The Carrier

Vacationing in Bali Hai, snorkeling for class and door-to-door snake salesmen are not necessarily experiences shared by the average Berry student. Then again, while many students were raised in suburbs with minivans and Wal-Marts, sophomore Amos Black grew up with parrots as pets, a house made of cinder blocks and street-side markets.  Black’s parents lived in Indonesia for 20 years, raising four children and working in the mission field. The Black family lived in an Indonesian village when Amos was a toddler, and then moved to the more-industrialized city of Sentani, Indonesia, when he was old enough to attend school. For elementary and middle school, Black attended a small, private missionary academy. Black said that the environment of his upbringing rendered several unique challenges and matchless educational experiences. “Generally there are plenty of differences between growing up in a tropical archipelago and growing up in Georgia. For instance, for a biology field trip in middle school, we went snorkeling in a tropical reef and saw a vast variety of marine life. I even fit 20 starfish in my swimming trunks at once,” Black said. Black’s childhood was not only plagued with practical problems, such as frequent electrical outages and the hassle of security checkpoints, but he also experienced cultural differences, as well. Black said that he is conscious of the differences between his American friends’ public schools and his nontraditional schooling. “Basically, school in the U.S. seemed to me to be a lot easier, though less enjoyable, than school in Indonesia,” he said.Black is now a sophomore at Berry and is double majoring in accounting and finance with an economics minor. He has aspirations of a career in the accounting field. Black said that his motto is not all work and no play, however. He said that memories of his childhood certainly provoke humorous stories. While many American families have goldfish or an obedient, indoor domestic pet, the Blacks had parrots and a soccer-playing dog named Puffy. Black said that one time a door-to-door salesman attempted to pass a snake off to his family as legitimate merchandise. “We didn’t buy it,” he said. Black, who loved adventure, also had an encounter with a monkey while living in Indonesia. “I was bitten by a monkey once. I had a bag of peanuts and poured some into my hand and sat down,” he said. The result of that meeting can now be seen in the form of a scar on Black’s hand. While in Indonesia, Black’s family traveled back to the states for six months every four years to visit family and friends. This gave him an opportunity to experience different aspects of the two cultures simultaneously.  “I had a very lofty view of America when I was in Indonesia, as I believe Indonesians also did,” he said.  A year after his family moved back to the United States permanently, Black visited Indonesia. He has no plans for more visits, though. “I don’t really consider travel or mission work to be that important for people in general. They are important for specific people, such as those God calls to be missionaries. If I ever have children, I would rather emphasize serving God in whatever way He calls them, whether or not that involves travel or mission work,” Black said.His parents now live in Swainsboro, Ga., where they work in the pine tree business. His older sisters are spread across the county.

 Junior Dnika Joseph’s transition to high school was accompanied by another major change. Joseph and her family moved to the United States from Trinidad.Joseph is a biology major who hopes to go to medical school after she graduates. She came to the United States in the summer of 2002 and began high school at Overbrook Regoinal Senior High School in New Jersey shortly after arriving in the country. From the first day of school, Joseph said that she was loud and liked to meet new people.  “I am a people person,” she said. Joseph grew up in Trinidad. She said that she learned about high schools in America by watching TV, which helped her adjust easily to the new environment. She said that she was nervous about facing discrimination in the United States; however, since her brother had already been going to the school for a few months when she arrived, Joseph became known as her brother’s little sister and did not experience discrimination.A few differences between living in the United States and Trinidad stood out for Joseph. In Trinidad, she said that she and her family walked often instead of using a car. She also said that food is different on the island than in the United States because of all the outside influences Trinidad has. Joseph described the food there as a mixture of Asian, European and African food. Another difference in her youth in Trinidad is that Joseph grew up celebrating all Muslim, Hindu and Christian holidays, unlike most families in the United States.Schooling is different in Trinidad as well, Joseph said. She said that the schools there were tougher and based around exams. The students also wore uniforms until they were 18 years old. Joseph said she thinks that her transition into college was easier than some American students because she was used to rigorous classes. One thing Joseph particularly misses about Trinidad is the carnival season, which is the main reason tourists visit. She said that it is like Mardi Gras. During the week that Mardi Gras is celebrated in New Orleans, the people of Trinidad celebrate Carnival Monday. Joseph played in a steel pan band called Birdsong during this season. “We dress in elaborate costumes and parade them across stages to the beat of calypso/soca,” said Joseph.  She said that children also play a game called “dirty devil mas.” “You paint or put mud all over your body and you’re out on the streets with the adults around three in the morning,” Joseph said.Historically, people in Trinidad dressed as devils and frightened people during carnival, which is where the name dirty devil mas was derived. Joesph said that Trinidadians’ perceptions of Americans are based on TV and tourists who come for carnival. Many see tourism as taking away from the Trinidad culture because new businesses are brought in, Joseph said.“I don’t like tourism because they introduce too many cars,” she said. “The country is overpopulated with cars, and there is always traffic on the roads.”Television also plays a role in giving a negative view of the United States, Joseph said. She said that the elderly in Trinidad do not like what they see on TV, especially on reality TV, so they do not like the idea of the United States as a whole. Joseph is able to go back to Trinidad almost every two years. She takes turns with her mother taking her little brother back home.  “We try to take my little brother home so he doesn’t forget where he is from,” Joseph said.She will visit in December for the first time in two-and-a-half years, which she says will be the longest time she has ever been away from Trinidad. Joseph said that she will be ready to return home.

