Last fall, William Jewell College announced that tuition would be reduced by 45%, from $33,500 to $18,360 per year. This decision was made, in part, to show prospective students that Jewell was both affordable and accessible.

Jewell’s marketing team increasingly focused on this tuition decrease in recent advertisement campaigns targeted toward prospective students. The advertisements from the College – which can be seen across a variety of social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram – focus on the tuition decrease, new programs at Jewell and the quality of a Jewell education.

When determining the topic of advertisements, the marketing team aims to display programs that Jewell wants to grow and display the majors that are in high demand.

“Once we have developed our messages, we use the platform that best targets the intended demographic,” said Eric Blair, vice president of enrollment and marketing at Jewell. “Our media buyers then use analytics, trends and even predictive modeling to advise us on best practices for the messaging that will yield the best click-through rates, opens, engagement, shares, etc. We analyze performance and can make changes accordingly. We also use the recruitment cycle for determining advertisement content and placement. Early in the school year, we entice campus visits, then move to apply and deposit for seniors with general college messages to sophomores and junior inquiries.”

Overall, the marketing department wants each advertisement to reflect the brand of Jewell as The Critical Thinking College. The branding of Jewell as a critical thinking institute is embedded within all media produced by the College.

However, each advertisement might focus on a different topic or theme. For example, current video advertisements produced by William Jewell focus on the new women’s wrestling program and tuition decrease.

“Because most ads are delivered in short-term consumption mediums – billboards, digital ads, 15-30 second videos – messaging focuses on a differentiator – the change in tuition, new women’s wrestling program, no ACT/SAT required –and the graphic design or logos will support the underlying brand,” Blair said. “Our direct mail and email campaigns used to nurture interest is where we take a prospective student on the deeper brand journey and what it means when we refer to Jewell as The Critical Thinking College.”

In Jewell’s current advertisement campaign, there is a notable focus on marketing Jewell as an affordable, private education.

In a photo campaign that appears on Facebook and Instagram, advertisements feature pictures of various student activities with captions that include “Give your student access to a world-class private education” and “The world-class private education your student dreamed of, but never believed was within reach ̶̶ now $18,360/yr.”

“Ads this academic year are focusing on affordability, opportunities and accessibility [and] equity,” Blair said. “These include several topics, such as Jewell’s new wrestling and powerlifting programs, the Oxbridge Honors Program, tuition cost, holistic admission, the value of a private education, three-year degree options and critical thinking. In focus groups and ad engagement, we’ve seen the most interest in messages of cost [and] no ACT/SAT admission requirement.”

In this particular advertisement campaign, there is just one stock image being used while all other images are of Jewell students. This stock image features two Black women laughing against a plain backdrop.

The image can be found on Unsplash – a site where users can download stock photos that are copyright-free. Though this advertisement campaign uses a stock image, the marketing team prefers to use images of real students when possible.

“We always prefer images of our own students when possible,” Blair said. “In this campaign, we used one stock photo. This particular ad was used primarily on Facebook and targeting adults 40-65 in addition to our typical high school audience. The intent is to convey visually where the students are at the current moment – in high school – and the copy asks the viewer to ponder the future. By using a photo that is not of Jewell students it leaves the mind open to what could be rather than what is. There will be other times in the future when we use stock photos for wholly pragmatic purposes as well. We take a lot of photos of students each year but there may be a need for a specific setting, with a particular demographic of student in mind that also conveys the right mood that we just don’t have to work with. In those instances, we will acquire a stock photo or change our strategy.”

Jewell students might notice a Jewell advertisement in their Snapchat and TikTok feeds this year. The marketing team has begun to expand its use of social media platforms beyond Facebook and Instagram to reach prospective students. Sites such as Snapchat and TikTok are generally used more by a younger audience pool, between the ages of 15 and 25. 

“You have to find your audience where they are, and prospective students like Snapchat and TikTok,” Blair said. “Of all social platforms, Snapchat yielded the largest number of form submissions. Our videos on YouTube also have performed well. The women’s wrestling ad has done very well on Snapchat and TikTok in terms of views and swipe-ups. We’re very excited to continue to leverage these social outlets in the future and build a stronger Snapchat and TikTok presence.”

When I began to think about what I did over winter break, I couldn’t quite remember. It just seemed to meld together with the never-ending COVID-19 time vortex. For many of us, COVID-19 fatigue grew this semester as we had to attend school with little of the social benefits, since most on-campus activities were canceled. I’m not referring to a general or vague feeling of tiredness when I talk about COVID-19 fatigue. In fact, COVID-19 fatigue describes a real set of symptoms that includes lack of energy and being constantly overwhelmed.

However, when I reflected on my winter break, I realized that I still found ways to enjoy the time off from school and get into the holiday spirit. Even though the holidays were different this year, it’s important to remember the positive things that happened through the season.

