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Zoey Hover, Editor | October 29, 2026
Redwood Mold Outbreak Disperses Residents
Following the discovery of mold growth in Redwood Hall at the beginning of the semester, Residence Life and Facility Services, along with administration, decided to relocate all 54 student residents.
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GO Week is a Go!
By Brookabella Horner, Staff Writer
As the autumn winds bring the change of season to MVNU, Spiritual Life also introduced a new change in chapel: GO Week. GO Week was the latest type of week-long chapel event that covered a large variety of mission work topics and invited students to take up the great commission given in Matthew.
This new focus week in chapel and beyond challenged and encouraged students to participate in local ministries as well as ones that require some traveling. Riley Shaw, a senior, noted, “This week has been such a great way to hear real life experiences from pastors and people who have made that great step into the unknown to reach souls for Christ.”
Through GO Week, students were able to get acquainted with the idea that their ministry doesn’t need to stay in their own backyard, and that sometimes being uncomfortable with their calling is exactly why they have that calling in the first place.
“I somehow feel like I have been nudged this week to go and do some form of ministry I’ve never felt led to before; and although it’s a big step, it’s one I feel can push me in ways I’ve been needing,” Shaw said after GO Week wrapped up.
While some students feel an exciting rush of motivation to chase the mission life, one student felt that GO Week advocated for leaving the United States and not working on the body of Christ in their own walls. “Being in chapel this week has made me think about all of the churches and organizations here that need refining,” stated the anonymous student. “It almost feels too risky and problematic … we need to work on what’s going on here before we tackle everything else out there.”
Although mission work can feel equally exciting and dangerous, MVNU considers letting others know about the word of the Savior to be of extreme importance, both here in the U.S. and around the world, and encourages students to find out the ways they’re being called to ministry, wherever that may take them.
Redwood Mold Outbreak Disperses Residents
By Zoey Hover, Editor
Following the discovery of mold growth in Redwood Hall at the beginning of the semester, Residence Life and Facility Services, along with administration, decided to relocate all 54 student residents. The students, now dispersed among Cedar, Cypress and Galloway, will remain in these new living spaces for the remainder of the semester, allowing time for mold treatment and remodeling.
Initially, female students discovered the mold on the first floor, an incident which, at first, only impacted their room according to Karen Kalua, a Redwood resident and friend of the first-affected students. Kalua said she noticed a white substance—mold, but not the black mold some rumors suggested—in the room when visiting her friends while they moved in and that there was “a lot in the first room because you could see it when you walked in.”
Regarding this first report, Dr. Matthew Spraker, Vice President for Student Life, stated, “We decided to move those students into temporary housing while the room was treated. The room was treated immediately, but then there was another report of suspected mold. With this, an inspection was conducted of every room and space in Redwood and some visual signs were discovered.” After MVNU investigated the mold reports, Spraker said that they hired a third party company to do an inspection as well.
Following the inspections, the women, all living on the lower floor, were the first to move, receiving an email Oct. 1 informing them of their relocation to Cedar. The male residents on the second floor all moved out of Redwood by Oct. 20.
Reflecting on her perception of the discovered mold, Kalua said that she thought it would likely take longer than a day between the summer and move-in day to form the amount of mold she saw in the room. However, Ben Cook, Director of Facilities Operations and Campus Safety, stated that the facilities team did not find anything while inspecting the rooms before move-in, and said the third-party consultant informed them that the mold formed as a result of the weather. “If you recall this [the mold discovery] occurred during the time when we were receiving a lot of rain and the humidity was high for several weeks in a row,” he said.
To ensure Redwood becomes a habitable space again, the administration has now determined that remodeling is the best course of action. According to Spraker and Cook, the renovations will involve removing the carpeting, resealing the floors, updating the lighting and refreshing the paint.
“Our goal is to have all the work completed in time for the spring semester,” Cook stated.
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An On-Air Legacy: WNZR Reaches 40 Years
By Olivia Skillings, Staff Writer
WNZR radio is celebrating 40 years of radio ministry this year, Oct. 1, marking four decades of providing listeners with encouraging Christian music and messages. Since 1986, WNZR has
spread God’s Word through the airwaves and through interacting with Knox County communities.
The dream for a college radio station on the campus of Mount Vernon Nazarene College began in 1982. The college submitted an application to the FCC for a broadcast license, which was approved four years later, allowing WNZR to officially go on the air on Oct. 1.
The effort to bring this dream to life was led by Dr. Henry Smith, WNZR’s first station manager.
He exclaimed that he is “proud to see WNZR keep the faith and keep it alive over time because
things don’t just get done on their own. It takes people with passion to work.” He specifically
mentioned Joe and Marcy Rinehart as being champions for the passion that drives WNZR and
praised them for how they have “caught the vision.”
Dr. Smith also stated the importance of students learning about broadcasting while studying
communication. He explained that WNZR doesn’t just impact its listeners; it greatly impacts
MVNU’s communication students.
