Features – TrevEchoes Online

13Apr

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Faculty, Features

Ronda Lilienthal retires after 35 years

By Emily Gibson Section Editor Ronda Lilienthal — Photo courtesy Trevecca Marketing Ronda Lilienthal is retiring as associate dean of students after 35 years. From the baby boomers all the way to Gen Z, Lilienthal has worked alongside and trained nearly three generations of resident assistants, resident directors, and students in leadership for service, which has given her a rare perspective in her field of work. “There’s no one who can possibly step in with her depth of both experience, wisdom and knowledge about her work,” said Dan Boone, president of Trevecca. To better understand Lilienthal and her story at Trevecca is to travel back as early as her childhood. Lilienthal is the eldest of one brother, David, and they were raised on a wheat farm in Herington, Kansas...

Student with rare limb disorder volunteers to help others

18Mar

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Features

Student with rare limb disorder volunteers to help others

By Emily Gibson Section Editor On the morning of May 12, Irina Yeakley stood before an officer at the Ukrainian border, where she was questioned about her Russian ethnicity and suspected of possibly hiding something. Irina Yeakley. (Photo courtesy of Irina Yeakley “The officer was staring into my soul as if she were trying to see if I was a spy or knew the Russian language, so I tried not to freak out and acted as casual and normal as possible," said Irina “She (the officer) was not happy, but she let me through.” Irina let out a sigh of relief as her van, one of the six carrying humanitarian aid, passed over safely into war-stricken Lviv, Ukraine. The Russian-born but American-raised 21-year-old Trevecca student was in Europe during the Russo-Ukrainian war a...

Tiktok #emotionalsupportwaterbottle trend on campus

12Jan

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Campus News, Features

Tiktok #emotionalsupportwaterbottle trend on campus

By Sol Ayala Online Editor It was at the Atlanta Botanical Garden gift shop where Maria Pimentel’s boyfriend bought her a water bottle. Since then, the $50, 18.6 ounce water bottle has officially become her “emotional support water bottle.” Maria Pimentel's emotional support water bottle. “It's a beige metal water bottle. All around the water bottle, it has different succulents and like the name of the succulents next to it in really tiny handwriting,” said Pimentel, a senior psychology major. “I love it." Pimentel is part of a growing number of people who refer to their water bottle as “an emotional support water bottle,” a term that can be traced back to TikTok under the hashtag #emotionalsuportwaterbottle with 303.2 million views and counting. The reusable water bottle ...

Soccer player takes field again after spring break car accident

12Jan

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Features

Soccer player takes field again after spring break car accident

By David Elvir Staff Writer Photos provided by Orlando Jerez The entire bench stands up. Players, coaching staff, athletic trainers all applauded. All 11 Trojans in the field stop and put their hands together in admiration. The crowd cheers. Stepping onto the soccer field is number 15—Orlando Jerez. “Ladies and gentlemen, an important substitution for the Trevecca Trojans to mention, enter to the field, Orlando Jerez. He is coming from a really bad injury he had, but now he's back on the field,” notes the game announcer. On Oct. 14, against Ohio Dominican University with a 5-2 score on the boar, Jerez was given his first minutes after a life-altering accident, which left everybody questioning if he ever would be able to step on the on a field again. “Throughout the whol...

‘The Chosen’ assistant director joins faculty

16Nov

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Features

‘The Chosen’ assistant director joins faculty

Photos courtesy Professor Seth Conley By Alayna Simons Editor-in-Chief After waking up at 4 a.m. to work a cleaning shift at Bud Robinson, Adam Drake rushed to make his acting gig on the side to pursue his passion for film. Drake spent his time as a student at Trevecca 15 years ago jumping from cleaning, to kitchen, to maintenance shifts on campus to pay the bills as a newlywed Trevecca graduate while balancing some freelance film work on the side. This fall, Drake returned to Bud Robinson for new faculty orientation as he prepared to come back to his alma mater to teach a film course. “It’s been surreal. Discovering what God was calling me into, what my career path was, and what my ministry was after Trevecca, it’s coming back full circle now teaching at Trevecca part time...

