Isabelle Lazor, Author at 91�Թ�

Dr. Adam Porcella Appointed Senior Vice President and Provost

Isabelle Lazor — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 14:45:02 +0000

Dr. Adam Porcella’s favorite scripture passage, Colossians 1:28, epitomizes his life philosophy: “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” Although the outworking of presenting people as fully mature in Christ has changed over the course of his life, Dr. Porcella’s path to the position of provost has been shaped by his heart for supporting students.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Dr. Porcella left home to attend Covenant College in Georgia, where he received a degree in philosophy. Deciding to pursue a career in academia, he enrolled in the Master of Divinity program at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO. But two things altered his trajectory: finding his wife, Hannah (despite attending a seminary with a 90% male population), and tutoring, which fostered a passion for helping students transition to the rigors of college life.

After graduating, he returned to Covenant College to serve as a resident director for three years while he completed a master’s degree in higher education through Geneva College, focusing on student retention and international higher education. In addition to his RD responsibilities, he team-taught a bioethics course and led initiatives to help students with autism transition into residence life on a college campus.

Georgia, Missouri, back to Georgia, New Jersey, Indonesia, California—Dr. Porcella studied and worked in many places over 15 years. But he missed home. Seeking work closer to Philadelphia, he took an administrative position at Phil-Mont Christian Academy and began a Doctor of Education program through Temple University. Returning to Philadelphia allowed him and his wife to raise their two daughters in a familiar neighborhood, where they often spend time bicycling and volunteering to pick up trash in local parks. After two years at Phil-Mont, he accepted the offer to be the dean of students at 91�Թ�.

Dr. Porcella has spent the past four years building relationships and trust within the student body. The transitions he experienced throughout his life, including the time spent in Indonesia helping start an international teachers college, have enabled him to connect particularly with the international student population at Cairn. He has built and professionalized a strong student life team and has navigated conflict and complex situations by utilizing his experience as a peacemaker among students. For the past year, he has also served on the Academic Leadership Team (ALT), working alongside the other ALT members to revise, craft, and steward the curriculum for the institution.

In his new role as provost, Dr. Porcella aims to bridge the gap between student affairs and academics in order to create more opportunities for student life staff and faculty members to think collaboratively on how to educate students holistically inside and outside the classroom. His focus on student retention in his master’s and doctoral work will support his endeavors to create an educational experience that will encourage more students to persist to graduation.

Dr. Porcella is devoted to presenting students fully mature in Christ at 91�Թ�. He will fully assume his new position as provost on July 1, 2022.

Cairn’s Favorite Coffeehouses

Isabelle Lazor — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 18:46:54 +0000

I feel like every college student has to go to a coffee shop to do homework at some point in their college career. Maybe it’s just a Cairn culture thing, because I’ve seen students in tons of local coffee shops grinding out homework or meeting one-on-one with a friend. And of course, I’ve spotted the more-than-friends-but-still-just-talking couples frequent coffee shops for the occasional casual date.

In any case, you get the point: Cairn students love coffee shops. But to my surprise, I’ve discovered that there’s no consensus among the student body on which one is the best in the area. I’m happy to tell you I’ve done a lot of research, made a vlog (coming soon!), and written this blog to tell you about the top five most popular local coffee shops. I dragged along a fellow Cairn student to help me discover the best coffee shop based on the criteria of drink, food, and aesthetic. The best possible overall score is a 30. I think you’ll be surprised by our discoveries.��

Johnson Hall (Hulmeville, PA): White Chocolate Raspberry Latte + Berries and Cream Crepe

DRINK: 7
FOOD: 8.5
AESTHETIC: 7.5
OVERALL: 22.5/30

Johnson Hall is only two miles from campus and by far one of the most frequented. We tried the white chocolate raspberry latte, a popular drink my other friends have recommended, too, and I thought it was pretty good. It tasted just like it sounds, so if you’re into white chocolate and raspberries, you won’t be disappointed at Johnson. But the real star of the show was the berries and cream crepe. It was covered in whipped cream, strawberries, and blueberries. I’m salivating as I write this. I’ve tried other pastries and drinks from Johnson for other one-on-ones, and I’ve always loved them. My only complaint is that Johnson can get a little noisy, but that’s because there’s a lot of people who love that coffee shop. I almost always run into other Cairn students.