The passion to serve others through radio ministry has been passed down through staff and
students for four decades. Current student Brock Hankins had this to say about the anniversary:
“Growing up, WNZR was the station my family and I listened to, and it played a huge role in
inspiring me to pursue an education in radio. I’m so honored to be a part of this radio ministry
and can’t wait to celebrate 40 years!”
Current staff and students held WNZR’s 40th Year Anniversary Celebration on Oct. 1 with
listeners, community members, friends and family. The celebration included a WNZR museum,
photo booth, dinner, Round Hill Dairy ice cream and many more activities.
For 40 years, WNZR has carried on the passion for radio ministry that began so many years ago, committing itself to sharing God’s word with the community and preparing the next generation of media professionals.
MVNU’s Walk of Life Shines Light on Mental Health
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By Olivia Skillings, Staff Writer
MVNU’s Spiritual Life office and counseling center came together to raise awareness for
those who have and are struggling with mental health by hosting a “Walk of Life” on Oct. 13.
Participants joined together in worship and heard from Assistant Director of Spiritual
Life Vince Loprinzi and clinical social worker Candice Krabill. Dozens of students and
faculty walked around campus in silence, each holding a rock that symbolized the weight of
mental health struggles. At the end of the walk, they released the rocks—a representation of letting go of the weight of mental health and stepping into healing.
Krabill said that the event stems from the need to give “students a chance to come
together in love and support and see that they aren’t alone. We also wanted to create a space that let students know that their pain is not too much, that there is always hope, that they are worth choosing life, that life is worth living and there are supports available.”
Many students felt the love and support from this event, with one sophomore sharing that they “felt seen and heard.”
Mental health is a common and sometimes overlooked struggle for college students, which is why MVNU offers counseling services that are “free and available to all traditional
undergraduate students.”
Krabill and the MVNU counseling team want students to know that “The MVNU
campus has so many people in supportive roles on campus, student mentors, belong group
leaders, resident assistants, spiritual life leaders and pastors are all here to support students
through the lives they actually have.”
The Counseling Center and social workers like Krabill are here to help students through
life’s challenges. Above all, they want students to remember that “no one is designed to do life
alone.”
They also highlighted two crisis support resources that are available 24/7. Students can call or text 988 for suicide and crisis support or text HOME to 741741 for immediate mental health crisis assistance.
The Walk of Life was a powerful reminder of God’s love for those facing mental health
struggles. It also shed light on the many resources that are available to students to find healing
and support during their time at MVNU and beyond. If you or someone you know is struggling,
reach out to a friend, mentor, or resource on campus to help you through your battle. No one was meant to carry the weight of this life alone.
Called to Follow Him: The Story Behind the New Chapel Statue
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By Braden Taylor, Staff Writer
At last, the wait is over: The chapel statue has been placed! The statue depicts the beautiful moment of Jesus calling Peter to follow Him as one of His disciples, and the idea behind it is to remind students on campus that they are called to follow Christ down whatever path they are walking on.
Rev. Dave Mills, who had a big part in the statue’s implementation, shed some light on the concept behind it. Mills explained that he had noticed how a few other Christian campuses had put up bronze statues and found himself inspired by the possibility. “We wanted something to remind people who we are and what’s important to us,” Mills said.
With this in mind, the team behind the statue eventually decided to go with the story of Peter being called by Jesus to follow Him. “The first thing you see when you walk out of the chapel doors is Jesus calling Peter and saying ‘Follow Me,’” Mills stated, adding that this idea was a part of the bigger picture the team was going for when brainstorming the concept of the statue.
Since its installment, the chapel statue has already made an impact on the student body. Regarding the chapel’s thematic significance, freshman Ramsey Chamberlain said, “It shows us how Jesus can call anyone, no matter their status.”
Mills closed his reflections on the statue’s inspiration and planning with the thought that “life is best lived when we answer the call that Jesus calls us to.”
MVNU Hosts an Early Screening of The Chosen Season 6, Episode 1
By Ethan Hershberger, Staff Writer
MVNU’s Office of Spiritual Life and WNZR Radio are partnering to premiere an early screening for Episode 1 of The Chosen Season 6 at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29. This event will take place in the R.R. Hodges Chapel auditorium and is open to MVNU students, faculty and the Knox County community to watch the long-awaited resumption from The Chosen’s Season 5 cliffhanger ending: Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus Christ. Reverend Dave Mills, Vice President for Spiritual Life and Church Relations, is excited for this special opportunity and said, “I think it’s just a privilege that our university gets to host something like this.”
Mills noted that this is a big moment for The Chosen series as they begin depicting Jesus’s arrest and the 24 hours that lead to His crucifixion. “To give a little preview for that and get to see the first episode, is really special, and I think it’ll get people excited for Season 6 of The Chosen.” Students can find a trailer for The Chosen Season 6 and a synopsis of Episode 1 online at wnzr.fm.