Urban Farm breeds soldier flies to make animal feed

15Nov

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Features

Urban Farm breeds soldier flies to make animal feed

By Miriam Rixon Contributor Matthew Burnham, manager of Trevecca’s urban farm, has the same morning routine everyday come rain or shine. He feeds the chickens shredded leafy greens and feeds the pigs big, round tomatoes and other vegetables they approve of. They are meticulous eaters and often turn their snout up to food that does not fit their sophisticated palate. After feeding the animals, Burham moves on to collect the eggs the chickens have dutifully laid out for him, change the water he set out the previous day, and walk over to a big, white plastic bin sitting in the middle of the chicken yard. Photo by Kayden Boyd – Photographer The bin, covered by a wooden pallet, does not look all that interesting from the outside, but like every special thing, it is what is on ...

Students live with ‘silent disabilities’ on campus

15Nov

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Features

Students live with ‘silent disabilities’ on campus

By Ellie Willson Contributor As the sun rises over the Nashville skyline, Trevecca’s campus begins to stir. Students begin to wake up for their 8 a.m. classes, and teachers pull onto campus ready to teach. For many, the process of getting out of bed is difficult, but it is a minuscule problem that gets lost in the shuffle of everyday life. For others, however, a war is waged before they step out of their dorm for the day. These warriors look like any other student, but their battles with chronic illness set them apart in a major way. One of these warriors is Olivia Jarrell, a freshman business major and STUNT athlete. Diagnosed with Addison’s disease, an autoimmune disorder, she lacks vital hormones, which cause her to feel heavily fatigued and appear very tan. She discusses how ...

Honduran students make up more than half of campus international student

14Nov

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Features

Honduran students make up more than half of campus international student

By David Elvir Staff Writer Honduras, a developing country often referred to as the heart of Central America due to its geographic location, and Trevecca, a small college that proudly proclaims itself “A Christian University in the heart of Nashville,” have forged an unexpectedly harmonious partnership. While Tennessee may be known as the home of Nashville, it’s not among the top five destinations for Honduran migration in the United States. Yet Trevecca and Honduras have found common ground, demonstrating the transformative power of education. Honduras, a nation with a rich cultural heritage and a resilient spirit, has long faced challenges on the path to higher education. According to Honduras’ National Statistic Institute (INE), only 23 out of every 100 Honduran teenagers a...

Old buildings on campus present accessibility challenges

22Mar

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Features

Old buildings on campus present accessibility challenges

By Emily Gibson Staff Writer Jadyn Marstella, on her way to work in Apple Dining Hall. Photo by Emily Gibson Jadyn Marstella, a freshman English major, uses a wheelchair and cannot think of a time when her closest friends were not there to help with whatever challenges came her way on campus. Marstella was diagnosed with spina bifida, a condition that affects the spine, at birth, but she has been using a wheelchair for eight of those years. When the time came for Marstella to choose a college, accessibility and campus population were two important factors she considered. During her first visit to Trevecca, Marstella said she saw a college that seemed to fit everything she was looking for except a few accessibility concerns. But when she met Mi...

Student launches business with Covid-19 stimulus check

21Mar

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Features

Student launches business with Covid-19 stimulus check

By Abigail Allen Staff Writer Photo courtesy We The Believers When senior Ethan Feick got his COVID-19 stimulus check in 2021, he applied for a business license and launched his company We The Believers in his parent’s garage. With the money, Feick acquired a business license and began marketing his new clothing brand through paid advertising. He has since purchased a warehouse that houses over 1,500 units of clothes. “I used that money, and I spent all of it off on my brand,” said Feick. The company earned nearly $250,000 in revenue in 2022, and profits estimated between $20,000-45,000, said Feick. Feick attributes much of the company's success to his digital marketing practices. He utilizes TikTok and Instagram Reels to increase awarenes...