The Beacon - February 2024

SANKOFA

by Malcolm Ohlhauser

LETTERS FROM OXFORD

THE BEACON

by Alley Macdonald

GOD IS NOT INDIFFERENT

CELEBRATING

by Abeni Knowles

FEBRUARY

BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 2024 ISSUE NO. 6

NO.6

Acknowledging the people who helped build our continent and those who continue to do so.

Editor-in-chief: Mari Kadri

Lead Editor: Malcolm Ohlhauser Beacon writing team: Alley MacDonald, Evan Carr, Abeni Knowles, Noah Miller, Abbi Skailing, Suava Hoffman, Hayley Cook Special thanks to the CSA Front cover photo and sub-cover art courtesy of Vecteezy

February 2024 Schedule Black History Month

Crandall Memes

March 2024 Schedule Women’s History Month

Would you like your Society’s event included in the monthly schedule? Make sure to let us know by the last Thursday of each month!

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Sankofa - “Go Back and Pick it up”

by Malcolm Ohlhauser “Until the lions have their own historians, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter” – African proverb Sankofa is a word from the African Akan people of Ghana, derived from three words: “San” meaning to return, “Ko” meaning to go, and “Fa” meaning to look, seek, and take. This word is not a question but instead a command. Demanding that someone “go back and get it”, Sankofa brings a confidence into the chaos of our present.

The power of Sankofa centers around this: to know history and your heritage is to know your current self, the world around you, and how to better both. Being able to critically examine everything we know with patient and intelligent investigation is perfectly emulated by this word.

This concept has been utilized by African civil rights activists to call our past and our present system into question.

Students attending Dr. Grant’s 10AM and 2:45PM class ‘Bittersweet Histories of Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate’ might recognize this word as something covered by Crandall’s guest speaker Dr. Kesa Munroe-Anderson.

Chapel attendees should recognize this name because Dr. Munroe-Anderson spoke on the 31st, ushering Crandall into Black History Month recognition.

Representation of Sankofa

Along with an eye-opening talk on fighting the ‘giants’ of social injustices that racialized peoples‘ experience, Dr. MunroeAnderson gave a presentation in Dr. Grant‘s class about African Canadian history centered in Atlantic Canada.

Dr. Munroe-Anderson tied the word ‘Sankofa’ to Canada’s history of the terrible treatment of enslaved African people and how the legacy of slavery impacted the maltreatment of people of African descent thereafter.

The United Nations estimates that roughly fifteen million Africans were shipped from different parts of Africa over to the Americas and some found themselves enslaved in Canada.

Groups such as the Black Loyalists came seeking freedom but they and enslaved Africans who travelled with the White Loyalists were put into severe conditions when they arrived in Nova Scotia. Many of them chose to give up any standing in the Atlantic Provinces and make their way to Sierra Leone for a better life.

While this dark history remains part of Canada’s past, Sankofa brings us back to acknowledge these historic deeds and reminds us that we should not remain ignorant of our history.

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1 Samuel chapter 17 perfectly encapsulates this idea in the well known story of David and Goliath.

Up to this point Goliath has been taunting the Israelite armies with threats and accusations. He represents the flaws and imperfections of our society.

Only when David shows up does he speak truth into our situation, saying, “Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?” What are these ‘giants’ that they stand against the power of Jesus? What are these injustices that stand in the way of shalom?

Are we not his hands and feet in this broken world, called to reunite the sinful world back to our perfect Creator who is God? Yes! We are called to recognize what is broken around us and speak God into that space, filling it with his power and holiness that cleanses our imperfections.

When everything is said and done, we should be able to critically examine every part of our system and know that without people who are willing to stand up to the giants of injustice and racism, we cannot move to a just society while these ideas are still present.

And ultimately without God our system is still broken.

So lets take time this February to recognize that while we may not all be experiencing this directly our systems are flawed.

And maybe, just maybe, fixing them starts with us making a change. Something small that says, “Sankofa”.

I know what is wrong. Now what am I going to do about it?

