By Victoria Lawson | Staff Writer
Everyone knows those outdated and cliche social media bios with the line, "I love long walks on the beach/in the woods/to the fridge." But for junior Elizabeth Hartmann, the Arts and Entertainment section editor for The Echo, long walks really are one of her favorite pastimes - and for her, a "long walk," can last for up to 4 hours.
According to Hartmann, the wooded trails on campus are far too limited, so recently she walked from Taylor's campus to Payne's, the local British restaurant five miles away, then continued to the surrounding countryside and back again, just for the fun of it.
Walking gives Hartmann a chance to experience and enjoy God's handiwork in nature and allow herself to think, wonder and let time slow down. She hopes to share her appreciation of beauty during her time as the Arts and Entertainment section editor, which she took over in the spring of 2018.
As a professional writing major, Hartmann does not consider herself a journalist, but she loves how her position as a section editor allows her to continue to showcase the beauty she chooses to immerse herself in on a daily basis.
"I think (Arts and Entertainment) is a really fun section because it's really broad," Hartmann said. "It covers music and gaming and film and typical artwork, but also I'm trying to add in poetry - kind of more literary artwork as well. There's a little bit of every style of art people are interested in, and I think everyone enjoys art on some level and can learn a lot from art . . . God created us to be creators and to be artists, and so everyone I feel like - even if they're a science major - can create and appreciate art."
Hartmann's vision for the Arts and Entertainment section is to make room for student submissions based on prompts and themes presented each week. She hopes to include more literary works of art such as different poetry formats, flash fiction and other creative pieces inspired by the season or upcoming holidays. For example, the Halloween edition will feature spooky pieces of fiction submitted by Taylor students and faculty.
In addition to making the Arts and Entertainment section more interactive for students looking to publish short creative works, Hartmann intends to continue filling the section with articles showcasing the brilliant actors, artists, musicians and gamers Taylor's community has to offer.
"The arts are an important part of our lives, and the fact that The Echo has an A&E section is testament to that fact," said Faculty Advisor for (T)he Echo and Associate Professor of Journalism Alan Blanchard. "Elizabeth Hartmann is a talented writer and editor contributes much to the overall high quality of The Echo. I commend (The) Echo Co-Editors-in-Chief Gabby Carlson and Chrysa Keenon for recognizing her abilities and talents and for naming her A&E editor at the start of this semester. Elizabeth is a conscientious, organized and highly effective section editor who meets or beats her deadlines all while regularly writing for her section, too."
To submit a short Halloween themed piece to potentially featured in The Echo, see the Arts and Entertainment section for submission details or contact Elizabeth Hartmann at elizabeth_hartmann@taylor.edu.