“Africa is in my blood,” said freshman Rachel Follingstad, a student in the WinShape program. Follingstad was born to missionary parents in Nigeria and has lived in England and Texas, but she calls Kenya home.

She lived in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, and said that the area around her home has become more developed and diplomatic. Due to the increase of urbanization, violence has also increased, she said. Follignstad’s home, as well as most homes in her neighborhood, has nine to 10-foot thorn bushes around the exterior, guard dogs, gated doors and windows, as well as armed guards  who patrol along the street. 

Growing up in Kenya, Follingstad attended Camp Brackenhurst, which was founded by Kim Pace (00C). 

“Kim is a dear friend, as well as a role model to me,” Follingstad said. 

Camp Brackenhurst has a ropes course fashioned after WinShape Wilderness. As Follingstad continued to attend camp each year, she and Pace built their friendship. Follingstad decided to apply to Berry after hearing about it from her friend. 

During middle and high school in Kenya, Follingstad was required to participate in a “Cultural Field Study.” Camping, hiking, jumping off waterfalls, climbing Mount Longonot and walking with the zebra and giraffe of Crescent Island were all things that she experienced during her middle school years through this program. 

While in high school, Follingstad was able to stay with a Kenyan tribe for five nights. She said that each student was assigned to a tribe based on their year in school.

She said, “You live their lives” while staying with your designated tribe. Follingstad learned skills such as traditional tribal dances and how to kill and pluck a chicken. 

She said that she really liked that “kind of stuff.” The promotion of AIDS awareness was critical when visiting and living with the Kenyan tribes, she said. 

Upon arriving at Berry, Follingstad had to learn how to use a bank, a credit card and a drive-through. She said that she is continuing to learn about fashion and the latest style, because in Kenya, no one cares what you wearing. 

“America was this far-off place where I had some connections, and knew at some point I would be moving to, but did not feel at home,” Follingstad said.

Her last trip to Kenya was over Christmas break, and she volunteered at a refugee camp during that time. She said her refugee work was due to a “mini civil war” that had broken out in relation to the recent presidential election. 

Follingstad’s overall perception of America has changed since living and going to school in the country. 

“Overall, I guess it was a more negative perception of America, but that has changed now more that I live here,” she said. 

“A lot of Kenyans think it’s a land of such opportunity, while others who are more politically-orientated are becoming more anti-American.” 

Follingstad believes that her upbringing in Kenya gives her a different perspective on American culture and education. 

“I feel that I value education a lot more, because I’m seeing what other people don’t have so readily or easily. I also can more easily move in and out of different cultures now,” she said. “It’s easier for me to adapt. In fact, I love different cultures, and I realize that not one culture is right or wrong; they are only different.” Follingstad has plans for the future but says she is open to God’s leading.

“I don’t have to be overseas. As long as I’m following God, then I’m doing the right thing,” Follingstad said. “I would love to be overseas, and that is just because I love it so much, but I will give my children the same example.” 

A tea-drinking, recently-declared biology major, Follingstad hopes to return to Kenya and become a physical therapist. In order to pursue this dream, she will intern with a physical therapist in San Francisco, Calif., in July. 