Artifact from the Museum of Anthropology in the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Kesa Munroe-Anderson is a PhD Associate Professor of Education at Acadia University. She earned her Master of Education in Lifelong Learning, centered in Africentric Leadership and her Doctor of Psychology from Mount Saint Vincent University.

Malcolm is a first year Sociology major who constantly wrestles with the social implications of food in the development of self. (AKA. How can I eat more food and make it look important).

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A New Home at Crandall

by Abi Babji Being an international student at Crandall University, my journey has been a tapestry of new experiences, challenges, and the warmth. Crandall‘s welcoming community has surrounded me.

Coming to a new country for education was like stepping into a vast unknown, but Crandall has provided me with more than just a place to study; it has become my home away from home.

The decision to pursue my education in a foreign land was both exciting and nerve-wracking. I was filled with anticipation, wondering if I would find my footing in a new culture. However, from the moment I set foot on Crandall's campus, my worries began to dissipate.

What struck me most about Crandall was the genuine warmth of the community. It wasn't just about academic excellence; it was about fostering connections and building relationships. The faculty, staff, and fellow students embraced diversity, creating an environment where everyone felt valued and accepted.

One aspect that has enriched my experience at Crandall has been the opportunity to be involved in the broader Christian community of Moncton.

The city's vibrant Christian network has allowed me to not only grow spiritually but also to connect with like-minded individuals who share similar values and beliefs. Through church events, community outreach programs, and gatherings, I've been able to build meaningful relationships beyond the campus borders.

Being part of the broader Christian community has not only deepened my faith but has also allowed me to contribute to the community in meaningful ways. Whether I volunteered at local events, participated in charity drives, or engaged in discussions about faith and life, I've found a sense of purpose beyond my academic pursuits.

Building a community for myself at Crandall wasn't just about finding friends; it was about creating a support system. The university's commitment to fostering a close-knit community made it easier for me to connect with fellow students who, like me, were navigating the challenges of being away from home.

From study groups to cultural exchange events, there were ample opportunities to build connections and forge lasting friendships.

In essence, Crandall has become more than just a place of education for me. It's a community that celebrates diversity, encourages personal growth, and provides a platform to connect with the broader community in Moncton.

As an international student, feeling at home in a foreign land is a priceless experience, and I am grateful to be part of the Crandall family, where every student's journey is not just acknowledged but embraced with open arms.

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Galatians 5:13 - Use Your Freedom Well

by Mari Kadri Last January, God gave me the word “freedom” as a word to meditate on for the year of 2023. It was a time when God was showing me that He had come to give His children freedom.

For me, this looked like freedom from expectations, from certain relationships, and freedom from the desire to have life my way. Those were all important lessons to learn. But on New Years Eve, my pastor shared Galatians 5:13 in his sermon – and man, let me tell you, was I ever convicted.

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.“ (Galatians 5:13, ESV) As I began meditating on this verse, I became increasingly convicted. God had given me so much freedom in 2023, but was I using that freedom well?

As I was meditating on this, I happened to attend Dr. Sam Reimer’s small group on Mondays called Living Justly. In this small group, he explained this concept that I was starting to wrestle with wonderfully: God does give “freedom from” things, but He – possibly more importantly – gives “freedom to.”

One of the expectations that I had placed on myself was to be a straight A student – and don’t get me wrong, it’s admirable to strive for high grades – but it had closed me off from allowing God to use me in other ways. God freed me from that expectation on myself, in order to give me freedom to be used by Him. There is a point to the freedom that God gives. It’s not just so that we can live the lives that we want, it’s so that we are able to live the lives that He has for us.

In 1 Peter, we see this sentiment echoed: “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (1 Peter 2:16, ESV).

I would encourage you to look through this lens as you approach life. In Canada, we have so many freedoms. But how can we use those freedoms to serve God? Mari is a fourth-year English major who moonlights as the President of the History Society.

