The Chimes Volume 84, Issue 8

CHIMESNEWSPAPER.COM

VOLUME 84, ISSUE 8

FEBRUARY 6, 2020

CHIMES

THE BIOLA UNIVERSITY

Thank You

Kobe Students mourn loss of LA legend

Art Illustration by Joshua Cheng|THE CHIMES

NEWS

A&E

OPINIONS

SPORTS

WEB

The Wuhan tale The on-going coronavirus portrayed through the eyes of two Biola students who grew up in Wuhan. // 3

Award-winning story Three film students collaborate to bring original story to life. // 6

Is the Electoral College fair?

Chimes writers debate the effectiveness of the Electoral College vote in presidential elections. // 8, 9

Remembering an icon The NBA superstar Kobe Bryant’s legacy rocked Biola and beyond. // 10, 11

Biola hosts sleep week Student Development encourages students to create healthy sleep patterns.

Read more at chimesnewspaper. com/news.

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FEBRUARY 6, 2020

UPCOMING EVENTS:

BIOLA.EDU | Courtesy

BIOLA.EDU | Courtesy

BIOLA.EDU | Courtesy

February 12 Spring Career Expo

February 15 Biola Couples Conference

February 17 Workshop: How to Create a Compelling Pitch Deck

Meet your future employer for your next job or internship. This Career Expo is open to all majors, student years and recent grads. Register for free online to receive event updates and preparation tips and resources.

This conference will offer sessions and resources for seriously dating, engaged and young or newly married couples.

This year’s theme is “Healthy Conflict: The Key to Intimacy.” The event is $30, register online.

CRIME LOG Obtaining Property, Labor or Services

by False Pretenses — Blackstone Hall Reported Jan. 29, 12:01 p.m., occurred at 11:45 a.m.

JANUARY 24 – FEBRUARY 6

Vandalism — Thompson Hall Reported Jan. 30, 8:19 p.m., occurred sometime prior.

A student reported receiving a fraudulent phone call asking for their personal information. This case is an active investigation.

A Campus Safety employee reported graffiti on the exterior of the building in blue paint. This is still an active investigation.

Trespassing — Rosecrans Apt. 4 Reported Jan. 30, 4:29 p.m.

Trespassing — University Drive Reported Jan. 31, 9:02 a.m.

A resident reported an individual who was trespassing and talking loudly on the phone.

When officers made contact with the individual, they determined the individual was not a resident and issued a trespass advisement.

A university employee reported a transient walking on University Drive near Horton Hall. Officers made contact, gave him a trespass warning and escorted him off campus.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Brittany Ung

VISUAL EDITOR Marlena Lang

MANAGING EDITOR Thecla Li

WEB EDITOR Sasha Terry

NEWS EDITOR Micah Kim

DESIGN EDITORS Faith Lee Joshua Cheng

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Kayla Santos OPINIONS EDITOR Amanda Frese SPORTS EDITOR Andi Basista

DEPUTY EDITORS Lacey Patrick Ashley Grams Lauren McBride Zachary Devane Haven Luper-Jasso

Grant Van Cleve, CEO of Buy It Installed, is a global entrepreneur, angel investor and business accelerator. His presentation will teach entrepreneurs and startup owners to create enticing pitches for their business plans. This event is free.

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Andres Ramirez Bree Mays STAFF VIDEOGRAPHER Quinn Gorham STAFF WRITERS Sophia Silvester Emily Coffey Adam Pigott Hannah Dilanchyan COPY EDITORS Victoria Chiang Lacey Patrick

Petty Theft — Lot K Reported Feb. 1, 3:36 p.m., occurred between Jan. 18 at 3 p.m. and Jan. 31 at 12 p.m.

A student reported that their parking pass sticker attached to the outside of their vehicle was stolen. This is an active investigation.

Trespassing — University Drive Reported Feb. 2, 1:48 p.m.

Campus Safety personnel reported a suspicious vehicle on University Drive by the power plant. Officers made contact with the individual and determined he had no business on campus. They made the individual leave campus and issued a trespass advisement.

BUSINESS MANAGER Kaylyn Schull OFFICE MANAGERS Christian Leonard Joel Ashor FACULTY ADVISER Michael Longinow The Chimes is published every other Thursday except during vacations and examination periods.

The Chimes 13800 Biola Ave. La Mirada, CA 90639 Office: 562.903.4879 chimesnewspaper.com Advertising: chimes.business.manager@biola.edu

Editorials, columns and letters to the editor express the opinion of those signing and not necessarily that of the Chimes. The opinions expressed in the Chimes do not necessarily represent Biola University, nor are they endorsed by the university.

NEWS

FEBRUARY 6, 2020

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Coronavirus? Yes, it’s serious Students from Wuhan, China describe the virus’s harrowing impacts from beginning to now.

By Micah Kim chimes.news.editor@biola.edu

A

mysterious illness discovered in Dec. 2019 has now killed 565 people and infected over 28,273 globally, according to CNN. As the severity of the 2019 nov-coronavirus increases rapidly in China, the unexpected disease has impacted two Biola students’ families and friends who live in Wuhan, China, where the virus originated.