“I am a dual citizen of England and America,” said freshman Suzanne Adkins.Adkins’ background differs from that of the average Berry student.Although she is an American citizen, she was not born in the United States. She was born in Bangladesh, a country to the east of India, and grew up in the capital city of Dhaka.“My mum is from England and my dad is from Knoxville, Tenn.,” she said.At the age of nine, Adkins began attending Hebron Boarding School in South India. The boarding school followed British curriculum and housed 300 students who represented 29 nationalities. It took three days for her to get to the boarding school from her home city. The journey there included a short flight, two overnight rides on a train and a bus ride.“Traveling was always interesting. You never knew what would happen with the trains,” Adkins said. She remembered a time when she and her fellow travelers had to jump off of their train and run across rat-infested railroad tracks through several parked trains, all with suitcases in hand, to get to the train that was about to leave for their next destination.“We got on right as it was pulling out,” Adkins said.“There was hardly a trip that did not include some sort of adventure, but it was these adventures that strengthened relationships and formed friendships that I still have to this day,” she said.Adkins said that she has many friends across the map from all of her traveling, and she said that social networking Web sites like Facebook help her stay in touch with these people. “Facebook has made the world a lot smaller,” she said.Adkins attended boarding school at a young age because there were few English speaking schools in Bangladesh, and her parents wanted her to have the best education she could get. Adkins’ two brothers, Jon and Chris (07C), also attended the same boarding school.Adkins said she remembers life in boarding school and everything that happened during the four years that she was there.“You did a lot with your dorm and dorm parents,” said Adkins. Every weekend, dorms would have activities together, and, especially for younger children like Adkins, there was a lot planned to keep students active during the weekend. Being away from her family was hard, she said, but having her brothers there helped.“I would go home for Christmas break and summer break, and my parents would come down and visit for ten days in the fall and in the spring,” Adkins said.Adkins said that as students got older, they were allowed to do more things and had more responsibilities. One of the things that increased as the students got older was pocket money.“You got around 20 rupees a week,” Adkins said. She said this was enough money to buy things like “Wai Wai,” which is a pack of dried noodles. This was a special treat for all the children at the school, she said.“American cheese slices were another special treat we could get,” she said. “They were so good.” Prior to boarding school, Adkins attended school in America during third grade. She said that were differences in the school systems.“I remember in India, the teacher called on me to do long multiplication, and I could not because I had not learned that in American schools,” said Adkins. She feels that the British school system is stricter than that in the United States.After her four years in boarding school, Adkins came back to the United States and attended a Christian school and then high school.“I went to Karnes High school in Knoxville, Tenn.,” Adkins said. Adjusting back to America was different, but she really enjoyed high school, she said.“There were 430 in my graduating class, double the size of my boarding school, so you had to push to make a name for yourself,” she said. Two of the biggest differences that Adkins said she faced were living at home and having her friendships not be as close as they had been at the boarding school. She lived at home with her parents while in high school. Since she was used to living in a dorm with a lot of other girls, this was a huge adjustment for her.“We all had sister relationships [in boarding school],” she said.Adkins said that life may have changed a lot, but one area of her life, besides the care and support of her family, has never failed her. She said that God’s love and faithfulness have been constant in her life.“I have been blessed beyond words, and I know that these blessing are a gift from Him,” Adkins said.

He saw a need and had a vision of using college students to reach out to the community in South Rome.

Senior Hugh Hagen, who is pursuing a major in anthropology and a minor in business administration, saw the need in 2006 to serve in South Rome by showing the community God’s love.  

Hagen wanted to reach out to those who were less fortunate by bringing them a sense of hope. 

 “Selfless Movement” was created from Hagen’s vision.  According to www.selflessmovement.org, Selfless Movement focuses on “sharing the love of God in tangible ways.”  

In April 2007, Tangible Impact, Inc. was created out of the idea of Selfless Movement. The idea that those involved wanted to make an impact by providing hands-on service to the community inspired the name. Through the idea and the organization, college students are giving of themselves in order to help a community that is in need, Hagen said.  

The purpose of Tangible Impact is to “discover the need in South Rome,” Hagen said.  He said that he sees it as a “modern day Possum Trot,” because Martha Berry began the school in order to give the boys who lived in the mountains a chance, much like the ministry does for the children in South Rome.    

Hagen said that Tangible Impact wants to involve the Berry community in South Rome, and junior Christina Snyder is in the process of getting a Tangible Impact club on campus next year. The first goal for the club would be to connect the ministry with the Berry community, and to connect students with service work. The club would be a way for students to have support while creating their own ways to serve the community, said Hagen.  