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God’s Not Indifferent: Engaging with Black History in a Very White Context

by Abeni Knowles Last year, I did a panel with Steve Watts and Jackson Culberson, where we delved into our personal and wider black history. This year, my heart bears the same cause as the last and my passions have not changed, but have only grown.

Much was said to this topic by Dr. Késa Munroe-Anderson this past Wednesday in chapel.

Therefore, this will be a reiteration of a point from last year, last week, applicable to us as we move forward.

(Yeah, we’re jumping straight into it).

There is a deep and wide spectrum on how people deal with race and Christianity. One end of the spectrum says that “Historically, Christianity is the white man’s religion and condones our oppression.” Meanwhile, the other side says that “the media is hysterical, and the so-called racism is only a distant historical memory. There is no need for this level of black empowerment today." I understand the narratives which push us to either end. Thus, I’d like to counter them and anything else that drives us to the extremes. By the grace of God, we can reconcile both of the sides back to His truth and be centered on Him and His stance on blackness as a whole.

I Ilka Hartmann, 2004. Black is Beautiful.

We have to understand that God has always celebrated blackness. Always celebrates our overcoming. Always rejects our oppression. I’m going to allude to Dr. Esau McCaulley to explain: “One of the key points of the gospel is that the gospel transforms culture. Then, each one of those cultures offer their gifts to God. So the reason I’m not willing to let go of my culture is because God made me black on purpose. A redeemed black culture is a gift to the body of Christ that nobody else can give.”

It’s the same case with us as individuals. We each have skills or talents that are God-given, and then use His glory when we are redeemed through salvation. In the same vein, God has always been a God of justice.

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He weeps with us who weep over the afflictions on black bodies. He heartily rejects the thought that ‘one image-bearer is lesser than another’. He makes no distinction at the foot of the cross, nor will He resurrect a man to leave his blackness behind. What He will do is fight for His whole creation.

If Christ was willing to step down from glory to fight for the freedom of all men from sin and death, will He not stand with those modeling after His fight for freedom? God knows no indifference in the realm of justice. Therefore, we should not either.

My passion is awareness and subsequently, compassion. Compassion is the seed for action, Whether you are called to intercede on behalf of the black community, to minister to those with racial trauma, to campaign for awareness, or to serve to combat it - compassion is what opens your heart to the Lord and what it is He’s calling you to do in order to stand with the black community. We’re not saying that you have to be consumed with all that is black empowerment and justice 24/7. We’re saying you should seek understanding on the lives, issues, and overall history of the people you live alongside.

The Maritimes may not be that black, but we’re still here. And specifically for the body of Christ, we should seek understanding on the lives, issues, and history of the brothers and sisters we say we love so much.

It can be a daunting thing to engage in the history and happenings of black lives. Dr. MunroeAnderson gave us all a lot to think about regarding what people stand to lose when they stand for what is right.

To the scared, to the intimidated, and to the silent I say: black people did not ask for our afflictions, it was given to us unprovoked. I pray the day comes where we no longer have to plead for engagement and compassion from others, but it is given to us in grace.

The deep importance of engaging with black history is that it is key to know where one has come from to know where one should go. If it is our desire to improve on our relationship with race as the years go by and we walk with more diverse sets of people, then we have to engage in what has happened in the world, and what is happening in the world. Only then can we impact what will happen, and ensure it is happening for the better.

Abeni is a 2nd Year Biblical Studies and Psychology Major. She usually take 2-4 business days to come up with her bios.

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Crandall Theatre Shake it Off: The Musical Crandall’s theatre group is ramping up as we get closer to our show dates!

February 23, 24, 25 mark the opening and closing shows of our one act play, Shake it Off: The Musical written and directed by Crandall’s own Sophie Chase. This show is already sure to be a blast!

Kenzie Baker is the production’s Head Director this year with Sophie Chase directing specifically for the musical. She has put in hours to writing, casting, and producing Crandall’s first musical written and directed by students.

Students from all years and degrees have signed up to put on this show for the Crandall community.