In December, I visited Union Station’s Home for the Holidays display. The entire Grand Plaza of Union Station was redecorated with lights displays and a train-themed, walk-through village. The walk-through exhibit, which spanned three rooms, was an array of Christmas villages and toy trains that ran throughout all the villages. Each village was from a different historical time period. There was even a train that you could ride through a winter wonderland in the middle of the Grand Plaza, but I was told that was reserved for those 5 years old and under. 

Shortly after finals concluded, I was able to gather with a small group of friends to have some Christmas celebratory fun. We decided to brew a cup of cider and watch the newly released “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Musical!” starring Matthew Morrison.

Little did I know this would be one of the most unsettling pieces of film produced during our lifetime. Morrison’s drawing upon the Joker as inspiration for his chaotic, and sexual, spin on the character of the Grinch was an unnecessary but “natural” way to end the year. 

As Christmas came and went, I was reminded of how grateful I was to gather, in small groups, with family over the holidays. In a year where so much has been canceled, it was nice to relax and reflect upon what truly matters during this season. 

While ringing in the New Year is often met with much hope and anticipation, that feeling was regrettably absent this year. As the calendar flipped, I think most people greeted the year with a heavy sigh. Notably, this was the first New Year’s Eve I can recall going to bed before midnight. I’ll blame that on the pandemic. 

As always, January flew by, and I was back ordering books and logging onto Zoom before I knew it. There was a time when I hoped that the spring semester of my senior year would be relatively normal. In a way, it has almost been more freeing to accept that this semester won’t be normal. I spent most of the fall semester wishing that the spring would bring all the traditional William Jewell College activities that I could do for the last time, like homecoming and formals. And while there’s nothing wrong to wish for those things and be sad that they won’t happen, I don’t have to spend my time wishing. Instead, I can accept that this will be our normal for a while and commit to living in the present. 

2020 has been a year marked by tragedy, heartache and, unfortunately, great division. A quick glance or scroll through social media makes it very clear that our society is fragmented. Earlier this month, the Pew Research Center published a study regarding the division in the United States. They found that the U.S. is facing an exceptional political divide and most individuals agreed that Americans had fundamental disagreements about core values.

Personally, I have been most struck by the response of the Church and the Christian community to this divide. While the pandemic persists and hospitals throughout the nation are overrun, many in the Church have responded not with compassion but, rather, with contempt. The overwhelming Christian response to the pandemic is clear – resist lockdowns and government intrusions.

Obviously, this hasn’t been the response of every church or Christian person to the pandemic. However, it is clear that many see COVID-19 restrictions, like wearing a mask, as a violation of liberty and a way for the government to oppress the Church. Popular Christian leaders have propelled this thinking by teaching their followers that there is no pandemic and suing the government over mask mandates. 

For those that do not believe in masks or in COVID-19, I’m not here to try and convince you. By now, I assume that most people have made up their minds regarding the pandemic and their opinions are unlikely to change. However, I am imploring the Church and Christians to follow COVID-19 guidelines. 

I know some reading this will vehemently disagree with my opinion. You might believe that COVID-19 is being blown out of proportion, or you might think that the lockdowns and masks don’t really work. That’s fine. As Christians, however, we have an obligation to humbly and obediently abide by the authorities instituted above us. 

Fine, you might say, but what if the government persecutes the Church? Shouldn’t we resist government regulations that oppose the Bible? I completely agree. If the government tells Christians to throw away their Bibles, we should resist that. If the government starts imprisoning Christians for praying, we should keep praying. However, COVID-19 restrictions in the U.S. are not acts of persecution.

Christians in India face persecution with laws that ban conversion to Christianity. Christians in Libya face persecution by being subjected to extreme physical violence and imprisonment if they identify as a Christian. I hope you’ll agree that having to wear a mask during a church service or limiting singing in a church due to concern for public health fails to qualify as religious persecution.

I don’t think the problem is that American churches are being persecuted, but that most Christians are currently placing their political and personal priorities above the needs of others. Wearing a mask is uncomfortable. Restrictions on gatherings are inconvenient. Yet, our health and medical professionals urge us that these things will help protect others. 

You might disagree with the medical professionals. You might believe that masks do nothing and protect no one. I’m not a health expert, but I know that our nurses and doctors are telling us the hospitals are reaching max capacity. I know individuals disproportionately vulnerable to COVID-19 cannot go to the grocery store because many people at the store refuse to wear a mask. 

Even if you disagree with the effectiveness of masks or the restrictions on gatherings, I urge you to consider how defying these regulations impacts our community. Every time you refuse to wear a mask, you isolate those who believe it provides protection. When you disregard health protocols, you tell others that your gatherings are more important than the safety of the community. 

I often think about how the early Christians would view our response to COVID-19. In a Christianity Today article about how Christians should respond to COVID-19, the response of early Christians to epidemics is examined, as they lived through two different epidemics. This article draws upon Rodney Stark’s book “The Rise of Christianity,” in which he explains how the early Christians responded to these epidemics.

“Christians laid themselves down, even to death, and comforted those who were dying, bringing solace to those afflicted by the deadly contagions,” the article said regarding the behavior of early Christians during these epidemics. “With their extraordinary acts of kindness, Christians were then viewed as a caring community and their faith [was] taken more seriously.