The Coffee Room (Newtown, PA): The Dirty Turtle + Homemade Brown Sugar Pop Tart

DRINK: 9
FOOD: 7
AESTHETIC: 8
OVERALL: 24/30

I am so obsessed with the Dirty Turtle drink at The Coffee Room that I returned within the next couple days to order another one. The Dirty Turtle is a creamy iced drink with chocolate milk, salted caramel, and espresso. I also tried a homemade brown sugar pop tart, and thought the pastry was delicious. The Coffee Room has plenty of places to sit down and work individually or with a group. Their window seats are my favorite because Newtown itself is enchanting with its book and record exchange store just down the road. I love doing homework in this coffee shop. The only downside is that their coffee is a little more expensive compared to others. But I think the Dirty Turtle is worth $7 (with a tip). For special occasions.

Langhorne Coffee House (Langhorne, PA):��Monkey Blended + Timberjack Sandwich��

DRINK: 8
FOOD: 8
AESTHETIC: 6
OVERALL: 22/30

Langhorne Coffee House was totally not what I expected. It had the vibe of a diner, with tables set up for people to eat meals rather than do homework. We tried the Monkey Blended cold brew and Timberjack sandwiches, both fan favorites. The cold brew was to die for: a sweet, thick blend of chocolate, banana, and coffee. And the Timberjack sandwich was delicious, too, a combination of Sriracha, sausage, egg, and cheese, with hints of sweet maple syrup. I’d consider coming back for a one-on-one meal, but definitely will not be returning to do homework.

Pretty Bird (Yardley, PA):��Lavender Latte + Blueberry Lemon Scone

DRINK: 7.5
FOOD: 7.5
AESTHETIC: 9
OVERALL: 24/30

I’m a little in love with Pretty Bird. There’s plenty of high tops, white marble countertops, and window seats to sit and do homework. The zesty blueberry lemon scone and the hot lavender latte we ordered were mouthwatering. I felt like I was drinking an essential oil. Okay, that sounds gross, but the flavor was so strongly yet somehow so delicately lavender. I don’t know how they did it. But I’m coming back for more. It’s 100% worth the 14-minute drive. And apparently, the store transforms into a vegetarian restaurant at night, which would be a worthwhile investigation.

Calm Waters (Bristol, PA):��Vanilla Iced Latte + Breakfast Sandwich��

DRINK: 6
FOOD: 4.5
AESTHETIC: 8
OVERALL: 18.5/30

��

I have to admit, I was a little disappointed with our experience at Calm Waters. It’s a cute coffee shop, and has nice window seats and wooden table tops. I thought the vanilla iced latte was alright (but I was hoping for something sweeter). Unfortunately, I didn’t like the breakfast sandwich. I don’t know what sauce they slapped onto that sandwich, but it definitely didn’t complement the Canadian bacon and eggs. We took two bites before tossing it.��

In all fairness, I have heard praise for Calm Waters’ coffee from other students. One of my friends, after hearing my experience, recommended their Ethiopian blend. I definitely will never order their breakfast sandwich again, but we thought we could see ourselves returning to do homework.

I hope this article was helpful for you. There’s definitely a lot of nearby options to choose from to get work done. Watch the vlog we made for a full inside scoop! If you’re local to the area and have more expertise to share, feel free to write comments below. I know my experience doesn’t speak for everyone else’s.

5 Reasons to Schedule a Personal Visit

Isabelle Lazor — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 18:40:53 +0000

As any high school senior knows, there’s ridiculous pressure for students to discover and commit to the best college. With so many options to evaluate and limited time, it’s tempting to forego in-person visits in favor of virtual tours. But if you’re willing to take advice from someone who remembers the difficulty of making that decision, consider the following reasons why an in-person college visit will hugely benefit you:

1. A website isn’t enough!

If you’re interested in Cairn, a virtual tour will only give you a taste of a full college tour experience. It’s the difference between seeing a picture of a Philly cheesesteak and eating one. Visiting in person will give you a holistic interaction with Cairn’s campus.

2. You need to talk to students

On your visit, you’ll be able to ask a variety of students about their experiences. Don’t be afraid to ask your guides questions:

What is the best and worst part about being a student at Cairn?
How can students become part of the communities on campus?
What’s something you wish you knew before becoming a student?

It’s important to be able to ask many different students about their perspectives so you can consider whether you see yourself as a potential student.