The actors for this musical include Abby Slipp, Emily Britton, Suava Hoffman, Henry Hol, Titus Eastwood, Bella Able, and Elisabeth Ford. Each character is meaningful to the story, and everything is tied together wonderfully.

Shake it Off: The Musical is a musical-comedy about a high school music teacher who loves Taylor Swift and who tries to put together a show choir group at his school. Along the way there is drama, love, betrayal, and lots of Taylor Swift's songs used to tell the story.

Make sure to come out and support the actors who have put in their time and effort bringing this show to the stage.

At the same time, we’d love to support the pre-show that makes up the first act of the play. This wonderful experience is going to be filled with comedy, music, dancing, and audience participation.

Previously mentioned, the show dates run on February 23rd at 7PM, 24th at 7PM, and 25th at 3PM. Each show will include two acts - the preshow and the musical - and an intermission where there will be a canteen, run by CU Serves with proceeds going towards their Guatemala Mission Trip. Snacks and beverages will be available and come prepared to help them out!

Topping it all off, each show is COMPLETELY FREE and is open to anybody in and outside of Crandall who wants to do something fun on a weekend night. Doors open 30 minutes before the show time.

Again, it is COMPLETELY FREE for ANYBODY. So please come out and support Crandall Theatre’s performances.

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Letters from Oxford: January 29, 2024

by Alley MacDonald Dear Crandall, We’ve been having an absolutely incredible first month at the University of Oxford! We landed in England on January 12, and since then, we’ve been immersed in the amazing culture and history here.

Our group is made up of students from both Crandall and Redeemer University, and there are eight of us in total. Together, we travel daily via train from the picturesque little town of Charlbury (where we live with homestay hosts, kind families who are teaching us how to live the British lifestyle!) into the busy city of Oxford, where we’ve been taking fascinating classes on Shakespeare’s plays and the history of drama from the ancient Greeks to the modern day.

In our spare time, we’ve been enjoying the many coffee shops, restaurants, and bookstores around Oxford! If you ever find yourself in the area, I highly recommend stopping by Whittard—their hot chocolate is absolutely divine.

As part of the programme, we’ve also been given access to every single one of Oxford’s twenty-six libraries, each one of which is filled with amazing books and study spaces. One of these libraries is the famous Radcliffe Camera, which is even more amazing in person than it looks in photographs!

The programme has also given us special opportunities for travel. Our group just returned from a weekend in London, which involved a lot of walking but was so worth it for the amazing things we experienced! Our stops included the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Covent Garden, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the British Museum, two theatrical performances, and much more. In addition, we’ve all been hard at work planning trips for during our Reading Week—in just a few short weeks, we’ll be adventuring all over Europe, with students travelling to Italy, Scotland, and Germany!

We can’t wait to share more of our Oxford adventures with you!

Sincerely, Alley Alley is a third-year history major who can usually be found reading history plaques instead of keeping up with her group on the streets of Oxford.

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Apologetics 101

by Evan Carr “God doesn’t exist.” “The Bible is just a made-up fable from a bunch of shepherds high on mushrooms.” “Jesus was just a man.” “Science disproves God and the Bible.”

I’m sure we’ve all heard such provocative statements around us at least once or twice. Maybe it was on social media, among a group of friends, on the street, in the news, or on the pages of a book you read. But when you hear these claims, do you know how to respond? Or are you struck speechless as a “see, I proved you wrong” grin builds in your friend’s zygomaticus major?

I’m willing to bet that in many cases, Christians are caught in these situations without a good and informed response. But this is where apologetics comes in.

“Apologetics” derives from the Greek word apologia, which essentially means to give a defense. This word appears 17 times in the New Testament. Essentially, this means that we’re answering questions and objections, as well as setting forth positive grounds for why we believe something to be the case. It is like defending one’s faith in a courtroom setting.

As Christians, we’re called to give a defense of our faith. We need to know what we believe and why.

Scripture commands us to always “be prepared to give an answer [Greek: apologia] to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15, NIV).