The behavior of early Christians was not marked by protests or contention, but by love. Stark argues that part of what allowed Christianity to grow during these epidemics was the fact that radical love on the part of Christians attracted more members to the Church.

Unfortunately, I fear that this would not be said of the Church’s response to the epidemic today. Christians have an obligation to respond to the pandemic with love. We have a duty to humbly submit to authority and show kindness to those around us. 

In the past few months, I have also begun to wonder about how Jesus would respond to this pandemic. If, in a hypothetical world, Jesus were here today and living through COVID-19, what would he be doing?

Jesus was not a political leader. I know that so many of you wish he was. You wish that Jesus would have encouraged us to rebel against the government and told us who to vote for – but he didn’t do that. In fact, Jesus didn’t even condemn the government. Rather than speak of the government and political figures, Jesus was focused on the religious leaders of the time and showing how those leaders weren’t actually helping the community. 

Jesus was concerned with the fact that the religious leaders of the time were hypocritical. These leaders acted as if they were righteous and spiritual, but were actually greedy and self-centered. Though these leaders said they were upholding good, religious practices, they were neglecting mercy and justice. 

So, when I think about how Jesus would act today, I think it would look a lot like it did over 2000 years ago. He would come in humble submission, willing to serve the vulnerable and downtrodden members of society. He wouldn’t be in the front line of the protest against government regulations or in the courtroom suing the state. I think he would be comforting the family who just lost a loved one or sharing a meal with the nurse who just worked a 12-hour shift. 

You can still be concerned about the government. You can still be concerned about who gets elected and what policies are put in place. However, we must recognize that those concerns should never outweigh one of our greatest commandments: love thy neighbor. 

William Jewell College’s Thanksgiving break will officially begin Monday, Nov. 23, and classes will resume again Monday, Nov. 30. Classes will be entirely virtual after the Thanksgiving break, which is in accordance with the schedule changes that Jewell announced on June 2.

Jewell is currently at threat level C in regards to its Operation Safe Campus plan and has approximately a six percent positivity rate among campus testing, according to the latest email update. Though classes will be virtual, students still have the option to return back to their dormitories and have access to on-campus services throughout the rest of the semester.

In response to questions about plans for students returning to campus, Ernie Stufflebean, associate dean of students and director of residence life, said that plans for a safe return to campus have not changed.

“Plans have not changed,” Stufflebean said. “While classes will occur remotely after Thanksgiving, the College is open, including campus housing.” 

Students who met the following criteria were eligible to apply for housing during the Thanksgiving break: student-athletes participating in their sport, students participating in a College-sponsored activity or academic requirement with a permanent address outside of the Kansas City metropolitan area, international students with travel restrictions and students with high-risk family member(s) that live within their household. These criteria were specifically adopted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the deadline to apply was Monday, Nov. 16.

Students who wished to return to campus following the Thanksgiving break were asked to fill out the Post-Thanksgiving Campus Housing Declaration Form. Campus housing will reopen at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29.

Upon returning to campus, students will have access to normal campus services, such as the dining hall and health services, even though classes will be virtual. There will be no change to dining hall hours for the remainder of the semester.

“All services will be offered through the end of the semester,” said Shelly King, dean of students. “Counseling Services has been providing tele-health sessions all fall semester and they will continue seeing students in this manner. Our Nurse Practitioner and RN will continue to see students in the Health Center in Browning Hall.”

Student activities will also be permitted after the break. However, the activities must abide by the Operation Safe Campus Strategic Framework. Since Jewell is in threat level C, all residence life events and programs will be virtual.

On Oct. 28, Dr. Anne Dema, provost, sent an email to the student body with post-Thanksgiving  break information. The email outlines how athletic activities and music department events will proceed after the break.

“Countable Athletically Related Activities (CARA) will not be allowed after Nov. 20 for any teams, unless they are actively in their playing season with pending competition. To be clear, the in-season sports are Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball, Men’s Swimming, Women’s Swimming, Men’s Indoor Track, and Women’s Indoor Track,” stated Dema in the email.

The athletic training room will be open after the break and services for athletes will be available by appointment. For sports other than those in-season, there will be no required practices or activities after the break.

Students who are music majors or who are taking applied music lessons can still use the practice rooms in Pillsbury Music Center after the break. The check-out system for rooms used during the semester will continue to be used.

Most staff and faculty who are able to will work remotely during the week following Thanksgiving. All faculty are to be available virtually, and some in-person, to have appointments with students. Final exams will occur virtually in accordance with the schedule posted at the beginning of the semester.

All members of the Jewell community are encouraged to take COVID-19 precautions while on break to ensure a safe return to campus. Student life has provided the following COVID-19 wellness tips to follow during the Thanksgiving break: don’t go to restaurants or bars, stay home, avoid gatherings and large crowds, wear a mask around others (even family), and visit extended family and friends virtually.