Connections Archive

Linden Chuang
Public relations editorial assistant

Watson Hall residents demonstrated a sense of community and spirituality during the worship service at Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church this past Saturday (April 12).

More than 100 students participated in the service, with most lending their voices as part of the choir. "The boys were just amped," said choir director Raymond Moaga. "They were just cranking it!" Kalivati "Pate" Namakadre, choir director during practise and praise and worship leader on Saturday, described the energy in the church as "amazing." "The people singing [in the congregation] pushed us backwards, and the boys behind us pushed us forwards," he said.

The students used the question, "Why trust us?" as the theme of the service. The question not only referred to the residents of Watson, but also to Generation Y as a whole. In responding to the question, residence assistants Alexis Ratu, Joshua Campbell and Jared Martin spoke about the identity of Generation Y, discussed with guests the positive influences members of the generation can have on others and, through the use of a video, showed how members of the generation are serving the community through mission work.

Director of men's residence Pastor Mark McNeill said he felt proud of his "boys." "I'm very pleased with how everything went," he said. "I heard a lot of positive comments after the program was over." Assistant director Pastor Shane Roberts also expressed his appreciation. "Everybody involved in the program gave their best, and the program was a real blessing as a result."

The students had been practising for the service since the beginning of the semester. While some questioned why they had to rehearse during their worship time, the experience brought the residents together. "When we started it was really coldish, and we didn't have that sense of community," said Pate. "But we really came together as a unit, and now we're more like brothers instead of strangers in the hallway."

Watson also organised the 7.28 worship service the previous evening, which came just one week after Andre and Ella Boyd organised the same service. The women's residences will be organising the Saturday morning worship service at the church next semester.