Why do you believe in Jesus? Because that’s what you were raised to believe, or because the evidence and sound reason has persuaded you? These are things that all Christians need to know – no matter our interests or areas of study. And when someone asks us why we believe, we need to be ready to offer them an answer with gentleness and respect.

Acts records the apostles engaging in apologetics all the time. For instance, we see Paul doing it in Acts 17:2-4: “As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. ’This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,’ he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas” [emphasis added].

Paul didn’t engage in arguments or yelling matches or rap battles. Instead, he reasoned with the audience.

He started with common ground between himself and the audience – the Old Testament – and proceeded to make his case. What common ground could you begin with? And when Paul spoke to someone unfamiliar with Scripture, he began with appeals to nature and philosophy, which was something they could understand.

From there, he traced his way to Jesus (Acts 14:15-17; 17:16-34).

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In another case, when Paul was in Berea (Acts 17:10-14), the audience is described as a “noble character” partially because they “examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (v. 11).

Knowing the truth doesn’t come to us like an apple falling from a random tree. We need to seek it.

We need to ask God for wisdom, which he will provide (James 1:5). He will provide us with the adequate strength and knowledge as we seek it.

This is the heart of Christian apologetics. It’s not for geeky people who have an unbalanced interest in ancient texts and obscure facts. It’s for anybody with an interest in truth—truth about God, Jesus, and the Bible. Seek the truth so it can set you free (John 8:32). So, if you want to engage in such a quest, where should you start? Well, as the President of the Ratio Christi club at Crandall University, I can’t help but recommended this ministry.

We meet Mondays at 11:30 AM for our “Memeing Through the Bible” Bible study, and Thursdays at 6:30 PM to discuss a variety of apologetics-related topics. This Thursday (Feb. 8), we’ll be continuing to discuss “Bad Things Done by the Church.”

Whether you’re a believer, a seeker, or a skeptic, let me warmly invite you to bring your questions and join the conversation. We meet in SH218.

To learn more about Ratio Christi and apologetics, visit www.ratiochristi.ca.

Evan Carr is a third year Science Student who enjoys studying evidence for God and the Bible especially in the Science realm (he has found a lot of such evidence BTW).

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Then & Now: Rob MacDonald

Originally printed in Volume 67 Issue 4

In December of 2014, Professor Rob MacDonald did an interview with the Beacon. This past weekend - a decade later - we asked him the exact same questions.

Here are his answers compared.

Q: What is your home life like?

2014: I am married to a wonderful woman named Carolyn who is a school teacher and church music director. I have three kids: my daughter Alley who is in grade 8, and my son Daniel who is in grade 6, and my son Aiden who is in grade 3. We live in the country in Steeves Mountain. I serve as associate pastor at Petitcodiac Baptist Church.

2024: I'm blessed to live in the wilds of Steeves Mountain, NB, where you can still see the stars at night and occasionally - if the wind is blowing just right on a warm summer evening - smell the "fertilizer" sprayed on the fields of neighbouring farms. I reside with my wife Carolyn (Crandall alum), and children Alley (Crandall student), Daniel (Crandall student), and Aiden (high school and as of yet undecided)... so we're like a little Crandall colony in the wilderness.

Q: How long have you been at Crandall?

2014: Just last night I got the 15-year service award.

It’s an endurance award for being able to survive and stick it out here. So it’s my 16th year here at Crandall.

Q: What brought you to Crandall?

2014: The promise of fabulous riches and incredible amounts of glory I think was what probably led me here in the first place. Talk about bait and switch marketing. After I got here I was like, “wait a minute.” The opportunity to teach in a small business program. The program I was teaching in at St. Mary’s was much bigger than Crandall’s.

Then the opportunity to teach at a Christian university basically moving from a setting in which you weren’t allowed to talk about your faith to an environment where you are actually expected to share your faith—where you can integrate. That’s why I’m here. That, and the cafeteria food.

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2024: I refuse to answer this question on the grounds that I might incriminate myself.