According to the New York Times, the virus was first found in the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan on Dec. 8, 2019. As sophomore computer science major Eric Jin grew up in the area, he still remembers the market during his years before college.

“The market was right beside my high school, it was 10 meters away,” Jin said.

Despite the new infectious virus being found early in December, according to China Media Project, the Wuhan Health Commission had forced hospitals, clinics and other healthcare units to block the release of any information regarding treatment. As late as Dec. 31, the Wuhan government stated that there had been no human-to-human transmissions and that no medical personnel had been infected. According to the New York Times, this left Wuhan’s 11 million residents unaware of the necessity of protection—Jin’s family being among these residents.

“I think [the health officials] knew, they sent some experts to get the information about the virus. They did, they got the sample, they even wrote a paper about it,” Jin said. “[But] the Wuhan government didn’t really make a big deal.

They didn’t really reveal the actual numbers of death and infections.”

The New York Times wrote that after about seven weeks of suppressing information at the government’s behest, the media exploded on Jan. 20. The long-kept secret was finally revealed to the public, revealing numerous infections and deaths that the public had never heard about. As Wuhan’s residents were left in terror, Jin was in the United States at the time, only able to worry about them from afar.

“My parents would ask [my 7-year-old brother], ‘Are you scared?’ and he said, ‘No’ and my parents asked, ‘Why?’ and he said, ‘Because mom said God will protect us,’” Jin explained. “I was first so worried about my family and my friends.”

Luckily, Jin’s family had already been planning to visit his uncle’s house in Guilin—south of Wuhan—for the Chinese Lunar New Year on Jan. 25. Jin’s family was able to move out of the area a day before the city shut down.

While Jin’s family had escaped the province in time, his friends were still inside the city. As it shut down, Jin’s friends only had the option to

Eric Jin | Courtesy

EMPTY STREETS: The coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China has caused several residents to retreat into their homes to avoid contamination. self-isolate themselves in fear of facing infected neighbors. According to Jin, this fear resonates with most of the residents, turning his formerly crowded hometown into a ghost town.

“My hometown is sick now and I hope it gets well soon,” Jin said.

Sophomore business management major Catherine Wei grew up in Wuhan and lived there until she was 18 years old.

Before the virus swept the city, Wei’s mother, who is a nurse, had plans to return during the Lunar New Year. But after the city shut down on Jan. 23, she had no other option but to continue working. Wei, who had moved back to Biola, remembers video calling her mother at work.

“As I looked at my mom wearing her nurse suit in the hospital, I just cried out,” Wei said. “At that time, I was cooking hot pot in [Sigma Hall’s kitchen] and I just cried out there and I just turned off the heat and went back to my room and cried for literally five minutes. [My mom] tried to make me calm down, [saying], ‘I’m fine, no more crying, no more worry, I’m super fine.’”

Wei’s elder cousin also lives

in Wuhan and is a nurse battling the virus on the front lines.

But lack of adequate supplies has left medical personnel atrisk to the contagious disease.

“My [elder] cousin was wearing full-covered protection and had a mask,” Wei described. “[But] she didn’t have protection for the eye.

She should have the professional one, but no, probably the hospital didn’t give enough [supplies]. So my elder cousin was barely wearing glasses.”

Wei described how working as a nurse in Wuhan requires much more than expected.

“You can’t show [fear] because you have to work with patients. If you become afraid, the patient will be more nervous,” Wei said. “You just need to tell them to have faith, you need to tell them have courage, just got to trust everything’s going to be okay. But I know [my mom] must be nervous and afraid.”

But while her family is overseas fighting off the virus, Wei is at Biola, trying to work with her responsibilities as a student.

“As a person from Wuhan I thought, I don’t know what I should

do, because I’m not only a person from Wuhan, I’m also a student here. I also have my schoolworks, all my homeworks, all my things I need to do. I feel afraid, I feel sad but I’m still hoping that [Wuhan] could get better as time goes [by].”

As residents from Wuhan, like Jin’s family, made it out before the shutdown, Wei says Chinese citizens from other provinces are targeting Wuhan residents who are living in the other regions, complaining on social media.

“There are some people just shooting the picture of the license plate [with the Wuhan label] from their provinces, not from Wuhan, they just post saying, ‘Why [are these] Wuhan people still going out, I don’t want to [be affected by] the coronavirus,’” Wei said.

Jin conveyed his disappointment in how his family had to hide their vehicle in order to avoid any damage from Chinese citizens that express hate or fear toward the Wuhan people.

“We are against the virus, not the people. We are isolating the virus, not the love. So, we should not isolate the love, but isolate the virus,” Jin said.

NEWS

4

FEBRUARY 6, 2020

Biola Shares combats food insecurity Students can give meal swipes to students struggling with food insecurity during donation week.

By Sophia Silvester sophia.n.silvester@biola.edu

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ccording to a 2019 national survey by the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice, 41% of students at four-year institutions experience food insecurity. At Biola, 68% of students experience food insecurity, according to a survey conducted

by Biola Shares in 2019. After seeing this need, the new Biola Shares committee under Student Enrichment and Intercultural Development researched ways to combat food insecurity, which led to the creation of meal-swipe campaigns like Biola Shares Donation Week and resources like the Pop-Up Pantry.