3. Ability to talk to professors

When I was considering Cairn, I had the opportunity to talk to a professor about the University. Even though this professor wasn’t in my intended area of study, he was willing to talk to me about why I should consider attending Cairn. He invited me to attend one of his classes when I visited campus, and I was struck by the depth of discussion and student engagement in his classroom. His zeal for education is one of the reasons I decided Cairn was my best choice. Upon attending classes as a student, I discovered a plethora of professors passionate about the subjects they teach. If I had never visited campus, I would not have been able to evaluate Cairn’s professors in the same way.

4. A chance to walk the campus

Students who come to visit will be able to walk around our beautiful campus and envision whether or not they can imagine themselves as students. The first time I visited Cairn, I remember loving the abundance of trees on campus; the colors are beautiful in the fall, and I firmly believe some trees were created to be climbed. Whatever path you take or trees you climb in your explorations, visiting the Heritage and Manor residence halls is also important. You’ll see what daily dorm life looks like and can see the possibility of your future as a resident.

5. Opportunity to visit the surrounding area

If you visit Cairn, you’ll also be able to scope out students’ favorite local areas. Scouting close coffee shops like Johnson Hall and exploring nearby towns like Newtown will help you picture your potential future homework haunts. My friends and I also take advantage of our nearby Dunkin, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Chick-Fil-A, and Wawa for any late-night necessities. It’s nice to drive around the area to see how students can spend their social lives outside of class! Moreover, with a train station within walking distance of campus, there’s also ample opportunities to head into Center City with friends for all sorts of fun.

As a current student who was once in your shoes, I highly recommend visiting campus. It will make your decision-making process easier, and give you a clearer vision of what Cairn has to offer students. If you’re able to, don’t hesitate to schedule a time to visit our campus. Visit cairn.edu/visit for more information and to sign up for a visit today!

An Insider’s Perspective on Cairn Res. Life

Isabelle Lazor — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 16:33:20 +0000

Sometimes visiting a college campus or scrolling through a website isn’t helpful to knowing what real student life is like. I don’t want an advertisement: I want to know students’ authentic, holistic experiences. For those of you like me who want to know not just the good but also the frustrations of college students, read on for a full reveal of student life at Cairn. I’ll describe living on campus, cafeteria food, and resident life from my perspective as a sophomore at Cairn.

Living On-Campus

Before we consider food and activities, choosing which dormitory to live in will hugely impact student life. Making a decision requires self-examination: do you prefer a bigger co-ed community, noisy evenings, and tile floors? Or would you rather a more intimate co-ed community, quieter days, and carpets? If you’re not able to visit campus but are interested in Cairn, read this to get a picture of which dorm is the best fit for you.��

��Heritage Hall

As an extroverted resident of Heritage Hall, it’s hard not to be biased. I absolutely love the Great Room (unless you don’t get energy from people, because then it might be the Worst Room). The left side of Heritage has the men’s dorms, while the right side of the building has the women’s dorms. In the middle lies a big open space, the Great Room, where guys and girls can mingle, play pool, sit on couches to play games, or study in one of the side rooms or tables. It’s great for community, especially if you’re a freshman looking to make friends.��

The dorm rooms have tiled floors and bunk beds (which can be de-bunked). There are two dressers, and plenty of closet space. Pro tip: My roommate and I bought wheeled storage bins for extra space under our bunk bed, too.

If you’re in hall 3, you may be annoyed by the train that blows past outside the far end of Heritage. It’s also around a 5-7 minute walk to the academic buildings in the morning, depending on how quickly you walk or how late you are. In the winter time, that can be a pretty chilly walk.

Speaking of winter time, one of my favorite memories from Heritage this year was seeing the Christmas decorations. It became a winter wonderland. One night, the RA’s pulled an all-nighter to hang up snowflakes, lights, and Christmas trees, then served us hot chocolate by the exit before we left to go to class. We have a pretty incredible resident life team!��

Manor Residence Halls

While I’ve only lived in Manor for a week (for an unfortunate basement quarantine), I have friends who live or have lived in Manor who have given me a more accurate picture of living there. In addition to being in close proximity to the academic buildings, perhaps a one or two minutes walk, Manor has plenty of trees to hammock from. I’ve personally witnessed many hammocking communities set up in warmer weather. There are several buildings, housing around 200 students. Rooms are carpeted and suite-styled with a shared bathroom. There are four rooms to a hall, and a lot of the time people within a hall grow closer because of proximity and the doors don’t shut automatically, so lots of random conversations take place.

