Park University - Narva Yearbook (Parkville, MO)

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Schwalb’s teammates, Dave Songur, left, John Bums, Don Warner, Brady Hart and Tom Gravatt. Aaron Irvin, right, and Elmer Becker pay their respects to a friend. JASON’S LIGHT By Les Bradley Joined in Unity at your heaven on earth We give flickering life to a simple stick of wax. Wind rushes spitefully to the flame’s base as do the perils of life to a man’s vibrance. Our cold, altruistic hands subdue the brisk rushes of air representing God’s unseen guidance to man, in times of need. Mercilessly, a gush of uncontrolled ivind festers (overfeeds) the fire just as strong situations test our stability and attempt to overcome our existence. The candle may be out, but not gone. We merely slip it into our warm, protected pocket as God takes a conquered man’s soul into his beloved kingdom. Both Man and Candle live on in memory. In your memory , Jason. 26 JASON SCHWALB I!« SOON SJ.ANG I,EE

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The Power of Freedom “1 used to follow, Ya, that’s true. Buut, my followin’ days are over, Now, I just gotta follow through.” Lou Graham No other words can detail the search for freedom throughout my life. I want to control my life, and here at Park College I am able to do just that. The freedom I exercise here influences me to where I can decide my friends, maybe my career, but most certainly, my life. The power of the freedom I have utilized here is greater than any other controlling factor which I might have experienced earlier. Because of the many freedoms I have at Park, I am sometimes forced to make decisions between alter¬ natives. For example, I could include studying or going to a party. In the week before a test, I feel that I have to study, and partying would be out of the picture. But after that test, I don’t think I would be stopped from going “out on the town.” This is only one conflict that I may encounter. Others might be participating in sports, who to choose as friends or foes, how much effort to put into schoolwork, going to a school function, who to dine with, watching television or cleaning my room and anything else I might do throughout the day or night. Adam Smith, a great philosopher and economist, spoke only truth when saying, “Man has control.” There is no other controlling factor for man in a free society, but there might be some guidance from an external factor. This leads to something else that he introduced, the concept of the “Invisible Hand.” He explains this an an outside factor which might guide us to using our freedom wisely. This might not have been too clear, so I can symbolize Park College as being an “Invisible Hand.” I can live my life here as free as 1 choose, but certain restrictions apply so I can use my freedom more wisely. Upon first arriving at Park College, I was advised on the rules of living in the dorm. Some of the restrictions I didn’t agree with, but I knew they existed to keep me out of trouble and to protect the rights of others who might agree with the rules. Other examples might be the restriction of wearing written profanities on tee- shirts, and anything else which might do me more harm than good while attending college. The power of freedom has always been a big influ¬ ence in my life, and by what I have written so far, it’s easy to see that here at Park College, I can express my freedom fully. After high school, I had the choice of making a career path for myself. I chose to enlist with the United States Navy, one of the biggest mistakes in my life, but still a choice I made. The word freedom was no longer in my vocabulary, and if freedom ever did exist, I couldn’t use it for the extent I wanted. Everything I did had to be in accordance with military regulations, on or off duty. I was trained and taught, their way, in many fields of expertise. After moving up in rank to a supervisory position, I still had no freedom. I now had to act and teach a certain way, their way, in order to set the examples for my subordinates. The Navy wasn’t an “Invisible Hand,” it was a steel arm, unbreakable. If one desired to test it, the consequences could be severe. To end my horrifying experience, I violated the rules and was severly prosecuted. It was quite the price to “pay the piper,” but it was my opportunity for freedom. I knew what I wanted, and would do anything I could to get it. But even today, I feel the aftermath of that choice I made in my life. Arriving at Park and being part of the community has let the best of my freedom It can be seen that there is a choice of freedoms, it just depends upon the person and how he she is willing to utilize it. Arriving at Park and being part of the community has let the best of my freedom show. I can be “me” for the first time in a long time, and no one can change that but me. There is only so much time in a day, a week and in a lifetime. Using my freedom wisely now can lead to a happy life ahead. It’s up to me if I want control of my life and to be an individual and here at Park College is the place to show it. David Cunningham 25

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' ean Fowler attends Schwalb’s memorial service. Dr. Jeff and Carol Glauner lead the candlelight ceremony. JASON SCHWALB 27