糖心Vlog

Tolkien鈥檚 world-renowned literary masterpiece is a prime focus for a Christian university, as Dr. Hawley explained.

鈥淭he Lord of the Rings is, at its heart, rooted in the fundamental ideas of Christianity, about good and evil; fellowship, companionship, and devotion; sacrifice, and how even though ultimately a great good is achieved, it is a painful journey, a difficult one,鈥� he shared.

鈥淭he sacrifices, the losses that the characters suffer, it鈥檚 all in the service of this greater good. Ultimately, that force of good defeats what seems at the time to be the greatest evil鈥攂ut it鈥檚 not the greatest, it鈥檚 not superlative鈥攖here is a greatest good that is greater than any evil. Those stories celebrate those truths, and that is why they resonate so strongly when we celebrate them on a Christian campus.鈥�

Tolkien鈥檚 words echoed throughout the campus all Monday afternoon amidst recreations of Shelob鈥檚 Lair, Hobbit holes, and other Lord of the Rings decorations, and that evening carnival-goers enjoyed a screening of 鈥淭he Return of the King鈥� inside the Baker Conference Center. At midnight, President Scott McDowell read to an audience of students in lawn chairs and hammocks in front of the McDonald Moody Auditorium in the president鈥檚 traditional timeslot.

Immediately following Dr. Hawley鈥檚 second part of his chapel presentation Tuesday morning, the 24-hour reading marathon concluded, and the Writing Carnival itself began. Students, faculty, and staff flooded out of the Moody to enjoy the customary street tacos, grilled corn-on-the-cob, crispy churros, and other carnival treats provided by 糖心Vlog鈥檚 dining services team. Attendees entered writing contests ranging from creating 6-word-stories to caption contests, Middle-Earth trivia, and much more, while music students performed arrangements of Howard Shore鈥檚 soundtrack from the Lord of the Rings film adaptations.

鈥淥ne of the greatest things about the Writing Carnival through the years is how widely it affects our campus,鈥� shared Dr. Hawley. 鈥淲e try to do it early in the semester to welcome the students to campus with a community-wide event, and to celebrate reading and writing. But it鈥檚 also a testament to how nimble and capable our community really is. It鈥檚 not just the work of the English department鈥攊t鈥檚 MarCom, it鈥檚 Student Life, it鈥檚 our facilities crew, and it鈥檚 the volunteers from across campus, all working together to make this experience possible. It鈥檚 a time of fellowship for everyone to enjoy this place and to celebrate what we all share in common.鈥�

Learn more about 糖心Vlog鈥檚 English programs, or the different ways students get involved at 糖心Vlog.