the summer, renovations to the Blink introduced all the benefits of Starbucks, while other menu items were altered or discontinued.

In addition to the plethora of Starbucks drinks came redone tabletops, new furniture, and a fresh coat of paint on everything but the ceiling. Darker tones were incorporated into the design, and more recently, new lights were strung across the ceiling.

Traditional tortillas were substituted for herb tortillas, while combos, pizzas, milkshakes, mozzarella sticks, smoothies, and hummus wraps were cut from the menu.

Mary Cait Thomas ’21, who has worked at the Blink since spring of last year, said she realizes customers may dislike changes to the Blink, as students often expect to purchase certain foods, only to find them discontinued. However, Supervisor Taylor Shirley says much of the food was discontinued because it wasn’t selling.

“The only thing price-wise that has changed is Starbucks,” she said.

“If only one person a night gets mozzarella sticks, or a pizza, and you have to buy a certain amount every week, it’s just a pain, and it doesn’t make any sense,” Thomas said.

Thomas said students have complained about the lack of combos. However, Shirley explained that several students would request drink options besides soda. The dining staff’s solution was to end the combos, a decision which only cost buyers an additional 40 cents. According to Shirley, hummus wraps, no longer sold at the Blink, were not selling last year, but are available in the Great Hall. Similarly, mozzarella sticks sold in low quantities, and would often inconveniently explode in the fryer, Shirley said. Thomas reminded us that change is part of life, saying she believes people will grow accustomed to the new Blink.

In an online survey about the current state of the café, 59% of participants’ answers fell under the category of Starbucks when asked to list their favorite change or food item. Answers related to snack foods such as chocolate-covered blueberries, Kind bars, and Peeps slightly outnumbered students’ love for wraps or quesadillas. Design and ambiance changes composed the smallest category.

In one response, Marie Bowen ’20 wrote, “I am so thankful for the new atmosphere and decorations in the Blink. Everything looks classy and trendy.” She added her appreciation of late-night snacks and conversations, calling the Blink “a neat place for community.”

Julia Smith ’21 commented that she was “disappointed by the switch to Starbucks,” explaining her sadness that the Blink no longer supported Stone Cup, a local business.

Emily Pritchett ’21 expressed similar concerns to those of Smith, writing “Starbucks is fun, but it isn't the Covenant Blink, so it isn't as traditional.”

When asked which food item they missed the most, over half of the question’s 41 respondents selected smoothies. 14.6% gave non-answers, with mozzarella sticks and milkshakes tying for third place at 9.8%.

In her response, Anne Miller ’20 criticized the expensive price of Starbucks drinks, writing that she has always appreciated the cheap comfort food and drinks of the Blink, and that her money ran out much quicker than usual this semester.

“I think everyone was happy to have everything be lower quality because it was cheap.” Miller mentioned Starbucks being five minutes away, writing that there is no need for an additional Starbucks on campus. “I haven’t heard of any students who have been glad for the change.”

When survey participants were asked for new menu suggestions, the most popular wish was to revive smoothies. However, since the installation of Starbucks, Covenant’s campus is prohibited from serving other drinks.

“We’re an exclusive Starbucks campus,” said Director of Dining Services Shawn Lynn, pointing out that the Great Hall’s coffee, Seattle’s Best, is also a product of Starbucks.

“It wasn’t like last year where we could make up our own menu items,” he said.

Besides smoothies, some participants suggested the inclusion of healthier alternatives. Other answers included nachos, chicken salad, additional wrap flavors, pita chips and hummus, and inexpensive chocolate options.

When asked about renovations, Lynn said that last year, the Blink “wasn’t a destination where people were coming to hang out.” As a result, the dining staff decided the café would be more appealing to students with the addition of Starbucks.

“People are coming here for meetings, people are coming here to study, people are coming here just to hang out way more than last year,” he said.

While the cafe’s renovation may seem complete, Lynn says that even more changes are being considered, with next summer possibly ushering in a more spacious bar-top and additional booths.

“We’re always open to new menu ideas and new special ideas for sure,” Lynn says of the food. “We’re here for the students, and I want students to feel comfortable coming to us.” Lynn says his office, located behind the cashier stand, is always open for students with questions, comments, or concerns. Additionally, if students are concerned about food on any given day, they should come talk to someone, no matter how busy they may look. “We can’t do what we don’t know.”

Shirley says the dining staff would like to see more student engagement with the Blink. She explained ideas for a karaoke night, as well as the addition of table-top games. Lastly, she mentioned that students should not be afraid to request their favorite song.

“As long as it’s appropriate, I’ll play it.”