Specific service projects students can volunteer for include serving as a mentor or coming to “South Rome Saturdays” to play with children. Mentoring can be through communities in schools, Big Brothers Big Sisters or the new Boys and Girls Club that is being built in that area. Leaders of the organization also have plans to open a coffee shop in the house they own that would be a “hub for community service,” Hagen said. This would be a place for college students to find connections with others who also enjoy serving the community. It would also be a place for those who have dreams to find help fulfilling those dreams, and a place where a community could come together, said Hagen.  

The South Rome community has many needs that Tangible Impact is trying to meet, and, according to Hagen, one of the first needs is hope.

“[They need] the ability to dream dreams and accomplish their dreams,” said Hagen. He also said that the people in South Rome need to see people who care.

Selfless Movement began two years ago and has changed since that time. Many have helped to make Tangible Impact what it is today, said Hagen. In two years, a non-profit has been formed and a community has been impacted. After graduation, Hagen plans to go to seminary, but will continue to be on the board of Tangible Impact.  

“I feel great about it,” he said.

Junior Christina Snyder decided to get involved with Tangible Impact, Inc. to share the love of God with others around her. 

“I saw it as a unique opportunity to be the church in an active way in the community,” said Snyder. She said that Tangible Impact engages the community by forming relationships with the people of the community, and she knew that she wanted to be involved with an organization like that. 

“I know that this organization is genuinely doing this, and I wanted to be a part of it,” she said.

Snyder is a board member for the organization, and she helps with promoting the group’s mentoring program. She also enjoys being able to spend time with the children of South Rome and getting to meet new children. 

“It has been incredible to see God’s faithfulness through the process of the formation of Tangible Impact throughout the past couple of years,” Snyder said.

She said that if there is one thing she would like to see happen in the organization’s future, it would be to see the people of South Rome and the rest of Rome come together.

“I would love to see people who live in South Rome knowing that people care about them and that there is hope for a change and a hope for success in the future,” she said. There are many ways to make this happen, according to Snyder. One way that she described is for Tangible Impact to open the coffee shop they hope to have in South Rome.

“It would be a wonderful way to make connections and continue to share God’s love in tangible ways,” Snyder said. 

Snyder is an education major and is also a member of Georgia Association of Educator - Student Program (GAESP). She is a WinShape student and works as a resident assistant in Friendship, as well.

Sophomore Joseph Palmer decided to get involved with Tangible Impact, Inc. shortly after meeting senior Hugh Hagen. Palmer said he was drawn to the organization because it allowed him to show the love of God to others in tangible ways. 

“The reason why I keep going is because of the desire God placed in my life to be his hands and feet,” said Palmer. 

Palmer said that one day Hagen told him that God had called him to just love on people. Palmer said that has always stuck with him and is something that he wants to do in his own life.

“I want to go around and love on people, and if I can do that with these kids in South Rome, then that’s awesome,” Palmer said. 

“I go out most Saturdays with them and basically just play some basketball with the kids,” he said.

Palmer also wants the community to see and realize what he and his co-workers are doing and why they are doing it.

“It’s not for publicity or for some scholarship; it’s for Christ, and through that, it’s for love’s sake,” he said. 

Palmer said that he enjoys playing with the children and showing Christ’s love to them by spending time with them. He said one of his most memorable experiences with Tangible Impact occurred one day when all of the children were playing basketball. One of the children got a headache and had to sit down on the grass.

“I saw him sitting down, so I walked over to where he was and sat down in the grass with him. We pretty much chilled and talked about school, video games and other stuff,” he said. 

“Just chilling in the grass talking to this 8-year-old about his life was really cool for me,” he said. 

Palmer said he would like to see Tangible Impact have more involvement from Berry, Georgia Highlands and Shorter College.  

“I would love to see Tangible Impact  spread its awesome impact to other parts of Rome,” he said.

Overall, he said that he wants to see the selfless movement spread to everyone, causing them to stop thinking about only themselves, and to share God’s love with others. 

“I want it to be about Christ’s glory and not my own,” Palmer said. 

What began as a vision in senior Hugh Hagen’s mind has evolved into a multi-faceted, home-owning non-profit organization. 

Tangible Impact, Inc., formerly known as Selfless Movement, has a board of directors, a house, regular service activities and plans for expansion, including a coffee house and possibly a trip to Africa. 