Food insecurity is a common problem on college campuses. Biola Shares defines it as “a spectrum of experiences where a student lacks consistent access to enough healthy and nutritious food,” but it can manifest in different ways.

“A student who is living on campus might choose the 10-meal plan,” explained sophomore communication studies major and Horton Hall senator Keren Godwin, who is involved with the Biola Shares program, “but then for the rest of the meals not eat because they need money for books, or they need money for gas, stuff like that.”

Junior public relations major and Biola Shares coordinator Marie Sonson said food insecurity can also be caused by a lack of time or other resources, and it affects a variety of people.

“It doesn’t look like what you think it will look like because there are some people that are on the extremes,” she explained. “Some are graduate students, some are undergraduate, and there are single moms or new moms applying for low-income housing... There’s other students though [whose] families have money, so the only thing is either the families will say, ‘You’re completely on your own now, you’re 18, you’re independent, pay for your school,’ or some parents don’t want to pay for their school because they don’t believe in what they’re studying.”

Biola Shares Donation Week is one of the ways to address this problem.

“We kind of have two goals.

One is to reduce waste, but the main goal obviously is to help stu-

41%

Olivia Mays|THE CHIMES

DONATED GOODS: Students stop by the Pop-Up Pantry located in the Student Union Building every Tuesday in order to pick up groceries. dents thrive,” Sonson said. “It’s just really hard to get across, because people don’t understand the things that other students go through.”

Tables outside the Biola Health Center and inside the cafeteria are set up to accept meal swipes, student flex dollars and faculty and staff points from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every day until Friday and during Student Government Association Hour on Sunday. Donations can also be made through email or on the Give to Biola website. Last year, all donated meals were used.

“It’s hard to get across the message of food insecurity, especially because it looks like so many different things,” Sonson said. “The most touching thing is to see [students’] faces when they realize we’re just giving them meals. They’re so grateful for the students who have donated.”

Another way Biola Shares combats food insecurity is through the Pop-Up Pantry, held every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“It’s a really fulfilling thing to see the amount of kids that come in here,” said freshman engineering physics major and Pop-Up Pantry coordinator Logan Kuhn. “It doesn’t put a lot of pressure on people or stress like, ‘Should I be taking or should I not be taking?’ People can just come in and take whatever food they need.”

of students at four-year institutions experience food insecurity.

- 2019 national survey from the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice

68%

Infographic by Faith Lee | THE CHIMES

of students at Biola experience food insecurity.

- 2019 survey from Biola Shares

Donations come from two local churches and staffers shop for whatever food items are missing each week. All students have to do is come in and scan their ID card before shopping for what they need.

“We get all years, freshman to senior [and] we get some grad students and faculty members sometimes that come through,” Kuhn said.

“I don’t know their personal situations and that’s kind of what we hope

to do. We don’t want it to be like, ‘You have to meet this certain standard to be able to use the food pantry.’ Anybody can come in and grab food.”

While the pop-up pantry has helped a lot, Biola Shares is making plans for a permanent food pantry. Godwin says the focus now is on gathering student feedback and determining the best location for it, but so far the response has been very positive.

FEBRUARY 6, 2020

Houlihan Arnaiz

VS

NEWS

Godwin Ferguson

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The 2020 Student Government Association candidates do a Q&A.

job is more organizing teams instead of talking. I also was the student president of the advant club for two years, and I had basically the same job.

WHAT DO YOU THINK SGA’S ROLE IS? HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE IT? TH: It seems more of a servant position where we would be taking information from the students and then process it for administration.

RA: We see ourselves as the middle between students and administration, getting the ideas from students to administration so they can be viewed from there, and getting what administration wants from students.

Houlihan/Armaiz| Courtesy WHAT ARE SOME Houlihan/Armaiz: Candidates in campaign hats. CHANGES YOU WANT TO BRING TO SGA?

By Lacey Patrick TH: Obviously one of the things we would be looking into in the fuchimes.copy.editor@biola.edu ture hopefully is not only financial WHY DO YOU FEEL EQUIPPED TO transparency, but also doing things better. A policy proposal that is dear LEAD SGA? Junior history major Timothy Hou- to my heart, and probably student lihan, presidential candidate: I was the government is already working on to treasurer for my high school student some extent, is extending open hours.

WHAT DEPARTMENTS DO YOU government association for my junior and senior years… In general, I think FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO EXPAND we would be well equipped to not only OR STRENGTHEN WITHIN SGA? TH: I’m the one who comes up continue the direction that student government has been going in its good with ideas as we get information in ways but also to fix some of the financial from the other departments, and we’ll instability that it’s been undergoing. be able to give specific recommendaJunior business major Ryan Arnaiz, tions there. But I would hate to commit vice presidential candidate: I think I’d myself to cutting a department that fit for vice president because I am a doesn’t need to be cut or expanding business major, and a vice president one that doesn’t need to be expanded.

trainer

WHY DO YOU FEEL EQUIPPED TO LEAD SGA? Sophomore communiction studies major Keren Godwin, presidential candidate: I’ve been in SGA this year as Horton [Hall] senator and I’ve really loved working with SGA, but I think I’ve been able to work with a lot of different administrative partnerships that are key on this campus... Horton is one of the bigger dorms on campus, so being able to interact with a lot of people has given me the experience to really hone questions that I’m asking to get at what students really want.

