Claritas Rewind
August, Dara, Joaquin, and Matt share their favorite Claritas memories of the 2024 school year
Dear Reader,
Before delving into our favorite memories of the school year, I’d like to first extend a huge thank you to you, the reader, for all the support. I have so much love for Claritas, and I feel incredibly blessed that God has given me people who actively engage with the blog content. Words cannot express how profoundly grateful I am for you all. Thank you for making 2024 one of the best years of my life.
I hope you have a fantastic rest of the school year, and we’ll see you again in the fall!
In Christ,
Matt Pang
August Ehrlich, Contributor
Favorite Claritas Memory: “How Great is Thou’s Art” Interviews
My favorite Claritas memory from this past year would have to be taking interviews for the Claritalks podcast episode I was working on (“How Great is Thou’s Art”). I had shown up to Sage chapel with about two questions and no idea what to expect, and I came out with over multiple interesting discussions about the way that our worship spaces point our minds and spirits to heaven. That was an especially fun podcast episode to work on because I got to hear so many different ideas about why art matters in the church, which is something that I had never really considered in my own life.
Dara Gonzalez, Contributor
Favorite Claritas Memory: Joining the Claritas Design Team
This year I made the decision to join the Claritas design team, a relatively new experience despite having submitted written and art pieces multiple times before. It was my first time learning how to navigate a program that was so tedious, but I liked being able to be more involved in the process of creating our semesterly journal. I realized just how much effort everyone was putting in to create and present our messages to the world in the best form. What started as meeting with other designers to share ideas and navigate computer software led to developing new friendships. While I’m usually introverted, I felt being in a position where I had to talk more than a few editors made me more comfortable about being social. In reference to our upcoming semesterly issue, it truly felt like I was establishing a home in the hearts of those around me.
Joaquin Rivera, Editor-in-Chief
Favorite Claritas Memory: The Eclipse
I really appreciate how Claritas has developed more and more into a family over this last year. In past years, I would, of course, see fellow Claritas members at our weekly G-bodies, other Christian events, or run into them by chance at Zeus or Green Dragon. But this year, there has been a lot more intentional community building. I have loved seeing how Claritas members now constantly invite people on our group chat to study with them, eat with them, climb trees with them, or snipe them. My favorite memory in this regard was when I said in the groupchat that I was going to stand next to a tree on the arts quad to watch the eclipse, and then approximately 15-20 Claritas people showed up, and we had an amazing time enjoying the wonder of creation together.
Matt Pang, Blog Editor
Favorite Claritas Memory: Post G-Body Tree Climbing
After our weekly G-body meeting on April 16th, a small group of Claritas members including myself, Joaquin Rivera, Anjelina Gonzalez, and Jaden Lau decided to hang out at the tree on Arts quad. Although this may not seem very exciting, it is by far one of my most cherished memories of the school year. That night, we talked about theology, cracked some jokes, and gazed at the beautiful stars. This year, it genuinely feels as if Claritas has become a family; and on that cool April evening, my family and I spent incredible quality time together, which resulted in a beautiful conversation I will never forget.