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The first thing I noticed about the office of Theology and Philosophy Professor Mark Mattes was that it was brightly lit by the natural light from the big glass window. His books of philosophy and religion were neatly stacked on bookshelves. His journey around the world is documented by his display of artifacts. Most of his artifacts were collected during his trips, while some were gifted to him by colleagues and students. According to Mattes, there is a message behind each of his collected items.

Three colorful friends

On his bookshelf, there are three tiny plastic figures of aliens, two blue and one white. While they may look like toys a kid might play with, Mattes says that it is the message behind them that matters.

“I think they are funny, and they make me laugh,” he said. “I think we are all surrounded by aliens.”

Mattes said that in a world full of serious situations, there should be a laughing moment. These three figure of aliens are a reminder to Mattes to find something to laugh about and to not always take life all too seriously.

St. Petersburg honey bear

Next to the alien figures sits a bear with a jar of honey, carved out of wood. The honey bear was given to Mattes by a colleague from a restaurant  near St. Petersburg, Russia. It looks inexpensive but is beautifully carved with very distinct detail, much like the friendship it represents, according to Mattes.

A bowl of byzantine treasures

Close your eye for a minute and think of artifacts from Ancient Roman times– from the Byzantine Empire to be specific. Imagine what they would look like, and then think of where you might find them. My guess would be that you pictured the kind of old pottery you would find in a museum, where you were only allowed to view but not touch. You do not have to visit a museum to find these ancient artifacts, however. They are conveniently located here on Grand View’s campus in Mark Mattes’s office. Mattes inherited these ancient treasures from his father-in-law, who was an archaeologist. These beautiful treasures include pieces of mosaic, old rocks, pieces of broken pottery and a piece of glass that Mattes said to be fifteen hundred years old. They are displayed in a beautiful bowl on the window to be admired.

The glass with many colors

Having an office with a big window that lets in bright natural light is wonderful. Having a colorful glass window though is even more wonderful. On a trip around Europe mark brought back a stain glass window; it was nothing more than a souvenir at the time. But now it found a home in his office. It sits high on his window, one has to look up and view it against the sky to admire it. It adds vibrant colors to the room as the light reflects it. It’s a piece of a magical memory of a trip around Europe.

Collections of achievements

On the window in mark’s office, are displays of mugs from the University of Chicago where he did his undergrads and from Harvard University where he had taken some courses. These mugs serves more than coffee, they represent a journey of achievements, a trails of success that lead to a career in humanity and religion.

Keeping home close: The space needle

Mark grew up in Seattle washing to a city much larger than his current resident state of Des Moines. Although he left Seattle long ago he always has a piece of it with him displayed on his window as a reminder of where he grew up and how far he has come to find his calling here at Grand View University.

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