However, the more historically astute reader might determine my arrival by recognizing it as the first and only year the Arizona Diamondbacks won the World Series.

2024: I believe I came by automobile, however if you're seeking to understand my motivations, I would say that the opportunity to teach business at a small, Christian university was a major attraction. I had been teaching at a much larger public institution where conversations about faith were effectively forbidden, so the thought of being able to explore the intersection of Christianity and business was very enticing. Plus, I had just married a Moncton girl, so that helped too.

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Q: Would you rather have an ant head or an ant body?

2014: I find that question really objectionable because many of my best friends are ants.

It’s almost like cultural appropriation… It is a tough call. Given that most ants are workers, if I was just a worker ant I’d have to take the body and those dudes are strong. They can lift like 10 times their own weight. But, if I got to be the boss ant then I’d want the head.

2024: This is a challenging, and ultimately deeply philosophical question. In the final analysis, with ants being known for their vast intellect I would have to choose the head, where their brains reside. Plus, ant heads also have cool hinged antennae.

Q: If you could be any other professor at Crandall who would you be and why?

2014: Abram Steen. Because I’ve always wondered what it would like to be able to reach the top shelf.

2024: While he's not a professor per se, I would have to say Mr. Charles Charger. Charlie has had a significant impact on the Crandall community during his years of service, and is held with a level of esteem to which I can only aspire. Also, his personal chutzpa enables him to do things that normal Crandall folk simply cannot. For example, the last time I ran up and down the stands during a basketball game poking at people, I was escorted out by security.

Q: How does your faith impact how you teach classes and go about your job as a scholar?

2014: One of things that Crandall has done for me is really opened my eyes to the possibility of integration. When I came here I really did see life as being divided, as there being that part of life which is my faith and a part that is business and I couldn’t see the connection.

I’ve come around to understand that Christian business is possible. Wherever possible I really do try to present that idea of integration as being eminently possible.

There are some areas where it can be demonstrated and that there is a way to manage people as God imaged creations, there is a way to manage from the point of view of stewardship, and I try to do that whenever and wherever I can.

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2024: My faith has everything to do with both. Students are made in God's image, and as such God has expectations for me as a professor whereby I am charged with exercising stewardship over my students' learning (<ahem> God also has expectations for students). Further to this, academic inquiry is, I submit, a quest to discover God's truth in creation, whether that be historical truth, scientific truth, or even (gasp!) truth in the realm of business. This understanding has shaped me as a professor, and represents one of the distinct advantages Christian universities offer both students and professors. Yea, and amen.

😉

Reading Too Much Into Love

by Mari Kadri When I took Introduction to Greek with Dr. Merrill Greene last year, he walked us through several common misconceptions people have about Greek. One stood out to me as it was a misconception that I personally held for much of my life.

If you’ve grown up in the church, it is quite likely that you’ve heard a sermon about the different types of love in the Bible, most notably agape, philia, and eros. These words, we’re taught, express very differing ideas of love and teach us a “secret code” to understanding love from God’s perspective. However, this is a misconception.

In case you have not heard of this, the popular definitions of these words are as follows: Agape is thought to be the highest form of love: the love of God for man and of man for God. Philia is thought to be brotherly love, or the love you have for a friend.

Eros is thought to be passionate or romantic love.

People often believe that there is always a reason that a word means what it means, and if you can trace it back far enough, that you’ll uncover the true meaning of it. This is called the Root Fallacy (Carson, 26).

If you’ve ever taken Dr. Ohlhauser’s Intro to Communicating, you may have learned that language is arbitrary. In other words, there is no innate reason that “book” refers to that thing you check out from the Rawlyk Library and read the day before your paper is due. We as a collective society have just agreed that it is called that.

In his book Exegetical Fallacies, D.A. Carson gives several examples in which the word used for love in the Bible does not support the definitions that Christian culture has given them. Some examples of this include the words agape and philia being used interchangeably in John 3:35 and John 5:20, both of which refer to the love the Father has for the Son. Agape is also used of 2 Timothy 4:10, when it speaks of Demus loving [agape] the present world (Carson, 30).

