Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) started the month of October out with the Lions and Cubs ministry.

The ministry, funded by the Student Government Association, partners upperclassman students called Lions and freshmen students called Cubs. For the second year in a row, junior Ashley Prax volunteered to organize this program and worked hard to make it a positive experience for all those involved. Prax is an Intercultural Studies major with a Children’s Ministry minor.

Lion and Cubs sign-ups were held mid-September; partners were announced the first week of October. Upon finding out who their Cub was, Lions were given specific dates to send items to their cubs without revealing their identities.  On Monday, October 1st, Lions had to send Cubs an encouraging note. On Wednesday, October 3rd, Lions had to send their Cubs’ favorite candy or snack to them. From Friday, October 5th, to Sunday, October 7th, Lions were encouraged to reveal themselves in a unique way to their Cubs in order to qualify for a contest which would determine who had the most creative reveal.

The competition for the most creative reveal was a new addition to Lions and Cubs. “I love seeing Lions meeting their Cubs,” explained Prax. “Upperclassman are reaching out to freshmen and helping them connect, being a friend, a mentor, and [being] supportive.”

The Lions and Cubs reveal party was held in Spangenberg Parlor on Sunday, October 7th. At the party, participants played fun games, took pictures at a photo booth, and ate chocolate chip pancakes with milk. The winners of the creative reveal contest were announced to be Lion and Cub Catelynn Frantz and Christina Stanford, respectively.

Frantz’s reveal consisted of balloons filled with notes that when put in order said “Hi, my name is Catelynn Frantz. I am your Lion! My room number is [removed] 3rd bridge and my number is [removed].” Frantz exclaimed, “I strive to be the best Lion ever.” As a sophomore, this is Frantz’s first year as a Lion.

Frantz’s winning creative reveal.

When Stanford encountered the balloons attached to her dorm room door, she popped them all swiftly.  “I don’t like surprises, I just wanted to find out who it was,” stated Stanford. When Stanford first heard about the ministry, she was hesitant to join, but Prax encouraged her strongly. Now that she is a part of the ministry, she is looking forward to becoming a Lion next year to form connections with the incoming freshmen.

As the year continues, the Lions and Cubs Ministry will be holding more events such as a “not so traditional” game night before the end of fall semester and a March Madness party during spring semester. For updates on what members of the Lions and Cubs Ministry are up too, check out the Instagram account @lionscubs_enc.