Campus Ministries introduces game-show themed assembly

Filled with anticipation, Union College students and staff pressed into Woods Auditorium on a warm Thursday morning. While several Campus Ministries workers had already been busy for over an hour, things had only just begun. The background music faded and Devin Schlisner walked onto stage to welcome everyone to the first live filming of the “Good Neighbor Show.”

The concept of the new event has been months in the making. The show is part of a broader attempt to bring more variety to the college’s weekly chapel every Thursday morning. Last year, there was only uGather, a convocation service, but now each week of the month will bring a different experience. In addition, only uGather, now a monthly service, is a required event. The others are optional ways to earn one of the two types of required worship credits.

The show is described by Union College Chaplain David Kabanje (affectionately known as “PK” by our campus community), to be a hybrid of “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” and “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon. It features Soul-fi, a student-led jazz band with original music written specifically for the new show.

The first segment featured Nelda Atuti, Student Association (SA) president, and Schlisner in a hot sauce contest as they discussed the future of SA and its events/activities for students. Afterwards, PK challenged Associate Dean Santi Fernandez to a game of Bean Boozled – a game of chance in which one person gets a good tasting jelly bean and the other receives one that is purposely flavored to be repulsive. Both ended up in turn gagging over the awful tasting candy, at which the crowd went wild.

Students enjoyed the event, which offered a less pushy religious experience while bringing many timeless truths home. “I loved how the audience was so engaged during the show,” said Payton Arnett, a freshman theology major and Campus Ministries staff member. “A lot of people really enjoyed it. I genuinely felt like I was in a talk show audience.”

Campus Ministries looks forward to seeing how the event makes an impact on our campus community, and how many people attend next month after word spreads.

“I think it provides an opportunity for students to really have a good time, with those seeds planted here and there of the spiritual aspects that we can apply.” Arnett said. “Overall, it was a fantastic experience and I’m excited to see where it goes going forward.”

By Charles Metz

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