With these examples, we can see that the idea that is often repeated within Christian culture that the Greek words for “love” are very distinct and can teach us theological truths just doesn’t add up.

That is not to say that there are no nuances between these words – I’m sure there are. But we shouldn’t hang our entire understanding of love on a possible slight variation of a word. I would encourage you to instead base your understanding of love on Jesus – who He shows Himself to be and how He demonstrates love to even those who hate and hurt Him. PAGE FOURTEEN | THE BEACON

Film Review: Arrival (2016)

by Hayley Cook “If you could see your whole life from start to finish, would you change things?”

“Maybe I'd say what I felt more often. I-I don't know.”

How would you react if an alien spaceship landed in your backyard? Would you fight it? Or would you run as far away as possible? Or would you want to understand it? Before you follow your first instincts, you may want to take a step back and reflect upon what you want to do and why.

Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is a professional linguist who teaches people to think and speak before acting. The eloquence she portrays before trying to communicate with aliens impacts how we, the viewers, think about the things we say to each other.

Throughout the movie she dives deep into the importance of understanding how words work. I mean, conflict mainly arises simply due to miscommunication and lack of ability to listen to and reason with each other. This movie shows that if we do not take the time to understand those around us, we may be throwing away our opportunities to change ourselves, others, or the world for the better.

Overall, Arrival shows us that there is always more than what meets the eye.

Unfortunately, though, due to the slow, tense, suspense-building pace of the film, the rewatchability of Arrival is not extremely high. Upon first watch, your eyes will be glued to the screen, fully engulfed in Amy Adam’s relationship with two alien creatures she has no information about. Then, the twist will fill your body with goosebumps and you will be left wondering what just happened. However, upon second watch, you may find yourself annoyed and bored by Arrival’s slowness due to already knowing what the suspense is building toward.

With that said, the film is still so beautifully meaningful that you won’t be mad you returned to it. So, if you have never seen it, or if you have, go watch it!

Now onto announcements: We are approximately 1 month from the 2024 Academy Awards, which air March 10th at 8pm. And guess what folks! We are preparing to show you four Oscar nominated films over the next five weeks, including Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse, Zone of Interest, Past Lives, and Barbie!

Check out the full schedule on Instagram @crandallfilmclub. We cannot wait to see you there!!

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Sports Recap

by Noah Miller Our Crandall Women’s volleyball team had nothing but close games in January. Four out of their five games went to the fifth set.

The Women have four games left in their regular season two of them are at home. Make sure to come out to their home games on Saturday the 10th and Saturday the 17th with first serve at 1:00pm and 2:00pm respectively.

Crandall’s Men’s volleyball team continues to learn and grow in their first ever season. As their first season is coming to a close come out and see how much our Men’s team has improved. The Men play after the Women’s team on the 10th and 17th with their first serves being at 3:00pm and 4:00pm.

The month of January was a rollercoaster ride for our Men’s Basketball team. They beat the second seed MSVU in a comfortable 97-83 win, but they lost a close game to Holland by only a single point.

They finished the month with three wins and three losses, keeping their third-place seed. The Men’s Team has two home games left. The first is this Friday and Friday the 23rd tipoff is at 8:00pm for both games.

The Women’s Basketball team had a nail-biter of a game against the third seed UKC with the game going into overtime. Kylee Balser played 42 minutes, going four for six from the three-point line. The women ended up losing the game with the ref’s making multiple questionable calls attributing to the loss. Mark your calendars because the Women’s next home games are Friday the 9th and Friday the 23rd with tipoff being at 6:00pm for both games.

Crandall’s Boxing team fought in Brampton ON. last weekend, scoring 5 medals in total. Amine Kaddouri scored a gold medal in the 75kg weight class. Sean Finnigan, and Sanil Shahi won silver medals in their fights, and Adrian Roach and Ariel Hernandez won bronze. Very successful trip for Crandall Boxing so make sure to congratulate each one of them on their wins.