Sophomore public relations major Gretchen Ferguson, vice presidential candidate: I Godwin/Ferguson| Courtesy am actually the current Hope Godwin/Ferguson: Both are senators this year.

[Hall] senator, which I found to be really fulfilling and has really given me a good ground to feel equipped and be a shoulder to voice their complaints. to run for this position… Having worked WHAT ARE SOME CHANGES YOU with administrative partnerships with WANT TO BRING TO SGA? KG: I really want people to underFacilities [Management] this year and also the Student Media Board and stand what SGA’s role is... The reason seeing very integral parts of campus. why we’re doing this is because we WHAT DO YOU THINK SGA’S ROLE genuinely love and care for them. I truly want SGA to be a group that peoIS? HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE IT? KG: SGA’s role is really to be able ple feel comfortable reaching out to. to give students whose stories might WHAT DEPARTMENTS DO YOU not normally be heard a chance to FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO EXPAND get out there, so our entire commu- OR STRENGTHEN WITHIN SGA? KG: I think the diversity and innity can come together and kind clusion of SGA is highly important of support people in their stories. because it’s not trying to exclude anyGF: I think SGA is just an opporone at all, it’s trying to make sure that tunity to serve. That is what Christ has all students feel equally represented. I called us to do and it’s just so amazing that it’s an organization on campus also would love to be able to strengthen that faculty respects and students can relations with people that don’t live difeel like their friend is there to listen to rectly on campus, like commuters and them, to be a shoulder to cry on but also people who live in the Block and Bluff.

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6

A&E

FEBRUARY 6, 2020

Students stun with award-winning short film The story of an unexpected hitman hits film festivals.

Marlena Lang|THE CHIMES

CREATIVE CREW: [Left to Right] Michael Berriman, Tanner Myatt and Kyler Robinson.

“The Captive Hitman” to life with four fellow Biolans—senior biblical and theological studies and politi-

cal science major Micah Robertson, junior business administration major Andrew Burdick, sophomore theatre major Brynn Nieuwenhuis and junior business administration major Andrew Zuiderveld—as the cast.

Within one week, the team of seven spent 12 hours filming in the desert, competed against Coachella traffic and waved an Air Force helicopter away.

The crew thrived off simplicity.

Berriman used his own clothing for costume design, the cast and crew filmed in three locations—an on-campus parking structure, a desert near an Air Force base and Studio A in the production center—and the only product they bought for the film was fake blood.

Despite the crew’s ability to make the most of limited equipment, Robinson faced a challenge when they filmed in the desert during nighttime—desert winds. Anyone who has trouble talking over strong winds can relate to the frustration of trying to have a normal conversation when wind is ripping against his ear.

To overcome this, Robinson had to match the sounds as best he could. While they were filming a scene in which one of the actors dragged another actor along the ground, Robinson dragged his foot against the dirt to match the scene.

In addition to working against strong winds, the crew had no power, generator or portable light during the night scenes, so they used the headlights of a car as the main light source and asked some of the cast to hold flashlights.

But viewers would not have been able to tell the cast and crew faced any challenges at all. After five days of editing, the trio submitted the proj-

ect for their Visual Aesthetics class, where their professor enjoyed Berriman’s unique approach to an outof-the-norm hitman story. Their A on the project was the icing on the cake.

Encouraged and inspired, Berriman submitted the short to seven film festivals over the summer and ended up winning two awards—Award of Merit at the Best Shorts Competition and Award of Merit at the Accolade Global Film Competition.

It was also selected to screen at the Chain NYC Film Festival in the heart of Manhattan this past August. Berriman attended the festival and could not believe his short was on the big screen playing alongside other films.

“I’d say that was when I first took a step back from making it to just watch it,” Berriman said.

“That was really surreal to me.”

Since finishing the project, Berriman, Robinson and Myatt have gone on to work on other film projects, but not forgetting the skills they gained from “The Captive Hitman.” From tweaking lighting techniques to editing during the post-production process, Robinson has walked away with a surge of confidence, knowing a school project can be bigger than just a school project.

“You never know how the content we make will reach our audiences,” Robinson said. “It’s really a motivating factor for me just to keep making content.”

Although it has been nearly a year since the trio finished the project, the story is not over just yet. In a few weeks, Berriman, Myatt and Robinson will attend the LA Under the Stars Film Festival on Feb. 21, crossing their fingers that “The Captive Hitman” will be a hit once again.

By Kayla Santos chimes.arts.editor@biola.edu

S

ophomore cinema and media arts major Michael Berriman was in his Art of Storytelling class last spring when a short film idea gripped him. After writing a script about an unlikely hitman, he approached sophomore cinema and media arts majors Kyler Robinson and Tanner Myatt about directing the short for their Visual Aesthetics class. Together, the trio transformed a simple school project into a short film that has won multiple awards.