Generally speaking, Manor tends to be relatively quieter, which can be the best or worst thing depending on your preferences. The rooms are also smaller (or cozier), requiring some creativity for tighter spaces, and bring in less light than Heritage rooms. Furniture is either wooden or metal, including two desks, closet spaces with shelves and drawers, and bunkbeds. Relatively smaller co-ed spaces in the lounge areas make for forming more intimate relationships between people, as well, and allow for more privacy.��

I’ve also heard stories about Souder culture, one of the men’s dorms at Manor. Apparently, it’s normal for dudes to wear togas to hall meetings, and other buffoonery takes place. You’ll have to live there to know more.

Food

As for the food—no matter what campus cafeteria you commit to, you can always, always, always find a reason to complain. But overall, we’ve got it pretty good in the Furman Dining Commons, thanks to Chef Peter (who is innovative and always open to suggestions!). Here’s an array of positive benefits of eating at the Cairn Cafeteria:

An Array of Options: The cafeteria almost always has pizza, soup, wraps, sandwiches, and a salad bar.
Anyone Can Cook: our self-service stations let you cook up eggs, an omelet, or any other conglomeration of food you can fit on a small pan (and yes, that was a Ratatouille reference).��
(Not) Awful Waffles: for just a two-minute wait, you can eat plain, chocolate chip, blueberry, or strawberry waffles. I highly recommend eating one with a chicken patty for some delicious chicken and waffles.��
MAC Snacks Smack! Desserts like fruit tarts, brookies, chocolate cookies, and the ice cream bar are some of my favorites.

Judging by the length of lines, some of the most popular main courses include chicken nuggets, yogurt chicken (this one’s controversial), BBQ pizza, pasta, the hummus bar, corn (“so, so good”), and chicken patty sandwiches. As promised, a negative aspect of our campus food is that sometimes the main courses aren’t crowd favorites, so we end up eating just a salad (tragic) or making ourselves a waffle or an omelet.

Clubs, Organizations, and Events��

Not to brag, but our student life is not too shabby. This past year, we’ve had the Gala (Cairn’s version of prom), a Murder Mystery night, field games (spike ball, frisbee, etc.), Heritage Idol, slime nights, 10th hour breakfast, a Hoedown, a Spanish heritage dance party, multiple coffee houses, and more. There’s also numerous concerts, competitions, and seminars throughout the year.. And for ordinary days, there’s always clubs and activities to be involved in (and these clubs put on their own events throughout the year).��Click here for a comprehensive list.��

Student life at Cairn is as vibrant as you want it to be. Involving yourself in available activities will open you up to a variety of communities on campus. Hopefully, I’ve provided you with a holistic view of what living on campus might look like for you. If you have any questions, you can email me at��blog@cairn.edu.

What to Expect From Cairn Professors

Isabelle Lazor — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 15:44:19 +0000

When I was a high school senior, a conversation with a professor hugely influenced my decision to commit to Cairn. I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go, but I knew it was really important to me that I’d be able to connect with my professors. I didn’t want to be in a classroom as one of 300 students or be lectured for an hour and fifteen minutes. I was interested in both dynamic discussions and authentic relationships within the classroom.

Although COVID prevented me from visiting Cairn that spring, I was able to virtually meet with a professor. Not only was he willing to hop on a Zoom call with me (which was quite an exuberant conversation, I may add), but he also invited me to sit in on a class after the height of the pandemic.��

I came to Cairn as a declared English major, hoping that my English teachers would be just as engaging. I was not disappointed. Mrs. Gleason is chair of the humanities department, professor for two of my classes, and my course advisor. In the creative nonfiction writing class she teaches, I was blown away by her energy and passion for writing. I’ve never encountered a professor who is so down-to-earth, so real, and so willing to surprise her students with baked goods and packages of Popcorners.

��Mrs. Gleason makes me laugh with her emphatic hand movements and light-hearted teasing about my sensitive eyes when the projector glares against the whiteboard. She provokes deep thinking about how Christians should interact with secular literary criticisms like Marxism and deconstructionism. She challenges my writing, covering type-written pages with penciled cursive critique.

��And she listens to my anxious rambling about decision-making in advisory meetings with patience and provides wise guidance.��I know she cares for me holistically as a person with dreams, not just a student with a deadline.

If you’re wondering what Cairn professors are like, here’s what you need to know: You probably won’t connect with all of your professors in the way I just described. But I can promise you this: You’ll never be a nameless face (or even just a named face) in any of your classrooms. You will be known and cared for, and if you’re willing to pursue it, you can build deep, lasting relationships with professors who will care about and invest in you before and beyond graduation.��

Don’t believe me?��Contact admissions��and ask them to put you in touch with a student or professor willing to talk about what your experience at Cairn would look like.