The mission of the organization is “to see the growth and development of authentic and intentional Christ-centered communities that connect individual people to their personal needs and God’s global perspective.” Tangible Impact’s board of directors consists of seniors Hugh Hagen, Brian Kase, Peter Pelosi, Tracy Kase, junior Christina Snyder and Shorter alumnus (07C) David Baker. Hagen was the visionary who dreamed of what is now Tangible Impact, but since October, Baker has held the position of Executive Director.  

“Hugh has such a big heart for South Rome and has made a lot of this happen. David needed to come on board to direct, though, because Hugh was doing everything,” said Tracy Kase, who does public relations work for the organization. She said that she and the other leaders have been thankful for Baker’s leadership.

“It’s been nice to have someone else who has a big heart and is passionate about it. It’s really been encouraging to have him there,” she said.

According to Baker, Tangible Impact has undergone much re-organization since he joined the board in October. 

“We are narrowing our focus to a few different things so that we can do them well,” he said.

Those things include mentoring, teaching classes and spending time with the children in the community. Tangible Impact has coordinated several volunteers to serve as mentors in schools in South Rome. Volunteers teach leadership classes to students at Anna K. Davie Elementary School, as well. 

Tangible Impact volunteers also hold “South Rome Saturday” every Saturday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Parks Hoke Park in South Rome. During this time, Tracy Kase said approximately 15 – 20 volunteers meet kids from the community to play in the park and build relationships.

“They love the company,” she said. “They don’t care what we do.” Tracy Kase said the kids and volunteers play on the playground, play sports or play “made-up games.” She also said that the girls enjoy playing with the female volunteers’ hair. 

“The main thing we are doing is building relationships with kids,” Tracy Kase said. “In the background, we are trying to get stuff going with the house.”

Plans for the house on South Broad Street include a coffee shop called the Village Café, a place for students to come and do homework and a location to offer classes to community members. 

“We want to use the house for more than one purpose because there is space for that,” she said.

Baker would like to see Tangible Impact offer classes based on financial planning, interviewing expertise and specific skills to assist in job placement for homeless or underprivileged people in South Rome. 

 “We have connections with people in South Rome who want to make this happen, but it depends on the funding for the house,” Tracy Kase said. She also said the house needs repairs, including a new roof and the removal of several walls. She said that the organization is in the process of coordinating service projects that would include making improvements to the house.

Tracy Kase said that obtaining 501(c)(3) status is the major inhibitor of fundraising efforts. This status would make donations to the organization tax-exempt. 

“It’s easy to let the funding part get in the way of the vision,” she said. “It’s been a struggle to not let that happen. We can still make a difference.”  

Once this status is gained, donations to Tangible Impact will be tax-exempt. Kase said that several people have told the leaders of Tangible Impact that they will give larger amounts as soon as the organization gets the status.

“It’s a really long application process,” she said. “We have a lawyer who has helped us with that, and Peter Pelosi and David Baker are working on getting the application submitted.”

The group is trying to raise funds now by selling 963 Coffee, the brand that will be sold in the shop. The coffee is a fair trade product and can be purchased directly from the the organization’s Web site, www.seflessmovement.org/coffee, to support Tangible Impact.

“We hope to get the coffee shop running by the end of 2008,” Baker said. “That is one of our goals for this year.”

Another goal leaders of the organization are working toward is obtaining official club status at Berry.

“That would be helpful since a lot of us will be graduating,” Tracy Kase said. “Hopefully we can build up membership through that.” She said that Baker’s connection to Shorter has been helpful in recruiting volunteers and students from that school who are interested in assisting with the organization’s efforts, as well. 

Another current venture of Tangible Impact is to connect with local churches that are willing to help with the organization’s efforts. 

“We are trying to connect the community to that heart of selflessness, whether it be through volunteering or donating,” Baker said. “We want to let them see a need that exists. A lot of the community is oblivious to the need down there, and we want to make the need a little more known, make it public.” 

One of Baker’s personal goals is to lead by example. 

“You hear the saying, ‘It starts with number one.’ I want all of the board members not just to be organizing events, but to be participating. I want to influence others with the love of Christ from me being in the community, me going to leadership classes and me being in South Rome on Saturday,” he said.

“Hopefully people will see our involvement and that we are not just talking about it, but we are actually doing it,” he said. “If we are followers of Christ, we are called to do it. I want to see every leader be involved themselves, and hopefully others will see the heart that we are going after and join in with us.”

Baker said that joining the board of Tangible Impact has been “tough but joyful. It’s nothing that the Lord hasn’t called me to. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for John the Baptist to eat locusts and honey, but he did it,” he said.