In his storytelling class, Berriman learned about the memorability of opposites, reflecting on Pixar’s “Ratatouille,” where rodents dabble in culinary. Just like how Pixar created an absurd story about a rat who cooked, Berriman believed he could create a story about a hitman who did not belong in a criminal lifestyle.

“Normally, when you think of a hitman, it’s this brute who’s super muscular and wants to do it,” Berriman said.

“I came up with the idea of a man who has to do it, who’s out of his element.”

With Berriman as director, Myatt as cinematographer and Robinson as sound designer, the three brought

Michael Berriman|Courtesy

DESERT DIFFICULTIES: The behind-the-scenes crew of “The Captive Hitman” face light and sound challenges while on set in the desert.

A&E 7

FEBRUARY 6, 2020

Theatre 21 joins forces with the Conservatory

The program leaves the Department of Communication Studies this fall.

By Lauren McBride lauren.g.mcbride@biola.edu

T

heatre 21 is about to be shaken up. The theatre program will depart from the Department of Communication Studies and merge into the Conservatory of Music this fall. While the program will experience a change in dynamic, the switch will also make room for new opportunities, including grander productions, a more performance-based education and a new musical theatre major.

Over the years, the department has made headway in size and reputation, but there is still plenty of room for theatre to flourish. The recent addition of a new dean helped inspire the department to take the charge to expand. According to assistant professor of theatre Zachary Bortot, the goal has always been getting theatre to stand on its own. Right now, it is a program, and the goal is for it to become its own department someday. Students can look forward to new opportunities that will come with the program’s upcoming advancements.

“It’s gotten to a point now where we’ve made so many advances and strides that it just makes more sense for us to be partnered with another performing art,” Bortot said.

Moving to the Conservatory is also a better organizational fit for theatre.

According to Bortot, the Conservatory has more administrative support and understands the needs associated with performance. In addition, Todd Guy, dean of fine arts and communication, has been highly supportive of both the theatre and music programs since joining the team in Fall 2018, according to Bortot.

Furthermore, the exciting introduction of a musical theatre program, which arrives this fall, drives the changes to Theatre 21’s structure.

The new concentration will be under the theatre major and students are already auditioning to be a part of it.

Theatre 21 will house its upcoming shows in new spaces as the department anticipates the removal of their previous home, a narrow, independent building across from Perez Hall. Sutherland Auditorium and Mayers Auditorium are potential locations, and the department has even used the amphitheatre behind Hope Hall in the past. Until they find a new permanent space, production locations will depend on the types of shows the department decides to put on.

The new musical theatre program also opens up opportunity for Theatre 21 to put on more musicals and larger-scale productions. According to Bortot, the department would aim to put on a musical at least every other year. The growth in number of musicals has already been evident in the last couple of months, as Theatre 21 performed “The Last Five Years” in December, and its most recent collaboration with the Conservatory and Biola Youth Theatre, “The Music Man,” last month.

“I think it opens up a lot of doors for bigger productions and more complex productions, which is good for attracting new incoming students and audiences that otherwise wouldn’t have known that we have a theatre program,” said sophomore theatre major Brynn Nieuwenhuis.

Merging Theatre 21 with the Conservatory allows the theatre program to strengthen its reputation. Although the program has faced struggles with its small size, it is starting to gain recognition. OnStage Blog ranked Biola as having one of the Top 25 B.A. theatre programs in 2018–2019.

“People are starting to recognize that we’re offering something really good and we’re capable of some strong work,” Bortot said. “I think moving to the Conservatory is going to allow us to continue to grow and expand in what we can offer and strengthen that reputation.”

Through the departmental change, students will have more options to explore in their theatrical education, including a more performance-based education rather than communications-based. By joining the Conservatory, students have the opportunity

File|THE CHIMES

PAST PERFORMANCE: Sophomore sociology major Emma Trueba in “Eleemosynary.” to wear many different hats, giving them a broader skill set to prepare for the performing arts industry.

Students look forward to the opportunity to enter into new territory and try their hand at different skills. Although junior theatre major Micah Johnson appreciates the community and family-oriented nature of theatre, he is excited to make new connections with the Conservatory. Joining the Conservatory will bring a new dynamic, but Theatre 21 has a lot of growth to anticipate.

“I hope it will shake up my expectations for what Theatre 21 is,” Johnson said. “Art is all about shaking up expectations.”

File|THE CHIMES

FOREVER THEATRE 21: Theatre 21 casting directors hold auditions for a production in theatre building, located across from Perez Hall.

Theatre Meets Conservatory The Department of Communication Studies has served as an incubator for several programs over the years, including the communication sciences and disorders and journalism departments.

Former professor Todd Lewis revived theatre, a major that had come and gone about 10 years prior, in 2011 through the communication department, giving the program a second chance to grow.

Over the past nine years, students have seized the many different opportunities within theatre.

However, the program’s departure from the communication department will give room for even more improvements.

OPINIONS

8

PRO

FEBRUARY 6, 2020

Preserve the Electoral College Mob rule silences smaller states.