Why You Should Be a Student-Athlete

Isabelle Lazor — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 15:08:12 +0000

While life as a student-athlete is busy, I can’t imagine my college experience without soccer. Many students don’t consider college athletics for fear it will be “too much” or just not worth it. But my experience has been just the opposite. I’d like to give you four reasons why you should consider becoming a collegiate athlete (specifically at 91�Թ�):��

1.��Take control of your schedule.

The existence of games and practices forces you to balance your schedule (unless you like feeling wildly overwhelmed). As someone managing a soccer season and mountain of homework, I quickly realized that I needed to figure out how to manage my time well. Yes, sports are time consuming, but it’s well-worth the investment considering the improvement of my time management. The structure of athletics made it easier for me to block out time to do homework and schedule time for socializing, too.��

2. Relieve your stress.

According to��, exercise reduces stress and produces endorphins, improving your mood. Athletes profit from exercising together, and it’s been proven that working out improves mental health. After hours of classes and homework, it’s a huge relief to do physical activity by playing a favorite sport, which often produces more energy to do homework later.��

3. Stay in shape.

College athletes do not only experience reduced stress from working out; they also stay physically healthy. This may be obvious, but it’s easier to stay motivated to work out�� by doing it with other people on your team. Personally, I don’t enjoy exercising in the gym on my own. With my soccer teammates on- and off-season, working out together both motivates me and makes me feel far more comfortable in the gym.

4. Find great community.

I personally believe that community is the best part of being a college athlete. I came to Cairn early for soccer pre-season. In those couple weeks before classes started, I grew close to my teammates, making the transition into my new environment much easier. I had people to sit with during lunchtime and connected with other students on campus more quickly. Growing close to the people I spent the most time with was an extremely positive experience. We practiced, won, practiced, lost, practiced, and bonded (and practiced) together, bringing everyone closer despite our different backgrounds.��

If you’re considering joining an athletic team, do it. Joining a team will help you figure out how to balance your schedule, lessen your stress, maintain physical fitness, and experience great friendships. Community is worth the time commitment!

Annual Church Leaders Conference Explores Being the Church in the Digital Age

Isabelle Lazor — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 18:08:21 +0000

On Thursday, March 3, 140 people gathered for Cairn’s annual Church Leaders Conference. The Church Leaders Conference takes place over the course of one day, inviting Church leaders across denominations to enjoy an edifying and educational event. This year’s conference was centered around the theme of being the Church in the digital age.

Jay Y. Kim, a lead pastor at WestGate Church in the Silicon Valley of CA, led the conference as the keynote speaker. In addition to pastoring a church, he works at Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, CA as a teacher-in-residence. He’s also authored a book, Analog Church, and has had his writing published by Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Relevant, Mission Alliance, and more.

The conference’s main session started in the morning from 9:15 to 10:30 am. Breakout sessions, including “Digital Discipleship in the Home” with Mrs. Renee Beamer, “The Bible’s Use of the Bible and Preaching” with Dr. Gary Schnittjer, and “Addressing Issues of Forgiveness in Ministry” with Dr. Bryan Maier occurred after a brief break. After lunch, a second main session took place, which was followed by a Q&A session ending at 2:15 pm.

During his seminar sessions, Jay Y. Kim challenged church leaders to think critically about how to best lead congregations in the digital age, giving advice on how to wisely steward the gift of technology and raising awareness of its potential pitfalls. Jay Y. Kim shared,

“As convenience, accessibility, and automation increases, what happens right alongside it? There is a decrease in strength, skill, participation, and practice…To follow Jesus faithfully and deeply we have to recognize and embrace the reality that there is no technological substitute that can do that work for you. Discipleship to Jesus demands effort and participation. The more we leverage technology . . . we simply have to reckon with reality and ask ourselves the question: how is our leveraging of this technology potentially decreasing strength, skill, participation, and practice in the lives of our people?”

If you’re interested in hearing more about Jay Y. Kim’s message, watch and on 91�Թ�’s .

Annual RIDE Seminar: Promoting the Practice of Professionalism

Isabelle Lazor — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 18:05:41 +0000

On the last weekend of February, 91�Թ� Enactus held its annual RIDE seminar. This year, nearly 70 students and 17 local businesses participated in the event.