Tracy Kase said that the experience of being involved has been extremely rewarding. 

“I’ve learned how simple it is to make a difference in a place like South Rome,” she said. ”And eventually, we want Tangible to grow so we can take it outside of South Rome to other areas.”

The second annual Northwest Georgia Collegiate Relay for Life will be held Friday from 7 p.m. until Saturday at 7 a.m. in the Clara Bowl to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. 

Sponsored teams of approximately 15 people will walk or run for 12 hours in an effort to raise money and awareness of cancer. 

“It is held overnight to show that cancer never sleeps, so neither do we,” said senior Stephanie Marbut, the Relay for Life chairperson. County relay events are 24 hours, while collegiate relays are typically 12 hours. 

 The rules specify that at least one team member has to be on the track at all times, but participants are allowed and encouraged to bring tents to camp out and rest when not running.

Marbut said the goal this year for Berry is to raise $100,000 with 50 teams. Last year, the goal that was set and met was $20,000. Teams raise money during the relay, but many teams raise funding before the event, as well.

Honoring survivors and families that have been affected by cancer is an important part of the event. A special dinner is held before the relay to honor survivors who have won the battle against cancer. The first lap of the race is also reserved for survivors, while the second lap is run by those who have helped as caregivers. At dark, luminaries are also lit and a moment of silence is observed while names of those affected by cancer are read aloud. 

“It is a really emotional time during the relay,” said Marbut.

Each team gets a campsite on which to set up their individual fundraisers, and there are music and other types of activities to enjoy.

“We also give out prizes and awards for different things like most creative campsite and most money raised,” said Marbut.

The idea for Relay for Life was created by a colorectal surgeon, Gordy Klatt, from Washington in the 1980s in an attempt to raise money for his local American Cancer Society office. Klatt enjoyed running and decided that running for 24 hours would be a good way to fundraise for cancer. People donated $25 to run with Klatt. He raised $27,000, and an idea was born. The first official Relay for Life was held in 1986 and raised $33,000. Many counties and colleges now hold Relay events as well.

     The loss of her mother drives one Berry student to make the American Cancer Society a priority in her life.

     Stephanie Marbut is a senior interdisciplinary major with a focus on family studies. She is also the 2008 Relay for Life chair, a position that counts as an internship for her major.      

     Marbut’s passion for the American Cancer Society and reason for being a part of an experience like Relay for Life is her mother.  

     Marbut said that she would like to continue to work for the American Cancer Society after she graduates. Being hired as a staff partner would allow her to work with various counties that hold Relay for Life events. 

     She said that as the chairperson, she has had the opportunity of “seeing” the campus take hold of the event and run with it.

     During Marbut’s sophomore year of high school, her mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. 

     She received chemotherapy treatments and then went into remission. 

    Marbut said that she could not believe that this was happening to her family.  

     “I had to grow up fast,” she said.

    During Marbut’s senior year of high school, her mother’s cancer came back. She endured chemotherapy a second time. Marbut ran errands and helped her mom and her family however she could, but said her mom just wanted Marbut to be a high school student. She graduated from high school in the spring of 2002.

     “Watching your parent being sick and not getting better was really hard,” Marbut said. 

     In the fall of 2002, the cancer spread. 

    On Feb. 8, 2003, Marbut’s mom passed away. 

     Marbut said that she likes to put flowers at the cemetery on Mother’s Day, Christmas and around Feb. 8. She also said that she sometimes just feels the need to go to the cemetery and take flowers. 

     Marbut has not been involved with Relay for Life very long, but her enthusiasm has grown quickly.   

     “I am very passionate about it,” Marbut said. 

     Last year she created publicity for the first collegiate Relay for Life at Berry, and she had only been to one county Relay for Life before then. After being involved with the event, she spoke with Chad Buschell (07C), the chair for 2007, and decided that she wanted to hold his position of chairperson this year. 

     She said that seeing other schools raise so much money and get excited about Relay for Life encourages her. The other schools have allowed Marbut to see that Berry can raise the kind of money that they have raised. 

    She also wants others to be aware of the life decisions that could have direct effects on their health. Along with being the chair this year, she has also helped with getting a new club, Colleges Against Cancer, started at Berry. Both of these accomplishments have been experiences she feels will play a role in her future.

     Marbut said that many people’s lives have been affected by cancer in some way. She wants to get others involved by telling her story and hearing other people’s stories as well. 

     “People now know that this is very important to me,” she said.