Art Illustration by Joshua Cheng|THE CHIMES

By Adam Pigott adam.c.pigott@biola.edu

O

n Nov. 8, 2016, Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election, making him the 45th U.S. president. Despite not winning the popular vote, Trump defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton 304-232 in the Electoral College. Trump was the fifth president to win the presidential election without the popular vote.

Many of the current Democratic candidates are calling for the Electoral College’s abolition—particularly Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg, who believe the abolition would ensure equal power to every vote. This is a politically dangerous move and should not be encouraged because it would allow more populous states to drown out the voices of the smaller, more rural states.

A state’s Electoral College votes are the total of its seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Regardless of population, each state

has two representatives in the Senate.

The number of representatives in the House, however, is determined by the population of each state—which is why California has more House representatives than any other state. The House of Representatives then favors the more populous states, while having an equal number of senators in each state gives representation to smaller states.

California has 40 million people. Texas has 29 million. Florida has 21 million. New York has 20 million.

The middle-sized states have around 10 to 13 million people. The 41 other states have a population of less than seven million, with Wyoming pulling last place with only 600,000 people. If America only used a population vote, the 10 most populous states and cities would be the sole deciders of the presidential election.

Many democratic candidates know that their base is in the more populous states and cities. While not every city votes blue, 11 of the 15 biggest cities in the U.S voted for Obama in the 2012 election. If the Electoral College were abolished, the Democratic Party would win every election because

it would be based on the voices of those states and cities. The Electoral College preserves the two-party system and gives smaller states a voice.

The Electoral College encourages presidential candidates to campaign all across the country and garner support from different kinds of voters. Without the Electoral College, presidential candidates would only cater to heavily populated, city-heavy states such as California, Texas and New York—making the term “flyover country” even more applicable to smaller, more rural states. If all that is needed is the popular vote, why would candidates waste time trying to gain support from the farmers, ranchers and miners in Idaho, Oklahoma and Ohio? They wouldn’t.

In Federalist No.10, Founding Father James Madison warns of the dangers that a direct democracy has on the American people. Under a direct democracy, there is serious potential for mob rule, where larger factions call the shots. Madison’s desired form of government differed from a direct democracy because it maintained stability. He believed that our government under the U.S. Consti-

tution provided unity and balance because it kept crucial government decisions from being made by the constantly changing public opinion.

George Washington warned against getting rid of the Electoral College, fearing that one political party—or faction—would dominate all presidential elections, leading back to the tyrannical government American patriots had just declared independence from.

Some have said that a democracy is comparable to two wolves and a sheep voting on what’s for dinner.

Edwin J. Feulner, the founder of The Heritage Foundation, writes that what the sheep wants matters just as much as what the wolves want, and that the Electoral College makes sure that neither group ends up on the menu. The wolves represent the political majority while the sheep represent the minority, and the Electoral College prevents either one of them from being swallowed.

If we are to maintain these rights, we must vote for the candidate who will protect them. A president who only wants to invest in one part of the country does not have the best interests of the entire nation at heart.

OPINIONS

FEBRUARY 6, 2020

Replace the Electoral College with a popular vote

9

CON

The system causes the same problems it was supposed to prevent.

Art Illustration by Joshua Cheng|THE CHIMES

By Marc DeJager marc.dejager@biola.edu

A

fter President Donald Trump won the Electoral College but lost the popular vote in 2016, there has been heated debate concerning the usefulness of the system. Throughout the recent democratic presidential debates, the majority of the leading democratic candidates support removing the Electoral College. The American people are frustrated with the current system, feeling that it does not support their needs or listen to their voice.

The system gives all electoral votes in a state to the majority of voters—however slim. Though the Electoral College was meant to prevent tyranny of the majority against the minority, it now does the opposite. The Electoral College does not fulfill the role the Founding Fathers intended and should be exchanged for a popular vote system.

Under the Electoral College, each individual state counts its votes. If that state had 51,000 votes for the democratic candidate and only 49,000 for the Republican, that entire state is tallied as blue. That means every single electoral vote goes for the Democratic candidate. The number of electoral votes each state has is determined by how many representatives and senators they have. That means every state has at least two votes, but depending on its population could have between one to 50 additional members.

This gives states with a higher population far more power and influence when choosing the next president. The problem with this should be clear. No matter how close the difference between majority and minority is, every single electoral vote will go to the candidate supported by the majority.

Many supporters of the Electoral College claim that without it, candidates will only campaign in battleground states—that is, states that have the most electoral votes as well as the highest chance for victory. However, data collected by Travel Hack-

er on the 2016 election showed that the Republican and Democratic candidates neglected to campaign in 27 states, over half the union. Clearly, under the current system, large states still pull attention away from small states. This winner-take-all system is predicated on the majority being more important than the minority.

The Founding Fathers argued against democracy, mainly because it constituted a clear example of tyranny commonly found in the majority against minorities. The system is comparable to two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. The two wolves represent the majority, and do what they please with the sheep under a democratic vote.