RIDE (Resume, Interview, Dress, Etiquette) has been held annually for over a decade and is designed to equip students to enter professional careers after graduation. Local businesses and universities such as Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Compassion International, and Feedonomics attended this year to build connections with students and serve as mock interviewers. The preparation seminar during RIDE also instructed attendants on how to shape a resume, master a first impression, dress to impress, and improve business etiquette.

Cairn’s continued partnership with Enactus, “the world’s largest experiential learning platform,” has resulted in several awards across the years. Cairn’s team has come in first place in 16 regional-level Enactus competitions and has been consistently ranked within the top 20 teams of the USA National Exposition. Through Enactus initiatives such as R.I.D.E, students across various fields of study have benefited from opportunities for professional development.

The president of Enactus, Karla Sanchez, shared that the event and students this year received highly positive feedback. Once again, through RIDE, students gained valuable experience in practicing professionalism.

For more information concerning business programs at 91�Թ�, please visit cairn.edu/business.

2022 World Reach Week: Captivated by God’s Heart, Committed to His Commands

Isabelle Lazor — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 19:01:17 +0000

Cairn hosted its biannual World Reach Week on the week of January 24–28, 2022. Over the course of a three year cycle, Cairn has emphasized three aspects of missions: discover, prepare, and commit. The 2021–22 academic year marks the third year of this cycle; accordingly, this week focused on forming a commitment to participate in God’s work around the world.

During chapel on Monday, two representatives from SEND International shared how their teams strive to serve incoming refugees and local immigrant communities by meeting spiritual and physical needs of our international neighbors. The speakers related personal stories of their relationships with refugees from the Middle East, encouraging the student body to seek opportunities to love incoming foreigners as they build new lives in nearby communities.

In Wednesday’s chapel, Liz Givens facilitated a Q&A with current students who have served internationally. Students shared formative experiences concerning their mission work in Greece and Kenya, as well as relationships they established through service.

The last chapel, during Friday morning, was a time of worship. By praising God’s attributes, seeking to mirror His character, and asking Him to break our hearts for what breaks His, students were given the chance to reflect on the idea of commitment in pursuing ways to love others as we have been loved.

Students were invited to participate in additional seminars throughout the week. Dr. Plummer led a seminar titled “Addressing Objections to the Gospel,” Global Recordings Network and Disciples for the Harvest led a seminar on “Sharing the Gospel in 6,500 Languages Using Your Smartphone, and Ari Hauben of Chosen People Ministries spoke to “How You Can Effectively and Appropriately Reach the Heart of Jewish People With the Good News.”

In addition to learning and listening, University students also had the opportunity to serve and celebrate. After collecting supplies for several weeks, the students made Luopads, reusable feminine hygiene products for women around the world, on Thursday afternoon. Later that day, MuKappa, the TCK student organization, organized a World Feast in Heritage Hall to celebrate the numerous cultures represented in the student body through food.

As students continue to learn about what it means to discover, prepare for, and commit to missions, World Reach Week continues to be an effective series of events educating the student body and developing a passion reflective of God’s heart for every tribe, nation, and tongue.

Laurence Morris’ Revelation Series On Display in the Eastburn Gallery

Isabelle Lazor — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 18:57:46 +0000

A series of six silk screen prints designed by award-winning artist Laurence Morris (1950–2019) is currently on display in the Connie A. Eastburn Gallery at 91�Թ�. Morris based his spectacular��Revelation Series��on the final book of the Bible, featuring scenes from John’s apoplectic visions.��

Revelation Series was first created in 1972 for Morris’ senior thesis project at the Philadelphia College of Art (now University of the Arts). His six prints are titled “Wars and Rumors of Wars,” “Patience of the Saints,” “Coming of the Lord,” “The Last Seven Plagues,” “The Lake of Fire,” and “Marriage of the Lamb.” Finding inspiration from medieval and renaissance sacred art, 20th century surrealism, contemporary issues, and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Morris shared that he designed his series for “the encouragement of the Church through the knowledge of the Lord’s coming.” Rich with sporadic details referencing contemporary culture and biblical allusions, these six pieces will intrigue those who take careful examination of his series. When Morris submitted this piece for exhibition at the Jenkintown Festival of the Arts in 1973, he won first prize in graphics.

The University’s Connie A. Eastburn Gallery is also displaying many of Morris’ preliminary sketches and early-stage prints. Viewers will see Morris’ meticulous process of layering colors onto the prints, which is known as inking. Morris used a 43-inch squeegee while inking the four-foot by three-foot silk screens.

Revelation Series will be on display through March 4. To learn more about Laurence and his work, visit cairn.edu/gallery.