This weekend other members of the team are fighting in Pen State University in the US, so make sure to cheer them on!

The running season is not over yet. In fact, the indoor running season started in January. Luke set a new school record in the 3000m event with a time of 9:24.94. The 1000m event both Luke and Luc set personal bests with Luc setting another school record of 2:47.96. The indoor team will be on the move again February 25th check their Instagram page for updates.

Do you have questions about Crandall sports? Email me your questions at millernoa@crandalluniversity.ca and I’ll answer them in next month’s edition.

Noah is a third-year Business major. He’s the kind of guy to say snow is a type of precipitation. Which it is PAGE SIXTEEN | THE BEACON

SHALLNOT a place for Innocence Romance Retold

by Abbi Skaling A young boy, no more than twelve years old, sits on a dusty bench outside his school’s front doors. A few wilty wild flowers droop over his hand making the bouquet he had picked a few hours earlier look a little less appealing than he had hoped it would be. The boy, with his dark hair and thick glasses, looks familiar to me, the same way a favorite song or a frequently traveled road is familiar, peaceful. The boy pulls a note out of his pocket and carefully unfolds it. It reads, “And so you see I have come to doubt All that I once held as true I stand alone without beliefs The only truth I know is you.” 1 The boy is waiting for something. More accurately, someone. It’s easy to tell by the amount of times he’s glanced towards the doors and at his watch that he is nervously anticipating someone’s appearance. I know who he’s waiting for. As soon as the bell rings and the students come pouring out of the doors, I’ll be able to pick her out in the crowd. Her features — her curly hair and sweet smile — are just as familiar to me as the boy’s.

Right on time, the school’s bell rings and a herd of children come flying out into the parking lot. The boy folds the note back up and tightens his grip on the bouquet. The flowers droop some more. He doesn’t notice. He sees the girl he’s been waiting for. She doesn’t see him yet, though. He stands up.

I have a vested interest in this boy’s endeavors. Luckily, I don’t have to hope for a positive outcome because I already know what happens. I have played this scene through in my mind many times before.

Right before the girl is about to head home, she turns around and sees the boy with the wilted daisies. A wide smile spreads across her face. She walks over to him slowly, shyly. The boy musters up all his courage and hands her the bouquet and then the note. She accepts them and blushes rosily. As she reads the note, I can tell she thinks she understands love more deeply than she possibly can at her age. She will come to understand it so much more deeply, though, in the coming years as the two grow old together.

I wasn’t actually there that day to see this scene unfold, of course. But I’ve asked my grandma to tell me the story of how she and my grandpa met so many times that I can picture it in my mind in vivid detail. It’s a story that becomes no less enchanting the more I tell and retell it to myself.

1 From “Kathy’s Song” by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel PAGE SEVENTEEN | THE BEACON

SHALLNOT a place for expression

My world

by Elisha Reimer

Have you ever been to a place where dragons roam free?

Where you can run in the woods with bare feet?

Have you ever been to a place where the campfires never end?

Where you can dance without socks with no chores to attend?

Not a care in the world A life of magic Except for your height Except it's all yours Or whether today you will get out and fight? Are places that were hidden revealed with secret doors?

Have you been to a place where books can’t describe?

And no one but your mom or your brother can Where you can run off a cliff and simply fly? ruin the fun, Because surely you’re not tired, A place of your own The fun has just begun.

Except also your friends Will there be treasure to find around the river bend?

Abeni’s top 10: Black Gospel Music Now Behold the Lamb Kirk Franklin, The Family

Something About the Name Jesus Kirk Franklin

The Anthem Full Gospel Baptist Church

Your Spirit Tasha Cobbs Leonard

He Is Able Kirk Franklin

PAGE EIGHTEEN | THE BEACON

Flow to You Bishop Paul S. Morton. Sr.

We’re Blessed Fred Hommond

Endow Me Rev. James Moore

Scan for Spotify Playlist