The Electoral College was designed to prevent such “tyranny of the majority” where 51% of the population could do whatever they wanted with the other 49%. A fear as worthy as this should be considered as the democratic candidates restructure the electoral system. However, that fear alone is certainly not enough to justify keeping an old and oppressive system

around. The Founding Fathers intended the system to give as fair a voice as possible to as many people as possible. They did not intend for a system like the Electoral College to outstay its welcome, creating exactly the opposite effect from what was intended.

Switching to a popular vote system is a far more fair solution, and it is much closer to the Founding Fathers’ original vision for American elections. This system is much simpler than the Electoral College, which will make the election process far more accessible to the public. The democratic candidates were clearly burned by this current system and are therefore rightly calling for its dismantling.

The Electoral College is an old system that was used in 2016 to cheat the American people out of getting the candidate they chose by majority. If our representative democracy is to continue, we must do everything we can to give a voice to every American. Instead of giving a disproportionately loud voice to certain members of the electorate, we should give as equal a voice as possible to every American citizen.

SPORTS

FEBRUARY 6, 2020

BRYANT’S DEATH HITS BIOLA

Even if

you aren’t a basketball fan, odds are you have heard the name Kobe Bryant. It’s likely you’ve witnessed someone in class, at work, in a DMV waiting room jab, square up and shoot a fadeaway crumpled up piece of paper into a trash can while yelling, “KOBE!” The phenomenon that was Kobe Bryant didn’t happen overnight. He earned the honor of being the name behind every on and off-court jump shot during his 20 years of blood, sweat and tears with the Los Angeles Lakers. His achievements, loyalty and “Mamba Mentality” won the hearts of fans around the world—and no one was prepared for his sudden death.

GIRLDAD

O

Wikimedia Commons|Courtesy

Career Highlights

Story by Andi Basista chimes.sports.editor@biola.edu Design by Joshua Cheng

M

ost knew Kobe as an NBA superstar, not a father. Whether he was your favorite player or your most feared, played for your team or against it, Kobe will go down in history as one of the greatest to ever play--a basketball hall of famer. He transcended the game through his tireless dedication and determination—he was unmatched. On and off the court, the man was highly influential and admired by young hopefuls who believed they could achieve anything, just like Kobe. After his retirement in 2016, people started to see Kobe as a father figure, not just a basketball icon. He took the heart and soul he put on the court every night—his “Mamba Mentality”—and transferred it into being the greatest dad he could be for his girls.

Kobe had a few years of professional basketball under his belt when he decided to pursue a rap career on the side in 1999. He was on set for his music video shoot when he met his wife, Vanessa, who was a backup dancer for the video. The couple hit it off instantly and were hitched just two years later in April 2001.

While his music ca-

1999-2000 Won his first NBA title alongside Hall of Fame head coach Phil Jackson and Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal.

2000-2001 Won his second NBA title, averaging 28.5 points for the season, going 15-1 in the postseason.

Wikimedia Commons|Courtesy

Art Illustration by Thecla Li|THE CHIMES

Art Illustration by Thecla Li|THE CHIMES

Wikimedia Commons|Courtesy

n Jan. 26, five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant was killed at 41 in a helicopter crash near Calabasas, California. Bryant’s 13-yearold daughter Gianna, Orange Coast College head baseball coach John Altobelli, wife Kerri Altobelli, teammate Allyssa Altobelli, mother Sarah Chester, teammate Payton Chester, Mamba assistant coach Christina Mauser and pilot Ara Zobayan were also killed in the tragic incident.

The helicopter was on its way to the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, California where Gianna and her teammates were to finish out their weekend tournament.

Bryant leaves behind wife Vanessa and his three remaining daughters, Natalia, Bianka and Capri.

The NBA released a statement the day after Kobe’s death that the Clippers vs. Lakers game would be postponed to allow both teams to mourn and pay their respects to the late Laker legend. Pro athletes have since continued to memorialize Kobe by taking 24-second shot clock and eight-second backcourt violations in honor of their fierce competitor and friend who wore No. 8 and No. 24.

reer eventually died off, his basketball career continued to skyrocket. Kobe led the Lakers to three-straight NBA titles from 2000–2002. He matured from his rookie era and began to think of life in a bigger context. Kobe and Vanessa started their family when their first daughter, Natalia, was born in 2003. They went on to have three more beautiful children in the years passing: Gianna “Gigi” (2006), Bianka (2016) and Capri (2019). Even with a chaotic traveling schedule as a pro athlete, Kobe never forgot the importance of being a family man, a “girl dad.”

In an on-air segment dedicated to remembering Bryant’s life, SportsCenter broadcaster Elle Duncan recalled a conversation she had with the father of four.

“I asked if he wanted more children, and he said that his wife, Vanessa, really wanted to try again for a boy but was sort of jokingly concerned that it would be another girl. And without hesitation, he said, ‘Girls are the best. I would have five more girls if I could. I’m a ‘girl dad.’”

For Kobe’s own children, their athletic abilities began to show as they grew older. Natalia is a star volleyball player, and Gigi, a gifted athlete who was ready to carry on the Bryant basketball legacy. She asked her five-time NBA champion father to teach her the craft.

They shared the same immense love

for the game, both having that special Bryant sparkle in their eye. “‘That middle one,’ [Kobe said], that middle one was a monster,” Duncan recalled. “‘She’s a beast. She’s better than I was at her age. She’s got it.’”

Kobe coached his Mamba girls in a way that taught the girls that the “Mamba Mentality” is not only for men but women too. “[Gianna] will be standing next to me, and [fans] will be like, ‘You gotta have a boy,’” Kobe once explained in an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “‘You and [Vanessa] gotta have a boy, you gotta have somebody carry on the tradition, the legacy.’ And she’s like, ‘Oh! I got this.

Don’t need no boy for that! I got this.’”

The father-daughter pair had been putting in the work to fulfill Gigi’s dreams to play for the notorious University of Connecticut women’s team, and eventually make her way into the WNBA—but she was taken too soon to live out her father’s legacy.

Art Illustration by Joshua Cheng|THE CHIMES Wikimedia Commons|Courtesy

10

2001-2002 Won his third consecutive NBA title in a 4-0 sweep against the New Jersey Nets.

2006 Dropped a historic 81 points in the Lakers’ victory over the Toronto Raptors.

FEBRUARY 6, 2020

BIOLA SPEAKS

“

“ “

He really inspired me to be better in the way I worked. When I heard the news I was in shock. It sent ripples throughout the school, through me. It makes you see how [valuable] life is.

Made me want to put my head down and grind out even more. I don’t know how long my body and my soul is gonna last so I’m going to make the most of it while I still can and do it for him.”

- Alex Wright, sophomore business major, BU basketball guard

He was definitely more than just a basketball player. He took that mentality and put it to every single thing, into being a father figure, coaching younger athletes and encouraging other people.”

- Brendan Sun, senior business major

He was an icon living out of LA, which was so close to home. I remember just so many different moments watching him in the joy and the magic he was able to bring on the court… In everyWe watched his final game and his day life, I’d shoot something into the speech and it was then that I broke trash can and say ‘KOBE!’ just ‘cause down. I haven’t cried like that in a while, that was the name, man. The biggest but it all hit me that he was gone. Now thing I think people can take away from seeing all the memorials, I realized Kobe is to persevere through everya legend doesn’t die. His life has sent thing you go through but also that there is no substitute for hard work. waves into the future.”

- Jacob Messersmith, sophomore - Blake Saathoff, sophomore business biblical and theological studies major major

“ “

The media has done well so far focusing on him being a father. Definitely the type of guy that didn’t hesitate to being the underdog in that role and using hard work to boost his career and his family’s lives.”

- Zach Ismirnioglou, junior biblical and theological studies major

“

It is just tragic. Not just for Kobe but all nine people, a couple kids, the whole thing was sad. It is just a reminder that we are not in control in life and we have to be thankful for every day we have.”

- Dave Holmquist, men’s basketball head coach

“

SPORTS 11

I am not a basketball player nor an athlete by any means, but damn, was I a fan of this man.

Everyone knows how great and impeccable he was as a NBA player, but Kobe as a human being was a different breed. I’ve never cried this hard over any athlete, or celebrity for that matter, or any of my loved ones before except for my dad. Just the fact that my heart is so broken and I can only fight back these tears so far for so long, and I haven’t even met the guy just baffles me. Just shows how much of an impact this man had on not only me but millions around the world.”

- Brandon Montalvo, sophomore English major

LA MEMORIAL

Sasha Terry|THE CHIMES

KOBE’S SANCTUARY: Thousands celebrated Bryant’s legacy at the LA Live area, where the streets were flooded with flowers and balloons in Lakers purple and gold.

2008 Won his first gold medal with Team USA during the Beijing Olympics.

Wikimedia Commons|Courtesy

2012 Won his second gold medal with Team USA during the London Olympics.

Wikimedia Commons|Courtesy Wikimedia Commons|Courtesy

THE HOUSE KOBE BUILT: Fans from across Los Angeles gathered to pay their respects to the late Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center in the days following his death.

2017 Both jersey No. 8 and No. 24 were retired inside Staples Center.

Marlena Lang|THE CHIMES

Marlena Lang|THE CHIMES

2016 Ended his NBA career with a 60-point night against the Utah Jazz.

12

SPORTS

FEBRUARY 6, 2020

Double Domination

Biola men’s tennis look to build on their 2-0 start against University of California, San Diego on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 11 a.m.

Read full coverage of all Eagles’ games at chimesnewspaper.com/sports.

Haven Luper-Jasso|THE CHIMES

NEWS

A&E

OPINIONS

SPORTS

WEB

The Wuhan tale The on-going coronavirus portrayed through the eyes of two Biola students who grew up in Wuhan. // 3

Award-winning story Three film students collaborate to bring original story to life. // 6

Is the Electoral College fair?

Chimes writers debate the effectiveness of the Electoral College vote in presidential elections. // 8, 9

Remembering an icon The NBA superstar Kobe Bryant’s legacy rocked Biola and beyond. // 10, 11

Biola hosts sleep week Student Development encourages students to create healthy sleep patterns.

Read more at chimesnewspaper. com/news.

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